[19]

My simple tray of sausages and grilled vegetables felt like it weighed like a brick in my exhausted arms. I nearly dropped it down on the table, startling poor Joy with the crashing noise.

Joy looked me over with narrowed eyes and stuffed a grilled onion into her mouth.

“At least you stopped at the shower this time,” the wildling said.

Next to each training area were outside “clothes on” showers for students. They did not completely clean you off, but they were much better than how I had come in earlier in the day during lunch. Having never seen one before, I thought they were a weird fountain. Either the red-robed Jalmese boy Nicolai did not know about them, or he withheld that information as a bad practical joke. In his defense, the cleaning areas near the combat training pit were a bit out of the way.

If it had not been for my new sea gnoll friend, Raxx, I would have still been ignorant about the shower's existence. As a beastman, he was more sensitive about smells than the other students.

“He smelled worse than a goat!” Raxx said with a hyena laugh, falling into the seat next to me with a clatter as boisterous as my own.

Joy did not jump the second time, but her eyes showed surprise. “A sea dog?” she said.

Sea Dog, even though they were not dogs at all, or Sea Gnoll was the name most gave to Raxx’s race. However, the actual name for them was the Harak, and I knew even less about his people than I did the Wildlings. The one thing I knew was that they had a fearsome reputation for being pirates and raiders. I had even heard a merchant once say that if they did not fight each other so often, they probably could have taken over the Kostarm Sea.

If Raxx was a common representative of his race, I could easily see why. The Harak stood equal in height to me, but had much longer arms that ended in webbed hands and vicious claws. His tough fur was blue-green that reminded me of the sea, and natural black dots broke up his pattern and protected his eyes from sunlight. I already knew Raxx had a superior smell and hearing as well. A normal human would have an arduous time dealing with the natural gifts of the Harak on land, much less the sea.

Raxx took no offense at being called a sea dog, merely giving Joy a smile that showed too much teeth. She responded in kind, baring her own splintery fangs, and Raxx snickered again.

“You have a way of picking friends that no one wants to associate with.” Joy said. I ignored the comment, because I did not care about who other people associated with.

“Joy, this is Raxx,” I said, introducing them. “Raxx, this is Joy.” They gave a polite nod to one another, but otherwise said nothing.

We each began stuffing food in our mouth in displays that would probably disgust all the nobles I traveled to Ashmere with. Eventually, I came up for air.

“I thought combat training was a nightmare until I met Cen-Boleman. Spending years in the Ruinlands has to be better than that dwarf.” I said.

Joy laughed, saying, “Yeah, Master Rohan is a kitten by comparison. I am so glad I got fitness training done in the morning. When you described it at lunch, I thought I was going to be in for more of the same as that stoneblood sadist.”

“I’ve faced down marauders that wore the skins of their flayed victims, and I would rather spend time with them than that bastard,” agreed Raxx, popping a sausage into his maw and chewing loudly. The Harak might have been a barbarian, but I liked the uncomplicated honesty of him.

Raxx had just finished swallowing his food when I felt him stiffen next to me. I looked over to see his earring bedecked ears pointed and alert and facing off toward the black robe tables. Joy seemed to notice too, and we both looked in the direction that had Raxx’s attention.

A beautiful black-robed student I had never met before was scolding Reynold in front of his friend Tedric, and a group of other ascendents that stood behind her. She had dark purple noble hair and eyes that looked similar enough to Reynolds to be a blood relative. On her shoulder was the double falcon symbol for a second-year student.

“Friends of yours?” Joy asked in a bored tone.

Raxx barked a laugh. “The one getting shit on got carved up by Harald this morning in combat training. It was the damndest thing. The idiot bet 1,000 contribution points just so he could have time to rough our human friend up. Only, instead of doing that, he just sat there and gave up his wealth, blood, and pride in front of half the damn academy.” Raxx said.

“It wasn’t half…” I started, but then stopped. The entire school knew now either way.

“Really? What did you do to piss off a Kestev?” Joy asked.

“You know about them?” I asked.

“Hah! Come on, Harald. Everyone knows about them.” Joy said.

“It’s true they sing tales about the Marquis even out on the islands,” Raxx said.

I said nothing after that, wondering at how big of a mistake I might have made publicly wounding the son of one of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

Nah, he can eat shit, I decided. The prick had it coming.

“So?” Joy prompted after a minute.

“I think… I think it was over a girl, but I’m not sure.” I said reluctantly.

Both of my companions laughed at that.

“Of course it was over a girl. It’s always about a girl.” Joy said, smiling.

“The way of the world,” Raxx said, hitting me on the back with an enormous paw. “Whole reason the Harak clans fight is so we can get women.”

So I launched into a story about my journey to Ashmere, leaving out anything that would embarrass Angelina. When I got to the part about Elmont offering to teach me herbalism and alchemy, Joy got excited.

“Wait, so both are class skills for you?” she said.

“Yep.”

“Do you have novice herbalism tomorrow?”

“I do. Why?”

“I do too. Plants are a passion of mine. I grew up in a library, so getting out in the field is really exciting.”

Raxx snickered.

“Outstanding, we can head out together tomorrow after breakfast. What do you have tomorrow Raxx?”

“Leatherworking,” Raxx said.

“That’s a class skill for you?” Joy asked.

Raxx shook his head, but did not expand on it.

“Anyway, finish your story,” Joy said.

By the time I finished, the dining hall was mostly empty. Joy sat back, nursing a cup of some green liquid that I was thankful I did not have a quest to drink, and whistled.

“Elaine Highrow, eh? Yeah, that should do it. She’s the only child of a Duke, and word is her father absolutely dotes on her. Whoever catches that queen bee will have a whole lot of honey. Then add in that Reynold is probably used to being the best looking person in the room, and here you come making him stick out like a cow turd on a tulip.” Joy said.

Raxx bared his teeth. “They’re not done either. The girl, his sister or cousin or whatever, said that the insult can’t go unanswered. She all but ordered him to gut you when no one was looking—he can’t risk losing more face. Hah! Face!” Raxx laughed at his own joke.

“You think they are going to try something tonight?” I asked, looking out the doorway to see the sun setting.

“I wouldn’t,” Raxx said. “You would expect it, so soon afterward. But these nobles? They are used to doing whatever they want. So, who knows?”

“Add in all the pressure Reynold probably has to woo Elaine as well. You weakened his status as a Kestev, and in front of the girl his family certainly has him after. He’s going to be out for blood, with compromised reasoning.” Joy said.

Raxx slapped me on the back again. “Don’t sweat it, we will walk you home. Ashmere has been way too boring for me, anyway.” With his other hand, he petted the notched and worn sabre he wore at his hip.

“I’m not, really a warrior.” Joy said, looking worried. “But, I-I’ll come.”

“You don’t have to, Joy. The only thing I’m worried about is that now they’ve both seen you with me, so we will walk you home first, then Raxx and I can handle things.” I said, relieved that I had made friends with the Harak. I could handle Reynold again, but not if he had a few friends with him. At the least, Raxx would watch my back.

That settled, we picked up our trays and headed out into the warm spring night.

…

It turned out that Joy lived in the house directly across from mine. She offered to let us hang out with her for a while, but we declined. Raxx and I were far too tired from the long day, and I am sure that Joy felt the same way.

Not long after she separated from us, I got a worrying alert from Ugz. My familiar had spotted movement near the back window of the house and was currently watching a person hidden in the shadow of the little backyard.

I told Raxx, and he immediately whipped out his sabre, and began heading toward the back of the house. I approached from the opposite side, hoping that I could get at whoever it was from behind after they engaged with Raxx.

However, as we got closer, a loud whistling sound alerted my would be ambusher, and they ran off into the night trailing a black cloak behind them.

“Bah!” Raxx complained. “Smarter than I thought they would be. They had a lookout.”

“Did you see who it was?” I asked.

“Nah. They took time to hide their scent too. Whoever it was knew what they were doing.”

I was thankful that I got some worms from Joy before going home. Ugz loved the snack more than I expected him to—which was good, because I needed him watching over me while I slept. I still had trouble sleeping that night.