Wayfarer (Wanderlust 2)

Chapter Sixteen

  When real winter arrived, it arrived suddenly. They had only been in Esler Tigo for a few days when they woke up to see the entire valley covered in deep snow. It fell all day, through the night, and into the following day. It didn't stop for days, which Jale assured them was common enough, if a little unusual for the first snowfall of proper winter. Soren was just happy they weren't out with the carriage. The snow was pretty, when he could watch it from the warmth of the governor's palace.

Days turned into weeks, and while the snow stopped falling they still spent most of their time in the palace. Reng Runolorinn had taken quite a liking to Tanden and was happy to let them stay in the palace. They often joined the Governor and Orearaley for meals, and sometimes, but not nearly often enough for Soren's liking, Jale joined them. He felt out of place at those meals, and not only because Tanden could charm the nobles in Tallenese while he sat quietly and ate. It was because they were rich and noble and Tanden was one of them, so he fit in effortlessly. Jale was more like Soren, lower class, pretending to be important. He could talk to her while Tanden talked to the nobles.

But even with the fancy meals, visits to the temple, and afternoons exploring the city, Tanden got bored. He couldn't be stationary. If it hadn't been for the snow, they would have moved on by then, to the next village, the next city, or even just being on the move in the forest. Soren did his best to distract and entertain Tanden, when he wasn't busy with the Governor. Still, every day he could see Tanden getting more agitated.

It was snowing again the day Soren came up with a new idea, one he would need Jale's help with. Tanden went to dinner with Reng Runolorinn, and Soren pretended he wasn't feeling well to skip it. Jale was staying in a room down the hall, and once Soren was sure dinner had started, he slipped out of their room to knock on her door.

She opened the door and stepped aside, so he could walk in. "I thought you had dinner."

"No, I said I wasn't feeling well."

Jale let the door close behind him, and walked across her room. Her room was warm, lit by the roaring fire in her fireplace. Jale settled cross-legged into one of the armchairs closest to the fire, and Soren sat down on the other one. He was nervous, his idea rattling around in his head. It was something Tanden would like, he wasn't worried about that, but getting the whole thing set up was different.

"I need your help."

"I'm not technically employed by you right now," Jale replied idly. She had a thin piece of wood balanced on her lap, acting as a table as she wrote what looked like an already fairly long letter.

He was already so caught up in his own head that it took Soren a moment to see the joke in her dry response. "Very funny. I need you help finding some... one. For Tanden."

"Some...one?" She repeated, pausing exactly the same way he had. The firelight sparkled in her eyes as she looked up. "Is this anything like the Violet House?"

"How did you—"

"How did you think he found it?" Jale interrupted. She glanced at her letter, then put it aside and leaned forward, with her elbows on her knees. "All right. Tell me what you need."

"I want—" Somehow this felt like the hardest part of the plan, even though he trusted Jale entirely. "I think I want to get him a woman."

"Ah. You like women?"

Soren shrugged. "Aye. Not as much as he does, though. I just thought... In Till, he hired a man at the Violet House for me," he explained. "Well, for both of us, really. I thought I could return the favour. And... he's bored."

"He is," Jale agreed with a thoughtful nod. "I'm sure we can find you someone."

"Tonight?"

Jale blinked. "Tonight? I did say I'm not employed by you, right?"