***
“Kyrin?” Alric whispered, and touched her arm softly.
She looked up from the ground beside the mattress in the tent and sat up when she saw him.
He sat back against the side of the tent, and she was surprised to see the sun was up.
“Want to tell me what happened last night?” he asked.
“I was attacked.”
“Then you managed to kill an entire lake?”
“No, I can’t kill an entire lake.”
“Finn went to the lake this morning and found a dead tentacle orb along with thousands of dead fish.”
“Coincidence”
“Well it just so happens that the eye of the orb contains an acid, something that would do similar damage to your foot.”
“Okay, so the big eye attacked me.”
“Water attacks are hard for melee.”
“What are you implying?” she asked, irritated.
“That you have more poisons than we imagined. Did you poison that lake?”
“Is it illegal to do?”
“Well, no.”
“I was attacked. I had to do something to get away.”
He nodded. “I understand that. I just wonder why you lied to Finn about being attacked in the water.”
She shrugged and looked down at her foot, which was completely healed. “I wish you’d stop doing that.”
“Healing you?”
“Yes”
“Why? Is it so hard to accept that I want to help you with no strings attached?”
“Nothing comes without a price.”
“Well I fully plan on proving you wrong.”
“Where were you anyway?” she asked, and then winced when she realized she shouldn’t have asked.
“I was going to talk to Sithias but was called back when Finn was worried you might lose a foot.”
“I would have been fine.”
He studied her and then nodded. “Okay. Some are breaking up camp, and the rest of us are going to bury the dead. Just hang around until we’re done, and then we’ll go back to Valhara.”
She nodded and started to unwrap her foot.
“Oh, another thing,” he said, turning at the door. “How long before that lake water is good again?”
“Should be fine this morning.”
“It should?”
“I mean it is.”
He seemed unsure but turned anyway and left her tent. She followed him out and was immediately handed a plate of food by Finn. “You need to eat.”
“Are you mad?” she asked, taking a bite with her fingers.
“Not mad, more frustrated.”
“At me?”
“At the entire situation. I knew we shouldn’t have let you go alone at night. Then you lied to us for no good reason, all to hide poison use.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she ate quickly and then went back into the village to see what she could find to do. It took hours for the bodies to be buried, and once a prayer was said over the grave, they all mounted up and started for the town.
Kyrin got the impression that others were talking about her behind her back, but each time she looked toward them, they were facing forward silently. She wasn’t sure why the paranoia, but she didn’t like the feeling and was ready to get back to her room.
It wasn’t until the next day that anyone really talked to her again. She woke up to a light knock on her door. She sat up from the floor and then yawned and called for them to come in.
Finn came in and sat down on the floor beside her. “I wondered if you were going to wake up today. Lord Alric had to go into the temple, but he thought when you woke up that you could maybe see about another session with Genessa.”
She cringed. “Really?”
“Yes, she has a lot she can teach you.”
“She hates me.”
Finn smiled. “No, she doesn’t.”
“Why aren’t they married yet?”
“It’s complicated.”
“So you don’t know is what you mean,” she said.
“No, no I know why. I’m just not sure it’s any of your business.”
“Is something wrong with her?”
“No”
“Are his other wives refusing?”
Finn almost choked. “Do what?”
“His other wives… if they hate the new wife it can cause a delay.”
“What makes you think Lord Alric has other wives?”
“Of course he does. He’s rich.”
“So rich men have many wives?”
“Doesn’t he?”
“No, he’s not married.”
She thought about that and then frowned. “Is something wrong with him?”
“No”
“So she should jump at the chance to marry him, then she can be first wife.”
A smile crossed Finn’s lips. “You’re putting me on.”
Kyrin stood up and stretched before adjusting the flail at her side. “Fine, I’ll go see Genessa.”
“Have her talk to you about marriage.”
“I know enough about marriage,” she said, and then walked out the door as he laughed.
Kyrin walked up several flights of stairs before she got to the rooms belonging to Genessa. Just outside of the door she heard a loud groan and stopped to listen. She heard noises from inside the room that sounded like Genessa may be getting sick. When the knight spoke from inside the room, Kyrin figured he must be punishing her, so she backed away silently and then walked down the stairs to gather more apples.