Nightsworn | The Whispering Wall #2

Forty Two: The Forest Court

"I can't feel my arse and I'm starving." Jordan glared down at the top of his tutor's head. "How long are you going to make me sit up here?"

"For a start, until you quit whining." Yddris's words were accompanied by a plume of smoke that spiralled up to Jordan's perch in a branch that overlooked Hap's garden. He settled into moody silence, glaring into the trees. This was supposedly an exercise that would help him gain precision over the use of his magic, but so far he'd only succeeded in getting bored, numb and hungry. He tried to clear his mind, but he was too stirred up now. It was difficult to settle already, when he felt in danger of overbalancing and falling off at any moment.

The tree he sat in was just beginning to bud, and weak shafts of light made their way through the canopy, though they were so feeble that it dissipated before illuminating anything much at ground level. After the storm the forest smelled fresh, and he was certain that the weather was not as bitingly cold as it had been.

Thirris exited the house and stood on the veranda for a moment. Ren was perched contentedly on his head.

"I don't think he's in the right mood to get anything out of that exercise, Yddris," the older man said. "You have had him at it for a while."

"Thank you," Jordan said. He sniffed. "Are you cooking?"

"Cara's called a meeting," Thirris told both of them. "She wants to hear news from the Reach most of all. So I thought we might have a spot of early lunch and head down there afterwards."

Jordan shuffled along the branch and eased himself down the trunk, wincing at the reluctance of his legs to cooperate. His knees almost buckled when he touched the ground.

"I don't recall telling you to get down," Yddris growled around his pipe, but didn't force Jordan to go back up. With all the will in the world Jordan didn't think he'd have been able to. He hurried back inside before Yddris could change his mind, and went to his guest room for a new pair of trousers, since his morning up a tree had left the backs of his legs wet. He draped his old ones over the back of his chair and rummaged in his knapsack for his second pair. He wasn't sure how he felt about attending a Guild meeting; he was nervous, even though everyone he had spoken to had been polite as a minimum. It was another world to the Reach. When he thought about it in contrast to the meeting with Arlen's guild, however, he relaxed. Nothing here could ever be worse than that.

He returned to the front room before he could dwell on those thoughts. They inevitably led to fears and worries he could do nothing about while he was so far away from the city; how was Grace doing? Was she safe? Would Marick leave her alone while he was gone? His first letter to her lay sealed and addressed on his desk, waiting for the first caravan out of the Guildtown. In mad moments he caught himself anticipating her response, even though he hadn't sent it yet. He hadn't appreciated just how convenient texting was until it was no longer an option.

Thirris handed him a plate of pie out of the tray nestled in the hearth fire as he entered. It steamed invitingly, the rich smell enveloping him. The top was a layer of buttery root mash, the base thick with vegetables and gravy, and as he tucked into it he groaned. "You're going to have to teach me how to make this."

"Has Nika never made it for you?" Thirris asked. He chuckled. "Yes, I can teach you."

"Nika can make this?" Jordan asked Yddris. "Why doesn't he?"

"Because, I expect, it's not very convenient." Thirris got up with a groan, taking the tray from the fire. "It doesn't feed very many at once, and considering your tutor sounds like he's been running a guesthouse for the better part of a season, I don't blame Nika for keeping it simple." He paused for a moment while Jordan wolfed it down. He wanted to savour it, but at the same time could barely keep from inhaling it all at once. The herbs had finally worn off, revealing the extent of his body's exhaustion. For the previous few days he'd had the appetite of someone double his size. "Kiel's teeth, Yddris, have you fed him at all in the last few months?"