Chapter 20: The Queens Blessing
Ruby and Mat entered the city. Streets were crowded to the max, but more refugees somehow managed to fit. Not everyone was welcoming to the new people. Mat gawked at the low cuts of some of the women's dresses. People had wore all sorts of different things, from the cut of clothing to the color and type of fabric used. Ruby pulled her cloak closer around her; she didn't see any one wearing similar clothing that she was currently.
Several peddlers tried to sell the Emonds Fielders bits of cloth and shards of metal, claiming that they were pieces of the False Dragons cloak or sword.
The worst thing about the hawkers was that they seemed to pop out of nowhere and Mat seemed ready to gut anyone. Ruby glared at them and they bowed off. "Really, who would want a piece of metal, what good is it?"
Mat tugged her shirt; she was wearing the top Shasta had given her. "What is it?" She asked irate.
"We should be looking for that inn. Besides, there are Whitecloaks here. Plus it's so crowded someone could crack my head open before I knew anything." He was sticking close to her. Every now and then he'd look around and peer in the distance.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Let's hurry up and find that inn." Mat said tiredly. Ruby nodded in agreement and walked over to a somewhat nice person. At least when she got his attention he didn't spit at her.
"Can you tell me where the Queens Blessing is, Sir." He looked her up and down. The mans eyes hardened at her garb and jerked a thumb right.
"It's that way." He turned and was soon lost in the bustle of bodies. Ruby sniffed, then caught herself. 'Did I just Sniff?' Shaken, she went right and asked for directions again. This time she asked a woman. The lady waved her off in a general direction and Ruby thanked her.
After what seemed like hours they came to an inn. It was The Queens Blessing. The sign proclaiming it had a carving of a woman in a crown resting her hands on someone's head. "We're here Mat!" She gestured to the door.
Mat grunted and walked through. It was full, and serving maids stepped quickly. Ruby leaned against a wall. Mat was busy watching the ankles and other parts of the girls.
"So what do we do now?" Ruby dropped some coins on the tray and snatched a mug of wine.
"I thought YOU had it all planned out. Mrs. I don't need sleep. 'It's just a flesh wound my..." Ranma was ranting about stupid sword wielding idiots. Ruby didn't understand most of what he was talking about.
"You gone crazy? I don't think I'd like a mad man living in my head, even if he is cute." She answered while sipping her drink. Pure shock came from Ranma's end of link.
"No. It wouldn't work out. Beside, heh, you haven't met a real mad man yet."
Ruby paused. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means what it means. Take it how ever you like it."
"Talking like an Aes Sedai. Starting to scare me Ranma."
"Naw. Just go talk to that balding guy over there, and you should stop Mat before he gets slapped."
Ruby looked up and nearly choked. 'That lecher. I. Am. Going. To. FRY him.' She glared daggers at her friend. Mat felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He slowly moved his hand from where it was resting on the serving maids leg.
Ruby marched up and tapped her foot. Her arms were crossed on her chest. Mat turned to face her. "So Ruby, you figure out what you wanted to do?" He was grinning.
"Yeah. And you're coming with me."
Master Gill took them up to the attic at the mention of Thom. He closed the door and waited for the click of the lock.
"Now, what's this about Thom? I find it hard to believe he would give up his instruments willingly." The Innkeeper said.
"He was helping us. There was a, a fade. Have you heard the rumors of Whitebridge?" Mat asked from his position on the bed. At Master Gills nod he continued. Ruby had gotten depressed at the whole conversation. "What really happened was we were, are, being pursued by the Dark. He was helping us. At Whitebridge he told us to run. We did. Thom handing his things to Ruby, and we've been running ever since. He told us to come here."
Ruby was staring out the window and Mat had found an interest in the floor. Master Gill let out a sigh. "That's one amazing story. I don't believe that he's dead. At least I won't till I see the corpse." He ran one hand through what little remaining hair he had. "Well Thom Merrilin was a good friend. If he threw his lot in with you two something big must be going on."
"There are a few scattered rumors of a warrior woman that have come up recently. Now I'm a good queens man, and I don't pay much attention to the rumors in my inn. However these rumors say that the girl's twenty feet tall with hair that's on fire. They say she destroyed an entire merchants train and only looked at the queens guard to make them run."
"Of course rumors are just that, rumors." He walked toward the door. "Thom was a good friend, the best. Times are getting hard and support for the queen is fading. You two can stay in this room, the cook will know to feed you." With that he left the room.
"What do you think Ruby? Can he be trusted? Can we afford to trust anyone?" Mat asked as he watched the doorway.
"I don't know, but I do know this. To live you must die. It's something I heard Thom say when he was talking to Moiriane. What is the point of living if you can't have fun?" She stood and brushed off her clothes. "I'm going to get something to eat. Want anything?"
That seemed to wake him up. "Of course! Haven't had any decent food in days!"
The spoon clanged as it dropped the potatoes on the plate. "This looks really good. I'm sure it tastes even better." Mat complemented the cook. She waggled her spoon under his nose.
"I know your type young man. You're not getting any more."
Ruby smiled and poked him. "I saw a library down the hall. Lets go eat in there."
Mat pouted. He sent a wistful glance at the maid as they passed the door. She winked back at him. Ruby didn't notice, or at least she didn't act like she did.
A few floorboards creaked as they walked down the hall. Ruby spun and nudged the library door open with her back; both hands were occupied. Mat walked in and stopped short.
There was a creature in the chair. Creature, because it couldn't be a human or a trolloc. Ruby swung her head to get the braid back behind her. "What's the trouble Mat? This foods starting to heat the metal."
Mat paused and considered. He moved over to a large chair with an end table. Ruby saw the creature. Her whole body froze.
"Oh. My." Just sitting the person was taller than the red head. Ruby blinked a few times and nearly dropped her tray. His long eyebrows framed his face while a long dark hair hung loosely on his head. He wore a long coat with several pockets.
The person coughed and glanced up from his reading. "I wish you humans wouldn't do that." His voice was deep. Ruby sat the plate down on a desk. "So few of you remember us. Its our own fault I suppose. Not many of us have gone out among men since the shadow fell on the ways. That's...oh, six generations, now. Right after the year of a hundred years, it was. Too long, too long, and so few to travel and see, it might as well have been none."
Ruby collapsed into one of the many chairs strewn about the room. "Really. I never knew that." 'He's not trying to kill me, or Mat, or that rat in the corner, or the rat in the rafters or...STOP your losing track. Keep focused girl. "My name is Ruby al'Thor." She managed to give an awkward curtsy, and caught herself before tripping. Mat set his spoon down, he had been calmly eating, and offered his hand. "I'm Mat Cauthorn." He said.
The Big guy smiled. He took the offered hand and shook it, then bowed. "Loial, son of Arent son of Halan. Your names sing in my ears Ruby al'Thor, Mat Cauthorn."
Mat stood beside Ruby and they bowed in sync. It was much more graceful than her previous attempted curtsy. "Your name sings in our ears Loial son of Arent son of Halan."
Loial beamed. Maybe it was the way he talked, or maybe it was the way his ears constantly twitched, but Ruby felt drawn to Loial. Her hand reached out of it's own accord to snatch the plate of food. She sat down before him on the floor to listen. Mat dragged a chair closer.
"You humans are very excitable." Loial's voice was deep bass and his ears twitched in agitation.
"Sorry about that. But we can't help it." Ruby replied. She stuffed a spoon full of potatoes in her mouth.
"Yes. Four days in Caemlyn now, and I haven't been able to put my nose outside this inn." He paused and took a breath. Ruby smiled faintly.
"But you have a very fine nose. Why would it not want to go out?"
Loial and Mat looked at her. Then Loial burst out laughing. "You Aiel have the oddest sense of humor." He wiped small tears from the corner of his eyes. "I tell you it wasn't for this I left the Steadding."
"Steadding?"
Mat smacked his fist into his palm. "You're an Ogier! Wait, you said ...How old are you?"
Loial stiffened and seemed to be embarrassed about something. "Ninety Years. In ten more I'll be able to address the Stump. I think the Elders should have let me speak, since they were deciding wheatear I could leave or not. But then they always worry about anyone of any age going outside. You humans are so hasty, so erratic." He bowed his head. "Please forgive me. I shouldn't have said THAT. But you do fight all the time, even when there's no need to."
Mat lifted his mug in Loials direction. "That's all right. Heres to all the older folks. I for one, don't want to forget what its like to be my age."
"True. I hate it when my opinions are ignored. Especially when its my fate people are talking about." The girl added.
"Yes. But when I can address the Stump things change."
"Stump? Why would you want to talk to a dead piece of tree?"
"The Stump is what we call the, its complicated. First you need to know that it was first created back in the Exile while Ogier were searching for the Steadding."
Ruby waved her hands. "That's okay. Forget I asked."
Loial shrugged. "Very excitable. The Stump had not been meeting long, not even a year, but I knew that by the time they reached a decision I would be old enough to not need permission. I left."
Mat smiled and moved to give Loial a pat on the back. "That sounds like something I would do."
"It IS something you did Mat. Getting up and leaving in the middle of the night."
Loials ears perked up. "Why did you leave? Did you want to see things as well?"
Mat leaned back. "Partly. But we had to. It all started on Winter night...."
END
A/N: another chapter completed. Whenever I think of Loial talking it reminds me of when people have the windows rolled down in their car, and the bass is on max. You know how everything just shakes, I think that if Loial yelled he could get that effect. Not sure how to write the next chapter. Out of curiosity, does Mat seem like the jealous type? Review please!