Birds of a Feather

Chapter 54

The new years holiday was nearly over and Erica was sitting at the table in the single room of the cottage working on a dress for Bess. Elim had brought some nice fabric home with him and the girl was growing like a weed. Erica sewed the dress with a deep hem so it could be let out when she got taller again.

Her granddaughter was off playing with the neighbors girl and Erica hummed to herself. A knock at the door distracted her. She wasn’t expecting company, but Elim’s arrival had likely drawn in someone curious from the village. She was thankful that her hair had grown out a little. The short cropped look wasn’t common for women but wasn’t as strange as being bald.

Rather than finding a villager or other familiar face Erica opened the door to find a young woman. A tanned one in riding clothes with a sorrowful expression. She could have passed for a sweet voiced and lanky boy if not for her exposed throat.

“Hello, I’m Charlotte Tiller. Are you Ms. Erica?” the young woman asked.

“I am,” Erica replied. She wasn’t sure what to make of the tanned young thing. She had a neatness to her, from short hair down to her pants and worn but well-kept boots that said she wasn’t quite common but not noble either. Perhaps she was a merchant's daughter or the leader of a small trade group herself.

“I’m so sorry about your son,” Charlotte said in a shaking voice, on the verge of tears.

“Ha, I know he doesn’t like chopping wood, but this is a bit dramatic,” Erica said with an eye roll. Leave it to Elim to rope some poor young thing in on a bad joke.

“Chopping wood? You have more than one son?” Charlotte asked in open confusion.

“Ma, do I have a brother you didn’t tell me about!?” Elim called as he appeared with the axe slung over his shoulder. Charlotte looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“Hey there… Tiller?” Elim started friendly, until his expression blossomed with recognition. He ended up looking rather astonished.

“Everyone said you died in the mine!” Charlotte cried out, turning bloodlessly pale. She took a step back, looking like she was about to faint. Elim dropped his axe and dashed forward to get ahold of her arm and keep her on her feet.

“Easy Tiller, I was shot but I got lucky,” Elim said, expression serious now. He helped Charlotte inside to the fabric covered table.

“I’m so sorry, I should have looked for you, but they said there were monsters in the mine. That you were already dead,” Charlotte explained, crying properly now. Erica stepped outside and closed the front door. Someone had to put up the axe and it was best to leave the pair alone for a bit. She loved Bess, but the only thing better than one grandchild was a gaggle of them.

“Really, there were monsters. It was for the best that you didn’t try to find me,” Elim said soothingly. He gave Charlotte a pat on the shoulder but didn’t try to shush her or do more. Sometimes a person needed a good cry and he was alright waiting until she was done. It took a few minutes, but eventually the tears seemed to come to a natural stop and she looked up at him with a weak smile.

“I’m glad you're okay,” Charlotte said. Elim nodded, a hand going to his hair when he noticed a bare expanse of skin. He’d stripped down to his sleeveless undershirt while he was chopping wood. It was an inappropriate state of undress in front of company and he quickly darted over to grab a shirt from the laundry bin.

“I’ve seen more of you than that already,” Tiller said, laughing as he pulled the shirt on. Elim blushed furiously.

“What happens soldiering ain’t alright at home. Its bad manners and my mama raised me better than that,” Elim said defensively. Charlotte had seen him and the gods only knew how many others from the army in various states of undress. Her seeing some skin wasn’t really the problem.

The issue was that he was being a bad host. He could have grabbed his original shirt and put it on when he came to see who was visiting. He’d just forgotten and acted like a mannerless lout because he was used to it.

“I didn’t say it yet, but thanks for coming round to check on my mother. You didn’t have to do that and I appreciate it,” Elim said once he was properly dressed. Charlotte just nodded and it seemed like her turn to blush.

“About that, everyone felt terrible when they realized you’d been left behind. They sent along some money for your family,” Tiller said, taking out a fairly sizable coin purse.

“That was kind of them. May as well give it to Rastin and Cori’s families then. Unfortunately they really didn’t make it out,” Elim said somberly. He’d gotten lucky just to survive let alone everything else that had followed.

“I’m afraid I don’t know where they're from,” Charlotte said. She wasn’t actually part of the same unit and hadn’t made friends with anyone but him, so it made sense.

“Trevorton and Rillford village, both are on the way to the feifs capital so I can pass them along when I go to buy my way out,” Elim explained. 42 had wanted to give money to the bereaved as well so it lined up with his plans just fine.

“You're leaving the army?” Charlotte asked in surprise. Not many did, since it paid well, not unless they were disabled by an injury and even then some kind of work could usually still be found. Plenty of men washed laundry or maintained arms and equipment if they weren’t fit to fight.

“Yeah, I got a job offer that pays a bit better and might even be a touch less dangerous,” Elim said with a grin.

“Doing what?” Charlotte asked, clearly suspicious. Elim still smiled, knowing her concern wasn’t misplaced. Not many legal things paid better, not for someone with a peasant background.

“Working for the hermit who saved my life. She needed someone to get things for her and bring ’em back so she can avoid having to go out. Neat little arrangement and even if I weren’t grateful to her for being alive, she’s good for the money,” Elim explained. He’d had some time to think about what he was going to tell people and it felt like that was enough.

Hermits weren't particularly common but it wasn’t like people wouldn’t know the broad strokes. 42 had suggested a name but he decided against using it unless asked. No sense in volunteering anything too identifying if he didn’t need to.

“Mind if I come along? My contract is up anyway so I need to head in,” Charlotte asked. Elim paused, thinking about it for a moment. It would be a little inconvenient but it wasn’t like he minded. He’d just have to watch himself and make sure she didn’t see him using the item box. Something he should do anyway since no one should see that, even by accident.

“Works just fine for me,” Elim said finally with a grin.

“Well, I should go see about getting a room for the night. Someone in the village said the headman’s family has one to use,” Charlotte said. Elim winced, knowing that ‘room’ was more like a cowshed. It was also expensive. The headman was nice enough to locals, but he’d talk an outsider out of the shirt on their back if he could.

“If you don't mind, you can stay here and bed down with Bess and my ma. Accommodations come with meals and are available for the low low price of free,” Elim offered. Bedding down with cows aside he felt a little protective of Tiller. They’d gotten on well, but her coming to give his family money after she thought he’d passed was more than simply touching.

“Well, who could pass up a deal like that,” Charlotte said, laughing.

“Pa!” Bessy called from outside. Elim was already darting out of the house. Charlot was two steps behind him and drawing a dagger. She knew panic when she heard it.

Outside Bessy was kneeling on the ground, arms defensively scooping her skirt up to protect something. Above her a black hawk was hopping and screeching in the tree.

"Storm, what are you doing!?" Charlotte demanded of the bird. It chattered back at her, feathers ruffling in irritation.

“Liar! Lemon wouldn’t hurt me!” Bessy shouted in anger.

“Child, he says you have a lightning adder-” Charlotte started, then caught on a beat late. Bessy had responded directly to Storm, not to what she’d said.

“Storm, get gone for a bit,” Charlotte said.

“Bess, show me the snake please,” Elim said, kneeling in front of his daughter. Charlotte felt a moment of vertigo. If it really were a lightning adder, odds were Elim was about to get bitten, and their venom was deadly. Despite that he didn’t look particularly bothered, as his daughter catching lethal snakes wasn’t unusual.

Charlotte recalled the first time she’d seen Elim without a shirt on. It had been when they found their way into the stone maze at the far side of the desert. He’d been stripping to get the sand out of his clothes and paused when she drew in a sharp breath. His left shoulder had been marred by a sizable burn.

“My daughter likes snakes and things and mistook a baby drake for one,” Elim had said, laughing. As if drakes weren’t terribly dangerous.

“They're a bit troublesome but not that bad. Besides, she has a talent for taming things,” he’d added as he pulled his shirt back on.

“You don’t mind her talent bringing dangerous things into your home?” Charlotte had asked. Her own family had turned on her when her gift had manifested. As if a bit of a mess and a less than lady-like ability was an unforgivable crime.

“I wouldn’t say it's a Talent yet, but even if it is, why would I mind it? She’s my girl, being able to do something strange won’t change that,” Elim had added. Looking at Bess now with her stubborn little face and golden curls Charlotte felt a deep and terrible jag of envy for just a moment before it passed. Elim was a good father and her own was shit, but it wasn’t like kids got to pick.

While Charlotte had been reminiscing, Elim had gotten his daughter to reveal the snake. It turned out to be a mock adder, a fairly harmless creature, but Storm wouldn’t know the difference. He also liked snake meat though, so it was possible he wouldn’t have cared if he did. The bird was a greedy thing.

“Bess, did you understand what Storm was saying like I do?” Charlotte asked. Elim looked up at her in surprise but she kept her expression neutral as she looked steadily at the little girl.

“He’s a rude bastard,” Bess replied grumpily. Charlotte couldn’t help it and her mouth dropped open. The bird looked like a black hawk but was larger and more wicked looking if you knew your stuff. It was a demonic variant of the species and saying he was foul mouthed was an understatement.

“Bessy! Where’d you learn that word?” Elim demanded. He had gone to pains to make sure nothing like it left his mouth around her.

“From Storm!” Bess hissed, doing her best to wriggle out of her fathers grasp.

“Tiller! Your bird swears!?” Elim demanded which only made Charlotte laugh. Out of all the things to grab his attention about the situation, that was it? The demonic hawk’s foul mouth? Really?