The Tattooed Woman Pt. 16

Aventine continued, "And perhaps you might care to elucidate as to why you wish to parade your newest acquisition at my table, instead of instructing her to await your pleasure within your chambers as is appropriate or to eat with the other servants if she has a mind to. Why do you insist the creature dines with us?"

Lily did her best not to snarl at the insufferable woman, but she felt her cheeks colour at being referred to as a "creature". Tallis had well-warned her of her mother's likely demeanour and habits and had all but begged the girl to remain silent during the interview unless spoken to directly, promising to shower her with affection in compensation afterwards if she would, "Please, please, please, just shut up, and not say anything."

Lily had laughed when she made the promise, but at the time she did not realise how hard it would be to keep it as she bit back an angry retort. Still, she felt herself smile when Tallis responded.

"She is my guest mother and I expect her to be treated as such. If however, the hospitality of my house has fallen so low that such rudimentary courtesy is beyond its means I will be happy to withdraw, and not force my company upon an unwilling host."

Aventine chuckled, "You have learned courtly speech it seems, at least, though if it is your desire to ape my sister so thoroughly you might work upon your delivery, for there is not enough concealed spite in your words. Still, full marks for effort if nothing else."

The woman rose from her seat with fluid grace and gestured, a footman appeared almost instantly with silver goblets of wine and Aventine plucked one from the tray and moved towards Lily with the predatory steps of a hunting cat before holding the goblet out to her with a smile, "I stand rebuked, but see Tallis, I serve her with my own hand, is this not enough for you."

"Please mother, at least allow me to offer explanation, as you asked a mere moment ago before we start placing barbs."

The older Dark Elf gazed into the eyes of the Sunkissed girl with such a piercing, unblinking, gaze of cold calculation that Lily shivered, but after a moment the woman turned away to regard her daughter again, "Very well, you are correct, I am being petty, please continue."

Tallis shrugged, "It's simple enough, Ashunara bade me seduce the girl as a stratagem to make her more malleable to capture, for she estimated her worth and knew that she possessed skill enough to make eventual escape likely."

Aventine nodded, "Seems a wise strategem."

Tallis grinned, "But I grew fond of her, and she of me, I think. But before you screech of how I've allowed base sentiment to colour my judgement and soften my resolve, I will say this: Lily saved my life at no small risk to herself, she fought for me, and killed for me, stayed with me when I was sorely wounded when she did not have to, and she dragged me to safety through a snow-filled wilderness when she could have just as easily left me to die."

She turned to the Sunkissed Elf and smiled brightly, "The dresses were a wager of sorts, for my morale and will to live was fading and I was in much pain. She made me promise to wear the damned thing if I lived, as a sort of challenge I suppose. Then we got to arguing as to the relative superiority of Dark Elven spider silk, over Sunkissed Satin and so forth. It was undoubtedly a ploy to distract me from my pain."

"Devious. Anything else?"

"Only this mother, I no more consider her my servant, slave or paramour... well, I'd settle for paramour I suppose than I consider myself a Half-Orc. She is my friend, and I would have her be much more. And I say this openly, I love you as a mother, but if you challenge me on this, I will walk out yonder door and never will I darken it again."

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes. But in truth, I would hope you would respect my wishes in this matter, for it would hurt me deeply to leave, but leave I will if I must."

Aventine regarded her daughter for a long moment, and her lips curled slightly in the merest ghost of a smile, "Perhaps I was in error in comparing you to my sister after all, for I begin to suspect that while you might match her ability to aggravate me, you may actually exceed her gift for obstinacy, and that is no small feat.

"Still, I am wise enough I think to recognise a lost argument when I encounter one, or the futility in attempting to thwart young love, even though I deplore how such sentiment so often turns the mind to mush," she turned back to the Sunkissed Elf, "Lilion Lámfada, daughter of Becuma, of the House of Lir, be welcome in my home as the guest of my daughter, and of mine. I will have chambers prepared for you. You have done me and mine a great service, and we are honoured to offer you the hospitality of my House."

Tallis stared, open-mouthed, "You knew."

Aventine gave the girl an exasperated look, "Of course, I knew girl, do you think me so foolish that I would not bend my will to learn all that I might about the woman my daughter had taken up with? Dear Gods, why are young people so dense?"

"Mother..."

The older Dark Elf regarded her daughter, "As an aside, consider for me if you will, the reasons why Ashunara loaned you the coin to buy this girl?"

Tallis looked confused, "What?"

"Why did she loan you the money? What did she gain by this act?"

"I don't understand."

The older woman gave an exasperated snort, "Let me ask you this then if I offered Captain Ashunara the coin to pay this debt do you think she would accept?"

"Of course, why would s..."

Aventine shook her head, "She would not, I assure you," she sighed, "you promised to pay her half your share from the latest, and more importantly the next two of her ventures did you not?"

"Yess," came the cautious reply.

"So, what does that mean? What therefore must you do to pay this debt?"

"I don't understand."

Lily spoke up, "To fulfil the terms you agreed upon you must actually go on her next two ventures Tallis."

Aventine waved her hand at the girl, "At last! At least one of you has a functional mind."

Tallis began to look angry, "Are you saying she manipulated me?"

The older Dark Elf paused and looked back at her daughter with a smile, "No, Tallis, nothing so crass, my sister often vexes me, but I would not have her accused of malice where none exists, I would rather put it that she manipulated an already existing set of circumstances to her advantage, as any good Dark Elf would... Hmm, mayhap I've been too hard on her in the past, it seems there may actually be some hope for the girl yet."

"But why?"

"Because she wants you in her world Tallis, not mine. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"And you don't?"

"Tallis, my dear, if I hear correctly in your last trip you were attacked by a horde of undead, a warlock of the Scarlet Order, a pack of demonic hounds, were shot twice by crossbowmen and left for dead in a frozen wilderness, and that's just off the top of my head, so you will forgive me if I am not entirely enthralled by your choice to become a sellsword. Let us just say I am a little "concerned" for your wellbeing and leave it at that lest you inspire me to an embarrassing emotional outburst when you tell me you have now agreed, though you may not realise it, to accompany my sister to a war in the North!"

Lily stifled a giggle, "Apologies, I hadn't realised how funny your Mother would be."

Aventine turned to look again at both her daughter and the Sunkissed Elf, "Indeed so," she sighed, "If we predict then that you must go with my sister and her Company, as indeed you must, for a debt is a debt after all, then the question remains," she pointed at Lily, "what becomes of her in your absence?"

Tallis stared at Lily, "Well, I would assu..."

"No Tallis, do not assume, or answer now, consider first, examine the issue carefully, think on its many facets and discuss, with Lily, and with Captain Ashunara, for your decisions may weigh upon you all, and I would greatly prefer an answer fully thought out, and not a handful of garbled half-formed wishes. Now go, you have much to think on, and we are to have dinner yet this evening. But first I would have words in private with young Lilion here."

After Tallis had reluctantly withdrawn the Matriarch turned her eyes to Lily, and for a moment at least the Sunkissed Elf could almost suspect that their coldness had thawed, fractionally, "I'll be brief girl, for Tallis will have her ear to the door no doubt listening for signs that I am having you quietly murdered or some other melodramatic nonsense. By all accounts, you saved my daughter's life," she sighed wearily, "it is almost a certainty that I will never be warm to you Lily, it's not personal, it's simply not in my nature, but I am grateful, and as you may have heard I am a firm believer in honouring my debts, for good as well as ill. I won't bore you with childish promises, it is enough that you know that I acknowledge that I owe you, and if you call upon the debt to be paid, I will honour it."

Lily looked into the dark eyes of the woman and chuckled, "She's so like you, you know."

"Who, Tallis?"

Lily shook her head with a smile, "You're clever, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

...

Narissa had finally gotten the bloodstains cleared up and paid some ne'er-do-wells to dispose of the bodies, the tables had been repaired, the debris cleared up, and the common room restored to its inglorious self. She leaned back to ease her muscles and looked about, seeing that there were but a few patrons sitting at tables, eating their supper.

"Fuck it, I'm bored. Cassie! What are you doing there lass?"

The young woman looked up, "I've just finished sweeping up and cleaning tables, Miss. I was going to have a look at the dishes, and maybe give Maggie a hand."

"Nah, fuck that. Come with me. Iris, look after the bar for a spell if you will, pour yourself a pint if you fancy."

The blonde serving wench cheered immediately, "Thankee ma'am."

"A pint of beer mind, not rum."

"Aw, as if I would."

"Aye, as if you would indeed. Pour one for Maggie as well if you would, right Cassie, this way."

The slender Dark Elf led the young slave girl out to the yard at the back of the inn and looked about, "Aye, this'll do."

She fetched a thin length of leather strap and turned to the young woman, "Right, let's get this done first, lift yer skirt girl."

"Wha?"

"Your skirt, pull it up, lass."

Cassie gave the strap in the woman's hand a fearful look and a tear formed in her eye, "B-but I didn't do nothing."

"What?"

The young woman began pulling up her skirt as more tears appeared, "What did I do? I can work harder."

Narissa tilted her head, "What in Hell are you on about, and why are you crying?"

The girl pointed at the length of leather and her voice quivered, "I don't know what I've done to earn a strapping Miss. If I'm not working hard enough, I can do more, I promise!"

The look of confusion on Narissa's face slowly changed to one of horror, "What the...? Oh! Dear Gods no! I just need to measure your thigh girl, I ain't gonna hit you. Bloody Hell."

"My thigh? But what for?"

Narissa grinned, "Wait and see, you'll like this I think."

Somewhat reluctantly and with no little embarrassment Cassie pulled up her skirt above her thigh.

Narissa knelt and chuckled, "Yer a skinny wee bugger are you not? Och, don't worry bout it lass, your curves will come I'm sure," she wrapped the leather strap around her thigh and made a mark, "righto, here have a look at this."

Pulling a scabbard from a pocket she showed the girl a small dirk, with a razor-sharp triangular blade and a hilt made of horn, "So, ma, er... Nyx I suppose to you, says you are training with a blade and asked me to keep it up, but the thing is you won't be wearing no sword in the bar, so sword training won't be much use. But a knife, especially a hidden knife, ah, now that might come in handy. So, we rig up a scabbard around your thigh, cut a slit in your skirt..."

"My skirt!"

"Aye, cut a slit in your skirt, a bit like a pocket I suppose, sew it nice and neat so it doesn't tear and that way you can get to the blade all sneaky like, and so you don't have to flash your knickers by fumbling about and hiking the thing up, see?"

"But I only have one skirt."

"That thing?"

"T'is all I have, Miss."

"Dear Gods, I might be all but broke, but I can still afford to buy you a couple of skirts lass."

Cassie gave the woman a look of delight, "Really?"

Narissa couldn't help but chuckle at the look, "Aye, can't have my staff looking like scruffy ragamuffins can I, but anyway, I'm going to teach you how to use a knife, up close like, and if you've got a good eye, we'll see if you can throw one while we're at it."

"Throw?"

The Dark Elf neatly flipped the blade in her hand and with a grunt of effort sent it thudding dead centre and head height into a wooden post no thicker than a man's leg some ten paces away.

She turned and gave Cassie a cheerful grin, "Aye, some girls got to play with dolls, my ma gave me a knife, and taught me how to use it, but she's... erm... special, I suppose. So, you fancy it?"

Cassie's wide grin was all the answer she needed.