Night Lords

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Over the next two months, I was technically classed as a "trainee". I was given irksome and tedious jobs. Most of them were seeing drunk humans back to their homes. However, apparently, I was getting a reputation in the town as The Carrier. Most of the times I was practically carrying these drunkards to their front doors. It wasn't a bad name for me, as people saw me as dependable and kind to those who were beyond inebriated and therefore, people could trust me.

For the most part, though, I was spending most of my free time either with Max, teaching him archery and some additional sword and knife skills and also with Thrin, who enjoyed my company on some days inside the meeting house to discussing his times when he was younger. This I found intriguing. He'd already explained about the use of light magic, which I had conjured from thin air, and had said he'd reached out and contacted one of the three remaining living Firsts who would be interested in speaking to me. This shocked me when he explained it was Greatorex's teacher, Desa'Rae.

'Desa has sent word that she will be with us within the next couple of months,' Thrin explained to me one day. 'She looks forward to meeting you.'

'May I ask how much you have explained to her about me?'

It was a reasonable question, but Thrin merely waved his hand. 'What I have said about you is actually not the reason I would have believed she'd wish to meet you. It's only because Greatorex took an interest in you that she is coming to see you.' I nodded, and he said, 'He is still in Shadow's Watch. He is welcome there for as long as he wishes. I think he still believes you will leave here and go off with him.'

'I have no reason to go and belittled and used. At least here, it's a joint effort. Although I do wish my penance for a trainee would finish soon.' Thrin chuckled. 'I've gone from being a Deemon Radar to the local Drunk Human Carrier.'

Thrin stood from his chair and walked to a rolled-up piece of parchment that was sitting on top of his desk and handed it to me. 'Read this. It will make you smile.' He went to the fire and stared at it.

Unfurling the scroll, it stated it was from the wife of a man called Bez, who I escorted home a few nights ago. While she initially thanked me for bringing her husband home, she did not like the fact that I was doing this service for free and found out that I was not being paid. Apparently, I had explained to her husband that I get no coin for delivering drunk humans' home and as he was a businessman, he believed Night Lords who do a service would need to be paid. 'Why do you find this amusing?' I asked Thrin. 'I mean, I didn't wish to be paid. I know humans live to earn money; it was merely a deterrent for him to repeatedly get drunk all the time. If there were a penalty for being drunk, they wouldn't do it so much as they'd have to pay the town for breaking a law of common decency.'

Thrin smiled. 'The funny side of this, Petra, is your communication with humans over the past couple of weeks has softened you to them.'

'Excuse me?'

He beckoned me to sit next to him. I had nothing else better to do, so I sat and waited for him to speak. 'When you first came here, you were blunt, your feelings towards others were cold, and you wanted to be left alone, work alone. Even when we placed you with others to talk to on guard duty, you failed to speak one word to them. However, once we introduced you to escorting humans home for their safety, you opened up to them. Told them stories about yourself. Humans in this town like you very much. In such a short time, you have become a very reliable and trustworthy person. But the others find me cruel and cold?'

He shrugged. 'Not cruel, complicated. Max and Belun, and I, are the only ones you actually converse with. I'm not here to pry into your life before us, so I cannot possibly know what you have gone through, but you are safe here. Since you have been here, Deemons have moved out of the area. Even the cave has been abandoned, and I hear the humans wish to turn it into a shrine to honour those who were killed. We appreciate what you do for us, and the town appreciates what you do for them. You have been good to us. Let us be good to you.'