Lietta Winthrope

[2] The Diplomat Apprentice

Check #Bounty on Discord. "Careful ther' lady."

"Oh?" She said, not seeing the harm in enjoying the view of the river.

"My great uncle was taken by a skimmer in these her' waters," said the worker.

The middle-aged man peaked around the carriage and tilted his head back to see the young noble woman from just below the brim of his worn hat. The workers clothes dirty and torn. The hat, dark and heavily patched, was pulled low to keep the western evening sun out of the man's eyes.

Lietta, a talented apprentice diplomat—known to go great lengths to prevent another living being from ever knowing that she did in fact, not know everything. Was now torn between two responses to the dirt covered worker. A worker who now looked rather absurd with his head tilted so far back. With the only patch of sun in the tree-covered space now shining directly onto his face.

"It would have been easier just to move the hat," she thought, "after all its not like he's going to get it dirty."

On one hand, she wanted to ask the worker outright what a Skimmer was. These lower status men had a tendency to know things she might not find in the extravagant libraries back at home. And workers had a sort of intuition the academics often lacked. As well as first-hand experience that couldn't be found in the immaculate and somewhat sheltered universities.

Lietta knew that even if this information was to be found in the libraries. Finding it was a different matter altogether. The information could take weeks to discover. Which was time she couldn’t justify to spend now that her apprenticeship required traveling between nation states.

Only one person would know how to find this information quickly...

She could always call on Fahim for his seemingly endless well knowledge, but he might be too busy with whatever research he was conducting to entertain her childish whims. He was after all used by the King as well.

Fahim also had to be caught between books. Which sometimes required one to wait a good long while. Everyone knew that once Fahim opened a book he had a tendency to lose his ability to hear until it was closed.

It was no use anyways. A letter from Fahim could take months to receive a reply by horse as she was currently heading in the opposite direction for her duties. She needed to wet her curiosity.

What's the harm in asking anyways? After this worker was done fixing the carriage the man would go about his own way. It would be extremely unlikely that he might ever have the chance to expose the fact that she had learned from him.

But on the other hand, she was incredibly curious to learn what a "Skimmer" might be. What did "taken" mean. Death? What is so dangerous that it could take a person's life. Some sort of large birdlike creature? A rock slide?

No, it couldn't be... There was no rocks to slide. And there was too much tree coverage. These trees were old too. So this tree coverage would have still been here when his great uncle died.

Maybe it was bandits? No, these woods are too risky for bandits. They never strike this close to the city. "What ever could it be?", she thought.

Lietta, being the apprentice she was, decided to stall. This man seemed to enjoy talking, and given the chance he might tell her what it was without her asking. A tactic commonly used by experienced diplomats when negotiating. But first she needed to show just enough interest to get him started. Lietta turned the rest of her body to face the worker, "How old was he?" Her dress twirling as she spun. "When it happened, I mean...”

The worker lowered his eyes back to the job at hand. He would have to talk as he worked or his reputation as a quick repairman would be at stake.

"As young as you", the man paused. This pause lasted only a few short seconds while the worker focused on his duties. But to this curious young noble woman, it felt like several minutes. She began to worry that maybe she might have to ask after all. But she stuck to her training and let the worker feel the weight of her silence.

The worker looked up at her from around the back of the carriage, and seeing that she had no intentions of speaking felt rather awkward, and spoke himself. "People her' talk about Skimmers like their happening, be’it so rare that it might not happen. But they'll still'uhh attack on occasion. That less often’ness ain’t a good reason for ditchin’ caution.”

The worker paused briefly to attach the new carriage wheel before continuing to speak.

"Down south, near the fishing colonies, they say they attack more often. Braven ones too. Attack people and wagon trains and all,” he said. Lietta was glad that she was not traveling south this trip. “One even took a child. Well, mighty sad for the parents. No parent should have'ts feel that…” The worker rubbed the middle of his arm across his forehead to collect the shifting beads of sweat. Pushing his hat up as he did so.

"But they can travel the whole damn river. Ope, 'scuse my talkin' bad ma’am. I meant'uh say they can be up here as well as down there like they did my uncle. And getcha too. I just didn't want you to be in danger is all." He paused once again, before adding in a compliment, "Pretty noble girl such as you'd have an interesting life ahead'ya to live.” The worked looked up at Lietta from around the edge of the carriage only to discover that he couldn’t see her as the sun was now in his eyes. “No need to lose your life to something so avoidable such's a view of ugly brown water", he chuckled.

Lietta was fascinated. Some sort of water creature that could attack convoys? She had to learn more. Especially as it might be useful to her training as a diplomat.

"Wagons?" She asked. True to her training, Lietta spoke softly and without a change in expression, so that she would not reveal her excitement. She quickly remembered the words of her mentor, "Show no emotion. One smirk from a negotiator can destroy a million lives. Never let them see you that you are happy with your end of the deal; when it can be used against you. Which is most of the time.” Her mentor continued, “If you are successful with a treaty then you will have received an arrangement which benefits you more than the other party. It serves you no gain to rub it in their face or remind them that you are receiving something that they didn’t realize was significant to you during negotiations. Reward them for their actions. Do not let them feel regret or hesitancy.” Her mentor had said, “Only when you have left their land with signed papers do you smile.” The worker spoke again, “Oh yes ma’am. Big soldier wagons big as this here carriage. Pull ‘em right in the water. Stuff and all.” The man then frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant. “They only attack if you’re close and noisy though. They don’t like thrown sticks and rocks. Or loud music and such.” Lietta took a moment to reflect on what was said, while doing her best to appear only half-interested. She would occasionally nod her head as if she’d already known what was being discussed. The worker attempted to give her a chance to reply, but again, Lietta said nothing. So again, the man spoke, “Light too,” he said. “I wouldn’t travel too close to the river at night with any bright lanterns that stand out. Skimmers are mighty curious creatures when they’re up to it.” The worker smiled to himself, “on second thought it’s better to just stay away from water if you’re too interesting,” he said with a light chuckle. Lietta pictured the journey that lay ahead. “That broken carriage wheel was a significant delay,” she thought, “It may be dark before we reach our next destination.” Before she finished this thought, the worker startled her by loudly smacking his hands together. “There we go! All good n’ right,” he said as he stood up. His loose clothing now all the more obvious. The worker, admiring his work proudly stated, “This one shouldn't fall off like the last one.” As he moved the broken carriage wheel out of the path of the carriage. The driver who had been quietly sitting in the lead until now. Turned, stepped down onto the ground, and rapped his knuckles across the door of the carriage, “Ma’am. The worker is done.” A few brief moments later a beautiful woman in her mid-forties revealed her face through the carriage window. The woman had long straight brown hair, with grey streaks. And through the edges of the window one could see that she was wearing that unique diplomatic white dress similar to the one worn by Lietta. The worker, now on Lietta’s side of the carriage stood near the young apprentice and politely smiled at the two cleanly dressed adults. The driver leaned in to better hear the voice of the woman and took the coin bag offered to him. The worker, as dirty as the job could make him with patched clothing. Now first, for the first time, felt mildly insecure about his appearance. And as he felt insecure he did what he always did when he felt this way. Gave a very slight polite smile and looked downward. Towards the source of his insecurity. The worker seeing clean shoes looked up to find the driver, standing with excellent posture, before him. Offering payment for the labor he had completed, “This is the agreed upon amount?”, asked the driver as he transferred the wealth. “This looks to be a bit extra”, said the worker. “Keep it.” The driver then turned and stood by the carriage door. Preparing for travel. Knowing that it was almost time the leave. The still curious Lietta turned to the worker and said, “I hope that we do not encounter a Skimmer on our travels.” The worker, feeling that the payment for his work was much too formal and high-class. Smiled the the young apprentice in appreciation of the relief she now offered, and replied, “Well… they’re not as scary as Stone’ums anyhow!” Lietta without hesitation abandoned all training, “What’s a Stone’um?” “Lietta, it’s time to go!” The woman from the carriage spoke with a sweet voice, but spoke loudly as the driver opened the carriage door for Lietta to enter.

Lietta, now in the bumpy carriage. Began to write. "Dear Fahim…" Ref: 2 — [3]