The nightmare left Tor shaking and covered with sweat, laying in the dark and panting slightly. It involved a group of people, all giants, so probably royals, standing around and laughing at him as he went to dinner naked. In the dream he tried to play it off, claiming it was first just a new style, and later that all his clothes were in the wash.
No one bought it.
In fact they said it was just because he didn't have clothes. He did, they'd just all been stolen. By the King. As the meal progress he realized that they were eating peasants baked into pies and laughing about how they'd have been tastier if they were still alive. Trice and Holly took turns pointing at his groin and… snickering. They didn't even say anything, they just giggled.
It was horrible.
If it had been about anything else, as vivid as it had seemed, he'd have wondered if it was prescient. As it was he figured that it was just about his own fears and issues. Tor felt stripped of everything, which was ridiculous, since he kept trying to tell himself that objects and belongings weren't important. The rest made sense. After all, Trice had virtually done that do him once, in public. Not literally, but close enough that he kind of didn't trust her any more. The King made her say mean things about him, but she'd picked the topics she did because she knew people would believe them, hadn’t she?
What Holly was doing, that baffled him, but probably had to do with whatever she'd meant by making it up to him. If it wasn't just words he'd be surprised and kind of suspected the worst from her in regards to his stuff now.
Because, clearly, the best way to make it up to him would be giving his things back. Even if she kept the devices.
He couldn't get back to sleep, of course. So decided to get up and work on something. He'd been pretty lazy lately, not doing as much as he was used to at all in the last few days. Mentally he figured out what would be needed for Trice’s new arm and that led to him coming up with a totally different idea that was slightly linked.
The idea tickled him, being kind of “close to home” at the moment, so he padded out barefoot to the shed behind the kitchen and used one of the little red lights to snag a few more of the smaller glass disks. These were even tinier than the ones from the day before, but that was fine, the size didn't matter at all, it was just a way to hold the field in place and keep from losing things in the wash. It was a big and novel field, but he didn't intend to work on it for a week or anything this time. Tor couldn't afford that any more.
Instead he spent closer to two days on it. That was his guess at least. People gave him food and water, and since he lived, it probably wasn't poisoned. When he opened his eyes it was still dark out, but that could have meant it was late or very early, there was no real way to tell without a clock.
Then Tor slept, since his chests weren't in the room with him or anything. God… Had they lost them? That could happen, no one dealing with it would have any reason to keep his things around, would they? Amulets and stuff, sure, they'd keep that, but his old workout clothes? Soap? He blew raspberries and slept for a while longer waking up when a knock came on the door. It was a soft and polite thing, meant only to wake him, if he was getting up. At least no one was there when he opened it to see.
Tor thought he was back at home for a while, his hut at Wildlands Station. Of course that wasn't the case at all. This was Printer, he reminded himself forcefully. He stretched, hoping that he could finish making the first ten copies of the new field before breakfast, he wouldn't need hundreds after all, though the little template might eventually be useful to someone else too, so Tor wanted to have it as more than a one up.
When he finally came out of the room, bathed and cleaned, Torrance dressed in the same clothing, it being all he had. The water had been cold, because Holly either had all the hot water templates hidden away or had sent them to the training base along with his toothbrush. That at least she apparently wanted to make good on, since there was a basket in his bathing chamber with a toothbrush and toothpaste, though in a strange cinnamon flavor instead of the normal anise, a burning sensation filled his mouth instead of the licorice flavor and slight numbing he was used to. It was certainly lively.
There was a hairbrush, which he needed since his hair was nearly shoulder length now, longer than any of the girls around him even. If possible it needed to be cut. Maybe one of his friends could do it for him? At home his da had always done that, and at school there was a full time barber who would cut hair for free if you were a student and would shave you if you asked and had a copper. He'd tried it once and felt like the man’s straight razor was going to end him the whole time. His face had been smooth after though.
As clean and well groomed as he could get for the time being, Tor ventured forth, down the long and winding open stairs and towards the kitchen, where he found everyone else already up and dressed, drinking cups of something. It smelled good, making his mouth water.
“Tor! Come have a cup of hot chocolate?” Petra said cheerfully.
He smiled, because her glass amulet was glowing a bright yellow and changed to pink as he looked at her. Well, she seemed fond of him at least. Pink didn't mean love specifically, it could be friendship, or simply that she really liked chocolate, but it was better than dismal black. Trice didn't have hers out and neither did Varley. Well, they were a novelty, perhaps they just didn't want people knowing what they were feeling all the time? He had his own on, but tucked in, for that very reason.
Kevin the butler, and now school administrator, brought him a cup, a delicate white thing that had gold around the top. Just to see if he could tell, Tor touched it with his mind lightly. It felt like metal, but laying about a fraction of an inch deep on the ceramic. To his shock, comparing the two, he realized something odd. Ceramic was a metal too. At least that was how it felt. What would be next? Water turning out to be a mineral or something? Inside the chocolate turned out to be sweet, there was a lot of sugar, cream and milk in it, with something he'd never had before. It felt safe, so he took a sip, which made Trice jump in her seat as she watched.
“Tor?” The words sounded scared.
“Um, I think so. Anyone have a mirror? I can check, just a second…” He looked around for a second to look for one, but then smiled at her.
The breath she took was huge and shuddered a bit on the way out. God, hopefully she wouldn't cry about anything. She did not do that well. Or really, he admitted, she did. If “well” could be redefined to mean loud. Huge wracking sobs and hiccups that almost had to be fake, or at least played up.
“You didn't check the cup, I mean, I'm sure it's fine, but… you aren't, you know, suicidal are you? Courting death?” For some reason she looked scared and Varley watched him intently as if judging what he said next by some hidden internal test. Well, he'd done it, why couldn't she? It wasn't like sensing fields was hard, not once you learned to clear your thoughts at least. Really it just took some practice and not even all that much.
Laughing he pointed at the cup.
“No, I did check it. I just did it directly, I don't have a poison detector on me. Borrowed, you know. I've not had liquid chocolate before, I've had solid a few times in dishes, at the palace. On chicken once? It was good, so I recognize it. This is better though. Why would I be suicidal… crap, where's Holly! Is she alright, and Kolb, Davie… what did I miss?”
Petra reached over the small table and patted his arm.
“Nothing like that, they just went to get your stuff and oversee some of the training being done, because David is going to be in charge of it for a while. A few weeks. Kolb just went to keep Holly company. You understand. They weren't close that way during school, but they’re both adults and alone, so, why not, right? She always liked him. Your things should have come down yesterday, but there was a letter saying some kind of problem had happened. Nothing big probably, but Holly wanted to check for herself. She feels really bad about everything.”
Ah. Well, that made sense then. Still, why had Trice of all people thought he was suicidal? She'd seen him work before and he hadn't taken long at all, not for what he'd done. Really, if it worked, he was planning to be kind of proud of it even. All he needed was a halfway open space to test it in. That and food. He wondered if it would be rude to just ask. It was probably in the book Karen had lent him…
Tor went still.
Holly had lent him the book. Karen had never done anything like that. Why was he thinking about her suddenly? Because they'd been friends and she died? Plus, she'd been friends with Holly, so there was a link.
He let the pain fade after a bit and kept slowly sipping at his warm chocolate. It tasted rich, enough to make hunger go away? Not likely. He'd last eaten real food two days before, nearly two and a half now, at the restaurant. He may not feel hunger while he worked, thank goodness for that, talk about distracting, but he had to make up for it when he could. A few minutes’ later plates of food, large dishes of fried eggs, pancakes and summer sausages came out. Honey was put in front of each of them in a little container and whipped butter melted slowly on top of everything.
Tor ate hungrily, just hoping his manners weren't so terrible that he embarrassed himself.
He didn't let himself eat quickly, but it took an act of will, and he finished everything and didn't even feel overly full. The amount of food was the same as what the others had too. He normally ate about a third of what they did, except Varley, who tended to eat about the same. Today she ate half a plate but didn't comment on what he'd finished. That made sense, she probably knew what he'd been eating better than he did.
Everyone seemed more than a little bored, which Tor could understand.
“Hey, I know, I have something to test and need and open area, why don’t we all go to the beach?” It should serve, space wise.
Petra grinned at him and went to grab her bathing clothes, but Trice couldn't go into the water yet because of the wound on her arm and Varley demurred for some reason, maybe to make Trice feel better about not swimming?
Tor rolled his eyes.
“You don't really think I'm going for the swimming do you?” He said playfully, but they still didn't want to go. Oh well. Hopefully they weren't angry with him or something. They didn't seem like it. Did they have real work to do? That could be. Or maybe they wanted to talk alone? They were cousins so that also might be the case.
When Petra came down she was wearing a body hugging suit of material that looked almost shiny, even though it was black. It wasn't silk, he didn't think. She looked good in it and she carried a towel, handing him one as well. Not that he planned to swim, he told her, earning a shrug.
“Rocks are hard to lie on, and a little jagged at times. This will let you lay out without needing medical attention. Plus you’ll be able to dry off after I throw you in the water. That’s the tradition for people that go to the beach and don’t want to swim.” The very tall girl grinned when she said it at least.
Tor took the towel. If it was a tradition, then he’d have to swim. Apparently if he wanted too or not.
The path was winding and mainly in the shade, but the beach was huge, a vast stone covered thing that ran for miles in either direction and had only a gentle slope to it at the top. It dropped quickly closer to the water, which meant they shouldn't even get wet if they stayed far enough away. Smiling he found a good enough spot, pretty flat and big enough, then asked Petra to come stand by him as he took the little glass disk out of his shirt. The edges weren't sharp at least and it came with holes already drilled or cut into it. She took his left hand, which was a nice gesture, though not needed. He just didn't want to leave her out, this wasn't dangerous at all. Unless he'd done it wrong, then it could kill them both of course. Tor gripped the dark tan hand with a grin.
He tapped the plain blue piece of glass, her hand nearly touching it as well, and waited.
It didn't look like anything had happened at first, but suddenly they weren't on a beach at all anymore. The world rocked a bit, they rose in the air a few inches, and everything changed. They stood inside a modestly sized, but pretty, stone dwelling. It had windows with shutters inside, all done in bright red. A wood table and four chairs, four beds, each big enough for even Count Thomson, though possibly not the King or Count Ward, and two doors at the back and one to the right. He pointed to that one and grinned. Tor removed the pendant and hung in on a hook near the post in the center of the dwelling. It had no other purpose than to hold the amulet, which could be left there until the field failed if a person were so inclined. That would be years probably. Maybe longer. None of the fields he'd made himself had gone off yet, not that he knew of.
All fields failed, of course, they had to over time, but so far so good.
Inside the little interior door there was a kitchen. It had excellent counter space, an oven, cold box and stove. While it looked like a brick oven, and metal grill, the heat was all gathered from the ground below them and, when turned on, would remove some heat from the cold box too. Tor turned everything on, which seemed to work at least. He had to flip his new equalizer off, to tell, which made him chuckle a bit. He always forgot the equalizer at first for some reason.
Taking Petra by the hand he led her first to the restroom, which looked normal, but wasn't, as far as plumbing was concerned. It would work anywhere, water or not, heating the waste and shuffling it deep into the ground directly once it was turned into dried powder. That had been a bit of work, because it had to carry who knew how much waste away seamlessly. It did it by spreading the field for it over time, passing the waste out to an increasing space. Hopefully it would always be enough. The next room had a huge tub and shower both that would have warm water once he got a supply hooked up.
“I could do it from the ocean if I had a desalinating pump ready. I can make one, but this isn't for here really, I can turn it on and off and carry it with me, which is the real point. You know, so that no one can really take my house away easily again. Hard to do if I have spares. Let’s look outside?”
Petra giggled, which was entirely out of place on her frame and took his hand again, as if she wanted too or something. It was really nice of her, he decided, being willing to touch him like that. Maybe she thought she'd be getting one of the houses out of it? Tor grinned. He had spares, so why not? When she got him outside she spun in place, which swung him around too.
The view was worth looking at, as much as looking at any house would be. It was all stone, in look, but, as he explained, it was really just a shield with nearly perfect insulation. It had temperature controls of course, on the far side of the central post. It's own light fields too, if the light from outside wasn't enough, say at night. The windows even looked real. They weren't, nothing about it was. Really, if you thought about it carefully, the whole thing only pretended to be there at all, existing only in potential. It just did a really good job of pretending, that was all. But it was a house and if he had to move, he could pack it with him. On him even. Several of them, just in case. Going back in he sat on one of the beds, which was soft and formed to him perfectly.
“Oohhh,” Petra lounged back, the force field mattress, a white thing on the top that looked like a regular bed otherwise, if one with logs for legs and the wall as a headboard. “This is nice! I could live in a place like this. Maybe have a private bedroom added on? Could it be made bigger, do you think?”
Tor stood with a groan. He was just tired of course.
More? Yes, he could modify it now, no problem. But it was good sized already. Bedrooms he could do, but this was basically just a tent so far. A really nice tent that someone could live in, as long as they didn't have a lot of stuff. It was bigger than his old house by about fifty percent, being nearly seventy five feet deep and fifty wide. Big enough for him anyway. But, unlike Petra he wasn't the child of a Count, raised to luxury and waste.
No… he was the grandchild of one, raised deep in the woods in middle of a forest in a fairly run down bakery and modest sized house with thirteen people in it. It made a difference. Probably half of the real reason why it had happened that way. So that they'd all grow up knowing how to be humble. It worked, so why not?
Petra wanted to go swimming then, new magical house or not, which seemed reasonable. It was a cool enough device, but it really couldn't compare to the ocean out in front of them. The expanse of water was… humbling. Until about a year before he'd never seen anything like it. Oh, the descriptions of it were part of his basic education, but it just went on and on… A vast stretch of blue and green that made the world smell of salt and sand. Rot too, but he didn't think about that too hard, not wanting to ruin the moment for himself. Being blind, even for a little bit, had taught him to appreciate things when he saw them. It could all be taken away in an instant after all.
Grabbing both towels the pretty giant girl took his hand and playfully tugged at his arm, which made him follow her instantly. She was huge, and really, he wasn't. So not much choice in it as far as he went. Laughing he started to walk with her, stumbling a little over the stones of the beach. Petra stood then, as if waiting for something after she tossed the towels down. After a bit she raised her eyebrows and smiled at him with a bit of a leer on her face.
“Are you going with your clothes on? Strip already!”
Tor froze.
It wasn't that Petra hadn't seen him naked before, they'd both showered in the same room even, but the idea of taking off his clothing in a public place seemed wrong. Dirty and evil. That wasn't the way here though, was it? That was Two Bends thinking, a backwoods town. Even his own parents had told him that he had to be the one to adapt to new situations when he left and not demand foolishly that other people changed to meet him and the quaint ways he knew. Even if he didn't always understand it or if it made him uneasy. Right. He had to do it… But he was still nervous. What if people saw him and laughed, like in his dream? Tor mentioned that to Petra, trying to buy time, she just shrugged and gave him a wink.
“Well, if either of them sees you naked, I can guarantee they won't point and laugh. Well, maybe at how skinny you've let yourself get, but they won't point at your penis like that. Unless pointing out how much bigger it is than they'd have expected? Even then it would be unlikely. Who cares about such things anyway? Don't worry about it.”
Easy for her to say, clothed as she was in swimming gear. Well. Tor stripped naked and forced himself not to cover up with his hands in shame, walking to the water as boldly as he could manage. That meant he probably looked stiff, slightly afraid, and nervous, but wasn't acting like someone had stolen his clothing at the swimming hole for a prank. The rocks got smaller for some reason near the water. Not pebbles, but about the size of rounded coins. Leaning down he picked a few up, getting a curious look from Petra who stopped suddenly. Instead of making her ask he just shrugged and explained.
“I can put fields on these. They won't be regularly shaped like what I normally do, but if I make a small cutting field, or an etching one for the sigil… though I've never done that, I won't really need copper at all. I mean if I can't afford to buy anything for a while. It's harder to work in stone, but I think I can do it now. In bulk I mean. I did the new equalizers in glass and that’s the same thing, as far as copying goes.”
It was a good plan, but his giant girl friend snickered and shook her head. Tor paused realizing how that would have sounded if he'd said it out loud. Girlfriend. He'd just meant it wasn't Rolph, who he thought of as his giant friend. That was all. Wasn't it? Well, he and Petra weren't dating, but they were supposed to, weren't they? He'd asked her and everything, and well, she'd said yes, so…
He dropped the stones, deciding to collect some up later. Nothing ever went better in life just because you were distracted. Except the nudity parts, at least the public ones. The water was neutral in temperature, after the first moment of coolness as the heat equalizing field around his neck adjusted to it. He'd probably lose the field in the water or something, but he had more back in his room, provided no one had run off with them yet. He decided not to worry about it. Petra acted cold though. Not freezing, but that cool water on a hot day thing people did.
They played and splashed for a while, Tor getting the worst of it, since they went out far enough for his friend to stand with the water nearly to her chin, which meant he was swimming the whole time, treading water.
He knew how to swim of course. His parents had made sure of that. For all the kids, the whole town of Two Bends really. He'd never thought of as being odd before, because it just meant that most of the kids could hang out at the swimming hole. That was nice in the heat of summer, so seemed normal to him. Everyone did it.
Kolb had tested him and said he swam as well as anyone, in his first year at school, but ocean swimming was harder. He kept getting hit in the face with waves and bobbing up and down nearly two foot each time. Petra did too, so he wasn't alone in it. That wasn't too bad, but even though he closed his eyes when it happened he still ended up with salt singing when he opened them again. Part of the oceans charms no doubt. Of course if you needed salt, it wasn't a bad thing at all.
More than once he started to float away and Petra had to reach out and grab his arm, gently pulling him back to their spot in the water. Finally she suggested they swim out past the breakers, which made things a lot easier for him at least. Petra swam easily through the water and he had to kind of copy her, diving into the waves as they came. This kind of thing obviously wasn't new to her, but then she'd grown up in Warden, also right on the water. The same water, Tor realized, if further south and with nicer beaches. The swimming didn't last that long, because Petra stopped after about twenty minutes of moving parallel to the beach, back and forth so they could see the little house he'd put there the whole time… and pointed, single finger coming above the water for a few seconds while she kicked hard enough to raise out of the water a bit, bobbing upwards.
People had come. It looked like everyone. All the people he knew in Printer at least, as long as he didn't count Kevin, or Dan Baker.
Well, great. Holly and Kolb were back, so maybe he'd have his things finally. Of course he was naked and all the girls were standing there and waving to them. Waving them in. Tor stiffened and sank, not moving in mortification.
Yes, drowning would keep him from being embarrassed. He steeled himself wondering if he could force himself to take a breath underwater, which he didn't think he could, so, reluctantly, he kicked back to the surface and sputtered a little. If he couldn't escape that way, what could he do?
Be embarrassed?
As good a plan as any for now, since death didn't seem a good option. Tor readied himself for pointing and laughing, and started to swim along with Petra. It took about five minutes to reach the shore, but then he really wasn't trying for speed himself and Petra didn't go that fast either, waiting for him to catch up.
As he rose from the water, ready to be mocked or at least giggled at, he was met by nothing but stony faces. Varley and Trice kind of looked ticked even. Because he'd gone swimming with Petra? All they'd done was swim, which should have been fairly obvious, she still had a suit on and everything. Kolb passed the towels to them after they got out of the water, so they could get dry, while Varley crossed her arms and glared.
At Countess Printer.
Trice stared at him, her eyes indeed looking lower than was comfortable, but she didn't smile or say anything. She had out her equalizing amulet and it turned a brilliant pink, but had a swirling black inside it at the same time. Whatever that meant. Affection and despair or depression at the same time? She hadn't been happy over all, he knew, losing an arm could do that, but this felt different.
Kolb moved next to Holly and a single chest, one that Tor recognized as his. In fact the one that had held all the little bags with thousands of golds in it, the one Sara Debri had given him that had rope marks on the top, dug into the wood and metal. They'd gotten there when they'd used the chest to save some kids, his left ankle throbbed in remembered pain from that event, but he walked to it anyway. He didn't expect it to have the gold. After all, that was something that people would likely steal, right? Or “borrow” if they found it there like that.
If he made a big deal about that though, it would be like blaming Holly for taking the stuff in the first place. That would be fair, probably, since she'd taken it, but would cause more trouble than it was worth. Really, Tor didn't blame people for making off with the gold. He wouldn't have, but most people seeing that much gold probably couldn't help themselves. He let it go and opened the trunk with a smile. No one else did, except Petra.
Maybe he'd at least have some clean underwear or a shirt that wasn't made of silk? Holly turned away as if not wanting to see his reaction. That or she was worried about his nudity. He had a towel wrapped around him now at least, a big soft one in a cream color.
Instead the chest was nearly empty. It only held three things when he looked in. The towel slipped a bit as he let go of it, holding the lid with slightly white fingers. At least that was soft enough as it settles on his narrow hips. Really it was better than the ones at the palace and certainly nicer than any he'd had at home or school. Tor had to drop into a deep trance to keep the anger from showing on his face, though his pendant still glowed a solid red.
Inside the case was his toothbrush, which should have been a good thing, but the bristles had been coated in a deep brown wax, the kind soldiers used to polish and protect their boots from water. He'd been around enough military people to recognize it, having lived with a few hundred for the last months. The stuff reeked, acidic and harsh smelling at the best of times. Next to that was a single boot, a military one that wasn't his at all. It looked to be several sizes too big and like it had been used by a dog or two as a chew toy. Last there was a single amulet, a light producing one meant for a house, that looked like someone had used a chisel to try and break in two, probably trying to double the field. That got a sudden surge of red from his chest that glowed brightly enough to cast a light visible even in the bright sun.
“They could have at least tried to use a cutter if they wanted to split the field! Who did this and what kind of brain damage do they have?” He asked, spinning on Holly angrily holding the amulet in his right hand so the Countess could see what he meant. She didn't move, but her body reacted as if she expected a blow. That would be silly of course. Sure he could hit at her, but she was wearing a shield and he wasn't. Even if she'd been the smaller person and he the giant, and the Countess wasn't an accomplished fighter, she still would have kicked his butt. Besides, violence never really helped, did it?
Seriously though, who tried to chop a field apart? They had cutters. He knew that for a fact, because he'd had several for personal use in his gear if nothing else. Tor sighed and went to put his clothes on. So angry that he didn't really dry very well and forgot to be embarrassed, facing them all as he did it. Holly kept her eyes downcast, which he could understand, since she was responsible for the training of the people that had done it. That… that butchery!
It wasn't the value of the light of course. Really, given everything that wouldn't make a big difference over all and technically County Printer was supposed to be buying all of them anyway. That included the ones they destroyed or lost. If she wanted to hack them all apart she could, technically. But it was just such a… bonehead move. Tor fumed about it for a minute but didn't say too much. It was too late to fix it now and the person that did it had probably figured out their mistake when it hadn't worked, right? He took several deep breaths and tried to hold his tongue. Acting like a jerk never helped anything either, just like violence, did it?
No, it really didn't.
Obviously if this was all they had for him, his things were gone. Tor literally had nothing. Looking over at the house up the beach a ways, he nodded to himself. A slow and considering movement.
That wasn't really true was it? He had his magic, and while that didn't get him food or clothes directly, he had a place to live that he could take with him now. That and some beach rocks and he could build whatever he needed pretty quickly. Maybe even clothes? Tor didn't know, but after sitting to put his socks on, hard to do with damp feet he discovered, and then his soft leather shoes, Torrance Green Baker decided not to let it get to him. He had a lot more than some people did after all. He had skills. Whining about all he'd lost wouldn't help him rebuild.
Struggling up he grabbed the chest and loaded the bottom of it with about two hundred small stones, selecting them carefully, trying to get somewhat round ones that weren't broken and about the size of a gold coin more or less. It didn't take long, and no one spoke while he worked. They just stared. Then he picked the chest up, feeling a little fatigued from all the swimming, since it had been unaccustomed activity, and carried it to the house. Everyone but Petra blinked when they noticed it, but she just followed him in, towel wrapped over her shoulders and still a little damp in places.
The quickest thing to do would be make up fields he already knew well, so that he could build up some stock. The stone was plain, but if he added glowing fields to them, that would dress them up some, right? He didn't even need to carve sigils that way, just make the marks he wanted glow on the surface of the stone. Duh. It was so obvious he kind of wondered why anyone ever did anything else. When he got to the door he left it open, his hands being full, even though the box wasn't that heavy, it was awkward for him to handle being large, so everyone followed him in.
Trice let her eyes go wide and went room to room with Varley. That took a while so Tor started sorting the rocks, some still wet, on the table in front of him. He made ten piles of twenty each, leaving him with seven stones in an odd pile.
The girls came out of the bathing chamber and sat at the table next to him, Holly standing near the kitchen wall the whole time, staring at him and barely blinking. Kolb actually putting his arm around her to… comfort her? Why did she need to be coddled? She held her left arm in her right and looked worried. Tor could kind of get that. His little glass pendant was still glowing a bright red. He felt more than a little pissed off at the moment. It wouldn't help anything, but he felt it nonetheless.
Her military might just be filled with morons, so that had to get to her, didn't it?
“Right. Not to be rude, but if everyone could leave and come back tomorrow… about mid-afternoon? Luncheon or later? I have some work to do.” He didn't say more, just collected up the first batch of stones, the odd group of seven, and moved to the back, towards the bed nearest the restroom door. It had a corner space and about five feet between it and the next bed. He sat and started working without waiting to see if anyone was actually leaving or not. It was just copy work after all. Tor wouldn't need anyone to feed him or do anything else either.
Hours passed and darkness fell. After the fifth batch Tor lay down and slept till morning. He used the restroom when he got up, which worked well, thankfully. He had to wash up in the ocean, but that worked for now, even if it did leave him smelling a bit like the sea and covered with salt. It made his skin pull a little as it dried, a funny feeling.
Somehow, rock beach or not, he also had bits of sand clinging to him when he moved, rubbing in places it ought not. While he was out he hooked the house up with water, which he had to direct using a single stone, aiming it like a force lance in reverse, because it was a special pump. It filtered the water though, so he could drink it, bath with it and use it for cooking directly. It formed a nearly invisible line in the air, about six inches across, from well away, about a half mile. That way the water should run all the time, tides or not.
Then he finished the next six batches of things before anyone even tried to visit, a long time before really, though Tor didn't have a clock yet. The rest of the early day he spent making stuff on the beach, using an incredibly strong compressor rig to fuse rocks into stone pots and pans, cups and some other things, boxes and whatnot. They were stone gray mainly, but without pores or air gaps, slightly slick and heavy looking.
Then he tried his hand at fishing in the ocean. That part… didn't work too well. In fact, filled with fish or not, he couldn't find anything. Not even giant bugs. Hunger and wearing the same clothes left him feeling a bit grumpy, and possibly a little surly, but then who didn't feel a bit out of sorts when they got hungry?
Well, the people in town might be willing to trade for some of the junk he'd made, right? That being was what it was for. He loaded up a little stone box, about the size of both his hands put together with fifty odd stones inside, and started walking. His first stop was the bakers, hoping the man would still want something and be willing to deal.
Tor felt hesitant, but the man beamed at him and started out by giving him a sweet roll, without even being asked anything. It was good, well made and sugary, better because he was hungry. They worked out a deal which heartened Tor a lot. For some temperature control units and lights that weren't red, as well as a water heater for his bath, the man opened up a line of credit, so that Tor could have whatever he wanted from his shop from then on. Providing it was open of course. Smiling Tor said he'd be back for a pie and some bread later. The man was happily playing with one of the lights and waved cheerily as Tor headed out.
The next shop Tor tried wasn't interested in what he had at all, or more likely, in him. The woman was older and seemed hostile from the beginning, her face hard and bitter, lips tight and angry lines, not even listening to what he was saying. She basically ordered him out, pointing at the door and looking ready to back it up with violence. Tor shrugged. It was too bad, because he could have used some of the clothes she had for sale. It was simple stuff, canvas clothes in a variety of colors, mainly gray and brown, but some brighter things too. At the next shop over, part of the same building in fact, a store that had simple metal goods, the man inside laughed as he explained what had happened with the lady merchant, and smiled.
“Well, you do look a bit disreputable, with the beard growth and all. Ethyl was robbed a year ago or so, thieves cleaned her out at knife point, weren't nothing she could do, so she's none too trusting of anyone now, especially if she don't know them. I may be willing to deal though, if what you have isn't garbage.” The man was polite enough, also older and, it turned out, both the local blacksmith and Ethyl's husband, Clark.
He was delighted by what Tor had, but didn't know if they could deal once he saw it.
“I'm afraid any one of those things is worth more than my entire inventory right now… Magic lights, in stone with a sigil that glows all the time so you can find it in the dark, and that even let you set how bright the light is? I could have merchants giving me their daughters for just one of those… But don't tell Ethyl I said that.” He winked wryly at his own joke.
In the end Tor made a strange bargain with the man. If he'd help him get some clothing, and other supplies, Tor would let him and his wife sell some things he made on consignment. It wasn't even a real trade for anything, just the right to try and carry the goods in their shop. They'd have to sell eventually of course, Tor knew, but if they didn't, he'd get the silver or gold for the useful things he got back to them. That wasn't part of the overt agreement, but it was what would happen.
No one helping him out would lose by it. Not if he could help it, not ever. They shook on the deal, leaving Tor feeling a lot better about the man suddenly. That he shook hands like a regular person, not going in for all the bowing and stuff of the nobles was heartening for some reason. It reminded him of home.
Ethyl stiffened when they both came back in a few minutes later, and she started to point at the door again, but her Clark smiled and told her to hush for a bit, explaining the arrangement. The woman finally looked at what he had in the box, a little skeptically, and lit up a little, her face going shrewd. Tor figured that if she wore one of the emotion tattling amulets she'd have just gone stark green. Well, she was a merchant and for them greed was probably a job requirement.
“Stone, and clear magic in the making. I've never even heard of a glowing sigil like this… The form looks a little like Tor's stuff. He's popular right now, so I can see why you picked it, how well do they work?” The old woman didn't wait for him to explain anything, just checking each one as he called out what they were. The water pump made a mess, from a bucket the woman brought out of the back, but the woman just laughed and clapped her hands when they got to the last one.
“Alright. You can have anything you want from the store and… would a ten percent cut be all right?” Tor was fine with that, but he asked what exactly she meant, not wanting to be taken by surprise. She intended to take a ten percent from each sale. Her eyes looked guilty and head dropping she offered to take five. Ah. That wasn't what Tor expected at all.
“No. Fifty-fifty. You make whatever deals you need to. Heck, give them away if you want. I'll trust in your business sense in this. Let me know if you need anything else, all right? I'm living on the beach in front of the Countess’s house for the moment… really you can't miss it. I'll be working a lot for a while, but don't be afraid to try and knock on the door if you need me. I may not hear it, part of the working trance, you know? But I seldom yell at people just for visiting. I may also just be gone soon. Other work… for the kingdom.”
Ethyl swallowed, but mentioned that they'd have to hire guards or something, or else they'd be robbed again. The man, Clark, gray haired and sturdy looking from all the work at the forge promised they would. Tor decided to just bring them back a couple of shields. It would be cheaper and was legal as long as he made a gift of them. In a way these were his people now, weren't they? Even if he didn't know them really.
Ethyl helped him select clothes and Clark came in with a shaving kit for him from his shop that had a door that ran between them. They insisted he get some “proper” boots, things that, they both assured him, would look right about town and last long enough to be worth getting. Under things came next, Tor blushing as Ethyl held them up to him. While not true giants, the merchants were big compared to him. Ethyl was about five-eight and Clark over six-foot, and broad, muscular for an older man. Tor felt like when his mother had taken the kids into Marie's shop in Two Bends as a little kid.
“Say,” Ethyl asked as Clark made a nice arrangement of glowing stone pendants and put some on leather thongs for sale. “You didn't mention your name. People will want to know who the young upstart giving Tor a run for his money.”
“Well, no competition at all really… I'm Tor. Torrance Baker. Sorry I should have said earlier.”
Ethyl went wide eyed like he'd just announced he wanted to marry a cow, but Clark held up a clothes dryer and waved it a bit as its distinctive “D” sigil glowed in a light lavender on the front.
“Obviously,” he chuckled and gave Tor a wink. “You kind of have to be someone, don't you? Normal people don't just carry things like this around with them all the time.”
They lent him a sack to carry everything in, and it fairly brimmed as he stumbled over the loose rocks of the beach toward his door. When he tripped for the third time Tor stopped and glared at the earth. Stupid uneven ground… Smiling at his own silliness he went inside and grabbed a compressor unit. It took half an hour but he made a nice, very smooth walkway to the mouth of the path that led to Holly's house, merging them almost seamlessly. He could chop it up later with a cutter, when he left. If the Countess didn't like having an extra little guest house or something. There were nine more of them. Actually, it occurred to Tor, Ethyl and Clark might like to carry houses like his. It was kind of cool, wasn't it? It could be that most people wouldn't want one, since they already had houses and didn't travel that much… All he could do was ask.
Looking up Tor realized that he was running out of time before luncheon, so he hurried to get cleaned up, changed and to the bakery and back before everyone showed up. Tor got in just minutes before they all trooped over, still looking grim and walking slowly. He greeted the girls with hugs and slapped Kolb on the arm.
There weren't enough chairs, so he just stood and served everyone else pie, on little stone plates he'd made and gave them all little forks of the same material. Gray, but smooth. He'd tried for spoons to, but ended up with little paddles instead, the bowl shape would have to be cut out with a special tool, a cutter with an arc in it, but that could be done. Later though, when he had spare time. The knives worked well though, he'd just sharpened them with a cutter. They looked a little unique, but what did anyone expect? It had only been a few hours since he'd found out he was totally without anything in the whole world practically. A single day. Tor thought he was doing pretty well to tell the truth.
Trice looked at him, then his clothes, and nodded at Holly.
“Told you. Tip him over, he pops back up. Poison? Pop. Blind? Pop. Take away everything he owns? Boing.” She grinned and winked at him, “Come back next week, he'll have his own little whorehouse in the back staffed with tiny whores.”
Tor pretended to be shocked at her words. She was normally playful, or had been when they first met, it was good to see her trying again at least.
“Next week? Oohhh,” He said, looking down at the table, chagrined. Then shook his head slowly. “I kind of set you all up with appointments for later today… Yeah. Your tall boots are coming soon but won't be here for a few weeks, special order you know, so you'll just have to make it work for now, all right?” He winced a little and shook his head.
“Mainly sailors, but they were willing to deal, given the class of girl I have going on here, Princesses and Countesses. Kolb's going to have to be a bit flexible as to who he serves, but you know…”
He worked to make his voice sound genuine and apparently did a good enough job that at least Holly bought it, if only for a second. The laugher that came from the others shook the room at the look on her face. Tor went over to her, set down a piece of pie and gave her a hug. She was sitting, so his head was actually higher than hers for once. To his surprise she hugged him back as if it had meaning. Not the lusty sort of thing that Tor was just starting to understand was different than a simple embrace, but one with strength behind it that lingered. In Two Bends people didn't hug unless they were married, or at least betrothed, but the city people were different that way. They even kissed casually, but Tor avoided that. It was off-putting.
Pie all around, Tor offered water as well, since that was all he had at the moment. What he could do though, after filling the little stone cups, from the “tap” in the kitchen sink, was chill it in the cold box for a minute. It already had ice forming on the top when he walked it in, getting a murmur from everyone, except Varley, who'd had similar enough at the palace to not be amazed by it any more. She seemed a little subdued today, so Tor went and gave her a hug too. It got her to smile, but sadly.
Had he done something again? Probably. He'd have to get that book from Holly's house and start really reading it before he started a war or ended up married to a pig or something.
“Right, so I have work to do, but first I think we need to get with the Wards and let them in on what's happening, then contact the Capital with information. I take it that most of you are reporting regularly to the King?” He smiled, but got a head shake from the Countess.
Trice looked at his wide eyed and innocent, over playing it by a good margin.
“Me?” She said meekly.
“You in particular spy girl. Don't think for a second that I don't know about you. You and that Sara Debri too.” It came out as a growl. Tor was trying to play with her, but it sounded like he was pissed. She swallowed but didn't confirm or deny anything. Probably like she was trained to. It had taken almost a year, but Tor had finally come to realize that what he'd originally assumed was the kingdoms spy school, an adjunct to where he and Rolph had gone, just called “the special school”, really was.
More, that meant that two of his friends were probably spies for the King. Sara had even lived with him for months. Tor had figured that had been all about Rolph wanting to sleep with her, since he was there too, but now he wasn't so sure. His friend had told him once that the girl had joined the military to be near Tor, after they'd had a fight. How likely was that? Tor tried to be a nice guy, and failed at it as often as not, but wasn't “join the military to be near” incredible. That had only come after Tor had cut ties with Trice too… A replacement spy?
Now the Princess, well, if she wasn't writing home, they needed to leave immediately for the Capital. Taking off with her and not getting in touch, even for a week would probably have the Royal Guard after them. As it was he was a bit surprised he hadn't noticed any of them yet. They were around no doubt. The ones following them were probably just that good, he realized.
Varley smiled at him.
“Corresponding with mother almost daily. I… I'm not supposed to say anything, but there’s been some talk that I might have to marry Count Raul Peterson, since Karina won't. She's claiming that she loves someone else, but she won't say who, not to me at least. Mom's angry, but dad just keeps avoiding the topic with her, saying it will all work out.” She didn't mumble, or look down when she said it, but her face looked pretty sad.
Right, well, they were engaged, but he'd told her father that if she needed to be doing something better, he'd step aside. The King hadn't insisted, Tor just understood that a Princess was more important than he was. So was a Count of course. Peterson was a wild looking giant, but seemed to have a good heart if not the world’s sharpest mind. He ran the flight training school about fifty miles from Wilderness Station. Demanding and a little self-entitled, but that was royalty for you. Tor nodded to her, but didn't make a face.
“That's odd. Any guesses who Karina's going after?”
Nodding Varley glanced at Kolb, “Countier David Derring. I've seen them together a few times. It's a good match, at least on paper. Within the three steps, he's good looking and so is she. He won't inherit, but god willing, neither will Karina. They know some of the same people and all that, plus, I know for a fact they slept together already.” She made a face.
“Normally not a huge deal, Karina wanting to marry someone else like that, but Count Peterson is important. His family is so intertwined with the military that going against him is sure to cause an armed rebellion. Oh, I meant to ask earlier Holly, if that happens, can we count on your support? Between you and Thorgood, that would almost match the King’s army in advanced fighters… There's a chance that Peterson may not accept me as a substitute for my sister. He likes red hair and mines this odd brown color…”
Tor snorted.
“Well, I can't control your marriages or engagements, but if he tries to go to war with the kingdom over something that silly, I'll get Rolph and my brothers and we'll go tell him off for you. You’re one of the best looking women in the kingdom though, so I doubt he’d complain.” Seriously Tor shook his fist a little in the air to show he meant business. Oddly no one laughed, even if he did mean it as a joke.
Kolb glanced at him and nodded, which got Petra to do something similar.
“That would about do it, I think.” The large bald man said.
“If Tor and Alphonse both went, Peterson would have to listen, wouldn't he? I don't know if your brothers would add much, but I could be wrong on that. Peterson is a good man, but he does tend to favor powerful warriors and royalty as advisors… Maybe you and the Prince should visit with him soon? Smooth things over. After all, if he's going to steal your fiancee the least he could do is be gracious about it.”
This got a chuckle from everyone but Tor, who sighed. It looked like yet another engagement was going to fade on him. Oh well. If it did, he decided, he was going to start sleeping with a bunch of women, even if he had to hire them. This country idea of saving himself for marriage was getting old, and most likely making a laughing stock of him with the nobles, who all had more relationships than they did fingers. The idea made him blush furiously, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do it.
For now though, work.
“I need… Um, Petra I think. Trice too, having lately been down in Warden. Varley, you're probably needed back in the Capital and honestly, even if the Wards are totally genuine in their sentiments, I'm not taking one of the Noram royal family to people that were at war with us less than two weeks ago. Too tempting, plus… Marvin wants to sleep with you said? Not that I can blame him, but you already sent a go between to put him off for now, right? So it might be a little confusing if you turn up on his doorstep. Kind of an implied offer if you did, after being asked.” Bad enough Tor had to take Trice, since she'd probably been sleeping with the guy herself. It made sense, he was good looking. Incredibly so. If Tor was a girl he probably would have considered it already himself too.
That left Kolb, Holly and her guards to protect the Princess on the way home, but it wouldn't be an instant thing. First Tor had a lot of work to do and wanted to rearm himself and his friends. Also, really, if he was going to fly off, possibly forever, with the clothes and gear Ethyl and Clark had given him, Tor wanted to leave them with enough things to keep them going for a while and to make their trust in him worth having given.
After the pie was eaten and plans made Trice and Petra walked with him to the store, so that he could deliver the shields for the merchants, knowing the old woman had to be feeling a little exposed after her trauma, being robbed like she had.
That was something he'd felt himself after attacks and it helped to know that people couldn't easily do it again. With a good shield, well, she could be robbed maybe, but no one would be hurting her, unless Smythe of Westend decided to come after her or something. Things could always be replaced if it came to that, goods or gold. It was the people that needed protecting.
The shop was busy when they walked in. Too busy it seemed to him, but Ethyl and Clark both smiled as they demonstrated how various things worked to the twenty or so well dressed adults and nearly as many kids, most of them looking a little shabby, if only by comparison to the well dressed grownups.
Money changed hands quickly, golds, silvers and a few coppers at times. Ethyl nodded, but didn't announce him to the room, thankfully. It was all he could do to not hit own shield and that mainly because it was already on. He simply handed her the amulet with its slight inner glow of blue and brighter glowing sigil in the same color, a dot inside a circle, and explained in a whisper what it was. She put it on instantly and relaxed, her face going from tight and pinched to calm almost instantly. Clark's face didn't change, except for the fact that his smile had gotten bigger when the saw the look on his wife's face.
No one paid much attention to him, most of the people that looked at all stopped on Petra who was the biggest person in the room, and pretty, as well as stylishly dressed in an off pink material from Afrak that she'd fashioned herself into an interesting looking dress that exposed her left shoulder. The rest looked at Trice, eyes lingering on the stub of her arm a little. She pretended not to notice them noticing her, flouncing her blond hair slightly. It was an odd fuzz, not the dark set of curls it naturally was, since he'd told her to change it after he made her stab him about a month or two back. Over two months now? Three? So much had happened it was hard to keep track. He wasn't even totally sure it was still spring to tell the truth, it could be early summer, the idea that he didn't know even that made him wince. Who didn't know what season it was?
Not being watched meant that Tor could look around, and actually see who was there. Most of the people looked like merchants, except the kids, who were probably locals, well, they were all from the area, but the kids probably lived within a short walk. One of the boys looked around covertly, a little obviously for a professional thief really, and slipped an amulet, a room light, into his pocket. Clark had seen him do it too, and descended on the boy instantly.
“Damn-it Swarley! This isn't some ten for a penny sweet! This is worth hundreds of golds. I'll have to report it to the guard…” Tor saw the man look at him guiltily, as if wanting to not do that at all, but he didn't get a chance to simply scold the boy, or even talk to Tor about what to do because a black clad man with a velvet cape and a black hat with a large green feather in it grabbed the boy on the other side.
“Got you! Thief! Thief!” That got the attention of the room fast. Most of them were merchants, and apparently, as Tor should have suspected, when he stopped to think about it, they didn't like thieves much at all.