“As you wish, Ajie.”
“Tran, the basics of your culture. He’ll be lost in Teherani when we go there, so teach him what he needs to know so he can travel through it.”
Tran gave Alex a smile known to scare lesser beings. “I’ll teach him how to memorize too.”
Poor kid. Siobhan had been on the receiving end of that lesson before. “Beirly, give him some basic know-how on tools. He should be able to make basic repairs on anything from leather to wood by the time you’re done.”
“He’s already got some of that in him, but I’ll teach him the rest.”
“Good, good.” What was she missing? Oh, duh. “Now, Wolf, Fei, Rune, Tran, I expect you four to put your heads together and teach him strategy and combat skills. Find what he’s got good aptitude for and go from there. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT teach him assassination skills.”
Tran whispered loudly to Rune, “She’s talking to you.”
“She’s not,” Rune stage whispered back. “I taught him how to effectively kill people. Not the same thing.”
They’d have to have a little chat about that comment later. “And do not,” Siobhan gave Rune the stink eye, “teach him to lurk in the rafters. Two of you are bad enough.”
Fei and Rune gave her twin looks of innocence as if they couldn’t fathom what she was referring to. They practiced those looks in the mirror, she knew they did. Ignoring them with a pointed sniff, she turned to Sylvie and Denney. “The two of you have good life skills. Cooking, shopping, bargaining, etc. If you go out, take him with you. The best way to learn is actually do. If either of you are cooking, have him help.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Sylvie promised.
Denney raised a hand. “Animal care?”
“That too. Conli, basics of medicine.”
“Absolutely. Actually, can I include Rune in on those lessons?”
“You can,” she responded promptly. Rune’s head jerked back in surprise. She noted the reaction with interest. So, Rune still wasn’t sure what Conli thought of him courting Denney yet, eh? She made a mental note to investigate that later. Going back to the matter at hand, she continued, “Basically, I want Alex to be able to walk out our door and handle whatever life throws at him. He only has about a third of the skills he needs right now. I expect all of you to teach him what he doesn’t know. Clear?” When she got nods all around, she relaxed, satisfied.
Alex was looking around the room, his eyes growing round as he realized that by joining the guild, he’d gained ten adults that could boss him around. That was not something he had expected when he’d maneuvered his way in here. Siobhan wasn’t about to show him any sympathy. Learning consequences to rash decisions was just part of his education. “Also, Alex, I want you to make friends your own age.”
“Friends,” Alex repeated as if she were speaking some foreign language.
“Friends,” she repeated firmly. “You’ve been locked away far too long. Learn how to play. Go enjoy people. There’s no purpose to life if you can’t cut loose and have fun.”
This idea went over far better than the idea of lessons. Alex said, “Sure!” readily and with a look of anticipation on his face.
“Rune?” Siobhan waited until he turned to her before saying sweetly, “You too.”
Rune gave her a poleaxed look. “You want me. To learn how to play. Are you serious?”
She softened in sympathy. “Dearling, before you came to us, you were never allowed to be a child either. And in the past eight months or so that you’ve been with us, you’ve either been training or in war. I think it’s time you learned how to enjoy life too, don’t you?”
Denney slipped her hand into his and supported this by saying softly, “I think she’s right.”
Rune eyed the two of them as if they were both crazy, then scratched at the back of his head. “I could try? I guess?”
“That’s the right attitude,” Siobhan encouraged. “Just don’t play the same way that Wolf and Tran do. That’s all I ask.”
Most of the guild snickered.
Happy that they were all in agreement, and she’d had no arguments during all of this, she gestured to the hall around her. “I think it goes without saying what our third agenda is. For the next two months, our job is to complete the new Hall and re-furnish it. Beirly has agreed to build most of what we need. Grae, if we can take trips out for lumber, that’ll save on costs.”
“Just give me a lumbering crew, and I’ll take them,” Grae promised.
“Good, good.” An idea of lumbering extra, and selling it to people in the city, sparked in the back of her mind. Siobhan made a mental note to mention it to Sylvie after the meeting, see how viable it was. “When the guildhall is complete, we’ll go back to business. Anyone else have something they want to discuss?”
Tran waved a hand. “Siobhan, what about jobs? I know we’re not really outfitted for it right now, but are we getting any offers in? We can do short trips, I think.”
“We can,” she responded with a nod. “But right now, we haven’t had any.”
“The markets are still out of whack because of everything that’s happened,” Sylvie explained to the group as a whole. “I wouldn’t expect merchants or caravans for at least another month.”
“Which is why we need to finish building and recoup what we’ve lost as quickly as possible,” Siobhan tacked on. “Before those jobs start coming in. We’ll take day jobs at first, until we’ve replaced our equipment.”
“And then?” Grae asked uncertainly.
“And then we’ll see what the future has in store for us.”
Rune rounded the corner, heading toward Conli’s clinic, only to pause near the doorway as a voice floated out from inside the room.
“—through the steps of how to care for a wound,” Conli requested in his ‘teaching’ voice.
“Burn or cut?” Alex asked uncertainly.
“Good question,” Conli approved. “Let’s say cut.”
“First, if it’s a big cut, put pressure on it.”
“Good. And then?”
“And then clean it out.”
“With what?”
“Um, that bottle of alcohol.”
“And if you don’t have that?”
“Soap and water.”
“And then?”
“And then some salve to protect it and make it heal better. That bottle. And then wrap it in clean cloth.”
“Good,” Conli said again. The smile could be heard in his voice. “Do you think you can remember all of that? It’s important to do every step, and in that order.”
“I can remember,” Alex assured him.
Siobhan had ordered Conli to teach both him and Alex the basics of medicine, but so far, the only person who’d had time was Alex. Rune was still learning from Grae about pathmaking, and they’d had several requests throughout the city, mostly taking people back to their homes or fetching lumber and other building supplies. In between that and working on the guildhall, Rune hadn’t had a spare moment. He was glad to see Alex at least was learning.
Taking this as a cue of sorts, he pushed the door the rest of the way open, hand still cradled near his stomach. “Well, how about someone to practice on?”
Conli jerked to his feet as he came through, eyes automatically scanning for injury and finding it. “Lay it on the table. What happened?”
Rune gingerly laid his injured hand out on the table, watching as blood seeped into the towel underneath. It was easier to focus there instead of whatever instrument of torture Conli was reaching for. “Stupid accident.”
With a snort, Conli requested acerbically, “Clarify.”
Despite the pain and the situation, Rune couldn’t help a fleeting grin. The first room to have been completed in the guildhall was Conli’s clinic, for the simple reason that they couldn’t seem to go a full day without someone getting injured. It was usually something minor, a scrape or burn, but it was inevitable that someone would get hurt. Today, it had ap
parently been Rune’s turn.
“Beirly’s handsaw was laying on the table. Tran dropped a board and it hit the handle of the saw, flipping it in the air. I grabbed it.”
Rolling his eyes in despair, Conli asked with forced patience, “Why? Reflex?”
Rune shook his head and corrected quietly, “It was heading for Denney.”
Conli froze, a bottle of that evil burning liquid in his hand, a clean cloth in the other. He looked up at Rune with an unreadable expression. It was hard, but Rune met his eyes and didn’t flinch away.
Alex, of course, asked the obvious. “Doesn’t that hurt?”
“Sure does,” Rune responded, lips twisting. Great mercy, but it hurt.
Conli’s hand fisted around the cloth, going knuckle white, and his head bowed for a long moment. “Alex.”
“What?”
“Go tell Siobhan what happened. Tell her Rune can’t work for the next few days until this closes.”
“Right.” With a serious nod, Alex ran out the door. The kid always seemed to run these days, no matter where he was going.
With him gone, Conli lifted his head. “Rune. Ever since you started courting my niece, I’ve been torn how to feel about it. I waited, thinking that your relationship might not last long.”
Thinking or hoping? Rune decided it was better not to ask.
“But if anything, your bond with each other is only getting stronger. So. Now I’m asking you. Can you be good to her?”
If there was any time in his life that Rune had to be completely honest, it would be now. This man might become family to him in the future. “I don’t know what ‘good’ means, not always,” Rune admitted, troubled by his own words. “But I won’t hurt her or bring shame to her. Is that enough?”
The tension drained from the physician’s face and body and he relaxed into a gentle expression. “That’s more than what most men can achieve. I know you won’t let harm come near her, Rune. I’ve seen you protect her time and again. Just try to be a good man to her, that’s all I’m asking.”
Rune gave him a serious nod. “That I can do.” Mouth kicked up to one side, he added, “Don’t worry. If I get it wrong, she tells me.”
Surprised, Conli’s eyes flew wide before he chuckled. “Yes, she would. Alright. My fears are eased. Let’s tend to this hand of yours.”
By ‘tending’ Conli meant pouring that searing, hellfire liquid over his open wound. Rune hissed in a breath, forcing his hand to remain flat instead of curling shut.
“This will sting some,” Conli added kindly.
Rune glared at him. “You sure you’re fine about me and Denney?”
That got a more genuine laugh out of the man. “Where is she, anyway? I would have expected her to come in with you.”
“She was reaming out Tran and Beirly first for being careless. Although honestly, I think that saw flipping like that is a one in a million chance thing, I can’t imagine it happening again.”
“Truly, what are the odds? Things would have to be perfectly aligned to pull that off.” Conli dabbed at the wound, tilting his head this way and that. “It’s mostly superficial. I don’t think it hit either nerve or bone. We’ll wrap it up well and keep an eye on it. But you can’t use it or get it wet for the next five days, alright?”
He regarded his injured limb dubiously. That would be harder than it sounded.
“I’ll help when the situation calls for it,” Conli assured him, apparently reading his mind.
Denney chose that moment to come in, asking before she was even in view, “Conli, how bad is it?”
“Superficial, it’ll heal without much help from me,” her uncle assured her, never looking up from his work.
Rune put an arm around her waist and drew her in to stand at his side. She came willingly enough, but her eyes darted back and forth between the men uneasily.
“While I’m glad you protected her,” Conli said, smoothing salve over the wound, “try not to get injured again, alright? It worries both of us when you’re in harm’s way.”
Denney’s mouth parted in surprise, as well it should, as this was the first time that Conli had ever voluntarily expressed concern for Rune’s wellbeing. Rune squeezed her waist, drawing her eyes to his, and he gave her a smile. That was all she needed to figure out that the men had worked things out between them, and all was well. She beamed at Rune, bright enough to put the sun to shame.
Conli wrapped the hand snugly. “There. Keep it clean, don’t use it, don’t get it wet.”
“Yes, yes, I heard you the first time.”
“It’s not your hearing I question, but your memory. You never seem to obey even the most simple of instructions.” Conli’s wink took the sting out of the words. “What were you doing before this happened?”
“Oh, I was working with Beirly, putting the finishing trim down on the main floor.”
“I’ll pick up where you left off, then. Assuming that no one else gets themselves injured today.”
Conli working with wood? Now this he had to see. Rune stood as he did, intending to follow him out and watch.
Denney’s arm around his shoulders held him back and she whispered, “What happened in here?”
“Come on,” he encouraged in a similarly low tone, “I’ll tell you, but I want to watch. I’ve never seen Conli work with wood before. He always avoids it.”
“For good reason,” Denney giggled. “Alright, let’s watch, but what did he say?”
They left the room together, arm in arm, with Rune whispering things to her as if sharing a secret. And maybe it was at that. A warm, happy, unexpected secret.
Honorifics:
For Saoleord: (From most formal to informal)
Zhi – used when speaking to an older person of great important. Gender neutral
Jia – used when speaking to a guest or a person of higher status. Gender neutral
Gui – used for people that are strangers with no special significance. Gender neutral.
Ajie – used for an elder sister, relative, or older female friend.
Ren – used for an older brother, relative, or older male friend.
Jae – used for a sister or close female friend of the same age.
Xian – used for a younger brother or male friend near the same age.
Teherani:
Maee – used to denote respect from the speaker. Not gender specific.
Characters:
Siobhan Maley – Guildmaster of Deepwoods. Siobhan is from Widstoe, Robarge. She’s twenty-eight years old. Dual wielding swordsman.
Grae Masson – Master Pathfinder. Hails from Widstoe, Robarge. Twenty-eight years old.
Erik Wolfinsky – “Wolf” the Enforcer. From Reske, Wynngaard. He was kidnapped as a child and sold as a slave until his late teens, when he lost a hand in a bad fight with a dark guild. Then he went on the black market for cheap because he was crippled. Shiobhan bought him and gave him the choice of going back home, but he chose to stay and work off his debt with her. In return, she had an iron hand built for him to replace the lost one. Wolf uses shield and broadsword. He’s thirty years old.
Markl Hammon – Scholar. Markl uses a sword spear, and hails from a prominent family in Winziane, Robarge. He’s twenty-five.
Tran Amar – Enforcer. He’s also something of a translator, as he speaks three dialects fluently. Tran comes from Jioni, Teherani. Tran has twin swords that he keeps at the back of his waist, but often just uses his fists and feet to fight. He’s thirty-two.
Conli Rorona – Physician. Conli comes from a family of apothecarists on Island Pass. He’s forty years old.
Denney Icean – Half-Teheranian, half-Wynngaardian, she is Conli’s niece. Denney has an amazing ability with animals. She’s twenty years old, the second to youngest member of Deepwoods.
Fei Man Lei – Enforcer. Hailing from the mountains of Saoleord, he is the only sensible fighter in Deepwoods. He fights with any weapon that comes to hand. Twenty-six years old.
Beirly
Kierkegaard – Fixer. Beirly comes from Widstoe, and is one of the founding members of Deepwoods. He’s known with his ability with tools, and can make or fix anything. Thirty-two years old.
Sylvie Waverly – Trader. Hails from Coravine, Orin. Sylvie is twenty-six.
Rune Maley – Enforcer. Former assassin from Silent Order that adopts the guild and refuses to leave. He is the youngest member of Deepwoods at eighteen years old.
Bo Sei Jin – City Master of Saoleord.
Kim Ram Im – Master Historian of Saoleord.
Sei Ja Na – Master Librarian of Saoleord and the only woman on the council.
Hyun Woo – City General of Saoleord and Master Strategist. He volunteers to teach the enforcers of Deepwoods strategy and becomes their teacher.
Oh Jae Pyo – Commerce Expert and council member of Saoleord.
Ryu Jin Ho – Master Strategist of Saoleord that volunteers to go with Deepwoods into Robarge. He stays and alongside Hyun Woo, helps them with the war.
Cha Ji An – Designated Ambassador from Saoleord. She also stays with Deepwoods and helps them with the war.
Gared Darrens – Guildmaster of Blackstone, the guild in charge of Goldschmidt.
World:
Verheimr – Planet’s name.
Wynngaard – Northwestern Continent
Quigg – Once nothing more than a trading post, Quigg has become a major trading city over the past century. With no formal design or planning, the city has sprawled in every conceivable direction as people have deemed it necessary. It’s an infamous labyrinth and even natives are known to get lost if they wander outside of an area they know. Despite the fact that it rests on Wynngaardian soil, it has no distinct ethnic group and is instead a catch-all for every nationality of people. Quigg is unusual because despite its size, no single guild rules over it. Quigg is Denney’s hometown and where she and Conli met.
Fallen Ward (Deepwoods Saga Book 3) Page 27