Chapter 3
By the time Ifrit reached the small house at the southern end of Jidoor he was hoping he'd never have to walk again. He sighed and sat on a small bench next to the front door and waited for the old man to catch up. He turned and saw that there was a light shining through the upper window. Odd, he thought, that Ramuh would keep a fire burning while he was away. He stared across the sleeping town wondering how many people lived there. It would be a nice place to live he guessed, but he knew he'd get restless after a few weeks. It always worked out that way. Then he'd be down the road, heading for Goddess knows where.. His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of shutters above him. He looked up just in time to receive a face full of ice cold water.
"Go find somewhere else to sleep you tippler!" called a voice from above.
Ifrit sputtered and shook his head vigorously like a wet dog shedding water. "Argh! What was that for?" he yelled.
A silhouetted figure leaned out of the window, the voice haughty and feminine. "Keep your voice down! People are trying to sleep!"
Ifrit growled and kicked at the dirt under his feet. "Not until you apologize missy!"
The woman disappeared into the room and emerged a moment later holding a candle in one hand. She held it out, dimly illuminating the street below. Her face was pale and beautiful. She also looked angry. But her expression changed when she studied him closely.
"Oh! You must be Ifrit!" she said. And vanished from the window again.
Ifrit paced in the front of the house cursing under his breath. He turned when he heard the front door open. He saw that she had opened it just a crack, revealing a candle and half of her face. Her hair was hidden under a nightcap but her eyes were glowing blue-green in the candlelight.
"Are you Ifrit?" she asked quietly.
He just stood there dripping water onto the doorsill.
"Well, are you?" she asked again, icily.
"Open the door missy, or I'll pound it in," he said growling.
She tried to shut the door in his face but he nimbly caught the door and held it with a single hand. She pushed against it with all her might but found it wouldn't give. Finally she gave up and released the door. She quickly retreated to the far side of the room as he walked in. He looked back and forth examining the small room, with a single table and two chairs. The fireplace was out but two candles in niches provided faint illumination.
"Nice house. Cozy," he said eventually and sat in one of the chairs, dropping his bag on the table. He looked back at her. Slender and tall, with small delicate hands, she was dressed in a simple white nightgown. She looked equal parts mad and antsy.
"Mr. Ifrit, people do not go barging into other people's houses unless invited in," she finally said.
"And is it good manners to douse guests missy?" he said evenly still dripping water on the floor.
"My name is Shiva," said the young woman. "My grandfather told me you'd be coming."
"Did he?" said Ifrit, leaning his chin on a hand. "Must be that old loon Ramuh."
Shiva bristled at that. "He's a great man."
Ifrit yawned. "Yeah, a great pain in the-"
"What did I miss?" asked Ramuh, entering the house abruptly. He chuckled when he saw Ifrit. "I see you've already met my granddaughter."
Ifrit rose. "Not exactly the red carpet treatment."
Shiva walked quickly over to Ramuh and hugged him. "I thought he was a drunk Grandpa."
Ramuh patted her shoulder as he returned the embrace. "Go fetch our guest a towel. He'll sleep in a chair down here."
After she left Ifrit sat again and pulled off his boots. "Charming girl old man." He flung his boots into a corner.
"Be nice to her Ifrit." When he saw Ifrit's look he continued hurriedly. "She's an orphan. I'm the only family she has."
Ifrit pointed at him. "You mean you're not.?"
Ramuh shook his head. "I sense we are all kindred Mr. Ifrit. I doubt you have any relatives. Speaking for myself, it's nice to have a family to come home to."
Ifrit stretched and removed his vest, dropping it on the tabletop, where it made a squishing sound. "I'm not the family type. I like my freedom."
Ramuh nodded and sat across from him. "But surely freedom breeds loneliness."
Ifrit closed his eyes and sighed. "Get to the point."
Ramuh chuckled. "I would like you to consider staying in Jidoor. A strong man like you could come in handy here."
Ifrit opened an eye. "I'm only good for muscle jobs and fighting. Which of those do you need?"
Ramuh leaned on his staff thoughtfully. "Hopefully only the former. You do have potential Mr. Ifrit."
"Potential for what?" asked Ifrit solemnly.
Ramuh opened his mouth to reply but stopped when Shiva reappeared in the room with a towel and a blanket. She handed the towel to Ifrit without comment and placed the blanket on the tabletop.
"I'm going to bed Grandpa," said Shiva kissing Ramuh's cheek. She then went through the door and they could hear the creaking of footsteps on stairs slowly fading away.
Ramuh stood up slowly. "Think about my offer Ifrit. Good night."
Ifrit nodded and watched him go through the door into the back room. He then stood and blew out the wall candles. He sat in the darkness and put his feet up on the table. He vigorously toweled his hair until it was reasonably dry. He hated getting wet, though he wasn't sure why. Well, whatever. He would see what the dawn would bring.
By the time Ifrit reached the small house at the southern end of Jidoor he was hoping he'd never have to walk again. He sighed and sat on a small bench next to the front door and waited for the old man to catch up. He turned and saw that there was a light shining through the upper window. Odd, he thought, that Ramuh would keep a fire burning while he was away. He stared across the sleeping town wondering how many people lived there. It would be a nice place to live he guessed, but he knew he'd get restless after a few weeks. It always worked out that way. Then he'd be down the road, heading for Goddess knows where.. His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of shutters above him. He looked up just in time to receive a face full of ice cold water.
"Go find somewhere else to sleep you tippler!" called a voice from above.
Ifrit sputtered and shook his head vigorously like a wet dog shedding water. "Argh! What was that for?" he yelled.
A silhouetted figure leaned out of the window, the voice haughty and feminine. "Keep your voice down! People are trying to sleep!"
Ifrit growled and kicked at the dirt under his feet. "Not until you apologize missy!"
The woman disappeared into the room and emerged a moment later holding a candle in one hand. She held it out, dimly illuminating the street below. Her face was pale and beautiful. She also looked angry. But her expression changed when she studied him closely.
"Oh! You must be Ifrit!" she said. And vanished from the window again.
Ifrit paced in the front of the house cursing under his breath. He turned when he heard the front door open. He saw that she had opened it just a crack, revealing a candle and half of her face. Her hair was hidden under a nightcap but her eyes were glowing blue-green in the candlelight.
"Are you Ifrit?" she asked quietly.
He just stood there dripping water onto the doorsill.
"Well, are you?" she asked again, icily.
"Open the door missy, or I'll pound it in," he said growling.
She tried to shut the door in his face but he nimbly caught the door and held it with a single hand. She pushed against it with all her might but found it wouldn't give. Finally she gave up and released the door. She quickly retreated to the far side of the room as he walked in. He looked back and forth examining the small room, with a single table and two chairs. The fireplace was out but two candles in niches provided faint illumination.
"Nice house. Cozy," he said eventually and sat in one of the chairs, dropping his bag on the table. He looked back at her. Slender and tall, with small delicate hands, she was dressed in a simple white nightgown. She looked equal parts mad and antsy.
"Mr. Ifrit, people do not go barging into other people's houses unless invited in," she finally said.
"And is it good manners to douse guests missy?" he said evenly still dripping water on the floor.
"My name is Shiva," said the young woman. "My grandfather told me you'd be coming."
"Did he?" said Ifrit, leaning his chin on a hand. "Must be that old loon Ramuh."
Shiva bristled at that. "He's a great man."
Ifrit yawned. "Yeah, a great pain in the-"
"What did I miss?" asked Ramuh, entering the house abruptly. He chuckled when he saw Ifrit. "I see you've already met my granddaughter."
Ifrit rose. "Not exactly the red carpet treatment."
Shiva walked quickly over to Ramuh and hugged him. "I thought he was a drunk Grandpa."
Ramuh patted her shoulder as he returned the embrace. "Go fetch our guest a towel. He'll sleep in a chair down here."
After she left Ifrit sat again and pulled off his boots. "Charming girl old man." He flung his boots into a corner.
"Be nice to her Ifrit." When he saw Ifrit's look he continued hurriedly. "She's an orphan. I'm the only family she has."
Ifrit pointed at him. "You mean you're not.?"
Ramuh shook his head. "I sense we are all kindred Mr. Ifrit. I doubt you have any relatives. Speaking for myself, it's nice to have a family to come home to."
Ifrit stretched and removed his vest, dropping it on the tabletop, where it made a squishing sound. "I'm not the family type. I like my freedom."
Ramuh nodded and sat across from him. "But surely freedom breeds loneliness."
Ifrit closed his eyes and sighed. "Get to the point."
Ramuh chuckled. "I would like you to consider staying in Jidoor. A strong man like you could come in handy here."
Ifrit opened an eye. "I'm only good for muscle jobs and fighting. Which of those do you need?"
Ramuh leaned on his staff thoughtfully. "Hopefully only the former. You do have potential Mr. Ifrit."
"Potential for what?" asked Ifrit solemnly.
Ramuh opened his mouth to reply but stopped when Shiva reappeared in the room with a towel and a blanket. She handed the towel to Ifrit without comment and placed the blanket on the tabletop.
"I'm going to bed Grandpa," said Shiva kissing Ramuh's cheek. She then went through the door and they could hear the creaking of footsteps on stairs slowly fading away.
Ramuh stood up slowly. "Think about my offer Ifrit. Good night."
Ifrit nodded and watched him go through the door into the back room. He then stood and blew out the wall candles. He sat in the darkness and put his feet up on the table. He vigorously toweled his hair until it was reasonably dry. He hated getting wet, though he wasn't sure why. Well, whatever. He would see what the dawn would bring.