Wizard of Jatte by Rowan Erlking (ereader ebook .TXT) đ
- Author: Rowan Erlking
Book online «Wizard of Jatte by Rowan Erlking (ereader ebook .TXT) đ». Author Rowan Erlking
Closing his eyes, Theissen then shook his head. âItâs nothing. Donât worry about it.â
âToo late. Iâm worried. Now, whatâs bugging you?â
Theissen sat back and stared at the woodwork around him. âI donât know, actually. A little of this. A little of that. I just feelâŠI donât know.â
âYouâve established yourself, bought new clothes. You got regular human clothes again. That vest looks good on you by-the-way, and the coat you bought makes me envy you. We havenât seen that creep that had tried to kill Milrina. And that gang boss has fled from the western city districtâfor now at least. What is it? Are you bored?â Theoboldâs feathers ruffled as his face flushed. Since they had settled, even he had been able to obtain some new clothes so he could blend in the city, though Theobold still made all his shirts backless to accommodate his wings.
Theissen leaned back again, looking across the room at nothing in particular. âI donât know what it is. Iâm not bored. In fact, I have still so much setting up to do that I have pace myself just to keep from being overwhelmed.â
âSo you feel overwhelmed?â
Shaking his head, Theissen let out a sigh. âNo. Not really. I like keeping busy.â
âIs it that you are exposed as a wizard now?â Theobold asked him, cocking his head to the side.
Blinking a bit, Theissen shook his head again. âNo. But it has made me uncomfortable now that so many people stare at me. I can leave my tools in the shop and all that, so I guess they donât see a carpenter much. Maybe thatâs it.â
Theobold waited.
âNo,â Theissen looked to the floor. âThatâs not it. I donât know what it is Iâm feeling exactly.â
âHello.â Standing in the doorway was a man of dignified stature with mildly paler skin than the usual Jatten, dressed in clean orderly business garb. âIs this the Wizard of Jatteâs shop?â
Theissen hastily got up and dusted himself off. âHello. Uh. No. This will be a carpenter shop.â
The dignified man looked at him with an expression that said, âthatâs the same thingâ. âI see. Well then, is the wizard, I mean, carpenter in?â
âIâm him.â Theissen did not extend his hand. He held back as he eyed the manâs stature and clothes.
âGoodness.â The man stepped further into the shop. His eyes passed over Theissen more slowly. âWell then, I should introduce myself to you properly. I am Rumi Palon Regenebar Landownerson. I am yourâŠcousinâs fiancĂ©.â
Theissen felt his mouth go dry. Seeing this man more clearly, he noticed Rumi had all the dignity a lord baron should have, without all the pomp. The Landownersonâs eyes had a sincere intensity to them. The way he looked at Theissen was as if he felt a severe duty to speak with him as a man did to a man.
Extending his hand, Theissen replied, âTheissen Darol Mukumar Carpenterson of Lumen Village, at your service.â
Rumi took his hand in his, gripping it in a firm businesslike shake. âPleasure.â
Theissen was not so sure it was a pleasure. Despite Milrinaâs assurances that he would like her fiancĂ©, he felt a decided discomfort in his stomach meeting him.
âI came to inquire after my fiancĂ©. She told me she was working for you,â Rumi said.
âAt the inn,â Theissen finished with a nod.
Rumiâs expression lightened a smidgen. âShe mentioned that. Does she live at the inn or up here?â
âShe helps manage the inn,â Theissen said. âSo she stays there.â
Her fiancĂ© took a look around at the shop. âAnd you live here in the tower?â
Theissen frowned. âYes.â
Both men met each otherâs gaze again. Rumi averted his eyes first. âI suppose you know why it is I have come.â
Theissen said nothing.
âA man can get nervous when finding out his bride-to-beâs former fiancĂ© is in town, especially since you have precedence.â Rumi hardly glanced at Theobold, but then Theobold had been standing silently in the background nodding to himself as if he had at last understood something. Rumi said, âI was going to wait until she introduced us, but I felt I ought not wait that long to meet you.â
âTo confirm that I wonât go after her?â Theissen asked, his voice tensing up.
The young nobleman let out a sigh. âI hate to admit it, but yes. You are, after all, her first choice.â
To that Theissen just stared. âIâm what?â
Rumi met his gaze. âShe still cares for you, and I worry about that.â
âShe cares for me because we are cousins!â Theissen shook his head. He started to pace.
âI donât see it that way.â
âWell, I canât help how you see it!â Theissen snapped, still pacing. âIt isnât like that anyway. All she ever was to me was a friend.â
âGood marriages are built on friendship.â Rumi watched him with that intense look.
âUgh!â Clenching his hair, Theissen shouted at the ceiling. âFor pityâs sake! You sound like my mother! What are you trying to do? Guilt me into marrying her? What kind of fiancĂ© are you anyway?â
Rumi blinked, stepping back from him. âIâŠI just wanted to make sure sheââ
âLook, you jerk! If you love my cousin at all, donât doubt her motives!â Theissen stopped pacing. He poked a finger into Rumiâs chest. âMilrina is a sweetheart, but she and I never had that kind of relationship. Now I donât know what nonsense my mom or aunty Weaverwife put into her head since I left home, but Milrina and I never once promised that weâd marry. And I certainly wonât make her marry me simply because Iâm lonely. I wonât do that to her. I care about her way too much.â
Breathless, Theissen glared at Rumi who had pulled back farther, his eyes wide with apparent terror that Theissen would use his magic against him.
âYou care about her way tooââ
âDonât twist my words!â Theissen shouted. âDo you love her or not?â
Rumi nodded, his cheeks flushing. âMore than anything. Deeper than the ocean. Higher than the mountains. More passionately thanââ
âI get it! I get it!â Theissen glared at him, then folded his arms. He looked away. âSo. What are you going to do about it?â
âDid you really hire her just so she could earn money faster?â Rumi asked.
Theissen blinked at him. He calmed down almost immediately. âYeah. She said she wanted to. That, and she didnât look very happy in her last job.â
The young lord broke into a genuine smile. He lifted up his chest then bowed to Theissen. âThen I thank you.â
For a moment Theissen looked shell shocked. But he lowered his eyes and nodded back to the young suitor. âYouâre welcome.â
Rumi left the shop not long after, nearly skipping when he stepped. Theissen merely went back to work. Theobold passed him one look, sighed, and then flew off to the docks with the letter.
*
âTheissen Wizard, I brought this for you.â The merchantâs wife pushed the large stained glass front doors of the tower open. She was heaving up a basket of bread in her arms, panting and sweating from walking up the hill. Her eldest daughter came in tow, carrying another large basket full of vegetables. Tippany peered about the spacious hall, her eyes widening at the extraordinary foreign arches and mosaic designs in the tile floor.
âHeâs in his shop.â The extremely small cook Theissen had hired toddled out from behind a carved partition. One of her daughters skittered after her, peering at the newcomers with suspicion.
âHis shop? Whereâs his shop?â the merchantâs wife asked. She looked around the large hall taking in the snake, the dog, and the number of cats mewing in their various nooks. The place smelled mostly of vinegar from cleaning, though there was an odor of spices coming from the kitchen.
Giving her the eye, the hired carnival woman pointed to the new doorway in the back of the room near the rules list. âOver there. The carpenter shop entrance is out back if you want to take that way. I think heâd prefer that, really.â
Nodding to her, the merchantâs wife set the basket on the floor and walked out the doors. She left Tippany in the large hall. The merchantâs daughter looked around curiously, setting her own basket down next to the other one. She crossed the mosaic-tile floor over to the backdoor of the carpentry shop and leaned in, listening.
The shop bell jangled from inside, heralding her motherâs arrival. The merchantâs wife said something, but Tippany could not make it out.
âHi. I didnât expect to see you up here!â Theissen sounded happy. He had not been at the inn since he had finished with the woodcarving the week before.
Her motherâs voice was difficult to make out, asking something about a man.
Theissen answered with a laugh. âHe did? Iâm sure Milrina gave him what for. Well, she certainly chose a bold one.â
Her mother said something, and Theissen laughed again.
âYou know, listening in is a bad habit,â the extremely short woman said up to Tippany. She passed her to the door, opening it and going inside.
The woman announced to Theissen that supper was ready without even mentioning that Tippany was there. Theissen thanked her then finished off his conversation with the merchantâs wife while the other woman walked past Tippany with a knowing smirk on her lips. A mirthful gaze was in her eyes, watching the merchantâs daughter. Tippany retreated with a blush. Theissen came right out soon after. Stopping with a jerk, he stared at her.
âTippany! Oh. I didnât know you were here. Why didnât you come into the shop with your mother?â
Tippany blushed red and curtsied. Then she rushed back to the baskets almost immediately.
âWait? Where are you going?â He followed after her.
Stopping at the doors, Tippany turned around. âWas that girl really your fiancĂ©?â
Theissen watched her quizzically. âThaâoh, Milrina? Well, once. But it was an arrangedââ
She ran out of the shop.
Theissen hung his shoulders and stared up at the ceiling. âI made her cry again. Didnât I?â
His hired cook shook her head. Chuckling to herself, she adjusted her apron. Her daughters ran past with impish glee, making kissing noises at him.
âIâd say she has a crush on you,â the woman murmured, picking up one of the delivered baskets.
Sighing, Theissen just shook his head. âHeavens. What next?â
âIâll tell you what next!â Dobbis stomped into the room from outside, practically yanking the glass doors open. He nearly let them slam (but the doors eased closed with Theissenâs help).
The wizard cast a sharp look to the former birdman.
âThe feather merchants are evil conniving monsters!â Dobbis shouted. âThey still say they have another feather source! They say no one will buy our feathers except them! They say that they wonât pay any more than a few coppers for what weâve got! They say we have to go back to our old deal or they will ruin us!â
Theissen stared dryly at him. âThey talk a lot. Did you tell them that you had a wizard backing you?â
Dobbis shook his head. âThey wouldnât hear it. They think we were lying.â
âTheyâre idiots,â the extremely short woman muttered, while marching right back to the kitchen with the basket.
Nodding with her, Theissen said to Dobbis, âIâll go with you tomorrow. Iâm varnishing the wood counters tonight so I wonât be going into the shop for the next few days.â
âAnd if they donât agree to the new deal?â Dobbis asked, still fuming.
Theissen started to smile at him. âThatâs when we open up a feather shop of our own.â
Dobbis blinked at him. âWe what?â
âYou sell your own feathers,â Theissen said. He headed towards the dining hall where the others were already gathering. Most of the tower residents were taking their bowls and plates around the large dining table so they could eat.
âBut we donât know anything aboutââ
Theissen picked up a plate, peering at Dobbis in a way that silenced him.
âFine, so we have the legal forms, and we have you. But that doesnât mean people will buy from us,â Dobbis said.
âHave some faith in your product.â Theissen spooned out the potato
Comments (0)