The Baby and the Battlefield

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Petro and Tsuga

Petro sat on the dusty inn steps, and watched the young women practice. The little round one, the one who was in charge, was more his type. He had the distinct impression, watching her turn a backflip, that she would fit very nicely into the crook of his arm, and that her skin would be soft as butter. Then there were the freckles, sprinkled like cinnamon across her nose, and the curls, the copper colour of a new coin, that escaped her dark hood. Yes, Salix was definitely Petro’s type – but it was Tsuga who kept him watching. He had tried flirting first with the little round one. It turned out that, though she was pretty, she was engaged to be married. In fact, once the topic had come up, all Salix could talk about was the darling, dear, foolish man to whom she was betrothed. It was sort of sickening. So, Petro had turned his attention to the tall, lanky girl, Flora Tsuga, and found that he was soon intrigued by her every action.

Tsuga was tall and angular and couldn’t do her routine as smoothly as her shorter, fatter superior. Her hair was straight and an ordinary, medium brown, and long enough that she should have tied it back – it flopped in her face whenever she rolled or lunged or even dodged one of Salix’s jesting blows. Her skin was sallow, not creamy, and she was frowning.

What Petro liked about the tall girl, though, was her determination. She clearly wasn’t as good at this as Salix was. It was obvious that Tsuga was the student and Salix the teacher, but Tsuga kept trying. She did everything Salix did, gamely, standing up and going on even though she repeatedly fell flat on her rear in the dust. She followed Salix not perfectly, but doggedly, and without once uttering a word of complaint, or even a sigh. That was admirable, and fascinating to watch.

It was especially fascinating when she stretched out her arm and bared the tiniest fraction of usually clothed skin. Petro reflected that perhaps Marcus was right, and he was a pig. Still, it was hard to ignore her, when she was leaping in front of him or tumbling into a roll. Petro decided that, angular or not, Tsuga was strangely beautiful. Smiling he stood up, and walked back into the inn, thinking.

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Tsuga was dead tired by the time she sat down at one of the long tables in the inn's main hall. Salix worked her hard, and it was worse still with that idiot Petro leering at them. Still, it was not Tsuga's place to speak during practice, not even to tell the fool gawker to leave them be. Salix was her superior, and only Salix could tell him off. Frankly, Tsuga had been surprised that Salix had chosen as public a place as the inn courtyard, but in the end only Petro had been there to see them. Perhaps Salix had woven some enchantment that Tsuga was still too inexperienced to notice. Tsuga wished she was as Able as Salix was, but she seemed to entirely lack such talents. Wearily, Tsuga smiled at the bread and mug of cold water that well-paid hands laid in front of her, and started to dig in. Then she sighed, loudly. Petro, that unbearable fool, Petro, had sat down beside her. At least he didn't smell awful. He must have been to the baths in town; he smelled of soap.

“That was really something to see, the two of you practising,” he commented quietly.

Tsuga shrugged, “I'm not very good. Senior Salix is much better.”

Petro thought for a moment, and commented, “I think she's been doing it a lot longer than you have. You're not as sure of yourself. I don't think you did anything wrong, though. I can see you're pretty good – not just you and Flora Salix together, but you, yourself.”

A little point of warmth kindled and grew in Tsuga's stomach.

“Oh, yes?” She said, smiling into her mug.

“Well, that's what it looks like to me,” Petro replied, smiling.

Tsuga reflected that he wasn't quite so unpleasant-looking when he smiled.