77
Tania stared down at the signature she’d just signed.
Did it look right?
She cocked her head. She studied it, looking at the reference signature. It wasn’t an exact replica, and that was okay. It looked like it was probably written by the same hand.
With a shrug, she popped the form onto a growing pile and reached for another.
She started writing out a report. This was to go to the Headmaster. It was a summary of what Milo had been up to. Tania nibbled thoughtfully on the little pen before throwing down some lies which sounded reasonably truthful.
The report, she decided, would highlight how Milo was absent a lot during the day, but always returned to sleep. How he often had books under his arm. She threw in a few titles that would relate to the next dungeon, making it sound like he was studying hard.
Also, just to be safe, she added another book: a detailed history of mana rifle modifications.
That’d help explain some of his latest experiments in his ammunition.
Questions on that were inevitable.
Already Tania had been forced to field queries on his rifle. Other students had seen the size of the scope he was using and had wondered about it.
Also, with Mila going to Vizzingbelle’s classes sometimes, she used her modified gun. She’d caused a bit of stir when she’d blasted fist-sized holes into solid steel targets instead of the usual pea-sized ones.
She’d said it was Milo’s new barrel.
In Tania’s mind, they should be trying to hide that development, but Milo said it didn’t matter if the teachers examined the guns. He wasn’t breaking their limitations. Just getting around them.
It could all be explained as simply tinkering.
He told Mila if anyone asked, she should recommend they get a Tinker in to explain his changes. So far, Vizzingbelle had let it pass.
Which was a surprise to Tania.
She continued the report, letting the Headmaster know that Milo didn’t socialize much, but that he seemed to have a tense relationship with Vesna Farringham. She smirked as she wrote it.
Her hope was the Headmaster might quietly step in.
If external forces could dissuade the Farringham girl from pursuing Milo, it’d be better. Otherwise, Tania would need to find a convenient moment to slit the girl’s throat.
Which, as Milo said, would be troublesome.
Tania found her mind wandering off into memories of the other night. After that, she’d wanted to pin him down over and over. Wanted him to bend her over his workbench and do things to make her squeal.
It was difficult for her not to jump on him every single minute of the day.
But it wouldn’t be fair to Selma.
Or Mila.
So, Tania held back. And tried to busy herself with tasks outside the Workshop.
She added some observations of herself and the other golems.
She wrote that Mila was shy and hard to understand, but that she was a nice girl who seemed to be fitting in well. She recommended that Selma be reminded once again to wear a uniform, as her outfit distracted most of the male students.
And then she wrote that Tania was a fine example of what a student at the Academy should be like.
Reserved and aloof, but approachable if done with respect.
She pointed out how loyal she was to Milo, before finishing up that if anyone wanted to pass a message to Milo, that’s where they should start.
Because Milo trusted her more than anything.
She hoped the Headmaster could read between lines.
Blowing on the ink, Tania then signed it.
Ket Darrowfern.
With a grin, she popped that form onto the pile and gave a sigh of relief. She’d worked hard today.
“Tania?”
Looking up, she saw Mila creep into the office. The other 11-B was getting better at her creeping. But she wasn’t getting better at hiding her emotions. Since returning from her undercover post, Mila had turned into a soft little puddle of shyness.
And that soft little puddle was still wearing Milo’s coat.
She wasn’t worried about Milo. The interior of the fortress was fairly warm all the time. He’d only need the coat if he went outdoors. And she knew Mila would definitely return it to him then.
“Are you alright, sister?” Tania asked softly.
Mila opened her mouth to say she was fine.
Then she shut it.
And sighed. “I’m jealous, maybe,” she admitted.
“Makes sense.” Tania leaned back in her chair. “You were out in the field before ya had a chance to get a pat on the head. That’d be real tricky on the heart.”
“It was.” Mila’s shoulders slumped glumly. “I had to be nice to Fergus.”
“The thought makes me want to upchuck, too,” Tania said. “But ya were undercover.”
“I know. But do ya think Milo knows I didn’t mean it?”
“Sister, I tell ya it ain’t even occurred to him that ya did!” Tania twirled the pen in her fingers. “Milo knew what ya did was ya job. Don’t sweat on it.”
“Does he like me?” Mila’s voice was small and fragile, and she hugged the coat tighter. “Do you think?”
Tania studied the other golem carefully.
When they’d sent her out to work with Fergus as their little mole, Tania had suspected Mila might return with some problems. But Mila really seemed down.
She thought of shifting her up the queue, but that wouldn’t be fair to Selma.
Instead, Tania pursed her lips and put her pen down.
“Mila, Milo’s a simple guy in a lotta ways. If he didn’t like ya, he’d tell ya.” Tania grinned. “Besides. He kissed ya, didn’t he?”
“Maybe he just did it to be nice?”
“Sure. And maybe he did it because he thinks you’re cute?” Tania giggled. “Come on. He even lets ya steal his clothes.”
Mila flushed quickly. “Eep! I only took his coat because I’m cold!”
“Sure.” Tania nodded. “And I only let him screw my brains out because I had nothing else to do. Right right.”
As soon as she said it, Tania knew it might not have been the right thing to say. At the mention of what they’d done together, Mila slumped again.
She fingered the collar of the coat and looked so sad that Tania almost threw something at her just to shift her into a different mood.
But she couldn’t do that.
That would be mean.
“Rule number fifty-three,” Tania said, deciding to move back to what was reliable. Their training modules. “Keep that in mind.”
“Rule fifty-three,” Mila said, half-closing her eyes as she pulled it from her memory. “Have patience.”
“That’s right.” Tania reached for a piece of paper she’d written on earlier and started folding it carefully. “If ya can’t trust yourself, Mila, trust Milo. He’s your engineer. And he might not know what that means, yet, but that’s why we’re doing what we can to teach him. Alright?”
“Alright.” Mila sighed. “I’m sorry, Tania. It’s unfair. I made you feel bad.”
“Nah.” Tania grinned. “It’d take more than a little pout on your pretty little face to shove me into the dumps. Here. Take this.”
She handed the folded paper to Mila, who tucked it into Milo’s coat pocket.
“I’m on it,” Mila said, switching to a tone of voice more suited to their task.
“I know ya are,” Tania said proudly. “Rule fifty-three, sister. And don’t forget. We’re in it together, see? I ain’t forgot that. Don’t you forget it.”
“I won’t,” Mila said, wiping at her eyes.
“Good girl.”
Mila crept out of the office, leaving Tania to look at what she’d done. She’d done all the work she needed to.
And more.
Picking up a stamp between her finger and thumb, she stamped it gently down onto another form to give it that touch of bureaucracy it needed. She kind of liked the smell of the office.
Paper and ink.
There was a slight breeze coming in from the window. She’d cracked the dwarven glass frame open a little to let a bit of it in. It was a chilly night, but it smelled dusty with mist and Tania liked the smell of it.
Humming to herself, she stamped a few more forms and signed them with Ket’s name.
“And what do ya think you’re doing, ya skeezy little tramp?”
Tania looked up to see Ket standing in the doorway. The little blue-haired woman had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.
“Working, ya lazy old porcupine.”
“Working? Who said ya could sit in my chair? Get outta my chair! Get outta my office!”
“Tch,” Tania sighed, sliding out from behind the desk and giving it a regretful tap of her finger.
“Such ingratitude after I did all ya work for ya. I even dusted ya shelves. You should dust more often. It ain’t healthy having all that dust around.
Gets into ya insides, see? Clogs up ya beezer pipes. ”
“Out!” Ket shrieked, jabbing her finger. “And don’t come in here without my permission ever again!”
Tania grinned at her as she left, leaving Ket fuming.
The little woman flashed her gaze around, wondering what Tania had been up to. Her gaze fell on her desk, where everything was neatly arranged into stacks.
Rushing to the piles, she sifted through until she found the report to be sent to the Headmaster. She read it, growling deeply.
Especially at the signature at the bottom, which was a perfect match for her own.
“So, that’s how it’s gonna be?”
Ket tossed the report back onto the pile and grunted.
She threw herself down into her chair. It creaked loudly. She stared at the papers with irritation in her eyes. The scowl looked to be fixed permanently onto her face.
“Blast you, you little moll,” she growled. “Treating me like your biscuit.”
She picked up the pen.
She flung it across the room where it danced with a clatter among the shelves.
After a few seconds, her glare softened and she let out a sorrowful moan. “Now I got nothing to do.”