hey all!
Well, this was supposed to be just a two-parter instead of three, but I wanted to publish my 11th chapter on 11/11/11. Is that so bad?
:Remember when we rode up to Haven?: Karyla reminded her for the hundredth time that day. :We stopped at a lot more waystations, and through much better weather.:
:Just because it's snowing doesn't mean it's that cold,: Elyssa replied, making sure her tone was entirely unsympathetic. Irked by Elyssa's escape from Haven and subsequent dogged trek through the country, Karyla decided to make the ride much more difficult than it had to be. :If you're trying to tell me you're tired, then forget it. I've heard stories of Companions whose newly Chosen were riders, and they ran three days straight from the Border. Besides, I've watched one of the Companions run around Companion's Field nonstop. She's been doing this for days on end.:
:Well, Alvira has her reasons,: Karyla grumbled.
:You know who I'm talking about?:
:Of course-she's the only one who's been running around like a maniac through rain, sleet and snow. As you know, her Chosen is that Karsite assassin-: Karyla tried to keep her Mindvoice neutral, but it was clear that she shared the same uneasiness as Elyssa. :She's worried he'll get picked on if she leaves him alone, so she forces him to ride until he's not good for anything but laying in bed.: Elyssa laughed in spite of herself.
:Well, that is one explanation for how taciturn he is,: she replied, not bothering to mention her suspicions that Trainee Kerchen still harbored loyalties to his mother country. It is said that Companions never Choose wrongly, but plenty of good people have made bad decisions before. Besides, if other Companions were suspicious of him as well-wasn't that also telling?
Elyssa sighed. She knew it was all just speculation, that the boy hadn't done anything since he was admitted into the Collegium-but how could she not suspect him when he carried every feature of any bandit from Karse? When men with the same angular cheekbones, dark brows, and strong features regularly raided her lands? Alberich had proved his loyalty protecting the Heir, but that boy was the one who attacked her.
Nevermind. It is Midwinter, so I should think about other things. Such as finally informing her family about the war. Wait, that's not exactly what you think of on Midwinter... Anyway, Selenay did have some good points-that it would be good to enjoy their last moments of peace, that the King Herald Sendar would always have the wellbeing of Valdemar's citizens in mind- Well, knowing my parents, they wouldn't start preparing until they finished their feast anyway...it would do no harm to wait, then? Nevertheless, the idea agitated her.
Karyla slowed down, and Elyssa looked up at the iron gates of her home, the stone walls of the Hasenhower manse only a few paces further away. The building was not particularly tall but still retained a heavy, imposing aura about it, like a seated and confident king. Despite the lack of archers and guards on its walls, any bandit with half a brain would think twice before attempting to infiltrate the miniature castle. The iron gates usually added to the effect, but today they were swung wide open, certainly in anticipation of Elyssa's arrival.
As she passed through the gates, Elyssa frowned. They couldn't have known I was coming today. I told them when I was to leave, but overestimated the length of the trip. Had her parents just left it open for the last few days? That seemed like a gross oversight, and she planned to give them a piece of her mind.
:Is that any way to speak about your parents?: Karyla asked, her head swinging around as though looking for Elyssa's family.
:You'll understand when you meet them,: Elyssa replied, not bothering to look for anyone; no servants would linger about the front, and she could usually hear her parents before she could see them.
"Ah ha! I've defeated you, darling, with a devastating strike to your lovely torso!"
"Oh oh! I have fallen! I believe I shall need someone to hold me in his arms shortly."
"My dear, I'm here for you!" And there they are. Elyssa couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped her mouth if she'd tried. Up ahead on the light snow, her father was cradling his wife in his arms after she "died" dramatically, both dressed as though it were early autumn.
"Father, Mother, I daresay you two risk catching a cold like that," Elyssa called out, dismounting from Karyla. I see they're up to their usual shenanigans.. Her parents were wearing a matching set of beige leathers and gray breeches, though her mother's were large and billowy, made to imitate the dresses she used to wear exclusively. The lord of the Hasenhower estate swept up his lady and placed her on her feet with much unnecessary flourish. When he finished, Elyssa held out a hand to stop her father from performing the same acrobatics on her-Havens knew she wasn't going to partake in the nonsense.
As her father approached her, arms spread wide for a hug (if without the flourish), it occurred to Elyssa that Lord Radwell Hasenhower strongly fit the image of an entertainer. His dark blue eyes were large and expressive, his mouth was usually set in a wide grin, and his voice always carried a jovial tone with it. His black hair was short compared to most Valdemaran gentry, but not so short to be lower class. The only feature that belied his usual comedy act were his muscles-some less bulging than others, but not an inch of him lacking in visible strength. He was only of a medium build, but she knew, and had seen, that he was perfectly capable of taking down men larger and bulkier than he.
"Heyla! If it isn't my daring daughter, who comes back prettier than when she left! I thought it wasn't possible!" He then put his hand on Karyla's head, scratching the head as though he were ruffling someone's hair. "And this is the white beauty that whisked her off, hmm? It's too bad our last Midwinter was ruined by bandits, otherwise we would have been acquainted sooner. Well, I certainly taught them a lesson!" He then laughed with his whole body, as though his mirth had been bubbling inside him and could be contained no longer. Her mother, a gray-eyed noblewoman with a silky sheet of blue-black hair, simply smiled in the background, her elegance returning with each step Lord Hasenhower took away from her. Once a court beauty, albeit with extensive weapons training, she had adapted rather well to the harder lifestyle of the Border and was completely taken with Radwell's spontaneous nature. Elyssa had always admired her dignified presence-though it often disappeared next to her husband.
"Hello, Elyssa. You are back early," Lady Hasenhower smiled, putting away her sword of choice-a rapier, as that was the only weapon her elite weaponsmaster would train her in, excepting bow and arrow.
"You say I'm early, but you've left the gate open wide enough for all of Karse to squeeze in," she retorted. "Were you expecting other guests?" Her parents exchanged looks.
"You know how your father is," her mother waved off her concern with a tad too much delight, "He was simply so eager to see you." Radwell laughed.
"Oh my daughter, I couldn't fling the gates open fast enough! Why, I was considering lighting up the way to the mansion with vigil lights! Wouldn't that have been beautiful? Would it have made you come running back, tears in your eyes, as though the world was saying "Come hither, Elyssa! Come back to your home!"?"
"I'm afraid bandits would have the same thought, Father," she replied flatly, and then allowed herself a smile. Radwell was eccentric but not stupid. He was good at fending off raids and protecting his people, so she let herself in on the joke. Though, she shouldn't laugh too much-with enough encouragement, he might actually carry out one of his ridiculous scenarios. He laughed.
"That's my daughter for you-her tongue is what we should use to carve the boar tonight!" Elyssa blinked.
"B-boar? But it's not even Midwinter's Eve yet!" With a twinkle in his eye, Radwell picked her up against her wishes.
"That's strange, because I've already received my present! Hah! We usually don't even have Midwinter gifts here, so I suppose there was a point in sending my daughter to Haven-so that I could have her back!" Elyssa blushed from embarrassment, but couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop.
The boar was, as she'd suspected, too much. On Midwinter's Day, all the estate would gather together to partake in the feast, so the boar was the right size then. Now, with just the manor trying to cluster around it, the hog was many sizes too big. Radwell, as expected, took no note, dropping himself in his seat at the head as though the boar was for him alone.
"Welcome back, Elyssa! The good Sir Hogginhash invites you to dine on him!" Elyssa rolled her eyes, as one of the kitchen staff served her a generous slice of Sir Hogginhash.
"How do they feed you up there? Did they manage to catch the chickens?" Lady Hasenhower asked.
"What a disorderly bunch. You'd think they would at least be able to keep an eye on their poultry in the capital," Radwell added cheekily. Elyssa sighed. Maybe-no, she had decided not to tell them for now, so she shouldn't change her mind.
"The fare's not bland, but it couldn't compare to Gerald's best," Elyssa replied, earning her a smile from the senior chef, who seated himself as well. Radwell liked to treat the whole staff as a large family, and for once she agreed with him.
"Then what about Gerald's worst?" A maid, Bretha, quipped. "The other day he served scrambled eggs with syrup!"
"The custard accidentally got too hot, and don't bring that up," he muttered, earning a laugh around the table. In the chorus, Elyssa noticed something amiss, and turned to the far end of the table, where a girl was hunched over her food, poking at it with intense focus. Radwell followed her line of sight and lit up.
"Elyssa, I haven't introduced you to the newest addition to our family." He gestured towards the girl, who seemed to shrink back at the flourish. "This is Heles. She'll be helping clean around the estate, so you'll probably run into her."
"I see. Hello, Heles." Elyssa smiled what she thought was a reassuring smile, but the girl was no less fidgety. She tried again. "Where are you from?"
"Ah, well, she doesn't speak any dialect of Valdemar, not even Common," Radwell scratched his head. "We saved her from a slave trader who was heading to Hardorn, so we figure she's probably Rethwellan."
"Is that so? But only Mother speaks Rethwellan." Lady Hasenhower sighed.
"And not very well, I'm afraid. I think I've managed to convince her that your father is not also a slave trader, at least."
:That seems like a low standard,: Karyla commented.
:Certain things they just don't seem to find very important,: Elyssa shrugged. "Though they probably just assume that she'll come to like Father eventually.:
"So did you make any new friends up there?"
"Not since a few letters ago, no. Father, you do read my letters, right?"
"Oh certainly, we had quite the ball with the chicken story!" Hm... "Your packs were particularly large this time, so we thought maybe some of your admirers sent you gifts for Midwinter."
"I don't have any admirers," Elyssa denied, a hair too quickly. Radwell scratched his head.
"Is that so? No, that's not possible, you probably just don't notice them, my dear daughter! They could just pass by you in the hallway and fall in love. Isn't that right, my dear?" He turned to Lady Hasenhower, who smiled politely.
"Yes, of course. Elyssa, you just aren't the type to take note of these things." She isn't fooled.
"I don't believe this conversation is quite appropriate," Elyssa redirected. "Besides, a large part of the pack is a pillow my friend Alys made for me. Despite that she sews a lot, she's not very good at it. I simply didn't have the heart to leave behind her literal blood and tears." Bretha laughed.
"You say that, my lady, but your packs are mostly filled with weapons. Will you be requesting all the staff to accompany you for boar hunting? I fear that I haven't the experience."
"You can never be too prepared," Elyssa replied, amid the curious bout of laughter. "Is today a holiday where we interrogate homecoming Trainees? I must have missed the notice."
"Speaking of admirers, I had quite a following back in my day," Lady Hasenhower said wistfully. "It was like herding sheep, but much more interesting."
"Please reconsider, my dear!" Radwell interrupted, grasping her hand in an overly dramatic way. "I think I make a handsome sheep, a hundred times more interesting than those louts." Lady Hasenhower giggled. Elyssa sighed, slightly with exasperation and a bit of relief, settling back into the routine she had before she was Chosen. She really had missed home.
._
:You know, growing up in a house like this, I have to wonder how you turned out the way you did, all serious and the like,: Karyla commented, a bit of sleepiness creeping into her Mindvoice. Dinner was a long affair as she'd expected, and Karyla had done a lot of running today, even for a Companion.
:Don't be fooled by what you see. It is because we don't expect bandits right now that they're that carefree,: replied Elyssa, laying out the contents of her pack onto the dresser. :Then again, it's true that I have the smallest sense of humor of the bunch. Maybe I'm just making up for Father's excessive jocularity.:
:You don't have much respect for him, do you?:
:I do. I just wish he would be a bit more serious.: Noticing she had pulled out the mirror, she studied it a bit more. She didn't have much of an eye for these things, but she could tell it was well-crafted-the chase was lovely, and the mirror's surface was flawless. Trust a merchant's son to find such a piece. Pulling out her chair, she settled down in front of her dresser, gazing at the mirror just like some court flower would do. Remembering his words, she tried not to blush. What am I, some starry eyed prepubescent girl? Besides, he probably says things like that all the time. I shouldn't put any meaning in it. Still, out of all possible gifts, Eldren had chosen to give her a mirror. Since he must know how much she preferred weapons, there must have been some reason. Oh, that hair is sticking out. I suppose I should fix that.