Ironwood

The Summit

The trio left Northspire quite early, and rode long in silence. The farewells had been brief, as most had been said the night before. Laranna was buttoned up tight as a clam, and had no words for Jacob whatever. Jaselle had given only a brief hug, and the empty promise that all would be alright. Apparently, hugs were socially acceptable among different genders in Travan, for Lady Adelin had offered the same, though she seemed oddly intense and sad. Lord Northspire had only bid them a courteous farewell and mentioned that he would see them soon.

The day was gray, casting a pall on the stony surroundings, and threatening a rain that so far had not materialized. The road was quiet with only three travelers on it. They had shrunken from a party to a few friends riding over dirt and stone. Athena was still reserved, less cold or angry than introverted, and so Jacob found himself riding near Daniel.

"How are you holding up, Daniel?" he asked, his horse next to the young man's. Athena remained close behind, trying to stay ahead of the dust.

"I'm alright, Jacob. I'm not the one who's about to pick a fight with someone who calls himself a god. I have to admit, though. I'm a little jealous. You seemed pretty popular at Northspire, and you'd been there barely a week."

Jacob rolled his eyes, but tone was an amused one. "Fame is fickle. It's harder to live with people than to make an impression and leave. You're not still jealous because you couldn't catch Jaselle's eyes, are you? Don't you think one pretty girl making eyes at you is enough for a single adventure? Or are you over Anginette already?"

Daniel raise his hands defensively. "Hey, you had two women interested: I'm only trying to keep up. No, I haven't given up on Anginette quite yet, but what do I have to offer her, really? Maybe I should just be grateful for a spring crush."

"As I keep explaining, Jaselle was just being friendly, and looking after her sister. For the rest, that's up to you, Daniel, but there's a reason I took you with me on my morning shopping in Northspire. You have an eye for art as well as gems. You're still learning to be assertive with merchants, but I think you have it in you. You could travel with Thaddeus up to Thane's place a couple times a year. Once we get rid of Innoken, that should work well for Ironwood. Interested?"

Daniel's grin was almost too wide for his face. "Well, damn. Yes, of course, Jacob. That would be wonderful, and not just to see a girl. If you want me along, of course."

"Why didn't you ask, then?" Jacob replied with a wink. "I think you'd be good at it, if you want to be. Who did you think was ever going to figure out you had the aptitude? My father? Thaddeus? Ceann? How do you expect people to believe in you if you won't believe in yourself? You need to speak up. I think this will be a good opportunity for you, but you've got to grab it with both hands."

"Jacob's right," Athena added. "A little assertiveness goes a long way. And don't give up on getting the girl. It looked to me like Anginette really likes you, and unlike Jacob, you're free to follow up on that. And don't worry so much, Jacob was busy moping about his own life before we dragged him out to save Ironwood."

"He was?" Daniel asked, startled.

"Sure," Athena said, starting to imitate Jacob's voice, as best as hers would allow. "Oh, how can I marry Anna when I don't even know her? She's beautiful, and rich, and wants to have my babies - it's so awful. Yes, I'll have to live in a mansion in a city, but I might not get to choose the mansion. They don't appreciate how great I am with a sword, and Daddy won't let me have my own team, either. Oh, my life is so terrible. Please, cheer me up, Athena."

Jacob started to cover his face in his hands, but chuckled despite himself. "Yikes, who is that guy?"

"You've grown up a bit, Jacob," Athena admitted. "Not that you're mature just yet, of course. Did you really have to beat the pants off of all the men in Northspire just to show off the size of your own, um, self-worth? Then it's all, why won't Laranna follow me around like a puppy even though I'm not sure I want her? And Jaselle can't possibly have a crush on me, because that might be inconvenient, and then I might feel guilty."