by P. S. Power
That got a snort from Havar.
"The old meditations Instructor? What help would she be in a fight?"
Kolb actually had to bite his lips to keep from laughing at the man.
"She's not what she seems. Truly, if we get a chance, we should have her in for practice someday. I think you'd find it... educational, to say the least."
That got the man to glare as if insulted, and then look at Tiera from the side of his eyes. What he was thinking, she didn't know at all.
Until he spoke.
"I could go. Tiera is one of my students and letting her go into danger, without adding my own skills to the situation seems a poor plan."
Instead of telling him no, or asking what he was thinking, Kolb just nodded.
"You'll need to stay on the craft in Soam. At least when Julie White is around. She's afraid of tall people. It sounds minor. It isn't. We should get you a builder too, if Tor isn't going."
That started an argument, again with Havar, who thought that wasn't needed, though Kara called him an idiot after a bit. Tiera agreed, but had, with a lot of work, managed to hold her tongue on the issue.
"You're going into an unknown situation. True, most builders aren't Tor, but the good ones can read people, even Ancients. Grab one of the Lairdgren group and you might be able to learn far more than you would otherwise. I'd expect you to be a bit more far thinking than that, Baron."
He glowered, but stopped talking. Luckily they were headed back to Tor's because he was going to have to lend her some coin, at this rate. Though they could just stop at her place and collect some provisions the next day, she realized. It should work and she'd be able to make certain her Austran guests were comfortable and being provided for well.
That made her feel better, since they just had to drop off Kara then, and go on from there, without asking for things again, like poor relations begging for crumbs. She was still poor, compared to him, but she had enough, she thought, if she were careful.
She had to peel off to see to her last class, which she tried very hard to do well, and after it was over, she stopped, not knowing if Doris would tell her no, or simply walk away when asked to do something dangerous.
The woman was old after all, and wrinkled, Ancient or not, which made her look weak and frail. Her hair was white, and she was pale all over, as if from never going out in the sun. Hardly someone that Tiera would have picked out for the job of finding a would be killer. More like the old woman in the village that watched the littlest children on the rare occasions their mothers had errands to run.
"I need to be gone for a few days..." She explained it all, going into as great of depth as possible, which got nearly no reaction from the woman at all. "I was hoping that you might come along? I don't know if your schedule allows for it, or if you can do that, but..." Before she could say that it would make her feel better, if nothing else, the woman nodded, once.
"At what time will we depart?" Her hands were folded in front of her as she sat and was serene. It was a pure and total thing that came off of her in waves, ripples in the air of the stuff hit Tiera, she realized, which had to be the fact that the woman was technically producing some kind of field that caused that result. Organization at the most basic level of being. It was a state that Tiera should learn to master, sometime.
Clearly it would take a whole lot more work than she'd been putting into meditation yet.
"Just after breakfast? In the commons here."
Then, as if that totally settled everything, Doris waved to the door, gently, one time. It was a bit strange, but she left, since it seemed that the Ancient was in it with them. It felt almost shocking, and she wondered if it was really that great of an idea? Kolb thought it was, so maybe having a more familiar face would be a bigger aid than Tiera thought. She'd met all the people she'd intended to visit herself, but seen once just wasn't the same as being an old friend or family member.
After that she got a small floating chest together, which was the one that had the communications devices in it, and added a few things for the trip. Like her toothbrush and some extra soap, pencils, pens and paper, in case the need to take notes came up. It didn't seem likely, but what did she know about things like investigations?
Then she got into bed and slept. Or tried to. She wasn't that worried about anyone attacking her personally. They simply hadn't and if it had been part of the plan, the school was a great place to do it. She didn't have a real lock on her door, and at least in theory the other students could be used against her as shields, or hostages to her good behavior. It wouldn't work very well, but it was a thing to try. She also knew that, despite being halfway decent in a real fight, thanks to rushing in hard, some extra strength and not quitting when it got painful, she wasn't all that wonderful as a fighter yet. Oh, pretty good for a first year, in the main, but even some of them had had years to train, as she'd learned earlier.
So, that probably meant that no one that would go after Tim would hold back out of fear of her awe inspiring abilities. No, she just wasn't a real target at this point, for whatever reason.
The reason sleep didn't come easily was that first Karen came stumbling in, trying to work in the dark, which didn't work, then turning the light on to full brightness by mistake, which was nearly blinding, and did mean the large Instructor had to wait a bit before going on, since she'd had her eyes open. She smelled of wine, which was a bit annoying, since she was too drunk for the night before a journey, in Tiera's estimation. It wasn't a huge thing, but it was enough of one that she secretly wanted to punch the girl a few times for being stupid.
On the good side, she didn't feel angry about it, she realized. Just really annoyed and ready to correct her. It was an improvement, even if it did have a tendency for hitting in the mix.
Then, almost as if knowing she was being a pain already, Karen decided to cap that one off by climbing into her bed, cuddling to her... And crying.
"It isn't fair. I know I'm not the best looking person in the land, but why do I always have to be alone?" It was said loudly and whined. Hardly like what Tiera would have thought she'd be like in bed, with just the two of them.
"You aren't alone. You never are. You've just been working on this three steps idea so hard for so long that you can't see that it cuts your marriage options. Even someone like Collette Coltress has to fight to catch a nobleman that's a baron or better. Too many girls and too few boys in the batter. If you can move outside that, do something unexpected, then there will be more opportunities for you." That or set her sights on Terry. He was as well placed as Karen was now, Tiera realized. Nearly at least.
Karen sobbed anyway, and gave a half coherent ramble about the things that had happened to her, with her father. It wasn't all understandable, but she really wished the man was alive again, so she could fly to his home, and kill him. It was probably just as well, since she knew that she really would have done it too. Her trick with the Space Craft had worked too well not to use again.
This took up most of the night, and her bed wasn't huge, so it meant being pressed against the much larger giantess the whole time. After a while the girl rolled on top of her, and slapped clumsily at her throat, leaving her naked in the dark. Tiera sighed. It was a bad idea, after all. She'd feel upset about it in the morning and get mopey over it, if they did anything, afraid Kolb would find out. That had been her rationale before at least, when explaining why she wasn't going to hit on Tiera.
In the dark, she couldn't see much, but tried to actually think through it all. Which was worse, in a scene like this? Rejecting an already hurting person's advances, or testing the bounds of what a newly minted Countess could get away with at Lairdgren school? Really, she knew the answer, didn't she? If it came to it, she could just explain it to Kolb, and while the man might beat them, or give them extra duty, Karen wouldn't be out of a job or punished too harshly. In fact, if the woman had been sober they could have claimed that it was all a test, to make sure that Tiera wasn't being a Doretta anymo
re. It was part of her job to ensure that.
"Roll off me." Tiera said it calmly, even managing to sound only half asleep, not like she was upset.
Karen did, slowly, sobbing once, until the move was reversed, ending with her much smaller person on top.
"That's better. I do so love to breathe when I can. So, what do you have in mind?" She tried to sound loving, and managed it well enough. It was weird, but she realized that Karen, out of everyone she had left now, was probably her best friend. Prison guard or not.
It turned out that she didn't need Tiera to do much at all, and twenty minutes later she was content just to cuddle for a while longer, then fell asleep and started snoring loudly. Right in her ear. It was a pain, but she didn't let her go, so that her friend would know she was loved. What was a little sleep lost anyway?
In the early hours, just before sunrise, she got up and washed, then went for a quick run to wake up and headed to the practice square. No one else was around, so she did her normal thing, working stones and then pells, and was busily punching the wooden poll in front of her four hundred times as hard as she could manage when a person finally did come. It was a strange one too, for this time of day, being the Dean. Tiera wouldn't have thought he bothered to wake before sunrise on most days, being old and not having to for his job.
"Countess Baker. I was just passing and thought I heard something, is everything well? I'm... not altogether certain that pells are meant to be used that way. Don't most use weapons for that?"
Tiera stopped and smiled at the man, who was visible in the near dawn light.
"I've noticed that, but it's part of my training. The hard part is doing head butts. Such a headache. I hardly cry at all anymore though, so I figure I must be toughing up, at least mentally." She meant it, but the man chuckled anyway. Then, she had sounded pretty friendly about it all. "I have to leave today, along with some of your staff and probably at least one student. It's important, but..." Really she just didn't know where to start explaining it all.
It turned out that wasn't needed by the man at all.
"Ah, thank you for letting me know then. It can be a delicate balance, working with a Count or Countess in a schooling environment. On the one hand, they, more than most of our students, need to have certain information, but on the other, you can't really punish them, if they step out of line. Even speaking too harshly might lead to a war, and while the students here are capable, I've rather promised your grandfather that I'd try to avoid that, when possible." It sounded strange, as if he was saying something, without actually mentioning it at all.
The problem there was that she honestly had no clue what that might have been.
"Well, not a problem. If you think I'm being too much of a brat just come and beat me in the commons. Or, well, I suppose you could yell at me to good effect too. I don't really carry grudges. Well, not over little things." She didn't, which was probably her saving grace in life, since even when her anger had been twice as bad, she'd been willing to forget the things that didn't really matter, and not try to hurt people over them, hadn't she? Eventually?
The old, gray bearded man smiled, a thing largely hidden by his facial hair in the dim light.
"Ah, so I won't wake one of these mornings to find the singing department denuded of talent? I've been worried on that score for a while now. It was a prank, but one that... Honestly, I don't know what the little monsters were thinking. A pitcher of urine over the head would set even the calmest of people to violence at the insult, and you're rather known for not being that, aren't you?" He looked at her directly and didn't back off from the statement at all, even if it was aimed at a sitting Countess.
It was just the truth.
"Oh, I'm angry enough about that, and I doubt that any of them will ever be close friends of mine. But to answer the real question there, no. I'm not going to kill anyone over it, or go to war, or even hire professional tricksters to haunt their days, pranking them over and over again when they least expect it." She stopped suddenly and grinned. "Is that even a thing, do you think? People that do that? I can't justify the funds for it, but it almost sounds tempting..."
The man laughed, getting that she was playing, thank goodness, so she didn't have to have a lecture about being an adult, but shook his head.
"Not that I've ever heard of, though I don't doubt you could hire a few clever individuals to do such things if you desired. Now, changing the subject, before you think that's actually a good idea, I was thinking that you might need some other classes that your prior life experience and education has left out. Etiquette, Courtly rules and procedures, Legal courses and Economics. Fighting is a worthy course of study, and as this shows," He gestured with an open hand at the bloody pell behind her. "You don't lack in either will or work ethic. Even on a day you intend to take off, you still practice, which is admirable. It also won't help you run a County at all, unless you intend to leave that to others?"
Tiera took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter, "Yes, in both cases. I should have those courses and I do intend to leave the bulk of the day to day running of things to advisors. You know, ones that aren't fourteen, and from a tiny village in the woods? That doesn't mean I shouldn't know how, or the tricks of it, so that no one runs off with all the gold or tortures people behind my back. Being in charge means that you have to take responsibility for everything, but I can't claim any special knowledge as to what each jailer or guard is doing right now. There must be some secret to it."
The man shook his head, which ran counter to his first words.
"I can set that up for you. No rush on it. As to knowing those things, it isn't really possible, even with the best spy network and people that love you. The distance between a ruler and their people is always great, even for the best of them. You could live in a humble shack and talk to them daily, on the street they live on, and most wouldn't mention the guard that forces them to pay protection, or who abuses their daughters, knowing that they're protected from punishment for it, since no one will believe the daughter of a shop keeper over them. The best you can do is let it be known that you actively seek to destroy corruption and insist that people do their best. That and watch for policies of your own that can lead to such things. That's the hard part, because so many things that actually make good sense at the time are actually traps, that will end in tyranny, if one isn't careful." He winked at her, and waved at the pell. "Sorry to bother you so early. If I could have a list of who's going with you?"
"Oh, sure. I... do you have one of the new communications devices?" It wasn't likely, but she had a few extra with her, it would mean going to Tor's again, but she could get that done, if she had too. He was a Baker, which meant already up for the day, after all.
"I do. You're brother made certain that I had one, first thing, which was very kind of him."
"Tor is good that way. It's how I've gotten most of the magic I have too."
"Indeed, the same is true for me, but it was Timon that provided it to me. He also connects about once a week to check on your progress. Nothing untoward, just making certain you have what you need and seem well, without bothering you for the information. In fact, the only people that have used it to reach me have been him and Prince Alphonse, so far. Esteemed personages, but slightly odd. I would have thought a few more parents of students would have used it."
Tiera had to hide the expression of shock from her face then. Timon wasn't really stingy after all, but he normally wouldn't just give away expensive things like that and she was almost certain that the Headmaster of a school didn't have a lot of spare coin floating around. The man dressed well, but that was probably magic. Though he took pains to hide the fact, leaving wrinkles and stains on his clothing, so that it would seem real. Most of the people here, including the Instructors, had those however.
Reaching out a bit she confirmed that this man did too, as well as a very high end shield, and an explosive weapon, she thought, and a cutter that wanted to reach out nearly five fe
et. In short, the slightly stooped old man was ready to go toe to toe with a group of twenty or more regular soldiers if the need arose. It was...
She wanted to claim it was strange, but was it? He knew Tor and Count Lairdgren both, though the work was clearly Tor's, since the Count felt so old it was easy to tell that, despite being similar otherwise. The school had been attacked once in the last year, with something like Austran Death Dust, though it had been different from the description. Still nanos, but with a different way of killing. Could she blame the man for getting ready to face troops after something like that? It was part of his job to protect the kids after all, a trust placed by their parents. Standing in front of armed men and begging generally didn't work that well, so he was trying to make sure he could bring more than that to any given situation.
That, or he thought he might have to fight her, or a well armed Lairdgren Group member some time, if they lost it. They were all armed after all. As well as he was, most likely, even after the weapons had been confiscated by Kolb. You couldn't force a builder to be disarmed for long.
The man bowed to her, going halfway deep, since he was in charge there, not her, which she returned, going just a tad lower. Then he walked off, leaving her to quickly finish her work.
It hurt, but she pushed herself to hit the pell both hard and fast, so that she finished everything she had planned inside half an hour. Then, after healing, she worked into the baths, having to wait for a shower and tub, getting ready for the coughing that would cover the word Doretta. Instead a girl she didn't know waved her over.
"Climb in. I'm not planning to get out for about half an hour, and this thing is big enough for six, if we don't mind being friendly." Tiera had seen her around, a girl that she thought was a third or fourth year, but didn't have a name for, even if there weren't that many kids at the school. She'd sheltered herself away from most of them after the first few days. Even in the fighters section she didn't do more than work with most of them. Mitchell was the exception and even they weren't friends. Not really.