Chương 48: Chapter 47: Of Duty and Sage

When we stepped through the threshold of the dungeon, it was like I stepped briefly into an oven. It was midnight on the other side, and the crescent moon hung way too large in the sky of the courtyard I found myself in. Time seemed to slow for me. My body seemed to ask me for permission - to be allowed to do what came naturally to me, and I refused. Take five, Goldie - I've been changing too much today. I'm not going to put myself through that again tonight if I can help it.

It was like surfacing from underwater - suddenly the hot sensation, the nascent change, was stopped in its tracks and time resumed, all as one thing. Then, a new window appeared. It had that cute, fluffy bat creature halfway holding a mask over its face, giving a sort of grin as its jewel-red eyes glinted at me as it apparently attended a masquerade in the margins. Cute! You resist the call of the Night... for now!

There had been a moment of tension I hadn't cued in on - Roxala, Torch, and Fel were all standing there in attitudes of exasperated surprise, eyes huge and faces averted. Gelidia had hung a step back, hands over her mouth, and everyone stood there in crystallized horror until my voice broke the spell.

"So I got a rank up in my transformation skill!" I said brightly, feeling awkward as I held the two baskets of food. Gelidia rushed to my side and inspected me as our other friends unfroze. I blushed a little, a different kind of heat filling my cheeks.

"... I kind of forgot to say anything. I'm sorry." I said, and Roxala chuckled.

"You feel alright, girl?" she asked, and I nodded firmly. Gelidia just sighed in relief and fwapped me on the bicep, but I was pretty sure it was an excuse to cop a feel on my arm.

"Where is that little fancy lad who I saw using a cleaver as a sword and a skillet as a shield in that fight? Did you guys kill him?" Roxala asked, and I shook my head as I set off towards the door to the dungeon floor. These things were heavy! Even if I was strong as anything, they were way, way too heavy to be standing around holding them up all evening while we chatted. The others came along with, seeming to get the picture.

I could see Roxala consider offering me help, then thinking better of it with my Wolf-Ren. It made sense - what good is a knight if her shields are on her back because she's carrying a basket of produce when some creepy crawlies tried to end her or her friends?

"Nono, he's fine. He's going to be the town's innkeeper, I believe." Gelidia explained from my side.

"He's decided to become like us and Stabilize, as I hope many of the staff and soldiers in the keep will, once things are explained to them." Gelidia said. Roxala just grunted and followed along with things. Torch was being quiet - he'd been pretty quiet in general, but maybe that was his ground state? He was a scout after all, and Fel didn't seem worried, but maybe that was his hyper-fixations at work. Boy, I felt self-conscious! As we entered the halls, we found Ms.

Birchwood was waiting for us and she did NOT look happy.

"Gelidia Brooke Windbinder!" Abbey snapped, laying out what was clearly Gelidia's Full Name (a dreaded occasion!) and Gelidia, a woman I'd seen personally skewer a giant pumpkin ogre with a lightning sword, flinched and went a little pale.

"What in the World were you THINKING, haring off like that to fight in a BATTLE?" She said, advancing on the girl, who tried to keep her back straight and not flinch away entirely, but I could almost feel her trembling a little as she stood her ground.

"It... needed to be done, for the good of the House. The Pantry is an artifact and it was feeding off the dungeon's-" and got no further.

"You did NOT know that at the time, girl! You are the Scion of the house and your safety is my chief concern!" she said"What testimony is this, for the good of the house?!" she hissed in a tone far more dangerous and threatening than a thundering shout. Roxala wanted no part of this - she looked more bored than anything, but Fel looked like he'd opened a cupboard and found a poison spider inside. Torch just grinned a little. For my part, I set down one of the baskets, drawing the woman's eye with the movement.

"And who is this? Bringing peasant girls into our home, now? She's wearing rags, Gelidia!" She said, and I gently placed my hand on her shoulder to move her away from Gelidia with a kind of inexorable strength. She could resist if she liked, and be slid across the ground like a statue. She didn't - just flared her nostrils and went even redder in the face.

"I don't think I introduced myself" I began, a growl low in my throat, just barely audible.

"Then again, I couldn't actually speak" I said, my necklace and collar jingling. It seemed to click for the woman who I was suddenly. It was as if everything suddenly made sense to her - I was the monster she'd met before. She fumed for a moment as I smiled at her pleasantly, subtly moving between her and my beloved as Abbey glared at me. A low, almost pleasant rumble escaped my lips, but the woman, to her credit, didn't back down either. For her part, Gelidia sighed and gently moved my sheltering body aside.

"Emily..." she said, and shook her head.

"She's hardly going to attack me. Her concern for me is justified, and she is doing her duty to the House." Gelidia said, defending her handmaiden. The woman in topic crossed her arms, and seemed content to let Gelidia do just that.

"I will be fine - it's time to face what I've done and own up to her about it." she explained, then faced Abbey once more.

"Where were we? What testimony is this?" Gelidia prompted politely, and Abbey's frown became a little damp as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm... glad you are well, my Lady. I can see you've... you've grown quite a bit, and... you obviously had a guardian, but Cook tells me that things almost went very, very poorly indeed. You could have been killed, Gelidia... and that would have truly been a tragedy." and I almost wanted to point out that she was dead already, as was Abbey, but... refrained. Now was NOT the time to be pedantic. I just stood at Gelidia's side, deferring to her to handle things.

"I'm sorry to you, my friend, and you are right. I did that without purely... noble intentions - it was a fit of peak, defiance of you, and it was... childish, not what I should have done. Not like that." She said, and bowed to her.

"It could have cost me my life, and it nearly did cost my Consort hers, as well as Cook. We won the day, but I should have marshaled our retainers and come in force. We have to thank Dame Roxala and the Wayfinders - they were instrumental in the fight." Gelidia said, and as she spoke, Abbey remained stern, even as she wept a little, but she nodded come the finish.

"Another time, think more carefully. You are more than an... an adventuress, and you need to remember that you are more than just yourself. The World might not be so merciful next time to you." Abbey said, and Gelidia nodded. Ms. Birchwood wiped her tears on a hankie she produced from her dress, and dabbed her eyes. Then, she looked to me, and to the adventurers.

"Thank you for your help this night." She said, and bowed to us.

"I will see to it you are rewarded for your courage. As for you, miss Goldtail!" she said, and turned the high-beams on me as she glared. I half expected for her to go off on me about touching her or interfering, but she seemed more angry about my clothing than anything else!

"Those clothes are completely unacceptable! I will see to it that part of your reward, Hound, will be a proper dress! I will NOT have you shame my house as my Lady's consort while wearing filthy rags!" Abbey hissed, and I blinked at her change of tack.

"Something fetching in house green perhaps!" Gelidia said"My Hound is an excellent cook, as well, and her skills are largely practical - perhaps her dress should be practical as well?" she suggested. Abbey's eyes flashed a bit and she glared at me critically as I once again picked up the baskets of goods as if they weighed nothing.

"We cannot go too elaborate, however... she will simply destroy what she's wearing if she cannot take it off quickly when she changes..." she said. Gelidia shook her head, and held aside my hair a little to show the line of my neck and the collar in House green that I wore. It was large around my neck, I could easily fit my forearm through it in addition to my neck, if I wished.

"The collar is a gift from Sir Little the former guard commander." Gelidia explained.

"It will simply store her clothing when she changes, and replace them when she returns." she explained as Abbey stared at me, looking from my arms to my sleek body to my face. She looked me up and down carefully, reaching out to touch my side and get an idea how I was shaped under the clothing. My frame was hard with muscle and athletic, and the woman definitely noticed it.

Her eyes wrinkled at the corners a little, and though it was a subtle change, she went from stark disapproval of me and my claim on her Lady's heart to something approaching approval? Understanding? She had to know her Lady's proclivities and previous romantic flings with her chambermaid. From what I understood, this was hardly anything new as far as her Lady was concerned. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"That simplifies things a great deal." Abbey said, and nodded firmly.

"I have your measurements at this point, I think. Have you any input in this, miss Goldtail?" she asked, and I shrugged a little.

"I'm..." I hesitated, and thought about it carefully.

"I'm easy to please, honestly, just... something comfortable that I can fight in if I have to, and that won't get in the way of my legs and arms too much. Can I have pockets?" I asked, and Abbey smiled at me, pleased.

"Of course. I think I can see the shape of this. I'll see to it. Now then. From what I hear, you intend to help Cook in the kitchen?" she asked, and I nodded firmly. She smiled"Once we have something figured out for you, and for your companions, the House Tailor and my Lady come to meet you in the Kitchens." she said. I nodded, and set off, pretty sure I knew the way. Again, these were HEAVY!

I could see in my Wolf-Ren how Gelidia and Abbey chattered as they walked down a different hallway, and the adventurers followed them, leaving me alone in the halls of Gelidia's ancestral home. THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME my wolf said. WHY WAS SHE ANGRY? Her job is to make sure Gelidia's safe and well cared for, and Gelidia ran off on her own. She should have gotten her men together and THEN gone to fight the battle in the kitchen, not just ran off with us like that, I explained.

My Wolf seemed to digest that thoughtfully, tilting her head this way and that. WE WON she said simply. I chuckled. We did, but we almost didn't. She could have been hurt, we could have died. That's why she was upset. I SEE. SHE PROTECTS OUR MATE? She does. I think she protects her socially, I said, thinking about... what little I knew about fantasy nobility I'd read and seen in media, and about nobility in my own world's antiquity.

All I knew was from stories - poisoned goblets of wine, daggers in the dark, words and secrets and lies all entwined with regal living and wealthy people in power. Wolf snorted. WE DISLIKE THIS and she was right. I DO NOT THINK THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE CANNOT PROTECT HER FROM. Red in tooth and claw, huh? That came with a bit of distaste from me as well, a note of dissonance in our harmony, my Wolf and I. Wolf was baffled by this.

As I walked, deep in thought, a Guard stood in my path some distance ahead, uncertainty in his spectral face. As we approached, I ignored him for the moment. I TRUST YOU ALWAYS, BUT I WILL NEVER ALLOW HER TO BE HURT. It was a warning. She was baffled by my distaste, offended. I won't either, I promise you. When we need to protect her with tooth and claw, we will. I trust you, too. My Wolf seemed relieved at that.

Social subtlety be damned - I wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt my Gelidia, not even me, and neither would the beast I shared a body with.

"Halt!" the guard barked, and obediently, I did so. I set down my burdens, and rolled my shoulders a little.

"Identify yourself!" the Guard commanded, and I nodded. I was, after all, wearing a filthy tunic-dress and little else but moccasins.

"I am Emily Goldtail the Twice-Cursed, Hound of Lambstock, consort to the Lady Gelidia Windbinder." I said obediently, naming myself in full because it was SUCH A COOL THING to be able to say! Where was my life going, that this was just who I was now? The guard, who had been a young man, stood straighter. I could see that he was in the battle earlier - he was wounded, but not badly at all, and though he'd been patched up his armor was dented. He bowed to me, lowering his weapon, and I returned the gesture.

"Ah - I did not recognize you." he said and I beamed a smile at him.

"No problem - Your arrival earlier, and that of the rest of the House forces with the adventurers, was well timed! You all saved my life and that of our Lady." I said, and he looked proud.

"Thank you." I said. He'd been just another of the charging soldiers, one among many who had fought, but I meant it.

"I'm just bringing some fresh herbs and spices from the woods to Cook." I explained, and the man nodded, standing aside. He, like Roxala, seemed to hesitate over helping out, but decided not to. Scooping the baskets once more with ease, I nodded to him.

"And thank you as well, Hound, for defending the Lady and this House." he said, and I gave him another smile as I went. When I arrived at the kitchens and bumped the door open with my hip, I was awash in the scents of cooking potatoes and what spices they still had. The heat of the ovens washed over me, and I took a deep, pleased breath. The whole dungeon had been weird, but... this floor, now that there were no tubers trying to eat us, felt nearly normal!

Sure this was a noble house's kitchen in the heart of their keep, but... dead or not, the people were still people. The sounds of a kitchen in full buzz met my ears as Cook came over and directed me to lay my burdens into the sinks. Together, we began to clean and sort the results of our little escapade as I explained why there was no Alfredo coming back with me to the kitchens. Cook just grunted at that, and scowled a little.

"So what I'm hearing is I'm down ANOTHER cook, huh?" he growled, and I nodded, shrugging. He SIGHED grumpily, and touched over the findings.

"What are... these?" he asked, holding up a Ramp, and I explained. He grunted at that and sniffed it, before smiling a little.

"They smell pungent... lots of flavor on these things. I think it will go well in the soup, add a little extra character." and I agreed wholeheartedly. We sorted the veggies out, and cut away bits we wouldn't be eating. Cook's experience with these ingredients was limited - he never used Queenslace before, just knew they were wild carrots, so I showed him how to bake the flowers a little and give them a gentle rub to get the seeds for a peppery treat!

The leaves themselves came in large frond clusters, and the stems they were attached to were crispy and edible too, like a semi-sweet peppery celery. And of course, the carrots were the best part, so long as you didn't try to eat ones that was more than one year old. A few we had to throw out for that very reason - but the stalks and fronds were still good, and of course those had the best flowers!

Working together, Cook, his two assistants, and I sorted out the queenslace once they knew what to do, and we wound up with a few bowls of the seeds, a big basin of fronds, and stacks of stalks. Then came the mint! Oily, thicker leaves with a pungent minty (of course) flavor were the best part. Bugs didn't go for those - they were obnoxious to bugs, my book said, and I could see it. Imagine smelling that at their scale, with your face going numb as you bit down or carried one off?

Not poisonous exactly, but certainly unpleasant. Meanwhile, people go 'OOH MINTY' and chew on that on PURPOSE! We must have seemed mad! We found a fair bit of this as well. Then came wild sage. These had a funny look to them, the leaves sort of leaning up against the stalks, not quite white, but... sort of frosted looking even in the warm air due to their fuzzy leaves. Their scent was intensely pleasant, and separating them from the stalks left all of our fingers smelling lovely.

To me, Sage was the scent of summer. It grew wild in the woods when I'd visited my grandma's house in a small town called Woodruff, down near the lake. Was it... Inkpot lake? No, that was in a park, hadn't it been? I was lost for a moment in thought as pleasant aromas assaulted my mind and my senses were inundated with deep memories, well-worn into my heart like a familiar footpath. I felt Gelidia touching my back suddenly, gently making contact to let me know she was there, and I turned my head to her, smiling.

I had been a mile away when she arrived, and she hadn't come alone.

"Hello, Emily, You alright?" she asked and I smiled, nodding.

"Hello, Gelidia - I'm ok, just..." I sighed a little, and held up a sage leaf to sniff it deeply.

"... I love this smell. It's probably my favorite." I said, and she nodded.

"Kind-of figured, after all you did make your soap with it." she said, and I smiled as I pulled leaves carefully from another stalk, mmmmhmmm-ing softly. Then... she got onto tip toes and leaned up to brush her lips to my ear, the feeling of her breath tickling such that I shivered involuntarily and squeaked a little, but obediently held still as she said"I brought you a present."

"Oh?" I asked, voice a whisper, and felt her nod against me. My Wolf was just overjoyed at her presence near me, and I instinctively grunted and pressed a little against her, just to feel contact with her deepen.

"Mhm." she said, as Cook poured a bunch of dried nuts into a bowl and started noisily sorting through them. With Gelidia's voice so soft and so near, I felt as if my hearing was leaning in to hear what she had to say all the more, and that led me to notice all sorts of little details with my other senses as well. The scent of... parmesan cheese, dry, preserved, being freshly grated... the scent of the nuts - still good, probably, amidst the dust and neglect. And of course the herbs I'd been sorting out. And...

Gelidia. She smelled the best, especially since she was manifesting more than she used to do. I let her take my hand, and lead me away from the prep table in the kitchen, towards a small cluster of other people. She led... and I meekly followed, blushing at every step. I felt like I'd follow her just about anywhere in that moment.