A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

To New Customs

– K Á R A –

The mortals had dragged us before one of my least favoured places on the mortal realm. But even that mattered little this night. For once I did not glare at every corner of the densely filled room of singers, dancers and drinkers. This night I was sat beside Tayah Ashrive as she grinned and drank under the soft candle light.

The darker skinned locals brewed a different beverage slightly stronger than ale and the men were having a painfully loud time coming to terms with it. I sat close to my immortal with my elbow grazing her own on the table as I threw back a tankard of the heavier drink. She was clad in nothing but that silken tunic that seemed to take on a silver light against the flames. A beautiful second skin to match her eyes. I tore my own off her and finally threw Kaden an exasperated look.

"For the sake of the Underworld Nafferion, it is called heket and it is made from a similar grain." I cut in as Kaden slapped down his mug and eyed a thickly chested woman passing our table.

He grunted and seemed to turn it in his mouth before his eyes found the table again. "Don't like different." He grunted. "But those lasses..." He seemed at a loss taking in the thin and revealing clothing so different from the hard wintered Uccellons.

"I wondered how long it would take for your mind to linger on such things." Tayah remarked. 

"Do not act as if your mind has not lingered on such things this span." Kaden drawled with a lazy smile, making Tayah's eyebrows shift.

"On better things." She murmured.

I choked on my drink. Tayah smirked.

It was strange that for once all of us–and a new addition–were reunited once more. I glanced at Yanu who wrapped his hands around a tankard almost as big as his head. I dropped my mouth to Tayah's ear and she shifted subconsciously nearer.

"Should the child really be consuming that?" I murmured, as he giggled towards Kaden.

Tayah cut me a look that said she was equally lost. "They seem to serve any age in this town–I think it's a custom." She whispered, glancing at a family laughing loudly over their tankards and cheering out over the lutes and singers.

"Then again he has more sense than those two–forget I mentioned it." I muttered, eyeing John as he slammed a steak knife between his fingers increasing in speed. Tayah caught where I looked and sent a brief flame brighter into the candle on the table, making John lose focus and stab his finger.

"No fire in the tavern!" He bellowed, sucking his finger and pointing the knife her way. I felt my energy brighten in response to the threat but her hand calmed me under the table. It had become second nature to us even before Yascalla. She could feel my energy just as easily as she could read my emotions now. Tayah threw him an innocent look over the rim of her mug.

"Aye put some more hairs on your chest lad, drink up!" Kaden suddenly boomed and clanked his tankard against Yanu. The boy had gone from sheer terror of the man to idolisation in a matter of sun quarters. But Tayah's hand reached out and lowered the boy's mug before he could eagerly follow Kaden's moronic demands.

"Challenge someone your own size." She told him flatly. 

I stared in shock as she then guzzled her tankard and Kaden rushed to sink his drink down his throat faster. She slammed the wood down first with a wide grin and threw her thumb off in the direction of the bar. Kaden scowled and collected the empty mugs as he disappeared to fill them.