Gallel's Heir

Chapter 4.1: Encounters

The autumn air outside was a fresh chill in shade, and warm in the golden sunlight. They passed through the dappled greens and reds of her garden, and crossed the short stretch of forest to the Logan Bridge, which arched high over the Kanterol in graceful stone. Dylin watched the water race under her feet. Den Ubal's arm was gentle, and her wari strengthened with his touch. The scalwax probably wouldn't last as long as she needed. The powder was so bitter, she always underestimated how much she should drink.

Den Ubal broke the awkward silence with, "Where're we going?"

"Kampten." She looked him in the face. "I get notes all the time, people asking for my help." He nodded. "Sometimes the 'emergency' can wait, but I think this one shouldn't."

Lianna ran towards them with Dylin's gray leather bag under her arm. Close behind ran two of Gallel's guards, muscular men who probably wished they were at Galia's border with Turbia fighting a war instead of chasing a little girl. "No!" said Lianna. "I need..." A guard caught her at the waist. She screamed and kicked furiously. She had reason to be terrified of these men: Large, if not mean, they followed Tutang's orders with determination. At least they never physically harmed her.

Dylin shuffled down the arch, den Ubal following. "Jamesen, let her down!" The strength in her voice surprised her.

"My Lady," said Jamesen, "why you keep trying to take her out is a mystery to me."

"Do you want a san who's sheltered? Without our escapes, she wouldn't even have been across the river."

"That's none of our affair," said the other guard, Maluan.

Dylin lacked the energy for this. "Fine, just take her." She knelt before Lianna. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Lianna nodded, tears wetting her cheeks. "Here's your bag, Mama."

"Thank you." She kissed Lianna's forehead, then the girl ran into the garden. The guards bowed to Dylin and followed the girl.

Den Ubal shouldered the bag, took Dylin's arm and pulled her a little closer to him. "Is it always like this?"

Dylin said, "If they catch us. I don't usually even try to bring her, but if I'm not feeling well, it's nice to have her company."

His shoulders clenched. "Indeed."

They crossed the Logan Bridge and followed the road deeper into the Darkwood Forest. The fresh air brought a little clarity, if not strength, to her mind and body. Den Ubal's solidness beside her was pleasant, especially since time lacked to brew cacao or scalwax properly. He chatted about the weather, and jen Albey, Mistress of Servants, how glad he was to be away. He seemed familiar, and the familiarity frightened her, drew her to him. He chatted as her equal, a thing from a servant she found refreshing.

"Won't jen Albey miss you if you've skipped your work?" she said.

"Today is my day off. It's just good to have access to the library whenever I want."

Her lips tightened from weariness; she should have taken more scalwax.

Merase had mentioned that she spent time with den Ubal; she spoke once of wanting to bond him, so to even think of him was foolish. Some of the female servants blatantly asked Dylin if she was ever planning to bond someone; all the other servants gossiped about it, a young and pretty san with a cruel husband and no other men of interest.

She kept talking to keep her mind occupied. "Once, someone requested my healing for her bondman who had been drinking all night. She didn't know he'd been drinking, she thought he was on death's door the next morning. I got there promptly, her note seemed urgent, but I spent the next hour explaining to her why her bondman's drinking was her problem, not mine, and that there was nothing I could do about it. I can only heal the body, not stupid behavior. I told her the headache would go away soon enough. She said, 'That man of mine will never go away!' " He chuckled, and her stomach fluttered again. She smiled at him. "Most people don't know who I really am: they just put their notes in a box near my garden. I prefer that. There is nothing so annoying as having someone bowing at you."