Coorhagen
Kain burst out of the examination hall and nearly stepped on Maleah, who was waiting on the steps for him.
"Careful, Kain," she said with a laugh. She moved to stand up and Kain extended a hand.
"Here."
"Finally learning to be a gentleman, are we, Kain?" Maleah giggled as she took his hand. He helped her stand and she smiled. "Thank you."
"It was nothing. Where's the caravan home?"
"Just outside the gates."
They walked to the caravan in silence, and Kain couldn't stop stealing glances at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. How had that gangly, fawn-like creature become such a beauty? Today she was wearing a simple, long-sleeved green dress, and her hair was pinned up. The dress may have been simple, but it was made out of much finer cotton than she had previously been able to afford. Had the inn experienced a recent boom in business? His mind reeled with questions, but he was afraid to ask. When they neared the wagon, Maleah smiled at him. "You've been quiet, Kain. Are you all right?"
"No—I mean...I'm fine. I just...have nothing to say."
"Nothing? You've spent two years at that university and you have nothing to say about it? Aren't there any teachers you like? Any favorite lessons? Any friends you'd like to talk about? Any..." Her expression grew sly at this point, "Any girls?"
"You know that only boys go to University!" Kain snapped. Maleah winced.
"I was just asking, Kain. After all, there are some pretty girls that live he--"
"I would never think of associating with girls of any lower class!"
Maleah bit her lip to keep from lashing out at him. She inhaled deeply and glared right at Kain.
"Then why do you associate with me?" she asked, before walking away. Kain, realizing after a moment that he had deeply offended his friend, hurried toward her.
"Maleah...I didn't mean that—well, you're nobility--"
"But I am lower nobility," she said coolly, "Which makes me of a lower class."
She started to stride away again, but Kain managed to take her by the shoulders. "Listen to me, Maleah. You yourself said that you didn't want to fight with me again..."
"That antedated your remark about girls of a lower class."
"Look...I...I..." Kain paused. If there was one thing he'd learned from all those diplomacy and etiquette classes at the University, it was to never apologize. Still...
Well, all right. I'll apologize without really apologizing.
"I shouldn't have said that, Maleah," Kain said quietly. "I didn't mean it and it was very rude of me to say so."
Maleah smiled a bit. "All right...I'll forgive you," she said, "But be careful of what you say."
Thank God for diplomacy classes...
She climbed into a wagon, and beckoned Kain in. "You won't be comfortable in the other wagons," she said.
He climbed in and took a seat across from her. She reached up to pull her hair out, and stopped.
"You don't mind if I take my hair out, do you? The pins are digging into my head and--"
"Why would I mind?"
"Well, because it's not....proper...unless I have a veil..."
Kain shook his head and told her to go ahead and take her hair out. She tugged at the pins and her long black hair tumbled free. She shook it a bit.
"I hate travelling with my hair up like that..."
"Won't you have to pin it back up before we arrive?" Kain asked. Maleah shrugged.
"Most likely, but have you ever tried being on a bumpy wagon ride with these pins digging into your head? Besides, we won't be back for a week or so." She held them out to Kain as if to make her point.
Kain shook his head. He imagined that wouldn't be comfortable at all, however.
After a few minutes the wagon began moving, and they were on their way. Kain didn't speak much to Maleah on the trip back. He made a little small talk, here and there, mostly when they stopped to camp, but other than that he was mostly silent.
The day they arrived back in Coorhagen, Maleah was wearing a plainer, gray dress. It was still finer than anything she owned before, so far as Kain remembered.
He'd ask her about it later, he decided.
The wagon came to a sudden, jarring halt just as Maleah was putting the last pin in her hair.
"Ouch!"
"Are you all right?" Kain asked, mildly concerned. She nodded. Then she stood and gestured to the wagon door.
"We're here," she said, "Are...you ready?"
Kain nodded. "Let's go."
