Too Much of Something is Bad Enough
“But why ora?”
“Sivi Litoc’s having a tough time and might need us.” I replied to Jibel.
“But he was coming with us!”
“Not anymore. We may have to go by ourselves but for now, I’m trying to ensure he comes with us.”
“So, two more days?”
“Might be a week but I’ll try to make it shorter, then we go home.”
“With uncle Litoc right?”
“With or without. We can’t force him if he doesn’t want to come.”
“It’s fine child,” said Hanni, joining us at the table, “I have many stories to share if it comes to that, and things I can teach. It might not be as elaborate as what he teaches you but we will have enough to last until we arrive.”
“Alright.” The child answered.
“What was he teaching you?” I asked, curious.
“He only taught me how to ride a magral, but he promised to teach me more and since he is a prince, I know he has more.”
Getting greedy, are we?
“I see. Do you think you’ve learned enough of riding to try on your own?” I asked.
Jibel’s eyes opened wide, his sullenness at our delay and the possibility of Litoc not accompanying us vanishing in an instant.
“I wouldn’t say that yet. But I think I could be… better.”
My gaze turned to Hanni. I didn’t know the first bit about making something close to pleading eyes but I tried. I ended up squinting with one brow raised and my nose scrunched up. She threw me a raised eyebrow then spoke.
It’s been eating at me. Like I always do for things that are important but I have no answers for, I file it away in the back of my head. At least I think this was important. I did not count on the possibility of it but I have come to entertain it, even if I didn’t know the first thing about… her.
“Why don’t you go with the messenger to the stables and ask the groom to prepare a beast? One suitable for learning.” She instructed; the boy nodded readily. “I will join you shortly.”
“Thank you!” I said to Hanni, heading for my bed and crashing facedown, my fists cushioning the fall.
“There is a time to fight and there is a time to run.” She answered cryptically.
“I, for one, am glad that you’re not running. I wouldn’t know what to do with that child at the moment. I do not even know what to do myself.”
“Treat him like you like you always did.”
“He’ll get bored and ask too many questions.”
“Bored is a good way to raise a child, so is asking questions for which there are no answers.”
“Maybe. I’m just glad you’re here.”
“Where else would I be?”
That question made me perk up. I propped myself up and sat by the edge of the bed.
“I know we have… agreed, or rather you promised to come with me no matter how long it takes, until we find Jibel. And since we already found Jibel, I really can’t fault you if you want to-”
“You are talking stupid, Jorj. Have you forgotten?”
Eh?
“Uhhh… forgotten what?”
“You know, for someone who holds outlandish ideas in his head, you forget a lot.”
My head raced trying to decode what she meant. I drew a blank. My confused expression must have been a dead giveaway.
“We still need to find the girl a mentor that is not of the church and I still need to decide if I’m going back with you. To the place below ground.”
Oh…!
“I…”
“What? You think I would not hold up to my words?”
“L- lam,” I stammered, “it’s just that I didn’t exactly ask you to promise. Regarding Bira, I mean.”
“I said we need to find her one and I mean it.”
“And the second one?”
“Why don’t you keep talking stupid so you’ll find out sooner?”
Careful woman, you’re growing on me.
“Right, right. So, thank you? Again?”
“You finish what you have to finish and be quick about it. I might run out of things to teach the child before a shift has come.”
Yes ma’am.
That wasn’t an exaggeration. These children were hungry for knowledge that they got bored easily if nothing piqued their interest. Jibel, in particular, has been showing a lot of signs of boredom lately.
A knock at the door interrupted our conversation.
“Come.” I called out.
A young woman wearing white with yellow accents peeked in.
“Lord, I was told you’d be needing these?”
“Yes, yes. Come in, bring it here.”
She approached and looked around. I pointed her to the table near Jibel’s bed. She carefully laid down the two small, square, wooden boxes first then the rolls of what looked like paper, then pointy sticks. She bowed and left as hastily as she arrived.
I did not expect much in the way of writing implements but these looked like a lot of work. I have no experience with quills or fountain pens but these pointy sticks were just that, pointy sticks. The rolls of parchment, however, were impressive. Even with my inexperience, I could tell these were going to be very expensive in the world I left, the world I came from.
“I will leave you to it then.” Said Hanni, then added, “I was serious about what I said. Know when to fight, know when to run.”
“I’m just trying to see if there is anything I can do to keep a friend from killing himself, though be it from another’s hand.”
“And if you can’t figure out something? If it becomes too much?”
“We go. I will know and we will go.”
“I will hold you to that and unlike you, I don’t forget.”
“Ha stiuri.” I answered, half jesting.
She raised her chin and inhaled sharply. I could have sworn she started to smile as she turned and left.