Pete's Return
"Pete!" Thea turned and yelled, ignoring the pain in her throat. She threw herself into his open arms, hugging him tightly.
"I wasn't expecting you for two or three more days, and don't you ever skip out on me like that again." She said when she stepped back to look at her father figure. His red hair was still unmarred by gray even in his mid- forties. His blue eyes were bright with their usual laughter and life.
"The spidren hunt was a bust, there were only two of them and they weren't the smartest, so I got done early" Pete look up at the burning building, then looked back at Thea with a look of sternness. "Please tell me you where in that building only to save a baby and that you were not sleeping in there because of another fix-up."
Thea only looked at him with innocent golden eyes (now that she was healed her eye's were back to their neutral color). Pete just sighed and shook his head and then he noticed the on lookers. He noted the king and prince (Pete had seen the king before, though from a distance, and the young man next to him could only be Prince Jason) and remembered about the progress. He bowed respectively as Thea gave introductions.
"King Jonathan, Prince Jason, this is Pete Jenkins, he's my father figure. And Pete you know who they are."
Pete looked at the king with apologetic eyes. "I tried to teach the girl manners but it doesn't seem to stick." Thea just punched him in the arm as someone else caught his eyes.
"Lady Gabriella? Little Gabi? Is that you? I thought you were dead!" Pete said with the same shock that Thea had felt a couple days ago.
"It's me Pete" Gabi said with a bow, "How have you been?"
Before he could answer, someone started shouting. "No, I am not paying far another gods damned house when you have four perfectly useable ones for healings! And it wasn't my fault you lazy drugged up people set fire to the place!
The Baron had turned red in the face from yelling at Sasha, Daniel, Elizabeth and Tyler, the four village healers. Sir Nealan was standing next to Sasha along with another woman who Thea had yet to meet.
Thea excused herself and walked over to the quarrelling people, not bother to see if anyone followed her (Which everyone did). Daniel was yelling, for he had won big temper. "We didn't set fire to the healing house! Especially with a baby and a sleeping person in there! It had to have been an accident, and we are not going to give up are houses because you are a greedy bastard..."
"Danny!" he looked over at Thea, annoyed at being interrupted.
"I am sorry Thea, for losing my temper, I know you've been trying to rid me of it, but it's true he is a greedy bastard"
"Well no kidding, the whole realm could probably tell that the minute they first see and hear him" this cause snickers and giggles to run through the crowd that had gathered around to watch the scene. The baron scolded at them, but before he could open his mouth Thea continued.
"But Danny, I didn't interrupt you because of your temper. I interrupted because the baron shouldn't have to pay for the house." A murmur of protest rose up from the crowned and healers, but Thea's changing eyes quitted them down. Only Pete knew that the light green color meant that the baron was not going to like what Thea was going to say. The color meant she was up to a mischief or something close to it.
Thea continued when she had the healer's complete attention (and everyone else's too). "The fire was not an accident, and I think the person responsible for it should pay, don't you agree?
There was a moment of complete motionless, then a voice of one of the bystanders shouted confused "It was set? Who would burn down a healer's house?" The villagers started talking among themselves until the baron rudely shut them up.
"There is no way you could have known it was set girl, you where supposedly asleep or you would have been out of the building sooner, unless, of course, you want to confess? If not go away and mind your elders!" The Baron said this with undisguised harshness; he had a distinct dislike of Thea ever since she had embarrassed him in front of his people by turning down his "job offer". He had tried to kick her out of the town for good but he couldn't because she worked with the temples, and he didn't want to upset any gods.
"As a matter of fact, I do know that this fire was set, an accidental fire would not have gone through the fire warding spells so easily, this place was covered with them, the kitchen where the most protection spells were the fire raged the most. Someone who has the gift set this fire. And I do believe the only person who has in this place, besides some of the guests' maybe and Pete, who has any kind of fire gift is your son."
The baron understood her meaning and turned red and then purple with rage. "Then how do you know your precious Pete, or any of the guests didn't set this fire? My son is to smart to do this, so if you accuse him again you will pay the same price any peasant would pay for speaking to your betters like that." With that he lifted his hand to strike her but Thea was faster, she caught his skinny arm and used her foot to pull his feet out from under him.
Thea put her foot in the middle of his heaving chest and said with a smile (her eyes still light green) "For your information Baron, Pete just got in, you can ask any of the five men over there." Thea pointed to the five men still on horseback. People have seen them around the village sometimes; they were ex-bandits from the Forbidden Fortress. Though the villagers didn't know where they came from, they accepted them just like they did Thea. The people from Forbidden Fortress usually didn't venture out unless they had to. "They where riding with him. He has been out doing useful things, unlike you. Besides I know the tune his gift makes, it wasn't his."
As for your guest And are you telling me that you can't keep them entertained, so they sneak away trying to burn down your village for better entertainment? Tsk Tsk, you should be doing your job better."
Thea stepped away from him, and stated to rise. But he wasn't fast enough. Pete pushed him back down and glared into the baron's angry, beady eyes (Pete has temper worse than even Danny's).
"If you try to lift a hand to Thea again you'll have more than just a skilled, fighting, teenager to deal with. You'll have to go through me." To make his threat last he heated up his hand to leave a painful imprint of his hand on the man's chest, not to mention ruined his cloths. Thea pulled Pete off Baron Barnapple before he could do anymore damage. She whispered to him to calm him down.
The Baron finally got himself up off the ground and looked down at his ruined cloths. He just scowled at Pete and then turned to the healers. "I'll get your bloody house rebuilt" after that he stomped away like a kid having a tantrum.
Thea turned to Pete "Do you have Thunder Gold with you, he's big enough to carry us both back home?" Pete nodded and went back to his men.
Gabi walked over to Thea and said with a small smile, "still same old Pete"
Thea smiled and then looked over at the prince who came up to stand in front of her.
"Is he always that protective of you?"
Thea laughed and replied "You should see what he did to Hilence when he tried to kiss me, and get me into bed. That was a sight I'll never forget. He's like any other father in this town, well the ones that love there daughter's enough to look out for them."
"But he's not your father?"
Thea tried to answer but her throat hurt from talking so much, and then she started to cough which made the pain worse. Gabi led Thea over to a less crowded area where she could sit down. Gabi answered Jason's question. "No Pete is not her father, he was actually a shopkeeper here but then he moved to wherever they disappear to, Thea once told me he was the like a dream father she once had, though I never really understood that. Do you need a healer or do healers not work for these kind of things either?" the question was directed to the coughing Thea.
She took a deep breath to stop coughing. "Yes healings do work for normal things, and no I'll be fine, I don't need a healer."
Thea started to hum a random song before she could cough again. Then she started to sing and as she did her throat started to sooth.
"I want to cry like the rain,
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone.
I want to love like I ain't afraid to be alone,
I what to live"
When she stopped singing her throat felt fine but she was getting tired. Sir Lance, who had been quietly standing by Gabi (as Dylan was standing quietly by Jason), finally spoke up. "Wouldn't that just hurt your throat more?"
Before Thea could answer Pete walked up with the King and the lioness. Pete had heard Lance ask the question and answered for her. "If I were you I wouldn't look into the whole music thing, I stopped trying to figure out what was up with her and her songs long ago, I have concluded that she is just plain weird especially when she starts talking of everything being music related." Then he addressed Thea "Ready to get home, I am in serious need of a bath and a real bed, and these men want to get back to there families."
"We'll get there fast enough, well only if he doesn't send someone to follow us, it was really annoying when he did that last time" Thea said with a yawn.
Pete looked at the king and then sighed. Thea knew what that meant, she knew what he was going to say, but she let him say it anyway. "Thea, it has to happen sometime and you know it, who else would be better to finally see Forbidden Fortress than the King and some of Tortall's finest warriors?
"Pete!" Thea turned and yelled, ignoring the pain in her throat. She threw herself into his open arms, hugging him tightly.
"I wasn't expecting you for two or three more days, and don't you ever skip out on me like that again." She said when she stepped back to look at her father figure. His red hair was still unmarred by gray even in his mid- forties. His blue eyes were bright with their usual laughter and life.
"The spidren hunt was a bust, there were only two of them and they weren't the smartest, so I got done early" Pete look up at the burning building, then looked back at Thea with a look of sternness. "Please tell me you where in that building only to save a baby and that you were not sleeping in there because of another fix-up."
Thea only looked at him with innocent golden eyes (now that she was healed her eye's were back to their neutral color). Pete just sighed and shook his head and then he noticed the on lookers. He noted the king and prince (Pete had seen the king before, though from a distance, and the young man next to him could only be Prince Jason) and remembered about the progress. He bowed respectively as Thea gave introductions.
"King Jonathan, Prince Jason, this is Pete Jenkins, he's my father figure. And Pete you know who they are."
Pete looked at the king with apologetic eyes. "I tried to teach the girl manners but it doesn't seem to stick." Thea just punched him in the arm as someone else caught his eyes.
"Lady Gabriella? Little Gabi? Is that you? I thought you were dead!" Pete said with the same shock that Thea had felt a couple days ago.
"It's me Pete" Gabi said with a bow, "How have you been?"
Before he could answer, someone started shouting. "No, I am not paying far another gods damned house when you have four perfectly useable ones for healings! And it wasn't my fault you lazy drugged up people set fire to the place!
The Baron had turned red in the face from yelling at Sasha, Daniel, Elizabeth and Tyler, the four village healers. Sir Nealan was standing next to Sasha along with another woman who Thea had yet to meet.
Thea excused herself and walked over to the quarrelling people, not bother to see if anyone followed her (Which everyone did). Daniel was yelling, for he had won big temper. "We didn't set fire to the healing house! Especially with a baby and a sleeping person in there! It had to have been an accident, and we are not going to give up are houses because you are a greedy bastard..."
"Danny!" he looked over at Thea, annoyed at being interrupted.
"I am sorry Thea, for losing my temper, I know you've been trying to rid me of it, but it's true he is a greedy bastard"
"Well no kidding, the whole realm could probably tell that the minute they first see and hear him" this cause snickers and giggles to run through the crowd that had gathered around to watch the scene. The baron scolded at them, but before he could open his mouth Thea continued.
"But Danny, I didn't interrupt you because of your temper. I interrupted because the baron shouldn't have to pay for the house." A murmur of protest rose up from the crowned and healers, but Thea's changing eyes quitted them down. Only Pete knew that the light green color meant that the baron was not going to like what Thea was going to say. The color meant she was up to a mischief or something close to it.
Thea continued when she had the healer's complete attention (and everyone else's too). "The fire was not an accident, and I think the person responsible for it should pay, don't you agree?
There was a moment of complete motionless, then a voice of one of the bystanders shouted confused "It was set? Who would burn down a healer's house?" The villagers started talking among themselves until the baron rudely shut them up.
"There is no way you could have known it was set girl, you where supposedly asleep or you would have been out of the building sooner, unless, of course, you want to confess? If not go away and mind your elders!" The Baron said this with undisguised harshness; he had a distinct dislike of Thea ever since she had embarrassed him in front of his people by turning down his "job offer". He had tried to kick her out of the town for good but he couldn't because she worked with the temples, and he didn't want to upset any gods.
"As a matter of fact, I do know that this fire was set, an accidental fire would not have gone through the fire warding spells so easily, this place was covered with them, the kitchen where the most protection spells were the fire raged the most. Someone who has the gift set this fire. And I do believe the only person who has in this place, besides some of the guests' maybe and Pete, who has any kind of fire gift is your son."
The baron understood her meaning and turned red and then purple with rage. "Then how do you know your precious Pete, or any of the guests didn't set this fire? My son is to smart to do this, so if you accuse him again you will pay the same price any peasant would pay for speaking to your betters like that." With that he lifted his hand to strike her but Thea was faster, she caught his skinny arm and used her foot to pull his feet out from under him.
Thea put her foot in the middle of his heaving chest and said with a smile (her eyes still light green) "For your information Baron, Pete just got in, you can ask any of the five men over there." Thea pointed to the five men still on horseback. People have seen them around the village sometimes; they were ex-bandits from the Forbidden Fortress. Though the villagers didn't know where they came from, they accepted them just like they did Thea. The people from Forbidden Fortress usually didn't venture out unless they had to. "They where riding with him. He has been out doing useful things, unlike you. Besides I know the tune his gift makes, it wasn't his."
As for your guest And are you telling me that you can't keep them entertained, so they sneak away trying to burn down your village for better entertainment? Tsk Tsk, you should be doing your job better."
Thea stepped away from him, and stated to rise. But he wasn't fast enough. Pete pushed him back down and glared into the baron's angry, beady eyes (Pete has temper worse than even Danny's).
"If you try to lift a hand to Thea again you'll have more than just a skilled, fighting, teenager to deal with. You'll have to go through me." To make his threat last he heated up his hand to leave a painful imprint of his hand on the man's chest, not to mention ruined his cloths. Thea pulled Pete off Baron Barnapple before he could do anymore damage. She whispered to him to calm him down.
The Baron finally got himself up off the ground and looked down at his ruined cloths. He just scowled at Pete and then turned to the healers. "I'll get your bloody house rebuilt" after that he stomped away like a kid having a tantrum.
Thea turned to Pete "Do you have Thunder Gold with you, he's big enough to carry us both back home?" Pete nodded and went back to his men.
Gabi walked over to Thea and said with a small smile, "still same old Pete"
Thea smiled and then looked over at the prince who came up to stand in front of her.
"Is he always that protective of you?"
Thea laughed and replied "You should see what he did to Hilence when he tried to kiss me, and get me into bed. That was a sight I'll never forget. He's like any other father in this town, well the ones that love there daughter's enough to look out for them."
"But he's not your father?"
Thea tried to answer but her throat hurt from talking so much, and then she started to cough which made the pain worse. Gabi led Thea over to a less crowded area where she could sit down. Gabi answered Jason's question. "No Pete is not her father, he was actually a shopkeeper here but then he moved to wherever they disappear to, Thea once told me he was the like a dream father she once had, though I never really understood that. Do you need a healer or do healers not work for these kind of things either?" the question was directed to the coughing Thea.
She took a deep breath to stop coughing. "Yes healings do work for normal things, and no I'll be fine, I don't need a healer."
Thea started to hum a random song before she could cough again. Then she started to sing and as she did her throat started to sooth.
"I want to cry like the rain,
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone.
I want to love like I ain't afraid to be alone,
I what to live"
When she stopped singing her throat felt fine but she was getting tired. Sir Lance, who had been quietly standing by Gabi (as Dylan was standing quietly by Jason), finally spoke up. "Wouldn't that just hurt your throat more?"
Before Thea could answer Pete walked up with the King and the lioness. Pete had heard Lance ask the question and answered for her. "If I were you I wouldn't look into the whole music thing, I stopped trying to figure out what was up with her and her songs long ago, I have concluded that she is just plain weird especially when she starts talking of everything being music related." Then he addressed Thea "Ready to get home, I am in serious need of a bath and a real bed, and these men want to get back to there families."
"We'll get there fast enough, well only if he doesn't send someone to follow us, it was really annoying when he did that last time" Thea said with a yawn.
Pete looked at the king and then sighed. Thea knew what that meant, she knew what he was going to say, but she let him say it anyway. "Thea, it has to happen sometime and you know it, who else would be better to finally see Forbidden Fortress than the King and some of Tortall's finest warriors?