The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

“Good afternoon Safita,” Lalia greeted as she entered the library again, seeing her curled up in a chair.

“And to you Lalia,” she replied, trying to hide the irritation of being interrupted while she was reading.

“How has your day been?” she asked as she settled in one of the other chairs. Safita struggled not to roll her eyes at this inane small talk – it had been about a week and they were no closer to having a proper conversation than they had been when Lalia first appeared although, in fairness, that was probably due to Safita’s taciturnity. “It has been…adequate thank you,” she replied. “I have been reading a very interesting book. Yours?”

“It was a little busy,” Lalia answered with a smile, “I was finishing the arrangements for our dinner party so there were a lot of people I had to see. You are so lucky to have the time to read; I wish I could read more but between everything I have to do to run my household and what society expects of me I can never find a spare moment to do it.” She sighed jealously as she looked around the enormous library and continued, “You are so lucky to have such a well stocked library. I do wish ours was but half the size but Frent needs most of the space on our shelves for work documents.”

“You are welcome to borrow anything you would like to read from here,” Safita offered as she rang for some drinks, “I’m sure that Nell wouldn’t mind.”

Lalia’s eyes lit up with happiness as she clapped her hands together. “Really?” she exclaimed. “I would love to! If I can find the time, that is. Between visiting people and keeping up my acquaintances, running the house and my other hobbies my days are always full.”

“What else do you do?” Safita asked, her feigned interest barely veiling her astonishment; to her it didn’t seem like there was anything to do here and she didn’t think of Lalia as someone who was perpetually busy.

“Oh I play some instruments, paint and draw a little, nothing special,” Lalia replied shyly, rendered awkward by the enquiry and ducking her head. “I also quite enjoy embroidery and sewing, anything which takes my fancy really. I always find that unless you create things for yourself to do here your days devolve into tediousness and social engagements and I have enough of those already! If I didn’t force myself to take up new activities and cultivate new skills… well my life would be very dull. It is quite ironic that the capital city has next to nothing for us to actually do! Well that’s not technically true but if I had something, a job perhaps, then my free time would be far less abundant and I would value it so much more.”

“You know, where I used to live, I worked every day and so did other women,” she said as Lalia leaned forwards in interest and exclaimed, “Really?”

“Yes, over there some women were even taught to fight, though they were rare. It made my life very busy but it was good, I think.” Lalia gasped as Safita spoke, completely hooked on her words. “I'm not sure that I'd be any good at fighting,” she breathed, taken in by the idea of a foreign land and women who fought their way through the world. Privately Safita agreed but outwardly she pouted and said, “Oh I'm sure you would Lalia,” flattering the other woman. “Tell me more about your old home,” her excitement at hearing Safita’s exotic story overwhelming her manners and drowning them under the eagerness which rose up to take their place.

Safita paused, trying to think of things to say about the Outlands which wouldn’t give away where she had lived; it was a necessary precaution even though she highly doubted that this Palace woman would ever recognise stories from the other side. “Well,” she began, “many people travelled a lot and so, as well as because there were women who learned to fight, instead of dresses we wore tunics and camers which are trousers that cling to your legs and flex with them – they’re made of a stretchy fabric which lies tight on your legs. They’re quite hard to describe though I suppose they’re quite similar to the trousers which men here wear. Women were protected by men but only from actual dangers like rogues, who were more widespread than they are here, and were allowed to do what they wanted up to a certain point. If someone wanted to work then they did and if they didn’t, if they had the money to live, then they didn’t; it was as simple as that and I think that everyone was happier.” Even though Lalia was riveted Safita stopped talking abruptly and remained silent, even after numerous entreaties from her to continue and, by the time Lalia left, no other word on her previous life had passed her lips.