Quincunx Ch. 25

"I'm ready my lady," Jay said, coming to stand at the end of the table.

"Shall we be off then?" asked Rash, standing and straightening her clothes.

Jay led the way with rash behind her and Cal and I bringing up the rear. Once we got to the hallway we stepped up beside her and accompanied her out into the fine morning.

"Will there be new students to replace you?" Rash asked head half turned looking across at Cal.

"They will be here in three weeks' time, there's only one girl among them, I feel sorry for her already."

"Oh I'm sure she'll be alright," Rash said.

I dropped back a pace while Cal answered more of Rash's questions about life here. We got to the market and stopped at the shie stall where I snacked on a pancake while Rash and Jay had two each and Cal took only coftea.

We went our separate ways as we got back into town, Rash to the merchants quarter while Cal and I headed back to the university to arrange for my horse to be ready and secure a little two seater cart. After that we strolled back around to the dorm.

Cal didn't know much about the countryside hereabouts and we planned just to take the road south and turn at the first side road. Kenval and Grepp were both up and sitting lounging when we got back.

"Bem around?" Cal asked as their heads turned to see who it was.

"Haven't seen her," Grepp answered.

"Is the coftea hot?" she queried.

"I doubt it, at least half hour." He said glancing over at the kitchen.

"But you'll have one if I make one," she predicted.

"Yes of course," he said with an undercurrent of amusement.

"Dav?" she asked turning to me.

I nodded as Kenval said. "Make that four."

While Cal went off to brew up I sat down. Grepp and Kenval both slumped back in their chairs, looking as though they were still suffering from the excesses of the previous night. Cal brought the drinks over and we sat silent for the most part, living the minutes till Xen returned and told us what was happening.

Bem turned up first and Curr followed shortly after, all that was needed now was the girl herself. Xen turned up after another fifteen minutes telling us that she was still waiting on her brother, she'd had no contact with him, she'd been all packed and ready for two hours, she'd been sat up in the tower watching the southern road.

As it was by now getting to half and the dinner bell Grepp suggested we all go eat, arguing that if we got there early we'd be back soonest. There were enough nods and murmurs of agreement that Grep stood and we stood with him.

We were there early enough to pull two tables together to accommodate all of us, me happily squeezed between Cal and Xen. We ate a hurried dinner and headed back, pausing only briefly while Kenval sprinted out to the main gate to check if there were any carriages stopped outside.

There was no brother waiting back at the dorm either and we all just sat around when we got back. It took only a few minutes for the boredom to set in and I was glad when Cal suggested that we sit outside on the grass.

I sat with my back against the wall with Cal sitting cross legged next to me. Xen was walking back and fore, focusing on the path, Curr and Bem were sitting with Grepp and Kenval. We must have waited a good fifteen to twenty minutes before a liveried coachman came striding around the corner.

Xen went forward to meet him while Curr looked over at us.

"We'd better get her chests out," she said getting up.

We were all scrambling to our feet, with Cal and Curr heading back to the door I joined the others walking slowly after Xen. With the time finally come I wondered what to say to her, I was thinking of visiting tomorrow night, see how she was doing with her father.

That wasn't all I wanted to say, I had a feeling of loss already, a yearning for her company that reached beyond her sexual attraction. Telling her I was going to miss her would be understating it, if it wasn't for Rash I might have been going with her.

"Dav," Cal called to me from behind. She was guiding one of the chests as it floated along in front of her.

I stopped and waited for them to catch up. As she drew level I walked with her watching as she gently steered it one handed. Curr was bringing the other one along with the same ease. They were walking quite quickly and we soon outpaced the rest of the group.

Xen had already met the coachman when we caught her up and the girls dropped the chests as we joined them. The coachman eyed the chests looking in awe at the magic the girls just performed, and probably wondering if he might have to transport them onwards.

"Well this is it, the first leaf to scatter to the winds," Curr said as Xen turned to us.

"We'll take them onto the coach and wait for you there," Cal said.

"Okay. Why don't you take the coachman to show you where," she replied.

"I'll go with them," I said turning.

"No walk with me, there are things needing to be said. I want you so much to come with me, be my husband. At first I accepted that you wanted to go home but now with your command of the void you could share your nights with me," she began.

"No one need know and I wouldn't expect every night," she continued. "You don't have to answer now, you know where my bedroom is."

"You know I'll say yes to that, it's been on my mind as well. I'll come tomorrow late and you can tell me how you're settling in."

"My father you mean," she asked. "I'll be fighting that battle for weeks, his worst fears realised when I start to assert my own will."

The main gate came into sight with the girls already half way there. Behind us the rest of the group had nearly caught up to us and I paused to let them join us. We walked on and out to the waiting carriage and found both Curr and Cal leaning on the wall recovering.

The chests were loaded on top of the coach and being tied down, leaning out of the window was a slim fellow in a flat cap.

"Brother," Xen greeted him.

He turned from directing the coachman to look at us.

"Sister," he replied, his eyes flicking around the group of us.

"This is my brother Gregor," she said, then to him. "These are my friends."

"Greetings," he said, then to Xen. "Come on it's a long journey and I don't want to miss the last ferry."

"Brother," she chided him. "I have been ready two hours since; it is you who are tardy if we are late.

I could see the surprise and consternation on his face.

"Sister, such words," he said opening the carriage door. "Come bid your friends goodbye."

She turned and walked over to Curr and Cal giving each of them a hug and wishing them both good luck. Then Bem and then Grepp, she gripped his arms as he gripped hers and exchanged good luck wishes. She gripped my arms as she said a near tearful goodbye to me, much as saying goodbye brought a lump to my throat.

We stood over at the wall as she climbed aboard and waved her off as Gregor shouted. "Drive on."

They disappeared down the avenue as we turned and trooped back inside. While the rest went back towards the dorm Cal and I turned towards the stables and our planed ride. The ostlers had my horse ready and we soon had it hitched and were on the way with Cal taking the reins.