Keeping The Peace, Part IV
The next morning, Kurgm got to have breakfast. He’d ended up not needing to go on protest duty after the first round. The protesters had taken a break, but he’d been assured by Master Ekla that they’d be back. So far, he hadn’t needed to return.
As he walked into the hall, he spotted Sirshi sitting on her own. He walked over and smiled down at her.
“Is it alright if I join you?”
She stared at him as though she was surprised he existed.
“I guess,” she said.
“Thank you.” He sat down and put some food onto a plate. “Did you get everything done yesterday you wanted to?”
“Yeah.”
Kurgm began to get the sense that she wasn’t going to say much. They ate their food in silence for a few minutes before Aonva and Roshil showed up. Unlike Kurgm, they didn’t ask before sitting down.
“Got something for you.” Roshil handed him a case and sitting down next to Sirshi. “Worked on them all night.”
“She’s not kidding.” Aonva had taken a seat next to Kurgm, so she spotted Sirshi first. “I’m sorry. I’m Apprentice Aonva, and this is Apprentice Roshil.”
“Apprentice Sirshi.”
Kurgm took the case and opened it. He carefully took the pair of glasses out of it and put them on. The world came into focus. He could see faces across the dining hall. He could read signs posted on the walls. He could see!
“They’re great,” he said. “Thank you.”
Roshil beamed with pride.
Aonva shot her a significant glance. “And…?”
Roshil folded her arms and grimaced. “And I’m sorry if something I said yesterday upset you.”
“It… it made me think about everything, but I’m alright now.”
Roshil glared at Aonva for a moment, then put her head down on the table. She mumbled something Kurgm couldn’t hear as she shifted her arms around to make a pillow for her head.
“Sirshi,” Aonva said. “Are you a friend of Kurgm’s?”
“Not really,” Sirshi said.
“We met yesterday,” Kurgm said. “She’s a priest.”
Roshil picked up her head and looked at Sirshi as though she only just noticed her. “You look familiar.”
Sirshi met Roshil’s gaze for a moment, then looked away and moved ever so slightly away from her.
“Okay.”
Kurgm had the same feeling, like he’d seen her before. He knew he’d seen her at the temple, but it felt like he’d seen her lots of times before. Maybe he’d seen her around the castle.
“What’s going on with the protests today?” Roshil asked, putting her head back down.
“What protests?” Aonva asked.
“The people are annoyed with those in charge,” Roshil said. “Probably rightly so.”
“Roshil!” Aonva glanced up at the table where the officers sat. “Don’t say things like that. They work hard for us.”
“Our Lord True Knight said there was a problem with the trade routes, so the prices of food have gone up. I want to help, but… I’m not sure how.”
“Well…” Aonva looked down at her plate. “You could… at least, when there are big protests going on, when the knights join in, it tells the people that the knights are the same as them. Not just the knights, any servants of the court, really, but they see the knights more than anyone else. Historically, it always makes the people feel better and gives them hope that they’re making a difference. At least, that’s what I’ve read.”
Kurgm looked around for Master Ekla. He liked the idea of helping out, of walking with them. He wasn’t sure if they’d listen to him, but it was worth a try. Before he could do that, he’d need the day off, which was something he wasn’t likely to get unless Master Ekla let him.
He caught her attention and motioned her over to them. When he glanced across the table, not only was Roshil glaring at Ekla, but so was Sirshi.
“Apprentice Kurgm.” Ekla stopped next to them. “What’s so important it can’t wait?”
“I’d like the day off, please.”
“You’re her apprentice?” Sirshi said.
Ekla closed her eyes for a moment.
“Apprentice Sirshi.”
“Master Ekla,” Sirshi said through gritted teeth.
“You know each other?” Kurgm asked.
“You could say that,” Sirshi said.
Ekla closed her eyes, the look of exasperation she usually reserved for Roshil on her face, who she had avoided looking at, likely to avoid the headache she’d get by seeing Roshil with her head on the table.
“Apprentice Sirshi and I are sisters.”
“Half sisters,” Sirshi said.
“Does she stalk you too?” Roshil asked.
“Apprentice Roshil,” Ekla said. She opened her mouth, then closed it and turned her attention back to Kurgm. “Apprentice Kurgm, why do you want the day off?”
“I want to march with the protesters,” he said.
“To show solidarity,” Aonva added.
“Are you sure? Even after everything they said yesterday?”
“They’re just afraid.” His eyes involuntarily darted to Roshil. “We shouldn’t fault them for what they say when afraid.”
Ekla considered that for a moment. He knew she’d figure out he’d been talking to Lord Velal. His Lord True Knight had a way of talking that seemed unique to himself.
“Only today,” she said. “If there’s trouble, get out immediately. If it looks like things are going to turn violent, get out immediately. The knights on patrol should know who you are, so find one of them if any of that happens.”
“Thank you.”
“There are other ways you can help. You don’t have to do this.”
“I think… I think it’s what my parents would’ve done.”
Ekla let out a breath that almost could’ve been a sigh.
“You might be right about that.” Her gaze flickered to the others, then she turned and left.
“I’m sorry,” Aonva said in her soft voice.
“About what? Everything’s working out.”
“You said ‘would’ve’. When you told me your parents weren’t around, I assumed they were off somewhere, but…”
“What’s going on?” Roshil picked up her head. “Is Master Ekla gone?”
“My parents are dead,” Kurgm said.
“I’m sorry,” Aonva said.
“It’s… I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Then don’t,” Roshil said. “That’s what I do.”
Kurgm frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“That’s because I don’t talk about it.”
“My parents are both fine,” Sirshi said. “Can we talk about something else? Or better yet, everyone leave?”
Kurgm turned to Aonva and smiled. “Thank you.”
She found something interesting on the table and mumbled “You’re welcome.”
Kurgm wasn’t sure if it would work out, but he was determined to try. There was a lot that could go wrong, but he’d learned early on that was how life went.