Chapter 25
Parental Figures
Once they are gone I eye the portable tub suspiciously. It smells like soap…but I don't really know how to describe it, lime soap? If I get in this thing will my fur smell like lime? Is that a good thing? Logically, unless this is some sort of elaborate prank it must be a desirable smell right?
With one last glance around to confirm that the two girls have indeed gone inside the carpentry shop, I strip off and slip into the bath the serviles have left on the ground near our sparring arena.
The water is warmer than I am used to which is initially uncomfortable but quickly becomes far more relaxing than any bath I've ever had. I’m still a little off-put by the lime smell even if it burns my nose and eyes less than the cleaning tinctures I usually bathe in. I wonder if that means the soapy water won’t do as good of a job cleaning my fur. I’m not in the tub long enough to find out.
After I’ve grown accustomed to the heat, I sink low allowing the water to cover my head for a few heartbeats. The sight I surface to is one that takes me back to the few kind childhood memories I have. Above the carpenter’s place, I can see a dark banner held aloft on spindly white wood that almost looks like bone. Held together with rope and huge knots.
A true smile crosses my face as I track the banner’s swaying motion, increasingly sure I know who this is. I crane my neck to get a look at the image on the material and confirm my suspicions. My heart speeds up when I see it. A roughly painted shuttered lantern on a dark background, with a beam of light streaming out of it in a huge slash of yellow.
‘Laren and Tarnen. Thats Laren and Tarnen!’
I leap out of the water faster than I lept at Xael, clearing the tub in a smooth motion. There is a towel hanging off the weapons rack and several neatly folded piles of clothes on the sparring platform. I ignore the towel and yank a pair of pants from the bottom of the closest pile. This sends the rest of the pile tumbling about onto the dusty ground. I ignore that too, pulling on the pants and sprinting out of our little practice area.
The pants are a cream color and made of… Some kind of material. Cotton maybe? I don’t know, it feels both more durable and more comfortable than the linen scrapware I usually get around in. The garment does not however appreciate my headlong pace, and I find myself using one hand to hold them up as I run towards to intercept the banner’s passage.
Bursting out from behind a line of three stores, I skid to a halt in the center of the tiny street leading from the BloodRock compound’s northern gate and there they are.
Laren and Tarnen the ettin. Twelve feet of muscle covered in a shaggy hide of deep green, armored in enormous pates of bronze, topped by two hideous ogre-like heads sporting fangs that make mine look tiny. Two vicious women, one monstrous body, the closest thing I’ve ever known to a mother.
There is a caravan or something behind them but I only have eyes for the giant. Still holding my now completely soaked pants I jog forward and call up at the two-headed monster accusingly. “You two said you would see me soon! Four years is not soon”
The green-furred creature pauses in its tracks. One head is conversing over its shoulder, Laren I think. The other narrows its eyes down at me before a horrifying smile splits its face.
“Anklebiter!” she cries with excitement. Only one head calls me that, so I know I was right. The head looking at me is Tarnen, the sweeter, more lackadaisical half of the ettin.
“Look, Look its North”
Laren turns to face me as I launch myself at the two-headed giant. Both heads laugh as they catch me mid-air pulling me into a hug just like they did when I was little. I bury my face in the shaggy hide of the women. They smell awful, like some combination of rotting meat and overheated cattle. I breathe it in deep, feeling a warmth spread from my chest.
I could have probably stayed like that for a while, but they quickly put me down.
“Eww North, you are drenched,” says Laren. “You got our fur wet.”
One of the massive hands rubs her abdomen where I had been trying to get the water out. It works though not well.
“Sorry ladies,” I say, still smiling from ear to ear. “I got excited.
”
The ettin shakes both its heads in mock dismay. The two heads aren’t quite in unison and the motion looks a little odd.
“ Muraab says that has been happening a lot lately, and I said North needs a girlfriend, didn't I say that?” tutters Tarnen.
“You did say that” confirms the other head.
“Girlfriend?” I splutter with embarrassment. “How would I get a girlfriend, why are you talking about this with…wait Muraab.”
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The giant gestures to the caravan behind it and I take a few steps to get a look past them. The caravan Laren and Tarnen are at the head of is made up of three Ox pulled wagons. Each is filled with about five children and two BloodRock soldiers. I can see him now. The master of BloodRock’s warriors and pit-slaves alike, the former King on The Sands, Red Muraab.
“ We ran into him on the way here and figured we would do the rest of the journey together” elaborates Larnen.
“ Looking for work or have something booked already?” Both ladies look aghast at the question, a giant shaggy hand clutching at their armored chest.
“ How dare you!?” They both cry playfully. I recognize it as playful at least, the sound is like rocks falling on a herd of cattle.
“ Do you think we are some inbred hill giant wandering into the city looking for gold? We are professionals, we never go anywhere without a prior booking.
I hadn’t intended to offend them, I was just making conversation. I should consider myself lucky the women took it as playful teasing.
I’m in the midst of apologizing for my insensitive question when Muraab calls out to us.
“I’m sure this reunion is very touching, but I and these kids have things we need to do before the sun sets, and the three of you probably do too.”
I glance back to the caravan we are blocking the passage of. Most of the children are boys, more bodies for BloodRock to toss into the pit and keep his pockets lined. There are a few girls as well of course. No doubt destined to work around the manse or be resold to one of the many businesses or houses within Far Mantys that might have less wholesome uses for them.
“I missed you too,” I call back sarcastically.
“Missed? Saffron’s golden balls boy! Get out of the way before I crack your skull open.”
I move of course. With Larnen and Tarnen starting to march forward at Muraab’s urging I don’t have a lot of choice.
“I’m going, but you better check with old man BloodRock before you go sending me to the tower any time soon.”
That shuts him up, though as the wagons roll by I notice the Master of the guards has a funny little smile on his face. Promising to speak more later I bid the ettin farewell and am
on my way back to Xael’s training spot when I run into him and his sister. The pair of them appear to be frantically looking for me and practically run over when they see me.
“Where did you go?” Asks a tense-seeming Xael. “ We have to be at the-oh!” He places a hand over his mouth and begins to quietly laugh. His sister and I both look at the little fighter quizzically. After a few moments of this, he lets out a stream of that same airy Godsring language gesturing at me. Ilexa glances from her brother to me, her eyes going wide, then her face going red. She seems almost frozen in place, unable to blink, breathe, or move. Suddenly in an explosion of motion, she claps both of her hands over her mouth in a similar motion to her brother and spinning to face away from me. The moment she is no longer looking at me the girl bursts into giggles.
“What!? What is wrong with you two?” I demand.
Rather than respond to me Ilexa shoots her brother a raised eyebrow and says maybe two words in their language. The laughter from both of them redoubles.
Getting annoyed I march towards Xael exuding as much threat as I can while holding my pants up with one hand. The little dark-haired boy gets the message. Holding up the same hand he had been covering his mouth with, he replies through an irritatingly wide grin.
“ Wait, it's just well” he represses another laugh, his sister just lets it happen.
“ Your uhh, you did not dry yourself before putting on pants of that particular err shade. So I can see, well that is we can see everything.”
I look down at my legs in horror as I understand what he is saying. I didn’t dry my fur off, and the pants I'm wearing have become saturated and translucent.
I think my face turns pinker than Ilexa’s did.
“ I..uhh” There are no words for the sheer hysterical embarrassment I feel right now. With a snarl, I shove Xael out of my way and tear off back towards the little training area. Despite using one hand to hold my pants up and the other to cover my crotch I don’t think I have ever moved faster in my entire life.