Vevie returned some time later, looking tired again. She dropped her things in a pile and sat down, resting her head in her hands.
"Eat," Pustakawan placed a bowl of stew beside her with a chunk of bread.
"Pustakawan," Vevie looked up at him with a tilted head. "Pustakawan - your name - isn't it a title? Doesn't it mean you're a librarian? One of those Great Librarians? What are you doing so far from your country and your library?"
Pustakawan gave a thin smile and dipped his bread in his bowl of hot stew. Ignoring her for the moment, he blew on the hot morsel of food, before eating it with a contented sound. He was a fair cook, even if he did say so himself.
"One," he licked his fingers and then dipped another piece of bread, "Pustakawan isn't exactly my name, and yes, it's more of a title, but back home, the title isn't just given to librarians." Pustakawan ate his soggy bread before it fell apart and back into the hot stew. "Two, librarians are awesome. Don't you look down on us. Three, I'm more of a rogue recorder of information than a librarian. Four," Pustakawan slurped another dipped piece of bread and had to wipe the stew that dribbled onto his chin, "ask no questions, receive no lies."
"A rogue recorder?" Vevie coughed and ate her food slowly, while watching Pustakawan slurping his food messily. "Doesn't that mean you've been kicked out of your order? If I remember rightly, your people don't leave the Great Library."
Pustakawan wriggled his eyebrows at her. He couldn't help feeling a little bit irritated that someone was trying to pry into his background when he didn't want them to.
"One can fish and catch no fish," he said, picking up a hot piece of tuber and breathing out the steam when he put it in his mouth so that it wouldn't burn him too badly. "One can eat and not be full."
"Your people are also notoriously difficult to get straight answers out of," Vevie muttered, eating in nibbles, "or so I remember Father saying. "The Purplestickeron wouldn't be The Great Library if you could get easy answers out of any of its Librarians, so they say."
"It's an unfortunate byproduct of our training," Pustakawan wrinkled his nose at her. "Can't help it. By the way, The Great Library is called the Perpustakaan. Per-puss-stuck-ah-ahn. There may be purple stickers involved, but it's not how the Library is pronounced."
"Isn't Jutawan a title of sorts in your country too?"
"First Princess Marielle Budiwati Sarwenda Setiawati Imogene Vevina of the Kingdom of Velor, Duchess of the Cardinal Aquifer, Lady of the Crane, Lady Knight of the Order of the White and of Telang, Administrator of the Western Windrocks, do you really want me to continue reciting all your names and titles as well? Just because you are the favourite cousin of my highly esteemed Rajah, doesn't mean you can poke your nose where you shouldn't. Your people have been trying to stick your nose where it doesn't belong for years. It's probably why your people have all developed refined breaks for noses. I am not about to be the one to let you in. I do have a reputation to protect."
Vevie covered her nose, muttering something that Pustakawan didn't pick up, while she sipped at her stew and nibbled her dipped bread.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Pustakawan said.
"I wasn't trying to find out anything besides your real name. I told you mine. Why can't you tell me yours? I said that you have me at a disadvantage," Vevie scowled. "You're literally a know-it-all and all I have is what I know before my brother insulted the Bloodsuns and had to give me up. I have to get back and marry the barbarian Warlord Engar or his son before they completely destroy my country. Otherwise they'll think we planned my kidnapping."
"I'm pretty sure Engar should have worked the truth out, although it's true, it probably won't stop him from waging war against your people. Having you return would certainly put a stick in the woks for his warmongering. After all, he razed the tribes around Stickle Creek just because he couldn't catch a fish. That man likes killing too much. Perhaps we'll hear news about what is happening as we travel further into the lowlands. Try not to worry too much. There isn't a lot we can do from this distance except to travel back at our best speed."
"Easy for you to say," Vevie scowled and finished her bowl, mopping up any remains of stew with her bread. "You aren't the one with an entire kingdom and family at stake. It's not like your people will come and help, even if I am your Rajah's favourite cousin."
There was a rustling in the bushes and a muffled giggle as hidden gossipers arrived as if to watch a show.
"Have another nap," Pustakawan suggested, taking her bowl. "You need the rest and you're still healing. It's still early yet. I'll wake you when we have to leave." His ears pricked at noises coming from outside the camp and raised his voice a little so that the sound would carry. "We can't stay here another night or we'll have a crowd of local spectators gathering. They seem to have just found us and have been betting on whether we'll hook up. Their whispers aren't as soft as they think."
"In their dreams," Vevie said in a similar loud voice, lying back down. "If they try watching me through the bushes again, I will kill them. So help me God."
"I'll fend them off," Pustakawan stood up, picking up a long branch and walking away from camp toward the voices as if looking for a fight. Footsteps scurried away and they heard the scrape of feet on the ground, followed by soft laughs.
"Thanks," Vevie said softly, closing her eyes, "and Juta, you'll keep who I am a secret on the road, won't you?"
"Only if you do the same for me," Pustakawan said, after he had made sure there was no one else around the camp. "From hereon, I'll always be introducing myself as Juta."
"Deal."
"We'll shake on it when you wake and sign an agreement," Pustakawan pulled out one of his books and a pen.
"What?" Vevie stuck her head up. "Why?"
"You just asked me to make a deal. Deals are essentially agreements. Agreements should be written as contracts, where all parties retain a copy, otherwise they don't count."
Vevie made grumbling noises, which to Pustakawan sounded very much like, "Stingy academics and tight bottomed librarians with fat lips and small mouths."
He wasn't sure whether he should be pleased at the reputation the Great Librarians in his country had or not.