Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

62: Jarryd

Jarryd shrugged into one of Dax's shirts, tucking it in as he returned to the sitting room where the freshly lit fire spat in the grate. As he crossed the room, his brother positioned the fire screen.

"Fenberry dropped off a pot of tea," Dax said when Jarryd came up behind him. "Want some?" He held out a full cup.

Jarryd took it and, with a sigh, he sank into the armchair.

Dax grinned in Jarryd's direction, saluting wordlessly with wine.

Mindspeech slammed into the room.

Dax, help me.

"Taniel." Jarryd crashed the teacup down on to the side table, lurched to his feet, and ran for the door.

"You heard her," Dax said, as they jammed in the doorway. "We should never have let her alone. That bastard. Here, let me go first or I'll trample you."

Taniel's screams made it difficult for Jarryd to think. He moved aside and followed Dax to the pink room at the far end of the hallway.

"How can she talk into our heads like this?" Dax said, over his shoulder. "And she breached the seal on my room."

Jarryd grunted. She should not be able to speak to his mindpath, either, not while he was invisible, but he was getting used to Taniel breaking rules. Now was not the time to talk of prophecy. Surely, the prophecy would not require Taniel to endure Ritter's attentions.

When they arrived, Fenberry was stooped outside the door, eye to the keyhole. The manservant straightened, shaking his head, and indicated Dax should look.

"He's on the floor," Dax said, his voice muffled against the door. "Looks like she nutted him."

Serve the bastard right. Jarryd's fear eased.

"What is going on?" Mother hurtled up the nearby stairs, her red tresses streaming behind her. She clutched a green morning gown around her. "Is Ryne in there?" She pushed Dax away and peered through the keyhole. "The girl isn't hurt. Quickly now, he has gone under the bed."

Jarryd gritted his teeth to stop himself from shouting.

Mother yanked the flexible spyglass from the keyhole and threw it on the floor. "Dax, you'll need my magic." She grabbed Dax's fingers and reached for the manservant. "Fenberry, you too."

Magic sparked the air.

Dax launched it at the door.

"The shield still holds," Mother shouted. "Again. Fenberry, give him all you can."

Magic crackled against the door.

It held.

Taniel's cries for help cut off. The silence in Jarryd's head deafened him and, trying not to panic, he grabbed Dax's hand.

Dax squeezed acknowledgment. "Mother, Fenberry, once more." Dax hid Jarryd's magical thread within his own, before melding the threads with Mother's distinctive power. Fenberry slumped to the floor.

The bedroom door flew open, thudding against the inner wall.

Dax and Mother rushed in and, carefully stepping over Fenberry, Jarryd followed.

Taniel, crammed in the corner on the far side of the bed, cowered behind the commode chair. She ignored her rescuers.

Relief made Jarryd's knees tremble.

Ritter popped up in front of the commode, frowning at Mother who shouted obscenities at him.

Taniel stood. She swung a chamberpot at Ritter's head. The wizard, rebounding from the wall, fell partway across the bed. Taniel looked at them then, seemingly unaware that piss, dribbling from her hair, glistened on her heaving bosoms.

Pride caught Jarryd's breath. My woman, he thought, his chest swelling.

Taniel singled out Dax.

"What took you so long," she said.

***

30 March 2017 - replaced with revised scene (one major change - I took away Olivia's ability to use her magic)

Vote?

Comment?