Behind the Tales Page 2

  Finally, Martus’s hand heated up until it almost felt like it was on fire. Elsaben let out a great breath of air, pulling her own hand away from his to reveal perfectly smooth skin. She gasped quietly and swung herself up to hug Martus around his neck.

  “Mar! I did it! I did it, I did it!” She squealed, very loudly, right in his ear. Martus winced a little, wrapping an arm around her back.

  “You did it! Good job, little one. Should we practice again with my other hand?”

  Elsaben’s eyes lit up, and she let go of Martus’s neck to grab his other hand. Except, at that very moment, the door swung open again, and Hal stepped inside.

  “I figured you were home. You didn’t have to come inside, you know. I’ve been practicing out there with El all day.” Hal slipped out of his coat and hung it on the hooks they’d put up by the door. Then he headed over to the table and pulled out a chair next to Martus.

  “Is it going well? You seemed like you were really making some progress the last time you were practicing.” Martus had known it would take a while for Hal to really master when he turned into a dragon and when he didn’t. He just hoped it would be sooner rather than later. It wouldn’t be very pleasant to have to relocate Elsaben again.

  “It’s going all right. When I sit out there and have no distractions, I’m fine. If I could have that kind of control over my mind all the time, I’m sure that I’d be doing just fine. For now it’s only for a few minutes every day.” Hal rubbed the bridge of his nose. He flopped forward, his elbow landing on the table and his face buried in his hand.

  “You just have to be patient. That’s what your friend told you, right? It took him years, and there’s a few more things to help you now, but it’s not going to be easy.” Martus smiled, shifting Elsaben so she could sit on her own. He stood behind Hal, laying a hand on his shoulder. “We’re here for you, no matter how long it ends up taking. You’re trying, and, let’s be honest, if I was in your situation I’d be learning even slower than you are.”

  Hal cracked a smile at that, and Elsaben looked up from her book, absolutely beaming. She reached out a small hand to pat the top of Hal’s head.

  “Maybe I could help next time. Mar says I’m a natural. Right?”

  Martus laughed, nodding. “That’s right, Elsaben. A natural.” He went over to his bag and pulled out some bread and dried meats that he’d picked up when he was in town. “Now, do you want to get over here and be a natural at helping me make some sandwiches?”

  Elsaben stuck her tongue out, but after a minute she did close her book and hurry over to where Martus was. Any sort of meat they got was a very rare commodity; it was usually out of their price range. Sandwiches were often just cheese that was on the verge of going bad. Sometimes just bread and butter squished together so they could at least feel like they were eating some type of sandwich.

  “How did it go with Lady Geraldine?” Hal was still sitting at the table. Making sandwiches was barely a two-man job, let alone three. Besides, practicing on controlling his transformations always took a lot out of him.

  “Really well! She has this son, the Hero Jameson or something, and apparently he went missing on his way to Orbeautons. She just wants me to track him down and see to it that he gets back home. Shouldn’t be too much of a task, really. As far as I’ve gathered, he hasn’t actually done anything notable in a few years. Silly sod probably just got himself lost.” Martus rolled his eyes, cutting up the bread and then handing the pieces off to Elsaben.

  She wasn’t putting the meat and cheese on them, though. Instead she was staring up at him with wide eyes. Martus raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Hal, who just shrugged.

  “The Hero Jameson? I can’t believe it, Mar! Are you really gonna get to meet him? He’s so strong, he killed a horrible pirate, you know.” Elsaben was actually bouncing up and down, her voice quickening.

  “How do you know that?” Martus swore sometimes his sister was about twice as smart as him for being less than half his age.

  “My friends told me. Last time we went to town, while you were in the store, I met some other little girls. They were drawing pictures of him to see if he would sign them, see. They told me all about him.” For a second, Elsaben’s smile faltered and her brows knitted together. “He isn’t hurt, is he?”

  “Um, no, El, I don’t think so. He just got lost, and his mum is very worried about him. I’m going to try and get him to come back home, and you’re going to stay with Hal for a few days.”

  Hal looked over at Martus with surprise at that, and Elsaben just hummed, starting to put the sandwiches together.

  “She’s going to do what?” Hal frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “She’s going to stay here, with you, just like I said. I don’t think I’m going to be in any danger. Probably just a quick trip, drag the boy home to his mummy, and that’s that. But if something does happen, Elsaben has to be somewhere safe. It’ll bring home a very, very good bit of gold for us.” Since they’d moved, Martus hadn’t really had to leave Chetsville for a job, but he didn’t plan on being away for more than a few days. He didn’t see it as being too big an issue.

  “If you get yourself into trouble, you want me to be at home with Elsaben instead of there with you? No offense, Martus, but the last time we got into trouble you almost ran face-first into a sword, and I was the one who had to drag you somewhere to hide.” Hal’s tone was lighthearted, but his arms were still crossed and he was frowning. “There is no way I’m letting you go halfway, or maybe all the way, to Orbeautons by yourself.”

  “It’s really not your decision, and—”

  Elsaben had looked up from the sandwiches now, and Martus frowned, pulling Hal out the door with him. It wasn’t really going to be an argument, but Martus still didn’t want Elsaben to hear it.

  “Listen.” Martus spoke softly even after they got outside. “I understand if you don’t want to stay with Elsaben, but just tell me. I’m going to be fine on my own, but I’ll see if someone from back home can help you with her if that’s what you need.”

  “Oh!” Hal’s voice dropped any pretense of being lighthearted, and he stood up a little taller. “You think I have an issue with watching El? Absolutely not. I love spending time with her. My issue here is that you’re going to go wandering around by yourself trying to find this ‘hero’ person, and you’re going to get yourself killed! Even if nothing bad happened to him, I’m afraid you’ll fall and hit your head on a rock and no one will be there to look out for you. I can take care of you if something does happen.”

  “Oh, well that’s… actually pretty nice! Fine, you can come along!” Martus huffed, crossing his own arms.

  “Fine!” Hal squinted at Martus to make sure he wasn’t trying to trick him or anything.

  “Fine!” Martus opened the door again and started inside before he glanced over his shoulder. “Come eat your sandwich!”

  Then he let the door swing closed behind him, realizing only a second after it slammed that he actually wasn’t frustrated with Hal anymore. He was just trying to help. Martus wasn’t used to anyone telling him to do anything, though, even for his own safety.

  “I’m sorry about that. I think I need to eat and maybe get some sleep.” Martus smiled sheepishly at him when Hal reopened the door and stepped back inside.

  “Good idea. Pass me a sandwich.”

  Martus grinned brighter, settling down at the table and handing Hal one of the sandwiches Elsaben had made. Within a minute, they were all eating and laughing, and Martus almost forgot he was going to have to find someone else to watch El while they were gone.

  Chapter Two

  THE NEXT morning Martus woke before Hal and Elsaben. He hoped he’d be able to get into town, meet up with Fitzy’s sister, and get back home before either of them woke up. Working had kept him away from his sister lately, and he could see it taking a toll on her and on Hal when she stayed at home all day. As he was heading out of the house, he even considered waking E
lsaben and taking her into town with him.

  He peeked out the door, saw that the sun had just barely risen, and shook his head a little. The last thing he needed to deal with later was Elsaben being cranky because she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Instead, he just popped his head in her room to check on her and then shrugged his coat on when he saw she was still fast asleep.

  It didn’t take Martus long to get to town. There wasn’t anyone else on the road this early in the morning, and although it was probably already bustling in town, this far out, everyone was either still asleep or working on their own farms and houses. It was a little cool outside from the night before, and there was just a little bit of wind. Honestly, Martus loved being out and alone at this time. It was a nice sort of peace that he’d never gotten back home.

  Before he knew it, Martus was at one of only two blacksmith’s shops in town. The streets were crowded, but everyone was still sluggish and quiet in the early hours. It was almost as though the whole of Chetsville was inhabited by ghosts.

  “Excuse me, are you Mel? Fitzy—er, ah, Jameson’s sister?” Martus stepped tentatively through the doorway, glancing around. Someone was standing over at the fire, but they were facing away from him. Geraldine hadn’t told him if Mel worked alone at the smithy or if she worked for someone else.

  “Who’s asking?” The woman, Martus assumed she was Mel even if she hadn’t confirmed it yet, spun around with her hands on her hips. There was dirt streaked across the dark skin of her face, and her wild hair was piled on top of her head messily. If her clothes and the dirt on her face hadn’t put her apart from her mother, her attitude certainly did. Almost as soon as her eyes met Martus’s they were narrowed into suspicious slits. “If you’re one of his loyal fans, I’m afraid I don’t know where he is, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did. I don’t want people in my shop who aren’t here to give me some sort of business.” She hesitated, and her glare faded. “But you called him Fitzy first, so I’m guessing you’ve been talking to Mum.”

  “I have, yes! Geraldine! She wanted me to come and speak to you, to find out where your brother might be. I’m Martus. I just do some odd jobs for your mother, sometimes.” Martus was wholly surprised that Mel was Geraldine’s daughter. It was true, they looked almost identical, at least their faces did. But the old woman was so mild mannered, he couldn’t even picture her ever saying something that could be so much as misconstrued as being rude. Mel, however, was someone Martus already had no desire to cause any problems with. “If you don’t know where he is, though, I can look elsewhere. There are a few other people who might be able to help, and I really wouldn’t want to bother you.”

  “No, wait. He’s meant to be on a trip to Orbeautons. It’s almost Mum’s birthday, and he always goes out and picks up her favorite sweets this time of the year. But he’s been gone longer than normal. I’m guessing you got all of that from our mum?” Mel set down the hammer she’d been working with and wiped her face with her sleeves.

  “She told me. She also told me that you know the roads he usually takes to get there? I’m supposed to be finding him and bringing him home, so I was planning to just follow wherever he went and ask around about him.” Martus relaxed a little when Mel started to look less angry.

  “I have some maps. I’ll dig them out for you, but I have someone that’s supposed to be stopping by, so you’ll have to wait. I have a job to do.” Mel looked like she was just waiting for Martus to complain, which he had absolutely no intention of doing.

  Instead he flashed a smile and stepped aside. “Of course! However long you need. I didn’t know if you’d be working this early. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  Mel grunted her acknowledgment, walking around Martus to root through a box of tools. A minute later there was a man in a suit at the door. He looked out of place in the dirt and darkness of the smithy, with his pristine white gloves and shiny shoes. Martus guessed this was the first time he’d stepped foot on dirt in at least a few months.

  “What can I do for you, Abiday?” Mel seemed completely different once he’d walked in. The smile she had fixed on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes, and her hands were folded neatly in front of her.

  “My father sent me. There are some swords he’d like to add to his collection. Some sort of ceremonial things. He’s written it all down.” The man handed Mel a letter sealed up with wax and she opened it right away. It only took her a few seconds to scan over the order.

  “And I’ll guess that your father sent payment along with you as well? I’ll need a few new metals to get this all done. The sooner I get paid, the sooner I can have it done for him.”

  The man patted down his pockets until he found a pouch of coins that looked like it held more money than Martus had ever seen. When Mel stepped forward to take the coins from him, Abiday stepped forward to try to kiss her. As soon as Martus saw her face wrinkling in disgust, he stepped in.

  “Take a step back, sir.” Once Mel had the coins in her hand, Martus stepped between the two of them and pushed Abiday back slightly. There was no one he hated more than rich people who thought they deserved anything they might want handed to them on a silver platter.

  “Excuse me? Who is this?” Abiday’s face slowly went red, and he pushed Martus back.

  He took a deep breath, hauling back to punch the taller man right in the jaw. Abiday stumbled backward out the door, and Martus stepped out after him to make sure he would leave. By the time Martus had gotten out the door, however, Abiday was already back on his feet, and he gripped Martus by his coat, throwing him against the wall of the smithy.

  “Stop! Stop this right now!” Before the fight could go any further, Mel had grabbed Martus’s coat around his neck herself and pulled him back. He still tried to lunge at Abiday, but Mel had quite a grip on him. “You, go home to your father.” Mel pointed at Abiday, and immediately he shrank back, his hands sliding into his pockets. He looked about a foot shorter and a few years younger under the harshness of Mel’s gaze. “And you.” She rounded on Martus then. She’d let go of his coat but kept him pinned against the wall with her glare. “Get inside. Now.”

  Martus wasn’t one for being told what to do, but he didn’t feel much like being gutted today, so he hurried back into the smithy, only casting a glare at Abiday over his shoulder.

  “I was only trying to help!” Mel hadn’t said anything for a long moment once she slammed the door to the smithy behind her, but she was looking at Martus like she was going to rip his head right off his shoulders. He felt the need to defend himself.

  Judging by her expression, it hadn’t really worked.

  “I have to put up with enough absolute shit from my brother, and I will not have it from you too! I don’t need you defending me, and I don’t need you disturbing my business,” Mel said, turning on him with a vengeance and poking her finger into his chest. “I’m sure my mother is very grateful that you’re out looking for dear Fitzy, but I would remind you that I don’t have to help you, and I absolutely won’t if you keep disrespecting me and my customers!”

  Against his better judgment, Martus straightened up, his mouth falling open.

  “Disrespecting you? That’s ridiculous! I’m not trying to be rude, but I was only trying to help. If anyone was being disrespectful, it was that rich boy you just had in here!” Martus had never seen someone react so strangely to him standing up for them.

  “I don’t need you making sure he keeps his hands off of me because I can do that just fine myself. You think I’m weak, you think I can’t handle myself. I don’t have to put up with that.” Mel spun around and gestured pointedly to the door.

  “Wait, wait.” Martus sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he thought about what she’d said. “I think I know what you mean. But, listen, I can tell that you can handle yourself. Trust me. I just don’t like his type, that’s all. You could have been anyone. Just let me get that map and I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

  Mel paused for a moment before shaki
ng her head and going over to a tiny desk in the corner of the smithy. She pulled one of the drawers out and dug through the papers that were in it. Finally, she pulled out a well-worn map and held it out to Martus. He stepped forward tentatively and accepted the map.

  “Thank you. I’ll just be… going. I’m sorry about that, again.” Martus cleared his throat awkwardly, folding the map up and tucking it away in his coat pocket. He hesitated, however, at the door. “Do you mind me asking how you know all of this? I was told you didn’t exactly get along with your family.”

  “Ah, you’re right. I’m sure you were told I was disowned. That was mostly my father’s decision. We aren’t exactly friends, but I still keep tabs on Mum, and especially Fitzy.” As she spoke, Mel fiddled with things on her desk almost nervously.

  “Oh.” Martus wanted to press further, curious as to what she could have done. But he sensed it was none of his business. “Thank you, again, for the help. I’ll be going.”

  “Just find my brother, all right? He’s not the smartest, and he gets himself in a lot of trouble. He’s not as tough as everyone thinks he is. I don’t want to see him hurt.” Mel didn’t turn back to face Martus, but her tone had softened. Martus smiled a little to himself. Maybe once he found Fitzy, he would be back on her good side. Making enemies again was not why he’d moved away from home.

  “I will do my best. Have a good day.” Martus was quick to head out of the smithy, even if Mel did seem a little less angry. He still had things to do before he tried to follow Fitzy. He’d have to rent a horse, and there were things he’d need to take with him. He’d never found his dagger, and he’d gotten by without much more than his own fists since he and Elsaben had moved because people around town hadn’t had the time to develop grudges against him. If something had happened to Fitzy, though, and if it was anything like the things that had happened to him in the stories Martus had heard, he was going to need something to defend himself.