Chapter 182 - She Thinks Differently (1/2)
Alamar had been the one to clue Blaise in on the fact that he needed to get closer to her family if he wanted Abby to see him in a more positive light. They had ended up chatting when he visited the camp to get an update from Carrick a few days before the restriction on visiting the village was lifted.
”I know how she ticks after having her live with us so long,” he confided. ”She would never be with someone who didn't get along with us because Katie is her best friend. You are trying to woo her, aren't you?”
Yes, but Blaise hadn't thought he was being that obvious. ”Is there anything else I need to do?” he asked somewhat desperately.
Their relationship had settled back into its comfortable pattern of conversation like before but there were some definite changes because of the ribbon incident. There had been a subtle undercurrent of something running through their interactions ever since.
Alamar shrugged. ”Show interest in her world. She and Katie talk about it a lot.”
The advice was simple, straightforward, and something he had been planning to do anyway. He could make that work.
Every day once the training sessions were wrapped up, Blaise went to eat dinner with Abby and her family. His desire to know more about her only intensified the more she told him. She had led such a fascinating life before coming here and even now continued to try and recreate as much as possible.
He wanted to help her with that, he really did. He had already decided to stay here and take on a commander position to see her beautiful face every day and listen to her tell stories. Her world was more fascinating than anything he could see traveling.
A few of the other Warriors teased him about where he went every day after training was over. Many of them didn't venture into town often because they had no interest in setting down roots here.
Kel and a few others visited the bakery frequently because the food there was better than the rations they normally got at camp. Sometimes they would hang out with some of the Kanta men they got friendly with during training. Other times they would try to get invited to dinner at pretty girls' houses.
There was a lot of flirting going on but only Kel and Mitzi seemed to be making any real progress. He had already been to her house about six times.
Barracks were divided up by rank so he and Blaise were in the same tent. One night after everyone else was asleep, Kel sighed dreamily. Presumably his dinner date had gone well.
”Mitzi's uncle likes me, I can tell. He and his sons run one of the mines around here and we spent a while talking about that before playing a strange game called Sorry with Mitzi and her mother. Have you heard of it?”
”I've played it before,” Blaise replied tiredly.
”Right, I forgot who I was talking to. You spend all of your time with the sister of the woman who invented it. Those two really are quite amazing. You cannot go anywhere in town without hearing their names linked with praise.
”The clan leader knew what he was doing when he chose his wife. She is the perfect power behind the throne to lead the Kanta into the next generation. I only met her once but she left quite an impression.”