that I’m
intrigued.” Glav played a note of mystery, making the sensation
come alive. It sent chills up her spine. “And what of your parents,
Pelya? May we ask?”
Ebudae held onto her friend’s hand while
Pelya answered. “My father is a master sergeant in the City Guard.
He’s responsible for training recruits in the city. My mother died
in childbirth.” Her voice grew quieter and she stared at the pillow
she had placed in her lap at some point. “It’s my fault.”
“How is it your fault?” Aphry asked
tenderly.
“It just is. Daddy was so happy with her and
then he was stuck with me.”
“I don’t think it was your fault,” Aphry
said. “But I’ll leave it at that. Are you sixteen too?”
“No. I’m a few months younger, but I’m very
good with a sword and Ebudae could only go if I was along to
protect her.”
“I see. Well I’m glad you both came to visit
us. A lot of people don’t trust or like Carnies, outside of other
Carnies.” Aphry took a hit of the hookah.
Glav chuckled. “A lot of Carnies don’t like or trust Carnies. We’re a casual group. Aphry and I are
married and come from the Kingdom of Obda to the north. We think
Juggles comes from the Palthoon Deserts, but he won’t say.”
“Lizor is from the mountains of Grint in the
far north,” the muscle-bound giant said, jamming a thumb into his
chest. “I grow taller and stronger than the mountains, my mother
says.”
“Not quite as smart though,” Glav jested.
The big man laughed and waggled a finger at him.
Ebudae was back to watching the coins move
back and forth between Juggle’s fingers. They faced each other
cross-legged and he gave her one of the coins. She watched as he
took one in his left hand and began slipping it deliberately
between the fingers. Her first clumsy attempts resulted in it
falling. At that point, she became determined to master the
technique.
The conversation began to drone into the
background as Ebudae added a second coin and began moving it
through her fingers in time with the first. Juggles made
corrections here and there and added a third and fourth, which was
as much as Ebudae could handle right away. Her fingers started to
become sore from the workout. It was different from casting because
there was an object that worked the muscles differently, but Ebudae
came to the realization that it would be excellent exercise to make
her hands stronger.
“Ebudae!” Pelya said, getting the
wizardess’s attention.
She stopped moving the coins through her
fingers. “What?” Then she realized that her hands were sore and
tried to rub it out.
“Glav asked if you know anything about the
history of your family.”
The minstrel strummed his lute. “I like to
know the history of noble families. It’s fascinating and very
difficult to study in Dralin where the nobles have become secondary
to wizards and merchants.”
“My husband knows more useless facts about
everything in the world and never stops trying to find more,” Aphry
said with a playful shove on his shoulder.
“Umm . . . I don’t want to tell you that,”
Ebudae replied. Her grandmother had made her read the family
histories, which used up two and a half large tomes. Most of it was
boring, but there was a fascinating branch of the family consisting
of assassins and murderers. Going back to the beginnings of the
records, Ebudae had learned that one of her ancestors killed the
king and his family when the wizards took over the country of
Altordan hundreds of years ago.
Ebudae had also learned that she was
the direct descendent of that assassin. Lady Pallon had made it very clear that she was never to tell anyone of those
histories. Even Pelya didn’t know.
“I see.” Glav looked insulted. “Well, the
nobles of Dralin are notoriously tight-lipped about themselves. I
shouldn’t have expected otherwise.”
“Glav, peace,” Aphry said with a soothing
hand on his arm. Everyone else looked uncomfortable.
The words dismayed
intrigued.” Glav played a note of mystery, making the sensation
come alive. It sent chills up her spine. “And what of your parents,
Pelya? May we ask?”
Ebudae held onto her friend’s hand while
Pelya answered. “My father is a master sergeant in the City Guard.
He’s responsible for training recruits in the city. My mother died
in childbirth.” Her voice grew quieter and she stared at the pillow
she had placed in her lap at some point. “It’s my fault.”
“How is it your fault?” Aphry asked
tenderly.
“It just is. Daddy was so happy with her and
then he was stuck with me.”
“I don’t think it was your fault,” Aphry
said. “But I’ll leave it at that. Are you sixteen too?”
“No. I’m a few months younger, but I’m very
good with a sword and Ebudae could only go if I was along to
protect her.”
“I see. Well I’m glad you both came to visit
us. A lot of people don’t trust or like Carnies, outside of other
Carnies.” Aphry took a hit of the hookah.
Glav chuckled. “A lot of Carnies don’t like or trust Carnies. We’re a casual group. Aphry and I are
married and come from the Kingdom of Obda to the north. We think
Juggles comes from the Palthoon Deserts, but he won’t say.”
“Lizor is from the mountains of Grint in the
far north,” the muscle-bound giant said, jamming a thumb into his
chest. “I grow taller and stronger than the mountains, my mother
says.”
“Not quite as smart though,” Glav jested.
The big man laughed and waggled a finger at him.
Ebudae was back to watching the coins move
back and forth between Juggle’s fingers. They faced each other
cross-legged and he gave her one of the coins. She watched as he
took one in his left hand and began slipping it deliberately
between the fingers. Her first clumsy attempts resulted in it
falling. At that point, she became determined to master the
technique.
The conversation began to drone into the
background as Ebudae added a second coin and began moving it
through her fingers in time with the first. Juggles made
corrections here and there and added a third and fourth, which was
as much as Ebudae could handle right away. Her fingers started to
become sore from the workout. It was different from casting because
there was an object that worked the muscles differently, but Ebudae
came to the realization that it would be excellent exercise to make
her hands stronger.
“Ebudae!” Pelya said, getting the
wizardess’s attention.
She stopped moving the coins through her
fingers. “What?” Then she realized that her hands were sore and
tried to rub it out.
“Glav asked if you know anything about the
history of your family.”
The minstrel strummed his lute. “I like to
know the history of noble families. It’s fascinating and very
difficult to study in Dralin where the nobles have become secondary
to wizards and merchants.”
“My husband knows more useless facts about
everything in the world and never stops trying to find more,” Aphry
said with a playful shove on his shoulder.
“Umm . . . I don’t want to tell you that,”
Ebudae replied. Her grandmother had made her read the family
histories, which used up two and a half large tomes. Most of it was
boring, but there was a fascinating branch of the family consisting
of assassins and murderers. Going back to the beginnings of the
records, Ebudae had learned that one of her ancestors killed the
king and his family when the wizards took over the country of
Altordan hundreds of years ago.
Ebudae had also learned that she was
the direct descendent of that assassin. Lady Pallon had made it very clear that she was never to tell anyone of those
histories. Even Pelya didn’t know.
“I see.” Glav looked insulted. “Well, the
nobles of Dralin are notoriously tight-lipped about themselves. I
shouldn’t have expected otherwise.”
“Glav, peace,” Aphry said with a soothing
hand on his arm. Everyone else looked uncomfortable.
The words dismayed
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