fix: tweaking Miska details and motivations
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@ -118,3 +118,7 @@ Brook had combined the remains of the three tea cups into a single one and had p
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# Random
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Lord Xasnal or the auctioneer, Tasire Dalisan da Genifir
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> Given what happened the night before, Linsan was surprised that she didn't feel a surge of jealousy or anger. The plays and stories said that it would happen, something that would eventually poison whatever had grown between her in Brook.
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However, Linsan knew the plays by heart. She had seen how relationships had been ruined by those two emotions and misunderstanding. Her own earlier thoughts came back, was she in love with Brook or was it lust or just a moment in time? Was it something forever or just two lovers in the same bed? She still didn't know, only that what feelings she had were not in any play that she had seen.
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13
TASKS.md
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TASKS.md
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@ -1,8 +1,19 @@
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# Tasks
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- [ ] Need to decoat rack Miska
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- [x] Need to decoat rack Miska
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- [ ] More references to the pin to calm her down
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- [x] _Safe Adventures, Our Departed Loves_ in attic scene
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- [ ] Review epigraphs
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- [ ] Edit/work on final battle
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- [ ] Smile/nodding
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- [ ] Brook's drinking choices
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- [ ] Skin colors and descripitons
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## Minor Tasks
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### Jaimi
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- "Miska atoi pin Strali" means "Miska who's roots come from Starli"
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- Strali is the area in the southern town
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> "Calibo atoi idu Oparil. It means Burning Woods that Comes From Oparil." He gestured north. "A few miles north of Fanasis
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@ -16,29 +16,27 @@ She wiped the sweat from her brow. The sun had beat down on her for most of the
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No one answered her.
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She rolled her eyes and muttered again as she broke from the tree line and started to climb up the hill. As she approached, she noticed an older woman sitting on a rocking chair. Taking a deep breath, Linsan slung her violin case over her shoulder and raised her hand.
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She rolled her eyes and muttered again as she broke from the tree line and started to climb up the hill. As she approached, she noticed an older woman sitting on a rocking chair. Even from a distance, it was obvious that she had reddish-brown hair and wispy hair that stuck out in all directions. Her skin was mostly covered by intricate tattoos that others in the village had possessed. It was a tribe that Linsan didn't know and none of them had been willing to even address her.
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The woman raised her head. Milky eyes turned to stare at her.
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Steeling herself for another rejection, Linsan hefted her violin case over her shoulder and raised her hand. "Hello! May I ask some questions? Just a---"
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"Hello! May I ask some questions? Just a---"
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"No."
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The woman raised her head. Milky eyes turned to stare at her. "No."
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Linsan stumbled to a stop. Her case thumped against her hip. "What?"
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"You deaf, Girl? Old Gab is tired and has no interest in any young kid's shit." She lifted one one hand. "So turn that tiny little ass of yours around and head back to the square."
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"You deaf, Girl? Old Gab is tired and has no interest in any young kid's shit." She lifted one wrinkled hand and pointed behind Linsan. "So turn that tiny little ass of yours around and head back to the square."
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Shaking her head, Linsan turned around. "Sorry for interrupting you."
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It was more words than she had gotten from any other tribe member, but the rejection still hurt. Shaking her head, Linsan apologized and then turned away.
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She made it only a few steps before before Gab called out. "What kind of person carries a damn musical instrument around here in the heat? Do you know how hot it is? What if you drop it in a creek?"
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Linsan couldn't escape the sweat that prickled on her brow. She shook her head and clamped a hand over her case. "It's important to me."
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Linsan couldn't escape the sweat that prickled on her brow. She shook her head and clamped a hand over her case. She looked over her shoulder to answer. "It's important to me."
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The rocking chair creaked as Gab leaned forward. "Let me guess, spent your last dime on it? Waste of money, that's for sure."
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"No, my grandfather made it. There aren't a lot left anymore."
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Gab scoffed and leaned back. She tugged a blanket up over her waist despite the sunlight that painted her lap. "Never cared for those things. Just a bunch of noise, screeching and banging around."
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Gab scoffed and leaned back. She tugged a blanket up over her waist despite the sunlight that painted her lap. Her middle finger on the right hand was missing. "Never cared for those things. Just a bunch of noise, screeching and banging around."
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Linsan's shoulders tensed. She wanted to snap back but the words wouldn't come. She sighed and turned around. "Thank you."
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@ -52,63 +50,77 @@ Linsan waved and tried to escape the conversation. "Thank you!"
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"Who's your mother, Girl? Answer me!"
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"Tinsin of Penesol."
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"Tinsin of Penesol!"
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"Speak up!"
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Linsan rolled her eyes and repeated herself, louder so the old woman heard her. She turned back to see if Gab would respond, but the rocking chair was empty. With a frown, she turned back.
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Linsan rolled her eyes and repeated herself, louder so the old woman heard her. She turned back to see if Gab would respond, but the rocking chair was empty. The blanket on her lap had been folded neatly and set in the middle of the season, but Linsan couldn't imagine how the old woman would have enough time to tidy her seat in a matter of seconds. With a frown, she turned back.
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Gab stood in front of her, only inches away. "The Feathered Queen? She was in _Tears on a Cat's Whiskers_!" The old woman's breath was foul but there was hope.
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Gab stood in front of her, only inches away. She squinted at Linsan with one eye and then the other.
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Linsan tensed but then nodded. "My mother played Filil in that. Three seasons, actually."
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Linsan inhaled sharply in surprise.
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Gab smiled broadly, revealing three missing teeth. "Oh, I loved that play. I saw her performing that in Jamorel when I was more mobile." She sighed and smiled. "I loved to hear those voices, when they weren't being drowned out by all those damn screeching things."
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A waft of a flowery perfume tickled the back of her throat. Flecks of pollen hung in the air around them as the old woman inspected Linsan's face from one angle to another.
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Up close, the tattoos were easier to mark. They were vines and flowers that inched across the seasons with flecks of snow and sunshine spread out. They appeared to be coming from underneath Gab's shirt and they reached up to her chin and down to her knuckles.
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Linsan gulped. "H-Hello. I'm Linsan."
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"Your mother is Tinsin? The Feathered Queen? She was in _Tears on a Cat's Whiskers_!" The old woman's breath was musty.
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Startled by the closeness, Linsan took a step back and shrugged. "My mother played Filil in that. Three seasons, actually."
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Gab smiled broadly, revealing three missing teeth. "Oh, I loved that play! I saw her performing that in Jamorel when I was just a weed." She sighed and smiled. "I loved to hear those voices, when they weren't being drowned out by all those damn screeching things." She gestured to the violin.
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Gripping her case tighter, Linsan forced a smile on her lips. "She does have a beautiful voice."
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Gab pointed to her cabin. Her entire hand was covered in faint tattoos that covered every inch of skin from fingertip to her elbow in a dense, multi-colored pattern. "Come up and talk to me. I have tea."
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Gab pointed to her cabin. Both sides of her hands had been tattooed almost entire in gnarled branches with only a few pale leaves. "Come up and talk to me. I have tea."
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"I really need to ask some questions."
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The older woman looked at her pleadingly. "Please? No one in the village understands music at all. Just a little while."
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The older woman looked at her pleadingly. "Please? There isn't anyone left in the village who appreciates songs. At least not... your type of songs. Just a little while for Old Gab?"
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Linsan groaned. "I... need to find someone. A man named Gabaw."
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Gab's face dropped. "What do you want with that bastard? May his dick fall off into a pile of shit." She spat on the ground.
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Gab's face dropped. "What do you want with that bastard? I'd pray his dick would fall off into compost, but I wouldn't plant anything in that shit." She spat on the ground.
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"He stole something from me."
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Turning toward the south, Gab gestured to a dirt road barely visible from their vantage point. "He headed down there two days ago in some black monstrosity. It made such a racket."
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"Oh, so you don't like him."
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Linsan frowned as she wondered how much she should tell. Gab's response to his name encouraged her to speak up. "He killed someone I know. I want to bring him to justice."
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Old Gab's smile grew wider and she cackled. She gestured to a dirt road barely visible from their vantage point. "He and the other vermin headed down there two days ago in some black metal monstrosity. It made such a racket."
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Linsan's heart beat faster. "R-Really? He went home?"
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When Gab looked at her curiously, Linsan stammered, "I-I've been looking for him for a week or so. Some buskers in Jamorel told me that he might be heading home to repair the car he's driving."
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"You aren't friends with that shit, are you?"
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"You aren't lying to me, are you? You aren't friends with that shit, are you?"
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"Oh, no."
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"Oh, no. I swear, I want him arrested."
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Gab's eyes flickered to the side and then up to the cabin. Linsan could see her fighting. She guess Gab was considering withholding information to force Linsan to talk.
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Gab's eyes flickered to the side and then up to the cabin. Linsan could see her fighting with some thought. She guess Gab was considering withholding information to force Linsan to talk.
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"I'll sit and talk, I promise. I just need to make sure he's down there."
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Desperate, Linsan held up her hand. "I'll sit and talk, I promise. I just need to make I'm going in the right direction."
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Gab sighed. "Yes, yes, he's still down there. Damn fool's wagon was belching white smoke everywhere and the men with him were yelling the whole time. You could hear them from here."
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"Yes, yes, he's still down there. Damn fool's wagon was belching white smoke everywhere and the men with him were yelling the whole time. You could hear them from here."
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Linsan almost moaned in relief. "Oh, thank you! I can't tell you how badly I needed to hear that."
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Gab patted Linsan's shoulder. "I guess you better get going then."
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Linsan glanced at the road and back.
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Linsan glanced at the road and back. As she did, a wave of dizziness washed over her. It cleared as fast as it came.
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Gab was gone.
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By the time her eyes focused, Gab was gone.
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Lifting her gaze, Linsan saw that she was back in her rocking chair, shoulders slumped. There was no dust to mark her passing, she just appeared in place.
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Lifting her gaze, Linsan saw that the old woman had returned to her rocking chair, shoulders slumped and blanket once again across her lap. There was no dust or wind to mark her passing and she looked as if she had been there for hours.
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Her mind screamed to return to the village and get Brook. They needed to hunt down the murderers. But her heart told her to stay. Even thought she risked losing her quarry, Linsan headed up the hill.
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"Don't you have a man to catch?" Gab said tiredly.
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"Don't you have a man to catch?" Gab said tiredly. "That's what you do, right? Get what you want and leave?"
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"Mother always said, I need to stop and admire the spider webs."
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"Mother always said I need to stop and admire the spider webs."
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The old woman frowned. "That's a line? I don't know it."
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ summary: >
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Linsan didn't know if it was the relief of finding news of their quarry or the joy of talking about music and her family for an hour, but her good mood carried her back to the center of Fanasis Village. She had been only in the village for less than a day, but she still recognized one of the paths leading to the village center and followed it. As she did, she skipped over the roots and screes until she came up between the village general store and the blacksmith.
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Inside the store, she spotted a couple speaking to the storekeeper. She had met all three of them earlier. They all had many unpleasant things to say about Tilbin and the others, but none of them knew if they had passed through town toward Stone over Moon Waters or down to Geb's barn in Little Rock.
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Inside the store, she spotted a couple speaking to the storekeeper. She had met both of them earlier. They all had many unpleasant things to say about Tilbin and the others, but none of them knew if they had passed through town toward Stone over Moon Waters or down to Geb's barn in Little Rock.
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Adjacent to the general store was the village blacksmith. When Linsan had first started asking questions, it was cold and unoccupied. She peered inside to see if the situation had change but no one was working. Linsan was about to look away when she noticed what appeared to be a pleated skirt discarded on the floor near the anvil. She smirked, at least she knew why the blacksmith wasn't banging on his forge.
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@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Brook's scowl faded. "Truthfully?"
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Linsan smiled broadly and then nodded. "I wouldn't lie about this. I also found out that if they don't come up through this village, it's at least a hundred leagues out of the way to find another route to Moon Waters."
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Brook sighed and waved her gloved hand. "You did better than me. I couldn't find anything about anyone here. No one wanted to talk, even when I offered to buy things."
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Brook sighed and waved her gloved hand. "You did better than me. I couldn't find anything about anyone here. No one wanted to talk, even when I offered to pay for information. The marked people were the worse, they wouldn't even look at me."
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She seemed annoyed that her money couldn't give her the answers she needed.
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@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ Brook cleared her throat and looked away. "Could you help me up?"
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"Oh," Linsan blushed. She stepped back and helped Brook to her feet. Then she stepped apart until they were only holding hands. "Come on, need help?"
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Looking down at her boots, Brook sighed. "I don't have anything better to where."
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Looking down at her boots, Brook sighed. "I don't have anything better to wear."
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"Really?"
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Brook nodded slowly. "It isn't lady-like."
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Brook nodded slowly. "It isn't lady-like to wear trousers and shirts."
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"Makes it hard to get into a field to practice though."
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@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ Brook's lip curled in a smile. "I might have deserved it. Were you thinking abou
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"That is exactly what I had in mind. What songs do you know?"
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Brook looked up and swayed her hips. "Mostly Guder, Padorsin, and Rag."
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Brook looked up and swayed her hips as she thought. "I guess, mostly Guder, Padorsin, and Rag. Those were daddy's favorites."
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All three were composers for symphonies. Sedate ones that that, with grand sweeping music that rose and fell like the waves of the ocean. It was the music that was perfect for dramatic scenes for her mother. However, none of them had the steady beats and rhythm that would let Linsan's magic be used aggressively.
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All three were composers for symphonies. Sedate ones that that, with grand sweeping music that rose and fell like the waves of the ocean. It was the music that was perfect for dramatic scenes for her mother. However, none of them had the steady beats and rhythm that would let Linsan's magic to build nor the crescendos and twists that allowed her to manifest an attack.
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Brook rolled her eye and gave an exasperating sight. "What? Wrong type of music?"
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@ -128,15 +128,15 @@ When Brook nodded, Linsan said, "Is that why you are always wearing dresses and
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"We aren't the richest---"
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"Your family is richer than most of the town. There might be a few others about as rich as your family, but your daddy owns," she cleared her throat. "Your daddy owned the largest bank, three other businesses, has at least five different cars, and can afford to send his daughters to any school in the country. You are rich and you want everyone to know it."
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"Your family is richer than most of the town. There might be a few others about as rich as your family, but your daddy owns---" She cleared her throat. "Your daddy owned the largest bank, three other businesses, has at least five different cars, and can afford to send his daughters to any school in the country. You are rich and you want everyone to know it."
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Brook squirmed. She crushed her hat in her hand as she glanced away. The muscles in her jaw tightened, one muscle flexing along the bottom edge. Some of her anger was returning and Linsan had no interest in hearing the sharp tones.
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"Any other music you know? Wave, folk, Hidanork, rhythm---"
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Her companion held up her hand. "You don't have to show off that you know a few songs."
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Her companion held up her hand. "You don't have to show off that you know all the songs."
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"My father writes about music."
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"My father writes about music. I read his essays and lessons."
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"Well, not the right types."
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@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ Linsan looked up with surprise. "N-No. It's just the beat and melody we are abou
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With a smile, Linsan finished pulling out her violin and set it against her neck. "If it helps, the song was originally a Tarsan drinking song called _A Mass for a Glass of Crass_, a song about being forced to go to church after an epic swearing session. It wasn't until about sixty or so years ago when... the ass song became popular in this area of Kormar."
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Brook blinked and her shoulders seemed to relax. "Really? T-That is better." Her voice grew more wistful and she ran her finger along the edge of her hat. "Tarsan is the very definition of high society."
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Brook blinked and her shoulders seemed to relax. "Really? T-That is better." Her voice grew more wistful and she ran her finger along the edge of her hat. "Tarsan is the very definition of high society and I can understand blasphemy."
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Linsan's opinion of Tarsan wasn't nearly as rosy. The country was known for being heavy-handed and obsessed with social order. Women were treated as nothing more than property and almost slaves. Her mother hated shows in Tarsan. However, it was obviously important to Brook. She made a non-committal grunt.
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@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ The muscles in Linsan's back tightened.
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"I don't know music."
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Linsan thought for a moment. "Let's start with the basics. Music is based on fives. Five beats a second but the one you care about is usually the fifth one. At least for these songs. We can talk about the desert's and the tribe's fondness for four-beat songs."
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Linsan thought for a moment. "Let's start with the basics. Music is based on measures. That is how you emphasize the music. Most Tarsan songs are quintuple meter which means they have five notes in a measure. Some notes are fast, others are slow, but we just have to teach you how to measure out those five. Later, we can talk about the desert's and the tribe's fondness for quadrupedal meters."
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To demonstrate her point, Linsan played a bar at quarter speed. As she did, she ducked her body with each beat until she got to the fifth where she gestured to Brook. She also fought her desire to speed up the music so she could dance, but when she started to sway, her magic swelled and the ground trembled.
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To demonstrate her point, Linsan slowly played the first few measures. As she did, she ducked her body with each beat until she got to the fifth where she gestured to Brook. She also fought her desire to speed up the music so she could dance, but when she started to sway, her magic swelled and the ground trembled.
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At first, Brook stared with confusion. Then, as Linsan played again, realization dawned on her face. She held up her hands, the blue gloves bright in the sea of grasses. When her beat came, she brought her hands together but didn't quite touch.
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@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ Linsan giggled. "Slow?"
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"Well, then can you shift your beat forward just a hair?"
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"That feels wrong. It feels slow that way." But, even as she spoke, she beat faster and then resumed the five-count. The flashing energy surged for a moment and Linsan felt an incredible rush of excitement before it faded with the colors.
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"That feels wrong. It feels like I would be late that way." But, even as she spoke, she beat faster and then resumed the five-count. The flashing energy surged for a moment and Linsan felt an incredible rush of excitement before it faded with the colors.
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Beads of sweat ran down Brook's neck. The short hairs clung to her skin.
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@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ Brook peeked out from her arms. Then her body jerked as if she was crying.
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Linsan stared into her eyes for a moment. Then she stirred to pull herself off Brook and sat back. She pulled the violin to her lap and inspected it carefully. There were a few new scratches and a clod inside the case. She grunted with disappointment before holding it above her head and rolling it out.
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"That is important to you, isn't it?" Brook groaned as she sat up. "It's it just a violin?"
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"That is important to you, isn't it?" Brook groaned as she sat up. "It's it just a violin."
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Linsan stroked her hand along the warm wood. "My grandfather made this before I was born. My father borrowed it to make sure I had a Sterlig with me always, even if I was alone."
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@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Linsan cringed. She had bruises down her right thigh and shin from the same mist
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With a gasp, Brook snatched her hand from Linsan's and turned away sharply. She leaned away from Linsan's grasp but didn't break out of the grip. "Not as bad as the time you set fire to your case."
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Linsan glanced at her case. It was scorched and dented. She had forgotten to seal it shut but fortunately the white flames from their musical attack didn't last long. The case still protected her violin.
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Linsan glanced at her case. It was scorched and dented. She had forgotten to seal it shut but fortunately the white flames from their musical attack didn't last long and the violin wasn't inside the case. She made a mental note to check the money her parents had secreted inside it to make sure the bills were still usable. Her mother's award pin was also in the case.
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Then she realized her arm was still around Brook's waist. Slowly, she relaxed her grip and stepped away. Her fingers ran along the lace before they parted.
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@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ Linsan leaned over. "A rather violent game in these parts. Two teams try to get
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Linsan shook her head. "No. She doesn't like that type of play. Actually, a playwright named Tabil in town."
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"I know Tabil, he went to a lot of Daddy's parties."
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"I know Tabil, he went to a lot of Daddy's parties. Always has a new girlfriend."
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"He's also a leech and keeps trying to bed my mother. H-He also owned the Sterlig my grandfather made. They borrowed it."
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"You mean he's a leech and keeps trying to bed my mother. H-He also owned the Sterlig my grandfather made. They borrowed it."
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Brook's jaw tightened. "Your mother's pride?"
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@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ Inside, the main room was packed with more people wearing the blue and white. Al
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With her cheeks burning, Linsan headed toward the side where there was a bar with bottles behind it.
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One of the men in the chairs stood up. He was an older, balding man with weathered skin and rough hands. Dense, swirling tattoos covered his hands from his knuckles clear up to his elbows. The designs reminded her of Old Gab's. "Hey, Har, you said the good rooms were taken by a pretty lady? That her?"
|
||||
One of the men in the chairs stood up. He was an older, balding man with weathered skin and rough hands. Dense, swirling tattoos reached out from his stained clothes to his elbows. Most of them were flower and leaf patterns. The designs reminded her of Old Gab's. "Hey, Har, you said the good rooms were taken by a pretty lady? That her?"
|
||||
|
||||
A man behind the bar looked up. He looked annoyed. "Yes, Cal. What's your point?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ A man behind the bar looked up. He looked annoyed. "Yes, Cal. What's your point?
|
|||
|
||||
Brook stopped. She straightened and planted her fists on her hips.
|
||||
|
||||
The bartender spoke first in a sharp tone, "If you try, you'll upset the dame and she paid far more than you ever had. Not to mention, there is only one of her and she doesn't insist on jamming six int one room and never cleaning up."
|
||||
The bartender spoke first in a sharp tone, "If you try, you'll upset the dame and she paid far more than you ever had. Not to mention, there is only one of her and she doesn't insist on jamming six in one room and never cleaning his shit."
|
||||
|
||||
"I can't even ask?" Cal said. He glanced down at the people at his table and then back at Brook.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -134,11 +134,11 @@ Brook nodded curtly.
|
|||
|
||||
"Shut your mouth, Cal," Har said with a warning tone. "She's a lady and you are not."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook held up her hand. "Additionally, I'd rather sleep with a venomous snake on a bad day than get anywhere near you. I find those..." She gestured to his hands. "... markings to be disgusting and wouldn't deign to have them anywhere near my body."
|
||||
Brook held up her pale hand. "Additionally, I'd rather sleep with a venomous snake on a bad day than get anywhere near you. I find those..." She gestured to his hands. "... markings to be disgusting and wouldn't deign to have them anywhere near my body."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan cringed at her sharp tone.
|
||||
|
||||
Cal looked down at his tattooed hands and then laughed. It was a booming laugh but no one else in the room had joined him.
|
||||
Cal looked down at his reddish brown skin and tattooed elbows. For a moment, there was a silence, then he laughed loudly. It was a booming laugh but no one else in the room had joined him.
|
||||
|
||||
A man at his table patted his hand. "Just sit down and shut up. You're going to get us kicked out."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -194,11 +194,11 @@ He smiled broadly and nodded. "Ah, Gab. She is the sweetest woman in the entire
|
|||
|
||||
Linsan gave him a hard look.
|
||||
|
||||
"Of course, she is also wrapped in a thick layer of thorns, poisonous berries, and thistles," he ended with a snort.
|
||||
"Of course, she is also wrapped in a thick layer of thorns, poisonous berries, and thistles," he ended with a snort. He turned his shoulder to show his tattoo. "I take you met my aunt."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan could help but smile also.
|
||||
|
||||
Cal rubbed his belly. He was stocky but there was still muscles underneath his hairy arms. "I'll tell you what, Mum was happy to leave this town. We may have started here in town, but now the only family I have left here are Old Gab and Mis. Everyone else moved away"
|
||||
Cal rubbed his belly. He was stocky but there was still muscles underneath his hairy arms. "I'll tell you what, Mum was happy to leave this town. We may have started here in town, but now the only family I have left here are Old Gab and Mis. Everyone else blew away in the winds once we lost our roots."
|
||||
|
||||
"Mis?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ When Linsan didn't say anything, Cal spoke up again. "You play?"
|
|||
|
||||
"It's been a long day."
|
||||
|
||||
He reached back and pulled something out of his pocket. He pushed it across the table to her. It was a money clip with a bundle of orange cards. "Please? Show me what Old Gab hears? She's been talking about it for years but I never understood. I never had the ears for it, but I have a feeling you do."
|
||||
He reached back and pulled something out of his pocket. He pushed it across the table to her. It was a money clip with a bundle of orange cards. "Please? Show me what Old Gab hears? She's been talking about music for years but I never understood. I never had the ears for it, but I have a feeling you do. Maybe, if I could understand, then maybe I can see her smile again."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan stared at the money clip for a long moment. She was exhausted and tired, but the lure of music called to her. She didn't care about the money as much as feeling the bow hum in her hand.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ When Brook looked over, there was a sad smile on her face and a tear running dow
|
|||
|
||||
"And Palisis too."
|
||||
|
||||
Hearing the name of the violin hurt her chest. Linsan shook her head. "Even if I never see that again, if we get the men who killed your daddy, then this will all be worth it."
|
||||
Hearing the name of the violin hurt her chest. Linsan shook her head. "Even if I never see that again and we get the men who killed your daddy, then this will all be worth it."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook sniffed and nodded. Her eyes flickered to the road.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ The two on the wagon stopped talking. The driver flicked his reins and hurried t
|
|||
|
||||
Cal straightened and then smiled broadly. "Music girl!"
|
||||
|
||||
Brook grumbled. "That's the drunk from the public house?"
|
||||
Brook grumbled. "That's the drunk from the public house? The one who wanted to bed me?" She glared at him and the wagon.
|
||||
|
||||
"Yes."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Brook grumbled. "That's the drunk from the public house?"
|
|||
|
||||
Brook scoffed and looked away.
|
||||
|
||||
Cal hopped off the wagon with a thud. "This is the music girl I was just telling you about," he called to his companion before standing in front of Linsan, his hands out in a hug but not pulling her in.
|
||||
Cal hopped off the wagon with a thud. "Hey, Mis, this is the music girl I was just telling you about," he called to his companion before standing in front of Linsan, his hands out in a hug but not pulling her in.
|
||||
|
||||
He had done the same thing when they parted ways. Linsan had felt uncomfortable then, but the stress and excitement of the day had worn down her defenses and she let him pull her into a firm hug.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -74,13 +74,15 @@ Miska's smile grew more forced.
|
|||
|
||||
Miska rolled her eyes.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan caught sight of Miska's hands. Like her cousin and Old Gab, she had intricate designs tattooed along her hands up to her elbows. The ink was shades of blue, green, and reds with plenty of others among them. The material of her shirt, above where the corset bound her, gave a hint that there were more tattoos along her sternum and belly.
|
||||
Linsan caught sight of Miska's hands. Like her cousin and Old Gab, she had intricate designs tattooed along her limbs reaching out from her sleeves and down to just shy of her elbows. The ink was shades of blue, green, and reds with plenty of flowers, leaves, and bare branches of winter. The material of her shirt, above where the corset bound her, gave a hint that there were more tattoos along her sternum and belly.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan took a deep breath. Her mother had taught her enough to know that saying someone's name right was important. She cleared her throat. "Miska atoi Strali?"
|
||||
|
||||
Cal chuckled. "Almost, Music Girl! Just shorten the final 'a' and 'i' and you'll be good."
|
||||
Cal chuckled. "Almost, Music Girl! Just shorten the final 'a' and 'i' and you'll be good. If you want to be formal, throw that 'pin' in there but we'll forgive you if you miss it."
|
||||
|
||||
After a few more attempts, Cal declared that she had it right.
|
||||
Miska glared at him for a second, her skin darkening slightly.
|
||||
|
||||
After a few more attempts and ignoring his cousin, Cal declared that Linsan had it right.
|
||||
|
||||
"So what's your name?" Linsan asked.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -90,7 +92,11 @@ Even though she was confused and there were no songs or plays she could use to s
|
|||
|
||||
"It doesn't mean anything, don't ask."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska turned away, her hands still in her pockets and walked over the edge of the crater. In the last few hours, most of the flames and smoke had faded. She leaned over and then shook her head. "Gab again?"
|
||||
"She's from Starli," Calibo said with a grim tone.
|
||||
|
||||
Miska turned away. "Starli is lost."
|
||||
|
||||
With her hands still in her pockets and walked over the edge of the crater. In the last few hours, most of the flames and smoke had faded. She leaned over and then shook her head. "Gab again?"
|
||||
|
||||
"Looks like it," Cal said as he joined her. "What happened, Music Girl?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -120,7 +126,7 @@ Linsan turned back to the damage. She sighed and nodded. "Fire hammer attack of
|
|||
|
||||
"And ruined the car?" asked Miska.
|
||||
|
||||
"Yeah, sorry. The car is also ruined."
|
||||
"Yeah, sorry. The car is also ruined," Linsan said with a glance to Brook."
|
||||
|
||||
A smile crossed Miska's face. "No, not ruined. Just looks like the metal is twisted." Then she jumped into the pit to land on the hood. There was a powerful bang when she hit and the hood deformed underneath her weight.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -130,7 +136,7 @@ Miska pulled her tattooed hands from her pockets and slid down the rest of the w
|
|||
|
||||
"Brook removed it."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska looked up with a smile. "Did she? She has more than a pretty face and a purse?"
|
||||
Miska looked up with a smile. Her lip curled into a sly smile. "Did she? She has more than a pretty face and a purse?"
|
||||
|
||||
Behind her and away from the edge, Brook made a scoffing sound.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -150,13 +156,15 @@ Calibo chuckled. "We all heard you practice. Butterfly kisses and roses don't ma
|
|||
|
||||
"Careful, Cal!" snapped Miska. "I don't want to be buried."
|
||||
|
||||
She pulled her shirt from her bottom and fumbled with her clothes for a moment. The ties of her corset came lose and her waist took on a more natural shape as she tugged it free. A flash of bare skin revealed that her tattoos circled her navel with a ring of dead branches and snowflakes but became a fan of bright greens in less than an inch.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan blushed and looked back at Brook who was limping away. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry."
|
||||
|
||||
Calibo followed her gaze and then sighed. He leaned closer and spoke in a quieter voice. "Family?"
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan nodded. "Her father," she whispered. "They were robbing my family and killed her daddy. We were going after them to bring them to justice."
|
||||
|
||||
"Just the two of you?"
|
||||
"Just the two of you? That's risky."
|
||||
|
||||
"We thought we had a chance."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -170,15 +178,15 @@ Linsan stared at him, her jaw slack.
|
|||
|
||||
Calibo winked. "Call it an apology for being drunk and rude." He leaned over. "So, what do you say, Mis? Think you can get them driving again?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska glared up at him. "I don't know, Bobo," she spat out the name bitterly. "But we need it out of this hole and to my forge. That means your wagon."
|
||||
Miska glared up at him. "I don't know, Bobo," she spat out the name bitterly. With a casual toss, she threw her abandoned corset out of the crater and to the side. "But we need it out of this hole and to my forge. That means your wagon."
|
||||
|
||||
"Ah, blessed soil, that means I'm not going home tonight?"
|
||||
"Ah, blessed soil, that means I'm not going to go drinking tonight?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska grinned with just a hint of malice. "If you give a _jinkoa_, they will never leave your side. Plus one of you has to pay for the iron work." She followed by something in a different language, a foreign tongue that sounded bitter and mocking.
|
||||
Miska grinned with just a hint of malice. "If you give a _jinkoa_, they will never leave your side. Plus, you are the one who tied petals with her." She followed by something in a different language, a foreign tongue that sounded bitter and mocking.
|
||||
|
||||
He shook his head. Then he pointed at her. "Be nice, _achil deblo_ made your grandmother smile."
|
||||
|
||||
"That would explain the coming storm."
|
||||
"That would explain the coming storm. I can smell winter already in the air."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan worried her lip. "What can I do?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -186,7 +194,7 @@ Linsan worried her lip. "What can I do?"
|
|||
|
||||
Brook came up to Linsan. "How much is this going to cost?"
|
||||
|
||||
"Nothing. You stop those men and we'll call it an even trade."
|
||||
The two cousins looked at each other. Then Calibo shrugged. "Nothing. You stop those men and we'll call it an even trade."
|
||||
|
||||
She shook her head. "No, I can't---"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Another look.
|
|||
|
||||
"You know you could have come to my place," Miska said while leaning back. "You are family."
|
||||
|
||||
"And you had company."
|
||||
"You sleep in the back of a forge, there are no walls, and you had company."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska shrugged. "No one I wouldn't have kicked out of my bed for you."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -68,11 +68,13 @@ Exhausted and aching, the two women backed away as the cousins maneuvered the wa
|
|||
|
||||
"Yes, but you should consider getting one for Bobo too since it will be too dark to make it home with a large pit on the road."
|
||||
|
||||
Calibo shook his head. "No, I'll sleep in the wagon. Don't worry about me, the inn is going to be packed with the game. It sounds like Saint Gaveil won so they are going to be drinking well past midnight. I'm still being held in the fire for last night, so I'd also rather not risk being banned for life."
|
||||
Calibo shook his head. "No, I'll sleep in the wagon. Don't worry about me, the inn is going to be packed with the game. It sounds like Saint Gaveil won so they are going to be drinking well past midnight. I'm still being held to the fires for last night's words, so I'd also rather not risk being banned for life."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan frowned. "I'm sure---"
|
||||
Linsan frowned. "I'm sure I could talk to Har---"
|
||||
|
||||
He gestured to the inn just as a cheer rose up inside. "There is no chance I'll find a bed in there. I have doubts you will either. But try. If you can't, I have room in the wagon."
|
||||
He gestured to the inn just as a cheer rose up inside. "There is no chance I'll find a bed in there. I have doubts you will either. But try. If you can't, I have room in the wagon. Or, I'm sure you can stay with Miska." He ended with a grin.
|
||||
|
||||
His cousin threw something at his head.
|
||||
|
||||
Brook looked sharply at Linsan. "Hopefully two. Come on, let's find out."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ Har's eyes opened wide at the sight of them. "What happened?" he bellowed to be
|
|||
|
||||
Har's pained look didn't need to be told. "We're completely full."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook leaned over. "Can I ask for one?"
|
||||
Brook leaned over. "I really a bed tonight. Can I ask for one?"
|
||||
|
||||
Har frowned and then pointed to a large group that was slightly less enthusiastic than the others. "That's my biggest group today but they lost. If you have cuks, they might be willing but I doubt it."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Linsan spoke up. "What are the planks for?"
|
|||
|
||||
With a blush, Linsan looked at it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that."
|
||||
|
||||
He shrugged. "It wasn't your fault they decided to start killing and stealing. You weren't the one that put them in Greol's barn that night. You weren't the reason for who they are."
|
||||
He shrugged. "It wasn't your fault they decided to start killing and stealing. Their family has been doing that for generations. You weren't the one that put them in Greol's barn that night. You weren't the reason for who they are."
|
||||
|
||||
With a groan, Calibo arched his back. "No, you were trying to do the right thing. And, if you happened to get them tied up, I suspect you wouldn't be thinking about cutting throats, right?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Linsan held up her hand. "Cal, mind if I help you? I can't lift much, but I help
|
|||
|
||||
Brook stepped toward the forge.
|
||||
|
||||
Calibo grunted and shook his head again. "It's going to take me hours to finish and I wasn't planning on coming back. I have work in Little Rock and that's my home. Once I finish, I need to get working and can't afford the time to come back here and still get a day's work. Don't worry," he said flexing his arm, "I can handle a little bridge."
|
||||
Calibo grunted and shook his head again. "It's going to take me hours to finish and I wasn't planning on coming back. I have work in Little Rock and my home is south of that. Once I finish, I need to get working and can't afford the time to come back here and still get a day's work. Don't worry," he said flexing his arm, "I can handle a little bridge."
|
||||
|
||||
"Are you sure?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -73,21 +73,17 @@ Wearing gloves, Miska picked up one end of a fender. Bracing it against her thig
|
|||
|
||||
Brook leaned over. "Is she...?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska slammed her hand down again, flattening the metal against her thigh.
|
||||
Miska slammed her hand down again, flattening the metal against her thigh. Sweat dripped down her brow as she adjusted it and hammered it again.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan shook her head in amusement. "Fixing your buggy with her bare hands and against her thigh? Yes."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska groaned and released the metal. Standing up, she ran her gloved hand across the side of her face. Sweat sluices off the leather and splashed down to soak her shirt. She caught sight of Linsan and Brook before doing a double take. A scowl etched across her face. "I didn't hear you come in."
|
||||
Miska groaned and released the metal. Standing up, she ran her gloved hand across the side of her face. Sweat sluiced off the leather and splashed down to soak her shirt. She caught sight of Linsan and Brook before doing a double take. A scowl etched across her face. "I didn't hear you come in."
|
||||
|
||||
"Y-You were pounding," Brook said in her quiet voice. Her eyes scanned up and down, taking in the look of Miska with more than a little desire. It was a new expression for Linsan, but there was no question that something about Miska that excited Brook. After the morning's revelation, Linsan wondered if their night together had opened new possibilities for her.
|
||||
|
||||
Brook's eyes flickered to Linsan's and then a blush burned on her cheeks. She reached out and grabbed Linsan's hand and held it tight.
|
||||
|
||||
Given what happened the night before, Linsan was surprised that she didn't feel a surge of jealousy or anger. The plays and stories said that it would happen, something that would eventually poison whatever had grown between her in Brook.
|
||||
|
||||
However, Linsan knew the plays by heart. She had seen how relationships had been ruined by those two emotions and misunderstanding. Her own earlier thoughts came back, was she in love with Brook or was it lust or just a moment in time? Was it something forever or just two lovers in the same bed? She still didn't know, only that what feelings she had were not in any play that she had seen.
|
||||
|
||||
She clasped Brook's hand and gave her a comforting smile. They would figure it out, together.
|
||||
Linsan wasn't sure how she felt about Brook's attraction and dismissed it for later. She clasped Brook's hand and gave her a comforting smile. They would figure it out, together.
|
||||
|
||||
When they looked back, Miska was watching them carefully. "What do you want?" she asked in a sharp tone.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ teaser: &teaser >
|
|||
summary: *teaser
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
> The hand of a craftman is more treasured than any tool on the table. A tool needs not years of training and practice. A blade can never be as sharp as the mind that wields it. --- Gregor Maldin-Cross, _The Art of Carpentry_
|
||||
> The hand of a craftsman is more treasured than any tool on the table. A tool needs not years of training and practice. A blade can never be as sharp as the mind that wields it. --- Gregor Maldin-Cross, _The Art of Carpentry_
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan sat at one of the tables in the public house. An array of tools and scraps of wood from around the village spread out around her on a tablecloth as she worked a thin knife back and forth to create a channel for the spline. It was tedious and precise work but also something she had been doing since she was a little girl.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ Miska turned and smiled. "Like what you see, Princess?"
|
|||
|
||||
Brook made a gasping noise and then turned away. She was blushing.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan frowned and then she noticed that Miska appeared to be wearing a pair of canvas shorts and an apron, nothing else. Sweat and soot covered her entire body, causing it shimmer in the light glowing from the metal she worked. Her tattoos covered more than Linsan guessed, from just below her knees up to the nape of her neck. Swirls of patterns and shapes were dark against her glistening skin and covered every visible inch.
|
||||
Linsan frowned and then she noticed that Miska appeared to be wearing a pair of canvas shorts and an apron, nothing else. Sweat and soot covered her entire body, causing it shimmer in the light glowing from the metal she worked. Her tattoos covered more than Linsan guessed, from just below her knees up to the nape of her neck. Swirls of patterns and shapes were dark against her glistening skin and covered every visible inch. With so much exposed, Linsan could see that they originated from her navel and spread out. The designs marked the four seasons in cycle as they stretched across her body.
|
||||
|
||||
Miska grinned as she set it down and walked closer. As she did, she fanned the apron to move the air underneath. "Working metal is hotter than you'd think and I'll be damned if I'm going to do it in a pretty dress to ruin. Besides, the embers don't burn for long in sweat and skin."
|
||||
Miska grinned as she set it down and walked closer. As she did, she fanned the apron to move the air underneath. "Working metal is hotter than you'd think and I'll be damned if I'm going to do it in a pretty dress to ruin. Besides, the embers don't burn for long in sweat."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook's lips parted as she started to say something, then she stepped back to stand next to Linsan.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ Brook whimpered and Linsan felt a tightness in her chest.
|
|||
|
||||
Brook turned back. "How much to get us out by midnight?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska laughed, a surprisingly deep sound from the blonde. "Money? You think money is going to make me faster?"
|
||||
Miska laughed, a surprisingly deep sound from the blonde. It was also a bitter tone. "Money? You think money is going to make me faster?"
|
||||
|
||||
Brook tensed.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ Brook tensed.
|
|||
|
||||
"What about someone to help you?"
|
||||
|
||||
"The nearest smith is over in Tabin-Over-Bridges, that's twenty miles away and the bastard hates me. You have to go at least thirty north or west to find someone who would work for me, as a woman or tribe. And without your car, you're looking at twenty or thirty hours walk to find out."
|
||||
"The nearest smith is over in Tabin-Over-Bridges, that's twenty miles away and the bastard hates me. You have to go at least thirty north or west to find someone who would work for me, as a woman or _Feil_. And without your car, you're looking at twenty or thirty hours walk to find out."
|
||||
|
||||
"I could get a horse."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Brook tensed.
|
|||
|
||||
Brook's lips tightened into a thin line.
|
||||
|
||||
"And offering to bribe me isn't going to make me any faster. You'd have better lucky paying to get into my shorts and I'm too busy for a roll on a mattress, don't whore myself out, and you are way too uptight to get between my thighs."
|
||||
"And offering to bribe me isn't going to make me any faster. You'd have better lucky paying to get into my shorts and I'm too busy for a roll on a mattress, I don't whore myself out, and you are way too uptight to get between my thighs."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook inhaled sharply.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ His eyes widened and he looked at Brook who nodded sagely.
|
|||
|
||||
"I like to drink while I drive," she explained.
|
||||
|
||||
"You probably go further if you don't have to stop."
|
||||
"You probably go further if you don't have to stop to pee every hour."
|
||||
|
||||
"I don't have to stop. Besides, a lady doesn't talk about that."
|
||||
"I don't stop. Besides, a lady doesn't talk about that."
|
||||
|
||||
He glanced at Linsan who shook her head. Then his gaze dropped to the tools. "Why don't you leave those here? I'll get them returned."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ A flicker of annoyance crossed her face.
|
|||
|
||||
She shrugged. "Princess is fine as long as I'm on the road soon."
|
||||
|
||||
"If Miska said she would be done, she would have never stopped. She was working all night and finished up only a few hours ago. One thing about the tribal folks, if they swear on the winter winds, they will walk past the Couple to fulfill their promise."
|
||||
"If Miska said she would be done, she would have never stopped. She was working all night and finished up only a few hours ago. One thing about the _Feil_, if they swear on the winter winds, they will walk past the Couple to fulfill their promise. Miska is one of the good ones, you can trust her."
|
||||
|
||||
He smacked the counter. "So, what can I get you for breakfast."
|
||||
He smacked the counter. "So, what can I get you for breakfast?"
|
||||
|
||||
Brook pointed to the pot. "I'm good."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ Brook's cheeks colored again as she balled her hands into fists. Then she sighed
|
|||
|
||||
"What if she is tricking us?"
|
||||
|
||||
"Then she's putting an awful lot of effort into the con. That Coaster looks nothing like the car we brought in only yesterday. If it drives, then we're good. Right?"
|
||||
"Then she's putting an awful lot of effort into the con. That Coaster looks nothing like the wreck we brought in only yesterday. If it drives, then we're good. Right?"
|
||||
|
||||
Brook let out a long sigh. Tears glittered in her eyes but she nodded. "For Daddy."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -165,6 +165,6 @@ Linsan waved.
|
|||
|
||||
The buggy lurched forward, engine rising in pitch as it accelerated. Moments later, it was out of the small village and racing along the road. The force pushed Linsan back into her seat with the familiar sense of acceleration.
|
||||
|
||||
"How does it feel," she asked.
|
||||
"How does it feel?" she asked.
|
||||
|
||||
Brook's smile was all the answer she needed.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The buggy swayed violently for a moment before she got it under control.
|
|||
|
||||
"What is wrong with you?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska didn't seem perturbed. "You are burning off your water. I figured you have about five to ten leagues before you're out."
|
||||
Miska didn't seem perturbed. "You are burning off your water. I figured you have about five to ten leagues before you're out. The village up there is a cistern and a place for me to patch up the boiler."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook peered at one of the gauges. "It says I'm good."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Linsan smiled to herself. Maybe a little playing would help her. "Is that a chal
|
|||
|
||||
He stopped and looked over his shoulder. His eye looked at her. "You think you can move?"
|
||||
|
||||
Heartbeat quickening, she stood up. "Are you?"
|
||||
Heartbeat quickening, she stood up. "Do you think you could keep up?"
|
||||
|
||||
"Half and half?" She was startled by the question before she realized he was talking about money from busking.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Even with Brook paying for almost everything, Linsan enjoyed being able to prove
|
|||
|
||||
Her face fell.
|
||||
|
||||
He grinned. "Don't worry, I have a plus one. Name's Ravel, but you can call me Rab."
|
||||
He grinned. "Don't worry, I have a plus one. Name's Ravel, but you can call me Rav."
|
||||
|
||||
She picked up her case and walked over to him. "I'm Lin. And why do you have a plus one if you aren't playing with anyone?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ Linsan made a decision. "Four."
|
|||
|
||||
He looked at her sharply.
|
||||
|
||||
"Keep my share, you need it."
|
||||
"I don't need any shares. I was just in for the challenge."
|
||||
|
||||
"You played better than most of them."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ She blushed. "You need it. I have plenty right now."
|
|||
|
||||
"No, I don't like charity."
|
||||
|
||||
"It isn't charity, Rav. Money is what I'm looking for."
|
||||
"It isn't charity, Rav. Money isn't what I'm looking for."
|
||||
|
||||
"What is it then?" he said in a tense tone.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -19,7 +19,43 @@ Linsan smirked.
|
|||
|
||||
"They told me that it wasn't a woman's job to work metal. I was going to let that slide since they have hearts of brick, but if they know about the Black Thunder, I need to ask again."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan hurried along. It didn't take them long to get to a beautiful building painted a bright blue. It had faux pistons on either side of the three large doors leading inside. The design was simple, about on par with a stage decoration, but it was a clear indication of which guild the mechanics were associated with.
|
||||
Linsan hurried along. As they strode through the city, a thought started to grow in her head and she realized she needed ask. "Miska? Why are you helping us?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska looked at her and shrugged.
|
||||
|
||||
"No," Linsan said stopping near the front of a baker. "You wouldn't just rip up your life to travel across the country for a stranger."
|
||||
|
||||
"Maybe I would." Miska's eyes flashed and her shoulders tensed.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan stared at her, waiting for the answer.
|
||||
|
||||
After a moment, Miska glared at her and then stepped out of the road to the side of the shop. The smells of baked breads wafted past them from the alley at her back. "You know what it is like growing up as a _Feil_?"
|
||||
|
||||
"I heard the name but I don't know what it is."
|
||||
|
||||
"It's the name of my tribe, not that anyone remembered it. We used to call that entire area our home, but then the armies came through. They left behind assholes who claimed the lands since it was 'abandoned.'" She spat on the ground.
|
||||
|
||||
"But you lived there? How could they do that?"
|
||||
|
||||
Miska gave her a bitter smile. "Never thought about people living before you all shows up?"
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan tried to think about all the plays that she knew, none of them talked about the tribes except for a handful where the villians were aboriginal." She blushed and shook her head.
|
||||
|
||||
"Don't have to lie to me."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan ducked her head. "Sorry."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska scoffed and scratched her nose for a moment. "Mayforn's family owns most of Little Rock. The other assholes doled up our lands and farmed them for their profits. They are rich boys who don't have to work which is why they run around stealing and killing."
|
||||
|
||||
Growing more uncomfortable, Linsan squirmed.
|
||||
|
||||
"So, Music Girl, I have my reasons to making sure Tilbin, Gabaw, and Mayforn's lives become a living hell. And I will walk the winter trail if it means Old Gab and Cal can breath easier."
|
||||
|
||||
Without waiting for a response, Miska turned and stormed off.
|
||||
|
||||
It took Linsan a few seconds before she caught up and walked even with her.
|
||||
|
||||
It didn't take them long to get to a beautiful building painted a bright blue. It had faux pistons on either side of the three large doors leading inside. The design was simple, about on par with a stage decoration, but it was a clear indication of which guild the mechanics were associated with.
|
||||
|
||||
Even with the cool day, they were wide open as a dozen men worked on two cars inside. They looked rough, with greasy hands and stained clothes.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -49,13 +85,13 @@ The men followed as their leader spoke.
|
|||
|
||||
Miska stopped near the decorative piston. "I plan on asking more aggressively. Maybe negotiating."
|
||||
|
||||
He scoffed again. "I doubt a simple country girl like you has anything of worth."
|
||||
He scoffed again. "I doubt anyone such as yourself has anything of worth."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska signed and the air around her began to warp. "Maybe, but let's start with a simple offer."
|
||||
Miska signed and the air around her began to warp. "Maybe, but let's start with a simple offer?"
|
||||
|
||||
She took one step back, spun around. The air around her began to crawl as the heat blasted away from her. She punched the side of the decorative piston and there was a powerful thud as the metal burst open. Splatters of molten metal spread out as she tore out a hunk of the softened metal as her fist continued through.
|
||||
|
||||
Miska followed her punch, stepping into the entrance of the garage and stopping in front of the devastated car. Holding up her hand, she glared as the paint smoked way leaving red metal that brightened. "Now, behind me appears to be a fully functional Daster engine. Those run... what... ten thousand cuks at the earliest."
|
||||
Miska followed her punch, stepping into the entrance of the garage and stopping in front of the devastated car. Holding up her hand, she glared as the paint smoked way leaving red metal that brightened. "Now, behind me appears to be a fully functional Daster engine. Those run... what... ten thousand cuks at the cheapest?"
|
||||
|
||||
The men's mood changed in an instant, from a threatening to surprise and fear.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -95,7 +131,7 @@ One of the mechanics lowered his hammer. "Boss?"
|
|||
|
||||
The supervisor sighed. "Fuck me on a pike. Fine. Two hours of work and I tell you what I know."
|
||||
|
||||
"I start working, you start talking, my friend leaves and I finish the job. Your men are menacing and I don't trust them."
|
||||
"I start working, you start talking, my friend leaves and I finish the job. Your men are menacing and I don't trust a delicate girl like her with them."
|
||||
|
||||
The metal under her hand grew brighter.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ teaser: &teaser >
|
|||
summary: *teaser
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
> Only time can fade the sting of mistakes. --- Kormar proverb
|
||||
> Tribal members who have not embraced the teachings of the Divine Couple for at least seven full generations at a single church cannot: 1) have title to registered lands, 2) exercise direct control over any business, coop, or legal entity, 3) earn a title of nobility or be awarded governmental honors, 4) utilize financial networks or instruments beyond direct currency, 5) adopt children for any reason, 6) claim... --- _Unified Codex of Gepaul Laws_
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan fought back the tears as she carried a cup of tea back to the Glasscoaster. The large mug had an obscene amount of sugar in it and the heavy cream swirled with every step. She even asked for a bit of whipped cream on the top though she didn't have faith it would do anything.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Linsan sighed. Then she glanced at Miska quizzically. "The Coaster or Brook?"
|
|||
|
||||
The blonde tugged her pony tail for a moment. The sweat glistened over her tattoos through the opening of her plain shirt. "Both, I think."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska looked sad and shook her head. "She's getting caught in the winter cold and I don't know how to be her spring flower."
|
||||
Miska looked sad and shook her head. "She's getting caught in the winter cold and I don't know how to warm her seeds."
|
||||
|
||||
The phrase didn't entirely make sense to Linsan, but it felt right. "I know, I don't either. I guess the only thing we can do is love her, take care of her, and let her know that we aren't going to give up."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -35,13 +35,9 @@ Linsan bumped her shoulder against Miska. "Thank you."
|
|||
|
||||
"For what?"
|
||||
|
||||
"You didn't have to come with us."
|
||||
"Even with the reason you came, it was a choice you made and I'm thankful you did. Without you, we would have been lost."
|
||||
|
||||
"I did."
|
||||
|
||||
"No, you really didn't."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska grinned. "I wanted to. I've lived my entire life between four villages. People come and go but I never left. I always assumed I would end up rooted to the ground like Old Gab. But even she left the village once."
|
||||
Miska grinned. "Well, I also wanted to. I've lived my entire life between four villages. People come and go but I never left. I always assumed I would end up rooted to the ground like Old Gab. But even she left the village once."
|
||||
|
||||
"She told me."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -57,23 +53,33 @@ Linsan didn't know how to respond to the sudden uncomfortableness. She clamped h
|
|||
|
||||
"But she was listening to this play through the window of the hospital and it kept her..." Miska sniffed. "It kept her going. She made it home and never left again but she never forgot that song."
|
||||
|
||||
"It was my mother."
|
||||
"It was my mother singing."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska wiped the tears from her eyes. "Old Gab let us know that too. We live in a small forest and the fruits never fall far. Our lives were intertwined and I'm honoring Old Gab by following you through the end."
|
||||
Miska wiped the tears from her eyes. "Old Gab let us know that too. We live in a small forest and the fruits never fall far. Our lives were intertwined and we grow for many reasons. I'm honoring Old Gab's memory by following you through the end just as I am here to ruin those men's lives."
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan smiled sadly.
|
||||
|
||||
Miska took a deep breath. "Might get a few new adventure for my skin during the process. But right now, we have someone who needs us badly and she needs to drive into that sun."
|
||||
|
||||
She crawled into the back seat and settled into place.
|
||||
"After this? Maybe Brook will get her money back and use it to buy those lands?"
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan got into her seat and held out the cup. "I got you a fresh drink."
|
||||
A flash of sadness cross Miska's face. "You know tribal folk can't own land, right?"
|
||||
|
||||
"W-What?"
|
||||
|
||||
"That's the law. We can't own lands, have bank accounts, or run a business. I have to rent the smith from Har and give him the money for taxes. He's a good guy, but he still shaves a little off the top for himself."
|
||||
|
||||
There were no plays or trivia that Linsan could say.
|
||||
|
||||
"It sucks being born this way, you know? But the weed that grows in the cracks of the stone honors the winds more than any pretty garden." Miska crawled into the back seat and settled into place. She turned until her back was to Linsan tucked her head against her arm.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan got into her seat and held out the cup to Brook. "I got you a fresh drink."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook didn't look away from staring through the windshield. "Are you ready to go," she said in a low, monotone.
|
||||
|
||||
"Come, have something to drink."
|
||||
"Come, have something to drink. I put lots of sweet in it."
|
||||
|
||||
"Are you ready?"
|
||||
"Are you ready?" Brook's voice remained a monotone.
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan fought back the tears. She swapped the drink for the still full one in the cup holder and poured out the old drink. Shaking it clear, she carefully set it in the back and shut her door.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Miska sat on the opposite side, her head rested on Brook's pillow as she stretch
|
|||
|
||||
Linsan sat up sharply.
|
||||
|
||||
Brook looked at her. "Did you get Palisis?"
|
||||
"Did you get Palisis?"
|
||||
|
||||
Wiping the sudden tears, Linsan nodded. "I got it back. Lord Xasnal was annoyed that I ruined Palisis, but he decided that he would look the other way since Tilbin attacked first."
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -27,19 +27,19 @@ Brook frowned.
|
|||
|
||||
Her eyes widened. "D-Daddy?"
|
||||
|
||||
"They caught him. He was trying to escape on a boat, but the city guard have a number of water talents and he was unable to escape. And Gabaw..." Linsan voice broke as she struggled with the words. "Gabaw said that Dukan had started the fire that ruined our grove and was selling off Sterligs over the years. That is why Dukan had so much money, he had been trading our legacy for cash."
|
||||
"They caught him. He was trying to escape on a boat, but the city guard have a number of water talents and he was unable to escape. And Gabaw..." Linsan voice broke as she struggled with the words. "Gabaw made a deal with the authorities. He's got proof that Dukan ordered the fire on our woods and was selling off Sterligs over the years. That is why Dukan had so much money, he had been trading our legacy for cash."
|
||||
|
||||
Tears ran down Brook's face. "Oh, Lin. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
|
||||
|
||||
"Yes, but that means you have some nasty letters from your mother and sisters because everything was siezed. Cobbler's End and Moon Waters are working together now and they moved fast."
|
||||
"There was... they seized his assets here and back home. You got a bunch of letters from your sisters while you were unconscious. I can't imagine they are happy news."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook's face fell. "Then I have nothing."
|
||||
Brook's face fell. "Then I have nothing either."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska looked up through her hair that had draped over her face. "You have us."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook smiled. She pushed the hair away and looked at Miska with love and affection. "I was getting there. I only need you two, right?"
|
||||
Brook gave a weak effort at a smile. She pushed the hair away and looked at Miska with love and affection. "I was getting there. I only need you two, right?"
|
||||
|
||||
"That's right, Princess." Miska leaned into Brook's hand and nuzzled it. "The healers said it would take a month or three to recover from your injurites and you still own me something."
|
||||
"That's right, Princess." Miska leaned into Brook's hand and nuzzled it. "The healers said it would take a month or three to recover from your injuries and you still owe me something."
|
||||
|
||||
At Brook's confused look, Miska grinned. "I get a royal servant for a week, remember?"
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -59,26 +59,30 @@ Linsan shrugged and kept her mouth shut.
|
|||
|
||||
It took more effort not to smirk.
|
||||
|
||||
Resting her head back, Brook stroked Miska's hair. "Do you think there is a chance we could sieze Tilbin's, Gabaw's, and that other guy's assets?"
|
||||
Resting her head back, Brook stroked Miska's hair. "Do you think there is a chance we could seize Tilbin's, Gabaw's, and that other guy's assets?"
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan cocked her head. "Mayforn? Why?"
|
||||
|
||||
"I was thinking. They own the land they stole from Miska. She can't own it herself, but if there probably isn't a law that prevents her from owning stock in a company. If we got those assets, put it in one, and then she and the other _XXX_ could have their land back."
|
||||
"I heard you talking when I was upset. I thought about it while I was driving. They own the land they stole from Miska. She can't own it herself, but I know daddy got around that by having some tribal folk own stocks in a company."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska sighed. "We can't legaglly run a company but I think we can have stock."
|
||||
"We can't own a business."
|
||||
|
||||
"So put some white person in charge. Someone who had your interests. I already know from daddy's... Dukan's work, that the person in charge doesn't have to be the one who makes decisions."
|
||||
Brook grinned and then winced. "Owning stock is not control. If we got those assets, put it into a company, and then she and the other _Feil_ could have their land back. At least on paper."
|
||||
|
||||
"Are you offering, Princess?"
|
||||
Miska sighed. "How would that help? It would still be one of you in charge and that person would still be able to steal from the lands."
|
||||
|
||||
"To be your puppet leader?" Brook smiled. "Yes."
|
||||
"Pick someone who had your interests. I already know from daddy's... Dukan's work, that the person in charge doesn't have to be the one who makes decisions."
|
||||
|
||||
Miska's face brightened. "Are you offering yourself, Princess?"
|
||||
|
||||
"To be your puppet leader?" Brook smiled with a blush. "Maybe. Yes. I mean, maybe."
|
||||
|
||||
"Does that mean I get to stick my hand up your---?"
|
||||
|
||||
"No!" Brook said, her face coloring. Then she glanced at Linsan and back to Miska. "M-Maybe. If Linsan is okay with it."
|
||||
"No!" Brook said, her face coloring. Then she glanced at Linsan and back to Miska. "M-Maybe? If Linsan is okay with it?"
|
||||
|
||||
Linsan stood up. "As I told you before, you will always be my friend and I will be your lover until you find someone more worthy of the role. You've found your champion now, so I can happily go back to being merely your best friend for the rest of your life."
|
||||
Linsan stood up. "As I told you before, you will always be my friend and I will be your lover until you find someone more worthy of the role. You've found your champion now, so I can happily go back to being merely your best friend for the rest of your life and leave you in the hands of your lover."
|
||||
|
||||
Brook's eyes watered for a moment. "That's a line, isnt' it?"
|
||||
Brook's eyes watered for a moment. "That's a line, isn't it?"
|
||||
|
||||
"I think so." Linsan grinned broadly. "I have to write it, but I'm definately going to call it _Allegro_."
|
||||
"I think so." Linsan grinned broadly. "But it isn't from a play. At least not yet, I'm going to try my hand at writing one just so I can say it is."
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
|
|||
"Strin",
|
||||
"Tabil",
|
||||
"Tilbin",
|
||||
"Tilbin's",
|
||||
"Tirain",
|
||||
"Tisin",
|
||||
"Tisin's",
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Loading…
Reference in a new issue