Ironwood

Worn Welcomes

Prince Halvar's mansion was broad and lavish. The original stone of the Taran dwelling had been repaired, and dozens of grand tapestries hung within. A beautifully furnished great room near the front hall held the evening's celebrants. The room would have felt cavernous, were it not for the presence of the more than two dozen souls enjoying it. Light came both from the roaring fire in the hearth, and from lamps in various bronze sconces throughout the room. Two men were playing music in the corner, one using some variant of a fiddle, and the other marking a beat on a set of drums. There were nearly as many women as men standing or lounging throughout the room, dressed in vividly colored dresses. This was clearly not a Margon party, for upon the great couches against the walls, men and women sat side by side. Some of the women were leaning against the men, and had hands on their shoulders and thighs! That was were the license ended, however: the behavior of the women was improper, but stopped short of lewdness. It gave a pointed context to Daniel's recent adventures with Thane's daughter.

Halvar himself came to the doorway to welcome his guests. "Jacob, Athena, well met! Come, have a seat: we've saved a spot for you. Arenna, would you kindly fetch them each flagons of wine?"

Jacob returned the greeting with genuine warmth. "Thank you, Halvar. Your home shows such excellent taste, that you must have a woman helping you, but I had not heard that you were married."

Halvar smiled graciously. "Thank you. Arenna has been of great help. She is one of the Kynzri, a servant bonded to the Clan. My father has been pressuring me to choose a wife, but it is a difficult thing. I am loathe to disappoint so many women on a single day. In the meantime, I try to leave duty for the daytime, and take evenings for myself and for my friends."

The prince gestured to his left, where stood a dark-haired man a few years older than Jacob, and near his own height. Fresh bruises and scrapes visible on the man's arms and face. "Speaking of friends, you should meet Intarek."

Jacob turned to shake the man's hand, and found himself looking in the eyes of the man he had defeated in the first match of the day. He was unsure of what to say, and grateful when Intarek spoke first. "It is a pleasure to shake your hand, Jacob. I seem to remember you being taller."

"Well," Jacob replied carefully, "I try to make my inches count. It's a pleasure to speak to you, also. You fought well."

Intarek gave him a knowing eye. "Not nearly well enough, since you thrashed me completely. I admit, I was embarrassed to lose to a foreigner, at first. Yet my company has improved since then, and I need not feel ashamed any longer. My biggest regret is that I did not get more fights before that one. It is a long time until the Fall contest. Does everyone in Ironwood fight like you and Athena?"

Athena spoke up as she could in her slowly improving Kharshe. "Is not easy to be so good like this, but some in Ironwood do."

Jacob agreed. "We are better than most in Ironwood's training field. But my brother and the master of the field surpass us easily."

Halvar smiled shrewdly. "That is good to know. Much better then for us to encounter each other in tournament than elsewhere."

Jacob nodded enthusiastically. "Perish the thought!"

The prince continued. "But you both have been making quite a stir. I suspect you will do very well: we might even end up facing each other before the tournament ends."

Jacob grinned. "If so, I apologize in advance."

Halvar shook his head. "Don't worry, no one is expecting you to hold your own against me. You need not be embarrassed to lose."