~ : : The Price of Venison : : ~
...must finish fic...must finish fic...must finish fic...
* * * * *
"There it is," Matthew said proudly. "Caelin, the...er...great city, abode of Lord Hausen and the Lady Lyndis."
"Does it have food?" mumbled Guy, who had been able to think of naught else since their impromptu lunch in the middle of the vast plains.
"Of course!" said Matthew brightly. "If you know where to look, that is. I have a couple of...friends...who might take us in for the night."
"Good," croaked the Sacaean, pushing his green hair out of his eyes. "How long?"
Matthew gave Guy a gentle shove. "Soon if you hurry." Guy began walking again. Matthew snorted. "Anything for food, huh?"
"Well, I really don't want to wander Lycian forests for the rest of my life."
"I knew that."
* * * * *
They were let into the city by a handsome knight in green armor who greeted Matthew cheerily. The knight would've detained him for what would have been a long chat, but Matthew only nodded cordially and indicated that he had pressing business elsewhere.
The many stone buildings of Caelin were so very different from the collection of gers Guy had known as home for most of his life, and while Bulgar itself had stone buildings, it had none like these. Hulking, blocking out most of the sunlight, they pressed in around them, as did the countless people. Pushing, shoving, talking, children crying.
He couldn't remember the next half an hour or so very clearly - just stumbling along, trying to take in everything at once while also keeping Matthew's head in sight. Getting lost here would be a nightmare.
The next he knew, Matthew was pulling him beneath a stone archway and into the courtyard of a large stone structure - undoubtedly the home of the marquess his companion had mentioned earlier. Except...that didn't really fit now, did it?
"You didn't say that your 'couple of friends' were nobles!" he accused. "A-and..." he trailed off again, then narrowed his eyes. "I th-thought Lycians hated people of the eastern lands."
"Lady Lyndis isn't that horrible," Matthew said, in false shock. "Kind to a fault, and she's half Sacaean, just so you know."
"S-she's what?" Guy stopped dead in his tracks.
"What, that doesn't make you feel more at home?"
"It only makes me f-feel more nervous."
"It's not like you have to talk to her or anything. You're just here so you can find a job somewhere, preferably as a hired sword, and thus get to wherever you want to go. Pherae, wasn't it?"
Guy blinked. "I-I am?"
"Yup. But you're sticking with me while you're still here, because otherwise you'd get lost or someone would start up that 'Hey! There's one of those barbaric Sacaeans! Let's burn them!' thing again." Matthew paused thoughtfully. "I saw that happen once. There was this...friend...of Lady Lyndis's, one of those nomad chaps. They didn't catch him, though."
"One of the p-plainsfolk? Wandering Lycia?"
"Yeah. I think he said he was from the Kutowhatsit..."
"Th-the Kutolah?"
"Mm, that was it."
Guy fell silent. This was too much to take in all at once...another of the Kutolah in Lycia? Maybe he was -
"Come on. I'll just show you to the room I usually stay in." Matthew yanked him by the arm through the courtyard and toward a smaller side entrance Guy hadn't noticed when they first entered. "I'll make sure someone brings you some real food. And, well..." He grinned. "Tomorrow you'll be on your way."
Guy nodded shakily and let himself be steered along.
* * * * *
Caelin's food, though not anything fancy, was very pleasing to a starving teenager. He ate slower than he did usually, taking his time and relishing every bite. If Matthew did manage to find him a job, then he'd never go hungry again, and he'd improve his swordwork, and he'd become the best in the land...
Matthew found him curled up in a padded chair, crumbs dusting the front of his tunic. He only laughed quietly to himself and draped an extra blanket over the young swordsman, then claimed the bed for himself.
"I've found a merchant who'll take an extra guard," he informed his sleeping companion. "He's stopping in Santaruz, and you'll be able to pay your way to Pherae from there." He grinned sleepily. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again in a few months."
* * [End] * *
