Page 27 of Quest of Fools

Getting Kaltin on a horse had taken some effort, but once he was in the saddle, he seemed to do well enough, though he was still far too pale for Warf's liking.

Even with the supplies they'd bought from the house kind enough to help them out, they'd traveled planning for two, not three, so additional food would be needed.Viletti had therefore ventured off to do some hunting, vowing to find them again once she'd succeeded, and departing with a scowling admonishment to stay on the damned road and not do anything stupid.

"So this might be a stupid question, but it's been picking away at me for ages," Kaltin said into the surprisingly easy silence."Are you called Warf because of where you used to work?"

Warf laughed."No, that honestly would make perfect sense.My full name is Warloff, from the old navy captain that fought in the Aurora Wars.My mother loved ships, sailing, the navy—anything to do with the sea, really.Everyone's always shortened it to Warf."

"Are you going to go by your full name now that you're a noble?"

"What do you mean?What's that got to do with anything?"

Kaltin smiled, but it wasn't the sort of condescending smile he'd gotten from Marian's parents, more a friendly, let me teach you smile."Nobles ain't much for pet names, not in public, anyway.You'll be back to Warloff wherever you go, unless you beat it into all of them to call you Warf."

"I see," Warf replied."It's my name, so I don't much care one way or another.Don't care what people call me so long as they ain't being rude about it."

"Yes, my lord," Kaltin said.

Warf groan-laughed."All right, that one is going to take getting used to."

"I had a feeling."

They lapsed into silence again, the drizzle having faded away to practically nothing, the sun beginning to come from behind the clouds in earnest.If not for the ache of missing his daughters, the constant clawing fear for Marian, it would be a beautiful day for a ride.He'd never dealt with horses much, just getting them offloaded and to their new home, but he could increasingly see why people enjoyed horseback riding so much.

"So if I can ask… how did you come to work for Lady Clarkson?"

Kaltin made a face."It's not really all that interesting a story."

"You certainly don't have to share it."

"I don't mind, and it's the least I owe after all you've done for me."Kaltin drew in a deep breath and let it out on a sigh."My parents died when I young.Alcohol.Mushrooms.The usual Low City problems.Didn't take long for me to wind up homeless.I was working for change in High City one day when a woman lost an earring and didn't seem to notice.Wasn't a cheap one, either, had a large ruby and several smaller diamonds.Heavy as any necklace.I took it to her, and she insisted I return to be properly fed and such."

He looked for a moment like he'd start crying, but shook his head sharply and said, "She was so kind back then.I don't know when or how she became something else entirely.The woman in the kitchens took me on as a scullery boy, and I moved up from there.Proved good with the horses and the carriage, so I became her main driver.I was… I don't know, fifteen or so when she found me.Half that when I first started living on the streets.Twenty-five or so now, though I'm not sure my exact birth date, and it feels like ten years wasted.Should have just pawned the damned earring."

There was no heat in his words, though, only sadness.

"I'm sorry she wasn't who you thought.Who a lot of people thought, I suspect," Warf replied.

Twenty-five.He'd put Kaltin at thirty, but given the life he'd led, it wasn't surprising he came off older than he was.Low City did that to folk.

"I'm sorry I didn't leave sooner," Kaltin said bitterly."What's done is done, though, I suppose.At least I can make up for it now.Do you think your friend will return soon?We're nearing the split off to the summer estate I mentioned."

Warf shrugged."If we get to it before she rejoins us, we'll just wait there.Now that we have your help, speed isn't quite as urgent as it was before.All to the better if we catch up to them sooner, but we know for certain where they're going, and you've got a way to get us there faster, so we can afford to wait for our supper a bit."He smiled, and Kaltin returned it.

"Congratulations on your tournament victory, by the way," Kaltin replied."I feel bad for the young woman that Lady Clarkson was supposed to marry, but then again she's probably better off with whatever the king and queen arrange for her."

Warf had been so focused on Marian, he hadn't even thought about that."Hopefully she can marry elsewhere and still get the life she was promised.Their Majesties offered me compensation, advised I take it and have done with this, but I just can't abandon Marian.Surprised you didn't join the tournament."

"I considered it, but…" He shrugged."Didn't seem worth the trouble when I already had what I thought was a relatively good life.I knew she was upset about the ending of the relationship, but I didn't expect…" He sighed and didn't bother to finish the sentence."I probably should have, but it seemed like such extreme behavior, even for her.More like something her father would have done when he was still alive, and she hates her father."

"People who are completely alike often do hate each other, I've found," Warf replied."Or at least don't get along much.They see too much of themselves in each other, and rarely do any of us enjoy looking in a mirror."

Kaltin laughed."I can't see what fault you'd find in a mirror, my lord.There were plenty of approving comments about you going around the tourney grounds.Some, uh, less appropriate than others."

Warf rolled his eyes."I can imagine.Fates know I've gotten them to my face often enough."

"Imagine you'll keep getting them to your face.The nobility love their bedhopping games, and they're not good at hearing no, some of them."

"They'll learn to deal with it," Warf said, because he didn't like that he was so intimidating simply by dint of existing, but he would be more than happy to use his size to make people understand the word 'no.'"Do you know anything about Marian's parents?They weren't happy he's to marry me, that much was clear."

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