At first it all went fine. Really well, Tor thought. People were pleased enough to hear from him, and either said yes, or in a few cases, made polite excuses, generally having their own plans for events. In those cases Collette gave them contact information for the rest of the Postern committee, so that they could get in on whatever mobile events that were planned. There were some magical fireworks and transport rides available for instance, as well as some of the Kings week events that, while they were needed back for that, were being lent out, so others could enjoy them.
The Waterfall mountain might be a little cold, but by just using some water heaters at the right points it should be able to be kept toasty enough. Then it would need to be cooled on the way out, but a careful hand could do it.
No the trouble came when they got to Countess York.
Tor didn't know her at all, but she, apparently, knew a whole lot about him. It wasn't that she was rude, or even cold, just a bit stiff. At first. Finally she got to her issue, which wasn't really hers at all.
“I… received some troubling information a few days ago. I don't know how to proceed on the matter. One of my Barons, Rochester, has set writ, declaring his intent to seek a duel with you for cause? I had to sign the papers, you understand? It's traditional if there is any cause at all and he claims that you beat him quiet soundly? No reason was given…” She tried to lead the question, but didn't ask outright.
“Oh, yes. Well, I can't say, promises were made to that end, to protect his name. To him. So telling you now would be cause all on its own. Well, that's unfortunate.” Tor felt a lot worse than that about it, but held his voice steady.
It was never a good day when someone wanted you dead.
“At least he registered it as a duel without encumbrance, so it shouldn't be too the death.” The woman’s voice was concerned and after a minute Tor got it. She was worried that Tor would kill the guy. Ah.
“I take it that he's been restored to health then?” He asked with a smile, letting it carry into his voice.
“Oh my yes, we have a wonderful traveling doctor in the area with one of your healing devices. He did charge Brian through the nose however, I believe it was something like five hundred gold? Worth it though. Perfectly fine now. I told him he should count himself lucky and let it go, but he didn't listen. He often doesn't. A bit of a hot head, not that you heard it from me.”
Tor sighed and made sure she knew that she was invited to stay in one of his houses for the event and that they could send a transport around if desired. She accepted with a bit of excitement. More than the others had even. She'd always wanted to fly after all. Even before it was something actually possible.
The instant the connection was broken Collette jumped to her feet, looking ready to fight the Baron herself right then.
“That… monster! He must have heard about your current state and wants to capitalize on it. What are we going to do?” She sounded really worried.
“Um, tell him no?”
“But then you'll lose face and people will look down on you…” Her words were flat though, as if she thought it was a good idea, but really didn't want to be seen as coaching him to that end.
Thinking for a while he finally stood himself, a laborious thing that took the better part of fifteen seconds.
“Well, or he can wait half a year for me to just heal up. Either way works for me. I mean, I get that he might have some hard feelings. That isn't really my issue though is it? Plus, maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions. He may just be looking to pay me back, not knowing that anything is going on with me at all. When he's told he might just withdraw his claim, or at least wait. If not, then, well. Tough. It's too stupid to worry over and if people want to think I'm not fighting because I'm scared, well, that's the truth, isn't it? I really don't want to be beaten to death if I can help it. It's my least favorite way of dying after all. Other than burning, or being buried alive I mean.”
That actually got her to calm down and they managed the rest of the day’s work pretty smoothly. Count Rodriguez was a little cool to him at first, but warmed up when he got his invitation.
“I'd heard from sources you were having everyone in, but I didn't think I'd make the list. When we last met it wasn't under the best circumstances.”
It hadn't been. It was the only other duel he'd been in. Well, except for the fight with the seven Larval assassins. He'd gotten the guy to withdraw, mainly by torturing him into it. As a seated Count he couldn't really just be killed, not in a duel. That would cause his county to cry foul and go to war. He'd challenged David Derring to a fight to the death, to try and punish his father it seemed. Tor had kind of recklessly gotten him to fight him instead. It probably saved the Counts life. David had orders from his dad to “accidentally” kill the man if he didn't withdraw in shame first.
“But we left as friends. You don't leave your friends off the list if you can help it, right?” His words sounded innocent, even to him.
The Count went silent.
“Um, you can't see it, but I'm bowing to the little speaking plate. That's… rather more than I expected. I would be honored to attend. Thank you.”
“Wonderful! See you then.”
The next few days were similar, but got a little easier, thanks to him getting his health back. The only hard part, for Tor, was that nothing new was coming in from Denno. He'd said it might take a while and that seemed to be playing out. He did have some information, for instance there were fifteen agents in the kingdom, spread out some, but most in and around the Capital. Only half were women. That couldn’t account for anyone that had been enlisted by Daria as she acted as an agent though. Only the ones actually from Austra.
No one could explain the murders directly however. It certainly wasn't procedure. Daria Serge was definitely still in Austra however, working with her father regularly enough that it would be hard, but not impossible to get to her. The information about how to do that was heartening.
Because it meant that it could actually be done.
That meant another trip for Tor himself, first to the palace to get Karina and then Lairdgren to pick up Kolb. He'd taken notes and drew out maps by hand, based on a book he borrowed from Rolph, showing the best routes in and explaining what was known about her daily habits.
Tor didn't mention what his plan was and didn't let the others talk past saying hello. Karina seemed down and dark again, but Kolb just looked hard and like he could take on small armies by himself. Since he literally could, armed as he was and with his skills, that worked.
They hovered then, in a carriage that could get them anywhere in the world in less than a day, hanging over Lairdgren school about six thousand feet up. This craft was purple, and shaped like a teardrop, just because that's the shape it had been in when it was taken to Austra. Tor had made it bigger, and changed the color from blue, but that was it. Holding the thing steady, Tor passed the stack of papers back to Sir Kolbrin and waited for him to look through them. Karina didn't say anything, or even shift overly.
It was a royal thing, he knew, the King’s family in particular, learned to wait for people to get up to speed and accepted that sometimes they didn't get to know what was really going on. It had to happen and they were there too often for it to be left out of their early training. When he'd been learning his letters and helping out in the bakery for half days, this girl had been learning to fight off multiple opponents, lead a battle charge… and to wait. She was good at it.
The large bald man, smiled.
“How good is this information?” He spoke conversationally, it was friendly sounding even.
“Gotten from someone that claims to have a personal reason for it to be done, that I don't think wants to have my ill will. Who he got that from I don't know. My guess is from the Austran spy network or military, maybe both, so you know if it's possibly avoid killing that sort, since they might be our friends, even if they don't realize it.” Tor shut up and let the man think for a bit, which he did for nearly half an hour, then he passed the papers to the Princess.
“If it's good, we can go on it. Assassination of a leader is a dangerous practice, but the Austrans took that restraint off the table when they bombed the palace last year and sent assassins to attack the Queen’s day celebration.” He let the girl read then.
Finally she sat up and nodded.
“I… see it as valid. Why though? I mean I don't love Glost Serge and think he needs to be killed, but it isn't common practice. We normally act with greater honor, as a kingdom.”
They did. That was part of the reason for floating up in the air away from spies like they were. This action had nothing to do with courage or honor, not with anything good at all.
“Because Daria Serge is living with the man right now, during the last week of each month. That's unusually close for Austra by the way. I don't think it's incestuous, but he watches her like a hawk. Probably because she'd do him in if she could. If we strike at the right time it will look like simple retaliation. They don't think we can do it.” Tor waved a hand over his shoulder, not at them, but his craft, which had kept growing stronger for months. Faster.
Not the equal of the best Austran craft, but a solid two thirds of their best craft speed. Also about a million times better than the not flying at all that Austra still probably expected out of Noram. Things had changed pretty quickly on that score.
“If we do this right, we end the war inside a month. If we do it wrong, we also end it in a month, just with actual fighting and dying, which I personally would like to avoid. For either side, as much as possible.”
The Princess nodded, excitement coming off her like she was five and getting a puppy. It wasn't cute at all though, because it meant the death of at least two people. Tor couldn't judge there, it was his idea. He just wished she didn't seem so very pleased by it. It was off-putting. Scary.
“ I…” She looked at Kolb and shook her head. “I want Lilli dead Kolb, but I can't order this. Not alone. Let me get with my parents and, the others too I guess, and run it by them. If you could have your forces prepared and ready though? Say in five days?”
The man bowed while sitting.
“Yes Princess Karina. It will be done.”
She nodded, satisfied, “you know, I though Tor was going to ask us to kill Baron Diddles for him. Have you caught wind of that one Sir Kolbrin? Rochester got himself healed up from the beating Tor gave him and is coming back for more, unencumbered dual it seems. Dad got the paperwork last night from Countess York. What's your plan Tor, I… you aren't well enough to fight like that, are you? I pinned Sandra down on it the other day and she told me that you probably wouldn't survive a beating right now. Well, she said a solid sneeze, but I think she meant it. Is that accurate?” Her tone conveyed information gathering, not play.
“Yeah, I mean a sneeze wouldn't do it, not really, but being beaten solidly… I'd say it probably would, but that would be lying. I just couldn’t survive it. Without a shield right now, a solid fall might take me out. I mean off a chair, not a mountain. Notice how I haven't risked flying or used my Not-flyer past a strolling walk speed? It's for a reason.”
Karina went white hearing that, but Kolb chuckled a deep kind of thing that he'd never heard before.
“So our plan?” He said, voice rasping just slightly.
“Run away?” Tor was half playing himself, but shrugged. “Really, I'll have to send the challenge back, won't I? Eat sour over it and humble myself if needed. Otherwise I might as well walk out on the field and douse myself with lamp oil and set myself alight, because I'm dead anyway.”
The man nodded, “good. I didn't train you to be a moron. Heal up and then go kick his ass in a year when you're strong.”
“Fuck.” It was a hard word for a Princess. Her accent made it sound royal though. Like something you'd definitely want to try if you could, at least with her.
“Tor… He's specifically posted it with the King’s court. And he named you as Sir Torrance Green Baker, Knight of the realm…”
“Fuck.” Kolb seconded.
“Um, I… don't really get it, what's the issue here?”
No one spoke for a while, but finally the older man, who was actually forty-two, but appeared a strong thirty, once you looked under the scars on his face explained it.
“By citing you as a Knight specifically, and addressing it to the King’s view, he's functionally locked you into doing it. For you to avoid it, would be the kingdom saying it was wrong, or too weak to answer the man. It would create a crises of confidence. Not immediately, but over time the King’s enemies would use it against him. As if they'd do better as rulers.” There was a deep sound, which became a growl.
“So. We'll think of something. Tor can't fight and Rochester can always withdraw the challenge.”
Tor went cold though. He had to fight?
Sure, he was a Knight, and if it came to it, fighting to save lives, and protect the land was his duty, even if it meant he had to die to do it. He could accept that, but just to make this rather stupid man feel a little better about himself? It was insane. For one thing, if he did fight, he'd do it with the best weapons he could find.
Since he had access to those, even on his person, that would be better wouldn't it? Rochester might have a hidden card, that kind of made sense even, some trick or magic to kill him if they fought, but using magical weapons made more sense to him. He might survive that.
“Could I… Challenge him to a duel to the death instead?”
Kolb shrugged, “You could, but this one comes first. If he doesn't withdraw it, then you have to fight him anyway, and if you die, the second challenge won't have a lot of meaning.”
Right.
Well, that sucked. Tor was just kind of doomed wasn't he?
Crap.
“Well… then I'll just see what I can come up with and try to get him to set the date as far off as possible…”
There was a soft groan from the Princess, “Postern. He set it for here, on Postern morning. No one really got all of it last night. Tor…” She sounded like there were tears in her eyes. He was looking out the clear shield that made up the front of the vehicle.
“OK. Well, I've beaten him before. I'll just have to be smarter about it this time. I doubt I could survive a full combat rage either. I… Have an idea. Don't tell anyone though.” Then without waiting Tor took them back to their spots, the school then the Capital. He didn't get out and go in when he set Karina down, letting her walk in while smiling at her confidently.
On the way back to his house he hyperventilated.
He was going to die.
Worse, he was going to do it ignobly, if front of everyone in the world that he knew. Whee. When he walked into his house there was a well dressed and liveried man standing inside. Not the King’s livery, some other royal. It turned out to be Countess York's messenger, who had the duty of handing over and witnessing receipt of the challenge. He looked grim enough at least, instead of smiling and laughing. So Tor did it for him.
“Hmmm, angry that I had to administer a bit of a beating, and now he thinks to come for more of the same? Probably heard I was under the weather and thinks to capitalize on that. Brilliant of him.” Tor chuckled, making it sound as happy as he could. “Tell me, will he be leaving a widow? I have several brothers that are looking for nice wives. It wouldn't do to leave her or any children uncared for.” It was a serious question, said earnestly enough that the man actually answered.
“Yes Lord Baker. The Lady Priscilla Clark Rochester recently married him, not a year past. His first wife died tragically, falling down some steps. Four of them I believe.”
Meaning it was suspicious as could be imagined and the jerk had probably killed her. Tor nodded, eyes half closing as he did.
“Oh? I recognize that name…” He really did. Lady Priscilla… It came back to him in a rush. “Oh! Right, I remember, she was being attacked by a man in full combat rage. He and I fought then, when I came to her aid. We managed to do that without anyone being harmed. Just one of those things. Duke Winchester. He was a good man, that incident aside. He later died saving my life from a Larval assassin, while I stopped a death dust attack.” Tor realized he was rambling.
“Ah, sorry, say, would you like something to eat, or a ride back to your county?”
He actually said yes to both and didn't seem displeased that Trice was going to be taking him at all. Since they were cousins and all.
Tor hadn't realized that the messenger was the Countesses’ third son. Nice of her to send someone so high ranking for the task. He was nearly his own father’s age, Tor guessed, but seemed polite and well spoken.
“I shall relay your words to the proper places.” He bowed on the way out, walking backwards to do it.
Really nice seeming guy. Tor called up his mother, Countess York, and made sure she knew they had space for him, and the rest of her family too. Why not? Even if Tor was dead, the holiday would continue. No need to leave anyone out just over that.
Then, locking himself in his bedroom alone, Tor pushed himself into a deep and focused trance state. As hard as he could, focusing on what essentially made up his own being. If he did it enough, it should help him build up faster. Maybe. He didn't know if it would be even half enough. Or even a big enough percentage to count. But it was what he had, so he did it. He drove deep into himself, focusing not on building anything, but fostering a sense of growth. Of strength and power, weaving it into his own being. Making it a part of himself.
From then on, he tried to spend six hours a day rebuilding his own pattern, and two in exercise. Which was kind of pitiful, just being walking and working with tiny weights, never over thirty pounds, usually not even that. Less than half of his best for some of the exercises. The rest of the day he worked on the festival and helping get things ready. No one talked to him about what was going to happen, not at first. Three days away from the event itself, he was summoned to the palace.
By the Queen.
She was… not pleased with the current plan at all. She said that so clearly Tor kind of winced.
“Which makes two of us, but so far I haven't found a loop hole or way out. If it was just my honor at stake, or even if it wouldn't effect things to make the King look bad, I'd walk away from this, laughing. It's worse than stupid. Instead I'm getting myself ready. On the good side I shouldn't just die if I take a blow or two now.” It had a carefree tone when he said it, but it was about the honest truth. A sharp fall wouldn't kill him now, but repeated blows just might. Even ten or twelve. He wouldn't survive a fight with Veren the Royal Guard for instance. Then, that had never really been the case, not if the man wanted him dead, so it wasn't that big of an issue really. Not for his ego at least.
And he was far too slow to get himself out of the way easily. Then, if he did hit, his tired and exhausted frame just couldn't deliver the needed power. Hitting the man over and over again with a pillow would be about as effective. More maybe, since at least that would be a weapon. To survive he needed to discover something, some kind of trick or something to make it all work.
There was silence in the room for a while, almost a coldness coming from the Queen, who looked a little worn down for some reason. Hopefully not him, Tor thought, since that shouldn't be something to bother with. After several minutes of silence she stood and walked to him, wrapping him gently in her arms.
“I won't let him hurt you. We'll declare you under the Queen’s protection and that will be that. Either he takes back his challenge or I'll have him executed.” Low and deadly she seemed about to go on, when a voice behind her interrupted.
“And cause every count and Duke in the kingdom to doubt our ability to defend ourselves. There's a very real reason why no Knight challenged as such backs down dear. We pick the best only, those willing to die for the people of this land, able to stand no matter what. If we protect Tor from a man he's easily handled before it will show a lack of faith in our own people and our own trust in him.” The King didn't boom, being normal speaking tone. It wasn't hidden though, spies in the walls or not.
Meaning he wanted people to hear him.
“That said dear, a hard challenge right now or not, I don't think it would do to undersell Tor. We've seen him take on things no one else could have survived and frankly, Baron Rochester isn't in his league at all as a fighter, which the man knows. That he tries to strike at a time of infirmity confirms that. The man fears Tor, it's clear. Even now I'd hazard. It has to have occurred to him that Tor both crippled him and created the device that healed him as well. Even a moron would have to understand the kind of power that represents.”
That was heartening, the speech the King gave for his wife and the listeners benefit. A bit of a shame though, Tor decided, the Queen’s protection would have been nice about then.
Stupid honor.
“Right, well, as I was just about to say, this isn't a real problem. I've been working to recover my strength, field pattern solidity, and have made great strides, I just have to get a bit more done and I'm sure it will be fine. I mean, I may lose the fight, I won't lie there, I really am pretty weak right now, but I shouldn't die.” It was a lie of course, at east possibly. Right now it would be a bit like a five year old trying to fight the man, maybe a nine year old. There was still real enough danger. He made his voice go smooth and confident, shrugging as he said it.
“Not fun, but I'd hazard it won't be the last beating I ever take. Who knows, maybe I'll figure something out in the next few days? I know that I'm not making funeral plans for this.”
He wasn't. That task, by tradition, was for the living, if anyone cared to do it at all. Otherwise they could just drop him in a hole. That would work well enough.
Laughing, as if much reassured himself, Rich slapped him on the back, gently, gave his wife a hug and left them alone, probably thinking they'd have sex. Tor hadn't noticed him doing things like that before, but it was kind of obvious right now to him for some reason. Well, he'd give her some cuddles, but doing much more was pretty much out.
They moved to a back room and shut the door. Tor moved with her gently, kissing her at first, as soon as she sat on the low leather sofa. They just held each other, nibbling and stroking for a while, then he playfully turned off her clothing amulet and looked at her. Creamy soft skin, dark hair at the juncture of her legs with just a bit of a red hint and dark nipples that puckered just slightly at his touch.
“I love you, you know.” Tor whispered it, as he sank in front of her, letting his mouth find the mound of her womanhood. He might not be up to a twenty mile run, but he managed with her all right, though it left his tongue sore and lips feeling a little chapped.
She sighed after tensing and spasming under him and pushed him away a bit, so that he could be pulled up to her lips.
“I love you too. Don't die.” The last was a command. Solid and forceful. “I don't care what you have to do. Flee, or cheat. Have the man killed or poisoned before hand to make the fight more even. Whatever it takes, live my love.”
Then she spent a while kissing him, moving finally to repay his efforts with her own, trying to get his clothing off. Tor stopped her with a wink.
“Sorry, none of that, I need to keep my strength for a bit. I know it's a silly superstition, not being with a woman before a battle, but just in case, I don't want to push it.” Plus, he hadn't responded at all, even while working on her. She was as lovely as a woman could be, but… nothing.
It was embarrassing.
At least she let him off the hook easily, either understanding the real problem or accepting that he had some reason for not doing it at that moment. She dressed, a simple flip of her hand near the chest, turning the amulet for her soft blue velvet gown back on with a thought. It was clean, of course, with no signs of what they'd done, no wrinkles or stains. Then it wasn't really the same garment was it?
It just looked like it.
Tor stood and smiled, nodding to her and giving her a hug before standing back. She was taller than he was, and always would be. Even for common men he wasn't over tall, right in line for average. That made a difference in a fight.
So, if he would do it, Burks would have to slouch.
After all, wasn't he essentially the same person? It would look right at least. Tor would need to coach him in fighting though, he realized as he flew back to his house. Otherwise Burks would win too easily. Provided the man didn't insist he fight anyway. He could be too busy or just not want to be bothered after all. In that case Tor would fight and do the best he could. It wasn't exactly a good plan, but what else could he do?
Cheat.
Tor smiled. Yeah, he could do that.
It was time, he figured, for another trip to Grenwyn. If nothing else, maybe Burks would have an idea or two for him? It would probably require him to give up his life and run away or something though. Or possibly just doing something he hadn't thought of. Publicly humble himself in front of the man, begging for forgiveness? He wasn't sorry though, so it would probably seem false. The man had relations with a little girl. The only reason Tor had left him alive had been the fact that he hadn't done it again after that one time.
There were ways. Getting Burks in was a handy idea, of course, if possible.
Or he could build a device that would make him faster and stronger? Wrap him in a shield that would work on mental feedback, and help his body move…
Which would totally work. It would be cheating, but he was so willing to do that. Had orders from the Queen to do it if he could even. The only downside being that it was an incredibly complex field and would take him a month to make, carefully, if he was well. He doubted that anyone else could make it. Yet. Lyn would be able to in a year or two, he didn't doubt, but until then, no. He made a point of writing the idea down and mapping it out though. I could still come in handy later.
He had a lot of ideas, but all of them ran to about that level of difficulty. He could do them, if he was healthy, or someone else could, if they had time and a reason too. He could even just have the man killed, except Baron Rochester dying two days out from any kind of dual would look suspicious. Enough to make people talk and doubt the King.
Shaking his head, Tor decided to go to visit his grandfather the next day just in case he could come up with anything.
It would mean a scolding no doubt. Tor got that he'd messed up of course. He acted when he shouldn't have, beating the man when the matter wasn't his business to deal with. If he'd held his hand, this wouldn't be happening. For that matter it wouldn't have if he'd killed the guy either. The only thing that could have caused this was what he did.
Yay.
Well, at least he knew it was all him this time and wouldn't have to look around for who to blame. That saved time. Still, selfishly enough, he didn't want to die just to make the man feel better.
Was there some way he could fight without using a lot of energy or movement? Where speed and strength wouldn't matter? One that didn't require magic or a weapon? Well, if he could know what the man was going to do and he didn't change his plan when Tor slowly reacted to it, that would work. He'd even practiced that before. Unfortunately that just didn't seem likely at all. Anyone sane would try and adapt using best speed in a fight, wouldn't they?
But…
What if he used his mental abilities anyway? It would be risky as all hell, but he could make himself not feel pain, that was even easy. He did it all the time and it barely affected his field at all, it was just a trick, distracting himself from what was happening. He did it every time he meditated or worked deeply even.
Also, if he focused in the right way, he could view time as if everything moved slowly, like going through water or something. He hadn't done it on purpose before, but it had happened a few times in life, usually when he was about to get beaten anyway. So if he could learn to do it on purpose and trained for it, that could help. Maybe.
Then all he had to do was fight perfectly, without any errors at all.
Against a giant that he had to assume would already be willing to do anything to win, including possibly cheat himself. Tor decided to be careful of poisons and attacks coming in himself. It kind of made sense, what the King had said. Rochester, for some reason Tor didn't really get, feared him. Even now. He could use that.
If the man was afraid enough, he might just pull out. If he didn’t the fear would still help steal his fine motor coordination and cause him to burn up energy faster than he would otherwise. Worth fanning the flames on for certain.
It was a good plan. Not a great one sure, but doable with what he had. Maybe.
In a dream at least.
Tor shook his head, and started working, it was all he had for the moment.
The next day Tor tried to get in touch with Burks at Grenwyn, but no one there knew where he was. He talked to Barbara who was pleased enough to hear from him at least.
“So, what's this I hear about a dual? That sounds bone headed. Fail to bow at the right time or something? Maybe refused to marry the man's son or whatever nobles go on about these days?” She sounded slightly annoyed by the idea. Dour.
Disproving.
Tor snorted and tried to force a chuckle.
“Ah, well, I can't go into the reason why, but I beat him hard enough to leave him crippled for life, except, oops, someone used a healing amulet I made to fix him. So, feel free to laugh. It's all on me.” Tor held a sigh, but felt it keenly.
Not it was his older cousin’s turn to make a derisive noise, “did he at least deserve it?”
“Yeah. He really did. It wasn't personal and no one else could have done it without starting a war. So… In that way this is better. Anyway, are you and the people from Grenwyn all coming down for Postern?” They were relatives and all, some of them at least, so he had to ask them. Even if he hadn't met most of them.
“Certainly, just magic us down there in one of your carriages and there should be twenty of us descending on you.” Her voice held a laugh. “If not a few hundred.”
“Oh, good then, Um, we'll have people around to collect you then. It would be good if you could tell us how many will be coming though, if we need to send a bunch of transports, then that will have to be scheduled.”
“Wait… you're serious?”
Tor blinked for a second, eyes batting at the device in his hand with its multi-colored glowing sigils on stark white glass-like stone. Why wouldn't he be serious?
“Yes… that's why I said it. So, get back to us here? I'm leaving the communications device out so someone around here should be able to pick up, but don't be shocked if it's not me.”
They spoke about what the festivities would entail, which did sound fun. Plus, he assured her, there would be that spectacle involving him and the angry disgruntled Baron on Postern morning. Then he had a large luncheon planned for the afternoon.
“That confident then? Sure you'll have your teeth left and all that?”
Tor smiled, really feeling it. Not because it was sane, just at the stupidity of it all.
“Nope. Not at all. I could very possibly die as… infirm as I am right now. But in that case, people will still need to keep their strength up, so a big meal won't hurt anyway.”
“Oh. As long as you have it planned out then. Well I won't miss it. I could get Hobert to make a coffin for you? The work is always better when it's not a rush job…” Her voice was playful, but a little dark.
“Sure. Let me know the price when you call back, I'll make sure to send some gold along for it.”
That ended the call pretty quickly, since Barb would be needing to go tell her friend about the task and wrangle a good price for him. He called her back after just a few seconds though.
“Um, not be a pain here, but would it be possible for him to make it seven and a half foot long and really sturdy? Strong enough to hold hundreds of pounds at least? I have an idea.”
It may not help, but hey, what the hell? If Rochester feared him at all for real, pushing him there wouldn't hurt anything at this point. The man already planned to kill him after all. The man really couldn’t complain if Tor didn’t just oblige him.
Then Tor practiced again, focusing his mind as hard as he could on being whole and well, alternating with finding the most basic and simple to use unarmed fighting techniques that could possibly work on a large man and viewing things in a slowed down framework. That part was being a problem. He thought he had it, a bit, but it wasn't nearly enough. Not even a tiny bit. He needed to push to make it work.
It was a little dangerous, but in the end, the deadline looming, he forced himself into a deeper and deeper state, trying to get ready, knowing he just wasn't, and wouldn't be for months. Unless he gave himself over to the deepest part of himself. That part was far more powerful than his day to day conscious being. Everyone knew that. But… If Tor did that, he wouldn’t really be in control of himself. Would he?
The day before Postern, early in the morning, everyone started showing up, flowing in by the hundreds, large groups of people suddenly underfoot. It was magical.
Wonderful.
All his people were here. Everyone. His whole family, all his friends from Two Bends, Barbara and Uncle Dan from Grenwyn came in with nearly a hundred people he'd never seen before, some of whom were relatives in truth. Everyone from Lairdgren came too. Even the barber and his family.
“Oh! So good to see you all!” Tor called to them when they wondered into his personal residence, since that was where the Lairdgren school people were staying. He clasped the man’s hand, since he was a far more earthy guy than most and did the same with his missus, since her hand had come out too, if tentatively.
The school kids had already taken over, flowing in and out, going into the city to spend coins if they were wealthy or, for the scholarship kids, just walking around the house, playing with it. Making chairs appear and asking him if he had anything for them to do. They meant work, he knew, not anything fun. Tor smiled.
“Um, Henry?” He called out to the boy wearing a humble looking brown set of clothing. It was what a lot of the poorer kids still wore, even though they had clothing amulets on. It was a matter of pride, apparently. A uniform of sorts.
“Tor! Hey, I, um, heard some bully was going to beat you up. Do you want… I mean, me and some of the others, we could, you know, get him to change his mind.” He looked at his feet when he said it, which probably had to do with the fact that if he and a bunch of school kids, especially common ones, or even merchant kids, did that, they'd all be hung.
“I had something else in mind, could you get the scholarship kids around and, if it can be done without shaming them, the others having a shortage of coin? Just meet me in the dining room in half an hour?”
The boy didn't ask why, he just nodded, as if it were a military mission. Given the time frame and how hard it would be to find anyone it might just be. Then, he might have supposed that Tor was really planning something, a strike against a certain Baron perhaps? If so he'd be disappointed. One life wasn’t worth many.
That was just math so basic even Tor could do it.
But alive at the end of the next day, they all would be. Maybe not him, but the others. So why shouldn't they have some fun too?
Henry didn't get everyone, but Tor was waiting with a large chest of gold when the twenty-seven kids he did find wondered in. Most wore brown, which he did at the moment too. Tor just winked at them and raised his right hand, getting everyone to go eerily silent. A lot of the faces were new to him, but a few, like Judith and Sam stuck out. Lyn stood at the back of the room, looking down at the floor for some reason. Nervously. She fidgeted, weigh shifting more than anyone else in the room did at all.
“Alright! Get with Henry and get your payments if you want to sign up for the holiday. A gold per day, to go out and find information for me.” He made his voice smooth.
It was just a way to give them coins without people feeling too bad, he hoped. It wouldn't do to let them be shamed after all. The room was already silent but Sam walked up and… bowed.
“Yes sir. Henry and I will see to it, if that's all right?” He spoke clearly, all trace of accent suddenly gone from his voice, as if it had never been there at all.
“Um, very good. Carry on then.” Tor wondered if Sam had an actual plan or if the young man just realized what the real situation was? Fake spying to let the kids feel all right about taking the gold? It was a lot, even for that kind of work, but why not? They'd spend it and that would help the economy, wouldn't it?
Tor nodded to the boys and started out of the room, only to have Lyn touch his arm on the way past.
“Master Tor, sir… A word with you? In private?” She sounded almost scared, tentative and shaky. Tor noticed she looked better though, her face was shaped a little differently now, it still looked like her, but better. Face less pinched and lips a little more red than before.
Of course, with a good disguise device on, she could look like anything, couldn’t she?
He winked and walked, almost at a normal pace, to a little room of to the side. It was actually there just for meetings like this, Collette had told him.
It was all ego, but Tor half expected her to try and kiss him when he turned around, but she didn't. Instead she took his hand and used the other to tap her own chest.
“Look at me.” She said, her voice commanding suddenly.
It wasn't an instant change, but after a minute or so, she shifted, altered and her form grew, almost like a candle melting in reverse, flesh being added, until she look very familiar indeed.
Like a short Burks Lairdgren.
Or, Tor supposed, as good looking as she really seemed, exactly like him.
The girl smiled with his face.