I sat up straight again. My palms felt sweaty. “No ma’am.”
“Are you saying you think we shouldn’t ward off the gods-cursed luck?” Glenn protested. “I’m not going to invite bad luck into my home if another of my cows gets killed.”
“Begging your pardon Glenn, but I’d think,” I said slowly, to my own surprise, “that if another one of your cows gets killed, then bad luck will already have come, and proved burning was pointless.”
Nai let out a bark of laughter, and Glenn turned white with fury. The rest of the table erupted with protests much on the same train as Glenn’s. My shoulders shot to my ears as I realized what I had said.
My father said nothing, nor did Anwar. They were quieter men, content to keep their peace until everyone was calm. It was why they got along. Both sat with their arms crossed and watched, like the men that Aedith had brought. I realized with some surprise that this similarity between our fathers and the mercenaries pleased me.
“Enough!” Aedith bellowed when she had had her fill of the bickering. Silence fell almost instantly, though no one appeared happy to bite their tongues. “You may burn whatever you like. I couldn’t give three turns beneath the dirt. All I’m asking is a chance to look at them before you do! Gods above and below—be easy! They won’t be on your land for more than the time it takes me to ride to them, and that’s only if we don’t catch this gryphon before it strikes again. Where is the staff? I need food and tea if I’m going to be yelling all afternoon. Let us take a moment. Go relieve yourselves if you have to, and someone go tell the guardsmen what we’re about.”
Glenn gestured to Martin, who rose reluctantly to his feet. He glanced at Nai and me, and I saw him mutter some kind of protest. I guessed he was saying one of us should go. However, Glenn’s dark expression and low response sent him speeding out the door.
Thomas must have been hovering at the kitchen door because his appearance quickly followed Aedith’s inquiry. He brought a pitcher of water and refilled everyone’s cups before he took orders. Most at the table, including the mercenary men, wanted the mutton with some of the black tea which The Black Gryphon got in a few times a year. Father and Anwar stuck to their lemon balm tea.
When Thomas promised Aedith he would return with tea, he spoke to his shoes rather than her stern face. “Do you take anything with it?”
Aedith rubbed her forehead. “Heaps of honey.” When he turned to leave she called after him. “Bees ought to find it a little sweet lad!” Dai chuckled and when she looked up she caught my open-mouthed stare. A wry smile ghosted across her lips. “My throat gets sore from all the yelling.”
I shut my mouth with an audible click of teeth, and she turned back to speak with Dai and Anwar. I could barely take my eyes off her even as Nai addressed me.
“She is something else, isn’t she? I mean, we have Laura, but even the guard are usually men, aren’t they? She’s got almost half her group as ladies.” Nai took a sip of water and when she had swallowed, we bent our heads together so that we could speak more quietly, our lips barely moving.
“Even of the guards that are women, most don’t get to be leaders. Looking at her I can’t imagine why. Do you see her muscles?”
They weren’t hard to see. Like her companions, all but her forearms were covered, but her clothes could not hide bulk akin to what the blacksmith had—and I would have bet serious coin that she knew how to use it better than he did. I took a gulp of my own water.
“Plus, she’s not as mean as she seems, I think,” Nai said, and I snorted. A few men glanced over but clearly decided we didn’t warrant more attention as they immediately went back to their conversations.
“How do you figure that?”
“Well, I don’t mean she couldn’t make a boar turn tail and run, but look at the corners of her eyes and her lips? Those wrinkles mean she smiles and laughs a lot. You can also see it in the way her seconds speak to her. They’re not afraid to rib on her.”
I nodded thoughtfully. I hadn’t thought to look for those things, but Nai was right. She had deep laughter lines. Watching Aedith hold a hand up to stop Daniel from talking over her, I felt a stirring of jealousy. “She’s not afraid of telling this lot to shut up either. I like that.”
“You basically told Glenn to shut it,” Nai pointed out. “His face was priceless. I can’t believe you did that.”
I fiddled with my braid. “I just didn’t want the mercenaries to think that we’re all insensible. I really need to go now.”
Nai ignored the last comment. “Michael may care what strangers think, but you don’t. You’re a lifer for this place. What do you care what they think of us? Our ways work fine, and it’s not like they honestly care either way. They want to get the job done and leave, like you said.”
Usually I liked being described as someone solidly planted in this town. It made me feel as though I was getting things right. This time though, it did not make me feel light—instead it was as though a rock sat in my gut. I twisted my mouth, considering this.
“I don’t know. Maybe they’ll think they can cheat us.” Thomas came out of the kitchen, his little sister trailing after him, both loaded with plates of steaming food. I pushed away from the table. “I do need to leave now. I’m going to say goodbye to my father.”
Nai blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Oh fine. I suppose I won’t stay much longer either. I’m sure Claire will have left my clothes out to be snatched up for gryphon nests by now. I’ll let you know if anything else gets said before I leave though.”
“Thanks.” I hugged her from behind and moved around the table to my father. I waited to speak until a natural lull in the talk came as Thomas served the four at the front of the table. “I’m off to relieve Michael. Do you want me to have him come here?”
Father shook his head. “We should be wrapping things up by the time he would arrive.” He glanced at Aedith for confirmation and she nodded. Thomas had not brought out the cutlery yet, and she was using her fingers to peel off a piece of mutton from the bone. When she stuck a piece in her mouth, she murmured in approval. Father gave me a look that forbade me from saying anything. As if I would have. “You can tell him that I’ll be riding with your mother home though, so he’s free of that duty.”
“Mother agreed we could have dinner in town tonight.” I glanced at the mercenaries then back at Father meaningfully.
“All right, duly noted. We won’t have time to do scent warding today, but I’ll see you this evening.” He twisted awkwardly to give me a one-armed hug over the back of the chair.
I passed Maude on my way out. As Nai had guessed, she was dozing in her chair by the small stove that warmed the antechamber. I smiled, rolling my eyes, and pushed out the door into the overcast street. The bell tinkled behind me, and I heard her snort and the chair scrape as she stood to attention.
The sight that I was met with outside brought me up short. A girl, who couldn’t have been much older than myself, leaned against the molding of the alcove that surrounded the front door. What was surprising was the striking resemblance she bore to the mercenary captain. When she felt the draft of the door opening she looked up sharply, lower lip between her teeth, her dark eyes wide. The expression was the work of an instant, when she saw it was only me she relaxed and gave me a once over.
Not liking the smirk that twitched on her lips as she took in my plain clothes, I smoothed my right temple braid and returned the stare. She was dressed as the mercenaries: a finely made leather jerkin over a tight, undyed cotton shirt, the sleeves of which stopped at the elbows. On her legs and feet respectively were dark breeches and sturdy brown boots. A belt around her hips held a pouch and a dagger. Like Aedith, her hair was sable brown and thick. Unlike the older woman, this girl wore it loose and it curled slightly at the ends. She pushed it back away from her eyes now, and it immediately fell back once she removed her hand.
“Are they finished in there yet?” she demanded.
My smile was my best impr
ession of Nai, as I stuck out a hand. “Good morning, I’m Taryn, and you are?”
She took my hand, in her gloved one and pumped it once. “Aella. Are they finished?”
“Can’t you just go in and see for yourself?” I asked innocently.
Her scowl could have stripped the paint off the building at my back. After a moment, it lifted. She ran a hand through her hair and kept it at the back of her head. “I’m sorry. The group sent me to find out what’s happening, but if I go inside when we’ve all been specifically asked to stay behind, Aedith will let me have it.”
“Even if you weren’t going to stay?”
“Aedith is big on rules, especially when it comes to her and me.”
I squinted, and tilted my head. “Because you’re related?” It had been a gamble, but she hesitated and then nodded. “Does she do the same with your father, or is he one of her seconds?” She didn’t look like Dai or Kaleb, but one never knew.
When she glared, her mother shone through her face strongly. “I don’t have a father, but if I did, yeah, he’d have the same regulations as me. Are they done in there?”
Belatedly, I realized I’d been rude. These mercenaries seemed candid and blunt, but that didn’t mean I could ask about their personal lives.
“Yes—well, I mean, no,” I hurriedly attempted to backtrack. “I’m sorry, what I mean to say is that they’re pausing to eat midday. I apologize. I shouldn’t have…” I trailed off, flustered by her unwavering stare.
She rolled her eyes, and let her hand fall back to her side. “It’s fine. I’m not sore about it; townies always ask.”
Wounded in spite of myself, but determined not to show it, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Townies?”
As I spoke, I moved so that I was no longer pinned between her and the door. I didn’t like the trapped feeling of being in her shadow. Something about it made my heart race uncomfortably. The street around us was empty. Although, down towards the corner the butcher had come outside his door, arching backward slightly and yawning hugely.
“Yeah, you know, all you folks from the backwaters are always concerned about that sort of thing. I guess there isn’t a whole lot else going on.” She shrugged casually.
I sputtered. “I wasn’t concerned. I was making idle conversation! Which, for the record, I didn’t mean to offend you with, which I think you know, which means you are being deliberately unkind.”
She could do the Aedith eyebrow quirk, and my stomach flipped. “Big words.”
“Better that than a big mouth,” I shot back.
Her jaw clenched and she shifted slightly so she was no longer leaning. We stared each other down and then… She laughed, hard, collapsing back against the wall. The tension eased all at once as I broke into nervous giggles as well.
“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes with a delicate finger. “Your face! What were you going to do—fight me?”
“If you swung first there was a chance I would have ducked, hit you hard, and run like mad,” I said agreeably.
“So, you are scared of me little town bird.” She raised her eyebrow and tilted her head with a devious look.
“Only in the most sensible way.” I straightened my skirt with exaggerated stiffness, making my face prim. “You know, you being a seasoned warrior, and me being a very fast runner.”
“I’d have had to let you get away with it. We’re not actually supposed to stir up fights with the locals. Leastwise not until we’re on our way out of town.” She winked at me, and I glanced over my shoulder at the empty road, feeling tongue-tied and hoping I’d have a witty reply when I turned around. “I was defensive. I didn’t mean it about the townies thing,” she said when my reply took too long.
I turned back. “Isn’t being defensive a tool of the trade?” I gestured to her outfit. “I can hardly blame you, can I?” That garnered another chuckle.
“Anyway, people from towns like these can be real asses, and it’s best to scare them quiet before they can start in on me or my ma.”
“Nophgrin’s not like that though. I mean, you don’t have to worry about people being unkind to you here. This is a nice place.”
“So far as you know,” she said dubiously. “They have to deal with you the rest of their lives; who’s going to be mean to you?”
The door opened behind her, and she jerked around. It was Nai and she seemed to take in the situation swiftly before speaking. “I thought I heard you laughing out here, Taryn.” At my quizzical look, she shrugged and made her face comically forlorn, “Father asked if I had finished the washing, and when I admitted that I had left it at the well there was nothing for him but for me to go back and retrieve our things. A mercenary is eating the rest of my lunch. Weren’t you meant to be headed back to the field?”
My eyes darted to the sun which was making its steady way upwards. I pursed my lips. “I am, and likely I’ll be late.”
“That’s fine, Michael is probably dying to cram in all the extra time he can with the sheep.” Nai shrugged. “Hello to you.” She gave Aella an appraising look.
Remembering my manners, I performed the necessary introductions. “Aella this is Naieed, my closest friend. Nai, this is Aella, daughter of Aedith.”
Nai and Aella shook hands. “I can see that—you’re like a spitting image of her. Is your father one of…?” she trailed off lamely as I shook my head in what I thought was a subtle manner and made my hands into an ‘x’ at my waist.
Aella gave me a wry smile, clearly having caught my signaling. I blushed, taking a half step backward. “He’s from some town in the west where my mother lived for a few years. Out on the coast.”
“Isn’t that interesting?” Nai smiled warmly as they clasped hands, and though Aella seemed to look for it, there was no trace of sarcasm in her voice.
The two were striking side by side. Both of them had darker hair and skin than was common this far north, and both were taller than me. However, where Aella’s skin was a ruddy olive like her mother’s, the tone of Nai’s was slightly warmer and darker. Aella’s nose was also sharper and straighter than Nai’s, sloping only slightly and ending in a point. Her lips were thinner, and her hair was a shade lighter than Nai’s, and it curled a little more. My friend also had a half a head of height on the new girl, and she was built leaner. Aella had the body of someone who worked hard, with strong legs and thick arms. Nai prided herself on her svelte figure, choosing to wear scoop necked dresses that called attention to her long neck and smooth skin. These were the kind of girls that got stares—I was staring. I blinked and looked away. At least it seemed to have lasted a short enough time that they hadn’t noticed.
“Excuse me.” I dipped lightly, not quite a curtsy. “I really will have to run if I’m to make it before my brother is purple in the face. Aella, it was nice to meet you and your mother. I hope we’ll see you all for dinner. My family and I will be at the inn tonight.” Aella returned the sentiment, and I set off down the street at a brisk pace that was just short of a trot.
“Your mother’s scarier than a gryphon. Nice to meet you though,” Nai said to Aella, then she ran to catch up with me. “Taryn, wait up!”
I glanced behind me. “I can’t stop. Catch up.”
She did so quickly; her legs were longer than mine. As I pumped my arms and puffed, she made the speed appear easy. “So that’s the unaccounted for fifteenth member. Aedith has a daughter,” Nai mused. “She seems as tough as the rest of them.”
“Plus, she’s gorgeous,” I said. “She has a good sense of humor too, like you guessed her mom does. I thought she was going to slug me and then we were just laughing.”
“Why was she going to slug you?” Nai’s voice was appalled. “Violent group, aren’t they?”
“What, mercenaries?” I deadpanned. When she didn’t laugh I sighed. “No, it was my fault. She’s sensitive about her father and I blundered right into it. That’s why I waved you off the subject.”
She made a noise of understanding. �
��I bet she gets bothered for it all the time. If they were married at all—”
“I’m sure they were!” I protested, scandalized.
Nai continued as though she hadn’t heard, “Mother and Father say that in other places in the country divorce is more frowned upon than it is here. Some places it’s not even allowed.”
I shook my head and my braid swung, brushing softly against my back. “Why? You can’t stay with someone who does your head in. That’s not good for anyone involved. Look at Glenn and Gladys. I think she was a few months away from setting the barn on fire, living with that man.”
Nai shrugged. “There’s no accounting for people, but I imagine she has gotten to see all types in her travels. Aedith didn’t seem to know about us burning to keep off bad spirits, and that’s as wild to me as anything. They layover only a few towns west of here.”
“True enough. Maybe it never came up. It’s not as though we’ve had a big burning here since before I was born, and it’s not exactly good conversation.” We were nearing the gate and Hale was already pricking her ears at me. “I wonder what they do in other places for bad luck. Do they let it do what it wants?”
“Back where Mother and Father are from some people practice as we do. Still, they say their home city was so big and not everyone believed in it, so it wasn’t a city or-or,” she groped for the word, “ordinance. Criminals got burned sometimes still, but the rules were a little different. It was not about the luck exactly.”
“I can’t imagine such a place.”
“You’re the one who sassed Glenn about burning the cows.”
“It wasn’t about the cows!” I shook my head emphatically.
“Well what does that mean?”
I was appalled at the idea that someone could think I didn’t believe in burning away ill luck. “We didn’t know there were going to be more attacks at that point, nor that we’d be calling in mercenaries. I know he had to burn the cows, especially since they were on his pasture, and near our own. All I meant was that now that the mercenaries are here, he could wait to burn anything new. At least until they’ve all had a good look at it.”
Of Gryphons and Other Monsters (Taryn's Journey Book 1) Page 12