Chapter 25 Matteo
Matteo
Traveling with the Chevalier was turning out to be a grand adventure, and it was certainly so much better than my time spent with that faerie. Not just because she had treated me so poorly, though I could imagine Guillaume meting out worse punishment since he seemed to have a cruel streak.
Right now, Guillaume pointed us in the direction of where the stream would run, or would have run, if it hadn’t been mysteriously sucked dry.
I amended my thought: surely there were still mysteries afoot in the world, but we could ascertain that many of the unexplainable things were likely caused by the fingers that faeries placed upon our reality and pushed just enough to make things happen differently.
I stood next to the Chevalier, who was atop Comrade, thinking these thoughts, restraining myself from whistling aloud because I did not wish to interfere with the present investigation.
And anyway, there were no windmills to power, just trees that I might accidentally knock over if I puffed too forcefully.
Aubert put his ear to the ground, stood again, and confirmed that Guillaume roughly had the directions right. So off we went again.
I was glad for the Chevalier’s gentle nature, for he had not done more than gently rebuke me when I proved overly talkative.
He had seemed quite serious with the locket and the training, but his overall demeanor was pleasant.
Not like my last master…and again, I had to steer my thoughts away from those times.
Benoit strode up to walk beside me, and I noticed Lucas coming to the other side of the Chevalier.
Whatever our lord had done to inspire protective behavior from these men, it could only be a good thing, for I had witnessed the very opposite: a faerie mistress who manipulated her servants with force and fear.
And given my natural curiosity and impudence, that had proven a very poor match.
Soon we reached a pond—or what would have been a large pond, fed by several springs, but was now a small pond.
Comrade was murmuring something to the Chevalier, but I was caught up in noticing the man standing there.
To my utter delight, he was a foreigner just like me!
His inky hair was tied up in a top knot, rather like the traders from the far east that had occasionally visited the largest compound from back home.
He was slender, though not so rail-thin as Guillaume, and his fawn skin was ever so slightly tanned.
His angular eyes—hazel, I noticed, as we drew closer—were at first fixed upon the small body of water at his feet, before lifting to take into account the party approaching him.
“Good afternoon, sir, and may I ask what you’re doing?” the Chevalier inquired.
“I am waiting for this pond to fill up again, for I have already drained it twice and still thirst,” the man replied. With that, he knelt down and put his lips to the still-shallow water.
Instants later, it was gone, leaving not even the tiniest of puddles for the smallest of fishes.
Oh, how I would like to see this man in action at one of the thorn faerie’s parties!
He would drink all her wine in no time and leave her quite desolate.
Which would only be amusing as long as it took for her to realize she could take it out on us.
“Are you always so thirsty?” I asked, bursting with questions before I could stop myself.
Both Benoit and Guillaume shot me displeased looks, but I could not help myself.
Meeting the other faerie-gifted men thus far had been both a balm and a spur, making me realize there were others like me, and since being plucked from my homeland, I had yearned for acceptance.
“No, I only drink like this when I have eaten something too salty, or when it is a matter of fulfilling a wager.”
“What name are you known by?” the Chevalier asked, continuing to focus on the new man.
“Here, I am called Drinker, though before I left my home, I answered to Kai,” the man responded, drawing a hand across his mouth. Like me, he had little facial hair, and he was also dressed simply: a short tunic that was more like a robe over flowy pants and sandals.
“Come with me and my company, and swear fealty to me, and I shall make sure you have anything you like to drink,” the knight said, “be it wine or whatever else gold can buy in these parts.”
“And what is the goal of your company?”
The Chevalier drew himself up proudly, looking resplendent as always.
“We travel to serve King Aristide in his fight to reclaim his land, captive people, and treasure from the unjust emperor Matapa.”
“I have heard much about Matapa, none of it honorable or good, so yes, I shall help you.”
Kai bowed and swore the same oath as us all.
“Welcome, Kai,” the Chevalier said with a smile. “You will see that you are in good company, for each of my men has a gift much like your own. I shall introduce them—”
But at that, Comrade interrupted.
“Milord, we must make haste before evening falls.”
Kai jumped back a pace.
“What manner of yokai is this?” he barked.
“I am no demon,” the horse retorted, “but a creature bound by faerie enchantments just as you are. I beg your pardon for worrying you, and interrupting the Chevalier, but we have tasks that await us on our journey.” With that, he took off at a trot forward, forcing the rest of us to follow.
“Come, friend,” I said, extending a hand to the new man. “My name is Matteo, though I am also called Impetuous. I will introduce you to the rest.”