Ten Arrows

Chapter 9

Talia looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "And?"

"And I unwrapped a big wedge of chimney peat."

There was some silence, and then Talia threw her head back and laughed. I started smiling as well, albeit a bit ruefully.

"Oh gods!" she giggled. "Oh, to have seen your expression! All your presents had become chimney peat?"

"All of the wrapped ones, yes. Jillian started laughing so hard that she collapsed on the floor, and was rocking back and forth on her back." I gave Talia a smile that was probably a tad wistful. "Dad was looking so confused that at first I'd suspected we'd been burgled by some other Lord, until I noticed how hard he was struggling with the corners of his mouth. Even Mom was playing along, feigning shock. Eventually Dad relented, laughing and pulling out my real present - a longcoat I'd been eyeing one afternoon in the summer while he'd been talking to a tenant. I didn't even think he'd seen me admiring it," I said, grinning a little. "Then he lectured me on the subject of patience. I certainly learned that lesson, let me tell you. I don't know what was going through my head, thinking I'd outsmarted him like that."

"You must miss them. Your family."

I looked at Talia. Her eyes were staring into mine in a way that was both intent and tender.

"More than I could ever put to words," I said, softly, giving her another sad little smile. "The Harvest Festival always reminds me of them."

And of other things, I mused. Like rose blight. And isolation. And scars, and pain, and death. And a shadowy, faceless murderer responsible for all of it, still out there, somewhere.

A few seconds later, I realized that we'd both stopped walking. I hate getting distracted by my thoughts sometimes.

Looking around quickly, I made a 'let's go this way' sort of gesture with my head, and began walking toward the side of the street. I noticed that Talia was no longer holding my arm at the elbow, but had somehow managed to take my hand in hers at some point. Our fingers weren't intertwined, but were simply clasping, though I thought I could feel her thumb tracing over the scar on the back of my hand as we walked. I tried not to feel uncomfortable about that.

It could be she was picking up on whatever troubled vibe I was trying to keep suppressed as we walked among the carts and the patrons, making our way through the shouting and the merriment. The Harvest Festival was a difficult thing for me to reconcile, it being the very holiday that marked the first appearance of rose blight at Tucat Keep. It's not exactly a mystery why I'd have mixed feelings about it, all told.

Then again, visiting the aforementioned festival while holding hands with a lovely woman could probably do wonders when it came to changing my opinion of it. We'd have to wait and see.

Eventually we walked past a jewelry store I was familiar with.

"Lord Tucat!" I heard a voice call out. The owner of the voice - a squat, thick-haired fellow with the most amazing black sideburns I'd ever seen - waved at the two of us as we passed.

"Uh-oh," I murmured out of the side of my mouth. "You're not going to like where this is probably headed."

Talia gave me a confused look, but said nothing.

"Mister Lord Tucat, sir!" the man, whose name was Varileer, called loudly. "Ohhhh, I know I've already said so, an' I know you're probably tired of hearin' it by now, but my missus'd skin me right proper if'n I didn't thank ye again for what you've done for us one more time." He ran up to the two of us, his right arm extended so that he might shake my hand.

When he was three feet away, he noticed I wasn't reaching out to return his gesture, and looked a tad puzzled. His eyes locked on my right hand, as well as the other hand it was currently holding, and then followed the rest of Talia's arm all the way up to her face, as though he were slowly piecing together some new discovery.