Eating with the Llandre was very different from eating in his father's house. Aldeim liked things in an orderly manner, everyone in their right place and plates, knives, forks, spoons, all lined up in a row. There was nothing like that with the Llandre. If there was no fork then they used their hands, and if there wasn't a spoon, well, there was plenty of slurping to be heard all around. Nikolas paused, uncertain as to what to do, it was impolite, was it not to make sounds? But everyone was doing so, and it would be odd to sit there with his bowl in his hand.

"You're not hungry?" said Jaufre.

He'd sat down next to Nikolas, and had accepted the bowl handed to him by a Llandre woman with a bow and flourish that made the woman blush. The other man was wearing a truly ludicrous hat. He recognized the material of the hat as something velvet, and the embroidery on it was a cheap imitation of gold and silver. But the feathers puzzled him. Jaufre must be very brave to try to pluck whatever bird the feathers in his hat came from, Nikolas thought wryly. One feather was simply massive, and he didn't know what bird would produce that specific hue of blue and green. There were circles on the feathers, and in the light of the campfire it looked like a thousand eyes were staring at him from Jaufe's head. It was unnerving, and he didn't like it in the slightest.

"I am," Nikolas began, shifting so his leg wouldn't go numb. The ground was a horrible place to sit, he decided, next time he would copy the Llandres who were sitting on cloaks folded into makeshift pillows. Or he could sit in the wagons, perhaps Faila would pull hers closer to the fire if things get colder in the winter. "I just—"

"Miss the trappings of civilization?" Jaufre wiggled his eyebrows up and down, sounding all too cheerful. Then he set his bowl down, it was already half empty, how he managed to eat without the feathers getting into his soup Nikolas had no idea. The man nudged Nikolas playfully with his elbow, "Don't we all. Hey, take it this way, every man should know how to behave in polite society and how to—"

"Ahem!" Faila coughed, sending a frown his way.

She was seated with what Nikolas could only assume as the other leaders of the Llandre. If his eyes didn't fail him, then any one who was a Mastachka had silver or gold on their kilts. But they didn't call themselves Mastachka he could hear a different word being said. It was said enough in combination with a name that it must be a title. He made a note to ask Faila if she'd like him to call her whatever title it was. Some people liked their own tongues than a foreign one, and in all likelihood Faila might be one of them. Even if the Llandrians were part of Icfeld for years and years now. His father spoke the Llandrian tongue, sometimes he would address the incoming merchants with it and they'd responded very positively to his words. Brytha could speak some words as well, she learned upon seeing the benefits of it, but then Aldeim had written down the words for her to remember and that was the end of Nikolas trying to learn his father's tongue.

He half-expected Faila to walk over and sternly eye Jaufre, she did seem the type, but she merely frowned and waited.

Jaufre let out a long sigh and said, very loudly, "— to behave among friends!" Jaufre sent a toothy grin her way, which was promptly ignored. Jaufre scooted closer to Nikolas and leaned in too closely for his comfort. "What are you here for then, Nikolas?"

"My mother said I'll find my fortune here," said Nikolas, deciding to forgo all courtesies and tip the bowl into his mouth.

It was a generous serving, he could taste carrots, parsnips and oats. There were even bits of pork, chopped so small he supposed the cook didn't have much to start off with. But it was there, which meant the Llandre did well for themselves. They even passed around a massive cup of cider, which was refilled when it returned to the start of the circle they sat around. It was tangy and sweet and made him think of summers spent climbing the trees in the orchards in his childhood home. If he closed his eyes he was sure he could see Felie and Ada. But he didn't because that was not a path he liked to go down. Not when he could see Anni and Mae seated next to Faila.

They were alive when his siblings weren't. Maybe Aldeim did them a favor by not soliciting the families around for a playmate when they settled in Befeld. Nikolas was very certain this sinking feeling he felt in his stomach would have been worse if he had had a playmate, and they had siblings around Felie and Ada's age.

What would she have liked now Felie? Would she have been interested in cooking? Would she have still done her little witch tricks? Would she have gone to an academy? She loved the cookies she was supposed to be making with Warada. He didn't take them when he left, they were somewhere in his dresser, still magically preserved. Besides, he didn't want to take a bite and break the enchantment. Ada was too young to tell, she was flighty and liked asking questions. Maybe she would be helping Brytha now because she clearly would be smarter than him, and she would have been good at reading and writing and seeing patterns in the parchment. Lianne, he knew would be like Viola and Sanna, she would be a mistress of all sorts of instruments, or have a lovely voice and be the envy out of the three of them. It wasn't complete just the two of them, they had to be a trio and Nikolas felt that they substituted music for Lianne, like if they played their flutes, their violins, their pianos and sang loud enough, they would summon her presence.

As for Richan. He gave Jaufre a furtive look. Richan would be Jaufre's age, and he had wanted to travel hadn't he? Or would it be that he would have invited Nikolas and they would have had the best of summers? He had promised, hadn't he, that Nikolas would always be welcomed? Unless Richan and his wife had so many children he was too busy to think of Nikolas, and that was such a horrible thought Nikolas decided not to entertain it altogether.

He distracted himself by looking over at Jaufre. The bard was deep in conversation with a fellow Llandre, and by the sound of things, and the way the corner of Jaufre's eyes crinkled in a smile, it was funny. Nikolas was correct, because a moment later the Llandre next to Jaufre threw back her head and laughed and the bard joined in.

Richan would have known what to say to make anyone laugh. Jaufre was doing all that Richan wanted to do, wasn't he? And Richan did have a nice voice, though he was very certain that his brother would never wear such a hat. He would d— Nikolas swallowed, and the soup suddenly tasted very bitter.

"You alright there?" one of Jaufre's eyebrows was raised, and then the other one rose to match.

Nikolas stared into the campfire, then decided it was one of those times where he should tell both a truth and a lie.

"I've never gone this far from home before."

"Ah," Jaufre abandoned his seat next to the Llandre and padded his way over to Nikolas.

He also wore the most outrageous shoes Nikolas had ever seen. How Jaufre did not trip on them Nikolas decided he didn't care to know. Probably experience, or perhaps Jaufre liked tripping on things.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it," said Jaufre, gently. There was a look in his eyes that Nikolas recognized very well enough. Pity.

"I am fine," Nikolas insisted. "I am perfectly fine. I just don't know what to make of things, is all. My father told me to meet Faila and I wished he'd told me a bit more."

"Is your father the prim and proper sort?"

"What?"

"You know, the kind that has to have everything in order? Children in a row? He must have more than just you, no?"

"I don't understand what you want to ask me," Nikolas muttered, even though he knew very well.

In response Jaufre slung an arm around Nikolas, "Listen, Nikolas, those are the sort to have all sorts of interesting tales they don't talk about."

"Right," Nikolas said, unconvinced.

Then Jaufre said the question that everyone in Nikolas's life asked him. "What are you good at?"

"I can draw," Nikolas lied.

"There's always room for improvement," Jaufre nodded. "I'm sure Erl would be happy to teach you. Maybe Anni if she's ever so generous, huh, Anni?" he laughed at the girl who wandered over.

"Will you share the bread with me please?" said Anni, and her eyes were as wide as they could go, Nikolas thought.

"Anni saying please? Why I never!" said Jaufre and Anni stuck out her tongue in his general direction.

"Of course," said Nikolas and he carefully pulled out the wrapped bread and reached for his pocket knife. "Where is Mae?"

"Mae doesn't want any," Anni said with seriousness, grinning widely. She had two dimples on her cheek and shifted from side to side.

What a liar, Nikolas thought, amused. "I will call her anyway, just to ask."

"No!" Anni shouted as Nikolas called out the younger girl's name.

Mae was quick to appear, and she clapped her hands in delight when Nikolas handed her a slice. He didn't take any for himself. It was lucky that this loaf earned him so many friends. If he'd known he would have taken more. He caught Jaufre looking at him and frowned.

"Do you want one too?"

"No, no, what kind of man am I to take food from boys?" Jaufre laughed, "Don't worry about sharing Nikolas, I'm sure you'll share when the time comes."

He sounded light and cheerful but the implications were there and Nikolas didn't like it. He opened his mouth to ask if Jaufre could clarify but then Faila stood up and clapped her hands.

"Anyone want to join in a dance?" There were cheers and groans, and to the groans Faila curtseyed and said, "If not, then I bid you goodnight!"

"So, Nikolas," said Jaufre, holding out a hand to him, "Do you want to dance?"

He eyed the circle of Llandrians forming and the very fast music that was starting to play. "I don't know if I know the dance. And I'm very tired," he said, adding a yawn for emphasis.

"Are you really?" said Jaufre, and he cocked his head to one side before calling out, "Oi, Eldis, Philipa! Are you going to sleep tonight?" Jaufre ignored the puzzled looks his way and waited for the women to respond. Jaufre had his back turned to Nikolas so he couldn't see the bard's face. He could only see Eldis and Philipa, who glanced over Nikolas's way and then shook her head. Then Jaufre was back and there was a grin of triumph on his face. "You are lucky Nikolas, it's not everyday the ladies here let you stay in their wagon."

"I am fine with sharing!" Nikolas said defensively even as he was preparing for words to say to Jozin. He needed to say he was going to find his fortune, and that if things were going well, he was going to Skapina to see his friend. They had made a promise after all.

"Listen, Nikolas," said Jaufre, and his eyes were very kind. Too kind, and it reminded him of Richan again. "Sometimes you just want to think things over by yourself. We all have those days. Just be sure not to snoop around the wagon. I don't think I'll forgive myself if you find something your eyes will regret."

"What?" Nikolas stared open eyed at Jaufre.

The bard made a praying gesture, "I'm glad you still hold such innocent thoughts."

Jaufre was clearly not Richan, Nikolas decided, rolling his eyes. Richan would have told him what it was or lock the thing away. He did have a laugh though, a small one, not at all malicious, when Jaufre tripped upon getting up to join the Llandre dance.