Ogreness, Black Lake-book5

Chapter 56
~

I sat on the Inn’s veranda. There had been rooms available, since the tourists had left in droves fearin’ bad goings on. I coulda stayed with the folks or at Ezra’s but I didn’t want either of them to think they had to fret over me.

I felt a little foolish sittin’ here with a quilt over my lap like I’m some fancy human lady, but every time I set it aside, one of the folks from the Inn would just tuck me in again. They even made me put on thick woven socks, which was really silly. An ogre. Socks. But the breeze coming up off the Lake was a bit chilly, to be honest.

Snow tipped all of the peaks. The air wore a different edge, more than the usual pine. Almost shoreline-like.

The troll who had been sittin’ in on the council strode from the woods on my right. They worked a bit late. The sun dared to touch Dragon Ledge. He neared and no other ogres showed, so they must have busted open a keg to celebrate a decision or something. Though, we ogres don’t need much excuse to celebrate. Truth told.

What was the troll’s name again? I’m so bad—Laerid. He’d gotten out of his dress slacks and white shirt—lawyer attire. Finally, wore jeans and a flannel shirt. They like their fashion statements. Trolls are a bit socially aware, for giants. Frip and Ponwr in particular, are.

Of course the two of them had settled into jeans too and—what’s that called? Chambray? Soft, brushed cotton variety. Not work shirts, or even polos. They must have read my thoughts, because the two of them, sittin’ a ways down the veranda, gave me a brief glare. They turned back to their checker board.

Laerid neared close enough we exchanged nods.

“Good news or bad news?” I called to him.

He smiled a tad. With those long troll legs, he was stridin’ up the grand stairs a moment later, sat in the chair next to me. Asked if I was stayin’ warm. Yeah. Tease. “Good ya’re keepin’ yar feet warm.” He grinned.

“Doctors orders,” I said.

“How many texts did ya send councilors today?” he asked.

I gaped innocently.

“Maybe someone complained ya were harassin’ them.”

“Stinkin’ ogres,” I mumbled.

“My sentiment exactly,” he said. “But that officer has been granted bail until trial.”

My chest turned warm. That had been a priority from the beginnin’. Our attorneys told me to shut up and let them be, but I believe in the adage about the squeaky wheel. Learned me solid by my papa. He can squeak like no other ogre.

Laerid aimed a thumb down the veranda. “Yar buddies don’t have to fret.”

I gave the troll a chin to continue.

“Word has come back, no charges will be forthcoming. Seems someone has stepped forward and sworn the dead guy held a gun and was pullin’ the trigger when a troll snapped his face into mush.”

“Mush. They say it that way?” I asked.

“Maybe my word,” Laerid said.

“Good news.”

“I think they should blame ya,” he said. “The man would be alive if ya’d never gone North.”

I jerked a look his way, but he was smilin’, subtly.

“Most of this is yar fault,” he said.

Not an argument I wanted to get into. I asked him about the Range development. He said Doke hadn’t managed enough council votes to approve anything.

“Yar people ticked?” I asked.

“We’re a patient and flexible folk.”

That was news to me. I suggested the old mines. “Maybe move back into them?”

“What difference does it make if we live in a nice valley, or underground?”

I wasn’t gonna get into that argument either. If I had my way, I’d make space somewhere. Our forefathers had been pretty conservative with their settin’ aside of land. But it kept the Range from becomin’ a sprawl, like some parts of the plains. Humans never know when enough is enough. Maybe it’s best not to compromise.

“I understand Nuel caught a flight out this afternoon,” Laerid said.

I tried to keep my face from changin’. She hadn’t even come to say so long. But I wouldn’t miss her. She was a pain in the patoot.

“She said to tell ya goodbye.”

I nodded.

“I don’t know which of ya are bigger idjits,” he said.

I gave him a look.

“Everyone saw there was something between ya.”

“Sparks,” I said. “The kind that burn down a forest. What do ya mean, everyone?”

He shook his head. “Ya should call her.”

“Gonna be pretty busy for a spell.”

“Life is short.” He extended his hand, and we shook. “I gotta be gettin’ back. Been away a long time.” As he stood he said, “Don’t be a fool, ogre.”

He didn’t look back as he padded down the steps and followed the path around the Inn for the parking garage.

Everyone saw? That was like tellin’ my mama when I was in college that everyone had the new cell phone, to explain why I needed to upgrade. It was just something to use when there was no other reason. An excuse.

Nuel was an all right sort. I thought back to those running tights.

But I’m a bachelor. Don’t need no hen tellin’ me I play too much basketball and work too many hours.

~ Nuel ~

It took nearly as long to get to my apartment from the airport as the entire flight from Black Lake. The noise everywhere pressed in on my temples. I closed my door behind me, dropping the bag with the few things I’d picked up in the Hamlet, expecting the din to quiet.

But it didn’t. My ears rang. My chest vibrated. I pulled my phone out, strode to my couch, slumped across it, and dialed Silva.

“Hey, Sister,” she said.

“I’m, uh—”

“Let it out,” Silva said.

I took in a long, slow breath. “Two bulls in three weeks, and I’m feeling—”

“It’s hard,” Silva said. “No doubt about it. Let yourself grieve.”

“Grieve! I’m not gonna grieve over no bull.”

“Grieve for what your mind imagined could be,” Silva said softly.

I was struggling to pull in a new breath. “I didn’t even know I hated the city.”

“You don’t,” Silva said.

“Yes I do.”

“You love the shopping. You love the symphony. The museums. Restaurants. You love the ease of getting around by subway. You love your job.”

“Most of my coworkers,” I said, “showed their true colors when they learned I was friends with the big mean ogre from the Range.”

“Most people,” Silva said, “don’t even realize they’re being jerks. It takes a special something to knock the realization into them.”

“There a hidden meaning in that?” I asked.

“If there is, so be it.”

Neither of us spoke for a moment.

“He’s actually a pretty nice guy, you know.”

“Who exactly,” I said, “are you talking about?”

“The plains are nice,” Silva said. “You enjoyed our jogs, huh?”

“Hated ’em,” I said.

“I saw your snout twitching with all the smells.”

“Okay. The city stinks. But I’m used to it.”

She asked me the last time I attended the symphony or a museum. The witch.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “Ike wasn’t too broken up I was leaving.”

“Oh. Have we been talking about Ike?”

~