Inkblots: A Tale of Magic, Adventure, and Romance

X. A Favor

Alia spent the entirety of the next day working, avoiding her mother, and avoiding thinking about anything that had to do with Heroes, the Book, or magic. All classes had been cancelled, and word around the kitchens was that the Scribes were taking their meals in the closed off library.

While she sat in the courtyard and ate her lunch, the absurd image of the two drunken, staggering Heroes kept popping into her mind, but she tried not to laugh. It was disrespectful. When her cold slice of meat pie (she'd snagged it from the kitchens herself to avoid seeing her mother) was gone, she reached down to loosen the buckle of her shoe--and in appalled horror, realized that the sturdy leather shoes had been a solstice gift from her mother and were almost certainly a product of 'Bain Shoemaker.' After that it wasn't hard to avoid laughter. And of course, every time she thought of the magic twirling away out of her control, Alia thought she might vomit.

She was too afraid to try it again. Maybe it would be better if she just waited.

Who knows how long she might have gone on that way if something hadn't happened to snap her out of it. But just as her workshift was close to ending, footsteps and a giggle came down the corridor outside the chamber she worked in. Alia had been doing a very half-hearted job of dusting the shelves and desks, with most of her attention focused on listening for the bell that would end her shift, but at the sound of passersby she straightened up and got to work.

A head of blonde ringlets peeked around the corner. "Darine?" asked Alia, startled.

Darine grinned back at her with wild spark in her dark eyes and disappeared for a moment. "Right this way, sirs," Alia heard her say sweetly.

Darine walked in, followed by the smiling Caddock Strongarm and scowling, distant-looking Kitrell Silvertongue, and Alia jumped to attention. She was suddenly glad for the three rows of tables between her and the front of the room.

"Hello," blurted Alia, sitting her feather duster on a nearby chair. She couldn't make eye contact with either of the Heroes--every time she did, she saw their bloodshot eyes and stumbling gaits from last night. Heroes were supposed to have dignity. They were Heroes.

"Hi, um, your name is Alia, right?" Caddock kicked an awkward foot against the floor as he spoke, and Alia was suddenly startled to realize that for all his deep voice and large build, he couldn't be much older than she was--maybe 22 or 23 summers at the oldest.

"Yes, sir," she said, voice cracking unpleasantly.

"Oh, please don't call me Sir," he said. "I haven't gotten used to this whole Hero thing yet." Gesturing behind him, he added, "And that's just Kit. We aren't fancy."

'Just Kit' stared grimly out the window without even acknowledging what was happening in the room.

"Gosh, that's so nice of you to be so down-to-earth," gushed Darine. For some reason she was still standing there, batting her eyelashes at Caddock.

What happened to Bannick? thought Alia wryly. Of course, he's no Hero.

Apparently impervious to the awkward tension that filled the air, Caddock went on with a polite air. "Anyhow, Miss Alia, Kit and I just wanted to be sure that we came by and thanked you for last night. And apologized. Erh... You were very kind. If there's a favor we could do for you, we would be happy to."

Right. As if she was actually going to take them up on that when one half of "we" was still glaring and ignoring everyone.

"Forget about it," she said quickly, blushing under Darine's suddenly curious stare. "Anyone would have done the same for Heroes of the Book."