“My name’s Tuff.”
Donovan heard heavy footsteps follow him up the stairs. He walk to the end of the hallway, and unlocked the door to his room.
“Boy. You will show me respect.”
Donovan turned to face Tuff.
“If you want my respect, then earn it,” said Donovan. “You can start by not calling me boy.”
“Donovan. Yeah, I know your name and a lot more besides. Does that surprise you?”
Donovan gave him a shrug, and opened the door to his room.
“That’s it,” said Tuff. He raised his right hand and pointed it dramatically towards Donovan, palm first.
Donovan watched his eyes widen and he stared down at his hand. Tuff looked back at Donovan, and thrust his hand forward again, with a similar lack of results.
Donovan bent down beside his bed and slid the case underneath. Tuff followed him into the room and stood uncomfortably close beside Donovan.
“What did you do?” asked Tuff. “How?”
“It’s not polite to enter someone’s room without permission,” said Donovan.
“What are you going to do about it? Use your magic? I forgot, you barely have any.”
Donovan raised his left hand slightly, and the knife that he had pulled out of the sheath behind his back prodded Tuff between his legs.
“You have one chance to leave the room whole. Otherwise you’ll lose some of your dangly bits.”
Tuff stared down at him for a moment before bursting out laughing.
“Osmont was right when he said that you’d face down a bear with nothing but a piece of string, and still expect to survive.”
“I thought you’d be more attached to your dangly bits,” said Donovan, raising the knife higher so the tip of the blade dug painfully into Tuff’s pants.
“Be careful with that. Those things don’t grow back.”
Tuff stood on his tiptoes and slowly backed away from Donovan.
“Better,” said Donovan. “Now what were you saying about Osmont?”
“He’s the reason I’m here. He didn’t think he’d make it back in time and didn’t want you travelling to Lornell on your own.”
“So he sent a strange man to be my escort?”
“You take that back before I give you a whooping.”
“You don’t think that you’re strange?” Donovan stood up, picked up the pack which was hanging on a bedpost, and slung it over his shoulder.
“Strange, I’ll give you, but don’t call me a man again. While I may travel your lands, I was bred and raised in Kern.”
“My apologies. I wasn’t sure if calling you dwarf was offensive.” Donovan ushered him out of the room. Donovan stepped out into the hallway, before closing and locking the door. “As I said earlier, I have places to be and I don’t need a chaperone.”
Donovan left Tuff standing there as he headed downstairs and out into the busy streets of Kendra. He wove his way through the crowd and headed for the keep sitting atop a hill, towering over the rest of the city.
Mercury Mind (The Downfall Saga Book 1) Page 30