“I wrote it,” Emlyn shrugs, “I’m looking for books to stock our…”
“Not many know that Hermann’s Encyclopedia of War is twenty-three volumes instead of nineteen. “ The twentieth volume can be quite difficult to find, and most don’t bother with the last three,” Sildr interrupts. “How do you know this? You barely look old enough to have cut your Mama’s apron strings.”
“My grandfather made me read the whole set twice,” Emlyn replies.
Sildr looks at the list again and smiles at Emlyn.
Sildr makes a statement, instead of asking a question, “You’ve read all of these.”
When Emlyn nods in agreement, “Why repurchase them then?” Sildr asks.
“I’m training my cohort and some of the King’s Guard,” Emlyn explains.
“In that case,” Sildr grins, “allow me to recommend some additions to your list. I’ll just go pull them, and you can tell me if you want them or not.”
Sildr bustles around the shop, creating two piles of books. One pile is the books from Emlyn’s list that she has on hand.
The other pile is her suggested additions to Emlyn’s list. Emlyn reaches into her pile and pulls out Sejarah’s War and Politics.
Handing it to Benger, she grins, “Your first reading assignment. I think you’ll find it more interesting than the title would lead you to think.”
Grimacing, Benger takes the book and starts reading. Gradually, the grimace fades as Benger becomes engrossed in the material.
“Do you happen to have a copy of Boucicaut’s Training Manual?” Emlyn asks.
“Let me see,” Sildr nods and moves off into another section of the store.
After a few minutes, Sildr calls back, “I do. I have four slightly different editions. I’ll bring them and let you pick the one you want.”
Returning to the shop counter, Sildr sets down the remaining books. Sorting through the pile from her list, Emlyn pulls out several and hands them to Atres.
“Benger only gets one, and I get a whole pile,” Atres grumbles.
“Just wait,” Emlyn grins, “When you’re both done, you can swap.”
Turning back to Sildr, Emlyn asks, “Do you happen to have anything on economic theory?”
“Destructive or constructive?” Sildr asks.
“Both,” Emlyn says thoughtfully.
“I don’t have much here in the store, but I’ll speak to my suppliers and get you a list of titles,” Sildr offers, “That’s not something I often get asked for.”
Emlyn pays and makes arrangements for the bulk of the tomes to be delivered to the Temple when it reopens.
Picking up a few from Sildr’s pile to take for her own reading, Emlyn asks, “Do you also purchase books? I think the Temple is going to have some for sale soon.”
“Send me a list of titles,” Sildr nods.
“Let’s go find a good bottle or two of wine,” Atres says, “to go with our dusty tomes. I’m certain this dry reading will create some thirst.”
As they’re leaving the shop, Benger looks at Emlyn, “I begin to understand, now, why you say Atres is a better choice than Armeniel. I think that’s why you picked this one out for me.”
Smirking, Emlyn nods.
Sildr watches her newest customer and her companions thoughtfully as she leaves the shop. When they’re out of sight, Sildr begins to pray to Freya and Odin. “Great Father and Mother, I have found what may well become mighty warriors for you,”
Sildr begins and shows them Emlyn and her companions.
“Mighty, yes, but never mine,” Odin shakes his head, “No matter how much I might wish otherwise.”
Odin chuckles at sensing Sildr’s surprise, “Yes… I already know her. I tried to win her devotion once before. She’s too canny to fall for my tricks. She guessed rightly that I planned for them to fall in battle and end up in Valhalla to await Ragnar?k. Her new companions will follow her, just as her old ones did. Her old companions followed her, even though it meant that they died godless. I tried to get the godless ones, but Morrighu beat me to it, and they accepted her. She and the blond boy are already sworn to Morrighu. The other one with them is already sworn to her. I can see the binding oath ties clearly, even if you cannot. I don’t want to start a war with another pantheon by trying to steal her Goddess’s chosen champion or her other sworn servants. That one and her friends are best left alone. She’s found favor with many gods, even Aed and our own Loki.”
“Loki,” Sildr says, surprised, “Is she a trickster?”
“In battle…. Oh, yes, and quite a clever one, at that. It’s one of the reasons I desired her so much. She’s emerged victorious from battles even I thought were impossible by using tricks like fire, flood, baboons, and even ants. She refuses to accept defeat and finds a path to victory. She is truly remarkable, but the Norns say that it’s not to be.” Odin shrugs, “Even I cannot force the Norns to rewrite fate.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“You went to the Norns?” Sildr replies, awed.
“A measure of how badly I wanted her,” Odin sighs, “I wanted to see if there was a path, any path at all, that would let me claim her.”
“Sell her books all you like,” Freya adds, “Be her friend, if you like. Try to learn from her, if you can, but don’t place yourself in her path, daughter. No one wants to restart the Gods’ War. Peace is fragile, and we still mourn the loss of Baldr. Can’t you smell that there is another god’s god-magic on them already? When she says cohort, she means her cohort at that Temple. Paladins, I think. The smell of blood, steel, and god-magic typically indicates that they’re paladins. Clerics usually smell more of incense and offering fires than blood and steel.. She will be bound tightly to her Goddess. Even if she should fall, her Goddess will claim her. Keep watching. There will be others you can claim. Perhaps some of those she leaves in her wake will be more suitable.”
“As you say, Great Ones,” Sildr sighs.
Sensing the gods withdrawal, Sildr curses inwardly. She’d been hoping to make her quota and get rotated out of this sleepy little backwater. For someone who’s served mead in Valhalla, Harito is quite disappointing. The highest-ranking noble is a duke, not a king. That duke isn’t even in the line of succession. There aren’t any wars here. There are no great and noble heroes. There aren’t even any dire threats. The entire kingdom has been at peace for generations. She’s not even allowed to use most of her magic or even to shape-shift. Sighing, Sildr starts penning letters asking about the other books that Nia wants. Even a Valkyrie has to eat.
“Does Kethas have wine, or should we go find a wine merchant?” Emlyn asks Atres, “It is your hangout, after all.”
“We should probably stop and find a few bottles,” Atres grins, “It seems like we’ll be doing a lot of reading.”
“I’ll carry the wine,” Benger grins, “I’ve just got the one book.” “We’ll pass one on the way back,”
Atres says, “The proprietor knows his wares. We’ll get him to recommend a few things for you to try. I’d like to have a better idea of what you like so I know what to put in our picnic baskets.”
At Emlyn’s look, he shrugs, “There are quite a few spots along the river with lovely views, suitable for stealing a kiss or two. If I’m to read all these books, I will require a kiss or two to keep me properly motivated.”
Benger ducks his head to hide his grin as Emlyn blushes.
“Mmmm…,” Atres purrs, “Those intoxicating little pink ears have finally put in an appearance. You are exquisitely enticing when you blush. I do believe that’s the first time I’ve seen them today. I shall have to be more diligent.”
Emlyn gives Atres a sideways look of her own and smiles. Atres catches the look, and his nostrils flare slightly as he sucks in a sharp breath, realizing that the game is afoot. “What makes you blush?”
Emlyn asks.
“Not much,” Atres grins, “And likely nothing you’d be willing to do. I grew up swimming naked with my clan in the summers. Many of the ponds would get warm enough to swim in.”
“This is an entirely unequal contest,” Emlyn grumbles, blushing again at the idea of a naked Atres, “It seems I am disarmed.”
“Oh, lass,” Atres grins, “You’re half right. It is entirely unequal but completely in your favor.”
Puzzled, Emlyn glances at Benger.
Shrugging, Benger grins back at her, “You’re the tactician. Figure it out.”
“This wasn’t anything that I ever thought I’d have to deal with,” Emlyn shrugs, still frowning in puzzlement, “I find I am ill-prepared for it.”
‘You have time to figure it out,” Benger grins, “What’s the count of days?”
“One thousand and seventy-five,” Atres says agreeably.
“Let’s go find this wine merchant,” Emlyn shrugs, “We can sit in the taproom and start reading.”
At the sound of the door, Loket looks up. “What did you find?”
Atres hands the wine off to Kethas, who rummages around for a carafe.
“I found a shop where I can at least order books,” Emlyn grins, “The rest will be delivered to the Temple, but we brought a few back.”
Gesturing Atres over, Loket grins, “Let’s see what Girlie thinks you need to know.”
Picking up the top book, Loket laughs, “Boucicaut’s Training Manual… That’s not a bad place to start. It will certainly teach you how to move in your kit, but you’ll need your kit first. Hmm… Phiceros’ Battle Formations is a classic.”
Emlyn explains, “I want him to read that one so that when we start training with the King’s Guard, he can help me explain to them what we’re trying to accomplish. The rest of them will be fighting in those leathers. If we’re beset by archers, something like a turtle is likely the best way to protect them.”
Gramin and Loket sift through the pile.
Sighing, Atres picks up the copy of Battle Formations and takes the glass of wine from Kethas. He goes to sit on the bench that runs around the perimeter of the tap room. Atres picks a spot in the corner and stretches out in one direction. Emlyn picks up a glass and another book, moving to sit nearby along the other wall. It’s not long before Emlyn has scooted back enough that she’s leaning against Atres while engrossed in her reading. Atres glances at her, grins to himself, and dives back into Battle Formations.
Gramin smirks at them for a moment before turning to Benger, “What’s she got you reading?”
“Sejarah’s War and Politics,” Benger replies, “This first part has been about the sovereignty and security of the state. How those things drive political and economic goals so that a country can even fight a war, or might want to fight one.”
Vorlig sifts through the pile Emlyn put down and frowns at one of the titles, Marius’s Strategic and Tactical Lessons from the Battles of the Renunciates. Picking up the book, with a glance at Emlyn, Vorlig begins to read. The longer Vorlig reads, the grimmer his expression becomes. Lake Nwdir, Valley of the Statues, and Tir Diffaith were only the most significant battles that the Renunciates won. The author, Marius, appears to have been convinced that there were six of them instead of four and that the group consisted of military geniuses. Marius also seems to have assumed that they were adults. Flipping through the remainder of the book, Vorlig sighs and hands the book to Loket. Loket looks at the title and looks at Vorlig’s face. Loket takes the book, and Vorlig announces he’s going for a walk.
Instead of reading, Loket flips through the book, counting battles and reading some of the author’s commentary about each one. Shaking his head, Loket passes the book quietly to Gramin.
Gramin looks up at Loket, “This Marius missed a few things, like just how damn young they were. I can’t imagine how hard it was for those kids, what they had to endure, even to attempt all this. Or what the aftermath of enduring all that might look like.”
Gramin quietly shoves the book into his shirt, and Loket says quietly, “Give that one to Atres later. No wonder Vorlig’s in a mood. I wonder how far he got with her father.”
“He hasn’t said,” Gramin shrugs, “so I haven’t asked. I think if he’d gotten very far at all, he’d have said something.”
“Henga tried to tell me he was terrible,” Loket sighs, “I should have listened to her. Henga would come and tell me these stories, and when I’d ask Terwyn about them, it just seemed like teenage foolishness and exaggeration. I hope Gendini can come back with Otrin and Henga.”
Post-Chapter Grumble: "Odin was watching her? Bah. Even the All-Father knows a master tactician when he sees one. He wanted her for Valhalla, but she’s too canny to be someone’s trophy on a shelf. She’s already building her 'cohort' by gathering a bunch of long-shanks and teaching them to think. I suppose if they’re going to be tall and useless, they might as well be educated and useless."
Current Count: 68 "Protective Lugging of Books" and 1 "Academic Smirk."
Observation: "Atres is following her around like a giant, golden-eyed pack mule. He’s actually encouraging her to buy military tomes so they can 'curl up with a bottle of wine and dusty records'. He thinks he’s being romantic, but I know his game. He’s just trying to get her to stay in one place long enough to stare at her ears some more. He even took her to a shop called The Wild Hunt on the Processional Way. I’ll give him 2 points for knowing the good shops, but I’m docking 5 for not carrying a lute while he does it."
Official Entry: Purchase Order: 23 Volumes of Hermann’s Encyclopedia of War; Recipient: Paladin Nia.
Boltir’s Correction: "ANNOTATED: 'Essential Reading for Anyone Not Wanting to Die in Chapter 300.' I’ve added a margin note to the first bookseller’s ledger: 'Knowledge is like a beard; if you stop at nineteen inches, you’ve missed the point'. I’ve also included a drawing of Nia hitting the shopkeeper with Volume 20 of Hermann’s. It’s a very heavy book. Accurate for the historical record."
Current Jar Total: 520 coppers, a bookmark made of dragon-scale, and a very confused inkwell.
Boltir’s Plea: "She’s training her cohort with Sejarah’s War and Politics! If she’s going to be a professor of pain, I want to be the one sharpening the pencils. Toss a coin in the jar, kin! I’m saving up for a 'Scroll of Instant Literacy' so I can read whatever she’s reading and finally have something to talk about besides my own fabulousness. Leave a review if you think Nia should make Atres write a ten-page essay on Siege Engine Usage before their next date!"