Sharon Shinn - Reader And Raelynx

“Good morning, I hope you’re well,” she greeted them-and then she flung out her arms so wide that the towel in her hand went flying.

“ Senneth ? Can it be you? Oh, and Kirra ! I can’t believe it!”

Senneth stared, at first absolutely blank. “I’m sorry, I don’t-”

The young woman was almost dancing where she stood. “I’m Sosie! You probably never even looked at my face, you were so busy with Annie, but I’m the one-”

“Sosie!” Senneth exclaimed and jumped to her feet to give the girl a hug. “I never thought to see you again. And Annie is well? And the baby?” She glanced around. “Are they here?”

Kirra was on her feet, too, predictably delighted. “I remember you!” she said. “Your sister is the one who was having the mystic baby that night we were in your village. And no one would help her except us.”

Sosie nodded vigorously. “We left our father’s house three weeks later and went to Rappengrass. Then we heard about Carrebos and we thought it might be safer here.”

Senneth was drawing her down beside her in the booth. “Can you sit a moment? The place doesn’t look too busy. Can you talk? Tell us what’s happened to you and your sister.”

Sosie laughed. “We’re all doing quite well. Kinnon-that’s the baby, you know-he’s a year old now and so much trouble. Those first few weeks he would just fling stuff about! While we traveled, he sometimes could make trees shake and stones start tumbling. I can tell you, I thought we would never survive the trip. But Annie learned to control him, and now she and Ned are married, and, of course, Ned can keep Kinnon in check-”

“Who’s Ned?” Kirra asked.

“Oh! Kinnon’s father! He was in Carrebos when we arrived! Doing tricks with the acrobatic troupe, but he’s got a better job now.”

“And you?” Senneth asked. “You look well and happy. You like being here among all the mystics? It might be a little strange for someone with no power of her own.”

“It is strange sometimes,” she admitted. “Sometimes I wonder if the rest of them despise me a little because I don’t have any magic. But then I think how odd it must be for them when they live someplace where they’re the only ones who are different. And then I don’t mind so much.”

“And you’ve found a job. This seems like a nice place-do you like it?”

“Very much! I have a room off the kitchen. Annie and Ned have built their own house and I stay with them sometimes, but there’s more privacy here.”

“Why do you need privacy?” Kirra inquired. “Do you have a young man?”

Sosie blushed deeply, and smiled, and looked very pretty. She had been thin and anxious that dreadful night when Kinnon was brought roughly into the world, but she had filled out and gained a great deal of confidence since then, Senneth thought.

“Well-yes-at least-I don’t know how serious he is,” Sosie said. “But I see him when he’s in town and I miss him when he’s not, so-” She shrugged. “But tell me about the two of you! You have no idea how often I have thought of you and wished I could tell you how much it meant to us to have you there that night. You saved our lives and you gave us courage.” She tugged at a cord hidden under her gown and pulled out an amulet made of faded silk. “I wear this every day. It has helped me so many times.”

Senneth had no idea what it was. “What’s inside the bag?”

Sosie laughed and opened her eyes wide. “The piece of quartz that you enchanted for me! You told me it would give me strength.”

Senneth felt Kirra’s eyes on her. It had been-oh, not exactly a bit of trickery-more a wild hope that she could transfer a bit of her magic to an inanimate object and then hand it over to someone who might be able to draw on its reflected power. “I’m so glad I was able to give you that much help,” she said quietly. “Being able to save Annie and Kinnon meant more to me than I think I can explain to you. Magic had cost me so much at that point in my life. I needed to know that it could pay back in some appreciable measure as well.”

Sosie nodded. “I think the same thing sometimes. Magic almost cost Kinnon his life-almost cost Annie her life. It had better be worth the price.”

The door to the tavern opened and a lone man stepped inside. “Oh, no, looks like you’re going to have to wait on customers,” Kirra said. “Well, get him settled right away and then come back and talk to us.”

Sosie glanced over and her blush suddenly returned. “No, that’s Darryn. He’ll wait for me. I saw him last night.”

Senneth’s eyes flew to Kirra, whose face was alight with divine mischief. Obviously, they had solved the mystery of Darryn’s peasant lover. “Darryn? Darryn Rappengrass?” Senneth said faintly. The visitor had his back to them, for he had paused to say a word to a man who had stepped out from the kitchen.

Sosie’s face was even brighter. “Do you know him? He’s a great noble.”

“Why, yes, we’ve met ser Darryn a few times,” Kirra said in an affable voice. “You wouldn’t think it to look at us, but Senneth and I are fine nobles, too, and many’s the ball we’ve attended where we took a turn dancing a waltz with the serramar.”

Sosie looked uncertainly from one to the other. “Are you joking?” she asked.

“She’s not, but don’t be nervous,” Senneth said, laying her hand on Sosie’s arm. “We’re about as disreputable as nobles can be, and both of our families have practically disowned us.”

“And you know Darryn?” Sosie repeated, clearly trying to decide how alarmed she should be.

“Know him! We traveled with him here from Ghosenhall!” Kirra said. She was utterly gleeful; this was a situation that irresistibly appealed to her sense of devilry. “And while he had mentioned that he’d fallen in love with a girl, not until we were almost at the city limits did he tell us her name or the fact that she lived in Carrebos.”

“Though he didn’t call you Sosie,” Senneth said. “What was it? Something else.”

“Sosinetta? Sosabelle?” the girl said faintly. “He is always making up new names for me.”

“Well, I think you can believe that he truly loves you, if that’s something you were worried about,” Kirra said. “For he tried not to talk of you too often, but it was clear you were constantly on his mind-and, oh, perhaps this might convince you,” she said, as if just now struck by the thought. “He’s turned down a chance to wed Princess Amalie, who’s a pretty girl with lovely manners and a kingdom to inherit. But ser Darryn says he’s in love with you .”

Sosie gasped and then clapped her hands to her hot cheeks. “The princess ! No! But he-I mean, he-I love him so much, but I know he-”

Kirra put her elbows on the table and leaned forward in a confiding manner. “Senneth and I rather like it when two people make an unequal match,” she said. “Our own romances have been so unconventional.”

Senneth patted Sosie on the shoulder. “Don’t let her tease you. We’re really quite pleased to see you again-and we really do know Darryn-and he really did tell us how much he loves you. There, that’s a present better than magic any day, isn’t it? Proof of love?”

“You should let him know we’re here,” Kirra said. “Just bring him right over.”

“I-I think I will,” Sosie said, and scrambled away from the table.

Kirra looked over at Senneth and laughed outright. “I think this must be the best trip we’ve ever had.”

Senneth was watching Sosie run up to Darryn, saw him kiss her quickly, listen intently, and then glance over at the booth in something like dismay. She waved, and Kirra blew him a kiss. “Well,” Senneth said, “today has certainly been fun.”