Bard's Tale 06 - Tahna, and more

"Oh, sweet irony."

"What?"

"I'm actually a great deal older than I appear, Jo. Do you see any place that sells food? I'm sorry but I didn't want to stop at the last place. I'm not desperate enough to eat fried rat."

Jo curled her mouth in disgust. "I know, right? That's why I didn't say anything. Even if they were two for a copper."

"You mentioned being accused of stealing. Is that why you were attacked?"

"Yes," Jo answered. "Zagreb has problems with his numbers. A client was purchasing an embroidered cloth that was fifteen percent off. When I told him the final price, he claimed I tried to cheat him. Zagreb joined in the accusation, and he picked up a long stick, intending to beat me. Having seen his temper before, I ran. I didn't expect him to follow me, but he did, shouting after me, and other merchants took up the cry."

"Go on," Tia urged, focusing on the words to remain awake.

"I thought I was home-free but I turned a corner and ran headlong into a street gang. They call themselves the Sons of Telamon, but they're just thieves and hooligans. They demand protection money from honest folk to avoid damage to their shops and goods. Hearing the cries of 'Thief,' they caught me and decided to make an example of me." Closing her eyes, she shivered, her hands and arms drawing in close.

"Jo, is this something you want justice for? I can't do much today, but I can see it done if you need it to heal your heart."

With a deep exhale, she said, "No. What would be the point? Hellenes are sketchy on consent and women. They don't understand that no means no."

Startled by her words - Tahna had repeated the same phrase while being flogged -- Tia nodded at Jo. "Indeed."

Despite her words, Jo became agitated. "Most of the time Zagreb could add without issues, but any time he had to figure out percentages, he almost always made a mistake."

"Must have been frustrating."

"It wasn't too bad at first. As a woman, finding decent work among the Hellenes and Kemer is difficult. Many Hellenes are suspicious of women who can read and write and men from either group think only sages and whores should be literate, never mind being able to cipher. The Kemer are generally more protective, yet won't deal with a woman in business matters. I don't have family to fall back on so I had to take what was available. I wasn't willing to sell my body."

"I can relate." At her look, Tia explained. "A man I met years ago just recently tried to force me to become a sex instructor for the Son of Heaven, believing that when he offered a donation, I would have to spread my legs for him."

"You're a high priestess! What happened?"

"My sister beat the stuffing out of him. Broke both legs and one arm, or so I'm told."

"Holy shit! Um, sorry about the language, Mother."

"Unfortunately, she did it without the authority to do so."

"That's bad, isn't it."

Tia gave a rueful laugh. "And how. Therein lies another, much longer story for later. I think I see Sappho's Fountain."

"You do know that it's for women who prefer the company of women, right? This time of year, they get pretty belligerent about hetero women crashing the place, especially those looking to become pregnant."

"Hmm, you're probably right. The Black Stallion isn't too much further... I need something sweet soon or I'm going to pass out!"

"Do you have sugar sickness?" Jo asked, very concerned.

"Spell shock... getting worse... light headed..."

Spying an empty gig, Jo flagged it down. As she pushed Tia up the short steps and into the seat, she said, "Driver, she needs food right away. It's an emergency! Take us to the Black Stallion!"

Carefully, Jo reached for Tia's wallet. The priestess acted groggy. Pulling out the first coin she found, she saw it was a gold royal. The driver accepted the fare and with the crack of his whip, the fancy two-wheeled cart charged through the street with a clatter, narrowly avoiding running over some of the crowds.

When they arrived, Jo used all her strength and half-carried the priestess out of the gig and through the tavern's doors. "Make way! Make way! Emergency! She needs juice!"

Someone vacated a chair and intrigued onlookers watched to see what happened.

A waiter quickly filled a glass and hurried over. Jo saw the brown liquid and exclaimed, "What's this? She's going into shock, she needs juice!"

"It'll work, trust me. Just give it to her." He shifted to keep Tia from falling out of the chair.

Jo held the tall cup to lips, and urging her to drink. Slowly at first, then faster, Tia drank the liquid down. Then she coughed and looked around. "Where... we made it?"

"Barely," Jo told her. "Better finish the rest."

The young woman glanced around and saw the place was packed with customers. At the people nearby, she asked, "Is it okay if we share the table? She needs to sit for a bit to recover."

Those nearby shrugged and scooted over a bit.

"Would you like a refill?" the waiter asked.

"Make it a pitcher. And a second glass. I'm parched myself."

"Right away," and dashed back to the bar.

Tia held her head up with two hands, elbows on the table for support, muttering, "My head feels like I've been run over by a wagon. With both wheels."

"He's bringing more of whatever it was," Jo told her.

The waiter returned with a glass pitcher and a second cup. After refilling Tia's glass, he filled Jo's.

Picking up Tia's cup, she put her arm around the priestess. "Here's some more. Come, drink it down."

After a couple of swallows, Tia's grip strengthened and Jo let her take the cup and drink on her own. Parched herself, she drank from her own cup. It was awfully sweet, but the drink felt good going down. When she drained her glass, she poured herself another.

"Would either of you like a snack or a meal before I move on?" the waiter asked.

"Yes! I could eat a horse," Jo exclaimed.

The waiter rolled his eyes. "This is the Black Stallion. I'm afraid we don't serve horse meat here. Does anything else tempt your palate?"

"How about a thick steak?" Jo replied.

"No, you don't want that," Tia interrupted. "You haven't eaten in four days. Work yourself back slowly or I guarantee you it will all come back up. Trust me, Jo. Waiter, beef stew for my over-eager companion. Do you have any pie with vanilla ice cream?"

He smiled at Tia. "Indeed, we do, Mother. We have apple, peach, and cherry but they are all from preserves, yet are tasty all the same. We also have pecan pie, made fresh last night. Not many know to ask for ice cream. Have you been here before?"

Tia nodded with a tired smile. "It's been a few years. I know the owner. I'll take two slices of pecan, with two scoops of vanilla, please." As the waiter moved off with their order, she looked at the pitcher. "Is this sweet tea?"

"I don't know," Jo answered. "Whatever it is, it takes great!"

Rubbing her temple because the headache she now had, Tia sipped at her third glass. "Jo?"

"Yes?" She looked at the nearly empty pitcher, deciding if she wanted another drink.

Tia quietly said, "I assume you have no place to stay, no money, and no job. This meal's on me, of course. Least I could do after you took care of me like you did. I saved you, you saved me, even Steven. Would you like a paying job with room and board working for me?"

"What would I do?"

"Well, let's see. Earlier you told me you can do percentages, which means you can read and write and do basic math. Can you do algebra or geometry?"

"No, that's beyond me."

"Just a thought, but no matter. Can you speak any other languages?"

"I know a bit of Egyptian, and some Greek and elven - enough to get by with."

"I need a proper secretary. How fast can you write? Can you take notes?"

Jo gave her a worried look. "It's been a while since I did much writing. But I'm willing to work hard and learn what you need me to learn. At this point, I don't care what kind of money you're offering. I'm convinced the magic you used on me would put me in a life debt with anyone else. Whatever you want me to do, I will do my best."

"How does room, board, one day a week off, and a gold royal each month sound?"

"Heh heh. I think I'm back in that alley and I'm dying."

"No, you're not, Jo. I'm serious."

"When do I start?"

"An hour ago. Since I'm your character reference, you passed your interview with flying colors. I'm here with two of my sisters, and we three share a husband. He's young and sweet and wants to become a bard, and naturally the three of us fell madly in love with him. It's a lot more complicated, but that's the short and sweet version. We bought a warehouse this morning and over the next few weeks, I plan to turn it into a multi-story manor house, with hot and cold indoor plumbing, magic toilets, and more. It'll be rough to start, but with your help, I expect it will be a home to be proud of in no time at all. Deal?" Tia held out her hand.

Jo gave her hand a firm shake. "Deal."

Digging into her wallet, Tia said, "Jo, how much did you give the driver?"

"A gold. I know it was too much but—"

"No, don't go there. You stepped up when I needed you to. I consider the gold well spent." She set out three gold pieces onto the table, then secured the tie on her wallet.

The waiter arrived with the large bowl of soup, a plate of four, thick slices of crusted bread, a dish of butter, and Tia's dessert. After scooping up the coins, he asked, "Shall I get a refill for your pitcher?"

The priestess looked at the other people sitting at their long table. "Would you folks like a drink refill on me? A thank you for sharing your space with us?"

They responded with enthusiasm. Tia added another gold royal. "Another pitcher for us, and a refill for each of them."

The waiter collected the extra coin and took away the empty pitcher. Jo had emptied the last of its contents into her glass.

"How's the soup?"

"Pretty good, actually. Better than I expected," Jo answered, savoring the flavors with the sincere appreciation of having neared her own end and marveling that she was still alive.

"When we're done, I recall there's a dress shop a few doors down, and a bit beyond that, a sandal shop to save your bare feet. Then we'll hire a ride for a soak in the public bathhouse. We have a lot to do tomorrow, but I'll make sure we get you some underthings, toiletry items, and regular shoes to start with. We also need to visit a wholesale grocer and order supplies, hire strong workers to deliver the goods, and unload everything at our new home. Here, make a bit of room on your bread plate." Using her fork, she sectioned off part of one her pie slices and some of the ice cream. "Give it a try."

Jo used her spoon to work off a bit of the pie. The cooked nuts were still partially crunchy, and the custard filling was rich and smooth. The ice cream tasted of vanilla beans, yet was also cold, creamy, and sweet. Jo found herself moaning at the flavors filling her mouth. "Hmm, it's amazing!"

"I thought you'd like it. I think we are going to get along just fine, Jo."

* * * * *

It was a quarter before midnight when Tia entered their room.

Surprisingly, Reison and her younger sisters were still up, and to her delight, Tahna sat topless and away from the wall, but nonetheless upright; she was also looking better than she had earlier that day. The remains of a second plate sat on top of her own late lunch. Beside it was an empty soup bowl full of silverware.

When he saw her, Reison grinned and her heart fluttered. "That trip took a long time, wife. All done for the night?"

She rolled her eyes. "You don't know the half of it. I'll tell all of you in a bit. I have someone waiting outside. She's going to work for us. She literally has nothing but what she's wearing and she is still recovering. The inn below is packed, and it was an effort to avoid stepping on some people. Knowing a bit of her history, I think she would have a difficult time in the commons or in the barn, so she will sleep on the floor in our room. Her name's Jo Mason. If she needs it, I'll move to the floor to keep her company."

"What did you do, Tia? Find another lost puppy?" Mindal snarked.

"No, a grown woman brutalized by several men and left for dead," Tia growled back. "I'm starting her out as my assistant. If she works out, next year she'll become castellan."

Mindal paled, wincing. "I... I was just teasing, Sis."

Reison blinked, astonished at the harshness of Tia's words.

The priestess opened the door, speaking with gentle encouraging tones meant to reassure. "It's okay, Jo. Come on in and I'll introduce you to my family."

A young woman entered wearing a cotton chiton and Hellene-style sandals. She carried three upper-class dresses on hangers. When Jo turned and saw the three people on the bed, she did a double-take, as the clearly full-sized bed somehow managed to sit three adults near the headboard with room to spare! When she tried to focus on the bed, it looked like a normal full-sized bed. When she gazed at the people, the bed somehow grew in size. Jo realized it must something magical and stopped trying to figure it out. Exhausted, she covered her mouth as she yawned.

Tia took the dresses and set them onto a clothing hook by the dresser.

Jo saw right away the two women were obviously related to Mother Tia. Her mind shutting down, she tried to recall what she'd heard. Sisters? That sounded right. The fairer-skinned young man appeared like he might be a half-elf. Mother Tia's husband. No, shared husband. Maybe?

Tia pointed each of them out. "Jo, the very handsome young man in the middle is Reison Whisper Wind, the head of our family. On the left is my sister, Mindal. On the right is Tahna. Tomorrow we'll do more lengthy introductions. At this particular moment, I'm almost asleep on my feet and think you're right behind me, Jo."

Jo turned to Tia and exclaimed, "It really is you! I mean, Tia is a common name, and I thought surely it must be a coincidence, but it's clearly not. You're the Landers Sisters!"

Perplexed at this new development, Tia said, "We were the Landers Sisters. We got married. These past three months, we've been the Whisper Wind family."

Intrigued, Mindal asked, "You've heard of us?"

"Oh, yes," Jo gushed. "You wrote that amazing song, 'Tickle My Toes'."

Tahna burst out laughing, and laughed harder at Mindal rolling her eyes.

"Naturally, that's your favorite tune," Mindal drolled.

Immediately picking up Mindal's displeasure, Jo frowned. "I happen to think it's a great song. Not the usual male protagonist, but rather a woman adventurer who moves from place to place, loving boys and leaving them behind, until she finds someone who captures her heart, a young man whose kisses tickle her toes. If you didn't like it so much, why did you write it?"

Reison gave Mindal a huge grin as she glanced at him. He'd used nearly those same exact words about her song earlier in the evening.

"Amazing assessment of the song, Jo!" Tahna said gleefully. "And that's a very good question. I'd like to know the answer to that myself."

"It wasn't intentional." Then Mindal lowered her voice to a whisper. "I was half-drunk and kept coming up blank. I needed something and that's what came out. The lyrics are silly and predictable."

"Predictable!" Jo scoffed. "It has six verses and two choruses. And it's romantic!"

Tia yawned. "Can we do this in the morning? I'm wiped out."

"Father Miklos told me it was trite and unworthy of my talents," Mindal said.

"Who's that?" Reison asked.

"The Lyric Master at the Music College," Mindal answered. "You'll probably end up having at least one class with him."

Jo blurted out, "He must not be much of a master if he said that. It's over twenty years old, yet the song keeps coming back into popularity every few years."

Mindal grinned at the newcomer. "Jo Mason, eh? I like you. Welcome to the madhouse. We are all madly in love with this gorgeous, amazing, and sweet-voiced man here."

"I didn't mean to speak out of turn like that," Jo said, flushing.

"You'll do, Jo," Tia said with amusement. She went over to her trunk and opened it and retrieved a large, comfy pillow. "Here you go."

"Gonna tell us what took you so long, Tia? You were gone almost four hours," Tahna asked.

"In the morning, please?"

Mindal sniffed. "You two got a massage at the bathhouse!"

"Yep," Tia answered sleepily. "Ready for bed."

"Where should I lay down?" Jo asked.

"Tia?" Reison called.

"Yes, dear?"

"As long as Jo stays on the far side, there should be room for her, right? You told me the bed will hold eight people. I just can't see that sleeping on the floor as being comfortable. And in light of what you told us, I don't think that she should be alone tonight."

The priestess blinked in surprise, then said, "See? That's why I love him." She stripped down without a pause, tossing her clothing onto the desk. "Put your dress on the chair, Jo, then crawl in next to me. Much better than the hard floor."

"I don't want to inconvenience—"

Tia pulled back the blankets and crawled in. "Sleep in the dress if you need to. Just get into bed, right here."

Tahna was already down to her loose trousers. Settling onto her belly, unsurprisingly, she opted to remain uncovered.

Reison and Mindal got undressed under the blankets and snuggled under the covers.

At Mindal's instruction, Jo blew out two of the room's candles, leaving the one on the dresser as a nightlight. Then Jo climbed in next to Tia.

Jo had trouble relaxing, though once she was in the huge bed, the sounds from the other rooms faded out. The bed itself was incredibly comfortable and warm without being too much so. Still, memories kept at her, and she found herself weeping in silence.

Aware of Jo's body tension, Tia spooned up behind Jo, drawing her into her embrace from behind. "S'okay... safe now."

Comforted by her words and her touch, Jo finally began to relax, and before she knew it, sleep overtook her.

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