now running together as the ale began to make his thoughts swim. "I thank you for your hospitality, King Toren, and I bid you a good evening. Lady Valamyr, will you accompany me or do you wish to remain?"
"I will be along shortly, Captain," Elaine said.
"Right," Carlis said then he stumbled his way past the many chairs and guests and made his way from the king's table toward the exit of the hall.
"That was not very kind of you, Toren," Elaine told the Aghlar king. "Carlis is a most honorable man."
"I know," Toren said, watching him leave. "Everything I have learned of him speaks well of his character, but I could not resist the chance to have a little sport with him. It was especially amusing to see him struggle from the effects of the strong brew he has been drinking."
"You are incorrigible as ever," Elaine said. "It is no wonder you do not yet have a wife."
"I'll not change my ways, Elaine. If a woman will take me as I am, then so it will be. If not, then so be it."
"You should have married my sister," Elaine said.
"That is one of my regrets," Toren told her. "I would have wedded her, you know, but Elara refused."
"It is no wonder, with the way you carry on."
"She refused because she knew she would not long be of this world," Toren said, the mirth fading completely from his face. "Elara told me that, just before she died. She refused me to spare me."
"How could she have known she would die? How can anyone know such a thing?"
"She knew many things," Toren said. "I did not question her, I merely accepted her word. I loved her dearly, and part of me wishes she had let our luck run its course, while another is grateful to her for what she did. I do not think I would be smiling and joking here if we had become any closer than she allowed us to be."
"At least you still have Ehlena."
"Aye, now that's a truth, and the girl is a constant trouble though I suppose I'm to blame for a little of that," Toren said thoughtfully then he looked at Elaine. "The days are always too short and tomorrow may never come. We might set sail with fair winds on pleasant seas only to meet our end in a sudden storm. Such is the way of things and, looking back, the wasted days are the ones that make the heart hurt."
Elaine searched the eyes of the Aghlar king and she knew that he felt the loss of her sister and his half-brother Matthius, who was a kind of godfather to Ehlena and who had been killed while escorting her to Maramyr. Elaine could see the regret in Toren's face and her opinion of him changed somewhat. Though he carried on like a buffoon much of the time and his sense of humor left much to be desired, she knew his heart was true. It was something she had always known, though she had never wanted to admit it. Elaine pondered what he had said and she thought about Carlis, stumbling his way to the inn where they had taken up residence after Ehlena had taken the ship. She worried about her niece, and hoped she would return safely from wherever she had gone, but for now, she worried more about Carlis.
Elaine knew enough about Aghlar spirits and their many ales to know that the amount of strong brew Carlis had consumed would surely put him in a sorry state and she decided that she should go and find him before he embarrassed himself. The Aghlar people prided themselves on their ability to drink and still function, but even they did not venture far from their beds when drinking sweet water or strong brew. As far as Elaine was concerned, Carlis was twice the man that Toren was, and it would not do for Carlis to be looked down upon simply because of an Aghlar prank.
"While I disapprove of the little game you played with Carlis, and I very much disapprove of being compared to a piece of sail cloth, I am glad to know that you cared about my sister and that you care about your daughter. I still think you are uncouth and a ruffian who happens to wear a crown, but you have my thanks for telling me about Elara. I respect her even more now and
"I will be along shortly, Captain," Elaine said.
"Right," Carlis said then he stumbled his way past the many chairs and guests and made his way from the king's table toward the exit of the hall.
"That was not very kind of you, Toren," Elaine told the Aghlar king. "Carlis is a most honorable man."
"I know," Toren said, watching him leave. "Everything I have learned of him speaks well of his character, but I could not resist the chance to have a little sport with him. It was especially amusing to see him struggle from the effects of the strong brew he has been drinking."
"You are incorrigible as ever," Elaine said. "It is no wonder you do not yet have a wife."
"I'll not change my ways, Elaine. If a woman will take me as I am, then so it will be. If not, then so be it."
"You should have married my sister," Elaine said.
"That is one of my regrets," Toren told her. "I would have wedded her, you know, but Elara refused."
"It is no wonder, with the way you carry on."
"She refused because she knew she would not long be of this world," Toren said, the mirth fading completely from his face. "Elara told me that, just before she died. She refused me to spare me."
"How could she have known she would die? How can anyone know such a thing?"
"She knew many things," Toren said. "I did not question her, I merely accepted her word. I loved her dearly, and part of me wishes she had let our luck run its course, while another is grateful to her for what she did. I do not think I would be smiling and joking here if we had become any closer than she allowed us to be."
"At least you still have Ehlena."
"Aye, now that's a truth, and the girl is a constant trouble though I suppose I'm to blame for a little of that," Toren said thoughtfully then he looked at Elaine. "The days are always too short and tomorrow may never come. We might set sail with fair winds on pleasant seas only to meet our end in a sudden storm. Such is the way of things and, looking back, the wasted days are the ones that make the heart hurt."
Elaine searched the eyes of the Aghlar king and she knew that he felt the loss of her sister and his half-brother Matthius, who was a kind of godfather to Ehlena and who had been killed while escorting her to Maramyr. Elaine could see the regret in Toren's face and her opinion of him changed somewhat. Though he carried on like a buffoon much of the time and his sense of humor left much to be desired, she knew his heart was true. It was something she had always known, though she had never wanted to admit it. Elaine pondered what he had said and she thought about Carlis, stumbling his way to the inn where they had taken up residence after Ehlena had taken the ship. She worried about her niece, and hoped she would return safely from wherever she had gone, but for now, she worried more about Carlis.
Elaine knew enough about Aghlar spirits and their many ales to know that the amount of strong brew Carlis had consumed would surely put him in a sorry state and she decided that she should go and find him before he embarrassed himself. The Aghlar people prided themselves on their ability to drink and still function, but even they did not venture far from their beds when drinking sweet water or strong brew. As far as Elaine was concerned, Carlis was twice the man that Toren was, and it would not do for Carlis to be looked down upon simply because of an Aghlar prank.
"While I disapprove of the little game you played with Carlis, and I very much disapprove of being compared to a piece of sail cloth, I am glad to know that you cared about my sister and that you care about your daughter. I still think you are uncouth and a ruffian who happens to wear a crown, but you have my thanks for telling me about Elara. I respect her even more now and
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