should just stay the whole holidays with Gran.
This isn’t going to be like ours.”
“Oh, that ain’t fair, an’ you wi’ nobody to see ye get meals…”
“I can perfectly well see to myself! And you can be there to spend holiday with her, so she’s not alone.”
“I ain’t at all sure.”
“Have a cake at the shrine and think of me. I’ll be perfectly safe, and you can write to me straightway as you get there and let me know how things are.”
“Now ’ow will I get a letter out?”
“Well, they change out the Guard every month, don’t they, even in bad weather. And if it’s a message to somebody in the Guelesfort, they’ll carry it. They will. And coming home, you know they’ll go as fast as they can.” He took comfort in the plan. It was one of his best. “Which is as fast as the king sending somebody, isn’t it? That’s how the merchants send things.”
“Still,” Paisi said.
“If it turns out I have a place here through spring, you know, you’d only have to go back when the garden goes in. You know Gran can’t do the heavy plow—she’ll put the garden in, but the rest will take the push-plow, won’t it?”
“Farmer Ost’ll bring his oxen over. He’d do it for her. That were the plan, that were what she said, if need be.”
“Well, but then Gran will have your help doing the other things.
So you could just stay on a little.”
“You’re trying to make me stay there the spring, and I said I wouldn’t!”
“I’m not.”
“Are so. You and Aewyn are having a rare good time—as should be, m’lord, don’t mistake me.”
“We’ll be perfectly well.”
“Only so you stay friends while I’m gone and don’t get in any trouble. Boys is apt to quarrels.”
“I shan’t, with him, Paisi. He’s my friend, he’s my true friend, besides being my brother.”
“Gods hear that ’un, Otter-lad. But I’ll feel better if I know Gran’s set.”
“And you come back to me when the chores are done and the planting is in.”
“But if I go—if I go, how’s you even to draw your bath or get your food in this great place? You don’t know the ways…”
“Once you’re well away, and they can’t stop you,” Otter said,
“then I can tell the king, and he’ll see I have someone.”
“Oh, somebody in my place, will he be? I won’t like that!”
“Never in your place, Paisi. You’re my brother.”
A grunt. “Which I ain’t, an’ that’s the fact an’ ye know it. Nor be so cheeky wi’ ’Is Majesty, neither, wi’ askin’ for help as if ye’re due the sun an’ the moon besides. It’s dangerous to assume about lords at all. They can be generous, but they got their moments, too, an’
they think thoughts we don’t know about, so don’t be cheeky an’
don’t tell ’im too late.”
“He won’t be angry. He’ll just be glad we saw to matters ourselves, and it’s not as if I’m going to starve here for a day.”
“Well, ye may, if ye ain’t careful. Ye can’t store food here, not on Fast Day. Ye got to clean the place out an’ go without food in the premises, dawn to dark.”
“I’ll find my own way to the kitchens perfectly well, I’ll follow every rule, and I promise, Paisi, I promise no one will ever, ever take your place. I’ll wear my Festival clothes and sit and listen to us being cursed, being ever so quiet and good, and you—you take your holiday clothes home. You can be quite the sight in the Bryalt festival, won’t you? You’ll have the Guelen Guard saluting you.”
“Oh, m’lord, I’d look the fool. They’d arrest me on the spot!”
“Well, then, but Gran at least should see you in your fancy clothes, shouldn’t she?” Otter flung himself to his feet and pulled Paisi up to his. “And we sit planning when we should be doing. Get what you need. Take the short sword with you. It’s just getting light. We can get out to the stables.”
“What’s to do at the stables? My horse is way down in
This isn’t going to be like ours.”
“Oh, that ain’t fair, an’ you wi’ nobody to see ye get meals…”
“I can perfectly well see to myself! And you can be there to spend holiday with her, so she’s not alone.”
“I ain’t at all sure.”
“Have a cake at the shrine and think of me. I’ll be perfectly safe, and you can write to me straightway as you get there and let me know how things are.”
“Now ’ow will I get a letter out?”
“Well, they change out the Guard every month, don’t they, even in bad weather. And if it’s a message to somebody in the Guelesfort, they’ll carry it. They will. And coming home, you know they’ll go as fast as they can.” He took comfort in the plan. It was one of his best. “Which is as fast as the king sending somebody, isn’t it? That’s how the merchants send things.”
“Still,” Paisi said.
“If it turns out I have a place here through spring, you know, you’d only have to go back when the garden goes in. You know Gran can’t do the heavy plow—she’ll put the garden in, but the rest will take the push-plow, won’t it?”
“Farmer Ost’ll bring his oxen over. He’d do it for her. That were the plan, that were what she said, if need be.”
“Well, but then Gran will have your help doing the other things.
So you could just stay on a little.”
“You’re trying to make me stay there the spring, and I said I wouldn’t!”
“I’m not.”
“Are so. You and Aewyn are having a rare good time—as should be, m’lord, don’t mistake me.”
“We’ll be perfectly well.”
“Only so you stay friends while I’m gone and don’t get in any trouble. Boys is apt to quarrels.”
“I shan’t, with him, Paisi. He’s my friend, he’s my true friend, besides being my brother.”
“Gods hear that ’un, Otter-lad. But I’ll feel better if I know Gran’s set.”
“And you come back to me when the chores are done and the planting is in.”
“But if I go—if I go, how’s you even to draw your bath or get your food in this great place? You don’t know the ways…”
“Once you’re well away, and they can’t stop you,” Otter said,
“then I can tell the king, and he’ll see I have someone.”
“Oh, somebody in my place, will he be? I won’t like that!”
“Never in your place, Paisi. You’re my brother.”
A grunt. “Which I ain’t, an’ that’s the fact an’ ye know it. Nor be so cheeky wi’ ’Is Majesty, neither, wi’ askin’ for help as if ye’re due the sun an’ the moon besides. It’s dangerous to assume about lords at all. They can be generous, but they got their moments, too, an’
they think thoughts we don’t know about, so don’t be cheeky an’
don’t tell ’im too late.”
“He won’t be angry. He’ll just be glad we saw to matters ourselves, and it’s not as if I’m going to starve here for a day.”
“Well, ye may, if ye ain’t careful. Ye can’t store food here, not on Fast Day. Ye got to clean the place out an’ go without food in the premises, dawn to dark.”
“I’ll find my own way to the kitchens perfectly well, I’ll follow every rule, and I promise, Paisi, I promise no one will ever, ever take your place. I’ll wear my Festival clothes and sit and listen to us being cursed, being ever so quiet and good, and you—you take your holiday clothes home. You can be quite the sight in the Bryalt festival, won’t you? You’ll have the Guelen Guard saluting you.”
“Oh, m’lord, I’d look the fool. They’d arrest me on the spot!”
“Well, then, but Gran at least should see you in your fancy clothes, shouldn’t she?” Otter flung himself to his feet and pulled Paisi up to his. “And we sit planning when we should be doing. Get what you need. Take the short sword with you. It’s just getting light. We can get out to the stables.”
“What’s to do at the stables? My horse is way down in
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