Noble knew that it would happen. She could feel Syrce's emotions shift and her judgment be swayed.
It still hurt.
Maelys turned around, the tears in her eyes now looking like genuine surprise. She smiled widely, hiding the blush of her cheeks behind her hand.
The crowd cheered wildly for their champion. They were overjoyed for the two Saints that they called their own.
Hiding her emotions, Noble forced a smile and waved at the crowd.
She bowed her head to Maelys and said, "Well done!"
"Thank you, Lady Bel." Mae beamed her most gracious smile on the blonde Master.
"If you will excuse me…" Noble bowed again and backed away from the front of the crowd.
With her cohort members caught up in the crowd, Noble skirted around the onlookers to escape for a moment alone.
Just as she made it to the back of the crowd, a figure came running after her.
"Bel!" Syrce grabbed the other lady's hand. "Let me explain."
But Noble slipped from her grasp. She forced a neutral expression. "What is there to explain?"
"Oh, uh…" Syrce had come with the intent of comfort, but now she seemed at a loss for words. "Your wood was impeccable and above reproach, but I think Mae might have had more overall."
Might have…the qualification was not lost on the floating Master.
"I must have misunderstood when you said the wood needed to be cut and collected," Noble responded more icily than she intended.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Syrce bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Bel. That wasn't fair to you, was it?"
Child of Promise sighed. "It was just a game. I think we got all the wood we needed to finish the project."
"We did," the Saint agreed with a glance at the collection. "And it is all thanks to you." Syrce grabbed her friend's hand a second time. "Please, Bel, let me make it up to you."
"You don't have to do that." Noble held up her free palm.
"No, I do! And I know just the thing!" The guilt in Syrce's expression melted away. "I heard you were sad that you weren't around when I used the mirror."
"How did you…" Noble's words were cut off by the Saint's continued thought.
"After we get everyone in the city, I will show you how it works. Ah, I just thought of the perfect surprise too!"
"Syrce…" Child of Promise shook her head.
"Please promise me you'll be there this afternoon. I'll make it worth your while!" The Saint's grey eyes begged pitifully.
Noble smiled softly. In truth, she was very curious how the relic worked. Seeing it in action would take a lot of the sting out of how things had transpired.
"I'll be there," she agreed.
"Wonderful!" Syrce opened her mouth to continue the conversation when her arm was tugged by someone behind her.
"There you are!" Maelys whirled her sister around. "I wondered where you went off to. Come. Some of the soldiers want me to make a speech. Isn't that funny!"
Syrce patted her sister's arm.
"It's very fun, Mae, but I was…"
"Go! I was getting ready to move the wood to the shore anyway. Don't let me keep you!" Noble could feel the lingering feelings from Maelys, and she did not want to fuel that fire. Angering a Saint was a good way to end up in a box of wood instead of on a raft made of it.
"We will meet later!" Syrce waved as she was dragged away and enveloped by a jubilant crowd.
Noble shook her head. 'Maelys feels like she has won a war, not a silly competition. It's a little strange after all she has been through. And these soldiers are ecstatic. Maybe they just needed some entertainment. I am glad I could provide them with a distraction.'
Noble's disappointment dissipated. She disagreed with the verdict, but she could understand it. Maelys was strangely fragile—especially for a Saint. Sryce hadn't wanted her sister to break.
Roan escaped the throng of soldiers a moment before the others. His face did not mirror the joy around them.
"Tough break," he said when he came alongside Noble. "It seemed my congratulations were premature."
"Nepotism at its finest," Helie added as she joined them.
Aether and Flint were barely a step behind.
"Nepotism is only alright when it benefits me," Flint confirmed. "Otherwise, it is completely unfair!"
"I don't know how she came to that conclusion. You were superior in every regard," Aether nodded.
"She said that Maelys may have knocked down more wood overall, which I suppose we can never prove or disprove unless we go and measure all the lumber on each side."
Looking at all the others' forlorn faces, Noble's forced smile turned genuine. Rubbing the back of her neck, she shrugged and continued.
"You all are very sweet to support me. It was all for fun anyway, and we achieved our goal. Let's start crafting some rafts and get everyone into the city. I don't know about you, but that reunion makes me extra anxious to get home myself!"
Her words had the desired effect. For whatever else the rest of the cohort had intended to say in her defense was taken by the wind.
Now was not a time for grumbling. It was a time for action.
With renewed determination, the cohort began to gather the wood and transport it toward the edge of the lake. The halved logs were heavy, but not too much for a Master to move with moderate effort.
"You not planning to lift them with your power?" Flint frowned as he noted her straining to carry a beam.
"Not more than I have to," she responded. "I need to replenish some essence before I go using it like that again. I don't like being so low on reserves."
While it had been exhilarating to go all out, now Noble was dealing with the consequences of her actions. If something powerful were to attack, she would be starting at a deficit to defend herself and the caravan. From now until the evening, she would be more careful with how much she expended.
"Makes sense," Flint answered.
Lowering the beam into place so that it could be attached to the raft, Noble arched her brow. "No snide remarks about me not knowing how to use resources?"
"No, I keep those comments inside like you said. Plus, what you did was noteworthy, and you got squashed like a bug instead. I will give you this one." Flint nodded as he lowered the next log. "You can consider it my daily compliment."
"Thanks…I think…" Noble tilted her head.
She would never quite figure out what that man was thinking, but his intentions, at the very least, were good this time.
Seeing the Masters all hard at work, the celebratory crowd quickly joined in to help them.
If Maelys was upset by their departure, she did not show it. Instead, she threw herself wholeheartedly into finishing their constructions. Watching her in her excited fervor of building allowed Noble to see the woman for the vibrant, vivacious person she was.
It was easy for Mae to get others motivated with her infectious enthusiasm.
'Quite the leader,' Noble admitted to herself. No wonder her men were willing to cross the sea with her.
Soon, the rafts were completed, bound either by supplies from the caravan or the wood nails which Mae had unintentionally provided in her rampage.
With the task completed just as the sun reached its peak, it was time for Maelys to lead another expedition across a body of water.
This time, it was a lake.