Wayfarer (Wanderlust 2)

Chapter Nineteen

The streets of Esler Tigo were hung with banners and flags that fluttered in the chilly wind. Decorations made of tree branches were nailed to every door. Candles flickered in every window. The city was just as cold and snowy as it had been all winter, but it was beautiful. Inside, the palace was just as decorated. The hallways were brightly lit and smelled like the freshly cut pine branches that were woven and tied into various shapes and placed on almost every surface.

Just as Jale had described, every evening there were ceremonies held at the temple and feasts in the palace. The feasts were so large that people from the city were able to attend. The feasts also included presentations—singing, dances, dramatically choreographed fights, even a play.

Tanden loved the feasts. Even though he, Soren and Jale were still given seats at the governor's table, there was a bit of a chance to mingle with the regular people who attended. There were also the presentations, which captivated him to the point where he often forgot to lean over and whisper translations for Soren. Luckily Jale was there to make sure Soren knew what was going on.

Just after noon on the last day of the festival, there was a knock on their door.

They were relaxing in the large stone tub, letting the water warm them up. The thick curtains covering the windows didn't completely block out the freezing air, so that even with a fire burning, parts of the room always had a bit of a chill. The bath was a nice way to warm up, and a nice way to pass the time.

Soren was sitting with his back to Tanden, who was gently rubbing his shoulders. At the sound of the knock, Tanden's hands stilled. Soren opened his eyes drowsily. "Ignore it."

"Ignore it?" Tanden echoed. "What if it's important?" He kissed the back of Soren's neck, then called out something in Tallenese.

It was Jale who replied, in Teltish, "It's me."

"Oh, come in."

Soren sat up, suddenly wide awake. "Come in?"

Jale stepped through the door, glanced over them, and apparently decided that she didn't care about what she had walked in on. "Get dressed," she said, as she wandered over to one of their clothing chests and began to dig through it.

Tanden kissed Soren's neck again before climbing out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went to join Jale. Soren's eyes landed on Tanden's back, and his tattoo. It really was a very impressive tattoo.

"What are you looking for?" Tanden asked.

"Something you won't freeze in," Jale replied. She pulled out a thick woolen tunic and shoved it into Tanden's wet arms. "Get dressed, come on. Soren, unless you want to wander around Esler Tigo naked and wet, I suggest you get out of the tub."

Tanden shot him a grin over his shoulder. "If it wasn't so cold—"

"Stop." Soren waited until Jale was looking through the chest again, before stepping out of the warm water and quickly grabbing a towel.

"So what's going on?" Tanden asked. "I thought the special Singing was tonight."

"It is tonight," Jale said. "But we're going to go see the... the... big carved ice art."

"Sculptures?" Soren guessed as he joined them.

Jale shrugged. "Maybe. This is the most important day of the festival. There are things to see." She dumped the armful of clothing she had picked out onto the couch. "I'll wait in the hall. Don't get distracted, Tanden."