Duty-Bound [ Lore of Penrua: Book II ]

24

Looking between Uachi and—Gally, was it? Gilly?—Ealin crossed the room and took the seat Uachi had pointed out. She folded her hands in her lap and frowned at her feet.

"The man with bitter wit poisons none but himself," said the woman with a sniff. She returned to her chopping.

Uachi hated pithy sayings like that. Arrogant people used them to make themselves sound superior when they could just as well say what they meant; "shut up" would have served Uachi fine. "Who are you, again?"

Her glance was brief and cutting. "Madam Gella. I am Her Grace's servant, and I will thank you to show me some respect."

"Ah. Well, I'm His Splendor and Glory's good sense, and I don't really care how you treat me." Uachi began banging around the cupboards, searching for something that could be made edible. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get on with ignoring you."

"I have never in my life heard such rudeness within the walls of this palace!" Gella cried.

"Well, that beggars belief, since it's a dreadful long life you've had from the look of you. You must have heard a good bit of rudeness in all your years."

Gella fumed. She slapped her knife down on the counter, took up her tray, and left in a huff. Uachi wondered what she intended to do with those vegetables, half-chopped and raw.

"Do you know her?"

The ranger turned in surprise. As he had traded barbs with the old woman, he had forgotten that Ealin was there. He had the presence of mind to feel slightly ashamed of how he had treated Gella; he did not make a habit of pretending to feel or think things he did not, but he had thus far made an effort to be more or less polite to Ealin. "No," he said. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "I'm not quite as nice to my friends."

He was not quite sure, at first, what he was hearing; after a moment of confusion, he realized it was a laugh. Ealin covered her mouth with her hand and looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry," she whispered, but another giggle punctuated the apology.

Uachi felt a slow grin spreading across his face. "You surprise me," he said. "I thought you would have some tart words for me just then."

Ealin shook her head. When she did, her locks parted, and he noticed a cheap brass bead winking in the darkness of her hair. The humor faded as quickly as it had come on, and she looked anxious again.

"You don't need to be afraid." Uachi brought down a sack and opened it. Oatmeal. There looked to be enough for two servings, barely. He knelt, clattering on the lowest shelves for a pot. "I have seen a lot in my time, Ealin, and Matei u Rhodana is one of the least frightening men you'll meet."

"Is that his name?"

"The emperor? Yes."

"He frightens me."

Having found a pot, Uachi stood again. He went to the pump in the corner and worked the handle to fill the vessel with water. "No more than I do, I should think."

Ealin did not respond at once. When she did, she surprised Uachi yet again. "More. Much more."

Uachi let the pump handle slip from his fingers and gave Ealin a long, searching look. Then, frowning, he carried the pot over to the hearth and hung it on the kettle arm. He needed to stoke up the fire, so he applied himself to this task as he considered a response. But there did not seem to be anything fitting to say, and after a minute had passed, and then two, it was too late to say anything at all.

For a while they remained in companionable silence, Uachi going through the motions of building up the fire, boiling the water, and then adding the oatmeal so that he could make a thin porridge. He rattled through the cupboards searching for sugar or honey or something else to put in with the grain, but found nothing but salt. It would have to do.