A New Pack, Part IV
Nourd spent the next day with Master Gorkle. They talked about the Balance, and how to work with the elements. Near dinner time, Lady Durwey and Oshal came to the gardens.
“I want to apologize for yesterday,” Oshal said. “I thought them being mean to you would pass, but they talked about you today. They were worse, and I think they’ll keep getting worse, like they do with Roshil. I get upset when friends are mean to my sister too, and I realized how much they do that. I want my friends to get along. Kurgm and Roshil were mad at each other, but they talked it out. I don’t think the others want to talk it out.”
Nourd was more excited than he’d ever been. He wanted to run around and play, but Master Gorkle eyed him in a way that suggested it wasn’t a good time.
In a voice only they could hear, Master Gorkle said, “Remember what we talked about yesterday.”
“I am happy that you spoke to your friends. I do not think I could if Elder Wolf didn’t like you.”
“And?” Master Gorkle said, still keeping hir voice down.
“And I am sorry for asking you to hurt your friends.”
Oshal smiled. “Apology accepted.”
“I’m glad that’s cleared up,” Lady Durwey said. “It’s time for dinner. Are you two ready to go?”
Nourd looked at Oshal and smiled. He was ready to go with his best friend.
“I’m ready,” Oshal said. “I think I know where we can sit.”
The four of them walked together until they got to the castle, where Master Gorkle and Lady Durwey left them. Nourd helped Oshal to the great hall.
“All the way to the end,” Oshal said.
They walked to the end of the great hall, where they found Aonva and Roshil talking alone.
“Roshil, Aonva,” Oshal said. “You remember Nourd.”
“Of course,” Roshil said cheerfully. “I remember everyone that growls at me.”
Aonva frowned at her, but smiled at Nourd. She still smelled of fear, reminding Nourd once again of a squirrel running from a hawk.
“You two may join us,” Aonva said.
“Thank you,” Oshal said. He took a seat next to Roshil. Nourd sat across from him.
Just as they took their seats, Kurgm sat down next to Oshal.
“Oshal, Nourd, I want to apologize for my friends. The way they treated you, Nourd, was… um…”
“Unkind,” Oshal said. “Would you like to sit with us, Kurgm?”
Kurgm glanced at his other friends. Nourd followed his gaze. Demndun glared at them, as the others whispered to each other, casting the occasional glance at them.
“Sure,” he said. In a quieter voice, he added, “Anything to get away from Cremwa.”
Everyone rose as the officers walked in. Another girl with curly hair, who smelled faintly of anger, ran in and stood next to Nourd. The six of them sat down as the king arrived.
“You’re late,” Kurgm said to the girl.
“Says you,” she said as she grabbed food. She paused and stared at Nourd. “Who’re you?”
“I am Apprentice Nourd.”
She stared at him.
“I am Apprentice Sirshi.”
“He’s an apprentice druid,” Oshal said. “He grew up in the forest.”
Nourd tore into a piece of food. Across the table, Roshil was doing the same.
“Well,” Kurgm said, “his tables manners match Roshil’s.”
“I do not like these,” Nourd said, indicating his fork and knife. “They get in the way.”
“I know, right?” Roshil said. “We have hands!”
“But then you get ‘Sirshi, it’s not polite to eat with your hands. Sirshi, stop throwing food at your sister.’”
Aonva giggled. Roshil openly laughed.
“I can see you throwing food at Master Ekla,” Kurgm said. “I could still see you doing that.”
“Are you crazy? I’d never hear the end of it!”
“Could we please not discuss throwing food?” Aonva said.
Roshil perked up and glared at Sirshi and Kurgm.
They ate in silence for some time before Oshal spoke up.
“Aonva, when did people start eating with utensils?”
“They date back centuries. Certainly well before the court. They’ve found evidence of forks and knives buried beneath the soil.”
“Wait, people buried them?” Sirshi asked. “What, where they going to grow a knife tree?”
“I do not think that would work.”
“No, everything gets buried over time. The wind moves soil, and it’s trampled underfoot, or rock slides happen. You can estimate how old something is based on how far below the surface it was buried. It’s not perfectly accurate, but it gives them an idea of how old it is.”
“The soil would know that,” Nourd said. “Why do they not ask?”
“Druids aren’t always available. Sometimes, excavators need to find out on their own.”
“That’s our Aonva,” Roshil said, grinning at her. For a moment, Nourd thought he smelled an animal seeking a mate, but with all the smells around him, it was impossible to tell. “She has an answer for everything.”
Nourd liked having someone who could answer his questions. He tried to think of more, but they escaped him at that moment. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling of having friends. Oshal had been right; he had been able to make friends.
“Nourd,” Oshal said, “Sirshi’s an apprentice priest at the Temple of the Rising Sun.”
“Which one is that?” Nourd asked.
“Temple of Olmgra,” Sirshi said. “We spread hope. Bright and early every morning.”
“I like the Temple of Words. Does yours have poetry?”
“No, but unlike their priests, people can understand us when we talk. And we don’t make up new words just to sound smarter.”
“I don’t think they make up words,” Aonva said. “The more you read, the more you learn. They read a lot, and learn new words. It helps to have a dictionary on hand all the time, so you can look up words you don’t know.”
“Which I’m sure Aonva does,” Kurgm said.
“Of course I do. Do you not?”
“You are the only one here who does,” Sirshi said.
“And that makes you special!” Roshil said.
Nourd couldn’t help but smile. This was his new pack. They accepted him simply because he was Oshal’s friend. No one was mean. Everyone was happy. Even him.