Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

One of the rooms downstairs looked like a parlour and was mostly undamaged, so it was quickly converted into a temporary bedroom for me, after being reinforced, of course. Hope was ecstatic over the men doing that for me and she thanked them profusely, then said they were better than the people that ran the academy, because they hadn't given me a safe place to sleep tonight and the workmen did.

A few of the men looked a little embarrassed at the praise and went back to work. One man thanked her back and said she was great, too. Hope blushed a little and nodded her thanks, then the man went back to work.

“You get a bath and get to sleep. You've got an early morning tomorrow.” Frank said to me. “We'll keep working for a few more hours and we'll head to bed ourselves.”

I was going to argue that I could still work, then saw Hope give me a pointed look. “All right.”

“I've already got the bath full. It's cold water, though.” Hope said.

“A small mage fire can fix that.” I said and slipped a couple pieces of wildwood scraps under the tub onto the tiled floor, then lit it with a wave of my hand. It burned hot for about ten seconds and I extinguished it.

“You did it that quickly?” Hope asked and put her hand in the water. “You did!”

“Years of potion making lets me judge exactly how much fire I need for how much heat I need in the water.” I said and she helped me strip off. She bathed me thoroughly, even my private part, and then dried me off.

Hope's face was a little red as she handed me my night clothes. “My lord... David, I... I'm sorry that I can't... I can't perform the after bath ritual.”

“I still haven't asked anyone to do that.” I said and dressed.

“I know how much you enjoy being... relieved like that.” Hope said and followed me out to my temporary bedroom. “Sara might not be able to stay here as a second maid; but, she can still visit occasionally, can't she?”

“Check the handbook.” I said and climbed into bed.

Hope opened the pack carefully, since she knew the condition of the books inside were very poor. She took out the handbook and flipped through about a quarter of it before finding the right section.

“It says that visitors are allowed, as long as they are approved by the dorm building's dean.” Hope said. “It also says only the new student buildings have deans.”

I nodded and pat the bed beside me.

Hope shook her head and backed away.

“There's only one bed and you need to sleep as much as I do.” I said.

“No, I... I shouldn't.”

“If you need me to promise to not touch you, I will.” I said.

Hope gave me a sad look. “It's not that. It's...” She sighed. “I believe that a woman shouldn't share a bed with a man that's not her husband.”

“You must be disappointed with me.” I said and rolled over to face away from her.

“No! David, I...” Hope sighed. “It's my own belief. Me personally, I mean. I... I'm afraid that if I get in bed with a man, that I... well...”

“You're afraid that you won't say no.”

“Yes.”

“What if they don't ask?” I asked her.

“Wh-what?” Hope stepped closer to the bed.

“I don't ask Sara or Jill to do what they do. What if a man you get in bed with, doesn't ask you what you want and just does it?”

Hope took in a long breath and let it out. “I don't know.”

“You know how to fight?” I asked.

“Yes. I have two older brothers and grew up on a farm. I've been fighting my whole life.”

“Then do that.” I said and she caught her breath. “If any man tries anything without your permission, fight them as hard as you can.”

“D-David, I...” Hope stopped talking and I heard sliding cloth for several minutes, then heard her take two steps and the bed shifted with her extra weight on it. “I'm staying on top of the blanket.”

“There's another blanket.” I said and pointed to the closet. “You brought two.”

“Oh. Right.” Hope said and walked into my view. She wore a lacy nightgown that was only down to her mid thigh. She retrieved the other blanket and turned to look at me looking at her. “David.” She whispered. “What... what are you thinking about?”

“I'm wondering who helps you bathe.” I said and she looked surprised. “Who scrubs your back and makes sure you're cleaned all over?”

Hope opened her mouth and no sound came out. She walked around the bed and out of my sight, then she and the extra blanket were on the bed beside me. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” I said and we both laid there in silence for quite some time after all of the other sounds in the place ended. The workmen had stopped for the night and were in bed like us. I wasn't sure where they were sleeping.

“David.” Hope whispered. “Are you... asleep?”

I was sure that she didn't want me to answer and didn't respond. I was proven right a second later as her hand slid over my shoulder. I didn't move or change my steady breathing, so she pulled herself in close to me and hugged me. She was still on top of my blanket, so she couldn't get too close.

“I wish the Hag never bought you.” Hope whispered. “I wish... I wish I had my brother back. I want to see your smile again. Your real smile.” She pressed her lips to my head for a moment, then she laid her forehead against the back of my head. She drifted off to sleep soon after.

I didn't wish for any of that because it wasn't going to happen. I was who I was and that was it. I couldn't go back to being James any more than the Hag could go back to being a normal woman. I didn't say anything, however. Just like the princess when she was so desperate to save her little brother from the war front, you could scream at her until you were blue in the face that her expectations were unrealistic, and she would never believe you.

I went to sleep, secure in the knowledge that I was who I was, and I didn't really want for anything.

I was awake a moment later and it was morning. Hope had somehow worked her way under my blanket and she was pressed tightly against my back. I was still on my side, because I never moved in my sleep. It was a side effect of taking the fortification potion too early.

I didn't say anything as I moved the blanket off of us and saw that her arm was draped over my waist. I eased it off of my hip and rolled forward, carefully dropping it to the bed, then I tucked her back under. I didn't want to wake her and let her think that I had taken advantage of her. I stripped off and dressed myself in my uniform. It wasn't difficult, it just took a bit more time doing it alone.

I thought I had the coat sitting properly over my bandoleer; but, I couldn't tell. There were no unbroken mirrors around. “Hope? I need a hand.”

“Uhh. Just... a few more minutes.” Hope said and looked like she was grabbing something, then her hands seemed to pat the bed all over. Her eyes shot open and she sat up to stare at me. “David!”

“Is this suit coat sitting right?” I asked and turned around. “I can't tell.”

“No, it isn't.” Hope said and climbed out of bed. She tended to me for a couple of minutes and the suit finally felt right. “There. You had a slight bunch-up of cloth near your left shoulder.”

“Thank you.” I said and she came around to my front to make sure that everything was straight.

“David, last night...”

“I slept well.” I said.

“You did?” Hope asked, a little surprised.

“It passed by before I knew it.”

“I... well, I was...”

“You slept well, too.” I said.

“I did, even though I was nervous the whole time.” Hope said with a smile.

I didn't correct her, because I was sure she would deny that she was relaxed. “I need a cook sent over from the house, and probably an assistant for grocery runs. I also want four guards, two for day and two for night. Once people see this place is back in working order, they are going to try and wreck it.”

Hope didn't react to my words. “They're going to think their practice grounds are open again.”

“They are also going to think that the academy did the renovations.”

“No, I'll make sure Frank and the men get the credit.” Hope promised.

“Do better than that.” I said and she raised her eyebrows. “When the work is done and you have the completed list, send an appropriate bill to the director of the academy.”

Hope stared into my eyes for several moments, then she let that evil smile appear. “Yes, my lord. I'll be sure to charge for what was actually done, using current pricing, and not just for what it cost us to have it done and for the materials.”

I nodded. “Make sure to copy the living notice form and put it under the establishment plaque next to the front door, too.”

“Your name is on it.” Hope said as she carefully put my books for the day and my writing things into a smaller bag with the academy logo on it.

“You can leave it off if you want; but, everyone's going to know I live here by this afternoon.”

Hope sighed. “Selena's friends.”

“They'll be here to visit tomorrow after classes. Can you arrange an appropriate setting?”

“Of course, my lord. Try to enjoy your first day in class.”

I gave her a pointed look. “Your name really is appropriate, isn't it?”

Hope couldn't help her huge smile. “It really is.”

We started hearing bangs and movement, which meant the work crews were back on the job.

“I need to get changed and back to work.” Hope said and gave me the bag. “See you this afternoon.”

I hung the bag over my shoulder as I left the parlour and shut the door behind me. I had stashed my pack under the bed and Hope promised to have a vault installed as soon as the walls were fixed and Frank built up the spot for it to be placed safely. I easily avoided the men and the dust they created as they worked, greeted them all as I passed, and left through the now repaired front door.

I walked through a small tent city that seemed to act as a barrier to keep people out, and I had to nod to Frank for thinking ahead and doing that. He waved back and I walked down the road towards the main academy building. All of the core classes were being held there. Being the first day, I had Basic Spellwork Composition and Practice in the morning and Mathematics, both practical and spell related, in the afternoon.

It would have been too much to ask for, to have potions the first day. I thought as I walked completely alone from the direction of my living quarters. Everyone else lived on the other side of campus in the much newer buildings and I saw the mass of them approaching from the other direction. I was immediately reminded of troops marching into the front line defensive positions to face the enemy.

I smiled a huge smile, because as far as they were concerned, I was that enemy.

I wouldn't realize until later that Hope had one of her wishes granted. I had smiled just like I used to, only for a very different reason. Dealing with nobles wasn't something I had a lot of practice with. Battles? Those I've had hundreds of and I survived each and every one of them. I had even faced a marsh dragon and lived.

I looked at the mage academy building and it settled in my mind as it became my new battlefield. I would be fighting every minute of every hour of every day, just like I did back in the marsh.

Funnily enough, I was perfectly fine with that.