Tecovis Shavar snapped out of his bed as the flames consumed him, smoke reeking of burning flesh filled his nostrils, and his left side ached from his injury as he flung himself to attention. He yanked his bronze sword from its place and sent its sheath flying against the wall, taking to battle stance.
Only there were no flames.
There was no smoke in the air.
And the wound in his side had long since scarred over.
His heart thumped in his ears as his mind caught up to the present. Another nightmare.
Blast it all.
He massaged his scar as footsteps came from the hallway, followed by a knock on the door.
"Teco?"
It was a young woman's voice. No older than him.
"I'm fine Carris. Bad dream."
A brief moment of silent understanding passed before she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No... but I could use a friend."
His mentor's daughter slowly opened the door and peeked into the room, her dark complexion, highlighted by the kitchen fire, stood in stark contrast to both her evening gown and his own mountainborn skin. As she entered, she spied the sword in his hand and grabbed the sheath from the floor when she saw where it had landed. He took it before putting his weapon back in its spot next to the head of his bed and sat down, his chest still rattling. She sat down next to him as he put his head in his hands. She was kind enough to let the silence pass until his breathing stabilized. When he looked up, he saw the faintest hint of green as the light of dawn peaked through the shutters.
Tecovis asked, "Is Zeb here?"
"No," Carris said. "Dad left for patrol already."
"Early as always... Thank you..."
Carris smiled at him."It's been a while since you had one. I was beginning to think they were gone."
"Me too," he sighed.
He sat for another minute or so before deciding, "I can't go back to bed after that... You've got breakfast started?"
"The meat's cooking, I was just about to get the eggs."
"I can get them, if you gat the-"
Carris snorted.
"What?" He asked, indignant.
"Silly mountain man with your silly pronunciation."
"Hey! Don't make me tell Zeb you're bullying me again."
"I'm not," she giggled innocently.
He shook his head and muttered, "Nine years of this," before he shooed her out to get ready for the day.
Once he applied some of the scented beeswax he'd bought from traveling klovenite merchants, he donned fresh clothes, combed his beard into the same signaturesquare his father always used to wear, and readied his gambeson before gathering the eggs for breakfast. When they were cooked, he heaped a variety of foods onto his plate and sat in his spot at the end of the table, the one furthest from the cooking fire. Aunt Abby came down the stairs as he stuffed his face.
"Good morning, Teco. Sleep well?"
"Moshtly. Wakhing uph khinda shucked." He swallowed and asked, "You think Uriah made it to Zelzah yet?"
"He should have gotten there yesterday if he didn't get lost."
Carris said, "Him? Lost? The sun turning purple is more likely."
Aunt Abby chuckled as she filled her plate. As Zeb's sister, Aunt Abby shared his mentor's dark skin tone, with arms thickened by the years of farm life. She sat near the middle of the table, and they continued having small talk while they ate.
Tecovis finished his meal quickly, and scrubbed his plate in the wash basin before returning to his room and donning his gambeson. It was a light brown to signify him as a low guard, with red stitching that marked him as the leader of his squad, even without the lamellar plates that normally covered it. The Jaunari's insignia was stitched into the front. As long as he wore it, he was on duty, bronze or no, and so adopted his formal posture as he strapped his sword to his side.
Satisfied, he grabbed a sack full of coins and walked back out into the kitchen as a pair of identical twin Luminites walked by, one carrying a large piece of wood, and the other carrying a sack full of tools.
"Morning Teco."
"Good morning, twins. Sandalwood ready?"
The one with the tools said, "Brushed, fed, and saddled. And I just have to say, I don't know what it is you're wearing under that gambeson, but it smells fantastic."
"Thank you. I gat it from the traders you told me about. Thought I'd try it."
"Quit your brown-nosing Ophir, we've got work to do."
"What? A man can't compliment another man, Onan?"
"Man can't waste time on duty with idle chatter. We're behind schedule. Abby wants that balcony fixed before the day's out, and I don't want to lose this job."
Ophir rolled his eyes and looked back to Tecovis. "What he's trying to say is he thinks it's very manly."
Tecovis grinned. "Thank you, Onan, for your wonderful compliment."
Ozem grunted as he walked up the stairs, Ophir close behind. Tecovis himself went to the stables to find his almond-brown, white-bellied horse in perfect condition.
"Hey, girly. You ready?"
Sandalwood snorted as he double-checked all of the straps. The twins didn't miss anything, and so he led her from her stall and mounted up to leave for the city.
Carris shouted from the porch, "Teco! Don't forget to pay for that keg today! Dad's picking up the cart after his shift!"
"Don't worry, I'm headed there anyway!"
"You better be!"
"Oh come on, when have I ever lied to you?"
Carris shook her head and Tecovis began his ride proper.
