6. Serdannio
There was a woman near the Town Green who paid coins for firewood. Not a huge sum, of course, but enough for a warm meal and a mug or two of ale, and though Serdannio had never been overly fond of mucking about in the dirt, he decided it was preferable to wading through yet another dry tome about the Gods.
Guildmistress Tallis had been shocked at how little Serdannio actually knew of the Thirteen. There was a temple dedicated to Hodierna back home in Ta’veer, but Serdannio couldn’t remember anyone using it for anything other than weddings, and even then the services focused mainly on the wedded couple, with only a few vague references to Hodierna. The people of Ta’veer were farmers, and had more interest in the bloodlines of their sheep than in rituals, prayers and dedications. They’d send up a quick prayer to Damaris if a child was ill, or mumble something about Tamsine when a new house was built, and then go on about their lives. As far as Serdannio knew, he was only the second person from Ta’veer to ever dedicate himself to the Gods.
Or rather, he amended to himself as he shoved another stick into his growing bundle, the second person to attempt to so dedicate himself. He’d thought he could represent himself as a follower of the All God, and thereby escape the necessity of knowing much in the way of detail, but Tallis wasn’t buying any of it. If he wanted to be in the guild, he had to prove to her satisfaction that he knew enough of the Thirteen to properly represent them. Ignoring his arguments, Tallis had directed Serdannio to the Academy library and told him to come back in a week.
The sound of nearby laughter distracted Serdannio, and he looked up to see two young women -- a Halfling and an Elf -- walking toward him, stopping occasionally to pick petals or leaves from the herbal plants growing along the forest path. He hefted the bundle of sticks over one shoulder and smiled at them as they drew near. The Elven lass was only mildly pretty, not a patch on M’dagka -- whom Serdannio had sworn to himself he would not think of again -- but she had lovely hair the color of autumn leaves and a pleasant smile, and after two hours of gathering sticks following a day spent with his nose in a book, Serdannio was ready for any distraction he could find.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said, sweeping an imaginary cap off his head and bowing low. “I had thought this a lovely day, but your appearance has made it lovelier still.”
The Halfling laughed.
“Here’s one looking for an excuse to stop work, Halya,” she said. “How fortunate for him that we happened to pass this way!”
“Indeed,” the other woman said, her tone light but her face betraying the fact that while her friend might be immune to Serdannio’s looks, she herself was not.
“Ah, but my work is done,” Serdannio said. “I’m new to town, and I’ve been foraging to earn my supper, but it’ll be a dreary and dismal affair if I’m forced to eat alone.”
“Our work is just beginning,” the Halfling said. “We’ve quite a few herbs to gather, so I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere for a dinner partner.”
“I am a bit hungry,” Halya said hesitantly, then blushed as her companion gave her a withering look.
“Ah, now, dear Olvi lass, surely you would not allow your friend to miss dinner? I passed a tavern just off the main road...we wouldn’t have to go all the way back to town. Tell me you wouldn’t pass up a free meal and a chance to show kindness to a stranger!”
“We’d have to go back to town if you’re planning to sell those sticks,” the Halfling said drily. “And I don’t think they’d pay for three dinners.”
No, but they’d pay for two, Serdannio thought grumpily, if you’d just conveniently disappear.
“But we don’t have to go anywhere!” Halya said brightly. “I packed more than enough food for the both of us...we could have a picnic. And then you could help us forage in return for dinner,” she added, smiling at Serdannio.
“How could I refuse such a splendid offer?” he answered, wondering how he was going to wiggle out of helping them after the meal.
Halya and the Halfling -- Faleesa -- were both Empaths, though Halya was a novice in training whereas Faleesa had been in the Guild for several years. As they ate a simple meal of bread, cheese and pickles washed down with a light ale, Halya explained that they’d both grown up in The Crossing, but hadn’t met until Halya became an Empath.
“She’s my teacher,” Halya said, smiling at her friend. Faleesa had mellowed a bit as they dined, and Serdannio found himself glad of her company after all. Her prickly manner balanced out Halya’s effusive sweetness.
“Not a very good teacher,” Faleesa said. “Not if I let you stop work when it’s barely begun.”
“So teach while we eat,” Halya said, giggling. “Tell me again where I can find blocil berries, and what I should mix them with to make a good healing salve.”
Serdannio found his mind drifting as Faleesa lectured them both on various herbal remedies. Lulled by the warmth of the late afternoon sun and the best meal he’d had in two days, he was on the verge of nodding off when Halya poked him sharply in the ribs.
“Serdannio, it’s rude to nap when someone’s teaching you something,” she teased. “And you haven’t told us a thing about yourself. Why did you come to The Crossing? Are you in a Guild?”
“Don’t be so nosy,” Faleesa said. “Man’s got a right to privacy.”
Halya looked slightly embarrassed but was undeterred. “Are you a Bard?” she asked.
Serdannio began to seriously consider constructing a large sign to hang around his neck that read “No, I’m not a Bard”. He had yet to meet anyone in this town who didn’t automatically assume that he was on the verge of pulling out a lyre or some other blasted instrument. It had to be more than his looks -- he’d seen a Bard in town earlier, playing to small group of bored-looking matrons, whose face could easily scare the breeches off a Barbarian. Maybe it was his hair -- he ought to shave it all off. And maybe wear a brown woolen robe or something, with bare feet for added measure, so he’d look like a beggar and people would quit nosing into his business.
But he’d practically asked them to nose into his business, inviting them to share a meal with him. And he owed Halya something for the meal, the more so since he was damned if he’d go berry-hunting with her afterward.
“I sound like a dead frog when I croak -- er, sing,” he said, smiling brightly. “I’m actually studying to be a Cleric, if you can believe that.”
“Oh!” Halya exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I think that’s wonderful. I’m not going to be a field empath like Faleesa is, but I do plan to spend a lot of time in your Guild helping with resurrections. So we’ll probably see each other a lot.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Serdannio said. He suspected he’d be seeing a good deal more of Halya than he’d want to. She’d already managed to reposition herself so that she was sitting less than a foot away from him, and she was all but batting her eyelashes at him. He glanced over at Faleesa and received a look that said “You asked for it” far more clearly than words ever could. He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from laughing aloud. He had indeed.
“Where are you from?” Halya asked.
“Ta’veer,” he answered absently, then bit his tongue even harder than he had the moment before. Gods above and below, had his brain completely deserted him? Only one other person had left Ta’veer for these parts in recent memory, and while it would be nice to think he hadn’t told anyone where he was from, it wasn’t very bloody likely, was it?
“Where’s that?”
“Near Shard.”
“Oh, I love Shard,” Halya said. “It has the best shops. I’ve just been there once, but I plan to go again soon. I really need to buy some new clothes. I just run around in rags all the time, but I stay so busy that I don’t know when I’d have the time to go shopping. But this dress really is a disgrace,” she added, indicating her flawlessly starched gown with a disparaging wave of her hand.
Serdannio badly wanted to agree, and to add that it made her look like a turnip, but he chose honesty over humor and shook his head.
“It looks lovely,” he said.
“It should -- she just bought it yesterday,” Faleesa said with a touch of malice.
“Faleesa,” Halya said, blushing. “I did not. I’ve had it for simply ages. Faleesa really has the silliest sense of humor, Serdannio. She finds the oddest things funny.”
“What I’m finding funny now is that we set out to gather herbs and it’ll be dark soon,” Faleesa said, standing. “Well, Serdannio? Going to earn your dinner, or have you suddenly remembered some urgent business that needs attending?”
Serdannio did laugh then, much to Halya’s puzzlement. Faleesa arched her eyebrow and managed to keep her face expressionless, but there was the tiniest hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
“If I had remembered it, I’d be shamed into forgetting again,” he said. He stood up and reached for his bundle of sticks. “Let’s go.”
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