Chapter seven

Around Gorodnikov

 

Dom had nothing to do. On his second day he had turned up for work and his employer had told him to ‘settle in and get your office sorted out’. That didn’t take very long   The Deputy Governor had given him a room from which he was almost certain the brooms had been removed only a few hours earlier – he could just about fit a desk and a chair into it. He sat there and waited, behind his desk facing the door.

No-one came. The minutes ticked by and he reached into his satchel and pulled out a massive book. It was a very well-thumbed copy of Intermediate Mage Studies, volume seven.  This was the next step in his studies, but he’d had very little time to read it recently. It was tough going, as it had been written by an elf for elves, but he was determined to master it, however long it took.

He read a few pages, slightly guiltily, and then put the book down on the table. He wondered if he was meant to go and do something more useful, but he couldn’t imagine what that might be.  His mind began to wander back to Amansk. As the days ticked over he missed Lily and Toby more and more, and he was finding it hard not to become too lonely in this, his home town, which now seemed almost foreign.  He still got occasional letters from both of the royal siblings, but he knew that neither of them were great correspondents.  He just wished that one of them, either one, were here to keep him company.

At twelve-thirty Lieutenant Potentilla turned up at his door. She was dressed in Visneorian military uniform, as always. She seemed eager to speak to him. Maybe she’d give him something to do.  

‘Are you busy?’ she asked

Dom looked up at her from his empty desk, slipping his book into the desk drawer in front of him as she spoke. She didn’t seem to notice.

‘Do I look very busy?’

Potentilla peered at the desk and round the room. She looked mildly confused.

‘I’d say “no”… I think’

She looked closely at him.

‘Why did you just ask me the same question that I asked you?’

Dom resisted sighing heavily, and waited.  He was a very patient person.

‘If you’re not busy then we could go to lunch’ she said, eventually.

Dom wondered whether this was a really good idea, but he really didn’t have anything else to do.

‘That would be great – thanks’ he said

He stood up and squeezed past his desk.

‘I think your desk may be a bit too big’ said Potentilla, thoughtfully.

Dom just nodded.  After a few seconds of manoeuvring he finally stood in front of her.

‘So where are we going?’ he asked

Potentilla looked even more bemused.

‘I thought you were from here…’ she said, wrinkling her nose,‘…aren’t you?’

Dom smiled gallantly. He was just beginning to pick up the nature of Potentilla’s special thought patterns.  

‘Yes of course I am…’

Potentilla smiled broadly – her instinctive enthusiasm returning to fill up her face.

‘Great – then you can lead on…’

 

***

 

Dom led the lieutenant to a nearby fish restaurant, Prawn in the Empire – Gorodnikov had the best seafood in the western continent, and this was one of the best restaurants along the city’s seafront.  They sat near the back of the establishment  – Dom ordered the sea bream and Potentilla the lobster; they both agreed on white wine.  Dom wondered what on earth they would talk about.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Dom noticed that a few of the other diners were staring at them from behind their menus. They ordered, the beautifully-prepared food appeared and then Dom, rather reluctantly, began a conversation. 

‘So – where do you come from in the West, lieutenant?’

Potentilla spoke through a mouthful of lobster meat.

‘I come from Veralia on the desert fringes. It’s lovely there…’

‘People say that there are amazing skies there, don’t they? I’ve heard you can see for miles…’

Potentilla nodded.

‘Yes, and the sunsets are fantastic…’

‘I’m not sure I’d like it, though’ he said, holding out a freckled arm, ‘I’m a bit too pale’

Potentilla leant forward and took his hand. She pulled it towards her and then studied it intently.  Then she looked up to examine the rest of what she could see of him. This felt uncomfortable; there was an unmistakeable element of sexual appraisal in her widening eyes.  The elf was clearly working out whether she found this human attractive and it became obvious very rapidly that she did. Dom took a gulp of wine.

 ‘Yes, you are really rather pale, aren’t you?’ said Potentilla, grinning, ‘I really like it’

Dom blushed. Potentilla smiled in warm appreciation. Unfortunately, much to Dom’s surprise it was a very attractive smile and it took him aback completely: he found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her. Then he thought of Lily and felt ashamed. He really needed to change the subject.     

 ‘So – how did you end up in Gorodnikov with the Deputy Governor, lieutenant?’

Potentilla’s expression changed completely. She sat back and her eyes lit up with a completely different sort of excitement.

‘I’ve been on an amazing adventure’ she said. ‘I’ve crossed the great East Visneorian plain, I’ve been in the ruins of Melloreis, seen the inside of the Great Wall, lived in the most beautiful city in the world, and made some fantastic friends. I’ve had such a fabulous time!’

‘That’s a lot to take in!’ said Dom, ‘perhaps we can start with how you met Major Viola’

‘Vee?’ spluttered Potentilla

Dom looked blank. It took Potentilla some time to catch up.

‘Yes, Vee’ she explained, ‘that’s what Kath calls her’

‘And who is Kath, lieutenant?’

‘She’s from Eth City – she’s some sort of scholar. That’s why I was in Melloreis, because of Kath…’

Melloreis was a vague legend to Dom. He began to wonder if Potentilla was a fantasist, but he had no real way of knowing.  Could she really have been to all those places?

The conversation continued and he coaxed her through an hour of explanation, and received information that Viola would have been furious to find out that Potentilla had disclosed. Fortunately Dom was a discreet person and, in addition, the story was garbled enough for the complete truth to be fairly well hidden.  Despite himself, however, Dom was impressed – it seemed like these two Ortian elves were a fairly formidable force. Most disquietingly, it seemed that his new boss had killed at least two elves by swordplay. That was certainly worth knowing when you started a new job.

On top of all that, Dom found that he rather liked this mad elf. She was enthusiastic and vivacious, and she was the only person that had shown any real interest in him for several weeks. Also, she really was rather fine looking: she had high cheek bones, a trim figure, and that really rather lovely smile.

In the back of his mind, of course, he knew that this might very well all be false and some sort of trap, but he thought it unlikely. He’d never met anyone who seemed more open and honest. Maybe they could be allies, or, perhaps, even friends? Lily wouldn’t mind them being friends would she? After all, the elf was probably thirty times his age.

During the time they had been talking they had consumed a seafood main course, some soup, a large apple pie and some Gorodnikov elf-spirit (a local brandy).  This was mostly Potentilla’s idea. Dom was beginning to dread how much it would all cost.

Finally Potentilla remembered that Viola had a task for him that afternoon that she should have mentioned when she came to see him. She suggested that they might go back soon.

Dom rather reluctantly asked for the bill. He looked at it, gulped quietly, and then reached secretly inside his wallet. He didn’t have enough money to pay for both of them.  He looked up at Potentilla, worried.

‘Shall we split it? I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting to come out for lunch…’

The elf laughed. She pulled a wad of Visneorian bank notes out of her jacket pocket.

‘No need – the Emperor has given us pots of money!’

This was said so loudly that now everyone still left in the restaurant all looked over as if as one.

Dom’s heart sank but he felt like he couldn’t really argue. He would treat this is as an interesting business lunch, nothing more or less.  Maybe, this was the way that Ortians treated all their employees.

‘Thank you very much’ he said

‘No problem at all’ gushed Potentilla, ‘we can do this any time we want…’

For the first time it seemed that the elf hesitated slightly. She even lowered her voice.

‘We could come here for dinner one time, if you’d like…umm… well… I certainly would…’

Her voice became almost a whisper

‘With you, I mean…’

Dom felt a jolt in his stomach – he couldn’t decide if it was excitement or distress. All he can manage in response to her suggestion was a noncommittal smile. He wondered what he should do.

‘I really think that we should be getting back’ he said defensively, and led Potentilla out of the beautiful little restaurant.