A Fool's Goddess - Chapter Twenty-Eight
It felt very strange to start the next morning without my human alarm clock. It was hard to believe I had grown used to having business numbers thrown at me before my mind was working. It was kind of funny, but moreover, it was just a dour reminder of our situation.
As planned, operations in the studio were suspended. In order to support this, I made a quick sign explaining as much, though I claimed it was due to a “staffing issue”. I figured it would look plausible since my apprentices weren’t going to be milling about. The sign was already hanging on my front door, so hopefully our clients could hold off for a week.
After that, I wanted to speak with Tzofiya once again. Hed had probably already filled her in our plan, but I wanted to make sure she would post a guard in the area. Since Asa claimed to be targeting my studio, it seemed only natural to give it special attention.
Once I stepped out of my home, however, I reconsidered if I even needed to make the trip. To my surprise, there was already a guard patrolling the street. He noticed me and we exchanged casual greetings. I guess it was reasonably high on Hed’s agenda to get protection around the studio as soon as possible after all the concern he had shown last night. He had likely already told his mother everything I wanted to say.
Still, I figured it couldn’t hurt to speak with the mayor, if only to say hi to a friend.
On my way to Tzofiya’s home, I passed by Niv and Hed’s house. Hed was probably still asleep, but I could see Niv working on something through the window. It took a few seconds for him to see me waving, but once he did, he returned the gesture. His face was back to that old stony expression, a comforting return to form.
I made sure to gently knock on Tzofiya’s door this time to show that I wasn’t nearly as worked up as yesterday. I was hoping to avoid any heated arguments and stick to a concise explanation of events.
This time, Tzofiya didn’t answer the door. Instead, Libi opened it slightly and peered out, eyeing me carefully.
“H-hello? Can I help you?”
“Good morning, Libi.”
Upon hearing my voice, she pushed the door wide open and jumped at me. She threw her arms around my waist as if she hadn’t seen me just last night.
“Master Lior!”
“Hey now, what’s got you all worked up?”
“I…” Her face was on the verge of crying. “I was worried the wanted man might have gotten you last night…”
“Oh, you little sweetheart.” I kneeled down and gave her a soft hug. “I told you, we’re all gonna be fine. Everything right now is just a precaution.”
“I know… but I just…”
“It’s alright. But hey, Hed and I talked a lot last night. He encouraged me to change our plans a bit in case the bad guy shows up.”
“What do you mean?”
“I won’t just run away from the bad guy now. If he appears, I’ll go to Hed and Niv so we can all keep each other safe until the guards show up.”
“You will?”
“I will. I promised Hed, so I can’t back out. You know how good his memory is.”
“Yeah, he told me he already memorized my birthday.”
“He did?” I felt a pang of guilt. I didn’t even remember to ask. Hopefully he’d remind me when it got close… unless he was planning to make me look bad by letting me forget. “Well, maybe you’re right and he is a nice guy.”
Libi gave me that stern pout again.
“Alright, alright, I know…” I said holding my hands up. “Is Tzofiya awake?”
“Yeah. Please, come in, Master.”
She closed the door behind me. Tzofiya wasn’t at her table, though there was a mound of paperwork piled on top. Libi headed for one of the back rooms, likely to get the lady of the house. I decided to sneak into the kitchen and make that black tea Tzofiya liked. It was bitter stuff, enough that I couldn’t stand it, but she loved it for some reason.
Libi came back a few moments later. “She’ll be out in a minute. She’s still getting dressed.”
“Alright.” I pointed to the brewing cup. “Say, Libi, do you like this tea?”
“No, it’s too bitter.”
“Right? No clue how Tzofiya likes it.”
“She says it perks her up in the morning.”
“Huh. I wonder if Niv drinks this stuff too…”
I made a couple cups of regular tea for Libi and I. We shared a bit of small talk as we waited. Not a lot had happened between now and yesterday, but I’m sure having these sorts of basic, unimportant talks helped her stay calm. They helped me, at least. After about ten minutes, Tzofiya finally came to the living room.
“Good morning,” she mumbled groggily as she sat down at the table.
“Morning, mayor.” I slid her cup of tea over.
She smirked at me. “Smart man. Looks like I trained you well.”
“I’d do anything for the woman who kept me in her bed for three days.”
Tzofiya suppressed a giggle while Libi looked at me with puzzlement.
“Anyways,” I smoothly segued, “I was planning to talk to you about our plans to deal with Asa, but it seems Hed got a, uh… Hed-start on that.”
“Don’t make fun of my kid’s name, Lior.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“But yeah, he told me everything you guys talked about last night. Hence the guards on your street and Libi not showing up.”
“I appreciate that by the way… wait, you said “guards”, plural?”
“Yup,” Tzofiya said smugly. “I got two there, each patrolling one half of the street. It’s imbalanced us, but I also put the word out that we were looking for more guards immediately. Hopefully we’ll get a hit or two. They don’t need to be great, just be able to stand there and look like they’re awake.”
“You’re wonderful, Mrs. Jonathan.”
“Feh. There’s a murderer out there, looking to scalp one of my citizens. I have to do everything I can. Our little village is finally getting some traffic, I’m not gonna fuck up such a turning point for this place.”
“Well, I certainly appreciate it.”
“I am worried about you being alone in that studio, however.”
“Hed talked to me about that as well. I’ll still stay there to keep an eye on the place, but our plan now is that I’ll come find him and Niv at the first sign of trouble.”
“Good. I’d prefer if you went elsewhere too, but I suppose I can’t fault you for wanting to protect your studio and all. Then again, that’s why I’ve got the guards there.”
“I take it Hed also filled you in on the horse thievery and all that?”
“Yeah. I can’t say I like Mr. Asa’s ambiguous threats, but he didn’t seem the type to spell out his exact plan neither,” she sighed.
“If only he could have been so polite.”
“Right. So, unfortunately, I think we’re already as prepared as we can get. I’m gonna send a messenger to Quatrot to see if they can lend a constable or something. I doubt anything will come of it, but it can’t hurt.”
“I’m sure they can at least appreciate being warned about a criminal in the area.”
“They better. So what’s your plan for the day?”
“If it’s alright, I’d like to stick around and check Libi’s work for a bit. After that, I plan to stay in my studio and work on a sculpture.”
“Fine by me. But if you plan to stay for lunch, I’m gonna make you chop firewood,” said Tzofiya. “Well, I need to step out for a bit myself. I just need to get my runner on his way and I’ll be back.”
“Right. We’ll be here if you need us.”
The mayor downed the last of her tea and stood up, taking care with her round belly. She grabbed her coat from the hanger near the door and stepped into the morning cold.
What a stellar mayor. She was truly the best person for the job. Striking deals with esoteric sculptors, handling village expansion plans, caring for abandoned girls, protecting her citizens, was there anything she couldn’t do?
She was, in a word, outstanding.
Once we finished our own cups, Libi and I headed to her room for sculpting practice. It made me realize I had never seen Libi’s room, and it wasn’t quite what I expected. It was practically divided into two sections: one half a normal bedroom adorned with stuffed animals and other things you’d expect an eleven year old girl to own, and the other half being essentially a mini studio. She had a desk covered in sculpting tools and clay, and a set of shelves hosting all sorts of figures she’d made, as well as the one Hed had given her when they first met.
Per usual, teaching her was unfairly easy. I pretty much just threw out tips and watched as Libi molded her clay. She told me she was trying to make a caricature of a “pretty” lady she saw. I was curious to know what qualities she saw told her the lady was pretty, but I decided I could just wait and see what she focused on. It would be something to look forward to.
Tzofiya came back some time later, bringing a pair of gruff men with her. I didn’t join their conversation, but from what I overheard, they were travelers who were willing to sign up for guard duty. They looked tough enough, so they had all the important qualities of a village guard. Put helmets on their heads and maybe weapons in their hands and they’d have everything they needed for the job.
I spent another hour with Libi before taking my leave. She was reluctant to part, but I told her I’d send Hed her way if I saw him. I said farewell to Tzofiya as well, though she was too busy explaining the guard’s job to return more than a wave.
I took some time to stop by the general store for food and drink before heading home. Without my apprentices around, I’d have to run my own errands for now, something that nearly made me laugh at myself. I had really let the privileges of being a master go to my head.
Sadly, I didn’t happen to see Hed along the way. I couldn’t imagine he’d be doing much without the studio open beyond cavorting in some sense. If he was feeling extra stupid, he might be out asking about Asa and such, in which case, it was actually fortunate that I didn’t see him. At least for Hed.
So, without anywhere else to be, I went back to my studio.
It was depressingly quiet inside. I was far too used to hearing the hustle and bustle of my apprentices, the backtalk from Hed, and the constant whirring of pottery wheels. For the first time in a while, I could clearly hear my own footsteps in the studio. It was telling to realize how I actually missed all that din.
But it would only be for a few more days. Asa would be arrested and then we could all go back to our usual lives. We just needed to wait out this storm like the last one.
I made myself some lunch before returning to work on the marble block. Part of me wanted to go to the mountain, but I knew it wouldn’t be right for me to deviate from the plan I gave my students. If I started doing things without telling them, it would only incentivize them to act on their own as well. Trust was key in this situation, to damage it would only jeopardize everything I was trying to protect.
I just needed to focus on my sculpture and not dwell on what-ifs and worst case scenarios. Tzofiya was already covering our bases, the best thing I could do was keep myself occupied.
I began to chisel at the block once again. I didn’t make nearly as much progress on it as I would have liked last night, but it wasn’t like I could rush and make up for it. So, steadily and rhythmically, I tapped and chipped away. I soon found my flow and lost myself in the work.
By the time I put my tools down, it was getting dark out. My stomach rumbled, upset that I had ignored it for so long. It was an awful habit, but I couldn’t help it. I always found it surprisingly easy to get so caught up in my sculpting that my body’s needs were forgotten.
And normally, my apprentices would have interrupted me for something long before I reached such a point.
What a lonely week this was going to be. At least Hed and Niv had each other, despite their differences. Libi wasn’t terribly social, but Tzofiya’s home was a whirlwind of activity, so she probably didn’t have a chance to get lonesome. And considering how Jonathan was moving in, it was only going to get livelier there.
But then again, I wasn’t alone either. I had Tornara with me after all.
I had a quick dinner before resuming my work. I had nothing else to do, so I continued to dedicate myself to the sculpture long into the night. It could have been early morning by the time I finally stopped and ambled off to bed, not even bothering to climb under the sheets. I just wanted to get my sleep over with so I could go back to work.
I must not have gone to sleep too late since I woke up only a little after sunrise. I didn’t feel great, but I didn’t feel sleep-deprived either. Without further ado, I slid myself off the bed and began another tedious day.
Another side effect of not having my apprentices around was how cold it had grown in here. Normally our main kiln was always warm and acted as a perfect replacement for a fireplace, but since I was focused on chiseling, it felt wasteful to keep the oven going. I instead just kept my coat and gloves on and put up with it.
I started my day off by checking on my youngest apprentice. Libi answered the door and I ended up making tea for Tzofiya once again. Hopefully she wouldn’t get used to it. After a short greeting, I then went with Libi to oversee her practice.
She had finished her figure from yesterday and was now letting it air dry. Per her style, it was an exaggerated version of her subject, but I now understood why she specified the lady in question was “pretty”. Hed had likely told Libi to describe her subject as such to tease me while not spoiling her plan.
It turned out to be her interpretation of Tornara.
Though, I still didn’t understand how anyone could choose to describe Tornara’s beauty without using much more elegant language.
Libi’s sculpture mostly focused on Tornara’s eyes, hair and jewelry, each being larger than how I usually expressed them. The eyes dominated her face, her hair was shown to be twice as long, and her pendant was half as big as her torso. In addition, the head to body ratio was skewed, giving greater prominence to the head. Libi had copied Tornara’s pose from her portrait and likewise matched that familiar smile.
To be honest, the figure was absolutely adorable. I could feel a piece of my manliness fall away, lost forever as I delighted in my apprentice's work. I ended up showering Libi with praise, possibly going overboard. However, I genuinely thought it was her best piece yet, and she seemed quite proud of it as well.
She then told me she wanted me to have it.
She explained that she wanted to make Tornara happy too, since my Goddess was watching over me. According to the shaman, the best ways to appease the Gods was to share their image, so that’s what Libi did.
Ah, if only every other kid could be as lovable as her…
After I gave her the biggest hug I had in me, we went back to our lessons. I did end up spending a little more time with her today, both in appreciation for her gift and to help curb my own needs. After that, I went straight back to the studio and returned to my marble sculpture.
But before I got back to work, I placed Libi’s figure on my bedside table. It would serve as a reminder of what I could look forward to once this all blew over.
Just like yesterday, I neglected to eat in a timely manner. I wondered if I found it even easier to get lost in sculpting because I was trying to ignore the problems around me. A lurking murderer, my apprentices’ absence, I could easily see myself just trying to forget about those for a while. This time, however, I made the effort to sleep at a reasonable time. It wouldn’t do for me to needlessly tire myself.
I would end up passing the next two days in a similar fashion. Lessons with Libi, errands if I had them, then nothing but sculpting. I ran into Hed and Niv a couple times and chatted with them. Hed apparently tried to get his mother to allow him to join the guards, but she shot him down, of course. Niv, meanwhile, was making plaster pottery. It wasn’t as good as his clay stuff, but it could still fetch a fair price. He seemed much more stressed than Hed, likely because of how built on routine he was. We took a moment to commiserate in our woes together.
At least all this time working had made my sculpture progress swiftly. I still had some detailing to do, but I now had a clear image of Tornara seated on a boulder, looking to her left with a sweet smile. Another week or so at this rate and I’d be done already.
Such was the power of abusing your body’s needs in the pursuit of art.
On the morning of the fifth day, just after I finished my lessons with Libi, I had to swing by the general store again to pick up bread. I ended up buying some liquor while I was there as well. I wasn’t going to sculpt while drunk, but I figured a little booze could help burn an evening. I hated drinking alone, but such were the circumstances.
I then went back to the studio. Holding my groceries in one arm, I then grabbed the doorknob and turned. But before I pushed it open, my body froze, instinctively feeling that something was wrong. A couple seconds later, my mind caught up and realized the problem.
The door was unlocked.
There were two obvious possibilities. Most likely, I had simply forgotten to lock it on my way out. Considering that I went to open the door without thinking to ready my key, it was far from impossible. Less likely was that Niv had gone into the studio. Either he was still inside or had neglected to lock it upon leaving, though the latter was unthinkable.
And then there was the chance that this had something to do with Asa.
Factually, it was unlikely. It was daytime, the nearby guard was watching, and I couldn’t imagine a reason the zealot would leave my door unlocked. I didn’t see any signs of tampering on the lock, nor broken windows. There was no other way inside, and only Niv and I had keys to the front door.
I decided I would go in with extra caution. Hoping it was just my negligence, I swallowed, then pushed the door open and took three steps into the studio.
Judging from the hand that grabbed my shoulder and the knife that pressed into my throat, my hopes had been ill-placed.
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