Private Tales Light After Dark

[Audreyn]

She glanced around, deeply uncomfortable. She could at any moment turn this all into ash. She could blow these people to bits and set fire to stalls and- she stopped herself short, realizing magic had sparked to life around her and was churning unsettlingly.

She swallowed hard, casting a helpless glance at Gerrard. "Perhaps tonight." And by perhaps, she meant yes. She fell silent, taking deep breaths as she wordless walked herself through the exercise he gave her to help her separate herself from her magic and put it out. It was hard enough on the busy, jostling street full of sights and smells to concentrate like that, she was sure she couldn't let it out slowly without a mishap.

She both lacked the experience and good relationship with magic to do that. But in a moment like this, she was all the more determined to change that.

She liked cities. She liked people. She couldn't let this take control and keep her away from them.

The magic fizzled out, solidly locked away inside of her. She stepped closer to Gerrard, tight into his side.

 

[Gerrard]

Gerrard kept walking towards the market square but one arm stopped swinging to match his pace. He deliberated on the decision for two more strides before placing it on Audreyn's shoulder. Gerrard was not good with people.

"Good, I felt that." He gave her shoulder a brief squeeze before taking his hand back.

"If you think about what can go wrong then the chances are it will. Like if you think about falling when you take stairs and then trip. But if you just think about reaching the top of the stairs your legs can handle the walking all on their own. It is the same with magic. Think about what you want to achieve. The gestures and words and reagents are all just parts of focusing your mind, which is why great magicians can cast without speaking a word. Oh, here is a bank."

After the carefully worded lesson the pitch of his voice changed suddenly at the sight of the exchange sign over a door. A stack of coins was painted on the wooden board. Whilst making someone else feel more comfortable wasn't something he was good at he knew magic and had enough insight to guess that her fears had triggered that little shift in the winds of magic.

 

[Audreyn]

She nodded, letting the whole exchange slip away without resistance. "But you already have money," she croaked. She cleared her throat, peering up at the sign.

"Like a whole pouch full."

 

[Gerrard]

"Yes but that coin isn't taken in every shop here. That might not be enough for some formal clothes either. They charge a small fortune for good clothing here."

The bank was nothing more than a pair of desks with elderly men sat behind them. Two men stood watch from the corner. They weren't dressed like guards but it was fairly clear what they were here for. There wasn't a great distinction between a legitimate bank and a loan shark who needed to enforce collection here.

Gerrard sat at a table and fished out a small parchment from his pouch. The old man took it and then fetched a heavy ledge from one wall.

He closed the book and returned to Gerrard.

"Code word?" he asked.

"Turbulence."

It was a simple system. A bank note to identify the holder and a code word held in the ledger. If he lost the note on the rode a "man of standing" would have had to vouch for him.

With his coin changed - for a fee - and another pouch of money taken out they returned to the streets.

"Far side of the market square has fresh ingredients," Gerrard said. "You can get for a better price down at the docks but that would be a long walk now."

He had no issue going down to the downmarket areas of town for food, but a lot of the nobility here did.

 

[Audreyn]

"I don't mind," she told him amenably. Shoulda known better than to offer her the cheaper alternative, now she was gonna drag him down the whole way to save a silver.

The bank system fascinated her greatly, her thoughts still lingering on the exchange she had witnessed. Turbulence. Was that some magic word? What did it stand for? What did it do? She half resolved to try it later, biting back the slew of questions she was usually consciously trying to not overwhelm and annoy him with.

"I want a code word, can we have a code word?" A playful joke, no doubt, a swishing motion done as she turned to tug on his sleeve and grin up at him as they walked.

 

[Gerrard]

"My stomach does," he replied. Also, he had wanted to give her a glimpse of the upmarket fashion stores, haberdasheries and apothecaries of the square. They were approaching one of the most modern trading centres in the known world.

"What's that? So we can use a code to decide the party is awful and we want to leave without offending anyone?" he laughed back at her. "Something innocuous, like...erm..."

 

[Audreyn]

"Pie," she answered confidently, entirely unaware of the meaning of innocuous. "For like, when I'm hungry and stuff. I can't imagine parties actually being awful. Not the way you describe them. The foood, the dressesss, the peeeeople." She sighed blithely, able to picture it all the more easily as they walked deeper into the market district.

As they walked she became increasingly more aware of their surroundings, the wealth and structure that went into all the shops. There were buildings and well structured stalls, with paint and bricks and colorful signs-- a far step up from the tents and backs of carts the last town had.

It was the greatest sign of wealth she had ever witnessed ... and she couldn't help but to think it was a waste.

 

[Gerrard]

"No, no, I need a code word for 'this conversation is boring me to tears please rescue me.' There might be actual pie - almost certainly will be actually - and we need a word that won't arouse suspicion but wouldn't come up normally."

For once his tone was genuinely light. Whilst he could think of a few words he wanted to see what Audreyn might come up with. Gerrard nodded towards a butcher's shop.

 

[Audreyn]

"There will be pie?" She echoed, the embodiment of hope. Her mouth mouth watered. If he had any hope of using her as an excuse to avoid the dinner party, he was screwed now. She was utterly eager to go, the event feeling like a literal chance of a lifetime.

She took his arm, trying to bite back her excitement. A simple thought towards where she should be dulled her enough. He did not have to deal with a squealing girl jumping at his feet.

She swallowed hard, walking slower as the colorful chaos of the marketplace engulfed them in full. The world spun around her and she tried to take it in full.

"How about... splinter," she offered thoughtfully. "A fancy place shouldn't have things that give you splinters, right? Just say your spoon gave it to you. I'll act... drunk. Or something."

 

[Gerrard]

"That works," he laughed. He suspected it was more likely that Audreyn ended up over eating, over excited and trying not to be sick.

"There will be pies. There'll be everything they can think of to show off. Food there for entertainment as much as to eat. They've taken to showing off with a centrepiece. They hunt something exotic like a gryphon or a wyvern, cook it and make a big show of decorating it. One had a roast boar presented in the jaws of a chimera just...because..."

Gerrard opened the door to the butcher. A small bell was rung out by the frame, heralding their arrival. He was struck by the scent of fresh meat. A heavy set man in a bloody apron looked over at them. There was a thud as his cleaver dropped to a chopping board.

"Be with yer in a minute," he called out.

"What did you want to cook?" Gerrard asked. He hadn't even thought that far ahead.

 

[Audreyn]

"Meat," she answered vaguely, in no small state of shock over the fact that she would get to it so casually. She turned in a circle, looking over the place and struggling to identify the types of animals around her. Usually, she saw them alive.

"Uh... Chicken is, chicken is fine.I know that. I can, um, boil it. If you want to get super fancy and have some salt, I can flavor it too. And potatoes. I can do all sorts of things to those. Mash it and smush it over bread, yum."

She turned to him then, a look of concern on her face.

"But what if something bad happens. Like... what if... he comes back? We should..." She stepped forward, lowering her voice. "You know. Code word it too."

 

[Gerrard]

"If you see him codewords might be out the window. But that's not a terrible idea. Pick another word and we'll use it if you see anything out of the ordinary. Baldy won't be back for a long time, but I can't guarantee they won't send another."

The butcher walked towards them, wiping his hands on his apron. He tilted his head back in a gesture that said what do you want?

"Whole chicken please. No giblets."

 

[Audreyn]

She fell silent at his words, consumed by them. He wouldn't be back for a long time. Not as good as never coming back forever, but a long time-- that enough to do something about it. And in a city like this, it felt like she could do anything.

"A whole- is someone coming over?" A rhetorical question, the girl flabbergasted none the less.

The butcher merely nodded slightly at the order and stepped back to fill it. Audreyn shook her head, moving on from the surprise with more ease than the last once.

"How about.... Fire. Or like. There's a fire. I shouldn't be saying that unless I made one anyway so... works."

The butcher walked back out with a burlap sack and she opened her arms for it instinctively. She huffed at the weight dropped into her arms, her breath knocked out of her.

 

[Gerrard]

"Well that's going to take some time to cook," he reflected. He paid the butcher, letting his eyes pass across the counter. There was some ox tongue that looked quite nice. Might have made a nice breakfast, but he decided to just pay for the chicken for now.

"Fire works. Maybe ice if you're worried you can't contain your own magic. I should teach you a couple of parlour tricks. Would make you very popular for the evening."

He turned left out of the butcher's shop towards an open market stall with potatoes. A full sack of them and a load of bread would do for now. Hopefully the dried herbs and salt would have kept well or been replenished by his housekeeper. Gerrard carried the weight of the bag of potatoes that would keep well in a cupboard.

 

[Audreyn]

Splinter, fireworks, ice. She tried to commit them to memory, more for the sense of security and excitement about it all than out of actual need.

The market stall was slowly left behind them as they hefted their findings back home, her arms straining and breath short as she mulled more over this party she would get to experience.

"Are you sure that's ... wise? Me.... attracting attention like that over magic? Shouldn't I try to pretend I don't have it at all, what if someone tries to lynch me?"

 

[Gerrard]

"It will be a party of well mannered individuals with an appreciation of the fact that magic is a fine art and not a mark of a demon," he explained. It was said rather matter-of-factly.

"Besides, it will make it clear to everyone that you are my student and to be treated with respect."

Gerrard dropped the sack of potatoes by the door and fished the key out of his pocket. It unlocked with a heavy thunk and he pushed it open for her.

 

[Audreyn]

"Yeah?" She echoed. "I... like the sound of that." She slid in, walking past him and helping herself to the kitchen. She dropped the chicken with a satisfying plop, shaking out her arms and huffing to herself as she started to clamor about the place.

"I hope you have a big enough pot. Also. We're gonna need fresh water to boil it. Where's a well to fetch it from? Is there a object carrying spell? I don't wanna split my hand back- oomph," she walked into the kitchen door as he opened it to follow her in.

 

[Gerrard]

"Oh Audreyn. Sorry." Gerrard said. His tone was harsh. He dropped the sack of potatoes on the floor.

Rather than answer the question he slipped around the door. The sound suggested she had caught the frame hard...and with her head.

"Are you hurt?"

 

[Audreyn]

She took a step back, rubbing at her forehead. "Not really- ow. -Sorry." She turned from him and walked deeper back in, rub rub rubbing but looking no worse for wear.

"Alright, but now you're fetching the water," she leveled. "You do that and then you can go work, this'll take ages anyway, I can come help you when its going. " She ducked into a cabinet, ruffling around.

 

[Gerrard]

His vital work, side tracked for a girl suffering the ignorance of peasants. Now he was bumbling over a door based accident instead of continuing his research. Working out what would make it a success. What would avoid the failures of the past. Yet it amused him instead of annoying him.

"I'll go get the water, you can rub your forehead and start cutting up the chicken," Gerrard said. "It's only just down the end of the road. They collect it in tanks, though its only good for cooking and washing. Drinking water is a little further away."

Gerrard shrugged. "But that's what the wine is for..."

 

[Audreyn]

"Or servants," she quipped, smiling a bit devilishly up at him as she popped out with a pot. See, she was settling in just fine.

She thunked it down and made a shooing gesture of understanding, utterly in her prime here when it came to household duties. This, she was good at. This was part of her world.

She had been half tempted to cut up the chicken and boil them in herbs, it would have cooked the meal all that much faster and she was starving. But when she found the herb cabinet, all thoughts of that went out the window. She had never done a whole roast herself before, but on a few occasions she had seen it done.

How hard could it be.

Around late afternoon she brought him a platter of bread and seasoned potatoes. She wasn't entirely sure if the flavors were suppose to go on it like that, and perhaps she went entirely too overboard with them. But they could be scrapped off well enough and she looked pleased with it as she handed his over and tried to pull up a seat next to him.

"The roast will still be a little."

 

[Gerrard]

Audreyn had gone a little over the top on the herbs, but he could stand a little extra flavour after bland dried food on the road.

"Butter!" he exclaimed. "Should have got some butter at the market to go with potatoes and bread. Will get some tomorrow."

Gerrard picked up his knife and cut a piece of potato in half to scoop up with his spoon.

"Thank you Audreyn," he said, nearly having forgotten to thank her for the effort. His stomach complained at another interruption before food.

Still chewing, he reached across the table to the bottle of white wine he had just uncorked. He poured himself a glass and offered one to Audreyn.

"Tomorrow we will go clothes shopping," he declared, "as well as getting some more food."

Purchasing food was a near constant affair. Only dried and salted meat could be preserved for any length of time. Lots of independant shops through the city brought in fresh food on a daily basis. One had to visit around six vendors to get enough food for a large meal. Fortunately there were just the two of them in the house and he had never been picky about what he ate. He appreciated the nicer things in life, but knew there were more important things than fine dining. The fat baron's waistline suggested that he did not.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn took the glass easily, familiar with wines and ales on special occasions. Every day felt like a special occasion with Gerrard. She was beginning to wonder if that would ever wear off.

"Are you really sure about that?" She followed up, shoving a large chunk of potato in her mouth and making a face at all the flavor. She wiggled it back out and scrapped it off, taking a more ginger bite where the herbs were sparse. "I have my other dress, I haven't been wearing it on the road on purpose. It's clean in its wrappings, I can wear it just fine."

 

[Gerrard]

"Yes of course we can go shopping," he replied with a smile and a shrug. Despite not being enamoured with the notion of attending an event as Pa's guest, he was feeling more content within the security of Vel'Anir's walls. The house wasn't the sprawling house of the Duvont family. Nor was it his comely laboratory, as evidenced by the fact one could cross the floor without crushing five glass instruments. Gerrard was accustomed to the pleasant, airy house and was becoming used to Audreyn's company too.

"They get quite fussy about fashion trends here so it is just easier to get an outfit suitable for the occasion. Which does of course means we need to know what kind of occasions we're being invited to first..."

 

[Audreyn]

She made a face, squirming a little and looking around them. "Well you are, also, aware... I mean, that I- you know where I come from, aren't things all going to be different there? Like-" She held up the fingers she was using to help herself eat-- coated in specks of herbs.

"Isn't there suppose to be, like, a million spoons and napkins that you tape to yourself and- what if I embarrass you?" It was strange but also rather pleasant for that to be the biggest concern on her mind. She definitely saw the contrast of the weeks before and was almost too appreciative of their sudden security to be struck odd by it.