The Silence Within (The Young Ancients: Tiera)

by P. S. Power

  "Maybe. For right now I have a few million golds worth of amulets, as well as a million gold solid coming, just to spend on that. Getting things back in order."

  Richard sat back and went cold on her suddenly.

  "You told Tor to lend these things to you?" Everyone looked at her as if she were evil all of a sudden.

  She knew why too, since for once she'd been filled in on everything.

  "Oh, he didn't tell you? He pulled that response, that bit that made him do that kind of thing, from himself. Plus he didn't know I was a Countess when I asked. So it wasn't me controlling him that way. I just said the words, and didn't even wheedle. He isn't selfish you know. It's not about him not having a choice either, he's a good man that way. Of course I'm going to have to earn some coin of my own, if I want to keep eating. Those funds are for the County, not lining my personal vault." Especially since she didn't have one of those. Not yet.

  That got some slow and considering nods at least.

  "Well enough then. I was told about that actually, the changes that he'd made to himself and Timon. Please keep us apprised as to what's happening in County Baker? It isn't strictly needed, but it will mean I don't have to send half as many spies in, which will save coin."

  "And probably keep them from being caught anyway, what with all the Truth amulets around. I can't promise that I'll be regular or timely, but I'll see what I can do that way? Right now, if it isn't rude, might I be allowed to leave? I have to be up very early in the morning." She paused, then said the words anyway, even if these people might think she was stupid or something. "Running Tor's bakery for the day. That starts early." She didn't let herself yawn for affect, but it was tempting.

  The giant King stood then and gestured to the back of the room. She couldn't make out a door there, but it seemed like it was that or where they did the beatings. There was a nice empty space for it, either way.

  "Certainly. I hope to see you again soon?"

  "Probably. Oh, Alphonse..." She called the words out brightly, but not too loud. "Make sure I get that invitation to the wedding? Or, you know, send a letter telling me that you're snubbing me if you need to, I won't take offense. And Princess Karina... I'd like to take you up into orbit soon, so you can report to everyone about it?" It sounded official enough and really was a good idea, she looked at her parents, which got a single nod and smile from the King and a worried, wide eyed look from her mother.

  "Is it safe?"

  "Very. Probably more safe than walking the Palace halls. Which I hear isn't all that dangerous at all most days. Everyone will expect at least one of you to go up, so that we can tell everyone about it and it will be believed." She wasn't going to fight about it if the Queen said no. That wouldn't be worth the effort and just get her to dig her heals in.

  "Well, as long as it's reasonably safe, I suppose. When would this trip be taking place?"

  Tiera had to fight an eye roll, since that wasn't just rude now, but would be a direct insult to the Queen from a person that it might actually be a problem if it came from. Things were easier when she was a nobody.

  "When would be good? I'll see about arranging it with Alice Orange. Right now we aren't doing much, getting ready to train the Instructors is all, but sooner is better than later, because of that. Fewer bodies in the way."

  They agreed on it being three days hence, which was a school day for Tiera, but didn't matter, since she wasn't going, most likely.

  Then the King showed her how the door opened, which took both hands and squeezing clamps that were hidden in the woodwork. The panel swung into the room very quietly, and just entered the hallway outside the dining room she'd been in. That was just a bit further down, meaning she knew how to get out without help.

  Just as she put up her shrunken sky blue and green craft, the Royal Guard Kara, who'd helped her earlier with her hair and make-up, called to her. She had a small canvas bag with her, held over her shoulder by a sturdy looking strap.

  "Countess?" She said the word softly, though the other guards on the door would still be able to hear her. "If I could beg something of you?"

  Tiera turned on her and tried to think of what she might want. Nothing really came to mind, not that she had to give at least. Still, friendliness was important, and that meant to everyone, all the time.

  "No need to beg. If I can help you, I will."

  The woman actually relaxed then, as if it hadn't been certain that would be the case at all.

  "Thanks. I was hoping to catch a ride to Lairdgren school? I can't afford to pay at all. It's... well, I'm actually assigned to watch Tor, but I don't have any other reason to be there anymore. I used to be a weapons Instructor at the school, when he attended. So I was kind of hoping you'd help talk him into letting me stay with him there?" It seemed like she meant it and everything, so after Tiera handed her a Truth amulet and questioned her intent for a long while, she agreed.

  It was her job, after all, so why not help the woman do it?

  "Let's go then? It's a bit late, but I know for a fact he isn't working first thing in the morning, so let's pound on his door and set this right. If nothing else we can claim that you're his new girlfriend and then he'll have to let you stay." That would be funny, but probably not needed. Tor wasn't mean after all, and wouldn't turn the woman away, Tiera didn't think.

  They rode in near silence, and landed in front of the small, but very nice looking house. It was still four stories high, but narrow, compared to any other dwelling she'd seen like it before. It was Ali that let them in, her eyes a bit puffy from sleep still, but she hugged Tiera and being rather friendly, did the same with the Royal Guard, who she knew by name.

  "Is something wrong?"

  Tiera shrugged, and nodded at the same time.

  "Yes. Kara is supposed to live with you and Tor, and has been, but no one knew how to tell Tor that his Royal Guard detail was supposed to do that, since he's a bit of a stupid head sometimes." She stopped and wrinkled her nose. "True, one of the best stupid heads in the world, but still... So I told her that you'd see to this, get her a room and talk Tor into keeping her around like she should be. In fact, you should hire more guards. After..." She nearly didn't say anything, but then decided that it wasn't a good thing to keep secret. "There was an attack the other day. Three clones of the Gray Ancient. I don't know that they'd come for Tor, but they seemed to be after Tim, so I can't promise that. Give Kara the gold and let her hire some people. Maybe some of the kids from the fighters section? I know they aren't real warriors yet, but some are pretty good, and it has to be good experience, doesn't it?"

  That was all she had to do, and the other two took over by themselves. All they had to do then was convince Tor that it was the right thing to do. Tiera had no clue as to if that would go over with him or not, but she didn't really care at the moment, wanting sleep above almost all else.

  Ali smiled and showed her to a room, since it was closer to the bakery anyway, she claimed, and she got to sleep only a few minutes later. It was silent, except for the beating of her own heart and the sound of her breath. That was all, until about three-thirty, when her door cracked open and someone called out to her.

  "Time to get ready." It was Tor, so she sat up and rubbed her eyes, rather than rushing him while screaming to distract whoever it was from what was happening. People could only track so many things at once after all, so if you could overload that, they'd miss things. You didn't get to pick what they lost track of, unfortunately, but about half the time it would work in your favor.

  "I'm up. I have the key. Thanks."

  "Thank you. I need to hire a full time assistant or two, so I can take time off on occasion. Ma and pa never did, but I keep forgetting that they had two of them, plus all us kids. It makes a difference."

  He had a point, and after running herself under some hot water, she could see it as a good one. Most new bakers had to work every day for a long time, so Tor had just assumed that would be him as well, except that his shop, whi
le real, was mainly his hobby. That, or a disguise he was using while doing something else.

  That didn't really seem like him, as far as she knew, but he'd changed a lot over the last years. She had too, even more recently, so it was possible that he had secrets now.

  She felt better as she walked down the stairs, her nose suddenly hit with the scent of breakfast. It probably wasn't for her, but when she popped her head into the kitchen Tor nodded at the pan on the stove. It was a slick looking black thing that didn't need a fire, with eggs and sausages in a pan that seemed to be made of milky brown glass.

  "Be just a minute here. I think you have time. You'll want to eat first, or the scent of the yeast will make you feel ill. I find that to be true now. I think it's related to the growth, so it might be both of us. Gerent too, but I don't think he can bake much yet." He focused on the food, making sure it was done to the right level, taking things off at what seemed to be the perfect time and giving her the first plate, which she ate at the table, using a real silver fork for it. He had nice things. Lots of them.

  "Thanks. Oh, Tor... could I have a few thousand flying rigs and shields for my new military forces? Some weapons too? I was talking to Count Peterson about it last night and he suggested that I give it a try. Maybe some space vehicles for his flyers corps too? It can't hurt to have more people working on it. Not really."

  That got him to turn and look at her, if not for long, since he needed to manage the new batch of food it seemed. That part seemed a bit overdone, how intently he was focusing on it, but her bite of egg showed that it was paying off. The sausage too, when she had some. Perfectly done inside and crispy all the way around on the outside, without being tough.

  He nodded, but it had an abstract feeling to it all.

  "No, on the magics for you. I gave you a starting batch, but you can make your own. I know you aren't wild about copying things, but you should learn. It will save me time, and you gold, in the long run, even if you never learn to build anything of your own. You can turn shields off from the outside, during a fight, which means you can copy without a template. After the first few I suggest you start doing them ten or twenty at a time." The sound of moving food was all that there was for a bit. "As to Count Peterson... I think that can be arranged. Really I should have you run those up too, but you probably aren't up to it yet. Maybe I'll see if Taman wants to take a crack at it?" He didn't seem to be making fun of her, but it felt like it anyway.

  Taman was nearly six, but already a full builder. It was something that made Tiera proud, but also feel a bit inferior. She couldn't even make copies of things without a template. Though, Tor was the Master Builder and had gotten the Lairdgren Group to do it, making up to a hundred copies at once, so maybe it was possible? He really seemed to think she could do it too. It didn't sound like fun, and given her schedule would probably have to come out of her sleep time, but it wasn't unfair to ask her to do her own work.

  "I'll see if I can manage that. Well..." She had food left, so just ate for a bit then and then started to rinse her plate, a nice china thing, only to have Tor gesture to the trash bin.

  "Guide dishware." He said it as if that would explain it to her. Since it did, and she got the idea instantly, she tossed the thing. It would vanish when the field was turned off, so this way the film of grease on it wouldn't hit the floor, or table top.

  Then she waved to him and left, the key in her pocket, next to her communications device. It was going to be a bit of an interesting day she thought, not knowing where anything would be kept. Except that Tor had recreated the bakery they'd grown up in as far as layout. The work tables and ovens were magical and looked like fine metals or stone, but they were the same size as the wood and brick things they'd always used in Two Bends. Tiera got into what would look like old school browns, so that she'd look like a baker, instead of a noble, and found the flour, sugar and starter exactly where she expected them to be. It was kind of telling, after a fashion. Easier for her though.

  Then for three and a half hours she simply worked, making six kinds of bread, four types of sweet rolls, and hand pies, or something that should be close enough. She didn't have his recipe for those, but what she made was as good, she thought, eating an apple spice one, before opening the front door. There was more to be made, which was good, since no one came in until ten.

  That was one of the girls from school, who seemed to be a second year, and had pretty blonde hair, and blue eyes. She looked a bit familiar, but it took a second for a name to come.

  "Demis?"

  The girl smiled at her and waved a bit.

  "Hello! Is Tor in? I wanted to ask him something."

  "Nope. He's down in the Capital today. He should be back tomorrow. Can I help you with anything?" She barely knew the girl, but if she was willing to come to talk to Tor, they must be friends.

  "I don't think so. I was... kind of hoping that he'd go with me to the student dance next week. Alyssa said I should ask him, since she's going to be working. I mean, I asked her if it was all right first, but she said yes. So unless you want to go with me instead..." She dimpled and blushed a bit. "We never did get to sleep together. We should sometime, if you want."

  Tiera nodded.

  "Definitely ask Tor to the dance then. As to the other thing, I'd love to. I don't know if I ever get to have any free time again, but that sounds fun." She meant it, which the girl seemed to get, acting flattered for some strange reason, as if it wasn't all about showing the whole world that Tiera wasn't really an evil Doretta.

  She got the girl a sweet roll and didn't let her pay for it, since they'd just been talking about having sex. She ate it at the table, chattering while Tiera worked.

  "So, who are you going with? I heard from a little bird that Mitchell from the combat section was asking about you the other day. I also heard that you sucked him off by the wood pile?"

  Tiera choked a bit and had to actually gasp for air.

  "You heard that? From who?"

  There was a gleam in Demis's eye as she took a nice big bite of sweet roll, the frosting being licked off her fingers gently as she looked directly at her. It meant she didn't answer quickly at all.

  "Oh, from Alyssa. Her sister told her. Also about you and Sam Builder? Is he any good? I wouldn't have thought to try there, to tell you the truth. A bit common looking, though I hear that can have its charms." She grimaced and shook her head. "Sorry, that wasn't what I meant. I hope I didn't give insult?"

  "Not really. I know that I'm short, for now. It's funny, but no one realizes that I've been growing almost an inch per week lately. You'd think that it would make a difference, but no. No special presents, letters, or even anyone noticing that it's going on. I'm going to be seven feet tall and everyone will still think I'm a commoner, won't they?" She could have sounded sad and felt it a little, but it came out comical and Demis stared at her and actually ran around the counter to stand right next to her, frowning.

  She was taller than Tiera was, but the girl held a hand up by her head and made a face.

  "You are taller! I thought, you know, with Tor and your other brother, Tim, both being small..."

  "Tor is growing too, and Timon's only twelve, so how tall is he supposed to be yet?"

  The girl bowed then and actually held it.

  "Well, I apologize for my thoughts. That was horrid of me. Can you forgive me? I'll make it up to you..." It would have been sweeter if she wasn't clearly looking at the baked goods in the display case. Giants were almost always hungry. She got that now herself, and made up a little basket for the girl to take with her.

  She wasn't the last person to come in, but ninety percent of them were school girls, and a few women from local shops, including the florist from across the way, who admitted that she was mainly trying to work up the nerve to ask if Tor was seeing anyone.

  Tiera shrugged.

  "Well, he's married, but don't let that stop you. Noble rules, and all that." She said it easily enough that it sounded almos
t like she meant it and everything.

  It was a lot easier to apply those rules to yourself than people you knew, it seemed. That might just be her however, with her distinctly backwards upbringing.

  It wasn't until the end of the day that things really changed much at all. The girl that came through the door was familiar, after all. Tiny and perfect, but also suspiciously alone.

  "Hello, Taman. Come to visit?"

  The girl nodded and tried very hard not to look like she'd been caught doing something wrong.

  It wasn't quite working.

  Chapter eight

  Very properly, with great confidence, and all the courage that a tiny girl in a white dress could muster, Taman explained herself.

  "I've decided to move from home. Mother and I have been fighting, and I think it's for the best." It sounded completely reasonable when she said it too. Except for the being five part. That was a bit of a sticking point, to be sure.

  Tiera nearly just told her to go home. She'd gotten there after all, and it wasn't going to work. Their mother would rip the land apart trying to find her if she wasn't there by dinner time. True, she might be the Gray Ancient, in mind as well as body, but even if that was the case, no one had ever claimed that Gray didn't love her daughters. Still, it would set a bad example for the others if it were known she tried to escape.

  "Why have you two been fighting?" That would be the key, wouldn't it? If it were something reasonable, like insisting the little girl bathe and brush her teeth, then it would be simple enough to fix, with a bit of coaxing and perhaps a few well placed swats. She wasn't a bad girl at all, so it seemed strange that she'd actually be fighting with anyone. In fact Tiera had to wonder if their mother even knew they were in particular conflict at all.

  Taman didn't speak at all for nearly half a minute, and when she did it was a whispered thing that a normal person wouldn't have heard, not without moving closer.

  "She said I was too young to be building things, and that I wasn't allowed to anymore. I know that she didn't mean I wasn't good enough. It's that she thinks I'll hurt someone with what I make. Only, I'm really careful and she's just bossing me because she's bigger. I think she hates me." The whole speech came with pouting and a single tear that decorated her left cheek. It was artful and meant to pull at the strings of any adult's heart. Tiera used to use the same tricks.