UNGLOVED

Chapter Eighteen, part two - Comings, Goings and Partings

They settled back into a routine. Lorenzo and Liriel lived in the small painting room with Liran sleeping in a box on the floor. The paints were moved to a shed, and Ergin, who never complained, took up painting out of doors.

The weather was warmer now, as spring was well underway. Liriel played with Liran under a tree on a blanket, tickling him as he lay on his back. It was hard to think of the war when she was so occupied with the growing baby and watching all the phases of development he was rushing through.

Ergin had set up an easel nearby. From the direction he kept looking, Liriel figured he had chosen them as his subjects for today. Lorenzo was on the other side of the house by the wood pile, splitting logs for the stove. Adina had gone to the village garden to work on thinning the seedlings out. Liriel had offered to help, but Adina insisted that she should stay near the house. A strange request.

"Will you sell your paintings, Ergin?" Liriel was curious how he made a living so far from trade routes.

"I take a bundle of work into the city each season. I have a couple of patrons there who I promise to show my work to first. Anything they don't want, I have a dealer there who displays them and holds to money until my next visit."

"Do you do portraits as well as landscapes?"

"On occasion. I stay for a few weeks when I get a request, and do draft sketches until I'm sure I have what they want. I bring the drafts home and work on them. I bring the work back to the one who commissioned it on my next visit."

"Somehow I didn't see you as someone who preferred a country life. You strike me as someone who lives for the energy of a great city."

Ergin put his brush down to think. "There is much here to paint. The country is full of beauty. I would take that any day over a city full of closed-minded, judgmental folk."

Liriel wondered what had driven Ergin to leave. He seemed adaptable enough to manage in Kalad, not a misfit who couldn't behave appropriately for society.

A man, a local resident named Donran, approached the house. He had come from the woods, not the village. Liriel sat up straight, lifting Liran up to hold him against her chest.

"Ergin, I did what you asked." She turned to Ergin to see his face become serious and concerned.

"What did you find?"

"I didn't get too close, but I kept watch on the river road for several days. Mostly it was quiet, but then I saw the Castillonians." The man looked bewildered.

"What were they doing?" Liriel worried what Lorenzo would think of this.

"It looked like everyone in the whole country had come. All the men were armed, some even had armour. Their lord, Carlosi, rode in the lead, with banners flying."

Liriel noticed the sound of wood chopping had ceased. Lorenzo came around to join them. Liran started to fuss.

"How many were there?" Lorenzo asked.

"I'm not sure, perhaps a thousand. I'm not good at estimating. They rode two abreast, with foot soldiers behind them four in a row. The column took over an hour to pass by my hiding place. I had to wait until they all passed before I could leave."

Liriel looked at Ergin. "I didn't know you had sent someone out to spy."

Ergin set his brush down and walked over to the others. "I felt we needed to keep in touch with what was happening out there. At some point, our secret may be revealed. I would prefer to have advanced warning when that happens. I also thought that you needed to know."

Lorenzo patted Ergin on the back. The older man looked uncomfortable at the gesture, but acquiesced. "I'm grateful to have news." He turned to Donran. "You say my father rode in the lead. He had threatened to do that. I wasn't sure he would, or perhaps, more precisely, I didn't think he could. He's much too old to live the hard life on the road. He hasn't the stamina for leadership either."

Liriel stood so she could more easily bounce Liran while she talked. "What could the man hope to accomplish, then?"

Lorenzo spoke as he worked out the possible answer. "He's trying to end the conflict by forcing the battle out into full scale war. Up until now it was only a skirmish here or there. He must have dedicated every last resource to mount such an offence." He looked up at Liriel. "He's either going to win very soon, or be utterly defeated. I led the defence in his stead because he is ailing, but now he has cast me away and taken over. Whatever the outcome, he's going to die."

#

The battle went on for weeks. Lord Carlosi aggressively pushed into the border, forcing the Hilliri back from their established position. The Kaldene soldiers were scrambling to mount a defence. Up until now, the Castillonians had not given them much challenge, and they were larger in number and better equipped.

Various members of the village were sent to keep watch on the happenings and reported back. They worked in rotation, so there was always someone there. Sometimes Lorenzo went, but Liriel objected to this. She felt he would be tempted to drop from hiding and want to join with his countrymen. Although Lorenzo made a solemn promise that he would stay hidden, Liriel doubted he could keep it. Every time he left they had the same conversation.

"Just think of me and little Liran, waiting here for you and worrying, before you decide to jump into the fray." She smiled, though deep down, she wanted to grab him and keep him there.

Lorenzo stepped close and leaned over to her, pressing his forehead against hers. "You know this is where my heart is, Liriel. Wherever you are. But I have a duty that pulls on me. These are my people who are being led into an ill conceived battle, to their deaths."

"You were relieved of that duty. Do I need to remind you?"

His face took on a pained expression. "No." He kissed her, and then the baby on his smooth cheek. Liran patted Lorenzo's beard with is tiny hand. The knot in Liriel's throat thickened until she could hardly breathe. She didn't have a good feeling about this time.

As he walked away, Liriel watched, trying to remember everything about him in that moment. His tall frame, crowned with dark curls that fell below the shoulders. His long slender legs, wrapped in leather breeches. His wide-shouldered torso and strong thick arms. His bright blue eyes and broad smile. She marvelled that she had ever had the chance to meet him, that he loved her, that she had been bold enough to accept him, in spite of their differences. She was glad she had taken that chance, for though their current situation was close to heartache as she could stand, she still had him with her during this time.

Their time together would be precious. They had talked about it more than once. The Trillas didn't live very long, and probably, as a result, lived more boldly because of it. Liriel knew all along that their time together would be short, assuming that she lived to her full lifespan. She wanted to live with Lorenzo until he grew grey and lined. She would care for him when he became feeble with age, and would grieve him when he passed from this world into whatever beyond awaited them. She didn't want that time cut any shorter than it already had to be.

"Come, Liriel. Best not to stand here waiting for him to return. You'll catch cold." Adina wrapped an arm over her and guided her into the house. It was only then that Liriel realized that her face was covered in tears.

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Cheers!

Rebecca