In fact people cheered and stomped their feet on seeing her, so one of the jugglers signaled for them to all stand in the middle of the flying torches for a bit, realizing that a bit of color can’t hurt no doubt. Tor wincing away from the fire obviously and comically, getting some hoots from the audience. He straightened and stuck his tongue out, fingers wiggling in his ears, then finally getting the field they were using just walked out of the star of fire being made without breaking the pattern. Burks followed him easily, but Mutta had to wait for the men and women to let her go, which they didn't want to do, because the crowd had more than tripled suddenly, with her there in the middle. She was just that exotic, and everyone had heard about her already. It was even fashionable to try and dye hair the same color as hers Tor had heard.
Of course.
Taking down the carriage was an event itself and caused a happy roar, as if they hadn't seen it before a dozen times. Well, right now almost anything would make the crowd happy. They'd come for that purpose and that always made things easier. Once inside Mutta took a good look at the place. Her head tilted and a smile curled on her lips.
“Court Jester? This is your house? A castle nicer than that of the Queen? How is that?” Her gaze scrapped the walls, the lovely decorations that looked a good bit more tasteful than the palace did, if what Varley had told him was right. No gaudy displays of wealth, past the polished stone, wood, and silk on the walls. The big staircase in the middle was carpeted all in red now. It had been stone earlier, but Collette took joy in changing things around, since it was so simple here.
“Oh, it's magic. Don't worry, it's not really here at all. It's like the carriage we came in, a little focus stone amulet. But if we turned it off right now all the things and people would end up in a jumbled pile on the ground, which would be a big mess, so you'll have to trust me on that one.”
Burks bowed to Mutta and made his way out to the little magic house that had been set up earlier by someone for the school testing. It was directly in back of the large house so that the noise from the festival wouldn't disturb anyone trying to get a scholarship.
Taking her hand again and walking slowly so her robes wouldn't trip her up, Tor led the Afrak woman up the stairs, the gaze of nearly twenty royals following them as they went. Well, she was certainly worth looking at, given her exotic coloration. The red hair alone, bright like a birds, not copper like Rolph's, but true red. Brighter than blood even. The dark skin looked like polished stone under the magic lights, dimmer in here than the sun outdoors.
At his door, which had his name on it, he pounded and then waited for a few seconds before entering.
“It's my room, in my house, but the last time I just walked in there were four nobles on my bed doing… stuff. Really, I think if I described it you may have to run away in shock. Then I'd have to find you again to deliver the rivers.” Tor mock shivered.
“Giant hairy red butt.” He said, fake fear in his voice.
It earned a big smile.
Inside the room he went right to the rivers and earth moving rigs, explaining which was which and how to set them up, activate and control them by tapping different sigils. She nodded along, looking at the bed several times. Finally he got it, the restraints used on Ridley were still there, attached to the headboard and the bed was unmade. Ooops. And he'd told her it was his bedroom too. How embarrassing. She didn't say anything but did give him a faintly wild eyed look.
Probably wondering if it was just polite to be tied up like that, and if there was any way to decline without being rude.
He handed her the amulets that let the boxes, decorated as lovely wooden chests with brass work, in a golden colored wood, follow her. That made her stop in the door as they rose into the air and came along.
“Are these… are they truly the desalination systems? I… Can we set one up? I know that it's an imposition, but…”
But the idea of her “Court Jester” even having something like that wasn't something she could grasp, not really.
Tor got the gist of what she meant. Well, why not? He wanted to learn Afrak anyway. He'd grab some of Kolb's people and… Karina, and make an outing of it the next day. The fighting instructors had set one up before, and it should take less than a day to make a loop. They could raise it somehow and use it as a decoration for the big party the following evening maybe? No one else would be expecting a decorative river, would they?
He was later for his run than he liked and didn't find Kolb until after he finished, nearly three hours after he should have. The huge bald man thought it the height of rudeness to make anyone wait, Tor knew, so he wasn't surprised when he held out his large hand for Tor’s shield, then set three of his largest men after him, making Tor start unarmed again. The fight was brutal until he managed to get one of the big blades from the men and started swatting at the weak points in the armor at their knees. It wasn't very effective really and they killed him after a while, then interspersed drinking water with going after each of the giants three on one as well, Tor with only a stick about his own height for that part. It was the very first time that Tor had ever worked with the combat giants, rather than just being their target.
He tried to focus and cooperate with them, remembering what had worked on him in the past. It was a little strange, but no one seemed to think he sucked at it totally. He even made a single kill himself. The huge mean looking Baron. The other two men managed to pin him to the ground while Tor pantomimed hitting him in the head with his stick until, laughing more than a little, the Baron admitted that even his hard skull wouldn't have lasted through the beating.
When Kolb came over he had Petra with him. Along with a serious look that was caught halfway between bland and giddy. Tor didn't trust it at all.
“Petra, if you would?” Was all he said.
Tor half expected her to start beating him, but instead she had an analysis of all their performances ready. All of them. It was excruciating in its detail, down to the times his feet had been slightly off position and when he dropped his blade tip while leaping back a few times. At first he felt bad about how he'd done, but he realized that everyone else was getting the same treatment.
Right…
This was part of how they got so good. Focusing Tor memorized what was said, then moved off to the side to try and practice it all.
After a few minutes Petra came over and watched, calling out suggestions which he followed pretty well, at least she didn't scream at him for doing it all wrong. Finally she stopped him and handed back his shield.
“Good. Keep that up and you may actually make a fighter some day.” Then she hugged him. It wasn't the typical “warrior's hug” being too soft and smooth, but it was nice.
Looking down and feeling about five feet high, he blushed.
“Petra? If you don't have anything to do later, would you like to spend the night with me? And Karina and her friend Ali?” He was going to spend the time with the Princess, but having Petra there would be fun too. She nodded.
“I'd love too, just remember, Karina and I are related, distantly and we're both girls, but you know, doing anything too close would be… off putting.”
Ah.
That hadn't really been what he'd had in mind, but he nodded seriously. Who knew what they'd get up to? He got it set up without hesitating. The communications device was nice for that. He actually got to talk to Karina and make plans, which made her sound a lot happier. Ali got on and jabbered at him about her day, as if they didn't have all evening for that. She even told him about the baking parts. Tor smiled and listened, making appropriate noises until the King himself intervened, sending the girls off on an errand. It seemed the plan, instead of cosseting the girls was going to be keeping them busy and working for the time being.