City of Ruin - Mark Charan Newton [66]
‘You want to join us?’ Randur indicated with his chin where Eir and Rika sat at the corner table.
‘Is one woman not enough, Kapp Brimir? You were always more interested in chasing after the girls, if I remember.’
‘Not all the time. I stayed around for your lessons.’
‘Only because I forced you. I tell you that you’ve a gift, and you ignore me. I clip you round the ear, and you stay and listen. Simple, really.’
From the age of four until fourteen, Randur attended the private lessons given by Munio Porthamis. Because of his unusual skills, his mother never had to pay – and she could never afford to. In that plain room overlooking the river, on a bare wooden floor they would spend hours working through postures and manoeuvres and techniques. Blisters came and went. Two days a week at first, then more, in between learning the dance variations. Until one night, for evening training, Munio never turned up, and a letter arrived the week after, declaring that, due to an inheritance from his uncle, he would no longer be available to teach. Randur had never forgotten sitting on that wooden floor staring out of the window at the sky, wondering how someone could abandon him just for money.
‘Come, I’ll accept your invitation. But I warn you I’m not much company these days.’ Munio straightened up, put a palm on each of Randur’s cheeks. ‘Let me look at you. Still a handsome lad, though you look as though you need feeding. And get your hair cut, boy. How’s anyone supposed to fight wearing long black locks like that?’
*
Randur gave his two companions false introductions. Later, as Munias up buying another bottle of wine, he apologized to the girls, bue didn’t think Munio paid much attention to the political climate of Villjamur, which seemed to allay their concerns.
‘You might be something important in a great city like that,’ Randur said, ‘but the Council Atrium is so far removed from these people that they can’t fathom any of the decisions affecting their lives. Policies get formulated and accepted elsewhere – out here issues are so local.’
‘You would say, then,’ Rika asked, ‘that these people distrust a central government?’
‘How can anyone in Villjamur understand the needs of someone living out here? That’s why Munio won’t even know who you are.’
The old swordmaster returned, ‘I’ll admit these wines aren’t as good as my own cellar, but they’ll do. Besides, on your third bottle, you can barely taste that much anyway.’ He put down a bottle of red and after a moment’s consideration, in which the conversation happened in glances, he filled their glasses. ‘My boy Kapp tells me you’re city girls from Villjamur. So how did two Jokull lovelies end up this far from home?’
‘We need to visit someone in Villiren,’ Rika declared.
‘My dear lady,’ Munio said, ‘it has been too long, too long, since I have heard such a pleasantly spoken woman as yourself. In my day, I would work with many a landowner, and there would nearly always be some well-spoken lady present. Many took a shine to me. Back then.’
Rika glanced at Randur. ‘He taught you more than just swordfight-ing, I see.’
‘Vitassi’, Munio observed, ‘is not merely swordfighting. It is a way of life. Now, ladies, Kapp, are you staying in this absolute dive of a tavern?’
‘We are,’ Eir said.
‘This is no place for such refined women as yourselves. Come, I have a small manse less than an hour away. We will go there instead and there will be splendours the likes of which you have never seen!’
I seriously doubt that, Randur thought.
*
‘It is, admittedly, in a state that needs a little attention.’ Munio paced the main hall, lighting coloured lanterns on the tables and sideboards. From gloom to glow to gaudy, they could soon see everything. The exterior was as grand as any small-estate residence, but the design not as pleasing as it might have been. This was no military fortification, that much was certain, but no raiding army could want much from it. There was something of the classical in its symmetry, although no pillars, no nature-inspired flourishes in the stonework.
‘I