At Somersby-Too Far from Home

[makesthings]

The wind was blowing from the South and Sameth wished he could change it, but the Charter wasn't even there.

Today in class, Cochrane had been lecturing them on the merits of democracy and kept giving him pointed looks so that he had to try and speak up for monarchy.

It was horrible and he didn't do a good job of explaining things since so much of it depended on the Charter and explaining his family's hard history.

In the end, he didn't feel like much of a prince and going outside didn't help since nothing felt quite real enough.

So he ended up in his room staring down at a piece of paper and wishing for ideas, but all the things that he wanted to do needed the Charter.

Comments

[wordofa_sayre]

"Well, you look glum."

Nick's leaning against the doorjamb, hands in his pockets and a frown on his face as he studies Sameth.

[makesthings]

He looks up at Nick and tries not to sigh,

"I really hate Cochrane sometimes, I tried but Ellie's the politician not me."

Its not all of the reasons he looks glum, but its the one that Nick will understand most.

[wordofa_sayre]

"Thought that might be it."

Nick crosses the room, giving Sam a friendly buffet on the shoulder before dropping down to sit on the end of his bed.

"You can't be letting old Cochrane get under your skin, Sam. The man's useless when it comes to anything that doesn't fit his rulebook."

[makesthings]

"The Old Kingdom certainly doesn't and I know where I'm from. Its just feeling far away today, the wind's even from the South."

Sam hasn't written anything on the paper in front of him so just balls it up and tosses it at the wall, it helps a bit.

[wordofa_sayre]

He watches Sam for a second, then shakes his head.

"Right. Come on then."

Although he'd just sat down not two moments ago, Nick bounds immediately to his feet once more.

"What're you waiting for, old chap? Let's go."

[makesthings]

"Go where?"

Now he does sigh but he also stands up, when Nick's got his mind on something, its not worth arguing with him.

Even though Sameth just wants to stay up here and try and design something to build when he gets home.

[wordofa_sayre]

"You'll see," he says, affecting a mysterious air. "Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Nick leads the way out of the room and heads straight for the outside.

[makesthings]

"I guess I will, but it'd better be worth it."

He follows after Nick and when they head outside just frowns slightly. Yes, its a nice day but that's all it is, just a nice day.

[wordofa_sayre]

He sighs.

"O ye of little faith. I'd be more pleased if I thought your doubt signaled that you were developing a properly scientific nature of inquiry, but since I know better..."

He flashes Sam a quick grin, and points toward the cricket ground.

"Remember when I got roundly scolded by Marks for poking about in the old bell tower?"

Although it must be noted that the tower in question is nowhere near the cricket ground, Nick doesn't appear to be bothered by this detail.

[makesthings]

"Yes, I'm still not sure what you were trying to find there. Its not that old a tower. Someday I'll show you Belisaere then you'll know its old."

Nick's finger isn't pointing in the right direction but Sam's going to wait, Nick usually knows what he's doing.

[wordofa_sayre]

"Don't be surprised when I take you up on that," Nick tells him. "Frankly, given the dribs and drabs that're all that's known about your Old Kingdom, it's enough to drive a chap mad with curiosity."

He lowers his hand.

"And as to what I was looking for, I was following the birds."

[makesthings]

"More's known, its just that no one seems to believe it which I don't understand. It'd be odd to have you in the Old Kingdom."

Sam just isn't sure he can picture it, Nick's so modern,

"What were you doing with the birds?"

[wordofa_sayre]

"Not all that odd, surely," he protests. "Why odd?"

A beat.

"I didn't do anything with the birds, that's the whole point. I couldn't get close enough to them to see how their wings worked when they were flying."

[makesthings]

"I don't know just you're newer and scientific. Also I'm trying to imagine you with a sword at your belt and I can't make it work."

The image makes Sam grin though and shift his stance to a fighting one and punch Nick's arm.

[wordofa_sayre]

"Hey!"

He assumes a reasonably credible boxing stance and gives Sam a mock-challenging look.

[makesthings]

Sam's stance is somewhere between boxing and sword fighting as he grins,

"I've been trained by the guards so you'd better watch out."

[wordofa_sayre]

"You say that now, but I learned from a chap that Uncle Edward met through the club--"

Nick breaks off there, distracted by something in the distance over Sam's shoulder.

"--blast. Come on, before he sees us!"

[makesthings]

"Yes, but I've..who?"

He turns to see what Nick's looking and starts heading towards the tower,

"Charter, its Cochrane, this way."

[wordofa_sayre]

"It's the wrong way," Nick argues, but that doesn't stop him from dashing after Sameth -- especially since Cochrane's looking out toward the cricket ground and would surely spot them if they headed that way.

"You just know he'd call us out for 'malingering.'" He makes an attempt at mimicking the bad-tempered tones of the Games Master as he growls,

"If you can't find something better to do with your time on your own, gentlemen, I'll find an occupation for you!"

[makesthings]

"Of course he would, he's been wanting to put something on me all day. Through here."

They've rounded one of the older parts of the school and are nearing the bell tower which is at a slight angle. Sameth considers the door which is unhelpfully locked and pushes on it.

[wordofa_sayre]

"Won't work," he informs him, with a dolorous air. "Marks started locking it after he tossed me out."

Nick's crouching down now at the corner of the tower, peering cautiously out in Cochrane's direction.

"I don't think he saw us--"

[makesthings]

"Should be a way in. Do you have any wire on you?"

He's kneeling down to look at the lock, there must be a way through it.

[wordofa_sayre]

"On me? No--"

He digs in his pockets anyway, coming up with a ball of lint, a few coins, an old jumble, and a nail.

[makesthings]

"I might be able to get through the lock. Is there a window or something that we could go through?"

[wordofa_sayre]

"Marks nailed all the shutters closed," Nick admits, a little guiltily.

"But hang on, we may be in luck-- look there!"

A beat, in which Cochrane starts waving at a student on the other side of the ground. As the teacher starts toward the distant figure, Nick darts a mischievous grin at Sameth.

"Although it seems like Hopkiss is about to have a time of it."