Thanks for the lovely reviews, they definitely encouraged me to get this nice long update posted quickly. If you have an idea for a scene, especially with a lesser-featured character that you wish more people wrote about, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Sometimes, the flag idea is great, watch out for it in one of the next few updates- I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to get there in the timeline. Also, I don't have a beta reader at present so feel free to point out any grammatical or spelling issues, however nitpicky; I hate having errors in my work but grammar is the bane of my existence. Thank you, enjoy, and watch out soon for the next update- these are so fun to write I think I'm obsessed.
Disclaimer: Remember that the locations, characters, and events occurring in these scenes are the property of Tamora Pierce, as much as I wish I could claim them as my own.
3. Addiction
The soapy plate slipped out of his small hand, falling to the floor with a clatter loud enough to wake the gods and breaking into a million tiny shards. He ducked instinctively, knowing what was coming, but only succeeded in making the hard slap connect with the back of his head rather than its intended target between his shoulders. The room swam before his eyes from the force of the blow, almost making him drop another plate.
He recovered quickly and tried to focus all his attention on the task at hand. The Jug and Fire was busy as he had ever seen it, full of knights heading northward towards the war. Tobe had hoped that the roaring trade would ease the innkeeper's sour temper, but the stress of providing for so many seemed to quicken it all the more.
Feeling the man's fierce gaze on his back, Tobe continued to wash the endless stack of plates before him. It was hopeless to begin with, and as dishes were being added faster than he could clean them, he worked for hours only to watch the pile continue to grow.
Eventually his attention began to drift again, despite his best efforts. So many horses…he had never seen the stables so full. And these were different from any he had ever heard before, smart and confident and loyal.
Queensgrace had never attracted many knights in the past; this was the first time that Tobe had ever seen a true warhorse. Now the stalls were full of them, and he couldn't think of anything else. He had to see them; he might never have such an opportunity again. He didn't know what it was about the powerful mounts that drew him in, but he couldn't even begin to contemplate how much they would be able to teach him.
Most of what Tobe knew of the world had been taught to him by the town's horses, but he had reached the end of their stores of knowledge and was desperate for more. A chorus of voices seemed to dance in his head, and as he reached for another tankard it was no longer the kitchen that appeared before his eyes. Instead, he saw a palace surrounded by a bustling city, viewed from above as if halted upon a bluff. Tobe wondered if it was Corus. He had heard stories about the capitol from old Auld Eulama, and had once dreamed of going there. Not anymore- he was too old to dwell on empty fantasies, not when there was work to be done.
Still, he found himself focusing more and more attention of the feisty roan with whom he had shared the scene, impressed by the knowledge and independence he found. The gelding had a stubborn streak all right, and wouldn't share any more with the strange two-legger who was not his master, her squeaky friend, or any of the others he recognized until he had come to visit. Preferably with an apple.
Tobe didn't have to consider it long. There was little chance he would get much more done tonight, not with his head full of horses; it was truly an addiction, one he couldn't have done anything about, even had he wished to. If he was going to be beaten anyway, he might as well be beaten in the stables. There at least he might have a few minutes to meet the knight's mounts before Alvik found him.
Waiting until his master's back was turned, Tobe slipped off to his favorite haunt. Taking a seat in an empty stall, he basked in the warm scent of horseflesh and leather. It made him feel safe, like nothing could touch him. It also reminded him of home, though he knew that was silly- of course he couldn't remember home.
Even the heavy sound of Alvik's footsteps could not shake the sense of peace that came over him in the stables, and though he cried out as the leather strap cut through his thin shirt to ravage his flesh, he did not regret his choice. For a boy who had only known pain, this day was already considered one of the happiest in his short life. He had no idea what the world had in store for him.