22
Stepping out into the late afternoon sunshine, Yarim tried his best to bury his feelings of resentment toward Wellion. But it was hard when the brute was walking on Tariel’s other side, tall and strong and handsome even in his new disguise, and looking for all the world as if he belongedthere.
“If memory serves, the Mother Goddess’s shrine is less than a mile from here,” Yarim said. “Would you prefer to ride orwalk?”
“Walk,” Tariel said, her eyes lighting up as she looked around the busy square. “I’d like to experience the city a bit more, and a mile is not sofar.”
Wellion merely nodded, moving a bit closer to Tariel. He scanned the streets as they walked, on the lookout for any threats that might come their way. Yarim kept a watchful eye as well, but mostly he tried to just relax and enjoyhimself.
“What is this?” Tariel asked as they approached an unusual cart. It was made of metal, and the man behind it was scooping some kind of creamy confection from within and handing them off to customers in a cone-shapedpastry.
“They call it ice cream,” Yarim explained. “It is made with heavy cream, mixed with eggs and sugar, and then churned with ice to make it cold. Sometimes they will add fruit or other flavorings, but it looks like this man only offers onetype.”
“A frozen dessert?” Tariel laughed. “We never had want of any such thing in Fjordland. But down here, where it is warmer, I can see the appeal.” She stepped up to the man and offered him a few coins. “Three, please, for me and myfriends.”
The man scooped the ice cream into the cones, and handed them off to the others. “I’ve heard of ice cream before,” Wellion said as he took his. “But I’ve never had the chance to tryit.”
“Mmm,” Tariel moaned as she took her first lick. Her eyes slid closed as the creamy confection coated hertongue.
Yarim’s heartbeat quickened at the almost sensual sound she made. But his blood quickly iced over as he noted Wellion staring avidly ather.
“It is the ice cream you are supposed to be eating,” Yarim said in a pointed tone.Nother.
Wellion smirked. “I am a good multi-tasker,” he said, but he finally licked his own cone. “Mm, thatisgood.”
They continued on their way to the shrine, Yarim and Wellion keeping watch while Tariel oohed and ahhed at the various store fronts and street vendors. Yarim quite enjoyed watching her as she flitted from merchant to merchant with almost childlike enthusiasm, and he bought her a silver ring with a blue gemstone that shecoveted.
But his enthusiasm was tempered by Wellion’s presence. Yarim really wished that he could let go of his own resentment, but his natural hatred of bandits, combined with these ridiculous feelings of inferiority, were getting the better of him. It didn’t help that he had overheard the conversation Tariel and Calrain had had this morning, which had confirmed his suspicions that she was, in fact, attracted to Wellion. The fact she was even considering letting him into her harem told Yarim asmuch.
Perhaps you should try having a real conversation withhim.
Yarim sighed and turned to Wellion. “Is it true you can tell truths fromfalsehoods?”
Wellion raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you testme?”
“All right.” Yarim folded his arms. “I have never killed aman.”
“False.”
“Watermelon is my favoritefruit.”
“Alsofalse.”
“I broke my foot when I was four yearsold.”
“False.”
“What?” Yarim scowled. “That wastrue.”
“It is true that you broke your foot, but not when you were four years old,” Wellion said smugly. “Tryagain.”
Yarim laughed. “You’re right,” he said ruefully. “I was six. This ability of yours seems fairly accurate. You would make a goodinterrogator.”
“My father certainly thought so,” Wellion said with a shrug. “My talent is not one hundred percent foolproof, but most people do not know how to lie convincingly enough to confuse mysenses.”
“You really ought to have accompanied Riann today rather than Tariel,” Yarim said. “You would be of far more use with him than with us. We’ll need to get you a wig or something, so you can move aboutfreely.”
“Perhaps,” Wellion said, “but I have never been to the Mother Goddess’s shrine, and I find myself curious. Do you really think that she will answer Tariel’s prayers, and grant us protection on our journey to theEmpire?”
