A giant came and carried him in. It would look ridiculous and he could walk, couldn't he? Count Ward took him up gently. Tor didn't like him much he decided. All the girls liked him though, and wanted to have his babies. They didn't like Tor. He was jealous of the man. Yeah, that was it. He got all the pretty girls and took them from Tor. Varley and Ursala… and Maria.
The man shook his head.
“No Tor… you took them from me. Except Maria. She's mine still. Because you gave her back to me when no one else could. Now rest friend. The fire will be defeated and all will be well.”
Later someone fed him and made him drink water. It wasn't until the morning light hit his eyes that he really woke up. He felt weak, but everything seemed to be working fine otherwise. He started to pull himself out of bed when he noticed that Nita was sleeping next to him. Right, she'd told him she wouldn't leave. She looked… wonderful. Her face wasn't pretty and her body was nice but not the best in the world, and none of that mattered compared to who she was. It colored the way he saw her, that was clear, but she was his friend. That's what really counted.
He however, reeked. Horribly.
It wasn't the scent of fire or even sweat, but something worse, like something was dying. He felt fine, mainly, if tired still, so tried to wash it off in the shower. It worked, kind of, buried under the lavender soap, but he could still smell it. No mice would have died in the walls or anything, they didn't have spaces for rodents inside, being solid potential, not even energy. After a while he realized it was either him, or all around him like a cloud. It didn't get stronger, so he ran a tub and tried to soak it off. That's where Nita found him.
“Good morning! Everyone thought you might sleep for days, like when you're working, but here you are already. Would you like food brought up or anything?” She sounded happy enough to see him up and about. He'd just been more tired than he thought. That had to be it.
“Food is probably a good idea. Can you smell that though? Here.” He held his arm out for her, suddenly embarrassed, but she just took the arm and sniffed.
“Lavender? Water? Yummy Tor? What am I missing?” She wasn't just being polite, she really didn't smell it at all. The scent of death covered him, but… only in his mind?
Oh.
Wonderful.
In a way, it was, kind of, because he didn't want to smell like that, but it wasn't a great thing for him to have to put up with either.
He'd killed those Austran craft drivers tough. He may have had to, but he'd done it.
Himself alone.
Right. That would explain it. When you took a life, it tainted you, made you closer to death yourself. Everyone knew that. So he was smelling what he'd done? Or more like it, he was making himself imagine that stench?
Fair enough.
If you kill it shouldn't be easy, should it? This was part of the price he had to pay, and eventually there would be more of one.
There always was. Actions had consequences, and killing someone was a big action. No matter who they were or why you did it.
He could have gone to breakfast, or had some of whatever meal was closest, but Nita wanted him to stay there and rest. So after remaking the bed, letting the sheets clean, he climbed in and lay there, looking at a ceiling he knew for a fact wasn't there. Food was brought on a nice wooden and metal tray, and was bland, either made that way or because he couldn't taste anything except rot. After that, Tor wanted to take a nap, but couldn't. He had work to do, vacation or not.
“The fire-” the words were worried not grumpy or rough at least.
“Is out. Some people were injured fighting it and in the bombing, but no one was killed from the attack itself. The area around the palace was already cleared, I guess because this could happen? So everything is fine and you're still on vacation. How fun! We should do something together, if you get the time. I know you're a busy man and all and may have other plans, so it's not problem for me if you can't. We're still having King’s week I hear, to show the Austrans that we aren't afraid. Even if everyone is secretly terrified. I want to help with it, but I don't know what to do.” She chattered merrily, not waiting for him to speak or really giving him a chance to at all. It was nice though, and reminded him a bit of being home in Two Bends. When thirteen people spoke all at once no one got heard, so you had to learn to wait.
Tor grinned.
“There's lot's to do for it, you can help me organize my stuff? And um, would you sleep in here, with me? It may be a little awkward when we have other people in for sex, but I'll deal if you will.”
It was a throwaway line, Tor was trying to act all royal and sophisticated, but he ruined it with a smile, Nita didn't though, she lowered her head and gave a smile that definitely didn't ruin anything at all.
“I've never done that. Sex with more than one person. Maria has. She said it was fun, but complicated, and it really helps if you liked everyone involved. She does, like everyone, I mean, so not a huge issue for her. But I'd love to stay! Does that mean you're my boyfriend? It would be grand to tell father I finally caught a man I didn't have to pay and who wasn't being bribed to be nice to me by someone else.” Her hand went to her mouth and eyes widened. She suddenly looked worried, though it was hard to tell why.
“Oh! I didn't mean… I'm not trying to pressure you or anything. I was just talking…” Her voice trailed off soft and embarrassed, but Tor nodded his head against the deliciously soft pillow.
So it was just Nita being shy again, that and not thinking she was good enough. Silly of her. Tor decided sleepily to correct that if he could.
“Oh, yes. Of course you're my girlfriend. Apparently I have several, however that works. Though it would be nice if people would let me in on things like that earlier. Like this. Thanks.” He was drifting off as they spoke, so he put his arms out for a hug and pulled her into bed with him, it was meant to be playful, but he really did fall asleep. Exhaustion just took him hard and didn't let go, wouldn't listen to his arguments and made him sleep for a while then. She was gone when he got back up, but then he didn't expect her to actually lay in his arms awake while he slept or anything like that. It would be uncomfortable and waste her time.
Tor got up and stretched, not really feeling stiff or anything, but knowing that collapsing due to… whatever it had been, wasn't normal for him. Dehydration? That had happened recently, and he really wasn't really drinking enough water. He'd been out all day and all he'd had was a bit of fruit juice that morning. Kind of a brilliant plan actually, not having any liquid like that. Thinking it a good point he went to the bath room and drank cool water from the tap. If anyone had managed to poison this, then he deserved to die. It was clean and crisp when it came out, filtered, and probably about as pure as it could get.
Normally he'd, well, he'd probably run off to the palace and then try to fix everything he could with magic, instead of letting people do some actual work and use their own ideas. Right now he should rest, but… well, other than sleep, which was simply done for now, what else could he do?
How about check on Petra and Collette, then on all his other friends? Petra had been leading the fire fighting, at least the flying pump portion of the events. Was she all right? He'd been sleeping and hadn't even thought to check! How selfish was that? Stupid sleep, always getting in his way every day like that.
It didn't take him long to find her at all, about ten seconds, because the dark and pretty girl was standing in the hallway, not ten feet from his door, nodding seriously at someone. A much smaller, incredible good looking looking dark haired man was saying something to her. It took a second for Tor to get who it was, as he was dressed in a plain brown and green canvas outfit and black boots, instead of the servants uniform or nice black or green jacket he'd seen him in most of the time before. His grandfather, Burks Lairdgren. A sitting Count of all things.