Thieves at Heart (13 page)

Tavera finally drained the bowl and she could swear some of it had made its way to her head. Her brain felt as if it were swimming in her skull and she swayed slightly on her feet, holding the bowl out for Old Gam to take. The priestess smiled with her mouth though her words were serene as ever, like cool water in summer. “Now you have imbibed the Wine of the Beloved Woman. May the desire that grows in you now lead you to happiness. May you grow in strength, wisdom and beauty so you may be a help to yourself and those that may call upon you. May the Goddess shine upon you always, Her glory illuminating your successes and comforting you in your troubles. May you wield your womanhood with the pride and power that it deserves.” The priestess anointed her again, splashing the holy water onto the girl before she nodded to Gam and soundlessly took her leave of them, Old Gam saying her thanks before they both turned and left, their footsteps echoing in the empty temple.

Tavera looked down at the bracelet Gam had given her to wear; it was a cord of three strands, red, white and black with a goddess bead threaded and knotted at the middle. Gam hugged her around the shoulders as they walked, and Tavera didn’t think it would be right to push her away so she didn’t. “Well, women’s work has been done,” Gam laughed, continuing down the emptying street. Tavera kept up with her easily enough though she was still a bit shorter than the curly haired woman who was Derk’s closest female friend. She helped Tavera get situated with the rags so the girl didn’t feel like she had a load of laundry in her britches.

Gam wasn’t so much a mother figure as an aunt figure, though in this case her pa slept with her aunt whenever they could. Tavera liked Gam well enough and looked forward to the times they crossed paths but she was always glad to have her pa back to herself when they parted ways. Tavera was still young but she felt Gam was jealous of Tavera for some reason and she could never figure out why. Tonight, however, Old Gam was all smiles and happiness. “You’ve any questions for me, Kiff? Anything you want to know? Derk don’t know about this kind of thing after all.”

The girl chewed the side of her mouth and shrugged. She could hear music playing inside of the taverns and some children were playing a game of kick-the-ball farther down the street. If it had been any other night she probably would have joined them but not now. Her stomach didn’t hurt as much but the pain had tired her out and she wanted to lie in bed. “I guess…am I going to be tired all the time this happens? I don’t really like it.”

“Oh, no one does,” Old Gam laughed, showing where a tooth was missing. She had a pretty laugh, though it was a little brash. Gam turned a corner and Tavera followed, waiting to hear the answer. “Everyone’s different is the truth of it. You might be tired now, you might be tired before it comes or a phase after. Every woman is different.”

“I know, and every woman is as aspect of the goddess,” Tavi said, trying not to sound too exasperated. She normally enjoyed going to temple and hearing the teachings of the priestess and hearing about the attributes of the Blessed Mother. That had been before she was supposed to be like the goddess. Was every woman like the goddess? Some of the women she had known in her childhood came to mind and she tried to push those thoughts away and what they might have meant. Tavera hopped off of the curb, puzzling over something the priestess had talked about. “What was all the ‘desire’ talk? I don’t understand that part. What does having blood pour out of my twixt have to do with wanting?”

Old Gam laughed again and Tavera thought this time, maybe, the older woman thought her a bit silly. Maybe it had been a silly question but she wanted to know. Old Gam turned another corner, looking around it before she motioned for Tavera to follow, this street quieter than the last.

“It has to do with wanting to bed,” Old Gam explained. The sound of something squeaking ran across their path but neither one of them seemed to care and continued walking. Spring clouds loomed up ahead, darkening the sky and hinting at rain to come. “Once your Red Earth comes, you start wanting to bed men.”

“But I already like men, or boys at least,” Tavera said. She hopped over a crate, standing there for a breath before she strode after Gam, seeing the smirk on the woman’s mouth. “I do, Derk’s always getting on me about it, saying I shouldn’t be hanging ‘round boys like I do.”

“He does, does he?” Old Gam’s voice was dry and she put her hands behind her back, casting Tavera a sideways glance. “I am both shocked and not shocked, Kiffer. He’s your man, of course he says that. Tell me, girl, what kind of boys do you like?”

“Oh, usually ones that have nice things, or if their mams are bakers.” Now Old Gam laughed loud, so loud that someone threw something at them and they had to run down the street to escape, the both of them laughing and yelling back by the time they got to the door. Tavera had tears in her eyes and Gam was holding her stomach as their laughs settled down to chuckles and then sighs.

“That ain’t what I mean, love,” Gam said, a grin plastered on her round, amused face. “Not for things, though there is that. I mean desire, wanting like…wanting to tell someone about you, wanting them to know you, all of it. Wanting them to love it, to grab it and press it against them hard, till it melts like snow in the sun. Or even just….” Old Gam’s eyes were somewhere else but she fastened them back on Tavera, the far away look quickly disappearing. “You’re bleeding but you’re still young.” She opened the door to her apartment and went through it.

“I never said I was old,” Tavera mumbled after her, following her up the stairs. Old Gam had kind of explained it, in a way. Desire. The way Derk and Gam looked at one another when they thought she wasn’t looking. There wasn’t anyone she wanted to look at like that but supposedly, it was on its way. They made their way up to the landing and Gam opened the door with her key, making an amused sound once the door swung open. Tavera looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Derk sitting at the table, drinking by himself as he played with a handful of dice by the candle light. Old Gam walked past him towards the bedroom, chuckling.

“I thought you was with Jezlen,” Tavera said, sitting down at the table with him. Derk made a face and threw a die at the table, spinning it so that it skipped across the rough surface.

“They got into a fight, like always,” Old Gam said. Tavera could see her pulling off her outdoor clothes and slipping down to her shift. She stood in the doorway, arms over her chest as she looked at them both, eyes narrowed but glinting with merriment.

“We don’t always fight, Gam,” he said, not looking back at her. He spun all the dice on the table, picking them up and throwing them again, pursing his lips as he did. “I just thought we’d be out later but after a bit he just up and said he had to go somewhere. I already ordered another pitcher even, but still, I couldn’t keep him from leaving.”

“Where’d he go?” Tavera asked. She’d seen Jezlen several times but never seen his face, which added to his oddity. Gam just sighed and went deeper into the bedroom, fumbling around with her jars of things.

“Who cares, good riddance.”

“Oh, Gam, really now!” Derk said, spinning the dice without looking at them. “I still don’t know why, after all these years, you STILL don’t like him!”

“He doesn’t like me!” she retaliated, laughing as she appeared in the doorway again. “I try to be good about it, you’ve seen.”

“You both are horrible at getting on with one another and it’s a shame. To think I can’t have my two best friends in the same room together without them fighting.”

“Aren’t you and Gam the ones fighting now?” Tavera said, confused. Derk made a motion to pick up all the dice again but his hand hovered in mid air and he looked to her. A smile cracked his face and he did pick up the dice, tucking them into his belt pouch as he leaned back in his chair.

“Oh, before I forget, Jezlen sent this…for you.” He pulled out something from his pack, something long and wrapped in fabric. The fabric itself was nice, a dark green with brown threads sewn into it so that it changed color if you moved it a certain way. Tavera took it and unwrapped the present slowly, her eyes growing big as she realized it was a shortsword. Even Derk whistled upon seeing it, sitting up in his chair to get a closer look.

Tavera looked it over. It wasn’t the nicest sword she had seen but it was definitely the nicest one she had ever touched. It was obviously not from the Valley; the slight bend in the scabbard told her that much and the designs on the hilt were not like those of the guards who kept watch on the roads and at the gates. She wrapped her hand around the hilt and pulled gently, sliding it out against her lap. It shone as if it were new and it felt good in her hand, the metal and inlay warming to her touch.

“Tits, Jezlen just got me a new pipe for my last name day and I’ve saved his life countless times!” Derk said, laughing. Old Gam reappeared from the back room and scoffed, walking into the kitchen to see what Tavera had gotten.

“It’s nice but it’s hardly fitting for the occasion,” Old Gam said. Tavera let the shortsword fall back into the scabbard, the metal sliding swiftly in with a satisfying sound. Derk rubbed his face with his hand and stood up from the table, gathering his things and making his way to Gam’s room.

“He said it was perfect for this occasion,” he called, throwing his things about the bedroom. “He said she can use it for beating back the men that will want her, now that she’s of age.”

Gam just made a sound and walked after Derk into the room, the blond thief promptly popping out of the room to check on Tavera again. “You’ll be alright out here in the kitchen, right?” He looked hopeful and in good spirits, despite his disappointment at his friend having abandoned him for an unsaid purpose.

“Yeah, just go away already, I’ve been tired since I woke this morning!” she urged, gesturing for him to leave. He didn’t go into the room. Derk stepped into the kitchen and walked up to Tavera, looking her over again. He kissed her on the forehead and this time, Tavera rolled her eyes, laughing before she kissed him back on the neck, hugging him where she sat. He said his good nights and ducked into the room, pulling the curtain that separated the rooms across the doorway. Tavera sighed. The bedroll still had to be put out but at least it would be warmer in Gam’s house than out in the woods. The shortsword clinked as she picked it up, the weight of it feeling good in her hands. Still holding the blade in one hand, she got her bed ready, not bothering to be quiet. She knew Old Gam and Derk would be listening in the next room, waiting for her to fall asleep. Tavi yawned loudly as she settled into bed, laying the weapon by her head. Before she could even think to strain her
ears to hear what Derk and Gam were whispering in the other room, she had fallen asleep.

The next day was the same as any other day waking up at Old Gam’s except that Derk had a black eye. Tavera lay in bed until Old Gam came out and chided her for being lazy, the girl scrunching up her face at the woman as her hostess started breakfast. Then Derk came out of the backroom, the hollow of his left eye discolored. It looked like it hurt. Tavera narrowed her eyes at him but he shook his head ever so slightly and then smiled. “Good morning, everyone!” he said, smacking Gam on the backside playfully. Gam swatted him away and he stumbled over to a seat at the table, resting his chin in his hand. He looked tired. Tavera got out of bed and pushed her blankets and roll into a pile, setting her pack and new sword on top before she sat down beside him.

Breakfast was toast and hot milk sweetened with honey and berries to dunk it in. Tavera found her appetite returned and she ate her bread and half of Derk’s portion. When her eyes searched around for more food, Old Gam offered her some sausage saying it would be good for her Red Earth time and Tavera felt all the food in her stomach threaten to boil out of her. Derk refused the sausage for her and asked for some tea.

This time Old Gam had a cloth bundle of pastries for Derk on their departure but she had a belt for Tavera, a woman’s belt. It was grey with green leaves embroidered into it and meant to tie under her bust, or where a bust should be. There was something there but Tavera didn’t think a belt would help. It was however very pretty, as all things that Old Gam crafted were. “Don’t wear it now,” Old Gam said, playing with Tavera’s hair. “Be sure to take it easy today and eat some meat if you can.” Old Gam kissed Derk before they left and he winced, her fingers brushing his bruised face.

“Did you go out after I fell asleep?” Tavera asked as they walked down the road. Her sword was in her pack, the hilt sticking out of the top but wrapped with a skirt to hide its true form. Derk took a bite out of a piece of charred meat before he handed the stick over to Tavera, licking his fingers clean of the grease.

“No,” he said simply after he was done chewing.

“Well, did you fall into something? It’s dark back there,” she offered, mouth full of food. Tavera pressed her lips together as Derk gave her a look. She swallowed as quickly as she could without choking. “Did a spirit punch you in the face while you slept? Did you steal something bad? I heard a story once where a man stole from an old shrine and in the night, a spirit pulled down his pants and-”

The look Derk gave her made her stop talking. Tavera gulped as they walked down the street, turning her attention to the goings on of the town this early morning. Her stomach didn’t hurt as much as it had yesterday so the smells weren’t as offensive to her nose. She took another bite of the food and chewed it thoughtfully, trying not to anger Derk again with messy habits. Tavera heard Derk sigh beside her.

“It was just Gam, Kiff,” he said, loud enough for her to hear. “We got into a fight after you passed out. It happens.” They both walked quietly down the noisy streets. Tavera finished her food and threw the stick to the ground, trying to think of what to say next.

“Well, did you hit her back?” she asked. It seemed like a good question.

“What? No! Why would I hit Old Gam back?”

“She hit you, didn’t she?”

“Kiff, I would never hit Old Gam,” he insisted.