Tor figured he could manage it before the exercise portion of the day if he hurried and went deep to work, which would let him avoid a little boredom to, which given how little else there was to do, made it a fine idea.
After breakfast, sitting uncomfortably in the carriage, he did just that. Before going on his run three hours later he handed one out to everyone. Modified shields that would throw tiny bugs off if they were on you, or block as they approached, so that the fields would free a person of bugs too. The guards didn't comment, except after the exercise for the day, where a few told him it worked. It was a Royal Guard thing, Tor thought. If you presented something to them, they judged it and if it wasn't good enough, you'd hear all about it. Get it right and they just went on with their day, incorporating the new thing seamlessly.
Not high on praise maybe, but it worked for him, because compliments always made him feel uneasy anyway. Embarrassed, like he couldn’t possibly have earned them. Really, given what Burks had told him before, he wondered if that was in his personal pattern too? He was starting to get that something else was involved in that part of things, and it wasn’t all just simple “genetics” but what exactly it was, he didn’t know yet. Magic probably, but if so, he hadn’t been able to isolate the field for it yet.
The next several days went about the same way, except that more of the evening was spent with the girls. Tor made a point of practicing his violin each night too, behind his field of silence. It wasn't that he really believed he'd ever be going back to school, Tor just didn't want to lose what little he'd gained there. It was kind of frustrating, but what could be done except keep trying to learn?
The trip wasn't exactly exciting over all, but at least he had some friends to spend time with, even though the sights that they were promised didn't seem to come up for some reason. They saw trees, which were very nice, but not new. He’d grown up in a forest after all. By the fifth day it was getting hard for Tor to hold his temper with everyone, which wasn't fair, since not a single person had been anything other than nice to him. Ali would sit by him and talk about what kind of house she wanted, which he could provide in days, if he found a good location for it and procured the land. It was nice and even cute, but after a while he felt annoyed and had to fight to keep his mouth shut, and not ask her to shut up.
At least he managed to keep it off his face. Barely.
Varley mentioned historical facts, which were actually fascinating, but not a topic he could add to, so he just sat and tried to memorize what was talked about. Rolph kept looking at him funny, which had nothing to do with some hidden puppy crush and everything to do with realizing how close Tor was to losing his temper over stupid things. Of everyone, only his old friend got it. Karina was mainly quiet. When she finally spoke it was expected, and foolish at the same time. If understandable.
“I should go and get her myself.” The tall and red hair Princess said suddenly in a lull in conversation.
Tor didn't have to ask who she meant. Daria Serge.
What surprised everyone was that Tor agreed with her. After a fashion.
“You're a Princess. She's basically one. You can't go and kill her yourself without starting a war. A real, tens of thousands dying thing, not what we have now. What you need to do is have her killed. While you have a good alibi and look as innocent as possible. Possibly some kind of religious service or something, with one of the pacifist organizations? Feed the hungry or something… Which isn’t a bad idea. We should look into that anyway. But, really, we all should have good alibis. I mean, it wouldn't do to let any of us look guilty. Maybe rescuing babies at the time or something as a distraction?” There had to be something like that they could be doing, right?
Everyone stared at him as if he'd grown a second head and was slapping it or something. Like he’d slap Timmy? He nearly chuckled remembering that that’s what he decided to name his second head if he ever grew one. If his brother wasn’t still using the name.
Sure, he personally didn't go around killing people, but Daria Serge was evil and had killed Yardley Principle. In Noram. She was found guilty of it, and only got away because her dad threatened to destroy most of their major cities. Burks and him had used the threat as an excuse to free Denno, which obviously wasn't a great idea as it turned out. It definitely wasn't worth letting a murderer go. As it was she wasn't even a person that Denno could stand when it came down to it.
If someone that was a creepy would-be-tyrant or world conqueror or whatever Denno was, didn't like you, that was saying something, wasn't it? Tor thought so. Yes, in this case he could get behind killing her. But not at the expense of getting Karina killed, which was the likely outcome of her just running over to get the job done herself. They had guards and stuff after all.
The argument that came wasn't the one he expected.
“Wait,” Ali said softly. “You can hire people to kill others, I know that, everyone does. How would you find the right people? The guild is basically just a legend and even if you could find them someone how would you pay for it? Killing a Count must cost twenty thousand gold and that's here in Noram, I can't imagine what they'd want to get someone in Austra, especially Lilli, I mean Daria.” She tilted her head and was staring at Karina, who was her best friend after all.
Without thinking Tor corrected her, which was rude, you weren't supposed to correct anyone in public. Especially a woman. He’d read about that.
“Nine to ten thousand gold for a Count. I don't know what it would cost for her. Probably about ten times that. Maybe more. I don't even know if it could be done.” When Tor saw everyone’s face he realized his mistake. First, his rudeness, which he gently apologized for, giving Ali a small seated bow. Second, Tor, of all of them shouldn't know anything about hiring killers of that sort, should he? Not innocent Tor from Two Bends. Right. Especially not how much it would cost to kill a Count.
Kind of an “oops” moment for sure.
The conversation, thankfully, stopped then, as it was time to go to that night's run down inn. Not that Tor was picky, but they could have done as well with regular tents and minimal used of magic and probably called no more attention to themselves over all. This was vacation, so he played along.
It wasn't until later that things started to change. At dinner Alissa didn't say much, looking at him over her food instead of eating, when he wasn't obviously looking. Karina was no better, but was more obvious about it. It was the first night that he could share a room with Ali, since they actually had enough rooms for everyone here, this place being larger and slightly better kept, paint on the walls, white to give it a clean and fresh feel, and fresh sheets on the bed.
Rolph stopped him to chat for a bit when the girls went up, just making conversation about the weather, which meant that Ali and Karina were already in the room, pouncing on him the second he got through the door.
Well, Tor reflected as he was gently guided to the bed, one larger by nearly half over the one person things that most inns seem to favor. Karina, black hair hanging around her ears had a hold of his right arm, firmly, but not painfully. Ali activated an amulet around her neck, Tor could feel the field wash over them, a silence device.
That would be a good idea if they were planning anything that might get loud and disturb any of the other patrons, since other people actively having sex if you weren't, was annoying. Neither girl had removed her clothing, and in fact had changed into plain black outfits that didn't flatter or serve to be alluring at all. When Karina slipped the glowing truth device over his head, the hemp string brushing his ear on the right and causing him to glow fairly brightly in the small dark room with its white walls, Tor got it. This wasn't going to be about sex at all. It was an interrogation. Well… darn.