Liadha peered at Korti once more, obviously amused with her niece’s concern. “Yes. In fact, I’ve been meaning to for a while now, but just haven’t had the time.”
Liadha’s reaction quelled any further concerns Korti might have had. She should have known better. Her aunt was a strong woman, the strongest woman she knew, in fact.
The two entered the courtyard and Liadha gazed about, taking everything in. Kortiama, on the other hand, noticed the villa was a little too quiet.
The horses came to a halt and the pair dismounted. Kortiama’s senses remained on edge as they tied the equines to a nearby hitching post so they wouldn’t go after Eyro’s carefully tended work.
Suddenly, something small hit her arm. And then before she knew it, several people of various ages popped out from hiding in the gardens and tossed more small objects at her. “Get her!”
Kortiama jumped back, using her horse’s rear as a partial shield. The projectiles didn’t hurt, and one ended up splattering on her cheek. She wiped it away and licked her finger. Mmm, that tasted good.
She snatched up several of the berries that had fallen to the ground and tossed them back at her “attackers.” Liadha had stepped well aside, watching the “battle” with a bemused expression. Korti wondered if she had known about this beforehand, or had merely sensed it with her magic.
Eventually the berry attack ended, and all the kids Kortiama had been playing with slipped out of their tactical spaces. Liadha chuckled. “Friends of yours, Korti?”
She nodded. “Other orphans Solais and I grew up with. I’m glad you all could make it.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for anything,” one of the older boys, a little younger than Kortiama, declared.
“We wanted to have fun with you!” a little girl, maybe seven in age, proclaimed.
“And we were told there was food,” another boy said.
Kortiama laughed. While she and Solais had been close with Regarn, Trevis, and Lathara, they still had other friends at the orphanage. She was happy they’d all come for her big day.
“Well then, your guests are obviously all here. I suppose we should make sure Tharne hasn’t burnt down the villa, shall we?” Liadha gestured to the front door.
Amused chuckles rumbled through the orphans, and everyone headed for the building. Kortiama caught her aunt gazing around again. Somewhat concerned, she voiced a tentative question. “Do you like what Eyro has done?”
Liadha turned to face her niece and slowly nodded. “Yes. I don’t remember a time the courtyard looked this beautiful.” Her voice grew distant. “Perhaps Berngal and I should have had a caretaker long ago.”
Kortiama felt relieved and saddened at the same time. It wasn’t often Eboneye’s name was used in the village. But when Liadha did, it always carried a bittersweet tinge to it. Those in the village tried to claim Liadha’s and Eboneye’s marriage was nothing but a political move. Kortiama could believe some of that was true; it wasn’t an uncommon practice. But the way Liadha’s demeanor changed when he came up in conversation, even for an instant, told Kortiama her aunt did care for the pirate king in her own way.
The orphans ran into the foyer, stopping short to gaze around in awe. They rarely ever came up here.
“Uncle Tharne, Eyro, Solais, I’m back!” Kortiama called out.
A moment later, Solais poked her head around the entryway to the gathering room. “You stay there, we’re not done. Hi, Aunt Liadha.”
Kortiama’s lips twisted. How could they not be done yet?
“Sol, can we help?” one of the younger orphans asked.
She nodded. “Extra hands are welcome.”
The little ones cheered and rushed inside. The older orphans were far calmer in abandoning Kortiama. She expected Liadha to go with them, but when Kortiama glanced her aunt’s way, she’d wandered over to the painting that hung between the curving stairs. Kortiama joined her.
“I’m surprised to see this still here,” Liadha murmured. She reached over, her hand running along the frame of the large portrait.
Kortiama’s voice grew hushed. “It didn’t feel right to remove it.”
“The frame is different.” Liadha noted softly.
Kortiama nodded. “It hadn’t withstood the state the villa had fallen into, so Tharne had a new one made. This one should last much longer.”
“That’s good to hear.” Liadha replied, though her voice sounded a million miles away.
Silence fell between them. After a few moments, Liadha turned her gaze to Kortiama, her eyes fixed on her niece.
Those deep, dark eyes seemed to burrow into her, suddenly making her very uncomfortable. Kortiama nervously rubbed her arm. “Something the matter, Aunt Liadha?”
Her aunt shook her head, the hint of a smile appearing on her lips. “No. I’m just taking in the kind of woman you’ve grown into. Contrary to my earlier concerns, Tharne appears to have done well raising you and Solais. I expect many great things from you.”
Kortiama’s brow spiked. Why had Liadha been concerned about Tharne adopting her? She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to take that.
Liadha’s eyes fell to the common room, a coldness falling over her face. Kortiama turned to see Tharne standing in the foyer.
“I see you haven’t burnt down this place… yet,” Liadha said.
Tharne chuckled. “It’s good to see you too, Liadha. I’m glad you could make it.”
Her aunt placed a hand on Kortiama’s shoulder. “You know I wouldn’t miss today.”
Kortiama glanced between the two. She got the feeling there was more to their words, though she couldn’t be sure. “Uncle, will there be anyone else coming up here?”
His eyes drifted to her and he grinned. “Everyone arrived before you had. The orphans just decided they wanted to surprise you in their own way.”
Excitement bubbled up inside her. “You mean we can start now?”
Her father gestured to the common room. She squealed and rushed in. Before her, friends and family gathered around a larger table filled with food and objects all wrapped up in various ways. They cheered on her entry, bringing an even bigger smile to her face. She felt so lucky to have them all.
Kortiama leaned on the table to get a good look at the feast that had been prepared. It was much like this morning, but a few extra surprises were added, like cooked eel and other fish from the sea, and colorful round balls and fun shapes on some other plates. She didn’t know what those were, but they were neat.
There was also a honey cake, one of Kortiama’s favorites.
Then there were the wrapped items. Nothing fancy, most cloth or leather, but not a single one was the same size—she guessed them to be gifts. Though, one thing that did draw her eye was a wooden ship. Kortiama lifted it up and carefully inspected it, finding the name of the ship—Midnight Manta. That was the Dasati flagship. So much detail! Each rope, piece of wood, even paint had its place and purpose. As she played with it, she found that even the door to the captain’s chambers worked. It was beautifully detailed inside. In fact, so was the cargo hold.
A great big smile spread over her face. “Who made this? It’s amazing!”
Rague, the helmsman of the Midnight Manta, and a close friend of the family, claimed the credit. Kortiama couldn’t begin to imagine the work that went into this, or the time. She thanked him profusely.
After a few more moments of admiring, she set it back down on the table. That would go in her room for sure. Her eyes scanned everything before her. “I don’t know if I should tell everyone to eat, or find out what’s been gifted to me.”
She received a chorus of different answers, making her laugh. But Solais’ answer was hard to ignore, given that she had slammed her hands down on the table. “Before you do anything, taste those sticky treats.”
Kortiama pursed her lips and then pointed to the colorful balls and shapes she’d noticed before. “These things?”
Solais nodded. “Eyro had us working hard on making those.”
“Hard?” Tharne said. “You had the easy part, shaping them. I had to worry about Eyro breaking my hand with that mallet.”
“Shaping them isn’t as easy as you think,” Solais muttered. “I mean, just look at your face I tried to make with it.”
Kortiama looked over the treats. “You made his face?”
Her sister pointed to a plate with a rather large, multi-colored shape. Sure enough, it looked like a face attempt. Not that it turned out to be one—it looked more like a misshapen blob, though Kortiama could make out the pink beard she’d attempted with one of the colors.
Tharne grimaced when Kortiama lifted the plate for everyone to see. “That’s my face?”
Laughter filled the villa.
Tharne let out a heavy sigh. “Just eat your treat.”
“Not yet.” Eyro stepped up. In his hands he carried two more of these treats, both pink. “I have these special ones for the two of you.”
Solais cocked her head. “Both of us?”
Eyro grinned. “I didn’t have the supplies to make it for you on your day, so I made one for each of you now.” He handed the two young women each a ball.
Kortiama held her ball, noting the springy texture as she lightly squeezed it. “But what are they?” Kortiama asked.
“A treat from my homeland.” Eyro said with a wink.
Solais and Kortiama looked at each other and then bit into the unusual treat. Kortiama’s teeth sunk easily into a part of the treat before hitting something solid. She bit down more, the familiar sweet taste of strawberry tickling her tongue. Shredding through the entire treat, Kortiama chewed the sticky, springy confection. Her brow twisted as she processed the unusual texture mixed with sweet zing on her tongue.
“This is so good!” Solais gushed.
Kortiama nodded. “It’s different, but it’s good.”
Eyro continued to smile, his hands folding into the long sleeves of his kimono. “I knew you’d enjoy it.”
Kortiama pointed to the feast and treats. “Everyone needs to get in on this. No need to wait around.”
Her guests were all too happy to take their share, breaking into some kegs Tharne set up. Unsurprisingly, the orphans got their hands on the sweeter treats first. The only time they were this spoiled was when Tharne brought them treats and trinkets from his journeys out on the waters. He was a tough leader, a reputation that was well-deserved, but it was no secret he had a soft spot for the children in the clan.
Kortiama finished off her treat and licked her fingers clean before washing it down with a mug of ale. Eyro scolded her for not savoring the treat properly with tea. Kortiama swiftly reminded him—her birthday, her rules. He sighed, made one more comment, and then let her be, opting to go introduce himself to Liadha. The stern woman had chosen to stand away from the rest of the partygoers to observe the celebration.
Kortiama grew apprehensive for a moment, but once the two engaged in a polite conversation about the villa, Kortiama tuned it out and focused on the gifts that had been left for her. She wasn’t hungry enough to indulge in too much of the feast yet; she was still rather full from the large breakfast she’d had earlier.
While there weren’t many gifts on the table, there were more than she expected. At most, she figured maybe one or two from Tharne and Solais. Kortiama chose a small, long, wrapped item. Removing the cloth wrap revealed a spyglass of remarkable quality. She lifted it into her hands, turning it in several directions to give it a good inspection, before aiming it out a nearby window. Just as she hoped for a quality piece, the details of the nearby mountainside became easier to see. That is, until Solais jumped in front of it.
Kortiama yelped and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed at her sister, who grinned like a coyote while the room filled with laughter. Kortiama snapped the sectional parts in on each other and set the spyglass down, digging in to more gifts.
Gift after gift, she opened them, each just as nice as the last. When Kortiama got to the last of them, she was left a little confused. Her family hadn’t claimed credit for any of the gifts she’d opened.
Solais giggled and held out her hand, revealing a small wrapped item. “We didn’t forget, promise.”
Kortiama glanced to Eyro, who also held a gift now, something long and thin. She smirked. Of course they’d hold onto them. Wouldn’t be them if they didn’t pick on her, even on her birthday.
She took the wrapped item from Solais, finding it to be rather light. Kortiama carefully unwrapped it, afraid she might break something if she were too rough. She inhaled a sharp breath, her eyes widening when she revealed a sparkling hairpin made of gold. A ship riding the waves had been carved and shaped into the large metal ring, the thin needle used to keep the hair in shaped like spyglass. The light peeking through the windows danced over the gem-facet accents.
“Solais… this is…” She was a loss for words.
Her sister smiled. “Thought it’d be good to keep your hair tamed while out on the sea.”
Kortiama snorted. “Speak for yourself.”
Solais’ eyes squinted as a wide smile spread over her face before she assisted Kortiama with pulling her hair back and pinning it.
One of the younger orphan girls ran up to her. “You look pretty with it, Korti.”
“Thank you, Chiro.” Kortiama noticed something in the young girl’s hands. It wasn’t wrapped, and appeared to be made out of beads. “What do you have there?”
“Your gift from us!”
Her brow spiked. “Us?”
The little girl pointed to the rest of the orphans. One of the teens stepped up. “We couldn’t afford much, so we all came together to give you something special.”
Kortiama’s heart swelled. “You didn’t have to.”
Chiro held up her hand. Kortiama accepted the gift, watching the small beaded bracelet fall into her palm. She looked it over, smiling. Not only was it made from beads, but it also had three large sea shells. She cocked her head when she noticed the sea shells had letters written on them—R, T, L. “Is this…”
The boy from before nodded. “This way, they can still sail with you, like you all had planned.”
Kortiama’s chest constricted, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t get it onto her wrist fast enough. Once it was, she held the bracelet close to her chest. This would never come off.
Solais poked her cheek, grinning. “Don’t start crying on us now.”
Warmth spread over Kortiama’s face. “I’m not going to cry!”
Her sister laughed and then moved away when Liadha and Tharne approached. Her father didn’t have anything, but her aunt did. She, too, had a small gift.
“It’s from us both,” Tharne said, when Liadha handed the gift over.
“But it’s mostly from me,” Liadha said, giving him a sidelong glance.
Tharne grunted. “Don’t go taking all the credit.”
Kortiama laughed as they bickered, and began unwrapping the gift. Hidden within the cloth was an amulet in the shape of their family crest. A wide grin came to her face. She should have known. Solais got a gift like this too, a belt buckle. Kortiama clipped the necklace around her neck, the amulet sitting perfectly on her chest. Though, what perplexed Kortiama about this gift was the combined nature of it. There’s no way it’s just an amulet if Liadha is also claiming half the ownership.
A wicked smile spread over Liadha’s lips. “I see that thoughtful look. My part of the gift is the enchantment on that amulet. Give it two taps in the middle.”
Kortiama pursed her lips and then did so. A moment after she did, a tingling sensation rippled over her skin, then nothing. Kortiama’s brow furrowed and she went to ask her aunt about it, but stopped when she noticed many of her party guests looking in all directions, as if searching for something.
Even Solais looked. “Where did she go?”
“I didn’t go anywhere,” Kortiama said.
Her sister gasped and jumped back, her eyes wide. Tharne let out a boisterous laugh
, though it was Liadha who spoke. “It’s an invisibility spell. It will only work once a day, and only lasts an hour.”
“So use it wisely,” Tharne said, his eyes darting to the witch. “That’s quite the enchantment Liadha is entrusting you with.”
Liadha shrugged, her eyes dancing with dark amusement. “I expect her not to use it wisely. It’ll keep you on your toes.”
Tharne glowered at her. Kortiama laughed, unable to contain herself. It was always interesting seeing these two in the same room together.
She tapped the amulet again, assuming that would break the spell prematurely. She was right.
Kortiama gave her aunt and then her father a tight hug. “Thank you.”
Liadha rubbed her head affectionately, the thinnest of smiles crossing her lips. Eyro then approached, offering his gift. “One last one, Korti.”
She accepted it, noting the light nature of the long gift. She didn’t open it right away, her mind thinking about what it could possibly be. Wait, what did Eyro give Solais for her day? When the memory dawned on her, she eagerly removed the linen wrapping.
A wide smile came her face when she looked down at the rapier in her hands. She dropped the cloth and pulled it out of its scabbard. The silver metal gleamed, and the ornate handle wrapped around her hand, protecting it well.
Kortiama flourished the pointed blade and stabbed the air, the weapon light and weighted, just as she’d hoped. Such fine craftsmanship.
Eyro chuckled. “I think she likes it!”
Solais grabbed Kortiama’s shoulders and peered over her. “Let me see your fancy stick.”
She pulled away and gave her older sister a pointed look. “This stick will bleed you dry if you’re not careful.”
Solais grinned. “In your dreams, baby sister.” She clapped her hands together. “But we should put that through its paces. What do you say?”
Some of the other orphans looked rather excited at the prospect, and even some of the adults looked intrigued. Kortiama looked to Tharne and Liadha for permission.
Liadha merely shrugged. Tharne crossed his arms and nodded. “Just don’t go overboard.”
Tales From Thac Page 6