Tavaar - 22nd Edition

Not having a lot of comments seemed to work. No one commented anyway. Of course, no one is reading either. But that's a different matter. In any case, I am going to try it again today. Few comments. Just narrative.

Formatting: Text notes; Text narrative; Blog notes.

As if by signal, there was a knock on the door and Taylich entered, closing it behind herself. She came to the bedside and looked down at the wounds she had inflicted. Then she knelt and caressed Tavaar’s hair.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Tavaar felt a mixture of resentment and comfort from her mother’s touch. Her own anger was slackened, but not entirely. Still, Bolar was right: she didn’t hate her mother. She just felt like it sometimes.

“I’ll be fine.”

Taylich turned to Bolar. “How bad is it?”

“Not very. The skin was never broken. I am thinking to let the salve do its work for a short time. After the bath, we will reapply it.”

“It is ready now.”

“Mother?”

“Yes, dear?”

Dear? Her mother’s anger appeared to have evaporated. This was diffusing what remained of her own.

“I am sorry, Mother.”

Taylich leaned and kissed her. “I know. I am, too.”

“Do you believe me now? That we did not lay together?”

“Yes, dear. I do.”

Her sudden relief made Tavaar’s eyes water. Bolar was right: it was going to be all right.

“Then maybe I don’t need to take that bath.”

Bolar spoke before hostilities could be renewed. “The bath will not harm you. The water has its own healing properties. It will deal with places I missed with the salve.”

“What about the baby drink?” Tavaar asked. The thought of bathing in something meant for drinking was grotesque – especially since the drink itself was disgusting.

“The marriage potion is singular in its purpose. It should not diminish the water’s healing properties.”

“But I shouldn’t have to drink it again, right? I mean, we all agree that I did not lay with Wheylin? Right?” There was an uncomfortable pause. The silence gave Tavaar’s anger new life. “Mother, you said you believe me.”

“I do, dear.”

“Then why do I have to drink that awful stuff?”

“It is part of the preparations,” said Taylich.

“What preparations?”

“Your wedding preparations.”

“Wedding! You’re making me get married? To Wheylin? Mother, no!”

“I have already spoken with your aunt. She is with Wheylin now. We will all meet together when your father and uncle return later tonight. But we have decided.”

“No, Mother, no! Don’t make me marry Wheylin. I don’t love him.”

“You were doing fine with him earlier,” snapped Taylich, getting to her feet.

“But that wasn’t love! That was just – playing.”

“Well, your playing days are over. Pull your britches up and come down and take your bath.”

Taylich left. Tavaar buried her face into her pillow and screamed as she struck the mattress with her fists. She lifted her head to cry out an epitaph, but Bolar cut her off.

“Be careful what you say.”

Tavaar paused for a second to glare at his smiling face, but she was obedient to his word.

“She makes me so angry!”

“That is better.”

“Better? She’s going to make me marry that idiot, Wheylin. This is the worst thing she’s ever done to me.”

“Yes, I believe it is,” said Bolar. Tavaar looked at him to be sure he wasn’t mocking her. He looked back at her. “I cannot think of a worse choice for a husband, can you? I expect even Mehngen must show in a favorable light compared to Wheylin?” Tavaar glowered. He was mocking her. “What is so wrong with Wheylin? I have always thought of him as intelligent, dutiful, dedicated and filled with honor.”

“He is.”

“Then why is he so offensive?”

“He isn’t offensive. I just don’t love him. That’s all.”

“That is all? You just do not love him?”

“Bolar, he can’t even kiss properly.”

“According to what your mother saw, he was doing all right, or so I have to believe.”

“I was teaching him, Bolar. He didn’t know how to do anything.”

“He must learn quickly.”

“Don’t make fun of me!”

“Then stop being silly.”

“I’m not being silly! Is it fair that I should have to marry someone I don’t love?”

“Well, who do you love then? Perhaps that can be arranged?”

Tavaar went quiet. That was a question she dared not answer. What would her mother say about that? She bowed her head.

“No. It can’t be arranged.”

Bolar’s eyes widened and he took a breath. “Ah, I believe I understand.”

“Do you?”

“I think so. You see, Tavaar, I have been paying closer attention to you these past years than you may realize.”

“Really? Why?”

“Well, to begin with, you are worth paying attention to. You are gifted in many ways. It is a family tragedy the elders failed to act properly when you applied for Head-of-Family. You are probably one of the top five or six candidates in the entire family. That you should not be there with the others is beyond comprehension. You are special, Tavaar. I sense that about you. But that, of course, is not the only reason for my interest.”

“Why else, then?”

“Since you rejection by the Mines elders, I have noticed you have been taking greater liberties – chances, if you will. I had assumed your behavior was somehow related to that: as if you felt a need to prove your superiority over the males who were all being considered before you. But I have been wrong. Your behavior has nothing to do with the List-of-Hopefuls. You approached someone. And they turned you down. My guess is that now he is married. Your behavior is all to punish him for rejecting you, and yourself for failing to win him over. If I am not wholly right, I venture I am close.”

“Close enough,” she said. How did the old man know of this? How closely had Bolar been watching her?

“Tavaar, I am not master in this house, save in matters of healing, so I cannot intervene. If you are not able to convince your mother to change her mind, I want you to remember that Wheylin is a fine young man. He is the twin of your very best friend in the world. Surely you can find something in him to love. He adores you.”

Tavaar’s head snapped up. “Me? Wheylin doesn’t love me.”

“Then who does he love?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think he loves anyone.”

“But he came to you for help with love, did he not?”

“Yes, but that’s because I have a reputation.”

“That you do. Both you and Sashwa.”

“Well, he could hardly go to Sashwa, could he? But he’s been seeing what happens in military life and he feels left out. No one seeks him out because he is so – unsatisfying. He wanted to change that. I felt sorry for him.”

“You must have felt very sorry for him.”

“Bolar, don’t.”

“Forgive me. Yes, I have not forgotten what military life can be like. However, I cannot help but be intrigued that Wheylin should develop an interest in the behavior just before you are scheduled to join the company. And I still do not accept chance as the reason he came to you for his – lessons.”

Tavaar felt her anger rise. “Are you saying he planned all of this?”

“No. But I think you are focus of his desire. I gather his response to you was much more agreeable than with others?”

Tavaar thought about it. That was probably true, but it still wasn’t good. And no one else had probably taken him so far. So why had she?

“I don’t believe it,” she said. “You’re just making this up to make me feel better about it, and Mother is going to change her mind.”

“I am not making it up, Tavaar. Remember, I said I have been paying close attention to you. That means I have also been seeing those around you. Wheylin loves you, Tavaar. Of that I have no doubt. The question now is, will you love him if you wed? He is not your first choice, but your first choice is taken. You are not the first person that has happened to. At some place in time you must get on with your life. Why not begin now?”

She felt weary, as though on a great journey without rest. All Bolar had told her might be true, but he was still missing the point.

“But I don’t love him, Bolar.”

“Well, there is time for that. Pull your britches up. I’ll walk you down to the bath.”

“Are you afraid I’ll try to run away?”

“Yes.”

“I certainly feel like it. You’re not going to in there with me, are you?”

“No, Tavaar. I will wait in the library.”

She tried to tease. “Not interested, huh? All that talk of watching me made me hope you were.”

“With Fadew gone, I am free to court. But I still miss her too deeply for that.”

“We might make a good couple.”

“Stop talking like that or I will stay – to wash your mouth out with soap.”

“What if I’m not joking?”

“You had better be. We are too far apart in age, Tavaar.”

“But if you were a little younger?”

“A lot younger. Or you older. Stop with the teasing and let us be gone.”22