The space between Kelton's shoulders still held a flutter of fear when he returned to his room. He took a few deep breaths, sat in the chair and closed his eyes. All had gone as desired, yet he could envision the opposite happening. A short fight of blood and death. The world refused to flow as it should. Safety was an illusion, temporary at best. Viners were nothing more then Brethren without purpose.

Kelton's room felt safe. He kicked off his boots and laid his bare feet on the warm floor. Comforting. The walls were solid stone, a cave that even nature couldn't invade. Here he could imagine everything right. Nothing off kilter. He smiled, retrieved his boots and lined them against the wall. Now this portion of the world was perfect.

Yanda came in with a smile spanning the reaches of the horizons. Behind her, Master Tarvakian and Vasco flowed into the shrinking room. Zello and Filgot, along with some curious coppers remained outside the door. Kelton stood feeling undressed in bare feet.

"Kelton, you are the best ten gold I've ever spent," Master said. He placed his hands on Kelton's shoulders and shook him. Then, to Kelton's surprise, pulled him into a bearhug. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Kelton was released.

"A fine bit of acting," Vasco said. "A fine bit." He moved in close. "It is rare to find viners so desperate in these parts. It is even rarer to scare them off. They don't think right when deprived of the vine."

"But Kelton fooled them all," Master said proudly.

"Aye," Filgot agreed. "Saved us, he did."

"It was a simple ruse," Kelton argued. "Master Zello and Filgot did part of it. It was the tavern stories that scared them off."

"It was a good story," Zello said. "He told them the blade was too light and would stick in bone. You should have seen their pitiful faces when he said that." Master laughed and again shook Kelton's shoulders. They thought Kelton had been brave when in truth, he had been terrified. It was a gamble of desperation. Yanda kept smiling with pride.

"It was luck," Kelton said.

"It was that," Filgot agreed. "But it worked, and no blood was shed. Had you not thought of it, I am sure the outcome would have been grim. I was not going to yield."

"Nor I," Zello added.

"You see, I owe you my son's life," Master said. "And that of Zilgot and Taggert, and all the others."

"And the horses," Filgot said with a chuckle. Kelton was forced to smile at that. It wasn't so much Filgot bringing back Kelton's words, it was the new trust he saw in the man's eyes.

"Horses, wagons, and corn I can replace," Master said, not understanding the humor. "It is people that have real value. I can purchase another copper, but not replace the person it rings." He turned toward the hall to the coppers that had gathered there. "Kelton has saved your future. He has kept our promise when things were darkest." More stories, Kelton thought.

"Aye," Zello agreed. The coppers in the hall were smiling and voicing gratitude that increased Kelton's discomfort. Yanda moved next to him and took his hand in hers. She squeezed her pride into him.

"My son lives, house Tarvakian lives," Master announced. Kelton could feel the blood rushing to his face. It was the story, nothing more. It was more embarrassing when some echoed the words down the hall.

"Master, I think he is overwhelmed," Vasco said with a chuckle.

"Aye, he should be," Master replied. "Two days, my son gave you and two you shall have." He waved everyone away. "I will have Beldin bring the rest of crogerts with your tea this evening. A small token of our appreciation."

"Thank you, Master," Kelton said and meant it. He liked those nuts, a lot.

"Yanda wanted me to tell Kelton something," Vasco said when Master tried to shoo him out as well.

"Of course, of course," Master said, and closed the door on his way out. The room enlarged and Kelton could breathe again.

"It is a good thing you did," Vasco said. "A house with no heir reverts to the kingdom. Our future is vested in Master Zello. Another owner would not see our past, and thus not care for our waning years. You have saved more than you know."

"It is like the ship, a story growing beyond the truth," Kelton said in exasperation.

"Filgot does not play with the truth. He said the outcome was going to be grim before you played the part of warrior."

"It was nothing but a gamble and luck."

"It is your mind," Vasco said with a smile. "You see and hear things, make judgments, then act as if there are no other options. It is not luck, it is you choosing the best path among many. You do it on instinct."

"I didn't want anyone hurt."

"Instinct." Vasco nodded his head, agreeing with himself.

"Well, now I have two days with nothing to do," Kelton said with a shrug. Yanda said something about cleaning. Kelton was understanding more words but still far from conversational

"Ah, yes," Vasco said. "Master promised the bathhouse to you two. Something Yanda is excited about." Yanda was nodding her head.

"She does like things to be clean." Kelton rolled his eyes, careful to not let Yanda see it.

"The morning will be yours. Filgot has promised a guard to insure your privacy. I believe you made an impression on him."

"He has a better mind than I first thought," Kelton said. "He figured out what I intended without any planning. Zello too. It is why it worked so well." Yanda spoke again, this time mentioning Juno.

"Ahh, I almost forgot. She desires to know if Juno is a god or goddess," Vasco interpreted. Kelton laughed. He thought back through all of his meaningless conversations with Yanda. It was his own fault for referencing Juno so much. With no context, Juno could easily be construed as a diety.

"A goddess in my mind, yet not," Kelton said.

"What?" Vasco questioned.

"She is a woman I knew," Kelton clarified, turning toward Yanda. "Someone who cared for me when I was ill. She is in my head now, and I think of her often."

"You wish me to tell her that?"

"Aye, the truth," Kelton said. Vasco shrugged and translated. It didn't surprise Kelton when Yanda's smile grew. Her hand reached up and stroked Kelton's cheek as she spoke. The gesture was made as a mother might.

"She must be beautiful," Vasco translated.

"Aye, and smart."

"She should not have let you go," Vasco translated again.

"It is my one regret, yet she is safer with me gone. Juno liked to have her hair washed, and I thought you would like the same." Kelton sighed as Vasco translated. He wanted to do something for Yanda and translation made it less of a gift. He wanted to care for her like she cared for him in the mornings. Vasco laughed when Yanda replied.

"It is expected of you," Vasco said. "It is why she looks forward to the bathhouse. It seems you are to continually prove yourself worthy of weaved hair." He chuckled again. "I must say, you two are a strange pair. She has a love for you, yet it is not the love I would expect. It is different...It is..."

"She is my sister," Kelton said with a smile. It came to him all at once. Yanda was family, that's why the weaving. She saw him as a brother, someone to be cherished and guided. It was up to him to do the same for her. There was a sense of warmth to the idea. Someone he could see and touch cared if he lived or died.

Vasco shrugged his shoulders and translated Kelton's words. His smile grew as a litany of words flowed from Yanda.

"She agrees. It seems she has another brother, but you are now her favorite. There is much expected of you and of her. Cleanliness is most important, something she says you tend to ignore. There were many words about this, how it is her shame if you are dirty or dress unruly." Vasco chuckled again. "Are you sure she's not your mother?"

"Nay," Kelton said, shaking his head. "I already knew about the washing. Thought it was only because we shared a bed." He forced himself to shelf his distaste of washing. Yanda felt they were seen together as one, his appearance affecting hers. Maybe washing wasn't the waste of time he had thought. At least not while she was concerned about it. "Tell her I will work harder at the washing. Mayhap, some of her beauty will rub off on me." Yanda seemed overly pleased with the translation.

The night meal was different than before. Yanda and Kelton were pulled out of the food gathering line and told to sit by fellow coppers. Everyone was smiling at him, some patting his shoulder as they passed thanking him for what had happened earlier. Zello was well thought of, and more critical than Kelton realized. Now that importance was being placed on Kelton's shoulders.

"It is our thanks," a man said. Deairty, if Kelton remembered his name right. He placed a large plate in front of Kelton. It contained a steaming, unleaf-wrapped corn, the kernels still attached to the stem. Next to it was a large slab of meat, enough for two. Deairty directed others who brought a plate for Yanda, as well as a shared plate of bread and a large dollop of butter.

"Though it is not off-day, Master thought you might desire wine," Deairty continued. Two mugs were brought forth filled with the dark red drink. Yanda was beaming. She couldn't decipher the words but understood their meaning.

"I thank you," Kelton said. "We thank you," he added pointing toward Yanda. She nodded her head and gave them a Sorinnian thank you. It was done proudly as if it were normal for her to be served. Kelton was less comfortable and fumbled a bit trying to decide if he should start eating or show more appreciation.

"Eat," Deairty said, urging Kelton with a smile. It was difficult to start, so many eyes watching and he had no idea what to do with the corn. Yanda smiled at him, lifted her corn by the ends and rolled it in the butter. Then she began to gnaw on it, straight off the stalk. She laughed when some of the butter dripped on her chin. Kelton duplicated the process. It was magnificent. So sweet, and warm, and chewy. His mouth was in heaven. To think such a plant exists and it isn't eaten at every meal. And one did not need to be neat about it.

Deaitry and the others were pleased. Kelton tried to thank them again, but his mouth was full, and it came out wrong. That made Yanda laugh harder. Which made Kelton laugh. Which was messier than expected. Which, in turn, made everyone in sight join the laughter. Kelton would have been embarrassed if the corn didn't taste so good. He decided the world needed to laugh more. Happiness was contagious - and corn was delicious.

More thanks, in the form of crogerts, came with his evening tea. Beldin was beside himself when Kelton offered to share. Yanda turned her nose up at them again, something Kelton couldn't understand, so he spent some time eating them with Beldin. Like Kelton, Beldin was a man who appreciates a good nut.

Declaring himself Yanda's brother did nothing to dissuade her from disrobing in front of him. Like the nights before, once Beldin left, off went her clothes, folded and placed in the chest she had claimed the first day. It was natural to her, perhaps a remnant of Sorinnian life. Captain Sebastian had said it was an arid land. Maybe being naked in one's home was a natural way to live with the heat. Though he was growing used to it, it always brought a smile to his face. Yanda always seemed pleased about the smile, so he didn't struggle to hide it. Nor could he hide his body's reaction to it after she forced him to disrobe.

The ritual of washing self, then each other's backs commenced. There was no getting around it. Kelton thought it a waste since they were meant for the bathhouse in the morning, but Yanda disagreed with a stern look. She waited with hands on feminine hips and supervised his cleaning. It was difficult to concentrate with her standing there. Too many curves wrapped in soft skin.