A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 82 The Cruelty of The Gods - Part 7

Beam shrugged at that. "Because I'm stupid, I guess," he said, repeating what she often called him. "I won't be too long. Sorry for making you wait."

"Hah..." Nila let out a sigh as she watched him go. He was basically just hopping. She could see from the way he was moving that he was making a sincere effort to make sure that he wouldn't ruin the stitches. She thought his consideration to be misplaced, given the state he was in.

Beam struggled his way through the square, avoiding the many people as they crowded in the marketplace. It was mid-afternoon by now, and the market was busier than it had been in some time, as people started getting in all that they needed for the winter.

Greeves' house felt an extraordinary distance away doing it on but a single leg. By the time he got there, he was drenched in sweat, and he could see faint patches of red starting to seep their way through the shirt Nila's mother had given him.

He knocked on the door and leaned heavily against the wall and he waited, sack of Goblin heads in hand.

Judas answered a moment later and recoiled at the sight of him. "Gods, boy, What kind of state are you coming here in?" He noticed the sack Beam was carrying a moment later and the faint colour of green as the Goblin blood seeped through. "More Goblins..?" He muttered. "Come on in. The boss said he expected you'd be coming today."

Beam didn't need to be told twice. He wanted to get this business over with as soon as he could. At least this way, since his master had made him go into town, he wouldn't have to worry about any trouble brewing with Greeves in his absence. Who knew what the merchant might think if he went missing again?

Judas watched as Beam struggled through the house, looking as though he was about to offer to help, but then apparently thinking better of it.

Judas went on ahead and called into Greeves' office. "The boy's here," he said.

"Ah, good - as expected. I have the quest details ready for him. I imagine he'll be quite eager for the hunt," Greeves said, seeming to be in a good mood.

But Beam dragged his way to the door a moment later and by the state of him, Greeves could tell that things hadn't quite gone according to his expectations. He looked from the wound on Beam's leg to the sack in his hand.

"Beam!"

Beam opened his eyes wide as he was suddenly smothered by a warm embrace. He glanced up. "Loriel..." he murmured. Normally, he'd fight her, but in that moment, he was so exhausted that he could have fallen asleep in her arms.

Loriel turned to Greeves sharply, tears misting her eyes. "Greeves..." she began, in a voice that was a growl.

The merchant put his hands up defensively. "C'mon, it wasn't anything to do with me I'm as clueless as you."

"You've been sending him out and putting him in danger - I've heard!" She said, raising her voice.

"Naw, it ain't like that, me and the boy entered an agreement, y'see. He's making 5 silver out of it," Greeves said.

Loriel looked down at Beam. "Is that true?" Beam could see that she was ready to let all hell loose if it wasn't. He really didn't understand what he'd ever done to make her care about him so much.

"Mhm, sort of... And he's right - this time it was nothing to do with Greeves, Beam said. She bit her lip as she looked at him. "You're a mess... But someone has tended to your wounds. That's good," she murmured. "I heard you've been fighting Goblins," she said, stroking his head. "When did you suddenly get so strong?"

"I just kind of happened, I guess... I thought you were going to ask when did I get stupid enough to do it, though," Beam said, forcing a smile.

But Loriel just shook her head seriously, "I could never call you stupid when I've seen how hard you're trying... You're so brave."

-

Greeves watched on with a raised eyebrow. "Satisfied? Go on then, Loriel. You've seen the boy - he'll be alright. You've got things to do, and he and I need to have a chat. You go and get going now."

Her reluctance to leave was evident on her face, but shouldn't say that. She couldn't tell him how much she admired her bravery, his willingness to struggle. She couldn't say the true reason she was routing for him - that his struggle, even watching it from afar, it gave her the courage she lacked, for she understood better than anyone else just how cruel the world could be.

She who dared no longer face the world on her own. Who willingly yielded to the protection of Greeves, for she needed it, as a backbone to support her. She lived her courageous dreams from afar, through the lens of Beam. A tiny candle though he was, he was one of very few things that kept her warm.

"Take care of yourself, sweetie," she said at last, tenderly patting his head a little more. Finally, she let go, and turned to Greeves, more assertively than she normally might. "You be good to him, Greeves. You make sure of it."

"I will," Greeves said, and finally, she left.

Greeves let out a hearty sigh once she was gone. "I tell you, that woman cares more about other people than herself. That's the only time I see her getting fired up. Some sort of motherly instinct, do you reckon?"

"Judas, get the poor boy a drink. He looks like he's going to drop dead any second. Boy, go on, take a seat."

Beam stumbled gratefully into the chair. The fire was roaring in the hearth and he found he needed its heat as his body struggled against blood loss. Beam dropped his sack by Greeves' feet so he could check it.