ã€ŠThe Chalice Quartetã€‹


 Chapter 1

    They say a man is awake before dawn for three reasons: he¡¯s a farmer, he¡¯s a thief, or he is shouldering a heavy burden. Al wasn¡¯t a farmer. Nor was he a thief, though that would change in the coming weeks. He lay in bed awake, counting the minutes by, because he had set his workplace on fire.

    Al had let a bad morning sour his mood, progressing to a climax of rage that was normally impotent in him. He was not a man to yell or swear, and definitely not one to lash out physically. He had punched a wall, which in turn knocked a lamp over. That lamp had crashed to the floor, spilling the oil onto the concrete. It had caught fire. What had happened after that point, Al didn¡¯t know.

    Any other man with dignity and a cool head would have yelled for help, despite the consequences. Any hero possessing a backbone and quick wit would have figured out a way to put it out on his own. Al had stumbled backwards out the door and briskly walked home, refusing to look back.

    And so, he laid in bed wondering. He had slipped into a twilight rest for a few hours, but woke with paralyzing fear while it was still dark outside. Knowing he wouldn¡¯t find slumber again, he tried distracting himself by reading. First, he tried a dry volume on the political infighting of the Miatosh, a civilization long salvaged for its best and broken by its worst. It hadn¡¯t worked. He moved on to an Arvonnese alley novel, a guilty pleasure he had picked up years ago. It reminded him too much of how he should have acted. He blew out the candles just as the sky began to gray with dawn and weighed his options.

    There were two: go to work or stay home. Al like the idea of staying home. He could read, take care of Marnie, and go for a walk. Most importantly, he wouldn¡¯t have to face his mistake and his cowardice. The problem was, if by some miracle his work was still intact, he would be missing a day of pay. Two days in a row would wreck his finances for the month, never mind his reputation as a hardworking employee.

    To work, then. Tired and more than frazzled, Al set off to find out how colossal his blunder had been. He changed out of his bed clothes, brushed his teeth, then checked on Marnie. She was awake and standing in the doorway of the bedroom, having climbed out of the trundle. Al picked her up and played with her, pretending to pull his thumb off his hand. She loved that. It was her favorite thing that he did with her. Al was a wizard, but Marnie was the only person who actually made him feel magical.

    He put Marnie back to bed, being careful not to disturb Burdet. She was still sleeping off a night out with her co-workers, or whatever she had said she was doing. Marnie was well behaved and snuggled under the covers, falling asleep quickly without making any noise. He kissed her on the head before leaving for work.

    Al¡¯s lack of sleep became more apparent when he stepped out into the morning light. His eyes were sandy and he kept scratching them. He felt sluggish and hindered. Most adults can chalk up a restless night as an unpleasant thing that happens once in awhile, but Al hadn¡¯t had a bad¡¯s night rest in almost a decade. Not even in school, not even with a baby in the house. It greatly affected his work as a wizard and he didn¡¯t tolerate sleepless nights well.

    He walked automatically to Mrs. Gorgent¡¯s bakery, always his first stop for a loaf of bread.

    ¡°It¡¯s fresh for you, love,¡± she said, winking.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    He thanked her and paid, moving the stole he wore for his job out of the way to make room for the bread.

    ¡°You¡¯re a wizard?¡± she asked, sounding somewhat delighted at the idea. ¡°My nephew is a wizard, just graduated as a Green.¡± She gave him a broad smile. ¡°And here I thought you were a ledgerer or an attorney, something along those lines. All this time and you could have been baking my bread in five seconds!¡± She laughed and shook her head, placing his change in his hand.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really work like that,¡± Al said a moment before he realized she had been joking. He smiled weakly and waved as he walked out the door.

    He tried to let the awkward embarrassment go and made his normal rounds. He bought a cucumber and a tomato from the vendor on the corner of Lark and Ansingtorn, a wedge of cheese from a delicatessen further down Lark, and lastly his breakfast, a fresh nut and jam pastry from the patisserie a few blocks from work.

    Al coasted through everything and realized it was the same as it was almost every day. ¡°Good morning, sir. Glad to see you here again. The same?¡± Sometimes he took comfort in the fact that he was recognized and treated more congenially. Mostly, though, the thought of having the same routine until the day he died both saddened and frightened him.

    Al still sat in his normal bench and ate his pastry quickly, licking the sticky raspberry off of his fingers. He breathed in the morning air, just starting to fill with the sounds of people waking and beginning their morning chores. There was nothing amiss, no lingering stench of burned wood or people talking loudly about the fire downtown. A good sign.

    He kept his head down until he reached the end of Lark and stood on the corner. Al slowly raised his head, opened one eye, then the other. It was still there. The business of Jindahl and Stohr still stood without so much as a nail out of place. Al took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He felt the mixed emotions of a man who felt relief that he could meet his needs, but disappointment that he couldn¡¯t meet his wants.

    Al crossed the busy intersection, weaving through the foot traffic and occasional horse-drawn carriage. Any self-respecting urbanite could do it blindfolded, hobbled, and through a foot of snow with ease, but it always brought a state of anxiety to the wizard. He held his breath and pressed through, hoping a runaway cart wasn¡¯t about to plow him over.

    His morning routine finished when he brushed his fingers across the plastered railing. Al had determined some years ago that the exterior color of his workplace was hideous, but only to him. Hundreds of people walked past the business every day and probably didn¡¯t think twice about the slightly warmed light orange color. It was a signal that the business was inviting and safe, that you could come in for several kinds of chaste and pleasing services. If you weren¡¯t interested in anything Jindahl and Stohr had to offer, you went about your day and forgot about the shop.

    But Al couldn¡¯t forget. He worked there. He knew all the little imperfections inside and out. He knew the potted hedges needed a trim and the paint on the shutters, hung around the windows to make the business look like a home, were peeling badly. It bothered him that no one else took a few seconds to fix the problems. Or, at the very least, paint the walls any other color than high-society, calling card peach.

    ¡°Hi, Al,¡± the two women at the front desk said in unison. They quickly went back to writing, their quills scratching the parchment.

    ¡°Ladies,¡± he said pleasantly with a nod of his head as he walked past to his office. There was a sheet tacked to the door. He glanced at it quickly, then twisted the key into the lock.

    ¡°Oh, Al,¡± one of the secretary¡¯s interjected, beckoning him over. ¡°I just wanted to let you know that the little thing with yesterday¡­it won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­all right. I¡¯d already forgotten about it,¡± he said as he stepped inside. He hadn¡¯t, of course, but Al wasn¡¯t about to get into it with Peni and Taritha. His schedule was almost full and it made up for the wages he had lost the day before due to their incompetence. People made mistakes. They¡¯d make another and it would cost him, again. And, as he usually did, he¡¯d smile weakly and pretend like it didn¡¯t matter. He wouldn¡¯t react like he had. You only got that lucky once.

 Chapter 2

    Al had arrived to work late the previous day. A stubborn mule had overturned a cart on Lark, spilling several crates of fruit across the road. Instead of helping the poor merchant pick up the wares, several residents of the neighborhood took advantage of the chaos to steal as much as they could. More people showed up, drawn in by the commotion to watch as the crowd shifted from merely disarrayed to tumultuous.

    Al had been boxed in, unable to move outside the onlookers or beyond the thieves. ¡°Excuse me!¡± he said, trying to get around several people. ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    His hand brushed against a woman who turned around and slapped his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m just trying to leave!¡± he said over the noise. Al dug his hands into the pockets of his breeches and tried shouldering his way back and to a side street.

    He arrived with his thick, black hair edged in sweat, especially around his collar. ¡°Sorry. There was a commotion in the street and I couldn¡¯t get around the crowd,¡± he said as he stood in front of Peni and Taritha. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Hopefully.¡±

    He glanced over to his office door and noticed there was no sheet hanging there. ¡°Al, I thought today was your day off,¡± Peni said.

    ¡°What? But¡­I¡¯m still in the middle of my week on. I won¡¯t have my break until next Tuesday.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was strange you weren¡¯t working today,¡± Taritha said.

    Peni turned to her co-worker. ¡°I guess there was just a scheduling issue.¡± She shrugged and dismissed the conversation by returning to whatever clerical work she had been doing. A woman approached the desk and inquired about a wizard-made piece of sculpture and their attention turned solely to her.

    Al had stood in the front entrance, gaping until he realized there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it. He opened his office and sat, trying to think of what to do next. He could go home, pick up Marnie from his sister-in-law¡¯s and spend the day with her. It had been a promising morning, warm but breezy enough not to overheat a person. It was a good day for a walk or picking fruit from tree branches instead of off cobblestones. It would be nice to take an unexpected day off.

    He needed the money, though. Al decided to add himself to the books and hope for a walk-in or two. While he waited, he spent his time trying to get ready for a potential appointment by lighting the candles in his office, placing pillows on the adjustable chair, and trying to get himself into the Calm.

    If he¡¯d had a client, Al would implemented several techniques to drain all the stress from himself. Wizards called it ¡°the Calm¡±. Entering that state allowed a wizard to access softer forms of magic, usually creating forms of art like the paintings that hung in the gallery in the front of the building.

    Al had never been very talented in writing, dancing, or painting. He¡¯d hoped that by the time he¡¯d graduated from Amandorlam, some latent talent would have materialized, but nothing ever did. He was exceptional when it came to memorization, which was mainly good for schoolwork and not anything magical. He was also good at oration, which would have made him a great actor save for the stage fright that turned him into a stammering idiot. The few times he had overcome his fears of public speaking were during debate sessions in class, when he was able to erase all his fears during the drive to prove himself right.

    Since magic wasn¡¯t allowed in courtrooms, he had eventually settled on Touch wizardry, something pretty much any wizard could do. The Calm was transferable to those non-magical laymen who couldn¡¯t reach it on their own. Those who were well-off enough paid for sessions where Al would strip away their burdens. It wasn¡¯t glamorous, nor did it make Al a lot of money, but he enjoyed it well enough. It beat having a job that forced him to constantly use the Unease, like his friend, Aggie.

    Al sat reading a new Arvonne alley novel for the better part of the morning before Aggie came into the break room for lunch. He dog-eared the page and put it away as his friend slid a chair up to the table. ¡°How¡¯s work today?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Same as it always is, Al. I move heavy things and people pay me for it. How¡¯s your day going?¡±

    ¡°Not good, Aggie. Not good.¡± Al proceeded to tell Aggie all about his morning, working himself into an agitated state. He stopped mid-sentence when he realized Aggie had finished his leg of lamb and was staring at the table in front of him. Normally when Aggie daydreamed, he let him. He was quite a lady¡¯s man and, although married with three kids, he had no compunctions when it came to carrying out affairs. Al didn¡¯t agree with it, but he also didn¡¯t judge him. Unease-using wizards had it tough enough with the high stress and damage from repetitive use.

    That day, though, Al wanted his friend¡¯s undivided attention. When some imagined tart took it away, Al began to think poorly about the woman and his friend. He stewed for a few minutes, then realized Aggie was usually a good friend. He gave him one more chance. ¡°Want to meet up for drinks tonight?¡±

    Aggie snapped out of his trance and turned his gaze back to Al, slowly and with furrowed brows. It was as if he had forgotten he was there. ¡°No, Al, sorry. Can¡¯t. I¡¯m, um, doing something with Essa and the boys.¡±

    Al nodded and said nothing, not even to say goodbye when he left a few minutes later. He didn¡¯t feel like going back to his office, so he ventured over to the other half of the building where Jindahl and Stohr was located.

    If one walked farther down Lark and took their first left, they¡¯d find themselves in an alley with businesses of a shady or unclean nature. Butchers, tanners, millinery shops, and undertakers nestled on that lane. The cobblestones were stained with dyes and old blood. It smelled putrid on a windy day, the odor its own deterrent for keeping away those who had no purpose being on that street. The business fronts were haphazard, but clearly marked as to what each purveyed in or sold.

    Except for Milxner¡¯s. It was a solid door halfway down on the left that only had the name in chipped, black paint. There were no picture signs hanging above it nor were there further descriptions below the name. Anyone who needed the services provided at Milxner¡¯s would have heard by word-of-mouth. Anyone who didn¡¯t need those services didn¡¯t need to know.

    What Al did in the front of the building, in Jindahl and Stohr proper, was the friendly face of wizardry. It was called soft or light work, the upright, ethical, and decent jobs that most people thought of when defining wizardry. The general public was fairly ignorant of what a wizard could do when people needed things that were less then legal. That¡¯s where Milxner¡¯s came in. Those employed there still worked for Jindahl and Stohr on paper, but answered directly to .rd Ember Sierra, a wizard whose taste for fine clothing and a lavish lifestyle outweighed any pesky morals she had. They did the harder stuff, the muscle work involving unsafe work conditions, like Aggie, or the jobs that slaked more sensual thirsts, like what Cascade and Orchid did.

    Al traveled the labyrinth of corridors between the two halves of the building until he reached Milxner¡¯s. It was a cold warehouse of poured concrete with a few rooms here and there. The main area was open for several stories up and all the way back to the heavy door that led to the alleyway. There were a few stacked crates with hurricane lamps and some paint around some of the rooms to give the illusion of comfort, but it was mostly damp, cold, and dreary.

    He liked that. It gave him plenty of space to pace up and down while he tried to calm down. Al broke for lunch, but other than that time he spent most of the afternoon thinking about things. He thought about the day, about Aggie, about his wife and Marnie.

    Ah, his wife. It was Ap Jorsen¡¯s Day, his wedding anniversary. Perhaps that¡¯s why he had been in low spirits that morning. Burdet and he had been married for six years, some of those even happily. ¡°Five is clothing, and six is pets¡­¡± was how the rhyme went. He wondered what he could get her, settling on a bird before he remembered they hadn¡¯t bought each other gifts in three years.

    Al paced. It was his marriage. It was his job. It was Aggie, being rude and selfish. And it was all those other little things that he brushed off all the time. It made him angry, furious actually. Once he was that far gone, he clicked into the Unease. Once he was in the Unease, he stopped thinking and looked for a release. For Al, that meant punching the nearest wall with a yell clenched in his throat.

    The whole of Milxner¡¯s shook and maybe even the whole building. Several hurricane lamps teetered. There was a moment of stillness when Al realized what he had done and all his anger drained as he held his breath.

    One lamp on a crate way across the room fell, smashing on the floor. The flame on the wick survived the fall and caught the pool of oil on the floor on fire. It was too dark to see what was near it, but Al could definitely tell it was on fire.

    He had no idea what to do. He had never been a man to call on in an emergency. When that cart had overturned that morning, he had just stood there and stared with a blank look on his face. That¡¯s what he looked like in that moment, right before he backed out of the room and took off for home.

 Chapter 3

    And by some miracle, the building had remained intact. Al still couldn¡¯t detect any odor, even with the heightened sense of smell he got from magic. Nothing.

    He should feel grateful, and he was, for the most part. He would continue working at the job he enjoyed. He¡¯d pay his bills, keeping the roof over his family¡¯s head and food on the table. He could even go out with Aggie for a few beers once in awhile. But, a small part of him had hoped the building would have burned down. Not because he hated it at Jindahl and Stohr, but because it would have meant something was going to change.

    Al settled on somewhere in the middle, not upset but not totally relieved. He tried to erase his emotions while he worked on his twelve o¡¯clock appointment, Mrs. Falenghast. She was one of his favorite regular clients, an older woman of some moderate wealth. He saw her once every two weeks and she always tipped well.

    The room was lit with dozens of candles, creating an ambiance of serenity. He would coat his fingertips in wax in between sessions and snuff out most, relighting several for the new client with an incense stick. The amount and which ones would vary from person to person, more on Al¡¯s whims then any proscribed reason. Mrs. Falenghast, however, always had the large, white pillar lit, the one Burdet had given him four years ago for their second anniversary.

    She was seated in a complicated contraption full of knobs and levers designed to get the client in the most comfortable semi-reclined position possible. It resembled a padded, wooden chair with movable parts. Occasionally, Al would pause the treatment and imagine the chair as some sort of torture device, like some he had seen once in a traveling macabre show. It was fitting, seeing as how thin the line between pain and pleasure these sessions could be for not only the client, but Al as well.

    He had seen Mrs. Falenghast once every two weeks for years now. His methods never changed and she never missed an appointment. He knew nothing about her, other than she wore heavy powder on her face and neck and she enjoyed sucking on kiic candies. He could smell the spicy-tartness on her breath as she exhaled slowly. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said.

    Being a Touch wizard involved some deception. Al could easily transfer enough of the Calm to soothe their nerves in five, maybe ten minutes, depending on his client¡¯s disposition. His appointments were booked at fifty-five minutes long. The difference in time was due to the supply and demand. There wasn¡¯t enough of a want for Touch wizard sessions, even in a fairly large city like Whitney, to fill six appointments every hour. Instead, there was an unspoken agreement among businesses like Jindahl and Stohr to extend sessions to almost an hour, charge more, and fill a lot of that time with fluff.

    Al disliked the show. It reminded him of the piscarins down at the dock, the people who told fortunes and made potions pretending they were connected with some otherworldly source of power. They were charlatans and thieves. They put on a great show and told people whatever they wanted to hear. Their beloved ones were pleased with them from the afterlife. They¡¯d receive money in the not-too-distant future. A beautiful man, or woman, would fall in love with them soon and sweep them off their feet.

    It was hogwash and Al knew it and had been warned about it at Amandorlam. Wizards were true magicians. He and his classmates were encouraged to fight against counterfeits civilly, but frequently and heavily. It helped maintain the posterity of wizardry. Al agreed, and he¡¯d had a few vocal exchanges with the piscarins down at the docks, but he also felt it was a tad hypocritical to call them out for being fakes when wizards like himself often made things up during their treatments. Never mind what the Unease wizards did, tucked away from the public eye.

    There wasn¡¯t any way around it, so Al accepted it like so many other things in his life. He double checked to make sure Mrs. Falenghast was comfortable and that the levers were in a tight position. The treatment was performed clothed for decency, but necessity required the client¡¯s shoulders, forearms, and ankles be exposed. Al always began by standing behind the person and placing his hands lightly on their shoulders. He¡¯d tap into the Calm and spread it only to where his fingers touched skin. After a few moments, he¡¯d begin a litany in some made-up language, moving his head from ear to ear until he finished. It didn¡¯t matter what he said, but he preferred to pretend the words meant something. He always said the same thing.

    From there, the session involved a series of soothing techniques. He brushed skin with finely toothed combs. He dabbed scented oils in a line on her feet and hands. He wrote fake sigils on her arms with a stylus, the definitions again memorized, but meaningless. All the while he¡¯d touch her skin, creped with age, and infused her with the Calm.

    Al finished by running his fingers slowly from her head down to her elbows. She sighed again, the kiic scent long gone. ¡°That was lovely, just lovely, dear,¡± she said, adjusting her shawl. ¡°I tell all my friends about you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Falenghast. That¡¯s very kind of you.¡± He wiped the excess powder from her neck off his hands with a handkerchief, then opened the door to let more light into the office.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    She adjusted her hair with a practiced hand, tucking a few loose strands into her updo. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± she promised, placing his three silver tip in his hands and smiling kindly.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be here,¡± he muttered under his breath before giving her a charming smile. He readjusted the seat, then wiped down the leather surface. He was about to leave for lunch when the door opened without a knock.

    Al was more than surprised to see Ember Sierra enter. She closed the door behind her and took a seat on a small settee in the corner, smoothing out the skirts of her dress. She favored the maltan fashion from Caiyazet: a dress with a front panel made of cloth with a wild print in yellow, purple, and black. The petticoats were also purple, as was the hat pinned to the elaborate hair style that piled all her hair in curls on her head. The look of a professional woman was complete with a black pince-nez attached to a broach on her lapel. She folded her hands in her lap. ¡°I do think we need to have a little chat, Alpine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just Al. You don¡¯t need to use my full name,¡± he said.

    ¡°No one calls me ¡®Emmy¡¯ or ¡®Em¡¯. I am Ember, .rd Ember Sierra. I earned that name when I became a wizard, just like you earned yours.¡±

    He returned to wiping down his chair. ¡°Did you come in here to lecture me on wizardly protocol or do you have a point?¡±

    ¡°Why yes, I do, Alpine. I wanted to let you know that I¡¯m aware of what happened yesterday.¡±

    ¡°The mess-up with my bookings? The secretaries apologized, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m referring to the occasion when you almost burned down Milxner¡¯s.¡±

    Al froze for a moment, then folded the cloth in thirds. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°You mean to say you aren¡¯t cognizant of what ¡®you shook the building and knocked over a lamp, then ran away¡¯ means?¡±

    His shoulders slumped. Not only was she calling him out for a mistake, she was calling him out for his cowardice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Ember waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°The roof isn¡¯t dependable. We have several buckets full of water lying around. I don¡¯t expect you¡¯d be privy to that information, since you¡¯re usually over on this side of the building, but Milxner¡¯s employees do. Why is it that you didn¡¯t yell for someone or try to stamp it out yourself? I could have assisted you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were there or else I would have asked.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yes. Well, let¡¯s forget about that portion of the event. I came to talk to you about that wild punch you threw.¡±

    ¡°I damaged something?¡±

    Ember gave a tinkling little laugh. ¡°No, the walls are quite sturdy enough. You did reassure me of their integrity. That was quite an impressive show of power.¡± She rose gently and eyed him up and down. ¡°I¡¯d like to employ you at Milxner¡¯s¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No?¡± she said, arching an eyebrow. ¡°You reached that decision quickly. I hope you understand that I¡¯m rather picky about who I retain.¡±

    ¡°Then no, thank you,¡± he said, walking past her and out the door. He didn¡¯t need to think at all about that decision. Working on her side of the building was a slow death sentence, not far in parallels to drinking excessively. He could already see the changes in Aggie, even though he¡¯d only known him for three or four years.

    Alpine headed to the break room, looking back to see Ember following him at a leisurely pace. She knew where he was going and there was no need for a lady to rush anywhere. Al sat at his normal table and began eating lunch, starting by hollowing out his loaf of bread so he could place the cheese and vegetables inside once he diced them. He pulled out the sharp knife he kept in his satchel, then eyed Ember, who had entered and was seating herself across from Al.

    ¡°I¡¯m not finished,¡± she said.

    ¡°I am. My decision is final. I thank you for the consideration, but I¡¯m not interested. I like my job and things the way they are.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ember said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry and displeased to hear that. I believe you could make a lot of money working for Milxner¡¯s. You have a wife and a daughter, correct? Think of what you could afford with more wealth. Better clothes, jewelry for your wife, tutors for when your child grows up.¡±

    Al put down his knife. ¡°I know all that. I know I could be making more money in a job that didn¡¯t have me scraping for every coin I got. I don¡¯t want to. I know what it¡¯s like working with the Unease, being a Hard wizard. You guys burn out fast. I¡¯d rather live poor but longer, than rich but shorter.¡±

    ¡°So, you admit you¡¯re a coward, then? Afraid to take risks, live life to the fullest?¡±

    Al frowned. ¡°If that¡¯s what you were looking for then, fine. I¡¯m a coward. I¡¯ll be the first to admit it. I don¡¯t care what you think of me. Happy?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not happy, Alpine. You¡¯re not acquiescing to my demands. I¡¯m not getting what I desire. I want you to work under me and you are refusing me. Therefore, I will just have to go with an alternative.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you going to ask Jindahl and Stohr to fire me in hopes I¡¯ll be desperate enough to crawl to your side?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s distasteful. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for you and your family being impoverished. I think I have a better idea, one that leaves things in your hands. A choice: do three tasks for me or I will tell our esteemed employers you¡¯ve been holding out on potential wages all these years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I haven¡¯t been holding out on anything.¡±

    ¡°I feel they wouldn¡¯t see it that way.¡±

    Al sighed and wiped his mouth absently with his hand. ¡°Fine. Let me ask first, what kind of tasks?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet,¡± she admitted. ¡°Nothing impossible. Nothing untoward or damaging.¡±

    ¡°But since you don¡¯t know, or don¡¯t want to say, I¡¯d be agreeing to potentially anything.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. You could wisely reduce options that would leave you a lesser man. I want you at your peak when you join us, Alpine. And you will join us.¡± She paused, tapping her lacquered fingernail on her bottom lip. ¡°You and Stalagmite are good friends, yes?¡±

    ¡°Aggie? Yes. We talk and hang out sometimes. Why?¡±

    ¡°I want you to start a bout of fisticuffs with him.¡±

    ¡°You want me to punch Aggie?¡±

    ¡°Yes. By the end of the day. That will be your first task.¡± She gathered her skirts and stood. ¡°Come see me when you¡¯ve finished.¡±

    Alpine took a bite of his sandwich as he watched Ember leave. Kriskin malor, he swore to himself. He¡¯d punched a wall the day before, but he¡¯d rather do that a million more times than have to fight Aggie.

 Chapter 4

    It wasn¡¯t easy to maintain the Calm while trying to think of ways to beat up your best friend. Al, therefore, did his best not to think about it.

    He went through four more sessions of tricks and charlatanry, plying his trade behind the smoke and mirrors his profession required. While his last client paid, Al reset his office and locked it. He calmly walked back to the break room, looking around for Aggie. No such luck. He made his way over to Milxner¡¯s, surveying the room and quickly spotted his friend by the door, chatting with Cascade.

    Al suspected Aggie hadn¡¯t had many options in life. His build was naturally tall and muscular, with a broad chest and limbs thick with muscle. If he hadn¡¯t gone into wizardry, he would have worked somewhere that required he did the same thing, with less pay. He might have made a good politician, but he wasn¡¯t tactful enough to keep his extra-marital affairs quiet enough. His wife was more or less oblivious, but amongst the wizard community and certain societies, he had a reputation. He seemed to be improving it with Cascade Gold, one of the newer acquisitions to Milxner¡¯s. She was also a Touch wizard, like Al, but her profession involved a lot more skin-to-skin contact than Al used. Much, much more. Aggie had remarked that she was good at what she did and Al had no reason not to believe him.

    It reminded Al of yesterday, when Aggie had been daydreaming about his latest conquest instead of listening to him. Al wasn¡¯t upset about it any more, but it did give him a flimsy excuse to start something with Aggie. And he didn¡¯t have to win, just engage and exchange a few blows.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled when he had closed the gap to just a few feet.

    ¡°Oh, hey, Al. I was just telling Cascade about that time¡­¡±

    Aggie didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence. Al shoved him as hard as he could in the chest. Aggie stumbled backwards a few steps before righting himself.

    ¡°What the hell?¡¯ he yelled.

    Al swung for his face and missed. He tried twice more, connecting on the third swing with Aggie¡¯s jaw. It only titled his face to one side slightly. Al hoped Aggie hadn¡¯t slipped into the Unease already.

    ¡°You never listen to me! I¡¯m sick of it, Aggie, sick of it!¡±

    ¡°Al! What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    Al threw a few more punches, landing a pathetically weak haymaker on Aggie¡¯s throat that did nothing more than bounce off his skin. Aggie finally fought back, swinging back and punching Al hard enough in the nose that he saw stars before he inhaled blood and coughed.

    Aggie braced Al¡¯s elbows, pinning his arms to his side. Al kept trying to walk forward for a few moments more, then stopped, realizing there was no more momentum for the fight. Cascade had moved aside a few feet, watching the spectacle with amusement. ¡°You must be crazy, Al. I¡¯ve never seen Stalagmite lose a fight.¡±

    ¡°He knows that, too,¡± his friend said before focusing on Al. ¡°If I let go, are you going start punching me again?¡± Al shook his head miserably. Aggie let go and Al sunk back on his heels before regaining his balance. Cascade kindly handed him her kerchief, which Al used to staunch the flow of blood from his nose. ¡°Now, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    ¡°Nudding. It¡¯s nudding,¡± Al said, waving his hand as he walked away and into Ember¡¯s office.

    She looked up from her ledger, then back down with a smirk on her face. ¡°I see you finished your first task.¡±

    ¡°I should have hid a bick wall. I¡¯d have had a bedder chance ad winning.¡±

    ¡°Based on yesterday, you might have. How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel like I god punched in deh nose, Ember.¡±

    ¡°I figured that. What I mean is, how are you feeling after the fact? Exhilarated? Drained?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    He felt jittery from the fight and took a few deep breaths through his mouth to calm down. Maybe there was a stirring inside, the same part that had hoped the building had burned down, but Al quashed it down. He was in pain, his nose throbbing with each heartbeat. Some blood had trickled into his mouth and he tasted blood. Overall, it was something different and maybe exhilarating, but he wasn¡¯t going to tell Ember that. ¡°I don know. I don care. I just wan do go home, so you may as well give me my nex dask.¡±

    Ember bristled, her tone irritated. ¡°¡¯I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t care.¡¯ Don¡¯t speak like the chattel do, Alpine. You¡¯re better than them.¡± She drummed her fingernails on her desk for a moment. ¡°As for your next task, I haven¡¯t divined anything yet. Sit tight for a moment.¡±

    Al did so in a huff, leaning forward so that the blood didn¡¯t drip on his robes. After a few moments, he opened his hands in an impatient gesture.

    Ember held up a hand to placate him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me more about yourself?¡±

    ¡°Dere¡¯s naw much do me. I work here, I have a daughder and a wife.¡±

    ¡°Anything you do in your spare time? Anything you like?¡±

    He thought about this for a moment. ¡°I read a lod. If I have a liddle money lefdover ad de end of deh month, I buy books and newspapers. I like reading aboud Arvonne mosly, especially de polidics.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°Polidics. Govermen and resources and laws, dings like dat.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I thought you were saying¡­never mind. Politics. Well, that doesn¡¯t sound exciting, Alpine.¡±

    ¡°No, no id is, achually¡­¡±

    Ember interrupted. ¡°Alpine, you¡¯re a Calm wizard. Is there a particular reason why you¡¯re not fixing your nose and irritating me with your babble?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Give me a few minids.¡±

    It took more time than that. He was still fidgety from the fight and it took some concentration to soothe his tensions. It would have been faster if he could use the Unease he was close to tapping into, but he didn¡¯t want Ember to know he was a switcher. Besides, keeping her waiting for once was nice. As the minutes passed, he felt the blood flow stanch and the swelling reduce enough that he no longer felt the throb. He sniffed, breathed in and out of his nose for a few times, then continued.

    ¡°Fifteen years ago there was a coup and the Arvonne royal line was killed. The king and queen, both of their extended families, the two princes and the princesses, and anyone that could rally enough people to fight back. They instated a new form of government called Kalronism. It hasn¡¯t been going too well for two reasons. One, Kalronism was only written about and, now that it¡¯s in place, is showing all the problems. And two, the Arvonnese royal family, while not adored, was well-liked. Many people in Arvonne are beginning to sour against the new system and wish for the monarchy to return. Some of the distant cousins who managed to remove themselves from the regency enough to survive seem primed to take back power. It¡¯s absolutely fascinating by what will happen.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Personally, I want the regency back. I want them to win. I wish I had been there and could have fought for the Alscaine family, to save them or die trying.¡±

    Ember had been writing while Al had spoken. She paused, putting her cartridged pen down. ¡°You¡¯re saying a man who couldn¡¯t even put out a tiny fire in a warehouse would have made a difference in a deposition?¡±

    Al deflated a little. ¡°It would have been different.¡±

    ¡°I see. Do you have any other hobbies, then, other than casting yourself as a hero in a putsch you were safely never going to fight in?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I garden. I like early Berothian and Teidan Kan High Age philosophy. I read a lot of books with the mythology of Noh Amair, like Fraulix the Great and the Norskim.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Do you go out drinking? Gambling? Spear fishing off the Genale coast? Anything interesting?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I go out for drinks with Aggie, but I get the feeling he might not want to do that anymore.¡± Aggie was Al¡¯s only friend. The thought of losing him did fill him with a lot of regret. Maybe they could patch things up sometime in the future.

    ¡°Drinking! There we go! So you¡¯re open to a night of debauchery, then? I¡¯ll have a chat with .Rd White and see if we can reconcile things with him. Be at ease. I¡¯ll speak with you tomorrow.¡±

    Al left her office, ignoring the clearly pissed off Aggie standing nearby. He walked home in the rain, tapping into the Calm again to help speed up the healing process so his nose was back down to a normal size when he picked up Marnie at his sister-in-law¡¯s.

    After they arrived at home, Al made dinner, fed Marnie, and waited for Burdet. Long after the food had turned cold did he finally eat his meal and put his wife¡¯s in the chill chest, noting the block of ice was almost gone. He¡¯d have to speak with the deliverer as soon as he could.

    He played with Marnie, reading her some of the books he had when he was in school for wizardry. He made up stories and grabbed items from around their house to amuse her, but Marnie started to grow restless. He walked around with her, holding her even when she began to cry.

    ¡°Mama!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°Shh. I don¡¯t know where Mama is, darling.¡±

    She cried for her mother over and over, tears running down her face. Al finally laid her down on his chest and she calmed down, sucking on her thumb.

    ¡°Dada?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is, either, love¡± he said.

    She looked up at him and sighed, placing her head against his chest. ¡°Dada.¡±

    ¡°Close enough,¡± he answered, stroking her fine hair until she fell asleep.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Number two will be to accompany Stalagmite to a tavern tonight and drinking until you can¡¯t see straight,¡± Ember said. Al wasn¡¯t surprised she had managed to convince Aggie to drink. It was like convincing a fish to swim.

    ¡°What is that supposed to accomplish?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It will get you out of your abode for an evening, which. from what Stalagmite told me, is in dire order.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been out in a while, true. But, I can¡¯t guarantee my wife will be home to watch Marnie.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not a housewife, then, keeping the Gray household in shape? She needed to get a job herself?¡±

    Al¡¯s jaw set. He knew what she was implying and where that was going to lead the conversation. ¡°She works as a clerk in the city.¡± He hoped his tone would stop her from making the point he knew she wanted to make again.

    Ember paused. ¡°I see. And where is your daughter now?¡±

    ¡°At her aunt¡¯s house. She watches Marnie during the day. I pick her up after work.¡±

    ¡°Would she be terribly put out if no one took your daughter until tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind keeping Marnie overnight, but I can¡¯t imagine she¡¯d be pleased about it. I always pick Marnie up. She¡¯d feel abandoned if I wasn¡¯t there to feed her dinner and read to her tonight. It¡¯s what we do every night that I work.¡±

    If Ember felt guilty at making a little girl cry, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll lean,¡± she said, annoyed. ¡°Our mutual employers will be making their customary visit tomorrow, to check on their assets. I will tell them we have a switcher who could be making them a lot more money on Milxner¡¯s side.¡±

    Al wiped his face with his hands, hoping she¡¯d disappear when he removed them. No such luck. ¡°Well, I have no choice then.¡±

    ¡°You do. I could even make it nicer for you by splitting your hours. You¡¯d still get to do that sissy perfuming stuff that you love so much. You¡¯d make more money by doing a few hours over here. Maybe just a day to start out. Does that sound fair to you, Alpine?¡±

    And how long would that last? he asked himself. First a few hours, then a full day. Then every day, until I burn out or I quit. He stood up. ¡°Just have him meet me at Grucker¡¯s after work.¡±

    * * *

    Al had spent a good portion of an hour nursing a dark beer they called Chapman¡¯s Water. Clearly the man had plumbing issues, since Al couldn¡¯t see his hand through the clear glass. He¡¯d chew it, but he was afraid of breaking a tooth. He¡¯d had bread with less grain than his drink.

    He was distracting himself with bad jokes. It would work for a few moments, then he¡¯d remember that his best friend, the man whose chin impression was still on his knuckles, was going to enter the bar he was sitting in any moment. And he felt awful about it. Al had avoided him since the fight, but he noticed Aggie had as avoided him as well.

    Al sighed and drew pictures on the table with the condensation that had dripped from the mug. First a bunny, then a wolf. He looked up when the door opened and smiled weakly at Aggie. Aggie registered him, but didn¡¯t return the smile. He did sit at Al¡¯s table, but said nothing until he had downed three Chapman¡¯s Waters.

    Al waited until Aggie relaxed a notch. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re angry with me. I¡¯m sorry, Aggie, I shouldn¡¯t have hit you.¡±

    Aggie sniffed, then looked him dead in the eye. ¡°You know, Al, you¡¯re the only guy I know in my whole life who wouldn¡¯t hit me. I can let my guard down around you. I can trust you. But not anymore.¡±

    ¡°I said I was sorry. Look, I promise I will never hit you again. I¡¯m honor-bound as a wizard,¡± he said, linking his two fingers and thumbs together like a chain and pulling. ¡°I will not hurt you, nor will I try. That¡¯s my word. Besides, I get the impression that if I made another attempt, you¡¯d break my nose completely. I¡¯m sort of fond of it straight.¡±

    He took a swig from his fourth tankard, sighed, and ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have hit you in the nose. Cheap shot. I¡¯m sorry, too.¡±

    ¡°There,¡± Al said, clinking his mug against Aggie¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯re good. I¡¯m glad, because I don¡¯t think my face could take another round from you.¡±

    Aggie¡¯s sour mood finally broke and he cracked a smile. ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly beating the ladies off with a stick.¡±

    ¡°No, sir! Not this guy.¡±

    ¡°I mean, how does your wife do it? I bet you save a lot on candles in the bedroom.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Yeah, that¡¯s a good one, Aggie.¡±

    ¡°Ha! I bet your daughter¡¯s going to need a huge dowry.¡±

    ¡°All right, you made your point.¡±

    This continued for a few more minutes, Aggie insulting Al¡¯s looks in any way he could think. Al¡¯s mood darkened, but he said nothing. He just drank larger mouthfuls of his beer, ordering another, and then another still by the time Aggie had finally calmed down and jovially slapped Al¡¯s back.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Most wouldn¡¯t say Alpine was a bad looking man. He had a thick, black hair, an easy smile, and warm, brown eyes that shone with humor and intelligence. Despite his slight physique, Al had a few flirtatious encounters with women every once in awhile. They were usually older, his honest face charming those who wished to pat his arm and laugh at his corny jokes. It was fair to say he did all right in the looks departments. Next to Aggie, though, it was very easy to forget Al¡¯s assets and focus solely on his friend. Aggie turned fair heads with the physique he maintained by lifting things three or four times his weight. On top of that, his chiseled face broke out in a charming and boyish smile frequently. Al had seen him hook many women with a combination of a look and a grin in the direction of a woman. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to bed her and move on when he was bored.

    Aggie began surveying the room, his gaze landing on each woman, single or not, and moving on when none were biting. Al¡¯s friend moved on to complaining, something he was well practiced in. Apparently, Aggie¡¯s wife was starting to catch on to the discrepancies in his pay and hours. It was about time; they had been married for seven years and Aggie had been cheating on her for six years and eleven months. Essa had started nagging him about where the money was going and Aggie was running out of excuses. Al listened, nodding occasionally and pretending like he cared, but really he hated hearing about his friend¡¯s adulterous ways. He tolerated it, but he didn¡¯t encourage him, either.

    Al was also said nothing at Aggie¡¯s blatant hypocrisy. He whined with an increasing slur about Essa and how she was not trusting enough, then would talk about any of the dozen women he was seeing. His wife had every right to be suspicious because she was correct. Aggie was wasting money that could go to his wife and children on loose women in several ongoing attempts to convince each one that he was either single or about to leave his wife. Essa didn¡¯t have to worry about the last part; for all his infidelity, Aggie claimed he still loved his wife and had no intention of leaving his family. He had never heard his friend speak about any of the women he bedded in the way he spoke about his wife.

    Al listened and finished his beer, thinking he could end the night on the early side and stagger home. Aggie ordered another beer for both of them and four shots of kimpaso, a strong liquor from Elebtor. Al was stuck drinking a sixth Chapman¡¯s Water. He had been coping before, but that last tankard did him in. When he finally stood to pay the bill, he could barely make it to the bar without clutching to any nearby chair.

    ¡°Goin¡¯ home, Aggie. Nice night. You¡¯re nice, too. Go home and go to bed,¡± Al said as he passed by the table. Aggie embraced him in a side hug and dragged him outside the bar and down the street. Al didn¡¯t have the capability to fight him, so he staggered along. ¡°Where¡¯re we goin¡¯?¡±

    Aggie pulled them a few streets over to the dockside. Whitney, like most cities with a port, answered the question ¡°are foreign criminals lazy?¡± with a continual demonstration at the wharf. It was just easier not to find a place to do dirty work far from the boat you just left. Rarely a night would pass without a bloated body washing ashore or a brutal shanking reported in one of the alleyways. And those were the crimes with victims; the docks were a hotbed of activity involving gambling, loan sharking, prostitution, and drugs where any man could find a good time.

    That¡¯s just what Aggie wanted. Al had protested feebly, but in the end felt it was easier to just let him take control. That involved walking at a stumbling pace down Brownbury Street until they bumped into two whores who were walking towards them.

    The prostitutes immediately spotted them, waving and catcalling. ¡°Look at that hunk of meat. I¡¯ll take him, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± one said to the other.

    ¡°We might both need to take him!¡± her friend said, the both of them laughing.

    Aggie bumbled across the street towards them. Al looked on, confused, until he realized what Aggie was doing. Before he could speak up, one of the whores had taken Aggie down an alley.

    ¡°And what about you?¡± the other one said as she approached Al, looking him up and down. He shook his head stupidly, staring at the mouth of the alley. ¡°Sure I can¡¯t do anything for you?¡±

    He bobbed his head her way, then pointed to his wedding band. She laughed. ¡°Like that¡¯s ever stopped anyone before. You change your mind, you let me know.¡±

    Al closed his eyes, both so he didn¡¯t have to look at the dizzying sights and to give Aggie privacy. As for the latter, it was more he didn¡¯t want to watch. Aggie had always bragged about his conquests, but since he never mentioned names or descriptions, Al had held onto the hope that Aggie was exaggerating or maybe lying. Seeing him actually break his marriage vows was disappointing.

    The whore next to him thought this was amusing and began describing what Aggie was doing in detail. ¡°If I pay you, will you shut up?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she purred. ¡°What I do and what you pay are always negotiable.¡±

    He reached into his pocket and withdrew what remained of his tips for the day: a Courmet copper and an Eerie silver. Damn. He hastily put them back. ¡°Do what you have to do,¡± he told the whore.

    A foreign copper and a local silver, even being a significant amount of money, was an insult. They called it a rue knick. It was some custom that had started somehow and at some point long ago. Whitneyans found the combination to mean something like ¡°your wares are inferior and you aren¡¯t welcome here¡± even though a silver and a copper was enough to buy a decent meal. Even the opposite combination, an Eerie copper and a Courmet silver, would have been fine, but he didn¡¯t have that.

    It didn¡¯t occur to Al to offer her just the copper or the silver. She would have likely taken anything he offered her, including the almost worthless briket, an Ashven currency worth one-tenth of a copper. Maybe he could have even offered her a small taste of his wizardry, knocking her out in a blissed state for a few minutes. He probably wouldn¡¯t have, even if he were sober. He hated people taking advantage of situations like that.

    Aggie walked out of the alley, tucking in his shirt. Al stood up and turned to leave when the woman behind Aggie loudly asked if he was going to pay her.

    ¡°Go ahead. Do it. Les get outta here,¡± Al said, starting to feel a little ill from the near drowning he¡¯d had at the bar.

    ¡°She said she liked me!¡± Aggie said.

    ¡°Yeah, they all say that. Pay her.¡±

    ¡°I thought it was free.¡±

    ¡°What? Come on, iss never free. Pay.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡±

    Al tensed, swaying a little to stay upright. ¡°Nothin¡¯? You don¡¯t have nothin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Nooo¡­you pay her.¡±

    ¡°Aggie,¡± Al hissed loudly, ¡°I only have a rue knick.¡±

    Up until that point, the whore had been sternly watching the two with her hands on her hips. When she heard those two words, she started yelling. ¡°What? A rue knick? You¡¯re going to offer me a rue knick? Uh-uh. He owes me a silver, five.¡±

    She was not worth that. She¡¯d have to do what Cascade did in order to command those wages. Al, who would¡¯ve had some trouble counting to ten at that moment, didn¡¯t know he could haggle her down.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough,¡± he said. ¡°We can go to our work and get some money and come back. We promise we¡¯ll be quick about it.¡±

    The whore took in a lungful of air and yelled, ¡°Ikadi tonnarit!¡±

    Al was confused until Aggie grabbed him by the arm and yanked him down the street. ¡°Run!¡± he yelled as several men started staggering out from their businesses.

 Chapter 6

    Al and Aggie stumbled down the street, dodging past any man that happened to open a door and step outside. One even managed to grab ahold of Al¡¯s sleeve, but Aggie yanked his friend from the man¡¯s clutches.

    ¡°I went the wrong way,¡± Aggie said after they ducked into a side street. ¡°We need to get out of the docks.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Al was starting to sober quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the street sign say?¡±

    Al found that he could read it clear as day even though it was shadowed and beyond his normal vision. ¡°Apex. The other sign across the way is Meadow.¡±

    Aggie held his hand above his eyes and squinted. ¡°You can read that? Fine. Good.¡± He started drawing lines in the air when they heard several mens feet slapping down the cobblestones. One spotted them and yelled at his friends to turn.

    Aggie jerked Al¡¯s arm and they began running again. He pulled his friend down a dizzying maze of streets that circled them back to the Donis Gate, that iconic monolith that welcomed visitors to Whitney. Aggie shoved Al to the right, which caused him to trip and fall into a small patch of garbage.

    They both caught their breath and listened to see if anyone had caught up to them. All was silent.

    ¡°I could¡¯ve taken them,¡± Aggie said. ¡°I should have stayed and fought.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re drunk. You might have taken a few. I wouldn¡¯t be able to help you out.¡± That was a lie, but he didn¡¯t want anyone to know, not even Aggie, that he was a switcher. ¡°Any one of them would have broken my nose completely.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dock people. Weak bones. You would have been fine.¡±

    Al finally pulled himself out of the garbage. ¡°What was she yelling?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, ikadi tonnarit? It means ¡®help me, my family¡¯. She was making it sound like we were going to kill her. The dock people are tight-knit, so they came to her aid. Those guys would¡¯ve beaten us so badly we wouldn¡¯t be in work for a week.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Al could say.

    They stayed in the shadows for several minutes, listening for anything that constituted as a problem. Al had slipped into the Unease a while prior to leaving the docks, so his hearing was at his top range. Nothing. A few men strolled under the Donis Gate and walked briskly past Al and Aggie¡¯s hiding place, but they seemed more interested in being unnoticed then looking for someone.

    Al turned off his powers before he used too much and began to display symptoms from it. He turned to his friend and gave a short, huffing laugh. ¡°Remember that time we bumped into two of your girlfriends at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aggie said, laughing. ¡°I tried telling you to occupy Siliya so I could lead Martisa away and say goodbye. You just stood there, stuttering, then stepping in her way. For a smart guy, you¡¯re kind of dumb when it comes to things like that, Al. Siliya caught on and went right for Martisa.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting them to turn on each other. That got pretty nasty pretty fast.¡±

    Aggie laughed quietly again. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen women fight each other before, have you? Men have rules and we stick to those rules. Women? No rules. They pull hair, they scratch each other with their nails, they bite each other.¡±

    ¡°Glad I¡¯m not a woman. I¡¯d hate to fight some of your girlfriends, like that Astinia you were dating for a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Astinia,¡± Aggie said with a grin. ¡°Yeah, she was wild, that one. Great for one thing and one thing only. Not so great when she started to catch onto things. I barely kept her from finding out about Essa. And then when I finally dumped her, it got worse. Ember had to take care of her.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Ember did? You never told me what happened.¡±

    Aggie rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Astinia knew where I worked. She entered Milxner¡¯s, trying to find me. She wouldn¡¯t leave until I came in, then she wouldn¡¯t leave after I told her to. Ember finally got fed up and came out of her office. Uh, don¡¯t say anything? I¡¯m pretty sure she poured fear into Astinia and told her some far Berothian about how if she came back, something bad would happen.¡±

    Al frowned. It went against the wizarding code to do something like that. Not that Al was totally surprised by it. ¡°How is it, working under Ember?¡±

    Aggie shrugged. ¡°Fine, I guess. She finds me work, I do the work, she pays me. We don¡¯t say much. Once in awhile, she¡¯ll call me in and see how I¡¯m doing.¡±

    Al thought that might be more to do with making sure her work mule was in good shape and less to do with how she cared about his well being. They were silent for a few minutes, then Al said, ¡°I think we¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re good,¡± Aggie said as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to take off for home, Al.¡± He clasped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at work tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You, too. Tell Essa and the boys I said ¡®hi¡¯.¡± He was a little pleased to see Aggie flinch with guilt.

    Alpine took a northern route home, past Jindahl and Stohr, and down all the familiar routes. It was like walking home during the winter months, during the time when night set early, only it was summer. The warmth of the day still lingered long after the shopkeepers had closed their businesses. Only a stiff breeze off the shore brought any relief as he walked down the streets of Whitney.

    It was quiet. It wasn¡¯t like the early morning quiet, where you heard the occasional person moving or talking. There were no birds chirping and his footsteps felt incredibly loud. So did the sound of the front gate swinging open, the jingling of his key in the front door, and the sound of Marnie screaming at the top of her lungs. So much for coming home and dropping into a Kriskin-blessed slumber.

    ¡°Where were you?¡± Burdet asked. Her dark hair had become unpinned in several places and gave her more of a frayed look. Her small features had once made her appear doll-like, with a small, plump mouth, a mere bump of a nose, and tilted, brown eyes that once shone with passion. Now, that passion had turned to anger and it was directed solely on Al.

    She was holding Marnie on her hip, rocking her back and forth. He wanted to correct her. That¡¯s not how you soothe your daughter, he thought, but held his tongue. This was going to go badly even without Al criticizing his wife.

    ¡°I was out,¡± he replied, leaning against the frame of the front door.

    ¡°Out? Out where?¡±

    ¡°Out drinking with a friend.¡±

    Burdet started pacing and bouncing Marnie to soothe her. ¡°My sister dropped Marnie off at my job when you never showed up to take her home. I could have lost my job, Al! My boss was quite angry with me.¡±

    Al walked past her into the bedroom. Burdet continued. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to make all the money. I work so that you can have your stupid job that you love so much. I shouldn¡¯t have to. I should be at home, taking care of Marnie and you should be making all the money.¡±

    He turned to face her. ¡°Burdet, I just want to go to sleep¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even ask for nice things. I don¡¯t ask for fancy jewelry or dresses, because I know you can¡¯t afford them.¡± Al noticed she was wearing earrings he had never bought her. He doubted they came from her sister or that she bought them herself. ¡°I¡¯m a good wife, Al. I do my share, you do yours.¡±

    She followed him into the bedroom, watching as he crushed the end of the match and lit the bedroom candles with it. He felt a bit self-conscious as he changed into his bed clothes in front of his wife. Burdet didn¡¯t seem to notice.

    ¡°Tonight, though, you didn¡¯t do your job. Your one job: pick Marnie up from my sister¡¯s so that I can work my full shift! I had to leave work early, come home, pick up this pigsty, cook dinner, feed Marnie, all because you wanted to shirk your duties and go out drinking with a friend. What¡¯s his name? Or was it even a ¡®he¡¯?¡± She paused to think about this for a moment. ¡°Are you seeing someone else? Are you cheating on me?¡±

    Al crawled into bed and pulled the covers over him. ¡°Oh, no,¡± his wife said, yanking the covers off. ¡°You think you can ignore me?¡±

    ¡°I apologized. I¡¯m not cheating on you. I just went out for drinks once. I don¡¯t plan on doing that again for a long time. ¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do that ever again!¡± When he didn¡¯t say anything, Burdet went on. ¡°I bet you spent our bill money on drinks and whores, too! Where are your tips?¡±

    ¡°Not whores. Definitely not whores. Just beer. Please let me sleep so I can get up and go to work tomorrow. It¡¯s going to be rough enough as it is.¡±

    Marnie continued to cry. Al wanted to take her from his wife and hold her, stroke her hair until she fell asleep against his chest. Burdet had no idea how to calm her down. Maybe if she actually spent a few evenings with her daughter once in awhile, she¡¯d know.

    Burdet huffed out of the room. Al thought he might be able to fall asleep if she held Marnie on the opposite side of the house for a while. Instead, the front door slammed. Al jumped out of bed and found Marnie on the floor, facing the door her mother had just left, reaching out for her memory. He picked her up and rocked her, singing lullabies and smoothing her hair. When she finally calmed down to sucking on her thumb, he pulled out the trundle and tucked her in. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°And how was last night?¡± Ember asked, pouring herself some breakfast tea.

    Al slouched forward in his seat, his hands holding his head in a vice grip. Doing so made the headache a fraction less strong and every little bit counted when it came to hangovers. ¡°Went drinking. Aggie stiffed a whore, twice. We ran. I made it home and my wife and I fought. Then she walked out. All in all just a lovely evening.¡±

    ¡°And how did you feel?¡±

    He gave her an incredulous look. ¡°I was drunk, Ember. I don''t remember much until Aggie and I had to run away from the docks. I was concerned with not getting beaten into a pulp by fifty armed men. Once we escaped, I walked home in peace. Then I had to take care of Marnie. I''d say most of my evening was spent being either scared or sad.¡±

    ¡°Your wife was quite perturbed?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°I believe that''s an understatement. I haven''t seen her since she left last night. I hope she made it into work.¡±

    Ember sipped on her tea and thought. Al used the break in conversation to massage his temples and breath deeply. It had been quite a morning already. He felt better about his routine since he had to say barely anything in order to get his food along the way to work. Everyone was their usual cheery and polite selves, reaching automatically for his bread or vegetables. Work, however, had been rough. He''d had to rely on the Unease, which only made his headache worse, making it difficult to manage pleasant conversation. . He told his clients he was having a ¡°transformative day¡±, requesting as much silence as possible to help him concentrate on making a breakthrough. When the grogginess had been too much, he had taken a knife to his upper arm to keep the Unease sharp.

    ¡°I think I''ll know what your third task should be, Alpine. You need to patch things up with your wife. Take her out tonight, show her a pleasant time, then make things up to her. Romantically.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he replied quickly and without thought.

    ¡°''No''?¡± she repeated, putting her tea down. ¡°You didn''t have any qualms about drinking or fighting, but having relations with your wife seems to be a problem?¡±

    ¡°I said ''no''. I''m not going to do it.¡±

    Ember looked perplexed. ¡°It''s how you make up. You get in a fight, then you rip each others clothes off and all is forgiven. She''ll be...¡±

    ¡°Ember, stop,¡± he said, feeling embarrassed by the conversation. ¡°Think of another task or go ahead and tell our bosses. I don''t care right now.¡±

    ¡°Are things that atrocious in the Gray household? When was the last time you and her...?¡±

    ¡°None of your damned business, Ember,¡± Al snapped.

    She looked like she was burning to ask him more questions about the situation, but Ember was nothing if not careful. She sipped on her tea as Al returned to his vice grip position.

    Years, he thought. It had been years since things had been well between him and Burdet. He wasn''t sure exactly when things started to go sour between them, but he suspected it was around three years ago. The last time he remembered kissing his wife tenderly was around that time. They had exchanged anniversary gifts (three for wheat), had spent a nice day in the park, but things had seemed strained. He had cracked jokes, she had given him a hard smile. He had hugged her, she had pulled away quickly.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Later, they had fought. And when they threw barbs at each other, they had gone to bed angry and hurt. The pain hadn''t gone away. Neither apologized, neither of them ceded an inch in a war they hadn''t realized they had entered. Their home changed into a house, growing colder every time they spoke.

    Burdet had taken a job, to help offset Alpine''s failure to make it big and afford all their expenses. She resented it, he knew that. ¡°I''m going to work,¡± she said, before leaving without a touch or even a look his way. She began to stay out late, having drinks or seeing shows with friends. She''d come home well after Alpine had gone to bed, well after he had waited and hoped she would come home and eat dinner with him.

    A little over two years ago she had said two words to him. ¡°I''m pregnant.¡± They were supposed to be happy words. They were words to commence the journey towards a family. He had hoped to hear them years before the time had changed their meaning. He had said nothing, wouldn''t let Burdet see how fast his mind had worked. He had connected the dots quickly. She had cheated on her marriage vows, on him.

    He should have divorced her, but the thought of kicking a pregnant woman onto the streets seemed detestable. She''d left her job when the nausea was too much for her and gave birth to Marniva a few months later. Burdet''s sister watched her during the day, Al watched her at night, and Burdet watched her hardly ever.

    Al had never resented Marnie. It wasn''t her fault she had been born a bastard and he certainly wasn''t going to hold it against her. He took to fatherhood rather well and enjoyed watching her go through the stages of life. He loved chasing her around the house, threatening to get her while she shrieked with laughter. He loved it when she fell asleep on his chest. He loved going for walks with her to the nearby park and watching her fall down on the grass.

    But she wasn''t his daughter. And Burdet was only his wife because their finances worked out better with two incomes. They were only married to keep the sham going and there was nothing he could do to fix it. He had tried. Al had bought Burdet flowers, sweets, and little trinkets. The flowers rotted in the vase, the sweets were uneaten, and he had found some of the trinkets dotting the edge of their property in the rear of the house. He had tried, once, but had given up rather quickly.

    Al rubbed his eyes and looked up. He realized it had been several minutes since either he or Ember had said anything. She had her pince-nez on and was using a cartridged pen to write in her ledger. She glanced up at him, but went back to writing.

    ¡°If that''s all you can come up with, Ember, I''ll have to pass.¡± He stood up, slowly, and took a few steps towards the door.

    ¡°I perused the wizard''s catalog with the city, Alpine,¡± she said, not looking up. He stopped. ¡°You aren''t registered.¡±

    ¡°Yes I am!¡± he said, turning back around and wincing at the pain. ¡°It was the first thing I did when I arrived here.¡±

    ¡°You are registered as a regular wizard, yes, but you aren''t registered as a switcher. That is very problematic for you and for our employers. How would it look if Jindahl and Stohr was accused of hiring someone who can''t follow law?¡±

    Al sat again, his headache growing worse. ¡°You''re the only one who knows I can switch. We''re at the same point as before.¡±

    ¡°Can you cross-switch?¡± she asked, looking very interested. ¡°Use the Calm for Unease jobs?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he lied.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said. ¡°You''re bleeding through your shirt sleeves.¡±

    I should have kept my robe on. ¡°I did some yard work this morning. Must have cut up my arms worse than I realized.¡±

    ¡°Too bad. It would solve the problem of not wanting to use the Unease. It would make you a very valuable asset. I''m sure I could find plenty of jobs that would give us both what we wanted out of this situation.¡±

    Al sat forward in his chair. ¡°I want things to remain as they are, for better or worse.¡±

    Ember sighed and shook her head. ¡°Alpine...You know that can''t happen. Our arrangement is broken. I need to inform our bosses of your change in abilities.¡±

    ¡°I know. At least I tried.¡±

    His hand was on the doorknob when Ember said, ¡°Wait.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Alpine sat again and gave Ember several minutes to think it through. She had been patient with him. It was only fair to return the favor.

    ¡°You know of Berlont''s shop, just down the alley in the back?¡±

    ¡°The antique and artifact shop? Yes.¡±

    ¡°We will be squared away if you retrieve something from there instead.¡±

    ¡°Retrieve? That''s an interesting way to say you want me to steal it.¡±

    Ember folded her hands and placed them on top of the desk. ¡°I come from a respectable family. We''re part of the nobility, if you can believe that. Nothing as high as a duke, but many barons and viscounts, maybe even an earl or two.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I''m quite sure the Sierras are grand,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You know I''m not talking about the Sierras.¡±

    He tensed. ¡°Now, hold on. You get in my face about not using my full first name, about not registering as a switcher, and here you are talking about your old family like you belonged to them. You''re a Sierra and only a Sierra. We wipe our slates clean when we take our new names. No old familial ties, that''s the rule.¡±

    ¡°You actually followed that?¡± Ember said, genuinely surprised. ¡°No one really follows that rule, Alpine. People place their talented offspring into Amandorlam to become wizards so that their family may become prestigious by their talents. I''m sure you knew quite a few students in your class who were of noble blood. Do you think they were really going to drop their titles to become a wizard?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Al said, quietly. ¡°I moved from Quisset to Eerie. I haven''t talked to my family since I left for school.¡±

    ¡°That''s very sad, Alpine,¡± she said, reaching out an arm and looking deeply into his eyes. He thought she might be genuinely sorry for him, for a brief moment. "Perhaps you stick to the rules given a tad too much. Some aren''t all that important to follow. I never once thought I was going to turn my back on those who raised me for some fatuous order that makes no sense. Why must we wipe out our history?"

    "You took the same oath I did, Ember. We pledge our loyalty to the King, who in turn lets us learn our scholarship without fear of any noble family or common group rising up against the monarchy."

    She waved her hand in impatience. "Yes, yes, I understand all that. I''m not saying it''s a poor oath to take. We need the stability the King brings and he is, actually, a good ruler, and so on and so on. What I''m doing, what my family is doing, doesn''t undermine his authority in any way. We just want our lost heirlooms returned to the rightful owners.

    ¡°Why don''t you hire someone, then? Pay a trirec if you''re so desperate. ¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I said we were noble, not rich. They''re not always the same thing. Trirecs aren''t cheap from the research we''ve done. Besides, I''ve made some strong inquisitions into buying the item back. Berlont knows who I am and why I''m so interested. If anyone steals the item, it will be traced back to either me or my family.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°But I''m connected to you,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You work in the same building. I wouldn''t say we''re connected very strongly. And many don''t know that Jindahl and Stohr and Milxner''s are run by the same people. I suppose one of my crew could mention to someone that you and I have had a few meetings recently. And despite your lack of experience in thievery, they might follow up on their suspicions. You," she said, pointing at him, "don''t breath a word to anyone about our agreement. I will honor my side, so long as you honor yours."

    Al had always heard that reciprocal blackmail was ironclad, tighter than any contract signed. ¡°All right.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she said, finally pleased. ¡°First things first, I''m putting a time limit on this. I don''t want you stretching this out in order to stalemate me. You have two weeks.¡±

    ¡°That''s not enough time! I''d have to scope things out, plan things, figure out how to do it without getting caught...¡±

    ¡°It''s probably not enough, but I have faith in you. I figure there must be some intelligence to a man who graduated a Gray even though he should have been a Sierra.¡±

    ¡°You know that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How did you do it?" she said, folding her arms on the desk and leaning forward. "I heard you even started school early.¡±

    ¡°I was admitted a year early, when I was fifteen. I studied hard, Ember. There''s no big secret to it.¡±

    ¡°How many classes did you fail?¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    Ember raised her eyebrows. ¡°Some of those classes are designed to be failed. Hmm. Yes, I suppose if you didn''t fail anything, you could finish school in seven years instead of ten. It''s quite impressive.¡±

    Al shrugged as if he didn''t care, but he secretly enjoyed the praise. It was the only pride he''d had in his career, from the moment he stepped into Amandorlam to where he was at that moment. He''d ignored the normal distractions that caused many students to fail classes. He''d had a few acquaintances, but they were equally as driven and were better to study with than to go to the bar. Alpine attended school six days a week and studied for seven. Everyone else skipped classes, failed to turn in assignments on time, or didn''t bother with the studying. They failed the classes that Al passed with high marks. In fact, Al had set records for attendance, overall completion, and grades. One of the best students to pass through those hallowed halls.

    And now here he was, the shining luminary of Amadorlam. ¡°What would you like me to steal?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I would like you to retrieve a chalice. It is about a hand and a half high with four indentations on the outside of the bowl. In between the indentations are four stones in a trillion cut. The stem is ornate, easily felt, and the gilding on it travels down to the base.¡±

    Al waited for more. When she said nothing, he asked. ¡°What metal is it made out of? What color are the stones? What pattern is the gilding?¡±

    ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because it is invisible.¡±

    Al sat back in his seat. Was she having a lark? She wasn''t smiling, not even smirking. ¡°I can''t steal an invisible cup, Ember. I''d have no idea where he''d keep it or if I got the right one. ¡±

    ¡°That I can help you with.¡± Ember opened a drawer in her desk and withdrew a crude map. ¡°The shop has a simple layout. Two rows of cases and shelves behind those against the walls. If you walk down the aisle, you''ll reach a counter,¡± she said, tapping on the point. ¡°Behind that, to the left, is his desk. It faces the window. On the wall above that is a shelf with his most prized possessions. There is a small, alabaster statue of the goddess Aliorna, said to be commissioned by Ap Jorsen himself. There is a priceless inkwell from the Alscaine family collection, silver with ornamentation. There is a contraption I think is a miniature astrolabe or sextant. And, amongst those objects, is a space where the chalice resides.¡±

    ¡°Anything you can help me out with?¡±

    ¡°I''d advise you don''t touch anything other than the chalice. I have no idea if Berlont paid to have any spells worked on any of his items. Knowing his reputation, I''d say he has. Other than that, I haven''t been able to find anything that would help me procure my heirloom.¡±

    "That''s it, then? That''s all I have to work with?" Alpine sighed deeply. ¡°Two weeks, huh? It will take a miracle.¡±

 Chapter 9

    For most of the fourteen days since his discussion with Ember, Al had managed to perfect the craft of procrastination. In fact, not only did he take no action, he tried as well as he could not to think about it, either. Every time the thought surfaced, he''d skim it out of his mind with an imaginary ladle, like he was removing the foam to make clarified butter.

    This kept him happy and sane for most of the two weeks. About three days before his deadline, after a series of steady and displeased looks from Ember, he ventured down the alley behind Milxner''s to Berlont''s. He walked inside quickly, noting that though the map had been correct, Al''s imagination had been lacking. He browsed quickly until Berlont himself had come out from his workroom. Al had smiled nervously, then left before the shop owner could ask him if he needed help.

    There was no master plan, no clever way he could break into the shop, and Al was out of time.

    Ember had been up front when Al had entered Jindahl and Stohr on that last morning, speaking with Peni and Taritha about something. When he entered, she had looked up, tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. He had nodded brusquely and opened his office door, sitting down on the bench and sighing deeply.

    He at least had the forethought to let Burdet know he wouldn''t be home in time to pick up Marnie at the usual time. It hadn''t gone well. ¡°I thought you said you wouldn''t go out drinking again!¡± she''d said.

    ¡°I''m not going out to get drunk. I''m just going out for a few drinks and to chat with Aggie. That''s all. I should be back just a few hours later than normal.¡± He''d smiled at her. She''d glowered at him and left the living room in a huff.

    It hadn''t been a total lie. While he hadn''t gone out drinking with Aggie, but had been drinking. Berlont didn''t close his shop until well past sunset and Al needed to kill some time before he attempted whatever it was he was going to attempt.

    Had Al been a richer and more respected man, he''d be drinking Coujenet in a salon with friends, discussing all his favorite books and his appreciation of art. Since he was neither, he drank in a tavern bar alone.

    When he was not fraternizing with Aggie, he preferred to sip of a deep red Arvonne wine called Caudet, ¡°the watcher-lady¡±. It was named after a legend of a woman whose husband had never returned from sea. Long after she had died, people still saw her ghost walking the cliffs near the vineyards of Tapenstri with a lantern, trying to guide her husband home to her. Al didn''t really believe the story, but he had tasted Caudet enough over the years to form an appreciation for the vintage and the romance it implied.

    It was on his third glass that he started to feel his favorite stage of inebriation: the wistful feeling that he had once visited Arvonne and had forgotten it after a feverish illness. It was a haunting, mysterious comfort with a hint of clove and raspberry undertones that lingered on his tongue long after he had swallowed everything but the dregs.

    He swirled the bottom of the glass in an attempt to form a sigil. ¡°Oh, hallowed Preshrinor, guide me to your lands and bring me closer to the heavens,¡± he said, mocking the piscarins. ¡°Let me feast upon your glory and slake my thirst with your knowledge.¡±

    He snorted and looked up, quickly eyeing the room and seeing that no one was paying him any attention. He looked at the bottom of the glass. The dregs looked surprisingly like they were spelling out the letter ess, the sigil of movement and action. He sighed, paid his tab, and left the bar.

    His walk was just a few streets over. Having noticed he was warm, giddy, and staggering a little, he used the time to tap into the Calm and burn out a little of the alcohol in his system. As far as he knew, no one had created a successful spell, potion, or ritual that would sober a man instantly. Several blocks of walking proved that Al wasn''t either the man or it wasn''t the night for an epiphany.

    While he had been planning, Al had realized the hardest part was going to be the first part, breaking into the shop. Even if he had practiced as much as he possibly could in two weeks, he knew he still wouldn''t have the skill to pick the lock. He couldn''t blast the door open or break a window without alerting people in the neighborhood and potentially Berlont himself. He didn''t have the tools to cut the glass. There was nothing in his bag of tricks, either with applied knowledge or wizardry, that he knew to enter a locked shop.

    Al passed by the front of the business, hoping to see something out of place that could help him. An open window or perhaps a man standing outside, willing to steal something for very little money. Or nothing. He was so intent on looking around the building that he didn''t even notice the handwritten sign on the front door:Stolen novel; please report.

    CLOSED

    PLEASE DO NOT BREAK GLASS

    DOOR IS UNLOCKED

    Al blinked a few times, made to move around the shop, then stopped. He pivoted on his heels and re-read the sign to make sure his eyes weren''t tricking him. He tried the door and found that, as promised, it opened for him without so much as a squeak.

    Through the haze of inebriation, Al paused and wondered why someone would leave their shop available for looting like that. Was it a trap? Was Berlont secretly trying to rid the city of thieves by luring them in with easy bait? Or was he lying in wait, ready to stab Al the moment he walked in the shop?

    He shook his head, turning it into a sway that felt kind of good for a moment. It might be a trap, but no one spent their nights waiting for a crime, hoping that someone would stumble in and try to steal something. When would Berlont sleep?

    The reason didn''t matter; Al had to steal that chalice and it had to be that night.

    He opened the door gently, closing it with a little more force than he intended, then readied himself for part two: sneaking. Alpine had once seen a play near the campus of Amandorlam during a rare break that he had given himself,. It had been a dry interpretation of Gilkarest''s Twenty Nights in Kinto. He remembered the halting movements of Persisco, the thief who stole the Parsa diamond, and how he strode lightly on the balls of his feet, creeping in between steps. Al mimicked the motion as he sneaked across the shop.

    Step, creep, step, creep. Al was feeling pretty good about this portion of his task. He hadn''t made any noise and he had broken in without disturbing anything. If things went well, he might consider a career in thievery. Maybe he''d do better as a planner than a doer, but maybe he''d switch in on a few missions. He''d have two, no three, men underneath him, perhaps a boy that could get into tight areas, and he''d take a cut of fifty percent per job and...

    He was so engrossed with his imaginary side business that it was a shock for him to look up and take in the whole of the room and its contents.

    While he had seen the place during the day, he had been quite nervous and hadn''t stopped to enjoy what was there. The shop was packed with knickknacks, gadgets, statuettes, boxes, holders, and accouterments of various sizes and shapes. Gold, brass, silver, velvet pouches, mother-of-pearl inlays, feathers, exotic woods, and all sorts of lacquer hit Al with a delicate magnitude, even though the light from the alley lamps barely shown through the window. Despite the wares being dusty, they shone with a majesty beyond what Al could handle. His eyes watered and he blinked the tears away.

    Each item had a small, white card in front of it listing the name, origin, cost, and any additional trivia. Each had been painstakingly written in bold but neat handwriting that matched the closed sign on the front door. Al paused to look at a few. If any of them were to be believed, Berlont had a trove of magical pieces that could fix the problems in anyone''s life. He suspected most were just beautiful things worth their weight in materials, but not in promises. The piscarins of snuff boxes and hand mirrors.

    He made his way to the back of the store, sneak-stepping until he got to the counter. He crawled underneath the hole, pushing the counter flap up with his back when he tripped a little. He backed out and shook his head at his stupidity. He then pushed the flap on top of the bar over and walked through.

    The desk Ember had described was in the corner. He walked over and looked up behind it, panicking when he saw the shelf was full of items. There was no empty space where an invisible chalice should be. There were no chalices on the shelf at all. Was her information faulty? Did Berlont change his layout since she''d been in?

    He looked around and spotted a second, smaller shelf above the window. There were several items crammed along the wood, but a very conspicuous spot where there was nothing. Al moved the desk chair over to the wall very carefully. He stood on it, then steadied himself with the wall. He had to be careful. Ember had warned him that touching anything but the chalice could cost him.

    But, as he stared at it, Al decided he really wanted that Alscaine inkwell. To have a piece of Arvonne in his hand, to hold an item once touched by the king himself! It was right there, the silver overlay almost winking at him. What if he just touched it? Just for a second...

    What if he stole it? He was already stealing something, why not one more thing? Well, the other thing belonged to Ember''s family and it was stolen from them. Or had it been? What if it had been freely given or sold, but the buyer was having cold feet? Then Al would be really stealing instead of stealing with good intentions. Did that even matter, the means justifying the ends? What would the law say? Did the law matter if he was an exception that could be excused? Al''s head hurt.

    The chalice. That was it. He slowly moved his hand into the empty space on the shelf. Where air should be he felt cold metal. He reached around it and pulled it down to him, feeling the surprising heaviness of it. He held it up, trying to catch it in the light but failing. It was invisible, even in the brightest light, even from the highest height, even with a smiling bee, even with a frowning tree, even on...

    Stop with the nursery rhyme. Focus. He was about to step down from the chair when he saw the white card in front of where the chalice had been. Al planned on moving it back, but he glanced at the top and read:

    The Mikros Chalice

    And just like that, Al had discovered a way to sober up instantaneously.

 Chapter 10

    I have to get out of here. Now. He forgot his masterful creep-step and walked as quickly as he could to the front of the shop. He heard his feet slapping and squelching, looked down, and realized how much water he had tracked into the shop. Just at the moment he had the thought to slow down and be careful, he slipped and fell into the case to his left. He steadied himself by reaching for the top. Instead of the smooth, glass case, he wound up pulling the exquisite jewelry box he had seen earlier, the one with the mother-of-pearl inlay. No sooner than he had touched it did a high-pitched wail emanate from somewhere in the shop. Al froze for a full second, then ran out of the shop.

    In his panicked state, he started running down the street to Milxner¡¯s. Then, he remembered he couldn¡¯t connect himself, Milxner¡¯s, or Ember to the crime.

    He turned around and ran the other way, dodging through streets with the chalice cradled under his arm. People stopped to stare at him, some even stepping out of the way before he collided into them.

    He ran from street to street until his lungs burned. Al slowed down and checked his surroundings while he sucked in lungfuls of air. He was heading towards the docks. Not good.

    Even though it had been over two weeks since he and Aggie had slipped past the collective, neighborly defenses of the wharf, he could be spotted and outed by the whores they¡¯d had the displeasure of meeting. He took the next side alley, then another and another, until his route circled around to the heart of Whitney.

    He stood at the mouth of an alley and caught his breath, propping himself against the brick wall of the building¡¯s corner. It was cold and slick from the light rain that had begun to fall as he had whipped through the Heart. He wiped his hand on his shirt, a mostly wasted effort at drying it, and pulled out the card again. Alpine had to find the right angle that allowed him to shield it from the rain with his arm, but not block the light from the nearest lamp. He hadn¡¯t been mistaken. The card definitely said ¡°The Mikros Chalice¡±. Not a chalice of the Brother, or even ¡°one of the chalices¡±, but the chalice. His chalice.

    What Al knew of the gods and their works was limited to what he had learned at Amandorlam, which amounted to three classes. In the intermediate level, they delved beyond who the gods were and what they did and focused on their legacies. It had covered the divine servants, Aps, and how they had created prosperity for their gods after they had left the moral realm. The professor had gone on to explain how many Aps had created divine instruments, extensions of their masters¡¯ powers, to continue to propagate each god¡¯s religion. Therefore, if this chalice was truly Mikros¡¯s chalice, then there was no possible way this was an heirloom of any family, Ember¡¯s included.

    He needed a place to think. Al was sure it was some unknown thread in his mind that had tugged his body to this part of Whitney, the part included one of the nicer parks, several government buildings, and a library. While he didn¡¯t hear of anyone yelling for a thief or a large posse running down the streets, Al still made his way over to the library by keeping to the shadows.

    Mikros was one of the twelve major deities, along with Aliorna, Magrithon, and the one that concerned Alpine at that moment, Cyurinin. The latter was the god of commerce, knowledge, contracts, and charity. He did not have temples or priests in the way the rest of His family did. His church was the library and the doors were always open for worship. While Al didn¡¯t consider himself a religious man, if ever chose to he¡¯d probably find himself joining Cyurinin¡¯s church over any other.

    Many of the city¡¯s downtrodden and desolate would sleep in the alcoves and under the tables during the worst weather. Whitney had the occasional snowfall, but the hardest nights were usually the windy, rainy, and cold ones. As Alpine made his way up to the top of the stairs, he mentally checked off two of those three conditions. It was going to be crowded.

    He wrung out his street clothes, a dark brown tunic and breeches that reached his mid-calf in the style of the bourgeois, though much less refined in cut and material. Al flicked his hands to remove any moisture and entered the library, carefully stepping over the people sleeping on the floor. He inhaled, taking in the scent of aged parchment and warmed candle wax, and relaxed.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Cyurinin loved order, and so all of his libraries followed the same regulations. Tables were in the front, pleasure books on the fringes, and factual books on cases in the middle. He headed to the freestanding bookcase that was to the furthest left and began there. He pulled random tomes out, read the titles quickly, and replaced them. He did this for three more shelves until he found books on the other gods, then finally the ones on Mikros Himself.

    He brought twenty books to one of the tables, hoping one would contain just a few paragraphs of what he wanted. It was difficult for Al, since he kept being pulled in by whatever subject the book was about. It didn¡¯t matter if it was about legends, the relationship between the gods and humans, or even just proper temple architecture, he wanted to cram in as much information as possible. He¡¯d never asked himself what he¡¯d do with all the knowledge, as did most academics. Learning was the journey, not the destination.

    Al narrowed it down to three books and was rewarded with the first. It was written in Old Kolestien and appeared to be a primer on Ap Krivalt¡¯s history and his works for his god. Al¡¯s Old Kolestien was rusty, but there were a couple of diagrams throughout the book that made skimming much easier. One was a sketch of the man in his later years. Another, the temple to Cyurinin in Farrick. And, the most gratifying to behold, one of a chalice.

    The page only had the outline, including bumps to indicate the jewels Al could feel inlaid in the cup as he ran his finger over it. The picture filled in some of the areas with the overlay and text around the base, but most of the outline was blank. Invisible to the eye it said to the right. The writing afterwards spoke of a man who shared the cup with three of his brethren in what Al believed was translated as a blood offering. They were tied to each other for one year. They could not walk far from each other without feeling some great pain.

    That was all. He sighed and grumbled, but a picture and a few paragraphs were better than nothing. Al turned the card from Berlont¡¯s shop over to copy the text down word-for-word when he noticed a shine that played across its surface. He turned it back, then over again, noticing again the glimmer on the back. He closed the book and stood quickly.

    That would be the reason why a man keeps a shop full of valuables wide open. Al wondered how many times thieves had broken into Berlont¡¯s and stolen his merchandise before the owner realized it would be cheaper to put tracing and alarm spells on some of his prized possessions. He¡¯d probably spent a fortune just in replacing the glass on the front door every time it was smashed. The jewelry box Al had bumped into must be the first thing a thief would be enticed to grab. Maybe that scream would be enough to scare off a potential bandit.

    Al calmed down while he thought. Perhaps Berlont had come down from his apartment and thought just that: some thug had tried to nick an antique and gotten scared when the alarm went off. Since the box was still there, he might have reset it and gone back to bed. Alpine breathed a sigh of relief and grinned. He might have gotten away with it!

    Then his face fell. The puddles. It had been raining out, so his clothes had been soaked enough that he had left a trail of water from the front past the box, to the back, then to the front again. Would Berlont check that shelf and see the inkwell and card missing? Would he check to see if the chalice was still there?

    Al pulled out the inkwell. It seemed to be missing that same shine the card possessed. It might be an artifact like the chalice, in which case Berlont couldn¡¯t have a spell on it. Skethik priests spent much of their time placing spells on items. As the lord of war, any priest-blessed weapon did greater damage and pain than one without augmentation. And, of course, any Skethik holy object could be imbued with whatever they wanted to place upon them. But only the Skethik priesthood could imbue objects and those objects couldn¡¯t be another god¡¯s artifact. They couldn¡¯t touch the chalice, but they most certainly could touch the card Berlont had used to describe the item.

    Not wanting to leave any evidence, Al returned the books to their general location. He was finishing up when the doors to the library opened, the wind blowing rain onto the beggars sleeping in the atrium. They complained, loudly, and made it difficult for the group of men in matching, dark uniforms with gold bars across their chests to step over them. It gave Al enough of a warning. He walked brusquely to the back of the library, searching along the wall for an exit. It was off to the right, beyond the sections that would contain Arvonnese alley novels, romances, and Merakian duel books.

    Before he left the library, he stashed the card in a book. Hopefully it would stall the group in the front long enough for Al to escape. And then he ran, ten streets over and six down, until his lungs couldn¡¯t keep up with body¡¯s need to breath.

 Chapter 11

    Alpine hid in an alleyway, one that was thankfully devoid of anyone else. He leaned his back against the wall while he bent over, his palms resting on his knees. His breaths came fast at first, while he tried to calm down enough for his body to trust that the next lungful was coming.

    If anything, this night had taught him he was not cut out for athletics.

    ¡°He''s this way!¡± he heard from a man a few blocks away.

    How had they found him? He had left the card in the library and he knew they couldn''t put a spell on an artifact. Either he had been taught incorrectly or the chalice wasn''t the real deal. No, it must be something else. He was confident in his education and the fact that the item was invisible was enough to make him believe it was Mikros''s

    He began running down the alley, trying his best not to slap his feet down loudly.

    He ducked around a corner. How were they tracking him now? Did the tracking spell brush off on him? No, they didn''t work that way. Spells stayed on what they were attuned to, until removed. The inkwell had been clean, the chalice was an artifact, and he hadn''t stolen anything else.

    But, yes, yes he had. He pulled the inkwell out again. There was no sheen he could see on the outside, no matter how he turned it, but what of the inside? Al wiggled the clasp to pop it out and opened the top.

    What he saw inside filled him with equal measures of awe and melancholy. Maybe at one time it had been a royal inkwell, but in Alpine''s hand, in that moment, it was a jewelry box. Inside the well that was still coated with ink were two rings partially submerged in wax. The larger was thick and silver with a deep blue sapphire in the center and several smaller emeralds clustered on either side. The smaller was also silver, but held multiple sapphires, each smaller than the middle one, with emeralds trailing around to join on the other side. Tiny glints of gold could be seen hinting around the gems as well as the glimmer of the spell at work. They were wedding bands, ones so iconic that Al recognized them instantaneously. They were the rings worn by the former king and queen of Arvonne.

    It was said the king had died defending his wife. As the Arvonnese people had stormed the castle, he had pulled a rapier from a dead guard and fought outside the door to her apartment. Instead of barring the door, like he had yelled for her to do, the queen had tried opening the door to let him in. She had failed. The king was impaled against the wall only moments before the queen had been beaten down and had her throat sliced open.

    Now that he knew what he had, there was absolutely no way Alpine could surrender the inkwell and the rings. He had no idea what to do with them, but it felt wrong that they were gathering dust in some old shop, probably just a trophy for a man who sold lies and false promises.

    He heard a man speak just around the corner. Al took off again, running through the slick streets, dodging through alleyways and parks.

    The chalice that he had stuffed in between his belt and pants was chafing his stomach with each step. He couldn''t keep this up. Eventually he''d have to stop, to eat and sleep, and then they''d find him.

    His choices were limited. Give up the rings with the spell that was tracking him. Find someone to remove the spell. Or, find a place to stash the rings where they couldn''t be found easily.

    None of those worked for him, so he kept running. His clothes and shoes were soaked through.

    Even though he ran fast, he felt weighed down. His muscles were both warm from overuse and cold from the rain. Shelter. I need to go inside and dry off a little.

    Al knew of a large building a few blocks from where he was that manufactured ship parts. The business sometimes hired Aggie to lift heavy crates and he had told Al about it a few times, mostly about how he had slept with the owner''s daughter on more than one occasion. Al reached the side door and yanked on the hanging lock, mangling it. He threw it away and slipped inside.

    It was massive, over three times the size of Milxner''s. There were stations with pallets of wood and steel stacked around them. More were piled around the perimeter, a large section to the left full of materials and projects in various states of progression. Al walked down the cement steps to the main floor and began walking in that direction. When he reached a giant anchor, a piece for one of the massive galleons that crossed the Gamik Sea, he pulled himself on top. He straddled the top of the stock, the whole thing propped against a stack of lumber, and surveyed the yard. It was quiet and dark, the light from the streetlamps barely leaking inside. He rustled his hair and wrung out as much water from his clothes, then rested.

    It was less than five minutes before he heard the door slam open. ¡°He''s in here!¡± Kriskin malor, not even enough time to think about a plan! He slid off the anchor quietly, moving around the various parts towards a back exit. He hoped there was one there.

    Alpine had entered the Unease as soon as the alarm had gone off in Berlont''s shop. It took a matter of slight concentration to up his senses to where they were far superior to a normal man''s. Increased vision didn''t help a lot in the dark, but hearing and balance sure did. He could hear the individual footsteps from each of the hunters, a good half of a block away. More importantly, his feet moved with such fluidity that he barely made a sound, even on the gritty cement.

    He had a hard time understanding why the step-creep approach was superior to his wizardry. Some of the characters in the plays had been wizards, still using that approach instead of this silent method he had learned in one of his classes. This was working, for now, but he''d have to investigate things further at some later date. Hopefully not while he sat in a jail cell.

    The men were spreading out to search for him. The five of them fanned out from the door, searching amongst the various table, stacks, and merchandise. One man cursed as he startled, then laughed lightly.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    He was so intent on those five men and his silent escape that Al forgot that posses were almost always in groups of six. It made a more divisible number: individually, in three pairs, split into two groups of three, or, in this case, a high/low group.

    Al bumped into the lone man guarding the back and realized quickly that he was too soft to be a boat. The two froze, startled to be running into each other, then Al recovered by smashing the man in the nose with the heel of his hand. The man doubled over and shook his head violently, like a wet dog.

    ¡°He''s here! He''s a wi-!¡± Alpine struck again, this time hard enough to send the man''s head into the wall next to him. He slumped to the ground, either dazed or unconscious, and dropped something that clattered on the floor.

    Al spent the precious seconds he had finding the item and held it in the crack of the door that made a beam of light. It was a small, brass box, hexagonal, with a piece of paper inserted inside. It was vibrating intensely as he held it. He moved it away from his body and the vibration decreased slightly. He did it a few more times to be sure. That was how they were tracking him, then. They weren''t Skethik priests, thankfully, but men armed with a contraption that led them to the item that had the spell.

    He moved back towards the finished projects. Did they have more trackers? If he could take the other tracker, they would be blind and wouldn''t be able to find him. Which one had it, then? Not the one who had startled earlier and cursed. Numbering the men from the door to the opposite corner, he''d been number four. Which one would it be? If he was creating a strategy to catch someone like him, he''d keep the men with the trackers closest to the exits. That way, if the thief somehow slipped past the men, he still couldn''t escape without a guard alerting the others.

    Alpine could leave out the back door. That tracker was in his possession. However, with one more in their possession, it would still be a game of cat and mouse until Al passed out from exhaustion. It was the moment he turned from the hunted to the hunter. He had to finish this.

    One or five, then? Or maybe it was three? Which person was hovering nearest the front door? It was a blessing in disguise that the sixth man, the one Al had knocked out, had shouted out to his team. They were moving to the corner he had last been in, slowly moving around the stations and bumping into things.

    Number Five was headed towards the door alongside the back wall. The middle three were converging on the last location of the sixth man. Number One held his position, strafing the bottom of the stairs to the other door. Likely him, then, but possibly Five. I''ll try One first.

    Alpine began to move to the corner in between the back door and the first man when he stopped. How was this going to play out? He was going to sneak up on the first man, punch him out, and steal the tracker? The closer Al got to him, the stronger the vibration was going to get. He''d yell out to his comrades well before Al tried to take him out. He needed to hide the inkwell somewhere. He hated to leave it, a fear gripping him that one of those four would find it and he''d never see it again, but it needed to be done. Temporarily, he promised himself, and he''d find a good hiding place.

    He found a small gap in between two girder beams and shimmied the inkwell in there. There was a rag resting on the metal farther down, which he moved back and over the nook where he had stashed the item. Satisfied, Al started moving quietly towards the door he had entered.

    He stayed close to the wall. He wanted to slide his back across it, again something else he''d seen in that play, but he felt it would make too much noise. He moved behind, then out, from any pallets or large objects until he was close to the first man.

    How was he going to do it? He''d gotten lucky with the sixth man, hitting him against the wall and taking him out. Al didn''t think he could do that twice and the idea of a bloody brawl with this guy didn''t put him at ease. He wasn''t going to win in a fair fight. Despite the damage he''d done already, he didn''t want to use magic against anyone if he didn''t have to.

    Al''s hand slid across a cart that jangled. He held his breath, waiting to see if the first man reacted. He didn''t seem to have noticed him. He carefully steadied it and his hand touched a piece of metal. The cart he had touched was a standing tool kit and he had found some sort of wrench. The end of it that wasn''t a crescent twisted into a point. While it wasn''t sharp, it could pass as a knife to a man who didn''t know better.

    ¡°Say nothing,¡± Alpine said, as his arm slipped around the first man''s neck. ¡°Hand me the tracker.¡±

    The man shook as he removed it from his pocket and handed it to Alpine. He took two labored breaths before saying, ¡°Please. I have a wife and children...¡±

    ¡°I do, too. I understand. But, I will not hesitate to use this if you disobey me.¡± Al sounded much more confident than he felt. ¡°How many have a tracker?¡±

    ¡°Just me and Flitz. I''m just doing my job, please, let me go.¡±

    ¡°That the truth?¡± Al asked, pressing the tool closer to the man''s throat.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he hissed.

    Al moved back and held the man''s left wrist behind his back, pressing the ¡°blade¡± into his ribs. ¡°We''re walking. I hear getting stabbed in the lung is a long and painful way to die. You say nothing, you make no noise, and I''ll let you go when we''re outside.¡±

    ¡°Anyone see him?¡± one of the other men asked.

    ¡°Say ''no'',¡± Al told his prisoner. His prisoner''s voice was shaky, but convincing enough. Al didn''t hear anyone move to their position.

    Al found the rag on the beam and pulled the inkwell from the place he had wedged it in with the hand holding the wrench. He sighed a little in relief and put it in his pocket.

    He didn''t move quickly enough. No sooner had the inkwell reached its home did the man push back, slamming Al into the next set of girders so hard it almost knocked the wind out of him. For the first time that he could remember, Al was thankful he was short. He hit the i-beam across his shoulders, but missed hitting his head on the top by a hair''s breadth. A band of hot pain bloomed across his back, angering him into pushing the man against the opposite side.

    ¡°He''s over here! Quick!¡± Al shoved the man again, this time causing him to stumble to the ground. Alpine was both thankful for being short and poor as the man reached out and tried to clutch Al''s pants, but found no fabric around his ankles to grip. Al wormed his way around and headed for the back door. He almost tripped over the sixth man, whom he had apparently knocked out cold and was still on the floor.

    He fell against the back door, shouldering it open with the augmented power his magic was giving him. It slammed against the side of the building and began swinging back at Al. He turned and pushed it closed. He felt a man push against it, then more pressure as the remaining men began to add their weight against the door. Al dug his heels in and leaned his back against the door. He knew it was futile, knew that they''d eventually overpower him, but maybe he could work it to his advantage.

    Al could hear the men creating a countdown with a push on three that threatened to open the door. He braced himself for the call and pushed against them. Al''s muscles burned at the exertion, barely getting a break before the next wave. He started running after the last push.

    As he had hoped, the men toppled out the door and landed on the ground in a pile. He was still unfamiliar with Whitney, having moved there seven years prior and not being the type to wander through neighborhoods on walks, but he knew of the well-known areas. He needed a place that was going to help him shake these guys as quickly as possible. He could only think of one nearby that was a veritable labyrinth of streets and alleyways.

 Chapter 12

    Al looked back to see that the men had regained their footing and were heading towards him. He sped up, running as fast as he could before the exertion caught up with his lack of endurance. He started gaining distance, first at half a block, then a full, then one and a half by the time he saw the sign that confirmed he was going the right way.

    Scarinjou had been its own town once, hundreds of years ago, and was situated a few miles from the center of Whitney. It¡¯d had the misfortune of too many critical losses of notable residents, legislature, and businesses over time so that the support for Whitney being the chief city in the area won out. In turn, it became the forgotten town where police rarely patrolled and money for improvements didn¡¯t even trickle in. It had once included several other neighborhoods that had since renamed themselves, distancing themselves from Scarinjou as much as possible. Teakwood was safe enough to walk at night, Old Mavingold might have a few drunks stumbling down the street, but only Scarinjou made people take long detours around in order to avoid its streets.

    Al knew he had crossed the line into Scarinjou based purely on the cobblestones popping up every so often, causing him to trip and falter. That was with the extra balance he got from magic. He slowed his pace due to the thicker crowds and to watch his step better. At this time of night, the streets were filled with snake oil salesmen, corrupt priests, cheap wizards, prostitutes, thugs, and the men looking to hire any of them, even in the pouring rain. It was hard to see with only the light from the windows of taverns and brothels keeping him from slamming into the walls of buildings.

    Now that he had made it, he needed to get out of sight and hole up for a bit. He wiped the stream of water from his face and was treated to the laughing calls from a few men leaning outside of a bar. ¡°How are you doing, brother?¡± they asked. ¡°He looks like a frightened mouse!¡±

    Al gave a low wave and slowed down as he passed them. ¡°Brother¡±. How dare they? It wasn¡¯t like Al was like them,the scum of the city. He was an honest and hardworking man who paid his taxes and was polite to people. Not like them at all. While they had moved on to different conversation, swears and rude phrases peppered their conversation. They spat into the street and began catcalling a group of whores who saddled by them, catcalling them back. It was all so sickening to Al, like the stench of curdled milk. He didn¡¯t just need to get out of sight, he wanted to.

    He spotted a narrow, stone stairway across the street that led up past where he could see. He shouldered past a guy standing at the corner who looked like he was going to charge Al a toll if he felt like it. He gripped the railing and took the steps two at a time, being careful to avoid slipping on the wet moss that clung to certain areas.

    At the top he looked around and almost laughed at the pewtricalness of the situation. Or was it irony? No, it was definitely pewtrical, since it wasn¡¯t the opposite of what he expected. That would be if he had stumbled into one of the trackers or even the tracker office.

    I sometimes wonder, Kriskin, if I shouldn¡¯t really worship you. You have a knack for eking your way into my life.

    The cemetery was small and haphazard, much like the layout of Scarinjou. He walked carefully along the worn path, likely used more as a shortcut than to remember the ones buried. In the corner, deep out of sight from the road below, was what Alpine first thought was a columbarium. As he approached, Al realized it was too small to house urns. It was some sort of an open shrine, two crumbling walls a story high bracketing the corner of the graveyard. It had the disorderly look of a place untended, but used frequently by those who had no pride in aesthetics. Melted candle wax stained the stones red, black, and yellow from the melted wax. Feathers, and what was once attached to the feathers, littered the corners like windswept trash.

    Would the miscreants from the streets rat him out if, no when, the trackers came through? It was hard to say. They might buck at the authority or they might want the entertainment of seeing him dragged through the streets. Likely, though, it didn¡¯t matter and a silver or two would convince them to wag their tongues. It was only a matter of time before the trackers made there way up here

    The front of the shrine was too messy and exposed. The back of the shrine, however, had some trees and shrubbery. Al walked over and around the wooden posts used to mark graves and slipped behind the walls. He plopped down to the ground, unconcerned about his clothes.

    He began breathing slowly and evenly. His heart had been racing for hours and he was starting to feel bone weary from the chase. The Unease was gone and he felt the tingle he almost felt from using magic leave him. If he was caught, he could shift back quickly. Staying in either the Calm or the Unease for too long brought lasting side-effects.

    He wasn¡¯t being overly cautious. After learning how to tap into magic, students at Amandorlam were taught the repercussions to long term usage immediately after their first foray with the power. It was a lesson Alpine took to heart, mainly the reason why he had refused to do Unease work. He knew what it would do to him.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The exhaustion hit first. He closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer, and rested his forehead against the side of the stone wall. His teeth chattered and he rubbed his arms trying to warm himself. Those symptoms he would get those even if he wasn¡¯t out in the cold. He watched for the next, a feverish madness that manifested as paranoia, an overly high humor, and loneliness.

    Alpine pulled the inkwell out to look at the rings again. He visualized himself as a pig in mud wearing loads of jewelry and he began laughing. Two people that had been walking through the graveyard turned heel and ran, which made Alpine laugh all the harder. He had to slap his hand over his mouth to quell the mania as best he could.

    He peeked outside to see if those people had returned and saw a man come up the stairs. He was wearing that same dark uniform with gold trim that the trackers wore.

    Al held his breath and moved farther behind the part of the wall that wasn¡¯t crumbling. It was going to be very important for him to be very quiet. Except, the man looked like a puppet from a show involving inept policeman Al had seen several times as a child. He took deep, ragged breaths trying to calm himself and found tears stinging his eyes.

    Another man with the same uniform came up from the opposite way. If he had bothered to turn his head when he reached the top, he would have seen Alpine. ¡°No sign,¡± he said to the first tracker. ¡°I feel the information we got from the vermin below was false.¡±

    ¡°Then we continue to search using our normal strategy. Bribing rarely works. Let¡¯s not make the same mistake again and rely upon the chattel for information.¡±

    They looked around the graveyard briefly before leaving the way Al had used. They were gone. Or were they? Was it a trap? Would they be waiting for Al below if he tried to leave? What about the other way? Why did they leave together? Would he be caught if he stayed there?

    Normally the paranoia was just a nuisance until it left him, but now it was self-preserving. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was too strong, though. Both the choice to stay or go racked him with doubts and fear that he¡¯d be caught. They wouldn¡¯t have bothered with the conversation if they knew he was there. Unless they were pulling a charade and would catch him one he left down the stairway. They went down the front stairway, though, and both together. The back way was safe, unless they again were pulling a dramatic farce, pretending they didn¡¯t know he was there and had the back stairway covered as well. Then why not just ambush him? He was on a hill that was boxed in by thick woods and a steep angle. There was nowhere for him to go, other than down the stairs.

    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was being watched or set-up for capture. It wouldn¡¯t hurt if he just gave the situation some time.

    Al stayed. His mind continued to race with a constant feed of possibilities. Some were ridiculously absurd, like the fear that they had a pet mammoth they were going to get to sniff him out, that he began laughing all over again. This happened for another quarter hour until he felt the excitement wane. It was replaced by the hollow loneliness he had been expecting.

    While it was the most devastating symptom of withdrawing, it was also the one Al was most prepared for. He was always lonely. Even when he was with a patient or in a crowd, he felt detached and observing. The only person who made him feel wanted was Marnie, and that wasn¡¯t a full relationship. It was one of need, one of duty and total trust. She had to love him because no one else did. And he loved her only because of that.

    It wasn¡¯t the best time to make decisions regarding his future, but he had the time and he needed to think things through. He¡¯d go into work tomorrow, bring Ember the chalice, and pretend nothing ever happened. She¡¯d keep her end of the bargain and let him work in peace.

    Al brushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed. Even if he could set aside his conscience and pretend he didn¡¯t care that he¡¯d been used, that it didn¡¯t feel right giving her the chalice, there was one problem that he¡¯d just realized. One of the men chasing him knew he was a wizard. They all knew what he looked like, more or less. And Berlont knew Ember had an interest in his prized item. How long would it take for someone to draw connections between Milxner¡¯s and Jindahl and Stohr, then to Ember, and then finally to him?

    But, he was registered as a Calm wizard only and had used the Unease. If he kept his head low, he might be able to feign ignorance, even if he matched the description of the wizard they had fought. Ghenian law assured that he couldn¡¯t be convicted unless they could positively identify his face. It was how trirecs got away with walking the streets with their masks on even though they were likely on their way to commit a crime.

    Still, the legal system could draw him into a nasty and long fight. He¡¯d lose clients, work, possibly his job, and his license over this. It was probably best if he avoided any kind of confrontation.

    He could return the items, leave them inside Berlont¡¯s door with an apology. But then he¡¯d need to do another favor for Ember and he was so tired of this game she was playing. That is, if she¡¯d even consider another task. Maybe she was at the end of her patience. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t give him another chance. He didn¡¯t understand her motivations and so he couldn¡¯t even guess as to where they were.

    The last thing he wanted was to leave, but it was the only option he had that left him satisfied. It was a thought he¡¯d almost had so many times. It would float up, almost to the surface, before Al would push it back down. He hadn¡¯t let himself consider it for many reasons. He didn¡¯t have the money. He had clients that depended on him for their well-being. He was a responsible family man with a business he¡¯d built from nothing. To walk away from seven years of work and marriage, it was a lot to ask a man who enjoyed his comforts and routines.

    He sat there for a little while longer, then left the graveyard down the back way. He trekked the miles home, through neighborhoods he was discovering for the first time, heading roughly in the direction he thought was home. Al stopped every once in awhile to check if he was being followed, but it seemed he had slipped away. He had escaped, but he wasn¡¯t sure for how long.

 Chapter 13

    Ember kept Alpine waiting, like she always did. This time, however, she made a very poor show of disinterest. While Al sat in his seat, his hands folded in front of him, she kept glancing up from her tea. She''d put the cup down and continue writing, only to look him over quickly to see if he had the chalice on him. The third time she did that she caught his eye. Al gave her a smirk as she put down her pen.

    ¡°So, you have returned,¡± she said, taking off her pince-nez and letting them hang by the chain attached to her brooch. ¡°How did last night fair?¡±

    ¡°It was exciting, to say the least. I was chased across half the city by a group with tracking abilities. Let''s just say I didn''t get enough sleep last night.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Then you stole something else? Why? I warned you about the consequences.¡±

    ¡°You did.¡± He shrugged. ¡°My greed got the better of me. Since I was stealing one thing, why not steal something else?¡±

    She looked a little surprised at Al''s admission. ¡°Well, you did get away in the end and you didn''t connect the acquisition to me or Milxner''s. I suppose I have no quarrels with you taking a little something for yourself.¡± Ember graced him with a small smile. ¡°Now, about the chalice...¡±

    ¡°Yes. I did get it.¡±

    Ember looked very relieved and pleased. ¡°And? Do you have it with you?¡±

    Al got comfortable in his seat. ¡°I thought it might be dangerous to bring it here.¡±

    ¡°I see. Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Ember, I didn''t just steal an additional item from Berlont''s last night. I also stole the card attached to the chalice. Would you care to explain how a deitic artifact is a family heirloom?¡±

    Al watched her carefully. She quietly sipped on her tea with a placid look on her face. She almost set her cup down, then took another sip. He had a hunch that whatever she was about to say was going to be a lie, but he''d listen anyway. ¡°I assume, that with your particular taste in hobbies, you know of the Divine Bestowal?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Royalty are the chosen leaders of their lands because they are blood descendants of Magrithon. He fathered children with a few of His Aps and they went on to found countries and rule them.¡±

    ¡°It wasn''t just Magrithon who fathered mortal children.¡±

    Ember let the silence hang as Al thought of what she was implying. ¡°That''s ludicrous. I''ve never once heard of anyone speak about Mikros fathering humans.¡±

    ¡°We like to keep it under the rose, my family. We''ve tracked our lineage as far back as Ap Nourith. She was responsible for the Noh Amair Accord and founding the Sisterhood of Chancilot. She also was the only Ap of Mikros to sire the Brother''s children.¡±

    Alpine shook his head. ¡°This is hard to believe...¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it is. It was a great surprise to learn of my heritage when I came of age. I learned it right before my family sent me off to Amandorlam, in hopes of learning more about where my ultimate grandfather''s treasures are.¡±

    Ember put down her tea and stood, walking around her desk to stand in front of him. ¡°We''ve been searching for generations. It means a great deal to my family to finally return our heirlooms to their home. Alpine,¡± she said, pausing before placing her hands on his forearms, ¡°Al, please. I beseech you to do what is right and return the chalice to its rightful owners.¡±

    Something seemed off about Ember''s story. Al had only a few things he trusted his life with, and knowledge was one of them. Magrithon had mortal descendants only because he had been stripped of his powers temporarily by the others as a punishment for many abuses against both the pantheon and mortals. Mikros, on the other hand, had always been a calm, benevolent god. He couldn''t think of a single myth involving Him that suggested moral ambiguity, never mind the fits of grandeur His brother was renowned for.

    Al''s mind trailed a little while he left Ember waiting. She wasn''t used to it. In fact, the longer he made her wait, the more fretful she became. She took his silence as not contemplation, but as Al trying to figure a polite way to turn her down. ¡°Al, do you want money?¡±

    He looked up. ¡°Money?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, opening a locked drawer in her desk and pulling out a blue velvet cinch-bag. ¡°Here. Take this. I assume this will buy your silence over what we spoke of?¡± She placed the bag in his hand and folded his fingers over. ¡°I can pay you the same when you bring the chalice here.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, giving her a dopey smile. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, moving out of his way so he could leave.

    Alpine walked through Milxner''s, through the maze in between to Jindahl and Stohr. He opened his office, lit a few candles, and quickly counted the money. Fifty gold? That was almost two months wages for Al. Another fifty was waiting for him, when he brought the chalice to Ember. One hundred gold.

    What could Al do with that much money? If he could get Ember''s protection, he could put a down payment on a nicer house. He could woo his wife back. He could put the money away for Marnie''s education.

    What he''d probably do, given the opportunity, would be to start his own business. He was only one of three Touch wizards in the whole city, as far as he knew. He could start fresh, bring his clientele with him, and start implementing all the little things he wished he could suggest to his bosses. Maybe he could get an office closer to his home, so that he could rest better.

    He smiled sadly, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote down two words. He locked his office and handed the paper to Peni along with the key. ¡°Please give this to Mr. Jindahl or Stohr when you see them next.¡±

    ¡°Why, Al? What does it say?¡±

    ¡°''I quit.''¡±

    * * *

    As usual, it was twilight when Burdet fumbled with the front door and stumbled in. Al was reading by candlelight, a book he liked but didn''t treasure. It took her a few moments before she saw him.

    ¡°Where were you last night?¡± she slurred.

    ¡°Shh,¡± he said, putting his finger up to his lips. ¡°Marnie is sleeping. I was out, like I said.¡±

    ¡°You said it was only going to be an hour or two. You didn''t get in until past midnight! I knew it! You''re cheating on me.¡±

    ¡°I''m not cheating on you,¡± he said. ¡°I have never cheated on you. I have been a good husband, despite the fact that you''ve been a terrible wife to me.¡±

    She made to leave for the kitchen when Al said, ¡°Sit.¡± She complied. ¡°We should have spoken a long time before now.¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to speak with you. I have to.¡±

    ¡°What went wrong, Burdet? We loved each other once. We were happy.¡±

    ¡°I''m getting wine,¡± she said. She went into the kitchen and returned with the full, uncorked bottle of Caudet Al had been saving for a special occasion. It irked him as he watched her take a long draw from it. She was drinking to get more drunk, to loosen her tongue so that she could say the cruelest things to him.

    ¡°I was happy...until I wasn''t. One day I realized you weren''t the man I thought you''d be.¡±

    ¡°I thought we had been pretty honest with each other. Who did you think I''d be?¡±

    ¡°Successful,¡± she spat. ¡°You were the smartest man to come out of Amandorlam in generations. You almost set a record as the youngest. You were bright and passionate and ambitious! And now look at you! You practically beg for scraps, lay down on the ground like a good dog for those stuck-up, snobby women. You''re smart! Why aren''t we rich?¡±

    ¡°That''s all you ever wanted from me? To make you rich?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°I deserve better than this,¡± she said, holding her hand out and almost dropping the bottle of wine. ¡°Any woman deserves better than this. You don''t have the money to buy me things. I''m the poor, pitied girl at work because my husband doesn''t buy me what their husbands do.¡±

    ¡°It must be terrible, having a cup full but not overflowing.¡±

    She threw the bottle against the mantle of the fireplace. ¡°You don''t understand what it''s like!¡±

    ¡°You''re right, I don''t. I don''t know what it''s like to have people pity me. I don''t hear the gossips say, ''Poor, Al. What a good man he is, taking care of that bastard child his wife cuckolded him with. Tut tut.''¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t have cheated on you if you had just given me a good life.¡±

    ¡°So, it''s my fault that you broke your vows?¡± he said, his voice rising. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He had promised himself not to say things out of anger. ¡°I provided for you. I gave you a house, food, clothing. You wanted more, so I said, ''Get a job, then''. And you resented me for that? Some husbands won''t let their wives leave the home and make their own way in life. They leave them at home to keep house. You get your freedom and your extra money and you''ve been spending it not on your child, but on drinking.¡±

    ¡°I don''t love you any more.¡±

    Al was surprised hearing that didn''t hurt nearly as much as he thought it would. He sat up, grabbed a large backpack he had filled with clothes and things he couldn''t bare to part with, and moved towards the door. ¡°I think we''re in agreement there.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I stayed to make sure Marnie wasn''t alone.¡± Then, he said the lie he wished was true. ¡°You know where I''m going, where I always wanted to go. I have passage booked on a ship taking off for Arvonne they day after tomorrow.¡±

    Burdet was dumbfounded, but she wasn''t stupid. She closed the gap between them, placing her hands on his shoulders. It was like the last three years had never happened, that they were young and in love again with their whole lives in front of them. She searched his eyes and smiled. ¡°We...we can make this work out, Al. We can talk. I''ll stop going out at night and you can go out with your friend more often.¡±

    He leaned over and kissed her high on her cheekbone. ¡°It''s done and so am I.¡±

    ¡°No! You can''t leave! How am I supposed to support our daughter?¡±

    ¡°Your daughter,¡± he said, although it hurt him to say it. He was truly going to miss Marnie. ¡°Maybe you should find her father, have him marry you and acknowledge her.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should!¡± she shouted so loudly, Al was sure Marnie was going to wake up. ¡°He''s a wizard, you know. He makes so much money he can afford to buy me earrings and rings. See this!¡± She turned to show him the comb in her hair. ¡°Stalagmite bought me that because he said a man needs to buy his woman pretty things.¡±

    ¡°Stalagmite?¡± That was a punch in the gut.

    "Yes, his name is Stalagmite. Why, are you going to fight him over me? You''d lose, you know. He''s very strong and..."

    "You''re right, I would." Al took off his wedding band and placed it on the table by the door. ¡°You''re going to need all the help you can get. Sell it,¡± he said, before closing the door.

 Chapter 14

    Anladet tugged her hood down around her head more and wondered, not for the first time in her life, whether the price of one day of absolute happiness was worth all the misery she''d felt since then.

    She walked the streets of Hanala, hoping to find a place to stay for the night. The overcast sky that poured rain on the city caused a premature end for the day. Sunny or gray, she had waited too long to find shelter. Anla''s normal place was a good hour and a half walk across the city and would require she take it in the cold rain. After three days of barely making ends meet and three nights of shivering herself to sleep, she surrendered and tried desperate measures.

    The gas lamps lit the cobblestones path, the puddles reflecting the light in a way that would be breathtaking if her mood were better. Anladet walked towards Criard Street, one of the main roads of Cherryfire. It wasn''t a ritzy neighborhood, but she didn''t belong in one of those anyway. It wasn''t a slum, either, which saved Anla the hassle of dealing with anyone looking to make trouble . It was a neighborhood that had quite a few taverns, bars, shops, and other businesses that gave the area a reputation of being a good place for the lesser gentry, the merchant class, and people with the prestige of an upstanding bourgeoisie.

    There were a few places she could go. If she caught Quent before his father closed his patisserie, she might have at least a floor to sleep on tonight. Old Mavy hadn''t said anything before when she had caught Anladet sleeping in her doorway the few times she had in the last six months. Tiorn, Isky and Petrue, the workers at the pasta restaurant on Mask and Fortnight streets, were all possibilities as well.

    There was, however, one place in the area that was a higher gamble, but with greater rewards: Onlard''s tavern. Anladet bit her lip. It all depended on several factors. His mood, if his wife was around the bar, whether business was waning or waxing, and who was sitting in the tavern. She reached into her pocket, inside the pouch there, and withdrew a tile. Eweh. Growth or change. It seemed like a good omen, though she only half-believed its substance.

    She crossed the street and stood outside the broad, many paned window and tried to get a feel for the crowd. Quiet and steady, a nice crowd for a rainy Wednesday. The room was almost full, a few tables with men drinking by themselves and reading. A man leaned against the mantle of the fireplace, gesturing with his ale glass. A few laughed and slapped their knees, returning to the conversation they were holding at their table. There were no fights, no one standing abruptly with indignation or even a drop spilled in aggression. Anladet wasn''t surprised; Onlard''s had that sort of reputation.

    She stood in the doorway, the rain dripping off the hem of her cloak. Onlard was behind the bar, leaning over to say something to a customer. He twisted his head to hear the man, then straightened himself, slapping the bar as he laughed. His gaze swept the room, landing finally on Anladet in the doorway. The broad grin that was almost as wide as he was melted away as he walked brusquely to the doorway.

    ¡°Girl, you can''t keep comin'' round here. I tol'' ya t''at afore,¡± he said, placing both his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Iffen I give ya a night fer free, I gotta give ''em all a night fer free.¡±

    ¡°It''s not free if I work. I''ll wash all your dishes again, clean the room. I won''t stay unless I work. I''ll work hard.¡±

    Onlard thought about it for a moment, then poked her chest. ¡°Ugh, ya know I had a scrapper come by t''ree nights ago. Ya dinnet send ''im here, did ya?¡±

    ¡°No, I wouldn''t do that, Onlard. I don''t say anything to anyone about your past kindness, nor would I if you let me stay tonight.¡±

    He wiped his hand down his face, then back across his bald head. ¡°Girl, I can''t be given ya t''is ''rangement all t''e time. T''e misses don''t like strange girls sleepin'' un t''e floors.¡±

    She remembered the fight. Onlard''s wife was a jealous and suspicious woman. Not in a cruel way, but as one who understands the way things work most of the time. Anla would have acted the same way in her shoes. ¡°I know, Onlard¡± she said softly. ¡°I won''t be back again.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, ye saiden t''at t''e last time ye were here.¡±

    She shook out her cloak and dropped her hood. ¡°It''s the rain, Onlard. It''s been brutal outside this week, raw, even. If I don''t sleep under a roof tonight I might not wake up tomorrow. ¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Kabidon be fightin'' wit'' his sister agin. It be happenin'' offentimes, girl. You live here, you be knowin'' t''at. T''oh I will be sayin'' t''is is a mighty storm, even for ussen.¡±

    Anladet tried a little charm, widening her eyes just a little. ¡°It''s not just the rain, Onlard. I feel safe here, too. You''re a good man with a good wife. You run an honest business, the best tavern in Cherryfire, if not Hanala. This place makes me feel like I''m home.¡±

    ¡°T''oh,¡± he said, his eyes trailing away from her. ¡°Ye be bewitchin'' me, girl.¡± He scrunched up his face, blew out his breath, and shrugged. ¡°Fine, dishes, sweepin'', washin'' t''e floor, ye ge'' some o'' t''e stew after closin'', and t''e floor in t''e kitchen in front o'' t''e fireplace. Be gone when t''e sun risen.¡±

    In the five or six times she had wormed her way into a temporary solution to her vagrancy, Anladet had wanted to hug the man as hard as she could. He was the sort of man people called ¡°uncle¡± or ¡°papa¡±, even though they weren''t blood related. He was affectionate with everyone, and Anla knew that, but she also knew how his wife felt. Instead, she grabbed his bear paw of a hand with both of hers and thanked him gratefully. He flapped his stained bar rag at her, as he always did, and went back to tending the brews.

    There was a reason Anladet had chosen Onlard''s bar over any of the others she had passed along the way. Besides having a standing relationship with the owner, the tavern was genuinely comfortable to her. It was quieter than most, hosting regulars who preferred lighter conversation than many of the others Anladet had worked. She''d never seen a brawl break out in Onlard''s, not even a few shoves back and forth that she''d heard the locals called a ¡°Walpin match¡±. It was a bar where people went for good company, drinks that were only moderately watered down, and some peace for a few hours.

    She put her cloak in the kitchen to dry and tucked away her bag of belongings. As Anladet collected mugs from the tables, she was able to speak to the patrons, even smile at them, without fear of being propositioned. No man there had before and she doubted they would. She suspected it was due to Onlard and his wife''s presence and would have put easy money on that bet. Anladet hadn''t been sweetening him up too much when she said he was a good man. That was his bar and he demanded absolute respect for everyone in it, even those who didn''t deserve it.

    Onlard was picky about a few things involving reputation. He was fair and just, but had little tolerance for violence, lawlessness, cursing, and preying on the weak. Those sort of things did not happen in the sanctuary of his tavern without a swift kick to a man''s aft side as he was booted from the pub. Anladet had caught on early, taking cues from the patrons'' behavior. She had behaved properly and it was why she had been allowed back in the tavern for another night.

    It was also why she didn''t try to ply her normal trade in the bar. Onlard frowned upon piscarin activities, as most people did, so she didn''t pull her runes out for his customers. She might make several silver that night, but she''d risk the favor of Onlard. That would be a mistake. It could cost her not just him and his tavern, but potentially the neighborhood.

    The last customer waved as he made his way to his room upstairs, Anladet began wiping down the tables and pulling the chairs off the floor. Onlard stood behind the bar with his back to her, wiping down the bottles of liquor. He cleared his throat. ¡°I, eh, wanted ta be''en askin'' ya somethin'', girl,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, Onlard?¡±

    ¡°Would ye liken ta be makin'' t''is a regular t''ing? I asked ma wife t''night and she saiden she maybe changed ''er mind, since ye are a sweet girl who don''t be doin'' any wrong doin'' in t''a tavern.¡±

    She paused, wondering how she was going to phrase it politely. ¡°That''s incredibly generous of you and your wife. I would love to. Your place is so wonderful. I can''t, though.¡±

    He turned to look at her. ¡°No? Issit ta men? T''ey be makin'' ya feel bad?¡±

    ¡°No, Onlard. The men are very nice. I just...can''t do anything permanent. I need to move around.¡±

    He said nothing as he went back into the kitchen. He returned with a creamy stew of ham, peas, potatoes, and carrots for the both of them. She sat and ate with him, hoping he wouldn''t ask her what she was sure he was going to ask her.

    ¡°So, um, whyen issit t''at ye need ta be movin'' around? Ye in ta some troubles?¡± He placed a hand over her arm in a concerned gesture.

    ¡°It''s not like that, Onlard. I''m just looking for some people.¡±

    ¡°An'' whoen ya be lookin'' fer?¡±

    She sighed internally. She had almost made it through the whole day. ¡°Wwhoo I''m looking for is not anything you''re interested iinn.¡±

    ¡°Not t''at it''s any offen ma business,¡± he said, abruptly standing with the bowl of stew in his hands. ¡°I''m hopen ya find ''em.¡±

    He walked back into the kitchen, then upstairs to the one room he didn''t let out, the one he shared with his wife. He ignored her and didn''t say good night to her. Anladet didn''t take it personally, since she understood the source of his disregard. She just sighed sadly and finished the stew.

    She swept out the ash from the fireplace before finishing the rest of the room, then mopped. When Anla was finished, she retired to the kitchen and made a bed with the bags of flour in front of the oven. As she did every night, she held her hand above her head and slowly closed her fingers one by one. Instead of completing her fist, she wiggled her thumb, sighed, and turned on her side.

 Chapter 15

    Sleep rarely came quickly for Anladet, even when she was exhausted. That wasn''t surprising for someone who often slept on the streets, wary of strangers and always cautious to stay away from brutes. She had often woke up in full panic over the smallest sounds, ones that sounded too much like footsteps or knives scraping against walls even though they weren''t either. It had taken a considerable amount of time for her to finally cope with the fear and the darkness with her past.

    Up until she was twelve year, Anladet had been very happy. She''d had a loving family, a wonderful home, and everything a child could need. Her days were filled with excitement and discovery, laughter and tumbling, learning and expansion. She had figured out that when she picked a day to recount from her childhood, it softened her heart and mind so that she could lapse into sleep without either focusing on the world too much. And there were so many days to choose from.

    Anladet had lived with her mother''s people, the Deerborn tribe, in what she had only known as ''the woods''. Ghenians would call the area ''western Ashven duchy'', or ''the Dreelands''. Both were incorrect as far as her mother''s people had been concerned. As much as Ghenians loved to boast about connecting the Ganik and Lanian seas, the truth was there were huge swaths of land along their precious Courdet-Ayiz Corridor they had no authority over. Anladet''s family lived in one of those places.

    She was the second of four children, her only brother being the youngest. Her mother was a quiet and pleasant woman, stern when she needed to be, but easy with a laugh when her children were silly. She didn''t know her father nearly as well as her mother, since he was a traveling doctor, but of what she remembered he was a carefree and ideological man who held learning and knowledge in great esteem. He was warm and delighted to explore the world through his children, always interested in knowing how they thought of things. He especially loved what they could figure out with their keen little minds. Rewards for excellent thinking were often dolls or cheaply made jewelry he bought on his rounds in Ashven, Sharka, and Ekistol to the south..

    The village was made of several dozen families. Her mother''s two sisters lived there with her uncles and cousins. Her mother''s youngest brother still lived with her grandparents. Two other uncles had left to seek wives in different lands, though they returned occasionally for large festivals. There had been glens in the forest to run through, a pond to swim in, and the imaginations of many children to fill all the hours of the days.

    When her father returned from his travels, he would set to teaching his four offspring different subjects. By the time she was ten, she knew how to read, write, and speak Ghenian as well as Arvonnese, the language of her father''s people. She had the education of a wealthy couple''s daughter, complete with mathematics, history, geography, physiology, combined with her mother''s people''s knowledge of the woods and their magic.

    There was one thing, however, that had been kept from her.

    Raidet, her older sister, had been told on her tenth birthday and not allowed to tell her siblings. Anladet sort of knew what it was about, but never asked about it until the day her mother and father sat with her as the other three played in a field.

    ¡°Anla, what do you see when you look at Mama?¡± her father asked her.

    ¡°I see that she looks like me,¡± she responded. ¡°She has brown hair and hazel eyes.¡± She was proud of the word ¡°hazel¡±. She had only learned it two weeks prior, when she was trying to figure out what to say her own eyes were.

    ¡°And what do you see when you look at me?¡±

    ¡°You have brown hair and brown eyes.¡±

    ¡°Anything else that seems different?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    She thought about this. Was this the time to ask about her dad''s sickness? The other kids had always said her father was strange, that maybe something tragic had happened to him when he was a younger man. She had been taught it was impolite to talk about people''s issues, so she had held her tongue. ¡°You look different from the other men in the village, Dada. Mama looks like the other women, but you seem bigger. And your ears are round. Mama''s ears are pointed.¡±

    ¡°That''s right,¡± he said, looking proudly at her. ¡°You noticed a lot of things, Anla. Do you know why I look different?¡±

    ¡°Was it because you were sick at some point? You had a disease where your ears stopped growing, but you also grew too big? Is that why you became a doctor, so that other people wouldn''t get sick with what you had, too?¡±

    Her father looked stunned for a second, then started laughing. ¡°No, darling, though that''s an interesting theory. I look the way I do because I''m a human. Your mother and all the people in the village are elves.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, not really understanding what that meant. Her father seemed to pick up on that and bade her to sit in his lap. She snuggled against his chest, the two of them looking out at the same scene.

    ¡°When the gods created the world, they made many different kinds of people, including the elves and humans. Like...The to''ken, the sea folk, who live only a few hundred miles from here. They live on and in the sea. There is an island northeast of here where everyone is tall and lanky, with big shoulders and straw-like hair. They''re known as grivvens or straw men. And there are a few others that live on the other side of the world, too.

    ¡°Sometimes different people get along and become friends. Other times, they don''t like each other. Elves and humans don''t get along very well.¡±

    ¡°You and Mama do,¡± Anladet had pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, we love each other,¡± he said, leaning over and giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at him and continued to knit while listening to the conversation. ¡°But it doesn''t happen very often than elves and humans get married and have children. That''s because there is a law in Gheny that says elves and humans can''t.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Good question,¡± her mother muttered.

    ¡°I''m not sure, sweetie. Some people got together and said, ''We don''t want elves and humans together''. And they made a law that said they couldn''t. It was long before I arrived in Gheny.¡±

    Anladet was already thinking ahead and her father let her. ¡°Is this why we play the game?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, Anla. Very good,¡± he said. ¡°You''ve always been very good at figuring things out and also at playing the game. And now you know why we play it.¡±

    "So that the Gheny people don''t arrest you and Mama?"

    "Yes, my sweetling," he said, kissing her on her temple. "So that we can stay together."

    The game had been something the whole family had participated in since Anladet was very little. Once each year, her father would take everyone to a new destination for something he called ''vacation''. Her father would buy them all new clothes and see if they could guess as to where they were going. Candy was given to the best guesser. Then, they would load into a horse-drawn caravan with food and suitcases and leave for about a month or two.

    There was just one rule during these vacations. Once they left a certain point, they could no longer call their father ¡°Dada¡±. He was Martin, his real first name, or ''sir'' if they wanted to pretend he was a knight guarding them. During the vacation, he would stand off a little while the six of them toured places. If anyone asked, he was a hired man who was protecting a rich, elven lady and her children while they were visiting wherever they were. That story wasn''t false nor was it unheard of, but some people did give them strange looks.

    It had always been risky. Anladet later understood that her father had thought the education and experience was so important to his children''s lives that he risked his own for it. Where he had come from, in the Tapenstri duchy of Arvonne, not many children received higher education. He had always said it was the greatest gift he could give his children, so that one day they could go out in the world and have the best opportunities

    It had taken Anla a considerable amount of time to forgive him for his naive aspirations. He had been too trusting of the good in this world, that the philosophies written in black-and-white bore translations in the hearts of men. It was sadly the best education she''d had, when her eyes were opened and she really understood what people were like when they were cut down to their primal needs.

    It was the mathematics, though, that always sat with her. In her mind she wished she could subtract every vacation, every new experience, every little piece of information gained if only she could have her parents back. But math was black-and-white, too, and as she learned, not colorful enough to fulfill wishes.

 Chapter 16

    The fire popped and crackled, its warmth already lulling Anla to rest. She curled herself up into a tight coil and drifted off, remembering the time when all the security and laughter in her life had ended.

    In the summer of her twelfth year, Anladet¡¯s father had returned from his normal tour with excitement gleaming in his eyes. After hugs and kisses, he opened his riding bag and gave each of his children a piece of clothing, waiting to see who would be the first one to get it. Anladet¡¯s was the same as her sisters¡¯, a white suit made of linen that cinched at the elbows and knees with red ribbons. Her brother¡¯s was the same, but with straps instead of sleeves and no frills around the pant cuffs.

    They were stumped for some time. The material was too thin for anything involving the colder climates or the mountains. It seemed too risque for casual wear in a city. Anladet held her tongue, trying to picture a place where everyone was so accepting of exposed limbs. Some place warm and tropical, like Genale made sense, except their mother had packed regular clothing for them. So, they were for respites of some sort. And that¡¯s when she noticed the extra padding. ¡°Are these suits to go swimming in?¡±

    Her father pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to her. Her siblings grumbled, since for three years in a row she had guessed correctly. She would share it later with Garlin, her favorite sibling. ¡°You¡¯re right, Anla! Good job. Yes, we¡¯re going to a place called Analussia. It¡¯s on the coast, east of here, and we¡¯re going to see the ocean.¡±

    There was much excitement over this. They had never been to the ocean before.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we swim naked like we do at the pond?¡± her brother asked.

    ¡°Well, in Analussia, everyone dresses in these suits when they go swimming. There are lots of people there and they all like it that way. Since we¡¯re visitors, we should do what they ask. That sounds nice, right?¡±

    They had all chorused their agreement. Anladet liked the funny outfits. She¡¯d wear anything her parents demanded, so long as she got to swim in the sea. Her father had told her about the ocean more than a few times. It was a place where you couldn¡¯t see where the water ended. Not like the pond, where she could swim from one side to the other in mere minutes. Her father told her she¡¯d never be able to swim to the other side. ¡°Only boats can get you there. I took one across the Gamik Sea and arrived here many years ago from Arvonne. I would have drowned from exhaustion if I had tried to swim all the way across it.¡±

    They finished packing that night, putting all their clothes, toys, and books in the leather suitcases their father had bought them years ago. Anladet, Garlin, and Sildet were far too excited to go to sleep. Raidet, fifteen and annoyed by her younger siblings, was sufficiently detached from the situation and yelled at them to be quiet.

    They hitched up the horse to the cart, put all their clothes and supplies in it, and left early the next morning. There was only one grassy path that led out of the village, which led to a dirt road. That, in turn, led to the signpost that pointed north to Krifar, east to Sharka, and south to Ekistol, but not west back to their home.

    The game began when the signpost was first spotted.

    ¡°Who am I, guys?¡± their father asked.

    ¡°Dada!¡± they shouted in a chorus.

    They traveled down the road for a few minutes, then he repeated, ¡°Who am I, guys?¡±

    ¡°Dada!¡± they shouted again.

    They kept this up until they reached the sign. He turned around and give them all a knowing look, changing his tone into something more lilting. ¡°Who am I, guys?¡± he asked as the cart paused at the crossroads.

    ¡°Martin!¡± they shouted.

    Garlin said, ¡°Sir¡­¡±, holding out the ¡®r¡¯ for a few seconds. Anladet and her younger sister, Sildet, burst into a fit of giggles and mimicked him for miles.

    They camped when there were no towns. If they could find an inn, they would share beds, their father, mother, and Garlin together, and Anladet with her two sisters.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    After eight days of bumpy travel, they reached Analussia. Her father made sure they kept inhaling the air, telling them they could smell the sea before they saw it. They heard the terns and gulls before spying the ocean, too, wondering what sort of creatures made those noises.

    Their hotel rooms weren¡¯t the most luxurious in town, but they were quite adequate. The innkeeper was a cheery man who asked no questions and gave them two rooms with a shared washroom that actually had plumbing. Their mother made them unpack their things before they changed out of their traveling clothes and explored the town.

    Analussia was an amazing sight to behold. They had been to many other amazing places, cities, mountain villages, even a large park with many different sights, but never a resort town. This was where the rich migrated to get away from the stressed of urban life for a few months out of the year. They would bring an entourage of staff, colorful and beautiful garments, and plenty of money. Over time, the town had invested the windfall into improvements, which caused more people to come, which caused the town to grow in its lavishments each year.

    Just a few cobblestone streets over from their inn was a tiled plaza with benches, potted flowers, and even a plume of water shooting from the ground. It was just the first of many gorgeous surprises the town held, each more incredible than the last. The plaza was all they needed to hold their attention, though they were all antsy to finally see and swim in the ocean.

    They went back to the inn for dinner, their father insisting he eat in the servant¡¯s area. The next day, as promised, they toted their suits and lunch to the ocean.

    It had been breathtaking. There had been so many things to do. Their mother ushered them into a changing stall, a tall, striped tent on the edge of the sands near the road, then let them run free once they were suited up. Anladet didn¡¯t know where to start. The waters? The sand? The large rocks along the northern part called to her most strongly. She took Garlin by the hand and led him down to the outcroppings. They climbed the boulders, sliding down the slick sides into the waiting waters. They did that until they discovered the tide pools filled with amazing creatures.

    ¡°Look, Garlin!¡± she said, pointing next to her.

    He ran over, slipping on the rocks but maintaining his balance. They both dropped to their knees and leaned over. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a tiny ocean. Look. You can see things moving and schools of fish swimming around. There¡¯s a shell-thing right there,¡± she said, pointing to a mollusk.

    Garlin tried to touch it, but the crustacean retreated into its shell and refused to come out. ¡°Anla, do you think big people watch our seas like we¡¯re watching this puddle?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± she said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be able to see them? There¡¯s no one above us.¡±

    ¡°What if they¡¯re invisible?¡±

    ¡°You mean like the gods Dada told us about?¡±

    ¡°I forgot to ask him when he was teaching us. Dada said we can¡¯t see or hear them, but what if they¡¯re trying to talk to us? How would we know?¡±

    She thought about this for a second. ¡°Dada said that they can do things to make sure everything is equal. Like, if too many people stop liking Kriskin or Queyella, then there are earthquakes and tsunamis and things like that. That¡¯s how they tell us things.¡±

    Anladet hadn¡¯t like her father¡¯s gods. There were less than the gods worshiped in the village, but Dada¡¯s gods were meaner and vengeful.

    ¡°What if they¡¯re happy, though? How do we know?¡±

    Anladet didn¡¯t have an answer for him. She¡¯d ask her dad as soon as it was safe. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the beach.¡±

    They ran down to the soft, tan sand below and hopped into the waves, a great distraction from her brother¡¯s tough questions. The waves were huge, taller than their father. They ran shrieking from the largest ones for some time before their mother called them for lunch.

    They played games of imagination when they returned to the surf. Anladet had asked her father as many questions as she could think of about the sea people, the to¡¯ken, on their way to Analussia. He answered with what he knew, mostly tales he warned her might not be true. They were sea voyagers with floating islands that attacked unsuspecting travelers. They could turn themselves into whales and dolphins. In their human forms, they breathed water and air when in the sea or on land and had scales instead of skin.

    These were amazing insights into the sea people. Anladet pretended she was one, marauding after her brother¡¯s ship. She¡¯d slip below the water and try to drag him under the waves by his ankles. Afraid that she might drown him, she would snake underneath Garlin¡¯s legs and lift him up on her shoulders, flopping him over to the side. He laughed every time.

    That evening they all took baths. Their mother painstakingly brushed out their hair, trying to remove as much of the brine from it as possible. Anladet fell asleep from exhaustion and didn¡¯t wake until her sister poked her well after dawn.

    That was it. That was Anladet¡¯s one perfect day. She had dreamed about it often enough that she had begun to pick up little details she had missed when she thought of it during the day. Tiny things, like the color of the rocks on the beach were a dark brown, not black as she had originally thought. Her mother¡¯s hat, which hid her ears enough to keep people from asking the wrong kind of questions, had tiny white flowers embroidered over its tan felt. Raidet had been talking to a boy for most of the day, ignoring Sildet, who spent her time building sandcastles with other children. There was a smell of popcorn being sold along the side of the road next to the beach. There was a group of people feeding seagulls near one of the stalls. And the people on the beach, those who lived in town or were just visiting, had already been giving them suspicious looks.

 Chapter 17

    The sun had been cruel to her family, the children especially. Anladet and her siblings had awoken to skin hot, dry, and red, blistered in some places. Their skin, a mix between their mother¡¯s dark bronze and father¡¯s fair color, was unused to the exposure an open beach brought. Even their father¡¯s nose, cheekbones, and forehead were pink where the sun had burned them, though he had spent quite a bit of time under the awnings the town provided. He left that morning and returned with an ointment for them to rub on their skin.

    Their view in the hotel had been limited to the buildings across the street and the ones right up against the other side. Martin didn¡¯t want his family stuck inside when they were capable of at least walking and seeing. They decided to get dressed after breakfast and explore the town.

    The street they were on ended in an L-shape, then turned toward the center of town. The buildings on the western part of the road stopped abruptly, replaced by a forest of short pines. ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s wooded here?¡± Martin asked.

    Garlin and Sildet kept throwing out answers, starting with obvious ones and moving eventually into fantastical ideas that sometimes bordered on silly. Raidet rolled her eyes and tried to stay as far from her family as possible. Anladet spent her time looking around and trying to notice things, as her father had taught her. ¡°Is it because of the wizard?¡±

    Her father turned and raised his eyebrow. ¡°Anla, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve joined your younger siblings in the fairy tales. I thought you would be the one to say the right thing.¡±

    She was doubtful of her thoughts for a moment, but answered, ¡°Wizards like to live in forests in high towers, yes? I thought maybe he lived up there.¡± She pointed up.

    Martin looked as did the rest of her family, her mother holding her wide-brimmed hat to make sure it stayed on her head. Her father laughed. ¡°Perhaps not exactly how I thought you were going to answer that, but you¡¯re right in a way. These are the grounds of the Grand Courmet Hotel. They believe that forests are a great place for their customers to relax and retreat from the tribulations living in the city can bring.¡±

    This was on odd concept for Anladet. Her tribe lived in a forest. Some were always relaxed while others weren¡¯t. Maybe this was one of those ¡°people do things differently and we should respect that¡± things that her father was always talking about.

    There was a carefully lettered sign, very neatly written, that was tacked to a tree. Martin asked Garlin to read it out loud, which he did so with only a few stumbles.

    ~World Famous~

    Analussian Hot Springs

    ~~~~~~~~

    Cures Ailments

    Soothes Wary Travelers

    ~~~~~~~~~

    Open Viewing for the Public

    ¡°I think we may have found a lovely excursion,¡± her father said and led the family onto the trail.

    Just a few hundred feet away, the path was raised by a boardwalk. Another sign requested for all visitors to proceed on the pathway for fear of injury or death. Not even Martin knew why. Anladet suspected there might be creatures in the forest that wouldn¡¯t touch anyone on the path due to their fear of lumber. She squeezed Garlin¡¯s hand, who looked around worriedly and wouldn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°Ah,¡± her father said, holding the syllable out. They had reached the end and were instructed to stay on one side of a short fence to view the hot springs. ¡°The ground must have been unstable or maybe there were small springs in the forest. I¡¯ve read that some are very, very hot and can kill a person. They just did it for our safety, so we wouldn¡¯t fall into one.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Garlin let go of Anla¡¯s hand and ran up next to their father. ¡°Are these ones safe?¡± he asked, then added, ¡°Martin?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so! See, there are people bathing over there!¡± he said, pointing far to the right.

    Every one of them, even Raidet, leaned over the fence to view the swimmers. They were decently clothed, much as Anla and her siblings had been the day before, but in finer suits. The water was a soft blue, like the sky at the horizon in the middle of a hot day. Steam rose in plumes and obscured the scenery, which was likely more trees and flowers anyhow.

    Another sign pointed left, informing the family that one hour¡¯s time in the hot springs was priced steeply at eight silver per person (or it was complimentary with a stay at the hotel). It was yet another thing that would be too much for them. Though their father brought his family considerable means with his profession, and also helped considerably with the Deerborn tribe, he did not make enough to keep up with the typical patronage of Analussia.

    If there were any doubts about what kind of clientele came to the opulent resort town, they were dispelled when they stood before the hotel. ¡°Best behavior,¡± their father said. ¡°No touching, no running. We¡¯re just going to look inside and leave.¡±

    Anladet was too awestruck to do anything but gape. Even outside, the richly embellished sign and the gardens along the front were enough to make her want to sit and take them in for a while. At home, only their house had flower beds and carved wood for decoration. It was one of many little things that Martin had added to blend he and his wife¡¯s traditions together. Though tolerated by the tribe, his affectations were seen as queer. He therefore kept them relatively simple, not like the treasures in front of Anla.

    Their father shepherded them inside the atrium of the hotel, where two men in crisp, dark brown uniforms that matched the exterior of the building greeted guests and opened doors for them.

    Inside, the floors were shiny and white with sparkling, black veins. ¡°That¡¯s marble,¡± their father explained. ¡°It¡¯s very expensive.¡± The walls were covered in paper with a soft, tan color, like the beach sand. The counters and tables were made from a lacquered wood, gleaming as the morning sun strewn through the large windows.

    Anla couldn¡¯t help but gawk. She looked up and saw all the way to the top of the hotel, twenty stories high. Each floor had an open space in the middle where guests could view the sights below if they wished. The main attraction would be the indoor garden. Indoors! And they were real plants, which she needed to verify by rubbing the broad leaf of one plant between her fingers. The thought still was hard to grasp until her father explained patiently that it was like a very large version of the herbs he kept in the kitchen.

    As her mind settled, she began to take in finer details. The wallpaper wasn¡¯t just one color, but had a curled design slightly darker than tan. The border under the front desk was a dark metal in the fashionable eyelash pattern. And they had gold, real gold, on the ashtrays and the painting frames behind the desk.

    Their father explained that this hotel did more than just feed and quarter rich guests. Up above, somewhere, there were rooms where wizards plied their trade. There were musicians, dancers, and gymnasts who put on shows for the guests. Gheny¡¯s best touch wizards soothed guests for top dollar. ¡°So you weren¡¯t totally wrong, Anla,¡± he said. ¡°There are wizards in the top of the tower, but they don¡¯t live there or own it.¡±

    It was like being in a painting. It seemed wonderful to Anladet that such a place existed and that she could visit it. For a moment, she imagined herself as one of the princesses from the tales her father told her, living in opulence and adored by the people.

    The hotel would often lend out their performers for a free concert in the plaza. Anladet¡¯s family caught the show that day, watching with rapt attention as they ate their shaved ice with strawberry syrup. Women with scandalously tight clothing performed feats of balance, standing on tiny poles held by men below. They made pyramids and towers with each other, no one dropping or falling the entire time. A band performed during their show, the music suspenseful then triumphant. They played music that made Anla¡¯s mother weep at times. It evoked emotions Anladet couldn¡¯t even describe, something close to being at one with everyone or flying in the sky searching for a long lost child. A dance performance ended the show on a high note, her heart soaring after they bowed at the end.

    They ate a dinner later in their hotel and filled their bellies with fish and seafood of all kinds. Their father was called out of the servant¡¯s area to help the children shell the crustaceans and mollusks set in the middle of the table.

    This day didn¡¯t quite match the pure happiness Anladet had experienced the day before, but it was second best. She loved this town, its people, and its ingenuity. She didn¡¯t want to leave.

 Chapter 18

    The children''s skin had deepened to a nice tan by the next day. Their father proclaimed that they could take a shorter excursion to the beach, just in the morning for a few hours. Martin''s face and neck were peeling badly enough that he bought a straw hat to protect himself while he herded his excited offspring back across the main road and into the waves.

    It was, again, Anladet''s world. There was so much to do, so much to explore, and only a short time to do it. She took Garlin by the hand and led him back to the rocks, this time hugging the boulders around it to make it out into deep water. Her brother chickened out and swam back to the beach, so she brought one of starfish she had found clinging to the boulders over to him.

    ¡°Touch it,¡± she said, ¡°it''s bumpy and slimy.¡±

    Garlin giggled. "It''s sticking to me!" He pulled the arms up slowly, one by one, and started again, laughing that he had just pulled that one up and it was stuck again. It was one of the things she had loved most about her brother; he met strangeness and fear with excitement and curiosity, with an unabashed love for new things.

    Anla returned the poor creature it to the nearest rock when they were done prodding at it and poking it. She then led Garlin back into the water and played in the waves. Anla had figured out how to stand on her hands, clutching the sand furiously until she was toppled over by the waves. Her brother joined her, sputtering inhaled water the first time he tried. They moved on to cartwheels and underwater somersaults.

    Anladet started walking on her hands towards the beach when her hand wrapped around something sharp. Alarmed, she pulled her arm back, toppling to the side. She carefully reached down, brushing aside the sand instead of diving her hand in, and unearthed a seashell with bumpy spikes on the outside. It was beautiful, a pink and white speckled swirl bigger than her hand was wide. It was her treasure and, as most children excited about new and incredible things, she needed her father to see it right then and there.

    ¡°Dada!¡± she yelled out.

    It took a moment before she realized what she had done. She slipped beneath the water, hugging the shell close to her chest. No, she thought. That was the one thing I wasn''t supposed to say. Did anyone hear me? Am I going to get in trouble? Her father had always commended her on how well she played the game and she just spoiled it.

    She peeked out of the water, just her eyes, to see if Martin was looking at her. Or anyone else. The beach seemed as it had, everyone going about their normal play. Garlin was under the waves, twisting around and oblivious to what she had done. Her mother still sat on the oversized blanket the hotel had loaned them, pulling her hat down when a gust of wind threatened to take it away. Her father stood some distance behind her, speaking with a group of men.

    Everything seemed fine. Still, the day was ruined for her. She continued to explore and swim, but her stomach was tied in knots. Was she in trouble? Was she going to be punished? It had been an accident. Mama sometimes made them sit with their foreheads touching the large tree across from their house whenever they were bad. Anladet didn''t want to do that in front of all these people.

    No one said anything as the family shuffled back to the hotel, bathed, changed, and headed out to walk in town again before lunch. On their way through the plaza, they noticed a commotion in the form of a mounted sheriff''s posse headed down the street. Since the group was taking up most of the road, people moved out of their way, lining the sidewalks to let them pass.

    Despite her serious gaff earlier, Anladet never thought they would stop in front of their family.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the sheriff asked Martin, ¡°are you the father of these children?¡±

    The crowd quieted, waiting to hear what their father would say. Anladet remembered clearly at how strong his accent was compared to the sheriff''s. ¡°No, sir, I am their hired guard. I am sworn to protect them while they are vacationing in this fine town.¡±

    ¡°We have reason to believe that is a lie,¡± the sheriff said. If anyone in the crowd had been speaking, they were silenced by the accusation.

    Martin blinked a few times, then gave a forced, fake smile. ¡°Sir, no, I am just their guard. I was paid to watch them by their father, who is a wealthy businessman in New Wextif."

    The sheriff looked down over the group, from Martin to Nakeswa, then to each child. Garlin reached for Anla''s hand and held it as the man analyzed them, his gaze lingering for an uncomfortable amount of time. "They look like you," the sheriff said to their father, "especially that one" he said, pointing to Anladet, "and that one," he finished, pointing to Garlin.

    "Sir, any resemblance is coincidental." He still had that forced smile, but he kept swallowing, his prominent Adam''s apple bouncing up and down his throat.

    "Please remove your hat, madam," the sheriff asked their mother. In uncertain motions, her hands reached up and took off the broad-rimmed hat that had protected her face from the sun and any notice of her difference. "Could you brush your hair back for me, madam?"

    Her mother''s fingers, long and lissome, combs her tresses back revealing her ears. The sheriff again looked at each child, then back at Nakeswa, and finally at Martin. "Their ears do not look as sharply pointed as this woman''s. If I had to wager a goodly sum, I''d say that this was their mother, but that their father was a human."

    "I...I have met th...their father. He is a good man, but an elf. He pays me well. Sir, I don''t..."

    The sheriff snorted in disgust. "I''m not making arbitrary guesses, sir. I didn''t rouse my men because someone looked closely and pictured what I have painted. I have stronger proof than that."

    Anla felt as if she could vomit any of the sea water she had swallowed on the cobblestones any moment. Instead, she squeezed Garlin''s hand tighter. When Martin said nothing, the sheriff continued. ¡°Perhaps if we ask the children then? I''m sure they can tell us the truth of the matter. Children are so very honest.¡± He turned to the men surrounding him. ¡°Take them.¡±

    The unmounted men who had accompanied the sheriff each took a hold of one of their arms. Sildet began to cry. Raidet twisted away from the arm of the man that was holding her. Anla, however, complied and gave one last squeeze to Garlin before their hold was broken by the officers.

    They hadn''t traveled more than fifteen steps when she heard her mother cry out for them. They only went a farther ten when she heard her father''s anguished voice. ¡°Wait, please. Don''t...yes. Yes, I am their father.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The crowd around them murmured in disgust. The sheriff held his hand up for his men to stop. Raidet broke free and ran into her father''s arms. He pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. Anla and Garlin made it quickly to their mother, who hugged both tightly. She could feel her mother''s tears run down her forehead.

    ¡°Sir, are you aware there is a law in Gheny against humans and elves interbreeding?¡±

    Their father looked over Raidet''s head. ¡°Yes, but, I am from Arvonne. We do not have that law where I am from.¡±

    The sheriff shook his head, unswayed. ¡°You still broke the law, with full knowledge you were doing so.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Martin said. ¡°We''ll go, immediately. We have a house in the Dreelands. We''ll stay there and never leave.¡±

    Anladet reviewed this moment many times and realized how stupid and naive she had been. Her concern then wasn''t the immediate survival of her family, but the long term one. She wanted to turn to her father and scold him for lying. Of course he would leave! He had to, it was part of his job. The whole reason why he didn''t stay with them in the village, he told his family every time he left, was that people depended on him in the Gheny lands beyond their borders.

    Her mind was occupied solely by what would happen to them when they returned. So, she was quite shocked when the sheriff replied, ¡°I''m sorry, sir, but I can''t allow that.¡±

    ¡°But Gheny is in an armistice with the elves! Surely the law must be broken then...¡±

    The sheriff dismounted, ungloved his hands, and personally placed the shackles he had been carrying with him around Martin''s wrists, then around his wife''s. ¡°No! She''s not a citizen of Gheny!¡± Martin said. "She''s not under the jurisdiction of this land!"

    ¡°Then she shouldn''t have been here,¡± was the sheriff''s reply.

    Anladet was unsure what to do. Her parents were being led away, but everyone was ignoring them. She motioned for Garlin to come to her and he did, holding her hand tightly. Raidet finally took charge and ushered them to follow, grabbing Sildet and making sure she followed in the group.

    The crowd ended at the steps of the temple of Uvarna, a building regal in its ornamentation. Above the doorway was an embossed sigil of a circle of chains with a feather in the middle and two teeth on either side. She saw her parents being shoved inside, followed by the crowd clamoring to follow. It was a spectacle even in a town famous for its entertainment.

    Later, when she had understood things better, Anladet had been so angry with the people in Analussia. There were many reasons that had their own flavors of ire, but this in particular made her so mad she lost sleep thinking about it. Her father had told her about Noh Amairians from years ago who, living near the places where battles were fought, would picnic and watch men being killed by the hundreds, as if it were a play. It was in this vein that she felt a disregard for her parents individuality, their passions and plights, from the people of Analussia. It was unforgivable.

    The children were allowed in the courtroom, though ignored throughout the proceedings. Garlin hugged her as he wept, already overwhelmed by the crowd, nay parade, that had led them there. She had tried to distract him, but she was sure he had heard the vile things the people had shouted about their parents.

    The case was taken immediately and was ridiculously quick. Her father had confessed. Her mother was an accomplice, Ghenian or not, and their children were the proof. When she remembered the court, Anladet could single out her father and watch his decline with the greatest ease. He started with a grand speech about wanting more for his children, wanting them to experience the beautiful country of Gheny and its people so that they didn''t grow up with hatred and ignorance in their hearts. He spoke of lawfulness, of instilling obedience in his children. Finally, he told the story of how he had met Nakeswa when he ventured too far off the main road to collect herbs.

    ¡°It is not our way, us from Arvonne, to be repulsed by those different from us. I didn''t know of the law then and I didn''t know of the hostilities until I was captured by the Deerborn. They were sick with the same illness the humans nearby were. I used my knowledge to heal them. Nakeswa was my nurse. She was beautiful and she distracted me many times from my goal. When the elves I cured were stable, I took the remaining herbs and healed the humans. I returned after a few weeks and asked for her hand, so smitten I had hardly eaten or slept while I was gone. Since then, we have made life work.¡±

    Anladet had heard the story many times, of course, but its one thing to tell your children, with overly dramatic sighs and laughs, and another to deliver a personal tale to the public. His voice wavered. The two looked at each other with fear and love and hope, but mostly love.

    That was the height of their hope. The judge began to surmise the facts, stating clearly what Anla knew to be true. Martin''s head hung and his shoulders slumped. Then, when the law was read, he broke down and began to cry into his hands.

    ¡°Any finals words before I pass your verdict?¡± the judge asked.

    ¡°Spare my wife if you can. If you cannot, then spare my children.¡±

    The judge nodded and sentenced her parents to be hanged.

    It was a slap across the face. It was an impossibility Anla couldn''t fathom. The judge was supposed to say that everything was fine and they were free to go. They''d go to their hotel and pack and leave and that would be the end of it.

    She still didn''t understand what was happening when her parents were led up the stairs in the courtyard outside. Their mother was shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked out to her children, took a very large gulp of air, then smiled as she looked at them. Their father looked over at his wife. No words passed between them, but Anladet understood later how many conversations they''d had were finally ended in that glance.

    None of her siblings had said anything until the nooses were placed around their parents'' necks. Raidet started crying, softly, and saying ¡°no¡± as she shook her head. It had all happened too fast for Anladet to process what was about to pass.

    They didn''t get to say goodbye. Their parents were alive one moment, then the door below them dropped. Their mother''s neck broke and she didn''t suffer. Their father struggled for a few moments, kicking a few times before he finally stopped swinging.

    Anladet was still too numbed to register any of it until Garlin sank to the ground and began to wail ¡°Mama!¡± over and over again. It abraded her. That sound was the only sound in the entire courtyard. Garlin cried out for his mother, who would never hold him, never kiss him again. That''s when the tears began for Anla, her eyes still raw from the swim she''d had just a mere two hours prior.

    Their parents'' lives were over. Their lives'' were over. They were just four children between six and fifteen, hundreds of miles from their home, with no way of knowing how to get there and no money to pay for their travels anyway. And it was all Anladet''s fault.

    A woman came forward, ushering them outside. She had a kind look to her, despite her long and sharp features that made her look rather witchy. She even had a large mole that covered a lower part of her lip and a chunk of her ear missing. ¡°Come along, dears. This way.¡± Anladet grabbed Garlin''s hand and tugged him standing. The four children passed through the crowd, who were beginning to disperse now that the entertainment was over.

    The woman brought them to an alleyway not too far from the courthouse. ¡°Which one of you is the eldest?¡± she asked.

    Raidet set her jaw. ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Then you need to take your little sisters and brother and run away from here. If you go north, you''ll hit Hanala in a few days by walking. How did you get here? Where are you staying?¡±

    Raidet explained that they had a horse and cart at the hotel they had been staying at.

    ¡°Dears, let me take care of that for you. Here,¡± she said, giving Raidet a few silvers and coppers. ¡°You can get food with that. Start walking and don''t look back. The people here might change their minds about forgetting about you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raidet said, using a tired tone Anladet had never heard before in her sister. ¡°You''re very kind.¡±

    ¡°Pah,¡± she said. ¡°There''s no need to see more hangings today, especially not children. Go along, dears.¡±

    Anladet thought that the woman had been incredibly thoughtful and sympathetic. Later, when she had a firmer understanding of commerce, she realized that the woman had profited greatly from settling their account. The coins she had given them weren''t even half of what she had made by selling their clothes, suitcases, cart, and horse, even after she paid their hotel bill. If she had even done that.

    It was Anla''s first lesson about humans and humanity. She had been an ardent student since.

 Chapter 19

    They had walked to Hanala, the whole way. They were too afraid to trust anyone after what they had been through, so Raidet forbid them to ask for rides from strangers. ¡°Who knows what they¡¯ll want from us in exchange,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s better to walk than to risk dealing with unsavory people.¡± At that point, Anla thought she meant those people would make them lug rocks or do laundry as a form of payment.

    In every town, Raidet used some of their money to buy food, which was whatever they could get cheaply. They shared bruised and overripe vegetables, uncooked, stale bread, and half-rotten fruit. If they found something on the side of the road, they risked the poison and ate the berries by the handful.

    When it was time to sleep, they found the softest ground and curled up in their dirty clothes. A few times led to being awoken by biting insects or some mischievous creature in the woods. Garlin would fall asleep in Anladet¡¯s arms, sometimes waking and calling out for their mother and crying until she soothed him back to sleep. Only when his breathing grew slow and deep did she cry herself.

    They all assumed that Hanala would be a paradise for them. The way the lady had spoken of it made it seem like there would be people there to help them. No, she hadn¡¯t given specifics, but the way she so eagerly spoke of the city, there must be something or someone that would make the darkness go away. Sildet had suggested that maybe that lady would contact their mother¡¯s family and they would find them in the city. Raidet had told her she was being stupid. How would the lady know where they lived if they didn¡¯t know themselves? Sildet had closed her mouth and said nothing.

    When they arrived, their clothes were torn and stained, their funds were down to three coppers, and there was no providence. No one was there to welcome them. No one told them where to go. No one gave them anything. Like the towns before, It was just another place with people who didn¡¯t care what had happened to them.

    The only people who gave them any notice were the other homeless children. A small unnamed and leaderless group, not quite a gang since they hadn¡¯t broken into violence, had found them wandering the streets. They brought them to Yue Begule, one of the poorer areas of Hanala, and showed them the abandoned warehouse where they all lived. There was space where the roof caved in that they could sleep under.

    This was the closest the Auchindol children came to being cared for. In the beginning, the group shared their food and clothing. Once they were settled, they showed the children where to find food that was thrown out by restaurants, still mostly edible, so that they didn¡¯t starve. They taught them how to steal clothes off of people¡¯s wires and from the backs of unsupervised carts. They ultimately explained, in many ways, how to survive when you had nothing.

    Garlin was too small to work, so he played with the youngest children that were looked after by the older children and contributed nothing. Sildet was a good pickpocketer, but was overly cautious and made little to contribute to the family¡¯s needs. Anladet was creative and found different ways to support herself. She tried legitimate work, like courying or a day job as a window washer, but the pay was poor and unreliable. She¡¯d often only bring in enough to cover herself and maybe half of what Garlin needed.

    Raidet was the one who brought in what she could to cover the rest. She got a job as a waitress near the warehouse and maintained a steady amount for most of the time. Yue Begule was near the docks and they were dependent on sailors. During the winter, when they needed the money the most, the work would dry up and she¡¯d begin to fret about income. Every few weeks she¡¯d bring in a larger sum of money, a silver extra, and they¡¯d feast.

    Anladet had asked her once, innocently, where she had gotten the extra wages. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it,¡± she snapped and refused to explain further. One of the other kids, a girl around Raidet¡¯s age, told Anla what she did to get the money. Anla never asked her sister about it again, though it had never been a strongly shameful thing back home. They were already learning to favor their father¡¯s blood in order to survive.

    It was during this time that one of the girls, Riyan, suggested Anladet should become a piscarin. ¡°You have an older look to you, something that would captivate men. If you cleaned up, brushed out your hair and used cosmetics, if you dressed the part, they would pay just to stare at you.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Riyan was one of those lovely people in the world who give themselves totally in friendship. Her dark hair was cut short and she dressed like a boy. She told Anladet it was easier to get jobs that way, but she understood later dressing that way made her comfortable.

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t know anything about being a piscarin. Aren¡¯t they special people who have a connection to the other world? I don¡¯t have that.¡±

    ¡°Listen,¡± Riyan said, getting conspiratorially close to her. ¡°I was hanging outside the docks once when I saw two piscarin talking about their days while in their cups. They laughed about how easy it was to lie to people, just tell them what they want to hear and be vague. I think you can do that.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°But there¡¯s so much¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do it together! All we need to do is watch them and do as they do.¡±

    The two spent the next few weeks spying on piscarin in between jobs and mimicking them. Their nonchalant swagger, the clothes they wore, what they said to the customers, how they said things to the customers. They took extensive notes on what they charged, what kind of customers were attracted to piscarins, and where were the best places to find their quarry. They saw readings go exceptionally well and some that went very poorly, though they had a hard time trying to figure out what had caused either.

    Anladet practiced with the children in the warehouse, mostly with Riyan. She developed a persona and walked around the city for the good part of an afternoon in her costume and makeup before setting out one day. She dropped a few of the stones and was dead wrong on a few predictions, but she made five copper on her first day, more than what she made running letters across the city for twice the length of time. More importantly, she learned. She learned to not be specific, she learned to be patient, she learned to have excuses ready in case anything went wrong.

    It took her a while before she had the skill to crest a silver in one day. When she did, she excitedly brought home extra food for her siblings. Instead of being happy and appreciative, Raidet was sour the whole evening. Anla would have asked her about it, but the concern over Sildet¡¯s absence was greater.

    They went out looking for her the next day, and the next, but never found her. There were no leads, no rumors, no trace. It was as if the ocean had flooded the streets and swallowed her whole.

    Her disappearance became a very large wedge between Anladet and her sister. Raidet had given up looking for their sister only after a few days. They fought, mostly rehashing the same argument: Sildet would come home eventually, she had told Anla. She needed their help, she told Raidet. Anla grew distracted and spent more and more time searching for her sister, not content with letting her just fade away. She did less work and brought in less money.

    Raidet frequently reminded her that they could find a better place, maybe rent a room somewhere, if she didn¡¯t waste so much time looking for Sildet. They had fought bitterly the first night she had changed from ¡°she¡¯ll come home¡± to ¡°she¡¯s not coming home¡±.

    ¡°You think she¡¯s dead!¡± Anladet had yelled. ¡°You¡¯ve given up on her!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Anla! She was young, yes, but she¡¯d make it back here if she could.¡± She had folded her arms across her chest. ¡°It¡¯s better to face facts and keep what family we have here together. Stop looking for her.¡±

    Anladet was angry about so many things. She had never learned to deal with her anger well, always letting it burn her up inside. She had clenched her teeth and left in the night, preferring to spend her time searching and away from her sister.

    She was gone for a few days and returned with some money. Raidet was frantic when Anla returned. ¡°Garlin,¡± she said and she didn¡¯t have to say any more. Anla talked to all the kids he would play with and visited all the places he frequented. He was gone, too.

    She was inconsolable. She couldn¡¯t sleep and ate little. As someone who lived hand to hand, wasting any food by not eating it was a slow suicide. She wandered the streets for large portions of the day, calling out his name.

    That went on for some foggy amount of time until one day Raidet didn¡¯t return. With Sildet and Garlin, Anla feared the worst. With Raidet, she suspected she had just given up on taking care of her younger sister and left so she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with her. By that point, the children that had lived in the warehouse had moved on to better lives or the next one. Even Riyan had moved on, securing a job outside the city as a farmhand.

    Anladet had weighed her two options: die or find them. She had chose the latter, surviving as best she knew. She took odd jobs, she worked as a piscarin, and, yes, when the times were lean she did what she had to do to keep from starving.

    All that led her to where she was, still searching for her siblings and hoping one day she¡¯d be successful.

 Chapter 20

    Anladet wiped the tears from her face before she opened her eyes. She could see the sky through the tiny window in the kitchen, gray with a new morning. The oven fire had died down to embers, so she stacked wood in it knowing Onlard''s wife would be down soon to start baking the bread for the day.

    She cupped water from the faucet in her hands, drinking her fill before wetting her hair. It was damp from sweating in front of the oven. She''d had the foresight to clean and dry a few items, which she gathered quickly. Anla would rather not bump into Onlard or his wife if she could help it. Things were sometimes tricky when she influenced people and she''d rather not see the aftermath if she could help it.

    Anla made her way to the market, always open as soon as the sun rose, sooner in the summer. She bought bread, cheese, and a chicken leg with the tips she earned the night before, eating the meat greedily and wrapping the rest for later. Then, she headed towards Yue Begule on the other side of the city.

    Every Thursday she made her way back to the abandoned mill to look for any sign of her siblings. She had written a large message on the wall above where their beds used to be, stating she would return every week to see if the had come back and to wait for her. As always, they were not there and there were no signs that they had been there.

    While she waited, hoping it wasn''t in vain, she began her transformation into a piscarin. She opened her small purse of cosmetics, found her shard of mirror, and began applying what little she had in the drab morning light. She rubbed the hunk of charcoal in between her fingers until the oils from her skin made the powder into a silty, dark compound she used to darken her lashes and eyebrows. She added a sparing touch of a dark red pigment to her lips, then changed into a low-cut, bodiced blouse and skirt. Her final touch was to tie a kerchief around her head, to hide the tips of her ears. While none of the items she possessed had been stolen, she guessed that their owners had been very disappointed to find them missing.

    The closer Anladet got to the edge of Ont''s Call, the more she took on the personality of a piscarin. Far away and detached, she walked as if she didn''t have a care in the world. It was supposed to show that she was in between here and there, that she had no thoughts for mortals and their concerns (unless, of course, they paid her to). It gave her a sense of false confidence when she pretended to have a true connection to spirits. Anladet could sometimes convince herself that she could, which in turn made it feel less like she was lying.

    The day brought her a moderate income. Anladet pulled the handmade kerrin from her bag over a dozen times, earning a few silvers worth of coin in just a few hours. It was enough that she could eat a nice dinner, maybe splurge on a room with a washbasin and a blanket. Two nights in a row with a roof over her head. She smiled and wiggled her fingers.

    She was about to leave her spot when three young men, laughing and joking with each other, spotted her and headed her way.

    ¡°Can you read our fortunes?¡± the darkest haired of the three asked. Anla looked him over quickly, taking in as much information as she could while seeming disinterested in his appearance. He was young, of an age to attend a college or trade school. Well kempt, groomed, and stylish, or at least wearing what was stylish from what she understood of fashion. He tugged at his sleeves and vest several times, but it didn''t appear it was a habit. His gaze was bright and amused, though haughty at the same time. His looks for Anla traded between wariness and wantonness.

    She took her time responding. ¡°Yes,¡± she finally answered in a soft tone, ¡°but one at a time.¡±

    ¡°That''s not what piscarins usually say,¡± said one of the others and they laughed.

    Anladet tensed at the barb, but immediately relaxed. She was aloof, she was calm. She pretended she didn''t know what they meant and ignored the comment. Instead, she cupped her hand in her lap and turned her detached gaze on the boy.

    ¡°Three coppers, unless you''d like a stronger connection.¡± She delivered the line as deadpan as she could, hoping they wouldn''t read into it and joke once more about what they thought piscarin women did on the side.

    The dark haired man pulled the coins from his pocket and placed them in her palm. He sat next to her on the bench as she reached into her bag and took her time pulling out three tiles. While she made a show of it, she looked the man over much more carefully for a second time.

    ¡°Ee,¡± she said, holding up one of the wooden runes. ¡°You''ve recently come into some money, perhaps a bit of property.¡±

    Her eyes flicked quickly to one of his friends, who gave a look of surprise. ¡°Yes, I have,¡± he said.

    She held up the next letter. ¡°Ah. You are a learned man, or one in school learning at this moment.¡±

    The dark-haired man looked up at his friends, then back at her. ¡°Yes, what does the third one say?''

    ¡°It is ''ha'', m''lord. You are confused by something, seeking an answer to a question.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°What is the answer to my question?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Anladet cupped her hands together, palm up, and waited patiently. The man''s eyes looked down, then up at her as he reached into his pocket to retrieve three more coppers. ¡°I would recommend six, so that I may communicate more fully with the spirits.¡±

    The dark haired man paused. One of his friends turned to the other and said, ¡°Why does more money mean a better s¨¦ance?¡±

    ¡°Because it''s pig tripe in a shoe trencher,¡± he responded.

    This was a crucial point. She could triple her money, potentially more, but only if she refused to back down. If she wavered, the customer would lose confidence in her ability. She would be seen as desperate for money and not as the benevolent liaison between worlds. She continued to sit with her hands in her lap making a collection basket.

    The dark-haired man relented and paid her the additional cost. Anladet took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and lowered her head. Her eyes were actually cracked open a little, watching what she could from beneath her thick, smudged lashes. She waited until the man shifted, then waited a few moments more.

    This was the part she had felt so clever for figuring out. You never rushed the spirits. They always arrive shortly before the customer complained.

    Anla opened her eyes. She ignored the man''s friends and began the labored process of choosing six pieces from her bag. Ess, me, ay, ef, ah, nen. She rubbed a few lightly, rearranged them in her hand, then finally looked up at the man.

    ¡°This question of yours concerns a woman.¡± The two friends looked at each other quickly, a good sign. ¡°There is a question of whether you should do something that involves her.¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡± he asked. All traces of the joking bravado he had shown less than five minutes prior were gone. ¡°Should I take a leave of absence and go find Lady Silfa?¡±

    That was not the question Anladet thought he was going to ask. A young man concerned with a woman was almost always a proposal of some sort, whether it be for courtship or marriage. Well, situations like these were exactly why piscarins practiced dispassion. She showed no sign of surprise. In fact, she narrowed her eyes and smiled in a knowing, pleased sort of look. ¡°The spirits are clear in this. You must pursue her. Only you will know where she is.¡±

    He leaned in and grabbed her shoulders. ¡°Tell me anything you can, any clue to help me out.¡±

    Anladet gently removed the man''s hands and he apologized under his breath. She stretched the moment, closing her eyes and saying nothing. He sighed, reached into his pocket, and gave her a silver. ¡°My lord, water is your key. You will find her at night, when the moon is full or near full, near the sea or a lake. Great rewards will come to you for this.¡±

    He smiled and stood. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± He looked back once after he joined his friends and nodded to her. She gave a graceful bow from her neck and resumed her placid nature until they were gone from sight.

    That was quite a rewarding reading, she thought, and she wasn''t thinking of the two silver she had earned from the man. She changed her clothes in a nearby alley and walked a few streets over to New Arouk, where she could find a tavern to sit down and think without spending all her hard-earned money.

    The bartender seemed friendly enough, going so far as to smile and nod at Anla as she entered. She sat at the counter and ordered a glass of Chieri Rose, a blush wine that was often watered down to a hint. She paid the woman, sipping the drink until the bartender seemed free enough for a longstanding conversation.

    ¡°It''s a fine day out,¡± Anladet said. ¡°Glad to see the sun again¡±

    ¡°Indeed. After that nasty storm we just got, I''m glad it didn''t flood like the priestesses were so worried about. I''m thinking about leaving the door open to dry out the corners.¡±

    Anladet smiled. ¡°Do you serve food here? I don''t see a menu.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she admitted, ¡°but I can tell you that Rafter''s across the common serves great food and isn''t too expensive.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I''ll try the place later. Say, what is this I hear about Lady Silfa?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, yes,¡± the bartender said, nodding slowly, ¡°Duke Frenrell''s youngest daughter. She was kidnapped three days ago in the dead of night.¡±

    ¡°So sad. Terrible what happens to even the noble.¡±

    The bartender rolled her eyes and gave a crooked smile to share in Anladet''s sarcasm. ¡°Sad indeed. However, this time the commoners may benefit from the tragedy. The duke has offered a sizable reward for the return of his daughter.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn''t he hire a trirec?¡±

    The bartender tilted her head to one side. ¡°Do they do that? I thought they just stole things and killed people. Anyway, I think the duke is still sore over a trirec assassinating his favorite brother.¡±

    Anladet remembered the news spreading like wildfire through Yue Begule two years ago. She swirled the wine. ¡°I can see why he might skip that option. So, he''s opened this to anyone? Seems a tad foolish.¡±

    ¡°A tad desperate. The duke dotes on his daughters quite a bit, from what I hear. He''s beside himself, making crazy threats one minute and promises of great rewards the next.¡±

    ¡°What''s he offering?¡±

    ¡°Two thousand. Gold. Some other things as well.¡±

    Anladet almost choked. ¡°That must be his favorite daughter.¡±

    ¡°Favorite or not, the duke isn''t a poor man, just a sentimental one.¡±

    Anladet tipped the bartender and left to check on a poster she told her was on a nearby wall. Sure enough, there was a beautiful portrait of Lady Silfa with a moving plea to return her to her loving father. It wasn''t just two thousand gold the duke promised. There was a long list of treasures below the gold, including jewelry and gems. Anla fancied herself wearing some of the items and realized she would look beyond gaudy if she wore even a quarter of what was promised at the same time.

    She wished the best to that man from earlier or whoever it was that brought the Duke''s daughter back. It would take a lot of talent to track the girl, never mind extricating her from whatever situation she was in. You''d need something to set yourself apart, something like a gift or incredible skill.

    Anladet thought about it for a moment. She had just qualified herself, but she didn''t want to miss out on the opportunity that Garlin or Raidet would find their way to Yue Begule and wait for her. She needed to find them before she tried to find anyone else.

    But it had been so long. Would it be all right if she just left for a week or two? If she managed to find the lady, she could fund her own search for years to come. She could pay people herself, maybe even trade some of the reward in exchange for the location of her brother and sisters.

    Anla made her way back to her old home in Yue Begule and wrote below the sign on the wall. I love you and miss you. I''ll find you some day.

 Chapter 21

    Alpine knew a strange situation when he saw one. He was a peculiarity, too; a wizard on the road far from a city, looking for adventure. He didn''t stand out, though, since no one really knew he was a wizard. The woman in the corner, however, stood out like frozen laundry on a windy day.

    She sat the corner farthest from the door, up against the stairway to the rooms upstairs.. She wasn''t with anyone that Al could tell and she wasn''t waitressing. It might raise a few eyebrows back in Whitney, where women had a little more autonomy, but here in the countryside of Sharka, it was a bit odd. Especially a woman so comely and so unprotected.

    She was dark haired with captivating eyes that tilted up slightly. She would be incredibly stunning if she wore clothing more befitting her small stature and gained a little weight. As it were, her high cheekbones shadowed her face dramatically and her collarbones stuck out in a way closer to starvation than exoticism. Her appearance didn''t seem to bother the local men, though. Al had counted eight of them sitting at her table during the better part of an evening, a little under half the men in the tavern. The rest probably understood they were too old or too poor to have a fair chance at her hand.

    The woman spoke quietly, occasionally pulling out a bag of runes. Even stranger. A piscarin, so far from the docks of a city. Was that normal for a small town in Sharka?

    Al kept drinking the beer at the bar, watching the woman in the corner, trying to decipher the situation. The bartender leaned over. ¡°No offense t''ya, goodman, but I''m thinkin'' she may be out o'' ya league. Piscarin or no, some man here would surely be a fetching match for her.¡±

    Al turned back to the man. ¡°Oh, I''m not...no. Just curious.¡±

    ¡°I''m thinkin'' she''s quite a mysterious lady. My guess,¡± the bartender said, leaning a little closer, ¡°is she''s a noblewoman, in disguise, checkin'' out ''er locals. Hopen she finds us all right.¡±

    ¡°We may never know,¡± Al said, taking a long swig.

    ¡°Well, she be free agin''. Why don''t ya go ask ''er what secrets she be holdin''?¡±

    ¡°I bet I''ll be as successful as a sailor trapping the Gamik Sea.¡±

    ¡°Heh, that bein'' a good one, goodman. Good luck to ye.¡±

    Al waited a few minutes, then decided it was worth the entertainment, if not the education. He brought his beer over with him and asked if she minded if he sat down. She waved him to join her.

    ¡°Are you looking to have your fortune told?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Seems a good way to spend a few minutes,¡± he said, putting his beer down on the table.

    ¡°Three coppers, unless you''d like a stronger connection.¡± She held her hand out in front of her.

    ¡°Let''s make this interesting shall we?¡± He placed two coins on the table. ¡°I will pay you one copper for the reading. If you can guess three things about me, I will give you one gold.¡± Why did I just wager a gold?

    She eyed the coin hungrily for a moment, then returned his gaze with a sleepy one. ¡°The spirits frown upon gambling. I will accept and beseech them to forgive my weakness.¡±

    Al picked up his beer and snorted into it. ¡°I''m sure they will.¡±

    The woman drew six tiles from her bag. She placed them into three pairs, then waited a few moments. While Alpine found her to be quite easy on the eyes, what he enjoyed more was how she watched him. It was if she were peering out from a bush, an intelligent look but one of action and speed, of breaking down walls and necessary evils. ¡°You are not from around here.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Be more specific.¡±

    Her mouth hardened for a second, then faced smoothed into placidity. ¡°You''re from a city. You''re from the north.¡±

    He nodded and slid the gold coin a thumb''s length towards her.

    ¡°You are a learned man. Many letters surround you.¡±

    He slid the coin again.

    ¡°You are seeking something important in your life. Love. You are looking for a woman.¡±

    Al placed his finger over the gold coin and slid it back towards him. ¡°You were doing so well, too.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± she said, then slipped back into her mask of ennui. She cleared her throat. ¡°Perhaps it isn''t a woman you seek then? Is it companionship of another kind?¡±

    ¡°Are you propounding I''m a Uranian?¡± he asked. He placed the gold coin back in his pouch as the woman began to apologize. He held up his hand. ¡°I''m not, but that''s besides the point. You were incorrect about the last part so our deal is off. I''m sorry you weren''t connected to the spirits enough."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He didn''t leave immediately, though. He watched her go through a series of non-verbal tries. First, she flirted with him, her eyes looking into his, then bashfully away. When that didn''t work, she grew cold, leaning back into the darkened corner with her arms crossed. Finally, she ignored him, looking around the room for her next client.

    ¡°You broke your facade,¡± he said after he finished his beer. Her gaze to him. ¡°Just for a moment, I saw someone whom I found much more interesting. I''d rather talk to her and not deal with this fake piscarin thing you''re doing,¡± Al said, waving his hand in front of her face.

    It occurred to him in that moment that the beer might be stronger than he thought.

    ¡°I''m not a fake, m''lord. I just don''t always hear what the spirits are trying to tell me.¡±

    ¡°That''s...disappointing. I don''t like piscarins, did the spirits tell you that? They''re cheats. Every single one of them. They say they can tap into the spirit world through magic. They make us wizards look bad by comparison.¡±

    ¡°You''re a wizard?¡± she asked, looking piqued for the first time.

    ¡°I am. .rd Alpine Gray, but just Al is fine, if you want to be friendly. I notice the spirits neglected to tell you that.¡±

    ¡°The spirits don''t tell me everything.¡±

    Al sighed deeply, meeting her gaze with a disappointed one. ¡°You seem like an intriguing person. I''m in the mindset to meet engaging people and have conversations with them. I feel like going for a stroll. If you''re so inclined as well, I''ll wait a few minutes before I start staggering down the road.¡±

    Al left her at the table, the woman staring ahead with a thoughtful look. He paid his tab. ¡°What''s in that beer exactly?¡± he asked the bartender.

    ¡°Oh, we brew it wit'' a herb some not from ''round here be findin'' a bit strange.¡± He looked over. ¡°Sorry about your luck.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see,¡± Alpine said.

    He stepped outside, stretching his limbs and pacing back and forth in front of the tavern. The sun was set for the night, but there was still enough light to silhouette the trees across the road. Flies gathered around the oil lamps in the town center, which consisted of just the tavern, a general store, an area with some stalls that suggested a daytime market, and a few houses. Frogs and insects chirped all around him. Al found it peaceful and beautiful.

    The white, many paned door to the tavern creaked open and closed. He turned and saw the woman from inside standing there, her arms clasped before her.

    ¡°If you prefer, we can walk under the lamps. I am a gentleman, but I understand a savvy woman is cautious.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± she said, joining him. ¡°I can handle myself better than my appearance would suggest.¡±

    He offered his arm, which she patted kindly but didn''t take. ¡°Introductions, then? I was being honest about being a wizard. I can show you my stole, if you would like proof.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± she said, ¡°and I think there are easier ways to prove it. My name is Anladet.¡±

    ¡°Lovely name. Arvonnese, if I''m not mistaken.¡±

    ¡°My father was from Arvonne. He settled here some twenty years ago.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°Does he speak of it often? Arvonne culture is a particular interest of mine.¡±

    ¡°Some,¡± she said, sadly. ¡°I can speak and write the language and remember some tales of his.¡±

    ¡°Do you live nearby?¡±

    ¡°Hanala, actually.¡±

    ¡°Slake my curiosity, then. What are you doing in a tavern here, in the middle of lumber country?¡±

    She stopped walking, then turned back towards the town. ¡°Well, if you must know, I''m hunting for the missing daughter of the duke. I think that makes us competitors.¡±

    ¡°Competitors?¡± he asked, looking confused. ¡°No... That would be the first I''ve heard of it. What makes you believe I''m doing the same thing you are?¡±

    Anladet looked surprised. ¡°A wizard, from a place at least a day''s ride from here, hanging around in a bar? And you''re not looking to take a bride home? You must be down here for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Not particularly.¡± He paused. ¡°It might be forward of me, but I''d like a little measure on tonight''s discussion. I''ll tell you why you were wrong if you tell me how you were right.¡±

    She studied him for a moment. ¡°Those are trade secrets. I''ll have your word that, if I tell you, you won''t turn around and tell everyone in the tavern?¡±

    He connected his fingertips together in the sign of trust. ¡°I already know it''s a show. You won''t be disappointing me. And while I''m not fond of cheating, I never ruin a man''s, or woman''s, job.¡±

    ¡°All right. You don''t have the local accent. It''s a rather jarring thing, if you''re not used to it. I''ve heard enough Eerians to know their accent. A little clipped and never a hard ''v''.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could have been wrong, if I hadn''t picked up the Eerie accent. So, you''re observant, then. How did you know I was a man of words?¡±

    ¡°Your arms and hands,¡± she said. ¡°You don''t have a cut, bruise, or scrape on them. Your hands don''t have any calluses. You''re not a lumberjack, that''s for sure, nor do you do anything dangerous or physical. Your, um, physique doesn''t make one think of hard labor. Therefore, something scholarly.¡±

    ¡°Okay. And why did you think I was in search of love?¡±

    ¡°No ring,¡± she said, pointing to her own left hand, ¡°and you''re young. You didn''t seem to be in a rush and you didn''t have any satchels with paperwork in them. I usually just guess when I''m fairly sure I''m right. I guess I wasn''t this time.¡±

    ¡°No. I''d rather not go into it, but let''s just say I''ve been there and done that.¡±

    ¡°Recent break-up, then? I''m sorry to hear about it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Anyway, I''m not looking for romance at this point. I''m looking for adventure. I''ve lived in a rather stagnant and boring life for the last seven years and I want to try something different. Can you help me out with that?¡±

    ¡°How?¡± she asked, then raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you mean, you want to join me in finding Lady Silfa?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I propose we team up. We can split everything right down the middle, costs and rewards. I can offer what I have in supplies and skills. I won''t be angry if we don''t find her, nor will I hold it against you. What do you say?¡±

    Anladet smiled. ¡°I usually work alone, but I''d be willing to consider it. Let me think it over tonight while I do some more work. Meet here me in the morning, when the market opens in town. I''ll be gone by noon if you dawdle.¡±

    Al waved to her as he walked back into the tavern. He walked up the stairs to his room and didn''t notice the jealous looks from all the men thinking he was the luckiest man in the world.

 Chapter 22

    Anladet had barely sat down on the stone wall across from the tavern when Al opened the white door and stepped out, stretching. His thick hair was disheveled, but arranged in a way that made her think he actually might have tried taming it that morning. His clothing was changed, though still a tunic and breeches with loafers.

    He''s come to say he''s reconsidered, she thought. No one would dress in those clothes if they were hunting a group through the woods.

    ¡°I''m surprised to see you up so early,¡± she said. "How was your night? And your morning?"

    "Good, actually. Yours?"

    "It was well." Though muggy and full of bugs, the night had been warm enough. She had saved herself the four silver they wanted to charge at the tavern and slept outside.

    "Good. Well rested for our chase, then?"

    "Did you still want to join me?"

    He smiled broadly. "Yes! Did you still want me to?"

    "Yes, but..." And here Anla ran into a slight issue of propriety. She had learned over the years of living on the streets that, unless you wanted to make yourself a target, you should keep your mouth shut. Some of her friends had had a knack for doing the opposite, finding a rich looking person and cajoling their way into a tip, but many were used as whipping posts for people too wary to trust a street urchin. She had seen a few hobble back to the warehouse, bleeding, bruised, and with potential breaks in their bones and spirits. It was enough to make her very cautious when it came to sharing information.

    Then again, she could fend for herself. "Alpine, were you planning on changing your attire before we depart?"

    He looked down at his clothes, then back up at Anladet. "No. Why?"

    "We''re heading into the woods."

    He still looked confused.

    "Mosquitoes. Branches. Miles and miles of terrain. You will get chewed and scratched during the day, then sprout blisters overnight. And once I start, I''m not going to stop because you can''t go on."

    "Oh," he said, seeming dumbfounded. "I hadn''t thought about that."

    "Do you have different shoes? Longer socks you could wear?"

    "Long socks I have. I don''t have better shoes, but these are well broken in; I doubt they''ll give me blisters."

    Anla hopped off the wall. "We can buy supplies before we begin. We can include some pelt scraps if they have any, should your feet get bad."

    As they began walking, Al said, "Before we begin, I have one question I''d like to ask."

    ¡°I''ll try to answer it as best I can.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a lead?¡±

    She inhaled, letting her breath out slowly. Here''s where she would begin to choose her words carefully. "I do. I tracked them from Hanala to here. As far as I can tell, they are the people who have the duke''s daughter."

    "You''re a tracker, then," Al said. "That''s great. I''m guessing you know how to find a trail in a forest by the way the leaves are bent or whether there are animals around. That sort of thing. Can you teach me while we''re out following them?¡±

    "I can try, but it takes years of experience." She stopped walking and Al paused with her. Anla thought about the situation. He seemed eager, watching her with an expression that seemed like he was afraid to ruin their discussion. She wasn''t totally sure, but she felt he was deferring to her, hoping she would take charge. He felt much less like one of those rich men and more like a client she was reading for. Despite earlier reservation, she decided to put some measures in place, to secure her secrets.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Alpine, I have a few rules and stipulations before we begin. If you can agree to them, I think we can establish a partnership. The first is silence. I don''t mind conversation, but if I hold up my hand, I will need you to be quiet until I put it down. The second is you need to keep up with me. I can cover a lot of ground in one day. I can''t work with someone who dawdles. Lastly, well, I wanted to be upfront about the financial portion. I made some money last night, but even assuming I find the lady quickly and get her back to Hanala as fast as possible, I will barely have enough money for provisions for myself. If you front any money for her food, clothing, and comfort, you can take it out of the reward. If we find her. I believe you said you didn''t mind if we failed, that you wouldn''t expect me to pay you back.¡±

    ¡°True. I wouldn''t. But I''m not a rich man. I have some money to keep me wandering for a while, but not forever. I will agree to your rules, but don''t expect luxuries. I can front enough for basics.¡±

    She nodded and waited. ¡°No rules of your own?¡±

    ¡°No, I think things seem in order.¡±

    Anla was taken aback by his level of trust. What if she decided to run off with the lady while he slept, to claim the reward herself? What if she sacrificed him in order to get to the lady? There were so many little ways to fool a man out of his due.

    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°Do you need some time? Usually ruly grue hits a man hard in the morning. I can go get our things while you rest for a while.¡±

    ¡°Is that what I was drinking? I didn''t feel drunk when I spoke with you.¡±

    ¡°Just confident and chatty. There''s a saying they have around these parts. ''Ruly grue is a mighty brew, makes men witty and makes them true''. They put some herb in it that gives you the better effects of getting drunk without the slurring and dizziness. It''s supposed to give a man one nasty hangover, however. I figured you''d be nursing that today and might not make the deadline.¡±

    ¡°I feel all right. Of course, being a wizard does have some benefits.¡±

    ¡°You can cure a hangover?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. We can heal faster, some of us at least, and that includes sobering quicker than most. I didn''t drink much last night and I must have slipped into the Calm at some point.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Do you need any more time for yourself? Perhaps to gather your things.¡±

    "Yes," he said with a soft chuckle. ¡°I just need to settle my bill and grab my things. Shouldn''t be more than a half hour.¡±

    When Al returned, he had strapped to him the most enormous pack Anla had ever seen. It might have been normal on most men, but with his lack of height and size it appeared even larger. ¡°Alpine, that''s a ridiculous bag you have.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± he corrected her, ¡°and I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed.¡± He looked at the stained and ripped sack she held tightly in her first. ¡°We should get you one.¡±

    ¡°Often the merchants just let you take a burlap sack that has a hole in it. You can make it work with larger items.¡±

    ¡°No. If we''re going to do this, you need a proper pack. We''re hitting the general store first.¡±

    There was a pack there, olive in color, that had a tie attached to the top panel to protect everything inside. The straps were loose, but easily cinched with twine the owner provided. ¡°How much?¡± Al asked.

    The owner looked him up and down. ¡°Seven gold.¡±

    Al began counting out the gold while Anladet looked on, astounded. ¡°Um, no,¡± she said, putting a hand over Al''s and lowering his pouch. ¡°It is a wonderful knapsack, but the straps need to be adjusted. It''s used, too. Look at the fraying here on the side,¡± she said, pointing to an area that was totally intact. ¡°We couldn''t pay much more than nine silver, five copper.¡±

    The owner grabbed the pack. ¡°It''s a sturdy item! Look, see how I can stretch it without it ripping! Five gold.¡±

    ¡°Yes, canvas should do that. If the bottom was reinforced more, I would feel better about paying so much. One gold, two silver.¡±

    This went on for ten minutes until they had settled on a price of two gold, five silver, three copper. Al paid it gladly as Anladet put the knapsack over her back, depositing her sack of items and her folded cloak inside.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°You just saved me almost five gold!¡±

    ¡°I didn''t save you anything,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone inflates their prices expecting people to haggle with them. He probably paid five silver for it and made two gold off of the sale. He''s happy for the profit and we''re happy not to have to pay seven gold. It''s a game.¡±

    Al looked thunderstruck. ¡°Everyone does this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Here, I''ll show you. Keep tally on the original price and what we pay for it in the end.¡±

    Anladet went through the market and bought food she knew wouldn''t perish in the next few days. She bought some fruit and vegetables, a loaf of bread, hard cheese, and some salted venison wrapped in paper. ¡°Would it be wise to get a couple of blankets or do you have those tucked away in there?¡± she asked while she placed the rest of the food in her knapsack.

    Al stared ahead. ¡°That was, almost a gold and a half you saved us on food. Kriskin malor, how much have people been ripping me off over the years?¡±

    ¡°They didn''t rip you off, Al, you just didn''t realize that there are hard prices and soft prices in the market. The value of something changes all the time. Use that to your advantage, not theirs.¡±

    He snapped out of his thoughts. ¡°I think I''ve wasted so much money over the years. Um, I have a blanket. Let''s get one for you and maybe one for the lady?¡±

    ¡°One for me. We can always share or get her one after we succeed.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Anla¡¯s friend Riyan had once broken down people into three types. ¡°The privileged are the people who like to pretend there¡¯s nothing wrong with the world. Maybe they don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡¯re like horses, with blinders on so they don¡¯t spook away from things. Privileged people don¡¯t know what a back alley looks like, don¡¯t know what a wharf smells like. They think everyone has a mama and a dada and they get food every day. It¡¯s not just lords ¡®n¡¯ ladies, neither. Normal folk, people livin¡¯ on farms in the country or merchants in the city.

    ¡°Criminals are the people who know there¡¯s stuff wrong with the world and take advantage of that. They ain¡¯t got no morals and so long as the get what they want, they¡¯re okay with it.¡±

    ¡°Is that what we are, criminals?¡± Anla had asked.

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she said, rubbing Anladet¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You ¡®n¡¯ I, Anla, we¡¯re survivors. That¡¯s different from criminals. We know there¡¯s stuff wrong, but we try to play by the rules. We don¡¯t hurt friends, we don¡¯t steal from those in need, and we don¡¯t kill lessen the guy wants to hurt us.¡± She had thought her friend was going to tell her to keep striving to be one of the privileged or that someday something would break her and she¡¯d fall into the pit of illicit activities. ¡°Naw,¡± she had said. ¡°Us survivors are the best there is. We make hard choices. We can change, us, the world, and everyone around us. Always stay a survivor, Anla.¡±

    The hard part, Anladet had come to understand, wasn¡¯t figuring out what the differences between the privileged and the other two were; those people always found a way of letting you know that they were above you. It was figuring out what made someone just a survivor and not a criminal. Why did some feel less remorse over killing and stealing while others avoided it? What laws were okay to break? Which ones would she hate herself less for bending?

    She had to ask herself these things constantly. Sometimes she had to sacrifice the guilt she felt so that she could eat. Sometimes she broke a law and didn¡¯t think much of it. But mostly she had to stop herself from doing what she knew she could.

    Case in point was her relationship with Al. They had backtracked east of the town by a few miles. During the hour or so it took them, Anladet had realized that Al was one of the privileged people. He did understand that there were problems in the world, criminals, whores, corruption, but none of that affected him. He¡¯d never had his wallet stolen; if he had, Anla suspected he¡¯d spend days searching for the money instead of cutting his losses and moving on. He¡¯d never lost a job because some politician decided on a whim to buy the business out.

    She had to check herself several times from using little manipulations she knew she could slink into conversation. Guilt, seduction, hostility, playing with his moods, they were all weapons she had learned to use to get just ahead of starving. She was good at it, taking advantage of people, even without any of her usual augmentations.

    So it came down to whether it would be best to steer their relationship and keep things where she would have control. That would serve her, but Anla ultimately felt that Al didn¡¯t deserve it. He was naive and overly trusting, maybe even a touch annoying, but he was kind and generous. He was being a good partner, a potential friend. Anladet did not reward that by making him a victim. There was no need for her to do anything, at least not yet.

    She listened to him and asked him questions every so often. It was mostly pleasant talk. Al spoke of his life as a wizard, how he decided to travel without his family and vacation south of Eerie for a few weeks. He wanted to get out, to explore and see the country, he had said. This was not the total truth. She knew he was holding back, speaking a watered down truth, but Anla didn¡¯t mind. In return she spoke of her life in Hanala and neglected to mention many important facts about her life.

    She led him off the road, up an embankment. It was muddy from recent rains, but that only made the dozens of tracks more prevalent. ¡°The locals said this is an old elvish trail,¡± she said. ¡°The people we¡¯re after went this way sometime in the last few days.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Check the ground, Al. Why so many tracks if hardly anyone uses it?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re very good at this. What do we know about this situation?¡±

    Anla waited until the two of them had crested the ledge leading into the forest before she began. ¡°Lady Silfa is the third daughter of the Duke of Sharka, Iasont Frenrell,¡± she said. ¡°Most people I spoke with in Hanala believe it to be a political issue, that some marquess or earl had the duke¡¯s daughter kidnapped for leverage. Personally, I don¡¯t believe it. There¡¯s no ransom note, for one, and no one has come forward to claim responsibility or make any demands. Why would you kidnap someone for power and be silent about it?¡±

    Al rubbed his chin. ¡°Not political, not monetary. Revenge? No, you¡¯d want to announce that loudly. Perhaps she ran away, maybe into the arms of someone she couldn¡¯t marry?¡±

    ¡°No, Lady Silfa is eight, I doubt that.¡±

    ¡°And there was no way for her to have accidentally left for any reason?¡±

    ¡°She was sleeping in her chambers. It appears that several men climbed in through her window and abducted her, based on what a guard told me. There was trampled grass and stomped flowers in the beds outside her window.¡±

    ¡°Unprofessional, then. Not a hired hand and definitely not a trirec. They work alone anyway, from what I know.¡± He gave it some more thought before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m stumped. Do you have a theory?¡±

    ¡°Not really. They are very determined, whomever they are. They¡¯ve made quickt time, especially for the size of the group. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re a dozen strong but likely more. I think they have some need for haste, some purpose in mind, but I couldn¡¯t begin to figure out what.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Then we have the advantage of speed. We¡¯ll outstrip them eventually if we travel quickly.¡±

    They walked for maybe three quarters of a mile before Al sighed deeply. ¡°Can you travel faster?¡±

    ¡°Yes? I¡¯m walking at your pace. You¡¯re not lagging behind so I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.¡±

    ¡°I thought so. You¡¯re very spry in the woods, hopping over boulders and roots easily. It would be nice if I was, too, but I¡¯m not used to walking through forests. It would be better if you moved as fast as you can, then stop and make sure we¡¯re still on the right track while I catch up.¡±

    Anla hadn¡¯t realized she had been obvious about her upbringing. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I can tap into the Unease to move faster. It¡¯s hard to reach it, then relax out of it, then get into it again. Um, it¡¯s sort of like maintaining body warmth when you¡¯re moving inside and out on a cold day.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s better for you to keep a steady, higher pace?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think we can get more ground covered. Just, if you have to leave the path, wait for me.¡±

    She smiled at him. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but you¡¯re not like any other wizard I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean I¡¯m not pretentious, snobbish, and condescending? I think I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°Then, yes, you¡¯re none of those.¡±

    ¡°Most of my ¡®brethren¡¯ seem to think that education and enough wealth to attain it makes them better than others.¡±

    ¡°And you disagree. You believe that because you came from something and achieved something else, that you¡¯re not better?¡± Her tone was more of surprise than accusation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡®better¡¯ is the right word. Where I came from was not up to me. I don¡¯t believe that things out of someone¡¯s control should increase or decrease their standing in the world.¡±

    Anladet said nothing in response to that. They were fine words, but she¡¯d rather see them in action before she believed them. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a little while then.¡±

    The trees were growing dark against the sunset before Al caught up to Anladet, who was waiting for him. There was a small meadow just off the path that would be perfect if it weren¡¯t so exposed. Anla would do what she could to protect them.

    Al began unloading his enormous backpack, setting aside things they would need for the night. He held up a pouch and took out its contents of a rounded piece of steel and a rock in his hand. ¡°This is flint and a striker. You can make a fire with it.¡±

    She smiled indulgently, knowing full well what they were. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the firewood if you prepare a pit.¡±

    Anla was as quick as she could be. The night was muggy. They wouldn¡¯t need a campfire to keep them warm or to cook their food, but they were nice to have if you could make one. She gathered a few logs, but mostly kindling and returned with an armful.

    Al was rummaging through his backpack. There was no pit. Anla was annoyed for a moment, thinking he was lazy or didn¡¯t like taking orders from women. He was, however, an honest man and admitted his fault quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never camped before. I bought some things from a guy who told me they were essential.¡±

    Anladet laughed lightly. ¡°Oh, Al. Okay. It¡¯s not a problem. Why don¡¯t you go grab more wood and I¡¯ll set everything up. Sticks, logs, anything you can find that¡¯s dry.¡±

    Anla had dug the pit with a firm stick and stacked the wood by the time he returned. She deftly struck the flint and starter until the sparks caught the dry grass on fire. Al just watched her the whole time. ¡°How have you survived on the road so far?¡± she asked him, coaxing the flame to catch on the kindling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in inns. There¡¯s usually a village or town within a day¡¯s walk.¡±

    ¡°And you got all this equipment¡­just in case?¡±

    ¡°I suppose. I figured I¡¯d run across a town with either no inn or a full one. Um, I don¡¯t suppose you know how to set up a tent?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said softly, eyeing the green canvas.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have one?¡±

    ¡°No. They cost more than I usually have.¡±

    ¡°This may sound forward, but would you like to share? I promise I won¡¯t try anything with you. Like I said, no romance.¡±

    She looked at him for a moment, then smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that.¡± She started unfolding the material. ¡°Do you have a hammer?¡±

    ¡°Hammer? What do I need a hammer for?¡±

    ¡°How else are you going to get the stakes into the ground?¡±

    ¡°My bare hands?¡±

    ¡°Well, you need a lot of force, Al.¡±

    He flashed her a smile and grabbed a stake. ¡°Another bonus of being a wizard. Just show me where you want it.¡±

    Alpine appeared to be praying for a few moments. He breathed deeply, his head bent and his lips muttering words that made no sense to Anladet. He shivered, then drove the stake into the ground with one strong push with his palm. She heard a loud chink as he drove it down into the earth. He unwrapped the cloth from around his hands and rubbed his palms.

    ¡°See, I¡¯m not helpless after all,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not helpless, Al. You¡¯re just¡­unskilled. You¡¯ll pick up these things quickly, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°But I should have known these things.¡±

    Anla shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect a city dweller to be able to navigate the wilds well. Would you mind putting dinner together?¡±

    Anladet finished setting up the tent while Alpine used his knife to slice the cheese, meat, and bread for a sandwich. They ate mostly in silence, enjoying the warmth of the fire. She thought Al was thinking until she saw his head jerk up, as if he were falling asleep. It had been a long day and he wasn¡¯t used to the pace they had set. She understood; she was exhausted, too.

    Al suddenly began laughing in a crazed manner. She startled, then froze. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, taking deep breaths, ¡°I was just thinking about the bar. I just realized they must have thought I made out ahead of all of them when really nothing happened between us. I mean¡­you understand, right?¡±

    Her hand was close to the knife she had used during dinner. ¡°They were all trying to sleep with me, yes. Most men think piscarin have additional fortunes they can read.¡±

    He laughed again, this time slapping his hand over his mouth to stifle it. ¡°On their pillows,¡± he mumbled and bent over laughing again.

    It certainly darkened her mood, but she wasn¡¯t surprised. It wasn¡¯t the first or the fifth dozen time someone had implied something like this. It was a little disheartening, though, coming from someone she had begun to trust. There was something else in his voice, something strange and false that stopped her from being totally insulted. She still didn¡¯t feel threatened enough to keep the knife, so she wiped it and put it away before heading into the tent.

    Al crawled in after her. When she bumped into him accidentally, she thought he¡¯d jump through the canvas roof. ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± she said, thinking he was so tired he had forgotten where he was or who he was with.

    She laid on her back, curling her fingers in one by one until she made a fist. ¡°What are you¡­¡± he started to ask, but dropped the question. She wouldn¡¯t answer it anyway. She kissed her hand and dropped it, falling asleep quickly.

 Chapter 24

    Al had taken a while to fall asleep. Every strange sound made him startle and, having never spent much time outdoors, every sound was strange. Anladet had turned towards him and snuggled up against his back, curling an arm around his ribs at one point. He had been in the throws of his letdown, paranoid but moving into loneliness. It hadn''t washed away the hollow pain, but it helped a great deal. He couldn''t remember a time he''d had someone be there for him while he fought against the symptoms of magic withdrawal and it felt nice.

    He''d wondered if there was something more to this, to them. He thought she was beautiful in an exotic way. She had a wild sort of look to her, sharp features that appeared a little cat-like. Her hazel eyes, of some color falling between brown, gray, and green, often flashed with interest or mirth, often captivating him for a moment. Besides this, she had a comforting presence, self-possessed and confident without needing to lord it over him. Instead of leading them, she was content with sharing point and coming to an agreement on their actions. She might be considered motherly if she didn''t have that slightly impish look in her eyes when he joked. She could be considered child-like if she didn''t have the depth he''d seen of people who had seen too much of the world. To top it all off, she was just nice to look at, without her moving or speaking, like a garden or a sunset. And he noticed all this despite the fact that her hair was tangled, her skin dirty, and her physique was close to emaciated. He''d seen few women who weren''t at least plump and she was two or three stone away from that weight.

    This all translated to some promise for Al. He liked her, he liked being with her, but everything he''d been through made that potential sour. It curdled as soon as he began to wonder. He knew that it could be different with Anla than it had with Burdet, but he was too battered and bruised emotionally to sustain any realistic thought about it. He''d had a hard time coming to terms with how thoroughly he''d been hurt. The train ride from Ispen to Hanala had been a deeply sorrowful trip, one where he had spent much of his time wondering what he would do differently if given the chance.

    It had been nice to have someone hug him, he had to admit that. Other than his clients and Marnie, he hadn''t had anyone touch him in years. It felt good, comforting, healing. He liked her, but he''d have to wait and see. For the moment, he was content with what he had and pleased that he was so progressive by having a female partner that he didn''t want to romance.

    They sat at breakfast, silent since they rose. The air was chilled and still, the dew clinging to everything. It was difficult for him to start speaking, not something he was accustomed to. ¡°I, um, wanted to apologize. For last night. I said some rather uncouth things.¡±

    She looked up in the middle of a bite of cheese. ¡°Don''t concern yourself with it,¡± she said, bitter and disinterested in speaking of it.

    ¡°I need to explain. Whenever a wizard uses the Unease for too long, he has a terrible reaction after he stops. Like a hangover, the reaction is worse the more you drink. The longer I use, the worse I react. So, I didn''t mean those jokes. I just get uncontrollably giddy for a while.¡±

    ¡°You still thought them,¡± she said. ¡°The only difference is you said them instead of keeping them inside.¡±

    ¡°You''re right. As I said, I have low opinions of piscarins. They''re pretenders. They sell snake oil and fake charms, things to give people false hope. It makes me angry and, yes, I make jokes at their expense. I need to distinguish you from them.¡±

    ¡°But I am them,¡± she said. ¡°I read people''s fortunes. I give them false hope. I also give them the courage to do things they wouldn''t do without a little protection. Sometimes you don''t need the truth, but faith to do what you need to do.¡±

    ¡°You have a point. I need to ponder it a little more.¡±

    She nodded, seeming to accept that. While she cleaned up their site, Al tapped into the Calm and pulled the stakes out of the ground, then packed away the tent.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do to stop all that from happening again?¡±

    ¡°And catch up to our kidnappers? No. I''ll just deal with it when it happens. I just need a little understanding from you if what happened last night happens again.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I can give you that.¡±

    They walked back onto the trail, staying together while Al explained the Calm and the Unease. ¡°Most wizards can only tap into one or the other. Of those that can do both, it''s much rarer to find someone who can do a task on one side while tapping into the other. That''s what I can do. I''m called a cross-switcher.¡±

    ¡°So, why aren''t you using the Calm while running?¡±

    ¡°They both have after effects, but the Calm''s are much nicer: lethargy, euphoria, a need to mingle with people, things like that. The Unease''s are worse, as you''ve seen. More people prefer to use the Calm, but it''s much harder to maintain it. You need to be relaxed, still, absorbed in what you''re doing. It''s not something you can sustain while running, though I''m sure a few really talented people could. You''d have to be continuously in a blissful state.¡±

    She hesitated. ¡°So, if you were relaxed enough, you could potentially run and then not have the after effects?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That sums it up nicely,¡± he said, squinting into the woods. He stopped for a moment, holding his hand against the sunlight. ¡°Over there.¡±

    ¡°What is it? What do you see?¡±

    ¡°There''s an area that''s cleared, but it doesn''t seem natural. Very circular and laid out.¡±

    They dropped off the trail and headed towards the clearing. Anladet walked around the area. ¡°There was a camp here.¡± She leaned down and touched the earth with her fingertips, rubbing them together. ¡°This might be blood.¡±

    Al looked around and walked towards a tree that seemed abnormally lighter in one area of its trunk. There was a crude and hastily carved symbol about eye level high. It took him a moment to register what he was seeing.

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he said.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Magrithon. The sun god. That''s His sigil, a sun with alternate straight and wavy lines. Do you know about Him?¡±

    "A little. My father taught us a little about the Twelve, but it was academic and not passionate. The people where I grew up had different gods.¡±

    ¡°Other than being the sun god, Magrithon is the protector and the god of royalty. His church is well rooted in the Noh Amair kingdoms and in Gheny. The nobility patronizes His priesthood and temples.¡±

    Anla knelt and touched the ground where someone had dug a small trough into the dirt. She closed her eyes for a moment, then inhaled sharply. ¡°Al, if we find her and rescue her, I think you''re going to need to be in charge of her well-being.¡±

    He stood next to her, looking at what she was looking at and seeing nothing. ¡°Why? What is it you mean?¡±

    ¡°The lady is...very distressed. I don''t feel I''d be the best person to handle her.¡±

    ¡°Why, I don''t...¡±

    ¡°Don''t ask!¡± she said, then steadied herself with a deep breath. ¡°This little trench here, I think she dug it. My guess is she was anguished and it helped calm her.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? That doesn''t seem like strong evidence.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Please don''t ask. I''d appreciate trust on this matter.¡±

    He watched her for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll take care of her. You lead us and I''ll talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her smiled forced from a grimace. ¡°I''m sorry. I know what you''ll go through tonight, when we finish.¡±

    ¡°I''ll manage.¡± Something popped into his mind and he helped Anla up. ¡°We have to go," he said, determined. "I just realized the answer to the question of their motivation.¡±

    ¡°What? Al, what is it?¡±

    He cut through the woods, so frantic he forgot where the pathway back to the road was and made his own. ¡°You have a group that kidnaps a helpless girl, albeit a noble one," he said, turning back to face her in between pushing the brush aside. "They don''t kill her, they don''t ask for money, but they do take her miles away to a specific place at a vigorous pace. They''re Magrithon cultists, Anla. I think they''re going to use the Lady Silfa make a blood sacrifice to their god.¡±

    She gasped lightly, tripping over a bush as they rushed to the road. ¡°That''s horrid! Why would they do that?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. Cultists are perverse, in action and by what they interpret from their scriptures,¡± he said as they both began to jog north along the trail.

    ¡°How much longer do we have?¡±

    Al rubbed his lower face. ¡°Magrithon and His twin brother, Kabidon, are the sun and moon gods. My guess is these people will choose high noon before the full moon. How many days is that?¡±

    Anladet sighed and frowned. ¡°Two days. That camp was two days old, judging by the wood in the fire. They''re traveling slower than we are, but we still need to hustle.¡±

    They didn''t stop for lunch. Anla pulled out what she could reach and handed it to Al, who was still keeping up with her. They stopped well after sunset, so exhausted that it took a joint effort to build a fire and set up the tent.

    They wolfed down their meals quickly. Anladet stared into the fire, transfixed, until she remembered that Al was going to be dealing with his fugue soon. ¡°How do you know so much about the gods?¡± Anladet asked. Talking would be the best gauge to see where his mood was at.

    ¡°It''s part of our training in school, in Amandorlam. We focused on the major twelve, but there are hundreds we needed to be aware of.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°As a magic user, it''s good to know all forms of it. That way, if you ever get into a fight with someone, you''ll know who you''re up against and how you can use your magic against them.¡±

    ¡°What about working with other magic users?¡±

    ¡°Uh, they didn''t really get into that very much. Sad, actually. I spent some time wondering if there were ways of compounding magic use with other practitioners. Wizard''s magic is separate from deitic magic, so it''s not like we''re ''stealing'', like the churches say.¡±

    ¡°Stealing?¡± she said, holding his gaze. He seemed fine so far, but she watched him intently for any cues.

    ¡°Okay, so, pretend that the gods'' magic is like a basin of water. When a clergyman uses magic in the name of his or her god, they take a little of the water away. Maybe a spoonful''s worth or maybe a drop or two. When enough people pray or do dedications, a little water is added. The problem is, all that water is shared by the same people. A few drops times hundreds of thousands of people adds up quickly, so there''s always a little infighting to gather more people to The Twelve and especially to their deity. The more worshipers of one god, the larger the spoon is and the more magic they can take.¡±

    ¡°I don''t like that. It makes it sound like it''s a use-be-used situation. True worship is about love and freedom between you and your god.¡±

    ¡°Well, it''s only a theory. This is why the churches say they need to dip their fingers into every day things, like protection spells and marriage contracts, making artifacts and blessing ships. Things like that.¡±

    ¡°Artifacts? Like the Wheyspen Fountain in Hanala?¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°It''s said to cure ailments and slake thirst more then normal water.¡±

    He giggled for a moment, then cleared his throat. ¡°If it actually works, then, yes. It has to have divine influence and it has to work in order for it to be a true artifact.¡± He paused for a moment, considering whether it would be wise to let her in on his secret. He trusted her, he decided. ¡°I have one, if you want to see it.¡±

    He rummaged around his massive pack until he felt the chalice, then pulled it out.

    Anladet looked at his hand, then his eyes, then back to his hand several times. ¡°Is, um, hallucination part of your after effects?¡±

    He laughed much harder at this. Anla waited patiently, not getting it, but understanding that he might need a practical joke or two to get him through this period.

    ¡°Sorry, I keep forgetting it''s invisible,¡± he said. ¡°Here, hold it.¡±

    Anla''s eyes widened when she felt the cup touch her hand. She placed her other hand around it and began feeling it. ¡°That''s amazing. What does it do?¡±

    ¡°I''ve read only a little about it, so I''m not entirely certain. It supposedly links people together for a year''s time so that they can''t be more than a mile apart from each other. That''s all I know.¡±

    She handed the chalice back to him and waited while he put it away. ¡°Al, may I ask you something in a direct way?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever been hoodwinked?¡±

    Al looked confused. ¡°Hoodwinked?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Scammed, tricked, taken Skon''s Way, conned, duped...¡±

    ¡°I know what the word means. I''m just curious why you''re asking it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I''ve been waiting for you to take precautions against me and you haven''t.¡±

    ¡°Why would I? I trust you.¡±

    ¡°I know you do. Why, though? We just met the day before yesterday. When we met, I was conning people into giving me money. We are in the middle of the forest and you don''t know where we are nor how to survive out here. Do you know how easy it would be for me to rob you of everything and leave you stranded? Or, perhaps, use you until we find the girl, knock you out, and take her back for the full reward? I just ask because you have a guarantee that I can''t do those things and you don''t use it. I''m left to believe one of two things: you''re going to take the drop on me or you seriously don''t think that people work like that.¡±

    Al was flummoxed. ¡°I...I hadn''t thought of it like that. You''d do that? You''d break your word?¡±

    ¡°Me? No. I have no need to, at least not with you and not now. Would other people? Some people live by finding things like that to do and they do it all the time, Al. All the time. It doesn''t matter if you''re hurt or desperate or a child, those people will take advantage of you. They will rob you of whatever they can. It happens, Al. Trust me on that if nothing else.¡±

    She had given him quite a bit to think about. After some time he stopped and reached inside his backpack for the chalice and his snub bottle of Caudet he had saved for a special occasion. ¡°Would you share a glass with me?¡±

    ¡°You have wine in there?¡± she asked. She started laughing at the situation, which caused Al to laugh until his stomach hurt. ¡°Okay, calm down, Al. Calm. Why do you have a bottle of wine in your backpack?¡±

    ¡°It''s my favorite wine. It''s from Arvonne, actually. It only holds two glasses of wine. I had hoped to share it with a friend, if I ever made one.¡±

    ¡°That sounds a bit like you don''t consider me a friend anymore.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t say that. You''re right, though, about trust. We don''t really know each other. If you betrayed me, I could get over the loss of fortune. I might even make my way back to that village by myself and figure out what to do next. I don''t think I could get over the treachery, though.¡±

    ¡°So you want to do this now?¡± she asked, extending her hand to hold the chalice while he poured.

    ¡°Yes. Before we go on any farther.¡±

    ¡°You don''t trust me anymore?¡±

    ¡°No, I just want the reassurance that it can provide for both of us.¡±

    ¡°Say ''yes'' if you mean ''yes'', Al. I don''t need the reassurance; I know you''ve been astonishingly honest with me from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Then yes, I don''t trust you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she said in a relieved tone. Al poured with a jittery hand, though he didn''t spill any of the liquid. ¡°You''re learning. How does this work?¡±

    Al pulled a knife from his front pocket after he recorked the wine and put it away. ¡°A little blood in the indents on the chalice. A little wine inside, then we both drink. I''m fairly certain of it, but I can''t be sure.¡±

    ¡°How will we know it worked?¡±

    ¡°You can walk a mile ahead and I''ll stay here, then I''ll catch up if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°Last question. Does it work for death, too? As in, if I die, will you die as well?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, but I would do anything I can to stop you from dying just because I don''t want to see you die.¡±

    He immediately regretted saying that. It made him sound desperate, pathetic even. She had just tried teaching him not to be so trusting and he had blurted such an intimate thing out.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, feeling the cup underneath her fingers. The liquid hung suspended in air, an inverted dome of deep red. ¡°Why are the indentations so low?¡±

    Al grabbed her other hand and split her fingers, sliding the chalice stem in between them. ¡°The nobility drinks their wine like this. It makes them seem dignified or something.¡± He nicked his thumb with his knife and waited until a dark line appeared, then took the chalice back. ¡°Bottoms up.¡±

    After he drank, Anla quickly grabbed the knife, cut her thumb, and thirstily drank the rest of the wine. She almost dropped the chalice when it appeared in her hand, gold with rubies embellishing the bowl.

    ¡°I think it worked,¡± Al said.

    ¡°I''m a baerd,¡± she said, handing him back the chalice.

    ¡°A bard? Great! What kind, flutes or lutes? I find most minstrels use woodwinds or stringed instruments. Oh,¡± he paused. ¡°But you don''t have an instrument. So, you sing, then? May I hear a song before we retire for the night?¡±

    ¡°No, Al, not a bard, a baerd.¡±

    His smile faltered as he realized what she meant. She felt guilty. She had tried so hard not to use him, to manipulate him into her means. And here she had wound up doing it anyway.

    ¡°So that means you''re...¡± She tucked her hair behind her pointed ears. ¡°Oh.¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°Al?¡± Anladet asked softly.

    He hadn''t moved, hadn''t said anything in the five minutes since she had told him. He just stared into the fire, tapping his foot lightly.

    ¡°Al, I...¡±

    ¡°I suppose this is my first lesson in being hoodwinked, then?¡± he spat.

    ¡°We could have parted ways without you ever knowing. You''re the one who decided to bind us.¡±

    ¡°Did I? Did I, though?¡± He finally looked at her, his dark eyes flashing with anger. ¡°Have you been pulling my strings this entire time?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°Is that how you knew I was being honest? Because you used your magic on me, forcing me to say whatever you wanted me to?¡±

    She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Yes, she had taken advantage of the situation. She felt a badly about that, especially since had known Al was going to react emotionally. But, as far as she knew, she hadn''t used magic nor her manipulative skills on Al. As she had said, he was the one who had pushed to bind them together. She had only agreed with his proposal.

    ¡°It''s latent, Al. When someone speaks, their voice carries a taste to their words. I''m pretty good at telling a lie from the truth most of the time, though it''s never a simple thing. Like, for instance, what you''ve told me about your past haven''t been lies, but they''re missing so much to them that it''s hard to get a truthful picture about what happened to you. Which is fine," she added quickly. "We obviously both have secrets."

    When he said nothing, she continued. "I haven''t used my magic on you. Not once, or else I would know things about you. Like, why you say you''re on vacation from your wife and kid, but you don''t wear your wedding band nor do you have any definite plans for going home. Again, that''s your business. Should you ever come to trust me, you''ll tell me."

    He scoffed, but said nothing. She sighed again, this time finding it hard to remain placid. Her throat burned and her chest felt heavy. "I have to fight every moment of every day not to use my magic. Do you know how easy it would be for me to start whispering in people''s ears and manipulate them into doing whatever I wanted? It''s so damned unfair how easy it is. All I need to do is find the right man or woman to give me money, someone rich who wouldn''t miss ten gold. But, that''s robbery. I''m not sticking a knife into their sides and demanding their purse or their life, but it''s the same thing. And I don''t want to rob people. I want to be a good person."

    "I''m finding that hard to believe."

    This time she let her sigh out loudly as she blinked the tears of frustration from the corners of her eyes. "Al, listen to me, please. Believe me when I say I can use magic to get whatever I want in this world, but I don''t. Why would I be reading fortunes in a bar in the byroads of Sharka if I could get what I wanted by using magic? Why would I bus tables and sweep floors for coppers if I was using my power?"

    "I should turn you in when we''re done."

    Anla let out a growl from deep in her throat that actually startled Al. "Fine, hate me, Al. Hate me because my father was a human and my mother was an elf and they loved each other. Hate me because I have magic that I know very little about that gives me the ability to rule a world of mindless puppets, should I ever want to stop living on the streets, skipping meals and sleeping in the rain. Hate me if you want, I don''t care anymore. But, stop being stupid. If you turn me in, they''ll kill me or jail me. You''ll have to spend a year rooted in one spot or you''ll join me in the afterlife."

    Al rested his head on his knees for a moment. ¡°Why did you even tell me?"

    "I don''t know," she said softly. "I thought it would be nice to tell someone, once. I had hoped that, over the course of a year, we''d become friends. And you don''t keep secrets from friends. That''s how you build trust in one another."

    "I can''t trust you," he said, finally looking at her. "How the hell would I ever be sure you weren''t manipulating me?"

    "The damned binding, Al! That''s why I told you! I''m not going to manipulate someone who I have to stay by for one year. You''ve already asked questions about how I can track the group. It was only a matter of time before you found out anyway."

    "You''re right. We have to stay together for one year. But I can still make your life really difficult. If I don''t move, you don''t move.¡±

    ¡°If you don''t move, you die. Do you plan on setting up a home and a garden in the middle of a forest?¡± She paused, noting her bitter tone and rethought her approach. This wasn''t going well. ¡°You''re angry, Al, I get that. I''ve lost your trust. If I ever get it back, it will be after some time and proof that I am a good person. Right now, though, there''s something going on that''s bigger than your anger towards me. Can you set that aside until we find these cultists, for the girl who needs us? We need to discuss a plan and we won''t have a good one if you''re still upset with me.¡±

    ¡°Why? Can''t you just command them all to give the lady up and we''ll be on our way?¡±

    "I can only use it on one person at a time. If I told one of the men to grab her and give her to us, it would arouse the suspicions of the remaining members. I also can''t guarantee it will work perfectly. I have to be extremely careful in what I say.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    Anla relaxed a little. His tone had shifted from accusation and vehemence to intrigue. It was not perfect, but better. ¡°Well, I''ve seen situations where it''s gone amiss. If I say, ''Turn around and walk away from me'', that man may never stop walking. If I say, ''Give me all your money'', that man will hunt me down every time he gets more. If I were to say to these men, ''Let the girl go and stay here until we''re done bringing her to safety'', even that won''t work. They won''t know when that is and they''ll stay there until they starve to death.¡±

    ¡°So? They''re kidnappers who are going to kill an innocent child. I say let them die.¡±

    Anladet pressed her lips together. ¡°Al, have you ever killed anyone?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Talk with me again of it if you ever do. Until then, don''t judge me when I want to keep life sacred.¡±

    She felt weary all at once. The conversation was draining for her, especially when she remembered the past. ¡°I think it''s best if we just get a few hours of sleep before we continue. We have tonight and the morning, and one more day to catch up with them. I know their voices are getting louder, fresher, but I don''t want to miss them.¡±

    ¡°You think we might?¡±

    ¡°There are many of them, so there are many voices, many conversations and volumes. I''ve heard a few of them speak of an island. I don''t know what that means.¡±

    Al sucked in air through his teeth. ¡°I suspect this trail will take us to the Great Gheny Bay. There are a few islands not too far off the shore.¡±

    ¡°So, therefore, we need to get to them before they take off towards one of them, leaving us stranded on shore. We need to sleep, but we can''t sleep for more than a few hours.¡±

    Anla had hoped Al was a reasonable person, someone who got over indignations and setbacks quickly. When several minutes had passed and he was still outside the tent, she knew he wasn''t that type of man. ¡°Al. Please,¡± she said, opening the flap. ¡°You need to be in the best condition a few hours of sleep will give you. Can''t it be part of our truce?¡±

    ¡°I''m fine out here, thank you.¡±

    Anla let out her breath slowly and settled in under both the blankets. There wasn''t anything she could do, or more specifically would do, with an obstinate man.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Al was groggy when Anla woke him a few hours later. They snuffed out the fire and continued on until dawn came, led by Al''s acute sense of sight. They broke for breakfast, then later lunch before they slept for a few hours again.

    They didn''t speak. Al was either still fuming or plotting out how to get around things, either by breaking the binding or by working around her magic. Either way, Anla appreciated the quiet. It allowed her to listen to more conversations to piece together

    A light rain began in the late afternoon, a double issue for them. Besides the discomfort of being wet, the storm muffled any sound she picked up, dulling that sense for her. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have said it was luck that made them miss the guard that was positioned on the road.

    Al caught the movement and pushed Anla into bushes before they were spotted. She sputtered for a moment, thinking he had reached his crazed state again. ¡°Guard,¡± he whispered.

    She turned, untangling herself. She gave him a quick nod of thanks and closed her eyes to concentrate. He was up ahead, moving across the road and slightly into the woods on either side, then turning back. She thought it was a pointless patrol against any ranger or woodsman who had discovered their tracks and would rather sneak around him than confront him. Then again, maybe he was guarding the road while there were others concealed in the forest. She wouldn''t know until they stumbled upon them, too.

    Al had reached the same conclusion. ¡°You''re going to have to use your craft,¡± he said in a low rumble. ¡°Can you get him to tell you whatever you want?¡±

    Her stomach soured. She knew it was going to come down to her using her magic to help the lady. ¡°Yes, I just need to be careful with what I say.¡±

    ¡°It needs to be ironclad, like a contract?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, at least I can help out with that."

    Despite not wanting to aggravate Al further, she used another one of her tricks: sound muffling. They spoke freely of their plans without worry of anyone hearing them. She had come across this ability when she had once needed to hide somewhere from a group of people who were looking for her. The memory caused her to flinch, but she put it out of her mind quickly, especially since Al''s mood had improved. He probably still resented the situation, but for the moment he was distracted by the planning to say anything spiteful to her.

    .She silenced their footsteps as they approached the guard from behind and either side. Al was there with his knife should she botch the plan. The guard stood still for a few moments, his head moving back and forth. He must have caught her movement out of the corner of his eye because he turned to face her, surprise written on his face.

    ¡°Gguardd, be quiet and don''t leave your spot while we''re talking¡± she said. The guard froze. ¡°Tell me specifically where they are keeping the Lady Ssilfaa.¡±

    ¡°She''s being kept in a tent marked with a sun.¡±

    ¡°Gguardd, where is tthatt?¡±

    ¡°In the part of the camp farthest from us, closest to the beach.¡±

    ¡°Gguardd, how many men are with yyouu?¡±

    ¡°There are eleven others, besides myself and the duke''s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Gguardd, what do you plan on doing with the lladyy?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, at noon, we will sacrifice her so that we may drink her blood and become royalty. It is said that those with noble blood in them become His children. We wish to serve Him as regal Aps, a brotherhood of Magrithon''s followers devoted solely to His cause.¡±

    Anladet went on to ask him about all the details Al had suggested: sleeping patterns, where specifically the lady was in relation to their position, any gatherings they would have, etc. While she did this, Al stood transfixed on the situation for two reasons. The first was watching Anladet work. He had thought things might be very proper, with her giving orders in a formal way and the guard staring blankly ahead, but it was actually quite a passionate experience. The man seemed to be just shy of ecstatic. He was pleased every time he answered her and almost moaning with pleasure when she gave even a tiny word of encouragement. His original assessment of her being a puppeteer seemed accurate; he swayed as she walked, leaning slightly with his body as she moved back and forth behind him. At her height, she needed to push his shoulder down to reach his ear. He sighed deeply every time she touched him.

    The second thing that stunned him was the sheer stupidity of the group''s plot. Absolutely, mind-numbingly idiotic. The Divine Bestowal had been in place for millennia. Did they not think someone would have realized by now that everyone could be part-god if they only drank the peerage''s blood? The benefits royalty received, those gifts like limited clairvoyancy, the devotion of the pious clergy, and excellent social memory, had never shown in anyone that had tried. Morons.

    ¡°Gguardd, when I finish speaking, you will find a place to sleep and do so until the sun rises. You will forget our conversation or what you were doing involving Lady Ssilfaa.¡±

    The guard turned heel and began to walk into camp. Anladet sucked in her breath and crept quietly to Alpine. ¡°I messed up,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I told him to find a place to sleep. He went back to his tent.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. We''ll have to wait and see if your friend causes suspicion.¡±

    They ducked low and kept behind the trees and bushes as much as they could, reassured that at least they wouldn''t bump into another guard. The cult was hard to miss; they were sitting around a fire, listening to their leader pontificate about Magrithon. He faced away from a tent that stood in the middle of the beach, occasionally gesturing to it. Luckily, none of them noticed when one of their members entered a tent behind them. Then again, being so close to twilight, maybe they didn''t realize who it was and weren''t surprised people were retiring early.

    Anladet sighed in frustration. ¡°How are we going to get to her? We''d be completely exposed.¡±

    ¡°Shh, okay, let me think.¡± Al rubbed his face for a few minutes. ¡°As a baerd, can you control sound or just manipulate people?¡±

    She ignored his tone. ¡°I can shift how people hear things.¡±

    ¡°Could you distract the followers somehow? Pretend to be a pack of wolves?¡±

    ¡°I think that''s a bit beyond me at this point. I''d just sound like a person pretending to be a wolf.¡±

    ¡°Okay, how about...could you pretend to be Magrithon? Tell them to let her go?¡±

    ¡°I''d sound like a woman with a deep voice. I mean, I think I could, but don''t you think it would be risky? What if they don''t believe me?¡±

    ¡°Let''s put that on a shelf for a moment, then. What else can you do, other than force people to do things they don''t want to?¡±

    Anladet''s expression soured, but she again ignored it, not wanting to fight with Al at such a crucial time. ¡°I can tell when someone''s lying or hiding something when they speak. I can hear sounds long after they''re made; that''s how I was able to find the group and follow them. I can direct messages to people across great distances. I can dampen sound or amplify it. I can create-¡±

    ¡°Wait, that ''direct messages'' thing. Could you tell the lady to sneak out the back of the tent? Have her wade out and dampen her sound, then swim low over to us?¡±

    ¡°I can swim to her, Al. Maybe I can meet her in the water and help her, in case she can''t.¡± She rolled her shoulders. ¡°I''ll give it a shot, but if there''s someone else in that tent with her, I might spoil things.¡±

    The two moved to the edge of the beach. It was mostly large pebbles and rocks edged with trees and bushes, making it easier to conceal themselves. She knelt down in a patch of dirt and cupped her hands to make a cone around her mouth. ¡°Lady Silfa, can you hear me?¡± Her eyes winced as she tried to hear her. ¡°Between the rain and the man in front of the fire, there''s too much noise. I can''t focus on her. I think they''ve gagged her.¡±

    ¡°I can help you out there. Tell her to make one noise for yes and two for no.¡±

    Anla tried once more. ¡°She can hear you,¡± he said, ¡°She''s gagged and bound, as far as I can tell, but I can''t hear anyone else inside.¡± He made a quick count. ¡°I see eleven at the fire, so I think we''re safe.¡±

    ¡°Lady Silfa, we''re here to rescue you. We need you to be quiet and listen. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°She says yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Lady Silfa, can you sneak out of your tent from the back towards the water?¡±

    ¡°A lot of mumbling.¡±

    ¡°We know you''re bound. Can you wiggle out the back?¡±

    ¡°She says yes.¡±

    ¡°Lady Silfa, I need you to be brave and swim as far out as you can. I''m going to meet you in the water and we''ll get to safety together. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°She says yes again.¡±

    Anladet put her hands down. ¡°Can I borrow your knife? Thank you. Keep your eyes and ears on the cultists, in case someone notices us.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± he said, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder, but yanking it away quickly.

    Anla held the knife between her teeth and climbed into the water from the grass. She waded low, scooping her arms in circular motions. The water was salty, as the bay was part of the Gamik Sea, but being so far away from the ocean the waves were merely gentle laps against the shore. She dampened the sound in the area immediately around her, hoping the fire would blind anyone looking to the beach.

    The girl had wiggled her way as far into the water as she could by the time Anladet got to her. She was already struggling to keep her head above the water as the peaceful waves threatened to drag her in and down. Anla placed the bubble of silence around them, immediately cutting the bonds to the girl''s shaking hands. She pushed herself up from the beach and tried untying the gag with no success. Anla unbound her feet, then slit the gag.

    ¡°Lady Silfa,¡± she said, holding her face between her hands. ¡°I''m Anladet and I''m here to rescue you. We need to get going. Can you swim?¡±

    The child started to cry, louder and louder. ¡°Mama!¡± she said in between her sobs.

    Anladet flinched. ¡°Please, I need you to be quiet or else they might find us.¡±

    Silfa continued to cry out for her mother in a primal cry. Al watched them as well as he could from his spot. Anladet''s face was strained, her teeth biting the knife hard. He thought she might have cut herself deeply on a rock or with the knife.

    The girl clung to Anladet''s back like a starfish in a tidal pool. When they got to Alpine, tears were streaming down her face. ¡°Take her, Al. I...I can''t...I can''t anymore.¡±

    Al managed to pry the lady off of Anla''s back, hugging her to his front. ¡°Hi, Lady Silfa, I''m Alpine,¡± he tried, but she still cried out for her mother. ¡°Come on, Anladet, we need to get moving.¡±

    Anla nodded and took a deep breath, pulling herself up and stumbling to the nearest tree. She wiped her face, put on her pack, and held a length of rope Al had tied to his own backpack. ¡°Lead us.¡±

 Chapter 26

    Al¡¯s superior night vision helped immensely as they ran through the forest. They still tripped over stones and scratches their legs on bushes, but they were able to keep to the path. There were breaks where they needed to make their way down ravines or cross streams at a slow pace, giving them a chance to catch their breaths.

    They ran until late morning. Neither had thought to ask the guard if any of the cultists had tracking skills. Would they try anyway, desperate to get her back even though their deadline had passed? They didn¡¯t know, so they ran for as long and as far as they could.

    All three of them were soaked through. The rain had stopped a few hours before dawn, but without the sun their clothes remained damp. They were beyond exhausted, hungry, and thirsty.

    He spotted an overhang of schist in a small glen they were hiking through. ¡°We need to stop,¡± he said, stumbling forward heavily. Anla took Silfa from him as he sat for a moment on a boulder. ¡°Here. This will do.¡±

    ¡°What if they find us, though?¡±

    ¡°My gut says the noon deadline passed and they quit. They might be looking for her, for the reward, but I¡¯d put my money on them following the trail south. I¡¯m hoping we got enough of a lead that they can¡¯t find us.¡±

    Her shoulders sagged with fatigue before she nodded. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s worth the risk. None of us are going to keep this up for much longer.¡±

    Anla and Al tried to get the lady to sit underneath the overhang while they scavenged for wood, but she had grown attached to the both of them and refused. They would leave her there, promising her treats if she stayed. She managed to find them three times before they gave up. Al bent down and slung her over his back.

    Silfa had said nothing the entire time she had clung to Al¡¯s front. Alpine supposed it was undignified of her to be treated like that. He understood. Royals were more delicate than the average person and certainly a young lady would be the daintiest of them.

    Al carried the kindling until Silfa started pulling the sticks from his hand and storing them in a bundle between her chest and his back. After a while, it became a game for them. She¡¯d point to an area, whisper ¡°over there!¡±, then held on as he sped over to where she had indicated. He didn¡¯t mind; he knew that an end was in sight and he¡¯d hit his sixth or seventh wind some time before their game began.

    The two of them made their way back to the overhanging and deposited the wood outside. Silfa watched while Al set up their beds and prepared the food for an early dinner. Anladet returned with larger pieces of wood and fetched water for the stew from the river nearby. As they chatted, they didn¡¯t notice that Silfa had taken Al¡¯s tools and started the fire herself.

    The flames were licking the wood when they smelled smoke and rushed outside to see Silfa warming her hands. She looked over at Al and Anla, then grinned and pointed at the fire.

    Anladet sat next to her. ¡°You started this all by yourself. Thank you for helping out. Where did you learn how to start a fire?¡±

    She moved her mouth up to Anla¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Daddy.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Your father taught you. What else do you know how to do?¡±

    Silfa grabbed Al¡¯s knife and began whittling something from a piece of wood. Anla watched her, then sat behind her and braided her hair in an intricate manner while she worked. By the time they began setting up a crane over the fire, she had whittled Alpine a little person.

    He held it up. ¡°This is just..,¡± he said, giving a dramatic pause, ¡°¡­magnificent. ¡°How many museums is your work in, my lady?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± she said, pleased.

    ¡°That¡¯s a crying shame. Who taught you how to make exquisite works of art like this?¡±

    ¡°Daddy,¡± she said, inching closer to Al.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Is he a great artist? Does he paint paintings or make sculptures?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s the Duke of Sharka.¡±

    ¡°The Duke of Sharka! Anla, did you know we had such prestigious company?¡±

    The girl eyed him for a moment then hit him lightly. ¡°You knew!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said. ¡°I knew you must be noble, but I thought you were a princess the whole time.¡±

    Her shy smile faded, though she still seemed happy. ¡°Did my father send you?¡±

    Al pressed his lips together, trying to think of a tactful way of telling her. ¡°In a way. He asked the whole duchy to come find you. He missed you very much and was worried sick about you.¡±

    ¡°Did he promise money?¡±

    Al and Anladet were both taken aback slightly. ¡°Um, yes, Lady Silfa,¡± he said. ¡°He did. It¡¯s to give people a reason and to make sure that we¡¯re compensated for¡­¡±

    She folded her hands in her lap. ¡°It was a very smart economical decision. I applaud his efforts and wish him good fortune.¡±

    It took Al a moment to realize she was parroting something she must have overheard her father say, though it was still strange to hear it coming from an eight year old. ¡°Well, yes. It was a smart decision. But I think he did it more because he loves you dearly and less because it¡¯s ¡®economical¡¯. You do know that, right? Your dad loves you.¡±

    ¡°I know. I miss him. Will we see him soon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact,¡± Anla said, ¡°so maybe we should look more presentable. Ladies bath time! No gentleman near the river!¡±

    The two trotted off while Al looked into provisions. He had a small pot that he added peeled and cut potatoes, beans, and salted venison. When the girls returned, he¡¯d fill it with water and ask Anla how to make a crane to put over the fire. Or maybe Silfa knew that as well.

    And then it hit him. He had been expecting his normal symptoms to start at some point. When they didn¡¯t, he thought maybe his weariness was going to eclipse his symptoms and he¡¯d sink into a deep slumber instead. He had forgotten about the repercussions until the moment when everything went dark.

    Any thoughts of happiness or relief that they had escaped vanished. He was left with a cold, hollow feeling in his chest and an utter sense of unworthiness. It washed over him, a flood of self-loathing and cynicism that astonished him in its breadth. He had left his life behind, his family, his friends, his job and everyone that depended on him. What kind of horrid person would do that? Who leaves an innocent child who loves them alone with a mother who doesn¡¯t?

    Every barb he pulled out, assuaging them with pitiful excuses and meager promises of restitution, left him vexed and unnerved. If he was worthy of survival, and he wasn¡¯t, how would he live after his money had dried up? He had been so careless and stupid. He was bleeding money and hadn¡¯t even thought of the future. And what if they were caught by the cultists? He hoped they had given up, but behind any tree the cultists could be lurking, waiting to strike. Or highwaymen. Or wild animals.

    Each of those fears dissipated, not due to logical assumptions or planning, but due to this encompassing event playing out. And when everything was gone, he was left with nothing. No anger, no fear, no loathing for himself. Nothing. Surprisingly, it was worse than the pain because it meant he had no reason to exist. He was a shell, a non-feeling entity who couldn¡¯t do anything right by anyone.

    He felt so heavy. His shoulders slumped forward. His head hung limp. Some part of him knew this wasn¡¯t right. In a moment of self-preservation, he picked up the knife he had been cutting food with and threw it long out of his reach. Then, he sat and started grasping the ground, pulling up clumps of vegetation and dirt so that he could feel something. Even the pain of ripping his fingernails off was better than the hollow nothingness.

    Eons later, Anla and Silfa returned from their bath. They were still in good spirits, having splashed and played while in the stream. Anla was surprised to see Al sitting away from the fire, clutching dirt between his hands. When he didn¡¯t respond to her calls, she jogged to him and knelt before him. Even when she held his face between her hands, he stared ahead without saying anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Silfa asked, sitting nearby on a rock.

    ¡°He¡¯s a wizard. He told me that when he stops using magic after a long time, he gets bad feelings. It hasn¡¯t been like this, though. Not this bad.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay with him and make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything to himself. Can you watch him while I cook dinner?¡±

    Silfa nodded and slipped her fingers between Al¡¯s. His hand stopped wringing the soil and went limp. He began grasping the grass with his other hand. She spoke softly to him, telling him about funny things that had happened at court. His face could have been made of ice and it would have given more warmth.

    Al wanted them to go away. He didn¡¯t want to smile. What he wanted was for his soul to be pulled out of him while someone pounded his body into a paste, spraying it all over the woods while he watched from above. The concept should have been grotesque to him, but there was no gravity to any of the thoughts he had.

    Anla fed him the stew she cooked. He chewed and swallowed, tasting nothing. They brought him under the overhang, piled the blankets on top of him. They laid next to him, warming his cold body. Anla went so far as to tie her leg to his with the rope, to make sure he didn¡¯t walk away and do something drastic.

    Silfa nodded off quickly, snuggled in the crook of Al¡¯s arm. Anladet waited until Al¡¯s breathing grew deep and steady before she allowed herself to fall into a deep and much needed rest.

 Chapter 27

    Anla startled awake a few hours later. Silfa was still sleeping, but Al was gone from his bedroll. The rope she had tied around his leg was still tied to hers, but only hers. She fumbled with the knot for a few moments before it came loose.

    She found Al on a large boulder, staring ahead into the woods. It became apparent as she grew closer that he was crying. She sat next to him and said nothing.

    ¡°It was frightening,¡± he said softly. ¡°I was trapped inside, not feeling anything. I always wished that I couldn¡¯t feel when things were their worst in my life, but I will never wish for that again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never gone through that before?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never pushed myself that hard. They taught, over and over again, to be careful with magic. They don¡¯t call it ¡®burning out¡¯ but just ¡®burned¡¯ when you use too much, and they warned that it was devastating. I¡¯ve never had the need to use that much, so I¡¯ve never reached the burned stage.¡±

    ¡°What should I do if it happens again?¡±

    ¡°Watch me, like you did. Take care of me. Protect me. I¡¯ll be less than useless. Take away anything I can hurt myself with. Give me something to fixate on or something nice to touch.¡± He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffled. ¡°As it is, I¡¯m still very melancholic. Can we do something to take my mind off my mood?¡±

    ¡°Hierarchy,¡± Silfa said, joining them. ¡°Do you have any playing cards?¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll go get them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to play?¡± Anla said, ¡°Is it complicated?¡±

    He rose and walked back to the overhang. ¡°No. It¡¯s like Old Maid or Go Fish.¡±

    Silfa taught the rules to Anla as they sat on the ground. ¡°Everyone gets six cards. You want all six cards to match from the same suit. You can pick from the pile or from the card the person before you put down. You have to pick up a card and put one down. When you have a full match, you say, ¡®Hierarchy!¡¯ and put them down. Everyone else has three more turns to make their own set.¡±

    ¡°What if everyone gets sets?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called Hierarchy. Everyone wants to go for the spades because those are the highest points. You get four for those, three for hearts, two for diamonds, and one for clubs. If two people have the same suit, they get nothing even if they went out first.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s some strategy in going for a lower suit or even completing the same suit to erase someone else¡¯s points?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s what my daddy keeps trying to teach me and my sisters.¡±

    ¡°Your father sure teaches you a lot, huh?¡± Anla said, smiling. It was nice to know that the people who ruled them were normal, despite being so far removed from the commoners.

    ¡°He says it¡¯s important for the future of our duchy to have productive and knowledgeable heirs,¡± she said with that tone of mimicry she had used earlier. ¡°Sharka¡¯s best resource is its youth.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right about that.¡±

    Al was perplexed when Anla won three hands in a row with spades. ¡°Are you cheating?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am not!¡± she said. ¡°A lady never cheats, right Silfa?¡±

    ¡°Al, it¡¯s rude to ask a lady if she cheats. If she is then she probably has a good reason for it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not,¡± Anla finished. ¡°Everyone keeps dealing me spades. I can¡¯t help but go for the best fruit.¡±

    Silfa dealt and took on an air of maturity. She sat properly, her cards resting in her lap when it wasn¡¯t her turn. ¡°How did you two meet?¡±

    Al looked up at her quickly, then back at his hand. ¡°We met a few days ago, actually, in a tavern in Outrick. Anla was already looking for you. I was just touring the area.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not married?¡±

    ¡°No. Just frien-, um, partners.¡±

    ¡°Not friends? You seem like friends.¡±

    Al let Anla answer this. ¡°Al is upset because I made him promise something before I told him a secret.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you are an elf?¡±

    Anla looked at Al quickly, who was studying his cards rather intently. ¡°That¡¯s a large portion of it, though I¡¯m actually only half-elven.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t matter. My father says that we need to learn to work with people from different countries and different ways of living. We have to learn to trust them based on their merit and actions, not on what others like them have done in the past.¡±

    ¡°Did you put her up to this?¡± Al murmured, flashing a displeased look at Anla.

    ¡°No. She¡¯s just precocious.¡±

    Anla sat on another full hand of spades, but threw her turn instead of winning. There was too much tension that Silfa wasn¡¯t sensing. ¡°Al, why aren¡¯t you friends with Anla? Is it because she¡¯s from the Dreelands?¡±

    He inhaled sharply and put his cards down. ¡°Lady Silfa, what Anla is using is called a metaphor. Do you know what that means?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It means she would rather not say what she really means so she is saying something similar.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re unhappy with her not because she¡¯s an elf but because she¡¯s something else?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the crux of it.¡±

    She pondered this for a moment. ¡°But, then it¡¯s really just the same thing, whatever it is. She can¡¯t help it, so why hate her for it?¡±

    Al¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, Lady Silfa.¡±

    ¡°It sounds simple to me. I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    Anla put her hand on the girl¡¯s arm. ¡°I think Al gets the point, Silfa.¡±

    ¡°But, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± Anladet said brightly, putting her cards down. ¡°I think we should go see if there¡¯s anything we can find in the forest. Maybe there¡¯s some fruit or something.¡±

    Since it was the late afternoon, they had the choice of staying in their schist overhang for the night and entertaining Silfa or hiking through the night again. There was no immediate rush. They could take their time at this point, though they would need to replenish their food soon.

    Silfa helped with the last issue. They found several kinds of berries, wild potatoes, morels, cattails in a small marsh, seeds, nuts, and some wildflowers that made a salad. Their ward was a fountain of knowledge, pointing out trees and naming them by their shape and bark. She could list all the kinds of birds and beasts Sharka had, even identifying some by the tracks she found. Though Al knew some of those foods were dangerous, her confidence in her knowledge made him trust her, especially since she had pointed out the difference between the nutritious and poisonous several times.

    ¡°We need to take precautions tonight,¡± he said as they brought shirtfuls of food back to camp.

    ¡°I thought you said they were going to leave us alone,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Likely they will, but that¡¯s not a guarantee. They could try again, resupply nearby and keep her for a month. I would rather be careful.¡±

    ¡°Try what?¡± asked Silfa.

    Anla and Al shared a look quickly while Al itched his very bitten calves. She cleared a small circle to put all their food for sorting. ¡°Silfa, do you know why those men stole you away from your home?¡±

    She shook her head as she dumped all of her scavenged items. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t speak to me. I heard them talking about something big, but they just kept telling me to shut my mouth. Then they gagged me and kept me in the tent while they talked a lot in front of the fire.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t tell her,¡± Al said softly to Anla.

    ¡°Silfa, if you had the choice between hearing a terrible truth or a nice lie, which would you prefer?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Daddy says it¡¯s always important to hear the truth.¡±

    ¡°Those men were going to kill you. They thought they could turn into noble men if they¡­well¡­if they drank your blood. I¡¯m sorry to tell you that, Silfa. There are some very bad men in this world.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± she asked quietly, again taking on an air of maturity she must have trained in for quite some time.

    ¡°No!¡± they both said. ¡°Lady Silfa, why would we do that?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°For the same reason as the men. And women, there were two women.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Al said. ¡°Those people were bad and stupid. It doesn¡¯t work. Besides that, we like you. We don¡¯t want to see you dead. We want to bring you back to Hanala, to your family.¡±

    She nodded demurely and folded her hands in her lap. Al held his breath to see what she was going to do. It took about six seconds before her face crumpled and she started crying.

    ¡°Oh, okay, Silfa¡­¡± he said as she flung herself into his lap. He gently stroked her hair and rocked with her, as if she were someone he had left miles away.

    Anla smiled and prepped the fire again for dinner. She regretted telling her. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have heard the truth, that she had heard hard truths beyond her age far too much in her life. Silfa cried for a solid fifteen minutes wiped her tears away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said softly when she was done.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± Al said, hugging her. ¡°You are the duke¡¯s daughter but you are also a little girl. That was a very scary thing you went through. Most adults would cry if they were kidnapped and it would be totally fine.¡±

    ¡°Even you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Even me.¡±

    They ate what they had left: the food from the forest, a hunk of bread that barely went three ways, and the remainder of the cheese. They camouflaged the opening of the overhang with bushes Al pulled straight up from the ground and doused the fire early. They slept with Silfa in between Al and Anla, who promised her they¡¯d watch over her.

 Chapter 28

    Whether the cultists chose to pursue them by going the wrong way or never tried in the first place, Al, Anla, and Silfa would never know. They rose early, just after dawn, and continued eastward towards Hanala without any trace of the group. In fact, the worst things they had to deal with were black flies and scratches from the branches whipping their legs. Al regretted not wearing trousers.

    They reached Deshka, a small town not too far from Hanala, around noon and resupplied at the market. They didn¡¯t have far to go, but they bought enough provisions to last them three days just in case they ran into any issues. Anla took off her cloak and made Silfa wear it with the cowl up while they were around people.

    ¡°Afraid someone will nab our quarry?¡± Al asked, half in jest.

    Anladet scowled at him, not finding the joke amusing. ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid someone will recognize her and we don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t trust anyone to get her safely back to Hanala like we can.¡±

    ¡°They could probably do better.¡±

    ¡°Flip a coin, Al,¡± she said with annoyance. ¡°Heads, the person does better. Tails, they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Anla, I wasn¡¯t starting a fight. I was just¡­never mind. You¡¯re right to be prudent.¡±

    She watched him for a moment, then waved Silfa over, who had been watching men unloading foodstuffs to a restaurant. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let the lady decide, then. Silfa, would you like to stay in Deshka tonight or do you want to go camping with us?¡±

    Silfa took a few tactful moments to consider her answer. ¡°I don¡¯t like the flies. My legs are itchy and red from their bites. But Daddy says that it is wise to consult your advisers before making a great decision. What do you think?¡±

    It was hard not to smirk whenever she took on the airs of maturity. ¡°Well, Lady Silfa, while the flies are most assuredly going to be in the woods tonight, we¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll be recognized and persuaded to leave us. And we don¡¯t want that to happen.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Al said, ¡°the person who recognizes you might be able to bring you to Hanala in style, with better food, on horseback, and with a change of clothes.¡±

    Again, Silfa thought about this. ¡°It sounds like the story about the golden and wooden boats.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard that story,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Once there was a prince who was traveling his kingdom with a great ¡®terage,¡± she began. It took Anla a moment to realize she meant ¡®entourage¡¯. ¡°They came to a deep river and they couldn¡¯t ford it. There were two men with boats who promised to ferry them across. The first was a golden boat with jewels and the most beautiful silk sails. The second was a plain, wooden boat with canvas sails.

    ¡°Both men started to get the prince to come on their boat. ¡®Your Majesty, my boat is not beautiful, but is dependable. I have ferried thousands of men across the river.¡¯

    ¡®Your Majesty, while I have never ferried anyone before, only my boat holds the splendor befooting a prince. You should not travel in something so boring and unworthy.¡¯ The prince decided to pick the golden boat, because it was better. Only, it was so heavy from the gold and jewels that it sank halfway across the river and the prince drowned.¡± Silfa nodded once. ¡°The prince was a stupid man. You saved me from the evil men and have taken me many miles without any problems. I would like to stay with you two, if you want me.¡±

    In that moment, Anladet began to doubt that Silfa was just parroting the things her father had taught her.

    ¡°We would be honored, my lady.¡± To Anla, Al said, ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so complimented by being referred to as an ugly boat.¡±

    They camped out near the trail that eveningand ate another dinner of stew, this time with much less desperation for seasoning. They played games and sang songs with Silfa, hoping that they could make the time she had spent with the cultists disappear. While she didn¡¯t cry for her family anymore nor have any nightmares, Anladet especially worried the girl might have some lingering problems in the months to come.

    They entered Hanala in the afternoon the next day and made it to the ducal palace around dinner time. They kept Silfa¡¯s cowl up while she gripped Al¡¯s torso, her head resting on his shoulder. He gave her a play-by-play of where they were and how close they were getting to her home, full of details given with an amazed tone of voice.

    It was a hard building to miss, the palace. It wasn¡¯t a heavily fortified monstrosity, like some castles Anla and Al had seen in their lifetimes, nor was it overly ornate. It did have a strong presence, a practicality that was subtle in the architecture without being daunting. The fence, for instance, was half stone and half wrought iron, rising ten feet and ending in arrow tips. The gardens, of what could be seen, weren¡¯t filled with dainty flowers that needed constant care. They were manicured sections of local flowers, hardy but pretty.

    The palace wasn¡¯t on a large estate. It was mostly the chateau with a few side buildings for servants¡¯ and guards¡¯ quarters. It was surrounded on all sides by townhouses owned by the rich. They were the ones with the tiny gardens of Genale flowers, tropical, brightly colored, and fragile. They had the eyelash patterned fences and gingerbread under the eaves, the cobblestoned streets in constant repair. It was almost as if one could ignore the palace looming on the horizon and focus solely on their feet to guide them to the seat of the government for Sharka.

    They circled around the perimeter until they found the street (named Riyala after the capital of Genale) that Silfa had suggested. It was quieter than the others and therefore less likely to attract a crowd.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost home,¡± Al whispered to Silfa. They were across the street from one of the side gates. ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s at the gate?¡± Silfa asked.

    There were six men, two outside and four inside. He described them all to Silfa, who rattled off their names. ¡°You know all of the soldiers in your father¡¯s household?¡± Anla asked.

    Silfa nodded. ¡°The peerage aren¡¯t quite like you and I,¡± Al explained. ¡°Anyone truly of noble blood, being slightly related to Magrithon, have some advantages. One of them is a good memory for names and faces.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°That sounds like a strange power to have.¡±

    ¡°Not if you put yourself in their position. They meet thousands of people in their lifetime. It¡¯s good for relations if you can identify people immediately.¡±

    ¡°You want to speak to Captain Raines and no one else,¡± Silfa said. ¡°These men aren¡¯t high enough to bring us to Daddy.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, ¡°here we go.¡±

    They crossed the street and approached the soldier who looked the eldest. ¡°Hold,¡± he said. ¡°Turn away and go about your business.¡±

    ¡°Our business is with Captain Raines,¡± Al said.

    ¡°And what business is that?¡± the man asked, eyeing both Al and Anladet thoroughly. One of the other guards approached.

    Al looked around and beckoned the man to come closer. When he did, Al moved Silfa¡¯s cowl back enough so that the man could see her face. ¡°We¡¯re returning Lady Silfa home to the duke.¡±

    The man¡¯s thick eyebrows shot up even before he checked, studying Silfa¡¯s face quickly. ¡°Get the captain here, immediately!¡± he yelled. ¡°Open the gate!¡± As if ready for just such an occasion, the two guards inside snapped smartly into their routines: the one on the left began unwinding the winch to open the sturdy gate while the other took off at a brusque pace inside.

    Two stood next to gate while the third man tried to pry Silfa off of Al to no avail. She clung to him tightly and would not let go. ¡°We¡¯re all going in together!¡± she said firmly.

    ¡°Yes, m¡¯lady,¡± the soldier replied and stepped back. The four soldiers made a protective arch around them, to keep anyone curious away from the group.

    Captain Raines arrived within five minutes, asking the guard to debrief him before approaching. ¡°Sir, please put down the Lady Silfa.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she yelled. The captain stepped back a moment. ¡°I want to stay with Al and Anla.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s grown rather attached to us,¡± Al explained. ¡°If I hold her for a little bit farther, it won¡¯t create a predicament, will it?¡±

    ¡°I suppose not,¡± the captain said. He walked right in front of the three of them while they were flanked by eight new soldiers the captain had brought with him.

    The three were escorted past a courtyard with grass and beds of flowering trees. The doors to a side atrium were opened for them by servants. Inside, the doors to the next room were made of an exotic wood with glass insets. Gold inlaid a border and clustered at the handle, which were opened by the same men.

    Al looked over at Anladet and became painfully aware at how offensive they must be to the nobility. He hadn¡¯t bathed since Outrick. He hadn¡¯t brushed his hair, which he assumed was sticking up wildly. Anladet was still wearing the same pair of men¡¯s trousers and button down shirt she had when they first met. He skin and face were covered with dust from the road, save for the tracks her sweat had run down. At least her hair was clean from her bath a few days ago.

    Their steps slowed as they entered the main lobby for the seat of the duchy. Just the chandelier alone, a majestic artistic piece of crystal and colored glass, was enough to cause Al to gawk. He turned to Anladet, to see her reaction and was surprised to see her looking down in sad contemplation.

    ¡°Silvie?¡± someone called from one of the wings. A woman wearing a dark purple velvet dress and heeled shoes that echoed throughout the hallway emerged from the left. Decorum would have dictated she not run, but motherhood often trumped situations like this. She picked up the many layers of skirts in her fists and covered the distance in mere moments. When Lady Silfa began to squirm, Al bent over and let her down. She ran into her mother¡¯s arms, hugging her tightly. The duchess had collapsed to the floor and rocked her daughter back and forth, smoothing her tangled hair.

    Al folded his hands and looked away, to give them privacy. When he looked up, the two of them were gone. In fact, everyone had left the room in quite a hurry, even the servants. There were no thanks from anyone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here at least. They wouldn¡¯t expect us to show ourselves out.¡±

    A few minutes later, a majordomo stepped in from the right wing. ¡°This way,¡± he said, not looking at either of them. He led Al and Anla through a conference room, a library, and a parlor, before opening the door to a room and closing it behind them.

    Behind an ornate desk, signing paperwork, sat the Duke of Sharka. Al, who had never met a nobleman aside from the third son of an viscount who had attended several classes with him, was less than impressed. The man was balding and had a weak chin. His clothing looked disheveled. Wrinkles lined the sides of his eyes and cut a deep furrow into his jowls. His eyes were bagged and dark underneath, though perhaps that was a recent issue due to a lack of sleep from worry. He didn¡¯t paint the regal picture of virility and grace Al assumed all the nobles bore.

    The duke looked up quickly and looked as if he wanted to say something before he eyed them up and down. He looked down at his work again and didn¡¯t offer them a seat. Al wouldn¡¯t have wanted to sully the man¡¯s cushions anyway. ¡°The head of my guards tells me you brought my daughter back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°Your names?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m .rd Alpine Gray and this is my partner, Anladet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Deerborn Auchindol,¡± she finished for him.

    The duke nodded briefly. ¡°And how is it that you found my daughter when all other groups failed?¡±

    Alpine hadn¡¯t expected the return of the duke¡¯s daughter to come with an inquisition. He hadn¡¯t had any time to come up with a story that would cover Anladet¡¯s gifts. He cleared his throat. ¡°Your Grace, I arrived in Hanala two weeks ago looking for work as a wizard. I happened to run into my partner perhaps a week ago, who informed me about the kidnapping of Lady Silfa. We discussed our options and decided we could offer something more to the investigation by forming a team and trying ourselves.

    ¡°We found our first clue near the palace. It was a scrap of a uniform with Magrithon¡¯s sun sigil on it. We determined that, unlike what most people thought, we weren¡¯t dealing with a political situation. We headed west and caught up to the group four days ago near the Great Gheny Bay. We captured one of the guards and he told us to find the lady in a tent near the water. Nearby was a group of men worshiping Magrithon in a perverse way. Anladet swam in the water and snuck in through the back, freeing the lady from her bonds. They swam to where I was and we took off before the men suspected our subterfuge. We trekked through the woods due east to Hanala and only arrived a short time ago.¡±

    Al finished speaking and waited. The duke said nothing. In fact, Al was unsure if he had heard him at all. Finally, the duke finished writing and looked up. ¡°An exemplary tale, wizard. There are a few issues.¡±

    ¡°Issues, Your Grace?¡±

    ¡°Yes, issues. Holes large enough to drive carriages through. You say you came to Hanala a few weeks ago, looking for work. Did you know that I take special interest in knowing the names of all the wizards employed in Hanala? It¡¯s always good to know the names of talented, intelligent individuals in your city, should you need to call upon them for whatever reason. We do tend to get a fresh batch of wizards from Amandorlam shortly after graduation, but that was months ago. This year was also a Cyan year, not a Gray year, so your name would have stuck out to me in the registry. Yet, I do not recall your name being on there. Either you broke the law by not registering or you were never here. Or, and this seems more likely, you aren¡¯t even a wizard.

    ¡°You also say you found a scrap of uniform from these Magrithon worshipers when my men combed the grounds looking for anything, anything out of place. I even joined the men looking and I do not consider myself poor when it comes to those skills.¡± The Duke stood, leaning against the table with his palms flat. ¡°So, am I to assume two unskilled people found something where hundreds of men, where I, failed?

    Al¡¯s mouth was dry. He looked over quickly at Anladet, who was backing away towards the door.

    ¡°Do you know what I think, ¡®wizard¡¯? I think you and your partner kidnapped my daughter in hopes that I would offer a sizable reward. You made up this story about this group of men while you hid in the city. You waited a few days, then came for the money. Is that right? Do I have the gist of things?¡±

    ¡°S-sir, Your Grace, n-no,¡± Al stammered.

    ¡°Always, Al,¡± Anla said under her breath. ¡°They always try to take everything from you. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t be leaving,¡± the Duke said, his face red with anger. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest for the kidnapping of my daughter, Lady Silfa.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Alpine and Anladet were escorted to the dungeon underneath the garrison by Captain Raines with the duke in tow. Al beseeched the duke to ask Silfa about their time in the woods. She would explain it. She''d exonerate them. The duke ignored them.

    They were put in the cell closest to the guard''s station. It was fully made of iron bars and was open to face the jailer''s table, like the one across from it. The rest were only barred where they would open. The door was closed, but not locked, and the Duke left for some time.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Al asked Anla.

    "I don''t know, Al," she said. She always had an ace up her sleeve, should things get very bad, but she didn''t want to use it at this point. Nor would she remind Al for fear of him getting upset about it again.

    When the duke returned, he ordered the turning out and searching of their packs and sat back as he supervised.

    ¡°Where is this scrap of material?¡± the Duke asked Al. ¡°Surely you would have kept it?¡±

    ¡°We lost it,¡± he said. ¡°Somewhere in the woods.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate,¡± he said dryly.

    He thought about asking the duke to have someone follow the trail to find the sun carved in the tree, but stopped himself. It didn''t matter. It would only prove that a sun had been carved in a tree, not that the group who had done it was a Magrithon cult.

    ¡°What''s this?¡± the duke asked, holding up the little man carved from wood..

    ¡°Lady Silfa made that for me. I don''t know if its supposed to be me or not. She made it out of...¡± he tapped his chin with his thumb, ¡°silver outoak, I believe. I don''t know trees very well so I assume the lady was telling the truth.¡±

    The duke looked stunned. ¡°My daughter made this for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, while we were out in the woods, like I said earlier. She was quite helpful. She could light a fire better than I could. I thought it was strange that a noblewoman like herself would be skilled in forestry, but whatever got me out of fiddling with the damn thing.¡± He sat down on the floor and turned to look at Anladet. ¡°I don''t suppose you have the gag or rope from when you cut her free, do you?¡±

    Anladet wasn''t looking at Al. She looked beyond him at the duke and nodded at him.

    ¡°What else did she know?¡±

    Alpine looked back at the duke and was surprised to see him close to the bars, looking directly at him. ¡°She knew all the names of the plants in the forest. She pointed at a few and would say whether they''re good in tea or for healing. She knew which fruits were safe for eating and which were poisonous. May I ask why? The forest doesn''t seem like a standard primer for royals.¡±

    ¡°''A noble must know everything within the boundaries of his land. He must live as the poorest of his people before he can be the richest.,''¡± the duke said, just above a whisper.

    Al turned completely. ¡°That''s from Tichen''s The Golden Lands. You subscribe to his philosophy?¡±

    ¡°Wholeheartedly. Some day, one of my daughters will rule these lands, with her husband as the duke. To rule effectively, you must know what and who you are ruling.¡± He looked away for a moment, then beckoned the captain of the guard back over. ¡°Fetch Silfa,¡± he said quietly.

    The duke turned back to his two prisoners. ¡°What else did she do?¡±

    Al thought about this for a few moments. ¡°She liked ''dressing our wounds'', as she put it. We actually didn''t have anything worse than some scratches, but she still felt the need to bandage them with some cloth I had.¡± He moved his leg over to show a scrap of linen around his calf that had been tied in a bow. ¡°She knew what all the animals were called, even the birds.¡±

    ¡°The shelter,¡± Anladet interrupted.

    ¡°Oh, yes, she helped us with the shelter the night we were in the forest before we reached Deshka. We were afraid the kidnappers might find us so we concealed our shelter. She knew the knots to tie the rope together, to lash the wood to make a convincing bush. If I may say so, Your Grace, your daughter is quite intelligent.¡±

    Alpine was about to say something else when he heard the sound of running on the cement floors. A clean and polished Lady Silfa, her hair tied back in a pink ribbon and dressed in a light gray dress, entered the dungeon just ahead of the captain of the guard. ¡°Daddy!¡± she exclaimed, running to him.

    The duke picked her up in a tight embrace, kissing her temple and smoothing her hair before putting her back down. ¡°Daddy''s being the Duke of Sharka right now.¡±

    Silfa obediently curtseyed low. ¡°May I see Al and Anla?¡± she asked.

    ¡°If you would like,¡± he said, nodding to the captain to open the cell and stepping back to watch what she did.

    His daughter ran into the open cell and hugged both of them. ¡°Does this mean you''re going to stay here? Dad, can we find better rooms for them?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    A smile quirked on the duke''s face for a moment. ¡°Wizard Gray and Miss Anladet were just telling me how helpful you were in the woods.¡±

    ¡°We had so much fun! We got to go camping, like we do in the summertime, only we had to be quiet. We didn''t want the men who had stolen me to find me.¡±

    Al dared a glance at the duke. His eyes were watery and he blinked a few times before looking at the two prisoners. ¡°Silfie, please go find your governess. She''ll need to begin your studies again.¡±

    After Silfa left, Duke Frenrell sat at the table and drummed his fingers against the wood. ¡°Truly, it was a cult of Magrithon?¡±

    ¡°Truly, Your Grace. I wish it could be otherwise. I understand it will be difficult to root them out and eradicate them.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I suppose I owe you an apology, then. You have it.¡±

    There was a long pause when no one said anything. Finally, Alpine broke it. ¡°Your Grace, about the reward...¡±

    The duke blew his breath out slowly. ¡°I do regret that I cannot give it to you.¡±

    Al looked at Anladet quickly, then back at Frenrell. ¡°Your Grace, I believe the deal was the safe return of your daughter for two thousand gold and various pieces of jewelry and gems. Did one of us read the signs incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°No, that is what was advertised. I mean to say that the reward I promised was beyond what I can afford to give at this moment. I would be more than happy to outfit your next adventure and repay you for any expenses accrued on your trip.¡±

    Al couldn''t help but frown. Anladet wore a flat and sour look that made it seem like she had almost expected it. ¡°Your Grace, it''s true that we''re fond of your daughter. She was a treasure to be with during the last few days. But, we did risk our lives to save her. The reason why we took up the cause was that we felt the risk was worth the reward.

    ¡°But now you''re saying there is no reward, that we risked our lives for nothing. Well, that seems to contradict what we were discussing earlier.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± the duke asked, his tone dangerous.

    ¡°Tichen''s first postulation on ruling oneself, whether as a king or a pauper, is that your word is your gold. It is the finest currency you can create and can be worth more than a country''s treasury if you cultivate it well. It would not bode well if word of this were to reach the ears of your people and your peers.¡±

    ¡°What am I to do?¡± he yelled, slamming his fists on the table so suddenly that they both jumped. ¡°If I pay you, I would beggar my duchy and encourage others to try this again. If I don''t, I go against everything I believe in, everything I''ve worked so hard to create.¡±

    Al didn''t think that, though two thousand gold was a sizable amount of money, it was going to beggar the duchy. Perhaps the money was earmarked for repairs from the massive storm that just cut through. Or maybe the duchy was in worse shape than he thought. Either way, they weren''t going to get what had been promised.

    He sat back against the bars, his hands folded over his stomach. He had no intention of leaving without something, and what the duke had suggested was far below what they should be getting. Was there another option?

    Al sat up quickly. ¡°Perhaps we can come to an arrangement? As far as the sundries, I don''t think we were interested...¡± Alpine stopped when Anladet put her hand on his forearm.

    ¡°I only wanted one piece, Your Grace,¡± she said. ¡°The necklace with the teardrop pearl and the four anuisse stones.¡±

    ¡°Really? But that one is the l...¡± He closed his mouth quickly. ¡°Fine. It''s yours. And about the gold?¡±

    ¡°Neither of us were expecting to take all of it with us right now. It would seem foolish to carry so much money with us. Though I''m sure the fine city of Hanala has little crime, we would be begging to be robbed. If you were to provide the paperwork, we could take a portion now and a portion for each of the following years. Say, two hundred gold upfront, each? Two hundred per year for four years?¡±

    ¡°You would do that?¡± the duke asked. ¡°Trust me, that is?¡±

    ¡°Your Grace, I believe we have no choice. Either we''re walking away with a little money and a pat on the back, or we''re walking away with a portion and a promise from a man whom I believe would keep his word if possible.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that is a fair way of looking at the situation.¡±

    ¡°And one other thing. We would like a favor from you.¡±

    ¡°Name it and I will try to see it made a reality.¡±

    ¡°It will be owed, Your Grace.¡±

    The duke''s eyebrow furrowed. ¡°No, that I cannot allow...¡±

    ¡°The favor would be in line with Tichen''s teachings. We wouldn''t make you do anything that would besmirch you or your duchy, nor put either in harm''s way.¡±

    ¡°If it is, I have the right to deny your request.¡± When Al nodded, Duke Frenrell shook both of their hands. ¡°I think we''ve reached a deal.¡±

    * * *

    The duke allowed Alpine and Anladet the full use of his servants. Their clothes were thrown away, burned if Al knew what was best for the fate of the city. ThedDuke gifted both three sets of traveling wears. They stayed in the palace for two days, eating rich meals with the duke and his family. And, of course, they spent time with their new, favorite lady.

    As the duke promised he would, he drew up a bank contract and signed it with a seal for the annual release of funds. He gave them each a sack with two hundred gold from various duchies, some being worth more than others. At that point, Alpine understood their welcome was growing tepid and he didn''t want to see it become cold.

    They left from the same side gate, eschewing any fanfare the Duke had wanted to bestow upon them. Once they were safely beyond the stone wall that lined the ducal palace, Anladet turned to Al. ¡°Thank you, for all of that. Everything. I mean it.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome. I''m glad it worked out well in the end.¡±

    She gave him a crooked smile. ¡°Now that we''re out of earshot, where did you learn to argue like that? It''s like you''ve been negotiating with nobles your whole life.¡±

    ¡°My parents were thinking about sending me to Enshewer University, to become a lawyer. I begged them to enroll me in Amandorlam instead, convinced them thoroughly. Looking back, I suppose I should have listened to them. Then again, maybe I wouldn''t have learned anything new.¡±

    They walked down several streets until Anladet turned to him, laughing. ¡°Do you have any idea where we''re going?¡±

    ¡°I was just about to ask that. Where to? I am now rich and without a care in the world.¡± His smile dropped. ¡°Mind telling me why you chose to bind me to you, now that this is all done?¡±

    Her smile tightened. ¡°I think you can gather what happened to me. I wouldn''t be living on the streets, hand-to-mouth, if my parents were still alive. My siblings and I made our way to Hanala and lived as best as we could. They''ve all disappeared. I want to find them and bring my family together again. I thought it would be easier with a wizard, or at least someone else.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have anyway to find them?¡±

    ¡°I hear their voices sometimes, at least Garlin and Raidet''s. That''s the only way I know to find them, though perhaps you have some other ideas.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing better to do. Let''s find them. Which way?¡±

    Anladet closed her eyes and breathed in. She listened and heard nothing, but remembered where she had heard Raidet''s voice before. ¡°North,¡± she said.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°I just want you to know that you are more than welcome on any ship I¡¯m on,¡± the first mate said. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve realized that by now.¡±

    Telbarisk shook hands with the man. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, ¡°that¡¯s kind of you.¡± He had no intentions on setting foot on a ship ever again, though not because of Jorm¨¦. He had been the one pleasant person he¡¯d encountered since winter.

    ¡°Now, while you¡¯re in port, you¡¯ll need to register with the inspection officers on Wright street,¡± Jorm¨¦ explained, walking slowly away from the ship. ¡°Just tell them its temporary, since you¡¯ll be with me in a few days.¡± The first mate phrased it somewhere between a statement and a question. ¡°Tell them you were on the Gueylard.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°Will you be on it again?¡±

    The first mate¡¯s face clouded over for a few moments. ¡°No. I¡¯ll find another ship. The captain is more likely to take on the same crew and I don¡¯t want to work with some of them again. They did as they were told, but there was a rot of morality that goes beyond what you find with your normal crew. I think you know who I mean.¡±

    He knew. ¡°If I weren¡¯t on the ship, would it have been different, Jorm¨¦?¡±

    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t just the men, Telbarisk. The captain was complacent with things he shouldn¡¯t have been. I don¡¯t know if he was overly fearful of a mutiny or he is one to have a blind eye if profits are high, but I¡¯m not interested in finding out.¡± He gave a shrug and smiled again. ¡°It¡¯s too bad. He¡¯ll have to find another amazing first mate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it came to that for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! Imagine if we hadn¡¯t found your island, and you, for that matter. A good crew hold things together when in a crisis . That crew, well, I think we were lucky to becalm so close to land. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be here to welcome you to Gheny.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ dug a few shiny discs from his pocket. ¡°Here. If they only knew what you did, they would have paid you so much more. Then again, knowing the captain, he would have sooner shackled you to the boat. Anyway, there will be plenty more if you come with me.¡± He looked around the port for a few moments and perked up ¡°I see the Ibby Far is in port. I know the captain and the company he works for. If I can¡¯t get on that ship, there will be others I can work on. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll even captain one myself.

    ¡°Either way, meet me here in three days, at noon. I¡¯ll get you on a ship with me, I guarantee it. Maybe I can even get a rating for you.¡± He clasped Telbarisk¡¯s forearm, bracing his elbow with his other hand. ¡°I¡¯d love to see nine, Telbarisk. I¡¯ll bet with the winds and currents favoring us, you can get us there.¡±

    Tel placed his free hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will have to see what the future holds.¡±

    ¡°Last thing. Be careful who you tell the things you shared with me. Not every man will be decent to you. They will try to take advantage of you because you are obviously foreign and unaccustomed to how Ghenians behave. I wish you good fortune, my friend.¡±The first mate gave a little wave as he walked away, a bag slung over his woolen coat. Telbarisk paused for a few moments, then slowly looked up at the city of Hanala.

    There was so much to take in that he found it was easy to glance up, then look down at the cobblestones while he processed what he saw. It was incredible. There were buildings shaped from trees that grew horizontally and incredibly straight. Ice filled slots so that people could see inside the boxes. Mountains topped the homes. Some of the peaks were volcanoes, even, spewing smoke from the tops.

    Telbarisk looked again and realized his mistake. No, they weren¡¯t mountains. The tops were stone, but sat above for protection. The trees were cut and stacked, not grown. As for the ice, well, it was something he¡¯d have to get close enough to see.

    Tel had nothing but his clothes and the discs the man had given him. He put those in his pocket as he set forth towards the nearest building, painted white and red. It took him some time to wade through the crowd, not noticing how many people gaped or even startled at his appearance. He walked up to the ice, touched his finger to it, and was astonished to find it wasn¡¯t cold.

    He turned abruptly and spoke to the first person he saw. It was a man in fancy attire with a cylindrical hat and a baton. Perhaps he was a warrior, with a crude weapon and armor that made him appear taller. ¡°Could you tell me the way to the right street?¡± Tel asked.

    The man startled at the question, stopped, and slowly raised his eyes from Telbarisk¡¯s chest to his eyes. It took a few moments. The man blinked twice, then scurried off, leaving Tel confused.

    He was unable to get anyone else to help him. He tried with a dozen different people, most startling after they looked at him and walking away quickly. A few shrieked and one man shouted ¡°no!¡± before he ran away.

    Telbarisk was unsure what to do. The first mate had said it was important to go to the inspection office, but he didn¡¯t know where that was. No one would help him, not matter how many people he asked. He leaned against the wall to the building with the warm ice and tried to figure out his next course of action.

    ¡°Are you a craveir?¡± a little boy asked him. ¡°Could you tell me a tale?¡±

    Telbarisk looked down at the lad. ¡°No, I am a grivven. I could still tell you a story, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°A grivven?¡± He looked confused for a moment, then his face lit up. ¡°A straw man!¡±

    Tel blinked at this. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know where the right street is? I need to find the inspection office.¡±

    The boy giggled. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®the right street¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®Wright Street¡¯. You have to go to the red building and turn right. Go down that street until you get to the building with the sign with gold on it. It¡¯s¡­¡±

    The boy¡¯s mother ran up. ¡°Jaul! What have I told you about talking to strangers!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Telbarisk said. He would have paid the boy compliments through his mother, but she had hauled him away so quickly the boy began to wail from the pain.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The directions were easy enough; the red building was visible from where he stood. Still, he didn¡¯t want to get lost and be forced to ask for help again. Ghenians thus far seemed skittish and generally unable to help with directions. Perhaps only children were allowed to do that task and he¡¯d been rude to ask the adults.

    He walked the street carefully, allowing his toes to press into the cobblestones as he kept the building in his sight. If he found nothing else in Hanala familiar, at least there was the sensation of cool stone against his soles. It almost felt like home.

    A man driving a cart almost collided into him as he turned onto the next street. The man glared at him before his eyes widened in surprise. He looked away from Telbarisk and hurried along. Tel took the cue to move closer to the buildings.

    He continued along Wright Street slowly, his toes still grasping the rocks belong him. He looked closely at each building, trying to take in the details as well as read the signs. Telbarisk could read a little Ghenian, but he was unsure as to what the letters for ¡®inspection¡¯ were. He puzzled it out and tried to match his guess to the wooden signs with gold lettering. Each was in a different font unfamiliar to him, which only made the process harder.

    He stood outside the third business and decided to take a chance. He pressed on the door, noting they used wood to block entrances like on the ship he¡¯d been on. Why would they do need to do that? It was summer, warm with a comfortable breeze off the coast. Was it an issue of security, then, or perhaps some command from the gods on how things must be?

    ¡°Close the door!¡± one of the men behind the desk shouted in an annoyed tone.

    Telbarisk had to duck to enter and promptly pushed the door towards him. ¡°Is this the inspection office?¡±

    ¡°What else would it be? Are you from a country that doesn¡¯t¡­¡± The man cut himself off when he finally looked up from his work and saw Telbarisk in full. ¡°Oh,¡± he said softly. ¡°Um, sit and wait until your turn.¡±

    Telbarisk took a seat next to another man who was in line. He was dressed similarly to the way Jorm¨¦ had, in a deep blue, woolen coat and a hat of the same material. The man took his pipe out of his mouth and stared agape at Tel, who nodded in greeting to him. The man suddenly decided other things in the room were more interesting and he needed to look at them.

    The hours stretched by in discomfort. Grivvens were narrowly hipped in comparison to humans, so the chair wasn¡¯t the issue. It was the disrespect. The man beside Telbarisk went behind the canvas curtains to the left, then three other men who had entered after Tel had been taken before him. He was hungry and overly warm, sweating slightly in the heat. Still, he said nothing. He didn¡¯t want to be rude and he wasn¡¯t sure if interrupting the men at their job would be considered so.

    Finally, the same man from behind the front desk looked up and beckoned him over. ¡°Do you have the seven copper fee?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what a copper is.¡±

    The man¡¯s mouth hardened. ¡°No? Then I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave. No payment, no service.¡±

    ¡°The only thing I have are these,¡± he said, pulling out the discs the first mate had given him.

    The man rolled his eyes and took a silver disc from Telbarisk¡¯s palm. ¡°Where did you get these?¡±

    ¡°A man from the ship I was on gave them to me. He said it was ¡®for my work¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You were paid then?¡± When Telbarisk said nothing, the man sighed and said, ¡°Wages? Employment? Any of this ringing a bell?¡±

    Telbarisk shook his head. ¡°Where I¡¯m from, we don¡¯t have ¡®wages¡¯. I don¡¯t know what ¡®paid¡¯ or ¡¯employment¡¯ are.¡±

    The man asked Tel to follow as he led him behind the curtained area. He gestured for Tel to sit in a chair while he sat across from him at a desk with forms. ¡°Name,¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Telbarisk of Nourabrikot, which is the Valley of Cold Winds in¡­¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk,¡± the man repeated, writing the information down with his quill and ink. ¡°Where do you hail from?¡±

    ¡°Nourabrikot, though I was most recently living in Ouayid Island.¡±

    ¡°Nour-ab-ri-kot,¡± the man sounded out. ¡°Where is that? I¡¯ve never heard of those lands.¡±

    Telbarisk thought a little more about the question. ¡°I believe your people call it ¡®Ervaskin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh! The, uh, the big island in the northern Gamik Sea.¡± He wrote the name after Nourabrikot, a pleased smile touching his lips. The clerk was the sort of man who prided himself on trivia and he was delighted he remembered such an obscure piece of information. ¡°Judging by how this is going, I think I¡¯ll start your physical examination before we continue this form. I will need you to strip to your small clothes so I may inspect your body for disease and infestation.¡±

    Telbarisk believed he had no small clothes, since he wasn¡¯t quite sure what they were . He wore wide-legged trousers, a loose shirt, and a heavy shawl around his shoulders. He had taken off the bakinar a few minutes after sitting in the warm office. Without any hint of embarrassment, he stripped and placed his clothes on the desk.

    ¡°Oh, oh my!¡± the man said when he turned back around. He averted his eyes and handed Telbarisk a towel, which he draped around his mid-section. He was learning so much about how these Ghenians acted. Prudish or very shy. It was as if they weren¡¯t a people, but more like persons in a group, less connected than he was was his people.

    The man had calmed down and was back to his business manner. ¡°Sir, I need to inspect your scalp. Could you remove your tie?¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to, not after losing it once recently. But, he also didn¡¯t want to insult the man by not allowing him to do his job. He tucked the towel in so that it would stay in place and gently took the silver chain out of his hair.

    The man ask Telbarisk to lean down and used a stick to lift up sections of his thick and coarse hair. It was dark brown and resembled more a horse¡¯s mane than a human¡¯s tresses. There was a slight kink to the strands with a few pieces growing out at odd angles that gave the illusion of straw sticking out of a hay bale.

    The man lifted each of Telbarisk¡¯s arms and looked in his armpits. Then, he stood on a chair to look closely at his neck, shoulders, and the start of his arms. Tel almost jerked away when the clerk ran his fingers down his sides, sliding quickly over his ribs. The man finished by patting down Tel¡¯s legs and looking at the bottom of his feet.

    When the man finished, reacting in a pleased manner, he indicated that Telbarisk could put his clothes back on. Tel tied his hair back first before redressed. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to stand with your back against this wall,¡± the man said.

    The clerk stood back and eyed the situation, looking puzzled for a few moments. He scratched the trimmed whiskers on his face, then grabbed a piece of twine and a stepladder. He placed the end of the string against the top of the chart, unspooled it to the top of Telbarisk¡¯s head, and then made some calculations. ¡°Sir, you are quite a tall fellow. Seven feet, two and a half inches. You¡¯ve definitely set a record for my office.¡±

    Telbarisk didn¡¯t know what to think. He had never been called ¡°tall¡± before. Quite the opposite, actually. He was rather small statured for a grivven. His older brother could rest his chin on the top of Tel¡¯s head and had often when they were children.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish the form,¡± the man said as he sat again. ¡°We have name and origin covered. What is your occupation?¡±

    Jorm¨¦ had said to be careful telling people about his capabilities. ¡°Are my answers confidential?¡±

    The clerk looked surprised. ¡°What I write will be filed, but unless there¡¯s an issue, no one will bother reading it. And I certainly have no interest in repeating what I hear. It¡¯s not confidential as such, but I don¡¯t think you need to worry about anything.¡±

    Telbarisk spoke lower. ¡°I am a farmer.¡±

    ¡°Such worry! Sir, we have plenty of farmers here in Gheny. I¡¯m unsure if this is a matter of shame in Ervaskin, but here we depend on and cherish our farmers. You¡¯ll want to head north from the city to get to farming land, if you plan on starting out as a hand before purchasing your own land,¡± the man said as he wrote. ¡°Any family with you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And any indenturements? Contracts, warrants, or future employment opportunities?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And how did you arrive here?¡±

    ¡°Kouriya,¡± he said and explained.

 Chapter 31

    It wasn¡¯t the hunger that had threatened to kill Telbarisk. Nor was it the cold or the wild animals on his island. It had been the isolation.

    Four months had passed since he had been exiled to Ouayid Island. Being uninhabited, he hadn¡¯t spoken to anyone since then. No laughter, no touch, no tales around the fire. He had made friends with some of the creatures, but it wasn¡¯t the same. His heart ached for those he had left.

    His food stores were plentiful. That wasn¡¯t a strange thing for a man new to exile, since he had been provided with an ample amount of food and the tools to sustain himself for a long period of time. What was strange was how far advanced his gardens were for springtime in a cold environment. Even though the killing frosts had stopped only a few weeks prior, he had fields of vegetables and legumes planted, bushes of fruits and berries in bloom. It had taken from dawn to dusk for weeks to complete. Working with nothing, he had dug and plotted out the fields, which were scattered across the island. (Telbarisk had refused to clear forest for his selfish needs and planted where there were natural glens.) Each day he had found the right area, with the right soil type and amount of sunlight. The berry bushes, blue, black, red, ton-, straw-, rasp-, and wax, surrounded his cave. A path cut through and led to the legumes, including the li-ish plants that were a staple protein crop for grivvens. Beyond that, the island was checkered in squashes, carrots, beets, quist, rhubarb, onions, leeks, and so many other vegetables. He¡¯d even planted a few fruiting trees.

    When all his preparations were done, he¡¯d had a lot of time to think about things, about home and his friends and family. Mostly he thought about his punishment and why he had been exiled. It was what was meant to be. He¡¯d come to that peaceful understanding with kouriya very early into his sentence, but there was a difference between understanding and laying down for the wild dogs. He had remembered and re-evalutated the situation many times. He had his theories. The one that made the most sense was the one that brought him the most sadness.

    Free or not, Telbarisk had embraced his exile with as much grace and humility as he could. That was a hard thing to stay true to when actually faced with it. He pained. He so desperately wanted to speak to someone, to watch them react and interact. To laugh and sing. He wanted it so badly that he had thought he might have summoned the thing on the horizon.

    He looked at it curiously for some time. He thought it was clouds for a good portion of an hour, then realized they were not moving and had no silver to them. For some time he ignored it, thinking it was so bizarre that he found it was easier to forget it was there than to understand the thing.

    It stayed there for a few days, inconspicuous in its dormancy. He glanced at it occasionally, but paid it no more attention than he did the large turtle that had spent two weeks on the island in April. For three days the thing hovered above the horizon, some strange monstrosity awaiting something. He worried it was a dead sea creature that would wash ashore soon, filling the island with noxious, rotting fumes. He worried more that it was alive.

    Then, on its fourth morning off of Ouayid, Telbarisk saw that the thing had splintered and the pieces were sliding towards the island. He climbed to the top of the hill behind his cave and shimmied along a tree branch that held his weight. The dots in the water were like bugs, their arms reaching out and pulling their bodies to the land. Tel watched for some time, the bugs turning into water beasts, then finally to boats with men. Little men.

    They landed not far from Telbarisk¡¯s vantage point, helping each other out of the boats and stowing them on the rocky shore. They missed his cave, but didn¡¯t have to scout far to find his crops. The men fell on them, ripping handfuls of fruit with their grubby little hands, shoving the food in their mouths. They groaned in delight, their mouths and chins stained with the juices.

    He followed them, quietly. Once satiated, the dozen or so men began harvesting anything they could find. They pulled off their shirts and tied one end to create a bag to fill it with all that they could find.

    One man, the one who appeared to be leading the group, began to look around with concern. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look natural,¡± he spoke to one of the men.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± the man replied, ¡°it¡¯s food and we¡¯re starving.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not starving.¡±

    ¡°We will be.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± the leader called out several times.

    Telbarisk emerged from his spot, startling the men even though he had been slow and quiet. The men dropped their sacks and raised their knives and swords to protect themselves.

    The leader stepped forward. He was young, with blue eyes and light hair cut short. He was not the tallest or heaviest of the men, but they showed him deference through protection. Several men moved to flank him, a strong front against an unknown giant. The leader put his arms out and lowered them slowly, looking to his left and right to make sure the men lowered their weapons.

    Telbarisk would later know him as Jorm¨¦ Mayard, first mate of the Gueylard. ¡°Do you understand us?¡± he asked slowly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Telbarisk said, his throat thick with disuse.

    The men relaxed a little. ¡°Is this your home and is this your food?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said again.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We didn¡¯t know anyone lived here. Is it okay if we take some?¡±

    Grivvens were hospitable people. Some may even say they were hospitable to a fault. They extended charity and generosity to any grivven wandering the lands. They knew that if in turn they ever needed the same, there would be someone who would feed them and shelter them. The elves, too, shared their sense of conviviality. Telbarisk had never known anyone who would take and never give in return.

    He knew no other way. ¡°You may help yourself to as much as you need.¡±

    A few of the men even smiled. They returned to foraging while the first mate kept conversation with him. ¡°I apologize again. Our ship is becalmed off-shore. We¡¯re running low on supplies and made the call to see if the island had any food we could harvest. We didn¡¯t mean to steal anything of yours.¡±

    ¡°I do not feel slighted. Take as much as you need. There is fresh water not too far away and more food for you in that direction,¡± he said, pointing east.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so very much. You¡¯ve saved our lives, sir.¡±

    Telbarisk nodded once, then sat on a rock nearby. He kept track of which plants the men decimated and which ones would only need minor care over the next few weeks. In an odd way, Tel was grateful to the men for taking his supplies. He¡¯d have to replace all his food by the time the snows fell in mid autumn. It would give him a challenge, something to take his mind off of everything he didn¡¯t want to think of while he was here.

    As if the first mate picked up on it, he asked, ¡°May I ask what you¡¯re doing here? Do you live alone? Have you always lived here? Do you mind if I sit down?¡±

    Telbarisk fanned his hand, gesturing that the nearby rock was open. ¡°I am an exile. I started my punishment during the winter of this year.¡±

    ¡°What were you exiled for?¡±

    Tel took a deep breath. ¡°A man died.¡±

    The first mate looked at him with alarm. ¡°You killed him?¡±

    ¡°A man died,¡± he repeated.

    ¡°Are you¡­repentant of his death?¡±

    ¡°Repentant? Do you mean do I ask for forgiveness for the crime or do I regret it happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be the one to give you forgiveness, even if you asked me for it. I am curious about the second, though. It would answer many things about your character.¡±

    Firmly, Telbarisk said, ¡°Yes, I regret it. It was a waste of life. He was a good man. But some things cannot be helped. I live here as my penance and I hope that when my time is served, I can return to my people in peace and with no ill-will.¡±

    ¡°How long must you serve?¡±

    ¡°Ten years.¡±

    The first mate let out a pained breath. ¡°My friend, that is a long time to be away from everyone.¡±

    If anyone knew that, it was Telbarisk. If anyone would know that, it was Telbarisk.

    ¡°If I might ask,¡± the first mate started, ¡°do you need to stay here or could you, perhaps, leave?¡±

    ¡°My sentence is to leave the mainland of Ervaskin and have no contact with the Grivven. I do not have to stay here, but since this island has everything I need, I will.¡± He sighed. ¡°Also, I feel this is where I need to be, to pay the price that needs to be paid. A punishment isn¡¯t a punishment if there is no suffering in it.¡±

    The first mate studied the grivven silently for a few minutes, then turned to check on his men. Most had moved beyond the borders of vision and were in the fields, uprooting vegetables. ¡°Is this okay? My men are taking a lot of provisions from you. I don¡¯t know you well at all, but I have a general concern for your well-being. To be more blunt, I will worry about you and would have a heavy conscience if I found out you had starved here due to your generosity.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about it.¡±

    ¡°To pry away the scales, so to speak, I suspect you of having a fatalistic mindset. Ten years is a long sentence. Some men would have tested their mortality by now. I do not know how your people feel about the taking of ones own life, but where I¡¯m from it is considered taboo. If your ilk are the same as mine, then perhaps you live in your punishment wishing you didn¡¯t have to, but having no course of action you can take. If a group of men arrive and fix that for you, then you have your excuse. You¡¯ve done your duty, planted your crops and built your home, but it wasn¡¯t your fault you were robbed of your needs. We could be like one poorly timed act of nature that destroys your food, leaving you with the excuse to give up your will to live. I don¡¯t wish to be your blizzard, your hurricane, or your tsunami.¡±

    Telbarisk thought on the man¡¯s words and responded with care. ¡°I will admit that rising each morning is not an easy task. I am left empty save for my instincts. I have a great many people whom I miss and who miss me. But when I said that I wasn¡¯t concerned about my food, it was because I am confident in my skill to replace anything you take. It is early in the growing season, with plenty of time to regain my stores. Many plants have only just produced, with many weeks of flowering to go. Your men cannot pick the fruits of the future.¡±

    ¡°Well said,¡± the first mate said. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯ve eased my mind. I believe I know your answer but I will extend the invitation anyway: please join my crew and journey with us. You can still serve your sentence in the company of people.¡±

    Tel closed his eye and breathed in. Things felt the same. There was no tug of kouriya, nothing to give him any indication that he needed to leave Ouyid. ¡°I thank you graciously, but no. My duty is to stay here, as close to my home is allowed.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± The first mate nodded and left to round up his men. He signaled back to the ship with a piece of flat rock that reflected light. The first mate clasped hands with Telbarisk and thanked him yet again for his generosity, wishing him warmth and good luck. Telbarisk returned the farewell with similar cheer.

    The men in the first boat began to row away and Telbarisk watched. He felt the loneliness creep in as the men for the second boat filed past, tossing their tied off shirts into the boat. ¡°You speak Ghenian?¡± asked one, a shorter man with a bushy beard and almost no hair on the top of this head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Telbarisk replied, thinking they would say goodbye as well.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said as Tel felt something cold and sharp against his back. ¡°The captain lost three men to a storm in the passing. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d reward us if we could fill one of those positions with a strong, able bodied monster like you. You¡¯re coming with us.¡±

    Should he fight? He was confident he could knock these four out with little effort. But what if there was a mistake? What if one of them died? He¡¯d hate to take another life again.

    He closed his eyes and listened. It was hard to hear the song, especially when death was so close. It was much easier to sense the movement when everything else was still. What it came down to was letting them end it all or joining them, and he wasn¡¯t ready to give up. He wanted to return to his people one day, even if they accepted him back only as a stranger.

    Sometimes kouriya was a flitting as a soft breeze and other times as strong as a cold knife in the back.

    ¡°Did you hear me, straw man?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I will go with you.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Once the boat was far enough from the island that the grivven couldn''t walk back by touching the sand below the water, the man behind him put away his knife. ¡°You won''t do anything stupid, right, straw man?¡±

    ¡°If I was going to do something, I would have done it by now.¡± And the options, not that he would take them, were growing fewer by the minute. Telbarisk knew how to swim enough to stay afloat and move forward with scooping motions, but he could no longer convince himself that he could make it back to shore if he jumped out of the boat.

    The men joked and said crude things while they rowed, the ship appearing larger and larger. Telbarisk admired it, having never seen something so grand and majestic. He looked up and saw trees with clouds clinging to them, the ground made of curved wooden branches. There was a fairy tale he had enjoyed greatly as a child about a man being whisked away to foreign lands on a cloud-island. A shiver went down his spine when he saw the creation in front of him.

    As they grew closer, Telbarisk began to see the thing for what it really was. The clouds were large cloths attached to straight, dead trees with ropes. The hull was made from pieces of wood that curved. A part of him felt disappointed that there was nothing enchanting about the ship. It was a vessel, a vehicle. Nothing more.

    The bald man with the beard climbed up the ladder first. ¡°Captain,¡± he yelled, ¡°you''re going to want to see what we brought back!¡±

    The man with the knife nudged Telbarisk up the ladder, holding his weapon out but not touching Tel''s flesh. He climbed, his bare feet wrapping around the rungs. When he reached the top, he pulled his legs over the railing and almost fell when the ship lurched with the waves.

    The captain, a man with a shaved head, loose jowls, and a large gut, stood not too far off. ¡°A straw man? Puh. What use is he to me?¡±

    ¡°Whatever use you want,¡± the bearded man said. ¡°He''s not trained, but he can learn. I''d make him an OS and promote Tirik to AB, if I were you, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Which you''re not.¡± He looked Telbarisk up and down. ¡°Well, he''s certainly tall. Might not have to climb the masts to do what you men do.¡±

    ¡°No, sir! Not with a reach like his.¡±

    "Of course, he''ll be rubbish belowdeck. There''s no way he''s going to fit down there. Might not be able to find him a suitable bed."

    "Well, I''m sure we can find a good place for him..."

    ¡°Captain,¡± a voice said from the staircase, ¡°the men have secured the provisions. I hope it will be enough until...¡± The first mate stopped cold when he saw Telbarisk on the deck. ¡°What is he doing here?¡±

    ¡°Meet our new ordinary seaman, Mr., uh, what did you say his name was?¡± the captain asked the bearded man.

    ¡°Telbarisk!¡± the first mate answered, before he shoved the bearded man against the wall of the forecastle. ¡°What have you done, Atchell? This man gave us as much food as we could take, from his own meager supplies, and you gang-pressed him?¡±

    The bearded man held up his hands. ¡°He came of his own accord. Right, straw man?¡±

    Telbarisk didn''t know how to answer. He would rather be on the island, but he''d much rather not be dead. ¡°He was...very persuasive,¡± he answered carefully.

    The first mate glared at Atchell, but let go of his shirt after a few tense moments. Jorm¨¦ turned sharply to address his superior officer. ¡°Seems things are in order, captain. We should be able to set sail when the winds take us.¡±

    His last statement interested Telbarisk. Did they follow kouriya, too? Did the universal tide guide them as well?

    ¡°Atchell, show our newest crew member the ship,¡± the captain said. The bearded man saluted with a snap and led Telbarisk down the companionway. As they descended, Tel heard the first mate arguing with the captain, his voice in angry opposition to the more confident and more suave captain''s. It sounded like he might have been trying to convince his superior to return Tel to his home. He appreciated the gesture, but he knew things were already moving ahead. He was stuck here.

    The tour was brief and functioned mostly of Atchell pointing to an area, telling Telbarisk what it was, then stating that he wasn''t allowed to go there. These places consisted of the cargo hold, the officers'' mess, the captain''s quarters, the officers'' quarters, the forecastle, the poop deck, the quarter deck, and the brig. ¡°Unless you want to stay in the brig,¡± he said with a toothy grin, ¡°in which case all you need to do is punch the captain.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Telbarisk didn''t mind being prohibited from the decks below. Atchell had to duck slightly when they moved through the gun deck, which meant that Tel was bent over at the waist and needed to balance himself with the beams and the wall. He was relieved when Atchell brought him back up the deck.

    ¡°There''s no room in the gun deck for you to sleep. You''ll have to sleep out here, somewhere,¡± he said, grinning again.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Telbarisk said, bowing his neck slightly. It was a great kindness to let him sleep under the stars, out in the open and not in the cramped and musty decks below.

    Atchell didn''t react like Telbarisk thought he would. He looked surprised for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes. He spat on the floor and went below, leaving Tel by himself, confused.

    Over the next week, the crew attempted to find jobs for Telbarisk. He could reach some of the rigging with ease, but didn''t work as fast as the nimble-footed sailors. He was also slow at climbing and felt uncomfortable with heights. They thought that his size would give him an advantage with carrying heavy weights. He did not better than any crew member one and a half to two feet shorter than him. After a few days, they gave up.

    The beginning of his time on the ship was rough for Tel. He felt inadequate, as if he were taking up necessary space and resources. The crew members helped reinforce this by giving him nasty looks and either speaking poorly and loudly about him, or ignoring him all together. He spent most of his time on the forecastle, watching everyone and hoping someone would speak with him. Jorm¨¦ was busy with the men and often looked harried. Telbarisk had wisely left him alone.

    The perishable food from Ouyard Island had been divvied out quickly, with higher rations of broccoli and strawberries given to the men with advanced stages of scurvy. The remaining food hoarded and traded amongst the men. With no friends and nothing to bargain, Telbarisk was forced to eat hardtack and pickled food. Even the salted pork was off limits (not that he would have eaten it if he had known what it was).

    Telbarisk took to making himself scarce. He''d often shimmy out beyond the bowsprit onto the jib boom and feel the wind in his face, to stay out of everyone''s way. Of course, that was when there was wind. Several times they picked up and set the ship on course, only to die again a few hours later. The disappointment was felt across the ship, making the men cross.

    ¡°How are you at navigating?¡± Jorm¨¦ asked Telbarisk during his second week aboard. It was the first time he''d found a moment and had apologized for not attending to him. ¡°Do your people read the stars or use anything else to keep track of time?¡±

    It sounded like a conversational question, not in the same tone people used when they asked him about his skills. ¡°We chart the skies to see the past and the future. It is where the hayinfal come from, what makes things happen.¡±

    ¡°Hayinfal. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°The hayinfal are...spirits, maybe, or events. There is no assent amongst my people as to what they are. They watch from the sky and wait until the right moment. Then, they fall to our world. Sometimes they enter men and watch over them. Sometimes they take the shape of something great unfolding. Every once in a while, they fall into an unborn child and become a person.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell if a man is a hayinfal?¡±

    ¡°They will act beyond normalcy. Most people are content with the cycles of life, birth, childhood, adulthood, old age, and death. They master a job, marry, have children, and leave it all behind when they die. They pass through the world with no man in future the wiser to their former existence. A hayinfal will never settle for this. They discover places and create new cities, they make art beyond beauty, they commune with gods and the ancestors, they ask new questions and have them answered.¡±

    The first mate laughed briefly. ¡°I discovered your lands. Could I be a hayinfal?¡±

    ¡°My lands were already discovered, by my people and the elves that live there. You do have a touch of it in you, however. You are not satisfied staying in one place. You must move, across the seas and to new places whereas I''m guessing many people from the place you grew up people never left.¡±

    ¡°That is true. So few of the people from my hometown have left, nor will they ever. Perhaps you''re right, then, about my wanderlust meaning I''m a hayanfal. I feel antsy when the wind doesn''t blow. I don''t want to die out here, of thirst or hunger on the seas. If I must die, I want it to be in a storm or in a battle with pirates.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t the men move the ship?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You mean why don''t we row? The Gueylard is too small to keep oars or a rowing crew. We are at the wind''s mercy, becalmed until Kabidon and Queyella decide to work together and bless our ship with full sails.¡±

    It was in that moment that Telbarisk realized something profound. For that week and a half, he had thought the ship''s momentum had been withheld for some reason. Maybe they were waiting for something, or perhaps the captain was teaching his men a lesson. When the first mate spoke of his gods and the position they were in, Telbarisk understood that there was no plan, no punishment, no control. They were at the mercy of the elements.

    Telbarisk thanked Jorm¨¦ for his time when he made to leave. Left alone, he thought about his realization and discovered that he alone was able to help their situation. With all the jobs they had tried to get him to perform, it was the one they hadn''t offered him that he could help them the best with. He laid back on the forecastle, starting up at the fading light above him, and began.

 Chapter 33

    The ship took flight the next morning. Spirits were lifted when the afternoon passed and they still maintained incredible speed. ¡°Queyella blesses us, chaps!¡± the captain said. His voice boomed out instructions with laughter in between. He needn''t bother; the first mate was in charge of orders and he kept the men busy.

    When he found a break, Jorm¨¦ joined Telbarisk on the forecastle deck. ¡°You''ve been here all day,¡± he said, hauling a few nets with him. The men had used them to fish when the boat had been still. ¡°Would you like something to pass the time?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Tel answered. ¡°I would like to be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Help me unravel these,¡± he said. ¡°Eight knots, can you believe it? I''ve never seen a ship travel so fast. I had to check the chip line three times to make sure.¡±

    ¡°It is what you wanted, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course! Every sailor wants a fast journey across the seas.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, then. I didn''t know. My people, we don''t have ships. Boats, yes, for fishing and travel, but nothing that could hold more than a dozen men. I thought that there was a reason why the ship wasn''t moving.¡±

    The first mate''s face changed to disbelief as he studied Telbarisk. ¡°It''s you, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°You said you needed full sails and an eager sea backing your course.¡±

    He sat down next to him, working the nets as if to show Tel how to untangle them. He spoke lowly. ¡°Have you told anyone you''re doing this?¡±

    ¡°I don''t speak to anyone but you. The men are not kind and the captain is a busy man.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ thought about this, tilting his head to the side. ¡°I think that''s true. Do you mind if I ask how you are doing it?¡±

    ¡°I am a kiluid,¡± Tel said, as if that explained things.

    ¡°I don''t know that word. What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°There is no translation. I farm.¡±

    The first mate grinned. ¡°I could tell by your crops you were a farmer.¡±

    ¡°Not a farmer, as you use the word. I farm,¡± he said, reaching out with his long arms and scooping air to him, ¡°and I can shape things.¡±

    ¡°So, you gather the wind?¡±

    The grivven shook his head. ¡°I gather kil and shape the wind.¡±

    ¡°Kil...is it magic?¡±

    ¡°The magic I know of your world is inside men. The wizards use magic to make themselves stronger or heal people. This is not the same as kil. Kil is everywhere, gathering like lichen and moss in a forest, like mist in the mountains. Some of my people, maybe one from each of the larger villages, have this ability. They are called kiluids and they gather kil to shape things. They can fix damage to forests, grow crops quickly, make houses, and bring rains in dry times.¡±

    ¡°Ahh,¡± Jorm¨¦ said, his eyes closing as he nodded. ¡°This is why you weren''t worried about food on your island. You could farm your kil and grow your fruits and vegetables quickly.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tel answered.

    ¡°You didn''t tell me about this when we met. I think that was a wise decision, Telbarisk. I would advise you tell no one else,¡± he said, putting his hand on the grivven''s shoulder. ¡°I promise you no harm, but I can''t guarantee anyone else on this ship wouldn''t use you for their own gains. Including the captain.¡±

    ¡°Why is this?¡± Telbarisk asked. ¡°I don''t understand.¡± If rolls were reversed and Jorm¨¦ had been the stranger on Ervaskin with magical congress, the grivven would honor him with an exalted status, like a kiluid. If he chose to stay, he would be made a leader of a village, like Tel had been. Why any people would choose to treat a man with such talent poorly was unfathomable to the grivven. The only reason he had been quiet was because he understood the men did not like him, not because he was afraid of abuse over the matter.

    ¡°It is a difficult thing to explain, my friend. I have seen how some of the men of this ship are. They cheat at cards. They trip men and laugh about it with their friends. They steal food when people aren''t looking. They get drunk and fight. I haven''t said anything because they still do their jobs. That''s all I care about. But, I think that, if given the means, they could do some serious damage. Atchell especially, and all his cronies.

    ¡°It is your choice if you want to make friends with them. I fear they will only cause you pain, Telbarisk.¡±

    He still didn''t understand, but he could learn. Jorm¨¦ had thus far shown himself to be caring and trustworthy. Kouriya had brought the two men together. ¡°I trust you, Jorm¨¦. I will do as you say.¡±

    He smiled and seemed relieved. ¡°What do you need to perform best? Privacy? I can keep the men away from you. You can stay in my cabin if you wish.¡±

    ¡°Food?¡± he asked. ¡°I hate to ask, since I''ve done so little, but I''m still hungry after the hardtack.¡±

    The first mate''s smile dropped. ¡°Hardtack? Telbarisk, what have you eaten since you''ve come aboard?¡±

    ¡°The men said I needed to earn my rations. I''ve only eaten the hardtack and some pickled radishes.¡±

    He could see this was the wrong thing to say. Jorm¨¦ clenched his jaw and his mouth tightened. ¡°This is what I mean by the men behaving poorly. You are a member of the crew. Whether or not you''ve been working is irrelevant; you need certain rations in order to survive. I''m going to go get a lot of food for you, Telbarisk. I''m so sorry I didn''t see they were doing this before now. I should have. If the men treat you badly again, I want you to speak to me.¡±

    ¡°They mostly ignore me. I would love my silver tie back, too. It means a great deal to me.¡±

    By that point the first mate was breathing heavily and slowly. ¡°Do you know who took it?¡±

    ¡°It was Atchell. He was...very persuasive.¡±

    ¡°How was he persuasive?¡±

    ¡°He, um, held a knife to my side. He gave me a choice of giving him the tie or getting stabbed.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you fight him?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t want to hurt him.¡±

    The first mate looked up at the sails. ¡°Yes, I think I can see why that was a tough position for you. I''ll be back shortly.¡±

    It wasn''t long before the first mate returned with armfuls of food and Tel''s silver chain wrapped around his arm. ¡°It''s how he got you onto the boat, wasn''t it? He had a knife to your back?¡± he asked. When Telbarisk nodded, he said, ¡°I''ve threatened him with keel-hauling if he so much as gives you a crooked look and I reminded him how fast the ship was going.

    ¡°I didn''t see any limes amongst your plants, so I assume you don''t know what they are. I want you to eat one today and one tomorrow. They are very sour, so it''s like taking medicine. Do you eat fish?¡±

    ¡°Fish? Yes, a little.¡±

    ¡°The men caught some yesterday and salted most of it. This one is still fresh and doesn''t smell, so I think you''re good. Eat your fill and I''ll sit and watch to make sure no one hassles you.¡±

    Telbarisk took off his oversized shawl and gathered the food on it, so the pieces wouldn''t roll as the ship swayed. He ate as much as he could, starting with the fish and the food that would bruise easily. He also ate the lime, his face puckering as he teethed the pulp and let the juices fill his mouth.

    ¡°I know you like open spaces, but I want you to spend some time in my quarters,¡± the first mate said. ¡°You''re face is burning from too much sun exposure. I can have you copy texts if you''re looking for something to do.¡±

    ¡°I think I like sleeping under the stars, but will it be okay staying in a forbidden place?¡±

    Jorm¨¦ made a disgusted sound in his throat. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead patted Telbarisk on the shoulder and left.

 Chapter 34

    Telbarisk slept on the forecastle that night, the breeze cooling him into comfort. He awoke often, watching the stars in the sky move slowly away from his gaze.

    He noted that when he awoke, the ship¡¯s sails weren¡¯t as bellied as they needed to be. He pulled the kil in from the ocean until filled them, imagining the sky as water pouring sideways into large water skins.

    He joined the men in the mess for breakfast, or more like he happened to be near them when he got his rations. There were two wooden tables with wooden boxes as seats, all affixed to the floor. Any seats were taken, though he hadn¡¯t expected anyone to save him one. In fact, he hoped to get his food and leave as quickly as possible.

    It appeared at first that the men eating were content to ignore Telbarisk as he got his ration of oatmeal, watered beer, and peas. They were eating silently, though a few were in quiet conversations. At one table, Atchell said something that caused the men to laugh. He looked up and caught Tel¡¯s eye, the broad grin dropping quickly.

    ¡°Hey, men. What if I decided I didn¡¯t want to work?¡± Atchell asked loudly from his seat, sitting back so he was leaning against . ¡°Would I still get to eat and lounge around like the straw man does?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± one man at his table responded. ¡°You¡¯d be whipped by the first mate!¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should help our dear boss out by flaying the straw man for him,¡± Atchell said. He rose from his seat. ¡°A lash for every day he¡¯s been idle? Maybe two, because he takes up so much room?¡±

    The men at his table made sounds of agreement. Telbarisk went to leave without his beer when he was blocked in the doorway by a man, who moved out of the way quickly. ¡°Why, I think he¡¯s your responsibility, Atchell,¡± he said, walking to take a seat made by the men at the other table. ¡°You¡¯re the one that forced the straw man aboard.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Brickerd, you¡¯re just mad I beat you at poker last night.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I am, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were the one that brought a useless man to join our crew when you didn¡¯t know what he could do,¡± he said, chewing on his boiled pork. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like that time you caught that huge spiny lobster and made everyone haul it up. Totally inedible and wound up snipping a few of the crew up.¡±

    Telbarisk had no idea what the situation meant, but he did know it would be wise to leave and find Jorm¨¦. He was in his cabin, as he usually was first thing in the morning.

    ¡°Telbarisk! Join me. Why aren¡¯t you eating in the mess? Not that I mind you here.¡±

    Tel sat in the first mate¡¯s low bed and put his meal aside while he recounted the events. While Jorm¨¦ listened, he shaved his beard in a small mirror he had hanging from a string around a nail. His cabin on the Gueylard was larger than most ships¡¯, due to the fact that the officers would meet in Jorm¨¦¡¯s room for navigational briefings. It was still a cramped experience, Telbarisk was much more comfortable here than he had been belowdeck.

    When Jorm¨¦ finished, he sighed and shook his head. ¡°This is very tricky, Telbarisk. It¡¯s good that Atchell has enemies, but he¡¯s still trying to rile the crew up. The captain is content with his behavior, and they seem to have an understanding. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll mutiny, but there are other things he can do to make things difficult for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jorm¨¦. I¡¯ve caused this.¡±

    ¡°Brickerd was right; Atchell forced you aboard. It¡¯s not your fault. I think most of the crew actually believes that, too, or else we would have seen some ugly things by now.¡± He looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°I think it might be best if you stay in my cabin as much as possible and only venture out at night to sleep on the deck. I¡¯ll get your meals for you.¡±

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s best,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°The men may not know what you¡¯re doing for them, but I do. What can I do for you while you¡¯re here? Are you fond of strong drink or tobacco? Do you like to gamble?¡±

    ¡°I do not like the taste of the beer and I don¡¯t know what the other two are.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ smiled. ¡°I thought not. You don¡¯t seem the type to waste money on excesses. Me, I have my one vice.¡± He opened the window before lighting his pipe.

    ¡°How is this a vice?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s considered rude by certain people and in certain company. I can understand; no one enjoys having smoke blown in their face.¡± He exhaled out the side of his mouth, towards the window. ¡°I¡¯m also not supposed to be spending money on frivolous things. I should be saving all my money to buy a business back home and start a family. I enjoy this one thing because it puts me in the right mood to think or read.¡± He paused to muse for a moment. ¡°How about books? I can lend you some of mine if you¡¯d like.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I can only read in Grivfia and not enough in Ghenian to understand things.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a thought! I could teach you to read Ghenian. Or Aroukean, though I think Ghenian might help you more, since we¡¯re headed there.¡± He cleared his desk, putting all his equipment and maps into drawers and pulling out a leather-bound notebook. ¡°I have my duties shortly, but I can check in while you¡¯re in here and see your progress.¡±

    ¡°I would like this. Could we start with the letters? It has been a few years and I feel I might not remember them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll start there.¡± He wrote the twenty-seven letters down on one side of the page and turned the book back towards Telbarisk. ¡°Any of these look familiar?¡±

    He pointed to all but thirteen and was able to sound out the correct sound. Jorm¨¦ went over the remaining letters and had him write pages of them, to hear their sound while practicing their shape. ¡°I have to go check on things, to make sure the men are doing their jobs and not plotting to throw me overboard, and do calculations on our speed. It¡¯s kind of just a show at this point, since I know how fast we¡¯re going and where we¡¯re going, but I don¡¯t want the men to get lazy. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Telbarisk had finished his work by the time Jorm¨¦ returned. ¡°A thought occurred to me while I was on my rounds. How is it that you speak Ghenian?¡±

    ¡°I was at Nourabrikot when a group of men arrived from Merak. They wore gray masks, always, and spoke to the king many times. Some of the masked men were bored and decided to teach me and some other of my people Ghenian while the meetings went on without them. We learned much from each other.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you know what a trirec is, Telbarisk?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One of the men, a little taller than the rest, befriended me and spoke much more frankly than the others. He told me he killed men, stole things, or spied for money. I told him he wouldn¡¯t find much work in Ervaskin. He laughed and said there was always work for a trirec, but maybe I was right. I think I was, because they left over five years ago and they haven¡¯t been back.¡±

    ¡°So, Ervaskin has been visited by foreigners. And here I thought you were totally isolated.¡±

    ¡°The king of the Valley of the Cold Winds, Ashiafraubiner in our tongue, has been interested in meeting with foreigners. There has been delegates from your Arouk and Gheny and a missionary group from Noh Amair since he took the crown on his thirty-fifth birthday. About nine years now.¡±

    ¡°And how do you feel about this new development?

    ¡°All I¡¯ve ever wanted was to help my people. I led because they told me I would help that way. I gathered kil and used it because they told me I would help that way. The hardest thing that¡¯s happened to me in my whole life was being ripped from my people and told I was no longer helpful. I still want to help them, but I don¡¯t know how I can if I¡¯m not with them. I feel like a parent must feel when their child grows up and moves away. They can no longer help what they love the most. ¡±

    ¡°That is a tough lot, my friend.¡±

    ¡°I still believe in kouriya, though. I will be shown the way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what is this ¡®kouriya¡¯ you¡¯ve spoken of?¡± Jorm¨¦ asked while he got comfortable behind his desk.

    ¡°It is very difficult to explain. Maybe ¡®faith¡¯ would be a good definition. Faith that when you fall, someone will catch you, or when you hunger, someone will show up with food.¡±

    ¡°Do all grivvens follow kouriya?¡±

    ¡°Not all, and perhaps not as strongly as me, but some do. It hasn¡¯t let me down before, my friend. Time and time again I wished to speak out or say ¡®no¡¯, but I didn¡¯t. I listened and hoped that what I heard was true. And time and time again, it hasn¡¯t failed me.¡±

    ¡°You follow a unusual faith, Tel. I don¡¯t understand how your immediate pain doesn¡¯t stop you from acting in your best interests.¡±

    ¡°My immediate pain,¡± he said, ¡°is nothing in the long term. I have to see myself as the sapling growing in the harsh lands, knowing one day a forest will grow around me and I will be happy.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ thought on this for a moment. ¡°You do realize that it¡¯s only Ervaskins that believe this? No one will give you charity if you need it. It¡¯s not how the world works. I don¡¯t mean to be so bleak, but I want to warn you that you might need to adjust your outlook in order to survive, my friend.¡±

    ¡° I can tell from the men on this ship that they do not give and receive freely. It¡¯s not an expectation of goodwill and cooperation. It¡¯s an understanding that you are being nudged along in life. I could have fought the men and hurt them. I understood that, while I didn¡¯t want to come on the ship, it was what needed to happen.¡±

    ¡°You know what¡¯s best for you, Telbarisk. I would hate to hear you¡¯ve been wronged because you are so easily persuaded.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Kouriya worked for me when it brought you in my path. I am still alive. I have food and shelter and someone to talk to. It works again.¡±

    Whatever brewed beneath the surface on the ship ceased to play out in the remaining time of the trip. For three weeks, Telbarisk worked with Jorm¨¦ to learn Ghenian. They ate their meals together and he protected Tel from the other men.

    They spoke about many things, mostly their homelands. Jorm¨¦ told his tale of working his way up the ladder from cabin boy to first mate. Telbarisk, in turn, spoke of Ervaskin, of his life of duty, and his hopes when he returned to his home in ten years.

    They arrived in Hanala with no crew member being the wiser to Tel¡¯s abilities. They assumed that they took Telbarisk on as a poor investment and didn¡¯t bother trying to sell him as a slave. Perhaps Tel¡¯s performance even stopped people from venturing to Ervaskin to take grivvens for free labor. Only Jorm¨¦ knew Telbarisk had worked the hardest of anyone aboard.

 Chapter 35

    The clerk cleared his throat. ¡°I meant I needed the name of the ship you were on.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Telbarisk said, ¡°I apologize. I thought you meant you were interested in kouriya. The ship was called the Gueylard.¡±

    The clerk scratched the name down. ¡°And how long do you plan on staying in Gheny?¡±

    ¡°I am unsure.¡±

    ¡°Un¡­de¡­ter¡­mined,¡± he said while he wrote it down. ¡°I would think of an answer to that, and quickly. If any official stops you and wants to see your papers, they will want to know what your plans are. And if you don¡¯t have a plan, they will keep tabs on you. They may even bar you from entering the town or city. No one likes a rogue with no ambition walking about their places, possibly getting into mischief.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on getting into mischief,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°No, maybe not. But, they don¡¯t know that.¡± The man stood and walked to the counter. He filled out a few lines on a prepared document, stamped it, and signed at the bottom. ¡°Here you are. Welcome to Hanala, Mr. Nourabrikot. If I may make a suggestion, the hotel across the street would be a good place for you to stay. My brother owns it.¡±

    Telbarisk nodded and accepted the piece of paper the man handed to him. Unsure of what to do with it, he crumpled it tightly and was about to put it in his pocket when the man grabbed his wrist. He retrieved the letter, smoothed it out, and folded it neatly before handing it back to the grivven. ¡°You must keep this on your person at all times. Don¡¯t get it wet, don¡¯t tear it, and for Cyurinin¡¯s sake, don¡¯t lose it.¡±

    He thanked the man before leaving the office and walking back towards the wharf. The sea breeze was cooling and the temperature very warm, even in the shade provided by the buildings. He had a thought that perhaps Jorm¨¦ was lingering about and that he could talk with him. Maybe he could show Telbarisk the city, find him a place to stay. Or perhaps a job so that the people would feel he was valuable.

    He sighed and shook his head. This was not following kouriya. This was letting fear and nostalgia guide his actions. Jorm¨¦ had entered his life, had played his part, and had left. That was as it should be. He might see him one day, but that was not going to be now. He had to learn how to navigate these lands on his own.

    He still paused to look out at the ocean and wonder how his family and friends were doing.

    Telbarisk turned around and began to walk west, keeping close to the buildings like the people did. The smell of cooking food picked up his spirits. He was drawn by the aroma until he reached a market, full of people and carts and stalls and strange food. Here, again, he was bombarded by the frenzy of people. They yelled things, they argued, they bickered over prices.

    It was nothing like a market in Nourabrikot. Tel wouldn¡¯t say that people didn¡¯t get passionate about bartering, but they never got angry with each other. A market was a place to reestablish relationships. Tel doubted anyone knew each other here.

    It made him feel a little better. People were still giving him funny looks or reacting oddly to his existence. He¡¯d smile politely, nodding his head, yet they still averted their eyes quickly. Children seemed to like him well enough, but they were either accompanied by parents that quickly shuffled them away or were in a group that wanted to play with him. He¡¯d kindly answer their questions, as mean as some of them were, until a vendor would shoo them away.

    After speaking to a few wary merchants, he discovered that many Ghenians ate flesh regularly. On Ervaskin, killing a sheep or cow was like poisoning a well or salting a field. They provided much more in life than they did in death. It was one feast versus the buckets of milk or the yards of cloth that could be attained. Perhaps, here in Gheny, they were so wealthy that it wasn¡¯t a dilemma for them.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to try any of the sticks of charred meat the vendors offered him. If a treasured animal grew old, they would kill and feast on the meat then, but even still Tel would pass on the flesh.

    A man was selling spiced, grilled vegetables with wedges of soft cheese on a bed of rice in a large leaf. That was appealing. He bought this for seven of the brown discs and found a nearby park to sit and eat his dinner.

    There were a few curious people who got over their initial confusion and fear to ask him a few questions. One couple consisting of a woman in a full length dress with half-sleeves and a man in a suit with a round hat spoke loudly about their interest in asking him questions. ¡°Ask him why he¡¯s so tall,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°You can ask yourself,¡± her husband replied with a little annoyance.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± the man finally said. Telbarisk looked up at him from his seat in front of a tree. ¡°Sir, might I ask why you are so tall?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Telbarisk didn¡¯t respond for a few moments. How did you answer a question like that? ¡°Dear, I don¡¯t think he speaks Ghenian,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°I am a grivven,¡± he said, startling the man who had turned to look at his wife, ¡°and we are all tall.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, ¡°are there many of you?¡±

    Again, Telbarisk was puzzled. What was many? He looked around the market. ¡°A village would have as many people as I¡¯ve seen here in the last half hour. There are many villages in the Valley of the Cold Winds, maybe fifty or so. And there are four valleys on Ervaskin.¡±

    ¡°I meant here, in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. I think I am the only one.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± his wife said. ¡°Starol, we¡¯ve seen something rare. We must tell the Maskins at our next soire!¡± They left just as quickly, sauntering through the market. Telbarisk was left wondering if that was a good or bad exchange.

    After dinner, he tried to right his mind and listen to kouriya. Since he had no need for anything, he moved through the neighborhoods with no care. He didn¡¯t have enough understanding to know the difference between a district with affluence or lowpence. Someone picked his pocket when he was walking through New Elebtor and he didn¡¯t realize his misfortune until he was at the nicer docks in Quickheel.

    There was a slight sense of loss that he had felt every time he had paid for something. Those discs reminded Telbarisk of Jorm¨¦ and their friendship. He sighed while he watched the sunset, golds and oranges contrasting with the darkening blue sky. There was always some sense of loss with kouriya.

    The breeze off the ocean was wonderful. Tel decided he would sleep in the nearby park. The trees, beds of flowers, and bushes seemed orderly. He didn¡¯t understand the idea of landscaping, so he assumed magic was at play. He found a small area on the soft ground near some bushes to lie down. After weeks on a hard ship, it was blissful. He slept like a king.

    He awoke to a man in a sharp uniform of gunmetal and burgundy poking him with a baton. The sky was light but only gray, no blue, no sunrise. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t sleep here. Go to a shelter or I¡¯ll have to take you in.¡±

    The words didn¡¯t match his tone. Taking someone in was normal to grivvens, a courtesy almost expected. The man, however, didn¡¯t make it seem like it was an honor for either of them. Telbarisk apologized, stood, and left the park.

    Other than the man¡¯s suggestion, there was no shove towards an action that let Telbarisk know what he should do. The city held very little kil. It made him nervous. He wanted to leave, but wasn¡¯t sure where would be a good place to go. Should he wait a few days for Jorm¨¦ and sail again? Should he leave the city?

    The clerk had suggested north as a place for farmland. This was the closest thing to a direction, though it was weak. Tel shrugged to himself and started heading that way, walking through the dark neighborhoods in the gray light of morning.

    His stomach grumbled and a piece of fruit bounced off the cobblestones and rolled in front of him. He tried to return it to the nearest vendor, but he only waved him off, saying no one would buy it if it had been on the street. Breakfast, then, was a juicy apple.

    He walked along a street of grand, but unusual buildings. There was a hint of something familiar about one of them, a darkly wooded compound with a gate around it, but he couldn¡¯t place his finger on why. In fact, there was a warm chill that settled on the nape of his neck. It was the feeling as if one of his many sisters was being tricksy and sneaking up on him, hugging him from behind.

    Telbarisk left the city gates in the afternoon. It took ¡¯til the evening for him to finally come to a lightly forested area that had a healthy amount of kil. He felt the forest, the trees and brush, and listened. He found some nuts and fruits that he harvested and the extra he put in his bakinar, which was slung over his back. He slept in the woods, content and pleased with the accommodations.

    He dreamed he was back on the Gueylard, studying with Jorm¨¦. He was teaching Tel a complicated series of words and Telbarisk was feeling upset because he couldn¡¯t grasp their meaning. ¡°And how will you teach your people if you can¡¯t learn yourself?¡± the first mate said.

    Telbarisk awoke with some half-formed thought growing. The world was changing for the Grivven and Tel understood there was no stopping the change. They could only adapt and learn what everyone else had to offer them. They couldn¡¯t do that without information, without one of their own translating things for them. Someone like Telbarisk.

    He was stuck in exile, but that didn¡¯t mean he still couldn¡¯t serve his people. He could observe and compile information on humans, then report back at the end of ten years. He would see the world, watch its people, learn their tongue and their ways, and return to Ervaskin enriched and ready to teach.

    For the first time since he was exiled, he smiled at the world. He had a purpose in his punishment, a way to help his people for their future. He could be a diplomat, if that¡¯s what his family wanted, or in the least train other diplomats.

    His step was lighter. The air smelled sweeter. He picked apples from a tree in the morning and was yelled at by a farmer.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go stealin¡¯ food from other people¡¯s property!¡± the man yelled,

    Telbarisk had thought he was safe, since the apple in question had hung from a branch that was over the road. Still, he apologized.

    ¡°Where¡¯d ya even get that? It¡¯s ripe.¡±

    Telbarisk pointed to the tree. ¡°I can make another one ripe, if it will make us even.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, you make the whole tree ripe and I¡¯ll call it even. In fact, I¡¯ll pay you a gold coin if you can!¡±

    This was a much easier task outside of the city. The kil was more plentiful in the field and the trees. Tel gathered and moved it to the apple tree and the farmer let out a long ¡°ooo¡± sounds as the tree¡¯s unripe fruit grew and reddened.

    The farmer looked between the tree and Telbarisk several times. ¡°Son, I didn¡¯t think ya could do that. I don¡¯t have a gold. Is there somethin¡¯ else I could give ya? Why don¡¯t ya come in fer lunch?¡±

    ¡°That would be kind.¡±

    In the end, the farmer got several trees ripened early and Tel received a knapsack full of produce and the man¡¯s silence on the matter. He left and continued on the road until he entered the small town of Wiyok.

    He smiled congenially at the townspeople who stopped to stare at him. He wondered what kind of work he could find here when he heard a commotion up ahead. A very large crowd of people were in the square.

    ¡°Tall man!¡± someone yelled, pointing a Telbarisk. ¡°See, like I told ya! He¡¯s the one that killed Layrock! I saw him!¡±

    Hands grabbed Telbarisk before he could say anything and hauled him to the center of the crowd.

 Chapter 36

    Having spent so much time in Hanala, and never venturing beyond its boundaries, Anladet was surprised at how quickly the city turned to farmland. She and Al had walked north for a day and slept in the forest. Though they had grown used to camping, it was quite a jarring experience to sleep on soft, feather-down mattresses and eat rich foods to return to the hard experience of bedrolls and jerky.

    They had been quite guarded with what they shared with the Duke and his family. She had appreciated their hospitality, but had worn against the feeling that they were an queer oddity. Al had reveled in it, embellishing their tales with splashes of drama and hyperbole when appropriate He had given Lady Silfa quite a bit of credit with their survival, to which her father couldn¡¯t have been prouder. Anla had agreed politely and succinctly when asked to back Al up with his tales.

    Things had been copacetic between them when they left; Al could stop worrying about money, at least for some time, and they managed to pull of an amazing rescue. But Anla could tell he was still a little miffed about certain events. She didn¡¯t regret it, but she did feel some sort of detached remorse, like when a tragedy occurs to a friend and you apologize, even though you weren¡¯t responsible. She felt badly that he had learned a hard lesson, but she wouldn¡¯t repent.

    She let him lead, hoping that it would help. Perhaps it did, because they had sat in front of the fire and he asked her, ¡°How does it work exactly? Do you still hear them speak or do you just sense where they were?¡±

    His tone had been neutral. There was no underlying spite, but he also didn¡¯t smile like he normally did. She chose her words carefully, hoping not to upset him. ¡°Somewhere in between. It¡¯s more like I hear them speaking, but not words. It¡¯s more of a feeling than a hearing.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, poking the fire. ¡°How were you able to locate the lady so well, but not your siblings?¡±

    ¡°In that way, it¡¯s like a scent. The fresher the noise, the sharper it is. I think also it clings to objects, echoing them. They traveled with her through the woods where I heard things more loudly. My siblings were missing before I came into my magic and long after I realized what I could do.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m glad you pushed me to leave Hanala. My sister¡¯s voice sounds louder to me, now that we¡¯re moving north. I think I was always torn between going north or south, where I believe my brother is.¡±

    She was a little disappointed when he had nodded and changed the subject. Anla had wanted to talk more about her siblings and only hoped there was some room for change in his attitude.

    They had hitched a ride on the back of horse-driven cart returning to Wiyok from the owner¡¯s delivery in Hanala. He was a pleasant man who refused to take any coin from them. ¡°I had a great run,¡± he said, turning around and fanning his arm into his empty cart. ¡°I sold everything!¡±

    To the man, and later at the inn in Wiyok, they became Mr. and Mrs. Choudril and shared a room. Since they had already shared a tent and felt no awkwardness sleeping next to each other, it felt only frugal not to split up that night. Al had joked about them saving such a small percentage of their total earnings, but remarked that it might add up over the year. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t spend what we have just because we have it.¡±

    Anla would disagree somewhat. She was in a habit of counting every copper and spending it wisely. She also had hundreds of dreams of what she wanted to do with any money she happened to come into. Most were frivolous, and she knew that, but she had always wanted to taste some of the foods she saw people eating or wear some of the nicer ladies¡¯ clothes. She knew that, if it came to it, she would likely spend what they were saving on novelty fruits, like oranges from Genale. And she wouldn¡¯t care what look he gave her when the juices dripped down her chin.

    Their breakfast was stalled due to some issue. They waited and ate it before they continue to set out on the King¡¯s Road. The grand highway, only a few paces-wide dirt road through Wiyok, connected Hanala and the great city of New Wextif in the duchy of Courmet. Usually it was well guarded and free of issues. That morning, however, there was some commotion back in the center.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing we need to be worried about,¡± she said. ¡°A lot of repetition of phrases, meaning they¡¯re gathered for a cause of some sort. Their tone suggests they have achieved it. We might want to leave, though. Things can turn quickly for a mob.¡±

    ¡°And skip some entertainment? I¡¯d at least like to see what it¡¯s about.¡±

    The noise led them to a side street with houses and a few important businesses. It was wide and ended in a square that was filled with townsfolk. In fact, everyone in the town may have been there. Al began meandering through the crowd, trying to get the same view everyone else was trying to get. Anladet gave him a flat, yet amused stare, then hopped up on a cart placed near a bakery. Al took her arm and stood next to her.

    They had to crane their necks to see around the curve. Even still, things were far enough away that Al had to dig his nails into his forearm to tap into magic to see what was happening.

    A very tall man stood on a scaffold next to two men who appeared to be officials of some kind. Something seemed to be stalling the process. The men kept speaking to one another, shrugging, pointing up. Al almost laughed when he realized the men were too short to put the noose around the criminal¡¯s neck. And he would have, if the poor man wasn¡¯t going to lose his life that day.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°You¡¯re a smart fellow,¡± someone said to Al from the street. ¡°I can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on from down here.¡±

    Anladet gave Al a side glance, then went back to looking at the gallows. ¡°They¡¯re trying to hang the man, but they can¡¯t reach high enough to put the rope around his neck.¡±

    ¡°Grivven,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°What, really?¡± Al focused more on the details. Coarse hair, tattoos on his right cheekbone, several metal loops in his right ear, lanky build with long extremities, pronounced facial features, and, of course, the massive height. ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t matter what he is,¡± the man on the street says, ¡°he murdered Layrock, the mayor.¡±

    ¡°Really? He seems so calm. He doesn¡¯t look like he has any fight in him.¡±

    ¡°Must have bled out when he killed Layrock. Mebbe he only had one evil in him.¡±

    Al looked ahead at the grivven. His hands were tied behind his back and his feet weighted down. Still, he didn¡¯t seem nervous. He wasn¡¯t crying, he wasn¡¯t trying to escape, he wasn¡¯t shouting. In fact, he looked somewhat amused in a contemplative way. What would a guilty man feel? Would he go out peacefully, knowing he did it? Or would he pretend he was innocent and yell until he was hoarse?

    Never mind a man, what would a grivven do? Al recalled what little they presented in school, which were distilled from sailor¡¯s tales, which he took with a grain of salt. Usually reserved and peaceful, grivvens were friendly to the point of being docile, overly so. The report from the contingency group from Gheny noted that the grivvens they met were almost nonchalant at their arrival. The men had walked amongst their people with an acceptance that was immediate and systemic. No one had treated the delegates with fear or confusion or even wariness. They were no different to them than the large, domesticated rodents that walked the streets.

    Alpine didn¡¯t feel right about this. He tapped the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How did Layrock die?¡±

    The man winced in thought, fanning his head with his straw hat. ¡°Stabbed, I think.¡±

    ¡°Where exactly?¡±

    ¡°In his house. His body is still there, if you wanna look.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean where on his person¡­hmm,¡± Al said, pausing to think. ¡°Why is his body still in his house?¡±

    The man looked annoyed. ¡°Mebbe ¡¯cause he died this morning.¡±

    It took Alpine a moment to process the inference. ¡°So, the mayor¡¯s body was found this morning. When did the accused get to have his trial?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t get¡­¡± the man started, then realized why Al was asking those questions. It was too late to shut up about it. Al was already jumping down from the cart and shoving his way forward through the crowd.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he said, running up the stairs. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± By the time he reached the scaffold, one of the men was climbing a stepladder someone had brought them.

    ¡°Get down!¡± one of them shouted to Al over the noise of the crowd. ¡°You can¡¯t be up here!¡±

    ¡°Yes I can! Did this man receive a trial?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? Someone killed the mayor an¡¯ we have a witness who saw it happen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a trial!¡± Alpine said. By that point, the crowd was quieting down to hear what the new person on the gallows was saying. ¡°That¡¯s an accusation! This man is on Gheny soil and is afforded a fair trial if accused of a crime.¡±

    The crowd started to boo. They had wanted to see a hanging that day and Al was stalling the proceedings. Savages, he thought, forgetting that he had wanted the same ten minutes prior.

    Justice was blind and it was also bloodthirsty and ravenous.

    ¡°Listen to me!¡± he yelled at the crowd. ¡°If it was you standing up here, you would want the same! You wouldn¡¯t want to be executed without a fair trial!¡±

    The crowd was getting rowdier, angrier. They started throwing things onto the gallows, looking Al in the eyes and yelling so loudly spittle was flying. He eyed Anladet quickly. She shook her head, then put her hands together as if she were praying.

    ¡°Uvarna!¡± he yelled. He saw the effect immediately. Maybe a third of the crowd that had been yelling stopped, put down their hands, and waited to hear what he said. ¡°You may not want to give this man a fair trial, but Uvarna demands it for all men! There¡¯s no telling if She will let this infraction go or if She¡¯ll punish your town. I say it¡¯s safer, and fairer, to give this man what our goddess of law wants.¡±

    Al looked over at the two men sharing the platform with him. One was angry, but seemingly impotent in his rage. The other seemed more exasperated, removing his wide-brimmed hat and wiping his forehead with a kerchief. Al looked back at Anladet, who was smiling.

    ¡°And I suppose you¡¯re a lawyer, with your fancy words and know-how,¡± a voice from the crowd said.

    Al hadn¡¯t thought far enough ahead. He had intended on stepping away when the trial began, maybe watching it or maybe not. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him that the poor grivven was going to need a lawyer. And since no one had stepped forward before, either they weren¡¯t here or they wouldn¡¯t now that the crowd was upset.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he said after a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll take his case.¡±

    At this many members of the crowd groaned and began walking away.

    ¡°Just you?¡± asked the man in the hat.

    ¡°No, I have my¡­wife,¡± he said. It was easier to continue the lie. ¡°She¡¯s near the corner there and¡­¡± Anladet was furiously shaking her head.

    ¡°Bring the little lady up, then. We¡¯ll put you all in the wagon and bring you to Carvek.¡±

    ¡°What? We¡¯re not going to Hanala?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the man responded, smiling at Al¡¯s reaction. ¡°Why, you know folk in Hanala?¡±

    ¡°I just assumed that you were under the city¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±

    ¡°Naw, the city takes care of the city. We¡¯re not the city. We¡¯re under the county of Carvek.¡±

    Alpine made his way down the stairs to the wagon people were hauling from some back street. It was too bad. In the worst case scenario, Al could have used his favor from the Duke to free the grivven.

    The wagon was hitched up to two horses. It was a wooden box with metal bars across the side and door windows.

    ¡°What kind of people have a wagon like this ready and available?¡± he asked Anladet when she reached him.

    ¡°The same kind of people who have a permanent gallows?¡± she answered.

    The grivven was put in first. He had some difficulty managing to get up the short staircase while his wrists were tied behind his back. ¡°Could we release my client from his bonds? We can re-shackle him later, when we leave the wagon.¡±

    The angry man from the gallows glared at him, but pulled out a knife from his belt and cut through the rope. The grivven nodded his thanks to the man before entering the wagon.

    Alpine hopped up first, to help Anladet up. They sat on the two benches while the grivven sat on the floor in the front. ¡°Away we go,¡± he muttered as the door was shut and barred with a chain.

 Chapter 37

    The wagon was stifling and dark, the only light coming from the bars in the back. The bench was hard and the floor was covered in pieces of hay with a slight smell of vomit. When the wagon started moving, it jostled back and forth, banging into Telbarisk¡¯s behind when the wheels drove into divots in the road. He had difficulty breathing the thick air and he would be sore after the ride, but he was happy.

    He understood that the people in the town hated him for some reason, but he didn¡¯t know why. And now he had two people in front of him that could answer that, and other questions. There was a chance he could live and serve his people.

    Still, Jorm¨¦ had told him to be careful and not tell people about his history and his powers. Jorm¨¦ actually didn¡¯t know how much Telbarisk hadn¡¯t told him as well, being equally as careful with him as his friend had suggested. When should he tell people more about himself? What was okay to speak about and what wasn¡¯t?

    He wiped the sweat off his face and removed his bakinar as he thought about these things. Kouriya would show him the way.

    ¡°What was the issue with you not coming with me?¡± Al asked Anladet. ¡°You didn¡¯t seem like you wanted me to point you out to the men on the scaffold.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping to follow the wagon and spring you two out if there was an opportunity.¡± She lifted the flap over the window. ¡°I wasn¡¯t counting on this many people following us to the courthouse.¡±

    Dozens of people were following the wagon on either side, booing and proving they were hostile in many ways. ¡°You don¡¯t have that much faith in me, do you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I do, Al. I just understand how these things work out. Look at them. Do you think this is going to be a fair trial? You¡¯re going to have to prove, completely and without doubt, that he didn¡¯t do it. You have my support, but not my hope.¡±

    ¡°I know. I still want to try.¡±

    Al sighed and turned to speak to his ¡°client¡±. While he had a savage look to him, Al didn¡¯t think he was close to that at all. He seemed very docile, complacent and meek, just as he had heard grivvens were.

    To Telbarisk, Al looked disheveled, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep. His thick, dark hair stuck up at odd angles and his expression seemed to start with surprise before it sank into calm. He seemed mousy and unassuming, underfed but possibly strong when he needed to be. It was hard for him to pin his feelings on the man, knowing so little about Ghenians, but he liked him thus far.

    Anladet, however, brought him some ease. She had a gentleness to her that reminded him of the elves back home, an ability to move with a grace that he hadn¡¯t seen since he arrived in Gheny. And then he peered closer and blinked in surprise. ¡°Dawb-ka dan Br¨¦ed?¡±

    Anladet was so startled she placed her hand on the bench she was sitting on to support herself. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. ¡°Aw, I maw Br¨¦ed, kehe ¨©meweh wap baw lem kilik.¡±

    They exchanged a few more sentences with Alpine looking back and forth between the two of them. ¡°He¡¯s speaking elvish,¡± Anla told him. ¡°His dialect is different from the one I grew up with, but I can understand him. I can translate for you.¡±

    ¡°We should probably start out with introductions. What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk of Nourabrikot,¡± he responded. ¡°It¡¯s in the Valley of the Cold Winds, called Ashiafraubiner in Grivfia, on the island of Ervaskin.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Can you ask him if¡­oh,¡± he said, turning to look at the grivven. ¡°That was you. You speak Ghenian? How come you didn¡¯t speak it earlier?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always a good idea to keep relations good between yourself and an elf,¡± he said.

    Anla laughed lightly at that. ¡°You are a wise person, Telbarisk. What is a grivven doing here in Gheny? My father always said that grivvens lived in Ervaskin and they never left.¡±

    ¡°This is true. I may be the first grivven to arrive in Gheny. I was picked up by a ship from Arouk that arrived a few days ago in Hanala. May I ask what you are doing off of Ervaskin?¡±

    Anla blinked at this. ¡°i was born here. Well, not in Sharka but in Ashven, northwest of here.¡±

    ¡°Elves live in Gheny? I thought they were only on Ervaskin.¡±

    ¡°No, there are quite a few actually.¡± She spoke of what her home had been like and explained a little of the issues involving human-elf relations, making sure to be neutral in front of Al.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± Al said, ¡°but I do need to speak with Telbarisk about the trial. Could you, uh¡­¡± He made a circling motion with his finger to indicate he wanted privacy.

    Anla closed her eyes and nodded when it was all set. The sound in the wagon was echoed, like they were under an overturned boat. Al turned to face the grivven. ¡°Tel- may I call you Tel? Did you do it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I did,¡± Telbarisk admitted.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been accused of killing the mayor of the town. Did you? Anladet and I promise not to tell anyone if you did. I give my word that I¡¯ll protect your confidentiality.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do this thing. I walked into the town for the first time this morning. I only arrived in Gheny two days ago.¡±

    Al smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. You went to the inspection station and filled out the paperwork?¡± When Tel nodded, Alpine continued. ¡°I¡¯ll have to figure out when they think the mayor was killed or at least when his body was found. If it was before yesterday, then I can get someone to retrieve the paperwork or at least get an affidavit of an alibi from the clerk.¡±

    ¡°Why did they say I killed this man if it¡¯s not true?¡±

    ¡°I suspect they needed to pin it on someone and a stranger was easier than someone in the town. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.¡± Alpine sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to do any more work until I hear the details of the case.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me what is happening?¡±

    Alpine looked at the grivven and realized that, while he was a physically imposing man, he was naive to the point of being almost child-like. ¡°The crowd back there was going to kill you for killing another man. They formed a lynch mob, which is illegal, and I stopped them by stating you had the right to a trial. That¡¯s where we¡¯re going now. It is my job, as your lawyer, to prove you¡¯re innocent or else they can kill you legally.¡±

    Tel blinked a few times. ¡°In Gheny, if a man kills another man, he is killed in turn?¡±

    ¡°Depending on the circumstances, yes. Why, what do grivvens do?¡±

    ¡°It is rare that one of my people would kill. If they do, they are exiled, depending on the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re stuck in here for a few more miles, tell us about yourself.¡±

    Telbarisk began with the island, only admitting an ache and shame when it came to events prior. He spoke of the men of the Gueyland, arriving in Hanala, and walking north to the town. They were just broad strokes to fill them in a little. He still heeded Jorm¨¦¡¯s warning and said nothing about his role in the ship arriving in Gheny, nor his past, nor anything else he could do.

    ¡°I think I understand how you got yourself into this situation,¡± Alpine said. ¡°What is ¡®kouriya¡¯?¡±

    Telbarisk struggled for a few moments before turning to Anladet and speaking elvish. She listened, then spent a few moments gathering her thoughts when he was done. ¡°It¡¯s a concept that doesn¡¯t translate well into Ghenian and is complicated. Grivvens believe that there is a pull each man will feel towards his destiny. I suppose, metaphorically, you could say something like ¡®a grivven following kouriya is like a swimmer being pulled by the tide¡¯ or ¡®going where the wind blows¡¯.¡±

    Telbarisk¡¯s face broke out into a grin. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to figure out how to say it. I think that explains it well enough.¡±

    ¡°So, you followed the kouriya and it brought you to Gheny, being accused of murder. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but maybe kouriya isn¡¯t leading you to where you need to go.¡±

    Anladet¡¯s eyes flashed angrily at Alpine¡¯s rudeness, but Telbarisk smiled. ¡°You are wrong. It didn¡¯t lead me to the trial. It led me to you two. And I have a strong feeling that my journey won¡¯t end today. This is kouriya. This is what I believe.¡±

 Chapter 38

    While Telbarisk and Anla had held pleasant conversations in Elvish, Al had been thinking about the case. He was pleased to say that the grivven was innocent. It seemed unfathomable that someone so foreign to these lands would waltz into a small town, murder a man, and have the cunning to sneak around to the opposite entrance to walk through. In fact, someone who did the last wouldn¡¯t be cunning at all. Telbarisk could have run north and be well away from Wiyok before a posse could gather. He seemed too smart to do such a thing.

    His whole demeanor told Al he was innocent, too. Al knew that he couldn¡¯t use a gut feeling or anecdotes in court- there was a liar somewhere in this circus- but it went a long way to making him feel like he was doing the right thing. Why would a man feign innocence on a murder, but admit to another with shame?

    Finally, after a few hours, the wagon stopped, the chains removed, and the doors flung open. Al winced at the bright light and held an arm up to shield his eyes. He clomped down the stairs and lent an arm to Anla as he looked around.

    They were in the small city of Carvek and in front of a wide building with the sign of Uvarna: a feather encircled with a chain done in grays and reds. Alpine noted that there were no gallows on the premises, or else there would be a set of fangs on either side of the signet. At least if he failed they had a sporting chance to rescue Telbarisk from the jail before he was executed.

    The street was filled with people. Around the wagon was a small crowd of people, including the two magistrates who had tried to hang Telbarisk earlier. Most looked wary from the travel. Those that met his eyes frowned or looked away after narrowing their eyes. He told himself that he wasn¡¯t going to make friends nor be popular today, whether he won the case or not.

    A jailer from the temple met them and shackled Telbarisk, this time with metal manacles linked with ornamental chains that were wavy instead of straight. Alpine stayed to the grivven¡¯s right side. There were at least few lawyeral procedures he knew offhand.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to go inside,¡± he said to Telbarisk as they walked up the stairs, ¡°and you¡¯ll be placed in a cell while Anladet and I gather as much information as possible. Then, if there are no other trials, yours will start in an hour or two. You¡¯ll sit quietly until someone asks you a series of questions. Answer them truthfully and briefly. Do you understand?¡±

    Telbarisk nodded as they entered the building. It was two stories high and set flush with the street. Tel was taken left and down a set of stairs while Anla and Al walked forward down a hallway. Their soft-soled shoes were the only ones that didn¡¯t echo on the richly tiled floor.

    They were escorted to a room to the right. It was small, albeit important in its function. Here, Al would report to the case and offer his services to Telbarisk, on behalf of the goddess Uvarna. Before them was a robed clerk who sat behind a desk.

    ¡°Name?¡± the clerk asked and Al already found himself in trouble. Only wizards were given a natural given name with a color surname combination. In fact, it was illegal to give your child a forename that involved something involving the outdoors. It was a way for wizards to differentiate themselves immediately from the regular population. And to gain respect, Alpine had realized sometime recently. He couldn¡¯t give his wizard name.

    He cleared his throat. ¡°Dominek Choudril.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re licensed to practice law in Sharka?¡±

    ¡°No. My license holds in Quisset only.¡±

    The clerk looked up and over her spectacles. ¡°Then we cannot proceed unless you have your license with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on vacation with my wife,¡± he said, gesturing to Anladet. ¡°I have none of my documents, notes, research, or books with me.¡± When the clerk frowned and sat back at her desk, Al put a little pressure on her. ¡°I¡¯m taking the case as pro bono. My wife is already upset that I¡¯m cutting into our travel time. If you¡¯d prefer I step down and allow one of the clergy to take over as my client¡¯s representation, I¡¯d feel it was in Her divine grace and would feel very grateful.¡±

    The clerk¡¯s eyes darted back and forth as she thought about this. It would have to be someone, now that the wheels were in motion, and whomever it was did not please the clerk. ¡°I suppose if you could give me the name of your practice, your city, and your sponsor, if you¡¯re still under moderation, than that would be sufficient.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Clathem, Choudril, and Simmers in Condreyin. I¡¯m fully licensed.¡±

    She rose and passed him a very thin folder. ¡°Here is the docket of information we have about your case.¡± Inside was just one handwritten page. ¡°Your trial begins in one hour.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we could have a delay due to the recent nature of the events?¡±

    ¡°One hour,¡± she repeated.

    One hour was a pitiful amount of time to prepare. He didn¡¯t show his disappointment that the trial wasn¡¯t delayed, though, for it would look unprofessional. In fact, he had to admire the efficiency of the situation even though it didn¡¯t benefit him.

    He took the page and was escorted by the clerk to the defense lawyer¡¯s personal room a few hallways down. When they were alone, Anladet looked at Alpine. ¡°Dominek Choudril?¡±

    He looked around the room dramatically. ¡°It¡¯s my birth name.¡±

    ¡°Br¡¯vanese?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually. My grandparents on both sides were from there. Now, let me read this. The deceased, Myr. Magen Layock of Wiyok, Sharka, was found deceased in his home this morning by Mr. Akort Blecal, who had a meeting scheduled with the mayor.¡® A meeting early in the morning, in the mayor¡¯s house, on a Monday? That¡¯s odd.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the mayor is a busy man?¡± Anla offered.

    ¡°Seems like something to keep in mind. ¡®Mr. Blecal claims to have seen a tall man leaving the mayor¡¯s house, running into the woods behind his property. He later identified the accused as the man he saw.¡® That doesn¡¯t seem concrete enough. He claims a man with one feature is the culprit and points out someone who happens to fit that one description. That could have been just about anyone.¡±

    Anla folded her arms on top of the desk and sank her head slightly. ¡°So, the man who found the mayor dead, a murdered mayor, just so happens to be the one person who can identify the killer? Gosh, how convenient for this Akort guy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think he¡¯s going to be the first person I¡¯d like to talk to.¡± Alpine flipped over the paper, then turned it back. ¡°It was too much to hope that someone jotted some notes as to how Layock was found.¡±

    ¡°That I don¡¯t understand. What does it matter? He¡¯s dead. He was stabbed.¡±

    ¡°Well, walk yourself through the crime as if you were the killer. Say our mayor is of average height, a few inches taller than me. You want to kill him and you only have a knife to do so. What would you do?¡±

    Anladet rubbed her lips with her two joined pointer fingers. ¡°I would sneak up and stab him in the back?¡±

    ¡°Yes, good. If he was stabbed in the front, especially a lower thrust into his digestive area, it would indicate the killer knew the person. As the culprit, you¡¯d want to surprise your victim and keep them unsuspecting as long as you can. You can tell a lot about how a man died by how many times he was stabbed and where and if there are any errant cuts elsewhere. Did the victim struggle with the culprit? Was it a crime of passion or was it planned?¡±

    ¡°Um, Al? Would you be upset if I offered some thoughts on the matter?¡±

    He put the paper down. ¡°Actually, I would love a different perspective. Neither of us have any experience with this. I learned some law in the base curriculum at Amandorlam, but it¡¯s not nearly enough to win this case. We¡¯re partners.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°So, you just said that someone who knows the mayor would stab him in the front, but someone who doesn¡¯t would stab him in the back. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to help us either way.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Well, our prime suspect so far is Akort. He was having a meeting with the mayor and was likely the last person to see him alive. Is that intimate or not? Would someone like that stab from the front or the back?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°You need a lot more information before it becomes something tangible. When was the mayor stabbed? Where in the house? What was he doing? Those are all valuable missing pieces. Akort could have been having a nice conversation with Layock when he suddenly stabbed him. Or he may have snuck up on him in the middle of the night.¡±

    Anla took one of the pieces of paper and the fountain pen on the desk and began writing down all the questions. ¡°What else do we need to do?¡±

    ¡°Well, we can explain how someone killed the mayor for days, but if we don¡¯t explain why, then we lose. It¡¯s called a ¡®motive¡¯, the reason why he was killed. Could be anger, could be jealousy, but usually there¡¯s some trail that leads you back to why it happened.¡±

    ¡°Any ideas?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Too early to tell. I bet they¡¯ll be some small town politics involved.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so motive and information about the murder. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I think praying will help,¡± he said, smiling weakly.

    ¡°Al, have some confidence. You¡¯re the man who convinced the Duke of Sharka that we didn¡¯t kidnap his daughter and to pay us the reward when he didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°One small victory. All the books I¡¯ve read and classes I¡¯ve taken aren¡¯t going to help me out. I don¡¯t think I have the instincts it takes to solve things on my feet. It¡¯s one thing to win debates in a classroom and another to win an actual legal case. I just hope I don¡¯t get him killed.¡±

    Anla placed her hands over his right. ¡°Telbarisk and I talked a lot about kouriya on the way over. I can assure you that he has all of his faith in you. And I know you¡¯re brilliant. I believe you¡¯ll solve this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, rising from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll feel better once we start interviewing people. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Al and Anla had changed quickly into appropriate clothing, he into trousers and a nicer shirt and Anla into a high-collared, white blouse and long skirt, all courtesy of the duke. Then they walked to the end of the hallway and out into the court. It was open air with dozens of long benches that curved slightly to face a raised dais. The ground was grassed, though paths in between the benches and areas where people¡¯s feet were when they sat were ground to dirt. Only a few people were sitting. Most were holding conversations, including several key people they needed to interview.

    ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll take notes,¡± he said. ¡°Normally you¡¯d just assist me that way, but I want you to speak up whenever you have a question. Don¡¯t undermine my authority; ask for clarifications or repeat something I should speak more about with the witnesses. Our main adversary will be Akort. If you can think of anything to throw him off without making me look bad, please do.¡±

    Akort was leaning against the wall below the dais. He wasn¡¯t what many would call well-kempt, but he was clean and freshly shaven. His dark blond hair had the tangled look of a man who had won the final battle against a barber when he was ten. His clothes were simple, like the way most of the country folk in attendance were dressed. He wore brown trousers that reached past his ankles, patched and stitched several times. His boots were also brown with mismatched laces. His white shirt, at least, looked very presentable and without a stain on it.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the fancy lawyer from up north,¡± he said, grinning as they approached.

    Alpine shook his hand and remembered to give his fake name and introduced Anladet as his wife and his impromptu secretary. Akort looked her up and down slowly, then grinned at Al. ¡°I¡¯m speaking with certain people to get a feel for the possibilities with this case. You have the most information out of anyone here. I was wondering if you¡¯d like to answer a few questions?¡±

    ¡°And what happens if I say ¡®no¡¯?¡± he asked, still giving a very toothy grin.

    Al took a deep breath. ¡°I get less information and my case may depend on it.¡± Akort held his smile until Al said, ¡°Of course, it reflects poorly upon you. Since there is no prosecutor in this case, it¡¯s up to the judge to make a fair ruling. And you know how these judges get sometimes when procedures don¡¯t go as smoothly as they¡¯d like.¡±

    Akort soured. ¡°There¡¯s not much else I can tell ya.¡±

    ¡°Well, first off, why were you meeting with the mayor so early in the morning?¡±

    ¡°None of yer¡­¡± he started, then took a deep breath and gave a feral smile. ¡°The mayor and I were planning to talk about hunting rights around town. When we could hunt certain animals, where we could hunt.¡±

    ¡°And when you say ¡®we¡¯ you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Me and ma boys. My two sons, Syke and Forca, and a few of my buddies. Really, though, I mean all the townsfolk who need to hunt to live. We actually went huntin¡¯ last night, all night, and called it early this morning so that I could come back and have the meeting with the mayor.¡±

    ¡°What were you hunting?¡±

    ¡°Some of the critters are getting¡¯ out of hand. We¡¯ve had problems with wolves, coyotes, and paw-paws. We bagged us two coyotes, a cougar, and a deer. Oh, and some catfish. We went fishin¡¯ before we went huntin¡¯ so that we didn¡¯t have to bring a bunch o¡¯ food with us.¡±

    ¡°Then you came back at, what, dawn? You then headed over to the mayor¡¯s house where you found him dead. Can you tell me what you saw?¡±

    His plastered smile faltered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Start with his house. Was the front door open, unlocked, or locked? The back door? Were any windows broken?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Akort said, scratching his head, ¡°the front door was closed, so was the back. I didn¡¯t see any broken windows.¡±

    I¡¯m going to tuck that away for later, Alpine thought. ¡°And the scene of the horrific act? Which room did you find the mayor? Where was he stabbed on his person? How many times?¡±

    ¡°Sir, the man is dead. I find it distasteful to talk about the mayor with such disrespect.¡±

    Akort spoke with such vehemence that it not only took Al by surprise, but caused him to lose his composure. He was swayed for a moment, forgetting his faux professionalism, wanting this man to like him for some reason. Then, he remembered he was fighting for someone else. ¡°I understand. I expect the mayor was a beloved man in Wiyok. But he is dead and his killer is still loose.¡±

    ¡°His killer,¡± he spat, ¡°is in jail, where he should be until he is hung.¡±

    ¡°Hanged,¡± Alpine corrected. ¡°Animals are hung, men are hanged.¡±

    ¡°I got it right the first time,¡± he said.

    Akort was being especially difficult with this question. Alpine was unsure why. Was he really that fond of the mayor? Maybe he had a weak constitution and didn¡¯t want to conjure up the memory of the scene. Al guessed that someone who went hunting regularly would have a stronger stomach and dismissed the excuse.

    No, it was more likely that, as Al was beginning to suspect, this was their man and he hadn¡¯t been expecting so many questions. Kill the mayor, blame it on someone defenseless, and get everything he wanted from the situation. Al was going to have to be subtle with this man.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    He watched as Akort gave a very pleasant smile to Anla. She returned it by biting her lip and looking away, hugging the clipboard and paper close to her chest.

    Al cleared his throat. ¡°You said it was a tall man who stabbed Mayor Layock. I¡¯d expect to see any wound on the upper party of the mayor¡¯s body. Is this true?¡±

    Akort thought for a moment. ¡°Yes, many wounds on his shoulders. He was lying face down, all of his blood already spilled.¡±

    ¡°And he was cold to the touch?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the man answered, shifting his weight.

    ¡°And which room was this and it¡¯s relation to the front door?¡±

    ¡°His drawing room, I gather. It was the first room to the left, off the hallway.¡±

    ¡°So, you entered the drawing room, saw the mayor face down on the floor, and checked to see if he was alive. Then what?¡±

    ¡°I left the room, then saw that straw man leaving out the back door.¡±

    ¡°You can see clearly from the front to the back door?¡±

    Akort answered ¡®yes¡¯, but he looked doubtful. Al understood he was both a man who never admitted he was wrong and had a strong need to prove his own case.

    ¡°Then what did you do afterwards?¡±

    ¡°I ran out to his nearest neighbor, the Franlis, and we walked into town. Dr. Abina made his way back to the mayor¡¯s house to check on him.¡±

    Alpine was at the end of his questions. He waited until Anladet finished writing the conversation and handed it over to Akort. ¡°Please sign at the bottom if you feel the conversation is accurate.¡±

    He shoved it back into Al¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not signin¡¯ nothin¡¯ unless I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anladet said softly, causing him to pause as he looked at her, ¡°I did all that for nothing? I thought you said it was going to help.¡±

    ¡°Well, since we didn¡¯t get much, dear, I don¡¯t see how any of that will help us.¡±

    Anla stepped closer to Akort. ¡°I mean, since it¡¯s not going to help things, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to sign it. Just right here.¡±

    Akort stepped closer to Anla so that they were touching shoulders. ¡°Sign where?¡± he asked, reaching over her arm to grab the pen from her right hand. After scribbling his name at the bottom of the page, he returned the pen to her hand. Before stepping away, he brushed her hair off her shoulder and said, ¡°You are far too pretty to be his wife.¡±

    Al grabbed Anla¡¯s arm and led her away while Akort chuckled. ¡°I said not to undermine my authority,¡± he hissed. ¡°You just made me look like a fool.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, shaking off his arm. ¡°He was flirting with me. I used it to get him to sign the form. I¡¯m sorry your pride was injured.¡±

    He pretended to look around for other witnesses, taking deep breaths all the while. ¡°I should point out that his testimony is littered with lies,¡± she said. ¡°The house information especially. I think the only truly honest thing he said was his sons¡¯ names.¡±

    ¡°At least we¡¯re on the right track,¡± he muttered, letting his anger go. He took her notepad and flipped it to the last page, jotting down several notes. ¡°Nothing we can do about it. We¡¯ll need to prove it without any sort of magic. We¡¯ll need to check-up on a few things that might be inconsistent. Let¡¯s see if we can find Dr. Abina, the Franlis, and at least one of Akort¡¯s ¡®boys¡¯, as he calls them.¡±

    Dr. Abina, paunch, aged, and looking like he could use a stiff drink, did little more than confirm what Akort said. The mayor had been stabbed in the shoulders, though more correctly in between the shoulder blades. One of the wounds had likely punctured his heart or an artery. He had bled out quickly and hadn¡¯t fought against his assailant. The doctor had noted the body was at room temperature and was stiff.

    The Franlis could only agree with Akort¡¯s testimony. ¡°We saw him arrive early in the morning,¡± Mr. Franli said. ¡°I guess he was having a meeting with the mayor.¡±

    ¡°Odd time of day for that,¡± Mrs. Franli said. ¡°Magen owns a tavern in town. He¡¯s rarely up before late morning.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s unlikely he would have made a meeting for a time when he wouldn¡¯t be up?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he made a meeting with Akort at all. Those two have been fighting for years.¡±

    ¡°Oh? About what?¡± he asked as Mr. Franli tried shushing her.

    ¡°Everything. Layock has been mayor since Akort was born and Akort is a bad seed. Always getting into trouble, fighting with the other boys, pulling pranks. It only got worse as he got older, only instead of throwing rotten fruit at the mayor¡¯s house, he¡¯d threaten him. Him and his gang have caused all sorts of mayhem over the years: starting a fire in the mayor¡¯s tavern, getting¡¯ into fights with merchants, chasing bards and troubadours out of town with their words.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Al said, ¡°thank you kindly for your help.¡±

    ¡°It seems like the past is painting something fairly interesting,¡± Anladet said to him when they were out of earshot.

    ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s see if the recent past holds up.¡±

    They walked over to a group of men that Alpine was sure were Akort¡¯s boys by the glares they were shooting him. They were grimy and dirt stained, their boots covered in mud. Each of them intermittently scratched at a number of bites on their arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re the reason we¡¯re not home right now,¡± one of them said.

    Al ignored him. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken with Akort about giving an accurate testimony. He agreed and even signed this,¡± he said, pointing to the pages Anladet held up. ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate, it will look badly for your boss.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°Akort¡¯s alibi was he was with you guys last night and this morning up until his meeting. Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said the man to the left. ¡°We were out hunting and fishing.¡±

    ¡°What did you guys get?¡±

    ¡°A cougar, a deer, and two coyotes,¡± he said smoothly.

    Al tried not to show his disappointment at the confirmation. He had hoped to find an inconsistency, since he didn¡¯t feel Akort had actually been out hunting. ¡°What time did you leave yesterday and what time did you arrive this morning?¡±

    ¡°We met by Akort¡¯s house with our fishing poles, bows and arrows, and knives.¡±

    ¡°Knives?¡± Alpine asked.

    ¡°Yeah, how else are you going to finish a cougar? You sneak up on them when they¡¯re down and slice their throats.¡±

    ¡°All right. And what time did you arrive this morning?¡±

    ¡°Must have been early, after dawn, but before most of the businesses opened. We all went right to the mayor¡¯s house after we came out of the woods.¡±

    Al couldn¡¯t think of anything more to ask at the moment, so he had the man who answered his questions sign the testimony and walked away with Anladet. He sat down at a bench specifically for the defense lawyer and began moving his ankle over his other knee.

    ¡°This is going to be tricky,¡± he said to Anladet.

    ¡°How? Akort¡¯s side is flimsy. There¡¯s no real proof, other than his word, that Telbarisk killed the mayor.¡±

    ¡°You know the saying ¡®a copper always lands on a side¡¯? It¡¯s the same with Uvarnic law. The goddess is extremely fair, parting things right down the middle for as long as She can, but in the end there has to be a guilty party. Since our grivven friend stands accused, if I can¡¯t prove that someone else did it, he goes to the gallows. And I¡¯m not quite sure I can pull this off.¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Al, calm down,¡± Anladet said quietly.

    Alpine was not only bouncing his foot, he was now constantly wiping his hands on his trousers. ¡°I can¡¯t. This is the hard part for me. If I know I have to get in front of people, I start to get antsy. It¡¯s much better when I can run into something without preparation.¡±

    ¡°I know, but you look obviously nervous. People have been watching you. If you look like you don¡¯t have a case, it will only make it harder for you to get respect.¡± She had learned to fake confidence as a piscarin rather quickly.

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Could you channel it? Maybe use some magic?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡±I could tap into the Unease and make you feel better, but it doesn¡¯t work for me. Not unless I was a Cycler, and those wizards are extremely rare.¡± He bounced his leg again, then put it flat on the ground. ¡°Could you distract me with a story? Something funny or riveting?¡±

    ¡°I remember some fairy tales from Arvonne that my father would tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve probably heard all of them. I have several books at home. How about what your father told you about Arvonne? Where was he from?¡±

    ¡°He was from Tapenstri, along the southwest coast.¡±

    ¡°Ah, where the Watcher Lady legend is from.¡±

    Anla nodded. ¡°Yes. He claims to have seen her. That¡¯s why he became a doctor. He said he and his friends went to the coast late one night on a lark. He caught sight of her and the lady whispered in his ears that he was meant to¡­well, it translates a little funny, but¡­¡¯bring into the world that which heals something greater than men, not here but across the sea¡¯. His friends told him he fainted and was very dazed when he awoke.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. I actually didn¡¯t know Caudet was responsible for prophecies. Did he ever do it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°He died before ever making a breakthrough.¡±

    Al was about to apologize for the events when he saw the judge walk out and take her seat on the dais, followed by a few assistants. She was young, perhaps his age, with blonde, curly hair and brown eyes. He wouldn¡¯t have called her attractive, since her round face pinched her features a little too much, but she was fair enough to look at without staring. He rose and approached her dais.

    ¡°You may address me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Fairness, my name is Dominek Choudril. I am a lawyer acting as barrister for Telbarisk of Ervaskin, the accused. I practice law in Briyaz, Quisset at Clathem, Choudril, and Simmers.¡±

    She gave him an odd look. ¡°I suppose they do law a little differently up in Quisset. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind. You are accepted as barrister for this case.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Fairness.¡± He summoned Anladet with the pages and handed them over for her to look over.

    After she skimmed the pages, she handed it to her assistant on her right. ¡°Bring the accused in,¡± she directed a bailiff.

    Telbarisk looked the same as he had an hour ago. This relieved Alpine, who had read several times about ¡°backroom justice¡± where jailers tended to have their way with the accused before trial.

    The crowd quieted down as he walked down the aisle. He was seated next to Alpine to the right of the judge. The defendant¡¯s side, as well as the plaintiff¡¯s, were just benches with their backs against the wall. Akort was the only one on the plaintiff¡¯s side. They all faced the rather large crowd of people from Wiyak, curious people from Carvek, and students of Uvarna, who sat robed in the rear of the auditorium.

    The judge read out the facts agreed upon by as many parties as possible. The mayor was dead. He had been stabbed with a knife in the shoulders sometime that morning in his home. ¡°We have at least two versions of events from that point,¡± she said. ¡°Mr. Telbarisk is accused by Mr. Blecal of being at the scene of the crime when Mr. Blecal arrived. Is this correct, sir?¡±

    ¡°It is, Fairness,¡± he said.

    ¡°Other than his presence, what makes you think he did it?¡±

    Alpine was as surprised as Akort was that the judge was favoring Telbarisk. ¡°Fairness, there was no one else in the house when I arrived. If it wasn¡¯t him, who was it?¡±

    Al realized when she moved on quickly that she wasn¡¯t siding with Telbarisk, she was just clarifying. ¡°The accused, Mr. Telbarisk, claims he wasn¡¯t in town at the time of the murder. Is this correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tel said, then added, ¡°Fairness¡± when Alpine prompted him to. ¡°I was walking into town this morning when I saw a crowd of angry people.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to point out that this is on the other end of town from the mayor¡¯s house,¡± Al added.

    ¡°Noted,¡± the judge said. ¡°Can anyone confirm the accused¡¯s location during the events?¡±

    The audience murmured for a few moments, but no one spoke up. Either they had their own reasons not to say anything or Telbarisk was unlucky and no one who had seen him was in the audience. Both testimonies were what the system called ¡°untethered¡±, meaning they only relied on their own existence for proof. Neither was strong, but Akort¡¯s was still stronger for having been first. Al needed to punch enough holes into Akort¡¯s testimony to prove he had lied and to revoke it.

    ¡°Defense, you may begin,¡± the judge prompted.

    ¡°Thank you, Fairness,¡± Al said, rising. ¡°Uh, I think, having spoken to many people, many fine townsfolk of Wiyok, who I¡¯m sure are being quite honest in their testimonies, that it would be better to pursue a different line of thought, if that¡¯s okay with you, Fairness.¡±

    ¡°Proceed,¡± she answered a little dryly.

    ¡°Thank you. It is my duty today to prove that my client, Telbarisk, did not kill Mayor Layock. Unfortunately, since he is in a disadvantaged position, it is difficult for me, for anyone, to prove he did not commit the murder of the mayor. He is traveling alone with no connections in this land, unsure of the customs, what he¡¯s doing right or wrong, to us at least.¡±

    ¡°Why, do straw men kill people?¡± one of Akort¡¯s boys asked from the front row.

    ¡°No. I mean, they do, just like we do, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Has he killed someone before?¡± asked Akort. ¡°He looks like a killer. Have you, straw man?¡±

    Before Alpine could counsel Telbarisk to stay quiet, he answered, ¡°A man died.¡±

    ¡°Ah! So he has killed before! What¡¯s to say he didn¡¯t kill again? I mean, I¡¯ve heard that once you kill, it gets easier.¡±

    The crowd began to murmur. ¡°What I mean to say,¡± Al began, waiting for the crowd to calm down. ¡°What I mean to say is, it is unlikely he killed someone and we are prejudging him unfairly because he¡¯s different and new and not one of us.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s short, tall, or talks funny, if he did it, he did it. And I saw him run from the house,¡± Akort said.

    ¡°Did you see him run from the house or someone else like him?¡±

    ¡°And where the hell do we find someone else that tall?¡± he answered to some laughter.

    ¡°Language,¡± the judge said and Akort bowed his head in apology.

    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure because you said you saw a tall man run out the back of the house, but then you said the back door was closed.¡± He looked at Anladet, who smiled encouragingly. ¡°You also said there was a large pool of blood under the mayor and he was cold when you checked him. How many killers would stay around for, what was it you estimated, Dr. Abina? A quarter to half a day? Why would he wait around for hours and hours, run when someone caught him, then close the door behind him as he ran?¡±

    Akort¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, then he eased into a sly and relaxed expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what went through his mind. Like you said, he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s right or wrong to us. Maybe he thought to stay after he killed the mayor, then ran when he saw me, but he wanted to be polite and closed the door?¡± The audience laughed at him again.

    Al felt like he had just played a hand of spades against a hand of hearts in Hierarchy. He should have won the crowd over, but Akort had parried back smoothly against his strongest attack. Al decided to hit low. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you run after him? Chase him down and bring him to justice?¡±

    Akort snorted. ¡°Look at the man. Would you want to chase him down?¡±

    Alpine turned slowly and appraised Telbarisk. ¡°He¡¯s tall, sure, but other than that he doesn¡¯t seem that frightening to me. Are you a frightening man, Telbarisk?¡±

    Tel looked at him curiously at first, then gave a wide but forced smile. The crowd laughed. ¡°See. Rather friendly, I think.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you react when you find your mayor, a man you¡¯ve know your whole life, brutally murdered in his home. Then you see a straw man running away. It was like out of a nightmare! All I could think to do was to get help. Maybe, and I¡¯m ashamed to say this, maybe I was a little frightened to take him on on my own, without any weapon. Clearly he could have overpowered me and he had a knife. I mean, the mayor was already dead. I was thinking about the living, me, at that point.¡±

    Al was beginning to understand how such a mischievous, nay malevolent, man had survived in a small town for so long without punishment. He was quite charismatic and clever, too. He understood how to get people to do what he wanted. Al had underestimated Akort.

    ¡°Yes, I think we can all say that, faced with danger, we¡¯d rather run away. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of,¡± Alpine said, which was exactly the opposite of what he hoped people would feel about Akort. ¡°Now, I have a question about your meeting. You say you and the mayor were meeting about hunting rights. You decided to go hunting the night before, knowing you¡¯d be out in the woods and would need to return early to have this meeting. Does that sound wise?¡±

    Akort shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t pick the time.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Al asked. ¡°The mayor, a man who owns a tavern, someone it¡¯s known doesn¡¯t rise until late morning picked, oh, seven o¡¯clock in the morning for a meeting?¡±

    ¡°Well, now that you mention it, sure. It sounds a bit odd. I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s because his tavern hasn¡¯t been doing so good lately.¡±

    ¡°Would that be because you and your boys are driving the business away?¡±

    Akort gave a dry laugh. ¡°Once in a great while, we get out of hand. Sure, we do. But, not enough to chase business away. I¡¯ve heard nasty rumors lately from the townsfolk about our beloved mayor. I won¡¯t go repeating them. I don¡¯t like to speak ill of the dead.¡±

    ¡°Probably not necessary anyway,¡± Alpine said. He was sweating. ¡°So, we have a man attending a meeting with someone he doesn¡¯t like at a time that doesn¡¯t make sense, coming across a dead body far too gone to be recently killed, and who sees a very polite grivven who¡¯s waited around for someone to catch him so he can run away after shutting the door behind him. This sound about right, Mr. Blecal?¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying things make total sense. We have a strange man hanging around town, killing people. That¡¯s odd enough. But I know what I saw and I saw him,¡± Akort said, pointing at Telbarisk, ¡°running away from the house that had a dead body in it. Seems suspicious enough for me.¡±

    Al paused, trying to drum up some more things to throw at Akort. That was it. He was about to turn and dismiss himself, when Anla got his attention. She had scribbled one word on her notepad, deep and dark, and was holding it up for him to see.

    ¡°SHOES¡± it read.

    Al looked down at his feet, then back at her with a confused look. She pointed to Akort, then over to the area where most of his group was sitting.

    Then, it dawned on him. He mouthed the words ¡°thank you¡± and grinned.

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Are you finished with your statements, Mr. Choudril?¡± the judge asked.

    ¡°Almost, Fairness,¡± he said as he turned back to address her. ¡°Just a few more questions.¡±

    ¡°Proceed,¡± she said, looking a little nonplussed.

    ¡°Mr. Blecal, could you enlighten us as to what you hunted last night?¡±

    ¡°Two coyotes, a cougar, a deer, and some fish, for dinner,¡± he said just as smoothly as everyone else had.

    ¡°A nice haul, wouldn¡¯t you say, folks?¡± The crowd murmured it¡¯s agreement. Akort was shrewd enough to suspect something with the change in Al¡¯s demeanor and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Now, you were out there hunting with your boys, as you call them, your two sons and your friends. You did your fair share, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± he said, leaning back. ¡°My boys are a little young to be wrangling their own kills, but they caught some fish. Everyone else killed their own. I got the cougar.¡±

    ¡°Good job,¡± Alpine said, smiling at Akort. ¡°Very impressive. And, I assume that when you shot the cougar, you let someone else finish it off? Like you said when we spoke earlier, quick slice across the throat?¡±

    ¡°Hell, no!¡± Akort said. ¡°A man takes care of his own kill! All the way through! You shoot, you kill, you skin. That¡¯s the rules.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I see. That makes sense. You¡¯ll have to forgive the questioning, Mr. Blecal. I¡¯m from the city and I¡¯ve never been hunting before. I don¡¯t know all the steps and protocol.¡±

    ¡°You should come out with us sometime. There are still loads of vermin out there needing to get killed.¡± He turned to face Telbarisk and looked at him for a few long moments. Thinking he was being kind, Telbarisk grinned again and Akort frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s really kind of you. I might take you up on that. Maybe daytime hunting, though? I would think hunting at night would be hard.¡±

    Akort shrugged. ¡°Not when you get good at it. I could shoot an acorn off the top of a milkweed stalk without one tuft of dander falling.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Al said. ¡°You can get that precision from a bow and arrow?¡±

    Akort was about to boast when the judge cleared her throat. Al held up one finger and then linked his first fingers and his thumbs together in a promise. ¡°I expect you could, then,¡± he said, turning to face Akort. Whereabouts were you hunting and fishing?¡±

    ¡°Not too far away. We went west, where the woods are thickest. We fished on Oskil Lake first, then went night hunting.¡±

    ¡°I see. And how was it out there? Was the weather good? Did it rain?¡± He heard the judge sigh loudly and ignored her.

    ¡°Oh, no, it was good for us. A bit humid and muddy on account of the rain the last few days, but no rain.¡±

    ¡°And, one more time, quickly go over what happened since you left last night?¡±

    ¡°What, you want me to say all the stuff we talked about? Danik is having some girl troubles, so we did his hair in braids and told him how pretty he was.¡± The audience laughed.

    ¡°Just the highlights, please.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but put his hands behind his back and put on an intent look as he waited for Akort to speak.

    ¡°We left yesterday afternoon. We fished on Oskil Lake, then went hunting at night in the forest west of Wiyok. Then, we came into town from the woods and I went right to the mayor¡¯s house for our meeting.¡±

    ¡°And when did you change your clothes?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Akort said. His smile dropped.

    ¡°Interesting. So, you go fishing, get your boots all muddy, get your clothes all bloody from killing a cougar and skinning it, then somehow miraculously walk to the mayor¡¯s house freshly shaved with clean boots, an unstained shirt, and no bug bites to itch?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Akort said. To his friend¡¯s credit, they stopped itching their bites and looked at their leader.

    ¡°What I think happened,¡± Alpine plowed on, ¡°was that you didn¡¯t go fishing or hunting last night. You may have gone into the woods with your friends, to keep up appearances, in case anyone saw you, but you slipped around and came back to town. You waited for the mayor to return home from work, snuck up on him in his drawing room, stabbed him several times in the back with your hunting knife. Then you went back home, changed your clothes, slept in your bed, then got up early this morning in your clean clothes, and walked to the mayor¡¯s house for your ¡®meeting¡¯. Once you arrived, you made sure the mayor was still dead, and left the house with some cockamamie tale about a ¡®tall man¡¯ running away from the scene. Or maybe you changed it when you saw a grivven walking in to town. People wouldn¡¯t remember. They¡¯d just know that someone killed the mayor and you said you saw him running from the mayor¡¯s house. How does that sound, Akort?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Akort had lost all color in his face. He said nothing, working his jaw like a caught fish on land while he looked between the judge and Alpine. The crowd was so quiet he could hear the faint sound of the wind through the trees on the other side of the walls.

    ¡°Fairness,¡± he said, turning to see her eyes wild with thought, ¡°I would like to change my position from defendant to prosecutor.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± she said in a breathy voice.

    It was the coin finally landing on the other side. It was now up to Akort to defend his position or else the court would automatically pin the crime on him. ¡°You ask my boys!¡± he said, finally finding his voice. ¡°They¡¯ll tell you I was with them!¡±

    ¡°I remind you,¡± Alpine said, addressing the group of men, ¡°that you¡¯re under oath. Uvarna isn¡¯t a goddess to trifle with. If you lie now, you risk Her wrath.¡±

    None of them said a word. One even caught Akort¡¯s gaze and mouthed the word ¡°sorry¡±.

    ¡°I just forgot to mention I changed my clothes before going to my meeting,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°Mr. Blecal,¡± the judge said, ¡°that still wouldn¡¯t explain your lack of insect bites. Do you have an alibi as to where you were between the hours of midnight and seven this morning?¡±

    ¡°My wife! She¡¯s here. Tell them, sweetling. Come on up.¡±

    A thin wisp of a woman stood and quickly took a seat next to her husband, not looking at anyone. Her brows were furrowed and she was taking in shallow breaths. ¡°He¡­he was with me all night.¡±

    ¡°And where were you?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°At home.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Al began. ¡°I¡¯m going to remind you that you¡¯re speaking under oath. Uvarna watches all cases and judges not just the accused, but everyone involved.¡± She refused to look at him. ¡°I understand your oaths of marriage hold you to speak on his behalf, but if they aren¡¯t true, you are free to go against him.¡±

    She hugged herself, rocking back and forth a few times. When Akort rubbed her back, she flinched and bolted back to her seat in the audience.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am? Do you still hold to his alibi?¡±

    When no response came, the judge nudged her. ¡°Mrs. Blecal, was your husband with you the full time last night?¡±

    She shook her head vigorously and started taking shallow breaths again.

    ¡°Mr. Choudril, would you please address the Needs of Alteration?¡±

    Al froze. Needs of Alteration? He had heard that before, somewhere, in one of the books he had read. It took him a few moments to think of the story, then remember what had happened. He cleared his throat and turned to address the court. ¡°As prosecutor, I declare Telbarisk of Nourabrikot innocent and accuse Akort Blecal of Wiyok, Sharka guilty of the murder of Magen Layock of Wiyok, Sharka. He has no alibi for the time. His motive is political gains.¡±

    Al watched the court to see their reactions. Most seemed shocked or animated, speaking with their neighbors in hushed tones. A few were looking beyond Al with their eyes widened. When he turned to see what they were looking at, he almost bumped into Akort, whose face was red.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have stayed out of it!¡± he said, his teeth clenched as he wrapped his hands around Al¡¯s neck. ¡°You could have left without doing anything!¡±

    Al began clawing at Akort¡¯s neck, tapping into the Unease instinctively. But Akort¡¯s fingers were latched around his neck too tightly and his air was shut off from his lungs. Al began walking forward, hoping to do something to throw Akort off balance.

    They walked to the benches below the judge. Al slammed the man against the wall, above which the tribunal was standing in alarm. Al¡¯s eyes were starting to spot in the middle when two guards tried yanking Akort¡¯s arms. Al tried gasping for breath, fearing his windpipe was crushed from the force. It wouldn¡¯t matter if they got Akort off of him; he still wouldn¡¯t be able to breath.

    Al slammed him into the wall again and again, but it was only his back that hit. He twisted, then brought his knee up and launched it into Akort¡¯s groin. Finally, he felt the pressure around his neck release.

    He was on the ground, gasping, with Anla next to him. ¡°Al, breathe. You can do it!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t. He was in far too much pain to tap into the Calm.

    ¡°Al,¡± she whispered, ¡°can I use my magic on you?¡±

    He would have agreed to having her slice his throat open. He was paupered of air, starved of it, straining to fill a void so basic he had never considered it before that moment. He kicked his heels and bucked, trying to nod his head. She whispered, ¡°Aall, I want you to relax and reach your mmagicc.¡±

    The Calm came with such an intense, but soft rush that he almost blacked out from it. He couldn¡¯t repair all the damage,but just enough that he could breathe again. When it finally came it was so sweet, so euphoric he thought he¡¯d forever bless every breath he took.

    She held his head with her arms. ¡°Is there anything I can do for him?¡± Telbarisk asked.

    Anla shook her head. ¡°He just needs time.¡±

    He nodded in response and let her move his head to her lap as he lay down.

    Telbarisk sat next to them and watched as the court simultaneously left the three of them alone while yearning to speak with them. The judge was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡± she asked Anladet.

    ¡°I think so. He¡¯s able to breath, but just barely.¡±

    ¡°Your husband did a magnificent job,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize on behalf of the court and Uvarna for what transpired. Mr. Blecal does not represent the fine people of Sharka. I want you to know that a carriage is waiting outside to take him to a temple of Zayine whenever you feel ready to move.¡± She stood to leave, then ducked down again. ¡°Uvarna thanks you for your service, barrister. You are dismissed.¡±

    He looked up at Anla and grinned.

 Chapter 42

    Al would have loved nothing more than to lay down and let his magic heal him, but he and his two friends were on their way to the city¡¯s temple of Zayine. Every jostle bumped his head into the carriage¡¯s wall, since he was still too deep into the Calm to maintain good posture. It annoyed him, but only in a detached way, as if he were feeling the irritation on behalf on someone else. Someone who had won a case as a layman, saving Telbarisk¡¯s life. Someone who had almost died.

    Anladet pulled Al¡¯s head gently to her shoulder. ¡°You can stop your magic, now,¡± she murmured in his ear.

    He gave a higher pitched moan that sounded suspiciously like a whimper.

    ¡°Al. You¡¯re safe. We¡¯re safe. If you heal too well, it will look suspicious. Lawyers can¡¯t heal.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s using magic?¡± Telbarisk asked.

    Anla nodded her head. ¡°Al isn¡¯t a lawyer. He¡¯s a wizard. We needed to keep that quiet because he could get into a lot of trouble if people found out.¡±

    ¡°He risked a great deal to help me, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. ¡°For the time being, his name is Dominek Choudril and he is your lawyer. After we leave Carvek, he will go back to being Alpine Gray and we won¡¯t speak of this again. Do you understand?¡±

    Telbarisk nodded and sat back to contemplate this while Anla continued to say things softly to Al.

    A boy appeared in the window of the carriage, startling all three. ¡°D¡¯ya need anyt¡¯in¡¯? Water? Food? A blanket?¡±

    After she spoke with Al, she answered, ¡°Water, please.¡±

    A minute later, the boy passed a flask through the bars. ¡°Take as muchen as ya¡¯d like. Call down ta us if ya need anyt¡¯in¡¯.¡±

    Anla moved Al aside for the moment and looked out. The dirt road outside the carriage was filled with people walking alongside. When they saw her step out, they pointed and waved. She waved back at them, then nudged Al. ¡°Come look at this.¡±

    When Al looked outside, the people cheered. He smiled and waved at them before sitting back in his seat. ¡°Not everyone liked Akort,¡± he whispered hoarsely. After a few moments, he drew himself out of the Calm and closed his eyes for the rest of the journey.

    Carvek was a small city, so the ride from Uvarna¡¯s temple to Zayine¡¯s was only a mile or so. It was also a unique city in that, while only a day and a half¡¯s ride from Hanala, it had not one but four temples, the other two being the smithing temple of Skethik and Iondika¡¯s temple for a number of different skills.

    This wound up being a risky but ultimately smart move. Carvek had more of a focus on skill learning in the four priesthoods and spent a good chunk of resources supporting them. In turn, they had some of the country¡¯s best hunters, blacksmiths, lawyers, tailors, and most importantly for Al, healers.

    Someone must have run a message ahead because two students met the carriage and escorted him inside. Anladet followed, her hands clasped demurely in front of her as she thought a worried wife would appear. Telbarisk acted as a porter and carried their packs inside. Both he and Anladet were asked to wait outside his room, or on the grounds, until they assessed Alpine.

    Al was given a rather spacious room. The late afternoon sun filtered in through both windows, which were shut with a snap by one of the attendants. A priestess in dark green robes entered and sat next to his bed.

    ¡°I understand speaking will be difficult for you. Just nod or shake your head at my questions, unless I ask you to speak for evaluation.¡±

    She listened to his breathing, watched him as he drank water, asked him to say certain phrases, and spent a long time feeling his neck. After twenty minutes or so, she opened a hard case on the table under the window and pulled out a few vials. She poured a few drops into a glass of water, mixed it with a glass rod, and brought it over for him to drink.

    ¡°This will stimulate your healing process and reduce any malignant thoughts you have.¡±

    He swallowed. The water felt ice cold in his throat. It had a sickly sweet taste that he found almost too much to ingest. It spread in tiny threads in a fizzing sort of manner, traveling down to his stomach. Al finished the whole glass after his initial shock and handed it back to her.

    ¡°Excellent. Can you please say the phrase ¡®hiking cold glens in Yarma¡¯ slowly?¡±

    He obeyed, finding his voice was gravely but working.

    ¡°Splendid,¡± she said, moving back to the table. ¡°I will give you a few other regular treatments. This,¡± she said, holding up a waxy substance, ¡°is to help keep your muscles from seizing. This cream will help reduce your bruises. Herbal tea will be along shortly. I¡¯d like you to rest for a short time before we try dinner.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he rasped before she left.

    Zayine priests used a number of medicines, which acted in hopes and high percentages, but any of the goddess-blessed liquid would make them much more potent. It would also take quite a bit of energy from the patient. Al found himself falling asleep quickly.

    He was awake and sipping on his tea when Anla and Telbarisk were finally allowed in to see him.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Anla asked, sitting on the same stool the priestess had used.

    ¡°Better. I think I¡¯ll be good by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in no rush,¡± she said. ¡°Take your time getting better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little concerned that they may try to verify my licence. I doubt it, but it still worries me.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll suspect you were a fake? You won. How many people pretend to be a lawyer and actually win a case like that?¡±

    ¡°You have a point,¡± he said, sipping on the lukewarm tea. ¡°I think it would take a lot more effort than its worth.¡±

    Anladet spoke. ¡°Al, Telbarisk and I were talking a great deal while you were in here. We have a proposal.¡± She nodded at Telbarisk.

    ¡°If a man saves another man¡¯s life in my home, he is expected to offer one year of service to thank him. I would like to do that for you and Anladet. She told me it was not necessary, but I feel that I can both honor the tradition and follow my purpose by accompanying you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°For the last nine years, Nourabrikot has opened its shores to diplomats from different places. They speak of their world and how they wish to do business with us. A diplomat from Merak taught me Ghenian and many other things, but I still don¡¯t understand a lot. My people understand even less. Their world is changing and I feel we need to know as much as possible if we can hope to open peaceful trade. I¡¯ve decided to spend my exile learning about the rest of the world, so that when my punishment has ended, I will return better than I left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant way to live your life. What a wonderful idea!¡± Alpine said. He began to wonder where to start with Telbarisk. Politics, religion, wizardry, food¡­ There were so many things he wished to tell him.

    ¡°There is a problem, though. Kouriya sometimes calls to me in compelling ways. I may follow it and not be able to find you again.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Al said, putting the tea down on the nightstand. ¡°I think I see where this is going. You have no objections?¡± he asked Anladet.

    ¡°None. I think he¡¯ll make a great addition to our¡­whatever we call ourselves. Team?¡±

    She rummaged through Al¡¯s pack until she found the chalice. She wiped the inside of the bowl out and looked up at Telbarisk, who was giving her a curious look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s invisible for the moment.¡±

    She poured some of Al¡¯s herbal tea into the bowl, then handed the chalice to Telbarisk. He held it for a moment, moving his fingertips over the surface he couldn¡¯t see. The tea hung suspended in air, a seeming solid that swirled as he moved the cup.

    ¡°We need a little blood, too.¡± She held out a knife she had rummaged from her pack but he declined, biting the inside of his cheek, rubbing it with his thumb, and placing it on the bowl. He adjusted his grip, then took a small sip. He closed his eyes and drank the rest in one gulp.

    When he opened his eyes, he saw the goblet in full. He tilted it, examining it from different angles before handing it back to Anladet. ¡°It is a beautiful cup.¡±

    Alpine grinned. ¡°What color are the stones?¡±

    ¡°Red. The cup itself is yellow.¡±

    ¡°Well, it worked.¡± Al laid back down, fluffing his pillow. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t mind the company, but I¡¯m feeling a little drained still.¡±

    Anladet stood to leave at the same moment Telbarisk spoke. ¡°What does it mean, this thing that I drank.¡±

    ¡°What you drank doesn¡¯t matter. What the chalice does is link people together. For one year you can¡¯t move beyond one mile from either of us. That¡¯s all I know it does, at least. Now, about the sleep?¡±

    Telbarisk nodded and stood. ¡°This is a good thing, I think. I just wanted to know what¡­¡±

    He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Anla looked at Alpine, then opened the door. A man in a simple uniform, clean and crisp, stood on the other side. ¡°Letter for Mr. Dominek Choudril,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m his wife, I¡¯ll take that for him,¡± she said, thanking the man before he left.

    ¡°I did not know you were married,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t intruded on anything.¡±

    Anladet read the letter address as she closed the door. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not married,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re using it as a cover.¡±

    This worried Telbarisk. That was the second lie they had told him.

    Anladet handed Althe letter. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in trouble?¡±

    He sat up again to read the letter. ¡°No, I doubt it. If I had been outed, they would have addressed it to me by my wizard name.¡± He pried the wax seal off the back and noted a few smudges of ink on the brief page. It had either been written by a poor man without the proper tools to dry the ink or written in haste.

    ¡°¡¯Dear Dominek Choudril, Esquire,¡¯¡± he began, then skimmed the letter to relay the highlights. ¡°It seems word got around quickly. In the audience today at the trial was the Count of Carvek, who happened to be attending the church for a scheduled walk-through. He was impressed by my wit and rational thought throughout the trial and wanted a chance to speak with me personally about ¡®a general but measured discourse¡¯.¡± He looked up suddenly. ¡°He¡¯s offering us rooms in his manse for a night if we¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°That seems very generous. Are we really going to continue the charade, though? You seemed worried earlier about someone checking on your credentials.¡±

    ¡°I know, Anla, but it would be nice to stay. Besides, it would seem rude not to go. Maybe it would even make enemies of someone we don¡¯t want to make enemies of.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what if the duke heard about it? It would seem awfully difficult to explain to him what happened if we were in front of him again.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I understand that. Let¡¯s just stay briefly, just one night, and we¡¯ll move on as quickly as decorum dictates.¡±

    ¡°All right, Al. You can go show off to the count,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°Just one night, though, and only after you¡¯re healed enough. Tel and I will be back tomorrow. I¡¯m going to go find us rooms and dinner.¡±

    Telbarisk followed Anladet, waiting until she finished hugging and saying goodbye to Alpine. In that moment, as he stood waiting for Anla, it dawned on him that things moved swiftly around his two new companions. It was almost as if they weren¡¯t the leaves on the river, like everyone else, but the boulders in the stream that the water passed around. And then he understood. He said nothing, thinking it was best to be sure, absolutely sure, before he said something, but he felt very strongly that he was in the company of two hayinfal.

 Chapter 43

    Raulin Kemor stretched against the railing of the port beam, holding his hands tightly around the wood while pulling his body back. ¡°That appears to be a brutish storm,¡± he said to the captain.

    The man he addressed stood behind him and to the right, his hands in his coat pockets. Not once in the four and a half weeks of the journey across the Gamik Sea had the captain spoken to him, save the normal curt pleasantries expected in his position. Captain Lagres did his job well, but he was obviously wary of Raulin, as were most of the ship¡¯s crew.

    It was probably the mask. It made most people wary.

    When Raulin looked back briefly, he saw the captain opening his mouth a few times, his eyes locking with Raulin¡¯s before dropping again. He lit his pipe and relaxed as his gaze moved out beyond the port of the ship at the horizon.

    Raulin had been fine with the isolation up to a point. He¡¯d read every book he¡¯d brought with him five times over, gazed at the stars and plotted what he could, and even began whittling a replica of the Spirowan out of driftwood. He couldn¡¯t take it any more. He was starved for action and interaction. He craved a simple conversation. The storm seemed like a good enough ice breaker.

    It was quite a distance away, but it stretched on for miles. In the front, the clouds were a calm gray, lightly brushed to the sides and moving slowly. Deep within, blotting out the underside and staining the background, were dark clouds a foreboding shade of charcoal. Lightning flashed in tiny bolts and pops of light in the storm. A typical sights on the sea, though something about it made Raulin uneasy.

    After watching it for a few minutes, the captain finally responded. ¡°Aye. I¡¯ve seen few as large in my journeys.¡±

    Raulin almost sighed in relief. ¡°What¡¯s the expression you Westerners use again?¡± he asked. ¡°Kabidon is fighting with his sister?¡±

    ¡°Aye,¡± he answered. He moved closer, to stand next to the railing. ¡°My older brother is a priest of Kabidon. If you are interested in our religion, I could tell you all about Askilla and Rayik, if you wanted, sir.¡±

    Raulin already knew the mythology behind the High Twelve in and out, but feigning ignorance would extend the conversation. ¡°Please, I am interested.¡±

    The captain took the pipe out of his mouth and cleared his throat. ¡°Long, long ago, there was only Askilla and Rayik to rule the world and beyond. They were the opposites in everything; light and dark, male and female, sky and ground, hot and cold. For aeons things were in harmony. But, at some point, they made the decision to explore farther, to do more with their lives. The more they discovered and governed in the heavens, the harder it was for them to handle. They decided to split themselves apart into six pieces, each with their own minds, though linked in perspective. They became our pantheon.

    ¡°Rayik became the twin gods Kabidon and Magrithon, their sisters Queyella, Iondika, Uvarna, and their brother Kriskin. Akilla divided and became their balances. Beliforn and Aliorna, twins themselves, married Kabidon and Magrithon to cover the heavens, Man¡¯s creations, and his place among them. Queyella, dark and mysterious, is offset by the knowledge and assuredness of Cyurinin. While Miktos seeks to bring men together, his wife Uvarna culls the unjust from the good, law abiding citizens. Skethik is the lord of war and aggression; his wife, Iondika, is the repetition and patience involved with skill. And finally, Kriskin rules over death, but his wife, Zayine, is the goddess of life and bounty.¡±

    ¡°It seems like he taught you well. Thank you for honoring me with his teachings.¡±

    ¡°My pleasure. My brother feels it¡¯s his sworn duty to bring the light of the gods to everyone. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be grateful the next time he sees me.¡± He puffed on his pipe a few times as his crew took up an Aroukean sea chanty, some thinly veiled song that likened the land to their wives and the sea to their mistresses. Raulin knew Aroukean, but their style of singing clipped the words and relied heavily on slang, making it difficult to follow.

    Raulin watched the horizon again. The captain leaned next to him, pensive as he stared with him. ¡°Enjoying your voyage so far, sir?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. Very much so. The crew has been pleasant, I¡¯ve had no incidences, and I¡¯ll even admit that your cook is one of the finest seafaring chefs I¡¯ve ever had on the seas. It¡¯s amazing what he can do with such simple fare. However, and no offense offered, I¡¯m not a sailor and I will be happy to see land again.¡±

    The captain smiled at this. ¡°None taken, sir. I understand traveling the seas are a requirement for some and a retirement for others. The less seafaring men there are, the more sea there is for me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great way of looking at things. I like an optimistic man, especially a captain.¡±

    The man nodded his head once in deference. ¡°I find it¡¯s a healthy way of looking at the world. Helps a man find his place.¡±

    There was a lull as the two men looked south again. Raulin could sense the captain wanted to say something, but hesitated several times before he finally asked, ¡°Mind if I ask what your business in Gheny is?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°I think you can guess what my business is. Or what it will be, when I find it.¡± The captain¡¯s spine straightened a little. ¡°I should point out that I have no business on the Spirowan. There¡¯s nothing you need to fear.¡±

    The captain let out a long breath. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me saying, but you seem like a friendly sort of fellow. I¡¯ve never heard of a trirec being so congenial.¡±

    It was Raulin¡¯s turn to give the captain a nod of deference. ¡°Well, not every man is the same. Some gravitate towards social things while others prefer a bookish life. I will admit that many of my brethren are rather tight-lipped.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I happen to be of a different breed.¡±

    The captain looked hesitant again and puffed on his pipe for a few moments. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet a trirec, to see what they¡¯re like. Would you mind if I asked a few questions, since I have the opportunity?¡±

    Raulin¡¯s teachers would have told him to chide the man and walk away, to maintain the mystery and threat of the organization. It was considered punishable if they discovered he had spoken of their secrets. There was, however, a way around both that would please the order, should they hear about his loose tongue.

    Should he, though? Was it better to give the captain the grapes or the grapefruit? Sometimes it was better to let men believe trirecs were phantoms with mysterious powers. It helped steer the fear the public had into a wary respect that meant a trirec wouldn¡¯t be bothered on the street. However, there were times when it was better to make people comfortable around you. Raulin found that, when used with the right person and the right time, sharing information let you get something in return.

    He turned to face the older man, one arm still braced on the railing while the other hung loose at his side. ¡°Go right ahead,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain? I¡¯ve heard rumors about trirecs. If you¡¯re caught staring at a trirec, for instance, he¡¯ll find you in the middle of the night and slit your throat¡­¡±

    Raulin laughed lightly, to which the captain responded in a similar but more guarded way. ¡°You¡¯re confusing us for bogeymen or spring-heeled jacks. I can assure you that many of your men have been staring at me for weeks and they¡¯re all accounted for, I hope? Besides, why would I want to kill the captain of the ship I¡¯m on? I want to get to Gheny and I¡¯m not exactly sure of the competence of your first mate.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s good at what he does. I¡¯ve worked with him for six years now. Though,¡± he said, smiling, ¡°if you plan on killing me, he¡¯s terrible at his job.¡±

    Raulin laughed at his joke. ¡°Good crew, then. I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pleased with my company,¡± he said. ¡°I was curious about the masks you wear.¡±

    ¡°We are required to ritualistically scar our faces,¡± he said. ¡°The mask hides our face so that people aren¡¯t frightened of us. It makes walking the streets of cities easier, especially those in Noh Amair and Gheny who aren¡¯t used to seeing it.¡±

    In actuality, the only reason Raulin was wearing his mask on board was due to a gaff by the first mate of the ship. The trirec office in Arouk had sent a trirec down to book passage for Raulin and the first mate had correctly assumed that he was going to be a trirec as well. When he approached the first mate without his mask on, he had luckily caught the mistake in his open log before revealing his name. He¡¯d asked the man about their fees and feigned disgust at the price, then left to put on his mask and return. He wasn¡¯t about to kill the first mate to correct that mistake nor did he want to book passage on another ship. The Spirowan was a large galleon that had comfortable quarters available for passengers and was also sailing for Riyala in Genale. Another opportunity like that wasn¡¯t going to come along for months, so Raulin dealt with the inconvenience.

    It was the connection. He could show his face or he could be a trirec, but not both. The punishment for getting caught was severe enough not to risk it.

    The captain peered at him, as if he could see Raulin¡¯s skin through the mask. ¡°Really? It sounds like a ghastly procedure. Why would anyone want to do that?¡±

    ¡°I will admit some of the trirecs do not make it through the procedure. Many fall ill to infection or blood fever before they can recover. The reason we go through it at all is because it allows us to be a conduit for magic. We can hide better, move faster, see clearer in the night. Things of that nature.¡±

    ¡°And what of your nature? Are you¡­are you a man?¡±

    Raulin patted his chest as if he were confused. ¡°I believe so. Why, do you know something I don¡¯t?¡±

    The captain laughed at this, a genuine guffaw with a hint of nervousness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a stupid question. I¡¯ve heard tales of trirecs being changelings or the sons of demons. It¡¯s just nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Well, no, not entirely,¡± he said and the captain stopped laughing. ¡°We take in any and all, so some of us are a bit otherworldly. In Merak there are lots of creatures other than humans. There are spirits who walk the streets chained to masters. There are men who can grow and shrink at will. There are those who are very tiny, no taller than your knee.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen one?¡±

    ¡°Well, they are more common in Merak. A trirec that was winged or had horns would be a bit conspicuous in the West.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, this is true. I suppose you could finger one of them as a trirec easily.¡±

    ¡°We are good at blending in besides. If any of my differently raced brothers made their way to Gheny, you wouldn¡¯t see them.¡±

    The captain seemed to believe this nonsense and stared out at the storm again. ¡°This talk of tales and religion makes me yearn for my home. What of you, sir? Where do stay when you¡¯re not working? Where is your family?¡±

    He gave a dramatic sigh. ¡°My parents sold me to the trirecs when I was four, to pay off their debts. They are my brothers now and Merak is my home.¡± He was surprised to find talking about his family brought no pain that time. Usually it was difficult, even after all those years.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, sir. My family is a treasure to me. My parents are long gone, but I do visit my brother when I can. My wife and children are back home in Kitstuar. That¡¯s on the western coast of Noh Amair.¡±

    ¡°In between Arvonne and Arouk, if I remember correctly.¡±

    ¡°Aye, sir. That is where it is. That is my home.¡± He sighed heavily with such emotion that Raulin looked over at him. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose those scars of yours makes your fingers nimble. Are you good with tying knots?¡±

    ¡°Alas, I¡¯m terrible at it. I have clumsy fingers or else my family would have kept me. They were rug weavers.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. That¡¯s too bad. I may need you later tonight, nimble fingers or not. Until then, I suggest you get as much sleep as you can. That storm may look far away, but I guarantee you we won¡¯t outrun it. And when it hits, I¡¯ll pray to Queyella, but I¡¯ll still call for all hands on deck.¡±

 Chapter 44

    Though the sky was just blushing with orange and gold, Raulin took the captain¡¯s advice and retired early. His cabin was one of four for non-seaman and was tight with a single bed, dresser, and desk all bolted to the floor. After he closed and latched the door, he pushed an empty barrel he had borrowed from the ship in front of it. It was the only way to guarantee privacy.

    Once he was sure the door wouldn¡¯t open, he took off his mask and absently touched his face. This caused him to laugh quietly and shake his head. When he was training as a child, he had been told plenty of frightening rumors and tales. He had been twelve when he heard the one about a trirec¡¯s mask having magic strong enough to make things come true. It had taken him a full year to realize that, if that were the case, then many of the trirecs wouldn¡¯t be trirecs. Still, he couldn¡¯t resist the childish habit to check and make sure his face didn¡¯t have the scars he had mentioned.

    He placed his mask on the desk and the color reminded him of the storm. The outer mask was a polished steel with horizontal bars missing across the eyes, nose, and mouth in descending length. It was affixed to another mask below it, one of softer metal in charcoal and in a more traditional mask shape with holes around the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. Three black leather braids met in a silver buckle in the back and cinched the mask tightly to his head.

    He next undid the tie that held the tail of his medium brown hair away from his face and combed it a few times with his fingers, straightening the light waves of his locks. He took off his dark blue traveling shirt, raking it lightly over his back. No wings, either. He was surprised the captain had believed that one. He threw his shirt on top of the dresser and kicked off his boots before reclining on the bed.

    Raulin was worried. He had initially thought that storm was just a breezer, a minor inconvenience that would blow them off course or drench the boards that night. The conversation with the captain had changed his mind. The Spirowan was a large merchant ship with plenty of cargo to keep it set low and steady in the water, but still, the captain had seemed beyond concerned.

    That should have kept him awake. Jobs he had performed that required a lot of risk would usually keep Raulin up for most of the night, so it was peculiar that he closed his eyes and fell asleep into that dark twilight when there was nothing but peace.

    He heard a voice say ¡°ten¡± firmly, confidently. It almost startled him awake before he was dragged into the dream and chained. He was sitting in a chair, his head bowed, and could see nothing. When the person had said that word, his head snapped up and he looked towards them in some dark part of a large room. The word had given him hope where he¡¯d had only grim resolution moments before. And there was some feeling of confusion. It was.a man who spoke, a man whom he had known for some time, though he didn¡¯t recognize his voice in the present. In the dream he knew him well, though something had changed recently between them. There was a friendship with him and that surprised Raulin most of all. As of that moment, he had very few friends and none that sounded like him.

    The darkness cleared to him sitting on a ship, one larger than the Spirowan. He sat leaning against a railing when a woman leaned in to speak to him. She was backlit against the sun, which kept blinding him when she moved her head. She was beautiful beyond what he could see of her face, which was hard to view with the spots in his eyes. They were having a conversation about something concerning the future, something involving travel. He felt an intense, deep love for her. She loved him, too. He wanted so badly to reach out to her, to draw her into an embrace, but something stopped him. Their conversation remained chaste and ended when she stood. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to make a decision, then,¡± she said with a smile that made his heart ache.

    She was the only person he saw during his dream. It went muddled, then black again. This time there was pain, burning and throbbing. There was no fear with it, though, only an exultant relief that something terrible was over. He felt the same woman from before hold his face and kiss him, tears streaming from her cheeks onto his. He grinned and heard a deep baritone say, ¡°He looks good for a man who¡¯s died three times,¡± with a dry wit. He laughed and put his arm out, which was swallowed by that man¡¯s and squeezed once.

    Lastly, he heard a voice that was familiar, someone from his childhood. ¡°I would like to meet the woman who made you a king.¡± He felt tenderly to that man, as if he were a long lost uncle. This time, things were coming together, not up in the air. He felt anticipation, resolve, duty. He felt changed into someone he was proud to be.

    Raulin was pulled slowly out of the dream. The emotion clung to him, filled his veins and his mind with thoughts that weren¡¯t his own. He wanted to stay asleep, to let it linger, but it was fading. He moaned as he opened his eyes, immediately irritable.

    It was as if he were a beggar on the streets during an ice storm, staring inside a window to see a fire lit and warming the parlor. He hadn¡¯t felt happiness, the deeper kind, for years. Life was always ¡®almost¡¯ for him, some fascimile of normalcy that most men took for granted. He secretly craved domesticity and comfort. He¡¯d spoken of the hunger to no one. There wasn¡¯t anyone who could understand he was forced to live a life that he didn¡¯t want. From what he¡¯d heard from almost everyone he encountered, he lived ¡®the good life¡¯. He traveled, he ate rich foods, he had plenty of excitement with and without women. But these people that envied him usually had what he did not. He could buy dinner in the best restaurants, but never eat a home cooked meal. He could rent the nicest room in the most luxurious hotels, but never sit by a hearth with his children. He could even buy a woman and pay her to pretend to love him, but know the entire time it was just a business exchange. No one envies what every man has, except the man who doesn¡¯t have it.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    And for that dream, he¡¯d had it. But it wasn¡¯t real and it was gone.

    Raulin found it easier to mock the dream then to cope with the loss. ¡°How does a man die three times?¡± he said to himself. ¡°No man lives more than once, that¡¯s just¡­ stupid.¡± But the tone of the man¡¯s voice, while mirthful, had also been also truthful. And what about the last declaration? He scoffed at that. ¡°What, am I going to start rescuing queens now? Perhaps a king will pay me to save his daughter from a dragon and we¡¯ll fall madly in love.¡± He shook his head. There was no woman on Yine who could make Raulin a king.

    It was just a reverie, messing with my memory, he thought, almost humming the tune to a famous song from his homeland. He drew his blanket up to his chin and fell asleep again.

    He was awoken abruptly when his head slammed into the side of the bureau. Raulin jolted to standing, throwing on his shirt and mask, then quickly tying his hair back just to get it out of the way. He laced up his boots and checked his person to make sure all his knives were in their right places.

    Raulin moved the barrel in front of his door and was slammed in the face as it swung back at him. The force was strong enough that, even protected with his mask, he saw stars. He moved carefully down the hallway to the deck, grabbing ahold of the walls to steady himself.

    The captain had been right. It was pure bedlam aboard the ship. The rain poured in sheets across the deck, the wind visible by its effects. Men were running around everywhere, unfastening ropes and securing cargo. The torrent caused the men to slip unless they held a wall or mast for support. Raulin was soaked through in just a few seconds.

    ¡°Captain!¡± he yelled over the heavy sound of rain and thunder in the distance. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±

    The captain, manning the wheel on the quarterdeck, called his boatswain over and exchanged a few words. ¡°Are you a climber?¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Excellent climber!¡±

    ¡°Good! Man the crow¡¯s nest on the mizzenmast and look for rogue waves!¡±

    The boatswain grabbed Raulin by the arm, to keep them steady as he lead him to the rear of the ship and pointed up. Raulin touched the heel of his hands together and twisted, giving him the ¡°I understand¡± sign and hoping he knew what that meant.

    He¡¯d had ample practice climbing up everything imaginable in his work, and therefor scurried up the ratline quickly. He passed the lower nest, which was already occupied, and headed to the upper one. From there he could see miles in every direction, even farther when the lightning flashed.

    The sea was angry. It was the only way he could describe it. The waves churned and broke on each other, fighting to take over the skies. It made peaks and valleys in miniature mountain ranges that shifted in each moment.

    It dawned on Raulin, as he watched the terrifying spectacle, how likely he was to get fried by a lightning strike. He also realized he didn¡¯t know nautical terms and wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the crew where the wave was if he saw one. Then, he wondered how they were even going to hear him over the roar of the storm.

    The ship dipped, seemingly hanging in mid-air. Raulin¡¯s stomach lurched. He hoped there wouldn¡¯t be anyone below him on deck if he emptied his stomach.

    ¡°Wave! Starboard bow!¡± he heard from the crow¡¯s nest below. He looked around and saw the monstrous wave to his right, dozens of feet tall. The men on deck started a chanty, a song with that limped every other beat. It guided them as the sailors hauled lines and braced for impact.

    The galleon turned, aiming for the center of the wave. It pierced it, walls of water pluming out and drenching the ship from the beak to the main mast. Raulin watched as the crew helped each other up after the spray and continued on their jobs. The ship turned back towards the left and proceeded on course.

    Ten minutes passed. Raulin grew seasick from the constant dropping and rising of the ship while his eyes kept on the horizon. Another massive wave formed and Raulin got the credit for spotting it first. He yelled and pointed, the man below him looking up to follow his gesture. The five other sailors yelled and directed the ship again.

    His stomach lurched and he thought, if only for the benefit of the man below him, he should get down. Perhaps there was something he could do on deck. He was about to climb down when he heard, ¡°Wave! Starboard bow!¡±

    Because he was already facing port to climb down the ratline, he saw it first while everyone else was looking starboard. ¡°Wave!¡± he yelled and pointed to the left.

    The man below him turned around, then said, ¡°Wave. Port bow.¡±

    Raulin wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought the crew went silent before they took up another chanty. It was hard to hear it over the waves, but he caught bits of it. It was soulful, a call and response in a minor key. He caught snippets of phrases. Some were pleads, others laments. He caught one line of lyrics that sent a shiver down his spine, asking Queyella to meet them when they embraced their graves below.

    The ship wasn¡¯t turning. He blinked for a few moments, turned to watch both of the waves, then sighed bitterly. There wouldn¡¯t be any time to hit the first wave head-on, then turn to face the other. They¡¯d hit one right after another and the ship would capsize or be ripped apart.

    Raulin was going to die. Why did this time feel different than all the other times he¡¯d faced it? Because only a few hours ago he had been showed redemption. ¡°Why?¡± he shouted into the storm. ¡°Why send me that dream only to kill me? Are you punishing me for choosing my life? I didn¡¯t choose it! You chose this for me!¡±

    He panted heavily, still yelling angrily. ¡°Do you think I would choose how things turned out if I could? Don¡¯t blame me! You¡¯re the one who stole them from me!¡±

    The ship hit the starboard bow wave. He could feel it dip low in the ocean as it swelled. He clung to the crow¡¯s nest, wishing there was some way to wrap himself in the ropes.

    ¡°Why?¡± he yelled for the last time as the wave hit.

 Chapter 45

    Raulin felt awful and remembered nothing at first. He must have swallowed buckets of sea water before the crew had fished him out of the ocean. He was still drenched, but at least he was safe.

    He opened his eyes and saw only the darkness. Several hours must have passed, based on the calm nature of the sea, but it was still too dark. His eyes adjusted, his night vision augmented by the properties of his mask, but the only light came from the stars. Even more frightening: there were no lanterns, either. He was in the water, not on the ship. His arms were around something¡­wooden. The mizzenmast, most likely. He kicked his feet and felt the weight of his boots. A quick survey showed he still had his pants, shirt, and the infernal mask. Everything else was likely lost, including all the trirec paperwork he had been carrying to the Gheny offices.

    He tried climbing on top of the mast, but his weight displaced it enough that it sank below the surface. There was no way to comfortably lay on top of it. He tried very hard not to think of how many creatures were below him and how many of them might be hungry.

    The sky began to gray a few hours later and he saw then how far the sea stretched. Again, he asked ¡®why?¡¯ to whomever had put him in this situation, though he saved his raw voice this time. He lived, sure, but for how long? Would he starve to death before becoming dehydrated or would something else get him?

    The light showed the waves gently lapping against the flotsam from the ship. He had expected the captain, as a man of good intentions, to return to the area and search for survivors if he could. Sails entangled with masts, barrels, planks of wood, and bottles littered the ocean as far as he could see. There wouldn¡¯t be a rescue for him. The remains of the ship and crew surrounded him, their graves below just as they had predicted with their song.

    He began to panic, realizing how far away the ends of everything were. The sky went on forever. The sea¡¯s bottom had never been touched. In every direction the ocean went on and on. He had to take several deep breaths before the fear dissipated to level-headedness.

    He was surprised to find himself wanting to survive if only to find those people from the dream. He wanted to meet those two men. He wanted to figure out which person he had met that knew he was going to be king. But mostly he wanted to find that woman. He had no idea from there what would happen; he couldn¡¯t marry her. Trirecs were forbidden from having families. But that dream had given him such hope that he could.

    ¡°Queyella,¡± he croaked, fingering the string of beads he wore on his hip. ¡°I promise to donate one hundred gold to the first of your temples I find if I¡¯m rescued. Please let me see land again.¡±

    He waited,but no one came for him. He gathered some of the debris, paddling while still clinging to the mast. The ripped sail became a blanket, to protect him from the sun that had already starting burning his neck. He kept his mask on for the same protection, though he still wished he could be free of the damned thing. He lashed empty barrels and boards together, making a leaky but stable enough platform for him to lie on and finally rest.

    Which he did. For the whole day he rested, alternately sleeping under the sheet and popping his head out to see if anything had changed. Nothing. Just sea, clouds, and sky. He tried to sleep as much as possible, more to stave off ennui than to recover lost energy.

    Boredom was a terrible thing for a trirec. He had killed his first man at age fifteen and had been an assassin, thief, and spy in the eleven years since then. Some men were built for it, sick and twisted, enjoying their triumphs. Most weren¡¯t.

    Raulin was of the latter. He didn¡¯t mind the spying, so long as he never heard about the consequences. Stealing was just relocating items, which were pretty things people shouldn¡¯t be so attached to anyway. But killing¡­ That was a permanent destruction of a life. That was the part that bothered him the most.

    Arvarikor, the name of both the trirec school and the organization, chose their students at age four. It was impossible to tell at that point if the child would grow to be blindly obedient or grow a conscience. Instead of breaking little children, like some institutions and churches did, they worked with imperfections. They dispensed many philosophies about assassination. The past is a poison, they had taught him. Taste it, to learn from your mistakes, but never grow to love the flavor. Some would stick and rattle in the back of the mind so long as it was occupied. And occupation was fine, too, so long as you understood your loyalties and you didn¡¯t compromise your job.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    But Raulin was very much not occupied at that moment. He had no job to prepare for and, since his Noh Amairian jobs had gone well, nothing to review. He tried hard not to think of his life, but he was alone and with a lot of time to do only that. It made him feel heavy, guilty, disappointed in himself. He had killed dozens, maybe even a hundred men, and even a few women, over the years of his career. He¡¯d never flinched at the idea, but he¡¯d also never thought heavily about it.

    You are just a knife, a tool, he thought, repeating the litanies of Arvarikor. You carry out what will happen eventually. Through you the world is balanced.

    Take pride in knowing you are of the best in the world at what you do. You trained, you survived, you thrived.

    Death comes to all. Kill because it¡¯s fair for someone to pay for your parents¡¯ deaths.

    The last one was the one that worked best. His parents had not sold him to Arvarikor, like he had told Captain Lagres. (All those seeds sown in a salted field.) Every trirec was an orphan, including Raulin. It stopped them from bringing loyalties into the system and from avoiding potential conflicts of interest. His parents had been killed, by fire he had been told, though he learned later that wasn¡¯t true. It didn¡¯t matter much; they were dead and he had no one in his life that was family.

    It was a slow, quietly burning rage inside of him, always constant. His parents had been murdered and he wanted someone to pay for it. He had latched onto this thought early in his training and used it as his motivation.

    Only, so many deaths later and he still didn¡¯t feel vindicated.

    Could he stop assassinating? He wouldn¡¯t miss it. In fact, he¡¯d prefer a life of just stealing and spying. Spying was often fun for him, allowing him to play roles and hobnob with people. He excelled at it, too. Any trirec could sneak into a house and stab someone, but to get a man to spill his secrets was an art form. His expertise made him highly sought out in Noh Amair and Gheny, which was why he traveled between those two continents.

    It was expected that he would take a balanced docket; Arvarikor didn¡¯t like their trirecs growing stale in a certain skill set. It would look highly suspicious and might be noted if he suddenly dropped all of his assassination contracts. So, no, he couldn¡¯t stop completely. But he might be able to reduce the number from one third to one sixth.

    His second promise, if he survived.. He¡¯d give money to Queyella and he¡¯d take as few assassinations as possible.

    He was thirsty and hungry, but thirsty more. He imagined the ladle and barrel on the ship where anyone could scoop water and drink, or douse themselves and wash away their sweat. He¡¯d give anything for one ladle, the water overfilling his mouth and spilling down his chin.

    Who was the god of fresh water? Was Queyella in charge of all of it or just the briny kind? He¡¯d have to ask.

    He began running through what he knew of Gheny. The places he¡¯d been, the customs, the food, the culture. What he¡¯d been looking forward to on his trip in Liyand was Courmet, with its high civility. The best food came from there, as well as the best art, the best fashion, and the best society. Of course, Genale was breathtaking. He wouldn¡¯t mind spending some time in the Oloran mountains again, either.

    Was there anyone to watch out for? Had he made any enemies? That was the nice thing about wearing a mask: if someone saw you, they¡¯d have no idea who you were from all the other trirecs. No, he felt relatively safe in Gheny. In fact, he had a few acquaintances he could tap again for swift entry into high society. A little social call to Viscount Remint in New Wextif could open almost any door to him in Courmet, perhaps even Shingden. He knew a few others well enough to lean on their relationship for invites to soirees, balls, and masquerades that would be closed to the public.

    His long list of familiar people didn¡¯t include any safe houses or spirit climbers, as they were called in the profession. He¡¯d only been to Gheny twice and hadn¡¯t needed to rely on making deeper connections. It was also harder to turn people into spirit climbers if he didn¡¯t have the support behind him. Most were located in Merak and knew the ins and outs of the mountains well enough that they could escort trirecs out of hot situations. They were often families on retainer. There were few, if any, in Gheny.

    He was relieved when the sky started to turn vivid pink and purple. He began thinking of other sunsets he¡¯d seen. Which ones would he list as his favorite? It¡¯s hard to beat a sunset in Kinto. It¡¯s hard to beat anything in Kinto, for that matter. It was often known as paradise, written, sung, and spoken about as the most beautiful place in the world. He¡¯d been to Kinto a dozen times, often vacationing there when he was done his quota of jobs for the year. Besides Merak and home, he knew Kinto well enough to understand that even the most beautiful place has its negative qualities. No land exists without its homeless, orphans, thieves, whores, swindlers, and thugs. Kinto was no exception. But, still, he loved the land and even a woman there.

    He thought of Mayasena before the stars showed. They were going to be married once, but life has its own plans. He never knew, never wanted to know, if she had moved on and married, but at the same time hoped she had contentment. It couldn¡¯t be him, but as the one person he¡¯d considered a true friend in his life, he could only hope she was happy with a new love.

    The air chilled and he began to shiver. He wrapped the sail around him tighter, but knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. The water would leech his warmth. He moved his arms and hands to generate heat, but he was still fatigued from the lack of food and water. He slept some that night, but not enough.

 Chapter 46

    It was sometime around late morning on the second day that he started to give up hope. He had heard it called ¡°the drowning of the spirit¡±, whereby, once you gave up struggling, it got easier. There was less anger and frustration, more resolution, and even the relief that he wouldn¡¯t need to worry any longer about water, food, and warmth.

    Some might hold out for longer; Raulin simply did the mathematics of his plight. He knew roughly how wide the Gamik Sea was and could guess how many ships were upon it at any given point in time. While he was still in the pathway of one of the major routes, just one mile would be the difference between rescue or languishing at sea.

    So, with the reality of the rest of his life in front of him, he moved on to resignation. He had been trained for this. His job was dangerous. Sometimes a trirec would die by the hands of another in a fight. Sometimes it was execution or a fatal mistake when escaping. And sometimes they wouldn¡¯t even be in a contract, perhaps sailing on a ship that got too close to a hurricane. Whether it was a broken spine or their lifeblood spilling out, they needed to reach a point of finality.

    He was supposed to prepare himself for his next life. He was supposed to review his skills and successes in his career, bottle them up, and send them off in hopes that he would remember them when he was chosen again as a trirec. It was the Merakian way.

    He¡¯d rather starve to death on the streets of Kamwaistom than to live another life as a trirec.

    So, he didn¡¯t think about the quickest and most silent deaths he had bestowed or the greatest treasures he¡¯d stolen. He thought about his family. He thought about his mother and his father, of his brother and sisters. He remembered the best times with them, the fond memories of hugs and kisses, of playing, of laughing.

    He thought about all the time he had spent in between dockets, the few weeks or months each year he spent in good company. He had a few dear friends across the globe, each having a level of camaraderie with a man they didn¡¯t know was a trirec. He¡¯d had a few women he¡¯d spent time with, some he might even consider lovers. They hadn¡¯t known, either, but it hadn¡¯t mattered. Each had been a brief escape into a normal life.

    He thought about so many other things. Exotic dishes, all the conversations he¡¯d had, the best parties and soirees. And all of it was going to die with him, like a priceless book being burned.

    Acceptance. He was going to die.

    Understanding. Who was going to be the master of his death?

    His choice came down to whether he was going to take matters into his own hands or let nature take its course. A lungful of water would be the quickest way. A slash across his throat with one of his knives would be fast, too, but painful, especially if he did it wrong and it attracted sharks. He couldn¡¯t figure out a way to strangle himself with the rope available or his laces.

    After many hours on his raft, the water keeping his clothes continuously soaked, but not cool enough to ease his burns, he decided to let his life ebb slowly instead of ending it quickly. He didn¡¯t want to die, didn¡¯t have that dark, dispair that some men got when things grew bleak. Even though no ship was coming for him, he could still live what little he had to the fullest by remembering the best moments of it. So, he continued with his thoughts.

    He was right: there was no ship coming for him. But there was, however, a peculiar shape on the horizon that was growing closer and closer. It was dark and larger than a man standing, wider by twice that size. It made a back-and-forth motion, not unlike a quadrille step he had learned where the male and female almost touched opposite shoulders. As the thing lumbered on, he kept imagining two very heavy dancers huffing and puffing across the ballroom.

    He realized it wasn¡¯t coming towards him. It was going to pass him by. He took a chance that whatever it was didn¡¯t have any bad intentions and started flapping his arms. ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled, his voice gravelly from thirst.

    It stopped and he continued to wave and shout, slapping the water to make noise. It started towards him and he cheered. Yes, he thought. Either I¡¯m going to be saved or killed quickly.

    When the thing reached the edge of where the flotsam was, he saw it for what it was. It was a large raft, something that could be even called a houseboat. On the raft were all sorts of items from the sea or items left behind by unfortunate souls, like the crew of the Spirowan. Bottles, barrels, nets, poles, masts, driftwood, and planks mixed with bones of sea creatures, shells, coral, and tropical plants to make a sort of scalloped cave on the back of the raft. In the front, powering a device that pushed two large paddles on either side, was a to¡¯ken.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Raulin had never met one before, but knew it must be a to¡¯ken. It was hard to tell if it was male or female based on its body shape and clothing, but Raulin decided it was a he based on his aggressive pose. Seaweed wrapped his chubby torso from his armpits to his navel. Around his waist were several nets that made a skirt of sorts. His skin was pale and thick with a slimy texture to it, his head hairless with two slight ridges back from eyebrow to neck. He was small of stature with shorter legs and longer arms, both with wide, flat feet and hands that were slightly webbed.

    ¡°R¡¯th kuda?¡± he asked, holding a spear tilted towards Raulin but not pointing at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak your language,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Eshkra nauthif, eslia shaulintess.¡±

    He knew seven languages fluently, another eleven conversationally, and a smattering of perhaps another two dozen. He started speaking from the former set, hoping the to¡¯ken spoke one of them. He switched from Merakian to Ghenian, then Walpin, Aroukean, Seyanese, Kintasian, and then finally, Arvonnese.

    ¡°These words I know,¡± the to¡¯ken said. It would have to be Arvonnese, of course.

    ¡°I¡¯m stranded and I need someone to take me to Gheny. Or the closest place I can get a boat to Gheny.¡±

    ¡°I can see that. What happened to your boat?¡±

    ¡°It was shipwrecked a day ago during a storm.¡±

    ¡°I know about this storm. This is why I am here, to see if anything remains.¡± He peared over Raulin¡¯s boat. ¡°I will take your things.¡±

    ¡°You can have them, if you bring me to Gheny. Riyala in Genale or Hanala in Sharka will do.¡±

    The to¡¯ken shifted his spear from hand to hand quickly. ¡°I agree to this exchange. What do you have of worth?¡±

    Raulin swam over to the to¡¯ken¡¯s houseboat, dragging his poorly cobbled raft behind him. The discomfort of heatstroke and burns stayed, but he felt peculiar about the situation. He wasn¡¯t elated. He was almost disappointed, actually, and he felt that was very odd. It was almost as if Raulin had been prepared for death so much that this man arriving had been a trespass on something almost sacred to him. He had been with his memories so strongly. He wanted to die with them.

    But, the opportunity had arrived. Queyella had sent someone and he was going to live. He was a mess, but at least he was better than a corpse. ¡°I grabbed everything I could find. I couldn¡¯t open these barrels, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in them.¡±

    He could have, having many knives tucked away on his person, but it was more he didn¡¯t want to risk opening a barrel that floated, only to have it fill with water and leave him without bouyancy. When the to¡¯ken opened the first, he realized he¡¯d made a good choice.

    ¡°Hardtack,¡± Raulin explained. ¡°It¡¯s food.¡± He would have grown even thirstier.

    The second barrel, however, made him feel foolish. ¡°This is beer,¡± he said, after dipping his fingers in and tasting them. He wanted ever so badly to cup his hands in the sweet, golden nectar and drink his fill.

    ¡°So, you bring me items I can eat and drink, but what about you? Why should I keep you alive when I could slit you open and throw you back in the sea?¡±

    Raulin paused as he tried climbing aboard the raft. ¡°Because you made an agreement?¡±

    The to¡¯ken shrugged, but still didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t point his spear at Raulin, which made him think he was trying to look for a better deal, not to renege on their initial contract. ¡°I would like your clothing and your metal.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t agree to that. You take me to Gheny in exchange for the barrels and this raft.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t agree to how you were to arrive in Gheny. I could still slit your belly open and let your innerds feed the sea creatures, then take your rotting corpse to Gheny. We would be fair.¡±

    The trirec had to kick himself. He¡¯d learned that, when societies clung together with limited resources, they either learned to share equally or become extremely shrewd. The to¡¯ken, apparently, were very crafty with negotiations and this one was an embodiment of the virtue. It appeared, though, from what Raulin could understand of his gestures and body language, that he¡¯d prefer to make more money than kill the trirec.

    He used his ace in the hole. ¡°If you bring me to Gheny, I will escort you to the trirec compound and they will pay you a considerable sum.¡±

    ¡°Sum? How much sum?¡±

    ¡°Fifty gold.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means you can buy lots and lots of things. Barrels of food, trinkets, clothes, whatever you need.¡± He pointed to the barrel of beer. ¡°This, right here, can give you all the drink you¡¯d need for weeks, maybe months. This is worth about five gold.¡±

    ¡°Why will they give me gold for you?¡±

    Raulin wasn¡¯t entirely sure Arvarikor would pay, since he wouldn¡¯t be dead or on a job, but he felt he was enough of an asset that they¡¯d go along with it. ¡°If a trirec dies while on a job and a man returns his mask to any trirec building, he is given fifty gold. No questions are asked and no bounty is put on him.¡±

    ¡°This still doesn¡¯t answer why I shouldn¡¯t kill you, dump your corpse in the nearest harbor, and turn the mask in.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you know where the nearest trirec building is?¡±

    ¡°I can ask. Humans can be helpful for free, sometimes.¡±

    ¡°They can also be greedy. I promise to guard your property, this mask, until you are paid your reward. I will not help anyone else by telling them where to go or how to get money. Only you.¡±

    The to¡¯ken shifted his spear from hand to hand for a few moments, then stopped. ¡°I agree to this exchange.¡±

    ¡°Great, now please may I have some water?¡±

 Chapter 47

    The rest of the morning was spent paddling around the area and collecting anything useful from the wreckage. Raulin felt like they were picking daisies off of a grave. He was silent in reverence to the lives lost, though he wished to convince the to¡¯ken to hurry. He¡¯d rather not linger in that area for every reason he thought.

    In their haul were many barrels they lashed to the back of the vessel. Raulin was annoyed to find that a few were fresh water. He had gulped every drop the to¡¯ken had given him greedily until the ladle was snatched from him. They also found salted pork, churned butter, a spice called koubisque, and salt. He wondered if he could have gathered these and subsisted until he rowed himself to Gheny. Unlikely. He had no idea where he was in relation to the coast. Was he several days away or was it on the other side of the horizon?

    However his might-have-beens played out to, he had water, food, shelter, and a hard platform to stand on. He was half-way to being civilized again. Once he had a shave, a bath, and clean clothes, he might even resemble a dashing, young merchant, albeit a masked one.

    With the valuable flotsam claimed, the to¡¯ken was ready to leave. ¡°You will paddle,¡± he said, pointing to the powering contraption in the front of the vessel. It was two foot panels that were attached to large paddles on either side of the boat. He¡¯d have to stand to do it, but he could steady himself with the bar that extended in front to steer.

    Raulin took off his boots, thinking it would be nice to have one article of clothing that was dry, and began. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked the to¡¯ken.

    ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°What are you called? What do I call you if I need you?¡±

    ¡°Neshihonaslidani-fassineshra-swayistonil.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Do you think I could just call you, um, Neshihon?¡±

    ¡°This term is acceptable. What do the other Metal Faces call you?¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, nodding his head slowly. ¡°I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry? Why?¡±

    Neshihon pointed from his reclined position in his bed and Raulin adjusted course. ¡°You have such a short name. You have not accomplished much in your life. Our king¡¯s name takes several minutes to say properly because he is such a great man. I will one day have a long name.¡±

    ¡°Metal Faces are given new names when we kill our first man. I was not born with this name.¡±

    Neshihon made an awed noise. ¡°How many Metal Faces have you killed?¡±

    ¡°None. We don¡¯t kill each other. I have killed many Westerners and Merakians, though.¡± To murder some minutes, Raulin regaled Neshihon with some of the more interesting tales. He had many to choose from, having spent almost twelve years as a trirec and had told them many times to different trirecs in different cities and countries. While he had never been particularly proud of his accomplishments, he had never been so regretful. He didn¡¯t even finish his long list before drifting off in thought.

    It took Raulin the better part of the afternoon to paddle to the barge-village where Neshihon lived. ¡°This is Onshalitha,¡± he said, standing next to Raulin and pointing with his spear. ¡°There is no way for you to steal the hospitality I¡¯ve given you by leaving, so you may walk about freely once we have joined. Remember, though, you are my property until someone else pays for you. You are to strike no deals with anyone else. Besides, ¡± he said with an arrogant air, ¡°no one would dare go against me.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± he said. He was happy the mask hid his smirk. He usually found overly confident people amusing, but they were usually quick to anger at being mocked.

    Neshihon took over and paddled his craft into a position that was far down the wharf where many other boats like his were anchored. He spent several minutes tying ropes of varying sizes in the front of his vessel to the pier. Raulin was about to disembark to see if he could find refinement and sophistication through the cunning use of water when another to¡¯ken stepped onto the vessel, snarled a few sentences, and cuffed him upside the head.

    Raulin didn¡¯t know what to do. He watched, hoping he wasn¡¯t about to be expelled, and realized after a few minutes what was going on. When the person left, he said, ¡°You were naughty, weren¡¯t you?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Neshihon puffed up and turned to face him, his face flush. ¡°My mother did not want me to leave and chance a great haul. She said it was too dangerous. She was not happy despite the fact that I have brought back riches for my tribe.¡±

    ¡°Is everything fine for me, then? Am I allowed to be here or is that taboo?¡±

    Neshihon finished lashing his boat to the wharf in an agitated way. ¡°I will speak to the elders. They will hear me and know that you will bring us riches. You will be allowed to stay.¡±

    Raulin sighed and left, disappointed his fate was in the hands of a teenage boy.

    There was much to take in while he walked into the village. The individual houseboats lined the areas along the main walkways, piers that led into the village center from many different points . It was easy to tell the difference between the rafts and the main village, though they appeared to mimic the center on a much smaller scale. The village was sturdier, for starters, made of several layers of planks that might not match in width but at least didn¡¯t leave any gaps. The platform rose higher the farther from the main walkway it got, high enough that it rose five feet from the ocean¡¯s surface.

    The farthest point from the walkway contained an area beautiful in its chaos. It seemed to be a major social area of some sort, though it was hard to tell from his first impression if it held shops, houses, temples, administrative buildings, or a combination thereof. The whole place was one large, connected half circle with rooms partitioned in varying widths. The same materials the to¡¯ken used on their private boats were used here, only with an artful eye to decoration. Shells were arranged on the top level as tiling for roofs. Sails were used as privacy curtains and decorated with beautiful stitching and dyes. Ship masts, portholes, wheels, railings, window panes, even a crow¡¯s nest was repurposed to fit the needs of a people who took what remained when tragedy struck. Even a figurehead of a barnacled mermaid made an appearance to guard the fresh water cistern in the middle of the square.

    And all around the place, save a circle around the cistern, was dirt and sand packed into the floor. The sand held many large sea treasures, such as a gigantic conch shell and a small garden made of coral. The dirt held plants that actually grew, their roots snaking down the walls to pierce the platform and drink from the sea. The area was lush with greenery that was stippled with fuschias, bright yellows, and dark peach flowers. The air smelled refreshingly sweet, unlike what Raulin would have expected from a place with tight quarters.

    The to¡¯ken walked about, slapping their fat feet down in no hurry. Children played, men courted women, grandmothers gossiped. It was like anywhere else Raulin had been, only with its own brand of peculiarity. Everyone had the same clammy skin, almost translucent, like the flesh of a sole or a cod. They wore their heads unadorned, but dressed their fingers and wrists with jewels as much as possible. Their clothes were what could be stolen from ships or manufactured from the sea, dark greens, tans, and strips of cloth from long discarded flags.

    Amidst the vivid motion of the crowd, one man stood out to Raulin. He was dark-haired, his half naked body covered in ample fur. He was washing clothes in a bucket, dressed only in a loincloth. His body had long tanned in the sun, making his complexion dark like a Kintoan or another from the Empire. He watched him for a few moments, guessing a few things as the puzzle pieces connected. He walked over and skipped Merakian, Walpin, and all the other tongues and headed straight to greeting him in Arvonnese.

    The man looked up sharply, then calmed as he looked Raulin over. ¡°And here I thought I¡±d be the strangest human even to grace these boards.¡±

    ¡°If I had my way, I would have arrived in Gheny by now and you could revel in your strangeness. I was shipwrecked while crossing from Noh Amair and was rescued by a kindly to¡¯ken.¡±

    The man grunted. ¡°Now, when you say ¡®rescued¡¯ do you mean rescued or rescued? I was rescued once. I¡¯m still being rescued it seems.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, crouching next to the man.

    ¡°I mean, I was found much like you were. My ship sprung a leak and I was chosen to help lighten the load, in hopes of sacrificing some for the survival of many. I was sent overboard with dozens of others with some supplies near a chain of islands near here. About half of us survived to walk on those shores. Then, infighting caused half of those people to leave for somewhere else. That left a dozen when a to¡¯ken passed by and promised rescue. I drew the longest straw that time and left with him. Only, I hadn¡¯t negotiated properly. I had to work off my rescue by coming here. That¡¯s done with, but now I¡¯m working to pay someone to get me to Gheny.¡±

    Raulin finally sat down. ¡°When is your debt paid?¡±

    The man shrugged and went back to washing his clothes. ¡°Sometime soon, I suppose. I¡¯ll get around to asking one of these days.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a lively place, then? Seems a bit isolated for my tastes. Nary a bar or parlor, as far as I can see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much more interesting when they drift Onshalitha to the Akshel Islands. Every so often, something to do with lunar eclipses or alignments in the heavens, they¡¯ll celebrate by journeying back to their homeland. They give birth and raise their young there, then return to a town when the little ones are old enough to fend for themselves. They, too, set out once they can make their own riff.

    ¡°But that¡¯s them. I spend my time teaching the to¡¯ken my tongue and learning theirs. I help scavange after storms and tell them what some of the items are.¡± He cleared his throat and smirked. ¡°If you¡¯d do me a favor, please don¡¯t tell them what that seat cover is really used for. Kind of hard to delicately explain that one.¡±

    Raulin followed the man¡¯s arm and saw he was pointing at a porcelein circle used on some of the fancier passenger ships for the head. He chuckled lightly. ¡°Your secret is safe with me,¡± he said, standing to leave.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be eating soon. You¡¯ll have to enjoy the delicacy they¡¯ve prepared for us tonight. A rare treat.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    The man gave a toothy grin. ¡°Fish.¡±

 Chapter 48

    Raulin had parted company with the strange man and spent some time strolling throughout the village. There wasn¡¯t too much to be seen. Aside from the docks and the walkways that connected the house boats to the main village, there were only a few other clusters of buildings and the occasional art piece or garden. He gathered that everyone must sleep in their vessels at night and used the town only to trade and connect briefly.

    There wasn¡¯t much he could do other than observe. The fleeting eye contact from the to¡¯ken seemed not wary or hostile, but derisive, as if he was an idiot for getting caught in a storm and needing rescue by a child. Those still in their shops sneered at him, even when he spoke Arvonnese politely. The spice merchant seemed the nicest, but she was old and spent most of the conversation squinting her eyes and leaning forward. Likely she thought he was the other human.

    Two young to¡¯ken shoved past him and took pinches of different spices from the large seashells the old woman held them in. She smiled a toothless grin and nodded. Each put down a coin that looked like rounded brown shell and took off without saying anything. Realizing he had no currency, in money and respect, Raulin headed back to the village center.

    Raulin found Neshihon and every other to¡¯ken in line waiting for their food already. When he apologized for being late, Neshihon shrugged. ¡°Early or late, you will wait until I am finished before eating.¡±

    Raulin saw that everyone in line had their own spoons, bowls, and cups. ¡°Where do I get my own?¡±

    Neshihon laughed. ¡°You will use mine when I am finished. You do not own anything while you are here; you are owned. You eat and drink by my grace. Remember this.¡±

    He had to wait an agonizing half-hour while Neshihon took his time, speaking with his friends on the edge of a dock. Finally, he washed his utensils in the sea and handed them to a starving Raulin.

    The drink was beer. He would have to hope that there were no trirecs around to report him for breaking the alcohol taboo. Dinner was a white fish served in a sauce of mashed melon. He found the meal initially unpalatable and only ate to fill him stomach. It grew on him after half the bowl. The fruit that went with the meal wound up being far too much and he gave several pieces to the children that watched him with mirth.

    Raulin was just finishing his meal when the human from earlier approached him. ¡°A great mystery of the world has been solved today. I always wondered how a trirec ate food while still keeping his mask on.¡±

    Raulin fitted and clicked the bottom third of his mask back into place. ¡°It¡¯s a handy way of getting around a certain problem.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    ¡°A trirec is his mask. Without this on, I am but another man in the world, weak and without purpose. We wear our masks so that we may achieve great feats. However,¡± he said, tilting his head to one side, ¡°I am still really a man. I bleed and I sleep and I get hungry. And in those times I can still be a great trirec and still eat with the push of two buttons.¡±

    ¡°Ingenious.¡±

    ¡°Hardly. I will admit its mechanics are beyond my ability to understand, but it is a simple solution to a simple problem.¡±

    The man sat next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to know about trirecs ever since I was a little boy.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me some things about yourself? Your secrets are safe with me.¡±

    And they likely were, at least for some time. Raulin thought briefly of the captain of the Spirowan and how he had made the same call. He hoped that Queyella had taken enough men this week. ¡°The most asked question from people is about the training. It begins at age four and ends at fifteen, when we take our first life. We advance from noviceship to apprenticeship, then finally graduate to be on our own sometime in our late teen years or early twenties.¡±

    There had been a few trirecs who had passed their final tests earlier than Raulin, but of all the living members of Arvarikor, he had entered the ranks the earliest. There were some accomplishments he bragged about, but not that one. He didn¡¯t push himself to be the best because he wanted to bring glory to the organization or because he was ambitious; he had graduated as fast as possible because he hated the Arvarikor compound and loathed to return. A fast entry into the ranks was the only way to assure he wouldn¡¯t have to return.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°How old are you, then?¡± The man didn¡¯t shy away from the frank talk of death. In fact, he seemed obsessed.

    ¡°I will be¡­twenty-seven come July. So twelve years on my own.¡±

    ¡°How many men would you say you¡¯ve slain?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t keep track. Quite a few, I¡¯d imagine.¡± Sixty-seven.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve stolen as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ve heard of jewels Queen Nasarizar of Kenreis wore, the Green Fire of the Sea, I stole those.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a man to make up things to brag about. I have plenty to rest on.¡±

    The man made an awed noise. ¡°It seems like a truly wonderful life.¡±

    Raulin thought of his thoughts on his last night on the ship. ¡°I suppose it does.¡±

    ¡°I believe I heard your name was ¡®Raulin Kemor¡¯. I was wondering what ¡®Raulin¡¯ meant, since it sounds similar to the Arvonnese word for ¡®away¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the ¡®in¡¯ and the end makes it sound like a male¡¯s name. ¡®Derrin¡¯ means ¡®boy¡¯ in Merakian and ¡®river-man¡¯ in Arvonnese. I¡¯ve always wondered if there were some loan words.¡±

    ¡°You speak the language well, though your accent is a little strange.¡±

    ¡°Well, I learned from someone who wasn¡¯t a native. Perhaps that is why.¡±

    ¡°You speak it well, but it isn¡¯t an accent I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯m from Cenne Juod, in the middle-eastern portion of Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°And your name? It seems odd that I¡¯ve spoken so many secrets and I don¡¯t even know the answer to that question.

    ¡°That is true. You may call me Aubin.¡±

    It was hard for Raulin to contain his surprise, and ultimately his anger. The ruling family of Arvonne, the Alscaines, had set aside names for their children long ago. No one other than the firstborn son of the king would have the name Aubin. Anyone Arvonnese would never name their child that; it would have seemed disrespectful, as if they were professing their own children were good enough to be royalty.

    It wasn¡¯t his problem. Arvonne was not his home. So, instead of confronting the man about his name, he continued with the ruse and tried to keep his tone light.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, ¡°I had thought you dead. I¡¯m so glad to see you alive and earning your way gainfully back to shore.¡±

    Aubin looked neither guilty nor amused. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on my name too much.¡±

    ¡°Why not, Your Majesty?

    ¡°It¡¯s a complicated matter. I don¡¯t expect you to understand.¡±

    ¡°I understand enough,¡± he said, his composure cracking quickly. Why was this bothering him so much? ¡°With your name you claim to be royalty. In fact, you¡¯re too old to be the king and too young to be the prince, though even if you weren¡¯t, they are both dead and you are very much alive. I can only assume you are mocking them, cheapening their traditions by naming yourself the current monarch of Arvonne. I hope your charade makes you happy.¡±

    Aubin pushed himself away, though Raulin was unsure if it were defensive or because he was angry as well. ¡°And why do you even care?¡± he sneered. ¡°You yourself are not Arvonnese. You are not one of my people; you are Merakian! You grew up far from the destruction the coup caused. All you¡¯ve known in life was your training and killing and stealing. You know nothing of what my people went through when our king was butchered.¡±

    Raulin began to retort but was interrupted by Aubin. ¡°Do you know why I was on a ship whose crew barely batted an eyelash when they dumped me and the others over? I was a prisoner. I helped lead a group of seditioners to overthrow the new government in its infancy. We were unprepared and were caught. Rather than keep us in the country, for fear of conspiracy behind bars, they shipped us to Gheny where we were going to be sold to various groups. The crew liked to taunt us about our futures. Working the railroad or in the mines in Gheny. Hunting elves. Portering for expeditions north to the Great Colds or south into the Viyaz Desert. They¡¯d sit around and try to think of different ways we¡¯d survive our time belowdeck only to die languishing in a dangerous job.

    ¡°I survived the cargo hold, being jetsam and marooned, to live now. So has my love for my country. And that¡¯s why I name myself after my king. I honor him. I remember him. I am his vigil. That¡¯s the only thing left of me that¡¯s important.¡±

    Raulin had a hard time determining if the man was deranged or poisoned with patriotism. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Aubin looked away in throught, then turned back to the trirec. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said after a few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯d have sooner thought you¡¯d throttle me than thank me,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°No, I like to be reminded of why I¡¯m alive. Sometimes I forget that I¡¯m proud that I¡¯m here, even though my lot in life is meager.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, then. My attitude was because I thought you were mocking the situation. I might not be Arvonnese, but I understand their recent history as dark.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Aubin said. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how deeply in mourning we were, we still are. The Alscaines were our identity and our future. And they were a good ruling family, too! There was no need for it. No one was overthrowing a tyrant or a sickly, dying branch. It was cold-blooded murder for the gains of a few.¡± He sighed. ¡°It was the saddest day in Arvonne¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your story, Aubin. I¡¯m hoping to make my way to Gheny tomorrow. Is there a possibility that you could join us?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I am a man who has no past and no future. I will not go to Gheny as a slave nor can I go back to my home. I will stay here, happy and free. It is not a bad life.¡±

    This Aubin was likely insane, but at least he had found something they both agreed on. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Neshihon and Raulin left early the next morning after breakfast. He had, yet again, forgotten to negotiate terms with the to¡¯ken and was expected to row for hours at a time. When he got tired, sweat soaking the back of his shirt badly enough that he could wring it out, Neshihon would take over for Raulin. But only then.

    ¡°You know, we could get more done if you took one side and I took the other,¡± Raulin suggested.

    Neshihon looked up from his reclined position. ¡°That is poorly thought. We will both tire at the same time and need to rest. Then we will be adrift with no direction. Besides, the paddles are built for one person to move.¡±

    He was right about the last point. It would be rather awkward for each of them to take one side. It was nice to be getting exercise. He¡¯d had to modify his knife fighting and slinking routines to work in a cramped cabin, then had missed several days when marooned and rescued.

    And he was alive. That was the strongest reason for him to bear trap his jaw and keep going.

    Most of the day was spent in silence, since Neshihon was in the water for long spans of time. Sometimes he was in the water to catch fish, which he ate raw and wriggling, but often it was to track the currents. ¡°These large boats the humans sail in, how do they touch the water when they are so tall up?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t. They are more concerned with the wind.¡±

    ¡°The wind? But the wind is sometimes dead. How do they use it then? And how do they know where they are going?¡±

    ¡°They wait, I suppose. I¡¯m not a sailor. But I do know that they use the stars to navigate.¡±

    ¡°The stars? But they move!¡±

    ¡°Predictably move. They can tell where they will be at any point and can use them to find the directions when night falls. How do the to¡¯ken navigate their ships?¡±

    Sailing wasn¡¯t something that interested Raulin, but it was something to keep his mind off the events of the past few days. Neshihon was more than pleased to describe how they used the currents to navigate, which benefited them not only in steering but in order to find islands and schools of fish. When Raulin pressed further, he discovered that the to¡¯ken had a latent form of elemental understanding, or even magic, that gave them a greater relationship to the sea than any other race he had encountered. It wasn¡¯t something to be taught to human sailors, but he doubted it would have caught on anyway.

    That had taken the better part of a day. The remaining week and a half was spent learning more about the to¡¯ken and Neshihon. He was thirteen, newly introduced into adult life but not proven yet, and also not a he. She had failed to mention her gender because it didn¡¯t really effect her status in life too much; she would be provided the same opportunities as a boy, save only a few special jobs. She could eventually leave Onshalitha on her own, choose her own mate, travel to the island Aubin had referred to, and have her children there. She would be able to speak in her own right and cast her voice in elections. It was a very progressive society.

    While her gender wasn¡¯t an issue for her, her age was. She was very sensitive to others opinions of her capabilities and was quick to anger when not being treated with the respect she thought she deserved. Raulin learned fast not to patronize her or tease her about things. Even asking about the upbraiding her mother had given her was asking for trouble.

    So, instead of correcting her behavior, he breathed in and out deeply at Neshihon¡¯s claims as his owner and all the ways she said property should behave. He ignored her when she told him, with unquestioning authority, about how the world was and how she knew all this. And he nodded and murmured appropriately, but immediately forgot all the little dramas in her world, about which boy she liked and which girl was saying cruel things about which girl. It seemed that teenagers were the same everywhere, even if their races were different.

    There were many islands in the Gamik Sea, including several archipelagos. Some were claimed by Gheny and lightly populated. Some were uninhabited and of those, some were depots for the to¡¯ken. They stopped at a few and rested, replenishing water from springs or caches. He had an odd feeling of wanting to live on one for a long time, away from his responsibilities and the trirec life.

    The first time Raulin saw proper land, the thin line of coast undulating across the horizon, he almost cried. It was beautiful. The seagulls cawed overhead and he thought they sounded like nightengales. The water that had almost killed him once became a bath for cleansing, so that he could arrive ashore new and fresh. The trees were the bones of his mother and he let himself be embraced by her shores.

    The coast was a beautiful sapphire blue. Some palms lined the shore, but deciduous trees were the bulk of the woods. There were even some evergreens interspersed. The beach was a toasty brown, pebbly and full of stones not yet worn down by the ocean. His elation ebbed.

    ¡°We were supposed to be going to Riyala. This isn¡¯t Genale.¡±

    Neshihon shrugged and stood to peer at the land. ¡°You said to bring you to Gheny. This is Gheny.¡±

    ¡°No, I said I wanted you to bring me to Riyala!¡±

    ¡°And I had it in mind to bring you where you wanted, but I ride the currents. It would have taken us much longer to reach land if I had headed for the warmest waters.¡±

    Raulin gritted his teeth and growled. ¡°And how do you suppose you¡¯ll be getting your money when we¡¯re hundreds of miles from the headquarters!¡°

    Neshihon looked stunned, then angry. She stood before Raulin and pressed her index finger firmly into his chest. ¡°You never said you had to go to one place! ¡®Riyala in Genale or Hanala in Sharka will do¡¯ were your words! Not ¡®we have to go¡¯ but ¡®it would be nice¡¯. It would have taken us a little longer but I could have brought us to either place just as easily. Fool,¡± she spat. ¡°You have wasted our time. This will cost more.¡±

    ¡°Our agreement was that you would bring me to Gheny, alive, in exchange for the bounty on my mask. I said I would tell you where the buildings were and protect your asset by only going with you. You never said I had to tell you exactly where to go! If you had asked, I would have said you had to go to Riyala because there are only two headquarters in all of Gheny!¡±

    It was a weak argument he made more to release the irritation he felt with himself. Yet again the to¡¯ken had managed to twist Raulin¡¯s inability to negotiate against him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Neshihon snarled her lips back, then hissed in frustration, her face scrunched in a flashing anger. The action was so feral that Raulin barely kept himself from flinching. ¡°We make for Hanala, then,¡± she growled. ¡°It will be another day or two. You will row.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Raulin said, moving back to his position at the helm. ¡°Why would it be any different?¡±

    They were at sea for only the rest of that day and the morning of the next. They skirted between islands and fishing boats, getting some strange looks from their occupants. The pulled into a beautiful little harbor where Neshihon tied her raft next to fancy pleasure crafts of all kinds. A few ladies and gentlemen dressed in finery stopped and stared at the two of them as they climbed up the ladder to the dock.

    ¡°Hold a moment,¡± Raulin said once the two of them stepped off the pier. He fell to his knees, popped off the bottom off his mask, and leaned down to the cobblestones to kiss the ground.

    Neshihon shook her head at the trirec, offering her spear to help him up. ¡°I¡¯ve never understood why you humans love your precious land. It is hard, cramped, and permanent.¡±

    ¡°Only some parts are hard and mainly just the cities are cramped. And it¡¯s not permanent at all. It¡¯s constantly changing, through the seasons, by human hands or the animals¡¯ movements. A forest can live for a long time only to be cut down in a few weeks. It¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    He was glad for the distraction. People were literally stopping on the street to watch the two of them walk past. It was unnerving for a man who tried very hard to remain in the shadows when working.

    ¡°Grab my spear,¡± Neshihon said, extending her webbed hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. We have a deal and I will honor it.¡±

    ¡°Grab it.¡±

    Raulin turned and saw the to¡¯ken¡¯s shoulders were tight. Her hands gripped the end of the spear until her knuckles bulged. She was breathing shallowly. Raulin sighed slightly and grabbed the end, resting it near his hip.

    It took them the better part of an hour to reach the top of Hyelk Hill, which overlooked some of the more important buildings in Hanala. Past the temple of Uvurna, the College of Apothacarians, and the Order of Ap Ginsa sat a building bizarre even amongst the varying architecture collected on that street. It was made of cedar stained dark to mimic the fibrous mralik pine. It had all the typical features of a Merakian building: the beams jutting out past the walls and curving downward, the roofs with rounded tiles jutting out to catch the fruit from the trees planted around it, and the overly wide doorways and windows. Raulin¡¯s stomach seized with memories of Arvarikor, of feeling like he was in trouble and threatened. It was a beautiful estate, a wooded lot twice the size of any other on the street, but it was a symbol of dread for him.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± he said to Neshihon, whose was ducked low into herself. The to¡¯ken raised her head and nodded, then returned to staring at the ground.

    Outide of the estate was a fence thirty feet high. The only entrance through it was a wide gate, the lock a set of sliding beams that needed to be moved in the correct order.

    ¡°Tell them we are here,¡± Neshihon said as they stood outside the corner guardhouse.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s up to you now. I¡¯m still property.¡± He gestured to the bell.

    The to¡¯ken flailed on the pull, ringing it with the enthusiasm of a man needing entrance into town just ahead of a pack of wolves. Twice would have done well enough, but Raulin appreciated the urgency. As he had walked through the streets of Hanala, he had noted how encrusted with salt his clothing was, how stringy his hair felt, and how desperately in need he was of a hot bath, a warm meal, and company that didn¡¯t hiss at you.

    A window of wood slid to the left, a masked trirec placing his fingertips on the counter and assessing the company. ¡°Well, if I live and breathe, if it isn¡¯t Raulin Kemor!¡±, he said in Merakian.

    It took Raulin a few moments to place that voice and demeanor. ¡°Isken! Last time I saw you, you were in Hiben.¡±

    ¡°I was, until they found a better place for me,¡± he said, then turned to Neshihon. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t a to¡¯ken. I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever seen one in Hanala nor have I ever met one.¡±

    ¡°This is Neshihon of the Onshalitha to¡¯ken. I¡¯ll translate, since I believe she only speaks To¡¯ken and Arvonnese.¡±

    In a rapid back and forth between the two, Raulin explained Neshihon¡¯s role in his survival and arrival. ¡°I bargained with her, explaining that if she turned in my mask she¡¯d receive the fifty gold bounty we pay.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Normally the masks are empty when we do that. I¡¯ll have to go fetch a trivren to approve this.¡±

    Raulin sighed and explained to the nervous to¡¯ken what was happening. They waited another ten minutes before the gate opened and the two of them were let inside.

    People take out contracts with the Arvarikor for many reasons: revenge, political motivation, prestige, heriditary insistance, protection. A few now and then will feign interest in hopes of seeing the mysteries the grounds of the trirec headquarters held; some for personal pleasure and some on a dare. They all left disappointed. Unless you were a trirec or a battering ram, you didn¡¯t make it past the second gate at the end of the roofed, small garden, the same garden that Raulin and Neshihon entered.

    Isken stayed to offer protection though it was extremely doubtful one to¡¯ken could get the better of two trirecs, spear and all. The older trirec, whose mask was lacquered with red stripes around his eyes and mouth and ceremonial at this point in his life, sat on one of the benches provided. Raulin and Neshihon sat opposite and Raulin again translated on the to¡¯ken¡¯s behalf.

    The older trirec folded his hands in his lap and considered the information for a few minutes. ¡°I see no problem with giving the to¡¯ken her due,¡± he said, ¡°but I cannot fund it.¡±

    Raulin translated, then added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Neshihon. Perhaps there is something I can do for you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± the trivren, Curvorn, answered in Arvonnese, then returned to Merakian. ¡°When a trirec dies, his funds are absorbed by the association. That is where we draw our reward from. Ideally, the fifty gold should come from your coffers, Kemor.¡±

    He sucked in his breath through his teeth, then sighed in resignation. ¡°As always, master, you speak with wisdom.¡± He opened the small pouch that hung from a loop around his waist and pulled a string of six yellow beads off. ¡°This should cover her costs.¡±

    ¡°And then some,¡± the trivren answered.

    ¡°It will be an expensive day for me. I figure ten gold will be a good starting point.¡±

    Isken took the string and left. The trivren offered the hospitality of tea and cookies for the to¡¯ken. She sipped the tea and winced, putting it back down, but gobbled every one of the iced pastries available.

    When he returned, Isken had a pouch of fifty gold and the additional ten for Raulin. ¡°You will buy things in the markets,¡± the to¡¯ken insisted, ¡°and then escort me back to my boat.¡±

    Raulin crossed his arms. ¡°Oh, we never discussed this. And since you¡¯ve taken advantage of me every time you could, I am disenclined to help you out once you leave these gates.¡±

    Neshihon stood and moved her spear inches from Raulin¡¯s neck. Isken moved forward, a few feet in just a moment, when Raulin put his hand out to stop him. The to¡¯ken looked more frightened then furious, but there were large doses of both in her tone and posture. ¡°Our arrangement ends when my boat leaves without you, not before! It is known by anyone who isn¡¯t stupid. You are obligated to bring me to my vessel. As payment for causing a delay due to your assumptions, you will escort me to the market to buy things. You will make sure I am not swindled, like you humans do.¡±

    The trivren cleared his throat. ¡°I do believe it is in your, and our, best interest to make sure this young lady is taken care of. I feel a trip to the market and fifty gold is a bargain for seeing you hale and hearty, back to us in good time and uninjured.¡±

    Raulin opened his mouth to argue, but the master was correct. The Raulin from weeks ago would have been happy to be in this situation and he shouldn¡¯t get in the habit of taking life for granted. Neshihon was so afraid of being abandoned that her spear was shaking near his throat. He sighed, moved to kindness. ¡°All right, all right. We¡¯ll go spend your money and I¡¯ll make sure you arrive at the docks where your boat is.¡±

    The to¡¯ken nodded and relaxed a little. She turned and stood right in front of the door, as if magic would suddenly open it. Raulin cleared his throat and she looked at him. ¡°Oh, no. We¡¯re not leaving just like that. Sit. We¡¯re going to hash out some rules before we leave.¡±

 Chapter 50

    Raulin had parted company with the strange man and spent some time strolling throughout the village. There wasn¡¯t too much to be seen. Aside from the docks and the walkways that connected the house boats to the main village, there were only a few other clusters of buildings and the occasional art piece or garden. He gathered that everyone must sleep in their vessels at night and used the town only to trade and connect briefly.

    There wasn¡¯t much he could do other than observe. The fleeting eye contact from the to¡¯ken seemed not wary or hostile, but derisive, as if he was an idiot for getting caught in a storm and needing rescue by a child. Those still in their shops sneered at him, even when he spoke Arvonnese politely. The spice merchant seemed the nicest, but she was old and spent most of the conversation squinting her eyes and leaning forward. Likely she thought he was the other human.

    Two young to¡¯ken shoved past him and took pinches of different spices from the large seashells the old woman held them in. She smiled a toothless grin and nodded. Each put down a coin that looked like rounded brown shell and took off without saying anything. Realizing he had no currency, in money and respect, Raulin headed back to the village center.

    Raulin found Neshihon and every other to¡¯ken in line waiting for their food already. When he apologized for being late, Neshihon shrugged. ¡°Early or late, you will wait until I am finished before eating.¡±

    Raulin saw that everyone in line had their own spoons, bowls, and cups. ¡°Where do I get my own?¡±

    Neshihon laughed. ¡°You will use mine when I am finished. You do not own anything while you are here; you are owned. You eat and drink by my grace. Remember this.¡±

    He had to wait an agonizing half-hour while Neshihon took his time, speaking with his friends on the edge of a dock. Finally, he washed his utensils in the sea and handed them to a starving Raulin.

    The drink was beer. He would have to hope that there were no trirecs around to report him for breaking the alcohol taboo. Dinner was a white fish served in a sauce of mashed melon. He found the meal initially unpalatable and only ate to fill him stomach. It grew on him after half the bowl. The fruit that went with the meal wound up being far too much and he gave several pieces to the children that watched him with mirth.

    Raulin was just finishing his meal when the human from earlier approached him. ¡°A great mystery of the world has been solved today. I always wondered how a trirec ate food while still keeping his mask on.¡±

    Raulin fitted and clicked the bottom third of his mask back into place. ¡°It¡¯s a handy way of getting around a certain problem.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡±

    ¡°A trirec is his mask. Without this on, I am but another man in the world, weak and without purpose. We wear our masks so that we may achieve great feats. However,¡± he said, tilting his head to one side, ¡°I am still really a man. I bleed and I sleep and I get hungry. And in those times I can still be a great trirec and still eat with the push of two buttons.¡±

    ¡°Ingenious.¡±

    ¡°Hardly. I will admit its mechanics are beyond my ability to understand, but it is a simple solution to a simple problem.¡±

    The man sat next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to know about trirecs ever since I was a little boy.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me some things about yourself? Your secrets are safe with me.¡±

    And they likely were, at least for some time. Raulin thought briefly of the captain of the Spirowan and how he had made the same call. He hoped that Queyella had taken enough men this week. ¡°The most asked question from people is about the training. It begins at age four and ends at fifteen, when we take our first life. We advance from noviceship to apprenticeship, then finally graduate to be on our own sometime in our late teen years or early twenties.¡±

    There had been a few trirecs who had passed their final tests earlier than Raulin, but of all the living members of Arvarikor, he had entered the ranks the earliest. There were some accomplishments he bragged about, but not that one. He didn¡¯t push himself to be the best because he wanted to bring glory to the organization or because he was ambitious; he had graduated as fast as possible because he hated the Arvarikor compound and loathed to return. A fast entry into the ranks was the only way to assure he wouldn¡¯t have to return.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°How old are you, then?¡± The man didn¡¯t shy away from the frank talk of death. In fact, he seemed obsessed.

    ¡°I will be¡­twenty-seven come July. So twelve years on my own.¡±

    ¡°How many men would you say you¡¯ve slain?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t keep track. Quite a few, I¡¯d imagine.¡± Sixty-seven.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve stolen as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ve heard of jewels Queen Nasarizar of Kenreis wore, the Green Fire of the Sea, I stole those.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a man to make up things to brag about. I have plenty to rest on.¡±

    The man made an awed noise. ¡°It seems like a truly wonderful life.¡±

    Raulin thought of his thoughts on his last night on the ship. ¡°I suppose it does.¡±

    ¡°I believe I heard your name was ¡®Raulin Kemor¡¯. I was wondering what ¡®Raulin¡¯ meant, since it sounds similar to the Arvonnese word for ¡®away¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the ¡®in¡¯ and the end makes it sound like a male¡¯s name. ¡®Derrin¡¯ means ¡®boy¡¯ in Merakian and ¡®river-man¡¯ in Arvonnese. I¡¯ve always wondered if there were some loan words.¡±

    ¡°You speak the language well, though your accent is a little strange.¡±

    ¡°Well, I learned from someone who wasn¡¯t a native. Perhaps that is why.¡±

    ¡°You speak it well, but it isn¡¯t an accent I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯m from Cenne Juod, in the middle-eastern portion of Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°And your name? It seems odd that I¡¯ve spoken so many secrets and I don¡¯t even know the answer to that question.

    ¡°That is true. You may call me Aubin.¡±

    It was hard for Raulin to contain his surprise, and ultimately his anger. The ruling family of Arvonne, the Alscaines, had set aside names for their children long ago. No one other than the firstborn son of the king would have the name Aubin. Anyone Arvonnese would never name their child that; it would have seemed disrespectful, as if they were professing their own children were good enough to be royalty.

    It wasn¡¯t his problem. Arvonne was not his home. So, instead of confronting the man about his name, he continued with the ruse and tried to keep his tone light.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, ¡°I had thought you dead. I¡¯m so glad to see you alive and earning your way gainfully back to shore.¡±

    Aubin looked neither guilty nor amused. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on my name too much.¡±

    ¡°Why not, Your Majesty?

    ¡°It¡¯s a complicated matter. I don¡¯t expect you to understand.¡±

    ¡°I understand enough,¡± he said, his composure cracking quickly. Why was this bothering him so much? ¡°With your name you claim to be royalty. In fact, you¡¯re too old to be the king and too young to be the prince, though even if you weren¡¯t, they are both dead and you are very much alive. I can only assume you are mocking them, cheapening their traditions by naming yourself the current monarch of Arvonne. I hope your charade makes you happy.¡±

    Aubin pushed himself away, though Raulin was unsure if it were defensive or because he was angry as well. ¡°And why do you even care?¡± he sneered. ¡°You yourself are not Arvonnese. You are not one of my people; you are Merakian! You grew up far from the destruction the coup caused. All you¡¯ve known in life was your training and killing and stealing. You know nothing of what my people went through when our king was butchered.¡±

    Raulin began to retort but was interrupted by Aubin. ¡°Do you know why I was on a ship whose crew barely batted an eyelash when they dumped me and the others over? I was a prisoner. I helped lead a group of seditioners to overthrow the new government in its infancy. We were unprepared and were caught. Rather than keep us in the country, for fear of conspiracy behind bars, they shipped us to Gheny where we were going to be sold to various groups. The crew liked to taunt us about our futures. Working the railroad or in the mines in Gheny. Hunting elves. Portering for expeditions north to the Great Colds or south into the Viyaz Desert. They¡¯d sit around and try to think of different ways we¡¯d survive our time belowdeck only to die languishing in a dangerous job.

    ¡°I survived the cargo hold, being jetsam and marooned, to live now. So has my love for my country. And that¡¯s why I name myself after my king. I honor him. I remember him. I am his vigil. That¡¯s the only thing left of me that¡¯s important.¡±

    Raulin had a hard time determining if the man was deranged or poisoned with patriotism. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Aubin looked away in throught, then turned back to the trirec. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said after a few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯d have sooner thought you¡¯d throttle me than thank me,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°No, I like to be reminded of why I¡¯m alive. Sometimes I forget that I¡¯m proud that I¡¯m here, even though my lot in life is meager.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, then. My attitude was because I thought you were mocking the situation. I might not be Arvonnese, but I understand their recent history as dark.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Aubin said. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how deeply in mourning we were, we still are. The Alscaines were our identity and our future. And they were a good ruling family, too! There was no need for it. No one was overthrowing a tyrant or a sickly, dying branch. It was cold-blooded murder for the gains of a few.¡± He sighed. ¡°It was the saddest day in Arvonne¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your story, Aubin. I¡¯m hoping to make my way to Gheny tomorrow. Is there a possibility that you could join us?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I am a man who has no past and no future. I will not go to Gheny as a slave nor can I go back to my home. I will stay here, happy and free. It is not a bad life.¡±

    This Aubin was likely insane, but at least he had found something they both agreed on. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is.¡±

 Chapter 51

    Raulin had always enjoyed bargaining in markets. He took delight in talking a merchant down a few silvers, feeling he got the best of the deal. The seller would lament that he¡¯d be put out of business if Raulin bought any more pomelos ,Raulin assured him that he didn¡¯t have anyone else he knew that loved their taste as much as he did, and they¡¯d shake hands. That was the whole game, of course; a fine dance of words over merchandise that left both parties feeling well enough at the end.

    Neshihon stripped any and all joy out of it. She was ruthless and barely understood the value of any item, making her feel like she was always being cheated. Her position was also disadvantageous against the merchants, which made the dealings between the two more like a chore for Raulin. Since he had refused to help her carry anything to her boat, she also needed someone to deliver her goods to the dock as well as to stock everything in barrels or sealed crates, which barely anyone had.

    Raulin had only the best intentions for Neshihon when he began scouring the stalls at the open-air market. After seven tries, he began to cut to the chase early. He began by asking if they delivered, then if they had barrels. Those that passed those initial tests, usually suspicious by that point, were rewarded with two words Raulin would murmur out the side of his mouth: ¡®start high¡¯.

    They found six stalls out of about seventy that met the requirements. Every time, Neshihon would butt in between Raulin and the merchant after a few exchanges and aggressively whittle down the merchant with angry gestures until she was satisfied. It was more like flaying than negotiating, in his esteem, and he was mentally exhausted after an hour.

    When all was said and done, Neshihon had spent every but a gold and three silver on barrels of river eels, seasoned cod and halibut, beer, peas, salted venison, dried apples, citrus, and several kinds of spices. She might have scored more but Raulin had put his foot down when she had balked at tipping the delivery men. He considered giving them more money after they had dealt with her.

    ¡°You have some money left, but not enough to buy another barrel. Would you like to buy anything else? Maybe give a little bit to your favorite trirec for all his hard work?¡±

    ¡°I want those cookies from earlier.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see if we can find a vendor to sell them.¡±

    They wandered around for a long while until he found a patisserie kitty corner from the market. They had a spare crate that the owner filled with as many of the iced sugar cookies they had already baked, then added a few other assorted pastries to make up the cost. Neshihon didn¡¯t bother to argue at the price and hugged the crate close to her chest.

    Lastly, they collected all the delivery men and led them to Neshihon¡¯s craft. She deftly lashed the barrels to the back of her raft, tying the rope in a net around the barrel in just a few minutes. Raulin stayed to make sure everything was delivered. No one cheated the to¡¯ken and he said his goodbyes to her in a long speech, ended with a sincere and heart-felt thanks. Neshihon looked up once, waved, then ignored him.

    Raulin didn¡¯t run, but definitely did hustle back to the headquarters. The door slid open shortly after he wrang the bell and the gate was opened as quickly as possible. As soon as the door closed, he whipped off his mask and rubbed his face, sighing deeply.

    The trivren, now maskless himself, smiled as he stood from his respite in the garden. ¡°Now, we do have some business to attend to. I suggest you make yourself comfortable and find me later.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± he said, grasping his wrists in a sign of deference.

    The layout of the headquarters was similar to the ones he had been to in Noh Amair, so that he didn¡¯t need to wander around to find what he needed. Most of the southern part of the grounds, behind the window where Isken had stood, were a courtyard for practicing exercises, the ground bald of grass in neat rows. The middle area had a building for administration and housing the trivren, and the most northern of all for utilities and smaller quarters for the regular trirecs. He headed there to gather fresh clothing and draw a bath, requesting one of the servants to bring him a hot meal.

    He loved running water. Plumbing was a fairly new invention that had been keeping the miners and plumbers in high demand. Most home owners couldn¡¯t afford the daily cost or to repair the damage it would do to their houses, but many public places were finding it worth the cost. The home of trirecs, Arvarikor, wouldn¡¯t have it for quite some time since Merak was always a few decades behind. In places where it was easier to draw the pipes to a water source, like Hanala, they splurged.

    It was too warm outside for a hot bath. A tepid one that was immediately available sounded heavenly. While he soaked, Raulin began to retrain his thoughts. Being behind the walls of the compound meant subservience, devotion, and the lies that went with them. Arvarikor wasn¡¯t anywhere near as bad as many other institutions were when it came to training their students. They had rules, of course, but preferred to let there be a thousand paths to the same end. Part of the philosophy of Arvarikor was to let the trirec use their strengths, not fit into an unattainable mold. Raulin, for example, was what they considered ¡®chatty¡¯. Instead of forcing him into silence, they suggested using his mind to craft lies. He excelled. And he had turned it around on them.

    Like his patriotic friend on the to¡¯ken raft village, Raulin Kemor was a man without a past and without a future. Arvarikor didn¡¯t mind about the future part, so long as you understood it was with them, but his past was supposed to be a blank. His devotion wasn¡¯t to his family, but to them. It was one of the few demands in his training that he forget his former life.

    He hadn¡¯t, of course. There was no way to take a child of ten and expect him to forget his parents, his siblings, his home. Orphans after the age of four were rarely accepted by Arvarikor for just that reason. Raulin was a good example of why that rule shouldn¡¯t be broken and he was reminded of it every time he engaged with other trirecs. He had to play the game of the dutiful and respectful trirec, happy to be a part of the organization and not full of the thoughts he had when he was marooned.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Raulin shaved his beard, then changed into the outfit he had taken: a pair of loose fitting trousers that reached his mid-calves and a wrap shirt that belted close, hitting the top of his thighs and exposing most of his forearms. It had once been dyed black but was now a worn, dark gray. He didn¡¯t bother with the slippers and walked barefoot across the grounds.

    He clutched his pouch of beads in one hand and made his way to the center building. Curvorn, the trivren from earlier, was speaking to another elder when he noticed Raulin. ¡°Kemor, are you all set for your tribunal?¡±

    ¡°Tribunal?¡± he asked, his stomach seizing. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware I was having one. Shall I change into something more formal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be necessary. There isn¡¯t anything to be worried about.¡±

    He was led into a casual meeting room. It wasn¡¯t the judicial room and it helped him to relax slightly. He was sat opposite six trivren. Each looked similar, of dark eyes, reddish-brown skin, and long hair pulled into braids. Two were engaged in an easy conversation before Curvorn spoke. ¡°Raulin Kemor, your mask bounty was collected today. From my understanding, the organization has only seen this happen to a live trirec a handful of times. I have to ask, why did you not promise the to¡¯ken a reward instead?¡±

    ¡°It was a rash decision,¡± he said. ¡°Having just survived a shipwreck, I knew she wouldn¡¯t believe me when I said I could pay her. I had lost everything but my mask, my clothes, and these,¡± he said, opening the palm containing his pouch. ¡°I needed something that was more ironclad, something she possibly may have heard of before.¡±

    ¡°I see. That was rational. Unfortunately, we cannot allow this way of thinking to circulate amongst our ranks. It would set a bad precedent, both in the public and in our organization. I would hate to think of people trying to kidnap trirecs in order to get the bounty. Trirecs who do poorly in their duties might think it a wise idea to find someone to collaborate with and split the reward.¡±

    Raulin began to protest, but bit his tongue. There¡¯s no way anyone trained would do that, he wanted to say, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that definitively. In Merak, where Arvarikor was not just the name of the organization but the compound where they were trained, trirecs were so common that they often battled for contracts. They were like rabid dogs, fighting for scraps of meat. Who could say what desperation would make a man do?

    ¡°Therefore, we have decided to tack on the unmasking punishment as well.¡±

    Raulin inhaled sharply. No, they wouldn¡¯t¡­

    ¡°Of course, we can see that you didn¡¯t unmask. Your neck is red and blistered whereas your face is still pale in color. You will swear to us that you weren¡¯t unmasked in front of anyone?¡±

    ¡°I swear it,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I wore my mask from Vakisol, on the ship Spirowan until it was sunk in the Gamik Sea. I wore it when the to¡¯ken found me, when I was aboard the village Onshalitha, and when I sailed the rest of the way with Neshihon on her raft. At no point did anyone see my face.¡±

    They muttered amongst themselves quickly, nodding and turning back. ¡°We believe you,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°Which is why we will forgo the actual punishment. Your records will show you were accused and found guilty, but not whipped.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s shoulders slumped in relief. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We do feel that you should go through the re-training, as a formality. We can proceed if you are ready.¡±

    He squared his shoulders and set his hands by his sides. ¡°I am.¡±

    They delivered a grueling series of questions that lasted more than an hour. Did he serve Arvarikor and all it withheld? Yes, he said, over again and in many different ways. He believed in their ideal path, he would execute his job to the best of his ability all while remaining true to the trirec organization. He was still hungry and thirsty from the day, but he tolerated it knowing what the alternative was. He would have been forced to turn around and arrive back in Noh Amair, to journey weeks to Merak, for training that would last months. He would have to prove he knew everything all over again, then pass all the trials.

    That would be, if he passed the first part. Unmasking was the worst offense a trirec could make. It was seen as the ultimate insult against every fellow trirec, risking their lives by what was seen as defecting. To balance the ledger, one would have to take a lash for every trirec in the lands. It was tantamount to a death sentence. Raulin had never seen or heard of a man attend Arvarikor for retraining.

    While he answered the questions, he knew this was the best they could do for him. It was already far too lenient. Raulin was sure people would whisper here and in Merak. ¡°Ah, see, they bend the rules, but only for Raulin Kemor.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t often in predicaments like this. No, it was due to his value. Raulin had paid for his mask in record time, three years to most trirec¡¯s six. In those eight years since, he had managed to bring quite a revenue to the organization. Those same trirecs that fought for tooth and nail for jobs in Merak would find things much different if they only took the time to explore outside the continent. Some did find work in the Noh Amairian nations that bordered Merak, but many never strayed beyond those.

    Raulin did. He was able to saunter in to any western country and pick the nicest jobs with the fattest rewards. In Arouk, an assassination cost five times what it would in Merak. In Gheny? The arrangements smelled strongly of desperation. He knew the Ghenian offices sat on dozens of lucrative contracts. They took half of the final cost of those plump commitments, so it was in their best interests to keep him alive.

    ¡°Satisfied?¡± Curvorn said after almost two hours. The rest of the trivren nodded. ¡°Then I believe we¡¯re finished. Congratulations, Raulin Kemor. That was the fastest retraining ever managed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, masters,¡± he said, bowing his neck. He almost smirked, but it wouldn¡¯t do well to mock the proceedings, even though they were a bit of a farce.

    The trivern filed out, leaving just the two of them. ¡°I wished to ask you a few more questions about your travels.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you wish, master.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s too much to hope that you were either unburdened or you somehow managed to keep any records dry.¡±

    He had forgotten about that. ¡°Master, I am sorry. I was carrying records across the sea from our offices in Arouk, but I lost them with everything else.¡±

    ¡°I had figured, but thought I should ask, just in case. Of course, you understand we can¡¯t pay you the courier fee?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master. I wouldn¡¯t expect it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose your coffers will be low, then, when you are finished replenishing everything you¡¯ve lost.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t expected they would grant him any help there, either. ¡°As I said earlier, I expect it to be an expensive day for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. I suppose you¡¯ll be taking quite a few contracts then?¡±

    Always the greed disguised as concern. ¡°Yes, master. I expect I¡¯ll take a full docket.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Curvorn said, clapping his hands together. ¡°We can begin tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 52

    The large building located in the northern part of the compound housed the trirecs in splendor. The honor was in reality a cubicle with a bed and a bureau, barely ten paces in each direction. It was divided on either side and the hallway with wooden walls, but the fourth side was more of a giant, slotted window than a facade. This was much more than a majority of the servants received, Raulin reminded himself.

    He laid on the hay-stuffed mattress and stared at the beams in the ceiling. The breeze through the massive window actually aired the room out enough that it was comfortable. Still, he laid awake and tried to make sense of the tangle in his mind. He should feel safe here among his brothers, but he had been more comfortable sleeping in the nook of Neshihon¡¯s boat. It was hard to shake the feeling like he was on a theft job, waiting to get caught in the act. He was on edge and he wasn¡¯t totally sure why.

    Raulin would have preferred to be in a hotel nearby, eating rich foods and sleeping in a luxurious room with a down mattress and pillows, lamps, and a Westerner-style painting or two. He was going to have to conserve his funds for the time being, so he had taken the free room and board at the compound instead. One hundred and fifty gold gone to rewards for saving his hide. Another twenty to thirty to replace the bare minimum of clothing and shoes he¡¯d need to travel throughout Gheny, not including the fancier attire he¡¯d need for the social callings in Courmet. A new arong-miil, the dark, specialized outfit he wore when assassinating or stealing. It was everything he¡¯d had to buy to start when he began his career nine years prior.

    Annoying and unfair, but he was alive.

    He awoke with the gray of the morning, his eyes and mouth sandy. He spit out the swallow of water he¡¯d taken from the pitcher on top of the dresser, then headed to the courtyard. He joined the rest of the trirecs, some fifteen others, in the morning exercises in the courtyard. It was a sea of black hair and deep reddish-olive skin in the same gray outfits that Raulin wore. As always, they started with the stretches that kept the body limber, then moved into positions most would find difficult to hold for any length of time. They slowly moved from crouch to extension, moving very slowly. He felt his muscles shake from weeks of neglect.

    After the stretches and holds, the trirecs lined up and took two wooden practice knives from a bin and returned to their positions. They ran through the second half of their morning ritual: close-range attacks. It was in an order they had been taught years ago, slashing the air in front of them in unison.

    When he finished, sweat beaded his skin. He wiped it down with a wet cloth. A few of the trirecs, a woman and two men, looked at him and teased him about how short his hair was. He gave a forced smile and pulled out all the beads from his pouch. Their teasing smiles dropped into scowls and Raulin secretly gave himself a point.

    He donned his shirt again then grabbed breakfast of oatmeal with apples and bacon along with his required morning tea. If only he had thought to spend some money yesterday on pastries. Food had been up there on his list of things he would relish if he was rescued. A good Ghenian wheat bread smeared with honeyed cheese sauce and toasted slightly to crust the cut edges was needed immediately.

    He redressed into his laundered traveling clothes then turned in a string of black beads, ten gold in all, and a rare orange for another hundred gold. He asked the canrak, the woman responsible for relations with Gheny, for their list of tailors and cobblers. Before he left the grounds, he turned in all but one of his knives for sharpening to the blacksmith and put on his mask.

    Arvarikor was particular about what demanded secrecy and what didn¡¯t. Raulin would be measured for his arong-miil by the tailor they had on premesis. He wore it only once in a while, when the job called for a rare break-in at night. Mostly he wore regular clothing to blend in, whatever was the latest fashion. For those, he used a regular tailor.

    It wasn¡¯t far to get to a recommended shop run by two cousins, a cobbler and tailor combined. They were noted for being pleasant, quick, and ammenable to working outside normal Ghenian measurements. And, most importantly, they also shut their mouths about anything they overheard involving trirecs.

    They fawned over Raulin as he was measured for several sets of clothes, then later two pairs of shoes, all in the latest fashion. The waist on his trousers was fit lower than he recalled and was no longer the short-legged breeches favored three years ago. The shoes were hard, shiny laced things that cramped his toes. His shirts were the same, at least: a short coat, a vest, an undershirt and cravat. He had two of those sets made as well as three traveling outfits of a tunic, breeches, and soft leather boots.

    Two days, they said, stating they¡¯d halt everything they were working on for him. True or not, he tipped them two gold for their time and professionalism. They bowed several times as he left, each exclaiming compliments more flattering than the last.

    He bought some Ghenian wheat bread from a vendor, his mouth watering from the smell, and asked the man to point him in the direction of the temple to Queyella. He took in the pleasant morning on the stroll over, passing the wharf where Neshihon had tied her craft.

    The sanctuary was a tiered marble building overlooking the sea and clinging to the side of a cliff. He bowed low as he entered the main room, an area open to the sky and rains. Pools collected water from fountains and flowed to adjacent rooms. It was peaceful, serene even, reminding him of the times when Arvarikor sent the children for contemplation into the mountain caves.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    A woman entered, unaware that someone was standing there for several minutes. It gave Raulin the opportunity to study her while she attended to her duties, drawing water from the central pool with a vase and pouring it into a side basin. She was exquisite, a finely boned, petite woman of dark hair and eyes that drew him in. He felt his face heat up and was glad for the mask, for possibly only the third or fourth time since he began wearing it at fifteen. After several pours, she dipped her finger into the basin and tasted the water, closing her eyes and savoring the taste.

    Raulin couldn¡¯t understand what was it about her that was fascinating him. Her dress, flowing silk in mottled blues and greens, was very flattering, but not unusual. The same with her beauty. There had been quite a few women on the streets he had passed today that might be considered more comely than she was, dressed better, and displaying finer decorum. He still found this woman more attractive.

    She finally noticed him when she switched sides, startling and clutching the vase to her chest. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice you!¡± she said, walking towards him. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°Um, well, yes. I wanted to give honor and a small donation to Queyella. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m in the right place.¡±

    ¡°Follow me,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to where you need to be.¡±

    The room to the right was carved from the rock of the cliff. It was meant to give people an array of seats to watch the sea from. She waited behind him while he got comfortable in a nook in the corner, out of the way of any other visitors, then sat next to him.

    He noted that her first priority was for worship, not for the donation. It went a long way with him. She sat, transfixed to the sea ahead of them. Raulin tilted his head so he could appear to be looking forward, but was actually looking at her.

    ¡°We usually don¡¯t have many trirecs attend,¡± she said.

    ¡°I have a good reason.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you have an interesting story.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± he said, spending several minutes recounting his tale. Her eyes didn¡¯t leave his as he spoke, hushed by his words. She leaned forward slightly, as if she could hear his words better. ¡°So, as promised, I¡¯m here to make my donation and give Her thanks for saving me.¡±

    ¡°You were chosen by Her,¡± she said, somewhere between an awed and an assured tone. She moved forward until her knees touched his. ¡°How did She bring you back?¡±

    ¡°A to¡¯ken happened to pass by and I bargained for my passage back.¡±

    ¡°They are Queyella¡¯s chosen people,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve never met one but I hear they are wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Well, I would say she was kind enough to get me here, so they¡¯re fine in my book.¡± There was no need to break this woman¡¯s illusion.

    She stood. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here to meditate in peace,¡± she said.

    He grabbed her hand, unsure why he was being so forward. ¡°Stay.¡±

    She paused, then sat so close to him that they almost touched. He noticed she was looking at him unabashedly. He watched the sea while she watched him. It was comforting, peaceful. There was no one in the gallery but the two of them. Things felt right for a change.

    Several minutes passed. He moved his hand from his thigh to the floor. He was pleased to feel her slender fingers move over his skin with a rhythm that felt deep and natural.

    He turned to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said. She didn¡¯t look away in that bashful disbelief that most women he knew used. It was almost as if she hadn¡¯t heard him, since she continued to study him.

    ¡°Must you wear it always?¡± she asked, her fingers brushing his mask.

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± he said. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    She obeyed, her lashes making a thick line below her eyelids. He took off his mask, placing it next to him. He took her hand and brought it to his face. She traced the line of his jaw, which was strong like his father¡¯s, and his nose, which was small like his mother¡¯s. When her fingertips traced his lips, he kissed them lightly before gently pushing her head towards his.

    A voice inside said he should stop it from happening. He wasn¡¯t a man who enjoyed brief trysts, especially since most ended in bitter heartache. But, this was so free and easy. The attraction was as strong with her as it was with him. She kissed him, her hands sliding up to his neck while his slid down to her waist. She moved herself on top of him as much as he moved her. They didn¡¯t slow, they didn¡¯t stop, and didn¡¯t exercise any caution to who or where they were.

    It happened so fast that it seemed otherworldly to Raulin. Normally there were arduous steps that he would have to take with a woman, layers of flirtations, of shy rejections that were hard to decipher as true or invitations to try harder. Even in his luck with priestesses, he¡¯d never had an encounter so primal and spontaneous.

    He shook his head slightly and watched as she breathed slowly, her eyes still closed. She touched his face before she moved off of his lap, next to the wall and into the crook of his arm. He turned to face her as she reached up to continue the tracing of his ears, his forehead, and his hair. After a few minutes she turned and embraced him tightly, then sat up and moved forward, closer to the ocean.

    He put on his mask again, wishing he didn¡¯t have to, but understanding that there needed to be a finality to their meeting. This had happened at least a half-dozen times before, leaving someone he cared for. She seemed so interesting, so beautiful, but also so magnetic to him. But he couldn¡¯t stay with her.

    ¡°This is what I promised to give, no more, no less,¡± he said, placing the pouch of coins next to her. He needed to break this off before he started to grow attached, like he usually did. He also wanted to be very clear that the amount of money he was giving had nothing to do with what had just transpired between them. Raulin stood and left her staring out to the sea, her knees curled up to her chest.

    As he was leaving, he turned back to look at her one last time and the sun reflected off the water, blinding him for a moment. Ah, that was it. That¡¯s why she had been so alluring to him. She reminded him strongly of the girl from the dream, the one who had been in front of the ocean on the ship. He was fairly certain she was not her, but he at last understood his attraction.

    He knew what the dream meant, finally. It was a meddling message sent from deep within, in a dark space he had told himself to forget. He clenched his jaw as he stepped out of the temple and whispered, ¡°No, no. A thousand times no.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Raulin began the next day with his exercises, his morning tea, and breakfast of rice and eggs with sausage. He bathed, dressed, shaved, and found Isken in his corner office near the regular quarters.

    Isken Fren was the dorong-hi-leus. While he did answer the gate, greet potential contractees, and deliver messages and parcels inside the compound, his title meant ¡°master of contracts¡±. His small office was filled with piles of papers stuffed into wooden bookcases, chairs and his desk. He also had dozens of pay slips clipped to a thin chain and a safe behind his desk to keep the payments, which were due in full and upfront.

    Raulin knocked lightly before taking the seat in front of Isken¡¯s desk. ¡°Raulin, it is good to see you,¡± he said, putting down the pages he was organizing. ¡°I expect you¡¯ll be taking a few of these off my hands.¡±

    ¡°That was the plan. A full docket, if it works out that way.¡±

    Isken passed him a heavy board with metallic grips on either side. ¡°There are so few of us that are able to do that, you know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I buy spells from piscarins wholesale,¡± he said. ¡°They usually throw in a free location spell if you buy ten.¡±

    Isken laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful bargain! I¡¯ll have to look into it myself.¡±

    ¡°Me being so tall also helps. I¡¯m able to get the hard-to-reach items on the top shelves better than most.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because you¡¯re so tall,¡± he said and gave him a conspiratory look. ¡°Try these first.¡±

    Raulin took the bundle of papers and clipped them on the left side of the board. He began leafing through the papers, starting with the most recent, and putting those he weeded out back on the desk. Many had stipulations and expiration dates that immediately disqualified them. He pulled a page out and handed it to Isken. ¡°They¡¯ll be after their money soon. That expired three days ago.¡±

    Isken looked at the page, holding it up in front of him, then tipping his head. ¡°Ah, I often forget that Ghenians write the month first, especially when the numbers swap easily. I thought this was for July sixth, not June seventh.¡±

    ¡°Easy enough mistake. I¡¯ll pull anything else out that¡¯s gone by.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Raulin! I do appreciate a man with a fine eye and a generous hand.¡±

    The bell in the front rang and Isken left to speak to person while Raulin continued. Some of the contracts people took out were ridiculous. Kill this man on this particular night with this particular knife while you scream this particular phrase. Steal a statue that¡¯s mounted to the ground. There were no less than eight contracts for King Taneus and another dozen for members of his immediate family, the Rachents. Even if they had a trirec skilled enough to kill the king, the organization would never allow it. They thought carefully about the ramifications of high profile assassinations.

    Still, amongst papers filled with angry scribbles and possibly cultist rituals, Raulin managed to find about thirty contracts that were viable. He removed the assassinations and was left with twenty, then chose four of the discarded ones carefully. Normally he didn¡¯t pay attention to the ¡®reasons¡¯ portion for the contract; they were either left blank or filled with dramatic embellishments on what the person had done to the contractee, what a vile character they were, and several colorful phrases about the person¡¯s mother. This time, thought, it was important for Raulin to be picky and choose people the world might not be so sad to lose.

    Isken returned after a half hour and placed the fresh contract under a paperweight on top of a bookshelf. ¡°Did you find any others?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Raulin said, handing him the contracts he found. ¡°The full moon was a week ago and the Spring Festival was done at the end of May.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, looking them over quickly. ¡°Is it a miartha thing to be so confusing about things?¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± he replied. He was going to respond more in depth when Stavro, an older trivren with an unfortunately childish Merakian name, entered the office. The two trirecs straightened their backs and put their arms to their sides in deference to the older ex-trirec. He nodded to Isken and Raulin as he sat down in the remaining seat in the corner.

    Stavro was something of an anomaly. He was old by Merakian standards, which were longer than your average trirec. For a trivren to have white hair was almost unheard of. His braided hair almost reached his knees, meaning he hadn¡¯t had the need to cut his hair in a very long time.

    His face was covered in what Merakian¡¯s called ¡®elder¡¯s blight¡¯. The older one got, the thicker, redder, and spongier the skin on the face became. It had consumed Stavro¡¯s so that his black, right eye was squashed up by his skin, making it appear that he was sneering constantly. Raulin looked back at his paperwork quickly.

    ¡°I was curious as to how your docket list was going, Kemor,¡± he said.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s going well, master,¡± Raulin said, handing the board to the trivren.

    The man rifled through, his fingers dancing over the corners. Blue, red, and green marks flitted past. The man frowned when he got to the end. ¡°Such a low number of assassinations. Four? Why so few?¡±

    He thought about his words carefully. ¡°Master, while I was adrift after the shipwreck, I thought long and hard about my place with Arvarikor. I think it¡¯s not boasting to say that I do well.¡±

    ¡°I will agree with that statement. You¡¯ve finished a full docket three times in a row. You are certainly prolific.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, master. I figured that, since I¡¯m in a place where I can gain access more easily than most of my brothers and sisters, that I should let them handle the contracts that don¡¯t rely on blending in as much.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a decision a trivren would make.¡±

    ¡°This is true, master. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± he asked, his tone quickly sharpening. ¡°It¡¯s quite the assumption to make, to think we wouldn¡¯t allocate our people as we thought best. Don¡¯t you think we would have other trirecs take the contracts if it worked best overall?¡±

    Raulin breathed in slowly through his nose. They hadn¡¯t even know he was going to be in Hanala. ¡°I understand there is more information about the organization than I know, master. I always defer to your wisdom. I had intended to let a trivren know of my choices before I took them officially.¡±

    ¡°Which ones are you thinking of passing on? Show me.¡±

    Raulin scanned through the pile of discarded contracts, pulled one out, and handed it to the trivren. ¡°Master, this one is a lucrative offer in Quisset. The target is a business man who owns a spacious manor. No extra requests are listed. This seems like an easy enough thing for any trirec to accomplish.¡±

    Stavro eyed it quickly. ¡°We don¡¯t have many agents in Quisset. You¡¯ll be journeying near there, I¡¯m sure.¡± He put that contract at the bottom of his pile. ¡°Take that and discard another.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he said. Not only did his killing list increase but he now had to add Quisset on to his journey.

    ¡°Where was that contract from the Sun-Moon Guild?¡± he asked Isken, who pulled out a page with a mark of all three colors in the corner. ¡°I think you should take this one as well. Maybe it would be good in the hands of someone who doesn¡¯t want to kill anymore. Maybe you can accomplish something amazing with this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    ¡°And where was the one that was just made?¡±

    Isken looked guilty for a moment, then retrieved the sheet from under the paperweight. He handed it to Raulin, who scanned it. ¡°No, master. Not this one. I only refuse one kind of contract and that¡¯s anyone with noble blood.¡±

    The trivren frowned. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I find they¡¯re too difficult to do quickly and they put a lot of pressure on your other work in that area. It would be problematic for me to do multiple jobs in one city if they are looking for a trirec who just killed a prominent member of society. I will be spending quite a bit of time in New Wextif, for example, so if I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, so the prolific Raulin Kemor finds things ¡®difficult¡¯ and ¡®problematic¡¯ now?¡± he said, leaning forward on his cane. ¡°I thought you were a ghost that just spirited from job to job.¡±

    He was going to argue further, but Isken cleared his throat before interrupting. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, counts aren¡¯t noble.¡±

    Raulin looked over at the man. ¡°Counts are equal to earls here in Gheny, no?¡±

    ¡°They are, but counts are always non-hereditary positions in Gheny held by the servility. Counts, Baronets, Lords of the Manor, and Knights of the Realm are non-peerage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, looking disappointed.

    ¡°It still might complicate things if I need to do any spying near Hanala¡­¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor,¡± Stavro said, his voice stern and with warning, ¡°we have decided it would be in everyone¡¯s best interest if you took this contract. Is there a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°No, master.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Stavro said, rising. ¡°I¡¯d hate to see you caned due to your childish behavior.¡± He had a satisfied look on his face. ¡°I¡¯d like to see your final list before you leave.¡±

    A good half minute after he left, Isken asked under his breath, ¡°What did you do, piss in his bedroll?¡±

    Raulin gave him a crooked smile. ¡°No. Just had the misfortune of being me.¡± He told Isken of the shipwreck, his rescue, his time amongst the to¡¯ken, and finally of the special treatment he had received.

    ¡°Oh, Raulin, I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Isken said, sounding genuine. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are still with us, even though the cost was great.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Not everyone thinks as you do. I assume Stavro, perhaps some others, might have gone along with my expedited re-training last night, but they didn¡¯t like it. I have a reputation for receiving special treatment. You remember what happened in Cuesto. I slip by because I take full dockets.¡±

    ¡°You are valuable, Raulin. There¡¯s no doubt to that. I think they should let you do what you do best and leave you alone. It would work out well for all of us if the trivren stopped meddling. Like working together. Just think of what we could accomplish if we could band together to take on some of the harder contracts.¡±

    This was the sort of heretical thinking that Raulin remembered Isken for. He was a man who saw the inner workings of the organization and noted improvements he¡¯d like to make. The fact that he hadn¡¯t been whipped for his mouth meant that he was either careful about who he spoke to or Raulin was the only one to know of his leanings.

    ¡°I¡¯d take you with me up to Carvek. I know you wanted that contract.¡±

    He shrugged guiltily. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all right. They come and go.¡±

    ¡°You know why they don¡¯t, though. I do agree with that rule. It¡¯s best not to grow attached to someone you might have to kill later on.¡±

    Isken sighed. ¡°I still think we shouldn¡¯t take guard jobs. It¡¯s what soldiers are for.¡±

    ¡°Who better to protect a man from a trirec than another trirec?¡±

    ¡°True. I understand, but I don¡¯t agree.¡± Isken stood up to leave for the midday meal. ¡°I hate seeing people fight and kill each other when they could be brothers.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s how we are able to make more money. It is at the cost of a life, but I¡¯ve never known Arvarikor to be upset about that. There are plenty of orphans waiting to be plucked for training.¡±

    ¡°They should be more careful about their assets!¡± he said, then looked quickly outside to see if anyone noticed before continuing more softly. ¡°How many brothers have we lost because one had to fight another?¡±

    ¡°I know. I agree, Isken. It seems a great loss every time a seasoned and skillful trirec dies because he was guarding a man with a contract on his head.¡±

    Isken nodded and stepped through the door, but hesitated. He turned back and met Raulin¡¯s dark blue eyes with his own black ones, holding his attention. ¡°One of the contracts you¡¯re taking is poisoned as such. Be careful.¡±

 Chapter 54

    Now that Raulin had his docket for the year, he was expected to spend the next few days planning out all the intricacies. He would start by tracing the map of eastern Gheny and plotting where each job was located. He was told to allot an average of two weeks per contract, add travel time, then calculate the likelihood of other trirecs affecting his work, the weather being uncooperative, local festivals impeding his movement, and other things. The timing should be precise, down to the hour, and a full year of mitigated risks.

    And painters should always sketch out their work before they begin their work.

    Raulin was prolific, as Stavro had admitted. There weren¡¯t many trirecs working who took a full docket and finished them in a year. It might be a dozen out of the thousands working. The maximum was set at twenty-four in twelve months, which was an unlikely average to attain. It would take at least a week to gather enough information about the schedules of a household in order to find the most opportune time to slip in and do the deed. Add a few more to get the right accessories, pay off the right people, and wait for the right time, and you had your two weeks. Any faster would be foolhardy.

    Well, foolhardy was where Raulin excelled. He took stupid risks, got caught, wriggled out of the situation, and got hurt far more frequently than he wanted to, far more than other trirecs. He had been caught or arrested over a dozen times in last eight years, a remarkable amount. The only reasons he hadn¡¯t been shipped back to Arvarikor and re-educated was that he had never broken the unmasking rule and that he broke records for speed. He got jobs completed where others couldn¡¯t.

    Most in the organization thought Raulin was extremely ambitious and hoped to one day take on pupils or run a compound like the one he was at. In fact, his payoff for finishing a few months early was finding a lovely little country and soaking himself in strong booze, good company, and amazing food. Without the weight of the mask on his face, he would almost forget everything he¡¯d done over the previous year.

    He planned to do it again, estimating nine and a half months at his normal pace. He¡¯d head north, first to take care of this new contract in Carvek, then spend some time picking the pockets of the lords and ladies of Courmet and Shingden, swing up through Eerie and Quisset, back down around the Great Gheny Bay and parts south, and finally looping over to Genale, where he¡¯d likely spend his vacation on the gray sandy beaches.

    All of the information was copied down into a small journal that he had bought when he was in the market with Neshihon. His old one, bound in black leather with a clasp of sapphire, diamonds, and emeralds had been with his effects on the Spirowan. Out of all the clothes, mementos, and letters he¡¯d lost, it was the one thing he actually missed.

    While Raulin wrote out his travels, Isken was busy duplicating paperwork and sending out icons. When a contract was taken, the contractee was given a small, metal symbol of Arvarikor, a vertical line with three horizontal bars of decreasing length. If they chose to cancel the contract, they were required to send the icon back within twenty-four hours.

    It would take time to reach some of the contractees in the deepest part of southern Gheny. Raulin would check-in with operatives that monitored areas, seeing if the contracts had been canceled and paying small fees if he wished for any additional information. He almost always did. It reduced his time with planning and had stopped him from making some grave mistakes in the past.

    All the while Raulin wrote his plans down, he tried to phrase a way of asking Isken which contract was going to pit him against another trirec. In the end, he couldn¡¯t. It was kind enough that he warned him, but since he was in charge of both contracts, he would need to be impartial. He could guess it was almost certainly one of the assassinations. Was it the one in Carvek? No, that was the only one he could probably rule out. Isken wouldn¡¯t have wanted it so badly if he knew it would involve killing a trirec as well as a target.

    He decided he had enough money to pay for dinner and a night out before he began his route the next day. He needed to get out of the compound. He was feeling an underscore of dread about this tour. Too much had gone wrong already, from the shipwreck to the situation with Stavro. He felt a sickly sort of indecisiveness about the future and thought leaving the place that pressed his neck to the ground would be best.

    Raulin put his mask away in a knapsack as soon as he found a place to safely remove it. He wanted to return to the temple, to see the priestess again, but chided himself. He didn¡¯t know her. He wanted to, but couldn¡¯t. He envied the men and women who could practice a cool detachment from their lovers. He had always felt it was a weakness of his character that he had a poor head when it came to lust, always transforming it into something it couldn¡¯t be. Like so many before, he would need to forget about the priestess and deal with the longing. It would fade in time.

    Raulin¡¯s dinner was good, at least. Hanala wasn¡¯t reknown for their culinary arts, like the innovative meals in New Wextif or the masterful dishes of seafood in Riyala, but his supper was hearty and well-made. It was the first meal he¡¯d had that wasn¡¯t the bland fare they served at the compound, a strange bowl of fruit and fish, or from a barrel. He thoroughly enjoyed the small scallops in white gravy over a bed of wild rice. He sopped up his plate with a piece of fresh, crusty bread.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Afterwards, he mingled. Raulin went to a bar and signaled the bartender to make him the strongest water possible. He tipped the man well and the locals weren¡¯t any the wiser that he wasn¡¯t getting drunk with them. He was already pushing it by not wearing his mask; drinking when under a contract was another punishable offense.

    Raulin wasn¡¯t after anything specific, just exhanging conversation and getting a feel for the area. He¡¯d been in Gheny, in Hanala, almost three years prior and was curious to see what had changed. Was the monarchy stable and how did the people feel about it? Had anyone explored anything new in the Cold Lands up north or the southern Viyaz Desert? And something that Raulin felt a mild interest in, how were the relations between Gheny and the elves of the Dreelands?

    ¡°A standstill,¡± one man said, drunkenly gesturing with his mug. ¡°They stay there, we stay here.¡±

    ¡°We could take ¡¯em,¡± another said. ¡°We give every man a weapon and the problem is handled.¡±

    ¡°Naw,¡± a third man said. ¡°The problem is you can¡¯t find ¡¯em. They hide deep in the forests, places where we don¡¯t go. Anybody who tries to root them out finds themselves turned around or dead. I say let them have it. We have plenty of wood and we don¡¯t need the Cold Lands for anything.¡±

    Noh Amair and Merak had no elves. Tired of warring, they had left the continent a long time ago for lands west. They had thrived in Liyand. Then, about four hundred years ago, it was settled by Noh Amairians, declaring their new land Gheny. The fighting began all over. There was nowhere for the elves to go, so they stayed and fought for their homes. The two sides had reached a pact of non-aggression that had been ongoing for a few decades, the longest time in history it had worked.

    ¡°I just came from Anistaf,¡± Raulin said. ¡°There was a bad drought going on down there. Is Sharka suffering the same fate?¡±

    The first man snorted and laughed. ¡°If anything we have too much rain. We had that real bad storm a few weeks ago that flooded the lower parts of the city. Hit us square on the nose, that one. A few people died.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± he said. He swayed a little, drawing his arm slowly into a solemn toast. He¡¯d discovered years ago that you didn¡¯t have to pretend to be the right level of drunk, just enough to show you weren¡¯t sober. ¡°To those we¡¯ve lost.¡±

    ¡°Cheers,¡± the three men said.

    ¡°And the people in Ailetol. Lots of deaths ¡¯cause of Mt. Eruska errupting.¡±

    They lifted their glasses again and clinked. ¡°Awfully strange weather going on. They say in Tektorn that strange weather brings strange creatures.¡±

    ¡°Well, there was that really tall fellow people were talking about,¡± the second man said. ¡°I think he was a giant or some sort of freakish man.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as giants,¡± the first man said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care who told you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d believe it,¡± said the third man. ¡°Sailors have been spotting some kraken and a few massive leviathan.¡±

    ¡°See? Strange things,¡± the second man said. ¡°Ghosts, too, and dire lupins.¡±

    ¡°Dire lupines,¡± the first man scoffed.

    The conversation devolved into fairy tales and campfire stories. Raulin bought a round for everyone before leaving. He¡¯d have to sift through their conversation at some other point and see what was valuable information.

    He spent the rest of his evening walking along the sea, having been gripped again by a pensive mood. He was tired of all the thinking he¡¯d done over the last few days, all the turmoil and heartbreak. He had to reach a decision about his future.

    It wasn¡¯t much of a choice, really. Either he¡¯d continue doing what he was doing or he¡¯d run away. What would he do? He was a man who had been orphaned at a young age. His life had been spoken for with some training towards an end profession, but that had ended with the death of his family. He didn¡¯t have any skills, or at least the right skills, to run away from the life he had as a trirec

    He sat on a wharf and watched the sun set. He wouldn¡¯t be having these thoughts if he hadn¡¯t had that dream. Whoever sent it, if it had been sent, certainly knew how to pique his interest. He pictured the woman from the dream, her dark hair a cloud blocking the sun. What had spellbound him the most was that connection they had. The tone she had used, somewhat playful but concerned with his thoughts, was like a wonderful scent he couldn¡¯t shake.

    He loved that woman. Not then, but even as he sat on the dock. He knew it was stupid; he hadn¡¯t even met her. But once he had offered the thought up as a possibility, he knew it was true. And once he realized that, he knew she would be his wife.

    And that was the thought that allowed him to put the dream away. He¡¯d had loves in the past, women he had made love to, then left, or even a few he had seen for a few weeks or months. But it always came down to the same problem: even if he told them he was a trirec, he could never ask a woman to marry him. He could never ask someone to forgive him every time he had to seduce someone else, or wait ten months of the year for him, or learn to hide their children from Arvarikor. It was far too much.

    Raulin stood and made his third promise. He¡¯d have to stop dwelling on that dream. He had nine to ten months of work ahead of him that he needed to focus on or else he¡¯d make mistakes. He had fulfilled his promise to Queyella and he¡¯d continue to take a reduced number of assassinations. With those done, he¡¯d recommit to what he was doing.

    He felt better as he walked back to the compound. While he wished to spend the night in a hotel away from the other trirecs, there were some things he knew he couldn¡¯t push. It would be seen as subversive and would only give Stavro ammunition.

    He slept the night in the same room on the grounds, the sounds of the city wafting in over the fence. His sleep could be qualified as good, with only one dream that woke him with no memory, just a feeling of making someone disappointed or upset. His morning ritual was the same as the previous two days. He helped Isken file contracts while he waited until noon for the first deadline. When his new clothing arrived and he received no notice, he packed everything in his large knapsack and left with only a goodbye to Isken.

    After the expense of his bounty, new clothes and supplies, and his tribute to Queyella, his funds were dwindling to worrisome levels. He had left Arouk with over a thousand gold in beads. Now, he was down to just a few hundred. Instead of renting a carriage or buying a horse, Raulin hitched a ride for a few miles, but mostly walked north to Carvek.

 Chapter 55

    Raulin had visited quite a few places in his time, in size from a hermit¡¯s cave to the largest cities he could travel to safely. The size generally didn¡¯t matter to much to him, but the quality of the town did. Therefore, it was important for him to make a flash judgment on what to expect while visiting. He always asked these three questions: was the main road cobbled, did it smell nice, and did the guards smile and nod at you?

    Carvek ranked at ¡°charming backwater¡±. The main road was tidy, but not paved. They did have oil lamps and the businesses seemed in good shape, despite an odd crooked sign or broken shutter. Carvek was very close to the sea, so it was unfair to rank its smell based on the easterly winds that blew the unsavory smells from the wharfs inland. There was a gate, but no guards manning it. People were congenial enough, at least nodding at him if not smiling. All-in-all, a pleasant place that might be in need of some upgrades.

    While he smiled and nodded back, his mind began checking off what he needed to do. First, he had to establish a base of operations, namely a place of lodging. This was to be on the fringes of the city in some dank cellar room with leaks and rats and mold. It would be acceptable to find a place in the middle if there were several contracts in one place, but still, leaks, rats, mold.

    ¡°Hello, goodman,¡± Raulin said to the young man behind the counter of the beautiful hotel on the main road. ¡°Do you happen to have any vacancies?¡±

    ¡°How many days?¡± he asked, opening the ledger on the counter.

    ¡°Two, perhaps three.¡±

    The man ran his finger down the column, then consulted a calendar next to where he stood. ¡°I think we can accommodate that, sir. The charge is eight silver per night. We have a shared lavatory on each floor for bathing and a sink in each room as well as a balcony for the upper rooms. Yours is on the third floor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, will it be facing the castle I saw when I came in? It was gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, your room faces the main road and gives a grand view of Fiaston Estates.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± he said, fishing two gold coins out of his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll pay the third night as I leave, yes?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± the man said, handing him his change. We have a smoker¡¯s lounge for gentleman to your left and a parlor for the ladies to the right. Will you be staying with anyone else?¡±

    A sensible question to ask. No decent hotel would want an unmarried couple in their rooms. ¡°No, goodman. I¡¯m traveling alone, writing about the various castles in Gheny.¡± He pulled out his leather-bound notebook with his contracts. ¡°I believe there is another castle nearby that I can visit.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Though Fiaston is our pride and joy, Railis is also quite beautiful. It¡¯s much older and in need of repairs, but the glass works in the dining hall are breathtaking when lit in the evening.¡±

    ¡°Thank, goodman. I plan on venturing out to see more of Carvek this evening. May I take my room now and freshen up from my travels?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said, handing him the key to the room. ¡°There is someone available at all hours of the day, but if you prefer to view our visitor¡¯s guide,¡± he said, pointing to a large book on a table, ¡°it has all the restaurants, sites, and areas to see in and around Carvek.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, thank you,¡± he said before taking the staircase opposite the main door up to the third floor.

    The room was quite cheery. The curtains were a light, yellow floral print that billowed gently in the breeze. The four poster bed was made of cherry, but the duvet was a soft blue. A matching bureau with mirror held a scrimshaw bowl with a dogwood flower floating on the top. Raulin breathed in the scent and smiled. It was better than expected.

    He had nabbed a newspaper from the lobby and sat outside on his balcony, pretending to read it. The balcony was made of spindly iron that was bolted to the side of the wall. It¡¯s sturdiness was in question, but Raulin felt comfortable enough that, if anything was going to kill him, it wasn¡¯t going to be him falling during leisure time.

    The castle was not what most would consider a proper castle, but he¡¯d known people who could argue for years over such a thing. It was a beautiful chateau of white stone and a blue roof surrounded by walls with ramparts, a barbican, and four towers in each corner. That was all in order. What drew away from it¡¯s validity was it all seemed ornamental. The ramparts had no merlons, only a delicate fence in the front made of iron in the fashionable eyelash pattern. The front gate was wide and Raulin suspected the portcullis¡¯s chains hadn¡¯t been touched in decades. And the walls were made of wood in a crisscrossed pattern, painted to fool the eye into thinking they were the same stone as the gatehouse. It was comparatively indefensible and that¡¯s really what Raulin thought was the deciding factor on his opinion. A proper castle needed to hold against a siege and protect its people behind its walls. Fiaston was beautiful, but not somewhere he¡¯d want to be caught in if they were bombarded.

    The question was, was this the right castle? Perhaps he should have asked that before taking the hotel room, but it was a question that might arch some eyebrows if asked too soon.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Isken had said that counts in Gheny were non-peerage titles. When Raulin had pressed a little more, he had said that they were given the position as a boon from the king, either when the government created a new county or when an earl¡¯s line died out. Raulin suspected that either the earl had been a terrible nobleman or it was the former, new county, new count. If so, the fact that the castle had poor defenses would suggest that Fiaston was the one to keep his eye on.

    In the worst case, he was relaxing in front of a very pretty estate.

    He watched as people walked past the two guards on duty without forming a line. Each raised their hands and showed a piece of paper or a badge quickly, then kept on with their day. He contemplated that it might be possible to steal whatever it was for access, but it would take time Raulin felt he¡¯d rather not spend. There was a group walking on the ramparts, listening to someone speak. A tour, learning about the castle. That might be a possibility for access.

    He went downstairs to inquire with the innkeeper. ¡°Tours run daily at nine, twelve, and three o¡¯clock,¡± the owner said from behind his counter, ¡°except on Mondays and Thursdays.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What happens then?¡± Raulin asked..

    ¡°The bailey is opened for respected merchants. They may bring tables and booths to sell their wares at the market.¡±

    Much better. That was a key to a plan in the making. ¡°How do the guards keep up with all the people? Do large lines form? I¡¯d hate to have to wait in lines to see the count.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, sir! No lines at all! Everyone is let through without a pass or excuse, though it might be difficult to see the count. He¡¯s quite a busy man.¡±

    This was good. A way in without hindrance and almost a confirmation that the count lived in Fiaston. He looked at the clock on the wall briefly. ¡°Ah, I think it might be too late to get a tour today. Perhaps Friday,¡± he said to the innkeeper, who made some polite share of disappointment.

    Raulin asked about other local attractions and pretended to take some in-depth notes about each in his notebook. He left and played the part of a wide-eyed tourist, sight-seeing at the park and at the temples. He got sucked into a conversation with a priest in the Skethik temple and had difficulty ending it, but managed to with as much grace as possible.

    The ruse was only necessary in case things went poorly and he needed to unmask to escape. He¡¯d traveled the world several times and had seen every god¡¯s temple at least thrice. Carvek¡¯s held nothing of interest to him. He was bored, but smiled politely and looked attentive as he toured each.

    After those five places, he felt he was established enough to pass by the castle to get a closer look. Raulin smoked tobacco so rarely that he still didn¡¯t know how to roll his own cigarettes, so he bought a paper case of five and matches at a shop near Fiaston. He leaned against a wall across the street from the main gate and puffed shallowly as he observed the castle further.

    He could see a small window of the bailey beyond the opening. It appeared that the people filing in were immediately banking left or right into the barbican and farther on to the wall. He guessed it was double thick and had offices inside for administration of the county.

    What he really wanted was a closer look at the chateau in the rear, offset to the right. He could only guess from the views that it had three stories, though it might be four or have different sections he couldn¡¯t see that rose higher. He guessed it was a standard rectangular shape with the sleeping quarters on the third or fourth floor.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± a man asked. ¡°Pride of the city. Much nicer than the viscount¡¯s keep. Mind if I borrow one?¡±

    It was an odd way of phrasing he wanted to take a cigarette, but Raulin understood what he meant. He passed him one as well as lighting a match and holding it up for the man. His new friend wore clothing quite rich and fashionable, with a felt bowler hat, a pocket watch chain, and even a silk kerchief in his pocket. Raulin guessed he could afford his own tobacco, but didn¡¯t care what his reasons were for being without in that moment. Raulin wouldn¡¯t smoke more than one and it gave him some opportunity to pick some information from this man.

    ¡°Do you have the time? I fear I¡¯ve arrived late for the three o¡¯clock tour, but wanted a smoke before I went in.¡±

    The man deftly retrieved his watch and flipped the cover off with a flick of his wrist. ¡°Three eighteen. I fear you are too late for the last one of the day.¡±

    ¡°Bother. I was hoping to catch one before I left Carvek.¡±

    ¡°Well, my generous friend, I do happen to know a thing or two about our city¡¯s illustrious keep. I could give you a tour here, though I¡¯m afraid it will only be imaginary.¡±

    While the two shared their poisoned air, the man, Armone, passed his information along to Raulin. He was full of tidbits and trivia and, having just graduated from the basic coursework at Amandorlam, he wanted to show that it wasn¡¯t a wasted education. When he pointed things out, he gestured with the cigarette, a trail of smoke following the tip as he waved it around. Most of what he told Raulin was useless numerical facts; how many people visited daily, how much work was produced, the overall style of decoration used inside the chateau. Armone was too new to the greater world to understand that reciting information for information¡¯s sake was theft of air.

    He listened patiently, then started to steer Armone into the direction he wanted. ¡°Now, I was noticing that the keep, while exquisite, seems a bit under-defended. Is there a reason for that?¡±

    Armone nodded while taking a drag. ¡°It¡¯s a newer keep, built twenty-three years ago. Gheny hasn¡¯t been in a war or had a huge fear of piracy for hundreds of years, so the newer castles are built to impress, not for defense. They make up for it by having a crack force of guards.¡±

    ¡°Really? Even amidst all the heavy traffic they¡¯ve managed to protect the castle?¡±

    ¡°Well, everyone entering today is regulated. They¡¯re more ticketakers than guards five days of the week. And the other two, on market days, they run drills.¡±

    Raulin made sure not to show his smile to Armone. ¡°So they let everyone in during the market days and they have no guards? Sounds like a risky schedule.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the guards aren¡¯t far, if something should happen. And there¡¯s a few inside the manse at all times. The count and his family are usually out on market days, touring and participating in events and festivals.¡±

    Raulin asked a few more questions, to throw off the suspicion that he wanted a certain piece of information and was done with Armone when he got it. When his cigarette ran low, he crushed it under his foot. ¡°Thank you, Armone. I feel as though I lost nothing being late today.¡±

 Chapter 56

    The next day Raulin cheerfully crossed the short bridge to the barbican and entered the bailey through the tunnel. He stopped short at the entrance and people slammed into his back and grumbled. ¡°A castle,¡± he said in a wowed tone.

    ¡°Yes, we have two of them!¡± a man said, adjusting his bowler hat.

    ¡°Two!¡± Raulin exclaimed. ¡°What an amazing city.¡±

    He stopped to finger the banner of Sharka hanging on the wall, a gray banner with red stitching of the crest. He turned suddenly, as if he had just realized there was more to the castle, and gasped.

    Now that he was up close, Raulin could see why there was a separate garrison for the guards to train. The bailey had been transformed into a garden, complete with a fountain in the middle. Several beds of flowers picked out a pattern by color. Short, trimmed hedges outlined everything. It was a dainty paradise that served no function in war, not even to feed people in a siege.

    Outside the circular garden were tables and booths arranged in rows, several dozen crammed side-to-side. Raulin stood in the middle, pondering which way to go, until an irritate man grabbed him by the shoulders and twisted him to the left. ¡°That way!¡± he said and harrumphed before saddling past Raulin.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± he said, but the man was already in the crowd.

    And what a crowd there was in that small bailey. A few hundred packed in to get great deals on items already reduced in price. Societies looking to recruit spoke in animated gestures to guileless young men with deep pockets. Restaurants and patisseries sold finger foods at high demand. Shops from all over Carvek had their wares displayed on their tables, hoping to catch someone¡¯s eye instead of dust in a shop.

    Raulin made his way around slowly. He scaled back the country bumpkin act a bit; now that he had been noted as bothersome and boorish, he could slide into the crowd. Should anyone remember him, no one would connect the bumbling oaf with a skilled assassination.

    Still, he needed to make it seem like he was there to pry and buy instead of scoping out the castle. He looked over the price list of wines and the menus of restaurants, shook hangs with politicians he¡¯d never vote for, and examined several pieces of jewelry sprawled across several tables. He haggled down the price of an earring and necklace set made of crystal and aquamarines. In his line of work, it was always nice to have a gift for a woman ready. He¡¯d have to work on the story to go with it.

    When he had gone once around, he found the busier tables and pretended to listen or wait while he took in as much information about the bailey as possible. How easy would it be for him to climb on the roof? Where did they store the tables when they weren¡¯t in use? What could he guess was the floor plan for the chateau?

    When listening to a man drone on about men¡¯s fashion, he spotted a young couple drift over to a garden next to the manor. The woman took off her glove and gently brushed one of the trellised flowers. When her beau leaned in to smell it, she pushed several in his face to his alarm and delight. They laughed and walked arm-in-arm farther into the garden.

    Raulin looked around and saw no one else watching them. He sauntered towards the back of the bailey, admiring the little beds of irises and lilies, and timed it so he passed the couple as they left the garden. He looked closely at the wisteria, taking in the aroma, and slipped behind the trellises.

    A few years prior, Raulin had been struck by curiosity and seen a play involving a trirec. He had sat with a small smirk as he watched the man hide behind a tree until night fell. His friend had leaned over and said exactly what he was thinking. ¡°Rather cliched, isn¡¯t it? Will he also be hiding in a wardrobe and using a secret entrance?¡± And yet, here was Raulin doing exactly that: hiding in a garden until nightfall. He supposed that, if he had wanted to do this with panache, he should have allotted more time.

    Once he crawled into a rhododendron bush, he quickly changed, putting on his mask before taking off his clothes to reveal his arong-miil. Once his knapsack was packed and cinched, he considered himself somewhat safe. If he was going to get caught, he¡¯d rather get caught in a role that would allow him to do the most damage and wouldn¡¯t expose his identity.

    All he had to do was wait. He had a minimum of five hours before the estate would be settled enough to enter. It did risk the guards returning, but he suspected they would just watch the gate and not add to the number in the household.

    Raulin¡¯s training kicked in. His mind grew quiet and his body still as he litanied many things. Rules of engagement. Training sequences. Every detail he had pulled in as he had walked through the grounds and from Armone had told him.

    Arvarikor knew that such repetition would dull the mind to boredom, so they allowed the students to include something personal. A great day in training or fantasies of them achieving a top ranking in the organization were acceptable memories. They had asked each student to share their¡¯s and Raulin spoke of his favorite day. His family had gone to the beach and he had played in the waves for hours, his skin pruning and browning in the sun. He spoke of the details, of the color of the sky and sand and the waves He spoke of the joy and excitement of the day. Then, he had been dragged to the front of the class, a bucket of cold water poured over him, and he was caned twenty times. He was made to yell, ¡°I forget them!¡± at the top of his lungs in between each hit.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    He learned to lie about his memories, but he never forgot them. He had gone through stages where he thought he was stupid or weak for holding on to his memories. It had taken Afrek Menrak, his favorite mentor, to set him straight. ¡°The world is filled with people who say one thing, but understand everyone is pretending to follow it. The organization is full of them, those who say ¡®here are the rules that can¡¯t be broken¡¯ and yet break it themselves. I remember my mother,¡± he said, knowing that Raulin could tattle on him in for that admission. ¡°Remember yours and tell no one. They can¡¯t steal that from you.¡±

    So he did. He remembered her dark blonde hair piled in curls on top of her head, her slender neck showing off beautiful jewels and pearls. He remembered she played the spinet beautifully, her fingers dancing over the keys as she rocked softly with the music. He remembered her small features, which he inherited quite a few of, save his father¡¯s strong jaw and broad forehead. He remembered her voice, her touch, her smell, her presence. He remembered.

    He spent the rest of the time thinking about happier days. The memories gave him the warmth of comfort. He allowed this, since it was beneficial, but it touched again upon the things that kept getting in the way of him completing his work. At some point he would have to think of more recent things, like his vacations in Walpi or Kinto.

    It grew quieter outside, followed by the sound of heavy items being moved. Some time later, he heard gates in the front being shut and chained closed. It was still light out, but that faded to sunset, then to night.

    He shifted his position very slowly every fifteen minutes and lightly massaged his thighs and calves while he listened to the household. A maid had opened the window hours prior and had changed the sheets on the bed. Someone had recently blown out the candles in the room and settled down to sleep.

    Raulin gave himself another fifteen minutes then slowly stood, so as not to disturb the vegetation. After brushing the leaves off and flexing his muscles back into working order, he pulled himself up and over the sill and into the room.

    He let his eyes adjust and glanced to see if the room¡¯s occupant was sleeping before standing. His breath caught in his chest. The count¡¯s daughter, or whomever this was, looked so similar to the priestess that he had thought she was the same person. She was resting peacefully, hugging a second pillow close to her chest. Her dark hair tumbled across her face and neck. Her hair was shorter than the priestess¡¯s and her features seemed better balanced. He made to walk across the floor but turned back once more to look at her before continuing.

    Someone moved in the bed next to her, a man. Not the woman from the dream, then. This one was married. Forget her and keep moving.

    Now it would be a guessing game. Where would the count¡¯s suite be? Almost always the head of the household slept in the choiciest room with the best view. He would likely be directly upstairs with windows overlooking the well-kept garden.

    Would anyone be awake? Most certainly. At least one servant would be on-call and there would be guards patrolling. He would keep areas in mind to duck into should he be caught.

    He stuck close to the walls and worked quickly, but quietly. The second floor contained several rooms for events, but no chambers.

    The third floor was much more domestic. He found the count¡¯s room guarded by a man in a chair at the door. He was still awake, his pike laying across his lap. Down the hallway must his wife¡¯s room, which might share a door. It was unguarded and unlocked.

    The heavy brocade curtains around her bed were already drawn, so he assumed she was sleeping. He got quite the surprise when he saw she was at her vanity, brushing her hair. She was younger rather than older, her golden hair a fiery sunset in the light of the candle. She bore some similarity to his mother, which stung Raulin when he realized it. It wasn¡¯t so much how she looked, but the memory of sitting next to his mother as she brushed her hair. It had become something of a ritual at one point, when he was six or seven. She would hum a tune she had been working on learning, brushing in time with the rhythms. Raulin would sit next to her and lay his head on her lap. When she was finished, she¡¯d brush out his hair before bringing him to his room to be tucked in to bed.

    Raulin moved back behind the bed, to the other side of a standing armoire and waited. He was beginning to feel more and more that he was coming apart at the seems, his past haunting him. He breathed slowly and deepened , washing the emotion away. He needed to be mist thin and wind fast.

    He heard the sound of the brush being put down on the vanity, then a candle being blown out before she settled into bed. He waited ten minutes before he peeked out and heard her breath become deep and hollow. His feet made no sound against the floor as he walked past her to the door in the rear.

    The count¡¯s room was a mirror image. He was already asleep, his curtains open with a candle and book on his end table. He looked dead already, his hands folded neatly over his stomach above a crisply folded blanket. Every so often, he blew his breath out in a trill between his lips.

    Before Raulin did anything, he needed to confirm the man before him was the count. Not his father or brother, or even a guest. Raulin searched the room until he moved over to the desk and removed the top page. He brought it to what little light was available from the lit torches in the courtyard and saw it was a letter he had finished before retiring, signed with his name and title below the script. It would be the most concrete evidence he would likely get.

    Sleeping victims were very easy to kill. No resistance, no noise, and no dead weight to catch as they fell. Had he been face down or on his side, it would be easier, but unconsciousness in any way was the reason why Raulin had waited so long. He needed a quiet death and an escape unhindered.

    Raulin slid his curved knife from his calf, then examined it as if he¡¯d never seen it before. Do it, he said. You promised. You have no choice. He stabbed the man in the neck with a quick, practiced motion and pulled to the side to sever his artery. When the man¡¯s eyes opened and he reached for his neck, Raulin grabbed a pillow and smothered his face with it. He didn¡¯t need anyone to hear the count¡¯s dying moans or his blood on his arong-miil. The count reached up and grabbed Raulin¡¯s arms, trying to pull his hands off the pillow.

    He held it there, watching the blood seep through the case, across the sheets. It appeared black in the weak light from the bailey and from the waning moon. It didn¡¯t take long for the count to stop struggling. Raulin removed the pillow when the man stopped moving.

    I¡¯m so tired of this, he thought, realizing that the woman whose rooms he had crept through was essentially homeless and a widow. Their children wouldn¡¯t have a father, just like Raulin. He wiped his knife on the pillow case, sighed, and resheathed it.

    When he turned to escape the way he came, he saw three figures standing in the doorway. ¡°You killed him,¡± a man said.

 Chapter 57

    Had Raulin spent the time necessary to clear his mind, shake his issues and problems, and had he taken the time to prepare for this job as he had been trained to, this situation could have been avoided. He had been so distracted by petty thoughts that he had let three people sneak up on him and block him in.

    The dream had been a curse, a poison set out to destroy his career. Never again. He would proceed with all contracts in the future as he had been taught. But first, he needed to secure his escape.

    Raulin removed the bottom part of his mask, so that his voice wouldn¡¯t muffle when he spoke, and turned his back to the person who had addressed him. His voice took on a tone of supplication and he began pacing and wringing his hands dramatically. ¡°No, sir! I didn¡¯t kill him, sir! You have to believe me. I was out in the hallway when I thought I heard a loud noise and moaning sounds. I knew that my count was retired and alone, so I came in to check on his well being. I saw a man run away from the bed, like a terrible night phantom. I¡¯ve only just checked on my count to find¡­,¡± he moaned and buried his face in his hands. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too ghastly to say. I believe he¡¯s dead, sir!¡±

    ¡°Where did the man flee?¡±

    Raulin thought quickly, dismissing the two doors as having been occupied by either the guard outside or the trio that now stood blocking the entrance he had used. ¡°The window, sir. He had a rope with some sort of a metal claw at the end. He threw himself out the window, like some night terror demon. Oh, sir, may I please go check on m¡¯lady? I fear she may have suffered the same fate! I don¡¯t think I could find the strength to go on if I lost both my count and my countess in the same evening.¡±

    He heard one of the figures, a female from the timbre of the voice, speak lowly to the man who had asked the question. Some suggestion was given and the tallest of them, a man who was possibly a giant, walked to the door to the hallway. Raulin tensed, but the tall man only stood to block the exit, not call the guard in. Yet.

    The first man spoke. ¡°He used the window as an egress, escaping to the courtyard below, but somehow managed to shut the window casements behind him?¡±

    Damn. Cleverness was afoot. He hated having to deal with clever people. He turned to face the man and woman, who still stood in the doorway. ¡°Please, sir. I¡¯m sorry. I¡­I only had to secure the man¡¯s escape. I had nothing to do with the count¡¯s death, I swear! The assassin said¡­they said they were going to rob the count, steal some of his wife¡¯s jewelry and some of his possessions. I didn¡¯t know they were going to kill him!¡± He gave a dramatic pause and lowered his volume so that it was almost a whisper. ¡°Please. The assassin¡¯s partners have my wife and children. I receive nothing for this, other than their safety and the love I¡¯ll receive from them when I get home. They need their father. Let me check on the countess and maybe we can pretend I didn¡¯t let the man in and close the window behind him?¡±

    Raulin watched the trio. One of the abilities of his mask meant he could see in the dark better then an average man. He had the advantage of sight, using it to hide his identity. The man and woman near the door stood close together. The seemed to know each other; the man, though slight and barely larger than her, stood to shield her. She pulled his sleeve down to speak into his ear.

    A similar sob story had worked once before, back in Tarbotha where he¡¯d first met Isken. If this succeeded, Raulin would go back to Hanala and share a bottle of Hiben brandy with him on the sly in thanks for teaching him a fundamental truth: women were more taken in by sympathy than a man, but often wielded a considerable amount of influence. The woman would play the role of the emotional and tender advocate, begging her indifferent husband to have a heart for once. He¡¯d pretend to break down, thanking them profusely, and slip out quickly before the guards were any wiser.

    ¡°He¡¯s lying¡±.

    This gave Raulin some pause. She didn¡¯t even sound like she was guessing; she was confident. How could she possible know that he was being untrue? No matter. He¡¯d have to be careful and change tack, then, if compassion wasn¡¯t working. ¡°I had to do what I had to do,¡± he began, dropping the subservient act and intensifying his speech. ¡°Do you know what that man has done? My sister, my lovely, darling, innocent sister! She was such a sweet girl, my Asala. She met the count at our shop. We sell accessories, like hats and gloves, pocket kerchiefs, socks. Things like that. Maybe you know it? Biontin¡¯s over in the Dien Court?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°We¡¯re not from here,¡± the man responded.

    ¡°You have my word, sir, that if you let me go you can have whatever your heart desires at my family¡¯s shop, though speak with me, not my parents. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be too pleased at what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°You mean, kill the count?¡±

    ¡°I had to! He promised my sister he was going to divorce his wife and take care of her and the baby! She was so happy when she came back from that rendezvous with him. Then, he was held up from seeing her the next time. Then after that, he promised to see her, but had forgotten about some banquet he was obligated to attend. Then, he stopped accepting her correspondences. When she tried to come here, the guards sent her away, calling her a whore. My sister,¡± he said, clenching his teeth, ¡° was not a whore! She made the mistake of falling in love with a cruel man. Doe-eyed, perhaps, but full of laughter and love. She couldn¡¯t take it, not seeing him. She drowned herself in the river nearby, taking her life and the life of her unborn child.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± the man said.

    ¡°You see why I had to avenge her. Please. Let me escape. I had to make things balanced.¡±

    The man turned to his wife. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s very good,¡± she said. ¡°But the only truth there was the part about his sister not being a whore. So, I take it he had one at some point, but no longer does.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Raulin said even though he knew the time for charades was over. And he had wanted to do this the easy way. He fingered the two knives at his hip, the longer ones he used for fighting, and waited for them to make their move.

    ¡°Which begs the question as to why he¡¯s making up tales instead of attacking us,¡± the man said. ¡°Too bad he dawdled. Telbarisk, get the guard.¡±

    Telbarisk?

    Raulin laughed lightly as he clicked the bottom part of his mask back into place. There might still be a chance to do things without a ruckus. The grivven opened the door and was leaning around the opening when Raulin said, ¡°Risk ayanf, a lehink bradventur e sesk mayarals.¡±

    Telbarisk stopped cold and turned back. ¡°Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Raulin? Who¡¯s Raulin, Tel?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Is it really you?¡± he asked in a soft whisper.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, my friend. I¡¯m so glad to see you again. I¡¯d love to catch up, ask you why you¡¯re here of all places, but I think you know what I need to do next.¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk?¡± the man asked again.

    The grivven shook himself and turned to face the man. ¡°I know him from home. He and his fellow trirecs were on a diplomatic¡­¡±

    ¡°Trirec?¡± the man said, backing up fully to the door. ¡°He¡¯s a trirec? Anla, we need to get out of here. Tel, come on. Back out this way.¡±

    ¡°All I had to do was tell you the truth?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°How novel.¡±

    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± he said, grabbing his wife¡¯s arm and tugging her back to the door. ¡°We¡¯ll leave¡­¡±

    He drew out his knives as a subtle threat. ¡°Quickly. I need to leave before¡­¡±

    At that moment the countess stumbled into the room, upset about the noise. She carried with her a candle that lit a good portion of the room, including Raulin. He saw her blink at him, confused, then at his knives, then at her husband. She keened, running to the side of the bed, checking Raulin¡¯s shoulder as she ran by.

    The guard entered the room next, shoving through the door Telbarisk had left ajar. When he saw the countess crying over the count, he immediately sounded the alarm.

    ¡°¡­before that,¡± Raulin said with a growling sigh.

    Before the guard could draw his saber, Tel took a heavy metal pot from a corner pedestal and thumped the guard over the head.

    The room was in stunned silence for a moment. ¡°Tel! Why did you do that?¡± the man asked.

    The man and the woman still blocked the side door and any household guard was soon to block all exits inside the chateau. It only left one option.

    He pulled the casements open and looked down. It was a story drop and a lucky jump to the top of an ornamental maple tree in the garden. Raulin had never been quite as acrobatic as his brothers, but felt fairly confident he could make it. He placed his foot on the sill and was about to pull himself up when he heard, ¡°Ttrirecc, do not move from that sspott.¡±

    He froze with his toes barely touching the floor. At first he thought he was terrified of the height and risk, like he had been when he was fifteen and doing this for the first time. But that wasn¡¯t the reason why he paused. He could move his hands and he wanted to move his feet, but it was as if his legs were cement.

    ¡°What sorcery is this?¡± he asked, still trying to move his foot from the sill.

    ¡°You are not going to leave us to take the blame of your crime,¡± the woman said in between the wails of the countess.

    ¡°You won¡¯t! She¡¯ll act as your witness,¡± he said, gesturing as best he could to the countess. ¡°She saw me here and so did the guard. They¡¯ll¡­¡±

    At that moment the remaining household guards burst through the door and stepped over their unconscious comrade. The first man, moving quickly out of the way, looked around the room at the five figures and said, ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡°He killed the count!¡± the man said, pointing at Raulin.

    ¡°Arrest them!¡± the countess said, almost in the same moment.

    ¡°Who, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°All of them.¡±

 Chapter 58

    ¡°What? No, ma¡¯am, you have it all wrong! Us three, we didn¡¯t do anything! It was him,¡± the man said, pointing at Raulin. ¡°He killed your husband! We came in here to stop him from¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°The countess said to arrest all of you.¡± He peered at the four of them in the candlelight provided by both the widowed woman and a candelabra one of his men held up high. ¡°Besides, I do believe this tall man right here beaned my corporal and knocked him out. I think you¡¯re all in it together.¡±

    ¡°May as well tell him the truth,¡± Raulin said, his legs beginning to tremble. ¡°He¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±

    ¡°Find out what?¡± the man asked. ¡°Nothing! We¡­¡±

    The woman pushed the man¡¯s shoulder down and spoke quietly to him. After a moment, he let out a disgusted growl. ¡°But it¡¯s not fair¡­¡± he began.

    ¡°It¡¯s never fair,¡± she said before walking over to Raulin. It was strange to him; despite the physical discomfort and emotional duress, he felt very calm as he watched her. The candlelight washed her tanned skin and dark hair in a luster of gold, flickering as the shadows played across her face. She moved not like a high society lady, dainty and prim, but more with a stalk, predatory and confident, almost sauntering across the room.

    The world was chaos. The guards were entering and taking people away. He was very close to being caught and thrown into jail. The world shouldn¡¯t be this still for him.

    She stopped just outside his reach. ¡°Right now it looks bad for us. If you promise not to harm us and convince the guards we¡¯re not together, I will release you.¡±

    She closed her eyes as he spoke. ¡°I promise,¡± he said, shifting his weight.

    ¡°Ttrirecc, you may move as you normally ddoo.¡±

    Raulin stumbled back onto the ground, the feeling rushing back into his legs. He sighed in relief, but just for a moment. When he turned around, he saw that the woman was backing out of the room. One of the guards pulled the stunned and still grieving countess up and into the hallway, protecting her from any harm by using his body as a shield. She stumbled, her hand still entwined with her husband¡¯s and smeared with his blood. She left dark prints on the light comforter as she steadied herself, moving towards the door.

    There was no one for one moment and Raulin considered taking the window. He looked outside quickly and second-guessed his original plan. It was too high and unlikely he would land on any surface without breaking his legs.

    Three guards filed in and rounded the bed to face Raulin. Maybe it hadn¡¯t been that high. They each took an equally spaced position in perimeter around him with their sword points making a claw. The middle guard spoke. ¡°Trirec, you are charged in the death of Count Varin of Carvek. Surrender and we will grant you a fair trial.¡±

    Raulin flipped his daggers in his hands. ¡°It¡¯ll hardly be a fair trial,¡± he said. ¡°I saw how you treated that man as you escorted him out of the room. He¡¯ll be bruised for a few days and he didn¡¯t even do anything.¡±

    ¡°The man is accused of conspiracy and accomplice to murder.¡±

    ¡°Why though? Seems strange you¡¯d jump to the conclusion that they were in on it. They happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve never met any of them before tonight, honestly. I always work alone.¡±

    The man took a slow breath through his nose. ¡°Surrender and we will grant you a fair trial.¡±

    ¡°Look, I just don¡¯t think¡­¡± he began, then kicked the desk chair towards the two men on the right. He lunged and landed three slashes on the third, though all were cuts to his gunmetal gray quilted gambeson. He thought one might have sliced skin, the one he landed on the guard¡¯s hip before he retreated, but the man didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°He fights dirty, men,¡± the lead guard said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no fairness in war, only survival,¡± Raulin replied. He faced each of his opponents in turn, keeping the outer two at least in peripheral vision.

    ¡°This is madness. It¡¯s three against one and you have knives.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Would you prefer I handicap myself with a blindfold?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°You¡¯re just one man!¡±

    ¡°Correction: I¡¯m just one trirec.¡±

    Raulin could tell the banter was having its intended effect on the guards¡¯ morale by the way their eyes flicked to each other and from their wary body language. It wasn¡¯t his primary reason for boasting, however. He was more interested in what the dynamics of the group were and if he could find any openings. He had succeeded. The two on the left, if they weren¡¯t lovers, were good friends or brothers. The middle guard, the one with the voice, was the dominant of those two, having instinctively protected the right guard when he had thrown the chair. He had also assured the man quietly of their odds in the fight.

    Which meant that the poor left guard was less likely to receive the same treatment from the other two. Raulin had done well to go after him first.

    ¡°One trirec. It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll fight you. Then when one of us tires, we¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Raulin interrupted what was sure to be a fascinating rhetoric on the guards¡¯ stamina by suddenly attacking the group. He moved from man to man, landing cuts where he could. Raulin would parry and dodge, only to follow into the swing and slice as he trailed by. He managed to land a few dozen hits in less than a minute. He withdrew back to the wall, to conserve his energy.

    ¡°Any of you tired yet?¡± he asked, though his breathing was labored as much as theirs were.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the left guard said, holding up a bloody hand.

    ¡°Withdraw,¡± the center guard said, spacing himself to fill the void.

    ¡°Tired, or injured?¡± Raulin corrected.

    The senior guard didn¡¯t respond.

    At two against one, the odds were almost even. In fact, Raulin felt fairly confident that he had enough advantages to win, even fighting knives against swords. Having studied fencing in his past, he knew the forms they¡¯d be taking. Ap Kishra¡¯s style was the compulsory method used in almost all Western military schools. It was comprehensive and expansive, but it failed to teach creativity in duels. These men would calculate that they were in a confined space with a comrade close by, fighting against a man with knives. There were only so many forms they could choose from.

    It was more than that. Raulin had also taken first blood. A reminder of mortality tended to make a man a tad nervous. This was especially true against a man as seasoned as a trirec. Raulin had killed many times. He was confident in duels and fights. These boys might know the footwork, but they had hesitated when landing blows, especially that right guard.

    He just needed to jab one of the men enough to fight one-on-one. And then it was only time before he had a hostage.

    With this in mind, Raulin¡¯s strategy changed to an onslaught against the easier of the two guards. He could tell that the right guard was well trained, but without having ever seen his sword bloody a man, he couldn¡¯t give it his all. It was a major downside to living in a country that hadn¡¯t had so much as a skirmish in several decades; hundreds of soldiers whose first kill might happen close to retirement age for them.

    This kid had many years before that time. Raulin had killed his first man at fifteen. The right guard was at least five years older, perhaps even the same age as Raulin¡¯s twenty-six, but was obviously green when it came to the grim task of spilling blood.

    After just a few minutes, Raulin had both soldiers breathing deeply. They continued to fight in a rotation he could predict, could even name the forms if given a little more time. He sliced here and there, splitting their gambesons open so that he could later land cuts to their skin.

    He was beginning to feel winded and went for a non-fatal but serious wound to the chest of the younger soldier. His intention was to face the center guard to parry his oncoming blow, while jabbing backhanded towards the other guard¡¯s heart. At the last moment, he¡¯d flatten the blade and slice across the man¡¯s chest.

    The center guard was supposed to follow into Pagsten¡¯s Remiss after the parry, a classic move. Or perhaps he¡¯d go into Once Around the Birch. That would have been excellent form. Instead, the guard braced both hands around the grip and crashed his sword into Raulin¡¯s shoulder.

    The trirec staggered back, unsure of what just happened. ¡°Point to you, Astmen,¡± the younger soldier said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a game!¡± he snapped, stepping back for a moment to catch his breath.

    Raulin tried to raise his left arm into a high protective form, but it dropped uselessly. He felt his shoulder and found a tear in his arong-miil. He rubbed his fingers together and felt slickness on his gloved fingers.

    He should have ended this quicker. The guards refused to make any move, warily waiting for Raulin to strike first. He needed to regain the upper hand before more guards joined the fracas. He began counting his opponents. Two here. One disabled. One unconscious. The sergeant in charge. One with each of the other three. That was eight, a normal squad. If half were taking care of the other prisoners, then everyone was accounted for. The countess¡¯s rooms were going to be the best exit, if he could do it swiftly. There was still one advantage he could tap into. He sheathed his knives.

    ¡°Do you surrender?¡± the older guard said, still breathing heavily, but holding his blade in front of him.

    Raulin grabbed the inkwell and a book off of the desk next to him and threw both, one after the other. The book hit the candle that had been left on the nightstand. The inkwell hit the candelabra, knocking it to the floor. The intention had been to remove the light source and allow him the advantage of night vision. Instead, the curtain around the bed caught fire.

    The guards yelled for help as they tried to extinguish the flames. Raulin shoved the younger soldier hard into the banister of the bed and ran for the next room.

    The countess¡¯s brush was still on her nightstand, the gold of the handle barely reflecting the pale light. He rounded the bed and made it to the door, remembering to draw his knives before he burst into the hallway. His hand touched the knob as he heard a sound come from the same hiding place he had used earlier. He turned his head to look as was cracked over the head with a vase.

 Chapter 59

    There was a brief moment when it wasn¡¯t fragile pottery breaking on Raulin¡¯s head. It was rain, big fat drops that poured down his hair and onto his shoulders, soaking his clothes and making everything feel heavy. He staggered back from the guard, who dropped the clay base and drew his sword as he watched him. Raulin faltered to the left, grabbing ahold of the banister of the bed, then slid down to the floor.

    He tried to stand, but his feet couldn¡¯t find purchase on the floor. Why didn¡¯t his legs work? Was she here again, sorcering him so that he couldn¡¯t escape?

    ¡°Got him!¡± the guard yelled.

    ¡°Good,¡± the another yelled.

    Raulin¡¯s head was heavy and his vision blurred. Thoughts crossed his mind in blunt occurrences. Guard. Vase. Head. Guard-vase. Vase-head. Head-heaviness. Concussion. Not woman. Caught.

    He wiped the shards of pottery from his mask, then brushed his gloves. The guard raised the point of his blade to Raulin¡¯s chest, which he then smacked away in annoyance. ¡°¡¯M not goin¡¯ ¡®nywhur,¡± he said. ¡°Y¡¯ won.¡±

    The man pointed the blade again, this time pressing the tip into the trirec¡¯s chest. He held his left hand to his right side, protecting it. He was the left guard, Raulin realized, and he chastised himself. Never count a man out of the fight unless he was dead, and then only maybe.

    Behind him, two guards entered and drew their swords. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± said the older one.

    He wanted to give a sarcastic reply to their stupidity, but his head had started to hurt. Every heartbeat increased the pain, a throbbing stab that started on his left side and radiated throughout his head. Instead, he just moaned.

    They hauled him by his arms to standing. The older soldier yanked his knives out of the holsters on Raulin¡¯s hips. He did a quick and poorly done pat-down that missed all the others he had hidden about.

    The two guards jerked him forward and began dragging him out of the room. He closed his eyes against the piercing pain and the nausea in the fog. He gritted his teeth as the fire in his shoulder blazed. He made no noise, though, having found a high tolerance for pain a long time ago.

    He was brought down four flights of stairs into the cellar, his feet dragging the whole way. It was a large, stone room full of foodstuffs, including barrels of fruits and vegetables, bottles of wine, wheels of cheeses, and full carcasses of meat hanging from hooks. The last image would have frightened him if he hadn¡¯t been in scarier situations many times before.

    The two guards held his arms up while his person was searched. This time he couldn¡¯t help but groan when his left shoulder was brought level. ¡°So, they do feel pain,¡± the sergeant said.

    ¡°Shall we take the mask?¡± the injured guard asked.

    ¡°Oh, by all means, please do,¡± Raulin managed to say with some clarity.

    There was a pause from the men. ¡°Why is he so eager?¡± the younger guard said. ¡°I thought they died once their masks were removed.¡±

    ¡°I heard something like that,¡± the first chimed in. ¡°If you remove the mask, the body dies, but the soul enters the man who holds it. Then his soul is eaten and his body is just a husk for the spirit.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to remove it anyway,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°It¡¯s tight against his face and he won¡¯t be able to escape with it.¡±

    He could, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to share that information.

    He was led down a winding corridor full of turns and a few shorter flights of stairs. The stench of mildew and the sea was overpowering. The stone walls dewed and dripped with moisture, visible only from the light of the lanterns two of the guards held aloft. The farther along they went, the shorter the ceiling height, giving the feeling that he was no longer in the castle but in a cave.

    The sergeant pulled out a ring of keys and opened the barred door. It appeared to be a jail cell that was used as a larder when the sitting count wasn¡¯t growing colder and stiffer. The other three were already inside, sitting on the stone floor.

    The man stood. ¡°Sergeant, may I have a word before you leave? I¡¯m a lawyer and I demand a liaison to the temple of Uvarna be brought here to read our¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, shove it, lawyer,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°Whenever we get around to putting it in, you¡¯ll get your case.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Raulin was dragged inside and dropped unceremoniously, like a sack of dirty laundry. He crumpled into a heap and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. But he didn¡¯t, since he knew that could be the death of him.

    He scooted to the wall opposite the other three. He took off his gloves, tucking them into the pockets of his shirt, and began to gently probe his shoulder wound. It was significant but not grave, leaking blood rather than spurting. He would need it stitched at some point soon, but with proper care he thought it likely that he would just add another scar to his collection.

    The rest of his cuts and bruises were minor. What concerned him mainly was the concussion. Though the light was low and he was unbothered by sounds, his mind continued to addle him. He wanted to shake his head to get rid of the thick cotton, but he knew that it would make it worse.

    There was some scraping on the cement floor and someone sat next to him. ¡°Raulin, how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk.¡± He reached out and found his arm, clasping his friend¡¯s forearm. He quickly drew his hands next to the sides of Tel¡¯s face, in the greeting of the grivven. His arms flopped down after a brief moment. ¡°How did y¡¯ get here? Things okay wi¡¯ your brother?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It is a long story. I think things are not well between us. Were you hurt badly?¡±

    ¡°Cut on m¡¯ shoulder, concussion. I¡¯ll live, jus¡¯ don¡¯t let me fall ¡®sleep.¡±

    Telbarisk moved so that their shoulders were touching, but was gentle to not injure him further. ¡°I told you that we would cross paths again.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯ did. I doubted y¡¯. ¡®M sorry.¡±

    ¡°No need to be sorry. We¡¯re together. I¡¯m curious to see for how long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let y¡¯ lead this time.¡±

    Tel gave a soft but throaty laugh. ¡°We both know I¡¯m not a leader.¡±

    ¡°So y¡¯ say. That I¡¯m right ¡¯bout. S¡¯me day you will, y¡¯ know that.¡±

    ¡°Some day. But not today.¡±

    Raulin leaned his head back gently against the wall. If he couldn¡¯t be free, it was nice to be with good company. ¡°Who¡¯re y¡¯r friends?¡±

    The man and the woman had been laying down in the other corner. He doubted they were asleep, but since they made no move to speak to him, he went along with the ruse.

    ¡°That¡¯s Alpine and Anladet. I met them a few days ago. They saved me from being hanged.¡±

    ¡°Huh. How did they do that?¡±

    ¡°I pleaded his case in a court and won,¡± Al said. ¡°It was easy since he was innocent. Now I won¡¯t be able to help him.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, Al,¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°Why, though?¡± Alpine said, the pain evident. ¡°Why did you do it? Why did you choose him over us?¡±

    There was a pause while Telbarisk thought about his answer. ¡°I have always cared deeply for my friends. You and Anla are my friends. You have done a great thing for me. But, I have known Raulin for a longer time. He has done more for me.¡±

    ¡°He did more than save your life?¡± he asked, sitting up.

    ¡°You saved my life, yes. I am thankful for that. But, Raulin was with me for some time and we became friends. He listened to me. He taught me about the world and the language of Gheny. My life grew fuller because of him. I¡¯m sure that some day it will be the same between us, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How can teaching you words merit more loyalty than someone who saved your life?¡±

    ¡°Raulin is also a hayinfal. I believe you and Anla may be, but I know he is. He was confirmed as one in Nourabrikot by the elders.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean, ¡®hayinfal¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla said, ¡°maybe we should just let them be. Let¡¯s deal with this situation in the morning¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he interrupted, ¡°I want to know, in case Telbarisk does something stupid again.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not stupid,¡± Raulin said. ¡°He jus¡¯ has diff¡¯r¡¯nt ways of thinking.¡±

    ¡°I have explained kouriya,¡± Tel said, as if Al hadn¡¯t insulted him. ¡°Kouriya works for everyone, if they are willing to listen. Sometimes kouriya leads people to do things that seem inconsequential or even against their better judgment. Moving a tree branch out of a road or leaving money in a certain spot are examples, as well as me hitting the man over the head with the vase.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to continue to do these things?¡± Al asked. ¡°Am I going to have to watch over you and make sure you don¡¯t break the law or hurt someone? If we get out of this mess?¡±

    ¡°When,¡± Raulin corrected.

    ¡°It is true I hurt the guard,¡± Tel said. ¡°But I trusted in kouriya. It would not let me kill him or permanently injure him. That is not the way of kouriya. If I heard it say something else like what I did, then I would.¡±

    Al took a deep breath and sighed with a growl. ¡°Both of you. I should have refused, since you like to leave out important information about yourselves that will cause me a lot of grief for some time. Don¡¯t touch me,¡± he said suddenly and walked to the opposite corner.

    ¡°Bet y¡¯ have some int¡¯r¡¯sting stories,¡± Raulin said quietly. ¡°How did y¡¯ meet?¡±

    While Telbarisk rehashed his tale, starting on the island and finishing with their retirement that evening, Raulin leaned against the wall to listen.

    Tel poked Raulin in the shoulder. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sleepin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You were. You told me not to let you.¡±

    He waved his hand in dismissal, then shrugged. ¡°Maybe I was. All right. So. We need t¡¯ start formulatin¡¯ the plan. After I heal, of course, but after that, the plan.¡±

    ¡°What plan?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°To escape. We can¡¯t let this go t¡¯ trial.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. No, no. We¡¯re not escaping. You killed the count and you will have to pay for that.¡±

    ¡°And what of Telbarisk? He¡¯s guilty of aiding me. Are you going to abandon him when you¡¯re freed?¡±

    Anla said, ¡°He¡¯s right, Al. We can¡¯t leave Tel here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to get the charges dropped, like I did before. People will come to their senses and we¡¯ll be able to explain things. Everyone is just hot under the collar right now. We need to give it some time.¡±

    Raulin leaned back. ¡°Yes, sense Where? From the widow? From the sergeant who failed? Or maybe those people in Hanala I heard talking ¡¯bout a freakishly tall man in the same¡­conversation as kraken, ghosts, and dire lupins. Lupines. People don¡¯t get ¡®sense¡¯ once they¡¯ve smelled blood.¡±

    The cell was quiet for a full minute. ¡°He¡¯s right, Al.¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s not. We were guests of the count. We dined with his wife and chatted with the guards. We just need to wait until morning, when things have settled and the administration can get involved. People can be civil, even amidst a crisis like this.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said Raulin.

 Chapter 60

    Despite the old axiom about innocent men fretting and guilty men sleeping peacefully in a cell, Raulin and Tel stayed awake while Al and Anla slept through most of the night. Or, Anla slept for some of the time, then laid awake as she listened to the soft banter between the other two.

    Over the course of an hour or so, she listened as the trirec¡¯s speech improved. He slurred less and began to speaking with a firmer rhythm. There were still pauses when he needed to think of a word and a few trips over his tongue, but mostly the conversation was easy and fluid.

    More importantly, she listened to how Raulin spoke and not what he said. He and Tel were speaking in Grivfia, so she couldn¡¯t understand it anyway, but hearing his tone and inflection gave her a glimpse into not just his personality, but people in general. She had been doing this subconsciously for some time, changing her piscarin readings based on what she gleaned from her clients, but she¡¯d never realized that maybe this was a part of her magic. It was like detecting when someone spoke a lie, and whether that lie was boldfaced or from unsurity or partial. Only, she could begin to hear when a laugh was embarrassed or nostalgic, if a quote was done with self-deprecation or with respect.

    At the moment, it didn¡¯t serve a purpose other than to understand Raulin better. It was sorely needed. Thus far, he was nothing like she had imagined a trirec would act. He wasn¡¯t cold or condescending, or mean, or silent. He was warm and friendly, diving into conversations with Telbarisk as if they hadn¡¯t been separated for years. He was engaging, laughing with Tel or dipping his voice into sympathy with genuine feeling.

    Anla would have been happy enough to let the trirec fight his own battles and just deal with his own way out. But, she was curious. Shortly after Telbarisk laid down and began to snore softly, she sat up and faced him. There was still some light from the rising quarter moon that she could see by. His mask glinted occasionally as he shifted his head. He was tapping his foot arthythmically, occasionally scraping his soft leather boot on the stone floor. Something about his countenance made him seem small and lonely, approachable.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± she asked quietly.

    He looked up and spoke. As she thought the during their first conversation, his voice was a surprising clear, albeit a hollow-sounding tenor, not a deep, gravely sound. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to quit sleeping, actually. Seems to rob the day of valuable time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, how droll. I wish I had thought of that before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a specialty of mine. I think of many things no one¡¯s tried before. For instance: flying like the birds do. I¡¯ve almost got the knack of it.¡±

    ¡°Almost?¡±

    ¡°Well, the ground tends to get in the way before I get a good chance to try.¡±

    ¡°I see. I suppose it was a good thing I stopped you from trying last night.¡±

    Raulin paused at this. ¡°Yes. Um, do you mind if I ask how exactly you did that? I¡¯ve known many types of magic from many places, but I¡¯ve never known anyone who could bewitch another like that.¡±

    It was her turn to pause and think of this for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not someone with great advantages in life. I am small, I am poor, and I am a woman. By revealing my one defense, I lose any hope I have of protecting myself from a man who can fight against three swordsmen with just knives and come out the victor.¡±

    ¡°Well, I would hardly call myself ¡®the victor¡¯, seeing as I¡¯m here in this jail cell, but I understand your point. And thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Might I suggest an exchange of questions then? Perhaps we can find some way of holding each other in check.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said with a light chuckle, ¡°you are using my favorite form of currency. Information for information, then? I will say there are many things I will be unable to tell you, for your safety more than my neck.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that you aren¡¯t going to try to lie.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been there before. You seem to be able to tell when I¡¯m lying. I have no need to vex you by lying.¡±

    Anladet raised her eyebrows when she realized what his tone suggested. Raulin wasn¡¯t making easy conversation with her; he was frightened of her, or at least her ability. She almost hadn¡¯t caught the nervous supplication to his words. The process was easier when she didn¡¯t have to translate, then. That was good to know.

    ¡°I will ask and when I¡¯m satisfied with your answers, I will answer yours.¡±

    ¡°That puts me at a bit of a disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already at a disadvantage.¡±

    He bowed from his neck. ¡°True. You may begin when you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Did you convince the guards we don¡¯t know each other?¡±

    ¡°I tried. I don¡¯t think they were convinced.¡±

    ¡°All right. This complicates our situation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was trying to put whatever obstacle I could in the way of the guards in order to escape. It¡¯s different when you don¡¯t know the aftermath.¡±

    ¡°I can sympathize. This does mean we need to discuss our temporary future together at some point. Which leads me to my first question¡­¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°First? I¡¯ve answered one already.¡±

    ¡°Which was kind of you, but I haven¡¯t begun yet. Now I am. What are your general skills?¡±

    ¡°Many things. What might help now is my skills with knife and saber fighting and my experience and expertise in infiltration and escape.¡±

    ¡°Tonight is an exception then?¡±

    He gave a small, throaty chuckle. ¡°Tonight was¡­complicated. I don¡¯t consider it a failure until my head and my body have parted company. So far I¡¯m winning.¡±

    ¡°I can appreciate your optimism, but I don¡¯t share it just yet. What are your liabilities?¡±

    ¡°At the moment I¡¯m recovering from a concussion. I have several cuts and bruises that aren¡¯t serious, but are noteworthy. The worst is this,¡± he said, pulling at the tear in his shirt and exposing his wound. He tested it gently and held up his dark, wet fingers. ¡°It¡¯s still bleeding a little bit. Oozing, really, but it needs to be stitched. It¡¯s also impeding my arm movement. I won¡¯t be able to fight at full capacity.¡±

    ¡°Which means climbing will be hard, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said with some delight. ¡°Are you thinking of a jailbreak?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to explore all options.¡±

    ¡°Unlike your husband. He seems the type to yell at four-leaf clovers for having the wrong number of petals.¡± When she didn¡¯t respond to this,he stammered. ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean to insult him.¡±

    Anla hadn¡¯t responded because she had caught something in his tone. She was usually good about telling if a client found her attractive. Most people used the same gestures, whether or not they knew it or were even being kind about it. Raulin had no body language to read, and still she found herself knowing that his tone meant took a fancy to her. She wished she had taken the time to actually listen to people long ago.

    Normally she would flirt a little more and maybe get a few more coins. She didn¡¯t know what to do now. Did she even want to do anything? She had no need to use him, since she was in the same predicament he was in. She could test her theory. She moved a little closer to him, to get a better view since the light had shifted, but to also create more intimacy.

    ¡°Al isn¡¯t terrible once you get to know him. He¡¯s a conformist, but is quite congenial after a while. And also not my husband; I¡¯m unmarried.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, his delight not overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. ¡°A cover, then. A good choice, if I may share my opinion. Society is not always understanding of a platonic work relationship between opposite genders. Unless you are lovers?¡±

    ¡°No, your first guess was correct. We only met perhaps a week ago when we formed our team to save a duke¡¯s daughter from kidnapping.¡±

    ¡°No luck, then?¡±

    ¡°Actually, we did find her and brought her back to Hanala.¡± This tale took some time, but Raulin was patient and listened intently, making a few sounds to show he was paying attention. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Al if we can use our favor with Duke Frenrell to get out of this.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve save a little girl and a grivven in the last week? And I thought my life was exciting.¡±

    ¡°It usually isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve had an interesting week.¡±

    ¡°Me, too. So, were you satisfied with my end of the bargain? May I ask my question?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose. You want to know how my magic works?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What are you called? What are you capable of doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a baerd. It means I can control sound in various ways. I don¡¯t know how I do it or what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Why is that? What did your master teach you?¡±

    ¡°I had no master. I¡¯ve taught myself.¡±

    Raulin lifted his head slowly. ¡°You¡­taught yourself? What about the other baerds?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met one. We are exceedingly rare and illegal. I am a little hazy on Ghenian law, but I believe that if I am discovered, I will be put to death immediately. Therefore, I¡¯m very careful about using my abilities and what evidence I leave behind.¡±

    ¡°So that wasn¡¯t pity that made you release the spell.¡±

    ¡°Self-preservation,¡± she said.

    ¡°But we¡¯re here in a jail cell where I¡¯m sure the guards would be happy to find a dead trirec, or at least one that appears dead. I¡¯m correct in assuming you can kill me with your powers.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you?¡±

    She stared at Raulin for a few moments. There were times she forgot that people hadn¡¯t lived her life and hadn¡¯t seen it through her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re in a jail cell, yes?¡±

    ¡°I believe I just clarified that.¡±

    ¡°Why would I be here when I could be anywhere else?¡±

    ¡°I assumed that, since Al isn¡¯t your husband, you owe him something or he is helping you.¡±

    ¡°He is, but a woman who could control anyone she wanted doesn¡¯t need any help.¡±

    ¡°Then you choose not to for some reason?¡±

    ¡°That is correct. Maybe this makes no sense to a man in your profession, but I actually detest committing crimes.¡±

    ¡°Crime is all perspective,¡± he answered too quickly.

    ¡°I agree that here are instances when it is crueler to obey the law than to let someone die. But, there are far more times when I could make my life easier by forcing people to do things they don¡¯t want to do. I choose when I use my magic carefully.¡±

    ¡°No rules of your order? No code? It¡¯s not very reassuring.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t speak with you to reassure you. I spoke with you to get information. I could have forced you to tell me, but I didn¡¯t. This was more enjoyable.¡±

    Raulin shifted to straighten his back against the wall. ¡°It¡¯s not just a bodily thing? You can warp my mind to your will?¡±

    ¡°I can, but again, I choose not to.¡±

    ¡°I suppose not. Anyone in the company of that much self-righteousness would have done something by now. I don¡¯t suppose you could¡­?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t have it both ways, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°I was jesting.¡± He sighed, which made a hollow sound under his mask. ¡°I can¡¯t say I feel any better after our conversation.¡±

    ¡°Would it help to know that we want the same thing? We both want to escape. We will need the four of us to do it. You have my word that I won¡¯t use my magic against you until our mission is finished.¡±

    ¡°Mission? Sounds important.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°It¡¯s just an escape. I¡¯ve done dozens of them in harder climates.¡±

    ¡°You sound somewhat full of yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a man to brag; I just know my strengths and weaknesses and of those strengths, which of them are a bit above average.¡± He leaned forward putting his hands on his legs. ¡°There are two exits to this room. That¡¯s two more than I¡¯ve had. There are several guards watching us. That¡¯s dozens less than the hardest escape I¡¯ve done. The castle outside has gates and walls, but is still rather flimsy at protection and can be penetrated easily. I¡¯m not concerned.

    ¡°What does concern me, honestly, are you three. I have Telbarisk¡¯s loyalty, yes, but he seems very attached to you two. I believe you will help me. You are very perceptive and seem to understand how we can benefit from each other. Your friend, however, worries me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to convince him. Naturally,¡± she added, ¡°not magically.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± He slowly laid on his right side. ¡°I will need some rest, to sharpen my mind. It¡¯s worth the risk now. I would appreciate if you could ask Tel to watch over me and make sure I don¡¯t stop breathing while I sleep.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± she promised. His breathing deepened into sleep quickly.

    He wasn¡¯t what she had expected at all. The street kids she had lived with came close to worshiping trirecs as the pinnacles of thievery and as masters of the shadows. Several had paid hard-earned money to touch a boot print left by a trirec or to hear a tale from a man who had seen one. Anla hadn¡¯t ever been that close to obsession, but the allure of trirecs had been intriguing.

    Now that she had spoken to one, it was as if the mists had burned away and she could see the landscape for what it was. This man was just a man, not a ghost or a demon. And while they would part after they escaped, he had given her reason to fear the night a little less.

 Chapter 61

    Raulin awoke to the sounds of a soft conversation between two men. One was low and steady. Telbarisk. The other was higher pitched and almost whiny, grating on his ears. Raulin sighed and opened his eyes, sitting up as quickly as he could. At least most of his concussion seemed gone.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Telbarisk asked him.

    ¡°Better. My head aches, but it¡¯s not as bad as last night.¡± He lifted his arm flat in front of himself, then tried to lift it higher. The pain was too much and he let it drop ¡°My arm is still poorly suited to what I need to do.¡±

    ¡°Will you be fine, do you think?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any permanent issues, but I do worry about scarring and infection. Did they bring breakfast or lunch yet?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anladet answered. She sat underneath the barred window, leaning against several barrels that were stacked there. ¡°No one has been by.¡±

    He grunted, not surprised by the news. He turned his attention to the man who laid next to Anladet, his hands laced behind his head. ¡°Al, was it? I wanted to thank you for taking care of Telbarisk.¡±

    When he said nothing, Raulin continued. ¡°He filled me in on what you did. That was quite impressive. From what I understand of Uvarnic law, it is very difficult to turn a defensive plea into an offensive one. You did it, however, and you saved my friend¡¯s life.¡±

    Raulin scooted forward and held his arm out to shake. Al lifted his head to peek at him, then lowered it again. He let his arm fall and took a deep breath. ¡°Telbarisk says that, should we escape, he will continue to travel with you two. I hope you will continue to treat him as well as you have and enjoy each others company.¡±

    ¡°Why? Do you think we won¡¯t?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying that you¡¯ve been kind so far and¡­¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you were saying we would stop being kind to him. And we¡¯re not going to escape. We will work things through the system and deal with whatever punishments come our way. Despite what you said last night, I think that, when things calm down, people will be more rational. They¡¯ll see we were roped in with a trirec and that we¡¯ve never met you before. It¡¯s likely I can use Telbarisk¡¯s inexperience to explain his actions and remove any charges against him.¡±

    Raulin looked over at Anla, who was frowning. She caught his eye and gave him a tiny nod before she spoke. ¡°Al. When we were talking earlier, it sounded like you were warming to the idea of an escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you thought that, but no. I¡¯m not interested. We¡¯ll stay here and try our luck. You¡¯re sure no one¡¯s come in so far? I would like to speak to the sergeant.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°The sergeant won¡¯t be able to release you. If anything, he¡¯ll just beat you to take out some of his frustrations.¡±

    ¡°Was I speaking to you?¡± Al snapped.

    ¡°Al,¡± Anladet said, her voice a hiss. ¡°If you don¡¯t like him, then fine, you don¡¯t like him. But be polite. We all have to share this tiny space for the next few days.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Anladet. I¡¯ve met his type many times before. He doesn¡¯t like my line of work, therefore he doesn¡¯t like me despite, not knowing anything about me.¡±

    ¡°I know enough,¡± Al said, finally sitting up. ¡°We were invited here by the count and were given every courtesy imaginable. He was a good man. You killed someone I liked last night.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t personal. It was a job, just like any other.¡±

    ¡°You killed someone! That¡¯s not the same as shucking corn or marrying people! You break the law and expect me to treat you with courtesy? Why should I?¡±

    Raulin bit off a retort involving how to teach him courtesy with a knife. ¡°There is an order to everything we do. We choose our contracts carefully so that they won¡¯t cause chaos. I am just the tool used to create change in the world, someone who can potentially make Gheny a better place.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Oh, is that how you sleep at night? Some vague hope that what evil you are spreading into the world will actually end in good?¡±

    And that was a cut too deep for Raulin to try to side-step. ¡°Hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°What, me? I¡¯m a hypocrite? How?¡±

    ¡°Show me a man who¡¯s never eavesdropped or stolen something and I¡¯ll show you a liar. At some point in your life you¡¯ve done both, whether you meant to or not. The same with homicide. How many little permutations in your day unfurl into someone¡¯s death? Take a different road on a stroll and you might wind up causing a cart to overturn in order to miss you, maiming the driver and killing his passenger. Deciding to go to a ball when you have a cold, causing an elderly man to catch it, then watch as it escalates to pneumonia, then his death. Have a chance encounter with a trirec, causing him to be caught and later executed.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not only equating bad luck with a deliberate murder, but trying to shift the blame of your capture onto us!¡±

    ¡°I am only trying to get you to think differently.¡±

    ¡°No, see here,¡± Al said, leaning forward with his finger pointed at Raulin . ¡°There are levels of morality when it comes to actions in the way of the world. Tichen expressly lists them in Honor and Serenity. ¡®A man may find himself filled with guilt, which is the gods¡¯ way of instilling order deep within us. He should feel relieved to know that there are levels of morality and should feel only accompanying levels of guilt associated with each level. For instance, a man who slights another man should not feel the same guilt as a man who has taken the life of another.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re using Tichen as an example on morality?¡± Raulin said, scoffing. ¡°You do realize that man was a philanderer and an inveterate gambler? When he died, he left his wife alone and in debt. I never take advice from men who can¡¯t lead their lives like their words.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anyone say anything even slightly libelous against Tichen!¡±

    ¡°I suppose you should read different books then. Which brings me to my other point, Wizard. I have done many terrible things in my life, it¡¯s true. I, however, have never impersonated a lawyer nor have I broken the law about practicing magic in the courtroom. Many would find that blasphemous against Uvarna and many would consider that worse than murder.¡±

    Al turned to Anla. ¡°Why did you tell him that?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± Raulin said before Anladet said anything. ¡°Telbarisk said your name was Alpine. I know that law. You are either a wizard or are impersonating one. You were almost choked to death a half-week ago and yet you show little wear over it, so I¡¯m almost positive that I¡¯m right and you are a soft wizard who can heal. If that¡¯s the case, you cannot be both wizard and lawyer. And you¡¯ve also let me fester with some serious injuries and haven¡¯t offered aid. ¡®A man of strong moral character will always lend aid where he can and if he can, despite his personal leanings towards the situation and the people involved in it.¡¯ Tichen, Honor and Serenity.¡±

    The wizard said nothing in response. Raulin was sure he scored the point there, or at least laid the foundation in their relationship that he wasn¡¯t to be bowled over in discussions on ethics. (He hadn¡¯t spent countless hours in his youth studying boring philosophies for nothing.) He had established his intelligence and that he was in charge. With any lucky, he would be left alone for the remainder of their time together by that ass of a wizard.

    But Raulin wondered if fighting back was the wisest course of action. Telbarisk was not a leader, at least not yet in his life. He was content to follow kouriya. Anladet was not a leader. An excellent second-in-command, if his instincts were correct, but not one who enjoyed giving orders and being followed. Alpine was their de facto leader. Raulin was unsure if challenging the wizard had alienated him from the other two, hurting his position in the group.

    Or had his lashing out been a stroke of wisdom? Could he take leadership of the group? It would be far easier. Raulin knew what he was doing and had done this very thing many times. His rash and impatient disposition on the job had led him to escape from the premises of far too many jobs. While not great for his record, it had honed skills that many trirecs rarely used. He could, and would, get out of Carvek alive. And if he could offer aid to both a new and an old friend, he would do that, too.

    Sometimes one needed to swallow their pride and dampen their spirits in order to achieve what they wanted. It was the first lesson Raulin had learned at Arvarikor. The wizard was annoying. And hypocritical. And childish. But, he had taken care of his good friend and seemed to be doing well by the woman. He could step back and let him lead, making suggestions instead of commands. Just so long as things went as planned.

    ¡°We have gotten off on the wrong foot, Wizard. My name is Raulin Kemor. Yes, I am a trirec. Yes, I kill people and steal and spy for a living. I won¡¯t ever admit to being a noble man, but I am a man who has experience in escaping. You are a learned man. If you can think of this situation critically, and not emotionally, you¡¯ll see that it¡¯s much better to take the risk by escaping the court and leaving with me.

    ¡°It is not my call to make. I can escape by myself. However, because you have done well by my friend Telbarisk, I would like to extend to you, and your friends, the invitation of leaving with me. I hope you¡¯ll reach the right decision. For the moment, I am still tired and will take a nap. Please discuss this and wake me if food comes.¡±

    Worst case scenario, they would tell a guard that Raulin was planning on escaping, something he was sure they suspected anyway. Best case scenario, he would have three other magicians to augment the escape with. With Anladet alone it would be so easy.

    The pot had been stirred. It needed time before it became edible.

 Chapter 62

    Raulin napped briefly, then awoke when the skies from the barred window were beginning to darken. The mist that fell hadn¡¯t let up and the ledge was wet with rain that had run over onto the barrels with an annoying plinkevery few seconds. The wizard and Anladet were speaking in low tones. Telbarisk was sitting in the corner, perhaps napping or thinking to himself.

    His stomach rumbled. ¡°Have they brought food yet?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anladet said, looking up from her discussion. ¡°No one has been by. It¡¯s very odd.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they wanted us to fend for ourselves. They did leave us in a room with barrels and crates of food,¡± he said, gesturing to the window.

    ¡°We¡¯re not taking anything from here,¡± the wizard said firmly. ¡°That would be stealing. Besides, they didn¡¯t set us up with anything else. No chamber pot, no blankets, no pallets. They¡¯ll be here soon enough.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Raulin responded. ¡°The Noh Amair Accords dictate that any person arrested for any reason, whether political, criminal, martial, or other, must be given the basics of life daily. They are running very short on time.¡±

    ¡°Gheny never signed the Noh Amair Accords.¡±

    ¡°True, but Gheny is still considered a dominion of Arouk, which signed the pact.¡±

    ¡°Even so, they haven¡¯t failed yet. They have until about ten o¡¯clock this evening to provide everything.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime, we are cold and hungry. I don¡¯t expect hospitality, but it speaks a lot of the situation when they can¡¯t even bring us water.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Al snarled and Raulin realized he may have complained too much. ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote then. All in favor of cracking open a barrel, of stealing food, raise your hand.¡±

    Raulin, Anladet, and Telbarisk, still sitting with his eyes closed, raised their hands. ¡°Al,¡± Anla said in a supplicating tone. ¡°I think they¡¯ll let us rot in here if they can. They are very angry at us, deserved or not, because we represent their failure.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± he snapped.

    She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m guessing, more or less. Either way, it¡¯s how I feel. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get food in the next eight hours. And I am hungry. And it is very damp in here.¡±

    ¡°Fine. That one,¡± he said pointing randomly.

    She rolled it over and stood it in front of him. He eyed Raulin. ¡°Turn around.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Just do it or you get nothing.¡±

    He rolled his eyes, but turned to face the opposite corner, praying for something that wasn¡¯t hard tack or fish in melon sauce. He heard a loud crack followed by the plopping sound of wet things on stone. When he turned around, the barrel was smashed and a number of fish had spilled onto the floor.

    ¡°Well, come on,¡± Al said, grabbing one and popping it whole into his mouth. ¡°Eat up! You guys wanted this!¡± He gagged a little and popped another in his mouth.

    The room reeked of vinegar and a pungent, briny smell that can only be described as ¡°fishy¡±. Raulin smelled it even when breathing through his mouth. He considered tearing off a piece of his arong-miil to jam it up his nostrils, since he was already going to have to pay to have it tailored anyway.

    The thought made him examine his wound again. It was tacky with blood and seemed to be closing up without any signs of infection, though it was hard to be precise without sufficient light. He checked his concussion by moving his head without any visual issues. He was without the throbbing pain he had felt earlier. It wasn¡¯t top form, but he was fine with where he was.

    Raulin took his mind off the sickening crunching noises the wizard was making by examining the cell. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Checking out our surroundings to see if there are any structural issues we can use to our advantage. This castle is new in construction, but the sea water might have rusted and eroded some of the materials used to make this cell.¡±

    He turned and made eye contact with Anladet. She raised her eyebrows and nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a truce,¡± he said. ¡°The four of us help each other escape to safety and sufficient expunction of our trail. With our combined talents we should be able to slip out with minimal clamor and be able to shake whatever forces they send after us.¡±

    This time the wizard didn¡¯t protest immediately. ¡°What are your terms in full?¡±

    Raulin met Anladet¡¯s eyes again and bowed slightly at his neck to thank her for her role in convincing Al. ¡°We escape from this cell, then the castle, and keep moving until the guards that will surely follow us have given up. We move quickly and no one hamstrings anyone else. That means no double-crossing in hopes of receiving clemency. I will humbly submit myself as the position of lead based on my experience and expertise.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°No killing,¡± the wizard said.

    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Anladet said. ¡°If we come across anyone, we use non-lethal methods to deal with them.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, so long as it doesn¡¯t waylay us for too long.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said. ¡°Absolutely no killing. And no stealing.¡±

    ¡°May I remind you that I don¡¯t kill and steal for pleasure. I do it as a necessity. And you may wish to take that back if things get very complicated.¡±

    ¡°No killing. I don¡¯t care if I get caught again.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± he said. ¡°This is agreed upon?¡± Both Anladet and Tel nodded. ¡°Then no killing. And no stealing.¡±

    ¡°We want to retrieve our possessions, too,¡± Al added. ¡°They¡¯re upstairs on the first floor.¡±

    ¡°And I need to get mine in an inn not too far from here.¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®expunction of our trail¡¯,¡± Al said. ¡°Define that.¡±

    Raulin moved past Al and looked out the window. They were facing the sea and about one hundred feet above it. He pulled on the bars, then felt them for rust. They seemed very solid. ¡°When we escape, people will hunt after us. Likely many people. We stay together and watch each others backs until it appears we have given our chasers the slip.¡±

    ¡°Plus one week.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, checking the wall around the window for cracks. ¡°I cannot spare a week. I must be gone as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Onto your next killing, I suppose?¡± Alsaid.

    ¡°Likely. Why is it any of your business?¡±

    ¡°How do I know I, or someone I know, isn¡¯t on your list?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, let me check,¡± Raulin said, pulling out his small notebook and flipping the pages. Annoyingly he left blood on the edges of the pages. ¡°No, no, no. No, there are no wizards for me to be killing this year. Seems you are safe.¡±

    ¡°Then how do I know you won¡¯t throw obstacles in our way once the trail is expunged?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hmm. That sounds rascally, Wizard. I don¡¯t do rascally. I don¡¯t have that assurance from any of you in my case, so how can you demand the same from me?¡±

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any pressing engagements. Why don¡¯t we follow you to your first and we¡¯ll part ways then?¡±

    Raulin moved to the barred door. ¡°That sounds terribly convenient for you and not at all for me. You will be able to alert the authorities that a trirec is operating in the area and they, in turn, can put people on high alert. Part of the ease of my job comes from the false sense of security people attain when nothing happens and no one is around to make it happen. No. We part ways once the search has been called off.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Telbarisk? Anla? Are you two satisfied?¡±

    ¡°I think you would have found any loopholes and corrected them,¡± she said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong; I don¡¯t trust him at all. I could spend all day ironing out the little details and I bet he¡¯ll still slip through them somehow.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overestimating me and undervaluing my wish to leave this place. I¡¯m using you as much as you¡¯re using me.¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk? You¡¯ve been quiet over there, not that that¡¯s unusual. What are your thoughts?¡±

    He opened his eyes and spoke in Grivfia. ¡°Things are about to happen. Don¡¯t fight it, Raulin. Embrace it. You might finally find the peace you¡¯ve wanted.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s basically a ¡®yes¡¯ from him. You two?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Anladet.

    ¡°Fine. But we can veto any decisions. And you can¡¯t keep us in the dark on your plans.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯d shake on it, but my hands are a mess and I believe the wizard¡¯s are pickling right now.¡±

    Raulin inspected the door and the rest of the room for structural issues they could use to their advantage. He thought, perhaps, if he could finagle the conversation in his favor, he could get the wizard to pull out any rusted or loose bars. He grasped that Al didn¡¯t want him to know about his abilities, for whatever reason. If this was due to his distrust, maybe he could work on that.

    Raulin sat down in the middle of the room. ¡°Tell me a bit about yourself, Wizard. Did you enjoy school? Did you do well?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is this to your advantage somehow?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious. We¡¯re going to be here for a little while longer. May as well spend some time getting to know each other.¡±

    ¡°I graduated a Gray seven years ago when I turned twenty-two¡­¡±

    ¡°Twenty-two? That¡¯s an awfully young age to finish! Six years?¡±

    ¡°Seven years, two months, and eleven days. I attended one year early. But, yes, last I knew I was the youngest and fastest wizard to graduate from Amandorlam.¡±

    ¡°Impressive! What illustrious profession did you wind up in after your departure?¡±

    ¡°Just Touch wizardry.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Must be very fulfilling.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Al said with a wary tone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make much, but I enjoy making people happy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good profession. Do you do anything else?¡±

    ¡°No, just that.¡±

    ¡°What about your switching ability?¡±

    ¡°I¡­how do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°You asked me to turn away, but even a man like myself knows that a soft wizard cannot smash a casket with that magic. You need the hard side for physical strength.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Al said, with a non-committal tone.

    ¡°I just ask because I might need you to break us out of here. If you are a switcher, that would be very helpful to know when I plan our escape. Having a healer is great, but having someone who can heal and fight is phenomenal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a switcher,¡± he said.

    ¡°All right. If you prefer to keep things under wraps I¡¯m sure we can¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cross-switcher.¡±

    Raulin paused for a few seconds. ¡°Really? That¡¯s¡­quite astounding, Wizard. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met a cross-switcher.¡±

    ¡°They are rare?¡± asked Anladet.

    ¡°Very much so. About a quarter of all humans have the ability to tap into magic. Of those, they tend to follow either a soft or hard path, working with arts and healing or with strength and speed. A switcher can tap into both. A cross-switcher can tap into both no matter what his mood.¡±

    ¡°I remember talking about this when we were running to catch up to the cultists. Why didn¡¯t you mention how distinguished your ability is?¡±

    ¡°Anla, it¡¯s not important! I¡¯d really rather we not discuss it.¡±

    He was probably the first wizard Raulin had ever met that showed even the slightest hint of humbleness. ¡°We don¡¯t need to talk about it. I¡¯d just like to see if you could pull out any of the bars. Carefully. We don¡¯t want to show our hand yet. Just see if anything is loose for you.¡±

    While Al tested the bars, Raulin spoke to Anladet. ¡°Other than bewitching people, what can you do?¡±

    ¡°I can make us silent if we need to be. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s helpful or not.¡±

    Raulin paused for a few moments before laughing. ¡°¡¯Helpful or not¡¯? And to think at one point I had thought about charging to lead you out of here. That pays for everything. Out of every magic power I¡¯ve ever heard of, creating silence is the one I¡¯d wish for the most often.¡±

    ¡°Well. It¡¯s just silence,¡± she said, though the light touched her face and he saw a small smile on her face.

    ¡°You must be jesting with me. By the time we¡¯re finished, you will see how incredible your magic is. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 63

    Despite the circumstances, Raulin was feeling rather pleased with the turn of events. He had known when he had awoken that he was going to need their help to escape. He had assumed they were going to be a hindrance. Instead, he found himself with three magic users, including a cross-switching wizard. Oh, the things he could plan with just him. But a kiluid and a woman who could silence and warp sound? It was going to be too easy.

    He laid down and stared at the ceiling, running through scenarios and plans. The wizard and Anla had struck up a conversation about a number of things, winding from one topic to another. Raulin continued to strategize, but occasionally found himself pulled in by their conversation.

    ¡°Did you have any choice in your name?¡± Anla asked Al.

    ¡°My last name, no. It¡¯s the same as everyone else in my class. My first name, yes. I was given a list of names to choose from and there weren¡¯t many I liked. I thought ¡®Alpine¡¯ suited me the best and was also one I could shorten, so that people didn¡¯t need to know I was a wizard immediately. I almost picked ¡®Timber¡¯, if you can imagine that.¡±

    ¡°Timber isn¡¯t a terrible name, unless you¡¯re a fighter. I can only imagine what the crowd would yell whenever he¡¯d get knocked out.¡±

    He laughed lightly. ¡°I suppose I could have lived up to that name easily. What about you? I assume your family¡¯s traditions are the same and your father named you at birth.¡±

    ¡°Yes. My father named my sisters, my brother, and I, but my mother had some input. She wanted a name that could translate well enough into her language . My name, for example, means ¡®beautiful girl¡¯ in father¡¯s tongue, but close to ¡®babbling brook girl¡¯ in my mother¡¯s. ¡®Ahnee-dehm.¡¯¡±

    Raulin chose not to correct her. The definition of ¡°Anladet¡± was actually ¡°splendid to behold¡±, something more awe-inspiring than beauty, like a magnificent sunset or a perfect flower. Her father was probably a man a generation or two removed from the country and didn¡¯t speak the tongue well enough to know the distinction.

    ¡°Have you been to Arvonne?¡± he asked her, to which she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d like to go someday. It sounds so wonderful. I¡¯ve seen paintings of some of the landmarks and natural wonders. The Emvil Bailey, Em Uin ¨¦ Lirand, the Mist Forest, the Srielt Mountains in the north, the Tepenstri Coast. It would be nice to get a fresh, high quality glass of some Caudet.¡±

    Raulin sat up quickly, then relaxed. He felt both Al and Anladet turn their heads to watch him. ¡°The peasant wine?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Caudet. It¡¯s low quality wine that the peasants drink in Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°No, I said ¡®Caudet¡®. That¡¯s some of the best wine they have. They import it here to Gheny and serve it in the better half of the bars. I usually have to pay three to five silver for a glass.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Raulin asked, amused.

    ¡°Why, do you know better? Have you even been to Arvonne?¡±

    ¡°Wizard, I¡¯ve been all over Merak, Noh Amair, Gheny, even to Ervaskin. Arvonne has been one of many and I recall certain things from each place. I¡¯m certain that they make Caudet with inferior grapes and mix in the wine that aged poorly.¡±

    Raulin expected Al to argue with him. Instead, in a quiet, yearning voice he asked, ¡°Is Arvonne as beautiful as they say?¡±

    That country was the last thing he wanted to discuss. But, for the sake of the peace, he did. ¡°I think my tastes may differ. I prefer warmer climates with lush scenery and warm waters, like Genale and the Empire. But, I suppose those places you mentioned are nice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to them? All of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all of them. And the beaches of Nor Ipral, the Biashka baths, the capital, many other cities and towns. I travel a lot. I could tell you more about the wonders of Kinto. Whenever I get an interlude, I travel there. I¡¯ve been there for about eight months or¡­¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Kinto is beautiful, from what I hear, but I¡¯m just drawn to Arvonne.¡± He continued to gush in his soft voice. ¡°The people sound lovely, too. Hardworking, pleasant, able to relax and enjoy the finer things in life while also giving so much attention to their festivals.¡±

    ¡°I¡­sure, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve met many, I¡¯m sure. Have you been to any festivals?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like Arvonne and I avoid it at all costs.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    Raulin felt his throat tighten. ¡°Because the people aren¡¯t nice. They are selfish and stupid and would prefer to stab you in the back, but will try the front if it¡¯s easier. They¡¯re wasteful and bloodthirsty. If I could never go to Arvonne again, I¡¯d die happy.¡±

    Al had lost the dreamy tone. ¡°So, what, you skirt into the country, kill a few people, and think that you know everything about a place and it¡¯s people? You¡¯re dealing with the worst, people who have reasons for being killed, not the best or even the average.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯re saying there are legitimate reasons for people to take out contracts on others?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m¡­that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just usually people who have dealings in that type of situation, those who take out contracts or have them taken out on them, are from the shadier parts of society.¡±

    ¡°Like the count I assassinated last night?¡± When Alpine didn¡¯t answer, Raulin continued. ¡°Wizard, I have killed some very upstanding people in my time. Fathers, brothers, family men, rulers incorruptible and magnanimous, philanthropists, popular and kind men of society, even women of that nature. Do you know why I killed them? Because I was hired by someone who saw them not as those qualities but as an obstacle to whatever ends they had in mind. I¡¯ve met and dined with many victims. I¡¯ve killed all kinds of people, so please don¡¯t lecture me on my judge of character.¡±

    Raulin felt that the wizard¡¯s silence was an injured one. They had been doing so well, too, but there were some things he refused to talk about. Following it up with another lesson in ethics had been enough to put him in a sour mood.

    The wizard stood after a few minutes and began cleaning the area of fish bones and barrel parts. He kept lifting the wood up and throwing them in the corner. ¡°None of these will make a good cup.¡±

    ¡°Do you need a cup?¡± Telbarisk asked. He was holding his hand aloft in a claw.

    ¡°Why did you bring that? And how did you get it in here?¡±

    Raulin kept looking back and forth between the wizard and Telbarisk¡¯s hand, trying to figure out what they meant.

    ¡°You said it was my duty now to ¡®keep tabs¡¯ on it. I put it in my bakinar and the guards didn¡¯t want to search me.¡±

    Al beamed and said, ¡°I forgive you.¡± He took whatever was in Tel¡¯s hand and brought it over to the window. ¡°Actually, I forgive you if you fill the chalice with rain. My arm¡¯s not long enough.¡±

    Telbarisk did so and Al sat back on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m going someday,¡± he said to Anladet. ¡°You are more than welcome to come with me. Maybe next year, after our payment from the duke, we can go together and make a tour of it.¡±

    ¡°That sounds nice, Al,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, and you can drink all the Caudet you can find,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I bet they¡¯d pay you to drink it.¡±

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve had plenty of wines and I can tell the difference between a good glass and a bad glass. Lie all you want about it; I¡¯m still going to enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°You do what you like, Wizard. I won¡¯t be there when you take your little tour of Arvonne and get sick from bad wine and bad food and bad company. I bet you won¡¯t make it a week before you get homesick and run back to port.¡±

    ¡°I bet I make it the full time and enjoy every moment of it! We can go in spring, Anla, when they have the festival dances in Aistard where all the flowers bloom. We can taste magrid and pecan pie, and tour vineyards, then go north to the dairy country of Jemerie where they make incredible cheeses, then we can go to Tapenstri for¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, do shut up, Wizard. Discuss your asinine plans some other time.¡± Raulin stood and walked over to where Telbarisk was standing, pulling off the bottom part of his mask.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I was just curious as to what Tel was doing. How goes it?¡±

    Telbarisk pulled the chalice back in. ¡°It¡¯s about half-way filled.¡±

    ¡°That is a neat trick, Tel,¡± he said, admiring the floating liquid before he pulled the chalice out of his hand, felt the goblet as he slipped his fingers between the stem, and downed the water in two gulps.

    Anladet gasped. Al was stunned for one moment, before he ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. ¡°No, no, no! Please don¡¯t tell me that worked.¡± He stood up. ¡°Did you have any blood on your fingers?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Raulin asked, perplexed.

    ¡°Your fingers. Let me see them!¡±

    ¡°The glass wasn¡¯t made of ice, then?¡±

    ¡°What? No! Let me see.¡± He pulled Raulin over to the window and held the trirec¡¯s hand up, moving it back and forth. The chalice clattered to the ground, startling Raulin. ¡°I can¡¯t tell in this light!¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you checked your wound?¡± Anladet asked him.

    He was about to answer when they all froze at a sound. Someone was opening the door. ¡°Gods almighty, it reeks in here,¡± said a guard. ¡°I¡¯m putting your tray down on the ground. It¡¯s up to you to divvy it up.¡±

    Raulin reached down and grabbed the chalice off the floor, swiftly closed the distance between him and the guard, and whacked him in the temple with the cup. He grabbed a slice of bread, downed the watered wine in one of the cups, then said, ¡°We have to go! Now!¡±

 Chapter 64

    Al fell on the tray and stuffed a half a heel of bread into his mouth, followed quickly by the full cup of wine. He scooped up the remaining hunks of bread and placed them inside the back of Telbarisk¡¯s bakinar.

    ¡°After you, my lady,¡± Raulin said.

    Anla looked at the trirec with a puzzled look. ¡°I thought you were leading.¡±

    ¡°I neglected to ask you about how you followed me from your bedroom to the count¡¯s room, especially via the countess¡¯s room. I can only assume that either you¡¯re a very good tracker or there¡¯s something about your magic that allows you to follow people. Either way, I was barely conscious when they dragged me down here. I don¡¯t remember anything. Unless someone else knows the path they took, I need you to lead us.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°If I hold up my hand, I will need you to be quiet.¡±

    ¡°I can do that with ease. Lead on.¡±

    Anladet nodded but did not move. It was hard to see her face in the dark hallway, but she appeared to be listening. Raulin turned and grabbed the wizard¡¯s jaw with his fingers, to stop him from chewing loudly. He watched as she trailed her hands to follow the corridor back to the cell, then back again to Raulin¡¯s hand, which held the set of keys the jailer had. He squeezed them together to stop the noise and nodded.

    Her hand trailed from his hand back to the cell, then again to where they were standing. She bounced her hand in the air, as if she were conducting a band, and set off down the hallway.

    It actually hadn¡¯t been a complicated journey. There were two T intersections where Anla had to stop and listen intently. Raulin was pleased that he would have guessed correctly in both cases, based purely on the shininess of the well-worn path the servants took. Still, he wasn¡¯t disappointed to be following her and enjoying the graceful way she walked in front of them.

    She raised her hand but continued on until they got close to an opening. Raulin could hear the crackling of torches, the occasional scrape of a fork on a plate, and men speaking lowly. He motioned for them to stay and ducked his head around the corner quickly. Two guards were sitting at the butcher block he had earlier, playing a game of cards. From the scattered pile of discards in the middle, he guessed it was Maccre. One faced the locked door to the room and the other towards the opening of the hallway where they¡¯d have to enter.

    Raulin had spent a year¡¯s worth of time in Arvarikor working on milket-varet-a eptha, ¡°enter and leave plans¡±. He had to respect the fact that, instead of rigidly refusing to acknowledge that their trirecs would never got caught, the organization had long ago incorporated the misfortune as a normal part of everyone¡¯s training. They drilled scenarios into the young students¡¯ heads, teaching them to account for as much detail as possible. How many men? How many exits? What kind of exits? Obstacles? Potential issues? Each had their own name, a long, clumsy phrase in Merakian to identify it and, more importantly, how to overcome it.

    Two men guarding an area. One exit, a locked door. There could be any number of other guards on the other side, but likely they only had half the squad in the manor. One man unaccounted for, but a clear line from their position to the door. But, one of the men was sure to see them as they moved across.

    Not impossible, especially with added help. Even without the other three, there was a solution.

    ¡°I need a distraction,¡± he said quietly to the other three. Al tore a piece of bread in half and threw it into the room before anyone could say otherwise. Raulin stared at the wizard and sighed very slowly and very deeply.

    ¡°Crendit, cease your tomfoolery,¡± the guard facing them said, barely looking up from his cards. ¡°We¡¯ll deal you in as soon as your back from checking in with the sergeant.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need a distraction?¡± Anladet asked. Raulin held up his finger to where his lips were under his mask.

    She nodded after a moment and spoke normally. ¡°They can¡¯t hear us now.¡±

    The air had taken an echoing quality, like being stuck in a coffin. It wasn¡¯t a memory he liked to think of and shuddered. ¡°Can you make it so no one can hear them?¡± he asked, gesturing to the guards.

    ¡°I could make us silent or them. Not both at the same time.¡±

    ¡°That should be fine. Two possibilities, no three: one comes to inspect the handiwork of the wizard, they both come to inspect, or they don¡¯t. If it¡¯s either of the first two, dampen the sound here and around them. I can¡¯t have them sounding an alarm and flooding this cramped area with more guards. Let¡¯s give them a few minutes to see what they do.¡±

    Al took the initiative and threw the other piece of bread. ¡°Wizard, seriously?¡± he hissed. ¡°That is a lame excuse for a distraction. And you owe Anladet dinner.¡±

    ¡°Crendit, I¡¯m not in a good humor,¡± the same guard said. ¡°Stop playing childish games or I¡¯ll have Tibbits knock some sense into you.¡±

    When Crendit didn¡¯t come forward, the guard said, ¡°Tibbits, go check on him.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°Because I outrank you.¡±

    A chair scraped against the floor. ¡°I outrank Crendit now, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you do.¡±

    ¡°Which means I can punish Crendit if he doesn¡¯t comply posthaste.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it works like that, but you won¡¯t find me speaking to the sergeant about it.¡±

    The second guard spoke up. ¡°Crendit, if you don¡¯t show yourself in three seconds, you will have to take my next post shift. I hear we¡¯re in for some nasty weather, too. Three, two, one.¡± The chair was moved again and they heard the jangling of a sword alongside the clack of boots on the stone floor.

    Raulin swept his arm to make the three move back. When the guard rounded the corner, Raulin dragged him back, turned him away, and squeezed his neck with his arm. The man struggled and stomped his heel into the floor, the clacking reverberating off of some unseen wall. He clawed and slapped at Raulin¡¯s forearm, desperately trying to breath to no avail. After a few long moments, his protests died and he slumped. Raulin released the hold and dragged his body back, leaning it against the wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for the other guard. Assist me with the silence around us as soon as I leave,¡± he said to Anladet. ¡°If he calls out, we¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± she said and he wasted no time in beginning.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Raulin covered the thirty-foot distance in just a few seconds. The guard was hadn¡¯t even dropped his cards when Raulin grabbed a dinner knife from the table, jammed it against the man¡¯s throat, and said, ¡°Tell me what I need to know and I won¡¯t make a five-course meal of your neck. Understand?¡±

    The guard bucked against him, yelling as he tried to wrench away from the knife. He was cut, still captive, and unlikely to get help for all his efforts.

    When he finally settled down, he clenched his jaw and said nothing. Raulin hated ultimatums, especially ones he¡¯d be forced to follow through. ¡°Have you ever tasted your own blood?¡± The guard tried to pull away. ¡°I find it odd that so many men haven¡¯t, even accidentally. You¡¯d think that they would have, playing games with other children, punching their way out of being bullied, defending a young lady¡¯s honor. Us trirecs have to swallow a dish full of blood when we¡¯re six, so that we learn how to fight others without that fear.¡±

    The guard stopped fighting, but stiffened. ¡°This isn¡¯t a bad knife,¡± Raulin said, pushing it a little farther into the man¡¯s neck. ¡°I bet I could jam it through your teeth before it snaps. Then it will be a matter of whether you¡¯re tasting the blood from your lips or your tongue. I hope you don¡¯t have a lady love to consider. Either way, and depending on how well you¡¯re acquainted, it might dampen your relationship for some time. She might understand while you¡¯re healing.¡±

    ¡°You might have gone too far,¡± Anladet said, and Raulin thought she meant her delicate sensibilities were compromised. ¡°I think he¡¯s too afraid to speak now.¡±

    ¡°Greenhorn soldiers,¡± he spat. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a proposal?¡±

    To the annoyed shock of Raulin, Anla spoke in Arvonnese. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you understand this, since you¡¯ve been to Arvonne a few times.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied in the same tongue. ¡°What do you need that he can¡¯t hear?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold the silence and enthrall him at the same time. I need you to make sure he doesn¡¯t yell out before I can speak.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no problem. On three¡­¡± he said. He swung around and punched the guard hard in the stomach. The man inhaled a croak for a long moment

    Anladet moved quickly, taking advantage of his doubled-over posture when whispering in his ear. ¡°Gguardd, you will obey everything I say until I say ootherwisee.¡±

    He straightened his posture slowly, still slouching forward slightly. ¡°Yess,¡± he replied in a half-hiss, half-moan.

    ¡°Yyouu will not move or speak loudly. You will answer any question the trirec asks yyouu.¡±

    ¡°Want¡­you¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°You can let go of him,¡± she said to Raulin. ¡°He¡¯ll behave.¡±

    Raulin released the guard, though he kept his hands close to the soldier just in case. ¡°I do believe I was right about your magic.¡±

    ¡°I never doubted I was going to be useful. It¡¯s the ethics I always get tangled up in.¡± She nodded her head for him to start his interrogation.

    ¡°How many guards are on the premises?¡±

    ¡°A full squad,¡±

    ¡°Which is? Numbers.¡±

    ¡°Twelve.¡±

    He growled softly. It was more than he had expected. ¡°Where are they positioned?¡±

    ¡°Two here, one delivering food, one upstairs, eight in the bailey.¡±

    Raulin cursed. That was far too many for even the combined abilities of the four of them. ¡°Is there a way to get outside the walls of the castle without having to go through the door to upstairs?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Where do the tunnels here lead to?¡±

    ¡°Pantries, cells, crypts, storage rooms, pathways to other areas¡­¡±

    Crypts. It would have been chilling to have accidentally taken the wrong path to where the count was potentially laid out. ¡°What other areas do they lead to?¡±

    ¡°Some out to the cliffs and the beach, some to the walls or the other end of the house. May I kiss her?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Raulin said. ¡°If we were to escape to the beach, would we be able to escape from Carvek easily?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you had a boat waiting. It¡¯s a secluded beach used as an occasional entrance for supplies and soldiers if there¡¯s a problem between Carvek and Hanala or an emergency.¡±

    ¡°Is there a boat waiting there?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Raulin thought for a few moments. Knowledge was always the most important asset to a trirec. After that, is was time followed by luck. He had very little of the first two, but with Anladet¡¯s magic he had plenty of the last, which in turn meant he could have as much of the first he wanted.

    He was approaching the questioning wrong; he didn¡¯t need to ask the guard for information in order to plan. The guard would be more than happy to supply him with his own ideas. ¡°What do you think would be the best path for four people to escape from the castle without alerting the other guards?¡±

    The guard looked slack-jawed for a few moments, then brightened. ¡°One of the tunnels leads to an exit in the wall of the castle. If you take that, you can bypass the bailey and sneak out the front.¡±

    ¡°Show us the way.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al interrupted. ¡°We have our affects upstairs and we need to retrieve them.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Guard, are there any other soldiers in the chateau or anyone who would alert them?¡±

    ¡°Crendit and Ralabas are on go-fer duty. No one is stationed in the household.¡±

    ¡°How about staff? Maids? Butlers? Cooks?¡±

    ¡°Priests.¡±

    That would have been problematic. He wouldn¡¯t have thought to ask or look for a priest, even though it was obvious that one would have been called to watch over the body. They wouldn¡¯t be going up to the third floor, assuming a vigil would be held in the count¡¯s bedroom, but they could always bump into a priest who was relieving someone. But wait¡­

    ¡°Priests? Why would there be more than one?¡±

    ¡°A Kriskin priest for his death, a Magrithonen priest because he was in politics, and an Iondikan priest for his family¡¯s patronage.¡±

    ¡°He sounds more popular in death than he was in life,¡± Al quipped.

    ¡°Wizard, don¡¯t give me cause to make you ¡®popular¡¯, too,¡± he said. ¡°Anladet, could you instruct our guard to unlock the door and maybe stay here until we need to come back?¡±

    She did, giving him extra instructions that the trirec didn¡¯t hear while he was replacing all his knives. He was on his third set when he looked up and saw Al was watching him. ¡°Mind if I have a little privacy?¡±

    ¡°Why do you have so many knives?¡± he asked, though he did turn away while Raulin finished.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen men with dozens of different coats, yet no one comments on the excessiveness of his wardrobe. If someone did, he¡¯d likely say, ¡®I need them for different occasions¡¯, which is what I would say to you about my weapons.¡±

    ¡°You need different knives depending on the weather or if the moon is full?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Wizard. That sounds like a plausible explanation. Now, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s still raining and I haven¡¯t sharpened my left calf knife today.¡±

    They didn¡¯t run into anyone on their way to the apartment that Anladet, Alpine, and Telbarisk had shared. Raulin wasn¡¯t surprised to find that Tel¡¯s bed had been a blanket strewn across Anla¡¯s floor.

    No one had disturbed anything and all their belongings were where they had left them. When Al returned to the hallway with his enormous backpack, Raulin laughed lightly. ¡°Wizard, were you planning on traveling to Noh Amair the hard way?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the hard way?¡±

    ¡°West.¡±

    ¡°I like to be prepared. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. I¡¯ve had a few occasions where I¡¯ve been very happy that I¡¯ve brought things the normal traveler would leave behind.¡±

    ¡°I suppose. Everyone have everything they came with? Can we get going?¡± Three nods later and Raulin was leading them back down the corridor to the kitchens, where the entrance to the cellar was.

    They found the guard sitting in his chair, waiting for them to return. ¡°I waited for you, my lady,¡± he said, taking Anladet¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t pull away, but also kept as far from him as possible.

    ¡°Ppleasee lead uuss,¡± she said and he eagerly walked moved forward.

    He led them through on a path that was more simpler than the one they took the previous day. Three turns in quick succession led them to a staircase. ¡°The door to the top will open to the shared library for all the offices upstairs.¡± The guard pulled a ring off his loop and gave it to Anladet. ¡°If you go left when you reach the hallway, it will take you to the barbican.¡± His hand lingered on Anla¡¯s. ¡°May I have just one kiss, my lady?¡±

    She gave him a peck on his cheek that sent him into a deep, blissful state. ¡°Gguard, return to your post. Take a position that would appear like you¡¯ve been injured and fall asleep until either someone awakens you, two hours have passed, or if either Crendit or Tibbits awakens and tries to get help.¡± Al leaned in and whispered something in her ear. ¡°When you wake up, you will think you¡¯ve been knocked out, but you won¡¯t know who did it. You won¡¯t remember anything past that point when Tibbits left the table. You will find the key you just gave me upstairs in a book by Ttichenn.¡±

    When the guard had left, she led them up the stairs to the door. ¡°That was kind of you,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be unkind. He¡¯s just doing his job.¡±

    ¡°Many wouldn¡¯t take the time to see to his comforts. I think it¡¯s noble.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°However, I hope you¡¯re not offended when I say that your magic frightens me.¡±

    Anla turned the key in the lock and chuckled lowly. ¡°If I were you, I would be frightened. Since I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just merely terrified by what I can do.¡±

 Chapter 65

    Raulin went in first, holding his arm out to keep the other three back. Two bookcases made an L-shape, obscuring his view. He stepped around them and surveyed the room as best he could. It would have been completely dark if two windows and a wall lamp shone some light. Still, even with the help of the mask, he could barely tell it was a library with shelves and cases lining the walls of the room. In the center were several desks with inkwells, parchment, and a few strewn books. As well as he could tell, there was no one here and he relaxed a notch.

    He moved across the room, weaving around the furniture and taking in the details. What were good hiding places, should someone open the door in that moment? What were potential weapons? Should he go twice on the dice and toss another inkwell?

    ¡°Help me find Tichen,¡± he heard the wizard say.

    Raulin opened the door a crack and listened in the hallway for any patrols, or worse, clamor over their escape. He heard a man whistle down the hallway, followed by another man laughing and continuing the conversation. ¡°Wizard, just throw the key in any book and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°I promised,¡± he said.

    ¡°Tichen or some other author, the guard will find the key eventually. Or someone will.¡±

    ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t, it will look bad for him until he does.¡±

    Raulin turned a growl into sound of dismay. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to win this argument quickly. He walked over to where the wizard was standing and reached over his head, moving his fingers along the spines until he found Seasons of Thought and pulled it out for him. ¡°Here,¡± he said, slapping it into Al¡¯s chest.

    While the wizard reached up on his tiptoes to put the book back, Raulin escorted Anla to the door. ¡°What do you hear?¡±

    ¡°Two men down some ways on the left. They have armor and weapons and are pacing irregularly. This is besides all the men in the courtyard.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, it¡¯s up to the wizard to help us out.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Al said, joining them with Telbarisk.

    ¡°At some point we will be exposed by sight. Once we turn the corner, I want you to tell me the instant you can see the guards¡¯ eyes.¡±

    The wizard ducked his head out into the hallway quickly. ¡°Fine, but there isn¡¯t a lot of light for me to work with.¡±

    ¡°Then they won¡¯t be able to see you, either.¡±

    They appeared as little sticks in the distance for Raulin when Al said he could see them with enough detail. ¡°One has dark eyes, and one has light.¡±

    ¡°Are you jesting, Wizard?¡± he asked. Anladet shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what any hard wizard can do.¡±

    Raulin put his arms out. ¡°All right. Now it¡¯s your turn, Tel.¡±

    ¡°Tel?¡± Al asked, laughing lightly. ¡°What¡¯s Tel going to do? Light a really tall lamp?¡±

    Raulin turned in surprise and spoke to Telbarisk in Grivfia. ¡°You haven¡¯t told them?¡±

    ¡°Jorm¨¦ suggested I keep certain things to myself.¡±

    ¡°That was wise. Still, would you like to keep your magic a secret?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more that I haven¡¯t had a chance to tell them, not that I¡¯m keeping it from them. I trust them.¡±

    ¡°How about the rest of your secrets?¡± he asked. ¡°Never mind. Later.¡± He switched back to Ghenian, as clarity had been agreed upon by the group. ¡°Tel, what I need you to do is keep the two guards from moving and stop the rest of the squad from coming after us.¡±

    ¡°How do you think I should do that?¡±

    ¡°Up ahead is a tall, square building called the barbican.¡± He used his hands to frame the building in the air and continued to diagram. ¡°In the front is a portcullis, a gate that¡¯s drawn up inside. It will have two or three chains holding it up. If you can sever the chains, it will slam down, trapping the rest of the guards in for a little while and buying us some extra time to escape. The two guards will be standing on stone, too. I think you get what I mean there.¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk is tall, not agile or strong,¡± Al said. ¡°How do you propose he does these things?¡±

    ¡°Patience, Wizard. You¡¯re forgetting that I¡¯ve known Tel for longer than you both. I know where his strengths and weaknesses lie.¡±

    ¡°It would be easier if I could see what it is you want me to do,¡± Tel said.

    Raulin explained things again, with more detail and miming of the plan. ¡°If Anladet can silence the two guards as soon as they¡¯re alerted, I can point things out a bit more.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You certainly know a lot about castles,¡± Al said.

    ¡°My job brings me to many places, Wizard. Guess how many castles I¡¯ve been in and it¡¯s likely that amount plus a dozen. Now, let¡¯s move forward a little so Telbarisk can do what he can to help us escape.¡±

    Tel kept looking back at Raulin, who put his hand on his back and spoke to him in Grivfia. ¡°You¡¯re with kouriya, yes? If it¡¯s a strong feeling, then you will succeed.¡±

    They had to wait several agonizing minutes until the two guards patrolled out onto the bridge. Raulin placed his hand on Tel¡¯s back again and whispered, ¡°Go ahead. Just enough to almost do it.¡±.

    The echo shifted so that they couldn¡¯t hear the guards any more. Telbarisk closed his eyes and breathed deeply. ¡°It is done,¡± he said after a few moments. ¡°The gate just needs a little more.¡±

    ¡°Excellent work,¡± Raulin said. He slipped alongside the barbican¡¯s tunnel, hugging the wall and gesturing for the other three to do the same. He moved back into the dampened zone, hearing the guards proclaim loudly to each other that their boots were suddenly encased in stone and that they were unable to move. They called for help and were startled when the portcullis crashed behind them.

    ¡°Wizard, did you get a little taken off the back?¡± Raulin asked as the four of them passed by the two guards.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good.¡± He looked up and down the street at the traffic and sucked on his lip quickly. ¡°We need to split up temporarily. We¡¯re too conspicuous.¡±

    ¡°Where shall we meet up?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the area all that well. Which direction has the best cover for us?¡±

    ¡°Besides the Gamik to the east, there¡¯s woods to the west. North and south will take us along the Birchik Highway, which is more thickly settled.¡±

    ¡°West it is, unless you have a boat. Any of you know a landmark near the edge of town?¡±

    Anladet spoke up. ¡°The count mentioned that Carvek has three gates. There must be one there.¡±

    ¡°Good. One half hour, I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±

    Raulin was surprised that no one had accused him of trying to give them the slip, which was a strong consideration of his. He would have, too, if they were dead weight. But so far each had pulled their weight and would likely continue to do so. They would reduce the risk of capture incredibly so. He would have stumbled into a courtyard of eight guards if it were for Anladet. Just her alone augmented his ability to escape cleanly by tenfold.

    He made sure the three took off down the street before he turned left and headed towards his hotel. The rain was a blessing; the foot traffic was at a minimum and the sky was prematurely dark. He suspected the gas lamps were lit on a schedule, since he could no longer see the lines of his hands even though night was a few hours off. No one paid attention to him as he slipped down the alley next to the hotel easily.

    Raulin entered the room whose window faced the alley without anyone outside the wiser. He walked up the stairs and barged into his room, having been lucky enough to pick a time when no guests were walking the hallways. He stripped out of his arong-miil and changed into his traveling outfit. Before he donned his tunic, he wet a cloth in the basin and cleaned out his wounds.

    The shoulder wound was worse than he thought. The water in the bowl was darkened by the first rinse enough that he could see it in the light of one lit candle. He also had a few more cuts across his arms and stomach than he was expecting. He cleaned those as best he could.

    Mid-way through putting on his blue traveling tunic, Raulin felt a wave of nausea that almost floored him with its intensity. There was a sharp pain growing behind his eyes, temples, and the middle of his forehead that also felt like someone was vicing his head between their hands. He moaned as his knees hit the floor.

    Just as quickly as it came, it was gone. Blessedly, peacefully gone. There wasn¡¯t any lingering pressure or pain, either. He was worried about his concussion, but that would have to wait until all this was over. If their luck was high, perhaps tomorrow.

    He stuffed everything he could into his knapsack, including his mask, and went downstairs to pay for his room. His training would recommend that he leave the way he came in, to reduce the amount of people he contacted after the assassination. Raulin thought it would be a mistake. The hotel owner had seen his face already. If he shirked his payment, it might be something the man would note and gossip. Besides, Raulin disliked ditching bills.

    He rang the bell and waited for the clerk, taking a few minutes to commit to memory a painted map of Sharka the hotel had in its lobby.

    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re leaving at this time of night?¡± the man behind the counter asked.

    ¡°Yes. Do I owe you for the full night?¡±

    ¡°It is a room taken for the full night, so yes. May I ask why you¡¯re leaving? Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°I was just reading a novel in my room, taking a little respite before going out this evening, when I heard the people next to me¡­arguing. It was not the first time I heard it. Their arguing kept me up the other night. I noted that your rooms were full, which is a splendid thing for you, but not for me, otherwise I¡¯d request a change.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I could speak to the Wastaviats, then, and ask them to be more civil? I¡¯m surprised such an older, docile couple would be so loud in their affairs.¡±

    Raulin coughed, feigning embarrassment, and tipped his head forward. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be discrete about this matter. They weren¡¯t arguing, per se, but they were loud.¡±

    The owner took a moment to digest that savory piece of information while Raulin counted out his money. ¡°I see. Well, I suppose that would be a delicate matter to handle. I thank you for your acumen of the situation. Please, forget about the payment for this evening.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I wouldn¡¯t want to inconvenience you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, sir. I¡¯ll try to bring up the subject tactfully with the Wastaviats at the earliest convenience. And I¡¯ve turned away a few people this evening. Someone might return who is desperate enough to ignore such things. Not that I expect you to!¡±

    ¡°¡¯When wolves nip at your tired feet, any food is savored and sweet,¡¯¡± he quoted, before handing the agreed upon coinage to the owner.

    ¡°Exactly, sir. May I recommend the Bronchil on the edge of town, northside? They are good people who happen to have an wonderful inn in a place with already too many inns. There prices are slightly higher than the inns around them, but I assure you their service more than makes up for the price.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I may take that suggestion. And thank you for your hospitality,¡± he said, bowing slightly before heading outside.

    He ducked into an alley off of the main road west, aptly named such, and put his mask back on before heading down towards the chosen spot. It had been a good idea for him to put it on early for he heard a ¡°psst!¡± from an alley several hundred feet from the gate at the end of the road.

    ¡°Wizard! You¡¯re being awfully sneaky. Where¡¯s Tel and Anladet? Why aren¡¯t you guys at the gate?¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t¡­They¡¯re a couple of streets down,¡± he said, walking to meet him.

    ¡°Well, fine. Good eye, by the way.¡±

    ¡°The light was glaring off your mask.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good to know. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind whenever I¡¯m being spotted by wizards in the rain. Let¡¯s get the the other two.¡±

 Chapter 66

    ¡°How was the conversation between you three after I left?¡± Raulin asked with an amused tone.

    ¡°Enlightening,¡± Anladet said as they started walking west. ¡°We had no idea he could use magic. He gave us a quick rundown on what a kiluid is and what he can do.¡±

    ¡°And he probably glossed over his abilities and his importance. What we have in our ranks is a rare and talented man. I only met four kiluids when I was on Ervaskin, including Tel, and I was in the capital for most of my time. Not only was he more proficient than the other three older kiluids, but he was far more humble and decent.¡±

    ¡°You flatter me beyond necessity,¡± Tel said quietly.

    ¡°No, I present you with my opinion, my friend. Of course, keeping myself in your good graces is always a smart thing. Did you know he has a skill I would give my left hand for?¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°He has the ability to feel the earth in an area and tell if anything is stirring. Imagine that! He can track the amount and movements of people and animals, so long as they touch the ground.¡± He rubbed his hands together. ¡°All right. So, which way should we head?¡±

    ¡°North,¡± Telbarisk and Anladet said.

    ¡°South,¡± Alpine said.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter too much to me, but I do feel we¡¯ll hit the water if we go south and we¡¯ll be dependent on the ferry to Genale or Ekistol. South would create a bottle-neck.¡±

    ¡°You mean to take us that far?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to take us as far as it goes to shake off our pursuers.¡±

    ¡°What pursuers?¡± Al asked, looking behind them. ¡°There¡¯s no one following us.¡±

    ¡°Yet, Wizard. Yet. You cannot perform a break-out as announced as ours and expect no one to come after us. Also understand the minds of the guards. Their count has been murdered and several of their own assaulted. They now know that we¡¯ve escaped on top of that. They are not going to be happy people. They will assemble a search party, complete with hounds and hunters trained in that field, and they will pursue us. It will take some time to gather everyone together, perhaps a day or two. When that happens, we will be the most wanted people in Sharka.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I said to go south. Anla and I know the duke. He can clear up this mess¡­¡± Al trailed off.

    ¡°You know the Duke of Sharka?¡± Raulin said, stopping for a moment. ¡°You keep surprising company, Wizard. Perhaps we should visit him.¡±

    ¡°Never mind the consideration. I misspoke.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Misspoke¡¯? So, you don¡¯t know him, then?¡±

    ¡°We know him,¡± Anladet answered, ¡°but Al realized he won¡¯t help us in this matter. So, I think north is a good direction for us to head in.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It should be a few miles ¡¯til we reach the next town and we¡¯ll head north tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Anla said, slightly choked. ¡°But, people will see us in town.¡±

    ¡°I want them to see us.¡± The light from the nearby lamp showed him three dubious looks, though Tel could have just been thoughtful. ¡°Again, think about things from your pursuers¡¯ mind. Remember that they are very hurt and need to catch us now. If we give them the slip, they will comb all of Sharka to find us. I¡¯d rather have a situation I can control, one where I know where the people chasing me will be: a good half-mile behind us.¡±

    ¡°So, your plan is to let people know we were in the town and make a run for it in the morning? And when they start chasing us, how do you plan on giving them the slip?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Well, actually, that¡¯s where you three come into play. I have plans for Telbarisk. Right now, I would like you two to tell me all about the local legends surrounding trirecs. Anladet, you said you¡¯ve lived in Hanala for some time. I expect you¡¯ll know more about the myths that are held strongest in gossip while the wizard will know all he learned in school.¡±

    ¡°We actually didn¡¯t study trirecs very much. You don¡¯t have any inherent magic, so you¡¯re basically ignored.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I feel a little hurt about that. I thought we¡¯d warrant at least a quiz. Anything you read in any books, preferably of Ghenian origin?¡±

    ¡°Trirecs are described as contractors who fulfill requests for thefts, assassinations, or spying. They always wear a mask. They¡¯re very nimble and can enter houses with almost no noise. They are Merakian and train somewhere in Merak. Most don¡¯t leave the continent.¡±

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s all very basic. Nothing on myths or superstitions? I met a man recently who thought we were literally demon spawn. That¡¯s what I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    ¡°I honestly haven¡¯t read much about trirecs. I saw Twenty Days in Kinto once, but I can¡¯t think of any myths in the play that might help.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s said that trirecs can disappear into thin air,¡± Anladet said. ¡°People have found powder on the ground outside windows and doors, so it¡¯s thought that they have a magic dust that can transport them wherever they want to go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m looking for, thank you,¡± Raulin said with a pleased sigh. ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°If you take off a trirec¡¯s mask, it will possess your soul and you become its slave.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯d forgotten the guards had mentioned that one. Not what I need, but you are in the right neighborhood.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see then,¡± she said, tapping her finger on her lips. ¡°Trirecs can blend into darkness, turning themselves into shadows. If they leave any sign, it¡¯s very lucky to pickpocketers and amateur thieves and they¡¯ll often pay a little money just to touch a piece of cloth or a hand print left behind. If a trirec takes off his mask and you see his face, you will turn to stone. They have no scent. If they need to ward people away from them, they will perform a ritual that dispels people from a spot.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve proven that the smell part is incorrect. I apologize. That last one, though, do you know any more detail?¡±

    ¡°One of the people I knew in Hanala swears he saw the remnants of a ritual: bones, strange symbols, a cup filled with blood. People say anyone who went near it felt repelled, as if there were invisible hands pushing them away.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­grotesque, but fantastic. I¡¯ll be working on our escape tonight. With enough luck, we might not need to pass over the border. Let¡¯s get a room, some much needed food, and a good night¡¯s rest.¡±

    * * *

    Ammet Bronsto would have been a district of Carvek if the city had been larger and the town been inside the walls. As it were, houses and some businesses dotted West Street for a mile or two, then clustered again into a sizable crossroads leading north, south, or west to the Oloran Mountains. They were pleased to be entering the town on a weekend, which would mean businesses like restaurants were likely to be open later into the night. They found an inn with two rooms available.

    ¡°Anla will be staying with me,¡± Al announced just before they reached the counter. The innkeeper gave him a slightly quizzical look. ¡°She¡¯s my wife.¡±

    ¡°Very good, sir. I¡¯ll need the money upfront.¡±

    ¡°Upfront? Why, I never¡­¡±

    ¡°I apologize, sir, but a man who can¡¯t even afford a ring for his beloved may not have the means to pay for a room. There¡¯s been a recent series of men who left before they paid¡­¡± He trailed off and finally noticed the rest of the group. He stared at Raulin, then at Telbarisk, then back again at Raulin, looking further perplexed each time.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I¡­um¡­don¡¯t have a bed long enough for your companion.¡±

    ¡°No matter. He prefers to sleep on the ground.¡±

    ¡°Very good, sir. I will still need the money upfront.¡±

    Al slammed the gold piece down on the counter. The innkeeper startled, but appeared indifferent to Alpine¡¯s anger. He led them up the stairs and showed them their rooms.

    ¡°What¡¯s a good restaurant that¡¯s still open at this time of night?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Checeli¡¯s place is a tavern that serves a variety of food. Washed In is more of a private restaurant that serves fresh seafood with a nice beverage list. I believe Gibbord¡¯s may still be open, if you¡¯re fine with exchanging savings for savor.¡±

    ¡°I am not poor, nor am I a cheat!¡± Al said.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t suggesting it,¡± Raulin said as he peered into his room. ¡°He gave you three options in different price points, starting with the middle fair. Leave it be.¡±

    Al took a deep breath and wiggled his clenched fingers. ¡°Is the room large enough for Tel?¡±

    ¡°I should be fine,¡± he said in his deep baritone. ¡°If not, I can always sleep in the forest nearby.¡±

    The innkeeper raised an eyebrow, but said nothing before he retreated downstairs.

    ¡°Gibbord¡¯s or Checeli¡¯s,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I wanted to go to the seafood restaurant,¡± Al said.

    ¡°No. Not enough people. We want to be seen.¡±

    ¡°Fine. You guys go to whichever and I¡¯ll go to my own place. That way, more people will see us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea, Wizard. Great thinking.¡±

    When neither Telbarisk or Anladet argued the point, Al took off in irritation. They should have suggested he stick with them because they might need to leave quickly and together. Or maybe because they enjoyed his company. Why hadn¡¯t they said that?

    Al hadn¡¯t realized how flushed he was until he stepped outside into the cooler air. He realized he had no idea where the restaurant was, but refused to turn around and ask anyone inside the inn, especially that ass of an innkeeper. He¡¯d take a walk, maybe find some place to serve him food and a nice glass of Caudet. And he didn¡¯t care what Raulin felt about that.

    He couldn¡¯t believe how miserable he had become in less than a day. He liked Anla. He liked Tel, too, though he would admit that he didn¡¯t know him very well. In fact, Raulin seemed to know him better than anyone, which bothered him quite a bit. That was his group, his friends. They had been happy before Raulin had wormed his way in, speaking lies and falsely flattering Anladet. They had liked Al and listened to his plans.

    And what a stupid plan Raulin was getting them into. They should be running as fast and as hard as they could until they hit a ducal border, not lollygagging about until some hunter stumbled into them. Actually, they should be in the cell awaiting trial. But he had suggested the break-out and they had thought it was a better idea. After a lengthy conversation with Anla, he had realized he was outvoted and went along with it. But Al still hated it.

    Ugh, and what of the worst part? Al might have tried to start over and ignore Raulin¡¯s unsavory way of life if their partnership was going to be brief. He might even muster a ¡°good luck with your future endeavors¡±, even though Al would secretly hope he¡¯d fall into a ditch and rot. But, he had seen Raulin¡¯s stained hands in the faint light and felt the illness when they had parted, and was all but certain they were joined together. For a year.

    Al was all for wiping that smarmy grin off of the thief¡¯s face, hypothetically speaking. He couldn¡¯t tell for sure if Raulin had a perpetual look of smugness, but he suspected he slept with it on under his mask. Al could just tell by the way he walked, a casual saunter that announced he was superior and he didn¡¯t care about anyone else. And he was so quick to dismiss anything Al tried to inform him about. Worse, he had besmirched Arvonne, Al¡¯s dreamland, for no reason other than to vex him.

    Still, as much as he¡¯d love to rub the fact that Raulin was shackled to them (let that burr harry his horse¡¯s foot), Al really didn¡¯t want to deliver the news. Thus far the trirec had been restrained, using his charm and wits rather than his knives. What was the man capable of if things weren¡¯t going his way? Would he slaughter them all if given the chance? What other horrid tortures were at his disposal?

    The whole thing was a mess, but there wasn¡¯t anything to do at the moment. Alpine was familiar with stasis and felt like he had met his quota with life-jarring events for the year, so he shrugged and continued with his walk. The rain had cooled him off and the stroll had cooled his head just in time to find a plank-boarded building with a sign that read ¡°Washed In¡± above it. He chose a seat by the window and dined without care of money.

    He watched the townsfolk stroll under the lamp across the street, who kept to the fashions of Carvek with a sense of pride, laughing in the face of practicality. Most women in a working town would wear plain dresses with laced boots and their hair tied back. The women walking the streets of Bronsto wore their hair in curls, toted silk parasols, and wore fancy dresses with ribbons, lace, and patterns with splashes of color. One woman, with jewels that glinted in light, wore the maltan fashion that Ember Sierra had favored.

    Al did the math. It had been three and a half weeks since he had left Whitney. It felt like ages had passed.

    He continued to scan the crowds, thick for a rainy evening. He overheard a conversation with the people at the next table, who were planning on venturing farther west to a resort town in the mountains. Al was sipping on his glass of Caudet when he spied something else glinting in the bare light.

    It was Raulin. He was speaking to someone, his back to Al now that he had turned to face the darkness of an alley. He held out his fingertips and placed something in the hands of the person he was speaking to.

    Al sucked in his breath. He had thought telling the trirec of their binding was a painful eventuality to be held off for as long as possible. He hadn¡¯t suspected that Raulin would try to hamstring them in the hopes of cutting free of his promise early.

 Chapter 67

    Al wanted to run outside and confront Raulin immediately, if only to explain what a big mistake he was going to make. He didn¡¯t know he was bound to them. Whatever he did to them, he would do to himself. He needed to know this before he made a huge mistake.

    But, instead of hopping up and paying his bill, Al swirled his glass of Caudet and waited for his slice of cherry gateau to arrive. There was no need to rush from his meal. He could sit back and let the chips fall where they may, for no matter what Raulin did, he would have to undo. If he turned the other three in, if he trapped them somewhere, if he got them arrested, he would have to rescue them in the end. And, while the trirec was dealing with that issue, Telbarisk and Anla would see what kind of man he really was: a backstabber.

    Al actually smiled and greeted the waiter kindly when he brought the cake to his table. A man may find commerce in these things other than coin: love, friendship, and knowledge. He didn¡¯t care what the trirec thought of Tichen; he was a wise man who had taught Al many things. In this particular case, he had taught Al that he was slightly richer than the thief.

    His walk back to the inn was more of a saunter despite the light rain. He arrived before the other three, took one of the rooms, and moved Anla¡¯s affects into it. He toweled his hair dry and changed into a dry pair of breeches and a tunic, both brown and well-crafted by the tailors under the Duke of Sharka¡¯s care. Finally, he lit the lamps on the nightstands and laid in bed with a book from the inn¡¯s modest library. It was an older publication of Kiesh the Black, a gentleman fencer who was falsely accused of a crime he didn¡¯t commit who had spent years trying to clear his name. This was volume ten of a series he knew had crested fifty. Poor Kiesh was still trying.

    Anla closed the door behind her and tiptoed in the room, though the floorboards creaked anyway. When she saw him watching her, she stopped and smiled. ¡°How was dinner?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Very nice. The meal was delicious. It¡¯s too bad you and Telbarisk missed out on it.¡±

    She began stripping her wet shirt and trousers and Al went back to reading. Her lack of inhibition when it came to nudity always surprised him and tested his sense of decency. ¡°We had a nice dinner, too,¡± she said, her voice muffled under her shirt.

    ¡°Nobody choked or accidentally had a fork stuck in their leg?¡±

    ¡°No, Al, just a nice meal. Telbarisk had greens and tried a mango for the first time. He liked it. I had sausage and mashed potatoes with green beans. I feel beyond full. Raulin ate a pasta dish. He accidentally hit his fork and it flew way high in the air, but he managed to catch it before it landed on the floor. It was quite impressive.¡±

    He put his book down on the nightstand when he felt the bed shift with her weight. He wondered if he should tell her, then thought it was best to be sly about it, like Kiesh. He always asked questions instead of bluntly announcing his plans. ¡°Do you like him?¡±

    ¡°Raulin?¡± she asked, turning towards him. ¡°I hardly know him. We¡¯ve only spoken for a few hours at the most. He was receptive to conversation, which was more than I thought I would ever get from a trirec.¡±

    ¡°What did you speak of?¡±

    ¡°We had an exchange of knowledge.¡± She hesitated before speaking again. ¡°He seems afraid of my magic and wanted to know how it worked. I asked him questions that would help me figure out how best to form a pact with him over escaping. Which seems a waste now that he¡¯s bound.¡±

    ¡°Should we tell him?¡±

    She sighed and laid down next to him. Al took this as a sign to turn down the oil lamp. At least that¡¯s what his wife had preferred.¡°He¡¯ll find out soon enough. We should probably handle it carefully.¡±

    ¡°How, though? He hasn¡¯t killed us yet, but who knows what will pass through his mind when he realizes what¡¯s happened.¡±

    ¡°I believe him when he says his work and his preferences are different.¡±

    ¡°He can walk away whenever he wants to! Instead, he is continuing to do his work. He enjoys it, Anla.¡±

    ¡°Al, it¡¯s not always like that. Sometimes you have to do things in life in order to survive. You have to make difficult choices and figure out where your integrity lies, what you will do reluctantly and what you will never do. There is a difference between wanting to do wrong and being forced to do wrong.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like he was really upset over this assassination.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he wasn¡¯t because he¡¯s accepted this is a part of his life he can¡¯t change, like being poor or crippled.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing, Anla. Those are things you can¡¯t change. One is¡­¡±

    ¡°Al, I know,¡± she said, patting his arm gently. ¡°We can talk about this for a long time; I know you¡¯d like to. But, we need sleep. It¡¯s going to be a long day tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. With the light from the town through the small window, he saw her raise her fist again, sigh, and then turn onto her side. He laid awake knowing that there were so many plans he needed to make for when Raulin lamed their escape tomorrow and fell asleep only after a long time of worry.

    The light outside was barely tinged with pink when Raulin stood in their doorway with Telbarisk at his back. ¡°We leave.¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Al asked, trying to keep his gritty eyes open.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Get out of bed, get your things, and get moving.¡±

    Al turned to shake Anla awake, but found she was already sitting up and stretching. She stepped into the pair of drawstring trousers from yesterday and put on her boots while Al stuffed his items into his pack and slipped on his loafers. ¡°Ready,¡± he said after less than a minute.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Raulin said, ushering them through the door with haste.

    The sky was a light blush as they headed farther down West Street, then turned north at a crossroads. Everyone seemed alert and functional to Al, who still needed to rub his eyes for some time.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    I need to focus, he thought, remembering what was Raulin was planning. He gouged his fingernails into his forearm, leaving little moons in his flesh. He snapped into the Unease after a minute of gouging and began to look around.

    They were on a road wide enough for two carts to pass, as evidenced by the ruts in the dirt. The forest was cut back, some branches hacked just as they crossed from the underbrush to the route. The air was humid and smelled of the flowering trees that dotted the woods.

    Besides the flowers, Al couldn¡¯t smell anything abnormal: no campfires, no beasts of burden nearby, nothing to indicate an ambush. He heard nothing but the songbirds and the low conversation between Raulin and Telbarisk. Somewhere down the trail ahead of them was a cart with a squeaky wheel and two donkeys, but it was moving steadily farther from them. The road itself didn¡¯t hold any clues, but he wasn¡¯t the expert in tracking, thought there was someone who might help him.

    ¡°Could you do me a favor and tell me if you hear anybody coming after us?¡± he asked Anla.

    Her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to hear people behind us. There¡¯s a lot of ambient noise.¡±

    ¡°I mean ahead of us. Has anyone used this trail in the last day?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said immediately. ¡°There¡¯s been several people with carts, a few groups walking.¡±

    ¡°Any of them veer off into the woods?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t know until we reach the point they veered off.¡±

    ¡°Let me know,¡± he said just as Raulin turned around and began walking backwards.

    ¡°Telbarisk tells me there is a storm approaching, a short deluge that shouldn¡¯t take long, but will definitely soak us through. He¡¯s found a cave up ahead. We¡¯re going to stop until it passes. I¡¯d rather it happen later on, during lunch, but Kabidon isn¡¯t a god who abides by meal times.¡±

    Al watched Anla, who gave no sign that where they left the trail had been used recently by anyone else. He almost slapped his forehead. They could have gone through the forest the whole time. Or some other trail.

    He didn¡¯t pay attention to the fact that it had indeed started to sprinkle. Al was too busy looking around at the greenery, trying to put use to skills he had only read about in books. Every broken branch he saw only added to his conspiracy.

    The cave was an overhang much like the one he and Anla had used when they rescued Lady Silfa. They put their packs down behind them and sat on the ground, a blanket of leaves providing some cushioning.

    After a few minutes of listening to the hard percussion in the woods, Anla broke the silence.

    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± she asked Raulin.

    He turned to face her, his silver mask glinting in what little light spilled in the cave. ¡°You can ask me anything. Whether I answer it or not is a different matter.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever killed a man except for those you are paid to kill?¡±

    Al turned to watch the trirec, whose neck snapped back in surprise at her question. Perhaps he was winning her over. ¡°Hmm. Well, it is required by my order that you kill a man in your fifteenth year in order to enter training to be a trirec. I wasn¡¯t paid for that, nor the other three I had to kill under my apprenticeship.¡±

    ¡°Besides those. Did you kill anyone not sanctioned by your brotherhood?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re worried about the myths. No. I¡¯ve never killed anyone I didn¡¯t have to. And I have no intention of killing any of you, despite the fact that you¡¯ve been close to me or looked at me or spoke to me or anything else.¡±

    ¡°How about stealing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I have,¡± he said and Al almost interrupted with a ¡®See!¡¯. ¡°Nothing is coming to mind that I couldn¡¯t pay for¡­No, wait. I¡¯m sure I stole some clothing at one point when I needed to blend in after an escape.¡±

    ¡°What if those were that person¡¯s only clothes?¡± Al asked. ¡°What if they couldn¡¯t afford another set and missed work or something?¡±

    ¡°I was in a bit of a rush, but I do remember throwing some money on the ground I thought was equivalent. Same with the cart, though I don¡¯t know if the man was able to catch all the coins.¡±

    ¡°How about when you¡¯re contracted to steal. Do you steal anything else?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Do you mean, if I have to steal a necklace from a lady and I see a nice pair of cuff links on her husband¡¯s dresser and swipe them? We are coded against that, but I¡¯m also not one to break that with greed.¡±

    Al soured at the comparative history between them and was about to argue when Raulin continued. ¡°It may sound odd, but I like spending money frugally. It¡¯s not just an exchange of this for that; sometimes painting a man¡¯s palm buys cooperation, or at least silence.¡±

    ¡°Do you like making money, too?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It keeps me alive. I have to eat and I enjoy sleeping comfortably.¡±

    Al had wanted to wait for Raulin to make his mistake, to let the poison flavor the stew, but the waiting was agitating him. He couldn¡¯t wait it out any longer. ¡°How much do we need to pay you to call off the hunters you tipped off?¡±

    There was silence for a few moments as the other two turned to look at Raulin. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay anyone off, Wizard. We haven¡¯t expunged the trail yet, so I¡¯m still beholden to help you escape.¡±

    ¡°I was watching you last night. You made your little tip-off across the street from where I was eating my dinner. I watched the whole thing!¡±

    ¡°¡¯Tip-off¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You paid someone money. I saw you hand coins to someone in an alley and walk away. You gave money to get the hunters on our trail so that you could slip away whenever you wanted. The joke¡¯s on you, however; you¡¯re stuck with us!¡±

    Raulin started laughing. Anla turned to face him completely and scooted away from him.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny! You¡¯re going to stab us in the back! I want you to admit it so we can deal with it¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any knives that shiv like that,¡± he interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m only laughing because you befuddled me for a moment. I had to think about what you meant and when I finally did, I saw what you meant. You¡¯re wrong, though.¡±

    ¡°Then what was that liaison last night?¡±

    ¡°Give me one moment,¡± he said as he reached into his pack. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what it was.¡±

    Al, afraid he was going to hurt Anla, reached into the front pocket of his pack, pulled out his knife, and knelt as well as he he could under the short ceiling. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said, holding the knife out in front of him.

    Raulin looked back at him and sighed. In one deft movement he grabbed Al¡¯s arm and twisted until he dropped the weapon from the pain of the hold. The trirec took it and stabbed it into the ground next to him, making it difficult for Al to retrieve it. ¡°Never use a knife as a shield. It¡¯s an exclamation point, not a question mark.¡±

    Al rubbed his hand. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    The trirec turned back around to his knapsack. ¡°It means if all you have is a knife, don¡¯t wait until your opponent has attacked. Press the engagement before you lose your one advantage.¡± He pulled out a full bladder and a pouch, which he put in front of the group. ¡°This is what I paid money for last night. I found a boy who was willing to do some errands for me as well as guard the edge of town and let me know if the hunting party was coming. That was why we left so abruptly this morning.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in those?¡± Al asked, feeling his face begin to burn.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± he said as he put back his items. ¡°I think as punishment for voicing your suspicions, you will be in charge of that project.¡±

    ¡°Can you blame me, though? You¡¯re a disreputable man with no morals.¡±

    ¡°I have morals, just not ones you believe are worthwhile.¡± He clicked his tongue a few times. ¡°Do you believe I would break a contract?¡±

    ¡°No. If anything would drive you to fulfilling a task, it would be money.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s renegotiate our situation. Our terms are still the same, but we will now be bound in a contract. My services of helping the four of us escape, which I should point out is going swell so far, are in equal cost to any skills you add. That is, the magic or tasks you perform add the same to the contract in cost that my leadership and experience do. No one will owe anyone anything at the end of this. Is this amenable?¡±

    Raulin held out his hand. Telbarisk shook first, followed by Anla.

    ¡°Wizard?¡± he asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t get your deal hand too badly, did I?¡±

    Anla would have said something if Raulin was lying. He had no choice but to believe him. He shook his hand quickly and turned away.

    ¡°There,¡± Raulin said. ¡°How much longer until the rains stop?¡±

    ¡°A short while, likely less than a meal but longer than a game of rinbast.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good. Since my fun additional is partially spoiled, I¡¯m going to ask everyone to look around and see if they find anything unusual. Sharp pointed rocks, feathers, bones, things like that.¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡± Al asked, holding up a bird¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Just like that,¡± Raulin said. ¡°We¡¯re heading out as soon as the rain stops. And then we have some confusion to sow.¡±

 Chapter 68

    Raulin led them back out to the trail, taking care not to touch any wet leaves or step in any puddles. He was humming one of the working shanties he had heard on the ship when he noticed Anladet had come up beside him. ¡°What brings you to the interesting part of the group?¡± he turned and asked.

    ¡°I just wanted to thank you for how you reacted to Al¡¯s accusation. I don¡¯t know many who would have taken it in stride.¡±

    ¡°I try not to let fleabites wound. When I enter a house for a job, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be walking out or be carried out. The thought of my death is always right here,¡± he said, holding his hand in front of his forehead, ¡°so I tend to think less of holding grudges and being petty. It¡¯s easier to move on.¡±

    ¡°Do you fear death?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯d always thought trirecs were fearless.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°If I didn¡¯t fear anything then I¡¯d be terrible at my job. It¡¯s the preservation of my life that keeps me from making mistakes.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t fearful men make terrible thieves?¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between having healthy fear and being petrified. I scale walls and fear I may fall, but it doesn¡¯t freeze me in my spot.¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything that makes you petrified?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded slowly. ¡°I think every man does and those that say they don¡¯t are either lying or haven¡¯t lived enough.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t say what yours is, though?¡± she said, smiling at him.

    ¡°I think you already hold all the cards here, my lady. There¡¯s no need to give you more power. Besides, knowledge is a commodity I¡¯ve given enough to you for free. My usual rates are four to one.¡±

    ¡°You want me to give you four secrets for the price of one of yours? It hardly seems fair.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to know badly enough, it would be.¡±

    ¡°What would you want to know?¡±

    He thought about this for a few moments. She spent the time tapping branches and leaves to shake off the water. ¡°A fear, a shame, an embarrassment, and something else you hide from others.¡±

    She raised her eyebrows and took in a slow breath. ¡°Those are very personal things.¡±

    ¡°So is what you¡¯re asking me. One might argue it¡¯s an occupational hazard for you to know it.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I should probably start with something I hide from others. Watch.¡± She tucked her hair behind her left ear.

    Raulin actually stopped walking in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re an elf!¡±

    ¡°Half-elven, actually.¡± She turned her head and squinted her eyes, as if she could read what he was thinking. ¡°Is that a problem for you?¡±

    ¡°No! Actually, quite the opposite. We don¡¯t have elves in Merak, and none came to the cities on Ervaskin, so I¡¯ve never met one before. I¡¯ve always wanted to, though. Why do you hide that from people?¡±

    ¡°The Nui-Breckin Act. My father was from Arvonne, one of the selfish, stupid backstabbers, as you put it¡­¡±

    He touched his fingertips to his chest. ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m sure not everyone from Arvonne is as terrible as I imagine.¡±

    Anladet gave a short nod and continued. ¡°He was a traveling doctor and met my mother when passing through the Dreelands in western Ashven. Education was important to him, so he taught my sisters, my brother, and I many things of the world. He felt that vacationing in places was necessary, to experience life outside the village, but it was always at a risk. We were at a beach when I yelled out to him, identifying him as my father and not the guard he had been portraying. It was later the next day that he and my mother were arrested, sentenced, and hanged for breaking the Nui-Breckin Act. That is my shame; I caused their deaths.¡±

    ¡°It is hard for me to find words to say how I feel. I was orphaned as a child, so I understand the pain of not having them in your life anymore. It is a hollow ache that cannot be filled by anything or anyone.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°That is how it feels to me. I miss them every day. My siblings still live, but we¡¯ve lost each other over the years. I hope to find them.¡±

    ¡°That is a noble cause. Have you any luck?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been hard enough just making enough money to eat and find shelter during the cold or rain. Which brings me to my embarrassment¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°To my mother¡¯s people, unmarried relations weren¡¯t a terrible thing, so long as it wasn¡¯t your close family. Still, I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t know what I¡¯ve had to do in order to not starve.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking of selling yourself?¡±

    She looked down and nodded. ¡°Just three times, and only because I hadn¡¯t eaten in several days. I never wanted to be a whore, but I also didn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°I have to disagree with the label you gave yourself. I¡¯ve had to shoe more than one horse in my life, yet I don¡¯t call myself a farrier.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different and it¡¯s still an embarrassment. I¡¯d rather people didn¡¯t know, company behind us included.¡±

    ¡°I thought I mentioned all this was confidential. Hmm. It might give our magniloquent magician something else to harp about, but I¡¯d still have to hear him speak. Yes, I will definitely forget to mention this.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it. Are we even, then?¡±

    ¡°Your fear is still unvoiced.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± she said. ¡°Ladybugs.¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°Seriously? The little red beetles with the black spots?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know it¡¯s strange. When I was little, I had one get stuck in my hair. It was right next to my face, so I could feel the little black¡­¡±, she paused to shudder, ¡°¡­legs crawling, scraping next to my ear. Since then, I get hysterical whenever I see one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to protect you from them. I cannot guarantee your safety in the event of a swarm.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t put the thought I my head,¡± she said, laughing lightly.

    ¡°Other than the ladybug attack, did you have a good childhood?¡±

    ¡°I did. It¡¯s peaceful in the Dreelands, for the most part. There are tensions because we lived so close to Ghenians, but for the most part it was what I understand you¡¯d find in most small villages. I loved my family and life was wonderful with them.¡±

    ¡°I would have thought it would be a little different.¡±

    ¡°Of course it was. Our gods are different, our food is different, our clothes, our speech, our celebrations. Our ears, of course, and even our skin is darker than most of the pale Ghenians. But shake out the details and it¡¯s the same.¡±

    ¡°How often did your village come into contact with Ghenians?¡±

    ¡°Not often, since the signing of the peace treaty. Every once in a while someone will try something in a band or by themselves; that¡¯s what they thought my father was doing. But for the most part we live away from them.

    ¡°There was only one problem we had to face on a daily basis,¡± she said, her voice quieting in conspiracy.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°People not fulfilling their end of the bargain.¡± She gave him a sweet smile that he returned, though she didn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°My past,¡± he said.

    ¡°You fear your past?¡±

    ¡°I fear it being exposed. Trirecs are taught that our lives begin when we are brought in for training. Nothing exists before that; no friends, no family, no allegiances. Our loyalty is to the organization and only them.

    ¡°I was adopted a little later than most children are. I remember more. I have no one to return to, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t pine for home. Or think of making a new one. And I can¡¯t let them know that. So I always fear that someone will remember me and it will cause me a huge complication in my life.¡±

    ¡°Enough that you would freeze?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s happened once or twice, in small ways. People speaking of coincidental things or someone states that I look familiar.¡±

    ¡°Would it be that bad, going back?

    ¡°Besides having a bounty placed on my head for defection by Arvarikor, yes. I don¡¯t want to return home. I don¡¯t want anyone to make me return home.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like you are important somewhere.¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just the way things are, where I¡¯m from.¡±

    ¡°They make people return to their home in Merak?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in parts. It¡¯s more of an enfolding of lost people. In some places they pretend strangers are their missing relatives and they welcome them, sometimes forcing them to stay.¡±

    ¡°That might not be a good situation for someone to get tangled in.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. May I ask why you asked about this?¡±

    Anladet pursed her lips and took her time speaking. ¡°We¡¯ll be with each other for some amount of time. I try to be respectful of people¡¯s needs. While I¡¯m curious about you and what your life has been like, I will avoid asking questions about your past. Or anything else you don¡¯t want me to ask.¡±

    ¡°Truly? That¡¯s very kind of you. I feel badly about trading with you now.¡±

    ¡°I got to know you better. I¡¯m fine with it, should you keep quiet in return.¡±

    ¡°You have my word.¡±

    Raulin contemplated this while they moved ahead in silence. While he had given up a piece of information he¡¯d rather people didn¡¯t know, he at least could put his mind at ease. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the woman from his dreams and had been considering if Anladet was her. She wasn¡¯t. He was sure of it. He didn¡¯t have the feelings for her that he¡¯d had for that woman. And while he could develop them, there wouldn¡¯t be time. He also hadn¡¯t looked at that woman and thought about her heritage at all, which he would have if he were involved with someone half-elven. He could let it go for now, at least with the people he was with at the moment.

    Telbarisk caught up with them. ¡°You asked me to keep you updated on some things.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Raulin said, turning towards his friend.

    ¡°The weather is clear. The party is still behind us; they have recently turned onto the trail we are taking. And there is something coming up that I think might be what you are looking for.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Thank you, Tel.¡±

    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±

    The wizard had grown jealous or paranoid and had caught up to the group holding a dead squirrel. ¡°Nothing, though I will need your help in a few minutes. How good are you at creating fake rituals?¡±

    Al blinked a few times then laughed. ¡°Oh, I am very good at those.¡±

 Chapter 69

    It was only a few more minutes of walking until Raulin saw exactly what Telbarisk had been talking about. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s perfect,¡± he said, beckoning the wizard to join him.

    The trail banked left around a mound of rock that, while solid, appeared to ooze into the forest around it. It was quite sizable, twice the height of any of them, and wide enough to build a small house. Time, nature, or idle hands had flattened the top into what might be a lovely place to sit and look at the forest, perhaps take a lunch with companions on a day like the one they marching through. In fact, there was a worn path in the surrounding dirt that led up to the top. More importantly, it tipped forward slightly so that anything on top was clearly visible from the path.

    Raulin took off his pack, pulled out the bladder and bag, and handed them to Al. ¡°Hike to the top and make a nice surprise for our pursuers. Something like what you think a trirec would use to ward off people. Ghastly, frightening, perturbing. Though, don¡¯t get carried away; we need to leave as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± he asked, opening the bag and jerking his head away in disgust at the smell.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say no more than ten minutes. It needs to look premeditated, but you don¡¯t have to be overly intricate.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said with some excitement, jiggling the corpse of the squirrel he had found as he bounded up the rock.

    ¡°Am I alone in saying there is a strangeness about the wizard?¡± Raulin asked the other two.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­eager to please in strange ways,¡± Anladet admitted.

    ¡°His behavior would be concerning to those not living a hermetic life,¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°Good, we¡¯re in agreement.¡± He pulled his water skin out. ¡°Now¡¯s a good time to rest and hydrate, especially you, Tel. I know this air is hotter and more humid than you¡¯re used to and I¡¯m going to push us hard whenever the wizard is ready.¡±

    Almost ten minutes passed when Al looked down and waved Raulin up. The rock¡¯s surface had become some sort of unholy funeral rite for the poor squirrel. He laid belly-down, his arms spread out on either side. Circling him were the chicken bones, arranged as symmetrically as possible, in some sort of mandala. Each was marked with a dab of blood, which connected to strange markings that radiated out from the demised rodent. The sharp rocks, bird¡¯s skull, feathers, and clumps of hair were set in cardinal piles, to complete the morbid affair.

    ¡°Wizard, that is quite macabre indeed. An exercise in exorcism. Well done, I suppose. Hopefully that gives us a little more distance while our pursuers examine it.¡± Raulin peered down a little closer. ¡°Where did you get the hair?¡±

    Al pushed a section of the hair from the back of his head up with his dirty hands. ¡°I have plenty of it. In fact, I¡¯m in dire need of a haircut.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. All right, then. Let¡¯s keep going. Any difference, Tel?¡±

    The grivven reported an unusual amount of people gathering north of the town as well as a few smaller groups that were less than a mile behind them. ¡°The chase is on, then,¡± Raulin said. ¡°We need to cover as much ground as possible before we rest. Let¡¯s shoot for forty miles.¡±

    ¡°Fort-,¡± Al choked. ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°I know, Wizard, but I think we can do it. We break for lunch in a few miles and then again for dinner, so you¡¯ll get your rest.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°A cross-switcher. I know. You all have the advantage over me. I don¡¯t have the stride of Telbarisk, the nimble footing of Anladet, nor the magic you have to keep you going. I will do my best, though.¡±

    His face might be comfortable, but sweat soaked Raulin¡¯s tunic by mid-morning. The day grew hotter and the forest began to thin, exposing the four for chunks of time in the blazing sun. He prayed for a thick copse of trees or a nice, fat gathering of clouds to block out the sun for just a few minutes. Still, Raulin managed to keep up with the other three, even take the lead at several points.

    Just before lunch they came upon a small village. Raulin made a show of greeting people on the street and quickly perused the goods in the general store, grateful to both get out of the sun and help their cause . The wary owner made small conversation with him, which led to Raulin weaving in their itinerary while he bought some soft cheese and bread. He was very loud and clear.

    ¡°Was that wise?¡± Anladet asked him as they passed the village¡¯s mill. ¡°I understand leaving them a trail, but we will have to shake them at some point.¡±

    ¡°My plan is to confuse them into thinking we did shake them. We just need to stay ahead of them enough to tease them, give them the hope of victory. And I also did tell the shopkeeper we were on the road to Ashven.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not? But this is the Sharkan-Ashven merchant trail.¡±

    ¡°That is true. However, if my memory serves me correctly, there is an intersection about fifty or sixty miles north of here that banks right towards Iascond. Hopefully we will have lost our tail by then and the three of us can part ways. If not, they will be more likely to go the way they think they caught us admitting to.¡±

    ¡°How many times have you had to escape like this?¡± she asked.

    He clicked his tongue and thought. ¡°Quite a few, over a dozen, I believe. While I can say with confidence I¡¯m a prolific trirec, I¡¯m not necessarily a methodical one. But, that means I¡¯m very practiced in escapes and losing my scent. There¡¯s nothing you need to be worried about.¡±

    ¡°If you say so. I will defer to your expertise.¡±

    They stopped for lunch, eating the cheese and bread, and some fruit and nuts purchased in Ammet Bronsto. Raulin kept his eye on each member of the group, wondering if it wouldn¡¯t be prudent to think they might be plotting something against him. Anladet was a crafty woman, but she hadn¡¯t used her magic against him nor had she really asked for any really destructive information that she could use. The wizard seemed quiet, but Raulin suspected it was more embarrassment than anything else. It would be good to clarify things in the not-so-distant future. And Telbarisk¡­well, if he were plotting something against Raulin, then he may as well consider land wet and water dry. It was unlikely, but it was never a bad idea to keep that thought in mind.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The afternoon sun was beginning to touch the tops of the trees stunted by salty winds when the forest opened up into a large meadow. The river that had been to the path¡¯s right narrowed and crossed left about halfway between where the quartet stood and the treeline about an eighth of a mile away. It was easily forded and would be a nice, cool respite on their tired feet.

    The meadow made Raulin nervous. It was too open, should the group catch up to them. He trusted Tel to tell him if there was anything wrong and would continue to do so, though he still scanned the area for anything that could cause them issues. He saw no structures where people could be lying in wait or vantage points for archers, save some things close to the border on the right of the meadow.

    ¡°Wizard,¡± he said, beckoning him forward, ¡°what¡¯s that over there?¡±

    Al squinted and put his left hand up to block the sun. ¡°They¡¯re¡­damn. What are those things called?¡±

    ¡°Just describe them, then.¡±

    ¡°Tall stone mounds.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°Karsts?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Karsts.¡±

    ¡°Tel? Is there anyone in the clearing, especially near the karsts?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°There are some people on the trail ahead, but they are some distance ahead of us.¡±

    A plan formed in Raulin¡¯s mind, a bolt of lightening followed by the details in the roll of thunder. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, pumping his arm. ¡°I love it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Raulin said as he started to jog, ¡°we need to get this done fast. We only have until the group catches up and we¡¯ll need every second. Keep your shoes on; sorry they will get wet for this.¡±

    The four crossed the river and followed Raulin on the grass to the rocky portion of the clearing. ¡°Telbarisk, I need you to carve likenesses of yourself, Anladet, and Wizard into the stones at about the height each would stand. You don¡¯t have to carve out the whole rock, but it would be more believable if you could.¡±

    Anladet purred. ¡°The ¡®if a man sees a trirec with his mask off, he turns to stone¡¯ fable. I like it. Can Telbarisk do that?¡±

    ¡°Not only can he carve the rock, being a kiluid, but he¡¯s quite an artist. He¡¯s good with sculpting and drawing, too. He made a drawing of me that I kept¡­well, until I was shipwrecked.¡±

    Telbarisk looked at Raulin wide-eyed and with a small smile touching his lips. ¡°All these years? I didn¡¯t think it was that good.¡±

    ¡°It was amazing, Tel. I think you should sketch things for the manual you¡¯re writing on Gheny.¡±

    ¡°That is a wonderful idea. I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. All right, jobs. We¡¯re going to be vulnerable while we do this. Anladet, I know it¡¯s difficult for you to hear our pursuers in this circumstance, but Tel will be busy with his art. I need you let me know well before the group makes it into the wide-open space. If your concentration isn¡¯t compromised, I¡¯d also like you to find wide, flat rocks. Wizard, I will help you make taking the detour irresistible to those following us.¡±

    They walked back to the trail and began making obvious signs of their departure: footprints in the muddy ground, bent grass, puddles on the other side to simulate dripping. Al even found another piece of bread from dinner in the jail that he tossed on the ground before grinning at Raulin, who sighed heavily.

    Raulin used the time they were working to put his mind at ease. ¡°Have you ever heard the phrase ¡®the cheating lover is forever jealous¡¯, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°No. What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that often the person who continues to bring up potential problems is guilty of them first. You keep thinking I¡¯m untrustworthy, that I¡¯m going to tie you up and leave you for the hunters. Are you going to do the same? Do I have to worry about back-door deals?¡±

    ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t do that. Nor could I.¡±

    ¡°Of course you could. Just as you¡¯ve pointed out that I could somehow dupe you three into some trap and leave you for the men following us, you could do it as well. In fact, you¡¯d be the more likely culprit. You among us could then outrun the pursuers, having the skills as a hard wizard. In fact, I¡¯m unsure why you haven¡¯t yet, deceit or not.¡±

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t!¡± Al blurted. ¡°I cannot be more than a mile away from the group.¡± He sighed, his shoulders sagging. ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to think of the best time to tell you, but I may as well say it now. The chalice you drank from in the jail cell was a deitic artifact. It¡¯s Mikros¡¯s chalice and it means that you are bound to proximity to the rest of us.¡±

    Raulin watched him for a moment. ¡°Wizard, I promised I wouldn¡¯t leave until everyone is cleared from being hunted. You don¡¯t need to make things up in order to keep me around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making it up! Okay, were you ill when you went to your hotel room in Carvek?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the chalice does. It makes you ill if you go outside of the one mile mark from the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°I was ill because I was still recovering from a concussion.¡±

    ¡°No, you were ill because we reached the boundaries. That¡¯s why we were waiting in the alleys instead of at the gate.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were¡­¡± Just then, Anladet gave a shrill whistle and waved. They hurried over.

    ¡°They are getting close. Good news, however, is that they seem a little spooked and keep talking about the ritual site.¡±

    ¡°Excellent! See, well done, Wizard.¡± Raulin took a few steps to the stones and took in a soft breath. ¡°Oh, Telbarisk, they¡¯re wonderful.¡±

    The likenesses were uncanny. They weren¡¯t perfection, but with what little time he¡¯d had, Tel had created three replicas that could fool any man into believing they had once been human. Without prompting, he had given each a look of astonishment across their faces, as if they had just seen something ghastly. Their hands were raised in front of them, to protect them from the unseen horror that had assaulted their senses and turned these poor wretches to stone. Only those two areas were visible, making it seem like they were caught halfway between the states of living and statue.

    ¡°If we need to leave now,¡± Tel said, wiping the sweat from his brow, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to remove the rest of the stone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Tel. More than fine. I think we have a good thing going here.¡±

    ¡°Do I really look like that?¡± Al asked, touching his nose.

    ¡°Yes, exactly like that. Now, what we need to do, and quickly, is to smooth all the footprints up to about here,¡± he said, toeing the area where the dirt opened up for the karsts. ¡°Back out to the edge so that you wind up on the grass.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making us disappear,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°Almost. I¡¯m changing the clues to change our story.¡± He waited until the three of them were on the grass before continuing. ¡°Now, each of you come here with your rocks and match up to where your statue is. Then, walk in front of it.¡±

    Raulin followed but stood in the center of the clearing. ¡°Turn around and stand right in front of it, then stamp a few times. Get your footprints nice and deep. Then, step out to the grass if you can. Use your rocks if you need some extra distance.¡±

    Once the three were on grass patches, he sighed. ¡°Beautiful. I¡¯m going to walk back to the path. You three follow the grass you took to get here. After that, use the river for as long as you can, then step only on the grass, leaves, or rocks. Try not to brush against or touch anything. Hide if anyone approaches us. You are not to walk on the path for any reason until I say otherwise.

    ¡°We are now on the lookout for our last item: a very large rock formation, like the one we used for the ritual. Tel, gather all the kil you can for this last task.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the last task?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to disappear, Wizard.¡±

 Chapter 70

    ¡°They seem to have bought your tale, Raulin,¡± Anladet said. She was in the woods by a few yards, leading Al and Telbarisk on the easiest path possible. Raulin needed to keep his prints in the middle, but walked as softly as he could when she spoke. ¡°They are incredibly spooked now. Most believe that you turned us to stone. The rest don¡¯t have a plausible explanation. The officers are having a difficult time keeping order and some men are speaking of deserting.¡±

    ¡°Great news,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t even need them all to believe it, just enough to create discord. How are we looking on our final task, Tel?¡±

    ¡°There is an outcropping, maybe the height of two men¡­¡± he started, then corrected himself, ¡°¡­three men about the length of Nourabrikot. It¡¯s next to the trail.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Try to ring out your clothes as much as possible and start grabbing leaves, the wider the better.¡±

    ¡°For what purpose?¡± Al asked.

    Raulin sighed and hung his head for a moment. ¡°Wizard, why are you still questioning me? Thus far every thing has gone well and you still think to challenge my methods?¡±

    ¡°I just like to know what¡¯s going to happen next.¡±

    ¡°And I did promise that if you wanted to know I would tell you. Should we break for dinner and go over the details? I believe the hunters aren¡¯t that far away, but it is important for you to know exactly what¡¯s going to happen next.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he spat. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±

    As promised, just a little over a mile ahead, was the outcropping Telbarisk had spoken about. The stone jutted out and leaned crookedly towards them, as if it was a gale or two away from toppling. The trail widened to include the area between that stone and another across the way, perhaps forty feet away. That boulder was smaller and wouldn¡¯t work for what they needed.

    Raulin was about to ask Telbarisk if he was ready, but a quick glance could tell him that the question was unnecessary. Kil did a peculiar thing to a grivven. When a kiluid had gathered as much kil as he could manage, he attained a strange aura. Tel¡¯s appearance blurred around him like he was moving quickly, though he himself were moving at his normal speed. The air around him filled with after and fore images, visions predicting incorrectly where he was going to be. It had been unsettling the first few times he had seen it and he noticed Anla looking curiously at him.

    ¡°What do you need?¡± he asked Raulin.

    ¡°Create a pocket inside that can fit the four of us. It¡¯s probably better if you allow us sitting room, since we may be here for some time.¡± He turned to Anladet. ¡°I need you to estimate how close they are. I have no issue with cramped spaces, but I¡¯d rather stay outside for as long as possible.¡±

    While Tel went to work, Raulin stood in the middle of the trail and opened a tightly bound cloth. It contained ash from the fireplace in the common room of the inn where they had stayed in Ammet Bronsto. He placed the powder in a pile on the ground between his legs, pinching his fingers in the middle and flicking them out quickly.

    ¡°Wizard, you¡¯re on leaf detail. Make a wide trail to me, stepping only on the leaves.¡±

    ¡°Wh-¡±

    ¡°Wizard¡­¡±

    Al sighed and did as he was told. ¡°You know, I can hear them, too. Why can¡¯t I be the one on listening detail?¡±

    ¡°You can hear how far away something is and tell the distance?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he said, bending over. ¡°But instead I have to be your chauffeur.¡±

    ¡°Next time this happens, you can most certainly have the important job. Right now, don¡¯t think of it as chauffeuring. What you¡¯re doing is creating the penultimate piece of our game here.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Trirecs can disappear, yes?¡± He pointed to the ground. ¡°Here¡¯s where I disappear. With no trail beyond here for me, they will have nowhere to go but home.¡±

    ¡°The dogs will smell you on these leaves.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said, taking a giant stride to step on the closest leaf. ¡°The dogs can say whatever they want. No one will believe that we¡¯re inside a solid appearing rock. They¡¯ll think the dogs went mad.¡±

    Raulin picked up the leaves behind him as he walked to the outcropping. He threw them into the woods and turned to watch Tel¡¯s progress.

    He had seen his friend work quite a few times when he had spent his time on Ervaskin. He had never grown tired of watching him. Raulin knew many artists of different mediums. The worked with their paints and clay and music to achieve things of beauty. Some even attained a mastery that made it seem like they were one with their works, that they could pluck a thought out of the air and shape that into something beyond wonderful. None of them would ever know the intimacy a kiluid had with nature.

    The rock moved aside with an eagerness found only in zealotry. It waited while Telbarisk thought of his next move, seeming almost to lean forward in anticipation. When he touched the stone, Raulin could almost feel a sigh as his friend moved his large hand gently over the surface. Even this wasn¡¯t where Tel¡¯s mastery was; given time, he could turn a piece of granite into a statue that would stun even the most unappreciative of men. He had stared at one piece Tel had made of his sweetheart. The details, the smooth curves, the weave of the fabric, the gossamer eyelashes, the veins of garnet that snaked around her body¡­ Raulin had almost cried.

    He turned to see Anladet and the wizard staring transfixed. ¡°How are we doing?¡± he asked.

    She started. ¡°They¡¯ve just gotten their men to move on past the meadow.¡±

    ¡°Not long, then. We¡¯re down to less a half-hour.¡±

    They waited patiently. The process wasn¡¯t something to be rushed. It took some twenty minutes of hard labor before Telbarisk asked them to move in and test the space.

    ¡°Stay out here and get some air,¡± Raulin said. ¡°You look exhausted.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to this much work,¡± he said, wiping the sweat off his pale face with his bakinar.

    Raulin inspected the work quickly. ¡°We need air holes, Tel, several, and then the entrance closed. Gather what kil you can and wait when you¡¯re finished with the first.¡±

    He heard the dogs baying just before Anladet got his attention. ¡°Everyone in. Now!¡± he said.

    Tel was the last in after he sealed the group inside. It was pitch black save the hint of light where the air holes were. ¡°Breath slowly,¡± he said. ¡°Is it possible to amplify the sounds outside?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anla said, ¡°but it will encompass us as well as them. We have to be quiet.¡±

    The sounds outside amplified and they heard the men trampling over the ground and the dogs barking. The dogs went immediately for the stone, scratching at the side closest to Telbarisk.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into them?¡± one man asked. ¡°They say he went that way, but that¡¯s solid rock.¡±

    ¡°Did you see the pile of dust? I think he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t be gone!¡± another man said, with enough authority to his voice to mark him as a leader. ¡°Men do not just disappear!¡±

    ¡°But, sir, the stones¡­¡±

    ¡°And the bloodied altar¡­¡±

    ¡°Are fakes! I told you, he is in league with some group that is assisting him escape Now, none of us will be moving from this spot until we have the scent again.¡±

    Al laughed maniacally before Anladet could dampen the sound.

    ¡°What was that?¡± one of the men asked.

    Raulin pressed his hand slightly over Anla¡¯s ear. He heard the sound warp when she had dropped the amplification. ¡°What was that? Wizard, I swear if you cost us everything because you had a little giggle fit¡­¡±

    ¡°Al¡¯s coming down,¡± Anladet explained. ¡°He must have been using his magic for too long today. He has a series of symptoms that include hysterical laughter.¡±

    Al clamped his hand over his mouth, but still blurted out a few more chortles.

    ¡°Well, either that¡¯s going to hinder us badly or help us. Take the shield of sound down and let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t have chisels.¡±

    This made Al laugh even harder. He was mid-laugh when the amplification warped the sound again.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m good and spooked,¡± they heard. ¡°If that trirec wanted us afraid, he¡¯s won. Is he still here? What if there is a ghost¡­¡±

    ¡°I want every inch of this area explored,¡± said the leader. ¡°Every inch.¡±

    For the next hour, Raulin had Telbarisk open smaller holes in different areas. Al¡¯s laughter, forced by the end, seemed to come from different areas. Still, none of the men found any of the holes, nor did they find the nonexistent door. The leader begrudgingly called the search off when an advanced group came back with no signs anyone had moved beyond that area.

    They still waited until the party was beyond the other side of the clearing with the statues of the three of them before cracking open the cave. Each was soaked with sweat. Tel fell to his knees, taking in full, deep breaths.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I feel a little weak from being inside. I¡¯ll be good in a little while.¡±

    Each stretched and combed out their stringy hair before gathering their packs. When Raulin said nothing, Al took over. ¡°We¡¯ll need to camp out tonight, far off the trail. Let¡¯s put as many miles between them and us before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll join you until the trail forks, then we can part our merry ways,¡± Raulin said, taking point.

    ¡°But, we¡­¡±

    ¡°No farther, Wizard. A deal is a deal.¡±

 Chapter 71

    They were quiet for most of the hike north. Tel and Anla were busy concentrating on making absolutely sure they weren¡¯t followed. Raulin was leading them north, keeping ahead and to himself. Al lagged behind him, unable to find a good toe-hole into any conversation with the trirec.

    Al had tried. Their conversation about the length of their company hadn¡¯t gone well. He could admit that a good percentage of the reason behind that was he and Raulin had gotten off to a rough start. He had bucked against Raulin¡¯s expertise and experience in the field far too many times and each time had been wrong, both factually and socially.

    They had escaped. Not only that, they had done so with no parameters compromised. Raulin had been more or less upfront about his plans, hadn¡¯t betrayed them, hadn¡¯t stolen anything, and hadn¡¯t killed anyone. Especially Al; he hadn¡¯t killed Al, and he was pretty damn grateful for that. It was more than he had expected.

    Still, the trip to their supposed splitting point wasn¡¯t productive for the wizard. He wanted to broach the subject again, but he didn¡¯t know how. And that was both confusion as to how he was going to convince Raulin and also not apologize for antagonizing the trirec. Al was still right about Raulin. Perhaps now he could have the time to convince him.

    By the time the sky had started to blush, he hadn¡¯t come up with a solution to either how to deal with the man or how to explain to him that he wasn¡¯t leaving them. He gave Anla a concerned look, which she returned with a nod. ¡°Raulin,¡± she said as she moved forward, ¡°would you like to stay with us? We¡¯re going to set up camp soon and it¡¯s not wise to travel in the dark.¡±

    He turned and walked backwards. ¡°I¡¯ll stay and help you find a suitable place, but I won¡¯t stay the evening. That¡¯s above and beyond our agreement, yes?¡±

    ¡°It is, and we thank you for staying with us, but isn¡¯t it best to share resources? It¡¯ll be difficult for one person to set up camp by himself, but four people making a fire and cooking a meal works better.¡±

    ¡°This is true, but I¡¯ve already stayed longer than I should have. The sooner we part, the better. Not that I don¡¯t enjoy your company, but I do need to end this at some point. Tel? Is there a cave nearby where you three could shelter for the night?¡± The grivven sighed and pointed heavily to the east. ¡°Lead the way, my friend.¡±

    This one was a proper cave, unoccupied but only because it was late spring. There were piles of scat and shredded bark that the three of them cleared while Raulin made a fire outside. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Al whispered to Anla.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll just have to let it play out.¡±

    Raulin came in with his pack on, wiping his hands on his pant legs. ¡°The fire is going and you three have a nice place to stay for the evening. The trail is cold for our hunters, though I think you should still set watches for the night. My end of the bargain is complete. Which way are you three headed?¡±

    ¡°Iascond?¡± Al suggested. ¡°We don¡¯t have a firm itinerary.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to Kikiyan in Ashven, as it happens, so that works well. We won¡¯t bump into each other again.¡±

    Raulin leaned down and hugged Telbarisk. ¡°It was good to see you again. I hope you get back to Kelouyan and everything else you love.¡±

    ¡°Raulin¡­¡± he began. ¡°We¡¯re not¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again? You already said that one once,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°I doubt there will be a third time. Then again, I was wrong about the second.¡±

    He turned to face Anla. ¡°It was nice meeting you, truly. I enjoyed your company and our talks. I hope you find your siblings healthy and hale.¡±

    ¡°Wizard,¡± he said, looking at Al. ¡°Yes. Take care.¡±

    He waited a few moments. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting a thank you, but perhaps a good bye? No? Well, I hope you three have a wonderful night regardless.¡±

    Raulin was walking back to the road when the three of them moved out from the cave and settled in front of the fire. ¡°How long until he hits a mile?¡± Al asked softly, as he stared into the flames. No one answered him.

    Dinner would be the rest of the cheese and bread as well as a cup of warmed vegetable soup. They moved the cold food aside and waited to ladle out the soup. Anladet sat with her fingers laced in front of her, breathing slowly. Al fidgeted, wiggling his feet.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Some fifteen minutes later, the three groaned in unison, doubling over. Their vision blurred, their head ached, and they couldn¡¯t even think of standing upright. Al breathed in slowly through clenched teeth while Telbarisk gagged and spit on the ground next to him.

    Like marionette strings, the pain and tension left and they collapsed. ¡°Ugh,¡± Al said eloquently from the ground, wiping dirt and a leaf from his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to get used to that.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s the point,¡± Anla said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t want us to get¡­¡±

    It hit the three of them again for eight agonizing seconds. Al clamped the sides of his head and hugged his legs as well as he could. Anla had the smart idea of staying low and shook in a fetal position on the ground.

    Telbarisk sighed when the illness vanished. Al¡¯s hands were still shaking, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    Raulin tried once more, this time for just two seconds, before he stopped testing the distance of the spell. ¡°Oh, I hope he doesn¡¯t do that again,¡± Anla said after wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

    ¡°I hope not, either,¡± Al said, holding his stomach. ¡°I¡¯d like to eat dinner soon.¡±

    They sat and waited. When fifteen minutes passed, they gingerly nibbled on their bread and dipped their cups into the soup. A fourth plate meal was set aside and they waited for Raulin to return. Al and Telbarisk ate his portion when Raulin failed to show.

    Anla and Al slept first under the cave whileTelbarisk took watch. Al was in that twilight sleep, drifting but not quite focused on any dream, when he felt the tip of something sharp against his throat. ¡°Take it off, Wizard,¡± said a hollow voice.

    His eyes snapped open and he could just see the orange glow of the fire on Raulin¡¯s mask. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Or should I say ¡®priest¡¯? Skethik? Iondika? I should have known you had a secret.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a priest,¡± Al said, whispering as if it would help keep the knife from opening his artery.

    ¡°Then how did you place this curse upon me? I can¡¯t move beyond a certain distance without feeling violently ill.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Al whispered. He heard Anla sit up next to him and he put his hand out very gingerly to stop her from moving. ¡°We got sick, too. You did it three times. We tried to tell you. What I said earlier was true.¡±

    ¡°What was?¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°May I sit up?¡± he asked. ¡°I just want to get two things from my pack. Neither of them are weapons, though actually you used one as a weapon. But! I mean, I won¡¯t¡­use it as a weapon, that is. I just want to show you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°I think Raulin has returned,¡± Tel answered.

    ¡°He has,¡± Al said. ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡±

    Raulin moved his knife down to Alpine¡¯s ribs when he sat up and grabbed his backpack. After fishing around for some time, he pulled out his stole and the chalice.

    ¡°See? Wizard,¡± he said, handing him the stole. Raulin held it closer to the fire to examine it. ¡°I¡¯m .rd Alpine Grey. I graduated about eight years ago from Amandorlam. And this,¡± he said, holding up the chalice, ¡°is a deitic artifact. It binds people together when they drink from it. Which is why I was trying to check your fingers after you drank the rainwater in jail. You had blood on them, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a blood oath. You fill the cup with liquid, hold it here,¡± he said, pointing to the indentations near the bottom, ¡°smear the area with a few drops of blood, and drink. You and whomever else drinks from it are bound together. I¡¯m sorry, Raulin, but we tried to stop you.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°One year.¡±

    ¡°One year?¡± he said, dropping the chalice. ¡°I¡­no, I cannot have this. This will make it impossible¡­¡± To Al¡¯s relief, he also dropped the knife. ¡°How do we remove it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s deitic, Raulin. You can¡¯t remove it. The spell has to run its course.¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± Anla said softly. ¡°I understand you have things to do. We don¡¯t. It¡¯s not a huge problem for us to journey with you. Would it be so terrible if you had help or at least company?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The fire continued to glint off his mask, now turned towards Anla. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I have a full docket of contracts I need to take care of and one year to do them. I have to do them. And I can¡¯t do it with dead weight attached to me.¡±

    ¡°How many is a docket?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Twenty-four.¡±

    ¡°And how many have you done?¡±

    ¡°One! And look what happened with that one.¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°I know it won¡¯t mean much right now, but I am happy to have you in my life again. We can help you, work with you.¡±

    ¡°You two can. I¡¯m staying out of it,¡± Al said. Anla gave him a sharp look. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t been wise to goad Raulin, but he wanted to be sure he understood his involvement up front.

    Raulin moved to the fire and sat with his hands on his knees.

    ¡°We cleared an area for your bedroll,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°You can sleep next to me.

    ¡°How will this affect us, though?¡± Al asked. ¡°Are you two going to be okay?¡±

    Telbarisk shrugged. ¡°This is kouriya and I¡¯m happy to go along with it. I have my friend back in my life, who can help with some questions I have.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have any leads on my brother or sister,¡± Anla said. ¡°I suppose going with Raulin is as good as going anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m bothered. How am I supposed to enjoy my vacation if I¡¯m stuck with him? And I need to return home at some point. How is that going to work out?¡±

    Raulin suddenly stood and walked away without a word. ¡°Great, this again,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Tel, you know him better than anyone here. What is he going to do?¡± Anla asked.

    Tel considered this for a few moments. ¡°He needs time to think. He¡¯s smart and he works around most things.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Most¡¯?¡±

    Telbarisk sighed. ¡°Smaller things. Disappointments, obstacles, changes in plans, things like that. Bigger things he burns with anger over.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Things from his youth. I do not know what, but there is something that happened when he was younger he keeps close to his heart. He thinks of it often and he grows in anger.¡±

    ¡°So, is this a small thing or a big thing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I do not know,¡± he said.

 Chapter 72

    Al had taken the second watch and spent most of the night jumping at shadows and whispers. He had known Raulin was a dangerous man, and delusional in his morals, but he had never felt that danger. Raulin had laughed and quipped and argued. He had even grown angry with Al, but it had all been understandable and human. Al had never thought he¡¯d turn against him, no matter how hard he pressed the man.

    He absently rubbed the small nick on his neck. ¡°My turn,¡± Anla said softly. He still startled.

    ¡°Maybe both our turns,¡± he said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to sleep?¡±

    He shrugged and turned it into a roll of his shoulders. He wanted to have a long, deep conversation with her about Raulin, but felt it was wasted. She liked him and anything he said against him was going to be met with resistance. He retired and slept on the other side of Telbarisk, so that should Raulin return, he¡¯d have to climb over the grivven to get at Al.

    Much like the night after he punched the wall at Milxner¡¯s, he laid awake and fretted potential sleep away. He knew it was officially morning when there was a sharp wave of nausea and a skull-pounding headache. He grabbed his head and rolled over, almost hitting the side of the cave. It was still too dark to see clearly, but he heard Anla and Tel moan in pain.

    He was about to cry out when it dissipated and he was left feeling like some of his clients had admitted after a touch wizardry session.

    ¡°Breakfast, then?¡± he asked, sitting up.

    ¡°We have some leftover soup, though it¡¯s cold. It¡¯ll have to serve; we¡¯re almost out of cheese and bread and I don¡¯t know where the next town will be.¡±

    Al held up a finger, which he realized she might not be able to see, and rummaged around his backpack. He scooted to the edge of the cave with the book he had retrieved. ¡°This is over fifty years old, but hopefully is still accurate. There is a town a few miles north of the fork that has a medium sized dot attributed to it. Should be large enough to have a market of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Cold soup, then, and later today we¡¯ll get some things¡­¡± She stopped and gritted her teeth to bear the sudden pain that hit him a fraction of a second later. Al actually couldn¡¯t breath through this bout and turned his head and vomited.

    ¡°Damn him!¡± he said, wiping his mouth. ¡°Can¡¯t he exercise a little patience?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d best move, then, before he gets more insistent.¡±

    They gathered their things quickly, stuffing their bedrolls hastily into their packs. Anla led them out of their camp on a different path from the day before, fearing that traveling due west would take too long. They made it back to the Sharkan-Ashven Trade Road with plenty of burrs, scratches, and bites to put them into a foul mood that only got worse as the day progressed.

    At least they didn¡¯t have to keep within a mile, something Al had realized back in Ammet Bronsto. He explained while they traveled. ¡°The chalice links not one to the whole, but two members together. Here¡¯s person A,¡± he said, holding up his thumb. ¡°One mile away is person B,¡± he said, wiggling his index finger. ¡°Now, if if you move person C,¡± he said, wiggling his pinkie finger, ¡°you¡¯re one mile from person B but two miles from person A.¡±

    Anla didn¡¯t sound surprised by the information. ¡°We could potentially be one mile apart from each other, then; three miles between the farthest two.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We can stop for a break, so long as at least one of us keeps walking and stays one mile from Raulin. For a mile¡¯s worth of time, that is.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a mile?¡± asked Telbarisk.

    ¡°It¡¯s a unit of measurement that¡¯s worth five thousand, two hundred and eighty feet,¡± Al responded.

    ¡®But, what does it look like? Is it as far as we can see ahead of us?¡±

    Al looked ahead. The route was flat and curved to the left enough to create a line. ¡°That¡¯s about a sixteenth of a mile.¡±

    ¡°About?¡± Tel asked. ¡°This is not a precise thing, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. I can give a guess, but I might be off by a few hundred feet.¡±

    ¡°We will get sick then, if we cannot tell exactly where one mile behind Raulin is.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    This stumped Al for a moment. Tel was right; they needed precision. ¡°Can either of you locate him precisely?¡±

    ¡°We do not use things like miles and hours,¡± Tel said. ¡°It can be close, or near, or far, or beyond a day¡¯s travel, but that is not the same for each person. Cutting up land and time is a strange concept to me.¡±

    ¡°I could figure out where he is based on how loud the sound he leaves is,¡± Anla said, ¡°but it wouldn¡¯t be precise. My ear isn¡¯t that sensitive.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re stuck following him like little poodles on a leash?¡± Al said bitterly. ¡°He yanks and we yelp and get dragged along?¡±

    ¡°If we stay within a mile, we should be fine, Al. We¡¯ll figure out something better.¡±

    The day grew beyond tolerable, even for Anla and Al. Tel looked like he was melting, constantly wiping his brow of sweat and readjusting his chain to keep loose hair from his sticking to his face.

    When they grew close to the fork, Anla suddenly sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not going north.¡±

    ¡°What? He was lying then?¡±

    ¡°Or he changed his mind.¡±

    ¡°He said he was going northwest to Ashven because he had contracts there. Suddenly he can change where he does his work? No, it¡¯s just another thing he¡¯s lied about.¡± Al¡¯s confidence dropped for a moment before he realized Raulin was almost a mile away.

    ¡°Al, why is his honesty so important to you?¡± she snapped. ¡°Sometimes men have very good reasons for lying.¡±

    ¡°Honesty means a man is trustworthy. When he is known to speak the truth consistently, he is likely to have integrity. Raulin has proven many times in the last few days that he is untrustworthy.¡±

    ¡°His lies helped get us out of a bad situation. And he did tell the truth about his plan. A few lies to many truths.¡±

    ¡°But I have only spoken the truth,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Except for claiming to be a lawyer.¡±

    ¡°That was to save Telbarisk.¡±

    ¡°And Raulin lied to save us from being captured.¡± She sighed. ¡°I can tell you that I¡¯ve known of many fine and upstanding citizens of Hanala who turned out to be crooks in the night. Priests, merchants, politicians. The only people I trusted were the ones I knew who lied all the time.¡±

    ¡°But you can tell, Anla. You can use your ability to tell when a man lies or tells the truth. I can¡¯t. I have to rely to logic and sound reasoning to figure out whether he¡¯s a good man. And once I know someone is untrustworthy, it makes our relationship easy: we don¡¯t have one.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t always.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®you can¡¯t always¡¯?¡±

    ¡°We talked about this when we first met. I read people. I can tell when a man is lying more by quirks than by my magic, though I¡¯m getting better at the magic part. ¡±

    ¡°So, I could lie to you and you wouldn¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Actually, you have been lying to me, to us, about your home and family,¡± she said, glaring at him. Al looked at Tel quickly, who was studying the ground. ¡°I know that, but it¡¯s because you have little tells. Like, when you speak of your recent past, you sort of jerk your left shoulder slightly and squint your eyes. You also won¡¯t look me or anyone else in the eye when you lie, just like when you said you were a lawyer.

    ¡°The hardest part with using magic to find out if a man is lying is the nature of lying itself. There are straight-out lies, ones where he knows he¡¯s lying. Ask a man who enters a tavern if it¡¯s raining outside when it isn¡¯t and if he lies and says it is, then he¡¯s given a full lie. It makes a very soft grinding noise underneath the words Those lies are easy to catch.

    ¡°But the world isn¡¯t full of easy, full lies. There are partial lies. There are lies we tell ourselves to convince ourselves that the world is better. There are lies by ignorance. There are lies by omission. There is uncorroborated gossip. Those are all kinds of lies. In fact, I¡¯d say people speak lies more often than they tell the truth.¡±

    ¡°The world isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°It is, Al. I¡¯m sorry to tell you that. If you¡¯re looking for honestly, look to Tel. He¡¯s the only person I¡¯ve ever met who hasn¡¯t fully lied, though he has lied in other ways. And that¡¯s fine. Tel will tell us when he¡¯s ready to. Just like you¡¯ll tell us when you¡¯re ready to speak of your past.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying I should just ignore his dishonesty and just let him speak how he pleases? It¡¯s disrespectful to constantly lie to people.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± she said, moving ahead quickly. She stayed a good hundred feet in front of them until they broke for lunch, which was eaten quickly so they wouldn¡¯t fall behind.

    Al was fine with the solitude. Anla could stay away if she preferred. Telbarisk was poor company, but at least he didn¡¯t have his ethics all mixed up like Anla did.

    A passing merchant was willing to trade their coin for vegetables, a sackful of crackers, and a small wheel of sharp cheese. Al would have haggled, but he was afraid he would get caught in the middle of negotiations with the nausea. The merchant seemed uneasy about Telbarisk and had possibly asked for fair wages due to his intimidation.

    ¡°He¡¯s stopped,¡± Tel mumbled sometime past sunset.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s ahead but off the road.¡±

    He called out to Anla, waving, and she turned back to meet them.

    Telbarisk chose a well-enclosed clearing in the forest where large trees and bushes made a decent barrier. They set up camp and cooked the sausages Anla had bought from the same merchant. Telbarisk enjoyed the cheese and vegetables.

    ¡°The arrangement we have with Raulin is not good,¡± Anla said, wiping the grease off her chin. ¡°Someone needs to speak with him tomorrow, before he moves in the morning. I fear a conversation between you and he wouldn¡¯t go well, Al. Telbarisk? You¡¯ve known him the longest. Would you like to do the honors?¡±

    He laid on his back, his face dewy with sweat. ¡°I think you would do best, Anla. He has stated he likes you and you are diplomatic.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also not doing well with the weather. Perhaps we can get you some thinner clothes when we reach Iascond,¡± Al said, his disdain at the lie emphasized when he said the name of the city.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head out before breakfast, then, and try to catch him before he starts moving.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to say?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to politely ask him to rejoin us and hope he says ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want him with us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but for the rest of the group who doesn¡¯t want to live like today for the rest of the year, we do."

 Chapter 73

    Anladet found his trail surprisingly easy to follow. While Raulin had been almost silent in the count¡¯s mansion, he walked through the woods carelessly. Even on a worn trail, Anla could hear the leaves scrape against the dirt and an occasional twig snap when he had stepped on it. Perhaps at some point she could gently broach the subject and give him a few pointers.

    Raulin¡¯s camp wasn¡¯t far from where the other three had stayed for the night. Anla took a deer trail off the main road for about a hundred yards, then found his camp. His bedroll was already clipped together and breakfast was warming next to a tin cup of tea on the stones of a small campfire. Raulin, however, was nowhere to be seen. She sat on a nearby log and waited for a minute until she saw him farther down the trail.

    He was in a meadow, as wide as a ten second sprint in any direction. The grass was still dewed save for the darker green where he had stepped, mostly in the middle of the field. She was going to shout out to him, to let him know she was there, but found herself interested in what he was doing.

    She wanted to say he reminded her of the wizard-acrobats she had seen perform as a child, but his routine was much slower, far less showy, but more impressive. He moved fluidly from one position to the next, holding each for several minutes. None of them looked like easy forms to hold. He crouched on one foot, holding the other off the ground and straight in front of him. He swung that leg behind him, held it, then moved into what would be the splits if his thighs touched the ground.

    Anla moved quietly to a small but flat boulder and sat. She convinced herself that she was being polite, waiting until he finished, but she knew it was eavesdropping. She didn¡¯t care, though; she was fascinated, impressed, and a touch enticed by the routine. He still wore his mask, but he was stripped to the waist and barefoot. He wasn¡¯t impressively muscled, like some men she had known, but he was toned and defined in a way that showed he used his body in far more ways that heavy lifting.

    For his last hold, he stood on his hands while moving his legs slowly up until he was inverted. He lifted his left arm up so his weight was solely on his right arm. After a minute, he moved to his left. She heard him groan between clenched teeth before his legs began to wobble. After perhaps twenty seconds he suddenly collapsed and groaned again.

    Raulin got up quickly, dipping his head down for a moment as he caught his breath. He skimmed his hands over the wet grass and cleaned the dirt from his side before picking up his two knives he had set aside. From there he battled against an invisible opponent, jabbing, stabbing, and cutting with precision and speed. Raulin would move in a burst of action, then subside for a few moments to catch his breath. There seemed to be some rhythm to it, some connection between the forms, but it was impossible for Anla to tell what they were.

    He sheathed his knives, then stood still for a moment. He knelt down to the ground, feeling around until he found a small rock. He stood, tossed it in the air a few times, then turned swiftly and chucked it at Anla.

    She winced and stayed still, even when she heard the rock hit the tree nearest to her. Her heart pounded in her chest for a good minute. As he walked towards his camp, rubbing his right wrist, she rose to meet him.

    ¡°I apologize,¡± she said as he walked past her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to spy on you, Raulin. I just¡­want to talk. To discuss how things are.¡±

    He said nothing. He moved his bedroll so it was close to the fire and sat on it before beckoning her over. ¡°¡±That was the sort of thing I wanted to keep you three ignorant on.¡±

    She sat on the same log from earlier. ¡°We can¡¯t know that you stretch and exercise?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the package of secrets that I keep. Would knowing just that be enough to get us in trouble? Likely not, but if you know this then you¡¯ll know other things. You already know a majority of the myths about us are bunk. You know that we master escaping, that we¡¯re flesh and blood, that we have fears.

    ¡°I stress that this isn¡¯t about me. If I was caught, I¡¯d be whipped, but I¡¯d heal. It¡¯s in their best interest to keep me alive, since I make so much money for them. You three? I have no idea what they¡¯d do.¡±

    She saw an opening. ¡°Then you do care about our well-being.¡±

    ¡°Did you think I don¡¯t? The fact that the wizard still lives should be testament to that.¡±

    ¡°No! No, no. I was just¡­establishing a fact.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, leaning forward on his knees. ¡°You¡¯re opening deliberations, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think we can all agree that our arrangement right now isn¡¯t working. It¡¯s not good for our well-being. And yours as well, since you¡¯re affected just as we are.¡±

    He twisted to his side and grabbed his cup of tea, popping the bottom off his mask before sipping it. Anla could see his jaw was rather strong with a small nick of an old cut near his chin. ¡°What was your name again?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Anladet,¡± she whispered, frowning.

    ¡°No, I know that,¡± he said, holding up a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. When Merakians engage in discussions, they always make sure to state their names beforehand.¡± He touched his fingertips quickly to his chest. ¡°Raulin Kemor¡±

    ¡°Anladet Deerborn Auchindol, though that¡¯s not on any Ghenian papers. ¡®Deerborn¡¯ is the name of my mother¡¯s tribe.¡±

    ¡°Auchindol?¡± he said, clearing his throat. ¡°I thought you said your father was a traveling doctor.¡±

    ¡°I did and he was,¡± she said.

    ¡°What was his name?¡±

    ¡°Martin? Why?¡±

    He pursed his lips for a moment, then quickly took a sip of his tea. ¡°It¡¯s just part of the Merakian negotiations thing; father¡¯s names are important. All right, now that we¡¯re¡­it¡¯s not insulting to you, me being partially undressed? I can put my shirt on.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the Ghenians who are so uptight about clothing, not the elves.¡±

    ¡°Have you had breakfast? I have some oatmeal and sausages and some water. I won¡¯t offer you the tea; it¡¯s very bitter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Al and Tel are making food back at our camp. I¡¯ll eat when we¡¯re finished.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin then. You don¡¯t like our arrangement.¡±

    ¡°The only way we can tell you want to move is by getting very sick. We¡¯re afraid to sit and eat or rest for fear that you¡¯ll move outside of the one mile mark. We were all miserable yesterday. We can¡¯t keep doing that for another year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I don¡¯t appreciate random bursts of pain and nausea. And I am afraid of getting caught during a job because someone moved a few feet in the wrong direction But, we have three major problems to overcome if we are to merge.¡±

    ¡°What are they? I feel that, if we can fulfill them, we will. Or at least we¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°The first is the nebulous fear that, when we reach Iascond, a certain birdie will whispers sweet nothings in a constable¡¯s ear and I¡¯ll be arrested and hanged quite quickly.¡±

    ¡°I take it you mean a little birdie that¡¯s not-so-colorful?¡± When he nodded, she continued. ¡°I asked Al before we drank together if the binding included death, to which he replied he wasn¡¯t sure, but that he wouldn¡¯t risk it anyway. He understands that any action he takes against you might mean his end.¡±

    ¡°Is it true?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He said he read some things in a book, but he couldn¡¯t read much because he was being chased.¡±

    ¡°So, you can assure me that he won¡¯t try to turn me in.¡±

    ¡°Al won¡¯t turn you in. He¡¯s too interested in making you admit he¡¯s right.¡±

    Raulin snorted and sipped his tea again. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to remind him of this.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± she said. ¡°What is your second issue?¡±

    ¡°There are over one hundred trirecs in Gheny. Should one of them spot me in the company of three miartha and let my order know, it will be bad for everyone involved. I need a reason why I¡¯m with you three for the next year. A good reason.¡±

    Anla thought about this for a few moments. Raulin put his tea down and began eating his breakfast. There was something about the way he had presented his problem that made it seem like the answer was obvious, but he didn¡¯t want to give it, like when her father had tried to coax the answer to a riddle from her and her siblings. What could she ask of him that he couldn¡¯t offer?

    ¡°Is there some sort of contract we could pay you for? Could you spend a year, say, spying a piece of information that we¡¯ll just give you in the end anyway?¡±

    ¡°No, that would create a bunch of questions.¡± he said, a light smile on his lips. ¡°Trirecs do more than spy, kill, and steal.¡±

    ¡°You do? What else can you do?¡±

    ¡°A number of things, including guarding jobs.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, understanding, ¡°may we hire you for a guard position lasting one year?¡±

    ¡°Why, yes, I think I could work that out. We can submit a contract when I contact an agent in Iascond.¡±

    ¡°Can we pay you a token for this?¡±

    ¡°No. Arvarikor takes a fifty percent cut of the work I do. And I don¡¯t receive payment in coins. It would have to be funneled and you wouldn¡¯t get your money back.¡±

    ¡°How much are we talking?¡±

    ¡°Guard work, for one year? Well, there¡¯s no set price. People put in an amount to persuade us to take their contract. The higher it is, the more likely someone is to take it.¡±

    ¡°Dare I ask what the going rate would be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually unsure. I don¡¯t take guard jobs; they give those to the more seasoned trirecs. I¡¯d have to guess it would be a minimum of five gold per.¡±

    Anla brightened. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not bad! I think Al and I could come up with two gold, five silver each. I¡¯m pretty sure Telbarisk doesn¡¯t have any money, but that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°I meant¡­five gold per month.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Could she get Al to fork over thirty gold? She doubted it. She could afford it herself; she had spent frugally and still had at least ninety to spare. But that money was supposed to go towards her efforts to find her siblings. Already she was going to have to put the search on hold to tag along with Raulin for the year.

    ¡°I would give a third,¡± he offered. ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone where the money came from.¡±

    Twenty gold was easier to negotiate and pay. She held out her hand. ¡°Do we have a deal, then? We¡¯ll look for someone to enter you into a contract to guard us for one year. I¡¯ll pay twenty on behalf of Tel, Al will pay twenty, and you¡¯ll pay twenty. We won¡¯t speak of the chalice¡¯s spell.¡±

    He held out his hand, but paused. ¡°Also, any sensitive information I say about trirecs and what I do during the position is to be held in secret.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± she said and shook hands. Relief washed over her. They¡¯d be free of the fear of illness. No snipping at each other, no dread, no bleary nights wondering if they¡¯d slept too long. There was one more thing, though. ¡°What was the third problem?¡±

    ¡°The wizard. He¡¯ll need to be quiet for the entire year for me to accept this.¡±

    ¡°You know I can get him to agree to that.¡±

    He smiled before he clicked his mask into place. Anla admitted that he had a very expressive mouth and a nice smile. She hated that he had to cover it. ¡°It was worth the gamble.¡±

    She waited for him to finish breakfast, dress, and douse his fire before she led him out to the road and to their camp. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I am glad things ended up this way. I understand it¡¯s inconvenient for you, but having support in something is always reassuring.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t consider this ¡®support¡¯; at best I¡¯m going to feel like I¡¯m lugging you three around the country.¡±

    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t feel that way for much longer,¡± she said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see, then. We have a year. Maybe things will change.¡±

 Chapter 74

    ¡°Are you jesting?¡± he heard Al said. ¡°I have to pay him twenty gold for the luxury of not yanking us all over Gheny?¡±

    ¡°Look at it as an investment in safety,¡± Anla said. ¡°He can¡¯t kill you if he¡¯s guarding you.¡±

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be trying to kill me anyway. A decent person wouldn¡¯t go around threatening people. Besides¡­¡±

    ¡°Still on that, Wizard?¡± Raulin said as he entered the camp. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal. I will read all of Tichen¡¯s works if you shut your mouth for the remainder of the year.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about just reciting his works!¡± the wizard said, standing in his indignation. ¡°Look, let me explain things to you, very simply, so that you can understand. If a man¡­¡±

    Raulin held up his hand. He had taken in the campsite and noticed the small cooking fire, the pan of cooling sausage, and Telbarisk lying on his side in a fetal position. Raulin walked over and crouched down next to him. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Warm,¡± he said, opening his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to the hotness of the air in Gheny.¡±

    Raulin looked back at Anla and Al. ¡°How long has he been like this?¡±

    ¡°All day yesterday,¡± the wizard said. ¡°Actually, he didn¡¯t look well since the time we spent in the cave. Does he get some sort of illness from using too much magic?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t, at least not like wizards. He might feel unhappy or be in dis-ease if he can¡¯t refill his kil, but you¡¯ve been walking through the forest. He would have recovered his reserves by now.¡±

    ¡°Could it be because of the chalice sickness? Maybe what you did yesterday affected him strongly.¡±

    ¡°Are either of you sick?¡± Raulin retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not. You two look hale. It¡¯s not the chalice at work.¡±

    Tel¡¯s skin was pale and clammy, as if he were sick with a disease, not something temporary. Since they didn¡¯t know everything the chalice did, there was some merit to the wizard¡¯s consideration (not that Raulin would admit it aloud). There might be some punishment involved with the group separating for longer periods. He made a note to research the artifact as soon as possible.

    Telbarisk sat up slowly, wiping his face. ¡°I¡¯m all right. I had a restless night, so I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ¡°Would you like some more time to sleep?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°No, no,¡± he said slowly, as if the words took too much energy to say.

    ¡°Would you like breakfast? Did you guys think to buy food that wasn¡¯t meat?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said, ¡°we have some cheese remaining and some fruit. It would have been a better selection if we had gone north towards Kikuyan¡­¡±

    ¡°Eat, Tel, and take your time. I need to make sure our wizard here understands the terms of the contract.¡±

    ¡°Anla explained them to me,¡± Al said. ¡°I still think it¡¯s unfair that I have to pay you, since you were the one that grabbed the chalice out of my hand and drank with bloody fingers.¡±

    ¡°By the end of the year it will be a wash,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid a few gold for the supplies and food for the escape. Or did you think they just magically appeared?¡±

    ¡°And I paid for the rooms,¡± Al retorted. ¡°I think you still owe me.¡±

    ¡°Fine. When we get to Iascond, I¡¯ll pay for our rooms and dinner.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Al said, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Most importantly, I need to make sure you understand that you must feign complete and utter ignorance should anyone ask you questions about trirecs. Remember what you knew before you met me, put it in an imaginary book, and only access that information. Your ears will be filled with cotton and your eyes bleary with sleep for the rest of the year.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. This isn¡¯t about me. My order will punish me severely for accidentally spilling secrets, but they won¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll be sent on my way because I¡¯m too lucrative for them to kill me over minor infractions. They will not, however, abide people roaming the lands with intimate knowledge of our operations. If they catch wind you know things you shouldn¡¯t, and you will likely be tested on that, a lifetime of servitude in a compound is the kindest existence you could hope for.¡±

    Al glared at him. ¡°If someone approaches me on the street and says, ¡®Good sir, I see you¡¯re traveling with a trirec. Could you tell me some things about him?¡¯ I would say that I barely spoke to you and knew very little. If they asked what I knew, I¡¯d tell them they wear masks and sometimes kill people.¡±

    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t get into your cups, either, and think to show off. That Caudet sometimes rots people brains, like when a man accidentally drinks turpentine.¡±

    ¡°When you learn to appreciate the finer things in life, talk to me.¡± Al stood, gathering his pack. ¡°So, I suppose we¡¯re off to Iascond then? Not Ashven?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be bitter, Wizard. It would have been rather foolish of me to tell you where I was really going. I have two contracts there. The constable can¡¯t charge me for being a trirec, but there are so many little laws people break constantly that he could tie me up in. I¡¯d have rather you didn¡¯t have the opportunity to whisper sweet nothings into a lawman¡¯s ears.¡±

    Anla brought Tel his breakfast and the three of them broke camp. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose either of you have a map of the area?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I have a book on Gheny that has a map in it, but it¡¯s small and doesn¡¯t have a lot of places on it.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Besides the place with the mill that we stopped at, I¡¯ve only seen signs for a few farming villages since we¡¯ve left Bronsto. This trail is traveled enough that there should be some some settlement soon, at least a post. I¡¯m wondering if we should continue east or backtrack and take the fork to Ashven.¡±

    Al thumbed through the book he had retrieved from deep within his pack. He held the page out for Raulin, who peered closely at it. ¡°Only Iascond and Carvek are marked on here. Not even Bronsto, though that¡¯s merely an afterthought of Carvek. Hmm.¡± He handed back the book and thought. ¡°I¡¯m going to guess that anyone wanting to deliver to Kikuyan from Iascond will have to take this trail. If so, there should be a settlement, maybe even two, on the way there. East will be our best bet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any point in backtracking,¡± Al said. ¡°We could be wasting time. If we keep at it, we¡¯ll hit Iascond definitely.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re settled then?¡± Raulin asked the other two, who made no objections. ¡°Um, Tel, if the lady is not offended, you might want to take off your bakinar and shirt, to cool down.¡±

    ¡°The lady is not offended,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Cold,¡± Tel muttered, hugging himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re cold now? Hmm.¡± Raul squatted in front of Tel and felt his forehead again. ¡°You¡¯re burning up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said as he stood. ¡°I¡¯ll be better once I¡¯m walking.¡± Though he said it with a neutral tone, it was the closest Raulin had seen to Tel snapping at anyone.

    ¡°Fine, but at least eat some of the fruit Anla gave you.¡±

    He tucked the food in his bakinar and began walking, forgetting that they needed to break camp. He leaned against a tree while he waited, appearing to fall asleep as he breathed deeply.

    Raulin said nothing as he kicked the fire cold and waited while Al broke down his tent. Ervaskin was a very different place than Gheny. Nourabrikot was the most southern city in the Valley of the Cold Winds and still saw snow for six months a year. The summers were mild, rarely reaching a point of uncomfortable humidity. Raulin had lived for many years in Arvarikor, which was of a similar climate, but he had lived for some of his life in warmer lands. Telbarisk had never experienced temperatures such as these. He had only been here for a week and hadn¡¯t had time to acclimate.

    What if his friend was like this for the whole year? What if he continued to shiver on days that were blazing hot by mid-morning?

    Even though Raulin¡¯s pace was already slow, Telbarisk lumbered behind them and fell behind more than a few times. The fact that he had wandered off into the woods a half-dozen times didn¡¯t help with their speed, either. Still, Raulin said nothing and chose to walk next to his friend instead of complaining about the lag.

    By late morning they had begun to notice the route widening and a few roads with signs leading off to the north and south. Raulin might have tried one of the villages promised at the end, but he knew the farms along the road were growing closer together, which meant a convergence should happen soon.

    Sure enough, as their stomachs began to rumble, they came to a sign declaring the road was bifurcating Ammet Tryna. The road was dirt and the buildings had no more than two stories, but the people were very friendly, even with a trirec and a grivven among them. The buildings alongside the road were well cared for, the paint fresh and the flowers in the window boxes watered and blooming. Raulin even noticed there were four streets that ran from the main road that contained several houses with small lawns.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said.

    ¡°What is?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°This town has a little bit of money that seems spread evenly. I wonder what their secret is.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you mean like a hidden gold mine in the mountains or a brotherhood of thieves that rob travelers in the night?¡±

    Raulin turned to look at the wizard for a long moment. ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of ¡®what are they selling here that people can¡¯t buy elsewhere?¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t quickly discount the thieves; they could be anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I suppose I also shouldn¡¯t discount the possibility of a retired pirate captain or ghosts that force men to surrender their wares to the townsfolk.¡±

    ¡°Those are good theories, too.¡±

    Raulin sighed deeply. ¡°Tel, this looks like a nice, cool stand of trees. Why don¡¯t you stay here while the three of us get lunch and supplies? You can nap if you¡¯d like. We¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    Tel just nodded his head and moved slowly to the place Raulin had pointed out.

    The three went inside the general store, which had a separate section for the post office and another filled with a curiously large amount of kitchenware and utensils, with a few pieces of armor and weaponry. ¡°I¡¯m going to guess that¡¯s their bread and butter right there,¡± Raulin said to his companions.

    ¡°They have knights?¡± asked the wizard.

    ¡°They¡­well, perhaps, but I¡¯m thinking they have a forge and a talented blacksmith to make all those pieces. And if it¡¯s quality work, they will travel from long distances to buy it.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± the shopkeeper said, his arms folded over his chest. He looked warily at Raulin.

    ¡°I mean no disrespect,¡± Raulin said. ¡°My question of their craftsmanship is only because I am ignorant of what is good and what is bad.¡±

    Al laughed quietly under his breath.

    ¡°If you want to stop by the forge, I know for a fact Rayani would love to give you a lesson, maybe even a tour,¡± the shopkeeper said.

    ¡°Rayani is the blacksmith who made these?¡±

    ¡°Her and her husband. Easily the best metal works you¡¯ll find between Hanala and the capital. Feel free to look around.¡±

    Raulin walked over and began picking up a few items to inspect. ¡°What, do you need more knives?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°One can never have too many knives, Wizard.¡± He held up a hammer and tested its weight. ¡°Actually, I believe the shopkeeper feels very kindly towards their blacksmith family and I may have unintentionally upset him. It can¡¯t hurt to look while you two get enough provisions for a few days.¡±

    ¡°And pay for them,¡± Al added.

    ¡°As I said, I¡¯m paying for the next rooms, which will be much more than the food.¡±

    Raulin made appropriate noises as he held up a metal buckler with precise etchings. He was no expert, but he did have a casual interest and knowledge of weaponry, enough that he could tell this was well made. It was symmetrical and had none of the tell-tale marks of a ¡°good enough¡± blacksmith, like deep dents that weren¡¯t hammered out enough. At least the pieces were worth the title the shopkeeper had given.

    The three left and found Telbarisk dozing. ¡°We have fruit for you,¡± Raulin said, taking an orange from Anla¡¯s pack and peeling it.

    Tel opened his eyes and smiled. ¡°Thank you. I can smell it from here.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you smile since I got back. That¡¯s a good sign,¡± Raulin said as he handed the fruit to his friend.

    ¡°I found a map in the shop,¡± Al said. ¡°If we continue east, we should hit Ammet Canyin tomorrow, and Iascond some time in the following two days.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Raulin said as the four began to walk. Tel wiped his chin and flicked his fingers to remove the juice. ¡°Our time in Iascond should be relatively quick. I¡¯ll need to signal an agent and wait before I can proceed with my two contracts, but I don¡¯t expect to wait long.¡±

    ¡°We should work on our story,¡± Anla said, catching up to the two of them. ¡°We should keep the ruse of Al and I being married. We¡¯ve decided to hire an expensive guard for some reason. Why? Who are we that we¡¯d need protection? And who is Telbarisk to us?¡±

    ¡°Merchants?¡± Al suggested. ¡°We could be trying to buy some rare items of value and need a guard to protect them as well as us. Telbarisk could be our clerk.¡±

    Just then the three heard a loud thud from behind. ¡°Tel?¡± Raulin yelled as he bolted towards his friend.

    Telbarisk had collapsed in the middle of the road. Raulin slapped his cheeks lightly, shaking him, anything to get him to respond. ¡°Wizard, what¡¯s going on? Is this heat poisoning?¡±

    Al felt Telbarisk¡¯s forehead and cheeks, lifted his eyelids, then felt his throat under his jaw. Al bolted back, then lifted Tel¡¯s wrist to check his pulse. ¡°His glands are swollen,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s suffering from too much heat.¡± He held up Tel¡¯s arm so that the other two could see his bare forearm covered in a red rash of small bumps. ¡°I think he¡¯s really sick.¡±

 Chapter 75

    Al and Raulin moved Telbarisk off the road into a small clearing in the woods. ¡°He¡¯s heavy,¡± Al said, grunting as he stepped. ¡°Why¡­ is he¡­so heavy?¡±

    ¡°Tall things¡­usually¡­are¡­heavy,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Storks¡­are tall¡­and they¡­can fly¡­¡±

    ¡°Have¡­you¡­ever¡­picked up¡­a stork?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°How¡­about¡­a tree?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the wizard said, straining to move Tel around a rock.

    Anla gestured them over to an area under a pine tree she had cleared of branches and rocks. ¡°They¡­are¡­heavy,¡± Raulin said, almost dropping Telbarisk. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­had to¡­lift a few¡­before.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Al asked. When Anla nodded, he fell to his knees and dropped Tel¡¯s legs.

    Raulin set his friend¡¯s head down, stood, and surveyed the area. ¡°This is a good place for him. Isolation in the woods will help him at least a little, giving him a quiet place to latently gather kil. Besides, this will get you two out of the road while you work your magic on him.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Al said, catching his breath.

    ¡°Why not? What the reason? Do you want payment or favors?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to. I mean that if I use soft magic on him, it might make him worse. I can heal cuts and muscle aches, things like that, but whatever is causing his illness needs to be put in check. If I attempt to heal him now, when I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on with him, I could amplify the disease and kill him. As my medical professor said, ¡®You need to remove the iron from the rain or it will always rust¡¯.¡±

    Raulin sighed deeply. ¡°So we need a doctor to give him medicine to heal him. And we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere. And we can¡¯t leave each other. And we can¡¯t transport him.¡±

    ¡°What if we found a cart of some sort?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility if everything else fails. I don¡¯t like the idea of moving him if it can be helped. Which means we need to bring a doctor here.¡± He bit his lip and clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to go back into town to see what we have at our disposal. Keep him comfortable.¡±

    Thankfully, Telbarisk had fainted a half-mile from Tryna. Raulin was free to leave the rest of the group and return to the town without fear of the crippling nausea.

    The man at the till of the general store tensed as he watched Raulin return ¡°Forget something, sir?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m unfortunately in need of a doctor or a healer. I don¡¯t suppose you have anyone that can help me.¡±

    ¡°We have a doctor that travels through here from Iascond every month. He made his rounds last week, though, and we won¡¯t expect him any sooner. And our healer is, well¡­¡± He pinched his fingers together after drawing them off his temple: the healer was crazy.

    Raulin clicked his tongue as he thought. It had been too much to ask that a small town would have someone available to heal Telbarisk. There was another possibility, before things started getting truly desperate. ¡°Do you have any priests living in town?¡±

    The shopkeeper blinked a few times. ¡°Mmm, we do. Seems you were destined for that lesson after all.¡±

    ¡°The blacksmith?¡± he asked, then nodded. ¡°Ah. That explains the quality of the armor and weapons. She¡¯s a priestess of¡­Skethik? Or Iondika?¡±

    ¡°Skethik, though don¡¯t expect your normal sort of priestess. She doesn¡¯t go in for all the prestige and claptrap you see with most of the temple dwellers. I haven¡¯t seen her wear anything more grand than her pendant in all the years she¡¯s lived here.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°A bit unorthodox, then? That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not interested in converting.¡±

    The shopkeeper pointed east, back the way Raulin had come. ¡°She¡¯ll be at the forge, then. It¡¯s hard to miss the smoke.¡±

    Raulin thanked the man before leaving. This was going to be potentially a tricky situation. He had a knack for working with the clergy of the Twelve and knew that, so long as she was pious, she would likely do as he asked. In fact, he wasn¡¯t worried at all about her willingness to help.

    What concerned Raulin was her husband.

    The forge wasn¡¯t strongly identifiable from the road, but the shopkeeper was right about the smoke. Plumes of it rose from the chimney and the outdoor station. It was one of the larger buildings in the town, a stone structure with a wooden frame around the exterior fire. Another portion was under the second story of the building, but open in the back and front. Inside were a few dark figures moving about, mere silhouettes against the green backdrop of the forest behind them. One of the figures, lanky and far shy of adulthood, was working the bellows near the forge. Another, a bit more substantial in size, was standing between the two other people, handing them tools and moving things around as needed.

    The largest person drew his eye. He had a thick rectangular piece of metal that glowed orange save for a black crust that flaked off each time he banged the center with his hammer. Raulin leaned against the wooden fence and watched, finding the process mesmerizing, so much so that he didn¡¯t realize the second set of clanging had stopped. A woman spoke next to him. ¡°A trirec,¡± she said. ¡°I would love to get my hands on that mask, see what¡¯s behind it.¡±

    Raulin turned to see a short and well-muscled woman cooling her neck with a cloth. She had a strong Imperial look to her, with black hair, light brown eyes framed by thick lashes, and skin a creamy chocolate color except for the white burn marks on her arms. ¡°You must be Rayani?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± she said, looking at him intently. ¡°Who wants to know?¡±

    ¡°I do. My name is Raulin Kemor. I have a proposition for you that might be mutually beneficial.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said, eyeing him up and down.

    ¡°I assume a smith with your reputation travels to Iascond to sell some of your items. Is there any chance you¡¯d be willing to push up your trip and deliver a message?¡±

    ¡°I went to market last Thursday. I hadn¡¯t planned on going again for another few weeks. What¡¯s your urgency?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hired to guard a party of three, a couple and their ledgerer. He fell ill shortly after we left Tryna and we feel it¡¯s quite serious.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you make the journey to Iascond yourself?¡±

    He moved closer and she leaned in to hear him. ¡°I¡¯m in quite a predicament. You see, the couple who hired me deal in expensive wares, often keeping them on their persons. It¡¯s contracted that under no circumstances am I to leave them for more than a few hours at most. Therefore, I cannot make the trip to Iascond. I can¡¯t leave them, neither of them will leave me, and we cannot transport the ledgerer with us.¡±

    ¡°You should at least move him to the inn.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s a grivven. They do much better when out in the forest.¡±

    Raulin suddenly realized that the other clanging had stopped. He looked over and saw the man standing nearby, watching the two of them with a glower. Raulin moved away as the man approached them.

    ¡°Bay, this is Raulin Kemor. He needs someone to fetch a doctor from Iascond.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t help him,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re busy here.¡±

    Rayani turned and gave Bay a placating look. ¡°Now, darling, we¡¯ve been saying it¡¯s time for Chian to learn the trade. I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t send him to Iascond with a few items to sell and see how he does.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still a boy, Rayani. He can¡¯t go by himself.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps he can go with that girl he¡¯s been seeing.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not something we should encourage¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s sixteen, Bay. Just a few months shy of his adulthood. Back home I would have had one foot in a profession by the time I was fifteen, and likely married¡­¡± She looked at Raulin and smirked. ¡°¡­or at least occupied.¡±

    ¡°Again, Gheny is not Caiyuzet. We have a moral structure to uphold that is different than¡­¡±

    One of the two boys had stopped his work and stood just outside the darkness of the indoor forge. He favored his mother, but had his father¡¯s hooked nose and cleft chin. ¡°Dad, please? May I? I promise I¡¯ll get you good prices on whatever you send me with. And I¡¯ll take Ebri.¡±

    ¡°If his parents let him,¡± Rayani said. ¡°Hopefully. He is a big kid. He¡¯ll intimidate thieves and pickpockets.¡±

    Bay sighed. ¡°Clearly outnumbered. Fine. We¡¯ll see how this goes,¡± he said, to the delight of Chian. ¡°Go pack and return here with Ebri. But, the deal¡¯s off if his parents say ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    Raulin pulled out his stubbed pencil and his contracts book, flipped to a page in the back, and began to write. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s wrong with the ledgerer.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to look? I¡¯d love to meet a grivven.¡±

    ¡°Rayani¡­¡± Bay warned. ¡°We have several orders due¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­In a few weeks. I¡¯ll only be gone for a short time. I need to take a break anyway. Send Chian to their site when he and Ebri are ready.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. Before he turned back to his work, he gave Raulin a very serious look that suggested he had special tools in the back and his hottest fire ready to warm them should Raulin touch his wife. He gave him a slight nod and pushed his hands down slightly in a placating manner before leaving to escort the priestess to his group.

 Chapter 76

    Rayani turned around and walked backwards on her tiptoes, looking back at her forge and home but mostly at Raulin. She gave him a devilish smile. ¡°We¡¯re alone,¡± she said.

    They were. They had cleared the post with the town¡¯s name a few minutes earlier. The bend in the road made it so all they could see were trees and each other. ¡°We are, but only for a half-mile or so. My clients are not far off the road, so we should get to them quickly.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime, though, may I ask you some questions? It¡¯s not every day I get an opportunity like this.¡±

    ¡°I never begrudge a man, or woman, for asking, but there are plenty of questions I cannot answer. If you can live with those terms, then feel free to inquire.¡±

    ¡°So polite,¡± she said. ¡°Do they teach you to speak so formally at¡­wherever you learned your trade?¡±

    ¡°They taught me many things, including the ability to show respect through speech.¡±

    ¡°Your respect is noted but unnecessary. You¡¯ve met my family, so we¡¯re friends now.¡±

    Raulin inclined his head. ¡°You are still appreciated.¡±

    Rayani walked playfully with her arms folded behind her back. ¡°¡¯Raulin Kemor¡¯. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Foreigner¡¯, more or less. I wasn¡¯t born in the part of Merak where most of the orphans are taken to train.¡±

    ¡°They gave you that name?¡± He nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t take it personally. They give names like that to all the children. They do whatever they can to shove wedges between us, so we don¡¯t form friendships and bonds. Another example: my teacher, Afren Merak. He didn¡¯t have many faults or differences to distinguish him for his name, so they named him ¡®greatest in Merak¡¯. It¡¯s to imply he thinks he¡¯s full of himself, which is far from true.¡±

    Rayani made a soft, sympathetic sound and touched his forearm lightly. ¡°It seems cruel to take from a child what little he has left.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just the past,¡± he said. ¡°But what about yours? An Imperial woman in the middle of nowhere. That must be a story.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Hardly. I was called by Skethik when I was just starting to look at boys. Since then, he¡¯s been the only man for me and I do what he says. It included traveling to Gheny for training, where I met Bay.¡±

    ¡°And how does your husband feel about that?¡±

    She gave him a twisted smirk. ¡°The three of us have worked out an arrangement. As much as I love my god, I know he has many other loves, none of whom He can please in a marital sense. Bay and I work well together, as partners in business and in life. But he understands he will always be the second in my heart.¡±

    Her poor husband. Raulin hadn¡¯t had any intentions of sleeping with Rayani, but hearing that really sealed his thoughts from a slight possibility to something that was absolutely not happening. He¡¯d slept with plenty of married women, but they had all been aristocrats. They had their own games spawned by boredom and spite and jealousy, but mostly because it was the status quo. They all cheated on each other, turning balls and soirees into places of flings and liaisons. Rayani and Bay were commoners. He knew commoners cheated as well, but there was often more heartache involved. Nobles knew what they were getting into; commoners were often blindsided.

    ¡°He¡¯s a wizard, isn¡¯t he?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Gold. It¡¯s one of the reasons we work well together. I¡¯m a blacksmith in my own right, but I do better with the spells and intricate work. Bay has this incredible gift to shape pieces with the metal, not forcing, but finding its purpose. He creates the base, I add to it.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned spells. What do you cast?¡±

    She giggled, which would be an odd sound coming from a forty-something-year-old woman if it wasn¡¯t her. ¡°We don¡¯t ¡®cast¡¯, we bless. We sell far more utilitarian pieces then weapons, so it¡¯s usually¡¯ rust reduction¡¯ on pots or ¡®ever-sharpness¡¯ on cleavers. I have to do a ¡®glory in battle¡¯ everyone once in a while or else He gets upset.¡±

    ¡°And He¡¯s not someone you want upset. As a curiosity, is there any way to reverse a spell?¡±

    ¡°I could place another spell to nullify the first, but it doesn¡¯t always work well. And it takes twice the magic to maintain, so it¡¯s more than frowned upon.¡±

    ¡°What about an artifact?¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, definitely not. I place spells on objects, because I¡¯m merely a priestess and not even the most in tune. Deitic artifacts are infused with a spell, usually hundreds of them. If Bay were both a wizard and a priest of Skethik, it would be like him blessing something new in it every minute he forged. Only Aps had that ability.¡± She paused. ¡°Why, which artifact are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he laughed and pulled out one of his fighting knives. ¡°I was curious if I could turn one of these into an artifact. Just a silly thought.¡±

    She took the blade and tossed it lightly, to test its weight. She held it up and turned it around, running her finger along the handle. ¡°This is a Merakian knife, not surprisingly. A shiast-krest, I believe. I could add a ¡®thirsty blade¡¯ spell to both of yours.¡±

    ¡°How long and how much?¡±

    Rayani smiled again before deftly holstering his knife for him. Raulin felt the act involved too many nimble fingers too close to things he didn¡¯t want her touching as well as a very sharp object in the mix. ¡°A week or two. And don¡¯t mind the cost. We can work something out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he said, hastening his pace. ¡°Unfortunately I have to travel as soon as possible. There are people that need stabbing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sporting about it, I hope?¡±

    ¡°Generally not, but when I can be I am.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all He asks for.¡± Her eyes traveled up to his mask. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I could take a little peek. I¡¯ve always been curious about trirec masks.¡±

    He popped the bottom off and handed her the piece. ¡°This is our secret. I¡¯d be tied naked to a bull the night before branding if my order found out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now, isn¡¯t that a lovely picture,¡± she said, a wicked smile lighting her face.

    ¡°I apologize. That was a little crass of me.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make things even, then,¡± she said, pulling his ear down towards her mouth. What she murmured was low and throaty with a hint of that giggle he was finding hard to resist. What she said was far racier than what he had said, and involved some interesting events.

    Raulin straightened his spine quickly. ¡°Oh, uh,¡± he said, chuckling, ¡°I consider myself a limber man, but I still don¡¯t think I could do that.¡± Her poor husband.

    ¡°Raulin, I do believe you¡¯re turning red,¡± she said laughing. Thankfully her eyes drifted down and she was distracted by the lower mask piece. ¡°I see. This is the mechanism¡­¡± She pressed one of the buttons. ¡°Yes. Clever. What¡¯s this? This on top is a silver alloy, but this metal underneath is unknown to me.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s called chayirathra. It has some interesting properties to it.¡±

    She flipped it over. ¡°Oh, it looks like worm-eaten wood. Why?¡±

    ¡°It helps to channel the moisture off my face so I¡¯m not constantly sweating from being under a mask.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said before smirking. He was tiring of trying to figure out what mischievous thought had crossed her mind, but at the same time he was also enjoying her company and her flirtatious ways. She grabbed his arm lightly to stop him, then held his mask piece up to insert it herself.

    She stopped and ran her finger along his chin. ¡°How did you get this scar here?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting story¡­¡±

    The remainder of their walk was spent with him telling an old tale involving a dashing fight to the death against some crime lord he had been paid by a small village to assassinate. In reality, he had tripped in Arvarikor and scraped his chin against the sharp corner of a cabinet. He had bled like a snapped pen and almost threw up because he was so worried he was going to die.

    Beautiful women didn¡¯t want to hear that, though, so he told them what they wanted to hear. The story behind the scar changed for the situation, but it was always nine parts fabrication to one part pain.

    There was a marker on a tree and he turned to lead Rayani in to their camp. ¡°Ah, not much farther,¡± he said, trying to keep the relief from his voice. Her actions had grown more intimate while he was telling her the story. He hoped that she might be put off by an audience. Luckily, she was so busy flirting with him that she didn¡¯t notice it was Al¡¯s stole tied to the tree, something that might blow their cover.

    Tel hadn¡¯t moved, which Raulin actually appreciated. It meant that nothing was clouding his mind, telling him to fight against the other two. He lay under the pine tree with Anla, who knelt by his shoulder and pressed a damp cloth onto his forehead. A fire was nearby with Al¡¯s pot suspended over it by a high bar, boiling water or stew. The wizard had his back to them and was poking the fire.

    Anla heard them approach and looked up. ¡°Raulin, he¡¯s been¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Auslen,¡± he interrupted. ¡°How has your ledgerer been?¡±

    Al was stripping trees of branches and stopped when he heard them, his eyebrows furrowed. Anla understood, though. Her reception changed immediately, her tone changing from something familiar and friendly, to something more formal ¡°Ah, he¡¯s been alternately burning up and freezing.¡± Raulin noted her cloak was off to the side of Telbarisk. ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to keep him comfortable and giving him water when he seems fine enough to drink. He hasn¡¯t woken up, but he keeps moaning.¡± She dabbed Tel¡¯s forehead and smoothed back his stringy, sweat-soaked hair.

    Raulin kept his overwhelming feeling of appreciation in check. ¡°That¡¯s all you can do for him, for now. Mr. and Mrs. Auslen, may I present Rayani. She¡¯s a priestess of Skethik and an amazing blacksmith. She¡¯s married, too.¡±

    Rayani rolled her eyes, then knelt next to Telbarisk. ¡°He¡¯s a grivven?¡±

    ¡°Yes, from Ervaskin,¡± Anla said. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but he wound up being our ledgerer. Al and I prefer to give those in need a little hand, if we can. He was in need of a job and we were in need of someone to catalog our sales.¡± Behind Rayani¡¯s back he rubbed his first two fingers and his thumb. She nodded slightly. ¡°He does an excellent job. Despite the high amount of numbers involved with our business, he keeps our books down to the copper. We¡¯ve made quite a profit so far.¡±

    She gently felt Tel¡¯s forehead with the back of her hand. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for almost a year now. He¡¯s such a darling man; I feel rather familial to him. I hate to see him so sick.¡±

    Rayani nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about your friend. My son, Chian, will be headed to Iascond. He¡¯ll fetch a doctor for him. You should be very specific about what¡¯s wrong with him, so that the doctor will be sure to bring the right medicines.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so kind of you to help us out,¡± Anla said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Rayani swatted her hand and stood. ¡°What¡¯s cooking? It smells delicious.¡±

    ¡°Vegetable stew, for now,¡± Al said, gesturing for her to sit by the fire with him. ¡°We¡¯ll add some pork after we¡¯ve fed Tel, since he doesn¡¯t eat any animal flesh. You¡¯re more than welcome to have some, though I think the potatoes aren¡¯t quite done yet.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, accepting a bowl. She held up the spoon Al had passed her and held out her hand to look at the ladle, making disproving noises.

    Raulin jerked his head to the side when he caught Anla¡¯s eye. She quietly stood and followed him far enough away so that they couldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°Nice improvisation,¡± he said. ¡°I have another task for you.¡±

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Our new acquaintance has taken quite a shining to me.¡±

    ¡°I could tell. Her eyes barely left you. You¡¯re not interested, though? Do you not like older women?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I like many kinds of women. What I don¡¯t like are married women with jealous husbands who can make torturous devices in their sleep. It doesn¡¯t matter how I feel about her; I enjoy having all my body parts intact more.¡±

    Anla laughed lightly at this. ¡°Well, I think most people do. How can I help you to remain wholesome?¡±

    ¡°I suspect Rayani won¡¯t leave us today. I need you to pretend that we¡¯re having an affair.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is my husband aware or ignorant?¡±

    ¡°Ignorant. It suits him.¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± she said, giving him a disapproving look at the insult before sighing. ¡°All right. So, discreet flirting, watching you when I think no one is looking, things like that?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, it is so nice that I don¡¯t have to spell things out for you. Yes. I think you understand.¡±

    ¡°I think I do,¡± she said, trailing her fingertip up his arm before turning slowly and heading back to the group.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he heard Al say. ¡°So, what¡¯s it like having children who are half-Ghenian and half-Caiyuzen?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Rayani began to say when she heard the two of them return. She turned and smiled warmly at Raulin. It was wiped away when she saw him draw his hand from Anla¡¯s back. Her face clouded over when she saw the pleased look on Anla¡¯s face and her wet lips. It lasted just a moment before she swallowed her anger and gave a hard smile.

    ¡°Al and I were discussing some things. We think that what your ledgerer has may be contagious,¡± she said.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry to have brought you here,¡± Raulin said. He sat on a fallen log behind Al and Anla joined him.

    ¡°I think it might be safe to quarantine myself with your group until we safely know whether I carry the disease.¡±

    Raulin and Anla exchanged looks quickly, remembering his suspicions. ¡°None of the three of us have what Telbarisk has,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for a few weeks now, so I¡¯d feel one of us would show some symptoms.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little hot,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Could that be because you¡¯re sitting in front of the fire? Perhaps you should take a dunk in the river. Sir,¡± he added.

    ¡°And miss the conversation with this lovely woman?¡± Raulin noted that Rayani looked hopeful for a moment. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m watching over Telbarisk, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your ledgerer needs all the care he can get.¡±

    It couldn¡¯t have been fun for Rayani. She had to continue a rather banal conversation with Al while Raulin and Anla flirted within her sight. Every time she looked at them for respite, Anla was making coquettish glances at Raulin or giggling at his jokes. In turn, Raulin leaned in when she spoke and made his voice pleasant, but low.

    Rayani might have said something to Al about his ¡°wife¡±, but Raulin had ripped a page from the back of his ledger and was asking Anla for information. Of course, he made it as intimate as possible. Raulin had just removed a non-existent fly from Anla¡¯s shoulders when they heard the thumping steps and wheezing breaths of two adolescent boys. Raulin moved quickly away, as if he had been caught doing something wrong, as Anla stood to greet them.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Chian said. ¡°Ebri is with Sarnif. We¡¯ll be back with her in three days, no later.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll brush her down and feed and water her tonight? Your father told you which inn to stay at?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother. The reason I¡¯m so late is because Da spent most of the time lecturing me on stuff I already know.¡±

    She walked over, hugged him, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Be safe. I love you.¡±

    ¡°Love you, too,¡± he said, looking impatient and embarrassed.

    Raulin handed him the letter and two gold coins. ¡°One for the doctor and one for your trouble. We appreciate you doing this.¡±

    He nodded, a little stunned at the amount of money in his hands, and walked away. He turned and said, ¡°Thank you!¡± before he picked up the pace and took off.

    Rayani brushed her pant legs off. ¡°Well, I think I should head back. My husband is terrible with cooking.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought you said you were quarantining yourself here,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Well, you did say none of you have any symptoms. And you three have already been in contact with many people in the town. I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s necessary for me to stay any longer.¡±

    ¡°We thank you for your generosity,¡± Raulin said.

    She nodded at him rather coolly, but her eyes flashed when she looked at Anla. Almost too low to hear, Rayani said, ¡°whore¡± to her before she walked out of camp.

    Raulin saw Anla bristling and put out his hand to silence her. ¡°Our priestess is hypocritical,¡± he said once Rayani was out of earshot. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m mad! The nerve of her. I¡¯m the whore? She¡¯s the one who¡¯s married.¡±

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Nothing, Wizard. Lady stuff. Best to stay out of it. Who¡¯s idea was it to put your stole around the tree?¡±

    ¡°Mine,¡± he said proudly.

    ¡°Well, I thank you for the marker, but if you¡¯re supposed to be a regular merchant, why would you have a wizard¡¯s stole?¡±

    Al opened his mouth the speak then closed it. Raulin moved next to him and lightly squeezed his shoulder. ¡°We need to have a discussion about what information you allow people to know. No ¡®I know, Raulin¡¯. We¡¯re going to hash this out. Sit,¡± he said, gesturing to the log near the fire. ¡°Get comfortable. We¡¯re going to be a while.¡±

 Chapter 77

    By that evening, Telbarisk had moved past his extreme flashes in temperature and was now fitfully sleeping with a fever. He jerked every so often, murmuring things in Grivfia or moaning syllables none of them could understand.

    ¡°What do you think he¡¯s dreaming about?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Nothing good,¡± Raulin moved to Tel¡¯s side, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

    Tel moaned aloud. ¡°Kel¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°He¡¯s said that before,¡± Anla said. ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®kel¡¯?¡±

    Raulin tipped his head to one side. ¡°There are many words in Grivfia that I don¡¯t know. ¡®Kel¡¯ could be anything.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Kel¡¯ and ¡®alonska tey vria¡¯, something like that. Those I heard him say a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Raulin said softly. ¡°¡¯Kel¡¯ isn¡¯t a what, Anla. Kel is short for ¡®Kelouyan¡¯, his fiancee.¡±

    Her eyebrows shot up. ¡°He¡¯s betrothed?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Kelouyan and he were engaged to be married many years ago. I¡¯ve met her. She¡¯s actually quite a sweet woman, a great match for him.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they get married?¡±

    ¡°He had to reach adulthood first. That only came last year. I¡¯m sure with the instability in his family he told me, it was put off.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a teenager?¡± Al asked, moving on the other side of Telbarisk.

    ¡°No, not really. Grivvens live differently from us. Their lives are longer and they reach milestones at different points in their lives. Telbarisk is actually thirty-seven.¡±

    ¡°Thirty-seven? He doesn¡¯t look old, though.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not old, he¡¯s thirty-seven. That¡¯s about the same as eighteen or nineteen for a human.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard any mention of that in any book I¡¯ve read,¡± Al said.

    Raulin didn¡¯t mind Anla sitting so close to him, but the third party was beginning to irritate him. He wanted to quip that not everything you can know is found in a book or that the Ghenian literature on grivvens was paltry, but he held his tongue. The wizard had helped considerably thus far with the care of Tel.

    Instead of lashing out, he moved back to the fire and poked it idly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me, Wizard, but I¡¯m telling the truth. A grivven¡¯s official coming-of-age is at thirty-six. It means they can marry, make a family, start a profession, and even settle a new village if they want.

    ¡°At the same time, they age about half as fast as humans do. Tel was born during the dying days of summer a dozen and a third shulok ago, as they phrase it. Thirty-seven years. With luck, and a good doctor, he could live to be a hundred-fifty, perhaps more.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the writers didn¡¯t know what a ¡®shulok¡¯ was,¡± Al muttered.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re so protective of him?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I suppose it might be why. He¡¯s just a kid, in a strange land, his family and his sweetheart thousands of miles away. I feel for anyone in that position, but him in particular more so. He lacks the experience in his world as well as ours and I feel that people may take advantage of him.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t,¡± she replied. ¡°You can be sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Can I, though?¡± He asked the question to himself, forgetting that Anla had excellent hearing. When he looked up at her, she didn¡¯t look pleased. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me since our time in the cell. Why have you two been so nice to him, especially since you didn¡¯t know he had any magical abilities?¡±

    Al turned to face him. ¡°Well, he was¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anla said, interrupting him. ¡°If you want to ask us a question, you¡¯ll have to agree to an exchange of information. Normal rates apply.¡±

    He laughed quickly and quietly to himself. Teach a smart man to barter and you¡¯ll find yourself poor by the day¡¯s end. ¡°Not normal rates. I will agree to tell you why I¡¯m so concerned and I¡¯ll promise that it¡¯s worth the price.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, leaving Tel¡¯s side to sit across the fire from Raulin. Her mouth was hard and her eyes flashed. ¡°You want to know what, precisely? What plans we have for him? Why we bound him for a year? If we had any sinister intentions?¡±

    ¡°Yes to all.¡±

    ¡°Al saved Tel¡¯s life because he got wrapped up in the moment of trying to be right. He yelled across a square full of hundreds of people and proclaimed they were breaking the law by having a lynch mob. When asked how he would solve the matter, he was forced to say he was a lawyer and couldn¡¯t back out for fear of looking foolish.¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want him to die, either,¡± Al interjected.

    ¡°While Al was mending from his neck injury in the Zayine temple, Tel and I spoke about things outside his doorway. He was strong, having come so close to death without a single complaint, but he seemed so worried in that moment. He told me more about kouriya, what it meant to him, how it guided him¡­and how he was afraid.¡±

    ¡°Afraid?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this, it¡¯s private, but he has doubts about it working so far from home. More like he¡¯s afraid that his presence will effect things negatively in ways he doesn¡¯t realize. He said the greatest lesson about Gheny he learned thus far wasn¡¯t in Wyok, but at a farm not far from Hanala. He wouldn¡¯t tell me what he did, but I think it must have been something to do with his magic. He hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time, but it scared him when we spoke. He said he didn¡¯t want to be the lightning that strikes the tree and burns the forest.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°I told him he could travel with us and we¡¯d watch out for him, answer his questions and make sure he didn¡¯t harm anyone. It made him feel better to have mentors, but he was afraid he might wander due to kouriya and not find us again. That¡¯s when I took a chance and told him about the chalice. He was pleased at the offer. I asked Al and we made it official.¡± She turned to the wizard. ¡°Anything to add?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe so,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°You felt¡­sympathy for him and decided to put your lives on the line for a stranger?¡±

    ¡°Why is that hard to believe?¡± Anla asked. ¡°Have you never done the same?¡±

    ¡°I have, but that¡¯s me. Telbarisk isn¡¯t a street urchin you put food out for once a day; he¡¯s a huge responsibility. I have a hard time believing someone would commit to a year of education, boarding, and dealing with the cruel situations Ghenians create for people unlike them. Wizard? As a honest man, tell me what you know of Telbarisk.¡±

    Al gathered his thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s a kiluid, which we didn¡¯t know when we did the binding. He¡¯s a grivven from Ervaskin. He¡­doesn¡¯t eat meat. Oh, he was exiled from his home because he killed a man.¡±

    ¡°You were correct up until that point,¡± Raulin said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t exiled for killing a man.¡¯

    ¡°But he said ¡®a man died¡¯ when we asked him about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing. I¡¯ll explain, but I want to be sure that you two didn¡¯t help him out for any reason other than pity.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not pity,¡± Al said. ¡°He¡¯s quiet, but he¡¯s a good companion. Maybe, honestly, I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about Ervaskin and grivvens. Maybe¡­write a book about that some day.¡±

    ¡°So, educational exploitation. You, Anla?¡±

    She scowled. ¡°I¡¯ve lived on the streets of Hanala for some time now. When my parents were killed, other orphans and runaways took us in, shared their food and clothes with us. It wasn¡¯t altruism; it¡¯s survival. Not everyone can make enough every day to live by, so they shared and then we shared.¡±

    ¡°And thus communal living based in mutual care. Your motivations make sense now. I had to ask because there¡¯s more to Tel than him being a kiluid.¡±

    ¡°What else could there be?¡± Anla asked. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± He leaned forward and thought for a few moments before he began. ¡°I met Telbarisk when my order requested my presence on a diplomatic mission to the Valley of the Cold Winds. My job was to assist the diplomat in convincing the grivvens they wanted our services, in any way possible. The king, Sheiskan, wasn¡¯t hard man to convince. He¡¯s not your typical grivven: pugilistic, petty, cruel at times. You can get along with him, if you entertain him and pepper your conversations with jokes at the expense of others. I have no problem making fun of myself and my people, so we got along well enough when he spoke.¡±

    ¡°Why is he still king?¡± asked Al. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t stand for what the grivvens believe in, then shouldn¡¯t they overthrow him?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s partially because there are other atypical grivvens who enjoy seeing someone like them in power. And it¡¯s partially because there are some who don¡¯t like him, but they like that he¡¯s interested in expansion and diplomacy. Mostly, though, it¡¯s because his family supports him. His parents relinquished their rule on his thirty-sixth birthday and act as liaisons to the crown. His siblings are representatives and ambassadors. They all work for the land and the grivvens¡¯ best interests, even when it means doing things they don¡¯t want to. Like taking the fall for a foreign official¡¯s death and being exiled.¡±

    There was silence for a few moments. ¡°Telbarisk is the king¡¯s younger brother?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°He is.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a prince?¡± Al asked, shifting to face Tel better.

    ¡°That¡¯s what we would call it. They don¡¯t have a title for him; it¡¯s just known he¡¯s a member of the royal family, even though he¡¯s next in line to the throne of the Valley of the Cold Winds.¡±

    ¡°As in he¡¯s royalty?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes, Wizard. If his brother ever blesses this world by leaving it, Telbarisk will be king of his lands.¡±

    ¡°But why is he here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ve been unfair to Sheiskan. He has his problems, but lacking intelligence isn¡¯t one of them. He knows who he is and how he looks to his people. And he knows that there is a better, more popular leader just a poisoning or a mysterious fall away, namely Telbarisk. By inviting trirecs to the island, he increased the possibility of removing his adversaries, but he also increased his chances of someone doing the same for him.

    ¡°His first course of action was to discredit Tel, which happened when he was barely a teenager, in our terms. It didn¡¯t stick. Then, the king sent him to a remote location in hopes that he would be forgotten. It backfired; Telbarisk wound up helping stop a border incursion and saved many grivvens¡¯ lives. He did, unfortunately, kill one of the raiders during that battle.

    ¡°His brother decided to keep him close, so he called him back to Nourabrikot after some time. I had been in the capital for a few weeks when I met him. He was not at all what I thought he was going to be. He wasn¡¯t some grand hero, some stuffed, full-of-himself peacock like the king and his lackeys made me think. He was, well, Tel; young, friendly, and far too trusting. I liked him almost immediately and realized quickly that what I had been hearing from the king was propaganda. And then I realized what danger Tel was in. We became good friends partly because we enjoyed each others¡¯ company, but partly because I was around him quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°So you have guarded before,¡± Anla said, ¡°and for free.¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah, not officially. I was just¡­around him a lot. And I made sure to know which trirec was contracted, and to keep tabs on them to make sure they weren¡¯t going to stab my new friend. Arvarikor paid me to gather information and help increase business prospects; what I did in my own time was none of their concern.¡±

    ¡°How would you prove all of this?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Why do we need proof?¡± he retorted.

    ¡°We answered your question. If you¡¯ve been making all of this up, then you still owe us the truth.¡±

    ¡°Anla?¡± Raulin asked.

    She took in a slow breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying, but I¡¯d still like to see you answer that without any corroboration with Tel.¡±

    ¡°I can tell you what those marks on his face mean. The bar across means he¡¯s affirmed as a kiluid and that vertical line from it means he¡¯s served ten years for his people. The circle with two lines means a significant commendation for protection. The curved moon tattoo means he made a great sacrifice to his king. That one was for being exiled. ¡°

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Raulin thought for a moment. ¡°Ah, his¡­oh I forget the name. His people¡¯s equivalent of a crown. It¡¯s that chain he wears to tie his hair back.¡± Anla had removed it from his hair so that it wouldn¡¯t get tangled. She grabbed it and held it up. ¡°Ervaskin doesn¡¯t have many smiths or the ore to produce much in the way of jewelry. Look at the craftsmanship. Those are tiny links all done to perfection. And those gems are precious stones, each setting uniform. Only the royal family are gifted with those.¡±

    Anla passed the tie to Al, who studied it. ¡°These are cheap stones. Garnet, quartz, malachite¡­¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have the tools to work with diamonds and they prefer these over gems like emeralds. Look, Wizard. I¡¯m not really motivated to lie here. I could have found out through casual conversation what I asked you two. I didn¡¯t need to give you this information. I wanted to know what you were willing to do for him and why. If you knew he was a prince and thought to attach yourselves in hopes of getting money at some point, I needed to know.¡±

    Al put the chain down next to Tel¡¯s head. ¡°So, we really have noble blood in our little quartet?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°In abundance.¡±

    ¡°Then we really need to make sure he gets the help he needs.¡±

    ¡°Good. I think you understand why I asked.¡±

    There was one more issue for Raulin, something he felt it was good to keep them in the dark about. Arvarikor had started taking guard jobs a few centuries ago and had immediately saw an integrity issue. Guards who took contracts didn¡¯t find it imperative to keep their clients alive, so a clause was added. Should their employer die, they would die, too.

    While Raulin wanted Tel to live so that his friend could live, Raulin wished to live also.

 Chapter 78

    Tel¡¯s fever was still high when the light of the day began to fade. The rash had spread over his arms and legs, creeping across his chest to his face, where it concentrated on his cheeks. His fever was still high, so they made a crude wall of fallen trees and limbs between the grivven and their campfire, then fed him from the stock they saved that had no pork.

    Raulin squeezed Tel¡¯s mouth open while Anla spoon fed him vegetable stock, then stroked his throat. His eyes would flutter open, unseeing, then roll back in his head as he moaned. Often, he would swallow the broth and then cry out for Kelouyan.

    ¡°That¡¯s the hardest for me to hear,¡± Anladet said, looking up quickly at Raulin. ¡°I wish he could be with her.¡±

    ¡°Me, too. They were cute together, if you could say that about two very tall people. They would light up whenever the other would enter the room. Big, dopey smiles.¡± Raulin chuckled. ¡°Ah, he¡¯ll kill me for saying this, but they broke a taboo. Grivvens mate for life. Humans are supposed to, but grivvens actually do. So, they are very careful about who they match together. There¡¯s always a ten year waiting period before they are married and they aren¡¯t supposed to engage in relations before that point. Imagine if you were still with the person you tumbled with first.¡± Raulin gave a mock shudder.

    ¡°I take it they ¡®tumbled¡¯, then?¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm. He was so deliriously happy afterwards. I¡¯m surprised the whole kingdom didn¡¯t guess what had happened from his face. Of course, if someone had said anything, he would have denied it. I had to assure him several times that, if he had, I wouldn¡¯t judge him. He finally admitted it to me. I think he was happy to tell someone about it that wouldn¡¯t dishonor Kelouyan.¡±

    Anla paused for a few moments. ¡°You miss him, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Raulin admitted. ¡°In my line of work, you don¡¯t make many friends. If and when I do, they tend to mean something to me.¡±

    ¡°How many friends do you have?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, thinking. ¡°Afren, Tel, Isken to some extent. There are some people I¡¯d trust to save me in a pinch, but they don¡¯t know I¡¯m a trirec. That sort of makes it different. I find I enjoy my relationships with people more when they know the worst about me.¡±

    ¡°Who are Afren and Isken?¡±

    ¡°Isken is a like-minded trirec I got to know in Hiben. Afren was my second mentor. He was the one to teach me that what I had been told by Arvariko were my weaknesses were actually my strengths. I¡¯m not sure if they neglected to teach me that or they usually assign that to the mentors, but I thought I was failing before I met him. He said I wasn¡¯t, I was just approaching things from the wrong angle. And our relationship felt more than that, to me. I don¡¯t know if he truly felt the same sense of kinship I had, but he felt as close to an uncle as I¡¯ll ever have. Maybe even a second father.¡±

    Raulin would have gone on further, but he noticed that Al was taking only a minor interest in the campfire.

    ¡°What about your childhood? Did you have any friends?¡±

    ¡°The tea I drink in the morning actually suppresses childhood memories. They call it ¡®derrin-eti-ro-marna¡¯, ¡®child mind killer¡¯. If you are a trirec, you must drink it. Every morning, after you finish your exercises, you drink it, so that you forget everything before your first killing. That¡¯s why they make new students shed blood as soon as possible; once you destroy your innocence, you are no longer a child.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± she said. ¡°You remember nothing from your childhood? Your parents, your siblings, where you grew up?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Nothing. When I try to remember, it¡¯s as if there is a fog in my mind. It fills in the blank parts, making me think it¡¯s fine that there¡¯s nothing there. But, maybe it¡¯s better that way. I can¡¯t miss people I don¡¯t remember, right?¡±

    Anladet was about to speak when Telbarisk clenched his teeth and groaned. She felt his forehead and sucked in her breath through her teeth. ¡°He¡¯s burning up. Badly.¡±

    Raulin got to his feet, but had no idea what to do. ¡°We need to cool him down,¡± Al said. ¡°We need ice or snow. I doubt we¡¯d get that, so our next best thing is cool water.¡±

    ¡°The river,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Get as many blankets and cloaks as possible.¡±

    Anla and Raulin spent the rest of the night relaying what they could from the camp to the river about an eighth of a mile away, soaking the cloth in the river and returning to cover Telbarisk. Al stayed next to the grivven and lent him what magic he felt was safe. Still, Tel shook violently, his teeth clenched and his eyes rolling wildly in his face.

    The fever broke sometime in the early morning, just a few hours before dawn. Al and Anla collapsed sometime shortly thereafter.

    Someone shook Raulin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, you just jerked your head up about five seconds ago. I just wanted to let you know Tel looks stable and I might know what he has.¡±

    Raulin jammed his fingers into his eye holes and tried to freshen his eyes. Al had a concerned look on his face, which Raulin was unsure if it was for him or Telbarisk.

    ¡°Anla has already made me swear I won¡¯t say anything to the doctor, but I think he has Brigon¡¯s Disease.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, standing to stretch.

    ¡°Well, let me say first that I¡¯m not totally sure. I¡¯m not a doctor. I studied the normal medical curriculum in Amandorlam, plus two more when I decided to become a Touch wizard. We covered some diseases, but not Brigon¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Get to the point, Wizard. Why aren¡¯t you sure?¡±

    ¡°Because we don¡¯t usually work on children.¡±

    ¡°You think he has a childhood disease? He¡¯s young, but he¡¯s not a child.¡±

    ¡°No, but perhaps his body is like a child¡¯s because he wasn¡¯t here when he was one. In school we learned that diseases spread through the elements: air, earth, and water. Fire is the remedy against them, by cooking food, burning bodies, and cauterizing wounds. If Tel came into contact with a child in Hanala or Carvek that had it, then didn¡¯t sip fire water or coat his hands in ashes, then he might have contracted it, even as an adult.¡±

    A few moments of silence passed. ¡°Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Mmm? I¡¯m not sleeping.¡±

    ¡°You should be. Get some rest. Anla and I will wake you if something changes or the doctor gets here.¡±

    He nodded, his head bobbing a few times before he found a quiet spot under a tree and fell asleep quickly.

    Al sat next to Anla, who had made a breakfast by warming up their food rations and combining whatever seemed palatable together. ¡°He seems excessively worried. If it¡¯s Brigon¡¯s, then the mortality rate is rather low, even without medication.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know that, though. We don¡¯t know that. What if that¡¯s fatal to grivvens? I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s the same for them as for us, but what if it isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Then a doctor will be coming and hopefully he can figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    She nodded and went back to eating.

    ¡°He¡¯s a confusing man, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Raulin?¡± she asked. ¡°I suppose. Which is why I think you should give him a chance. Stop picking at him.¡±

    ¡°I want him to admit that he¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Al, for what it¡¯s worth, I think he agrees with you.¡±

    ¡°So, why doesn¡¯t he just say it and stop arguing with me?¡±

    ¡°What would that accomplish? He¡¯s still have to kill people and you¡¯d still continue to tell him how what he¡¯s doing is wrong.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to give up¡­¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± she said, standing, ¡°do you refuse to give up on the argument or do you refuse to give up on him? I think that until you can answer ¡®yes¡¯ to the second, you should leave him alone.¡±

    Anla tended to Telbarisk while Al ruminated on what she had said. His stubbornness still lingered after a while, his obstinate refusal to admit he was wrong even though he knew she was right. ¡°An argument for argument¡¯s sake benefits only one person¡±, yet another quote from Tichen.

    How could he justify a man committing a severe crime against another man? Accidental, ignorance, neither of which fit Raulin, or duress. Al looked over at his sleeping form, not too far from Telbarisk, and wondered how far he could stretch that definition. And did he want to.

    He was slowly starting to think that, while Raulin was a bad person for what he did, maybe good could come from him, like a new tree growing on a lava-cooled island. If he could find that one little piece to change him, he could make Raulin into a good man. With that he sat in front of the fire, plotting some way to change the trirec¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 79

    Anla and Al were sitting around the campfire in the early afternoon when they heard the sound of someone approaching their site loudly. Leaves crunched and branches snapped for a solid minute before they heard someone ask, ¡°Hello?¡± in a voice that was just starting to intrude on concern.

    Al blinked in surprise, but stood quickly and headed towards the voice. ¡°This way!¡± he said before a young woman with a basket strapped to her back stepped around a copse of trees. Her walnut brown hair was braided and tucked into a knot at the nape of her neck with a few strands having fallen loose. She had large, blue eyes and a pleasing face marred by one imperfection: at some point in her life she¡¯d had a disease that left her skin ravaged by red, spidery blotches and mountainous scarring that gathered on her cheeks.

    She stood in front of the group and spoke with a quiet assuredness that came likely from rehearsal. ¡°My name is Alistad and I¡¯m an apprentice priestess of Zayine in Iascond. My order couldn¡¯t spare any priests; there¡¯s been an outbreak of the black measles in the city and they needed everyone they could spare on that task. My order begs your indulgence on the matter and hopes that I will provide the same care that anyone else would.¡±

    ¡°Well, Alistad,¡± Al said, leading her closer to the fire, ¡°since those are the circumstances, we¡¯re pleased that they sent anyone at all. It¡¯s very generous.¡±

    She gave a short bow, hanging her arms in front of her. ¡°I am young, but I hope I¡¯ll be able to cure your friend.¡±

    ¡°How did you get here so quickly?¡± he asked. ¡°We weren¡¯t expecting someone until tomorrow at the earliest.¡±

    ¡°I rode through the night in order to reach you. We¡¯re very concerned over the spread of diseases, especially with an outbreak currently on our hands.¡± She looked around the site for a moment. ¡°Is that him over there?¡± she asked, pointing towards a figure under a large bush.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s Raulin. He was up with Telbarisk all night and is sleeping. Though,¡± Al said more lowly, ¡°if you have a moment later on, he has some injuries that you might want to look at.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can spare the time after I help your friend¡­Telbarisk, you said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s this way, closer to the fire.¡±

    Alistad moved swiftly and dropped to her knees next to Tel. She still spoke quietly and pleasantly, but her questions were clipped and at a more rapid pace. ¡°When did he fall ill? Where has he been recently? What can you tell me about the patient? What are his symptoms? How long has he lasted in each stage?¡±

    Al gave her all the information he had, augmented by Anladet, who joined them. Alistad gave a thorough examination, remarking on symptoms that Al hadn¡¯t caught, like excessively dry skin along the spine and bruising along the tightly boned areas, like the ribs and the tops of the feet.

    She sat back after a moment and blew out her breath. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± she said to herself.

    Al cleared his throat. ¡°Is there anything I can assist with? I¡¯m a wizard and have taken some basic medical courses.¡±

    Anla shot him a look and he moved his fingertips down to placate her.

    ¡°Actually,¡± Alistad said, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ears, ¡°I do work well when I have someone to sound off on. You don¡¯t need to say anything, really, I just need to speak to someone.¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± he said, sitting across from her on Tel¡¯s right side.

    She looked up at him and began. ¡°The patient is exhibiting several symptoms that point very strongly towards one of the pox classified infectious diseases. Since the patient didn¡¯t display symptoms until perhaps two days ago, it either has a slow incubation or we don¡¯t know about the break-out yet. I¡¯m going to assume the first and guess the infection site to be Carvek. That still doesn¡¯t help, since there are no known outbreaks there. This might, however, point to the disease being a deviation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s good,¡± Raulin said behind her.

    She startled and turned back to look at him. When she turned back to face Al a few moments later, her cheeks were a vivid pink made only deeper by the blotches on her cheeks. She dropped her eyes for a moment, then looked up again. ¡°The patient¡­the patient¡­is confusing.¡±

    ¡°Would it help if I pointed out that he¡¯s a grivven?¡± Al asked.

    Alistad rocked back on her heels for a moment, then began blinking quickly. ¡°The patient¡­the patient is a grivven, who might not have the same immunities to Ghenian diseases that humans do. Therefore¡­the patient has potentially any disease that any Ghenian may have.¡± She folded her hands and looked down, taking ragged breaths for a moment. She finally looked up sharply. ¡°He has Brigon¡¯s Disease.¡±

    Al grinned. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I came up with! My sister had it when she was a baby, though not nearly as badly as Tel has it.¡±

    Instead of looking pleased, Alistad¡¯s shoulders slumped and she frowned, shaking her head. ¡°I should have known. The spots on the arms and legs, the slapped cheeks, the high fever¡­¡± She twisted behind her to drag her basket closer and began rummaging inside. She pulled out linen bags of herbs, mixed potions, tongs, and a tin. ¡°May I borrow your fire? And water?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Al said, grabbing her basket and following her, preparing to offer assistance should she need anything.

    Raulin was eating a hunk of bread with warmed fruit slices on top when Alistad sat in front of him with her basket. She sat on her ankles, as she had when she was diagnosing Tel, and looked anywhere but his eyes. ¡°May I help you?¡± he asked.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°It¡¯s the other way around. I was told you needed care as well. May I please see your wounds?¡±

    He¡¯d have to thank Anla later. He unlaced his tunic and pulled it over his head. ¡°I think I had a concussion a few days ago, but it seems to be fine now. There are no lingering issues. I have a few light scratches here,¡± he said, pointing to various places on his arms and torso.¡± My main concern is this,¡± he said, pointing to his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to keep it clean, but it still seems infected.¡±

    Alistad sat with her hands frozen in front of her. She said nothing for a few moments. It was when Raulin saw her face, beneath the blemishes, that he realized she was blushing furiously. He wondered if she was scared. He sometimes forgot how frightening the mask was and what it meant to some people.

    He spoke softly. ¡°How is Telbarisk doing? What do you think is wrong with him?¡±

    She snapped out of her trance. ¡°Um, he has Brigon¡¯s Disease. It¡¯s advanced, but I think he¡¯ll come through. I have Alpine monitoring his medicine, which should alleviate most of the symptoms.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Thank you so much for coming out here. We really do appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said, bowing her head at the neck. ¡°Please tell me how you came across your laceration.¡±

    Raulin remembered a solid piece of advice he¡¯d had use of from time to time: never lie to the man healing you. Oftentimes they were under an oath of privacy, but even still, lying only made things more difficult for the doctor, thus making things difficult for you in the long run. ¡°I was in a fight. My opponent hit me with a sword through my clothes, like this,¡± he said as he chopped the other shoulder and pulled forward.

    She moved to his left and began looking at his laceration, poking it and twisting the skin. He made no noise, though it was fairly painful. When she was finished, she asked, ¡°Do you like your tea black or sweetened?¡±

    ¡°Black- oh, is that a metaphor?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Still the same, then. Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°Not totally. There¡¯s some good with the bad. The wound is fairly straightforward, structurally, but I will need to debride it before I suture it.¡±

    ¡°Will that be painful?¡±

    ¡°Relatively. I need to cut out the dead tissue, so it¡¯s a rewounding of sorts. If you have anything to numb the pain, such as liquor, then I¡¯d suggest you¡¯d take it before I begin.¡±

    Raulin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m forbidden from drinking strong drinks.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you something to numb the skin around the wound, though it won¡¯t be as effective.¡±

    ¡°That will be fine.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m fairly certain you¡¯ll scar from it. Even if you had sought immediate medical attention¡­¡±

    Raulin laughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll just add it to the collection.¡±

    Not surprisingly, he had quite a few scars. A profession like his was sure to take its price in blood and skin. He had found that some women seemed drawn in by a man who could announce a mysterious past without words. The stories that accompanied them over the years had grown more outlandish. Saving women, escaping dangerous quests, stories like that. In reality, most were either boring tales of clumsiness or memories he wish he didn¡¯t have. Arvarikor wasn¡¯t known as a place of kindness.

    Alistad returned after a few minutes at the fire with boiled water, a heated needle, and everything else she needed. After cleaning the wound, she handed two ingredients to Raulin: a grease and a powder. ¡°I need you to mix those two together with your fingers and apply them around the wound. It will numb the area and your fingers, so I can¡¯t touch it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would be a bad idea for the person sewing me up to have no feeling in her fingers.¡±

    She began to cut into the wound gently, then applied more pressure as she scraped the old tissue away. Raulin sucked in his breath through his nose and let it out through a tiny hole in his lips, his cheeks blowing out. ¡°I suppose this is a bad time to ask, but does it bother you that I¡¯m a trirec?¡±

    She wiped her small knife on a cloth, removing the gore. ¡°I am impartial.¡±

    ¡°But people have opinions. I¡¯d just like to know if you¡¯re making this worse because of my profession or it¡¯s really supposed to hurt this much.¡±

    Alistad cracked a smile at his joke. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re an agent of death while I¡¯m an agent of life. And it seems that we would be natural enemies, if we were looking at it that way. But, I like to see everyone in the same way: as people who need help, even if you make my job harder.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± he said.

    She held up a lens to his wound, taking a little more away before picking up her needle and catgut. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t hurt as badly, due to the unguent.¡± Alistad looked up at him for a moment, then took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Where do you practice?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m still an apprentice priestess.¡±

    The match was touched to the wick in Raulin¡¯s mind. It explained a lot. ¡°Just an apprentice? I thought you were a doctor!¡±

    Her eyes flicked up at his quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me,¡± she said, then added, ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t patronizing you. I¡¯m honestly surprised. You have a great knowledge in your field, you diagnosed my friend quickly, and you¡¯re doing some advanced techniques. You¡¯re beyond apprenticeship, in my opinion.¡±

    She popped the needle in the edge of the skin and began sewing. It wasn¡¯t without pain, but it felt dulled enough for him to tolerate it. ¡°Alistad, what do you plan on doing once you attain priesthood?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, pulling the thread taught. ¡°There are a few possibilities. I¡¯d like to travel to places that need help, especially to study different herbs and medicines. I want to set up my own business some day, but it¡¯s not easy, being a woman and wanting to be in charge. I suppose I¡¯ll stay at the temple until I feel I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing, learning all you can. The only problem would be telling yourself you¡¯re never ready.¡±

    She tied a few more stitches and snipped the ends with her scissors. ¡°Use the rest of the unguent if it gets too painful. I will give you another unguent to promote healing; you are to use all of it, on your other wounds, but most importantly on this one. And I¡¯d like you to surprise me by taking it easy on your shoulder.¡±

    Raulin laughed, causing Alistad to crack a smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±

    They both rose, Raulin putting his tunic on gently. They walked over to where Anla was near Telbarisk. ¡°Your stitches should dissolve on their own, but you should get them removed to avoid possible infection. Call on me in Iascond when you arrive.¡±

    ¡°I would if we were headed that way. We¡¯ll be headed up to Ashven next.¡±

    She eyed him for a long moment. ¡°There are a few temples there that can provide the same treatment.¡± Al walked over with the vial held in tongs. ¡°Thank you, Alpine,¡± she said, testing the glass before taking the vial and stoppering it with a hunk of wax. ¡°This is three doses. Give it to him every six to eight hours. It¡¯s important that you don¡¯t skip a dosage or give it to him too early, or else it won¡¯t work.¡±

    She held up several other vials, packets, and jars and explained in detail what they were and when to use them. ¡°The most important medicine is the first one.¡± She stood, brushing off her hands and skirt.

    ¡°Thank you, Alistad. What do we owe you?¡± Raulin asked.

    She began to gather her items. ¡°I¡¯m not a full-fledged priestess, so there are no set prices. I received the gold from the boy, so I consider the donation to the temple fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± he said, placing ten silver into her hands. ¡°Spend what you want on yourself. Save whatever you want on your future. Whatever is leftover, make it an additional donation. If I may suggest, though, whatever you spend on your future will be considered a great donation towards the church of Zayine.¡±

    Alistad gave a bow, her hands in front of her. ¡°Thank you. I hope you heal well and your friend is cured.¡±

 Chapter 80

    ¡°She seemed nice,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°Talented, too,¡± Raulin added. ¡°It¡¯s always good to know people of a certain profession in different areas, especially if they are discreet, amenable, and, most importantly, adept.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s handy, I¡¯m sure, for when you get into tight quarters. Which I assume happens often.¡± When Al walked over and sat with them, she continued, holding up the vial of medicine. ¡°If we give this now, someone¡¯s going to have to stay up and give him his last dose early in the morning.¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I slept late today so I won¡¯t be tired.¡± He turned to address Al. ¡°In your opinion, how is he looking?¡±

    ¡°Hard to tell. This is a crucial junction; either his body accepts the medicine and begins to heal or it does nothing and we¡¯re left waiting until it¡¯s too late.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue a few times. ¡°There was a healer in town that was deemed a bit daft by the shopkeeper we spoke with. Should we maybe try to locate her just in case¡­?¡±

    ¡°Amandorlam lists healers as one of those groups we have to look out for, people that erode the public¡¯s trust in magic by peddling false cures. I would advise not to waste your money and time.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°I can give him enough to stimulate his healing, perhaps one to five percent of what I can do, but any more and I risk helping the pox bloom inside him.¡±

    ¡°So, we wait then,¡± Raulin said bitterly.

    ¡°It¡¯s all we can do. How is your shoulder? I asked Alistad to look after it. I saw her speaking to you while I was brewing the medicine, so I hope she attended it.¡±

    Raulin blinked a few times. ¡°You asked her? I thought Anla did.¡±

    ¡°No, but I should have,¡± she said, a small smile on her face.

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. I appreciate the concern.¡±

    Al waved his hand in dismissal and pulled out a book to read.

    While the afternoon and evening were tense with anticipation, at least Al and Raulin weren¡¯t picking at each other. In fact, Al¡¯s casual demeanor helped reduce Raulin¡¯s fears and he found himself calmer than he expected. They conversed quietly over dinner, speaking not of Tichen or Arvonne but of experiences each had related to this or that. If Anla wasn¡¯t so worried over Tel¡¯s health, she would have found the time pleasant.

    Al went to bed shortly after the sun set. Anla sat up with Raulin for a few more hours, but knew it was time to retire when she began stifling yawns. ¡°Wake us if anything changes,¡± she said as she covered herself with her wool cloak.

    Raulin was, again, left with his thoughts and no way to guide them to better paths. He couldn¡¯t plan ahead for his two jobs in Iascond until he had more information. And he felt it was pointless to review his last job; there were too many factors outside his control. Besides, he had completed his task and had escaped. That was the only thing that truly mattered to Arvarikor.

    He dwelt on where he was and who he was with. He had realized a long time ago that the real reason why Arvarikor had prohibited working in pairs, teams, or with outside help was that it gave an unfair advantage and they liked their playing field level. At any time a trirec could potentially go up against another trirec to the death. It was better not to make attachments and to stick to the code of conduct.

    It was one of the rules he had constantly bucked against. He wasn¡¯t as strongly against a solo career as Isken was, but he found many reasons for wanting to break it. They had trained him to be erudite and social, to mingle and make connections. They wanted him to use people to get what he wanted, either an easier in to a location or the information he needed. And then he was supposed to forget them and disappear.

    He had done it over and over again, and it had never gotten easier. He was clearly not the type of man who could throw his feelings aside. If it hadn¡¯t been for his mentor Afren telling him that he his feelings were normal, he would have thought himself a bad trirec long ago.

    And so here he was with three allies. One of them was one of those friendships he had made that they had wanted him to forget. Another was someone he had good synergy with, someone who would make a great partner, if they had trained him how to do that. And, well, then there was the wizard.

    What was he going to do? He knew he couldn¡¯t be cold and distant to them. But he couldn¡¯t be open to them, either. His only choice was to find an in between that worked, being pleasant but still holding them at arm¡¯s length.

    It would work for Al. Telbarisk, well, he had a sneaky way of getting people to reveal their secrets by patiently waiting for them to spill them. He would have to be careful.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Anladet was a different story. He glanced over at her, the warm glow of the fire painting her skin in golds and oranges, as beautiful as the day he first saw her. She would be the hardest to deal with. Already he could feel that light giddiness when she laughed with him, the bettering of his mood just by her meeting his eyes and smiling. He knew it was only a matter of time before he fell for her and he couldn¡¯t have that. He wouldn¡¯t be able to remove himself once he did.

    But all those points were tangible, corporeal things. He would have to deal with them, but they were things in his control to influence. His major concern was how they had all arrived together. If there were higher powers in play, then Raulin was going to be gravely concerned, especially after the dream and the shipwreck. It meant great changes were being foisted upon him and he absolutely wanted nothing do to with them.

    The night was lonely, but it passed by quickly enough. The gray light of dawn indicated it was about eight hours past the nighttime dose. He squeezed the outside of Telbarisk¡¯s lips so his mouth opened and poured the rest down. Raulin moved his face close to his and said, ¡°You are not meant to die here. You were meant to help your people. Get better so that one day you can return to them.¡±

    If Telbarisk heard him, he made no indication.

    Raulin slept through breakfast, another fare of fruits picked clean of their meat after removing the bruised flesh. He heard light talking between Al and Anla, but ignored it for a little more sleep. Around noon he awoke and ate the leftover food hungrily.

    He was staring ahead, listening to Anla talk about some story from Hanala when he saw slight movement out of the corner of his eyes. He looked down to see Telbarisk blinking, a look of bewilderment on his face.

    Raulin scooted over and looked over his friend. ¡°Tel! You woke up!¡± He put his hand over his forehead, feeling the temperature. It was warm, but not hot. Better. He was better.

    Telbarisk looked around wildly as Al and Anla hurried over. ¡°Shaylasan¡­¡± he breathed.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°¡¯Falseness, a fake existence. He could be speaking of a dream or that he¡¯s confused why he¡¯s here.¡± He looked down at his friend. ¡°Souskway, Ankoswita.¡±

    Tel blinked a few times and focused his gaze on Raulin. ¡°I was there,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°I know. You were calling out for her.¡±

    Tel sighed and nodded. ¡°What have I missed?¡±

    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Raulin asked as Telbarisk sat up.

    ¡°I remember being home, but that can¡¯t be right.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°In the woods, I was warm. I couldn¡¯t feel anything besides the heat. And I don¡¯t remember anything after that.¡±

    ¡°You passed out on the road to Iascond shortly after we left Tryna, about two days ago. A woman kindly sent her son to the city and an apprentice made her way out to care for you. She diagnosed you yesterday and gave us medicine.¡±

    Tel nodded again and his eyes flickered to the woods. ¡°I need to¡­¡±

    Raulin waved his hand as Tel stood and relieved himself beyond the edge of the camp. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Raulin asked him when he returned.

    ¡°Weak, itchy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, she said not to itch the pox or you¡¯ll get scars.¡± He pulled one of the salves Alistad had left. ¡°The priestess said to apply this instead.¡±

    He sniffed the clay jar and rubbed a little on his arm. He sighed and smiled. ¡°It feels good.¡±

    Tel turned to speak to the other two but stopped when he saw their faces. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment. ¡°They know?¡±

    ¡°I felt it was important to tell them. I had to make sure their loyalties were pure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true then?¡± Al asked. ¡°You¡¯re a prince?¡±

    Tel sat down. ¡°Raulin tells me it¡¯s not the same thing. My brother is the ruler of our lands and it is expected of me to give everything to him. Princes here are not expected to do much, other than behave, marry well, and walk in parades. If I only did those things, it would shame my family and myself.¡±

    ¡°So, you took the fall for your brother,¡± Al said. ¡°He killed someone and he blamed it on you. Why didn¡¯t you say that?¡±

    ¡°There is no difference between the man who took the life and the man who took the blame.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is!¡± Al exclaimed. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually kill him! And the other man you killed was in self-defense! Telbarisk, you aren¡¯t a bad person!¡±

    ¡°Was he a bad person before you made those distinctions?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Not bad, but¡­look, Tichen says¡­¡±

    ¡°Wizard, let¡¯s leave Tichen out of it. From now on, if I hear you spout one morsel of his oh so infinite wisdom, I will find creative ways to make you swallow your tongue.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly have read everything the man wrote.¡±

    ¡°I have. From A Long Way to Wisdom to Your Furthest Thought. It¡¯s essential trirec reading.¡±

    Al snorted and was about to retort when Telbarisk looked at Anla and said, ¡°I had hoped that had ended.¡±

    ¡°Oh, definitely not. Sometimes I think they¡¯re actually beavers. If they don¡¯t gnaw on something continuously, their teeth will grow into their brains.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Raulin said. ¡°For Telbarisk¡¯s well being, I will quell my need to argue.¡±

    Al said nothing, which was better than something.

    ¡°We will need to return to Tryna, to resupply,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Alistad got here very quickly from Iascond, but I suspect she may have ridden through the night. It will be two days at best, and since Telbarisk is still sick, we won¡¯t be at our best. Therefore, food for a few days.¡±

    ¡°We also have another problem,¡± Al added. ¡°Alistad mentioned that there is an outbreak in Iascond of the black measles. She suggested we keep Tel away from compromising places, like cities. Especially cities with many sick people.¡±

    ¡°Good point. We should take our time reaching the city then. I¡¯d prefer he not enter, but I don¡¯t see any way around that.¡±

    ¡°We tested something, the three of us, before you rejoined,¡± Anla said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be the group within a mile of the fourth; we could spread out farther from each other. One person, then another a mile away, then another a mile from him¡­¡±

    ¡°We can spread out farther than we¡¯ve been traveling?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think it would be difficult to do so with precision. Even on a road, there are deviations that could throw the whole thing off. However, we could have Tel stay outside Iascond, someone can stay a half-mile from him and be able to run errands up to a half-mile farther, and Raulin and someone else can stay in the city.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hell of a lot better than dragging Telbarisk into that mess. It¡¯s a great idea. We just need to see if he can actually get to Iascond first.¡±

 Chapter 81

    Telbarisk needed several breaks in the half-mile walk back to Tryna, but each one was shorter than the last. His appetite had returned enough that he was hungry for fruit and ate some on the edge of town. Anla watched him with a warm smile on her face, especially after she looked at Raulin doing the same.

    ¡°Put your scarf around your face so that you don¡¯t upset the air element,¡± Al said when they moved again.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a bakinor,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Only kiluids may wear it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not important to me what he calls it. I know what he meant.¡± Tel lifted it so that it covered his nose down and tucked the remainder into the collar of his shirt.

    Al and Anla shopped in the general store while Raulin stayed outside with Telbarisk, filling him in on the events he had missed. Raulin was too preoccupied to notice the figure standing nearby wishing to speak to him until Tel looked past him and nodded his head her way.

    ¡°Rayani! We were heading to your forge next. We wanted to thank you again for your help by sending your son to Iascond. A Zayine priestess cured Telbarisk and I think he¡¯ll be good as new soon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tel said, bending his neck. ¡°You have my deepest appreciation for your sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°No sacrifice,¡± Rayani said. ¡°My son was more than happy to prove his maturity with the task. His father can be a little on the strict side in his upbringing and I was glad an outside party forced that lesson.¡± She held out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, now that you¡¯re awake.¡±

    Raulin held out his hand, gently moving it down and away. ¡°We¡¯re being careful, trying to restrict his contact with people, No disrespect meant.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course,¡± Rayani said. ¡°Before you leave, I was wondering something. I noticed the state of your equipment while I was in your camp and wondered if there was anything you needed. A paring knife, perhaps? Or maybe a new pot? The one you have is cheaply made and I guarantee that handle will fall off in a month.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very generous of you, but we plan on selling our equipment once we reach New Wextif. I¡¯m sure your pieces would fetch a handsome price even second-hand, but it would hurt me to part with something you made.¡±

    She giggled and stepped closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re such a flattering man. Perhaps I should offer something else then. Now, this wasn¡¯t my idea; it was His, so you can¡¯t say ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What does Skethik wish you to gift us and how much will it cost me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she purred. ¡°There are payments I¡¯d rather have than coin, so don¡¯t worry about the cost.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but a wonderful mother and wife like yourself wouldn¡¯t be interested in that sort of payment.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°No, I suppose not. Fine. We normally charge forty-five gold for a new ax, plus an additional fifteen for the spells of ever-sharpness and increased binding.¡±

    ¡°And with craftsmanship like yours, sixty gold is a steal. We just don¡¯t have the funds to pay for such a wonderful item.¡±

    ¡°How about two then?¡±

    ¡°Two? You¡¯re going from sixty gold down to two?¡±

    ¡°And a kiss.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly. Al and Anla walked out from the general store, chatting about something. ¡°Out of sight and you have a deal.¡± He turned to the wizard. ¡°Sir, pay the lady two gold.¡±

    ¡°Two gold? What am I paying her for?¡±

    ¡°A great investment forthcoming. You and your wife will thank me for the piece.¡±

    Begrudgingly, Al paid her and Raulin and she walked to the same copse of trees Telbarisk had used a few days earlier to nap. Raulin noted the triumphant smile she turned to give Anladet and knew this wasn¡¯t going to be an easy transaction.

    Raulin returned alone after a short while, clicking the bottom part of his mask back into place. ¡°I should have figured it was going to devolve into that.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­¡± Anla said, her mouth slightly open. The group began to move eastward at a slow pace to match Telbarisk¡¯s gait.

    ¡°No, no, not that. Just a lot more passion than I had hoped. And it¡¯s only been about ten minutes, my lady; give me some credit, please.¡±

    Al gave him a disgusted look. ¡°So, I wound up paying her two gold for you to paw her for a few minutes? Hardly seems like a ¡®great investment¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I will pay you back upon my word. Two gold is worth it for me to walk away without¡­well, to walk away. I still have my legs, so I say it¡¯s a good day.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± they heard and Raulin turned around quickly. When he saw who it was, he moved in front of the other three and tensed in anticipation of a fight. ¡°Bay. Hello. How can I help you?¡¯

    Bay was not an overly large man, but well-muscled and holding an ax with both hands. Raulin raked his thumbs up the side of his hip and tucked his tunic behind his knives, trying to remain neutral, yet prepared.

    ¡°This is yours,¡± he said, holding the ax out.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said cautiously. ¡°I still don¡¯t think I¡¯m paying enough for it.¡±

    Bay scowled. That wasn¡¯t what I meant, Raulin thought. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s practically giving it to me, us. I only paid her two gold and nothing else, not other means of payment or anything¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°She returned to our house in a terrible mood both now and the other day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make her unhappy.¡±

    The blacksmith looked down. ¡°In this case, I think I¡¯d prefer it.¡±

    Raulin walked calmly to the smith and took the ax from the man¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you. If it means anything, it¡¯s not you and it¡¯s not her.¡±

    Bay stiffened and left saying nothing else. ¡°What was all that about?¡± Al asked when he rejoined.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice?¡± Anla said as they began walking east again. ¡°Rayani was trying to sleep with Raulin since she first saw him. And Alistad was practically tripping over herself to impress him. You seem to have quite an affect on women when you need to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had a knack with the clergy of the Twelve,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°They seem to like me, for some reason.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Do Merakians have royalty?¡± Al asked. ¡°That would explain it, if you had royal blood that you didn¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking of the attraction between the clergy and the dynastic houses of Noh Amair. I don¡¯t think Merakian royalty works the same, though I couldn¡¯t be completely sure. Merak is a large place and they might have some kings and queens somewhere. But I don¡¯t have royal blood anyway.¡±

    ¡°How would you know, though? You said that tea wipes your memories from childhood, that you don¡¯t remember your parents.¡±

    Raulin eyed Telbarisk quickly, who only briefly raised his eyebrows at the lie. ¡°You¡¯re right, Wizard. Perhaps I do after all. Or maybe women who are cloistered in houses of ritual and prayer find any mysterious, charming man irresistible.¡±

    Al scoffed. ¡°A gentleman never brags about the women he¡¯s bedded.¡±

    ¡°Whoever said I was a gentleman? Why can¡¯t I say who I¡¯ve been with?¡±

    ¡°Because it besmirches a lady¡¯s reputation.¡±

    ¡°But, I¡¯m not naming names, just numbers. And deities, I suppose. That number can¡¯t rise any higher.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve slept with a priestess from every temple?¡±

    ¡°No, no. I haven¡¯t been that busy. Just every order.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Al said, pointing at him. ¡°Caught you in that lie. No priestess of Queyella would be caught dead with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Raulin asked, amused. ¡°And why not?¡±

    ¡°Because Queyellan clergy take vows of purity, adhered through honesty, piety, and abstinence from many things, but especially casual relations. Should a priest break their vows, they¡¯ll perform some ritual of cleansing that involves wearing weights at certain tides and swimming out to corresponding lengths. The weight a woman would wear for casual relations with a man would be so heavy, it would practically be a death sentence. That¡¯s why. No Queyellan priestess would risk her life in order to sleep with you.¡±

    After a few moments, Raulin cleared his throat and spoke in soft tones. ¡°You¡¯re right, Wizard. You caught me. I¡¯ve never slept with a Queyellan priestess.¡±

    ¡°And probably not as many as you¡¯ve said. Cut the paramour act. It makes you look desperate.¡±

    Raulin said nothing. Al began to speak to Telbarisk about the care he should be taking to avoid catching another disease, including burnt offerings of certain items, to balance the elements.

    It was left to Anla to puzzle out why Raulin suddenly grew quiet and distracted. When she tried small talk with him, his answers were brief. When she hinted that she was interested in knowing what he was thinking about, he said nothing. And when she told tales from her childhood, remembering that he showed some interest in her mother¡¯s people, he just sighed occasionally.

    The obvious solution would have been to ask him directly. She still thought of him as a man behind a mask, though, and one who would be reluctant to talk about personal things. He had already been adamant about them not asking questions of his profession. She assumed that was the case for everything.

    Anla had already begun to categorize people¡¯s tones in abstract and poetic terms. Raulin¡¯s normal attitude, when he wasn¡¯t holding back the aggravation of arguing with Al, reminded her of finding a glen just on the edge of her home: a little exciting and a little breathtaking. A river ran through this place. Moss grew on the trees and rocks, which were placed in a way that made her think that someone visited the glen and had arranged things in a certain way. It was warm and comfortable, the summer sun having kissed places that radiated sighs and tenderness. Most of the time it felt like the evening with him, just as the fireflies came out to dot the air with lights. It was a place where something monumental had once happened, but now only held a secret vigil to the event.

    And so, she had never been afraid of him, at least since their first conversation in the cell. But now she feared for him. The rain poured and the glen had flooded into a swamp. Raulin even appeared as if he were walking through thick mood, slowly and with weight. She liked him. She hated to see him drown.

    Had it been the discussion about royalty? She hadn¡¯t noticed his tone straying too far from normal, just a little cautious and perhaps a bit of what Al¡¯s voice sounded like when he was lecturing her. Was he actually shy when speaking about former lovers? No, he actually had seemed a little cocky about that, but not enough to cause Anla to roll her eyes.

    And then she had it. He had lied about the Queyellan priestess. He had slept with her. Since she had been listening for it, she had heard the unmistakable grinding rock sound when he spoke, which clued her in to blatant lies that the person knows is a lie. It was then that she focused in on the facts and figured it out.

    Anla moved closer to Raulin, interlaced his fingers with his, and squeezed once. He looked down at her. ¡°You didn¡¯t know.¡±

    He shook her hand away. ¡°I did know. I was too stupid to remember, to connect what we did to what they preached against. If she died because I couldn¡¯t restrain myself¡­¡±

    ¡°I take it she didn¡¯t have a say in the matter?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t rape her,¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°No, no! I didn¡¯t mean that! I was about to point out that she could make her own decisions. She decided to proceed when she knew the consequences. Therefore, it was either worth it to her or she knew she¡¯d be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not boasting when I say I have a knack with the clergy. If you have a sway over someone, shouldn¡¯t you be more responsible with it? I was aware of it. It¡¯s been adventitious thus far, so it didn¡¯t bother me.¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°I should have just left the offering and gone.¡±

    ¡°All this seems oddly familiar.¡± When he said nothing, she continued. ¡°I control people with my voice. I have to concentrate, use a particular way of speaking, and they¡¯re mine. But, I wonder if I can do it on different levels. When I speak to someone with my normal tone, am I subtly influencing them? When I laugh, am I brightening someone¡¯s moment or am I casting a spell?¡±

    ¡°What conclusions have you drawn?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, at least not yet. I¡¯m constantly evaluating my interactions with people, wondering if they acted too much like I wanted them to.¡±

    Raulin seemed to retreat back into himself. Anla tried again. ¡°Would it help if we went back to Hanala, so you could check on her?¡±

    ¡°No. It would be several days out of our way. We¡¯d also have to go through Carvek, which is a hornet¡¯s nest for us.¡±

    ¡°What about if you wrote a letter to someone, to check on her for you?¡±

    ¡°I could write to Isken,¡± he started, then shook his head. ¡°No. It would look bad if someone in my order intercepted it. They¡¯d ask questions and my responses would get me whipped.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so barbaric that they do that. Why?¡±

    ¡°Pain is an effective method to stop one from having dangerous thoughts and making stupid mistakes.¡± He lifted his tunic and showed her his back for a few moments before dropping the fabric and moving down the trail. ¡°I only have a few because they started with caning first. They iron out any stubborn thoughts and attitudes by the time you become a novice, so that no person with defects makes it to the intense training portion.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s effective?¡±

    ¡°It did what it needed to. I just wish I learned to lie a lot earlier.¡±

    ¡°Do they often kill people for mistakes?¡±

    ¡°No. They would lose a lot of money doing that. They usually only give death sentences for repeat, severe offenses.¡±

    ¡°Because they would rather see a trirec learn than to kill him?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t make sense to kill your best assets.¡±

    ¡°That sounds more effective then. Your organization is smart. Just like I suppose the Queyellan priesthood would be. Why kill your priestesses with ridiculous rules?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re assuming the churches of any of the Twelve are logical. Why mete out steep punishments? Because your deity told you to thousands of years ago. And that¡¯s the way it has to be. Beliforn hates anything that doesn¡¯t promote families. Children raised in households where she is the matron goddess who also happen to be a Sapphist or a Uranian are beaten until they change or die.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen it happen, or at least the aftermath. In certain countries, men, women, and children are kept as slaves and they work in the churches. Aliornic priestesses are usually very into free love, which means they contract diseases at a higher rate. And to keep up with volume in some cities, they drug women and keep them against their wills.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this? It¡¯s ghastly.¡±

    ¡°Because you are being kind. I know some who take kindness too far, nagging until they¡¯ve convinced that the other person feels better. I don¡¯t want to feel better. I don¡¯t want to hope or push it aside or think things through until it actually seems reasonable that she¡¯s fine. I want it squarely in front of me, to remind me that I am an idiot that deserves to feel terrible.¡±

    ¡°All right. If that¡¯s what you need. But, what if there¡¯s a solution? I could write to people I know in Hanala and they could check out the temple.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, ¡°that sounds like a compromise.¡±

    ¡°Just please don¡¯t fret in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°I make no promises. I¡¯m appreciative of your offer, but until the confirmation is in my hands, I will find myself guilty.¡±

    Anla sighed and rubbed his shoulder briefly. She understood where he was coming from. How many hours had she spent hating herself because she had been the reason her parents had been killed? Far too many. And since she had been through it, she knew the thoughts in Raulin¡¯s mind needed to take the same course. Hopefully he would be vanquished or, barring that, would find peace with the burden. For now, he needed to think and be alone. And if he came out broken, she knew that she would try to be there for him.

 Chapter 82

    The truce between Raulin and Al, while impressive, had died soon into the evening. They had sat around the campfire after dinner, discussing events and histories. Al had asked Telbarisk some leading questions about his fiancee. Raulin had thought they were too suggestive and embarrassing and had snapped at Al to quit his badgering. That had led into them bickering over a series of topics, each trying to win points and neither of them getting enough.

    Anla had observed the two as they fought. She thought they reminded her of hens pecking at a kernel of corn, neither understanding that there was feed on the ground elsewhere. While it irritated her slightly, she had made two important observations.

    The first was that the arguing broke Raulin¡¯s somber mood, at least temporarily. When he was forced to think of other things, he didn¡¯t dwell on his past mistake. She wasn¡¯t quite sure which was better: an irritated or morose Raulin.

    The second was that Al was a poor debater. She had assumed that, because he had done a brilliant job in the court on behalf of Tel, that he was great at discussing topics and proving his point. He reminded her more of a child who had climbed a tree too high, clinging desperately to the trunk to avoid falling. There was no considering for him; he listened with half a mind to prove Raulin wrong on what he was saying and the other half to use whatever Raulin was saying against him.

    She had to wonder what the two would say if they were alone. Did they do this because there was an audience or because they would do this anyway? And was it such a terrible thing? She had known several friends, including Isky and Tiorn at the pasta place in Hanala, who spent copious amounts of time doing what Al and Raulin did. It was different, of course, more teasing, but sometimes not.

    Really, all she wanted was another full day when Al didn¡¯t feel the need to henpeck Raulin about his profession and Raulin didn¡¯t feel the need to trap Al into using logical fallacies to win the argument. She was tired of traveling and eating bland food; their arguing only put her in a bad mood.

    They made it to Ammet Canyin with a half-hour to spare before it began to pour. They took refuge under the eaves of a cobbler¡¯s workshop. ¡°What¡¯s our prognosis, Telbarisk?¡±

    The grivven squinted and looked far off into the sky. ¡°It will rain like this throughout the night.¡±

    ¡°Well, then. I wouldn¡¯t recommend spending our coin on meals and rooms frequently, since New Wextif is going to be very expensive for us, but I would love a little comfort tonight,¡± Raulin suggested.

    ¡°Our alternative being to sleep outside? We¡¯re liable to float away!¡± Al said, looking to see if anyone laughed at his joke.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to sleep under a roof tonight,¡± Anla said. ¡°It¡¯s been five days since we¡¯ve had that or a nice cooked meal.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You¡¯re cooking is fine, Al. It¡¯s the best you can do with what you have.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, Wizard. You can¡¯t beat a full kitchen and fresh ingredients.¡± He looked down at the floor for a moment and she thought she knew what he was thinking. ¡°So, we¡¯ll find an inn and two rooms.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to switch rooms tonight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping with Raulin,¡± Al said quickly.

    ¡°No, I mean, you can have the bed all to yourself, Al, and I¡¯ll share one with Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Raulin asked.

    There was little room under the awning, but Al managed to find a corner to discuss this new development. ¡°He¡¯s going to try something with you.¡±

    ¡°He might, but I¡¯m not worried. He may be a trirec, but he¡¯s also still a man. Last I knew, that came with a few prominent and sensitive issues.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Al sucked in his lips for a moment. ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s Merakian. I don¡¯t know if he works the same way we humans do.¡±

    ¡°I can also scream. I won¡¯t lock the door so you can save me as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°But, he¡­¡±

    She placed her hands on his forearms and smiled. ¡°Al, thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself. When we get to Iascond you and I can share a bed again, to keep our cover.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t feel well about this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Anladet had hoped to use the time alone to speak with Raulin, to check in on him and make sure he was fine. Or just to chat about the past or what to expect in Iascond, anything to get to know him better.

    Al was unhappy at dinner. He sat almost uncomfortably close to Anla, making her feel thankful that they both were right-handed. At one point she looked up at Raulin, nodded her head at Al, and rolled her eyes. He laughed quietly and seemed cheerier for the rest of dinner.

    Raulin was almost formal when they got ready to sleep. ¡°I¡¯ll take the outside closest to the door. We can lie in opposite directions, if you¡¯d prefer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. We can share the pillow if we¡¯re both in the same direction.¡±

    The bed was narrow and pushed against the wall. Anla got in first, snuggled under the covers, and raised her fist. Each finger went down, followed by her thumb before she kissed her hand and smiled. Raulin had removed his shirt and shoes, but was otherwise dressed the same when he laid on top of the comforter.

    ¡°What¡¯s Merak like?¡± she asked a few minutes after he had blown out the candle.

    ¡°Like here, only different.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s different?¡±

    He shifted so he was facing the ceiling. ¡°Well, there are more Merakians there than here. It¡¯s colder, at least where my order trains. More mountains that are very tall and rocky. No volcanoes, no warm beaches, barely any humans. Lonely, really.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there villages near where your order trains?¡±

    ¡°A few. But outside a day¡¯s walk it¡¯s wilderness for some time.¡±

    ¡°Some parts of Gheny are like that. The eastern duchies are rather populated, from what I¡¯ve heard, but beyond the Oloron Mountains there aren¡¯t many settlements.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I know. I¡¯ve been to Aviz. That was a long train ride across a lot of uninhabited land.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been to Aviz?¡± she said with some delight. ¡°What was that like?¡±

    ¡°Very different from the rest of Gheny. Everything is so proper here. They care a lot less about high society and the latest fashions in Aviz. They make their own. People are more relaxed and more likely to befriend you. I saw several nobles who owned regular businesses and would dine in the open with whomever wanted to join them.¡± He relaxed as he spoke of the western duchy. ¡°They¡¯re landscaping is amazing. It feels more natural. In Hanala, for example, all the trees are in rows, the lawn in little rectangles with beds of one kind of flower. In Ons Ruith, you¡¯ll turn a bend in the road of the city to find several trees growing up against a building. They love yellow and orange, too, the colors sun-kissed and deep. And the glass! That¡¯s what they¡¯re famous for. Houses will often have plastered walls of that saffron color, with windows that have tiny panes of cobalt and green along the edges.¡±

    ¡°It sounds amazing.¡±

    ¡°It was. I¡¯d say it was almost worth the trip. It¡¯s a very, very long ride, though.¡±

    ¡°What is worth the trip? If you could go somewhere tomorrow, where would that be?¡±

    ¡°Kinto. That¡¯s always my answer.¡±

    ¡°Really? What¡¯s Kinto like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like Genale and New Wextif combined. I know a lot of people feel the height of sophistication in this world is in Arouk or Sayen, but they aren¡¯t giving Kinto a fair chance. It¡¯s a little behind, I¡¯ll admit, but not one of those other places, not even Gheny, has all the things Kinto has. The food, the women, the entertainment, the architecture, the weather, the art¡­ You can spend weeks finding new things in Achiya and, when it gets too much, sail out to one of their thousand islands and live there for a while. One of my best friends is Kintan.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention him before when we spoke about it.¡±

    ¡°I consider her a best friend, but I haven¡¯t spoken with her in a long time. I feel like, if I ran into her, she¡¯d hate me for not trying to find her. I¡¯d rather keep my memories of our friendship warm.¡±

    ¡°If you two were truly good friends, she¡¯d be happy to see you whenever she could. She might be mad, but she¡¯ll get over it. Go and see her when the year is done.¡±

    ¡°I might. That¡¯s a good idea. Thank you.¡±

    The funny part was that he had seen Maya. It wasn¡¯t hard to find her in Kinto; she was where the people were, and he had found her amongst the people quite a few times. It made her busy, and she had never seen him watching her, missing her, wanting to call out to her. But, it was complicated and he was afraid. What if she didn¡¯t remember him? What if she didn¡¯t care? What if¡­

    ¡°You can say no,¡± Anla said, breaking his reverie, ¡°and I would totally understand why, but if you wanted to, you could sleep without your mask. I promise not to look, even when I wake up.¡±

    He considered it. If she wore a blindfold and the door was locked, it might be a chance for him to get a few hours without the hunk of metal strapped to his face. It was kind of her.

    Perhaps it was because he had been thinking of Maya that his mind drifted to more intimate thoughts. He thought of Anla turning towards him with his face bare. Her fingertips would trace his face, his brow, his jawline, and then his lips. He¡¯d kiss her fingers and¡­

    He turned away from her and pretended to fall asleep.

 Chapter 83

    Telbarisk awoke early and watched the rain from the common room of the inn. He loved the rain. Kiluids often had an affinity for a part of nature and found themselves drawn to certain places or things very strongly. It had always been a benefit to Telbarisk that he enjoyed something that was present so frequently. He didn¡¯t have to miss the mountains from home or the forest just outside of Nourabrikot; he always had the rain.

    Telbarisk breathed in. Rocks, grass, flowers, mountains, trees, sky. The heat of morning, the chill of night, arid and dry, then mist and moisture. Death, then life. He couldn¡¯t move his fingertips more carefully over Kelouyan¡¯s face than than when he caressed the lands with his heart.

    Kelouyan. His love. It was a familiar cycle of emotions when it came to her. He would be reminded of her, and then there was a small shock, as if he heart was jolted. Then warmth, happiness, laughter, followed by the realization that those things were not there; she was not there. His heart would lurch and his throat would burn until he could return to the present and fill himself with hope. In the end, that was all he had. Hope.

    It reminded him of the rain, rising from the lakes and oceans, filling the skies with clouds, and falling over and over again. In fact, it was so familiar that his mind connected the storms to time, then to home. He realized that the rains that fell outside at that moment would fall on Ervaskin in two or three days. If he followed the storm, slowly, patiently, he could sense it fall from the sky and onto his homeland. It would nurture the ground, bless the crops, perhaps even fall on Kelouyan.

    He closed his eyes and engaged fully with the world. Kiluids called it ¡°heart soaring¡±, off listening and hearing nature. His soul moved beyond and into the morning sky, over the trees and through them. His mind glossed over animals moving, some large for Gheny, others so small he was surprised they could exist. He reached the sea, floated over waves, skimmed the surface. He dashed through the sky until he came to islands, small to large, and finally Ervaskin.

    His breathing was slow and steady. His soul raced across lands barely familiar until he reached the cold waters of the Miskilt River, so wide you couldn¡¯t see the Valley of the Cold Winds from the western side. Telbarisk dipped south to the coast, flitting across the clouds and the shore until the land was shaped into a city. Nourabrikot, where his brother ruled. Where his parents and his sisters lived. And the lands graced by Kelouyan.

    It was raining there, too. The droplets fell on trees and stones carved into buildings and houses, each rivulet caressing the world. His heart danced in the rain, the land coming alive with the sensations found. And there, somewhere on a hill, carrying a basket of food, was a woman staring at the sky. Her eyes closed, she breathed deeply and serenely, the rain drenching her clothes and hair. The drops splattered on her forehead and her cheeks, falling as tears would if she were sad. She wasn¡¯t, though. A small smile was on her face. ¡°Telbarisk,¡± she whispered.

    The still air moved, the rustling of cloth against cloth. The aroma of baking bread was in the air. He was ripped back from the world, yanked back to his body. He kept his eyes closed, savoring the last remnants of that moment, before wiping the tears from his eyes and turning. He took a steadying breath and smiled before saying, ¡°It is early. Far too early for a man in the company of a woman to rise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to dream than to live sometimes,¡± Raulin said, his voice hollow behind his mask. ¡°It¡¯s better to do both, and to let others do both in peace.¡±

    ¡°Or together.¡± He sighed and looked at his friend. ¡°How was the night for you?¡±

    ¡°I had forgotten how wonderful it is to have a woman sleeping next to you. Hopefully she feels I was appropriate, despite the need to hold her.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It can¡¯t be. I don¡¯t want her to know.¡±

    ¡°You told me about compasses. I¡¯ve yet to see one, but still I think she is your north.¡±

    He nodded slowly. ¡°I shall have to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°Or less.¡±

    ¡°More. It¡¯s bad enough that I must be around such a beautiful woman for the next year. If she knew how I felt and rejected me, it would be worse.¡±

    Tel said nothing. It was best to leave this alone for now. ¡°We will have our morning meal, sit around a talk for some time, perhaps play a game or two. After that, we will leave with dryer weather.¡±

    ¡°This is good to hear. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Mostly recovered. I think it will just be a day or two more until I will be as I was, but I will be better. Thank you for your care and attention.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Raulin sat cross-legged on the couch. ¡°I was afraid you weren¡¯t going to get better. Perhaps I should stop by and speak with Alistad, even though I said we weren¡¯t going to be in Iascond.¡±

    Tel looked at Raulin and let his eyes focus beyond him until Raulin turned his head. ¡°You two are up early,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°We were discussing plans,¡± Raulin said, switching into Ghenian and shifting over on the davenport when she sat next to him. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have fair weather by late morning and a mostly recovered ledgerer. We should make Iascond tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Who should stay with Telbarisk?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°If I had my way, the wizard would. I understand that it might not be fair to Tel, though.¡±

    She rolled her eyes quickly. ¡°I had hoped a miracle would have happened and you would have started getting along with Al.¡±

    A rattling tray was brought out by the elderly innkeeper¡¯s wife. ¡°Breakfast proper will be ready in a half-hour. I thought I¡¯d bring you something to eat and drink early, dears.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± Raulin said, pulling the bottom part of his mask off. He took a pouch from his belt, sprinkled a pinch of herbs in a teacup, and poured hot water over it.

    ¡°Your forgetful tea?¡± Anla asked.

    He removed a slotted spoon, tarnished with use, from the pouch and sifted out the spent herbs. Tel made eye contact with him quickly, wondering how he¡¯d answer. ¡°It¡¯s tea my order forces us to drink every morning. As far as I know, there is no herb in the world that could make you forget a certain time in your life. This is actually called chouren, a tea which makes me unable to sire children.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said softly. ¡°May I ask why you lied before?¡±

    ¡°There is a pair of ears amongst us who I felt didn¡¯t need to know the truth. He likes to collect facts, horde them for the right argument, then use them against me. I¡¯d rather give him a dull blade than let him continue to look for others to stab me with.¡±

    Tel had noticed that Alpine had an odd way of categorizing the world. He would say he was like a seed man, particularly suited in identifying and harvesting seeds for people to buy, but not great at telling them how to grow the plants properly. This seemed to frustrate Al, who kept wondering who he had before him in Raulin.

    Anla left after a cup of tea, to wake Al and change. ¡°Did I improve?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°It might be better if you just left it alone. She doesn¡¯t seem to notice; or if she does, she enjoys it.¡±

    Raulin sighed and seemed to contemplate telling him something for a few minutes before Al and Anla came back downstairs. Al yawned loudly and stretched. ¡°It smells wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Fresh baked bread, scones, and tarts with jam and butter are in the nook,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Enjoy; it will be a few hours before we leave.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if we settled something first? Al, either you or I will be going to Iascond with Raulin. I thought it would be fair to play a game first, to determine the winner.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°What should we play? Hierarchy? No, never mind; you cheat at that game.¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± she said. ¡°How about Eri, Veri, Don?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair. I don¡¯t see how you could cheat at that.¡±

    They stood facing each other, one hand behind their back. ¡°How do you play this game?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Al said. ¡°You choose a number one to five, put your hand behind your back, and both of you show which number you picked at the same time. Best of three wins. I¡¯m taking evens!¡±

    Telbarisk watched. It was a simple game, just numbers and addition. There was something odd, though, and it was hard for him to pick up on what it was.

    Al won the first round when he picked a three and Anla picked a one. The next round she won, when Al picked a two and she a one again. Anla blinked at this and seemed to consider things before making her next choice.

    ¡°Please,¡± Raulin said from the davenport. ¡°Anla, help me out here.¡±

    ¡°Eri, veri¡­don!¡± Al said, throwing a three. So did Anla.

    ¡°The gods have cursed me,¡± Raulin said, standing.

    ¡°It was sort of a Walpin match, huh? Not much of a fight, Anla.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± Raulin asked, testily.

    ¡°A Walpin match,¡± Al said, looking confused. ¡°You know, how they give up so easily when Merakians invade? We say something is a Walpin match when it¡¯s too easy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of the Walpi,¡± he snapped. ¡°Maybe if other countries helped them secure their borders, they wouldn¡¯t have to choose between throwing their people into a senseless battle that they¡¯ll lose or giving up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an expression,¡± Al said. ¡°Everyone uses it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Don¡¯t say it around me.¡± He stormed out and went back to their room.

    ¡°Great, and now I have to spend a week alone with that.¡±

    Anla caught Al¡¯s eye. ¡°Please, try to get along with him. Will it be so hard not to say ¡®Walpin match¡¯ over the next week?¡±

    ¡°No, I suppose not.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    Al decided to celebrate his victory by taking tea and breakfast in the corner table. Anla sat on the sofa again, across from Telbarisk. ¡°What were you two really talking about?¡±

    ¡°Raulin is still moody about things. We were discussing that before what he told you. I think he must be a little sensitive, if Al set him off that easily.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the priestess, I think. We were talking last night, before falling asleep. I thought the conversation went well until he shut me out. I thought I did something wrong, but maybe not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t anything you said.¡±

    She nodded to herself, staring out the window for a moment at the rain. ¡°How were you and Al?

    ¡°He wanted to talk for a long while, mostly about you. He was concerned about the arrangement and was convinced Raulin was going to be improper with you. I finally convinced him not to barge in on you two and that you could deal with the situation in your own ways.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Tel. I appreciate that. So, I¡¯ll have to pay extra attention to Al today, so that he doesn¡¯t get grumpy.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡±

    She nodded, stood, and went to sit with Al. Telbarisk was hungry, but decided it would be best to look out at the rain. He loved his friends, but there was peace outside and after ten minutes with the three of them, all he wanted was peace.

 Chapter 84

    The rain glistened from leaves, tiny crystals refracting rainbows. The road was still muddy and full of water in the wagon-wheel ruts. Puddles dotted the way and caused them to worm their way around or take large, Telbarisk-length steps to avoid them.

    Homes and small farms began to line the route with more frequency after several hours of travel and a quick lunch. ¡°How much longer until the houses are close enough together that there isn¡¯t any forest left?¡± Raulin asked Telbarisk.

    ¡°Not much time. We will come to a large wall before the sun touches the horizon.¡±

    ¡°Then we should set up our first camp here,¡± he said, pointing in general to the woods. ¡°You choose, Tel, since you¡¯re going to be wherever it is for at least a few days.¡±

    ¡°Not here,¡± he said and continued walking, taking the lead for the first time since they began their journey..

    A half-hour of travel passed. ¡°Tel, we¡¯re getting close to Iascond,¡± Al said.

    Telbarisk stopped, then smiled. ¡°Here,¡± he said, pointing at a small strip of forest. ¡°Here is where I will stay.¡±

    The three paused for a few moments. ¡°I think that¡¯s someone¡¯s property,¡± Al said. ¡°You can¡¯t stay there; that¡¯s breaking the law.¡±

    ¡°Kouriya?¡± Raulin asked him. Tel nodded. ¡°This is where he¡¯s staying, then. I¡¯m sure that he can work something out with the owners if they don¡¯t want him there. It¡¯s only a crime if it¡¯s reported.¡±

    There was another short pause when the four of them reached the edge of a gate and stared in.

    ¡°Well, at least there shouldn¡¯t be any issues about landowners being upset about Tel staying here,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a graveyard,¡± Al pointed out. ¡°He can¡¯t stay at a graveyard; there are diseases in rotting flesh!¡±

    ¡°The wizard makes a good point,¡± Raulin said to Tel. ¡°Are you sure you want to stay here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve listened and this is where I will stay.¡±

    Raulin nodded slowly and turned to Al. ¡°Is there anything he can do to ward off illness?¡±

    ¡°I already told him there was,¡± he said. ¡°He needs to stay near a fire, cook his food thoroughly, and rub his skin with ash. He hasn¡¯t been doing any of these, however.¡±

    ¡°Tel? Do you promise to do as he says? Otherwise, I think I¡¯m going to move you somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°I need to be here, though,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know, but you will be by yourself for a good portion of the day. I¡¯m concerned that you will fall ill after Anla leaves and she won¡¯t find you until that night.¡±

    Telbarisk tensed. ¡°It is important that I stay here. I will do as he says.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then, unless the lady has any objections, which wouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡±

    ¡°With company I think I¡¯ll be all right,¡± Anla said. ¡°I¡¯m not like one of those Tektornians, with their obsessions with the dead. I don¡¯t believe they rise up on the full moon, to seek out vengeance.¡±

    ¡°I have Kambersol Convictions: Volume the Fifth, if you want to read more about them,¡± Al said, slinging his pack off and rifling through its contents. ¡°It goes into some of the lore of Tektorn. There was a particularly good story about spring-heeled jacks that I particularly liked. Another one about the Wick Tellet monster that¡­¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s fine, Wizard,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go over those recommendations again?¡±

    They set down their gear while Al lectured Telbarisk. ¡°Are you fine, Anla? You didn¡¯t mention death as a fear, but it is one most men have. If you don¡¯t want to stay here, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°No, I believe I¡¯ll be all right,¡± she said. ¡°Honestly. It¡¯s a good chance to get to know Telbarisk.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he said, though he was still dubious.

    Once Tel was set up and supplied, the remaining three left to figure out Anladet¡¯s day base. ¡°Did you have anything in mind, any preferences?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I was thinking this might be a good opportunity to earn a little money, so perhaps near a park or a busy area?¡± Al loudly scoffed and she ignored him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind staying at an inn.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Did you think we were going to put you up in a rat-infested hole? We have enough money to get you a good place.¡±

    ¡°I thought we were saving money.¡±

    Raulin pulled the pouch from his belt and opened it to show her the strings of beads. ¡°This is how I¡¯m paid. I can exchange these with my order for money. This, right here, is worth several hundred gold. So don¡¯t worry about money for right now and just enjoy a short vacation where you don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Remind me again why we have to pay you money to guard us?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Wizard. I wouldn¡¯t want to lie to my order. They find things out.¡± After he saw Al scowl, he said, ¡°Fine. My operating costs for one year will eat all of this up.¡±

    ¡°You spend two hundred gold on ¡®operating costs¡¯? What, do you buy every lady you see jewelry and shoes?¡±

    ¡°Bribes, medicine and doctor¡¯s visits, clothing, meals, travel, tickets to events, and, yes, sometimes jewelry for ladies. And maybe a short vacation after I¡¯m done. Genale isn¡¯t cheap.¡±

    ¡°So why don¡¯t you just not vacation this year and pay for your guarding fee?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fun,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea at all.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t like paying you money to do what you were going to do anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡¯A man¡¯s worth is valued in his work, and a man¡¯s work should be worth a value.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t spout Tichen at me!¡± Al said.

    ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Raulin said, laughing. ¡°We¡¯ve made progress then! I¡¯ll refrain if you refrain.¡±

    * * *

    Despite the conversation, Anla took a cheap room in a modest hotel for young, working women located a block from the southwestern gate of Iascond. It was a large, boring rectangular building with many windows trimmed in white. It¡¯s only interest were a few trees just past bloom that grew so close to the walls that they appeared to be leaning.

    Each floor had over a dozen rooms and one washroom with plumbing. Therefore, the rate was inexpensive at a silver per night, which was discounted by fifteen coppers for paying upfront for a fullweek. The less money spent, the better, Anla thought. During the day she¡¯d be in the city making money. At night she¡¯d travel back to the graveyard to retire with Telbarisk, save for the one night Raulin needed her here. She wouldn¡¯t be staying very much in her room, so it was more for pretenses than anything else.

    ¡°I¡¯m estimating seven days maximum,¡± Raulin said outside the main lobby. ¡°I have to establish contact with the city¡¯s agent before I begin, which I¡¯m hoping will be within twenty-four hours. One to three days for research, two days for implementation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only six days,¡± Al pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, I was taught math at some point in the last twenty-six years. I always try to leave some time for setbacks and surprises, but I don¡¯t like counting them. It begs for disaster.¡± He turned to her. ¡°I need you to check in daily for mail. I¡¯ll send you a letter with some rambling cockamamie the night before the second job. I need you to stay here that night, should I need flexibility in travel.¡±

    ¡°How can I reach you two, should I need to?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll walk by this building twice daily. Why don¡¯t you hang a scarf outside your window if you need to get ahold of us.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Stay safe.¡± Her instinct was to hug the two of them, but instead she just smiled and walked inside.

    ¡°On to our hotel,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Now, are you still interested in being frugal or can we split our rooms, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I have a name, you know. It¡¯s Alpine Gray. Al for short.¡± He paused. ¡°Never mind. You can call me Alpine.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so concerned with these things, Wizard. It¡¯s just a name.¡±

    ¡°What if I started calling you ¡®Trirec¡¯, huh?¡±

    ¡°Go right ahead if it makes you feel better, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Trirec. Where are we going Trirec?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t quite have the same ring to it, in my opinion.¡± He pulled his journal from his pack and opened up to one of the pages at the end of his section on Gheny. Copying down the tedious information of where agents were placed and how to alert them had been irritating, especially in light of losing his other journal, but he had known how important the information was and had gritted his teeth and done it. ¡°You and I need to buy a piece of chalk and make it to the corner of Market and Bull streets.¡±

    ¡°I have chalk.¡± He dove his hand into his backpack, rummaged for a few moments, then retrieved it. ¡°Does it matter if its broken?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic, Wizard! It¡¯s now two pieces of chalk.¡±

    ¡°Eventually it becomes chalk dust.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but even deserts were formed by larger stones.¡±

    They continued walking until they found signs that pointed them to the right place. ¡°I need you to go to that building right there,¡± Raulin said, pointing to a red brick office building, ¡°and draw on the corner. At the top will be a bird with a line next to it. Below that, a half-circle faced up with a capped line about three-fourths of the way to the right. Below that, another half-circle faced down with a line halfway through, not capped.¡±

    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a signal that a trirec is looking for an agent and what time we put it up and how long we¡¯re willing to wait.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it? I don¡¯t know how to draw a bird.¡± He looked a little sheepish at that.

    ¡°I would, but its a bit conspicuous for a trirec. If I could take off my mask, I¡¯d have no problem, but since I can¡¯t, it¡¯s up to you. And do your best with the bird; I¡¯m sure the agent will get what you mean.¡±

    Al rolled the piece of chalk in his fingers as he crossed the street. He realized that there was a window mere feet from the place Raulin had told him to draw the cipher and that there was a man inside writing with a quill on a desk. If he decided to look up, he¡¯d see Al defacing the side of his business.

    Al looked around at the people walking the street and back at Raulin, who made an encouraging wave with his hands. Al looked again to his left and right, then drew a blobby circle being attacked by angles, then the two half circles. He used his spit to erase some lines on the blobby circle and added more angles with lines jutting out to represent talons. When he was satisfied, he walked back to Raulin while wiping the chalk on his breeches.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Raulin said, leading Al left down the street. ¡°Now, we wait a flash or a bash for our agent to show.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean he¡¯s not going to show up immediately?¡±

    ¡°No! His job isn¡¯t to wait around to see if someone draws something on the side of that building. He¡¯s out doing¡­well, things, Wizard. Other things. He¡¯s responsible for checking the building once per day, just in case. Hopefully we didn¡¯t just miss our window.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do while we wait?¡±

    Raulin stopped and looked down the street. ¡°We¡¯re going to find our room. Then you and I are going to talk.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°About Mr. Auslen and his big, fat mouth.¡±

 Chapter 85

    The hotel where Al and Raulin took their room at was near the northwestern gate, which happened to be a rougher neighborhood in Iascond. It was still a nice place, with traveler¡¯s suites of a spacious room that had separate beds and a private bathroom. The price was a compromise; at three silver a night, they still had accommodations that pleased them both without hurting their reserves too badly.

    Al was folding his clothes neatly into his chipped but sturdy bureau when Raulin broached the subject that had concerned him earlier. ¡°Now. Let¡¯s start by where you made your mistake.¡±

    Al turned, his face a study of puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°With Mr. Auslen.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, returning to his folding. ¡°When was that?¡±

    ¡°Sometime after we had our last discussion and now, which should narrow down who you were speaking with and what you said.¡±

    ¡°Was it Chian? I didn¡¯t say much to him.¡±

    ¡°Then it wasn¡¯t him.¡±

    Al closed the last drawer and turned. ¡°Alistad? What did I¡­?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was odd that she entrusted you to cure the medicine for Tel. Then I asked Anla and she said you confirmed her diagnosis by saying your sister had had Brigon¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°She did, though. That didn¡¯t give anything away.¡±

    ¡°No, but I believe the part when you told her you were a wizard gave away the fact that you were a wizard.¡±

    Al sat on the bed and faced Raulin. ¡°She wasn¡¯t going to say anything.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. The only people you can trust to keep their lips sealed are those who have a vested interest in secrecy, namely myself, Anla, and Tel. To everyone else you must be Mr. Auslen.¡± He watched Al¡¯s face, noting that he didn¡¯t appear to agree. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I agree that Alistad wouldn¡¯t say anything. She seems to take her duties seriously and doesn¡¯t have any motivation for telling anyone you¡¯re a wizard. She¡¯s in the ¡®safe¡¯ category.

    ¡°But what about all those other people we¡¯ll come across in our travels? The waiter serving your wine or the man shining your shoes. What about the innkeeper downstairs? None of them make enough money that their morals would interfere with making more. A man walks up to them, slides a coin their way, and asks a simple question. It seems a bit strange, but what¡¯s the problem with telling someone a little tidbit of information? They¡¯re making money and this new person got what he wanted. It¡¯s like giving directions to a lost gentleman.¡±

    Raulin watched Al for a moment as he processed this. ¡°You still don¡¯t believe me. Trust me when I say I use that technique frequently. It saves me a lot of time when I need to gather notes on someone. If I can get it for free, then that¡¯s great, but I often makes small donations to many a man¡¯s liquor funds instead.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Al said. ¡°I just don¡¯t see why anyone would care.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he said, leaning his hands on his knees, ¡°explain to me the laws that govern wizards.¡±

    Al opened his mouth to speak, then closed it to think about it further. ¡°I see your point. I haven¡¯t been registering in cities nor wearing my stole in public.¡±

    ¡°And it wouldn¡¯t be smart to do that. If I recall, you can be summoned by the governing agent anywhere for whatever reason at any time indefinitely. That would seriously put a cramp in our plans. Mr. Auslen also has all that background we created so the group dynamic makes sense. Remind me to buy Telbarisk a ledger the next time I can.¡±

    ¡°I see your point. What do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard, I want you to tell me what you want to do.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Al furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not an actor. I don¡¯t do well on stage.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps your audience was too big. I¡¯ve been told by actor friends of mine that they always practice new roles and characters on friends first. If you can convince one person, you can convince everyone. So, try me.¡±

    ¡°What do I say?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to your discretion, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°I never did well during acting classes, Raulin. They had me try dozens of different people from different places and with different backgrounds. The only reason I passed is because I did all the work and showed up to every class.¡±

    ¡°Instructors always teach people how to be someone else. Take on these mannerisms, say these lines, use this accent. What I want you to do is become someone else. Don¡¯t pretend to be Mr. Auslen; be Mr. Auslen.¡±

    ¡°And how should I do that? I¡¯ve never been someone else.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. You were once a child with hopes and dreams and a different name. Then you went to school, presumably gained knowledge, and a different name: Alpine Gray. How were you before you became a wizard?¡±

    Al shrugged. ¡°I was a kid.¡±

    ¡°There must have been differences between how you acted then and now. Something changes you when you go through an institute like Amandorlam.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t really think of any differences.¡±

    Raulin paused. While he usually didn¡¯t get along with Al, he had to admit that he was lacking the irritating air of superiority almost every wizard he¡¯d met had. Perhaps he was right; perhaps there had been no fundamental shift in personality that made him a wizard. He had kept on being himself, undertaking the mantle without feeling the weight. Or throwing it around.

    It might be wise to start with the basics. ¡°Are you able to tell the difference between people¡¯s gaits, maybe even mimic them?¡±

    Al looked up in thought before smiling. ¡°Yes. Actually, when I stole the chalice, I was pretending to be a thief.¡±

    ¡°How did you pretend to be a thief?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I walked like one.¡±

    ¡°This I have got to see. Go ahead.¡±

    Al stood and walked across the room with the same creep-step he had used in Berlont¡¯s shop. When he reached Raulin¡¯s bureau, he hunched over the top, sweeping his gaze dramatically across the room, before snatching a silver piece. He did his creep-step back to the bed and tossed Raulin the coin. ¡°Just like that.¡±

    It took everything in Raulin¡¯s power not to burst out laughing. Things were maybe not great but definitely better between the two of them, at least for the moment. Laughing at Al right then might sour things more than a little. He took a quiet breath in and out before speaking. ¡°Just out of curiosity, when did you see a thief walk like that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Persisco looked like in Twenty Nights in Kinto. I saw it once when I was in Amandorlam.¡±

    Raulin pinched his lips. ¡°I see. It was a theatrical performance. That makes some sense then.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t walk like that when your stealing?¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard. I have honestly never walked like that. Sometimes I need to steal things in broad daylight, with people nearby. Tiptoeing like that would surely forecast my intentions, not to mention get a few odd looks from the bystanders. Even if I were stealing at night, I wouldn¡¯t walk like that. It would take far too long.¡±

    ¡°But¡­then why did Persisco walk like that?¡±

    ¡°Because it was a play and there were people watching. They need to announce their motions in front of an audience, display them so they know what¡¯s going on. Real thievery is about stealing as quickly, as quietly, and as subtly as possible. It doesn¡¯t make for good theater.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said, moving his hands over his knees.

    ¡°Bright side of this lesson is that you can see how Persisco walks and how that¡¯s different from most people. You can also mimic it. What you need to do is apply that to Mr. Auslen. Think about him and how he would walk.¡±

    Al stood and thought for a moment before taking on a limping gait.

    ¡°Mr. Auslen has a bad leg?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Yes? I don¡¯t know. Perhaps he used to be a guard to the king before he was stabbed defending his sovereign.¡±

    ¡°While I appreciate your creativity, let¡¯s start simply. He is¡­how old?¡±

    ¡°Fifty.¡±

    ¡°Fifty? You don¡¯t look fifty. How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-nine.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Auslen is twenty-nine years old. He¡¯s five feet, six inches? Ghenian, descended from immigrants from Br¡¯vani. He was educated at Amandorlam for the basic portion. All the same as you thus far?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m five feet, five inches. I can pretend to be taller.¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°All right, Mr. Auslen is a little taller than you are. He walks like you and talks like you, even wears the same clothes and shoes most of the time- we really should get you at least one set of merchant¡¯s clothing. So, Mr. Auslen is essentially Alpine Gray at this point. Now we fill in the gaps.

    ¡°First, he needs a full name. He needs a background, where he¡¯s been and done since his graduation from Amandorlam. He needs a story as to how he met his wife, whatever name you¡¯d like to give her, and when they married. And he needs anchors to his profession: his company name, what he specializes in, where his headquarters are, things like that. I¡¯m going to check on our agent and see what the climate of Iascond is. You think about those questions. When I return, I expect you to be Mr. Auslen.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Al began to protest, but Raulin was already at the door.

    ¡°It would be nice if he wasn¡¯t too fascinated by the works of Tichen,¡± he said before leaving Alpine alone with Mr. Auslen.

 Chapter 86

    ¡°Not too much farther, sir,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Just one more block.¡±

    ¡°This is good. My feet are tired and I do not wish to walk much more,¡± Al replied.

    ¡°Why are his feet tired?¡± Raulin asked lowly. ¡°He walks a lot while traveling and he has no ailments.¡±

    ¡°Because¡­his horse threw a shoe and he had to walk from Hanala to Iascond?¡± Al sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Raulin. Why do you keep nitpicking at me?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m trying to teach you substantiation. Every lie you tell must be backed up with something plausible, even if that¡¯s also a lie.¡±

    ¡°But then I need to back that up, then back that up, all with lies. It¡¯s exhausting to keep all of it straight.¡±

    ¡°It is. Thankfully, you won¡¯t need to actually explain yourself to people, since most are trusting and believe whatever you say. You will come across a rare person here and there who wants to get to know you or needs the truth. Expect to speak with someone when you say things and you won¡¯t start saying things you can¡¯t prove.¡± Raulin looked ahead. ¡°Ah, there he is. Now is your debut.¡±

    ¡°Where I don¡¯t¡­¡± Al started to say, then saw the glint of the sun on a mask. ¡°I thought you said he was an agent, not a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Our agents are trirecs. We don¡¯t trust anyone outside of the order. Better to wash your hand with your other hand, as they say.¡±

    The meeting place was a very small park of a square with a fountain, several benches, and a few potted flowers. The trirec was sitting in the shade on a bench against a local haberdashery. Raulin slid three fingers of his right hand over three fingers of his left in greeting, which was returned by the agent.

    ¡°Here he is, sir,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Let me just establish things first.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Al said and gave a gesture of dismissal so offhanded that it impressed Raulin. Al moved a few feet closer to the fountain and pulled out Raulin¡¯s notebook to ¡°read¡± as a prop, even though it was written in a code.

    The agent stood and introduced himself as Curvot Milesh, which translated to ¡°bumbling idiot¡± in Merakian. Raulin was immediately on alert, knowing how exactly his order gave names to their trirecs. ¡°What was wrong with that bird you drew?¡±

    ¡°Um, he¡¯s dying. Dead, by now, I think, of terrible artistry. It¡¯s a disease that afflicts people in major cities. Raulin Kemor,¡± he said and gestured to Al, also known as Fiar Auslen.

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Curvot said with a sly tone. ¡°That does explain a few things.¡±

    Raulin ignored this. ¡°I ran into this merchant in my travels and he persuaded me to guard him, his wife, and his ledgerer for the next eleven months. They will be traveling north, though it will be some time before we reach the office in New Wextif. I thought it best to contact someone quickly to settle this.¡±

    Curvot reached to the side of the bench and pulled up a briefcase, which contained paperwork and a cartridged pen. ¡°Fee?¡± he asked, sitting again.

    ¡°Sixty gold.¡±

    ¡°For eleven months of guarding three people?¡± he asked, looking up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­never guarded before. Is that too much?¡±

    ¡°Too little. Far too little. You could get half that per month.¡±

    Raulin sighed dramatically. ¡°I should have negotiated better. I will make up any losses to Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not too bad of a loss. What made you decide to agree?¡±

    ¡°Their planned route is similar to the one I¡¯ll be taking and any differences aren¡¯t an issue to them. It seemed like wasting money if I didn¡¯t take their contract.¡±

    Curvot filled in some of the lines on the sheet. ¡°Are you maxed for contracts already?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. He hoped that Isken would receive the paperwork and would neglect to inform the trivrens in Hanala that he was over by one.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Excellent. Could you ask your employer to come over to answer some questions?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Al asked after Raulin brought him over.

    ¡°I need to know your name, occupation, and the names of everyone else in your party.¡±

    Al wisely chose to keep Telbarisk¡¯s name the same, but Anladet became Mayasena Auslen. ¡°I am a merchant of rare collectibles, trinkets, and jewelry. We¡¯ve been robbed once this year already and have decided it¡¯s worthwhile to hire a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Collectibles? So you must know Ouvid who runs the antique shop over there?¡± Curvot pointed to a little place with large windows and a dazzling display of items in them.

    Raulin did his best to make eye contact with Al and shake his head very slowly. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Al said after a pause. ¡°I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    ¡°Really? You sound like you¡¯re a Ghenian.¡±

    A few moments passed as Curvot filled in the paperwork. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s from Aviz,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I believe that¡¯s what you said, sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said carefully. ¡°It¡¯s just too darn hot to be traveling all over the west coast!¡±

    ¡°So instead of moving north to Winstad or Breachil, you chose to move out here?¡±

    Al sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. For one moment Raulin thought he was going to give up and admit the truth. He was ready to punch him in the teeth to stop that from happening when he heard Al say, ¡°I lost too much money to a competitor, Montrime Verald, and couldn¡¯t get a foothold back in the market. What can I say? No man likes to admit that he¡¯s been defeated, but he won and I¡¯m here, testing my luck in the east.¡±

    Curvot looked up briefly, nodded, and went back to writing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Hopefully your prospects will be better here. I need you to sign and pay.¡±

    Al paid the fee and took his time writing out ¡®Fiar Auslen¡¯ on the paper on the back of the briefcase. ¡°Things are already looking better. My wife and I found a lost jewel for the Duke of Sharka and he rewarded us handsomely. Then we discovered our ledgerer, who is has been a great addition.¡±

    The trirec stood. ¡°Excellent to hear. Arvarikor hopes Raulin Kemor will make a good guard for you and your people and hopes you will consider us again once your contract is completed.¡± He turned to Raulin. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±

    ¡°A small exchange,¡± he said, pulling out the pouch on his belt. ¡°Twenty should cover things until New Wextif.¡±

    He gave Curvot two yellow beads, who in turn pulled the money from a pouch in the lining of the briefcase. Raulin repeated the three-fingered gesture and left the square with Al.

    ¡°He seemed quite short and tanned compared to you. Kriskin malor, why was he so nosy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He was making conversation with you, but happened to ask questions that you hadn¡¯t thought of already. That¡¯s why I recommended working on Auslen before meeting with the agent. By the way, you did excellent. I¡¯m quite impressed.¡±

    ¡°You are?¡± Al said, a pleased smile crossing his face.

    ¡°Yes. Where did you come up with that bit about your competitor?¡±

    Al laughed. ¡°That¡¯s actually the plot of the Kiesh the Black story I was reading in Ammet Bronsto.¡±

    ¡°And Anla¡¯s new name? You decided she was Kintanese?¡±

    ¡°She could pass as one. Her skin is too light to be Br¡¯vani, though I could have explained that she was half-Arvonnese, like she actually is. I¡¯m not sure about her name. I remember hearing it once and liking it, but I don¡¯t remember where.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the queen of Kinto.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He dwelled on this for a moment. ¡°Oh, is that bad then? Is it like in Arvonne where no one names their children after the monarchies?¡±

    ¡°No, but it is a rarer name. I think you¡¯ll be fine, just call her ¡®Maya¡¯. Most people won¡¯t bother to ask what her full name is. Also, work on your signature. As a collector, you will have signed your name many times. After a while you get tired and it gets sloppier.¡±

    ¡°I can do that while we work on your theft contract.¡±

    ¡°¡¯We¡¯?¡± Raulin said, stopping. ¡°Why all of a sudden are you on board with my work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Mr. Auslen is, however. He knows that sometimes you have to crease palms and build pills, and sometimes you need to filch things outright. So, if you need his help to set up a theft, then he¡¯s your man.¡±

    Raulin refrained from correcting him on his idioms, but unfortunately had to burst his bubble on the rest. ¡°I have to work alone, Wizard. It¡¯s part of our code. I can¡¯t risk someone finding out you helped me.¡±

    ¡°You told me to work on Mr. Auslen and I did,¡± he said with some force. ¡°Now you¡¯re telling me that I can¡¯t be who he is. There has to be something I can do other than sit in our hotel room and read!¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Raulin said, gesturing for his notebook. ¡°My first contract in Iascond is to steal a book.¡±

    ¡°A book. Any book?¡±

    ¡°No, a particular book.¡±

    ¡°Like a rare or collectible book?¡±

    ¡°Likely so. I know where you¡¯re going to go with this- no. You¡¯re not ready yet. Besides the fact that you¡¯ll call unneeded attention to yourself in a place that we¡¯ll be in for a week, a place not far enough away from Carvek for my own liking.¡±

    ¡°Then what was the point of me creating Mr. Auslen then? I¡¯ve done all this work for nothing!¡±

    ¡°Wizard,¡± Raulin began, ¡°you didn¡¯t do it for nothing. It¡¯s the foundation for how you will need to act for the next year, minus a few suns. You still need to work on it and perfect it before I¡¯m willing to let you loose on a city.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to sit in my hotel room and perfect for the next week.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not jailing you; you¡¯re free to go wherever you please. I just need you not with me when I fulfill my contracts. Anla and Tel, too; none of you are allowed to help.¡±

    Al looked so bitter and miserable during their walk back to the hotel that Raulin reconsidered. He wouldn¡¯t just let him help, no, no. That would be disastrous. But, there were other ways he could make Al feel important. And so, while he did the first leg of his work that evening, he made a few little side trips on behalf of their new relationship.

 Chapter 87

    Al felt lost in Iascond. It was like the first time he had set foot in Whitney, his prospects infinite, but his bravery waning. He had thought the nervous and overwhelming uneasiness at being in a new city would have left him with the maturity of seven years in Amandorlam, but he still felt it just as keenly. He was unsure of where to go, what to do, what his purpose was. He felt just¡­lost.

    He wasn¡¯t physically lost. He was precisely two blocks down from the hotel he was staying at, mere yards from the sausage vendor he had bought his lunch at. But, he hadn¡¯t wanted sausage and he didn¡¯t want to be sitting in a park under a shaded tree. He also didn¡¯t know what he wanted and those options had at least felt safe to him.

    What did he want? It was a question he had kept from thinking about, but haunted him peripherally. Tel wanted to help his people. Anla wanted to find her siblings. Even Raulin had a purpose for the next year. But Al had nothing. He knew that, when the year was done, he wouldn¡¯t be returning to Whitney. Mere weeks away had taught him that it wasn¡¯t his home and had likely never been his home. As much as he missed Marnie, he didn¡¯t miss work nor his wife.

    He had briefly considered getting a roaming permit for wizardry, but knew them to be expensive and incredibly tedious with paperwork, full of red tape and taking forever to get approved. Besides, all the recent traveling had shown he was a man who hated instability. Given the opportunity, he¡¯d rather pledge himself to someone who needed him rather than have the freedom to venture. All he needed was a respectable person who could provide the basics and had a decent library. They could travel a little, between estates, and he wouldn¡¯t mind a tiny bit of adventure or pressure to excel at something. Nothing extreme; a little daily touch wizardry to reduce negativity, maybe some guard duty at events, but mostly a lot of time to study and write.

    So, eleven months to find a man, or woman, who needed a cross-switching wizard in some capacity. It wasn¡¯t impossible. He had known several students at Amandorlam who had been placed right after graduation in some capacity. A few teachers had even suggested the idea to him, since his reputation would draw in offers, but he didn¡¯t have the connections and was afraid he¡¯d be stranded somewhere without the options he wanted.

    Connections. Kriskin malor. What if the man was the Duke of Sharka? Al hadn¡¯t even thought to ask if he had any positions available in a year¡¯s time. He had been shackled to Anla, who¡¯d had her own reasons for traveling. But they could have kept to the duchy and returned frequently, even using the duke¡¯s resources in exchange for money or work. And the duke was a man of integrity, a well-read administrator who saw his position as more than just reaping benefits.

    Had he missed his opportunity? There was nothing to do but wait and see if¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that eating sausage sandwiches cold can be bad for your health,¡± a voice said. Al looked over and saw a woman with a simple dress sitting on the grass a few feet away. She was plain looking, but more as in she had no outstanding features than someone who was homely. Her teeth were crooked, but she had a nice smile, an expressive feature that seemed like she was comfortable speaking with him and interesting in conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the same thing,¡± he said. ¡°Something about the fat congealing in your stomach and blocking it like a stopped up sink.¡±

    She nodded at the sandwich, encouraging him to finish. When he was done, she smiled and moved closer to him. ¡°Thank you. I detest the scent of pork and didn¡¯t want to come closer, but you seemed like a man heavy in thought. I wondered if you wanted company.¡±

    ¡°I suppose. At least it¡¯s a good day to spend outside.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s rained more days than not in the last two weeks. It¡¯s nice to have a day to let things dry out.¡± She held her hand out in that dainty way women did. ¡°Tenia.¡±

    Al¡¯s took her hand. His choice was to bend her fingers slightly in greeting or to kiss her hand to signify interest beyond acquaintanceship. He chose the latter on a whim, briefly brushing his lips on her knuckles. He caught himself before introducing himself with his wizard name and corrected the information. ¡°Fiar Auslen, here on a business trip.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what business?¡± she asked, turning to face him fully.

    ¡°I buy and sell collectibles, antiques, and jewelry,¡± he said.

    She ¡®oohed¡¯ at the revelation. ¡°Are you by yourself then or a group of men?¡±

    ¡°Actually, you could call it a family business. I¡¯m here with my wife, my ledgerer, and my guard,¡± he said. He realized he had made a mistake, greeting her the way that he had, and realized that he was going to have to make Auslen a philanderer to make up for it. Only if she brought it up, though. He continued. ¡°We¡¯re beginning to think of the ledgerer as a cousin, now. He¡¯s so good with numbers.¡±

    ¡°And what of the guard? You don¡¯t like him?¡±

    ¡°I hardly know him. I don¡¯t even remember his name. It might be ¡®Rellen¡¯ or something like that.¡± Al was very pleased that he added that detail.

    ¡°Is he scary looking? I always think of guards as hairy men with scars and broken noses.¡±

    ¡°I actually don¡¯t know; he¡¯s a trirec.¡±

    Tenia gasped. ¡°A trirec! You must be rich in order to afford one. What is he like?¡±

    She seemed so interested that he hated to lie to her. ¡°He keeps to himself. We tell him where we¡¯re going and he leads us. He picks suitable housing and watches over our wares, and us if he can. It¡¯s just directions and suggestions.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, looking away. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to know about trirecs. Do you know anything interesting about them? If he takes off his mask, will it turn men into stone? Can he disappear into thin air?¡±

    It was killing him that he couldn¡¯t correct her, but he was beginning to take Raulin¡¯s warning seriously. Would he rather correct this woman or keep his neck? He smiled and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but maybe we should make sure he keeps his mask on then.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about him?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Nothing? Not a tidbit?¡±

    ¡°Not a scrap. Now, I could tell you something about my ledgerer. He¡¯s a¡­¡±

    Her face fell and she stood and left without saying so much as ¡®goodbye¡¯ to him. He thought it was rude of her and grumbled to himself as he made his way back to his hotel room.

    ¡°Sir!¡± he heard behind him. He recognized the hollow sound of Raulin¡¯s voice behind a mask and turned to greet him.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered in an authoritarian way.

    When he was close to Al, he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind and have decided I do need assistance after all. Are you still interested?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he said, then reduced his enthusiasm. ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°I need you to confirm that the book I need is in the shop where it¡¯s supposed to be. I feel it¡¯s too risky for me to be poking around and need someone with a good reason to be looking into rare and collectible books.¡±

    ¡°Well, I just happen to know the man,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Good. Do you see that shop with the red and tan awning just down the street?¡±

    Al looked down, then across the wide street. A horse-drawn carriage blocked his view for a moment, then he saw which place Raulin meant. ¡°Barely. I¡¯m not¡­wearing my spectacles right now, so all I see is the awning.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all you need to know. It¡¯s a bookstore called On Summer¡¯s Ev¡¯ning. The owner is an older man with a very large mustache named Perkol. He owns quite a few books for pleasure, but a few nicer ones. The one I want you to find has a deep red leather cover with the title Entrant in gold. It¡¯s written by C. Howgan.

    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want you to buy it or haggle on the price. I want you to look at a few of his more expensive tomes, three or four. One of the other ones will catch your eye and you¡¯ll say a few nice words about it¡¯s quality, but ultimately need to consult your notes and will not make the purchase.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I buy the other one, though, to throw off the scent? He won¡¯t expect a man who bought another book to steal another one.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°But you will have left a paper trail. When the police come investigating, they¡¯ll jog the man¡¯s memory and ask who in the last week or two has expressed interest in the book. And when he remembers you were such a person and that you bought another book, he¡¯ll fetch his ledger and give your name and description to the police. It¡¯s best to be as discreet and forgettable as possible.¡±

    They stopped across the street, where Al could see all the stacks of tomes waiting. He closed his eyes and anticipated the smell of books, that dry, woody, yet somehow earthy and chemical aroma that reminded him of peaceful days of research in Amandorlam.

    ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not wearing business clothing. Say you happened to see the shop on the way back from lunch. And don¡¯t volunteer anything unless you have to. I¡¯ll meet you back at the hotel.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, crossing the street without looking back.

    Al took a moment to pretend surprise and read the information in the window before entering. The door creaked loudly, making the chimes attached redundant. He turned after closing the door and surveyed the room slowly, appreciatively, and tried to mimic a cultivated gaze.

    ¡°Sir! What can I do for you today?¡±

    A small, older man with a mustache that impressively ran from his upper lip all the way past his jawline hustled from a back room, wiping his hands on a cloth. He looked expectantly at Al, patient in the moment but likely for only a short amount of time.

    ¡°I was interested in some of your more valuable books,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Ah, very good, sir,¡± he said, putting down the cloth on his counter and stepping over to the curio cabinet to Al¡¯s right. ¡°I have a few rare books that might be interesting to you.

    ¡°This,¡± he said, removing a large, but thin book, ¡°is an herbarium of plants indigenous to Ervaskin. This was cataloged by one of the first Ghenian envoys to those lands seven years ago. Only one of its kind.¡±

    Al thought it might be nice to get for Telbarisk, if only to reduce his homesickness. He made a noncommittal nod and the bookkeeper continued.

    ¡°This, ¡° he said, pulling a red leather book with gold writing that must be the book Raulin mentioned, ¡°is Entrant by Howgan. Not a popular author, but definitely sought out by collectors for its historical significance with the uprising in Arvonne.

    ¡°And a third, if you¡¯re interested,¡± he said, pulling a meticulous-looking book with a carved wooden cover and handing it to him, ¡°is a rare Tichen. Far and Few Between. Only fifty were printed before the title was corrected; of those, only about one or two dozen exist. Tichen is a very easy author to resell. So many people inquire about it. Just last night I had a gentleman asking about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Al said.

    ¡°I can tell you like it, sir. Shall I wrap it for you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± he said, shaking his head to break his reverie. He had never seen an original Tichen. The books he had poured himself over in Amandorlam had all been copies, handwritten on blank pages with a boring cover. He hadn¡¯t even known what a real Tichen looked like before that moment, never mind held one. It was beautiful.

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re interested in it. Tichen is a master in philosophy and has brought great significance to the field.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Good. See, I have an eye for connecting customers and items. I¡¯m offering it for 110 gold.¡±

    Al staggered at the price internally, but felt he reacted minimally on the surface. ¡°And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s worth that price, but I¡¯ll have to decline. I never make a purchase without consulting my ledgerer or my wife, both if possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure both would agree it¡¯s a fair price! Perhaps, though, it would be wise to save a few gold to buy the missus a nice trinket in celebration of such a great purchase. How does 105 gold sound?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like neither are here for me to discuss,¡± Al said, growing a little irritated.

    The owner sniffed and wiggled his mustache. ¡°I dare say I couldn¡¯t part with a Tichen for less than 102 gold.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, goodman. You won¡¯t be parting with it today. I will see about tomorrow, because it is a fantastic discovery and I would like to see if it will make a good addition to my wares. Today, however, I will just have to settle for a nice leisure book. Do you have any alley novels or anything about Kiesh the Black?¡±

    The owned wiggled his mustache again before taking a dejected tone of voice. ¡°I do, sir. Over there.¡±

    Al walked out of the shop pleased and couldn¡¯t wait to speak to Raulin. When he returned to accompany his wizard friend for dinner, Al was practically walking on his toes. He waited until they were seated and Raulin had popped the bottom off his mask.

    ¡°So,¡± he said, in between sips of red wine, ¡°what did you discover, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s there! The owner pulled it out and showed me. That, and a Tichen book. He tried to offer it for 102 gold, but I wound up buying an alley novel for three silver. I at least knew those and could haggle him down safely.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Raulin said, smiling, ¡°well done. Did he take your name?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he smiled broadly. ¡°I told him I wasn¡¯t even going to buy that if he bothered me with paperwork.¡±

    ¡°I like your style, Mr. Auslen. Now, do you remember where he kept the red book?¡±

    ¡°It was on the top shelf of a wooden curio cabinet on the right side as you enter.¡± He swirled his glass of Caudet and savored its deep aroma before sipping. ¡°He put it back in the same place when he was finished.¡±

    ¡°Good eye. Did you happen to notice any traps or anything that would trip me up?¡±

    Al thought for a moment. ¡°The door was squeaky and had a bell on it. I didn¡¯t see any spells on any of the books I looked at, but I also wasn¡¯t looking for any. The place isn¡¯t tidy and you might kick or step on a pile.¡±

    Raulin sat back in his chair. ¡°That¡¯s all impressive information, Wizard. I wouldn¡¯t have expected you to be so keen in observation.¡±

    ¡°Well, those novels you think are trash have taught me a lot.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s some good in them after all,¡± he said, raising his glass before taking a swig. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out tomorrow to complete the contract. I¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean tomorrow night?¡±

    Raulin blinked a few times while he watched him closely. Al watched him and was surprised to find that Raulin¡¯s eyes were blue, not black, as he had always thought. His companion asked, ¡°How do you think I should approach this?¡±

    ¡°Cover of night, definitely. You should take advantage of the squeaky door and dress like a mender, so that if anyone catches you, you have an excuse.¡±

    ¡°Good advice,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    ¡°Make sure to wear your other suit, so that people don¡¯t see you.¡±

    Raulin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for most of the day tomorrow. Are you going to be all set in the hotel?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I have an alley novel.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy, then. I¡¯ll be back after I¡¯m finished.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Telbarisk, it¡¯s me,¡± Anla said softly.

    He sat in front of a small fire, poking the logs with a stick. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you again, Anla,¡± he said. ¡°It has been lonely here.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good thing, considering what could be keeping you company.¡±

    ¡°I hoped they would,¡± he said and her smile turned to a curious look. ¡°There is much they can teach us.¡±

    ¡°Your people aren¡¯t afraid of the dead?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It is considered a great rejoining. The body returns to the earth and the soul returns to the sky. They mix, bodies to make soil and souls to join in a great pool where emotions and knowledge and experience is dispersed. When a child is conceived, the food taken from the soil nourishes the mother and a drop from the pool fills the child¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°I like that,¡± she said.

    ¡°I like the elven thoughts on death, too, even thought they¡¯re different.¡±

    ¡°The Tree of a Thousand Leaves?¡± she asked, wondering if Ervaskin elves had the same myth.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s similar, in the joining of souls into one thing, but with the idea that events in the living world can change how many leaves fall and turn into souls to be born. It¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯ve seen carvings and statues the elves made and was always fascinated by it.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t taught strongly in my tribe,¡± she said. ¡°I heard more about death from my father, who was very much into the legends and myths behind it. As a doctor, he saw it as something tangible, stealing his patients away, and that he was a knight trying to battle against it. The Arvonnese, and many Noh Amairians, feel that death is a bad and evil thing, that it is the end of life with no possibility of rebirth. Kriskin is the master of the after-world and judges where a man goes by his deeds in life. The rich go to Cyurinin, the wicked stay with Kriskin, mothers go to Beliforn, and farmers to Zayine.¡±

    ¡°Could a rich man also be a wicked man?¡± he asked.

    Anla laughed. ¡°They often are. There¡¯s a saying in Hanala: ¡®Always understand the full cost of your actions¡¯. It means men have to consider whether or not what they¡¯re doing will make money at the cost of sending their soul to a wretched hell.¡±

    ¡°Why did you think they might be here, then, if they¡¯ve been judged?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°it¡¯s just a scary story. It¡¯s to frighten children and keep them from playing in places that are to be respected and are full of stones they can hurt themselves on.¡±

    ¡°I should write this down when I get a journal,¡± he said. ¡°I have many questions about your dead.¡±

    ¡°You can at least check off ¡®what do ghosts look like?¡¯. You took Al¡¯s advice to heart. Is there any part of you not covered in ash?¡±

    ¡°He said all of me, including my hair.¡±

    ¡°I know, but sometimes Al thinks only in extremes. You probably didn¡¯t need to get your clothes all sooty¡­¡±

    ¡°He said definitely the clothes, or else I¡¯d have to burn them.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°I just hope there¡¯s a stream nearby so you can wash them.¡±

    Tel continued to poke the fire. Sweat had left streaks on his face and neck. ¡°May I ask you a question. It is something I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she said, ladling out some of the vegetable soup he had made earlier.

    ¡°Why did you cheat?¡±

    Anla blinked a few times. ¡°Cheat? When?¡±

    ¡°The game you played with Alpine yesterday morning. It seems like a game you cannot cheat at, but I feel that you did somehow. I was wondering why. And how.¡±

    She sipped some of the broth. ¡°You can¡¯t cheat in Eri, Veri, Don but you can find advantages. You have a higher chance of getting an even number, so you pick evens, for example.¡±

    ¡°Which you let Alpine do.¡±

    ¡°I would have picked odds if he hadn¡¯t. There are also certain numbers that people are prone to picking. Men tend to like five, since it¡¯s the largest number and it makes them feel powerful. Women like fours and twos because in Hanala they are seen as feminine numbers.

    ¡°Al was different, though. He picked three, then two, then three. Odd numbers for a man; not very powerful, high numbers. I realized that Al probably doesn¡¯t think of himself as powerful and had to hope he was going back to a safe, secure number like his first. He did.¡±

    Tel nodded. ¡°I guessed right that you lost on purpose, but I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯m wondering if you dislike Raulin and wished to be away from him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no! I like Raulin. He¡¯s easy to speak with, seems a gentleman despite his career, and has handled his situation with us well. I threw the game because Al doesn¡¯t like Raulin and that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°You and I agree, then. I have felt for some time that there is a problem larger than I can perceive with those two.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even worried about anything other than I¡¯m just tired of them always bickering with each other. I was hoping that, by forcing them together, they¡¯d come to some arrangement that doesn¡¯t involve fights over what makes a man good or bad and which one of those Raulin is.¡±

    ¡°He is a good man; I wish Alpine could see that.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but it¡¯s not something we can tell him. He has to see that for himself.¡±

 Chapter 88

    Raulin left the next morning when Al was still sleeping. He had four stops to make, including a late breakfast at a patisserie he had overheard served amazing lemon pastries. The anonymous tip proved to be correct and he ate three before he felt too uncomfortable to even think about a fourth. He considered bringing one back for the wizard, but knew it would get crushed in the meantime.

    He then found a barber and requested the man cut off as much from the length as possible while still allowing Raulin to tie his hair back in a sailor¡¯s tail. While this had nothing to do with the upcoming theft, it was important for honor¡¯s sake. A trirec was expected to cut his hair when he had been captured as a form of public humiliation. With his poor track record, Raulin got haircuts frequently. It didn¡¯t bother him most of the time, but having those trirecs laugh at him back at Hanala had been a little annoying.

    The third stop was to a bookbinder, who sold him a particular book tailored to his specifications.

    His last part in the plan, after changing into his costume, was a quick nod to a young lady, who returned a curtsy he could read pages into. From it he assumed she was still unhappy with their last transaction, but would still do this because she would rather do a little bit of drama instead of her normal job. He returned a quick, ironic bow stating he didn¡¯t care how she felt and was amused she thought he would. Before he could see her retort, he turned back down the alley and to the bookshop on the corner.

    If Al had decided to walk the streets at that moment, he would have overlooked the bespectacled man that entered the cramped little bookstore. He looked like Raulin, sure, with dark blue eyes and medium brown hair, but he didn¡¯t have the swagger that Raulin did nor the easy sense of confidence displayed in small gestures. With a bowler hat instead of a mask and his knapsack clutched tightly to his chest, he would have fooled the wizard easily into thinking he could have had gone to Amandorlam or some other Ghenian school and that he was not, in fact, a man on a mission to steal a valuable book.

    The wizard was easy to fool. He rarely paid attention to peripheral things. The owner of the bookstore, however, should have developed an eye for at least the worst attempts at theft. Raulin had chosen a character so seemingly preoccupied with not stumbling over himself or his tongue that no one would suspect that he was about to filch a book worth several hundred gold. He startled when the bells on the door chimed and looked back and forth around the store quickly. He shuffled over to a stack of books and stood there, hugging his knapsack tightly.

    The shop was quiet, though he could still hear a man in the back reading to himself. Raulin cleared his throat, first with some hesitation at such a noise, then louder when the man continued to read. He heard a book being overturned, followed by footsteps on a creaky, wooden floor.

    ¡°Ah, hello, sir. I believe you came in yesterday,¡± the bookkeeper said. He looked better suited to a life as a bartender or a chef, with a paunchy stomach and boughs that could clobber a drunk into sobriety, but the childish wonder in his eyes spoke of someone who loved to read of far off places and nonexistent races. Or perhaps he was man who liked to learn and had had too much brandy with lunch.

    ¡°Y-yes, sir. Goodman,¡± he said with a soft, hesitant tone. ¡°I was wondering if¡­if you wouldn¡¯t mind looking at those books I mentioned.¡±

    ¡°Sure I would, sir. Just let me grab my catalog from the back.¡±

    He continued to stand, his shoulders hunched forward and his feet pointed inward, until the light through the door was blocked. He turned quickly and held one finger up, then returned to his position as the bookkeeper came back. ¡°I marked my page just in case you returned. May I see the book?¡±

    The man opened his knapsack and rifled through, pretending to not see the item he had picked up from the bookbinder earlier. He smiled weakly and began slowly pulling out the other books he had stuffed in there, on loan from the local library. ¡°I know I packed it. I made very sure¡­¡± he began before the door to the shop burst open and a sobbing lady came in.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± the bookkeeper asked, taking in the flurry of the woman.

    The man adjusted his spectacles as he took a few startled steps back, almost tripping over a pile of books.

    The woman pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°He sold them!¡±

    ¡°Who, ma¡¯am? What did he sell?¡±

    ¡°My husband! He sold my father¡¯s books!¡±

    ¡°And you think he sold them to me?¡± he asked.

    She nodded her head and dabbed her eyes again. ¡°He¡¯s been rowing up Bourbon Creek since they laid off the rail workers last year. Instead of looking for another job he¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard about the laying off. I¡¯m sorry. Let me go get my ledgers and I¡¯ll see if any of the books match. Sir?¡± the owner said to the man. ¡°Do you mind waiting a few minutes?¡±

    The man gave an erratic shake of his head before the owner walked quickly to his back room. The woman continued to sob and wiped her nose with her handkerchief. The man stepped back and tripped over a stack of books, then immediately began to re-stack them in what appeared to be humiliated silence.

    ¡°When do you think he sold them, ma¡¯am?¡± the bookkeeper said as he returned with several books. ¡°Do you remember the titles?¡±

    ¡°They were prized and valuable books. My father, he collected rare books, and Aulist knew that. I inherited them when he died and I only saw this morning that they were gone. I don¡¯t know! A week ago? A month ago?¡±

    The man clutching his knapsack watched the dramatic scene for a few minutes before he suddenly headed for the door.

    ¡°Sir?¡± the shopkeeper said, looking past the woman.

    ¡°I¡¯l¡­I¡¯ll be back later. When things are quieter.¡± He pushed up his spectacles and left.

    Raulin was leaning against the side of the alley ten minutes later when Tenia turned the corner and stopped short. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to be here.¡±

    ¡°I said I would be,¡± he replied. He had already shucked off his spectacles and had a tiny, velvet pouch in his hand.

    She walked brusquely to him and snatched the pouch from his held-out fingertips, spilling its contents into left palm. She gave him a smirk as she looked up into his eyes. ¡°So you did decide to pay me for yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I already paid you for pressing the man, but I¡¯m not giving you extra because you didn¡¯t get him to shake his fruit. I¡¯m giving you extra because your performance today was better than I expected. Real tears, a hard sell on your tale. Even I believed it for a moment.¡±

    She stuffed the coins back into the purse. ¡°Do you need me for anything else? Perhaps later on this evening? You¡¯re cute; I may even give you a discount.¡±

    ¡°Tempting,¡± he said and stood straight, ¡°but I have other game to catch. I know your neighborhood, so I¡¯ll call on you if I need you again.¡±

    ¡°All right. I play a jealous wife real swell-like, if you want, but I don¡¯t chintz my fellow girls.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    They parted, Raulin taking the alley towards the next street. He consulted his notebook, sighed, and began hunting for this secret place he needed to stash the book. People got so wrapped up in the clandestine nature of the business that they forgot that their were practical solutions to receiving ill-gotten goods. Namely, mailboxes. Mailboxes worked just as well as hollowed out areas behind bricks he needed to stain blue with paint left in the nook. Mailboxes were also things people couldn¡¯t stumble upon and take, later causing the contractee to object to a job unfinished. That only happens once before a trirec learns to hate ill-conceived dead drops.

    At least he had the time to complete it Once he was finished, he marked some key notes in his journal and began to enjoy the sights of Iascond. Al wouldn¡¯t expect him until later that evening and he didn¡¯t want to upset him by returning in the middle of the day. If only he had seen the events that had just played out he might realize how very unromantic these things really were.

    His stroll was pleasant, but there was something unsettling Raulin, a slight nag at his peripheral, like he was being bitten by a mosquito and didn¡¯t know it. He checked his tail and made sure no one was following him, ditching streets and zigzagging throughout the Rose Quarter until he was sure there was no one. He wasn¡¯t surprised. He didn¡¯t have the creeping feeling of being hunted, when his pulse and breathing would begin to race far before he knew he was prey. This was a weight, a burden accompanied with the annoying slipperiness of incomprehension. This was finally realizing there was a pebble in his shoe or a stinging cut on his hand. This had something to do with a bigger, emotional problem.

    As he walked past higher end shops decorated with planters, tiles, and shutters, he sifted through his issues. The most obvious was his in-or-out decision regarding his career. He was in, and it hadn¡¯t changed despite the change in his circumstances. He wasn¡¯t going to dwell on it and it didn¡¯t feel like it was that anyway. Was it survivor¡¯s guilt from the shipwreck? Some nagging piece of information he had forgotten? Was he actually feeling upset that he had needed to cut his hair and hated being teased for his failures?

    He sighed in frustration. It was none of those things. He shrugged and would have forgotten it but he realized there was someone he could see about matters he couldn¡¯t comprehend, if he could find her. There were no docks here, but he thought she wasn¡¯t literal about that anyway.

    He bought a lemon pastry from the patisserie from earlier, had it wrapped in paper, and put it in his knapsack before venturing back to the same park where he had spied on Tenia and Al¡¯s conversation. He breathed in deeply and smiled when he saw Anladet sitting at a bench, her hands folded in her lap. She stood and began walking and Raulin ducked behind a tree to quickly put on his mask. His identity was a risk he might take with Al, but not with someone as clever as Anla.

    He watched her and was pleased to see that she kept her character well. She strolled without a care, moving with an ethereal patience and grace. Her loose white blouse and dark blue skirt swished slowly as she stepped in a rhythm that would be out of place anywhere else but the woods. This was every piscarin he had ever come across in his travels save for the fact that she wasn¡¯t one.

    Or perhaps she was. He¡¯d have to find out. ¡°Are you still accepting clients?¡± he asked having walked close behind her.

    Anla didn¡¯t change her pace nor her countenance, but there was a happy twinkle in her eyes when she turned to face him. ¡°The day is still bright and night is not upon us. It is always up to the spirits, of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, letting her lead him back to the bench. ¡°My name is Raulin and I had a few questions I was hoping the spirits could help me with.¡±

    ¡°Dumiha,¡± she responded, ¡°and anyone else who wishes to join.¡±

    ¡°What does ¡®Dumiha¡¯ mean?¡±

    She very carefully put her pouch in front of her. ¡°It suggests I am able to connect people to the knowledge that they seek.¡±

    ¡°Fame, fortune, and love all at your beck and call, huh?¡± He looked around and his eyes rested briefly on a woman strolling with a friend.

    ¡°Perhaps she could be your key to one or all three,¡± Anla said, nodding to the same woman.

    ¡°Naw. She isn¡¯t worth the tea,¡± he said, continuing to scan everyone in their vicinity.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you say that before,¡± she said, speaking lowly. ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some other time.¡± Though he knew the lay of the land, he still spoke lowly as well. ¡°How are you and Tel doing?¡±

    She opened her pouch, using exaggerated gestures to pull out the tiles. ¡°We are both fine. How is our mutual acquaintance?¡±

    ¡°Fine as well. I think we¡¯ve reached an understanding that involves him pretending to be someone he isn¡¯t. In exchange, I¡¯ve kept him a little busy.¡±

    A ghost of a smile passed quickly across her face. ¡°Doing what?¡±

    ¡°My first contract involved a book. I had him look in a bookstore for me and he found the book I asked for.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said outsiders couldn¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t. I didn¡¯t say he found the book I needed.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°Careful he doesn¡¯t find out.¡±

    ¡°I plan on never telling him. So, shall we begin?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I thought this was a pretense.¡± She raised her voice to her normal tone. ¡°Ask what you will, sir, and we shall see if the spirits are with us today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something,¡± he said.

    ¡°Almost sounds like you¡¯re cheating.¡±

    He chuckled lightly. ¡°Not a thing that I¡¯ve been paid to find. Something intangible. There¡¯s something that lies on the horizon that weights heavy upon me. Perhaps it is something I should know.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, holding out her hands. ¡°Three coppers, unless you¡¯d like a stronger connection.¡±

    He fished the coin from his knapsack and placed six in her hands. ¡°You sell yourself short. Hopefully the spirits appreciate money for expertise.¡±

    ¡°They usually do,¡± she said, drawing six tiles from her bag. She bunched her skirt to create a small well for them to land and tossed them lightly onto her leg. She spoke lowly. ¡°Now, would you like a real reading or what I normally do?¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    ¡°I normally watch how a man reacts to what I say and adjust based on his gestures.¡±

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t react?¡±

    ¡°I resort to the stones if a client is being difficult.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try that, then. I bet you may have talent you don¡¯t know you have.¡±

    She smiled quickly and looked down. He watched her face, her eyebrows furrowing quickly before smoothing out. ¡°I am first drawn to pau,¡± she said. ¡°It usually means ¡®father¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have gone well for you. You have an advantage, though.¡±

    ¡°I do, so I will point out that its direct translation means ¡®man¡¯. It could be you or a friend or someone you are about to meet.¡±

    ¡°There are two tiles close to it. Does that mean something?¡±

    ¡°It does. These relate strongest to pau: weh and kuh. Interestingly enough, those have opposite meanings. Weh is a friend or ally and kuh means enemy. Of course, both have alternative meanings, like attraction and repulsion.¡±

    ¡°If you had to guess, what would you say that means?¡±

    ¡°I see this time with our acquaintance going well, then poorly.¡±

    She pulled a tile that had stuck to pau off and put it back in the bag. ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.

    Anla pulled the tile back out and held it up. ¡°Yaw. Summer, the sun, warmth. It suggests that things are good for you right now. It wasn¡¯t something that I was going to mention, especially that tile, because people who are fine don¡¯t often seek me out. ¡°

    ¡°May I?¡± he asked, holding his hand out.

    She hesitated before giving it to him. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve never actually had someone touch them before. It¡¯s supposed to be a superstition that piscarins have.¡±

    He held the tile up before handing it back ¡°You did a beautiful job making these. What do the other three tiles say?¡±

    She frowned and didn¡¯t bother to pretend to be passe about the ordeal. ¡°Ess,¡± she said, tapping on the tile, ¡°for action. Ih for emotion. A for death. Death doesn¡¯t always mean the end of life, but could be a finality to something not as important, like a partnership or friendship.¡±

    Raulin shook his head slightly. ¡°This sounds like you mean things will go poorly between the wizard and I, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get this nagging feeling over that. I do worry that whatever the real problem is will lead to death, however.¡±

    Anla returned the tiles, shook the bag, and drew out three more. ¡°Ess again,¡± she said. ¡°This is something you do, not necessarily say. It involves eth, a trade of some kind, and kuh. It doesn¡¯t go well. This is, of course, if you believe in my ability to pull rocks from a bag in an order that means anything.¡±

    He looked up to see if she had a sly look on her face but failed to notice it, if there was one. ¡°I do, actually. Is there any advice you¡¯d give?¡±

    ¡°Is there something you should remember about your father? Perhaps that¡¯s what the runes are saying.¡±

    ¡°I can remember everything up until he died. That¡¯s ten years and he did a lot. I¡¯d be thinking on that for a while.¡±

    She put all the stones back in her pouch and cinched it, standing once she was done. ¡°Anything else? I can¡¯t be seen with one person for too long,¡± she said, winking.

    ¡°That¡¯s all, mezzem. Do you need anything? I got you this.¡±

    She smiled and accepted the lemon pastry. ¡°No, thank you. Tel and I are good thus far, though he looks rather ghastly covered in ash. I¡¯ll expect a note soon?¡±

    He stood. ¡°Not tomorrow, perhaps the following day. Definitely by the day after that. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ¡°Farewell, sir,¡± she said louder. ¡°May the spirits grant your wishes.¡±

 Chapter 89

    Raulin had returned late in the night under the pretense of having just come from his contract. Al was reading and had a plate of cheeses and grapes he was nibbling from. ¡°I saved some for you, should you be hungry.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard, that was thoughtful of you,¡± he said, slinging off his knapsack and sitting on his bed to pull off his soft leather boots.

    Al put the book face-down on his nightstand and sat up. ¡°Was the drop off difficult? Kiesh the Black always has to use code words and meet under the cover of darkness to secure what he needs.¡±

    Raulin blinked a few times, looked at the book, then back at Al. He finally realized what had been going on in Al¡¯s mind and why Mr. Auslen had been so keen to help recently. ¡°Ah, as a matter of fact, yes. I had three sets of passwords I had to use. One was to access a locked gate, the next when someone answered a door, then finally when I met the man who wanted the book.¡±

    ¡°You met him?¡± he asked, leaning forward towards Raulin. ¡°What was he like?¡±

    ¡°He was¡­heavy set with a thin mustache he kept twirling. He had a pocket watch he kept looking at, as if he were expecting someone to show up.¡± He pulled off his socks and knuckled the soles of his feet to relieve some of the ache.

    ¡°Did you almost get caught?¡±

    ¡°I noticed I was being followed. There was a man who kept tailing me throughout most of the city. I gave him the slip just before making it to the drop-off point.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the next job?¡± When Raulin said nothing, Al asked again.

    ¡°Wizard, how about we leave this one alone and you take a nice vacation. You can visit the Dinapli Gardens. I hear they¡¯re beautiful. Or even some of the temples. I¡¯d skip the Zayine one, since you don¡¯t want to come across Alistad or deal with any of the infected people.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an assassination, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Wizard, I will pay you one full gold not to start with me. Think of all the alley novels you can buy with that. And, hey, you even know a guy who might sell them to you for a discounted rate!¡±

    ¡°You should think about this before you do it. It¡¯s a man¡¯s life you¡¯re about to take, not a book or a necklace.¡±

    ¡°My offer is rescinded,¡± he said, laying back on his bed. ¡°No gold for you.¡±

    ¡°I am serious. Think about this for once.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dwell on it? I have. It comes down to my knife at their throats or my order¡¯s knife at mine. Kill or be killed. Those are my choices.

    ¡°My family died and I was sold to Arvarikor. It is unfair that any child should have to be without the love of their mother and the strong guidance of their father, but that is life: cruel, unfair, and blessedly short. I have learned to live with the fact that they are gone and I am a trirec. I have no choice but to be a trirec. And as a trirec, I have to kill men who do not deserve it. I know this. I understand it. Whether or not I think about it and hate myself for it, I still have to do it.¡±

    ¡°You can leave. You can stop being a trirec.¡±

    ¡°No. I. Can¡¯t,¡± he said slowly. ¡°If I leave, I will be hunted down and killed by the best hunters in the world.¡± He sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ve thought of this, but I have. I would choose freedom and poverty over chains and riches any day.¡±

    ¡°Then do it.¡±

    He turned a growl into a sigh. ¡°And do what, Wizard? I have no skills, no money, and no land.¡±

    ¡°If you truly wanted to stop killing, you would find a way.¡±

    He sat up, jammed his boots back on, and left before he could say something regretful. Free men never understood how hard it was to break chains.

    * * *

    Raulin had already started his research towards the assassination earlier that day, just prior to speaking with Al. With a name, address, and the words ¡°Honeyed Moon¡± with his notation next to it meaning he owned that business, he began asking around. He discovered rather quickly that Honeyed Moon was the name of a wine cellier of excellent repute in the Redcott Hill district of Iascond. The grocer who told him had looked down at him with his head high, in a gesture saying it was a luxury quarter, perhaps the only one in the city.

    He had located it and entered into the small nosiery across the street. Bottles of different color, shape, and size lined shelves in the window and around the perimeter of the shop. The sun hit the glass and bathed the white center counter and gleaming wood floor with hues across the spectrum, soaking the store in a rainbow of colors. The smells were overwhelming and difficult to identify, but were at least pleasant.

    Two women stood around the island, each with a parasol, a pair of gloves, a fan, a purse in their hand, an elaborate shawl draped over their shoulders, and a small chapeau perched on their head. A man stood at the register, dressed in a suit befitting a salon meeting but sans the expected coat.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Good afternoon, sir,¡± he said as the shop¡¯s bells chimed.

    ¡°Good afternoon, goodman,¡± Raulin replied, realizing he was underdressed in his hapless seller¡¯s outfit from earlier, even with the bowler hat on his head.

    ¡°Have you been in a nosiery before?¡± He had, but when he shook his head and gave him a sheepish smile, the man came out from behind the register as he wished. He escorted him to the other half of the room.

    ¡°Here we have scents bottled from across the world. Some may seem familiar, some exotic, but all are of the highest quality. I can assist you in finding a premixed aroma or we can have a little fun experimenting something tailored for you. Did you have a scent in mind, sir?¡±

    ¡°Natural,¡± he said immediately. ¡°Something woody or musky, perhaps. Alluring and mysterious.¡±

    One of the women on the opposite end of the counter leaned in to her friend. He overheard the words ¡°¡­for a trollop¡± before they laughed, looked over at him, and cleared their throats before fanning themselves.

    Raulin pretended to be dismayed. ¡°I just wanted something for my wife,¡± he said in a soft voice.

    ¡°I apologize, sir. I¡¯m sure we can find something suitable for your sweetheart. You said natural? Earthy, perhaps, with a hint of floral?¡±

    ¡°That sounds¡­nice,¡± he said, following the man over to the wall. The two women had to move to the other side to make room.

    ¡°This reminds me of the countryside not too far from here.¡± He removed the tester, tapped the excess liquid off, and waved it in front of Raulin. ¡°Bright, but not overwhelmingly floral or citrus. Warming and woodsy.¡±

    Raulin shook his head quickly. ¡°Deeper.¡±

    The man jumped a few bottles over and down a few shelves. ¡°A trek through the forest on a wet autumn day.¡±

    ¡°Too bitter. I¡¯m thinking of the allure of Genale with the strength of Ashven.¡±

    The two women tittered at this, adding their own comments about both duchies. Raulin saw the man¡¯s jaw clench briefly. ¡°Let¡¯s try this then.¡±

    As he breathed in the aroma, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was like someone had distilled some childhood memory of his and had bottled it. It wasn¡¯t what he had been going for, but he couldn¡¯t resist buying at least a little. ¡°What is that called?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Biashka,¡± the man said, reading the label on the side. ¡°You like this one?¡±

    ¡°Yes. How much for a vial?¡±

    ¡°We sell in two dram increments.¡± He turned the bottle upside down and read. ¡°Six silver, seven coppers per increment.¡±

    It was important that Raulin not balk at the cost, though he wanted to badly. That price was higher than the cost for two nights in the double hotel room he was sharing with the wizard. He smiled and nodded, not even bothering to haggle. ¡°Tomorrow is an important night for us,¡± he said. ¡°Our first anniversary.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations, sir!¡± the shopkeeper said, taking a moment to stop dripping the perfume into the amber bottle to give him a genuine smile. ¡°Do you have any plans?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to surprise her with a romantic meal, but I¡¯m unsure where. I wanted it to be a picnic with some nice wine, but I¡¯ve barely begun preparations.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s wine you want, you¡¯ll have to go across the street to Honeyed Moon. Imperial spiced, Arvonnese reds and whites, Sayenese steel wine, anything you could imagine!¡±

    ¡°Really? How late are they open?¡±

    ¡°Quite late, sir,¡± the man said, bringing the bottle to the till.

    ¡°If Nabel isn¡¯t out greasing palms,¡± one of the women said.

    The man at the register blew air out through his nose as he placed the corked vial into a velvet pouch. Raulin turned to look at the women. ¡°Greasing palms?¡±

    ¡°Our Nabel is quite the politician. He¡¯s on the city council and has been known to make sure taxes are paid.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound bad,¡± he said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say he made sure he paid his, just that everyone else pays their¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, paying the man the agreed price. ¡°So, he closes the shop early?¡±

    ¡°On some nights. Usually a few days before a big shipment is due in.¡±

    ¡°I should go now, then, in case the trade winds have been fair.¡±

    The women gave little waves to him that he thought were sarcastic somehow as he left for the shop across the street. He had expected to press the shopkeeper. He had forgotten about the need for bored, middle-aged women to gossip.

    So, there was potential that whenever he planned his job, the man might not even be in his home. He could either trail the wine merchant to his meeting and assassinate him there or he could plan as well as possible and hope he¡¯d be home. One of those was not flashy and had a whole lot less risk involved. He¡¯d try that one first.

    Nabel Lacront¡¯s house was a modernly built three-story townhouse that rested on the corner of Petrie and Seagrass. The man apparently loved greenery and gardens; his house¡¯s footprint took up only two thirds the space it could. The second and third stories were supported by beams that staked the edges of a shade garden full of mosses, lettuces, and pops of color in deep purple and white flowers. A thin fringe of grass framed the outside of the building and encouraged the jasmine that climbed and twisted across the bricks and windows of the house.

    With that information gathered, Raulin moved on to advanced gathering. He returned the next day and knocked on the door in the morning, past the point Lacront would be home. A valet answered the door that was tucked into the garden. Surprisingly, it was a middle-aged woman in a feminine version of the button-up uniform he had seen on many valets in the past, some even on the streets of Iascond recently. In houses of single gentlemen, such as Lacront, a large staff for the household was unnecessary and often redundant. A single valet or butler would be hired, depending on the man¡¯s needs, who would dress, cook, organize, launder, and accompany their boss wherever he needed. Raulin had never seen a female in that position.

    She looked down at the package, then back up at Raulin. ¡°Item, name, and response?¡±

    ¡°Silver buttons from Lord Beckwind. No response needed.¡±

    ¡°Good day, then,¡± she said after carefully taking the box.

    The two cousins in Hanala that had prepared Raulin¡¯s clothing had gone on about the latest fashion trend on the eastern seaboard. Highly decorative buttons were stitched to collars, shoulders, and sleeves to be removed and traded for others on different occasions. The ones he had given Lacront were rather cheap, silver-plated and stamped, likely to be resold or gifted and not worn by someone with his kind of money. They had only been worth two silver, five copper for the four and worth the glimpse he had gotten inside his house.

    The bottom floor appeared to be the atrium, kitchen, and simple rooms for the staff on the other side of the stairway. Raulin guessed the second floor had guest rooms and places for eating and entertainment and the top floor would be his private apartment.

    If he came late enough at night, he could sneak past the valet, hope that the guest rooms were unused, and slip quietly up to the top floor. Raulin wasn¡¯t the best lockpicker, but so long as he was quiet he could take his time.

    He couldn¡¯t complete his last task, checking the dock schedules, due to the distance. Iascond¡¯s wharf district, aptly named The Seas, was on the water and several miles from their hotel. It was all right by him; he would try the next night and hope for the best. If not, he could try again the night after. He would still have two contracts done in less than two weeks and that was right on his preferred schedule.

    Everything was going swimmingly. Now, if only he could shake the nagging feeling that he was missing something.

 Chapter 90

    Anla returned from her evening pleased with her haul. Over the last few days she had managed to make four and a half gold, two roses, and a lemon pastry doing her piscarin s¨¦ance work. The flowers were in a cup on the dresser in her room and had been given by a man who returned after his reading with those as a tip.

    She had begun to amass a small crowd of onlookers who waited for her in Thistle Park. They had pointed to her that morning, four people standing near the bench she used, and began to excitedly speak. They watched as passersby would stop in curiosity and have a session with Dumiha. She had never had such a crowd with this work, nor such a positive response, and wondered if Iascond had any piscarins or if she was a novelty to them.

    Despite the sudden fame, she still changed out of her clothes and washed as much makeup off her face before she reentered Browson Hall. The girls that lived there as well as the mistress that ran the dormitory seemed like judgmental people and she really didn¡¯t want that attention.

    In fact, she did what she could to avoid the gaggles of tittering and eye rolls. She kept her head down, said nothing, and kept to her room. It took a few ¡°Miss!¡±s from the desk clerk before she bothered to look up and realize she was looking right at her.

    ¡°Miss Auchindol?¡± she asked. When Anla nodded, she handed her two letters.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, surprised that the second had arrived so quickly. She checked and indeed it was from Isky and had all the instructions she had requested he put on the outside, in case they needed to leave in a hurry. The letter must have traveled at breakneck pace and with a lot of luck to get back so quickly.

    Anla removed her shoes outside her door, as requested by the mistress, and sat on her bed. The first letter was as expected: a long paragraph in Al¡¯s hand that sounded like he was ¡°spouting Tichen¡±, as Raulin put it, with the word ¡°tomorrow¡± underlined. Good. She had wanted to get some better food to Tel tonight and have a little feast.

    The second she opened carefully, gently breaking the unmarked blob of wax and unfolding the letter and smoothing it out on the bed. She scanned it quickly, butterflies in her stomach, then breathed out a sigh of relief. Raulin would be pleased to know that a priestess in the Queyellan temple did undergo a rather severe punishment, but survived almost miraculously. Though no one knew what she had done, it had been the talk of Hanala for a solid week.

    She didn¡¯t stay in her room long, instead spending the next hour shopping in the nearby market and surrounding stores. It was a well-spent half a gold worth of food, vegetables, fruits, high-end cheeses, bread, crackers, and a few desserts. The accomplishment brought a spring to her step.

    Anla passed the house that had a bar, windows still lit, and knew she was close. Weeds and vines obscured the path leading to the cemetery, making it hard to distinguish where to turn. The bar was the mark for her to pay attention and find the familiar tree with the low, crooked branch just past the entrance. She could barely see even that and stepped lightly to make her way to Tel¡¯s campfire.

    ¡°Anla!¡± Tel said, standing in a cloud of ash. ¡°I have a story to tell you!¡±

    ¡°A good story, I hope? You can tell me over the delicious dinner I got you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was good, but it was certainly exciting.¡±

    A group of men, likely spurred by rumors of some frightening creature near their cemetery, had snuck up on Tel with shovels and hoes. He had been so startled that he had accidentally greeted them in Grivfia, an ¡°oo-eet¡± sort of noise, and approached them. They had screamed and ran away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why,¡± he said. ¡°Perhaps they were upset that I didn¡¯t speak Ghenian to them.¡±

    Anla was crying from laughing so hard. She took a few gulps of air and calmed herself enough to explain. ¡°I told you that you looked ghastly in all that ash. They must have taken one look at you and thought you were a ghost! They make a sort of ¡®oooh¡¯ sounds, like the wind howling in winter, and when you said something like that to them, they spooked and ran off.¡±

    ¡°I feel badly. I did not want to scare them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Tel. The town will at least leave you alone for tonight and tomorrow. I got the letter from the boys that Raulin is trying tomorrow, so it¡¯s only a little while longer.¡±

    ¡°I enjoy being in the forest, but I don¡¯t like being lonely.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I. I¡¯d rather be here with you at night than in Iascond.¡±

    They ate a third of the food each, saving a portion for tomorrow¡¯s lonely meal for Telbarisk. He enjoyed every crumb and thanked her for the gift.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she said. ¡°I forgot to mention that Raulin¡¯s priestess is still alive! I got a letter back from some friends in Hanala.¡±

    Tel sighed. ¡°This is good news. He seemed very angry with himself over that. We will tell him tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Likely the day after. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see him tomorrow.¡±

    They ate their pastries in silence for a few minutes, then Anla asked a question she had been meaning to ask Tel for a while. ¡°What do you know of Raulin?¡±

    ¡°I know a lot and very little,¡± he said. ¡°He is the type of man to paint a beautiful picture in exquisite detail, but never tell you where he learned his craft.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t speak of Arvarikor?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°I mean further back than that. He gave off-handed pieces about life in Merak, but they were stale and dry, as if he had nothing to give to that place. I felt as though he hated it as well as suffered in his love for it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Arvarikor was the place he was raised after everything was taken from him. It filled the void with discipline and duty and sacrifice. It¡¯s not a place to look back fondly at, but it¡¯s all he has of childhood and coming into his own.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°Did you know he watched after you? He said he guarded you, afraid that your brother would try something He told us this when you were sick.¡±

    ¡°No, but I see it now. I believe he and I are friends because we enjoy each others company, but I think partly we both found in each other something that was missing. He is a brother who watches over me and I am someone who loves him unconditionally.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a man in pain, then?¡±

    ¡°Constantly. He does his best to live with it, but I can tell when something bothers him. I don¡¯t know if he knows that, though.¡± Tel gave a low chuckle. ¡°He likes to think he¡¯s great at pretending he¡¯s other people, but when he¡¯s pretending to be Raulin, I can tell his mistakes.¡±

    ¡°Pretending to be Raulin?¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t always Raulin Kemor. He was a different person before his family died and that boy will claw his way to the surface occasionally. We were back home, in Nourabrikot, when I first saw a glimmer of him. We were walking in the woods and he sat on a large boulder that was split from some slow catastrophe. We chatted about things and we got on the subject of the other trirecs. I asked him what it was like for him and why he was so different from the others, so warm and open and friendly. There was a crack in him and he told me that he had never fit in and never would, so he didn¡¯t try. I don¡¯t think it was because he was so lighter or taller than them; it was more than physical. I think those years he spent training were more lonely than any person has ever had to endure. He had been awash in a sea of difference, a light in the darkness, a leaf hanging on to a long dead tree.¡±

    ¡°I pity him, but he¡¯s not the type of man who wants that, is he?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s smart to notice that. He doesn¡¯t get angry quickly like some men, but I think that would set off his temper.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Tel. I appreciate your insight.¡±

    She laid awake that night repeating snippets of the conversation until she realized something Tel had said. Anla slowly inhaled and nodded her head. He was different. Very different. And that was both exciting and terrifying in its implications.

    * * *

    Raulin had decided that it was worth the risk of discovery and had tailed the entrepreneur the next night. Lacront had left his store at six precisely and met with some friends at a local restaurant. His valet had accompanied him, holding his hat and umbrella as well as the bottle of wine he would give as a gift for the meal.

    The sun was just setting when he left the restaurant. He gave sharp orders to his valet, who somehow managed to look collected while holding several items and writing while walking. Still unmasked, Raulin now took his time following the two of them, keeping tabs only to make sure they weren¡¯t going elsewhere.

    His house was lit for his arrival and that should have made him think twice about his job that evening. He didn¡¯t even question who had lit the lamps. The valet had been at the restaurant while Lacront ate, helping to serve him, and hadn¡¯t left her employer¡¯s side since the end of the work day.

    The lights in the house were extinguished floor by floor, starting with the top. It was difficult without the moon or the stars in the sky to determine how long he stood in the dark alley, but he figured it was close to a half hour. He put on his mask and gloves and crossed the street.

    He ditched his knapsack in the bushes near the door and got to work. The lock to the door took him longer than he would admit, should anyone ask, but he picked it quietly. That had been the important part. The carved door was well-greased and opened quietly. He opened it just enough to peek in and be sure that the valet¡¯s quarters were either dark or closed off.

    He closed the door behind him and walked quietly to the stairs, keeping to the plush carpets. The stairs were wooden, so he kept to the edges and rolled the balls of his feet to his toes. There wasn¡¯t so much as a hint of a creak.

    The stairs to the next level were on the same axis. He paused, making sure he heard no one stirring, and was about to turn when he froze. It was instinct that was calling him to pause, to listen, to try once more to figure out what was happening that night.

    Nothing. He turned, then a lightning strike of white blinded his vision. His body snapped backwards of its own accord as he felt the breeze of a thrown knife pass by his chest. He froze for one second before running to take cover behind a wine rack against the right wall.

    ¡°I was hoping it was going to be easy,¡± he heard someone say in Merakian.

    And then he remembered what Isken had said. One of the contracts you¡¯re taking is poisoned¡­be careful. Isken had known that one of the contracts Raulin was taking was already being guarded by another trirec. There had been nothing his friend could do but warn him. And he had forgotten his warning until now.

    It was unfortunate. A guard¡¯s life was tied with his contractee¡¯s. Raulin had to kill the contractee, which meant the guard had to kill Raulin in order to protect his employer. A trirec would die tonight, and Raulin would do everything he could to make sure it wasn¡¯t him.

    Right now he was hidden. The other trirec wanted him to speak so that Raulin would give away his position. He maintained his silence. The guard had almost all the advantages in this set-up and Raulin wasn¡¯t about to give him the last one. Still, the trirec tried again. ¡°I do hate to take your life, but it is my job. It¡¯s nothing personal. You know how this needs to end.¡±

    Raulin wondered if he could make it up half the flight before the trirec realized it, but knew it was the obvious next move. The voice was closer. ¡°We should begin before my employer and his servant wake up. I¡¯d prefer to follow the code and not involve the miartha. How about you?¡±

    At least the other man was honorable. Both would do their best to settle this between the two of them, fairly and within the code. Of course, if the trirec could lodge the other throwing knife in his throat before they engaged in hand-to-hand combat, that would also be honorable and within the rules.

    Raulin felt a scarf hanging from a coat-rack, balled it up, and threw it towards the stairs. A moment later he heard a dull thud as a knife lodged into the stairs.

    ¡°Nice move. I have no more knives and I speak honestly. If you would like to fight face-to-face, I¡¯m here waiting.¡±

    And so he was. Raulin¡¯s mask allowed him to view the parlor well enough to see the man standing in a guarded position, facing the stairwell. He rose, waiting to see if he was being honest, then pulled out his set of fighting knives.

    ¡°Good. Now we may begin,¡± the guard said and Raulin froze. That voice. It had connected with some memory that had slipped away. It was so familiar, but he couldn¡¯t place who it was. He had heard its rich timbre, deep for a Merakian, before. He had heard it laugh, heard it bark orders crisply and without malice, had even heard it sing songs from his homeland in a rare gesture of sympathy.

    ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to be this way,¡± Raulin offered cautiously, hoping to draw the answer.

    ¡°Likewise, but that is life: cruel, unfair¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­And blessedly short,¡± Raulin choked. Not him. Not him.

    ¡°Raulin?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Afren?¡± Raulin asked, knowing full well that he had guessed correctly. It was the voice of the man who had taught him that who Raulin was wasn¡¯t a curse, but a gift and that he was full of ways to beat the odds. The man who had been his favorite mentor.

    The man whom he thought of as his second father.

 Chapter 91

    The two men stood facing one another. A minute passed, then two. Finally, Afren spoke. ¡°They are cruel,¡± he spat.

    ¡°No,¡± Raulin sighed. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was forced to take this contract because I¡¯ve gotten away with too much over the years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before: stop blaming yourself for things that are outside of your control.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all I know how to do.¡± In his head he meant to say it with a humorous tone, but it came out as a whisper.

    ¡°This is just another thing,¡± Afren said, ignoring his comment. ¡°We have no choice but to settle this.¡±

    ¡°There is no way out that will keep us both alive, is there?¡±

    Afren sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve considered this possibility since I took this job. I haven¡¯t thought of one, at least not one that doesn¡¯t involve running from Arvarikor for the rest of my short life.¡±

    ¡°Aviz is nice. It¡¯s on the west coast of Gheny. There is almost no trirec presence there.¡±

    ¡°And therefore no work for me. I have nothing to fall back on, unlike you. You have a choice. You can always go home¡­¡±

    ¡°I will not!¡± he snarled.

    ¡°Careful, you wouldn¡¯t want me to vex you into a mistake.¡±

    Raulin breathed in deeply. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°What we have to do,¡± he said, taking a defensive stance, which Raulin snapped into as well.

    They circled each other for some time, neither finding any weaknesses nor interested in feinting attacks to draw one out. Raulin was amused to realize he was in the opposite situation from the fight he had been in two weeks ago; he had the reach and the virility of youth, but Afren had the experience and talent. They both knew the same stances and techniques, but Afren had fought enough times to know what worked and what didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± Afren asked.

    ¡°That forced me into the contract? No one. I chose it, but only because I had to take at least a few assassinations. I¡¯ve decided to pull away from that line as much as possible, but Stavro insisted I take more than four.¡±

    Afren flipped his knives a few times. ¡°Pulling away? Why?¡±

    ¡°I was shipwrecked transferring to Gheny. I made a promise to kill less while I was hoping to be rescued.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡±

    ¡°The goddess of the seas, Queyella.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hmm. Yes, I suppose if you¡¯re here that must mean something. So you tried to take less assassinations, but Stavro stepped in and forced you to take more? I¡¯m not surprised. He would have made you take this one if you hadn¡¯t already. I bet he thought this was a win-win situation for him.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me because I get special treatment. Why doesn¡¯t he like you?¡±

    Raulin pulled back as Afren swiped his knife across his chest. It wasn¡¯t a serious attack; Afren didn¡¯t follow up with anything nor did he turn it to his advantage. He was testing his pupil¡¯s defenses only. ¡°I¡¯m more successful than he was in his prime. He was a trivren when he was three years younger than I am now and he hobbled his way to that point. He¡¯s easy enough to understand; he doesn¡¯t want any luminaries in his home. You and I shine too brightly.¡±

    ¡°Shall we make a pact, then? Survivor smothers the old man in his sleep.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a deal. I think it would be worth the risk.¡±

    Raulin almost tripped when he bumped into a coffee table. He sucked in a breath to stop from hissing in pain. Afren didn¡¯t take advantage of the mistake even though Raulin was sure he noticed.

    ¡°So, how have you been? I haven¡¯t heard from you since Kitstuar.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not our official story,¡± Raulin said with a laugh.

    ¡°Right, but I don¡¯t see anyone here who would punish us.¡±

    Raulin lunged deep to the right and managed to slide his knife along his teacher¡¯s arong-miil. He didn¡¯t slice into the material, but it made him look down for a moment. ¡°Nothing new, except the location. I have a full docket and another guard job as well. This is my third.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Hmm. How did you land a guard job? They only give those out to men past their prime, but still spry enough to stave off retirement.¡±

    ¡°I was¡­persuaded.¡±

    Afren lunged in quickly, stabbing at Raulin¡¯s chest. He rolled to the side and pulled his mentor¡¯s arm forward to the right, ghosting his knife along Afren¡¯s neck. Afren panted for a few moments. ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me.¡±

    Raulin retook his position while Afren recovered. Now would be the best time for him to press the attack, but the conversation had just started getting interesting. ¡°The miarthan gods have artifacts that are powerful. One is a chalice that makes a blood bond to another person should you drink from it. I mistakenly did that and have been chained to three others for the next year. The guard position is a cover, should anyone ask questions.¡±

    His mentor could always broadcast his emotions through subtle movements. Here he paused completely, then slowly turned his arms out in consideration of what Raulin had just said. ¡°This is very dangerous, for you especially.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You are far too trusting. You can¡¯t tell them about us and you can¡¯t tell them about you. That is a lot of silence you crave to fill.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Who are your new companions?¡±

    ¡°One is a grivven, a man I met years ago when Arvarikor sent me to Ervaskin. Another is a half-elven woman from Ashven. The third is a Ghenian wizard, well-learned and resourceful.¡±

    ¡°The wizard sounds the most dangerous to be around.¡±

    ¡°No. He thinks I¡¯m evil and refuses to participate in what I do, save for the last few days.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have him join in, did you?¡±

    ¡°I had him do what I needed to do, only at another place. It kept the peace between us.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re right; it¡¯s not the wizard that¡¯s the problem. It¡¯s the woman.¡±

    Afren kicked and connected with Raulin¡¯s hip, sending him spinning. Raulin reset his position quickly, though Afren didn¡¯t continue.

    ¡°Yes, definitely the woman. Tumble with her and be done with it or else you¡¯ll be distracted.¡±

    ¡°You know how I am. I won¡¯t be able to leave her if I do, physically and¡­¡± He trailed off.

    ¡°I understand perfectly. You and I were always alike in that aspect.¡± He paused and Raulin thought he was going to speak about their bond. He and Afren had met up several times after his apprenticeship had ended, always clandestine. Arvarikor strongly discouraged friendships for the very reason Raulin was dealing with at the moment, it being almost impossible for him to kill Afren and likewise in return.

    Raulin opened his mouth to ask his mentor again what they were going to do when Afren spoke. It was something Raulin thought he¡¯d never hear another trirec admit. ¡°I have a wife.¡±

    Raulin mimicked his mentor¡¯s earlier gesture by pausing, then turning out his arms slowly. ¡°Congratulations. I take it I¡¯m only the third to know that fact.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Five years.¡±

    ¡°Does she live here?¡±

    ¡°She is Monarean and lives with her people. I visit when I can.¡±

    ¡°Dare I ask?¡±

    ¡°A daughter.¡±

    Raulin took a pained breath. A part of him had questioned whether or not Afren would let him win, seeing as he was the younger with more life ahead of him. Now he knew his mentor would put everything he had into the fight.

    Yet, he still hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°You need to separate yourself from your companions. Do not let them in, Raulin, or else you¡¯ll end your year in pain. Or with a different destination.¡±

    Raulin thought he saw a figure move across the way in the stairwell, but looked back quickly to his mentor. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I feel everything unraveling. Even my fire for vengeance is down to the coals. And now, I fight to the death against the man who gave me what little I have. I can¡¯t go on.¡±

    ¡°You must. Whichever of us survives must go on. If that¡¯s you then, for me, you must figure out what path to take and live in peace over it.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°Now, let us end this honorably.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Raulin said, then lunged forward.

    If asked, Raulin would say he preferred to fence. He liked the sound of swords, the dance and connection one could make with an opponent. Each clang was a mark of progression, regression, or consideration, the sound almost satisfying. It was a sport of sound and sight.

    Knife-fighting, on the other hand, was a brawl. It was instinct and pain and fear. It was blind engagements and silent passes, steel almost meeting flesh. He wasn¡¯t rewarded in points or a metric of self-gratifying tings of metal clashing against metal. If he heard a noise at all, it was the wet sound of flesh being sliced.

    So, Raulin was forced to duel in a less favorite manner with a man he didn¡¯t want to duel with. It was impossible to disconnect the man from the body. He fought opponents with dispassion and apparently friends with heaviness.

    Afren, too. They had sparred on many occasions when he had trained Raulin and even for old times sake when they had reconnected in Kitstuar. Though that was about five years ago, age couldn¡¯t account for the sluggish way he moved, the mistakes and openings he gave. He wasn¡¯t without his progress; Raulin had several cuts across his body, including one dangerously close to the cut he still had stitches in on his shoulder. Still, Raulin suspected he could have ended it by the time ten minutes of frenzied fighting had elapsed and he hadn¡¯t.

    They separated and caught their breaths. What if they pretended Afren had been gravely injured and Raulin killed the man? Afren would still be killed. What if Raulin abandoned the contract, citing impossibilities? He¡¯d be whipped for insubordination, almost to death with the possibility of the injuries taking his life anyway. Was there some hidden law he wasn¡¯t seeing that could nullify this contract? He suddenly wished Al was there. He was shrewd. He might know a way around this that neither trirec could see.

    Afren attacked, dipping low to try for his thigh. Raulin sliced along his mentor¡¯s ribs, cutting a gash that would bleed but not significantly. To get that close to Afren he sacrificed defense, which caused him to get pricked in the chest. He backed off, turned, and caught his breath as he saw the figure in the stairwell again.

    ¡°Wizard?¡± he said.

    ¡°I did it,¡± Alpine said and Afren turned. Raulin snapped his knives into their sheathes, knowing Afren wouldn¡¯t attack him now.

    ¡°What did you do, Wizard?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I killed him, your target. He¡¯s dead.¡±

 Chapter 92

    ¡°What have you done?¡± Raulin asked, shoving past Al and taking the stairs two at a time.

    Afren was behind him as he entered the master bedroom. He took off his glove and pressed his fingers into Lacront¡¯s neck, hoping for some fluttering underneath. He took a few deep breaths when he realized his pulse was throbbing in his fingertips and tried again with no luck.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find a pulse. Afren?¡±

    Al pushed Raulin back by his arm while Afren checked after his employer¡¯s health. ¡°Kill him,¡± he hissed into his ear. ¡°Now!¡±

    Raulin shook off his grip. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. I helped you out.¡±

    ¡°You have cost me a hefty sum tonight. I¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Afren said with a heavy sigh.

    The three of them stood there for a minute in silence. Al wondered what was going to happen next. Afren and Raulin both knew, but wanted to spend as much time as possible stalling the events.

    ¡°So, this is the wizard you spoke about before?¡± Afren said in Ghenian. ¡°The one who you put on a wild goose chase?¡±

    ¡°Wild goose chase? What does that mean? Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, then turned to him. ¡°Why did you come up here? How did you find me?¡±

    ¡°I followed you. I had nothing else to do and¡­I was curious.¡±

    ¡°You were curious? What did I tell you? You were to stay at the hotel and wait for me to come back!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I followed you as well,¡± Afren said. ¡°You must be very distracted if you had two tails and didn¡¯t realize it, one of them being an untrained miartha.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°And so why did you kill this man?¡±

    ¡°I saw you fighting in the window from the street and knew you were in trouble.¡±

    ¡°We were settling it according to our code. You have ruined my honor.¡±

    ¡°What honor?¡± he said under his breath.

    Raulin grabbed Al by the neck and slammed him against the nearest wall. ¡°I know a hundred ways to cause you a lifetime of agony, and by the gods I will use them if you do not shut your mouth!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it out on him, Raulin,¡± Afren said, putting his hand on Raulin¡¯s arm. He let go of Al. ¡°Let¡¯s just look at this as we should. One of us was going to die.¡±

    ¡°It might be two, now.¡±

    ¡°No. You will not die tonight. Listen to me: you will live.¡± He put both of his hands on Raulin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You will find peace. I think you know deep down which pathway to take. Knowing your stubborn mind, you¡¯ll be kicking and screaming until you finally give in, but you need to do it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for proving me right,¡± he said with a small laugh.

    ¡°You can still run. No, listen to me. I have money. You can come with us to another city. I¡¯ll pay for your voyage across the Gamik and you can go home.¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± he said softly. ¡°I lost. The game is finished¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a game!¡±

    ¡°Raulin¡­Shh. It¡¯s over. You will be the one to survive. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    Al stood small in the darkest part of the room, hoping not to pull any attention. Afren waited a minute or two before he spoke again. ¡°Raulin. This is the way it must be. We need to finish this, before the miartha discover you and we both lose our lives.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t fair,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Of course not, but I prepared you for this day, as did Arvarikor. You can¡¯t live just in the glory and forget about the ugliness. Come on, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    Raulin reached behind his neck and popped open the loose threading to the top of a pocket that held a small knife. He placed this on Lacront¡¯s bed while he rolled the sleeves to his arong-miil to his elbows.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Afren pulled out his own knife, placed it on the bed, and knelt on his heels in front of it. He slowly wiggled his mask off and placed it on the other side of the knife, wiping his face quickly. ¡°At least I¡¯ll die free of it.¡± He nodded and pulled off his pouch of beads. ¡°These are yours now.¡±

    Raulin took them. ¡°No, they are hers. Tell me her name and where they live.¡±

    He smiled, the light from the streets glinting off of his dark skin. ¡°Sabilay Merak. Arsung-lim is the name of the village in the Viaven mountains.¡±

    ¡°In Monorea. Now I have a quest to fulfill.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± his mentor said. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    Raulin knelt next to his master, bowed low enough to touch his forehead to the floor, and began apologizing in Merakian. When he was finished with the speech he took the knife from his bed and cut three deep gashes into each forearm, hissing with the pain. By the time he reached back to put his ritual knife into its pocket, blood had snaked down to his wrist and had dripped to the floor.

    He stood and moved behind Afren, taking the knife that he held out for him. After a minute, he moaned. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You must,¡± Afren said. ¡°You must, my son.¡±

    Raulin growled and slit his mentor¡¯s throat. Afren fell forward, choking on his blood for several moments before he slumped against the bed. Raulin grabbed his mask and headed towards the stairwell. ¡°We leave,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, wait!¡± Al said, rushing over to Lacront. ¡°I can save him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead, Wizard. Leave him.¡±

    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t kill him! I just lowered his heartbeat so it seemed like he was dead. Give me a moment to revive him.¡±

    ¡°There was no pulse. I listened for it.¡±

    ¡°Just wait!¡± Al touched the man¡¯s neck and held it there.

    ¡°Wizard, the longer you wait, the more likely I am of getting caught.¡± He was already beginning to feel light-headed from the blood loss.

    ¡°Just hold for a moment.¡±

    He waited. Minutes passed. ¡°We need to go.¡± He walked around his mentor¡¯s body and pulled Al up, who fought him.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead! He¡­I can bring him back.¡±

    ¡°You waited too long. He was an old man, Wizard. It¡¯s unfortunate, but we need to go.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± Al said, despair in his voice.

    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± he said, ¡°and now you finally do.¡± Raulin pulled out a knife from his thigh, reached over Al, and stabbed Lacront¡¯s neck. The blood did not spurt out, but was plentiful. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Al allowed himself to be led and the two made their way down the stairs and out the front door without being caught. Raulin stumbled for a moment as he retrieved his knapsack from the bushes.

    Neither said anything. Al was still in shock over what had transpired, both by what had happened between the two trirecs and by what he had done. Raulin was slowly losing his verve. He began to stagger as his head swayed.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to pass out,¡± Al said, ducking under Raulin¡¯s arm to support him.

    ¡°I need to get to my base.¡±

    ¡°Base? Our hotel room?¡±

    ¡°No. Anla,¡± he whispered. ¡°Bring me to Anla.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s at her hotel room. It¡¯s going to be farther away then our room. Let¡¯s just go back. And let me wrap up your arms¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Raulin growled. ¡°My arms cannot be touched. Bring me¡­to Anla,¡± he said, slumping forward.

    ¡°Dammit,¡± Al said as took on Raulin¡¯s extra weight.

    It was a long walk to her hotel, made easier only by the fact that he had tapped into the Unease sometime well before he had arrested Lacront¡¯s heart. At least he had memorized which window was Anla¡¯s. He put Raulin down on the ground and grabbed some pebbles, throwing them with an accuracy he¡¯d later describe as ¡°inspired¡±. After a few minutes, she threw open the bottom sash and stuck her head out. ¡°Al?¡± she forcefully whispered.

    ¡°Anla! You need to come with us. Raulin¡¯s hurt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in two minutes!¡±

    She was faster than that, running out the front door while she still pulled the straps of her backpack over her arms. ¡°Al! What happened? Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°We need to get him to Tel. He¡¯s weak and needs us to carry him.¡±

    She knelt down in front of him. ¡°His arms are a bloody mess.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t let me bandage him until he gets to his ¡®base¡¯ and he didn¡¯t want to go to the hotel room.¡±

    Anla knelt under Raulin¡¯s arm and pulled him to standing with Al¡¯s support. ¡°Then let¡¯s get him there.¡±

    Both their necks and shoulders were killing them by the time they spotted the tavern¡¯s lights, still on in the deep hours of the night. They hissed whispers for Tel, who scrambled up from sleep and helped carry Raulin to the fire.

    As soon as he was down, Al reached for his towels and pressed both into Raulin¡¯s arms. ¡°Tel, take these, hold them, and stay here.¡±

    ¡°Heal him!¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I can heal his cuts, but he¡¯s suffered severe blood loss and he might die from it. There are herbs to help with that, but I don¡¯t know what they are.¡±

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°We need to get back to Iascond and fetch Alistad.¡±

    Anla paused, then nodded and stood. ¡°Tel, we¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Hurry,¡± he said.

    The two jogged back down the road to the western gate. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It was crazy. Raulin was fighting another trirec, so I went in. He said a bunch of things in Merakian, then cut up his arms before slitting the other trirec¡¯s throat. I¡­¡± He stopped jogging and swallowed hard.

    ¡°What is it Al?¡±

    ¡°I¡­um¡­I killed a man. The man Raulin was supposed to kill. I didn¡¯t mean to, though. I thought if I could pretend he was¡­he was dead¡­by just making it seem like it, then Raulin would be fine. I didn¡¯t know about the other parts involved¡­¡±

    She touched Al¡¯s shoulder and rubbed. ¡°We can talk later about this. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to.¡±

    ¡°I have a lot to talk about,¡± he said, his tone suddenly bitter. ¡°He lied to me. I only helped him tonight because I thought he needed it and he led me on a ¡®wild good chase¡¯, as the other trirec said.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said.

    ¡°You do? How?¡±

    ¡°He spoke with me after he stole the book. He said he couldn¡¯t allow you to help, that it was too risky, but he appreciated that you two were getting along. He didn¡¯t want to ruin that by shoving you aside, so he asked for your help. You did help him, in a way, he just couldn¡¯t use the information you gave him.¡±

    ¡°He made me look foolish, Anla.¡±

    ¡°I told him you might feel that way.¡±

    ¡°And! And he¡¯s been lying to us all, too.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen two Merakians in the last week. I thought maybe the agent was just short and darker skinned for a trirec. Then I saw the other one tonight and he looked like the first one. I saw Raulin and him up against each other. Anla, Raulin isn¡¯t Merakian.¡±

 Chapter 93

    Anla said nothing for so long Al thought she might not have heard him. ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°Well, what, Al? I realized it yesterday, so I¡¯m not surprised.¡±

    He kept waiting for her to explode like he wanted to. ¡°But¡­don¡¯t you know what that means? It means anyonecould be a trirec.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking it means Raulin is Noh Amairian.¡±

    Al slowed down his pace again. ¡°You think he¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Noh Amairian, Al. He¡¯s human like you are.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not Br¡¯vani!¡± Al said, scoffing.

    ¡°Shh. It¡¯s dark out and people will take notice. No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s Br¡¯vani. His skin¡¯s too light and his eyes are blue, not brown. I don¡¯t know of any other races he could be. He has to be human. Though, I have a theory on where he¡¯s from. Do you remember how upset he got when you said ¡®Walpin match¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You think he¡¯s Walpin?¡±

    ¡°It would make sense. Walpi is right next to the Merak border. They intermarry with Merakians all the time. If his order decided they wanted to train a Noh Amairian, it would be the best place to find and take an orphan. I¡¯ve heard they take Westerner slaves and that you can find them in settlements close to the Noh Amair border.¡±

    ¡°But trirecs are always Merakian. It¡¯s an absolute that assures people of security.¡±

    ¡°Well, how difficult must it be for certain contracts? If you see a Merakian on the streets of Gheny, you¡¯re going to assume he¡¯s a trirec. They don¡¯t have many immigrants here.¡±

    ¡°There are a few cities with Merakians, especially in Eerie and Quisset.¡±

    ¡°Not a lot, though, and very rarely in the rest of the country. I¡¯ve never met a Merakian and I know a lot of people in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°So, twenty-odd years ago, they decided to take a Walpin child, train him, and let him loose in Noh Amair and Gheny. He waltzes into places that Merakians can¡¯t because he¡¯s Walpin and no one suspects he¡¯s a trirec.¡± Al wiped his face. ¡°This is awful.¡±

    ¡°it doesn¡¯t really affect you, though.¡±

    ¡°It does! Anla, how can you be okay with this? One of the assurances people have is that, when they see a Merakian, they know he¡¯s almost assuredly a trirec. But, if you have a Noh Amairian walking around, stabbing people and stealing things, how are you going to catch them?¡±

    ¡°Like any other criminal? That¡¯s all he is, a human breaking into shops in the dead of night and stealing things. Look, I know you¡¯re unhappy about being tied to someone with a record he has to keep perpetuating. We need to get through this year, though, and anything that makes that easier is fine by me. If that means we don¡¯t have to slink in the dark to avoid people recognizing his origin, if it means he can have easier access to places because no one would suspect a human of being a trirec, then we¡¯re going to get through his contracts faster and with much less mess.¡±

    Al was about to retort when the nausea took over. They both stopped and bolted back a few feet. ¡°Al, I think you should go. You know Alistad better than I do. Here¡¯s some money, if you need to persuade people. I¡¯ll be right down this alley waiting.¡±

    Al had been in the Unease since before he saw Raulin¡¯s mask flash in the window of the house. He hadn¡¯t had any time to think about what happened, to really let things sink in and absorb into his mind. He knew he had killed a man. He knew it was his fault. He just couldn¡¯t get past the thought that someone else had done it, that the thoughtful care he had put into his actions for all of his adult life had splintered and broke.

    For the time being, it was much easier for him to focus on Raulin¡¯s heritage. A human trirec! Why wasn¡¯t Anla going hysterical at that? Did Tel know? Why did he feel crazed for thinking it was important? It was! It was definitely important! This would tear the fabric of Ghenian society apart! Unless¡­was he the only one? If he was, that would make Al¡¯s original plans to report Raulin to the authorities the moment the spell was up easier. If he could convince them. Perhaps he could befriend an officer or guard shortly before¡­

    The Zayine temple was sprawling and had seen a lot of activity, judging by the abandoned carts and still-burning pile of clothes in the side courtyard. He almost banged on the front door before he saw the poorly lit plaque that pointed to a side door for emergencies. The door was at the bottom of a stone stairwell, a dim oil lamp hanging from a chain on the side. Al took the brass knocker and banged twice.

    A small window in the door opened a minute later and a balding man peered out. ¡°You don¡¯t look sick,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hear because of the measles. I need to see Alistad.¡±

    ¡°Alistad? The apprentice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She treated my friend about a week ago. We need her services again.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s had a long day; she¡¯s taking her third-year practical exams for the rest of the week. Is it dire?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please tell her that Raulin needs her help.¡±

    ¡°All right. I can¡¯t make her go, but I¡¯ll rouse her and ask. Don¡¯t be upset with her if she says ¡®no¡¯.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Al paced back and forth in the little stone landing for ten minutes when he finally heard voices on the other side of the door. The window opened again and Alistad¡¯s face peered out. ¡°Al? Is Raulin okay?¡±

    ¡°No. He has serious lacerations and has suffered from blood loss.¡±

    She nodded, closed the window, then opened the door. She held a basket over her arm and invited him inside the poorly lit storeroom. ¡°How did he appear? What are his symptoms? Where are the lacerations and how severe are they? Approximately when did they occur?¡±

    ¡°Hard to tell with his mask on and a head-to-toe outfit. He was in a knife fight at¡­well, sometime shortly after sunset. He was faint and staggering. I think he had cuts before the bad ones.¡±

    ¡°Bad ones?¡± she asked. She had been pulling jars, vials, packets, and bags into her basket, but stopped to look at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Alistad. Don¡¯t ask me to explain, because I don¡¯t know why, but he had to obey some code and sliced his forearms up.¡± He drew a line over each of his arms three times. ¡°He seemed well before then, so I¡¯m guessing the cuts were deep. He bled a lot from them.¡±

    She nodded and pulled a few more items. She stopped and thought for a moment. ¡°Do you have a fire? Access to clean water? Linens?¡±

    ¡°Tel still had his fire going. Water and linens, no.¡±

    She asked him to fill a vase with the water from the pump in the corner of the room while she gathered her tools and a few more items. Al used the straps attached to put the vase on his back and left, leading her back to Anla. The three of them made it to the graveyard, easy to find only because the lights in the tavern still being lit.

    ¡°They are camped in a cemetery?¡± Alistad asked.

    ¡°At least Raulin won¡¯t have to travel far, if things go south,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla hissed. ¡°I think they¡¯re camped in a place near a business that¡¯s open late enough to guide us there.¡±

    Tel was hunched over Raulin¡¯s body, his fingers on the side of his throat. He looked up when they approached. ¡°His heartbeat is faint.¡±

    Alistad knelt next to Raulin. ¡°I¡¯ll need to take his mask off.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯d rather die,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I need to give him medicine and most will spill out if I can¡¯t get it into his mouth.¡±

    Anladet felt on either side of the mask¡¯s jawline until she felt two slight depressions. She pressed them and the bottom part of the mask clicked and popped off.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alistad said. ¡°Could I have a torch?¡±

    The light improved over Raulin¡¯s face when Tel handed Alistad a stick lit with burning linens on one end. ¡°He¡¯s pale. See his lips?¡± What she pointed out was correct; his lips had very little color to them. Neither did his skin.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been putting pressure on them, like Al said to,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°And thank you for healing me. I¡¯m glad to say that in person.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It was you who fought to stay alive; I just helped. And thank you for holding pressure. It helped to stop the bleeding.¡±

    She handed the torch to Tel, as she lifted Raulin¡¯s arm. The cuts oozed a little blood, but she seemed pleased by the amount. ¡°I will have to suture these. Then, I¡¯ll need help checking on his other wounds. First, though, he needs warmth.¡±

    Al retrieved everyone¡¯s blankets while Anla rifled through Raulin¡¯s knapsack for a change of clothes. Alistad washed her hands with lye soap while Telbarisk poured water from the jug. Al was on mixture duty again, sitting in front of the fire with a vial held between tongs.

    She began on his left arm, deftly sewing the lines together. Occasionally she stopped and asked for water to wash the wounds. He stirred awake and she had Telbarisk hold him down. ¡°I¡¯d give him something, but he told me the last time I stitched him that he couldn¡¯t ingest anything that would alter his mind.¡±

    Raulin began to thrash against the efforts of the group. Anla leaned in close to his face. ¡°Raulin,¡± she said. ¡°You have to hold still. Alistad is stitching you up.¡±

    ¡°Anla,¡± he whispered and stopped fighting.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± She put her hand gently on his shoulder.

    She and Alistad stripped Raulin of his arong-miil and the apprentice saw to the care of his other cuts. They counted eighteen cuts above the waist, with a half-dozen needing stitching. Anla smirked when she saw Alistad¡¯s face, more red than it usually was and remembered what Raulin had said about how the clergy felt around him.

    ¡°Thank you for coming out, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the forest, for Raulin.¡±

    Alistad nodded as she concentrated on stitching a wound next to the one she already had on his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s above and beyond what most would do. How much money did Al give you?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± she said. ¡°I came out because I was needed.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of people who are in need in the middle of the night.¡±

    ¡°I go to them as well, or someone in my order will. You asked for me specifically.¡± She moved onto to the puncture in his chest.

    ¡°Was that all?¡±

    She bit her lip as she tied the catgut. ¡°I like your group. You¡¯re polite and appreciative. It¡¯s worth it to establish good clients by going above and beyond the standard of service.¡±

    ¡°It had nothing to do with Raulin?¡±

    Alistad looked at his face for a few moments, then tore her gaze away. ¡°We need to roll him to the side and I¡¯ll need you to hold him in place for the last one.¡±

    She finished suturing. Since he was stable, she examined the shoulder wound she had cared for previously. She frowned and looked up, as if she were considering something. ¡°I cared for him a day over a week ago. This is healed beyond what I would expect, even if he had been diligent with the medicine.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s Merakian, so they could heal differently than humans.¡± She grabbed a shallow bowl and filled it with water. She lifted the back of Raulin¡¯s head and forced him to drink water. ¡°He needs to replenish his blood. Have him drink a lot of water over the next few days as well as take the tea I gave you.¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be taking the jar back with you,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You can bring it back when you go through Iascond.¡±

    Al thought about this for a moment. ¡°Who says we¡¯re going through Iascond?¡±

    She began putting things back into her basket. ¡°Last time we met you were farther down the road than this, away from Iascond. Now you are just a few miles from my temple. If you had gone through Iascond, you wouldn¡¯t have been surprised about the measles outbreak; it was catastrophic to certain areas, mostly in the poorer districts. I overheard you speaking of Hanala and knew you must have gone the long loop around, for whatever your reasons.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we lied to you.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t any business of mine. I¡¯m here to heal and not to judge.¡± She looked down at her hands for a moment. ¡°I would go around Iascond, if possible. Brouvrin, the man you spoke with, likes to gossip and while he was fetching me he told me that a prominent member of the city was assassinated, as well as his guard. I can only assume Raulin had something to do with that and that they will be looking for him. Iascond is rather well organized; word of a trirec walking about will reach the right ears quickly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Al said, leading her out to the road. ¡°We¡¯ll look after him and take your advice. Would you like me to escort you back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± she said before standing with her basket. ¡°This road and the path to the temple don¡¯t see much crime.¡±

    He gave her the two gold coins and wished her luck on her exams. He hoped they didn¡¯t need to call on her again.

 Chapter 94

    Raulin wasn¡¯t out for very long. His forearms throbbed and itched and he felt very cold. He stirred, pulling the blankets closer over his bare skin, then opened his eyes when he realized where he was.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± the wizard said, then leaned over to hover just above Raulin¡¯s face. ¡°I want answers.¡±

    ¡°The conditions¡­still hold,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, you son of a bitch, I want answers!¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla said, pulling him back. ¡°Give him air.¡±

    ¡°What¡­do you want¡­to know?¡± he asked, taking deep breaths in between.

    ¡°How many of you are there? How many Noh Amairians are trirecs?¡±

    Raulin touched his mask, relaxing when he realized it, minus the jaw portion, was still on his face. He took a deep breath and sat up, fighting the dizziness. ¡°As far as I know¡­I¡¯m the first and only. There are¡­a few Walpin children¡­in training. They expect me to mentor them¡­when the time comes. If they make it.¡±

    ¡°What book did you steal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Red cover?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why the hell did you make me do all that work if you didn¡¯t even use what I found out?¡±

    He heard his mentor¡¯s voice again. Do not let them in, Raulin, or else you¡¯ll end your year in pain. If it was anyone else, he would have dismissed it as following orders. But Afren cared about his well-being. They¡¯d had several long talks about his feelings on being a trirec, on his family¡¯s deaths, on all those issues he should have quashed long before his apprenticeship. And then, when he had grown and felt increasing problems related to romantic partners, he and Afren had talked about that as well. His mentor had been the one to suggest he pretend he was a sailor, so that both of them understood that he had to leave after a certain time.

    Raulin trusted Afren more than he trusted himself. His mentor had already seen the warning signs. Raulin had no long-term plan, but knew what he had to do to start his new course of relations. ¡°Because I thought it would be¡­amusing,¡± he said.

    ¡°Amusing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was laughing the whole time. I even told the shopkeeper you were coming in¡­to ¡®spy¡¯ on him, so that he would make it¡­even harder to get the information. Did you think¡­that woman in the park¡­just decided to speak to you¡­because you were good looking? I paid her.¡±

    Al stared at Raulin for a few seconds before slamming his fist into his jaw.

    ¡°Al!¡± Anla said, diving on him. Al continued to try to punch Raulin until she shoved him away too far.

    ¡°Let me go!¡±

    ¡°Tel, hold him! He¡¯s not thinking clearly.¡±

    Tel stood behind Al and shoved his arms under his armpits, lacing his fingers behind Al¡¯s head.

    ¡°He looks like a cat¡­that¡¯s made a mistake¡­and now he¡¯s clinging to a sill¡­eight stories high,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Get off me!¡± Al said, struggling to get out of the hold.

    The grivven leaned in and spoke. ¡°No man appreciates another man who hurt someone who was already hurting.¡±

    Al tried to squirm out. ¡°I won¡¯t punch him.¡±

    ¡°Go to the other side of the fire and stay there.¡± Tel released his hold and Al shoved him off before moving away from Raulin.

    Telbarisk gave Raulin a steady gaze before moving over to where Al sat.

    Anla walked over to Raulin and crouched next to him. He refused to look at her. ¡°Why would you say something like that to him?¡±

    He gave a flippant shrug and continued to sip on his water.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°If this has anything to do with the priestess, you can be assured that she¡¯s alive and well. I wrote a letter to my friends in Hanala and they responded by saying that she had been punished, but survived.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± he said in a flat tone. ¡°Where¡¯s the letter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s private. Trust me on this, Raulin. You don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±

    He said nothing. Anla watched him, contemplating the sudden change in his actions. He had gone from walking on eggshells around Al, trying his best not to argue or upset him, to antagonizing him, all within a few days. Raulin argued, sure, but this rudeness seemed off and uncharacteristic.

    She moved over to the fire and sat down next to Al. ¡°Tell me everything, every detail, about what happened inside the house.¡±

    Al relayed everything in a torrent that didn¡¯t stop until he got to the end. ¡°I tried to bring him back and¡­¡± He sucked in a breath and let it out raggedly before his voice broke. ¡°I killed him.¡±

    Anla put her arm on his shoulder and squeezed. ¡°It will take you some time to get to a place where you feel¡­not ¡®all right¡¯ about what happened, but at least not consumed by the thoughts.¡±

    ¡°I just want to be left alone,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, Al. I¡¯m tying myself to you. You¡¯ve been using magic for several hours tonight. I don¡¯t want you to have your after effects alongside all the thoughts of what happened.¡±

    ¡°Please?¡±

    She moved next to body and put her arms around him. ¡°No.¡±

    It was then that Al began to cry. She didn¡¯t let go.

    * * *

    Telbarisk was already awake when Anla stirred. Al was still next to her, asleep, but his fingernails bloody from clawing at his forearms. She sighed, moved his hair out of his eyes, and untied the rope around her ankle.

    She sat next to the grivven, hoping he¡¯d volunteer something. He seemed tired and she reminded herself that he was still recovering from something himself. ¡°How was your night?¡± she asked.

    ¡°After things calmed down, I slept well.¡±

    ¡°Good. How is Raulin?¡±

    ¡°He seemed to be regaining his strength. I saw him walk to get breakfast.¡± Tel waved his hand in the direction to his right.

    Anla frowned. ¡°Our food stores are behind us. I slung it over the tree¡­¡±

    She followed the direction that Tel had said and listened, hearing the fading lumbering gait of Raulin with her magic . She came upon him standing in front of their packs with a letter in hand. ¡°Who¡¯s Tiorn?¡±

    Anla¡¯s stomach flopped. ¡°No one,¡± she said, covering the distance between them. ¡°I said this was private.¡±

    He held the letter beyond her reach when she tried to snatch it from him. ¡°This Isky seems pretty sure that Tiorn is at least someone to you. Former lover? Current lover?¡±

    She could feel the heat burn her face. ¡°It should mean less than nothing to you! I said it was private and I didn¡¯t want you reading it. I don¡¯t ask about your affairs.¡±

    ¡°You do, though. You want to know what my fears are and where I¡¯m from. What Merak is like. You offer to let me sleep next to you without my mask, as if you were curious about what I look like.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, reaching and almost grabbing the letter. ¡°I¡¯ll never ask you anything else. Just give me the damn letter!¡±

    ¡°Answer my question: who¡¯s Tiorn?¡±

    ¡°No one!¡± He continued to hold the letter above her. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Tiorn¡¯s father owns a pasta restaurant in Hanala. He¡¯d let me sleep on the floors and eat some leftover food.¡±

    ¡°In exchange for¡­?¡±

    ¡°Things, all right?¡±

    ¡°What kind of things?¡±

    ¡°Raulin, please. I get that your upset. You¡¯re not feeling well or you¡¯re not yourself at the moment. Just give me the letter and I¡¯ll forget it.¡±

    ¡°What kind of things?¡± he repeated.

    Anla took a deep, fuming breath. ¡°He was never my lover, but he wanted to be. At first it was small things. Sitting on his lap, getting something from his pocket. Once he watched me clean the floors. I didn¡¯t care about that. Dinner and a warm place to sleep? I¡¯d clean the whole restaurant with a toothbrush if he wanted me to. But, his requests got worse. More invasive, more risque.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like what?¡±

    Tears welled in her eyes. ¡°Dammit, Raulin, I¡¯m not going to¡­keep the damn letter! I don¡¯t care! I left after I realized how bad he was getting and didn¡¯t return unless his friends were there or I was very desperate. I haven¡¯t seen him since last year, during a few very cold days.¡±

    He handed her the letter. ¡°I¡¯m sure he made them warmer. Or at least richer.¡±

    She turned, heading for the fire to burn the papers, and passed Telbarisk. ¡°I¡¯m leaving before I knee him in the groin.¡±

    What precisely had gone on, Tel didn¡¯t know. This whole situation was strange. He knew Raulin had strong feelings for Anladet, but thought he was more the type to wish well for most things he couldn¡¯t have. Jealousy didn¡¯t suit him and neither did cruelty.

    Raulin slowly walked past Tel, still weak and recovering. Tel didn¡¯t care. He shoved him into the trunk of the nearest tree and held him there with just his fingertips. His hands were so large that his fingers spanned Raulin¡¯s chest, his pinkie finger almost digging into the hole that had been stitched the night before.

    Tel spoke levelly, since he had no intention of scaring or hurting Raulin. ¡°And what do you have to say to me? Something about Kelouyan? Or my brother?¡±

    ¡°I was going to start with how you failed your family by winding up here.¡±

    ¡°This is supposed to hurt me and drive me away from you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best I¡¯ve come up with so far. Let me work on it for a bit.¡±

    Tel looked beyond the mask into Raulin¡¯s dark blue eyes. The metal cut down severely on what he could figure out about his feelings, but his eyes still told him he was terrified. No, not terrified; he was scared in the same way Telbarisk had felt when he had stood on the wharf in Hanala. He was lost, afraid of the uncertainty of the future.

    Tel removed his fingers. ¡°All right. Come back when you have something worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make it hurt,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you need to heal, then so be it. Let¡¯s test the bond of our friendship. I think you¡¯ll be disappointed when I¡¯m still there.¡±

    Telbarisk walked back to camp leaving Raulin to grit his teeth before following. Things are much easier when I can escape, he thought.

 Chapter 95

    ¡°Here you go, Raulin. Got some purva and sauce for¡­aw, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Al tipped the plate of food so that a good portion of the meal slid onto the ground.

    This wasn¡¯t the first battle in their war. After Raulin had burned the alley novel Al treasured, Al had retaliated by urinating extremely close to Raulin¡¯s bedroll. Raulin had moved his bedroll, but also removed everything Al had in his backpack and scattered it across a nearby field. It had been Al¡¯s turn, and it could have been much worse.

    ¡°No worries, Wizard,¡± he said, picking up what he could. ¡°In Queyal they actually add dirt to their food as a seasoning. It gives it an unexpected flavor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are we in Queyal?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not.¡± He rose and slowly walked to a nearby stand of trees so that he could eat his dinner in peace. He didn¡¯t need to; Al had finished his and went off to chop wood for the fire.

    Anla sat next to Tel, who was picking at his dinner. She had done her best, but mixed pasta and flour gravy with some wild carrots didn¡¯t make for an appetizing meal. Her¡¯s was flavored with sausage and was decent, but not the best meal she had ever made.

    This was the first time that day the two were alone and Anla was eager to speak to him. She had spent most of the day foraging by herself, reliving the embarrassment of her encounter with Raulin. She understood these were human reactions to the situation, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel what she felt. It had taken even most of the morning for her to realize that Telbarisk didn¡¯t care at all about her past choices. It had still taken her until dinner before she could talk to anyone without her face burning up.

    He paused and turned to her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still upset with him, but I¡¯m beginning to understand that there¡¯s a reason for it.¡±

    ¡°I confess it¡¯s been on my mind all day,¡± he said. ¡°I have some thoughts about it. Would you like to hear them?¡±

    ¡°Please. If there¡¯s any way to fix this, I¡¯d like to know.¡±

    ¡°Raulin was himself up until his return. In fact, I asked Alpine and he said that Raulin was acting nicer than usual until he interrupted the encounter.¡±

    ¡°He seemed normal when I spoke with him a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°It only makes sense then that the issue that caused the change happened last night. Raulin may have felt he failed, since it was Alpine that wound up killing the man. That doesn¡¯t explain why he¡¯s angry with you and I, though.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s just lashing out?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a man to do something unless he can do it with some precision. When he was at Nourabrikot, he didn¡¯t barge into the palace and insult my brother. He bided his time, understood who was an ally, and managed to give my brother subtle barbs and backhanded compliments. He told me it¡¯s called ¡®political fencing¡¯, that a successful exchange leaves a man bleeding from dozens of places without feeling the pain.¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is, if he wants to hurt someone, he¡¯ll find out the most efficient way?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. Watch when he comes back to his bedroll. He¡¯ll try to pick at me. He still hasn¡¯t figured out what¡¯s going to upset me, so he¡¯s making attempts at finding a weak spot.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°He¡¯s not lashing out then. What else do you think might have caused it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve run through a few possibilities. Besides feelings of personal failure, I thought it might have been too many bad things associated with us. We caught him and stopped his escape from the count¡¯s place, I got sick and waylaid us for a few days, and now Alpine interceded where he wasn¡¯t wanted.¡±

    ¡°You said he wasn¡¯t someone to hold grudges, except for some things in childhood. He said the same to me.¡±

    ¡°I did and I still think so, though I could be wrong. I knew him for almost a year. During that time I saw him slighted many times, some more severe than others. He never really showed that it bothered him for very long. I once saw him lose a spar with a fellow trirec, get mocked by some people, then buy them drinks later. If he had any long-term plan for revenge, I never heard about it.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t ¡®fencing¡¯ with those people?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He said he didn¡¯t bother with your average person, just those with clout.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if he would count us as having clout.¡±

    ¡°We might in his world, but there¡¯s no advantage to him manipulating us. He¡¯s stuck with us, he knows that, and he¡¯s made his peace with that.¡±

    ¡°Something else, then.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know what he said to you and Alpine was personal, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the intention. He doesn¡¯t mean to hurt you, he means to push you away and that¡¯s the best way how.¡±

    ¡°Why, though? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, there were some things that Alpine said that made me realize a few things. He said that once he announced he had killed the man, the two trirecs stopped fighting. They stood around talking about things levelly, in Merakian, and then proceeded with some sort of ritual. Alpine made it seem like Raulin trusted the other trirec, like he knew him. And I know that would cut me deeply, if I had to do the same.¡±

    ¡°What was the name Al gave for the trirec? Was it¡­Isken?¡±

    ¡°Afren, I believe.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Anla said, tenting her hands over her mouth. ¡°Oh, Tel, I remember who that is now. That¡¯s the name of his teacher, the man he said was like a second father to him.¡±

    Tel breathed out deeply. ¡°That makes sense. He was forced to slay his mentor. I wonder if there was any way to stop that from happening.¡±

    ¡°Poor Raulin,¡± she said. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t put him in my good graces, but at least I understand what happened to him. What should we do?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend we do anything right now. Either he¡¯s going to heal from that in his own time, or he won¡¯t, or he¡¯ll realize that our friendship is worth more to him than he thinks it is at this moment. It will be up to him.¡±

    Raulin walked slowly back to his bedroll near the fire, taking occasional breaks to catch his breath. Tel and Anla stopped talking to watch him, then went back to murmuring when he met their gazes. His journey from standing to sitting took a painful minute, and was even longer for him to finally lay down. ¡°You two couldn¡¯t be more obvious in watching me. Does this satisfy your need to finally feel superior to me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Telbarisk said immediately. ¡°It¡¯s satisfying to see you not faint or have your legs give out.¡±

    Raulin changed the subject. ¡°How is Kelouyan, do you think? I hope she didn¡¯t become pregnant before you left. That would be tragic.¡±

    Anla let out an angry and pained breath, but Tel¡¯s tone didn¡¯t waiver. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then people will take care of her and our child.¡±

    ¡°Must be difficult wondering if you have a child waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. You forget I can ride the weather. She stops and gazes at the sky sometimes and I can feel her in the rain.¡±

    ¡°She misses you. If I had someone like her I would have never left her.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you have to look beyond your wants to make the world the best for your loved ones.¡±

    Anla looked at Tel, who by all rights should be tense and frowning. Instead, he looked wistful and had a small smile on his face. She placed her hand on his arm and gave him a look. He looked back and smiled in full.

    ¡°We leave in the morning,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Is that wise?¡± Telbarisk asked. ¡°You are still weak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I have a few errands to run before my next job.¡±

    ¡°¡­in Miachin,¡± Anla said.

    He stared at her. ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°¡®Toss a rock high and be expected to fly¡¯. I looked at your notebook. It¡¯s not like it was a very hard code for me to crack.¡±

    She thought he would begin to barb her like he had Telbarisk, but instead slowly turned away. ¡°We leave in the morning.¡±

 Chapter 96

    Raulin knew he should have waited a few more days. He was still weak and had to take so much longer to walk or do anything he was used to doing. Time was of the essence, though, and he had no option. They had to press on.

    He had taken his fourth contract only because he knew he was going to be nearby on the specific date he had to complete it. He had expected to be in New Wextif by that point, getting ¡°Marin Liasorn¡± outfitted, groomed, and reacquainted with the contacts he had maintained since his last trip to Gheny. Miachin was supposed to be a leisurely carriage-ride back south when he needed to. Instead, he had four days to travel two and a half days¡¯ worth of road and he still needed to go back into Iascond.

    ¡°We can¡¯t go here,¡± Al said once he realized where they were headed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you,¡± Raulin responded, not even bothering to look behind him.

    ¡°Alistad said the city was already on alert due to the assassination you did.¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± he corrected. He did turn back then and noticed the wizard flinched at that. ¡°I have no choice. There¡¯s one more thing I must do before I leave Iascond. You three can resupply while I do my errand in the city.¡±

    ¡°Can we at least skirt around the city?¡± Anla asked.

    He said nothing at the suggestion, but took the first left after the western gate. After some time, he snapped around and faced the three of them. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll meet you at the northern gate in one hour.¡± He approached Al, who watched him warily. ¡°Chalk.¡±

    The wizard pulled a piece from his pack, gave him a wry smile, and snapped it in half before handing him one of the smaller bits. ¡°Cute,¡± Raulin said and left.

    The corner of the brick building had been washed clean. He panted as he crossed the street and dashed a series of symbols on the wall, not caring who saw him. He waited farther down the alley, hoping the agent would show up before he had to rejoin the other three. Then again, he also wanted to catch his breath before someone noticed how weak he was.

    Raulin heard the bells tolling and assumed that, since Zayine¡¯s temples only rang at ten in the morning, that should the time. No luck with the agent arriving quickly, then. He began to walk slowly north. The journey was irritatingly slow, but at least there were no interruptions due to sharp, sudden illnesses.

    The northern gate, like all the other gates he¡¯s seen in the other Ghenian cities, was a show piece that did nothing more than delineate the border to the suburban town of Criek. It had no actual door or guard station and therefore had no function for protection. Instead, it was a masterfully crafted work of art. The fence of impeccably straight tree trunks were flattened every so often into a book-sized square with an intricate engravings of flowers, waves, and cloud-filled skies. Surrounding the entrance was a border of the same carvings that boasted of goods available with a shop¡¯s name at the top. He spotted Honeyed Moon¡¯s, a beautifully stained tile with grapes, bottles, and cheese, just above eye level on the left.

    To further the divide between Iascond and Criek, there was a manicured path that ran parallel to the fence. He went to the right and found a shady tree to lean again. It only felt like a minute had passed when he sensed the presence of someone standing nearby. He cracked his eyes open. ¡°Thank you for coming so quickly,¡± he said, giving the agent their three-fingered salute.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting your signal after what happened,¡± Curvot said. ¡°Where are your charges?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Shopping. They¡¯ll be by soon.¡±

    ¡°I see. Is that wise?¡±

    ¡°They have only small amounts of cash on them and most of their purchases have been shipped elsewhere,¡± he lied smoothly. ¡°They wished to be alone and I agreed it would be wise if you and I met without any interference.¡± He caught his breath discretely.

    ¡°Wise choice. So, where is the mask?¡±

    Raulin slung his knapsack off his shoulders and pulled it from his bag, studying it for a few moments. The mask looked almost identical to every other one produced by Arvarikor, but Raulin could almost see his mentor¡¯s face below, filling out the angles and curves. He handed it over to the agent and said, ¡°He fought valiantly and bravely, in honor of the code.¡±

    ¡°May he forever bring honor to Arvarikor,¡± the agent responded somberly.

    Raulin repeated the phrase, then pulled the bag of Afren¡¯s beads from his bag and handed it to Curvot. He would have felt dirty about the ordeal if he didn¡¯t plan to hand it over to Afren¡¯s wife as soon as he could. ¡°Just mark it for now. I will exchange them in Hanala when I¡¯m finished with my docket.¡±

    Raulin hadn¡¯t looked inside. Curvot opened the pouch and pulled out one row of eleven orange beads, one turquoise, and one red. They both stared at the amount, Raulin with a smile across his face.

    ¡°1,175 gold,¡± Curvot finally said, pulling out a notebook and listing the amount. ¡°I¡¯ll send this note to Hanala.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    The agent put his notebook away while Raulin slung his pack over his shoulders again. He was about bid farewell to Curvot when the agent lunged out with his arm. He grasped Raulin¡¯s right wrist and yanked up his sleeve in one motion. Raulin hissed in pain as Curvot ripped the linen from his forearm to reveal the marks. ¡°Thought so,¡± he said before he pulled off the bottom part of his mask and spat on the ground. He left before Raulin could explain. Not that it would have helped.

    Trirecs had a very intricate code that they began learning well before they ever handled a knife. Their world was tenuous and volatile and needed a variety of laws to keep some order, or else trirecs would be killing each other for their beads and their contracts. One of Raulin¡¯s other mentors had likened it to surrounding a swarm of hornets with twine; the more you can wrap around them, the more contained they¡¯ll be.

    In the case that two trirecs were pitted against each other, the duel to the death must be honorable. No trickery, no deceit, and no stopping until either one was dead. If that was the guard, then, and only then, could the assassin kill his target. Should an outside force intervene, like a hired accomplice, it was considered a dishonorable killing.

    Raulin fingered the still fresh wounds on his forearm. The wizard would never understand what he had robbed from the trirec. It didn¡¯t matter that Al hadn¡¯t known those rules, or that he hadn¡¯t meant to kill Lacront, or that Raulin had been distracted by his fight with Afren. The only thing that mattered was that Raulin had failed to kill his target by his own hands.

    He had never been bothered by the fact that his hair was likely the shortest in the order. The exchange with the other trirecs back at the Hanala had been playful to him. ¡°You may have longer hair because you haven¡¯t been arrested, but at least I get the job done. Here are the beads to prove it.¡± He had won that because he saw results from his work. It was sloppy, but it was done and done honorably.

    Curvot would write to Hanala and tell Arvarikor that he had killed Afren Merak and taken his beads, because of the honor of his job, but he would also in Raulin¡¯s dishonor because of Curvot¡¯s spite towards him. And he didn¡¯t blame him.

    Until that moment, he hadn¡¯t really cared about his reputation, didn¡¯t really care what other trirecs thought of him. He had always, always been that Noh Amairian kid they had let in late. He was strange and foreign and never good enough. He¡¯d rarely had friends and his teachers often singled him out for punishment. But, they had respected him and that had only grown once they had presented him with his mask and let him loose on the world.

    Now, it was all gone. They would all know, and with that any of the perks he¡¯d had in the past. He wouldn¡¯t get to slide by punishments, like he had in Hanala. He wouldn¡¯t get advances nor priority in anything. All of those compound tailors and blacksmiths had dropped everything else to get his new arong-miil made and to sharpen his knives.

    Worst of all, he had lost Isken. They had been friends, but that¡¯s not something that would survive that news. And he didn¡¯t blame him, either.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time in his life that he understood loneliness, but it was definitely the most poignant.

 Chapter 97

    The three of them stood just beyond the northern gate of Iascond and watched Raulin, not knowing what to say. It had to be said, though. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Anla said to Al.

    ¡°What if he snaps at me again? I don¡¯t want to deal with it. And if he says no¡­¡±.

    ¡°Stand firm. If you have to pretend to be Mr. Auslen, then try that. He¡¯s under your employment, remember?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said reluctantly and approached Raulin, who was leaning against a tree. He cleared his throat and Raulin jumped before opening his eyes. Al expected a ¡°Yes, Wizard?¡± or some acknowledgement, but got nothing but a deep stare from the man. Kriskin malor, I am in charge of him. He has to do what the group says!

    He cleared his throat quickly ¡°Ah, Anla says you need to be in Miachin in four days and you¡¯re not exactly healed. We won¡¯t make it with you walking as slowly as you are. So, we bought places on an empty food dray that¡¯s heading to Calaba. We¡¯re staying there until we need to move to Miachin.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Raulin said.

    Al was taken aback for a moment. ¡°You can¡¯t get out of it. We¡¯ve already paid and the man is coming to the gate soon.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully. It would be embarrassing if he took your money and never showed.¡±

    ¡°We approached him! We asked first where he was going and he said ¡®Calaba¡¯, then we asked if he was willing to take people north on his cart. I¡¯m not stupid, Raulin. I know you don¡¯t give money to anyone that approaches you without making the necessary inquiries.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said tiredly, then closed his eyes again as if to say the discussion was complete. Al wasn¡¯t sure Raulin wouldn¡¯t try something to get out of it, but he had done his duty by informing the trirec about their plans. He returned to the rest of the group.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He hoped we weren¡¯t getting ripped off, but he was okay with it.¡±

    Anla looked at Tel. ¡°That¡¯s an improvement. I expected him to yell at us for spending money and doing something behind his back.¡±

    ¡°Why should it matter?¡± Al said. ¡°He does everything behind ours.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the nature of his job, Al.¡± She turned when they heard the clopping of horses¡¯ hooves stop nearby. The man and his dray were one of dozens of people who made the trek daily to provide food to Iascond from the northern countryside. With his dragan horses, tall, muscular things with thick necks and creamy fringed cannons, he could pull a dozen large barrels with each trip. His return to Calaba was unweighed and therefore a waste of space in his cart.

    Raulin said nothing as he approached. He climbed into the front of the dray, right below the high-set seat, and fell asleep almost immediately. Al and Anla sat across from Telbarisk, who was pleased to be able to stretch his legs out along the flap in the back.

    Al had no idea how Raulin managed to stay asleep. The whole cart jostled over every dip and rock in the road. Every so often the driver would trot the horses on a bit of road that was relatively flat, in order to get the speed up a little, but it was mostly slow and bouncy.

    The driver was named Naustis and he was more than grateful for the extra income. ¡°Iascond doesn¡¯t have a rail station yet, but when they do I might be out of a job.¡±

    ¡°Could you gather food from farms and bring it in to Calaba?¡± Al asked, leaning over the edge of the dray.

    ¡°There are already people who do that. I take that food and bring it down here.¡± He looked back and down. ¡°Who knows? Perhaps the station won¡¯t come until I¡¯m retired. I¡¯m getting older and I¡¯ve encouraged my sons to look for jobs in different professions. Maybe it won¡¯t bother me, then.¡±

    Al¡¯s stomach had been rumbling for a solid hour by the time they crested a hill lined with thin cypress trees. The summit overlooked all of Calaba, a town large enough to boast of two market streets, but not enough to justify a baron¡¯s hold. The wharf was extensive, with one of the shopping districts, and even a large temple clinging to a far off sea cliff.

    ¡°This is our first time here,¡± Al said to Naustis. ¡°Can you give us some recommendations?¡±

    He turned in his seat and looked at Al, giving an amused smile. ¡°Calaba is an¡­interesting town. It all depends on whether you¡¯re looking for quiet or entertainment?¡±

    ¡°What kind of entertainment?¡± Al asked warily.

    ¡°Nothing like that,¡± Naustis said. ¡°In fact, Calaba prides itself on its low crime and virtuous citizens. They just like to do their greeds and meads in a particular way.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Greeds and meads¡¯?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It means ¡®have fun¡¯ in Dickery, street talk,¡± Anla said. ¡°At least that¡¯s what they say in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, miss,¡± Naustis said. ¡°And I used that phrase specifically.¡± When they continued to look up at him, he continued. ¡°There¡¯s pirates there, namely. Calaba spent a good portion of the last century fighting off pirate attacks. When they were eradicated from Gheny¡¯s shores, Calaba was left with an industry that had nothing to do anymore. So, they started holding some mock battles, to keep everyone sharp, just in case the pirates weren¡¯t really gone or there was some other force to watch out for. And over the last hundred years it¡¯s morphed into this vacation spot where people come to get swept up in the events. They still have ¡®attacks¡¯ on the town or sea skirmishes. The townsfolk in the wharf section, Cutlass Bay, dress in old Aroukean and Kitstuar fashions and pretend like it¡¯s the olden days.¡±

    He stopped and lost the far away look as he gauged their reactions. ¡°I take it you participate from time to time?¡± Anladet asked.

    He gave a sheepish smile. ¡°Occasionally, yes. It¡¯s a grand time, if you enjoy it and don¡¯t worry about outsiders looking in and mocking you.¡±

    ¡°Do they do that?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Sometimes. I try not to let it spoil my time.¡± He looked back forward for a moment, then back at the group. ¡°You have a choice then. Would you like me to take you to a nice hotel inland, where it¡¯s quiet, or down by Cutlass Bay, where it¡¯s exciting?¡±

    Anla looked at Al. Since Raulin didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to be in charge and Telbarisk never cared, it was up to him again. Finally the group had retained the sense of order he preferred.

    His choice, however, wouldn¡¯t be considered something based on maturity. He looked at Raulin, who had only stirred when they had spoken to Naustis, and wondered what would bother him the most. Someone who needed a few days of recovery would likely want peace and quiet. ¡°Let¡¯s try Cutlass Bay,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good man,¡± Naustis said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you as close as I can, but I can¡¯t drive my horses down certain streets.¡±

    His horses¡¯ hooves clopped over the cobblestones of Main Street. Naustis waved to many of the shopkeepers who were tending to outdoor chores or speaking with their neighbors. He turned right down a dirt alley between a barber-surgeon and a boutique and stopped before reaching the next cobbled street.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°This is where we part,¡± the driver said, climbing down from his seat. ¡°Those blue-gray stones are the beginning of the show area. The inn I¡¯m going to recommend is the The Dusty Lantern. It¡¯s about five blocks north and two blocks east. It stands out because they don¡¯t go fully along with the show; the owners don¡¯t pretend to be defenseless habitaents fearful of invasion nor former pirates taken to a life of lawfulness. It¡¯s a good place to stay if you¡¯re curious, but not excited.¡±

    Naustis helped Anla down from the dray after popping the gate down. Al and the roused Raulin hopped down; Telbarisk barely had to drop in order to touch the street. ¡°Thank you,¡± Al said. ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to enjoy our stay.¡±

    They watched as he drove away down what was labeled as Palm Way, an accurate name due to the trees that were at the corner of each building. Each was surrounded by a small box of brightly colored flowers, reds, yellows, and fuschias popping out from a feathery bush of deep green.

    Al led the way past shops and taverns in the neighborhood that had chipped paint and broken windows. He turned back once or twice, expecting to see Raulin plodding along in repentance, his head hung and his hands dangling in front of him. Though slower than he remembered, Raulin appeared alert, his hands hovering near his knives and his walk no longer the casual swagger he usually used.

    The Dusty Lantern was on Seabreeze Lane and was a rice-colored stucco building with an enclosed veranda in the front and split balconies for the rooms. The owner and his wife, who was serving dinner in the small dining area up front, were dressed in the traditional fare of Aroukean coastal people. His tricorne hat differed from the normal style in that its flaps were barely present and his leather vest contained pins that would mark him as a ferrier, not an innkeeper, but he looked like a man who served sailors and navigators instead of tourists. His wife wore her dress off the shoulder, including modesty with a maroon scarf tucked into her bodice. Her voluminous skirts were cinched somewhat with ribbons that twisted in and out between the folds and tied in the back.

    Anla mentioned Naustis¡¯s name and the innkeeper beamed before giving them rooms on the fourth floor. ¡°It¡¯s a trip upstairs, but one of the rooms faces the sea and has great views of the show.¡±

    ¡°My wife and I would love that one. My ledgerer and guard will be happy to take the other,¡± Al said, making sure Raulin understood that under no circumstances would he be sleeping with Anla.

    ¡°Very good, sir. Would you like dinner? My wife has prepared cream seafood stew, seared beef baroise, and peach cobbler.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for four. My ledgerer would like no beef and my guard doesn¡¯t like dessert.¡±

    Surprisingly, Raulin didn¡¯t even cast a glare his way.

    ¡°Excellent, then. Here are your keys and here is a booklet about Calaba and the events.¡±

    The rooms weren¡¯t cramped and the bed didn¡¯t creak, so Al proclaimed it the best room he had stayed in so far. He leafed through the book and found it rehashed most of what Naustis had told them, minus the history and details.

    ¡°There¡¯s something tonight called the ¡®wench auction¡¯. We should see what it is.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like nothing good for me,¡± Anla said. She looked over at him from the window, and said, ¡°Well, maybe we can stay for a little bit. I¡¯m sure it will be interesting.¡±

    Dinner was fair; the puchent sauce on the seared steak was burned and the crust for the cobbler dry, but it was the first full sit-down meal in a long time for some of them. Tel¡¯s last time grasping utensils a little too small for his hands had been in Bronsto two weeks prior. Even though Raulin was present, Al found there was something enjoyable about the group sharing a meal like that.

    Since Telbarisk decided he was also interested in the affair that evening, the four went down to the wharf. Open torches lit the docks, which had sun-bleached yet clean wood over an extensive area of the beach. A large crowd had already gathered to listen to an accordion, fife, and drum band play tunes. Al applauded enthusiastically at the end of each piece.

    The music was cut short, in fact mid-song, by a raucous group of men stomping across the cobblestones and up onto the wharf. They brandished their torches and leered at the crowd, which had grown giddy in anticipation. The men circled them and began saucing up the group. One was crudely flirting with some of the women while another assured the men they would be doing them all a favor.

    ¡°Ahoy, landlubbers!¡± the most lavishly dressed of the dozen men said as he clomped up onto the wharf.

    ¡°Ahoy, pirates!¡± the crowd yelled back and applauded.

    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Ilzar and it be time for the auction! Bring us all yer wenches and we¡¯ll see if ye can get them back!¡±

    The men swooped in and escorted all the women behind the head pirate. The ones dressed like the innkeeper¡¯s wife giggled and feigned distress when hands were put upon them. Some women tried to hide in the arms of their husbands, but were pried away with insults and large hands. Before Anla knew what was happening, she, too, was jostled to the front to stand behind the captain.

    ¡°Yer lovely ladies be mine!¡± he said to the men. ¡°If ye want them back, ye¡¯ll have to pay for them. And dearly; some of these gorgeous creatures be worth a hefty ransom. Now, we¡¯ll start¡­¡±

    He was interrupted by a busty, blonde woman in a red skirt and a low-cut black bodice. ¡°Here!¡± she said, shoving forward. ¡°I go first!¡±

    ¡°Woman, ye wait until I be pickin¡¯ ye!¡± he roared and the crowd laughed.

    ¡°And wait until they¡¯ve spent all their coin on these other dames? No. Thank. You!¡±

    The captain took off his massive tricorne and smoothed his hair back. The woman winked and blew kisses at the men left in the crowd, tickling one older man under the chin and assuring him that he would spend whatever it took to free her. ¡°Woman! I be choosin¡¯ who goes first and I won¡¯t be choosin¡¯ ye!¡±

    She theatrically turned around and stamped her foot. ¡°I say I go first and I go first! Unless, you want me to make this difficult for you¡­¡±

    The pirate looked to the chuckling crowd and shrugged. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll be doin¡¯ this by the cutlass and hook.¡± Louder still he said, ¡°Lords and lads, I have yer lovely ladies behind me. I be sailing to Mouerta Ki in the morning and I be takin¡¯ them all, unless ye be payin¡¯ me what I think they be worth. This lady,¡± he said with enough sarcasm to make her turn and give him a nasty glare, ¡°will be goin¡¯ first. Any man here willing to give twenty-five gold for the privilege of having her grace your streets once more?¡±

    ¡°Pay us and we might take her!¡± someone shouted from the back.

    The woman turned to the captain and gestured back at the crowd. ¡°Oh, do you think these cheapskates will pay twenty-five gold? They wouldn¡¯t pay a copper! You¡¯re stuck with me!¡±

    The pirate deflated and had one of his men place shackles around her wrists. She was led to the back, behind the other women, and the auction proceeded. The captain chose another woman, the one garbed like the innkeeper¡¯s wife, though far too old for the revealing bodice she wore. She smiled at the captain, her large nose wrinkling in delight. ¡°And this charming lass. What will ye be payin¡¯ for her? I say five silver and not a copper less!¡±

    ¡°Five silver!¡± a man from the crowd yelled. He hurried forward and placed the coins in one of the pirate¡¯s hands. The crowd cheered as the couple were reunited with a deep kiss.

    Anla was moved next to the captain. ¡°Ah, what a gorgeous lass ye are. What be your name?¡±

    ¡°Anladet,¡± she answered. He asked her to repeat it louder and she heard a few people mutter.

    ¡°An Arvonnese lass! Are ye here with anyone -please say no- or are ye here lookin¡¯ for a man?¡±

    A few men whistled before she loudly said, ¡°I¡¯m here with my husband.¡± Since Al had insisted on the ruse earlier, it was only fair she continue it.

    ¡°Where be he?¡± the captain asked.

    ¡°Here!¡± Al yelled, waving his arms.

    ¡°How much to ye love yer lass?¡±

    ¡°A lot?¡± he said to some chuckling from the crowd.

    ¡°Ye don¡¯t sound confident. Perhaps we should test yer love. One hundred gold!¡±

    There was silence for a moment, then Al said, ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of money!¡±

    The crowd laughed again. ¡°Ah, but for a beautiful lass such as she, one hundred gold be a bargain! Perhaps some other lad be takin¡¯ her instead?¡±

    ¡°Can we pool our money?¡± someone asked and the crowd dissented, feeling the comment was in bad taste.

    ¡°Ah, lad, ye don¡¯t want to besmirch the lady¡¯s honor like that. No takers? Back with ye, lassie!¡±

    The auction continued while Anla stood in the back next to the lady with the red skirt, who didn¡¯t seem worried at all. She tested the manacles, which were metal, but not actually locked.

    The whole thing made her nervous. While she understood the pageantry, there was no guarantee that they weren¡¯t actually going to be taken somewhere and sold as slaves. Ghenians said it didn¡¯t happen, but she had heard too many rumors in Hanala to dismiss it. She suspected one or all of her siblings may have met that fate.

    At the end of the auction, there were six women that were shackled and led to a rickety, barred wagon. ¡°If ye want yer lasses again, join us across from the Sea Moss Beard over on Crescent Street,¡± the captain yelled, pointing his sword north. ¡°But, if ye be enjoying yer new-found freedom, join us for a drink in Dublay¡¯s Tavern, right over yonder. The first round is free!¡±

    The crowd cheered and dispersed, most swarming to the tavern. The women were loaded up into the wagon, the seats cushioned with pillows. Anla sat closest to the door and tried to look out to see if she could get her group¡¯s attention. If it was where she thought the captain had pointed to, it was going to be over a mile away and she would have no way of stopping her movement if she got sick.

 Chapter 98

    The wagon creaked slowly across the cobblestones, jerking the group of women back and forth randomly. Anla could hear the clopping of the horses¡¯ hooves clearly. She closed her eyes and pretended she was back in Naustis¡¯s dray beside Al and Telbarisk.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to drown out the excited conversations between the other four women. From what she overheard, being chosen was something of an honor for tourists. One of the women had been to over a dozen wench auctions and had been accepted for her first time that night. None of them seemed concerned about their fate, so Anla was left to guess that worrying about it wasn¡¯t worth it. She was still concerned over the chalice¡¯s influence, though.

    ¡°Girls, I think we have a mousie,¡± the woman in the red skirt said.

    Anla opened her eyes and saw they were all looking at her. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡± one of the others asked.

    ¡°Anladet,¡± she said.

    ¡°Have you ever done this before?¡±

    ¡°No. This is my first day in Calaba.¡±

    The woman who had tried fourteen times crossed her arms and frowned. The woman in the red skirt spoke again. ¡°Nothing to be worried about, dearie. The good captain is going to bring us to the jails up the hill and put us inside. If the good townsfolk are kind enough to donate ten gold by midnight, you get to keep it and go free. If not, then he keeps it and you¡¯re released with fond memories only.¡±

    ¡°What if I want to leave early?¡± she said, thinking about the spell again.

    The woman frowned. In fact, they all looked displeased at her question, one woman turning to another and saying ¡°killjoy¡± quietly.

    ¡°Well, mousie, you¡¯re free to go whenever you please. Just know that many women would have given their only bodice laces to be in your spot.¡±

    Anla nodded and forced a smile. ¡°I was just¡­curious. I think it will be good fun.¡±

    ¡°There we go, love,¡± the woman said, patting her knee affectionately. ¡°A pretty thing like you is sure to get your money by the witching hour.¡±

    The thought had merit. She was tired from the long day of travel, but her instinct to make money was still strong. This was a show and she was well practiced in that. How exactly should she go about luring the crowd in?

    She continued to think about this as the wagon began to turn up the hill and went past the mile mark. Al might have gone to the tavern for his free drink, but at least one of the others was smart enough to follow her. She thought it was likely to be Telbarisk. Anla relaxed and looked out the half windows that lined the side of the wagon.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked.

    ¡°This is Old Town,¡± red skirted woman answered. ¡°Where we started is the new section, added after the pirate attacks occurred.¡± Anla appreciated she had mostly dropped the act. ¡°You can see that this area is more fortified than the rest, more like a castle carved out of the rock. It¡¯s difficult to reach the beaches from here, even after we simplified the pathways. And our more important buildings are here: the jail, the bureaucratic buildings, and the temples.¡±

    Anla moved her face close to the bars and saw what she meant. Most of the buildings had a clean, commercial look to them in cream stucco or yellow brick. There were plants, but they were in the tops of barrels or in small diamonds on the ground. Lanterns swung from high positions that would be difficult for people to light daily. And, of course, they were kept in the best shape possible. With a booming trade in tourism, there were no broken windows or crumbling bricks here, like she had seen in quieter places like Wyok.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing to a building of dark wood that didn¡¯t match the rest of the neighborhood.

    ¡°That is the Library of Cyurinin. It¡¯s also the Hall of the Brother for Calaba.¡±

    Al had once told her that Mikros never had his own temple; his followers always jointly built or added on to another temple. ¡°He¡¯s purely about cooperation,¡± Al had said, ¡°so He won¡¯t work alone. The problem is many of the other gods prefer things to be all about Them, so only a few of Them are willing to share. Cyurinin is the one with the most joint temples, both in Gheny and Noh Amair, since He¡¯s not a conceited god and They have a lot in common.¡±

    The wagon stopped and a torch was shoved in front of the window. The face of a man with a large, hooked nose, scars, and rotten teeth appeared suddenly. No, his teeth weren¡¯t rotten; they were just black from some paste. And his scars were really just black ink. It was a costume, though Anla didn¡¯t think there was any cosmetics in Yine that could help him with that nose.

    ¡°Avast, me pretties! It be time to see if ye be stunning enough to get yer gold. What say ye, boys?¡± The crowd behind him cheered. He pretended to unlock the door and swung it open wide. ¡°Wait ye turn, Birgetha! We¡¯ll let this pretty little wisp go first.¡±

    The man offered his hand and Anla was helped down the steps and onto the street. He escorted her to the farthest cell in a concrete framework that was independent from any surrounding buildings. There were conveniently six, each with bars to the front door, a wooden bench chained to the wall, a table with watered wine and a light meal of bread and fruit, and a hidden door in the rear. Anla explored her cell before settling in the back, out of the light of the lantern hanging in between her and Birgetha¡¯s hold.

    When all six were locked away, the man yelled, ¡°Make the men smile, lassies, or else ye¡¯ll be sailing for Mouerta Ki in the morning!¡±

    There was a mad rush as men, and some women, ran forward to help with the cause. Tink-ta-tink went the buckets that collected change. ¡°My loves!¡± yelled Birgetha. ¡°I¡¯ll be free in no time with your help!¡±

    Anla heard the other four women start their own pitches. She tried not to judge, but they were pathetically overt in that they kept yelling ¡°Save me! I need to get out and I need some coin to do it!¡±. After ten minutes or so, their pitches took either whiny or defeated tones while Anla still hadn¡¯t said anything.

    Piscarins were known for several things. They had tonics and potions for this malady or that injury. They had spells readily available to curse your enemy or make someone fall in love with you. And they told fortunes, which were usually the best way to make money. The latter needed an investment piece like a crystal ball or cards that could be used over and over again. And, best of all, they were showier, drawing in curious crowds who would convince themselves while they watched. Of course, Anla had no crystal balls, or cards, or even the runes she usually used. There was, however, a piscarin technique she had used when she started out that didn¡¯t need any of those.

    She waited until there was a group of young men gathered outside her cell. ¡°Is this one free already?¡± one asked. ¡°Hello?¡±

    He turned to talk to his friend and that¡¯s when she moved into the light, wrapping her hand around one of the bars. He turned back and startled. ¡°Hello,¡± Anla said, looking up from her eyelashes.

    ¡°Hi! Why are you so quiet?¡±

    ¡°I was conversing with the spirits. They told me to wait for you.¡±

    ¡°For me?¡± he asked. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a piscarin?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Shh,¡± she said, grabbing his hand lightly and lifting it to the light, focusing only on it. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want the pirates to think I¡¯m valuable.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He tugged lightly until she moved his cuff up his arm and massaged his palm.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong. That¡¯s unexpected of you.¡± She looked down for a few moments then back up into his dark eyes. ¡°You often surprise people with what you have hidden. A kind word in a sea of trouble, a smile in a sea of sorrow, a gentle hug in a sea of loneliness. It¡¯s noticed. You have secret admirers that appreciate your friendly gestures.¡±

    He relaxed and she moved her fingertips over his palm. The other hand held his, her thumb resting gently on his pulse point. ¡°You can really see that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I can see that and much more. I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s not easy to see in this light. I might be more accurate in a well-lit place, like those steps over there.¡± She pointed to the Sea Moss Beard, a bustling tavern that had patrons spilling out into the group and pulling some in as well. ¡°I will do my best, though.¡±

    She took a theatric breath in and began to trace the lines of his hand with more care and calculation. No calluses, no scars, no tan lines from rings. He looked too young to be married, anyway, but he might have a sweetheart somewhere. It would be unwise to assume anything. ¡°Do you have a question?¡±

    ¡°A question?¡±

    ¡°All men have a question that burns deep within them. They ask it aloud, in their minds, on paper; if they don¡¯t, their dreams take over and ask it for them. What is your question?¡±

    He looked over at his friends, then dipped his head in towards her. ¡°Should I fight my father over my inheritance?¡± he asked lowly. ¡°He says he¡¯s going to give it to my younger brother if I don¡¯t start showing ¡®initiative¡¯, whatever he means by that.¡±

    She peered at his palm again, running her finger along the lines. ¡°Oh, do you see this?¡± she said, pointing to a spot. ¡°This is the spark, a star in between your heart and your head lines. Soon your mind will change and you will want what your father wants to give you. Not the comfort it brings, but the opportunity that comes with it.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be a printer,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s all so¡­boring. Lining up type, testing inks, gods.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what your father does?¡±

    ¡°No, but he says that¡¯s what I have to do until I learn patience.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, purring out the syllable. ¡°A farmer must know everything about the crops he plants. He can¡¯t expect to sow his fields and reap in the fall; it takes more mastery than that. This is what he wants for you: mastery over the mundane, so that you can master the complicated.¡±

    The man looked stunned. The crowd of friends around him were quiet and watched on in interest. ¡°What¡­what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Do as he says. Do not complain, ever. It will take some time to earn his trust, but you will know you have it when he starts to give you different work. Then, you will start to love it. Find out what about it you¡¯re interested in.¡± She tapped the spot again. ¡°That¡¯s when things will start to come together for you. You will impress him and he will change his mind.¡±

    Without another word, he pulled change out of his pocket and threw three silvers into her pail. It was followed by a shower of coins from his friends, tink ta tink tink tink tink ta tink, who waited in line to be the next to have his palm read.

    A crowd soon formed to watch. People put coppers into her pail just to watch her read other people¡¯s palms. Just like in Iascond, she was attracting a following.

    The hooked-nosed man walked through every fifteen minutes to check that state of things. Three checks passed quickly, but Anla wasn¡¯t interested in spending the rest of her night in the cell. Her shoulders and arms were aching and she would prefer to sit.

    After her last reading, she pressed her fingertips to her temples, then rubbed her eyes. ¡°It hurts to read in this light. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can do any more.¡±

    The crowd around her cell gave dismayed sighs. One man looked at the box below the pail and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have much left! Just a gold and a half. Do you think you could do it if we moved you across the street?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, ¡°that¡¯s so thoughtful. Yes, I think if I was in better light, I could see people¡¯s hands more clearly and wouldn¡¯t have this headache.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen silvers, ladies and gentlemen.¡± He held out his hands and used them to collect the necessary money, flooding the pail before calling the man over. ¡°Sir! I think she¡¯s ready to be freed!¡±

    The hook-nosed man walked over, pulled the coins out from below, and counted them quickly. ¡°Aye, this lassie is free!¡± he said. The crowd clapped and he made a show of pulling out the right key off of a ring and opening the cell door.

    The rest of the evening was more comfortable. She was moved inside the Sea Moss Beard and her crowd took up several tables, ordering beers and wine. They gave her a Chieri Rose after she complained she was getting hoarse. She wouldn¡¯t dare take anything stronger, since there was a reason why she had switched to runes long ago; men often took her tracing of their hands as a caress and tried to interest her in making more coin on the side. She doubted any in this group would try it, but she also never gave her full trust to strangers.

    Ladies and men both sat in front of her and paid ten times the amount she normally charged. Someone had scooped out a plant and gave her a pot to put her coins while she tended to the spirits.

    It was late in the night, sometime shortly past the bells from the temple, that Anla stifled a yawn into a deep sigh. ¡°I feel the spirits may leave me soon,¡± she said. ¡°I can take one more person.¡±

    Some walked away in disappointment, but a few stayed to see her take on her last client, a young woman seeking love like many had throughout the evening. She stood and bowed in gratefulness when she was finished and stepped outside into the fresh air.

    The wind picked up and whipped a salty, warm breeze around her as she began the long walk back to the hotel. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to put out the torches that lined the districts still in business. Some stepped in line behind her, then walked next to her. ¡°You almost had me fooled,¡± the woman said.

    It was Birgetha and she didn¡¯t sound pleased. Anla said nothing and let her continue. ¡°That helpless lost mousie act, ¡®oh, I don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on¡¯, then that. I can¡¯t recall a time I¡¯ve seen a woman get released that fast, even if she¡¯d worked with us before.¡±

    Much to Anla¡¯s relief, Birgetha laughed. ¡°You are some hustler. Are you actually a piscarin or a really good fake?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same?¡± she asked and Birgetha laughed again.

    ¡°Mmm. I like you. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a good, convincing piscarin in our show. And you¡¯re pretty to boot. We¡¯d have to change your look, make you into a proper Kitstuaran moon girl, but you could make a lot here in Calaba. Are you interested?¡±

    Anla gave it a few moments, to appear as if she were giving the thought some gravity. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I actually am married. We do a lot of traveling, so we wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in Calaba for very long.¡±

    ¡°Sad to hear it. When are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±

    She held out a pouch. When Anla went to take it, she yanked it back a few inches. ¡°This comes with an agreement. The entertainment in this town is run by one company and we don¡¯t appreciate any encroachment. No more piscarin stuff, unless you want to join us. You savvy?¡±

    She reached out and took the pouch. ¡°I¡¯m savvy. I was thinking about enjoying a leisurely day by the water anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we understand. Enjoy your stay in Calaba.¡±

    Anla placed the pouch inside the pot and held it in front of her. The streets were quiet. There were a few stragglers meandering on the wooden walkway or dozing on the benches, but mostly everyone was inside the pubs or in their hotels asleep. She began to relax and enjoy the evening when a man stood up from a bench and approached her. ¡°Hello, miss. Lovely night for a stroll.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± she replied.

    He matched her step, then tapped on the side of the pot. ¡°Do you need any help carrying that back to your room?¡±

    She gave him a hard smile. ¡°No, thank you. It¡¯s not much farther for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, where are you staying?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember the name. It¡¯s not far from here, on Collins Street,¡± she lied. She took a deep breath and forced her shoulders to relax.

    ¡°I¡¯m staying at the Mermaid¡¯s Purse right over there.¡± She tensed as he put his arm around her shoulder, to turn her body to see it. ¡°Come for a drink with me. I¡¯ll buy, and you can be on your merry way to your place afterwards.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± He moved to stand in front of her, walking backwards and slowing her pace. She didn¡¯t care for how his muddy brown eyes were watching her, the way that she had seen con artists look at marks. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely evening. I¡¯m giving you a free drink and asking nothing more from you than your company.¡± He stopped. ¡°Is it because you think I¡¯m homely?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m married.¡±

    ¡°Married?¡± he said, chuckling. He grabbed her hand and held it up. ¡°Let me guess, you forgot your ring on your dresser? You don¡¯t need to lie to me.¡±

    Anla moved to her right, hoping her body language would be obvious enough. She was tired and wanted to go to sleep and didn¡¯t want to have to explain to this fervid that she wouldn¡¯t have been interested even if she were in the best of moods.

    He darted in front of her, halting her movement again. ¡°Why won¡¯t you at least tell me¡­¡± He looked beyond her and startled before turning tail and leaving as quickly as he had come.

    While she was afraid to turn and see what has spooked him, she was more curious. Not ten feet behind her stood Raulin, his hands moving away from the knives he had just sheathed. He caught up to her and waited for her to move.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, but he didn¡¯t give any reply. Nor did he say anything on the way home. He was walking in his sharp and attentive way, the one he had adopted as soon as he had stopped speaking to them. They walked to the Dusty Lantern in silence, without incident and without camaraderie.

    They climbed the stairs to the shared hallway. She stopped before entering her room and turned to face Raulin. ¡°I miss the old you,¡± she said before she went in.

 Chapter 99

    ¡°Eighteen gold, five silver?¡± Al asked, holding the coins in his hands. ¡°Should I ask?¡±

    Anla yawned and stretched, then sat up to face Al, who was already bathed and dressed. ¡°I was paid ten gold for the wench auction. The rest you¡¯re probably not interested in.¡±

    ¡°I mean, as your ¡®husband¡¯ should I be concerned?¡±

    She glared at him briefly. ¡°I read palms.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Piscarin stuff. Well, at least it¡¯s not¡­ I mean, I¡¯m supposed to be your husband, so it doesn¡¯t look good if you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m what?¡±

    There¡¯s body language and looks and tone that most married men learn early on in a relationship, to preserve peace and life. Al, unfortunately, had never learned the warning signs and didn¡¯t know that he really shouldn¡¯t answer that question. ¡°Well, what women walking on streets late at night do. I mean, you didn¡¯t get in until late last night, so¡­¡±

    She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Only a few minutes into the morning and the day had already been spoiled. ¡°I am going to freshen up and then I¡¯m going downstairs for breakfast. After that, I am taking the money I earned last night not whoring and I¡¯m going to walk around Calaba with Telbarisk, perhaps shopping, perhaps dining, and perhaps not whoring.¡±

    ¡°But, I thought that we could go see the shows together. There¡¯s going to be a to¡¯ken invasion around lunchtime and a demonstration on sailor¡¯s knots later on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Raulin would love to see that with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with Raulin! He¡¯s an ass!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disagree, but it¡¯s not changing my mind. If you want company, ask him. I told you what my plans are. To summarize, not whoring.¡±

    Raulin and Telbarisk were already eating breakfast when the two of them went downstairs. Telbarisk¡¯s plate was full of fruit, johnny cakes, and whipped cream, much to his apparent delight. The innkeeper¡¯s wife kept coming over to see how he was doing and taking in all the compliments on her cooking. It wasn¡¯t hard to see that flattery was getting him everywhere.

    Anla asked Telbarisk if he wanted to walk around Calaba, which he seemed enthusiastic about. Al sulked. Raulin said nothing.

    The two left and walked along the cobblestones towards Old Town. They ignored the strange looks they received. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Better. I don¡¯t feel ill at all.¡±

    ¡°How about your kil?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I would prefer to be away from so many people.¡±

    ¡°People effect how much kil is in the area?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he said. ¡°Kil is everywhere, but more in the quiet places where men don¡¯t go. Deep forest, mountain tops, caves, oceans, places like that. The more serenity, the more it grows. In places where people are constantly around, it doesn¡¯t have the chance to replenish, since people are constantly feeding from it.¡±

    ¡°People? You mean, I take in kil just like you do?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Everyone does. Only kiluids have ability to do something with it, though. Our souls are connected to the world directly; everyone else¡¯s are still connected but much less so. Instead of pushing it out, like me, they digest it, take it in and let it mix with their spirit. I was surprised to learn that Ghenians do not know this. I think this is why they¡¯re in a bad moods all the time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anyone explicitly telling me this in my tribe, but I always thought there was a reason why the elves liked to live closer to nature then Ghenians.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked the elves. They are fiercely protective of their lands and I appreciate that.¡±

    ¡°Especially since you benefit when their lands are unsettled and full of kil?¡±

    His face, usually thoughtful if not sunny, fell at this. ¡°It would only benefit me and not my people. There aren¡¯t many of us who are kiluids; it wouldn¡¯t make sense for me to make any diplomatic issues based on that reasoning. Besides, my brother is in charge and doesn¡¯t care much for the elves, regardless of their resources.¡±

    Anla was on the verge of apologizing for the unspoken accusation of greed, but he seemed suddenly distracted by a table of collectible items. There were only a few other booths; not an official market, then, but perhaps a consignment of souvenirs.

    ¡°See anything you like?¡± the older woman behind the table asked.

    ¡°I like them all!¡± He grinned, holding up a scrimshaw whale¡¯s tooth. ¡°How did they do this?¡±

    ¡°They carved whatever they wanted darker, dyed the whole tooth, then wiped it clean,¡± Anla explained. ¡°Or sanded it, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    He held up a small dish with seashells painted on the inside. ¡°How did they do this?¡±

    ¡°They worked clay until it formed the dish, then fired it in a kiln, then painted it when it was cooled.¡±

    He held up a ship in a bottle. ¡°And how did they do this?¡±

    She thought about this for a moment. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know, Tel.¡±

    ¡°I want this, then.¡±

    ¡°I think a souvenir from Calaba would be nice, but maybe you¡¯d like a smaller one, since we¡¯re traveling.¡±

    He nodded and picked up one she could hold in her palm instead of his palm. She paid for it, overpriced at five silver, but worth the fascinated look on his face.

    They walked farther to the small beach in between the wharf and where the fortifications began. Anla took off her soft leather boots as they walked on the beach. Telbarisk¡¯s feet were covered in sand, since they were so large and they hadn¡¯t found shoes to fit him yet. They talked about the coast on Ervaskin, of his home, of his people, of her people. They sat and talked until the sun started to feel dangerously warm.

    ¡°Tel, I want to spend some time a little farther up the hill. Would you mind staying here for a bit? Sit in the shade and keep yourself cool.¡±

    ¡°I will. I do not like the warmth here, but maybe dipping my feet into the ocean will feel nice.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    She left him behind a rock and headed up towards where she was last night. She had changed her clothing and tried not to make eye contact, in hopes people wouldn¡¯t recognize her. Despite returning to where she had made a lot of money, she had no intentions of breaking her promise with Birgetha.

    The air inside the temple of Cyurinin was cool and smelled of parchment and binding glue. It was the first library she had been inside since her family¡¯s trip to Wavalay many years ago. The one in Hanala was always far too crowded at night and wasn¡¯t always the safest of places. This one, however, felt comfortable with muted warm colored rugs on the dark, hardwood floors, murals of the ocean on the walls, and plenty of light shining through. It was still, reminding her of a quiet glen in a forest.

    Her father had taught her long ago the order of books in libraries: pleasure reading on the outside, educational books on the inside. The freestanding cases in the middle of the room were imposing at a story and a half tall, but the carved ocean scenes on the outsides brought a quaint comfort to them.

    Her intention was to see what she could learn about the chalice, but wasn¡¯t sure where to begin.

    Anla began perusing at ¡°A¡±, hoping that it would be under ¡°artifact¡±, but was surprised to find several books on the Agrihi, the name her people used to describe themselves. Curious as to what Ghenians had written, she flicked her fingers along the bindings until she found a startling title: On Magic and Mixture. She grabbed a few others that interested her and sat in a high-backed chair in an alcove to read.

    It was a dry cultural study written before the 132 year-long war between the Ghenians and the elves. The author had spent some decades visiting various tribes that lived farther east than they do now. She was surprised to read that there had been quite a few coastal tribes that had utilized the waterways to trade with Ghenians, other Agrihi tribes, and even the to¡¯ken. Relations had also been fairly good with the Ghenians during that time and only about twenty years after the book was printed did things grow hostile quickly.

    The author got a lot wrong. It was probably the difference found between excursion and immersion. All those little nuances, like how elvish magic didn¡¯t derive from their belief in their gods, but was saturated in that part of their culture. Or the fact that some elvish spells didn¡¯t decay; they did, just very, very slowly. She found herself snorting at a few things and began to skim more than read until she came to the last section. Then, her heart stopped.

    ¡°On baerds¡± it read.

    The author had begun cataloging half-elven children. Several pages were taken up with ledgers of names, tribal affiliations, location, ages, which parent was human, whether or not the child wound up producing a baerdic skill, and at what age it showed. Out of 112 mixed children, only three showed any ability. One, Kiema Mossgrove, was so famous for her abilities that a colleague of the author¡¯s was writing her biography. She committed the name to memory, in case she came across it.

    She tucked her hair behind her ear and delved in. There were so many new things that she hadn¡¯t ever guessed at! For instance, Kiema Mossgrove had been a famous healer, charging several gold per session in the capitol (which had once been Hanala, apparently). Healing. She could heal with her powers. She had no idea how, but that was something she felt confident she could work out in time.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she asked of a clerk she hadn¡¯t seen before, who was sitting behind a desk near the back of the library.

    He looked up, his eyes widening for a moment. ¡°Yes, miss? What can I do to help?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if you had any parchment and ink I could purchase?¡±

    ¡°Are you planning on taking notes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually, but I forgot my supplies at my hotel. I¡¯m doing a¡­study on Mikros. This is the first hall I¡¯ve come across in my journeys.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then no charge. Cyurinin wouldn¡¯t appreciate us denying the education of the public.¡± He opened a drawer in his desk and removed a sheet, followed by a pen from another drawer. ¡°Have you used a pen before? You don¡¯t need to dunk them, like a quill, but if the cartridge runs out, you¡¯ll need to replace it. Just see me if that happens.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. Before she left, she asked, ¡°Could you recommend the best books on Mikros? I¡¯m especially interested in his artifacts.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Walk with me.¡± She noted that he wore an open yellow robe over rather plain clothes. ¡°Would you like to see the artifacts we have here? Only pieces, but still divine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    She followed him over to a glass case embedded into the wall. ¡°That¡¯s a piece of Cyurinin¡¯s Letter to Ap Newa. You can just barely make out the words ¡®stone in stone¡¯. We don¡¯t know what it means, but it¡¯s fascinating nonetheless.¡±

    He walked to the other side to another glass case in the wall. ¡°This jewel right here is from the Chalice of Mikros. It¡¯s a solid ruby in an emerald cut, extremely rare even if it hadn¡¯t been on His chalice.¡±

    Anla drew her lips into a thin line. It was obviously a fake, though perhaps not a fake ruby. Though, what if one of the ones on the chalice had been replaced and they had a fake? Or, even yet, what if what they had wasn¡¯t even Mikros¡¯s chalice?

    ¡°What do you know of the chalice, His chalice?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s an artifact I¡¯m having difficulty researching.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he said with surprise. ¡°It¡¯s His most famous artifact. I¡¯d think there would be plenty written about it.¡± He reached down to the desk below the jewel and opened a drawer, pulling out a thin book. ¡°It¡¯s said that Ap Vriet founded and spent much of his life in this very hall. He wrote a booklet on the chalice and all the information he could gather on it.¡±

    Anla took the book and thanked him before gathering the items from his desk. She looked outside and lamented she wouldn¡¯t have enough time to copy all the information she needed, then sat and began reading as quickly as she could.

    Understanding baerdic magic became easier when she realized there were essentially two categories: the sounds she produced and the sounds everything else made. For the first, a baerd was able to change what she said or sang to manipulate what the person heard and interpreted. The ability to fully control another¡¯s mind was called mesmerizing and was a rather advanced technique. On more subtle levels, she could merely nudge a person in a certain direction of thought without canceling their free will. She sighed in relief at this.

    The other portion let her change sound in several ways. She could cancel noise completely, change the effects of sound, and detect it far past its normal decay. That she already knew. What she didn¡¯t know that she could change a yell into a whisper that filled a hall or ball a message into something like a glass sphere, holding its content until it was broken. She could shape sound so that what someone said could only be heard by certain people in the same area. She could isolate a particular voice amongst thousands and capture it for others to hear later. So many possibilities.

    Anla understood that a man who couldn¡¯t get basic facts about a people correct might also have some of this wrong. But, she could at least try everything now that she knew the building blocks.

    She fanned the paper to dry the ink, then turned it over for a fresh place for notes. The pen was held over the parchment, poised and ready, but she wrote nothing. She was far too shocked.

    When Anla reached the end of the booklet, a few dozen pages, she sat with her hand covering her mouth. If she had known this from the beginning, there was no way she would have made the bond with Al or Telbarisk.

    They had been fools.

    She thought about the contents for a few minutes, then realized there was no way she could tell Al or Raulin. Telbarisk, yes, but not those two. Neither of them knew Elvish, so she took the bare minimum of information down in that language, then gathered her belongings to leave.

    ¡°Miss?¡± the clerk asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡¯ she asked.

    ¡°The pen?¡±

    She looked down and saw it in her hand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I was just¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± She walked over and placed it on his desk. ¡°I think it¡¯s still half full.¡±

    He nodded absently. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m just curious. Are you with the Pilgrims?¡±

    ¡°No. Who are the Pilgrims?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°They¡¯re a group of people who move from temple to temple, taking in the holiness of each site. We had a group come through about a week ago. I just thought you might be one because of¡­¡± He brushed the tips of his ears.

    Her eyes widened as she realized at some point she had tucked her hair behind her ears. ¡°They¡¯re¡­like me?¡±

    ¡°Well, one woman was. She had a fresh babe in her arms and another one by her knees. I felt sorry for her and vowed that if I ever saw her again, I would say something.¡±

    Anla¡¯s heart was in her throat. Raidet? ¡°Why did you feel sorry for her?¡±

    ¡°It seemed apparent that her husband was not kind to her, nor were the other women. She was berated and timid, and it was hard not to see the cuts and bruises on her face and arms. I felt that, perhaps, I could find a way to help her escape from that life.¡±

    ¡°If I see her, I¡¯ll try to help. Which way were they traveling?¡±

    ¡°North, definitely. They spoke loudly and frequently about Beliforn¡¯s temple in Viggerosh, which is about two day¡¯s ride north of here. They were traveling by caravan, so they might be there by now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I will be sure to keep an eye out for them.¡±

 Chapter 100

    Telbarisk was still on the beach, lounging in the afternoon shade under the cliff, when Anladet approached from the road. She was just a barely discernible line, recognizable only by her distinctive walk and her dark hair whipping in the breeze. As she got closer, he noticed she hugged herself, she rubbed her arms, and she kept trying to tamp down her hair. Instead of staying where he was and inviting her to sit, he stood and waited for her, kicking the sand with his toes.

    She still said nothing as she stood next to him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you brought me here; it was very peaceful.¡±

    Anla smiled and nodded, but still said nothing. ¡°Anla. How was your afternoon?¡± he tried.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said. ¡°I found out a lot of information about the chalice.¡±

    ¡°Really? How did you come across it?¡±

    ¡°There was a library in the old town.¡± She toed the rock for a few moments. He waited. ¡°We have a problem, Tel.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°The book says that it¡¯s not just ¡®drink from the chalice and don¡¯t move outside of one mile¡¯. There¡¯s more to it. By the end of the year, each member must prove that they hold love for each of the others or make a significant sacrifice for them, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Or what, Anla?¡±

    ¡°Or we all die.¡±

    Tel looked out to the sea while gathering his thoughts. ¡°Have you told Raulin and Alpine?¡±

    ¡°No. I came straight to you after I found out.¡±

    ¡°And what do you feel about telling them?¡±

    She pressed her lips together for a moment. ¡°Al often feels left out and resents it when he isn¡¯t told things. Raulin¡¯s job is to suss out information and he treats it like currency. Despite their wants, I think the needs of the group outweigh it and we shouldn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    Telbarisk had been prepared to listen to her wisdom and follow her course of action. It was a relief that she agreed with him. ¡°You cannot force someone to love another. And I believe that if they know, they will either trick themselves into thinking they are brothers by not bickering or that by doing something small they have met the parameters. We say back home ¡®you can plant a seed and water it, but it will not grow in sand¡¯.¡±

    The waves continued to crash, some creating dazzling plumes against the cliff side. Tel almost didn¡¯t hear her ask, ¡°So, what do we do?¡±

    He shook his head after a few moments. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think on this. I feel they would grow suspicious if we started trying to make them like each other.¡±

    ¡°So, nothing?¡±

    ¡°For now. We do have until the weather warms again to create a plan.¡±

    ¡°But Raulin drifts further away from us each day. If we don¡¯t do something soon, I feel he will continue to be cold and distant. He will love no one and no one will love him.¡±

    ¡°What he¡¯s doing now is not in his nature. He is trying to be someone he¡¯s not because he feels, for some reason, that he¡¯s failed. The advice he¡¯s always bucked against has turned to wisdom and he¡¯s taking to his wholeheartedly.¡± He turned from the sea to face her. ¡°I don¡¯t see this lasting long, however. He¡¯s never been a man you could break. He bends and weaves around problems instead of snapping.¡±

    ¡°You counsel patience, then?¡±

    ¡°I do, as well as forgiveness. I understand he caused you pain. I do not approve of his words and actions by any means. But, in this case, forgiveness has been the best defense against his barbs. He has tried to hurt me and it has failed, because no matter what he says, I forgive him and love him unconditionally. He seems to have given up.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Tel. I counsel forgiveness whenever possible. I will try.¡±

    ¡°We should also get the lay of the land, as well. Perhaps we should each speak to our quarter guests this evening and see how they feel about each other. I don¡¯t think any other combination will be quite so difficult to get to neutral.¡±

    * * *

    Anla was packing her things for an early departure when she heard someone stomp up the stairs, then open the door to her room. She gauged his demeanor, then smiled. ¡°Hi, Al. How was your day?¡±

    ¡°Excellent, even though you weren¡¯t there. I met an older couple who didn¡¯t mind having a husband who¡¯s wife had taken ill tagging along. We went to the museum, we ate at The Scurvy Dog, we toured some of the older homes that still had damage from the last pirate attack¡­Oh! We saw a mock battle between pirates and a to¡¯ken crew! It was amazing!¡±

    ¡°Real to¡¯ken?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They looked like people wearing their hair back under tan scarves. Even still, it was so thrilling to watch! They had a small pirate ship anchored near the wharf and the to¡¯ken snuck up and boarded the ship. They used magic against them, throwing potions and disappearing while the pirates were climbing ropes and jumping and swashbuckling and doing gymnastics.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to have missed it, Al, but I¡¯m glad you had a good time. Was Raulin with you?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m glad, too; he would have spoiled it.¡±

    He might have been even though he didn¡¯t see Raulin, she thought, then realized he had most likely been watching her and Tel. That was an unsettling thought. It meant he knew where she had been and that she immediately spoke with Telbarisk afterward.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Al. I think he might have enjoyed some of those things.¡±

    Al sat on the bed and shook his head. ¡°No, Anla, he wouldn¡¯t have. The museum would have been boring because he¡¯s already seen hundreds of them, the food would have been bland or dry, and he would have made dozens of comments under his breath about how to¡¯ken wouldn¡¯t do that because he¡¯s met them. Supposedly. He¡¯s a blowhard and snob. What¡¯s worse is he¡¯s a liar, so I have no idea when he brags if he even has a right to his conceit.¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s conceited?¡± she asked, surprised.

    ¡°Do you not listen to what he says? It¡¯s always things like ¡®well, I¡¯ve been to Arvonne and it¡¯s terrible!¡¯ or ¡®the food is much better in the city than in this small town¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well, it is better¡­¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to say that, though! People put a lot of effort into cooking food. Just because they¡¯ve never had the training¡­Oh, never mind. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re defending him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she said carefully. ¡°I just think he¡¯s had the experience that can give a valuable opinion on things. And as far as his dislike of Arvonne, I have a theory. I bet his parents were merchants and they were traveling from Walpi to Arvonne to sell things. They just happened to be in Eri Ranvel when the coup occurred and were killed in the fray. So, he hates Arvonne because he lost his family there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse for lying and killing and stealing.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It just gives a perspective on his life.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think any situation would change him; he¡¯d be rotten with or without parents.¡± He began packing his clothing so they could leave quickly in the morning. He sighed and turned back towards her. ¡°There are just some people who cannot learn decency. They thrive on¡­¡± He stopped when Raulin stuck his head in the door, nodded, and left without saying anything. ¡°¡­they thrive on con artistry and deceit and tricks to survive. You cannot rinse them clean. They will always be dirty and low.¡±

    She took a deep breath. ¡°Given the opportunity, would you turn him in? Would you tell the police in New Wextif that a trirec is operating in the city if you could?¡±

    ¡°If we weren¡¯t tied to him and I knew he wouldn¡¯t escape and have his revenge on me, yes. It¡¯s my civic duty to report a crime, or report if I have knowledge of a crime that will be committed. ¡®A man should feel pride in himself when he protects his fellow countrymen by obeying the law- Tichen.¡¯¡±

    Anladet could suddenly appreciate Raulin¡¯s dislike of Al¡¯s quotations. ¡°You think he has no worth, then?¡±

    ¡°All men have worth. He¡¯s just not doing anything worthwhile right now.¡±

    Well, at least there was a sliver of hope, she thought. She laid on the bed and held her hand above her head. She just sighed and put it down.

    * * *

    The door closed with a soft click. Tel heard the whisper of clothes and the fumbling of lighting an oil lamp before he saw the light fill the room. He sat in the corner, splitting his mind between what he could sense of the world and what was around him.

    ¡°You¡¯re in late tonight,¡± he said to Raulin.

    ¡°I do not retire until all my charges are asleep, sir,¡± he replied.

    ¡°You call me ¡®sir¡¯ to drive distance between us. Is that where we¡¯re at? You haven¡¯t tried to anger me in a few days now; I assume you¡¯ve just moved on to pretending like you succeeded and that we are no longer friends.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± he said, sitting on the bed to take off his boots.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. But, if it¡¯s what you want right now, it¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±

    Raulin took in a slow breath, then laid back on the bed.

    ¡°May I ask what our relationship is, then?¡±

    ¡°You are my employer and I am your guard, sir.¡±

    ¡°And as your employer, what kind of conversations are we allowed to have?¡±

    ¡°We can speak on your security concerns, your itinerary for tomorrow, what were the concerns I noted for today, whether you want me to have an inconspicuous or conspicuous presence, and, since you feel the need to split the group, where you would prefer I focus my attention.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Did you note any concerns?¡±

    ¡°Besides your need to split up and potentially get a sunburn? No. Last night was more problematic, sir.¡±

    ¡°Oh? But I only walked around last night.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You weren¡¯t the concern.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh,¡± Tel said. ¡°I see. I can ask about what happened to the others from your perspective. What was the concern last night?¡±

    ¡°The threat changed when I was unable to tell what was going to happen to Anladet. I assumed you were fine. Besides the wizard¡¯s inability to tell that a beer on the house means he¡¯s expected to pay for others, he was fine, too. I followed Anladet to the ¡®jail cell¡¯ and kept my eye from a nearby rooftop. She wasn¡¯t kept against her will and was freed when she raised enough money. She then proceeded to make more money in the pub across the way. This was difficult, since I was unable to get a good vantage point to observe and potentially extract her, should there be an issue. I stayed close and followed her when she left not too long after midnight. It was then she ran into a few problems. The first was the loud woman from the auction. She paid Anladet, but warned her not to tell fortunes while she was in Calaba. This was not as bad as the man propositioning her about ten minutes later. He got forceful and I had to make my appearance known.¡±

    ¡°And how did you feel about that? A beautiful, kind, competent woman, whom you happen to have strong feelings for, being accosted by a strange man who would have taken her to a place she didn¡¯t want to go.¡±

    ¡°I felt like he was endangering one of my employers and I couldn¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°You got to be a hero. She¡¯s a very thoughtful person; I bet she was appreciative of your intervention.¡±

    ¡°She did thank me. I felt satisfied that I did my job well,¡± he said in a flat voice.

    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t feel pleased that you had protected her, that you saved her from harm and kept her safe.¡±

    There was a pause. ¡°How is Kelouyan doing, sir?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Answer my command, if you can.¡±

    He got up and turned off the lamp, but said nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider that an answer then. Thank you for that enlightenment. Now, as a curiosity, if Alpine were in a predicament and you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d let him get stabbed a few times before I intervened, but only non-vital areas such as his brain.¡±

    ¡°Here I thought you had been getting along with him.¡±

    ¡°Is that all, sir? I do believe we need to arise early to travel west for my next contract.¡±

    ¡°It is. Good night, Raulin. If you need to speak to someone, I¡¯ll be available.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying that.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, and got comfortable on the floor.

 Chapter 101

    The morning began early with terns and seagulls squawking overhead, looking for delicious morsels in the low tide. The sky was a pink and champagne sunrise, the sun sparkling the water as it rose. ¡°I am sure going to miss this place,¡± Al said as he came in from the balcony.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t stay longer,¡± Anla said, though this wasn¡¯t really true. ¡°Maybe you can find the same in New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± He pulled his enormous backpack on and led the way downstairs. Raulin and Tel were already sitting at breakfast and enjoying a simple fare of tea, warmed bread, and porridge. Raulin had slices of ham while Tel had a copious amount of fruits on the side.

    As Al and Anla sat, Raulin took his plate and cup and found another place to eat within eyesight. Anla gave Tel a quick look, but decided not to discuss anything with Al present. They finished their meal, then thanked the innkeeper and his wife and left for Miachin, which the couple promised was only about ten miles west of Calaba.

    Raulin took point and Al walked a little behind him, lost in his own thoughts. Anla kept pace with Telbarisk as well as she could. ¡°So, how was your evening?¡±

    ¡°It was fine,¡± he said, and then lowered his voice. ¡°I did speak with Raulin about what we discussed. It was brief. I think on Ervaskin I would use the phrase, ¡®a fish¡¯s chance of walking¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I was going to say it¡¯s not hopeless, but it needs a lot of hope. Shall we change strategy?¡±

    ¡°No. We need Raulin to open up to us first, then we can proceed. It¡¯s going to take a while; I¡¯m expecting the next few months. We¡¯ll need to look for opportunities when he¡¯s in a good mood or chatty, and then we need to press him for conversation.¡±

    ¡°Okay. What does he like to talk about?¡±

    Tel chuckled. ¡°Food. His travels, especially in Kinto and Genale, maybe some shows or performances he¡¯s seen, but he loves to talk about food.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said. ¡°I can ask him about places to eat in New Wextif, maybe ask him to share a few meals while he¡¯s guarding.¡±

    ¡°I think he would like that, Anla, even if he doesn¡¯t show it.¡±

    * * *

    Miachin was a village on the side of a sloping hill, its walls rendered mostly useless thirty-five years ago with the treaty between the elves and Gheny. Instead of posted guards, villagers had taken to raising flower gardens on the turrets, with ivy and thyme creeping up the towers. The beautiful stone of the wall still appeared intact after centuries of war, but only because the region of Vladi was rich with stone and marble deposits that were labored by the townsfolk and any holes or crumbling was quickly and efficiently replaced.

    Besides stonemasonry, the people who lived inside the walls were employed by the household of the Marquess of Vladi or held jobs that supported those people, like teachers and grocers. All roads led to the spacious manor in the center, itself walled with climbing plants.

    Raulin would have preferred to leave the other three outside, but since he had changed his duties, he had to take them with him. It would be safe inside Miachin and they could find entertainment there.

    The bar he found didn¡¯t even have a placard. It was a short staircase down into a cooler sub level with stone floors. The windows needed a good wash; the light was filtered through mud-splattered panes and wasn¡¯t efficient enough even in mid-day to see the list of drinks on the wall behind the bartender. There was no need to, anyway; the bartender offered cheap wine, whiskey, and Chapman¡¯s Water.

    ¡°Oh, I like that stuff,¡± the wizard said. ¡°It¡¯s thick and chewy.¡±

    Of course he did, Raulin thought. He would drink swill and think it swell.

    ¡°Goodman, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the marquess¡¯s gardens,¡± Raulin asked.

    A man at the end of the bar lifted his head in interest. ¡°Another one?¡±

    ¡°Quiet,¡± the barkeep said, flapping his stained towel at the man. ¡°I might be inclined to tell you if you bought something.¡±

    Raulin sighed internally. ¡°A Chapman¡¯s Water for Mr. Auslen, then.¡±

    The barkeep pulled the tap on the barrel and handed Al his mug. ¡°It¡¯s about a mile and a half southwest of here. The marquess has a country estate that way with extensive gardens.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Mr. and Mrs. Auslen, would you mind waiting here while I attended to some business? I¡¯ll borrow your ledgerer for the transaction and be back by the evening.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Anladet said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be here,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯m switching to Caudet after this, though.¡±

    Raulin left Telbarisk to meditate in the woods as soon as the estate became visible. He checked his notes again: a jeweled sword in the middle of the hedge maze, at precisely three o¡¯clock, on June the 28<sup>th </sup>at the Miachin Gardens.

    Nothing about this situation was pleasing him. It was in the middle of the day and he would therefore be very exposed as he made his way to the center. There were men working on the roof and he hated witnesses. Did three o¡¯clock mean he should begin the attempt or steal it then? And what was the need for the precision?

    He spent the time remaining surveying the grounds. A manor smaller than the one in Miachin, three stories high with towers, dormers, and belvederes raising the height by a story or two in some places. The manse was extraordinarily beautiful with an immaculate blue fish-tile roof, marble quoins in the corners, and polished trim work under the eaves. It sat to the west side of the estate and blocked the sun over most of the gardens, which were twice the width of the house and a with full story high hedge.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Raulin climbed a tree to get a better look at the layout, but was unable to get high enough to see over the outside edges. He dusted himself off, put on his gloves, and entered from the eastern side.

    He felt unusual. While his instincts were telling him to abandon this contract, he was also filled with a nostalgic fear. He had been in hedge maze when he was younger. Though smaller and simpler than this one, he had gotten lost and had started to panic. There was never any real danger. He had known that. Still, the hedges had loomed overhead, the wind blew and swayed them so they grabbed his clothes and pulled him to the wall. It had started to rain and he knew he had to go inside because that¡¯s what the adults wanted. And just when he was about to scream for help, he rounded a corner and there had stood Belisant with an umbrella and a pleased look on his face.

    Belisant had addressed Raulin and gave him a hithering gesture. Raulin had run to him, vicing the poor man¡¯s leg. ¡°Come, come, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I got lost,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°But you came the right way. I was waiting right here for you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Did you get scared?¡±

    Raulin had nodded, still holding on to Belisant¡¯s leg.

    ¡°You know the way to not get scared about these things?¡±

    Raulin had shaken his head.

    ¡°Fear comes from not knowing. Let¡¯s try to learn about this maze.¡± He took Raulin¡¯s hand and led him back. ¡°We¡¯re going to make it to the center. To do that, you have to remember everything about it. And to do so, you have to know all your opportunities.¡±

    And they had. Though the rains had continued, Belisant walked back to the beginning and turned around. ¡°Tell me all the choices you see,¡± he said.

    Left, right, right, left, split at the end that goes in either direction, Raulin thought as he mapped the first corridor in the marquess¡¯s maze.

    ¡°A little hint,¡± Belisant had said. ¡°It¡¯s likely not going to be the exit that seems the most tempting. The maze is here to challenge you.¡±

    It¡¯s not going to be the split; that¡¯s too close to the middle, Raulin thought. .He turned around and picked his first right, remembering that it was actually the last left, and took that to the end. That had several trails, so he took the third left, which took him farther from the middle.

    ¡°Labyrinths are sneaky things,¡± Belisant had said when Raulin had asked why they were moving farther from the center. ¡°Oftentimes when you feel you need to go in the opposite direction to get what you want.¡±

    Raulin continued to label the paths, turning around when he needed to, enjoying the statues in the nodes. He had seen three by the time he realized they were all supposed to be aps of Iondika, complete with polished armor and weapons.

    He rounded a corner and found himself finally at the center. There was a marble pedestal in the middle. Too easy, he thought, then amended his stance. He had, after all, traveled through a difficult labyrinth to get his prize.

    It was still too easy. Too perfect, actually. Now that he was in the moment, it felt like all those other contracts he had sifted through, the ones that might romanticize his profession. The sword was on the pedestal, in the middle of a garden, like a poem or a ballad.

    His instincts were screaming. Just grab the damn thing and run out. He knew the way; he had it memorized. Five seconds to the pedestal, two seconds to grab it, five seconds back to where he stood.

    But he didn¡¯t move.

    What was wrong?

    Younger Raulin had stopped dead in his tracks, Belisant almost plowing into the back of him. ¡°Here, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he had said.

    ¡°Instinct is a powerful thing. Let¡¯s see if we can see why you paused.¡±

    The two had surveyed the area until they had spotted a jay¡¯s nest. Had Raulin gotten closer by a few feet, the mother would have burst forth from the hedge, haranguing the already scared child. ¡°Well done,¡± Belisant had said.

    And so, Raulin looked around the center more closely. The bushes were still and quiet, without any jay¡¯s nests or even an out of place twig. The floor was undisturbed. The air¡­had a slightly metallic smell to it.

    Blood.

    He looked at the pedestal, closely now.

    There was no sword.

    He ducked down quickly, walking in long lunges close to the ground. He circled until he saw a boot sticking out from the other side of the pedestal. He leaned forward and saw a body face-down in the dirt, on the smallish side and with distinct reddish-bronze skin visible at the ankle.

    Another trirec?

    Raulin sat for a moment, then crept closer. It was. He was Merakian, short in stature and darker in skin tone than Raulin. He could tell the trirec wore the same mask Raulin did not by the metal, which was obscured by the ground, but by the braided leather chords that held it secure.

    Even though it had been pounded into his head that Arvarikor wanted masks returned at all costs, he still felt vile taking things from a corpse. Raulin moved closer and the smell of blood grew stronger.

    The trirec had an arrow sticking out of his neck.

    It was a perfect shot, right through the middle between the trachea and the spine. A large pool of blood covered the dirt, soaking in and clumping it near his throat. In the trirec¡¯s hand was a silver sword, though more like an ornamental falchion or shortsword. Jewels encrusted the blade and pommel, which held a thick ruby the size of an eye.

    The fletching of the arrow was to the left, so Raulin turned that way to see if there was a device that triggered when the pedestal was touched. He saw nothing, even with a closer inspection. When he looked back at the trirec, he saw that the arrow was at an angle, pointed down not flat. It had come from above.

    He sat in front of the hedges for a moment, thinking. Someone had contracted Raulin to steal this sword. Poaching contracts was perfectly acceptable under the trirec code of conduct. If you were stupid or lazy enough to leave your contract information lying around for someone else to read it, it was fair game. That¡¯s why he wrote his down in a cypher no one could figure out. Well, no one except Anladet. Even though he had hurt her and she had been around quite a few people one-on-one just two days prior, he didn¡¯t suspect she had told anyone. He deserved it, but he felt she wouldn¡¯t do that. And he wasn¡¯t being sentimental; he felt confident that she would have no idea how to contact another trirec to sell him the information.

    That left a leak of some kind in Hanala and he trusted Isken. He wouldn¡¯t intentionally make copies and pit trirecs against each other by giving them the same contract. Isken hated the idea of trirecs fighting against each other, enough to warn him about Afren guarding the house in Iascond. Besides, Arvarikor would flay him alive for wasting resources.

    Isken wouldn¡¯t make copies and hire multiple trirecs. But what would stop a contractee from doing that? The only contract that was outright denied were ones where a trirec had died attempting it. If someone had hired multiple trirecs to do the same job, no one would think to check laterally, just historically.

    But, why would someone do that? To steal a sword and place it¡­

    He checked his notes again. The Marquess of Vladi¡¯s estate.

    Raulin cursed an impressive string of obscenities he had saved for just such an occasion. It involved things that would make an Aliornic priestess blush. He quickly cut through the thongs holding the trirec¡¯s mask in place, then took his beads and placed both in his knapsack. The man¡¯s pack held some Ghenian coins, a rope, and his back-up knives, which he also put in his knapsack. He was about to stand when another trirec stumbled in from the north.

    ¡°Huh?¡± he said, looking at the trirec¡¯s body, then at Raulin, who gave him the three fingered greeting.

    ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± he said after the trirec returned the salute.

    ¡°But, I need to grab a jeweled sword.¡±

    ¡°I know. But, if you touch that sword, you¡¯re a dead man.¡±

    Raulin could see the man¡¯s dark brown eyes widening even across the distance of fifteen feet. ¡°What? What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this is a trap.¡±

 Chapter 102

    The trirec looked at him, then down at the corpse, then back at Raulin. ¡°You killed him. He was poaching your quarry and so you killed him to take the sword.¡±

    Though he didn¡¯t sound upset, Raulin still didn¡¯t like being accused of things that weren¡¯t true. ¡°Does that make sense? I would have taken the sword, then, and I would be long gone. Besides, he was killed with a bow and arrow. Do you see that on me?¡±

    ¡°How did you steal my contract?¡± the trirec asked forcefully.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I bet you and I have identical contracts. And so did he,¡± Raulin said, gesturing to the dead man. ¡°I bet there may be others in this maze, making their way to this spot, only to be killed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take it and I will kill you if you get in my way.¡±

    The trirec moved towards the body. ¡°Wait!¡± Raulin said, and he stopped. ¡°Listen for one moment. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Jakith Onlin,¡± he said. It translated to ¡°fights with others¡±. Joy, Raulin thought.

    ¡°Okay, Jakith, I¡¯m Raulin Kemor. I want¡­¡±

    Jakith tensed. ¡°You¡¯re that miartha trirec I¡¯ve heard about, the one who breaks the rules.¡±

    ¡°Careful,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I¡¯m Merakian like you are, according to Arvarikor. Both my classmates and I were caned for saying otherwise.¡±

    ¡°So, you stole a contract and¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop. Jakith, listen to me. Stop for one moment and think. Several trirecs were contracted to do the same thing. Why do you think that is?¡±

    ¡°Because they definitely wanted it done.¡±

    ¡°Besides that.¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Because they wanted several trirecs in the same place at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Good. And why would they want that?¡±

    This proved to be too much for Jakith. ¡°I¡¯m taking the sword. Don¡¯t stop me, Kemor, or I will kill you.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Raulin said, just before Jakith touched the object. Surprisingly, he looked up. ¡°Since I can¡¯t stop you, do one thing for me. One you have the sword, I want you to run for cover against attacks from the west. You can come to me, or behind the pedestal or to the sides there. Just don¡¯t stand there.¡±

    ¡°Is it so I will run into a trap?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. I have no traps, no one else here. Just, please. I don¡¯t want to have to turn in another mask.¡±

    Jakith stared at Raulin, snatched the sword, and ran behind the base of the pedestal. ¡°View halloa!¡± they heard before an arrow hit the dirt six inches behind where Jakith had run from.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± he heard from the trirec.

    ¡°We¡¯re being hunted,¡± he hissed. ¡°There are marksmen on the roof taking aim at us.¡±

    ¡°Why? What sort of twisted miartha game is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a blasted ¡®miartha game¡¯! This is the work of sick men who think we aren¡¯t¡­we aren¡¯t people.¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°They think we¡¯re animals.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Jakith, I don¡¯t know. Maybe they want to get rid of trirecs. Or maybe they¡¯re bored with foxes and wolves and they want to hunt something more challenging. Either way, they will shoot us if we give them the chance and they are damn good shots.¡±

    ¡°Tell them not to hunt us! Speak Miarthan; I don¡¯t speak it.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea. It might make them think of the trirecs in terms of equals instead of lesser beings. In the least it would warn any other trirecs in the maze. Raulin shed his Merakian accent for a Ghenian one. ¡°Hello there on the roof! Hello! Why are you shooting at us?¡±

    In response, an arrow skimmed off the very center of the pedestal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they want to talk,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­¡±

    Raulin was interrupted by a third trirec, who stumbled in from the east. He froze, looking at Jakith, then Raulin, then to the corpse, then back again at Raulin.

    ¡°Run,¡± Raulin said, gesturing to him. Surprisingly, the trirec didn¡¯t hesitate; he skirted around the corpse and dove into the spot next to Raulin, greeting him with three fingers.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The new trirec caught his breath. ¡°What passes?¡±

    ¡°Ask the miartha. He has it all figured out. Or,¡± he said, holding out the syllable, ¡°he¡¯s in on it.¡±

    ¡°Miartha?¡± the trirec asked, turning his head to look at Raulin. ¡°Oh. I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor,¡± he said, shaking the man¡¯s hand. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, Arvarikor doesn¡¯t acknowledge that I¡¯m a miartha. I won¡¯t say anything, but maybe we should stop calling me ¡®miartha¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Kobet Riand.¡± Placid in battle. Great, Raulin thought. A scaredy-cat and a mule.

    ¡°That¡¯s Jakith behind the pedestal. He has the sword I assume you were tasked with stealing. I bet we were all given identical contracts to lure us here at the same time so that we can be hunted. The men are on the roof of the mansion west of here, aimed at us. Only Jakith is actively being hunted, as far as I can tell. I don¡¯t know when or if you and I will be hunted, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they did it whenever they felt like it.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Kobet said.

    ¡°¡¯Okay¡¯?¡± Jakith spat. ¡°We¡¯re being hunted by vile miartha and you¡¯re fine with it?¡±

    ¡°Axiom fifty-six: The sooner you can accept your situation, the sooner you can assess your situation.¡±

    ¡°He speaks with the wisdom we studied poorly,¡± Raulin said to Jakith, then turned to Kobet. ¡°What have you assessed?¡±

    ¡°That the contract obligations have been canceled, because one of us has died trying. Therefore, we should abandon normal rules and engage as if we were in a battle; one side versus another.¡±

    ¡°Can we do that?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°I remember clearly from our lessons that we¡¯re not allowed to band together or help one another in any way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s if we are engaged in a contract. We are allowed to help one another if we are not actively pursuing the points of a contract.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue while he thought. ¡°This would be ¡®escape¡¯.¡±

    ¡°If we are still actively pursuing the task. If we all choose to abandon the task, which we are allowed to at this point, maybe even obligated to do now that one of us has perished on duty, we are considered non-active participants. Just like trivrens and agents, we will be allowed to support each other without penalty.¡±

    ¡°What about Jakith? He still wants to complete the contract.¡±

    ¡°We can support his escape, like that childhood game with the flags. However, I still think that the contracts are void and there is no reason to finish the task. The contractee broke the rules and his fee is forfeited, so we will be paid our percentage. ¡°

    ¡°And what if I¡¯m not paid?¡± Jakith asked.

    ¡°You can always petition the trivren at a tribunal,¡± Kobet said. ¡°I think they would be justified in paying you, since this is an error of the dorong-hi-leus.¡±

    Raulin sucked in his breath quietly. Yes, Isken was going to get in a lot of trouble for this and there was nothing he could do to soften the eventual blow. ¡°Jakith, I took the trirec¡¯s mask and beads to return them to Arvarikor. My contract was for 120 gold, if I remember correctly. The mask reward plus the beads should compensate any loss you would have over this if you don¡¯t get paid. I¡¯ll give it to you if you abandon the contract. ¡±

    There was a clang as metal hit marble. ¡°All right. So, we¡¯re free. The sword is back on the pedestal. Now what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Kobet? What do you think?¡±

    The trirec turned back to look above him, then murmured to himself for a few moments. ¡°If we wait another five hours, the sun should be too low for them to see. We should wait it out.¡±

    Raulin pinched his lips for a moment. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a thought. It¡¯s also assuming that the men on the roof are alone, will stay there that long, and don¡¯t have a plan should this last into the night. Jakith?¡±

    ¡°We should chop down the maze, escape, and storm the house where we will kill the miartha devils for doing this.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t kill outside of contracts!¡± Kobet hissed.

    ¡°He¡¯s right; as much as I¡¯d like to find the archer that shot our brother, jam a bee¡¯s nest up his arse, and wait until he pisses honey, we don¡¯t kill unless we absolutely have to. Which means we¡¯re stuck escaping, and soon, before they change their tactics.

    ¡°Our assets: our knives, our training. Anyone have anything else?¡±

    ¡°I have rope,¡± Jakith said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have several items that might help, but nothing particular comes to mind when solving our major problem.¡±

    Raulin took a quick look inside Kobet¡¯s pack and almost laughed. He and the wizard would get along splendidly. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a shield in there or¡­oh.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What are you thinking, Raulin?¡± Jakith asked.

    ¡°The statues. Where did you two enter the maze and where did you enter this area?¡±

    ¡°East-north,¡± Jakith said.

    ¡°I entered from the south and wound up coming in from the east,¡± Kobet said.

    ¡°Did you see the statues? Did they have armor on them?¡±

    ¡°They were white and¡­no,¡± Jakith said.

    ¡°That answers that, then. I entered from the south, spent most of my time in the southwest quadrant, and entered here from the south. I saw several statues that had things we could use: helmets, breastplates¡­the last one had a shield, I¡¯m certain.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. We¡¯re going to use our one advantage for protection: angles. Even though they have the advantage of the high ground, they aren¡¯t high enough to see us if we are below a certain point on north-south running hedges We can crawl to the first node, take the shield, and use it to block any attacks after that point, making the journey faster.

    ¡°First step: everyone needs to start here,¡± Raulin said, pointing in front of him, ¡°so Jakith needs to make his way to us. Kobet, how do we feel about the mask rule?¡±

    He took a deep breath, thinking. ¡°Our masks protect us from identification. We are punished only if the connection is made between our faces and our profession. It will be risky, but I see the benefit in taking that risk. The archers might be using the glare from the metal as focal points and without them, they might have a hard time targeting us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Raulin said. He hated to concede a point to the wizard, but he remembered the conversation he and Al''d had about his mask¡¯s vulnerability in both Carvek and Ammet Bronsto. ¡°Three o¡¯clock is a dandy time for the sun to be out of their eyes, but still enough to give them a reflective target. You two take off your masks and put them away. I¡¯m going to use mine to distract the archers while you run to us, Jakith. Got it?¡±

    The three wiggled their masks off their faces. Kobet had the same pronounced features as any other Merakian, the large eyes, the high cheekbones, the thick lips, but there was a gauntness that made his cheekbones stick out more than most. He reminded him of a darker colored Telbarisk, for some odd reason. ¡°Ready, Jakith?¡±

    ¡°Ready. You count.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s stomach burned with the fear and anticipation of what he was about to do. There was a strong possibility that he was about to get an arrow right through his forearm. He stood, took a few calming breaths, and counted down. On one, he stuck his mask out as far as he could.

    Ting!

    As soon as Jakith, had dove into the hedge, he pulled the mask back and let go of his breath. ¡°Did you arrive safely, Jakith?¡±

    The trirec dusted himself off, his wide face looking up at Raulin. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not imitating an ambitious sapling, so we¡¯re doing well.¡±

    ¡°All right, good,¡± he said, jamming his mask into his knapsack. ¡°Step one complete. Are we ready to escape?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they both said in unison.

    ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Chapter 103

    ¡°Our objective is to survive to the edge of the maze,¡± Raulin said, mimicking how the trivren instructors laid out trainings back in Arvarikor. ¡°We must move swiftly and as a unit in order to fool the miartha up on the roof. If we are moving down corridors that run west to east, we will belly crawl and keep close to the hedges, going underneath them if we can without delaying the group. For walls that run south to north we will crouch over and run quietly and fast. Always stay low. We will cross this opening at the same time.¡±

    Both Kobet and Jakith had watched him. Neither challenged him. Instead, they snapped their arms to their sides and stood to crouching. Good, Raulin thought. That was the hardest part. The rest is easy.

    He counted down and the three sprinted across the five foot opening at the same time. They caught there breaths on the other side and were relieved there were no arrows. ¡°Step two done. Step three: make it to the southern entrance and into the corridor. We have a bit of a shadow that might help. Again, stay low and close to the shadows.¡±

    Arvarikor had drilled dozens of ways of creeping and crawling into every trirec well before they began their noviceship. On his first day at the compound, Raulin had seen four-year-old children racing across a field and up a hill, waddling on their bellies as they crawled through the mud. The last child to touch the pole at the top had been forced to do it three more times, his forearms and thighs bloodied while his classmates rested. The instructor had yelled, over and over again, about how proper technique would, not could, one day be the difference between life and death.

    He was right. It didn¡¯t matter how undignified belly crawling looked or how dirty it got your clothes, it was the best way to stay low and still move. And the longer they kept out of sight, the better their chances. Raulin crouched down. ¡°Modified belly,¡± he said, and dove down.

    The bushes scratched along his head and back as he raced to the corner. He wished he knew where the precise point of where the tops of the hedges exposed the line, so he didn¡¯t have to kill himself with a full powered sprint, but as is he was alive and mostly well.

    ¡°He, si, kron, good,¡± he said once Kobet made it safely around the corner. They dusted themselves off as they walked along the wall. He paused when they reached the first turn and passed it.

    ¡°What about that way?¡± Jakith asked.

    ¡°No. We take the next right.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s the next one?¡± Kobit asked, curious instead of combative.

    ¡°I memorized my way in. And marked it, just in case I forgot. See?¡± Raulin said, pointing to a copper he picked up from underneath the corner of the hedge.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t teach us that,¡± Jakith said, indignantly.

    ¡°Why would they? You have to learn better ways on your own.¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had to walk through plenty of complicated houses. I usually use chalk, since it¡¯s cheaper, but I didn¡¯t have any on me today.¡± The wizard had demanded his piece back days ago. ¡°Okay, this is a switchback, so duck way down and get out of the corner.¡±

    They went through five sets of those before arriving at the first node. As he had remembered, there was a spear, a helmet, and a shield the statue wore. The spear was propped awkwardly in the crook of the ap¡¯s arm and the shield hung from its strap over the statue¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°This is going to be tricky. We need to¡­siyekla!¡± he shouted, wincing that he had given away their position.

    Another trirec appeared from the southern entrance to the node and froze. ¡°Who are you?¡¯ he asked.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Three other trirecs contracted to do the same as you. It¡¯s a trap; we are all being hunted for sport. Take off your mask, stay low, and stay put until we can get to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming to you,¡± he said, after taking off his mask.

    ¡°You might get shot!¡± Raulin hissed.

    The trirec didn¡¯t listen and began running to the group.

    ¡°Get the shield!¡± Raulin said. Confused, the trirec looked to where Raulin was pointing, yanked the shield down, and brought it to the group.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± he said as the new trirec joined them. ¡°Look up there. Men are hunting us for sport. We don¡¯t know what puts someone in play and if we¡¯re in already. We¡¯re not taking any chances.¡±

    The trirec stared at Raulin. ¡°You¡¯re Raulin Kemor!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the top trirecs in the world! You still hold the record for the most consecutive lassos on a point at ten, thirty, forty, and sixty feet. You broke into Dachrin Castle and stole the tiara of the queen of Okil.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought Arvarikor didn¡¯t like me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t. They do respect you, though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, at least my reputation is getting better with each new person I meet. Your name?¡±

    ¡°Thenik Mikelt,¡± he said. He would be eager to please. A donkey, a scaredy cat, and a puppy, Raulin thought. Quite the menagerie.

    ¡°View holloa!¡± they heard moments before a scream came from the center of the maze.

    Raulin hung his head for a moment. ¡°We need to get out of here. I¡¯m going to walk with you three to the south exit of this junction. Stay there and out of the way.¡±

    He brought Thenik back first, using the shield to protect the two of them from the oncoming arrows. The marksmen cried out and shot twice, hitting both arrows off the side of the shield. His heart was pounding in his throat as he went back for Jakith, then Kobit. A dozen arrows littered the ground by the time he rounded the corner and put the hedges between him and them.

    It was achingly slow. Raulin held the shield up to protect the other trirecs at each clearing, ferrying the men across nodes and corridors. His arm began to shake from the strain, but he kept going on, eager to leave the maze.

    ¡°This is the last node,¡± Raulin said, snatching up his copper from the ground. ¡°After that, we only have a few more lines and we¡¯re free.¡±

    The arrows continued to ping off the shield as Raulin brought Kobit across. Had he not been walking backwards, he wouldn¡¯t have slipped on a rut in the ground. It was all it took for an opening to present itself. Raulin snapped the shield back up as he heard his brother take in a gurgled breath.

    ¡°Kobit, no,¡± he said. He wrapped his free arm around him and helped drag him backwards to the safe point, oblivious to the arrows hitting the ground. Kobit gasped for air, blood running down the sides of his mouth onto his shirt. Raulin sat him against the hedge and panicked for a moment, figuring out if there was any hope for the man. Kobit continued to cough clots of blood and reached to pull the arrow out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he said, and the wide-eyed trirec let his hand drop.

    Raulin ran across to the other two. ¡°Kobit was hit, in the lungs, I think. What do I do?¡±

    ¡°Let me look,¡± Jakith said and walked with him. By the time they reach the safe point, Kobit was dead.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Raulin said, letting out a pained breath. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have died like that.¡± He pushed Kobit¡¯s eyelids down and found he needed to sit.

    ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± Jakith asked. ¡°He¡¯s just another competitor.¡±

    Despite his grief, Raulin was careful. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to let someone know he actually had a heart. ¡°It¡¯s just us versus them right now. Every man who makes it out of the maze is one man they didn¡¯t get to kill.¡±

    ¡°I take his beads, mask, and bag, then,¡± Jakith said, pulling out his knife to snap the cords on the back of Kobit¡¯s head.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Afren, Raulin would think Merakians were incapable of empathy.

    While Jakith took his spoils, Raulin went back for Thenik and brought him over. Jakith had already removed everything from Kobit¡¯s pack. ¡°He has good rations. Would you like some?¡±

    Thenik stared wide-eyed at the corpse and said nothing. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my appetite,¡± Raulin said. ¡°We need to move on.¡±

    They crouched, but Raulin noticed their line was short. He went back and snapped his fingers in Thenik¡¯s face. ¡°Hey. You¡¯ve killed before, yes?¡±

    He blinked a few times and turned to face Raulin. ¡°It¡¯s different. Why?¡±

    ¡°Because the tables are turned. Because we¡¯ve lost the power in this situation. We¡¯re going to get it back, Thenik, but we need to move. Come.¡±

    They traveled on and finally turned the last corridor, a perfectly free escape. Raulin could see the road as they ran down the lane, still hunched and still skirting the hedges. The three congregated into the corner, catching their breaths, Thenik resting his hands on his knees.

    ¡°This is it. We fan and make it for the tree line, then regroup. Remember to run smart; don¡¯t give any indications. Masks on. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± they responded, snapping their arms to their sides.

    On three they burst across the line. Raulin felt a weight lift off his shoulders, a challenge answered and won. He even grinned despite the previous hours of hardship.

    Then, from the chateau he heard, ¡°View holloa! Leash!¡±

    The dread in his stomach and the thumping of his pulse in his neck returned. He ran for his life.

 Chapter 104

    As they had been taught, they made their path irregular. They zigged and zagged, they made wide curves in their paths. Anything to upset the assumptions an archer needed to predict a simple path. Animals bolted in a straight line and, as Raulin wished the hunters knew, they weren¡¯t animals.

    Lightning flashed across his vision, the same as in the wine merchant¡¯s house in Iascond, and he instinctively dropped to a roll. An arrow whizzed by, right where his torso would have been a moment earlier. He stalled only for a moment to collect his bearings and launched forward once again, lungs, legs, and anger burning.

    Skill and luck, however, tipped the balance in favor of the hunters. Thenik was in front of Raulin¡¯s right. He zigged and was still shot clean through his calf. He hopped, slowing himself down so he didn¡¯t trip.

    Raulin saw Thenik was only feet from the edge of the forest. He moved behind him, tackled him, and the two rolled into the woods. As soon as he recovered, he yanked the trirec by his collar and dragged him behind a tree.

    The three looked at each other, shoulders heaving, nerves frazzled, eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯ve never been great at medicine. What do¡­what do we do for Thenik?

    He saw the unspoken answer cross Jakith¡¯s eyes: leave him, he¡¯s a liability to us and Arvarikor now. But, instead, he said, ¡°We need to snap the arrow, pull it through, and care for heavy bleeding. This will take time we do not have right now. Why are they still hunting us?¡±

    Raulin had been questioning the same thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the rules. I think someone needed to complete the contract and we left the sword. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Jakith sucked in a growling breath and paced, his hands clenching hard at his sides. He stopped suddenly. ¡°No use crying over piss in the milk bucket.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but we still need to act. Those cries they yelled mean they will still hunt us.¡± He turned the corner and no longer saw the party of men on the roof. ¡°We don¡¯t have many choices. We can¡¯t run with a crippled man.¡± Raulin couldn¡¯t run all over the woods anyway, possibly reaching the end of the invisible leash with Telbarisk.

    ¡°We give up,¡± Thenik said, dismayed.

    Raulin snapped his head to the trirec. ¡°We will not give up. I¡¯d rather die. We can return to the maze and complete it, now that most of the men are gone. We can hide. Or, we can make our last stand.¡±

    ¡°Take the fight to them? Hunt them instead?¡± Jakith asked, hopeful.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so eager,¡± he said, though he was smiling. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s turn this estate into a chicken coop.¡±

    * * *

    Sweat dripped down Raulin¡¯s neck, down his back, soaking his clothes. He fiddled with his knife, Jakith¡¯s rope laying next to him.

    ¡°Course!¡± he heard some five hundred feet down the road. A bloodhound gave tongue, baying at the scent of an injured man. Another joined in, making Raulin wonder how one would train a bloodhound to hunt people. And why. Both thoughts caused him to shudder.

    ¡°Look, fellows. They abandoned him. See how he crawls in the thicket, desperate and afraid, like a screaming rabbit in a trap.¡±

    The group came into view. Two men held the leashed hounds. There were six archers all together, quivers and bows slung on their backs. It was more than he had anticipated, but it wasn¡¯t going to be an issue. All they needed was the marquess.

    One-by-one he aimed his knife until a man with graying hair and a slight build caused his hand to cramp before he could throw. He had promised Jakith and Thenik that he could ferret out their target so long as they didn¡¯t ask questions.

    He waited. Sixty feet, fifty, forty, thirty¡­he could have done it at twenty, but decided that, since he had missed that record, he better stick with ten. He stood, stepped out, and threw.

    The lasso was true and slipped over the marquess¡¯s body. He yanked, tightening the rope, then pulled when the man went down, snapping his bow. ¡°What¡­?¡± he yelled.

    By the time the men realized their leader was gone, Raulin had him standing with a knife to his throat. ¡°Hello there on the roof. Why are you shooting at us?¡±

    The marquess struggled and Raulin¡¯s wrist was killing him, but he had no intention of really harming the man. Three of the archers had knocked arrows and were pointing them in Raulin¡¯s direction. Jakith ran out to shield Thenik, both knives drawn.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    No one said anything for a few tense moments. ¡°We¡¯re at a stand-off, then,¡± Raulin said, breaking the silence. ¡°You want to kill me for holding your marquess hostage and I want to kill your marquess for hosting this disgusting hunt for men.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not the marquess,¡± one man said. ¡°He¡¯s just a hunter. I¡¯m the marquess. Let him go and I promise to take his place.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I think I have the right man. But, if you want to play these games, then I suppose you won¡¯t mind if I slit his throat.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± another man said. He wore a spring green jerkin and brown breeches of superior cloth ¡°He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s lying. Just don¡¯t kill him.¡±

    ¡°Now we¡¯re at an even playing field. I have what you want and you can give us what we want in exchange. Let¡¯s open negotiations.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± the man in green and brown said.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking a thief what he wants? What do you think we want?¡±

    ¡°Money? We have none on us.¡±

    ¡°That would be odd if you did. I would have already stolen it, anyway. Here¡¯s what we want. A horse, six hundred gold, a doctor, and additional assurances.¡±

    ¡°What assurances?¡±

    ¡°The game is finished, children. Done. Say it.¡± They looked at each other and mumbled. ¡°Say it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± the man said again.

    ¡°You, too,¡± Raulin said, gritting his teeth as he pressed the knife into the marquess¡¯s throat.

    ¡°I officially close the games,¡± he said between deep breaths.

    ¡°You will not hunt any trirec ever again, or you will feel the full wrath of one hundred men invading your lands in secret. We will come at night, in the shadows, from the forests, and we will pick off your families one-by-one. Your heirs, your wives, your daughters first. Then, when you cretins re-marry, your new wives and your swaddling infants. We will kill your mistresses, your dalliances, your favorite whores, and all the illegitimate children you¡¯ve had by them. We will kill your nephews, your nieces, your siblings, your aunts and uncles, your parents, your cousins. We will not care who they are and how much they can bribe us. Then, when you are finally alone, when no one will go near you, when your seed rots in your groin and your line is barren, then we will come for you. Every. Man. Here.¡±

    He was pleased to see a few of them had drawn pale at the consideration. ¡°You have our word,¡± their spokesman said.

    ¡°Your word means nothing. Vile animals such as yourself never keep their word. Know that Arvarikor is watching you and you already owe them the lives of the men you killed today.¡±

    ¡°We forfeit,¡± he said, tossing his quiver and bow to the ground.

    ¡°You forfeit your right to revenge on this matter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we swear!¡± he said, looking distraught.

    ¡°Because your word is pig tripe in a shoe trencher, I will be bringing your marquess back to his manor. You remaining five will be hogtied here. As soon as we get our horse and our gold and leave the estate, then will you have your rescue.¡±

    ¡°How long is that?¡± on man asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d pray we¡¯re not men that dawdle.¡± Raulin jerked his head to the right. ¡°All weapons in a pile. Swords, bows, arrows, that little knife the man in white and gray has tucked into his boot.¡±

    Raulin told Jakith to frisk each man after they turned in their weapons. ¡°Now, I want each of you to pick a tree out of eyesight from each other and stand in front of it.¡±

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Jakith asked.

    ¡°Tie them up,¡± he said, loosening the rope around the marquess and tossing it to them. ¡°We should have just enough. Get creative; they don¡¯t have to all be saddled to a tree.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a knot where you tie a man to a branch by his arms, so that he¡¯s just on his toes. If he relaxes, it tightens the rope to his wrists. The hands fall off, you see, unless he dances.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the orchestrations to you. Check to make sure Thenik is okay, then meet me back here.¡±

    Raulin was half-convinced that there would be some trick, some daring rescue attempt while he walked the two houndsmen, the marquess, and Jakith back to the chateau. He realized it was the fear that spoke to that potential. The marquess was so assured of his lot in life that he had never considered he was playing with dangerous prey when he set up this hunt. He had never considered this happening, just like all nobles failed to see themselves as paupers or unfavored at court.

    They were paid six hundred gold by a very flustered steward. His second groom was called, since his head was actually one of the marksmen tied in the forest, and a suitable mare was brought along as they marched back to the forest. And a timid man, whose hand shook as he corrected his spectacles, was sent with the group

    ¡°You said I¡¯d be freed!¡± the marquess protested as he stumbled back down the road.

    ¡°I never said when. Did you think we were going to leave you in your chateau with all those servants at your beck and call? My back itches just thinking about it.¡±

    The forest was as they had left it. The men were calling out to each other, having some sort of conversation over the turn of events. Thenik had moved a little to make himself more comfortable, but at least there hadn¡¯t been any escapes.

    Raulin shoved the marquess lightly and let him go. ¡°Go tend to your men. Your staff will be by shortly with knives to cut them down. You and your men, and me and my men, are through. I am showing you great leniency by not killing you. Show me you have some honor, some integrity, by letting us leave.¡±

    The doctor went to Thenik, who didn¡¯t even scream when he pushed the arrow through. After it was cleansed and bound, Jakith carried Thenik to the horse. ¡°I will pay you twenty gold to bring him to town and see that he cared for.¡±

    Jakith titled his head for a moment. ¡°And I will pay you twenty gold to negotiate our release and safety with the miartha.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said. ¡°Be safe.¡±

    Jakith jumped on the horse and helped Thenik up in front of him. He waved once before they trotted down the road out of sight.

    And it was done. He disappeared into the woods, following along the road until he was clear of the estate. The farther he walked, the deeper he thought of the events. And the farther he walked, the more afraid he grew.

 Chapter 105

    Now that the job was complete, it was time for Raulin to return to normal. As he traveled down the road to Miachin from the marquess¡¯s estate, he waited for the congratulatory glow he¡¯d get from jobs like that one, ones where no one was killed and he had won. The marquess¡¯s nose was broken, metaphorically, his team almost pissing themselves to save him, and his two compatriots were taken care of. On top of all that, he¡¯d made two hundred extra gold, though he¡¯d have to surrender half of that to Arvarikor.

    But, there was no spring in his step and no smile on his face. In fact, an icy chill had crept up his spine, seeping onto his skin and forming a cold, numb sheath. He felt his neck, his fingertips feeling sweat and a racing pulse.

    Kobit had died. He regretted that. If Raulin hadn¡¯t slipped, he¡¯d still be alive. He¡¯d lost people before and had never felt the tremors that were shaking his hands, nor the difficulty in breathing.

    The marquess was still alive. He might regret that. Hopefully the man lacked the pride that demanded retribution and was smart enough to be more covert and less daring in the future. He might not be, though. He might be mounting a hunting party this instant that would scour the woods for the three trirecs that dared best him. It would explain the eerie pressure he had between his shoulder blades, the one that kept shifting depending on where he thought the arrow was going to lodge into his back.

    He thought that perhaps that was justified. He kept seeing men in the woods. Men high on branches, men behind trees, men jumping up from the brush. Every few moments his peripheral vision promised an attack that didn¡¯t come and at almost a mile down the road, he was starting to grow tired.

    Why am I like this? Did they drug me somehow? he wondered. He knew of some poisons that would explain his issues, like one that made your heart race until exploded or another that caused rapid chills that persisted until you died of hypothermia, even in the hot sun. When, though, could they have poisoned him? He hadn¡¯t touched the sword. His gloves and mask had been on for most of the time. He hadn¡¯t been shot.

    His breathing grew shallower. His head felt oddly heavy and woozy. He began to stumble. I should feel fine! I did everything I set out to do!

    The mask was constricting. He couldn¡¯t get enough air. He ripped off his gloves. He fingered the top of his arong-miil, trying to loosen it.

    He was going to collapse. He moved to a patch in the woods, running, running through the bushes and brush, over fallen logs and stones until he couldn¡¯t breath anymore. He ripped off his mask, sat on the ground, and curled into a ball. He shook. He hugged himself. He would give anything in that moment if his mother were next to him.

    Time passed. It wasn¡¯t quite dark out, but it was dark for him. Doubts plagued his mind, all the normal ones that he usually could address and push away when he was done thinking about them. His heart still raced and his breathing still shallow and fast. There were times he suspected he passed out, but he had no dreams and no safe way of telling.

    And then there was someone near him, next to him, sitting and leaning against the tree. He was split as to whether he wanted to run screaming or stay a mess there. The person didn¡¯t say anything. The person didn¡¯t do anything. He waited, and so did Raulin.

    He had moved heavy footed through the forest, but had been quiet as well. Unless elk learned to walk on two legs, the man beside him was Telbarisk. He didn¡¯t know what to do or say. There was too much, too much to apologize for or tell him. He should tell him to go away. He should be pushing him away.

    ¡°If you need to speak to someone, I¡¯ll be available,¡± Tel said.

    Raulin wanted to say something, but it was so hard. He opened his eyes and brought his hand in front of him, still shaking. He mopped the sweat from his face and wiped it on his outfit.

    Say you¡¯re sorry. Say you¡¯ll do better. Say there are men coming. Say something.

    But, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He was still the guard, the man who couldn¡¯t be friends with the miartha he had to protect. Afren was right. If he kept his distance for the rest of their year together, he¡¯d be able to break away from them painlessly.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    And he had believed that was the right choice, until the moment he realized he needed them. He couldn¡¯t be the silent guard. It didn¡¯t fit him. It was selfish. He¡¯d have to hurt them, over and over again, to make them keep their distance. Sure, the wizard had been easy and Anla likely hated him, too. But, Telbarisk wouldn¡¯t give up. His presence there, in that moment, was a testament to that fact. He wasn¡¯t going to shake them and he didn¡¯t want to.

    It was still at least several minutes before Raulin spoke. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m falling apart,¡± he heard himself say.

    ¡°This is a different feeling for you?¡± Tel asked in his baritone voice, something rich and deep and comfortable and familiar.

    ¡°Yes.¡± It hurt to talk, but it felt good at the same time.

    Tel said nothing. He waited, maybe a minute, maybe ten before Raulin said, ¡°I was hunted today. Like an animal. He paid us to run around his hedge maze and steal a sword. And when we touched it, they fired arrows on us. One of my brothers died in my arms. Another was shot through the leg. We managed to win, but I can¡¯t help but feel like they¡¯re still coming after me.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°There is no one around here for some distance. A few deer, some sleeping raccoons, but no men. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    For a brief moment the tension released. It came back, but the momentary relief had been beautiful. ¡°Why can¡¯t I let this go?¡±

    ¡°I think, perhaps, it¡¯s because you¡¯ve had too many of these to let go. In the last two months you have been the sole survivor of a shipwreck, were arrested and imprisoned, escaped from that, were told you were bound to three people for a year, were hunted, and had to kill¡­your mentor?¡­and two other men. That is so much more than one man should have to deal with in a lifetime. Then, this today, a disgusting display of the dark way people can treat each other. Pick one of those and a man has a tale to tell his grandchildren, with a life full of time to deal with it. Pick all and you have the makings of an internal crisis.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I do, though,¡± he said, but he sounded doubtful. ¡°We are trained to deal with this. I move on from bringing death and chaos.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been considering that for some time. I know that we¡¯ve never discussed your differences, even though you looked very different from the other trirecs, but I think we should. You are human. You are not Merakian, despite your training and years living there. And yet, you live your life as if you were. You expect things from yourself that perhaps a human cannot take.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t anything like them. You told me that yourself. You prided yourself in the fact that the other trirecs were always strictly business. They didn¡¯t make friends. They didn¡¯t enjoy life. You did and it filled you with a sense of purpose. I think I can safely say it made you Raulin. And now you are trying to be like them and I see it¡¯s not working. You seem miserable. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve chosen to shut us out, but we want to be there for you. We want to help.¡±

    ¡°He said it was the best way. If I shut you out now, if I shut her out now, it wouldn¡¯t be so painful when the year ends.¡±

    ¡°Who is ¡®he¡¯? Was this your mentor?¡±

    He raised his head, but didn¡¯t turn to see him. ¡°How did you know what happened with him?¡±

    ¡°The three of us pieced it together, though we were unsure if we were correct.¡±

    ¡°I killed him, Tel. I took his sacrificial knife and slit his throat, the same man who was like a father to me. Who does that? What monster kills the people he loves?¡±

    ¡°This is what your order does to you. They put you in a position where you must kill or be killed. You¡¯re absolved from your guilt because you are ¡®just the tool of balance¡¯ or whatever phrase you¡¯ve said to me that I know you don¡¯t fully believe. And you return, for more. More stealing, more killing, more guilt. More opportunity for your circumstances to erode who you are and make you more like them.¡±

    ¡°I have no choice, Tel. I have to fulfill my contracts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a ¡®do or don¡¯t do¡¯ choice. If you feel you have to fulfill them, then do so. I will still be here by your side. But, don¡¯t do them their way; do them your way. Don¡¯t assume that they, even your mentor, know the best way for you to live as a trirec. You are not like them. Listen to what works for you and do that.¡±

    He held his hand out and felt Tel¡¯s large, warm hand envelop his and squeeze. He let out a breath, sat up, and put on his mask again, noticing that it wasn¡¯t as dark as he had thought it would be. ¡°I still have to play by some rules, but perhaps you¡¯re right. It meant something to me to save Thenik and Jakith, and even Kobit, though he was killed. All three would have left me to fend for myself, because that¡¯s what we¡¯re taught. Isken is right; if we learned to work together, things wouldn¡¯t be so complicated and cold.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do what I truly want, Tel, but I can do something in the middle. First, let me apologize.¡±

    ¡°There is no need,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°Let me do it anyway,¡± Raulin said, turning towards him. ¡°I said some things that were harsh and particularly cruel. I know you miss your family and Kelouyan and it was cutting to bring them up the way I did. I¡¯m sorry for every word.¡±

    ¡°You are forgiven. Would you like to stay here for the night? I can set up camp and watch over you.¡±

    Raulin stood, brushing the grass and dirt off his clothes. After the maze, it was a hopeless cause, but he still wanted to try. His skin still felt glass cold, but his pulse was lower and he could take deep breaths without gasping for the next. ¡°I would like to stay here. Arvarikor would say I needed to return to my employers hours ago. My middle ground will be to fetch Al and Anla and set up camp south of here, so we can make our way back to the Birchik Highway.¡±

    Tel stood and smiled. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 106

    ¡°They were sisters!¡± Al said. ¡°Can you believe it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Anla said. She shifted her focus from the puddle of water on the bar back to Al. ¡°Oh, wow. That¡¯s¡­quite a situation.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± he said, dinging his mug with his fingertips. He stopped to consider this for a moment, then continued. ¡°Aggie figured it out, though. He made sure to date one girl in Brace Square and the other ¡®cross town in Quiet Park. It worked, ¡¯til the sisters got t¡¯gether and talked and stuff one night and¡­well¡­¡±

    She leaned her cheek on her fist, her gaze again drifting. Anla had counted the bottles under the bar several times now, her mind fixated on one with a peeling label. It had a faded orange print that she had been trying to read for a good hour and a half. She thought it said ¡°Small Patch Bye¡±, but that made no sense. It must be rye, but what was the middle word?

    ¡°¡­fights that were ever seen in Whitney. I didn¡¯t know women had so much¡­stuff that went under their clothin¡¯. They ripped each other down to petticoats and corsets, ripped out the others curls. People just stopped to watch in the square¡­But. Oh!¡± Al put his hand on Anla¡¯s arm and she looked back at him. ¡°Not me. Not me! I looked away! It was embarrassin¡¯. And my wife wouldn¡¯t like it, but she wasn¡¯t there. She woulda known, though, and I woulda been in trouble.¡±

    Wife? Anla thought, her eyebrows raised. That deserved a long conversation, but she said nothing. It was not the right time. It wasn¡¯t really the right time for anything, not with that much wine and beer on an empty stomach. Hoping not to hear any more about Aggie, she changed the subject. ¡°I hope everything¡¯s all right. They¡¯ve been out there a long time.¡±

    Al patted her arm. ¡°They¡¯re fine. ¡®Member that Raulin is a super thief and he can¡­he can steal anythin¡¯.¡± He snorted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if I hired him to steal somethin¡¯ that wasn¡¯t possible? Raulin, I want you to steal the sun!¡± He started laughing at his joke. ¡°I want a cloud souffle baked next to the sun and sprinkled with some hail. Steal me that!¡±

    ¡°You have the money to hire him?¡±

    ¡°Nooooo, but¡­I was just bein¡¯ funny. Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if he looked at his stupid book and he read his next job and was all ¡®Damn it! I can¡¯t steal this! This is crazy!¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Al,¡± she said.

    The bartender put a shot of whiskey down in front of her. ¡°I didn¡¯t order this,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s on the house. I thought it might help.¡±

    She mouthed a thanks and downed it.

    ¡°Another time Aggie was datin¡¯ this woman named Astinia. Beautiful, but she was a little off her chump. She came down to Milxner¡¯s one day, ready to give¡­¡±

    Anla¡¯s attention shifted immediately when she heard the heavy footsteps of someone coming down the stairs to the bar. When she saw the person ducking, she jumped off the stool and grabbed her backpack.

    ¡°Uhh?¡± Al said, turning around. ¡°Oh, Tel! Hiiii!¡±

    ¡°We are ready to go,¡± he said. ¡°Unless you want to stay a little¡­?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anla said quickly, running to staircase.

    Al managed to remember to settle the tab. Before he left, Anla heard the bartender say, ¡°Usually there¡¯s dining along with the wining. Try that next time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost night out!¡± she exclaimed when she popped out onto the street.

    She was about to ask Tel what took them so long when she saw Raulin leaning against a building across the way. He unfolded his arms, stood, and sauntered over in that cavalier way of walking she remembered he¡¯d had prior to Iascond. She looked up at Telbarisk. With a slight smile, a tiny shrug, and a quick quirk of his eyebrows, he told her what she had been hoping to see.

    ¡°How?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Some other time. He just needed to take off his mask and use it to reflect upon things.¡±

    What happened during this contract? she wondered. as she walked over to follow him. Thoughts and possibilities raced through her mind. Did he have to kill someone else? Did he see something barbaric? What if the owners of what he had to steal were destitute and pleaded with him not to steal it, but he still had to?

    ¡°How was your evening, mezzem?¡± Raulin asked, stepping in next to her.

    ¡°It was great,¡± Al said, catching up to the rest of the group. ¡°I was talkin¡¯ about my friend Aggie and all the bizarre tales of his life. Y¡¯know, come to think of it, he reminds me a lot of Telbarisk.¡±

    ¡°Aggie reminds you of Tel?¡± Anla asked. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re both big guys. They¡¯re both great friends.¡±

    ¡°But, Aggie sounds like¡­an ass! He sleeps with a lot of women, even though he¡¯s married, and hurts a lot of people. You, too, Al. He kept dragging you into his messes and expected you to fix them. That doesn¡¯t sound like Tel at all.¡±

    Al stopped walking and thought about this, looking like a wharf with too many fishing boats. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can explain it.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°How many drinks did he have?¡± Raulin asked quietly.

    Anla blew air out of her mouth, rustling the hair that was in her face. ¡°Five, I think. It may have been six.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. Three glasses of wine and a shot of whiskey had almost done her in.

    It may have been more waspish than she intended, since Raulin¡¯s tone softened. ¡°I¡¯m just asking because you and he seem a little¡­cup-shotten. And I think it¡¯s going to be a bad idea to stay here tonight. My questions were to figure out how far we can go and what would be the best direction.¡±

    ¡°A little less than normal for me. Al¡­I think a few miles. Perhaps two people standing on either side would help.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, laughing lightly, before leading the group north past the castle. ¡°We¡¯ll find a place not far from here. We¡¯re going to need extra security tonight: two watching, two sleeping. I¡¯d rather we wait until we set up camp to discuss the finer points.¡±

    And now her curiosity burned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we double-back, to throw off anyone who see us leave?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There would be no point if they use the hounds.¡±

    Hounds? She had to physically bite her tongue to keep herself quiet.

    They had the calendar on their side, it being only a little over a week since the solstice. They traveled the road easterly until they couldn¡¯t see the lines of their hands in front of their faces, which was close to nine o¡¯clock. Tel pointed out a flat, secluded spot on the side of hill that had better defenses than most sites would.

    Anla volunteered to stay up for the first half of the night. She took the opportunity to do laundry, noting that Raulin¡¯s shirt needed it badly. With a fire shielded behind some pines roaring, the clothes hanging from a line, and a warm supper in her belly, Anla sat next to Raulin and stared into the flames.

    Al hadn¡¯t even bothered with his tent; he had passed out on his bedroll as soon as it was unfurled. Telbarisk was sitting cross-legged on top of his some distance away, breathing deeply. It almost seemed as if he were asleep.

    Raulin snapped out of his trance and turned towards her. ¡°They hired me and several other trirecs to hunt, you see. Like deer or boars. We escaped and turned the tables on them, capturing the marquess and tying up several of his men. They are trained marksmen; they shot Thenik when he was sprinting to the woods. So, I expect that if they do want to enact revenge on me, they¡¯ll be coming for us tonight. They¡¯ll bring hounds and as many men as the marquess can gather. Either that or he¡¯ll leave me alone. I get the feeling that, with his level of detail and precision, the marquess isn¡¯t a man to do things halfway. He¡¯s either a force or a farce at this point.¡±

    ¡°They hunted you?¡± Anla asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Like¡­like an animal?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, hanging his head for a moment.

    Anla tucked her feet underneath her so she that she was kneeling and hugged him. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she said. It took him a moment, but he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her perfectly and comfortably. She discovered that she liked hugging him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said when she moved away, ¡°but I¡¯m the one who should be saying he¡¯s sorry. I do apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have read your letter. I shouldn¡¯t have confronted you about its contents and I should definitely not have forced you to say what you did. I know as much as anyone else what survival means and the tough choices people have to make. I didn¡¯t judge you on your past trials then and I don¡¯t know. Still, what I did was vile and rotten. Please forgive me.¡±

    Anladet sat for a moment, staring at the flames. She hadn¡¯t thought she would ever get a direct apology from Raulin. If things had ever returned to some semblance of normal, she assumed it would be gradual and far from this day. When it came to that part of her life, she had grown a callus to people¡¯s thoughts on the matter. She liked Raulin. Having someone she actually liked shame her over it had ripped away some of her defenses. It had been more painful than she would have thought.

    So, she hadn¡¯t been prepared for this moment. She knew she would forgive him and not even because it was best in light of the chalice spell¡¯s rules. But, how exactly would she forgive him? She had an idea and gave him a devilish smile.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a page from your book. It hurt, what you did and said, but it is something I¡¯m prepared to forgive you over. However, in good faith, I would like two things from you. One, I want to know what brought you to the decision to do that. I assume it¡¯s whatever happened in Iascond. And two, I want to hear something equally as shameful about the same subject. I know you claim to be quite the paramour, but I¡¯m sure there must be something you¡¯d rather not admit.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d rather wait on the first, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had to do it right now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. The second¡­sure, I suppose we could both use a good laugh.

    ¡°As I said before, Arvarikor prefers to use their students¡¯ negatives and turn them into positives. One of those are the needs young teenagers feel and that drive them later on in life. Unlike other organizations, they don¡¯t restrict tumbling with people. In fact, they encourage that as a way to obtain information when spying.

    ¡°They began giving us the bitter tea I¡¯ve grown used to drinking long before they started telling us thirteen-year-olds about seduction. Not the actual techniques and whatnot; you don¡¯t teach eggs how to fly. They would just¡­hint at things to come. Then they established rules. Then they nonchalantly gave everyone a lesson in the basics, tucked in between the proper uses of a shisham knife and the correct way to navigate a parapet, and dismissed us early. In fact, they gave us extra leisure time for a full week to pursue our new interests.

    ¡°I am not attractive by Merakian standards. What drives those women crazy is whipcord muscles, a rich, even, bronze and copper tan, and a rippling power to a walk like a bottled thunderstorm. And there I was, gangly, awkward, pale Raulin. I held out some measure of cautious optimism that some girl would find me interesting enough for a tumble, but no one approached me by the end of the first day. Nor the second, nor the third. The fourth day, however, I was enjoying the nice spring weather when one of the older girls sized me up and dragged me to a bush. I forgot any of the lessons or tips I had heard some of the other guys trade and was pathetically quick. I stammered an apology, hoping she¡¯d give me another shot the next day or later on, but she rolled her eyes. ¡®I didn¡¯t pick you because I like you. I plan on transferring to Noh Amair and thought it would be smart to try one out, to see what they¡¯re like.¡¯ She stood up, brushed off her clothes, and said, ¡®Not really worth the tea.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Aw,¡± she said, laughing a little. ¡°That¡¯s a little funny, but poor little Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Poor little Raulin accepts your pity. I¡¯m sure he would have loved it.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what ¡®not worth the tea¡¯ means, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve grown into quite the suave gentleman. I can¡¯t accept invitations from all the ladies who clamor for my attention.¡±

    ¡°Suave and humble. Such a dashing combination.¡±

    ¡°I am honored you noticed. If you¡¯d like, we can speak more about my wonderful qualities.¡±

    Anla laughed, then put her hand on his arm. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. I missed these little talks.¡±

    ¡°You mean laughing at me?¡±

    ¡°No, you know that. I miss talking to you about anything.¡±

    Subjects were changed several times over the next few hours. When Telbarisk and Al came to switch shifts, she was actually sad that the night was half over.

 Chapter 107

    Whether they hid themselves well enough or the marquess fully understood what kind of war he could be starting, they were left alone for the following days. They made good time and hit the border of Courmet halfway through the third day.

    ¡°Congratulations, Telbarisk,¡± Raulin said as they passed under the wooden gate. ¡°You¡¯ve made it to your second duchy.¡±

    ¡°Is this a great honor, when Ghenians move from duchy to duchy?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said. ¡°I went from Quisset to Eerie to Courmet when I was fifteen, to go to school in Amandorlam. There was no one waiting for me at the train station. No one paid any attention to me; Raulin¡¯s joking.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, a little disappointed. ¡°When we move from the Valley of the Cold Winds to the Rocky Glens, there are people there who usually greet us or at least wave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you¡¯re a prince. And that¡¯s from one country to another; duchies are all part of Gheny. There¡¯s nowhere you can go in Liyand that will bring you to another land where the king doesn¡¯t rule.¡±

    Anladet cleared her throat. ¡°I know of a few places.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but your people don¡¯t have kings or any sort of central government. They¡¯re more likely to take someone hostage than welcome them.¡±

    ¡°I feel like the same would happen in reverse,¡± she said frostily.

    ¡°You¡¯ve spoken of the train before,¡± Tel said, feeling it was a good time to change the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the tracks. When will I see one?¡±

    Raulin joined in on the distraction. ¡°They go by quickly and only at certain times. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see a bunch in the central station in New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°Station. That¡¯s where the trains stay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s probably a dozen or so there at any give time.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to see the trains, if it¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°I think we can make a stop for you. You¡¯ll see quite a few of the trolleys around, too. They¡¯re like smaller trains. They run throughout New Wextif, so that people can get across town much faster.¡±

    ¡°Little trains. I see. I will have to wait, then.¡±

    They stopped for lunch just off the Birchik Highway. Al had picked up a few pointers from Anla on cooking and was now in charge of meals. It was a good position for him; he was often tasked with shopping, so he knew what was needed and how much food he needed. His mid-meals at Jindahl and Stohr had also given him insight into vegetarian food, which helped when thinking of things to make for Telbarisk. Through trial and error, he had learned which types of foods carried and kept well and which should be eaten first.

    Al had recently discovered that leaves could be stuffed with cheese, diced tomatoes, meats, and a number of other things, then wrapped into a little pouch. It was a nice change from bread trenchers or bowls of stew, even though the leaves were inedible. He¡¯d considered lettuce, but knew it wilted too quickly and ripped too easily, so he had stuck with collecting the large fig leaves and using those.

    He had finished assembling the ones with shredded chicken and was making the vegetarian ones for Tel when he looked up and scowled. Anla had been seated on a large rock, alone, before Raulin had decided he was entitled to her company and sat next to her. There wasn¡¯t even enough room! He was leaning more than sitting, having some difficulty balancing while using both hands to eat his leaf pockets.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Al realized this had been going on since Miachin. Now that Raulin was speaking to them again and had gotten into Anla¡¯s good graces, he was insinuating himself into her life. They traveled side-by-side on the road, speaking of whatever they saw or some story in their pasts. They ate meals together. They had been up speaking during watches, even when one was set to take their turn later.

    Al had assumed that Raulin had made amends in some extreme way, perhaps by buying something expensive or by making great promises. Maybe Anla had even used her sorcery on him, making him more pleasant, though not to Al. Raulin was still his same irritating self.

    It didn¡¯t matter. Raulin said little to Al and Al refused to speak to Raulin until he apologized for tricking him. Anla and Tel hadn¡¯t stopped talking to Al, and so if Raulin was trying to drive a wedge between them, it wasn¡¯t working.

    He was going to ignore the whole thing when he remembered something Aggie had once told him about his relationships with women. If he had been trying to court someone and, after a few days they were still on the same level, he would drop his communication with her to almost nothing.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make her lose interest?¡± he had asked his friend.

    ¡°Sometimes. And then again, sometimes it will drive them crazy. ¡®What did I do?¡¯ they¡¯ll think. ¡®Did I say something? Did I upset him?¡¯. And then they¡¯ll seek me out. I¡¯ll be cordial, cool to them. They¡¯ll cling to me. And then they¡¯ll do anything to get me to forgive them.¡±

    It had made sense, in Aggie¡¯s way. Al had even thought it was a clever plan at the time. But, seeing Anladet as victim of this tactic made him angry.

    He waited until Anla had gone to wash her hands and approached Raulin. His hand was halfway to his mouth with his lunch when Raulin noticed he had company. ¡°Yes, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Having a delicious lunch prepared by master in the culinary arts?¡±

    ¡°Seducing Anla!¡±

    Raulin put his lunch down and looked around him for a few moments. ¡°Is this because I was sitting close to her?¡±

    ¡°Not just that! It¡¯s been the last few days. The two of you are as thick as thieves.¡±

    ¡°Now, Wizard, there¡¯s no need for name calling. I would hope you would have enjoyed my wit and banter enough to consider me anything but thick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, Raulin! You¡¯re luring her in with a game of hot and cold. You befriended her, then shut her out, and now she¡¯s come to you and you¡¯re letting her back in at her expense.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening,¡± Raulin said quietly.

    ¡°That is precisely what¡¯s happening and I won¡¯t stand by while you hurt her. I want you to stop your games and leave her alone.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, don¡¯t you think she¡¯s old enough to make decisions on her own? She¡¯s not some stupid, doe-eyed girl who falls for the first man who kisses her hand. She is a capable woman who¡¯s seen a lot and understands that she doesn¡¯t need a man to survive in the world. I would have a hard time seeing her get her heart broken.¡±

    ¡°She is an unmarried woman. And since her family is dead, I¡¯ve decided I will act in their stead to protect her¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s very benevolent of you, Wizard. Have you asked her if that¡¯s what she wants?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s duty to protect the interests and virtue of a woman.¡±

    Raulin rubbed his chin. ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t think Tichen actually said that.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t. It¡¯s common practice where I¡¯m from. So, stay away from her.¡±

    Al turned to return to clean up from lunch when Raulin said, ¡°Now, hold on. Since you said it¡¯s a man¡¯s duty to protect an unmarried woman, I¡¯ve decided to throw in my gauntlet. I contest that she¡¯s a free woman and should be able to make her own choices.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not listening to me!¡± He wiped his mouth in frustration. ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter concerning her. This is between us. I am stepping in on her behalf to police my gender on matters regarding her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a difference. You¡¯re still not allowing her to make her own choice here.¡±

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t even be put in that position. How about this: we¡¯ll settle this as men usually do.¡±

    Al rolled up the sleeves of his tunic and lifted his fists. Raulin stood, but kept his fists by his side.

    ¡°Wizard, I¡¯m not going to fight you, as interesting as that would be. It¡¯s rather unfair; one punch from you in the Unease and you¡¯ll break my mask, never mind what you¡¯d do to my face. It¡¯s an uneven affair, don¡¯t you think?

    ¡°But, if you want some sort of a settlement between us, then why not a contest? That¡¯s fair. First to win Anladet¡¯s affections means that man¡¯s philosophy will be put into place. Either I will leave her alone or you will let me befriend her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Al said and made to shake hands.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Raulin said, ¡°before we agree. Let¡¯s make it interesting. If I win, you have to be quiet for one full day.¡±

    ¡°If you win, you¡­you have to take off your mask.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Raulin said, shaking Al¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 108

    In regards to the competition, not much changed for Raulin. He continued to chat with Anladet as often as he had been, talking about the same things, and keeping things as chaste as they had been. It was how things had been when the wizard had made the assumption that he had ulterior motives, that the trirec had been embarking on some process to bed Anla. He had been surprised at that; it had been the furthest thing from his mind. But since he¡¯d had a few discussions with Telbarisk over his actions towards her, perhaps Al¡¯s assertation hadn¡¯t been far off the mark.

    So, he chatted with Anla and flirted and joked just as he had. She loved hearing about the places he had been and the people he had met. He told her about some of his more memorable heists and his most daring escapes, complete with humorous anecdotes when applicable.

    And she enjoyed it. Raulin had spoken to enough people in his life to know the difference between polite indifference and engagement. If she was faking interest, she was the best he had ever seen. Her eyes had twinkled with mischief when he had told her about having to run naked from a countess¡¯s manor to escape being caught by her husband. She asked questions about the details of a wonderful performance of dancers he had seen in Hiben, of all places, making him remember the colors, the music, the moment he held his breath in awe. And he had even caught her almost grabbing his arm during a tense story of the time he found himself falling from a cliff hundreds of feet to a shallow river.

    Anla pulled her hand back. ¡°How did you survive that?¡°

    ¡°Quick wit, dazzling reflexes, and remembering that I am the best lassoer in the world.¡± He mimicked tossing a rope and yanking.

    ¡°But, didn¡¯t that hurt?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Exquisitely. Yanked my shoulders almost out of the sockets and then smacked hard against a boulder. I had bruises on the left side of my body for weeks.¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± she said, ¡°that could have been worse, though.¡±

    ¡°It was, apparently, a soft boulder.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°It must have been a delicate-tite.¡±

    ¡°Cute. I like it.¡±

    She looked up at him and smiled. ¡°You know, I¡¯m happy you haven¡¯t been lying. Maybe a little embellishment, some artful carving of certain details, but overall you haven¡¯t told me any stories that aren¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°Why make up things when you can draw from so many great ones that are true?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Protection, I would think. I remember how you feel about your past.¡±

    ¡°Distant past. Anything before my time at Arvarikor is a void in recollection. Anything after is occasionally censored, but open.¡±

    ¡°How would you feel if I guessed? About your past, I mean.¡±

    ¡°I would be extremely impressed. I doubt anyone would ever guess the specifics of my childhood.¡±

    ¡°I could try. Let me see your hand.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. I had forgotten you did that. I spent several engaging hours watching you read other people¡¯s palms. I am curious what you can get from it.¡±

    She held up his hand as they paused in their walk of the Birchik Highway. They would catch up to Al and Telbarisk after they were done. ¡°I read runes better than palms, since I did a lot more of the first. I¡¯d still like to try.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because your stories are interesting, but they don¡¯t tell me who you are, just what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°No, I meant why don¡¯t you read palms?¡±

    ¡°Runes aren¡¯t personal. I grab a few from my pouch and say some things and it¡¯s done. Men can get the wrong impression when you touch them.¡±

    ¡°What kind of impression should I be getting from this?¡± he asked, gesturing to her tracing of his palm.

    ¡°That I¡¯m interested in who you are,¡± she said, not taking her eyes off his hand. ¡°Your head line is strong, but your life and heart lines are fragmented. Even still, it has a distinctive fork, as if there is a great decision you will have to make.¡±

    A chill ran down Raulin¡¯s spine. No sun backlighting her, no ocean nearby, and that wasn¡¯t exactly the phrase. It¡¯s not her. ¡°Soon, or later on in my life?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. This line has a few loops, meaning big events in your life. If this loop was when you were ten, then this seems like it¡¯s about a third through your life. Perhaps twenty-five?¡±

    ¡°So, I may have already made the decision? I¡¯m twenty-six.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± She looked closer. ¡°Of course, once you make this decision, you should be wary of something else. Something happens and someone does something major. You see this line right here? It comes from nowhere and shifts your whole life line. It feeds into it, so I would say someone saves your life.¡±

    ¡°What else could it be?¡±

    ¡°Marriage, but I¡¯m again using outside information to steer my guesses. Your heart line doesn¡¯t support it anyway. You have lots of lines feathering into it, many loves, but at some point you either find someone or stop looking. It¡¯s hard to tell; it¡¯s very messy. If you do get married, it will definitely not be a normal marriage.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Well, I usually see lines like that on sailors. They are married, but they are at sea for months at a time. It¡¯s a different arrangement from the norm.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I see. Could it mean something else, then? It doesn¡¯t make much sense for my circumstances.¡±

    ¡°A partnership, an arrangement of some kind. Your heart line speaks of friendships as well as romance.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    He was about to pull his hand back when she pulled it in for a closer look. ¡°You have that same star I do, on the base of your pointer finger.¡± She held her hand up next to his. ¡°It has something to do with a connection to the gods somehow. I don¡¯t remember which god was that one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate these readings you do.¡±

    ¡°You know how I feel about them. I would accept your thanks if I felt that I was doing something more than giving hope or confidence.¡±

    ¡°Again, I think you¡¯re selling yourself short.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re actually by yourself,¡± Al said, handing Raulin a bowl of stew.

    ¡°Yes, I spend time alone frequently,¡± he responded. He took the bowl of stew and unclicked his mask, setting it aside before he smelled dinner. ¡°Thank you, Wizard. It smells good.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Do you think you could spend less time with Anla? If I don¡¯t have any time with her, I can¡¯t win this competition.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m not exactly motivated to change things¡­¡±

    ¡°But, it¡¯s not fair! You¡¯d be cheating.¡±

    Raulin slurped the broth. ¡°It¡¯s not cheating if I¡¯m still obeying the one rule, which is just ¡®get a kiss from her¡¯. I could actually trick her into kissing me and I¡¯d still be within boundaries.¡±

    Al scoffed. ¡°You would.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, actually. There¡¯s a difference between winning and succeeding. Only one of those is worth savoring.¡±

    ¡°If you get a kiss from her because you hogged all her time and elbowed me out, is that winning or succeeding?¡±

    Raulin grinned at his words. ¡°Winning. Which is why I¡¯m going to not only give you more opportunities with her, but I¡¯m going to help you.¡±

    This took Al a few moments to consider. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a bumbling idiot when it comes to women? I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ve had more success in love than you have over the last ten years.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but did you savor your successes?¡± Raulin chewed on a piece of pork while Al thought about this. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you don¡¯t have your own way of charming ladies, Wizard. I bet you¡¯ve had plenty of beaus and trysts since Amandorlam. But, I¡¯ve been trained to woo women a thousand different ways and I have done so dozens and dozens of times. This competition would be like a running a race with a one-legged man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Raulin said, holding up a hand. ¡°Bad analogy. How about a wizard versus a regular man?¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m not a professional paramour. So what? Women love men who trip over their tongues and make fools of themselves all the time.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps in those books you read. Books are written for two reasons: to instruct or to give hope. Those books give hope to those who feel they have no chance at a happy life with someone else. Instead of reading, they should be out practicing.¡±

    ¡°Practicing what? You make it sound like there are schools that teach lessons on the best way to kiss a lady¡¯s hand or the proper time to introduce her to your friends.¡±

    ¡°There is. It¡¯s called ¡®life¡¯. You go out and speak with people, talk with women, find out what works and what doesn¡¯t. And you learn.¡±

    Al shook his head and sat. ¡°You are assuming that everyone out there has that capability. It¡¯s the same as other forms of learning. Some people at Amandorlam spent hours, days even, studying for classes and failed. Some didn¡¯t even show for the class and got perfect marks. I did well, but I needed to attend classes and study hard for tests.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right; maybe some people can¡¯t ever grasp social graces. But, you just said you weren¡¯t in the hopeless group, so you can be taught.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You want to teach me to, what, level the playing field? That¡¯s awfully kind of you. I think it seems more likely, however, that you¡¯re going to poison the well, to give me bad advice in order to win.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Hmm. That sounds tricksy and, again, I don¡¯t do ¡®tricksy¡¯, Wizard. Besides, I¡¯m giving you advice. You are more than welcome to take it or leave it. I won¡¯t be insulted.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said with a dubious tone, ¡°let¡¯s see what this advice is like.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what I¡¯m working with here.¡± He mopped the rest of the stew with his hunk of bread and set both aside when he was finished. ¡°Name a situation when it¡¯s appropriate to approach a woman and what you might say when you do.¡±

    ¡°There are¡­a lot.¡±

    ¡°Just pick one.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, thinking a little before he responded. ¡°Continuing on my last example, as a student at Amandorlam, I could approach another student in my class. I would discuss something neutral, like what the subject matter was. If she seemed receptive and engaged, then I would talk about a few more neutral things before asking if she would like to go some place public to talk one-on-one, like a caf¨¦ or a park during the day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit fast, maybe, but all right. No compliments, though?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course, though you don¡¯t want too many too quickly. It comes across as too strong.¡±

    ¡°Very good. But, you¡¯re beyond that; you¡¯ve known Anladet for some weeks now. What sort of compliments would you give her?¡±

    ¡°I would tell her that she¡¯s pretty.¡±

    ¡°You and every other man, including the blind ones. Imagine she has many suitors all clamoring for her attention. Stand above the crowd. Tell her something personal or something that connects the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve noticed she¡¯s gained a little weight since we met. She looks better, healthier.¡±

    Al hadn¡¯t even finished before Raulin was shaking his head. ¡°No, no, no. You never mention a lady¡¯s weight. Women are either skinny tramps or too plump to fit into their corsets. They are never happy with their size and you will never give them the right compliment.¡±

    ¡°But, what if they are a ¡®skinny tramp¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t you always want to say they¡¯re looking healthy and fit?¡±

    ¡°That might work, but it¡¯s quite a gamble. One of the best rules I learned was always avoid using compliments you would also give a horse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d think a skinny tramp would love any compliment given to her. Why can¡¯t I tell her she¡¯s a great runner or that she has nice teeth?¡±

    ¡°It makes her sound like an object you would buy. Even though you do purchase her time, you should never make the most destitute of people feel worse. Besides,¡± he said, smirking to himself, ¡°you never look gifted whores in the mouth.¡±

    ¡°So, what compliments would you give Anladet, then?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t quite reached that decision, actually. I¡¯m not starved for time, so I¡¯m going slowly. I think she is amused more than flattered by flowery prose; she doesn¡¯t roll her eyes, but she doesn¡¯t take it seriously, either. I seem to be making some headway with complimenting her talents, but she seems uncertain with some of her abilities.¡±

    ¡°It would be a good idea to make her feel more confident, then? Compliment her a little on her cooking and I¡¯ll win?¡±

    ¡°Wizard¡­¡± He held up his empty bowl. ¡°You¡¯re a good cook. You¡¯re a good cook because she is and she showed you a few things. I¡¯m also a good cook and I¡¯m sure once Telbarisk gets a handle on Ghenian food he¡¯ll do splendidly. Sort of a dime a dozen, if you ask me, but go right ahead and compliment her on her culinary expertise.

    ¡°What I meant was her magic and her piscarin talents. She¡¯s very good at telling fortunes and surprisingly versed in baerdic ways, especially for someone who¡¯s had no formal training and barely has a grasp on what it the possibilities are. She seems most pleased by the praise I¡¯ve given her for that. She doesn¡¯t deflect it or step around it; she considers it.

    ¡°Which is why I knew from the beginning of this little game that I would win. I can take all the time I want with Anla because this game isn¡¯t about me and you; it¡¯s about you and her. You may find her pretty. You may enjoy her company. You may even appreciate your friendship with her, but you don¡¯t respect her. She¡¯s still a half-elven woman with abominable powers and disgusting survival techniques to you. And she will never love a man who doesn¡¯t respect her.¡±

    Raulin stood and dusted off the back of his pants. ¡°I can teach you everything I know and it still won¡¯t help you win. So, that¡¯s my advice to you, actually; learn to understand her and then, and only then, will you succeed.¡±

 Chapter 109

    he thick forests of Sharka changed over the next few days to the fringes of trees that lined the ripe fields of corn, wheat, barley, and hay. Southern Courmet was the breadbasket for the duchy and every rich acre was planted to the inch with crops. There were still occasional thickets and woods that flooded during the rainy season where a small group could stay for the night, so they at least had some cover during the night.

    It worried Raulin. He had been considering for some time what they were going to do with Telbarisk once they reached New Wextif. Being without his magic wouldn¡¯t kill him, but he understood that any person without all their capacities brought its own emotional adjustments. Tel was a strong man, but Raulin had often wondered if his constant influx of kil might have something to do with it. For now, though, Telbarisk was happy and aside from some minor sunburn on his face, was healthy.

    The wizard was still playing their game. Raulin knew this because, instead of working on his issues towards Anla, Al had decided to sabotage him. When they ate meals together, or even when Raulin and Anla sat aside or worked on a task together, Al would butt in with some comment on Raulin¡¯s character. A few ¡°don¡¯t you know this is a man who beds women frequently?¡±s and a smattering of reminders of his trade had cropped up since their discussion. Raulin was unsure if it was going to work or not. He¡¯d had a few occasions when he had gone for a lady at a ball or soiree, only to be beaten out by the poisonous tongue of a rival suitor. This had the double sting of wounded pride and a failed opportunity in a contract, and it made him more doubtful of his abilities. He guessed that Anla wasn¡¯t the type to listen to slander, but he had been wrong before.

    Raulin had ignored it so far, but it was starting to grate on his nerves. He took the opportunity to speak to Al one afternoon when Telbarisk had warned of a thick, but quickly passing squall. Lunch was finished and Al was still setting up his tent for their shelter when he approached him.

    ¡°Blasted frame!¡± the wizard grumbled from under the canvas.

    ¡°Need help in there?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just missing one of the¡­thank you,¡± he said when Raulin handed him the pole he knew he needed.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He held part of the roof up so that Al could navigate the inside more easily. ¡°Making any headway with Anladet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact. She asks me a lot of my opinion of you and I¡¯ve dug you pretty far down in the mud. Don¡¯t be upset; it¡¯s just business.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I was just curious if that was working. I find it to be an unreliable tactic, but I¡¯ve seen it work.¡±

    ¡°I think it is. How often have you two been talking over the last few days? Not as frequently.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve decided to start butting in now?¡±

    ¡°Or, maybe it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t like you anymore.¡±

    Had Raulin taken one step back from the conversation, he would¡¯ve realized Al was just manipulating him from a cloud of bravado. He¡¯d often made uncorroborated suggestions to the wizard in much the same way. But, he was starting to feel like maybe there was some information outside of his control. It bothered him. He was usually in charge of these things.

    ¡°So, Wizard, what do you suggest I do then?¡±

    ¡°Give up,¡± he answered quickly, after opening a flap and stepping outside.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be much of a victory to savor then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the difference between you and I; you¡¯re in this for a feather in your cap. I, however, have altruistic motives and a higher purpose. I¡¯m saving her from you.¡±

    ¡°Classic ¡®ends justifying the means¡¯ mentality. Good. At least I know you¡¯ll stoop to hamstringing me in order to win.¡±

    ¡°Barlaby noted that sometimes you need to use every weapon in a room in order to stab your opponent.¡±

    ¡°Barlaby, huh? No Tichen this time? What would Tichen say about this?¡± When Al didn¡¯t answer, Raulin said, ¡°¡¯Victories are hollow without honor, and hollow victories erode the foundations of civility.¡¯ I believe that was from Pages of Practicality.¡±

    ¡°It was Paupers of Morality.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you have read it, then. Interesting that it¡¯s always Tichen that arises in conversations, unless he doesn¡¯t support your actions, then it¡¯s Barlaby. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t leave this up to dead prophets, hmm? I should go ask her myself.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°That would break the code!¡± he sputtered. ¡°You never tell the party the bet is made on about the terms.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to ask her if your charms were working. I can just as easily ask how she feels about me without being totally upfront. It¡¯s just so¡­heavy handed. Not really my style. Where is she?¡±

    ¡°She said she was bathing in the river.¡±

    ¡°Oh, even better! I¡¯m liking this idea very much so,¡± he said, walking towards the stream they refilled their flasks in when they first stopped.

    ¡°Pervert.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, Wizard. Perversion means a deviation from the norm. There¡¯s nothing wrong with a man wanting to spy on a naked lady.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a perversion of order and manners!¡± Al yelled. But Raulin was already on the path down to the river and ignored this.

    Five minutes of walking had barely passed when the soil abruptly turned sandy and the trees thinned to expose the bank of the river. He looked up and down the bend, about one hundred yards in either direction, and breathed in the serenity. The trees curled over the water, branches dipping their leaves down to the waters. Birds chirped all around the area, singing to one another, then trailing their calls in the air as they flew. The stream bubbled and babbled over rocks and exposed roots, filling ten paces across with cooling water, even in the drier season. He breathed in the serenity and smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Anla asked.

    Raulin looked to his right about fifteen feet away and saw her head and folded arms posed over a large, flat rock. By then, he no longer arrested his life whenever she caught his eye. It was more of a string pluck in the center of his chest, something he recovered from usually with a slow exhalation of his breath. With her hair wet and dark, slicked back and clinging to her shoulders, he needed a few more, however. ¡°Very peaceful,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°We still have some time before the storm, I think. I was waiting until the sun came out before drying myself.¡± At that moment the clouds passed and the area was flushed with sunlight quickly. ¡°Ah! Great timing.¡±

    She stood and deftly climbed on top of the flat rock, wringing out her hair. ¡°This is nice. It was too cold earlier.¡±

    ¡°Cold,¡± Raulin repeated. He had, of course, seen women naked before, women of all shapes, sizes, and tones. Most wore their nudity with a sense of shame and he often found it disappointing. Some weren¡¯t bothered by it, but it seemed they were annoyed he had been watching them gather their clothes. Once or twice had he met a woman possessed with the confidence to use her bare skin as a costume, to entrance him with her curves and rippling walk. They had known what was going to happen and had perfected their approach for one goal in mind.

    Anla, however, managed to stun him without trying at all. She was so comfortable without clothing that she knelt on the rock without an ounce of bashfulness. Her skin was perfect, a dusky-golden color like walnuts or spelt that was creamy and smooth. She felt otherworldly to him for a moment, like some fairy tale from his youth, then he reminded himself that elves were legends in Noh Amair, long departed and forgotten from those lands until they were rediscovered in Liyand a few hundred years ago. She watched him and he forced himself to break his gaze. ¡°Um, I came to¡­check and see if you were safe.¡±

    Anla looked up from brushing out her hair with her fingers. ¡°Yes, why wouldn¡¯t I be? There¡¯s no one around but us four.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are poachers and hunters that we might not know about.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that, with our combined skills. But, should a man find me here and wish to accost me, I think I could handle him.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, still taking deep breaths. ¡°But, what if there are two? Or one sneaks up on you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, a sneak attack? Well,¡± she said, laying down on her side, resting her head in her hand, ¡°I think I¡¯m covered there. That¡¯s why I brought my valiant guard.¡±

    ¡°But I only just arrived a few moments ago.¡±

    She gave him a brilliant smile before biting her lip to stifle a laugh. ¡°You are a valiant guard. But, I meant Telbarisk. He¡¯s down the river, bathing and protecting me from sneak attacks.¡±

    Raulin followed her pointed hand and saw Telbarisk about fifty feet away, standing in the waters made shallow by his height. He gave Raulin a big smile and waved. ¡°Hi, Raulin!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Raulin said, looking away quickly. ¡°Dammit, all right. I never thought I¡¯d say this, but that¡¯s enough nudity for one day.¡±

    Anla giggled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you appreciate mine more than his, especially since he has more to go around.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he does, and I wish I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s dressed before we come back to the camp.¡±

    Raulin was about to leave when he turned back to face her. ¡°Does it bother you that I am the way I am?¡± He took a frustrated breath; his tone should have been something inquisitive or conspiratorial, not serious or begging for an answer.

    Anla¡¯s eyebrows knotted for a moment. ¡°Could you hand me my clothes, please?¡±

    He looked to where she was pointing and saw her skirt made with different colored threads and her tan blouse. There was an easy to navigate path of worn rocks that he took without get wet.

    She was still wet but pulled her clothing on despite the fact. ¡°I like you, Raulin. I know you have your secrets and your mysteries, but I still enjoy talking with you. More importantly, I trust you. I don¡¯t trust people lightly and I don¡¯t trust many. You¡­I feel like you would go to great lengths to insure my safety and well-being. I don¡¯t see much of a difference between a caring man that murders and an uncaring man that doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Many wouldn¡¯t agree,¡± he said, holding out his hand to guide her across the rocks.

    ¡°Many haven¡¯t lived on the streets and depended on the kindness of strangers. I¡¯ve seen you toss coins to beggars and tip musicians. You don¡¯t ignore those who need help.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make up for what I do.¡±

    ¡°I think, if someone wishes to attain a ¡®good¡¯ status amongst his peers, there are many paths to doing so.¡± She gave him a smirk as she hopped to the sand. ¡°Just because some stuffy, dead man wrote a bunch of books telling people how to live doesn¡¯t mean he was right.¡±

    ¡°I feel rather transparent at the moment,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I think guessing that Al was harping on you earlier is not really guessing so much as understanding a worn path. Don¡¯t let him get to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as the first drops began to fall.

 Chapter 110

    Ammet Monsard was a five-mile detour west off the Biashka Highway, neatly advertised on a signpost a few days north of the river. It was much less hillier than they were used to, though there was still a gentle ripple to the fields that nestled the town of several hundred houses, farms, and buildings.

    ¡°Somewhere down there is something you need to steal,¡± Anla asked Raulin from the tallest point in several miles. ¡°It¡¯s like a needle in a haystack.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as that,¡± he said, flipping quickly to the page with the information on his fifth contract and continuing to walk when he had it. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to sift through the information I get and know what¡¯s important. I rely on patterns and educated guesses to fill in the rest. And then I figure out what I don¡¯t know and solve that issue by talking with locals or doing a little spying. At that point, my success rate is high enough to try.¡±

    ¡°What do you need to do in Monsard?¡±

    ¡°Things that sound suspiciously like things I¡¯m not supposed to talk about.¡±

    ¡°But there are some things you can talk about,¡± she answered without skipping a beat.

    Raulin looked over at her and sighed. ¡°Yes, I suppose. I have a checklist I run through when I enter the area of entry, the beginning of the contract fulfillment, which, in this case, is Monsard. The first is to establish a base of operations, which is usually my hotel room or a camp. From there I figure out where the target is, usually or permanently, what my obstacles are, and any peripheral information that may interfere with plans, like festivals or parties. This is all in balance with any instructions given by the contractee, like whether or not they want it to be witnessed or if I need to kill someone in a particular way.¡±

    ¡°People want things to be witnessed?¡± she asked, incredulously. Raulin was surprised that she had glossed over the last bit of information.

    ¡°You have to understand that quite a few contracts are taken out as status markers among the wealthy, a sort of ¡®see what I can afford with my money¡¯. They pay trirecs handsomely to steal things that aren¡¯t worth anything to them, but might be worth a lot to someone else. Those people like things very visible. Those jobs usually involve me making grand shows or stealing things and not replacing them with copies. They want the owners to feel embarrassment and shame and, when they realize who did that to them, anger.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would they want retaliation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a game the nobles play. It¡¯s stupid, but it keeps us trirecs knee-deep in contracts. Say you¡¯re an earl or viscount, some titled brat with too much money and too much time. You have rich and bored friends, and enemies, also in the peerage. You and your friends get drunk at some soiree and you start plotting against your enemy. Wouldn¡¯t it be fun if you paid someone to steal their favorite horse or the diamond cufflinks the queen gave them for some service? What a hilarious gag that would be! So, to prove that money is no object, you hire the best of the best: a trirec. And they steal that horse or those cufflinks, or some medal or piece of jewelry or a diary, whatever sentimental junk you think would hurt them the most.¡±

    ¡°They do that? They waste money on things like that?¡±

    Raulin chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know nobles very well, I take it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only met the Duke of Sharka and he didn¡¯t seem like a man concerned with petty games of what is essentially capture the flag.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s probably not bored. I¡¯m talking about the young third or fourth sons of men whose sole responsibility is to make sure the grapes are growing well this season. They¡¯re probably in their late teens or twenties, sowing their wild oats with scandalous parties or dangerous hobbies, like spear fishing or hunting exotic creatures.¡± It was hard for him to keep the bitterness from his voice.

    Anla rubbed his arm briefly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­part of the job. And illustrates my point; people shouldn¡¯t ever have the ability to do things like that.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a little more money and time,¡± she said smiling.

    ¡°And I think someone who comes into or earns that is fine. But, I¡¯ve seen way too many people who were born into a life of luxury that don¡¯t understand how money works or what common decency is or how life would work if everything was taken from them. Don¡¯t misunderstand me; I¡¯m more than willing to take their money. And they¡¯re usually well-paying and low risk. But, I don¡¯t like them and I don¡¯t like the people that hire me for them.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Is this one of those jobs?¡± she asked, gesturing to the town.

    Raulin clicked his tongue in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s likely, since I don¡¯t always know the aftermath. I don¡¯t remember the contractee writing anything that gave me any indication, but I don¡¯t think the item is anything someone is coveting, either.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°No, nothing about the current job.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m curious,¡± she said, turning out her bottom lip.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a cat; you won¡¯t die of it. It¡¯s something consumable or collectible. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say.¡±

    ¡°And you think you can steal it easily?¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t appear to be a town under the shadow of a noble, like Miachin was, so I take it there are no nobles to steal from. The person might be rich, but they won¡¯t likely have the household staff that usually trips up an easy in-and-out job. I¡¯d say yes; this won¡¯t be a difficult job.¡±

    ¡°On to step one, then?¡¯

    He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go find our hotel.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°I¡¯ve been patient, though,¡± Anladet said to Telbarisk the first chance they got to be alone.

    ¡°It might be something that you never get to see. It all depends on how much he trusts you and if he thinks the risks are worthwhile.¡±

    She blew her breath out and rested her chin in her hand. ¡°I know. It¡¯s still going to be a boring year if he doesn¡¯t include us in his endeavors. Two days inside this hotel is enough to make me go off my rocker.¡±

    ¡°Patience,¡± he said. ¡°It has to be his idea and he has to do it in his own way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tel. I realize that I¡¯m being immature. I should wait for him to include us.¡±

    Telbarisk gave her a level look over his breakfast of scones, clotted cream, and berries, also exercising patience. She sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it before because there¡¯s not enough evidence, but the Cyurinin priest at the library in Calaba mentioned he saw another half-elven woman come by recently. That was almost a week ago. I overheard some merchants staying here mention they saw pilgrims on their way south, about a day¡¯s ride north yesterday.¡±

    ¡°You think your sister is that half-elven woman?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, playing with her strawberries. ¡°But, it¡¯s the first lead I¡¯ve gotten on the whereabouts of my siblings.¡±

    ¡°Can you hear her?¡± he asked. ¡°Is it stronger?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I hear them so rarely. It¡¯s hard; too many voices to sift through and too much time in between the last time I heard them. Raidet went north, I think; I¡¯ve never been sure. Garlin went south, but it was so long ago. And Sildet¡­I¡¯ve never heard her.¡±

    She suddenly put her hands over her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been so concerned with Raulin and the group that I forgot to do my own work.¡±

    ¡°Can I help?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, wiping her mouth with her napkin. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to¡­¡±

    She paused when she saw Telbarisk looking not at her but at a point to her left. She turned and saw Al standing next to her with an oddly reserved posture. ¡°I bought you something,¡± he said.

    ¡°For me? Thank you, Al. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I noticed that it¡¯s hot out and that you sweat a lot.¡± He winced. ¡°I mean, you look uncomfortable. I thought it might be nice to pull your hair back off your neck, so I got you this.¡± He handed her a silk brocade ribbon, cream in color with a deep red pattern of flowers.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s beautiful. Thank you. Do you think it¡¯s okay for me to wear it now?¡±

    He blinked a few times as he watched her gather her hair, exposing her ears. Al looked around the breakfast nook of their inn for other people. ¡°Um, I think in town might not be the best place, but only because¡­it¡¯s¡­well, not hot in here?¡±

    She put her hair down and gave him a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe when we¡¯re out on the road again.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That sounds good. I¡­need to¡­go get something.¡± He left for the stairs, likely to race back to his room to read.

    ¡°That was kind of him,¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°It was, but it wasn¡¯t a point ahead for him.¡± When Tel gave her an inquisitive look, she continued. ¡°Al¡¯s not a man who thinks in subtext. If a woman approached him in the street and tried to start a conversation about how hot the weather was, he¡¯d insist she start using her fan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand that, either.¡±

    ¡°Yes, because you¡¯re not from Gheny. Al doesn¡¯t have that excuse. All right. So, a woman is interested in a man and wishes to be forward about it but doesn¡¯t want to be overt. She approaches him and chooses a topic that gets his mind wandering, like the weather being too hot. If he¡¯s interested in her, he might think about her cooling down with a bath or disrobing. I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a technique courtesans use, the old adage being prostitutes shout and courtesans whisper.¡±

    ¡°They say one thing to light a candle in one¡¯s mind?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully to start a fire, yes. In the case of Al, I was wondering if he was saying something more with his gift, that being if he approved of me showing off my heritage in public as well as the concern for my comfort. As I suspected, he just wanted the latter and still doesn¡¯t accept that I can¡¯t help who my parents are or what combination of their blood or magic made me a baerd.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s trying, but it¡¯s a hard concept for him to appreciate.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not holding it against him. The ribbon was a thoughtful gift. However, if he¡¯s trying to get the most points to win this stupid competition with Raulin over my heart, he needs to try harder.¡±

    Telbarisk¡¯s already large eyes widened more. ¡°You know?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°They started courting me heavily at the same time and Al¡¯s running a pretty strong smear campaign against Raulin, more so that usual. It was beyond suspicious.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that angry over it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m not happy about it, but I¡¯ve gotten used to setting my emotions aside if it benefits me. In this case, I¡¯m getting free meals and nice gifts from Al and Raulin is sharing a lot about himself. All the while, I¡¯m trying to bridge the gap between the two by mentioning the other whenever I can.¡±

    Telbarisk grinned for a moment. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take more than that.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making much headway, but I¡¯m trying.¡±

 Chapter 111

    ¡°Anladet,¡± Raulin stated.

    ¡°Why her?¡± Al asked. ¡°Seems convenient.¡±

    ¡°Just taking turns, Wizard. You had Iascond and Tel had Miachin.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    When Al could voice no objections, Raulin continued. ¡°Everything is set up. I can slip in tonight, drop off the item, and be back here before dinner.¡±

    He heard Al grumble about leaving anyway as he and Anladet left the room. ¡°Off to stage three of your contract?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Four, actually. Sometimes I skip the ¡®testing¡¯ part and head straight in, but it hasn¡¯t served me well lately.¡±

    ¡°Is it us?¡± she asked as they left the hotel.

    He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you guys for my incompetence; that¡¯s not fair. If I had done more preparation, I would have known the count was entertaining company and that your room happened to be the one I slipped into. Thus, why I have spent three days working on this when all I needed was one.¡±

    ¡°So, no mistakes this time.¡±

    ¡°No. None. I¡¯m slipping in, going right to where I need to go, picking out the item, and leaving. Worse case scenario, one half-hour, and that¡¯s if I can¡¯t find it right away.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s like a book, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, like a book. That¡¯s a good substitute.¡± He fingers danced in the air before him. ¡°I need to rifle through a few things in a limited area and select the right one.¡±

    ¡°And then the escape, and finally the drop.¡±

    ¡°The dead drop, yes, which isn¡¯t very far from the job.¡± He stopped walking and looked around. The dirt street, rutted and pocked, ended in a square with a public well in the center. There were a few shops kept neat, but most of the buildings were tenement housing with laundry drying on lines, snapped stairway steps, and windows patched with boards and sheets. ¡°I was going to leave you here, but I think I¡¯d like to backtrack a little.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It seems a little¡­unsafe. Seedy.¡±

    ¡°It feels familiar to me. This is nicer than many of the places I slept in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure. I won¡¯t be gone long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself. Besides, this will be a good place to work on things.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fortune telling here?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m working on my ability. At the library in Calaba I found a book that outlined what baerds could do. It¡¯s given me something to think about, to see if I can replicate any of those skills.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me if you make any headway. I always like to know if I get more techniques at my disposal.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I will,¡± she said, waving as she found a bench to sit on.

    Raulin had eyed a park on the walk over and chose to unmask behind a tree that obscured him from the public. He tucked that into his knapsack, put on a flat cap, added a few more items to his costume, and took a path through the park to the street on the other side. Here the street was lined with stately rowhouses, their walls shared and the lawns gated but tiny. A few blocks over, the street was cobbled and had trees and beds lining the raised sidewalks that concealed a comprehensive sewer system. He could hear the water rushing below his footsteps as he walked purposefully to a richer house.

    Becari Gardens was the fifth house on the left of Briordic Street, a classy enough neighborhood that they didn¡¯t even bother with numbers. It had the gray, curved tile roof and tiny paned windows common in the houses, but was a sandy-gray stucco that stood out amongst the white and blue, and had an impressive front display of plants indigenous to the northern Noh Amairian countries. It looked stately and crisp, more tidy than lush.

    Raulin was to play the part of a mason¡¯s apprentice checking on his master¡¯s estimate. He was wearing the double-knotted belt of an apprentice and the kerchief of the guild his character belonged to tied around his shoulder. His name, family, location, even the name of his sweetheart were all picked out and waiting for someone to ask him.

    No one did, however, and Raulin felt a little irked by that. He was, of course, glad that he was able to open the gate and confidently walk to the back of the house without being bothered. But, to put all that time into work without need annoyed him.

    The cellar was right where he had expected. He had made due by casing other easier to see houses in the neighborhood, all which had basements roughly behind the kitchens, the stone stairways leading below the house. He was pleased to note the masonry did actually need work.

    There was a sandy, musty smell below ground that filled his nostrils. Raulin tried to appreciate scent when he was able to, since his mask usually cut that sense down considerably. There was also a little bit of parchment and mildew, both evidenced by a stack of books against the farthest left wall and puddles of stagnant water along the way. The books were, apparently, not important to the owner. The wine, however, was, as it was stacked carefully in a room behind a grated metal door.

    Raulin couldn¡¯t see any more than the dark outline of casks and bottles, so he struck a match to the candle inside the lantern that hung from the center of the basement. It cast enough light that he was able to barely read the labels of the wine on the shelves. He reminded himself of the name, written down carefully in his journal, and set to work.

    He hadn¡¯t anticipated the sheer volume of libations the owner enjoyed. At least he could skip the casks and the liquors on the right wall. His fingers skipped over the titles, much like the gesture he had made to Anla, and raced across row after row. After some time he began to just read the first word and pull any bottles that potentially matched his quarry.

    Raulin must have gone through eight dozen labels when he heard a scuffing sound, followed by the tapping sound of footsteps. ¡°Seriously, boy, how hard is it to find the cherry liqueur?¡±

    ¡°I looked and looked!¡±

    Raulin heard a thudding sound that might have been the older man cuffing the younger on the back of the head. As quickly as he dared, he tiptoed to the corner farthest from the rack and sunk against the wall. ¡°Here¡¯s a choice, boy. Either you can go in there and find what you were sent here to get, or I can. And trust me, you don¡¯t want me to find it.¡±

    The boy, more likely a young teenager, marched into the room and began hunting for the bottle. His back was to Raulin, but the trirec still kept low behind the rack of wine that mostly obscured him. After five minutes, he pulled a bottle from the bottom shelf and said, ¡°Is it the one with the cherries on it?¡±

    ¡°Is it the one with the cherries on it?¡± the man said in a mocking tone. ¡°Get out here.¡±

    The boy left the room and Raulin heard another thud. ¡°You make me come down here in the middle of cooking again and I¡¯ll find a way to tan your hide with the oven mitt. Git!¡±

    He heard the sound of someone running up the stairs before the man shouted, ¡°Wait! Forgetting something?¡±

    The footsteps reversed and he heard the sound of keys jangling. The door to the alcove was shut and locked before both left.

    At least the lantern was still lit. Raulin placed a hand on the nearest shelf and slipped, grabbing a bottle of wine and sitting back down on his behind. He held up the bottle and read the label. ¡°Dammit,¡± he said, putting it in his knapsack before checking out his situation.

 Chapter 112

    Anladet had been busy. As soon as Raulin had left, she had sat down on a nearby bench and began to listen to the people nearby. At first, she had thought to hone in on the ones traversing through the area on their way to work or tending to errands. But, they often didn¡¯t speak unless they were with someone and they passed by too quickly.

    She moved on to those who were working or living in the area. There was a woman leaning out her window, gossiping with her neighbor. Their cadence was easy to follow and the stories, while peppered with the occasional bit of slang, were straightforward. Occasionally she thought she could figure out some unspoken emotion associated with different subjects, but it was hard to tell if she was picking up new things or just guessing.

    Anla moved on to the man in the store behind her, who spoke kindly to most customers. It was easy to hear when his voice grew hard or formal or impatient, but there was a little more to each that she wish she could label. She enjoyed the practice, but this wasn¡¯t going to help her unless she could confirm her guesses.

    There was another technique she could try that involved the overall emotion of a group. There had been a baerd who had been commissioned by many politicians and officers to give speeches. He had been particularly masterful in understanding the common thread of feeling in hundreds even thousands of people and then swaying them on many levels to what he wanted them to feel. One of the more famous riots in New Wextif had been circumvented by just him speaking to the mob.

    This again was something she was able to touch upon, but not really grasp. Together, the people in the area seemed somewhere between resigned and appreciative, with pops of joy and anger here and there. It was hard for her to keep track of the emotional vapor of the block for more than a few moments, but it was something she couldn¡¯t do yesterday and that brought her some pride.

    She checked in every minute or so, to see what differences she detected. After perhaps a half-hour of this, she noted there was an undertone to conversations that began to grow. More and more people arrived home and they spoke of this need more and more. Even when she could isolate someone talking, it was there, even when the person said nothing of it.

    And then she smelled it. Bread baking, pasta cooking, meat sizzling in pans. The undertone grew, and not too long after, abated as people ate dinner. Moods improved as people were satiated both by food and by company.

    Anla enjoyed the tones of the neighborhood until it suddenly hit her: where was Raulin? She turned and looked inside the market behind her to see a clock that read 6:12. She had seen one when she had been walking with Raulin that had read 3:04 sometime before they had entered this area. Over three hours, and he had said a half-hour tops, plus travel time. That couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour for him to get to the house and back.

    She stood, not having moved the entire time she was observing, and stretched as she pondered the situation. Should she worry about this? He had said it was going to be quick, just minutes of work once he reached his destination. Anla wondered if there was something else, like he was playing a prank or testing her by seeing if she could guess where he was watching her. She looked around but dismissed the thought quickly as he likely would have grown bored with the idea hours ago.

    There was no immediate rush, but Anla was getting hungry and would prefer to eat after things were in order. Then it occurred to her that she was stuck; she didn¡¯t know which direction Raulin took and she couldn¡¯t go back to Tel and Al without triggering the chalice spell. She would need to move one of the outside groups in so that she could move to find Raulin.

    Anla waited another twenty minutes before she caught the eye of a boy around her age, not quite ready to shave and still lanky in the shoulders. She waved him over, and after a quick glance behind him, approached her. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I was wondering if you or someone you knew would like to make a little money tonight.¡±

    A broad grin broke out on his face. ¡°Yes, miss,¡± he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and spoke a little deeper. ¡°What do you need help with?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one silver to go to my hotel, find two men named Fiar Auslen and Telbarisk, and tell them I need them to come here. If you escort them, I¡¯ll give you another silver. I¡¯d be very appreciative if you did this for me.¡±

    His neck snapped back for a moment and he blinked a few times. A flush crept across his face. He took off after she told him the location of the hotel, but before she could give him the silver piece she promised.

    She sat on the bench again and waited, hoping that she hadn¡¯t just wasted two silver and that Raulin would pop in shortly. There was no such luck. Al and Tel showed up with the boy close to seven o¡¯clock, the boy having run ahead of the two.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°I brought them. May I have my kiss now?¡±

    It was her turn to blink a few times in confusion. ¡°Kiss? I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°You said you would, if I brought those two men here.¡±

    Anla considered this for a moment. She was unsure what had happened exactly, but in an immediate sense she was saving two silver and giving this boy a kiss, perhaps his first. He wasn¡¯t asking for anything more and he wasn¡¯t being disrespectful to her. It was also a bonus that he was by himself, not being egged on by his friends. She shrugged and pulled his shoulders in, kissing him square on the mouth.

    The boy froze for a moment, then gently cupped the sides of her face and kissed her back. He let go when she pulled back, but still didn¡¯t leave. He moved to the side, but started and stopped himself from saying something several times before stomping off in frustration just as Al and Tel showed up.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someone who helped me and wanted a kiss instead of payment. So, we have a problem.¡±

    ¡°That was uncouth of him.¡±

    ¡°Focus, Al. Raulin never returned from his job.¡±

    ¡°So? He¡¯s late. Or probably wenching somewhere before he comes back.¡±

    She crossed her arms. ¡°He made it very clear to me that this job was only going to take him maybe an hour to do, including walking to and from the location, and then he¡¯d be back to get me to go to the hotel. It¡¯s been three more hours since that point. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d go to the effort of telling me he was going to be back quickly, then getting sidetracked. I think he¡¯s in trouble.¡±

    ¡°I have to agree, Alpine. Raulin might do any number of things you find unsavory, but he¡¯s strict on promises he gives. If he said he was going to be back by dinner, which I heard him say, too, then he would do everything in his power to make it back.¡¯

    Al sighed. ¡°You two are making a problem where there isn¡¯t one. I say we go back to the hotel and wait until he comes back. If he isn¡¯t back in the morning, we¡¯ll look for him then.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t. I have no idea where he is, so we can¡¯t assume the hotel is within a mile of his location. Also, what if he¡¯s hurt? Or captured? The longer we wait, the more likely he is of being arrested. Or killed.¡±

    This seemed to do the trick. Al walked over to the bench and sat, leaning forward and rubbing his fingers over his lips. ¡°Which way did he leave? Can you track him?¡±

    ¡°He went that way,¡± she said, pointing to the northeastern street, ¡°but it would be too difficult to track him. There are too many people here. It¡¯s sort of like tracking someone¡¯s footprints after a storm.¡±

    ¡°You followed Silfa from Hanala to the country, though.¡±

    She pressed her lips. ¡°That was possible because she was screaming and crying the whole way. Gagged or not, she made a lot of noise. Raulin didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°Poor dear. So, we know he¡¯s within a mile of here. Did he tell you anything that might help us?¡±

    ¡°He said a half-mile, but we should know that only slightly less than a mile is verified. Um¡­whatever he was stealing was something that took some perception to find. He said it was ¡®like a book¡¯, but I didn¡¯t get the impression that was correct. He had a knotted belt on that was unusual, but wore his normal tunic, leggings, and boots. Oh, and a kerchief around his shoulder.¡±

    ¡°Those are mason¡¯s signs,¡± Al said. ¡°Aggie was affiliated with one, since you can¡¯t work masonry jobs without belonging to a guild, even if you¡¯re a wizard on loan.¡±

    ¡°It was likely a pretense,¡± she said. ¡°Although, maybe he had to steal something from a workshop, like a particular statue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say we should look for a mason shop, but we¡¯re still in Vladi and there are likely a few here, even in a town this small. We should put that idea on the back of the shelf for now.¡±

    The three of them spent a quiet few minutes trying to think of more information. Finally, Al threw his hands up. ¡°I wish we had a different way of finding people. I can¡¯t at all, Tel can locate people but no one specifically, and your magic doesn¡¯t work with someone like Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Did you two eat dinner at least?¡±

    ¡°No. I was reading and waiting to see if we were leaving tonight or not. I guess we can ponder this over dinner.¡±

    Not wanting to disturb their radius, they headed northeast and stopped at the first restaurant they came to, a small place that served hearty Aroukean food. Anla found herself only hungry enough to abate her need, but didn¡¯t enjoy the meal nor want anything more than a third of a roast beef slice and a few augren potatoes.

    Anla played with her food while Al and Tel discussed Raulin¡¯s situation and their options. Somewhere in this town he was stuck and she felt frustrated and worried and maybe even a little irritated with him. It was supposed to just be a short time, he had said.

    She toyed with the salt shaker, tilting it back and forth, then placing her fingertip over the top. That was Raulin. The three of them were on the table, some radius of a mile around him and no way to know exactly where the salt shaker was. Unless, of course, they triggered the spell and grew sick. But, that would only tell them he was outside their circle, not where his circle was.

    Anla picked up the salt shaker and noticed Al look at her quickly, then went back to her conversation. She placed it on her leg for the moment and closed her eyes. The table was now the domain of not the salt shaker but her fork, which she placed in the center. She imagined the fork moving until it hit the edge of its boundary.

    Tel was done eating, so she grabbed his fork, too, and held it in her hand far out from the table. ¡°Anladet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Shh. She thinking u-tense-ily,¡± Al said, laughing at his joke.

    The second fork moved out farther until it, too, was triggered and couldn¡¯t move any more. She made a line between the two forks with her asparagus, at least as far as she could before they fell off the table.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Al asked.

    Her eyes darted back and forth, remembering lessons her father patiently taught her about geometry. She inhaled quickly and looked up at him. ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ve got how we can find Raulin.¡±

 Chapter 113

    Raulin¡¯s first course of action was to try the door. Yes, it was closed and the boy had locked it, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean he had done it correctly. He stuck his fingers through the bars and pulled, feeling the tug against him that meant luck hadn¡¯t made his escape easy. He examined the lock, hoping it was some simple skeleton key system he might be able to pick quickly. No luck there, either. He touched his left breast where his picks were, only to remember they were still in his arong-miil. He swore under his breath and began his next step.

    A further examination revealed that two bars of the door were rusted enough to pop with some force, but they weren¡¯t next to each other and neither would give enough space for him to squeeze through. The floor under the door was the same stone as the stairway down to the basement, so he couldn¡¯t tunnel underneath. The frame around the door was sturdy. The walls of the alcove were stone facing the stairway and dirt on the other two walls, thick and likely to take days or weeks to tunnel out.

    A thorough search of the room yielded broken bottle shards, mice nests, pieces of labels and paper, and a corkscrew. The corkscrew was sturdily made and, try as he might, he couldn¡¯t bend it to use as a lock pick. The ceiling was dirt and he might have been able to tunnel into it and above the dirt of the top of the stone wall, but there was nothing for him to stand on and no footholds in the wall.

    It was him, a locked door, and hundreds of bottles of wine. It was a situation his order called brekreli-fi-randa, ¡°at the mercy of luck¡±. He sat back in his corner and realized he would have to wait for someone in the household to return or, somehow, for his group to realize what was going on, where he was, and a way to get him out.

    In the meantime, he had a corkscrew and hundreds of bottles of wine. And he was feeling a bit thirsty.

    * * *

    Al looked down at Anla¡¯s configuration, then raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. ¡°You want pie?¡±

    ¡°Triangulation,¡± she said.

    He stopped for a moment, looking at the scene more carefully. ¡°You¡¯re talking about using the chalice spell to find him. Using points of reference when we trigger it and¡­yes, I think that might work.¡±

    Telbarisk was patient and said nothing as Al and Anla rose and paid their bill. They walked outside and Al led them to the main road of Monsard, Fair Street. ¡°I¡¯m fairly decent with guessing distances, but in this case I won¡¯t have to worry about being a little off. These roads look like they¡¯re laid out in Ghenian residential blocks, which are standard distances of 132 by 1,320 feet. We just need to count off forty of them to get a mile. So, Anla, if you stay right here on this corner, I¡¯ll walk Tel a mile down the road. Tel, can you keep Anla¡¯s position in your mind and remember how far away she is?¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± he said, still confused as to what they were doing.

    There was a little fudging of numbers due to some blocks being commercial, but Al fixed his position just shy of one mile and had Telbarisk stand next to him. ¡°We are almost exactly one mile from Anla now. Can you still sense her?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his eyes closed.

    ¡°Good. Can you memorize the distance between us and her?¡±

    He imagined the street as a long, thin rock, light but rigid. In his mind he picked the pole up and put it in the air, moved it side to side, and placed it back down. ¡°I think so.¡±

    The two headed back to Anla. ¡°Now we need to get to the edge of our threshold. Anla, you stay at our first trigger and we¡¯ll go some distance away.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin had picked a bottle at random and stumbled into a red he suspected was from Kipraud. While most people thought that country was merely a poor man¡¯s version of Sayen, Raulin had to admit they knew how to make a better than decent wine.

    As with most things, Raulin savored what he had when he had it. He let it light his mouth with apples and pine needles and a little hint of chocolate, then let the liquid wet his throat. Oh, it was good. He took another sip, then another, and restrained himself from any more for some time. It wouldn¡¯t be advantageous to be drunk should something come along.

    He sighed and leaned against the wall. Five contracts and he¡¯d somehow botched four of them. And this one seemed beyond his capabilities as a trirec. He wasn¡¯t going to escape this without a considerable amount of luck or, when he finally gave up, screaming at the top of his lungs until he was found and arrested.

    A wave of nausea hit him, then cleared just as quickly. He spit on the ground. So, they knew. That was nice, but they still didn¡¯t know where he was. That was crucial, and maybe something he¡¯d have to consider when it came to future jobs. If there were any.

    * * *

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand where we¡¯re going,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, stopping their progress. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either, but we will find out once we trigger the spell.

    ¡°What we¡¯re doing is creating what¡¯s called a sector, almost. It looks like a slice of pie,¡± he said, holding his thumb and index finger in a triangle. ¡°Anla is at point A. We¡¯re going to find point B. If we know the distance between A and B is one mile, and the distance between A and Raulin and B and Raulin are also one mile, we can create an equilateral triangle that will pinpoint us to where Raulin is. How are we doing?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Still not there. How do you know these things?¡±

    ¡°This is part of the math I took at Amandorlam.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you could teach me? Unless, your teachers would be upset you passed on knowledge without permission¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± he said, yawning. ¡°I mean, I couldn¡¯t teach you everything Amandorlam taught me in the basic courses, but they can¡¯t stop people from passing on that knowledge. Besides, if a family is wealthy enough, they get tutors to teach their children geometry. I knew all that before I went to Amandorlam.¡± He rubbed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long night. I hope Raulin appreciates this.¡±

    ¡°He will,¡± Tel assured him. ¡°We are almost there.¡±

    It was just a few more minutes of walking until they were one mile from Anladet. ¡°Okay. Now we need to start stepping back until we break the circumference.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin spit out his wine again. ¡°Mrr,¡± he moaned until the sickness abated.

    Twice now. Hopefully they weren¡¯t trying to encourage him to move, like he had done to them on the first day they were joined. He wiped his mouth and grew a little hopeful.

    * * *

    ¡°All right, Tel. We now have our two positions. Here¡¯s the trickiest part: you need to measure one mile from us and one mile from Anla¡¯s spot and make them connect at a point.¡±

    Al showed him again by drawing with his fingers against the side of a nearby building. Tel nodded and closed his eyes.

    The stone pole was laid to Anladet, which he felt was accurate. Then he moved it from their position to the direction Raulin was in. He tried several times to make another pole for Anladet, but his mind felt jumbled by the information. He was forced to place it from her in and shift back and forth between the two points until he felt he had a spot that was as flat against the earth as possible where the two distances connected. He redid this several times before he was satisfied his measurements were correct. ¡°We can go back to Anladet.¡±

    About an hour later, they stood in the cobbled Sunray Square, the sign and statue reflected by the still burning gas lamps. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s him,¡± Al said.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t going to be precise,¡± Anla said. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of him. Now, somewhere nearby is Raulin. All these houses look nice, which means he was likely stealing something from one of them. There aren¡¯t any mason halls or police stations that I can see; that¡¯s a good thing. It means he hasn¡¯t been arrested or captured.¡±

    ¡°How do you know he didn¡¯t fancy some lady, seduce her, then fall asleep in her home?¡±

    She gave him a quick glower. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet on it, then, since you¡¯re so keen to accuse him without proof. If Raulin was caught or captured or barred from getting back to us outside his own means, then you have to be nicer to him. If Raulin has been laid up somewhere because of his own morals, meaning he has the ability to return to us right now and hasn¡¯t, then¡­then I will promise to act more like Mrs. Auslen in the future.¡±

    He actually did consider this for a few moments. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly fair. I mean, what if he was doing something illicit, then got caught?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she snapped. ¡°You win those, too. If he was doing anything other than his job, then you win. Why do you make it seem like it¡¯s such a terrible thing to be nicer to someone else?¡±

    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t apologized for the way he treated me in Iascond. But, it¡¯s more that I don¡¯t like taking bets I can lose.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said again, this time with less anger. ¡°Telbarisk, if you could start looking in houses for anything unusual. A man trapped behind some rubble or pacing in a small place.¡±

    He systematically went through each house on the street, pointing out possibilities. Most were just servants sleeping in cramped quarters or on hearths in the kitchens, but she kept certain ones in mind.

    It was well past midnight when they finally moved on to Briordic Street. Anla appreciated Tel¡¯s thoroughness, but the lack of sleep and her nerves were starting to make her a bit irritable, and she started pacing as he pointed out all possibilities. She wished he could determine what was important to report and sift out situations that weren¡¯t even remotely Raulin.

    ¡°We should try again in the morning,¡± Al said.

    ¡°What if he¡¯s hurt?¡± she snapped, stopping mid-stride. ¡°There are a number of injuries he could have that he could die from if he doesn¡¯t get the care he needs¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a man in that house underground,¡± Tel reported

    ¡°Underground?¡± Al said.

    ¡°He is in a room under ground with no exit. There are many things in with him, like the ship-in-the-bottle you got me, Anladet.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in a wine cellar,¡± she breathed. ¡°That¡¯s what he was trying to get; a specific bottle of wine. Why aren¡¯t there any exits?¡±

    ¡°The room is stone on one side. There is metal in the stone, but it is flush against the wall.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s locked in,¡± she said, sighing in relief. ¡°Can you tell if he¡¯s sick or injured?¡±

    Telbarisk shook his head. ¡°There is liquid on the floor near him.¡±

    ¡°Is it blood?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him, Anla? You were able to talk to Lady Silfa when she was captured.¡±

    She stopped for a moment and considered this. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve only been able to do it to people I can see. I¡¯m not sure if I can¡­¡± She shook her head and turned towards the house.

    * * *

    It was a lovely dream. He was in bed, holding a beautiful woman. He brushed her hair off her shoulder and was about to kiss her neck when she was behind him. In the way of dreams, this wasn¡¯t abnormal and he sighed as she leaned close to his ear. ¡°Raulin?¡±

    He knew that voice. ¡°Anla?¡± He turned around and was going to kiss her when he saw her standing naked as she had in the river. Her face, though, read concern and he began to slip from unconsciousness.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    He opened his eyes, heavy lidded, and saw nothing in the dark room. Stone. Wine. Theft. Stuck in the cellar. ¡°Yes. Are you here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re outside, on the street. You¡¯re not injured?¡±

    He sat up, twisting his back to remove the stiffness of his muscles. ¡°Just my pride. Made a rookie mistake and didn¡¯t cover my exit. I¡¯m locked in here with no way out. I¡¯m surprised you guys found me; good job.¡±

    ¡°We got creative with the chalice spell.¡± He heard some pride in her voice. ¡°How do we get you out?¡±

    With Telbarisk at his disposal, the situation improved greatly. He walked over to the door and examined it quickly. ¡°Tel should be able to pull the bolts that hold the door to the wall. Let me know when he does this so I can catch it before it makes noise.¡±

    He waited a few minutes before he heard Anla again, her tone dry, humorless, and flat. ¡°Al informed Tel that doing so would damage the owner of the house¡¯s property and that was against the law and that he could be arrested for that.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t think that one through, did he?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our wizard: always tripping over his own justice.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a way to get out of here without damaging property.¡± Actually, there was one way. They could stagger themselves back to the hotel, grab his lock picking tools, and bring them to him. He declined to mention this because he would rather starve to death in that cellar then let them touch his arong-miil. It was essentially like playing cards with your hand facing your opponents. He couldn¡¯t talk his way out of that, should Arvarikor find out about them handling his night gear. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to think of a way to get the servants to open the door. Tomorrow, I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Until then, do you know of a nearby park that we can sleep in?¡±

    ¡°If you head southwest, there¡¯s a nice one that has a pergola. Maybe you won¡¯t be spotted by the police.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Until tomorrow, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Until tomorrow. And thank you, mezzem.¡±

 Chapter 114

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, I¡¯m just supposed to bring it here.¡±

    It was morning, judging by the fact that it was no longer pitch black in the cellar but dark gray. The voice sounded familiar, though the attitude was foreign. Raulin stood and crouched in the corner, prepared to move at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°The master prefers if we organize wine by country and region, so not knowing where it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want it or not? I have a dozen other deliveries today. I¡¯m sure my next wouldn¡¯t mind taking this off my hands¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± the man said, defeated. ¡°Just¡­place it in the middle of the room. We¡¯ll deal with it later.¡±

    There were foot scrapes on the silted stone and the jangle of keys. Before the metal connected with the lock, there was a loud sneeze, followed by another a few moments later. ¡°Damn cold,¡± the first man said, sniffling loudly.

    Raulin heard a disgusted sigh and the retreat of footsteps. ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re done,¡± the second man said from outside.

    The door creaked open and in stepped a slight man of dark skin with something held over his shoulder. He looked around, spotted Raulin, and waved while he pretended to sneeze loudly again.

    Raulin didn¡¯t need the stars to line up twice for him. He ran to the door, slipped around, and hid on the other side of the stone wall.

    ¡°What was that?¡± the man outside asked.

    ¡°What was what? What are you talking about?¡± the other man, just putting down the cask, asked.

    ¡°There was a shape. It looked like a man ran out from the cellar.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone in here. Sure it wasn¡¯t a ghost?¡±

    Raulin only had a few moments before he heard the scraping footsteps coming down the stairs. He ducked behind a barrel and, when he realized most of his body was exposed, struck an strange pose with his legs at odd angles and his arms holding on to the corner of the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± the first man said.

    ¡°Hmm. Maybe¡­maybe it was the light. Are you finished?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be on my way, then.¡±

    Raulin had just started to feel the ache in his mucles when he heard the door creak close, the keys jangle, then the click of the door locking. Both sets of feet scraped up the stairway and Raulin carefully relaxed his position. He waited maybe a half-hour before he finally moved from his spot and moved up the stairs.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he heard from the yard as he walked towards the front of the house.

    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked as a man rushed over to him, though ¡°rushed¡± was a kind word to describe what he was doing. He waddled, his buttoned uniform heaving and straining against his flesh. A stained apron bunched at his waist as he pumped his legs from the house over to Raulin.

    ¡°Who are you? How did you get in here?¡±

    Raulin pretended to look around confused. ¡°I¡¯m here for my master¡¯s quote? Gundrick and Farson? I have to learn to make fair estimates as part of my training and this was one of my stops.¡± He lifted his belt, then dusted off his pants that were covered in the plaster that had been in the corner. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to go easy on this one.¡±

    ¡°But¡­I didn¡¯t see you come in. Who let you in?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­it was a boy,¡± he said, wincing because he hated to cause more trouble for the lad.

    ¡°Were you down in the basement an hour ago?¡±

    ¡°No? I think I¡¯ve been here for fifteen or twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°And what do you have in your pack, there?¡±

    ¡°Samples of the plaster and my lunch. Do you want to see?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the man said, wiping his brow. ¡°Just¡­go.¡±

    Raulin gave him a funny look, then moved around the front of the house. He pretended to check his bag, waiting to see if the man followed him. When he didn¡¯t, Raulin hopped over the small stone dividing wall between properties and hid in the bushes below. He pulled his mask on, took off the belt and kerchief, and walked through the gate of the other house undisturbed. It was far from a perfect wipe between role and soul, but it was the best he was going to do with the three waiting for him.

    He managed to sneak up on Al, whose attention was solely on the other house. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Raulin. He was supposed to be¡­oh, it¡¯s you,¡± he said, turning around. ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    ¡°I had to make sure that guy lost his suspicion. I¡¯m guessing he was the fat one? He still didn¡¯t, but at least I could use the time as a cloak. Where are Anla and Tel?¡±

    ¡°Napping in a park nearby. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Al led Raulin down and over streets, past houses and businesses with lingering smells of cooking and baking. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you brought anything to eat?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh,¡± he said, reaching into a smaller knapsack, which looked to be the one they had bought for Tel to carry food. He handed Raulin a round loaf of pumpernickel bread that had been bowled and stuffed with cream cheese, pastrami, and sauteed onions. ¡°You can thank Anla for that; she made sure we got that at the market.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Mind if we stop while I devour this? I haven¡¯t eaten in almost a day.¡±

    Al found an alley off a quiet street and leaned against the wall while Raulin sat on a crate. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Fat guy locked the door on me and there was absolutely no other exit,¡± he said, dangling the onions above his mouth. ¡°Thank you, by the way, to all three of you. Extra thanks to you; I was pleasantly surprised by your wine delivery character. You¡¯ve gotten a hang of it. I¡¯m genuinely impressed.¡±

    ¡°I was just being surly and not taking any gruff from him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what acting is; being you, but in a different way. I wasn¡¯t actually sure it was you until I saw you waiting out here.¡±

    ¡°How did you hide? I didn¡¯t see you at all.¡±

    Raulin took a chunk of the bread and draped the pastrami over it. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see a whole person in the dark, so people are really looking for familiar lines and shapes. So long as I can make myself not look like a person, I can hide safely.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Al said. ¡°So, uh, you didn¡¯t make any side trips or anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know I told Anla I was going to be just a little while. Sometimes things pop up in my jobs that I have no control over. Had that man not needed liqueur, the door would have been locked and I would have returned later. Or had it been open, I would have been back on time. But I happen to get stuck in between that. It was bad luck.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, sounding disappointed.

    ¡°Well, the bright side is I had a lot of time alone to think. I know you won¡¯t think much of it, but I¡¯ll try anyway: I apologize for how I treated you after Iascond and in Calaba and since then. I¡¯ll buy you a new alley novel, if you want, though I still think they¡¯re garbage. I actually enjoyed spending time with you in Iascond.¡±

    Al didn¡¯t say anything for some time. He stared ahead, his arms crossed and his foot propped against the wall. After a minute or so, he turned to face Raulin, who was savoring the soggy bottom of the loaf. ¡°What happened, in Iascond? In that house?¡±

    ¡°The phrase ¡®there is no honor among thieves¡¯ isn¡¯t true when it comes to trirecs. We have a code and the code states that all assassinations must be done by your own hand or methods. This is why trirecs don¡¯t have partners or hire people to help them; we are penalized for it. When you murd- accidentally killed- the man I needed to kill, you unknowingly sullied my reputation. I know,¡± he said, holding up a greasy hand to stop Al from interrupting, ¡°you didn¡¯t mean it, but I still had to deal with it. And the punishment was to slice my arms and escape to my base before I bled out. Makes it difficult and also marks me as dishonorable to other trirecs.¡±

    ¡°You cut yourself because your brotherhood says you have to?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the rules. I cooperated and so did the other trirec. And all other trirecs I¡¯ve come across have played by the rules. We may do despicable acts, but people know that when they hire a trirec guard, he will protect them with his own life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what happened to the other trirec?¡±

    Raulin wiped his fingers and his face with the guild kerchief. ¡°Yes. His life was tied to my quarry. He fought to save his and his employer¡¯s life and I fought to keep my own.¡±

    ¡°You knew him.¡±

    Raulin paused. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I just realized that. Who was he?¡±

    ¡°After school, but before we become trirecs, we go through stages of training. Apprenticeship is the second and it¡¯s done one-on-one with an experienced mentor. We have three. Afren was my second teacher and I dare say I loved him as a son loves his father.¡±

    ¡°But you still had to kill him.¡±

    ¡°My relationship with him didn¡¯t change the situation. Killing is hard, but sometimes almost impossibly difficult.¡±

    Al was still pensive and it dawned on Raulin why. He rose and waited for the wizard to guide him to the other two. ¡°How are you holding up? I know that situation was unpleasant for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­try not to think about it.¡±

    ¡°If I may give some advice: do think about it, but just enough so that you understand that it happened, and it was an accident, but he is still dead. You have to learn to accept it before you can move on from it. Take it from a master in that.¡±

    Al looked at his hands. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what went wrong. I slowed his heart down, but I didn¡¯t stop it. I should have been able to bring him out of torpor. They do that all the time in hospitals.¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡®they¡¯ are likely well-practiced in that technique. And Lacront was also an old man, perhaps someone who didn¡¯t lead a healthy lifestyle. Our ritual took a while, too, so that might be a factor.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­I heal. I¡¯m a healer, not a killer. I¡¯m not like you.¡±

    Raulin felt that any additional reassurance would either fall flat or help keep Al¡¯s misery circular. He decided to change the subject. ¡°As I said, I had some time to think in the cellar. I¡¯ve decided to withdraw from our contest, however you wish to view that. You¡¯ve won. I won¡¯t stop speaking to Anla, because she¡¯s a friend and that¡¯s unkind, but I won¡¯t pursue her romantically.¡±

    Al gave him a puzzled look. ¡°Why? You were winning.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but I realized that by continuing I was being hypocritical. I still don¡¯t believe she needs someone to step in on her behalf, which is what I was doing by wooing her.¡±

    He also felt keeping the peace was worth losing this contest. He had done enough damage and it was time for him to reconcile, if not pay for his transgressions.

    ¡°So, I get to see your face?¡±

    ¡°You already saw my face today. But if you fulfill your side, then I will allow a very brief glimpse.¡±

    ¡°Just like that? You always fight so hard against us seeing you.¡±

    ¡°A bet is a bet.¡± He looked ahead to see Tel and Anla waving from the edge of a park. ¡°Go ahead and collect your reward. Personally, I think the kiss is the best part of winning.¡±

    Al walked brusquely to his companions, elated to have won the bet. While he had missed the aching tone of Raulin¡¯s voice over Anla, he had figured some time ago that he didn¡¯t like arguing with a man who wore a mask. It made him seem cold, like he was arguing with a statue. When Raulin wore it, he held the concept of what a trirec was and wore it as an unspoken shield. The week when he had really turned cold had been quite chilling to Al; he hoped that when he was able to see the flesh beneath it, he¡¯d be able to argue with him without the slight fear that tinged his arguments.

    But, as he crossed the distance, he had a moment to take Raulin¡¯s words and turn them to advice. He had moved aside and let Al win because he stuck to his convictions. Al hadn¡¯t really thought about anything but winning, hadn¡¯t considered how Anla would feel about this if she knew. Considering Al¡¯s upbringing, it was really an oversight that he hadn¡¯t considered the fact that she was more than capable of handling herself. She had just coordinated the location and rescue of a group member, something he couldn¡¯t admit he could do himself. He hated to admit it, but she also had magic that made her more powerful than common courtesy dictated. She didn¡¯t need to be mollycoddled or protected.

    But, the thought that really struck him the most, the one that cascaded into the previous thoughts, was the fact that he didn¡¯t love her. She was beautiful. She was smart and capable, shrewd and kind, qualities he had always appreciated in women. She had an endearing laugh and could shift Al¡¯s mood with just a look. But, there was no spark there. There really hadn¡¯t been a spark with Burdet, either, but he had felt a slower kindle with his ex-wife. With Anla he cared and appreciated and even adored in some ways, but he didn¡¯t love her.

    ¡°Hi, Al,¡± Anla said, waving off a yawn. ¡°Glad to see we were successful.¡±

    He turned back to see Raulin about thirty paces away. Al shrugged and let his hands drop. ¡°Yeah, I am, too. Now we can get going to New Wextif. I¡¯ll show you guys where some great restaurants are.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Raulin said, finally catching up to the remaining group. ¡°I¡¯m always up for some good food.¡±

 Chapter 115

    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten from how far away you could see it,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I remember that. It took us days to reach the city from the point when we first saw it. My siblings and I went crazy with anticipation,¡± Anla said. ¡°Looking back, I feel sorry for my parents.¡±

    ¡°That is the capital of Gheny?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± Al said. ¡°Shingden is the capital, where the king and his family live. It¡¯s walled in and surrounded by New Wextif, which is charged with protecting the royal family.¡±

    ¡°They need protection?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, once long ago. Now it just makes the Duke of Courmet extremely influential and powerful.¡±

    ¡°New Wextif is the leading city in the world as far as technology goes,¡± Raulin explained. ¡°Some Noh Amairian cities are just starting to get trains. Gheny has had one for twenty years.¡±

    ¡°Trains are not everywhere? Only in Gheny?¡±

    ¡°So far. I believe Arouk and the Kintanese Empire are just beginning to connect cities with them.¡±

    Tel seemed to consider this more in depth. Anla, on the other hand, had seen something that caught her eye: caravans. And they were hard to ignore. A dozen or so sat cradled against a river, lines of laundry extended to the trees nearby and full of dun-colored clothing.

    They passed the camp and continued walking. Anla assumed they wanted to make for Levinlace, the southern most neighborhood in the sprawling metropolis, before dark. If that were the case, she¡¯d lose her chance to find her sister. ¡°I think we should camp for the night.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al asked. ¡°But¡­we¡¯re almost there!¡±

    Tel looked at Anla for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay here as well.¡±

    ¡°But¡­beds! Food! A roof! Raulin?¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°If we¡¯re putting this to a vote, then I¡¯d like to abstain. Sorry, Wizard, but majority rules.¡±

    Al¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°I wanted a pillow,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I can try to find a sack of pine needles for you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk,¡± Anla said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m making ham and pea soup again,¡± Al said, unshouldering his pack.

    She walked south, passing the caravans on her right. She walked slowly and closed her eyes, not caring how she looked to the many other travelers on the road. Anla needed to concentrate.

    And there, somewhere on the wind, she heard her sister¡¯s voice. It was tempered and oddly complicit, but it was Raidet¡¯s voice. She felt her heart racing as she walked back to the caravan site and stood near a copse of trees to observe.

    There were a few people milling around the edge of camp. They spoke with men in dark slacks, white shirts, and gray, tassel-less chechia hats, who sold handmade goods or took items to the center of the camp. There were pots, clocks, knives, vases, crystal, and candlesticks that were being polished, repaired, sharpened, wound, or cleaned by several other men. In the back, by the caravans, several women were tending to the cooking. In between, children ran and played, shrieking with laughter or crying over skinned knees.

    The women wore white kerchiefs around their hair, which was again covered by a tawny-colored scarf. They all wore the same shapeless dress that covered everything from neck to ankles, minus their forearms. Everyone, even the children, was dressed plainly, which contrasted with the brightly colored caravans of pinks, yellows, reds, purples, and aquas.

    Anla watched the women, looking from face to face. Everyone seemed to be from different races, some with dark eyes and others with hazel or blue shades, some round, others more almond-shaped. She didn¡¯t see her sister. Raidet would be easy to spot, with her feral, uptilted eyes and sharp cheekbones. Riyan had once commented that comparing the two of them was like looking at an alley cat and a lynx, one being much more approachable than the other.

    ¡°Line¡¯s over there, miss,¡± a man said, startling her.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­looking for my sister.¡±

    ¡°Sister?¡± he said, his eyebrows furrowing.

    ¡°Her name is Raidet. She looks like me,¡± she said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

    ¡°Ah, you mean Sanlara.¡± He turned and barked something before moving back to the group of people waiting with items.

    Amidst the movement of women at their crafts or cooking and children playing, a door opened to one of the caravans. It took Anla a moment to notice her, draped in the same drab clothing as the other women. She moved somberly, with her head down and her hands clasped in front of her.

    Anla¡¯s breath caught in her throat. It was her. It was Raidet. Anla had been dreaming of this moment for years, of when her sister would meet her gaze and recognize her. Her eyes would widen and she¡¯d run to her. ¡°Anla, I missed you,¡± she¡¯d say. ¡°Thank you for never giving up.¡±

    Raidet spoke quietly with the man who called her while Anla rocked slightly on her feet. She looked up quickly at her, then spoke with him again before walking over to the trees that obscured Anla slightly. She looked up at her little sister and said, ¡°Leave.¡±

    Her neck snapped back just before her mouth went dry. ¡°What? Raidet, it¡¯s me. Anla.¡±

    ¡°I know who you are. Do you think I¡¯m stupid?

    ¡°No! I just¡­I don¡¯t know why you want me to go away. I thought you¡¯d be happy to see me.¡±

    Her sister scowled. ¡°Is that why you found me? To see how if I¡¯m happy or not? No, I¡¯m not happy. But, I have a roof over my head. I have food at every meal, clothes, and I¡¯m clean. No lice, no starving, no cold, no looking like a dirty street child, no being hunted for who I am.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°But¡­Rai¡­I have money,¡± she blurted. ¡°You can come with me. I can take care of you, give you all those things. And you can be happy.¡±

    Her eyes met her younger sister¡¯s with that burning ferocity she remembered. ¡°What? Do you think just because you¡¯ve saved up a couple of gold that you can take care of me? You think because you somehow managed to crawl out of that hellhole and found me that I¡¯m supposed to drop everything and leave? This is my life now.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anla, finding it hard to speak. ¡°I just wanted to see you. I missed you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen me, now go.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so angry? I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long¡­¡±

    She folded her arms. ¡°Do I really have to answer that? This life is because of you. You gave away our secret. You were always so useless when it came to making money to keep us alive. Every day you would come home with pennies and I would have to make it up by¡­¡± She sighed between her teeth. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to live like this if you had kept your mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please, let me make it up to you. I can bring you gold. If you won¡¯t go with me, maybe you can leave at some other time. Raidet¡­I know you can¡¯t be happy. I can see your face.¡±

    Her sister began to reach for the yellowed skin around her eye, purple and red marks crackling down her sharp cheekbones. She straightened herself quickly. ¡°I have a husband and two children. I can¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°Sanlara! Who do we have here?¡± A younger man, dressed like the others, approached from her left.

    She turned quickly. ¡°No one, Akirad. She was just leaving.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s odd. Draskil said she was your sister.¡± He stood beside his wife and eyed Anla. ¡°I can see the resemblance, though she doesn¡¯t look as strange as you do. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Anladet,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Pretty name for a pretty girl!¡± He put his arm around her shoulder and gently moved her towards the caravan. ¡°Come, sister. We have much to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Not this family,¡± Raidet said quietly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you, did I?¡± Akirad said.

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Anla said, stopping. She felt very uneasy all of a sudden. ¡°I need to be leaving.¡±

    He pushed her along. ¡°You won¡¯t stay for tea?¡±

    She stopped again. ¡°No. I was¡­about to have dinner.¡±

    Akirad turned and moved his face next to her ear. ¡°It would be very rude if you didn¡¯t come in and discuss things. Your sister has made promises for you.¡± He grabbed her wrist and began to tug hard.

    ¡°What promises?¡± She turned to look at her sister, who was scowling and looking away. Things felt very wrong in that moment, so she dug her heels in. ¡°What promises did you make, Raidet?¡±

    Akirad suddenly stopped and Anla turned to face him only to see Raulin behind him with two knives at his back. ¡°You pilgrims travel well between the plains and sea, yes? Answer me a question I¡¯ve had for some time: is it better to butcher a man like cattle or like a fish? Or maybe it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s dead and the pieces are cut out.¡±

    ¡°You are on our lands, Ghenian,¡± he said. ¡°My family will not stand for this.¡±

    He turned to look at the rest of his men. Instead of collecting weapons, they stood pale and still as pillars, save one who stumbled backward. ¡°Knight of Kriskin,¡± Draskil said.

    Akirad¡¯s back stiffened as everyone in the vicinity quieted, even the children. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he said, dropping Anla¡¯s wrist. ¡°She¡¯s under your protection?¡±

    ¡°Her and her husband. For one year. We leave and everyone forgets this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Akirad said, clenching his jaw.

    ¡°Cattle, I¡¯m thinking,¡± he said, snapping his knives at his side. ¡°If any pilgrim touches her or anything she owns, I¡¯ll find which part of you should be the flank and take that as payment.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Raulin held out his arm and guided Anla away from the group. She turned and looked back at her sister, who wore a look of horror. Anla didn¡¯t think it was over what occurred, though. She thought it was because she realized she had made a terrible mistake.

    They said nothing until they crossed the Birchik Highway. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°That was¡­quite a situation. Why didn¡¯t you say where you were going?¡±

    At that her resolve broke and her eyes watered. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, sniffling.

    ¡°Hey, no. I¡¯m not upset,¡± he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. If anything we can consider ourselves even. Well, okay, I think you¡¯re still ahead, but I can try, right?¡±

    She turned into him and cried against his chest. Like she had hoped, he put his arms around her and held her. ¡°She hates me.¡±

    ¡°Who? Who hates you?¡±

    ¡°My sister.¡±

    ¡°Ohh,¡± he said, holding out the syllable. ¡°Things make more sense now. I¡¯m sorry. I would have handled that with more tact if I realized what was going on.¡±

    ¡°I killed our parents, Raulin. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d love me for that, but I thought family was more important. She didn¡¯t want me there.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I think she was trying to protect you.¡± She looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the pilgrims before. When one member joins, their whole family joins. She knew that and she was trying to send you away before what happened happened.¡±

    Anla moved away, wiping her eyes. ¡°What if it¡¯s the same for Sildet and Garlin?¡±

    He began to slowly walk back to their camp. ¡°My brother used to get upset with me for being irresponsible. He¡¯d grow angry and yell at me, tell me to stop goofing around and to do better. And though I thought, and still think, he took himself too seriously, I was always worried I¡¯d lost his love. So, I¡¯d slink up to him a half-hour later and ask quietly if he hated me. And he¡¯d sigh and say, ¡®No, I don¡¯t hate you. You¡¯re my little brother and I will always love you. I just want you to be better.¡¯ I¡¯ve always thought that that was the way older siblings should be towards their younger ones. No matter what they do, they will always have that love. And I think it speaks volumes when someone rescinds that affection.¡±

    ¡°It was my fault, though.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for certain. No disrespect to your parents, but their story had a lot of holes in it. I know Ghenian upper society well enough to know that an elven family with enough money to afford a guard would be spoken about by everyone. An elven women and her children, who don¡¯t look totally elvish, vacation in luxury town with many other rich people, and people aren¡¯t going to comment ¡®Who is she? Why isn¡¯t her husband with her? Oh, what if he is?¡¯ The rich love to gossip about anyone that isn¡¯t as rich or successful as themselves. I bet it was all over town four hours after you arrived.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it was me?¡± she asked, looking up through her wet eyelashes.

    ¡°A half-elven girl yells ¡®Dada!¡¯ over the waves and seagulls and people talking and yelling for shaved ice and someone¡¯s supposed to hear it and figure out she means the human guarding the family is her father? How would they know who you were yelling to? How would they know it wasn¡¯t a mistake, like calling your tutor ¡®Mama¡¯ accidentally?

    ¡°What happened to you was tragic, Anla. I¡¯ve known people who¡¯ve had to deal with things of that magnitude. And they put the pieces of their lives back together with things other than the glue of forgiveness or motivation to survive. Some people use guilt. If that¡¯s what you need in order to move on from their deaths, then I won¡¯t judge you, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s correct or fair.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raulin. You¡¯ve had to go through that, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And I don¡¯t recommend you wind up like me, burning with anger and vengeance.¡±

    She thought about this for a few moments. ¡°They were Arvonnese, the ones who killed your family.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She nodded to herself. ¡°They were soldiers in Walp,i to help fight against the Merakians?¡± she guessed.

    ¡°Walpi?¡±

    ¡°I assumed you were Walpin, seeing as you¡¯re sensitive to how people speak about them.¡±

    ¡°Walpi was my home, before I was brought to Merak. I have fond memories of the place and I don¡¯t like people speaking poorly of them.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t say anything unkind about your people.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, stepping into their camp. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the pilgrims. Is it all right if we go now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said louder. ¡°We¡¯re making for Levinlace.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al said. ¡°No. I already have my tent set up and the pot boiling with the ham and peas. Tel already ate dinner!¡±

    ¡°Pillows,¡± Raulin said, gathering his things.

    Al¡¯s shoulders sunk. ¡°Well, okay. Pillows.¡±

 Chapter 116

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the few times being poor has saved me money,¡± Raulin said, tossing his room key up and catching it mid-air.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know why we don¡¯t just get horses and ride places,¡± Al said.. ¡°It would save us a lot of time. And I wouldn¡¯t have so many blisters on my feet. They can get infected, you know, and then you might have to chop them off. Then where will we be?¡±

    ¡°Plenty of people deal without having legs, Wizard. You shouldn¡¯t be so attached to them. But, to answer your question, the reasons, the many reasons, why we don¡¯t have horses are because they are expensive to buy, they require upkeep, some scare easily, there are few that would be large enough for Tel, and finally, so I don¡¯t have to pay stable fees in expensive cities like New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°Tel doesn¡¯t mind walking. And so long as you take care of your horse, the initial cost will make up for time saved and potential medical expenses.¡±

    ¡°All true, but there is one major reason I didn¡¯t give.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse?¡±

    Al pressed his lips together. ¡°No. But, it¡¯s easy to learn, right? You just sit in the saddle and go.¡±

    ¡°If a horse were smart enough to know exactly where you wanted to go, and was very obedient, then, sure, all you would need to do is sit in the saddle and go. But you need to learn to control the horse. You need to learn to tell it where to go, how fast, and when to stop. They¡¯re not like personal trains.¡± He turned to the innkeeper. ¡°Do you have any maps of New Wextif?¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with horses?¡± the innkeeper said, snapping his jaw shut quickly and looking for a map.

    Raulin gave a long, sideways look to the man before heading upstairs with the rest of the group. ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow so don¡¯t get comfortable. I don¡¯t like nosy innkeepers.¡±

    He entered his room and closed the door without much thought to what anyone else was doing. Anla felt a little warmth leave once he was gone and she found herself somewhat lost and confused. She took a deep breath and followed Al into their room, but the feeling didn¡¯t go away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the innkeeper has a bucket I can soak my feet in,¡± Al said as he peeled the socks off his feet. ¡°Look, a blister. I hope it doesn¡¯t get infected.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯d have to strap you to a horse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! Why can¡¯t I just strap myself to the saddle and let it go down the road? It¡¯s not that hard!¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± she said, sitting next to him. ¡°We should get you a nice, gentle mare that plods along slower than a human.¡±

    Al massaged his feet. ¡°No, I¡¯d want a faster one. One that can fly like the wind on a dark, summer¡¯s night, his mane undulating like he was underwater. Like Chestnut, Kiesh the Black¡¯s horse.¡±

    ¡°Fast horses like that are pricey, especially the ones with a good temperament.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I¡¯d want a nice horse.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean one that doesn¡¯t bite.¡±

    He looked up sharply. ¡°Bite? Horses don¡¯t bite¡­do they?¡±

    ¡°I knew a man who owned a bar who was missing the tip of his left middle finger. He used to be a cattleman out west in Swaystard, or somewhere like that. He said one particularly ornery horse chomped it clean off when he wasn¡¯t being careful.¡±

    Al scoffed. ¡°He was probably lost it gutting a fish on the wharf.¡±

    ¡°Why would you lie about that? Or at least, if he was going to lie, why not make it something grander?¡±

    ¡°Liars can take all they can get.¡± His tone sounded unconfident, which Anla assumed was the closest she was going to get him to drop this whole horse thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m switching rooms tonight.¡±

    ¡°Wait, why?¡± he asked, looking alarmed.

    ¡°I want to discuss plans for New Wextif. I¡¯m not keen on sitting around, twiddling my thumbs for the next few months. I think it¡¯s time we discussed our partnership with Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± he asked.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°No. Enjoy having the bed to yourself tonight.¡±

    She knocked lightly on Raulin¡¯s door before entering. His back was facing the door as he leaned over the desk. ¡°Horses are still out of the question,¡± he said.

    ¡°Agreed. I may have shaken him from the idea; he was unaware that horses bite.¡±

    Raulin turned to look at her. ¡°Thank you. I feel our wizard is like a burr in the woods; hard to pull him off once he has a firm hold on an i-deer.¡±

    She put her knapsack down and sat quietly on the edge of the bed. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I wanted to see if you needed any help, actually,¡± she said, putting her knapsack down.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to make definite plans, but I¡¯m trying to find the best course of action for New Wextif. I have two thefts and six spying jobs. The thefts are concrete in location, but the spying jobs are not. They may occur somewhere, they may be some random thing I overhear at a party.¡±

    She walked over to the desk and looked at the map. ¡°Do you know where the upper crust lives?¡±

    ¡°Other than Shingden, there are several dozen neighborhoods.¡± He listed off the ones he remembered and pointed to them.

    ¡°It seems like they cluster with some gaps in each. Why don¡¯t we travel in a spiral and find a moderately priced neighborhood to stay in near each of the pockets?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll need to sit with my information once I have an idea. I don¡¯t have that, yet. I¡¯ll be visiting Remint tomorrow to remedy my ignorance.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Remint?¡±

    ¡°Vanif Remint is the Earl of Corrish, one of the counties that¡¯s out west somewhere. It¡¯s low in population and doesn¡¯t need much upkeep, so he lives here. His family is very connected and very rich, partially in thanks to him. He has a fantastic eye for business and trends. He also happens to have a birthday coming up and assured me that, if I were ever in the city again, he would love it if I dropped by.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s a good gatekeeper.¡±

    ¡°Excellent gatekeeper,¡± he corrected. ¡°That was a very lucky friendship to make. Having a contact point in a major city is invaluable, since I have no ins with the Cumber nor do I know anyone on the street. ¡®Go high, go low, or go behind.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help with the king¡¯s spy network, but I might be able to help with the other, especially if they speak the same kind of Dickery they do in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°You speak Dickery?¡±

    ¡°I can kiss the waves and hit the fence.¡±

    ¡°I take it that means ¡®yes¡¯. Hmm. I never thought to ask you if you did. This is extraordinary. If I could buy information off people through a trusted contact, I could save a lot of time and money.¡±

    ¡°Not saying I¡¯m guaranteed to be that ¡®trusted contact¡¯, but I¡¯ll help. I will forewarn you by saying that the Mesh, the street people, are principled. We don¡¯t like causing trouble for ourselves and for certain people,and we don¡¯t like being treated like dirt.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±

    She crossed her arms and looked at him for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re being unusually open.¡±

    ¡°Seems pointless when you can read my journal anyway.¡±

    ¡°This is true. May I ask why you chose Arvonnese in reverse?¡±

    He ran his hand along the grain of the desk. ¡°My journal is to protect my contracts from not just your average nosy Ghenian, but other trirecs as well. I know a few languages fluently enough to read and write. I couldn¡¯t use Ghenian, and by default, Aroukean. Merakian was obviously out as well as Walpin, since most know that language, too. I know Sayenese, but they have an extensive presence in spy markets. So, it was down to Arvonnese and Kintasian, and I know the former better.¡±

    ¡°It just surprised me. You seem to hate Arvonne so much.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate Arvonne. Actually, it holds a special place in my heart. I just have a grudge against the people.¡±

    ¡°If I can lend some advice: grudges are heavy things. Learn to let it go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this,¡± he said, extinguishing the candle on the desk with wet fingertips. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking off his boots, saying nothing for a few minutes. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°They killed my family, Anla.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°None of this, none of this,¡± he said, gesturing to his mask, ¡°would have to be if they were still alive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unfair.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is! A child shouldn¡¯t have to go through the destruction of everything he loves. No one should, but especially not a child.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you hate them.¡±

    ¡°They killed them!¡± he said, turning. ¡°They butchered them like animals. And those that didn¡¯t stood by and let it happen.¡±

    ¡°So, you were in Arvonne when it happened?¡± He said nothing to this. ¡°I never knew what was worse: having someone invade your home and destroy it or having someone stomp all over hospitality by destroying your life far from your comforts. They both hurt, so I suppose they¡¯re both terrible in different ways.¡±

    He stripped his shirt and laid on the bed, his hands behind his head. ¡°My parents were wealthy enough to move around Noh Amair, doing business and making connections. We were in Eri Ranvel at the time. After they were killed, I was secreted to Walpi by a friend, but there was no one who could take me in securely. So, I was an orphan with a lot of money and with a need to be away from the people who killed my family. It was suggested I try to bribe my way into training with Arvarikor. They saw an opportunity with me and very reluctantly decided to accept the money and me as a pupil.¡±

    While there was hesitation at some points, what he had said was the truth. ¡°I appreciate your openness.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve lies. And, you¡¯d be upset that I told them anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that.¡±

    He rested one ankle on his other knee and twisted it back and forth. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me not to think of Arvonne as the place where my family¡¯s murderers live. I just want to raze the whole country. Then, I try to be civilized about it. I think of the people outside of the capital who didn¡¯t know and couldn¡¯t have done anything. It doesn¡¯t help, though. I¡¯m still boiling over it, and it¡¯s been almost seventeen years.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, other than I understand your pain. I¡¯m here if you want to talk about it, even though I¡¯m part of the enemy.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Your father left before it ever happened. I don¡¯t blame someone who was out of the country at the time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He pulled himself under the blanket and Anla took it as a sign to turn the gas lamp off. ¡°Good night,¡± she said as she, too, got under the comforter. She had just started to doze off when she heard a light thud on the nightstand next to Raulin, then the sound of his mask sliding away.

 Chapter 117

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Anla whispered.

    Raulin cracked open one eye and looked to his left. She had wound the blanket so that it covered the top of her face and head, leaving her nose and mouth exposed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I didn¡¯t peek. Let me know when your mask is back on.¡±

    He sat up and stretched, enjoying the freedom of a bare face for the first time in a month. ¡°Do you mind if I shave quickly before I do that? Feel free to get ready for the day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll face the door,¡± she promised. Part of him wished she wouldn¡¯t, that she would sneak a glance ¡°accidentally¡±. And then he¡¯d pretend he was upset, but get over it quickly by saying the damage was done and there was nothing he could do about it.

    But, she was honest and changed out of her outfit facing the door, netting another loss for Raulin. He glanced at her a few times in the mirror, her back bare as she changed from her dusty traveling tunic to a respectable blouse. She turned once when she reached for her hairbrush and Raulin nicked himself with his straight razor. He finished and staunched the bleeding with a towel quickly, knowing how laughable it would look if she saw a master of knives unable to shave properly.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s on your agenda today?¡± she asked, turning to face him once he had given her the all-clear.

    ¡°I need to visit an agent for more money. There¡¯s one¡­¡± he said, consulting his journal, ¡°in Cabbesh Market, which I believe is not too far from here. I¡¯ll need someone to help lengthen the spell, though. Hmm. We should come up with a name for that person.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling them tethers in my head.¡±

    ¡°I like that. I should probably be fair and take the wizard this time. Do you think he¡¯s still bitter about Iascond?¡±

    ¡°Leery? Yes. Bitter? If he is, I think some mild conversation or a treat might take care of it, at least superficially.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be all right here with Tel? I bet he wouldn¡¯t mind looking at the horses. I think I saw a small park northwest of here, should he prefer that.¡±

    She nodded tersely and left the room with her knapsack. He followed her downstairs after his exercises and was surprised to see Tel and Al sitting neatly on a davenport in the entryway. (The quartet had long ago agreed to absolve the Al of breakfast duties, due to his tendency to sleep in.) He was engrossed in a book while Tel was looking out the window at the horses.

    ¡°Tel? Would you like to walk around the stables with Anla?¡±

    He turned. ¡°I¡¯ll get to see where the horses stay?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Al and I will be out today. We¡¯ll find a new hotel and run a few errands before we return.¡±

    Raulin looked back at Anla once before he and the wizard left. She was frowning and holding herself, looking down at the floor. He paused to consider it, but knew she¡¯d tell him something if it were important.

    Al tagged behind Raulin, his nose still in his book. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going,¡± he said.

    ¡°I am,¡± Al said without looking up.

    Al hadn¡¯t bumped into anyone or anything yet, so he let it go. ¡°First on the agenda is to meet with an agent.¡±

    That got Al¡¯s attention. He stuck his finger in between the pages and looked up at the trirec. ¡°I¡¯m not drawing any birds or anything.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t need to. The code is different for every agent and this ones doesn¡¯t involve chalk.¡±

    ¡°Did the other ones?¡± he asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes, why¡­?¡± He thought about this for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t make that up to mock you or anything like that.¡±

    Al frowned, but nodded once and went back to reading. They passed into Falsinger Square, which was cobbled and clean, a slight step up from where they had stayed last night. White Street was picked in shops of different varieties, hotels and apartments above with balconies and climbing ivy on the walls. The only light seen was at intersections, causing the street to seem abnormally dark for the late morning.

    Carts of flowers in jars and pots took up most of the sidewalk in front of a shop with checkered curtains pulled back from the windows and doors. Raulin led them there and stood outside, remembering Arvarikor¡¯s color code. He selected several flowers and bought them, then had Al hold most while he plucked three marigolds and a buttercup from his bouquet. The colors indicated that he needed money and that he was accompanied by someone outside the order. He consulted his notebook again and walked a few streets over to a corner tavern. Outside were several flower beds hanging from the sills of the windows, the one closest to the junction empty. He placed his flowers inside and walked across the street to wait in the alley.

    ¡°What do you want me to do with the rest?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I think you should give them to Anla. It¡¯s romantic to show your beloved that you¡¯re thinking of her when you¡¯re apart.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Al cleared his throat and looked down. ¡°She¡¯s not¡­I didn¡¯t wind up fulfilling our bet.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much. You didn¡¯t make a peep about her staying with me last night.¡±

    ¡°Neither of us did.¡±

    ¡°No, which puts us back at where we began. I¡¯ll call it a draw if you will.¡±

    ¡°I suppose, though I¡¯d like an option to review it later.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He took notice of a glint of silver at the end of the alley as a trirec turned the corner. ¡°Look sufficiently annoyed that I made you come here, Mr. Auslen.¡±

    Al leaned against the wall and opened his book with his free hand. Raulin nodded to himself over that, then turned to give the three-fingered salute to the agent.

    ¡°Is he why you warned me?¡± the agent asked in Merakian.

    ¡°Yes; there¡¯s nothing else that I know of. This is the employer for my guard job.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said, pulling his small briefcase up. ¡°How much do you need?¡±

    ¡°One hundred,¡± he said, holding one of his orange beads up. ¡°Gossip, too, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± He pulled a pouch out and snapped the case closed. ¡°Unless you¡¯d like to pay.¡±

    Raulin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I meant general gossip, not specified information. Unless you happen to know anything about the Cumber¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you meant, Raulin Kemor. Word travels fast. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t stab me for the rest of the money I have. Don¡¯t even think of it; I have a partner who checks in frequently.¡±

    Again, it was too tangled and too pointless to argue with anyone over what had happened in Iascond. It still hurt as much as a punch to the gut, but to waste time with it would be futile. He took the pouch, gave the man the three-fingered salute, and left without any more conversation.

    ¡°Merakian is a funny sounding language,¡± Al said once they were on the street. ¡°You gulp and cough with every other word, like you¡¯ve swallowed something too spicy. Then, every other sentence, you say ¡®eesh¡¯, like the heat finally went away and you¡¯re acknowledging the difficulty has passed.¡±

    Raulin gave a light laugh at this. It wasn¡¯t particularly funny, but it did break through the shame he felt at the agent¡¯s words. ¡°Something like that, I guess.¡± He looked down at Al¡¯s book. ¡°What are you reading?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, moving it away from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to touch it, I promise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my book; it¡¯s from the library in the hotel. If you destroy it, you¡¯ll have to pay them. So, I don¡¯t care if you rip it or throw it into the sewer. I just don¡¯t want you to make fun of it.¡±

    ¡°And if I promise not to do that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a book you don¡¯t like. I¡¯m not going to talk about it so you can sneer and mock something that brings me happiness.¡±

    They walked a few blocks before Raulin tried again. ¡°I¡¯ve been unfair to you, Wizard. It isn¡¯t kind to pick apart things that people love just because you hold your own opinions. I¡¯d like you to tell me about this book. I promise I won¡¯t make rude comments or judge it, no matter how distasteful I find it.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Fine. First snippy comment and you owe me¡­a pastry.¡±

    ¡°A pastry. That sound fair.¡± He shook out his shoulders, unaware of the startled look a man who had been walking by gave him.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Arvonnese alley novel.¡±

    Raulin grimaced. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°It was published in Arvonne in April. I was very surprised to find it in a book exchange in a hotel. I mean, not even three months and it was shipped from there to here¡­¡±

    ¡°A fast turn-around, then?¡±

    ¡°Very! It was originally printed in Arvonne in January, which means the translation to Ghenian was done lightning fast. So, it¡¯s rare and that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to read it before we leave.¡±

    ¡°You could just steal it.¡±

    Al scoffed. ¡°No. Chalices, sure. Books, never.¡±

    ¡°You have a code, then? Hmm. So, what is this book about?¡±

    ¡°Arvonnese alley novels always follow the same plot. One of the royal children, the Alscaines, somehow escaped the Coup fifteen years ago. They¡¯ve either been kept away from Arvonne, usually as a slave or a servant somewhere, or they had amnesia and only just remembered who they were. The main character, usually a female, finds them in an alley somewhere, begging for help. The lady nurses them back to health and they fall in love. Then, the prince fights to regain his crown from the government. There¡¯s usually an underground resistance, most often of former nobles, who help him.¡±

    ¡°It sounds¡­a bit far-fetched.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s a romance novel, though not so much of the prince and the woman falling in love, but more of perfect expectations and happy endings.¡±

    ¡°You say the plot is always the same. Why do you read these if you know how it¡¯s going to happen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same. I mean, the prince always wins, yes, but the main character and he don¡¯t always marry at the end. Sometimes it¡¯s bittersweet, because she knows he needs to marry a princess of a foreign land in order to secure his lineage and finances for the ailing country. And, it¡¯s not always Aubin who¡¯s the deuteragonist. In most he is , but close to half of them feature Caudin.¡± He held the book up. ¡°This is a Caudin feature. I actually prefer those.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he said, surprised. ¡°Do you? Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I believe the authors may have known the princes in their youth. No matter who¡¯s writing, Aubin is always cast as very straight-laced and unwavering. I¡¯ve heard him described similarly in certain books I¡¯ve read about the royal family. Caudin is different. He¡¯s fun and jokes around. He¡¯s a bit mischievous, like he supposedly was as a kid. His plans to overthrow the Kalronistic government are always outlandish, but genius. He makes for more of an enjoyable read.¡±

    Raulin paused at this. ¡°This is a bit exploitative, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You promised¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not mocking. I¡¯m asking your opinion on the matter. It sounds like the royal family was wiped out and a new government took over. Instead of accepting this, someone decides to take advantage of the destitute morale of the people by introducing books that give them hope that their monarch could return.¡±

    ¡°The hope was there to begin with; the authors are just keeping it alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­and making a good bit of money in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°¡­at a considerable risk! Those books are banned in Arvonne. The authors and the publisher, both pen names and a ghost operation, have already been charged with treason. If they¡¯re caught, they will hang.¡±

    Raulin had to stop himself, more because his next words were going to be heated and reaching to win the argument. He had to remind himself that he was trying to repair and perhaps build their relationship. ¡°You¡¯re not Arvonnese, though. Why do you care about their plight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a story that any man to enjoy. I¡¯m not Arvonnese, but these stories make me want to be.¡±

    Raulin said nothing. Instead, he led them to a bookstore. ¡°I owe you one. I think it¡¯s fair that I buy you another as well. I¡¯ll even buy you the pastry, even though I don¡¯t think I was rude.¡±

    After Al bought the latest Kiesh the Black adventure and an older alley novel, he parked himself at a cafe. ¡°I¡¯ll be back by 2 o¡¯clock, or else I¡¯ll have someone send you a note.¡±

    Al looked up for a brief moment, then delved back into the loaned book. Raulin sighed and left, wondering what was the point of sharing information if it wasn¡¯t even registered.

 Chapter 118

    Raulin entered a busy restaurant and noted the usual wary looks people were giving him. There was something to be said about being feared; you were either unbothered or fawned over. He shoved past the apprehensive maitre d¡¯, stopped, and looked around as if he was searching for someone. No one said anything; in fact, he thought they were holding their breaths. He spotted the entrance to the kitchens and swung the doors open easily. The chef de cuisine turned mid-rant and snapped his jaw shut, stepping out of Raulin¡¯s way as he pushed through the lines.

    Past the kitchen was a corridor that turned once before ending at a door to the back alley. He hastily changed into the fashionable but more casual set of clothing he¡¯d had made in Hanala and removed his mask, of course listening to make sure no one was going to let curiosity get the better of them by peeking into the corridor. He pressed as many of the wrinkles out of his trousers and short coat as possible, then stepped outside as Marin Liasorn, Count of Aubrige.

    Marin was a character Raulin had developed long before he had first stepped foot on Gheny¡¯s soil some four or five years prior to this journey. Despite his aversion to the Arvonnese, he had met a few people from the country that he had liked and they had taught him the language as well as many of the finer points of aristocracy. He had used this knowledge when forging Marin, a man desperate for the monarchy to regain its foothold so that he could re-inherit his lands.

    It was a perfect cover. Pretending he was from any other country might find him inconveniently bumping into someone from that very place, revealing his lie. Not so with Arvonne, a land of thousands of titled nobles who had been forced into actual menial labor. Only very few ever left the country and fewer still made it to Gheny. Marin himself only made the journey across the Gamik Sea to drum up donations to the underground resistance that didn¡¯t exist, which, by necessity, meant he needed to attend many functions of high society and hob nob with the elite.

    Nobility forgot you quickly if you didn¡¯t constantly remind them that you were there and you were interesting. In order to reintroduce himself, he needed to reconnect with someone who was a hub of society who was interested in reconnecting Marin. Someone like Earl Vanif Remint. And in order for Marin to call upon Vanif, he¡¯d need a good reason. Something like an upcoming birthday. And, or course, one needed a present for a birthday.

    He ducked into an accessory shop and began changing into Marin, a humble, patriotic, optimistic man who was a little daft on Ghenian social customs. Raulin dropped his swagger and found a lovely pair of light blue-coated buttons with a sprig of phlox embossed into silver and had them wrapped. It was almost ten gold of his newly received hundred, but it was well worth the cost.

    The shop was in Verity Hill, the same neighborhood where Vanif¡¯s house was located. The streets were oddly placed, so he had a tough time find Ardor Court, but new he was in the right place once he turned the corner and saw the half-circle of houses. Like a large knot on the side of a tree, six houses fanned out from a straight residential road. Vanif¡¯s was like the others, with extensive gardens of manicured color, the ivy growing only where it looked the most appealing, and a tranquil pond of porgies in the front yard.

    Like a common deliverer, Raulin opened the gate to the house, walked the stone pathway, and knocked on the front door. Normally a house call would be arranged with a formal invitation and Raulin arriving in a hansom or carriage, but he had no time to wait and no residence he could even pretend was semi-permanent. He, therefore, wasn¡¯t surprised at his treatment by the valet.

    ¡°May I help you?¡± he was asked by the formally dressed gentleman. Raulin would have been greatly surprised if the man could have given him a more annoyed and condescending look.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Raulin said, affecting an Arvonnese accent. ¡°I am here to see the earl.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±

    ¡°No. I am a friend of his and I just arrived in town.¡±

    The valet was suddenly fascinated by the cleanliness of his glove tips. ¡°The master sees no one without an appointment.¡±

    ¡°I understand this, but I cannot get an appointment before his birthday. I wished to give him this present before he turned thirty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but the master is busy and cannot be disturbed.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I wait, then?¡± He took a seat on a bench and gave the valet a sunny look before he could say otherwise.

    He heard the valet breath slowly through his nose. ¡°Very good, sir,¡± he said before leaving.

    Raulin didn¡¯t mind waiting. He had admired Vanif¡¯s taste in d¨¦cor the last time he¡¯d been in his house, and he¡¯d only improved it since then. Whereas most nobles tended to either keep the place cluttered like their parents had, or splashed their rooms in reds, violets, gold trim, and fancy curled frames, Vanif had chosen a much different palette and style. His drapes were not heavy brocade but chiffon in a deep blue, save the silver ones on the balcony windows. The carpets weren¡¯t classical depictions of the gods, but a pattern of green stones in a pool of water. And the chandelier reflected the light of the candles through the crystal, not illuminating the room with a bold statement of brass or wrought iron. It was fresh and updated, serene in its power.

    Raulin was admiring the new pieces of furniture, some with the fashionable eyelash pattern, when he heard a tsking sound coming from the balcony. Vanif rushed to the veranda, his cinnamon colored hair parted and cut short like many of the other men he¡¯d seen walking the streets of New Wextif. He was a little plumper than Raulin remembered, but his mutton chops helped keep his face from looking doughy. He spotted Raulin, then flew down the stairs to embrace his friend. ¡°Marin! I am so happy you¡¯ve decided to grace our fine lands again with your presence,¡± he said, pulling back to look at Raulin. ¡°My valet is new and didn¡¯t know. My humblest apologies.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize! I understand these things.¡±

    ¡°How was your trip across the Gamik? Unless you¡¯ve been here for some time¡­¡±

    ¡°Not too long. I ported in Hanala a few weeks ago and made my way here as soon as possible. You were my first visit.¡±

    ¡°Honored,¡± he said, quickly brushing off his gray shirt. Raulin knew this wasn¡¯t an insult; Vanif was particular about his appearance. ¡°So,¡± he said slyly, ¡°what brings you to my humble abode?¡±

    Raulin presented the box and Vanif¡¯s fingers danced for a few moments before he took it. ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°And to you as well! You¡¯ll be¡­twenty-seven tomorrow, yes?¡±

    ¡°You remembered,¡± he said, giving him a broad smile. There were always details he chose to keep the same when creating a character to play. ¡°And you¡¯re moving into your next decade!¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± Vanif said, holding his finger in front of his lips. ¡°We mustn¡¯t discuss that bit of unpleasantry. It¡¯s bad enough that I was forced to marry before I turned thirty.¡±

    Raulin raised his eyebrows and popped his mouth into an ¡®o¡¯. Marin always showed his emotions more than Raulin would. ¡°Congratulations! I must get you a wedding present as well.¡±

    ¡°How about this will be my wedding present,¡± he said, shaking the box, ¡°and you can bring a birthday present to my party tomorrow night. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He opened the box and gasped. ¡°Lovely. I have a white coat these would look dashing on.¡± He hugged Raulin again then called up the stairs for someone named Corrin, a name that struck him as familiar.

    Corrin was poor at hiding the fact that he had been listening to the conversation on the other side of the door. The young man opened the door immediately after being called and hurried down the stairs. ¡°Sir?¡± he said, standing close to Vanif, whose proud smile lingered as he turned back to Raulin.

    ¡°This is my friend from Arvonne that I told you about. He¡¯s here just in time for my party.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get him an invitation and put him on the list!¡± he said, running back up the stairs.

    Vanif turned back to Raulin. ¡°I do so love working with people who can anticipate your needs and execute them without prompting.¡±

    ¡°I understand you completely,¡± he responded, thinking of Anla.

    ¡°Hmm. So, I got you first, eh?¡± He looked Raulin up and down while he placed a hand on his chin. ¡°Well, the same holds still for your hair, though I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll argue with me over cutting it again. Shoes are decent. Will you, uh, be wearing that outfit tomorrow night?¡±

    Raulin looked down at himself. ¡°No. I have nicer clothes in my trunks. This is my travel wear.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good! There will be several important people there tomorrow. I think it might be in your best interest to make a good impression, for your cause. I take it you¡¯re still trying to help retake Arvonne from those brutes who stole it?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°It was a travesty how they killed our monarch and his family. No one like that should stay in power. Who else will he kill? What if he decides to start invading other countries? The Noh Amairian Accord won¡¯t hold between a commoner and a monarch!¡±

    (A lot of war was held off due to a clause that, when two countries¡¯ hostilities reached the point of aggression, the monarchs of both sides would have to face each other in a duel. This was a clever paradox written in because part of a god-blooded¡¯s power prevented them from killing other god-blooded ¡®cousins¡¯ of theirs, making the duel impossible to complete.)

    Vanif faked a shudder. ¡°Soon he¡¯ll be coming for our borders and our atrophied army will have to using their rusted swords. Think of the lost business, too! War is great for short-term investments, but not for the long haul. I don¡¯t like that at all.¡±

    Corrin ran down the stairs again and handed Raulin the invitation. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. He was about to leave when he remembered his pleasantries. ¡°May I meet the lucky woman who married you?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes! Um, Corrin, could you go fetch Gretza?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s shopping, then attending a luncheon,¡± Corrin said, leaning in to his employer¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Ah. Well, perhaps you¡¯ll meet her tomorrow night then. I¡¯ll see you there?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said, bowing gracefully before leaving.

 Chapter 119

    There was a light knock on Raulin¡¯s door that evening. ¡°Come in,¡± he said, turning around from the desk in his new room.  The last innkeeper had seemed disappointed they had left after one night and Raulin had been unsure whether it was due to the loss of business or the loss of gossip.  For either reason, it had been good to move.  The room he was in was nicer and a little less expensive.

    Anladet scooted inside with her knapsack. ¡°Am I interrupting?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°just renegotiating our distances. I¡¯ll likely be doing that every evening that I¡¯m not out somewhere. I see you have your things. Two nights in a row? How does your ¡®husband¡¯ feel about this?¡±

    ¡°My ¡®husband¡¯ was the one who suggested it,¡± she said, putting her knapsack down.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± This was going to be interesting.

    ¡°Did you have a nice day?¡±

    ¡°I did. I¡¯m happy to report that Remint was pleased to see me and invited me to his party tomorrow night. I also used the afternoon to check in with a tailor and bought a birthday present for Vanif.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy,¡± she said, putting a little emphasis on ¡®you¡¯re¡¯.

    ¡°All right. Enough with the pleasantries. What negotiation are we entering?¡±

    She sat on the bed, her ankle crossed under her knee. ¡°I am speaking on behalf of the other two on this. We understand that you have contracts to fulfill over the course of our time together. We understand that you will dictate where we go and when and in what manner. But, we are also people who have needs. And while we¡¯re very grateful that you are no longer yanking us along and that you¡¯re telling us more about your itinerary, we can¡¯t just sit around and look at horses all day.¡±

    ¡°The wizard got what he wanted. He has two new books to read and whatever else he can get his hands on.¡±

    ¡°Even he said he would have enjoyed a little less sitting around today. He¡¯s appreciative of your generosity, and so am I, but you can¡¯t expect us to be happy about being shoved off for most of the day.¡±

    ¡°I still have my work to do¡­¡±

    ¡°We understand that. But, we have our lives to live as well. And spending four hours looking at horses is not living.¡±

    ¡°What does the group recommend, then?¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re not working, let us choose what we want to do.¡±

    ¡°That would be fair, if I wasn¡¯t always working.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not always working¡­¡±

    ¡°I am. If I¡¯m not planning, I¡¯m researching. If I¡¯m not researching, I¡¯m executing. And if I¡¯m not doing any of those, I¡¯m escaping or traveling. That¡¯s all my life is going to be from now until I finish my docket. When the remaining nineteen are finished, I promise I will treat you three to a nice vacation wherever you¡¯d like doing whatever you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to have to be.¡±

    She sighed, adjusting her posture. ¡°Can I negotiate one day out of every four?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to set me back an awful lot.¡±

    ¡°And so would terrible weather. And so would still being stuck in that cellar. And so would having to spend weeks finding a piece of information that I or Al might be able to help you with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to think about this,¡± he said, bringing his candle to the bed. ¡°That¡¯s my final offer for the night, so you can go back to Al¡¯s room if you want.¡±

    She looked away for a few moments. ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°I believe it does. You are supposed to be married to the wizard. It¡¯s best if you took the advice I gave him, that when in public you two should keep up your pretenses.¡±

    Anla left without another word, far too quickly. While having the room to himself to think was nice, he wished she would have fought him on that point.

    * * *

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Somewhere someone wanted to go,¡± Raulin responded. ¡°And if you figure it out, don¡¯t tell him.¡±

    ¡°Tel? Where did Tel want to go?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to see the trains,¡± he answered.

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Well, you ruined it for yourself, Telbarisk. I wanted it to be a surprise.¡±

    ¡°I will still enjoy seeing the trains.¡±

    They took a few more streets west before the grid opened up into a train yard. Steam rose from a train that appeared to be boarding passengers, pointed south towards Hanala. A few others sat in the yard dormant for the time being. There were a few on the side, smaller passenger trains to more local destinations, and long, flat beds with crates and boxes for the distribution of goods.

    ¡°May I?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Go right ahead,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°You see the train carriages that have gold filigree on the side? Those are the luxury cars. You can have fancy dinners there and the bedrooms are much nicer. The ones with the red are the class cars. I took one of those on my way down from Whitney to Hanala. They¡¯re nice; not as fancy as the luxury cars, but my bed was comfortable and the food was good. In the back are the steerage cars. Very cheap, open, and the food isn¡¯t good. The food is edible, nothing rotten or moldy, but not very tasty.¡±

    Telbarisk was quiet for a moment. ¡°They¡¯re not real?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Al asked. ¡°Of course they¡¯re real. Can¡¯t you see them in front of you?¡±

    They stood over the only bridge that spanned the tracks and allowed traffic to pass from Ash River to the Fells. Telbarisk leaned closer to the yard. ¡°I thought they were real things. These are wood and metal.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said slowly, ¡°but they are still real. We can go over to the yard and you can touch them. You might even be able to go inside quickly, before the train takes off.¡±

    ¡°You said they had tracks.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Raulin moved and stood next to him. ¡°Right below us are the tracks.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but animals have tracks. You can see the impressions their feet made in the snow long after they¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°Ohh,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Oh, I get it now. I¡¯m sorry, Tel. Trains aren¡¯t animals.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al asked, laughing. ¡°That¡¯s stupid! Why would he think that?¡±

    ¡°Wizard,¡± Raulin said, whipping his head to meet Al¡¯s gaze. ¡°Do not call him stupid. It¡¯s not his fault he interpreted what we said wrong.¡± He turned to his friend. ¡°Tracks are footprints, you¡¯re right. But they¡¯re also wooden slats and metal rails that the train travels on. The trains themselves are hollow metal and wooden compartments. People go inside them.¡±

    ¡°I miss home,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know. You thought trains were big animals, like the ones you have on Ervaskin. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d miss a migelsau, but I do.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re big rodents, like a rat, only their shoulders come to here,¡± Raulin said, touching his mid-thigh. ¡°They smell and they take up a lot of room, but they¡¯re docile.¡±

    ¡°Giant rodents?¡±

    ¡°Giant everything, pretty much. Wizard, how big is a squirrel?¡±

    Al paused, then held up his hands a bit apart.

    ¡°Tel, show him how big your squirrels are. The, uh, titaskree?¡±

    Tel nodded and moved Al¡¯s hands so they were three and a half times wider. ¡°That¡¯s without the tail,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Tel¡¯s used to creatures being larger on Ervaskin. So, it¡¯s only natural he would think that a train would be a large creature that sets down tracks like that and that he¡¯d want to see something that reminded him of home.¡±

    ¡°Elves are larger, too,¡± the grivven offered. ¡°They are not creatures. Anla is little for an elf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually tall for an elf,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s because of my father.¡±

    ¡°Female elves are as tall as Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± the trirec said. ¡°Never met one, so I wasn¡¯t sure. Anyway, Wizard, Telbarisk¡¯s understanding of things are different than ours, not ¡®stupid¡¯.¡± He looked at Al and jerked his head to the grivven.

    Al cleared his throat. ¡°I am sorry, Telbarisk. I will keep in mind that you¡¯re still learning for the future.¡±

    He turned his head and smiled, though it didn¡¯t quite touch his large eyes. ¡°This is okay, Alpine. I need you to teach me all about Gheny. I should have asked more questions.¡±

    ¡°Do you still want to go look at the trains?¡± Raulin asked. Tel gave a somber shake of his head and the trirec led them back to more reputable areas of New Wextif.

    In a later moment where Tel and Al were caught up in a conversation, Anla matched her pace to Raulin¡¯s and waited until she knew she had his attention. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    ¡°For what? It seems as though I¡¯ve failed so far.¡±

    ¡°You tried, though, and that¡¯s what I hoped you were going to do.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t think this is charity; I plan on using you three today while I make a purchase.¡±

    Her mouth quirked up. ¡°It sounds terrible. Could we just go look at some horses? I¡¯m still unsure which saddle I should buy, should I ever feel the need to get a horse.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, mezzem. I¡¯m afraid you will have to go out and see the city for a good part of the day. In fact, I¡¯m also going to have to insist we sit down for some lunch before we proceed.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t fancy by any means, merely a hearty meal of soup, crust, and beer, but no one complained. Raulin broached his plans to the rest of the group after the meals arrived.

    ¡°I need your help,¡± he said. ¡°I need to buy a present for a friend for his birthday.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Al asked, sitting down his mug. ¡°You¡¯ll need to tell us more than that. I can suggest something for every letter of the alphabet, ¡®x¡¯ included. Money¡¯s important. That¡¯s the difference between a xylocarp and a xebec. And who is this person, to you, to society, to his friends? What does he enjoy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your thoroughness, Wizard. Was there a course on that at Amandorlam?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just a good gift-giver. I¡¯ve thought of some great gifts to give different people, all at different price points.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they appreciated it.¡±

    ¡°Um, well, I just thought of them. Didn¡¯t have the money or¡­¡± He chose that moment to take a spoonful of soup.

    ¡°Ah, um, so the person is a friend of mine. He is thirty this year, so it should be something a little grander, though I don¡¯t have the money to buy him a xebec: ships are right out. He enjoys art, fashion, appearances, snooker, and is fascinated with inventions. That¡¯s why he¡¯s brought his family into great wealth; he has a fantastic eye for industry and investing in what is profitable.

    ¡°What else? He¡¯s newly married. He¡¯s a veri-earl. That¡¯s an earl that¡¯s next-in-line, Telbarisk, so one day he will inherit his father¡¯s title. He¡¯s wealthy and has probably bought anything he would ever need¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you need to buy him something personal,¡± Al said. ¡°You said he was your friend and the fact that you just waltzed back into his life and received an invite to his party means it¡¯s requited. He¡¯d value your touch on something. Hmm. What about buttons? They¡¯re not too expensive, they¡¯re personal, and they cover his interest in fashion.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I gave him for his wedding present. I showed up with the buttons as a birthday present, in case he didn¡¯t invite me to his party, and I needed to ingratiate myself a little more. He took them and expected another gift.¡±

    Al raised his eyebrows. ¡°He received them as a wedding present? That¡¯s¡­odd.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°There are very specific gifts you¡¯re supposed to give Ghenians for weddings, noble or not. First, they can only be black and white. Second, they have to be functional. And third, they have to be shared between the couple.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that. Well, I can¡¯t take them back; he definitely wanted those for the wedding and something else for his birthday.¡±

    ¡°Maybe a personalized knife?¡±

    ¡°A knife? Why?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I would think Raulin would get a friend.¡±

    He gave a chuckle to this. ¡°No, I¡¯m not Raulin Kemor to my earl friend.¡±

    Al waited, then made a scooping motion with his hand. ¡°It¡¯s kind of critical that you share more about who you are if you want me to help.¡±

    ¡°All right, but I want absolutely no conjecture from anyone about his background. It made the most sense for me. His name is Marin Liasorn and he¡¯s the Count of Aubrige.¡±

    Al held his spoon of soup in front of him, pausing to give Anla a long, shared look. ¡°Oh, okay. Um, so substantial and Arvonnese, but not too expensive. Does he like to drink? You could get him¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard. I¡¯m not getting him Caudet.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Does he read? You could get him a¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard. I¡¯m not buying him an alley novel.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Hmm. Well, there are several things Arvonne is known for. You could get him a Somstair pocket scarf in a petturo tartan.¡±

    ¡°Hard to find those. Arvonne doesn¡¯t make many luxury items nowadays, so it would be incredibly expensive.¡±

    ¡°How about a woven blanket from Alistrari?¡±

    ¡°Nice idea, but it seems a bit¡­peasant. Poor people tend to offer goods like that to their lords. Blankets, yarn, chickens, things like that. Keep going, you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    Al sighed. ¡°Another kind of wine? A pen set? A pool cue? Is there anything you actually love about Arvonne?¡±

    Raulin thought about this. ¡°Actually, there is one thing I absolutely love about Arvonne. You¡¯ll have to help me with the selection, though. I hope you don¡¯t mind a hunt and some sampling.¡±

    ¡°Depends on what I¡¯m sampling,¡± Al said, but Raulin didn¡¯t elaborate.

    They found themselves in front of a confectionery. ¡°I would like to state for the record that I love sampling,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I, as well,¡± Al said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt it. However, I need to see if this store sells Arvonnese chocolate or Arvonnese-style chocolate. I¡¯ve seen a few stores here and there try to reproduce it and it¡¯s just not the same. I need imported chocolate.¡±

    It took several hours, but they finally found a shop that sold imported chocolates from Eri Ranvel. Raulin bought three that he split into pieces with the other members of the quartet. Six gold for those and a gift box of eight was, all in all, a steal.

    Raulin returned the three back to the hotel they were staying at and dashed off to an ember man, a tailor that did more on the side for certain customers. His face was shaved, his nails cleaned, his hair was washed and styled, and he was dressed in an appropriate outfit for the day, all for one price and reducing the need for tools or clothing. He flagged a hansom driver and relaxed as he was brought to Ardor Court.

    It had been a pretty satisfying day. He had appeased his companions and gotten a great idea for a gift that saved him from spending an unreasonable amount of money. Best of all, Anla had been happy. She had been quiet, but every time he had looked at her, she was looking at Tel or Al with a smile on her face.

    She had really enjoyed the chocolates, too. Raulin sat back for a moment. There was an entire city here with every food, dessert, or drink imaginable. She had likely never experienced fine dining and maybe that was something he could remedy. He had really loved watching the expressions on her face, naked in her enjoyment.

    Good. The group was happy with him. Now, to focus on his upcoming task. Marin was a man who was a little reserved, a little eager, and most definitely a man who loved to talk to people. He crossed his leg and leaned forward, the box wrapped in white with a gold brocade bow resting on his ankle. He spotted the house ahead, abuzz with party-goers leaving carriages or already entrenched in the party, fans and wine glasses in hand. As the hansom driver halted the horses, he heard the loud clack of billiard balls hitting and an uproar of laughter from somewhere else.

    Plenty of action, then. Plenty of opportunities.

 Chapter 120

    It started even before Raulin handed his invitation to Vanif¡¯s valet standing at the gate. People would eye him, turn to their partner or friend, and begin to whisper about him, eyes flickering back and resting. Who was he? Why was he alone? How did he know Remint? Why didn¡¯t anyone know him?

    At this point, he realized It might have been smarter to play Marin as aloof, but the character was established and too late to change. He met curious gazes with smiles and small bows as he made his way through the crowd to the house. As tempted as he was to start making connections, it would be rude to ignore the host.

    Vanif was at the top of the stairs, leaning over the balustrade and shouting down to a group below. Corrin was by his side, his notebook tucked underneath his arm and a glass of ros¨¦ in the other. Raulin looked around for his wife, who should be at his side, but didn¡¯t see anyone that could be her.

    Corrin nudged his employer and used his glass to point at Raulin. ¡°Marin!¡± Vanif said, his arms open. ¡°Come join me up here!¡±

    As part of Marin¡¯s nescient charm, he got away with presenting the box to the earl instead of placing it in the designated pile in the foyer, and watched eagerly as Vanif ignored the custom as well. He oohed when he opened the box, Corrin leaning in to see what his boss had been presented.

    ¡°Are these from Arvonne?¡¯ he asked.

    ¡°From Eri Ranvel, my home, though I admit I didn¡¯t carry them here. I hope you enjoy; they are some of my favorites.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sneak one now,¡± he said, plucking a bourgainberry truffle from the middle. He had Corrin try a tiny bite before he popped the rest in his mouth. ¡°I can tell you I won¡¯t have anything served tonight nearly as good in quality, though I want you to see if I¡¯m wrong. I haven¡¯t tried everything yet,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°I recall your taste in food being impeccable,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I¡¯m sure your chefs have made some delicious treats.¡±

    ¡°For what I¡¯m paying, I sure hope so!¡± he laughed. Raulin laughed with him, though he had no doubt the cost of this party wasn¡¯t much to Vanif.

    Taking the comment as a dismissive one, Raulin left to do one of the things he did best: mingle. He¡¯d been trained in it for such a long time that it might have come naturally to him, even though he¡¯d been taught the secret behind it far sooner than joining Arvarikor. That secret was a truth he had seen confirmed on many occasions: people loved to talk about themselves. Oh, there might be a few shrinking violets here and there, dragged to a social occasion by their spouse or an obligation, but the vast majority went to social events to paint themselves in gold leaf and diamonds.

    Raulin had a knack for plucking out people who had juicy gossip they were dying to share. It wasn¡¯t always the loudest with the most people around them; quite often these people made the shadows their home and kept a sweeping gaze on the crowd. They tended to be harder to converse with, since they were often shrewd and grew suspicious of too many compliments, but once you were in their good graces the rumors and scandals simply poured from them.

    He moved from circle to circle, trying to find that right person. The first group was holding an in-depth conversation on their livelihoods, something to do with positions in the government. One of them might have some juicy gossip, but none seemed interested in speaking to anyone outside their circle. The women on the arms of two of the men looked rather bored and likely were holding internal checks about what kind of glass they were drinking their wine out of or the style of dress people were wearing. The next group were a bunch of very young men that were likely not established enough to offer any worthwhile contacts to Raulin. And lastly for those inside was a couple who were discussing art and seemed more compelled to collect sycophants around them than to hold a conversation.

    So, Raulin moved outside, taking a glass of red wine from a servant¡¯s silver platter. Vanif¡¯s garden was much more interesting than the flat beds of flowers mixed with herbs that he had seen at other estates. After strolling on worn pavers for just a few minutes, he came upon a raised platform bordered by moss-covered rocks with a small pond in the middle that trickled down to another small bond. Two curved bridges gave access to the stairs leading up, which he almost took before spotting a woman sitting on a bench below a pergola with wisteria dripping onto the respite. She was fanning her open mouth, a plate of food abandoned next to her.

    Raulin luckily tracked down a servant with Queen¡¯s Kisses, a drink served with chocolate liqueur, cream, and pieces of strawberry, and took one for the lady. ¡°Pickled chutney?¡± he asked as she downed the drink without a word.

    ¡°Pickles are not supposed to be that spicy!¡± she said.

    ¡°If it were just pickles, then you would be correct. But, I¡¯ve been told that chutney is a Kintanese word for ¡®surprise¡¯. They often load it with basrain, mustard, pepper, chili, or ginger. Perhaps you got one that used all of those.¡±

    The woman coughed, then downed the rest of her drink. ¡°What did you give me?¡±

    ¡°A drink with milk. I find those help best when one is overwhelmed by spices.¡±

    ¡°It was delicious. Perhaps you and I can walk and find another one of those.¡±

    He helped her up from her seat and across the bridge to the pavers. ¡°You¡¯re not from around here,¡± she said. ¡°I know just about everyone in Vanif¡¯s circles and your accent gives you away.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be correct.¡± Raulin introduced himself and she as Viscountess Vetreya Kior, recently widowed but not obviously mourning nor interested in anything but superficial companionship for the party.

    ¡°Seems like quite the tangle overseas,¡± she said, sipping on another one of the drinks Raulin had procured for her. She stopped for a moment and gave him a weary eye. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not going to ask me for money.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Only if you want me to.¡±

    ¡°I think not,¡± she said, but didn¡¯t leave. In fact, she placed one of her gloved hands gently on his arm as they continued their stroll. ¡°My family does well for themselves, but Caspan Woods isn¡¯t the wealthiest of cities, just nearby.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Only a fool measures relationships only in coin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, who said that? I appreciate philosophy when it suits me.¡±

    ¡°Janes Whitscolm, if I¡¯m not mistaken. I know another man you might like,¡± he said, thinking of the wizard.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    As they passed by trays, Raulin picked milder foods he thought Vetreya would enjoy and spoke of their origin and whether he thought they were tasty or not. In turn, as they passed by groups, the viscountess pointed out certain figures, introducing him to those she thought were important. Several extended invitations to events going on that he wrote in his notebook, one connection being very, very lucky.

    He was pleased to have bumped into Vetreya. She was that gossip he had been looking for and spared no kindness for any person, save Vanif as a courtesy for hosting the party. One in particular caught his attention. ¡°Lady Amirelsa,¡± Vetreya said, nodding her hatted head towards a young, petite woman. ¡°I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s outside her estate, even counting Vanif¡¯s influence. She¡¯s been harangued by some mystery person, who keeps threatening to kill her. He leaves letters written in blood, beheaded birds on her sill, ghastly things like that. I¡¯ve heard the poor dear is starting to lose her hair over it.¡± Amirelsa appeared pale with dark circles under her eyes, constantly sipping from a glass and casting glances around the party despite a rather imposing man at her arm.

    Amirelsa wasn¡¯t a common name and piqued Raulin¡¯s attention. He dwelt on it while she introduced him to anyone else left in the yard. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have others to see,¡± she said as they finally came back around to the bridged pond.

    ¡°Only if you do,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, but I think I¡¯d like to sit and enjoy some of this food we¡¯ve collected. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see you around if my help has done anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s greatly appreciated. I¡¯ll be sure to bring you only the best when I see you again.¡±

    He entered Vanif¡¯s house once more and found a powder room. He pulled his notebook from his breast pocket and flipped to the pages of the contracts in New Wextif. As suspected, Amirelsa was the subject of one, a young woman who needed to know the name of her stalker before she was killed by him. Perfect. He could get a leg up and start this one tonight.

    As he left, he bumped into a woman he swore was Anladet for one brief second. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said, stepping out of her way. The dark-haired woman, far too refined and restricted to bear Anla¡¯s wild aura, looked him up and down quickly, then dismissed him before stepping into the lavatory.

    Amirelsa hadn¡¯t moved and was listening to a man talk about his trip across the Gamik Sea. He inched closer and closer to her, until the man¡¯s story was interrupted when Raulin was grabbed by the arm and tossed away. ¡°Leave,¡± the man beside her said.

    Raulin dusted his clothing and stood straight as Amirelsa chastised her guard. ¡°It¡¯s a party, for the gods¡¯ sake. He¡¯s allowed to be near me.¡±

    ¡°He was too close.¡±

    ¡°I apologize,¡± she said, addressing the group.

    Raulin held up his hand quickly and turned to listen to the man continue, who seemed lost in his place. He heard a sigh as Amirelsa approached him. ¡°And to you, personally.¡±

    ¡°It means nothing,¡± he said, making his accent stronger.

    ¡°May I ask your name?¡±

    He turned towards her and bowed, giving his false credentials. ¡°I was listening to this gentleman because I recently traveled across the Gamik and was wondering if he fared better then I did. I got stuck in a storm and was sick for days!¡±

    ¡°Terrible to hear it,¡± she said, then turned to her guard and spoke quietly. ¡°See, it¡¯s not him.¡±

    ¡°Not me? May I ask who I am not?¡±

    ¡°No one,¡± her guard growled.

    She moved away from the group and Raulin pursued. The guard turned and shoved him with the heel of his hand. Raulin started to twist out of this attack instinctively, but realized it would look suspicious if he did it too well, so he stumbled a bit to compensate. ¡°I apologize. I thought maybe I could help her.¡±

    ¡°Just stay away,¡± the guard said again and the two left. They didn¡¯t appear to be leaving the party, but Raulin felt his chances for the evening had been dashed. Alone for a moment, he realized the situation would have been handled better by a member of the gentler sex. Yet another push into something he felt was almost inevitable.

    As he pondered whether to attempt speaking to the guard, he heard the light clinking of metal on glass from inside the house. He and everyone else meandered in and after five minutes or so, Vanif had his audience. He stood again on his mezzanine overlooking the crowd, Corrin by his side and the woman he had bumped into earlier in the gathered crowd behind the earl.

    ¡°Thank you all for coming to my birthday soiree,¡± he began and the crowd quieted. ¡°I hope you all have enjoyed yourself and the company of my loved ones on my thirtieth. A big one, or so they say. If age is an indication of successful benchmarks, I see only good things in the future!¡± The party-goers cheered at this.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one celebrating tonight. Abscale¡¯s heir was married last week to a charming young lady who¡¯ll no doubt bring lovely grandchildren to the house in no time. Kitsco recently purchased an estate in Aviz. I hope this means you won¡¯t be leaving us, Kitsco! And where is Marin?¡± Vanif swept the crowd with his drink until he spotted Raulin in the crowd. ¡°Marin! Which birthday is it for you today?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± he shouted up.

    ¡°Twenty-seven! You have three more years until you reach the celebrated heights I¡¯m at!¡± The crowd laughed again. Someone yelled something about it being as easy as walking up the stairs and the crowd laughed again. ¡°Good idea! Join me, Marin.¡± Raulin was left with no choice but to hustle up the stairs and join his friend. ¡°Well, plenty to celebrate tonight. Congratulations to all with blessings, happy birthday to my friend Marin, and happy birthday to me, as well! Cheers!¡±

    The crowd tipped back their goblets. ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Raulin said as soon as he was finished.

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Vanif responded. ¡°It¡¯s a night to celebrate and only a fool thinks celebrations are about one person.¡±

    Raulin still bowed from his neck and turned to face that young woman he had seen earlier. ¡°My lord, you didn¡¯t introduce me to your friend. I believe I acted rudely to him earlier this evening.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Gretza, this is my friend Marin Liasorn, Count of Aubrige in Arvonne. Marin, this is my wife, Gretza, from the Tribelta clan near Hanala.¡±

    The name sounded familiar, though he¡¯d never met her before. He was sure of that. He took her hand to kiss it and she smoothly yanked her hand back so he was left kissing her fingers. This was a sign that she was interested in more than a formal relationship. He looked up quickly, wondering if this was an accident, but her appraising look and smirk made him certain of her intention. ¡°A count from Arvonne. I¡¯ve always felt poorly about the Coup.¡±

    Raulin straightened. ¡°It pleases me to hear you call it that. The new government calls it ¡®the Revolution¡¯ and it smears the spilled blood of my people across the tongues who speak of it that way.¡±

    ¡°How fares the country?¡±

    ¡°Poorly. The government exists to make the government richer and to hell with everyone else. No one will trade with a country that has no king, therefore there are plenty of goods our fine craftsmen make that rots in warehouses. The people grow poorer, the rich grow richer, and no one will save the land.¡±

    ¡°You, though, are trying to? I hear you are here to gather funds.¡± She sipped on her champagne as she looked up through her thick lashes.

    ¡°I am trying. If I can secure assistance, we might be able to hire people to storm the capital and retake the throne.¡± It was hard for Raulin not to choke on the absurdity of those words.

    ¡°I wish you luck, then. We¡¯ll be seeing you again, yes?¡±

    She placed her arm on her husband¡¯s shoulder and he turned back from the conversation he had been holding. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m holding a little charity event next Wednesday. I hope you¡¯ll come.¡±

    ¡°I thought this was a charity event,¡± he replied and Vanif laughed.

    ¡°What I mean is a quiet little affair with cards and games that no one will tell the king or the Cumber about so I don¡¯t have to pay taxes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. I shall have to make an appearance, then, though I hope to make a profit so that I can give to the reclamation effort.¡±

    Raulin left later that evening and rode to the ember man¡¯s to get his affects and to change out of the expensive clothing he didn¡¯t own. It had been a good evening. Even if he had just gotten his face noticed, it would have been a great social event, but he had achieved far more than that There were plenty of balls and parties to attend, one being held by a man he needed to steal from. That was fortuitous. He had slipped up with Lady Amirelsa, but it hadn¡¯t been important to get her input at that moment. He could achieve his job without speaking to her ever again.

    He unlocked the room at the hotel and was surprised to see Anla already asleep in his bed. He was unsure what that was about, but found he didn¡¯t care that much. He got ready for bed, put his mask aside, and fell asleep quickly.

 Chapter 121

    Raulin awoke with the early dawn, still foggy from a few hours of missed sleep. Anla was still sprawled out next to him, her hair falling onto her face in a way that was almost artistic. He breathed in that moment, then turned away to put on his mask and shirt.

    After his exercises and breakfast, he sat on the couch downstairs and reviewed what he knew of Lady Amirelsa¡¯s situation. In his notes, he stated her address (several miles to the southeast), that her family had taken the contract out on her behalf, and the why: persistent, aggressive, and threatening stalking by an unknown individual.

    He also looked at what information he had on the Mirana Estates necklace. He had two thefts in New Wextif and one was a necklace of varying stones and settings at the mansion of Earl Kipet Mirana, one of the men who¡¯d been at Vanif¡¯s birthday party and who had personally invited Raulin to his libertine ball. At the time, he had been silently ecstatic to have an invitation to the house he needed to rob land in his lap, but as he thought about it more, it seemed a bit odd. Libertine balls were very discreet affairs. The fact that someone had invited him without knowing his reputation meant the man was either not holding a true libertine ball or he was an idiot.

    There were a lot of gaps to fill and he did this using three basic precautions he had learned through trial and error. He wore his blandest, least identifying clothes and took off his mask off as soon as he had ventured well enough from curious eyes. He spread his choice of establishments wide, staying within a half-mile radius around the hotel, sitting and listening while reading a newspaper or browsing the wares or sipping a beer, and stayed for just a short while in each. And he rarely asked questions about Amirelsa or Mirana directly, only guiding the conversation towards gossip instead of interrogating his conversation partner.

    It had to do with suspicion. He¡¯d been caught or nearly caught by the police several times in the past for being conspicuous. Normal people didn¡¯t ask questions unless they were up to no good. People did enjoy rumors, though, and Raulin was practiced enough to make it seem like he was just an interested bystander. Shop owners in the same neighborhood talked and it was easy for an officer to canvas a vicinity and find several people who could offer plenty of information on him. And people wearing clothing that could be remembered in detail were those who were begging to get caught. These were mistakes he only made once.

    Throughout that day and the next one, he went out to bars, taverns, restaurants, wizard galleries, bakeries, bookstores, craft suppliers, markets, candy stores, curiosity shoppes, and precisely one haberdashery. He found the loudest or drunkest people, sat nearby, and waited until he could join the conversation without being intrusive. The gaps were filled in nicely.

    He didn¡¯t find too much about Mirana, but he didn¡¯t need to; he was going to waltz his way through the party and mazurka to the sidelines as fast as possible. Amirelsa¡¯s plight, however, was something of interest to more than a few people in New Wextif and the opinions of it were divided. Some saw it as a man preying on an innocent, young woman. Others saw it as an undying romance by a scorned lover. After what Raulin learned, he saw it as obsession and lunacy run amok.

    What Vetreya had told him was confirmed and elaborated upon. The notes began some two years ago, letters expressing her beauty and grace, the missives pungent with flowery imagery. She spoke of those to friends at parties with a slightly embarrassed flush, obviously flattered. Then came presents of bouquets, chocolates, small paintings, and blank journals with engraved leather bindings. (The last was a thoughtful gift, since her family dealt in printing, both newspapers and books.) She had spoken about each with modesty, having loved the paintings the most. Sadly, her parents disapproved and she had to sell everything, but she had enjoyed receiving them nonetheless.

    Then, nothing for a few months. It had been a rough time for the family, having major setbacks and halting all transactions, so she had expressed hope that her admirer would cheer her up in those gloomy times. There were talks of marriage, an alliance to help with cash flow, but things turned around and her hand was unclaimed. Still, the admirer was furious and the letters became threatening. The presents turned cruel, the flowers dead, the chocolates disgusting, the paintings of dark and morbid things.

    The jilted phase had been ongoing for almost a year-and-a-half. He stalked her when she left her family¡¯s estates, a man in a black cowl that stayed far enough away to be just barely noticed, but close enough for her to feel scared. A guard was hired to protect her. She stayed at home more often than not. Still, he had managed to penetrate the mansion¡¯s defenses and had left macabre gifts inside despite the protection. Most who knew her before the ordeal would say she had lost the luster she once had. She slept less, had lost weight, and rarely smiled.

    A part of Raulin would have done this for free. The other part simply relished the challenge and wondered how he was going to solve this. Methodically, and without prejudice, he thought, though he was still deciding how he was going to approach it. There were no marks that the contractee wanted it done discreetly or with flourish. It was up to him, and he thought it was going to be very important to start interviewing people.

    Just not yet; he had a ball that evening. Because he didn¡¯t want to stifle yawns by ten o¡¯clock, he slept in ¡¯til mid-morning and sauntered downstairs. He only saw Anladet, who was sitting in a chair until she saw him. She jumped up and walked over with that same determined look she had given two days previous, and before that a few days prior. He always loved to see her, but maybe there were times he was less enthusiastic about it.

    ¡°Mezzem, good morning,¡± he said as she walked next to him.

    She checked what she was about to say. ¡°I find it odd that you use the Arvonnese word for ¡®young, unmarried woman¡¯ to address me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being respectful of your heritage. I have a feeling you didn¡¯t wait for me this morning to discuss titles.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said as they walked outside. ¡°The other day was nice. I appreciate it. But, again, we¡¯ve had to spend the last two days mulling about inside. We had no idea where you went, since you left so early. I¡¯m, again, not asking for specifics. But, you did promise you¡¯d at least us know the general area¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know myself,¡± he said. ¡°I used the entire radius around our hotel to gather information on a few contracts. I needed to move every half to full hour to different places to avoid suspicion. The best I could have told you was ¡®a half-mile from the hotel¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Just an offer: I could have helped. I did spend a little time yesterday trying to make contact with the Mesh.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Any luck?¡±

    ¡°No, but I feel that the foundation is laid. I met with a few people who were less ¡®what are you saying?¡¯ and more ¡®do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡¯. I hope that means someone will find me in a few days and let me ask some questions.¡±

    Raulin let the silence between them grow as they strolled down the street. He occupied himself with a game of percentages, trying to figure out how pedestrians people saw him. Half were too concerned with themselves or their partners to notice him. Another ten or fifteen of a hundred gawked, staring and tugging on people¡¯s sleeves to point him out. The remainder gave him a quick nod and went on their business.

    He waited. He had watched her, cataloging her expressions and gestures. She ran her index finger over her fingernails, her way of considering things. She often paused in her stride, catching up to him through the traffic only because he would slow down a little. Finally, she bit her lip. ¡°Raulin, is there any way I can help you?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Besides contentedly reading books at the hotel?¡±

    ¡°Besides that. I don¡¯t like sitting around. I¡¯ve spent too long needing to be up at dawn, working every hour for coppers so that I can eat, and then searching all day for a place to sleep. I always thought that, if I were rich, I¡¯d lay around my manse eating tarts and listening to music being played on my piano. I¡­I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±

    ¡°The rich are hardly idle. They often busy themselves, whether it¡¯s working hard or socializing or enriching themselves.¡±

    ¡°As someone who is at least functionally rich, I don¡¯t know how to be rich. Or what to do with myself with all this free time.¡±

    He had an idea where this conversation was going and began to walk with a purpose. ¡°If you had your way, what would you like to be doing?¡±

    ¡°Helping you,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve had to get information from people discreetly before. You could have gotten twice the information, or spent half the time, if I¡¯d been there. Or, honestly, I¡¯ll even admit that I wish I could have gone with you to that party. I¡¯ve never been. I think, just once, I¡¯d like to go.¡±

    ¡°You understand my obstacle with that. If you help, you know too much. If you attend something I¡¯m unmasked in, you¡¯ve seen my face. And that is very dangerous for me.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said with some disappointment.

    ¡°But, this won¡¯t end, will it? You and Tel and the wizard won¡¯t be happy while I¡¯m working. One out of every four days isn¡¯t enough. And it¡¯s unfair for me to expect your help for nothing in return.¡±

    She gave him a quizzical look as he continued. ¡°You know my price,¡± he said, and her eyes widened.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­going to show me your face?¡±

    ¡°More than that. I¡¯m going to take you to a ball tonight.¡±

    Her jaw actually dropped. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m speechless. Why? I mean, I¡¯m really happy, but this is a sudden change.¡±

    ¡°Not really, not from my end. I thought mostly about it when I was in that basement in Monsard. Being at the mercy of your rescue, I reconsidered my position in things are realized that, while I have to be the one to drive our momentum, I¡¯m not necessarily the leader.

    ¡°We have agents and trirecs and trivren in our order, but we also have people called ¡®spirit climbers¡¯. They are people that either owe a great debt to Arvarikor or are blackmailed to a certain extent, more that Arvarikor holds that information and they do nothing with it, so long as the spirit climber helps when needed. Therefore, I have a shoddy excuse for showing my face to you; if you give me the information I want, I¡¯ll consider you a spirit climber.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I want to know, first, what you discovered in Calaba. Yes, I followed you to the library. You were in there for a few hours, then you bolted to Telbarisk and spoke for some time. What did you learn?¡±

    Already this was proving to be an expensive exchange for Anla. She couldn¡¯t tell him the truth, not the part about the sacrifice by the end of the year, but there was consolation she could give him. ¡°I learned a lot.  But I think what you want to know is, if one of us dies before the end of the year, there would be no consequence other than a severe emotional backlash.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was hoping to hear. Part of your conditions, then, are not to mention that to the wizard. I don¡¯t trust that he wouldn¡¯t use that information.  If I were him, I¡¯d turn me over to the police as soon as he was ready to.¡±

    ¡°I promise not to say anything to Al,¡± she said. ¡°What else did you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Since I mentioned him, I want you to tell me something about the wizard I don¡¯t already know.¡±

    She thought about this for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s married. I believe he has a child, too, but I¡¯m not certain. When we met, he had mentioned he wasn¡¯t looking for love, having just been in a relationship. And in Miachin, he let it slip that he had a wife when we were waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I am¡­more than a bit surprised. Our wizard is quite a hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you not use that against him. He¡¯s hurt by it, I can tell. I suspect he left because they are actually divorced and my gut is telling me he didn¡¯t instigate it.¡±

    ¡°I make no promises not to mention it ever, but that sounds like a rather sharp knife to use. I would save that for a tougher hunk of meat.¡±

    ¡°All right. The third piece?¡±

    ¡°Me. I¡¯d like to know something about me.¡±

    She looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°But, you know everything you¡¯ve told me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that. I want to know what I didn¡¯t tell you that you know.¡±

    ¡°Like my piscarin stuff?¡±

    ¡°Or your gut feeling. Or maybe I spoke in my sleep.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Um¡­you¡¯re not supposed to be a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± she said, gesturing to his mask. ¡°I keep getting these hints that you were never destined to be a trirec. A general or a leader, maybe a politician or a company owner, but not this. Not that you¡¯re bad at it; you¡¯ve just made the best of a bad situation. But, this isn¡¯t what you¡¯re supposed to be doing with your life.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°And now Telbarisk?¡± she asked, hoping.

    ¡°Tel is an open book to me. Anything I want to know, he¡¯d tell me. No, mezzem, I want to know something about you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on some new magic techniques. I don¡¯t have to use full persuasion on someone. I can instead¡­¡±

    ¡°Not something trivial; I want to know something that you hold close to your heart, something that you don¡¯t tell anyone because you¡¯re afraid of what they would think.¡±

    ¡°You realize I¡¯m very hesitant to share something with you after what happened in Iascond.¡±

    ¡°I know.  It was a poor decision on my part to say what I said.  I hurt you, and for that I am deeply sorry.  But, if you want to fulfill your end of the bargain, you have to tell me.¡±

    Raulin already knew some of the worst about her. It left two to consider. And, as with the chalice spell, she had one secret she was not prepared to tell him, and another that was a consolation. That she agreed to, though she was afraid to say it. ¡°I¡¯m sixteen.¡±

    He took three more steps, spun on his heels, and began walking back to the hotel. ¡°Wait!¡± she said, turning around to stop him. ¡°I kept my end of the bargain!¡±

    ¡°You did, but I am not taking a child to a libertine ball,¡± he said. ¡°I thought you were¡­twenty! Or twenty-one! I¡­¡±

    She moved ahead of him and shoved him to stop. ¡°You promised. Four pieces of information for the chance to help you tonight. If you renege on this, I will make you pay me back with something else that you probably won¡¯t like.¡±

    He took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He turned and began walking slowly the way he had been and she followed. ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, Ghenian law means I am not an adult until October, but I stopped being a child when my parents died and I started living on the streets of Hanala. Every day I spent there was one less iota of my youth. Some of the harder decisions robbed me more than others. I haven¡¯t thought of myself as someone who needed looking after or protecting or coddling in years.¡±

    ¡°What about your mother¡¯s side?¡±

    ¡°How would they feel about my age? Inheritance and adulthood and coming-of-age are all human ideas. Elves become equals to adults when they¡¯ve proven they are. They can marry when the tribe agrees they can handle a relationship and parenthood. That¡¯s that. Birthdays aren¡¯t even celebrated. The only reason why I know the day I was born was because my father was a human and a doctor.¡±

    ¡°I can respect that. Your ways are different. But, do you know what a libertine ball is? It¡¯s not a place you take a sixteen-year-old, especially not a female sixteen-year-old.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know what they are. The street kids talked about them all the time.¡± Honestly, she knew generally what they were, but no one had ever shared details as to what went on during one with any specifics. They were bawdy and indecent. She¡¯s been in raucous taverns late at night. She¡¯d seen it all before.

    ¡°They can be¡­imaginative. The rich enjoy parties and soirees and galas and balls, but after a while, seeing the same people with the same decorum gets boring. Libertine balls drop the decorum. Things get a bit wild.¡±

    ¡°I can handle wild.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m obligated to take you, but if anything makes you uncomfortable, we can leave early. I can always steal it later.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Raulin. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen that on the streets.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m really having a hard time negotiating this.¡±

    ¡°Forget I told you. In a few months, it won¡¯t mean anything anyway. I¡¯ll be an adult under Ghenian law. Until then, just treat me like you have been and I promise to treat you equally when you show me your face.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said. It was a few more minutes before they reached a small park, tiny compared to other areas they¡¯d seen in Iascond and Carvek. In fact, it was more like a pass-through, a wooded path from one busy street to another. There was a fountain in the middle and several benches, but also trees lining the buildings and bushes. One side had a hotel with balconies; Raulin chose the other side.

    They stood behind a copse of trees. He paused, looked out and counted the people in the area, then waited a few more minutes. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°If we were followed, the person would have likely shown themselves by now. I¡¯m also seeing if anyone¡¯s acting strangely.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that overly cautious?¡±

    ¡°You see my head, yes?¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s still attached to my shoulders, so I think I¡¯m taking necessary precautions. Okay,¡± he said, reaching behind his head and tugging on the braided leather. He wiggled the mask off, the light in the area poor but enough that she could see his face as he turned to look at her.

 Chapter 122

    Anla laughed. She used the back of her hand to stifle her outburst, but she was still loud. Raulin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he stood before her, unmasked for the first time. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± he asked testily.

    ¡°Oh, no! Raulin, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m not laughing at you. I¡¯m just¡­relieved. You wear a mask all the time and I sort of assumed that you¡¯d be horribly scared or ugly. You¡¯re not, though. Actually, you look¡­really young! And after our recent discussion, it feels a bit funny to me.¡±

    ¡°Young?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. Young. I know you¡¯re twenty-six, but I¡¯d actually say you look about twenty or twenty-one.¡±

    Later, when Raulin had a moment to examine himself in the mirror, he tried to understand what she was saying. His features had been politely called ¡°refined¡± before, since his nose was small, his brow light, and his blue eyes a little large for his face, but he¡¯d never heard ¡°young¡±. Perhaps it was his thick lashes or the beauty mark below his left eye that made him look disarming enough to be called youthful, but he had always seen himself for himself.  It was a strange critique.

    He cleared his throat. ¡°Actually, twenty-seven. My birthday was two days ago.¡±

    Anla¡¯s eyes widened, then she started fumbling through her pack. ¡°I saw this in Iascond and thought you might like it. I had hoped your birthday was soon.¡± She handed him a book with a wood-carved front and back, the pages holed and threaded in red silk thread.

    The title was in Walpin and read The Apabar Brothers, and other tales. ¡°Why did you get this for me?¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk said that he liked hearing fairy tales from his youth when he was assigned away. I thought that maybe buying you a book with Walpin stories might make you feel better. Happy birthday.¡±

    She felt a little silly about it until he smiled, which was bright and crinkled his eyes. ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s really thoughtful of you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. So, are we safe now?¡±

    Raulin shoved the mask inside his pack, then placed the book along the side more carefully. He ducked his head out from behind the tree, surveying the park, counting heads. ¡°I think we¡¯re fine, though maybe I shouldn¡¯t show my face in public?¡±

    Anla snorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re quite comely and you know that.¡±

    ¡°I am?¡± he asked, giving her smile she wasn¡¯t sure how to read. He led her along the edges for about a hundred feet before they stepped out into the middle path.

    ¡°Are we headed to the ball then?¡± she asked.

    He laughed lightly. ¡°Um, no. We¡¯re going to see an ember man. Do you know what one of those is?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Ember men are tailors with bills, overhead, and a reputation to uphold. When a man goes to a tailor for a nice suit, it¡¯s only partially assembled. There are adjustments that will need to be made, since most men don¡¯t have perfectly average measurements, but the assumption is the suit is fresh and waiting for that man to come in and buy it. If that man learned that another man had worn that suit already, they might not be interested in it. However, tailors sit on a lot of pre-made clothing pieces and sometimes sales are meager. Hence, so long as discretion is in play, the tailor won¡¯t mind renting clothing.¡±

    ¡°Why are they called ¡¯ember men¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. I¡¯d heard it was because they used to work at night by the embers of their fireplaces.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to one now and they¡¯ll tailor clothing for us?¡±

    ¡°Not just that; they also shave beards, clean and file nails, style hair, and apply cosmetics. Wait here while I inquire about a female one,¡± he said as they stopped in front of a tailor¡¯s shop. When he returned, he walked Anla a few blocks over and held the door for her.

    Anla surveyed the room while he spoke to the man behind the counter. It was a clean store with dark wooden panels on the wallpapered walls. Oil lamps burned brightly, showing off several styles of dresses. Most seemed like the ones she¡¯d seen wealthy women wear, large skirts with ruffled tops, but some were very different. One beautifully detailed outfit shined in the light, the bottom actually wide-legged trousers with a panel in the front and back.

    ¡°And who are we helping this evening?¡± the man asked as she moved next to Raulin.

    ¡°This is¡­my friend¡¯s cousin,¡± he said.

    The man frowned for a moment. ¡°Very good, sir. I understand you¡¯re attending a ball? What type of dress were you looking for?¡±

    ¡°The theme is ¡®the wilderness¡¯. I trust you¡¯ll come up with appropriate soiree attire for her.¡±

    The tailor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as his eyes darted back and forth. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have something for you.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I would recommend letting her natural beauty shine.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±

    Raulin gave the name of where he¡¯d be, more specific instructions, and plenty of gold, including a few pieces for a ¡®light repast¡¯. He turned to her. ¡°I won¡¯t be far and I¡¯ll be back in a few hours.¡±

    After he left, the tailor led her to the back and up some stairs to the apartment he and his family lived in. ¡°My wife and daughters will be with you shortly,¡± he said, leaving her in a cramped room with piles of materials, accessories, and tools.

    Anla sat for some time, her stomach roiling. She could coury messages through some of the roughest neighborhoods in Hanala, but when it came time to wait in the foyer for her pay, she would always feel closed in and nervous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at you,¡± the woman said as a greeting. She was well-dressed, as one would expect, in a dress similar to the ones Anla had seen downstairs. As she stood appraising her, her nose wrinkled. ¡°When was the last time you bathed?¡±

    Anla had to think about this. ¡°Two days ago,¡± she said.

    ¡°And had your hair styled?¡±

    ¡°Never?¡± she said, though she remembered once when she had. ¡°Quite a few years.¡±

    ¡°I see. I hope you¡¯ll be thanking that young man who left you¡­however you wish to do that. It¡¯s not often that minnows get served at banquets.¡±

    She said nothing in response to this, confused as to what she meant. The woman finally entered and her three skinny daughters piled in behind her. The eldest two whispered to each other and giggled, shooting a few looks Anla¡¯s way, who in turn looked away and down.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the outfit, since that will need some work. Put these on,¡± she said, handing her several items of clothes before leaving.

    After looking at them for some time, she had only the vaguest idea of what to do. For a few minutes she worked on figuring out where each item went and if there were any potential other issues. Satisfied that she had it right, she put on a cincher with a hook and eye closure, then the soft shirt-like thing, then the satin short-pants. When the woman reentered, a sigh and eye roll told her she had done something wrong.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. The bustier goes on top.¡±

    Ah. Anla would have likely tried that if she had known that that thing was a bustier. She¡¯d always overheard they were monstrous devices that caused women to faint from lack of breathing. This one, though it chaffed her when she moved, wasn¡¯t that terribly tight.

    The tailor¡¯s wife and her daughters brought several dresses with them and draped them over the piles around the room. Most they held them up to her, made comments about her complexion or bone structure, then discarded them into a pile. A few they had her try on and moved those to two different piles. When they had gone through every outfit they thought would work, they narrowed it down to three and began to argue for their favorites.

    It was during this time that they began to speak of options and the tailor¡¯s wife brushed her hair up, to see how it would look styled high. She dropped her hands and stood back, the room shocked to silence. ¡°You¡¯re an elf,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°My mother was. My father was Arvonnese.¡± Though she said it with a smile, it did nothing to help the woman¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°Does your¡­gentleman know you¡¯re half-elven?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s quite aware.¡±

    She frowned. ¡°Do you think he would want others aware of that?¡±

    After a few moments of consideration, she said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m pretty sure he would.¡±

    Still, the woman left with her daughters for about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, Anla looked closer at the three dresses they had chosen. One was a deep green velvet with a petticoat of cream with gold leaves. The second was an off-shoulder bustled monstrosity of browns that had made her look like a fancy dessert. The last was her favorite, a straight brown skirt with an off-shoulder silk brocade bodice that hung to the mid-thigh in the front and was gathered into a short bustle in the back. The silk was an abstract pattern of greens with black mother-of-pearl cone beads sewn into the pattern. The material shimmered in a way that made her think of insects and that tidal pool she had visited with Garlin in Analussia.

    Anladet heard the group come back up the stairs. The door opened and she turned, still holding the brocade. ¡°I want this one.¡±

    The woman immediately scoffed. ¡°The one that will take the most work. Of course.¡±

    ¡°I can go elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be pushing your luck. Rich men like that will toss you out on the street again when they get bored.¡±

    ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t wear something that will bore him. This won¡¯t.¡±

    The woman snorted, but helped her back into the dress. ¡°All these buttons,¡± she complained, pulling the bodice tightly with her hands, then pinning the fabric to where the buttons would need to be moved.

    The youngest daughter brought her cheese, fruit, and wine sometime later. She waited in the cramped room, careful not to drop anything. The eldest two daughters came into the room and, saying little to her, began pinning the front part of her hair on top of her head. They brushed out the rest of her hair, then began applying cosmetics. Their mother entered with the altered dress and made her remove the petticoat she¡¯d been wearing. Anla was confused when she was given a semi-transparent white muslin one, but she said nothing.

    The finished ensemble, the brown skirts, the green bodice, the hair, the makeup, black gloves that looked like trees, her jewelry, and a small, green, veiled, pointed hat with a peacock feather, was spellbinding. Anla would have loved nothing more than to gaze at this woman before her, a dazzling display of fashion and color and shimmer, but the other women were milling about and she felt uncomfortable around them. She nodded, sat on the chair shoved against the wall, and allowed the girls to finish by putting on hose stockings and leather ankle-high boots with laces.

    ¡°Your man is downstairs waiting,¡± the woman said. Before she left, she added, ¡°Any stains or tears will cost extra.¡±

    She entered the room and was delighted to find their costumes had some matching points. His outfit had a dark theme with small, twisted branches keeping his loose hair back and black feathers, perhaps starling, lining his shoulders. It reminded her of his arong-miil and she thought he had drawn that parallel, too, since he looked so much like the trirec he was standing there.

    Except for his wide eyes. He blinked a few times after looking her over, then smiled and nodded. She would have loved to gush over his apparel, but there was the problem of the slightly rude tailor¡¯s wife. Wishing to regain some integrity, she said, ¡°Come. We have a busy evening ahead of us. Did you call a carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes, mezzem,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± She turned, nodded towards the women, and thanked them before leaving.

    ¡°May I ask what that was about?¡±

    She turned to him when they were outside the shop. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Did they treat you well?¡±

    ¡°For the most part.¡±

    ¡°What was the lesser part?¡±

    He held her hand as she stepped up into the carriage. ¡°They seemed to think that I was disposable to you. That¡¯s why I made it seem the other way.¡±

    ¡°Ahh,¡± he said, sitting across from her. ¡°That¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t really plan on this happening, so I didn¡¯t have our relationship plotted out. When someone says, ¡®This is my friend¡¯s sister¡¯ or ¡®My cousin¡¯s sister¡¯, they¡¯re euphemisms for ¡®she¡¯s a courtesan¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they thought I was your whore?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. And unfortunately, I can¡¯t really think of another way of describing you to others at the party tonight. Marin Liasorn doesn¡¯t have any family; I¡¯ve insisted on adding his duty as the last count with his name to his narrative. He doesn¡¯t really know anyone besides high society members in Gheny. Therefore, the person he¡¯d be taking to a libertine ball would be someone else from the elite or a stranger. And why would he take a stranger if not because she was gifted in entertainment?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she is an enthusiast for the return of the royalty in Arvonne? Someone who is gifted not in entertainment but in persuasion?¡±

    ¡°A possibility I thought of, but one that would need you to study a lot. We have twenty or thirty minutes before this carriage arrives at the party. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to digest all the information I¡¯d need to tell you in order for you to pass the character off.¡±

    ¡°Since I speak the language and know something of what my father told me, I might be able to fool people into believing me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d give you that opportunity, if this wasn¡¯t a libertine ball. People are going to be nervous as is, with what will be happening. Their sensitivities to things that seem off will be higher and they might try to press you for their own security.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll play a harlot, then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t think of any other way around it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. At least I¡¯ll be a pretty harlot.¡±

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he said under his breath.

    ¡°What else do I need to know or do?¡±

    ¡°Courtesans, not harlots, are refined. They are women who are used to having wealth around them. They gather the gazes of rich men, determine which ones are willing and able to take a mistress, and trade company for gifts. I do not expect you to do any of that, I just want you to know what your mindset is. Be flirtatious, inviting, but don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±

    ¡°Will it look strange if I don¡¯t go home with someone?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re not a roulette parlor whore, looking to stake a claim for the night. Courtesans are very picky. They attend many gatherings each month and entertain only a few men, maybe even one rich noble every few weeks. Some are in long-term relationships already and are just making sure society remembers them for the time that they aren¡¯t occupied.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they have several relationships?¡±

    ¡°Prostitutes sleep with several men a night because what a man wants from them is quickly got. Courtesans can provide that, but their men often want much more. They want their women to engage them. They want to be dazzled and entertained. They want to feel wanted, better, desirable. Men won¡¯t feel that way if they think another man has her affections. They¡¯ll feel jealous and bitter.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll walk around, speak with people, cast long glances their way. If anyone inquires, I¡¯ll tell them in coy terms that I¡¯m indisposed.¡±

    ¡°I think that covers it. Now, how did we meet? No one knows you, so you¡¯ll have started either at a boring event held by someone less noteworthy or sponsored by someone. And I don¡¯t know any names with the second, so we¡¯ll just say some business owner or minor lord.¡±

    ¡°Lord Cavrige?¡± she offered.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯d do nicely. Wait, how do you know him?¡±

    She gave him an enigmatic smile. ¡°I know some people.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he wondered. ¡°All right. He¡¯s the type of guy that would have a very boring hobby and an enthusiast club around it. What do you think¡­?¡±

    ¡°Berothian poetry,¡± she said. ¡°He has several books about it in his library.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. All right. If you¡¯re certain. You and I both attended a meeting two weeks ago and met there. Now, what name will you choose?¡±

    ¡°Taivewa. You¡¯re still Marin, I assume.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but, where did you get that name?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I gave it to one of the street girls I lived with in Hanala. She thought having something that sounded elvish, and therefore forbidden, would help. It really means ¡®getting rich through deception¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I like it, though I wouldn¡¯t tell people what it means.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± she said. ¡°Should I know anything else?¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I give you a few pointers?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Especially in that outfit, when you sit you need to cross your ankles and keep your knees together. Shoulders up and back. Hands folded in your lap, if you¡¯re not doing anything with them.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡± she asked, uncomfortable from keeping the position.

    ¡°Well, one or two more things¡­¡±

 Chapter 123

    The Mirana Estate was aglow with torches lining the front walkway and lit candelabras and chandeliers inside. For an event that was supposed to be conspicuous, it certainly didn¡¯t appear so.

    Anla¡¯s arm was draped lightly over Raulin¡¯s. With the sky beginning to darken, her dress appeared almost black, the highlights winking in the torchlight. Even before they reached the front door, people had begun to stare or turn their heads towards them, and Raulin was positive he was no longer the intriguing one. He felt her hand tense.

    He bent in to speak in her ear. ¡°Last thing. At the end of the day, when things are again normal, I am first and foremost your guard. If at any point you feel unsafe, I am not unarmed. We can leave at any point and I will not hold that against you in the slightest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Let me see what I can do tonight to help you with your quest.¡±

    He opened the door for her and they were not spared a scandalous entrance. The atrium had four pairs of men and women dressed as one of the seasons waiting for guests to arrive. Winter stepped forward and attached themselves quickly to the two of them, prying them apart. The female leaned into Raulin, covering her technically dressed form with her body. Anla shot a slightly confused look to Raulin as the male walked behind her, holding her arms up in a promenade as they walked into the party.

    ¡°Need anything? Want anything? Want anyone?¡± the female winter asked.

    ¡°Not now, but thank you,¡± he said, breaking away to see where Anla had gone. His gaze swept the crowd, so thick you could barely move. There had to be over two hundred people drinking, laughing, and talking in the foyer alone, an area that was perhaps forty by forty feet. He pushed through, feeling hands move liberally over his body. Someone grabbed his shirt and kissed him. When Raulin pulled back, he realized it was a man in a woman¡¯s wig, makeup, and dress.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but you¡¯re adorable! Care to move somewhere else?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Thank you, but I just arrived and wouldn¡¯t want to slake my thirst too early,¡± Raulin said over the crowd.

    He moved through the rest of the crowd until coming to the center of the room where the air cleared a bit from the humidity of bodies being so close together. Here there were couches, all spots occupied and some even doubly occupied. In back there was a grand staircase leading to a U-shaped mezzanine with several doors. There were wings to the right and left and an area below the mezzanine where servants dressed only slightly more than the seasons were serving guests champagne and finger foods.

    He spotted Anla in the left wing, a flute of drink in her hand. She was looking ahead, a nonplussed look on her face. The young man next to her leaned in and said something. She turned slightly, gestured with her arm, and said something in return. Raulin followed her gaze and saw a woman dressed as what he suspected was a Ghenian interpretation of an elf. She wore some ear cuff jewelry that gave her pointed ears. Anladet probably wouldn¡¯t have any issue with that, but the woman also wore a ripped and stained shift with blood smeared over it and her face. He looked back at Anla and saw the man run his finger along the helix of her ear. Raulin¡¯s stomach seized, but he was relieved when she smirked and slowly batted his hand away.

    He took a deep breath. He had three jobs to do. One was watching over Anla, to make sure she was fine, but the other two involved not watching her. He needed to mingle and he needed to find where in this mansion the necklace was, then steal it. So, he turned away and began to move around, speaking, flirting, and searching.

    The searching, however, was an exercise in suppressing bashfulness. Every room he entered was occupied, and not with people conversing about the latest taxes. In the kitchen a trio of men were eating food off a woman wearing only her stockings. In the library, books were knocked onto the floor by a pair of bibliophiles, or perhaps just nymphomaniacs. And even Raulin was thoroughly flustered by what he interrupted in the billiards room. The right wing was entertaining, but not the typical place for keeping ones jewelry, so he left before turning completely red in the face.

    He might have spent the whole evening popping into rooms, interrupting lovers for a moment and apologizing, if he hadn¡¯t bumped into the right person. Raulin had moved to the area under the mezzanine to take a quick break, nibbling on some cheeses and sipping champagne.  As he stood in front of the table of food, a woman reached across him to select a plum tart in a suggestive shape. She was the embodiment of fire, her ragged red and orange dress glittering with jewels that almost seemed alive in the light.  ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m curious: are you actually looking for someone or are you just a voyeur?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He gulped his champagne hard and coughed. ¡°The former. I came here with a woman, a friend¡¯s cousin. She¡¯s new to the social scene, so I promised I would keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn¡¯t drown tonight.¡±

    ¡°How noble of you. No luck thus far? I suppose you¡¯ll have to continue to ¡®look for her¡¯ then.¡± she asked, her full, painted lips turned up on one side in a smirk.

    ¡°I assure you, she¡¯s real. Perhaps you¡¯ve seen her? She¡¯s wearing a brown and green dress with a feathered cap.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the elf! She was outside being introduced around by a young man who was insinuating she was his claim.¡±

    Raulin clenched his jaw for a moment. ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s here, livening the party.¡±

    She took a flute of fruit-laced wine from a servant then turned back. ¡°I have a guess as to who you are. That accent and the fact that so few people have seen you means you must be Marin Liasorn. I¡¯ve heard so much about you from the last time you were here.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s fair then if you tell me what was said about me.¡±

    She began to lead them to the left wing. ¡°Only that you were charming and a passionate and generous lover. I¡¯m curious if anyone left out ¡®of the arts¡¯ or something along those line.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate art, but not as much as other things,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ask for much more in the way of gossip.¡± He still couldn¡¯t see Anla. Perhaps she was outside. ¡°Though, actually, some commentary on my good looks and dashing smile might be better.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you smile yet, but I can make you feel better about your looks. Only if you do the same.¡±

    She was at least not ugly, but not a startling beauty. Plain would be a fair description, a face of pretty parts but not the right combination of them. There were still features to work with. ¡°Where to begin?¡± he asked. ¡°Your lips make a man dream of kissing you. Your face is soft, a lovely thing to behold and touch. And your eyes have a way of piercing a man and stopping him in his tracks.¡± He never claimed to be an original poet, so most of those compliments were recycled.

    ¡°Charming indeed. You have the looks that would make any maiden giddy for an arranged marriage. You appear not to be brutish, but you¡¯re still quite attractive. I¡¯d have to say I enjoy your gaze the most, no offense to any part of your face that didn¡¯t make the top spot.¡±

    ¡°None taken. What do you see in my gaze?¡±

    ¡°A man hunting, but not to conquer. A man looking to engage.¡±

    She opened a door and he followed her inside. The room was a bedroom, already occupied by a man and the female forms of Winter and Summer engaged in a contest to see which ones weather was more extreme. ¡°Shoo,¡± she said and the three left quickly.

    ¡°You handled that with authority,¡± he said.

    She leaned back on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s because I have it. Since you didn¡¯t ask, Gielska Mirana.¡±

    ¡°Ah, daughter, wife, or cousin?¡±

    ¡°Daughter. Second-to-last, actually.¡±

    He moved to stand between her legs and leaned in close to her face. ¡°At your own father¡¯s libertine ball?¡±

    ¡°I have a select group of men I¡¯m not to mingle with. You¡¯re not on that list.¡± She grabbed his shirt and pulled his mouth to her¡¯s.

    ¡°So,¡± he said, pressing himself against her, ¡°you know where the best places are.¡±

    ¡°I do, but here is just fine.¡±

    He kissed her jaw and moved down her neck. ¡°And you know where the best wines are kept.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, basement, the blue cabinet.¡±

    ¡°And of course where all the jewels are,¡± he said, mixing enough playfulness into his tone so that he wouldn¡¯t arouse suspicion.

    ¡°In my parent¡¯s apartment upstairs, of course.¡±

    ¡°And you can command anyone here to do what you want.¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± she said, reaching down his shirt, moving below his belt, ¡°and I will.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t what Raulin had planned to do with an hour of the evening, but it was worth the information she had given him. He redressed, tucking in his shirt, and was about leave Gielska¡¯s room when she said, dreamily, ¡°I love it when the rumors are true.¡±

    The crowds had thinned in the foyer when he left Gielska¡¯s room. Two women in light, thin dresses were splashing in the fountain in the center, their apparel now see-through. Whatever unspoken rule that had commanded people from going upstairs was broken and he took advantage of both that and the distraction to make his way up.

    He started with the left and found what appeared to be an office. He believed Gielska, but in case she had been deflecting the real answer, he searched the room quickly for wall safes and curio cabinets. He stepped outside, mostly certain the necklace wasn¡¯t in there, and turned to see Anladet being led by the hand by an older man. In fact, it was Lord Mirana, and he was opening the door to his room. Anla stumbled, then spotted Raulin before heading inside. The look she gave him was wide-eyed and unsure, darting her eyes to the side a few times. She disappeared inside a moment later.

    Raulin moved towards the next door, likely the countess¡¯s chambers. He was about to go inside when he paused and thought about the look on Anla¡¯s face. She said she could handle herself. But she had never been in a situation like this.

    He sighed. ¡°Oh, hell,¡± he said and rushed towards the earl¡¯s door.

 Chapter 124

    The door swung open easily and he entered quickly, shutting it as softly as he could. There was only one candelabra lit in the room, on the other side of a very large room. He wished he had his mask, which would have improved his sight considerably. Instead, he was forced to find where Mirana and Anla had gone by the soft sounds of conversation and kissing. His jaw clenched and he stumbled his way to them.

    Raulin couldn¡¯t hear anything she said, but he heard Mirana speak. ¡°Yes, my pet. So exquisite and positively thrilling¡­of course¡­I shall have you, as soon as you say what I want to hear¡­¡±

    Risking the remaining few yards, he ran until he was close enough to see them clearly. They were on a chaise lounge, the earl draped over her recumbent form. His head was buried unto her decolletage and he kept kissing her neck and chest like he was a bird pecking for worms in the ground. While he was doing this, Anla was trying to push him off. She grasped the sides of the bed and pushed, only for the earl to readjust so that he was deeper into her neck. He saw the earl¡¯s hand reach to her leg, pushing up her skirts, and that was more than Raulin could stand.

    ¡°Unhand her at once,¡± he said.

    Both forms on the couch startled and looked up at him. ¡°Who goes there? Why are you interrupting us? Leave at once!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to escort the lady away,¡± he said, moving closer.

    ¡°Oh, my lord! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Anla said and Raulin froze in confusion. ¡°I recognize him. He¡¯s a jealous former lover of mine. Give me a moment and I¡¯ll straighten things out with him.¡±

    ¡°My. I hope he doesn¡¯t mean to fight me,¡± Mirana said, sitting up.

    Anla rose and yanked Raulin¡¯s arm, dragging him until they were almost at the door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she hissed.

    ¡°What¡­what are you doing? I told you to keep a quiet profile and here you are tangled up with the host of the party!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m distracting him so that you can go steal the necklace!¡± she said through clenched teeth. ¡°In case you hadn¡¯t figured out where it was, I was mere minutes away from getting him to tell me. Now I¡¯m going to have to start using my magic heavily in order to smooth things over.¡±

    ¡°I¡­you looked like you were in trouble.¡±

    ¡°I looked like I was pleased I got him after hours of working my way up to him and was telling you to go find the blasted necklace.¡±

    ¡°My pet?¡± the earl asked. ¡°Is everything fine?¡±

    ¡°Everything is wonderful, my lord,¡± she answered, purring her response. ¡°Just a moment.¡± She turned back to Raulin and whispered, ¡°Go. I¡¯ll try to fix this and buy you time.¡±

    He thought a better idea was to take her with him, but he said, ¡°I¡¯ll bang loudly on the door when I¡¯m done.¡±

    Raulin reviewed everything as he was walking to the countess¡¯s room. What had gone wrong there? He had been sure she was in peril. She had appeared frightened and out of her depth, he was sure of that. Or was he? Well, she said she was fine. And she did have the ability to ensorcell men to her bidding. Maybe he had been wrong. He decided it was what she had told him earlier about her age that had made him react poorly and not other feelings impeding his work.

    He re-read the description of the necklace quickly in the light of a lit candelabra before checking the area quickly and opening the door to the countess¡¯s rooms. It was dark inside and he had to wait until his eyes adjusted.

    When he had been trained, Raulin had been taught that there was an ordered list of places people kept their valuables. Of course, this list had been for Merakians and it had taken him a few break-ins to realize that most miartha didn¡¯t keep their jewels in the straw of their bed. He¡¯d tossed that list out and made a new one, one for Noh Amairians: jewelry box, vanity drawers, top of the bureau, top drawer of the bureau, safe. Unless they were clever or really concerned about theft, the necklace would be in one of those places.

    If he were a common thief, he¡¯d rifle through everything without care, ripping out the drawers and tossing their contents on the floor. It would be blatant to anyone entering what had happened and he didn¡¯t want that, especially since there was a slight chance Gielska could connect him to the theft. The more time he put between this party and the discovery of the theft, the better chance he had of never being caught.

    So, starting with the countess¡¯s jewelry box, he methodically yet quickly moved through each place. He was frustrated to find there was nothing in the first four and he didn¡¯t see a safe of any kind in the room. Where was the blasted necklace?

    He took a few deep breaths. Don¡¯t make mistakes because you don¡¯t want to think about her and him in the next room over. Again. Jewelry box, vanity, bureau, top drawer of the bureau. This time he pressed more slowly against the bloomers and shifts, opened the drawers and ran his finger along the backs. Nothing.

    There was a room that abutted the earl¡¯s rooms, a bathroom with a soaking tub and changing area. He saw someone pass by and he froze, ducking as they ducked. A mirror. He stood, walked over to it, and was about to move on when he saw a slight wink of metal behind it, reflecting what little light made it to the alcove. And lo, behind the looking glass were wrought iron trees of jewels.

    ¡°Makin-frek,¡± he whispered, a Merakian phrase not unlike ¡°Eureka!¡±. The countess had loads of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hair pins, and brooches, but only one piece with pearls as big as a man¡¯s thumb. He pulled this from the top, examining the square, silver pendant for the sun and crown motif. He put this inside a pouch attached to a thin cotton belt around his ribs. Before leaving the room, he remembered a similar costume necklace in her vanity and used that to replace the stolen necklace, again to increase the time in between the party and the discovery of the theft.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    As he walked by the earl¡¯s room, he kicked the door loudly and made his way down the stairs. He grabbed a drink below and spoke to a few people before moving to the front. He held a carriage and waited for Anla, who appeared maybe ten minutes later. The look she flashed him as she climbed in told him all about how the ride to the ember man was going to go.

    She sat opposite him looking out the window, her arms and legs crossed. For a few minutes the clopping of the horses¡¯ hooves were all he heard. It finally drove him mad enough to start the conversation. ¡°You¡¯re upset with me.¡±

    ¡°Furious,¡± she corrected.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t believe someone who¡¯d never been in a social situation like that would be able to get herself out?¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t believe me. You know me. You¡¯ve seen me use my magic before. Do you know how hard I worked to help you tonight? I spent the whole time moving from partner to partner, entering into conversations so I could find out who the earl was and get him to tell me where the necklace was. I could¡¯ve even gotten him to hand it to me. But you had to charge in, like I was some hapless damsel who needed to be saved. Of the two of us, who¡¯s needed to be saved more?¡±

    ¡°I have, but that¡¯s beside the point. You didn¡¯t tell me any of that. I just assumed that you were out of your league and needed my help. I wasn¡¯t about to abandon you to that situation.¡±

    ¡°I was in control. You didn¡¯t even stop to assess the situation; you just barged in and almost tossed everything I¡¯d been working for out the window.¡±

    ¡°You could have easily put him under your magical influence again.¡±

    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t using influence! It¡¯s what I was trying to tell you earlier. I¡¯ve been working with Telbarisk and Al and figured out how I can use my magic to just suggest something. If someone has a desire for something, all I need to do is emphasize certain words and they¡¯ll act on it. They aren¡¯t under my control and they don¡¯t suffer from any memory or time loss.¡±

    ¡°So, you were with Mirana and you had even less control than normal.¡±

    She snorted and looked away again. ¡°Do you really think a man would host a libertine party and not be interested in taking advantage of it? I saw the way he looked at me when I was introduced and knew that his defenses were already very low. He wanted me, just like so many other men there.¡±

    ¡°Still, you took a big risk¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not listening! It wasn¡¯t a big risk. If at any point there was a problem, I¡¯d have used the stronger spell. But, I didn¡¯t have to and do you know how important that is to me? I hated myself every time I used that spell. I knew I had to at certain points, to save myself or others, but I still hated to do it. But, to be able to influence instead of overpower¡­I feel so much better.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re using a newly discovered spell without knowing everything about it. That¡¯s a risk.¡±

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she hissed. ¡°Fine, let me show you that I¡¯m not helpless and that I understand what I¡¯m doing.¡± She moved so that her palms were against the cushioned back of the seat and her right leg was free. ¡°Kill me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he said, not moving an inch.

    ¡°Kill me.¡±

    ¡°No! What are you doing? Why are you saying that?¡±

    She relaxed her posture. ¡°You have no interest in killing me. It didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± he said, his eyes still wide with shock.

    ¡°Now, let me show you what I did tonight. Kiss me.¡±

    Anla had forgotten how fast he could be. No sooner did she finish the suggestion than his lips where on her¡¯s, soft and warm. He parted her mouth with a desperate speed that slowed after a few moments when he moved to her jaw and neck.

    She was free to stop him, but she didn¡¯t and that surprised her. Her arm moved to the back of his neck, her fingers curling lightly in his hair. Anla sighed and felt a warmth grow inside her. She wanted to hold him closer, to embrace him like she had after they¡¯d left Miachin and he¡¯d changed back to the Raulin they knew. She wanted him to hold her like he had after she¡¯d seen her sister.

    Raulin moved his lips back to hers and for one brief moment their eyes met. She was relieved to see that he was there; his gaze not the blank stare she¡¯d grown accustomed to seeing with her magic. She kissed him back, hearing a sharp intake of breath from him. Her hands moved to hold the sides of his head and his hands her shoulders. She felt the material of her skirts shift and his hands, slightly sweaty but warm, rested on her knees. He moved forward, his hips pressing against hers, his lips again moving down her jaw and neck. They didn¡¯t stop, though. He kept moving to her collarbone, then along the lines of the necklace she wore, moving farther down her chest.

    Anla didn¡¯t want to say no. This was the first time she¡¯d been kissed by anyone like that and had actually enjoyed it. Even the men she¡¯d thought she¡¯d loved had pressed their lips against hers in some gesture that might have meant affection but felt more like they were robbing her breath and pushing and scratching her face with their stubble. This was so many things at once that she couldn¡¯t even untangle her thoughts. But, she knew this was poorly timed and unfair.

    ¡°Stop,¡± she whispered. His hands moved farther up her legs, just a little, as he adjusted his weight. ¡°Raulin, stop.¡±

    He froze and was back on his side of the carriage in a flash. Anla didn¡¯t know what to do. Her hands folded themselves and settled in her lap. Her faced was burning, her outfit feeling too warm for the first time that evening. She stared ahead, thinking of what to say and coming up short.

    When she finally looked up, Raulin was looking out the window. She saw the side of his face in a slowly moving bar of light from a street lamp, flushed, though she didn¡¯t know why. He didn¡¯t look at her when he said, ¡°Never do that again.¡±

    The rest of their trip was quiet. Raulin walked her inside the ember man¡¯s shop, the one with the snooty lady and her daughters, though the girls were asleep by then. Anla was taken back to the same room. Before Raulin left, he spoke with the ember man, putting a piece of gold on the counter. ¡°She is not a whore,¡± he said.

    ¡°Very good, sir,¡± the tailor said, putting his fingers out to collect the coin.

    Raulin stopped him by putting his fingers over the man¡¯s and pressing into his counter. When the tailor looked up in alarm, Raulin repeated himself, holding his gaze. ¡°She. Is not. A whore.¡±

    The man nodded and went into the back. When the woman came in to help her undress, she was kindly, almost motherly. She brushed out Anla¡¯s hair after the hat was unpinned and washed her face in warm water, humming all the while. ¡°Did you have a nice time tonight?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes. We went to a party. The food was delicious and I met a lot of nice people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad, dear. I have your things here for you. If you could change for me, I¡¯ll be back in a few to make sure everything¡¯s fine. Would you like something to drink?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± she said and began disrobing as soon as the door closed.

    Raulin met her out front in his normal travel clothing. He still said nothing and Anla felt it was the first time in their friendship that things felt uncomfortable. She thought of things to say, but everything sounded forced or idiotic.

    He left her to enter the park from earlier, returning with his mask on and Telbarisk. She followed them as the three returned to the hotel.

    Without saying anything, the two men took one room and Anla was in a whirl of confusion over the events of the day.

 Chapter 125

    Raulin startled awake when he heard a pounding on the door the next morning. ¡°Go ahead and let him in,¡± he said to Tel.

    ¡°Is it Alpine?¡± he asked, standing as he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

    ¡°Well I sure hope it isn¡¯t Lord Mirana.¡±

    The door opened with a click and Raulin opened one eye to see who it was. ¡°Good morning, Wizard. Must be something important if you¡¯re up so early.¡±

    Al stood there with his hands on his hips. ¡°What did you do to Anla?¡±

    ¡°Nothing? Why, did she say I did anything?¡±

    ¡°No, but she¡¯s being quiet.¡±

    ¡°She usually is quiet.¡±

    ¡°Not like this! She won¡¯t talk about last night. What happened? Where did you go? What did you do or say to her?¡±

    Raulin sat up. ¡°She assisted me in one of my contracts. Nothing went wrong. She was in control of the situation the entire evening.¡±

    ¡°So, why is she upset about it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s not upset about it. Maybe she¡¯s upset because you snored the whole night.¡±

    Al lingered for a few more moments before leaving in a huff. Raulin put his feet on the ground and looked over at his friend, who was looking at him with his thick eyebrows raised. ¡°I kissed her.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Tel said. ¡°Was this a good thing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She was using her magic to prove a point, so I¡¯m hoping she¡¯s not going to hold it against me. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what is upsetting her, though.¡±

    ¡°There was something else?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And it¡¯s not something I¡¯m going to talk to the wizard about.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    Raulin began his stretches. They always helped to clear his mind and let him focus on the tasks ahead of him. ¡°Because it would mean he was right, that I acted exactly as he said men should act towards women. He said women needed to be protected, I said they should make their own decisions. And last night I dashed into a situation like a prize idiot and almost ruined her part of the plan.¡±

    ¡°Did you succeed?¡± he asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯d consider the night a success, since I did steal the necklace. However, the part about working with others was a failure, on my part. I didn¡¯t plan it well enough and I didn¡¯t trust the person I was working with.¡± He gave a snorting laugh. ¡°Arvarikor has burned that well into my mind.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll go back to working alone then?¡±

    Raulin held the split he was in, his legs almost touching the floor. To strengthen the pose, he lashed his arms out around him in random movements. He took a deep breath, then dove forward, his hands holding his body off the floor while he slowly swung his legs behind him. ¡°I¡¯m not a man who likes being corralled. I can see the big picture here, that it¡¯s unfair to you three to be dumped in a room all day, like luggage or a musty jacket. But, I also don¡¯t like being yoked into doing something I don¡¯t want to do, even though I know it¡¯s inevitable. I kick and scream like a little baby.  I think the only reason why I eventually broke and began to take my trirec training seriously is only because I was caned so much that every inch of my back was welted.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°I need time. I know I¡¯m supposed to let you guys help, or at least make things more interesting for you. But it¡¯s hard for me to throw out my training. I just¡­need to think about this more.¡±

    ¡°This is a wise course of thought,¡± Tel said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve come this far. Don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯ve been observing things and writing them down in my journal. That is all I need right now.¡±

    Raulin had finished his side poses and moved to look at the ceiling, his arms straight behind him and supporting his weight. His muscles strained as he lifted each leg as high as possible. ¡°That helps, thank you. It was honestly never really you I was worried about. Your needs are clear.¡±

    ¡°I think Alpine and Anladet¡¯s are as well. Anladet likes to feel useful. Alpine wants to remain honorable while also being challenged.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I may have a solution to both of those as well as it being something I¡¯m willing to let go.¡±

    * * *

    Al and Anla were already at breakfast, an affair of just tea and scones. Not too far away from their hotel was a bakery, where Raulin purchased a dozen pastries and brought them back to the lobby. Al¡¯s face scowled when he saw him. Anla must have found something fascinating in her tea by the way she studied it.

    Raulin sat on the couch across from them, Tel joining and diving into the frosted sweets. ¡°I have a contract that is rather difficult and would appreciate your assistance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not killing anyone,¡± Al said quickly.

    ¡°It would surprise me if you wanted to. Actually, you might like this contract, Wizard. It involves a damsel in distress, a man plaguing her, and the mystery behind who he is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­open to hearing about it,¡± he said, grabbing a danish.

    ¡°There is a lady, the eldest daughter of an earl, who has been stalked for almost two years now. At first it was poetry and sonnets, followed by gifts sweethearts would give to each other. Then, something angered him and everything turned sinister. The letters were belligerent, the gifts used, broken, or macabre. At some point he began following her. I¡¯m guessing the family suspects her life is in danger.

    ¡°I¡¯ve marked this as a lucrative contract, which tells me that the family is well-to-do and that they¡¯ve exhausted all other avenues: the police, private investigators, and the Cumber. I¡¯m not surprised at the police; they tend to do due diligence on cases like that. The Cumber only works on cases that effect the monarchy, so they may have tried because of the family¡¯s ranking, or they may not have. I¡¯m surprised the private investigators came up empty, though.¡±

    ¡°What if they were embarrassed and didn¡¯t want people to know?¡± Al said.

    ¡°A good thought, but there are rumors in plenty across New Wextif. When the relationship was favorable, Amirelsa didn¡¯t seem shy about speaking about it.¡±

    ¡°What else do you know?¡±

    ¡°Not much. I¡¯m assuming that a thorough investigation was made into all people surrounding Amirelsa and they came up with nothing.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s her?¡± Al asked.

    He paused at this. ¡°What? What if she¡¯s¡­why would someone do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read a few stories where people of splintered minds do things without the knowledge of their conscious. Or perhaps she does it for the attention, since you said she spoke to people about it.¡±

    Raulin bowed his head and took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t throw out theories, especially if we grow desperate to solve this, but perhaps we should look at more obvious solutions. We¡¯ll put the ¡®she¡¯s the victim and the culprit¡¯ in with the ¡®it¡¯s a vengeful ghost¡¯ and the ¡®it¡¯s the king¡¯ possibilities and set those aside for now.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t given us much to go on. How are we supposed to solve this?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Raulin said. ¡°You are absolutely right. I haven¡¯t given you much to go on. But, I¡¯m offering you the opportunity to remedy that, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Today I¡¯d like to tour the estate of Amirelsa¡¯s family and see if there¡¯s anything I can notice. While I do that, I would like you two to interview her and see if there¡¯s anything you can tell about the situation.¡±

    Up until that point, Anla had been listening, but slowly sipping on her tea. When he said that, she looked up and held his gaze. ¡°Why both Al and I?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think you both have unique perspectives to this investigation. Al is well-learned and read, so he has a lot of knowledge to draw from. You are very perceptive and you are also something Al isn¡¯t, which is namely female. Amirelsa is understandably agitable over this situation. I think that the both of you would be able to put her at ease enough to get the answers we need.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be paid?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s fair,¡± he said, feeling like he just bought a round for the bar and wound up purchasing the tavern.

    ¡°Fifty percent,¡± Al said.

    Raulin chuckled. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Forty-nine percent.¡±

    Anla put her hand on Al¡¯s arm. ¡°How about a set price for conducting a thorough investigation and a bonus if we give you information that leads to the capture of the stalker?¡±

    ¡°That information would be a substantiated theory. But, yes, I like that better. Five gold each for the interview, twenty percent of my take for the information. And keep in mind I may have other jobs available. ¡°

    ¡°I think that¡¯s fair,¡± she said, returning to sipping her tea.

    ¡°Forty-eight percent?¡± Al asked.

 Chapter 126

    After spending the better part of the morning coming up with aliases and a list of questions to ask, the quartet checked out of the hotel and set their things up in a new one, closer to Lady Amirelsa¡¯s home. It was more expensive, but they were willing to settle after two hotels refused the group based on Raulin¡¯s presence.

    Al and Anla changed into respectable clothing, both of them wearing the nicer outfits that had been given by the Duke of Sharka, and followed Raulin to the estate. ¡°This is real, right?¡± Al asked along the way.

    ¡°Yes. This is a real contract. I¡¯ve been honest with you about this.¡±

    ¡°If this is another ¡®busy work¡¯ situation, I promise I won¡¯t speak to you ever again, no matter how much you need my help.¡±

    Raulin was sorely tempted to pretend it was a fake contract after that. Instead, he pulled out his notebook, opened it to the page of the contract, and handed it to Anla. ¡°If you could, mezzem, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±

    She scanned the page and handed it back. ¡°It¡¯s everything he told us. Lady Amirelsa Brautivard, being stalked by an unknown man. Need to discover who he is and catch him in the act. I can also tell he¡¯s been honest with us by how I hear him speak.¡±

    Al said nothing for a few minutes, then, ¡°Brautivard¡­is her family the same one associated with the printing company called Brautivard?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Raulin said, ¡°though I remember a few people saying that family did a few things, one of them being printing.¡±

    ¡°Brautivard is the company that distributes the alley novels in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, checking his notebook again. ¡°Just two more blocks.¡±

    Two more residential blocks amounted to only four houses. Here, the buildings were relatively ancient, since the southeast was one of the first places settled when Aroukeans came to Gheny four hundred years prior. The streets were lined with old silver outoaks, the branches heavy with age and dripping with silvery-green moss the swayed in the light breeze. The houses themselves used plaster and stucco, small corners and chunks crumbled and as yet unpatched. Brick walls ten feet tall or higher surrounded the houses, with only gates as breaks in the line.

    Raulin stopped kitty-corner to a mansion with an extensive amount of ivy and vegetation covering its outer walls. ¡°That¡¯s it right there,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°Are you two ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anla said, pulling the board and paper that had been purchased earlier today.

    ¡°I mean, sure, but how are you going to get over the wall and in¡­oh,¡± Al said, turning to see that Raulin was gone. ¡°He could have finished the conversation.¡±

    Anla set across the street with Al trailing after a moment later. He did manage to scramble ahead of her to open the gate, to which she nodded her head politely.

    The courtyard was mossy and lush, thin octagonal pavers pushed deep into the ground from years of use. To the right was an old building that once might have been a stable, but now held dozens of wooden crates under its eaves. Anla walked under the pergola with hanging wisteria and was about to climb the two half-flights of stairs to the front door when a noise startled both her and Al.

    ¡°Oy! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± a man said from the stable.

    They turned and Anla spoke. ¡°We¡¯re here to interview Lady Amirelsa about her¡­ongoing case.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about letting people in today,¡± he said, moving towards them. ¡°You¡¯ll have to leave.¡±

    ¡°Are you the Brautivard¡¯s majordomo?¡± Al asked, taking over.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just the shipping clerk for their company.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to wait while you fetch him, then. I was told to mention ¡®Arvarikor¡¯ as proof of our integrity.¡±

    He gave them an odd look. ¡°If anything comes through, tell them to wait before dropping it off. You two wait here and don¡¯t wander. I¡¯ll have your hands if you touch anything under this roof.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Anla said when she noticed Al was going to retort to his attitude. The man took off inside and they sat on a wrought iron bench under the pergola.

    ¡°He was rude,¡± Al said.

    She moved her board to her lap and made a note. ¡°Don¡¯t get emotional about it, just do the part you came her to do.¡±

    He took her advice and wrote ¡°Shipping clerk: rude¡± on his paper.

    The day was overcast and foggy, but thankfully warm and dry. They noticed two different men walk by with rapiers at their sides. After about ten minutes, the clerk and another man in a uniform stepped down into the courtyard from the house, the clerk moving back towards the stable. They rose as the man approached. ¡°I¡¯m Attark, the Brautivard¡¯s majordomo. You¡¯re here to interview Lady Amirelsa?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anla said. ¡°We¡¯ve been hired by a man to do some investigative work while he attends to his business. I¡¯m Layess Kayiz and this is my co-worker, Disteni Soudrar. We were told we¡¯d be given access to the household and Lady Amirelsa to conduct our interview.¡±

    ¡°We hadn¡¯t heard about this before hand. If you¡¯re familiar with her situation, you can understand why we¡¯re hesitant to allow two people without credentials into the estates unannounced.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. We were given little time to prepare ourselves. However, I can assure you that we¡¯re committed to finding out who has been harassing the don-countess and to put this issue to rest for her and her family.¡±

    ¡°Who were you hired by?¡±

    ¡°A trirec by the name of Raulin Kemor.¡±

    He paused at this. ¡°I¡¯d heard that they worked alone.¡±

    ¡°We are only here to conduct the interview and give him our impressions, therefore we are working for him, not with him. I can¡¯t comment any further on trirec matters.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Well, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t make the situation any worse. The press is already aware and I don¡¯t see why the stalker would hire two people to interview us.¡± He thought about this for a moment and frowned, but turned to escort them inside.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    They were brought to a waiting room and served tea and cookies. The floors were wood instead of marble or tile and gave the room a cheery warmth. The wing-back chairs they sat in sent up a dust cloud when Al slapped his hand on his arm rest. There was a little fraying on some of the quitra-style rugs on the ground, which also appeared faded.

    ¡°Traditionalists,¡± Al said, waving his hand in front of his face.

    ¡°I like it. It feels comfortable.¡±

    The majordomo walked into the room accompanied by a young woman wearing a gray dress in a cut a working woman would wear, but of higher quality material and make. Her hair was half swept up and the rest in sausage curls, the spirals cascading down past her shoulders. She was petite and with a young appearance, her wide blue eyes and small nose making her seem like a doll.

    They stood and gave the appropriate bow for their genders and class. In return she gave them a nod at the neck. ¡°My majordomo tells me you¡¯re helping with the investigation surrounding my pursuer. If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, I¡¯d be only happy to oblige.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d like to conduct an interview with you or whomever was in charge of arranging any other investigations,¡± Anla said as the four of them sat. ¡°We understand that some work may have already been done.¡±

    ¡°Yes, miss,¡± the majordomo said. ¡°I handled that part. We tried the police, the Cumber, and five private investigators before contacting your employer. They all came up empty-handed.¡±

    ¡°We assume that everyone who has access to the grounds has been investigated?¡±

    ¡°Several times. All our employees have been long-term employees. All had alibis during the times the, um, items were left. No one has any justification for those actions.¡±

    ¡°Any family members of your employees?¡± Al asked. ¡°Perhaps any young men?¡±

    ¡°Only a few were allowed to bring their children in during work, and we cut the age off at eight.¡±

    Al jotted a note down. ¡°How about temporary workers?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any that have stayed less than five years.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. I meant, anyone that you hired for a specific time for some purpose, then dismissed them when they were no longer needed. Construction people, caterers, maybe someone to deal with pests?¡±

    ¡°All investigated and cleared, though our last project here was plumbing and that was several years ago. I do have that list here,¡± he said, handing them a paper with several business names.

    ¡°What of your businesses? We ran into your shipping clerk outside. Any deliverers? Partners in the industry?¡±

    ¡°They were all investigated as well. Every one of the delivery men, anyone who¡¯d ever met with the lady personally.¡±

    ¡°Friends? Family members?¡±

    Amirelsa spoke up. ¡°I gave the investigators the name of all my close male friends, anyone who might have possibly been interested in courting me or were in talks of marriage. I know hundreds of men through social gatherings, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to give all their names. Everyone who investigated this approached this as an infatuation gone awry, so I never gave any family members¡¯ names.¡±

    ¡°May I ask which businesses your family is involved with and which you¡¯re personally involved with?¡± Anla had to hide a smirk at Al¡¯s eager question.

    ¡°My family is mainly in publishing and printing, though we own a few shops in New Wextif. Those are more a ghost partnership and we¡¯re not involved with the day-to-day functions. We do occasionally offer loans, invest in new businesses, and front money for shipping cargo from Noh Amair.¡±

    Anla softened her tone a little. ¡°May I ask what happened about a year ago?¡±

    Amirelsa took a breath and nodded. ¡°We overextended ourselves; too many loans, too many investments, too little cash flowing in. One of the ships with a large shipment of books was lost at sea. It appeared bleak and there were the beginning talks of marriage arrangements, to help recover our losses through a partnership. I believe this may have angered my pursuer, since it was after then his attitude towards me soured.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why last year¡¯s August edition of the Arvonnese alley novels was late,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°You read those books?¡±

    ¡°Love them,¡± he said.

    ¡°If you secure my safety again, I will give you my copy of this August¡¯s edition. I help my parents secure quality, so we always get a crate of the shipment to look through.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± he said, smiling broadly, then looked down at his next question. ¡°How about neighbors?¡±

    ¡°They were all questioned as well.¡±

    ¡°So, everyone that has access to your house has been cleared, then? None drew any suspicion?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely,¡± she said, drawing her hands into her lap. ¡°When you hire people, you never know everyone¡¯s past. A few had criminal records, one specifically breaking-and-entering.¡±

    Another hand-written list was passed to Anla from the majordomo. ¡°I take it these men must have passed the same checks everyone else did?¡±

    ¡°They all had alibis for the next few times the letters and things were left.¡±

    ¡°Was this before or after the fact?¡± Al asked. ¡°I mean, were they watched during the time or did they give alibis after the fact?¡±

    Amirelsa looked to her majordomo. ¡°After, I believe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not strong enough. It¡¯s easy to bribe or coerce someone into providing an alibi after the fact.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that could be true,¡± he admitted, ¡°but we did ask for three separate occasions.¡±

    Al quickly wrote a paragraph¡¯s worth of words down. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you kept any of the leavings?¡±

    ¡°We gave the items to the police or the investigators,¡± the majordomo said, his nose wrinkling. ¡°The letters¡­¡±

    ¡°I did keep those,¡± she said, ¡°but I have them locked away downstairs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them,¡± he said.

    She brought them up, about eight in all, the pages warped and curling. She set them down in front of Anla and Al, then retreated to the other end of the room, deciding to get some work done by examining some of those books. What they saw was a brutal attack not on Amirelsa¡¯s current qualities, but on how those would change after he did what he wanted to in this situation. His threats were calculated, cruel, and utterly demeaning. And all the words were splotched and a deep, dark red, some eerily creeping off the page.

    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Of course, but also written by someone learned and intelligent.  What do you think the ink is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­Ugh, I think it¡¯s blood.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.  So, it¡¯s someone with access to a lot of blood.  A hospital worker, perhaps?¡±

    After they finished, they put the letter aside and Amirelsa rejoined them. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Some,¡± Anla said. ¡°We were going to ask if you had any.¡±

    She thinned her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been over the possibilities for the last year. Who do I know would do this to me? What did I do?¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, he didn¡¯t blame you. In his letters, he points out that he knows you have no say in your betrothal. It seems to be your father¡¯s fault and not something you did to anger him.¡±

    ¡°I know. Still¡­¡±

    Anla looked past her and saw Raulin standing in the doorway. ¡°Sir,¡± she said.

    Amirelsa and the majordomo turned, rising from their seats when they saw him. ¡°Sit,¡± he said, using his flat hand to put them at ease. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished examining the grounds.¡±

    ¡°Anything to report?¡± the majordomo asked.

    ¡°Your security is lacking. I passed by your guards several times and they didn¡¯t notice me.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you are a trirec,¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°That is very true. I was going to ask you not hold it against them. It doesn¡¯t appear that your bedroom gives easy access, lady. No trellises to climb, no passages connecting to the main part of the house. I¡¯d venture your man isn¡¯t just breaking in whenever he feels like he needs to leave something for you.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean¡­we know him?¡± Amirelsa said, paling a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying he has access to your house. Those two almost always go hand-in-hand, but not necessarily. What I¡¯d like someone on your staff to do is have every person who walks through your gates sign in, just until the next letter or item is left. If they refuse to sign their names, I want you to note that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the majordomo said. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I will likely be here daily, so if you need to contact me, just set a scarf on one of the benches out front. Otherwise, no. I¡¯ll be conducting this investigation in waves. Once I¡¯m certain those close to you have been cleared, we¡¯ll move on to other circles.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can solve this?¡± the lady asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done so before. I¡¯m confident that I can again.¡±

    She smiled and relaxed a little. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll be collecting my interviewers and leaving to discuss what they learned. If they return, please grant them access to any information they ask.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the majordomo said, rising. He led the three of them to the gate and thanked him again for taking the case.

    As they began walking to the hotel, Raulin asked, ¡°I don¡¯t want to discuss details just yet, but overall what are your impressions?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m baffled,¡± Anla said. ¡°It seems like every rock was turned over before your contract. It seems hopeless.¡±

    ¡°Wizard?¡±

    Al tented his hands in front of his lips. ¡°I actually don¡¯t think so. I have a few theories that seem plausible.¡±

 Chapter 127

    Raulin looked over the notes they had taken, impressed by Anla¡¯s attention to detail. ¡°Just because everyone was cleared by the police doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll clear them,¡± he said. ¡°Someone is doing this and, thus far, they¡¯ve been lucky to have snuck by the notice of everyone. We¡¯ll go over everyone, then we¡¯ll go over them again, and again, if necessary.

    ¡°Of course, if either of you have any guesses to make it easier, I¡¯m very interested.  I¡¯ll even hear those theories of yours, Wizard.¡±

    Anla spoke first. ¡°This seems like an obsessive, passionate crime. Someone is going to great lengths to keep Amirelsa in his fist through intimidation. Why would you do that to someone you didn¡¯t know? I think they do know her, and it¡¯s someone the family trusts. Someone who is protective and suspicious himself. My bet is on the shipping clerk.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s been cleared,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Yes, but as Raulin said, he hasn¡¯t been cleared by Raulin. If he¡¯s smart enough, he¡¯ll have fake alibis for every single instance he left dead squirrels and beheaded dolls in her room. He¡¯s cozy with the family, but beneath them. He knows he can¡¯t have her, so he frightens her from leaving her home so he can see her more. Besides, his tone suggested he was hiding something.¡±

    Raulin was both pleased and relieved to see the excited spark back in her speech. She was either distracted from the events of last night or past the awkwardness he had caused. ¡°Interesting theory. I¡¯ll take the shipping clerk into high consideration then. Wizard?¡±

    Al pursed his lips. ¡°I keep thinking of ¡®Daddy Long-Legs¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What? The spider?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a game we played as children. I¡¯ll show you. Put your hands out, palm up, and close your eyes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what this has to do with your theories.¡±

    ¡°Just humor me, please.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡±

    Al placed his fingers on Raulin¡¯s palms. ¡°Daddy long-legs, dancing, dancing. Daddy long-legs, walking, walking,¡± he whispered, moving his fingers across his palm, pressing some a little harder. ¡°Daddy long-legs, eight feet, eight feet. Daddy long-legs, crawling, crawling.¡±

    ¡°What is this supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± Al said and continued to chant. Finally, Raulin did what Al had expected, which was jerk his hand away and itch a knuckle.

    ¡°Was there some sort of lesson I missed?¡±

    ¡°You were so busy concentrating on my fingers that you forgot about my thumbs. I used those, too, so that you thought there was a real spider on your hand.¡±

    ¡°I thought my hand was itchy.¡±

    ¡°Well, like I said, it was a kids¡¯ game. At that age you get more scared at things like that. Most of the girls would shriek.¡±

    ¡°A fun exercise into your past, but what does that have to do with our situation?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s someone who has access to the house that shouldn¡¯t, but gets a pass for some reason. He wasn¡¯t put on a list, which is why he was never challenged. I¡¯m thinking some sort of fill-in, maybe someone who gardens occasionally, or fixes damaged appliances, or helps with shipping. Someone they call when they¡¯re busy or someone¡¯s sick.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very plausible. What made you think of that?¡±

    ¡°You, actually. I was remembering that time that I had to deliver wine in Monsard to save you from the cellar. If someone investigated who took that bottle of wine, they would come up empty-handed in the guild you pretended to be from.¡±

    ¡°That is solid thinking. Tomorrow I¡¯m going to look into the shipping clerk. Today, at least, we can look into the businesses associated with the Brautivards. Let¡¯s start with the shipping company.¡±

    * * *

    Gerark and Sons was a thirty-year-old shipping company, modest in size, that dealt as the middle-man between the ships that came into New Wextif and the buyers. Their volume was steady and, judging by the repairs and state of the clothes of the workers, they were doing well.

    The owner, a corpulent man with tied back, thinning ginger hair, frowned at the introduction of Al and Anla. ¡°We¡¯ve already been investigated several times by people. No one here¡¯s guilty. Makes a man second-guess his work relationship with people, if you know what I mean.¡± He gave a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m joking at that.¡±

    ¡°Very good, sir,¡± Al said. ¡°All the same, we do need to take a peek at your workers. The sooner this is solved, the sooner you won¡¯t be bothered by anyone else.¡±

    ¡°This is true. I was joking about the partnership thing, I hope you know that. I actually do feel very sorry for Lady Amirelsa. Please let her know that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll let her know,¡± Anla said. ¡°Could we have a tour of your building?¡±

    ¡°Sure. We¡¯re getting ready for the next week, so I¡¯ll ask that you stay out the way of my guys.¡±

    The warehouse had a few men who were moving and stacking crates. Some of the men were taking two large crates at once and Al belatedly realized that some of these men must be wizards. He made a note of that, pleased that he might be able to bring his knowledge to the table.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Do you have a list of your employees?¡± Anla asked.

    The man gave an exasperated sigh. ¡°I already gave the list to the police, the Cumber, and several investigators. There are only six men who deliver to the Brautivard¡¯s estate and I was pleased to find, again and again, that they were all upstanding men. Well, except Erauli, but it was a dumb thing he did when he was just a kid and he¡¯s paid his dues.¡±

    Al jotted that information down. ¡°And who else works here?¡±

    ¡°Me, my two boys, Vint, the clerk, and the supervisor, Crellan.¡±

    ¡°Any of them here today?¡±

    ¡°Just my son, Watick. Why, you want to talk to him?¡±

    ¡°For a few minutes.¡±

    Gerark lifted his fingers to his mouth and gave a shrill whistle. A boy looked up from across the room, set down the crate he was lifting, and walked over to where his father and the two quartet members were. Anla had already suspected him of being underage before his father introduced him as a ¡°junior partner¡±.

    He couldn¡¯t have weighed more than one hundred and fifty pounds, despite his occupation. Pimples dotted his face, one framed by dark hair that must be from his mother. ¡°Yes, Pa?¡± he asked.

    ¡°These people want to ask you a few questions.¡±

    ¡°This about the lady again?¡±

    His father gave a serene nod. ¡°Answer their questions.¡±

    ¡°Do you know Lady Amirelsa?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Never met her.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t deliver?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. I only started working here officially a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve never assisted someone delivering?¡±

    He looked at his father quickly. ¡°Just my pa. Only a few times, and that was to get a sense of the business.¡±

    Al was about to ask another question when Anla touched his arm briefly. He met her eyes and she shook her head slightly. ¡°Okay, thank you, Watick.¡±

    ¡°Satisfied?¡± his father asked after the boy had left to return to his job.

    ¡°Where are the other three workers?¡±

    ¡°My other son is in Amandorlam. He showed talent as a wizard, so I¡¯m sending him there to learn the hard side and return to run the business.¡± Al frowned at this but said nothing. ¡°Crellan works Monday through Friday and days we have major shipments coming in. Vint works those same days. They both have the day off.¡±

    ¡°Would either of them work if you had someone sick or injured?¡±

    ¡°Crellan, maybe. His back bothers him, so I gave him the supervisor position. He¡¯s great at getting the guys moving and ordering the place. He¡¯ll help out if he¡¯s having a good day. Vint, no. Definitely not. He¡¯s too sick himself.¡±

    ¡°So, Crellan might have gone to the Brautivards if you were short on men.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Al, looking pleased.

    ¡°But, I put him on the list, too, just in case. He was cleared.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Anla picked up on Al¡¯s disappointment, but had an idea to remedy that. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Vint help out? Surely there¡¯s been days when your list of men was too low and you needed to pull everyone in.¡±

    Gerark at least considered this for a few moments. ¡°Yes, of course. And maybe two years ago we used Vint, but not since the doctors told him he has sweet-blood. He¡¯s too weak. His fingers and toes are starting to get numb, which makes him a liability. He keeps the books right, so I ignore the occasional days when he comes in late.¡±

    ¡°Sweet-blood?¡± Al asked. Judging by the look on his face, Anla had just lost the bet.

    ¡°Yeah. I know he¡¯s doing everything he can to stay healthy, but a business owner can¡¯t pay a shipping clerk a fortune.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s understandable,¡± he said. ¡°Do you mind if I check your records for something?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Al sighed. ¡°It¡¯s important. Again, if we can solve this, you¡¯ll never be bothered by someone like us again.¡±

    They followed Gerark into his office and Al pulled out one of the pages supplied by the Brautivards, a list of the days in which malicious letters and gifts were left. After scanning the owner¡¯s books and the list, Al asked, ¡°Is Crossel here today?¡±

    ¡°He is. He was cleared, too. In fact, he was vouched for by Tevens, the Brautivard¡¯s own clerk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about Crossel. I just need to ask him a few questions.¡±

    When Gerark left them alone, Anla whispered, ¡°What do you have, Al?¡±

    ¡°Crossel was there every day the letters and gifts were left. He was cleared, I know, but what if Vint went with him and nobody but Crossel knew that?¡±

    ¡°A stowaway.¡± She saw that Gerark and another man were headed across the floor. ¡°Press him, Al. Come on hard. Don¡¯t let him say he doesn¡¯t know anything. Throw everything you have at him. This is just like the muddy shoes at the trial.¡±

    The door opened and the two men entered. ¡°This is Crossel. He¡¯s one of our wizards. Ask your questions.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to answer them?¡± he asked his boss. ¡°I¡¯ve got work to get back to.¡±

    ¡°Just do it. I want them out of my sight. If you can make that happen, I¡¯ll let you go home early today.¡±

    Al pretended to look at his lists. Crossel grew impatient. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    He was about to speak up again, when Al looked him straight in the eye. ¡°What does Vint have on you?¡±

    ¡°What? Nothing. There¡¯s nothing he knows.¡± While his jaw was jutting, his eyes darted around a little too much.

    ¡°No. This is too suspicious. You know of the Brautivards, yes?¡± When Crossel nodded, Al continued. ¡°Some sick man is leaving the poor daughter terrifying letters and dead animals on her bed. He¡¯s gaining access to their house, violating their trust, and frightening an innocent woman.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I always stay with Tevens, I unload, and I get back here. I¡¯ve never even been inside their house.  Ask him.  Ask Tevens.¡±

    ¡°But what about Vint?¡± Al asked and Crossel¡¯s neck straightened. ¡°He¡¯s going with you. It¡¯s awfully coincidental that every time one of these crimes has been committed, you¡¯ve been there. And since you have a strong alibi, it¡¯s got to be someone else, someone who¡¯s not on any list. Someone who wants to go. Maybe someone who filled in two years ago, caught the sight of a beautiful young woman, and was immediately smitten. Someone who has dirt on you, Crossel, and has been blackmailing you. He doesn¡¯t tell whomever it is that¡¯s involved and you don¡¯t tell anyone, the police, the Cumber, the private investigators, that he came with you.¡±

    Crossel clenched his jaw and said nothing. ¡°Tell him,¡± his boss said, ¡°or you¡¯re fired.¡±

    When he said nothing still, Al said, ¡°Here¡¯s what I think, Gerark. I think Crossel¡¯s been stealing from you. Not that much; one or two expensive items from a box of a hundred. Crossel either has a spoiled mistress or he¡¯s making a little extra cash on the side. Vint caught him when the numbers didn¡¯t add up, and he promised to say nothing so long as Crossel paid him a little, which was later changed to silence for silence. And he kept his word when everyone came knocking.¡±

    Gerark looked from Al to Crossel and back again, settling on his employee. ¡°Answer him. Last chance.¡±

    ¡°I only did it a few times. I haven¡¯t done it for a year. And it was gambling debts I needed to pay off.¡±

    ¡°So, you admit that Vint went with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, looking at the floor.

    ¡°And he went inside the Brautivards?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I did my job and ignored what he was doing.¡±

    ¡°And you lied to the police?¡±

    ¡°It was my job¡­¡±

    ¡°I should fire you,¡± Gerark said, his face flush with anger. ¡°I should pummel your face into the concrete. Instead, I¡¯m going to take it out of your hide. How much was it? How much did you steal?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A hundred gold, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Then you owe me two hundred gold. I can dock it from your pay or you can work extra days. If you walk, I turn you into the police. Got it?¡±

    Crossel said nothing, but returned to the floor. ¡°I should have fired him,¡± the boss said.

    ¡°We¡¯re glad you didn¡¯t. We need you to say nothing to Vint. Assign Crossel to the Brautivards the first chance you can and notify us.¡±

    ¡°Tuesday,¡± he said, after he sat behind his desk and looked at his schedule. ¡°I¡¯ll move people around and make sure Vint hears about it.¡± He sighed. ¡°And I¡¯ll start looking for a new clerk.¡±

 Chapter 128

    As they left the shipping warehouse, Anla grabbed Al¡¯s arm and squeezed. ¡°You really did miss your calling. Well done.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°It reminded me of getting Tel off the hook down in Wyok. At least I get paid this time.¡±

    They started walking across the street to the point they were supposed to meet up with Raulin. ¡°What made you think it was Vint?¡±

    ¡°It was when Gerark said he had¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± The two turned and saw Crossel standing fifteen feet behind them.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Al asked.

    The worker crossed the difference in space and stood in front of Al, despite it being the middle of the street. He sniffed and thumbed his nose. Anla¡¯s mouth pursed around the ¡°w¡± sound of ¡°watch out!¡± right before Crossel cocked his arm back and slugged Al across the jaw.

    Al staggered to the side, tripping over his feet. ¡°Stay out of people¡¯s business, khalit!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Al said, standing his full five feet, five inches. Crossel turned back and was decked in the face full-force by Al¡¯s fist.

    Anla stood by, shocked by the first punch, then stupefied by Al¡¯s response. Crossel had a good one hundred pounds on Al¡¯s frame, but even still was being pommeled by the diminutive Al, a cordial glass slamming into a mug over and over again. When Crossel fell, Al jumped on him, saddling his hips and getting better angles.

    The look of shock hadn¡¯t left Crossel¡¯s face during the rain of blows. He at least had started to defend himself, only to have his hand broken or sprained when it was crushed between Al and his own face. Al, for his part, was honed in on Crossel¡¯s face, looking for openings and muttering the whole time. Most were swears, but she overheard him say once, through clenched teeth, ¡°I hate you, Aggie.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! Hey! No need to audition for the butcher!¡± she heard and broke out of her trance when she saw Raulin scoop up Al¡¯s arms from behind and haul him off the already puffy-faced wizard. Al yanked back and forth, trying to slide out, but gave up after a few moments and let himself be dragged off the man.

    Crossel turned to the side, coughed, and spat blood. Through his slit eyes he looked over at Al, but Anla couldn¡¯t tell what expression he was making. It was like trying to read a lumpy potato.

    Anla followed them across the street to an alley where Raulin stood, guarding the entrance from Al¡¯s escape. Al was putting the bellows to mend, his hands on his knees. ¡°What was that about?¡± Raulin asked to the both of them when she joined them.

    She shook her head in response, partially because she didn¡¯t know and partially because she didn¡¯t want to say what she did know.

    ¡°Well, I do have to thank you, Wizard, for always fighting me with words instead of fists. Not sure how distinguished I¡¯d look with an angry woman¡¯s cookie sheet across my face.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel and get him patched up. We can talk about what we learned and discuss how much money you owe Al.¡±

    ¡°Already? Well, that explains the fight a little more. Come on, Wizard. I know you¡¯re spent, so I promise to poke holes in anything that gives you so much as a raised eyebrow.¡±

    * * *

    Al had somehow managed not to spill a drop of blood on his clothes, despite having five knuckles split open and the other three abraded. Besides the swelling on his lip and hands, he was fine. Raulin gave him his remaining unguent from Alistad to patch his hands.

    ¡°All right,¡± Raulin said, settling on Al and Anla¡¯s bed. ¡°Shake your fruit.¡±

    Anla smiled at this. ¡°You always say that about someone else, unless you want them to dance. It¡¯s ¡®whistle your tune¡¯.¡±

    ¡°So much to learn about Dickery. Okay, Wizard, whistle your tune.¡±

    Al had remained aloof up until that point, sitting on the floor in the corner and drawing himself out only a little. ¡°Vint is the guy.¡±

    ¡°Vint? Who¡¯s he?¡±

    ¡°The clerk for Gerark and Sons. I got Crossel to admit that Vint was blackmailing him into letting him tag along to his deliveries and being quiet about it.¡±

    ¡°Nicely done, Wizard. Was Crossel the guy you sculpted into a hatbox?¡±

    Al nodded meekly.

    ¡°Well, I hope you didn¡¯t knock Vint out, too.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t there. We told the owner to switch the deliveries around so that he¡¯ll be going with Crossel on Tuesday to the Brautivards.¡±

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t see it right now, but I am grinning like a dog behind a rotisserie shop. That¡¯s fantastic work. I¡¯m going to have to give you another bonus.¡±

    Al should have smiled to that, but he continued to seem withdrawn.

    ¡°You were saying it was the man¡¯s illness that set you off. Why?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°He has sweet-blood. It means you have to eat carefully or else your body starts shutting down. Most with sweet-blood have some ailments, which is why they saw a doctor. I¡¯m guessing that Vint has blurry vision and numb fingers, which explains why the letters he left for Lady Amirelsa looked so erratic and splotchy. And I bet he has to use the restroom a lot. He likely asked to use the Brautivard¡¯s and bumped into the lady. I bet he uses it as an excuse for when he goes with Crossel to deliver. And finally, one of the treatments for sweet-blood is bloodletting. It¡¯s a pain for doctors to get rid of excess blood in their clinics; it¡¯s one of the taboo items, like certain chemicals, that can¡¯t be dumped into the sewers legally. I¡¯m sure Vint¡¯s doctor is more than happy to let him take his blood home, which is where he¡¯s getting his ink.¡±

    ¡°Amazing,¡± Raulin said. ¡°And you just knew all that?¡±

    ¡°I remembered it from class and it clicked when Gerark said it.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to go have a little talk with Ol¡¯ Whole-Mourning at the warehouse and get him to¡­¡± Raulin looked at Anla.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Roast his coffee,¡± she said.

    ¡°¡­roast his coffee, thank you.¡±

    When Raulin had left, Anla turned to Al. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with little enthusiasm.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem okay.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I lost control. It¡¯s something I promised would never happen. I don¡¯t even know when I tapped into the Unease or when I started punching him. I can¡¯t really remember much from that time, just the feeling of my fists smashing into his face.¡±

    ¡°You called him Aggie and said you hated him.¡±

    Al looked dumbstruck for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t hate Aggie, though. He¡¯s my best friend.¡±

    ¡°Why, though?¡±

    ¡°Because he was always there for¡­well, he listened to¡­he hung out with me. Whenever I said, ¡®I need to get out of the house¡¯, he would take me somewhere. To the bar or a restaurant, maybe just out walking. And he¡¯d take my mind off things by telling me stories about himself.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯d pay?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­his wife didn¡¯t work and he had four children, so it just made sense for me to pay.¡±

    ¡°And did you tell him stories?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What did he think about them?¡±

    ¡°Well, listening was never Aggie¡¯s thing.¡±

    ¡°And how often did you get into trouble with him during these times?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°A bunch, but it made for some interesting tales.¡±

    Anla stood and sat on the floor next to Al. ¡°I haven¡¯t had many friends in my life, but when I do, I¡¯ve noticed why. They all have things in common: they listen, they share, and they help. I know you don¡¯t like my heritage and I know you hate my magic. But, you and I both listen, share, and help each other. I consider you my friend, Al.¡±

    ¡°But you used me. The only reason we¡¯re together right now is because you tricked me into the chalice bond.¡±

    ¡°I did. I didn¡¯t know you then. But, I do now, and I think there¡¯s something to be said of someone who uses someone and then halts that when they befriend someone and something to be said of someone who befriends someone and then uses them.

    ¡°Raulin put the thought of coffee into my mind. There¡¯s a cafe two blocks away that smelled delicious when we walked by earlier. Would you like a cup? My treat.¡±

    Al seemed puzzled for a moment, then said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    * * *

    Tuesday couldn¡¯t come fast enough for Raulin. He had high hopes for the day, but tried to keep his giddiness to a cautious optimism. Everything was prepared, the wizard¡¯s logic was sound, but Raulin¡¯s track record was cursed. The one time he had managed to escape unfettered from his theft, he had managed to bungle things with Anla. This time, though, this time was different. It was noble. It was valiant. And, maybe a little bit brilliant, but mostly the other things.

    Three days. Just the thought of getting a contract done in three days versus the three and a half days he had allotted for this made him grin again. That was three more weeks in Genale, and oh, how he loved Genale.

    Patience, he thought as he stood behind the wardrobe in Amirelsa¡¯s room.

    He didn¡¯t have to wait too much longer. Their was a metallic rattling as the knob to her bedroom door slowly twisted. After a click, the door opened and a man slipped inside. He was pasty and aged; though he had been told he was in his mid-thirties, he looked closer to fifty. The skin hung off his frame in a way that suggested he had once been rather portly, but was now pooling in his poor health.

    The man looked around quickly, too quickly, and moved to her vanity. Raulin¡¯s mouth curled a little as the man held up her bristle brush, plucked a few strands of hair, and rubbed them on his face. He tucked those into his pocket, then moved on to a few cosmetic brushes, breathing deeply of those. When he finished, he turned and eyed the bed. He stood in front of it, rubbing the fabric first tenderly, then frantically for several minutes before finally taking out a letter and placing it on the coverlet.

    When he turned around, Raulin was right in front of him. ¡°You must be Vint.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± he said, his face growing somehow paler.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you left for her this time.¡± He plucked the letter off the bed and began scanning. When Vint tried to maneuver around him, he flashed out a knife and said, ¡°Ah, tut tut. You wouldn¡¯t want to run out on your audience. Hmm. ¡®You left your home on Wednesday to attend the party of that degenerate. I¡¯ve told you several times now that if you stay at home, I will protect you from everything evil in this world.¡¯ How would you do that? Not show up around here?¡±

    ¡°She is mine,¡± he said, quietly through clenched teeth.

    ¡°How can she be yours if you can¡¯t even care for yourself?¡±

    ¡°I will get better.¡±

    ¡°I admire your hope, but we both know that¡¯s not true. Sweet-blood is a slow death sentence.¡± He moved in front of Vint when he tried to leave. ¡°She appreciated the letters and gifts before they turned ugly. Why the change?¡±

    ¡°She was going to be married to someone else, given away like some common whore.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she had much of a say in the matter? She¡¯s a woman, a noble woman at that, and she needs to marry an earl. Unless I¡¯m sorely mistaken, you aren¡¯t an earl.¡±

    ¡°We were going to run away¡­¡±

    Just then, the majordomo and Lady Amirelsa arrived and stood in the doorway. Vint stood there, stock still, with a smirk on his lips like he thought this situation was funny.

    ¡°You may want to flag the police,¡± Raulin suggested. ¡°If you have a secure place to keep him, I¡¯ll move him there.¡±

    ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t know you,¡± Amirelsa said.

    ¡°You do,¡± he mumbled. ¡°We¡¯ve met many times.¡±

    Her eyebrows furrowed and she slowly shook her head.

    ¡°You passed me in the hallway today! You looked at me, nodded, and gave me a smile. You knew what I was thinking, what I was going to say without even saying it!¡±

    She looked at Raulin, who drew his thumb and first two fingers off his temple. He hoped she wouldn¡¯t blame herself due to his mental problems. She looked down before backing out of the room.

    ¡°Get back here,¡± Vint said, his tone dangerous. When only the majordomo took up the doorway, he yelled, ¡°Get back here!¡±

    ¡°On second thought, if you give me directions to the nearest police station, I¡¯ll be glad to dump him there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to accompany you, so there are no mix-ups.¡±

    ¡°Tell her to get back here,¡± Vint demanded, which they both ignored.  As he was led out of the house, he kept yelling for her until Raulin threatened to break his jaw.  Still, it was several blocks of alternate whining, complaining, threats, and attempts to escape. ¡°I¡¯d stop,¡± Raulin said after the third time, ¡°or I can help you out with your daily bloodletting right here and now.¡±

    At the station, the perplexed officers locked up Vint and were given medical instructions, less because Raulin cared about the stalker¡¯s health and more because he¡¯d rather see the man serve justice. The majordomo served handy when Vint tried to claim it was Raulin who had left the notes and items.

    On their return, the majordomo asked if there was anything he could get or do for Raulin. ¡°My investigator would be very pleased if the lady kept to her end of the bargain, a book she said she¡¯d give him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡±

    ¡°Nothing else. You¡¯ve already paid handsomely for my services.¡±

    ¡°If I may ask, how did you succeed when everyone else failed?¡±

    Raulin gave this a few moments thought. ¡°I had a good team.¡±

    After he entered their hotel, he knocked on the other room and let himself in. All three looked up from their books or journals. Instead of saying anything, he ceremoniously placed the book, two piles of coins, and a pouch on the bed.

    ¡°You got him? It was Vint?¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Red-handed. That¡¯s both your payments, Al¡¯s bonus, and the copy of Lady of Sorrow, the latest Arvonnese alley novel by Forin Des¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Desuint?¡± Al asked, jumping up from his seat and snatching the book from Raulin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Yes? Your favorite, I assume?¡±

    ¡°Yes! He¡¯s the most prolific alley novelist in Arvonne. There are others who do a great job, but he really gets it. He understands how the people feel and what they truly want, their deepest desires.¡±

    Not even this would break Raulin¡¯s spirits. He waited as Al thumbed through the beginning, then realized he was going to return to his seat and read the whole thing. ¡°Did you want to take your earnings?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah,¡± he said, and scooped up the coins and the pouch with his hand, not breaking his concentration in the slightest.

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Wizard, look in the damn bag.¡±

    Al put the book down carefully and opened the pouch. ¡°Kriskin malor! What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your bonus, twenty percent of my take. They paid Arvarikor eight hundred gold to solve this case. I get four hundred, and you get¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­eighty gold! I thought it was just twenty! Well, not ¡®just¡¯ twenty; that¡¯s still a lot of gold. But¡­plus five!¡±

    ¡°It took you less than a quarter of a day to solve a mystery that stumped even the Cumber. I think that deserves eighty-five gold. You saved me weeks of work. Both of you,¡± he finished, looking at Anla.

    ¡°So, would you say this was successful?¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°Yes. And I think it¡¯s time we have a long conversation about my work.¡±

 Chapter 129

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose it can wait?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes, I know you really want to read that book, Wizard, but this is important. I promise not to take too much away from your damsel and prince.¡±

    Al sighed dramatically, but placed the book down and feigned rapt attention.

    Since everyone else was sitting on the floor, Raulin joined them. ¡°It has been brought to my attention, several times, that you three might not be happy sitting around in hotel rooms while I do my work. True?¡±

    ¡°I have been leaving the hotel to watch people and write in my journal,¡± Tel said, holding up the book.

    ¡°Well, now that I have this book, I think I¡¯m- ow!¡± Al said, jumping back from a pinched leg.

    ¡°And how long will it take you to read that book?¡± Anladet asked.

    ¡°A day, maybe two?¡±

    ¡°And after that?¡±

    ¡°After that? Well, I have two other books. So, maybe a week¡¯s worth of reading. But, yes, okay, after that I will be bored again.¡±

    ¡°And at that point would you like to spend your hard-earned money on more books or would you like more opportunities to earn money and see the world?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°The latter.¡±

    ¡°All right, then. My initial dilemma still doesn¡¯t change. If I were to invite you three in on my contracts, I still run the risk of Arvarikor discovering our setup and the punishment to be severe, for all of us. I don¡¯t take that lightly. If we proceed, it will have to be with the utmost care.

    ¡°The main reason why I¡¯ve decided to give you the choice to work with me or not is because the numbers look good. As I¡¯ve said before, I rush through my contracts in order to get an extended vacation in a beautiful place to spend the money I earned throughout the year. Anything that gets me there faster with an acceptable amount of risk is okay in my book. Previous to arriving at New Wextif, I was about two days behind my schedule. Not terrible, and it was mostly due to the massive detour taken to avoid the hunters after Carvek.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have had that problem if you didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Al pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, true. If it makes you feel any better about our situation, that contract was forced on me. I didn¡¯t want it.¡±

    Al blinked a few times. ¡°Forced?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I tried to take as few assassination contracts as possible, but one of the trivren, the retired trirecs that oversee the operations, forced me to take it. I knew I had to take a few, so I had four, but wound up getting six after his meddling.¡±

    Al seemed very perplexed by this. Anla met Tel¡¯s eyes briefly, then asked Raulin, ¡°Why did you decide to reduce your killing contracts?¡±

    ¡°Being stranded in the middle of the ocean makes a man think. I promised Queyella a large donation and that I would take less assassinations if She rescued me. Whether it was Her or fate or coincidence, I was rescued, so I kept my end of the bargain.¡±

    ¡°I thought you liked killing,¡± Al said.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°There are some who do, but I¡¯m not one. I¡¯d rather just take spying contracts, but Arvarikor doesn¡¯t like its trirecs focusing on one branch. It¡¯s stupid, really, since¡­¡± He stopped. ¡°That¡¯s probably enough about that.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°But you said you liked killing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you said I liked killing. Unless you were goading me, in which case, I¡¯m the bad guy and why try to change your mind about it.¡±

    The two said nothing for a few moments, then Raulin continued. ¡°Where was I? Ah, so we arrived in New Wextif roughly a week ago and I¡¯ve finished two contracts in that time. I had planned for three weeks on the stalking one, since I suspected it was going to be a lot of monitoring of the house and waiting for the man to show himself. Al solved it in a few hours. Anla, of course, was instrumental in helping as well and did great at the libertine ball.

    ¡°I¡¯m now considering inviting you to help with my future contracts. I¡¯d first like to see what that would look like before I say ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No killing,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Yes, I think we¡¯ve established that. I¡¯m not going to involve you guys in anything you don¡¯t want to do, which means I won¡¯t even bother asking you to help with assassinations, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°No spying,¡± Telbarisk said.

    Al turned to look at him. ¡°No spying? Why not?¡±

    ¡°The spying that hurts people.¡±

    When he didn¡¯t elaborate, Raulin chimed in. ¡°Grivvens feel it is very amoral for people to get involved in relationships between others. They will listen to all the griping one does, if they¡¯re patient, but they would never step in and tell them how to deal with it. They wouldn¡¯t even give information that proved the other party was innocent in a case of mistaken identity or understanding. So, no, Tel, I won¡¯t make you help me in cases that are like that.¡±

    ¡°What about the case we just had with Lady Amirelsa?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I would have explained to him the circumstances and he most likely would have declined to help.¡±

    Al gave Telbarisk a curious look. Anla spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m still working on my magic, but I am willing to help with anything. I would prefer not to entrance people, though, if at all possible.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m prepared well enough, I shouldn¡¯t need people influenced at all. Your sound dampening is invaluable, as I¡¯ve said before, and as well as your abilities to track sound and hear deviations.¡±

    When she said nothing, nor did anyone else, Raulin pulled out his notebook and opened to a point a dozen pages into the journal. ¡°Veri-Viscount Fietro Kiinvar, 19, five foot eight, thin build, dark brown hair and hazel-green eyes, of normal noble stock. Has been missing for about four months now. No ransom note, no signs of struggle from his bedroom, which was the last place he was seen. His family would like his safe return. Any thoughts?¡±

    ¡°He ran away?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°That would be my guess.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully there¡¯s not a Magrithon cult involved,¡± Anla said dryly. She looked back at Raulin and cleared her throat. ¡°Um, I likely couldn¡¯t track him, especially if he went willingly, but I might be able to hear any conversations lingering near his room. If there¡¯s anything sneaky going on with the family, I might be able to hear it in their voices.¡±

    ¡°Wizard?¡±

    ¡°My magic won¡¯t help here. I can offer my education and apparent skills in deduction.¡±

    ¡°Tel?¡±

    He thought about this, then shook his head. ¡°I think this is one that I wouldn¡¯t want to help with. Sorry, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I was curious as to how you guys would approach it and, with the limited information, didn¡¯t expect much. Let¡¯s try another.¡± He turned the page. ¡°This is a request from Earl Tribelta. His daughter, Gretza, is recently married and he suspects the secretary of her husband is plotting against her, noting a lack of heir and her unhappiness as reasons. Hmm, ¡± he said, looking up, ¡°probably not something you want to be involved with, Tel.¡± He went back to reading. ¡°It¡¯s under ¡®due diligence¡¯, so you guys likely won¡¯t help out with that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®due diligence¡¯?¡± asked Al.

    ¡°When we are assigned questioning contracts, such as someone suspecting their spouse of infidelity, we aren¡¯t going to trail that person until they do. That could be never. We offer due diligence instead; we follow the person and record their activities for two weeks or until the question is answered. In this case, I would tail the secretary for two weeks, especially anything he does with this earl she¡¯s married to. I think Anla would be another good candidate. Perhaps I can get an invite to this man¡¯s house and you can parse something out between them?¡±

    She looked at him and blinked rapidly a few times. ¡°Y..yes, I could do th..that,¡± she answered. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t give the name of the earl; I would have written it down. The secretary¡¯s name is¡­¡± He slumped his shoulders and let out a groan. ¡°Corrin.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I knew her name sounded familiar. Gretza Tribelta and Corrin are the wife and secretary of my friend, Vanif Remint.¡±

    ¡°You have to spy on your friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well, at least I¡¯m already returning to his place tomorrow. Maybe I can get this due diligence done with quickly. I hate to do it, but there¡¯s nothing going on there. I¡¯ll clear his name quickly.¡± He felt confident in that, but he did worry. What if there was something going on?

    ¡°I¡¯ll continue to plan and let you three know when I need you. Thank you,¡± Raulin said before leaving.

 Chapter 130

    At least on this occasion Raulin got to save some money before losing it. As a ¡®man¡¯s event¡¯, he wasn¡¯t expected to dress well or arrive in a carriage for Vanif¡¯s game night. One of the outfits from Hanala, trousers, and a button-up shirt was sufficient and he took the horse-drawn trolley as far as he could before walking.

    The manor seemed relatively quiet without any party attendees chatting in groups on the lawn. Everything would be inside, since this was technically an illegal event and subject to the police¡¯s whims, should they be notified about it.

    The door opened to a smiling Corrin, who gestured for Raulin to enter. ¡°I saw you coming up the walkway. Welcome!¡±

    ¡°Good to see you again, Corrin,¡± Raulin said cheerfully, though puzzled as to why Vanif¡¯s majordomo wasn¡¯t taking this job.

    ¡°You as well, sir. Affects?¡±

    ¡°None but my money, and I won¡¯t let you take that from me. I¡¯m sure Vanif will be doing that later.¡±

    Corrin grinned and gave a slight bow. ¡°The hall is all set up and ready for you, sir.¡±

    The atrium was still as it had been during his first visit, but all the furniture in the left wing was pushed against the wall. Several collapsible tables were in the middle, green felt tacked on top and several chairs surrounding each. In the center was a roulette wheel, a craps table, and even a swilget loom. He hadn¡¯t seen one of those since his last tour through Kinto. He was early, so there were only a dozen or so people talking or taking a chance at one of the stations.

    The first table had no dealer and was set up for a four-person game or two two-person games of maccre. Even if there had been someone waiting for a partner, Raulin would have skipped it. He found that maccre, like chess, was a game that rewarded people that could plan far ahead. He didn¡¯t quite have the head for it.

    At the next table was a dealer leading a game of twenty-one. Raulin liked twenty-one. The rules were simple, and though you could win by counting the cards, you could also win by playing well and having a little luck. He was also only playing against the dealer, meaning he didn¡¯t have to make enemies to make money.

    He didn¡¯t gamble often, finding it boring after a certain amount of time, but found himself absorbed by the game. He heard the crowd around him grow, getting louder. Several drinks and likely an hour later, Raulin was pleased to stand up from the table a little richer.

    The crowd had tripled at least. There was no room at any of the tables and someone scrambled to take his spot once he stood up to leave. He noticed a few women dressed in typical parlor wear, two thin muslin scarves belted with green at the chest and hips, exposing a fair share of skin. They weren¡¯t Iondikan priestesses, but they were there to help with luck and make the men feel good about attending.

    Also in the crowd were a few women participants, wearing wide trousers, tucked vests over blouses, and hair simply pulled back in queues or braids. He was pleased to see Lady Amirelsa among those at the craps table, cheering on a man with a good run.

    And Vanif was standing off to the side, watching everyone with his arms crossed. Raulin thought the opportunity and the last piece of information he noted melded together nicely, so he approached his friend with the opening. ¡°I thought this was a mens event,¡± he said, making himself sound curious and not accusatory.

    Vanif tore his eyes away to look at Raulin and smiled. ¡°I always make a few exceptions for those I know won¡¯t object to a little debauchery and crude language.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought Amirelsa was one of those types.¡±

    Vanif¡¯s eyes flicked over to her spot and back to Raulin. ¡°She¡¯s an exception to an exception. I¡¯d describe her as refined, maybe not someone interested in this type of party, but she begged to come tonight. She¡¯s newly free, did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Free? I only met her briefly at your last party, so I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Ah. She had a man who was following her, leaving her terrible letters and gruesome little presents. Very disgusting. The family couldn¡¯t figure out who it was that was haranguing their poor girl. They tried the Cumber, the police, private investigators, everyone. Finally, they took out a contract with a trirec and,¡± he snapped his fingers, ¡°in three days he figured it out. The stalker is now rotting in jail and our darling there was bursting to taste her liberties. I couldn¡¯t say no.¡±

    It was so rare that Raulin got to do good in his profession. He gave a small smile, a fraction of what he felt, and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear she¡¯s safe again.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I think we all are. I like to think of us nobles as closer than merely distant cousins. We¡¯re brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts. Not one of us likes to see a family member distressed or hurt.¡±

    Raulin raised his glass of an iced mixed drink called an Ap Jorsen and cheered to his words. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you gambling. Content just to make money and not lose it?¡±

    Vanif snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not making much, if any. Parties need to be staffed and staffs cost money.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of staff, your Corrin seems to be doing very well in his position.¡± The two looked over to see the secretary engaged in conversation with a newly arrived man while he took his coat, gloves, and umbrella. ¡°I recall him being equally as attentive at your last party.¡±

    ¡°He is a gem, that one. He was a lackey at one of my family¡¯s law firms, spending his days fetching tea and making appointments. He was talented in that capacity, but I knew when I saw him that there was so much more potential. We spoke and I offered him a position doing what he had been doing, with the understanding that I may need him for other tasks. And everything I¡¯ve thrown at him, he¡¯s excelled at. He¡¯s in charge of my parties, now. I say what and when, and he¡¯s already planned them down to the flatware. He buys all my presents, too, so if you ever decide to pull yourself off the market, you¡¯ll know who put the thought into your wedding gift. The list goes on.¡±

    ¡°He seems invaluable,¡± Raulin remarked.

    ¡°Beyond so. I don¡¯t think I can function without him. Do you know he has a crystal memory? If you flash a letter in front of his face for three seconds, then take it away, he can recite anything from it. I¡¯ve never heard of a mind being so sharp!¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s fascinating. I¡¯d like to see that. Are you sure he isn¡¯t secretly noble and that¡¯s his merit?¡±

    Vanif barked a laugh. ¡°Sure seems like he¡¯s gifted.¡± He caught his secretary¡¯s eyes and waved him over. ¡°Corrin, could you recite the second paragraph of the letter Lord Witterbri sent today?¡±

    Corrin blinked a few times before stating, ¡°¡®I¡¯m writing to ask you to spare a few moments of your time to discuss the latest version of Article 43, Section 8 of the motion ratified last week by Parliament over tariffs involved with the sale of metal components for our newest inventions, including several clocks, wind-up toys, Warshan¡¯s automaton, and¡­''¡±

    Vanif waved him quiet. ¡°Impressed?¡± he asked Raulin.

    ¡°Yes! That was extraordinary!¡±

    ¡°Comes in quite handy. I have a reputation for having a good eye for certain inventions that tend to do well. I¡¯ve had my notes stolen before, only to see my instincts commandeered by others who profit. Since I¡¯ve hired Corrin, I haven¡¯t had that problem.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Makes for a good partnership,¡± he said. ¡°Speaking of which, where is your wife, Gretza?¡±

    Raulin was watching for it, so he noticed the two men share a knowing look. ¡°This isn¡¯t really Gretza¡¯s preferred past time. She is retired for the evening, reading books or writing letters.¡±

    He wondered what the look was about. Perhaps Corrin had suggested this event and Gretza didn¡¯t like it. Or maybe Vanif had wanted it and there had been a fight over it. Either way, a look was not incriminating, nor did it shed any light on any problems.

    Raulin held conversation with them for a little longer, until Corrin left to attend to a new arrival and Vanif decided to try his hand at swilget, now that there were enough people to make it interesting. Raulin followed him and watched as people took turns dumping beads over the top and racing to put their bowls at the bottom of the tall box of criss-crossed string. The beads would fall randomly along the strings and land in one of the bowls. The participants would then sift through their bowls to see if they got the colored beads that would correspond to different winnings. On Vanif¡¯s first try, he got the black bead. He grinned as he received half the bets and the good-natured cries of cheating from the crowd.

    After some time, Raulin wandered away and began striking conversations with men smoking outside or taking a break for some refreshments from tables on the far end of the hallway. He kept up his pretense of trying to secure money to reclaim the Arvonnese throne and a few promised to pledge money if he called on them. During his last tour of Gheny, he had taken some money so that his cover wouldn¡¯t look suspicious, and deposited into a bank that he had drawn from to pay the wizard his bonus. He still had several hundred gold in it, just as he had in a Kintanese and a Kitstuarian bank. That practice was forbidden by Arvarikor, who wished to be the only supply line for its trirecs. Raulin, however, wasn¡¯t trusting enough, and made sure to hide his extra assets well from the order.

    He returned inside after sweeping the gardens for anything that would stand out to help his case. He doubted he would find anything and was correct when he came up empty-handed. Raulin tried his hand again a twenty-one, but found his luck only kept him slightly below even and he quit playing after ten rounds.

    He spent more time stalling, trying to drag out the time. Whenever he saw a crowd gathered around a table, he joined it. Whenever he noticed someone off to the side, he sidled up for a conversation. Still, it was rather boring. He could sit in a bush for hours waiting for night to fall without a problem, but being lonely in a room full of people seemed to be a challenge.

    Finally, close to one in the morning, people began to have their items retrieved by Corrin and bid farewell. When there was only a dozen people left, Raulin approached Vanif, who was still watching the players with a gleam in his eye. ¡°Do you mind if I use a restroom on your second floor? The one down here is being used.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± he said. ¡°It was kind of my father to install plumbing when he bought the house fifteen years ago.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see myself out then?¡±

    Vanif turned and embraced Raulin. ¡°Good to see you again. I hope you make your rounds for your country and are attending plenty of events. If not, I¡¯ll likely be having another party next week. Check in with Corrin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try to make it.¡±

    He did check in with his secretary, since that was going to be an easy in to the house if he needed it again. Corrin informed him that it was going to be a tasting party featuring hard-to-find cold and winter foods. Raulin thanked him and he almost salivated thinking about the iced creams and chilled cranberry chutney that was sure to be served.

    The house was asymmetrical, so the left wing was the only wing it had. When Raulin got to the top of the stairs, he opened the door to the hallway flush against the back of the house. The main rooms were above the hallway, kitchens, and dining room downstairs and the bathroom was at the end.

    He turned to the room to the left of it and opened the door slowly. The lighting in the hallway was poor, just enough to cast a light glow inside the room. Two desks were arranged on either side, surrounded by bookcases, paintings, knickknacks, inventions, and a table with chairs in the middle. One side of the room was organized and clean whereas the other was looked like an artful storm had blown through.

    The next room was also on the small side, likely both were the bedrooms of future children. This one was clean and made for a guest. At least that¡¯s what he thought until he saw a neat stack of letters on the dresser addressed to Corrin. Raulin blinked a few times at this; servents¡¯ quarters were almost always in a wing away from the family¡¯s quarters. Barring that, they would sleep in small rooms in the basement. The two were apparently very good business partners.

    He backed out of the room quietly and almost startled when he saw a figure out of the corner of his eyes. ¡°May I help you?¡± Gretza asked, holding a candle and wearing a thin silk robe.

    He gave a sheepish smile. ¡°I apologize. I was looking for the bathroom and got lost.¡±

    ¡°Odd. Most bathrooms are marked with a spike of wheat, much like the room at the end of the hallway.¡±

    ¡°The light was poor.¡±

    ¡°I can see it from here.¡±

    There was silence as the two looked at each other for a few moments. ¡°Well, thank you for your help. I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Vanif¡¯s friend, the Arvonnese count.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Marin Liasorn, Count of Aubrige,¡± he said, bowing.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I think we should talk about your lack of direction.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a reply before she retreated to the next room, leaving the door open a crack.

    If Raulin were stupid or a gambler, he would have walked away. But, the time spent at the party had proved he was at least not a gambler and he hoped that by not being a gambler, he was also not stupid. She had caught him snooping. She was telling him that her silence could be bought, but it was best not to discuss prices out in the hallway, within potential hearing of anyone else drifting upstairs.

    She was lighting more candles in her room when he entered and closed the door behind him. He grasped the pouch of coins on his hip, estimating he was twenty gold richer at perhaps seventy. He hoped she didn¡¯t want all of that.

    When she was finished, she stood on the thick quitra rug just a few feet in front of him. He bowed, his hand resting on his chest, and said, ¡°My lady, I apologize for my indiscretion. If there¡¯s anything¡­¡±

    He stopped as she quickly untied her garment and, with a few practiced motions, disrobed completely. She stood still as he took her in, skin pale, hips round, and stiffly holding herself as she fought not to cover herself again. He was unsure how he had mistaken her for Anla, since there was hardly anything the same about them. Gretza paled next to her, but she was still an attractive woman.

    ¡°You said ¡®anything¡¯,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°I did,¡± he responded, moving closer. ¡°This?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± she said, though she lacked any enthusiasm.

    Was this the problem in the household, her infidelity? Maybe this wasn¡¯t an issue that was Corrin¡¯s fault but, in fact, Gretza¡¯s. If she refused to bed her husband, instead preferring the company of other men, especially those foreign and just passing through, then it would explain the lack of heirs and why her family thought there was a schism in the Remint family.

    Raulin was relieved he could prove his friend¡¯s innocence in one hour. He leaned down to kiss her and she moved her head to the side, his lips landing on her cheek. It took a great deal of time before she relaxed and backed herself to her bed. And even then, she still held her breath, clenched her hands, and flinched from his touch until she arched her back and cried out It was a little more enjoyable after that, but Raulin had still been prepared to jump away if she had said one negative word. He didn¡¯t think much about it, his thoughts consumed with other things, only chalking it up as poor chemistry between them.

    Afterward, though, as he sat naked on the edge of her bed, he did think. And he was not happy. He¡¯d never been in this position before, sleeping with a friend¡¯s wife. Even though he had just proved that his friend was innocent, he still felt terribly guilty over it. He deserves better, he thought, but what if he loves her?

    The house was quiet enough to hear the gas leak from the sconces. He opened the door to the balcony and was close to descending the staircase when he heard light laughter and hushing sounds following. He moved back and hid behind one of the large floor-to-ceiling curtains, like some common thief, just before he saw movement at the bottom of the stairs.

    It was hard to see past the curtain without giving away his position, but at least he could hear well enough. He heard a throaty moan followed by the unmistakable, wet sound of two people kissing. Before he could make any guesses as to the identity of the two participants, he saw the profile of Vanif pressing against someone. At the angle they were at, he couldn¡¯t see who it was until the other person pushed lightly against Vanif¡¯s chest and said, ¡°We¡¯re being too loud.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s breath caught in his throat. It was Corrin.

    ¡°Too loud? Everyone has gone home, even the staff.¡±

    ¡°I worry about being careful. I swear she¡¯s caught us at least once.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡±

    And Corrin didn¡¯t. He grasped Vanif¡¯s shirt and pulled his lips to his, reaching up to run his fingers through his employer¡¯s hair. Vanif pulled back and stared for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Corrin said, moving up the stairs. ¡°Now I definitely know what you want.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Vanif said, yanking on his wrist and pulling him Corrin back against him. ¡°No one but you.¡±

    ¡°No one but you,¡± he repeated, kissing him for a few moments before the two walked upstairs, past the curtain Raulin was behind, and through the door to the bedroom.

    Raulin, still stunned, couldn¡¯t move for a few moments. Two minutes either way and he would have falsely accused Gretza of being the reason their marriage was bad. Two minutes either way and one of his dear friends would be free to continue his life as he wished. But he had landed right in the middle of four precious minutes and now held the key to his friend¡¯s destruction.

 Chapter 131

    Raulin lightly knocked on Anla and the wizard¡¯s room before entering when he heard no one objected. His heart stopped when he saw Anla¡¯s nude torso on top of Al, frozen as she looked over at him. ¡°Sorry,¡± she whispered and grabbed her shirt, pulling it on while Al continued to snore. ¡°I think I tossed off my clothes in the middle of the night. I tend to do that when it¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, his head feeling a little woozy from the quick change in blood pressure. He closed the door behind him and stood awkwardly while she pulled on a pair of traveling pants and began to brush her hair.

    ¡°What passes? Did you need to speak to me or Al about something?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, not really. Maybe more talking at you about something that doesn¡¯t involve you.¡±

    ¡°Advice? Or just to chat?¡±

    ¡°Something along those lines.¡±

    She gestured to the chair in the corner of the room. While not a fancy room, it at least had that and a desk with a chair, which she sat in and turned to face Raulin. ¡°What brings you to my humble abode?¡±

    ¡°I finished Remint¡¯s case last night.¡±

    ¡°That fast? How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Sheer luck and depravity. That¡¯s not really why I came to talk, though. My problem is whether or not I¡¯m going to be honest and turn in the assignment, or I¡¯m going to lie.¡±

    Her eyebrows lifted for a moment. ¡°You always seem determined in your work. What changed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a friend, a real friend. This isn¡¯t some guy I chatted with at a party; this is Vanif. It¡¯s not easy to crack into high society if you don¡¯t know anyone. He saw me floundering at a party and we clicked. He introduced me to all the important people. He invited me to every party, every luncheon, fundraiser, and high tea he was having until I was established. And then, when the rumors started, as they always do, he personally saw to them being quashed. People don¡¯t normally stick their necks out for others like that.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever ask him why?¡±

    ¡°He said he saw potential in me. I¡¯d guess that¡¯s his merit, being able to see what works best for him and helping to nurture it into great returns. If that¡¯s true, then I can¡¯t fulfill this contract honestly.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, shifting in her seat.

    ¡°I arrived on the early side for his gambling event. I did rather well at twenty-one, made a little money. Then I spoke with Vanif and Corrin for a short while, mingled, had some food, then gambled a little more. I can¡¯t say it was very exciting; I mainly stalled so that I could sneak upstairs and snoop around. It was while I was sneaking around that Gretza, Vanif¡¯s wife, caught me. She invited me to her room and more or less suggested that I needed to tumble with her in order to buy her silence.¡±

    ¡°You slept with her?¡± Anla asked, her spine straightening.

    ¡°Yes. It was that or have her go downstairs and tell Vanif. In retrospect, she probably doesn¡¯t have his trust as much as I thought, and my saying I was lost would have been fine, but I try to avoid a trail as much as possible. I¡¯d rather not give people a way to connect Marin and Raulin.¡±

    ¡°So, you left her room and¡­¡±

    ¡°I left her room and the house was quiet. I was about to leave when I heard two people kissing. I hid behind the curtain and saw them.¡±

    ¡°Vanif and Corrin,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re Uranian. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal in¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al said, sitting bolt upright. He looked at Anla with a confused look, then startled when he saw Raulin slumped in the armchair. ¡°Why is he here?¡±

    ¡°We were talking about Raulin¡¯s mission last night.¡±

    ¡°Why? What happened?¡±

    Raulin recounted everything with a mirthless tone. When he finished, Al threw off his covers and said, ¡°Oh, I see the problem.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Anla said, folding her arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Anla,¡± Raulin said. ¡°This isn¡¯t about my feelings on homophiles. I don¡¯t think a man in my position is someone who should be giving morality lessons to others.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Al snorted at this, stretching to the side. ¡°He¡¯s right about that. And, well, the other thing. It¡¯s a rather large deal in the nobility.¡±

    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Those with even a tiny bit of Magrithon¡¯s blood are required to reproduce. That is essentially their only job. It doesn¡¯t matter how much money they make their family, how many friends they have, how many titles they earn, or what military campaigns they win, by the time they reach a certain age, they are expected to marry and have heirs. If they don¡¯t, they are disowned and considered ¡®ceri¡¯ blooded; they still have what they were born with, but no longer have their titles and family.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, looking at Raulin. ¡°So, your choice is to fail your contract or condemn your friend and his lover to the streets.¡±

    ¡°That is exactly my choice.¡±

    ¡°Why is it like that? Why can¡¯t they adopt a child or just not continue the line?¡±

    Al piped up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s law, first of all. Secondly, they need a god-blooded child to continue the line, so they can¡¯t just adopt any child. It would have to be one from a family that was also the same rank. No one in their right mind would send their child to a Uranian couple; the lower classes might not mind the convention too much, if its discreet, but it¡¯s seen as an aberration to the peerage. There¡¯s also the problem with the wife¡¯s family, which is probably why they contracted with Arvarikor about it. They know something¡¯s wrong, but their daughter is her husband¡¯s property and her loyalties are to him. She probably didn¡¯t tell them that the marriage wasn¡¯t consummated. They¡¯re concerned that the two family¡¯s lines haven¡¯t merged and are concerned that their daughter is, or will be accused of, being barren.¡± He turned to Raulin. ¡°That¡¯s probably why she slept with you; not for a dalliance, but to conceive a child with a similarly ranked noble that will leave Gheny in a short time. That would have been disappointing when she realized the child wasn¡¯t god-blooded.¡±

    ¡°It most certainly would have been a surprise,¡± Raulin answered.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t they just¡­change the law? Why do they have to have children in the first place?¡± Anla seemed beyond exasperated by the situation.

    ¡°Remember how Lady Silfa knew every soldier in her parent¡¯s household? It¡¯s one of the more common gifts being part-god gives you. They have a good eye for names and faces. Most have additional¡­I think they¡¯re called ¡®merits¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°Merits, yes,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°And merits are very valuable to a family. The purer your blood, the more powerful the merit. Kings and queens rule countries not just because of traditions and heredity, but also because their gifts are strong. It can be invaluable to have your sovereign with the ability to broker negotiations successfully or increased luck or the knack to increase harvests. King Aubin of Arvonne supposedly had the foresight that runs in his family and knew of the coup before it happened. That¡¯s one of the reasons why people believe one of the children survived and is still alive. That, plus, the country never collapsed and could be doing¡­¡±

    Raulin let out a very loud sigh under his mask.

    Al took notice and stopped, sitting on the bed. ¡°So, with the aristocracy, you have to marry and have children, and often your choice in a partner is limited. The sons of earls marry the daughters of earls, rarely lower or higher. They have children in the same category. And that¡¯s it; they are free to throw parties or waste their parents money or¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­hunt trirecs,¡± Raulin said, bitterly.

    ¡°¡­whatever they want, so long as their bloodlines are preserved. Of course, it¡¯s great if they also have a wonderful merit that helps the family. Vanif likely has a cross between future sight and mercantility, a great one to grow the family¡¯s holdings. Despite his success, though, his family will strip him of everything when they find out about his relationship with his secretary and the marriage will be dissolved.¡±

    ¡°Can you think of any way around this?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°What if I warned him and told him he needs to sleep with his wife.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, Raulin,¡± Anla said. ¡°Some homophiles are closer to just interested, some fancy both men and women, and some loath the idea of being with the opposite gender. You can¡¯t make them change. If that were they case, half the children who took in my siblings and I in Hanala wouldn¡¯t have been kicked out of their homes when their parents realized what they were. You just can¡¯t expect a man who loves another man enough to exchange a vow like that to just close his eyes and pretend.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying he loves men and only men.¡±

    ¡°Yes. He will never be happy with his wife. He probably would have been ecstatic if she had become pregnant with your child.¡±

    ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t?¡± Al asked. ¡°It¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    Raulin said nothing for a few minutes. Finally, he said, ¡°The tea I drink in the morning doesn¡¯t kill my childhood memories, it makes me sterile.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why did you lie about that?¡±

    ¡°Why were you eavesdropping?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping. You were speaking loudly.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want to call it, Wizard, it was information you didn¡¯t need to know and I didn¡¯t want you to know. I still don¡¯t, but it was important that you know.¡±

    ¡°Why was it important? So you can¡¯t have kids. That¡¯s probably a great thing for you, since you sleep around so much.¡±

    ¡°I want children.¡±

    There was silence for a few moments. ¡°But you can¡¯t have them because¡­¡±

    ¡°Precisely. Would you like me to go on about all the other things I hate about my life? Let¡¯s start with being forced to betray one of my good friends.¡±

    ¡°You could falsify the paperwork.¡±

    ¡°If discovered, Arvarikor will flay me, and I mean that literally since their favorite form of punishment is whipping. People pay hundreds of gold for our contracts because they know it will get done and it will get done right. Faking the contract would tarnish their reputation and erode the clarity and honesty they¡¯ve built up in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t really have a choice, then. You have to report him.¡±

    ¡°Nothing? You¡¯ve come up with nothing?¡±

    ¡°For now! Give me some time; I just woke up!¡±

    Raulin got up abruptly and left.

    ¡°Why does he expect astounding brilliance from me at eight in the morning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d take it as a compliment,¡± she answered. ¡°He knows you¡¯re capable of amazing things.¡±

    ¡°But does he have to be so crabby about it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in pain, Al. It¡¯s a hard choice he has to make. He¡¯s hoping he doesn¡¯t have to make it.¡±

    He nodded, which was about as much sympathy Anla could expect from him. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to find a work-around. The law is the law. ¡°

    ¡°Try. For me, if not for him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

 Chapter 132

    Anla found Raulin later that day draped over the bed in his room, his arms resting behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. She sat softly on the edge of the bed and watched him, his stomach rising and falling with each breath too shallowly to mean he was asleep. ¡°We haven¡¯t thought of anything,¡± she said. ¡°I was wondering if you wanted to go out for a walk or for dinner, to get out of the hotel for a bit.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even hesitate to stand up and grab his knapsack. They were out the door and down the street in just a minute, Anla struggling to keep up until he ducked into a narrow alley and shed his mask. When she looked up, she saw that he looked paler than she remembered, with dark bruises under his eyes.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept, have you?¡±

    He shrugged in response. ¡°What would you like for dinner? I believe the world is your oyster in New Wextif. Even within a mile from the hotel, we could find whatever food your heart desires.¡±

    Her eyebrows knit as she set the pace onto a main road. Smells of all kinds filled the streets, noises of horses and people and sellers of all kinds. In a way, it reminded her of Hanala, but she knew she would be lost here if she had a destination. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Anything you want. What¡¯s your favorite food?¡±

    ¡°Pasta, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Suppose? You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°We ate what we could gather, grow, or hunt at home. I¡¯ve had some interesting meals when my father decided to take us places, but you have to be selective with four children in tow. I know some fish and seafood that I like, some of the hearty Aroukean food, but not much else.¡±

    ¡°Hanala has some great restaurants, too. Why didn¡¯t you even try them?¡±

    ¡°If I had two silver to rub together for a meal, I wouldn¡¯t gamble on something I might not like. I wouldn¡¯t eat something fancy; those small plates that taste good are worth two or three day¡¯s cost for a quarter day¡¯s need. And I never tried something I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d like, unless it was free.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± He scratched his chin. ¡°How would you like a gastronomic education?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to teach you about food. It¡¯s one of the best subjects to learn, since part of your learning involves, well, eating. And eating is best done with company you enjoy. I¡¯d much rather have dinner with you than alone.¡±

    ¡°That sounds nice, Raulin. It¡¯s a deal, so long as you don¡¯t mind me pushing away something I don¡¯t like.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never force you to dine on something you don¡¯t enjoy. I¡¯ll even make you a deal: I¡¯ll take you to a pasta place afterwards and you can get your fill there if you don¡¯t enjoy dinner.¡±

    She gave him a warm smile. ¡°All right, then. What¡¯s my first lesson?¡±

    ¡°There are essentially three kinds of meals: home-cooked, restaurant, and fine dining. Home-cooked is basic, simply, but hearty, meant for giving sustenance to a hard-working husband and feeding a brood of children cheaply. This all comes down to how well the wife was taught by her mother and how much did she absorb. Not every man is lucky to have a woman who cooks well.

    ¡°On the streets you¡¯ll see plenty of restaurants. Here the cook¡¯s reputation is up at every plate he makes, since a restaurant isn¡¯t going to survive if it serves bad food. The chefs are likely trained, though maybe not, and the ingredients range with the price. My favorite part about dining in restaurants is the trip you can take to the place the food is from. Regions, styles, countries, these all play into what goes into every meal.

    ¡°And finally, fine dining. You¡¯re eating for taste and atmosphere with fine dining. The freshest and best ingredients, the highest trained chefs or wizards, the ambiance down to the color of the napkins set against the plates. It will be the best food you¡¯ve ever tasted, but you won¡¯t feel stuffed from the light fare.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to a fine dining place now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start you off with restaurants. It¡¯s easier to order a new meal if you don¡¯t like the first one and it won¡¯t be terribly expensive. Let¡¯s start with Noh Amair. You¡¯ve tried Aroukean food, you said. The hearty stuff: meat, potatoes, root vegetables, pies, gravy, seafood, soups, and stews. Sound familiar?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I even had a dish that was from the eastern part once. It was a little spicier and the bread was flat and aromatic.¡±

    ¡°Gongray, likely. Let¡¯s skip Arouk, then, and move easterly to Tondeiva. Their cuisine is similar, more fish, more pickling, less heavier meals. They love sauces and will drench their foods in them. Tondeivans have an interesting way of eating, too.¡± He pointed to a restaurant across the street. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±

    The restaurant¡¯s walls were decorated in wallpaper, a white background against yellow crisscrosses, and thinner, orange crisscrosses over those. Inside the white diamonds were a sprig of orange flowers tied together with a yellow ribbon. She found it nauseatingly pleasant and bright.

    ¡°In the mood for anything in particular? You order dinner according to the meat, so fish, chicken, beef, or pork. They¡¯re some of the best fish cooks in the world, but I think the sauces that go with the pork are amazing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try the pork, then,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have fish,¡± he said to the hostess, who nodded and sat them in a table by the window. They were served cold, brackish water and a bitter tea as empty plates were laid before them, Raulin¡¯s white and Anla¡¯s red.

    ¡°They¡¯ll come by with the sauces, then the food as it¡¯s cooked. You should take a moment to get accustomed to the vraidishk, the utensil they use to eat.¡±

    Anla picked it up, a sharp, metal stick with indentations and a break where it snapped in half. ¡°I have no idea what to do with it.¡±

    He took her vraidishk and nestled it between her thumb and index finger, right where the topmost indentation was. ¡°You hold it like a pencil. During the meal, you keep it broken. When you¡¯re finished, you pop it back into place. They cut and cook the food so it¡¯s easy to spear. You collect what you want to get different tastes from your bites, like pork and apple for something sweeter, or radish and cucumber for something cleaner. Your finger is your end point; don¡¯t stack more than that. And feel free to taste your sauces with your fingers, just not your thumb.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said, staring at the utensil.

    While they were waiting, Raulin spoke of his brief venture to Tondeiva. He hadn¡¯t had a contract there, he said. Instead, he had met with the team of trirecs that were to sail to Ervaskin, where he had met Telbarisk. He¡¯d stayed for a few days in port, watching the sea blow cold mist onto the shore, the gray mornings blending to gray afternoons, then finally giving a respite in night.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°I like stillness. I like peace when it finds me. I don¡¯t always need flash and excitement and celebration. But, I think I might have gone mad if I¡¯d had to stay there for one more day.¡±

    ¡°Besides that town, did you enjoy Tondeiva?¡±

    ¡°Like everywhere, it has its own sort of beauty. I road horseback throughout the open lands and it¡¯s a place that has astounding sunsets. Large rocks litter fields for miles, looking like some massive creatures playing marbles in the landscape. Locals think that trolls live inside the boulders.¡±

    ¡°Trolls don¡¯t live in boulders,¡± she said. ¡°They live in petrified logs of redwood trees, usually in swamps.¡±

    She kept from biting her lip and smiling at him for an impressive five seconds. ¡°You had me there,¡± he said. ¡°Are there any creatures living in the wilds of Gheny I should know about?¡±

    ¡°No. Legends from other tribes, but nothing odd. We know of some creatures the Ghenians don¡¯t know about, but they¡¯re animals, not people.¡±

    He nodded, then looked out the window. She watched him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand the rationale behind the laws regarding nobles, but it wouldn¡¯t be the first. And it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t been affected by it myself.¡±

    He turned back with a puzzled look. ¡°You were affected?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned before, at the ball, that I knew Lord Cavrige. That¡¯s because I was his¡­mistress, I suppose. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯d call the situation.¡±

    ¡°Cavrige,¡± he said, his eyebrows lifting. ¡°But he¡¯s so¡­¡±

    ¡°Unburdened by wonderful traits, I know. But, he was rich, at least richer than a barmaid at a Hanalese tavern, and he took quite a liking to me. I would dare say he was enamored with me, especially since he began dropping some not-so-subtle hints that he wanted to marry me.¡±

    ¡°Wow. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, given his reputation, and I have to admit he has great taste in this particular instance, but how was that for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I could get past his looks, especially in dark rooms. His personality, though, was grating. I know he meant well, and he was a sweet and thoughtful man, but his spine could have been a dishrag and his attempt at humor was insulting, especially once he realized I was half-elven. But, he didn¡¯t ask much from me and he worked hard to keep the debts between us even.¡±

    ¡°What happened then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I had more or less consciously made the decision to end it when I was approached by some servant in his household, on behalf of his parents. Ten gold for me to disappear. I was insulted, of course; I wasn¡¯t raised on the streets from birth, so sometimes I don¡¯t know my place. I argued, they insisted, threatening to expose my heritage if I continued. I left my job and did my best to set myself up near Cherryfire in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°Did you regret making that choice?¡±

    The server set the sauces down while she pressed her lips in thought. ¡°He could be a trying man And he wasn¡¯t popular. But, he was still a man, someone in love, with dreams and hopes and plans. I¡¯d like to think he was used to it, but still, I have no need to hurt people.¡± Especially since I¡¯ve hurt enough of them, she thought.

    ¡°You understand my dilemma, then.¡±

    ¡°I do. I keep thinking about your mentor.¡±

    ¡°Afren, yes,¡± he said, his eyes downcast. ¡°Vanif won¡¯t be the first painful choice I¡¯ve had to make. Nor the second, either.¡±

    She hesitated to ask. He was already so upset over the situation with Vanif, but perhaps he needed to unburden his thoughts. ¡°What else have you had to do?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even full-fledged yet. As a novice, you accompany your mentor on jobs and assist them, the only time when we work together. As an apprentice, you¡¯re given your own assignments and check in frequently with your mentor. I was put in Hiben with a few orders, but nothing as elaborate as I¡¯d been taught I¡¯d be doing for contracts. I didn¡¯t need to steal anything, sow discord, kill anyone, or discover secrets. All I needed to do was indoctrinate myself with the townspeople and get a job. I was left alone for months and I started to suspect that Arvarikor was dumping me there so that I wouldn¡¯t have to finish my apprenticeship and they could ignore me.

    ¡°But, after some time it didn¡¯t matter. I worked as a farmhand and worked hard at it. I gained the respect of the farmer and his wife quickly, the townsfolk not too long thereafter. I befriended a few boys in the town who showed me all their haunts and hollows. And I met a girl. Her name was Mara and she was my first love. We¡¯d meet after dinner, take walks in the forest, tumble in her family¡¯s barn. I felt normal, like for that one season my family hadn¡¯t died and I hadn¡¯t been sold to Arvarikor. And I began to wish that they had forgotten about me, that I could just be a farmhand there in Hiben, that I could save my money, buy a farm, marry Mara, and forget about all that.

    ¡°But that was foolish. I always knew that my mentor would come back. And he did, right in the middle of the first harvest of wheat. I stood before him and reported everything as I had been taught, arms at my sides and voice without emotion. He nodded when I was finished, said that my order was pleased with my progress, and handed me a vial. ¡®Poison the well, I¡¯ll be back tomorrow¡¯ was all he said before leaving.¡±

    The waitresses returned with several platters and pots, and began loading their plates with meat, vegetables, and fruits. She ignored them and stared at Raulin, waiting for him to continue, though knowing that if he sat before her, she knew what had happened. When the waitresses finally left, she said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    He closed his eyes for a few moments. ¡°It was just a test.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t poison, then?¡±

    ¡°No, it was poison. I meant my order was testing me, to see if I would throw away everything I wanted for obedience. Would I raze my home for them, kill my love and comforts because they wanted me to? Yes. I did it. Very few survived. Mara didn¡¯t. One of the five boys I hung around with did, but he was left weak and hardly able to tend to his dead parents¡¯ farm. The old and young definitely didn¡¯t survive. I did, because I skipped work and got drunk on the farmer¡¯s grain liquor for two days.

    ¡°When my mentor returned, he checked to be sure that I had done the deed, chastized me for drinking on the job, then dragged me to the square. A few people gathered after he started shouting. I was pleading to leave, but he ignored me. Instead, he loudly proclaimed that I had been the one to poison the well. Then, he tied me to a lamp post and left me.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t and still can¡¯t tell you which was worse: the slaps and blows or the spitting. Maybe it was the stares as they looked into my eyes, trying to figure out how, how could I have done that to them. My mentor left me there until the darkest part of night. He cut me down without a word and made me walk until the next night.

    ¡°When I awoke the next morning, he said, ¡®Raulin, why do you think I made you do that?¡¯. I thought it was because I had grown too attached, but I had learned long before that if I didn¡¯t know an answer, I begged forgiveness for my stupidity and hoped they¡¯d answer, so I did. ¡®It¡¯s because what we do is destroy lives,¡¯ he said. ¡®If you are smart about your work, you will never stick around to see the aftermath.¡¯

    ¡°¡®So, I should have left?¡¯ I asked.

    ¡°¡®No, you did what was asked of you. You were meant to be caught and shamed. And now you will never, ever want to be caught again.''¡±

    Raulin stabbed at his food listlessly. Anla reached across the table and squeezed his hand. ¡°Danawv aku awb ik aku. Your pain is my pain.¡±

    He looked at her, a few emotions crossing his face in a matter of a few moments. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was easy to read for her or he was an expressive man. Either way, she enjoyed trying to figure him out, even when his face read pain. ¡°What if you¡¯re next?¡± he said. ¡°What if I have to make that same choice with you on one end and my life on the other?¡±

    ¡°Can they do that? Lock you into a no-win situation where you¡¯ll die either way?¡±

    His eyebrows perked for a moment. ¡°I had forgotten I was your guard. No. At least they thought that through. You can¡¯t have two contracts that contradict each other.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re safe from that, at least. I can¡¯t help you with your friend, unless I take out a contract for your protection against him.¡±

    He looked hopeful, for a second, then shook his head. ¡°It would be whichever was accepted first. Keep going. Maybe you¡¯re on to something.¡±

    She tried a half-dozen ideas, trying to stay within reason and sanity. No amount of finagling could change the outcome for Raulin, who by the end of dinner had at least changed from his somber state to one of resignation. After he paid, and they took a stroll around the city, he said, ¡°Thank you. It was an evening marred by my plight, but you helped make it as palatable as possible.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Thank you for dinner. I enjoyed learning about Tondeiva and eating it¡¯s cuisine.¡± She paused a moment, looked up at him. ¡°Have you decided?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Really, the only choice I can make. I won¡¯t be able to save him from his fate, but I can hope his in-laws will work something out, or maybe not act upon the knowledge. And I can stall for him. If I send it to the Riyala office, it¡¯ll buy him another week. It¡¯s all I can offer him.¡±

    ¡°And keep him in your mind. Perhaps, down the road, you¡¯ll be in a position to help him recover.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. I¡¯m locked in right now.¡±

    She smiled at a sudden stroke of brilliance. ¡°I know you can¡¯t warn him, but how do you think he feels about piscarins?¡±

    He stopped and tilted his head for a moment, then hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s really the best we can offer, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 133

    It was, at least, a kind gesture, one that had good intentions and heart. But, not all plans have the expected outcome.

    Raulin called on Vanif that evening and invited him to lunch as soon as possible. His friend was puzzled, but moved around his schedule to see him the next day. The evening he had made those plans Raulin slept so soundly that Al missed his opportunity to pull off his mask and see his face.

    The pretense of the meeting was asking Vanif about Arvonne and if he could see anything worth investing in at the time, to help earn money for the reclamation of the throne. Vanif appreciated the question and threw himself into the conversation, giving a dozen options, stating that, even though the economy was in ruins, there were always commodities that were solid, and some that were better in Arvonne. Wine, non-perishable foods, luxury items needing skills to make, raw materials, all were valuable assets for Arvonne, even if not sold inside Arvonne. ¡°There are markets open here and in several other countries, if you can ship them. No one can make Arvonnese jewelry outside of Arvonne. Even an ex-patriot is only making Arvonnese jewelry from Gheny, with Ghenian products and help from Ghenian labor. That Arvonnese label is invaluable if it¡¯s not distilled.¡±

    ¡°This is true. When my country was vibrant and flourishing, it was easier for us to sell things to others based only on our name. Arvonne was dependable.¡±

    Vanif threaded his napkin through the ring and placed it to the left of his plate. ¡°That reputation has been trashed with hundreds of empty promises your government has made You can rebuild that Arvonnese name again, but it will be difficult, especially if things are left intact.¡±

    Raulin copied Vanif before the two stood and left, the meal having already been paid for by Raulin. ¡°We have a phrase back home: ¡®Corbrisses ontui wal-e farda esw cosceben wald eimenla¡®. You cannot plow a carrot farm without persuading an ox with a carrot. As it is, we cannot sell anything because of our reputation, and we cannot repair our reputation because we cannot sell anything.¡±

    ¡°Start small,¡± he said as they walked out onto the street. ¡°Find one person, one company that will buy from you. Let them be so pleased with your quickness and quality that they have to tell others. It is a slow growth, but it will help repair things. And distance yourself from your government! Put your company name all over it and say nothing about your premier or his cabinet.¡±

    ¡°How would I do it faster?¡±

    Vanif thought for a few moments. ¡°Create a market. That takes extreme luck, or a handy merit,¡± he said, winking, ¡°but has a great pay-off.¡±

    ¡°And is there a product that would be good?¡±

    Vanif gave a twisted sort of smile. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll tell you, but you must promise not to bring it to Gheny. A family friend has already cornered that and I wouldn¡¯t want her to find competition based on my say.¡±

    ¡°I promise, so long as you guide me as to where the best market would be.¡±

    He laughed. ¡°A two-for-one deal. Good bartering. What I have in mind is those books that your people treasure so much, those romantic ones about the king returning.¡±

    ¡°Alley novels?¡± he asked, trying to keep the disgust from his voice.

    ¡°Those, yes. I know they¡¯re popular in Arvonne and Gheny, somewhat in Arouk, but those are the only places they are shipped to. I can see them being popular in the southern countries, the Empire and Br¡¯vani especially. Maybe also in Kipraud, Tondeiva, or Kitstuar. I¡¯d avoid Sayen; they don¡¯t seem to type to go for that. And most of the other countries seem too concerned with their own problems to care about Arvonne¡¯s. Get them translated and ship them there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I will consider it,¡± he said. His gaze passed over the designated corned and he saw Anladet waiting there. ¡°Odd.¡±

    Vanif followed his gaze. ¡°What is odd?¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s a piscarin. You don¡¯t often see them so far away from the docks. Come! I think it would be droll to get our fortunes read.¡±

    Vanif followed him across the street, though he didn¡¯t seem enthused by the idea. They stopped nearby and she looked up at them through her thick, darkened lashes. ¡°Three coppers, unless you¡¯d like a stronger connection.¡±

    ¡°What a bargain!¡± Raulin said, fishing out a silver from his pocket. ¡°For both of us, then, my friend first.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Vanif began, but Anla gently grabbed his hand and began reading his palm.

    ¡°Wealth surrounds you,¡± she began. ¡°I see coins and numbers from your birth, only growing as you age. Things are well. Love, happiness, friends, wealth, health, family¡­until¡­¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Until when?¡± he asked, flatly.

    ¡°Very soon. Moons, perhaps just one. It starts here,¡± she said, pointing to some imaginary line, ¡°and all your world is toppled. Love, happiness, friends, wealth, health, family¡­you lose all but two, my lord.¡±

    ¡°And how can I stop this?¡±

    ¡°A child,¡± she said. They had argued over this line, but Raulin had told her to press the point, in case he had some lustful feelings towards women. ¡°A child is hope and solidarity. All your worries will disappear and your bounty will increase tenfold.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said impatiently, gently yanking his hand away. ¡°Must I wait?¡± he asked of Raulin.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, telling Anla to keep the change while he caught up with Vanif. ¡°I take it you didn¡¯t like what you heard. It sounds dire.¡±

    ¡°It usually does. They say things like that to coax more money from you.¡± He looked over at Raulin. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you believe in that pig tripe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some things,¡± he began. ¡°I¡¯ve had piscarin tell me about things there¡¯s no way they could know.¡±

    ¡°And how many told you things that weren¡¯t true? They read people. That one we just met was particularly good, but she still said some things that weren¡¯t true. Or couldn¡¯t be true.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you disliked it. I worry about my friends. I thought it might be helpful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take advice from some stranger. Now, if you told me your merit was Prediction and told me those same things, I¡¯d listen.¡±

    Raulin ground his teeth for a moment. That would have been smarter. ¡°Good point.¡±

    Vanif patted Raulin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I appreciate your concern, but I¡¯m doing well. I¡¯ll see you next Tuesday for that tasting, yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± he said and they parted ways. At least that was the truth. He¡¯d go to as many events as Vanif invited him to, until he stopped throwing them.

    * * *

    After changing his clothes and donning his mask, Raulin returned to the hotel. Anla was waiting in small parlor downstairs, along with Tel and Al, both of whose noses were stuck in books.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± she asked, having changed out of her piscarin outfit.

    He sighed and sat. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t buy the piscarin routine.¡±

    ¡°Smart man,¡± Al said, not even bothering to look up from his book.

    ¡°So what¡¯s our next course of action?¡± she asked.

    Raulin shook his head. ¡°I think I¡¯ve made my peace with the situation, at least as much as I¡¯m going to at this point. I¡¯ve stalled the process as much as I can and put a warning in his way. If there¡¯s anything he can do to avoid his fate, then I¡¯ve done as much as I can to push him to do so.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°So am I. All right, moving on to other things, how are we doing? Anyone need anything? Are you three entertaining yourselves enough?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Al said, bringing the book up closer to his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy,¡± Anla said. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you with your other contracts.¡±

    ¡°Tel? You¡¯ve been awfully quiet. Are you doing well?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been walking around, watching people and things. I¡¯ve already filled thirty-six pages in my notebook.¡±

    ¡°Impressive,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±

    ¡°I have a few questions. Why do the people call me ¡®straw man¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, it might be your hair, I think. Perhaps also because you¡¯re tall and thin, like the straw men that farmers put into field to scare crows away.¡±

    ¡°Do you think people find me frightening, then?¡±

    ¡°If they do, that¡¯s their own problem. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°And what does ¡®creveir¡¯ mean? A little boy called me that in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°¡®Creveir¡¯? Those are performing wizards. They walk on stilts and have elaborate costumes. They conduct these amazing private shows full of acrobatics and lights and tricks. I¡¯m guessing the little boy saw how tall you were and thought you were walking on stilts.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°They sound very interesting. I¡¯d like to see them, if we can.¡±

    ¡°But if we could. There are three notable creveir circuses and they¡¯re all in Noh Amair.¡±

    ¡°Is there a fourth one? There are signs for the creveirs not too far from here, though I¡¯m still working on reading Ghenian.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Raulin asked, standing suddenly. ¡°Show me where.¡±

    Al stayed in the hotel, waving creveirs away as ¡®freak wizards¡¯, but Anla accompanied the two for several blocks to an alley plastered with posters. Raulin touched the wall with his fingers and said, ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s him!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Kazithu. I first met him in Okil about five years ago. Surprised myself by stepping into a fight that I normally wouldn¡¯t have and saved Kazi from a serious beating. He¡¯s one of the senior creveirs in Espith Zein RoMari, the Western Creveir Circus. He often plays the more interesting roles, at least in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Roles?¡± Anla asked. ¡°I thought you said they were acrobats.¡±

    ¡°They are, it¡¯s more of acting and acrobats mixed together. They will parade on stilts to the tent, to drum up an audience, while dressed as and acting in character. They¡¯ll pick a mythological hero or a character from a famous novel to portray, and they spend days working on the costume, perfecting the makeup, and creating the perfect role. Kazi spends more than most, being a senior that garners more pay, but more responsibility. And he takes on those roles that are needed, but aren¡¯t necessarily popular.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Darker characters, villains, antagonists, evil creatures. He likes those best and he plays them well. He works well acting against other members of the circus, gets a healthy amount of the limelight, and revels in negative attention. Not that you¡¯d know that if you knew him; he¡¯s a very nice guy.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to take in a show, then?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be a great experience for Tel.¡±

    ¡°Not just that,¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°There¡¯s another piece to what they do. The parade is during the day, the circus in the evening, but at night is where they make most of their money. The wealthy will rent their services where they will enrich any parties of theirs. In character, the creveirs play games, tell stories, hold events, have fake rituals, anything that fits their character.¡±

    ¡°So, they have access nightly to the upper crust.¡±

    ¡°And with that, someone like Kazithu will have picked up some juicy tidbits, perhaps pertaining to one of my contracts.¡± He rubbed his hands together. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go drag the wizard off to the circus.¡±

 Chapter 134

    They managed to make it to Varash Square just in time to see the tail end of the parade. Even having started several weeks ago, thick crowds still clogged the streets, vying for a chance to watch the theatrics. It hadn¡¯t occurred to Raulin before that point why exactly they walked on stilts, but he nodded his head in appreciation then.

    ¡°We missed them. Can we go?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No, Wizard! We came for the show. So long as they¡¯re not sold out, we¡¯ll be enjoying our evening here, taking in the theater.¡±

    He grumbled something about Kiesh the Black facing Montrime Verald in an epic battle, but followed the group to the tent. It was set in the middle of Varash Square, a rectangular mall that provided a nice vista for all the business people working in the surrounding buildings. The tent, black with gold and red stripes, somehow fit between the scattered oaks and flowering trees that dotted the dried grass.

    Raulin paid for four tickets, not cheap at almost four gold. They shuffled past the crowd lingering at the doorway and took four seats in the back so that Telbarisk wouldn¡¯t block anyone¡¯s view. Hard, wooden benches lined the center with no priority seating; nobles mixed with commoners, or else they paid for the private audiences at night.

    Quiet music set a mysterious and natural feel as people settled down. The dull roar of the chatter from the audience almost sounded like a waterfall or crashing thunder when juxtaposed against the orchestra that lined the walls of the tent. A string player near the group plucked on an instrument that sounded almost like frogs in a murky pond. Tucked in the corner, a flutist breathed into a wooden pipe, her music the sound of wind through trees.

    Heavy drums on either side of the stage started softly, arithmetically, almost cacophonously. Raulin craned his neck to watch the stage as the drums organized themselves, thudding in synchronicity, thumping, booming, then rapidly beating until the lights from the torches were extinguished and silence reigned.

    Raulin had to appreciate the craftsmanship of the tent; the seems were so tight that it would have been hard for him to see his hand in front of his face had he not been wearing his mask. There was some nervous laughter and talk for a few moments, until the lights were lit on the stage by petite women dressed as fairies in rags, more akin to moths than butterflies. They scurried in small steps, stopping only to dance around the lanterns until their breaths brought forth the light. Some even hung from twisted perches to light their lanterns. The orchestra cued soft, curious music bringing in a lighter ambiance as the women scurried behind the stage, a multilevel piece that took up the entire width of the tent.

    The limelights on the rigging behind them, already hot, were swiveled forward and pivoted in circles and curves, as if looking for someone. And their quarry arrived after a few moments, smoke still clinging to his outstretched arms as he laughed with sinister intent. He was draped in shimmering black from head to toe, his head adorned with a full headdress of black feathers. ¡°My world! My life! My universe!¡± he proclaimed, his booming voice carrying all the way to the back.

    ¡°That¡¯s Kazi,¡± Raulin whispered to Anla.

    ¡°He¡¯s Kanese?¡± she asked.

    ¡°So he says.¡±

    ¡°All is mine!¡± Kazi boomed again.

    ¡°Not so!¡± a man said, entering from stage left, dressed in the same fashion as Kazithu, but in a glittering white. He ran up a ramp, jumped, and vaulted into the air, flipping twice before landing not too far from his dark twin. The audience responded with hushed awe.

    ¡°Brother,¡± Kazi acknowledged. ¡°I thought you had left for someplace else.¡±

    ¡°Never for long,¡± the other man said. ¡°What was this you were saying about owning everything?¡±

    Kazithu posed with his legs apart and his arms folded. ¡°As Darkness, I am the most powerful being in the universe, and therefore stake my claim to everything.¡±

    ¡°Hold, brother. While it is true you are the most powerful force there is, it is not fair to say that you should own everything.¡±

    ¡°And why not? I can take whatever I wish.¡±

    ¡°Again, true, but there are some things you cannot take.¡±

    The two faced each other and moved up a ramp farther from the audience as the lights followed them. ¡°Tell me then, brother, what are these things that I cannot take?¡±

    ¡°The things that lurk deeper and darker than you can ever go. In the hearts of men are bright, beautiful things, Darkness. Hope, love, and peace. Those you can never touch.¡±

    Kazithu flared his cape to expose his arms. ¡°I have only but to try! I can taint anything, draw it down, blot out any light. I can destroy you with a thought, Light; tell me why can¡¯t I take those things?¡±

    ¡°Because they are stronger than you.¡±

    Kazi scoffed. ¡°Stronger than the most powerful being in existence? I tire of your boasting. I offer a bet: If you can best me three times and show me I am wrong, I will never interfere with humans again. However, if I can best you those three times, I will blot you out as I should have long ago.¡±

    ¡°A fair bet, brother, since I know I will win. Let us begin.¡±

    The lights were shuttered close and the audience applauded lightly. As they died down, the limes were half-opened and appeared blue as they focused closer to the audience on a father and mother kneeling beside the bed of their daughter. An older Zayine priest in green robes and his apprentice were nearby, all posed mid-action.

    ¡°Here we have an already bleak situation, brother,¡± Light said from the dark part of the stage. ¡°That little girl will die if she doesn¡¯t receive her medicine soon.¡±

    ¡°Then all I need to do is sit back and wait.¡±

    The five actors moved to some unseen cue, the little girl coughing loudly as her parents coddled her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more that can be done,¡± the priest said to his apprentice. ¡°I am out of the ingredients to make what she needs.¡±

    ¡°What if I collected them?¡± the young man asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You must cross woods infested with savage beasts and climb high mountains.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, for her,¡± he said to everyone before walking out of the blue light.

    ¡°Madness,¡± Kazithu said. ¡°Why risk yourself for someone you don¡¯t even know?¡±

    ¡°Because he believes his goddess tells him to. He has faith that She will help him in his endeavors to save the child.¡±

    ¡°It is not guaranteed, though!¡±

    ¡°It is not. But that is the nature of faith.¡±

    The apprentice set off on his journey, which is to say he explored every height and every purchase the stage had to offer. He jumped from one tiny plank to another again and again. He deftly climbed a wall with minuscule handholds. He fell one from the top of a ¡°mountain¡± once, only to twist several times in the air and catch himself on a ring just above the ground, barely missing several of the lit lanterns. The audience sighed in relief, a few even clapping briefly.

    And finally, after perhaps five minutes of acrobats, the apprentice reached the apex and began to pluck the flowers needed for the girl¡¯s medicine. ¡°This is unfair,¡± Kazithu said from the shadows. ¡°How is it that a mortal could survive such a trial?¡±

    ¡°Faith brings its own kind of strength, brother,¡± Light said.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Pah! This is trickery. I cannot allow you to win!¡±

    The music turned ominous, drums booming and strings screaming in minor keys. The apprentice looked up and the lights turned to a hideous flying beast roaring as it flew to him. An orchestra member stood nearby, running his fingers down long strings to make a screeching noise for the monster. Stagehands dressed in all black operated the giant puppet, one on the wings, another opening the mouth, and two moving the creature across the stage.

    The great beast bore down on the apprentice, who had only a sword as protection. He held it in front of him, more as feeble shield than to engage, and ducked his head in prayer. ¡°It is my turn,¡± Light said, and a thin limelight was projected onto the sword. It glowed, holding mysterious power as the apprentice lifted the sword above his head and struck the beast on its head. It made a hideous screech as it fell from the sky. The audience clapped enthusiastically.

    The apprentice put his sword away and began climbing back down in an exaggerated fashion while the stage was reset. He ran in place, then moved to the room with the family. ¡°Blessed, I have brought you the flowers you need,¡± he said, holding them out to the priest.

    ¡°Wonderful! And not a moment too soon.¡± He traveled to a pot hanging over a fire and tossed the petals into the boiling water. He dipped a bowl in and brought it to the lips of the girl, now wheezing with difficulty. She drank, and a few moments later she sat up. Her parents hugged her and the lights went out.

    The audience cheered and applauded. ¡°What do you think?¡± Raulin asked Anla.

    ¡°Oh, this is wonderful,¡± she said, still clapping herself.

    When the clapping died down, Kazi grabbed a hanging lantern and pulled it to his face. ¡°Brother, you cheated somehow.¡±

    ¡°Nay, brother,¡± Light said, moving his face close to his own flame. ¡°I warned you about the power faith has. Now, behold love and its splendor.¡±

    The music turned sweeter, with a vibratic solo supplied by a violinist who sat casually on the edge of the stage. The limes focused on a man and woman holding a pose on one leg without so much as a wobble, the light pink until they finally moved.

    What followed was a stunning duet by the two as they danced across the stage. They entwined and broke apart, pulling each other in and pushing each other away again and again. He lifted her high and she collapsed into his arms, the two retracting into a tender embrace as they curled together for a few moments. She ran up the ramps and, in a dangerous move that caused gasps from the audience, she dove fifteen feet into his waiting arms.

    A man entered in, dressed in blue like the woman, and grabbed her from behind. She turned, fear and anguish written upon her face, as she tried to reach out to her lover. He lifted his hand, but didn¡¯t fight, finally collapsing in grief on the stage. A man entered from his side, dressed in the same red as the grieving lover, and forced him to stand. He spun him around and stood by his side as a woman dressed in purple Belifornian robes and a veiled woman in white entered.

    The man bowed his head and slumped his shoulders, standing as groom in a wedding he didn¡¯t want. The priestess began the sermon, then stopped after a few lines. She turned to the audience in thought and some recognized her as the girl who had survived the terrible illness in the first act. She turned back, cupped the man¡¯s chin, and lifted his head. ¡°Go to her,¡± she said and he didn¡¯t hesitate to run to his lover, who waited for him on some high ledge of the stage. He climbed to her and they embraced, kissing until the lights darkened.

    Raulin noticed that Al applauded enthusiastically, as well as much of the audience. After the ovation waned, Kazithu appeared behind a lamp, this time spending only a few moments before moving on to the next. ¡°That was hardly fair, brother. It happened far too quickly for me to interfere. And what of the priestess?¡±

    ¡°Neither you nor I interfered. It was a fair observation; we are not created to meddle with humans. And the priestess survived her childhood illness with faith, and in turn gave love back to the man. I warned you that these things were strong. They also grow.¡±

    ¡°How am I to fight against you if you infest and infect my peace?¡± Kazi snarled.

    ¡°There will always be darkness where there is light.¡±

    A green light shone on a scene with two groups of men posing angrily on opposite sides. Fists were raised in threatening gestures, weapons were being drawn, and all faces were set in rictuses of rage. Some, though, held other men back, pleading with them. The light turned white and one man in red yelled, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then war it is!¡±

    ¡°No, sir!¡± said a man at his side. ¡°Think of peace!¡±

    ¡°How can I think of peace when they won¡¯t return the prince!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where he is!¡± said a man in blue opposite him. ¡°And how can you accuse us of stealing your prince when you won¡¯t return our princess!¡±

    ¡°Gentleman, please,¡± a priest in yellow said before dashing between the two groups. ¡°Let¡¯s sit and think things through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done thinking!¡± the man in the red said. ¡°It¡¯s war! I will send my army in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Agreed!¡± said the man in blue. ¡°We meet at dawn!¡±

    The limes blacked out and several smaller lights were lit across the back of the stage, larger lanterns of bright yellows and pinks. The drums started again, thundering a rhythm while brass horns and carnyxes played deep, blatting notes. The sounds of metal clanking could be heard on the stage before the limes were turned on to the war party.

    The Cyurinin priest from the play¡¯s previous day was replaced by one robed in red. ¡°Gentlemen, both sides have declared war. Skethik blesses this battle. May He find a victor in the just.¡±

    He left and the two kings marched forward. Without a word, they began fighting as men all around joined in. The flaps to the creveirs¡¯ tent were lifted halfway and real light entered in as the armies spilled into the audience. People gasped and moved out of the way as men pummeled each other with swords, maces, and hammers. The soldiers flipped and spun around each other, using the stage and every surface possible to launch high powered, lightning fast attacks.

    Suddenly, the fighters froze in unison. ¡°And what will you do now, brother?¡± Kazithu teased, stepping onto a ledge with full light from a lime. ¡°Seems they will kill themselves and I need not do a thing.¡±

    ¡°For them, I will do nothing,¡± Light said, equally lit. ¡°Our test has to do with others.¡±

    ¡°Others?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And we must give them a choice. This will be equal between us; no interfering, no tricks, no pushing. All we will do is give our position and see what happens.¡±

    ¡°You know I am the better at convincing.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I am confident that peace will win in the end, so much so that I will bet everything on their choice.¡±

    ¡°Everything? But it is a draw if you lose.¡±

    ¡°I know. Again, I am confident.¡±

    In the middle of the stage, above the melee but below Light and Darkness, were the two lovers from the second act, suddenly lit by the lights. They were on their knees, holding each other tightly in fear. ¡°My dears,¡± Light said and they looked up. ¡°I am sorry to say that you must make a choice.¡±

    ¡°What choice?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°You can continue to love each other,¡± Kazi said. Both he and Light hung from rings, changing positions to move closer or farther away from the two.  ¡°Make a home, grow a family, be happy.¡±

    ¡°Or, you can stop the war,¡± Light said.

    ¡°War? What war do you speak of?¡±

    ¡°Prince, princess, your fathers and your countries fight each other as we speak, shedding blood and destroying lives. They do this because each thinks the other stole you and refuses to return you.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t know we ran away?¡± the woman said.

    ¡°No. And only you two can change that.¡±

    ¡°If we return, we will be separated. We will be forced to marry other people,¡± the man said.

    ¡°I cannot tell you that you will find happiness with the outcome.¡±

    ¡°But, if we don¡¯t, our families and our people will die.¡±

    ¡°Most certainly.¡±

    ¡°I love you,¡± the man said, stroking her hair.

    ¡°And I love you,¡± she said, holding his face.

    ¡°But what is our love without those to share it with?¡± The man sighed and turned to Light. ¡°We will go.¡±

    ¡°Think!¡± Kazi said, pleading. ¡°You two can live out your days in happiness! All you need to do is nothing.¡±

    ¡°But we won¡¯t be happy knowing we caused such devastation.¡± He stood and helped his lover to do so. ¡°We must go.¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡± Kazithu said, folding his arms and turning away.

    They scrambled down from their ledge and ran to the center of the stage, hands clasped together. ¡°Stop!¡± they yelled.

    The soldiers unfroze, taking a few more swings before they turned to the lovers.

    ¡°Stop!¡± they yelled again. ¡°We weren¡¯t kidnapped. We left together.¡±

    ¡°Together?¡± the blue king said.

    ¡°We love each other, father,¡± the princess said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to marry any one else. We want each other and that is all.¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°This is what you want?¡± the red king said, turning to his son.

    ¡°Truly, father,¡± he said.

    ¡°But our alliance to the neighboring kingdom is vital¡­¡±

    ¡°If that is what you wish, father, than I will return home and marry whomever. But know that my heart will always belong to her.¡±

    The two kings sighed and shook their heads, then turned to each other. They said nothing for a few moments, before the red king spoke. ¡°We should at least call off the battle, if nothing else. I am open to speak of other options.¡±

    The blue king cleared his throat. ¡°I was, perhaps, too hasty when I said ¡®never¡¯.¡±

    The grasped hands and froze. ¡°No!¡± Kazithu yelled. ¡°How could I lose?¡±

    ¡°Brother, I told you that faith, love, and peace are greater things than darkness.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t fair! A rematch!¡±

    ¡°Someday, perhaps. For now, let the humans live with their faith, their love, and their peace. And let them find those things in the darkness and the light.¡±

    The lights shuttered close and the orchestra switched to a soft melody. The flaps were opened as the audience stood in ovation. The actors bowed and moved behind the stage, starting with the extras and ending with Kazithu and the actor that played Light. Even Al stood, clapping with such enthusiasm Raulin thought his hands would be bruised.

    ¡°What did you think?¡± Raulin asked as the audience began to file out of the tent.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Tel said. ¡°This was a great treat.¡±

    ¡°I loved it,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Wizard? You didn¡¯t seem interested before.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­Amandorlam doesn¡¯t like creveirs. They¡¯re untrained heathen wizards. They don¡¯t go to school, they just train wizards themselves. But, it seems like they did a great job. I really loved the stories.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad it was money well spent, then. I need to go speak with Kazi. If you three could wait outside the tent, I promise we¡¯ll get dinner afterwards somewhere nicer.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s on the menu?¡± Anla asked. ¡°Are we moving on to Sonder?¡±

    ¡°Well, we should, but maybe we could ask an expert in the field of a certain country.¡± He looked to Al. ¡°Would you mind finding us a good Br¡¯vani restaurant tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he said. ¡°I know just the place!¡±

    ¡°Great. Give me a half-hour or so and I¡¯ll return.¡±

 Chapter 135

    Raulin leaned near the door marked ¡°Do not enter¡± next to stage right. The musicians, sparkies, and several other workers shuffled past him and he nodded when they glanced his way, hoping he looked like just another masked man among so many others. After about ten minutes, a young man in a feathered black mask came out from the back and saw him, then froze. An apprentice, Raulin thought. Raulin gestured for him to come over, but the man refused. He had to finally go over to him and hold out his hand, waiting until the man finally held out his own and took the two silver Raulin gave him. ¡°My name is Raulin Kemor. Let Kazithu know I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± he asked, sounding confused.

    ¡°Kazithu? That was him playing Darkness, yes? He¡¯s an old friend of mine. I¡¯d like to say ¡®hello¡¯ if he¡¯s available.¡±

    ¡°You want me to go get him?¡±

    ¡°Or allow me back stage.¡±

    ¡°No one¡¯s allowed back stage,¡± he said quickly.

    ¡°I know, but sometimes exceptions are made.¡±

    ¡°No. The Master said no one goes back stage.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Okay, just tell Kazi I¡¯m here and that¡¯s all you¡¯ll need to do.¡±

    He looked confused, looked down at the coins, then went through the door. Raulin leaned next to the door again, prepared to wait the remainder of the half-hour if necessary. It was about five minutes later when the masked man came back and summoned him inside.

    The door opened to a large corridor just behind the stage with several doors leading to it. It was lit by screened panels that let in light from above. Raulin was led past the stage down a left-hand hallway, and just outside a door. The young man knocked and he heard, ¡°Come in¡±.

    ¡°Hello again, Kazi,¡± Raulin said as he stood in the doorway.

    ¡°Ah, my adoring public awaits.¡± His accent was far different than the smooth, even tone he had used on stage. In his natural, deep voice, he forced the harder consonants out with the back of his tongue, giving it a guttural sound, though not as much as someone speaking Merakian did.

    ¡°Do they? Should I move out of the way or will they just mow me over?¡±

    Kazithu turned from getting undressed and greeted Raulin with a big grin and open arms. ¡°Glad to see you again, though I hope I didn¡¯t just seal my fate.¡±

    ¡°Not my style and I wouldn¡¯t accept a contract against you or any creveir. You¡¯re too valuable to the world.¡±

    ¡°As opposed to all those rich people you kill? They¡¯re good for something.¡±

    ¡°Buying tickets?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± He shut the door and continued carefully peeling himself out of his costume, which he informed Raulin was worth almost 150 gold. ¡°Not something I want to rip.¡±

    ¡°Me, neither, which is why I haven¡¯t offered to help.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the right gender, if I remember your stories correctly.¡±

    Raulin bowed in response.

    Kazi threw on a robe after his shirt was off and finished undressing before tying back his long, coiled hair. He used a wet cloth to remove the dark makeup that had accentuated his thin eyebrows to something thicker and sharper. His pancake makeup stained the cloth almost black, even though it was lighter than his natural skin color. As he inspected his face in the mirror, he gestured for Raulin to sit in his hammock on the other side of the room.

    ¡°I really enjoyed your play. I haven¡¯t seen that one before.¡±

    Kazi touched his fingertips to his chest and bowed. ¡°One of my children and also one of my favorites. I wrote it to meddle a little with people and it seems to have worked out well.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°As Lore-master, I can¡¯t select or coach members, but I can help pave roads, so to speak. The man playing Light, Ewanth, needed a character to give him a little nudge to audition for a major role. So, I made one that was something more to his tastes. No elaborate monologues, a little bit of theatrics, but most of the time spent out of the lights. He tried out and the Cast-master liked him the best.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Kenri and Malasa, the two lovers, had been making eyes at each other for over a year, but never taking that next step. I saw them rehearse some dance choreography once and knew I had to throw in a little scene for two lovers in my play.¡± He puffed out his chest. ¡°They just announced that they¡¯re expecting their first child in the winter.¡±

    ¡°Well done,¡± he said with a polite little clap. ¡°You¡¯re quite the matchmaker.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but I did get a little something out of it. I love roles where I get to bask in the attention, but I don¡¯t have to do much work. I love this role. Too bad it¡¯s almost done.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing the same play for your full run?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not. The house was well-attended, for it being almost the end of our two week run with it, but it wasn¡¯t packed. We only have two more nights until we switch to the next one. Feel free to stop by for a ticket.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m busy with several contracts.¡±

    He sucked in his teeth. ¡°No killing of our patrons, I hope? The king sponsored us to come over and that would be quite messy, since we¡¯re paid at the end of each run.¡±

    ¡°No, no,¡± Raulin said, making a placating gesture. ¡°Trirecs never kill kings. It¡¯s too destabilizing. Look at what happened in Arvonne; hardly any contracts where everyone is poor.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Gosh, I miss touring through there. Pretty country, nice people. Anyway, I assume this isn¡¯t just a social call.¡±

    ¡°It is, but it can also be a business call.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have what I¡¯m looking for? Some of these plays are turning stale and I need some fresh material. Especially since we¡¯ve had to do twelve here in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I might be able to help. Are you looking for elvish lore?¡±

    ¡°Elvish? Well, definitely not for Gheny, but for Noh Amair, certainly. You know someone who¡¯s an elf?¡±

    ¡°I know someone who is half-elven, though she was raised in an elvish village ¡¯til she was ten.¡±

    ¡°I think that will do. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°An Amandorlam-trained wizard?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, stroking his chin. ¡°I doubt I¡¯ll get much.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very smart; graduated valedictorian in seven years.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot. Anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, drawing out the surprise. ¡°How does a grivven sound?¡±

    Kazithu¡¯s thin eyebrows shot up. ¡°A real grivven? You know a real grivven?¡±

    ¡°He was sitting in your audience about fifteen minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he yelled, laughing. ¡°Go get him before he vanishes in a puff of smoke!¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no fear of that; I¡¯m his guard and he won¡¯t be leaving the city until we all do.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the story there?¡±

    ¡°Publicly, I¡¯m the guard of Mr. And Mrs. Auslen and their ledgerer, who deal in antiques. Privately¡­let¡¯s just be dramatic and say the gods are manipulating things and leave it at that.¡±

    Kazi gave a dramatic sigh. ¡°Please promise me that in the future, some day, you¡¯ll tell me that story.¡±

    ¡°No promises, but likely.¡±

    ¡°All right. So, three interviews¡­¡±

    ¡°I need to be fair and ask, but likely, three interviews.¡±

    ¡°¡­and what does the greatest trirec to ever live want in return?¡±

    He pulled out his notebook and flipped several pages in to the contracts in New Wextif. Raulin didn¡¯t need to say anything to Kazi; he knew that his friend understood the rules and the stakes and trusted him almost to the same degree he trusted Telbarisk. ¡°I have a runaway, possibly a kidnapping, of a young noble man. Family name is Kiinvar, boy¡¯s name is Fietro. Has a birthmark in the shape of a fish on his left forearm, hazel eyes, brown hair.¡±

    Kazi shook his head. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help you there.¡±

    ¡°Something to keep in mind. I need any information you have on West Schoolinghouse Incorporated, any bribes or known embezzlements, and anything on the Cumber.¡±

    ¡°The Cumber! Are you breaking into the Cumber?¡±

    ¡°That is highly confidential information, but that is the plan.¡±

    Kazithu couldn¡¯t hide the surprise on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone taking even a pebble from the Cumber. That is a serious vanity case; if you can break into the Cumber, you can do anything.¡±

    ¡°The price was right,¡± was all he said. He actually hadn¡¯t chosen it to prove he was the best; he couldn¡¯t care less about his professional reputation, so long as it didn¡¯t effect his work. No, the price had honestly been right at a cut of one thousand gold, his highest contract to date. It would be nice to have a few more orange beads added to his pouch, but he also relished the thought of something challenging and virtually harmless taking up a chunk of his time.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only heard rumors. It¡¯s in the sewers, it¡¯s in Shingden, it¡¯s in the sewers of Shingden. I¡¯ll discreetly see if I can find anything concrete for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. My last seems the most likely you can help with. I need access to the home of Theyon Akistle. He¡¯s an aristocrat, so he might take interest in patronizing the arts.¡±

    Kazi snorted. ¡°He does more than that. I recognize that name; he¡¯s had a few creveir parties since we got here in March. He¡¯s not picky about his characters, so long is there¡¯s one interested young lady to pay extra, if you know what I mean.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the rumors were true.¡±

    ¡°Most of the time, no. We entertain at parties, not prostitute. However, so long as it¡¯s covert, we turn a blind eye if one of the apprentices or extras wants to make a little side money. They have to approve it with the Soiree-master on set at the party, and it has to be very hushed. We do not want our circus to be tarnished by a cheap reputation or else we won¡¯t get sponsored by kings.¡±

    ¡°But it does happen. And in this case it¡¯s likely enticing Akistle to host more parties.¡±

    ¡°Likely.¡±

    ¡°Does he have anything lined up?¡±

    Kazi narrowed his eyes in thought. ¡°Not that I know of. As a principle player in this two week run, I haven¡¯t had to chaperon parties. But, I¡¯m just an extra in the next run, so I get back on the roster. If that name pops up again, I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll be back with the interviewees on Saturday, if that¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even better. I¡¯ll still be off the roster and I can rest a little that night. Just, skip the kid and grab a gaffer instead. He¡¯s new and he still doesn¡¯t understand how things work.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± he said before leaving.

 Chapter 136

    Raulin returned with the rest of the quartet in tow on Saturday and waited until most of the crowd had poured out of the tent before making his way inside. Kazi was prepared for their arrival, having tea and scones prepared. His room was cramped with four extra chairs in addition to the desk, vanity, and hammock, but it was serviceable and private.

    He interviewed Al for a few minutes, Anladet for a half-hour, Tel for close to an hour and a quarter. Kazithu was particularly interested in hayinfal, asking a plethora of questions about that particular part of his culture.

    ¡°Have you ever met a hayinfal?¡± Kazi asked.

    ¡°Raulin is a hayinfal,¡± he told the actor.

    ¡°How?¡± Kazi asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he was confirmed by my people.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s supposed to bring great change to the world, or discover something groundbreaking?¡±

    ¡°So they say,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Personally, I¡¯d just like to make it to the boat leaving Gheny.¡±

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Kazi said. ¡°I¡¯m interested. Telbarisk, how do you feel Raulin will fulfill his hayinfal¡­ness?¡±

    Tel thought about this for a few moments. Al interrupted. ¡°He¡¯s killed enough people. I¡¯m sure one of them must have set off a chain of events that changed things dramatically.¡±

    ¡°That is not what it means to be a hayinfal,¡± Tel said. ¡°We call that a vraskin, but that is not a person. That is the happening. A hayinfal is someone who deliberately sets out to make change.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve always thought it was a fluke,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I have no intention of doing anything grandiose. I do my job and that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°It is interesting, though,¡± Kazi said, ¡°that skilled people feel otherwise. What if you were stuck in a position where you had to make a choice, like leading an army or watching all the soldiers die?¡±

    ¡°Well, I would hope someone else, anyone else, was available. But, if not, I¡¯d do it if I had to.¡±  He thought back to the trirec hunt and realized that being a leader had come naturally to him.  At least in that situation.

    ¡°Interesting. You know, audiences love a reluctant hero; it reflects the same apprehension they hold in their own hearts. I think your story would make a great play, Raulin, if you ever answered a damn question I asked you.¡±

    Raulin crossed his arms. ¡°You know its for your own protection, especially being in so public an arena. If you wrote a play containing secrets Arvarikor would kill to keep quiet, you and I would both be dead men.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± he said, leaning forward. ¡°I can work around it, make it something completely different. No one would suspect I¡¯m talking about trirecs. What I want to know is your life. Who were you before you became a trirec? What did you want to be when you got older?¡±

    ¡°I was going to help with the family business, so to speak.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said that, but what was it?¡±

    ¡°Kazi, are you done? You wanted to interview Anla, Al, and Tel. I wasn¡¯t part of the deal.¡±

    Kazithu sighed and looked at the others. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m not the only one he walls.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve reached an agreement,¡± Anla said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to talk about his past, plus several other things, so we don¡¯t ask and he doesn¡¯t tell.¡±

    ¡°But that must be infuriating!¡±

    ¡°Everyone has their secrets,¡± she said.

    ¡°But¡­¡± He stretched out his fingers. ¡°All right. I¡¯m not going to win today. Tell me you¡¯ll consider telling me some day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve considered it for many people. It¡¯s not like I want to keep secrets. I just know its best for everyone all around. But, if the day comes that I¡¯m not a trirec, I will tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and that won¡¯t happen. At least I have plenty to work with. I thank you four for your help and participation. I¡¯ll be in touch, Raulin, if I can return the favor.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    * * *

    The days leading up to Kazi¡¯s interviews had essentially been a small respite from Raulin¡¯s work. They took in the theater, ate dinner together, helped Telbarisk with his research, and browsed some shops to keep up pretenses. But, when Sunday morning rolled around, Raulin found himself busy collecting information and discovering what other contacts he could tap into for his work. He had lost his list of Ghenian influencers in the shipwreck and spent several hours trying to remember the names of everyone he had met during his last trip.

    On Monday, he started making his rounds, attending open social functions where some of those people might attend. Marin Liasorn never pressured people to give to him; he planted the seeds of generosity and explained what he would do with charitable donations, but Raulin oddly didn¡¯t like taking from people when it was his own fingers doing the filching.  Still, he couldn¡¯t keep his charade and not take money if they insisted, and some people liked to insist, loudly or quietly.  One week¡¯s worth of galas, balls, luncheons, and society meetings left him with several hundred gold, which he deposited immediately into his bank.

    While he waltzed and dined, he put Anla and Al to work on the West Schoolinghouse Inc. issue. It was marked as covert, so he couldn¡¯t make an appearance as a trirec, anyway, so this gave them something to do while he attended his functions in parallel.

    WSI was a very large company of over two hundred employees, profiles across several industries, and with some major issues in and with the company. It was reported that there was potential embezzlement and employee fraud, blackmail, and a mole selling information to rival companies, the last two confirmed and the first two highly suspected. Again, it would make sense for the Cumber or a private investigator to take this case, but WSI seemed highly paranoid when it came to discovery. They wanted a neutral party with no potential ties and no leaks getting around society. As well, Raulin remembered a note in the margin that the president wanted get those ¡°rat bastards¡± and see them behind bars. It seemed betrayal was a little personal to some.

    Even extended through Al and Anla, Raulin felt impatient to cover WSI, the Kiinvar kidnapping, the Akistle theft, and to look into the Cumber.  A week¡¯s worth of smiling and dazzling had begun to fray his patience.  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, kicking back onto his bed and looking up. He had allotted two months for six contracts, which was already faster than what Arvarikor recommended. And, yes, he had finished the first two much faster than he had anticipated. But that didn¡¯t mean he was going to finish them all quickly, even with help. He had to think things through and organize his activities, and his team¡¯s as well.

    He was given a few minutes to do so before there was a knock on the door. Guessing it was Al and Anla, he invited them in, sitting up to greet them. They sat on the edge of the bed and handed him their initial week¡¯s report, which he browsed. ¡°So, essentially, nothing stood out to you and you received information from the president that I could have gotten through the mail.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Raulin,¡± Anla said. ¡°It¡¯s very large and there were a bunch of people¡­¡±

    He held up his hand to interrupt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my tone came across harshly, that¡¯s not what I meant. With the stalking case, we lept through many steps. I already mentioned that I had estimated about two-and-a-half weeks for that case and Al broke it in a few hours. We were lucky. I don¡¯t see that happening again. Which means, I want you two to take your time and be thorough.¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°After New Wextif, my next contract is in Whitney, then in Baradan. I¡¯d prefer to be heading south before the first snow flies, which means about two months in New Wextif, give or take a few days. And if we run over, I can reverse the order.¡±

    ¡°I can help with those,¡± Al said. ¡°I know both of those cities well and maybe some of the people you¡¯ll need to contact.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll accept any and all help you can give, Wizard, but I feel you might change your mind once you learn the objective of those contracts.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said.

    ¡°Here¡¯s what I plan on doing. I need to continue to attend events as Marin as well as tour both WSI and the Kiinvar estate.¡± He turned to face Anla. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull you from WSI; you¡¯re free to attend with Al and assist how you normally would, but I want him to lead that investigation. I want you to join him to do an appraisal of the Kiinvar estate, but your focus will be to do what you can through the Mesh to get information on the Cumber. I know who they are and that they operate somewhere in New Wextif, but other than that, I¡¯m blind. I need a location, security information, suppliers, floor plans; nothing too difficult,¡± he finished, with a sarcastic tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also get on ramming down Amanstri Gate with a toothpick,¡± she said, returning the joke.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s optional. In your free time.¡±

    ¡°Might be easier for you, if the Cumber is located in Shingden,¡± Al said. ¡°There are four options into Shingden: through one of the twelve churches, through one of the highly regulated gates for commoners, through the Amanstri Gate for blooded nobles, or up and over a twenty-one foot high wall.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Another thing to work on, but only if we need to.¡±

    ¡°So, I have access to Schoolinghouse?¡± Al asked. ¡°I can go there whenever I need to?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think a cover¡¯s going to be wise. You have to be conspicuous or else any guilty parties will grow suspicious and behave legally. I¡¯d suggest speaking to the president about getting a job there that would allow all over access, like a go-fer or secretary.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± he said and left.

    Anla stayed behind. ¡°Mezzem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I just wanted to thank you. I know how much of a risk it is for you to share your responsibilities with us. I appreciate you letting us in on your contracts.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. If we can manage to leave here by Ap Kisard¡¯s Day, I¡¯ll consider it worthwhile.¡±

    She stood and stopped before she left the room. ¡°If you ever decide you want practice before you tell your tale to Kazithu, let me know. I¡¯m a good listener.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± he said, coolly, but thought, She is a dangerous woman. I¡¯m afraid I might do that by the end of our time together.

 Chapter 137

    August broke, the weather not changing very much save for a few storms that made spying on people a plague.  It wasn¡¯t fun working in muggy air that caused him to sweat so much that his shirts were soaked after an hour, but that was better than torrential downpours that lasted for hours to days.  It was uncomfortable, cold, and frankly undignified.

    Raulin had done as much work under the cover of night as possible. With Tel¡¯s help, he had determined that the Kiinvar estate was clean with no individuals hiding out in some tucked away area. (Tel hadn¡¯t minded this, since his help was likely to determine if someone needed help or had died, not dragging someone kicking and screaming back to his parents.) Raulin had also broken into Schoolinghouse and searched the offices of the men marked by Al as suspicious with no suspicious paperwork discovered. And, through some idle chitchat amongst the rich, he had pieced some idea as to where the Cumber¡¯s headquarters might be located: in Shingden. He had sighed internally every time he heard that same rumor.

    Al and Anla were progressing. Although it was slow, they were making headway and Raulin practiced patience. It would happen, he told himself. They would do their parts.

    That first evening of August he was rewarded with a note from Kazithu:

    Tomorrow night

    Meet me backstage before

    the end of the play

    This was likely going to be an easy tick-off. Kazi had come through on his end of the bargain. Raulin was very pleased and was rather cheery when he took Anla out to a Hiben barbecue that night.

    The next day, he did what he was told. It wasn¡¯t too difficult, when almost everyone¡¯s eyes were on the parade and not some guy poking around a tent. Raulin got comfortable and waited until he heard the sounds of the parade growing louder and louder. It was a different sound with horns blatting and whistles sliding up and down the scale. The circus¡¯s second-to-last play was going to be a comedy, so it made sense that the music was sillier sounding.

    ¡°Okay, folks, beginner¡¯s call!¡± he heard from a woman out in the hallway a few minutes after the music stopped.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Kazi from outside his door. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not your neck on the line,¡± said a man.

    The door opened and Kazi walked through backwards holding his stilts, his pants tied on the sides so that he could walk without tripping over the extended length. ¡°And if it happens, it happens. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s gone well so far.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t like him hanging around here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost gone and it will be easier then.¡± Kazi turned, saw Raulin in his hammock, startled, then swore. ¡°You sure know how to make an entrance.¡±

    ¡°We spent several weeks on that in Arvarikor,¡± he said, sitting up. ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that newbie. Just concerned about a role he¡¯s been rehearsing.¡±

    Raulin raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. ¡°So, how does this work?¡±

    ¡°Tonight¡¯s theme is ¡®sins and vices¡¯.¡±

    ¡°How twin-sisterly,¡± he replied, referencing the goddesses Aliorna and Beliforn¡¯s ideas on lifestyles.

    ¡°Just the idea. Follow me.¡± He set aside his stilts and led Raulin through the maze of rooms behind the stage. Actors scrambled to doff their parade costumes and change into their stage wardrobe, some running towards the stage while they still zipped themselves or tucked hair into wigs.

    Kazi turned into a large room filled with clothes, wigs, masks, jewelry, props, and makeup. ¡°Entertain yourself here. Don¡¯t pull anything out, just choose what you want to play tonight based on what we have. Pick a few characters; you get last dibs after everyone else, so I¡¯ll have to check that your choice isn¡¯t taken. I¡¯ll be back after I¡¯m done.¡±

    Raulin thanked him and began dancing his fingers over the costumes on hangers, looking for inspiration. What would fit his needs? Something quiet, secretive, demure, and aloof. Intoxication? Too abstract. Rage? Definitely too flashy and not something he wanted to keep up for hours. Ah, he thought, what about Seduction? That would give him an excuse to slip away during portions of the night while he hunted for the ledger he needed to steal. It was likely taken, but he would put together a costume anyway.

    He walked behind the stage and listened to the play, laughing at the jokes and smiling when the audience reacted in gasps and oohs at some intricate display. A few of the actors walking around the back gave him strange looks, but he always gave them a polite nod. No one tried to kick him out.

    ¡°Enjoying yourself?¡± Kazi asked, having just slipped in from one of the back doors.

    ¡°I am, actually.¡±

    ¡°Good. I hate to see my company bored. Show me what you came up with.¡±

    Kazi escorted Raulin to the room after taking off his ridiculous purple wig. He pulled a clipboard from the side of the doorway into the costume room and stepped inside with him.

    ¡°I was thinking ¡®Seduction¡¯, with this outfit and this mask,¡± he said, showing him a tight midnight blue outfit not unlike his arong-miil, and a black half-mask that poured down his right cheek.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Read me the numbers on the tags,¡± he said, which Raulin did. ¡°Good, those are both available. And so is ¡®seduction¡¯, though there is a ¡®Lust¡¯ going tonight. Try not to step on her toes.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    ¡°Now, I know you know how to play a character. Do you want me to walk you through anything?¡±

    ¡°We go to the Akistle mansion. We play the part of whatever we are. I assume all the extras will be handled by the professionals?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and any questions should be directed to the more senior members. They¡¯ll have their faces painted.¡±

    ¡°I can handle that.¡±

    Kazi took his own set of clothing and the two walked back to his room to change. Raulin changed into his outfit quickly and swapped out masks while Kazi was busy working on his elaborate face paint. The main area of his face was painted gold with tiny swirls flaring out from the edges, like fire. His eyes were lined heavily with black and his lips colored a smooth exaggeration of their normal color, dark on the edges and pink in the middle. ¡°Here,¡± he said, and drew a few black curls below his left eye.

    Raulin examined himself in the mirror. He liked it. The outfit was a little too large for him and slightly too short, but gloves and his leather boots solved at least one of those problems.

    About an hour after the play finished, eleven members of the circus headed off to the Akistle estate together on a trolley and arrived at dusk. The two musicians that accompanied them, one a violinist and the other a drummer, announced their arrival as the actors began doing flips, high kicks, and handsprings up the walkway to the mansion. He noted several guests had clamored to the windows and were watching their entrance.

    There wasn¡¯t much he could do for acrobatics, at least not high-powered moves. Instead he swaggered to the door and entered quietly, slipping past the show that was put on and choosing instead to invade people¡¯s personal space. Later, if he had the chance, he would show off some of his slow balancing moves that he practiced daily.

    One man stepped forward after the entrance, clapping enthusiastically. He was portly and balding, with rosy cheeks and a craggy nose. ¡°Welcome! Thank you all for coming. I¡¯ve been told that tonight¡¯s spectacle is ¡®sins and vices¡¯. A great choice for our last party. Come! Enjoy the food, drink, and company!¡±

    The party-goers clapped and moved from the foyer, decorated in green and gold for Ap Riszel¡¯s Day, to the hallways. The main areas people would need to walk safely were lit by the gas lamps on the walls and oil lights hanging from the ceilings. The larger rooms off the hallways, the music room, the billiards room, the dining room, and the conservatory, were lit with candelabras and dozens of rows of candles lining tables, buffets, and cabinets.

    Again, Raulin kept himself to a whisper. He waited until the actors had the attention of smaller crowds, then crept up behind the women and spoke softly in their ears. Any who didn¡¯t give him a glare were entertained with risque jokes and fingers brushing past their ears. Then, he moved on to the next lady.

    As soon as he had made his way through everyone, he began exploring with intent. Akistle¡¯s company ledger was likely in his office, perhaps in a library or bedroom. He had questioned it being in his home at all, but since the man conducted all business from his home, it had better be somewhere on the premises.

    There was no one in the music room when he passed through. He was about to leave when he spotted a beautifully carved spinet in a corner. It looked achingly like the one his mother had played. He felt himself pulled and he ran his hand over the wood, his fingers dancing along the raised embellishments on the side. He sat at the stool, adjusted himself ¡¯til he was comfortable, and pressed his fingers on the keys.

    He closed his eyes and took in the rich, twanging sounds. The gorgeous instrument lacked the annoying clicks he¡¯d often hear with inferior pieces. It was also tuned, a blessing. It wasn¡¯t long before he was lost in a melody, one from his homeland, about the lush forests of Kian Suay in the north. It had been his mother¡¯s favorite song.

    Raulin was pleased that he remembered the tune. It had been well over fifteen years since he¡¯d last played, the light cramp in his hands reminding him that he was not a regular musician. He finished with a flourish and almost jumped when a dozen people clapped enthusiastically.

    Had he actually wanted to succeed as Seduction, this would have worked brilliantly. Several women flocked around him, wanting him to play some favorite song or answer questions about himself. He gave coy replies, turning the attention back on the women, not letting anyone know that his brilliance only existed for five precious songs from his youth.

    After perhaps a half-hour, he fame waned and he was left alone again to wander. He moved to the front atrium and starting peeking into rooms, shutting the door once he identified the space as unimportant. He made a note of the library, but continued on until he found a smaller room with a desk, a few bookcases, and a couple of chairs that was most likely an office, perhaps the office he needed.

    He really wished he had his mask. Even after he let his eyes adjust to the dark, he still couldn¡¯t discern much about what he was looking at. There were a few papers and books on Akistle¡¯s desk, but he ignored those for the time being. Only an idiot would leave his business ledger on his desk. Then again, sometimes people were idiotic in their trust.

    Both bottom drawers were locked. He clicked his tongue a few times, retrieved his lock picks from the silk strap he wore across his ribs and under his outfit, and tried the right drawer first. He always found the clicking associated with unlocking to be a beautiful, satisfying sound, especially since it wasn¡¯t his strong suit and he never finished first in the competitions they held at Arvarikor. He didn¡¯t finish last, either, not wanting to be caned, but it was often a close call.

    He found the ledger immediately. Or, technically, he found a ledger, then another, and another after that. He opened the front and had to bring it to the door of the office to have enough light to tell that it was from last year. The one in the back was seven years old. He¡¯d be impressed if Akistle thought to plant his current ledger in the middle of a stack of supposedly ordered ledgers.

    His attentions turned to the other drawer, where he fumbled with the lock for a few minutes. Finally, he heard the satisfying click and opened the drawer. Underneath a small leather portfolio and some papers was a ledger identical to the others, save the dates were current. He returned back to the desk, took the front ledger from the right drawer, and placed it where the current one had been. He fiddled again for an additional five minutes to re-lock both drawers and stood, shoving the ledger and his lock picks under his strap.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he heard and froze for a moment.

    Excuses flew by his mind and he reached out and grabbed the first that seemed plausible. He looked around. ¡°Playing hide-and-seek with someone. She¡¯s very good.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t want to be found,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Well, the key is to not be so great at that game that you bore the other players. I think I¡¯ve reached that point.¡±

    ¡°Ah, too bad for the girl.¡±  She paused for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re the man who was playing our spinet?¡±

    He bowed and made a mental note of that word ¡°our¡±. Raulin made to move past the woman but she put a gloved hand on his chest. ¡°I wanted to inquire about your wages.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°The¡­,¡± she waved her hand in the air, ¡°fees you creveirs charge.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. He wouldn¡¯t have minded it, and the extra cash, but there was the slight issue of things under his clothing that would be hard to explain. ¡°You need to speak with Greed.¡±

    ¡°Greed? Which one¡¯s he?¡±

    ¡°He wears the gold he covets on his face.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said before turning to find Kazithu. Raulin followed her as covertly as possible. When she found him and began to negotiate, Raulin caught Kazi¡¯s eye and shook his head. He waved goodbye and gave a flourished half-bow before leaving out a side entrance, pleased to be finally done with another contract.

 Chapter 138

    ¡°Tea with lemon,¡± Jansil said.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Al replied as he walked down the hallway.

    ¡°Take these to Caprin, up one floor and in the northwest section,¡± Oubrey said, slamming a large folio of letters into Al¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Al replied.

    A man stuck his head out of his office and snapped his fingers at Al until he came over to hear what he had to say. ¡°Ah, new guy. Stop by the Newshare Market by the end of the day and pick up a nice bouquet for my wife. It¡¯s our anniversary, so something nice, classic. Whatever women like that makes it seem like I spent some time thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Al replied, and headed upstairs to start his chores.

    He¡¯d spent two weeks at this and already he regretted setting up this job with the president. It wasn¡¯t that he minded working. In fact, he had missed having a schedule, something to keep him occupied, and something to give him worth in the world. He didn¡¯t mind having to get up early again and giving up time to read his books and walk the streets of New Wextif. He didn¡¯t even mind working for Raulin, as surprising as that revelation had been.

    What bothered him was the need for people to effect others negatively when there was no need to. Al had begun to get lost in the job, forgetting for long periods of the day that he was supposed to be researching these people, finding the criminals among them. He had approached his job with realism, a sense of fresh vigor and pride at doing menial tasks for the employees. That had ended when, a few days into the job, he was delivering several items to men working in an open work space for the low-level employees. Several more senior employees had gathered at the pinch point for the hallway and were overseeing the forty or so men. Perhaps that had been what they were supposed to do, but instead they were smoking cigars and chatting amongst themselves. Al hadn¡¯t realized he had tapped into the Unease (that seemed to happen more frequently nowadays) until he heard the men¡¯s conversation from fifty feet away, clear as a bell.

    It hadn¡¯t been the racial slurs. He had learned quickly as a child that crying home to madra about the kids calling you ¡°vani-mir¡± or ¡°dwakit¡± only made them add ¡°crybaby¡± to their lists, so he had developed a thick skin about those terms. He hadn¡¯t been bothered by the digs at his station, either. If they wanted to make themselves feel better by remarking that someone starting a job was beneath them, then so be it. No, what bothered him was the prejudice. Call a dark man dark and it¡¯s mostly a detail. Call a Br¡¯vani man a thief, lazy, and a pansy without even getting to know him and you¡¯ve destroyed a chance at a meaningful relationship.

    Al wasn¡¯t asking for much. The president¡¯s son, Marchen, had smiled, been polite, and asked instead of demanded. He was already Al¡¯s favorite and he stuck his head into Marchen¡¯s office frequently, to make sure he was all set for the time being. Had any of those men done one of the three, he would have cheerfully brought them their damn tea or bought their damn wife roses. Instead, he did his job stiffly and without mirth, because there were many of those type and few Marchen¡¯s.

    Their names had gone on the list first and that had been a mistake, since he had done it only out of spite. It had only wasted Raulin¡¯s time and kept the real criminals from being investigated. And they weren¡¯t even inconvenienced by it; Raulin had said he returned everything exactly where it had been, so they didn¡¯t even realized they had been searched.

    And so, he brought the papers, brewed the tea, and bought the flowers. He said nothing to them after their chores were done and he left before they could ask for something else. Because doing more would mean he sanctioned their cruelty and doing less would mean they had been right.

    The men had gathered again, filling the work area with a sweet, acrid smell and bitter words. There were other targets for them, so they said nothing about Al, but it still incensed the wizard. He was so wrapped up in what they were saying that he didn¡¯t even notice the woman yelling ¡°Dear!¡± until the men commented on it.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Anla was holding a package wrapped in a cloth and walking towards him. When she reached him, she kissed him on the lips and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°You forgot your lunch!¡±

    ¡°Hi?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your wife,¡± she whispered, then more loudly, ¡°I missed you! I thought I¡¯d bring your lunch to you at work. I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯ll get in trouble.¡±

    He gently escorted her past the men, who narrowed their eyes at him. There was a small kitchen that he brought her to, which was blessedly empty. ¡°What passes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seemed down working this case. I thought maybe if you had some cheering up, things would go better.¡±

    ¡°So why did you kiss me?¡±

    ¡°Because every man looks good being kissed by a beautiful woman,¡± she said, scrunching her nose at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s only going to make it worse,¡± he said, sighing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going to get worse?¡±

    So, he explained the situation. She listened patiently, then said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a ¡®reaffirmation of status¡¯. I asked my father once, when we were in some city, why all the rich men liked to treat their help worse than their horses. He said that some rich men feel scared that they¡¯ll lose their money and that their money is all that was making them happy. So, happy poor people scare rich, secretly miserable people. Those guys need to keep telling each other that those people can¡¯t be better than them because they are poor, or too dark skinned, or lazy. They walk away feeling better and less scared.

    ¡°So, I apologize. I was hoping to cheer you up, but I think I might have made it worse. But, Al, why do you care? You¡¯re not here to make friends. You¡¯re here to find criminals and you¡¯re making more than they are doing it.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t let it bother me,¡± he said. ¡°I think I normally don¡¯t, but my magic¡¯s been acting funny since Iascond. Normally I have to work to break into the Calm or Unease. Now, I¡¯m slipping into it without any thought. Which means, I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m using the Unease before I turn it off. And I think that¡¯s effecting my mood.¡±

    She put her hand on his arm. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I¡¯m going to check in with you more often.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to get this contract finished and then I won¡¯t have to think about them anymore.¡±

    ¡°How much have you been able to find out?¡±

    ¡°Not much. The actual job keeps me busy.¡±

    She gave him an indulgent smile. ¡°Al, you¡¯re not hired to run errands. You¡¯re hired to find out who¡¯s involved with criminal activity.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they always have stuff for me to do and I have to pretend I¡¯m actually a secretary.¡±

    ¡°And the president has many other secretaries to do the actual work. Your job is just a cover. Do a few errands to make sure they believe you, but disappear as often as you can.¡±

    She was right. He had buried himself too far into the job. He kept forgetting that he wasn¡¯t a secretary, but a cross-switching wizard helping catch criminals with a trirec. He wasn¡¯t here to make friends or impress anyone; he was here to save the business.

    He ate his lunch outside with Anla and chatted, not caring that those men weren¡¯t that far away. ¡°You know what¡¯s strange?¡± he asked. ¡°I get why WSI wants to keep this quiet, but why don¡¯t they know about the embezzlement? They know they¡¯re being embezzled, but how? Wouldn¡¯t their accounting department tell them?¡±

    ¡°Unless he had the department checked and they came up with the crime, but not the criminal.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, I¡¯m not looking in the right spot. I need to be around accounting more. I¡¯ll do that. The blackmailer, though, I¡¯m stumped on.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a blackmailer would advertise that he¡¯s the blackmailer. Easier to look at the boons from it. Who has more money than they should?¡±

    ¡°Those guys,¡± he said, jerking his head towards

    She sighed. ¡°I mean, realistically. Who has more money, better clothes, nicer things? Who attends lots of parties or belongs to a lot of clubs?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know. Just pay attention in the future and make notes.¡±

    ¡°Any thoughts on the moles?¡±

    She ran her finger over the nails of her other hand. ¡°Pattern interruptions, like they should be in their office, but they can¡¯t be found? I suppose if bad information is fed to them and WSI¡¯s rival uses it, then they could narrow down who gave them the faulty information based on what the rival does.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people to look into. They¡¯ve done the faulty information three times this year and each time Brevic Brothers doesn¡¯t take the bait.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll have to think about it more, then. Do you want me to stick around and help with anything?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, staring off for a moment before meeting her eyes and smiling. ¡°Thank you, though, for the help. I have a better focus on my tasks now.¡±

    ¡°Good.,¡± she said, rising. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get you down, Al. Remember that you can break their faces with one punch.¡±

    ¡°And lose my license, though I¡¯d lose it anyway for not registering in New Wextif. Here, in particular, is a bad place to get caught doing that.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t get caught,¡± she said, hugging him before leaving.

 Chapter 139

    Al¡¯s work continued over the next two weeks, but it was much easier for him. If anyone managed to catch him roaming around, he did their tasks, but he put little thought into it. Folio deliveries were done while he kept his eye out for suspicious activities. Tea was made while he listened to gossip from the other secretaries. And he rarely ran errands outside of work, but if he did, he made sure to take notes on where people ate and if that seemed above their pay grade.

    Anla was looking over his notes when he returned from dinner. ¡°Who¡¯s Marchen?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s the president¡¯s son. I like him; he¡¯s pleasant and nice to me. Why?¡±

    ¡°You have notes on him.¡±

    ¡°I have notes on a lot of people,¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s fitting that pattern I mentioned.¡±

    He blinked a few times. ¡°He¡¯s the president¡¯s son. He makes good money, so he¡¯s going to eat well and have a nice pocket watch.¡±

    ¡°He still matches, Al. I think you should look into Marchen.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a mole and he¡¯s not embezzling. Why would he? If he works at WSI for another ten years, he¡¯ll become a partner. He¡¯ll likely take over for his father some day.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he needs the money now. I know, you like him, but you need to set aside how you feel about him and look at the facts.¡±

    He threw up his hands. ¡°All right, all right. Let¡¯s give his name to Raulin and have him investigate him. But, I¡¯m only doing it to cross him off the list.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Al. That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go tell him.¡±

    ¡°Tell him what?¡± Raulin said, standing in the doorway.

    ¡°Why were you spying on us?¡± Al snapped.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. You two were a little loud; I heard you through my bedroom wall. I just walked over to ask what was going on.¡±

    ¡°Al has another name for your list.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s innocent,¡± he said, ¡°but we have to be diligent.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look into his office tonight. Mezzem? I was wondering if you wanted to up your dining education tonight. I have two tickets to dine at Vedroir for tonight.¡±

    ¡°Vedroir?¡± Al asked, his eyebrows shooting up. ¡°The Vedroir? Seating is very hard to get.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I happened to have won two places in a game today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Al said, the wistfulness in his voice very apparent.

    Raulin met his gaze with Anla, took a deep breath, and let it out with a resigned sigh. ¡°Would you like to go with Anla?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he said quickly, then, ¡°but, I can¡¯t go wearing this.¡± He picked at the plain vest, shirt, and slacks he wore with his leather shoes, worn from miles of traveling. ¡°And¡­and I wouldn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯d make a fool of myself.¡±

    ¡°Well, as they say, you have plenty of chances to make a fool of yourself, but only one chance to try something new. Why not do both?¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t care if people see me using the wrong fork or that I forgot to put my napkin in my lap,¡± Anla said. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy a great meal tonight.¡±

    ¡°Even if I decided not to worry about other people, I still have rags to wear.¡±

    ¡°Well, Wizard, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to introduce you to an ember man.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± he asked.

    * * *

    ¡°Oh, finally!¡± Anla said as Al walked out from the back. She wasn¡¯t referring to the time it took, since she was hoping it was going to be a while, since she suspected a lot needed to be done. And a lot had been. Al met her with his wild hair trimmed, parted, and oiled into something fashionable. His scruffy beard had been shaved down to a mustache, his nails cleaned and trimmed, and the black and gray outfit he wore fitting well over his lanky frame. He looked decent, and she knew that he knew knew that by his pleased, almost shy smile.

    ¡°You look really nice, Anla.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smoothing out the skirts to her dress. It was a beautiful cream with gold and green Jacobean brocade, leaves, stems, and flowers curling on the fabric in a rich pattern popular around Ap Riszel¡¯s Day. The sleeves puffed slightly at the shoulders and ended at her elbows, her hair curling onto her upper arms. She had a cream drawstring bag and a fan draped over her arm. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    They linked arms and were going to walk the thirteen or so blocks to Vedroir when a hansom driver waved them over. ¡°You¡¯re going to Vedroir?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t have enough money to¡­¡± Al began.

    ¡°Already paid for,¡± he said, stepping down from his seat to help them into the carriage.

    ¡°Good thing,¡± Al said. ¡°These shoes pinch and the collar¡¯s tight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wearing a bustier and high heels,¡± Anla replied through clenched teeth. ¡°Would you like to start a contest on discomfort?¡±

    The carriage ride was quiet, though Anla was amused by Al¡¯s appreciation of their temporary station. He would occasionally wave to the people in the streets, never appearing disappointed when people just stared back or spit.

    They arrived twenty minutes early to Vedroir, a black brick, one-story building with the name in copper lettering on the main wall. They stepped inside, handed their tickets to the maitre d¡¯, and were asked if they wanted red, green, or blue seating.

    Anladet was puzzled by this. Raulin had never mentioned colors when he spoke about fine dining, not for tiers or any other reason. Al looked confused as well. ¡°I¡¯ll take¡­blue?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Excellent, ma¡¯am. And you, sir? Blue as well?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with red,¡± he said.

    The maitre d¡¯ left and returned with two scarves of according color. Others waiting in the room had draped it over their shoulders, so she did likewise. ¡°Al, why didn¡¯t you pick blue? We¡¯re going to be alone.¡±

    ¡°I wanted red,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m feeling like red tonight.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t even know what it means.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what ¡®blue¡¯ means,¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but isn¡¯t the whole point of this dining together?¡± She went back to speak to the maitre d¡¯. ¡°Goodman, I believe there¡¯s been a mistake. I¡¯m going to be separated from my husband if I go in the blue room.¡±

    ¡°We can accommodate single eaters, if that¡¯s what¡¯s concerning you, ma¡¯am.¡±

    She thought about this for a few moments. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She supposed if the restaurant had no problem with her sitting alone, then she should enjoy her meal by herself.

    The smells were intoxicating; rich spices tingled her nose while briny fish and earthy starches made her mouth water. Finally, the maitre d¡¯ called for the blue guests to follow him. They passed by two other rooms with translucent red and green curtains covering the wide entrances. The blue curtains of the last room were pulled open to reveal a square table with blue-tinged sconces and a large, round tank with water that held fish and plants. They were invited to choose a seat. To appear conspicuous, Anla chose a seat in the corner across from the opening, blocked from the view of most of the doorway by the fish tank.

    She sat alone, the seat to her right and left empty. Unsure of what to do, she waited quietly, looking at the fish and watching the other diners speak with each other. The place setting in front of her looked complicated with several forks, knives, plates, and glasses, some which only barely looked like the utensils she was used to eating with.

    As the remaining guests were being seated, waiters moved around the front and behind the settings, and placed small dishes of salted butter and sesame seed bread on the small plate in the left corner. She nibbled on it, then mimicked one of the women who smeared butter on the outside and daintily ate hers.

    ¡°There are no seats together?¡± a man asked. He and another man stood at the doorway, their bowler hats and coats being taken by the waitstaff. ¡°What about those two over there?¡±

    ¡°Let me ask the young lady if she wouldn¡¯t mind moving,¡± the maitre d¡¯ said.

    He hustled over and very gently asked if she wouldn¡¯t mind moving over one place to accommodate those two gentleman. She agreed and was seated one place over to the left, her plates whisked away and replaced by fresh ones. The two men barely acknowledged her and began speaking to each other.

    The first course was served. She forgot the description beyond the word ¡°octopus¡±. She¡¯d seen one in a market once, a bulbous head with long arms that flailed and sucked onto things. She was supposed to eat that? Everyone else seemed to be tucking in with zeal, so Anla told herself she¡¯d just try one bite.

    But, it was better than one bite. The texture, a little chewy, was interesting, but the taste of the rest of the dish was amazing. There was a briny foam served with peas and a dusting of what might be cheese. It reminded her of that day at the beach with her family so strongly she felt a lump in her throat.

    She was still savoring the dish when waiters came by to remove the plates and forks. Raulin had said that fine dining was orchestrated, and that if you liked a dish, you needed to scarf it down. The octopus was replaced by a soup that may have been pork with seafood dumplings and a garnish of bitter herbs. She watched as the man next to her picked up the wide spoon and began sipping on the soup, which she copied with as much confidence as possible.

    Anla grew comfortable by the third course, a plate of thinly sliced, raw fish with different sauces. She began to work on her isolation trick, listening in on conversations even from across the table. A man and his mistress had some interesting ideas for the evening ahead while another couple spent their meal nitpicking each other. Some were having scintillating conversations about their day or facts they knew about the food served in the meal. Others were poor conversationalists.

    And the men sitting next to her were discussing something very interesting indeed. At first she it sounded like normal, boring work talk. They discussed accounts they were handling, co-workers, business transactions, policies they didn¡¯t particularly like. Then, as the main course of steamed muscles with tomatoes in a cream sauce was served, they changed their focus.

    ¡°How much longer do you think we can keep this up?¡± the man with thick sideburns asked.

    ¡°A little while more. They are aware that they are being embezzled, but we¡¯re funneling the funds well enough.¡±

    ¡°What do you plan on doing once it¡¯s finished?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯ve covered our trail well enough, then I can stay if I wish. I feel moving on to the west might be a good idea, a fresh start with a good amount of money to build my own business. Things are cheaper out there. How about yourself?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t given it much thought,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go out west as well.¡±

    The man with the beard paused as he chewed his food. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me. Good. At least you¡¯ve learned that this world is wild and that you could be prey at any moment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to betray me.¡±

    Anla held her breath waiting to hear his reply. The bearded man smiled as he sipped the broth. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be wise for two reasons. The first being I still need your signatures for the double authorization on all our little schemes. The second being your silence. If I left with your cut or reported you, it would be extremely difficult for me to leave for Breachil if you, in turn, told the police everything. No, you and I have a pact of silence. We will go our separate ways with half of our money and never speak of it again.¡±

    ¡°I have your word?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always had my word,¡± he said, Anla hearing that rock-grinding sound tinging his words. He was definitely going to betray his partner.

    The man with the sideburns relaxed a little and returned to eating his dinner, as did the man with the beard. Anla was still savoring the sauce when the plates were switched for a salad of seaweed. The food thus far had been beautiful and delicious, the best she had ever eaten, but that conversation had been quite entertaining. Whoever they worked for was going to hurting in a few months time.

    By the time Anla was feeling full but daring to at least try the dark chocolate mousse, the thought that maybe, perhaps, those two men worked for West Schoolinghouse had taken form in her mind. It was unlikely, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to ask Al to check on their identities.

    After dinner, she found him already waiting for her in the bar area. He was sweating profusely and guzzling glasses of iced water like he was one of the fish she had just eaten. ¡°I should have chosen blue,¡± he admitted. ¡°Red was very spicy and hot foods. I thought I was going to die.¡±

    ¡°Is everything all right?¡± the maitre d¡¯ asked.

    ¡°My husband just needs a few minutes to recover from your wonderful food,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. We can go¡­¡±

    She pinched him hard on the back of the arm. ¡°Just a few minutes, please. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Ow. What gives?¡± he asked when the man had left, rubbing his arm.

    ¡°Two men are going to walk out from the blue room. One has sideburns and the other a beard. I want you to tell me if they look familiar.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if they do.¡±

    They waited, watching the diners leave in their own time. Finally, the men left and walked by the bar. ¡°Them,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t¡­wait. The man with the scruff on his cheeks¡­that¡¯s Corbritz. He works in accounting at WSI.¡±

    She sucked in a huge gulp of air. ¡°They sat next to me at dinner and spoke about how they had been embezzling their employer for some time. They plan to cash in soon and leave town.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± he said, his palm touching his forehead. ¡°Of course. Who best to swindle a company but the men in charge of the money. I thought the president had said he¡¯d scrutinized all his accountants, though.¡±

    ¡°The one with the beard said he still needed the other man for his signature.¡±

    ¡°Ah. They must have a double sign-off for accounts. If one is the others supervisor, it would make a lot of sense.¡± He sat up once the two men had left. ¡°I¡¯ll let Raulin know you cracked that case.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Al. You¡¯re in charge. You can have it.¡±

    ¡°No, Anla. What¡¯s fair is fair. If you caught them using your¡­skills¡­then you should get credit.¡±

    ¡°You know, you really should thank Raulin,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s trying to be friendly with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he said and she knew that was as much as she was going to get out of him.

 Chapter 140

    Raulin was very pleased at the eventual progress. He, Al, and Anla went to the president of WSI the next day and laid out all the evidence they had gathered. Presenting the evidence against his son Marchen had been disheartening, but the president seemed to take this with less emotion than Al had shown. Raulin had found too many pieces that pointed to his son being the blackmailer and the man had seemed to understand the situation with a sort of calm resolution.

    The identities of the two embezzlers came with much more relish. Anla handed him a list with all the details she remembered, including dummy account names, particular schemes, and actions they would be taking within the next few weeks. The president eyed the paper quickly, then sat back in his chair. ¡°Kinsoval? That¡¯s a huge account. You¡¯re certain that was the name they used?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely certain,¡± she said. ¡°I got the impression that, while they only stole relatively small amounts for each fraud, there were a few larger ones. ¡®Breakwater¡¯ was another account they were monitoring.¡±

    The president winced and sighed. ¡°All right. This will take some extensive work. I thank you for your bad news. I assume everything¡¯s been taken care of?¡±

    Raulin opened his notebook and pulled a folded letter out, flattening it on the president¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯ll need your signature next to everything you feel was satisfactorily handled. This,¡± he said, pointing to the bottom of the page, ¡°assures that I will check in at the end of two weeks time to make sure you¡¯re completely satisfied. Which, not to put a fine point on it, means you have two weeks to make sure you feel your contract was adequately handled.¡±

    The president signed next to all lines and handed the form back to Raulin. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be needing you if these three avenues pan out.¡±

    Later, as they sat in a restaurant for lunch, Al asked, ¡°The two week thing¡­doesn¡¯t that necessarily mean you could work for them indefinitely?¡±

    ¡°Due diligence,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Your eight hours per day counts towards the twelve daily hours I need to put into working for WSI. So, I¡¯d only need to give him about five days if he¡¯s unsatisfied.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re done with WSI then?¡±

    ¡°Effectively. Ah, yes. Payment. We really hadn¡¯t discussed what payment was going to be. You may keep whatever they paid you, Wizard.¡±

    Al scoffed. ¡°Three copper per day?¡±

    Raulin gave a small chuckle. ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t let me finish. I will also pay you five gold for every day you were here. I think that¡¯s, what, 125 gold? And whoever identified the three men will receive fifty gold a piece. Is that another 150 for you?¡±

    Al thinned his lips. ¡°That¡¯s Anla¡¯s work. She gets the money.¡±

    ¡°All right. Was there something else you wanted?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Thank you for the tickets.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome, Wizard. I hope you enjoyed. Now, that leaves us with two contracts to deal with. Anla, how are you coming along with the Mesh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been disappointing, to be honest,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°A lot of rumors and some dead-ends. People are afraid of the Cumber. They think that they know everything, that by telling me anything concrete their families will be put in jail and that they¡¯ll be sent to the Viyaz Desert. I¡¯ve followed fourteen leads only to have the person renege at the last moment.¡±

    ¡°You know what the solution to that?¡± She shook her head at his question. ¡°Money.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already offered a few gold for solid information.¡±

    ¡°A few? You have to really give them a reason to sacrifice their security. I will give you a pouch of thirty gold. That should be enough so that they could uproot themselves should they need to.¡±

    ¡°That might help.¡±

    ¡°Now, our missing viscount. I¡¯ve put that one on the back burner, since the others were so large in scope, but that¡¯s now our priority. Tel and I did a ground survey of the estate and you two did an interview with his family. Our general conclusion was that, since there were no signs of struggle and no ransom notes, that he left of his own accord. True?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± they both said, but Anla was hesitant. When Raulin picked up on it, he asked her to elaborate. ¡°His parents said there was no reason why he would run away, but there was something off in their tone. I would press them a little more about it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter why he left, just as long as he was nudged. That gives us more of a reason to believe he wasn¡¯t kidnapped, which means we don¡¯t explore those avenues.¡±

    ¡°What if he was?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°If the kidnappers were clever enough to take the viscount without any signs whatsoever, then I¡¯m not likely to find him. It¡¯s easier for me to explore the more likely path, that he left on his own.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°How do you find someone who doesn¡¯t want to be found, then?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a viscount, not a baron, and his family¡¯s estate looked rather posh. I¡¯d gather he doesn¡¯t have a good grasp on how to live on his own. He might have the education to find a job, but no connections to secure a good one. No survival skills, so he wouldn¡¯t be on the streets, and since no money or possessions other than his clothes were missing, no way to leave New Wextif. He had to have been taken in by someone.¡±

    ¡°All family members nearby and friends¡¯ houses were checked,¡± Al reminded him.

    ¡°Yes, but we haven¡¯t checked.¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s been hiding out in someone¡¯s basement since March?¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°Probably not. That¡¯s a good point, Wizard. Why escape whatever issue¡¯s going on at home only to live in a prison? He would likely be somewhere he could move around and interact with people, unless he was a shy man. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he was trying to leave the nobility?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Why would anyone want to leave the nobility?¡± Al asked. ¡°You¡¯re rich, well-connected, and you have everything you could want at your fingertips. I never understood why someone would make themselves a ceri.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard being noble described as a ¡®pretty yoke¡¯,¡± Raulin said. ¡°There¡¯s little choice for your future. You have to accept that your life will be dictated for you; you¡¯ll marry who they say you¡¯ll marry and you¡¯ll have the career they say you¡¯ll have. Sometimes love and freedom are worth more to people than security.¡±

    ¡°Does it happen often?¡±

    Raulin frowned and nodded his head back and forth. ¡°Very rarely, but every once in a while I hear of one. They¡¯re usually barons who don¡¯t have much to walk away from in the first place. Viscounts leaving is even more of a rare occurrence, though it happens from time to time. The higher up the chain, the rarer. I do know of an Arvonnese don-principal who left everything to choose his own career as a doctor. It shocked the nation for some time.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense, though. Surely one could just learn to accept their problems.¡±

    ¡°Like being a Uranian?¡± Anla said tartly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said. ¡°Yes. Sorry, Raulin. I had forgotten about that.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± he said sadly. ¡°That reminds me; I should check in with Vanif, see how he¡¯s doing. I assume the letter has done its damage. Anyway, places for runaway nobles to hide and live out their lives.¡±

    ¡°I can ask around the Mesh,¡± Anla offered. ¡°I¡¯m sure someone will have heard of a rogue noble.¡±

    ¡°He has a birthmark on his arm. That might help. Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he went to Amandorlam for training?¡±

    ¡°Not if he had no money, which none was missing. Wait, nobles can be trained as wizards?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re human, which means they have a one in four shot of being able to tap into either the Calm or the Unease. I knew a few lower-ranking nobles or third sons that attended.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. I should have realized one could have two forms of magic.  I¡¯ll need to think about this more.¡±

    * * *

    It was that shift in thinking of nobles as humans and not just nobles that finally touched the match to the candle in Raulin¡¯s mind. He journeyed to Varash Square early in the day, before the parade and well before the show, slipping inside the large tent. He made his way to Kazi¡¯s room, relaxing in the hammock until Kazithu opened the door.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be sure to¡­kashratlet! Raulin, you will kill me some day. My heart doesn¡¯t take well to trirecs sneaking in to my room.¡±

    ¡°We need to have a chat, Kazi. Sit, please.¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. ¡°You have me a bit worried.¡±

    ¡°I need you to take me to him,¡± he said, sitting up.

    ¡°Who?¡± he asked, giving a nervous grin.

    ¡°Kazi. I promise I won¡¯t hold this against you and I won¡¯t be angry with you over any past transgressions. But, from this point on, you are impeding me in my contract and I won¡¯t be happy about that.¡±

    Kazithu looked away for a few moments, then gave a short shrug. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    They left his room and made their way back to the mess hall at the back of the tent. He put out his hand to stop Raulin, then beckoned someone in the room. The man who had seemed confused at Raulin¡¯s request to meet with Kazithu, the one who had the strange conversation with Kazi on the night of the creveir party, left his lunch. ¡°Master? You need me?¡±

    Kazi moved to the side and the man saw Raulin standing there. He looked confused until Raulin grabbed his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. Sure enough, there was a birthmark that vaguely looked like a fish on his forearm.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fietro, but I said we¡¯d hide you only as long as you stayed hidden.¡±

    He tried to jerk his hand back, but Raulin didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Leave me be! You have no right to do this!¡±

    ¡°I do. Your family hired me to find you. Seems they found you worth the price.¡±

    ¡°I can pay you.¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You ran away with clothes and nothing else, not even a copper. Are you going to find two hundred gold somewhere?¡±

    ¡°They only paid that much because of the betrothal. That¡¯s all I am to them, some bargaining chip.  Please.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of what you are, you need to come with me. You can cooperate, or I can knock you out. Which would you prefer? I¡¯ll admit I only hit that sweet spot on the side of the head once out of every three, so I might need to rough you up a bit.¡±

    Fietro clenched his jaw, but answered, ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate.¡±

    They turned and Raulin nodded at his friend. ¡°Kazi.¡±

    ¡°I hope to find you in better circumstances next time. You owe me a story.¡±

    The two were about halfway to the Kiinvar Estate when Fietro broke down. ¡°Please, let me go. I don¡¯t want to get married. I won¡¯t say anything to anyone, I swear. Just let me go back to train as a creveir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do! I was doing well at it! You can even ask Kazithu; he was helping to train me as a creveir.¡±

    ¡°If you really meant to leave the nobility, and I mean leave, you wouldn¡¯t have been so careless. You would have saved money. You would have learned how to live as a commoner faster. And you would have cut your birthmark off and dyed your hair.

    ¡°You were just playing at running away. Sooner or later you¡¯d look at your life and realize what you gave up and how miserable you were without your soirees and your fine clothing and trips to the Oloran Mountains. Four months is impressive, but I¡¯m sure you were starting to miss your old life.¡±

    ¡°No! I loved it! I can¡¯t go back to my family, please.¡±

    ¡°I have no choice in the matter, just like you don¡¯t.¡±

    He began to cry at that point. ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry her. I don¡¯t even like her.¡±

    Raulin sighed, his heart moved with pity for the kid. ¡°Then negotiate. You¡¯re an adult and this little stunt of yours should show your parents that you¡¯re at least somewhat serious about leaving. Threaten them with the same if you don¡¯t get what you want in life. And, no, joining the circus is not reasonable, but perhaps attending Amandorlam is. Or having your own estate, to get away from them. Whatever you want.¡±

    Fietro seemed to think about this and said nothing even after Raulin dropped him off at his parent¡¯s estate.

 Chapter 141

    A few weeks passed into September, not that it made too much difference in the way of weather. A few more heavy storms ripped through, dumping inches of rain and flooding certain parts of the capital, but for the most part the weather remained warm and humid.

    Raulin whistled as he made his way to Vanif¡¯s estate. Today was going to be a garden party with high tea served. The fact that no tables or chairs were placed outside didn¡¯t hinder his route, since he had expected this day to come, but for the role¡¯s sake he looked around in confusion.

    The valet answered the door and bade him to stand while he got Vanif. He would have sat again, but all the furniture was covered in white sheets. A pit of grief began to well in his chest until he saw Vanif emerge from his rooms and jog down the stairs.

    ¡°Marin, I apologize. I didn¡¯t know where to reach you, so I didn¡¯t send a cancellation notice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right, my friend. Is everything fine with you?¡±

    Vanif chewed on the inside of his mouth. ¡°I take it you¡¯re not caught up on gossip, are you?¡±

    ¡°I tend to ignore the things I hear. I can¡¯t bother to keep up with what you Ghenians find important, since it will all change by the next time I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is on the permanent side. I¡¯m moving and might not see you again.¡±

    Raulin feigned alarm. ¡°What? Why? Is it something I did?¡±

    ¡°Not you. I¡¯m¡­taking a break from society and reducing my profile in Gheny.¡±

    He waited to see if he was going to be more forthcoming, then finally asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    Vanif began walking down the corridor and Raulin followed. It took some time before he stopped, turned to him and said, ¡°I¡¯m being stripped of my titles and my family has disowned me. I will still be managing their affairs, but only as an employee, and my monthly retainer has been slashed. I will have to live outside their estates. There will be no more parties, no more soirees, no more teas. Oh, and my marriage has been annulled, so I can¡¯t look to Gretza¡¯s family, either. So, I can¡¯t help you in the future, Marin. You¡¯ll have to navigate Ghenian society on your own.¡±

    Raulin broke decorum and hugged Vanif, who seemed a little surprised by this. ¡°I will miss you, my friend. You have always been true to me and it¡¯s something I¡¯ll always treasure.¡±

    Vanif cleared his throat and moved away. ¡°Yes, well, I feel I¡¯m no longer an important friend to have.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; I¡¯m not an instated count, so both you and I are blooded but without titles.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little different. You, at least, have hope to one day be a count again.¡±

    ¡°Never give up hope. ¡®A man who loses control of a county may one day lead a country¡¯.¡±

    Vanif gave a non-committal grunt. ¡°So, this means there¡¯s no tea today.¡±

    ¡°Did you want to do something else? We can go out for a repast or for a drink.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for you. Tarnished image and all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by a tarnished image. I¡¯ll be leaving soon with plenty of their money. I doubt they¡¯d ask for it back or risk tarnishing their own image.¡±

    Vanif took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, I could use a drink.¡±

    They went to a nearby parlor that Vanif frequented. He downed absinthe after absinthe and was sozzled within fifteen minutes. Raulin watched this without comment and listened when Vanif began a drunken tirade against almost everyone he¡¯d known. It was a side he¡¯d never seen of him, but Raulin had seen this same scenario played out a few times in others. When given the opportunity to let their guards down, all the polish and deportment of the nobility vanished and left anger, self-loathing, and fear in its place. And Vanif¡¯s guard wasn¡¯t just down; it was gone.

    He railed against everything he couldn¡¯t change; his family, the system, his marriage. Then, he began crying. ¡°I love him,¡± he said.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Corr¡¯n,¡± he said in a very faint whisper. ¡°¡®ve never loved anyone like I love him. I can¡¯t leave him. I can¡¯t live without him. If you ever find som¡¯ne like that, som¡¯ne who it would hurt to breath without, marry them. If you can,¡± he added bitterly.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    What could he say to that? He remembered the sunlit woman from his dream aboard the ship and knew that he felt like that about her. It had ached so badly when he had awoken. It was a small sliver of empathy he could feel for his friend, though he hoped never to meet her. He couldn¡¯t offer he what she would want.

    He convinced Vanif to walk back home after another drink, though walking was a generous term for what he did. Raulin slung his friend¡¯s arm around his shoulder and half-dragged the man across the few blocks to his soon-to-be former home. They were within sight when Vanif managed to lift his head and asked, ¡°Waz it you?¡±

    ¡°Was it me what?¡±

    ¡°People say things. I don¡¯t like it, but it almost makes sense. They think yer not a noble, but som¡¯ne who works for the Cumber. Or a trirec, but thaz not right.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t trirecs Merakian? Short and darker skinned?¡±

    ¡°¡®s what I said. But, anyway, you came here and then thiz happen¡¯d. Is hard to ignore that.¡± Vanif suddenly dug his fingernails into Raulin¡¯s shoulder, releasing just a moment later. ¡°¡®kay.¡±

    ¡°If I can ever help you in the future, you know I will. But, I have to return to Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Vetreya iz helping me, a little. Write to her.¡±

    Raulin opened the front door and saw Corrin standing nearby. ¡°He needed a drink¡­or ten. Take care of him?¡±

    He slid himself under Vanif¡¯s arm to take his weight from Raulin. ¡°I always do,¡± he said.

    * * *

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Anla asked.

    He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°It could have been worse, I suppose. I think he¡¯s going to be okay eventually, but he¡¯s not taking the change well.¡±

    ¡°So, they disowned him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but his family is at least employing him to handle the businesses. The same as what he¡¯s been doing, but much less freedom and money.¡±

    ¡°At least he¡¯s not on the street.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Al entered the room in front of Telbarisk and the two got comfortable on the floor. Raulin stood and closed the door. ¡°Okay, one last time before we review our plan; is everyone on board with this? Breaking into the Cumber could have some serious repercussions for you three. Even just assisting me means you risk serious problems in your future. I can¡¯t even list all of them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re aware,¡± Al said, sounding a little bored. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything to go back to anyway.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you were on vacation,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been almost three months, so I¡¯m guessing my spot has been filled. I think I should look for a new job anyway, something like a vizier position with a noble.¡±

    ¡°The noble might not hire you if you¡¯ve been blacklisted by the Cumber,¡± Raulin said quietly.

    ¡°The right noble would overlook that.¡±

    ¡°All right. Anla? Tel?¡±

    ¡°I have enough money to travel back to my people, should I want to, or leave the country. I¡¯m not concerned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°I appreciate your solidarity. Now, let¡¯s discuss our intel. Anla?¡±

    She straightened her back, trying to get comfortable on the lumpy bed in Raulin¡¯s new room. ¡°After about five weeks of scared informants, dead-ends, and no-shows, I¡¯ve finally gathered concrete evidence that the Cumber is definitely in Shingden. Not only that, but I can tell you which building it¡¯s in and what you¡¯re likely to encounter as far as guards or workers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certain this is true?¡±

    ¡°Unless they knew a way to fool my ear and corroborated with two other people they didn¡¯t know, it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Good. So, we have the place and we can figure out a time. I¡¯ll bring Anla and Tel with me; I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need you with me, Wizard, since your talents wouldn¡¯t help on location.¡±

    ¡°The gate,¡± he said.

    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t bring Anla and Tel past the Amanstri Gate, since they¡¯re not nobles, and it¡¯s going to be nearly impossible to get them past the church gates and the main civilian gates. Same goes for you as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Well, I wouldn¡¯t worry about the gates; I have a way around that issue.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Yes. I mean, it¡¯s a little dicey and it still won¡¯t nullify the problems with sneaking past guards, but I should be able to get past the Amanstri Gate.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°That I can¡¯t divulge.¡±

    ¡°But¡­scholars have been studying that gate for centuries. It was said to have been crafted by the gods themselves. No one has gotten around it.¡±

    ¡°And I doubt those scholars have studied Merak or trirec tricks. I¡¯m not concerned about that part of the plan. What concerns me is the actual implementation of the heist once I reach the building, the possibility of getting caught, and then escaping. And now I don¡¯t even have you three to help, should something go wrong.¡±

    ¡°At least we know where you¡¯ll be,¡± Anla said. ¡°We¡¯ll be on high alert, stationed as close as possible.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I was hoping to have Tel help with the entrance and your silence spell.¡±

    ¡°I can help from a distance,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°But, it might be hard for you to know who I am in a crowd. Shingden is a small city with nobility and workers surrounded by twelve churches. That¡¯s thousands and thousands of people within a few neighborhood¡¯s worth of space.¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± he said, but both were doubtful.

    They ran over the plans for hours, guessing at potential issues that might cause major issues. Raulin was trained to deal with most of them, like a guard appearing where he shouldn¡¯t, but for everything else he was grateful for the sharp minds of both Al and Anla.

    When he went to bed that night he felt uneasy and strange. It wasn¡¯t due to this being a very high risk situation; he was used to that, and frankly, the risks all felt the same to him when he was ducking into shadows and listening for noises. What felt unusual was the teamwork. This was their first cohesive task since their escape from the dungeon in the Count of Carvek¡¯s castle, and he hadn¡¯t expected this arrangement to be permanent then. With the time to think about it, he felt almost like he had when he¡¯d been out at sea, right before he¡¯s been resigned to dying there. And he had an additional worry: he was now worried he¡¯d fail and disappoint them.

    The last was gnawing at him, keeping him up into the night. He usually slept better with Anla at his side, but he couldn¡¯t find that heaviness of sleep. At least, not until she turned in her slumber and wrapped her arm around his side. After the slight shock, he found his breathing deepened and he was asleep soon after.

 Chapter 142

    Bracefort, now that was a castle. A massive one, too, with dozens of towers and turrets, battlements that lined the entire wall, arrow slits, murder holes, machicolations, and ramparts a plenty. And it was all stone, too, with only banners of blue, red, and white to break up the monotony.

    Should an army or a gang of pirates decide to attack Shingden and somehow make it past New Wextif¡¯s defenses, they¡¯d have the difficult task of entering Bracefort made almost impossible by additional security. The only direct access point for an intruder would be through the general gate, but the bridge to the barbican would be drawn and the moat surrounding it treacherously wide and deep. Each church of the Twelve occupied a part on the wall had an entrance, but they were often heavily guarded and not easy to navigate, a bottleneck that could clog easily. And the Amanstri Gate was available only for blooded individuals, and most pirates were unlikely to be noble.

    The gate let blooded individuals through and also those with masks that nullified certain magic. It was a well-guarded secret what the exact properties the soft, gray metal inside the trirec masks could do and even Raulin didn¡¯t know all of them. But in this case, all he had to do was saunter through the gate and pen a fake name to a guest book in the nearby booth. Too easy, sure, but when it came to the Cumber, he¡¯d take whatever advantages he could find.

    The actual keep of the royal family, Bracefort, rose to his left. The main entrance was to the south to reduce the ease of access and was guarded by a company of guards. He ignored it, not needing nor wanting a tour.

    The sunset cast a beautiful rose-gold glow against the paned windows of the shops that lined the street. As this was the place that nobles arrived and congregated, the buildings were well-cared for and sold higher quality items. The people strolling in the street here were mostly dressed well, though there were a few people who were likely servants based on their attire. A woman with a stained apron and worn leather boots almost bumped into him, quickly leaving even though he said nothing to her.

    Raulin shook his head. Al had warned him that having the Unease transferred would make his sight and hearing better, sometimes to the point of distraction. He looked at his map discretely and began plotting his course and moved ahead down Main Street.

    The neighborhood soon roughened to tighter buildings and mixed materials. It was a far cry from some slums Raulin had seen, and, in fact, nowhere in Shingden was it really poor, but it was still less aesthetically pleasing.

    About a mile down the road he spotted the blue-tiled building that took up a full block length-wise. A sign proclaiming it to be the incorporated business owned by the Farestri brothers hung over the door to a shop that sold books, newspapers, pens, ink, and other writing implementations. Those paying attention would note that the store was tiny, just a fraction the size of the long building, but no one seemed to pay attention to it.

    To the side, underneath a canopied walkway, was the door that would be the easiest access for Raulin. It would mean he¡¯d have to pick the lock between the minute-long interval a guard wasn¡¯t present, which hadn¡¯t set well with him. He¡¯d practiced earlier in the day, but it wasn¡¯t going to help him much when it came to doing it under pressure.

    As he stood across the street, a thin, muffled voice swirled around him. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Anla said. ¡°Tel says there are twenty men inside and there are three above-ground levels and two below-ground. The man standing at the corner across from you is the guard. Good luck.¡± Ah, he wished she would stay with him while he did this. He could have snuck her in, too, but he realized this was going to be the safest way should something happen.

    He looked across the street and saw a bearded man lighting a cigarette. His vision was so fine-tuned that he could read the words on the side of the cigarette box if he wanted to, but instead leaned against the building, holding up a broken pocket watch like he was waiting for someone. The man took a few puffs then turned to his left. Raulin watched as he made a very inconspicuous route to the back of the building, stopping here and there to examine paint on the side of the building or scuffed his boots on the gravel. He was guarding the secret more than the contents of the building.

    Hoping that Telbarisk hadn¡¯t missed another guard perched somewhere, he bolted down the alley to the side of the building and found the door with little trouble. He examined it, surprised that not only was there only one lock, but it was an old skeleton key system instead of the newer, more difficult tumbler locks he¡¯d had to deal with frequently. Still, his sweaty hands made it harder than it needed to be. He heard the guard turn the corner just as the bolt slid and he slipped behind the door.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Raulin re-locked the door and slipped his mask on, appreciating it¡¯s ability to soak in what little light was in the room and heightening it. He was in a short, nondescript entrance with a door about ten feet from where he was standing. That, too, was locked, but again with just a simple skeleton key system. The bolt clicked and he paused to hear if anyone was moving on the other side. Silence.

    This had seemed easy, but as Raulin knew, even the most mysterious and frightening specters were tangible. This was a place that shrouded itself in obscurity, it¡¯s people lurking in shadows. They bled when cut, the building burnt when set ablaze. It was no different than Arvarikor, its myths revealed in a puff of air.

    To his right would be the fake storefront, so he went left and found two passages almost at the end of the building. The left led up, the right down, both barely wide enough to hold two people walking sideways. He used the sides of the stairs and the railing to reduce the noise, which he could barely hear in his borrowed state.

    And finally, once he was through that door, began the menial task of hunting for one folder amidst thousands. There were twelve rooms on either side and two floors of what he guessed were mostly archives and reports. He walked to the end, opened the right-side door, and began inspecting.

    He quickly swept each and every room, marking with borrowed chalk which were locked and which were unlikely to hold what he needed. The first round was quick, perhaps twenty minutes. The second, more methodical sweep, took hours. His eyes were starting to grit and the Unease felt like it was wearing off when he finally pulled a reddish-brown folder from a back cabinet with the required label and papers and stuffed it under the back of his shirt.

    Raulin stood and froze. Something felt odd. The hair on the back of his neck stood as he turned to see a man casually leaned in the doorway. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± he said.

    He stood facing the door, trying to figure his next course of action. The room¡¯s one exit was blocked by this man. Rush him? What if there were guards in the hallway with crossbows? Tel had said there were twenty men in the building, but he wouldn¡¯t have mentioned if they had weapons or armor. He couldn¡¯t be sure he¡¯d survive an escape.

    Raulin slowly pulled his knives out and waited. The man, of average height, weight, and a mean pair of mutton chop sideburns, could have killed him or had him arrested already, so he wanted something. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a fight,¡± the man said. ¡°Besides, I have a sword and a lot of training with it.¡±

    ¡°And I have the advantage of tight quarters as well as the fact that I¡¯ve killed with my blades.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good. You speak Ghenian. I was worried you¡¯d only speak Merakian, though I suppose if you got the right folio then you must.¡±

    He fingered his blades, twisting the hilts. ¡°Folio? I¡¯m searching for a seal.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. On your person is a folio for a Thermi Alcomb, AN-136. I know because I was the one who hired you.¡±

    His mouth went dry and his stomach curdled. A set-up. Another set-up. ¡°So, I should be giving it to you, then?¡±

    ¡°If you wish. You¡¯ve already succeeded and I have no plans of contesting the contract with Arvarikor, no matter what you choose.¡±

    ¡°Choose?¡± he asked.

    The man shifted his weight so he stood on both feet. ¡°First, introductions. My name is Dangic Fremark, Viscount of South Quissend but more importantly the Director of His Majesty¡¯s Intelligence and Reconnaissance Service, also known as the Cumber. And you are Raulin Kemor, the first Noh Amairian trirec on record.¡±

    A chill ran up his spine and spread across his skin, coating his whole body in cold. ¡°That¡¯s quite an accusation.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t accuse without proof. Your people gave you up, warned the Cumber you were here and were fulfilling your contract. They told us all about you, including your unique heritage.¡±

    Raulin had never felt the unique sensation of feeling like he¡¯d been punched in the stomach and slapped in the face at the same time. Betrayal was not an act he was familiar with, especially not the one being betrayed. He shoved aside the immediate swirl of accusations in his mind of which one of the three had sold him out to focus on his immediate situation. ¡°This seems a rather odd conversation to have. You¡¯ve caught me stealing from you. You could have me arrested and thrown in jail, but instead you¡¯re introducing yourself and laying out your information. Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought we could come to some other arrangements. If you¡¯ll follow me, I¡¯d like to propose something.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same, I¡¯d rather be on my way now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would,¡± he said with a quick snort of laughter. ¡°While you stay within these walls, you are safe. However, if you leave without my blessing, I cannot guarantee you¡¯ll live very long. I¡¯d recommend at least hearing me out.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair.¡± Wherever he was taking Raulin, it had to be more adventitious to escape from than an underground room with no windows.

 Chapter 143

    ¡°Our guest is going with me,¡± the director said, speaking loudly into the hallway. As Raulin left, he saw several men with crossbows on either end in what was called the Pinned Rood Formation; five men, two resting their weapons on the shoulders of the middle man and the other two resting theirs on their knees. One false move and he¡¯d potentially have ten bolts in places he didn¡¯t want them, namely his body. He was flattered.

    Fremark led him up all four flights of stairs to an office that took up four smaller office spaces. He invited Raulin to sit and offered him a drink. ¡°Brandy? Wine?¡±

    ¡°Water, if you have it,¡± conceding that his throat was burning from thirst. ¡°I never drink when I¡¯m on the job.¡±

    ¡°I do appreciate a man with a good work ethic,¡± he said, pouring him a glass from a pitcher. Raulin sniffed the glass and tongued the rim, testing for poisons. He knew the man didn¡¯t want him dead, but incapacitated or eager to please were likely possibilities. Thankfully, the serums he knew to do either had distinctive smells. He gambled that the Cumber didn¡¯t have their own and drained the glass.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Fremark said, gesturing to the bottom piece of his mask. ¡°May I?¡±

    Raulin tucked it away in his knapsack as an answer. ¡°You were saying something about a proposition.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the director said. He sat behind his desk, which blocked the two windows in the room, and lit the gas lamp. ¡°Trirecs are one of very few people on Yine that are the bane of the Cumber¡¯s existence. Every time we investigate a situation that involves one of your order, we are left befuddled. You sneak in like a shadow, kill or steal without difficulty, and vanish in the night. It makes us nervous and frustrated.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, and it should.¡±

    Raulin could tell from the man¡¯s look that he didn¡¯t take kindly to his response, but he said nothing, sipping on his own glass of whiskey and weighing his words. ¡°Do they teach you of western history?¡±

    ¡°Some. It¡¯s always good to know things.¡±

    ¡°Do you know of the Skirmish of Carmitage, which took place in Okil against the Kitstuaran clansmen that took it upon themselves to reclaim lost territory?¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, the Kitstuaran clansmen dressed as Okilians and slaughtered many village heads and nobles over the course of a few nights.¡±

    ¡°Correct. It was brought up in a meeting about our ongoing trirec problem. Not a precise example, but if we could ¡®dress¡¯ like a trirec, we could in turn know how to prepare ourselves against one. We could learn to be one in order to fight one.¡±

    ¡°And I take it I¡¯m that tailor.¡±

    ¡°Just a fraction of your secrets would make us the best in the world,¡± Fremark said. ¡°And we would pay handsomely for them.¡±

    Raulin paused, considering the implications. ¡°Just so I understand, you took out a contract against yourself, in hopes of luring a trirec to take it, so you could catch him and offer him the opportunity to commit treason against his order by divulging all of Arvarikor¡¯s secrets, thus hoping to nullify the order.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the crux of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass, with respect.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even heard my offer with it¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Betraying my order would be suicide. You think your service has eyes and ears everywhere, you haven¡¯t seen what Arvarikor is capable of, even in a foreign country where each of its men sticks out on the streets like a poorly set cobblestone. It would take one, just one, trirec to hunt me down and kill me.¡±

    ¡°What if I said you¡¯d be protected all day, every day by my men?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°I¡¯d say your men would have to be trained very quickly to combat whomever they send against me.¡±

    ¡°It would be our priority.¡±

    ¡°And after I spill my secrets and train your men? How quickly until I find myself garroted in the middle of the night or have an unfortunate ¡®accident¡¯?¡±

    Fremark chuckled. ¡°You have a healthy appetite for dark futures.¡±

    ¡°No, I have a firm understanding of what men do with old mares and worn clothing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure some organizations would do that once they have what they need. But, why would we kill a well-trained spy? You would be recruited, of course, and rushed through our ranks until you¡¯re at an appropriate level. We¡¯d pay you well and you¡¯d receive some perks I believe you can¡¯t enjoy as a trirec.¡±

    As well as Raulin was holding against the idea, he had to admit that was a bit tempting. He didn¡¯t care about the pay, of course, but a wife? Kids? A home? For one very long moment, he thought a future where he courted Anla and married her, found some quiet place outside the city, and raised a family. ¡°Would I get a nice uniform?¡± he asked brightly.

    Fremark blinked. ¡°For official capacities we have uniforms, but as a spy you¡¯d wear regular clothing. We¡¯d keep your identity a secret.¡±

    ¡°Aw. No fancy cape? No pretty buttons on my cuffs?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mocking me.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m mocking you,¡± Raulin said, folding his arms. ¡°This idea is ludicrous. The Cumber is quite the network, I¡¯ll grant you that. You have the support of Gheny, the law, and the king. You¡¯re hard to find and work well in the shadows. But, you¡¯re not Arvarikor. We are everywhere and we are ruthless. That doesn¡¯t hinder us from doing what we need to do to get the job done.¡±

    ¡°You kill indiscriminately, muck up treaties, and sow chaos.¡±

    ¡°Would it help if I told you we aren¡¯t indiscriminate? We get dozens of assassination contracts yearly for some very high profile people that we reject. Even we understand that killing monarchs and bishops is a bad idea, for us if not for everyone; a nation in political turmoil is generally not a place that¡¯s conducive to contracts nor is it safe enough for trirecs.¡±

    ¡°That helps a modicum, but you¡¯re still operating outside the law. We are tasked with keeping the law. Two opposite ends that can be bridged by cooperation. All we need is you.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to the offices in Riyala or Hanala and spoken with one of the heads?¡±

    ¡°A bit risky, to be honest, and not likely to get the results I want.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. So, you wish for me to break my honor and code of ethics so that you can in turn break Arvarikor and achieve what I¡¯m sure will be some personal glory.¡± He stood and Fremark jumped to the ready. ¡°My answer is ¡®no¡¯ and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find the same no matter how many contracts you issue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t come to a pleasant arrangement,¡± the director said, pulling his blade. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do it the hard way.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s the choice, then: accolades or torture. I hope you won¡¯t think me rude if I¡¯m not around for the latter.¡±

    ¡°Escape? I have my men stationed in the hallway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s only one man standing in between me and the window. And now I present a choice for you: what do you value more?¡± He leaned forward and knocked the lamp to the floor, instantly igniting the oil.

    Surprisingly, Fremark ignored it and engaged Raulin, who had ducked to the left side of the desk. Knives usually had the advantage in close range, and Raulin also had his light-intensifying mask, but it only took one mistake for the point of the director¡¯s rapier to pierce his chest in a shallow wound. It would have been worse had the man not grab his wrist in pain and drop his sword.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his eyes wild in the flames.

    ¡°Why do you ask questions you should already know the answers to?¡± Raulin asked before climbing out the window and dropping two stories to the top of the covered walkway, rolling to avoid breaking his legs.

    The alarm was raised immediately and he set off running to the Amanstri Gate. He ducked into alleys when he could, zig-zagging to shake his tail. He could either run through the gate and risk people realizing his secret or hide and wait for the commotion to die down. Neither was a great choice, but one of them wouldn¡¯t endanger his order¡¯s security.

    For the next hour he played an exhausting game of cat-and-mouse. He led the guards all throughout Shingden, moving them back towards the main gate, hiding in alleys, behind crates, in shops and restaurants, running once he heard them approach. He took to the roofs and watched as they floundered to find him, finally looking up and pointing him out to their comrades.

    And then he led them back to the Amanstri Gate and hid in a cart parked outside a shop. He heard the posse catch up and calls were made to split up to search for him. He itched to run, but held out. If they did discover him, at least there would only be a few of them to give chase.

    He risked taking off his mask and pretended he had just woken up from a drunken nap. He didn¡¯t see anyone around, but that didn¡¯t mean no one saw him. He took his time meandering to the Amanstri Gate and slipped through, Scot-free.

    It was a long walk back to the hotel. The three were waiting in the common room, jumping up when he arrived. ¡°How did it go?¡± Anla asked. When he said nothing and walked up the stairs to his room, she followed. ¡°Raulin?¡±

    He ushered them in and waited until they were all seated before locking the door. He turned and asked, ¡°Which one of you betrayed me?¡±

 Chapter 144

    ¡°What?¡± Anla asked in a hoarse whisper. ¡°Betrayed? Raulin, what happened?¡±

    ¡°You, Wizard?¡± he asked, turning to him. ¡°My money is on you.¡±

    ¡°Did what? I just gave you the Unease. It should have worn off by now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your magic. I was caught by the director and somehow the Cumber knew I was coming, knew my name, even knew I was Noh Amairian.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­he is the director of the Cumber¡­¡± Al began.

    ¡°He specifically said, ¡®Your people gave you up¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What if he meant another trirec told him? Wouldn¡¯t they more likely be ¡®your people¡¯ than us?¡±

    Raulin gave a mirthless laugh. ¡°A trirec tip off the Cumber? It would be like a wolf bathing a rabbit.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± Al said, ¡°but I didn¡¯t say anything. I mean, sure, if you were jailed in New Wextif, I might be able to take some additional courses at Amandorlam or study in the King¡¯s Library, but what¡¯s the point if I¡¯m tethered? And what happens if you¡¯re found guilty, tried, and even executed before the year is up? I couldn¡¯t pretend to be a lawyer here. I got away with it in Carvek because it¡¯s a hick town too far away from Quisset. New Wextif would know immediately that I¡¯m not a lawyer and then I¡¯d be jailed. And there goes reading back copies of Kiesh the Black and Arvonnese alley novels.¡±

    Al was nothing if not honest. Besides, this would be a perfect opportunity for him to bask in Raulin¡¯s misfortune, which he wasn¡¯t doing. ¡°Tel? Did you say something to someone on the streets?¡±

    His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°No, Raulin. I always said I was here with friends when I talked to people. The only time they saw me with you was when you needed me to sit for a job and during the things involving Kazithu.¡±

    He turned and didn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, even ask her. ¡°No,¡± Anla said, shaking her head. ¡°None of us hamstrung you, Raulin. I swear it. Al and Tel are telling the truth and so am I.¡±

    ¡°Since none of you are willing to admit it, I¡¯m going to have to make some changes. There will be no more jobs. There will be no more rewards, no more payments. You three will sit in the hotel all day, unless I tell you to stay somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°No, Raulin, please don¡¯t¡­¡± Anla began.

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust you! After all this!¡± He clenches his fists to stop them from shaking. ¡°You pressed me for more. ¡®Share your jobs, Raulin. Trust us, Raulin, let us help.¡¯ And what do you do but run to the Cumber and ruin my one remaining advantage! I used to be able to do my jobs with ease because no one expected a Noh Amairian trirec. Now¡­¡± He sighed, exhausted from the night¡¯s events.

    Anla began to speak, but Tel put his hand on her arm and shook his head. Instead, Al spoke. ¡°This is what you deserve after you betrayed me, telling me that you needed my help back in Iascond when you were just playing me for a fool.¡±

    ¡°So it was you,¡± he said, ready to rip his throat out.

    He snorted, not realizing his immediate danger. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between schadenfreude and treachery. I¡¯m just glad to see you in a position where you can finally understand what it feels like to be hurt like that. I didn¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t even know how I would get into contact with the Cumber. I suppose I¡¯d go to a police station, but why would they pass my petition along? The only one of us who could have done it was Anla, since she¡¯s the best connected.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± she hissed. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying you did. I just mean that you¡¯d be most likely, but you didn¡¯t. Why would you?¡±

    Raulin looked at Tel and crooked his finger. ¡°Pack your things. We¡¯re leaving as soon as I finish my affairs in New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Anla asked, but his answer was a slammed door.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    It was past midnight and Raulin knew he wouldn¡¯t get to see the agent for north New Wextif tonight. He broke into an accessory shop, took yellow and orange ribbons, and left a generous five silver to make up for the inconvenience. He tied those around a flagpole at the designated spot and returned to walk back to the hotel with Telbarisk.

    The grivven had been silent on the way to the meeting spot and remained so for most of the walk back until he turned to Raulin and said, ¡°If you need to speak to someone, I¡¯ll be available.¡±

    Raulin sighed bitterly. ¡°And why would I speak to you?¡±

    ¡°Because you know none of us betrayed you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that, actually. It seems very likely that one of you did. You, Anla, and Al were the only ones to know I was going to the Cumber. How else can it be explained?¡±

    ¡°Many things have answers that we will never know,¡± he said. ¡°Why do the stars shine in the sky? Why are there deserts and lush lands? Why are we here?¡±

    ¡°Save the corner-priest wisdom for another day, unless you can figure out a solution.¡±

    When they returned to the hotel, he told Telbarisk to join Al and Anla and slept alone that night. He had a lot of thinking to do and he didn¡¯t want anyone to bother him.

    The next day he dragged Telbarisk out again and made it to Breakhorse Hill, where his orange and yellow ribbons had been replaced with a green one requesting a meeting. Perhaps they were heeding the yellow ribbon he¡¯d left and wanted to be very cautious. Still, it was odd that they wouldn¡¯t want to get the bead-to-coin exchange done quickly.

    The address was a few blocks away and was set for this evening. Raulin had nothing to do for eight hours but take in the sights, eat, and shop. He did all of those, but mostly his down time was spent thinking more about what had happened last night.

    What had stopped him from choking the wizard outright is the sliver of doubt he entertained about the matter. Had the director been telling the truth? He¡¯d learned some interrogation techniques in Arvarikor that saved your hands from breaking on your target¡¯s face, namely to be friendly, isolate, and make whatever promises you think your prisoner wants to hear. The viscount had done just that in his recruitment. He had invited Raulin to his office after some banter, told him his people had given him up, and offered him a comfortable future.

    Raulin¡¯s gut was telling him that the director had been telling the truth, though. He hadn¡¯t pressed hard on the fact, just mentioning it as an aside. And it was a valuable piece of information to give away for free, warning him that he was being back-stabbed.

    Which brought him again to who his people were. To be fair, he considered Merakians, Arvarikor, and Noh Amairians as well, but couldn¡¯t understand how it could be anyone but Al, Anla, or Tel. Arvarikor knew he was in New Wextif, yes, but to have the dates pinned down was impossible. The fake time line he had given them had assumed he¡¯d be looking into the Cumber in a few months.

    So, it was back to his three companions. He didn¡¯t suspect Tel, which is why he was taking him as his tether. If Tel had told someone from the Cumber about Raulin, it would have been accidentally and not maliciously, perhaps someone asking him questions on the street that he innocently answered. If Tel had turned on him, his whole world would be upside-down.

    The wizard had the motivation and the desire to really rake Raulin over the coals. He wouldn¡¯t understand the consequences; he¡¯d just hurt him as much as he could. But did ratting someone out go against his morals? Those were unbendable, so long as they were explicit. Raulin had no doubt that, given the opportunity, Al would turn him in. But when they were still attached for another nine months? Doubtful. And the stupid blighter didn¡¯t have the backbone for treachery. Raulin was sure he¡¯d read enough about it one of his novels to hate it, too.

    Anla, however, was the only one other than him that knew that a quick sentencing and death would mean freedom for the other three. She had the access, as Al had pointed out, and could have run messages through the Mesh to the Cumber. But, she had no motive. He was sure she was still irked at least a little about the night of the libertine ball, but since then things seemed well between them. She enjoyed eating dinner with him and loved to learn about cuisine. She had appreciated the work and the freedom that came with it. It baffled his mind to think it was her.

    And so he spent the day running scenarios and possibilities through his mind until it was twilight. No closer to an answer, he formulated his plan as he walked back to Breakhorse Hill. What if he spoke to Al and Anla separately and told them he¡¯d pay fifty gold if they could come up with hard proof that the other had betrayed him? He¡¯d promise to drop all the restrictions as well. Or perhaps he didn¡¯t need to offer gold to Anla; she¡¯d do it just to have her freedom back.

    The building seemed nondescript of some drab-colored brick and tiled roof. The meeting was on the second floor, up a flight of stairs and into an office. He¡¯d seen a few agents hold small rooms as a place to work on contracts or an easier place to be found.

    The door was open, so he didn¡¯t bother knocking. It was dark save a lamp lit in the corner. The agent was sitting next to it and he beckoned Raulin over.

    A flash of white struck his mind and he jerked down. It didn¡¯t save him from being hit, but he wasn¡¯t knocked out, like he would have been. He whirled, his knives drawn, stalking the circle around him for enemies. He turned right, trying to put his back to the wall for a better vantage against his opponent.

    It would have worked if there had been only one. He wound up walking right past another man with a club, who struck him directly on the head. He barely remembered the black overtaking him as he fell unconscious.

 Chapter 145

    ¡°You can barely see them in the lamp,¡± someone said in a language that was familiar, but not comfortable to him.

    ¡°He should have done a better job,¡± another said and he felt someone touch his forearms.

    Raulin must have passed out again because he didn¡¯t remember anything else being said. He awoke to the searing pain of someone cutting his arm, deep and without remorse. He screamed through clenched teeth and tried to break free of the bindings that kept him seated in a chair.

    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled in Ghenian. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    They didn¡¯t listen. Five more times the sharp pain throbbed as knives sliced his flesh, warm blood trailing to the sides and dripping onto the floor. Without his mask and in the dim light, he couldn¡¯t see much more than vague shapes and flashes of silver. It wasn¡¯t enough in his current condition to guess beyond basic feelings of pain, anger, and a little bit of fear.

    When it was done, he sagged and breathed heavily. He only had a few moments before someone struck him across the face. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk, Raulin Kemor,¡± someone said in the same language, his voice reedy and young sounding. Raulin was conscious enough at that point to recognize it was Merakian.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Merakian meant home-not-home, the place where he had learned to do just what they were doing to him. These were his brothers, but not his kin.

    There was a meaty whap sound and the pain along his jaw blossomed. He spit out blood, but remained silent. Apparently, they didn¡¯t want an equal exchange of information and his only reply to his inquiries would be injury.

    Someone grabbed his jaw and he looked up to see a man in a mask, silver and darker in strips across the man¡¯s eyes, nose, and mouth. Trirec. Yes, things were just starting to pass through the haze. ¡°Admit that you killed him.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± he asked and was rewarded with another punch to the face. His teeth felt loose and he spit another glob of blood onto the ground. He was here to exchange beads for money and was ambushed in the dark by¡­ other trirecs?

    ¡°Him. You killed him dishonorably, you cur. Admit it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of men. You¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡± They had re-sliced his forearms into the shame sigil. The connection almost reached him.

    ¡°Stop,¡± another man said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to understand him if we keep hitting his face.¡±

    Which trirecs were these three, assuming the agent was in on it? He didn¡¯t know many, other than those he had led out of the hedge maze in Miachin and Isken. The only other ones he¡¯d encountered had been agents. He nodded slightly to himself. Agents in Iascond and in southern New Wextif who had made a note about what had happened with Afren. They must have gone rogue and decided to take justice into their own hands.

    ¡°You mean Afren Merak. Yes, I killed him,¡± he said and croaked as he was punched in the stomach, gasping for air.

    ¡°Tell us what happened.¡±

    When he could finally breath again, he said, ¡°It was not what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± another yelled and he was clubbed in the head again. While it made him woozy, and he suspected he was bleeding heavily from thisnew wound, it didn¡¯t knock him out. He moaned and slumped forward, hoping he could be given more time to recover while they waited for him to awake.

    The first man who spoke sighed angrily. ¡°You wanted answers, Ratzik. You cannot keep hitting him or else we will kill him.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± the second said and Raulin heard him cuffed on his head.

    ¡°We cannot kill him. We have discussed this.¡±

    ¡°But, he killed my master¡­¡±

    ¡°Go, Ratzik. Curvot and I will handle this.¡±

    Curvot? Yes, that was the agent from Iascond. Ratzik must have been the northern New Wextif agent, since the man asking the questions seemed to have the same calm demeanor he remembered from the southern agent. Raulin groaned and lifted his head slowly.

    ¡°Again, Kemor. Tell us what happened.¡±

    ¡°Happened?¡± he asked, then added quickly, ¡°Afren. We were¡­pitted against each other. He was guarding a man that I was contracted to kill. We fought, more like we talked, and while we did someone else killed his employer.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± Ratzik said, though this time from the corner. ¡°Afren would never have let a man sneak in and take the life of his protected!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him, either. We were distracted.¡±

    ¡°And so?¡± the first man asked.

    ¡°When we checked on his employer and found he was dead, we both enacted the code. I cut my arms, then slit his throat. It was hard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when we spoke,¡± Curvot said.

    ¡°Was I supposed to admit that I loved him like a father? We can¡¯t form attachments. We can¡¯t show loyalty or appreciation or favoritism. Why would I tell someone who would whisper back to the trivren in Hanala?¡±

    ¡°Yet, you admit your feelings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m as guilty as you three are. Leaving your posts, going rogue to enact your vengeance on behalf of a cherished teacher. Whether you¡¯re friends or just in a pact, you¡¯ve broken the same code I did.¡±

    ¡°Never mind what we¡¯re doing¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will mind. And so will Arvarikor when they hear of this.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t breath a word, Kemor,¡± Curvot said, ¡°unless you want them to know about the man and woman you keep company with, the ones who did your contracts for you.¡±

    And then it finally clicked. ¡°You told the Cumber. You¡¯ve been watching me, waiting for me to strike on that theft so that you could tell them I was coming. How deep are you with them?¡±

    ¡°They are stupid miartha who thought they were getting a wonderful deal. Capture you, deliver you to us for one day, then we bring you to them to be arrested.¡±

    ¡°Idiots,¡± Raulin hissed and saw the two in front of him tense. ¡°They tried to recruit me. The told me you had turned on me and tried to get me to join them. Did you think they were actually going to turn me over? They were going to either make me turn or torture me for the information they wanted.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here it means you¡¯re one of them,¡± Curvot said.

    ¡°No, I escaped because I am of Arvarikor and they are just the Cumber. If I was one of them, would I have come here to exchange money?¡±

    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± Curvot said to the first man.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a trap,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I told them how incredibly stupid it was to try to recruit one of us, then showed them by escaping their own building and city. Though I do promise that if you don¡¯t let me go, I will do exactly what you did and will assist the Cumber until all three of you are caught.¡±

    ¡°Not if we kill you first,¡± Ratzik said from his corner.

    ¡°And to quote my friend here, I also have partners who check in on me. The Cumber isn¡¯t coming for you, but my partners are and all three are skilled in magic.¡±

    There was silence as the three trirecs thought about their situation. ¡°Look,¡± Raulin said, feeling his head lurch for a moment, ¡°if you plan on killing me, then finish me off. You¡¯d be doing me a favor, really. I¡¯m sure everyone in Arvarikor knows I¡¯m dishonored and I¡¯ll never get special treatment again. And now the Cumber knows there is a Noh Amairian trirec, so my one advantage is wiped out. I¡¯ll never be able to do a full docket again and one false step will have me whipped to death anyway.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± the first man said. ¡°He¡¯s worse off living than he would be dead.¡±

    ¡°But, he killed Afren!¡±

    ¡°Did he call you ¡®son¡¯, too?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°Did he tell you about his wife and daughter?¡±

    ¡°Kemor, you spread vicious lies¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ratzik said, and that realization broke Raulin¡¯s heart a little. He had always thought Afren and he had a special connection, a boy looking for a father just as much as a man looking for a son. It wasn¡¯t that at all. Afren had picked at least one other to forge the same bond. He was just that type of man.

    The first man pulled Raulin¡¯s boot knife out and held it to his throat. ¡°Our terms: We are finished. We will not speak of this day or what happened during it. No retaliation by our hands or the hands of any other. No trivren will learn of this or be involved. We will leave, then you will. Agreed?¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said. The knife was removed and the straps to his left arm were cut.

    ¡°Know the day you find yourself damned, and you will, we will celebrate by pissing on your grave.¡± The door opened then closed, and Raulin almost fainted. He cut his straps quickly and was surprised to find that, other than his mask being removed and put on the desk, they hadn¡¯t touched his weapons or beads.

    He seemed fine going down the stairs, but he stumbled once outside. Somehow he walked foot in front of foot until he reached Telbarisk.

    ¡°Raulin? Are you fine?¡±

    ¡°Take me¡­ to the¡­ho¡­¡± he said before he passed out.

 Chapter 146

    Raulin was warm and comfortable, covered and dry and satiated. He heard the soft sound of a woman humming, but knew immediately it wasn¡¯t his mother. His mother¡¯s voice had been full-throated and trained; this woman¡¯s song was reaching, searching for a particular note or tone. It wasn¡¯t a song for comfort but for some other purpose.

    He cracked open his eyes, or at least one since the other was swollen shut. Anla was leaning over him, a compress in her hands. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said kindly.

    His forearms were cleaned and bandaged as well as his head. ¡°Good morning,¡± he croaked. She brought a teacup of water to his lips and he drank until his throat no longer hurt. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Just the night. Telbarisk brought you in around midnight and it¡¯s nine o¡¯clock now.¡±

    ¡°Why were you humming? I¡¯ve never heard you do that before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the things a baerd can do, from what I¡¯ve read. Not only can they manipulate sound and it¡¯s structure, but manipulate how people hear the sound and its effect on them. It¡¯s like when I influence someone, but instead of stoking their fear or desire, I¡¯m encouraging healing. At least, I¡¯m trying to.¡±

    He gingerly touched his face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem as bad as I was expecting. Well done.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Actually, that was likely Al¡¯s doing. He put you into a deep sleep and helped you heal with the Calm. He was reluctant to do so, but did it.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t..?¡± He touched his bare face again, mapping out the swelling. Definitely not the worst he¡¯d had, but he doubted Marin Liasorn would get many donations looking like he did.

    ¡°He was upset about it, saying it was best done where he could see if the magic was affecting you and how, but agreed to help without any light to see by.¡±

    ¡°That was kind of him. I know how he feels about healing me.¡±

    ¡°I think he was more afraid of killing you, since the last time he used the Calm he killed a man.¡±

    Raulin closed his eye for a moment. ¡°I need to apologize to you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, placing the cool compress on his face. ¡°I assume you met your betrayer last night and you¡¯ve realized it wasn¡¯t us. I forgive you, but only if you tell me who it was.¡±

    ¡°Three rogue trirecs who took it upon themselves to punish me further for killing Afren.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°It would have been my guess, but you didn¡¯t want to hear it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s still hard for me to trust people as much as I¡¯ve been trusting you three. Your work has been exceptional, and because of that I keep feeling like something is going to come along and ruin it. It almost seemed expected that one of you was going to betray me.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s not something I can tell you you¡¯re wrong about. You¡¯ll just have to see that we won¡¯t again and again.¡±

    ¡°On that note,¡± he said, feeling queasy in his stomach, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you and apologize about that night a few months ago at the libertine ball.¡±

    The crinkle around her eyes disappeared. ¡°I should be apologizing for that. I wanted to show you that I was worthy of a partnership and wound up forcing my magic on you. That was unfair.¡±

    ¡°I should have trusted that you could handle yourself, especially since I knew you could.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re even, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, trying to smile with swollen and cracked lips. ¡°And I want to help you learn more about your magic. When we¡¯re traveling, I¡¯d like to set aside some time to give you an opportunity to experiment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a leap in faith!¡± she said. ¡°Thank you.¡± She rose and brought over a bowl of soup. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, I¡¯ll have you sit up and eat this broth. Al¡¯s at the apothecary, since one should be open now, and he¡¯ll bring back some healing salve for your cuts. I¡¯ll leave you to rest some more.¡±

    Before she left, she turned from the doorway. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, you¡¯re a really great kisser.¡±

    He stopped mid spoonful. ¡°I¡¯m sure someone else has kissed you like that before.¡±

    ¡°No, definitely not,¡± she said, smirking, before closing the door.

    Later that evening, snugly masked, Raulin went to the adjourning room where Al, Anla, and Tel were sitting, eating a take-away dinner. Without saying a word, Raulin got to his knees, folding his arms behind his back, and bowed.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Asking for forgiveness,¡± Raulin replied. ¡°I will stay like this until it is accepted.¡±

    ¡°So, we could leave you there for hours?¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla chastised. ¡°We forgive you, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I was starting to feel faint.¡± He took a seat on the desk. ¡°I regret to inform you all that I did not get the funding I needed for the next portion of our journey. It¡¯s not dire; I still have some funds in my account, but I would prefer to exchange with Arvarikor agents and leave a paper trail. That way they won¡¯t suspect I have monetary means outside their control.¡±

    ¡°I think we should take the train up to Whitney,¡± Anla said, ¡°and let you rest a bit more. I¡¯m sure I can cover our tickets.¡±

    ¡°Ispen first. There are no agents in Whitney or anywhere north of there. I¡¯ve decided to switch things up and go to Baradan first. It¡¯s starting to cool there and I¡¯m afraid we might get caught in a snowstorm if I leave it for later. Besides, at this point I¡¯d rather have my order confused as to where I¡¯m going, should someone else want to take liberties with my schedule.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Al said. ¡± I¡¯ll show you all the sights and take you to the best restaurants.¡±

    ¡°One other thing. I¡¯ve decided to help Anla learn more about her magic. I¡¯m hoping that you¡¯ll extend her the same courtesy.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­have to think about it.¡±

    ¡°Better than a ¡®no¡¯, I suppose. I¡¯m going to go lay down again and we can set out in a day or two.¡±

    At some point in the night, Raulin awoke to find Anla curled up next to him, her head on his bare chest. He sighed and pulled her closer, closing his eyes and falling deeply asleep.

 Chapter 147

    For a man who had been so thrilled with trains, Tel had been quite trepidatious about stepping aboard one. He¡¯d full-stopped as he was climbing up the short platform to the carriage, suddenly unsure about what he was going to embark upon. Alpine had slammed into his back and he heard a few disgruntled sighs from people behind him. Raulin had turned around and Tel had heard those people immediately mumble apologies.

    He had boarded the train, class carriage, and took the forward seat next to the window at the insistence of the other three. After a blasting whistle, the train started to move and Tel found himself gripping the table. The buildings began to whisk by, followed by the trees, houses, and other landmarks. It was hard to keep track of what passed, though he tried hard to keep the important things in his sight.

    ¡°Tel, stop that,¡± Raulin said, who sat across from him. ¡°You¡¯ll get sick.¡±

    ¡°Sick?¡±

    ¡°Moving your head like that. If you do that for too long, you¡¯ll start to feel nauseous. Just let everything pass by and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    He did as Raulin suggested. The landscape blurred to green and blue as he let his focus drift away from the outside. Alpine was reading a book and Anladet and Raulin were engaged in a conversation Tel thought had something to do with her magic. With nothing keeping his attention, he found himself bored.

    He pulled out his notes and reviewed them. Fifty-eight pages worth of interviews, sketches, observations, and amusing anecdotes on the people and happenings of New Wextif. It concluded with a quick sketch of the train he was taking with a very blatant note that it was not an animal, but a hollow metal container that sailed on tracks that acted like ice.

    New Wextif had been fascinating and he already missed it. He had been pleased to find that his assumption that it was the largest city in the world was almost right. It was the largest in Gheny and likely one of the five largest on Yine. It had felt enormous, a gigantic forest of mountainous trees straight and metallic, full of treasures. Most seemed not to care much about all the interesting things he¡¯d noticed, like the shops with fabrics, glass, books, inventions, and amazing items he¡¯d never seen before. After some time he had grown like they had been, but he still caught himself occasionally mesmerized by a brightly colored shop.

    Tel opened up to a page and a sketch of Bienta stared back at him. He flipped the page quickly, then looked up at Raulin. He was laughing at a joke Anladet had said, his brown hair catching the sun and showing off its gold and red highlights. While Tel had not told Bienta that Raulin was a trirec, it had come close enough that he had felt some guilt when Raulin had confronted him about it and he had said he had told no one.

    He had spent some time wandering the neighborhoods where they had stayed, trying to keep out of everyone else¡¯s way. He understood; Alpine and Anladet and especially Raulin were busy and he couldn¡¯t give them much help. It was best if he found a place to watch people and write about his thoughts, and didn¡¯t demand to be entertained by the other three. Raulin gave him a daily allowance for food and would ask if things were all right, and he would say he ate well and was happy, which was true most of the time.

    When they had moved closer to the heart of the city, he discovered there were many more shops to find and many more people to watch, but he was still lonely. They passed him by, either as some strange marvel to stare at or nothing worth looking at for more than a second. He tried not to let it bother him, but he was keen to talk to someone and learn about Gheny. And thus, three blocks towards the large statue, and five to the right at the blue brick corner building, he had found solace from his alienation.

    Well, actually, he had found a museum. Nourabrikot was the only place on Ervaskin someone like Raulin would call a city, and in that city there was the palace. And in the palace was a room with trophies and drawings and jewelry and other fancy things, but it was only accessible to those of the royal family and the household staff. This museum let anyone in, for a small fee, and let them see all the paintings, sculptures, books, tapestries, and inventions they had on display. The first day he¡¯d found it, he noticed he was staring gape-mouthed in one room, taking in everything. He¡¯d spent hours there, until they had to close and Tel¡¯s stomach had started rumbling.

    The next day, he got there early and sat in the same room. A young woman sat on the bench next to him and said nothing for a few minutes. ¡°Dia Divaly by Gustin Fefriholt. He¡¯s one of the leading artists in the Mirage Movement. If you look up close, the painting looks very different.¡±

    Tel had turned to her, then stood to walk over to the painting. Sure enough, the dark-haired woman¡¯s portrait was made up of soft, wavy brushstrokes and background colors that had disappeared in the distance. The young woman stood next to him. ¡°Some speculate that the yellow smudge right there was a mistake.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°You know a lot about paintings,¡± he said.

    ¡°My father is the curator. I spend most of my time reading about paintings or looking at them. Would you like to see my favorite?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said and followed her several rooms over. It was smaller with just six paintings, the fourth wall opening to a large hallway. In the corner was a small piece with several children in the middle of playing. A toddler sat crying, two boys splashed each other, and a young girl with braided hair sat on the wall, watching the remaining group.

    ¡°That¡¯s real life,¡± Bienta said. ¡°The portraits and sceneries are in the other rooms are beautiful, but I don¡¯t know if they ever existed. The artist might be remembering several days and painted the best parts of all of them, or maybe he painted a woman to look prettier than she was. I don¡¯t know. But that,¡± she pointed at the painting, ¡°happened. No one would put a screaming baby in a painting unless they were being true. And I love looking at it.¡±

    And thus began Telbarisk¡¯s education into Noh Amairian art. Over the course of a week he had learned all the little stories behind artists and their works. That artist had supposedly slept with his model. That piece contained the artist¡¯s blood mixed with the paint. The statue of Ap Jorsen was haunted and spoke to jilted lovers, but only in May.

    He had been afraid to ask her why she never mentioned his heritage. She walked him over to a fifteen foot marble statue and introduced him as Tipper. ¡°I talk with him when there¡¯s no one around. Compared to him, you¡¯re short.¡± And that was that.

    He told her that he was traveling with other people and that he wouldn¡¯t know when he¡¯d have to leave. She had asked who he was with, and he had sidestepped the question as much as possible. People, he had said, a couple and a guard. He had told her a little about them. She wanted to know more. He admitted that Raulin, their guard, was in love with Anladet, who was pretending to be Al¡¯s wife and may or may not feel the same way. This had absolutely fascinated her young heart and they had spent a good deal of time talking about it.

    ¡°My opinion,¡± she said, in the same tone she used when describing the paintings, ¡°is that they need a little nudge. Maybe you can help them.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do this,¡± he said, ¡°but they have already kissed.¡±

    Bienta wasn¡¯t expressive, but at that her eyes widened and she smirked. ¡°What happened afterwards?¡±

    ¡°I do not know. Raulin was concerned that Anladet was upset by the act, but after a little bit of confusion and I think embarrassment, things went back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Pooh,¡± Bienta said, crossing her arms. ¡°I wish I could meet them and see if there¡¯s something there. Say, I think you¡¯re like I am, with the paintings,¡± she said, turning towards him. ¡°You can look at people and see more than what¡¯s on the surface. What do you think?¡±

    He considered this for a few moments. ¡°I think they make each other happy and that¡¯s enough. They both would have to scale some important things in their lives for anything to happen. But, I think they might.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll write to me and tell me, please?¡±

    Tel hadn¡¯t meant to keep Bienta a secret, but he felt that if he had told Raulin about their conversations, his friend would be disappointed. Raulin had never asked outright and Tel had never volunteered. He liked having something in Gheny that was just his. She was only one of two significant relationships he¡¯d had since he¡¯d been exiled, and he felt keeping their time together quiet from the others meant he had something special about their time together that they didn¡¯t.

    The journey to Ispen had taken the whole night, so their tickets had included beds in the sleeper cars. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tel,¡± Raulin had said. ¡°The rooms are rather cramped and the beds aren¡¯t long enough for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep if I¡¯m tired,¡± he said, but he was a little disappointed that he¡¯d have to curl up tightly, but not that much. Ghenians weren¡¯t as tall as he was; why would they make long beds?

    Raulin slept above him, keeping his mask on even though they were alone. (Tel thought it was an odd thing, since he had seen his face in the forest after the men had tried hunting him, but understood that Raulin liked to keep his habits. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know that Tel had seen him.) Tel laid on the cot below, his knees bent over the edge and his feet almost touching the floor. He had tried sleeping below the bed on the floor, but the rhythmic click-clack click-clack wasn¡¯t very soothing and kept him awake.

    A thought that occurred to him, right before he began to drift off, was the main difference between the train and New Wextif. There, things had been so hectic even when he stood still. Now, he was moving so fast, but everything was quiet.

    Ispen reminded him that there was a middle. As the capital of Eerie, it was still a large city, but it was a far cry from New Wextif. They only stayed long enough for Raulin to get money, which he said was a substantial amount because he couldn¡¯t rely on New Wextif for a return exchange, and then they boarded the train again.

    This journey was slower and Tel was able to enjoy the scenery more. It was bumpy and rocky, but forested with lakes stretching out for miles. In that it reminded him a little of Ervaskin, wild and untamed. Towns glowed in the evening, small, expanding mounds of golden tendrils that dotted streets and alleys nestled below hills and high woods.

    Alpine had set his book down and looked out the window for some time before he spoke up. ¡°Most of those towns are self-sufficient. They can¡¯t do large fields because of the soil, but they make enough food to feed themselves. And every woman in every household teaches her daughters a set of skills. The men pass down their professions to their sons.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Yeah. The women have circles that help the younger girls learn and to preserve certain advanced skills.¡±

    Alpine talked for hours. Tel listened and wrote in his journal. Anladet and Raulin moved around, talked, brought them food, and made sure they were fine. And the next day, heading towards evening, they arrived in the capital of Quisset, Baradan.

 Chapter 148

    The running joke in Baradan was that the Duke¡¯s Anthem was actually a seagull¡¯s cry. The loud birds piled onto beaches and rocks at low tide and regaled the city with their wonderful song. Some described it as mournful. Others as achingly beautiful. Those that were sane described it as annoying.

    Despite the caws from the southern shore, Baradan had a beautiful quaintness to it. The houses surrounding the train station were tightly packed and dirty from the soot, but still had wrought iron railings around their porches and decoration hanging from the eaves. A few had brightly colored ribbons twisting from the railings in reds, oranges, and yellows.

    ¡°It¡¯s Narishna¡¯s Day,¡± Al said as they exited the train. ¡°You can tell who¡¯s Br¡¯vani and who isn¡¯t by the decorations.¡±

    ¡°Narishna?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of that ap.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t an ap, she¡¯s the Br¡¯vani goddess of autumn.¡±

    Raulin thought about that while they continued walking. They passed by a woman with a peculiar dress that Anla recalled from the ember man¡¯s shop in New Wextif: wide pants with a paneled skirt and an elaborately embroidered overcoat that flared at her hips. Her hair was pulled back, threaded with scarf that covered the top of her head. She held the hand of her husband behind her back so that she was slightly ahead of him. Al bowed as she passed and she nodded her head at him.

    ¡°So, the Br¡¯vani in Baradan worship gods outside of the Twelve and Gheny is fine with that?¡± Raulin asked Al.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t; it¡¯s against the law, but Baradan is so far away that they let it slip by.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so a sort of ¡®if it¡¯s not a problem and it¡¯s not blatant, so we¡¯ll ignore it¡¯ situation?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Us Br¡¯vani keep our gods in our way and we haven¡¯t asked for more, so there are no issues.¡±

    ¡°Is it worth it to the king to worry? Are there a lot of Br¡¯vani in Gheny?¡±

    ¡°There are enclaves all across Gheny, but the largest is in Baradan. 30% of the population is Br¡¯vani, last I heard.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Raulin said. ¡°That¡¯s a significant amount. I¡¯m surprised the government doesn¡¯t feel threatened.¡±

    ¡°They might, but would you want to start a skirmish against forty-five thousand people?¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s probably wise of them to leave it alone. Of course, the Br¡¯vani could easily win by sending one of their women to negotiate terms.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Anla asked, thinking there was a joke.

    ¡°Oh, one should never enter into negotiations with a Br¡¯vani woman. It¡¯s just good advice, like ¡®never pet a cactus¡¯ or ¡®keep your sugar cubes out of the sink¡¯. They are ruthless, cunning, manipulative, and unswayed by any story or emotion you throw at them.¡± He looked at Al. ¡°I mean that with the utmost respect.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re really not all that bad, but I also wouldn¡¯t want to sit across a table from my mother if there were pens and papers between us.¡±

    Raulin stopped at an intersection and looked around for a few moments. ¡°Well, Wizard. I¡¯m in a city I¡¯ve never been to before. Since neither Tel nor Anla has been in Baradan as well, I think this makes you the expert. Where should we go?¡±

    Al looked confused for a few moments. ¡°Go for what?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit brisk outside. Anla was smart enough to get her cloak out, but I, sadly, am lacking any outerwear that will keep me warm. Perhaps a mens¡¯ clothing store?¡±

    ¡°Okay, um, something fashionable? Well-made? Ghenian-style or Br¡¯vani? Or maybe some other¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, actually, less expensive, since I shouldn¡¯t need it after this week.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He thought for a few moments, then took a sharp right. A few blocks down and over three more led the group to a second-hand store where Raulin purchased a torn and patched wool coat he admitted was a little tight in the chest but was wearable. Telbarisk appreciated the offer of a poncho that may or may not have fit him, but said he was actually comfortable in that temperature.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, what would you have done if I wasn¡¯t here?¡± Al asked as he began leading them down the street. They were meandering at this point, but with no immediate cares.

    ¡°I would have asked directions and gone to the nearest market,¡± he replied.

    ¡°They sell coats at the market?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, but usually not. I go to markets to get the best feel for a city. I can make a quick judgment call based on a few criteria, but a market tells me so much more.¡±

    ¡°What are your criteria? What would you say about Baradan so far?¡±

    ¡°The streets seem in reasonable repair for their respective neighborhoods. Not all the alleys are cobbled, so Baradan isn¡¯t a very rich city, but the main roads are and they¡¯re mostly flat with no missing stones or holes that I saw. The streets are clean, which either means there isn¡¯t much horse traffic or people take care of it rather quickly. The people have been friendly, at least not hostile. I¡¯ve noticed more of a Br¡¯vani presence based upon the clothing I¡¯ve seen people wearing, but I¡¯ve seen some Imperial and Tondeivan attire as well. To me it¡¯s usually easier being in a city with diversity; if there aren¡¯t any major issues between ethnic groups or nationalities. And finally, I check for the height of buildings. Cities with higher than three stories are going to have a lot more available than your average backwoods locale. That means the people are likely going to be more cultured and less likely to run a stranger out of town.

    ¡°Of those I¡¯d say Baradan is a good city to be in, though we¡¯ve only seen a few neighborhoods. I can give you more of an idea if you bring me to a market.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, dubious. ¡°There¡¯s one a few blocks over. It¡¯s not very large, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Old Quisset Market was indoors in a former textile mill. The wooden floor creaked and groaned as the four of them entered and began to weave around the crowds gathered along the vendor stations. Raulin spent a solid half-hour going up and down the aisles, talking with a few vendors, buying a few things here and there, but mostly watching and listening. He stepped outside, licking his fingers after finishing an iced pastry.

    ¡°So?¡± Al asked. ¡°What did the market tell you about Baradan?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Raulin said, moving the group across the street to a short retaining wall that was out of the way, ¡°it¡¯s big.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Al scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sure even Tel could have gathered that.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, you seem to enjoy interrupting me before I can begin to start to make my point. Be patient.¡± He took a long, dramatic breath. ¡°It¡¯s big¡­a large market for a city of only one hundred thousand. It¡¯s busy as well, which means that there are supplies moving through and there are enough people with enough money to buy them. The vendors seem eager to sell; they¡¯re not dejected or bored due to lack of customers. The buyers haggle, but they are respectful.

    ¡°The quality of food and items for sale is fair; it¡¯s not all high-end, but there¡¯s also not much I¡¯d consider poor. There¡¯s a lot of fish and seafood, which isn¡¯t surprising, and neither are the seasonal fruits and vegetables. The imported spices, confections, fabrics, and knickknacks were, however. I wouldn¡¯t have thought people would establish such a lush trading spot all the way up the coast. Then again, trains do run by regularly.

    ¡°So, I¡¯d say based on all that information, Baradan is a fair city to live in, very middle-of-the-road. It¡¯s not too opulent, but far from poor. Some cities are very divided amongst the tiers and I wouldn¡¯t guess that here. I¡¯d suspect there to be a healthy merchant class, perhaps even a good chunk of the bourgeois to surpass the nobility in wealth. Does that sound like a good understanding of Baradan, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said sullenly.

    ¡°Just ¡®yeah¡¯? No corrections? Nothing to add?¡±

    ¡°It sounds about right. My mother always said this was a good city to live in, a place where those that worked hard could be appreciated and grow in their wealth.¡±

    ¡°That sounds splendid. She seems like a wonderful person.¡±

    Raulin noted that Al didn¡¯t seem pleased, but it was Anla who caught on to the why of it. As Al led them with no direction, she waylaid Raulin and said, ¡°This is his home. He was excited to come here. Let him do what he wants to do.¡±

    ¡°I have no objections,¡± he said. ¡°He led us to the store and the market.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but Al knows things. He¡¯s proud of knowing things; it makes him feel valuable. Remember how happy he was when offering all that information about sweet-blood then when he beat up Crossel?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, you just took his opportunity to share the knowledge of his home with us by figuring it out and telling us instead.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not difficult to figure out, Raulin. Most people aren¡¯t. Give him the chance to educate people on something and he¡¯s happy. He likes being smart.¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°Wizard!¡± he called out and Al stopped and turned around. ¡°Anla and I were just discussing how we were hungry.¡±

    ¡°You just ate a danish,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­yes, I did, but I¡¯m hungry again. We did a lot of walking around, so I¡¯m famished.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s only four o¡¯clock.¡±

    He ignored this. ¡°Baradan is famous for seafood, if I remember correctly. Where¡¯s a good restaurant that¡¯s not terribly far, a place that¡¯s great for a newcomer to Baradan?¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit of a walk, but I think I should take you to Barrows-by-the-Sea.¡±

    ¡°All right, then. Lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Barrows-by-the-Sea was one of those delightfully literally-named places right by the sea on a rocky overlook above a salt marsh. It was located in Veltable, a spit of land that formed a small neighborhood that shared the aesthetic of weathered wood, many paned windows, and small signs plastering the first story of each business. The restaurant, therefore, blended in and would have been hard for Raulin to find on his own, even with detailed instructions.

    It served soup. The menu idea wasn¡¯t something that seemed interesting at first, as soup isn¡¯t exactly an interesting option, but Al assured them it was worthwhile. ¡°This place serves some of the best soup in the city, trust me. I mean, their minestrone is fine, though a little on the bland side, and I don¡¯t care for their burnt onion soup, but the chowders and bisques are amazing.¡±

    They were seated at a square table with the middle portion sunken down and lined with quilted and stuffed cotton in a pattern of lighthouses and sea creatures. There was an uncovered, raised section in the middle lined with tile. The idea was to order canteens of soups that would be set in that section so that everyone could ladle whatever they liked into their bowl. Raulin let Al choose a seafood chowder, a squash bisque, a beef stew, and a chicken vegetable soup.

    The waitress brought out two hunks of bread and a variety of crackers right before two waiters brought the soups, strapped to a yoke as if they were bringing milk pails back from the stable. The soups were good and Raulin lavished his praise on Al for his excellent choice in food.

    ¡°Baradan is diverse and provides everything you need,¡± Al said. ¡°It might not be a place for the best fine dining in Gheny, but it will make you happy and satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there was a metaphor here!¡± Raulin said. ¡°And I asked for a good place for a newcomer to eat at first, so this was wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Al wondered aloud.

    ¡°Yes. In the future I will ask for all Baradanian feasting advice from you.¡±

    Al sopped up the rest of his chowder with his bread and ate it hungrily, as if he hadn¡¯t just had five bowls of soup. ¡°Do you want to go to a briarch later?¡±

    Raulin knew what that was, since he¡¯d been to Br¡¯vani, but he looked at Anla quickly, who seemed confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, but if it involves food, then I¡¯m likely a ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    Al brought them to Harbor Beach for a few hours until the sun began to set. Tel loved it, especially since Al pointed out that this was likely the closest he¡¯d be to Ervaskin while on Ghenian soil. Anla and Raulin sat next to each other, talking on the beach and trying to stay warm while the wind whipped their hair around and the temperature dropped.

    Since Baradanians tended to work hard and work late, many left their offices after the sun set. Briarch restaurants catered to those from six in the evening ¡¯til one, even two, in the morning. They served lighter food and drink that people might find at a cocktail hour, often with a theme of some sort. The one Al took them to looked like a weathered apothecary shop with drinks served in bottles and beakers, shrimp and mussels served on gold, weighted scales, and dips served from mortars.

    The next day was a full breakfast, cold sandwiches, and a roast dinner with ventures to Aberli Park and the Maritime Museum in between, happily planned by Al. The day after was much of the same with dining out three times and exploring places and events in Baradan and the surrounding neighborhoods. And the third day, as well.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    As they walked from lunch to a fruit-picking excursion, Raulin took Anla aside. ¡°I¡¯ve been patient,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate what he¡¯s doing, but I have to get my work done. I haven¡¯t had a minute to spare to do any preparation.¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve been very kind to him. I¡¯ve been meaning to chat with him, since I keep feeling like there¡¯s something he¡¯s not saying.¡±

    ¡°You think he¡¯s setting a trap?¡±

    ¡°No, no, nothing like that. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s being intentionally malicious, just pensive.¡±

    ¡°Well, if we could do this the nice way, I¡¯d prefer it, but after today I¡¯m going to have to work on my contract.¡±

    They bought two burlap sacks and began harvesting apples. ¡°We¡¯re not going to eat two bagfuls of apples, Wizard, not even if we stayed in Baradan for a month.¡±

    ¡°We can sell the bags back to the orchard when we¡¯re done,¡± he explained. ¡°We¡¯re paying to have fun for an hour or two, maybe eat some fruit.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any apples on the lower branches of these trees. We might be here for hours.¡± He paused. ¡°On second thought, I¡¯m going with Tel and I¡¯m holding the bag.¡±

    Anla was about to climb the nearest tree when Al said, ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that! You¡¯ll break the branches and the owners will get angry.¡±

    She dropped her hands. ¡°How do we get the apples, then?¡±

    ¡°You have to hunt for them. Let¡¯s go this way, to the back.¡±

    Away from the intermingled groups of poorer and richer folk, they found several trees with enough red and green speckled apples to fill their sack. ¡°So, where are we going for dinner?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Oh, I thought I¡¯d see how you guys fared with real Br¡¯vani food. There¡¯s a place not far from our hotel that serves roasted pilash like my mother used to make. Or, well, that I had at home. You guys will love it.¡±

    ¡°And what are we doing tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a nice boardwalk near Estique Heights I thought I¡¯d take you to. It¡¯s not as large as Calaba¡¯s, but it¡¯s still good. And then there¡¯s a winery we can go to in the evening.¡±

    ¡°And the day after?¡± she asked, taking a large bite out of her fruit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come up with some things for us to do, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Well, while we¡¯re enjoying it, I¡¯m wondering why you¡¯re keeping us so busy.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he turned to face her. ¡°Raulin said to take everyone to restaurants and places in Baradan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think he meant a day, maybe two. We¡¯re on day four now. Raulin has to get to work so that he can¡­¡±

    ¡°I know why he¡¯s here,¡± he said, twisting an apple to pop it off the branch.

    ¡°So, you know that, while we¡¯ve enjoyed our time here, he has to finish his contract.¡±

    ¡°What if I know who it is he has to kill?¡± He paused for a few moments. ¡°What if it¡¯s my mother?¡±

    ¡°You know he has no choice in who he has to kill. He¡¯ll have to do it anyway,¡± she said, before realizing Al¡¯s motives. ¡°He has to do it no matter how long you stall.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­afraid to ask,¡± he said, kicking a rotten apple. ¡°I¡¯m stuck between wanting to know and not wanting to know.¡±

    ¡°Well, prepare for the worst. If Raulin¡¯s target is your mother, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d¡­I¡¯d go to the police.¡±

    ¡°And tell them a trirec is operating in Baradan? Would they arrest him on suspicion of murder? There¡¯s no proof. And he¡¯d have to be released at some point, then he¡¯d kill his target anyway. No, I mean what would you reasonably do? You have the opportunity to maybe tell the future, but not to stop it. If you looked out upon the sea and saw a storm coming that you knew would kill your mother, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d help her.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she repeated. ¡°That¡¯s a fair thing to do. You can warn her, you can watch over her, you can do what you can to save her. But, you might want to think about seeing her before you do that. Until then, we¡¯ll go out to dinner, if you still want to, but I think we¡¯ll pass on the winery tomorrow. Raulin can¡¯t drink, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said with a sullen tone.

    The two meandered in the orchard in silence. While Anladet had found a few good trees with ripe apples, Al was busy thinking. After some time, she approached him. ¡°Are we done with the apples?¡±

    He looked down at the bag, only half-full. ¡°I think so. I¡¯ll just have to get creative when we¡¯re on the road again.¡±

 Chapter 150

    Al hadn¡¯t been completely forthright with Anla about his fears, but only because he hadn¡¯t been totally forthright with himself. While he had been deeply concerned that his mother or one of his family¡¯s friends was slated to be assassinated, he also had another fear to overcome, one that had been a large root for his hemming and hawing. He was afraid to see his mother.

    Amandorlam had not been a cheap place to attend school. It had cost his mother hundreds of gold each year for classes, housing, board, and expenses. He¡¯d had the school bill his mother, but told them not to elaborate on what they were billing her for. He¡¯d scrimped on things he¡¯d considered distractions anyway, rarely going out for drinks or entertainment like the rest of his classmates, and it helped him to save some additional money. He managed to fly through the coursework, all sub rosa, his mother none the wiser until he wrote to her at the end of his fifth year and told her what he¡¯d done.

    He¡¯d known she¡¯d be upset. She¡¯d wanted her son to be a lawyer or politician, not a wizard. And, without malice but also without pride, she¡¯d cut him off and told him he¡¯d have to return home if he wanted a copper more. That¡¯s when he¡¯d applied the extra money he¡¯d saved and finished the remaining wizard classes in two years. And he¡¯d only written to her once, to thank her for her support, but to let her know he couldn¡¯t speak with her anymore due to the law.

    He¡¯d never received a return letter and had assumed she was angry with him. But, given the choice between facing a wrathful mother or a dead one, Al believed the first was slightly better. Without saying a word, Al got up very early the next morning and left the hotel. He ate a nice breakfast, got a shave, and bought himself a new suit, one that was presentable and not cheap. And then, with a roiling stomach, he made his way to Gystik Heights.

    Merry Street was lined with trees that blossomed pink in the spring. Right now the leaves twirled to the ground in vivid golden oranges and scarlets. He brushed his fingertips along the trunk of one, tracing the letters ¡°D.C¡± carved in the bark. There would be another tree farther down the road with several initials, but that was the only one with only those.

    The road curved to the left and went up a short hill. The yards increased in size from a comfortable place to have a few gardens to one where a family could keep horses, raise fish in ponds, or even have a courtyard to connect several buildings. They all shared familiar features that a trained eye would notice: stone facades on the windward side only, thin, twisting columns, and costly glass-infused doors that shone a rainbow of colors on the atrium during a large part of the day.

    Al stood at the gate of one of these houses and took a deep breath before entering the yard. He stumbled for a moment as he tried to figure whether he should knock on the servants¡¯ door, the side door for receiving guests, or the front door. He chose the latter and waited.

    A short, dark-skinned woman opened the door as if she had intended to walk outside. She stopped cold, her mouth frozen in an ¡°O¡± shape. ¡°Hi, Glendina,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, ma¡¯am,¡± she began, turning around. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to come here.¡±

    Another woman, slightly taller and thinner with a rod-straight back and a streak of white across her left brow, entered the atrium from a side room. Her hands clutched her pants, a deferring sign Br¡¯vani women made to appease who they called abendi, others, those not of their ways. She was focused on Glendina and didn¡¯t see him until she was only a few feet from the door.

    She froze and dropped her hands. ¡°Dominek,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Madra,¡± he said. ¡°I was¡­I was in town and I thought I¡¯d stop by to see you. If¡­if you¡­¡±

    She closed the distance between them and pulled him into a tight embrace, pulling his head down to her chest. ¡°A ba rino,¡± she said, rubbing his back. ¡°My baby¡± was what she had crooned.

    ¡°Madra,¡± he said again.

    She stood back, her hands on his arms and tears in her eyes. ¡°Let me look at you. Oh, what is this?¡± she said, thumbing the hair above his lip. ¡°You look like an abendi. I like your hair style, though. Someone managed to tame your wild locks. You look good, Dominek.¡±

    ¡°Alpine,¡± he corrected. Glendina pursed her lips, but said nothing.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± his mother said with a bit of tartness to her voice. ¡°Well, what brings my wizard son back home? Have you come to ask for money or lavish gifts upon your mother?¡±

    How many times had Aggie regaled Al with some tale about him impressing a woman with an elaborate line? So many times that Al no longer questioned his motives. Aggie lied to women to bed them, but he must also find some excitement in the risk. Why else would he claim to be a nobleman or a rich merchant other than to challenge himself for a thrill?A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    As Al stood before his mother, thought, he realized that he had dismissed the other reason, maybe the real reason. That was because he¡¯d never been in a situation where there was so much at stake, namely the admiration and appreciation of someone he loved. She wanted him to be happy and successful. It was all she had ever wanted, the reason why she had agreed to spend so much money sending him to Amandorlam. And, with all her hopes and dreams instilled, he had returned nothing to her. He had deceived her, cut off all communication, and removed any chance she had at having him in the family.

    She looked up at him, eyes wide with the promise of optimism. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madra. It was an oversight. I¡¯ll bring you presents soon.¡±

    Both women relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, rino. How is your job treating you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ a vizier. I travel with my employer wherever he wants and make sure he is comfortable and cared for. He¡¯s a good man and he pays well. He decided he wanted to visit Baradan and gave me a little time off, so I am here.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°So, you¡¯ll be here for some time, then?¡±

    ¡°It is up to my lord¡¯s wishes.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you could come to dinner? I can write to Ashven and have him come over tonight. And your sister was just affianced, so we can celebrate that as well as your career.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°It would be if I could get the night off.¡±

    His mother snorted. ¡°No son of mine can¡¯t argue for what he wants. You work hard! Tell him that, your lord. Tell him that you wish to visit your family that you haven¡¯t seen in ten years. Push him and return to us with your wife.¡±

    ¡°Wife?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, that abendi you married. What was her name?¡±

    ¡°Burdet, ma¡¯am,¡± Glendina offered.

    ¡°Yes, Burdet. I assume she must travel with you. I¡¯ll finally get to meet her. Do you have children? Does she make you happy?¡±

    This was already getting too deep for his tastes, but he was committed. ¡°Yes. She makes me happy, but we have no children. My lord assures me he plans on retiring soon, and though he¡¯ll still retain me, he¡¯ll stay more or less in one place. It will be better for our family then.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to tell me all about this tonight. Right now Glendina and I are running a little behind. I have a council meeting in an hour and I want to check in at the store before I go. We¡¯ll see you around five o¡¯clock, a ba rino.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Madra.¡±

    Glendina and his mother left the house in a hansom and Al was left to make his way back to his hotel. The only reason he even challenged the propriety of them not sharing the carriage was due to his years away in abendi culture; with the Br¡¯vani, men walked unless they had the level of respect sometimes brought by having a well-paying career above their station. It was neither as it should be nor wrong. It was Br¡¯vanese.

    He walked as fast as he could back to the quaint inn they were staying at, hoping Anla was still there. She was in the two-table dining room downstairs, eating breakfast with Raulin. Al stood in the doorway, catching his breath.

    ¡°Al. You¡¯re up early,¡± she remarked.

    ¡°Perhaps he visited the winery without us,¡± Raulin posited.

    ¡°Anla. May I speak with you for a moment? Alone?¡±

    Raulin began to stand when Al motioned for him to remain seated. Anla sighed and stood, following Al to his bedroom. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Al?¡±

    ¡°I need some help. Can you be my wife for a day or two?¡±

    ¡°I already thought I was your wife.¡±

    ¡°I mean, not Mrs. Auslen. I need you to be Alpine Gray¡¯s wife.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow at this. ¡°Sure, but I think you should tell me what¡¯s going on before I actually escort you anywhere.¡±

    He sat on the bed. ¡°I saw my mother this morning.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said, nodding her head slowly. ¡°That¡¯s good, Al.¡±

    ¡°And she wants to meet my wife.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It doesn¡¯t seem like you to lie.¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s not good, Anla. I know that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just a little surprising. Yes, I will help you, but you need to coach me. What¡¯s my name?¡±

    ¡°Burdet,¡± he said.

    ¡°Burdet. So, I¡¯m Arvonnese, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Her grandfather was from there.¡±

    She paused at this. ¡°Al, are you married?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­no. Yes. Sort of. We¡¯re divorced. Or, technically separated, but I¡¯m not returning to her. I gave her my ring and I assume she knows my decision is final.¡±

    Anla pressed her lips together. ¡°And your mother knows this?¡±

    ¡°No. The last time I wrote to her was to tell her that I was settling in Whitney and that Burdet and I had just married¡­and that I wasn¡¯t allowed to correspond to my family anymore, since I was licensed. Really, I shouldn¡¯t have even written her at that point, but I wanted to say I was doing well and goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the law,¡± he answered quickly. ¡°Wizards pledge their allegiance to the king and the royal family and leave behind their own familial ties. That way, no other family could grow too powerful and take control of the throne with the fear of a wizard army.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said a god-blooded person has to be in charge of the country in order for it to thrive.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t need to kill the royal family, just hold them hostage and sedated. Any hard wizard is worth five men on a battlefield, and an additional small team of soft wizards would be able to keep a family in a fugue state. That¡¯s actually the plot to several Arvonnese alley novels, that one of the princes is being held against their will¡­¡±

    ¡°So, it was the threat that spurred you to see her?¡± she said, interrupting.

    ¡°That and I was told that it¡¯s more of lex vellat situation, something people use only if they¡¯ve noted a problem. And the more I think about it, the more I believe it. I don¡¯t they wouldn¡¯t arrest me on charges of conspiracy against the king, which is what my professors assured us students would happen, unless I was deep in an actual conspiracy. I don¡¯t forsee anyone kicking up a fuss because I visited my mother.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± she said softly. ¡°You gave up your family and you didn¡¯t need to?¡±

    ¡°I guess not.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make up for it, then. Tell me what you want me to do.¡±

    ¡°Just be nice and act like a wife. Oh, and please don¡¯t tell Raulin about this.¡±

    ¡°Raulin? Oh, I thought he was going to play your employer,¡± she said with a smirk.

    ¡°Oh, trust me, I will not let this go that far.¡±

 Chapter 151

    ¡°Are you sure this is the right place?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said, looking back at her with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°The outfit you got from the duke is nice, but I¡¯d like to get your something nicer.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± The outside of Kitsen¡¯s was fancy, with gold filigree in the corners of its crystal clear windows. The door handles were polished brass, worn from use but not tarnished by the natural oils of a customer¡¯s skin. Even the tinkling bell at their entrance wasn¡¯t harsh like most stores.

    Anla fought the urge to ask once more if Al meant for them to go to this shop. Dresses adorned mannequins also accompanied with hats, gloves, and shoes tucked under the hemline. She fingered the closest skirt, admiring the lace edge and the quality of the fabric.

    An attendant approached them, helped them choose a lovely dress in brown silk brocade that looked stunning on her, and was about to close the deal when the price was mentioned. Anla smiled and said to Al, ¡°Oh, it is a lovely dress, but I think I liked that one with the pearls at the other shop better.¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s fine,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, no,¡± she said, giving a nervous, tinkling laugh, ¡°I think that other dress is the one, dear.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    She smiled toothily while facing the attendant and said, ¡°Al, no. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Anla all but dragged him outside. ¡°Absolutely not, Al. Seventy gold! Seventy gold for a dress I¡¯m going to wear once, maybe twice, and would be difficult to carry? I mean, if you¡¯re trying to gift me something for helping you today, you don¡¯t need to.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re meeting my mother. You have to wear something nice.¡±

    ¡°But we can find something nice that isn¡¯t seventy gold.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    He seemed so dejected that she felt the need to cheer him up. ¡°Some of the dresses that shop makes find their way to second-hand stores. I bet we could find a very nice dress for less than ten.¡±

    He led her wordlessly to the nearest shop that was far less nicer, but had what they needed. She bought a gray dress with purple piping, a little large for her but not unseemly, for twelve gold.

    Al was still unhappy, so she didn¡¯t balk when he flagged a hansom for the two of them. They road in style and in silence across town to Gystik Heights. Anla began to crane her neck at the houses when Al said they were close.

    ¡°Here,¡± he said as the driver halted the horses.

    Her eyebrows raised. ¡°Here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is where my family lives.¡±

    ¡°Well, I get the seventy gold dress now,¡± she said as she took his hand to steady herself as she left the hansom. ¡°What does your family do?¡±

    ¡°My mother is a businesswoman, mostly in consumables,¡± he said, escorting her to the house after paying the driver. ¡°She is on the Council, a small group of influential women that wield a lot of power in the city and dictate a lot of the trends and purchases. Outside of Br¡¯vani itself, my mother is one of the most powerful Br¡¯vanese women in the world.¡±

    ¡°Al, this would have been immensely helpful of you to bring up earlier. How am I supposed to act in front of someone like that?¡±

    ¡°Like yourself. My mother isn¡¯t going to expect an abendi woman to act like a Br¡¯vanese woman.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said as he tapped the knocker.

    Glendina opened the door with a large smile. ¡°You made excellent time,¡± she said.

    ¡°An¡­Burdet, this is Glendina. She¡¯s my mother¡¯s carinvadi, a second-in-command of sorts. She runs the household and the business, so she¡¯s a very busy woman.¡±

    ¡°But happy to be busy,¡± she said as she took their affects.

    ¡°Glendina, this is Burdet, my wife.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, giving an appraising look. ¡°The mistress will be pleased with you, Dom. Er, Alpine.¡± She gave a wink to Anla as she led them down the hallway past the grand staircase and into a great room with an area for tea, a sitting area, and a dining room. They sat in the first and an earthy, rich tea was served in small porcelein cups with a design of red leaves set against a dark brown sky.

    When they were alone, Anla whispered, ¡°Al. Just this room is larger than the house I grew up in times four!¡±

    ¡°My mother does well,¡± he said nonplussed.

    ¡°Very well. What was your childhood like living here?¡±

    ¡°I had my brothers and sister to play with, so it wasn¡¯t lonely. And my brothers and I went to public school, so I had friends there.¡±

    ¡°But, it must have been different for you.¡±

    ¡°Most of the children in the public school were from affluent families. Things got a little different when a few of my teachers told my mother that I was exceptional, for a boy, and that they would recommend honing my talents with a tutor. So, I spent evenings studying science, law, mathematics, and languages. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer, which is how I got her to pay for the first five years of Amandorlam.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    It didn¡¯t sound very exciting to her, but then again, her education had been a bit different than most children. She¡¯d studied similar subjects at her father¡¯s knee, as well as many lessons she didn¡¯t think would have matriculated into Ghenian schools, like woodlore and elvish myths. Perhaps there was something to be said about someone who could set aside childhood for ambition. At least it answered a few questions Anla had about Al.

    ¡°Dom!¡± she heard coming from a side room. A young woman, perhaps a few years older than Anla, came running towards them. Al stood up quickly and embraced her when she came flying into his arms.

    ¡°Arista. How are you? Let me look at you.¡± He took a few steps back, then ruffled her unadorned head. ¡°You¡¯ve grown, danrini a sayir.¡±

    She grinned. ¡°Not so little now! I¡¯ve been working with Madra for a few years now and I¡¯m getting married in three months.¡±

    ¡°I heard! Congratulations!¡±

    ¡°Can you come? I¡¯d so love it if you could be there.¡±

    He shook his head sadly. ¡°I have to travel and I can¡¯t take time off. I would so love to, you know it.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said with some level of disappointment. ¡°You¡¯ll come and visit Ranith and I next year, though?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    They chatted for a few minutes and Anla took the time to observe them. Arista and Al seemed to favor each other, from their thick, black hair to their dark skin and eyes. Even the shape of them, large but sharp, suggested that they shared blood. His sister was not a traditional beauty, her features a little mismatched, but her enthusiasm seemed to light her up and give her an adorable radiance.

    Arista turned suddenly and smiled at Anla. ¡°Hi! You must be Burdet.¡±

    Anla rose. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Alpine¡¯s wife.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, sayi,¡± she said while giving Anla a tight hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well.¡±

    She took her hand and led her over to the dining room. ¡°We¡¯re having Dom¡¯s favorite.¡±

    Anla didn¡¯t know what that was, so she said nothing. She was about to sit when Arista pulled her back next to her. Al sat, as did the three other men, two younger and one starting to gray. They laced their hands and put them on the table. ¡°We have to wait until Madra arrives,¡± Arista whispered. ¡°Then stand in front of your plate and place your hands on either side of your setting until our madra sits.¡±

    Arista walked her over to the right of Al, then found her place to the left of the head of the table. Another woman stood across from her who seemed disinterested in her existence. Finally, a short woman with panels over her wide-legged trousers and a head covering entered the room. The seat was moved out of the way by the older man, who Anla assumed was her husband, and she stood with her hands on either side of the silverware. Anla followed the other two women, then sat after Al¡¯s mother did.

    Everyone unfolded their napkins and placed them in their laps. ¡°Before we begin, I¡¯d like to say a few things,¡± his mother said. ¡°First, Dominek¡­Alpine Gray¡­is visiting us while he¡¯s here in Baradan with his wife, Burdet. It¡¯s lovely to finally meet you, Burdet. I hope you feel welcome here.¡±

    Anla was about to thank her when his mother continued. ¡°Ashven is here with his wife. It¡¯s good to have you here again. I¡¯m glad you found some time away from the hospital, Kalina.

    ¡°And, of course, Arista is here with her fiance, Ranith.¡± This was the first time Anla saw Al¡¯s mother smile. ¡°Arista took over the Masterlen¡¯s account this week and has been doing very well.

    ¡°Welcome, everyone. I¡¯m so glad to have so many of my children together. Too bad Tambor is still out fishing. Please, enjoy dinner.¡±

    Al¡¯s favorite meal was a nut and spice encrusted salmon served on a bed of fragrant rice and asparagus. Sure enough, he gobbled this down, barely pausing for breath.

    And there, between dainty bites of fish from fine china, began the questions. Where did they meet? Where had they traveled? When were they having children? Anla spoke clearly and with confidence, hoping that the brief encounter this morning wasn¡¯t enough time

    ¡°Does he still snore?¡± Arista asked with a twinkle in her eye.

    ¡°Yes. Not every night, but most.¡± At least she could answer truthfully about that one.

    ¡°What is your boss like? Does he treat you both well?¡± his mother asked.

    Anla had given a little bit of thought to this subject, just in case they needed to use Raulin later on. ¡°He¡¯s a little strange. Even though he¡¯s young, he wears a mask. I think it¡¯s because he suffered a terrible accident or he was ill as a child. Other than that, he¡¯s a nice man who pays us on time and doesn¡¯t demand much from us.¡±

    His mother looked up from her plate. ¡°Young? I thought Dominek said he was close to retiring.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, thinking quickly. ¡°I thought it was odd, too, which makes me think that my guess about his illness might be correct. He appears taxed more often than not these days.¡±

    The questions became more scrutinizing. What did she do for their employer? What were there plans for the future? What did they spend their money on? Anla felt like she breezed past them, but his mother was still a wall emotionally. She didn¡¯t smile or give her a kind word. And for some reason, Anla wanted that, if only to make Al happy.

    Perhaps that was why she started taking more liberties with her lies than she should. His mother asked about his health and if he was being cared for, especially since he used to be such a picky eater.

    ¡°He eats well, he just doesn¡¯t put on any weight,¡± Anla said. ¡°Trust me, he eats all his salad, steak, potatoes, and strawberry shortcake when we go out.¡±

    She saw Al and his father¡¯s forks suspend in the air. ¡°Strawberries? Dominek is allergic to strawberries,¡± his mother said matter-of-factly.

    Anla was figuring out how to recover from that gaff when Al said, ¡°Oh, I got over that,¡± he lied, the stone-grating sound underlying his words. ¡°There was a medical technique they tried at Amandorlam that worked. I¡¯ve been eating strawberries as often as I can.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± his mother said and continued eating.

    After dessert Al was instructed to show Anla the house. As soon as they were alone, she said, ¡°And that was why I wanted to talk more about our story. Your mother is absurdly shrewd!¡±

    ¡°She means well,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s just making sure I¡¯m taken care of.¡±

    ¡°I know, Al, but she¡¯s hard to lie to. We should say our goodbyes before she starts in on things I¡¯m going to have a hard time answering.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, leading them back downstairs. ¡°Madra? We had a lovely time, but we must get going back to our employer. He expects me to be available should he need my services.¡±

    She looked over from her conversation with Kalina. ¡°But you said you had the day off. I thought you¡¯d stay the night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well,¡± he said, and before he could agree, Anla pinched his arm.

    ¡°Our employer has already paid for our hotel room tonight,¡± she said. ¡°It would be a waste of his money and generosity if we decided to stay elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s a good businessman, he shouldn¡¯t be worried about small losses like that. But, it would be rude to do so without notice.¡± She thought for a few moments. ¡°Ask for tomorrow night off then, Burdet. Explain the circumstances and say that you need more time. You can eat dinner here again and sleep overnight. And I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at nine a.m. sharp, Burdet. I¡¯ll show you our business while Dominek tends to the needs of your employer.¡±

    Anla opened her mouth to protest, but this time Al pinched her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to,¡± she said.

    After they had said their goodbyes and were walking down Merry Street, Anla grabbed Al¡¯s arm hard. ¡°We are not going to sleep tonight until you tell me everything I will need to know in order to survive tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 152

    Anla refused to go shopping for another outfit to impress Al¡¯s mother, instead wearing the tan blouse and multi-threaded wool skirt that somehow matched her blue-gray-brown eyes. His mother would have to understand that they traveled and that her apparel needed to be more functional for living on the road. Still, she had bathed the night before and made sure her hair was as neat as possible. She arrived at the house bleary-eyed but three minutes early, according to the tarnished pocket watch of the hansom driver.

    His mother was already coming down the trellised path with Glendina, so Anla waited by the wooden gate. Another hansom clopped and creaked down the cobbled street, passing the one Anla had taken. She was ignored by Al¡¯s mother, then ushered into the carriage by Glendina, who sat in the middle.

    The two women talked the whole ride about the upcoming day, mainly about whatever projects or accounts that needed their attention. Glendina supplied Al¡¯s mother with meetings and time lines. Their tiny world was all business and Anladet had no part in it, no way to get a word in edgewise.

    The hansom stopped in front of a wooden building. It was located in Topely Square, which was predominantly Br¡¯vani in housing and business. Most of the women she saw at the nearby market or in the stores wore something similar to what she herself was wearing, the new fashions of Gheny adopted by those adopting tradition only when it called for it . The men wore Ghenian outfits, too, sometimes in materials and cut slightly different.

    The office was shockingly different from the outside. Out on the road it appeared to be a building that could have once been a house with white shutters against red clapboard. Inside it was a peaceful serenity with a paved walkway lined with boxes of flowers. Potted plants, likely not of Ghenian origin, were hung and tucked into corners, bringing bright fuschias and purples to a neutral room in a light golden brown.

    There was a man at a desk in the front near the door who stood quickly and took any affects the women had, which were basically gloves and shawls. Anla had none, since affects had commonly been things forgotten or stolen, and therefore she had never grown used to the idea of parasols, overcoats, and bonnets. Her wool cloak was usually the only source of heat and comfort she needed.

    Glendina took off to some other place in the building. Anla followed behind Al¡¯s mother into her office and stopped short when his mother turned around. Though taller than Glendina, she was a small women, even shorter and thinner than Anla herself. ¡°Now,¡± she said, pouring herself a small cup of tea. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty girl and you seem smart, but are you taking care of my son?¡±

    ¡°As well as I can,¡± she said. She was going to stop there, but she felt his mother wanted more reassurance. ¡°He was a bit naive when I first met him. I had to help him understand how to barter and negotiate with vendors so they wouldn¡¯t take advantage of him. There were a few other things like that. He¡¯s smart, just very trusting.¡±

    ¡°As he should be,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°I know you abendi do things differently, but here its how things are.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said carefully. ¡°He was wasting a lot of money, though, so it became a necessity. Otherwise we¡¯d have little to spend and save.¡±

    She nodded and finally sat, gesturing Anla to do the same. ¡°You¡¯re Arvonnese,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes. My father was from Tapenstri, along the southwestern coast. I was born here in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°And your mother?¡±

    ¡°Also born here, in Ashven.¡±

    ¡°Where do they live?¡±

    She swallowed the lump in her throat with a hot mouthful of tea. ¡°They, um, they live in Hanala. We visit them as often as we can.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s no issues for wizards visiting their in-laws, I presume?¡±

    ¡°None that I know of.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°He spoke of you often. He wished he could visit you, especially when we traveled to Baradan. It was only recently that he began to question it. We did our research, spoke to other wizards, looked into past legal cases, and realized that it wasn¡¯t quite as dire as he had been taught. He¡¯s still concerned about breaking the law, but his intent isn¡¯t against the king. We felt it was worth a quick visit.¡±

    Al¡¯s mother sipped her tea. ¡°Despite the intent, I think he shouldn¡¯t have broken the law. I¡¯m glad to see him, and to finally meet you, but in the future it might be wise to take a different course of action. If his line of thinking is true, then perhaps in the future he could write to Amandorlam and ask for permission instead of asking for forgiveness if he¡¯s caught.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a better idea,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I would think I taught him better. He knows to follow the rules and how to work within the confines of them, figuring out how to stretch the letter of the law ¡¯til it bends.¡±

    Things about Al¡¯s morals were becoming more clear to Anla. ¡°I think that he saw Amandorlam as the giant he didn¡¯t want to fight. They teach law there and have plenty of experts in the field on staff. It would have been difficult and expensive. Our employer is generally patient, but that would have stretched his good graces to break.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more about this employer of yours. You said you were a clerk for him, so I assume he¡¯s a businessman of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Yes. He specializes in rare and antique items,¡± she said, using the ploy she had become familiar with these past few months. ¡°He maintains a store down in Riyala and a smaller one in Hanala where he collects and sells his wares. I have to keep meticulous records as to where he buys each item and from whom, a description, likely materials used in its making, and how much he bought it for.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Does he have any interest in Br¡¯vani antiques?¡±

    She pretended to think about this. ¡°Not particularly, but he has bought a few. It¡¯s more where he thinks the market is and if he can resell it. Like fashion, antiques trend and are more valuable or less depending on what people are buying.¡±

    ¡°I may want to talk to your employer then,¡± she said. ¡°Could you arrange a meeting with him before you leave Baradan?¡±

    ¡°I will definitely pass your interest along to him.¡±

    ¡°Now, I have several meetings here today. You are welcome to sit in on any you¡¯d like, but I will expect you to speak to me before speaking to my client. Otherwise, feel free to explore where you¡¯d like.¡±

    Al¡¯s mother was not cold per se, but still unyielding towards her. She was unsure if this was how she was or if she didn¡¯t like Anla for some reason. If attending meetings could endear her to the woman, and also help improve her magical skills, she would do it. ¡°Are there any you think I could help with?¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    She tilted her head at this. ¡°Likely not. Do you feel you have better instincts than your boss when it comes to purchases?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes. There have been a few occasions when he¡¯s bought things I thought he was being swindled on, and we discovered later that he had been.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps there are a few meetings I wouldn¡¯t mind your input. Come back in one hour.¡±

    As Anla was standing to leave, Glendina poked her head in the office. ¡°A few things before you meet with Rashial. Um, Carasan?¡±

    ¡°Push it off,¡± she said, waving her hand.

    ¡°Migan and Sons?¡±

    ¡°Push it off.¡±

    ¡°But, ma¡¯am, that¡¯s three months overdue¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat myself,¡± she said, icily.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Westlake, Harsham, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Glendina, I have the utmost faith that you can handle those for the time being.¡±

    Glendina nodded and left.

    Anladet spent the next hour exploring the business. The first floor only consisted of Al¡¯s mother¡¯s office, the secretary¡¯s post, a waiting area, and a bathroom with plumbing. Upstairs were several offices, including Glendina¡¯s. A few other workers occupied some of the rooms, none of them really interested in speaking with her.

    There was a basement, but Anla felt her journey there would be both uninteresting and prohibited. She spent a large portion of her remaining time on the second floor, watching the street below from an open window and listening to the pedestrians.

    A man was at the front door giving the secretary his hat when she returned again to Al¡¯s mother¡¯s office. She looked up at her knock and gestured to a chair that had been put in the corner. She sat and waited for the gentleman to be introduced about five minutes later.

    The meeting wasn¡¯t overly long, perhaps twenty minutes. They discussed matters boring to Anla that she would need a better understanding of Baradanian business to understand, new laws, ordinances, numbers, projections, and guesses as to whether or not what Al¡¯s mother said could be done would be done. From what Anla gathered, her business was much like the one in New Wextif where the clerk who had stalked the lady had worked; some sort of middleman between shipping and train suppliers and buyers in Baradan. Only, her business wasn¡¯t just a few companies, but a majority share of the market.

    ¡°Any comments?¡± Al¡¯s mother asked after the man had left.

    ¡°If I had to use the same instincts as I had before, I¡¯d say he¡¯s withholding something about the government¡¯s support. I don¡¯t think he believes the lawmakers are going to enact the legislature you wanted.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said, making a few notes. ¡°How correct have you been?¡±

    ¡°Pretty on the nose.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. For curiosity¡¯s sake, I¡¯d like you to stay for the next meeting, then.¡±

    She did. It was another tedious back-and-forth, this time with a man and a woman about projected sales and interested parties and shipments and delays and demand. ¡°They were lying about the Winekept. Something about his mannerisms when discussing it¡­¡± And that rock-grinding sound about its minimal delay, she thought.

    Al¡¯s mother turned and raised an eyebrow. ¡°If my son hadn¡¯t introduced you, I¡¯d think you were too good to be true. I received word yesterday through other channels that theWinekept was lost at sea. Hmm. How would you like to go to a luncheon meeting?¡±

    She liked it very much, whether or not she actually enjoyed it. And she also liked sitting in the corner for every other meeting Al¡¯s mother had that day. What she actually liked was sitting in the middle on the hansom ride home.

    Al was there waiting when they arrived. He looked at Anla, eyebrows raised, eyes darting between her and his mother. She gave him a big smile and he relaxed.

    * * *

    Dinner was less formal, since only Arista and his padra were there besides Al and Anla. Still, as he always had when he was younger, he sat and folded his hands, awaiting his mother¡¯s arrival. Most households didn¡¯t bother with the tradition unless it was a major holiday, but the Choudril¡¯s always did.

    ¡°Your employer had no qualms with me borrowing Burdet today?¡± his mother asked as the wine was being poured.

    ¡°No, he was fine with it. He took a rest day and I saw to his comfort while he enjoyed reading some books and sipping wine by the fire.¡±

    ¡°I hope he feels better. I might get to meet this employer of yours soon.¡±

    Al looked at Anla, who gave an apologetic look. ¡°If he¡¯s not too busy. Today would have been the best day, since he cleared his calendar.¡± He paused for a few moments. ¡°Why did you want to meet with him?¡±

    ¡°Why, to convince him to retire early and let me steal you two away from him. I was very impressed with Burdet today. And I¡¯m sure I can find you a job in the city, doing your wizard thing. Or something else. You¡¯re not too old for an apprenticeship. I¡¯m sure someone with an Amandorlam degree would be highly sought after here in Baradan.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, madra.¡± He was genuinely happy for a few moments. He had forgotten briefly that everything he¡¯d told her thus far had been a lie.

    Conversation shifted to Arista¡¯s work, then to Al¡¯s father¡¯s day, who worked near the dockyards as a fishmonger. Al picked at his food and listened half-heartedly. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about how things had been when he lived here. He missed it. It had been simple; just do what your mother tells you to do, and do it. Make her happy and proud.

    They sat in the great room near the fire, telling stories. His mother liked Anla, who seemed to have won her over that afternoon. It surprised him, since she didn¡¯t like many people. She¡¯d never liked any of the beaus he¡¯d had in secondary school and hadn¡¯t warmed to any of his friends.

    Since his mother kept early hours, they retired not long after sunset. ¡°Al,¡± Anla said, ¡°your bedroom is bigger than my family¡¯s whole house!¡±

    ¡°You should see my madra¡¯s,¡± he said.

    It was as he had left it, save dusted and laundered by a maid. Anla walked over to his wall of books, brushing her fingers along the titles. ¡°These are educational books. Geometry, history, law, philosophy. Oh, wait,¡± she said, moving her finger along. ¡°There we are. Tichen, Tichen, Tichen. Nine books by Tichen?¡±

    ¡°He wrote fifty-six, not including eighty-something articles and hundreds of letters to friends.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but, didn¡¯t you read anything for fun?¡±

    He quirked his eyebrows up and smiled, walking over to a bureau near the bed. The drawers had been cleared, which made wiggling the bottom out from one much easier. Al pulled several paperbacks out and tossed one to Anla. ¡°Oh!¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°I haven¡¯t read Firzy and Boge in a long time!¡±

    ¡°No Arvonnese alley novels?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get into those until I left for Amandorlam. Kiesh the Black, however¡­ I have a few of those hidden here.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been writing those for fifteen years now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°More like thirty-five,¡± he said, walking over to his bookcase. ¡°Some say the author, Kreslen Dimarth, sold the series to someone else who writes under his name. The arc with the Brostchik Brothers seems to be a departure in writing style for Dimarth.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± she said with mock seriousness. ¡°What if Dimarth suffered a stroke or amnesia? Maybe he had to learn to write all over again?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a thought about it, but I don¡¯t believe it,¡± he said. ¡°Now, shh, I don¡¯t want my madra to find out.¡±

    ¡°Why? You¡¯re a grown man with a job and a wife. You can do whatever you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Being a rino, a little boy, never ends,¡± he said, looking over at her ¡°I will always be my madra¡¯s little boy. I will always be cared for and protected, but I will also always be held to a high standard. Rinos did their schoolwork and didn¡¯t spend their allowances on frivolous tales of adventure. And I¡¯d like my madra to think that I always behaved, even when I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that. Your mother molded you into the man you are today.¡±

    ¡°She tried.¡± He began fiddling with a grate near the bookcase.

    ¡°What are you doing? Is that another hiding place?¡±

    ¡°Br¡¯vanese houses have these little cubbies to hold strong scented wax or herbal oil in dishes. When the fire gets warm enough, they give off aromas to make the room smell good. I used to put my latest Kiesh novels in those, though I doubt they¡¯re still there.¡±

    He finally unscrewed the grate and pulled it off. He reached inside, brushing past the warm silver dish to the back of the hole. Instead of paper, he found something hard and warm. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, pulling it out.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    He pulled it out and held it up to the fire. It was a metallic icon with three horizontal lines, each getting shorter the farther down they went. ¡°A Brother¡¯s cross? No, there are two extra arms.¡±

    ¡°Al¡­¡± Anla said.

    ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look familiar to you?¡± She walked over and took the icon, holding it up to her face.

    It took him a few moments to realize what she meant, and another to get over the sinking feeling in his stomach. ¡°A trirec symbol? But why¡­? You said my madra wasn¡¯t his target.¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t, Al. She¡¯s the one who hired him.¡±

 Chapter 153

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­no,¡± Al said, standing with his fists clenched. ¡°That¡¯s wrong. She would never hire a trirec!¡±

    ¡°Do you know what else it could be?¡± Anla asked.

    He stared at the icon. ¡°I don¡¯t know everything. It could be¡­a Br¡¯vani antique, or something to do with the Twelve, or¡­or anything, Anla!¡±

    ¡°It could be,¡± she said soothingly, ¡°but why would she hide it?¡±

    ¡°To make sure no one stole it. This could be worth a lot of money. It looks¡­¡±

    Anla walked over and gently took it from Al, holding it up to the oil lamp in the corner. ¡°It looks tarnished, Al, and there are scratches and dings. If it¡¯s an antique, it¡¯s not well cared for.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s rare,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe this is the only one.¡±

    ¡°Why hide a priceless antique? Why would someone buy that, only to hide it in a secret location?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    She placed the icon on the nightstand and waited a few moments. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out.¡±

    Al grabbed the icon from the table and walked toward the door, freezing before he reached the threshold. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said, turning towards Anla. ¡°I can¡¯t ask her that.¡±

    She let him wrestle with his thoughts for several minutes. She couldn¡¯t imagine what was going through his mind, whether he felt conflicted, betrayed, hurt, or all. Finally, he sighed angrily and left the room.

    He stomped down to his madra¡¯s room and pounded on the door. When she didn¡¯t open immediately, he opened her door and stormed in. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked.

    His madra was sitting up, tying the sash around her robe. ¡°Dominek, what is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± he said, waiting for her to light her oil lamp before holding it up. ¡°What is this?¡±

    She walked over to him and snatched the icon from his hands. ¡°This is none of your concern, rino. Just because you¡¯ve taken an abendi wife and you work for an abendi doesn¡¯t mean you are one. You should be ashamed at asking your madra about her business.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Her eyes narrowed and her mouth tightened, but he didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I will not feel shame at asking you about this. Tell me, does this mean you hired a trirec?¡±

    She looked down at the icon. ¡°Dominek, there are things in this world you don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Madra, no.¡±

    ¡°Do not judge me! I have made tough decisions, terrible decisions, for the greater good.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t what you taught me. You said¡­you said that I had to obey, that I had to be good. Play by the rules, you said. You laid them out before me, taught me to be a good person¡­¡±

    ¡°Rino,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Sit. Listen to what I have to say.¡± She sat on the edge of her bed. Al decided to stand. ¡°He doesn¡¯t play fairly.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Who?¡± he asked.

    ¡°His name is Varan Whiskef. He is a competitor of mine.¡±

    ¡°And since when does that make it okay to kill someone?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t. I know that. And I know what I taught you. But he isn¡¯t just competing with my business. I wouldn¡¯t have a problem with that. It¡¯s how he does it.

    ¡°He¡¯s turning the people of Baradan against not just me, but against all Br¡¯vanese. He spreads vicious rumors, tries to get me arrested on false charges, sabotages the boats¡­ Those are honest, hardworking people he¡¯s hurting just to get at me. His men have already killed three Br¡¯vanese workers. Another dozen were arrested. This isn¡¯t an assault on my business; this is against all of us living here.¡±

    ¡°There are no exceptions to murder,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°You always said there are things that way heavily on a woman¡¯s soul because she knows they are wrong. If you have this man murdered, you will hate yourself for it.¡±

    She folded her hands in her lap. ¡°I¡¯m willing to accept it.¡±

    ¡°Madra!¡± he said in exasperation. ¡°How can you say this?¡±

    ¡°I have put much thought into this, Dominek. Whether I am caught or cannot bear the guilt, I am willing to take on this burden.¡±

    ¡°Madra¡­it¡¯s not too late. If he still lives, you can reverse the assassination.¡±

    ¡°Dominek!¡± she said, standing. ¡°My decision is final.¡±

    He ground his teeth for a moment, then turned to the doorway to see Anla standing not far from the entrance. ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± he said.

    She had moved their bags to the doorway, just in case, and grabbed them. He led the way to the front door, his mother right behind them.

    ¡°Al,¡± she said once they were outside, ¡°are you sure you can¡¯t talk this out with your mother?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak with hypocrites,¡± he said, turning to flash a glare at his mother, who stood impassive in the doorway.

    All other attempts at starting a conversation were met with silence. They walked the distance back, the air cold and the sunset just a smudge of orange and fuschia on the horizon. She took a moment to fish her wool cloak out from the bottom of her pack, shaking off bread and cheese crumbs. Al wouldn¡¯t offer her his suit jacket no matter how hard she shivered. She had always thought him oblivious to recommended social graces, but after spending time with his family, she thought there might be another reason.

    She thought back to the bet he¡¯d made and was confused. He must think her a capable woman, one who¡¯d take care of her own warmth or hunger, but still needed intervention to preserve her good name. Maybe it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Raulin, specifically how Al felt about his morality. If Al thought Anla was worse than Raulin, would he have tried to ¡°protect¡± her? There was definitely something in her past that she was never going to tell Al about.

    Anla would have tried to talk with him, but Al went to the room he was sharing with Telbarisk and closed the door.He needs time, she thought, and went to her room.

    Raulin was sitting at the desk in the corner, reading by oil lamp. He reached for his mask until she said, ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡±

    He turned. ¡°I thought you said you and the wizard were going to be gone until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Change of plans,¡± she said, taking off her cloak and hanging it on the peg behind the door. ¡°How is your contract coming along?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m within striking distance. I¡¯ll be done soon, likely two or three days, then we can leave for Whitney.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way you can wait a little longer?¡± she asked.

    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°You want to stay here? Haven¡¯t gotten your fill of chowder yet?¡±

    ¡°It involves the thing Al asked me not to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°Well, I will be following my target tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. If I see an opportunity, I¡¯ll have to take it. But, I can exercise more caution than I normally do. Should put me in with the sane people for once.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±

    He clicked his tongue for a few moments. ¡°Well, you¡¯d make a very striking distraction, should I need it. I¡¯ll try on my own first. Thank you for the offer.¡±

    She nodded her head and smiled. ¡°What are you reading?¡±

    He sat the book down on the desk. ¡°Promise you won¡¯t say anything? I thought I¡¯d read one of those alley novels the wizard loves so much.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m a bit surprised.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°The curiosity got the best of me. My mark is at a late meeting tonight, so I had some time to waste.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Anla, it¡¯s pure drivel. It¡¯s melodramatic, far-reaching, and sloppily written. But,¡± he said, pausing to sigh, ¡°I get why it¡¯s so addicting. If you crave the hope this book supplies, I bet you¡¯d run to the book store to get the next.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying Al needs hope?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± he said with a shrug and a grin. ¡°A lot of people do.¡±

 Chapter 154

    Because there was no question of fires and of job dismissals in his mind, Al did sleep that night. It wasn¡¯t a good sleep; it was restless and his stomach churned, pulling him from slumber several times, but it was enough. Still, he had dreams of intentionally drowning, people trying to pull him up to the dock he had jumped off of or walking the plank on a ship despite everyone giving him odd looks. He felt he needed to drown, but everyone around him thought it a queer idea. It had made sense when he was asleep.

    Telbarisk was still asleep in the corner when Al finally opened his eyes. There was no early morning confusion; all his problems were still right there waiting for further consideration, mainly the question of how his madra could do what she had done.

    Part of the problem, one that Al didn¡¯t fully grasp, was there was a war of ethics going on in his mind. When his mother had learned that he was intellectually gifted, she had devised a path in life for him, as was her duty as the family head. She had been a woman with a profitable business and groomed to join the Council, but still a woman in a world of Ghenian men. She could never change that; even with the large percentage of Br¡¯vani, Baradan hadn¡¯t budged in that regard at all in the centuries her people had been trickling in to the rocky shores. So, she had learned from the best, her mother, and knew a way to get around that particularly frustrating situation.

    Al¡¯s grandmother had bent to Ghenian ways and had educated her older brother, Risha, who had shown promise like Al had. Risha had been a brilliant lawyer and could make his way in society and bend ears that no woman could. Sadly, he had died of consumption at the tender age of thirty-two. Al¡¯s mother had wanted the same brilliant career, and accessibility, for her son; someone who could bridge the gaps she couldn¡¯t.

    And so, he had been well-educated. He was going to be a lawyer, she decided, or perhaps a banker if he took to mathematics well. She hadn¡¯t expected him to excel in philosophy and ethics. No issue in her mind, since ethics could serve a lawyer or a politician well, but the ethics he had taken to heart was strongly Aroukean flavored. Morality was rigidly set by books and old men and didn¡¯t incorporate the give and take that Br¡¯vani was comfortable with. On more than one occasion she¡¯d had to sit with her rino to explain why it was acceptable to cheat or lie a little here and there to get ahead.

    If you had asked him about it, Al would remember the difficulties he¡¯d had reconciling between the two. There were no ways around Aroukean philosophy. Stealing, cheating, killing, and lying were all wrong, evil things that corrupted men and eroded society. He liked that. It was very easy to be good. If he didn¡¯t lie, he would be what Tichen had called a ¡°virtuous monastic¡± and Al really enjoyed the idea of being something greater than just average in something tangible for him.

    He¡¯d had discussions with his indulgent madra about this. She had posed questions, he would study and return. ¡°What if you lied for the good of a situation? What if by lying you saved a life?¡± Tichen said you would lose your virtuosity. ¡°Is that the most important thing in your life, to be virtuous?¡± At the time it had been.

    Al knew his mother didn¡¯t play by the same rules she had asked him to learn. She was very open about how she lied to customers about the quality of a product or to partners about the price of an item. She had patiently explained how money worked, that the worth of a gold coin depended largely on what a buyer and seller agreed it was worth, that the quality of an item was based in the consumer¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t like that. One gold should be worth one gold, always the same. Quality should be determined based on strict standards. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t get it; he just didn¡¯t want to get it.

    But Tichen had spoken about this, too. He had essentially said that bartering and purchasing was a complex system and that he couldn¡¯t judge heavily those who cheated those who didn¡¯t educate themselves. Al was complacent with this and ignored that which he didn¡¯t understand. And that was more or less fine.

    Murder, however¡­ He couldn¡¯t get over that particular sin. In his mind, his mother was paying a fee for a life because she couldn¡¯t work around a problem. It didn¡¯t matter if the man was slitting the throats of every Br¡¯vani on the streets, it was for the law to determine whether he lived or died, not his madra.

    He wiped his face with his hands and sat up just before he heard a knock at his door. ¡°I brought you a warm pastry,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, pulling a tunic over his head.

    Anla handed one to Tel, who had awoken at the knock, then sat on the bed. Al chewed quickly and swallowed without enjoying the taste. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fine, Anla, just fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just concerned. It¡¯s a lot for one person to discover.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you mean it¡¯s a lot for one person to discover that the person who raised him, the person who taught him right from wrong, has paid someone to kill another?¡±

    ¡°At least she didn¡¯t do it herself.¡±

    His gaze narrowed and snapped up at hers. ¡°This is different! I didn¡¯t mean to kill¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± Raulin said, standing next to Anla. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the discourse, but I can hear you clear through the walls.¡±

    ¡°Great. He knows. Did you tell him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anla said. ¡°You didn¡¯t want him to know, so I said nothing.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Raulin said, ¡°but I can guess. Someone dear to you was the contractor of the assassination I need to carry out. Since we¡¯re in your childhood home, I¡¯m assuming this is your sister or your mother.¡±

    ¡°My mother,¡± he said bitterly.

    ¡°And you discovered this and were upset because she told you when you were younger not to kill people, then she went ahead and hired me to kill someone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I can see why you¡¯re upset.¡± He stepped inside and closed the door behind him and Anla.

    ¡°I want you all out,¡± Al said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. This is between my me and my madra, not you three.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Anla said, sitting on the bed. ¡°This is personal. But friends have the privilege to advise their friends.¡±

    ¡°I know how this advice is going to go. ¡®Al, you¡¯re being too hard on your mother. You¡¯re too strict. Maybe cut her some slack.¡¯ No! She knows what she¡¯s doing. She knows it¡¯s wrong. Still, she doesn¡¯t stop it.¡±

    ¡°Did you tell her she could?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°My target is quite a piece of work, but I¡¯d rather not have to kill someone. I get paid either way, and I don¡¯t mind wasting the time, so why actually go through with it?¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t. She feels it¡¯s best for the greater good.¡±

    ¡°And therefore she¡¯s completely evil,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not evil. She¡¯s just¡­part of the problem. Look,¡± he said, taking on his favorite opinionated tone, ¡°people should all act within the limits of the law. If they don¡¯t, they should pay penalties for their crimes. No exceptions.¡±

    ¡°No exceptions? I can think of fifty scenarios off the top of my head where obeying the law makes society worse,¡± Raulin said. ¡°You¡¯re saying that if King Taneus was ordering all children to be slaughtered, you¡¯d allow that to happen?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°In hypothetical situations, anything can happen. Say it did. Say he signs a law into place saying all Ghenians under the age of seventeen are to be butchered.¡±

    ¡°Gheny is a constitutional monarchy. He can¡¯t just sign laws into place.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Say the parliament goes along with it. What do you do?¡±

    Al at least had the decency to look ashamed. ¡°There would be a good reason. Some disease that caused suffering to children or a madness that caused youths to kill their parents.¡±

    ¡°No! There is no good reason for the wholesale slaughter of an entire group of people! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d think that was acceptable! ¡®A nation¡¯s youth is its most valuable resource, Alghorin.¡¯ ¡®Children bring treasures unimaginable to all around them, Breckin Jr.¡¯ And what did Tichen have to say about that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. I know what Tichen said about children. But he also said that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­he also said it¡¯s important to be virtuous and obey the law, blah blah,¡± Raulin said, waving his hand. ¡°Yet, he contradicts himself, he and all the others. Why? Because morality isn¡¯t something you be definitive about. It shifts, it warps, it changes.¡±

    ¡°No, stop. Killing is wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°It is¡­most of the time. And then there are times when it¡¯s right. I try not to form opinions about those in my contracts because it causes problems on my end. Every once in a while, though, I get an assassination that I don¡¯t really mind doing. This is one of those times. I really can¡¯t say your mother made the wrong decision here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s life. That should be enough.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you think it¡¯s okay for one person to be terrible but not another.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Explain your friend Aggie, then.¡±

    He had to think about this. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. You just finished explaining to us that morals don¡¯t depend on circumstances. Yet, you have no problem being friends with someone who cheats on his wife, lies to women about who he is in order to bed them, and spends beyond his means in order to keep his ruses.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have Aggie, I wouldn¡¯t have anything,¡± he said sadly. ¡°You¡¯re right that I don¡¯t do anything. I should. But I know that if I lectured him every time he did something wrong, he wouldn¡¯t talk to me. I¡¯ve never helped him, though. Okay, once he asked me to keep one of his beaus stalled, but I didn¡¯t do it and she and the other girl wound up fighting. I listen to him and I keep my opinions to myself, because I know his life is going to be short.¡±

    Anla let out an exasperated sigh. She was about to give up and let him make a huge mistake when Telbarisk cleared his throat. ¡°Alpine, do you love your mother?¡±

    Al turned his head to the corner where Tel sat. ¡°Of course I do. She¡¯s my madra.¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯re friends with Aggie, even though he¡¯s someone who does things you don¡¯t agree with. Why can¡¯t you speak with your madra?¡±

    ¡°Because there are things too horrible to allow. I won¡¯t go to the police; I don¡¯t have enough evidence. But she should be punished for her crime and the only way I can do that is to not speak to her.¡±

    ¡°And this is because you know she has paid for the life of a man? What if your friend Aggie has killed someone, but you don¡¯t know this?¡±

    He wanted to argue that Aggie wouldn¡¯t kill someone, but it was all too easy for Al to picture a jealous lover receiving the steel end of a knife in the ribs in a bar fight. ¡°I¡¯d never speak to him again if I knew that.¡±

    ¡°Then your basis for shunning is knowledge. Yet, you speak with all of us knowing even though I believe all of us have killed someone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­you three aren¡¯t upstanding. I expect you to commit crimes.¡±

    Anla snorted at this, but Telbarisk continued unaffected. ¡°You don¡¯t expect your mother to hire an assassin because she is upstanding.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°So, this is personal, then?¡±

    ¡°Ye-.¡± He stopped.

    ¡°You have feelings of pain over this discovery? Betrayal, indignation, perhaps embarrassment?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    If Tel wanted to win the argument, he could have stopped there. But Tel wasn¡¯t interested in besting Al with words. He wanted to help. ¡°Alpine, look at me.¡± Al did, with some difficulty. ¡°I am a long ways from home. I miss my family. If I could see any of them, even my brother, I would do whatever I could to do so.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but your mother didn¡¯t hire a thug to kill someone.¡±

    ¡°You have a mother,¡± Anla said. When Al looked back to her, he saw Raulin¡¯s standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Wizard, you can¡¯t find perfection in people,¡± he said. ¡°There will always be something you don¡¯t like or don¡¯t approve of in people. And that¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be friends with them and live a lonely life. But, family is family. That¡¯s different than friendship. Your mother raised you. She fed you, she clothed you, she wiped your tears from your face, she held you when you were scared. That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s something so very, very precious. I couldn¡¯t even tell you what I would give to hug my mother once more. Arms, legs, hell, I¡¯d fall on a sword for that opportunity.

    ¡°So, if you don¡¯t want to speak to your mother ever again because she did one terrible thing, then that¡¯s your choice. But think real hard about what you¡¯re giving up because you feel slighted. Don¡¯t assume you¡¯ll have the chance to patch things up with her, because there¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯ll get that opportunity.¡±

    Anla reached up and squeezed his hand, then softly asked if he wanted to go into town. The two left Al, who seemed very troubled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone, Alpine,¡± Tel said, ¡°but I¡¯ll be down in the common room. If you need to speak to someone, I¡¯ll be available.¡±

 Chapter 155

    Al spent the next few days in his room. He would rise,get dressed, shave, then spend the rest of the day lying in bed, his back to the door. Anla and Raulin left him alone, save to check in on him and bring him food.

    There was a lot for him to think about. For Al, it was two crushing forces moving against each other, trying their hardest to win out over each other in a battle for his soul. At least, that¡¯s how Kiesh the Black would think of it, had he been inside Al¡¯s head. It was really Al just trying to hold two opposing thoughts at the same time and failing to do so for some time.

    There was also a lot of hypocrisy mixed in to his contemplation. He had abandoned his family because of duty and law. Then, he had broken that same law because he deemed it not applicable, which contradicted what had told Raulin in that he would obey all laws set forth in Gheny. And there was a lot of other things he needed to be honest with himself about.

    In the end, it was what Telbarisk had said about family and time not being a given that made him break away from his main arguments and try to see things differently. If he left in a few days and never spoke to his madra because he was mad at her, then she died, how would he feel? Would he regret not telling her the truth? Would he regret leaving her with reason to be heartbroken every time she thought of him? She was his mother, after all. What man could do that to his mother, over something that didn¡¯t even involve him?

    He awoke early on the third day, wore his nice suit, had his face completely shaved, and ventured to his madra¡¯s business. He hadn¡¯t been there in a long time, but the smell brought him back to playing in the dirt and picking flowers for his little sister.

    She arrived not long after he did, Glendina at her elbow. ¡°9:30 with Tanask, 10:00 with Aviz Holdings.¡±

    ¡°Mai¡¯am,¡± the secretary said, handing her a piece of paper.

    She scanned it. ¡°The Baradan Times would like a few comments on what happened last night, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°When do I have a break?¡±

    ¡°Madra?¡± Al said, interrupting her planning.

    His mother stopped for a moment. Glendina turned, her mouth an O. ¡°Hold off Tanask as long as possible,¡± she said to her assistant, then beckoned her son to follow her into her office.

    She poured herself some tea, sipped, then poured him a cup. Al almost ignored the sequence, but remembered that tea was an integral part in determining status in meetings. His madra had made it clear that she had the upper hand, but that she still wanted to hear what he had to say.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the news, then,¡± she asked, ¡°and you wish to negotiate your terms?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, perplexed. ¡°What news?¡±

    ¡°Tonen Whiskef¡¯s throat was slit last night while he slept,¡± she said. ¡°Someone managed to sneak past an impressive number of guards and servants in order to achieve this, so most are saying it¡¯s a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Not as impressive as a count¡¯s,¡± he muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Let me explain what this means for my business and the community.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said, meeting her eyes.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care because it¡¯s your business. I don¡¯t understand it. I think it¡¯s wrong to kill people, but I can¡¯t sit here and judge you for it. It would be hypocritical.

    ¡°Madra, I lied to you. I¡¯m not a vizier, I¡¯m a touch wizard who makes a pittance. My wife cheated on me and I left her a few months ago. Since then I¡¯ve been traveling Gheny, doing better for myself, but there is no lord that I work for. The woman you met is a fr¡­acquaintance of mine. The trirec you wound up hiring is also, which is how I knew what that sigil was. And I¡¯ve¡­done some terrible things. I killed a man. It was an accident, but he is still dead just the same. I think that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want you to keep your contract. I know what it feels like and I pain over it. I didn¡¯t want that for you.¡±

    She sipped her tea for a few moments. ¡°Knowing you, I think there was a fair amount of moral preeminence included in your offense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, there probably was.¡±

    ¡°And, you felt the need to confess so that you can walk away feeling better about yourself?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°So, why are you here, then?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see you again.¡±

    ¡°Which means you don¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be around to make sure I¡¯m punished for my crime?¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s because I love you! I¡­I was fine with not seeing you and everyone else because I didn¡¯t think there would be a time when I couldn¡¯t write to you or take a train here if I wanted to. But I thought about how I would be leaving soon, angry at you, and you knowing I was angry at you. I decided that I¡¯d rather not leave like that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t approve¡­¡±

    ¡°A given,¡± she said.

    ¡°¡­and I am still upset that you hired a trirec to kill someone. But, I don¡¯t want to leave like this.¡±

    ¡°How would you like to leave?¡±

    ¡°Like this. Talking to you. Leaving things open and good, or mostly good.¡±

    She placed her hands softly on her desk. ¡°Well. I can¡¯t say this is something I expected from you.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You must know that you¡¯re always welcome at home. You can stay, if you want.¡±

    ¡°I need to go with them.¡±

    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re finished, then, you can come home. I have my disappointments in you as well, but you are my rino and nothing will change that.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    His madra sighed and sipped her tea. ¡°She¡¯s not your wife?¡±

    ¡°Anla? No.¡±

    ¡°Anla. She¡¯s invited, too, if she wants a job. Her ability to read people and situations was uncanny.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her you made that offer.¡±

    She stood, walked around the desk, and cradled Al¡¯s head against her chest. ¡°So, when you are finished wandering, sowing your wild oats, you will return?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If.¡±

    ¡°If?¡± she asked, looking at him.

    ¡°I told you I was a vizier because that¡¯s what I really want to be. And if I find a noble who wants a wizard on-call to heal him or be a guard, then I¡¯m going to take that opportunity. But, if not, then I will visit you next June and we can talk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that. And you¡¯re welcome to come to dinner tonight, you and your acquaintances.¡± She stood and smoothed her blouse. ¡°I need to get back to work. There¡¯s a bit of a power vacuum and I¡¯m sure there will be moves to fill that void.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± he said. ¡°Good luck.¡±

 Chapter 156

    ¡°Oh, look,¡± Raulin said, holding out his hand, gloved due to the cold. ¡°Do you see this? This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.¡± Against the black wool, a single snowflake stood out in his palm.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Telbarisk said in an almost dreamy tone.

    ¡°Nice? It¡¯s¡­¡± He paused to look at his friend. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we could stop by a beach before we leave? I¡¯d like to see the snow falling into the sea, at least once more.¡±

    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t, we can,¡± he said, turning the group away from the train station. ¡°Well, Wizard? A moderately priced hotel near the ocean? Perhaps a beach we haven¡¯t seen before?¡±

    Al nodded and began leading them south without a word. After a few miles of winding streets and dockside shops, with the air taking on a progressively saltier tang, the street opened up to a gull-infested beach in line with the road. The snow laid on the sand, swirling white dust against the tan dunes.

    Tel began to walk the beach, disturbing the gulls who seemed more annoyed than scared. Al alternated between watching the snow fall on the ocean and collecting seashells. Raulin and Anla sat hip-to-hip, crossing their inside arms. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°He seems awfully pensive.¡±

    ¡°Al? I think he made peace and might be mulling things over.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you think he¡¯s going to stop nagging me about my job?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see. I¡¯ll do my best to encourage it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not terrible for you to meditate on what you do.¡±

    ¡°Not you, too,¡± he said, his sigh somewhere between joking and dismay. ¡°You know I do think about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you don¡¯t. In fact, I know you do. And if I had to guess, I¡¯d say you¡¯re starting to feel differently about it.¡±

    ¡°Why would you say that?¡±

    ¡°I listen. When you speak about doing your work and being a trirec, you don¡¯t sound as proud about it as you did when we first met.¡± She sucked air in through her teeth. ¡°Not proud, but¡­confident in your position.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said. ¡°My two major advantages, preferential treatment in my order and anonymity on the streets, are gone. The Umber knows there¡¯s a Noh Amairian trirec and Arvarikor has no reason to help me when I need it. I don¡¯t know which is worse.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say much to you about this last contract, but it was more difficult for me than they normally are. I kept second guessing happenstances. I watched behind my shoulder more. I waited much too long and didn¡¯t take the chances I normally do. All that, far away from other trirecs or the Cumber. I feel too shaken over what¡¯s happened these last months.¡±

    ¡°So, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not skilled in practical things. I wasn¡¯t really around tradesmen growing up, so I never picked up any skills. All I know is how to spy, steal, and kill, and I don¡¯t want to live my life as some wharf thug-for-hire. I might have enough money to start a business and to buy a piece of land, but actually working them doesn¡¯t mean I can make a living at it.¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re thinking about it,¡± she said, blowing on her hands. He ungloved his own, grabbed hers, and began rubbing them, massaging warmth back into her fingers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to, but I do, at least to have a backup. Of course, I¡¯ve dreamed many plans when I¡¯ve been in instances of misfortune. Once, while awaiting trial in Kipraud, I dreamed to one day be one of those horsemen out in the western parts of Gheny, the ones that tend to cattle. Lonely work, but good pay, from what I hear. Something to do for a few years while you save your money and spend it wisely, then head back east and find a lady to settle down with.

    ¡°But, escaping Arvarikor is another matter. That¡¯s my biggest obstacle. You don¡¯t quit being a trirec; you either retire as a trivren or you die. And trivrens are still in Arvarikor. So, unless you know a way for a man to die, but not actually die, then I¡¯m stuck doing this.¡±

    ¡°We should run it by Al,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s good at finding loopholes.¡±

    ¡°While I agree that he¡¯s quite good at thinking of alternative methods, I doubt the wizard would help me.¡±

    ¡°I think that getting you to stop being a trirec would align with his wants. Just, maybe wait until he¡¯s had some time to think.¡±

    They sat for some time more until the wind began to blow hard and they grew too cold to stand it. Despite the chill, Telbarisk seemed comfortable in just his bakinar, shirt, and pants. Al was freezing.

    ¡°Not used to this,¡± he said, leading them inland and to a hotel.

    ¡°It¡¯s not this cold in Whitney?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°You might see a week¡¯s worth of snow over the whole winter, and the snow doesn¡¯t start falling until close to the end of the year.¡±

    ¡°Excellent to hear. I hope to be in and out, then, with plenty of time to spare before we see any more cold weather.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. It¡¯s far too early for snow. It¡¯ll be nice outside, a little cooler than it was in New Wextif, but comfortable.¡±

    ¡°All right. There is a ten-thirty train to Whitney tomorrow morning. We will be on it. Settle your accounts tonight, because we aren¡¯t coming back here. Everyone fine with that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said. Though he still had a lot to parse through, he had to admit that he felt rather peaceful over his decisions. And that in and of itself was something he was going to need to understand.

 Chapter 157

    ¡°Man with in the gray suit and bowler hat reading the newspaper,¡± Raulin said, turning in his seat and leaning against the window of the train.

    Anla craned her head to look past the trirec. ¡°But he¡¯s sitting alone.¡±

    ¡°For now. He has a lady with him. When she returns, I want you to tell me how they know each other. Points for an early correct guess.¡±

    She waited until a young woman in a dark gray dress moved down the aisle of the train, then took a seat across from him. He looked up for a moment, then returned to reading for a little while longer, then set the paper down. ¡°Did you speak with him?¡± the man said to the young woman.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°He said ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­disappointing. Perhaps you should be more insistent.¡±

    Anla turned to Raulin. ¡°Employer, employee.¡±

    ¡°Did you gather that from the conversation or the tone?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Tone, more so. What they¡¯re talking about could be anything.¡±

    ¡°What are they speaking about?¡±

    She listened a while longer. ¡°He needs something from someone else on the train who is reluctant to give it to him. She argued that she doesn¡¯t think she¡¯ll be successful if she persists. While he seems almost bored, he¡¯s¡­irritated by her response and said as much. She¡­she just stood up after she muttered ¡®Yes, sir¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well done, then. You figure it out¡­almost.¡±

    ¡°Almost? But, she just called him ¡®sir¡¯. That must mean he¡¯s her superior.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not denying that. You got that part correct. But, there¡¯s more to it than just he¡¯s her boss and she¡¯s his secretary. They¡¯re lovers.¡±

    She arched an eyebrow, turning to look at Raulin. ¡°Wait, how do you know that? They didn¡¯t give any indication that there was anything more between them than their profession.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to tell you or do you want to figure it out?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just doing this to better my tone reading,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯ve already failed, so you may as well tell me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t fail. There were just two answers when you thought there was only one. And I only know both because her lipstick is on his collar. He should definitely have someone take care of that before he gets home to his wife.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said, leaning her chin into her hand. ¡°It seems like I should have been able to pick up more.¡±

    ¡°Anla, you¡¯re just starting out and you have no guidance. There¡¯s no book, no teachers, no school for what you can be. You have to figure out how to teach yourself.¡± He turned to face her and clicked his tongue a few times. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve been going about this wrong. Maybe we need to find you someone feeling a particular emotion, then have you get familiar with what that sounds like.¡±

    ¡°Where will we find someone like that?¡±

    ¡°You have three people you know that you can nudge in that direction. I don¡¯t know how the wizard feels about it, but you don¡¯t have to tell him you¡¯re including him in your training. Just ask him about something that should illicit a reaction that you want.¡±

    ¡°May I start with you?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    She rubbed the tops of her fingernails on each other. ¡°What¡¯s¡­what¡¯s something that¡¯s sad to you?¡±

    He folded his hands and sat back in his seat while he thought. ¡°My mother is dead and I can¡¯t ever see her again.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    She could tell there was a shift, but not how it was different. ¡°What was she like?¡±

    ¡°Quiet, I suppose. She wasn¡¯t very outgoing, but didn¡¯t mind being around people. Very talented; she played the spinet beautifully and painted gorgeous paintings. She and I were close; my older brother was my father¡¯s favorite, but I was my mother¡¯s. She coddled me, which irritated my father.¡± He looked over to her. ¡°Did that help?¡±

    ¡°A little. Your tone changed the more you talked about her, from something cold and thick to something warmer.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think I was sad at first, but I remember her fondly. It makes me happy to think of her in that light.¡±

    She reached across and squeezed his hand, then stood. ¡°Let me try Tel.¡±

    Tel was actually not helpful, though he wished he could be. His tone changed little when he described his family and fiance and therefore she couldn¡¯t get much from him.

    Anla found Al in their room, laying down on the bottom bed. ¡°Hi. How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, putting his novel down. ¡°I feel a little nervous going back to Whitney.¡±

    ¡°You think there will be trouble?¡±

    ¡°Not trouble, just returning to things after so long. It¡¯s been a half-year and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s changed.¡± He gave a quick laugh. ¡°Marnie¡¯s birthday is coming up. I should get her something.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Marnie?¡±

    ¡°My¡­step-daughter, I suppose, though she¡¯s always felt like mine.¡± He sat up and gave her room to sit. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason to keep this from you any longer, though I don¡¯t think I want Raulin to hear about it, if you don¡¯t mind. He¡¯ll just probably make fun of me for it.¡±

    ¡°He probably won¡¯t. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Burdet, my wife that you played, broke her wedding vows years ago. It wound up being with my best friend Aggie. She had Marnie and I helped raise her.¡±

    She was so shocked that she almost forgot to listen for the quality of what he was saying. That cold, thicker tone wasn¡¯t strongly present. Al must have felt differently than sad about the whole situation. ¡°And you still think Aggie is a good friend?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t know that Burdet was my wife. I never invited him to my house and I never took her to a place that they would bump into each other. He¡¯s not the greatest of people, but he is a good friend.¡±

    ¡°You seem very loyal to him, and to Burdet. I¡¯d be angry in your position, but you don¡¯t seem upset.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Maybe I should be, but I¡¯m not. I no longer loved Burdet and maybe should have broken it off with her a long time ago, but I wanted to do the right thing. And I knew that it wasn¡¯t making me happy. It¡¯s one of those things us Br¡¯vani men have pounded into us: we don¡¯t ask for a divorce. That¡¯s a woman¡¯s choice. Some things I hold onto and others I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Does it make you sad that you¡¯re away from Marnie?¡±

    ¡°Sad? A little. I miss her. She¡¯s adorable and fun to take care of, but ultimately I have no right to her. She¡¯s Burdet¡¯s and Aggie¡¯s daughter. I just hope her mother is doing right by her.¡±

    Again, only a little of that coldness was present. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like someone who gets sad.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I do, it¡¯s just not for me.¡±

    ¡°Then for what?¡±

    He leaned forward and thought for a few moments. He cleared his throat before he began. ¡°I read¡­I read an account once that brought me to tears. It was one of the servants at the Arvonnese court finding Prince Caudin¡¯s body.¡±

    She was beginning to understand why Raulin was so frustrated by Al¡¯s obsession. He felt more emotion about a boy he¡¯d never met than he did about what the terrible people in his life had done to him. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°The night after the Coup, the servants were told to ¡®take care of the palace grounds¡¯, which meant to find and identify the bodies of the dead and to clean up the mess. One of the king¡¯s clerks had the job of entering the bedrooms first before the maids. He spoke of opening the door and bringing the candle over to the prince¡¯s bed. He said he laid there so peacefully, it was as if he were only sleeping. It was a few tiny drops of blood on his chin the gave away that something was wrong. And when the duvet was moved back, the clerk had to turn away. The prince¡¯s throat had been slashed and all his blood soaked the sheets underneath. The clerk¡¯s breath caught in his throat; for a few moments, he thought there was hope that the boy could be awoken and snuck to safety and the future of Arvonne could be secured. But Prince Caudin was the last of the four children they found, and with that sight the clerk mourned the loss of not just the Alscaines, but the nation.¡±

    Anla blinked. The sadness in his voice was so thick, there was no way she could think it was anything other than that emotion. It drenched every one of his words in a chilled heaviness, sometimes with a wavering pain that felt like a primal connection to something deep and destructive. He truly cared strongly for a prince he¡¯d never met. ¡°I thought you read those books because you held on to the hope that he was alive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, clearing his throat again, ¡°I still hope, it¡¯s just unlikely. Maybe the clerk was lying. Maybe they found a different person and pretended it was Prince Caudin. ¡®Doubt breeds hope, however a folly.¡¯¡±

    ¡°And what would you do if you happened to find one of the princes?¡±

    His tone shifted immediately to something clear, strong, ringing as his spine straightened. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d pledge myself to his service. I wouldn¡¯t even hesitate. He¡¯d need help to retake the throne and I¡¯d be there for whatever he needed.¡±

    Anla had never understood how clearly Al felt things. ¡°Tell me more about the Alscaines,¡± she asked, realizing that, while she would appreciate the practice, it was also important to get a stronger glimpse into a man who wasn¡¯t just a wizard, or an Arvonne enthusiast, but someone who surprised her. She had claimed to be his friend, but now she wanted to actually be one.

 Chapter 158

    Al was surprised to admit it felt incredibly good to talk with Anla. It wasn¡¯t like when he spoke with Aggie; she paid attention to him, asked him questions, and didn¡¯t interrupt nor interject with some tangential story. He had spoken for hours, both about himself and of Arvonne, even a little about Amandorlam and the work he did. And she was still there when they felt the train slow and finally stop.

    He stuffed his forgotten book into his gigantic knapsack and handed Anla hers. ¡°If you¡¯re interested to know more about Arvonne or the Alscaines, I¡¯m always available to talk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that, Al,¡± she said and stepped out into the hallway. Several people passed by and he joined the line to the carriage as soon as he could. He saw Anla standing next to Raulin, who met his gaze when he entered.

    ¡°Wizard, explain.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I want you to explain yourself.¡±

    In the minutes Anla had been near Raulin, had she told him what they had talked about, even in that little time? He had asked her not to. Was his trust in her misplaced. He looked to her, but she wasn¡¯t looking at either of them.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Raulin drew his arm out, gesturing to the window. Al blinked and looked outside to see that everything was blanketed in white. ¡°You said, and I quote ¡®it¡¯s far too early for snow¡¯. And what do we have on our arrival? A foot of snow. A foot. Now I have to buy another coat because I sold back the other one because I had on your authority that there was no way I would need it. ¡®Comfortable¡¯, you said.¡±

    ¡°What, do you want me to pay for your coat?¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Wizard, I am having a lark at your expense. I¡¯m jesting with you. It¡¯s not a big problem. Try not to be so serious about these things.¡±

    ¡°Snow!¡± Telbarisk said as he ventured towards the group. ¡°Did you see outside, Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in fact I did. Now, Wizard, would you like to escort us to a second-hand store so that I may purchase some items? Again.¡±

    The train station was in the northwestern part of the city, near Scarinjou. Not only did Al not want to linger in one of the city¡¯s worst places, he didn¡¯t even want to ask directions from one of its residents. He remembered his escape from the spell-trackers hunting him for the inkwell, running to Scarinjou in the rain, tripping over uneven paver stones, and having to deal with the unsavory people who mocked him from under the eaves and the doorways. He¡¯d rather not have to deal with them again.

    He walked what he felt was south, leading the group past crumbled walls, broken and boarded windows, and piles of snow no one cared to move. Some of the streets seemed familiar, so he turned down those. After the third dead-end, Raulin finally spoke up.

    ¡°Wizard, I don¡¯t usually mind the scenic route, but I fear I can no longer feel my nose, ears, nor my sense of purpose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting us out of Scarinjou,¡± he snapped.

    ¡°Is examining the different architectual stylings of alleyways part of the journey?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡±

    They took a few more steps, then Raulin softened his tone. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re lost. I didn¡¯t realize you didn¡¯t know this part of your city. My fault. Let me ask someone¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said, turning around. ¡°I have this, all right? I will get us to where we need to go.¡±

    Raulin met Anla¡¯s gaze for a moment, then said, ¡°You know, this place looks familiar.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that lost!¡±

    ¡°No, no, I mean the neighborhood reminds me of somewhere I¡¯ve been. Hmm.¡± He clicked his tongue for a few moments. ¡°Ah, yes. Cougriqest. Nasty little neighborhood in Eri Ranvel. Not the best place to travel, unless you feel like donating to the poor without your consent.¡±

    ¡°Eri Ranvel has bad parts?¡± he asked, surprised.

    ¡°Oh, yes, all cities have bad parts, even the nice ones, even the capitals. The destitute and dissolute need their places to trade and take.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Arvonnese just wipe out that part, then? Kick everyone out, tear down the buildings, make something nicer¡­¡±

    Raulin walked over to the wall and leaned against it. ¡°Because even the bad neighborhoods serve a purpose, Wizard. It¡¯s not just thugs waiting to get hired, pockets getting picked, and people getting shanked for their coin. This is the place where someone with nothing can arrive and find a cheap room for rent and work that might be hard and dirty, but will pay the bills. This is a place of sympathy, of privacy, a place where no one cares if they¡¯re supposed to add ¡®Sir¡¯ or ¡®Ma¡¯am¡¯ or ¡®.rd¡¯ in front of your name. Everyone is equal.¡±

    He jerked his head to his right, which was a second-hand clothes store. ¡°It¡¯s also a place where people can sell whatever they want and have it bought without anyone passing judgment. Mind if we go in?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said quietly and followed him inside.

    One wool coat and a pair of fur lined gloves with only slight rot later and they were back out on the streets. Raulin let Al lead them and didn¡¯t say another word.

    Al felt a lot more at ease. He knew enough to move them out of Scarinjou and could walk with more confidence to a district he was familiar with. Scarinjou was not too far from Adinton¡¯s, which was next to both Clearhill and Opten Square. Both were neighborhoods with reputations that made Al feel like they wouldn¡¯t be paying too much, but wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their items being hocked by the innkeeper.

    While they unpacked, Raulin knocked on the door of Al and Anla. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know of a great restaurant nearby that serves something warm, like chowder you¡¯d find in Baradan?¡±

    Al snorted. ¡°No one has chowder like Baradan. Um, there are a few that might have soup, but serve something else as the specialty.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Raulin said. ¡°My treat.¡±

    They were sitting at a corner table in a smoke-filled room, eating their soups, when Al heard something familiar. His sense of hearing was once again heightened by the Unease without him remembering he had entered it. He looked around for a few moments, wondering what it was that had drawn his attention, then went back to listening to the group¡¯s conversation.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t they put it in the food?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°They do, to some extent, but some people like a little more salt, pepper, or sorghum on their food than others.¡±

    Tel dashed some pepper in his hand, then inhaled deeply. His face twisted and he began to sneeze and rub his nose.

    Raulin laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to smell it! Taste a little, see if you like it, then put a little in your soup.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s spicy,¡± he said. ¡°It makes my mouth warm.¡±

    ¡°¡­like clear water on a summer¡¯s day. I could stare into them forever,¡± Al heard amongst other snippets of conversation. He looked up and around again and spotted a young woman in a nice dress seated across from a larger man. He was holding her hands and she was looking at him coquettishly, her eyes flickering up and down and her teeth biting her bottom lip.

    There was something familiar about the man, but he didn¡¯t want to interrupt both their date and his own group¡¯s meal. So, when everyone was finished with their roast beef and grilled vegetables, he made an excuse to linger around the restaurant. ¡°I wanted to do a little shopping,¡± he told Raulin. ¡°I need to look into some new gloves and a belt.¡±

    ¡°You should have bought them at the shop. Unless you think this freak storm is a sign of the times, you won¡¯t need nice gloves for the rest of the year.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you later. I may have some questions for you about the city, if you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±

    The three took off for their hotel and Al waited outside. He had to move when he felt several drops of melt from the awning tap his shoulder. As he stood closer to the road, he could feel the cold rising from the snow, the air still moist and warm despite the weather. This would all be gone in a day or two, when the warm temperatures would return.

    ¡°¡­lot of pressure from my boss, but I can handle it. I¡¯ll be up for a promotion soon. It¡¯ll be quite different once I¡¯m partner.¡±

    The speaker, the same man from inside the restaurant, stepped out ahead of the well-dressed woman. Al straightened and turned to face him. ¡°Aggie?¡±

    The man stopped, shielding his eyes to see better beyond the light from the restaurant. ¡°Al?¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± he said, not sure how to continue the conversation. He felt a little self-conscious, interrupting Aggie¡¯s date, being stared at quizzically by the woman. But, Aggie solved that as he walked to Al and scooped him into a bear hug.

    ¡°What are you doing here? I heard you skipped town! Ember was not happy,¡± he said, whispering the last part.

    ¡°I¡­I did. But, I¡¯m back for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± He turned back to look at his date. ¡°I¡¯m busy tonight. Do you want to meet up for drinks tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good! I have a lot to tell you about.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± Aggie said, clapping him on the back. ¡°Meet you at the Commons at seven.¡±

 Chapter 159

    Al hadn¡¯t had a Chapman¡¯s Water since May and realized he hadn¡¯t been missing very much. There had been too many other kinds of drink over the last few months to really enjoy the tastes of home. Not that he could admit he had enjoyed it much to being with.

    He was pondering whether it was thick enough to write with when Aggie walked through the door. He scooted to the other side of the booth Al was sitting in and immediately chugged half the mug Al had ordered for him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said after wiping the foam away from his upper lip.

    ¡°No problem. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Good! Nothing really too new, though you did miss the adventures with Micent back in August. Gorgeous, great under the sheets¡­loonier than a northern lake in fall.¡±

    ¡°Aw, sorry to hear that. I¡¯ve been touring Gheny with¡­¡±

    ¡°I really tried to break it off gently with her, but as soon as I mentioned seeing other people, she got really quiet and told me that there was no way I was going to leave her.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I understand that!¡± he said, laughing at his own joke referencing the chalice spell, which Aggie obviously didn¡¯t get.

    ¡°I mean, remember Astinia? She was¡­five times worse than her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he said, burying his head into the beer.

    Aggie went into detail for about twenty minutes, which used to feel like two to Al, but there felt like an hour. Al had finished his beer, then started a second one, drinking because what else was he going to do?

    ¡°So, now that you¡¯re caught up, what have you been up to? Why did you leave?¡±

    Al brightened and moved his mug aside. ¡°I¡¯ve been on an adventure of sorts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I gathered, but you were the last person I¡¯d ever expect to just vanish.¡± Aggie frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t even say goodbye to me.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry. I would have if I¡¯d had the time, but I had to leave quickly.¡± He leaned in and lowered his voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you before, but Ember had me do three tasks or else she was going to get my license revoked. That¡¯s why I started that fight with you, then went out drinking; that was one and two. The third was to steal something, only I didn¡¯t bring it to her. I left instead.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± he said, laughing a little. ¡°Al, you should have said something. I would have helped you out.¡± He took a few more sips of his beer, then furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why was she going to get your license revoked?¡±

    ¡°Remember that really bad day I was having at the end of April?¡± Aggie showed no signs of remembering, so Al continued. ¡°Well, I punched a wall in Milxner¡¯s and almost set the place on fire.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with your license? It might have gotten you fired, if there were damage but¡­¡± He straightened his neck and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re a switcher. Oh¡­that explains some things. Why didn¡¯t you tell me? How come you didn¡¯t do hard stuff with me, then? Ember could have gotten you a good job making a lot of money.¡±

    ¡°And how long would I have to enjoy it? I know hard wizards make good money, but I¡¯d rather have a long, poor life than a short, rich one.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to mention how often he¡¯d been using the Unease since he¡¯d left Whitney.

    ¡°Al, it¡¯s not that bad. It all depends on how you live your life when you¡¯re not using your magic. You have to blow off some steam, have your little trysts, and enjoy things. I mean, you, yes, you¡¯d probably die quickly because you bottle things up, but I would have been there to show you how to have a good time.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Al realized in that moment that Aggie¡¯s idea of a good time and his were far different. Drinking at a bar and living vicariously through his friend just didn¡¯t cut it anymore. Had it ever?

    ¡°Do you still have the thing you stole?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°Ember was snippy for a while after you left, but she¡¯s a reasonable woman. I bet you could return it to her, sit down, have a nice talk, and come work for Milxner¡¯s. She¡¯d smooth things out with the bosses and pay you well. In time I bet everything will be forgiven and forgotten.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Sure you can. She¡¯s not that scary.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­it¡¯s complicated.¡± How was he going to explain the spell, Anla, Tel, and Raulin to Aggie?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can work it out. It can¡¯t be easy, being on the lam, running from city to city, sleeping in alleys and stealing meals.¡±

    Al blinked a few times. ¡°Aggie, I¡¯ve had more money in the last three months than I did in the last three years. I own nice clothes, I¡¯ve been invited by a count to their castle, I¡¯ve seen a creveir performance¡­Aggie, I¡¯ve eaten at Vedroir. Vedroir.¡±

    ¡°Suuure,¡± he said, finishing off his pint. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying that you can have your old life again, even better than before. I¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­think about it,¡± was the best Al could give him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time. Let¡¯s meet tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°I have some things to do.¡±

    ¡°Saturday, then. You should be able to get your ducks in a row tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, unenthusiastically.

    ¡°You got this, right, since you¡¯ve made so much money?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, standing to pay the tab. By the time he was done, Aggie was gone.

    He walked back to his hotel that was just a few blocks away. Already most of the snow was gone, merely piles that melted into the drains, if the streets even had them. If not, then giant puddles formed, highlighting the areas that needed re-cobbling next spring.

    He took his boots off at the doorway and was about to walk to his room when Raulin cleared his throat. He sat up from the armchair he had been sitting in, putting the newspaper on the coffee table. ¡°Good evening, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°Good evening,¡± he returned, a little confused.

    ¡°Did you forget that I asked to speak with you about Whitney and its geography? After dinner, and you said that was fine.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­it slipped my mind.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, what were you doing?¡±

    ¡°I went shopping for clothes¡±

    ¡°Oh. I thought you did that yesterday. What did you get?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I didn¡¯t find any¡­there was a scarf that I liked, but it was too expensive.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to help me, or if you changed your mind, you could have just said so.¡±

    ¡°I do want to help, well at least with directions and¡­well, you can look that stuff up in a library if you wanted to.¡±

    ¡°Looks a little suspicious, a trirec in a library. I actually almost got caught once by a nosy librarian who threatened to tell the constable what I had been studying.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Well, thankfully libraries are run by priests and priests like me a lot. I just had a chat with the Cyurinin head librarian and he dealt with it. Also gave me additional information about what I needed.¡±

    ¡°You could have done the same thing tonight.¡±

    ¡°Priests and wizards have different ideas about the same things. I¡¯d rather listen to the wizard this time, especially one who¡¯s lived in the city.¡±

    Raulin led him to his room, a cramped space not much larger than a closet, and closed the door behind them. ¡°Now, do you know anything about a¡­¡± he pulled out his notebook, ¡°¡­Mayick Herodoti?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­wait. Herodoti?¡± He closed his eyes. Like he normally did to remember things, he took what he could see and put it against a black background. He saw the name against a star, no a circle¡­a ribbon. On a man¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s a politician. He ran for¡­Commons Representative three years ago and won.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, which neighborhood would I likely find him?¡±

    ¡°Commons Rep. is the closest equivalent to the viscount Gheny has for non-nobility. He¡¯s below the viscount, but still works at an almost partnership with him.¡±

    ¡°So¡­where are the government buildings located?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, mostly along the Everken, in Bridledale and Herrow. The official buildings fly the colors of Eerie, navy and yellow.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said after he finished writing down the instructions. ¡°Anything you can tell me about Herodoti? I was given a cask of thin air on this one.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, he was young, at least for the position. Thirty-five, maybe forty? Brunette, light-skinned, had a smile I remember some of my clients said was very dashing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be surrounded by the normal goons and sycophants.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­oh. One of his secretaries was unusual looking. White hair, very pale, pink eyes.¡±

    ¡°An albino?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone mentioned that, but that¡¯s what I would guess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great information, thank you, Wizard. See, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten this from a library.¡±

    ¡°Need anything else?¡±

    ¡°Not right now. I¡¯ll call on you if I do.¡±

    Al left for his own quarters and Raulin clicked his tongue in thought. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said aloud.

 Chapter 160

    Today was definitely not going to get better for Al. He, too, had needed information on someone and knew of only one place to get it. After being chewed out, he headed towards the location and suspected he was going to get another tongue lashing. But, it needed to be done.

    The apartment Al was looking for was located in a dirty brick building in the textile district. The stairs creaked and moaned as he took flight after flight until reaching the fifth floor. Like the rest of the floors, the walls were dingy and the air smelled of coal, oil, and of rooms lacking proper sanitation.

    Al stood before the door, his stomach seizing. Inside he heard a woman coughing and a child crying, followed by yelling. Stalling won¡¯t make it easier, he thought, and knocked.

    Burdet answered the door and Al was shocked by the change a half-year had wreaked on her. She brushed the stray hairs from her pale face, gaunt and waxy. Her eyes were bruised and glassy, staring through him for a few moments before finally meeting his gaze. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I came to see how you and Marnie were doing,¡± he said.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said and started to close the door.

    ¡°May I see her?¡±

    ¡°No, and I need to be going.¡±

    He looked into the cramped room to see one bed pushed against the wall, a wood stove rigged to blow exhaust out a hole cut in the window, and clothing strewn about. Marnie jumped up from the bed and ran past her mother, throwing her arms around Al.

    ¡°Dada!¡± she said.

    He used Burdet¡¯s fresh coughing fit to pick her up. ¡°Hi, Marnie!¡±

    ¡°Dada go home,¡± she said, pointing behind them.

    ¡°You¡¯re not taking her. She¡¯s not yours,¡± Burdet said, trying to grab Marnie from his arms, who wriggled away and clung to Al.

    ¡°Burdet, I¡¯m not taking her. I just wanted to see her.¡±

    ¡°Why? She¡¯s not yours.¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave!¡± she said, shoving him. ¡°You¡¯ve had your lark. I get that you¡¯ve come back to rub it in my face that if only I had been¡­a good housewife¡­and¡­¡± She began hacking into a cloth again, doubling over and resting against the door frame.

    ¡°Burdet¡­ How long have you been sick?¡± he asked, shifting Marnie on his hip.

    She looked like she wanted to snap at him again. Instead, she collapsed into a worn chair by the door and gasped for air. He was alarmed to see the cloth she was coughing into was stained red with blood.

    ¡°Have you seen a doctor?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    She shook her head. ¡°Can¡¯t afford it.¡±

    Al reached into his pocket and grabbed the pouch of spending money he had brought, a little under ten gold in various coins, and handed it to her. ¡°Take care of yourself. See a doctor.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your charity!¡± she yelled, slapping the purse to the ground. Her eyes flashed, finally something that he recognized as his ex-wife.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t take it for you; take it for her. You need to be well so that she has a mother. She needs food and better clothing. You¡¯ll need to put her in school in a few years, so you¡¯ll need to save for that.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°You can. You have to.¡±

    She put her face in her hands. ¡°Can you come home?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°No, but neither of us want that, anyway.¡±

    She nodded, then stood, taking a very reluctant Marnie back. ¡°I need to drop her off downstairs while I work.¡±

    ¡°You still have the job at Benstick¡¯s?¡± She nodded. ¡°Good. That paid well.¡±

    ¡°Not enough to pay for everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send money when I can.¡±

    She nodded and closed the door behind her without any farewell. He heard Marnie cry from inside and he sighed.

    Could he have done more? He had to admit that he hadn¡¯t thought about Burdet much since he¡¯d left, even though he knew he had saddled her with the debt of the house, taxes, and the remainder of his loans for Amandorlam. It had been easier to forget about it while he was off on his adventure, earning hundreds of gold and spending it on good food, clothing, and entertainment.

    But, there it was, right in his face. Burdet was ill and living in what amounted to a hovel in the city. Marnie was miserable. Not that her life had been great before, but Al had noticed the bruises on her arms and face. Frankly, Burdet was a terrible mother and she had never really wanted Marnie. The right thing to do, what he should do, is return and take care of them. It was the reason why he had stayed in the first place.

    He couldn¡¯t. He knew then and there that, while he cared for his step-daughter, he couldn¡¯t go back to his wife. Just the thought of it robbed him of any sense of happiness, instead filling him with the bored sensation of watching a clock, of waiting at a doctor¡¯s office or of spending five more minutes in that depressing building. He couldn¡¯t.

    He walked back to the stairwell, feeling more than guilty about his decision, when he saw a dark shape to his right and startled, his mood souring. ¡°Why did you follow me here?¡±

    ¡°Because you were acting suspicious, Wizard,¡± Raulin said, taking to the stairs next to him.

    ¡°Go ahead, then. Go ahead and lecture me on hypocrisy and abandonment. I¡¯m sure you heard and saw everything, about how I¡¯m a terrible husband and father, about how I can¡¯t do anything to help them.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Wizard, why do you always expect the worst between us? I did see everything and I¡¯m not lecturing you on anything.

    ¡°What I saw was a man returning to a woman who treated him with contempt because he felt beholden to. And, if I¡¯m not mistaken, that little girl is too light-skinned to be yours. Yet, you gave your ex-wife money so that the both of them could have a better future, despite the fact that she had another man¡¯s child. That speaks highly of your character to me.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s only because Marnie was one of the few people to bring me happiness when I lived here. I only gave Burdet money because she¡¯s the sole caretaker of Marnie. I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t care¡­¡± He stopped bobbing down the stairs for a moment.

    ¡°Husbands and wives fall out of love all the time,¡± Raulin said quietly, waiting for him to move again. ¡°And all they have left is the promises they made to each other. When that is broken, there is nothing.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I promised that I¡¯d care for her,¡± he said, continuing his trek downstairs. ¡°That¡¯s me. That¡¯s how I live. You are¡­you.¡±

    ¡°Only one on Yine.¡±

    They left the building. ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯ve never been married.¡±

    ¡°No. And I probably shouldn¡¯t be giving advice on things I¡¯m not experienced in. But, I think it¡¯s just one of many things experienced in life and that, at least, I can give my opinion on. If you feel that it¡¯s better to canvas, though, there are two other people back at our hotel whom I¡¯m sure wouldn¡¯t mind talking to you about this.¡±

    Al nodded, still full of thought, but at least he had an outlet.

 Chapter 161

    Telbarisk had been good for making Al feel calmer about his situation, but didn¡¯t give him an answer as to what he should do. Anla had been better.

    ¡°Al, why is it that you never apply your calculating knowledge to yourself?¡± she asked after he had finished talking about Burdet and Marnie and what he should do for them.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you tear apart laws and contracts trying to find the loophole, sometimes to brilliant success. But when it comes down to one you¡¯ve entered yourself, you refuse to apply your cold logic to it. Look, you got married on Ap Jorsen¡¯s Day, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­Aliorna¡¯s lover, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, you two married for love. That¡¯s what your marriage contract was based on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­yes, I think so. ¡®Til our love runs dry¡¯ or something like that.¡±

    ¡°And neither of you loves each other?¡±

    ¡°Anla, it¡¯s not meant to be taken literally¡­¡±

    ¡°Just like the ¡®wizards can¡¯t communicate with family after graduating¡¯ law?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re expected in excess of your promise. You¡¯re married until you stop loving each other, but if that fails, you¡¯re still expected to stay married.¡±

    ¡°Expected, but not authorized?¡±

    ¡°I never married her with the understanding that things were always going to be wonderful, just the hope.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said, folding her arms. ¡°You, the man who still thinks there¡¯s a prince somewhere who didn¡¯t die as a child and is waiting to return to his throne when the time is right has no hope in something much more common and mundane?¡±

    ¡°Arvonne is in terrible shape, but it hasn¡¯t collapsed completely. It¡¯s speculated that the reason is because at least one from the monarchy still lives, otherwise the whole country would¡­¡±

    ¡°Al. Did you expect marital bliss when you married Burdet? Honestly.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you realized at some point that love was broken?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it dawned on me when she said she was pregnant with another man¡¯s child.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get sassy; I¡¯m trying to help you. In my eyes your contract was broken at that point. I¡¯m sure in a lot of other people¡¯s eyes, it would be broken, too.¡±

    ¡°But abandoning her isn¡¯t the right thing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Abandoning someone after you¡¯ve caused problems isn¡¯t fair.¡±

    ¡°So, you agree that I¡¯m in the wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. You didn¡¯t cause her problems. From what you¡¯ve said before, she would rather drink and socialize than take care of her child. And she made an extended mistake with someone that caused your step-daughter to be conceived. That person abandoned his child. You put a lot of time and money into Marnie when you didn¡¯t have to; she¡¯s not yours. But you did anyway. And you put up with a lot from your ex-wife. Why can¡¯t the man who is Marnie¡¯s father finally take over?¡±

    She left sometime during his extended silence as he pondered what she had said. When he realized what time it was, he stumbled from his room and made his way to the entrance of the hotel.

    ¡°Going shopping?¡± Raulin asked from the chair in the parlor.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al replied.

    ¡°Clothes again, I suppose?¡±

    ¡°Torn between two scarves.¡± If Raulin asked him any more questions, he didn¡¯t hear him. He left the hotel.

    Al needed more time to think, so he took a longer way to the bar where he was going to meet Aggie. Two streets from his destination had a clock on the side of an important building, or a building made important by the contraption. He was twenty minutes late, a half-hour later than he¡¯d ever been, and he couldn¡¯t muster the energy to care about it.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Aggie was sitting in one of the booths they usually picked looking annoyed. He was already three-quarters done with his beer. Al slid into the bench and Aggie looked up, suddenly very happy to see him. ¡°Hey, buddy. I didn¡¯t think you were coming.¡±

    ¡°Ran late. Did you get anything for me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, no.¡± After a few awkward moments, he went to the bar and brought him back his own mug. ¡°There we go. Your favorite.¡±

    ¡°Caudet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Caudet is my favorite drink, not Chapman¡¯s Water.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, standing once more to get a drink at the bar. Al slid the mug over and sat back.

    Aggie returned with a glass of blood red wine and watched as Al held the base and swirled, smelling the bouquet before sipping. ¡°Ah, good vintage,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the wine? Is this something you picked up on the road?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve always liked Caudet.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me?¡±

    ¡°Because you never asked.¡± He continued sipping, smacking his mouth to enhance the taste.

    ¡°Are you all right? You¡¯re acting a bit odd.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You do that well!¡± Aggie said with a friendly smile. It dropped when he realized Al was not returning it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always told myself you¡¯re a good friend, Aggie,¡± he began. ¡°You would take me out after work, to relax and chat about things. And I appreciate that. But, why did I always pay? Why did we always talk about your affairs? Why did you always drag me into your trouble?¡±

    Aggie scowled. ¡°Because you had more money than I did and your life was boring.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, though, and it wasn¡¯t. And even if it was, maybe listening when I did have something going on would have been nice.¡±

    ¡°If it bothered you so much, why didn¡¯t you say anything? I thought the way things were was fine.¡±

    ¡°I let it be fine, sure, but you¡¯re not socially inept. I¡¯m not going to accept that you don¡¯t know how to be a decent friend.¡±

    Aggie sipped on his beer, thinking for a few moments, then relaxing into something cheery. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what you want.¡±

    ¡°I want to do something other than drinking.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, trying to think of something Aggie might like. ¡°A wizard sporting event.¡±

    ¡°They do a lot of drinking there,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Speaking of which, you should drink up. I¡¯m paying tonight, so take advantage of the free wine.¡±

    Al only sipped. ¡°I want you to pay attention to me and not just talk about your mistresses all the time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you said that. I guess I haven¡¯t been a great friend. I¡¯m sorry. We can start tonight, if you want. Tell me about what you¡¯ve been up to over the summer.¡±

    ¡°And¡­and I want you to take care of Marnie.¡±

    Aggie blinked a few times. ¡°Who¡¯s Marnie?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Al, I don¡¯t have a daughter, just the boys.¡± He paused for a few moments, then laughed lightly. ¡°You¡¯re talking about one of my bastards. Those women I date always find some poor sap to take care of them. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Al almost choked on his wine. ¡°Aggie, I was one of those ¡®poor saps¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean? I thought you¡¯d been married for a while.¡±

    ¡°My wife¡¯s name, my ex-wife¡¯s name, is Burdet. I never introduced you two, but you somehow managed to introduce yourselves. She cheated on me, with you, and got pregnant a little over two years ago. Your daughter¡¯s name is Marnie. She¡¯s a great kid. You should at least see your daughter.¡±

    Aggie sat back in the booth, stunned. ¡°Burdet¡­she didn¡¯t tell me. We fizzled out a while ago and¡­I didn¡¯t know, Al.¡±

    ¡°I figured you didn¡¯t. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m angry about it. Things had been poor between Burdet and myself and I knew the child wasn¡¯t mine from the beginning, so I was never really cuckolded in the ornithological sense of the word. She¡¯s my step-daughter and I love her, but she needs you in her life, now.¡±

    ¡°Are they okay?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Burdet¡¯s sick and they¡¯re living in Coggin¡¯s Rails in a one-room apartment.¡±

    Aggie winced. ¡°Well, if you come back you¡­¡± He stopped for a moment. ¡°You know what, you¡¯re right. I should at least take care of¡­Marnie, yes? Marnie. I¡¯ll go looking for them and give them some money tomorrow.¡±

    He stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to go hit the head. We can go for a walk once you finish your glass and talk about things.¡±

    Al nodded, feeling good about the situation. He¡¯d thought it was going to be much harder than that to convince Aggie to change. For a brief moment, he actually considered returning to Whitney. Things weren¡¯t going to be as bad as he¡¯d thought.

    ¡°You need to leave, Wizard. Now.¡±

    Al turned to look over the back of the booth and saw Raulin peeking over. ¡°Why did you follow me? Again?¡±

    ¡°Because a man who never lies is unpracticed and generally bad at it, and you were acting suspicious. Again. And despite us knowing the truth behind our agreement, I am still your guard. Tonight I am guarding you from making mistakes.¡±

    ¡°I am out having drinks with a friend. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Then why lie?¡± When Al said nothing, Raulin continued. ¡°It¡¯s because you know this is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous? How?¡±

    ¡°Because you fled this city a wanted man. And if I¡¯m not mistaken, you still hold the item you stole. That might not be a problem, if you¡¯re quiet about it. But, you decided to visit your friend and your ex-wife, two people too many, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Neither of them would betray me,¡± he said quickly, but without conviction.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your ex-wife would, despite what riches it might bring her, but this friend of yours is too nice. I¡¯ve heard you speak of him; people don¡¯t change that quickly. He¡¯s looking to get you drunk and keep you by his side. Why?¡±

    Al suddenly felt cold. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s play it safe, then. Leave, out the back. If you bump into him again, make some excuse as to why you left early. I¡¯ll meet you at the hotel.¡±

    Al scanned the room quickly, though he didn¡¯t notice Raulin leave. Nothing seemed strange. Aggie was still gone, but that wasn¡¯t abnormal. Maybe Raulin was being hyper vigilant.

    He pushed open the back door to the alley and saw it was clear. He relaxed, put on his coat, and was about to turn the corner to the street when he heard a familiar voice. ¡°.rd Gray, I think we need to have a talk.¡±

 Chapter 162

    Al whipped around and took a step back when he recognized the speaker. ¡°Ember? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I am here to claim what¡¯s rightfully mine, Alpine,¡± she said, her thin eyebrows knotting. ¡°You owe me fifty gold and a chalice, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±

    ¡°You are,¡± he said, licking his lips. ¡°The fifty gold was to bring the chalice to you. You never specified when. And the chalice isn¡¯t yours, or your ¡®family¡¯s¡¯. If anyone can claim ownership it¡¯s the Brotherhood.¡±

    ¡°The Brotherhood let it sit on some shelf for years,¡± she said, casually lighting a cigarette in its holder. ¡°If they¡¯d wanted it, they would have gotten it. It was I who found it, confirmed what it was, and made progress to get it.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it any more yours.¡±

    ¡°And it doesn¡¯t make it yours, either. Our contract actually would give credence to my stake, since our agreement means that you are still in transit with the chalice.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d like, I¡¯d be happy to give you the fifty gold back. You can even tell Jindahl and Stohr about the fire, about me assaulting one of their employees, and about being an unregistered switcher.¡±

    Ember removed the cigarette from her mouth and laughed, something that would be flirtatious from a different woman. ¡°Oh, Alpine. I¡¯m so glad my plan worked. Too bad I won¡¯t be able to see the fruits from that labor.¡±

    ¡°Plan?¡± What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want some simpering, sniveling little coward to work for me,¡± she said, the smoke curling around her. ¡°I wanted a man, someone who could take risks and think for themselves. Someone who wasn¡¯t going to run to me every time there was an issue or problem. And that you were not.

    ¡°I had an opportunity to get you under my thumb, get a switcher to fill in all those positions I had to decline and lose money over. So, I devised our little three task situation, knowing you devoured those heroism books. You were more reluctant than I thought, especially for someone who claimed he would have single-handedly saved the Arvonnese royal family, but you did them in the end. And, unless my initial judgment of you is poor, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯re not the timid little creature I remember. You¡¯ve definitely got the bravado to walk back into the city where you¡¯re still wanted for theft. You¡¯re exactly what I was hoping those tasks were going to do: make you into a valuable employee.

    ¡°But, things have grown difficult for me since you¡¯ve left. Jindahl and Stohr were quite upset that you left without notice. You¡¯re relationship with them is beyond tarnished, so I doubt I could hire you again. And, of course, I¡¯ve been accosted by the police and investigators despite having an alibi that evening. I wouldn¡¯t stick my neck out for you even if you rained necklaces. I am, however, willing to keep quiet about your appearance in Whitney if you¡¯ll bring me the chalice.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t help me, since I still have the inkwell,¡± he said. ¡°And why would I bring you the chalice anyway?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come alone tonight. My men are just around the corner, waiting to ambush you.¡±

    ¡°Are they?¡± Raulin asked, snapping his knives back to his sides as he turned the corner to the alley. ¡°The big guys with the batons, right? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be ambushing anyone tonight.¡±

    Ember¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°A trirec,¡± she whispered. ¡°How¡­how did you afford¡­did you sell the chalice? Alpine, tell me you didn¡¯t sell the chalice.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, I think it would be best to keep our mouths shut and depart as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Tell me you still have it!¡±

    Raulin studied her quickly, the light from the streetlamp inadequate for most, but not for a trirec with an enhanced mask. On her he saw something that made their departure more than urgent. ¡°We leave now,¡± he said, grabbing Al¡¯s arm.

    Al didn¡¯t protest, but he did question the sudden insistence in his voice. ¡°You saw something. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Take me some place that we can talk, otherwise, shut your mouth.¡±

    Al knew places, but most were legitimate businesses and well-lit streets that weren¡¯t deserving whatever was going on. After collecting Telbarisk at an already set point, and moving him somewhere else, he led Raulin miles across the city, into Scarinjou, past the stunned looks of the men he once loathed calling him brother, and to a secluded cemetery on a hill. ¡°This is the quietest place I know that no one would look for me.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°¡¯As silent as the grave¡¯,¡± Raulin said, leaning against what he thought was a columbarium to catch his breath.

    ¡°Why did you want me to take you here?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s part of the Sun-Moon Guild,¡± he said.

    ¡°So? Wait, what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You remember how I told you there will be some things I won¡¯t be able to tell you because it will endanger both of our lives? This is one of those things.¡±

    Al sighed in frustration. ¡°What can you tell me, then?¡±

    ¡°First tell me who she is.¡±

    ¡°Ember is the manager of Milxner¡¯s, which takes care of the less reputable wizards¡¯ work in Whitney. I mean, not all of it¡¯s bad, like jobs for lifting crates or guarding, like what Aggie does, but some of it is, like¡­¡±

    Raulin held up his hand. ¡°I get what wizards can do. I¡¯m interested in her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know her well, since she was in a different part of the building. She caught me punching a wall and it led to blackmail and then me running away with the chalice.¡±

    ¡°Punching a wall?¡±

    ¡°It shook the whole building and almost burned the place down.¡±

    Raulin whistled. ¡°I¡¯ll have to remember you don¡¯t do things in small measures. Actually, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised; I saw what you did to that guy in New Wextif outside of the shipping yard. You beat him like a rug.¡± He clicked his tongue in thought. ¡°So, what I can tell you is that the reason why she had you steal the chalice was she needed it for a group.¡±

    ¡°She said her family was descended from Mikros and that she wanted it brought to its rightful place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that was a lie.¡±

    Al¡¯s spine straightened. ¡°Wait, was the part about having a working relationship with her family a lie, too? Did I break a law that I thought was inconsequential but actually isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wizard, but just because someone lies about one thing doesn¡¯t mean they lie about everything. Personally, I think you¡¯re safe. Why would the Cumber waste resources on one wizard who has no ties to the peerage?

    ¡°What I can tell you about the Sun-Moon Guild is that it¡¯s a group that¡¯s pretty powerful in shadowy ways. They¡¯re a bit regressive, though, obsessed with the Twelve. In order to join the guild you need to present a deitic artifact.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that¡¯s what she wanted the chalice for?¡±

    ¡°Her brooch,¡± he said, tapping on his collarbone. ¡°She¡¯s awaiting induction, otherwise it would be filled in with color.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know about this ¡®Sun-Moon Guild¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That would be the point where we stop our discussion. What I¡¯ve told you thus far is on par with all the other things I¡¯ve told you about being a trirec, which is already too much.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to be captured by someone and beaten until I spill your secrets? Besides, I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, you probably shouldn¡¯t say that unless you¡¯ve been tortured before.¡±

    ¡°Why, have you?¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes,¡± Raulin said, wiping his hands nonchalantly on his sleeves.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know, I was bored and I thought it might be fun to try out.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t my idea. Arvarikor does everything to you that you could possibly have to endure, short of disfigurement and permanent damage. It¡¯s good to know where your breaking point is, so that you¡¯re prepared to go further when that moment arises. You learn a lot of things, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to walk back to Telbarisk, then our hotel. You remember where he is? I¡¯m going to follow you and make sure you¡¯re not being followed by someone else. And I want you to do me one favor while we¡¯re going to the hotel.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I want you to think on how Ember knew you were going to be at that bar at that time. Go.¡±

    Raulin moved to a darker part in the cemetery, only visible to Al because he had seen him move there. He led them down through the other side, down to the main road and on to the park in Dryside where Tel was resting, or collecting kil.

    And, Al thought. There was a glaring answer to the question of how Ember knew where to find him and when, but he wanted to be fair. He gave it some serious consideration, pondered many alternatives, and returned right back to his original assumption.

    ¡°Aggie sold me out,¡± he said to Raulin, once Tel was with them.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I was his friend. How could he do that to me?¡±

    ¡°Likely for the money, which I¡¯m sure he has a hard time holding on to. She is his boss, too, and brownie points are always nice. I¡¯m sure when you left earlier this year she offered a reward if you ever came back, to set you up for a trap.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never sell him out! I¡¯ve never told his wife about his infidelities. Maybe I should, though. Maybe he deserves it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he does deserve it, but think of who you¡¯d be hurting the most there. As it is, he¡¯s married with children and he supports them. If you tell his wife, she¡¯ll either be forced to divorce him or forgive him, which is tantamount to sanctioning his dalliances. Either way, she¡¯ll be the one in pain, not him. He may still love her, but he stopped respecting her a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°But, it¡¯s only fair! I¡¯m glad I found out my wife was having an affair; I¡¯d hate to go through life not knowing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s you. As someone as prolific and as sloppy as Aggie seems to be, I doubt he¡¯s been perfect in covering his tracks. Likely, she strongly suspects already, if she doesn¡¯t know. Don¡¯t force her to make the next step.

    ¡°And also ask yourself: would you be telling his wife to help her or because you want revenge against Aggie?¡±

    That gave Al some pause. He was about to answer, falsely, that it had nothing to do with revenge when the three of them heard a ¡°psst!¡± from an alleyway two streets down from the hotel. Raulin, telling them to hold off for a moment, turned down the alleyway and waited until Anladet moved out from the shadows.

    ¡°We have a situation,¡± she said.

 Chapter 163

    Al felt the tell-tale echo-y shift around him that indicated Anla had silenced what they were saying to anyone outside their circle. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked, having a slight fear that he knew exactly what was going on.

    ¡°Several men came to the hotel saying there was a stolen item they were looking for. They had some contraption that pointed towards our room, Al. I barricaded myself inside and plead hysterics, then escaped out the window.¡± She hefted his bag to him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find the chalice quickly so I took the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the chalice they¡¯re after,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°No. Tracking spells, or any other kind of spells, won¡¯t stick to deitic artifacts.¡± He rummaged around until he pulled out the inkwell. ¡°This is what they want.¡±

    Raulin reached out to take it, but Al snapped it back. ¡°I was curious as to what was so important that you left everything for.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s King Aubin¡¯s inkwell. It was sitting on the shelf, gathering dust, in a curiosity shop. I¡­couldn¡¯t leave it there. Yes, I stole it. Yes, I know that¡¯s against the law. But, I couldn¡¯t leave it.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain it was genuine? I would hope you didn¡¯t run for a forgery.¡±

    Al felt doubt for a moment, then said, ¡°If it was a forgery, why would they send a team of trackers after it? Besides, it¡¯s not the inkwell that¡¯s important but what¡¯s inside.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    Al had few secrets left to keep. This was one of the last, and he wasn¡¯t ready to tell it. Not yet, at least. ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me on this; I know absolutely that this is what they¡¯re after. It has the tracking spell on it. We need to hide this until we can leave Whitney.¡±

    ¡°All right, Wizard,¡± Raulin said, ¡°I¡¯ll trust that you don¡¯t have anything really terrible in that tiny box. Ideas, and quickly, before they realize the inkwell is gone from the room. We need to stash this somewhere that only we can reach until the time is right.¡±

    ¡°Some place tall? Like, the top of Ap Caston¡¯s Temple?¡± Al offered.

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love climbing to place it, Wizard, someone else could potentially get it.¡±

    ¡°In the ocean?¡±

    ¡°Too shallow and they can find it. Too deep and we can¡¯t retrieve it. I don¡¯t suppose your gift involves air pockets for breathing, Anla?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need it. Telbarisk was able to hollow out that boulder and stuff us inside. Could he do that again for the inkwell?¡±

    ¡°That¡­would work. Anla, take Al¡¯s pack and head back inside. Make it appear like you never left, if possible. Tel and I will go hide the inkwell. Wizard, you need to face the trackers and clear your name, if you can. We¡¯ll bust you out of jail if we need to.¡±

    Al relinquished the inkwell. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t look inside.¡±

    ¡°If it means that much to you, I won¡¯t,¡± Raulin said before heading down the alley, Tel in tow.

    There were two trackers milling about outside the hotel entrance. You know nothing and will be surprised, Al told himself over and over again, trying to become the confused, innocent man instead of pretending to be him.

    The two guards outside let him pass inside without so much as a second glance. Al was feeling disappointed when one of them said, ¡°That¡¯s him.¡±

    He was quickly surrounded by four trackers, the buttons on their overcoats flashing in the dim lamplight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Al stuttered. ¡°I need to get to my room.¡±

    ¡°Yes, go right ahead,¡± said a dark-haired man with craggy skin. ¡°Your wife has been most uncooperative with our investigation.¡±

    You know nothing and will be surprised. ¡°Investigation? What passes?¡± he asked, turning the key in the lock. ¡°Anladet?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Al! Those terrible men were trying to steal our clothes!¡± she said, running into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t let them in!¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Why did you scare my wife?¡± he asked, turning to face the nearest man. ¡°Why are you trying to steal our things?¡±

    ¡°Sir, we were led here to recover an item that was stolen several months ago¡­¡±

    ¡°So, why are you in my room?¡± he asked as the men squeezed past him and starting opening drawers and pulling things out of his pack. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°We have reason to suspect you to be that man. We will search your things until we are satisfied either way.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me! You have no police with you and therefore this search is unlawful! If I find one item missing¡­¡±

    One of the men upturned his pack and a very loud, metallic clang filled the mostly quiet room. ¡°What was that?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°Oh, one of you brutes must have dropped my hairbrush!¡± Anla said. ¡°Al, make them leave!¡±

    ¡°Gentleman, I¡¯m giving you to the count of three before I started yelling and throwing fisticuffs at you lot. I don¡¯t care who you say you are; this is vulgar harassment and you are upsetting my wife!¡±

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s not here,¡± one of the men said, holding a hexagonal box in his hands. The arrow on the dial in the middle pointed to the corner and moved slightly to the right as he walked towards the area.

    The man who¡¯d been speaking took a deep breath and looked like he had swallowed something bitter. ¡°Men, out. Sir, I apologize for the intrusion.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better! I should call the constable himself and make a complaint! I hope you¡¯re¡­¡±

    Anla put her hand on his arm. ¡°Dear, let¡¯s clean up and forget about this. They haven¡¯t stolen or damaged anything. Besides, I¡¯ve been meaning for you to reduce your pack. Maybe you can finally do that.¡± She gave him a steady, knowing glance that was obvious enough for him to read as ¡°let it go¡±.

    The dark-haired man bowed stiffly. ¡°Again, sorry for the intrusion,¡± he said before leaving.

    Anla let her breath out. ¡°That was close.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Al said, dropping down to his knees to pick up all the items on the floor. ¡°You think I really do need to reduce what¡¯s in my backpack?¡±

    ¡°Not unless you want to. You¡¯ve had some handy things in there, like the chalk and the salt and pepper. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t say anything about the ax.¡±

    ¡°An ax is probably fine. An ax with a Skethik spell on it is a little harder to explain.¡±

    ¡°So, why didn¡¯t their box point to that?¡±

    ¡°Each spell is slightly unique, even spells with identical consequences. It¡¯s like when someone copies a letter; it¡¯s still the same content, but they probably looped their Bs a little differently. There is a piece of paper in the tracker those men use that corresponds specifically to the spell on the inkwell.¡±

    ¡°Out there somewhere is the paper that created the chalice then?¡±

    He shook his head, holding up a pair of tongs and remembering he had used them to help make Tel¡¯s medicine before tucking them deep into his pack. ¡°The chalice is different because it was created by an ap in direct link with his god. The ¡®paper¡¯ that corresponds to the spell is in the chalice itself, bound with the gold and jewels that make it. It¡¯s very hard to create something like that, having the spell interwoven instead of on the surface.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s impossible to destroy?¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Destroy it? That would have catastrophic consequences. The gods have to keep balance and they do that through their intermediaries, including any artifacts. The fact that the chalice is in play means that the gods are active in restoring the balance.¡±

    ¡°Does it?¡± she asked, amused at the thought. ¡°Or is it just a man happened to find himself in a situation where he chose to act unlawfully to save himself from losing his job?¡±

    ¡°It could be, but the more I think about it and the further I am from the situation, the more I feel like I was pushed. There were several occasions before in the weeks leading up to that moment where I felt the same need to just break my normalcy. I was tired of my life; I just didn¡¯t know it until I acted before thinking about the ramifications.¡±

    She was about to retort that the idea had no merit when Raulin and Tel came into the frame of their window. ¡°It¡¯s taken care of. Those trackers will be scratching their heads for hours, trying to figure out why it¡¯s pointing inside solid stone three stories up on a church, all while in one of the busiest streets in Whitney.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t look inside the inkwell, did you?¡± Al asked.

    Raulin sighed. ¡°No, Wizard. You asked me not to. You¡¯re welcome for hauling the damn thing up the side of a building, by the way.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± Anla said to Al, who sighed in relief. To Raulin she asked, ¡°Just out of curiosity, would you say you¡¯ve felt prodded into a certain path, like you¡¯ve been repeatedly asked to do something and only recently decided to follow it?¡±

    Raulin crossed his arms and leaned against the sill. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I suppose this year-long docket has been different for me, taking on partners and working together, but I don¡¯t think I was pushed hard in that direction. I came to the decision to let you work with me on my own. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Al and I were just discussing how odd it was for him to start this whole thing and he mentioned how he felt prodded repeatedly to come to the decision to lash out instead of bottling up his emotions. I was considering my own path and wondered if there was any merit to the idea.¡±

    Telbarisk ducked down into the window. ¡°Hayinfal experience feelings like that. Those that don¡¯t listen well to kouriya claim to feel a subconscious whispering or jolts in an odd direction.¡±

    ¡°But Al and I aren¡¯t hayinfal,¡± she pointed out.

    ¡°There is no one here to confirm you¡¯re hayinfal, but I actually have thought you two are very likely to be one. You both have been pulled into something greater than your lives normally would, enacting change along the way.¡±

    ¡°What change?¡± Al asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything.¡±

    ¡°That is the mystery of being a hayinfal. You may never know when you did something that enacted a great change. Usually, though, you do, and I suspect it hasn¡¯t come yet.¡±

    ¡°Something to look forward to,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Speaking of change, I do need to talk with everyone. Perhaps in your room would be more private?¡±

 Chapter 164

    ¡°Here¡¯s the situation,¡± Raulin began when everyone was settled. ¡°We have a stolen item that can be tracked resting in a difficult but not impossible place to get. It buys us a few days, perhaps a few weeks if they aren¡¯t connected to anyone important, but eventually someone will draw the paperwork to excavate. Our best course of action is to finish my contract as quickly as possible, retrieve the inkwell, and leave for Ashven.¡±

    ¡°I would leave it,¡± Al said miserably.

    Raulin took a few moments. ¡°Do you¡­are you saying you want me to leave the inkwell behind, Wizard? I thought you cared an awful lot about it, or at least the contents inside.¡±

    ¡°I do. I¡¯m just thinking that, if I were in your shoes, I would have turned it over, and me, to the police. It¡¯s a stolen item, I stole it, I¡¯m a thief. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re helping me.¡±

    Anla shared a look with Raulin. ¡°We help each other out, Al. You and I helped each other out and we saved a little girl from being sacrificed. It¡¯s been working well ever since.¡±

    ¡°But why him?¡± he asked, gestured to Raulin. ¡°Why does he help me? Why not turn it over, or sell it, or look inside?¡±

    ¡°Because it means something to you,¡± he responded. ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t err on the side of kindness here and protect your asset, save what I said about our dilemma.¡±

    ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve helped you before? Because I helped heal you in New Wextif and gave you the Unease for your Cumber job?¡±

    Raulin opened his mouth to speak, but Anla held her hand up to stop him. There was something in Al¡¯s tone that seemed different. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but he didn¡¯t sound like his normal, accusatory self. He was confused, she thought. ¡°Are you having issues understanding why Raulin would do something nice?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°I do nice things,¡± Raulin protested.

    ¡°But you do many that aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla began, ¡°Raulin isn¡¯t bad. I know you see him as an assassin, but he is a person. And he does good when he can.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°You¡¯re not understanding me,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯m saying why haven¡¯t you hamstrung me? It¡¯s what I would do in this situation, if I were you.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not being personal,¡± Tel finally said. ¡°He thinks that someone with Raulin¡¯s background would have made a smart decision by turning him in and disposing of the item.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Al said, splaying his hands. ¡°Tel gets it!¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to, Wizard, just like I didn¡¯t want to chastise you about who I found you speaking with the other day. Just like I accompanied you to your rendezvous tonight, since I had a feeling things weren¡¯t going to go in your favor. There¡¯s no need for me to be cruel, so I¡¯m not going to be when I don¡¯t have to be.¡±

    Al put his head in his hands and shook his head. Raulin and Anla exchanged a glance, then looked at Tel, who shrugged. ¡°Wizard, I was thinking of asking you for help with my contract, despite knowing how you feel about assassinations, but since your acting¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Al said, removing his hands and grinning, ¡°and I won¡¯t owe you anything.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­you don¡¯t ¡®owe¡¯ me anything right now.¡±

    ¡°I do, though! This is the way it works.¡±

    No one said anything for a few moments as they tried to figure out exactly what was going through Al¡¯s mind. ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Raulin finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like you owe me anything. You helped me escape in Iascond. You healed me in New Wextif. We¡¯re even as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±

    ¡°But, this means more.¡±

    Raulin was a little concerned at Al¡¯s tone, which seemed almost desperate to be free of whatever burden he felt. ¡°Will you feel better if you help me take out Herodoti?¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡°Well, I need to kill him.¡±

    ¡°I know. What can I do?¡±

    Raulin looked at Anla and splayed his hands in resigned confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s always good to have a sharp pair of eyes and ears, both of which, for you, are sharper than most. You know this city better than anyone I could find. And you know things that would take me ages to ask or bribe people to get. I¡¯ll try to keep your involvement more intellectual than physical.¡±

    ¡°That sounds fine.¡±

    ¡°All right, then we start early tomorrow.¡±

    Anla followed Raulin to his room. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said preemptively as she closed the door behind them. ¡°He¡¯s acting strange and I don¡¯t know what to do other than keep a short leash and let him do what he wants to do.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what he¡¯s feeling, which at this point means I know he¡¯s not lying and I know he¡¯s not sad.¡± She sighed bitterly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it. And don¡¯t be upset with yourself. You¡¯re making progress with your magic. You¡¯re untrained, there¡¯s a lot to cover, and there¡¯s very little to go on. It took me almost eight years before I reached a competent level as a trirec, even with teachers and tried and true methods.¡±

    ¡°You make a good point,¡± she said. She stalled while he started taking off his boots. ¡°I think I should stay with Al tonight, to make sure he¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± he said, though he¡¯d much rather her stay with him. He found he slept more peacefully than he normally did when she was by his side.

    The next morning Raulin was surprised to find the wizard ready for the day in the common room. He dog-eared the page he was reading and shoved it into his pack without complaint.

    ¡°You¡¯re up early. That¡¯s¡­unusual,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be needing your pack, Wizard, but I admire your willingness to be prepared.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± he said, slinging the straps over his shoulder. ¡°I have lots of things in here that might come in handy. Remember how you needed the piece of chalk in Iascond?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­well, how much does that thing weigh?¡±

    Al unslung it and handed it to Raulin, who almost dropped it to the ground. ¡°Whew, that¡¯s got to be over fifty pounds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really notice it anymore. It¡¯s worth it, should you need something.¡±

    ¡°True, but I doubt I¡¯ll need more than knives and rope at this point,¡± he said, handing Al his pack. The two left the hotel and began walking northerly down the street. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to take us to the government district in a more scenic way.¡±

    ¡°Like, along the river?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°More like along alleys and side streets. Normally I¡¯d go without my mask so that I wouldn¡¯t get the looks I¡¯ve been getting already, but I¡¯m keeping it on today. And so, it would be best to be as inconspicuous as possible.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a problem in New Wextif,¡± Al said, and Raulin noted his voice lacked the slight hostility he usually had when speaking to him. In fact, he sounded almost servile.

    ¡°I could walk around New Wextif masked with one of you three with more ease because it¡¯s a city that¡¯s likely to have people who could afford the ten or twenty gold per day a trirec guard would cost. The larger the city, the less likely strange things would stand out. And I¡¯d rather you keep a low profile as well. You¡¯re also a suspicious man wanted by certain groups.¡±

    ¡°Too bad that¡¯s not the good kind of wanted.¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°Now you know a little of my life.¡±

    Al beamed at this before asking, ¡°What is your life like, outside of this situation?¡±

    ¡°Lonely. I have a lot of acquaintances, but no real friends, a lot of trysts, but no real loves. I bounce around a country or countries, spending only days or a few weeks in one place before making a clandestine egress to my next target. You?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said after a few sad moments. ¡°Kiesh the Black makes what you do seem¡­nicer.¡±

    ¡°Kiesh the Black is a character in a romanticized novel for people who want to think that someone like myself has a good time doing what they do. Normally, I don¡¯t have a problem with them because I don¡¯t read them. I don¡¯t talk about them and I don¡¯t acknowledge them. But when people tell me my life sounds wonderful, it gets me a little irritated because I know what my life is like, and it isn¡¯t anything like what¡¯s in those books.¡±

    ¡°You did say you give yourself a nice vacation when you finish early.¡±

    ¡°I do. And I do my best to not be a trirec for a few months. I take a vacation mostly from myself, rather than away from everything.¡±

    Al pondered this as they continued to wind their way to the government district. Raulin wondered if he had gotten too testy about himself. ¡°How long have you lived here?¡± he asked Al.

    ¡°Almost eight years. I requested a posting and Amandorlam picked Whitney for me.¡±

    ¡°And you were okay with this choice?¡±

    ¡°The next on the list was Oukitz, in Fresta.¡± When Raulin gave a slight shrug, Al said, ¡°It¡¯s one of the cities in one of the wide, open duchies that has nothing around it for days but rocks and cacti. It butts against the Viyaz Desert.¡±

    ¡°Sounds scintillating.¡±

    ¡°I know I¡¯m not what people would call a socialite, but even I didn¡¯t want that kind of life.¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer to sit around a hotel reading books or joining in on events?¡±

    Al took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve made a decision since I¡¯ve started traveling with you three. When the year is done, I want to be a vizier. That¡¯s a catch-all wizard who will perform everything from Touch wizardry to scouting to personal guarding for one person or family, usually a noble. Picturing myself in that capacity, I would want to do a mixture of serving and relaxing.¡±

    ¡°I think most people would. Everyone wants to achieve a nice balance in life.¡± Raulin clicked his tongue in thought. ¡°Wizard, would you like me to ask around, see if any of the nobles I bump into are looking?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡±

    ¡°Well, not me, but Marin Liasorn would. I wish you had said something when we were in New Wextif. An unattached, cross-switching wizard that works well either alone or on a team is an easy sell.¡±

    The grin that spread across Al¡¯s face was so genuine and bright that Raulin hated to interrupt his hopes. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said. He was guessing, but unless pubs started raising copious amounts of flags on their facades, this was the government section of Whitney.

    ¡°There are a lot of buildings here,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Tarrint Hall,¡± Al said, pointing down the boulevard. ¡°Or, well, a building on the property. Tarrint Hall is the seat for the viscount and his family. There¡¯s one building for non-noble employees of the city.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem good for my position. I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s lots of guards and limited access?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know where Herodoti lives?¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°I could tell you a few potential neighborhoods that some of my old clients lived in, but it would be incomplete.¡±

    ¡°Thought I¡¯d ask. I¡¯m assuming he¡¯ll be working until the evening?¡±

    ¡°Unless he has other functions. Or there¡¯s a session. Or he¡¯s sick¡­¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°Okay, how far down this street can you see?¡±

    Al stuck his head around the corner, gripping onto the granite corner for support. ¡°Eight buildings down with enough clarity to differentiate between two people standing next to each other.¡±

    ¡°Gods, man, that is impressive. All right. I need to go fetch Anla and Tel. We¡¯re close to the edge of our tether, so don¡¯t move from this spot. Just watch Tarrint Hall. If you see him leave, remember where he goes and with whom. It¡¯ll help immensely.¡±

    Al leaned against the building, trying to look casual. To Raulin, he was broadcasting his intentions by examining his nails and looking up every three seconds, but he held his tongue. Things were going well between them and he wasn¡¯t sure how much good cheer he had racked up with the wizard today.

    Twenty minutes later, Al looked up to see a small group of men in black uniforms with yellow and navy striped sashes over their coats. Al could see the light glinting off the swords by the mens sides as they formed a cross protecting a man in the middle. Since he wore a formal navy coat, Al highly suspected he was Herodoti, the Commons Representative.

    Al stayed right where he was, glancing up every half-minute to keep his eye on the group. He was content to obey Raulin, until they moved five buildings away. Then, six, seven¡­ They were slowly paced, but it was only going to be a few minutes before they walked out of his visual range.

    Raulin, Anla, and Tel would be coming soon. They¡¯d see him walking down the street, he convinced himself, before he began a brusque pace down the boulevard.

 Chapter 165

    Anla ran her fingers through her wet hair as the three walked to the government district. ¡°In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t the best time to take a bath. I¡¯m sorry I was cross with you,¡± she said to Raulin.

    ¡°I actually didn¡¯t think you were that upset,¡± he said, leading the way. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d handle being evicted from such comfort as well as you did. You seemed very relaxed.¡±

    She gave a reluctant nod. ¡°I rarely get to take a nice, hot bath. It¡¯s odd how just hot water and quiet can be such a luxury.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy life while you can. It¡¯s always been my-¡±

    In unison, the three of them double over and groaned. A man walking in the opposite direction startled, then raised his cane to see if there was an obstruction he was about to run into. He gave them an odd look before continuing on his journey.

    ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s not stopping!¡± Raulin said, on his knees from the nausea. He powered through his pain and began running towards the spot he had left Al, alleviating the nausea. Telbarisk collapsed against the side of a building and took a few deep breaths before continuing.

    When Raulin arrived at the corner where he had left Al, he found him, not surprisingly, gone. He looked back at Anla and Tel, then gestured right towards the boulevard before heading out that way.

    How far ahead was the wizard? More importantly, why didn¡¯t he stay where he was? Raulin felt bad that his first reaction had been that the wizard had gone rogue, since there were plenty of other explanations. What if he had looked suspicious and someone had nabbed him? Or someone paid by that woman had knocked him out and taken him?

    He fingered his blades, not realizing his pace and gesture made him look rather menacing to passers by on the street. ¡°Raulin!¡± Anla said and he stopped to look wait for her. ¡°The buildings,¡± she said, and he looked over to see a broken, wavy white line on the brick.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll never make fun of the wizard for bringing his enormous backpack again.¡±

    They followed the trail until it dipped down at the corner. Assuming Al had indicated a turn, Raulin led the other three across the street and hunted for the next line.

    They arrived in front of an Aroukean restaurant where a big X was placed on the corner. Raulin pondered what to do in the alley next to the restaurant.

    ¡°You can pose as the wizard¡¯s wife and look for him,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll get him out and then find the nearest place to tar and feather him.¡±

    ¡°That helps get him out, but what do we do about your target?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like how exposed I¡¯ve been thus far, but we¡¯ll just have to regroup and come back¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the water closet,¡± Al said, strolling down the alley.

    Raulin slowly turned his head. ¡°Wizard, what part of ¡®stay here¡¯ didn¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°They were moving away,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lose the trail.¡±

    ¡°If you had just told me which direction they went it, I would have been happy,¡± he said in a harsh whisper. ¡°I could have waited for the target to come back the way he came, then follow him to his house tonight after coming up with a solid plan for later tonight.¡± Solid plan? That didn¡¯t sound like a familiar thing to Raulin. He took a few deep breaths and calmed down. ¡°Now, I risk discovery of the plot, which means I have to be extra careful when I¡­¡±

    ¡°When I said ¡®he¡¯s in the water closet¡¯, I mean I killed him and his body is in there.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s neck snapped back. He looked at Anla, who¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°Wizard¡­where? Show me where.¡±

    Al brought him down the alley and pointed to an entrance. ¡°It¡¯s the first door on the right.¡±

    Raulin slowly opened the door and ducked his head around. No movement. He opened it wider and saw a short hallway, garish mauve wallpaper above dark walnut wainscoting. The first door on the right was open a crack and he slipped quickly inside.

    The wizard had been specific; the man in the navy coat was dead and on the water closet, his trousers pooled around his ankles. Raulin shook his head at the indignity of it, then checked his neck for a pulse. His skin was already cool to the touch and there was no heartbeat Raulin could find. Still, like he had in Iascond, he pulled out his slightly curved kraesh blade and dug out the man¡¯s neck vessels, dancing to the side when the blood gushed out the side in one final spurt.

    Outside again, Raulin gestured for the group to leave before he reached them. ¡°Thanks for keeping him sedated, Wizard. It allowed me to kill him without a struggle. We need to head back to the hotel, collect our things, then move to a place near the temple. In the meantime, we¡¯ll provision and make sure we¡¯re ready for Ashven. There won¡¯t be many places there that¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought he was dead,¡± Al interrupted.

    ¡°No, he was just asleep. But, thank you for the thought.¡±

    Anla smiled at Raulin and gave him a quick nod. He nodded in return, then led them back to the hotel, still too surprised at what Al had done to think about it.

    * * *

    ¡°It was too much to hope that we would have an easy time of it,¡± Raulin said, looking around the corner of a building.

    In front of the temple were the team of trackers they had met at the hotel, accompanied by a few men not in their uniform, and one very agitated priest in gray robes. They milled about the entrance to the temple as if waiting for something or someone.

    ¡°We need to get rid of them. There¡¯s no point in retrieving the inkwell if they see us do it.¡± Al began to walk out into the street before Raulin caught him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him back. ¡°Wizard, you¡¯ve done enough for today.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I can do it,¡± Anla volunteered. ¡°What god is this temple for?¡±

    ¡°Kabidon? Yes, Kabidon,¡± Al said. ¡°God of storms, the moon, and priests, mainly.¡±

    She nodded once, fixed her hair and clothing, then crossed the street. She made for the temple, but was waylaid by one of the younger trackers. She stopped and began talking to him, then another when he walked over.

    ¡°What are they saying?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Uh, flirtatious things, mostly,¡± Al said after listening for a few moments. ¡°¡¯You¡¯re very pretty¡¯, ¡®do you want to come with me for a drink?¡¯, things like that. She¡¯s being coy about it, giggling, but not committing to anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Raulin said.

    She sat on a stone ledge, her skirt hiking up just over her knee before she fixed it. This attracted one of the suited men, who walked over and entered the conversation. The priest walked over, still agitated, but calmed down after speaking with her for a few minutes. He walked inside the temple peacefully.

    One by one, the rest of the group approached her and left the area for whatever reasons, including the captain of the group. Left with the three young men, Anla escalated her charms and began laughing more in earnest, touching the mens arms, and pretending embarrassment at certain jokes the men said.

    Raulin opened and closed his jaw, working the tension out as best he could. ¡°What is she doing?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Influencing the men to leave with her magic.¡±

    ¡°But, they¡¯re not feebleminded like they usually are.¡±

    ¡°Anla has expanded her magical abilities. She can now subtly suggest to a person that they do something they wish to do anyway, an empowering nudge in a certain direction. It leaves them with full capacity of their minds, if they had that to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Raulin, that¡¯s not good. I don¡¯t like that.¡±

    Raulin tore his eyes away and looked at Al. ¡°And why not, Wizard? Anla is freed by this option. She hated commanding people against their wills. This way she¡¯s only intimating something that a man might do on his own with the right influence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but how do I know she hasn¡¯t done that to me already?¡±

    Raulin turned to face him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, save an instantaneous, strong desire to fulfill whatever issue was brought up while you were just talking. I would think by now she would have earned your trust for all the times she¡¯s helped you without malice or machinations to her advantage.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can figure out if she changes her mind, though. Before there were signs. She told me that I would expect a blank of time in my recollection and a change in location or position.¡±

    ¡°She told you this and yet you still don¡¯t trust her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much easier to trust someone¡¯s words that you can verify.¡±

    ¡°Trust isn¡¯t about verification. Trust is trust.¡±

    ¡°How can I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wizard, we aren¡¯t discussing this anymore, and if you vex Anladet about her powers, I¡¯m going to be very upset with you.¡±

    An impressive fight broke out between two of the men, who subsequently knocked each other out. The third man, who had guarded Anla from any errant punches, began pulling her towards the alley next to the church. She turned to the corner where Raulin was and sent a whisper that carried across the street to him. ¡°Intimidate him about your inkwell.¡±

    He¡¯d needed fewer words than that to spur him into action. He ran across the street, hugging the corner of the building next to the temple just long enough to make sure they were alone. Anla had her back pressed against the building, the young man¡¯s arms penning her in. Raulin made a loud scrape with his foot that caught the attention of the tracker, who startled away from her and laughed nervously.

    ¡°What, ah, what¡­?¡± he began.

    ¡°What do you want with my quarry?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°The girl? N¡­no, she¡¯s not¡­I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Not the girl. The inkwell,¡± he said, slowly walking towards them. ¡°You and your men have been buzzing around what I¡¯ve been tasked to steal. And I will steal it, without you idiots getting in my way.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡¯ he said.

    ¡°So, if I leave you to run away and decide to spare you a toe-to-head flaying at low tide, will you let me do my job?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, clearing his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll go home and report to work tomorrow and tell them then?¡±

    ¡°Plenty of time,¡± he said. When the man hesitated, Raulin flipped out his knife, looked down at it, then slowly raised his head to the tracker. He could have kicked up dust at the speed in which he ran out of the alley.

    ¡°You all right?¡± Raulin asked, sheathing his knife.

    ¡°Of course. ¡®Toe-to-head flaying at low tide¡¯? Sounds grisly.¡±

    ¡°The idea is to start peeling the skin of the foot when you have them tied to a dry rock. When the sea level rises, you move up to the ankles, the legs, and so on. Each body part gets flayed, then soaked in salt water. Grisly, yes. Practical? Eh, probably not. I¡¯ve never done it, only heard about it.¡±

    ¡°Have you done any of the other threats you¡¯ve said?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯d rather exhaust other avenues before torture. Creative threats work so much better; people can imagine much worse than I could ever explain.¡± Al and Tel walked down the alley and met with the two of them. ¡°Okay, Tel. Like we did yesterday.¡±

    The temple of Ap Caston had several stone towers that merged into one of the framing walls around a large courtyard and building. Raulin stood in front of the wall and put on his leather gloves while Telbarisk pushed the stones in enough to create footholds for Raulin to climb. ¡°Remind me where it is again,¡± he said, taking the first opening.

    ¡°It next to the third window up. You said the indentations on it reminded you of Anladet¡¯s face.¡±

    Raulin looked down for a moment and made a slightly pained noise before continuing. Anla laughed lightly, surprised that even though she had heard some pretty lewd jokes made at her expense from the young men, that comment was the only thing that day that made her blush.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite high,¡± Al said. ¡°Maybe you could have magicked Raulin into being braver, so that he wouldn¡¯t have problems.¡±

    ¡°I have no problems with heights, Wizard, and I can still hear you. Keep to my request or I¡¯ll take the short way down from the wall with you as my cushion.¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking that I wasn¡¯t comfortable with heights, but not afraid. And the Unease helps with balance. She could have warped my sensibilities and I would have made quicker time than you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t warp peoples sensibilities, Al. I nudge them in a direction.¡±

    ¡°And have you nudged me?¡± he asked, crossing his arms. ¡°Are you the reason I went to visit my mother in Baradan or why I killed the Commons Rep.?¡±

    ¡°Wizard¡­¡± Raulin warned from a story high.

    ¡°No. As a matter of fact, I¡¯ve never used that spell on you. Not once. I know how you feel about what I am and what I can do, so I leave you alone about it.¡±

    ¡°Not once? You¡­¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t you dare blame your strange actions on me. You¡¯re acting unusual, but that¡¯s all your doing.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Unusual¡¯?¡± Al scoffed. ¡°Why is helping someone who helped you unusual? He didn¡¯t have to hide the inkwell for me. And look at what he had to do to hide it and retrieve it. He could have turned it in to the trackers at any point and told me to deal with it, that it was too much of an effort. But, he didn¡¯t. He¡¯s shown me that he¡¯s willing to help me even when it¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t seem consequential.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said quietly, taking a step back from the conversation. Besides Al¡¯s ¡°quid pro quo¡± feelings on this contract, he was also viewing his life in Whitney as a razed field. He had no job, no home, no family, and not even his best friend to return to. It wouldn¡¯t seem so unusual if he had decided to finally lean in to the group and fill the void each had already decided to fill on their own, to find friendship with Raulin instead of adversity.

    ¡°Al, I promise that I¡¯ve never used my influence on you. The only time I¡¯ve ever used magic on you was when that man crushed your windpipe at Tel¡¯s trial and you were dying. And you said ¡®yes¡¯ to that. I promise that I won¡¯t use my magic on you without your consent.¡±

    ¡°Catch!¡± Raulin said from his perch. He tossed the inkwell down, which Al caught with ease. ¡°Check to make sure I didn¡¯t accidentally get another inkwell.¡±

    Al opened the inkwell quickly, smiling when he saw the two rings still embedded in wax. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    Raulin landed on the ground, took off his gloves, and retrieved his pack from the alley. ¡°I¡¯m not going to assume that the tracker will keep his word. We need to take a train to a city we can rest at that would be annoying for them to travel to. What sounds possible, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°There might be a train to Carbise. That¡¯s a few hours trip.¡±

    ¡°All right then. Back to the train station and let¡¯s head out for Ashven.¡±

 Chapter 166

    ¡°So, this means we¡¯re safe now?¡± Raulin asked Al once they had crossed the ducal border into Ashven.

    ¡°To the fullest extent? No. But, in order for someone to arrest someone else for a crime committed in one duchy after they¡¯ve passed into another, they need a lot of paperwork and the cooperation of lawmen. And that¡¯s duchy lawmen, judges and lawyers, not just the nearest constable. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the trackers, or someone else, to gather all that help, but it will take time and money and a lot of energy to try and capture someone just for a theft.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now see, I didn¡¯t know it was like that. Essentially, my crimes are wiped when I pass over borders?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that they¡¯re expunged, it¡¯s that they¡¯re essentially not enforceable. You¡¯d need a powerful organization tracking your moves and anticipating where you¡¯ll be for them to get the drop on you.¡±

    ¡°You mean like the Cumber?¡± Raulin asked flatly.

    ¡°Yes, like the¡­oh. The Cumber does have kingdom jurisdiction. Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Nothing really to be sorry about, Wizard. My job requires dodging lawmen anyway. What¡¯s another charge? I think it¡¯s safe to say that those men in Eerie won¡¯t be coming after you. Maybe me, but not you. So, let¡¯s take a lunch break and relax a little. We¡¯ve pushed hard over the last few days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make lunch,¡± Al said. ¡°We still have some turkey from the inn last night and those apples from Baradan. I can make us sandwiches.¡±

    As soon as they found a spot, Al got to work, happily making the meal for the others. ¡°Should we build a fire?¡± he asked after passing Raulin his sandwich.

    ¡°Are we planning on staying here? No sense in making a fire if we have to kick it out in an hour.¡± Anla and Al both shrugged, neither interested in committing to an answer they thought he was going to give. ¡°Tel, what does kouriya tell you?¡±

    ¡°Kouriya has told me to rest several times already, but I ignored this. I wanted to leave on my own for a little while, like we did before the big city, but I knew it was important to you to keep moving. So, I said nothing and did nothing.¡±

    Raulin paused before saying, ¡°Thank you, Tel. We¡¯re looking good as far as time. If you would like to lead us for a while, then I think we can take it at your pace, so long as it¡¯s generally in a southern direction.¡±

    Telbarisk closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. ¡°We should stop for the day.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Raulin said, laying down on the ground and eating the rest of his sandwich.

    After a few minutes, Anla softly mentioned that she was going for a walk. ¡°Mind some company?¡± Raulin asked and she smiled, then gestured for him to follow.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Are we going to work on my magic again?¡± Raulin had taken her aside when they could, pouring over the notes she had taken in Calaba to determine what she could potentially do, then suggesting ways to hone her skill. There had been a reprieve while they had traveled several hundred miles by train and foot over the last few days.

    ¡°Mmm? Uh, yes,¡± he said, moving a branch out of his way.

    ¡°Have you thought of something to work on?¡±

    ¡°Of a sort.¡± He held his hand out reflexively to help her over a large pile of rocks, but she was more nimble than he was and didn¡¯t accept.

    ¡°Well, whatever we¡¯re doing, it sounds vague. Perhaps even mysterious.¡±

    He gave a small chuckle and caught up with her as she stepped into a glen. ¡°Lovely place.¡±

    ¡°I knew I heard a stream. So?¡±

    Raulin wiggled off his mask and placed it next to him as he sat next to her. Instead of speaking, he exhaled slowly, a thoughtful, crooked smile on his face. ¡°Are you testing me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, just trying to figure out how to say this without insulting you.¡±

    ¡°Just say it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re magic still scares me.¡±

    She raised her eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t where she thought the conversation was going to go. ¡°It scares me, too,¡± she said carefully.

    ¡°Yes, but you are afraid of what you can do to others, while I¡¯m afraid of what you can do to me.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Her face clouded, her mouth almost frowning. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Most of me does, yes. But, I¡¯m not a trusting man; I can¡¯t be, not with what I do. I have a lot at stake, a lot that can be compromised by someone doing what you can do, and that makes me fearful of our interactions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t mean I distrust you. I just¡­can¡¯t trust someone completely. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I understand. What would you like me to do?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°This is going to sound a little strange, but Arvarikor taught us to face our fears. I¡¯d like to do that, so three things: I¡¯d like you to put me under and have me do some menial task that will take a few minutes. I¡¯d like to see how the passage of time feels and whether I can resist it. You had me under that spell too quickly back at the count¡¯s mansion and I think my mask dampened some of your magic, so it wasn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Two?¡± she asked curtly.

    ¡°All right. Before you bring me out, give me a one time command. Tell me right before you do it, so I can see if that¡¯s also resistible.¡±

    ¡°And the third?¡±

    ¡°A permanent command. Every time I¡¯m put under that same spell, I do something that indicates it happened.¡±

    She nodded, then smoothed out her wide-pleated peasant skirt. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    Raulin took a deep breath, released it slowly, then nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    With considerable bitterness, Anladet whispered his name, feeling the heaviness to her voice that she had realized when she was thirteen could stop a man in his tracks and do whatever she wanted. Raulin inhaled slowly, his gaze far off in the distance. His breathing was deep and his eyes she thought had darkened, until she saw his pupils had taken over his dark blue irises almost to the edge.

    Given the opportunity, she examined him more closely than she would normally. He had what she¡¯d decided was a charming face, expressive and bright, easy to read when he wanted you to know what he was thinking. She saw a few scars, but they didn¡¯t make him seem menacing, only victimized. Without his mask, he was someone she could trust. But, despite the fact that she often slept next to him and thought of him as a close friend, she wouldn¡¯t necessarily say she felt totally safe around him. She knew what he was capable of doing to another person, with or without his knives, and knew that he could turn that on her at any point.

    It was unfair for her to be disappointed by his position. She nodded to herself in a final understanding before continuing his request.

    Raulin didn¡¯t return to consciousness quickly. It was as if he had been hit hard in the head and needed to readjust his sight and hearing, though thankfully the ordeal was missing the pain and fuzziness he remembered. The sounds were easiest; the stream babbling nearby, the birds singing, the wind rustling the leaves that were painted gold or orange every so often . Then came the realization of him sitting on the grass, in a small, green glen near a river cutting through brown-gray shale. Lastly, before he was completely returned, was the pain.

    He rubbed his right wrist, then held up his left arm. Scratch marks clawed down the outside of his forearm, deep enough to draw blood. ¡°This is my sign?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Every time you¡¯re put under, by anyone with baerdic powers, you will do that.¡±

    He looked around for a moment. ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Maybe ten minutes? I asked you to find ten rocks in the river the same size as your hand and stack them next to me, one at a time.¡±

    Sure enough, his boots and the knees of his pants were wet and his fingers slightly numb and cut. There was a pile of wet rocks next to Anla, neatly stacked. ¡°And the command I need to resist?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever put a thought like this in someone¡¯s head, to be done while they know it. It seemed cruel to make them suffer in confusion while they struggle against something they can¡¯t stop. I hope this works, then. I asked you to bring me a leaf, knowing you¡¯re doing it, if I say ¡®Tondeiva¡¯.¡±

    There were many times in Raulin¡¯s life he had caught himself doing something without thought. Most of the time it didn¡¯t bother him; it was rote muscular memory that allowed him to fence and fight, after all. But, every once in a while it bothered him that he hadn¡¯t been thinking of what he was doing and he¡¯d intentionally stop himself in the moment for at least a second. Normally, bringing attention to the action would bring him in thought of whatever it was he was doing and it would cease any worries he¡¯d had over it. Then, however, had him in that same wheel-rut motion, something worn and unneeded to think about, but he didn¡¯t have that opportunity to break himself from it. He was with thought, but without command.

    ¡°This is¡­peculiar,¡± he said as he walked to the edge of the glen.

    ¡°You¡¯re not walking like you walk normally,¡± she said. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re struggling.¡±

    ¡°In my mind I am. I can¡¯t stop this at all and I¡¯m trying with every fiber of my being. A part of me thinks this is absolutely fine, that I¡¯m even grateful for you to for doing this to me, and I¡¯m fighting against that as well.¡±

    He began to climb a maple tree having spotted an orange leaf some fifteen feet up. ¡°I wonder if you can fall,¡± Anla thought out loud. ¡°Does my command actually help here, like Al suggested at the church in Whitney? I mean, does it make you complete the task in the smoothest way possible, or can you come to harm from it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting thought,¡± he said from the branches. ¡°It might be like a man traveling a road in a cart instead of on his feet. The thought has merit for certain situations.¡± He climbed back down carefully with a leaf in his hand and staggered back to Anla. ¡°I think this is for you.¡± Once she had taken it from him, the tension in his body snapped and he almost fell backwards to the ground.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°And so you¡¯re not wondering, ¡®Tondeiva¡¯.¡±

    He sat down. ¡°Nothing from that. Thank you. I feel¡­better about things.¡±

    He went on to talk about different things, from the experience he had just gone through to a few funny anecdotes about times he had to deal with magic in Noh Amair. And while she listened, she realized she had passed a test. He had given her the opportunity to alter him with her magic, had trusted her with his blessing to make him do something he wouldn¡¯t know about. She could have chosen anything, including doing whatever it took to make Al like him and save their group when the year was up.

    But, she hadn¡¯t. And she wouldn¡¯t. She had let the temptation exist and had rejected it. And though she had used her magic, later that night she balled her fist and kissed it.

 Chapter 167

    ¡°Where are you two going?¡± Al asked.

    Raulin and Anla both turned to look at him as he sat in front of the fire, poking it with a stick, though one could argue it was more like jabbing. ¡°For a walk,¡± Raulin said. ¡°It¡¯s good to stretch your legs.¡±

    ¡°You could just walk around this area here. Why are you leaving this place?¡±

    ¡°Because the fire has made me uncomfortably hot, Wizard, and I think it would be silly to climb a tree to cool off.¡±

    Anla and Raulin gave each other a quick look before leaving through a thicket of ferns. Al continued to poke or jab the fire, sending sprays of sparks in the air. ¡°They¡¯re talking about me,¡± he said to Telbarisk, matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Do you think so?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think, I know. They did yesterday after lunch and I heard them speaking this morning while I pretended to sleep. They were speaking in Arvonnese. There¡¯s no reason to do that unless they don¡¯t want me to know what they¡¯re saying. They¡¯ll do it again, now that they¡¯re away from me.¡±

    ¡°Is this a bad thing? You often speak about them to me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different. I might complain about them, but I don¡¯t plot against them.¡±

    ¡°And you think that¡¯s what they¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think, I know. Raulin has been working with Anla on her magic. They were doing it on the train ride while I was reading. They thought I wasn¡¯t paying attention, but I was, I surely was. Why would they need to do that, help her get stronger in her magic? Hmm?¡± he asked, pointing the glowing stick at Tel.

    ¡°To help her become a better baerd?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he said, banging the stick against the flat rock he was using for cooking. ¡°They¡¯re doing that so that they can figure out how to best manipulate me into doing what they want. They¡¯re figuring out how they want to do it, then Anla will get me alone and whisper into my ear. Then, I¡¯m done for.¡± He shivered. ¡°They¡¯ll do it to you, too.¡±

    ¡°Why, though?¡± Tel asked quietly. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a purpose to that. If Raulin asks me to do something, I do it. If Anla asked me, I¡¯d also do it. You also do everything they ask.¡±

    ¡°Yes, which is suspicious. I think they¡¯ve already put a suggestion into my mind, one that made me kill the Commons Rep in Whitney. You know me, Tel. When would I not only agree to help kill someone, but then make the initiative to do it on my own?¡±

    ¡°I thought you were repaying kindness with kindness. You seemed appreciative of Raulin¡¯s efforts in protecting your inkwell.¡±

    Al grabbed the backpack he had kept next to him and found the item in question, fingering the silver overlay. ¡°I think he wants it for himself.¡±

    ¡°He could have taken it by now. He is a thief, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, he¡¯d probably feel better if I gave it to him, since he is such a virtuous man.¡± He pulled a heavier shirt out from his pack and put that on over his cotton tunic.

    Telbarisk wanted to continue the conversation, to figure out Alpine¡¯s sudden change and why he was thinking the way he was. But something told him that this was a conversation that could only feed and grow his bad thoughts further. So, he stopped in order for Alpine to hopefully change his mood, and also because Al had brought his bedroll close to the fire and had fallen asleep quickly.

    Al was correct that Anla and Raulin spoke about him, though the direction was completely different. ¡°What did you do?¡± she asked with interest and not accusation.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Raulin held up his gloved hands in protest. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t say or do or even not do anything that would cause the wizard to get upset. I didn¡¯t tease him about sleeping too much, I thanked him for making lunch and dinner yesterday, I even joked a little with him about something. And he laughed at it.¡±

    ¡°Al laughing at one of your jokes is quite suspicious,¡± she said as she walked towards a clearing in the woods. ¡°Although, anyone laughing at your jokes is suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Wounding my pride already,¡± he said. ¡°And here I am, being extra kind and bringing you presents.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She turned and walked backwards, pretending to look hard for something. ¡°Maybe your pride needs a little wounding if you think your presence counts as a gift.¡±

    ¡°Fine, then. You¡¯ll have to be disappointed that no one is celebrating your birthday.¡±

    She stopped for a moment. ¡°You remembered. Today is the second?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Then I think I like the look of that place over there, then,¡± she said, pointing at a little place. ¡°It looks close.¡±

    They sat next to each other, Raulin eschewing his mask before holding up his hands, palm out. ¡°Pick one to start.¡±

    She touched her finger to her lips, then pointed to his left hand. He tugged off his glove and handed her a small vial. ¡°I would use this sparingly. It¡¯s potent, so you don¡¯t need much, but it¡¯s also not cheap.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, holding it up to the fading, golden light of the evening.

    ¡°Take of the top and smell.¡±

    She did and smiled. ¡°Perfume. I¡¯ve never owned any before. Thank you,¡± she said, dabbing a bare drop on her neck below her ears.

    ¡°And your second gift,¡± he said, taking off his right glove. ¡°Hold out your hand.¡±

    She did and was delighted to see a beautiful necklace, silver with blue and clear stones. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous. Where did you get it?¡±

    He paused, then laughed. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no point in fabricating a tale, since you¡¯ll know I¡¯m lying. I bought it at the fair in Carvek.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± she said, putting it on. ¡°And I¡¯d rather hear the honesty; I don¡¯t need to be flattered or led up the garden path.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± he said, laying down on the ground with his hands laced behind his head. He took in a deep breath and let it out softly. ¡°It¡¯s a nice day.¡±

    She laid down next to him, looking up at the sky through the trees. She had to agree. The sun filtered gold through the trees, the clouds passing in front of the light causing it to glimmer. Even though it was fall and things were beginning to dry out, this forest still seemed lush and inviting. It was almost as if a sigh hummed throughout the trees and brush, calming her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never asked about your family,¡± he said, turning to look at her. ¡°I¡¯ve met your sister, briefly, but I don¡¯t know anything about your mother or your other sister or your brother. What were they like?¡±

    ¡°I was closer to Garlin than my sisters. He¡¯s quiet, nice, inquisitive. He was easy to take care of and he appreciated it when I would take him to interesting places, whether that was to a tidal pool or a toy shop in a city we were visiting or a cave near our village¡­¡±

    He watched and listened as she went on to describe Sildet, her mother, her father, and even Raidet, before she had grown moody and distant. She didn¡¯t speak of Analussia, of how her parents had died nor how she had lost her family. She only spoke of the good.

    When she finished, he leaned in and kissed her.

    It was softer than when he kissed her during the carriage ride home, less with heat and more with warmth. She kissed him back, feeling something of what she had felt then and something else as well, something that swelled in her chest and radiated out to her limbs. He pulled back, looking in her eyes and moving a strand of hair from her face before giving her a slight smile. ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It was the only thing I could think to do that would make this day more beautiful.¡±

    She smiled and said, playfully, ¡°How many times have you used that line on a woman?¡±

    The smile on his face dropped and he moved away. ¡°Never.¡±

    ¡°Never? But, it¡¯s a good line.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡± He laid back down, saying nothing. Had he misunderstood her this whole time? In every expression she had given him, he had seen interest and the potential for more. She smiled and laughed at him, touched him often, even slept holding him or with her head on his chest. She shared an intimacy with him that he honestly had found only in one other woman. Then again, they had been childhood friends that were betrothed, not lovers.

    In any other situation, Raulin would pursue from a different angle. He¡¯d pause and take into account that maybe he¡¯d been too forward or not forward enough, or some other possibility. Then again, the women he romanced were looking for that attention, either as a noble playing high society games or as a single woman interested in an affair. Anla was neither, and not only did he not with to ruin what they had, but he knew that miscalculations could lead to schisms that would hurt their dynamic. He had to think more broadly.

    They returned to camp some time later, after he had spoken of his family to her, the kiss possibly forgotten or at least buried for the time being. Since he had other things on his mind, Raulin didn¡¯t ask Telbarisk about the dormant wizard and if he had said or done anything that should worry the group.

 Chapter 168

    ¡°There is a village ahead,¡± Tel said the next morning as they trekked farther south. ¡°We will stop there.¡±

    Raulin looked up quickly at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. ¡°It¡¯s only about two o¡¯clock. I mean, if that¡¯s what you feel we should do, then that¡¯s fine. But I was hoping for a slightly faster pace.¡±

    ¡°You said I should listen to kouriya and lead us where it says to go.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I appreciate that. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve only traveled about ten miles since I let you lead.¡±

    ¡°Kouriya isn¡¯t always what you want it to be, Raulin,¡± he answered patiently. ¡°It almost is never a fast thing. And it can bring bad things to people who then curse fate, not knowing that it might help them in the future.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s not a smooth path, or whatever metaphor you¡¯ve said in the past. I¡¯d still like to know why your brother being not assassinated is helping the Valley of the Cold Winds.¡±

    ¡°I love my brother, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that he should be killed, just that there was an opportunity for it to have happened and the motive seemed sound. Yet, nothing has happened to him. He still sits on the throne, making poor choices, discrediting his adversaries, framing and punishing his brother.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dwell on what he did?¡± he asked with some sadness. ¡°I spent months in a cell before being rowed to Ouyadid, and then spent time there contemplating things. I have to believe that what he did was for the best for our people and that rejecting the help offered was what kouriya demanded.¡±

    Raulin stopped walking for a moment. ¡°What help, Tel? What help did you reject?¡±

    He took a slow breath in as he closed his eyes for a moment, still leading the rest of the group south. ¡°I was approached by several people who claimed to have a large group of people willing to fight for my cause. If I had given the word, they would have broken me out and overthrown my brother as king.¡±

    Raulin let out a long breath. ¡°And I feel like I know why you decided not to; kouriya said this was what was best for your path. Did you consider, though, that maybe it¡¯s not the best for everyone? That maybe being a martyr for your faith wasn¡¯t the best choice?¡±

    ¡°Kouriya isn¡¯t ¡®do what is best for you and everyone else¡¯, Raulin. Kouriya is finding the current in a stream and letting yourself be taken by it, hitting the rocks and drowning if that¡¯s what is called for. It¡¯s not about doing something so that good will come to you. I may never reap the benefits of kouriya in my life, but I still believe and practice it.¡±

    ¡°Why would someone do something that goes against self-preservation?¡±

    ¡°Because practicing kouriya is truly about putting not just others but the world before yourself.¡±

    Raulin shook his head in disbelief as Anla spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s his way to live. Why are you arguing with him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offended, mezzem,¡± he said, using a cordial tone. ¡°I was only asking Tel to clarify and understand why we will be staying in the upcoming town when we can possibly make the next today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not minding the slow pace,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve finished fourteen of your twenty-four contracts in one third of a year. We¡¯re doing well and are in no rush.¡±

    ¡°Of course, mezzem. You speak wisely.¡±

    She gave him an odd look that passed quickly by.

    Siasard was bisected by the main road they were traveling, the aptly named Route of the Woods, which ran perpendicular to a road that petered out in the west somewhere and a connecting route to points in Courmet. The town was tangled between pines and maples, a few larger oaks causing the road to twist around them. Despite the plethora of timber at their disposal, the inhabitants seemed less concerned about coordination and repair for their businesses and homes.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll look into an inn and getting rooms for us,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I want a room by myself,¡± Al said.

    Raulin turned and looked him over. ¡°If there is an inn. If they have enough rooms. You¡¯ll pay for the extra cost.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping outside, since we¡¯re not in a city,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll owe Telbarisk. Feel free to wander the vast splendor of Siasard. We¡¯ll meet at this unruly tree in an hour.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Siasard had perhaps fifteen buildings that weren¡¯t homes. Of those, four had rooms for rent, which wasn¡¯t surprising for a town smack dab in the middle of a major trade route. Of the four, one was in such bad disrepair that a quick glance told Raulin he wasn¡¯t going to consider it. One was nice, but overpriced at nine silver a night. The other two were within a silver of each other and had two rooms available. He went with the one that smelled nicer.

    Their situation was going to be a little problematic for Raulin. He had assumed that it was going to be easy to suggest that Mr. and Mrs. Auslen continue their charade and share a room together. He¡¯d sleep alone with Telbarisk on the floor, then they¡¯d continue on the next day without any issue. But with the wizard¡¯s peculiarities over the last few days, Raulin hadn¡¯t wanted to argue over his insistence on rooming alone, especially not in front of Anla.

    He wondered if this was why Telbarisk, or kouriya, was insisting they stop in Siasard for the night. Was it to force he and Anla together so that they¡¯d have to discuss what had happened? Or perhaps it was to define what they meant to each other. He wasn¡¯t sure if he relished this opportunity or if it was going to cause more problems between them.

    Anla was already at the oak when he approached. While she wasn¡¯t oblivious that something was going on with Raulin, she was too distracted to consider it. Right then she was beneath a tree whose shade touched another tree¡¯s, and so on for miles and miles until the forest reached her people. They were in Ashven now, and she held a growing hope that somehow her brother and sister had returned to their tribe and she would see them in only a few weeks.

    ¡°Mezzem,¡± he said, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°I neglected to ask if you wanted your own room this evening.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? No, the usual arrangements are fine. Best to save money. In fact, I think I¡¯m going to see if this town is interested in having a piscarin visit for a night.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do you need a silver in your bucket from me?¡±

    ¡°No, but thank you. If they¡¯re not interested, I¡¯m not going to be disappointed; I¡¯ll find other ways to occupy my night. Besides, I know what you¡¯re reading is: you¡¯re supposed to be something else, something grander than a trirec. You wouldn¡¯t listen anyway.¡±

    He handed her the key to their room and told her where the inn was. ¡°Should I? Listen, that is.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°You know how I feel about what I do. I can¡¯t and won¡¯t say what you should do with your life based on how I reached inside a bag and pulled out some tiles.¡±

    ¡°I might want to see if anything is different.¡±

    ¡°Come find me in a few hours, then.¡±

    Anla spent that time alone, inspecting the town and its residences. She wasn¡¯t as critical to Siasard as Raulin had been; while she saw the hanging shutters and the roofs that needed patching, she also saw that most merchants were busy with an acceptable amount of wares for sale. They had a blacksmith in the middle of repairing an axle, fresh fruit in the market, and a busy mail station. She peeked into dusty, multi-paned windows and saw that, even though it was before dinner, there were quite a few people inside both tavern rooms.

    In the end, she chose the one with the kinder looking bartender. She donned her piscarin outfit and sat herself quietly in the corner, casting runes and peering over them until she caught the interest of some of the men. After the bold and annoying had weeded themselves out, she began to get a steady enough line of customers that she wound up charging a full silver. Raulin had suggested she charge more and no one seemed to balk at the price, so she decided it was going to be a permanent change.

    Anla was just beginning to feel the pangs of hunger when a man straddled the seat across from her and gently placed a bowl of stew and a spoon in front of her. He was a slight man, familiar looking, wearing traveling clothes and a dark, knit woolen cap she¡¯d seen favored by the working men in the area. ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a while and I thought you might want something to eat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. How much do I owe you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said with a friendly smile. ¡°Though, if you¡¯d like to do a reading for me, I¡¯d call us even. Though, please, eat first.¡±

    After she ate, she dabbed her face with a napkin and drew three stones from her bag. Kuh, wheh, and way, three unusual stones. He sat patiently, awaiting her interpretation. She, in turn, wondered whether to rely on what the runes were actually saying, which would be an odd reading involving something with magic and capturing, or to use something tried and true. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a woman,¡± she said finally said.

    He gave a shy smile. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve traveled far to find her. And you¡¯re getting close.¡±

    ¡°That seems rather on the spot.¡±

    She pretended to look over the runes. He moved his chair a quarter around the table, so that he was sitting right next to her. At this distance, she realized he reminded her of Garlin, her younger brother, though a few decades older. ¡°You¡¯re hoping to be with her, maybe permanently.¡±

    He smiled again. ¡°I feel a deep sort of love for her, something that time apart hasn¡¯t diminished. I just hope she feels the same way, too.¡±

    Anla felt a genuine smile creep across her face. ¡°She sounds like a lucky girl.¡±

    The man leaned back and shrugged. ¡°May I ask how you do it?¡± he said, gesturing to the tiles. ¡°I¡¯d love for you to tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s guessing, really,¡± she said immediately. ¡°I can tell more about what you want to hear than I could ever get from these.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so nothing so interesting as a connection to spirits, just plain, old cleverness.¡±

    She nodded, feeling the heat rise to her face. ¡°You think I¡¯m clever?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. You¡¯re a smart, capable woman. I could tell that from when we first spoke. Beautiful, too, but that I could tell from across the room. May I ask what the pretty lady¡¯s name is? Your real name, not the one you¡¯ve been telling these townsfolk all night.¡±

    ¡°Anladet.¡±

    ¡°Oh! So your father must be Arvonnese, then? ¡®Det¡¯s for girls and ¡®din¡¯s for boys, is that right?¡±

    ¡°For the names whose first part ends in a vowel, otherwise there¡¯s no ¡®d¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That explains things! I always wondered why my friend Alcharin had no ¡®d¡¯ in his name.¡± He smiled at her and she felt something like when she saw Raulin remove his shirt. ¡°How do you feel about this bar? Do you want to gosomewhere else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, but she still smiled at him.

    He frowned and sighed. ¡°Mind if I tell you a secret, then?¡±

    ¡°I love secrets. Go ahead.¡±

    They both leaned in and he whispered, ¡°Aanladett, you will go with me upstairs to my room and you won¡¯t fight our ddeparturee.¡±

    She sucked in a breath and remembered nothing else of that night.

 Chapter 169

    Raulin had promised himself that he would remain cordial to Anladet, to give her space. He had decided that, looking over their conversation more closely, it made the most sense that he had been a little too strong in his actions. She might be concerned that, having to spend the next eight months together, any leap into a relationship could be a foolish idea. He still felt there was something there, though, and he wouldn¡¯t give up. He¡¯d just be slower and more friendly.

    Of course, he was also still her guard. And as her guard, it was his duty to watch over her and make sure she was safe. He had peeked in a few times throughout the night, in between wandering the town, and saw she was drawing in enough customers to nullify his need to pay her table a visit. He still made sure she was doing well that evening.

    He should have been watching out for Al. Even though he had been acting strangely, he was sitting in his room, so Raulin thought him safe enough. Maybe it would have been better for Raulin¡¯s emotional state if he had let Anla take care of herself.

    One of the men sat and gave her a bowl of stew. He thought that was a good idea, an excuse to talk with her that he should have thought of. He watched as the man had his reading, then moved closer to her. This was the point she normally would have stiffened her posture, been more formal, and closed herself off from his advances.

    But, she didn¡¯t. She leaned in. She rested her chin in her hand and she smiled. Perhaps she knew him? He continued to watch, even though he would have told a man in his position that he was being foolishly naive.

    Anla suddenly straightened her spine and he thought the man had finally said something that she found too indecent. Instead, she stood, took his hand, and led him to the stairs to the rooms on the second floor.

    He couldn¡¯t recall ever having the same feeling in his life. He¡¯d had women move on from him while he still thought there was some relationship between them, but the passion had usually been waning. Once it was plainly because the girl liked it when men fought over her. Neither had bothered him very much. This, however, cut him from his gut to sternum in a hard, stinging sensation.

    She didn¡¯t want him. Not only that, but instead of remaining alone, she had picked some man she had just met to bed, someone who had spent less than an hour in her company. Raulin had hoped that part of her initial rejection was due to the lack of general interest, since he¡¯d never seen her with another man in the months they¡¯d been traveling together, but he had been wrong.

    Gutted, he walked back to their, his, room at the inn, locked the door, and laid down in his. He didn¡¯t fall asleep for some time, though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was thinking about her or because she wasn¡¯t there.

    By morning, he was over the worst of his anguish, but he still had a simmering anger over the events. It wouldn¡¯t do to let her know how much she had hurt him, but there was still a way to get a few barbs in, to let her know that her actions weren¡¯t appreciated.

    As he had expected, Telbarisk and the wizard arrived at the oak tree before her. Al waited about five minutes before asking where she was. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be along soon,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Let¡¯s give her some time.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where she is?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°As a matter of fact, I do,¡± he said, folding his arms and leaning against the tree. ¡°She¡¯s at the other inn.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get her, then, and we can hit the road and be away from all these people.¡±

    ¡°I said let¡¯s give her some time. She¡¯s still busy, or maybe saying goodbye.¡±

    ¡°To whom?¡±

    ¡°The man she was with last night.¡± He kept his tone as casual as possible, but the thought lit a fresh fire in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to pry, so we¡¯ll just let her come at her own pace and say nothing when she arrives.¡±

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t she have just done her piscarin-lying instead of prostitution? Did she need money?¡± Al mused.

    Raulin paused at this. What if this wasn¡¯t romance? She had seemed happy, he thought, and she¡¯d be here already. ¡°I think she still has a lot of gold on her person. But, what she does in her spare time is not any of our concern.¡±

    Al seemed to agree to this. Telbarisk, understanding nothing of whoring or of what had really happened or why Raulin would be upset over the whole thing, sat perfectly content against the trunk.

    And so they waited. And waited. The morning passed into lunch time. Al read half of a Kiesh the Black novel, though he had read it before and was glossing through quite a bit of it. Raulin grew more and more irritated that she was also waylaying them.

    ¡°Should we check on her? What if the man she was with was rough or didn¡¯t want to pay?¡± Al finally asked.

    ¡°Feel free,¡± Raulin said, almost snapping at him. ¡°If she gets cross with you, don¡¯t be upset with her.¡±

    The wizard disappeared for some ten minutes, then came back alone. ¡°The innkeeper says that all the rooms are empty. She¡¯s not there.¡±

    Some other situation, where they weren¡¯t tethered together, would make him think she had decided to run off with the man and that their group were disbanded. But she knew there were strange circumstances with them. This was beginning to puzzle Raulin, who led them to the inn.

    The innkeeper was at the bar, which was through the one door in the lobby. ¡°Would you prefer our room tonight, sir?¡± he asked, remembering Raulin from the day before.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m looking for a woman. You might remember her from last night. She would be the dark-haired girl who sat in the back and read people¡¯s fortunes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, her,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank her if I see her; I noticed a bit more than usual buying my drinks. She went upstairs with a man after dinner and I haven¡¯t seen her since.¡±

    He clenched his jaw for a moment. ¡°Is there anyone who might have seen her leave?¡±

    The innkeeper nodded, then called out for his wife. A plump woman with dimples on her flour-smudged face and her hair back in a kerchief came in from the front, wiping her hands on her apron. ¡°Kiena, did you see where that oracle girl went this morning? The one from last night?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    She twisted her mouth to the side. ¡°She left with that man in room three early this morning.¡±

    ¡°Did you see which way they went?¡± Raulin asked.

    She shook her head. ¡°I had to get on making the pies for tonight. I saw a few other men joined them out in the street, but I didn¡¯t see which way they headed.¡±

    Raulin sucked in his breath and walked brusquely to the door. He turned after some thought. ¡°Thank you. Do you happen to know of anyone who¡¯s also up at that hour that has a shop on the crossroads? The blacksmith, perhaps, or a grocer?¡±

    The innkeeper responded. ¡°Old Ranvi would be too busy to pay attention, but you can try him at his forge. Maybe you¡¯ll get lucky. The market and most of the other shops that are open early are farther down the street.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Thank you again for your help.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s Chockwell,¡± Kiena said. ¡°He¡¯s usually up early.¡±

    ¡°Chockwell?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the priest that takes care of the shrine to Queyella.¡±

    ¡°Queyella?¡± Al asked. ¡°The Sea Goddess has a shrine hundreds of miles from the shore?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the goddess of travelers,¡± Kiena said, laughing in a patronizing way. ¡°We get a lot of travelers, so it¡¯s fitting that She cares for them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Raulin said, heading towards the door. ¡°I think I¡¯ve already gotten my share of luck today.¡±

    * * *

    The light was bright, which caused Anla to blink rapidly. It had been dark last she remembered, in a room dimly lit with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Wood and a ceramic bowl, coins and runes, the smell of stew and beer. This place was green, cool but not cold, somewhat damp on her legs, birds twittering and the smell of smoke and fire.

    Movement in front of her made her startle as her eyes focused. ¡°Why won¡¯t you move?¡± the figure asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You stopped moving, sat here, said you couldn¡¯t walk any farther. Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. The voice sounded a little familiar.

    ¡°You need to tell me or the Man With the Coin will be upset.¡±

    This made her anxious and sad, but she didn¡¯t know why nor who that was. ¡°But I don¡¯t know. Who are you?¡±

    At that moment, things finally became clear enough to her. She was sitting in a forest clearing in front of the man from last night. ¡°My name is Sakilei and you need to think. What would make you break my magic like that?¡±

    His eyes. She hadn¡¯t seen in the dim light, but they were the same color as her own, some puzzling hue between green and blue, gray and brown. His features, so much like her brother¡¯s, not quite human and not quite elven, sharp eyes not totally feral, high cheekbones, but not strangely high. And, of course, his ears, not round, but not the sharp point and length of her tribe.

    ¡°You¡¯re a baerd,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, and so are you. But somehow you¡¯ve broken my spell and that has the Man With the Coin upset and worried.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she moaned, again feeling the need to make whoever that was pleased.

    ¡°Will you walk if I promise not to put you under again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, normally the Man With the Coin will let me bring his bounty out of the spell only when we¡¯re farther away from towns. You have to listen to me and obey the rules or else he¡¯ll have to do some unpleasant things. Do you promise to listen and obey?¡±

    She nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°The Man With the Coin will be pleased to hear that. All right, listen because I will not repeat myself. You belong to the Man With the Coin. Since you are a baerd, you will fetch a good price in New Wextif. You should be thankful; half-breeds are usually sold cheaply at market and I hear their lives are unpleasant and short. You, however, will be sold to another bounty hunting group for a good price and you will help hunt down our kind until you are no longer useful, like the half-breed who found me.

    ¡°I have already impressed you while we were upstairs in my room, but I will tell you as well. You cannot escape. You cannot hurt the Man With the Coin or anyone else in his posse. You cannot sabotage they¡¯re route nor can you ask for help from anyone. If the Man With the Coin tells you to do something, you will without hesitation, whether or not you want to.¡±

    ¡°If they try, I will fight them,¡± she said, understanding then the full gravity of her situation.

    He frowned and narrowed his eyes. ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I will?¡±

    ¡°I know you would if you could, but you can¡¯t. If they want you, they will have you.¡±

    She felt sick at that thought and she must have looked upset enough because Sakilei continued in a softer tone. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, they probably won¡¯t. Casquio, that¡¯s the Man With the Coin, feels that half-breeds are like animals and would rather rut with his horse. Akmillin, the young pup with the blond hair, is under his thumb, thinks he¡¯s some sort of hero, and therefore also thinks you¡¯re disgusting. He¡¯s learning the ways of scouting, so he¡¯s not around much anyway. Tellenhi is the archer and Ripole is the gentleman. I don¡¯t know for sure with either of them, but the Man With the Coin won¡¯t like it if things get complicated.

    ¡°You¡¯re also a baerd. Higher price, especially if you¡¯re untouched. Scarring or damaging you will drop your price as will as incapacitating you with a child. Just on that, I think you¡¯re safe. And maybe your buyer will also be as considerate.¡±

    ¡°And you? What happened last night?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, looking away.

    ¡°Nothing? You had me under your spell and¡­¡±

    He scoffed, his eyes flashing with anger. ¡°Like begets like. One human, one elf, means one half-breed child. If they mate with an elf or a human, their children are safe. If they mate with another half-breed, they will have half-breeds. I won¡¯t risk to bring another one of us into the world. It¡¯s bad enough that I have to see my people, my kind, reduced to slavery; I couldn¡¯t bear if it were my own child.¡±

    His tone was nowhere near as warm and flirtatious as it had been last night, but it grew even colder than it had. ¡°I brought you upstairs and you slept on the floor. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you escape?¡± she asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do something to stop this?¡±

    ¡°Stupid girl,¡± he said, glaring at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I would if I could? I am under the same rules as you, more of them. I cannot run away. I cannot ask for help. I cannot hurt the posse and the Man With the Coin. I cannot help the half-breeds run away. I cannot do anything that would help them run away. Many rules, few openings. I¡¯ve tried to think of ways for many years. Nothing.¡±

    ¡°What if I can help you escape?¡± She whispered, ¡°I was traveling with people who will save me.¡±

    ¡°Is this why you sat and couldn¡¯t move?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she began. She would have said more, but Sakilei stood up and moved towards Casquio, who was already walking towards them.

    ¡°She has a party she was with that might cause us problems. This is why she sat and didn¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the man said, though he smiled at the news. ¡°I doubt a few vagabonds are going to give us much trouble.¡± He squatted down next to Anla and tipped her head up with his fingers. ¡°None of them are trackers, are they?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, thinking quickly. ¡°They¡¯ve probably already left with the money.¡±

    ¡°See, no problem.¡± He turned to speak to Sakilei. ¡°How is she doing? Are we going to have any problems with her?¡±

    ¡°She has promised to obey,¡± he said.

    He turned back, reached inside his shirt, and drew out a necklace with a gold Ghenian coin threaded with the chain, one side painted red. ¡°I am the Man With the Coin. Sakilei has told you about what that means?¡±

    ¡°I obey your rules and do whatever you tell me to do,¡± she answered. Living on the streets had taught her many things, including when it was pointless to fight and that it was better to pretend to be meek to live another day.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°I am very pleased at this. Obedient, pretty, young, skilled, and in good health.¡± He pushed her chin down to open her mouth. ¡°You have all your teeth, too. Yes, I think you will probably fetch the highest price I¡¯ve ever seen at the market.¡±

    ¡°May I ask a question, sir?¡±

    ¡°Polite, good. One question.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever captured a little girl, maybe ten or eleven, in Hanala or a boy younger than that in Hanala or south of there?¡±

    ¡°Those your siblings?¡± he asked and she nodded. ¡°No, I don¡¯t recollect that, but maybe some other group did. We usually stick to the country, unless we get a nice request from someone, so we haven¡¯t been in Hanala in a long time. Maybe we¡¯ll look for them, though, before we head to New Wextif. Older sisters make great bait.

    ¡°All right,¡± he said to Sakilei, ¡°we¡¯re going to ditch camp and start moving, now that she¡¯s sorted out. Ten minutes.¡±

    When he was out of earshot, Anla turned to the half-elf and hissed, ¡°Why did you tell him that? I¡¯m trying to help you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me anything,¡± he said sadly. ¡°The less you say to me, the less I¡¯ll have to tell him.¡±

    ¡°You have to tell him when I try to escape?¡±

    ¡°Yes, every time. So, don¡¯t try, don¡¯t tell me anything, don¡¯t talk to me. It¡¯s better that way. Just obey and you¡¯ll get through this fine.¡±

 Chapter 170

    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t need anything else?¡± Chockwell said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind lending you some money or clothes or food. Do you need food? We can go to the market and get some food.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been more than helpful,¡± Raulin said. ¡°All we needed was the information, really.¡±

    ¡°I can give you the money,¡± the plump little priest said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to return it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve enough money. Again, we thank you for your help, but we must be off.¡±

    ¡°I can go with you,¡± he tried again.

    ¡°No, you need to tend to your flock here. You¡¯re a good priest with good people.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Come, Tel. We need to make haste in order to catch up with our associate.¡±

    With that, Raulin left the despondent priest standing in the crossroads while they headed east. ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t have any royal blood?¡± Al asked. ¡°It¡¯s odd that clergymen fawn over you like that.¡±

    ¡°No royal blood,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just a thing about me, Wizard. Now, I have a conundrum for you. Why would a group of men kidnap Anla? Why haven¡¯t they gone beyond our radius and why hasn¡¯t she escaped?¡±

    ¡°Well, what makes you think she was kidnapped? You said yourself you saw her bed a man last night. Maybe they¡¯re running off together.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see her bed him. I saw them go upstairs. I reached a conclusion that seemed likely, but might not be the truth.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, it seems likely enough. What if he enjoyed the night and wished to marry her, or bring her to some place where he could make a lot of money selling her?¡±

    Raulin ground his teeth. Telling the wizard about his jealous suspicions had been a very poor course of action. He worked his jaw and admitted that he probably deserved the pain it was causing him. ¡°That makes sense if only she was willing to withstand crippling pain when she moved beyond a mile of us.¡±

    ¡°What if she¡¯s drugged?¡±

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t the drugs worn off?¡±

    ¡°Continual drugging?¡±

    ¡°Possible, but the man would have to be prepared with the concoction in the event he happened to meet a charming woman he wished to kidnap. And he¡¯d have to also have the means of moving a sedated woman a long distance. The priest mentioned they didn¡¯t have any animals nor a cart with them, nor were any of them carrying her. Which also begs the question of why a group of men joined the first man this morning.¡±

    ¡°That does sound premeditated. The first man lured her into a situation, but had the other men standing by?¡±

    Raulin continued the thought. ¡°She trusts the man and goes upstairs for some reason. He waylays her for an entire night, keeping her unconscious since she could use her magic to escape, but then with her full capacity still walks out to the group of men and leaves. I¡¯m still missing why she wouldn¡¯t have struck earlier to protect herself and didn¡¯t seem to struggle.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Al asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be upon the group soon enough and we can sneak in and take her back.¡±

    ¡°It does matter. I love dashing into an easy theft, taking what I need to, and leaving as soon as possible, but even I know I need some foundation of the situation or else we could stumble into something unpleasant. Off the top of my head, I¡¯ve had at least three instances where a theft would have turned into me taking the blame for murder if I hadn¡¯t been more careful.¡±

    It was a few minutes before Telbarisk shared his thoughts. ¡°I think you both are forgetting that Anladet isn¡¯t just a woman. She¡¯s part elven, and if I remember what she told me correctly, that holds a bit of danger for her here in these lands. It¡¯s why she wears her hair down most of the time.¡±

    Raulin looked over at Tel. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. It still doesn¡¯t explain why she didn¡¯t resist.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Wizard, can you give me a list of ways someone familiar with magic could coerce another into incapacitation? Let¡¯s start with those common to Liyand and work our way to more exotic kinds.¡±

    ¡°Soft wizards can make someone unconscious, or at least potentially malleable through induction of a pleasing state. Hard wizards can cause a panic in someone and stoke the fear to their advantage.¡±

    ¡°She definitely wasn¡¯t afraid, nor unconscious. I won¡¯t rule out he was a skilled soft wizard, but it seems unlikely. Good, keep going.¡±

    ¡°A priest of the Twelve might have a spelled item that could do the actions you described.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall him giving her anything other than a bowl of stew. It didn¡¯t seem out of place at the time, the bowl or spoon, and I don¡¯t remember him taking it with him when she finished the meal. What would it entail for a priest, or anyone, really, to have an item like that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d need a Skethik priest to place the spell and I think an Aliornic priest to make the spell. They would both have to be fine with the spell being put on an item that is usually associated with Zayine. I recall that general idea being scorned by most priests. I doubt Rayani, for instance, would stoop to do that.¡±

    ¡°But not an impossible object to have, just unlikely to be made. Not all priests are so picky when money is involved. Let¡¯s shelve that idea at the top for the moment. Anything else?¡±

    Al recited from the master list he had memorized in school each kind of magic followed by either him scratching the entry or explaining the way each might have been used against Anla. Piscarin enchantments, dobi fire magic, Tektornian shaminism, and Ukilian kameseno written spells made the short list of potential types of magic used against her.

    ¡°Amandorlam knows of Ukilia?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°That¡¯s fairly far out in Merak. I thought Ghenians assumed everyone in Merak was Kachilan, the short reddish-skinned people that make up all trirecs. Well, almost all.¡±

    ¡°Amandorlam knows of the different people of Merak. The average person, though, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°What of the baerds?¡± Tel asked.

    Al thought of this for a moment. ¡°They didn¡¯t teach anything about them because they were supposedly wiped out by the Nui-Breckin Law.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Both he and Raulin inhaled sharply. Raulin said, ¡°Here I was thinking her magic was so rare that we¡¯d never see another baerd. Of course, it fits. And now that I¡¯m picturing the man in my head, he could be a half-elf. His ears were covered by a knit cap I thought out of place, since most men wear bowlers and top hats. It would make sense he was covering his heritage. And the rest follows if she had her own magic used against her.¡±

    ¡°About time,¡± Al said.

    ¡°What was that, Wizard?¡± he asked sharply.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time that she had her own magic used against her.¡±

    ¡°Are you celebrating the fact that a young woman was kidnapped by a group of men and is now currently being carted off to some place for reasons that can¡¯t be good?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that someone that powerful should understand what it¡¯s like to have that power turned on them. That way, she might think twice before using that power carelessly or thoughtlessly.¡±

    ¡°When have you seen her do that?¡±

    ¡°I would think you of all people would be upset about her flagrant use of magic. She did stop you from escaping the count¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°As did your mouth,¡± he retorted, ¡°and I hold it against neither of you while Telbarisk gets accolades for beaning that guard over the head with the vase.¡±

    ¡°In Amandorlam, we regularly had required sessions in which we had teachers use the Unease and Calm on us, so that we could understand what we were doing to others. She¡¯s never had to deal with knowing what it¡¯s like to be under her spell.¡±

    ¡°And yet she¡¯s been rather responsible about it. I¡¯ve had conversations with her about how reluctant she is to use the abilities she has that are morally questionable. She was quite pleased to rely on her new spell that only influences instead of enslaves.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like a lesser evil isn¡¯t an evil,¡± Al said. ¡°That spell is still repugnant.¡±

    ¡°I can guess you weren¡¯t complaining about her using magic on you when you were gasping for air like a landed fish on the floor of that courtroom. She saved your life and still asked for your permission, knowing how much it bothered you.¡±

    ¡°And how do I know she hasn¡¯t used it again? Why would I suddenly decide to kill a man, huh? It makes no sense. She had to have whispered in my ear at some point to do it.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea why you did that. It was unnecessary. But, you did it and I know she didn¡¯t use her magic on you.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°We discussed this back in Whitney. Because either you would have a blank when you tried to remember that time or you would want to kill. Do you secretly desire to use your magic to murder, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°Then she has left you alone. Now, if we¡¯re done with this conversation, and I know I am, we need to find this group when they make camp tonight. We¡¯ll observe them from a distance and see if there¡¯s a way to extract both Anla and the other half-elf without alerting the rest of the camp. They¡¯re sure to have¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said.

    Raulin stopped short and turned around. ¡°Did you just say ¡®no¡¯ to me, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I did. I¡¯m bowing out from this rescue.¡±

    ¡°Care to explain why before I smash your face and turn your mouth into a beak?¡±

    ¡°I think she needs to learn her lesson about her magic before I help her. A few days, a week at most, and I¡¯ll help.¡±

    Al began backing up as Raulin stalked towards him. ¡°Raulin¡­¡±

    Raulin shoved him against a tree. ¡°She¡¯s saved your life. You owe her.¡±

    ¡°This is the best thing for her.¡± He had to step on his tiptoes as Raulin grabbed his tunic and pushed him farther up the trunk.

    ¡°You think life hands people opportunities all the time,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°You think we¡¯ll be able to save her whenever we feel like it. You forget what a group of men might do to an unarmed woman. I swear, Wizard, if one hair on her head is harmed because you decided to take your sweet, damn time, I will carve her screams into your chest so that¡­¡±

    Telbarisk put a hand on Raulin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t helping,¡± he said. ¡°Give him time.¡±

    Raulin opened his hand and Al dropped down to the ground. ¡°If you¡¯re not with me, you¡¯re against me. I don¡¯t want you to speak to me unless the words ¡®I¡¯ve changed my mind¡¯ are uttered twenty feet away from me.¡±

    Thinking he had calmed down and was joking, Al asked, ¡°Why twenty feet?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s potential that I might miss if I¡¯m throwing a knife at you at twenty. I wouldn¡¯t try then. Otherwise, feel free to speak to me at thirty. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡±

    * * *

    The bounty hunters stopped just before dusk, moving off the road to an area that, while wasn¡¯t flat, had a good fringe of trees that blocked their site from the road. Sakilei was busy with setting up everyone¡¯s tents and cooking dinner, so Anla was left alone. She almost joined him to help, but couldn¡¯t figure out whether she¡¯d feel more comfortable with him or in the company of one of the other men.

    She thought the quartet would have rescued her already. Raulin should have realized something was wrong when she didn¡¯t come back to their room. She could only assume he went to check on her and no one was forthcoming with information on where she had gone. He must have hunted around town the next morning, surely, and someone must have seen her walk away with a group of men. They would come for her.

    Those was her thoughts on the situation until that evening, at least. She began to worry about their safety. What if Raulin had tried to save her, but the group had surprised him and Al and Telbarisk and hurt them, or worse, killed them? She had felt secure for a moment that the latter wasn¡¯t true, since the book she had read in Calaba had said that she would have felt it, but she had been mesmerized for half a day. What if they had all died and she didn¡¯t even know it? The thought physically hurt.

    Why would Casquio (she refused to think to herself of him as the Man With the Coin) ask about the ¡°vagabonds¡± she was with, though? False hope? It would be better for him to quash her dreams of escape from the beginning. No, they were still alive, she told herself. They would be coming as soon as they could. And they might need some help.

    One of the men approached her casually, taking his time across the exposed roots and large rocks in the area. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing her a bowl of pea and ham soup. ¡°Normally you fetch your own food, but I¡¯m feeling kind tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, taking the bowl and spoon. He invited himself to sit next to her. Though in traveling clothes, he still presented a polished aura. The cut and material of his shirt and pants were high quality, his bowler hat was clean, and his face had recently been shaved except for the swaths of hair along the sides of his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, little lady?¡±

    ¡°Anladet.¡±

    ¡°A pretty name for a pretty girl. I¡¯m Ripole.¡±

    ¡°Sakilei called you ¡®the gentleman¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my title as much as anything else, though I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m that way in personality as well. I¡¯m in charge of securing us work, dealing with the public, purchasing rooms and entertainment, and eventually working with the auctioneers. But, that¡¯s messy business talk.¡±

    ¡°I understand why I was captured and what you have planned for me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried about it.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± she said carefully, putting down her meal. ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to dwell on the negative things that happen to me. At least I¡¯m to be sold to someone that will have it in their best interests to keep me alive.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± he said, ¡°but there¡¯s no guarantee they will keep you alive and well-kept. I¡¯d think about buying you myself, but you¡¯re likely to fetch an incredible price. Of course, maybe I could help you escape and you could repay the kindness somehow.¡±

    His voice told her that he had no intention of either buying her, nor of helping her escape. ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave the Man With the Coin,¡± she said with a touch of false adoration.

    ¡°No, but the Man With the Coin is always just any man with the coin. Do you savvy what I mean?¡±

    She shook her head, though she highly suspected what he was going to tell her.

    ¡°One knife thrust and the seizing of a chain and I become the new Man With the Coin. And I¡¯d be willing to do this, if someone gave me proper motivation.¡± He moved so that he was sitting next to her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand now what I mean.¡±

    She tensed for a moment, then moved so that her leg was touching his. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    He sighed when she ran her hand up his thigh, then groaned in annoyance when she took it away. ¡°Perhaps not tonight, though?¡± she asked. ¡°It would seem suspicious. I bet they¡¯ll be watching me closely, at least in the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said reluctantly. He sat for a few minutes before making an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, then standing. Before he left, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a pretty thing and I like pretty things. We have a few weeks before we reach New Wextif. I won¡¯t be satisfied with a couple of times right before we get there. I¡¯d recommend sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, swallowing the bile she felt rising in her throat. Once he was gone, though, she smirked and tossed his coin purse in the air.

 Chapter 171

    While the days were still hot, or at least comfortably warm, the nights were cool to the point that Anla was pulled from sleep several times. She and Sakilei slept far from the fire, which even as embers was usually enough to keep her asleep and happy with her group.

    She missed them. She missed them more than she had realized she would. She missed the ever-present stability and dependability of Telbarisk, she missed the passion and quirkiness of Al. She missed Raulin, though, with a slight ache in her chest her soul had previously reserved only for her family. She missed the way his words and his look would latch onto her, causing her to think about them minutes or hours later. She missed the little jokes they had that she couldn¡¯t share with him then. She missed the way he called her ¡°mezzem¡± with a mixture of respect and playfulness. She realized it wasn¡¯t the fire she was missing; it was the warmth.

    Sometime in the early morning she awoke to someone saying ¡°Elf¡± over and over. She turned to see Ripole nudging Sakilei with his boot, getting more forceful until he sat up. ¡°I lost my money. Do that thing again.¡±

    Sakilei rubbed his eyes, then sat up. ¡°Where did you lose it?¡±

    ¡°If I knew that, I wouldn¡¯t be asking you, now would I?¡±

    ¡°I mean, around here, around your camp, on the road?¡±

    ¡°Start here,¡± he said. By this point Anla had stirred and was looking at Ripole, yawning. ¡°Good morning, little lady.¡±

    She nodded and was startled when Sakilei banged two rocks together loudly. She looked at him and saw him concentrating on something. He stood up and moved closer and closer to the place where she had ditched the purse last night, close to a bush that Ripole had strolled by after he had propositioned Anla the night before. ¡°Here,¡± he said, holding it up, putting the loose coins back in for the gentleman.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ripole said, snatching it from Sakilei¡¯s hand and taking off without another word.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked Sakilei when he returned to his bedroll, which he started to roll up.

    ¡°I have my own names for things. I call that ¡®kawsguh¡®. Certain things have a sound that will return to you. If you know what metal sounds like, you can make a sound and that sound will change when it comes back to your ear. Then, you will know where the metal is, even if you cannot see it.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± she said, pulling the paper from her knapsack. ¡°They called that ¡®echoing¡¯.¡±

    ¡°A Ghenian word,¡± he spat.

    ¡°I only have the Ghenian words for some of the things we can do. I read them in a book that said what baerds can do.¡±

    ¡°Let me see,¡± he said and she handed him the paper. He scanned the page, snorting at a few items. ¡°I think this was written by a fool. Some of these are impossible, even if you¡¯re very talented. ¡®Cause earthquakes¡¯? ¡®Melt iron¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I only wrote down what the book said. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out which ones are true and which ones aren¡¯t.¡± She began to help with the break-down of their camp. ¡°Would you teach me?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I want to know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±

    ¡°The Man With the Coin won¡¯t allow it. It would be suspicious.¡±

    ¡°It would make me more valuable at the auction,¡± she offered.

    He snorted, but stopped to take off his knit cap and scratch his head. She noticed his cropped black hair was peppered with gray. ¡°What do you know?¡±

    ¡°Mesmerization, influence, projection, amplification, nullification, seeking, isolation¡­¡±

    ¡°Husk,¡± he said, and she stopped speaking. ¡°Describe what you know.¡±

    She went over the list again, this time giving a quick synopsis as to what each was. She finished with, ¡°I¡¯ve been working lately on tone, which is when you listen to the words someone says and try to figure out what emotion is tied to what they¡¯re saying. I can tell when someone¡¯s lying, for instance, and I¡¯ve started to understand ¡®sadness¡¯, ¡®anger¡¯, ¡®joy¡¯, and a few others. Those are a bit harder.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°How is it that you lied to me in the bar?¡±

    By this point, Sakilei was in the center of camp, restarting the fire. He asked her to fetch him the pots and pans he had stacked on a rock outside the boundaries of the circle. When she returned he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. Not that I remember, anyway, and not until I started to use rewhing on you, the sweet sound that makes one do what you want. I don¡¯t know if one person cannot use our magic if they are already under a spell or if rewhing makes you forget about your magic.¡±

    She broke into Elvish and whispered, ¡°Can you use the controlling magic on the hunters?¡±

    He rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Of course not. This would be against my binding. You can¡¯t, either. I had to take away the dangerous magics. And your tongue is terrible.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my people in five years,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been in Hanala since my parents were killed.¡± She told him briefly about the vacation, the trial, their hanging, and living on the streets. She didn¡¯t mention meeting Al, Tel, and Raulin, nor who they were exactly.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go home?¡± he asked, setting lashers of meat on the hot pan above the fire.

    ¡°It¡¯s south of here, but I don¡¯t know where exactly. I was twelve the last time I was with my tribe.¡±

    He thought for a few moments. ¡°You are just barely a full-grown in their eyes, yes?¡±

    ¡°My seventeenth birthday was two days ago.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad; they don¡¯t force children to work as trackers. If the Man With the Coin thought you were too much of a hassle, he might have abandoned you. Then again, he also might have killed you and cut off your ears for the trophy-reward. They do that, too.¡±

    ¡°What are you two conspiring about?¡± Casquio asked as he opened the flap to his tent. ¡°I don¡¯t want you speaking that gobbledygook to each other.¡±

    ¡°We were talking about magic, sir,¡± Anla said. ¡°I asked Sakilei to teach me the kinds I might be missing.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± he said, putting on his stained Boss of the Plains hat.

    ¡°It would be good to add at auction that she¡¯s also a master baerd. She¡¯d fetch a record price at that point. I bet Marshoz would be very envious. He may even buy her from you.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I like to see him eat that,¡± Casquio said. ¡°Well, we have a few weeks before we make it to the city. You can teach her some things, but they have to be innocuous. And you aren¡¯t allowed to speak Elvish.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said once Casquio had left.

    ¡°I¡¯m bored, that¡¯s all.¡± She noted the rock-grinding sound to his words.

    ¡°Just the same, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to work on the kawsguh first?¡± He began to plate the cooked meat for the four bounty hunters, cutting the burnt and bad parts out for their portions.

    ¡°Actually, do you know the encapsulation spell?¡±

    * * *

    Since Telbarisk was far from the city, he walked without the strapped things Raulin had called ¡°sandals¡±, his feet free to embrace the earth. The roads here had more rocks and they were dustier, but it was still better than the stones of the city roads that hardened his soles and occasionally cut his toes.

    It helped him get a better sense of his surroundings and in turn made him more comfortable to where he was. And he needed a little bit of comfort in the wake of last night.

    Raulin was in a foul mood that hadn¡¯t abated after a night¡¯s rest. He was a bottled storm of tension and anger, kicking things, slamming down plates, keeping away from he and Alpine. Shunning the wizard Tel had understood; he would say nothing, but he felt it showed poorly on his character that he was willing to abandon Anladet like that. Tel didn¡¯t understand why Raulin didn¡¯t speak with him, like he often did when he was troubled, until he realized after an angry flash of a look from the trirec that Raulin was angry with him, too. And it didn¡¯t take long for Tel to piece together that Raulin had finally understood what kouriya meant and he was blaming him for her capture.

    So, the three of them walked down the road that moved them east in silence, back to the large city where they didn¡¯t want to go. They were several hundred paces apart, Raulin leading and not seeming to care whether the other two were actually following him.

    Tel ached for his friend. He knew how Raulin felt about Anladet. He empathized being away from the one you loved, though he had the peace of knowing Kelouyan was safe and well-cared for by his family. Raulin still had to deal with the barbs of unspoken things, of words and actions that he should share with Anladet, but couldn¡¯t. Losing that opportunity, perhaps permanently, was cutting him up inside.

    As always, though, Tel was there for him. He was there for Alpine, too, because he knew that something strange was going on in the wizard¡¯s mind. But mostly he wanted to help Raulin, who didn¡¯t want help. He wanted pain and blood.

    Tel walked in the middle of the road, avoiding the ruts left by the wagons and carts that still held rainwater from a few days ago. Raulin was ahead and had missed something that Telbarisk felt with his bare feet.

    As he picked up his foot to move it to the next step, the balls of his foot slid on something smooth. Since he was in the practice of collecting small, yet interesting rocks, he bent down to pick it up on instinct.

    It wasn¡¯t a rock. It was a copper, one of the coins the Ghenians used to trade with instead of bartering. Raulin had always told him that any money abandoned was fair game and that he should pick it up, since even a copper every once in a while could add up to a silver.

    His foot slipped again some hundred or so paces down the road. Another copper, which he picked up and placed in his bakinar with the other one. He¡¯d put them in the knapsack later.

    Another hundred paces and a third copper was on the ground. ¡°Raulin?¡± he asked, projecting his voice enough to get his attention. Raulin turned and walked back towards him without his characteristic swagger.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked and Telbarisk held out his hand with the three coins.

    ¡°These have been in the road at almost the same distance apart. I thought maybe someone had lost a coin, but this seems deliberate.¡±

    By this point Al had caught up with the two of them and looked into Tel¡¯s palm. ¡°Nice. Maybe you can buy us a loaf of bread next time we¡¯re in a town.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you think Anla is leaving us a trail?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid plan,¡± Al said. ¡°We know she¡¯s on the road. There¡¯s no need to tell us that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Call. Her. Stupid,¡± Raulin said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Raulin, Alpine is right that the plan is not helpful, but you are also right that Anladet is not stupid. She¡¯s very smart and wouldn¡¯t waste any money she has telling us she is going in an obvious direction.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s her plan, then?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s trying to tell us something else.¡±

    The three of them, quietly, impatiently, walked to where the next coin should be. Telbarisk easily sensed it, being an object of different material around its surroundings. Raulin snatched it up before he could, held it up to examine it, then gave it to Tel to hold on.

    ¡°This is the last one,¡± Tel said as they approached the fifth coin.

    ¡°Five coins,¡± Raulin muttered. ¡°What¡¯s the significance of that number?¡±

    ¡°Of the Twelve, five are considered the true ¡®masters¡¯ of the gods. That would be Kriskin, Kabidon, Mag-¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth, Wizard. You said you didn¡¯t want to help us. Have you changed your mind?¡±

    Al glowered at him, but said nothing.

    It was only when Raulin picked up the last coin that he understood what her plan had been. Telbarisk heard someone speaking, turned to see Raulin closing his eyes for a few moments. ¡°She wanted to make sure we got the last coin, which had a message.¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Not sure I understand it. ¡®The Man With the Coin has my magic. Get the coin.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You have to get the coin, Raulin. You know, the coin,¡± Al said mockingly. Raulin¡¯s knife was at his throat so quickly that it took him a moment to register it. His smile dropped and he stepped back a step.

    ¡°Go,¡± Raulin said to him, pointing ahead in the road. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your face or hear your voice until she is back with m¡­us.¡±

    When Al was outside of even his earshot, Tel said, ¡°We¡¯ll find her, healthy and whole, Raulin. At least we have a clue as to what to do.¡±

    Raulin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still far from a plan. I¡¯m going to need your help to get her back.¡±

    Telbarisk said nothing other than to put his hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder.

 Chapter 172

    Anla sat with hands steepled in front of her lips.

    ¡°Why do I feel like I teach you something, and then you be teach me nothing?¡± Sakilei said.

    ¡°Shh. I¡¯m trying to think of a way to explain this. It¡¯s not easy like the encapsulation.¡±

    He shifted in an annoyed way, but held his tongue.

    ¡°Try imagining that you¡¯re sucking all the air out of an area, but instead of air, it¡¯s the sound.¡±

    He closed his eyes, more in concentration than to block out the almost-gone light, and muttered to himself in Elvish. Anla quickly looked over at the fire and saw that Casquio was picking his teeth by the fire, spitting into it occasionally and causing it to sizzle at the moisture.

    The young man, Akmillan, sat down next to his boss and she took the opportunity to listen in on their conversation. ¡°Perimeter is clear, boss,¡± he said.

    ¡°Good. No sign of those men she was with?¡±

    ¡°No, and I haven¡¯t seen them since the town.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I was a little worried about the wizard wanting to keep someone like her under his thumb, but maybe it was too much trouble for him.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him at all, with or without the other two men.¡±

    ¡°Sakilei,¡± she said, turning back to the half-elf.

    ¡°What? I am concentrating and am working on this ¡®sucking out of sound¡¯ you babbled about. If you could be quiet and let me¡­¡± There was a hollow pop as the sounds around them were muted. He blinked a few times and she saw him mouth the word, ¡°Oh.¡±

    A few moments later and the silence was lifted. ¡°That was it?¡±

    ¡°Um, no,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s the opposite of what you want, at least for that spell. You want the silence to be outside of your area, so that people can¡¯t hear you instead of you not hearing them.¡±

    He sighed and closed his eyes again. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°I have one question.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How did the bounty hunters find me?¡±

    Sakilei opened his eyes. ¡°It was lucky timing for them. The gentleman checked in at a post office in Kikiyan and there was a brand new bounty placed on you. You made a lot of noise up in that city in Eerie, Whitney? You upset the Blacksmiths of Yorqui and they were more than happy to tip the Nui-Breckin Alliance of what you had done.¡±

    ¡°Blacksmiths of Yorqui? Nui-Breckin Alliance?¡±

    ¡°The men with the jackets and the buttons. They work for the Skethik priesthood and they find things missing that have spells on them. The Alliance is a group of bounty hunters paid to seek out and capture half-breeds to make sure the Ghenians don¡¯t piss their pants in fear of our kind.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. It had been rather bold of her to use her influence on members of a group she didn¡¯t know much about. ¡°What did the bounty say? Do you know?¡±

    ¡°That you were traveling with a wizard who stole an item, possibly a group, and that you were seen heading south from Whitney. The Man With the Coin gambled that you would be headed towards Kikiyan and he moved us north up the Route of the Woods until we saw you in that town. From there you made it easy for us to get you, very quiet.¡±

    ¡°They said nothing about anyone else in my group?¡±

    ¡°Two other men. That was all. Now, I¡¯d like to work on this spell, so be quiet.¡±

    The Blacksmith that Raulin had scared must have actually been so frightened that he hadn¡¯t told his order about him. And no one had seen that she was traveling with a trirec. The bounty hunters were severely underestimating the quartet, especially putting an unseasoned scout as their only defense.

    ¡°I need you to explain this again,¡± Sakilei said after he tried a few more times.

    She went over it once more. ¡°It will take some time. It took me weeks to get this spell correct. Practice and it will come.¡±

    * * *

    On Ervaskin, Raulin had needed to spy on one of the king¡¯s council members. He casually mentioned it to Telbarisk, who had volunteered to assist him. Raulin had thought it a fair trade, since he was doing it pro bono to make sure the council member wasn¡¯t plotting Tel¡¯s murder.

    As most of the city of Nourabrikot was actually outdoors, the meeting Raulin had learned about was going to be in a rather open section of woods with little to cover him. Tel assured him that this wouldn¡¯t be a problem. And it hadn¡¯t been. The two of them were practically invisible in the brush. Holding his hand out in front of him, Raulin had found it difficult to find. He¡¯d been almost too fascinated by it to pay attention to what was said at the meeting.

    Here, again, he was amazed at how well he blended in to the surroundings. His hand appeared to become the leaves and branches, though he was still a man of flesh and blood crouched inside a bush. Tel was behind a nearby tree, and if he hadn¡¯t known where he was, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see him. His magic would have been a great asset in the hedge maze theft¡­

    Raulin¡¯s mask helped, too, but the fire from the camp threw off his seeing-in-the-dark ability. He was also relying more on Tel¡¯s ability to sense people than he was at finding them himself. He crept over to his friend and whispered, ¡°Locations?¡±

    ¡°Three by the fire. Two not far in that direction,¡± he said, pointing west. ¡°Another one just over there, a little farther from the fire.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s stomach clenched for a moment. He didn¡¯t want to ask, but he had to know. ¡°What are the two over there doing?¡±

    ¡°Sitting across from each other. Talking, I would assume.¡±

    He felt the tension leave his jaw and throat. ¡°Any of them have a coin?¡±

    Telbarisk paused in thought. ¡°They all have coins on them in pouches by their sides. Not the two over there, but the other four.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to assume that those two are Anla and the half-elf I saw in the tavern. His role in what might happen is a gamble; I don¡¯t know if he will help her or hurt her, so I need you to come up with a way to nullify him if he tries to hurt her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stop him using his magic, if it¡¯s the same as Anladet¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t expect you to. Just keep him busy or incapacitated. Now, if I were leading a group, I¡¯d probably stick with them, to make sure everyone was behaving. That leaves those three by the fire; the older guy, the young one, and the well-dressed one. I¡¯d lean towards the latter; leaders get the most money and that one obviously has the money to dress well. We¡¯ll need to wait until they¡¯re asleep, anyway, before I can take their coins.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re robbing them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that the coin Anla said I should steal is in one of the pouches. It¡¯s unfortunately going to take me an awful long time to figure out which one of those is the right one. I¡¯ll return the rest to them, minus whatever they stole from Anla. And, of course, a slight fee for inconvenience. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re robbing them.¡±

    ¡°No¡­we¡¯re just¡­yes, we¡¯re robbing them. Let¡¯s circle around and have a little chat with our lone man over there. And by ¡®little chat¡¯ I mean interrogation at knife point.¡±

    They took their time, moving from tree to bush to boulder, until they were feet away from the fourth man. He leaned against a tree, a crossbow resting on his lap, listening for highwaymen and predatory animals far less dangerous than a very angry and very skilled trirec.

    At least, skilled in combat. Skulking he was pretty proficient in, but since most of his skulking was done in the city, he wasn¡¯t an expert in woodland craft. This was evidenced by slipping on some fallen leaves and landing noisily on the ground.

    A bright, white flash went across Raulin¡¯s vision and he jerked to the side instinctively, a bolt kissing the air next to his head. He froze for only a second before taking Axiom Fifty-Six (¡°an archer reloading cannot be an archer brandishing another weapon¡±) into account and rushing the man. The archer did abandon winding the contraption sooner than Raulin had expected, but he wasn¡¯t very good at knife fighting. A few slashes and the man dropped his knife.

    The archer was taking a breath to yell when Raulin slipped in behind him, pulled his knife against his throat, and said, ¡°Hi. Speak and you¡¯ll be the newest addition to the blood choir. Fight and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll go in the soprano section.¡±

    The man swallowed and nodded his head in understanding, slowly and carefully.

    ¡°Good. Did you get a good look as to what I am?¡± There was a small shake of the head. ¡°I am a trirec.¡± He took a risky moment to tap his mask with the knife at the man¡¯s throat, making a slight metallic ting. ¡°Can you guess why I¡¯m here in your camp, with a knife to your throat?¡± Another shake of the head. ¡°I am guarding a few people. The other two aren¡¯t your concern, but the fourth is. Do you know who that is?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°The girl?¡± he asked quietly and hoarsely.

    ¡°The girl, yes. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re a smart man. Smart men understand the stakes better than stupid men. Or brave men. You aren¡¯t one of those, I hope.¡± The former archer shook his head. ¡°Smart and self-preserving. Excellent. Now, there are three men sitting by the fire. Which one of them is the Man With the Coin?¡±

    The man¡¯s shoulders dropped a little. ¡°Casquio. He¡¯s the older one with the hat.¡±

    ¡°There were two men with hats.¡±

    ¡°One is young and wears a bowler. The other is older with a mustache and has a wide-brimmed hat.¡±

    ¡°And where is his coin?¡±

    ¡°Around his neck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one he uses to control the baerds?¡± A nod of the head this time. ¡°Good. Here¡¯s how this is going to work out. I don¡¯t care about your life; you peddle in flesh and that makes you less than human to me. However, you have given me information and I think that deserves to be rewarded. I am going to tie you up and gag you. Your money is forfeit, but I will let you keep your clothes, your boots, and your effects.¡± He picked up his knife and bow and tossed them aside. ¡°I will return your knife to you, so that you may cut yourself loose, after I am finished. Tel?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t need much supervision as vines slowly curled around the tree, around him, and around his mouth, holding a handkerchief in place. ¡°I hope he¡¯s been in good health lately,¡± Raulin said to Tel.

    The man¡¯s eyes flickered over to Telbarisk and widened as he flinched. ¡°I never know if they¡¯re more afraid of me or you.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re smart, it would be me,¡± Raulin responded. ¡°All right. Older man in the hat with a mustache. Wait. One, two, thr¡­. Oooone, twooo¡­ Tel, where¡¯s the third man? The one that was dressed well?¡±

    Tel closed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s now one person sitting where there were two and two people have moved to the west, walking.¡±

    ¡°Nice of him to make ¡®divide and conquer¡¯ easier for us. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The farther from the fire they went, the harder it was to see them and the easier it was for Raulin to spot movement in the now dark forest. He put out a stiff arm and stopped Telbarisk from moving forward when he saw two figures in between the trees, one about his height and the other slighter and shorter by about eight inches. They stood facing each other, the taller one almost lumbering towards the shorter one, who was stepping backwards. Though her posture was confident for most, Raulin could sense that Anla was uncomfortable by the way her head turned back and forth and by the way her fists clenched at her side.

    When she finally ran out of room and bumped into a tree trunk, the man in the bowler hat closed the distance between them and yanked her jaw up to kiss her. There could have been a small army with lances and bows between them and Raulin would have forgotten everything but those two. He spanned the thirty or so feet in seconds, flipped the man¡¯s hat off, and yanked his head back by his hair hard before pressing his knife to his throat.

    The man¡¯s hands dropped from Anla¡¯s jaw and chest and he stepped back with Raulin, making a muffled ¡°gah¡± sort of noise as blood trickled down his neck from the pressure of the knife. ¡°Hi, Anla,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Hi, Raulin.¡± Her voice sounded steady, but there was a slight hitch and waver he picked up on.

    ¡°Did I interrupt anything?¡±

    ¡°For him, I¡¯m sure you did.¡± She adjusted her shirt. ¡°He thought I was going to tumble with him in the hopes that he¡¯d¡­what was it? Buy me? No, it¡¯s was kill the rest of the crew and take possession of the coin.¡±

    ¡°You agreed,¡± Ripole said.

    ¡°No, I bought time.¡±

    ¡°On your knees,¡± Raulin said and Ripole slowly sank to the ground. ¡°Anla? What would you like to do with him? Your call.¡±

    ¡°He has a substantial amount of money on him. I know; I stole his purse.¡±

    ¡°Bitch,¡± he said. In return, she spat on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s not for me,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s for all the other girls you promised to help and then abandoned. Apologize.¡±

    He turned to the side, his jaw tight and his right eye closed from the saliva. ¡°She¡¯s given you the choice, fancy boy. You apologize or you die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.

    ¡°Tie him up,¡± she said. ¡°Take his things.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mezzem,¡± he said and she was surprised to find how calming the sobriquet was to her.

    She turned and saw Telbarisk walk towards them, ran to him, then hugged him. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± she said.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. We need to finish this.¡±

    Ripole was forced against the tree and Telbarisk used kil to curl the tree around his wrists and ankles. He had started screaming when the first lick of bark tasted his flesh, but Anla had wisely used her silence spell around them. She took delight at opening his coin purse, dumping the spoils into her own knapsack, then shoving it into his mouth before letting Tel gag him with a vine.

    ¡°Mezzem, who do we take out next?¡±

    ¡°Sakilei¡­¡± she said. ¡°Raulin, don¡¯t hurt him. We just need to incapacitate him for a little while.¡±

    ¡°This the guy who kidnapped you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­it¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± He looked back to the fire, then swore. ¡°We¡¯re missing one of the¡­¡±

    ¡°Raulin?¡± Tel asked. Both the trirec and Anla turned to see the scout, Akmillan, with his knife to the grivven¡¯s back.

    Raulin started to move towards him when he heard the click of a crossbow being cocked. He turned and saw the Man With the Coin slipping a bolt into the bow and lifting it to aim. ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± he said ¡°Down on your knees.¡±

    Anla took three quick steps and stood in front of Raulin. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than have you take me to New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, but you still have to obey me. Move away from him.¡±

    Anla made a frustrated growl in her throat as she moved to the side. Raulin took the opportunity to run behind the scout and press his own knife to his back.

    ¡°That was stupid,¡± Casquio said. ¡°I can still shoot your tall friend here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that bolt will travel through him and into your kid, here. Both will die.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s worth a lot of money. I can retire on the amount she¡¯ll bring me. And, if not, I can always get another scout.¡±

    Raulin felt the blond man stiffen when he heard those words. ¡°Greed always trumps loyalty,¡± Raulin said in the young man¡¯s ear.

    ¡°He won¡¯t shoot me,¡± Akmillan said.

    ¡°Are you so sure about that? I¡¯d imagine a thousand gold sale would only be sweeter split fewer ways.¡±

    ¡°Tel, amarink dialek ta sian avrio lidrik lo balanta re?¡±

    ¡°Seis sa.¡±

    ¡°Good. Do it and then I¡¯ll count.¡±

    ¡°What are you two jabbering on about?¡± Casquio asked.

    The wind picked up, the trees beginning to sway in a fierce and sudden breeze. ¡°Three,¡± Raulin said, ¡°two, one¡­¡±

    It happened in less than a fraction of a moment. Tel stepped forward, away from Akmillan, just as Raulin stepped to the side. Casquio shot his crossbow, stunned for a moment when it missed Telbarisk completely, who had moved to the side, and sank in the throat of Akmillan. The scout tried to stagger forward, but his feet were planted to the ground, his ankles wrapped with vegetation.

    ¡°Tel! Tel, are you okay?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, a little shaken, but unharmed save for a graze from the bolt on his arm.

    ¡°Good,¡± Raulin said as he crossed the distance to the Man With the Coin. He spurred to action, trying to reload the crossbow, but couldn¡¯t get his hands coordinated in time to cock the weapon. Raulin tackled him, sending him sprawling backwards towards the fire.

    ¡°I want the coin,¡± he said, both knives at the man¡¯s throat as he straddled him. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from your corpse if I have to.¡±

    Casquio took a moment, then cautiously raised his hands to his neck and undid the clasp, handing him the necklace. Raulin tucked it into his belt and moved off the bounty hunter, still holding his knives close to the man¡¯s chest. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Casquio asked.

    ¡°I came here to get Anla back. I am freeing your captives and taking your valuables, so that you¡¯ll find it difficult to come after us. This is mercy. You are no better than a slaver, and I should kill you for what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°The law¡­¡± he began. ¡°We are sanctioned by the king to do this¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a trirec. Please guess as to how much I care about laws and regal decrees. Tel, let¡¯s make it uncomfortable for this man. I¡¯m thinking the rocks.¡±

    Casquio collapsed back, fully supine and defeated. Tel moved a large rock to the man¡¯s right wrist, shaping the stone into a cuff that laid too heavy for him to lift his arm.

    ¡°How will I get out of this?¡± he asked. ¡°You said ¡®mercy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving your archer his knife back. He should be able to free your fancy boy next. The two of them might be able to crawl to a stead or a town and find someone with a sledgehammer who¡¯ll be willing to break your chains for you. I¡¯d hope for your sake they¡¯re very precise or else you¡¯ll walk away with some broken bones.¡±

    Raulin thought he heard a pained breath escape from the bounty hunter, until he looked up and saw the noise had come from the half-elf from that night in the tavern. ¡°Do you have the coin?¡± he asked Raulin.

    ¡°It¡¯s in my belt¡­¡± he started to say before Sakilei ran to Casquio¡¯s side and yanked the knives from Raulin¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Sakilei,¡± Anla said. ¡°Revenge is permanent. Think about what you¡¯re doing before you¡¯re doing it.¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± he said, giving no hesitation before plunging one of the knives into Casquio¡¯s belly. Raulin jumped away as the man gave an odd yell somewhere between laughter and anguish.

    Tel put the rock down and helped Raulin stand as Sakilei wreaked carnage on the hunk of flesh that quickly turned from body to corpse. ¡°If you ever see your brother-in-law again,¡± Raulin said to Anla, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him ¡®cattle¡¯ or whatever makes the best mincemeat.¡±

    Sakilei stopped, catching his breath in heaves. He wiped the blades on the bottom of Casquio¡¯s pants, really the only accessible cloth remaining that wasn¡¯t soaked in blood, and silently handed Raulin his knives back. He wiped the splattering of blood off his face and said, ¡°I serve.¡±

    ¡°Is that part of the ¡®serving¡¯?¡± Raulin asked, nodding his head towards the mangled corpse.

    ¡°I was with him for over a decade. He made me do some despicable things that I couldn¡¯t even say ¡®no¡¯ to. So long as you don¡¯t make me do the same, I won¡¯t touch you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­good to know. I¡¯d hate to free you then have you attack me for it.¡±

    ¡°Free?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. You and Anla come over to the fire.¡±

    The four of them sat down, Sakilei still looking gruesome with speckles and smears of dark blood across his face. Raulin took the coin from his belt and held it up. The echoes of what Al said of what kind of power they had, and what kind of power he now had over their magic, crossed his mind. He knew what he would do with it. Just one night, he thought, which turned his stomach immediately. The temptation burned, but he wanted her, not some thrall of her. All or nothing.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± he asked Sakilei. ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss anything.¡±

    ¡°I think you have to say who you are and that you are now the new Man With the Coin. Then, dismiss all bindings we have. Tell us we can use all of our magic again, tell us we no longer have to obey the Man With the Coin, tell us¡­tell us we are free.¡±

    ¡°What do I do with this?¡± he asked, holding up the coin. ¡°If someone finds it in the fire or buried, they could seek you out and enslave you again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a symbol and has no magic of its own. Tell us it means nothing and it will.¡±

    ¡°All right. My name is Raulin Kemor and I am the new Man With the Coin¡­¡±

    After five minutes of intense instructions that he consulted Telbarisk on, he threw the chain and coin into the fire. ¡°You¡¯re free now. There is no longer a Man With the Coin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anla said. ¡°And thank you for coming for me, us.¡±

    Sakilei let a breath out, ragged and full of an emotion no one there would ever understand. He buried his head into his knees for a few moments, then lifted his head. ¡°What do I do now?¡±

    ¡°Well, we need to finish a few loose ends here,¡± Raulin said, standing. ¡°Then, we¡¯re going back to our camp to rest. It¡¯s been¡­a tiring night. Anla?¡±

    ¡°You are welcome to join us.¡±

    He nodded and stood, immediately going to Casquio¡¯s tent and removing everything inside.

    Raulin returned to the archer, picking up the knife. He looked at the knife, his eyes widening before speaking. ¡°Ah yuh fugu afha! Yuh kid deh!¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just giving you the knife like I promised. And though you have to reason to believe me, your leader shot the kid and then the half-elf took care of him. Thought I should warn you; it¡¯s a pretty grizzly scene.

    ¡°The fancy boy is tied up not far from here. It¡¯s up to you if you want to free him or not. As a bit of advice, I¡¯d think twice about reporting us to the authorities. I¡¯m letting you live today, but I may reconsider that in the future.¡±

    He put the knife in the archer¡¯s lap and headed back to the group. ¡°Where¡¯s Al?¡± Anla asked. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he wasn¡¯t here.¡±

    Raulin sighed, too exhausted to explain. ¡°You can ask him yourself. I¡¯ve had my fill of that situation and I¡¯d rather just go back to the camp.¡±

 Chapter 173

    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Al demanded.

    Raulin awoke to the wizard standing over him. Annoyed, he sat up. ¡°He¡¯s a half-elf, like Anla.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but who is he and why is he here?¡±

    ¡°We rescued him and Anla last night while you were passed out. Now you have two baerds in your group to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Where were you last night?¡± Al turned to see Anla standing next to him, peering curiously up into his eyes. ¡°You seem to like action lately, I was surprised you stayed behind.¡±

    ¡°I¡­um. I thought it might be a good idea to wait a little while longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why was that, Al? Did you think Raulin was being too rash?¡± Raulin smirked at the barely contained tartness in her voice.

    ¡°No, I just thought, well¡­since you didn¡¯t have the same kind of training that I did, it might be wise to give you the chance to learn more about your magic.¡±

    ¡°And how would you know that was going to happen?¡±

    ¡°Well, he was there and I assumed that he was going to teach you things.¡±

    By this point both Tel and Sakilei were awake and watching the argument. ¡°That¡¯s quite an assumption to make, that they would allow that. Or that I wouldn¡¯t be under the same spell they had me under when I left.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± he said, ¡°I was tired. I haven¡¯t been feeling myself lately and I didn¡¯t think I was going to be an asset to the rescue. So, I went to bed and hoped they¡¯d find you.¡±

    Anla said nothing for a few moments. ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°It still hurts that you didn¡¯t help, but if you¡¯re not feeling well, then I hope the sleep helped and that you¡¯ll feel better.¡±

    Al didn¡¯t say anything in return, opting instead to begin breakfast for the group, sifting through Tel¡¯s pack of foodstuffs and utensils for a rice porridge.

    Raulin scowled behind his mask. He had been expecting something dramatic and satisfying to come from that confrontation. Al had abandoned her, after all she had done for him. Worse, he hadn¡¯t seen what was about to happen to her if they hadn¡¯t intervened. ¡°Buying time¡± she had said. She had believed they were coming for her. They had, but not Al. And now there he sat, shucking peas and measuring rice for breakfast, without any consequences for his despicable lack of action.

    He was thinking like the wizard. He should forget about it and let things fall where they may. But, the anger was growing and he needed a distraction, so he took off deeper into the woods and found a nice little spot to do his morning exercises.

    It was in the middle of the move called ¡°the barrel roll¡±, where he planked and slowly turned over, that he noticed Anla was watching him. ¡°Mezzem,¡± he said. shaking slightly at the hold. ¡°Anything I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, shaking her head to get out of her thoughts. She looked up. ¡°You do pick the nicest places to do that.¡±

    ¡°Most of the time it¡¯s in a hotel room. If I can enjoy a place by myself, then I do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you want me to leave? You found the closest water source, so I brought Sakilei¡¯s clothes to clean. They¡¯re, um, rather soaked through with blood.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me in the slightest. He¡¯s cleaned off?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I gave him a sort-of bath with a cloth. His hair was a mess.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, sinking to a squat with a leg extended. ¡°You two are close, then?¡±

    She dunked Sakilei¡¯s shirt into the stream. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. He¡¯s a bit rough.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I thought that, since you two were of the same background, you¡¯d have a lot in common.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­he takes after the elven half a bit more than I do. Besides, I think he finds me annoying.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± was all he said, pleased that there was nothing between them, but obviously not willing to admit that.

    He was about to switch from his stretches to his knife practice when Anla asked, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    He stopped short. ¡°Pardon?¡±

    She continued to lay out the clothes to dry. ¡°You kissed me the other day. I thought it would be best to ask what you wanted, to clear the air.¡±

    To love you, he thought. To protect you and share life with you. ¡°For you to be happy,¡± he said, snapping into the first position with his knives.

    ¡°It¡¯s usually not the case. A kiss from a man means ¡®I want more¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Not always. I didn¡¯t expect anything else from you; I just wanted to kiss you. I¡¯m sorry if that was unwanted or misunderstood. It was¡­more like an artistic brush stroke than anything else, I suppose. I meant what I said about it being the only thing I could think of to make the moment better.¡±

    She nodded and seemed to be thinking, so he continued his exercises, slashing the air in front of him with his knives in a choreographed manner he could do in his sleep, which was exactly the point of it. He¡¯d often engage in quick fights with both armed and unarmed adversaries, only to finish ten or fifteen seconds later with no strong recollection of what had transpired.

    ¡°I think the best way to describe my feelings on people is in survival terms,¡± she began. He stopped to listen, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. ¡°I¡¯ve lived so long on the streets that I look at things as hunger or satiety, fear or safety, coldness or warmth. It¡¯s the latter I use to describe relationships. People are usually cold to me, at least in the beginning. My family was warm. Riyan, my friend I¡¯ve mentioned, was warm. None of those people expected anything more from me than conversation and a hug, maybe to actually share actual warmth while we slept.

    ¡°I had two beaus which for me was more a coupling for convenience. They protected me and gave me a steady source of food and a roof over my head. In turn, they paraded me around and got what men want from women from me. We were warm in the beginning, but then they would kiss me and I knew it meant something was expected and not requested. And then we grew cold. It was a tallying session; lay down for me and you¡¯ll get what you need for the next few days.

    ¡°Tel, Al, and you, especially you, have been warm for me. And I consider it truly a blessing that I can travel with three men I feel warm with, and safe. I don¡¯t want to lose that, not with what we have.¡±

    ¡°Was it cold? The kiss?¡± he asked. ¡°Or the one in the carriage in New Wextif?¡±

    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t know if it was warm, either.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He felt a tight pain in his chest. She didn¡¯t feel the same way. But, she had only balked at his last move, not the other interactions from before the kiss.

    He approached her, slowly, and stopped a few feet from her, kneeling down to her eye level. ¡°I said what I meant about how I wanted you to be happy, so I¡¯d like to propose something. I want you to change us if, and only if, you want to. We¡¯ll go back to the way things were, but if you decide one day that a kiss is a warm thing, then kiss me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± she said, looking relieved.

    He nodded and went back to his routine. It was an inch in the mile he wished to travel with her, but it was at least forward movement.

    ¡°So, what happened last night really?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°With Al.¡±

    He knew his slashes grew more enthusiastic, but didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°As I said last night, you can ask him. I¡¯m not going to get in the middle.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re unhappy with him. In fact, you¡¯re angry. You woke up angry with him.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°His excuse wasn¡¯t truthful, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was a truth.¡±

    ¡°But not what he told you.¡± He slowed enough to give her a steady look. ¡°All right, you don¡¯t want to get into the middle. I¡¯m headed back to camp. I¡¯ll see you there.¡±

    A heavenly aroma filled Raulin¡¯s nostrils not too long after. He finished his routine quickly, donned his shirt and mask, and didn¡¯t take his time to getting back to the fire. Bacon, he had decided. Sakilei must have taken all the perishables from the bounty hunters¡¯ camp. His next few meals were going to be good.

    ¡°Does he always wear that mask?¡± Sakilei asked when Raulin took his seat next to him.

    ¡°Only when I don¡¯t want people to see my face.¡±

    ¡°He thinks it gives him an air of mystery,¡± Al said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t. It just makes him stand out in crowds. Oh, maybe he does it for the attention.¡±

    Raulin watched Al¡¯s face, to see if he was joking. He wasn¡¯t. Things were two steps back again. ¡°I think it¡¯s a smart idea,¡± Sakilei said. ¡°Keep your identity hidden, do your night business then by day look like a normal man.¡±

    ¡°See, he gets it,¡± Raulin said. He extended his hand and they shook. ¡°Raulin Kemor, trirec.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s not Merakian,¡± Al added.

    ¡°Yes, thanks for that, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°Sakilei Towinei, baerd.¡±

    They dropped hands and Raulin began tucking into his meal. ¡°Everything good thus far?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. I have a few questions.¡±

    ¡°Ask. We¡¯ll answer the ones we can.¡±

    ¡°Do you often sleep without a guard posted?¡±

    Raulin nodded thoughtfully as he chewed. ¡°I think we were rather exhausted last night and therefore I forgot to set an assignment. We usually do.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to be sure since I didn¡¯t think you had. I set the daych spell around the camp last night and removed it this morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anla said, holding out the syllable. ¡°I see. I can use the same spell that I used on the coin to set a ward around camp. If anything crosses it, it¡¯ll make a loud sound.¡±

    ¡°It was part of my duties before I went to bed.¡± He ripped off a piece of bacon, chewed, and said, ¡°How is he still alive?¡± He pointed to Telbarisk, who was still blowing on his porridge. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone shot with an arrow dead on escape without any wound.¡±

    ¡°Tel is a kiluid,¡± Raulin explained. ¡°They are masters of nature, more or less. He was able to use the wind to slow the bolt from the crossbow down.¡±

    ¡°I was also able to move the arrow a little because it is wood,¡± Tel said. ¡°With both I could move out of the way of the younger man and the bolt in time.¡±

    ¡°That sounds a bit like what some of my people could do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Towinei,¡± Anla said. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°West, far west. Grewedi, or where the humans call Makinfry.¡±

    ¡°So, what will you do then? Do you want to go home to them or¡­?¡±

    Sakilei finished his meal and set his bowl down. ¡°I haven¡¯t had much time to think about it.¡±

    ¡°You could travel with us until you figure out your plans.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Al said.

    Not surprised at the wizard¡¯s response in the least, Raulin immediately retorted, ¡°Vote. Aye?¡± He, Anla, and Tel raised their hands. ¡°Nay?¡± Al raised his hand. ¡°The ayes have it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a chance to state my case,¡± Al said. ¡°He¡¯s not part of the quartet, meaning he could¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we understand your argument in totality, Wizard, we just don¡¯t agree. Or care.¡±

    ¡°What are your plans?¡± Sakilei asked.

    ¡°I have a contract to do in the upcoming weeks and miles. We¡¯ll be traveling south for it, camping mostly and staying in hotels and inns when we can.¡±

    ¡°Contract? You need to kill someone?¡±

    He pulled out his journal and thumbed to the page for Kikiyan. ¡°No, this is a theft. Do you have any issues with that?¡±

    Sakilei shook his head. ¡°What you do is your business, unless you want help. Does Anladet help?¡±

    ¡°Anladet helps whenever she can,¡± she answered for herself. ¡°But that¡¯s my choice.¡±

    ¡°If applicable, I pay well for assistance.¡±

    Al snorted and took everyone¡¯s bowl to wash. As he reached the tree break, Raulin yelled, ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t mind taking payment when you helped, Wizard,¡± as he left for the same stream Anla had washed Sakilei¡¯s clothes in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I like him too much. He doesn¡¯t like me, either,¡± Sakilei said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take it personally. He¡¯s had issues with Anladet and I. The only one he doesn¡¯t mind is Tel.¡±

    ¡°That I can understand. I like the big guy; he¡¯s quiet.¡±

    ¡°I mangi dan,¡± he said, scooping his hand and touching his fingertips to his chest before giving a slight bow.

    ¡°Anladet taught you our language?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°There are elves on Ervaskin. Much taller, and their language is different a little, but mostly the same.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said, taking off his knit cap and wiping his head. ¡°The world is much larger than I know.¡±

    Sakilei and Tel spoke to each other on the road in Elvish, Raulin taking point as they walked west back towards Siasard. It was an annoying amount of days he had to add to his schedule, but any time was worth it to have Anla back with them.

    She and Al were conversing about something behind him as if nothing had happened. As it were, Al didn¡¯t know much about Ashven and Anla was filling him in on what she knew. He was listening attentively.

    ¡°That right there,¡± she said, pointing to a tree. ¡°That¡¯s a sassafras tree. My people like to make a drink with it that¡¯s pretty refreshing. It smells nice.¡±

    Al went over to sniff the tree. ¡°I don¡¯t think I like it, but it is pungent.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone liked it. So, how was your night alone last night?¡±

    ¡°Quiet. I went to bed early. You?¡±

    ¡°Eventful. It took me a while to fall asleep, I¡¯ll have to admit. You know, I think you could have helped. There were a couple of men that were separate from the group. You could have knocked them out easily.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± he said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really so much that I didn¡¯t think I was useless.¡±

    Here, Raulin slowed down so he was just a few yards ahead of them. He wanted to hear where the conversation was going.

    ¡°It would have been easy to slip in, Al. Tel camouflaged both Raulin and he very well. I never saw them until they were feet away. Maybe you didn¡¯t know he could do that, though.¡±

    ¡°He did that back when we were escaping the hunters sent after us after Raulin killed the count in Carvek. No, I just thought it would be best if you spent a few days with them.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she asked quietly.

    He stopped to explain and both Raulin and Anla followed suit. ¡°Your magic is powerful. Anyone who has powerful magic should know what it¡¯s like to be under that magic. As I explained to Raulin, wizards at Amandorlam have to undergo training that involves having their magic used on them. That way, they always know what it¡¯s like to be used by their magic as well as using it. You¡¯ve never gone through that and I don¡¯t think you understand the ramifications of what you do. There¡¯s no cost for you, therefore you don¡¯t think about using your magic. You don¡¯t take into account what it¡¯s like for someone to be used by you.

    ¡°You being kidnapped was the best thing for you. Now you know what it¡¯s like for me, for us, when you use your spells for your gain.¡±

    Anla stood there for one brief moment before she cocked her arm back and slapped him across the face. ¡°How could you?¡± she asked as he held his hand to his face, still tilted down from the blow. ¡°How could you leave me to them? You wanted me to learn a lesson so badly that you were willing to risk my safety, my life, so that you could finally feel safe from me? When have I ever made you feel so scared that you felt the need to do that?¡±

    He actually looked confused, though it was hard to tell whether he was unsure of why she had slapped him or of why he had done what he had done. Maybe the words she had just said had actually gotten through to him.

    ¡°It must be so nice, strolling through life with everything handed to you. A rich upbringing. An education with everything planned and tested. Even your miserable life in Whitney was at least better than having to eat rotten food and drink water from puddles, sleep in alleys and hope someone didn¡¯t rob what little I had. I lived that life because I refused to use my magic to make my life easier at the cost of their freedom. There were days when I starved, when I was so cold that I didn¡¯t know if I was going to wake up the next day, because I held so strongly to that conviction.

    ¡°So, if you think I¡¯d go through that only to play games with you now, you have no idea who I am. And I don¡¯t think I can speak to you anymore until you learn that.¡±

    She turned and left Al behind, walking next to Raulin. She was still shaking from the anger when he realized that, even though he had wanted her to know what Al had said, he was disappointed to see her so unhappy. He was unsure if it was the right time, but he reached out and squeezed her arm. Anla¡¯s shoulders collapsed and he pulled her into a brief, but understanding hug.

 Chapter 174

    Al wasn¡¯t the most observant person in the world, but even he understood that several days of cold shoulders from Raulin and Anla meant they didn¡¯t want to speak with him. He didn¡¯t want to talk to Sakilei, and Tel was usually speaking with the half-elf and couldn¡¯t hold a conversation with Al, so he had no one left to talk to but himself. And he didn¡¯t care that he got strange looks from the others when he did so.

    He decided he was going to write a field guide cum autobiography and used the silence as the invisible tablet to his audial quill and ink. He spoke about the conditions of the roads and towns, whether something looked suspicious or nice, the people that milled around, all in a low mutter and feverish cadence.

    The group passed southwesterly along the Route of the Woods. Al got a few chapters done on the local flora and fauna as well as that recounted that one time he almost failed an exam because he had slept too late that day. They passed another few days on the trail and Al wrote a treatise on Tichen and his lesser known works. He also felt it was important to discuss the Br¡¯vani people and what that meant to him.

    He was in full-blown discourse on Berothian fables when Raulin brought dinner to Anla and sat next to her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s time we do something about that?¡± he asked in Arvonnese, nodding his head to the rambling wizard.

    ¡°It still hurts,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I can for him, yet he still thinks of me as some enemy. He doesn¡¯t understand me, and until he¡¯s willing to finally give instead of take, and to face what he did, I think we¡¯re fine. Well, not ¡®fine¡¯, but okay existing near each other by not speaking with each other. I know it¡¯s not the most mature way to¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± he interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t like what he did any less than you. But, as angry as I still am with him, I¡¯m still reminded that he is a person. He¡¯s a man who¡¯s lost everything in his life: his job, his family, his best friend, and now us, whatever we were to him.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll forgive him. Just, not now.¡±

    When the Berothian fables were finished, Al looked up to see that the group was split again. He got his bowl of stew and began dictating about them in between bites. Across from him sat Raulin and Anla, who leaned against each other in front of the fire. Raulin was a trirec, though it was more important to look past that when understanding his character. He was a man who chose to continue his profession when there were plenty of others he could pick from other than slicing mens throats. He claimed it was due to his order being able to find him and killing him for leaving, but if he was such a great trirec, why couldn¡¯t he avoid them? And if he really wasn¡¯t a great trirec, why would they bother to look for him in the first place?

    Anla was a baerd, and he thought he might be able to one day write a refreshed history on that subject. That would be an important book to write for Ghenians. Perhaps he could teach a class on it at Amandorlam. They didn¡¯t know what he knew about her kind, about the enslavement they could cast onto a man. If only a baerd got close to the king or one of his viziers¡­Maybe that¡¯s why King Lerent, Taneus¡¯ father, had ordered the peace summits with the elves and the eventual drawing of the Nui-Breckin Law. A baerd had forced it. It was something he¡¯d have to look into and let Amandorlam know about should he find enough proof.

    Telbarisk was speaking with Sakilei, per usual. (Oh, Al had forgotten that he could write quite a bit on grivvens for Amandorlam.) Al had no issues with Tel, aside from the fact that he had spent quite a bit of time with the half-elf, which meant he could be compromised. Actually, since he¡¯d had some time to think about it, he did have a problem with Tel.

    He listened. Tel and the half-elf spoke what he assumed was Elvish. Anla and Raulin lapsed in and out of Ghenian, favoring something that might have been Arvonnese. Even though none of them acknowledged Al¡¯s presence, he felt like they were talking about him nonetheless. Why else would they speak in languages he didn¡¯t know? Why would they splinter off and speak in partnerships?

    They were plotting something, he realized. Something that didn¡¯t include him. Or was it something involving him?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Al went to bed that night and woke with that same thought in his head. He realized it wouldn¡¯t be a positive thing; his birthday was in January and they didn¡¯t like him very much right now. In fact, they really didn¡¯t like him. It was like he wasn¡¯t there to them, setting out his plates of food and ignoring him completely. It would be best for them if he wasn¡¯t there.

    Or alive. Yes, it would be best for the four of them if he was dead right now. And since he had no reassurances that the quartet couldn¡¯t survive a death, and he¡¯d never fully believed it to be the case, he began to understand how easy it would be for a trirec to slice his throat and steal his chalice.

    But, maybe, they had to have four people. He¡¯d never thought of it before, but perhaps the spell and its one year expanse only started when the fourth person took their sip. If you lost one or never found the fourth person, maybe the spell would last forever.

    And if your group decided to kill one of its members, you would want to start your year as soon as possible with a new member.

    Anla moved back as they walked on the Route and spoke to Sakilei. ¡°How long were you with the hunters, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°I was taken when I was sixteen, so twenty-three years.¡±

    She let out a pained breath. ¡°So long. I don¡¯t understand how people could do that.¡±

    ¡°I understand well enough. I started as pain. I¡¯m what the polite Ghenians call a ¡®product of war¡¯. My father was some nameless Ghenian soldier who helped raid my mother¡¯s tribe. She said over half the men fighting were slaughtered as well as some of the women and children. They burned my mother¡¯s village. She escaped, not without scars and suffering.

    ¡°They rebuilt a place more secure and stronger, but peace and laws wiped out any chance of revenge. Under the friendly banner, the Ghenians came and inspected my tribe and found me. She screamed and cried when they took me, but she could do nothing. If there was no peace, the tribe would have slit the throats of the bounty hunters that took me. That peace strangles.

    ¡°And since then, I¡¯ve been with one group of bounty hunters or another. Sometimes they are professional. Sometimes they are vile and hedonistic. Most have fallen in the middle. If you ask if I regret killing Casquio, my answers with always be ¡®no¡¯. What he did and what he had me do, just one tenth would be worth his death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°Say this: I whev kalav. You have sorrow, but you are not sorry. It is not your fault that my life has been the way it is, but you still empathize and mourn with me.¡±

    ¡°I whev kalav,¡± she said.

    He nodded. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question in return?¡±

    ¡°No, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Why is your strange, dark little man staring at me so much?¡±

    She turned to look at Al, who was glaring at Sakilei with open hostility. She sighed. ¡°I think he¡¯s jealous. I¡¯m not entirely sure; his voice has sounded strange since you¡¯ve joined us and I don¡¯t recognize what emotion it is. It¡¯s not quite anger.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s a bit crazed. Sometimes we would find men in the middle of the woods like him, barking at the moon like wolves, sleeping in caves, eating pine cones. It¡¯s a strange sight to behold; men choosing to be less then men. I sort of enjoyed them, since it meant that not everyone wanted to be a proper Ghenian gentleman.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Al is going to be eating pine cones any time soon; he palate is far too refined.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°He is going through something right now. You didn¡¯t meet him when we were in Whitney, but he was far different. He¡¯s always had a problem with my magic and me being a piscarin, but I thought we had reached a sort of unspoken truce about the matter. He also seemed to be lightening up about his morals. He sees the world in black and white; either you¡¯re good and law-abiding, or you¡¯re evil and a law-breaker.¡±

    ¡°A man named ¡®Gray¡¯ doesn¡¯t see things in shades?¡±

    She laughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s an ironic moniker, I suppose. No, for the longest time he didn¡¯t like us, especially Raulin, because of our moral ambiguity. He¡¯s had some moments of his own recently, so I had hoped he would begin to see the world differently. But, no. He¡¯s backtracked in the last few weeks. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s anything to worry about.¡±

    That night was calm and quiet. With the fire going and no foul weather in Telbarisk¡¯s sight, they all camped under the stars, save Al. He was inside his tent shortly after dinner and hadn¡¯t said anything to anyone, not even himself.

    It was sometime after they had fallen asleep that Al quietly opened the flap to his tent. The fire was almost out and there was no moon in the sky to illuminate him as he crept towards the sleeping figures. He ignored the largest one across the fire from him. He ignored the two figures sleeping side-by-side, their limbs tangled with each other. He made for the remaining one.

    Sakilei was on his side, not how Al needed him. No matter; he could exercise patience. He waited until finally the half-elf shifted so that he was on his back, facing the stars. Al didn¡¯t hesitate. He raised his arms and plunged the knife down.

 Chapter 175

    Raulin awoke to two men yelling, one flailing to get out of the fire and the other standing and backing away from the first. He was on his feet in less than a second, making a quick decision to help Al out of the embers and to also make sure he didn¡¯t move closer to Sakilei.

    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± he asked, pressing his foot into Al¡¯s chest.

    ¡°He stabbed me,¡± Sakilei said, taking off his shirt. Even in the dim light Raulin could see a dark wound on his chest and blood trickling down his torso.

    ¡°Wizard, explain yourself.¡±

    ¡°I had to,¡± he began, his voice feverish. ¡°He was going to take my place. Four people, five here, it was too perfect with you hating. Nice timing; I wonder if it wasn¡¯t planned from the start. That makes sense. I think the Twelve are in on this. They¡¯re moving us around like chess pieces, the king, the queen, the knight, the bishop. Are we all red or all black, though, is the real question. ¡±

    ¡°What are you rambling about?¡± he asked, holding Al¡¯s face still with his hands. His eyes were wild, darting about in all directions. He licked his lips and continued his fast-paced diatribe on fate, chess, and whatever detritus his mind collected and added to his ramblings.

    By this time, Anla had moved to Sakilei¡¯s side with her water pouch. Tel was wisely stoking the fire, sensing a long night ahead. ¡°What did he stab you with?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That,¡± he said, pointing to a silver object on the ground. Anla picked it up and held it up to examine.

    ¡°A butter knife?¡±

    Sakilei looked down, then asked for the item. He stared at it, then said, ¡°That strange little man stabbed me with a butter knife. Why?¡±

    Anla moved over to Al¡¯s side, who was still babbling about the destinies found on gaming boards. ¡°I need to see if he burned his back,¡± she said to Raulin, who moved off his chest and helped nudge Al to his side. ¡°His shirt is burnt, but it¡¯s hard to tell with his dark skin whether or not he was hurt.¡± She ran her fingers lightly over his skin. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any hot patches.¡±

    Raulin knelt next to Al and balled his shirt in his fist. ¡°Wizard, look at me. Why did you stab Sakilei?¡±

    ¡°I struck before you struck. I kill him, you can¡¯t have your new fourth. You kill me, you have your new fourth.¡±

    ¡°You thought we were going to kill you and replace you with Sakilei?¡± he asked, astonished.

    ¡°You need four. I am no longer with you. I am outside the circle. He is inside, speaking in comforting tongues with Anla and Tel. You¡¯ve been plotting for some time now. I struck before you could strike.¡±

    ¡°What is wrong with you? You¡¯ve been acting strangely for weeks now, ever since we left Whitney. You turn your back on Anla and try to kill someone we just met, with a butter knife of all things.¡±

    ¡°Tel takes the cleavers and puts them in his bag. I forgot.¡±

    ¡°Well, you had an ax, though I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t use it.¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°The Twelve are involved. Skethik wanted me to have the ax. To kill. Has to be someone important, not him. I think it¡¯s a king.¡±

    Raulin dropped his hand from Al¡¯s shirt and moved back, startled for a moment. ¡°Tel? We need to find a place to hold him until we figure out what to do.¡±

    The two took Al by the arms and found a large enough tree to put him against. Within a few minutes, vines had crawled around Al¡¯s body holding him in place. He seemed fine with this at first, but after a few minutes he began shouting for them to let him go.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I need air! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± he yelled, hyperventilating. ¡°Let me go!¡± After a brief respite, he began laughing maniacally at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°Could one of you baerds take care of that?¡± Raulin asked. A few moments later the yells and laughter from Al were snuffed out and the forest was quiet again. ¡°Sakilei, he attacked and hurt you. What are your thoughts on the situation?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± he said, absently fingering the dressing Anla had made for him. ¡°Your man seems to be going through something. I think it would be unfair to punish him, like kicking a toothless dog for gumming your leg.¡±

    ¡°He hardly ¡®gummed¡¯ your chest, though.¡±

    Sakilei shrugged. ¡°So long as he stays away from me and you can guarantee that, I don¡¯t want any revenge or justice.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Even though he¡¯s not himself right now, he¡¯s still one of us. It makes things easier if we don¡¯t have to deal with the law. Now, do we have any ideas as to what¡¯s going on?¡±

    When no one spoke up, he said, ¡°For now, then, we need to keep him under supervision. I don¡¯t want him to try to jump Sakilei again, or any of us. I know we¡¯re a little rattled, but I think we should try to get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning and come up with a plan.¡±

    It took Anla a little while to fall asleep. She kept feeling like there was something she was missing, something that made sense of the whole thing. Instead she drifted off and woke up before the others, when the sky was still gray and the fire down to embers. She gently disentangled herself from Raulin¡¯s arms and went to see Al.

    She hoped that things would be back to normal, so she could confront him more civilly. His betrayal still hurt, but she had remembered at some point that the chalice was meant to keep them together until a kinship was achieved. (The book wasn¡¯t clear on what exactly passed for a strong bond, but she was hoping that civility would be enough.) Where she and he were right now was a step back from the end goal. She was willing to swallow her pride if it meant helping their relationship.

    If only she could reach him somehow, make him trust that she was responsible with her powers. He didn¡¯t know how many times she had to fight with herself not to use her magic. Life would be so easy with her controlling people, having slaves do her bidding, bring her money, kill who she wanted to kill. It would be so easy for her to slip into that again¡­

    She looked past the brush at the tree where Al was, or should have been. The vines around the tree trunk were snapped and he was gone. She scanned the area quickly, to see if he had passed out somewhere, but he was nowhere to be seen.

    The trees were still more green than in foliage here, but there were enough leaves on the forest floor to make a blanket. She went to the tree and listened for the sounds of a man rustling as he walked. There, about an hour ago, was a shuffling sound that started with a strained groan, several snaps, a thud, and then scraping that led away from the tree. And, if the light was just a little better, she could have seen the trail he had taken.

    His pace was plodding and unsure. He stopped every fifty feet or so, turning from side-to-side before continuing onward. Was this a trap? Where was he going?

    She almost gasped when she finally saw him standing in front of a cliff, a ledge that stretched out over a small valley. He wasn¡¯t holding anything that she could see and he was facing away from her.

    ¡°Al?¡± He barely registered her presence. ¡°Al, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said, quietly but assuredly.

    ¡°Time for what?¡±

    In response, he nodded once towards the dawning sky in front of him. ¡°You can have my things. Maybe you can find a buyer for the inkwell. I hoped to return what¡¯s inside to Arvonne, but not now.¡±

    ¡°Al, I don¡¯t want your inkwell or your things. I want to talk to you.¡± She tried to move forward but he held out his hand to stop her, then shook his head.

    She had to strain to hear him, he was so quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking all night and I realized that I was wrong. I was so worried about when you were going to kill me that I didn¡¯t stop to ask whether you should or not. Now, it¡¯s clear to me that you chose the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Al, please listen to me. We never had any intention of killing you. Never. ¡°

    He turned back to the dawn, his thick, black hair swaying in the breeze. ¡°Then you don¡¯t understand what I understand. Everything seems so clear to me now. I have to die to free you three, so that you can continue on with Sakilei. I¡¯m over the anger and fear I had about it.¡±

    ¡°Al, no,¡± she said. She had hoped so badly that by standing in front of the cliff he was just being contemplative. Now that he had admitted it, she began to panic. ¡°Please. You¡¯re not well. You need to come back to camp and we can talk about this. Sakilei isn¡¯t mad at you. No one is. We¡¯ll bring you to Kikiyan and we¡¯ll have someone there figure out what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± he said. ¡°I understand things better than I ever have. And this needs to happen.¡± He took one step closer, looking over the side. ¡°I should admit that it¡¯s not just me being a martyr to this cause. I¡¯m¡­tired. And I have nothing to lose. I¡¯m volunteering to free us all from this arrangement and I hope things are better with Sakilei. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m sorry. Tell everyone I¡¯m sorry, for everything.¡±

    ¡°Al, no!¡± She didn¡¯t care if he wanted her back, she ran to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said once more and stepped over the edge.

 Chapter 176

    Anla¡¯s hand was outreached, several feet away from the ledge. Then, both flew to her mouth, suppressing a gasp. She stopped and couldn¡¯t move for a few moments from the shock. He was gone.

    Then she heard two thuds, one after the other, following by a yell to her left. ¡°Shit!¡± Raulin groaned through clenched teeth.

    Her head snapped over and she saw the trirec on the ground, holding a taut rope wrapped in his left hand. His right was underneath him and something seemed off about it. She froze for just a moment, then ran to his side, grabbing the rope and pulling.

    Raulin stood behind her and began walking backwards, hauling with as much force as he could with one arm. Anla ran to the side of the cliff and helped pull Al up and over the edge, his unconscious form dead weight for the two of them. When he was over, she examined his head, finding a cut on the back. She didn¡¯t know if it was serious, but the bleeding seemed minimal.

    She looked up at Raulin. ¡°How¡­?¡±

    He knelt down and tried to untie the knot from the rope with his left hand. ¡°I got cold,¡± he said, pain lacing his words.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I woke up because I was cold. I was cold because you were gone. Since I was up, I figured the wizard must have tired himself out and that I should bring him back to camp. I didn¡¯t think he was well enough, though, so I got my rope out to tie him up. When I got to the tree, he was gone. I followed the trail to here, saw you talking with him, had a bad feeling about where it was going, and just managed to get a lasso together and throw it before he jumped. It¡¯s a good thing I was thirty feet away, and not twenty, or I might have missed.¡±

    Anla shook her head and smiled, taking over the unknotting of the rope. ¡°Sometimes I think you exaggerate without meaning to, but I can¡¯t catch you in the lie. I was wrong about your skills.¡±

    ¡°I could have introduced you to some trirecs that could have corroborated my story. Then again, they¡¯re trirecs, so never mind.¡±

    She nodded to his shoulder. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Likely a dislocation. I¡¯ve had one in each shoulder before. I¡¯ll need a sturdy tree to pop it back into place and a friend to catch me if I pass out from the pain.¡±

    ¡°What do we do with Al?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the tricky part. I¡¯ll have to stay with him while you get Sakilei and Tel.¡±

    The three returned as quickly as they could. Tel knelt next to Al, thumbing his forehead and stroking his hair. ¡°Only a man in a lot of pain would try to end his life. I knew he was having a troubled time, but I didn¡¯t know it was this bad.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on,¡± Raulin said, still gritting his teeth. ¡°Nothing he¡¯s done recently makes sense.¡±

    Anla sighed. ¡°It does, and I should have realized it before now. I think we should bring him back to the fire and get you taken care of before I clarify.¡±

    Raulin explained to Tel that he needed to catch him after he hit the tree trunk, in case he passed out from the pain. Tel stood with his arms waiting. Raulin jammed his shoulder against the tree and gasped, falling to his knees and onto his face.

    ¡°Tel¡­¡± he said, groaning.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raulin,¡± he said, reaching down and scooping up his friend by the armpits. ¡± I thought you were going to fall back against me. Do you feel better?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but for missing me I¡¯m going to make you bring the wizard back to camp.¡±

    Sakilei, without a word, restarted the fire and cooked up breakfast for the group, setting aside a bowl of oatmeal and fruit for Al as well. Once everyone was settled and eating, Anla began. ¡°Al and I rescued the Duke of Sharka¡¯s daughter from a kidnapping by cultists back in the spring. Since they took her through rough terrain in the forest, he was forced to use the Unease for extended periods of time. He wasn¡¯t used to it and he began to show side effects from it. The first was a queer sense of humor where he made jokes at my expense. He apologized afterward and explained what it was like to stop his magic after using it for so long. Later, after a long night of running with a heavy pack and an eight-year-old girl on his back, he collapsed into a deep melancholy where he neither spoke to us or could move. Afterwards, he told me that if it ever happened again, to watch over him and protect him from himself, since he might try to do harm without meaning to and that he¡¯d be useless.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°It was when I was speaking to him at the cliff that the candle in my mind was lit. He apologized to everyone and said he needed to free us from each other, and to not be a danger to anyone anymore. That¡¯s when I remembered that I¡¯d failed him.¡±

    ¡°Anla, I don¡¯t remember this being an issue in the past,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°You do,¡± she said. ¡°Remember when we escaped the hunters after Carvek? We pushed hard to lose them, going through the woods at a fast pace. And when we were in the cave that Tel made, Al started laughing maniacally, just like he did last night when we tied him up to the tree.¡±

    ¡°But, he¡¯s been fine since Carvek.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not completely sure, but I think he¡¯s been using constantly since¡­well, at least New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°New Wextif? What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°Little things. It used to take him a few moments to tap into the Calm, which is what he preferred to use if he could, since the backlash was far less worse than with the Unease. In New Wextif I saw him instantaneously do things he shouldn¡¯t be able to do unless he was using magic, like overhear the conversations of men at Schoolinghouse that were very far away.¡±

    ¡°Like see eight buildings away and pick up a seventy-five pound pack like it was nothing,¡± Raulin said, shaking his head. ¡°But, wait. As a cross-switcher, shouldn¡¯t he be able to use the Calm to do Unease things?¡±

    ¡°If he can concentrate and focus, otherwise no. He can tap into the Calm to increase his strength enough to shove a tent spike into rock, but if he¡¯s out walking and talking, he can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯s been potentially using the Unease for months now. And it finally caught up to him.¡±

    Anla nodded her head sadly. ¡°I think he had started to develop a tolerance, so he was able to go for longer stretches of time without getting his side effects, but this was too much for him. Now he¡¯s going through the worst backlash he¡¯s ever been through.¡±

    ¡°What do we do, then? I don¡¯t mean to rush us, but we¡¯re racing the season south. It¡¯s been fine so far, but the nights will be getting colder and I don¡¯t want to be stuck camping in freezing temperatures.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Al is going to be when he wakes up,¡± Anla said. ¡°We should get him somewhere safe where we can watch over him. How far are we from Kikiyan?¡±

    ¡°Two or three days, by my best guess.¡±

    ¡°Could we wait a day and see how he is?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Raulin said.

    Al¡¯s breath was steady and deep, which took some of Anla¡¯s worries away. At some point later in the day he opened his eyes a crack, but didn¡¯t move or say anything. Tel helped him to sit up propped against a tree, but his head fell against his chest and stayed there. Anla fed him stew, which he chewed and swallowed, but he wouldn¡¯t feed himself. They laid him down on his bedroll and as a precaution tied him to the tree.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he was like during our flight from the cultists,¡± Anla said. ¡°He said he felt trapped inside his mind. He couldn¡¯t feel anything, he couldn¡¯t respond. He had no interest or motivation to do anything.¡±

    ¡°How long did it last?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Half a day? Maybe less than that.¡±

    ¡°So, he should be better by tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the same schedule,¡± she said, but she didn¡¯t feel hopeful.

    Al was still in a fugue by the next morning. He had barely moved, but at least he hadn¡¯t tried to slip his ropes and leave. Anla fed him watery oatmeal and bathed him quickly with a cloth, changing his clothes before the others noticed.

    After she returned from the river they had been getting their water from, she sat at the fire. ¡°I think we need to discuss what to do if Al doesn¡¯t snap out of this soon.¡±

    Raulin thought about this for a little while. If it had been any other situation, they would have to make a travois to transport Al to the nearest town in hopes of getting a carriage or cart. As it were, they had an extra member who wasn¡¯t bound by the same circumstances that they were. ¡°Sakilei, given that I¡¯m injured, Anla is caring for Al, and Tel has a tendency to wander, do you think you could follow the Route of the Woods to the nearest town and get help for us?¡± When he didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments, Raulin continued. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to pay you for your troubles, of course, and you¡­¡±

    Sakilei held up his hand. ¡°I still feel I still owe you. I¡¯ll go.¡±

    They spent another night under the stars, the skies made clear by Telbarisk¡¯s magic that pushed off any incoming storms. Sakilei returned the next morning with a cart he had somehow convinced a local man to lend out for a few silver. They cleaned up the site, loaded the still catatonic Al into the cart, and began towing him to Kikiyan.

 Chapter 177

    Kikiyan did not pass Raulin¡¯s city quality test. He could dismiss the weird looks given by the locals, since not only did they have a trirec, but a man in a cart and a giant among them. The other two points failed by its own neglect: the streets were muddy and full of potholes and the houses were only two stories high, many disheveled and even crooked. He saw one house¡¯s eaves propped up by raw timber. Since they hadn¡¯t even left the Route of the Woods, he doubted the standard was going to be much higher.

    There had to be nicer places, of course. He was there to rob a house and someone had paid three hundred gold for the contract. After asking directions to a nicer part of Kikiyan, they found their money stretched further than in New Wextif and they were able to rent a suite for a reasonable price.

    It was a pleasant room, perhaps not grand, but far nicer than the cramped spaces and poorly decorated rooms they were used to. The master bedroom had a davenport where they deposited Al, who had been carried up the five flights of stairs over Telbarisk¡¯s shoulder. The smaller room was decorated for a child with a toy chest, several dolls, and a model ship on a dresser. Sakilei stepped in, looked around, and said, ¡°This will do,¡± before putting his satchel on the floor.

    Raulin quickly looked around, not even conscious that he was checking for spy holes and false-backed furniture, like he had been trained to do. ¡°Tel! Come look at the bathtub. It¡¯s large enough for you to take a bath.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a bath?¡± he asked while Anla ran to the bathroom.

    ¡°Mine!¡± she said.

    ¡°Hey, I found it first. I think I should get the first soak.¡±

    She tried to squirm past Raulin, who caught her with his left arm and moved her back out into the common room amidst her laughter. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Sakilei said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two take a bath together?¡±

    Raulin let go of her immediately, paused for a few moments, then moved to put his pack in the master bedroom. Anla decided it was worthwhile to check out the bathroom without him. Sensing the tension, Sakilei turned to Telbarisk. ¡°I¡¯m confused. I thought they were¡­well, not married, but in some sort of relationship.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it to be a simple thing between them,¡± Tel said. ¡°They seem happy with whatever they are to one another, so I say nothing and let them enjoy their affections.¡±

    ¡°It suppose it really never is a simple thing,¡± he responded.

    Raulin returned from an early morning stroll the next day with breakfast for the group. Anla fed Al fruit and porridge and gave him a bath while the rest ate. Al chewed and swallowed, and listened when she asked him to do things, like walk to the bathroom, but he still wouldn¡¯t speak or acknowledge anyone. He mainly slept or stared ahead.

    ¡°What are you doing today?¡± Anla asked Raulin once Al was back on the davenport.

    ¡°Initial observation,¡± he answered, eating an orange.

    ¡°Do you mind some company?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said after some deliberation. ¡°I think it would be all right.¡±

    She changed into her nicer clothing, the tan blouse and multi-colored skirt, and joined him as they left the hotel. He took his mask off in an alley and circled around to meet her on the street. ¡°Do you know I¡¯ve been here before?¡± she said. ¡°It was a long time ago, but my father took us to Kikiyan for a vacation.¡±

    ¡°Really? So you can show me around then?¡±

    ¡°Hardly. I was four or five when we visited. Some things feel a little familiar, but I don¡¯t remember enough to know where things are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just be casual and ask a few helpful people for some directions.¡±

    They walked arm-in-arm down Shausley, a wide street lined with some very impressive estates. ¡°How do you approach your contract?¡± Anla asked. ¡°You must be starting your planning already.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Absolutely. There are basically three ways to steal an item from a home. Four, actually, but that last one is unlikely. I need to fight in for it, sneak in, or be invited.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the fourth?¡±

    ¡°Ask for it.¡±

    ¡°And has that ever worked?¡±

    ¡°No¡­yes, actually. Once. I was in Toldaum, in Arouk, and needed to steal a painting. I called in a lot of favors and did a little blackmailing, but wound up establishing myself enough that I could ask the owner to lend me the painting for an art exhibit. I had a forger make a copy and gave that back to the owner, giving the real copy to the man who wanted it. So, it¡¯s possible, but neither I nor Marin Liasorn have any reputation here, so I¡¯m going to rule that one out.¡±

    ¡°And the other three?¡±

    ¡°Likely ruled down to one. Every estate I¡¯ve seen on this road has ten foot walls and guards posted at the gates. I could kill the guards, but even my bloodthirsty order suggests leaving that as a last resort. I could also climb the walls, but¡­¡± He gestured to his arm, still in a sling. ¡°Maybe in a few days I¡¯ll be fine to scale, but I don¡¯t think it will be easy. I suspect the reason these houses are well-protected is due to the fact that Kikiyan has a wide gap between the rich and the poor and high crime rates because of it. Thus, there might be two guards at the gate, but what beyond?¡±

    ¡°Which leaves ¡®be invited¡¯. How are you going to get some nobleman to invite you into his house if you don¡¯t know him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± He waited for her to give him a beckoning look before continuing. ¡°A nobleman is only a fraction of the people that work or live in a house. You have maids, guards, valets, butlers, groomsmen, caretakers, chefs, attendants, footmen, clerks, and so on. Even those who live in the household will carry on with their own lives, leaving for their days off or for personal events.¡±

    ¡°So, you find some young man who wants to have a good time, take him out for a few drinks, and befriend him?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. What was the best way to broach this subject? Would Anla even care? ¡°Ideally, if I thought I could get chummy with a fellow enough for him to bring me to his workplace, I¡¯d do that. I¡¯d need to find someone who is the type to be so impressed with a new friend that he would risk his job. Those kinds of lads tend to be weeded out quickly or collared by an older mentor, I¡¯ve found.

    ¡°No, what works best, my tried and true method, involves women. There are a lot more avenues to pursue and it¡¯s easier for me to adopt a scenario and character that fits the situation. Friendship is wonderful, but passion is better suited.¡±

    She nodded slowly and straightened her spine. While he guessed she probably wasn¡¯t pleased with the revelation, she shouldn¡¯t be surprised. He¡¯d admitted this was part of his job a long time ago. Besides, this was actually an ideal situation for Raulin. Anla had made it clear that she didn¡¯t want to carry out a romantic relationship with him, therefore freeing him to find dalliances elsewhere. They were not tied to each other by any promises or understandings. She couldn¡¯t object to this fairly.

    ¡°How do you find someone suitable, then?¡±

    ¡°I stake out the house and watch who enters and leaves, writing down times, descriptions, and additional notes. I prefer the ones in uniforms, especially those leaving a group. That means they work a shift and will be in the house for a period of time, but will also come and go with some freedom to do so.¡±

    ¡°And from there?¡±

    ¡°I pick one, tail them home, and observe what they do, trying to find an opening that will work. People have at least one hobby or regular place they go to, and I make it my focus to make it mine. I¡¯ll then move quickly to establish a relationship, and try to get them to invite me to their work.¡±

    ¡°And what if they don¡¯t want to have a relationship established?¡± she asked.

    He had felt her hand stiffen on his arm when he first mentioned his plan. Now, he felt himself tense at her question. He dropped his arm and said, ¡°If you¡¯re implying what I think you are, then I¡¯m displeased with where our conversation is going. I am a better man than that.¡±

    ¡°I was just curious at how hard you pressed a situation,¡± she said, not sounding apologetic at all.

    ¡°Not very hard. If I¡¯m to get a woman to invite me into an estate, she needs to be amenable to the idea, offering it herself if I can manage that. Abuse of any kind tends to not work. Not that I¡¯ve tried it,¡± he said with some disgust. ¡°I¡¯d imagine a woman who suddenly felt very uncomfortable around a man would find herself surrounded by allies at her work. I understand the wizard must have rubbed off on you somewhere, but I really have no interest in killing, stealing, raping, or fighting people if I don¡¯t have to.¡±

    She folded her hands in front of her and was quiet for a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve never known you to seek that sort of thing. I¡¯m sorry to have questioned it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, and stopped them across the street from his targeted household. As he had expected, there were high walls and guards posted at the gates. ¡°This part tends to get boring. You don¡¯t need to stay on my account.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company for a little while longer. I can fetch you lunch.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice.¡±

    She stayed by his side, offering her own observations as he wrote down what he saw in his notebook. She brought him a sandwich from a delicatessen down the street, and later dinner consisting of a noodle dish in a bowl with cheese and vegetables. She left after that and Raulin spent a few more hours watching the house. He didn¡¯t need to, though. Shortly after Anla had left, a group of three young women in blue dresses with pinned back hair left together. He knew immediately that it was going to have to be one of them.

 Chapter 178

    Avo sei concra, Raulin had decided that morning, a phrase that translated to ¡°wounded bird¡±. It was is favored position, one that he had already acted in Carvek and in Iascond at the bookstore. There was something about being underestimated that he enjoyed, playing meek to disarm and never letting his true motivations show. People were more likely to help or befriend someone that didn¡¯t threaten them. And, should a problem arise, Raulin always knew what he was capable of.

    His arm was mending, but still in a sling. It wasn¡¯t much more to complete the appearance than to don a pair of spectacles (since he¡¯d always noticed that intellectuals had glasses and they were oddly considered unthreatening) and dress in a manner that made him look a little on the youthful side.

    After his change in clothing, he ate breakfast while watching the entrance to the estate. It was eight in the morning by the tolling of the bells in Aliorna¡¯s chapel just a few neighborhoods over, a tinkling sort of sound that made him smirk at memories from a decade ago. He¡¯d say they were from his youth, but he still often felt like he was living it.

    Not much long after the music played, one of the women in the blue dresses and pinned back hair arrived. He decided to call her ¡°Willow¡± because she was tall and very thin, her arms bent and sticking out like tree branches. She gave a small nod to the two men guarding the gate, who let her pass without much fanfare.

    ¡°Haubret¡± came next. She was named after a woman Raulin had known in his childhood, the type of woman with a stature that would have pleased any husband who was a farmer: big-boned, heavy, and tall. Too bad the real Haubret had been a noble, a placid woman prone to spells of melancholy. This Haubret seemed to take after her in that aspect, too, since she stared at the ground and barely said anything to the guards.

    The last woman came running down the road and only slowed herself once she reached the gate. She fixed her auburn hair and smiled at the guards, dimples popping on her round face. The guards seemed to cheer up at her arrival and the three spoke for a few minutes. She may have been flirting with them, or at least holding a conversation that was far from formal. If Raulin had to pick one based just on their arrivals, he would choose ¡°Burgundy¡±.

    He was prepared to sit until one left, which he had expected to be until eight like the previous night, but he was surprised to see Burgundy leave around lunch. Making sure the guards hadn¡¯t noticed him, he followed a block behind her until she entered into a library of Cyurinin with a basket. He waited a few minutes before going inside and sat kitty-corner from her at a table.

    She had neatly stacked a few books and was eating her lunch of roasted fingerling potatoes, vegetables, and sliced roast beef. He settled down and pretended to read from his book, instead glancing at the titles of hers. Raulin almost let out a pained sigh and rolled his eyes; they were all Arvonnese alley novels.

    He forced a smile and asked, ¡°How¡¯s that one?¡±

    She continued to cut her meat for a few moments, then suddenly looked at him. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were talking to me. Um, which one?¡±

    ¡°That one,¡± he said, pointing to the top book. ¡°Another Season in Eri Ranvel.¡±

    She lifted it, and ran her finger across an iconic gray-green cover with blue stamped words in a distinct font. It looked almost exactly like the one Raulin had read in Baradan with the hopes of connecting to the wizard. ¡°This is one of my favorites. The prose is so beautiful and the characters just jump off the page.¡±

    ¡°I just finished Scattered at Sea not too long ago,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her eyes widening. ¡°You like alley novels?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Why, is that strange?¡±

    ¡°No! No, I¡¯ve just¡­never met a man who read them.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    She leaned forward. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad about that one bit. That just makes you better than all the blockheads out there who think women like brutish men who can¡¯t feel anything other than anger and hunger.¡± She smiled, her dimples forming, and went back to eating her meal.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Not in the slightest. They try, though, and expect me to enjoy the attention.¡±

    ¡°What about men who aren¡¯t blockheads trying?¡±

    ¡°Rarer than this meat,¡± she said, holding up a bite. ¡°Why, do you know one?¡± She gave him a devilish smile and he found that he might actually enjoy this tryst.

    He was about to suggest himself when the man who sat a few seats down from them slammed his book down loudly on the table. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t stand people who eat and talk in a library. What if you get grease on the pages? I¡¯m coming back with the priest.¡±

    The man left and Raulin raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips into an ¡°O¡±. The woman giggled quietly at his mocking look. ¡°I know Sapsin. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t get kicked out.¡±

    The man and the priest returned a few moments later. ¡°Hello, Iyessa. I don¡¯t suppose you could quiet down¡­¡± he began, then noticed Raulin. He stared at him for a few moments, then cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry there, sir. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Raulin stood and shook the priest¡¯s hand. ¡°Chayen,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we were too loud for the other people reading. Perhaps there¡¯s an alcove or a room where we can read and talk and eat in peace? That is, of course, if the lady here is interested and agrees.¡±

    She grinned and nodded her head enthusiastically, picking up her books and meal. The man at the table rolled his eyes, but sat down and picked up his book with a snap of his arms. Sapsin led them not far to an alcove with a small table and two chairs. ¡°Do you need anything, Mr. Chayen?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no thank you. I will most certainly find you and ask if I have any questions.¡± Sapsin lingered for a few moments, then tore himself away.

    Raulin waited for Iyessa to settle into her seat before asking for her name again. ¡°And you¡¯re Chayen. It sounds Arvonnese.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I supposedly have some blood on my father¡¯s side, but most of my family is from Arouk.¡±

    She tilted her head for a moment. ¡°Take off your glasses.¡±

    ¡°All right, but things get blurry for me,¡± he said, pulling off his spectacles. He blinked a few times to pretend he was disoriented.

    ¡°You look like him,¡± Iyessa said.

    ¡°Him?¡±

    She tapped one of her books. ¡°Caudin. You look like how I imagine he would look.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, laughing as he put on his glasses again. ¡°I thought he was blond.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes he¡¯s written as blond, since he was actually blond as a child, but often the author says his hair went darker as he got older. Towheaded, I believe it¡¯s called.¡± She speared a potato, chewed, and swallowed before asking, ¡°Which one is your favorite?¡±

    ¡°Caudin or Aubin?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, which book?¡±

    Here he had to struggle to remember all the snippets of drivel he had heard from the wizard over the last four months. He would have paid more attention if he had the slightest inkling that information would prove useful at some point. ¡°Uh, probably¡­The Masquerade?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, clapping her hands together. ¡°That¡¯s my favorite, too. That was the best solution to taking back the throne that I¡¯ve seen in any of the books. I mean, that one had less romance between Riyadet and Caudin that I would have preferred to read, but Caudin sitting on the throne, ousting the chancellor¡­¡± She gave a fake shudder. ¡°Gives me goosechill.¡±

    Their ensuing conversation was like talking to a more pleasant Al. The wizard often affected a tone that was somewhere between excited and pompous when speaking about Arvonnese alley novels. Iyessa had her opinions, but she was so cheery about it that Raulin didn¡¯t mind discussing a series of books that he absolutely loathed.

    After some time she pulled out a pocket watch and stood quickly. ¡°I need to get back to work,¡± she said, gathering her dishes and books into a small basket she had brought with her.

    ¡°Would you mind some company?¡±

    Another dimpled smile. ¡°I would love company, though I¡¯m running late so I might be brusque in my pace.¡±

    He smiled back. ¡°I have long legs.¡±

    Since she asked, he told her the made up background as to why he was in Kikiyan. He was a builder who worked for a prestigious company that traveled around Gheny, contracting for rich men and nobles. He did every job they had, from masonry to carpentry to furniture building, even glass fitting and gardening, though he admitted he was better at some things than others. Unfortunately, he had taken a fall from a ladder and was recuperating in Kikiyan while the company finished a ¡°quick¡± job in Iascond. He was to meet up with them in a few days in New Wextif.

    ¡°Will you be healed by then?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s mostly healed. I¡¯m just being cautious.¡±

    ¡°So. You have just a few days left here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the train to New Wextif on Wednesday, Thursday the latest. I don¡¯t want to miss the connection with them; it¡¯s easier if I travel with them, so I don¡¯t have to go to the office and track the address down.¡±

    She nodded, the estate within hundreds of feet. He felt the strong urge to push another meeting with Iyessa, but wouldn¡¯t. Based on her tastes in men, being forceful would be a mistake. It would either have to be an ¡°accidental¡± stumble upon or she would have to make the move.

    ¡°This is where I work,¡± she said as they passed by the corner of the wall of the estate, ¡°the home of Cosilly, Earl of East Markwich.¡±

    ¡°Beautiful stonework,¡± he said, pointing to a mural relief of a marsh scene. ¡°That looks like Yurid¡¯s work, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said. ¡°I could ask and get back to you.¡±

    He smiled as he picked up the hint. ¡°And when will you be able to get back to me?¡±

    ¡°At the library tomorrow. I¡¯ll be there for lunch and you¡¯ll be there, too.¡±

    ¡°Well, it just so happens that I¡¯m free for lunch tomorrow and I enjoy reading.¡±

    His only push was to take her hand and kiss the back of it, not the fingertips. She gave a wicked little smirk at this, knowing it was subtle code for romantic interest, but only said goodbye as she strolled past the two guards.

    Raulin walked casually out of the neighborhood, then picked up his pace once out of sight until he reached the hotel. He ducked into a water closet to change quickly before making his way up to the suite.

    Telbarisk was hunched over the table across from Sakilei. ¡°Hi, Raulin. Sakilei is teaching me how to play Maccre.¡±

    ¡°I hope not for money,¡± he said, putting his knapsack down near the front door. ¡°That¡¯s a cheap way of making cash off a chump.¡±

    Sakilei absently held up a sack of peanuts, which Raulin saw were being shelled and eaten by Telbarisk. ¡°At this rate, he¡¯ll eat all the ¡®cash¡¯ and then I¡¯ll have to move on to coppers.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for watching over the wizard. How has he been today?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve caught him standing and staring for a while.¡±

    ¡°Out the window?¡±

    ¡°No, at a wall.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­progress, I suppose. He¡¯s moving around on his own. Has he spoken to anyone?¡±

    Telbarisk shook his head sadly.

    Raulin walked into the room where Al was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the couch. ¡°How are you doing?¡± he asked. He said nothing, but Raulin hadn¡¯t been expecting him to. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re not talking. I met someone I think you¡¯d like a lot. Her name is Iyessa and she loves Arvonnese alley novels. Her favorite is The Masquerade.¡±

    He paused as he waited for him to acknowledge any part of that conversation. ¡°I wish you would say something, Wizard. This is the one time you could talk my ear off about those books you love and I would be grateful for the knowledge. I¡¯ll sit here as you list your favorite titles or who was the best love interest for Caudin and Aubin.¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Do you mind if I read the books you have in your pack?¡± When Al said nothing, Raulin rifled through his bag and found the gray-green books. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t burn them.¡±

    Raulin walked Al over to the couch and laid him down, covering him with the blanket Anla had nabbed from the davenport in the other room. He stuck his head out and asked Tel and Sakilei where Anla was. ¡°She wanted to ¡®take in the city¡¯,¡± Tel said. ¡°She said she¡¯d be back for dinner.¡±

    ¡°If you two want to do the same, feel free. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve been cooped up all day, playing card games. My contract is stalled until tomorrow, so I can stay around here.¡±

    The two took the offer and Raulin went back to settle on the bed and read, or skim, to be more precise. And he spent the next few hours trying to glean what kind of man would make Iyessa happy to be with, and maybe share an exciting adventure in sneaking a lover into a mansion.

 Chapter 179

    ¡°Chigrant,¡± Iyessa said as Raulin sat down.

    ¡°Chigrant, really? And here I thought I knew my stoneworkers.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a local artist based in Kikiyan, a friend of my lord¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I might have to look him up and ask him for some pointers. Chocolate-covered peanuts?¡± he asked, holding a small burlap sack with the candy.

    She took one, her mouth curling into a mischievous smile. ¡°Do you like sweets or is this because Caudin gave Asuedet the same thing on their first date in Temper and Temperance?¡±

    ¡°I like sweets,¡± he said, but returned the smile.

    Their conversation steered towards alley novels, not surprisingly. Raulin felt less interest in it than the day before, but then again, he wasn¡¯t making idle conversation for his benefit. He sat and watched as she discussed the same things the wizard would and realized what a difference charisma made. And perhaps attraction.

    He walked her back to work, where she casually mentioned some of the finer stone work in the house. Marble fireplaces, granite balusters fixed with gold, a table in the grand dining room made of a solid slab of quartz. He let his eyes sparkle as she teased him about it.

    ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give to run my fingers over them,¡± he said.

    Iyessa said nothing, but gave a far away mischievous smile he was beginning to understand was part of her fiber.

    When they reached the corner again, he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know of any good places for a nice meal? Perhaps one that will have a lovely woman there who loves to read?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know of one such place,¡± she said, ¡°and it¡¯s not too far from here. Griesk has great stuffed pastas and caubidrem and it¡¯s three blocks down and two blocks over on this very road ahead of us. And I heard there will be a lady there of the description you gave at about 6:30 this evening.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be there, waiting for her and the caubidrem. More for one than the other.¡± Again, he kissed the back of her hand before watching her saunter past the guards into the estates.

    She arrived a few minutes late (not that Raulin was surprised), her auburn locks half upand her dress a deep green with a tartan apron in the maltan fashion. Dinner was delicious and pleasant, though she became thoughtful as they ate dessert.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to know what¡¯s on your mind,¡± he asked, sipping his steel wine.

    ¡°I was thinking,¡± she began, ¡°that while I don¡¯t have any marble fireplaces or even a stone sconce in my apartment, I¡¯d still like to show you it.¡±

    ¡°I can withhold my pretension easily and enjoy the company I¡¯m with, not the things I¡¯m surrounded by.¡±

    He paid for dinner, waited for the right moment to kiss her, and walked with her to her place. ¡°I¡¯m sure every woman says this, but I don¡¯t usually do this,¡± Iyessa said as she unlocked her door.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like that type of woman,¡± he assured her. Maybe that was true, but he¡¯d known enough who¡¯d said that line that he knew did that. It mattered little to him, but he was sure a great deal to her. He had no need to tarnish her reputation, at least as much as possible.

    She closed the door behind them and lit the candelabra on the dresser to her apartment, a two room home of a bedroom and a sitting room. Clothing was strewn about and piles of books were everywhere, but she didn¡¯t seem concerned by it.

    He gave her a few moments after she was done before he kissed her again, gently backing her into her bedroom. She was pliant, returning his kisses just as deeply, holding him just as tightly. When the back of her legs hit her bed, she laid down, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down with her.

    After, when her hair was splayed on her pillow and her chest rising and falling to catch her breath, she said, ¡°Tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Lunch?¡± he asked, rolling to his side to look at her, wincing at the pain in his shoulder.

    She thought about this, biting her lip. ¡°Yes, but across the street from the estate.¡±

    Raulin smirked at this, then began to dress gingerly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± he said, once his glasses and sling were back on.

    He awoke the next morning in the hotel with the odd presence of being watched. Anla¡¯s head was pressed into his back, her arm draped around him and her hand dangerously close to his waist. He didn¡¯t want to move, but he finally noticed a dark shape in the room and realized Al was watching him sleep. He startled and Anla awoke, too.

    ¡°Wizard?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What passes?¡± she asked, yawning.

    ¡°The wizard is just standing here, watching us.¡±

    ¡°How long has he been there?¡± Anla threw her shirt on and hopped out of the four-poster bed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She guided Al back to the davenport and tucked him in, though he seemed to resist her help.

    Raulin had already curled up under the blankets, since it was far too early to wake, but he had trouble falling back asleep. He awoke sometime in the late morning, Anla gone and breakfast left on the table for him. He ate everything available, highly suspecting that there would be no lunch.

    He leaned against the wall across the way from the Cosilly estate at noon. Not five minutes later did he see Iyessa emerge from the front door and walk to the front. She spoke with the guards for a few minutes, a lively affair that started with shaken heads and crossed arms and ended with arms thrown in the air. The situation had needed a woman¡¯s touch; he¡¯d seen his own mother wear his father down to exasperated agreement like that on more than a few occasions.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She waved him over and he waited until a passing carriage went by before making his way to the front gate. ¡°This the guy?¡± one of the guards asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Iyessa said. ¡°Don¡¯t give him grief; he¡¯ll be gone as soon as he can fix the mantle in the master suite.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he have any tools with him?¡±

    Raulin hated observant guards. At least Iyessa was thinking ahead and came up with a clever response. ¡°He already dropped them off this morning when Dengar and Alick were on duty. He was working with his boss on another project and wanted to get going quickly before you-know-who returns tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Just be more careful, Essa. I don¡¯t know why or how you were carrying a hundred pound planter, but they¡¯ll dismiss you if you keep breaking things.¡±

    ¡°I know, Grith,¡± she said, patting him on the cheek. ¡°This way the master doesn¡¯t have to know.¡±

    Raulin was let past the guards and Iyessa walked quickly to the front door. ¡°Did you really chip the mantle?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, opening the door, ¡°but they don¡¯t need to know that.¡±

    This was probably the three hundredth estate or manse Raulin had been to in his life, but Chayen was a man who worked with simpler projects and had rarely seen such grandeur. The wide foyer and crystal chandelier impressed him mightily and he stopped to gawk for a moment. ¡°This way,¡± Iyessa said, leading him up the stairs.

    They went to the left wing of the house, past several hallways and rooms, until they came to a small wing where the woman he called Haubret was dusting. When she saw the two of them, she stopped and winked at Raulin. ¡°Keep an eye out and make sure Manyen stays away.¡± Haubret grinned and gestured for them to continue on their way.

    There were three bedrooms they passed; a spare bedroom, the countess¡¯s chambers, and one on the end that was likely the earl¡¯s. They turned into the duchess¡¯s,, a rather comfortable room in red and gold. ¡°Since I¡¯m not hear to fix a mantle, what are we doing here?¡± he asked, confident he could scrape together an idea.

    She turned towards him, her demeanor and tone changing to something more demure. ¡°My lord, we have little time together before you need to leave to go to Eri Ranvel . Give me a few minutes to make myself acceptable for what little time together we have.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± he said automatically, bowing before he left. Back in the hallway, he stood on the other side of the closed door, wondering what was happening. She had never been so formal with him before and he had never mentioned traveling to Arvonne. He sighed once the candle was lit in his mind; it was a charade she was conducting, he a nobleman and she some woman giving herself to him in passion. Good. It meant he had five, perhaps ten, minutes to check the earl¡¯s room.

    Raulin suspected it wasn¡¯t going to be easy, even if he had hours to look. He needed to find a pin, a silver embossed decal that signified the earl was a member of the Order of Rose Cliff. It wasn¡¯t something a smart man would leave around, since he would need to wear that to all official functions and losing it would mean he would insult the host. Which, if it were the King would be a very upsetting situation.

    Then again, some men were very organized. All it took was a quick rifle through some key places before he found a closet dedicated to cuff links, buttons, pins, and other kinds of jewelry. The pin was on a velvet cushion next to a few other societal pins, the rose picked out against the silver background in red and green. He plucked it out, attached it inside the bottom of his cuffed pant leg, and closed the door, returning to the hallway.

    ¡°My lady?¡± he asked, opening the door slightly. ¡°Our time together wanes.¡±

    She was fixing her stockings when he moved inside the room. She wore her undergarments and nothing else, her dress and petticoat moved to a chair nearby. He closed the space between them, taking a more melodramatic tack by looking deeply into her eyes,picking her up, then laying her on the bed.

    He¡¯d been here before. One of his lovers, Sisalia of Amanrei, a small port city in Kinto, had constantly playing these games. It had been a fiery relationship of five weeks, never growing dull because they were always doing something different. One day she would take on a strong personality, leading the night¡¯s activities with harsh commands, then followed by a meek and demure performance the next day. He¡¯d enjoyed the taste of her, but she wasn¡¯t one he missed because he¡¯d never really known who she was by the end of their time together. But, at least he¡¯d had the experience.

    Even though his job was finished and he would¡¯ve liked nothing more than to leave, he gave her exactly what she wanted: softness and whispers, gentle touches and lingering looks. He knew what he was doing, but even still he wasn¡¯t prepared for her to cry out the name Caudin.

    He stopped, shocked. She looked up at him sleepily for a few moments, then confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name,¡± he said, moving away from her.

    ¡°I¡­¡± she began, but she couldn¡¯t answer him.

    Later, he¡¯d dwell on this and realize that he actually felt upset for his own reasons and his reaction was genuine. But, this was a great way to end things and get out of that mansion faster than he would have otherwise. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to pretend I¡¯m some high born noble, or a rich man; I make enough money that I don¡¯t have to dream about being either. You can play your games where I¡¯m something that I¡¯m not, but not someone else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, reaching out for him. He began putting on his clothes and ignored her.

    ¡°Shall I ask your friend to let me out, then?¡± he asked.

    ¡°If you wait a few minutes, I can¡­can we talk about this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to wait,¡± he said, and left.

    He donned his mask a few streets over and stepped into an antique shop. The owner looked at him wide-eyed for a moment, then grinned. ¡°You have something of mine?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Crushed rose,¡± he said, using the phrase he¡¯d been told in his contract.

    ¡°Thorns and silver,¡± the man responded, exactly what Raulin needed to hear.

    He dropped the pin in his outstretched hand, having no idea nor care as to what an antiques dealer wanted with that earl¡¯s signet enough to pay for a trirec contract.

    There was no one other than the wizard in the hotel suite, which annoyed Raulin somewhat, but also allowed him to perform a mental exercise he needed to do. It was one he had created to help sever any ties he felt guilty about breaking off. He sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and pictured a rope wrapped around his leg, held vertically taut by his hand. It was a thick hemp rope, not the light kansta rope he wore as a belt around his arong-miil. He imagined holding a serrated knife in his other hand slicing through the hemp, the fibers fraying and twisting away.

    It was the guilt. He didn¡¯t feel upset over what had transpired between him and Iyessa; he hoped that she hadn¡¯t actually fallen for him, or barring that, she¡¯d get over him quickly. What bothered him was what was to come for her. That pin would come up missing eventually. Someone would need to be blamed, and with at least three witnesses to confess that Iyessa had brought a man into the house to fix a mantle that didn¡¯t need to be fixed, she¡¯d be blamed for the theft. She¡¯d lose her job and possibly her reputation because of him. Yes, she was often late and had broken things a few times, and maybe she¡¯d lose her job because of that anyway, but he would likely be the reason. And while he didn¡¯t mind carrying guilt that he felt he deserved, he couldn¡¯t hold on to something like this, where decisions had been made in equality. Deceit from his end, but still her ideas.

    The rope twisted in his mind, the weight of his imaginary hand causing it to creak with the strain. She had wanted something from him, he had wanted something from her. He pulled the knife across the last of the fibers like a bow across a fiddle. Everything had risks and she had made quite a bold choice inviting him inside. He could hear the sizzling sound as the blade cut back and forth, then finally a twang as it snapped. His hand flew up from the release of pressure and the rope dropped, though in reality he was still seated with his hands on his lap.

    He sighed and opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t feel completely better, but mostly. Raulin stood and dusted off his pants and was about to walk out of the room when he heard the sound of someone sobbing.

 Chapter 180

    ¡°Wizard?¡± Raulin asked.

    The curtains had been drawn, so it was hard to see detail in the suite, even with his mask on. Al laid on the bench, but his chest heaved as he sobbed. ¡°What do I do?¡± he whispered.

    Raulin walked over to the edge of the bed and sat, unsure of what to say. So, he waited.

    ¡°I¡¯m nothing. I¡¯m less than nothing, I¡¯m useless,¡± Al whispered again.

    ¡°You¡¯re neither nothing nor useless,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I am, though. I have nothing in my life, nothing. My wife and I are through and my step-daughter is out of my reach. I have no job. I have no home. My best friend sold me out. All I had was you three, and now neither of you wants to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you did stab Sakilei and abandoned Anladet to be sold into slavery. Neither are things that are exactly endearing.¡±

    Al sat up and wiped the tears from his face. ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe me, but I did have a plan to help her. If we could have pushed those bounty hunters back into Eerie, she would have been free. It¡¯s against the law.¡±

    ¡°Did you know she was almost raped?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°They took away all the defenses she had and made her obey whatever the leader told her to. She was declawed, to put it in such terms, and she couldn¡¯t even kick the man attacking her to stop him. She couldn¡¯t fight back, she couldn¡¯t run, she couldn¡¯t yell for help. Maybe your plan would have worked after she had been abused a few times, but I still doubt it.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Yes, ¡®oh¡¯, Wizard. She¡¯s fine, by the way, and her magic was returned. And I don¡¯t know how much you remember of the last week, but she¡¯s been caring for you, making sure you¡¯re fed, bathed, and not trying to jump off cliffs. And, again, she could have used her magic at any point to make you better or do something so that Sakilei didn¡¯t have to pull a cart from a town and then return it just so we could carry you, but she didn¡¯t.¡±

    Al said nothing. Raulin thought he might have slipped back into his trance, but he wouldn¡¯t let him. ¡°An apology will do wonders, Wizard. I¡¯m sure of it. One to her and one to Sakilei.¡±

    ¡°What else do I do? I think I¡¯ve been doing things wrong. People don¡¯t seem to like me.¡±

    Raulin raised his eyebrows at that. It was more insight into his own character than he¡¯d ever shown before. ¡°While you¡¯re not pretentious like most of your ilk, you still like to make sure people know you¡¯re smart to a point of annoyance. You spend a lot of time wondering where people fall on your scale of good and evil, even though you yourself would judge yourself poorly by now. And you¡¯re so disconnected from what¡¯s in front of you at times that you don¡¯t realize that you should react to the world and not make the world react to you.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re also intelligent, helpful, and resilient. You¡¯ve gone through quite a bit in just a few months and have come out stronger for it. That¡¯s a start at change.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be, though.¡± He began to rub his arms in a desperate manner. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the way I am anymore. I need you to help me, tell me how to act and what to say.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Raulin said, shaking his head. ¡°I am who I am, but it doesn¡¯t mean I am always proud of who I am. Nor do I think I¡¯m right about who I am. But, most importantly, telling a man how to be ultimately robs him of the choice to find out how to be himself. This is what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you about your obsession with Tichen; you keep wanting to be this virtuous monastic person that he wrote about, without understanding how Alpine Gray can accomplish that feat as himself. You¡¯re trying to boil water in a pot made of ice. You¡¯re just not the type of man who can achieve that. And that¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever come across someone who could claim to actually obey all of Tichen¡¯s prerequisites for that lifestyle.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a stasis, it was a pinnacle,¡± Al said. ¡°Tichen said that it was something to strive for constantly.¡±

    ¡°And do you think you ever achieved it?¡±

    He thought about this for a few moments. Even on an average day, when he hadn¡¯t complained about caring for another man¡¯s child, when he swallowed the angry words he wanted to have with his wife, when he had meekly earned his wages and plied his trade in peace, he couldn¡¯t admit that he had attained anything close to what Tichen wanted. ¡°No,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a high bar, Wizard, and very hard to attain in the real world.¡±

    ¡°It was something to aim for. It gave me purpose.¡±

    ¡°Then you need to find another purpose.¡±

    Al let out his breath deeply. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say. I have no purpose. There is no reason for me to continue living. You shouldn¡¯t have saved me.¡±

    Raulin bent his head for a moment in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t consider myself a faithful man. I¡¯ve been let down too much in my life for that, I think, or maybe that¡¯s not the kind of man I am. But, sometimes you have to have faith that you¡¯re here for a purpose that you don¡¯t yet know about.¡±

    ¡°You sound like Tel,¡± Al said, bitterly.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Maybe I do. Maybe he has a point. Maybe there¡¯s something to kouriya that I don¡¯t quite get, but makes sense when you add faith to it.¡±

    ¡°Kouriya is why Anla was captured.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but kouriya also brought you three together. There¡¯s something to be said about that.¡±

    ¡°I need direction, though. Please tell me what to do.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do? What would you have done if I or anyone else hadn¡¯t been here?¡±

    ¡°I would have opened up the window and stepped outside.¡±

    ¡°Why? It would have been a terrible waste, you must know that. You¡¯re an incredibly brilliant man, Al, one of the sharpest minds in Gheny if not Yine. You set records in Amandorlam that won¡¯t be broken for a long time. How can a smart man want to end all that?¡±

    Al¡¯s head hung down. ¡°The problem is not this,¡± he said, pointing to his head, ¡°it¡¯s this.¡± He slapped his palm over his chest. ¡°I know that I should be figuring out what to do next, examining my surroundings, determining what the best course of action is. I can¡¯t feel it, though. I should be excited, hopeful, determined. I¡¯m not; the spark is not catching the wood.¡±

    ¡°What do you feel then?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, most of the time. A wet cotton-stuffed web of hollow that catches all my emotions and burns them clean. That¡¯s the good time. The other is this pining ache for peace at last, to be done with it all and stop having to worry and disappoint everyone in my life. I¡¯m just¡­weary and tired of it all.¡±

    He understood what he was saying, but finding the right way to stop a man from killing himself was never an easy task. ¡°Wizard, I think you¡¯re having the wrong conversation with the wrong man. I don¡¯t know what to say, but I know I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±

    ¡°Why not, though? I¡¯ve been a terrible person,¡± he said with an attitude that would be flippant if it was so pitiful. ¡°It would be easier if I was not here and you three could continue on your journey without me.¡±

    ¡°Because friends don¡¯t give up on each other like that.¡±

    ¡°Friend? How am I your friend? What kind of friend does what I¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wizard,¡± he said, feeling some of that weariness Al had spoken of. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s one-sided, but I consider you a friend. You saved me in Iascond, you still talk to me even though I was cruel to you after that, you¡¯ve helped me immensely with my contracts. I trust you, maybe not with a butter knife, but for most of the rest. I don¡¯t have many friends in this world, so I try to protect and help the ones I do have.

    ¡°As far as your actions recently, Anla thought about what you¡¯ve been going through and she thinks this was a major backlash due to magic overuse. If that¡¯s the case, then you were acting poorly because you were ill, and I think that¡¯s forgivable. Do you think she had the right idea?¡±

    Al seemed surprised at this, considering the idea for a few minutes. ¡°I would say ¡®yes¡¯ but everything is usually gone within hours, maybe a day. It¡¯s never been this horrible.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯ve been using for a while now, yes?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t control it anymore. It¡¯s just¡­there, even though I haven¡¯t tapped into it. The body was never meant to sustain the Unease or the Calm for long periods of time and I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been going for each time.¡±

    ¡°What does Amandorlam say about extended uses of magic?¡±

    ¡°We actually have to test how long we can go at some point in our training so that we know the signs when we¡¯ve gone too far. Using for a long time also increases your tolerance to magic temporarily. And sometimes using extended amounts of magic will allow a wizard to pass into the next level. I was able to tap into the Calm first, then became a switcher after our second prolonged magic use test. At some point I became a cross-switcher, though I¡¯m not sure when.¡±

    ¡°Huh. What if this means you¡¯re becoming a¡­cyclical wizard?¡±

    Al snorted. ¡°If I were cyclical wizard, I wouldn¡¯t be like this,¡± he said, indicating his state. ¡°I¡¯d be in equilibrium, constantly healing myself so that I¡¯d be in that pleasant state without the problems that go with it. I¡¯m far from that now.¡±

    ¡°So, you couldn¡¯t heal your heart with the Calm?¡±

    ¡°Stopping the cycle of vexation and melancholy in someone might be enough to heal them of it, but the Calm doesn¡¯t mend the mind like it mends the flesh. Basically, it will make me feel better until the tide comes in again.¡±

    This was the most engaged Raulin had seen Al in the better part of a week. He wasn¡¯t well, but his face showed emotion and his eyes had that sparkle he got when he spoke about things he was passionate about. He¡¯d seen women and men in deep melancholia before, wasting away because life had lost all interest. For them, even the most skilled doctors had failed to bring them out of their fugue.

    Al was different, though. This was a temporary situation. If he could buy some time, he was sure he¡¯s recover. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll make a deal with you. I want you to heal yourself with the Calm for the next two weeks. I want you to talk to Tel and Anla, and even Sakilei if you want to. I want you to think and feel and explore and plan. And then, if at the end of those two weeks you still want to end your life, you come to me.¡±

    Al nodded his head slowly.

    ¡°You have to try, though. Promise me that you¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    Raulin was about to continue when he looked to his right and saw Anla standing in the doorway. He stood and walked past her, saying, ¡°He¡¯s trying.¡±

    Anla took Raulin¡¯s seat and sat across from Al. And she waited. Al did everything but look at her. She knew that he was thinking about what to say to her and she gave him that time.

    Finally, he said, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯, but I don¡¯t feel sorry. I don¡¯t feel anything, really.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes people say they are sorry when they don¡¯t really mean it,¡± she said, ¡°though I could tell if you didn¡¯t mean it. Would you have been sorry if I had been harmed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said quickly and firmly.

    ¡°Would you have been sorry if you had never seen me again, if the bounty hunters had broken the spell and escaped Raulin and Tel and wound up selling me in New Wextif?¡±

    ¡°No one deserves that,¡± he said. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So what you grapple with is the disappointment that I wasn¡¯t taught a lesson about my magic?¡±

    He struggled with this point. ¡°That¡¯s what I remember feeling then, but it¡¯s not what I feel now.¡±

    ¡°Why is it so important that I be taught a lesson? Why can¡¯t I already be a master at understanding what my magic can do?¡±

    ¡°Because people mishandle magic all the time. I saw it so many times even while we were learning magic in Amandorlam, and those were supervised and trained wizards. You have no formal training, so how can you know what you¡¯re doing to other people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve learned from every mistake I¡¯ve made. No, I never had a teacher or a school or even a book up until recently, but I know what damage I can do. Why can¡¯t you trust me on that?¡±

    ¡°I think I trust rarely. No, that¡¯s not true; I think I trust poorly,¡± he said, thinking of Aggie.

    ¡°At least we agree on that,¡± she said, leaning forward. ¡°What will it take for you to trust me?¡±

    After some thought, he said, ¡°Maybe¡­if I taught you? Not the magic, of course, but the magical ethics.¡±

    ¡°That I can agree to,¡± she said. ¡°I think Raulin is finished, so we¡¯ll likely leave Kikiyan in the morning. We¡¯ll start then?¡±

    He held out his hand to shake and she complied before leaving him alone. Al had a lot of healing to do, but at least talking with Raulin and Anla had brought some peace to his situation. He sighed, laid back on the davenport, and closed his eyes to think.

 Chapter 181

    ¡°White wine and a little pink,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°The bright, angry pink and darker purple,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°What are you two on about?¡± Sakilei asked, catching up to the two.

    ¡°It¡¯s a game we play sometimes. Right before sunset, we like to guess what color the sky is going to be. Of course, Tel cheats and I wind up losing, but it¡¯s still fun.¡±

    ¡°I do not cheat,¡± Tel said. ¡°I just happen to be a lucky man.¡±

    Sakilei snorted. ¡°Yes, and I just happened to lose fifteen games of Maccre in a row. To a newbie. My tall friend, if you haven¡¯t found some way to cheat then I would like to hire you to gamble for me.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just kouriya.¡±

    Anla squinted up at him, who in turn grinned down at her. ¡°Oh, did you just make a little joke?¡±

    ¡°Sakilei has been teaching me how to make jokes. He says I can lie so long as I make sure the person knows I am lying. This is how we share mirth with each other.¡±

    ¡°The big guy was too serious,¡± he explained. ¡°We ran into a few confusing situations and we¡¯ve been discussing humor. Tell Anla the joke you came up with.¡±

    Tel cleared his throat. ¡°How many grivvens does it take to light a chandelier?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said.

    ¡°One, because we are so tall.¡±

    She snorted a laugh. ¡°Okay, that was good. A little dry, but funny.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I shall share any others I make.¡±

    ¡°Red with the blood of my enemies,¡± Sakilei said. Both Tel and Anla looked at him with confusion. ¡°I¡¯m joining your game about the sunset. There is an elvish saying: ¡®No sky is worth gazing upon if it¡¯s not red with the blood of our enemies.¡±

    ¡°The elves said this?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Anla said. ¡°Okay, so one for soft, one for vivid, and one for¡­apocalyptic.¡±

    Sakilei gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Have you been working on capturing sounds?¡± he asked Anla.

    With a smirk she gently pulled a ball almost invisible from her knapsack. She handed it to Sakilei, who broke it. It was his voice, murmuring in his sleep.

    ¡°Who is ¡®Mr. Muffins¡¯?¡± Telbarisk asked.

    ¡°He was a stuffed toy I had¡­never mind. It¡¯s not important,¡± he said, then turned to Anla. ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve figured out how to make the containment more sturdy. It comes in handy when you need to remember things or convey messages you can¡¯t be present for.¡±

    ¡°Or for reminding people that they need to do errands,¡± she said dryly.

    ¡°And what of your ongoing training in tone?¡±

    Telbarisk stepped back and walked alongside Al, who was struggling to keep up with the group. He offered to switch packs, but Al just shook his head. After a few hundred feet, Al asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a hard person to be around?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Do you feel that you are?¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes, but it¡¯s hard for me to figure out what they are, like catching rain in your hands. I¡¯m starting to think that I¡¯ve been wrong about a lot of things. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true, though, and it makes me confused.¡±

    ¡°What is one thing that you are questioning?¡±

    ¡°Mainly the teachings of Tichen. For the longest time it¡¯s been the tools in which I disassemble life and fix it. That¡¯s how I understand things. But, I¡¯m starting to see that maybe Raulin has a point when he says that Tichen¡¯s philosophy can¡¯t exist in the real world. I¡¯ve been ignoring it for a while now, but maybe he¡¯s right and maybe I need to break myself of those habits.¡±

    ¡°Breaking habits is a difficult thing to do,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°It is. And I don¡¯t know how to do it. How do you be, or become, a better man when there is nothing and no one to tell you what is good and what is bad?¡±

    ¡°My people do not tell each other how to act. Parents tell their children to do or not do certain things, to protect them, but we learn more by a motto of sakresk, bravesk, and maltesk. It is not as poetic in Ghenian, but it basically means ¡®be still, watch, and reflect¡¯.

    ¡°When we are children we learn how to behave by watching the adults, which we cannot do if we are talking and playing. First we learn to be quiet, to sit near the adults. Then we listen and watch what they do and say. We wait for opportunities to appear and we think about them when they have passed. Then, when the time arrives, we remember what the adult did, whether we agreed or not, and we do or not do what they did.¡±

    Al thought about this for a moment. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve talked too much when I should have been listening?¡±

    ¡°I think there have been some moments when others were speaking that I thought were good to reflect upon that you moved in a different direction. You decided to argue or fill the void or ignore the situation. I am not saying what you did was wrong, for you, but I learned something by watching everyone react to the words being said.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You¡¯re not just a quiet man, you¡¯re reflecting,¡± Al said.

    ¡°If I thought my words would have value, I would speak more often. Silence is the best way to understand while not offending, confusing, or misleading.¡±

    Al nodded slowly in thought. ¡°What have you learned of Ghenians, then?¡±

    ¡°They are varied, much more so than my people. They do not reflect much and spend great amounts of time wondering why their lives are unhappy, while not making any changes to affect that problem. They are vibrant, though, and their happiness is hard not to feel.¡± He looked down at Al. ¡°I do enjoy Gheny. It¡¯s people are interesting and those that are willing to speak with me offer quite a bit of rich conversation that I¡¯ve treasured.¡±

    ¡°How should I do it, this ¡®esk¡¯ thing your people do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easiest during times when you are already still, like tonight around the fire. We converse every night and it gives everyone a chance to learn from each other.¡±

    Al simply nodded his head. Tel put his massive hand on his shoulder and said, ¡°I like that you are opening yourself to this way of thought. I think it will be good for you. And, I see that it means you are trying to live, which makes me happy for you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the case. I feel like my house was set on fire in the middle of the night and I¡¯m left sifting through the ashes, trying to find things that are salvageable. The loss is almost unbearable. I¡¯m still trying to figure out whether I should rebuild or¡­¡±

    Tel squeezed his shoulder once. ¡°We¡¯ll be here for the rebuilding.¡±

    When the sky began to tinge with a violent shade of pink, the group found a place a hundred or so feet off the Route of the Woods and made camp. Raulin had taken over cooking duties in the days since they had left Kikiyan, giving Al the time to do what he felt was best.

    Tonight¡¯s meal was a seasoned stew in the Caiyuzet fashion, a sweet-spicy concoction with lentils, carrots, celery, and chunks of seared beef (added later so that Tel could enjoy the rest). He would have tossed in kompuesto, but there hadn¡¯t been any at the market, not surprisingly since it was a foreign vegetable that few in Gheny knew about. He¡¯d added watercress to simulate the same crunch.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at this,¡± Anla said quietly to Raulin, hoping Al wouldn¡¯t overhear and feel discouraged. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you done this before?¡±

    ¡°I almost always travel alone, and when I do, I cook for myself. I¡¯ve learned how to pick melons at the right ripeness, I¡¯ve learned how to tell from smell which spices are the best quality, and I don¡¯t scrimp on food. If I¡¯m going to be sleeping on the hard ground, maybe in the rain, I at least want a good meal in my belly.

    ¡°But if you mean why haven¡¯t I cooked for you three, it¡¯s because someone else was always doing it. Usually the wizard. And I¡¯m not going to take away a job from someone who wants to do it and does a decent job at it.¡±

    Sakilei broke into their discussion. ¡°What is this called?¡± he asked, sopping up the rest of the meal with a hunk of white bread.

    ¡°Souselay, from Caiyuzet. It¡¯s a peasant dish from the Konqui region.¡±

    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve been there?¡±

    ¡°A few times, maybe five.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the countries of the Empire, which don¡¯t differ too much in culture. Warm most of the year, rainy the rest. There are jungles there so thick that tribes will disappear inside for decades and cities so thick with people that it¡¯s never quiet or lonely. I¡¯d say the defining thing that I remember about Caiyuzet is the people pay attention to details. The glass work on their doors, for example, is often in two bars down the sides, the wrought iron twisting into patterns encrusted by the colored glass. Every door tells a story of the family; what the patriarch does for a living, how many children he has, when he was married.¡±

    As Raulin continued to speak of Caiyuzet and a few other places he¡¯d been, Al sat and listened. When the conversation broke and the other three began setting up for their slumber, he took Tel aside. ¡°I was still. I listened. I reflected. I want to know if I did it right.¡±

    ¡°And now I am listening,¡± Tel said, pausing to hear what Al was going to say.

    ¡°Raulin has traveled to many places. Sakilei wishes to travel, but has only traveled to places in Gheny. Anla recalls tales her father told her about a few places he had been to.¡±

    Tel waited and when Al said no more, he said, ¡°That is true.¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°You reflected upon facts. This is not wrong, but not really why we grivven reflect. Think as to what you can learn from what they did, not what they said.¡±

    ¡°They just talked, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a correct answer.¡±

    Al¡¯s shoulders slumped.¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯ve learned from watching Anladet, Raulin, and Sakilei tonight is that speaking to others about your past connects you to them. Asking questions shows you are interested in what the other has to say and that you want to learn about their experiences. That is friendship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked questions of Anla and Raulin before.¡±

    ¡°And sometimes they were the right questions. And sometimes they weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What were some ¡®incorrect¡¯ questions?¡±

    ¡°Alpine, I don¡¯t think any questions are ¡®incorrect¡¯, just maybe not the best to ask at certain times and during certain kinds of conversations.¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m understanding this and I want to learn.¡±

    Telbarisk sighed and thought for a few moments. ¡°Do you remember the discussion we had when we were eating the soup in Baradan? It was about the to¡¯ken people from the sea?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Raulin claims to have met them when he was shipwrecked and was telling us about them.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he was lying?¡±

    ¡°Then I did. I don¡¯t know now, but I suppose I¡¯d still say ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think Raulin would lie about that?¡±

    ¡°People lie to make themselves feel better about their boring lives or to keep people at arm¡¯s length.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Raulin either needs to make things up because his life is boring or that he doesn¡¯t want us to know him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always felt he kept a lot of secrets and felt guilty about many things, so he shifted his reality a little so we would never know the real him.¡±

    ¡°And you believe he makes up stories about being shipwrecked and being saved by a to¡¯ken the same as he has made up stories about visiting Caiyuzet and seeing their glass doors?¡±

    After a few minutes, Al said, ¡°I suppose not the mundane ones. I learned about Caiyuzet in school, so I knew he was being truthful.¡±

    ¡°And would you have asked the same type of questions of him that you had in Baradan of the to¡¯ken tonight if you weren¡¯t listening?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember specifically what I asked him. I¡¯m thinking they were probing questions, though.¡±

    ¡°Probing,¡± Tel said thoughtfully. ¡°Yes, like you were poking him, trying to make him say something wrong.¡±

    ¡°I was probably trying to trip him up, is what it¡¯s called. Making someone repeat answers to questions to find inconsistencies in their story so that you can prove they are lying. Do I do that often?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve noticed you do frequently, yes.¡±

    ¡°I think I just hate it when people lie to me.¡±

    ¡°A thought to ponder, then: would you rather listen to an embellished tale from a friend or make certain they are always being truthful?¡±

    ¡°I would rather they be truthful¡­¡±

    Tel held his hand up. ¡°I am sorry to interrupt, Alpine. I¡¯m going to suggest you ponder on this question more. Perhaps, hold it in your mind tomorrow when the others hold conversations with each other.¡±

    Al nodded and laid down on his bedroll, staring into the fire long into the night.

 Chapter 182

    It was a miserable day, Anla could admit, but she was on her tiptoes with a hushed excitement. This part of the Route of the Woods felt familiar, some tucked away memory bursting forth around the edges. Under the hood of her woolen cloak she saw trunks that curved in ways she remembered, tree stumps that took shapes she had dreamed of on sodden doorsteps in Hanala. She said nothing, waiting, until with a shock she saw the signpost.

    It hadn¡¯t changed much in the five years since she¡¯d seen it. Maybe a bit dirtier and harder to read, but it still pointed north to Kikiyan, south to Ekistol, and east to Sharka. The one change was the thick arrow pointing west, marked only with three Xs.

    She walked ahead of Raulin and placed her hand gently, almost serenely, on the post, studying it for details of her past. Did she remember the chip in the paint? Had the word ¡°Ekistol¡± always been spelled wrong, with an a before the l instead of an o? Was it always leaning a little to the northeast?

    ¡°Anla?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Could we?¡±

    ¡°Could we what?¡±

    To answer, she just pointed west and looked at him. She felt that she was just waiting his response while Raulin felt she was pleading with her eyes. ¡°For just a few miles. What¡¯s down that way?¡±

    She answered by biting her lip and smiling before bounding down the path. ¡°Anla, wait!¡± he cried out. It took them several minutes to catch up to her, the trees growing thicker and the trail waning down to a poorly tended path. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    Sakilei tilted his head to the side as he walked. ¡°I think¡­maybe I know. Waiting and seeing would be the best, now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re likely going to have some company soon.¡±

    ¡°Would one of you two give me a straight answer? I¡¯d like to know if I need to prepare us for something big or¡­¡±

    Anla and Sakilei had both stopped and laced their fingers behind their head. Raulin turned to see that Telbarisk had also raised his hands high. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked him.

    ¡°They¡¯re here and there are more of them than us.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    Just then he turned back and saw several figures standing along the edge of the road, dark creatures with bows and spears raised at them. He raised his hands just as he saw Al do the same out of the corner of his eye and waited for his heart to stop racing. There was something sinister about them, a sudden introductory flash of shadow and sharp points, of something feral and claw and death. As he peered at them, he realized they were not phantoms nor predators but people armored in bark with jaggedly pointed epaulets and helmets that swept back in twisted gnarls. Each had glints of metal, several kinds of knives, at their hips and metallic points on their knuckles, elbows, and heels.

    One of them barked a command or question. Anla turned towards him and answered softly in a tongue that wasn¡¯t Arvonnese or Ghenian. The return was still hostile but less so. Her tone remained the same. They exchanged a conversation where the tone of the leader became less aggressive and more curious. Finally, one of the men pulled off his helmet and said in an awed tone, ¡°Ahnee-dehm?¡±

    ¡°Gitsayeth?¡± she asked.

    He dropped his bow and arrow to the ground as the rest of the group lowered theirs. She ran and hugged him, somehow managing to sneak past his defenses and embrace him without being cut or stabbed. His fingers slipped out from his gloves and pulled her towards his chest, his chin resting on top of her head.

    As his head turned, Raulin saw that his long, dark hair was held back in intricate braids that exposed his pointed ears. They were longer than Anla¡¯s slight point, extending two inches beyond a human¡¯s helix, though they rested against his head like most Ghenians¡¯ ears would. His skin was darker than her dusky, whipped chocolate skin, though not nearly as dark as Al¡¯s. His features were strikingly feral and elongated, though one could consider his uptilted eyes to be alert instead of primal.

    ¡°I think I get the gist of it,¡± Raulin said to Telbarisk, ¡°but a quick translation?¡±

    ¡°We stumbled upon an elven hunting-protection patrol. They were rather keen to kill us and be on their way to return their spoils to their village, but Anla convinced them otherwise.¡¯

    ¡°Thank you. Anla? Are we¡­good?¡± he asked.

    She moved away from Gitsayeth and acknowledged Raulin¡¯s question with a nod before she began to rapidly speak with the group. They looked at her and back at the remaining four, the tenseness of the situation draining by the moment. Finally, one stepped forward, the man who had spoken in the beginning. He gestured for them to follow as he led them farther west.

    It was several miles ¡¯til they suddenly turned from the path into thick, untended woods, then a few more before Raulin could smell food cooking over a fire. All the while, Anla spoke with the elf who had taken off his helmet. At some point she must have told him the sad news of her past because his excited smile dropped and his tone became sad.

    They finally came to a section of the woods that Raulin took a while to realize was their village. The cooking fire in the center was the only give away; the ¡°houses¡± that encircled it were partially camouflaged and partially made with natural building materials that didn¡¯t conform to anything Raulin had ever seen. Vines crept thickly around trunks, forming walls or even hammocks for the elves to sleep. Moss-covered rocks created wild ladders for them to climb into their houses. The whole place had an uncultivated feel to it that he found fascinating.

    The elves that had game, two deer, a paw-paw, and a cougar, laid their prey on a large, stained rock near the fire. A dozen or so elves converged on the animals with knives, slicing the skin and flesh with precise motions. The hunters began to strip off their armor and place them in a pile to one side. Raulin was surprised to see that, other than leggings and loincloths, most of the hunters wore only strips of hide to protect their skin from chaffing against the armor. Even the women.

    Other than the children, no one in the tribe gave the new arrivals a second glance. Gitsayeth left and returned a few minutes later with several people running to the center. ¡°Ahnee-dehm!¡± yelled several women and men, including one aging woman with graying hair. They encircled her and touched her, alternately embracing her and trying to get her attention. Raulin was burning with questions, but he felt that anything he did at this point would be an intrusion.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Sakilei struck up a conversation with a nearby hunter, removing his hat and putting it in his bag. Telbarisk became something of a celebrity, his height and command of the elvish tongue fascinating to some of the younger elves. And Raulin and Al were left alone. He supposed it could have been worse.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet,¡± he said to the wizard.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been observing.¡±

    ¡°And what have you observed in the last hour or so?¡±

    ¡°Being an outsider feels lonesome.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to agree with you here, Wizard.¡±

    Raulin thought they¡¯d stand in silence for a while and was surprised when Al asked, ¡°Did you really meet a to¡¯ken?¡±

    He turned. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve talked about it a few times.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me about it again?¡±

    * * *

    Her tribe didn¡¯t even let her wait until the meat for dinner had been cooked. They wanted to know where she had been and where her family was and why they hadn¡¯t returned from their strange, human trip five years ago. They gathered around her and brought out a log for her to sit on so that everyone could see her. And with over a hundred pairs of eyes watching her, waiting with a patience that would dissipate quickly, she realized this was going to be tricky. It was potentially a boiling pot.

    How would she tell her already incensed family that the enemy had killed one of their own? How could she make them understand that her father took a risk every time he brought them off elven lands and that time had finally been one filled with enough mistakes to cost them their lives?

    She spoke of the wonders of Analussia, of the ocean and the hot springs, neither things her tribe had ever seen before. She explained the law, she explained what a trial was and what being arrested meant. Then, glossing over all the painful details, of her mother crying, of her father¡¯s legs shaking one last time, of being conned out of money and living on the streets of Hanala, of having to whore to eat and survive one more day, she told them she had been too far to return and that she had been trying to find her siblings every day since then.

    Her eyes had been focused on the ground as she had spoken. She looked up as she asked, ¡°Have either Garlin or Sildet returned? I saw Raidet with her husband and children, she¡¯s safe, but¡­¡± She trailed off when she saw the looks on the faces of her tribe, stony at best, livid at worst.

    Gitsayeth, moved next to her. He said nothing, though, since his position in the tribe wasn¡¯t strong enough to sway an angry mob.

    ¡°They can¡¯t do this to us!¡± someone yelled.

    ¡°They promised no more bloodshed!¡±

    Anla¡¯s grandmother, her long gray hair tied in intricate knots on her head, moved forward with a fluidity that most humans had lost by that age. ¡°That was my daughter they killed! This we won¡¯t stand for!¡±

    ¡°Radma,¡± she said above the growing murmur from the tribe. ¡°I didn¡¯t return to incite you to war. I came because I¡¯ve missed you and I was hoping my siblings returned somehow.¡±

    ¡°It might have been best if you hadn¡¯t,¡± Gitsayeth said. ¡°This is just one of many problems we¡¯ve had with the kilik this year alone.¡±

    As people began angrily discussing her news, he spoke to her about all the issues they had seen. Aside from several natural disasters, they¡¯d had a few run-ins with Ghenians, both minor and major, local and governmental. Poaching, seizures of imminent domain, a few missing children, fields ¡°accidentally¡± burned by locals, and even a nearby noble looking to squeeze the elves off their land. ¡°The anger is always on the surface,¡± he said. ¡°We taste it in our food, now, and smell it in the air. We can¡¯t take much more of this before¡­¡±

    ¡°Anla?¡± she heard from across the fire. She turned to see that several tribesmen had taken Sakilei, Raulin, and Al by the arms and forced them to their knees. She sucked in her breath and ran over to the spot. Why hadn¡¯t she realized this might happen?

    ¡°No!¡± she said. ¡°Not them!¡±

    ¡°Ghenians,¡± someone said.

    ¡°We make our own rules on our land. Let¡¯s set an example by killing these Ghenians.¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± she yelled and quite a few of the elves stopped what they were doing. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them! They saved me.¡±

    Once she had their attention, she knelt next to Sakilei and put a possessive hand on his shoulder. ¡°He is like me, half Abedhi. He was stolen as a young man and forced to work against his will. He hates the Ghenians more than anyone here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said lowly.

    She moved to Raulin. ¡°He is not Ghenian, but Noh Amairian, and holds no allegiance to Gheny. He¡¯s saved me many times from terrible situations; I owe him my life.¡±

    Finally, she walked to Al. ¡°He is Ghenian, yes, but he helped pull me from my life on the streets of Hanala. He¡¯s been a good and loyal friend for many months now.

    ¡°If you hurt any of these men, it will be as if you are killing me. Please, do not judge them based on how others treat us. These are good men.¡±

    Those surrounding them hesitated, none willing to make the first move. ¡°Who will pay?¡± someone asked, though the voice was quieter than the others had been.

    ¡°Does anyone need to pay?¡± she responded.

    The crowd¡¯s response wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic, but still worryingly positive to violence. It was fortunate that an old woman stepped forward, her long, white hair twisted into coils that rested on her head. ¡°Uch ka?¡± she said, loud enough to be heard but without force. She leaned on her cane patiently, waiting until the crowd recognized her and her question.

    The elves parted so the woman was given a path to Anla and the rest of her group. Tel stood some distance away, obviously too strange looking to be a Ghenian, but the three other men were still on their knees and surrounded. Bare blades were suddenly snapped back into sheaths at her gaze.

    ¡°Mother,¡± Anla said, addressing the woman while bowing her head in deference.

    ¡°I remember you. You are the daughter of Nakeswa and the human, Martin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother. I returned to see if my siblings had come home by chance. I didn¡¯t understand how bad things have been between the Abedhi and the Ghenians. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve caused any harm.¡±

    She sniffed and looked at the elves closest to her friends. ¡°Why are we so angry at these strangers?¡±

    ¡°Mother, they are kilik and might be the ones who have been stealing our cattle and burning our lands.¡±

    ¡°Might be,¡± she repeated. ¡°Do any of you know for certain?¡± When no one spoke, she turned to Anla, ¡°Do you speak for their good intentions towards our people?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    To the crowd, she asked, ¡°And does anyone speak against them?¡±

    No one did.

    ¡°There. That¡¯s settled. Let the men up. So long as they are friendly towards us, we will return the kindness. Is this understood?¡±

    There was grumbles of assent and nods as the crowd¡¯s fury was extinguished as Al, Raulin, and Sakilei stood. ¡°Now, child, come speak with me. What has happened? Where are your parents and their children?¡±

    Anla had never bothered counting how many times she had told this story or of how many times she had dreamed it. She had ceased to wonder how many times she¡¯d have to tell it before it stopped hurting. She knew it was never going to stop hurting.

    ¡°I think I understand what happened more clearly,¡± Mother said when she was finished. ¡°This is not the first time I¡¯ve had to talk them out of revenge. But what of you? Your parents were killed and your life has been hard since. No revenge for you?¡±

    Her face hardened. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of it, Mother. It turns my stomach. I¡¯ll be weak in their eyes if that¡¯s what I need to be.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you must become something to others that you are not,¡± she said with a tone that Anla understood.

    As if nothing had happened, large leaves of cooked meat were shoved into the confused and wary hands of Anla¡¯s friends. When Telbarisk politely declined and communicated that grivven didn¡¯t eat meat, someone found a bowl of recently picked root vegetables for his supper.

    After her discussion with Awmaw, known to the tribe as Mother, she took her place next to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this was a possibility.¡±

    ¡°This is why my order stresses looking before leaping,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wash,¡± Al said, chewing on what was probably cougar meat. ¡°She got us into it, but she also got us out of it.¡±

    Raulin tilted his head at Al before saying, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t say I was mad at her over it. I think I would have liked to know ahead of time about their feelings towards outsiders.¡±

    ¡°Ghenians,¡± Anla corrected, ¡°and it¡¯s only because things have been worse between them. I should have told you where I was going, but I was so excited to see Garlin and Sildet that I let my enthusiasm take me. I apologize again.¡±

    Raulin nodded in a wary way, his eyes still on the tribe. ¡°Are they here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is only a small fraction of the tribe and just the eastern-most part of the Dreelands. There¡¯s a lot of people to ask.¡± She paused and looked at the other four. ¡°May we stay for a day or two while I look? You¡¯re safe here; they won¡¯t try anything again.¡±

    Raulin sighed, looked at his companions, then nodded his head.

 Chapter 183

    With his belly full of meat and his body tucked into a vine hammock, Raulin should have drifted off to sleep quickly. If it wasn¡¯t for his racing mind, it might have happened, but his anxiety made him feel very exposed. He hadn¡¯t realized how many of them carried knives and he had been trained to notice things like that.

    So, he definitely wasn¡¯t asleep when he heard Anla whisper, ¡°Raulin? Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could sleep even if I had a pillow pressed to my face for half a day.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to take a walk? There¡¯s something I want to see.¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Hammocks were things Raulin never considered a vehicle for a graceful exit. The best he could do was rock to the side and fall out, catching himself with his leg and arm, then hoist himself up to standing in a movement that might be considered seamless to outsiders. To Raulin, though, he was a clumsy mess that Anla thankfully said nothing about.

    She led him down the path from the tree¡¯s branches to the ground, gracefully and silently in the dark. Raulin, at least, didn¡¯t make any mistakes that caused him to fall to the ground and wake up half the tribe. For that he was happy; not only would he hate to fall down, but also to wake up the people who had been ready to slice his throat mere hours ago.

    He didn¡¯t want to ask where a man in a loincloth carried a knife.

    The fire in the middle of the clearing still burned, though at this hour it was untended and there was no meat cooking. The smell of smoke and vegetation seemed overwhelming when Raulin vision was clouded by the light.

    ¡°Why do I get to be the lucky one tonight?¡± he asked Anla.

    ¡°I thought your mask¡¯s ability to see in the dark would come in handy.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said with disappointment.

    She playfully nudged his arm and pointed ahead of them to the almost full moon rising between the trees. ¡°I can see perfectly well without you. ¡±

    ¡°Oh. No, I knew that. I was thinking about taking my mask off anyway. It¡¯s a nice night.¡±

    Raulin gritting his teeth at his stupidity, changing the subject to take his mind off his gaff. ¡°Who did we meet today? The man with the hunting party seemed familiar with you. Is he¡­a childhood friend? A lover or betrothed?¡±

    ¡°Gitsayeth?¡± she asked, giving him a strange look. ¡°He¡¯s my uncle, my mother¡¯s sister¡¯s husband. My cousins were playing around, his wife was in the crowd. My grandmother was the older woman who spoke loudly, with good reason. It was her daughter that was killed.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You looked very familiar with him.¡±

    ¡°We were close. I liked hearing the stories about his tribe, the Nwayldin. They¡¯re from Aviz, near the ocean, and were very different than our own.¡±

    ¡°How did he meet your aunt?¡±

    ¡°There are gatherings every few years of the elves. They discuss politics and strategy, but it¡¯s also a place for trade and for young elves to find mates. Sometimes elves in outer villages find lovers that they¡¯re not related to, but often they go to other outer villages or even other lands. Men leave their homes for a wife.¡±

    They took the trail they had earlier that day almost back to the road before she stepped off to a small, overgrown path. Some two or three hundred feet down was a small, brick building.

    ¡°This seems like an unusual house,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Not if you¡¯re an Arvonnese man trying to find a happy medium for your family.¡±

    ¡°This was your home.¡±

    She stepped closer, resting her hand on the jamb of the only entrance to the house. Raulin could see that it had been curated some years ago, with flowers boxes on the eaves of the now broken panes of the windows, a fallow garden, and a tiled roof with a few pieces broken or missing. Anla sighed, opened the door, and stepped through.

    Raulin didn¡¯t need to duck, but the top of his head almost scraped against the frame. The house was too dark to see anything, so he unclipped the bottom part of his mask, which was tied to his belt, and gave it to Anla. ¡°Here. Hold this below your eyes.¡±

    She did and gasped lightly. ¡°So this is what you see in the night. How does it work?¡±

    ¡°The bottom metal, the darker gray part that rests against my skin, is some rare material that allows us to see in the dark more than a normal man can.¡± He stepped on something that crunched below his boot and hoped it wasn¡¯t something valuable. ¡°It¡¯s why my order pays fifty gold for a returned trirec mask and they don¡¯t ask questions about what happened.¡±

    She moved the mask part away and picked up something on the mantle. ¡°It¡¯s our feet,¡± she explained. ¡°My mother took clay and pressed our foot into it when we were newborns.¡± She picked up one that was broken in two pieces. ¡°This one¡¯s Sildet¡¯s.¡±

    Anla moved over to a rocking chair and sat. It creaked but held her as she let her body melt into it. ¡°My father bought this for my mother when I was about four or five. She thought it was a queer contraption and didn¡¯t touch it, but once she got used to it, she loved it. She did all her sewing here by the fire and sometimes rocked us to sleep.¡±

    The chair creaked a few more times before she stood and walked to the rear of the house. There were two doors to two bedrooms, each with a four-poster bed. ¡°The tribe always thought this was a strange place. They had seen beds and fireplaces in the cities, of course, but not in the Ghenian style. Occasionally someone would stop by just to look at our things.¡±

    ¡°I noticed this house is a bit far away from the village,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°My father was never fully accepted, I don¡¯t think. Even though he wasn¡¯t Ghenian, he was still a kilik, an enemy. They let him stay here, especially when he poured a lot of money and resources into the tribe, but he was always on the fringes and not allowed to do or be in certain places.¡±

    ¡°How did he feel about that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It never seemed to bother him. He was away for weeks or months at a time and he didn¡¯t marry my mother to join the elves. He just happened to love someone who wasn¡¯t human.¡±

    ¡°And you and your siblings?¡±

    ¡°Being half-elven was enough for the tribe. There were definitely some issues with certain people, and we were teased because of my father, but for the most part they accepted us.¡±

    ¡°Pardon if I sound a bit biased, but they don¡¯t seem like accepting people.¡±

    ¡°Things have been tense between the Abedhi and the Ghenians. And this is also one of the outside villages; things are different the farther in you go.¡±

    ¡°Farther in?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see tomorrow,¡± she said. She walked to the front door and stopped to pick up something off the ground. In the moonlight Raulin could see it was a small, wooden trumpet with two long metal arms that curved in at the ends. He¡¯d seen doctors carry one before to listen to breathing and heartbeats.

    ¡°I knew this was going to be hard,¡± she said. He moved next to her and invited her into a hug, which she did, dropping the stethoscope to the ground. She didn¡¯t cry, but her breathing grew heavy and pained.

    ¡°I need to move on,¡± she whispered, her head against his chest. ¡°It hurts too much to think about them.¡±

    ¡°No. Never move on.¡±

    ¡°How do you deal with the pain?¡±

    ¡°My parents were killed. That¡¯s unchangeable. Do I want more? Do I want them and my siblings alive? Every damn day. But I know I can¡¯t have that, so I remember them as they were. I think of happy times and I understand that they are the graves of them in my mind.¡±

    ¡°Graves in your mind?¡± she said, moving her head away.

    ¡°Places I visit the dead,¡± he said, looking down at her. ¡°It was a hard thing to reconcile, but eventually I had to brutally accept that company, conversations, and events are repeatable with many, but not with some. I had to preserve what memories I had of them and build a shrine¡­and leave. I had to force myself to understand that they had ended and nothing could change that. When I was ready, I returned to my shrines and paid my respects, but I made sure to leave again.¡±

    She nodded, then whispered, ¡°Thank you,¡± then moved away towards the door, leading him back to the village.

    * * *

    One of the patrols was gearing up when the five of them left west for deeper elven country. ¡°That was one of the satellite villages,¡± she explained. ¡°The poorer elves without land live there, though some elves prefer a life that¡¯s more¡­primitive. They hunt and gather, fight to protect the borders, and live closer to nature.¡±

    ¡°Your mother was one?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°She was from one of the agrarian villages we¡¯ll be traveling to, actually. My grandfather was killed in a raid when my mother and her twin were twelve and my grandmother uprooted the family to move closer to family here. The satellite villages are supposed to stop those things from happening, but they can¡¯t protect everything. Here it goes villages on the outside protect the farmlands and the farmlands protect the cities.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Sakilei said, breathing out slowly. ¡°This was how my tribe was, though our central city was against the side of a mountain, so the villages were in a half-moon shape around it, not in a circle.¡±

    ¡°When I was younger, I thought the Dreelands were perfectly symmetrical and equidistant. I doubt that they are; there have to be natural features that interfere. And I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve had to move farther in due to Ghenian influence.¡±

    It took them an hour to reach the first farm, people dotted in the fields of short and root vegetables and apple trees. One man stood up and wiped his brow, watching the five of them walk past. There was no way to tell even at a few hundred feet of distance that he was an elf. Another hour and a half of walking brought them to the gate of a fortified wall that stretched as far as they could see.

    After Anla spoke quickly with one of the guards (who wore a stylized helmet, but chain mail and plate armor, not bark), the gate was raised and one of them stepped forward, his hand outstretched. ¡°Raulin, they agreed to let you keep your mask on, but you have to surrender your knives once you past the wall.¡±

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he unholstered his two fighting knives at his hip, then pulled out the two extra he had put in his boots. The guard took the four, sized him up, then quickly patted him down as Raulin calmly stood with his hands laced behind his head. He was approved and the five were allowed to continue through the gate.

    ¡°Did he miss one?¡± Anla asked quietly.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem upset he took your weapons.¡±

    ¡°Rock,¡± he said, pointing to a hand-sized rock nearby on the ground. ¡°Pike, sword, branch. There are at least four other weapons I can use within twenty feet of either guard. It¡¯s ¡®my knives are nothing without me¡¯, not ¡®I¡¯m nothing without my knives¡¯.¡±

    The village had a wider cleared road that ran perpendicular to the gate. Across from the wall was one building with several shops, a sign hanging over each one with a picture and intricate writing. This was hardly the most interesting thing about the shop, though. While the lines matched the profile of a building, the place seemed to meld into the earth, folds rippling into the ground. It took Raulin a few moments to realize it had probably once been two large, close-knit trees that had been sculpted into the majority of the building¡¯s footprint.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I need to ask around. If either Sildet or Garlin came back recently, they would have passed through this village, or they would have likely heard about them.¡±

    ¡°And if they came back a while ago?¡±

    She met his gaze and bit her lip. ¡°Then we may need to travel to one of the cities. It might take some time. I¡¯m sorry, Raulin.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°As I said to Tel, we need to beat the cold weather. If we can keep ahead of it, and we¡¯re not waylaid for a long stretch of time, then I¡¯m all right with you searching for your siblings.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smiling. A momentary thought that he couldn¡¯t have said ¡°no¡± to her anyway passed through his mind.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d be pretty pleased with a brief tour of the Dreelands. We have a rather robust interest in elves in my homeland. There aren¡¯t any in Noh Amair, so they¡¯re treated almost as mythological people. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s different for Ghenians,¡± he said, looking at Al, ¡°but I¡¯m interested in your culture.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to listen,¡± Al said. ¡°I doubt I could get a better source of information than from the people themselves.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said brightly. ¡°A tour. Um, this is one of the outside agrarian villages, as I said. Dikewess, if I remember correctly, which means something like ¡®place of growth¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Just ¡®farming village¡¯,¡± Sakilei corrected, ¡°though you¡¯d get the sense that this one has a focus on community.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They hold dances here for the younger elves to mingle.¡± She pointed out the building in front of them. ¡°This is the main building of Dikewess. People bring their crops here to trade for goods.¡±

    ¡°I noticed the farms were on the outside of the wall. Why is that?¡± Raulin asked, lobbing her an easy question.

    ¡°The hunting villages are responsible for patrolling the perimeter of the lands and protecting the farms, which pay the hunting villages in crops. The wall acts as a last defense for the inner villages, should there be a breach.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s clever,¡± he said, though most Noh Amairian towns worked on the same premise, since although the Accords had abolished war, it couldn¡¯t abolish skirmishes.

    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go inside and ask about my brother and sister.¡±

    As she disappeared inside the building, Al asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we go in and get supplies?¡±

    ¡°She said they only barter here,¡± Raulin answered. ¡°Unless you want to haggle your ax for some broccoli, I think it would be better if we tried some place back out on the Route of the Woods.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said with a resigned and thoughtful look on his face.

    When Anla returned, she didn¡¯t seem happy. ¡°They haven¡¯t heard about any half-elven children, but they admitted they might not have heard anything. They suggested we travel farther to one of the cities.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°It will be a good portion of a day. If I remember correctly, Yavath is the closest.¡±

    He sighed and nodded, rewarded only by her smile.

    They traveled north along the ring-road that connected the inner agrarian villages and reached the next one in the glow of a golden-orange, pink, and purple striped sunset predicted with eerie accuracy by Telbarisk. There were sleeping cubbies in the main shop that one of the owners rented to the five for an extra needle, some thread, and chalk from Al¡¯s pack. While it seemed like Anla had gotten a good deal, in fact the cubbies were only used when a fire or flood destroyed a farmer¡¯s house and the family had nowhere else to go. They were often empty.

    After the shop tenders had gone to their homes for the night, the five ate dinner and headed to bed shortly thereafter. Raulin, tucked away under blankets, his belly full, felt comfortable, peaceful, almost at home in the nook. It was quite a difference from the night before.

    He could see the fire burning in the middle of the room, hear the crackling and popping, feel the heat radiating. He was almost asleep when the light was blocked. ¡°Raulin?¡± she whispered.

    He moved closer to the wall and opened the blankets. She crawled in. He draped the comforter over her, then his arm. She sighed. There, that was home.

    * * *

    After tea and breakfast, the five set out towards Yavath. The path to the city was noticeably different that the one between the first two villages; the fields were smaller, almost subsistence-farming in size, the houses had more sections to them, and each lot was closer together. There were still more trees and vegetation than was found in Ghenian towns.

    Anla and Sakilei both began grabbing fruit from the trees planted along the road. They filled their sacks with figs, grapes, apples, and pears. ¡°This seems like stealing,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Anla said, throwing him a fig. ¡°These are fine to pick and are here for anyone.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Gheny do that?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Gheny do a lot of things like that?¡± Raulin questioned in return.

    ¡°Because why would Gheny plant trees for the poor to eat when someone would take the opportunity to harvest and sell it anyway?¡± Sakilei asked, turning to walk backwards. ¡°Ghenians do not take care of their own. They would rather one less mouth to feed then have to share their food.¡±

    ¡°Gheny has shelters, orphanages, and work houses,¡± Al said.

    ¡°¡­that come with the sacrifice of your freedom. The conditions are often worse than the street.¡±

    Al wanted to argue with this, but he realized that he didn¡¯t know enough about that situation. Home to school to Whitney, he had never had to live in one of those places, had never depended on kindness and charity.

    Anla turned and stopped. ¡°He¡¯s right. It¡¯s why the group that took us in didn¡¯t go to any of the orphanages. The choice was either lean on each other or take what little you could get, never full or warm enough.

    ¡°If I knew where the Dreelands were and if I¡¯d had enough money, I would have traveled here a long time ago. They¡¯d always accept me and they¡¯d never turn away someone with elven blood.¡±

    Sakilei stared at her for a few moments, before nodding slowly and turning to continue his walk towards Yavath.

    Instead of walls and gates, Yavath seamlessly blended from surrounding houses to thickly settled blocks in just a few miles. The streets were unpaved, but meticulously kept like country lanes with flowers planted alongside and a smooth, traffic-worn center. Moss and ivy grew everywhere. Buildings wrapped themselves around trees and incorporated gardens into their footprints. Streets were therefore not uniformly straight, but close.

    Raulin could count in his travels at least twenty-five different lands he¡¯d been to, but he¡¯d never seen architecture so finely detailed and exquisite. He could praise the glass work of Aviz in western Gheny or the intricate doors of Caiyuzet, but both places¡¯ charms ended with their fortes. In Yavath, each entire house was a work of art. Smooth semi-circle and tall rectangle shapes folded over paned glass that was twisted with grilles in gold, green, and black. Trees trained in swirls became columns supporting verandas and the balconies above them. Sculpted stone in varied colors snaked along the quoins creating reliefs of flowers, trees, or geometric shapes. Each house, either in the wood or stone material, or in its decorations, had something gold that glinted in the afternoon sun.

    ¡°Gorgeous,¡± Raulin said. He didn¡¯t care about the heights of the buildings nor the streets nor the elven people giving him curious looks. He liked this city.

    ¡°Welcome to the Gold City,¡± Anla said. ¡°If we take this road we¡¯ll make it to the business buildings. I¡¯m sure I can ask someone there about Sildet and Garlin.¡±

    ¡°Tell me they take Ghenian money,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I want to buy things.¡±

    ¡°You can try,¡± she said.

    He stopped in several shops as Anla continued ahead. Unfortunately, he spoke no Elvish and the shopkeepers didn¡¯t speak any language he knew. The communication tended to break down as several owners tried to buy his mask from him. He gave up.

    A soft double helix of a building with wide feet and a lacquered tiled roof swept up from the earth. It was surrounded in windows with gold grilles and small panes of colored glass. The main doorway, double-wide and a story-and-a-half tall, was a splendid tale of some kind with elven people carved in the wood and a border of gemstones as large as a man¡¯s fist.

    Inside was more verdant than the surrounding outside, an arboretum with butterflies and birds fluttering around. A fall poured water into a pond that curved around the room and fed back to a waterwheel that kept the cascade supplied. They crossed a small bridge to reach the center of the open room and sat on benches as Anla spoke to a woman who was seated near several bookcases.

    After some time, Sakilei grew bored and began speaking with various people in the room. Raulin lost track of Tel. He amused himself by watching the people in the room and guessing what they were doing. He didn¡¯t notice when someone sat next to him until they spoke in Ghenian. ¡°Enjoying your time here?¡±

    ¡°Your city is beautiful,¡± Raulin answered, turning to face him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. Although he was a young-looking elf, he moved with a purposeful slowness. His hair was cut shorter than most elves he¡¯d seen, but was braided back out of his face. ¡°Might I ask what your purpose here is?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to find my¡­charge¡¯s brother and sister. They were outside the Dreelands when her parents died and she was separated from her siblings. She¡¯s been looking for them ever since. She hoped they had returned here and that they were being cared for, especially since they were children.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°I know of your kind and was worried you were here for other reasons.¡±

    ¡°I have no contracts in the Dreelands or against any elves.¡±

    He patted Raulin affectionately on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear. Where is your charge?¡±

    He pointed to Anla and the man stood and walked to her. She was still speaking to the woman when he got her attention. ¡°You are looking for your siblings?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, turning to look at him. ¡°Oh, Radpa, you honor me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d wait to make that judgment,¡± he said with a sad smile. ¡°I happen to know the answer to your question. There was a council meeting recently on the half-humans we have here in our lands, about whether we should shield them from the kilik laws or cooperate with any of them who visit us. We decided the former, but it was determined that we should have a census of those under our protection. None were under the age of fifteen.¡±

    Anla¡¯s shoulders slumped and she nodded her head. ¡°Thank you, Radpa. You¡¯ve saved me time that is better spent looking for my brother and sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find them soon.¡± He opened his arms for a hug and she gave him a quick kiss on his cheeks. He patted her head affectionately before saying goodbye.

    The five left the building and began their walk back to the village they had slept in the night before. ¡°We might be able to make it back to Rathewess before the shops close,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Who was that man who spoke to me?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Radpa. He¡¯s one of the¡­spirits, I guess you¡¯d call him.¡±

    ¡°Spirit? Like, he¡¯s not alive?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s definitely alive. We believe that there are spirits that inhabit certain people. Each tribe always has a Mother, a Father, a Grandmother, and Grandfather, and a Child. He was Grandfather, Radpa, and he¡¯s the embodiment of the tribe¡¯s grandfather. He holds that position and offers advice, maintaining a spiritual balance for us. We met Mother a few days ago in my village.¡±

    ¡°Grandfather was younger than Mother, though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that happens often. He has been Grandfather since the last one died, whenever he took on the spirit. That can happen at any point in our lives.¡±

    Raulin was about to ask another question when Sakilei cleared his throat. The four turned and saw him standing in the road leading east with a resolute look on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to stay.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Anla asked after a few moments of contemplative silence from the quartet.

    ¡°I am. I cannot live in Gheny, I¡¯ve decided. I don¡¯t belong there. And I¡¯ve spent enough time in the wilderness. That leaves the elven lands. I¡¯ve been speaking with people and I think they¡¯ll accept me here, even though I¡¯m a half-breed.¡±

    Raulin stepped close to him and shook his hand. ¡°I think, in your shoes, I¡¯d make the same choice. I hope you find happiness here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    Anla gave him a hug and Al shook his hand with an awkward, embarrassed look before mumbling a final apology. Sakilei turned and wrapped his arms around Tel¡¯s waist and hugged him as hard as he could, his head resting against the grivven¡¯s lower rib cage. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you the most, big guy.¡±

    Tel hugged him back with deep sigh. ¡°This is sad for me, but it feels like the right way for you. I think you¡¯ve found kouriya.¡±

    The walk back to the village was quiet, each having something to think about, Anla more than the others. She had really hoped to find her little brother and sister here, though she knew it had been a long shot they would be here. She had picked up Garlin¡¯s voice a few times in the southern parts of Hanala leading south, as she had for Raidet in the north, but she had never heard Sildet¡¯s after she had disappeared. A part of her was losing hope that she was still alive. And she felt guilty that she hadn¡¯t done more for Raidet. She had made her choice and Anla had to respect that, but maybe she should have tried a little harder. Would she have left her husband and children on the meager promise from her younger sister?

    And though Sakilei and she had never really attained a friendship, she had liked him and had appreciated what he had taught her. She was going to miss him.

    They made it a few minutes before the shop in Rathewess was going to close. The owner that had rented the beds before waved off any barter, saying he trusted them not to steal and that he made the stew with surplus. Raulin took the same bed he¡¯d slept in before, wanting to just collapse into the down mattress from all the walking they¡¯d done. He took the risk and removed his mask and shirt, turning towards the wall and closing his eyes.

    He was about to drift off when he felt pressure on the bed and turned to see Anla crouched down. Again, he opened the covers and let her in. Before he turned back to the wall, though, she placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He was about to say something when her hand slid up his chest, along the side of his neck, to his cheek then his hair. She pulled his head towards her and kissed him.

    It was very trying for Raulin to remember the promise he had made to himself, that he wouldn¡¯t push for anything more than what she gave. Instead, he combed his fingers through her hair, cradling her head as he kissed her back. A few times she stopped for a few moments, as if considering him or something else, but continued again.

    Raulin couldn¡¯t and hadn¡¯t wanted to count the moments, but he could be sure that it had been several minutes by the time she pulled away. He said nothing, waiting for her. She said nothing, placing her head on his chest until she fell asleep.

    He sighed internally. It was better than nothing, but so far from where he wanted to be with her.

 Chapter 184

    Gheny was much more boring than Raulin remembered. They had stepped back onto the Route of the Woods after another overnight in Anla¡¯s village. A passing caravan driver had given them an odd look when they had emerged onto the crossroads from the directions pointing to the Dreelands. The Route was just a route, dirt, stones, trees and grass if it wasn¡¯t cut back. It wasn¡¯t interesting.

    Raulin felt as if he had lost something important. Everyone else actually had. Identity, hope, a friend. None were feeling great about walking towards Declinst, a large town in the southern third of Ashven. All four might have agreed to turning around at the crossroads and returning to the Dreelands, but none suggested it. Whether they wanted to or not, they had promised Raulin he would finish his docket by the end of their year together. Anla still needed to find her siblings, Tel needed to learn about Gheny, and Al still needed to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

    It took them almost a week to walk to Declinst. They took two inn rooms in town and ate a meal of chicken cordon bleu, carrots, and wild rice for dinner, Tel preferring a vegetable-laden casserole with the meat picked out. It was pouring, the rain dripping from the window next to the private booth they had taken at one of the restaurants in town.

    ¡°Can we help you with this contract?¡± Anla asked quietly.

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°You could help, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°Well, let me explain the situation and see if you come to the same conclusion I have.¡± He met her eyes, then shifted them Al for a moment, then back to her. She caught the motion and nodded slightly. ¡°This is an unusual contract in that I may have to do nothing more than talk with the target. He¡¯s doing something certain people don¡¯t like. My job is to get him to not to do it anymore.¡±

    ¡°And you think Anla can do that with her magic?¡± Al offered.

    ¡°Yes. But the question isn¡¯t whether she could or couldn¡¯t, but should she? Anla could easily put this man under her mesmerization spell, make him averse to doing what he¡¯s doing, and bring him out. He¡¯d stop his work and live to do something else. But, that choice wouldn¡¯t be his.¡±

    Al opened his mouth to speak a few times, each time looking unhappy that he said nothing. ¡°What do you think, Al?¡± Anla finally asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a tough call. We learned about something in Amandorlam called Father¡¯s Height, in which the monarchy and the government often make choices on behalf of Ghenians behind closed doors, like a father would meet a stranger¡¯s gaze at a different level than a child. As wizards, we were taught to honor Father¡¯s Height. Personally, it never settled well with me, but I didn¡¯t think about it often.

    ¡°In this case, Father¡¯s Height would suggest that we have this person¡¯s best interest in mind when forcing him to abandon something he may be very passionate about. You could say it¡¯s down to the choice of life or soul.¡±

    ¡°And what would you choose?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Would I rather live and have the ability to do magic removed? I¡­I can¡¯t say anymore. I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The three waited for him to continue, but he sat back and sipped on the glass of Caudet he¡¯d ordered with his meal. ¡°Tel?¡±

    ¡°I would council letting the person make the choice. Perhaps by explaining his choices clearly he might make one that satisfied everyone.¡±

    ¡°Anla?¡±

    As she had never favored alcohol, she drank a glass of watered down wine called Chieri Rose in Hanala, though here it was named Sunset Blush. She swirled it a few times, then said, ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting a variable here, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Whether the person who can force the man is willing to force the man.¡± Her eyes flashed and her tone was laden with venom. ¡°You just assumed that I was willing to take away a man¡¯s free will because I could. I don¡¯t like doing it, Raulin. I¡¯ve said this many times before.¡±

    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Raulin said in a placating tone. ¡°You make a great point and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t ask before adding you into the equation.¡± She folded her arms over her chest, then gave a surly nod. ¡°I¡¯m thinking our collective answer is to give the man a chance, then, and if he chooses death, then that was at least his choice.¡±

    Later, back in the inn, Anla sat on the edge of the bed and took off her soaked shirt in the room she was sharing with Raulin. He stood in the doorway and cleared his throat. ¡°Are you upset with me?¡±

    She turned her head, furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°You seemed¡­animated at dinner.¡±

    ¡°I though that¡¯s what you wanted. You gave me that look and I thought you wanted me to embellish my aversion to Al so that he might get that through his head that I really don¡¯t want to enthrall people.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he said with a light laugh. ¡°I meant to keep the discussion on him, see where his mind went. I was hoping he¡¯d come to that conclusion, that you shouldn¡¯t use your magic, but that we could sort of control things so that he would understand your position in choices like that.¡±

    She put her shirt on and turned. ¡°I was supposed to figure that out from a look?¡±

    ¡°I¡­guess not. You usually think the same way I do, but that might have been a bit too subtle. Speaking of things misunderstood¡­where, uh¡­where are we? You and I?¡±

    She gave a quick shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°Because you kissed me in the Dreelands and then nothing, so I was making sure I didn¡¯t do anything to upset you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure it out as I go. It felt right to do it then and I don¡¯t regret it. It made me feel¡­better.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, taking off his mask and shirt. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯ve never kissed a man before.¡±

    ¡°You said you had two beaus before¡­¡±

    ¡°They always kissed me.¡±

    He nodded and laid down, turning towards the door. ¡°Have a nice sleep, Anla.¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her and was surprised when her lips touched his. She held his head between her hands, kissing him deeply until she touched her forehead to his. He ran his hand down her hair, pushing it from her neck before catching himself. She put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep there.

    It hadn¡¯t really answered his question. He was still confused, or at least not willing to assume meager evidence meant something more. With another internal sigh, he told himself he needed to stop leaning into her words and gestures and just let her do what she wanted. That was easier said than done. He saw her every day, all day, and slept next to her at night. He never considered him impatient, but seven months seemed like not enough time at this pace.

    There was nothing to do about it. He tipped his head down and kissed the crown of her head. Hopefully it would be just a little while longer.

    * * *

    The camp, or more accurately the cabin with two shacks on either side, had taken quite a while to find. Even with detailed instructions from a few people in Declinst who knew where it was, it was hard to navigate through the thick Ashven forests, swamp lands, and past rougher, elevated terrain. It must have been just winding, however, since Raulin had traveled at least a few miles. Tel was stationed at the entrance point of the faint trail and the chalice spell had never been triggered.

    For his efforts over the hours, Raulin had been chewed alive by mosquitoes, his boots were soaked and his feet had fresh blisters despite the moleskin he¡¯d used before he set out. He was tempted to just slit the man¡¯s throat and be done with it in five minutes. But, no. He¡¯d give the man a chance.

    He hid behind a silver outoak, it¡¯s trunk wide enough to provide plenty of cover. He scanned the area, looking for anything he could use to help him: signs of attachments, a group or family, perhaps. He¡¯d hate to use a child¡¯s life to extort the man¡¯s promise, but it might be better for everyone all around if he did.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    There were just the three buildings. Several crates of food were outside one of the shacks near the cabin. The shack itself was crudely made by someone who didn¡¯t have the same skills as whomever built the cabin. Uneven planks of wood and stacked trunks made a lean-to over barrels and equipment covered loosely with a tarp. The other shack¡¯s door was open and appeared to have a bed with rumpled sheets, a table with dirty dishes, and a stove to heat the sad little room in winter.

    The cabin was spacious in comparison, easily three times the size of the domicile. Several stacks on the roof poured smoke or gas and Raulin paused at that. His notes said the man¡¯s was a doctor, Dr. Abenor Ritchik; perhaps he was a doctor in the learned sense of the title, not a man who cured disease or sewed flesh.

    His notes gave him little to go by and Raulin refused to spend days watching a building boil and stew. He did give it a half-hour, in case there were several people who used the grounds, but since there were no worn trails leading to or from the camp, he found it unlikely.

    There were no shouts when he approached the cabin. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. ¡°Leave it outside,¡± a man inside said.

    The lighting inside was good for daytime, but there were no lamps or candles to light the darker corners. Therefore, the man was silhouetted, his hair unkempt and sticking out in tufts. It reminded him of Jemerie, a man he¡¯d known in his youth, who despite his class always looked disheveled and fresh from his bed.

    Raulin took a few very loud steps to announce his presence. The man growled and turned, adjusting his glasses. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±

    ¡°My name is Raulin Kemor and I represent the Sun-Moon Guild.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why should I care? Leave me to my work.¡±

    ¡°Your work is exactly what caught the attention of the Guild and has brought me here today.¡±

    At this the man turned around and gave Raulin his full attention. ¡°Sun-Moon Guild? I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d like to keep it that way. All you need to know is that they take interest in advancements in certain fields of science. There are things they would like to not be discovered. Failing that, they¡¯d like people¡¯s findings to be kept private.¡±

    ¡°My job is to help¡­¡± He shut his mouth and mumbled something. ¡°I don¡¯t see how some group can barge into people¡¯s lives and tell them what they can and can¡¯t do. How is that fair or good for the scientific community?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was. And to answer your first point, money, mostly. Money and might. You know what I am?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of trirecs?¡±

    He shook his head, his cloud of wild hair waving around.

    It was rare that Raulin found someone who didn¡¯t know a thing about trirecs. Then again, this was a man who seemingly lived by himself in the middle of the woods with a focus on matters that didn¡¯t involve his world. It would explain why he hadn¡¯t shown a shred of fear since Raulin entered his cabin. ¡°I am a man trained as an assassin. I do other things as well, which I prefer to do, but mostly I kill people for money.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been sent here to scare me, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been sent to have a discussion with you. Again, it¡¯s what I prefer to do over the killing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a man to be scared out of doing what needs to be done. I don¡¯t care who you are or who sent you, there are things I need to do for the greater good!¡±

    Raulin pulled out one of his knives and began cleaning his fingernails with it. It was a cliched motion he¡¯d stolen from a play he once saw, mostly because he thought it was a good way to show his target that he had a knife without doing something stupid like twirling it, which might lead to him dropping it. He also liked sitting or leaning on tables at this point, to show that things didn¡¯t need to escalate, but there were no surfaces uncovered and by the smell, safe. ¡°Yes, the greater good. I¡¯m glad you appreciate that notion. You can still achieve things for ¡®the greater good¡¯ and also continue with your work. The Sun-Moon Guild estimates that you¡¯re very close to achieving the right mixture for black powder. You cannot succeed. You must leave this alone or, and this is a very generous offer, you may work for the Sun-Moon Guild.¡±

    ¡°Black powder?¡± he said, then nodded. ¡°The saltpeter mixture. Yes, very close. I hate to disappoint your employers, but I do have buyers for the mixture when I figure it out.¡±

    ¡°My employers will pay you handsomely. It¡¯s not a bad offer at all; they appreciate minds such as yours and like to have them on their payroll.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in money.¡±

    ¡°What then? Fame? I hate to vex, but you¡¯re certainly not the first man who¡¯s discovered black powder. You wouldn¡¯t even be in the single digits. But, perhaps there are other things? Escape from your buyers? Release from duress? A quiet plot of land somewhere to work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure that your Sun-Moon Guild isn¡¯t interested in giving me what I want.¡±

    Raulin put his knife down by his side. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. They¡¯re fairly reasonable people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making the combustible powder for the Freeman¡¯s Army.¡±

    When the doctor didn¡¯t continue, Raulin said, ¡°I consider myself a man of the world. I wind up knowing a little bit about a lot of things, but many little things miss my understanding. Pray tell, what is the Freeman¡¯s Army?¡±

    ¡°We are a group of enlightened people who wish to make some changes to the current political situation.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Changes¡¯? You wish for certain legislature to be passed in the House?¡±

    ¡°We wish there was no House.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Raulin said, holding out the syllable. ¡°You¡¯re revolutionists. You wish to use your black powder to topple the monarchy and install some other form of government. I¡¯ve heard that worked real well for Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Arvonne was butchered,¡± Dr. Ritchik said in an acerbic tone. ¡°Those Kalronists were disorganized to a loathsome degree. They had no supply chains in place, no allies, no surpluses. They collapsed the country in weeks and haven¡¯t been able to pull it up from the ashes in the seventeen years since then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they were where your Freeman¡¯s Army was at some point. Do you trust your men can do it differently?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. We have people from all walks of life helping, men with degrees and experience. And we have hope. If Arvonne has shown us nothing good, at least it has shown us that a country doesn¡¯t need a monarchy to survive. It was always some far Berothian tale.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You plan on taking out the monarchy?¡±

    ¡°If need be. That will likely have to be a sacrifice.¡±

    Fool, Raulin thought. He felt the heat rise to his face, his free hand clenching into a fist. ¡°So, you cannot be swayed, then?¡± he said quietly through a tightened throat. ¡°You¡¯re in this for the greater good.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Raulin stepped forward. The doctor looked around quickly, grabbed a beaker, and smashed it against his table. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said, holding the jagged edges of glass towards Raulin.

    The trirec took a considering breath before charging in against the doctor. The man¡¯s eyes looked as wild as his hair as Raulin grabbed the doctor¡¯s arm, held it out, then stabbed him in the stomach.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done,¡± he said, looking down.

    ¡°Fully aware, though I¡¯m sure you think your death is more important than it really is.¡± He stepped to the side and slide his knife over the man¡¯s throat. He choked on his blood and tried holding the dark liquid in to no avail. He slammed down to his knees and toppled over, dead, within a minute.

    Raulin wiped his blade on the man¡¯s shirt and sighed. He had no personal issue killing a seditionist, but a brilliant mind? That was a waste. Besides, this meant that the old piss and bones back in Hanala¡¯s headquarters, Stavro, would take pleasure in the fact that Raulin was unable to complete this contract without killing the man.

    He looked at the doctor¡¯s notes quickly and wasn¡¯t surprised to find that he had no idea what they were and if they were even the formulae and calculations that supported his theories. He was going to have to burn down everything and hope he didn¡¯t keep copies some place else.

    As he searched the cabin, he reviewed the contract. Could he have saved this man? Unlikely. He recalled the man¡¯s tone, his animated gestures when he spoke of the Army. He wasn¡¯t just a puppet funded by the group, he truly believed in their cause.

    Should he report this to the Sun-Moon Guild when he wrote his letter? Or better yet, what would a trirec who hadn¡¯t figured things out do?

    The Sun-Moon Guild wasn¡¯t just a secret society that horded deitic artifacts. That was just something they did that was in line with their philosophy, which was actually to suppress new technology and scientific breakthroughs that they felt would be detrimental to the world. He had learned during an assassination with a man who blabbered about everything in order to save himself that the Sun-Moon Guild had only released plumbing thirty or forty years ago after extensive research into the ramifications of that discovery. That was something that, for the most part was beneficial, reducing pollution and disease. He had no idea what black powder was, but he suspected it would be a long time before he or anyone else did.

    Raulin was sure that, while problematic for the Guild, his knowledge wouldn¡¯t be an issue so long as he kept quiet about it. No, what would likely get him killed in order to guarantee his silence was that he knew that Arvarikor was actually the bladed arm of the Sun-Moon Guild. They wanted technology and science suppressed in order to keep things manageable for their assassins to enact order. Oh, they dressed up their contracts and contacts to look like it was someone else submitted them, like they had for the one Raulin had taken and the detailed one found in the unencoded notes of a dead trirec Raulin had happened to find in Walpi, but it was Arvarikor that sent out their own to take care of these little problems.

    He would be gutted on the spot if he told a soul, which is why he¡¯d never risked speaking it aloud to anyone. Imagine the damage it would do to Arvarikor if he told the wrong person about how they had such immense control that they were stopping kingdoms from reaching their full economic potential. Gheny alone would die for anything that could get all of Liyand secured and settled. Weapons, transportation, whatever it took. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what secrets the Guild had locked in their vaults.

    Raulin found matches and a kerosene lamp in the doctor¡¯s bedroom shack. He unscrewed the bottom reservoir and carefully spilled the oil in a line from table to table and out the door. A lit match and a toss later and the liquid was aflame.

    He¡¯d make it back to Tel in about two hours, maybe a bit more. Then they could get back to Declinst and he could eat at that nice restaurant in town. His steak had been perfectly cooked and the asparagus was¡­

    A deafening roar came from the cabin and he was lifted mid-step into the air. There was a flash across his vision and he tilted his head back instinctively, barely escaping a clip from a branch that very likely would have broken his neck. He landed and skidded a few feet onto a clear patch of forest.

    It took him a few moments to snap out of his daze and figure out what happened. He stood, his recently injured shoulder aching, and turned to look at the cabin. It was gone. So were the two shacks. Debris was scattered all across the clearing where the camp had been and into the forest.

    He had once been in a city where a home with indoor gas lighting had combusted. He¡¯d heard the loud booming roar early in the morning, then later seen the scooped out crater of the house. Here he¡¯d asked if there was something he could have done to save the doctor; Raulin should have been asking if there had been something he could have done to save himself.

    Two hours turned into over three as he limped back to Tel. ¡°Raulin!¡± he said when he finally saw him. ¡°Did you hear that loud noise?¡±

    ¡°What? Loud noise? Yeah, I heard it.¡± There was an annoying ringing in his ears and it felt like someone was putting their hands over them, muffling the sound.

    ¡°Raulin¡­you¡¯re missing the back of your shirt.¡±

    ¡°And half my wits. Help me get back to the inn,¡± he said,leaning on Tel¡¯s side. ¡°I think I need to rest.¡±

 Chapter 185

    Despite the burns, bruises, and aches from the explosion, Raulin couldn¡¯t complain about his situation. Tel had managed to get him back to the inn without any problems. Anla had gotten him dinner, a nice, rare steak, and fed that to him while he laid prone in bed. And after that was done, Al offered to heal him with the Calm.

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. I know that it¡¯s taken you a lot to reach this point,¡± he managed to say. He was feeling quite soporific and was afraid the drool might impede his speech.

    ¡°This was easy to change,¡± Al said. ¡°Everyone had said that I should heal you, even my school, even Tichen. The only thing stopping me was me.¡±

    ¡°Change is still a difficult thing.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. It¡¯s worse for some more than others, I suppose. I take it by the burns and the loud noise that you had to kill your target?¡±

    Raulin looked back for a moment. ¡°How did you piece that together?¡±

    ¡°Timing, mostly. You needed to kill someone, then there was a boom in the distance. I¡¯m guessing he worked with compounds that were volatile. We were shown in Amandorlam that magnesium burns fiercely white with just a flame. I¡¯d always imagined that if someone could harness that in the right way, we could do a lot more with what we have.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite an imagination,¡± he said. ¡°After today I wouldn¡¯t recommend pursuing that path.¡±

    Al lifted a hand and Raulin felt the air pass as he waved the thought off. ¡°It¡¯s for other men. That sort of thing never interested me.¡±

    Raulin settled his head back down on his pillow and was starting to drift off when he heard Al say, ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks.¡±

    He tensed. ¡°Wizard, you should speak to someone before you take drastic measures. Perhaps there¡¯s a doctor or another wizard around that might¡­¡±

    ¡°I want you to teach me how to fight.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°Sorry, my hearing is still a little muffled.¡±

    ¡°I want you to teach me how to fight. How to hold my own in an attack. How to protect myself and others.¡±

    ¡°Maybe my hearing is fine, then. Why fighting?¡±

    He removed his hands for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not totally fine, but I¡¯m getting there. I think that if I busy myself with some pursuits, I¡¯ll occupy my mind enough to reach some place better. And I thought about what you three have to offer and what I could learn as we¡¯re traveling. Tel agreed to teach me about his people and their philosophies, especially kouriya. Anla is going to teach me the Arvonnese language. So, I thought that you could teach me how to fight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy. It¡¯s a daily thing that you have to commit to.¡±

    ¡°I know. Well, I understand. I¡¯m scrawny and us Br¡¯vanese don¡¯t value pugilism very much, so this is sort of a new thing for me. It will be a different thing.¡±

    ¡°It will be hard, Wizard. I won¡¯t have much time to train you, so we¡¯ll have to get up early. And I want you to train without the Unease.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said quietly, sadly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°This¡­I didn¡¯t access the Calm. And I haven¡¯t been able to since¡­since the ledge.¡±

    ¡°Is it working?¡±

    Al took a moment to lean in to look at Raulin¡¯s back. ¡°Some of your blisters popped and the rest went down. Here,¡± he said, thumbing his triceps, ¡°there¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m positive you had some redness on the backs of your arms when I started. But, it¡¯s also hard to tell in the light.¡±

    ¡°You are using your magic, then. I¡¯m lucky in that I can heal quickly, but not that quickly.¡±

    ¡°But¡­it feels different.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. Sometimes things feel different after traumatic events.¡±

    ¡°Like your family dying?¡±

    Raulin took a pained breath and closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking about, yes. I guess I dealt with it by not being me for a while. I didn¡¯t say it aloud, but by pretending to be some other boy whose parents were waiting in another city, one that we were traveling to, helped a bit. It took me a long time before I felt like me again, and that wasn¡¯t a great time in my life, either.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever find out who killed your family?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know who did it. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, though. There are far too many people involved and I can¡¯t take that much time away from my career without Arvarikor getting upset with me. I¡¯m not supposed to think about the past.¡±

    ¡°You could use your vacation time.¡±

    ¡°I could, but then I wouldn¡¯t get a vacation.¡± He sighed loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t let it go, not entirely. It still makes me furious. But, I¡¯d rather choose to move forward and enjoy what I have or what I can get. Seeing beautiful places, eating great food, learning about new things, and meeting new people, that¡¯s what makes me forget for a little while.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°I think I understand that,¡± said Al.

    * * *

    Al checked on Raulin the next morning. He was still masked, so he had likely zonked out after Al had finished the session. It wasn¡¯t surprising that he was still asleep; that was pretty typical after a long amount of time with the Unease.

    There was a small sense of relief over that. Al was still apprehensive about using his magic, since he could no longer sense his connection, and he felt like anything would be a waste of time. But Raulin had healed and Al somehow felt better about life than he had two weeks ago. Something must still be working, even if he was too numb or disjointed to feel it. Perhaps he was like Raulin had been, not quite Al but some version that was dealing with his own problems separately.

    ¡°Raulin,¡± Al said, putting his hand on his shoulder. He couldn¡¯t recall a time he¡¯d ever gotten this close to Raulin when he was sleeping. He¡¯d gone through a few stages of wanting to unmask Raulin for different reasons and had tried more than once to see what his face looked like. At that moment, it was the slight sense of familiarity, but he no longer tried. It was Raulin¡¯s choice to show him or not.

    Raulin startled awake and turned. ¡°Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to check your wounds and see if you needed another session or not.¡±

    He moved the blanket out of the way and started with his calves, moving up both legs to his legs below his small clothes. ¡°This feels a bit¡­odd. Embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°¡¯The body is flesh, bone, muscle, and sinew¡¯,¡± he recited. ¡°When we care for a person, we are taught that they are made of pieces that make a whole. They are also a person with a soul and thoughts and memories and feelings. Being a practitioner of Touch wizardry is a balance between those two thoughts that meets basically with the phrase ¡®don¡¯t judge¡¯.¡±

    Raulin nodded and relaxed.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re healing very well, if you want my opinion. Your skin is sensitive, but it¡¯s pink, not red. And I don¡¯t see any blisters. There¡¯s nothing on your arms and legs. Your skin will need a little bit to recover, but you don¡¯t need anything for it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Want to head to breakfast? I am famished. My treat.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome and you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°I insist.¡±

    They left Declinst after breakfast, especially since the rumor mill was in full force of low conversation about the sound yesterday. Raulin couldn¡¯t stop people from connecting him to the event, but it was better if that happened some time after he was gone.

    There next destination was Mount Kalista, a town named after the nearby mountain a few days south of Declinst. Al¡¯s crude map in his book showed there would be nothing between the two points and they didn¡¯t press to make it to the next village or town, instead camping not far from a ravine with a large stream.

    As promised, the next morning Al was awakened with a nudge from a boot. ¡°Mmm?¡± he asked, rolling over to Raulin standing over him with a finger in front of his lips. He slipped on his loafers and followed him out of the camp, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

    ¡°Still interested?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said through a yawn. ¡°We¡¯re going to start with knives?¡±

    ¡°Knives? Oh, no. You said ¡®fighting¡¯. That means hand-to-hand combat.¡±

    ¡°But, if I get into a fight with someone who has a weapons, how am I supposed to deal with that?¡±

    ¡°You grab a weapon. In your case, you¡¯ll be able to bash someone¡¯s head in with enough force to stop the fight before it starts.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I could take you in a fair fight?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You need to teach me how to use knives, then.¡±

    ¡°Are you planning on fighting me?¡± he asked with some amusement.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m going by your standards. You said to be reasonable about my concerns. Be honest, what fraction of people do you think I might run into that would be skilled beyond needing a bashing.¡±

    ¡°Depends on what life you¡¯re leading.¡±

    ¡°As a vizier¡­¡±

    Raulin nodded his head slowly. ¡°Good point. I still can¡¯t teach you knife-brawling.¡±

    ¡°I can buy my own¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that was one point, not having your own knives. The bigger problem is that Arvarikor has a unique style of fighting. If I show you how to fight, you¡¯re going to be fighting like a trirec. And as a vizier you might run into a trirec at some point. They will recognize your technique. And that will be a world of pain when Arvarikor catches up to you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you wouldn¡¯t, Wizard, but every man has his breaking point under torture. You¡¯ll tell them eventually. And then you¡¯ll have to stop fighting like a trirec or they will catch you again and break every bone in your body, including your vertebrae. No, no knives. That¡¯s my final say on it.¡±

    Al¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°What¡¯s the point if I can¡¯t use a weapon?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I can¡¯t teach you a weapon; I just said it can¡¯t be knives. If you had a sword, that would be great. I learned fencing as a child, the standard style.¡±

    ¡°How much do swords cost?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot of factors there. A cheap sword made by a novice blacksmith? Maybe a hundred gold. A good, balanced sword made by a seasoned blacksmith? Several hundred gold, maybe six or eight hundred. A beautiful sword with deitic blessings? I¡¯m sure I saw price tags in that store in Tryna for almost two thousand gold. Riyani¡¯s prices would be worth it, but maybe you should make sure you really want to study swordsmanship before you spend that kind of money.¡±

    Al gave a pained breath and thought for a moment. ¡°Riyani¡­,¡± he said, then ran back to camp. He returned a few minutes later with his ax. ¡°Can you teach me how to use this as a weapon?¡±

    Raulin looked between Al and the ax a few times. ¡°I will teach you what I know, which I warn isn¡¯t that much, if you answer me one question and don¡¯t read into what I ask or why.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°You said a lot of things when you were dealing with your magic backlash. Do you remember any of it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s sort of distant from me.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what you said about your ax?¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in thought. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You said you needed to kill a king with that ax.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, I can¡¯t have you plotting to assassinate kings. Trirecs won¡¯t even touch any monarchies. It destabilizes things.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± Al said. ¡°I was so sure that I had to do that when I said it, but I can¡¯t think of why. You know me, Raulin. You know how I feel about what happened in Arvonne. I¡¯d never kill a king knowingly.¡±

    ¡°All right. Here are my rules. We do this every day, rain or shine. If I think you¡¯re going to hurt yourself or someone else, I will stop your training. If you¡¯re acting strangely again, I will stop you. If you injure yourself, you heal and then we continue. You don¡¯t lie to me about your pain.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said.

    ¡°Now, since you want to learn how to fight with an ax, you¡¯re going to learn the ins and outs of how to swing it and get the best cut. I want you to swing this beauty and make music. And the only way to do that is to just go for it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Every mid-day break, when I¡¯m making lunch, you¡¯re going to go into the woods and find a tree. Short and thin, preferably, dead is best. And you¡¯re going to cut firewood for our camp. Whatever we don¡¯t burn, you¡¯re going to haul to the next campsite. If we get to a village, you¡¯re going to sell it. It¡¯s one of the most lucrative weapons to learn.¡±

    ¡°Haul firewood? On top of my pack?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re going to get up at dawn and do exercises with me. At dinner, I¡¯m going to teach you the forms for axes.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still on board?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said without enthusiasm.

    ¡°Good. Now, I want you to run from here to that tree and back.¡±

    ¡°Just once?¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard,¡± he said, grinning behind his mask. ¡°One hundred times.¡±

 Chapter 186

    ¡°Can I haggle?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Raulin said at the same moment Anla said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to be here all afternoon,¡± he explained.

    ¡°He''s getting better at bartering,¡± she said. ¡°I think it''s a good skill for him to work on.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°No more than a half-hour, Wizard.¡±

    Al took off at a quick pace to the shops in Lacara, hoping to be rid of the weight of chopped wood for at least a few hours. The other three took their time, knowing that it was too late in the day to set out for Mount Kalista.

    Al met them at the entrance and held out a flat hand, palm up, to show his wages. ¡°I got three coppers for four logs.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± said Raulin. ¡°Now, do you have an extra pouch or bag?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± Al slung off his pack and rifled through it, finding a leather drawstring pouch and holding it up.

    ¡°Put your coppers in there and any money in the future. If you can manage to haggle a pair of work gloves for three coppers, then buy them. Otherwise, you can continue to wrap your hands.¡±

    ¡°I have money,¡± Al pointed out. ¡°I''ll just go buy them.¡±

    ¡°I know you have money. I don''t want you to spend any of your money on your supplies; I want you to spend your ax money on it. Gloves, straps for holding bundles, holsters, whatever you need, you buy only with that coin.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because most people, unless they''re particularly vain, have a hard time noticing incremental progress. They don''t see their muscles develop, they don''t notice their skills improving, but they can say ''I chopped this much wood, sold it, and bought these gloves with the money''. And then they''ll chop more wood, sell that, and get a better pair. At some point they''ll be able to show off their beautiful pair of sturdy gloves with tiny stitches that don''t blister their hands and see how far they''ve come.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said. ¡°That makes sense. Did you come up with that?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. I''m basing it off of something my order did. I didn''t arrive in Merak knowing how to lasso like I do. I had to work at it. I chose to focus on that for two reasons. The first was I noticed it was something the kids my age weren''t training much in; they preferred throwing knives, foot races, strikes on opponents, things like that. The second was, rather than beads or high quality leather for our masks, the reward was a rope. It was practical, not flashy, extremely rare, incredibly light, and would never fray. It wasn''t something a Merakian would bother striving for, but I saw it for what it was immediately. So, I worked hard for it and wound up taking several records. I was the best they had at Arvarikor at any level, even the trivrens. It wasn''t raw talent, it was hard work.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad you won it,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Thank you. For your sake, I''m glad I did, too. So, think of what you want your ''rope'' to be. You''re probably not going to do any better than your current ax, so I wouldn''t save for that.¡± They stopped in the center of the village and looked out. ¡°My, that is quite a view.¡±

    Lacara was at the north end of a very wide valley with rich soil that produced hundreds of flourishing vineyards, the grapes fat for the sweet wine harvest. Hills of yellowing green grass rolled gently between the hard border of an eastern forest and the slopes of a large, snow-capped mountain in the west. Off in the distance, towards the southern mouth of the plains, was a town that encroached on the slopes.

    ¡°I don''t think we''ll make that today,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I''ll get us rooms at the inn.¡±

    ¡°How are you doing, Al?¡± Anla asked. ¡°Tired?¡±

    ¡°Yes! But, it''s a good kind of tired.¡±

    ¡°This coming from the man who loves to sleep in, huh?¡± She gave him a teasing smirk.

    ¡°Well, yeah. It''s worth it.¡±

    ¡°While we''re waiting, did you want to start my magical ethics lessons?¡±

    ¡°I did agree to that, didn''t I?¡±

    ¡°I think you insisted upon it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I can sum up my first class into two sentences: ''Any form of magic can be sexualized, militarized, and commercialized. You should be very careful about how you use your magic when keeping those in mind.¡±

    Anla laughed at this. ¡°I''m not surprised Amandorlam said something like that. Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Every kind of magic we''ve been taught about works under that criteria. It''s very easy to sell what you can make or your services. Most magic can harm someone else. And as for the other thing, please don''t ask me to elaborate.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I''d be curious to your thoughts on how those criteria apply to Tel''s magic. Telbarisk?¡± He turned from his intense study of the mountain. ¡°Have you ever used your magic to make Kelouyan happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I used to carve statues for her from rocks that I found. Sometimes I''d paint pictures on the water of the pond and I''d sketch things on the ice in the winter.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean...when you were with her, just the two of you, showing your love for each other.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°There was this thing I could do with a soft breeze that she loved. I would...¡±

    ¡°Yup, yes, I believe you,¡± Al said, putting his hands up in front of him. ¡°No need to go on.¡±

    ¡°I think he''s blushing,¡± Anla said with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°I''m wondering why we were speaking about such things in front of him. He''s Ghenian and Ghenians are very bashful about coupling and nudity.¡±

    ¡°That they are,¡± Anla said. ¡°I''m teasing him. Go on, Al. You said I should be very careful about how I use my magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was once thought that the limitations of a person''s magical ability was an indicator from the gods that they should limit their magic. Then, they discovered other forms of magic that had no limitation. The choice became either to reject those kinds of magic as immoral and ban them or understand that not all magics are equal and to work around them.

    ¡°Amandorlam chose the first approach until it didn''t work and their wizards began to feel pressure from both without and within. Wizards began to compete in a cutthroat fashion instead of working with their fellow man to get a slightly larger piece of the pie. Finally, Amandorlam established the ICMU, the International Committee on Magic Use, to help establish regulations. That''s why I was assigned to Whitney as a Touch switcher wizard. There were a few other wizards for a city that size; I wouldn''t be drinking like a gargoyle during a storm nor licking the rainwater from a drying puddle.¡±

    ¡°The lesson being not to use my magic greedily, since Amandorlam doesn''t like it.¡±

    He sat on a stone wall near the village''s mill. ¡°It''s more that you should feel brotherhood keenly with others who use magic, whether or not it''s the same kind. And you should take what you need or give what is needed, but no more.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The mirth of teasing gone, she asked, ¡°Did you ever feel like you got enough to cover your needs?¡±

    ¡°I took what I needed, and no more. It wasn''t me who was unsatisfied.¡±

    She took his hand in hers and squeezed once. ¡°My father always said that chivalry tarnishes quickly in a murky world. It''s hard to stay a noble man when everyone around you takes advantage of that.¡±

    ¡°I''m beginning to see beyond myself and I''ve noticed that.¡±

    ¡°Bad news,¡± Raulin said as he returned, ¡°depending, of course, on who you are. It will take us a good day to reach Mount Kalista. Therefore, it would make sense to stay at the one inn in this village. Sadly, though, there are only three rooms and they are full of people with the same idea as us. Headed to a retreat, from what I heard.¡±

    ¡°So, we''ll go ahead a bit and camp?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°A little.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think we''ve ever camped on a plain. It was a little sparse south of New Wextif, but we still had some cover.¡±

    ¡°And we will tonight. We won''t venture too far from the village and we''ll take to the woods over there,¡± he said, pointing to the east, which was to their left. ¡°I don''t camp out in the open unless I absolutely have to.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said flatly.

    ¡°It seems Al was hoping to get a break,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Three days and we''re complaining?¡± Raulin tapped his finger on his crossed arms.

    ¡°No! No. I''m not complaining.¡±

    ¡°Good. Because you know what happens to whingers.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Double work.¡±

    Al''s lips parted with the fear of that becoming reality. ¡°I''m not complaining. It seems like a beautiful valley and I wondered what it would be like staying out there for a night.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Seven months left. I''m sure we''ll see plenty of beautiful places. Off,¡± Raulin said, waving him away with hand. ¡°You need to go get us more wood for our fire. See that pine that sticks out a little closer to the road? We''ll be near there.¡±

    Al said nothing more, turning east and diving into the woods after a small tree to chop down.

    Anla, Tel, and Raulin walked slowly past the edge of Lacara. ¡°How is he doing?¡± she asked.

    ¡°He''s taking well to his training.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it''s a wise thing to teach a man who tried to take his life less than a month ago how to use a weapon?¡±

    ¡°It wasn''t what he asked me, but how. And also it was what he wasn''t asking me, that very thing we''re all still worried about.¡±

    ¡°He''s doing better,¡± she admitted. ¡°But, I still worry that he''ll have another episode.¡±

    ¡°That''s why we watch,¡± Tel said. ¡°We have to be vigilant, now that we know what to look for.¡±

    ¡°And we''ve left him alone in the woods, with an ax.¡±

    Raulin turned around and walked backwards for a few moments.¡°We know the signs now and we know to look for them. He seemed absolutely fine when he left. He''s seemed fine the last few days. I know it seems dangerous to give the wizard his ax, especially after what he tried with Sakilei, but I actually think this will be good for him.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Anla said. ¡°But we need to watch over him.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue once. ¡°You can''t patronize him. He''ll figure it out and he''ll get angry, just as he''s starting to come into his own.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest? Tel and I aren''t trained to sneak around like you can.¡±

    ¡°Why sneak around? I''ve been keeping him on a short leash three times a day for a half-week. Or, I should say, he''s leashing himself. He wants to learn. He wants to keep himself busy. If you''re concerned enough to want to watch him, keep him occupied. Find something he wants to hear about, or ask him about something, and he''ll be happy enough to tie himself to you. I''d even say that whatever he asks, tell him.¡±

    Their journey to Mount Kalista the next day was full of conversation. Anla could tell that Al wasn''t fully interested to hear about her people, but he did ask questions about things he had seen in the Dreelands that had confused him. Tel was suddenly very interested in the Br''vani, which Al was happy to speak about.

    And Raulin continued Al''s training. At lunch, they veered off the road and found a scraggly copse of trees, a dozen in all if bushes counted. ¡°Let me see the swings,¡± he asked Al.

    Al donned the new pair of gloves he''d bought in Lacara after he''d sold the extra firewood. It wasn''t high quality and Anla''d had to sew the holes in between the fingers, but they were his ax gloves and they beat wrapping his hands in strips of cloth that slipped. He gripped the ax with both hands and positioned his feet as Raulin had shown him, then chopped overhead, at top angles, then from the sides, high and low. He then ran through the same one-handed. ¡°Excellent,¡± Raulin said. ¡°You''ll need to practice these every day while I''m on my contract, but you''re making good progress. Your body is beginning to gain its sleep-moves.¡±

    ¡°''Sleep-moves''?¡±

    ¡°After some time you will be able to perform any cut without thought, as if you were doing it in your sleep. Your body will react before your mind knows what it''s doing. That''s really the secret to being a great fighter of any kind; don''t think about fighting.¡±

    ¡°And what should my mind be doing?¡±

    ¡°Why does it need to do anything?¡± he said, leaning against one of the trees. ¡°I spend large swaths of my day in fighting mode, not thinking about anything.¡± After a few moments he said, ¡°A little self-depreciating humor, Wizard. I wish you would have laughed at that. It would make me think you didn''t agree.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, continuing the cuts in the rhythm and order Raulin had taught him. ¡°I was busy not thinking.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Raulin said with an air of a laugh. ¡°Now, I want you to try those against this tree.¡±

    ¡°What did the tree ever do to me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see you understand where this is going.¡± He took out his knife and made a few gouges in the bark. ¡°Head,¡± he said, pointing at the top rounded mark, ¡°collarbone, ribs, thigh. We''re starting with the major areas. I want you to do these with the tree to get a sense for hitting your mark. Bone doesn''t stick your ax as much as bark will, but you need to get used to that feeling. Note that I pointed above the collarbone and below the ribs. You really want to hit the neck and that space between the ribs and hip.¡±

    Al paused at this for a moment before continuing. Yes, the idea was to kill a man if need be. His blade might some day chop a man''s body and drain his life before him. He did his best, though, not to think of those wood chips flying as blood spurting. ¡°Mind if I ask you about something?¡±

    ¡°As always, ask away. Whether I answer or not is another matter.¡±

    ¡°What was your name before you became Raulin Kemor?¡±

    He thought about this for a moment. He had suggested to Anla and Tel that they engage with the wizard as much as possible, so do brush him off would be hypocritical. ¡°Derrin,¡± he said.

    ¡°Derrin,¡± Al repeated as he pulled the ax from the tree. ¡°You were born that?¡±

    ¡°No. ''Derrin'' means ''boy'' in Merakian. I was called that with all the other students, novices, and apprentices in Arvarikor, save the girls, who were called ''ashki''.¡±

    ¡°Must have been confusing.¡±

    ¡°Must have been effective. You had no identity and therefore you always made sure you were watching your teachers. If they looked at your and called out for your attention...well, let''s just say they wouldn''t try twice.¡±

    Al tried to relate to this and failed. When he was a student, he was still Dominek and was awarded the privileges that came with it. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he said.

    ¡°It''s all right, Wizard. It gave us something to strive for. Work hard so that you could one day make a name for yourself. And a rope.¡±

    ¡°What was your name before that?¡±

    Raulin took a deep breath. ¡°That is something I can''t tell you. I''m sorry. Try something else.¡±

    Al yanked on the ax, trying to pull it from the tree. It finally dislodged and he went flying back several paces. ¡°You need to make sure you''re feet are always planted.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, feeling a bit foolish.

    ¡°If you know then do it.¡±

    His nostrils flared, but he said nothing, continuing with his training. Several slips later and he growled from beneath his teeth, then looked quickly at Raulin, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°I''m not complaining.¡±

    ¡°No, you''re venting your frustrations. It''s different. Whinging means you''re trying to convince someone either to do something for you or to stop it from happening. This is more like letting the steam out of the kettle; it let''s you know your getting somewhere.¡±

    ¡°I feel stupid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that what finally made you snap? A little ax stuck in a tree a few times? That made you feel stupid? You know you''re not; that stole of yours is proof enough. You''re just...uneducated in this. You''re not good at it, but you will be.¡±

    ¡°''Uneducated''. That stole of mine has no accolades about speed or strength. I''ve never been good at physical pursuits.¡±

    ¡°Did you try?¡±

    ¡°No. It was best to concentrate on what I could do well.¡±

    ¡°So, you''ve never pushed yourself? You''ve never spit-shined from copper to gold as they say in these parts?¡±

    He had to think about that in between his swings. His academic pursuits had come fairly easy to him. The ones that were a little harder had required some studying, but he''d never had a mountain to climb. ¡°No. Have you?¡±

    Raulin flicked his knives out of their sheaths. ¡°These did not come easily to me at all. It surprised and frustrated me because I had been taught fencing as a child. And like fencing and this,¡± he said, gesturing to Al''s work, ¡°knife fighting is memorizing moves until you bolt up from a nightmare in a position. But, it''s so brutal and fast and savage. There''s no poetry to it. You expose yourself by running into your opponent in hopes that you can end the fight in seconds. Fencing is a sport that rewards good form with points. There''s no sport in knifing a man, just luck and bravado.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you return to it? Pick up a sword somewhere and use that instead?¡±

    ¡°For fun, I suppose, but my job is to avoid fights and then end them in seconds. Also, swords aren''t exactly easy to carry around stealthily. These are good weapons for a thief.¡±

    Al stopped and turned towards him. ¡°Answer me truthfully, without the sarcasm and airs you normally put on: if you could stop being a trirec, would you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said quietly but without hesitation.

    ¡°Would you be willing to trust me with that task?¡±

    ¡°If you can find some way to release me that doesn''t involve my death or incarceration, then yes, I would.¡±

    Al went back to his routine. ¡°Let me do something for you that I''m good at.¡±

    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Loopholes.¡±

 Chapter 187

    Raulin and Al¡¯s discussion on the way to Mount Kalista was a difficult balancing act for the trirec. If he knew with absolute certainty that Al could figure out how to get him out of Arvarikor, he would have told him everything. But, he couldn¡¯t give in to that hope. He wouldn¡¯t give himself a future, not until he could see the potential of it crystallize into a firm possibility.

    Raulin only told him as much as was safe, perhaps a little beyond, but not more.

    ¡°So, there are trainees,¡± Al said, ¡°trirecs, and agents. I¡¯ve seen a few of them with you. Agents are trirecs?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re trirecs who act as support for other trirecs on behalf of Arvarikor. They are basically a bank, newspaper, clerk, and solicitor all in one.¡±

    ¡°Could you become an agent, then? You could just spy and hand out money.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my decision to make, unfortunately. Agents are chosen because they¡¯re best at the spying end of things.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s your forte!¡± Al exclaimed. ¡°You said yourself that¡¯s what you do best.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but compared to all the other trirecs, all three are my forte. I¡¯m not boasting, Wizard. I am one of the best trirecs they have simply because I¡¯m Noh Amairian and people don¡¯t think to challenge the notion that all trirecs are Merakian. Arvarikor would never turn a trirec who fills a full docket every year into an agent.¡±

    ¡°Are there any other positions?¡±

    There were quite a few that Raulin could rule out, not even counting the numerous ones involved in the Sun-Moon Guild. He¡¯d never be given any of the higher ranking ones in Merak anyway. ¡°Mentors and trivrens. Oh, and I suppose ambassadors, but that¡¯s not permanent. I¡¯ve only done that twice and I doubt they¡¯d have me do it again, unless they decide to sail to Eschuetso or Taidan Kan.¡± He snorted at the thought. ¡°Mentors teach a novice or apprentice at the end of their training but before their test. That¡¯s chosen. They¡¯ll likely pick me to mentor the other Noh Amairian children if and when they become an apprentice. Trivrens are retired trirecs.¡±

    ¡°Can you retire, then, and become a trivren?¡±

    ¡°By age or permanent injury only.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s out of the question, then.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I assure you that I do not need you to disfigure me, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°Could we fake an injury?¡±

    ¡°They would likely make me an agent or a mentor, then. Not the worst outcome, but I¡¯d prefer to be out completely.¡±

    ¡°Fake your death?¡±

    ¡°It would have to be an airtight plan.¡±

    ¡°I can work on that.¡±

    They went on to discuss the finer details of contracts, which didn¡¯t seem to help Al much, until they reached the first house on the edge of Mount Kalista. ¡°We¡¯ll need to cease this topic, Wizard, until we leave for the road again.¡±

    ¡°But you haven¡¯t told me enough. I don¡¯t know how to help you, yet.¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re doing is admirable,¡± he said, nodding at a woman who stopped beating her rug to stare at him, ¡°but you just started. We have more than half a year together. Give it time. This might be another thing for you like training with the ax; your solution might not come quickly.¡±

    ¡°But this isn¡¯t a thing like the ax. This is one of the things I do best.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, a man enters a room and slits the throat of another man. Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough information to answer that.¡±

    Raulin patted him on the shoulder.

    ¡°No one can answer that question. That¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ll take this up again and you¡¯ll get your clues. For now, let¡¯s enjoy Mount Kalista.¡±

    The town was very comely. Houses were made of wood, but often had chimneys and columns of light gray brick with occasional stamped pieces. The people were proud and kept tidy walkways and gardens. Fences were whitewashed, shutters were painted, and roofs had no signs of ill-repair. Streams wove in and out of the streets, clean with sturdy wooden bridges. There was the odd house or two that was likely owned by the town drunk and his cousin, but by and large it was quaint if not charming.

    They found a square with a fountain and asked a few passersby where a good inn was. After a few tries, they were pointed down a street and found the inn with blue shutters, as described. They had no rooms. Nor did the other inn they were given directions to.

    It was finally the shabby inn with dusty shelves and moth-eaten sheets that took them in for the same price the other inns were charging. ¡°This is robbery,¡± Al said as they settled into their rooms.

    ¡°No, this is discrimination,¡± Raulin explained. ¡°Those other inns might be full. This inn might charge as much as the others. But, what I think is that all three didn¡¯t wish to rent their rooms to us and only this inn was desperate enough to make it difficult but not impossible for us to stay in Mount Kalista.¡±

    ¡°This is because of me.¡± Tel¡¯s shoulders slumped. Casting someone out for their differences was a new concept for him, but he had spent enough time in Gheny to understand it.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s you, my friend.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Al asked. ¡°Or Anla?¡±

    ¡°Anyone could tell by your accent that you¡¯re Ghenian, Wizard. And Anla appears like one. Besides, she¡¯s pretty and no one in their right mind turns down a pretty woman. If anything it helps business. No, this is because of me.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°You?¡± Al asked. ¡°The mask?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. This is not the first time I¡¯ve had to deal with situations like this one. It¡¯s not even the first time on Ghenian soil.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I tend to get the rooms secured for the night alone. And some places are more leery than others. I¡¯m a trirec; it¡¯s not like I¡¯m tossing gold behind me. People have a good reason to fear me or grow suspicious as to why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still not f-¡­it¡¯s still distasteful.¡±

    ¡°It is. Now, let¡¯s take a look at my two contracts for Mount Kalista. I have a theft and a spying one. The latter involves a rather lengthy one with official terms from some organization.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± Al asked.

    Raulin slipped his notebook from the pocket on his belt where he kept it. ¡°Albrever.¡±

    ¡°Ah. So this involves something to do with the Twelve?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to look into some shrine and determine if the people running it are undermining the collective Church. I suspect Gheny only allows the Twelve?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Usually the churches of the Twelve keep to themselves and don¡¯t both in the affairs of the others, but for some matters they work collectively. Albrever insures things on their behalf, including upstart religions. The Twelve is the official religion of Gheny and any other is illegal.¡±

    ¡°Another reason why there were issues between elves and Ghenians,¡± Anla added. ¡°The only reason why ours hasn¡¯t been wiped out is because our lands aren¡¯t technically Ghenian soil.¡±

    ¡°Ruthless, then?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°That might explain why they asked for a trirec. I was scratching my head over it, since I¡¯m sure they have agents that can survey the shrine. Either they¡¯re terrible at it or they think their agency has been compromised.¡±

    ¡°It should be quick, then? We¡¯ll check out the shrine tomorrow and move on to the theft.¡±

    ¡°I like your enthusiasm, Wizard, but I think this will take longer than one day. It was stressed that I exercise caution and discretion when I approach this. I¡¯m going to ask you three to sit out until I know more.¡±

    Doffing his mask and changing his clothes for good measure, Raulin walked into a public room and began chatting up his waiter about the local shrine. Though named specifically the Holy Shrine of the Shadowed Sun, it wasn¡¯t actually religious, the man said. Or it might be.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to see for yourself, sir,¡± he said with a blissful look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s transcendental, a sublime experience. They invite the locals up once in a while to take in the ambiance of the place. If I can get the day off from work, I go.¡±

    ¡°What goes on there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t want to spoil it for you. It¡¯s something to be lived.¡±

    ¡°I might try it out,¡± he said over his glass of port.

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it. Tell them Reginer says ¡®hello¡¯.¡±

    Raulin followed the signs pointing up the mountain to the shrine. There were a few other people walking, but most were taking horse-drawn carriages. In his mind, Raulin pictured the shrine as some serene spot, a beautiful place where people would spend an afternoon picnicking under parasols on blankets, looking at a pond or down from the mountain at the scenery. Some enterprising people might sell their wares or foods nearby. Perhaps there were statues scattered about for people to gaze at while they took in the views of the vineyards and the valley below.

    The Holy Shrine of the Shadowed Sun was none of that at all. Raulin didn¡¯t notice it at first, since it was tucked away against the slopes of Mount Kalista and behind plenty of greenery, but it was actually a building, or technically a compound of buildings. The doors were full glass, save the handles and frame, and radiated the warmth of the well-lit interior. The wood on the exterior was stained a deep brown save the occasional steel support, both gleaming in the waning light.

    He followed the trail of visitors to the clean and weeded entrance pavilion the the main building, the blue-gray tiles sitting perfectly flush with the ground pounded flat. There was a smartly uniformed gentleman greeting everyone with a dashing smile and warm demeanor. Raulin filed in behind a group and slipped past the man.

    It took a few moments of quick examination to realize what the shrine really was: a health resort. A welcome desk sat across from the doors and a large bulletin of events was on the wall behind it, neat, curling handwriting announcing classes on subjects like home remedies, painting, and nutrition. Down the hall to the left were signs pointing to the mineral springs, the dining hall, and the boutique.

    It couldn¡¯t be as easy as that. There had to be something else going on, something deeper. With a small smirk, Raulin approached the desk and asked about fees, realizing he was going to need to ¡®investigate¡¯ further by attending the retreat.

    The woman behind the desk, tall with dark curly hair and dressed similarly to the man outside in a dress with dark blue velvet and gold piping, gave him a smile as he approached. ¡°Are you arriving, sir?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to inquire about availability.¡± He assumed they had rooms to rent, since he¡¯d seen more than a few of those travelers going down the mountain with luggage.

    ¡°Very good, sir. We do have a few rooms available. As it¡¯s sweet wine season, I recommend you reserve your room now, so that you won¡¯t lose it to another arrival. How long do you plan to stay?¡±

    Behind the clerk was a rates chart broken down by titles and length. There were three options with information he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Depending on what ¡®Robuchen¡¯ and ¡®Kildat¡¯ entail.¡± Those were the bottom two, since he wasn¡¯t going to consider fifty-six gold per week worthwhile, no matter what manner of cloud they stuffed into their pillows.

    ¡°We have rings,¡± she said, pulling up a few iron circles with colored chips in the setting from the desk drawer, ¡°that we give our guests when they arrive for their experiences. When you attend any of our services or classes, you use one of your rings. Our experiences offer different types and amounts of rings. For the ¡®Blizem¡¯ experience, our best one, you receive five blues, three reds, and two clears per person per day. It¡¯s quite the enchanting stay.¡±

    He was sure it was, but he thought he could suffice with less. ¡°Do you have a room at Robuchen for two weeks available?¡±

    A two week stay normally brought a gleam to an innkeeper¡¯s eye, but she just smiled and looked at her books. ¡°I have a couple¡¯s room available tonight.¡±

    ¡°How about tomorrow night?¡±

    It took her longer to search, her finger running up and down the page. She shook her head. ¡°Unless you want to forfeit your fourteenth night, I don¡¯t have it.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, fishing out fifty-six gold for his stay.

    She cleared her throat. ¡°That¡¯s for one person. We do discount a couple¡¯s stay, but you still owe another forty-eight gold, sir.¡±

    Raulin sucked in his lips, but paid the difference. While he was going to enjoy this holiday, its cost was a large chunk of what he¡¯d been paid to investigate this place.

    ¡°Why does she always get to go?¡± Al asked as Raulin tried to whisk Anla away.

    ¡°Oh, next time I¡¯ll take you, sweetheart. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Al had given Raulin a flat look. ¡°Because no one balks at a man and a woman journeying places together. Two men are a little more attention-gathering.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m just not enthused about reading books for the next two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Outside of training, you mean. Don¡¯t think you can laze about just because I¡¯m not around. I want your pouch filled with coin by the time we¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°But, we¡¯re not near the woods¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you will be. I need you and Tel to camp as close to the shrine as possible and not get caught.¡±

    ¡°For two weeks?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Are you complaining?¡±

    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t know how you would ¡®double work¡¯ us camping outside.¡±

    ¡°You just need to be within one mile of us. There¡¯s no reason why you and Tel can¡¯t go on the high side of the mountain for your fortnight.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said.

    After their camp had been settled, Raulin changed his clothes and settled into his new persona, Darrick Freston, husband of Olana. ¡°How do you know Al¡¯s not going to take his own coin and fill his pouch?¡± Anla asked as they walked up the rest of the way.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. If I had cared, I would have nicked his purse and marked all his coppers. This is for him and he knows that. His drive to do this doesn¡¯t come from a want, but a need. That¡¯s the best motivator he could hope to have.¡±

    ¡°I worry that Tel isn¡¯t going to find us in time if there¡¯s an issue. He¡¯s been acting odd as well.¡±

    ¡°I actually had noticed that, but unlike the wizard, he¡¯ll talk to someone if he needs to. Now, how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°No complaints,¡± she said, her smile hard to see in the light. ¡°Where is it exactly are we going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not totally sure myself.¡±

 Chapter 188

    There was an odd comfort about the shrine, especially for a place that Anla had never been to before. It took her a few moments to realize it was because the architecture and ambiance of the place was a strange facsimile of the elvish style. They didn¡¯t use the forest magics that pure-bloods had to twist trees into arcs or to smooth stones without rasps, but there were curves and carvings in the details that were not things she¡¯d seen in Ghenian buildings.

    She stood slightly behind and to Raulin¡¯s right as he spoke to a woman behind the desk, Anla¡¯s arms hanging loosely by her sides and her shoulders low. Her gaze swept casually over the man who politely took their packs down the hallway and disappeared into the darkness unlit by the dim sconces. She took a slow breath and met Raulin¡¯s gaze as he turned back to give her his arm.

    ¡°This is yours,¡± he said, handing her a velvet pouch. Whatever was inside jangled as she handled it. ¡°There are rings inside that you need to present in order to gain access to things like classes.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said. ¡°What kind of classes do they have here?¡±

    ¡°Seemed to vary quite a bit, depending on the day.¡±

    Their room, twelve, was in the same building as the desk and dining hall, a few turns from the front desk. The bellhop opened the door and invited them in, placing their belongings next to the bureaus. The lamps were already lit, the feather bed turned down. Anla actually smiled at this, a room immaculately clean and comfortable. No dust, no moth-eaten sheets, no creaking floors.

    She noticed there was a door in between two foggy windows and went outside to see where they were staying on the grounds. ¡°Darrick,¡±¡¯ she called, since the footman was just bowing to leave, ¡°come look at this.¡±

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he said, standing behind her.

    Colored glass bubbles hung from the trees and thin, wooden hooks in the middle of a pond of steaming water. Her mouth collected the moisture from the mineral spring as she breathed in the humid air. Raulin returned in a few minutes with a thin book and a candle. ¡°The guide to the shrine says many of the rooms are connected to one of the springs on the grounds. Dips in them are supposed to cure anything from melancholia to consumption.¡±

    Without another thought, she removed her clothes and waded into the waters. He joined her a few moments later, bringing a provided robe that he hung on an empty hook that stood in the water. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in one of these,¡± he said, sinking neck-deep and sitting on a submerged rock.

    ¡°There are a few in the Dreelands, but most are either too hot or give noxious fumes that poison the air. There was a safe one not too far from my village.¡± She passed her hand gently over the top of the water. ¡°I liked doing this there. I called this ¡®feeling the silk¡¯. If you¡¯re soft and slow enough, the top of the water feels like something else, like swishing your thumb over the skin of a peach or a batting of silk. I used to sneak away to the spring when I had decided to do something that I was anticipating with some anxiousness, like taking up a challenge from the other kids. I¡¯d do this and it would calm me down.¡±

    He tore his eyes from her body and smiled as he caught her eye. ¡°That would beg the question as to why you¡¯re doing it right now.¡±

    She tilted her hair back to soak it in the waters and sighed before using her magic to create silence around them. ¡°Honestly, I was like this every time I¡¯ve worked with you. Maybe the libertine ball was the worst. I just didn¡¯t have a hot spring available. So, what are we doing here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re pretending to be a young couple in the area for a holiday. We¡¯ve stumbled across this place and we¡¯re going to take in what we can while we¡¯re here. Meanwhile, we need to keep our eyes, and ears, peeled for suspicious activities.¡±

    ¡°Define ¡®suspicious activities¡¯.¡¯

    He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against a nearby rock. ¡°Anxious behavior, absences, things that don¡¯t fit a pattern. There are a lot of possibilities. Here I would expect there to be some sort of hierarchy reflective in the clandestine portion, the owner being a priest, his wife or son being the deacon. They would be the ones to watch.¡±

    ¡°Have you noticed anything thus far?¡±

    ¡°Too soon. I haven¡¯t surveyed the grounds, I haven¡¯t met everyone, haven¡¯t counted the rooms.¡±

    ¡°Counted the rooms?¡±

    ¡°Assuming they keep double occupancy rooms in the same area, there would be two people times however many rooms. It allows me an estimated head count. Or, I could take a peek behind the front desk and see how many are in the ledger.¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°If you could familiarize yourself with the staff and tell me if anyone is lying and about what, that would be helpful.¡±

    The air popped lightly when she lifted the spell. He noted it by opening an eye and watched her as she waded over to him. ¡°Mind if begin our charade?¡± she asked as she stood before him.

    ¡°Charade?¡±

    She leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck. He smoothed her hair from her shoulders, but as he promised made no other moves. Part of her wished he would, kissing her neck like he had in the carriage ride in New Wextif, but she knew it would likely lead to a bad situation. And, as had been proven to her time and time again, it always soured.

    She hoped it would be different with Raulin, if things moved further. If. That felt like a joke to her. Men always wanted more. Almost always, she corrected herself. Yes, there were a few men like Onlard, the tavern owner with the Hanalaian accent, that would help her just to help her because he was a good man. Most wanted more and would grow hostile when they realized they weren¡¯t getting it from her. She was lucky if they just cursed her or spit on the floor. How many times had she ensorcelled a man into leaving her alone once it reached that point? She¡¯d stopped counting.

    It would be too painful if Raulin did the same, if he became one of those men. Every interaction that they¡¯d had told her that he wasn¡¯t like that, that he wouldn¡¯t grab her and try anyway. But, then again, he¡¯d used other women to get what he wanted. He said there was an unspoken agreement, that they wanted it, too, but why would any women want that?

    On the other hand, kissing him felt good. She did feel warmth between them, to the point where she could almost invite more, except that she didn¡¯t want lines to be crossed that she couldn¡¯t uncross.

    There was so much to think about. She tired of it sometimes, worrying that what she said and did would ruin everything. She was tired of it then and hoped. She pressed herself against him, her arms sliding down to encircle his shoulders. His matched her move and he held her tighter.

    Her head swam and she thought of nothing but that moment. It still felt so good. Thoughts crept in eventually but they were of him, of the lines of his face as he had rested in the waters, of his smell, of the strength of his arms. His shoulders were smooth where her fingertips ran across his skin, save for the groove on the left side where a sword had cut him in Carvek. A growl formed low in his throat as he pressed her closer.

    She had to cease. Like in the carriage ride, she had to stop them because she knew he wanted more. So did she, actually, but it was only when she could be absolutely sure that there was no way it would ruin things could she allow it. Anla moved back and he let his arms drop.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°Raulin?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± That was a lie. He was upset, but at least he wasn¡¯t pressing anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m going in. Care to follow?¡±

    He sunk into the water. ¡°Give me a few minutes.¡±

    * * *

    The next morning, her first discovery was how the ring system worked. She had brought her pouch in case she needed it, but noticed most guests were wearing them on their fingers or had tied them to their person somehow. There was a line for the dining area that was patrolled by one of the uniformed staff. Anyone who held up a blue or red ring was pulled out and brought through the door ahead of everyone else. As she stood on her tiptoes, she saw that those guests were seated in a different area and given menus to order from. Ahead of this group was a buffet of grains, fruits, and soups. So, the higher cost of the room gave you the ability to ¡°buy¡± better meals. She looked at today¡¯s classes and services and saw colored circles next to them. Some classes had blue or red next to them, meaning there was a higher entrance fee. Guests weren¡¯t paying higher prices for better rooms, they were paying for better access.

    She used one of her two reds to buy a table seat shared with an older gentleman with thick mustaches and his wife, who paid no attention to her. The waiter informed her that she could have whatever she wanted off the menu, which seemed so much better than what they were eating at the buffet. She got a glass of mineral water to go with her sausages, eggs, and a berry-filled crepe dusted with powdered sugar.

    While the other two table members read the newspaper. Anla studied the map provided by the welcome desk. There were dozens of buildings and landmarks on the grounds that stretched a lot farther than she expected. There was a stroll after breakfast that cost no rings and was open to the public. She would have passed on it, but it was a great way to get a lay of the land.

    The guide was pleasant and cheery as she walked the noisy crowd of two dozen along the pathways, pointing out signs to point them back to the main house, should they get lost. She was full of information and managed to make even a sitting area seem glorious.

    There was a class outside on painting at half-past ten that was taught by the resident artist. She sat near him and hoped to gain his ear, but he seemed solely interested in artistic development and barely glanced at her painting. She did better in the afternoon class on natural appreciation, but that was led by one of the gardeners, not anyone important.

    ¡°Do the owners teach any classes or dine with the guests?¡± she asked the man, bearded with hazel eyes on the younger side of middle-aged.

    ¡°Who, Mr. and Mrs. Vangaught? I don¡¯t see them that often. They do occasionally teach a class, but the Mrs. has been feeling the vapors as of late. You might catch the Mr. Vangaught out for his morning stroll or sometimes at the blue ring dinners.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, and to erase suspicion, continued on. ¡°I wanted to thank them for creating such a wonderful place. My husband and I were looking for something like this on our holiday and we didn¡¯t fathom one was right here in Ashven. It¡¯s really lovely.¡±

    She was surprised at how large his smile was. ¡°And thank you. It¡¯s so wonderful to hear that from our guests. Are you staying here long?¡±

    ¡°Two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll pass your gramercy along to the owners.¡±

    Raulin joined her for dinner. They used their blue rings and enjoyed fresh seafood, surprising since they were so far inland. He had examined all the buildings and didn¡¯t find anything strange, nor did he find anything in the woods surrounding to indicate something abnormal. He was pleased by her work and hoped that the good word with the owners panned out.

    They attended a nightly gathering where people played soft music while the guests were encouraged to relax. Attendants went around and adorned each person with scented oils and flower crowns before the group canted affirmations. Anla felt calmed by it, but was unsure why some people were crying afterward.

    She enjoyed the springs outside their room and Raulin joined her shortly after she did. After complaining about his sore muscles, she knuckled his shoulders and pressed her thumbs into his back. After a few minutes, she moved in front of him and kissed him again, stopping herself from kissing his neck to see if he would like it as much as she did. Soon, she thought. She could almost trust him with that.

    When she awoke, he was already gone. She spent one of her higher tokens on a body treatment where a woman smeared mud on her bare skin and wrapped her in leaves and hot towels. She got the attendant to speak about the owners, but she didn¡¯t have anything new to say about them.

    The list of classes in the afternoon seemed sparse and none other than the natural appreciation tour seemed interesting to her, so she attended it again. The same man guided it (she caught this time that his name was Gran¨¦) and gave her a quick rise of the eyebrows and a smile in recognition as he led the four or five other guests along the pathways.

    There was nothing new to this class, but repeating her schedule was a good idea she had stumbled upon. Gran¨¦ might be a good acquaintance to have, even if he didn¡¯t rank very high. And what if someone wanted to approach her, like the owner, but couldn¡¯t find her? She was sure people would come to realize that she would be right here, on this walk, at the same time every day.

    The walk was physically led by Gran¨¦, but what he spoke about was dictated by the questions asked by the guests. What kind of tree was that? How much food did they grow themselves here? What was that over there, off the trail? He was very knowledgeable and answered everything, sometimes spending several minutes talking about one particular plant.

    On the third day, Raulin now very scarce, she was greeted by a very sunny smile from Gran¨¦. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he said as the class was gathering, ¡°it¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Gran¨¦. It¡¯s a fine day for a walk. I hope the sun hits the Killsten Pond like it did yesterday.¡±

    ¡°It should.¡± He waved the small class to him and they began walking, though he continued to speak with Anla. ¡°So, you appreciate the aesthetics of our land?¡±

    ¡°I do. I can sense that there was great care taken in how this place was created, the placement of things, what flowers were chosen for which beds, things like that.¡±

    ¡°And you enjoy these walks because you get to see them again?¡±

    She paused at this question. It was hard to gauge what Gran¨¦ wanted her to say. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s something peaceful about walking through here, especially with a group of people who are also enjoying the time spent in nature.¡±

    He gave her his large smile again and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to know that you¡¯re like me¡± before turning to begin the tour.

    Over the next two days she attended a class on pottery and another on nutrition, the latter being a strange idea for someone who early in the year had eaten raw, bruised potatoes and dry pasta for food one day, taken from a trashcan behind a restaurant. The afternoons she spent with Gran¨¦, since she only saw Raulin when she woke in the middle of the night. She began accompanying the gardener to the tucked-away greenhouse after the strolls, helping him with a few chores before dinner.

    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± she asked him on her fifth day at the shrine.

    He looked up for a few moments from pulling a few weeds . ¡°Oh, I think it will be thirteen years next April.¡±

    ¡°And how did you come to stay here?¡±

    ¡°I went to Amandorlam for agriculture, if you can believe that. Most of the smart kids learn farming from their fathers.¡±

    ¡°I have a friend who went to Amandorlam for wizardry.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully he¡¯s more successful than I am. Not that I regret my job, not one bit, but it hardly pays the same as groundskeeping for a marquess.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to care much about things like that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he said with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure my wife would like more jewelry and my children more sweets, but we¡¯re happy here.¡±

    ¡°Be content with that,¡± she said from across the aisle of potted plants. ¡°My husband and I travel a lot. I think we¡¯d both like to put down roots, but we have obligations for a little while longer.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I see a lot of people come through here. Some enjoy that lifestyle. Others pretend to enjoy it. A few have reached the same conclusion you have.¡±

    After a short lull in conversation where she continued watering the herbs, she asked, ¡°Is this a good place to put down roots?¡±

    ¡°I found it to be. There¡¯s a rich community here of workers and attendants and heads of departments, such as myself. We have gatherings every so often, large picnics or celebrations. We had a party last week for two of the staff who got married.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re rich without the coin.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°You said you were head of your department?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± he said, flashing her a smile. ¡°All those young guys out there trimming the lawn and pruning the trees are under my supervision.¡±

    He was a department head, which meant he was probably much closer to the top than she had originally thought. She was about to continue the conversation when some motion outside caught her eye. Gran¨¦ looked up, then followed her gaze. ¡°Oh, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, clearing his throat, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t pay attention to that. Sometimes, when we think the guests are away, we staff members make a stitch and hope not to get caught.¡±

    Anla barely heard him. As if in a daze, she picked up her skirts and walked outside the glassed house. A stone farmer¡¯s wall ran perpendicular, stopping short by fifteen feet from the doorway. It was at the near end of this a woman in a gray dress sat, her skirts hiked up around her hips. Her head laid on the shoulder of a man while they rocked together.

    When she was younger, she¡¯d stumbled upon a few young lovers in the forest who had shooed her away with laughter before continuing. The act wasn¡¯t embarrassing or foreign to her. She wouldn¡¯t have cared, wouldn¡¯t have breathed a word to anyone else about it. But, as she stood watching, she grew very cold and very lightheaded.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Gran¨¦ said, catching up to her, and Raulin turned his head to see who had spoken. His eyes widened in shock as he met Anla¡¯s gaze for one moment before she stormed off.

 Chapter 189

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gran¨¦ said. ¡°A lady such as yourself shouldn¡¯t have seen that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Anla replied, slowing down.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine, if I may say so. You look a little peaked. Maybe you should sit down for a moment? I could go get you some tea or water.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, Gran¨¦.¡± She had an overwhelming need to put as much space between her and Raulin as possible. The last thing she wanted was to talk to him.

    ¡°She does that,¡± he said, holding her arm from underneath to catch her if she fainted. ¡°Lady Karninth. I know that some of the higher staff have talked with her about being more discreet with her affairs, but she continues them all the same. There¡¯s not much we can do, since she¡¯s a guest here. I hope you understand.¡±

    Anla licked her lips. Her mouth was dry and she wished she¡¯d taken Gran¨¦ up on his offer for tea. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The woman back there, Lady Karninth. She picks some younker staying here for a week to seduce then flaunts him, and the affair, in front of the guests. She¡¯s bored and loves spectacles, which gives us a headache when we have to hear about her indiscretions from the other guests.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± she said, continuing to march back to the main building.

    ¡°You don¡¯t? But, you seemed upset that¡­he¡­oh.¡± He was mercifully silent for ten seconds. ¡°I take it this is your husband¡¯s first liaison?¡±

    She nodded her head, not wanting to continue this conversation. Seclusion would be blessedly wonderful. Barring that, some place where she could avoid an inevitable conversation would work almost as well.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like to come back to the village? Just for a little while, so that you don¡¯t have to be around other people.¡±

    She stopped. ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯d like that. And you don¡¯t have to call me ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯. Olana is fine.¡±

    There was only one dirt road into the village, which had about a dozen buildings with several apartments in each. The buildings were smack dab in the middle of the forest and clung to the available terrain like lichen on rocks. Where the road ended was a commons taken up by communal things: toys for the children, a roasting spit, a wash station. To the back, in a gap between two buildings, was a large covered work area that housed tools for repairs and a forge.

    An older man waddled over to Gran¨¦ when he saw them, clearly upset, and they held a conversation out of most people¡¯s earshot.

    ¡°You know you can¡¯t bring guests here,¡± he said.

    ¡°She¡¯d had a rough day, Minuetar. She found out her husband was having an affair with her.¡±

    ¡°Not a good enough excuse! We could get in serious trouble with the uppers over this.¡±

    ¡°If she isn¡¯t going to them about her then I think we¡¯re safe.¡±

    Gran¨¦ walked back to Anla. ¡°Come,¡± he said. ¡°You can meet my family.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t what she wanted to do. She wanted a few minutes alone to sort out her thoughts. But, it would be rude to refuse. She gave a tight smile and followed him to his apartment.

    The smell of garlic overpowered all the potted plants in Gran¨¦¡¯s living room. ¡°Tien?¡±

    A tall, dark-haired woman poked her head out of the kitchen. Anla recognized her as one of the welcome desk workers. ¡°Oh, who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°This is Olana. She¡¯s going to have dinner with us tonight.¡± He turned to her and said, ¡°Make yourself at home.¡±

    She sat on the couch and pretended that she couldn¡¯t hear Gran¨¦ tell her tale to his wife. To her ear the tone of his words had a removed coldness, like briefly touching a statue. Pity, she thought. They pitied her. An appropriate feeling for Olana, but what about Anla?

    Anla still didn¡¯t quite know how she felt about the situation. It was not good, but why? She knew Raulin conducted affairs with women, even had to for his job. She had seen him sneak into a room with a woman at the libertine ball and didn¡¯t recall feeling anything about it. There hadn¡¯t been a problem with that aspect of his job until now.

    She felt angry and hurt. It took her some time sitting on their couch with her hands folded in her lap that she realized she felt like Raulin had cheated on her. They weren¡¯t romantic, though. While they kissed and were permissive with each other¡¯s boundaries, they weren¡¯t beaus. She had no right to expect him to remain chaste.

    Still, the pain of loss and betrayal was all she had felt for a few moments. It had almost robbed her of her breath, a pressure suddenly grabbing at her neck and choking her. Something had seized her stomach and clawed it, twisted it, burned it for a few seconds before the icy cold had washed over her. Even then, sitting on their couch, she couldn¡¯t recall that scene without an attack of the same misery and ache clenching her again.

    Tien walked out of the kitchen with a mug of tea and handed it to her before sitting next to her. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, divorce him?¡±

    She gave her a crooked smile.¡°Well, that¡¯s an option. I was thinking about tonight, after dinner. Are you going to go talk to him? Are you going to go back to your room?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said truthfully. ¡°I have to be careful. He and I are business partners as well as being married. I have to think about both futures at the same time.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you need a little time, then. Why don¡¯t you stay here until you¡¯ve figured things out?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, ¡°but I don¡¯t want to inconvenience you any more than I already have. There¡¯s a bed waiting for me back at the main house.¡±

    Tien pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s probably not my place to say, but your bed might not be unoccupied.¡±

    Anla sipped on her tea, feeling the steam rise and cool her cheeks.

    ¡°She might not do it this time, but it would be a first.¡±

    ¡°How many time has Lady¡­has she done it?¡±

    ¡°Lady Karninth arrived here in the spring. Her first month was quiet, other than harassing the staff with demands and insults. That must have grown boring for her rather quickly. Since May it¡¯s been one married man after the other, maybe twenty or so in all. If it¡¯s any consolation, she likes to pick the men she finds the most challenging, the ones with the pretty wives who seem very happy with each other.¡±

    Anla sighed. ¡°Does she move on fast at least?¡±

    ¡°Not until one of two things happens. Either the couple leaves miserable at the end of their stay or she makes the wife leave, usually in tears. She¡¯s a cruel woman.¡±

    ¡°What does she do to them to get them to cry?¡±

    Tien pressed her lips together. ¡°Do you really want to know? Olana, it¡¯s a bad enough situation as it is. I don¡¯t want you to suffer any more.¡±

    ¡°I think being unaware of what could happen would be worse.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, crossing her legs and steepling her hand in front of her face. ¡°She¡¯s going to try to break you. She wants you crying in the middle of the dining hall, screaming at your husband, threatening her and him in hysterics. Until she gets that, she¡¯ll carry on with your husband in places she knows you¡¯ll likely be, like your room or near some place you frequent. She¡¯ll turn the other guests on you, making sure everyone knows that you¡¯ve been cast aside, the pretty little wife, for her. Then she¡¯ll spread rumors amongst them that will reach your ears. Usually it¡¯s about how unfaithful you were to begin with and how your husband took solace in her arms.

    ¡°If you¡¯re the the type not to care, say you¡¯re a dutiful wife who knows her place or you¡¯re used to him carrying on affairs, she¡¯ll start speaking to you directly. She¡¯ll tell you how wonderful he is, how well he¡¯s taking care of her, what he¡¯s spent on her. Then, she¡¯ll start playing the both of you, telling your husband and you that she¡¯s so happy with him that she¡¯s thinking of leaving her own husband to be with the sop, begging pardon. I¡¯ve only seen two or three wives of the twenty survive a full week.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±

    ¡°After the fifth or sixth time, her methods were as worn and predictable as the beat path from the mayor¡¯s house to the bank. We¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her, to prepare for the inevitable, and we keep each other abreast of the situation. Someone needs to help those poor women and it¡¯s good to know who it¡¯s going to be and about when the hysterics are going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever intervened like this?¡±

    ¡°No, actually. You seem shrewd. Most of the women are beautiful ornaments, lovely to look at but without the acumen to survive something like this. You¡¯re not a noble, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, just used to surviving.¡±

    She turned to Tien. While she still felt some turmoil when she thought of Raulin, she¡¯d found a new sort of strength to approach the problem at hand. She wasn¡¯t pleased, but she knew she¡¯d need to take some action. ¡°So, how do we break her?¡±

    * * *

    After dinner, Tien spread word amongst the other workers in the village that Anla was staying the night and that she was planning on resisting Lady Karninth. She had person after person approach her with suggestions and hints, or at least with a ¡®good luck¡¯ and a squeeze of their hand in hers. The pain still lingered, but she was growing more detached towards him and the situation.

    There was a fire that evening. A few of the musicians who had the night off assembled a lively trio to play folk tunes. Spirits were passed around and Anla didn¡¯t refuse like she usually did. The whiskey burned down her throat and warmed her. After a few hours of drink and talk, she was in a muddled state. The candle in her mind was lit as to why people drank; it made the pain recede enough to exist for just a little while without a care towards it.

    The villagers put her up in the bachelor¡¯s house, insisting that she would be cared for there. If she had been more sober, she would have refused, afraid of what a thing meant. The men staying there were aloof, but kind and thankfully nothing untoward happened.

    She woke later than she normally did the next morning with a mild headache and the spins. There was a mug of tea next to her bed that she picked up and smelled before quaffing. She thought it might be just peppermint, but the vile, bitter taste made her think it was white willow bark as well.

    As she waited for her cure to work, she thought about her strategy. A lot of the tips on how to deal with Lady Karninth were helpful, but the advice hadn¡¯t been. She had to deal with the situation not as a spurned lover but as the relationship between her and Raulin dictated. They were partners. She was here to help him complete a task. They were co-conspirators in this contract.

    But, she hesitated. It took her a little while to finally realize that her pain from yesterday wasn¡¯t from being cheated on. That was the wrong label for it. It was betrayal. She had felt betrayed when he had brought someone else into the fold and hadn¡¯t said anything to her about it. This Lady Karninth had been some unknown entity that had instantaneously shaken her security. She knew Raulin and he made her feel warm; she didn¡¯t know this woman and seeing them together had been an icy chill for her.

    In another instance, it would have been the moment to find them and introduce herself, ask if they needed help. But, Lady Karninth wasn¡¯t an ally. She was actually a hindrance. She was going to have to be careful when she spoke with Raulin, as if he were spying for the lady and not for himself.

    She washed her face, brushed her hair with her fingers, and took a deep breath. This was going to be trying.

    On her walk back to her room, she walked slowly and smiled cheerfully at other guests passing by. She hoped Raulin hadn¡¯t said anything to the lady about Anla catching them. If she could hold off on gossip being passed amongst the guests for a little while longer, this would be more tolerable. She¡¯d have to play the part of a woman who had no idea what was happening behind her back.

    Anla needed to speak with Raulin, though, before she knew with certainty where he stood with this woman. She actually smiled when she realized that he must be playing her, not the other way around, and he was using her to get his information. That made sense! He must have found out that the lady had been there for some time and must know if there was any secret temple or worship happening on the grounds.

    She spent a red ring on breakfast, enjoying quiche and bacon with Mr. and Mrs. Brelont of Hanala, who suddenly had an interest in speaking loudly about the hot springs. Anla exclaimed cheerfully that she loved taking a dip after breakfast when it was quieter, which was agreed upon was a great idea.

    After her new addendum of a soak, she took a class on meditation, then a small lunch, a class on exercising, then her nature appreciation walk with Gran¨¦. He nodded to her, then guided the tour, finally ending at the arranged point and walking with Anla to the greenhouse. ¡°How are you today?¡± he asked when they were alone on the trail.

    ¡°Better.¡±

    ¡°My wife told me what you¡¯re doing. If you need any help, just ask.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    After a half-hour in the greenhouse, movement outside caught her eye and she looked up to see Raulin and Lady Karninth again at the stone wall. The pain was still intense, but at least it dissipated quickly.

    ¡°Gran¨¦? Are you finished?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Just about, why?¡±

    ¡°I need you to escort me to the dining hall.¡± He wiped his hands on a towel and took her arm without question. ¡°The other arm, please.¡±

    He switched so that she was closer to the two lovers and he startled when he saw what was happening at the wall. ¡°You¡¯re showing her that it doesn¡¯t bother you,¡± he said after they had passed.

    ¡°Something along those lines.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly brave of you to do that.¡±

    She thought about what he had said. ¡°When I was younger, I saw a business owner attacked by brutes. They stole his goods, smashed his windows, and cracked his skull open. They left, but the man came out of the door to his shop, yelling at them with blood dripping into his eye. They came back and broke his leg. He still rose, yelling at them. He didn¡¯t stop until he was knocked unconscious. He might have been brave. The person next to me said he was stupid, asking for all that pain. I thought he just wanted to show those men that if they came back, they¡¯d have a real hard time of it if they did again.¡±

    The next day she ate breakfast and went for her soak in the hot springs. She was just starting to relax when she heard a high pitched whistle from inside their room from the ward spell. Her stomach churned for a moment in anticipation, but she knew she had to do this.

    Anla stepped out of the steaming water and put on her robe, letting it hang open and loose around her shoulders. She hummed loudly as she walked to the door to her room, bracing herself for what she was going to see. Her pulse throbbed in her throat, but she ignored it.

    It was Anla¡¯s first look at Lady Karninth. She pretended to let her gaze wash over the two of them, Raulin standing next to the bed, holding the lady¡¯s wrist as if he were trying to pry her hand from his shirt. She sat on the bed, the skirts of her red and gray dress hiked up over her knees. Anla tried to find something memorable about her face, but she was plain and forgettable, dark, round eyes with thin lashes that met hers without a hint of surprise.

    Raulin stepped away and the lady dropped his shirt, fixing her skirts but not rising from her spot. Anla gave a quick smirk at the scene and took a few moments to retrieve a towel from their bathroom. ¡°I thought you said she was prudish,¡± the lady said sotto voce.

    Anla sauntered back in, drying her hair casually. ¡°We should talk,¡± she said to Raulin in Arvonnese.

    While she occupied herself, Raulin said a quick farewell to his annoyed paramour, promising to see her later. Once she had left, he said, ¡°So?¡±

    She continued in her father¡¯s tongue. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around. I thought I should check in with you, report what I¡¯ve seen and to see if you needed any help.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t here last night,¡± he said, also picking up the language. ¡°Were you upset about yesterday?¡±

    ¡°I met some people that might help us. I think I¡¯ll be able to ask for their help soon in figuring out if this place is religious in nature or not.¡±

    He turned his head away. ¡°Could you put some clothes on, please?¡±

    ¡°Never bothered you before.¡± She tightened the sash around her robe. ¡°Did you get her to whistle her tune?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he said with a little bit of annoyance.

    ¡°It¡¯s Dickery. You¡¯re trying to get her to give up her secrets, tell her about what¡¯s going on her pertaining your contract.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not using her,¡± he said, no hint of a lie to it.

    She blinked at this. What if he had no clue about Lady Karninth¡¯s reputation? Surely if she told him, he¡¯d stop. ¡°You know she¡¯s using you.¡±

    He looked back. ¡°Using me? I doubt that.¡±

    ¡°I thought you picked her because you knew she¡¯s a long-term guest here. Raulin, you¡¯re now a part of a game she¡¯s playing. She finds some young man with a good situation and seduces him, then dismisses him when she grows bored. You¡¯re just one in a long line of men who¡¯ve distracted her from her ennui.¡±

    He blinked a few times and swallowed hard, then said thickly, ¡°Who said this?¡±

    ¡°Those people I mentioned I met were the staff. I spoke with a lot of them last night. They¡¯re rather disgusted by her behavior, to be honest, and wish she¡¯d leave.¡±

    ¡°Did you think that perhaps the staff just doesn¡¯t like her? She¡¯s a wonderful woman and that can cause some jealousy that spreads.¡±

    It took her a moment to realize he wasn¡¯t joking, he wasn¡¯t posturing at all. He actually felt protective of the noble woman and couldn¡¯t see her faults. ¡°Do you mean dislike a spoiled rich woman who consistently ruins women¡¯s lives by stealing their husbands from them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so you are jealous because of what happened the day before yesterday,¡± he said, folding his arms over his chest.

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯d be jealous if we were actually married, Raulin, but since we¡¯re not, I¡¯m only repulsed. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rather tacky that she made you come here to tumble in our bed so that I¡¯d catch you?¡±

    Raulin snorted. ¡°She had no idea you¡¯d be here.¡±

    ¡°She did because I announced it rather loudly at my breakfast table yesterday. And she knew I¡¯d be at the greenhouse yesterday because I¡¯ve been going there every day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, visiting your own lover. A bit hypocritical, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Her neck straightened in shock. ¡°Gran¨¦ and I aren¡¯t lovers, Raulin. He¡¯s married with three children. I met them all last night.¡±

    ¡°Because married men can¡¯t carry on affairs?¡±

    ¡°No, because some men actually care about the promises they made.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make any vows to you, nor you to me.¡±

    ¡°Why, did you want one?¡± She took a deep breath. The conversation had veered far off course. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest that what you did hurt me. I just hope you¡¯re careful and that you find what you need for your contract.¡±

    He turned to leave, but stopped. ¡°Why did it hurt?¡± He looked back and forth between her eyes, as if he was searching for something.

    ¡°Because,¡± she began, ¡°for all intents and purposes, I am Olana Freston. And even though my husband isn¡¯t actually carrying out liaisons behind my back, it still hurts. It¡¯s embarrassing to hear people judge you and whisper about you. It¡¯s restricting when those same people snub you. And it¡¯s painful when you don¡¯t share something like that with me. We¡¯re supposed to be working together, not against each other.¡±

    ¡°Anla, we¡¯re here to do a job. Do you know how often I have to pretend I¡¯m dumber or less skilled than I actually am and have people laugh at me for it? All the time. It¡¯s not a career where I can afford to feel badly about people disliking me.¡±

    With that he left.

 Chapter 190

    It began at lunch. Anla saw people standing in line for food at the buffet look at her, then turn to the person next to them and whisper something. Then, that person would turn to look at her and stare. To her credit, she plastered on a smile that didn¡¯t waver even when the couple sitting at her table got up abruptly and left with piping hot tea still on the table. The flushing was harder to hide.

    Funny how Olana had done nothing wrong, but she was still suffering for it.

    She was picking at her rabbit, mushroom, and sage pasty when three people sat at her table. It took her only a few moments before she realized they were the musicians from last night. ¡°We can spare a couple of minutes for you. Looks like you need some friends.¡±

    She gave the fiddler an appreciative smile and began talking about music with the trio. They would be playing that evening, so she wouldn¡¯t see them when she visited the village, but they promised they would dedicate a song to her.

    Things felt better after their visit. She almost forgot about her situation until she showed up for the nature appreciation class to find Lady Karninth already there. Gran¨¦ looked at Anla with wide eyes. She returned his stare with a quick eye roll and a shrug.

    At first the Lady was content to follow the crowd and shoot smarmy looks at Anla, who did her best not to ignore the woman, but to feign disinterest in her presence. When that failed to ruffle Anla¡¯s feathers, the Lady began asking questions and walking next to Gran¨¦, generally feigning interest in whatever he pointed out.

    After she began touching his arm to grab his attention, he moved away and said, ¡°All right. Who would like to earn a crystal ring?¡± The group perked up at this as he took one out of his pocket and held it aloft. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask questions until someone gets three correct answers. That person will be our winner.¡±

    He lobbed a few easier questions that some of the other guests answered before she could, such as ¡°Name three wildflowers that are yellow¡± or ¡°Give me one herb that people use medicinally¡±. When Anla answered the tough ones, Gran¨¦ made sure to heap on his praises. And when she won the ring, she gave it to one of the older women on the tour who had looked at her with admiration and had murmured nice things about her intelligence under her breath.

    Dinner seemed easier, though there were still people who needed informing about her ordeal. She pretended to be unperturbed by any of it. The shop had liquor for purchase, so she bought a bottle of wine for the villagers and had a good evening with them.

    She thought about sleeping on the couch in her room, but decided that she could move to the edge of bed when Raulin came in that night. He never did. She laid awake, waiting for him for some time, realizing how much she treasured his company, how much she loved waking up with him close to her.

    Anla kept to her schedule. She noted that the couple didn¡¯t appear in her room again, and after the third time she caught them on the wall and didn¡¯t bat an eyelash, they stopped that as well.

    The Lady decided to sit in an empty seat at her table for a few minutes a few days later, dressed in a fine pink dress. ¡°How are you, my dear?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing well,¡± Anla responded, her tone suggesting she was both puzzled and amused. A dozen catty responses came to mind, but she held her tongue, instead asking how she was doing.

    ¡°Marvelous. Tired, though,¡± she said, stretching for effect. ¡°I haven¡¯t been getting much sleep.¡±

    ¡°Chamomile tea works well for that,¡± she answered, pretending she didn¡¯t get the innuendo.

    ¡°Yes. Well, maybe I should try it. Do you like my brooch?¡±

    Having been warned of her past misdeeds by one of the workers, Anla had hidden what little jewelry she had and asked the village smith to make her a few cheap pins to put with her things.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­lovely,¡± she said. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°I saw it somewhere and just had to have it.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well, it¡¯s not really my taste, but I think it looks smashing with your ensemble today.¡±

    She continued eating as the triumphant smile slipped off the Lady¡¯s face. ¡°I thought I saw you wearing something similar the other day.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said in between bites. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before in my life.¡±

    The confusion on her face was worth at least a little bit of what she was doing to her.

    With a few days left, Anla finally dared to ask the question that was their whole purpose at the shrine. She¡¯d brought a bottle of brandy to dessert with Gran¨¦ and Tien and played Maccre as they ate cake. ¡°Is this place actually a shrine?¡±

    ¡°It used to be,¡± Gran¨¦ said, rearranging his hand, ¡°maybe thirty years ago. People thought the springs were a holy site or something along those lines and they would trickle in during the summer and fall months. Then, the owners had the smart idea of buying the land and building a resort. It¡¯s very popular with the wealthy and it¡¯s in a great spot, so it¡¯s only gotten bigger as the years have gone on.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯d heard a rumor that this place was still an actual shrine or that rituals were held here.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, you heard it from the townsfolk,¡± Tien said, not looking up from her cards.

    ¡°Yes. They were rather adamant.¡±

    ¡°We have an interesting relationship with the townsfolk. We need them for supplies and they need us for the money travelers bring on their way here. But, they feel like we look down on them figuratively, since we do literally, so we¡¯re all snobs up here, living in opulence. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve heard them spreading rumors.¡±

    ¡°It is rather nice here,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Pfft. Have you seen the houses in town? They¡¯re gorgeous! When enough tourists pass through and spread their money around, you can afford the nicer rugs and all the repairs you need. Look, we¡¯re not poor here, but they definitely are getting the better end of the deal.¡±

    Gran¨¦ played his hand, winning that round. ¡°There is Minuetar. He¡¯s a fanatic devotee to Zayine, thinks the mountain is going to blow any day, even though it¡¯s been dormant for centuries. He has a personal shrine to Her in the woods and invites us to his services, but he¡¯s not a priest. That¡¯s about as religious as we get.¡±

    ¡°What about the nighttime ceremony in the main house?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a leftover from the old days,¡± Tien said, spreading her hand. ¡°It makes people feel good, but it doesn¡¯t do much other than getting people to buy things. It works, too. We often sell a dozen or more of those pendants in the shape of the statues in the front of the hall after the ceremony. I hope you¡¯re not disappointed.¡±

    ¡°We paid good money to come to a place to enjoy ourselves and relax, not to find one of the Twelve.¡± She dropped her shoulders at the thought of ¡°we¡±.

    ¡°How are you holding out?¡± she said, holding Anla¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m still doing well, but I don¡¯t think I could do this if we were staying longer.¡±

    ¡°I think the worst is yet to come. Be careful.¡±

    Indeed, the next morning Lady Karninth had convinced Raulin to accompany her to a blue-ring breakfast, flirting with him unabashedly while Anla wasn¡¯t too far away eating her red-ring food. She laughed too loud, was too doting, and looked in Anla¡¯s direction far too often. It was that breakfast that the nice woman from the walk decided to eat with her and held a distracting conversation that Anla found genuinely interesting.

    Her dip in the hot springs was accompanied by those two. She simply lowered herself in the water and shut out any of the moans and giggles she was supposed to hear.

    She was going to spend a ring to get away for another mud treatment, but she realized that all her rings for the day were gone. Luckily, Tien was working at the front desk and slipped her two reds for meals when she explained what had happened. She went for a long walk instead and noticed quickly that she was being followed by the illicit couple. For what it was worth, it didn¡¯t seem like Raulin knew what the Lady was doing, making the same drastic changes Anla was in order to follow her.

    The last thing she wanted was a confrontation. She¡¯d rather not even have a pleasant conversation with them. An intense craving to be gone from this place overtook her. She would give anything to be away from the shrine, but there were two more full days and Raulin would need all that time for a due diligence on this contract.

    When she turned into the woods at the halfway point of the trail, she immediately bolted off the path and hid. As a child, she hadn¡¯t had the elven magic that helped the children with seeking games, so she¡¯d had to rely on physical skill to disappear into the brush. She was completely concealed when they walked past her, then stopped. The Lady looked confused for a few moments, searching around.

    ¡°Something wrong, my love?¡± Raulin asked. Anla¡¯s stomach lurched. There was no falseness to his words; he really did love her.

    ¡°Nothing, my sweet. I was just taking in the scenery.¡± She took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply. ¡°Must you leave me in a few days?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re expected in Atri soon. There¡¯s also no availability; I checked in with the front desk.¡±

    ¡°Write a letter and tell them you¡¯ll be late. And you can stay in my room. You know my bed is always open to you.¡±

    ¡°I do need to think about my wife.¡±

    She waved her hand carelessly. ¡°She can stay with her lover. It will work out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    No, Anla thought. No, please. Her stomach roiled at the thought of staying here any longer than she had to, even with her friends in the village. If it came to that, she would leave and admit defeat. She couldn¡¯t continue to keep analyzing things, of worrying and trying to guess what Lady Karninth was going to do next. It was exhausting.

    She wished they would leave. Instead, they stood there, kissing and speaking like he was in port setting off on his next voyage. And while Anla grew more and more nauseous at the words, she at least understood how the Lady had ensnared him so well.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    They spoke a lot about Anla, but it was mostly the Lady asking questions and Raulin answering them, followed by an affirmation or a correction. A snippet of their conversation went something like:

    ¡°Why did you marry her?¡±

    ¡°She was beautiful and delightful to be around. It was easy to talk to her, laugh with her. She had a keen mind and she was great to work with.¡±

    ¡°But not now. It¡¯s hard to think of someone as beautiful when they¡¯re so inhumane to other people. And I thought you said you hadn¡¯t laughed with her in a long time.¡±

    ¡°I did? It has been a while.¡±

    ¡°It happens. You love someone when you¡¯re both young and happy, then you start to see them every day. You notice the little things that bother you about them. Then, you start catching them doing things you¡¯d never imagine them doing. You didn¡¯t know she was a thief when you married her, did you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But you saw all of my brooches in her drawers.¡±

    ¡°I did. I returned them to you.¡±

    ¡°I know. Thank you, my sweet. Remember that my rings went missing, too?¡±

    ¡°And we found your bag in her room. It¡¯s something I¡¯ll watch out for in the future, now that I know she¡¯s like that.¡±

    There was an Arvonnese idiom that Anla¡¯s father used: ¡°He put a hot skillet in cold water.¡± He¡¯d say that when he was talking about someone who was so emotionally confused that they couldn¡¯t speak, the implication being that they were steaming and forever warped by the quick temperature change like a pan dipped too early.

    It was outrage, fury, indignation. Being accused of stealing on the streets meant being cast out of places you had been welcome in before, which meant less chance of food and warmth, possibly death. She took it very seriously and was more sensitive to it than most people. The only silver lining was that Lady Karninth at least didn¡¯t have her perfume nor her two necklaces.

    It was nausea, anxiety, confusion. Anla had moments listening to their long conversation where she questioned if she had done some of the things Raulin agreed she had done. She wondered if Raulin had been harboring bad feelings towards her for a while now or in a strange, paranoid thought, if he had a contract out on her and had been playing a long con.

    But worst it was the agony of hearing a friend savor her misfortune. When the Lady brought up how rewarding it had been when people had started talking about her, Raulin admitted that she deserved it, since she had slept with so many men at the shrine and had been a whore a few times before they had met, but withheld the same from him. And he admitted that if he could trade the two of them, he¡¯d take his Lady over Anla in a heartbeat.

    This was Raulin saying it. There were no lies in his admissions. There was no rock-grinding sound to any of it. He wasn¡¯t playing some angle to fool the Lady into telling him something, like she had secretly hoped. And that was why she cried.

    Anla never cried. Her eyes had teared right before she¡¯d slapped Al a few weeks ago and when Raulin had made her confess to the embarrassing things Tiorn had made her do in Hanala, but she had not cried. And there she was, listening to the words Raulin was saying, her back against a tree and tucked into a bush, with tears streaming down her face.

    They moved away finally, speaking of what they were going to do to each other when they reached her room. She had stolen him from her completely. Anla fully gave in to the awareness that the Lady had won; Anla was hysterically bawling and she couldn¡¯t stop. Her throat burned, her body shook, and her head pounded, but she couldn¡¯t stop sobbing. She had been broken.

    It took so long to stop the flow of tears that she missed the nature appreciation walk. She found Gran¨¦ in the greenhouse. He took one look at her and was instantly livid. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± he asked.

    She recounted everything to him, the crushing headache stopping her from crying again. When she finished, he stopped his work and brought her to his apartment, where she washed her face and sipped on valerian and peppermint tea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go to dinner tonight,¡± she admitted, her hands still shaking.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t go! You don¡¯t have to suffer any more for some notion of winning or because you feel the need to win your husband back or whatever your reasons are.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to win.¡±

    ¡°Not showing up at dinner isn¡¯t a win for her. She doesn¡¯t know why you won¡¯t be there. If you want, us villagers can come up with an excuse. We could have a barbecue set up in an hour and we¡¯d keep them away from it.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better. I just don¡¯t know if I can get back to that solid place I was at before I heard all those things. It was like I was wearing armor.¡±

    ¡°Stay here. Make yourself at home. I¡¯ll be back in a little while.¡±

    Gran¨¦ left and Anla finished her tea. She closed her eyes and fell asleep in one of their chairs until Tien came home and woke her up. Her friend¡¯s nostrils flared and her leg was bouncing on her knee by the time she finished.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say, Olana. I¡¯m speechless. I can¡¯t tell you how badly I want to tell every single guest here what she¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d lose your job. And those guests would only wind up being confused.¡±

    Her husband returned and sat down on the couch next to his wife. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°This is your armor.¡±

    She looked down and saw that Briven, the shrine¡¯s resident blacksmith, had made her another brooch in the same style as the others. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll wear it under my skirts.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll just accuse me of theft and Darrick will give it to her anyway.¡±

    Gran¨¦ smiled. ¡°Look on the other side.¡±

    The pin was a twisted piece of metal that was slightly convex. On the side that curved in was the clasp and the letters ¡°OF¡± in globs of solder. Tien looked over and grinned. ¡°I¡¯d like to see her accuse you of stealing that.¡±

    * * *

    Anla wore her brooch proudly, brushing her fingers along one of its ridges when she felt raw and pitted. She didn¡¯t want to be at dinner, but at least she felt like there were fauna in the flora, ghosts and winds of people there to help her if she needed it again.

    She attended the nightly ceremony where she was pulled up in front of everyone. Lying supine, one of the attendants dressed in a long, white alb shook a turtle shell rattle over her while another brushed the end tufts of Indian grass over her body. She knew Tien had said it was hogwash, and she really didn¡¯t enjoy being the center of attention, but she felt at peace once the gathering was done. She even saw a few warm smiles cast her way.

    After that, and a good night¡¯s rest, she was ready to face anything. She took a class on making a shallow basket, thinking it would be a handy skill to know for their travels. Her soak in the hot springs was undisturbed. Lunch was pleasant with a few people from the ceremony or another class speaking briefly with her. She gave Gran¨¦ a grand smile when she met up for his class. She hadn¡¯t seen either the Lady or Raulin all day and it made her feel like this place was hers, not theirs.

    At dinner, she sat with her acquaintance from the walk, her husband, and another couple from the ceremony. She was listening to a story the woman was telling until she saw everyone close their mouths and look slightly past her. She turned and saw Lady Karninth standing next to her, looking a little frazzled. Dark circles were under her lids and her eyes were red and puffy.

    To be polite, Anla stood to see what the Lady wanted. She was barely erect when Lady Karninth slapped her across the face, the force of the attack knocking her head to one side.

    It was the sort of noise people instinctively knew meant ¡°look in that direction, there¡¯s going to be entertainment¡± The sound in the dining hall evaporated, allowing Lady Karninth¡¯s words to carry clearly from wall to wall. ¡°You little bitch. You think you can play these games with me and win? Who do you think you are?¡±

    Anla straightened herself and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Last night! And all the other things you¡¯ve done! You make me sick, you disgusting little whore!¡± She raised her hand to strike Anla again, even though it looked like the blow had caused her more pain, but her wrist was caught by Raulin. She turned and began wailing in his chest, tears streaking her face when she lifted her head after a few moments.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with her,¡± he said, his face also bruised beneath his eyes. He fixed Anla with a gaze that shocked her by its vehemence, then grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Come,¡± he said.

    ¡°Stop,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me. Please.¡±

    He didn¡¯t, dragging her on her tiptoes down the hallway to their room, closing the door behind him. She put up a spell of silence and said, ¡°Raulin, she slapped me.¡±

    ¡°You deserved it,¡± he spat, cradling his arm.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The dirt, ripping her clothes, and the pins. That was also cute what you did, keeping us up all night with your magic. You used your ward spell to set off a loud bang every half-hour in our room.¡±

    She rubbed her arm, trying to stop herself from shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that. I can¡¯t time my ward spells. Someone would have to break them for that to work, and I wasn¡¯t in her room last night. I was here, sleeping. Besides, I only used that spell here, in case you came in the room while I was in the hot spring.¡±

    He glared at her, not believing. He looked down at her dress. ¡°And you stole this from Katerin! Give it here.¡±

    She looked down at the brooch. ¡°This isn¡¯t hers, it¡¯s mine. Briven gave it to me.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Briven? Is that the guy who¡¯s plowing your field?¡±

    She clenched her jaw for a moment. ¡°Briven is the blacksmith here. He made it for me. Here,¡± she said, pulling it off her dress and turning it over. ¡°O.F., Olana Freston. That¡¯s mine and so are the other three she stole from me. She can keep them; stolen goods look great on her.¡±

    He cocked his left arm back, but didn¡¯t throw the punch. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough damage to that poor woman. I have precious little time left with her. I want you to leave us alone.¡±

    ¡°Leave you alone? I haven¡¯t gone near you two at any point!¡±

    ¡°And I want you to stop bewitching people into hating her. One of your knights in shining armor poured his tea in my lap at lunch and loudly declared that my wife must be heaven sent to put up with my infidelity.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask anyone to say that. The only time I¡¯ve used my influence in the two weeks here was to get that couple to talk about my schedule. I¡¯m being honest, I haven¡¯t lied to you this entire stay. Two spells, that¡¯s it. I haven¡¯t bewitched anyone nor will I.¡±

    ¡°Then explain why people give her glares and speak ill of her.¡±

    She continued to rub her arm and said nothing.

    Raulin grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. ¡°Say it.¡±

    Anla shook his hold loose. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you why, Raulin. You won¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯m not going to try while you¡¯re like this.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Poisoned. She¡¯s turned you against me. You¡¯ve known me for five months, but you¡¯re taking the word of a woman you just met over mine.¡±

    ¡°And if I said I was listening to you?¡±

    She held his gaze and didn¡¯t back down.¡°No. I¡¯m through. I¡¯ve spent my two weeks here absolutely miserable because of you two. I can show you ample evidence as to why, but you won¡¯t believe any of that. You think I¡¯m jealous or bitter and that I feel like hurting someone because I have nothing better to do when that¡¯s not true! I have done what you asked me to do. There is no secret cult here, there is no threat to the Twelve. This is just a retreat that uses self guidance to help people. Meditation, affirmations, things like that.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m surprised you found time to look into it when you were so busy with your head between her breasts.¡±

    ¡°And this is supposed to make you sound free of jealousy?¡±

    ¡°Again, I am not jealous. I am hurt by your betrayal. And that is all I am going to say about you and her. If you speak to me again, it will be with an apology and seventy gold.¡±

    ¡°Seventy gold? For what? Are you accusing Katerin of stealing something now?¡±

    ¡°No. You hired me to accompany you to the retreat and discover whether there was something here that Albrever should be concerned with. I gave you my report. I am due wages.¡±

    He snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not paying you. I never officially hired you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but you did. You said, and I quote, ¡®Anla, we¡¯re here to do a job¡¯ before you talked about how I should be prepared for people not to like me if I did it. I just didn¡¯t think it was going to be you.¡±

    He soured at this, but didn¡¯t argue. Instead, he said, ¡°Last time. Leave us alone. If I catch you doing that spell again on our door, I will find that fancy boy baerd hunter and pay him for front row seats.¡± He slammed the door on his way out, still cradling his arm.

    She took a few moments to stop herself from shaking, then returned to the dining hall, passing a sobbing Lady Karninth on Raulin¡¯s arm. She didn¡¯t look at them and stayed clear of their path. Several people nodded to her, a few even stopping to see if she was well. She sat at her table and ate the rest of her meal before returning to her room.

    Anla was thinking of spending the last day in her room, save for meals, but decided she wasn¡¯t going to change one damn thing. She wasn¡¯t in the wrong and had no reason to feel guilty over it.

    She definitely wanted to go to another celebration at the village. When they recognized her, the group of several dozen workers cheered and clapped, toasting to her. ¡°You broke her!¡± Tien said, passing her a glass of whiskey. ¡°I saw her sobbing in the courtyard this morning.¡±

    ¡°I just stayed the course. I¡¯m not sure what happened. I was at dinner last night and she said I did something to her, then she slapped me.¡±

    There was a hefty silence before Tien said, ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We didn¡¯t know she would hit you.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been helping you along a little bit. We messed up her room and her things a little and had the night watchman knock on her door every time he passed on his rounds.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking the sleepless night might have made things worse.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Either way, I hope she starts treating you all better.¡±

    Tien raised her cup. ¡°Never mistreat the staff,¡± she said to which everyone drank.

    Anla said her goodbyes that night with hugs and thanks. She ate breakfast the next morning, took a final dip in the hot springs, and left for Tel and Al¡¯s camp, pleased that she had accomplished what she had set out to do, but glad to be rid of the place.

 Chapter 191

    ¡°Anla!¡± Al rushed over and hugged her. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Al.¡± She was surprised at how good it felt to hug him. She smiled and stepped back. ¡°Look at you. You look like you¡¯ve already got some muscle. I take it you¡¯ve been keeping up with your training.¡±

    ¡°I have. Look.¡± While still unfinished, he had managed to build a shelter out of all the wood he had chopped.

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Where¡¯s Tel?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen much of him in the last few days. I think it has something to do with kouriya. He might be restless from staying in one spot for too long.¡±

    ¡°He should be happy that we¡¯re leaving, then.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Raulin? I want to show him what I did.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said.

    ¡°No? He wasn¡¯t with you?¡±

    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t.¡±

    Raulin showed up to the camp an hour later. He sounded like the Raulin she knew, but he only spoke to Al and didn¡¯t even glance in her direction. ¡°Where¡¯s Tel?¡± he asked after Al had gone over his progress.

    ¡°He¡¯s been kind of irritable in the last few days. He goes out and meditates in the woods after he blows up at me.¡±

    ¡°Blows up? Telbarisk? Really, what did he do?¡±

    ¡°This morning he said I was chewing too loudly, then that my humming was annoying, and finally he yelled at me for keeping him up all night with my snoring.¡±

    ¡°Tel said that? The tall guy. The grivven.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem a bit strange to you, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it and it¡¯s not nice, but everyone needs to blow off steam every once in a while. I¡¯m trying to be patient with him.¡±

    Tel chose this time to walk back into camp. He gave a brief smile to Anla and Raulin before grabbing the food sack and heading out of the camp without a word.

    Anla was a bit crestfallen. She had hoped to speak with Tel about Raulin and see if he could give her some advice. At the very least, speaking with him about anything had always made her feel better. She would have to wait.

    They arrived back in town and took rooms on the edge of town. ¡°I think it¡¯s time Mr. and Mrs. Auslen make a reappearance,¡± she said to Al while they walked upstairs.

    ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s a good idea. It might help Raulin if we can reestablish our reputation in town, maybe get some leads for his next contract. Hey, Raulin? We¡¯re going to put you with Tel.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, not looking back, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to sleep next to the whore anyway.¡±

    Anla flinched and Al stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. ¡°Did he just call you a whore? What happened up there?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said quietly.

    As they put their things down in their room, he said, ¡°Do you want to talk about it? Tel has helped me become a better listener. You can tell me about it and I can listen to what happened. I won¡¯t interrupt.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Al. I¡¯m really appreciative of your offer and I¡¯m proud of you for working on that skill, but I¡¯d rather not talk about my time at the shrine.¡± As great as his progress was, she still couldn¡¯t see Al handling the situation well.

    ¡°No? Could you tell me what it was like, then? I was thinking about visiting, to sell my wood, but I didn¡¯t want to intrude.¡±

    That was fine to her. She began telling him about the rings, the classes, the food, the hot springs. All the while she changed into her tan blouse and multi-colored skirt so that she could walk around the city. Knowing that Al was prudish about her nudity, she turned away while she changed. When she turned back, she stopped mid-sentence at the look on his face. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t seen a girl in a while, Al, but really¡­¡± she said with a laugh.

    He cleared his throat. ¡°Um, as someone who pays attention to my client¡¯s need and issues, I¡¯ve come to see patterns in their injuries. I¡¯ve had more than a few women come to see me with black eyes and burns and I¡¯m fairly sure it was because their husbands have violent tempers. You have two long, almost black bruises on the left side of your face. Who slapped you, Anla?¡±

    Her smiled dropped. ¡°That was a woman who was upset with me.¡±

    ¡°I would hope she wasn¡¯t pleased with you. And the thumb and finger bruise on your arm?¡±

    Her stomach seized. She grabbed her brush from her pack and began running it through her hair.

    ¡°Anla? Was it Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Al, I said I wasn¡¯t going to speak about it.¡± She brushed her hair hard. ¡°If I change my mind, I¡¯ll talk with you.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes I would mention that I knew what was happening to the women, and I¡¯d tell them that it wasn¡¯t their fault and that they should leave their husbands or go to the police. And most wouldn¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t think I ever saw any of them again. I never knew if it was the right thing to say, but I didn¡¯t want them to feel bad about it and themselves.¡±

    She managed to say, ¡°Duly noted.¡±

    ¡°Is it connected to him calling you a whore? You¡¯re not, Anla. I¡¯m sorry that I thought that you might be walking the streets, back in Calaba.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Al. I suspect it has something to do with it.¡±

    ¡°You should talk with him, sort it out. He might be confused again.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± she asked, stopping her brushing.

    ¡°Yeah. When you were kidnapped by the baerd hunters. He said you were tumbling with a guy in the bar and that we should be patient while you said goodbye to him. Oh, that was Sakilei,¡± he said to himself. ¡°That wasn¡¯t true then.¡±

    ¡°He said I was tumbling with a man I had just met?¡± she asked, her voice a dangerous sort of quiet.

    ¡°It was a bit more casual, but we were waiting for you at the tree, like we had discussed, and he told us you were definitely going to be late because you were in the inn with some new guy.¡±

    She had been less shocked when the Lady had slapped her across the face. It wasn¡¯t so much that Raulin had drawn that conclusion; she saw that, from a different perspective, it had probably looked that way. No, it was the sudden realization of many connected issues that caused the shake in her hand to return.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure at some point we¡¯ll talk,¡± she heard herself say. ¡°I think I¡¯m going for¡­a stroll.¡±

    ¡°Want some company?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said as she closed the door.

    This was her fault, she thought as she stepped out onto the street. Not in a direct way, and she refused to feel guilt over it, but she had caused this whole rift between her and Raulin. It was a misunderstanding, an omission of a piece of information that she would make sure she remembered every time she spoke to him, if she ever did again.

    She gathered the facts to be sure. Raulin was possessive of her, or at least had been. The first thing he asked her when there was a slight possibility that she was on another man¡¯s arm, was whether she was or not, sometimes eschewing small talk for a ¡°so, you two are together?¡±. Her and Al, her and Sakilei, even her uncle had been suspect to him before he knew their relationship. He¡¯d dashed in at the libertine ball like someone from one of Al¡¯s books when he thought she was in danger, though now she questioned whether he had been worried about her being raped or about her consensually sleeping with the earl. He¡¯d almost taken Ripole the baerd hunter¡¯s head off when the man was pressing her against the tree. The sour look he got on his face when she spoke about her past beaus, the times she had caught him interrupting men introducing themselves, so many things that added up to his true feelings about her: ¡°you are mine and no one else¡¯s¡±.

    He¡¯d been shocked when she¡¯d told him her age and had backed off completely from any romantic gesture. (At least he had a code he stuck by.) Then, she turned seventeen and that very day he¡¯d kissed her. And since that point he¡¯d tried very hard to bed her. She¡¯d gently rejected that idea, but she hadn¡¯t said ¡°no¡± to him. Though she¡¯d never seen a good romantic relationship in her life, she wanted to give him a chance. The way she had felt about him had given her hope. But, maybe she should have told him she had just wanted to remain friends.

    At least he had been respectful of her pace and open to that arrangement. She had moved forward when she thought things wouldn¡¯t sour between them should she decide to end things. But two nights of sleeping next to her and kissing in the hot springs, moving just a little more closer to that ¡°yes¡± she admitted to herself that she might have said, wasn¡¯t enough for him. He¡¯d had to satisfy himself with someone else.

    Anla wondered if that had bothered her more than she was willing to admit. It didn¡¯t matter, it was a moot point. He absolutely hated her and she didn¡¯t think they would ever recover from this, which hurt so much more than she had thought. She¡¯d had precious few friends in her life she hated losing one. Especially him. Perhaps that was why this stung so horribly.

    It began to sprinkle a little as she walked the narrow, cobbled streets. She would have to return to the inn soon. She loathed to, again, try to outsmart someone else, but she needed to be prepared for what Raulin could say or do. Where was his mind? He still hated her. He had treated Al and Tel the same as he always had, but he had said nothing to her until that one line in the inn. She was still a whore to him. He still believed all the venom Lady Karninth had said about her and she was sure this was the one lie that had driven him into a lathered frenzy. He was not willing to see things from her perspective. She would have to continue to bear the abuse until a callus hardened and they formed an uneasy truce.

    She finished her walk before she had time to think of how this affected the chalice spell. There was six months to think of something. For the time being, there was no rush and no need for her to try to make things better at the cost of her pride.

    Raulin was leaving as she was entering. His eyes fixed on her as she dropped her gaze and moved out of his way. At least it was hard to tell what he was feeling when he wore his mask. She could pretend he was something other than furious.

    Anla kept out of Raulin¡¯s way while he worked his theft contract. He didn¡¯t ask for her help, she didn¡¯t offer it. Sometimes he brought Tel as his tether, but he was often scarce or in a foul mood, so he brought Al. She had beseeched the wizard not to get involved; he promised to say nothing to Raulin, but made it quite clear that this was most definitely not something he was happy with.

    The two were gone when Anla awoke Wednesday morning to Tel pacing across the floor to her room. ¡°You¡¯re going to walk a ditch into the floor,¡± she said.

    He looked up from chewing on his thumbnail. ¡°Anla,what happened at the shrine?¡±

    She froze. ¡°Why, has Raulin said anything about it?¡±

    ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t say anything.¡± Small miracles, she thought. ¡°But I feel tension between you two.¡±

    As she watched him continue to pace, she had a thought. ¡°Is this why you¡¯re acting strange? Can you sense things through our connection?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know that things feel wrong.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a stroll.¡±

    Tel continued to chew on his nail while they walked the streets. She had hoped to ask him questions in hopes of getting some insight into what had happened to Raulin, but he was distractedly agitated. Stopping to sit on the edge of a farmer¡¯s field only lessened his anxiety a little. It would be selfish to ask anything of him in that state.

    ¡°There¡¯s a pretty cloud over there,¡± she said, pointing at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s like someone painted a rainbow on it.¡±

    Tel shook his foot and barely looked at it.

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t check this before.¡± She rose to her knees and placed the back of her hand on his forehead, then on his cheek. Though warm and sweaty, he didn¡¯t seem feverish. ¡°Are you feeling well? Are you nauseous or have a runny nose?¡±

    ¡°Nauseous? Yes, my stomach doesn¡¯t feel well. My nose is fine.¡±

    ¡°You might have a stomach flu. Have you thrown up? Have you been eating?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, affecting a spoiled tone. ¡°I¡¯ve been eating. I haven¡¯t thrown up anything.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said and they walked back to the inn. They stopped at some of the shops and Anla bought Tel some sweets, hoping that might make him happier. The confectioner¡¯s dog sat in the doorway, barring the way. He growled when she moved near him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss, he¡¯s just¡­¡±

    The dog whined, a high-pitched noise that pierced her ears, then urinated on the welcome mat.

    ¡°Damn dog!¡± he said, grabbing his broom and running out from behind the counter to shoo him. He connected the end with the dog¡¯s rump and send the pooch running down the street. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again, miss. I¡¯ll clean this up.¡±

    ¡°No hurry,¡± she said.

    They waited while he pulled a wet mop from the back and cleaned the floor, tossing the mat onto the sidewalk. ¡°Whole town¡¯s been acting strange. I had a mess of squirrels on my balcony this morning, tapping the window with their acorns. I thought they hibernated by this point.¡±

    ¡°I understand the feeling. I¡¯ve been feeling a little flustered lately.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re friend seems a bit out of it, too.¡± They both looked and saw Tel take a step, then think better of it and turn around, then start again several times. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a foul air.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, as the man finished. What if that¡¯s what had affected Raulin? Was there something between what happened to him and what was happening to Tel?

    Al returned late that evening. She hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, so she sat up to see how he was. ¡°He stole the buttons,¡± he whispered. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Have you been feeling all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°Well, Tel seems like he¡¯s in a strange mood and Raulin, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Raulin seemed perfectly fine today. And yesterday, too. He¡¯s just, um, icy when he speaks of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. All right,¡± she said. At least she could close her hand into a fist, but only because she hadn¡¯t seen Raulin all day. One finger down for good food, one finger for shelter, one finger for good conversation, one finger for making money (she considered her hoard large enough), and her thumb for not using her magic negatively. She kissed it, cherishing the comfort of the routine before falling asleep.

    Both her and Al startled awake to banging on the door. ¡°We leave, now,¡± Raulin said in a booming voice.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± Al asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re leaving immediately.¡±

    They both stumbled in the dark, dressed, and stuffed their clothes and effects into their packs. Raulin and a very fidgety Tel were standing in the hallway, but only until they saw that they had come out of their room. They both hustled down the stairs and out of the inn.

    ¡°Which way¡­?¡± Raulin asked, looking up and down the dark street.

    ¡°East! East, east,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°Could you let us know why you woke us up in the middle of the night and forced us on the road?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Telbarisk has never steered me wrong and he said we needed to fly. We were going to leave tomorrow anyway. We¡¯ll sleep on the road and be off in the first light.¡±

    They walked just past the edge of town, where they heard howls that sent shivers down their spines. ¡°Wolves?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Just dogs,¡± Anla said, though she¡¯d never heard of a whole town¡¯s worth baying like a pack.

    Telbarisk fell to his knees gasping for air, grabbing the grass beneath him. She ran to help him up and almost made it to him before she was shaken to one side and fell onto the road. She stayed low, the ground heaving and lurching below her.

    The earthquake went on rumbling for several heaving breaths. All four had experienced tremors before, Telbarisk the most due to the seismic nature of his island. He stood, shaking the dust from his pants. ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± he said.

    ¡°You feel better?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a deep, manic laugh. ¡°It¡¯s like a weight has been lifted.¡±

    ¡°I think you just saved our lives,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said, facing back to the town. ¡°It¡¯s too bad Sakilei isn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°Why is that, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°He would have won the sunset game.¡± He pointed behind them and they all turned. In a morbidly poetic sort of way, the lava spewing from Mount Kalista did look like the blood of their enemies had painted the sky.

 Chapter 192

    Raulin sucked in his breath. ¡°We have to go back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the wizard asked. ¡°I thought we were leaving for the road when we woke up.¡±

    ¡°I have to see if she''s all right! She could be dead!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Katerin!¡± It had been bad enough that he''d had to leave her. Imagining her dead was unbearable to Raulin.

    He heard Al ask the whore who that was, but she didn''t answer the question. She did agree that they should go back and at least she was being agreeable, for once.

    They trekked back through the town. It was several miles in one go, but Raulin marched them in a feverish pitch. He completely ignored the devastation in the town of Mount Kalista. Roofs had toppled, walls crumbled, and one street was heaved upwards by several feet. But he didn''t care. She was so close. Please let her be all right, he prayed.

    Finally, jogging the last few hundred feet, Raulin mad it to the shrine. He left the three of them and ducked into the brush to remove his mask, stuffing it deep into his pack. Once free, he felt light and giddy, almost skipping as he bounded inside.

    The main building had been soundly built. It wasn''t without its damage, though; the shingles had dislodged, the glass from the main door was everywhere, and the walls had cracks, like thin ivy and wisteria. Overall, it had held well in the earthquake. The main entrance was cluttered with chunks of plaster and all the decorations that had hung on the walls, including some shelves, but it was navigable. He stepped around the larger pieces and raced down the hallway.

    A steadying breath, then a knock for courtesy. Katerin had loved his manners, said she loved being treated with that kind of respect. He was about to open the door when he heard her say, ¡°Was that someone at the door?¡±

    ¡°Maybe another painting falling,¡± a man''s voice responded.

    Raulin should have been dissuaded by this, but his mind gave her an excuse. A guard or housekeeper was helping her clean her room after the debris had fallen. He opened the door.

    She was in bed and had taken the opportunity of being awoken to have another go with her new lover. (She had done that for the first few knocks that one night that the whore had set those noise traps for them.) He couldn''t see much more than motion in the faint dawn light, but he could definitely hear enough to know what was happening and when it was finished.

    Raulin had lost all sensation in his body. If he breathed, if his heart kept beating, he wasn''t aware of it. He had to swallow a few times before he croaked out, ¡°Katerin?¡±

    She startled and rolled off the man, who bolted upright. ¡°Who the hell are you? Why are you intruding?¡±

    ¡°Want me to take care of him?" the man asked her.

    ¡°Katerin, it''s me, Darrick! I came rushing back once I''d heard about the eruption.¡±

    The man made a lewd joke and his love laughed her beautiful, tinkling little laugh and swatted the man''s arm. ¡°Give me a few moments,¡± she said and leaned down to kiss him.

    She put on one of her silk robes and belted it as she closed the door behind her. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°What do I...Katerin!¡± He leaned down to kiss her but she placed her hand on his chest, still bound from her sprain, and pushed him away.

    ¡°You left me, remember? You could have sent your wife away and stayed here with me, but you chose to leave with her. You chose to go back to your whore. How many men did she have here? I saw four myself. That gardener took her in the greenhouse three times that I saw. And yet, that was fine. That was acceptable to you, to go back to that slut.¡± She leaned in and whispered in his ear. ¡°You didn''t care that she was going to think of all those men when you bedded her again. You didn''t care that she was going to cuckold you the next chance she got. You didn''t care about how she laughed at your advances and told all those people how she''d rather gouge out her eyes than warm your sheets. Even after she had taken some of them two at a time, you still left me for her.¡±

    ¡°I had no choice. We have business in Atri...¡±

    ¡°You had a choice!¡± She shoved him, wincing, as he staggered back a pace. ¡°You were supposed to choose me! You chose her! And I grieved when you left. I pined for you...¡±

    ¡°For four days.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Darrick. You were gone and I was lonely. You know how badly I craved your touch. I needed you, but you weren''t here.¡±

    The only sensation that had returned was the thumping of his pulse in his neck. As if a distance away, he could tell he was red in his cheeks and that his hands were twitching. That wasn''t him, though. This wasn''t happening. ¡°And so you bedded another man.¡±

    She dropped her gaze and looked up at him through her lashes. He still wanted so badly to hold her, to tell her he was back and that he''d protect her. ¡°Darrick, Peder doesn''t mean anything to me. I was weak. I...I pretended he was you while I was with him. I''ll tell him I don''t want him anymore. Come to me in a few hours.¡± She moved languidly to bridge the gap between them. Katerin wrapped her arms around him and placed her face on his chest. He sighed. That was how it should be. She tilted her head up and kissed him. He was on fire again, pressing her against the wall and moving his hands down her to her hips.

    She purred, but broke the embrace, putting her hand on his chest lightly this time. ¡°Give me time. I have to be careful with Peder. He has a temper and I don''t want him going after you.¡±

    ¡°I''m so sorry I left you,¡± he said and kissed her one more time before she stepped back into her room.

    Her touch had reinvigorated him. He felt the heat of her head on his chest and her lips on his own pouring into his heart. There was a burning jealousy over the fact that she had been with someone else, but in time he could forgive her indiscretion. She was alive and he would be in her arms again shortly.

    Raulin walked to the end of the hallway and left through the back entrance of the building. He sidestepped the debris and whistled a little tune. He''d have to think of a place where he could take a nap for a few hours. Maybe that small garden where he and Katerin first made love. He wanted to be well rested when he tasted her again. And after he''d exhausted himself, he''d fall asleep in her arms and ask her to come along with him. With the volcano looming above them, she would surely say ¡°yes¡± to the proposal.

    A motion to his left almost startled him. It was a ghastly figure covered in the ash that blanketed the whole place in a veneer of pallor. No, not a ghost, just a woman rising to her feet with a little difficulty, the thick dust falling in a cloud around her. It took him a few moments to realize that her awkward clutching and balance meant she was pregnant, especially since she seemed like she was a woman that took to the condition well. Despite her harried look, her blond hair unkempt, her jewel-green eyes bloodshot and puffy, and the skin beneath her nose red and raw, she had a glow about her and her skin was soft and smooth. ¡°Sir,¡± she said, wiping her nose and her eyes. ¡°Were you just inside?¡±

    ¡°I was, ma''am. Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°Did you happen to go to room five?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Is he all right?¡±

    ¡°Is who, ma''am?¡±

    ¡°Peder, my husband. I know that...I know...¡± She began sobbing. He stepped over the short wall and took her arm gently, wiping away the dirt and grass from her skirt and leading her over to a nearby bench.

    ¡°Shh,¡± he said. She turned and began crying on his shoulder.

    ¡°I know,¡± she began again, moving her head so that it didn''t muffle her voice. ¡°I know he''s with her and that he''s going to leave me. I just wanted to make sure he wasn''t hurt by the earthquake.¡±

    ¡°He was fine when I saw him.¡± Raulin had wanted to pound the man''s face into a pulp, but he realized he couldn''t do that to a man who was going to be a father. "He''ll be fine when he returns to you. He''s not going to leave you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± she said, her breath coming shallowly and fast. ¡°He''s going to...leave me for her. He said so. And so did she.¡±

    ¡°Your husband cheated on you. I''m sure he''s going to realize that he made a one-time mistake and be back in your arms tonight.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°It wasn''t a one-time thing. He''s been gone since Sunday night.¡±

    Raulin felt his neck straighten. ¡°Sunday night? Well, maybe he hasn''t been sleeping with her the whole time.¡±

    ¡°He...he...I saw them, outside the painting class Tuesday morning. He was...he was...¡±

    Katerin had told him she liked to tumble with him in public places. It added a little spice to things, almost getting caught. Raulin cleared his throat and spoke, trying to say the words softly. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    Every single time she spoke of a familiar thing, it was a gut punch that left him breathless for a moment, his head becoming more and more woozy and his heart aching stronger with every beat. This poor woman. Her husband had left her bed for another woman, who had poisoned his mind against her. Peder had accused her of sleeping around and had even questioned if the child she carried was his. Three, four, maybe six times, she wasn''t sure, Katerin and Peder had carried out the affair in public, in her view. He had already given Lady Karninth all the jewelry this woman had supposedly stolen, which was everything she owned but the wedding band on her swollen finger.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Raulin was heartbroken, for this woman, for himself, but mostly for Anla. How could he have been so thoroughly taken in by a game he played all the time? No, it wasn''t the same thing, he told himself. He had never intended to hurt anyone when he seduced them. He didn''t play on insecurities nor did he hope to damage relationships. Not at all like Katerin.

    That wasn''t entirely true, though, was it? Even though Raulin made sure to slink away in the night before their husband found them, he did sleep with married women. He told himself they were in on the court of affairs, that they wanted to be seduced, but was that always the case? He looked back on all the women he''d slept with since stepping to shore. Of the four, he could only say with assuredness that Lord Mirana''s daughter, Gielska, had been fully aware of the scope of their actions. The priestess in Hanala had almost died from her punishment. Iyessa would lose her job. Gretza, though her marriage to Vanif had been annulled, must have forced herself to take Raulin to her bed. At the time he hadn''t put much thought into it, but he strongly suspected she had been a virgin.

    And now he had been played. He knew how it felt to be lied to and coerced, like he had been born yesterday. He had thought he had been noble about his profession, not raping, not hurting, not warping anyone''s minds, but he was still too close to Katerin''s sick, twisted manipulations for comfort.

    And...Anla. His stomach twisted. Oh, Katerin had been crafty and positively cruel, but he had done and said everything of his own volition. He had been as much a player in Anla''s torment as Katerin had. ¡°Could you wait here for one moment?¡± he said to Peder''s wife.

    She nodded and sank forward, her face in her hands. Raulin found a bush he hoped was out of eyesight and dry heaved for a minute. He returned, made the woman stand, and hailed over an employee walking by with a brusque pace.

    ¡°Is there somewhere you can take her?¡± he asked. ¡°She needs a quiet spot away from people, maybe a glass of water.¡±

    ¡°My office has a cot. Is she ill? Should I fetch the doctor?¡±

    ¡°Lady Karninth.¡±

    Raulin was prepared and he watched the man''s reaction, studying him with more scrutiny than an art appraiser. Though he only uttered the syllable ¡°oh¡±, Raulin could hear nothing but the annoyance of yet another victim and the disgust at the situation at hand.

    After the woman had been laid on the cot and the door was closed behind them, Raulin said to the guard, ¡°I need you to tell me about Lady Karninth.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I can''t speak to you about that.¡±

    ¡°I need to know.¡±

    ¡°It would reflect badly on the Shrine of the Shadowed Sun if the employees gossiped about the guests.¡±

    Raulin took out his pouch and pinched five gold coins between his fingertips, offering them to the man. ¡°More? Tell me when I''ve reached your price."

    The man sighed and pushed Raulin''s hand away. ¡°She''s been here since spring. She''s been bedding married men once every week or two. She''s not discrete about it at all. This poor woman is not the first I''ve had to help and I''m sure she won''t be the last.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Are you all right? You look like you could use a drink.¡±

    ¡°I think I''ve acted enough like a wine-sopped fool to in turn get all of Shingden drunk.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the guard said, holding out the syllable. ¡°You''re Late November.¡±

    He sighed bitterly. ¡°I think ''The World''s Greatest Idiot'' works better.¡±

    ¡°If it''s any consolation, she''s done this to many, many men. She''s become really well versed in her tactics, got them down to a sharp finish, like a blacksmith whetting a sword. If she wasn''t such a harpy to the staff, I might even admire her for it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can some day when I don''t feel so heart sick.¡±

    ¡°If your wife''s still around, make it up to her. Oh, and nothing to anyone about this conversation, eh?¡±

    ¡°Promise.¡±

    ¡°And I think you know she''s with Early December right now. No drama there. No fights or destruction.¡±

    ¡°I think you guys have enough to deal with. And I can''t blame him any more than I blame myself.¡±

    ¡°Good man,¡± the guard said, clasping his shoulder. ¡°And I''m sorry about rapping on her door during my shift. We were hoping it would make you guys tired and stay in, leave poor Olana alone. We did a couple of other nasty tricks, too. That was pure revenge.¡±

    He nodded heavily. All as Anla had said. ¡°I''ll be around. Do you need help anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Everyone''s accounted for and we''ve patched up the injured. I think we''re all right, so long as the lava continues to pour down the west side. Feel free to clean or pick up, if you want. We''ll get you a hot meal for your help.¡±

    Raulin had one more question. He still clung to the tiny shred of hope that he wasn''t in the wrong, that this was all a dastardly plot concocted by Anla for some nebulous reason he wasn''t going to put effort into thinking about. He knew this possibility was far-fetched, but he needed to ask it.

    He found the rest of the quartet in the greenhouse, picking up shards of glass, tipping pots upright, and sweeping the floor. Anla turned and saw him, flinching for a moment. He saw it and his heart ached anew. Then he looked at her arm and saw it was bruised in the shape of a man''s hand. It took him a few moments to realize that it was the impression of his hand. He had wrenched her from the dining hall. She had told him he was hurting her. He hadn''t stopped. He had a hard time believing he had been that far gone that he would do something like that, until he remembered he had also cocked his arm back and almost punched her.

    Raulin caught his breath finally and said to her,¡±There is someone you should speak with. She''s in the head guard''s office.¡±

    Anla nodded and left without saying a word, not even looking at him. Tel and Al stopped and waited for him to continue. ¡°Since we set foot on this property, has Anla been out of your sights at any moment? Has she spoken to anyone?¡±

    Al went back to sweeping. ¡°No, Raulin. We headed straight here. She was hoping to have this cleaned up for her friend by the time he woke up.¡±

    So there it was. Peder and his wife had arrived after Anla had left. She had been with the quartet since that point. There had been no opportunity for her to ensorcel that woman into making up a story about Katerin.

    He nodded and slumped to the floor, his head in his hands.

    ¡°Raulin?¡± Tel asked. ¡°What''s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I am. Utterly, horribly, disgustingly wrong.¡±

    ¡°At least you''re starting to scrape the surface,¡± Al said, and it wasn''t his old way of picking at Raulin whenever he could.

    Raulin looked up. ¡°What do you know, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I know you hurt her badly. She refused to talk about it, but I think in this case a non-answer would be the same as admission. Her arm is bruised because of you. Her face is bruised because of some woman. And she is miserable. That''s all I know.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you say anything to me?¡±

    ¡°Because she asked me not to.¡± Al fought with himself for a moment, then said with some vehemence, ¡°She has more class and dignity in her pinkie nail than you''ve ever had in your entire life. How could you do that to her? Kriskin malor, you hurt Anla of all people! How? I don''t understand.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I.¡±

    ¡°No, you do. Explain it.¡±

    And so he did. He gave them the raw, stripped truth and he was brutally honest about the way he made himself seem. There was no sugar coating, no grazing over his idiocy, no mercy to his character. ¡°So,¡± he said, finishing, ¡°if you ever wanted me to feel the same way that you wanted Anla to feel about being ensorcelled, now is your moment.¡±

    ¡°I''m beyond that. Just curious, at what point did your brains fly out the window?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°About two seconds after my libido took over.¡±

    Al stood with his fingers laced over the end of the broom, watching him. ¡°So, what are you going to do about what you did to her?¡±

    ¡°I''m going to try to make things right.¡±

    * * *

    It took most of the early morning to find Anla in the collection of buildings the staff lived in. She was in the center with several other people, speaking and helping with the rebuilding and reorganizing efforts. One woman, tall with dark, curly hair, saw him walk towards the group and stopped speaking. One by one they quieted until Anla turned around, dropping the dazzling smile she''d had on her beautiful face.

    ¡°Can we speak?¡± he asked.

    She nodded and began walking towards him. The tall woman stopped her for a moment and Raulin heard her say, ¡°Stay where we can see you, in case he gets rough again.¡±

    He would have thought the caution unnecessary up until a few hours ago. Now he sadly had to agree that they should be concerned for her safety, though the thought of ever hurting Anla again physically sickened him.

    She walked to the edge of the clearing and waited, moving no farther. He handed her a bag of gold, then said, ¡°This is going to look strange to your friends.¡± He knelt in front of her, clasped his forearms behind his back, and bowed, turning his head to one side.

    ¡°I forgive you, Raulin,¡± she said almost immediately.

    He still held it for a few more moments. ¡°Let me explain. We bow to humble ourselves in apology, to grovel. We turn our heads to the side when we''ve committed an offense so egregious that we feel our lives are fairly forfeit, should the affronted person wish to take it. More neck, easier for a sword or ax to lop off our heads.¡±

    ¡°Stand up. I''m not going to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, brushing his pant legs as he stood. "I am truly sorry about what you went through. I am sorry for everything I said or did while we were here. I am sorry I didn''t trust you. And I''m sorry that I ruined what might have been a good time for you."

    She gave him the slightest of nods, then looked back at the group with impatience.

    ¡°I know I''m in no position to ask anything of you, but I have three favors I want.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± she asked, her voice still flat and without mirth. He hadn''t remembered her ever speaking to him like that before. Even when they were still strangers, even during his foolish time after Iascond, there was still some emotion when she spoke with him. Now she sounded...cold.

    ¡°Um, I would like to borrow your cloak.¡±

    ¡°My cloak? Why?¡±

    ¡°I plan on staying here as long as you''d like, to help the staff recover. I''d rather err on the side of caution and assume that if they see a trirec with a tail like Darrick''s that they might connect the two.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t you just assume the identity of Darrick again?¡±

    ¡°I will, but there are certain people I''d rather not see me with my mask off.¡±

    ¡°Who, Tel and Al? Tel''s already seen your face.¡±

    ¡°He has?¡± This was surprising.

    ¡°After the maze, when you were in the woods.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, it wasn''t him I was as worried about.¡±

    ¡°You still think Al is going to turn you in for being a trirec?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. It''s not a risk I can take.¡±

    ¡°All right. I''ll get you my cloak.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. The second would be to cover for me. Say Darrick''s in town or whatever excuse you''d like. Don''t speak with me if you see me with my mask on.¡±

    ¡°Done. Your last favor?¡±

    ¡°If you notice I gave you one hundred gold, not seventy. Consider it a hazard bonus, or payment for the last favor. I would like a kiss.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she said, her mouth dropping open.

    ¡°Not now. I have a plan to get back at Katerin in a pretty spectacular way.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He waited for her conditions or an explanation. When she said nothing, he asked her why she had declined.

    ¡°First, I managed to pen Lady Karninth into a place where she couldn''t hurt me without the aid of my husband. I watched my own back, I made contingencies, I bit my tongue and stayed scarce. I did that. You were still tumbling with her every second you got, shirking your duties and helping her out.

    ¡°Secondly, I don''t enact revenge and I don''t help people do it. I managed to hurt her just enough to keep her from going for my throat, but I did nothing in offense. I protected myself; that was it.

    ¡°And thirdly, and I can''t stress this enough, I am not your whore or your tramp. I don''t take money to do anything sexual with anyone anymore. And the only reason why I did it in the first place was because I was dying of hunger.¡±

    Her eyes had flashed as she spoke. He almost took a step backward from her anger, unsure whether he preferred this to the apathy she had given him prior. ¡°Anla, I wasn''t asking you for more than that. Just a kiss. I promise that was all. And it was to show her that I had chosen you over her, to cut her off completely.¡±

    ¡°Find some other way. My answer is still ''no''.¡±

    ¡°All...all right. You can still keep the coins. And because I haven''t said it enough, I don''t think, I am incredibly, deeply sorry over what happened.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, turning to leave.

    ¡°You don''t believe me? I thought you forgave me.¡±

    She gave an impatient sigh. ¡°I once told Al that sometimes people apologize when they don''t really feel sorry. I think that''s true for people accepting the apology, too.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, though.¡±

    ¡°I''ve heard other words from you in the last week that make me believe otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    She glanced back at the group, who were still glancing their way. ¡°It''s not the time to get into it. I have a lot of work to do.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    He waited while she fetched her cloak, then left for other business. It hadn''t gone as well as he had hoped, but at least she was speaking with him. He''d take that, for now.

 Chapter 193

    Raulin¡¯s plan, in retrospect, had been rather romantic and dramatic, a fitting ending for one of Al¡¯s alley novels, but not so much for his taste. He had planned to meet Katerin somewhere where a bunch of people were, then cold-shoulder her. Anla was going to run to him and kiss him, then a bunch of volunteers were going to come out of the woods and harass Katerin while she left in tears, humiliated. It had only been at the rough draft stage and hadn¡¯t been his finest plan, anyway.

    Instead, he tailed Peder and waited until he was alone after breakfast. The man was alone on one of the trails, heading to a class or service, perhaps, when Raulin caught up to him. ¡°A moment of your time.¡±

    Peder looked Raulin up and down quickly and squinted his eyes. ¡°Leave me alone, goodman. I have nothing to say to you.¡±

    ¡°I promise no harm. I just want to talk.¡±

    Peder had picked up the pace. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. She warned me about you.¡±

    ¡°Funny, she warned me about you, too. Violent temper, mad with jealousy, stay away at all costs. She then told me she was going to get rid of you and that I was to meet her in about an hour or so, where I was going to have the pleasure of giving her a green gown. Let me guess, she said something like I was a jealous ex-lover and that you were to avoid me in case I tried to fight you. Hmm,¡± he said, pretending to think, ¡°that¡¯s probably not devious enough for her. I bet she told you I was doddering your wife, too.¡±

    ¡°Why, are you?¡± he asked, his anger tempered with doubt. He slowed his step so that Raulin could catch up to him.

    ¡°No. I met her for the first time a few hours ago. We spoke about you and how much she loves you, how she was worried sick because you were with Katerin tonight and she didn¡¯t know if you survived the earthquake.¡±

    Peder scowled to himself. ¡°If she loves me so much, then why is she coupling with every man she speaks with?¡±

    ¡°Let me give you a golden piece of advice when reviewing your past days here: Katerin was lying. She was always lying. Your wife never slept with anyone, no matter how many times Katerin told you she caught her in the act. Your wife didn¡¯t steal anything from her. Your wife hasn¡¯t gossiped or turned anyone against her. Everyone hates Katerin because she is a vile hag who ruins people¡¯s lives for pleasure.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know all this?¡±

    ¡°Because she wrote the same theater for me and my wife last week. My wife tried to tell me, begged me to listen to her, but I was so enthralled by Katerin that I wouldn¡¯t. Then the earthquake hit and I was sick with worry that Katerin had died. I raced back only to find her tapping the firkin with you. And then I spoke with your wife and found that her story and the one my wife told me matched with eerie coincidence.¡±

    Peder had stopped in his tracks by this point. He blinked a few times, his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°But, we were going to run away¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­to Lake Havershim?¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I had wondered if she changed the place or used the same one for every man. Guess I know now.¡±

    ¡°I think I need to sit,¡± he said. Not finding a nearby bench, he fell woozily to a squat, his hands laced behind his neck. ¡°What possesses a woman to do something like that?¡±

    Raulin crouched down next to him. ¡°I¡¯d say all women are a devious sex and truly evil, but my wife has forgiven me and is taking me back, so that¡¯s hardly fair. Besides, I think most of them are actually the same as men, in regard to being good or evil, that is. Katerin just happens to be of the darker persuasion. I¡¯d suggest you fix your mind on getting your wife to forgive you and forget about Katerin. I know I am.¡±

    When he looked at Raulin, there were tears in his eyes. ¡°She won¡¯t take me back. Why would she? I¡¯ve been a fool!¡±

    ¡°You owe it to her to try, and grovel, and make it up to her. And if you fail, at least you showed her you were sorry. Last I knew she was in the guard¡¯s station, resting.¡±

    Peder nodded, stood, then took off back towards the main building

    Raulin followed more slowly, on his way to make his appointment with Katerin. He had a more taxing, but better plan in his mind. He knocked on her door and she opened it a crack. ¡°Oh, Darrick!¡± she said, flinging herself into his arms. ¡°He was brutal! I thought he was going to strike me, he was so angry!¡±

    She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. He kissed her back, surprised at how easy it was to slip back into that comfort with her. It was like a silk glove¡­around his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re all right then, my love?¡± He lifted her chin and moved her face left and right. ¡°Yes, still beautiful,¡± he lied. At least he could admit that he had never found her as breathtaking as Anla. Katerin wasn¡¯t even close.

    She looked down, then up through her lashes with a small smile on her lips. Raulin didn¡¯t think that Kazithu could give a better performance, but then again, he¡¯d never watched his creveir friend with the intention of plucking his feather mattress. Karenin was extremely deliberate and perceptive, he realized, as her eyes watched him. He recalled countless times with her, especially in the beginning of their affair, that she would make a gesture, use a certain tone, say a phrase, and use that same look to see if he liked it or not. He was sure that by the end of that first afternoon with her, he had more hooks in him than the prized fish in a tiny pond.

    Karenin walked backwards, opening the door with her back. He buried himself in her neck as she sighed, gripping his belt. ¡°Oh, I missed you.¡±

    He closed the door behind him and she whispered, ¡°Here, against the wall.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, kissing her collarbone. ¡°I want to see you in that agate necklace and nothing else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you on the bed,¡± she purred.

    He had taken her once on the bureaus, so he knew where they were even in the dimly lit room. He opened the first and saw lacy garments and corsets. He looked in the other dresser and saw one drawer chock full of adornments, in addition to the items she had laid out on the top. He pulled a large burlap sack from his pocket, popped it open, and began dumping all of her jewelry, scarves,and loose jewels in. There were clear of a hundred pieces. If he hadn¡¯t seen the proof of it, he would have strongly suspected she was a thief with an interesting angle and not a noblewoman.

    ¡°Darrick?¡± she called. ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fit all your jewelry into the sack,¡± he answered back in the same sweet tone.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± she asked after a moment.

    ¡°Your jewelry. I¡¯m stealing it, you stupid cow.¡±

    He heard the whisper of a silk robe on bare skin feet from behind him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I. Am. Stealing. Your. Jewelry. Are you deaf as well as ugly?¡±

    ¡°My love, why are you doing this?¡±

    He stopped, fully irritated. ¡°Drop the act, it will save us more time.¡± He crammed the remaining necklaces into his pockets.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll call the guard!¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said with a snigger. ¡°Do you think anyone here will lift a finger to help you? You¡¯re a harridan, a shrew who abused the staff with every chance you got. They would rather see you gone then take your money and I¡¯m going to help them with that.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± she said ,crossing her arms. ¡°How will you do that when I call the constable in town?¡±

    ¡°You mean the one extremely busy at the moment helping people escape from shattered buildings? That one? Yes, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll spare a moment for some missing jewelry.¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll just have Peder get them back. He¡¯s stronger than you are.¡±

    ¡°That may be, but I am far more skilled and richer than he¡¯ll ever be. Besides, I set him straight. He¡¯s back with his wife.¡±

    Her gaze darkened, but she wouldn¡¯t admit defeat. ¡°What do you hope to accomplish? You¡¯ll leave here and I¡¯ll get more jewelry when I move on to the next man.¡±

    ¡°You will not,¡± he said, the playfulness in his voice gone. ¡°You have two choices: leave this place or stop your games.¡±

    ¡°And how will you enforce that? You have to leave for your¡­thing,¡± she said, waving her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll be gone in a few days and I¡¯ll just start again.¡±

    ¡°You remember that part where I said I was rich? Sometimes I¡¯m also lucky. I was in town earlier and I happened to see a trirec. He was displaced due to the earthquake and also out his possessions. I told him I¡¯d pay him a great sum of money to tail you and make sure you don¡¯t have any more trysts. If you happened to be sneaky enough to get around him, he is to persuade your new lovers by any means necessary.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°A trirec. I¡¯m to believe that?¡±

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have. I found you lacking.¡±

    ¡°Better than sagging and wrinkled. I think you¡¯ve helped me realize I like my women mature but young.¡±

    ¡°Like your wife?¡± she said, snickering. ¡°She hates you. You have totally broken your vows and she¡¯s lost her trust in you. At least I have you there.¡±

    ¡°Who, Olana?¡± he asked, laughing. ¡°She¡¯s not my wife. I¡¯m not married. That¡¯s not even her real name. And Darrick isn¡¯t mine. ¡±

    She stopped to consider this, her arms crossed. ¡°Then I¡¯ve cost you money. I still win.¡±

    He pretended to think a moment. ¡°You do have a point. I have an arrangement to send a stipend to that trirec, but he isn¡¯t cheap and I¡¯d rather not go a week. Hmm.¡± He turned and walked to her wardrobe, opening both. ¡°Twelve dresses, I see. I¡¯m going to have my trirec steal and burn one for every man you seduce. I wonder if you¡¯ll last a day!¡±

    Raulin ducked as she tossed a vase at his head. ¡°I will ruin you!¡± she said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Woman! Throwing the good d¨¦cor when everything else is broken?¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Yes, that does seem like something you¡¯d do. But how will you ruin me? You don¡¯t even know my real name. How will you ever find me?¡±

    She sunk on the ground, rubbing her already damaged wrist. ¡°I will end you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will.¡±

    He passed by the guard¡¯s station at the end of the hallway and poked his head in. ¡°Hey! I stole Lady Karninth¡¯s jewelry.¡± He jiggled it in front of the guard he¡¯d seen earlier, who was looking a bit haggard from a long night.

    ¡°Okay. Have a nice day.¡±

    ¡°Where are the Carffeys? I think some of this is the wife¡¯s.¡±

    He gave the room number and Raulin made his way to it. They answered the door looking serious and with red-rimmed eyes. He was sure they were having a long conversation that he didn¡¯t need to be a part of, so he held up the bag for her to search immediately. She was grateful to him for returning her locket and bracelet and kissed him on the cheek.

    And with that, he changed into his arong-miil, his mask, and put Anla¡¯s cloak on and hooded his head.

    Lady Karninth had only taken a short while to recuperate and began again within a few hours. Raulin watched as she plied her skills, flirting like she was playing an instrument, deftly and without abandon. He let the man make his choice instead of intervening, a mistake he didn¡¯t make twice. He scared the piss out of him by catching him post-coitus, ducking out from a tree. He was thoroughly convinced to leave the lady in less than five minutes. Raulin ripped her gray dress at the hem, left the scrap on her empty bed, and tossed the rest into the hot spring. He heard her shrieks that night from the woods where he had made his camp.

    It took two days to break her completely and only three dresses. He admitted he¡¯d cheated a little; those last two men hadn¡¯t slept with her, but only because he¡¯d scared them off before anything could happen. She slunk away with her bags stuffed haphazardly right before lunch.

    He wanted to make absolutely sure she would quit Mount Kalista, so he gathered the quartet, letting them bid farewell to the new friends they had made, and left down the mountain.

    The town had not been spared as the Shrine had, though the latter was closer to the vent. In his feverish race to make it up the mountain, he hadn¡¯t seen the devastation. The inn they had stayed at, for instance, had half-slid into the street looking like the frozen moment when the dirty water of a washtub was splashed onto the grass. The rooms they had stayed in were crumbled. Anla and Al would have perished under the roof of their room if they had slept there another hour and by their solemn faces, they knew it.

    He continued to survey the streets. His look under his mask was one of apathetic remorse, something he had learned quickly to affect in the poorer quarters of cities or else be without all his coin in no time. The weather had continued to be dry and the town was still covered in plaster and ash, as were most of the townsfolk. The Caudet-red dress worn by Lady Karninth stood out vividly against the dismal canvas.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± he told the group, taking off after her.

    Raulin reached for his mask, intending to take it off and antagonize Katerin further, but stopped. He wasn¡¯t going to lie to himself and say that Darrick gloating over her departure was going to help anything other than his esteem. She was leaving and that was what he had set out to accomplish. But, damn did he want her to hurt.

    He did, however, feel it was worthwhile that she know the consequences if she changed her mind. So, he found an alleyway across from the post office (only slightly disheveled, being on the opposite end of town) and waited until a carriage arrived. Katerin emerged from the building. He was pleased to see she had to share it and load her own luggage, her hands and neck unadorned and making her appear like a poor girl with a pretty dress. He stepped out and leaned casually against the wall, twisting the sharpened end of his knife into his pointer finger. She saw him, her eyes widening before she entered the vehicle. She stared out the window as the driver cracked the whip and the team drove off, perhaps wondering if he was going to follow her. He didn¡¯t. It would be warning enough to anyone who was smart enough not to cross a trirec.

    It took him a little while to find his group again. Anla was talking with a woman while Tel and Al helped a few other men lift debris out of the road. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± he asked.

    Al stopped. He spoke with a man, holding up one finger, then approached the trirec. ¡°Raulin¡­¡± he began.

    He drew a deep breath, having an inkling of where this was going. ¡°Yes, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°We know you have to go to your next contract. And we know you don¡¯t want to be anywhere cold. But, we were talking¡­¡±

    ¡°About what, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°About where we can best spend our time. We know you want to finish your remaining, what, six contracts so that you can vacation for a few weeks before you have to leave Gheny. We want you do have as much time as possible. But, we¡¯ve also followed you since Carvek. Wherever you needed to go, we went. And we¡¯ll continue to do that. We¡¯ll help you see everything out. But, we want to help the people of Mount Kalista, at least until they have semblance of normalcy.¡±

    ¡°Define ¡®semblance of normalcy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Businesses starting to open, all the essential services running, everyone accounted for. Raulin, there are still people missing here. They need help.¡±

    He gave it a moment, to pretend like he was considering. ¡°All right, Wizard. We might have some problems, since the people here didn¡¯t seem to like my presence very much, but I will stay and help.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Three days,¡± he said.

    The smile dropped. ¡°Three weeks.¡±

    ¡°One week.¡±

    ¡°Two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said, then laughed lightly. ¡°Anla was right; your bartering skills are getting better. Let¡¯s go up to your camp and fetch the extra wood you chopped, then find a central place to store our things before we begin.¡±

 Chapter 194

    Anla¡¯s, Al¡¯s, and Tel¡¯s new friends, whom they helped while Raulin was busy tailing Lady Karninth, were more than happy to direct them to the town hall when they asked. The quartet made their way there slowly, past blocked off streets and piles of debris they had to climb over or double-back.

    The building didn¡¯t stand out very much from its surroundings, save for its size and the snapped flag pole on the ground. It had the same gray stone and blue shutters that the other houses and shops had. It even had planter boxes where the corpses of ash-covered flowers were the only tribute to those that had died.

    Al knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes, he leaned against the wall. He knocked again, then sat. The others milled around, finding seats, kicking rubble with their toes. Finally, a man ran up from one of the bars nearby. ¡°There¡¯s no one in there.¡±

    Al turned. ¡°Do you know where we can find someone in charge? The mayor, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the mayor. I¡¯m a little busy, though. We had an earthquake a few days ago, as you might have noticed.¡± He seemed too frazzled to be sarcastic. ¡°You¡¯ll have to come back in a week or two.¡±

    ¡°We came to offer help.¡±

    ¡°Help?¡± he asked. ¡°We?¡±

    Al pointed to his three friends. Raulin fanned his hand in a slight wave. ¡°We.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but we can¡¯t pay you anything. We¡¯ll need all our taxes and whatnot to rebuild.¡±

    ¡°We know. We don¡¯t need money. If you can find us a warm place to sleep and give us three square meals a day, we¡¯ll consider it even.¡±

    The mayor seemed perplexed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice, but what can you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cross-switcher wizard. Alpine Gray, by the way,¡± he said, shaking he man¡¯s hand. ¡°I can help heal or move heavy objects. My other three friends have their own gifts.¡± With the recent issue with the baerd hunters, they had determined that announcing what Anla was could be a bad idea.

    ¡°If we¡¯re giving away rooms and food, you best work. We have precious little of it to go around.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not here for a handout,¡± Al said. ¡°We want to help because we were nearby and because your town needs it.¡±

    ¡°Well, all right,¡± the mayor said, dubious. ¡°Let me get back to you.¡±

    He walked back to the bar and Al joined the rest of the group. ¡°He thinks we¡¯re insane, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Something like that. Actually, he thinks we¡¯re hear to mooch food and shelter.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just need to prove him wrong.¡±

    The mayor returned a half-hour later. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said.

    He led the group to a large wooden building two stories high alongside the narrow river that cut a quarter of the town from the rest. ¡°We don¡¯t have any rooms, but if you want to make yourself cozy here, that¡¯s fine. Come to the bar for your meals or if you want to check in to see where your help is needed.¡±

    With that he walked away and left the group to their own devices.

    The wheel in the gristmill still churned as the river flowed, but no one was grinding meal. The first thing Raulin did was to pull the chains to shut the sluice gate and stop to flow of water. The damsel stopped turning and the mill was blessedly quiet.

    ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, Wizard, did you have a plan once we got to this point?¡±

    ¡°Well, I know what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m not sure about everyone else.¡±

    ¡°I suggest you and Tel team up. There¡¯s a lot of things he can do with his kiluid magic that would work well in this situation. He can find people. He can break down things over time, change the air temperature, create ladders and bridges to reach places. He can get you somewhere you need to go in order to help someone.

    ¡°Anla I would suggest calming people and acting as a diplomat, perhaps nudging people not to hoard and to help other people.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to police. My guess is that most people will cooperate and just try to go back to the way things were. There will be a small percentage who will take advantage of the situation by breaking whatever laws they think they can get away with.

    ¡°Everyone needs to stay within a mile of this place, though Al and Tel feel free to stretch that a little if you need to. Everyone good?¡± They all nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s set out. Remember your ax, Wizard.¡±

    Al felt a bit lost at first. All he saw were ruins and had no idea where to start, until he remembered that his partner had a different skill he could use. ¡°Tel, what does kouriya tell you?¡±

    He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°We should be here,¡± he said. He walked over to a chunk of wall that had fallen down and tugged a blanket out from underneath, placing it across the street on top of a mailbox. Al had seen him do acts like this before, pulling rocks from treads in the road or putting them in, taking a single leaf from a tree and moving it elsewhere, tossing an acorn far into the woods. He¡¯d never connected it before to kouriya.

    ¡°What does that do?¡± he asked, pointing to the blanket. ¡°I know kouriya is telling you to do that, but why? What will it accomplish?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°Kouriya is not about reward or even seeing the end results. It¡¯s about helping things come together that should.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re some sort of agent of destiny?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you could call me that,¡± Tel said with an amused smirk.

    ¡°That sounds like a fine title to have.¡±

    Tel turned and headed in a westerly direction, almost back the way they came. ¡°I am having a thought and a feeling. Tell me if I am right. You find kouriya appealing because it feels like something from one of the books you enjoy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. There is a seeress in the Kiesh the Black novels who can see his future. He comes to her when he¡¯s lost the trail of his enemies or sometimes when he¡¯s lost hope that he¡¯ll ever clear his name. It¡¯s implied that they are lovers, though some booksellers I spoke with think she¡¯s not real, she¡¯s just a metaphor for him following his destiny or have divine intervention. Anyway, Kiesh has someone or some thing in his life that nudges him to a certain fate. I¡¯ve always liked that idea, that there¡¯s always a lantern hung for you. Being the person that lights the candle seems sort of romantic to me.¡±

    ¡°I assure you it¡¯s nothing quite so enchanting.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you do it?¡±

    ¡°Because I hope that other people are doing that for me, nudging me in the right direction, hanging the lantern, as you say. I reflect upon where I am right now and I don¡¯t come up short.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t always been in great situations. We¡¯ve been imprisoned, you¡¯ve been sick.¡±

    ¡°But I am still alive, among friends, in a beautiful land learning about its people. A man¡¯s fate isn¡¯t always positive. Sometimes a man¡¯s fate is to die at sea or be hanged by people who say he killed a man. That wasn¡¯t my fate. You helped me with the latter.¡±

    ¡°Would you ever know if it wasn¡¯t your fate, though?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s impossible¡­¡±

    A woman rounded the corner and tripped, falling to her knees. A man and a woman caught up to her and pulled her up despite her protests. She began keening and fighting against their grip.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Thinking she was being taken against her will, Al walked over to the group. ¡°What¡¯s passes?¡±

    ¡°My baby!¡± the woman cried, her head bandaged and bleeding.

    ¡°Dear, he¡¯s gone,¡± the woman said with a worn patience. ¡°He¡¯s with the dabbins in Kriskin¡¯s realm. He¡¯s happy there.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she moaned. ¡°I need to find him!¡±

    ¡°What if we looked?¡± Al asked. ¡°Is that okay?¡±

    The man glared at him. ¡°We need to take her back. The sooner she heals from both wounds¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe it will give her closure when we find his body. Just tell us where to look.¡±

    The man sighed through gritted teeth and jerked his head to the crumbled house to their left. The older woman sighed and dropped in front of the younger and held her head in her hands.

    Al circled around the house, trying to find a way in. Both doors were blocked by rubble. The roof had collapsed in, but there was nothing connecting it to the ground. The only way he found in was a picture window, and as lithe as he was, Al didn¡¯t think he could squeeze through.

    ¡°Tel, do you think you could help me so I don¡¯t have to smash a hole in the side?¡±

    He closed his eyes and began pulling stones out the side of the building. Al stepped up to the first foothold, just deep enough for the toes of his boot. He¡¯d always done poorly at the exercises in Amandorlam, but here his balance was fine tuned. He was pleased that the training he was doing with Raulin was paying off.

    Al pulled himself up to the top floor and flexed his fingers. Dust motes floated in the shafts of afternoon light. He stood in the master bedroom, the legs of the four-poster fallen through the boards of the floor. He squinted and saw in the dark corner of the room a wooden cradle.

    He sighed, his stomach seizing at the thought of succeeding. He tossed his ax to the ground, since he wouldn¡¯t be needing it, and began his walk over.

    The lessons came back to him. Though he had passed because he had memorized the theory, it had never clicked with him. He could never move his feet or shift his body in ways that were necessary to prevail against the tight beams, rolling balls, and steep inclines of his class in proprioception. Here was his redemption, he hoped.

    Find the best path. He could go up on the roof then down, jump on the bed and then over, or try the rubble on the right. The last choice was the one he felt wasn¡¯t going to lead to the floor giving out.

    Use your surroundings. They often taught of using belts to hold on to objects or finding sticks to disperse your weight. If you didn¡¯t have to step down, you decreased your risk of falling. This didn¡¯t prove to be helpful here.

    Listen. This was the hardest one for him. He could never ¡°listen¡± to what his body was supposed to be telling him. He would lumber across pine boards in class, hearing the cracks but not reacting in time, falling. His teacher would ask him what he did wrong. He told them, but he could never fix the problem.

    So, he walked verrry sloowwly. The wall that had fallen over felt sturdy, but there! He felt it pull apart, widening his foot. He moved and pressed down. That was fine, so he shifted his weight, pulling himself up. Good. Step. Fine. Step. No, step back. To the left? No, to the right, closer to the middle of the house. Good.

    He had concentrated so hard on his journey that he hadn¡¯t thought about the end. The baby was in his crib, the sheets wet and kicked off. Though chubby with slits for his eyes and mouth, his skin was purplish and blue-tinged. Al sighed and closed his eyes. He had said he would do this.

    He remembered Marnie as a child and the thought of her like this caught his breath once in his throat. He reached down and placed one hand on the babe¡¯s neck, the other under his rump, then turned to look around. There¡¯s no way he could climb down with a child in his arms, so he found the crooked staircase inside and made his way downstairs.

    To the left he saw a thin hole in the stone that had been hidden from the outside. It was only inches wide, but the stones were loose from the quake and wiggled free when he held the babe in the crook of his arm and pushed with his free hand. In a few minutes he had an opening large enough and he crawled through.

    Again, with deference, he held the baby by the neck and backside and walked to the back of the house. He had almost turned the corner when the boy flailed his arms and sucked in a breath to cry.

    ¡°Kriskin malor!¡± Al yelped, almost dropping him. ¡°Oh, not today for you, little one! Death will take no one!¡±

    And he ran to the woman, all three of them wide-eyed in shock. ¡°He¡¯s cold,¡± he said, handing him off to his mother. ¡°You need to feed him and change him, quickly! Blanket! We need¡­¡±

    A blanket.

    He sprinted to the mailbox and yanked on the comforter, moving back to the trio. ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°Swaddle him in this.¡±

    The woman with the bandaged head was already nursing him, sobbing with her exhalations. The other woman, the grandmother, perhaps, pulled Al aside and kissed him on the forehead. ¡°Thank you, young man,¡± she said. ¡°Whatever can we do to repay you?¡±

    ¡°Just tell other people that we¡¯re here. Maybe we can save more.¡±

    He felt jittery as he walked back to Telbarisk. His hands could make aspens jealous. ¡°Was that kouriya?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tel, ¡°but it certainly feels like it.¡±

    * * *

    The word spread quickly throughout the town: if you knew someone missing, you found the tall man and the brown-skinned man. They kept on street corners and by important buildings for visibility and the people came. In the first thirty-six hours (since they stayed up all night), they saved fifteen cold, starving, injured people from broken houses and buildings. Grandfathers, daughters, fathers, aunts, a doctor, a few bakers, and one nobleman who promised them anything they wanted if they ever visited them in Quirr down in Tektorn.

    It wasn¡¯t without it¡¯s tragedies. Six bodies were recovered during that time. After the two of them slumped against a wall and each other in exhaustion, the ratio of dead to living began to increase. The stories from those surviving became more from luck and skill, such as a young teenage boy pulled up drunk from his parents¡¯ basement from surviving for four days on whiskey and wine. The tearful thanks from people reunited turned to nodding acceptance or quiet blame.

    The requests slowed by the fifth day, so they went back to helping people move debris out of the roads and secure places for people to stay until their houses were fixed or rebuilt.

    Raulin and Anla worked well as the carrot and stick of Mouth Kalista, but they worked at opposite times, Anla during the day and Raulin during the night as well as a before and after. Anla walked the streets speaking with people, many who just wanted to talk about what had happened. She listened to their fears, their uncertainty of picking up where things left off, their crippling despair at having nothing but the clothes on their backs. She gave soothing words and influenced a few of them into better thoughts. Raulin mainly caught thieves and put the fear of the Twelve in them. It worked sometimes. Other times he felt filling the men he put jail cells for a few nights should remain there longer.

    On the tenth day, Al waited for the three of them to eat breakfast (there was a lot to choose from, since people dropped off whatever they could in thanks) before diving in to a discussion. ¡°I think we should take our leave.¡±

    Anla looked up from her bowl. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re not getting any appreciation anymore?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been getting that for some time. No, I¡¯ve been thinking about it and I¡¯m trying to be fair. Most of the town seems like they¡¯re at a point where they don¡¯t need us anymore. I heard a little girl laughing last night. I understood in that moment that things were going to be all right for Mount Kalista.¡±

    Tel shook Raulin awake into wide-eyed startlement. ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re done, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Today?¡±

    ¡°We should check in with the mayor before we leave, but likely.¡±

    The mayor was in agreement, in the end, though he did try to solicit their unpaid labor for as long as they wanted to stay. After a long conversation, he admitted that though they had done a fine service, that they could, in fact, take it from there.

    He handed Al a pouch. ¡°I know I said we couldn¡¯t pay you, but this is from the townsfolk on their own accord. They wanted to thank you.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need it,¡± he said, ¡°but we really do appreciate it. Out of curiosity, how much is it?¡±

    ¡°A little over a hundred gold.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very generous. I think that would be best used for those suffering the most. Make sure the children are taken care of. I know there is a brother and sister no older than ten that are orphaned and have been staying with their neighbors.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a good man. Is there anything we can get for you? Anything at all, just name it.¡±

    Al turned and asked the group. Anla and Raulin shook their heads. He was about to turn back when Tel said, ¡°Three things.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± the mayor asked.

    ¡°You have a strong, but thin thread you make from the caterpillars in this area.¡±

    ¡°Keshwa, yes?¡±

    ¡°A spool of it, please.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    ¡°If we could have some of the salve that helps with cuts, that would help. There was a woman with black hair and a part that was white who made it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mrs. Gitz. I can ask her for some.¡±

    ¡°As much as she can give.¡±

    ¡°And the third?¡±

    ¡°Wine.¡±

    ¡°Wine?¡± He laughed. ¡°We have plenty of that! I¡¯ll even give you something from my own stocks, what remains of it, anyway.¡±

    The mayor left to gather those items. ¡°Why those?¡± Al asked.

    Tel shrugged.

    ¡°Why ask for anything, then?¡±

    Tel tilted his head in thought. ¡°Something I have learned while I¡¯ve been here is that Ghenians have a strange way of trading in things. They pay coin for things instead of trading like for like. When someone pays them a kind gesture, they feel the need to repay this with things. Coin for life, coin for help, coin for comfort. They need to repay this immediately, not understanding that kind gestures are given all the time and aren¡¯t expected to have a price on them. But, this is the way they do things. And when you do not take the payment for your kindness, they often get upset and insist you take something, getting angry with you when you don¡¯t.

    ¡°I thought it was best to avoid that possibility, hoping the town could think of us fondly when we¡¯re gone. When Al refused the gold, I suggested some things we might need, things they have in abundance here that we might not find elsewhere. That way, the town has the gold, we have some items, and there are no hard feelings for anyone.¡±

    Raulin nodded his head in appreciation. ¡°Those are some fair observations, Tel. And I think that was the right course of action.¡±

    The mayor returned within the hour, also bringing a sack of foodstuffs for the road that he insisted they take. Al didn¡¯t decline in light of what Tel had said. ¡°Now, I took the liberties of giving you my best double snub bottle of wine. I hope you don¡¯t mind that it isn¡¯t from Kalista.¡±

    Raulin took the bottle once he realized what it was. ¡°Cavr-e dansk, the king¡¯s wine. That is a very good vintage. I hope we have cause for a celebration to meet the caliber of this drink.¡±

    ¡°And may you find it,¡± the mayor said, waving goodbye as he left for the tavern.

 Chapter 195

    They followed the winding river for a few miles before the early evening hours of a near-winter¡¯s night faded fast. It was still comfortable, but the temperature was likely to drop to the forties or fifties that evening. Right then, they desperately needed a bath, since the trek had left them sweating and covered in dirt.

    Raulin went to the river to fill his flask. Anla was there in the reeds, pressing a cloth to her neck and chest. Just the simple motion of her enjoying the sensation of water on her skin made his breath catch and caused him to stare.

    She turned and saw him watching her. In the almost two weeks since their last talk, things had improved slightly. She no longer flinched when he came within a few yards of her person, for example. She wasn¡¯t as formal with him, nor did she avoid him in an obvious way. Things were far from where they had been, though, and he hoped to change that.

    He walked next to her, filled his flask, then asked, ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    She nodded, then walked over to a flat area of ground and sat, folding her hands in her lap. He joined her, taking off his mask, and said, ¡°I miss what we were.¡±

    ¡°I do, too.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way we could go back?¡±

    This was something she took quite a few moments to think about. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Raulin. I honestly don¡¯t. From where I am right now, I would say ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    He had expected that, but it was still a painful answer to hear. ¡°This is because I spent time with Katerin instead of doing my job. Because I bruised your arm. Because I called you a whore and was mean to you. Because I was a terrible friend.¡±

    ¡°Yes to all that.¡±

    ¡°You forgave me, though. I didn¡¯t think that meant the tide would come back in, but I was hoping it meant there was some potential for us to be the way we used to be. But, you¡¯re saying ¡®no¡¯. And while I think I acted terribly, I¡¯m not sure I understand your decision.¡±

    She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then said, ¡°I heard you.¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    She frowned, her mouth quivering a little before she sucked in her lips and spoke. ¡°Do you remember taking a stroll with the Lady the afternoon of the day before she slapped me?¡±

    ¡°I think so. Why?¡±

    ¡°Did you see me at all?¡±

    ¡°I think I was paying attention to her.¡±

    ¡°You were walking with her and she was following me. I went out to get some fresh air and be away from her, yet she still harried me. She kept changing direction in order to keep you two behind me. I grew frustrated with it and hid in the woods, hoping to shake her from my trail. Instead, she stopped and started talking to you about me. Questions about you and I that she twisted around to her entertainment. Do you remember that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember many details from those weeks. It feels a lot like rain on the surface of a pond, if that makes any sense. Vaguely.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t remember what you said during that conversation?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°I do. They¡¯re etched into my mind. ¡®She¡¯s a whore, Katerin. I¡¯ve always thought of her as a whore. Even though she tried so hard to live a normal life, I know a woman can¡¯t be pure after that. It was hard not to think of her bedding every man she held a conversation with. We stayed in hotels and inns and I wondered how much money she was making while I slept.¡¯¡±

    His face went red with shame. ¡°I said that?¡±

    ¡°¡¯She seemed so eager for the touch of everyone but me. It doesn¡¯t surprise me when you say you heard her with the waiter and the gardener at the same time. She¡¯ll have to get her fill so that when we¡¯re back on the road, she can go back to ignoring me.¡¯¡±

    His mouth and throat had gone completely dry. Swallowing didn¡¯t even help.

    ¡°¡¯Katerin, I don¡¯t care about her. I hold no love for her, only you. She could die tomorrow and I wouldn¡¯t blink. And if she continues her campaign to make you miserable, I will help her to that fate.¡¯¡±

    He bowed his head. He couldn¡¯t look at her.

    ¡°And of course, there was back in the room when you told me to leave you two alone. ¡®I will find that fancy boy baerd hunter and pay him for front row seats¡¯. Would you like to clarify that statement?¡± When he didn¡¯t speak, she continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you were threatening to find someone to rape me for your enjoyment. Does that sound like what you meant by it?¡±

    He nodded his head heavily.

    ¡°And you¡¯re wondering why I might be saying ¡®no¡¯? It took you so little to turn your back on me, to abandon me and wish the most horrendous things for me. How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he whispered hoarsely. ¡°In retrospect, it feels like a mind disease of some sort. She was very, very good at what she did and she infected me totally and completely. It never occurred to me that someone would try to seduce me for their own sick gains, so I never thought she would be lying. I should have.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what put you into a rage like nothing else, what you kept bringing up with such malice and contempt?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Me sleeping with other men. I didn¡¯t understand at first why it mattered to you at all. If I decided to conduct affairs or whore for whatever reason, why should it matter to you? I thought that, being my guard, you might be upset at watching over me, that it might be annoying that I kept putting myself in danger and making your work harder for you. But to wish pain and torment upon me for something you should have no real concern about¡­This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°And then it dawned on me that you want to bed me.¡± He looked up at her sharply. ¡°I should have realized it a long time ago. Lots of men want to bed me, and you¡¯re a man, so it makes sense. But, you were respectful and I thought we had something a bit more meaningful than the usual ¡®what¡¯s your fee?¡¯ or ¡®how long do I have to keep buying you dinner?¡¯ that I get in those situations. We talked and laughed and you listened to me. I let my guard down and shared things with you that I never have with anyone else. We were friends.

    ¡°And we decided to change that. I thought our arrangement was working. I liked kissing you and I felt safe and unrushed. I don¡¯t know what you would label what we were; we never really discussed it. So, I¡¯m unsure as to why you thought I was yours so strongly.¡±

    Raulin finally found his voice. ¡°I can only guess that it¡¯s my overwhelming need to protect you and any other woman in my life¡­.while simultaneously hurting them,¡± he said. ¡°If I¡¯m not using them, I¡¯m leaving them. The only women who I haven¡¯t left hurting were the ones who understood what we were and accepted that. But, that never stopped me from trying to soften the blow when I could, whatever lie or action I could do to make sure they got over us quickly. And when I can¡¯t protect them from harm, it rips me to shreds. I think, in this case, I was afraid that your reputation would get you in trouble, that men were lining up for expectations and if they didn¡¯t get what they wanted, they¡¯d hurt you.¡±

    This was not exactly the truth, but telling her that he loved her and that the thought of any man touching the woman he wanted burned him up at this time was very foolish.

    She sighed. ¡°And again, you cannot trust me with my magic, if what you feared was even the case.¡±

    ¡°Most of the women I know don¡¯t have the capability to help themselves. I¡¯m still getting used to the idea.¡±

    She nodded and made to stand. ¡°Wait,¡± he said and she stopped. ¡°How do we¡­fix this?¡±

    ¡°We need to start trusting each other. That¡¯s my guess.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, then?¡±

    She took a deep breath. ¡°Raulin, you¡¯re a trirec. I looked past that because you were always friendly and easy to speak with. You never wanted to hurt me; even when I influenced you in the carriage after the libertine ball, you had no will to strike me. But now that I¡¯ve seen that you actually can, and will, hurt me, I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m frightened of you. It¡¯s been a struggle for me this last month not to use my magic to insure you won¡¯t decide suddenly that I was too friendly with some man and slit my throat in my sleep.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. I would never do that.¡±

    ¡°Once I didn¡¯t think you would, but I had the proof to show that¡¯s not true.¡± She rubbed her arm absently. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten past most of the fear. I figure that there¡¯s been enough time where, if you wanted to hurt me, you would have.¡±

    ¡°I swear to you that I will never hurt you again.¡±

    She gave a quick, sarcastic laugh. ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll hurt me again. I won¡¯t hold you to it, like I¡¯ve forgiven you for this. I think you understand some of what I went through and you feel badly about it. It¡¯s just going to take some time for us to reach a good point.¡±

    She stood and he followed, trying to think of some way to make it better. He didn¡¯t want their conversation to end like this. She deserved more, a better gesture than just waiting. And then he was going to have to trust her first. ¡°I¡¯m not Walpin.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, blinking a few times.

    ¡°You came to the conclusion that I¡¯m Walpin, but I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°You said it was your home before you went to Merak¡­¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a lie; it was. I was entrusted to a caretaker after my parents died and we stayed in Walpi for a few months while he figured out what to do. It was my last home.¡±

    ¡°But you get so upset when people make fun of them.¡±

    ¡°There was a woman in the village, an aged widow, who watched over me and took me in. We bonded over our grief and she helped me heal. The whole village was kind to me, really. So, yes, I am sensitive when people make light of their situation. They have a tough choice; constantly fight the border incursions or give in to the Merakians¡¯ demands. People don¡¯t think about what those people have to go through. Calling them cowards makes me angry. I think of them and I think of her, some of the best people I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you then?¡±

    He swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m Arvonnese.¡±

    She stopped for a moment and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re¡­Arvonnese?¡±

    ¡°I was born in Eri Ranvel. Like you, though, only my father was born in Arvonne. My mother is from Sayen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not something I would expect.¡±

    ¡°Understanding my feelings on the people, I¡¯m not surprised.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for sharing. I understand that it¡¯s a hard thing for you to do.¡±

    ¡°May I court you?¡± he asked.

    She frowned. ¡°Raulin¡­Have you listened to me at all today? Do you understand how I¡¯m feeling? No. That seems like a terrible idea at this point. We¡¯re barely friends.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. Barely friends. Deserved, but still painful to hear. ¡°Hear me out¡­please. I¡¯m making things official for your benefit, not mine. What I¡¯m suggesting gives you all the control. We would start from the beginning, a clean slate. Nothing physical, unless you want that, of course. I would do something for you or give you something. You would accept it or reject it. I would do that for a few more days, then move on to the next gift. You say what we do and when we do it.¡±

    ¡°And if I reject your advances enough times?¡± she asked. They were already a few feet apart, but she still widened the gap.

    ¡°Then it will end. And I would thank you for the opportunity and know that it was my fault nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°It seems a bit restrictive. We¡¯re both tying our hands into lover¡¯s knots.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you get more freedom than I do.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°I have to adhere to a strict set of moral obligations that you are not required to in return.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Moral obligations¡¯?¡±

    ¡°The usual: chivalry, politeness, patience, discretion, courtesy, chastity.¡±

    ¡°Chastity? Doesn¡¯t that affect your job?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It would be easier if seduction was still available for me. But, if I have to rely on it, then I must not be a very good trirec.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going from you tumbling multiple times with a woman and getting angry with me over the perceived notion that I was sleeping with multiple men, when I wasn¡¯t at all, to you saying that I can bed any man I want and that you will bed no one.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have a lot to make up for.¡±

    ¡°And I can string you along for months, accepting tokens, keeping you locked in an arrangement that you get absolutely no benefit from, and I don¡¯t even need to kiss you?¡±

    ¡°I would hope you wouldn¡¯t, but yes, though seeing you happy is a reward enough.¡±

    ¡°And there are no hidden agendas, no fine print, nothing you¡¯re leaving out?¡±

    ¡°It is like I say it is.¡±

    ¡°Then I accept on the condition that ignorance of something missing from our discussion nullifies our verbal agreement.¡±

    He whistled. ¡°You have been speaking quite a bit with the wizard. He couldn¡¯t have said it better himself. But, yes. I¡¯m not trying to trick you into something.¡±

    Having arrived back at their camp, she put on her cloak in anticipation of the chillier temperature, and sat in front of the fire to think. Just speaking with him had made things feel better. His behavior hadn¡¯t been excusable, but she could see things from his side. And his attempts at reconciliation were rather strong. She felt a warm buzzing of sorts, a relief and a wringing out of worries, fears, and anger. There was still pain, of course, but holding on to it was detrimental to not only her but the whole group. And she was damned if she was going to take them all down because of his stupidity.

    When she awoke the next morning, Raulin¡¯s blanket was covering her and a bouquet of wildflowers and foliage was next to her head. The pain and fear still resided somewhere inside, but she told herself that he was trying and that holding on to the past would do nothing for her. She took the small bundle and tied it to her pack, then began to make breakfast.

 Chapter 196

    To the others, Tel appeared to be napping against a tree. He could feel his surroundings in a removed way, the scents of the fire and food wrapping around him and dispersing unsmelled, the ground beneath him there for support and not for comfort. His body remained, but his mind was far gone.

    The sunset tonight would be brilliant and fiery, orange and gold at the horizon, pink above, and the clouds a deep blue-purple. He knew this because the sky sang to him, its song unique but familiar to the many other nights he''d traveled across the clouds.

    He moved northeast past the thick forests of Ashven and the plains across the southern part of Courmet. There was a thrilling sense of abandon as he leapt off the coast and onto the waters, twisting in the air, dashing through clouds. It would only be a few more minutes before he reached Ervaskin.

    This was vraska, one of the first things he had learned as a kiluid, but also one of the more difficult to master. At it''s core, it was being able to sense everything around him without using any of his senses, to see without looking, to listen without hearing, to feel without touching. It had been difficult for him to grasp that concept. Then again, he had started training at five years of age, barely old enough to talk, still diapered and tripping over his feet every few hours. Once he had learned how to grasp nature in the palm of his hand, things grew easier. He could use the wind to feel, the sun to see, and the wildlife to listen.

    It took a inherent grasp of the universal for Telbarisk to be able to understand the situation in full. He knew Nourabrikot so well that it took little for him to perceive the tiny changes that pulled at the fabric and made a new, momentary tapestry. The way the wind was blowing, what the sea held, the heat from the rocks rising, what the clouds brought, how many animals were nearby, if there had been any trees felled, all this added to the particular semblance of the ever-shifting life of his home. There was something that seemed a little off and not something that was temporary, either. He''d check on that in a moment.

    He found his mother in the gardens at what Raulin had called the palace. (While it was his family''s home, he nor anyone else he knew had ever treated it with the reverence Ghenians did for their castles and manors.) She was cutting the ice blossoms, which meant that Akilshta, the celebration of the coming of winter, was only a day or two away. He loved that holiday.

    His father was inside, speaking to some men. He could try to find his sisters, but they were all married and with children, each in their own home. He had watched Seisuka and his nephews play just before his feverish days, when it had been so hard to keep still, his body beyond agitated at the volcano''s impending eruption.

    His brother, the king, was at a banquet with other men. There were a few that were much smaller than the others, diplomats from some country. Raulin had been trying to explain to him the good and the bad of having them there. Tel had thought he was bad at gauging those kinds of situations, which worried him about returning and helping his brother rule, but Raulin had explained that politics was a very complex subject for even a devious Noh Amairian. It still felt strange to see strangers in his home and he still didn''t know what it meant, so he appreciated Raulin''s reassurance, but he doubted he would ever be ready to deal with people like the Ghenians, with their double-speak and provisions and loopholes.

    The vraska drifted and tugged him in another direction, out of his home and towards the hills in the north. There a woman who was crouched low to the ground, picking the last harvest of herbs before the lands were blanketed in thick snow for months. The moist coastal air held it back today, but he could tell that snow had already touched Nourabrikot and melted many times.

    As she placed a bundle of valaditra in her basket, he swirled the air around her hair. She froze and stood. He pressed the air slowly around her face in as close as he could get to a caress. She closed her eyes and touched the place where the wind had blown, then raised her other hand in front of her. This was their game. She would raise her fingers one at a time and he would brush the tips, not knowing how she felt other than it made her smile. He warmed the air and placed it as a mantle over her shoulders. She reached up and touched the sensation. It was his way of pretending that he was wrapping his arms around her from behind, as he had done so often when they had been together.

    He touched her face again and found a tear running down her cheek. She hunched down again and made a few motions in the dirt. Grivfia was hard for non-native speakers to read. It appeared as circles with thin or thick lines in different orders with a character in the center. The letter represented one of their many hundreds of genii locorum they worshiped as gods and the lines told how their embodiment reacted with the people and things involved. Some were intricate, many lined circles that expressed complex thoughts. Others, like what she wrote, were so simple it didn''t take much more than a quick pass to know what she had written.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I miss you.

    She stood again, hugging herself, the tears falling more freely. He brushed her lips and pressed them gently. She touched her fingers there before he swirled the air around her hair in a goodbye.

    He didn''t know if he should do that anymore. Each time it was sadder, more painful. She cried harder. He pined for her more. At least he could tell her, in some way, that he was still alive and he still loved her, but the cost was getting to be too high, the anguish at parting stronger.

    Telbarisk rose higher, much higher, and breathed in the atmosphere. There was something off. It wasn''t threatening nor was it bad, but there was something different that he felt was significant. He moved off of Ervaskin, back the way he came, until he came back to Gheny. He trailed the curiosity until he found it concentrated just northwest of where their camp was.

    Ash and smoke still spewed into the atmosphere from Mount Kalista, thickening the clouds. It projected west, but the air generally traveled in an easterly way, often tipping up to the north but often enough to the south. Perhaps on its own, and because of the time of year, it wouldn''t be a major thing. But there was already ash in the air from another eruption earlier in the year. Together it was enough to change things drastically. He spent a quarter to a half hour surveying the area, working with what he knew, before he opened his eyes. He looked around the camp and saw Anla napping. A short distance away he sensed two people moving around a short area, one more still that the other. He also heard them pretty well, too.

    ¡°...it again,¡± Raulin said in a patient yet determined voice. ¡°You trained yourself without my guidance, so I''m having to crack some of your bad habits, like re-breaking a badly set bone. It''s going to be painful.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I''m going to fall over.¡±

    ¡°You do now, but don''t practice and wait and see when you''re in a battle and you do that move with your current posture. Feet, hips, shoulders, head.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like a child''s song,¡± Al said. ¡°''Eyes and ears and mouth and nose...''¡±

    ¡°Ten of each. Focus.¡±

    Al did three before dropping his ax in frustration. He said something Tel couldn''t hear.

    ¡°Come on, you have twenty of each now.¡±

    ¡°Twenty! But, I wasn''t complaining!¡±

    ¡°You were grousing, and grousing is an unpheasant thing. Twenty.¡±

    ¡°I wasn''t grousing, for the record.¡±

    ¡°Are you complaining about complaining, ''cause that will get you forty-three times.¡± Before Al could say anything, Raulin said, ¡°Compounded interest is a sour flower, now get to it.¡±

    Tel stepped into their clearing. ¡°Raulin, there''s something we need to discuss.¡±

    He watched Al for a minute more, then walked over to his friend. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We might have an issue as far as our journey is concerned.¡±

    Tel gave him his quick synopsis. Raulin nodded in thought, then said, ¡°All right, Wizard. You get a reprieve. We need to go have a group discussion.¡±

    They woke up Anla and stoked their fire. ¡°Tel tells me that the volcanic eruptions, both Kalista and Eruska, are playing havoc on the weather. The ash in the air is going to make the weather colder and we might have some travel issues if it''s a wet season.

    ¡°My original plan was to have us travel along the western border of the Great Gheny Bay, through Ekistol, Ailetol, and Anistaf, then to Tektorn for my contracts there. But, if we have to slog through feet of snow to get anywhere, that''s going to be a problem. We could risk that or we can backtrack a few miles to the crossroads we passed and try for the Sharkan Peninsula.¡±

    Al pulled out his book that had the map of Gheny. ¡°We could also try for the water. Libsin is a small port city on the northern shore of the bay. Maybe we could catch a ship from there to Riyala or Acripla.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°Not a bad suggestion. I''m going to side on ruling that out only because of the time of the year. If they do have ships available during winter, they would likely just be barges for supplies, which are slow and make frequent stops. It would delay us too much.¡±

    ¡°Hanala to Acripla by ship?¡±

    ¡°Less likely to have the same issues, but possibly. I think that problem is more that the travel time is much longer due to the islands off of Genale. It could take two or three months.¡±

    ¡°So, by land then. Wouldn''t Sharka suffer the same problems, though?¡±

    ¡°It''s always raining in Hanala,¡± Anla said. ¡°The weather is overly moist compared to the other side of the bay.¡±

    ¡°The choices, then, are snow or rain?¡± Al asked. He looked at Tel. ¡°How strongly do you feel that the weather is going to affect us?¡±

    ¡°Pretty strongly.¡±

    ¡°Put a number to it.¡±

    ¡°Um, eight?¡±

    ¡°Eight out of...?¡±

    ¡°Four?¡±

    Al blinked. ¡°Right, I forgot about the math. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It comes down to rushing down the coast and risking the snow or taking the slightly longer way and risking the rain.¡± Raulin poked the fire. ¡°The former will require us to move at a rapid pace to try to beat any storms. We can moved more deliberately in Sharka. Personally, the latter has my vote.¡±

    ¡°I think we''re in agreement?¡± Al asked. ¡°Sharka it is.¡±

 Chapter 197

    An experienced person will be able to tell the ocean is close by certain signs. A step on the ground with soles soft enough, perhaps, will give away that the composition as higher in sand than farther inland. A trained eye will see a change in the landscape, trees stunted by the salt air, terns and gulls crying and circling overhead, the land turning marshier. Most, though, pick up stronger distinctions and feel it in their blood rather than their mind. They smell the salty tang in the air, they feel the moisture on their skin, and they know the sea is just over that way, past the reeds and the worn rocks, and awaiting its lovers.

    The highway was fairly bisecting two halves of the outskirts of the city, the farms on the north and the shops and wharves on the south. Libsin was ahead of them, coated with an inch of snow from an earlier dusting. The people strolling along the boardwalk had an odd glee about them, those of a younger heart stopping to scoop up crunchy flakes and toss the clump at friends, the ball powdering the air and all but disintegrating before it could hit its target.

    A lamplighter walked the streets in a top hat, scarf, and thick, moth-eaten wool coat that looked like it was taken out only a few times per year. He tipped his hat to any lady who walked by, adding a little bow to certain ones, perhaps they very pretty ones. Anla got a bow, but she was too busy taking in the scenery to notice him.

    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty here,¡± she said to Raulin, who was in step with her. She was watching the sunset as it painted the white buildings in shades of gold and orange, reflecting in the window panes and the silver signs that hung above the shops.

    ¡°Pretty, yet cold,¡± he said, clicking off the bottom of his mask and blowing warm air into fists held against his lips. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to find a place for the night quickly. I know he¡¯s enjoying himself,¡± he said, motioning to Tel, ¡°but I find nothing comforting about the temperature.¡±

    ¡°I have a joke about that,¡± Tel said. ¡°How many grivvens like the cold?¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡± Raulin answered.

    ¡°Yes, all of them,¡± he said.

    He waited a few moments, then said, ¡°Okay, well, you¡¯re still working on your sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°Anladet was laughing.¡±

    She pressed her lips in, but her eyes twinkled. ¡°The situation was amusing, at least.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, here? Any thought or kouriya on where we should stay tonight?¡±

    ¡°I think Anla should choose,¡± Tel said after a few moments.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, then clicked her tongue, mocking Raulin¡¯s way of expressing thought. He flicked her gently on her shoulder. ¡°It will have to be one near the water overlooking the sea. I want it to look homey. And it has to have a quaint name in scroll on the sign.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and is that all, mezzem? Shall the owners serve high tea and leave mints on the pillow?¡±

    ¡°Yes, definitely.¡±

    ¡°How about that one?¡± Al asked, pointing ahead. The white sign hanging from the holder read ¡°Rock Hollow by the Sea¡± in flourished gold writing.

    ¡°That has potential,¡± she said, stepping off the road and a few steps to the porch.

    ¡°How are you and Anladet?¡± Tel asked Raulin.

    Raulin turned and waited for Mr. Auslen to enter the inn behind his wife before saying, ¡°Better, I suppose. We¡¯re speaking, she¡¯s accepted the few days of courtship I¡¯ve done, she smiles at me. But, it¡¯s not the same. I don¡¯t know if you noticed she flinched a little when I flicked her on the shoulder. I was teasing her back, but she¡¯s still wary of me.¡±

    ¡°You hurt her badly?¡± Raulin thought this was almost not a question.

    ¡°I did. I know I did. And I¡¯m trying to make amends.¡±

    ¡°With this ¡®courting¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I realized that I¡¯m sort of protecting her from myself. Before, I had already assumed she was mine when she wasn¡¯t. I think I needed that definition, something concrete to let me know where I stood and how far that was before I got what I wanted. When I thought she had given away what I had worked so hard to attain, it burned me with anger. And, I think, I¡¯m also predisposed to thinking people are treacherous.

    ¡°But, now things are clear cut. I am hers and she knows that I¡¯m sacrificing for her. I know where we stand. It¡¯s given me a surprising peace of mind; I thought I was going to be more annoyed by it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that things are well between you two. I hope that things work out.¡±

    Tel thought he was finished speaking, until a minute or so later he said, ¡°She makes me think dangerous thoughts, Tel. I can¡¯t think of the future. That¡¯s a luxury I can¡¯t afford.¡± Anla stuck her head out, a smile on her face as she waved them in. Raulin sighed. ¡°But, I might be willing to pay anything for it.¡±

    * * *

    The inn they were staying at was too nice for a bar, so they went down the street and over a few blocks to The Promise, a bar that Raulin thought might be something else, since brothels tended to have names like that. But, no, it was just a bar with a good-sized crowd, farmers and fishermen mingling with those who were a little more well-off and those whose tab grew to insurmountable proportions.

    They took one of the few open tables, Raulin buying the group their favorite drinks: two waters, a glass of Caudet, and a Chieri Rose. ¡°I could have just bought you another water,¡± he said as he put the glass in front of Anla with a flourish.

    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not overly fond of liquor, so you wouldn¡¯t be upsetting me.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Like good food, I was never able to afford pricey drinks. There was no sense in gaining a dependency on it and blurring my senses in the rough parts of town was a bad idea.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°More or less why I don¡¯t drink it with the mask on, but I do enjoy it when I can.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your drink of choice?¡± Al asked.

    He paused for a slight moment, having gotten almost used to Al¡¯s newfound ability at discussion. ¡°Caudet,¡± he said.

    Al gave him a flat look. ¡°That¡¯s not something I¡¯m prepared to change. I know a good wine when I taste it, Raulin, and this is good wine.¡± He swirled the glass and held it up to his nose. ¡°Can you smell the bouquet?¡±

    Raulin leaned over and took a whiff. ¡°Smells like blue grama.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a grass from Arvonne that has no strong smell.¡± When Al cocked his eyebrow, he said, ¡°It often grows in horse manure.¡±

    Al snorted, but he at least took the joke well. Anla laughed, sharing a knowing look with Raulin, who knew and had known since the four met that Caudet was a cheap wine his countrymen made. It still surprised her at times that he was Arvonnese.

    The wizard drummed his fingers on the table for a few moments, then asked, ¡°Anla, could you read our fortunes?¡±

    Both of her eyebrows shot up. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, reaching down for the pouch she brought just in case there was an opportunity to make a little money tonight. ¡°I have to admit I¡¯m surprised at this, Al. You¡¯ve never been okay with this.¡±

    ¡°Well, I still don¡¯t like piscarins, but from speaking with you I think you understand what you¡¯re doing. And so do I.¡±

    She smiled and plopped the bag on the table. ¡°Who should go first?¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Why, so that I can draw yaw, dah, and raw again and have him shrug and not listen?¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Anla flicked her eyes at Raulin, who answered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t think I should be a trirec, is what that means.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finding myself in agreement with the tiles.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Raulin said, leaning back and crossing his arms, ¡°it¡¯s going to be one of those nights, is it? Attack the trirec from both ends of the alley. Was this your game, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°No. I think I¡¯ve made my opinion on the matter very clear. I was just saying that because the opportunity presented itself. So, what do the stones say for Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± she said, tossing her hair over one shoulder, ¡°none of those tiles came up.¡± She drew three more tiles and mixed them on the table with her eyes closed until she felt they were in the right order. She held his gaze and said, ¡°Be careful. Something bad will happen if you don¡¯t obey the rules. Something from the dark, from people you don¡¯t trust or like.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean anything to you?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It could mean many things. As someone who frequently breaks laws in countries full of people I don¡¯t like, I don¡¯t find this advice very helpful. But,¡± he added quickly, ¡°it¡¯s always a good idea to consider threats that might be closer than one would think.¡±

    ¡°What do you draw for me?¡± Al said. He was trying to be casual about it, but Anla could tell he was interested. Perhaps he always had been, but his rigid obedience to certain rules had made it difficult for him to see beyond his schooling enough to try it.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to learn something. Either that or you¡¯re going to get to ride that horse you always wanted to.¡±

    ¡°How do you see that?¡±

    ¡°Ah is for animals, but also means intelligence and decision making.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°It does if you¡¯re an elf. We see ourselves as animals, part of the herd of everything that runs and eats and drinks in this world. It¡¯s physicality. That¡¯s different from ih, which is raw emotion, from instinct up to the complex feelings of, say, grief, sacrifice, or unrequited love. That¡¯s conception. So, even though animals work on instinct, we classify them and us as physical beasts that feel, two separate things.¡±

    ¡°All right, so intelligence¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and ha for the unknown and ess for action. You are doing something to learn about the unknown. Likely you¡¯ll find out something. It¡¯s an interpretation of what I draw in the tiles.¡±

    ¡°May I?¡± he asked. She put his tiles into the bag and watched as he drew three for her. ¡°Okay, we got drop-of-rain, stick-person-throwing-a-ball, and book-falling-to-the-right.¡±

    ¡°Interesting that you drew these. Those were the three I talked about earlier for Raulin.¡±

    ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t be a trirec?¡±

    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°The three tiles are basically ¡®sun¡¯, ¡®people¡¯, and ¡®greater¡¯. I interpret that as he should do something to help society, like be a politician or a guard captain.¡±

    ¡°What would that mean for you?¡± Raulin asked.

    She rubbed her nails against each other. ¡°Maybe when the year is done I should go back to my people and help them. They need someone who understands Gheny and can fight for them peacefully, in a court. I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    She was about to put her bag away when someone dragged a chair over, turned it around, then straddled it. ¡°How much are you charging?¡±

    It took Anla a moment to take in the worn farmer¡¯s clothes, the short hair, and the tan that was starting to fade and realize there was a person she knew behind it. She jumped up and ran around the table, almost pushing Al¡¯s head into his drink. ¡°Riyan!¡±

    ¡°Hey, girl,¡± she said, standing to accept her embrace.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in over three years!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here the whole time. Not that far from our old place.¡± She looked around the table. ¡°These friends of yours?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± she said, ¡°Al, Raulin, and Tel. I met Al about six months ago when we teamed up to save the Duke¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°That was you? I heard about it, but no one really knew who had done it. You¡¯re serious?¡±

    Anla fingered the necklace she was wearing. ¡°The Duke gave this to me himself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Al said, shaking Riyan¡¯s hand, ¡°but I don¡¯t have any pretty jewelry to show off.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± To Anla, she raised her eyebrows and nodded her head to the bar and walked over, her walk decidedly not the fluid sashay that Anla¡¯s was. When both sat down, Riyan said, ¡°I wanted to say I was sorry, about leavin¡¯ you. I actually had to muster up the courage to come ¡®n¡¯ say ¡®hi¡¯. I didn¡¯t actually think it was you until you pulled out your tiles.¡± She grinned. ¡°Still on that trick, are you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s made me a lot of money when I needed it.¡±

    ¡°How you doin¡¯, girl? You need money, a place to stay?¡±

    ¡°And I was going to ask you the same, at least about the money. I have enough of that, but no home at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Do you need a place to stay? I¡¯m working at a farm not far from here ¡®n¡¯ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll mind you for a spell. ¡®Course, I¡¯ll have to ask my girl about it¡­¡± She grinned.

    ¡°Oh, you found someone? Congratulations!¡±

    ¡°Naw, she doesn¡¯t really get it. Beautiful girl, not the brightest. I¡¯m sweet on her, but it¡¯s not going anywhere. Now, how about you ¡®n¡¯ your man?¡±

    ¡°Who, Al?¡±

    ¡°He the one in the mask?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s the one that shook your hand.¡±

    Riyan twisted her mouth. ¡°You married to the brown guy but sleepin¡¯ with the mask guy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not married to any of them. Al and I use the ruse that we¡¯re a couple so that people don¡¯t bother us when we¡¯re traveling, but I¡¯m not attached to any of them that way. Well¡­Raulin is courting me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, la dee da, look at you bein¡¯ courted. What, he buy you emeralds ¡®n¡¯ lace ¡®n¡¯ things like that?¡±

    ¡°He picks me flowers, makes sure I¡¯m warm, moves branches out of my way, things like that.¡±

    Riyan leaned on her hand before a big, dopey grin crossed her face. ¡°You like it. You like bein¡¯ treated good. Yeah, you sweet on him, just don¡¯t know how sweet.¡±

    ¡°I like him quite a bit, but we¡¯re just seeing where things go.¡±

    ¡°I can tell you where they¡¯re gonna go,¡± she said, winking at her.

    Anla sighed and grabbed Riyan¡¯s jaw, turning her head to face the table. ¡°He¡¯s a trirec, Riyan. Remember how we use to pretend we were trirecs when we were younger, sneaking around the building with scarves tied around our faces?¡±

    She shook Anla¡¯s hand off her face. ¡°He¡¯s a real trirec?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Wow. I thought he was just shy. You have good taste.¡±

    ¡°Riyan, trirecs can¡¯t marry.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m not going to fall in love with a man I¡¯m not going to marry. I have money, I don¡¯t need someone unless he¡¯s going to make my life worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cute, girl. Let me know how that works out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you are, but you love who you love and nothin¡¯s gonna stop that.¡± She gave her a sad smile. ¡°Don¡¯t fight things that don¡¯t need fightin¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 198

    Hanala was a long day¡¯s walk from Libsin, full of the normal stares from people that passed them by. They stayed at an inn on the edge of the city, crashing after a long day of too many steps and not enough of the food and friendship they normally shared on the road.

    ¡°Feels like I was just here,¡± Anla said at breakfast. ¡°Then again, it feels so long ago.¡±

    ¡°A lot can happen in six months, and it has for you,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just having a strange feeling when I try to reconcile the two thoughts.¡± She sipped on her tea in thought. ¡°How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°A lifetime of knowing nothing else? I enjoy the time I have in a place, then remember all that when I return. It¡¯s my job to do so, though, so maybe it¡¯s different for you.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to go back to Yue Begule, check on my place, see if maybe either my brother and sister are there. Or maybe they left a note¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no problem with that.¡±

    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to do as well,¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°Really? Something you need help with?¡±

    ¡°I want to see if my friend Jorm¨¦ is at the land.¡±

    ¡°¡¯At port¡¯, they say. I can help with that. Wizard?¡±

    Al had been pushing his beans around on his plate. ¡°Um, yes, actually. Depending. I¡¯ll tend to that on my own, though.¡±

    ¡°Seems we¡¯re going to be busy. Anla, since you know the layout best, what¡¯s the most central location for Yue Begule, the wharf, and¡­¡±

    ¡°The Ducal palace,¡± Al filled in.

    Anla stared at him. ¡°He doesn¡¯t owe us anything for another half-year.¡±

    ¡°I know. I have other business with him.¡±

    ¡°Al, please don¡¯t demand more money or try to¡­¡±

    He held up his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Trust me. I¡¯ll tell you once I¡¯m finished.¡±

    She pressed her lips together, then said, ¡°All right. I trust you. Um, actually Cherryfire is fairly central to those three, which is good because I have a quick stop I want to make there.¡±

    There were only a few patrons inside Onlard¡¯s tavern when Anla opened the door. His wife poked her head around the corner from the kitchen, then yelled for her husband, who came hustling down the stairs. He sighed and his shoulders sagged when he saw her. ¡°I t¡¯ought t¡¯at you weren gone, girl. I haven¡¯ been seein¡¯ ya fer a while now. ¡®Course, I was hopen ya weren¡¯ dead, neit¡¯er.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Onlard. You¡¯re a sweet man for your concern.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯oh,¡± he said, flapping his bar towel at her. ¡°Wha¡¯ ken I be helpin¡¯ ya wit¡¯, t¡¯en, girlie?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here for a drink, actually,¡± she said, sitting at the bar.

    ¡°Kinna early in da day, innit? Ya be more uf a nigh¡¯ girl.¡± His smile dropped. ¡°I meanen, not t¡¯at way. Ya weren busy durin¡¯ da days is all.¡±

    ¡°Chieri Rose, if you have it.¡± As he quickly made the drink she said, ¡°I worked hard during the day, yes. And I rarely had money at the end to rent a room and eat.¡±

    ¡°Id¡¯s no¡¯ a rare t¡¯ing un t¡¯a city.¡±

    ¡°No. There are a lot of kids in the city who didn¡¯t get someone who gave them meals and a warm place to sleep out of the rain. I was lucky to find you.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯oh.¡±

    ¡°I need to get going. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of traveling, so my time here is brief. I just wanted to thank you, Onlard.¡±

    ¡°Ya be welcome, sweedie.¡±

    She placed five gold on the counter. ¡°Keep the change.¡±

    When he noticed how much he had given her, he said, ¡°Girlie, I cannid be takin¡¯ t¡¯is much!¡±

    She said nothing, leaving before he could come around the bar and demand she take the money back. She smiled as she rejoined her friends across Criard Street. ¡°Now, the wharf is a few miles over and to our left. We¡¯ll need to go a little farther for the booking offices. One of them should be able to help us.¡±

    Tel had been anticipating this meeting since he had met Anla and Al. He had so many things to tell Jorm¨¦ , from the trial then meeting Raulin again to the volcanic eruption. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t meant to be; Jorm¨¦ was at sea and wouldn¡¯t be back for another few weeks at the least. They did find out that he had been promoted to captain after the Gueylard and was in charge of the Happenstance. Telbarisk could smile at that. It was all his friend had ever wanted.

    Anla walked them inland again, then south. It was late afternoon, the streets busy with people taking strolls, on their way to appointments, or delivering goods throughout. At some blurred point, the peoples¡¯ ensembles appeared dirtier and patched, their hair dirty or uncurled like even the servants kept it. The buildings appeared to be fine at first glance, though unlikely to have the usual quaint, homey additions, like intricate paint work or tiles on the doorstep¡­or doors. The deeper they went into Yue Begule, the worse it got. A slight smell would betray that the building they walked next to was a hollow shell from a fire, only to be outdone by the smell coming from the alley next to it.

    ¡°There it is,¡± she said in a wistful tone.

    There was no roof and the second floor was half gone. The paint on the bricks was chipped. The trash that collected around it, broken bottles, piles of rotting food, and rusted appliances, looked like ticks festering in the ear folds of a mangy dog. But the way she looked at it, it could have been a noble, rich palace filled with the most precious of things. And in a way it was, though instead of jewels, feasts, and coins it was filled with memories.

    With an aggressive body slam, Anla opened the door and stepped inside. Motes of dust floated in what sunlight filtered through. ¡°Watch where you step,¡± she said, moving around a dead squirrel.

    No one said anything as she walked to the back of the building and laid her fingers on the wall. I love you and miss you. I¡¯ll find you some day, it said in chalk, a lonely message. She bowed her head, then rejoined the group.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be so lucky that they¡¯d be waiting for me. In fact, I hoped that they wouldn¡¯t be; not the greatest part of the city. But, I had hoped that one of them returned at some point to let me know that they were okay, that they were still alive.¡±

    He held out his hand for her, to help her past the threshold of the door, and she took it. ¡°This might mean they¡¯re in a better situation far from here.¡±

    ¡°It could mean worse.¡± She sighed and balled her fists in frustration. ¡°I just want to know, one way or the other. I feel terribly for Raidet, but at least I know that she¡¯s alive and she has a family. She¡¯s made her choice of moving on and I respect that. But Sildet and Garlin are younger than I am. I could barely take care of myself, but I would¡¯ve found a way if I had found them. And now that I can take care of them¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find them, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    Anla took point and lead them back to Cherryfire. Al dropped his pace and matched Raulin¡¯s. ¡°I think I would like your help,¡± he said.

    * * *

    The two left Tel and Anla at the inn and began walking west to the Ducal palace. Al spent the walk with Raulin asking question after question on negotiating with royalty, since he had spent enough time in their company.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll do fine,¡± the trirec said, patting him on the back, ¡°unless the Duke¡¯s merit is deals, then you¡¯ll have problems. I haven¡¯t heard of too many nobles having that power, though.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Like I¡¯m not jittery enough about this.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s worth anything, I think it¡¯s a kind gesture and a noble cause.¡±

    Most servants and guards were allowed inside the gates as entourage for their masters. Raulin, however, waited outside, leaning against the gate next to a very nervous looking guard.

    Al was admitted, though he waited for over two hours to see the Duke. He was escorted into the same office he¡¯d been in before and sat in front of a busy Duke of Sharka, who read and signed no less than fifteen pages of paperwork before finally looking up. ¡°.rd Gray. You¡¯ve come early for your dues.¡±

    ¡°No, Your Grace.¡± Remembering what Raulin said, Al asked, ¡°How is your daughter?¡±

    The Duke¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Are you here to exploit the fact that you rescued her?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all, sir! I was just making polite conversation.¡±

    The Duke relaxed, but still didn¡¯t smile. ¡°She¡¯s quite well, .rd. She asks of you often. Feel free to write to her, if you wish. You and your lady friend¡­partner¡­¡±

    ¡°Anladet, sir. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be doing that in the future.¡± Al took a deep breath and forced himself to drop his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve come to ask a favor.¡±

    ¡°A favor? Are you referring to the one I owe you?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. I¡¯d be willing to pay for this, from my future reward.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I take it this is outside of Tichen¡¯s teachings, then?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. I just haven¡¯t had the opportunity to discuss it with Anladet.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I would like access to some records.¡±

    ¡°Unusual. Which records?¡±

    ¡°The ones involving those of the Nui-Breckin Alliance.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow before sitting back in his seat. ¡°Why would you want that, .rd Gray?¡±

    ¡°If I said it was for a good cause, would you trust me on that?¡±

    The Duke of Sharka leaned forward on his desk and pressed his lips into his folded hands. ¡°I would think you would believe it¡¯s a good cause. But, I find those of us who dedicate our lives to behaving with an exemplary code of honor have a hard time navigating the rough waters of reality. Do you understand what I mean, .rd Gray?¡±

    ¡°I absolutely do, sir.¡±

    ¡°You struck me as a man close to zealousness about Tichen and his teachings. Perhaps you don¡¯t understand that getting involved in something like that will mark you. People will take notice of your inquest today and wonder why you¡¯re asking about this. It will worry some. I can do my best to shield you, to ask them to ignore it as a man slaking his curiosity, but they will not like the idea of someone knowing things the public shouldn¡¯t know. ¡®Murky ponds are rife with things unknown¡­¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡¯¡­and best left unclean until the world can dam it sufficiently¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Two hundred gold.¡±

    ¡°Fifty,¡± Al countered. ¡°It is only two names I seek. It will take less than a half-hour.¡±

    ¡°One hundred gold.¡± You¡¯re not paying for the Alliance¡¯s time; you¡¯re paying me to cover up your interest, which I will assume will end after you leave today. And no more favors, save the one you request in the future. You can¡¯t come to me whenever you have an urge to lean on our arrangement. I am allowing this because my daughter still speaks of you two highly and I believe you two handled the situation as well as I could have asked. I thank you again for not shielding her from the horror of the situation while also treating her with as much kindness as possible.¡±

    ¡°Again, Your Grace, your daughter couldn¡¯t have been easier to rescue. She¡¯ll grow up to be a fine lady some day.¡± Al shook his hand before the Duke changed his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sending a man over with you who will grant you access. Your guard¡­¡± he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why or how you came to have a trirec guard, but he will stay out of the building with my secretary. He will not leave his post or the two of you will be arrested immediately. The last thing I need is a trirec getting his hands on those records; talk about the proverbial fox in the chicken coop.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±

    Al found Raulin outside, chatting up the guards who seemed a lot more comfortable. ¡°Ready, Wizard?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ready. You have to stay outside the building while I check.¡±

    He grunted in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain, Wizard. Better make it snappy.¡±

    Black lettering over the large window stated it was, indeed, the Nui-Breckin Alliance and the iron boot scraper on the entrance looked well-used, but it could have been any of a hundred businesses they had passed by earlier in the day. Raulin folded his arms and leaned against the green painted wood, holding his hand palm up with curled fingers to signify Al was to hurry up.

    The Duke¡¯s secretary spoke briefly to a man in the front, who gestured for Al to follow him past the break room where several men in rough clothes sat around a table drinking and eating. They climbed the rickety wooden stairs and down a short hallway to a room filled with ledgers. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a half-hour,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Wait! How is this ordered?¡±

    The man looked annoyed before waddling over to the shelves and jabbing a pudgy finger to the label. ¡°This is by duchy, where they were caught. Years go top to bottom. Anything older than seven is in another room. Anything over fourteen is destroyed.¡±

    He nodded and the man left, a few moments later the men downstairs cheering his return. He was obviously not going to be any help, so Al started looking at the labels. Thankfully, each shelf had its own duchy and each duchy was in alphabetical order.

    Sharka¡¯s had less boxes than most. More than, say, Eerie (which he was upset to see had a full box even though bounty hunting was illegal in that duchy), but nowhere near some of the western and mid-duchies. It was easier, but he had no idea when Anla¡¯s parents had been killed and how long ago that was. He guessed she was no younger than twenty and that she had been twelve. Her sister likely disappeared within a year after that. To be thorough, he would begin with this room, then move on to the next room.

    He pulled out a box at eye level and quickly peaked in to see which year it was. Three years ago. He pulled the ladder out from the corner and started at the top.

    It was one book of names that he had to scan quickly, hoping that her siblings had given their real names. Each page had twenty and each book had ten pages. He was amazed at how many half-elves there were just in Sharka, a duchy so densely populated by Ghenians.

    He moved on to the next year, then the one after, and the one after that. He was beginning to think it would be smarter to spend his remaining time in the next room, though he remembered from Amandorlam how important it was to be thorough in research. He flipped the page, then went back to it. There, with a blob of ink at the top of the ¡°t¡± was the name ¡°Sildet¡±. Her tribe was listed as the Deerborn of Ashven. After her name was listed a bunch of letters in columns, followed by a man¡¯s name, date, number, and fingerprint.

    He continued looking, remembering it was within a year of Sildet¡¯s disappearance that Garlin went missing. That year didn¡¯t have his name, nor did the next one. He could say with a fair amount of assurance that, if Garlin had been taken, it hadn¡¯t been by the Nui-Breckin Alliance.

    The secretary was sitting behind his desk, dozing now that the men had left. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Al began and the man startled awake.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What was all the stuff on the line after the tribe name? The fingerprint?¡±

    He gave a lazy smile and Al realized the man was close to drunk. ¡°Well, what we do here isn¡¯t exactly a picnic and a show. You¡¯re training from another office, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I was just curious how the filing was done here so that I might do it over there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure. So, the hunters will come to your office and drop off one of the mutts. We keep ¡¯em here until the end of the day, then we take ¡¯em over to the building¡­you¡¯ll have a building. Then, they¡¯re auctioned off and we record the name and their owner¡¯s fingerprint, so they don¡¯t get any ideas about flapping their jaws.¡±

    ¡°Flapping their jaws?¡±

    ¡°Telling people what exactly goes on around here.¡±

    ¡°Why would they need to tell people about that?¡±

    The man folded his short arms around his girth. ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to know sooner or later. We help the men after the sale, if you catch my drift.¡±

    ¡°No. What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What were the letters after the name you saw?¡±

    Al repeated them and the secretary spent a few minutes explaining exactly what those letter meant. ¡°Then, we got a place for the bodies afterwards. Part of the price.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Al heard himself say, too numb to give a goodbye.

    ¡°No problem,¡± the man said, his chubby fingers giving a sloppy salute.

    Al walked outside in a bit of a daze and didn¡¯t hear Raulin ask him if he was ready to leave the first few times. ¡°Yes,¡± he finally said and started down the street in the wrong direction.

    ¡°Thank you for waiting,¡± Raulin said to the Duke¡¯s secretary and turned Al around by the shoulders. ¡°Wizard, are you okay?¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes went wide and he ran to the nearest alley, vomiting his lunch. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and breathed in heavily. ¡°How¡­how can someone do that? To a child?¡±

    ¡°I take it you finally understand what was going to happen to Anla, then?¡±

    Al spent another round vomiting anything that remained. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s allowed to exist. It¡¯s sick, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°What exactly did you find out?¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to repeat what the secretary had told him, but he managed to explain what he had discovered in something between the raw truth and a euphemism. Raulin listened to it, then said, ¡°To answer your question, they allow it because Ghenians see elves and half-elves as something less than human. They are cattle, auctioned off pieces of meat that are consumed by whatever disturbing purpose the owner wishes. And no one cares because at least they aren¡¯t Ghenians. They aren¡¯t proper humans that are being mutilated before their slaughtered.¡±

    ¡°How do we stop it?¡± he asked weakly.

    ¡°How do you stop violence and perversion from taking root in the hearts of men?¡± he asked, helping Al move along. ¡°You can¡¯t. There will always be that filth, men who need to torture and rape and kill and experiment and whatever else the gods turn Their gazes away from. I haven¡¯t been in an Aliornic temple since I was sixteen because I realized they kidnapped young women and kept them drugged to satiate the overwhelming amount of men who crave¡­that attention. I avoid Petrina all together because I can¡¯t stand what rituals they do to their children when they reach a marriageable age.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to hear of what happened to Sildet. That was truly a heinous thing for a child to go through, especially since that was her last memory in this world.¡±

    ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°From what Anla told me what Sakilei and the fancy boy told her, I figured something like this was going on. I had hoped that if either or both of them had landed in this situation that whomever bought them sliced their throats quickly.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you raze that building?¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you petitioned your lord to change the Nui-Breckin Act? You do live in a constitutional monarchy and you have that right.¡± He took in a deep breath. ¡°As I said, there will always be evil in this world. I don¡¯t have the time, resources, nor the allowance to do something like that. If someone hired me to, then I would destroy it with glee. I¡¯ve done similar things in the past. But, I always have to remember that I am a part of that disgusting underbelly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done that?¡± Al asked, aghast.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Raulin said, fixing his gaze on Al. ¡°I¡±m not too far from leaving my last meal behind me, knowing the same thing that you do. But, I do kill people and I destroy their lives and I steal from them. I do the dark deeds humans are capable of.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡¯s not¡­that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not evil, Wizard. Some men enjoy that and some enjoy what I do and some enjoy taking advantage of others. I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve never been happy doing what I do. But, I still do it, and I take responsibility for it. I¡¯m a decent man who does indecent things.¡±

    Al¡¯s thoughts swirled around in his head. A part of him kept pushing things out of focus, not allowing him to consider what he had just learned. He had known there were bad things in the world, but to see the price tag on a little girl, not even eleven years old, and what she¡¯d had to endure before her life had been snuffed out was too much for him to take in.

    ¡°Wizard,¡± Raulin said in front of their hotel. ¡°Look at me.¡± Al lifted his eyes to the dark blue ones behind the mask. ¡°You and I both know something horrendous happened to someone loved by someone we care about. You did this for Anla, to give her closure. I think it¡¯s a very kind gesture.

    ¡°But you now have a choice to make: if you¡¯re going to tell her and how much. I know you¡¯ve always valued open, brutal honesty, but I¡¯m going to ask you to think real hard before you say anything to her.¡±

    ¡°What should I say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you what you should say. I will suggest that, if you choose not to tell her, that you sort yourself out. You look like you woke up with a skeleton in your sheets.¡±

    Al nodded and took a very long walk around the neighborhood. It was well past dinner when he returned. He wasn¡¯t hungry, so that didn¡¯t bother him, but it was getting late and he felt exhausted.

    Anla was in the common room with Raulin and Tel. He walked past them and went into the room he shared with her and waited. Some time later (he didn¡¯t have an accurate way of gauging the time, having thought it was still around four o¡¯clock when he returned) Anla entered and saw him sitting on the bed. ¡°Hi, Al. Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, breaking his stare to look at her. ¡°I went to see the Duke today.¡±

    ¡°I know, you said you were going. How¡¯s Silfa?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s well, though I didn¡¯t see her. We can write her, if we want to.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She waited a while for him to continue. ¡°Is everything all right?¡±

    ¡°I paid the Duke to access the records of the Nui-Breckin Alliance.¡±

    She sat on the bed next to him and took his hand. ¡°What did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°So you¡¯re seventeen?¡± He had done the math at some point during his walk, trying to think of something that wasn¡¯t¡­that.

    ¡°Yes. Most people seem to take me less seriously when they realize how young I am, so I don¡¯t mention it. Al, what did you find out?¡±

    ¡°They took Sildet about four years ago and killed her shortly thereafter.¡±

    She sharply inhaled. ¡°Thank you, Al. I can stop looking for her and begin to grieve.¡±

    He turned and hugged her, surprised only slightly when he felt her shoulder shake. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said, rubbing her back.

    She looked up, her eyes wet. ¡°She was too young, Al. She died for just being what she was, not because she did anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°I know. Anla?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, wiping away her tears.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let them do that to you. I will tear down buildings and break chains if they ever catch you. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t choose that the first time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Al. I already forgave you for that.¡±

    ¡°And I wanted to show you that I really was sorry.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it, Al. Did you find anything out about Garlin?¡±

    ¡°There was no record of anyone being captured with his name or from your tribe around that time. I probably should have checked to see if he was taken later, but I was running out of time.¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯s still out there, hopefully.¡± When they were under the covers, she gave him a quick hug. ¡°Thank you again. I know it sounds strange, but it does mean a lot to me that you did that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    There was silence, then she asked, ¡°Was there something else?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, and closed his eyes.

 Chapter 199

    ¡°How well did you sleep last night?¡± Raulin asked Al when he walked downstairs to the common room.

    ¡°Not well. I dreamed¡­¡± he began, but trailed off.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right, Wizard. I don¡¯t think I need to hear what your mind came up with after yesterday¡¯s foray into the dark world. Come. We¡¯re going to train.¡±

    He moaned. ¡°I was hoping to have a day off.¡±

    ¡°No. And don¡¯t think I¡¯ll take pity on you because of what happened.¡±

    Al trudged up the stairs and back into his room. Raulin came in with the coat rack from the hallway, putting it next to the door until the two had finished their stretches. There wasn¡¯t much room to work in, but this wasn¡¯t going to be a lesson involving the full arch.

    ¡°Raulin, I¡¯m going to chop this stick into kindling in two minutes.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. When you¡¯re out in the woods and there¡¯s no one around, you can chop whatever tree you want as much as you want in any way you want. When we¡¯re in a city and you can¡¯t chop your tree, you need to work on something else.

    ¡°This rack is a fairly good representation of the height of a man. I want you to swing, but instead of sinking your ax in, I want you to feel what it feels like to miss. Step back, the rack is just a line for you. Good. Now, swing and feel the ax¡¯s weight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done this before, when you made me work on my swings.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not novel, but now you have a guide to make sure you¡¯re hitting the vital areas. Maybe I can get a few ribbons to tie around it so that you know the correct points.

    ¡°Now, number two is what¡¯s called a mercy strike. When you have enough control, and please don¡¯t try it beforehand, I want you to practice swinging into the rack and stopping just before you hit. Your goal is to get to a razor thin distance from it.¡±

    ¡°How does that help?¡±

    ¡°So, the ax is a particularly bad weapon to fight with for a number of reasons. The one I¡¯m concerned with is momentum. When you do, say, a diagonal chop,¡± he said, gesturing for him to do one, then holding Al¡¯s arm down, ¡°you are totally exposed for lengths of time that would allow a fencer to wreak havoc.

    ¡°There are three possible solutions that I can see. The first is to continue the swing into a spin and attack again the same way. Not bad for an occasional hit, but you can¡¯t maintain a dervish style indefinitely, even with your enhanced balance. The second is to transfer the weapon to your non-dominant hand and attack again quickly. That works well if you¡¯re ambidextrous, but it still has its issues.

    ¡°The last would be to stop the momentum and make your next strike. I¡¯m curious to see if this is possible for you. It¡¯ll take above average strength to do so, which you possess, and some training to get to that point.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re ¡®curious to see¡¯? What did your order teach you?¡±

    ¡°My order taught me that, if you¡¯re caught in the woods and you have a few moments to grab an ax from a stump, you should probably try ripping a tree limb down instead. Axes are like a knife-mace combination with none of the advantages. I¡¯m sort of making this up as I go and tailoring it to your abilities. It¡¯s the best I can do, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°I know. I just wish there was some advantage.¡±

    ¡°There are. The weight you can put behind this will lodge itself into a man with deadly force. One hit and the fight is done. Other than that, no one will really know how to fight against an ax, so you¡¯re going to confuse even the most seasoned of swordsmen.¡±

    Raulin noted that Al looked a little dejected, so he changed the subject while the wizard continued to train. ¡°What did you wind up choosing last night?¡±

    ¡°I told her,¡± he said.

    ¡°All of it?¡±

    ¡°No. I thought about what the knowledge was doing to me and thought ¡®what if that had happened to my sister? Would I want someone to tell me that?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t say ¡®yes¡¯. It seemed unnecessary to make the situation more painful for her. Her sister is dead, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I would have made the same choice. She needed to know, but she didn¡¯t need to know more than that.¡±

    Al nodded and continued swinging while Raulin stood appraising. ¡°How are you and Anla?¡±

    ¡°Good. Do you know something different?¡±

    ¡°No, I was just curious¡­I lost the bet, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Raulin said nothing for a few moments. ¡°A long time ago. I wasn¡¯t going to hold you to it, since you¡¯ve actually taken it upon yourself to be more quiet than you used to be.¡±

    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re treating her well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m courting her, actually. It¡¯s only in the beginning stages. She seems pleased with where we are, though, and that¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not pleased?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m a man who has other wishes.¡±

    ¡°¡­that you can satisfy when you bed some girl to get whatever information you want.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s off the table.¡±

    Al stopped in surprise for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Some men enjoy pursuing several women at once. I think your friend Aggie would fall into that category. I¡¯m not one of them; it¡¯s just how I was made.¡±

    ¡°But why would you take gestures over¡­¡± It dawned on him. ¡°You love her.¡±

    ¡°See what you can puzzle out when you¡¯re observing. Tel has been teasing me for some time now about it, in his own way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t denying it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m curious of your opinion on it.¡±

    He stopped his exercises completely to dwell on it. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know the full brunt of what happened at the Shrine, but looking back at our conversations about it, I can tell she was hurt. Something in her tone or the way she looked down quickly when I asked about you. And with that in mind I would tell you to stay away from her. But, I understand that you¡¯ve distanced yourself from her and I can only assume it¡¯s because you¡¯re repenting and you¡¯ve put some thought into what¡¯s best for her. If that¡¯s the case, then I have nothing to say.¡±

    ¡°Nothing? You¡¯ve changed considerably from the time when we were vying over her hand.¡±

    ¡°Maybe because my stake has changed. She can take care of herself and make her decisions¡­did you know she was seventeen?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She doesn¡¯t appreciate being patronized about her age. She also requested I not say anything.¡±

    ¡°I understand. She¡¯s young, but she manages to act more mature. And I¡¯m learning to trust that I don¡¯t need to hold the spear for the packholder, the way us Br¡¯vanese are taught. But, she still means something to me, a great deal more than I realized. So, I think I need to say that if you ever hurt her again, Raulin, you and I are done.¡±

    Raulin let the words sink into the atmosphere. ¡°I think that if I hurt her again, I¡¯d be hurting myself more. It won¡¯t happen.¡±

    * * *

    The conversation actually did weigh on Raulin. Less on hurting Anla; while he considered himself rather lucky that she was a forgiving woman, he felt it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d test again. It was more on the metaphor Al had used about the packholders.

    Br¡¯vani was a harsh country, especially in the south. Traders had to travel through deserts with few outposts and many creatures they preyed on humans. When families went together, the men would carry spears to protect their women, who would carry the packs of goods. It seemed like a strange tradition for a country where women were in charge and often were able to take care of themselves without a man, but their interpretation of it was simple: women can¡¯t be concerned with two things at once. A woman would rather spend her years mastering trade and know every grain of rice in her pack than how to fight. That was the man¡¯s job.

    And so Raulin spent a few hours that afternoon tracking down a certain threat. He asked around without his mask, he found the place, and then as a trirec paid a little visit. That evening, he brought the group to a little pasta restaurant on Mask and Fortnight streets and waited.

    Anla didn¡¯t want to be there. While she was happy to see Isky again, and thanked him for sending his letter to her quickly, there was someone else she¡¯d rather not see. She barely looked up during her meal and was therefore surprised when she looked and saw Tiorn standing next to the table.

    ¡°Hi, Anla,¡± he said.

    She put her fork down. ¡°Hi, Tiorn.¡±

    Anla barely recognized him. Both his eyes were swollen almost shut, his bottom lip cut, and his left arm in a sling.

    He licked his lips and his eyes flicked to her right before returning to her. ¡°I¡­I wanted to say that I¡¯m sorry¡­for¡­all those times¡­¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Thank you, Tiorn.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happened again,¡± he mumbled before shuffling off quickly.

    Anla took a steadying breath, then narrowed her eyes as she thought about things. Her eyes moved from her plate to Raulin¡¯s gloved hands. She grabbed his left and stripped the leather off. His knuckles were cut and swollen.

    ¡°How could you?¡± she whispered as she dropped his hand.

    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Al asked.

    She looked up with sharp, angry eyes. ¡°Raulin took it upon himself to enact revenge on someone who had wronged me, even though I¡¯ve expressly said many times that I don¡¯t repay people for their cruelty.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t revenge,¡± Raulin said and she turned to look at him. ¡°It was prevention. I¡¯ve given mercy to men before to find them back at the same crimes the next day. Disturbed men will continue to be disturbed. Every once in a while, a good roughing up will change their minds.¡±

    ¡°So, you beat him bloody in hopes he won¡¯t try it with someone else? Do you really thing that will work?¡±

    ¡°No. But, I put the fear of the unknown into him. I told him there was a contract out on him should he ever touch a woman inappropriately again. I¡¯ll check up on him when we pass through Hanala, to show him that I¡¯m watching him. And I hope he tells everyone what happened to him, so that they don¡¯t think they can do the same.¡±

    Anla sighed and looked around until she saw Al staring ahead. ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± she asked him in a somewhat exasperated tone.

    It was one of the more difficult discussions he¡¯d been pulled into, knowing things involving other people that he couldn¡¯t explain to her without breaking confidence. The part of him that would almost gasp when Kiesh the Black did something like this for some star-crossed love of his wanted to shake Anla and ask why she wasn¡¯t swooning at the gesture. The other part of him that appreciated laws and obedience to a once fanatical level wanted to cuff Raulin upside the head and demand he turn himself in to the police.

    But he wasn¡¯t a man of warring parts anymore. ¡°I think I should stay out of this.¡±

    She looked at him for a moment, winning the battle when he looked down at his meal and took a huge mouthful of pasta. She turned to Raulin. ¡°Should I be thanking you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this to indenture you to me. I did this because I felt it needed to be done.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    After a few moments, she nodded and continued eating. The rest of the meal would be well-described as ¡°quiet¡± as was the walk back to the inn. Unable to chop firewood, Al practiced the mercy strike. Tel went for a walk. Anla decided to borrow one of Al¡¯s books and was reading it in front of the fire in the common room.

    Raulin had gone to his and Tel¡¯s room. He wondered if he had done the wrong thing, or more accurately, had he done the right thing for the wrong person. He¡¯d admit to himself that he¡¯d done it for her knowing full well that she wasn¡¯t going to like it. It had surprised him that her objection had been the fact that it was revenge and not that he was trying to protect her like he owned her.

    How is it that she could move beyond the need for retribution? Just a slight reminder of his family and what had happened to them would set his blood boiling, would make him grind his teeth in the frustration that he could never kill enough of certain people to make him feel good again. In the entire time he¡¯d known Anla, and in all the stories they¡¯d shared, not once had she ever shown her need for vengeance. She preached mercy and forgiveness. Raulin wished he had her strength.

    There was a knock at the door, one that was unfamiliar. He¡¯d just managed to slip his mask on before the door was slammed open. Two trirecs stood there. ¡°You come with us,¡± one said and he immediately knew this was going to be a painful night.

    * * *

    Raulin made his steps loud across the floor to the inn, successfully attracting the attention of Anla. She turned in her seat, wide-eyed, as he passed by with the two other masked men, giving her a quick gesture not to worry about it.

    They walked south by many blocks until they came to Hyelk Hill, the prestigious neighborhood in Hanala that held the Arvarikor complex. As always, Raulin¡¯s stomach seized a little as he felt that anxiousness of being in trouble. Only this time, he was.

    One of the two trirecs pounded on the massive gate, which opened shortly thereafter. Raulin was shoved forward and he walked past the small sitting area and through the next gate, then was directed into the building in the center of the compound.

    The trivren were already assembled in the lounge where he¡¯d had his other tribunal. At least this was still on the casual side of legal proceedings; if he¡¯d been led upstairs into the open room, it would be because he was being tried. He recognized all the trivren save one, a new seventh who seemed younger without any of the facial growths and blooms age gave to elderly Merakians. A quick glance at the man¡¯s oddly bent and atrophied leg told him why he¡¯d gone into an early retirement.

    ¡°Sit, Kemor,¡± Curvorn said, gesturing to a hard, wooden chair across from the plush couches that the trivren sat in. He braced his forearms in reverence, removed his mask, then sat, schooling his features to neutrality.

    ¡°So glad you decided to join us,¡± Stavro said, a triumphant smile on his face. Raulin tried to think of what he had done to make him so pleased.

    ¡°Kemor,¡± Curvorn continued, ¡°how long have you been in Hanala?¡±

    ¡°This is my third night, masters.¡±

    ¡°And when were you going to check in at the base?¡±

    He blinked a few times at this. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that I was summoned¡­¡±

    Stavro interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s a rule that you must report to an Arvarikor headquarters within twenty-four hours whenever you are in the vicinity.¡±

    ¡°I understood that it was a suggestion, not a requirement.¡±

    ¡°And who told you that?¡±

    ¡°One of my mentors.¡±

    Stavro had a delighted look in his eye. Raulin strongly suspected he knew what had happened in Iascond with Afren, his mentor. ¡°It is still your fault even if you were trained wrong.¡±

    Curvorn spoke again. ¡°Kemor, is it true that you assaulted someone who is not a target in your docket?¡±

    He winced internally. They had been watching him and he hadn¡¯t even known it. ¡°He had a history of abusing one of my charges. It was a preventative measure to insure her safety.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Charge¡¯?¡± Stavro asked, leaning forward on his cane. ¡°Do you mean you have a guarding position?¡±

    There was no point in lying. They had the paperwork. ¡°I do. I acquired one while I was traveling, a couple that works in antiques and rare collectibles and their ledgerer. They are traveling the same path as I am, so it made sense to take on the work and earn more money and glory for Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°And how many contracts do you have during your cycle?¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°Twenty-five, master.¡±

    ¡°And how many contracts are you supposed to take in one year, Kemor?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-four.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That seems like one more than you should. It¡¯s a bit greedy, don¡¯t you think?¡± Stavro asked, addressing the group of trivrens. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have given that contract to another trirec?¡±

    ¡°By that time, I had established a rapport with the group. They wouldn¡¯t have chosen another trirec.¡± He explained what had happened in Carvek and their escape, glossing over anything he felt would be incriminating, like the amount of help they had provided him.

    ¡°Is it possible to strip him of one of his contracts and give it to another trirec?¡± asked another trivren.

    ¡°How many have you completed, Kemor?¡± Curvorn asked.

    ¡°Eighteen.¡±

    ¡°And how many more months do you have?¡±

    ¡°Six.¡±

    He heard the younger trivren let out an impressed sigh. ¡°You only have six remaining, then. Which ones are those?¡±

    ¡°I have four spying contracts, one theft, and one assassination. One is in Hanala, the rest in the south, in Tektorn and Genale.¡±

    ¡°We can consult with Ageka,¡± Curvorn said to the rest of the trivrens, ¡°to see if she thinks any of the trirecs in the south can take the assassination or the theft. I¡¯d rather not remove Kemor from the spying contracts.¡±

    The rest nodded in agreement, even Stavro reluctantly.

    ¡°You are dismissed, Kemor. Stay nearby and await our summons.¡±

    He clasped his forearms again, then sunk to his knees, holding his arms behind his back and bowing low. ¡°I am sorry for my ignorance and insubordination. These things will not happen again.¡±

    He felt his forehead press against the ground hard as one of the trivren stepped on his neck. He was surprised to find that he found the sensation comfortable, a completion to the ritual. When the weight was lifted, he took his mask and left the room.

    Raulin felt it was best to relieve some of his tension by practicing in the courtyard. He grabbed an ax from the stores and began getting a feel for the weapon, swinging it around. He didn¡¯t handle Al¡¯s ax unless he had to show him something, so it was strange to hold it and move with it.

    About twenty minutes passed before he was summoned again before the tribunal. Stavro didn¡¯t look pleased, which Raulin took as meaning he had wanted a worse punishment for him and the group hadn¡¯t agreed upon it.

    ¡°There are three infractions we will be addressing,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°The first is ¡®failure to report in¡¯. We believe you acted not in malice, but in ignorance. For this, the punishment is keyutik-fo-rabin.¡± He would be lugging a heavy log of wood over his shoulders for three hours. Not a terrible punishment, especially with gloves.

    ¡°The second is ¡®excess of contract limits¡¯. Ageka says none of the agents will be able to take your theft or assassination, so you must carry those out yourself. Instead of reclamation, the punishment is manrik-abi-robrin-abilin.¡± He¡¯d have to climb to the top of the building one hundred times. At least that would help build his muscles and skill for the theft or assassination contracts.

    ¡°The last is ¡®punitive measures outside of a contract¡¯. We do not believe that your actions against the Hanalese citizen were justified. The punishment is kark, nami-di-rob, naskinta.¡±

    He sharply inhaled. Ten switches, blindfolded, waist-up. It could be worse, much worse. There were a variety of different whips they could proscribe, from a tawse to a beraki, a long cat o¡¯ nine tails with metallic claws on the end. A birching was on the lighter side of scourging, not a terrible punishment, but the added stipulations that the whipper could hit his face, arms, and stomach made it worse. On top of that, he¡¯d be blindfolded, so he¡¯d be unable to see the switch coming and tense his muscles or flinch away from those more vulnerable areas.

    ¡°You can choose when and in which order these punishments will be taken, but you must take one right now. This matter is closed.¡±

    He clasped his forearms then bowed on the ground again. The pressure on his neck was painful from being stepped on this time, a small pebble on the floor cutting into his forehead. When he arose, he saw it was Stavro who was staring at him with a look of raw determination, like a hunter who had let a rabbit escape and hungered for coney stew.

    Raulin would take the punishments as they had been ordered, starting with the log runs. It was a stump wider than his shoulders and weighed around one-hundred pounds. The whole thing might have been easier if he hadn¡¯t needed to put it down and pick it up again after each time around the courtyard, as the punishment decreed. His back, shoulders, and thighs were on fire by the time he finished.

    The courtyard was illuminated by torches and there was no moon in the sky. He wanted to finish the climbing punishment before he slept and his muscles went stiff, but the lighting was poor. He did it anyway, hoping to get back to Anla, Tel, and Al as soon as possible. He slipped a few times, especially at the end he when he grew very tired, but finished before the midnight bell hit.

    As the head trivren, Curvorn was in charge of meting out punishments and had to watch him the entire time. Raulin walked over to the bench where he was sitting, his muscles trembling, and said, ¡°I will take the third tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said, rising slowly. ¡°You are free to use the facilities.¡±

    ¡°May I send word to my charges of my delay?¡±

    ¡°We have sent a trirec to watch them until you return, at your expense.¡±

    ¡°May I collect my beads for my finished contracts and turn them in for coins?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not all. Fifty percent maximum. I¡¯ve seen how much money you¡¯re making this docket. Very good job, Kemor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, master¡± he said.

    ¡°Keep impressing me. And stop getting into trouble. There are some who wish to see you fail, even at our expense.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    He changed out of his sweaty travel clothing and into one of the gray outfits worn by the trirecs in the compound. The hems were too short. He didn¡¯t care. He found an empty room and collapsed onto the rolled out mattress. He could have fallen asleep in less than a minute, but he heard a hissed whisper from the hallway. ¡°Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Unh?¡±

    ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    His brain was fuzzy with the craving for sleep, so it took him a few moments to puzzle out who would be speaking to him in an almost friendly manner. ¡°Isken?¡±

    ¡°Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be great company.¡±

    Raulin sat up and turn to face him. Isken knelt on the floor, clasped his arms behind his back, and bowed. ¡°I am sorry, Raulin. It¡¯s due to my negligence that you almost died in Miachin. I should have done better.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s asking a lot for you to memorize all the details of every contract coming in. I worried for you, since I knew they wouldn¡¯t go without punishing you for it.¡± He tapped Isken¡¯s head lightly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as he sat up. ¡°They gave me five with the beraki for every trirec that died, thirty-five all together. You saved me fifteen. I think you may have saved my life; I don¡¯t know of anyone who¡¯s taken more than forty-five and survived.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still with us.¡±

    There was a moment of quiet when Raulin thought Isken was going to say goodbye, but he said, ¡°I¡¯m learning Arvonnese,¡± in the same language.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± he said, switching to that tongue.

    ¡°I want to be transferred there.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they had a headquarters there anymore.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t. I¡¯m pressing to reestablish one.¡±

    Raulin yawned as he thought about this. ¡°You wanted to talk with me, knowing I¡¯m Arvonnese, and you don¡¯t want anyone else to overhear us. Curvorn speaks Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s asleep in the main building. I need to talk to someone about my thoughts. I feel heartsick all the time and I can¡¯t speak with anyone about it. I think I can trust you, though. You¡¯re like me.¡±

    ¡°How am I like you?¡± he asked carefully.

    Isken sighed. ¡°Please tell me I didn¡¯t make things up in my head. You want to leave the order, too.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t out of the blue for the trirec. He constantly peppered his conversations with seditious content. Raulin had known Isken was unhappy with the order for some time. But, he was a little surprised he had decided to act on it. He always assumed he was a grouser who complained because he wanted a record to show he didn¡¯t agree.

    Had it been anyone other than Isken, had it been another language, he¡¯d probably play coy. But he understood him and he had to agree with his assessment. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    Isken breathed out as his hands slapped down on the straw mat. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t want to be a trirec, but I do want to live.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that. Why do you want to leave?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of everything. I don¡¯t want to kill people. I don¡¯t want to help people kill people. I don¡¯t want to help those people kill each other. Raulin, I¡¯m so sorry about Afren.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°You did as much as you could. I hated killing him.¡±

    ¡°May I ask you a question? Why are you kiskgia now?¡± he asked, gesturing to the scars on his forearm.

    All of his training told him not to trust Isken. But the next few minutes found him pouring out everything that had happened in the last year, the spell, his new friends, their help, and most of all, Anla. ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful, Isken. She has these gorgeous eyes that sparkle when she laughs. I couldn¡¯t even tell you what color they are; I just want to stare in them for hours and try to figure it out. She¡¯s an amazing kisser, down to my toes jolts of heat every single time we embrace. I am absolutely smitten with her.¡±

    ¡°Does she feel the same?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°If I could find some extra time¡­If I didn¡¯t have to sail off to Noh Amair when this whole thing was done¡­I know I don¡¯t deserve her, especially after I completely botched my contract in Mount Kalista. She was the only reason why I finished it and I hurt her so deeply. And yet, she forgave me. How many women would do that?¡±

    ¡°She sounds like an amazing woman. I¡¯m happy for you, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. How are you planning on getting out?¡±

    ¡°Arvonne is in shambles right now and there is no trirec presence. It is a large country. If I travel through and get ¡®lost¡¯, I think I would be able to find something to do. I¡¯ll take my money and buy something cheaply, a shop maybe, and just live a quiet life where I don¡¯t have to keep checking my back for knives.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea. Let¡¯s make a pact to find and help each other when we get out. A bit more incentive to do so, huh?¡±

    ¡°I like that idea.¡± He turned to leave, but stopped. ¡°I was learning some new words last week and there was one that stuck out. ¡®Eraule¡¯. Is that where your name comes from?¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡®Eh-raul-ay¡®¡± he corrected. ¡°It means ¡®not from here¡¯, ¡®foreign¡¯. They drop the ¡®es¡¯ and add ¡®in¡¯ to men¡¯s names, so ¡®Raulin¡¯ means ¡®not from Arvonne¡¯. And, as you know, ¡®Kemor¡¯ means ¡®from the west¡¯. So, my name really means that no one wants me.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope you find a home someday,¡± he said before leaving.

    ¡°You as well, my friend.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s whole body was stiff when he awoke. Maybe that would help with the whipping, he thought.

    It didn¡¯t. Not at all. The anticipation of the lash was the hardest part, the waiting between the connections, knowing that he was about to have a line of white-hot pain cross his body but not knowing where it was going to be. Whoever whipped him was completely random as well. At least he didn¡¯t hit Raulin¡¯s face.

    After a minute or ten, he couldn¡¯t be sure, it ended. He put his shirt and mask back on, collected his money, and left the compound for the hotel. He was ravenous, but also a jittery kind of exhausted. He wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do other than get away from Hyelk Hill.

    He decided to lie down. He opened his room to see Anla on the floor, propped against the bed, nodding off. She awoke when he closed the door, looking confused for a moment. ¡°Raulin, are you all right?¡±

    ¡°More or less. I had some business to take care of with my order.¡±

    ¡°It took all night?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Raulin, you¡¯re being evasive with me. What happened?¡±

    He sighed and pulled off his shirt. She stood and looked at his back and chest, her mouth slightly open. ¡°Why did they do this?¡±

    ¡°For roughing up Tiorn. I broke the law because I felt it was right to do that, I wound up making you angry, and upset my order enough to punish me for it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing anything like that again.¡±

    ¡°Raulin, I¡¯m not angry with you.¡± She moved over to Tel¡¯s pack and fished out the jar of salve Tel had asked for in Mount Kalista. She nodded her head to the bed and he laid down prone. Only one of the switchings had broken skin and she applied the cold medicine to his skin. He relaxed when she began to heel and knead his shoulders, in between his blades, and his arms.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said when she sat up from the bed.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll get some food for you and leave it here.¡±

    She was almost at the door when he asked, ¡°How do you not want payback for all the injustices in your life? How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°I think real hard about the consequences,¡± she said softly before shutting the door.

 Chapter 200

    They had set out south the following morning, hugging the eastern coastline. It would be a straight shot to Miscomme where ferries departed for Genale, Ailetol, Anistaf, and Tektorn, just a few days of travel.

    The first village had been nice, but had little in the way of interest outside of a tavern where a bard played the quiet, classical tunes the folks there appreciated with soft applause. ¡°You don¡¯t see many of them,¡± Raulin explained to Anla. ¡°They have to memorize dozens of songs and poems from every country in Noh Amair. He has to master three instruments in order to get his stripes.¡± He tapped on his own neck to illustrate where the distinction was. ¡°He has silver, which means five, I think. Definitely not an easy feat.¡±

    ¡°How many have you seen?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Two, now three, and I¡¯m not entirely certain this guy isn¡¯t the copper I met earlier in his career.¡±

    They were miles down the road the next day when Al said, ¡°I¡¯m putting forth a request.¡±

    ¡°Which would be what, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°I want to spend a night in the next town, even if we have time to travel.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like the pinnacle of wizardry. Only the most talented get to work in Analussia. It¡¯s supposed to be beautiful and have hot springs, which I didn¡¯t get to use in Mount Kalista. I¡¯d really like to.¡±

    Raulin had been walking next to Anla, so he noticed when she stopped short at the name. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± she said, by then back to walking next to him. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­is there any way to go around it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Al began. Raulin turned and pointed to his ears, his eyes, then put a finger in front of his mouth.

    ¡°We¡¯d have to go back to the last town, a few miles at least, until we hit a crossroads. Then we¡¯d have to circle around it. It would add a few days to our trip.¡±

    She hugged herself as the wind from the sea picked up. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°All right, Wizard. We¡¯ll stay in Analussia for one night.¡±

    There was no sound as they crested the last hill before town. There was no one walking across the street to the beach. By that point Anla had pulled up her cowl and was hugging herself tightly. Al was slightly on edge, since he was listening and he could hear nothing but the wind over the courtyards in town.

    Nothing changed as they got closer. They stood past the large outcroppings of rock that marked the beginning of the town to stillness.

    Al scratched his head. ¡°This is strange. Maybe they boarded up for the winter. I thought they were open year round, though.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Raulin suggested. ¡°If they battened the hatches against an oncoming storm, we should get inside quickly.¡±

    They soon realized that the emptiness of the town wasn¡¯t temporary. Brown weeds crept out between the broken tiles in the plaza. The fountain sprayed into the air, but the water in the basin was clogged with leaves and was a murky green color.

    Raulin stepped inside a shop. ¡°Hello?¡± The place was covered in a layer of dust that touched all the completely bare shelves. The till was wide open and empty.

    ¡°They were in a rush to leave,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Or looted afterwards.¡±

    ¡°How could you tell the difference?¡±

    He opened the door to the back and immediately stumbled back out. ¡°Well, your answer is in there.¡±

    Al opened the door and began gagging from the smell. A skeleton sat at the table, its face turned towards them in a plate of rotten food. ¡°Why did you make me look! I would have believed you if you had told me!¡± he said.

    Raulin held his breath and opened the door again, looking quickly at the man. The cause of death was easy to spot; a part of the man¡¯s head was bashed in and there was a sticky puddle of blood on the table. ¡°Okay, out, out,¡± he said, shooing Al and Tel out of the shop.

    ¡°What passed?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°The shop owner, I¡¯m presuming that was him, was murdered while eating his meal with a blunt object years ago. That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡±

    ¡°But what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wizard.¡±

    They went to several places, each either empty or with the skeletal remains of a resident. In a particularly grisly discovery, they found a giant pile of bodies behind the police station. The hotel was empty, at least, dusty but still beautiful with its luxurious touches.

    ¡°I counted over a hundred bodies,¡± Raulin mused as they walk through the plaza. ¡°Some seem like they were surprised while others resisted. The only thing I can think of is pirates or raiders attacking and pillaging unexpectedly.¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°I know we don¡¯t have much of a standing army or navy, but our towns are well guarded.¡±

    ¡°To some extent. The fact that I¡¯m here sort of proves otherwise.¡± Al give him a flat look. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m highly trained and pretty damn good at sneaking in places.¡±

    ¡°If it were pirates, wouldn¡¯t we have found corpses in the open with pirate clothes?¡±

    ¡°Likely in that big pile of bodies. And ¡®pirate clothes¡¯? Do you mean a tricorn hat with a skull and bones, a sash, and a cutlass?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they always where in Kiesh the Bl¡­okay, yes, I know it¡¯s fiction. But sometimes these things are based on real facts, so pirates very well could have dressed like that.¡± Raulin gave a snorting laugh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not wrong about the roads. How many highwaymen have we encountered in the last six months? Three bands, two of which scarpered off once they saw Tel or you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. It probably isn¡¯t worthwhile to eek out a living robbing people or towns when you¡¯re likely to get the hangman¡¯s noose early in your career.¡±

    ¡°Out west it¡¯s more common, so I¡¯ve heard.¡±

    ¡°Not from a Kiesh the Black novel, I hope?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said, holding out the syllable. ¡°From some of my wizarding professors who were stationed there.¡±

    ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have to¡­¡±

    ¡°Would a lawman kill a lawman for any reason?¡± Tel asked.

    Both Al and Raulin turned to face him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°When we were in the station, there were two men on the ground wearing the same clothes. One was holding the other. They both had knives stuck in them.¡±

    ¡°Show me,¡± Raulin said.

    As he had said, the two men laid on the floor of one of the cells. ¡°Either they didn¡¯t stab each other and they liked each other a lot or one of those men was a pirate dressed as a police officer.¡±

    ¡°Or something else,¡± Al offered.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just have a queer feeling that there¡¯s something else I should be considering.¡±

    Raulin moved his gaze around the room slowly before he got a strange, instinctual nudge. ¡°Tel, where¡¯s Anla?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s down at the beach,¡± he said.

    Raulin took off running across the plaza, the road, then onto the beach. He looked back and forth, not seeing her anywhere. Finally, he spotted a dark form laying down, the seawater lapping over her. He ran to her and saw she was Anla, her cowl up over her head, her body curled up like an infant.

    ¡°Anla? Anla, are you okay?¡± he asked, landing on his knees. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    She continued to gaze forward blankly in a way that scared him for a moment until she blinked. A wave came up and crashed into Raulin, soaking his shirt. He almost hissed from the saltwater touching his wound, but the fact that it was freezing helped somewhat. The water passed over her body, over her head, but still she didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Anla,what¡¯s wrong?¡± He risked any further injuries by picking her up before she drowned in the ocean. He stood and started walking towards the hotel. She needed to be warm and safe.

    Al and Tel were standing on the road. ¡°What happened to her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Raulin said. ¡°She¡¯s not talking.¡±

    ¡°I did it,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, moving his ear closer to her lips.

    ¡°I did it.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I killed them. All of them.¡±

    * * *

    They broke the expensive teak chairs and started a fire in the marble fireplace. Anla was shivering so hard her teeth where chattering. Raulin wasn¡¯t faring much better. Al and Tel found several blankets in the hotel rooms on the first floor and piled them next to the two. Anla barely moved when Tel gently stripped her clothes off and bundled her, letting her curl on the floor.

    The stores of food in the basement had been untouched, but most of it had rotted a long time ago. The tea would be stale, but drinkable. Al brought that up with a full kettle and serviceware, some cheese, crackers, jars of pickled vegetables, dried beans, rice, and some nuts. He made a decent stew from some of the items and handed it to Raulin in a mug.

    Raulin thanked him, then went back to staring into the fire. He had a lot to think about. From the beginning, he had honestly told her that her magic scared him. Now he saw the proof of what she was capable of when unchecked. It was what Al had been worried about, had chosen to dismiss her safety over, since he felt she needed to know the ramifications of her powers. It had been pointless; she didn¡¯t need to consider it because she already knew.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    He could admit he was scared. She promised him time and time again that she wouldn¡¯t embark in revenge. How strongly did she hold onto that, though? Did she have a breaking point? Had he been days, hours from having his free will ripped from him and being forced to kill Lady Karninth? Or would it have absolutely never happened?

    And what did this mean between them? Could he still love someone that had killed over a hundred people in one go? Ah, but he was being hypocritical. Who had the higher kill count? That wasn¡¯t even fair; who had the most consecutive kills? He definitely did. He had made the choice to end another person¡¯s life time and time again for the last twelve years without much remorse. This ate her up inside, forged her life, made her stay her hand when she could have a comfortable life.

    She had made a mistake, one brutal mistake made in youth. He looked at her, still staring off in the distance, and knew that he didn¡¯t love her one drop less for it. Maybe this was one of things that couldn¡¯t be touched by love; you were either in love or not.

    They decided to sleep on mattresses pulled from rooms. The building was too cold away from the fireplace and the rooms would be uncomfortable. Raulin redressed when his clothes were dry, then knelt in front of her. He squeezed her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    It was deep into the night when he awoke to the sounds of sobbing. He thought for a moment it was Al, but then remembered where he was and what had happened. ¡°Anla?¡±

    He tried to move closer, but she said, ¡°Stay away from me.¡±

    ¡°All right. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No. Didn¡¯t you hear me? I killed them, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Anla, it happened in¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not okay!¡± He heard Tel and Al stir at her yell. ¡°It¡¯s not okay!¡±

    She began panting heavily in between her sobs, sitting up so she could move farther away from them. Not knowing what else to do, he said, ¡°Tell me about what happened.¡±

    Anla stopped, but rested her forehead on her knees. Finally, she turned her head. ¡°It was the winter after I turned fourteen. For Hanala, is was brutal, rainier and colder than normal. It broke the street kids; they all set out for other jobs or gave up and went to the orphanage. Or other places,¡± she said darkly. ¡°Sildet and Garlin had gone missing and Raidet finally left when the weather turned unbearably raw. I was alone, trying my best to make money every day, but it was never enough. I¡¯d make enough to eat, but not enough for a warm bed and definitely not enough to save for the next day.

    ¡°Then, I couldn¡¯t find any work and I had nothing. I was huddling against the cold when a man walked by, looked me over, and said some suggestive things. I knew Ghenians considered it a bad thing when women whored, but I needed money and I was willing to do whatever it took to eat again. I agreed. He seemed surprised, but he took me out to the alley and¡­¡± She stopped and stared ahead for a full minute. It appeared as though she was drifting to wherever she had been earlier, but she spoke again. ¡°It hurt. When he finished, he buttoned his trousers and began to walk away. I couldn¡¯t think in that moment, but I managed to tell him to pay me. He laughed. ¡®Stupid whore, always get the money first¡¯. I begged him. ¡®Please, I haven¡¯t eaten in four days, I need the money.¡¯ He shrugged, almost at the end of the alley, and said, ¡®That¡¯s not my problem¡¯. I felt so angry, so miserable, so desperate. ¡®Pay me!¡¯ I yelled and he stopped walking. He turned in a daze and gave me all the money in his pocket, a few gold, more silver, and a lot of copper. He stumbled away. I went to the nearest restaurant and at a bowl of stew and a loaf of bread and almost got sick from eating them so fast.

    ¡°I left and was looking for a place to stay for the night when he caught me off guard and rushed me. I thought he wanted me again and I struggled to get away. I was going to give him his money back when he grabbed my wrist and forced me to take a pouch of money before he shuffled away again. It had twenty gold in it, enough to easily get me through the winter. My instincts took over and I was running down streets and over alleys, trying to put space between us. I thought it meant he had bought me and I was his slave, though that doesn¡¯t make sense at all. I didn¡¯t know enough about it.

    ¡°I hid in a building, trying to gather my thoughts, when he found me again. He still had the dazed look, but he was covered in blood. He made me take more money, a few gold that time. I asked him why he was doing this, what did it mean, but he left. I ran, he found me again, a few silver and him now drenched in blood. I was so scared that I yelled, ¡®Stop!¡¯. He stood for a few more seconds before collapsing, dead.

    ¡°I took the money and fled from the area. I found a room, my hand shaking as I gave the innkeeper the coins. I crawled underneath the covers, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. All night I laid awake thinking about what had happened. Then I realized I had spoken and he had obeyed. I asked him to pay and he kept paying me until I told him to stop. He had stopped everything, including his life. I¡¯d had this power over him. Was it just with him or other people, too? And how did I do it?

    ¡°I tried it out the next day. I remembered I was very angry the first time, so I thought about my parents dying and my brother and sisters being taken from me. It seemed to work. I had people do simple things, nothing bad, since they weren¡¯t bad people. I figured out that I could do it without being angry. And after a few weeks, when I thought I had the technique down, I walked to Analussia.¡±

    She paused and looked around at the three of them. Raulin took the opportunity to pass her a mug of stew. She sipped on it, then continued on in her unemotional voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve told any of you that this was the town that hanged my parents. This was the place where they were given a shoddy trial, sentenced, and killed to uphold a law that punishes love and respect and understanding, all the beautiful things my parents had between them. I returned for vengeance.

    ¡°The town was busy with early spring travelers. I took up a room for one night in the town and began speaking to people. When I had a moment alone with a young man, I made sure to use my magic to tell him that at noon the next day he was going to start killing. No women, no children, no elderly, no one that wasn¡¯t responsible in some way for my parents¡¯ deaths, though that was hardly true or fair. Most of the men that were slaughtered were on holiday with their families and hadn¡¯t been there when my parents were hanged.

    ¡°I watched from my hotel room as the bells rang and the screams began. I kept waiting to feel relief, some happiness at the redemption, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. I walked down into the street to find an older woman that I knew would be safe from the carnage. She was the one that had bought our horse and carriage for a pittance and shooed us away after the hanging. I wanted her to feel anguish as her world collapsed, as she realized she couldn¡¯t prey on others anymore because there wouldn¡¯t be anyone. I found out later she had died the previous summer and I was robbed of that experience. I think, though, that I wouldn¡¯t have felt what I was looking for if she had been alive and I had found her. Fifty steps out of the hotel and I was already sickening from everything.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the gore that bothered me. I had seen the aftermath of elven patrols being patched up after they were attacked. Unlike Ghenians with their animals butchered behind closed doors, my villagers would skin and disembowel animals in front of the children. The blood didn¡¯t bother me but the tears did, the cries of women hunched over their husbands taken by surprise by a crazed man, the wails of children who had seen atrocities. Despite my instructions, accidents happened. I made orphans that day.

    ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t stop it, but I made myself watch. And when every man I¡¯d ensorceled had been taken down, my parents were still dead, my siblings were still missing, and I was still where I was, alone, desperately needing my family, still wanting to feel glee over this, but hating myself instead.

    ¡°I walked back to Hanala. I didn¡¯t touch my magic for months and when I did, it was only in defense. And I haven¡¯t allowed myself to even consider revenge since that day. I¡¯ve had enough.¡±

    The fire crackled and popped, but otherwise there was silence. Al rose after a minute and walked outside without a word. Raulin tried to think of something to say to her, but he looked at Tel quickly and saw he was shaking his head. When he looked back, Anla had piled her blankets over her and was sleeping. Or crying.

    They said nothing when they awoke in the morning. Breakfast was made and served with nods of thanks or tight smiles. Anla ate nothing, but followed them when they set out south for the next town.

    The whole time Raulin thought of dozens of ways to start a conversation with her, but failed to pick one he thought was meaningful enough. So, he tried one that had nothing to do with her revelation. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t take your flowers this morning.¡±

    She looked over at him, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°How can you think about courting me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s a tough, emotional time for you. It was insensitive of me. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±

    ¡°No. How can you think about courting me? After what I told you I had done.¡±

    ¡°Ah. You think that I¡¯m going to abandon our relationship because of what you said.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly standing on high moral ground, now am I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I killed hundreds of people¡­¡±

    ¡°A little over one hundred, not two or three. And should I tick off how many I killed? I killed my first love and almost all my friends, Anla, about fifty-three in one go. After that¡­five or ten a year? Sixty-seven, no I¡¯m up to seventy-two now, not including people I killed outside of contracts and incidents. I¡¯ve had the opportunity to say ¡®no¡¯ to killing over a hundred times, and yet I still do it. You only had that one time and you realized halfway through you¡¯d changed your mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different. You have to kill. I didn¡¯t.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I really hate to say the wizard is right, but he is. I can leave whenever I want and stop many future deaths, but I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll kill you and someone else will take your place.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I tell myself. We¡¯re good at that, us trirecs, telling ourselves little lies and twisting morality for our benefit. I almost forget to check myself sometimes and I actually do think it.

    ¡°You, however, haven¡¯t done that. You made one terrible mistake and you have beaten yourself up every day over that. You reluctantly use your magic, fearing just a sliver of what happened in Analussia. That¡¯s the best you can do with this situation.¡±

    ¡°I can turn myself in. I should have done that a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°You could. Next town, you could walk up to the sheriff and confess. If he believes you, you¡¯d await a trial and a sentence, likely death by hanging. Will that bring back everyone who died? Will it stop any baerds from doing anything like that again? Will it stop you from doing it again? A good law protects the people and doesn¡¯t give in to bloodlust. You would be giving up your life to satisfy the victims¡¯ need for revenge, not stop this from happening ever again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said dryly. ¡°You are good at twisting morality for your benefit.¡±

    He sighed, looked up for a moment, then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask someone who has almost no stake in the outcome, then?¡±

    She looked back at Al, who was ardently studying the seascape. She sighed, nodded, and dropped her pace to match his.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to listen real hard to what you have to say about magical ethics, Al.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t teach you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°What I mean is I don¡¯t think I can teach you anything more about it. It mostly comes down to exploring what is right and what is wrong. Somewhere along the way you discover that morals come down to what is inherently, instinctively needed and what society currently believes is needed. Either way, you need to either blindly believe what is told to you or experience it for yourself.

    ¡°What I was always concerned with was you using your magic on people and not understanding the morality of it. I wasn¡¯t prepared to accept it blindly; I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d had your experience. You¡¯ve already carved your rules into your flesh. You know where you¡¯ll stop and what lines you¡¯ll cross. I can¡¯t teach you any more.¡±

    ¡°What are your thoughts on my story?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Anla!¡± he snapped. ¡°I know what I would have said. Now, you three have been telling me to ease off, to listen, to step back, to not be so hard, to not think of things in black and white. And I have been. But I don¡¯t know what to think about something like this, something so¡­monumental. I need to think. Alone,¡± he said, eyeing Telbarisk.

    ¡°And you?¡± she asked the grivven. ¡°What would they think of what I did in Ervaskin?¡±

    He thought about this for a few moments. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the best person to ask, Anladet. My ways are different then your ways.¡±

    ¡°Humor me.¡±

    ¡°Well. When I spoke with my friend Jorm¨¦, he said that people believed grivvens to be peaceful. I think that¡¯s true when it comes to our own, the people we live with and see every day. We don¡¯t cuff our children when they misbehave, we don¡¯t get drunk and pick fights, we don¡¯t plot against each other. Maybe my brother, but not most grivven.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t true of the others and us, though. There are grivven who do not live in towns and do not respect peace. There are gtivven who live across borders in other lands who are not our own. With them we fight. They attack and we attack, then we keep going back and forth or we break. It was one such skirmish where I killed a man with my magic to protect the warriors guarding the town I was living in and I do not regret his life ending by my hands.

    ¡°That is war. I know your people signed a treaty with the Ghenians, but it seems like it has been broken time and time again. You both pledged not to kill one another, yet your parents were hanged. To me that would seem like the first act in a war. They drew first blood. And when you grew in strength, you drew second blood. Then, they retaliated by trying to take you. You didn¡¯t let them. You didn¡¯t kill, but you didn¡¯t allow them to take you, either. We would consider your first reaction within the laws of war and your second honorable.

    ¡°This all comes down to the war you have within you. I can see you fighting to keep each feet in both your parents¡¯ worlds, trying hard to honor your mother¡¯s people while adhering to the laws your father¡¯s make you obey. It is his that are making you feel guilty while it is hers that made you feel vindicated in the first place.

    ¡°The question you need to ask is not how I or Al or Raulin feel about it, nor anyone else, it¡¯s ¡®who will win?¡¯.¡±

    Anla blinked a few times at his words, then nodded before take the rear position of their group.

    It wasn¡¯t something she could decide quickly, she realized after much thought. It might not be something she would ever come to a decision on, whether she was more elf or more Ghenian, whether she¡¯d had justification in killing all those people. She did have to live for the moment and she wasn¡¯t going to punish herself with crippling guilt until she decided she needed it. She braided her hair the next day and decorated it with the holly Raulin had left on her nightstand.

 The Chalice (200th chapter bonus)

    Stevrin watched, arms crossed. How he could stand there as the Chancellor spoke and not want to rush the platform and strangle the man was beyond him. He suspected he might have simmered a modicum with age and experience, just enough to merely grit his teeth and watch instead of acting.

    The short, pudgy man gesticulated, his speech reaching a fevered pitch. The crowd responded, cheering and clapping, hooting with the abandon brought by dewy optimism and wide-eyed hope. Gods, if they only knew what this meant, what was right around the corner for this country, they¡¯d charge the stage and rip that man apart, starting with his pressed suit and ending with his entrails. He only wished their enthusiasm outlasted their dying spirit.

    He stayed as long as the oration lasted and no longer. He turned, walked four blocks away, and down a short set of stone stairs to a basement room, used usually for storage. He knocked thrice, twice, and slapped his palm once.

    The door jangled open and Kullem stepped aside, sheathing the knife that had slipped into his palm. ¡°Danil will be here soon with Kalin, if we¡¯re to do this.¡±

    ¡°Still planning on it.¡± He pulled a mug from on top of the casks against the wall and uncorked one. They say wine should never be drunk from something so crass, but they were all eating and fighting with whatever they could get nowadays. Bouquet be damned, he was thirsty.

    There was little light in the room, but he could still see enough to eye the chalice on top of the boxes. They had put flour inside, to keep better track of it, but he knew that a little water splashed on it and that cup would be invisible. It unnerved him. Things like that were in books and common rooms, not in front of him, not five feet away.

    ¡°How was it?¡± Kullem asked, straddling a chair.

    ¡°Same. If you bagged his words and tilled it in a salted field, you¡¯d have a melon crop overnight.¡±

    Kullem tamped his tobacco into his pipe, lighting it with a match and waving it out. Stevrin had hated the scent of tobacco smoke a year ago; it reminded him of his father¡¯s pacification after a drunken night of yelling and beatings. Now, though, it hardly bothered him. It was harder to get tobacco and matches both. There would be leaner days ahead when he¡¯d actually miss the smell. Unless, of course, this worked.

    The silence was interrupted by the same combination of raps. Stevrin got the door this time, letting his friend enjoy his pipe. Two men entered, both blond and blue-eyed with patrician noses. They claimed their grandfather was a bastard of some noble, a drop of Magrithon¡¯s blood in their veins. Stevrin had never held it against them. ¡°It¡¯s crowded in the plaza,¡± Danil said.

    ¡°You¡¯d think our countrymen would have better sense.¡±

    ¡°Well, they all can¡¯t be like you, Stevrin.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a bloody genius, Kalin. They should know that if you kill the king and his family, terrible things will happen. There is no way Kalronism is going to support anyone but the Chancellor and his cronies.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kullem said. ¡°Let¡¯s rehash this old argument, like it hasn¡¯t driven us to this point already. Shall we go over the plan again as well?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the three said in unison.

    ¡°Great, we¡¯re in agreement.¡±

    There was silence in the small room tinged with the tension of anticipation. This was it. Ten months of planning, weapons stored and ready, people gathered and waiting. They just needed the catalyst.

    Stevrin tipped back the mug and drank the rest, dregs and all. He looked at his friends, at his brothers, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    First to leave were the Trella brothers, their steel ready. There were a few reasons why Stevrin had picked those two, but none quite as strongly as their ability to eviscerate an opponent. Agile, cunning, and with impressive stamina, they both had been jei dume, non-noble opponents for the peerage, since the aristocracy couldn¡¯t duel each other, even in practice. There would be no trouble on the way to the warehouse.

    In the rear was Kullem, who might linger to hold quick conversations with the good folk of Eri Ranvel. He was their financier, their connector, and their master of good will. He owned several businesses and had been on a few councils. He knew many people of importance and had gotten them everything they needed.

    Stevrin might not have chosen himself as the fourth to a great team, but he had discovered much about himself in the last year. He would have said beforehand that he was good at planning and had been willing to be the one to steal the chalice from the palace and offer himself fully to the sedition. He had discovered he had a knack for rousing speeches and coercing people. Donil, for example, the elder of the two Trellas, had needed quite a bit of convincing before he joined.

    Those two, Kullem, and he had rounded each other out and balanced strengths against weaknesses. This was going to work. It had to.

    Kalin opened the door to the warehouse for them, giving a grin and a slight mocking bow. With his jei dume uniform of folded-down leather boots, a long coat, and a tricorn hat he painted the picture of a man ready for glory. The rapier and main-gauche at his sides helped punctuate their stage presence, as did his brother¡¯s similar dress and epee de cour, Kullem¡¯s chain mail and battle ax, and Stevrin¡¯s own mail and saber. This had been key. Stevrin knew they had to look the part in order to woo the audience.

    It began when they turned and began walking to the assembly. Ten dozen men quieted as they approached, drinking in the four men radiating bravado, power, and sheer determination. The Trella brothers checked their weapons casually, Kullem rested on the pommel of his ax, and Stevrin took front center. ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    In all honesty, it was disappointing. Four months ago he had commanded rooms of near a thousand. Infighting in the quartet had led to diminishing returns, he knew that, but he had always hoped for a fresh swell in numbers. A score over a hundred would be enough. It would have to be.

    All eyes were on him. ¡°Today is a day of culmination, the moment when the drink touches your lips, when the clouds break and the sun shines again, when you spy land again at sea. Today is a day when we will cease to mourn for the our kings and princes, the Alscaines, and forge our pain into a drive, a need to make the Kalronists pay.

    ¡°But, my friends, this is not about revenge.¡± He saw a few confused looks. Reasonable, since he¡¯d always used reparations as a point in previous speeches. ¡°No. Revenge speaks only to the past. Today we will look forward to tomorrow, to a day where the lies and broken promises and tyranny of the Chancellor and his men will be destroyed, crushed under our weight. For we are strong together and we can overcome the wrongs of today for the brighter future. Who¡¯s with me?¡±

    ¡°I am!¡± yelled a few men.

    ¡°The gods need to hear us, men! They need to hear us so that they will see we are fighting their fight, righting the wrongs. I said who¡¯s with me?¡±

    ¡°I am!¡± the room echoed.

    ¡°Who is willing to show those men what happens when they destroy the monarchy, Arvonne itself, with the better end of a blade?¡± He gestured for the Trellas to start handing out weapons.

    ¡°I am!¡±

    ¡°Who will join me in storming the gates where the false king sits, slit his throat, and win back our country?¡±

    ¡°I am!¡±

    ¡°Who is willing fight until they are all dead?¡±

    ¡°I AM!¡±

    ¡°Then we go, men! We go to take back what is ours!¡±

    The was a roar deafening despite the small size of the group. Stevrin walked through the parting middle, his friends behind him. Men reached out to clasp his arm or shoulder and he did the same back. Some leaders felt it was beneath them to be touched by their followers; Stevrin thought a touch in exchange for the risk was so little. Some of these men might not just be giving up their lives but the lives of their families.

    Yaguer was standing near the door in his cassock of golden linen. ¡°Rousing speech,¡± he said, locking step as they left the building, his spiked mace in hand.

    ¡°Many thanks. Do you think your god heard us?¡±

    ¡°Our god, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Mikros you need to impress. Let¡¯s hope Magrithon and Skethos noticed your planning.¡±

    ¡°Think He knows about the cup?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s to say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m banking on it,¡± Stevrin said. ¡°You said there was a high payoff. I¡¯m going to need the gods on my side.¡±

    Yaguer wiped the sweat from his brow. ¡°The chalice is mysterious, that¡¯s all I can say and have been saying. And since you chose the group instead of the chalice, I don¡¯t know what to expect. Where is it, by the way?¡±

    ¡°At our meeting spot.¡±

    ¡°You have to release it afterwards. It¡¯s not meant for museums and private collections.¡±

    ¡°I plan on it.¡±

    The back gate to Dilvestrar, the Alscaine¡¯s ancestral palace, was in sight. A guard stood to block their entrance, but fished out his ring of keys when he spied the crowd coming. He swung the gate open. ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± Stevrin said.

    ¡°The gods¡¯ luck to you,¡± Captain Corpresti responded. ¡°Try not to kill too many of my men.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± he said, grasping his shoulder briefly.

    The courtyard had already started to show signs of neglect. Trees and shrubs were shaggy with overgrowth and the fountain¡¯s waters were murky with algae. With confidence Stevrin crossed the stones and pushed open the door. He had a man hold it while he led the charge.

    The hallway was empty, as was the inner courtyard, also decrepit with weeds and grass growing around the fish basin with abandon. The men oozed forwards through the arches, crossing to the next hallway where a wide-eyed guard opened his mouth to yell. Donil¡¯s sword caught him above the Adam¡¯s apple, angled into his brain, his throat filling with blood that gargled his words and dripped from the corners of his mouth before he sunk to his knees.

    They continued on ¡¯til they finally opened a door to a grand room. This was the autumn dining room, none of the finery of color and cloth hanging that Stevrin remembered from when he worked at the palace as an attendant. He pointed to a door across the way what would take them to the throne room via the main foyer.

    He stopped for a moment, thinking he heard something. It was quiet and empty, not at all as it had once been, but they likely had less then an ideal number of people caring for the palace. He had heard from a number of people that most rooms were blocked off and unused. Silent was something to be expected.

    But it wasn¡¯t silent. Behind them he heard metal on metal, the unmistakable sound of fencing. The men around him turned to see what the commotion was and missed guards filing in the door Stevrin had point at. ¡°At arms!¡± he yelled, engaging with the closest man.

    The rear of the group finally made it through the double doors, several actively hacking away at armored men bursting against their ranks.

    They were in a vice, one hundred and twenty men in a room thirty by seventy, fighting against another hundred on either side. What could he do? Where could they go? He stood on the table, his muddy boots dirtying what he considered sacred soil. ¡°Men! All to the front! Eyes on the rear!¡±

    Hopefully the Trellas could bottleneck the guards at the doors while the rest surged forward. He jumped off the table, kicking a guard in a gambeson hard enough to send him sprawling back into another man. He was run through by his comrade¡¯s sword in full display of the men. Stevrin took advantage of the scene. ¡°Look! They can¡¯t fight! They¡¯re just men dressed as guards!¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    He thought it unlikely, but the demoralizing words had an affect. His men roared and organized against the wave. The palace guards were forced back to the mezzanine overlooking the foyer, cleaving their front when they split to the left or right.

    Stevrin dove in, taking on a green fighter whose expression showed that his spirit was about broken. He put on his most menacing face and snarled at him, the boy¡¯s eyes widening. ¡°Who is willing to give it all for our king?¡±

    ¡°I am!¡± the men cried.

    He kicked the fighter into the railing. The guard hit it with the back of his legs, failing to regain his balance before tumbling over the edge. The man next to him tried to reach out at the last second for his arm and spent a precious second looking over the railing at his comrade, who must have been looking almost as pretty as the moment he was born. When he looked back, Stevrin was already drawing his sword across his neck.

    Onto the next, his fatigue and pain dull, distant worries, he took the high ground and pushed men two at a time to fight down the stairs. His men cheered him on, chanting his name, watching his back and sides. ¡°Stevrin!¡± he heard Kullem yell. ¡°The rear is weakening!¡±

    ¡°Tell them to go to the left and circle around!¡±

    A minute later the mezzanine swelled with his fighters, who met with the guards moving up the stairs on the opposite side. He saw Kalin attack with gusto, on his second wind after holding back the rear guard with his brother.

    Both sides made it to the bottom floor at roughly the same time and it was then their turn to pinch the force against them. The guards were down to forty or so men. They had them.

    Stevrin let his men take over, giving himself a break from fighting as he skirted around the group. The throne room was just ahead. The Chancellor would be there, or close by. It was just a matter of¡­

    A steel-armored guard entered the room, followed by another and another. Stevrin held up his saber and was going to rush in until he saw what they carried. One had a halberd, another a poleaxe, and the third a glaive. There was a thin possibility he could get between the plates and take one out, but not if they were working in tandem. And not if there were a lot.

    ¡°Fall back!¡± he yelled and began moving back to the stairs. They needed to regroup and armor was notoriously hard to walk up stairs in. Kalin turned and saw the armored men, then joined Stevrin as they gathered the men behind them, pushing up the stairs.

    They had made it back up to the mezzanine when they saw more guards appear in chain mail, plate, and even suits of armor. He looked at Kalin, who had a worried yet determined look on his face, and thought what he was likely thinking: how do we get through them?

    Or around. ¡°Come on!¡± he said, grabbing Kalin¡¯s sleeve. There was a hidden passage through the kitchens so that the help wouldn¡¯t be seen carrying food throughout the palace. It led to the main kitchens below, which was only a few rooms from where the Chancellor should be.

    They headed left and were close to the door when a man stepped through. Without a thought, without a chance to back off, he ran Kalin through with his epee. Kalin¡¯s sword was half drawn before he backed away. ¡°Go!¡± Stevrin yelled to him and shoved him towards the back.

    The man who stood there, also in jei dume gear, was far more skilled than he was. The plated men who stood behind him made it quite clear that this way was cut off. He turned and saw more men filing through.

    How could there be so many? The Chancellor was supposed to be here alone, no one visiting, no meetings scheduled. There should have been fifty guards, at most, in regular attire.

    Kullem grabbed his arm. ¡°It¡¯s lost,¡± he said.

    ¡°No, I can find a way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s lost, Palerno. You would be throwing men onto skewers.¡±

    ¡°If they can hold off while I find a way¡­¡±

    ¡°Peace. You told me to tell you if I thought it was lost. It¡¯s lost.¡±

    Stevrin¡¯s shoulders hung. So close. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Retreat!¡± he yelled and the men around him looked up and around. ¡°Retreat!¡±

    He helped keep the guards at bay while as many men as possible fled through the courtyards. Most of the rear guards had been slaughtered, but quite a few still fought, trying to stop the rush of men from escaping.

    Stevrin was shaking from the din of battle or the pain. He waited ¡¯til he knew his men were out, then ran back, dashing through streets, hooking corners, arriving at the room in the cellar. He fiddled with his keys and unlocked the door, locking it behind him. The lamp still burned in an empty room.

    What had gone wrong? he asked himself over and over again.

    Kullem was the next to arrive, stomping down the stairs and flopping heavily into the chair. He said nothing. Stevrin didn¡¯t, either.

    After fifteen minutes there was shouting and pounding on the door. Stevrin opened it to see Donil underneath Kalin¡¯s arm, all but dragging him down the stairs. ¡°Dammit, Stevrin, what happened?¡± Donil asked, putting his brother gently on the floor.

    ¡°He was run through in a surprise attack.¡± Even in the pale light he could see how pale Kalin was, his white shirt glistening and almost black.

    ¡°I know that, you idiot! I mean what happened to the coup? How did we get so overwhelmed?¡±

    ¡°Why would they have so many waiting, and in armor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because we were betrayed.¡±

    Kullem¡¯s words hung in the air like his pipe smoke. Stevrin and Donil both turned to look at him. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Not one of us. I doubt one of the men. Not the priest, either. Could be one of the men who decided not to join us today. My money, though, is on the guard captain who had no clue that we were walking into a trap.¡±

    ¡°Corpresti?¡± The thought boggled Stevrin¡¯s mind. ¡°No. He gave us so much help in planning this. The conversations we had¡­he¡­he approached me! Well before I ever found the chalice or you three! I¡¯ve known him for years¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying he was always planning on turning. Leverage can move mountains.¡± He puffed on his pipe. ¡°Did you ever meet Corpresti here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±

    Stevrin hung his head in his hands. There was no sound save the labored and gurgled breath of Kalin, who rested in his brother¡¯s arms. Donil spoke quietly to him, telling tales from their childhood. ¡°Remember that time Prince Aubin flat-out won that fight against Trebark?¡± He laughed. ¡°I thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head.¡±

    ¡°So¡­proud¡­¡± Kalin said.

    ¡°We were. We were so proud of those boys. Nothing like the student beating his teacher. Gods, they would have made fine rulers.¡±

    ¡°We¡­wouldn¡¯t¡­have¡­brought¡­them¡­back.¡±

    ¡°No, but we could¡¯ve removed the men who thought they were better than them.¡±

    It took Stevrin a few moments to realize that the gargled breaths had stopped.

    ¡°Damn you, Palerno,¡± Donil said as the door was battered down.

    * * *

    ¡°Visitor,¡± the guard said.

    Stevrin looked up, wondering if the chains around his ankles would stretch far enough to the bars. He tried to stand, slipped, and used his dirty hands to climb the wall. A few shambled steps later and he got his answer: almost.

    A man with short-cropped hair and beard stepped into view, unadorned save his golden cassock. ¡°You¡¯re looking much worse than the last time I saw you, Stevrin.¡±

    He searched the man¡¯s eyes for a few moments, then said, ¡°Tell me it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    Yaguer¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°You think I betrayed you? That I even could? My god would strike me down where I stand! No, my friend, I didn¡¯t betray you or your quartet. I believed in your cause,¡± he lowered your voice, ¡°and I still do.¡±

    ¡°So why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Mercy, mainly. Did you want to talk? Is there something I can get you?¡±

    ¡°Keys, a knife, and maybe a juicy steak.¡±

    ¡°I could ask for better food.¡±

    ¡°And why would they listen to you?¡±

    Yaguer folded his hands inside his sleeves. ¡°Despite the major changes in Arvonne, the people and the government still hold the clergy in high regard.¡± He pulled a stool over to the bars. ¡°You don¡¯t look well, but at least you have your own cell.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so they don¡¯t tear me apart. Most of the people in this jail are the men who were with me in the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Would you rather share a room?¡±

    Stevrin looked away. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I failed them and I failed them.¡±

    ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t about revenge¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I lied. It was always about revenge for me. I hate them. I hate them so badly I was willing to throw men¡¯s lives at their pawns in order to slit the Chancellor¡¯s throat. When they killed the Alscaines, they killed Arvonne, as far as I¡¯m concerned. They killed the thing I love most in this world.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the best thing for us to do would be to forgive and move on.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I still want his life.¡±

    The priest bent his head in contemplation. ¡°We tried, Stevrin. I tried. I thought that perhaps Mikros wished for me to help correct the mistake that set brother against brother, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe He wishes for us to extend our hand to the Kalronists and accept what they are offering us.¡±

    ¡°I will never do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± He stood. ¡°Do you know where it is?¡±

    Stevrin shook his head. ¡°It was in our room when it was raided. If you want to check, try Kullem¡¯s wife. She might have the key to the room.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Do you know what my problem is?¡± the Chancellor asked the room. ¡°I¡¯ve been too lenient on these seditionists. Three times now they¡¯ve tried to have me killed. And they¡¯re getting more organized. More skilled. More zealous. What do you think, Accused?¡±

    ¡°I think your mother should be hanged for birthing you,¡± Stevrin said, spitting on the floor.

    The Chancellor continued, ignoring the remark. ¡°I¡¯ve mostly brushed away the problem. A few dozen men rushing the gates are pike fodder, really. They give the guards good practice. I think, though, my men should learn to fight elsewhere. I think I need to come up with a good deterrent for treason, something that will give the people pause.¡± He turned and looked at the counselors he had assembled. ¡°We will start by raising taxes. We¡¯ll call it the Palerno Tax. The day after it¡¯s collected, we¡¯ll put him in the stocks. Twelve hours a day for five days.

    ¡°It¡¯s come to my attention that Messer Palerno doesn¡¯t like me very much. He might even want to escape and try to kill me again. He wouldn¡¯t have any success with insurrection again, but he might try underhanded methods. And someone has told me that he used to work at the palace here. He might know some sneaky ways of getting to my chamber. The ambassador from our friends in Gheny tells me that his country would be most pleased to buy some of our hardened criminals as slaves. I think that would be good and profitable. My verdict is final.¡±

    Without Arvonne. That was the worst punishment Stevrin could think of. They dragged him from the chambers, his feet no longer working. He passed by several guards, Captain Corpresti among them. He met his eyes and the captain looked away in shame.

    * * *

    ¡°I hear there are demon-men in the Viyaz,¡± the boatswain said. ¡°More beast than neighbor. They¡¯re all bone and sinew with sharp claws. You¡¯ll be sent there for sure.¡±

    The crew laughed at this. Stevrin had wanted to grow immunity to the words, but he had heard tales about the Viyaz well before he had ever thought of a coup. His imagination did the work at night, twisting the words into grotesque horrors that plagued his dreams. He got no rest from the worry of the future.

    ¡°Sir,¡± a man said, grabbing the attention of the boatswain. ¡°We have a problem.¡±

    ¡°Get the captain then.¡±

    ¡°The captain is¡­indisposed, sir.¡± That would be with one of the slaves. Poor Bernet. ¡°The first mate is still sick.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡±

    ¡°Leak, sir.¡±

    ¡°Tar it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not a small leak.¡±

    He sighed and walked through the men shackled below deck. When he put his hand on a crate, Stevrin didn¡¯t see but heard something drop to the planks and roll. The chalice? Could it return to a man¡¯s life? His eyes were glued to the spot where he thought it was. Too far away to reach, for now.

    The leak was bad. Once the captain rechained Bernet, he addressed the slaves. ¡°Tough luck. We¡¯re sinking and we won¡¯t make it to Gheny with the extra cargo.¡± He counted the numbers then turned to the boatswain. ¡°Throw three quarters over. Leave her.¡±

    One by one their shackles were removed and they were led by knife point to the deck. Stevrin pretended to trip on the way and retrieved the chalice, feeling that somehow it meant he was going to survive. The gods wouldn¡¯t toss Mikros¡¯s chalice into the ocean where it wouldn¡¯t be found, would they?¡±

    Right before he went into the ocean, he spotted land on the horizon. He swam away from a man who was panicking, looking to use him as a float. The ship sailed on and Stevrin yelled. ¡°Land north! Everyone who can swim, follow me!¡±

    * * *

    He was so thirsty. The hunger he could handle, but the thirst clawed at him. It made him think crazy thoughts, see crazy things, like a ship on the horizon.

    ¡°Look!¡± Castek said, pointing in the same direction Stevrin was looking at. ¡°A ship!¡±

    So, he hadn¡¯t started barking at the moon. They waited as the little water boatman bug wheedled its way to the island. After an hour or so, the boat docked and a strange man stood appraising the villagers. ¡°R¡¯th kuda?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Are you here to save us?¡± Castek asked.

    ¡°Eshkra?¡±

    ¡°Go¡­with¡­you?¡±

    The strange man spread his webbed hands in a gesture none understood. Finally, Stevrin approached him. He held up the chalice that he¡¯d had tucked in his waist for days. He banged it against his hand and the strange man tilted his bald, wet head. He pointed to himself, then to the boat, then offered him the chalice.

    ¡°Rshketh osshilay nosrawthi.¡±

    The rest of the dozen began yelling when they realized they weren¡¯t going. ¡°I¡¯ll send them to get you,¡± he promised.

    ¡°R¡¯th kuda?¡± the strange man asked again, pointing to himself. ¡°Nquistlatautha-narlestioshika-ontolislethay-aswaisfar-kessri-susueid.¡±

    Stevrin looked up for a moment. If he was being rescued, did that mean They forgave him? Did it mean he could start again, be something more? If he could go anywhere, it would be home. If he could be anything, it would be home. And there was one name that summed that up nicely.

    He pointed to himself, stepping aboard. ¡°Aubin.¡±

    * * *

    Stevrin ground his teeth. He looked away for a moment, giving himself some time to think. Had it been a mistake to change his name to his king¡¯s? It had never been a problem before, not in the fifteen years he¡¯d been on Onshilitha. He hadn¡¯t considered it in a long time. What did it mean to him?

    Everything. It meant everything.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Stevrin said after a few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯d have sooner thought you¡¯d throttle me than thank me,¡± the trirec said.

    ¡°No, I like to be reminded of why I¡¯m alive. Sometimes I forget that I¡¯m proud that I¡¯m here, even though my lot in life is meager.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, then. My attitude was because I thought you were mocking the situation. I might not be Arvonnese, but I understand their recent history as dark.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know,¡± Stevrin said. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how deeply in mourning we were, we still are. The Alscaines were our identity and our future. And they were a good ruling family, too! There was no need for it! No one was overthrowing a tyrant or a sickly, dying branch. It was cold-blooded murder for the gains of a few.¡± He sighed. ¡°It was the saddest day in Arvonne¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your story, Aubin,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to make my way to Gheny tomorrow. Is there a possibility that you could join us?¡±

    Stevrin shook his head. ¡°I am a man who has no past and not future. I will not go to Gheny as a slave nor can I go back to my home. I will stay here, happy and free. It is not a bad life.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it is,¡± he said and walked away.

    It was a strange conversation to have, more so because he was blissfully at peace afterwards. He hadn¡¯t been at peace in a long time.

    * * *

    The chalice spent much of its decade and a half trading owners amongst the to¡¯ken, who saw it as an interesting bauble. Eventually, it was sold to a Ghenian for a good deal of pork fat and cookies. It took some time before an eagle-eyed connoisseur bought it and placed it in his shop, far in the back next to an inkwell linked to the Alscaines. And it took a little while longer than that before a hapless wizard walked into that shop and set off with the chalice, stumbling into three unlikely people who still didn¡¯t know why Mikros had put His chalice in their path.

 Chapter 201

    It took the group a full week to reach Miscomme, the port city at the tip of the Sharkan peninsula. Every day the weather grew a little bit warmer, the seas a little bit greener, the skies a little bit clearer.

    Things had bounced back to normalcy between Anla and Raulin and Tel quickly. However, things were still estranged between Anla and Al. He was having a hard time grasping at an acceptable decision regarding Analussia.

    He kept attacking the dilemma like one of the trees he hacked down every day; chopping at it until he could remove the branches, hoping to get at the main trunk at some point. He had determined that this was a matter of scope; he couldn¡¯t equate killing one person to killing over a hundred. That was one limb off the tree, but there was still a lot to go.

    Al considered her youth, the circumstances surrounding the crime, the restrictions she had given, and her lack of magical training against the calculation of the act, her knowledge of the law under the tutelage of her father, and the inherent sense of morality she should have. Another limb.

    Then he questioned her actions since then. She was remorseful. She had shown exemplary restraint since that point, scraping by on the streets and using her magic only in self-defense instead of using her magic for personal gain. She felt guilty. She clearly regretted doing it and had admitted to regretting it once she realized the gravity of the situation. The pruning was going well.

    And finally, he looked at the ramifications of her existence within the law. She hadn¡¯t surrendered in the three years since she had committed the offense. What would that have looked like? A swift trial and a hanging, he thought, but his stomach curdled at the thought of what would happen if someone was savvy enough to sell a half-elf to the wrong people.

    It was then Al had quite a bit to think about on the stability of the law, corruption, and whether anarchy should reign in the wake of legal failure (though maybe that was a bit extreme). There were also a few days of existential quandary over whether man really needed laws or he would always revert to his basic instincts, that the law was really a cracked dam groaning against a reservoir with a storm on the horizon.

    Al¡¯s dreams had been strange since Ashven and the one he had in their first night in Miscomme was no different. It was something about Uvarna tossing him across the ocean to retrieve the chalice, which had melted into a crown that he wore. He had to give it back to the king, though, after he had felled a giant tree. There was a sense of urgency about it, the beginning portions of justice and morality needing an answer. Unheard were the words ¡°chop, chop¡±.

    Anla awoke shortly after he did and he took the opportunity to speak about his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ve been dwelling on what you told us in Analussia.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed,¡± she said, yawning.

    ¡°What I¡¯ve decided is that it¡¯s not my decision. I don¡¯t condone it and I will never support you doing anything else like it, but since it¡¯s in the past for you, it¡¯s not something I want to be involved with. It¡¯s too significant and massive for me to be a lynch pin. I¡¯m going to let it be.¡±

    ¡°To correct you, it¡¯s not in the past for me; I think about it all the time. I¡¯m still not sure what I want to do about it myself. But, thank you. I know that you¡¯ve taken a lot of time to consider this and you didn¡¯t fall back on the laws as the only way to respond.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I know too much to do that.¡±

    He watched as she opened the curtains to their wide window overlooking the Gamik Sea. It was gray and stormy, the beaches dyed a deeper shade of tan by the rain. She turned and saw something on the desk and bit her lip, smiling genuinely. Her eyes trailed across the paper as she read the note, nibbling on the sweet left on top. When she finished, she laughed softly.

    ¡°Another token from Raulin, I assume?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡±

    ¡°It must be nice to be courted.¡±

    She looked up from re-reading the note. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out between us, I¡¯ll tell Raulin you¡¯re next in line.¡±

    ¡°I meant that you seem happy with the arrangement. Are you? You seemed to have forgiven Raulin for what happened in Mount Kalista.¡±

    Her smiled dropped a little. ¡°I like Raulin, Al. He¡¯s shown me he¡¯s sorry about what happened and I forgave him. I won¡¯t forget it, but holding on to it isn¡¯t going to help anyone. And I also forgave you for what you did, or didn¡¯t do, with the baerd hunters.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I was just¡­well, those women I¡¯d see in my office would probably go back to their husbands. I don¡¯t want you to think you have to¡­¡±

    ¡°I know I don¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°And don¡¯t judge those women for that. How many of them had the means to get away? It was the same for us street kids; we put up with a lot of abuse so that we could live another day.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°This went the wrong way. What I mean, really, is that you¡¯re happy. I haven¡¯t seen you smile much since¡­lately. And I¡¯m pleased to see you in good spirits. That¡¯s what I meant.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Al.¡±

    They went downstairs to breakfast. The hotel was enormous, five floors with at least thirty rooms across. The first floor had several lounges, a ballroom, and a grand dining hall filled with dozens of four-seat tables with white cloths and blue napkins in rings. It was quite busy, but Telbarisk always made tasks like finding him and Raulin in a crowded room easy.

    ¡°Wizard!¡± Raulin said. ¡°Glad to see you down so early despite having done your morning exercises.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Al paused, sighed, then turned back towards the stairs.

    ¡°Poor Al,¡± Anla said, sitting down and placing the napkin in her lap.

    ¡°I warned him it was going to be hard work and that he was going to have to do it every day. He was good about it when you two were camped outside the retreat, yes?¡± he asked Tel.

    ¡°He said it gave him structure and he enjoyed it.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want him getting what they called ¡®the skinny bear¡¯ in Merak. We¡¯d get wet caned for it.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s when you pour a bucket of water over the child before switching him so it stings more.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean the ¡®skinny bear¡¯ thing. Did they really do that to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, though it wasn¡¯t for that. I kept forgetting that I was supposed to have no training before I became a student at Arvarikor. Whenever a teacher would compliment me on horseback riding or fencing or learning languages, I would tell them how long I¡¯d trained for. Immediate wet caning. It was several weeks of daily caning until one of the older kids took pity on me and told me to say I had natural talent.

    ¡°¡¯The Skinny Bear¡¯ was a fable they told in the region about a bear being excited to hibernate too early and not eating enough before he enters his cave. He awakens in the middle of winter to find there¡¯s no food and he starves to death. Same with learning a skill and thinking you¡¯re good enough and that you don¡¯t need to practice any more. After a month or so of practicing a new technique or weapon, kids would start picking fights with each other to show off or develop a cocky attitude when practicing. He¡¯s about on time.¡±

    Anla was about to ask him more questions when the waiter came and took her order. She heard her name called from across the room just as the waiter was leaving her side. She twisted to her right and saw a young man with thinning, blond hair tied in a tail waving at her. He might have been an excellent example of a fop if he didn¡¯t look so disheveled, and came across more as a fribble with the mannerisms to match.

    ¡°Oh, joy,¡± Raulin said.

    The man was followed by a another man who, though plain and obviously in employment by the other, seemed both more handsome and in control than the first. He was serious, his dark eyes gazing over the three of them as if sizing up their worth. He raised an eyebrow at Raulin, who in turn gave him a little upward nod.

    ¡°Anla, it really is you!¡± the man said.

    ¡°Lord Cavrige,¡± she said, standing briefly to allow him to take her hand and kiss the back of it.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in years! You ran away from me, stealing my heart.¡± Another man would have made that playful, however true it was, but he sounded achingly, and embarrassingly, in pain from it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It wasn¡¯t my choice,¡± she said, eyeing the man next to him. ¡°I was drawn away quickly and couldn¡¯t say goodbye to you.¡±

    ¡°Best not do that again!¡± he said, his laugh a high-pitched, nervous giggle as he placed his hands on his hips. ¡°That was very naughty of you.¡±

    ¡°I apologize,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m off to Acripla, to meet a woman who may become my wife. I¡¯ll be taking tomorrow¡¯s ferry.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll be going to Acripla, too.¡±

    As if he just realized there were other people at her table, he looked at both Raulin and Tel, then back at Anla. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see more of each other. I hope,¡± he added, grinning at her, tucking his weak chin into his neck. He stood by awkwardly in the silence, then left for his table without saying goodbye.

    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve met him before,¡± Anla said to Raulin.

    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t but Marin has. I think he was in New Wextif, attending some social event. He hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡±

    ¡°That seems like the same Jeurd I remember. And he still has his lackey, Mayin. He¡¯s the one who paid me ten gold to disappear when Jeurd was getting too attached to me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was pleased to see you. I¡¯d say he was shooting daggers at you, but I know weapons and those weren¡¯t sharp enough to be knives. Toothpicks, maybe. He¡¯s warning you to stay away.¡±

    Anla shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re going to be on the same cramped ship for the better part of a month. He can¡¯t expect me to avoid him completely.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. If he threatens you, I¡¯ll just show him an intimate view of the Great Ghenian Bay.¡± He paused. ¡°But only if you can¡¯t take care of him yourself.¡±

    She nodded slightly in thanks. ¡°His only concern is that Jeurd doesn¡¯t do something stupid, like elope with a commoner. I very much doubt that will happen, at least with me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, though what about the marriage part?¡±

    She gave him an odd look. ¡°I don¡¯t care that he¡¯s going to inherit his father¡¯s earldom. Maybe it would have been nice when I was destitute, but I made the choice not to tie myself to him. After I saw my sister, I was glad I made that choice, though I doubt Jeurd would be as horrible as my brother-in-law is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, good point, I suppose.¡± The waiter delivered her plate of eggs and sausage. ¡°Out of curiosity, what kind of man would you marry?¡± Tel regained interest in the conversation and leaned forward to hear her answer.

    ¡°Elven,¡± she said. She looked up from her plate. ¡°I honestly hadn¡¯t given it much thought since my parents died. I always assumed the man I¡¯d marry would be an elf, or at least half-elven. You?¡± Her smiled dropped. ¡°Sorry, I was just returning the conversation.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve considered it. I can have dreams, too, though they¡¯re usually mired in what kind of life I¡¯d be leading and how I¡¯d have to get there.¡±

    ¡°Your mentor did it. I¡¯m sure you can, too, Raulin.¡±

    He watched her for a few moments,then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go secure our places on the ferry. I¡¯d rather not risk that the time of year would stop people from booking all the cabins.¡±

    As he left, Anla continued to eat, though a strange excitement filled her stomach. He thought of marriage? He¡¯d always said he tried not to think of the future.

    Tel insisted upon cutting all his fruit into tiny pieces whenever there was cutlery, so he was still eating. ¡°Do you think Raulin would make a good husband?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°If he had the right type of women to share his life with, yes. If he was still a trirec, she¡¯d have to deal with that, including him being away for long periods of time and the danger of being discovered by his order. I don¡¯t see many women agreeing to that.¡±

    ¡°My mother had to go through that with my father. He¡¯d be on the road for a few weeks at a time and we¡¯d visit places and have to deal with the possibility that people could find out about my parents¡¯ illegal relationship.¡±

    ¡°Even if he wasn¡¯t a trirec, he¡¯d still need someone who either understood his past or could accept him without knowing that part of him. I think he¡¯d prefer the first, though.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he would tell her, though? He¡¯s never been forthcoming with his secrets.¡±

    ¡°With the right people he is. If he found her, I think he¡¯d share everything with her.¡±

    She chewed on her sausage thoughtfully. ¡°What country did he tell you he was from?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t. As I said, I had to figure out that he wasn¡¯t Merakian. He admitted it to me, but never volunteered the information. I assume it¡¯s Walpi, as you said a while ago.¡±

    This surprised Anla. She had always assumed that Raulin had shared almost everything with Tel and kept it from everyone else.

    There was a thought buzzing in her head, but she didn¡¯t give it the attention it deserved. She ate her breakfast, sat with Al when he came downstairs, and spent her day speaking with different people. There was a celebration for the new year the next night, which was also Ap Livint¡¯s Day, an ap of Kriskin who had created the calendar. She danced at the ball with Raulin, who was light on his feet and well-versed in the latest styles of dances.

    And finally, on the morning of the first day of the year, they embarked for Tektorn. It would be some time before she thought more about her conversation with Telbarisk.

 Chapter 202

    Al was a sick as a dog. He hung over the railing of the ship, sipping on water in between his bouts of vomiting it back up a few minutes later. If he laid down, his seasickness was a little better, but he had to keep his eyes closed and not interact with anyone else.

    He suffered through a day of this before waking up with it mysteriously gone. He was so giddy that he almost skipped to breakfast with the group.

    ¡°My, you¡¯re looking much less green,¡± Raulin said as Al sat down.

    ¡°It just¡­evaporated all of a sudden,¡± he said with a grin and a flair of his hand. ¡°I woke up and it was gone and I am loving life again.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy,¡± Anla said. ¡°I kept worrying all night if you were going to make it to the porthole.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s breakfast was included in the cost of the ticket, so Al was sure to order plenty of food to make up for the previous day. He tucked into his, eating heaping portions of bacon, sausage, ham, hard-boiled eggs, crepes, and a few slices of toast with jam. He washed it all down with glasses of apple juice and Caudet.

    ¡°Where does he put it all?¡± Anla asked, her mouth quirking up.

    ¡°Good question,¡± Raulin said. ¡°The normal end of the joke is that it¡¯s stored in his head, but since that implies he¡¯s stupid and it¡¯s so grossly wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be funny, would it?¡±

    ¡°I have a new joke,¡± Tel said. ¡°How many hand-sized rocks can a grivven hold?¡±

    ¡°Two?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Five,¡± he answered.

    Raulin laughed. ¡°Explaining it won¡¯t help, but grivvens love stacking rocks. It¡¯s a sort of meditation for them, some making an art form out of it. So, he¡¯s implying that they wouldn¡¯t just carry rocks in their hands and on the backs of their hands, but try for one more after that.¡± Raulin turned to Tel. ¡°It was good, but let me explain context¡­¡±

    They were in the middle of a deep discourse on how the audience needs to understand the premise of the humor when there were shouts and an immediate evaporation of sound in the dining room. The table turned and they saw two well-dressed gentleman standing close to one another. ¡°Then go ahead, Dombray, show us what you Tektornians are made of!¡± one gentleman with dark red hair said, giving a look to a few of his cronies nearby that elicited a chorus of laughs.

    ¡°Seconds!¡± the other man, Dombray, yelled. He was easy to spot as he was dark-skinned with curly black hair.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The red-haired man turned to his cohorts, consulting with one before saying, loudly, ¡°First choice waved.¡±

    The other man licked his lips. ¡°I choose¡­Duson Kilval.¡±

    A young man near him stood from his table and bowed, taking his position next to his friend.

    ¡°Fine. I choose the trirec.¡±

    All eyes in the dining hall searched around until they landed on Raulin. He stood, faced the commotion, and said, ¡°The trirec rejects the request.¡±

    He started to sit down when the red-haired man said, ¡°Ah, but you are honor-, and law-, bound to fight in an official duel.¡±

    ¡°That would be legally true for Ghenian citizens, of which I am not. As for the first part, well, I am a trirec. I wish you luck.¡± And he sat down.

    People still stared at him until the red-haired man spoke again, choosing someone else. With the highlights done, the diners began to speak again, though many still shot looks at the quartet¡¯s table.

    ¡°I do have to admit that I would rather not be here right now,¡± Raulin said in recognition of the attention.

    ¡°Care to show me some techniques?¡± Al asked. ¡°I missed yesterday¡¯s training and I¡¯d like to make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Wizard, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    The two made there way to Al and Anla¡¯s cabin, a room about the same size as a cheap hotel room. When they were inside, Al asked, ¡°Why did you need to get away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a thief, Wizard, and therefore dislike being noticed. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°So far you¡¯ve been working on offensive moves,¡± Raulin began, moving right into the lesson. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you how to defend against different kinds of weapons. As a future vizier, you¡¯re most likely to encounter some sort of a blade trying to assassinate your employer, likely a knife. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m here to tell you that he¡¯ll probably win. All you can do is hope to hold him off as long as possible in order to give your employer time to run away.

    ¡°If this guy happens to pick a face-to-face brawl with you, you¡¯ll need to keep him as far away as possible.¡± He pulled out his favored set of knives. ¡°Like you with your ax, my job is to get as close to my victim as possible before they realize I¡¯m there. I stab, multiple times if possible, and get as far away as I can. You have to stop that from happening. Show me how.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t taught me that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you an opportunity to apply your understanding to a problem and come up with a solution.¡±

    Al looked at his ax for a moment, then placed the head of it against Raulin¡¯s chest, holding the end of the haft with one hand.

    ¡°Good, for about two seconds. You¡¯d have to be able to keep pushing against the assailant and making sure he moves backward. However, if I slip to the side here, I can slice your arm, then turn and stab your kidneys in two seconds.¡± He demonstrated with the hilts of his knives before moving back to his first position. ¡°You also never want to extend your weapon like this. Look how weak your control is.¡± He pressed on Al¡¯s hand and the ax sagged. ¡°And I can also disarm you easily¡± He pressed his hands between the head and pushed against Al until he lost his balance.

    ¡°All right, so not that,¡± Al said with a little annoyance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think of answering the question incorrectly as wrong. I¡¯m not doling out points on a test; I¡¯m showing you why and how you should learn from that. Any other ideas?¡±

    Al held the haft with both hands and put it in front of him.

    ¡°In order for you to succeed, you¡¯ll need quite a bit of luck. Look how little surface you have to use as a shield. It might work in a pinch against a sword, but not against a knife. It will deflect quickly. You might get their forearm, but you¡¯ll have to be right in the middle, or else they can pivot their arm or wrist and stab you again. Never mind his second hand.¡± He saw Al¡¯s face. ¡°Not a bad idea, Wizard! It will just take a lot of practice to get that sweet spot. I think it has potential to break your attacker¡¯s nose, too, should you get the thrust in.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What¡¯s the answer, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, hoping you¡¯re in an area far from other people, your answer is an overpowering offense as a defense.¡± He took the ax from Al and had him sit on his bed to give Raulin enough room. He started twirling the ax in his hand, circling his wrist so the weapon made a sagittal loop outside of his body. His arm pulled back and he crossed the ax in front of him, tucking his other arm close to his chest. He finished with a full rotation, letting the ax drop. ¡°You have to be as frightening as possible to drive them off. Fast, showy, random. If they get a moment inside your defenses, you¡¯re toast. And, please, do not try it this fast until you have a good feel for the weapon. If the head shifts, you¡¯ll be slicing your side up at uncomfortable speeds.¡±

    ¡°Can¡­can I try it?¡± Al asked, his excitement renewed.

    Raulin handed him the ax and showed him the motion very slowly. When he felt he was ready to do it on his own, he sat on the bed and watched.

    ¡°Something I was always curious about and never asked: are noble duels and the Noh Amairian Accords system related?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Raulin answered. ¡°The seconds system is a little different. Kings can only call for seconds if they¡¯re grievously injured.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s based on that merit that nobles won¡¯t fight with each other.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t fight.¡±

    Al stopped. ¡°What do you mean ¡®can¡¯t¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Something I¡¯ve learned from playing a nobleman, because they¡¯d really wish the general public not know this, is that they actually can¡¯t hurt each other. If they try, they¡¯re injured somehow from it. I worry about the day that trips me up, hurting someone in the peerage as a noble when I¡¯m not supposed to be able to or vice versa.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why kings have to duel each other before a war can start. Nobles can¡¯t duel each other, therefore the war can¡¯t happen. Amandorlam wouldn¡¯t tell us; they just stated it as a fact and no one really gave an answer.¡± He titled his head for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s actually a clever way of stopping war all together.¡±

    ¡°Skethik wasn¡¯t too happy about it, I¡¯m sure. But there are ways around it. You can have a battle of up to a thousand mounted knights and still have it be called a ¡®skirmish¡¯ three times before it¡¯s called a war. I think Sonder thrives on that little loophole.¡±

    ¡°Those two men today couldn¡¯t actually duel with each other, since they¡¯re noblemen, so they called for commoner seconds to do it in their stead.¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a bunch of rules in place. Usually, by the time the duel has to happen, they¡¯ve reconciled and there isn¡¯t one. I¡¯m not too sure about those two. We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Why did you refuse?¡±

    ¡°My order doesn¡¯t like us interfering in affairs like that. I could have accepted at an exorbitant fee, but there are no agents aboard the ship and I already have twenty-five contracts, which I was whipped for. I don¡¯t want to know what they¡¯d do for my twenty-sixth. And I didn¡¯t like the red-haired man. He was goading the dark-haired one into that duel. Either he¡¯s an ass or he¡¯s plotting something. I¡¯d rather not be on the good side of either if I can¡¯t escape.¡±

    * * *

    Anla had decided to take in the view and was on the top deck overlooking the ocean. It was the first time she had been on a ship of any kind, even the wide sleeper-ferries that would keep to the calmer, shallower waters of the eastern part of the Great Gheny Bay, since her mother had been frightened of them. It wouldn¡¯t be her last time on one, so it was fortunate that the sea brought the thrill of smelling the salty tang of the air and feeling the wind whip through her hair instead of seasickness, like poor Al.

    She was musing on what it had been like for her father¡¯s crossing when a woman in a wide-brimmed hat approached her. ¡°Olana?¡±

    Anla turned in surprise. ¡°Mrs. Garda! It¡¯s so good to see you!¡±

    ¡°I thought it was you!¡± They had met on a nature appreciation walk at the Shrine in Mount Kalista and the two had shared a table at meals for a few days. ¡°How are you doing, darling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well. How are you and Mr. Garda?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re well. A lot of travel in the last few weeks, but we¡¯ve managed. And you and¡­Darrick, was it?¡±

    Anla froze her smile in place as she thought of what to say. Mrs. Garda knew full well what had happened at the shrine. They¡¯d had a few conversations about what a woman¡¯s place was and how they had to forgive and forget things like infidelity. In fact, sometimes they made the marriage stronger, she had said, though not the roughhousing he had done to her. She meant well and had been looking out for her best interests, but Anla had been too preoccupied with outmaneuvering Lady Karninth to actually consider what she had said.

    Mrs. Garda would love to hear that they patched things up. Anla would have no problems parading Raulin around in front of her, but the whole thing was tricky. Raulin wouldn¡¯t like being unmasked for very long on a ship where people might ask questions of who he was and where he came from. ¡°We did reconcile, but we decided to tackle two different cases at the same time. We¡¯ll be apart for a little while, which will give us some time to reevaluate our relationship.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I suppose that¡¯s good then, dear.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still very apologetic and misses me terribly. He¡¯s written a few letters.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s romantic!¡± She seemed to brighten a little more.  ¡°I¡¯m so glad to hear things are looking better for you.¡±

    ¡°They are.  We¡¯ll take a nice rest at home to get to know each other again.  I don¡¯t think we have any contracts lined up after I¡¯m finished with mine in Acripla.¡±

    She looked at Anla and gave a knowing look before patting her arm and walking ahead of her.  ¡°Coming, dear?¡± she asked.  Anla would rather watch the sea, but since they¡¯d see a lot of that over the next few weeks, she took Mrs. Garda up on her offer.

    The Constance on the Sea was a wide barge-like ferry that could house hundreds of people.  Mrs. Garda explained that this was only possible because the waters in the bay were relatively shallow and calm and the ferry didn¡¯t sail during the stormy season.  It was propelled by a giant water wheel in the rear and auxilliary sails.

    ¡°Lucky for you, dear, since I know quite a few of the people here.¡±  She led her into the covered part of the top deck, where people were sitting at tables playing cards, reading books, smoking cigars, napping, or holding conversation with those around them.  Most were well-dressed, like Mrs. Garda, and Anla felt only marginally above a pauper in her tan blouse and multi-colored skirt. ¡°Now, what is it you and your husband do again?¡±

    She panicked for a moment, trying to remember what she had told her in passing.  Anla hadn¡¯t used the antiques and collectibles line, since she wanted to keep her identity with Al separate, but didn¡¯t want the knowledge she¡¯d picked up to go to waste.  ¡°We work for a firm that inspects client¡¯s homes and offers appraisals on items they own that they wish to sell or update client¡¯s homes to the latest fashions.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re discreet,¡± Mrs. Garda asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Absolutely.  All of our ledgers are kept in confidence.¡±  She had learned at some conversation at the libertine ball that no nobleman or well-to-do commoner would wish to appear like they were doing poorly by selling something in their home.

    ¡°Very good.  I shouldn¡¯t have even asked; you kept your chin high and your mouth closed in a very trying situation.  I know what that nasty woman did to you; there was talk, I¡¯m afraid.  I admire you for that.¡± She patted Anla¡¯s arm again.

    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Garda.¡±

    The older woman, her graying hair piled in curls under her hat, walked slowly in her company, surveying the large room.  She would point out someone she recognized, give a quick description of them, and either introduce the two or look at Anla.  It took her a few times to realize that she was giving her an opportunity to duck out of a meeting with a potential client who had a solatious air about them.  This earl and his wife apparently lost a lot of money when their ship sank back in May.  That gentleman was single, had been single for a long time, but had a long string of male ¡°assistants¡±.  Anla sighed internally at the prejudice against Uranians.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Earl Din Brashef of Kiber¡¯s Port in Courmet,¡± she said, pointing to a younger man with red hair.  ¡°He¡¯s very well-to-do, but I¡¯m not sure how you feel about that nasty business with his rival from earlier.  I¡¯m not sure you want to be involved with a man who treats people like that.¡±

    ¡°One that duels?¡±

    ¡°No, no.  He and Eri-Viscount Dombray have been at each other¡¯s throats for some time now.  Business affairs, mostly.  Brashef has been trying to do a hostile takeover for some time in Dombray¡¯s holdings. Dombray isn¡¯t without his nasty tactics, so I¡¯ve heard.  Certain warehouses have gone up in flames and certain valued workers pilfered.  I believe this is their fifth or sixth duel?  Each has two losses on each side.  I assume the other one or two were just badly injured.¡±

    Anla was curious about the rules surrounding duels, but it wasn¡¯t the best time to ask.  She declined, more because she¡¯d rather not get involved with a man who had crossed Raulin.

    It was too bad she wasn¡¯t actually in the business of reselling and decorating; she had quite a few conversations from people who were generally interested in her services.  Mrs. Garda looked at her proudly.  They ate dinner together, along with Mr. Garda, and enjoyed each other¡¯s company.

 Chapter 203

    They were half-way through lunch when Al asked, ¡°Are we going?¡±

    ¡°To what, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°The duel.¡±

    Raulin patted his lips with a napkin, sensing there was a discussion at hand. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well, most people aboard are going, right?  It¡¯s the fashionable thing to do. And I¡¯ve never seen one before. I¡¯m interested in what happens during a duel.¡±

    ¡°Let me illuminate you on what will happen. They¡¯ll be some posturing by the two noblemen. If they don¡¯t back down, they¡¯ll shove their fighters into the ring and the official will tell them to start. Lots of clangs, lots of grunts, lots of blood. Eventually, one of them will land a blow that will be too much for the other and he will sink to the ground in defeat. There will be applause and crumpets on the deck. People will congratulate the nobleman who backed the winner and the duelist will be a bit of a celebrity for a day or two. The other man, already forgotten, may or may not die from his injury that day or in the next week. His noble backer might help that in a fit of anger.

    ¡°Everyone thinks it¡¯s a positively wonderful way to solve a dispute, as if the skill and luck of a fighter determines whether someone else was right or wrong. Fighting with swords, killing men who have nothing to do with it, cowardly nobles hiding behind the skills of another.  I¡¯ll pass, myself.¡±

    Al sat on that for a few moments. ¡°Well, maybe neither will die?  Isn¡¯t it ¡®til first touch?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve found most nobles have no qualms risking someone else¡¯s life, especially when it¡¯s not another noble. In cases of feuds such as the one I almost entangled myself in, I¡¯m sure the directive will be ¡®take out the others best duelist¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But, they might not¡­¡±

    ¡°Wizard, I¡¯m not going to judge you if you go and watch this farce of justice.  I¡¯d have to judge a lot of people on this boat in that case.  You asked if we were going and this part of ¡®we¡¯ will not be attending.¡±

    Both Tel and Anla did accompany Al to the deck where a huge portion of the ship had gathered.  Some people had ever brought chairs from inside to sit.  Everyone was arranged in a circle around Dombray and Brashef, their seconds, and the captain of the ship, who was required to oversee duels.

    It went about as Raulin had said it would.  Dombray¡¯s second, who wore a blue shirt, squared off against Brashef¡¯s second, who had somehow managed to find a gray doublet to wear.  Both were formidable swordsmen, evenly matched but not excellent in form.  It all came down to a wound to the chest that no one had caught, not even Brashef¡¯s second, until his spittle came out red when he wheezed to catch his breath, sinking to his knees as the captain called the match.

    The crowd clapped and dispersed quickly, a few straggling to pat Dombray on the shoulder.  Al was left feeling all the disgust Raulin had tried to convey in his diatribe, wondering what was going to happen to the man in the gray doublet.  He approached him, already abandoned by Brashef and his coterie, wondering if there was anything left to do for him.

    His breathing came in wet and gurgling inhalations.  Al held his hand and got close to his face to get his attention.  ¡°Is there someone you want me to write to?¡±

    The man breathed four or five times before a single tear ran from the corner of his eye into his ear.  ¡°Adiana,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Adiana.  Is she your sister? Beau?¡±

    ¡°Fiance.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that for you.  Tell me where to write to and what to say and I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    The man began to speak haltingly, first in single words, then with a few strung together, and finally in full sentences.  As he spoke of her, his color returned.  The phlegm Al wiped from the man¡¯s mouth cleared.  The crackles in his airway ceased.  After a half-hour or so, he was well enough to sit propped against one of the chairs.

    Al looked up and saw that Anla and Tel were sitting at a table, talking but with one eye on what Al was doing.  ¡°Anla!¡± he called to her.  ¡°Fetch the ship¡¯s doctor.¡±

    She walked over.  ¡°He¡¯s doing well?¡±

    ¡°Yes!  I think his injury wasn¡¯t as bad as everyone thought.  He¡¯s stable, but he¡¯s going to need medical attention.¡±

    When she left, he turned back to the man.  ¡°Does this mean you have to fight again?¡±

    ¡°No.  I¡¯ve done my part.¡±

    ¡°I hope you were at least paid well.¡±

    He stared off for a few moments, then pressed his lips together before shaking his head.  ¡°I thought Brashef was going to help push me up in society, introduce me to the right people.  He did, but he always kept me around him, paid my passage, paid for my meals and clothes, never really trying to help me make money or a name for myself.  I thought he had taken a shining to me, but now I¡¯m starting to realize I was just his sword for when this happened.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Al asked.

    The man shrugged and didn¡¯t talk any more about it.  To kill time, Al talked about some of the highlights of the last year, like eating at Vedroir and meeting the Count of Carvek.  The man didn¡¯t appear to be listening, but he did thank Al for helping him and staying with him until the doctor arrived with two sailors and a litter.

    ¡°I think you should write that letter,¡± Al said and the man gave him a lopsided smile.

    * * *

    It took a week for the ship to reach the first port au call, Vetifre in Genale.  The most dangerous part of the trip was over; from here on out the journey would be closer to river boating then sailing.  There were so many islands in the Great Gheny Bay that the waters were never really severe.  A hurricane would have to blow directly over the mainland of Genale and up through the bay for any serious flooding to occur, and hurricanes never formed at this time of the year.

    Vetifre was a modest-sized city where Al was able to sell a few of the paperbacks he carried, save the one Lady Amirelsa gave him for solving her case.  They had another three weeks before they reached Acripla and he had already scoured the ship¡¯s library for any reading that interested him.  He needed a fresh supply, but came up short.

    It took them about four days, after a full day in port, to reach Kabi Raki, the last major city before the long journey to Acripla.  Here he found the books he wanted and wasn¡¯t forced to read that editor¡¯s copy again.

    He was going to find a deck chair to recline upon while devouring his new novels, but it had begun to rain the day they left port.  And so he curled up into an armchair inside, wrinkling his nose at the cigarette and pipe smoke, and dealt with it as he read his newest Aubin-lead alley novel.

    It was almost dinner when he was pulled from his novel by a loud murmuring from the crowd, just as Aubin was due to emerge from the alley and meet Melidet, too.  He was a little curious by what was going on, but what prompted him to dog-ear his book was the word ¡°trirec¡± being spoken over and over again by people congregating near the deck.

    He pushed his way through as the crowd parted to let Raulin and two sailors through.  His hands were behind his back and he made no resistance.  He saw Al standing there and said, ¡°Talk to Anla.  Good luck,¡± before being led to the stairwell in the center of the ship.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked the person next to him.

    ¡°I heard the trirec killed someone,¡± the man said.

    ¡°He killed Earl Brashef,¡± someone else said.

    ¡°No, no,¡± someone corrected, ¡°he killed Viscount Dombray.¡±

    Where would Anla be?  He ducked outside onto the deck, where it was less crowded, and took the stairwell down.  They almost missed each other as she was running up, looking for him.

    ¡°Al,¡± she said.  ¡°Raulin¡¯s been arrested.¡±

    ¡°I saw.  What for?¡±

    ¡°Someone was killed and Raulin just so happened to be nearby when they found the body.¡±

    He gently led her to their cabin and closed the door behind them.  ¡°Did he do it?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°No!¡± she said angrily.

    ¡°I was just seeing if we needed to figure out who really did it or plan an escape.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, sitting on the bed.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  What do we need to do?¡±

    ¡°First, we need to gather all the information we can.  Who was killed?  Who found the body?  Kriskin malor, I need to go see the crime scene before someone mucks it up!¡±

    The two raced through the ship, stopping only to ask people questions.  The consensus was the murder had occurred in the library.  Thankfully, Al knew exactly where that was and he led Anla by the wrist down the stairs and through one of the decks until they found a crowd milling around outside the doorway.

    Al sucked in his breath through his teeth.  ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting through that mess.¡±

    ¡°Then stand back and let¡¯s see what we can see,¡± she said.

    There was about ten minutes where curious passengers clogged the hallway, swaying with the ship and trying to figure out what had happened for their own sick delight.  (Al realized a fair number of them might have been disappointed that they hadn¡¯t seen a dead body at the duel a few weeks prior.)  They got their wish when the body was carried from the room, the crowd parting to let the two sailors carrying the corpse of Viscount Dombray through.

    ¡°Anla, stay with them.  Try to get any clues about how he was killed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to look for,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Remember what I needed to look for from the clues with Tel¡¯s trial.  Time of death, weapon, angle, things like that. Go.¡±

    She took off after the ghastly procession as Al slipped into the library.  A few officers and a couple of gentlemen were standing around discussing the situation.  Another sailor in a smart white uniform was speaking to a man who was sitting at one of the tables.

    ¡°Sir, we need you to leave,¡± the first mate said once he noticed Al.  ¡°There¡¯s been a crime here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Al responded.  He pretended, just in his mind, that he was holding his ax, which gave him an air of confidence he normally lacked.  ¡°I¡¯m here to offer my services.  I regret that I don¡¯t have any of my cards on me,¡± he said, patting his pockets, ¡°but my name is Fiar Auslen and I¡¯m an investigator with Corter and Afrishi in New Wextif.  We specialize in theft, but work with other crimes as well.  I¡¯d like to offer my services.¡±

    Everyone paused for one moment.  When the first mate didn¡¯t bat an eyelash, the rest went in step.  He approached Al and asked, ¡°How much for your services?¡±

    ¡°We can discuss that at a later point.  Right now I need everyone out who isn¡¯t pertinent, which I¡¯m guessing is everyone.  I would like someone who remembers how the victim fell and who can recreate that for me.¡±

    ¡°Do you need to see the body?¡±

    ¡°My assistant is looking at that.¡±

    He turned to look at the pool of blood, a stain on an Oriental carpet that showed red on the white and crimson on the red.  ¡°Sir, did you want to interview the witness?¡±

    ¡°Witness?¡± He whipped his head back to the captain.  ¡°If there¡¯s a witness, why hasn¡¯t an arrest been made?¡±

    ¡°He refuses to talk about it.  I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll get anything out of him.¡±

    Al walked across the room to where a younger man with thinning blond hair sat, rocking slightly forward and backward.  ¡°Hello, sir,¡± Al began, ¡°I hear you witnessed the crime?¡±

    He shook his head and continued to rock.

    Al looked up at the first mate.  ¡°He was here, sir, when the, uh, situation occurred.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say that makes him our prime suspect, then.¡±

    ¡°In his state?¡±  Al had said it to goad the man to speak, but the first mate didn¡¯t catch on to his tactic.  ¡°He also doesn¡¯t have a drop of blood on him.  And he¡¯s also of noble blood.¡±

    Al was about to ask what the last statement had to do with the crime, but then he remembered the discussion he¡¯d had with Raulin a week prior.  Nobles couldn¡¯t hurt nobles.  They couldn¡¯t even have fair sparring matches when learning fencing.  And they most certainly couldn¡¯t kill each other.  This man couldn¡¯t have killed the Viscount, then.  Neither could Earl Brashef, who would¡¯ve have been the next suspect.

    He needed this man to help.  ¡°Could you tell me your name?¡±

    The man stared ahead but mumbled, ¡°Eri-Earl Jeurd Cavrige of Mount Blakesly.¡±

    ¡°Mount Blakesly¡­where is that?¡±

    ¡°Ekitol.  It¡¯s in the Breadbasket and has over seventy-five thousand souls living in it¡¯s streets.  We just had the library to Cyurinin redone with our sundry,¡± he said, though it sounded more like a recitation.

    This gave Al an idea.  ¡°You like to read?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, making eye contact briefly.  ¡°I love Berothian poetry.¡±

    Al¡¯s class schedule had included a class on poetry with a heavy emphasis on Berothian.  ¡°Epic or romantic?  I prefer the first myself.¡±

    Lord Cavrige scoffed and rolled his eyes.  ¡°Epic Berothian is for any idiot who wants to look like they know what they¡¯re talking about.  They read a little Muscafit or Temi of Beshkala and ta da! They¡¯re an expert.  A real expert in Berothian won¡¯t even bother with those hacks.  Go read The Eyes Over the Desert Sea by Kentiflax and then we can talk about real poetry.¡±

    A few months prior and he might have gotten into an argument with this man.  Maybe he should have, anyway, to wag his tongue.  But, he found himself a bit stunned.  There was something about the way the man emphasized and stressed his words that reminded him of himself.  Hadn¡¯t he had discussions with Raulin over Caudet and alley novels in this exact tone?

    Had he really been that annoying?

    ¡°You know what, maybe I will,¡± he said.  ¡°I¡¯ve read it once or twice, but it¡¯s been a few years.  Is there a copy here?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, no.  Just the usual night soil and rancid oil.  I suppose you could read Fair Easterly Winds by Garashno, Kin Tiah but it¡¯s not the best you¡¯re going to find.¡± He stood, retrieved the book, and handed it to Al.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He slid the book over to his side.  ¡°Were you reading Berothian poetry when the attack happened?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said quietly.  ¡°I was¡­¡± He trailed off before a man came charging into the room.

    ¡°M¡¯lord, I just heard about the terrible tragedy.  Perhaps we should go somewhere that¡¯s quieter?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jeurd said, perking up, ¡°I think we should.¡±

    ¡°Goodman, I am conducting an investigation,¡± Al said, trying to stop the two men from leaving.  ¡°I need a witness statement from Eri-Earl Cavrige about what he saw during the murder.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Cavrige said before being ushered out by his attendant.

    Al gritted his teeth, then turned to the stain on the carpet, hoping to get something from that.

    * * *

    Al¡¯s next course of action was to visit Raulin in the brig, then find out what Anla discovered.  It was a nice bit of luck that she was visiting him at the same time.

    ¡°Hi, Wizard.  Find out anything?¡± Raulin asked.  The first mate locked the door behind them, the brig being a secure room in the holding instead of a barred cell.

    ¡°Not really.  There is a witness, but he¡¯s not talking.  Seems a bit fuddled by the whole ordeal.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Uh, his name is¡­Lord Cavrige.¡±

    Both Anla and Raulin sucked in air through their teeth.  ¡°Wonderful,¡± he said.

    ¡°Raulin, that sounded like sarcasm.  It was sarcasm, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Al sighed.  ¡°Out of curiosity, what is your honest opinion of Caudet?¡±

    ¡°If you want to drink the wine you love, Wizard, I¡¯m not going to¡­¡±

    ¡°Humor me.¡±

    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s the wine made from the inferior grapes in the harvest.  They use it for stock and show, not really to drink. I¡¯ve had it several times in poor taverns; gave me a bad aftertaste and a mild headache later every time.  Why?¡±

    ¡°When I spoke to him about Berothian poetry, I had a feeling like I was wearing your shoes and he was talking like I did about Caudet.¡±

    Anla gave a throaty laugh.  ¡°Now that you mention it, there are similarities between Jeurd and the old Al.¡±

    ¡°You know him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  It¡¯s a long story, but I knew him a few years ago.  It might be worthwhile for me to try to persuade him to shake his fruit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give that one to you; I don¡¯t think I have the finesse to get him to talk.  What did you find out from the corpse?¡±

    ¡°He had multiple wounds.  A shallow cut across the throat, a few cuts and stabs on his torso, and one deep one under the ribs into his heart.¡±

    Raulin, sitting on his cot, crossed his leg and leaned forward to hear what Al was going to say.

    Al walked himself through a mock fight, then said, ¡°Sloppy, but not inexperienced in fighting.  He snuck up on him and tried slitting his throat, but the cut wasn¡¯t enough. The Viscount turned and tried fighting back, probably dodged as many attacks as he could.  I didn¡¯t see anything out of place in the library, which I¡¯m guessing means he couldn¡¯t find a weapon.  He was unarmed until finally, the assassin ran in and got the fatal stab, under the ribs instead of over, which means he knew that was much more effective.  He knows how to fight, but I doubt he¡¯s killed many people.  Not a professional, like Raulin.  He would have slit his throat more efficiently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the compliment,¡± Raulin said, ¡°and pay one back.  That sounds solid. Also, I wouldn¡¯t have killed the man in the library, of all places, and with a witness to boot.¡±

    ¡°I should ask why you were near there in the first place.¡±

    ¡°In hindsight, I realize I was played like a fiddle.  Some men were saying some unkind things and I felt the need to threaten them a little.  I ran after them before teaching one to be a sconce for a minute.¡± He mimed grabbing a fistful of shirt and slamming the invisible victim against a wall. ¡°They went the other way, another man raised the alarm that the Viscount had been killed, and since I happened to be nearby¡­Doesn¡¯t matter that I was walking towards the library.  And I doubt those lickspittles are going to be acting in my defense.¡±

    ¡°What were they saying?¡±

    Raulin met Al¡¯s eyes and looked towards Anla.  She sighed.  ¡°They were talking about me, Al.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Raulin said.  ¡°I know it was stupid of me.¡±

    She raised her hand, then put it down quickly.  ¡°Could you identify those men?¡±

    ¡°If you got one of them to into the brig, sure.  I think it might be easier to find the man aboard who has soiled britches.¡±

    ¡°My theory is that, since neither Earl Brashef nor any of his circle of friends could kill Vicount Dombrey, Brashef hired someone to kill Dombrey and pin it on you, Raulin,¡± Al said.  ¡°Maybe because he was done with the rivalry, maybe because he was angry that he lost the duel, maybe because he was angry that you didn¡¯t help him with the duel.  Doesn¡¯t matter.  He orchestrates this plan and as an added bonus gets you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you still need to find out who actually held the knife.¡±

    ¡°I know. I should go check on the body, see if there¡¯s anything else I can pick up.¡±

    He knocked on the door and the first mate let him out, sword drawn.  ¡°Not necessary,¡± Raulin called out from the room. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on escaping.  Where would I go if I did?¡±

    He passed by several other crew members, since the brig was close to where they quartered.  Al stopped one walking past and asked him where the body of the Viscount was being held.  The man turned and had a coughing fit.  ¡°Left side of the boat,¡± he said, before ducking away.

    When Al arrived at the kitchen, he was directed back down to the crew quarters by a confused sous chef.  By the time he had returned, the body had been moved to the morgue and the ship¡¯s doctor was tending to a sprained ankle.

    When he did get a chance to view the corpse, he didn¡¯t find anything startlingly new.  He noted there were no cuts on his arms or hands, meaning the Viscount had been surprised or had poor reflexes, or he had no time to react other than to jump back to avoid the worst damage.  The slit across his throat was highest on the left side; the attacker was right-handed.  There was a bump on the back of his head, which he likely received falling to the ground.

    Al had some things to take care of before he could get a tight case.  It was going to be a lot of work and he only had a few weeks to solve it before they landed in Acripla and his killer disappeared into the city streets.  At least he didn¡¯t have to read that alley novel again.

 Chapter 204

    There was a knock on the door.  ¡°Raulin?  May I come in?¡±

    ¡°Tel!  Yes, of course.  Welcome to my humble abode.¡±

    Tel ducked his head as he entered and sat on the floor.  Raulin didn¡¯t offer him a chair, since he had already missed his opportunity at good manners.  ¡°How are you doing, my friend?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little boring, I have to admit.  There¡¯s only so much knife practice I can do.  At least the wizard brought me several books to read about a week ago and none of them are alley novels.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t visited sooner,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t making a dig at you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking.¡±

    Raulin waited for Tel to speak.  There was a rut between his thick eyebrows, and his heavily lashed brown eyes were sorrowful.  ¡°Tel, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­I think you were right, Raulin.  I think I should have fought against what my brother was doing.  I think I should have let the people help me take over.¡±

    ¡°This is surprising, coming from you.  What happened to kouriya?¡±

    ¡°Kouriya is a hard thing to keep your faith in.  Even those with the most unwavering loyalty to that lifestyle have their doubts.  This may be my time.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Raulin asked, crossing his legs and leaning forward.  ¡°You and I talked about things right before I was arrested.  What happened since then?¡±

    Tel¡¯s head sagged and waved back and forth.  ¡°I have been watching my homeland.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I am able to fly over the land with kil.  This is how I can see the clouds and know what the weather holds for us.  And I do this across the land, the sea, and then to Ervaskin.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that.  It¡¯s extraordinary!¡±

    ¡°You humble me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I do, but that¡¯s an amazing ability.  You can see anything, then?¡±

    ¡°No.  I can feel instead of see.  It doesn¡¯t allow me to perceive details, but I can tell when things are different.¡±

    ¡°And things are different back home?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  There¡¯s been some major changes in Nourabrikot.  I believe my brother has started to consolidate his power.  My family has been confined to their homes or the palace.  And there were¡­¡± He sighed.  ¡°¡­there were people hanging from trees.¡±

    ¡°Tel¡­I¡¯m so sorry.  Did you know any of them?¡±

    ¡°There were two and both were people who were outspoken against my brother¡¯s decisions. They were good men.  They only wished for the best for our people.¡±

    ¡°Which is what your brother wants, despite doing it in the most heavy-handed way possible.  He thinks that by opening the Valley to the world will make your people stronger. Or him richer.  Either way, he wants change and change is never easy.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind change, if it didn¡¯t mean killing men for it.¡±

    ¡°And I think most people would agree, but their ambitions wind up outweighing their sanctity towards life.  They will do whatever it takes to put their agenda in place.  They will lie, cheat, kill, manipulate, anything.  And it seems like your brother is one of those people.¡±

    Tel buried his face in his hands for a minute before looking up.  ¡°Should I have overthrown my brother?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can answer that.  There was a reason why you didn¡¯t, wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Because kouriya told me not to.  But, what if I was wrong?  What if I¡¯ve always been wrong about kouriya?¡±

    Raulin exhaled loudly.  ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day when you, of all people, has a crisis of faith.  I don¡¯t know what to tell you.  If there¡¯s some great cosmic plan for me, then I think the gods have a cruel sense of humor about it.  So, don¡¯t ask me.  Why don¡¯t you ask the wizard?¡±

    ¡°Alpine has been busy and doesn¡¯t seem in the mood to speak to me about it.  He doesn¡¯t seem particularly pious.  He takes the name of Kriskin in vain, which he says is blasphemy.¡±

    ¡°He does and it is, from my understanding, but I wasn¡¯t talking about his piety.  I meant his devotion to this idea that Arvonne will rise again some day, that some royal family member is still alive and will walk out of some alley and start a revolution against the Kalronistic government.  They¡¯re all dead, Tel.  There¡¯s not a shred of evidence that they aren¡¯t.  But he keeps marching along as if it was a possibility.  I don¡¯t know how he does that.  Even after his breakdown, when he questioned everything about his life, he never wavered on that.  I¡¯ll admit that my annoyance has actually turned to admiration on that subject.¡±

    ¡°The key, then, is not to question it, to always believe no matter what is said.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­one way, his way.  I¡¯ve always thought that faith needs to be tested, otherwise it¡¯s obedience.¡±  He thought for a few moments.  ¡°You have faith in other things.  Your love for Kelouya, for instance.¡±

    ¡°I can test that.  I feel that, always, and I know she feels it, too.  I can¡¯t test kouriya.¡±

    ¡°You sure can.  Tell me all the times you felt kouriya and then acted upon it.¡±

    It was close to an hour later that Telbarisk finished his list, all the little things he had done from leaving the island to sitting there in that room.  Raulin might have interrupted him at some point, but he had nothing else to do and it was interesting in its scope.

    ¡°And not once have you seen what happens when you engage in kouriya?  I know I have. I let you lead by kouriya and Anla got caught by the baerd hunters.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want Anla to get caught by those men, Raulin.  It hurt me to think of what she went through.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s kouriya, as you¡¯ve explained it to me; neither good nor bad.  It just is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard when you do something and see something negative happen, especially to those you love.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that.  All you can do is either reject it or continue to put your faith in it.  In your case, you have to hope that the great cosmic plan involves reuniting with your family and ruling your kingdom, soon.  And if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll help you out.  You know this year together isn¡¯t going to end with me waving goodbye.  I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re taken care of.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Raulin,¡± he said, rising.  ¡°I feel better.¡±

    ¡°Good.  Try to get a word in edge-wise with the wizard.  He might help you.  Don¡¯t let him talk your ear off about Arvonne, though.

    * * *

    Al didn¡¯t have any time to talk about Arvonne, never mind kouriya or anything else Tel wanted to speak about.  He had spent his time tailing the Earl Brashef¡¯s entourage.  He knew where they were staying, their names (which was much more professional than the nicknames he had given them), what their titles were, even a description of most of their wardrobe.  He had taken extensive, meticulous notes on their whereabouts, activities, and people they preferred to associate with.  He had confirmed with Raulin which three had been at the scene of the crime and he had followed them very carefully.

    It was at the halfway mark of the month-long voyage that he realized they knew Al was following them and that they didn¡¯t care.  In fact, they probably wanted that.  They never spoke of the murder and they were all nobles, so what exactly was he going to figure out?  Not who the killer was, that was for sure.

    He had kept up with it for another week, not knowing what else to do, and had quit in exasperation.  ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do,¡± he told Anla at dinner.  ¡°I¡¯ve exhausted every avenue I have.  And Lord Cavrige refuses to speak with me.  He runs when he sees me or his valet waylays me.¡±

    ¡°I tried, Al,¡± she said.  ¡°He¡¯s more than willing to speak to me, but not about the murder.  I tried influencing him, but he really doesn¡¯t want to speak about it.¡±

    ¡°Could you mesmerize him?¡± he asked, clawing his fingers through his hair.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± she said, frowning.  ¡°I haven¡¯t exhausted all my options.¡±

    She took tea with Jeurd that evening, trying to nudge him towards telling her about what he had witnessed.  The problem she had realized some time ago was that he wasn¡¯t going to talk because it was more beneficial that he didn¡¯t.  People had flocked around him, given him condolences and marveling at his association with the crime.  He hadn¡¯t been that popular in his entire life, not even when he had hosted his own parties.  And why would a man give up those privileges? To please a woman he loved? Maybe Raulin would, but that¡¯s not who Jeurd Cavrige was.

    So, she strolled with him and listened to his banal conversation about whatever he wanted to speak about, almost wincing at his high-pitched giggle that he loosed at things no one else found funny.  They walked to his room, one of the nicer chambers, though not the nicest, and when he asked her inside, she accepted.

    They sat in the armchairs below the portholes, the sound of the waves lapping against the boat the only sound for a few minutes.  ¡°Why do you seem so tense?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Tense?  I¡¯ve never felt better!¡±

    ¡°No.  You seem frazzled.  Is it because of the murder?  Maybe if you told me about what you saw, it would make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°Agh!  How many times do I have to tell people, it won¡¯t make me feel better!  I don¡¯t need to tell anyone!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, disappointed that the influence spell didn¡¯t work.

    He sighed dramatically.  ¡°Yes! No, I don¡¯t know.  Maybe.  But every time I think about it, I begin to shake and my throat closes.  It¡¯s too much for me.¡±

    Anla bit her lip.  She knew that they needed his witness account and that Jeurd was reluctant to give it.  There were two ways that she might get him to speak.   She could mesmerize him, like Al had suggested, or she could sleep with him.  Neither were great options. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    She had decided sometime shortly after Analussia that she wasn¡¯t going to use the mesmerization spell unless it was a life or death situation.  This wasn¡¯t that dire. She had another option that wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, wouldn¡¯t enslave them, wouldn¡¯t enthrall them. That option wasn¡¯t pleasant, but she had slept with Jeurd before and had survived.

    Despite having told Raulin she didn¡¯t need to whore every again, she found herself in a situation that called for exactly that.

    She stood.  ¡°Jeurd, is there something I could do to help you feel comfortable?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you could read some poetry to me? I¡¯d like that.¡±

    She moved over to him and put her hands on his shoulders, kneading his back and neck. ¡°There¡¯s something else I think you¡¯d rather have.¡±

    It took him a few moments until he realized what she meant.  He leapt up and grabbed her, slobbering over her lips, pushing her back to the bed.  She felt a cold detachment to it, even when his warm hands moved up her legs.

    Just a few minutes.  She didn¡¯t look at him, didn¡¯t think of anything other than she wished Al would barge in and stop it, saying she didn¡¯t need to continue, that he had found the missing clue.  But, he didn¡¯t, and she laid there until Jeurd7e collapsed on top of her, painting to catch his breath.

    ¡°I knew you still loved me,¡± he said, rolling next to her.

    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie about that.  It was bitter on her tongue.  Instead, she pulled his head to her breast and stroked his hair, waiting until his breath deepened.  ¡°Jeurd, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he mumbled sleepily.

    ¡°You feel safe and happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Like when you read your poetry?¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    ¡°Were you reading it in the library?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And then you heard a struggle?¡± He said nothing and she thought he had fallen asleep.  ¡°Jeurd?¡±

    ¡°Yes.  I was in an alcove, reaching for a book when I heard the other man grunt.  I ducked down and hid.¡±

    Anla¡¯s stomach seized.  ¡°Did you see anyone?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get a look at the man who killed Dombray?¡±

    ¡°I was scared.  I covered my head and prayed to the Twelve that he wouldn¡¯t find me.¡±

    Her throat tightened.  It had all been for nothing.  He was useless to her, couldn¡¯t even do one helpful thing for her.

    He snored lightly. She moved him off her and let herself out, barely glancing at Mayin as she strolled down the hallway.

    * * *

    There were four days left. The ship was in open waters, having moved past the breaker islands in the bay, and would arrive in the capital of Tektorn early in the morning. Their hope of freedom for Raulin was waning by the hour.

    It was raining, and though it was warm, it was torrential. The decks were slick with puddles, so Anla took the long way around to reach the brig. Along the way, she saw Mrs. Garda and greeted her. Mrs. Garda, in return, gave her a hard smile, a minimal expression you¡¯d give someone only because politeness dictated it. Anla was surprised at this, but kept going.

    Anla nodded and smiled at the men in the brig. One stood, sword drawn, and unlocked the door. Raulin was laying on his cot, his fingers laced behind his head, but he turned as the door opened. ¡°Hey, Takin.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Raulin. Everything fine?¡±

    ¡°As well as it could be. Four o¡¯clock already, huh? Did you win your card game last night?¡±

    ¡°A little. Not as much as Brint, but enough.¡±

    ¡°Good, good.¡±

    Raulin sat up and gave space for Anla to sit as they waited for Tel and Al to show for the meeting the wizard had called, but said nothing to her. He wiped his hands on his pants and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been able to court you while I¡¯m in here. I¡¯ll make it up to you when we get to Acripla.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you think you¡¯ll be free when we disembark. We¡¯re doing what we can to free you. And, of course, ¡° she said quietly, ¡°we¡¯ll do what we can should things not end well.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure out something. Will, um, is¡­is Cavrige coming with us?¡±

    Anla gave an incredulous laugh. ¡°What? Why would he do that?¡±

    ¡°Because you are together?¡±

    ¡°We are not,¡± she said with some weight behind the words.

    ¡°Oh. You, um, tumbled with him. Many times.¡±

    She snorted. ¡°I tumbled with him once, to try to get him to tell me about what he saw in the library. Nothing, by the way; he cowered in a corner and almost wet himself. He was less than helpful. How do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s apparently been telling everyone he can that he and you are quite intimate and that he might call off his arranged meeting to marry you instead. Guards talk.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve underestimated his imagination. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± She shook her head, then looked at him. ¡°Were you? Worried, that is?¡±

    ¡°Our agreement said you could do what you wished. I had hoped that you wouldn¡¯t pursue other avenues, but it is your freedom.¡±

    ¡°What, did you think I had fallen in love with Jeurd?¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t have much else to do in here other than think, Anla. I heard what the guards said. They like me well enough to tell the truth. So, I wondered what I had done wrong. Obviously it was not paying enough attention to you.¡±

    ¡°That kind of makes me sound like a flighty tart.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, I mean¡­I felt like I hadn¡¯t upheld our end of the bargain and therefore you had decided to find someone better suited to court you.¡±

    ¡°When I was his mistress a few years ago, he bought me presents. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d say he was courting me, since it would be a backwards sort of courting, but nonetheless, he bought me presents. At the time it was nice; I got to eat things that I couldn¡¯t afford, I wore things that made me feel rich. But, nothing ever felt personal. He knew what to buy a woman but not me. I know that sounds spoiled, but I never felt like he understood me. I never quite understood that I felt that until one day he gave me a comb with ladybugs on it. I sold it as soon as I could. He never knew why I never wore it. You do, though.¡±

    ¡°You got a ladybug caught in your hair when you were younger and you¡¯ve been afraid of them since.¡±

    ¡°Yes! See, why would I want to be with a man who doesn¡¯t understand that? I mean, not specifically that, but he and I were never at a point where I felt like it would be worth my breath to share something like that. He¡¯d tease me about it or forget it soon after.¡± She sighed. ¡°He¡¯s already cost me for that. Mrs. Garda didn¡¯t speak to me when I saw her earlier. She thinks I cheated on my husband with Cavrige after she told me to sweep it under a rug and wear long sleeves. More Ghenian nonsense.¡±

    ¡°What would your people do in a situation like that?¡±

    ¡°Which one? Mrs. Garda? Elves don¡¯t usually snub people. If we¡¯re angry enough at someone, we¡¯d stab them. Or did you mean what an elf would do if someone made unwanted advances towards them?¡±

    ¡°I was actually curious about fidelity amongst elves. Is that common? What happens if it is and one cheats on the other?¡±

    ¡°I often speak of the elves as my people and as humans as the other, but in all fairness I am from both worlds. They can be similar or strikingly different in their own ways. I have no training in how to deal with it sometimes. All I can do is forge my own path and hope that it¡¯s the right one.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you feel about Lord Cavrige?¡±

    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you upset with me over this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you aren¡¯t with him, Anla. Yes, you did tell me that you didn¡¯t care much for him, but people change and I understand that. So I felt like this was my fault. I could have been smarter and not goaded by Brashef¡¯s men. I could be out there, protecting you like I should be. I¡¯m upset, but with myself, not you.¡±

    ¡°It came down to either tumbling with him or ensorceling him. I suppose I could have had him kidnapped by Al and tortured until he told us what we needed to know, but that¡¯s what ensorceling him would have felt like to me. I slept with him because I wanted to help you. I thought it was going to be like it was years ago with him. And it was during, but after, as I walked the decks, I didn¡¯t feel well about it. I know what our agreement is, but I still feel like I broke a promise. I know I didn¡¯t, but I still have that guilt like I did. You¡¯re not happy. I like seeing you happy.¡± She took a breath. ¡°That¡¯s about all I can say. Those are my thoughts.¡±

    He took her hand and entwined his fingers. ¡°Thank you. You were honest. I feel a lot better.¡±

    There was a knock on the door and both Al and Tel entered as Raulin squeezed her hand and pulled it away. Neither of the two men looked like they were in their finest. Each had dark circles under their eyes, a gaunt appearance, and couldn¡¯t have more rumpled clothing if they had fallen off a mountain.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something,¡± Al said before he even said ¡®hello¡¯. ¡°I know I am. I have that feeling like I¡¯ve broken an egg and part of the shell got it, but it keeps sliding around when I try to pick it out.¡±

    ¡°You look sort of like a broken egg, Wizard. Maybe you want to take a day off, enjoy the weather.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pouring out. And I can¡¯t. I need all the time we have.¡±

    ¡°Doing what, though? You said that chasing after Brashef and his men was pointless, that you¡¯ve parsed all the clues you could, and that there¡¯s nothing else but to think. You need to be in the right frame of mind. Pulling your hair out isn¡¯t helping you at all. You need to relax, calm your mind, maybe work on your ax forms that I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve forgotten to do these past few weeks.¡±

    ¡°What, I was supposed to drop all my work twice a day?¡± Al snapped.

    ¡°Yes, exactly. There¡¯s always going to be something. Weather, tight quarters, your friend being framed for murder. If you want to be an ax wielder, you have to always wield your ax. I think you should go practice, get your mind off the subject.¡±

    Al¡¯s shoulders sunk and he sat on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not giving up. You told me once that you had to take care of yourself before you could take care of your clients, that if you don¡¯t stop to freshen yourself you¡¯ll do incremental damage that will add up and cause major ramifications. So, go take care of yourself. I am. I¡¯m teaching my friend Takin to play cards.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they don¡¯t have important jobs to do.¡±

    ¡°Well, so long as people behave, there¡¯s no need to. The route is fairly calm and well-traveled. It¡¯s an easy job, comparatively speaking. The ensign was just telling me that they often taken low ranking seamen aboard for their days of service, to get their next rank. Ferries are an easy way to do that. So, don¡¯t be harsh on them. These men will move on to other ships and be fine sailors.¡±

    Al looked up from his hands. ¡°Boat.¡±

    ¡°No, ship. Takin was very particular about that.¡±

    ¡°Port?¡± His face looked pained.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good wine to relax with. I¡¯d even recommend Caudet, if that¡¯ll let you mellow out.¡±

    Al darted to the door and pounded on it. ¡°Third Mate Takin?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes?¡± a man said, his head coming around the corner.

    ¡°You need to get the captain to round up the men and figure out which one isn¡¯t a sailor.¡±

    ¡°That might be difficult, sir, with shifts and all.¡±

    ¡°I strongly believe that one of them either killed an ongoing sailor or is impersonating one, and also killed Viscount Dombray. It will free Raulin.¡±

    He blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    * * *

    They decided on a less dramatic action. Starting at the bottom ranks, and with those seamen who could be vouched for, the first mate began conducting interviews. Was there anyone acting suspiciously, someone who didn¡¯t seem like they were doing their job well or made mistakes? Perhaps a man who kept to himself?

    There was a long list of names given. After twelve interviews, one name had appeared eight times: O.S. Zaparin. Al waited as the man was found sleeping in his quarters and escorted to the first mate¡¯s office. Cap in hand, he stood before his superior and said, ¡°Captain? You wanted to see me?¡±

    The first mate raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Al. ¡°I¡¯m not your captain,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sorry, sir. I was napping during my break. Still a little disoriented.¡±

    The man looked up and made eye contact with Al, who stood in shock. ¡°You!¡±

    Realizing the jib was up, he turned and tried to run out of the room. Two sailors with swords, who had been stationed just outside the room, enticed him to stay for the chat. ¡°Mr. Auslen, you know this man?¡±

    ¡°With longer hair, yes. He¡¯s the man that fought the duel for Earl Brashef and was seriously injured. I discounted him since he was listed as ¡®departed¡¯ and I had quite a few witnesses who said as such.¡± Al turned to the man. ¡°Why? Why did you do it? You got a second chance at life! You should have gone home!¡±

    The man said nothing. A sailor knocked and entered the room. ¡°In with his stuff, sir,¡± he said, placing a poignard across his desk.

    The first mate looked up from the knife to the accused. ¡°This looks very bad for you. How would you like this to go? Already you have impersonating a sailor, stowing away, and possession of a weapon, perhaps theft of said weapon. I¡¯ll drop all those charges if you tell us who gave you that knife.¡±

    The man set his jaw and said nothing.

    Al held up his hand to the first mate and interjected. ¡°That¡¯s not just a knife. That¡¯s the small blade of a nobleman¡¯s triad. Only those in the major peerage carry a set like that. It will likely match a short and regular sword with an insignia for his house on it.¡± He held his hand out and the first mate placed the blade in his hand, which he turned so it pointed down. ¡°My, what do you think the ¡®B¡¯ on the hilt stands for?¡±

    The man now looked worried. ¡°Did he promise money?¡± the first mate asked. ¡°Connections? He won¡¯t be able to provide you anything when he¡¯s in jail. A few of his men, too, likely his closest companions. They¡¯ll be implicated as well.¡±

    ¡°Brashef,¡± he said, his head dropping.

    ¡°Earl Din Brashef?¡± the first mate asked without surprise.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He called to one of his men, who took the murderer to one of the other brigs. Al was about to leave when the first mate said, ¡°Tell me, are you really an investigator?¡±

    ¡°Honestly? No. Will you be charging me with impersonation as well?¡±

    He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not the type to cross my Ts. I got what I wanted and you put in your time. I won¡¯t be paying you, though. That will be our waiver.¡±

    Al might have let that go. The old Al definitely; he would have felt relieved at not being prosecuted. And the new Al didn¡¯t care a whole lot for money. He had enough and he was frugal in most things. However, there was something he wanted not for himself, but for someone else.

    He crossed his arms. ¡°No. I did days of hours worth of work on this. I got you your man and the whole conspiracy with it. I want fair payment.¡±

    ¡°Hey, now, you should be lucky that I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°I want you to reimburse the trirec his ticket.¡±

    The first mate considered. ¡°That¡¯s thirty-five gold. That¡¯s all you¡¯re charging then?¡±

    ¡°I want you to apologize and I want you to upgrade him.¡±

    ¡°And you as well?¡±

    ¡°If you want to. I¡¯m not asking for it, though. Just him.¡±

    The first mate rubbed his chin for a moment. ¡°All right.¡±

 Chapter 205

    Al followed the first mate back to the brig. He knocked on the door to Raulin¡¯s room and opened it a few moments later. ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve incarcerated you in error. On behalf of the Kervin Company and the crew of the Constance on the Sea, I¡¯d like to offer you your freedom and an apology. We¡¯ll reimburse your ticket and we have upgraded you to a suite. If you need anything else, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask a crew member.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­okay?¡± He stumbled out of the room. ¡°The, um, books¡­¡±

    ¡°Will be returned to the library, sir. Don¡¯t worry yourself about them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Al walked in step as he followed Raulin. ¡°I know you worked hard at this, Wizard. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Well, what else was I supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°Read? Practice with your ax? Talk with people? Watch the sun set? Meet the love of your life? Speak with gods?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I did miss a lot working so hard.¡±

    ¡°I was trying to tell you that. I appreciated your effort, but throwing yourself so hard into a situation means you ignore all the stuff going on around you. Don¡¯t ever sacrifice your moments. That¡¯s when you stop living and start dying.¡±

    Al thought about what he said as they up levels. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m having my moment,¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s pouring out, Raulin,¡± Al warned as the trirec walked towards the deck.

    ¡°Clothes dry, Al. I¡¯ve been locked in a room for about twenty days. I want to see the sky.¡±

    He left the wizard in the cozy den of the second deck and walked to the railing. His brown tunic and gray pants were soaked to black in less than three seconds, but he hardly cared. He breathed deeply and let the droplets form rivers over his arms, down his back, across his hands. Raulin stood there, leaning against the railing, staring out at the water. Al felt there was a sort of dignity to the occasion, a man whose only reaction to the injustice that had been laid upon him was to enjoy a storm. He hadn¡¯t spit, screamed, threatened, shoved, or even made a motion that could be perceived as sarcastic. He¡¯d nodded his thanks at the first mate and moved on. And Al had to admire that a little.

    * * *

    Jeurd continued to press Anla for time alone with gifts of whatever he could find. Apparently, he had taken to asking his loyal servant, Mayen, to buy jewelry, trinkets, and other favors from other passengers, which caused the rumors to fly once again about them.

    Anla had less than no interest in the earl. This caused her a little guilt, but she realized that he had no good qualities other than money, which wasn¡¯t something she needed from a man nor did she feel it was fair to have a relationship with him just for that. She couldn¡¯t hold a conversation with him without it growing boring or insulting, he wasn¡¯t good looking, he had poor social graces, and he knew no one to introduce her to. She didn¡¯t owe him anything.

    But, she was polite, so she didn¡¯t say ¡®no¡¯ to strolls or meals with him. She guessed that he might have interpreted this as more than a friendly situation (and their past didn¡¯t help dissuade him) to the point that Mayen felt the need to intervene.

    He found her on the top deck with many others as they watched the ship come into port. ¡°Miss,¡± he said to grab her attention. ¡°We need to have another discussion.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡± she asked innocently, but she knew.

    ¡°I felt it might be coincidental that you happened to arrive in Miscomme at the same time as my master, and you happened to take the same ship as he for Acripla. However, after your arrangements with my lord, I¡¯ve come to suspect you may have planned it that way. It was common knowledge in certain circles that my master was headed to meet a woman who is sure to be his bride soon. Perhaps you felt it was worthwhile to try once more for a position with him in a situation that was more in your control.¡±

    ¡°My, you think highly of my ability to plot,¡± she said, though she was secretly annoyed by this. She had agreed to take the money and leave him alone years ago. If circumstances had been different, she wouldn¡¯t have said one more word to him aboard this ship.

    ¡°You¡¯ve demonstrated in the past that you¡¯re not a stupid woman. I can only assume that you¡¯re the type to use her looks, charm, and wits to her advantage. Why you haven¡¯t married well before now confuses me.¡±

    ¡°Because I turned seventeen only a few months ago,¡± she said with a slight smile.

    Mayen blanched at this and was silent for a few contemplative moments. ¡°Um, yes. Well, based on my master¡¯s affections towards you and that interesting bit of information, I¡¯d like to increase what was originally offered. I will give you twenty gold not to approach the earl at least until he¡¯s married. Once the troths are concluded, you may feel free to do what you wish.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Anla gave a coy look and pretended to think long and hard about this offer, but she had made her decision quickly. The whole thing was an insult. Yes, she was a commoner and therefore the best she could ever hope for from a nobleman was charity or to share his bed, but Mayen didn¡¯t have to be so crass about it, especially that part at the end. The almost four hundred gold in her pocket afforded her things she had long thought too expensive for a homeless girl, like pride. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your money.¡±

    He blinked in surprise. ¡°Ah, well, yes. Perhaps the offer was too low. You are a shrewd woman who knows her worth, of course. Does forty gold sound like a more reasonable offer?¡±

    ¡°My,¡± she said, giving him a crooked smile. ¡°You¡¯d think he was close to proposing to me.¡±

    ¡°Fifty gold?¡±

    She laughed. ¡°After all that he¡¯s given me? Seems a trifle.¡±

    He licked his lips. ¡°One hundred gold.¡±

    The peevish look on her face dropped when she realized she and Mayen had been having completely different conversations. While she had been playing coy with him to stop herself from losing her temper, he had been trying to prevent her from marrying Jeurd and breaking his vow. At any cost, it seemed. She doubted Mayen would believe her if she said she didn¡¯t want the money; he¡¯d keep thinking she didn¡¯t want that little and increasing the amount. And if she were angry at him or Jeurd, and the type for revenge, she might continue. But she wasn¡¯t. ¡°I accept.¡±

    Mayen blew out a deep breath and gave her a weak smile. ¡°Good, good. I¡¯ll bring your money to you this evening. This means you are to cut off all contact with the eri-earl, here on this ship and in Acripla, until he is married. After that point, you are free to make whatever arrangements he would like. No strolls, no dinners, no accepting gifts, no letters, no visitations of any kind. I will make excuses for you.¡±

    She gave him a tight smile and a curtsy before saying, ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s quite taken with you, miss. You might want to call on him in a few months time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± she said as he walked away.

    ¡°What was that about?¡±

    She turned and saw Raulin standing nearby, leaning against the wall with his arms and legs crossed.

    ¡°I apparently became a lot richer for doing something I wasn¡¯t planning on doing in the first place.¡± He joined her, leaning over the railing next to her as she recanted the conversation to him. ¡°I feel a little bad about taking his money. I didn¡¯t intend for that to happen.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps if he had more of a spine, he could have identified the killer and you wouldn¡¯t have had to sleep with him, thus saving the confusion.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­I find it distasteful to be bribed not to sleep with a man, then be encouraged to accept some sort of arrangement to do that after he¡¯s married. His poor wife.¡±

    ¡°His poor wife will probably find someone to sleep with behind his back, especially with a husband like that.¡±

    ¡°And what if she loves him?¡± Despite having his mask on, the tip of his head was all he needed to convey his skepticism. ¡°It could happen. I¡¯m not going to be the reason why some poor girl is heartbroken.¡±

    ¡°I think I feel the same, actually. I¡¯ve always told myself that seducing women was fine because their husbands strayed just like they did. But, I don¡¯t know that and it seems a bit delusional to keep that up.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to give it up, then?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I can. I¡¯ve made my promise to you, and I¡¯ll keep that, but when I take my next docket in Noh Amair, I¡¯ll continue what I was doing. I will be a lot more careful, not just with that but overall. I¡¯m tired of being caught.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, turning towards him, ¡°I do believe I¡¯m ahead there. Two to one.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I technically saved you from Carvek.¡±

    ¡°I do believe that one was mutual.¡±

    ¡°All right. Point for you and point for me. It¡¯s time for me to be careful about things.¡±

    She turned back. ¡°Speaking of careful, what can we expect for Tektorn and Acripla?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting land. They hold a strong love for Kriskin and you can see it in how they live. A bit more daring, a lot less concerned with their reputations. You might like it there; I know I do.¡±

    ¡°And what do you find so appealing about Acripla?¡±

    ¡°Just wait.¡±

    The ferry pulled into harbor a few hours later that evening. The wharf was full of people from every walk of life, from prostitutes dangling their bare feet off the pier to ladies in exquisite dresses, purses and fans looped around their gloved hands. There was an abundance of lace, linen, and silk amongst that crowd, likely to battle the mugginess that choked the air even that late in the day. Apparently spring came early here. People aboard began waving as people on shore returned the greetings.

    The four of them disembarked, Raulin leading. Anla began to notice people pointing at him before he left the pier. This wasn¡¯t a new occurrence; ruder people had done that frequently in the past everywhere they had gone. What was different was the positivity. They were actually smiling at him.

    Anla wasn¡¯t sure she had gauged their response correctly until she saw a few young women of higher standing point to him with their fans, then open them to obscure half their faces. He nodded his head at them and they immediately turned towards their friends and giggled.

    ¡°You¡¯re popular,¡± she said blinking.

    ¡°A welcome change. I noticed this the last time I passed through, about three years ago.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember when we had that run-in with your sister and brother-in-law?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They seemed to have a lot of respect for you.¡±

    ¡°Remember what they called me?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Knight of Kriskin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Pilgrims came from Tektorn some century or two ago. There was a schism; the land became more progressive while the Pilgrims wished to remain conservative in their identities. With no land,¡± he stopped to nod to another woman who was holding up a fan, ¡°they began to roam Gheny. They say they are a different people, but they hold on to some things. They believe in Kriskin. And they love anyone or anything to do with death.¡±

    ¡°And by being an assassin, they love you.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Love¡¯ might be a strong word. They see me as some semi-mystical figure, something a bit elevated.¡± He gave a quick, two-fingered brushing salute to three young men who were holding up their forearms in front of their faces. ¡°Admiration. I¡¯m intriguing to them. Somewhat like why Al loves his novels so much.¡±

    ¡°They see you like I see Kiesh the Black?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Like that.¡±

    ¡°Seems like a good thing for you,¡± she said, though she didn¡¯t feel great about the situation.

    ¡°Good for my esteem, sure, but it¡¯s not easier, just harder.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Different rules,¡± he said.

    Before he could explain, a group of young adults in fashionable, but not expensive clothing approached him. ¡°Dine with us!¡± the most daring of the men said. ¡°We know of a great place!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± Raulin said as one of the women put her arm around his waist and gently led him to the group.

    Yes, Anladet thought she wasn¡¯t going to feel great about Tektorn at all.

 Chapter 206

    Raulin was pulled down several streets, the group of young adults laughing and waving at the people watching them. They stopped in front of a restaurant as one young man ran in, then gestured for them to come in. He was swept upstairs to a loft that was unoccupied, the group taking seats at a table, giving him the seat of honor.

    Once they had all settled down, they turned to look at him. ¡°This is¡­unusual,¡± Raulin said.

    Smiles lit up their faces. ¡°We¡¯re so glad to meet you. You¡¯re Raulin Kemor,¡± one of the young men said. He was wearing a bowler hat that he took off hastily, revealing sandy blond hair clumped slightly by sweat.

    ¡°I am. How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re members! Of the organization¡­we call ourselves the R.A.S., the Royal Arvarikor Society.¡±

    Raulin was sure that his face drained of all blood. ¡°How do you know about Arvarikor?¡±

    Another member, a pixie-ish woman with deep red hair in ringlets, spoke. ¡°We gather as much information as we can about trirecs and compile it. We correspond with other groups, though we¡¯re the largest with twenty members. We know all about Arvarikor and your headquarters in Riyala and Hanala.¡±

    ¡°We follow as many of you as possible,¡± a severe looking man with black hair and pale skin said. ¡°We have a large wall full of markers and where each of you are, at least the ones we can tail and the ones that take a lot of contracts. We first noticed you when you came here to Gheny three years ago.¡±

    ¡°We got a letter from the Hanala society that you were spotted there about a month ago and you were headed south, so we thought you might be coming here,¡± said the auburn-haired woman again. ¡°Thank you so much for meeting with us.¡±

    To say that Raulin was unsettled was an understatement. He realized how much he had been slacking as far as covering his tracks went. Arvarikor had found him in Hanala, the Cumber was likely tracking him even though they hadn¡¯t made their presence known to him, and now a group of amateur adults had plucked him from a crowd within an hour of his arrival. This feeling wasn¡¯t even considering how dangerous it was for them to know things about Arvarikor.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he said, ¡°but I don¡¯t think this level of involvement is a good idea¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± said the other woman, pretty with the same hair color as his own medium brown in the same ringlet hairstyle as the other woman. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand our enthusiasm for interference! We respect your need for privacy very much and will keep our distance as you conduct your business. Part of our charter forbids us from meddling in your contracts. We just wanted to introduce ourselves, since we know you¡¯re the nice one.¡±

    ¡°¡¯The nice one¡¯?¡±

    ¡°The other ones don¡¯t speak to us, or to anyone, really. Definitely not Keta-li; we stay far from her. You, however, are kind. You¡¯ve given food to beggars, you¡¯re friendly, and you¡¯ve donated to temples. We even have an uncorroborated story about you saving a child in Melkyuen by paying for his medicine when his mother couldn¡¯t afford it. If any of the trirecs were going to be safe to approach, it would be you.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense, then,¡± he said, leaning back, ¡°but I¡¯m not worried about you mucking up my jobs. I¡¯m worried about someone finding out about this and reporting back to my order. They don¡¯t want people to know our sordid details and they won¡¯t hesitate to kill you to protect that knowledge.¡±

    A few did look worried at that, but the woman with the lighter brown hair was undaunted. ¡°But you won¡¯t, will you?¡±

    They¡¯re as bad as the wizard, Raulin thought. He sighed. ¡°No. I should; my order won¡¯t be happy if I don¡¯t report this and they find out I knew about you, but they didn¡¯t task me with that specifically. Just please be careful about this.¡±

    They relaxed again, enough for the dark-haired man to signal a waiter who took their order. He turned back after the conversation and startled into a smile. ¡°Introductions! I¡¯m Stevrin MaLise, the president. Saesara is the vice president,¡± he said, gesturing to the woman with medium brown hair, ¡°Rubine is the secretary, and the quiet man at the end is Vetrio, our treasurer. This is Kaliv,¡± he gestured to the blond man, ¡°and that¡¯s Rubine¡¯s brother, Caskis.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you all. Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Stevrin said, shrugging and smiling. ¡°We just wanted to welcome you to Acripla.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. Arvarikor would suggest he leave immediately in this situation and never speak to them again. Of course, if he had obeyed everything his order had trained him in, he¡¯d likely be dead by now. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to chat a little bit with these young folks; perhaps they could help him indirectly. ¡°Tell me, what have I missed in the last three years?¡±

    Taking his question as a sign that he was going to stay, they excitedly began filling him in on the current events of Acripla. They didn¡¯t stray far into things that were inconsequential, like which one of their friends had recently gotten married or what the latest theater was. They delved into the political situations, what the prominent local lords had been doing, what projects were being planned. He was mildly impressed that they understood his needs so well.

    The waiter came around with drinks for everyone, placing a mug of dark, grainy liquid in front of him. ¡°Could I have a water?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not alcohol,¡± Stevrin said. ¡°We know you can¡¯t drink that. That right there is called ruly grue. It¡¯s a tea from Sharka, very popular.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± he said. He clicked off the bottom part of his mask and noticed the group had watched him do so with rapt attention. He sipped on the beverage and didn¡¯t notice any of the telltale signs of a beer or spirit, so he continued to drink. It wasn¡¯t his favorite beverage, since it had a strange floral-saccharine note to it, but it was palatable. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He sat back as the group tucked into their meals and stared at the parlor near their table. A ceiling fan spun lazily around, the turbine powered by a wall-mounted water feature. It kept the air moving in the stifling atmosphere and he noted none of the gentleman in the restaurant were dabbing their foreheads like he would expect. The chairs and settees were covered in green velvet with ornate arching backs and tufts. There was even a meridienne in the corner, though no lady was resting on it at the moment.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t mention the Mantyger!¡± Kaliv said, slamming his glass down.

    ¡°Do you think he needs to know?¡± Saesara asked.

    ¡°It might be helpful. What is it?¡± Raulin asked, spearing some hot pickles.

    ¡°Who,¡± Kaliv corrected, ¡°and no one honestly knows. Most believe him to be some sorcerer from Taidan Kan or a man driven mad by what he saw in the Viyaz Desert.¡±

    Raulin made a non-committal noise in his throat, wondering where this was leading.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Kaliv downed the rest of his drink and continued. ¡°He¡¯s been influencing things for the last few years, becoming more and more powerful. Some say he has all the banks and politicians in his pocket, as well as a few lords, maybe even the Duke himself. No one would have known about him, except he¡¯s completely rubbed out a few people and started a turf war or two. ¡°

    ¡°So Acripla has a shadow boss of some kind. I should be wary about who I talk to and what I unearth, I suspect.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the rumor. No one¡¯s ever seen him, but his fingers are in everything.¡±

    ¡°Kaliv, that¡¯s probably not going to help him,¡± Saesara said, ¡°unless one of his contracts is to find out who the Mantyger is and to kill him.¡± She sipped on her wine before choking a little. ¡°I don¡¯t mean¡­I¡¯m not asking what your contracts are!¡±

    Raulin waved his hand nonchalantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Haven¡¯t checked my notes yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said. ¡°You just arrived. Do you need a hotel? We could find you one¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve found one already,¡± he said.

    ¡°¡¯They¡¯?¡± Stevrin asked. ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®they¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I mean the people I¡¯m guarding. A husband and wife and their ledgerer. They¡¯re here hunting for antiques while I do my jobs on the side. It¡¯s really a great set-up; they need to travel places, but don¡¯t care where or when. I guard them when they have important transactions or merchandise. Otherwise, I¡¯m free to conduct my business on the side.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think trirecs worked with others.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t. This is a rare opportunity, very lucrative.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯re rich. Our notes show that you do a lot of contracts, so you must have a lot of money from them.¡±

    ¡°I was shipwrecked back in May.¡±

    The table made a round of sympathetic noises. ¡°That¡¯s tough luck,¡± Kaliv said. ¡°Were the crew all right?¡±

    ¡°I was the only survivor,¡± he said.

    ¡°That must have been terrible. How did you survive?¡±

    He recounted the tale of how he had hung on to the mizzenmast in the storm only to cling to it for dear life the next day as he drifted at sea, then how Neshihon had found him amongst the flotsam and brought him to Hanala.

    ¡°What is the compound like?¡±

    ¡°Looks a lot like Merak. Same architecture, similar trees, just like home.¡±

    ¡°Home? We thought you weren¡¯t from that part of Merak. You¡¯re taller and paler than the others.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡± He stopped. While he felt great need to chat (perhaps he¡¯d always secretly wanted people to fawn over him as a trirec), this was something he didn¡¯t want to talk about at all. He looked outside and saw it was quite dark, the restaurant lit only by candle and lamp. ¡°I need to check in with my charges. Do I owe you anything for dinner and drink?¡±

    There was a chorus of disappointed sounds from the table. ¡°No, it¡¯s on us,¡± Saesara said, ¡°but please, do come back. We have a meeting next Saturday.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not busy,¡± he said, standing.

    ¡°Of course. We understand. Good luck to you. And if you need our help, don¡¯t hesitate to contact us,¡± Stevrin said. ¡°Oh! Here¡¯s my card, should you wish to call on me.¡±

    Raulin took it and put it in his pocket. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been a lovely evening.¡±

    It was much darker than he expected when he stepped out on the street. It was also raining, which helped cool the flush he had on his face and arms. He began walking to his left, taking a few steps before he realized he had no idea where to go. He had been tugged to the restaurant and hadn¡¯t even glanced back to see where Tel, Al, and Anla had gone.

    Hopefully they¡¯d come for him¡­but he couldn¡¯t stay there. He¡¯d already told the group he had to check in with his charges. He clicked his tongue in thought, then continued to walk slowly.

    This section of Acripla, appropriately called Dockside, was by far the best wharf-adjacent neighborhood he¡¯d ever seen in a city. He suspected it had been gentrified. The lamps were all lit and the light reflected off the wet cobblestones. There was so much greenery growing along the porch rails and the walls that he was reminded of several arboretums he¡¯d visited. A few women still walked down the street under parasols, their bare hands on the arm of a man. Some men walked alone, too, their heads covered with bowlers, their faces lined with mustaches that connected to their sideburns.

    Raulin kept under the roofs as much as he could, his mind on what the group had told him. He¡¯d been lazy and reckless, a common enough problem for him, but never one he¡¯d known to be such an issue. They had anticipated his arrival to the day. Had anyone else? And what of this shadow boss they¡¯d told him about, the Mantyger?

    He picked up movement in his peripheral when he turned to cross the street. Someone was walking towards him with a purpose, dark and obscured, perhaps under a cloak. Damn. Had the Mantyger already sent someone as a precaution?

    He darted across the road in front of a covered carriage, spooking the horse enough to cause the driver to pull on the reins and curse him. He apologized without turning his head and walked brusquely to the other side, slipping into the first alley he saw and pressing himself against the wall and next to the corner.

    The short man passed by not a minute later, stopping to look for him. Raulin grabbed his cloak and slammed him against the wall, pointing one of his stilettos against his throat.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he growled.

    The man let out a sob of surprise. Raulin pulled the man¡¯s cowl back and saw the now familiar but still breathtaking Anla staring up at him.

    He sheathed his knife immediately. ¡°Anla, I am so sorry. I thought you were an assassin after me.¡± He pulled her head to his chest and hugged her for as long as he felt he could get away with before letting her go.

    ¡°And how do you know I¡¯m not?¡± she asked with a little amusement in her throat.

    ¡°Ah, playing the long con. I would¡¯ve thought almost any point in the last eight months would have been a better time to kill me than now.¡±

    ¡°I had to make it sinister-looking, for Al. He¡¯s writing a book, you know.¡±

    Raulin laughed and put his arm around her to lead her out of the alley. ¡°I should have known the wizard put you up to this. Using us for inspiration, hmm?¡±

    ¡°He already has some interesting ideas about you.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    She turned left, back the way they came, and put her cowl up against the rain. ¡°Oh, plenty of things. He¡¯s burning with curiosity over what you look like.¡±

    ¡°And what did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said you looked, oddly enough, like a man. He wasn¡¯t happy with that answer.¡±

    He laughed again. ¡°So, what is with this whole situation, tailing me?¡±

    ¡°You took off with your new friends. We have rooms not too far from here in a nice hotel. Someone needed to wait for you, so I volunteered.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for waiting for me.¡±

    ¡°Now, what was that about?¡± she asked, gesturing to the restaurant as they passed it again.

    ¡°As I said, Tektornians rather like the macabre part of life. I get treated with some respect around here; people tend to be kinder and will hold conversations with me where they wouldn¡¯t in other parts of the country. That I knew about. What I didn¡¯t know was that I had admirers.

    ¡°There is a society of young adults that have a frightening amount of knowledge about Arvarikor, its inner workings, and its trirecs. For instance, they tracked me from when I arrived in Hanala last year and have guesses as to which contracts I completed, at least half of them correct. It¡¯s the kind of devotion I¡¯ve seen to bards or authors, but neither are quite as dangerous to know. What¡¯s really problematic is that they know I¡¯m not like the other Merakians, though not really where I¡¯m from.¡±

    She looked up in surprise. ¡°Oh. That means you can¡¯t infiltrate society because they¡¯ll be looking for a new nobleman who¡¯s visiting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very sharp, you know that? Yes, that is going to be a problem. I¡¯m thinking about sending you or Al in my stead. We¡¯ll have to see.¡±

    ¡°What are your contracts for Acripla?¡±

    He stopped under the next lamp and took out his notebook to read it, then let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°I have to meet a representative for both. At least for the theft I can call upon this gentleman at his work on the weekend as I am. The other wants to play clandestine games, so I¡¯ll have to pay a courier to run a note.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully the latter won¡¯t take long. Hmm,¡± she said, looking over his shoulder. ¡°I think I understand why you chose your code.¡±

    ¡°I always thought you¡¯d pick up on the Arvonnese thing earlier. I¡¯m glad I made it difficult. Can you imagine if Al knew?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d never hear the end of it.¡± She moved away and they continued walking. ¡°What is it like, Arvonne? I know you¡¯ve always been reluctant to talk about it¡­¡±

    Much to her surprise, he didn¡¯t hesitate to delve into the highlights of the country. From the mountains in the north to the coasts along the south, to the large lakes and rivers, he spoke of them all.

    ¡°Favorite place?¡±

    ¡°Home,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Eri Ranvel. Though I love the Danria Coast and Biashka as well. The perfume I got you smells almost like Biashka.¡±

    ¡°Did you have me in mind when you got it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured that maybe you¡¯d wear it and that I could smell something from home, at least once.¡±

    She blinked at this, a small smile on her face. ¡°I thought you bought it for me to wear during high-end balls and soirees, things like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for whenever you¡¯d like. At the time, we were sleeping in the same bed, so I thought it would be a wonderful way to fall asleep.¡±

    Anla¡¯s smile had grown, crinkling the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind.¡±

    They arrived at the hotel and she sat in the common room, patting on the seat next to her. ¡°You want to talk?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re being awfully chatty tonight. I think I¡¯d like to take advantage of that. Tell me about your childhood.¡±

 Chapter 207

    Raulin awoke in his own bed, alone, and with a headache and a sore throat. He winced when he sat up and stumbled towards the pitcher of water, tipping it back and drinking directly from it. Tel wasn¡¯t in the room, so he took off his mask and shaved quickly, thinking about last night.

    He had spent hours talking with Anla. At the time it had seemed like a great idea; she was so receptive to what he told her and kept asking questions. Her eyes sparkled and she laughed so brightly at some of his stories, he felt like maybe he had erased what he had done to her in Mount Kalista. But now, looking in the mirror, he only felt foolish and unworthy of her attention.

    At breakfast, the eggs were greasy and the sausage dry. Nothing had any flavor. He was about to leave to meet with his first contact when she came downstairs, a smile lighting her face when she saw him. ¡°Join me,¡± she said, and he didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that breakfast was awful. He did sit with her, though.

    ¡°Watch,¡± she said, splitting her scone and spreading jam, then clotted cream on top. ¡°I¡¯ve learned.¡±

    He nodded and mumbled something about how doing that in certain countries would get her killed.

    ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll have to live dangerously. Or just in Arvonne. Where would you suggest I start, if I were to visit it some day?¡±

    He shrugged and her good mood seemed to waver. Al came downstairs a few minutes later, his hairline soaked with sweat. ¡°Now that I¡¯m off the boat, I¡¯m back at it.¡±

    Raulin nodded, then winced.

    ¡°I see you found Raulin on your walk last night,¡± Al said to Anla. She gave him a pointed look and he changed the subject. ¡°How was it last night?¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. ¡°I have a lot of eyes on me, it seems.¡± He briefly recounted what happened as Al scarfed down his food. ¡°I¡¯m regretting going. I think I told them way too much.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like you,¡± Al said. ¡°Or having you been lying about how you¡¯re not conceited and you secretly do love attention from people?¡±

    ¡°No. It just seemed¡­right at the time. I don¡¯t think it was bragging, but I definitely told them things I regret saying.¡±

    Anla narrowed her eyes in thought. ¡°Did you drink spirits? You didn¡¯t smell drunk last night, but it sounds like maybe you were.¡±

    ¡°No, actually. They knew I couldn¡¯t drink alcohol, so they gave me something else. I forget what it was called. ¡®Rue¡¯ something.¡±

    ¡°Ruly grue?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She and Al shared a look, then a smile. ¡°Well, well, they got you,¡± Al said. He gestured for Raulin¡¯s hand and held his wrist.

    ¡°What do you mean? It was alcohol?¡±

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s almost as bad,¡± Anla said. ¡°It¡¯s a tea brewed in Sharka that wags your tongue for you. It won¡¯t inebriate you, so you¡¯re still sharp, but you¡¯ll be outgoing and social. Then, the hangover.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the reason why Anla and I partnered together,¡± Al said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever would have sat at her table and asked her to read my fortune if I hadn¡¯t been drinking ruly grue.¡±

    ¡°You asked her to read your fortune?¡± he said, starting to feel his headache wane.

    ¡°It was to harass her about being a piscarin, mostly, but I was curious as to what she was doing there in the middle of lumber country reading fortunes for a pittance. Seemed odd and I was piqued.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, enjoying the lack of pain. Al let go of his hand and Raulin thanked him. ¡°So I¡¯ve been had it seems.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they saw a golden opportunity and decided to go for it,¡± Anla said. ¡°They didn¡¯t lie; ruly grue isn¡¯t a kind of spirit or wine.¡±

    ¡°True. I still don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be joining them again.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked. ¡°You could rectify your mistake while using them in return. Just fill their heads with nonsense and ask whatever questions you have about the city. Assuming, of course, that you¡¯re able to hold your tongue when you need to.¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, we did training involving taking certain substances. Mild poisons, alcohol, certain potions. I grew up drinking wine frequently, so at least I could identify the different stages of inebriation, at least from what I noticed of others. Those kids I was in class with had no idea. I did well with that, but mostly because I knew I was being coerced. Now that I do, I should be fine.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, you needed to make contact with someone for your first contract?¡±

    He laughed. ¡°I should tell the club that all trirecs have a secretary now, though I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a lie or not. Yes. Would you like to come with me, should I need a tether?¡±

    She licked her finger clean of strawberry jam. ¡°Absolutely.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin took a leisurely stroll with Anla after breakfast. While she was in a shop asking for directions, he reminded himself of a decision he had made while on the ferry and what he was going to do about it.

    He had been imprisoned for about twenty days. Jail time was never fast, not even with knife practice and reading. Raulin had reviewed his last job, as he had been taught to, and had no problems with how he had stolen the buttons from Lady Carvity¡¯s summer house. The one before, however, he had enormous issues with.

    He no longer blamed himself for falling for Lady Karninth¡¯s game just like he wasn¡¯t going to blame himself for being pickpocketed five times and mugged twice over the year. He fit the mark and, while embarrassing for someone of his training, it was something to move on from. What he was still blaming himself for was his treatment of Anla. It was still searing in his gut when he thought about what he had said about her. It confused him. How could he love a woman and say such terrible things about her? He had questioned for a while if maybe he did love her. Perhaps he was confusing lust with love. But, no, he knew how he felt about her. He knew the difference between the two. He loved her still.

    Of course, she had told him exactly why he had reacted that way and he had taken far too long to realize she was right. He thought of her affections as some prize to win. The end of things, not the beginning. He would win her love eventually and then had no plans about what would happen after the fact. But because he wanted her, she was his and anyone else getting in his way, including her, deserved his wrath when he didn¡¯t get what he wanted.

    It had been a smart move to court her. His possessiveness had been chained and he was hers, not the other way around. It had worked, until he had heard the guards¡¯ idle gossip about her affair with Lord Cavrige. It had hurt. He hadn¡¯t made any progress; he had still been consumed by jealousy and rage and despair. He¡¯d had to talk himself down before he pounded his fists into the wall. Him of all people.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    She wasn¡¯t Raulin¡¯s. Anla was her own, or Lord Cavrige¡¯s, or whomever she wanted. He was not allowed to tell her what a huge mistake she had made. Oh, it still ate at him. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from thinking of the two of them together, her satisfied smile after Cavrige bedded her, her snuggled into his arms while he drew circles on her back. Seething anger, twisted stomach, feelings of unworthiness.

    But, he calmed down and he realized that after the gut punch left from unfulfilled desire, what he really worried about was her in love with Cavrige. His mindset shifted. He couldn¡¯t make her love him, but he could make her as happy as possible. He would pay more attention to what she smiled at and try to replicate it as much as possible. And, yes, he had picked up on the fact that she loved him talking about his past and that he hadn¡¯t done a great job that morning. He would fix that.

    Anla walked out of the shop. ¡°Not terribly far,¡± she said. ¡°Three blocks down, and two over.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, walking in that direction. ¡°I remember you asked me about my mother last night before I grew to tired to continue our conversation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did! Tell me about her.¡±

    ¡°Most of my parents¡¯ friends and associates thought I favored her in looks. Most of my features were the same as hers, though I look rather different now. She was petite, for example, and I sprouted tall like my father.

    ¡°I was her favorite. She also loved my little sister, Petulet, but I could tell she loved me best. My father hated it; he thought she was turning me into a sissy, but I¡¯m pretty sure I proved him wrong there.¡±

    ¡°Why? What what did you two do?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I would lay my head in her lap while she hummed and brushed her hair. She taught me how to play the spinet and recite romantic poetry, which worked doubly as wastes of time to my father. She would always hold me when I cried and never told me to dam it up, to be an adult. She listened and she taught me to listen as well.¡±

    ¡°She sounds like a wonderful woman.¡±

    ¡°She was. She wasn¡¯t born for the life she lived.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°She was quiet and didn¡¯t prefer the company of other people. Give her a book to read or let her paint a picture and she was late afternoon sunshine after a storm. When she was at a dinner or a ball, she would hardly speak, having to rely on wine to loosen her tongue enough for small talk.¡±

    ¡°You went to a lot of balls when you were younger?¡±

    ¡°Here and there. I was a child, after all, and nobody wants little thigh crashers mucking about their good conversation. Often I¡¯d be in an adjacent room or wing with other children and someone would look after us. My brother was well-behaved from when he was seven, so he was often paraded around and did well. I probably would have been with the kids until I was twenty-three.¡±

    ¡°What was your brother¡­¡± she began, but her eyes had wandered to a store front. Inside, on several mannequins, were intricately crafted cowls in lace, fur, and satin. There were other accessories in the shop, gloves and scarves and the like, but she didn¡¯t want those. She tore her eyes away and tried again, ¡°What was your brother like?¡±

    Raulin put his hand gently on Anla¡¯s upper back and guided her to the shop. The shopkeeper was thrilled to have a trirec in his business, though he seemed a little perplexed by Anla¡¯s presence. Raulin let her look at the items available, some so dainty they appeared impractical, but he kept seeing her eyes flicker to the cowls. Eventually, she walked over to the rack and let her fingertips stray across the material.

    ¡°It¡¯s the latest fashion,¡± the shopkeeper whispered in his ear. ¡°Our ladies need something to protect their hair in dewy mornings and muggy afternoons. Those scarves gently cover a woman¡¯s curls so that they don¡¯t wilt. I see that your lady doesn¡¯t wear her hair in curls, but they help still. And they look quite fetching.¡±

    He said nothing, only watched her pick up a gold cowl with pearls strung inside. It hung long down the back and was knit into a pattern of starfish and nautical shells. She put it on, gently, and turned to look at him with a bright smile. ¡°How much are we talking about?¡± he said to the shopkeeper immediately, not taking his eyes off her.

    She put it back and looked at other things while he finalized the sale and folded the delicate accessory in his knapsack. ¡°Did you find anything you liked?¡± he asked as they left.

    ¡°A few things, but nothing I needed.¡±

    ¡°What about wanted? You have money and plenty of it. You can splurge on things and not worry about how much they cost.¡±

    She took a few moments to gather her thoughts. ¡°I do have money. But, unlike you, I won¡¯t be able to make any more once our year is done. If I worked on my baerd skills I could make a living, but I would always be watching my back, worried that bounty hunters would take me. And I couldn¡¯t invest in an education or business for the same reason. So, I¡¯m going to assume that whatever money I have is static. My ¡®splurge¡¯ will be covering expenses to find my brother and raise him. There are plenty of beautiful things in the world that I will never have. I don¡¯t have the option to want.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. What about if you hire me as a guard after the year is done? I come cheaply.¡±

    Her eyebrows furrowed in thought, but she said nothing.

    Feeling a bit embarrassed by his forewardness, he said, ¡°You could also ask me to buy you things. It¡¯s part of courtship.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already spent enough on me. I appreciate it, but you don¡¯t need to do that. You¡¯ve never had to.¡±

    ¡°Is that rejecting the courtship then?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just saying I¡¯ve enjoyed your stories and anecdotes more than the flowers and chocolates.¡±

    ¡°Poor gifts, then? Maybe I should try harder?¡± He pulled his knapsack off as they continued to walk and pulled out the cowl, letting it spill over his arm.

    He studied her profile and saw the corner of her mouth waver as she tried to suppress a smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to try that hard.¡±

    ¡°Consider it making up for time on the ship. Now, this is the place, yes?¡± He gestured to a brick building with ivy growing along every inch that wasn¡¯t windowed. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be quick about it.¡±

    A glance back showed that she took a seat on the bench in front of the building, a tree with new leaves and her cowl shading her from the sun.

    Inside he presented himself to a secretary, or would have had the man not stood and left as soon as he saw Raulin. A few minutes later a middle-aged man, balding, paunchy, but with a good-natured expression etched on his features, arrived with the young man. ¡°Ammen Kilden. Ah, good to see you, Mr¡­?¡± he asked, his hand extended.

    ¡°Kemor, Raulin Kemor,¡± returning the shake. ¡°Is there some place you¡¯d like to speak more privately?¡±

    ¡°No, no, here will do fine.¡± He sat in one of the chairs of the seating area and gestured for Raulin to do the same. It wasn¡¯t the first time someone had been overt about the usually covert, but typically there were added layers of politics to the matter.

    The man seemed calm and not at all worried about the situation. In fact, he gazed around, looking at the sickly plant in the corner, the crack in the window pane next to them, and the quill and ink on the secretary¡¯s desk as if he¡¯d never seen them before. He was in no rush to speak, so Raulin prompted him. ¡°I¡¯ve taken on your contract to steal an item¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± he said, laughing. ¡°It¡¯s not to steal it. We need you to retrieve something.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. I am to retrieve an item for you, but I need the information. There was none given, other than to contact you once I reached Acripla.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It takes some explanation. I need you to retrieve an item from my home.¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°My family¡¯s home, I should specify.¡±

    ¡°You need me to steal, retrieve, something from one of your relatives?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s technically mine.¡±

    Raulin tapped a finger on his knuckle.

    ¡°My father lived alone on the family¡¯s estate up until his death three years ago. He was advanced in his years, but we didn¡¯t know he¡¯d fallen ill. Tragic, really; we would have hired someone¡­Anyway, he became a little daft in his later years and took to hiding things. We¡¯ve already had a few people look into it, but they didn¡¯t find anything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve exhausted the list of treasure hunters, private investigators, and detectives?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. The manor has something of a reputation now, so I can¡¯t get anyone to even step in through the gate.¡±

    ¡°What reputation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s haunted.¡±

    ¡°Haunted?¡±

    ¡°All right, it¡¯s unsafe,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°My family has been land rich and bank poor for my entire life, so we haven¡¯t had the fund to keep up the house. It only got worse in the last decade, so a few of the people who tried got injured a little.¡±

    ¡°Define ¡®a little¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Only the one died, I promise, and accidents can happen anywhere!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already taken your contract. If it¡¯s not complete, it¡¯s because I¡¯m dead. And then you¡¯ll have to look elsewhere for your possession issues.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Kildet asked, his bushy eyebrows furrowing. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d enter our version of double jeopardy; if a trirec dies while serving a contract, the contract is considered complete and cannot be resubmitted. I should point out that, since you chose to meet me instead of giving all the instructions in your contract, you can cancel now that we¡¯ve met. This will be your last opportunity to do so.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel confident that you can do it?¡±

    ¡°I think it will all depend on how derelict your family¡¯s manor is.¡±

    Kilden looked Raulin up and down, scratched his chin, and said, ¡°You look like a strapping young man. I think you¡¯ll do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Now, what would you like me to retrieve?¡±

 Chapter 208

    ¡°I should¡¯ve said ¡®no¡¯ to this,¡± Raulin said to the group, flicking the list with his fingernail. ¡°He¡¯s really stretching the rules here.¡±

    Anla looked over his shoulder at the piece of paper that had thirteen items on it. ¡°How is he not breaking them?¡±

    ¡°It has to do with the translation. Merak tends to be a rather unspecific conversational language. For instance, if I say ¡®hirk gi¡®, it translates in Ghenian as ¡®go over¡¯, but Merakians would understand it means ¡®go over there¡¯. In this case, a theft contract translates as ¡®something taken from one person or place¡¯, not ¡®one item¡®. This Kilden has interpreted that to mean he can list a catalog of items and call it his ¡®family¡¯s treasure¡¯ and that I have to get all of them.¡±

    ¡°Loopholes,¡± Al said. ¡°You can¡¯t be mad at him for finding a loophole; it¡¯s fair and square.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wish Arvarikor would hire a nice translator for each country they accept contracts in, but I can¡¯t be mad at a man who sees an opportunity and takes it.¡±

    ¡°So, what do you plan on doing?¡±

    Raulin crossed his legs and leaned forward, pressing his fingers against his mask. The bed creaked as he moved. ¡°I¡¯m going to need all of you, if you¡¯re interested. Ten percent? It¡¯s not a lucrative contract, I warn you, so that will amount to about twenty-two gold. And we¡¯ll need to prepare for the worst. We¡¯ll bring our camping equipment and food for a few days, get a few lanterns, oil, and matches.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Al said.

    ¡°No offense to Anla and Tel, but I think your ax and your wizardly balance will help the most here. I¡¯m glad you said ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Do you need us, then?¡± Anla asked, a wry smile on her face.

    ¡°I think it would be stupid not to take you two. Your abilities and input have been invaluable. Are you two in?¡±

    Anla nodded. Tel, however, seemed as lost as he¡¯d been for the last week or so, his gaze far away. Raulin turned to the other two and said, ¡°We¡¯ll meet with our things in the common room in about fifteen minutes.¡±

    After they had left, he turned to his friend. ¡°Still thinking about home?¡±

    Tel heard him that time and turned, nodding his head. ¡°It¡¯s gotten worse. More dead, more foreigners, more incarceration. There are others on islands, like I would be if I hadn¡¯t left. There are heaps of coins surrounding the throne; my brother wears necklaces and bracelets of metal and jewels. They drink and eat at banquets every night while some of the people have begun to starve. And Kelouya¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°She stays in the palace. Her door is locked and she is treated like Ghenians treat their prisoners. Raulin, she¡¯s not a woman to keep indoors. She needs to be free, to walk the land, to gather and harvest. She will wither inside.¡±

    ¡°And what have you done?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said miserably. ¡°Kouriya has not led me to any action.¡±

    ¡°And what would you do, could you do?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t let myself think about such things.¡±

    ¡°You need to. You might not act on it, but you have to weigh all options.¡± Tel looked at him with soulful eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a prince. You may rule one day and rulers need to consider things outside of their own wants. It¡¯s a noble thing, you following kouriya, helping the world progress in measured chaos, but it¡¯s not what a king would do.¡±

    ¡°You think I should stop listening for kouriya and react differently to the situation?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying you should consider all of the possibilities. And maybe listening to kouriya is the correct one. But, I¡¯m going to doubt that. You have been miserable for some time now. I think your inability to react to what¡¯s going on is tearing you apart.¡±

    Tel nodded meekly at this.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can help you with, let me know.¡± He placed his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Will you be joining us?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, standing.

    ¡°Good. I might need you to reach some things up high.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°This is much worse than I was expecting,¡± Raulin said.

    The four of them disembarked from the carriage, Tel stretching the muscles that were aching from being too long hunched over inside. (¡°Just outside the city,¡± Kilden had said. More like halfway between Acripla and Cataya, thirty miles south along the coast.) The manor house, a true monument to grander days gone by, sat a quarter mile from the road. Even from the distance, it was still visibly in ruins.

    ¡°You said it was ¡®unkempt¡¯,¡± Al said. ¡°This is derelict.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I was just repeating what I was told. For the record, I¡¯m beginning to dislike Kilden.¡±

    Raulin paid the driver and dismissed him, knowing they were going to have to walk back to the city. There was no way to gauge how long it was going to take and the road saw wheels as often as the Viyaz saw rain. The nearest neighbor was so far away they might as well be not home.

    ¡°All right,¡± he said, once the horses¡¯ hooves were barely audible. ¡°We¡¯re going to stick to the¡­pathway? Stay behind me. Tel, if you could let me know if I¡¯m going to step in a rather large hole or on a snake, I¡¯d greatly appreciate it.¡±

    They made their way cautiously past the massive pond with creatures no one knew lurking below the surface. The ¡°path¡± continued on as the area of the grounds that had less weeds, the place in between gnarled and winding oaks draped in moss.

    The steps were traversable, but only if one took a winding path. The knocker on the door was gone, stolen likely. Raulin pulled the key from his pocket and pressed against the door to steady himself while he unlocked it. It opened anyway. He sighed and pushed it open all the way.

    ¡°This is much worse than I was expecting,¡± Raulin said again.

    Not an inch of tile in the foyer was clear of rubble or dust. Raulin scraped the toe of his boot across the floor. Ah, black and white with deep red diamonds, he thought. Classic. The sun strewn in through an open ceiling where the chandelier should be. That was off to one side of the room, leaning against one of the pillars that had fallen.

    ¡°Right. It looks like this has your standard two wings with two floors. I want everyone to pick one and investigate. Do not go into any rooms, understand? Just look in, figure out what it is, and move on. Be careful. Meet back here when you¡¯ve finished. If your not here within an hour, we¡¯re coming to get you.¡±

    Al and Anla seemed keen to get started. They rushed the stairway and took to their respective wings. Raulin stood perplexed for a moment before he realized that he was much less nimble than both of them, meaning they were better suited to the second floor and its pitfalls. He clicked his tongue a few times, then directed Tel to the left while he took the right.

    His wing was mostly concerned with entertainment. On either side of the hallway he checked rooms and found the living room, library, smoking lounge, games room, den, and a few other rooms he couldn¡¯t quite identify due to the debris. This hadn¡¯t happened in the two years the patriarch had been living alone; this had happened over decades of put-off repairs and ignored problems. Raulin found himself oddly sad as he scouted the wing, a witness to a great family that had fallen far. He wondered what his childhood home looked like. Was it as glamorous as he remembered? Or had it fallen by the wayside in the almost two decades he¡¯d been gone? Did rats nest in the shreddings of old chairs and curtains there, too?

    He was the first to return to the foyer, but everyone made it back intact. Al had taken the wing above Raulin, which contained the master bedroom suite with the office and balconies. Anla¡¯s was the guest and childrens¡¯ wing. After a little deciphering and process of elimination, Tel reported that his sections contained the kitchen, larder, and pantry.

    ¡°Good, thank you. That leaves the fifth wing, which is where we¡¯ll start together,¡± Raulin said, gently opening the paned doors between the grand staircase. ¡°My assumption will be that Kilden didn¡¯t bother trying and that we¡¯ll find things in obvious places.¡±

    The room appeared to be a greeting lounge of some sort, with the repetition of several other rooms in part. It contained couches, coffee tables, end tables, chess boards, fireplaces, and bookcases, none of which were in sound condition. ¡°My guess,¡± Raulin said, ¡°is this would be a good place to show off your family¡¯s status. Let¡¯s keep our eyes peeled especially for the sword, crest, and painting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking someone already found the first two,¡± Al said, pointing above the fireplace in the center. As Raulin moved closer, he could see the white marble held two shapes much like a sword and a crest. ¡°What do we do if they were stolen?¡±

    ¡°It falls to due diligence.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s to stop you from saying you tried for two weeks, but in actuality you nipped off to a bar?¡±

    He pulled his notebook out from his knapsack and held it up in the dust-mote beams of light. He flipped past the contracts to a few sections where entries were made. ¡°I have to make a very good case that I tried by keeping highly detailed records of what I did each day and why I think things were stolen.¡±

    ¡°We could be here for two weeks then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I have a theory. Kilden mentioned his father lived here by himself for some time and that he was also bit off in the end. I suspect he might have moved things around to strange places as the senile sometimes do. So, not stolen but hidden.¡±

    ¡°Senile or off?¡± Al asked. ¡°If he was nutty then there might be some sort of pattern to it. Or none whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Not sure, Wizard. Let¡¯s see what the rest of this place holds.¡±

    Beyond the lounge was a ballroom and beyond that a conservatory. The greenhouse wrapped halfway around those two rooms, letting in plenty of waning light, but holding no family heirlooms. As a joke, Raulin suggested the family tree might be in that room, but all he got for his effort was a small chuckle from Anla.

    They went through each room in the two wings, discovering staircases down to the cellar and servant¡¯s quarters. They quickly checked the underground section. Not surprisingly, they found none of the family¡¯s heirlooms.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    When they came up, full dark was upon them. ¡°We¡¯ll take turns,¡± Raulin said, unlatching the bottom part of his mask. ¡°One of you can borrow this and come with me to search. The other two rest. We¡¯ll begin again in the morning.¡±

    Anla took the first night, Tel the second. Although Raulin and they had some good conversations while they hunted, they came up empty-handed. It was on the third night, with Al in the office, that they made any progress.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to put my mind into the brain of deranged old man. Where would he put things? Why would he move them?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°The world may never know,¡± Raulin said, removing a seat cushion to look underneath.

    ¡°True, but in his world it made sense. The normal experience things similar. At home I had a stuffed calous from my childhood that sat on a bookcase. He had to face a certain way. If Marnie moved him or played with him, he had to go back that way or else it bothered me to distraction. I don¡¯t consider myself insane, nor was that a moment of insanity, but the senior Kilden could have had many moments like that. If there was some clue as to where his mind was, we might be able to think like he did.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a calous?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big desert animal from Br¡¯vani. I mean it, though. What else do you know of the man?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He searched under the next chair and felt up the tall back for slits or moth-eaten holes. ¡°Kilden dismissively said his father lived here by himself until he died. What kind of son does that, abandon his father to a crumbling house and let him live in isolation?¡±

    ¡°What if he wanted that? If my father was dying and he asked me to buy him a boat to go fishing, I probably would, Raulin. My father loves the sea. It would mean I was less likely to see him alive again, but at least I would know he died happy.¡±

    Raulin thought on that. ¡°You make a good point, Wizard. I don¡¯t know their relationship. Maybe this did bring the man joy.¡±

    ¡°What things did your father like?¡± Al asked.

    This question surprised Raulin. ¡°You¡¯ve never asked about my family before.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know something about mine. I thought it would be good to ask about yours.¡±

    ¡°My father was stern, but fair. I don¡¯t think he handled pressure well and he lived with enough of that. A mischievous little boy didn¡¯t help things. He was very proud of my older brother, though. He was his pride and joy. Did well in fencing and his studies, was polite, never got into trouble.

    ¡°Not much more to say. He worked a lot and I didn¡¯t see him all that much.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t eat dinner with him? Tell him how you did in school?¡±

    ¡°I did, but it wasn¡¯t much more than him absorbing more information, smiling, then moving on to something else. We all can¡¯t have engaging fathers that care about whether you did well in your Kintanese lessons.¡±

    ¡°Swap Kintanese for Berothian poetry and you have my father,¡± Al said. ¡°He¡¯s a good man, but not a man who enjoys children. Quiet, keeps to himself, would rather talk about fish.¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Yes, he said that a lot, mostly when my siblings and I were too loud.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean I¡¯m concentrating and would like you to be quiet for a moment.¡± He moved carefully to the fireplace, avoiding the large hole in the floor. ¡°What do you see in the hearth over there?¡±

    ¡°Soot,¡± he said. He laughed, then sobered, holding the bottom part of Raulin¡¯s mask up. ¡°Something¡­small. Shiny. Shouldn¡¯t it be covered in debris?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. Now why wouldn¡¯t something be covered in decades of dust and plaster?¡±

    ¡°Because it hasn¡¯t been here for decades.¡±

    ¡°Come on. I need to figure out a way over there.¡±

    The floor was completely open from the hearth to three feet in front of it, swooping to the walls. There was a gap on either side of the hearth, the hole on the left only about two feet wide. Al took a running leap across the left side to the undisturbed corner and landed, stopping himself by slamming into the wall. Raulin opened the window, gripped the sill, and slowly dipped his body down into the hole. He shimmied to the other side and used his upper body to pull himself up and over the ledge.

    ¡°Right,¡± he said, dusting off his pants. ¡°Do you think you can climb on the mantle and reach down?¡±

    ¡°I can try.¡± He leaned over the gap and pressed his palms into the marble, his elbows locked and his arms shaking. Al pulled himself up. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s enough room for me to stand.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Get down. Let¡¯s see if I can swing over.¡±

    Raulin leaned over and gripped the mantle for support as he lowered his body across the gap, ending with his legs split low. ¡°This is why you do those stretches,¡± Al said.

    ¡°This is why I do those stretches. Okay¡­got it,¡± he said, snatching the metallic item from the top of the logs on the hearth. Al reached over and took it, holding it up to look at it in the scant light coming from the lantern in the doorway.

    ¡°Great! One down, twelve to¡­¡±

    There was a horrible creaking sound from the floor as Raulin tried to pull himself up. A moment later the floor gave way, dropping both of them to the room below. There was a flash of white across Raulin¡¯s vision as his body twisted into a strange position mid-air. He landed with a loud crash on some debris, nearly missing being impaled by a poker sticking up from the rubble.

    ¡°Raulin! Raulin!¡± he heard Anla yell before the rest of the floor fell, a corner hitting him in the head, knocking him out.

    * * *

    Raulin felt the pressure lift from his leg. He gritted his teeth, almost screaming, until the pain subsided into a sharp throb. ¡°I really hate Kilden,¡± he moaned. Large hands lifted him like a child and moved him swiftly through rooms and hallways until he landed on something soft.

    He groaned, tried to lift himself, then collapsed. ¡°Stay here,¡± Tel said. ¡°We need to find Al.¡±

    Find him? No. That meant he was still buried under the debris. He tried again to stand and suppressed a scream as he put his weight on his left leg. Broken, sprained, something. He hobbled to the other side of the couch he had been laid on and looked around for something to use as a walking stick.

    Raulin remembered an umbrella stand in the foyer and found one he could use. Damn, his leg hurt, but time was crucial. Al could be suffocating. His head was still fuzzy, so it took him a few moments to remember where they had been and which direction he needed to take. He heard them shifting things and turned into that room, moving to the pile as fast as he could.

    Neither of them said anything until Anla found Al¡¯s hand. Anla took it and tugged, not budging anything. They furiously concentrated on the debris above it, lifting planks of wood and slabs of marble out of the way until his head emerged. Anla hissed. ¡°Look at his head. That¡¯s a bad injury.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get him out, then look,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Quickly and carefully. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s pressing against him.¡±

    They ripped at the debris atop Al and after a few minutes, were finally able to pull him gently from the rubble. His head was soaked with blood, smearing his face and trickling down to his neck. A nail had punctured his left hamstring. He likely had other injuries, but they couldn¡¯t tell in the night.

    Raulin followed Tel and Anla, the latter holding the board with the nail against his leg until they knew what to do. They placed him in his side in the makeshift bed in the kitchen they suspected Kilden¡¯s father had been using. Raulin leaned over and pressed his fingers to Al¡¯s neck, everyone sighing in relief when he found a pulse.

    ¡°Assuming the nail isn¡¯t stuck in his bone, it needs to come out,¡± Raulin said. ¡°It will likely gush, so we¡¯ll need a clean cloth to stanch the blood. We need linens and phenol, or alcohol if there¡¯s none here. Thread and needles. I need a splint for my ankle and a better walking stick, if possible. Please be careful.¡± He sunk to the ground, his leg straight in front of him, and nodded off almost immediately.

    He awoke a half-hour later when Tel began patting his head. ¡°Thank you. I shouldn¡¯t be sleeping.¡±

    ¡°This is like when were in the jail?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. Another head injury. My skull is probably so dented that I¡¯m now banging it back into place. A wonderful technique to pioneer: falling forgery.¡±

    ¡°Other than your head, ankle, and sense of humor, how are you doing?¡± Anla asked, pulling taut the thread she was sewing Al¡¯s leg with.

    ¡°My sense of humor is intact, mezzem. It was never good to begin with. I am feeling sore, but otherwise all right.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re halting our search until we know Al is stable. Then, we¡¯ll see.¡±

    Al¡¯s color and breathing returned to normal by the next morning, though he was still unconscious. Raulin stayed up for most of the night until he felt it was safe enough to sleep with a possible concussion. Anla had moved their bedrolls from the lounge to the kitchen and was up when he rose.

    ¡°Good morning, mezzem. Sleep well?¡±

    ¡°I did. I was thinking of trying something.¡±

    ¡°Pray tell, what is it?¡±

    ¡°There was a passage in the book I read about baerds healing.¡± She smoothed out the crumpled paper and read, ¡°¡¯Kiema Mossgrove is a woman of extraordinary talent, and though this person must confess to being colleagues with her and mayhap a touch biased, her records speak for themselves. She resides in New Wextif and owns lavish apartments and knows many in high society due to her ability to heal with singing. A rare gift even for a baerd, she manages to sing people to robust health from all manner of dis-eases, conditions, and poxes. She has even been known to accompany the King, Magrithon protect him, should he or his family be off need.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I take it you want to study music, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I wanted to try it, since neither you nor Tel know how to heal.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve tried this before, when I was hurt after Shingden.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be okay, since you were alone, but nothing felt right. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°There are many seasoned composers who feel the same way. I¡¯ll do what I can; I saw a piano in the conservatory.¡±

    His ankle was likely sprained, not broken, since he could put his weight on it. It was bound tightly and he had someone¡¯s cane to use, so the walk was bearable, if slow. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to tune this,¡± he said, sitting down at the bench and lifting the fallboard,¡°and I don¡¯t have a great ear for pitch, so it might be off.¡±

    He patted the seat next to him and she sat. ¡°The white keys, what we call echarrin in Arvonne, are your main notes. The black keys, edilio, are half-steps, either sharps or flats. This is C major, the easiest scale to start with.¡± His fingers flew quickly across the whites. He started back at the beginning hitting the note several times.

    ¡°Is that the healing note?¡± she asked.

    He laughed. ¡°We just call it ¡®C¡¯. I don¡¯t know what that note would be.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to these notes than making music?¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like music only drives men to tears, inspires before battle, and brings joy in dance. Have you ever had a song touch you deeply?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I only know some of the songs people would sing while working or some would play at a dance or celebration. They were fun. They weren¡¯t really meant to inspire.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Close your eyes. Tell me how you feel hearing this¡­¡±

    He played a jaunty tune, his fingers dancing across the keyboard. He reached over her for a few chords, and moved back the right, punctuating the tune with a certain panache. It almost sounded as if the tune were telling jokes to her, and she said as much. ¡°I want to laugh, sing along with it, clap.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Arvonnese drinking song called ¡®The Milliner¡¯s Wife¡¯. Don¡¯t tell my mother I know that one; definitely not appropriate.¡± He sighed and removed his mask. ¡°Feels weird playing with it on.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Al catching you?¡±

    ¡°If Al crawls out of unconsciousness and makes his way here without either of us hearing him, then he deserves it. All right, close your eyes again. What does this song make you feel?¡±

    This time he was much slower, his left hand dominating the song with chords. ¡°Sad,¡± she said. ¡°Like I just came across two lovers who died in each others arms.¡±

    ¡°Close. That¡¯s called ¡®Julet¡¯s Lament¡¯. It¡¯s about how she feels hearing her love died at sea. Very different from the first song, yes? And with both, you were able to hear the story they were trying to tell just by the music. I didn¡¯t give you any hints, didn¡¯t even tell you the name of the song. Yet you knew how you were supposed to feel about those songs.¡±

    She nodded, then turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how this will help me.¡±

    ¡°Everyone always writes shanties, anthems, and dirges. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t write a panacea.¡±

    * * *

    They spent most of the morning in musical training, working on her pitch for singing, then constructing what felt like a tune that would heal someone. After lunch, she sat next to Al and sang the melody while Raulin looked on.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be doing anything,¡± she said after fifteen minutes.

    ¡°You just learned what a scale was a few hours ago. It takes musicians years, decades even, before they¡¯re ready to perform.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I was hoping to see some improvement, to know if what we did is working.¡±

    He leaned forward. ¡°I had a fever when I was six or seven. My mom sang to me every day for hours while she wiped my sweat away. It¡¯s one of the things I treasure most about my life. Whether it works or not, you¡¯ll get practice and Al will have some comfort in his pain.¡±

    She nodded, lowering her eyes and looking away for a moment before returning to her song.

    Raulin hobbled to the foyer, where Tel was resting against the remaining newel at the bottom of the stairs. He called his name softly until he finally inhaled softly, but deeply and opened his eyes.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Raulin asked, leaning on the cane.

    ¡°Thinking on the decision I need to make.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°I think it can be summed up to whether or not I want to rule. If I take action against my brother, things may lead to his death. I cannot leave Gheny now, not while under the spell, but after that I would be free to return. And I ask myself if I¡¯m ready for that.¡±

    ¡°No one is ever ready for that. No one is ever ready to leave home, be a parent, or get married, either. You just begin your journey and continue until you die.¡±

    ¡°These are true words,¡± Tel said. ¡°I have doubts that my way will be the right way.¡±

    ¡°There is no ¡®right way¡¯. If you¡¯re wise, you listen to your council when presented with a choice, then you choose. You live with that choice, for better or worse, and you learn from it.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like an easy thing.¡±

    ¡°It is and it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s easy to command, it¡¯s harder to live with a mistake.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like a familiar thing.¡±

    Raulin paused at that. ¡°I think a man can give advice on something he¡¯s never done. We can pull from other walks of life and shape the situation to mean it, to find common ground in our own understanding of life.¡±

    Telbarisk didn¡¯t speak, he just made eye contact and smiled softly. ¡°If you need to speak to someone, I¡¯ll be available.¡±

    ¡°Same with you. I know you have a lot to dwell on,¡± he said before hobbling away.

 Chapter 209

    When everyone awoke the next morning, Al was already awake, reading a book. ¡°I see you¡¯re doing better,¡± Raulin said, yawning.

    ¡°More than better.¡±

    ¡°What are you reading?¡±

    He put his finger on the page to hold his place and shut the book. ¡°Kantrat and the Giap Sea.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve read that one. That¡¯s the one where Kantrat marries a dryad and goes through several quests to prove his love to her.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Like melting his prized possessions to forge their wedding rings.¡±

    Raulin watched him for a moment. ¡°You have a clever look, Wizard. What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that, maybe, a man in his later years might have wound his mind up so tight with a legendary tale that he might have begun to think he was the main character. We found the pin marking his membership into the Order of the Sands in the fireplace. Maybe he was trying to melt it like Kantrat did.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. A bit of a stretch, but since we have nothing to work with, I think we should pursue it. Let me get the other two and we¡¯ll begin our search.¡±

    Anla was thrilled to hear that Al was awake. They returned to the kitchen, Al explained his thoughts, and Raulin pulled out his list.

    ¡°Kantrat,¡± Al began, ¡°was a Berothian prince who was traveling through the desert when his entourage was ambushed. Only he lived, but he was without supplies and would have died had he not found an oasis close by. There was a tree there that turned into a woman when the sun hid at night. Kantrat fell in love with her, and though she loved him as well, she didn¡¯t believe that he would marry her if she gave herself to him. To prove his fidelity, he set upon quests. He slew a beast, he courted her, he froze time so that she could see the sun once, he protected her family by finding an underground cave to hide them in. Once she was won over, he melted all the gold he still had to make their wedding rings.¡±

    ¡°We need to match things up to where they might be,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Al and I found the pin in a fireplace. We should find the crest, seal, bullion, watch, and jewelry in others.¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°They might be there, but I think he used the jewelry to court her and the watch to freeze time.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with every fireplace, then, wing by wing. Anla and Tel, start with the ones in the lounge. Are you up for it, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes. I feel really refreshed.¡±

    ¡°Good. Do you think you could look at my leg?¡±

    Al blinked a few times, then said, ¡°Oh! Yes, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, placing his hand on his leg.

    Raulin nodded and woke up, swallowing the extra spit in his mouth. ¡°Unh, how long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Ten seconds?¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a bit strong, then.¡± He stretched his leg. ¡°Ah, much better.¡±

    ¡°Really? That should¡¯ve taken longer ¡­¡±

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Raulin said quickly. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t mention this to Anla. She thinks she healed you with her magic. No, no, I see that look. Apparently baerds can sing health back into someone. She worked hard on it yesterday and grew discouraged when she thought she wasn¡¯t making progress.¡±

    ¡°How do you know she didn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Because I was present for most of the time she was singing to you and my ankle still hurt.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    There were a total of twelve hearths in the mansion. It took them most of the morning to search, but they found all the items Al said they would. Sometimes they were hidden amongst the logs or tucked up in the flue, but they were there.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Raulin said. He took all the items and put them in a burlap sack. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start at the top. A sword. That would be what Kantret used to slay the beast. What beast, though?¡±

    ¡°It was a giant horse.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find a giant horse here, Wizard, so it needs to be something else. Something grand, something that would look menacing to the right pair of eyes.¡±

    ¡°There was a room, a hunting room, with stuffed bears and cats,¡± Anla offered.

    ¡°Good option, but those are life-sized. What¡¯s something very, very big?¡±

    ¡°A tree?¡± Telbarisk asked.

    ¡°Well, that is something big, but I don¡¯t¡­Wait. Do they have topiaries on the property?¡±

    They all ran to the back of the house, opened the doors from the greenhouse, and piled outdoors. Mud flew in chunks from saturated grass, brown divots leading back to the herb and flower garden, once meticulously kept, now brown and weedy. In each corner stood a beast in green leaves, the shapes so obscured from neglect it was hard to tell what they once were.

    ¡°Take one, search all around,¡± Raulin said.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Over here!¡± Anla yelled from the¡­elephant? She grinned as she held the sword in the air, waving it back and forth.

    ¡°Great! We might be done today! Now, we need to find a tree.¡± They looked around at an entire estate covered with trees. ¡°A¡­womanly tree.¡±

    ¡°There was a rather fetching tree in front of the house,¡± Telbarisk said.

    ¡°¡¯Fetching¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I remember the men on the ship describing what kind of women they wanted when they arrived in port. They talked a lot about curves. The trees in front were curvy, like some of the Gheny women, when their waists dip in and their breasts¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you! For that informative description,¡± Al squeaked.

    ¡°Definitely have the picture now, thank you, Tel,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s worth a look.¡±

    Standing in the front yard, heads tilted at an angle, the other three could see where Telbarisk was coming from. Al nodded once and began chopping it down.

    ¡°Wizard¡­¡± Raulin said.

    Al looked over, mid-cut.

    ¡°We do have someone who can tell if there¡¯s something abnormal inside a tree.¡±

    ¡°Two,¡± Anla said, ¡°though Sakilei was much better than me at that.¡±

    ¡°There are small bits of metal inside,¡± Tel said. He placed his hand on a thick, gnarled branch to steady himself as he reached inside the hollow. His hand came out clutching something, covered in bugs, some tiny, red ones, some black, some long with many legs and pincers. He shook them off and opened his palm to reveal a brooch.

    ¡°There is more,¡± he said. Three more dips inside brought the remaining jewelry, necklaces of different metals and stones.

    ¡°This is great work,¡± Raulin said as they walked inside. ¡°Now, we have the land title, the painting, the family tree, and the watch to find.¡±

    ¡°The watch should be in some place that would catch the light,¡± Al said. ¡°That¡¯s how Kantrat stopped time.¡±

    ¡°That never made sense to me. How are you supposed to stop time by collecting the sun?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand it, either. My professor in Amandorlam explained that it likely meant he was able to turn the watch into a false sun, not that he actually stopped time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that sounds feasible, for a Berothian tale, that is. Then we¡¯re looking for some place near a window on the southern side of the house.¡±

    ¡°Or the solarium that was near the master bedroom.¡±

    ¡°You could have led with that. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They didn¡¯t even have to look hard for the watch; it was placed open on the sill. ¡°This is kind of fun,¡± Anla said to Raulin as they were walking out of the room.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± To the rest he said, ¡°Now we need our family portrait, the tree, and the title.¡±

    ¡°Kantrat brought her family to an underground cave. Could that be the basement?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Hopefully, otherwise we¡¯ll have to scour the estate for a cave.¡±

    The tale had said nothing more about the rescue, just that Kantrat had hidden them from the beast in a cave. This meant they had to spend hours going through the wine cellar, the cold storage, and the root cellar before finding the portrait and family tree tucked away under one of the servant¡¯s bed. There was no sign of the title.

    ¡°Was there anything about a house he bought for her or his palace? Where was his palace?¡±

    Al flipped back and forth throughout the story. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­no. Nothing. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything here about his palace or what happened after they left the oasis.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°It has to be here, then. The story was contained in the oasis. He wouldn¡¯t have taken it and moved it off property without someone knowing it. Besides, why waste all that money on a trirec if it¡¯s in some bank?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it has nothing to do with the story. Maybe it¡¯s in his office. It¡¯s a pretty treacherous place; I wouldn¡¯t want to go there.¡±

    ¡°Again, you mean? I won¡¯t force you to, Wizard. However, that does seem the most likely place.¡±

    ¡°Do you mind if I read it?¡± Anla asked. ¡°Maybe I can give a fresh perspective.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Al said, handing her the copy. ¡°I¡¯ll just go grab the other one.¡±

    ¡°Other one?¡± Raulin asked, stopping to turn around.

    ¡°There¡¯s another copy under the bench¡­oh.¡±

    Raulin ran to the kitchen, past a confused Anla, and shook the book like he was testing the sturdiness of a ladder. A piece of paper tumbled out and Raulin sighed when he read it. ¡°First thing tomorrow, we leave. I¡¯m sick of this place and it¡¯s riddles.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin paid for their rooms and slid seven copper to the innkeeper for keeping his mail. The man turned and opened a drawer, pulling out an envelope and handing it to him.

    He waited until he was in his room before sliding his finger under the fold and cracking the seal, a blank impression in white there to keep the letter closed.

    Meet at 5 p.m. sharp at Crimden Park

    It was a quarter past four already, having taken the previous day and most of this one to arrive in Acripla. He hated walking into audiences without properly assessing the situation.

    ¡°Anla?¡± She looked up from unpacking. ¡°Could you accompany me to the park? I need to meet with someone about my next contract and another set of eyes wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± she asked once they were on the street.

    ¡°Just a normal meet-up as far as I know. I always like to get there very early, to scout out and see if someone¡¯s laid a trap, but I don¡¯t have the time today.¡±

    ¡°Why not write the instructions on a piece of paper and send it to the hotel?¡±

    ¡°Good question. Why not write it down in the very expensive contract they wrote out for Arvarikor?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re afraid?¡±

    ¡°Very likely. People get cautious when they are afraid they are going to get caught.¡±

    ¡°And so, very clandestine meetings in secret places.¡±

    ¡°Crimden Park isn¡¯t very secret, and I wasn¡¯t given a specific place. Therefore, the place wasn¡¯t important, just that I was somewhere that was in someone else¡¯s control.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Are you afraid of an ambush, then?¡±

    ¡°Like what the Cumber did? No, people typically wouldn¡¯t ambush me in a public park. I think they¡¯re worried about the opposite, that someone will find out who they are.¡±

    He ducked into a shop before she could say anything and bought her a chocolate desert to eat while she was waiting. She laughed when he gave it to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to start this!¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s completely acceptable to break off whatever you want and eat it bit by bit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.

    He held up a hand at a corner across the street from the park and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to have you wait here. Enjoy your treat. I will be on that bench there. If I move for whatever reason, follow me.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Good luck,¡± she said, poking a sliver of chocolate in the slit in his mask for his mouth.

    ¡°Mmm. Thank you.¡±

    She watched him cross the street, in no hurry. A few people waved at him and he gave a cheerful wave back. One young man even approached him to chat while he was lounging on the bench. She wondered how he thought of the notoriety. Although he had said numerous times that he preferred to stay off the main roads, to get from here to there as quickly and quietly as possible, he didn¡¯t seem to mind that Acripla loved him. It was probably refreshing for him.

    A young boy approached as she crunched on a curled pastry wafer. Another admirer? No. He held his hand out as Raulin stood and pulled a few coins from his pouch. The boy said something then ran while Raulin dropped his head for a moment, then walked back towards her.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be very, very busy. I need to contact the agent, I need to start a new identity immediately, I need to¡­mediche, what day is it?¡±

    ¡°Saturday, why? What did he say?¡±

    ¡°Saturday,¡± he said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Those kids were having their meeting tonight. I need to be there.¡±

    Anla frowned at this.

    ¡°I should have known, Anla. With a price tag like that, of course¡­¡± He quickly moved them down an alley, looked both ways, and stopped. He leaned down and whispered, almost through clenched teeth, ¡°I have to find the Mantyger.¡±

 Chapter 210

    Raulin wasn¡¯t a ¡°slow and steady¡± type of man, but sitting at the restaurant, hearing the Royal Arvarikor Society talk about the things he hated, he knew he was going to have to be as quiet as a mouse in a yarn factory. There would be no swinging of the conversation in subtle ways towards the topics he needed. He had to feign complete disinterest in the Mantyger. He had to smile and pretend that he wasn¡¯t itching to run and get things done now.

    He was in what was called kamrayik-kark, the blind thunderstorm. You could hear it coming, but you couldn¡¯t tell how large it was, when or where the lightning would strike, nor how long it would last. Once you heard the first rumblings of thunder, in this case that boy telling him who his target was, it became a difficult storm to predict. What was essential was planning. He didn¡¯t want to lose the valuable information this group could bring, but he wanted so very badly to be in his room, collecting his thoughts, discussing things with Al, Tel, and Anla, and not be here listening to the insipid conversation of kids.

    He laughed as Stevrin landed a joke. Nice and relaxed, having a good time with some admirers.

    ¡°What were you up to, Raulin?¡± Saesara asked. ¡°No one¡¯s seen you this week.¡±

    He didn¡¯t ever blink at how unnerved he was that they knew that he had been away from the city. ¡°I was working on my first contract. Had to find a needle in a haystack, so to speak.¡±

    There were immediate requests to elaborate, which he did. He didn¡¯t mention that he had a team with him and took the credit for Al¡¯s work. He¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t know about the others. ¡°I actually just arrived here this afternoon and I¡¯m going to start my next contract.¡± He sipped on the ruly grue. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a big one. I might need your help with it.¡±

    Everyone at the table leaned in a little closer.

    ¡°There¡¯s a gentleman who¡¯ll be arriving in Acripla in a week. His name is,¡± he pulled out his notebook and opened to a blank page, ¡°Viscount Dangic Fremark of South Quissend. Anyone know him?¡± They all shook their heads. He certainly hoped they didn¡¯t; he was the director of the Cumber. ¡°He has a pair of red buttons that my client would like stolen. However, I¡¯ve been informed that he has a trirec guarding him. That will make things difficult.¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you want us to steal them for you?¡± Kaliv asked, his blond hair falling into his face.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, giving him a deep-throated laugh. ¡°If it was that easy then no one would hire a trirec to do their work. They¡¯d just hire your average dockside cutpurse. That trirec guard is going to make it all but impossible for someone like me. Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Kaliv asked.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a protection fee anyone can pay, some annual amount that any contract submitted to Arvarikor will be protected. If you pay that fee and someone submits a contract for your suit of armor, your wife¡¯s pearls, your trophy for winning the Hesla Cup, the contract will be fulfilled, then immediately reversed. I¡¯m going to check with Keta-li, see if she knows if Fremark has this fee. Even if he doesn¡¯t, I might be able to convince his guard that Arvarikor can double-dip if he looks the other way while I steal the buttons, then help him steal them back.¡±

    There were a few forks paused in mid-air. ¡°There¡¯s a protection fee?¡± Saesara asked.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a new thing Arvarikor is trying.¡± Like, a new thing a few moments old, he thought. ¡°The theft contracts are already a game the nobles play with each other. Most don¡¯t mind things being stolen. If they do, then it¡¯s worth the money for the fee.¡±

    ¡°What about assassinations and spying? Is there some fee to protect people from those?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°The only way to combat those is to hire a guard and to keep your nose clean. You can¡¯t exactly ¡®untell¡¯ a secret or ¡®unkill¡¯ someone, like you can ¡®unsteal¡¯ an object. Well, maybe you Tektornians could unkill someone.¡±

    They laughed. ¡°The country thinks we¡¯re backwoods necromancers,¡± Stevrin said. ¡°And I won¡¯t deny that we care less about the macabre than other people do. But, we¡¯ve never successfully arisen a man from death, at least that I know of.¡±

    ¡°Too bad. That would come in handy.¡±

    ¡°I heard the Mantyger is capable of doing that,¡± Kaliv said. ¡°He supposedly has a man dressed head-to-toe in black that does his bidding. He¡¯s been stabbed a few times in vital areas only to be seen the next day.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s the same man?¡± Raulin asked casually, popping a mushroom into his mouth.

    ¡°Same height and build; he¡¯s a big guy. I doubt you¡¯d find too many like him around.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. So, maybe there are necromancers here in Acripla. I wonder if they got a hold of¡­well, never mind.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Rubine asked.

    ¡°Dalido-redanth. It¡¯s a new healing agent that we trirecs have that can mend a stab wound in days, not weeks. I managed to get a vial when I was in Hanala, but it¡¯s very rare.¡±

    As the conversation progressed, he felt like their cheeks were dewy with the steam from their warm meals from leaning so far forward. He continued to fill their heads with nonsense, building anecdotes from wishes and fears. He didn¡¯t touch upon the Mantyger. He thanked them for the meal and promised to see them again the following Saturday.

    Raulin was almost on the street when he heard his name called. ¡°Do you mind if I walk with you?¡± Saesara asked, stepping next to him.

    He gritted his teeth, then smiled. ¡°No, not at all. Was there something on your mind?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to go for a stroll and no one will think illicit things of a young woman accompanied by a trirec.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m giving a service that you¡¯re not paying for,¡± he said with some mirth.

    ¡°Well, perhaps my company will be enough to cover the cost.¡± They walked in silence for a few more moments, then she said, ¡°I was curious what you had in mind for the Society, to help you with your next contract. You were distracted and never covered it.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I was hoping that, if the situation with the guard doesn¡¯t work in my favor, that your group could help me with a distraction. Nothing unsafe, mind you. I¡¯d be very careful about that.¡±

    ¡°Are you in the habit of accepting help from someone outside your order?¡±

    ¡°Unless they¡¯re a spirit climber, and I¡¯m assuming you know what one of those are, no. But I can take advantage of a situation if it arises. And if I suggest for that situation to happen and someone overhears me and decides to make it happen, well, it would be stupid not to act on it.¡±

    She gave him an appreciative smile. ¡°Nothing dangerous, you promise?¡± He gave a quick bow from his neck. ¡°Those people are like my brothers and sisters. I would be very angry if any of them got hurt.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    They continued a little farther down the tight, cobbled streets near Dockside, holding a pleasant conversation about various goings-on. She pointed out some things he might not know, like what election was coming up and who was running or the name of a common tree and its significance to Acripla. All the while, he felt the eyes of the Mantyger on him, his breath on the back of his neck.

    ¡°Here is my home,¡± she said, swinging the end of her parasol to a corner house with wrought-iron trellises and ivy. It seemed respectable, but was in need of a few touches by some tradesmen. She held up her lace-gloved hand and he pressed it quickly to the mouth of his mask. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next Saturday. I wish you luck with your next contract.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He wanted nothing more than run as fast as he could to the hotel, to start his plotting and planning. But, he already had begun the game. He was in the midst of his act. Cool, collected, calm. He was going to make himself return at a steady pace. He was walking down the street, waving to the nice people, like he normally would. He was opening the door to their inn and closing it slowly¡­

    He launched himself upstairs and burst through the room. ¡°So sorry I took so long. I got waylaid by¡­where¡¯s Anla?¡±

    ¡°You asked us to wait here for you and we didn¡¯t leave to get dinner. We¡¯re starving. She went to get it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, damn, I¡¯m sorry. Okay, I will wait for her then¡­¡±

    ¡°Right behind you,¡± she said, nudging her way in with bowls from a local restaurant. ¡°Sorry it took so long.¡±

    Al grabbed a bowl and began shoveling the rice, steak tips, and peppers in a sweet onion sauce. Tel was only a little more modest with his vegetables. They didn¡¯t care that their food was cold.

    ¡°Thank you for staying here and not speaking with anyone,¡± Raulin began. ¡°I¡¯ll explain what¡¯s going on. A week ago, when I met with the Royal Arvarikor Society, they happened to mention a shadow boss in Acripla. His name is the Mantyger and I found out a few hours ago that I am responsible for rooting him out.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a ¡®shadow boss¡¯?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a man who is involved in many businesses and organizations, but no one knows who he is. From what I gathered, he has a lot of power and has achieved it by any means possible, including bribery, blackmail, extortion, and murdering anyone that gets in his way.¡±

    ¡°How do they know he¡¯s been doing it?¡±

    ¡°I assume it¡¯s because people have seen his henchman at the scene of the crime. It might also be that someone is attributing unsolved crimes to this phantom. He might not even exist.¡±

    ¡°How do you find someone that might not exist?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume he does exist, in some form. It might be several local businessmen or a society, but in some entity the Mantyger is real. And there are two ways to find him: the past and his henchman.¡±

    ¡°His past? Do you mean investigating crimes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, which is mostly out of the question. I don¡¯t know how powerful this man is. I don¡¯t know where he has eyes and how much of this city is in his pocket. If I, if anyone, goes around asking questions, he could know immediately that someone is trying to find him. And that would seem very suspicious with a new trirec in the city.¡±

    Al scoffed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little paranoid?¡±

    ¡°Paranoia is being overly careful ninety-nine times but being right about it once.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I hate to say this, but I think we need to split up. I¡¯ll find you three another room, a large one, and we¡¯ll start corresponding by letter. While I pretend to prepare for this fake contract, I¡¯ll need you two to pick up the slack. Whatever you think you can get away with safely. If you think someone is even thinking about squinting at your words, I want you to play dumb and walk away.¡±

    ¡°This seems overly cautious,¡± she said. ¡°For you it¡¯s positively restrictive.¡±

    He tented his fingers in front of his mouth. ¡°For me, it¡¯s not about me. I don¡¯t mind putting my life on the line. I don¡¯t mind you guys helping, even though that¡¯s still a big problem if Arvarikor finds out. I do mind you guys helping in a potentially life threatening contract. I just¡­I can¡¯t put you in harm¡¯s way like that. I felt bad enough that Al was attacked after we found out who was stalking Lady Amirelsa, and that man was just some sad sack of a wizard with a gambling problem. Imagine someone whose empire is going to crumble when he¡¯s brought to light.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. What are we talking about in compensation?¡±

    Raulin chose to take that as a joke, since she was smiling. Otherwise he would have thought she distrusted him, harkening back to Mount Kalista and the monumental disaster he had brought down on their relationship. ¡°One eighth a piece for attempting, one quarter a piece for solving. One-ten or two-twenty.¡±

    ¡°Kriskin malor,¡± Al swore. ¡°It is high risk then, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The price alone should indicate what we¡¯re dealing with. This city, or at least someone rich in this city, wants the Mantyger fingered and gone.

    ¡°I will be dusting off my Chayen character. You two pick what you want, but I think it would be wise to be Mr. and Mrs. Auslen again, though a couple on their honeymoon instead of hunting for collectibles.¡±

    ¡°Hear that, Maya? We¡¯re alive again,¡± Al joked.

    ¡°Lovely to hear, Fiar.¡± She turned to Raulin. ¡°What do you want us to do, though?¡±

    ¡°The Auslens should be sightseeing, maybe asking a little about the Mantyger. Bury your curiosity, though; ask five questions, throw the one about the Mantyger in the middle. That way if someone asks what you were curious about, they¡¯ll say ¡®a bunch of questions¡¯ instead of ¡®they were snooping around about the Mantyger¡¯. Gather as many rumors as you can. That¡¯s all for now. In the morning I¡¯m moving you two to your new room nearby. After that point, we communicate by letter.¡±

    ¡°Or I can give you an encapsulation. No record that way.¡±

    ¡°Smart. Yes, we¡¯ll do that, just indicate where it is so I don¡¯t miss it.¡±

    In the morning, Mr. and Mrs. Auslen walked out of the Libeck Hotel, her hand on his arm, and left to find another inn and to sightsee. Chayen left not too long after to find a bowler to tuck his hair into and a pair of glasses.

    Tel, however, sat in the room he shared with Raulin, his back against the wall and his chin tucked against his chest. He would stay there for most of the day, letting his mind soar to Ervaskin while his body rested.

    He had thought long and hard on what he would do about the problem with his home, whether he should let the issues run their course without his interference or whether he should do something about it. He had put aside kouriya, knowing it wouldn¡¯t have helped in a decision like this anyway, and he considered all his options, like Raulin had suggested. With an open mind, he considered not just who he was but what he was. He was a prince and he was supposed to help his brother rule. But he was also a kiluid, a man entrusted with keeping balance.

    What it really came down to for him was Ervaskin meant harmony. His brother was ruining that harmony. And sometimes you had to hurt someone in order to help them.

    If Telbarisk hadn¡¯t known Raulin, he likely wouldn¡¯t have come to this decision. Had he somehow chosen to intervene, he wouldn¡¯t have known what to do next. While Raulin had never taught him how to approach a problem like one of his contracts, Telbarisk had paid attention.

    Scouting, Raulin had called it. Probing. Gathering. Learn what you can about the situation before tackling it. He joked that he was a reckless trirec, but Telbarisk had always thought he just had greater advantages than the others and knew where he could be a little careless.

    Telbarisk didn¡¯t have those advantages, but he had enough. He could observe, he could assess, and he could react. He was limited and he wished he could speak to his friends about what he was doing, but they were too busy. He understood. They couldn¡¯t wait, and now that he had made his decision, neither could he.

    What was essentially happening in Nourabrikot was change. Change was not a bad thing, but forced change with consequences for dissidence was. His brother was hanging men for speaking against him and locking up those he knew were threats he couldn¡¯t kill or banish. His family, his fiancee, his sisters and their families, they were all at his home behind locked doors. The palace was full with prisoners and newcomers, small men with ships moored at a newly built dock. And the worst, as if killing people wasn¡¯t bad enough, were the mines and the harvesters. A man may live to see 175 years, or he may die as a child, but their land was forever in their keeping. To plunder it and take whatever riches the small men wanted in trade was sacrilege.

    He had his doubts about his decision, but he also had doubts about a lot of things.

    Tel was roused by shaking. His mind whipped back a thousand miles, giving him a headache and warping his vision when he opened his eyes. The man before him was unfamiliar, though he had seen him once before, his hair tucked under a black bowler hat and his dark blue eyes framed in spectacles. The concerned look on his face meant he could only be Raulin.

    ¡°There you are,¡± he said, relief scrawled across his face. ¡°You had me worried.¡±

    Tel rubbed the pain away from his eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It occurred to me that you¡¯ve been in the same position for some time now. I thought that I just kept seeing you napping or asleep, but no. You haven¡¯t moved at all in the last three days.¡±

    Three days? Yes, that sounded about right. The vraska helped keep the body in a semi-torpor, but it couldn¡¯t keep needs completely at bay. He stood, wobbling as Raulin helped him gain his balance, and poured the pitcher of water back into his mouth. ¡°I am scouting,¡± he said, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ve decided to help your people, then?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look well.¡±

    ¡°Talk to me. Tell me what you saw.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re busy with your contract.¡±

    ¡°Not that busy, Tel. I¡¯m not going to miss anything or put myself in danger by not being out there for an hour or so.¡±

    He repeated everything. Meetings he saw, who was locked up, who was missing, the ravaging of his land. By the end, Raulin had taken off the fake spectacles and knocked the hat off, but he didn¡¯t put his mask on. He held his chin thoughtfully as he sat next to Tel, listening. The grivven honestly couldn¡¯t remember a time when Raulin was so actively engaged in what he was saying. Oh, he had listened and commented, but there was a difference between holding a conversation and sharing a passion.

    ¡°Have you done anything other than look?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t even¡­even tell Kelouya I was there,¡± he said, his voice breaking.

    ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily need to come up with a strategy, but you do need lines, boundaries, what you¡¯re willing to do and what you absolutely will not. I think you should go talk with Al and Anla, you should eat, and you should think. How is your kil? Do you need to replenish?¡±

    ¡°A little. Vraska doesn¡¯t take much. I will listen to your wisdom and do what you suggested before doing anything else.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, standing. ¡°And if you need me, please ask me for help. I don¡¯t want to catch you doing that to yourself again.¡±

 Chapter 211

    Raulin had been drilled in manners since he was a toddler. That was likely the reason why he wasn¡¯t slumped forward, his fist pressed into his cheek, drool dripping from his open mouth. No, his back was ramrod straight, his arms folded above the table, and his face pointed towards whomever was speaking. He was polite because he needed them. Not for the free meal nor the company, of course, but for the false-front to his fake contract lest the Mantyger discover what he was really doing. And that meant listening to boring speeches.

    He waited until Vetrio concluded his report on the finances of the group before he placed his napkin on his plate and stood. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Stevrin asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t asked any questions yet.¡±

    Kaliv spoke. ¡°And you haven¡¯t told us what you need us for in your plan. How are we going to distract the Viscount?¡±

    Raulin sat down again. ¡°I¡¯ve had some thoughts about that.¡± Actually, he hadn¡¯t thought about it at all. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ll work, though. Most of my ideas need a lot of coordination and luck.¡±

    ¡°We can try!¡± Kaliv said.

    He fielded some plans he¡¯d used in previous contracts: an overturned carriage that needed help, a fake mugging, feigned, severe illness. He even offered the plot to one of the Arvonnese alley novels Al had droned on about at one point, where Aubin had just killed a man in self-defense and needed help remembering who he was and with disposing of the corpse. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure any of those will sufficiently distract our target in his carriage as well as his trirec guard.¡±

    ¡°When is he arriving?¡± Saesara asked.

    Raulin pretended to look at his notebook. ¡°Friday.¡±

    ¡°We could meet here on Thursday, then, and have an emergency meeting.¡±

    ¡°That sound good, but only to start. I¡¯ll need us walking around, having you show me some places in the city that might be good to stage the rouse. Perhaps we should meet a little later, say six o¡¯clock?¡±

    There were nods in agreement as he stood again. ¡°Thursday. And I can¡¯t thank you enough for your support.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t far from the restaurant when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He turned and spotted Saesara walking brusquely to meet him. ¡°Good evening,¡± he said with a slight bow. ¡°I should point out that this is unfair to your fellow Society member.¡±

    ¡°Rubine¡¯s brother escorts her home,¡± she said, waving the thought away as she placed her hand on his arm.

    ¡°Is it really necessary?¡±

    ¡°This neighborhood is rough. There was a robbery four weeks ago on Maglar Street.¡±

    ¡°One robbery per month is hardly ¡®rough¡¯.¡±

    She gave him a shy smile. ¡°Perhaps I just enjoy the company, then.¡±

    ¡°Likewise. I didn¡¯t mean to sound as if I didn¡¯t enjoy our walks home. What have you been up to this week?¡±

    ¡°At work, mostly. Did you know I have a job? The Acripla Gazette hired me as a secretary. I fetch drinks, welcome guests, take notes on stories for our reporters. It doesn¡¯t pay well, but it¡¯s far better than making matchsticks or shoes.¡±

    ¡°The hours are much better, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I work seven to five-thirty and I get the weekends off. It helps with my dowry.¡±

    ¡°Any prospects?¡± She was quiet for long enough that Raulin suspected he had gaffed. ¡°If that¡¯s not too forward, that is. I don¡¯t know your customs as well as I should.¡±

    Saesara sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my house. My father is a good man, but he¡¯s never been successful in business. On top of that, my mother is sick and not getting any better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±

    ¡°I should have taken some interest, but I¡¯ve never been one to waste my time going to socials and dances. I have to work.¡± It was then he realized she always ordered the least expensive meals and water with dinner.

    ¡°I admire a woman who puts her family¡¯s needs before her own wants. It¡¯s very mature of you.¡±

    ¡°I do what I have to do,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Other than the Society, do you get to do anything for fun?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s why it and its members mean so much to me.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Do you have to be home now? What if I escorted you to a play or reading?¡±

    Saesara had a proud face, her strong bones reminding him of Telbarisk, but here she looked almost childish with her naked enthusiasm. ¡°I doubt they have tickets left, but Maridy¡¯s is putting on Twenty Nights in Kinto and I¡¯d so love to see it.¡±

    He smirked, the play reminding him of Al¡¯s theatrical walk in their room in Iascond. ¡°If there are tickets and if you promise not to compare me to Persisco, then I¡¯d be happy to take you.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t pay your way; that¡¯s what we were just discussing. It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±

    Thankfully Maridy¡¯s Theater was within the mile radius he needed to keep, though it was close. The show was sold out, but several people had tickets holding and Raulin sweet-talked the box office clerk to selling him two that he admitted wouldn¡¯t show anyway.

    In Raulin¡¯s estimation, there were mixed aspects to the play. Some actors were very good, others terrible and hammy. The gaffs made a few cue errors, but were mostly on time. The accompanying musicians played brilliantly. And while the errors stuck out a bit for him, he didn¡¯t care. He watched Saesara when he could, studying her face, pleased at her happiness. He took so much from this world that he was happy to give back in kindness.

    The play was two hours, with intermission, and the crowd enthusiastically applauded at its end, though none more energetically than Saesara. She almost lost her hat from the action and needed to pin the mauve and black feathered teardrop to her hair again before they left the theater.

    She spent several blocks replaying her favorite scenes before Raulin spied an open shop. ¡°Have you ever had iced cream?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No. Is it good?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± He led her across the street and stood in line behind several other theater patrons, also speaking about the play they had just left. He purchased two cones, one chocolate for himself and vanilla with chips of chocolate for Saesara.

    ¡°Eat it slowly,¡± he warned. She didn¡¯t and winced as she pressed the tips of her free fingers to her forehead. ¡°It¡¯ll pass, just give it a moment.¡±

    It was a few more seconds of scrunched faces and groans before she shook her head. She smiled at his laugh. ¡°I should have heeded your warning.¡±

    ¡°It was worth it,¡± he said.

    They meandered on the streets, talking about the city in casual ways, finishing their cones a block or two from her home. ¡°May I ask you a personal question?¡± she asked, eyeing the dilapidated house.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t minded up to this point.¡±

    ¡°This is a question for Raulin, the man behind the mask, not the trirec.¡±

    ¡°Ask. If I can answer it, I will.¡±

    ¡°Do you get lonely in your career, hopping from city to city, then on to the next place when you¡¯re done?¡±

    ¡°Usually.¡±

    ¡°Not this time? Not now?¡±

    He chose his words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s not a job that affords me the opportunity to make friends or have beaus. Sometimes you find short reprises from planning and searching, a little bit of sunshine in the cold.¡±

    Raulin looked down at her and was surprised to see her face just inches from his and moving closer. She kissed him, pressing her lips against his for just a moment before she stepped back. ¡°I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re Merakian,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­I think you may have gotten the wrong impression from things.¡± Yes, taken from her position, it might have seemed one way. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from you for this evening, or any other night.¡±

    He saw the beginning of tears in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were.¡± She tried again, but Raulin realized in that moment he¡¯d have a very hard time romancing any woman other than Anladet and he didn¡¯t return the kiss. It was something for more careful consideration at another time. He did try to think from her perspective again and came up with another reason.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°I think you might be confusing the something with the someone,¡± he said as he clicked the bottom part of his mask into place.

    By this point the tears were falling freely down her cheeks and he did ache to see them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not pretty enough or entertaining enough¡­¡±

    ¡°None of those things are true. I think a tryst between us would lead to regret.¡± She began to interrupt, but he stopped her. ¡°You may be enamored with a trirec who¡¯s friendly and willing to buy you tickets to a play and answer your questions. Things might have led to a room in a hotel for a night. And then what? I need to leave Acripla when I¡¯m done with my contract. I won¡¯t be back for some time. You know how it is for me.¡±

    ¡°I was willing to have a little bit of love with the pain of loss than nothing,¡± she said. ¡°I have nothing and plenty of it! Why can¡¯t I have something for once in my life?¡± She pressed her head against his chest and cried.

    He sighed. There had been at least one instance he remembered where an anguished woman had coerced him into giving her what she wanted through tears. Not this time, though. ¡°Come,¡± he said, gently moving her from his chest and enticing her to walk. ¡°I think it would be better for you to set your sights on a man your age here. You¡¯ll look back and thank me some day.¡±

    She shook her head, but said nothing, not even ¡°good night¡± before she slammed the door to her home.

    * * *

    Raulin opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep away. There was a knock at his door, now customary, and he opened it as Chayen. (Things were a lot easier now that he officially did not care if Telbarisk saw his face.) A boy waited, fidgeting with a box. Raulin held up his finger, took the delicate sphere from inside, and handed him the box to return to Anla plus a silver tip.

    When the door was closed, he held up the blurry globe to his ear, and crushed it. He smiled as he heard Anla¡¯s voice, though it seemed terse. A long night, perhaps.

    ¡°We caught a glimpse of the Man in Black. He had apparently killed a man, Dylar Hersh, and was fleeing the scene at the alley next to Biley¡¯s Bar. This occurred in broad daylight, around two o¡¯clock. We didn¡¯t pursue, though Al would like it known for the record that he could have caught the man easily. We believe that the only connection to finding the Mantyger will be through the Man in Black, since he doesn¡¯t seem to make public appearances. We will continue to quietly look into his whereabouts.¡±

    Raulin waited. She usually said ¡°good luck¡± as a signature, but there was nothing. He jotted down the name ¡°Dylar Hersh¡± and did his morning exercises. By the time he finished, Telbarisk was awake.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have the mistress make some sandwiches for you and send them up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing today?¡±

    ¡°Waiting. Kelouya knows I¡¯m watching, but I have no real way to communicate what I want to do, what she needs for me to do.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°Would you say you have good control over the wind?¡±

    ¡°To some extent.¡±

    ¡°I assume her room has dust. You might be able to ¡®write¡¯ with it, if you have precise control. Do you think you can guess what she wants?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wants to be free.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but her freedom needs to come at the right time, when she and others can make a change with it. Free her now, tonight, and she¡¯ll just stumble into being caught and re-sentenced, this time with punishment and thicker bars. Work on your communication.¡±

    Tel nodded and stood, drinking plenty of water and stretching. Raulin had demanded that he take better care of himself; a body wasted could hold no mind.

    ¡°I need to investigate myself.¡±

    ¡°Have you any progress with the Mantyger?¡±

    ¡°No. He hasn¡¯t appeared, but that¡¯s not really his style. His henchman was spotted by Al and Anla yesterday after he killed someone. I¡¯ll need to check it out today as well as meet with the agent, finally.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Tel said, having picked up that phrase sometime recently.

    ¡°Thank you. You as well.¡±

    Keta-li was waiting for him in Crimden Park. As he got closer, he noticed that she drummed her fingers on her thighs, turned to look around every few moments until she saw him. She stood, grabbing the briefcase next to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said, her accent thick.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy and apologetic.¡±

    ¡°You need money and information on a contract,¡± she said, holding up the blue and orange stones he had left in the spot she had requested. ¡°Money first.¡±

    He pulled three orange beads off the string and she gave him three hundred gold.

    ¡°I know you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the miartha trirec. The trivren tell us that we are bad trirecs if a miartha can do our job better than we can. Perhaps they¡¯ll only hire miartha instead of us Kachilan in the future.¡±

    ¡°I only do well because this is a miarthan land. They don¡¯t question if I¡¯m a trirec when I have no mask because they know miartha aren¡¯t trirecs. If Arvarikor makes all their trirecs miartha, then the people of Gheny and Noh Amair will catch on. The miartha trirecs will have no advantage.¡±

    It didn¡¯t fully make sense; westerners would always highly suspect Merakians of being trirecs, but it didn¡¯t matter. The answer seemed to satisfy Keta-li and she put her briefcase aside. ¡°What contract do you need assistance with?¡±

    ¡°I need all the information you have about the Mantyger.¡±

    She could technically steal his contract, which was why he didn¡¯t say whether he needed to kill him or just identify him. Keta-li didn¡¯t want it anyway. She started laughing lowly. ¡°I do not envy you this mission. What do you know?¡±

    ¡°I know he controls many aspects of the city through forms of coercion. No one knows who he is. If he needs something physically done, such as a murder, he uses a henchman called the Man in Black. That is all I know.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much else to tell you. Four black.¡± She was asking for beads that represented four gold, which he handed to her. ¡°The Man in Black is often seen with a shadow, someone else in the vicinity. It is unknown if this is the Mantyger or another henchmen. There are a lot of crimes associated with him, but likely not as many as he¡¯s committed. I¡¯ve noticed that Ghenians do not tell people when they are being bribed or blackmailed; why is this?¡±

    ¡°Because they will have to admit to their neighbors that they did something worth being blackmailed over.¡±

    She snorted. ¡°All they need to do is let their neighbors know they¡¯re being blackmailed and they will be cleared.¡±

    ¡°New here, I take it?¡± She nodded. ¡°Ghenians are different. They don¡¯t say things like that for fear of their reputations being tarnished. The fault lies not with the blackmailer but the one being blackmailed. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°He has moved away from certain crimes. At one point there was a gang of men that would ask businesses for protection money, or else they would beat the owners up and destroy the store.¡±

    ¡°That would be the extortion I heard about. He doesn¡¯t do this anymore?¡±

    ¡°It has been a few years.¡±

    ¡°Were the men caught?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but later. They received no work for some time, they moved on. Some were stupid and bragged that they had been a part of this gang and the police arrested them. They couldn¡¯t give any information; the Man in Black hired them and he never showed his face.¡±

    ¡°If I find the Man in Black, I could solve this. I doubt it will be easy. Thank you.¡±

    He began to walk away before she stopped him. ¡°There was a lull, about a year and a half ago, when the work dried up for those men. There weren¡¯t as many crimes, no murders for months. This is all I know.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate you meeting me and your information.¡± He gave the name of the hotel he was staying at in case she learned anything new and walked towards Biley¡¯s Bar after swapping his attire out for Chayen¡¯s.

    The alley was a dead-end, probably an unfortunate thing for Dylar Hersh. Raulin could see that a pool of blood had been disturbed; several stained rocks had been kicked from the spot and rested outside the area. He looked around. If there had been a shadow watching the crime, where would he have been? Across the street? Down from one of the windows above? Both buildings had long-term tenants renting the apartments. Likely the shadow had been lurking around somewhere with no fixed point.

    Al and Anla didn¡¯t discover anything new and had nothing to report in the following days. Raulin spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in bars and salons, trying to glean some gossip and getting very little, and what he did get was repetitive. He had hoped to have the man caught by the time Thursday night rolled around, but he wasn¡¯t even close to a breakthrough.

    He ate a quick dinner then changed into a different outfit and his mask before meeting the RAS in front of the restaurant. They all looked excited, all but Saesara who refused to look at him. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was embarrassed or indignant at what had happened between them.

    ¡°Thank you all for showing up,¡± he said, leading them to the wharf, which was only a few blocks from the restaurant. ¡°Now, Fremark will arrive sometime in the evening tomorrow with his trirec in tow. He¡¯ll need to take a hotel room. Assuming that the ship hasn¡¯t provided a porter, I¡¯ll need someone to act as that and steer him to the hotel we want him in. Any volunteers? Anyone know of a high-priced hotel nearby?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Kaliv. No one had any suggestions.

    Raulin crossed his arms. ¡°Right. So, we need to canvas the neighborhood, maybe a block away, to find a place a viscount would want to stay. Clean, classy, maybe not top tier but something close to it. Split up and meet back here when you find a place.

    They left. How am I going to do this? he thought, leaning against a building. He hadn¡¯t thought of the logistics of carrying out this lie. He needed someone to pretend to be the Viscount and someone to be the trirec. This group would know who he was if he portrayed the latter, so he¡¯d have to be Fremark. He¡¯d have to get Al to be the trirec, wearing his mask. It wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do. The wizard was far too keen and Raulin still worried about showing his face to him. What about Anla? They knew some women were trirecs. It could work.

    He turned his head and noticed that Saesara hadn¡¯t followed the rest. ¡°Did you have a place in mind?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡­wanted to apologize for Saturday night. I realized I was ungrateful for your company and acted foolishly.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize. I did try to tell you that you¡¯d feel differently once you were outside the moment.¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± she said, clasping her hands in front of her. ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind, but I will respect your decision.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± To fill the air, he asked, ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡±

    She tilted her head in thought. ¡°Don¡¯t use Kaliv as the porter. He¡¯s eager, but he¡¯s like a puppy and he¡¯ll be a giveaway in your plan.¡±

    He nodded and waited.

    They returned and gave suggestions. He picked one, not caring too much about it, then began to go over a half-hatched plan involving one person handing the Viscount a note to meet somewhere while two others started a fight in the hallway just outside the room. He took ideas for other distractions, should one not work. He gave the whole thing about a fifth of his attention.

    The group split up and planned to meet at five o¡¯clock the next evening. Saesara lagged behind. ¡°Mind if you escort me home, one more time? I can pay.¡±

    ¡°Not necessary, but I will see your back at your abode safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I know I haven¡¯t spoken about it, but the Mantyger frightens me.¡±

    ¡°Why? Your group said that he only targets people in power.¡±

    She hugged herself. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not frightened because of that. It¡¯s because the whole city feels less safe. The Mantyger kills a prominent businessman and a series of unrelated crimes happen right after, crimes that affect women, if you can gather what I¡¯m trying to say.¡±

    ¡°I do. Whatever the crime, I have no problem making sure you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°And I appreciate it. Do you mind walking me to my door tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°but I do need to return to my room to plan tomorrow better.¡±

    She nodded again. They crossed the street and she led him to the back door she always used, down the alley next to her house. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± she said, pulling her keys from her pocket.

    Raulin was about to say good night when he saw a large, dark shadow move from around the corner and walk to Saesara. The man grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her away. She cried out in alarm just as Raulin moved to action, sprinting to her aid. ¡°Fight me!¡± he yelled. ¡°I¡¯m the one you want!¡±

    The man let go of her and turned to face Raulin. ¡°Run!¡± he yelled to Saesara, who stood still with fright. He whipped out his knives and began circling to the alley, trying to put himself in between the man and Saesara.

    He gauged him. Tall, thickly built, wearing as much black as a man could: cowl, mask, gloves, and the rest of his clothing. He realized then who he was facing and that he needed to knock this man out and question him.

    The man moved to the left and forward, crowding Raulin back to the house. He didn¡¯t lunge after Saesara, didn¡¯t even acknowledge her, just focused on Raulin. He thought this was strange until he felt the back of his head being hit, wobbled, and blacked out before hitting the cobblestones.

 Chapter 212

    It was dark where Raulin was, but there was some light and it pierced his eyes. He shut them again quickly, didn¡¯t move a muscle, kept his breathing deep just like he¡¯d been taught. Since he was alive, pretending he was still unconscious would buy him some time as he gathered information.

    From his top. Head was throbbing and wet. Arms were tied behind him. A quick tug. They were tied to something. He stuck his tongue out. Mask was still on. He moved a little. Clothes were still on. He wiggled his toes. Shoes were still on.

    He was inside. He heard the footsteps of people moving around and of them quietly talking. He smelled comforting scents, food like bread and cookies and meat. He picked up his heel and landed it. Carpet. Everything else sounded muffled, too.

    His eyes felt heavy, hard to open. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he had to remember something. What had he done before this? Where was he? The Man in Black. He¡¯d had a run-in with the person he¡¯d wanted to find more than anything. A few more minutes and he could move through the haze enough to make a plan.

    Saesara.

    He began to thrash. What had he done to her? Where was she? He looked around, hoping to see where she was tied up. This was his fault. She shouldn¡¯t have gotten caught up in this.

    Things were clearing in his mind. With his mask he could see better. The room was small and filled with furniture. A davenport with two end tables, a love seat, a coffee table. He leaned against the wall and felt warm metal, something cylindrical. Piping? The carpet was nice and plush. The furniture was new.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s awake,¡± a deep, male voice said.

    ¡°Good,¡± a female said. He heard steps on a hardwood floor, almost silence when they stepped on the carpet. The light wasn¡¯t enough for him distinguish who was in front of him other than one was a large man and the other a smaller figure.

    ¡°Ruly grue?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, no. He figured it out. We¡¯re using the tinte.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re running low on that. I could just¡­¡± Raulin heard skin connect to skin hard.

    ¡°Gerad, Mother always said, ¡®Treat dignity with dignity. Animals butcher, men give mercy.¡¯ There¡¯s no need to torture a good man, unless we have to.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue softly in thought, trying to make sense of the situation. A woman and the Man in Black were in front of him. The woman was¡­

    ¡°Geor, get the tinte,¡± the man yelled.

    Two men? The last thing he remembered was trying to stop the Man in Black from hurting Saesara. One person, two¡­then someone beaned him. Three.

    ¡°Take of his mask,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that, Saesara,¡± Raulin said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you can be clever, too. I wondered.¡± She lit a match and then the lamp on the table. ¡°I mean, you did figure out the ruse with the ruly grue, but you also made some mistakes. And what were you going to do when your viscount didn¡¯t show tomorrow.? I think I¡¯m doing you a favor by saving you from that embarrassment.¡±

    Another man entered the room and handed a small vial to Saesara. Raulin looked between the two men and said, ¡°Ah. Twins. That¡¯s convenient.¡±

    ¡°Very. Now, the mask.¡±

    The man that had been standing next to her, Gerad, bent down and pulled out a knife. ¡°No, don¡¯t do¡­¡± He sliced through one of the leather braids holding his mask in place. ¡°¡­that.¡± His mask was pried off and tossed onto the davenport.

    ¡°Now, to slake my curiosity,¡± Saesara said, moving the lamp closer to his face. He looked up at her with squinted eyes. Her face dropped all mirth and she took a step back. ¡°You¡¯re Noh Amairian.¡± She handed the vial to Gerad and said, ¡°Quick. Make sure he drinks all of it.¡±

    Big, callused hands pinched his nose and squeezed his mouth open before pouring the liquid into his mouth. His teeth clacked when his jaw was closed. He pursed his lips and let the liquid spill down his chin, onto his shirt, and onto that pretty, plush rug.

    For his efforts, he was punched in the temple. He saw stars and tried to blink them away. ¡°Gerad,¡± Saesara said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It just needs to coat his tongue in order to work.¡±

    His tongue did feel strange, not quite numb, not quite cold. The taste was overpowering, like hot metal, ruly grue, and the drink the elves favored.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s start with the basics. Your name?¡±

    ¡°Zuk Rigru of The Mighty Few.¡±

    Another punch to the face. ¡°Gerad,¡± Saesara admonished. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a few minutes to work.¡± She sighed. ¡°Go, sit. Geor, can you take over?¡±

    The couch creaked as someone sat on it. ¡°You¡¯re being awfully nice. You sweet on him?¡±

    ¡°No. I just have some respect for men who treat ladies right. Did you know he bought my sob story about being poor? He didn¡¯t give me money and he didn¡¯t offer money for something else. He took me to the theater and bought me ice cream. He rejected my advances, very gentlemanly. Why was that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m nice,¡± Raulin said.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it, but if you were nice you¡¯d have let me down easier. Why did you reject my advances?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m in love with someone else.¡±

    There was a pause. ¡°That¡¯s¡­kind of sweet,¡± Geor said.

    Saesara crossed her arms. ¡°That¡¯s kind of sad. If even a small part of what those half-wits compiled is true, then he loves someone he can¡¯t be with.¡± She tsked. ¡°At least I haven¡¯t lost my charm. And, I think this means the tinte is working. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor.¡± It was like someone had punched his stomach and stole his air. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying the damned words.

    ¡°You¡¯re Noh Amairian?¡±

    ¡°Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°How does an Arvonnese boy become a trirec?¡±

    He ground his teeth together. ¡°Family killed. Sent to Walpi. Arvarikor thought I was worth the risk. I can sneak into places other trirecs can¡¯t.¡± He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more.

    ¡°Devastating. I¡¯m truly frightened by that. Imagine, someone who looks like one of us, walking around in broad daylight, attending our parties and dances only to put on a mask and become some haunting creature.¡±

    He grinned. ¡°Sarcasm looks very fetching on you, miss.¡±

    She nodded her head at the mock compliment. ¡°Now, tell us what you know about¡­this.¡± She swept her arm at the three of them.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Mantyger. I was tasked with finding out who you are and reporting back.¡±

    ¡°Too smart to be oblivious, too stupid to figure it out before we caught you. Out of curiosity, who hired you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. No name assigned on the contract, I flagged I was here, an errand boy delivered the assignment.¡±

    ¡°What were you to do when you figured it out?¡±

    He licked his lips. ¡°Put my report in a dead drop in a tree hollow in Crimden Park. It¡¯s near the statue.¡±

    ¡°Remember to have a fake report drawn up and to watch it,¡± she said to Gerad. ¡°Now¡­¡±

    ¡°Mistake. What mistake did I make?¡±

    ¡°Mistake? Singular? You made quite a few. Your lack of enthusiasm at getting those sods to work for you was piquing, but not definitive. Your lack of preparation all but sealed it for me. The final nail was insisting he was arriving tomorrow. I know the schedules; if he was arriving by ship, he¡¯d be coming in to port no earlier than next week. Now, my turn. How were you planning on escaping our house?¡±

    He clenched his jaw, drawing in deep breaths to stop himself from speaking. Think of something else, he thought. Think of Anla. What color were her eyes? Her eyes never changed color, but the color was hard to guess. It existed in some conjunction between a tea brown-gray, deep blue, woodland green, maybe a flash of golden sun¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve managed to rub the rope halfway frayed. I can likely snap it at anytime. I¡¯ll wait for a diversion or make one.¡± He hung his head.

    ¡°Well. Hope you have your weapons drawn, boys. Last question: what is double jeopardy?¡±

    Stall, he thought. continuing to rub at the rope. Tell a long answer. ¡°I had a contract in Courmet. Pretty easy, so I thought. Enter a hedge maze, steal a sword in the middle, leave, bring the sword to the mansion. I made it, saw a dead trirec on the other side of the slab with the sword. I saw another trirec enter the middle. That¡¯s when I realized the owner had hired many trirecs to steal the sword. Two others joined us, we escaped. One of the trirecs said the contract was null because other trirecs had died. Ghenians would call it ¡®double jeopardy¡¯: once a trirec is killed in the line of duty, no one can ever make another request for the same thing.¡± He met her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill me to stop other trirecs from coming. We can work something out.¡±

    All three laughed at this. ¡°How?¡± Saesara asked. ¡°You have to finish your contract. We can¡¯t allow you to do that. Mother worked far too hard for us to ruin it. She was the original, the genesis of what we are now. She trained us and led us, before she became sick a year and a half ago. She made sure we got the city locked down. The police,¡± she gestured to Gerad, ¡°the politicians,¡± she gestured to Geor, ¡°and the news. Our only potential problem was if someone grew tired of our ambitions and decided to hire a trirec. That¡¯s why I joined that insipid club of children in the first place. They were very helpful at keeping track of who was working cases and where they were and who might take a contract against the Mantyger. You were my top guess. You love taking high risk, high payoff contracts. Of course, now that I know that you¡¯re Noh Amairian, it makes sense¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to finish this,¡± Gerad said, standing.

    She took a refreshing breath. ¡°You¡¯re right, brother. As a trained killer, how would you like to die?¡±

    ¡°Of old age,¡± he spat.

    Saesara laughed. ¡°Adorable. I was just wondering if you knew what the most humane way to kill a man was. Knife in the heart? Back of the neck, under the skull? Or perhaps you¡¯d like some poison that¡­¡±

    Raulin saw her lips move for a few moments in silence before all three siblings fell to their knees, their hands pressed to their ears. He pulled and snapped the rope just as a figure entered the room. ¡°Eeveryonee in the room whose isn¡¯t Raulin, stop moving. Sit on the couch and wait for me to speak to yyouu.¡±

    ¡°Anla?¡±

    Anladet moved into the light as the siblings moved. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Yes. Wonderfully surprised. Your control is much better. How did you get here? Are Tel and Al with you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I was alone. I tracked you down and saw them attack you in the alley. It took me a while to get in.¡±

    ¡°Why were you tracking me?¡±

    She pressed her lips together. ¡°We should get going.¡±

    The smile on his face dropped. ¡°Anla, they saw my face, they know I¡¯m Arvonnese. I have to kill them.¡±

    She looked at them, then back to him. ¡°Do you trust that my magic will cloud their minds enough that they won¡¯t remember if I ask them not to?¡±

    He thought of his own mind, how he couldn¡¯t remember stacking rocks. ¡°Yes. Are you okay with doing that?¡±

    ¡°I have no problem if I¡¯m saving lives.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I need to know where my knives are and they can¡¯t remember anything past Saesara trying to open the door to the house. If you wouldn¡¯t mind helping with my rope, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes,¡± she said. They found a butcher knife in the kitchen and she sawed his ropes free. ¡°This is three saves, by the way. Four, if you count the ship.¡±

    ¡°You have my eternal gratitude. Seriously, I don¡¯t know what I would have done without you.¡±

    He kept watch while she leaned in front of each of the three, whispering to each words that would dissolve their memories of the evening. When she was finished, he grabbed his mask and knives and walked outside with her. ¡°Glad you didn¡¯t burst their eardrums,¡± he said in the alley. ¡°Else they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear you.¡±

    She stopped, but said nothing, looking at him with an intense expression of what he thought was anger. Was she upset over his comment? He was opening his mouth to ask when she grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down while she pulled herself up. A thought flickered in his mind about what this meant, but he kicked it away quickly and pressed her to him.

    Anla pulled her head back, looking up at him. ¡°I followed you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I thought, you and her¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing happened, absolutely nothing. She kissed me a few days ago and I told her I wasn¡¯t interested. I made a promise to you and I kept it.¡±

    She smiled, then kissed him again, her fingers snaking into his hair. He winced and she pulled back, a look of concern scrawled across her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°They knocked me out. It¡¯s still sore where they hit me.¡±

    ¡°We should go see Al.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see Al right now. I want to see you. I¡­missed you.¡± Tell her, he thought. Tell her everything. The compulsion wasn¡¯t as strong, perhaps because the elixir must have worn off. Still, he wanted to grab her, to make her understand how he felt about her.

    ¡°I missed you, too. You¡¯ll have to fill me in on what you¡¯ve done in the last week.¡±

    ¡°I¡­yes,¡± he said, walking with her arm in arm. Soon.

 Chapter 213

    ¡°It was just a reverie, messing with my memory,

    causing thoughts to stray to you and you alone,

    but while it held my every, want and wish and sense in me,

    I knew my love for you had grown.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± Anla exclaimed, laughing. ¡°My father used to hum that tune and try to get my mother to dance, especially when she was in the middle of something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about thirty years old and was very popular when I was growing up,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Everyone knew ¡®Reverie¡¯: the poor, the rich, the young, the old. You could probably find some mushroom farmer gathering truffles with his pig in the north that knew that tune.¡±

    ¡°That might be my favorite song. And I didn¡¯t know it had words to it.¡± She rolled to her side and propped her head up with her hand. ¡°You sing beautifully.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I wasn¡¯t trained in it, but I think having a musical ear helps.¡±

    She moved next to him and laid her head on his chest. He put his arm around her making sure not to disturb the flowers she had strung in her hair, a side crown of wild beauty that was more her than anything he¡¯d ever seen her wear.

    It was nice, being content. Raulin found he was rarely in that state, of peace and happiness. Never in between contracts, never when traveling, rarely sober. He¡¯d never really had the time or opportunity to fall in love with someone and he was finding he really enjoyed it.

    The tranquility also afforded him time to think. And while their relationship hadn¡¯t escalated, he still thought of what would happen in a few months when the spell lapsed. He didn¡¯t want to wait a few years before seeing her again. He didn¡¯t want to sail to Noh Amair without her. (And Tel, and even the wizard, if he was being honest.) He wasn¡¯t sure what that would mean or even if she would be interested in something beyond what they had right now. But he did think about it. A lot.

    She took in a deep breath. ¡°I smell bacon¡±

    ¡°Must be that the wizard¡¯s cooking breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Why do you still insist on calling him ¡®the wizard¡¯ or ¡®Wizard¡¯? He has a name, you know.¡±

    ¡°He does?¡± he said, lifting his head to grin at her. ¡°I think it¡¯s because I like to give people who bother me a nickname. And while he doesn¡¯t annoy me anymore, it¡¯s sort of stuck. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that why you call me ¡®mezzem¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a title of respect., since you are a young, unmarried woman. And I don¡¯t just give nicknames to the irritating. If you want one, I¡¯ll call you ¡®ainle¡®.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± she said, smiling. ¡°You think I¡¯m beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Some things are beyond thought and are just known.¡± He sat up, holding her gently so that she came with him. ¡°And right now I know I need bacon.¡±

    Tel was slumped against a tree. Al was crouched before the fire, holding a pan over with one hand and practicing a move Raulin found unfamiliar. He watched as he slowly shifted his weight from one leg to the other, extending it straight to the side before starting the process again. Like some deranged crab, he circled around the fire, occasionally flipping the sizzling bacon in the pan.

    Raulin looked at Anla and put his finger up to the mouth of his mask, then crouched low behind Al. He followed him for a few repetitions of the move, then said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Al¡¯s hands flew up in surprise, tossing the bacon and the pan to the ground. ¡°Come on!¡± he yelled, turning to face Raulin.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the dirty bacon.¡± He unclicked his mask and chewed on the bacon after dusting it off. ¡°What were you doing?¡±

    ¡°I was practicing crouching, should I ever need to pick up my ax quietly.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re in a situation like that, you need to make sure you¡¯re keeping a watch all around you for someone sneaking up.¡± Al¡¯s face dropped. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m impressed by your initiative. And that¡¯s a great use of your time.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t end, does it? All the pointers and doing things wrong.¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s why I practice and stretch every day. If you want to learn how to fight, and fight well, you have to make a lasting commitment. Every day.¡±

    ¡°When will I be good enough?¡±

    ¡°Good enough for what? What are you hoping to get out of your training?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds silly, but I want to be as good as Kiesh the Black.¡±

    ¡°It does sound silly, but only because he¡¯s not real, Wizard. Try for a reasonable goal.¡±

    ¡°I want to be able to deal with any situation that¡¯s thrown at me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even at that point. But, you can train like you have been and wait for an opportunity. Don¡¯t forget that you already have your education as a wizard and your experience as working as one.¡±

    Al nodded sadly, unconvinced. Raulin noticed this and he felt for him. ¡°Let¡¯s try this. I¡¯m going to expand your training, starting today. When we¡¯re on the road, I will sneak up on you and stay behind you for three seconds. If you feel me, raise two fingers. If you haven¡¯t by the time three seconds have passed, I will tap you on the shoulder.¡±

    ¡°What will that do?¡±

    ¡°It will raise your awareness of your surroundings. Most people can feel when someone is nearby, even if they can¡¯t hear or see them; hopefully you¡¯ll be able to sense someone better. And I¡¯ll think of some other forms like that to help your fighting.¡±

    ¡°Wait, that helps? How does that help?¡±

    ¡°Oh, knowing exactly where your opponent is, and his accomplices, is very important. I wasn¡¯t messing with you, Wizard.¡± He paused and held up his finger and thumb a half-inch apart. ¡°A little. I was messing with you a little. But I was wondering how well your awareness was, too.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, brightening a little. ¡°Um, eggs are done. Are we going to wake Tel?¡±

    ¡°Tel has requested to skip his porridge while he¡¯s across the sea.¡±

    Al eyed the grivven. ¡°I have to wonder what that¡¯s like, to be here but somewhere else at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Exhilirating, from what he¡¯s told me. A little frightening, since he¡¯s exposed here, and somewhat limiting, but a great tool. I¡¯ve always wondered what it was like to shift something in you and be able to pick up boulders or heal someone or run fast.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Al handed a plate to Anla, who returned from washing at the stream and sat next to him. ¡°Depending, it feels like your body is a sponge filling with water. The Unease feels jittery, quick, crackling, snappish. The Calm feels heavy, warm, pleasant, expansive. At least from what I remember.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like now?¡±

    ¡°I feel different than when I was untapped into magic. Then I felt normal. Now I feel¡­¡± He searched for words. ¡°¡­blurred. Maybe like a sheet that¡¯s constantly having the wrinkles smoothed out.¡±

    ¡°You dismissed it before, but what if you are cyclical?¡± Al laughed and Raulin continued. ¡°No, I mean it. Just consider it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exceedingly rare, once a generation, they say. So, if Amandorlam has roughly fifteen hundred wizards a decade and there are five schools with about the same output, you¡¯re looking at fifty thousand or so wizards on Yine at this moment. And those are the ones that go or went to school. We¡¯re talking a potential of one in a hundred thousand.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Well, there already is one. His name is Kytren Bi Teleure and he¡¯s from Sonder.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve met him,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°You have?¡± Al asked, astonished.

    ¡°Yes, he wanders from court to court, I¡¯ve been at courts. He¡¯s nice enough, didn¡¯t seem full of himself at all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about it, though,¡± Anla said. ¡°As impossible as it sounds, what if you were cyclical? What would that look like?¡±

    Al shrugged, taking a bite of bacon. ¡°There¡¯s not much known about cyclicals, since there aren¡¯t enough of them to study. Kytren is too popular to take the time to answer questions. Um, of what we know, cyclical wizards are a perfect balance between the Unease and the Calm. No magical backlashes, since your body heals itself of those issues. Every ability is supposed to be better, incredible balance, strength, speed.¡± He swallowed thickly. ¡°If I were cyclical I would have been able to bring Lacront back. I wouldn¡¯t have tried to kill myself. I¡¯m not cyclical.¡±

    ¡°Is it static, then?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°You moved up the ranks from using the Calm to switching, to cross-switching. What if that changed?¡±

    ¡°That I suddenly moved up after ten years?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I doubt it.¡± Before Raulin could asked another question, Al turned to Anla. ¡°What¡¯s your magic like? Is it the same for every spell?¡±

    She grabbed his arm gently and tapped her fingers along it for about ten seconds. ¡°Do you feel that shiver that doesn¡¯t quite come, the tension in your skin, the slight vibration? It feels like that on the back of my neck and down into my shoulders, up into my head.¡±

    Raulin held his hand out and they both laughed as she drummed her fingers along his forearm. ¡°That¡¯s rather nice.¡±

    ¡°Part of my issue with its allure is there are no reasons not to use it, other than my personal accountability.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing well,¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Thank you. And what about your magic?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have¡­¡± he began, then stopped. ¡°You mean my mask?¡±

    ¡°I mean your quirks. If you¡¯re going to make Al consider his magic, maybe you should look at your own abilities.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fair, I suppose. What are you mean, specifically?¡±

    ¡°The thing with the clergy,¡± Al said, also interested. ¡°Rayani, Alistad, Chockwell, maybe some others. They were drawn to you. That only happens with the nobility. And you heal quickly, too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite charismatic,¡± Anla said. ¡°You can work a room well. You know people without having to ponder, like Lord Cavrige. And I keep drawing those same tiles for you.¡±

    ¡°So, working backwards, do you believe your piscarin readings, Anla?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s bizarre that I always draw the ones that say ¡®don¡¯t be a trirec¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interpretation and also hardly magical. I¡¯m not influencing your sessions. I knew Lord Cavrige immediately because he¡¯s a memorable fellow. Thank you for the compliment, but charisma hardly means I¡¯m noble. Same with healing quickly. I¡¯d say both my parents were good at recuperating from injuries and illnesses. And I¡¯ve said before that I have a knack with the clergy. Maybe it¡¯s the charisma.¡±

    ¡°You just chided me for not considering my magic¡­¡± Al said.

    ¡°Well, I was giving explanations for things. But really I was saying this to see if our soothfinder felt I hadn¡¯t considered this before and come to any conclusions other than what I said.¡±

    Both Al and Raulin looked at Anla, who frowned in thought. ¡°You believe all those to be truthful,¡± she said.

    ¡°Now, I have wondered if this has done something to me,¡± he said, flicking his mask. ¡°Kachilan Merakians have been wearing this metal for a few centuries and they haven¡¯t noticed any adverse effects. As far as I know, I¡¯m the first miartha to wear this. Is it affecting me? Is it seeping into me, giving me better nighttime vision without it or the ability to sense danger?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe that¡¯s spilling into other things.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Amandorlam would love to do experiments on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they would, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d step onto that campus.¡± He looked over at Tel. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we get moving. We¡¯re five miles from Quirr and that will be a good place to resupply and stop for the night.¡±

    And so they dropped the subject. Hopefully that would be their last discussion on that, Raulin hoped.

    Anla crouched next to Tel, gently massaging the nape of his neck. They had figured this was the best way to get his attention when his was away. After a minute or so, he took in a lungful of air and opened his eyes with a confused look for a moment. She handed him his breakfast and said, ¡°We¡¯re moving on soon. How was it?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Still nothing.¡± He shoveled his food in quickly while the fire was stamped out, the food put away, and the bedrolls tied to packs. They were on the road as soon as Tel¡¯s bowl was cleaned.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t found any opportunities?¡± Raulin asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s just so much going on that I don¡¯t know what to do next.¡±

    ¡°Well, what are your goals?¡±

    ¡°Goals? Well, to return things to where they were before I left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too vague; no wonder you¡¯re feeling overwhelmed. How do you hope to accomplish that?¡±

    There was a slight shrug from the grivven.

    ¡°Okay, what exactly would returning things to where they were look like?¡±

    ¡°Everyone freed. No changes to the law, or whatever Sheiskan is doing to justify his actions. No ambassadors.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the last one, then. How would you get rid of the ambassadors? You¡¯ve already said you don¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make them go away.¡±

    ¡°What would cause you to leave a place you were visiting? Say you could leave Gheny, what would happen to make you flee?¡±

    Tel thought about this and came up with several answers as they walked: no interest, being forced away (as he had been from Ouyid Island), feeling unwelcome, respect to the culture and people.

    ¡°All great answers, but nothing you can really affect, unless you were able to destroy whatever they were trading. Let¡¯s try something else. How did you feel when you first stepped onto Gheny?¡±

    ¡°Confused. Alone. Scared.¡±

    ¡°Scared,¡± Raulin repeated. ¡°Scared is not a strange emotion to have when in a foreign place. You knew the language, but you think differently than Ghenians do.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re concerned with things I¡¯d never considered or even knew existed, but they care little for other things I hold dear.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s precisely how those ambassadors feel. Your people are different from their people. They are already uncomfortable. The only thing that makes them feel secure is your brother and his people and the trust they have created. You need to break that trust, if possible, and you need to make them feel afraid to be in Nourabrikot. Anla? Al? What are some things that frighten you?¡±

    ¡°Ladybugs,¡± Anla said quickly.

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes. Bugs are creepy. Tel, when the ambassadors are sleeping, you need to encourage insects to slip into their sheets and bite them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt them, though.¡±

    ¡°Nothing poisonous or lethal. Just a large amount of insect bites, or a few big ones that can¡¯t be explained.¡±

    ¡°Bats,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Bats. Bats¡­bats. Ah. Whenever the ambassadors are walking around, have things touch them that they can¡¯t explain. You can control the wind or make vines that can wrap around their ankles. It will be unsettling to them.

    ¡°Something that I am perturbed by is when I see a change that should take a long time to happen, but seems like it happened quickly. There was a water stain on the ceiling in a hospital I stayed in when I had the black flux. I was there for several weeks, but the fever made it seem like I was there for two or three days. I was frightened out of my mind by that stain that seemed to go from coin sized to chest sized in a few hours. Imagine going to sleep and waking up with vines all over your walls or things moved around your room that can¡¯t be explained.¡±

    They thought of other things during their journey, their lunch, and later as they approached Quirr. The farms along the road were just starting to be tilled and planted, but the trees were blossoming with heady scents, still scant and yellow-green in color. In the distance, past several animal and crop farms, a large town popped up in the flat landscape. Off-set was a modest castle, impressive in height to the two-storied town, but not extravagant in size.

    Al and Tel quietly discussed meals and the wizard checked Tel¡¯s pack for what foodstuffs they had and what they needed. Anla and Raulin hung behind them and stole touches and gestures, kisses separated by his mask.

    The first two stopped in a general store filled with early produce, unaware that Anla and Raulin found a conspicuous copse of trees to kiss properly under. When they returned to the main road, they discovered that town constable had drawn steel and was gesturing for the two of them to join Tel and Al.

    ¡°Is there a problem, sir?¡± Raulin asked, knowing full well that there was one.

 Chapter 214

    If Raulin wanted to, he could have gotten out of this situation easily. It was just one officer, his sword, and no backup. The man wasn¡¯t even holding Raulin at point, nor any of the quartet. This didn¡¯t feel like an arrest, more an insisting request. The worried looks Anla gave were meet with reassuring gestures from the trirec.

    The townsfolk gave them curious looks, but the quartet had never lacked those and any group being escorted through the main thoroughfare was interesting. Many were delighted to see a trirec. A few groups of younger women pointed and giggled at Raulin, those daring waved. He waved back. Anla scowled and moved closer to him.

    They were led to the other end of town and turned right down Baron¡¯s Lane. It didn¡¯t take much intelligence to guess where they were going, but it was sometimes helpful to play ignorant. ¡°We¡¯re going to the castle?¡± Raulin asked the flatfoot.

    ¡°The Baron asked us in Quirr to keep a lookout for people matching your description and to send them his way if they should show.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Send them his way¡¯,¡± he repeated. ¡°Should I assume we¡¯re not in trouble, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why the Baron wishes to see you. Best not to take chances.¡±

    Raulin began sizing up the estate and the manor house as they walked closer. The wall had several weak points and would be easy to scale, or maybe just walk out since the gate was open and manned only by one guard. The castle¡¯s courtyard was tidy. The manor itself was of stone and in style with more modern castles, lacking crenellations and bolt holes and favoring latticed windows and decorative quoins.

    They were led inside through the front door, which surprised Raulin and also put him at ease. If they were under arrest, they would be brought to a guard station or to the dungeons. A valet took their packs and Anla¡¯s cloak and bade them to be comfortable in a receiving room while they waited. After some time tea and biscuits were served.

    ¡°What is this about?¡± Al whispered when the room was finally empty of servants.

    ¡°This is likely an intimidation tactic or they¡¯re appealing to my decency,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Since the staff has been respectful, I¡¯m guessing the latter. The Baron of Quirr will waltz in here in a few minutes and play the gracious host. ¡®How is your trip, trirec? Do you need supplies? Lodging for the night?¡¯. And I¡¯ll politely refuse, since a nobleman really doesn¡¯t want a trirec in their home and I don¡¯t want to be so closely monitored. Then the Baron will be charming but also thread in an implied threat here and there. ¡®I want you to enjoy your time here, but if you hurt one of my citizens¡­¡¯ He knows he can¡¯t stop me from carrying out my contract, if I even have one here, but he can also beseech that I cause the minimum amount of damage. He doesn¡¯t know that that¡¯s my modus operandi, he just knows a trirec can do a lot of damage. I¡¯ll assure him that I have no contract in Quirr or nearby. He¡¯ll smile and send me on my way with some boon to remind me of my promise. This will all be over in about an hour.¡±

    ¡°How many times has that happened?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Four, in variations. That¡¯s a very low number, mostly because I spend a lot of time without my mask, traveling as a normal man.¡±

    ¡°You could do that now,¡± Al offered. ¡°I know that Anla has seen you without your mask and I¡¯m sure Tel has. I won¡¯t tell anyone, Raulin. I give my word. Not the police, or Arvarikor, or the Cumber.¡±

    Rauling sat in a chair near the fireplace and pretended to consider this. He must have taken too long.

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me,¡± Al spat. It was an accusation with pain and frustration. ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t see how I¡¯ve grown?¡±

    ¡°Wizard¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­actually thought we had become friends.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say we are.¡±

    ¡°Than why? Why do you always exclude me? Why am I always outside the circle?¡±

    Raulin laced his hands behind his neck. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that sometimes there are secrets that people keep from people not because of a lack of trust, but because they care deeply for the safety or well-being of that person.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of your education¡­¡± he began.

    From somewhere nearby, they heard someone walk in leather soled shoes over tiles quickly in their direction. ¡°They¡¯re here?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± some one said. ¡°In the Outoak Room.¡±

    A few moments later a young man entered in riding clothes, the smell of horse and sweat and leather overpowering, but somewhat comfortable. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you came!¡± he said, gathering Al into a strong embrace.

    ¡°Uh, oh! Tyro!¡± Al said and hugged him back. ¡°Oh, I had forgotten you were the Eri-Baron of Quirr.¡±

    ¡°Quite!¡± He greeted Telbarisk, then shook hands with Anla and Raulin while Al introduced them.

    ¡°Tyrolek Girord, Eri-Baron of Quirr,¡± Al said. ¡°He was on vacation in Mount Kalista when the eruption happened. We found him pinned in a basement, two days without food or water, unconscious due to a head wound.¡± He turned to the excited young man. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you recovered nicely.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thanks to you two.¡± He gestured for them to follow him. ¡°My parents will be enthused to meet you. You¡¯re welcome here, as guests. Feel free to stay for as long as you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Very generous,¡± Raulin said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to burden you, though.¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I owe these gentlemen my life. Staying here for a month or two would be such a small way to repay your heroism and gallantry.¡±

    ¡°Just a few days, then. We need to move on soon.¡±

    ¡°No business here, I hope?¡± he asked, though he didn¡¯t seem to interested in the answer. He led them outside towards the orchards where several men were hoeing and pruning trees.

    ¡°No. I completed my contracts in Tektorn. We¡¯ll be moving on to Aiketol soon.¡±

    He nodded politely, then yelled, ¡°Father!¡± to an older man with graying hair. He looked up and waved them over. Introductions were made and firm, authentic handshakes given. They were invited to the family meal that evening and the Baron ordered his steward to open four rooms for them.

    They were treated quite graciously. They were given an attendant, who oversaw their laundry and gave them all better clothes for dinner, and were introduced to Tyro¡¯s fiance, brothers and mother. Dinner was obviously elevated for the guests with multiple courses of finger foods, soups, entrees, cheese plates, and a rich, chocolate dessert.

    The tale of saving Tyro was told in detail. While fascinating for the older folks, his younger brothers had been eyeing Raulin with zeal. Their manners held out ¡¯til the roast duck was placed on the table, then they began a torrent of questions that he answered as thoroughly as he could.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°We just come from Acripla,¡± he continued, the boys hanging on his every word. ¡°I managed to rid the city of the Mantyger.¡±

    Obviously they had heard of the infamous criminal and were wide-eyed as he told that tale to them. When he finished, one of the boys turned to the other and proclaimed how he would love to be a trirec when he was older. A quick glance to the Baron saw a riotous look on his face, too polite to say anything, but very much upset by the thought.

    ¡°Kelet, yes?¡± Raulin asked the boy, who nodded enthusiastically. ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be eleven in March, sir.¡±

    ¡°What did you do today?¡±

    ¡°Well, sir, I woke up, had breakfast, attended my math, reading, and fencing lessons, had lunch, went horseback riding, then father showed me what some of the men were doing in the fields. I played with some of the village boys; Kilko is my best friend and we go on adventures every day. Then I began reading for tomorrow¡¯s lessons until we sat for dinner.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re being responsible. Did you kiss your mother today? Hug your father?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I didn¡¯t hug my father, but Mother did kiss my forehead this morning.¡±

    ¡°Go show your affection.¡±

    The boy seemed confused, but did as he was told quickly, sitting again for further instructions into what he hoped was the education of a trirec.

    ¡°And what happens if you don¡¯t behave?¡±

    ¡°My tutors will rap my knuckles if I¡¯m daydreaming. Father sends me to bed early and without supper if I¡¯ve been particularly bad, but he hasn¡¯t done that in quite some time.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a well-behaved boy, growing into a fine young man.¡± He paused to let Kelet glow in the praise before moving on. ¡°By the time I was eleven, both my parents and my siblings had been killed. I had been adopted into Arvarikor the previous year, knowing no one, and I was not allowed to make friends. I awoke at dawn to spend fourteen hours training in physical pursuits and in some subjects that would help us. I ran miles every day. If I tried and did poorly, I would be cuffed. If I showed an ounce of sloth at being exhausted or ill, I was caned. If I was insubordinate, they would pour water over my head and I¡¯d be switched until not an inch of me wasn¡¯t black and blue.

    ¡°Yes, being a trirec seems like a daring career full of adventure and riches. I¡¯m not going to tell you that I¡¯m not a wealthy man and I don¡¯t have a little bit of fun at thrilling chases or completing my contracts. I do. But I would give it up if I could see my family once more, if I never had to go through that training. Little boys are meant to be little boys, with families and friends and lessons and a home. Trirecs are meant to be killers and thieves and wanted men. You shouldn¡¯t wish to be like me; I don¡¯t even wish to be me.¡±

    There was silence in the dining room for a full minute. Raulin looked at the Baron, who gave him a sympathetic look followed by an appreciative nod. Kelet blinked a few times, his face flush with embarrassment or sorrow.

    ¡°Thank you for that instructive lesson, Mr. Kemor. I think that perhaps it would be a good time to retire from dinner. The gentlemen are free to join me in my den, if they wish.¡±

    Plates were cleared as they all rose. Anla gave him a series of looks that Raulin interpreted as empathy, followed by annoyance that she was being ushered from an event due to her gender. The Baroness and Tyro¡¯s fiance, Amuena, took her gently by the arm and walked her to a patio for refreshments and gossip. Raulin felt it was wise to follow the Baron.

    Even though the den had a chair by the fire with obvious indentations from years of use, the Baron chose to light his cigar by the window and stare outside at his garden. Raulin took a seat on a setee. Tel sat uncomfortably in a high backed chair that only hit his shoulders. Al and Tyro engaged in a conversation about what happened in Mount Kalista after Tyro was rescued.

    After ten minutes or so, the Baron turned from the window. ¡°I¡¯m reluctant to say this, Mr. Kemor, but I feel you are in intriguing person.¡±

    ¡°Many have not been so kind, sir. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t generally like trirecs. I don¡¯t like the trappings involved in your order and what chaos it wreaks upon the nobility. I don¡¯t like that people around here think of you with admiration, not seeing that you are a man who breaks the law.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d agree with you. My lawlessness comes down to survival; if I do not fulfill my contracts, I will be killed by my order. I¡¯m sure many criminals argue the same, though. Steal or starve, kill or be killed.¡± He shrugged.

    The Baron paused at this. By now Tyro and Al had stopped their conversation to listen and Tel had perked up.

    ¡°You prefer work that is, should I say, ¡®cleaner¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Most definitely. I¡¯m not a man who enjoys killing or stealing.¡±

    He nodded slowly at this. Tyro looked up at his father with an expression of surprise, as if he realized where this conversation was headed. ¡°I¡¯d like to let you in on a certain problem we have in these parts. It¡¯s not necessarily in my jurisdiction; as a baron, I¡¯m only concerned with the well-being of the people of Quirr and the issue hasn¡¯t affected them. Yet.

    ¡°There is a person or group of people who have been killing the people of Awashkit in a gruesome manner. Women, mostly,¡± he coughed, ¡°parts of their bodies crushed or bones broken. I would like to hire you to find who is doing that on behalf of my Aristocrats, Rischalle, Duke of Tektorn and Equorn, Marquess of Awashkit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Baron Girord, but that won¡¯t be possible.¡±

    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s uncustomary to hire trirecs through personal contact, but I¡¯d be willing to go through any procedures necessary from this point forward.¡±

    ¡°Baron, it¡¯s not that you broke one of our laws and are not allowed to contract with Arvarikor. In fact, if you ever need our services, you may feel free to do this again or to contact the agent in Acripla. The only reason why I¡¯ve said ¡®no¡¯ is because I am only allowed to take twenty-four contracts per year. I¡¯ve actually taken an extra by guarding these three and I was punished by my order for this, which I am hoping is information you will keep to yourself. I cannot take another contract.¡±

    The Baron sighed and nodded.

    ¡°Have you tried the Cumber?¡±

    ¡°Several of us have written letters and they¡¯ve been returned with promises to send someone down at some point. It¡¯s generally like this; if you¡¯re not close to New Wextif, it¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    After a thoughtful pause, Raulin asked, ¡°May I offer another suggestion? My good friend Alpine Gray would be a great person to take your case.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Al asked, his neck snapping back. Tel grinned.

    The Baron furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Is he¡­are you any good?¡±

    ¡°Very good, sir,¡± Raulin answered. ¡°Since I¡¯ve met him, .rd Gray has solved several mysteries that were beyond me. I¡¯ve subcontracted to him several times all with great success.¡±

    The Baron held his cigar between his teeth and looked between the two, the smoke rising into his puffy, sheep-wool hair. ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°For instance, and again I¡¯d rather this be kept to this room only, there was a young woman being stalked by a man in New Wextif. He applied his vast intellect to the case and was able to determine who the man was and assist me in catching him. I wouldn¡¯t have solved the contract without him.¡±

    Both barons were looking at Al in a new light. ¡°.rd, is this something you¡¯d consider doing?¡± The Baron asked.

    ¡°I¡­need to speak with Raulin for a few minutes. If you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The two walked out of the room and into the hallway. ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± Al blurted.

    ¡°No, you can do it. I¡¯ve seen you do it. You¡¯re just lacking confidence.¡±

    ¡°That was a stalker, not a gang of maniacs! I don¡¯t know the first thing about investigating and catching murderers!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at it this way. I can¡¯t take another contract because my order is already suspicious of me and they¡¯ve already tailed me without my knowing. If you take this for me, I will take it back, so to speak, and you just have to do what I say.¡±

    ¡°I just need to take this in name only?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay. Okay, I can do that.¡± He started to head back to the room when he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to negotiate a contract, either.¡±

    ¡°You can demand any price you think you¡¯re worth. You¡¯ve only taken a few cases, which will lower your asking price, but they¡¯ve been successful. You have a full Amandorlam wizard¡¯s education to fall back on as well as the help of three friends, one being a trirec.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­twenty gold?¡±

    Raulin tsked. ¡°Far too low. You¡¯re putting your life on the line, here. And you may need to subcontract to Tel and Anla.¡± Al still looked exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do this for you. You have to look like you¡¯re in charge. My suggestion would be to start around three hundred and see how they feel about that.¡±

    ¡°Three hundred? Three hundred gold?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll haggle. Assure them that it will be solved, even if you think you can¡¯t do it, but keep countering. Have some leniency. I¡¯d recommend not going below two hundred.¡±

    Al nodded and Raulin clasped his friend¡¯s shoulder before they returned. They sat comfortably, then Al said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the case.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± the Baron said. ¡°I can call my steward in to draw up paperwork. How much are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Uh, three hundred gold. Now if¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s a fair price.¡± Al¡¯s leg slid off his knee and he bent forward with a jerk. ¡°If you need any information, please ask my steward. There¡¯s been some correspondence about this between the nobles and I can give you access to those. I¡¯ll also give you a letter of intent to present wherever you go and send letters to my Aristocrats.¡±

    Raulin spoke for Al, who looked dazed. ¡°He accepts, so long as you keep to our understanding on sensitive information.¡±

    ¡°You have my word,¡± the Baron said, shaking hands with all three of them.

 Chapter 215

    ¡°Ah,¡± Anla said, covering her thoughtful smile with hands pressed to her mouth. ¡°The Baroness is a clever woman!¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Raulin asked, moving a lit lantern from the wall hook to the table where they were meeting.

    ¡°Well, us ladies sat outside, drinking chilled tea and gossiping about things. They spent a lot of time discussing the murders in the area, some of the details, theories, and victims. I think she knew the Baron was going to ask for a contract with you.¡±

    ¡°Ladies gossip about murders?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯d be surprised what women talk about when men aren¡¯t around. We don¡¯t want to damage your delicate sensitivities.¡± She scrunched her nose at him.

    ¡°Br¡¯vani women I could imagine, but Ghenians?¡±

    ¡°Tektornians,¡± Raulin offered.

    ¡°Ah. What exactly did you discuss?¡±

    ¡°At first it was about how frightening it was for young women to walk around by themselves at night, even in small towns. Then they commented on how it had gotten worse: not just young women, not just at night, not just alone. All ages of women had been taken at all times of the day, from their homes, with friends, in front of their neighbors. They were whisked away, there one moment, gone the next, missing until their mangled corpses were found sometimes weeks later.

    ¡°To them, the Baroness and her future daughter-in-law, this is like some monstrous force they cannot stop, some looming cloud on the horizon. No one knows where the killer will strike next. No one knows what they can do to stop him. No ones knows who the next victim will be.¡±

    Al sat back in his chair for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°Perhaps our best course of action will be proactive instead of reactive. We need to conduct meetings with the towns giving them regulations and systems to follow. What do you think, Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Wonderful idea. We can start here in Quirr.¡±

    ¡°I can look at any maps the Baron has, to pinpoint any patterns, check them against a calendar.¡± He looked at Raulin.

    ¡°That sounds great.¡±

    ¡°Anla, I think you should write down everything the ladies told you so we can review it and check out whether those rumors can be substantiated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that tonight before I go to sleep,¡± she responded.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll go speak with the Baron, if that¡¯s all right, Raulin?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s all right that I go speak with the townsfolk.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said, walking away from the patio to the hallway that led to the den.

    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s going on there?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±

    ¡°The wizard is under the assumption that I am in charge of this investigation.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±

    ¡°The Baron needs an investigator, an organizer, someone to puzzle things out and apply education to a situation. These are not where my strengths lie. They are Al¡¯s, however. I recommended the Baron hire him with my glowing recommendation. The wizard was under the assumption that he was accepting on my behalf, because I was at my contract limit. I would like this to be an opportunity for him to gain experience and would prefer if we thought of him as the leader of this contract.¡±

    She gave him a smile that started small and grew the more she thought about his words. ¡°I like that, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°I know some men prefer being lackeys, always number two, never getting the credit for their work. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I think he just needs a little shove in the right direction.¡±

    ¡°It may be that he prefers not to be in charge,¡± Tel countered.

    ¡°And if he shows any sign of that, I¡¯ll be sure to sweep in and take over. It¡¯s a huge responsibility; I know he may flounder. But I¡¯ve seen him in these situations before. He shows initiative, he has brilliant ideas, and he acts on them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this is because he doesn¡¯t have confidence in himself, which you feel is wrong.¡±

    ¡°Well, not wrong, but unjustified. Do you think I¡¯m doing too much?¡±

    ¡°I think Alpine has gone through a lot of change in the last year and he hasn¡¯t given it much consideration. I have to wonder how he will be when things finally settle for him.¡±

    Raulin nodded. ¡°And I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He picked up the lantern and hung it back on the hook. ¡°I spoke with the Baron about your sleeping arrangements, Tel. You are free to use your room or sleep anywhere outside that you¡¯d like. However, he feels that you might be bothered by the workers in the orchards and fields, so he recommends you avoid those places.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, standing. ¡°There was a grotto near the northern part of the house that felt comfortable to me.¡±

    After he left, Raulin helped Anla up. ¡°You said you liked the idea. Any objections now?¡±

    ¡°Tel makes a good point, but I think Al coddled himself for a long time and cut himself off to many opportunities. There¡¯s no harm in letting him try this.¡±

    They spoke of this for a few more minutes until they were outside her door. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you for the night, though I may sleep outside your door in case the killer try for you.¡±

    She gave him a smirk. ¡°There are better places to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Inside the door on the floor?¡±

    She hooked her finger around the collar of his shirt and pulled him into her room. As soon as the door was closed and his mask off, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. Their lips met in a soft kiss, one arm around her waist and the fingers of his other hand tangled in her hair. He tried walking her towards the bed and felt her leg fall back and push her weight against him. He stopped, still kissing her, still holding her. She moved them so she was pushing him, stepping closer until Raulin hit the bed with legs and sat on the edge.

    He knew what he would have done, had their positions been reversed, standing in between her legs and pressing her down. Instead, like a splash of cold water, she sat next to him. She did twist his face towards her and kissed him deeply, but didn¡¯t move. And after a few minutes she stopped.

    Raulin had stopped overanalyzing situations like this long ago. Had he done something wrong? Had she remembered something that bothered her? Did the wind shift slightly in an unfavorable direction? It didn¡¯t particularly matter. What mattered was what he did next and what she wanted, which was apparently to lay facing away from him. He laid next to her, kissing her neck, then moving his lips down to her shoulder blades. Again, she stiffened and pulled away. He moved his arms to her shoulders and his lips back to her earlobe and she relaxed again.

    He thought of the situation like a man spotting a doe in the woods; so long as he didn¡¯t make any sudden movements, he would be allowed to be in her presence. Raulin got the sense that things had simmered, that she didn¡¯t want passion but compassion, not caresses but to be held. Disappointment tinged his breath. Some other night, then.

    After one last kiss at the juncture of her jaw and neck he moved and laid on his back. She turned, surprised, and moved into his arm. ¡°What makes a man kill women like that?¡± she asked quietly.

    She was worried? ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll find out, though. We¡¯ll find him and make it so he¡¯ll never kill anyone again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s reassuring sometimes to see that underneath the propriety, Ghenians are much like elves. Those two woman sat there, steering the conversation, laughing, reassuring, but they both were scared. They knew that there was nothing to separate them from anyone else. They¡¯re people who live lives assured and protected. And, of course, it¡¯s their women who are being brutally murdered, so they feel angry and protective. This is how elves would react. We¡¯d form groups to hunt the creature down and feel vindicated letting the living victims take flesh and fingers from the man¡¯s screaming body.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Living victims¡¯? Are you saying he let some live?¡±

    ¡°One woman escaped by playing dead. She crawled back to the road, but won¡¯t speak to anyone besides a few words.¡±

    ¡°We need to speak to her, immediately. You do,¡± he said, turning his head towards her. ¡°You¡¯ll need to use your magic to calm her and get her to tell us what we need.¡±

    She frowned, her thoughts shifting. ¡°I should have done that with Jeurd. Analussia was still so fresh in my mind that I didn¡¯t want to touch it and chose what I felt was the only other path. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for,¡± he said, though he appreciated it.

    ¡°It was a waste anyway. I got nothing from it at all, save the money.¡±

    ¡°It was a nice gesture and things worked out in the end.¡±

    She laid her head on his chest and her breathing deepened quickly. He was always impressed by how fast she could fall asleep. He moved some of her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. The moon was almost full and cast enough light through her window to bathe her face in its white light. She was so peaceful.

    It was only when he was relaxing into slumber that the stabbing pain of jealousy decided to blossom in his chest. He could pretend to be as noble as a virgin knight, and that talk they¡¯d had in the cell on the ferry had been, but the fact was it still burned him up that she had slept with Cavrige. Him of all people.

    His jaw clenched until he realized something she had said that shed some light on things, perhaps everything. ¡°I got nothing from him, save the money.¡± She hadn¡¯t done it for the money; she had slept with him to get information. But that was it. Nothing else. Raulin would put good money on Cavrige being a poor lover, like so many other men. Like maybe every man Anla had slept with before.

    The strands began to untangle for him. He had been jealous of Cavrige, of her former beaus, of the imaginary men in Mount Kalista, because he assumed she had enjoyed herself, that she had determined he was not the one to make her happy. But what if she had never enjoyed herself? What if she thought of being bedded like many other women, as some five minute occasion where she would shut her eyes and think of what to buy in the market for tomorrow¡¯s dinner while her lover got what he wanted? And, of course, if that¡¯s how it had been with everyone else, surely it would be the same with him. She didn¡¯t know he would treat her better, that it wouldn¡¯t be like that.

    He wanted to shake her awake and ask her, talk to her about this, but how exactly would he have that conversation? It was something best left to touch; words would be tripped over and the whole thing embarrassing. Well, still, even if he turned Caudet-red he¡¯d still try to stammer out what he meant, what he wanted for her. And she¡¯d know he meant the truth.

    He kissed the top of her head, wanting so badly to not just make ecstatic in that way, but for everything else, too. He wanted anniversaries, he wanted thresholds to carry her over, he wanted to hear about the gossipy neighbor who said something rude to her. He wanted to hold her when she cried, he wanted flour smudges on her nose, he wanted to hold her hand when she gave birth.

    And inside his chest something broke into a thousand pieces, the beautiful music of shattering playing from heart to fingertip.

    He wanted her hand.

    He breathed in so slowly, feeling the gathering of tears in his eyelashes. A choice. Don¡¯t say ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ yet, he told himself. Take away her ¡®ifs¡¯ and really think about it. Think about the day upcoming in mid-June, some three to four months away, leaning on a ship¡¯s railing. Anla is on the wharf waving goodbye, just like Alisse in Arouk, just like Freise in Kitstuar. Would that feel the same, the ache of knowing you¡¯ll never see them again tempered with the resolve of knowing he had to?

    No, he told himself. No, he could tell the difference, even now, even with her uncertainty. She wasn¡¯t just a lover, she was the love of his life. If he was ever going to take a wife, it would be her and it would be before he left Gheny.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    It meant either subjecting her to a life of hiding and moving or leaving the order. He recalled his conversation with Isken about leaving, how he had wanted to leave as well and his plans. It wasn¡¯t such an impossibility.

    Well, he had a few months to think of something. For now, he enjoyed the settlement of having made a decision and fell asleep as peacefully as Anla looked.

    * * *

    Al didn¡¯t even hear the footsteps around him of the servants starting the morning routines. He did haphazardly pour himself another cup of tea, sipping it while his eyes continued to flicker over the pages. Messy. Everything was messy. He needed to put his solid information aside on that table, the facts, then the things he was working on, then everything else nearby.

    ¡°Wizard?¡± he heard from behind him.

    ¡°Ever hear a pearl drop? Or a bead, a marble, a piece of hard candy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fairly sure I¡¯ve heard one of those. Wizard, did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some regularity to the dates of the attacks. There were two young men, just into adolescence, that were attacked first. Those don¡¯t fit. But, give or take a day, it¡¯s been a month, a month, a month, a month, a month, a month, three weeks, three weeks, three weeks, two weeks, two weeks, a week. He would have attacked someone yesterday, likely in this area of Tektorn,¡± he pointed to an area a hundred miles to the east, ¡°in the towns of Tilgy, Tetrim, Florna, or Rispo Kel. So, like a pearl dropping, it¡¯s getting quicker in between each hit. Dut, dut, dutdut, dutdutdut¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you sleep at all last night?¡±

    Al sipped on his tea and shook his head. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s being random, but there are circles.¡± He took out a sheet of oiled paper that he had marked with paint. ¡°Going back to the last three victims, he¡¯s been traveling as far as he can before striking again, as the crow flies. He has no time to settle, to think about things. He goes right for the next kill. Look at how far he traveled! He went from Ammet Starsa to Briglend, about 150 miles in a week through swamps and bayous!¡±

    Raulin drew up the chair next to Al. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a ¡®he¡¯ and not ¡®they¡¯? It would make sense if a group of men were coordinating efforts to kill to create fear in the area.¡±

    Al pulled a stack of letters so thick that he couldn¡¯t fit them all in one hand; he needed to sandwich them between his palms. ¡°Some of these letters give very detailed descriptions of the attacks, from medical perspectives. All are done in the same manner. Here,¡± he said, handing Raulin a letter with a detailed description. ¡°I would be very shocked if a group of men learned how to kill in the same exact fashion. It¡¯s a somewhat unique modus operandi.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a good point,¡± he said after he scanned the detailed account. ¡°Us trirecs fight and kill in the same way because our methods are tried and true. It is doubtful a group of men would learn to repeat such a strange series of injuries.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got to be a big guy, very strong. I¡¯m thinking he must have a profession where travel isn¡¯t conspicuous, like a courier. I¡¯m completely torn on what he looks like.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Somehow he¡¯s getting these women separated from everyone else, which means he can¡¯t be too frightening to look at, unless he¡¯s doing so at knife point. But the women are almost always found with looks of fear still on their faces, so something is scaring them beyond the terrible circumstances of what he¡¯s doing to them. The one autopsy allowed showed her heart had ruptured as well as several major arteries and veins.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any man being that frightening to look at. Most appear to be scared?¡±

    ¡°Most families don¡¯t consent to autopsies, so it¡¯s hard to tell how extensive the damage is, but a few were reported to have burst vessels in their eyes.¡±

    ¡°This is some grim work, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Anla told me that the Baroness said there was a survivor.¡±

    Al¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°A woman who escaped from an attack? We have to go talk to her! Wait, why isn¡¯t her statement anywhere?¡±

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t spoken since the attack.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why that is. Do you think Anla might help out here?¡±

    ¡°Likely. You should ask her.¡±

    They were on the road with provisions shortly after breakfast. Al carried a satchel full of quill sets, maps, notes, and certified letters as they took the main road north through Quirr. ¡°Do you think we could make twenty miles today?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°That sounds like a bit too much, Wizard,¡± Raulin said. ¡°If the roads were cared, straight, and flat, if we didn¡¯t stop for lunch, we¡¯d just make it through a third town by dinner. It would be a big gamble that the town would have an inn with open rooms. I¡¯d recommend against it.¡±

    ¡°I want to get to Ammet Briash quickly. This Ecuila Miren is going to be important for this investigation.¡±

    ¡°She is. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°This gives you an opportunity to speak with the lawmen of the towns we¡¯ll pass through and implement those recommendations,¡± Anla offered.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he said, some of his agitation lifted at the thought.

    They found themselves in Sinkelane, the nearest settlement to Quirr, for a late lunch. It was barely a dot on the map, one general store, five homes, and one shrine in the center. Unfortunately for Al, the shrine was tended by one very condescending priest who felt Kriskin would continue to protect the little village due to his ministrations.

    Al stormed over to the group after his meeting. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fill eating muh fanwish,¡± Raulin said, swallowing.

    ¡°You can eat it on the road.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you complaining?¡±

    ¡°Because nothing happened and nothing will happen. I¡¯m just some stupid khajit who doesn¡¯t understand how the gods will protect the people of Sinkelane.¡±

    ¡°And the people agreed?¡±

    ¡°People? I did this at the shrine.¡±

    ¡°Who told you to talk to the priest?¡±

    ¡°No one. I just assumed he¡¯d be in charge.¡±

    Raulin stroked his chin and looked back at the village. He stopped when he spotted an older woman in a rocking chair, eyeing the group. He waved and she waved back. ¡°Come, Wizard.¡±

    The two walked casually to the woman¡¯s house and Raulin stopped a few feet from the porch. ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am. Could you tell me a little about your priest?¡±

    She leaned forward, a gleeful look on her liver spotted face. ¡°Brishem? He¡¯s a blowhard.¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s what my friend here was discovering. We¡¯re trying to help solve the case of those murders that are plaguing the area. Being the courteous young man that he is, he went to speak to your Brishem first and found that he wasn¡¯t that receptive. Called him names, told him he was stupid.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like Brishem.¡±

    Raulin moved a little closer and leaned on the railing. ¡°Do you spend a lot of time out here?¡±

    ¡°My son and his wife take care of me. Nothin¡¯ for me to do but creak. I do that a lot. Creak in my chair,¡± she demonstrated, ¡°creak in my voice, creak in my bones.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind a little entertainment, then? Really, my friend just wants some one to keep an eye out for things. Go ahead, Al.¡±

    ¡°Are there a lot of strangers that come through here?¡±

    ¡°Not so much. A few merchants now and then, some carriages, you folk. Never seen a feller that tall before.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be happy to hear that you called him tall. He loves that,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Well, you tell him I think he¡¯s extra tall, then.¡± She gave a gap-toothed grin.

    ¡°Madam, would you mind keeping a record of the strange people coming through your town?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Oo-ee, I¡¯m ¡®madam¡¯ now!¡± She gave a cackling sort of laugh. ¡°I like that, polite man. I¡¯ll write down people for you. Do you want me to ask for their names?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Be discrete. Just a description. And thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, young man. I hope you catch that son of a bitch afore he kills another one.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying our best, madam.¡±

    On their return back to the group, Al asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about knowing people, Wizard. Never give a self-important person another task, unless you think he really wants it. Try to connect what you want with someone who wants to do it. We needed a nosy person and we found a nosy lady.¡±

    ¡°So, I shouldn¡¯t bother with constables and mayors?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Definitely bother with them. You don¡¯t want to undermine the top authority, especially if they were waiting for someone to help them out in this situation. Don¡¯t bother with the people who want to make things difficult, who become an obstacle for you. Go around them instead.¡±

    Kindil, the town they reached just before dinner, was much more receptive to the help. Al was granted an audience with both the sheriff and the Baronet to go over his plans and give suggestions for the townsfolk to obey until the predator was caught. They were given nice rooms in the Baronet¡¯s estate. Al crashed and was dead to the world for the whole night.

    Raulin didn¡¯t use his. He knocked on Anla¡¯s door and entered when she said he could. She was brushing her hair by candlelight and paused to smile at him when she saw him in the reflection of the mirror. ¡°Quite a busy day,¡± she said, setting the brush down and turning to stand.

    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m sure there will be more of them. I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡±

    Arms wrapped, lips soft, fire jolting down his body. Somehow he managed to both hungrily return the kiss and protest for a moment, wanting to speak with her about all he had thought about the previous night before he gave up. Again, they kissed, again moving to the bed, again sitting next to each other. This time, she sat up and leaned a little so she was above him as they entwined. And she didn¡¯t stiffen when he kissed the back of her neck and her shoulder blades. They did, however, end things well before he was happy and she again fell asleep on his chest. She¡¯s trying, he thought. She¡¯s moving the edge of her comfort a little bit for him. I need to be patient.

    They made it to Ammet Briash by mid-afternoon the next day. It took some convincing for Ecuila¡¯s mother to agree to let Al and Anla see her, but she finally relented. ¡°She gets upset,¡± the woman said. ¡°If she gets too upset, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave.¡±

    ¡°We understand, Mrs. Miren,¡± Anla said.

    Ecuila was laying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Al took the chair that had been moved from the dining room and Anla sat on the edge of her bed. She was a pretty girl, a year or two younger than Anla, her long, black hair brushed out and spilled onto her pillow. Months had healed the bruises and scratches to her face and torso. She adjusted herself and Anla noticed that while her torso moved freely, her legs did not. Her mother had told them that both of her hips had been broken and that she was bedridden until they healed, possibly for the rest of her life.

    ¡°Ecuila, hi. My name is Anla and this is Al. We¡¯ve come here to talk with you.¡±

    The girl¡¯s face crumbled and she immediately started sobbing. ¡°No¡­¡± she moaned.

    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll only talk about the things you want to talk about.¡±

    The girl continued to look up, her lip turned out and frowning, a pained look on the rest of her face.

    Anla tried several topics with Ecuila: her friends, her favorite kinds of foods, her family, what she liked to read. After a while she calmed so that she was no longer upset, but she also didn¡¯t answer anything.

    Al leaned over. ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± he muttered. ¡°I need you to use your magic.¡±

    Anla frowned, then sighed. She took the girl¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ecuila, I¡¯d like to do something to help you, but I¡¯m not going to do it unless you say it¡¯s fine.¡± She gave Al a pointed look. When she looked back, Ecuila was looking at her. ¡°I can do something so that you never have to think about what happened again. I¡¯ll take your memories from you. Every time you think of the attack, a soft fog will wrap around your mind and you won¡¯t be able to recall what happened. Do you want that?¡±

    She squeezed Anla¡¯s hand hard, pleading with her eyes.

    Anla noticed Ecuila¡¯s mother was standing in the doorway. ¡°Al? I need to borrow your pocket watch.¡±

    ¡°Pocket watch?¡±

    ¡°My husband has one,¡± the mother said, leaving for a room down the hallway.

    ¡°What do you need that for?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Hypnotism¡¯,¡± she whispered. ¡°I saw a man do it on a stage once.¡±

    Anla took the watch from the woman when she returned and began swinging it back and forth above Ecuila¡¯s face. ¡°Eecuilaa, I need you to relax and to listen to me. You need to tell me everything you can remember about the attack.¡± Her face started to crumple again. ¡°When you think of the attack, you will not feel scared or ashamed. You will answer any questions either I or Al asks. Please begin with where you were right before he attacked yyouu,¡± she finished, putting the watch down.

    Ecuila sighed and her face slackened as she stared off in the distance. ¡°I was walking home from Sarisa¡¯s house for dinner. Mama likes me to be home early to set the table.¡± Ecuila¡¯s mother let out a sob and pressed a hand to her mouth. ¡°I heard a noise, a twig snap in the woods off the road. I thought it was just a rabbit or a deer, so I ignored it and kept walking. Then, there was a loud noise and pain and I was on the ground. There was a man on top of me. I was dazed and didn¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Ecuila¡¯s mother sat opposite Anla, holding her daughter¡¯s other hand.

    ¡°I thought he was going to have his way with me and I began screaming. He put his hand over my mouth and he pressed down and it hurt. I felt my jaw start to unhinge. He was on top of me, pressing his body against me. I heard the bones in my legs pop. He started digging his fingernails into my shoulder I think I passed out on account of everything, but I woke up a few moments later. I couldn¡¯t move, even though he had gotten up and ran away. I thought he was going to kill me. I thought he was going to steal me and take me somewhere to cut me up and eat my fingers while I watched. Nikeb says the monsters in the Viyaz do that and that¡¯s all I could think as I lay there. It was some time later when I thought that someone galloping in the road might crush my head beneath the horse¡¯s hooves, so I tried crawling back to the ammet.¡± Her mother¡¯s face was pale, but she still clung to her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Ashrith found me and picked me up from the road and ran me to my house. I¡¯d like to marry him some day, but I¡¯m afraid of childbirth now and I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d want me.¡±

    Her mother kissed her hand, a tear running down her cheek.

    ¡°Ecuila, can you describe the man who hurt you? Tell me his hair and eye color, his skin color, how tall he was, whether he was fat or fit or thin, if he had a beard or mustache, if there was anything distinguishing about him.¡±

    ¡°He was the same height and weight as the man here, his beard red almost brown, his hair oily and long, but not enough to pull into a tail. His eyes were blue with thick lashes, wide and crazed. There was a piece missing from his right ear, like it was clipped.¡± Anla heard Al inhale sharply and curse before standing and leaving the room in a few steps.

    ¡°Did he say anything?¡±

    ¡°He just told me to be quiet.¡±

    ¡°Anything else you remember that will help us find him or catch him?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Thank you, Ecuila. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡±

    There was a beatific smile on her face at the praise.

    Anla turned to the girl¡¯s mother, giving her the watch back. ¡°I need you to leave while I erase her thoughts on the attack. You¡¯ll need to figure out what you¡¯re going to do after, to tell her what we did today or to pretend like it never happened. I can¡¯t tell you which one of those is right or which one might cause her more pain.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be my beautiful little girl again?¡±

    ¡°She still is your beautiful little girl. Will she talk and be happy again? Hopefully. I can¡¯t guarantee that. I can remove the part of her that hurts, but she¡¯ll always be missing an hour of her life. How will she respond to that? Will she ignore it? Will she pretend it doesn¡¯t bother? Or will it haunt her for the rest of her life, knowing there was something there that isn¡¯t there any more?¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mrs. Miren. I think you¡¯ll have to take things with Ecuila carefully. Listen to her. Pay attention to her. Understand that she¡¯s not going to be the same person she was before this happened and move on from there.¡±

    She nodded and left the room. Anla thoughtfully chose what she was going to say before she ensorceled Ecuila, cutting out her thoughts from just before the man tackled her to just after Ashrith brought her the rest of the way home. She still had months worth of memories of laying in bed, not speaking to people for some reason, and she had memories of two strangers coming into her room to speak with her about something. Anla told her parents as much before she left, wishing them well and hoping that Ecuila had a quick recovery, both for her body and her mind.

    Anla found Al pacing near Telbarisk, who was slumped against a tree. ¡°Where¡¯s Raulin?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I needed to think so he took over speaking to the town. They like him here anyway.¡±

    ¡°Think? Is that why you got up so abruptly?¡±

    He sighed, looking at her with dark brown eyes mired in pain. ¡°I know who the killer is,¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°Al? How?¡±

    ¡°When she was describing the man. There must be thousands of men in Gheny that have all the features she mentioned. Perhaps even a few with an ear clipped from getting mugged on his way back to school from a bar. But how could a guy like me, a little guy, break people¡¯s bones and cause that kind of damage, the kind that stops hearts? How could a man run over a hundred miles in a week?

    ¡°Anla,¡± he said, looking down at his hands, ¡°I know him. His name is Cove Gray. He graduated with me from Amandorlam. He¡¯s a wizard.¡±

 Chapter 216

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla said softly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She gestured for him to sit on a nearby farmer¡¯s wall.

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve always been afraid of burning out, getting sick and tired and dying young, but that¡¯s a mercy compared to what happened to Cove.¡±

    ¡°What did happen to him?¡±

    ¡°Could be number of things, but he basically overused the Unease. He might have done too much at once, overtaxing his mind ¡¯til his sanity snapped. He might have gotten into a cycle of using magic, then using magic to lessen the aftermath, like a hair of the dog for hangovers, only he never got to fully rest and recuperate from it.¡± He shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s gone insane from it and he¡¯s attacking people, women.¡±

    He took a moment to stare off in the distance. ¡°If¡­if he can¡¯t turn off his conduit to magic, he¡¯ll continuously be in the Unease. A wizard can¡¯t sustain long periods of time doused in magic like that. He¡¯d be feeling like a rabbit running from a wolf, heart racing, jumping at everything, breathing shallowly, always tense, scared all the time. He might have tried to burn off some of his magic by running or lifting heavy things, but it likely replenished too quickly. And so, to get rid of his magic, he poured it into someone else, all at once. In the beginning that lasted him a month; now it¡¯s only lasting a week.¡±

    ¡°Pouring magic? Like when you heal someone?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re taught to do little sips for a reason. It would kill a normal person almost immediately after they¡¯ve spent their last seconds in utter terror and agony.¡±

    She breathed out slowly. ¡°If what you say is true, what do you forsee happening?¡±

    ¡°I see the circle of travel for him growing smaller and smaller. He¡¯ll only be able to run six days away, then five, then eventually he¡¯ll stay in a large area with a lot of people, Acripla maybe, so that he can kill constantly. He¡¯ll be a terror upon wherever he winds up touching, killing dozens every day, hundreds maybe.¡±

    They waited for Raulin to return and for Tel to snap back to his body before explaining what they had learned.

    Raulin clicked his tongue and was about to speak when he looked at Al. ¡°What do you suggest we do, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, first we need to find him.¡± He dug out the oiled paper and map he had rolled together and flattened them against the farmer¡¯s wall. ¡°Baronet Finrest said he¡¯d received word that there was an attack on the 23<sup>rd</sup> in Tetrim, a day early but in the area I predicted. He¡¯s already moved to six day cycles. Assuming he hasn¡¯t moved on to five, he¡¯ll attack tomorrow in a place that¡¯s as far as he can go, about¡­120 miles from Tetrim. Following his pattern, that will put him somewhere around Sispik, Gaenadi, or Rilway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very large area,¡± Raulin said.

    Al sighed. ¡°I know. But we have to try for it.¡±

    ¡°Why that area?¡± asked Tel.

    ¡°Well, even though he¡¯s a crazed man, he does have a pattern.¡±

    ¡°Or did you mean why is he staying in that area, in northeastern Tektorn?¡± Raulin asked. ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡±

    Al opened his mouth to speak, then shut it, furrowing his brow and looking back at the map. Why was Cove penning himself in? He was killing someone, then running in the opposite direction. Even when he had a month in between, he had never strayed beyond the boundaries he created for himself in northeastern Tektorn.

    ¡°Grass,¡± Al said. ¡°Get me the longest blades of grass you can find.¡±

    While they did this, he opened up his notes to the attacks. He placed a blade from the first female attack to the second, the second to the third, and so on until each every journey had been plotted. Assuming he took a straight course each time, there was one common travel spot.

    ¡°Kinuestra?¡± Al asked, leafing between the oiled paper and the map. ¡°But it¡¯s some large town in the middle of a plain. No rivers, no thick forest. It¡¯s not even central. Why Kinuestra?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking pragmatically. If you really want a reason, I could give you several: he grew up there, he¡¯s stationed there, he has a family.¡± Raulin said. ¡°Sometimes sentiment is enough.¡±

    ¡°Which means he could have the upper hand by knowing the terrain.¡±

    ¡°He already would have the upper hand; he¡¯s in a place with thousands of potential victims or hostages. But, we know he¡¯ll be passing through there. If Kinuestra is a cooperative sort of town then they¡¯d be happy to lend people to act as lookouts.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime he¡¯ll be killing someone in Sispik.¡±

    Raulin looked over his shoulder. ¡°Wizard, we won¡¯t make Sispik. That¡¯s forty miles. We might make Gaenadi or Rilway, but we don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going there. And look at how large this area is.¡± He drew his finger across what represented several hundred square miles. ¡°That¡¯s your outlet for where he could be tomorrow or the day after.¡± He put his finger over Kinuestra. ¡°This is where he¡¯ll most likely be in four days time.¡±

    ¡°We could try¡­¡±

    ¡°If you think we should, then we will. But you have to look at the cost of risk here. If we try for one of these three villages, and he isn¡¯t there, then we lose the chance to catch him in Kinuestra. If we head straight there, we¡¯ll be able to catch him with some certainty. We try for Rilway and maybe save a life, likely not, and we ruin our chances of saving the next girl or we stop him in Kinuestra and save the next girl.¡±

    Al sighed and tented his hands in front of his face. ¡°We head for Kinuestra,¡± he said.

    * * *

    They headed out early from Ammet Briash the next morning and made Kinuestra by late afternoon at the expense of all comforts. While Anla and Tel secured their lodgings and got a bit of rest, Al and Raulin went directly to the mayor¡¯s office.

    They were seated outside in the hallway for about five minutes before Al laughed. At Raulin¡¯s steady gaze, he finally stopped. ¡°Sometimes I have these strange moments where I forget who I am and what I¡¯ve done and who I¡¯m with. Then I remember and it seems kind of funny to me.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not going round the bend, Wizard.¡±

    The smile dropped from his face. ¡°Do you think I am? I mean, I¡¯ve been wondering. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with me. Is this what happens right before someone cracks from too much magic?¡±

    ¡°You already ¡®cracked¡¯. You tried to stab Sakilei and jumped off a cliff.¡±

    ¡°I did, but what if I¡¯m still falling? I mean, metaphorically. What if I just haven¡¯t reached the point where I go insane?¡±

    ¡°Where you start hurting people instead of helping, you mean? We have three and a half months left together. Be sure that I¡¯ll tie you up to a tree until we can find someone to help you if that happens.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like a grand thing.¡±

    ¡°I mean instead of killing me?¡±

    Raulin took a deep breath. ¡°What¡¯s really bothering you, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Our classes were large, about a hundred graduating, but I knew Cove. He wasn¡¯t the most popular guy, but a lot of people knew him and liked him. He wasn¡¯t the smartest, but he did well enough to pass a high amount of the classes and with good grades. I never saw him lording over the other students or teasing anyone. He was rather laid back and easy with a smile. People would tease him about his ear and he¡¯d have a joke ready. I¡¯m having a hard time thinking of that Cove killing people. I keep thinking we have the wrong guy. And I keep thinking that if he of all people went insane, what¡¯s to stop any of us?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, to answer your last question. Some people can adapt to catastrophe better than others. Anla saw her parents killed in front of her and she¡¯s completely sane.¡±

    ¡°Your entire family was wiped out and you had to train with sadists for years.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that. Both of us have gone through a lot, but we¡¯re both sane. But I think the issue with Cove is the magic, not his mind or his spirit. You¡¯re taught in school to care for yourself. You know that both kinds of magic have limitations and repercussions. He obviously didn¡¯t watch for the signs and failed one of his base duties as a wizard.¡±

    ¡°I did the same. I was trying to keep up with you guys and used far too much Unease.¡±

    ¡°And you had a rather traumatic experience. Like Anla and myself, you walked out the other side changed, forged, however you see it, and you are where you are now. Besides your continual terrible taste in wine, you seem fine, Wizard. When you were having your breakdown, you were muttering to yourself, speaking of strange things. You were antsy and hostile and paranoid. I don¡¯t see that now.¡±

    Al leaned forward, folding his hands. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes we need to hear things from another mouth.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you for that, but I don¡¯t think I ever properly thanked you for saving my life. It would have been easier for you to not have woken up and followed Anla and found me and dislocated your shoulder stopping my descent.¡±

    ¡°Likely, but we¡¯re in this together. And you¡¯re welcome. I wasn¡¯t about to lose my wizard due to some momentary lapse in judgment.¡± He looked up at the door. ¡°One more minute and I¡¯m barging in.¡±

    ¡°Why? He¡¯s probably busy.¡±

    ¡°People in power like to keep people waiting for a number of reasons: it makes them feel more in power, they don¡¯t like this part of the job, they want to discourage people from meeting with them. Whatever his reason, we don¡¯t have time for this.¡± He stood and walked to the door. ¡°We might need to be a little heavy-handed in our approach. Let me do the¡­¡±

    At that moment the door opened and several harried men poured out. Raulin¡¯s hands flew up and he swiveled out of their way quickly. A man on the younger side of middle-age stood at the doorway and ushered the two in.

    ¡°I apologize for the delay, but we had a serious fire that spread to a few warehouses. I¡¯ve haven¡¯t slept in two days and I might be a little distracted, but I assure you I am very interested in what you have to say.¡± He sat down behind his desk. ¡°Baron Girord sent me a letter that arrived amidst my other crisis and I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t had a moment to read it. Please, if you could fill me in.¡±

    Al waited for Raulin to take the reins, since he had said he was going to, and Raulin waited for Al to speak since he was technically in charge. After a few moments, Raulin turned to Al and waved at him.

    ¡°Uh, yes. My name is Alpine Gray and I was hired by Baron Girord to find and apprehend the man who has killed fifteen, likely now sixteen, people in eastern Tektorn over the last half-year.¡± He handed him the sealed letter presenting himself, which the mayor scanned quickly and handed back. ¡°My team and I are going to need some cooperation from you.¡±

    The mayor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯ll have it, of course, but what exactly does that entail?¡±

    ¡°We discovered very recently that the killer has been passing through Kinuestra on his way to the next murder. We think this is because he is stationed here or has connections, perhaps both. Do you have a wizard here by the name of Cove Gray?¡±

    The mayor sat back in his chair and thought for a few minutes. ¡°The name sounds familiar. I confess that I don¡¯t know everyone who lives here as well as I should.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a hard wizard, so he¡¯s likely doing inspection or heavy labor.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I could confirm that for you.¡± He jotted down a note. ¡°If he is here, what do we need to do? Would you like me to arrest him?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Al said. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t want any of your people to go near him. He¡¯s killing through magic; if he touches anyone, they¡¯ll die, too.¡±

    The mayor blanched at this. ¡°How will we stop him, then? And when should we expect him?¡±

    Al hesitated. He hadn¡¯t had enough time to think of a plan. He had some ideas, but nothing concrete. Raulin took over. ¡°We have a team of people who are capable of taking care of this situation. All we¡¯re asking for is a few trusted, and discrete, people to watch the roads in town and let us know when he¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°It will essentially be like trying to catch a man on fire. It will be difficult and delicate. If you could brief your police force and anyone else you think might waylay us, that would be helpful.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Also,¡± Al cut in, ¡°if you could give me a list of wizards in the area and allow me to interview them, I¡¯d appreciate it. And he¡¯ll be coming through likely tomorrow or the day after, if he¡¯s still following his patterns.¡±

    ¡°Of course. If you need anything else, let me know.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t mind a liaison so that we¡¯re not hounding you. Past this point we¡¯ll just need information and provisions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my secretary, Mian. She grew up here and is quite knowledgeable.¡±

    The both rose and the mayor shook their hands. ¡°If I may ask before you go, how will you be dealing with him if you¡¯re successful?¡±

    ¡°Our contract was to stop the killings. Of course we¡¯d love to apprehend him, instead of executing him, but at this point it might be a mercy to kill him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad man,¡± Al said, meeting the mayor¡¯s eyes, ¡°I think he¡¯s stuck in a situation where he is forced to do terrible things in order to survive. Eventually he will die, unchecked it will still likely be by the end of this month. He will either die now with sixteen victims or later with dozens.¡±

    The mayor nodded sadly at this and wished them well.

    * * *

    They hadn¡¯t made it to the street before they heard a woman calling after them. She was short, though her dark hair piled in curls above her head netted her a few inches. Raulin would admit that she was cute, with thick lashes, a round face, and apple cheeks, but his interest fizzled quickly when he thought of Anla. She caught her breath. ¡°Whew. Hi, I¡¯m Mian. The mayor just told me that you might need some things. I thought I¡¯d catch you before you went to your hotel room, which I would also like the name of. If you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Raulin opened his mouth to speak, but he noticed she wasn¡¯t looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on Al and this pleased Raulin more than he would have thought. ¡°Thank you,¡± the wizard said. ¡°We¡¯re staying at Comfley¡¯s Inn on the corner of Market and Main, the top floor suite. At this moment we need a list of which wizards are working in Kinuestra.¡±

    She looked up from the notes she was taking on a pad. ¡°Wizards? Is he one, the killer?¡±

    ¡°If we have the right guy, then yes.¡±

    She opened her eyes and mouth. ¡°Wizards have always worried me. They give me the goosechill. It¡¯s not natural that a man should be able to lift so much or run so fast.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a wizard,¡± Al said, holding out his hand. ¡°Alpine Gray. And magic is natural, it¡¯s what you do with it that makes it fair or foul.¡±

    After she shook his hand, she touched her lips with her fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to insult you.¡±

    ¡°Many people are distrustful of wizards. You have to get used to it or get into a lot of fistfights. Although, I guess it wouldn¡¯t be a problem since I¡¯d win, right?¡±

    Mian gave a soft giggle. ¡°I suppose so. Is there anything else you need?¡±

    ¡°No, I think we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Al said, giving her a warm smile.

    Raulin looked between the both of them several times. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ll be heading out to dinner around five thirty this evening. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like to join us? I bet you could direct us to a good place.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­I suppose¡­yes. I¡¯ll meet you at your hotel a little before?¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful. We¡¯ll see you then.¡±

    Al walked with Raulin, a frown on his face. ¡°I appreciate your help, Raulin, but my earlier promise still stands: if you hurt Anla, you and I are through.¡±

    ¡°And why would I hurt Anla?¡±

    ¡°You invited Mian to dinner tonight. You didn¡¯t have to. I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s because you¡¯ve taken an interest in her.¡±

    Raulin snorted, then laughed for a few moments. ¡°You lummox. I invited her to dinner because of you. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off you. And you actually didn¡¯t seem irked by her thoughts on wizards. Tell me there¡¯s nothing there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m married.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that with much conviction.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep with someone I just met.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, now that¡¯s filling in some spaces. Who said anything about tumbling with her? We¡¯ll be here for a few days. It¡¯s going to be trying. Speaking with a friend or flirting with a girl is relaxing, if done well. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to connect to someone?¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Though far away, Tel has someone. I have someone and I¡¯m hoping Anla agrees, however she sees us. And now you might have someone. We¡¯re here to live; live a little.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin had worried that he had been reading a little too much into Mian¡¯s gestures and had given Al false hope. That was until he saw Mian, a fancy fascinator pinned to her curls, the feathers matching the new red and yellow dress she had changed into. While he could be mistaken that sweetheart necklines were common in Tektorn, he didn¡¯t see any other woman wearing a dress with them in the rather crowded restaurant.

    When Anla gave him a quizzical look and nodded at her, Raulin just gave a throaty chuckle and said, ¡°Evre¡±, Arvonnese for ¡°watch¡±.

    Al did chivalry justice, pulling out her chair for her, taking her coat and gloves, and making sure she felt comfortable. The latter was done by answering the copious amount of questions Mian had for him about the ongoing case, his life, and wizardry and magic. ¡°So, let me make sure I understand,¡± she said, leaning in towards Al. ¡°Most wizards pick one side of magic and stick with it, but you can do both?¡±

    ¡°They usually don¡¯t pick,¡± he answered. ¡°They find they can do one or the other. But, yes, I can use both sides.¡±

    ¡°What are they like?¡±

    ¡°The Unease heightens your sense of sight and hearing. It allows you to get things done that the body usually can¡¯t do, lifting several times your own weight, for example. The Calm relaxes you, allows you to heal and makes you a more creative person.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like, having that magic course through you?¡±

    ¡°See what I said about watching?¡± Raulin murmured to Anla.

    ¡°Shh. I¡¯m enthralled by this.¡±

    Al coaxed her into putting her hand in his. ¡°I¡¯ll do the Unease first. You¡¯ll feel a jolt, maybe excitement or fear or just your heart beating fast.¡±

    Mian¡¯s spine straightened and her eyes widened. Her hand jerked away and she touched her fingertips to her chest before laughing. ¡°That¡¯s thrilling! Gosh, my heart is racing.¡±

    ¡°And if you want to try the Calm¡­¡±

    She placed her hand in his. There was no sharp reaction this time, just the slumping of her shoulders, her eyes half-masting, and a dopey grin melting her face into bliss. ¡°I think I like that one better,¡± she said, slowly turning her gaze back to him.

    ¡°The Unease has greater benefits to the wizard with it, but the Calm has greater benefits to the layperson receiving the magic. I only did Touch wizardry when I was in Whitney, before I met these guys.¡±

    ¡°How long have you know each other?¡± she asked the group.

    ¡°Since last June, so almost nine months,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve been traveling the country since then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, picking up jobs here and there, enjoying the country.¡± She thought it was best to side-step why Raulin had to determine where they went.

    ¡°What are some things you¡¯ve seen?¡±

    ¡°Lots of things. Al and I rescued the Duke of Sharka¡¯s daughter and stayed at his palace for a few days. That¡¯s how we met.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Mian said. ¡°Are you two¡­?¡±

    Anla smiled. ¡°No, never. He¡¯s a wonderful man, but we¡¯re just friends. And I suppose my pretend husband, when decorum necessitates it, but never anything romantic. Of course the Count of Carvek thought we were. That was after Al saved Tel from a lynch mob. I¡¯d tell you all about it, but I need to attend to a few things before retiring tonight. You should ask Al about it.¡±

    Raulin stood a half-moment after she did. ¡°Same here. And it occurs to me that Tel has to do some checking on the weather and the landscape.¡±

    Raulin met Tel¡¯s gaze. They stared at each other for a few seconds, with Tel finally saying, ¡°Oh, yes. I thought I saw a storm developing in the west that might cause us problems. I should check on that.¡±

    Mian started to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you four tomorrow, then?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t leave on our account,¡± Anla said, patting the air. ¡°Al needs to conduct interviews, which he can¡¯t really do at eight in the evening. He¡¯s free right now.¡±

    She sat again as the three departed. Raulin stopped at the matre¡¯d¡¯s stand and gave him a gold to make sure Mian and Al weren¡¯t disturbed.

    * * *

    The evening wrapped up the way it usually did for Anla and Raulin. And in the morning she awoke first and she watched him, like she almost always did.

    Raulin was partially right about her. She had reservations about sleeping with him because she didn¡¯t care to lie underneath yet another man she didn¡¯t love and didn¡¯t love her. (Oh, he liked her quite a bit, but his tone had never changed from when they had met and therefore he¡¯d never fallen for her. ) It was what she¡¯d had to do for money and information and protection. It was all she knew of being bedded and there would be something disappointing about that happening with Raulin.

    But that was just a small portion. Anla had been thinking with her mind and she understood that Raulin¡¯s courting of her meant they were on neutral ground. That would surely be enough for the spell in a few month¡¯s time. They would part on good terms, as friends.

    That was until Acripla. She hadn¡¯t liked the group of admirers and had followed him to the restaurant. She hadn¡¯t planned on waiting for him until he left, all the while wondering what was going on inside. She hadn¡¯t planned on feeling the searing heat in her chest, the pain of hot, broken glass filling her belly with each breath as she watched that woman go home on his arm. And she found it almost impossible to breathe through it when she had kissed him. A sob had caught in her throat, the emotion clawing her airway shut. She almost left then, the pain unbearable, until she saw him rebuke her. Her heart had soared. He didn¡¯t want her! She had left crying and Raulin had gone back to his room alone.

    Anla had no idea how that girl would take the rejection, though. She had spent quite a few hours picking stones, hoping to see what she was planning. Things were murky. Sometimes the runes expressed some lie that was being told, but it couldn¡¯t say whether it was the girl or Raulin. Sometimes she saw completion of a task and Anla worried that this didn¡¯t mean Raulin completing the contract, but that he was going to bed the girl. And every once in a while, when she had drawn a few times and her mind was wondering, she would ask about the two of them. She frequently got paw and maw and wha mixed with a few others and she¡¯d smile and bite her lip.

    She had felt guilty tailing him. Saving his life didn¡¯t feel like a justified cause, but she was sure that, in this case, he didn¡¯t mind it. He hadn¡¯t asked how she knew where he was. Perhaps he didn¡¯t care or assumed it had been her magic. She wasn¡¯t going to volunteer that she had watched him walk that girl home, her stomach still roiling even though he was a perfect gentleman.

    After she had saved him, her logical, thoughtful decisions on their relationship had crumbled and she had kissed him. She still didn¡¯t know why, only that it had felt like a number of things: I was scared and now you¡¯re safe, I missed you, you¡¯re not hers but mine.

    Now she had to fight her feelings. Her heart and her mind were telling her to wait just a little longer, to make sure this Raulin, the one in front of her now, wasn¡¯t going to do something foolish to spoil the spell. (And, fairly, she was worried about doing something as well.) The fire at his touch, when they kissed, when he held her and ran his fingers along her skin, was the antagonist to her wise choice to wait. Her curiosity was thrown in, wondering if maybe things would be different with him. Just a little longer, she told herself. When this whole mess was over, maybe when they reached Cataya.

    He sighed in his sleep. He looked so peaceful, his face softened of all expression. He was handsome, she had decided a long time ago, and she liked watching him sleep. Or looking at him, even with his mask on, since she¡¯d also decided that she enjoyed the way he walked like he was cutting through the world, carefree but with a purpose.

    He smiled. He did that when he knew she was awake and watching him while he slept. He¡¯d never teased her about it, just smiled, slowly opened his eyes, and said, ¡°Abene mautin, ainle.¡±

    ¡°Abene mautin. What were your dreams this morning?¡±

    He sat up. ¡°Mmm, something about getting two loaves of bread when I paid for one. It was nice.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°You sure enjoy food.¡±

    ¡°Good food,¡± he corrected. ¡°I enjoy the best of what I can take of the moment.¡± As she sat up and turned to move off the bed, Raulin caught her wrist and pulled her to him for a kiss.

    She smiled. ¡°We have quite a day ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°True. I¡¯ll be downstairs for breakfast after I finish my exercises.¡± He hopped out of bed and began his stretches, noticing that she hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°Don¡¯t wait on my account.¡±

    ¡°I like watching you practice.¡± She had a long list of unvoiced reasons why she enjoyed it, including watching his chest and stomach muscles strain at holding certain positions. ¡°Do you think you could teach me how to fight with a knife?¡±

    He said nothing, as so she asked again. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m concentrating. Why do you want to know how to fight? You have your magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already experienced a time when it was taken from me. I think it¡¯s good to have something to fall back on, in case I happen upon a deaf assassin or something along those lines.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I told the wizard: I can¡¯t teach you the Arvarikor style of knife-fighting. It¡¯s too obviously ours and that would create problems for you.¡±

    ¡°What about hand-to-hand combat?¡±

    ¡°I know a few dirty tricks, not much else.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that over nothing.¡±

    He stopped halfway through his stretches and dressed quickly. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how the wizard did last night.¡±

    Al was already sitting at breakfast, stifling a yawn as both Anla and Raulin sat at his table. ¡°You look a little tired, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°I was up with Mian for a while last night,¡± he said, resting his cheek on his fist. After a moment, his eyes widened and he held out his hands. ¡°No, nothing like that! We talked for quite a while at the restaurant, then on a bench in the park a few blocks from here.¡±

    ¡°Was it good?¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± he admitted.

    Al left the three of them to interview Cove¡¯s wife and children, followed by the local wizards. His wife was sporting a yellowed bruise around her eye. ¡°Cove¡¯s been under a lot of pressure,¡± she said after he asked about it. ¡°It¡¯s been tough after he was let go when his boss died. He¡¯s had to travel out of the area for work and it¡¯s been harder and harder for him find any. Don¡¯t be too hard on him. He¡¯s usually a gentle man.¡±

    Al pressed his lips together. He had always pictured informing his wife of her husband¡¯s crimes and asking for her assistance in catching him. But now that he was there, seeing his children play in the backyard, it became too difficult. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the guy I remember from school,¡± he said, abandoning his harder questions. ¡°Do you know when he¡¯ll be back?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s usually back within a few days of leaving, so maybe tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I¡¯ll be leaving for Cataya today. I just wanted to stop and say ¡®hello¡¯ to an old friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know you stopped by.¡±

    Other than Cove, there were five other wizards that worked in Kinuestra. Two of them were soft and wouldn¡¯t help. One was on the brink of retirement and the other hired by the first to take over the business. ¡°It¡¯s spring and that means paw-paw season,¡± the elder man said.

    ¡°I understand, but this is a rare occasion and your skill set as hunters will be invaluable.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t afford to have a day off. If the boy wants to go, that¡¯s fine, but he ain¡¯t getting paid.¡±

    The ¡°boy¡±, twenty-six year old Linden Gold, met Al¡¯s eyes, sighed, and said, ¡°I need the money.¡±

    Al was all for paying him out of pocket, but there seemed to be more here at play. What Al perceived, but didn¡¯t understand, was that Linden felt beholden to Cliff for taking him under his wing and didn¡¯t want to jeopardize that. Cliff absolutely would make Linden¡¯s life difficult if he decided to take the day off in the middle of a busy season of trapping and hunting. He, of course, wouldn¡¯t be expected to go out at his age, but putting the decision squarely on Linden¡¯s shoulders meant that he could keep his reputation sterling at the tarnish of Linden¡¯s. Al didn¡¯t understand all that; it was beyond him. But he didn¡¯t need to. It was enough that he was picking up on things and reacting properly.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Should you change your mind, let me know,¡± he said, leaving them with ways to contact him.

    While all this was going on, Raulin, Anla, and Tel were still at the hotel strategizing. Raulin explained that there would be no way to predict where Cove would be and where he would go, so they needed mobile traps. The meeting mostly consisted of writing down plans and a code word for them in Grivfia, Elvish, and Merakian, so that Al could spring them without alerting Cove to what was about to happen.

    Mian found Al several times that day with the excuse of wondering if he needed anything. Once that business was out of the way, they would chat for fifteen or twenty minutes about something before she pulled herself away reluctantly for work.

    Al returned to the hotel and spoke with the rest of the quartet sometime in the afternoon. Raulin thought he might balk at having to memorize dozens of commands in less than a day, but he glanced at them and said he¡¯d do what he could.

    They prepared for this like they would a battle, borrowing armor and gear through Mian and making sure it was ready to wear for when Cove arrived.

    Raulin couldn¡¯t remember a time he had been deeply afraid of an approaching campaign not for himself but for someone else. He had made sure Anla was caparisoned in as many knives upon her person as possible and had given her the chain mail shirt to wear. He kissed her sleeping head and ached with the possibility of losing her.

    The sunlight streamed in that morning through the window. Anla watched Raulin breath slowly with sleep. She moved a piece of hair from his forehead and smiled, feeling a warmth in the moment. There was a knock at the door and he startled awake. ¡°Yes?¡± he called.

    It was Al. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

 Chapter 217

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have picked a comfortable morning to come back on?¡± Raulin asked, rubbing his hands together.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s nice out,¡± Tel said.

    ¡°You would.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the cold of the mornings around here burn off quickly and it¡¯ll be unbearable in a few hours,¡± Al offered.

    ¡°Where did you hear that, Wizard?¡± When he said nothing, Raulin asked, ¡°Mian?¡±

    ¡°She lives here. She¡¯d know.¡±

    Raulin turned and met Anla¡¯s eyes, who gave him a knowing smile. ¡°I think she¡¯s lovely, Al,¡± she said. ¡°Do you plan on seeing her tonight?¡±

    ¡°We have tentative plans to meet for dinner.¡±

    And with that word, ¡°tentative¡±, the mirth of the morning vanished.

    There was nothing to do but wait and see what Cove would do. The object at this point wasn¡¯t to apprehend him, since it was almost certain that he¡¯d run and maybe take a hostage. What they needed to do was to crowd him to a strategic location. If possible, the western woods were ideal; the other three directions had too much swampland

    ¡°I see him,¡± Al said. A figure a pinkie¡¯s width at arm¡¯s length stepped outside of the house and inspected the garden. ¡°Ashrisk to, Tel?¡±

    ¡°I have his place in my mind, Alpine.¡± He stretched, the feeling of leather armor unusual. The ¡°plates¡± had been stitched together with wider gaps to accommodate his height, but it was still stiff and chaffing, even with several layers of padding underneath.

    ¡°Knives sharp, Raulin?¡±

    ¡°I definitely can¡¯t hit him at this distance, but I¡¯m ready, Wizard.¡± He fingered the place inside his arong-miil where his throwing knives were kept. He¡¯d spent several hours of the previous day practicing, though a landed shot would be more luck than skill.

    ¡°Anla?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡± Besides her chain mail and knives, she had a staff strapped to her back. She knew only the basics, the wide swings Raulin had shown her to keep someone far from her and a few attacks. She¡¯d worked on it last night ¡¯til her wrists ached and her eyes drooped.

    A few minutes passed. Cove was hunkered down, looking at the fresh blossoms of a larkspur. He ran his finger softly over the bright blue petals before inhaling the scent. He was there one moment, then gone in the next.

    ¡°He¡¯s on the move,¡± Al said, leading the group onto the street from the place they¡¯d been watching him from. ¡°Tel?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s gone farther down the street, towards the woods.¡±

    Al tsked. ¡°Eh, we don¡¯t want him in the north. Let me know when he¡¯s stopped.¡±

    ¡°He already has. He¡¯s just on the edge, behind the widest tree.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take the lead. You three spread out and hide. I¡¯ll play the Wanderer.¡±

    He took off down the road, turning back quickly to see the three of them already cloaked in Tel¡¯s camouflage. Al appeared to be the least armored of the four of them (since he thought it would come to this), though he was actually fairly well protected. A loose tunic and trousers covered the cords of braided leather that had been wrapped around him in a shiftable suit that allowed him as much mobility as possible while still being light. It was poor protection against stab wounds, but Cove was unlikely to have a weapon, anyway. This was more for kicks and powerful blows.

    Al concentrated on the sounds around him, of the leather stretching and creaking against itself and the padding below it, of the birds singing, of the trees sighing in the breeze, of the man catching his breath behind the tree he was approaching. When he was in position, he pretended to fix one of the straps on his pack and turned to see Cove watching him.

    What¡¯s he doing? Raulin asked himself as he watched Al chat leisurely with Cove. Anla knew. She could hear the entire conversation. Al was wading him into familiarity in hopes of getting him to surrender, starting with the surprise at seeing him, then talking about school, what was going on in his life. Then, finally¡­

    ¡°Have you heard anything about those killings in the area?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate,¡± Cove mumbled.

    ¡°Know anything about them?¡±

    There was a pause before he asked, ¡°What are you asking me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a wizard that¡¯s doing them, a hard wizard that lives in Kinuestra.¡±

    His eyes widened and he tensed. ¡°It¡¯s you! They sent you after me!¡±

    ¡°Cove, please. We don¡¯t have to do this. Give yourself up and no one else will get hurt.¡±

    He ran past Al so fast that he clipped his shoulder with enough force that Al winced and took a deep, pained breath. ¡°Don¡¯t let him go to the west!¡± he yelled through gritted teeth, a ruse that worked when Cove banked around, catapulted over a seven-foot fence, and hightailed it for those very woods.

    The distance between the fence and the edge of the western forest was close to a quarter of a mile, a distance Cove covered in about thirty seconds. It would have been a problem had Al not been on him, having ripped his ax from its holder to stop it from banging against his leg.

    ¡°Hope he doesn¡¯t expect me to run that fast,¡± Raulin said as the three of them ran to catch up.

    ¡°Not you but maybe me,¡± Anla said, grinning.

    The western woods were thick for about a mile and Al lost Cove as soon as he hit the line. He caught his breath and began to slow his breathing in hopes of hearing Cove somewhere. Al surveyed the area and almost jumped when he saw someone duck in behind him.

    ¡°Linden,¡± he whispered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Changed my mind. Cliff can handle it for one day and you need my help.¡±

    Wordlessly he took off his pack, pulled out ten gold, and handed the payment to the wide-eyed young wizard. ¡°He¡¯s in here, but I lost him. Where would you go, if you were a paw-paw?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­thank you! Are you sure? That¡¯s enough gold to last me for the rest of the year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been where you are. Now, tracking¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes! So, there are a few trails that run through here.¡± He began walking and Al followed him. After five minutes, they heard the other three behind them, wheezing to catch their breaths. ¡°There,¡± Linden said, pointing at the third trail off the main they¡¯d passed. ¡°Broken ferns and light, human footprints. Fresh.¡±

    It took Al a moment to see that. ¡°Good. Tel, in that general direction, are there any bipedal creatures?¡±

    Tel closed his eyes. ¡°He can sense animals?¡± Linden whispered.

    ¡°He can sense the movement of larger things.¡±

    ¡°Is he looking for a job?¡±

    ¡°There is a man, shifting back and forth behind a tree,¡± Tel said, opening his eyes. ¡°He is some distance away.¡±

    ¡°How far?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Um, eight.¡±

    ¡°Eight what?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Never mind. If we take this trail we¡¯ll get to him. We need to crowd him, though.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Corner him?¡± Linden asked.

    ¡°Yes. Is there a thicket or body of water that would stop him?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of. But there¡¯s a horseshoe cliff we use frequently to trap, about that way by a half-mile,¡± Linden said, pointing ninety degrees away from where Cove was hunkered.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do. Anla, zukru, Raulin sakrif tas, bafnik talan, Tel ushkrisk untril asilat.¡±

    The three stuck close together, almost invisible in the brush with Telbarisk¡¯s spell. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Linden asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Al responded, stretching and pointing himself in the direction of the cliff. ¡°We¡¯ll be running in a few minutes.¡±

    The brush nearby thickened, vines twisting to create a physical barrier. He saw Anla nearby, her hands in front of her mouth for a few moments before she put them down and moved on.

    ¡°Stay near the vines,¡± he told Linden. He pulled a balaclava of thick canvas down over his head.

    ¡°I found him!¡± he heard Raulin yell, spoiling the serenity of the forest. Al crouched into a runner¡¯s position. A shrieking scream filled the air, followed by a swear from Cove. He zipped past them and Al took off right before a confused Linden startled into a run.

    Branches and leaves whipped past Al¡¯s covered face as he kept Cove in his sight. He bounded off of boulders and felled trees, gaining on him, but always just out of reach.

    Cove continued to allow himself to be corridored between the thick brush and the ear-blistering screaming spell Anla had hung in certain places. He turned back to see Linden and Al dogging him occasionally, but always kept on.

    Finally, he spat himself into an opening almost completely surrounded by sheer rock. He stopped, turning himself around, looking for a purchase or escape and finding none. Al and Linden blocked the exit. ¡°Brish kena leyask¡± he said loudly and moved forward, sinking his ax into the ground.

    The two circled each other as they caught their breaths. ¡°Surrender, Cove. You don¡¯t have to kill any more.¡±

    ¡°I have to!¡± he said, his face hideous from multiple, bloody gashes. His eyes were wild. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this is like. I fear constantly. It only stops when I can make them afraid. They take the fear and I am whole again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re broken. You can¡¯t stop the Unease and it¡¯s forcing you to push it onto others. You¡¯re killing innocent people just to keep your doomed life.¡±

    ¡°Doomed?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already down to five day intervals. What happens when you fill with the Unease in hours? Will you leave an entire town dead so that you can breath easy for a few minutes? Who¡¯s next? Will you kill your family so that you won¡¯t fear anymore?¡±

    He said nothing but Al could tell it certainly made him think. Al took this lapse in concentration to jump a foot and a half high and land a kick on Cove¡¯s rib cage. The blow would have cracked most men¡¯s ribs. If it had hurt the mad wizard, he was too far in the Unease to feel any pain. He returned the kick with a punch across the face that was softened only by Al¡¯s reflex to go with the force. He still felt the heat and pain blossoming at a distance. But just as he had been taught with his ax, he turned the twisting motion into a kick he hooked around Cove¡¯s knees and swept his legs out. Cove landed on his back, gasping for breath that had been knocked out from him.

    Al straddled his chest and took one of the small knives strapped to his hip, jamming the point under his chin. ¡°Two choices: I can kill you now, swiftly, or I can give you to the police, where you¡¯ll die of the Unease or be hanged for your crimes. Your choice. I know I¡¯d¡­¡±

    He gasped as Cove¡¯s hands wrapped around his ankles and the Unease flooded him. He should have jammed the knife into his brain, but the sudden overwhelming feeling of primal fear took over. He jumped to stand, shaking off his hands and swore as Cove took off running to the exit. Hopefully he had given Telbarisk enough time.

    ¡°Linden, get out of his way!¡± Al yelled and the startled wizard jumped to the side. Cove ignored him and continued running at top speed out of the trap and into a line of keshwa thread Tel and Anla had placed across two trees. The spider¡¯s silk was so strong that it didn¡¯t snap, even though it was thin. It cut a nasty line across Cove¡¯s waist as he flipped forward into a pit ten feet deep.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Al said to Tel, looking down at Cove.

    ¡°Get me out, Alpine, or I will find your loved ones and I will make them suffer.¡±

    Al blinked, realizing that Cove was assuming those were people he left behind in Whitney where he had been stationed. And while he still missed Marnie, he no longer considered Aggie and Burdet his loved ones. That title had shifted to three, maybe four others. ¡°My offer still stands, Cove.¡±

    He gave a long, painful sigh. ¡°Could you¡­could you let me do it, then? Just hand me a knife and I¡¯ll slit my throat. My blood will be on my own hands and I won¡¯t bring any more shame to my wife and kids.¡±

    Al didn¡¯t trust him, not a crazed, rogue hard wizard who would do what he could to survive. But, he had given Al some of his built-up magic, which meant he was lucid now, normal. He remembered the snippets of Remard, now Cove, from school. He would be like that man, not a beast angry at being caught, but a man who had helped him pick up dropped books in the hallway, not waiting around for a thanks afterward. Al put his ax down and pulled his knife out again, then sunk it into the ground near him.

    ¡°A moment of privacy, to pray?¡± he asked. Al begrudgingly moved away from the opening.

    There was no particular deity assigned to magic. Some thought it was Kabidon, who blessed the priests, who also ruled over that domain. Others who believed that magic was a natural part of the world, those who would agree with Tel¡¯s feeling on his own kil, worshiped Zayine in thanks for her bounty.

    Cove was of a different mind. ¡°O Blessed Iondika, I have failed you. I was given skill and cunning to use the magic you bestowed upon me and I have used it for selfish means. I was meant to bring a better life to my fellow men and instead I took it from them¡­¡± He trailed off in murmurs that not even Al could hear with the Unease.

    Anla and Raulin finally caught up to the other three. ¡°He¡¯s down there?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given him a few moments to do the dignified thing.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean ¡®dignified thing¡¯?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s offered to take his own life and I gave him some privacy.¡±

    ¡°You gave him your knife, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked. He turned just as Cove crawled out of the hole, the blade covered in dirt from using it as a hold. Raulin swore and threw one of his knives, nicking Cove¡¯s shoulder, but not stopping him. He snapped out his fighting knives and stood between the wizard and the group. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll hold him off.¡±

    Al stayed, but gave instructions to the other three. Raulin and Cove circled each other, sizing each other up. Raulin, though somewhat exhausted from running, was advantaged with an extra knife and over a decade and a half of practice. Cove was a mess, dirty, bloodied, tired, burned and cut from the thread. Still, he was a hard wizard and sometimes a few lucky, fast swipes were all it took.

    Raulin managed to land a few cuts he hoped would at least slow him down eventually, but a flurried attack from had taken all his concentration. Normally he had to worry about the weapon, but in this case he had to also make sure that Cove didn¡¯t get close to him, either. And during those swipes, holding off a man with poison touch, he¡¯d forgotten about the hole and fell back into it, almost grabbing the edge, but coming away with a clump of grass and air.

    ¡°Raulin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Wizard,¡± he heard from the bottom of the hole.

    Al turned immediately to Cove, who was catching his breath. He didn¡¯t leave a moment for any sort of dueling decorum. He took Raulin¡¯s lesson on from the ferry to heart and began swinging his ax in a whirlwind, the brown and silver blurring in lines at the speed. He got close, so tantalizingly close to hitting Cove several times, before he took stock of his odds and ran.

    Al pursued. Cove jumped up on a tree branch and began hopping deftly from tree to tree. Al¡¯s ax went thnk thnk thnk as he propelled himself up the thirty feet of trunk in just a few heartbeats, using his weapon as a means of propulsion. He was out on the thickest branch at that height, running and balancing. Just as the branch was about to break from his weight, he jumped and sunk his ax sideways into the next tree, pulling it out and moving on to the next branch.

    He¡¯s keeping off the ground because he knows we set traps, Al thought. He¡¯ll hop over the barriers and fly back to town.

    Al was partially right. While Cove¡¯s intention was eventually to escape, his magic was too high. He had been pulling in far more than he normally did to combat his situation. He had to get rid of it and there was a preferred target nearby.

    By the time Al caught up to Cove, he was on the ground. He had cornered Anla and was encroaching on her space. ¡°Do you know how to use that staff?¡± he asked with amusement, skulking towards her.

    Crack! ¡°Yes,¡± she said, poised again for another blow. Al landed and saw Cove stagger away, holding his head before charging her. Even at his heightened speed, Al wouldn¡¯t reach her in time. ¡°Anla, kiwez!¡±

    She opened her mouth to ensorcel him, but Linden came out from a thicket and pummeled into Cove, tackling him to the ground. Al swore, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Linden screamed as Cove latched on to his wrists.

    Cove had sat up as he regained his sense of normalcy. Al ran and tackled him, then wrapped his arm around Cove¡¯s neck to try to pull him off Linden. He continued to scream, arching his back, doing his best to pull away from Cove. Al pushed his leg against Linden¡¯s torso to no avail. Cove struggled to get Al off him as Al switched tactics and wrapped himself tightly around the rogue wizard, his legs snaking around Cove¡¯s, his other arm across his neck to cut off his air. Cove dropped Linden¡¯s wrists to claw at Al¡¯s arm Instead of trying to shake Al off, he started slamming Al into the ground. It only worked because Al¡¯s head hit against a rock jutting out of the dirt, causing him to slacken for just long enough to disentangle himself from Al.

    Cove stood and turned to face Anla. She was ready, knives in her hands. She wouldn¡¯t be easy like the others. She knew how to fight tooth and claw. He stepped towards her and felt a sharp stinging in his neck, like someone had thrown a rock. His hand came away bloody. He turned quickly to see Raulin standing thirty feet away, another knife between his fingers.

    Suddenly there was a warm and soft hand on his neck as he heard a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Ccovee,¡± Anla said and all the tension in him drained. ¡°Sstopp.¡±

    It was as if everything that made him exist snapped at once. His legs crumpled, his eyes rolled back in his head, and his body crashed into the earth. Anla looked down sadly, sighed, and looked up as Raulin pulled her into an embrace.

    They turned and watched Al crawl to Linden, who still yelled between clenched teeth, his body wrenching and seizing in fear. Al clasped his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°You can. Let me take it.¡±

    ¡°I. Can¡¯t.¡± He groaned, his eyes flailing around wildly at unseen monsters.

    Al closed his eyes and Linden gasped. His arching waned and finally ceased as he panted, looking up in the sky. He sat up and looked at Al, who had started to shake, with a look of awed fear.

    Al turned to his three friends and said, ¡°Tie me to the tree.¡±

 Chapter 218

    After Al was secured to the tree, Raulin turned to face Linden. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you could do us a favor? Could you bring Cove¡¯s body to the police station and inform the mayor of what happened?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell him?¡±

    ¡°We will, but we¡¯re going to stay here with Al until this passes.¡±

    Linden nodded. He slung Cove¡¯s corpse over his shoulders with a shudder and headed east back into town. While Al heaved against the vines, and later the rock shackles when he burst from the first, the rest of the quartet made a fire and lunch. Anla quietly, patiently, fed Al some of the stew as he screamed she was poisoning him, that he¡¯d choke on it, that spirits were coming to rip his heart out and eat it.

    ¡°Maybe you should ensorcel him,¡± Raulin suggested.

    ¡°I thought of it, of course,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯m wondering whether it will interfere with what¡¯s going on with him. If he gets worse I¡¯ll try it.¡±

    They were surprised to see Linden back an hour later. He sat and addressed Raulin. ¡°The mayor would like to speak with you whenever you have a moment.¡±

    ¡°He can speak with Al when he gets better.¡±

    ¡°He might not get better.¡±

    All three of them looked up from what they had been doing. ¡°Could you tell me more about that?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°He was flooded with magic. That doesn¡¯t always leave nicely. I¡¯m from out west in the desert. I¡¯d heard about floods, real floods, and thought they were nice and clean; water comes in, water leaves, everything gets dry. I didn¡¯t realize that the water is muddy and stains things and stuff gets swept around and mold grows. It gets into the bricks and slats of the house. It¡¯s sort of like that for us wizards. I¡¯m shocked that Cove guy was as lucid as he was if he¡¯s gone through several floods.¡±

    ¡°I think he likely got close, but not to that point.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°So Al is flooded,¡± Anla said. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means he¡¯s taken on too much magic for one person to hold. Cove poured what magic he had in him into me, which was likely twice what I could take. Then Al drained me of all that and had what he had originally. At the minimum, he has two times what he should be able to take. All those people Cove killed had twice what they could handle. They died.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, though.¡±

    ¡°No, and that gives me hope that he might survive. But what he¡¯ll be like if he survives is a different story.¡±

    Raulin flinched as Al screamed again, banging his head against the trunk. They at least had had the foresight to make sure Tel had softened the wood to a cork consistency so that he wouldn¡¯t bash his skull in during a fit. ¡°You said ¡®Al drained me¡¯ not ¡®I poured¡¯.¡±

    Linden looked embarrassed. ¡°Not every wizard is a model wizard. Most take in magic and it dissipates after use or they transfer it to someone else. A small percentage can¡¯t let the magic sluice correctly, so they¡¯re stuck with it until they use it. A smaller percentage can¡¯t transfer magic. I¡¯m one of those ¡®deformed¡¯ wizards, as my classmates called me. So I couldn¡¯t pass the magic on to him. And trust me, if I could have, I would have. It was blindingly scary.¡±

    ¡°So how did Al get your magic?¡± Anla asked.

    Linden¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I thought you guys might be able to tell me that. I¡¯ve never heard of a wizard who could take magic from another wizard. Never. Not in school or from Cliff.¡±

    Al started sobbing uncontrollably. ¡°He¡¯s a cross-switcher,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Does that make a difference?¡±

    ¡°No. Magic is a one-way street. You take it in, you pass it on, but you never put it back where it came from or pull it from someone else. It¡¯s like reversing the flow of a river.¡±

    ¡°What if he¡¯s a cyclical wizard?¡±

    Linden blinked a few times, staring ahead in thought. ¡°Maybe? Cyclicals can do a lot of weird things like heal themselves almost instantly and bring people back from the brink of death. Is he a cyclical wizard?¡±

    ¡°If you ask him, he¡¯d tell you ¡®no¡¯. Al thinks it¡¯s ridiculous to even consider it. But we¡¯ve been questioning it for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling Gheny since last June. Al wanted to keep up with us, so he started using the Unease after not using it for most of his career. As in, he turned it on and didn¡¯t turn it off for months. Then he finally did turn it off and he had his magical backlash. It was rather bad. He tried to stab a companion we had, then jumped off a cliff. After a period of a week or so, he came out of the catatonic state he¡¯d entered and began to get better. His mood improved greatly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about cyclical wizards. Amandorlam taught us very little. Some wizards, like Cliff, think they¡¯re just legends. I guess if he¡¯s cyclical, then he should be able to pull the magic from inside him and disperse it. He¡¯s not doing that, though.¡±

    Al was weeping and muttering about something. ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t know how.¡± Raulin stood and walked over to his friend, who gave him a wild-eyed look.

    ¡°Kill me? Please?¡±

    ¡°You think I dislocated my shoulder lassoing you from a rock dive to kill you now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too much!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said softly. ¡°I know, Wizard, but you need to be strong. You need to push your magic out.¡±

    Al gritted his teeth together and began hyperventilating.

    ¡°Shhh. Breathe slowly. You have too much magic. That¡¯s why you¡¯re scared. You need to get rid of it and then you¡¯ll be at peace.¡± Raulin waved Linden over. To him he asked, ¡°What is it like, taking in magic?¡±

    ¡°Um, it¡¯s¡­like someone splashes water on your clothes, but your clothes are your skin. Then the water thickens at your nape and in your chest. It tightens.¡±

    ¡°If you were to reverse the splashing water feeling, how would you describe it? Evaporation? Pulling the water out?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, um¡­¡± He thought about this for a minute. ¡°Like someone has a blanket that they¡¯re taking off.¡±

    ¡°Wizard? Look at me, right here,¡± Raulin said to Al, who finally met his gaze after several repetitions of the command. ¡°The magic is on you like a thick blanket. You need to throw it off your shoulders, pull it off, get rid of it. Can you do that?¡±

    His lucidity broke again and he surged against the ropes. Raulin heard them creak, but they held, as did the stone shackles. Raulin sighed and walked back to the fire with Linden.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Linden seemed uncomfortable with the group. Raulin realized after a few minutes it was mostly with him and not Anla or Tel. ¡°Do you have any questions for me?¡±

    ¡°Are you here to kill me? Or someone I know?¡±

    ¡°Likely not. Do you know anyone in the Ismela part of Cataya?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Then no, I won¡¯t be killing anyone you know.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here, then?¡±

    ¡°For Al. He took on this case and I¡¯m helping him with it.¡±

    ¡°But trirecs don¡¯t help people,¡± he blurted out.

    ¡°We¡¯re in a special situation,¡± he said and told a piecemeal story of their last nine months. It wound up having quite a few holes and many, many lies, so much so that it was more air than Swiss cheese, but he made his point after some time: this was Al¡¯s turn.

    Linden relaxed a little. ¡°I¡¯ve always imagined trirecs to be cold and lethal.¡±

    ¡°I can be that,¡± Raulin said, poking at the fire.

    ¡°You can be,¡± Anla interjected, ¡°but you are not.¡±

    ¡°I am when I have to be.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s closer to the truth.¡±

    There were a few minutes of silence punctuated by Al¡¯s anguish before Anla perked up, then dashed off to the east. They heard talking between two women before Anla came back to the fire and Mian walked slowly to the tree where Al was.

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good idea?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anla said, sitting. ¡°I don¡¯t think Al would want her to see him like this. Maybe if they had known each other longer it would be different. But she said her boss had given her the day off to visit him. I warned her he was in a bad place, that he wouldn¡¯t recognize her, that he might hurt her. I told her not to touch him.¡± She spoke more quietly. ¡°I told her we needed to leave when and if he got better. I told her he had come from a bad marriage.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that was a good idea?¡±

    ¡°I was trying to dissuade her. It didn¡¯t work.¡±

    Even among them, there were still things too personal to be a part of. They tried not to watch, but occasionally one would look up through the trees and brush. Mian stood next to Al, speaking softly in his ear and touching him gently. She stroked his hair and held his hand as his rages against the vines lessened. After some time she sat next to him, still holding his hand, and spoke to him about things.

    They were preparing dinner a few hours later when she returned. ¡°I think he¡¯s passed out,¡± she said.

    ¡°How is he?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just seemed hoarse and exhausted before he finally collapsed.¡±

    ¡°Should we free him?¡± Anla asked the group.

    ¡°Come,¡± Raulin said to Tel, taking out his knife. A few minutes later they brought Al to the fire and piled blankets over him.

    ¡°You two can go home, get some rest,¡± Anla said. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure he sees you both tomorrow.¡±

    Linden left after thanking them. Mian knelt over Al¡¯s sleeping form and kissed him on the forehead before leaving without a word.

    ¡°It¡¯s comforting to see that kind of love here,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°She reminds me of Kelouya.¡±

    ¡°That might grow into an issue,¡± Anla said.

    Raulin sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with him if it does.¡±

    * * *

    Anla threw another log on the fire, watching the sparks fly up at the disturbance. It had dropped in temperature, enough that she was huddled under her cloak for warmth. She glanced back at Raulin. In his arms, now there was some place she¡¯d rather be in that moment. Instead she used a stick to rearrange the wood so that things were just right and the fire was properly stoked.

    It was in these quiet, still moments that Anla grew. Things were always at high pace with this group that she rarely had time to think, really think about things. And it was then as she tended the fire and kept watch that she made a realization, one of two things that needed to be discovered.

    When Mian had approached them earlier, Anla had pushed back for maybe a little longer than she should have. She had felt that burning feeling in her chest to some lesser degree than when she had seen that girl kiss Raulin. Anla wasn¡¯t a stupid girl, but having been raised on the street during a time in her life when love had been riddled with lust and greed and pain when it should have been tender and sweet and beautiful, she had a hard time navigating those emotions. She knew jealousy as that small stab that pulsed once when a friend ignored her and spoke to someone else. She didn¡¯t know it could be worse, could grow into a possessive pain that physically hurt.

    She hadn¡¯t wanted Mian there. They were going to care for Al. They were going to bring him out of this. And though she was relieved that he had finally fallen asleep, she was also surprised to find that she had been jealous it had been Mian who had soothed Al into that deep slumber. The recoil of shame stung, but she had to remind herself that no one knew how she felt. She did, and she needed to think on it, but she hadn¡¯t really acted irrationally. It would be irrational not to consider this.

    Anla knew what jealousy was now. She felt jealous of the attention Raulin was getting in Tektorn. The people loved him and he had spent a considerable time away from her in Acripla and with that girl. She had wanted Raulin¡¯s attention back with them, and forcing herself to be really honest, with her.

    Raulin¡¯s mask glowed in the fire. She could imagine the lines beneath, the expression when he spoke, how much she loved kissing him. A thought crossed her mind: what if it might be different with him? What if she could make the most of their remaining time and have something wonderful instead of what she¡¯d had? She gathered the pieces of what they were in her mind, stitching together a potential future, and felt warm at the thought. A smile crossed her face. She glanced at Al and saw a dark spot in the wavering, gold sheen across his face. It stayed, disappeared, then came back.

    His eyes were open!

    She scampered over to him. ¡°Al?¡± she whispered.

    He turned to look at her, swallowing. ¡°Thirsty,¡± he said gravelly.

    There was a water skin nearby that she handed to him. He drank deeply and tried to sit up, but choked. This woke Raulin, who sat up fast. ¡°Wizard?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel like every muscle in me has been thoroughly chewed and every bone pulverized.¡±

    ¡°But, how do you feel? Can you remember things? Are things the same as they were?¡±

    Anla helped him sit up as Tel turned to hear his response. ¡°It hurts, but it doesn¡¯t feel painful, like everything is an old injury. My mind¡­I remember things. I think I even remember what people said when I was roped to the tree. Did you tell me to take off a blanket?¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°I was trying to use words to tell you to get rid of the excessive magic. Did it work?¡±

    He lifted an arm in consideration. ¡°I still have too much. I can feel that. But, it¡¯s manageable. What did I do? I remember doing something as I was passing out. Ah,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°I shook my fur like a wet dog. All the water droplets went flying and I felt a lot better.¡±

    ¡°Could you do it again?¡±

    Al closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath as he shuddered. ¡°Better, but still not below where it should be. Maybe a few more times, but,¡± he yawned, ¡°I¡¯m getting tired from it.¡±

    Raulin wanted with a desperate curiosity to ask him about how he was able to do that and whether he thought it was something only possible if he was a cyclical wizard. But, not then. Not when he had been through so much. ¡°Wizard, you had two visitors.¡±

    ¡°I remember a girl¡­¡± he began. ¡°Was it Mian?¡±

    ¡°Mmm. She stayed with you for a few hours and made sure you were okay.¡±

    ¡°Did she seem¡­perturbed? I can¡¯t imagine I was presentable.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer and barged past Anla to see you. She wanted to stay longer. She¡¯ll want to see you as soon as you¡¯re able to.¡±

    ¡°Who was the other? The mayor?¡±

    ¡°The mayor would like to speak with you as soon as possible as well, but it was Linden who stayed. Came back, actually. We sent him away as well.¡±

    ¡°What did he want?¡±

    ¡°We never actually got that.¡±

    Al nodded, his head drooping.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out in the morning. For now, we should all get some sleep.¡±

    Anla made sure Al was comfortable, then crawled back into the blankets held open by Raulin. She sighed as his arms encircled her and she squeezed his tighter around her.

    The sun had risen a few hours by the time Al awoke. Raulin cooked a breakfast of flapjacks with some fresh, early strawberries and venison sausage. They packed up camp and walked east into Kinuestra, where the townsfolk had already started their day and moved on into their work.

    They were barely through the door of Russet Hunting when they heard, ¡°He¡¯s okay!¡± Linden moved past the weapons and cages stacked in the musty shop to hug Al. ¡°How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°The magic went away.¡±

    ¡°But how are you not burnt by it? It was too much.¡±

    ¡°It was. I must have switched to the Calm at some point.¡±

    Linden looked dubious. ¡°Are you¡­a cyclical?¡±

    Al laughed. ¡°No, just lucky. And delusional, I think.¡±

    Linden put his arms on Al¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I wanted to thank you for saving my life.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you go through that death. I was in charge and I was responsible.¡±

    ¡°You still could have left me. But you took my magic from me.¡±

    ¡°You gave it when I asked for it.¡±

    Linden shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m blocked. I¡¯ve never passed on my magic. You took it from me.¡±

    Raulin shook his head at Linden. It wasn¡¯t worth pursuing when Al had so many doubts. He¡¯d eventually realize the truth.

    ¡°Well, I still wanted to thank you. If you need anything, let me know.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re good. Thank you for your help; it was invaluable at catching Cove.¡±

    They left for the mayor¡¯s office. Mian was out fetching his lunch when he let the four in himself. He thanked them, saying he had already written letters to the Duke and Marquess as well as Baron Girord.

    As they were leaving, Mian entered the building. Al watched as she climbed the stairs, his eyes glued to her. She made it to the top before she realized they were standing there and startled. Her eyes latched onto Al as she slowly set down the bundle of food on the floor.

    ¡°I heard you,¡± he said.

    She said nothing. Al took a step towards her, but she was the one who ran the rest of the way, pulling his head towards hers and kissing him. Al wrapped his arms around her, pulling back for only a moment to look into her eyes.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said and kissed her again.

 Chapter 219

    Most people would consider what Raulin did that evening to be in poor taste. Despite his technical relationship as Al¡¯ s guard and the consideration of his profession, one just simply didn¡¯t spy on their friends. It was considered desperate, rude, presumptuous, and full of potential ruinous issues. All fair concerns if one didn¡¯t realize Raulin was doing what he always tried to do: protect his friend.

    Al and Mian were at the classiest restaurant in Kinuestra at a private little table in the back. That isn¡¯t to say they were having the best food Al ever had; their meals paled in comparison to a place like Vedroir. But they didn¡¯t care. You could¡¯ve switched their meals for wet strips of linen and mud and they wouldn¡¯t have noticed. It was like that for people who had no time for looking at their food, only at their company.

    As a test, Raulin sent them a bottle of good wine and asked it be anonymous. Al gave a fine, if brief, performance of glancing around the room for the patron, but laughed and had the waiter pour it for them. Maybe he did say something to Mian about how it wasn¡¯t Caudet or about the region of Arvonne the grapes were grown, but they went back to holding hands and speaking to each other quickly. The wine was drunk, at least, and Al ordered another bottle, but Raulin was sure the bouquet was lost on love.

    Eventually Al rose, kissed Mian¡¯s fingers, and made his way to the restroom. (The restaurant might not have the best food in Gheny, but at least it had plumbing.) Raulin waited until he left to tap him on the shoulder, placing a key in his hand. ¡°Since we have a suite, it would be a bit awkward to bring her back there tonight. I got you a room in the Briar Inn. It¡¯s a bit more quaint.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­I¡¯m not going to ask her to¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you will or maybe you won¡¯t. I¡¯m just giving you a quiet place away from everyone to sleep, or talk, or¡­other things.¡±

    ¡°I think I want to, but¡­,¡± he let out his breath with puffed cheeks, ¡°there¡¯s a lot to think about. I mean, I¡¯m still married, technically, and we need to leave tomorrow, and she has a job here, and her reputation might suffer, and it¡¯s been a while for me, and¡­¡±

    Raulin grabbed Al from behind and turned him towards the table. ¡°Why are you talking to me about it? Talk to her. Though, maybe don¡¯t charge in with all that. Be a bit subtle.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Because if you walk up to a woman and you dump all that information on her, she might get a little apprehensive.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean why would she want to be with me? Why is she here having dinner with me in the first place?¡±

    ¡°No reason I can think of. I mean, it¡¯s not like she thought you were attractive immediately and found excuses to see you and visited you when you were in dire straits. And she didn¡¯t kiss you and all but ask you out on this date. Wizard, she likes you. A lot. Don¡¯t ask why. Treat her well, be honest, and enjoy yourself.¡±

    Al nodded and mumbled a ¡°thank you¡± before rejoining Mian at the table. ¡°That was your trirec friend. Raulin, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, snapping the napkin out so he could place it over his lap.

    ¡°What did he want? Is everything okay?¡± She focused solely on him, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, a thoughtful expression of concern. Al had to admit that there was something incredibly endearing about her when she looked at him. He wanted to set her mind at ease immediately.

    ¡°Everything is fine. He was being thoughtful and he got me a room at the Briar Inn to spend a peaceful night away from everything.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a nice little inn! It¡¯s on the other side of town, up on a little hill. The owners are a little old couple, one of my classmate¡¯s grandparents.¡±

    ¡°So he really meant away from it all. I think having a little serenity after the last few weeks will be nice.¡±

    Mian took a bite of her lasagna, giving him a little smile while she chewed.

    His tongue felt like lead, but he forced himself to say, ¡°I might need directions there, or a guide, or something¡­¡±

    She nodded and continued eating. He was trying to think of something else to say when she dabbed her napkin at the corners of her mouth, then placed it on her plate. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a dessert girl. I can show you there.¡±

    ¡°Er, okay. Let me go settle the bill and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    He floated a little as he walked back to the table. (Raulin had paid for everything, too, so he was off the hook for the meal.) She took the last swallow of wine in her glass and stood, putting on her jacket and gathering her gloves and purse. ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit of a walk.¡±

    ¡°Nothing wrong with a stroll at night,¡± Al said, leading her outside.

    She gave him an excited grin. ¡°And I know you¡¯ll be able to fend off anyone who dares attack us. That was so brave of you.¡±

    ¡°Brave?¡± he said. How was it brave? Once he gave chase to Cove, he hadn¡¯t thought twice about what he was doing. He had just reacted.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°For all of winter and fall, every woman in this area of Tektorn, likely farther, has been frightened of going outside their homes. I rent a room in a home of younger, unmarried women and we had started forming groups to and from work, with a brother or cousin if we could. I know he was just a man, but to me you took down a monster. You¡¯ve given us our freedom and security back.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re making it out to be more than it is. I hunted a criminal, one that I and my friends were equipped to handle. The police and the Cumber do that all the time.¡±

    ¡°But they didn¡¯t. You did. And you said you never did anything like this. That¡¯s incredible that you were able to figure out who he was and plan a trap for him. And you took the magic from Linden¡­¡± She stopped and held his wrists for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m making this out to be what it is. Don¡¯t be humble.¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯m glad it came together and that I was able to help.¡±

    Mian gave a light snort and continued walking. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±

    After a block, Al asked, ¡°Where is your home?¡±

    ¡°My home, with my seven younger siblings, or my room in the building with Katrise and Achelle and Auntie Picren?¡±

    ¡°The latter. If you wanted me to walk you home, we could go there next.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the other way.¡±

    Though it killed him, Al turned around and began walking her home. He started asking her questions, joking with her, but all the mirth had left her. He knew something had shifted. He fell back on one of his newer skills, listening. But, she didn¡¯t say much more than a word or two for answers. There was nothing to glean from curtness.

    Al did something he should have done with Burdet, something he considered actual bravery. He stopped. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Mian said, and though she sounded genuine, she also sounded unhappy. ¡°I understand why you would want to cut our time together short.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you an excuse, Mian. I know that a young Ghenian woman needs to preserve her reputation and walking to a man¡¯s room at night would damage it.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± she said, looking up and blinking, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. But, thank you for the ¡®excuse¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I worry about that?¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, I had a boyfriend. We were school sweethearts. He told me he was going to marry me. Then, when we finished school, he decided to move to Acripla¡­without me. I think we had been drifting apart for some time, but it was still painful and I never really got over it.¡±

    ¡°So you had a boyfriend. I¡¯m not sure what the problem is.¡±

    ¡°I think a lot of people in Kinuestra know that we didn¡¯t just kiss.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°You were intimate.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They continued to walk towards her home in silence. Al was puzzled. There seemed to be some pathway he should have taken, but didn¡¯t. Maybe it was a Tektornian custom?

    She turned and said, ¡°This is my place,¡± just as he figured it out.

    ¡°You think I care.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m bothered that you had a boyfriend before?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes,¡± she said, wiping underneath her eye.

    ¡°Ah, you think I think like all of them,¡± he said, waving his arms to the streets. ¡°I¡¯m Br¡¯vanese. My parents were born in Gheny, but all of my grandparents were born Br¡¯vani. I grew up with the understanding that men must be choosy about who they are with. It¡¯s fine for a woman to do that because if a woman chooses to spend time with a man, she¡¯s careful about it. She either plans the timing right or wants to have a child on her own. A man, though, doesn¡¯t know about what happens afterwards, so his responsibility is to pick a woman who he will carry the spear for, someone he¡¯ll either marry or look after, should there be a child.¡± He stopped and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is rather frank talk.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m interested. So, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m undesirable because I haven¡¯t saved my purity?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re quite desirable, Mian. I just know that you¡¯re Ghenian in a Ghenian town and that walking to my room tonight might be bad for you. I can¡¯t carry the spear for you. I have to leave tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, taking his arm and leading him back towards the Briar Inn. ¡°I¡¯m being careful.¡±

    His eyebrows lifted at what she was implying, but he said nothing.

    ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t care about your wife cheating on you?¡±

    Al stumbled, but regained his balance quickly. ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°Anladet was trying to warn me off from seeing you last night. I think she thought I¡¯d think you were less desirable if you had some weight behind you.¡±

    ¡°Uh, the cheating thing¡­hurt. It was in her society, her rules, which meant our marriage was broken and there was a more desirable man in the picture, who happened to be my best friend.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cruel.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional, but yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you going home to her soon?¡±

    ¡°Never. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we¡¯re through.¡± He held up his left hand, bare of any jewelry. ¡°I doubt I¡¯m ever going back to Whitney. I might go home to Baradan, but¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°This last year has felt like a whirlwind that I¡¯ve been swept up in. I¡¯ve lived more in these past nine months than I have in my last nine years. I don¡¯t want it to stop, partly because I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll end up, but more because I¡¯m loving this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re having a good time. I am, too, though it might surprise you to hear that. I love Kinuestra and I really enjoy my job. It keeps me busy and I¡¯m able to help my people here. I¡¯m earning my own way in the world. I can visit my family whenever I want to. And if I really want to, I can save up some money and take a carriage to Acripla for a week. It¡¯s not terribly far, just a day¡¯s ride.¡±

    ¡°Have you taken that ride?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And did you see him?¡±

    She took a large breath in, slowly releasing it. ¡°He¡¯s married with a young boy. His wife is pregnant¡­no, she would have had their second child by now.¡±

    ¡°And do you regret it?¡±

    ¡°I needed to know if there was anything still there. I think, for me, there was a little. For him, no. He¡¯s moved on, he¡¯s in love with his wife, he¡¯s happy with his career and his children.¡±

    ¡°I meant your school days with him.¡±

    She thought about this for a few moments. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I do. Even though some people remind me of it now and then, it really didn¡¯t jeopardize my future. We didn¡¯t have a child together, I still got the job I wanted, and I¡¯m where I want to be right now. Right now,¡± she emphasized, sliding her hand into his.

    Al felt a strange mixture of things, all good. Mainly he was surprised to be there with someone who knew so much about him and still liked him. They continued to talk, the bubbly happiness of dinner regained. Al opened the door to the room and lit the oil lamp before turning to Mian. He thought they were going to talk a little more, but she was too close, the odor of some sweet flower like magnolia filling the air, the smell of wine on her breath, and some other scent that drove him mad for a moment. If she hadn¡¯t grabbed his neck and pulled his lips to hers, he would have done the same. And that went for everything else that happened that night and well into the morning.

 Chapter 220

    Mian took a deep inhalation. ¡°You smell nice,¡± she said.

    Al opened one eye and looked at her, smiling. ¡°What do I smell like?¡±

    ¡°Pine and dirt and smoke.¡±

    ¡°Life on the road, I guess. Or off the road, at a campfire.¡±

    She propped her head up with her hand. ¡°Do you like all this traveling that you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s part of the whirlwind, I suppose. I don¡¯t mind it, but I¡¯d rather be some place for longer than a week.¡± He sat up and looked at the clock. Nine in the morning. That would be four and a half, maybe five, hours of sleep. He yawned and looked around for his trousers, stopping when he felt a warm hand move up his back.

    ¡°Do you think you could, um, share your magic again like you did at the restaurant?¡±

    It¡¯s highly frowned upon by Amandorlam, he thought, and dismissed it as soon as he finished thinking it. He turned back towards her and planted a kiss on her shoulder, giving a sip of the Calm at the touch. It was something he¡¯d always wanted to try and by her sigh, something Mian enjoyed. His curiosity at how much she was could savor it lead to him caressing the rest of her bare skin with magic until things progressed to movements the two of them were more familiar with.

    By the time he looked at the clock again, an hour and a half had passed. He was supposed to meet with the rest of the quartet and Mian had to get to work. In fact, she was already quite late. She didn¡¯t seem to care, though. Her eyes were closed and a small smile played on her face as she hugged the pillow she was resting on.

    ¡°I should probably take a bath while I have the chance,¡± he said, walking to the bathroom.

    ¡°But then you won¡¯t smell like you.¡±

    ¡°Well, since one of the smells you picked for me was ¡®dirt¡¯, I think I can probably afford to lose a little odor.¡±

    Mian began dressing in the bedroom, chatting with him about the near future of Kinuestra, on festivals and weddings of friends and new arrivals. He didn¡¯t know if there was some other level to it, that she was trying to entice or repel him, or if she was just passing the time. Whatever her reasons, he liked it. It felt like what he should have had with Burdet.

    She was dressed and acceptably coiffed when he left the bathtub. He helped brush out her clothes after putting his on and he stepped outside with one of the most lovely women he¡¯d have the privilege of ever knowing. With a sigh that wrapped around his heart, he kissed her goodbye.

    His three friends were comfortable on davenports in the Comfley¡¯s when he walked in. ¡°All right!¡± Raulin said, standing. ¡°We were about to go get lunch while we were waiting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so late,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Not at all, Wizard. We can pick up some sandwiches from the deli and be off.¡±

    They were well out of town when the silence was finally broken by Al trying to stifle a yawn. ¡°A bit tired?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s fair to say.¡±

    ¡°Long night?¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Raulin backed off. If the wizard wanted to keep some things to himself, that was fine. Perhaps he was reeling with the pain of separation and needed some space. Raulin understood. Al probably was hurting badly.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad the owners of the inn were deaf,¡± Al said.

    The rest of them laughed. ¡°Nice, Wizard.¡± Raulin put one hand on his shoulder and let Anla and Tel move ahead some distance. ¡°You had fun.¡±

    ¡°I had fun.¡±

    ¡°And how are you out of the moment?¡±

    Al took a few steps before answering. ¡°I miss her. I¡¯m going to miss her. But, there are plenty of things I miss that I¡¯ve learned to either let go of or anticipate. I¡¯ve let go of several wonderful books that were once on the bookshelf in my living room. I¡¯m anticipating being on the ocean again. Once I got over my seasickness, I really loved it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re okay with us leaving, then?¡±

    ¡°Was staying another day or two on the table? You¡¯ve been very kind with this case, allowing me to take the lead. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t pick up on you shoving me out in front. I think you made a good decision on my behalf, to be honest, and it made me trust your instincts better. This was good for me.¡±

    Raulin laughed incredulously. ¡°Wizard, this is not what I was expecting from you.¡±

    ¡°What, did you think I¡¯d beg you for another day with her? I¡¯d take it, if you were offering, but this was¡­short and sweet. You were right, about speaking with her. Once we talked, it felt a lot better to frame things. We both knew that I was leaving and she was staying and we still decided to be together for a little while. It worked out well and I have only good feelings about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not upset?¡±

    ¡°A little, yes. She¡¯s a wonderful woman and I would¡¯ve liked to have gotten more time to know her. But, this was fine as well.¡±

    Raulin looked from Al to the ground a few times. ¡°How¡­how do you feel that way?¡±

    Al shrugged. ¡°I just do. Do you think I should be pining for her? Ah, is this a set-up to a pun involving my name? Al pines, Alpine?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡­I want to know how you do it.¡±

    ¡°How I what?¡±

    ¡°Move on so freely. I¡¯m going to be honest here, Wizard, if you¡¯re being honest. I cannot do that. If I become involved with a woman, I am deeply pained when I have to leave them. I think about them constantly. I¡¯m a sad waste of man for at least a week. You are the better man in this.¡±

    ¡°Not better, just different. You¡¯re not like that with every woman. Besides that noblewoman in Mount Kalista, I haven¡¯t heard you say anything about wanting to linger somewhere due to a woman.¡±

    ¡°Well, no, none have been the type of woman I¡¯m talking about. None accept¡­¡± He thrust his chin out towards Anla.

    ¡°You think you¡¯ll feel that way once you leave?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m positive I will.¡±

    ¡°What is she to you? I loved being with Mian, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d say I loved her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­she¡¯s someone I¡¯d give up everything for. My future wife, perhaps.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows couldn¡¯t get any higher. ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t think it was that deep. Unless, you usually think women are that to you.¡±

    ¡°No. She¡¯s the first I¡¯ve thought that about. I¡¯ve seen her almost every day for the past nine months and even still I can¡¯t get enough of her. I want to wake up every day and talk to her, ask her about her past, share my life with her.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Other than reciprocation, why don¡¯t you?¡±

    Raulin made an impatient gesture to his mask.

    ¡°You¡¯ve said before you¡¯d be willing to leave your order. Are you still interested?¡±

    ¡°For her, I¡¯d do anything. Have you thought of a way?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve honestly threw it into cellar. We should talk more about it, especially since your more desperate. But, what if Anla doesn¡¯t feel the same way? Would you still be interested in leaving?¡±

    Raulin paused before speaking very quietly in tone only a hard wizard could hear. ¡°I¡¯ve given Aviz some consideration. There are growing towns and cities that need young men. I could find a late apprenticeship there or work the docks.¡±

    ¡°Honest work? You¡¯d make more as a cutpurse or in a gang¡­¡±

    ¡°I meant it when I said I didn¡¯t want to do this anymore. Even the spying has grown stale. I¡¯m tired of hurting people.¡±

    ¡°Okay. You should probably start clearing your account, then. I assume that it takes a good while before an agent can communicate with a base or each other about you making several withdrawals?¡± Raulin nodded. ¡°Then get as much money as you can. The more you have, the easier it will be to establish yourself and for the resources needed to pull this off.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to do that?¡±

    ¡°Likely faking your death. That¡¯s the backup plan, in case there¡¯s no ¡®legal¡¯ way to pull you out. We can set something up in some small town in Sharka where we stage an incident between you and me. I¡¯ll pretend to stab you and lower your body rates, though for the record I¡¯m still very apprehensive about doing that. We¡¯ll have corroboration, should Arvarikor decide to investigate. Then, once they¡¯ve buried you, Tel will unbury you, get you out of the casket, and rebury your grave. I¡¯ll jolt you back and set off to Hanala, to claim the reward.¡±

    Raulin took a large breath and released it slowly. ¡°It¡¯ll need to be hammered out, and it¡¯s kind of frightening, but¡­I never thought that a plan like that would feel so good. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a future. I¡¯ve never really had one of those.¡± He turned to Al. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank me when we¡¯re on the train to Aviz.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d go with me? What about Whitney? Or Baradan? Or being a vizier to a nobleman?¡±

    ¡°I will probably have to speak to Amandorlam about Whitney at some point, but I¡¯m not returning. Baradan is a possibility, but I like the idea of making my own way, not having my mother find me a place. And I haven¡¯t had a single offer from a nobleman, so why should I hold out hope for that? Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s just a temporary thing. Maybe I¡¯ll go out and see you established and like Aviz and decide to stay.¡±

    ¡°You are welcome to stay at my hovel, then.¡±

    ¡°I just have one question,¡± Al said. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told her yet? You¡¯re a man who takes risks. You¡¯re a man who¡¯s been in love many times. Why don¡¯t you just tell her?¡±

    Raulin¡¯s eyes flicked over to Anla, sufficiently down the road with Tel, and engaged in a conversation with the grivven. ¡°What do you think her reaction would be? Despite our relationship returning to a good place, I¡¯m not quite sure if she loves me as well. I know she cares for me. I know she enjoys being with me. But she¡¯s given me none of the signs I usually see. No longing looks, no embarrassed gestures, no dire need to see me. I don¡¯t know what love looks like for her. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever see that.

    ¡°My concern by saying those words is for the group. I don¡¯t want there to be any awkwardness. I don¡¯t want her to feel like she has to spend time with me because of the spell or because we have to spend time together or anything like that. I don¡¯t want her to pity me. I don¡¯t want her to try because we¡¯re friends.¡±

    Al laughed. ¡°You know that¡¯s pig tripe in a shoe trencher?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Wizard. I would have to approach it very carefully.¡±

    ¡°Yes, approach it so carefully that you never have to say it at all. And you can leave Gheny and her having had a perfect partial relationship that only went so far.¡±

    ¡°Since when have you been the purveyor of romantic advice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve read this,¡± Al said, drawing a line between Raulin and Anla, ¡°dozens of times. Sometimes it works out, other times not, a few even in an incredible fashion. ¡®In reading, you live lives you¡¯d never thought possible.¡¯ That¡¯s not Tichen, by the way; I doubt he¡¯d ever appreciate sitting down with a good book and devouring it like cake. That¡¯s written in the back of quite a few of the alley novels. By the way, Caudin does this hemming and hawing in at least half of the novels I¡¯ve read.¡±

    ¡°Again with the Arvonnese novels.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Al smirked as he put his hands behind his back and stepped stiff-legged. ¡°You know what, Raulin? I think I¡¯m going to invite you to my newly created book club. It¡¯ll be an education in repetition! They say that¡¯s the best way to learn, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not reading your damned alley novels.¡±

    But Al had already put down his pack and was rummaging through it. He pulled out a green book and handed it to Raulin. ¡°Read this or I will pester you with commentary on plot points and character development that will only confuse you in your ignorance. You have a day. Or, you could go talk to her now.¡±

    Raulin snorted but took the book. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll tell her when I¡¯m done with this contract. That¡¯ll give me enough time to plan things and¡­¡±

    ¡°And gather courage? That¡¯s really what all this is about.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°I should point out that it takes, on average, five chapters for an alley novel to really hit its stride. Stick with it.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s stop for lunch,¡± he yelled. ¡°No fire, just our sandwiches, then we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Al said, pointing, ¡°there¡¯s a boulder up there. Should be dry after the rain this morning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you noticed it rained.¡±

    ¡°You forget I was still awake at two.¡±

    Raulin gave a quick chuckle and followed him and the others.

    They had been sitting for some time, eating, when Telbarisk broke the silence. ¡°I have some news.¡±

    ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t say anything when we were chatting,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I wanted to wait until everyone was here.¡± He put his sandwich down (filled with pickles, since he had recently learned he loved those), and said, ¡°It worked.¡±

    ¡°Oh? The ambassadors are gone from Nourabrikot?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°They are gone. Not only that, my brother hasn¡¯t left the palace in four days. He can¡¯t. There are men stationed who stop him from leaving. I¡¯ve seen it happen several times. My parents have moved back in and have been speaking to a lot of people.¡±

    ¡°Wow. They took back the throne?¡±

    ¡°He sits at council like he did when he was younger, before he had the title. I believe they are ¡®reeducating¡¯ him.¡±

    ¡°How did it happen?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details. There was much I couldn¡¯t see or gather from what I can do with kil. All I know is I did some of the things we talked about and I saw changes begin to happen. I covered the floors in water, grew plants, sent swarms of insects that either bit the ambassadors or chewed their clothes, made ice so that my brother would trip, made birds fly into their rooms so that they kept them up at night, made things disappear¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you do the last one?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°If things were light enough, I could move them. I did that sometimes with papers while the ambassadors were in. A few ran screaming from their rooms. I burned some things, too, or crushed them to dust when I had the time.¡±

    ¡°You involved your brother in that?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Yes. The ice, I mentioned. We used to play that game when I was younger. I wondered if he would remember and know I was there. Um, what else? I tangled his hair in the bed frame a few times. I jammed the door shut so he couldn¡¯t leave except through his window. I¡¯d make it so bugs would land on his head or in his ear and whine. I made his shoes stick to the floor when he was standing still so that when he moved, he tripped, like the ice.¡±

    ¡°Did you do that one a lot?¡±

    ¡°Whenever he was around other people.¡±

    There was silence for a moment, then Al laughed. Raulin asked, ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°He made everyone think his brother was drunk. Or crazy. We should have thought of that! That would have been the most direct way to do it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Tel said, looking between the two of them.

    ¡°If your brother was seen as incompetent at his job, it would be fair even to his allies that someone help him out, maybe take over,¡± Raulin said. ¡°He may have even lost some colleagues for his erratic behavior.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to destroy his life!¡±

    ¡°I know, Tel, but some day I hope you¡¯ll realize that your brother is an ass. He might be able to get people to gravitate towards him, but he isn¡¯t doing what¡¯s best for your home. A king puts his kingdom¡¯s needs before his wants, before his own needs. He likes luxuries enough to kill for. He¡¯s not a king, he¡¯s a tyrant.¡±

    ¡°Raulin, I know this. That¡¯s why I finally did something about it. But, I also put my own wants before my king¡¯s. Kelouyan is free as is my family. That¡¯s what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°And in turn your wants strengthened your kingdom, not you.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± he said, nibbling on his sandwich.

    ¡°Be happy about this, Tel. Nourabrikot is finally in the right direction. The ambassadors are gone, people are freed, and your brother has been reigned in.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± Al said, laughing at the pun.

    ¡°This was the best you could have hoped for. Now you have to keep an eye on him and make sure things stay this way.¡± He stood and stretched. ¡°On to Cataya. My next contract is an assassination. I understand if people excuse themselves.¡±

    ¡°I guess it all depends,¡± Al said, hopping down from the boulder.

    ¡°Thank you for considering, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°What will this one involve?¡± Anla asked.

    Raulin flipped his book open and read his notes. ¡°Rich guy. I¡¯ll probably need to dust off Marin Liasorn and try to invite myself to some soiree that he¡¯ll be attending. I¡¯m sure Marin would love to have someone accompany him.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°And who would this charming, wonderful woman be?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know so few of those.¡± He pretended to look around, then stopped as his eyes landed on her. ¡°Wait, how about you? Would you be free?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m charming and wonderful?¡±

    ¡°No, because those words don¡¯t do you justice.¡±

    ¡°Well, I might be free then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡±

    Al caught his eye and gave him a look before shaking his head.

 Chapter 221

    ¡°This is bad,¡± Raulin said.

    He stood in the doorway of a bright, airy room overlooking Kellin Park, a real gem of the city of Cataya. Anla turned to look at him, lying on her stomach and reading an on-loan alley novel. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°My target is hosting a ball. From what I¡¯ve gathered, he only does this once per season. It is a prime opportunity that I can¡¯t miss, but that means I have three days to introduce myself to Catayan society, secure an invitation, and attend that ball. That is lightning fast when it comes to things like this. I don¡¯t know if I can do it.¡±

    Anla sat up. ¡°An exhausting few days, sure, but I think our escape from Carvek was worse. Or Al¡¯s recent campaign.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a different kind of activity. Attending events, talking to hundreds of people, finding that one gatekeeper who will invite you to the event you truly wish to go to. I think I¡¯d rather have the Cumber chase me through Shingden for a full day.¡±

    ¡°I can help you out, whenever it calls for. I mean, as always, killing with my magic is off the table, but I can help you with everything else.¡±

    He took off his mask and scratched his chin. He¡¯d need a shave before he started this. ¡°I wanted to leave this as a surprise, but you have a particular trait that is likely going to be very beneficial.

    ¡°My target is Mathen Crishold. He is a prominent member of the Liyand Brotherhood. Have you heard of them?¡± When she shook her head, he continued. ¡°The Liyand Brotherhood are a group of socialites who are concerned with the alliance between Gheny and their elvish neighbors. They draw support for legislature, step in over disputes, and try to set up beneficial trade relations.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said. ¡°So my being half human would pique their interest, especially if I offer to act as a liaison between them and my tribe?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Also, there would be no fear of you showing anyone who you are at the ball.¡± He stood in front of her and combed her tresses off her neck with his fingers, kissing her jaw. ¡°You look so beautiful with your hair up.¡±

    ¡°Wasting precious time on compliments, aren¡¯t we?¡± she asked coyly, though she turned her head so their lips met.

    ¡°Never a waste,¡± he said, ¡°but you have a point.¡± He took her hand. ¡°Care for a day of fittings and talking and sips of wine and tiny foods and pretending to be interested in things you have no interest in?¡±

    ¡°Well, when you say it like that¡­¡± She laughed, then sobered after a moment. ¡°A request? Could I not be your friend¡¯s cousin, or however you phrase that?¡±

    ¡°What would you like to be?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a courtesan. If I have to be, I understand, but I think several days of people thinking I¡¯m selling myself would be¡­exhausting.¡±

    ¡°Of course it would be. Let¡¯s think of something else then. I don¡¯t think you can get away with pretending to be a noble,¡± he said, lightly fingering the helix of her ear.

    ¡°But, I could be an elven noble, or the closest to that, which would be a liaison.¡±

    ¡°And how did we meet?¡±

    ¡°In New Wextif at some event. A luncheon at Earl Bricoup¡¯s estate. I was recently imbued as Speaker for the Deerborn and I¡¯ve been to as as many events as possible, trying to bend someone¡¯s ear. As an Arvonnese noble, you have some friends in Bricoup¡¯s circle and the topic of Liyand history interested you.¡±

    ¡°Can any of that be corroborated? Is Bricoup a real person?¡±

    ¡°He is. He took quite an interest in me at the libertine ball. He was willing to pay me three times my weekly fee for one night. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a stretch to say he¡¯s interested in elves.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Raulin said, clearing the quick flash of heat from his chest with a deep breath. ¡°Would any elves that might be there challenge your new position?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen only a portion of the Dreelands; it¡¯s huge. Most people, especially those in the outer villages, have no idea who all the spirits are. Even those in the cities might not know. I could always say it was very recent.¡±

    ¡°All right. I guess that¡¯ll do. Last question to answer: why would an Arvonnese nobleman help an acquaintance he¡¯s only met a few times break into society?¡±

    She tapped her finger against her lips. ¡°Mutually beneficial?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much harder for a woman to break into society than a man. I¡¯d need a strong reason for doing this?¡±

    ¡°It looks better if you attend these events with a woman on your arm?¡±

    ¡°I could find a courtesan for that.¡±

    ¡°You owe me a favor?¡±

    ¡°You mean one giant favor or a dozen smaller ones? Why don¡¯t we make it easy by saying I¡¯m smitten with you. I¡¯m courting you and helping you at the same time. Wouldn¡¯t be that far of a stretch, since I am actually courting you, and it would explain our familiarity with each other.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she said with a nod and a smile. ¡°And how do I feel about you?¡±

    Isn¡¯t that the question of the year, he thought. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. Whether you¡¯re knowledgeable about how I feel and are using me or feel something similar, I¡¯m letting you decide.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t use you, Raulin, you don¡¯t deserve that. I¡¯ll just be myself.¡±

    He was disappointed in the lack of clarity for a moment before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She finally pulled away and Raulin said, ¡°As much as it pains me to say this, we should probably refrain from this once we leave this room.¡±

    ¡°As much as I love cooked meals and warm beds, I¡¯m thinking I might enjoy being on the road more because of the freedom from social restraints.¡±

    ¡°Me, too,¡± he said.

    ¡°So, what is the plan for today?¡±

    He glanced at the wind-up clock on the bureau. ¡°We¡¯re going to get lunch and hunt for an ember man. After that, we need to discover a good place to brush elbows with the elite, to secure invitations for events for the next two or three days. Hopefully one of those will get us an invitation to the ball.¡±

    ¡°And how do you see our chances at doing this?¡±

    ¡°Without a lucky break, unlikely. But, we need to try.¡±

    Al was reading a book in the common room of the hotel, as per usual. He caught Raulin¡¯s eye and smiled, wiggling the alley novel in his hands.

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Raulin said. ¡°Um, Wizard, would you mind being our tether today? We have a lot of work ahead of us and we need free reign of Cataya.¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± he said, standing up. He followed them outside after he grabbed his pack and a few other books.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Be on the lookout for clothing stores advertising tailors.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one down there,¡± Al said, pointing down and across the street, ¡°and another one farther down on our side.¡±

    ¡°We may need to visit several, so keep your sharp eyes honed.¡±

    Neither of those two stores, nor the next three, picked up on the hints Raulin used to ask if they wouldn¡¯t mind loaning clothes instead of selling them. He was considering breaking down and buying a few sets, when they finally found a man willing to help them.

    ¡°It might be a while, Wizard. Feel free to wander nearby,¡± Raulin suggested as they met again on a bench across the street.

    ¡°Do you mind if I drop in on an old schoolmate? I saw the signs for Brigent¡¯s Square and I remember Chastick saying he lived there.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy yourself.¡± He was about to go inside when he had a thought. ¡°Brigent¡¯s Square has a lot of wealthy folks living there. I don¡¯t suppose he¡¯s rich?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about rich, but his grandfather is the Marquess of Balandy. His family has a huge fishing and seafood company. I¡¯m sure they have some money.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve asked if you had connections! You¡¯re my golden ticket, Al. I need you to call on this classmate of yours. Hopefully he or his family are at home and you can secure some invites for me. Uh, you met Count Marin Liasorn and Anladet Auchindol in Acripla and we¡¯ve been traveling together since then. Make up whatever story you¡¯d like.¡± He eyed Al up and down. ¡°I want you to make it back here as soon as it¡¯s socially acceptable. Why didn¡¯t I think to take advantage of your popularity, too?¡±

    ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°You just rescued a quarter of Tektorn from the clutches of murderer. I¡¯m sure some people are bound to want to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Did I just lose my position as your escort?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m just thinking this is highly more likely now that other avenues are open. Al, go. We¡¯ll see you in a few hours.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s mind was still racing with possibilities when a young woman came into the room he was relaxing in. ¡°Sir? You asked me to let you know when your friend returned.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Could you usher him back here?¡± She hesitated. ¡°He¡¯ll be getting the same treatment, don¡¯t worry.¡± She nodded and returned with Al a few minutes later after Raulin had draped towels around his face. ¡°Any luck?¡±

    Al assumed that Raulin was having some post-shave steam and said nothing about obscurity. ¡°I had to wait, but Chastick was home today with his wife and kids. We had tea and talked about things. I let it slip that I took care of Cove and he was surprisingly enthusiastic about introducing me to people he knew.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Surprisingly¡¯? He¡¯s going to show off that he¡¯s connected to a hero and he¡¯ll look good in return. Don¡¯t be astonished if he decides you two were the best of friends in Amandorlam. Were you? And out of curiosity, why doesn¡¯t he have some name like ¡®Oak¡¯ or ¡®Breeze¡¯?¡±

    Al screwed his mouth to one side. ¡°He¡¯s what we wizards call ¡®izards¡¯, meaning he intended on being a wizard, went to school for it, but dropped out right before the graduation ceremonies. He can¡¯t legally practice wizardry, but I¡¯m sure his family doesn¡¯t mind using his abilities covertly. And we were as close as I had to a friend, he and Patrel. We would study together and occasionally went to plays and readings in our spare time.¡± Al recalled the time he had dragged Chastick to an exhibition at the museum titled ¡°From the Ashes¡± with paintings of the Alscaines. Chastick had dragged him to a poetry luncheon because he was sweet on a girl and Al needed to be the date for her friend. He considered themselves even.

    ¡°Did you mention me or Anla?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± He pulled out a piece of paper. ¡°He said here are some salons and restaurants to check out, some events you could attend without an invitation, and a few people who might be interested in introducing you and her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. I appreciate this very much. Now, your turn. Gliana is going to get you taken care of so that you can attend some events. Get our names out as much as possible and try not to make us seem desperate to attend that ball.¡± Al seemed unhappy about this. ¡°It¡¯ll be good for you, Wizard. If you¡¯re going to be a vizier then you¡¯ll have to get used to being around high society, speaking with people, knowing which ones are trustworthy, which ones want to kill your employer, and the grand majority in between.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I just thought¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Well, the idea of traveling with the group after the spell is finished is growing more appealing. I¡¯ve heard good things about Aviz and I¡¯m sure I could get a position out there from Amandorlam.¡±

    ¡°Keep working on the plan. I trust you. Until then, let¡¯s focus on the now.¡±

    * * *

    That evening, the next day, and during the morning of the third, Anla and Raulin attended five soirees, seven gatherings, two readings, and had several sit-downs or teas with prominent members of society. It wasn¡¯t until they were walking through Kellin Park and Anla stumbled into him hard that he realized how tired she was, and how tired he was as well. ¡°All right, let¡¯s sit on this bench for a few minutes.¡±

    She yawned. ¡°But we have to get to¡­the thing¡­the brunch¡­¡±

    ¡°We did that yesterday. We are on our way to a symposium or rose horticulture. Were on our way. We need a break. The gardeners will have to find someone else to discuss the finer details of thorns and petals.¡±

    ¡°But we need to go to the ball.¡±

    He kissed her hand quickly. ¡°I think that if we were ever going to be invited, it would have been by now. I have time. I can try to find him at other events. Right now we¡¯re exhausted. We¡¯ve gotten eight hours of sleep over the last three days between us both.¡±

    Anla laid her head on his shoulder. When a minute passed, he realized she had fallen asleep and woke her gently. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go take a nap.¡±

    ¡°If I lay my head down in a bed, I am going to sleep for days.¡±

    He clicked his tongue. ¡°I think you need something to keep you awake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already had two cups of tea and chocolate scones at breakfast.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m think about some exercise. Show me what dances you know.¡±

    She stood, her dress of toffee-colored silk brocade shining in the sun. Her right hand went up to his left, her left to her skirts. He held her back and she began, tumbling over him. She laughed as she tried to right herself. ¡°I was trying to do the waltz.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe a little information would have helped. I thought you were going to try a polka. Different beats. How do you know the waltz?¡±

    She fanned herself out and took her position again. ¡°My father taught us girls.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, then began humming a waltz. She kept time in a sprightly fashion. ¡°You¡¯re very good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You are as well. I¡¯m going to show you a few changes and teach you the redowa, though it¡¯s losing its popularity and you won¡¯t likely have to dance it. And after that the polka and the galop. Anything else that comes up you can sit out on, catch your breath, get a refreshment.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you be with me?¡± she asked after he showed her the new dance.

    ¡°You often change partners at balls. It gives you a moment to speak with people you might not on the sidelines. Sometimes balls have cards where men will ask to dance at certain points with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you stay with me. I honestly felt a bit lost at the libertine ball and kept trying to find you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stay with you as much as possible, though I¡¯m sure your card will be filled. Everyone likes dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room.¡±

    She gave a rather pleased smile. ¡°You don¡¯t even know who¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to. I know that anywhere you go you¡¯ll be the crown jewel of the event.¡± He kissed the inside of her wrist. Her brow furrowed for an instant before her eyes widened and he realized that she knew that he meant every word he said. He wasn¡¯t just flirting with her; he really did think she was the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever met. He was caught, and while the moment one was caught wasn¡¯t the best time to admit something, it was probably going to be the best time for him. ¡°Um, Anla,¡± he began.

    ¡°Ah, young love,¡± a man said. They both turned their heads to see a middle-aged man in high quality clothing watching them. ¡°You two danced quite well. I was watching from afar.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­oh, pardon me. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but you¡¯re half-elven!¡±

    Raulin tensed, waiting for a confrontation. ¡°I am,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you and your kind have a difficult time here in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°We do.¡±

    He reached for Anla¡¯s hand and gave her a quick kiss on the back. ¡°I¡¯m part of the Liyand Brotherhood. Do you know of them?¡± Anla shook her head after giving Raulin a quick, excited look. ¡°We¡¯re trying to make this country a better place by ushering in respectful discourse with our neighbors. And we do mean that, neighbors. Liyand is a large place. There is no need to take things that aren¡¯t up for sale. Cavter Rimar,¡± he said, tipping his top hat to them.

    ¡°Anladet Deerborn Auchindol. This is my fond acquaintance, Marin Liasorn, Count of Aubrige.¡±

    Raulin bowed his neck. Since Cavter hadn¡¯t given a title, Raulin outranked him even outside his own country. At least that was the story they were telling.

    ¡°Glad to make your acquaintence,¡± he said, turning back to Anla. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re busy tomorrow night? I¡¯m sure my friend Mathen would so love to meet you. He¡¯s throwing a ball in honor of¡­well, you and your people, actually. I mean, I don¡¯t mean to assume you are tribal,¡± he said, flustering. ¡°I know that not all of those twice-blooded are automatically people who spend time with elves or in the Dreelands. Do your people call it the Dreelands?¡±

    ¡°I visited my people just a few months ago. They¡¯re in Ashven. And, yes, we call it the Dreelands.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good. Where may I send the invitations?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re staying over there,¡± she said, pointing, ¡°at the Brightwater Hotel.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll be looking forward to introducing you.¡±

    After she left, Anla turned and gave a broad smile, clenching her fists near her chest. ¡°We did it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did! Or, you did. Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°Now we got back to our hotel and sleep.¡±

    Out of excitement over the success or for their normal reasons, they began kissing once the door was shut. And although Raulin had to help Anla out of some of her clothing, they both wound up falling asleep in each others arms instead of anything more interesting. It was the first time Raulin wasn¡¯t frustrated; he was too unconscious to care.

 Chapter 222

    ¡°Do you know what that expression means, ¡®the whole nine yards¡¯?¡± Anla asked as she looked out the window of the carriage.

    ¡°Well, I know that in Arouk there used to be a rule about how close a person could get to the king. Commoners had to remain at least nine yards away, barons eight, et cetera, until you reach the very upper crust of the gentry, who could go the whole nine yards to the king. If you could do that, it meant you essentially had all the power and money you could ever want.¡±

    ¡°So, if I were to say the Crisholds went ¡®the whole nine yards¡¯ for this party, it would mean it was quite royal?¡±

    Raulin moved next to her to look out the window. The Crishold estate was breathtaking, decked in lanterns that hung from the trees and swags of flowers on the stairway to the entrance. A string quartet played for the guests arriving, the gentlemen dressed in coats bedecked with buttons. That was just the front yard, not even inside the manor or in the ballroom. ¡°I would say you hit the mark quite well.¡±

    Of course, to Raulin it all paled in comparison to Anla. Her gown was a soft green poplin with dark bead work around the hem, almost as if she had stepped in a puddle of water for too long. The bodice mimicked the hem, the beads spraying out on her shoulders, twisting with gold and clear beads. Her gloves were a dark green, more space than material, that ended just above her elbows. The ember man had managed to get her hair to curl and it was piled under a dark green fascinator, a few tendrils spilling onto her shoulders. But really it was her that made the beauty, not the dress nor the styling. Her, her looks, her smile, and her grace.

    The driver helped them down and they walked slowly to the entrance. Several groups were holding conversations near the lanterns, since it was already dark. There were a few people Marin Liasorn knew and he stopped to say hello and introduce Anla, who received a fair share of double takes when they noticed her ears.

    Just before they entered the manor, Anla leaned in to speak lowly to Raulin. ¡°Slight problem,¡± she said, waving and smiling at someone who nodded at them. ¡°I saw Veri-Baron Asqui talking to some men by the bench over there. He was at Mount Kalista and might remember me as Olana.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll try to avoid him. If not, then say it was a mix up and you didn¡¯t have the heart to correct people. Keep your answers vague and brief.¡±

    She tilted her head for a few moments. ¡°You sound worried. Afraid of getting caught?¡±

    ¡°Over that, no.¡± He wiped his hands on his pants. ¡°It dawned on me today that this is the first, uh, red contract I¡¯ve had in four months. I¡¯m feeling somewhat like my first time, though with a lot more dread.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this?¡±

    ¡°Well, I never want to, I have to. I¡¯ve just had a lot of time to reflect upon things and I think it¡¯s making me feel so regretful that I¡¯m hesitating.¡±

    She placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it consolingly. ¡°Last one,¡± she said lowly. ¡°Maybe next round you can get out of doing any.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely, but the thought gives me comfort.¡±

    They stood in line for a few more minutes until it was their turn for introductions to Mathen Crishold. He was a slight man with thinning hair that was almost blond, his pale blue eyes and skin hinting at strong Tondeivan ancestry. He smiled at them, but before he could say a word, Cavter Rimar blustered in. ¡°This is the young couple I was speaking about, Mathen. This is Anladet Deerborn and Machin Liasorn, Count of¡­um¡­¡±

    ¡°Aubrige, in Arvonne,¡± he said, ¡°though my friends and family call me ¡®Marin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Cavter said, though he was watching Anla.

    Raulin took the break in decorum in stride. ¡°I¡¯m here in Gheny collecting funds to take back the throne of Arvonne, though since this is a fundraiser for your cause, I¡¯ll withhold from campaigning too hard. This is Anladet Auchindol of the Deerborn tribe. Her father was an Arvonnese doctor traveling in Ashven when he met her mother. I met her in New Wextif and we reacquainted in Acripla.¡± He broke his eye contact to give a warm smile to Anla, who returned it with a slight crinkle of her nose.

    ¡°Well, it is an honor to have you here, the both of you,¡± Mathen said. ¡°I must say, I¡¯ve never met someone half-elven that wears our fashions so spectacularly. You look radiant tonight, Miss Auchindol.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a slight bow. ¡°Quite honestly, I¡¯ve lived the last five years of my life in Hanala and feel comfortable in Gheny, minus my security, of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°And I hope at some point we can eradicate that part of the Nui-Breckin Accord. It¡¯s one of the Brotherhood¡¯s top issues of concern.¡± His eyes flickered to the line. ¡°Find me later. I¡¯d love to chat about things.¡±

    She gave a quick curtsy and Raulin led her away, aware that Cavter was looking for an excuse to cut in. ¡°You should go speak with him,¡± he suggested, nodding towards the man. ¡°He did get us in here after all. It¡¯ll give me a chance to survey.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you shortly.¡±

    Unlike the Kilden manor of Acripla, the Crishold mansion had all the lavish rooms up front. The ball room was to the left of the foyer, the dining room to the right, and all the parlors, dens, lounges, conservatories, and rooms of entertainment were behind them. He snuck up a side staircase and would have explored more, but he heard children playing and being tutored in that wing.

    When he returned to the dining room he noticed light fare had been laid out on the long table with not one but three celery stalk vases. He slurped a few oysters before piling two tea sandwiches for Anla, who seemed grateful he was interrupting whatever Cavter was still talking about.

    ¡°Riveting conversation?¡± he asked.

    She gave him a wry smile and nibbled on the sandwich. ¡°It¡¯s strange how a man can be genuinely interesting in helping you, but at the same time so insulting and somewhat boorish. I get that he actually means well, but asked a lot of personal questions with a rude bend.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Oh, like did my father find my mother to be difficult to handle.¡±

    Raulin tried to contain his laughter with the back of his hand. ¡°Hmm. Well, did he?¡±

    She gave him a flat look before continuing. ¡°I know he¡¯s approaching it in some sort of anthropological way, but it¡¯s my parents he¡¯s speaking of! And my parents figured it out is the best way I can describe their relationship. My father never expected my mother to be some Ghenian lady, but there were some customs he didn¡¯t like. We may have been the only children in the village to have never seen their mother half-naked, for instance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I noticed that clothing is a lot more optional among your people.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re also a lot looser with copulating outside of relationships. So long as their interests aren¡¯t related to them and neither are married, they tumble with whomever they like.¡±

    ¡°That I didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I asked them to leave you alone.¡±

    ¡°Protecting us menfolk. That was kind of you.¡±

    She crossed her arms and looked at some of the other people arriving. ¡°No, it was just you. You didn¡¯t notice Sakilei missing our first night? I know some women approached me about Al, but I said they were welcome to try, but that they might not get anywhere. And to think of what happened in Quirr with Mian! I would have never guessed he¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold for a moment. Why did you ask them to leave me alone but not Al or Sakilei?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­don¡¯t know.¡± Though she still looked at the crowd and not him, he could tell she appeared a bit sheepish at the words. ¡°I felt it wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be good for whom?¡±

    ¡°Us,¡± she said.

    He wanted to grab her arms and hold her until she admitted she had done it because she had been jealous, but he let it go. He was pleased enough by the suggestion of it. Perhaps it meant she was feeling something more strongly than friendship, though he tried not to get his hopes up.

    ¡°At least the time with Cavter hadn¡¯t been a total waste,¡± she said, changing the subject. ¡°He had some interesting tidbits of information about certain people.¡±

    ¡°I think they call that ¡®gossip¡¯. What did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this lady is having an affair with that man, but her husband doesn¡¯t know it. That man¡¯s business is ruined. And Mathen Crishold has a taste for elven women.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s eyebrows arched for a moment. He thought about using her as bait, to lure him to a secluded spot, but he didn¡¯t recall Crishold giving Anla the same hungry look that Cavter had been giving her. ¡°A taste?¡±

    ¡°Well, perhaps the whole meal, then. Crishold apparently had an affair with a Springleaf woman who lived in Cataya for some time. He came home one day with a little babe and adopted him. That sparked his interest in elven-human relations, and he¡¯s been involved in the Liyand Brotherhood since. He¡¯s apparently saved a few mixed children from the streets or auctions, adopting some half dozen or so.¡±

    ¡°And how did his wife feel about that?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°I was told that she visits her sister during these balls and won¡¯t have anything to do with the Brotherhood. Crishold¡¯s eldest son is theirs, so her child is the one who¡¯ll inherit, but I suppose having proof of your husband¡¯s goings-on in your face daily isn¡¯t going to make you feel warm to him.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°No, but the night is young.¡± She looked at the clock on the wall. ¡°When will the dancing start?¡±

    ¡°Eleven, maybe. After the first course is served.¡±

    ¡°How long will this go on for?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes past dawn. That¡¯s all up to how interesting the ball is. I doubt this one will last that long.¡±

    He took her hand and led her to the dining room where they split and began to speak to other people. They checked in with each other every half hour or so, to compare notes, but no one had any convenient pieces of information that might help to lure Crishold away for a few moments.

    A dinner was served with plates of food being handed to guests by servants. Only officers of the Brotherhood had seats at the table; the rest of the guests found chairs, couches, and stools to sit on while eating rabbit stew.

    At the end of dinner, just as another set of musicians was setting up in the ballroom, Crishold announced his children. Five boys and two girls, aged between five and seventeen, came down the stairway. The guests politely clapped as Crishold gave a short speech.

    Raulin was politely watching when he turned to see what Anla thought. The ember man must not have used any cosmetics on her skin, since he could tell how pale she was. Her eyes were wide and her brow furrowed, all pleasantness gone from her expression. ¡°Anla?¡± he asked.

    She finally tore her eyes away from Crishold and looked at Raulin. ¡°I¡­I need to get some air,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± he asked, but she had already slipped through the crowd. He turned back to Crishold and tried to figure out what had upset her.

    The speech ended and the dancing began. Raulin took to the floor for several turns until his worry outgrew his sense of propriety. He found Anla leaning against a tree not far from the house.

    ¡°Are you all right? You seem perturbed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually not feeling well. Do you think we could go back to the hotel?¡±

    Raulin pressed his lips together. ¡°I won¡¯t get another opportunity like this for three months, pushing me out of my last three contracts as well. I have to do this, tonight. Maybe we could ask a servant if there¡¯s a quiet room for you to lie down in.¡±

    She hesitated before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to our room?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, taking off his coat.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to kill Crishold. We can leave and you won¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± he said, unbuttoning his shirt and rolling up his left sleeve. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone. I just want to go back and relax.¡±

    Stepping closer to him, she said, ¡°Who knows what the night will bring?¡±

    He breathed in, her perfume filling his mind. She was wearing Biashka, the scent he had given her long ago, and he was flooded with memories of home. It was comfort and love and warmth mixed with hopeful lust as her suggestion. She was right; he didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. He¡¯d had a great evening and it was time to go home, to crawl under the covers, to hold her, maybe more. He smiled. ¡°I think you have a good idea, mezzem.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± she said, slipping under his arms and hugging him. She pressed her face into his chest. Everything was so incredibly wonderful in that moment that it was a bother that something felt off. It reminded him of being comfortable under his blankets, only to realize he had rolled in the night and a rock was stabbing him in the ribs. What was it?

    He was about to pull her in close when he realized there was pain. He looked down at his arm. Even in the poor light from a nearby lamp, he saw furious marks across his forearm deep enough to draw beads of blood. His hand continued to rake across his skin until he fought the urge with every ounce of his will. He stepped away from her. ¡°How could you?¡±

    She looked at him, then his arm. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Take it off. Now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how. Um¡­Wouldn¡¯t it be good to feel normal?¡±

    The warm, comfortable fog burned off and the pain across his arm singed. ¡°I¡¯m going to forgo being angry with you if you explain why you did that.¡±

    ¡°My brother¡­¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Garlin? Someone told you what happened to him?¡±

    She shook her head then turned to look at the manor.

    ¡°He¡¯s in there? He¡¯s¡­been adopted by Crishold.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Anla, we can take him with us. I know the road isn¡¯t the best place for him, and I won¡¯t be a great influence, but we¡¯ll make it work.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, anguished. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take him. I can¡¯t do better than this! He¡¯s rich, well-cared for, a roof over his head, a tutor. He has a family now. I can¡¯t take him from what I always wished for him.¡±

    ¡°Anla, he needs to be with his sister. We¡¯ll go talk with Crishold, explain the situation. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d understand¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She blinked rapidly, using her index finger to wipe away a tear. ¡°I can¡¯t do that to him. It¡¯s been five years. He¡¯s spent half of his life with Crishold being raised like a beloved son. I can¡¯t take that from him¡­and you can¡¯t kill Crishold.¡±

    ¡°Anla¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Raulin. I¡¯ve never asked anything from you. I have traveled everywhere you needed to go. I¡¯ve helped you complete contracts. I¡¯ve saved you. I¡¯m asking for one thing¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Ask me for something I can give you and I will. You want all my money? Fine. You want my knives? I can say I lost them. I cannot give this to you. Either Crishold dies or I do.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll save him, I promise you. We¡¯ll stay and figure out what¡¯s going to happen to Crishold¡¯s children. And if something does, we¡¯ll take him and bring him with us or find a place for him. He¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°You promise?¡±

    ¡°I do. Whatever I can do to help you and your brother, I will.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± she said quietly. ¡°What do we need to do?¡±

    It was a few hours later, after Anla had plastered on a smile and danced with what felt like a score of men, that she managed to gain Crishold¡¯s time. He held her hand out as he brought her to the floor and took hold of her waist. ¡°Ah, the belle of this ball,¡± he said.

    ¡°You flatter me,¡± she said.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to be free. Seems every man here wants to dance with you, especially my man Cavren. I had to chastise him for taking too much of your time.¡±

    ¡°He is a good conversationalist,¡± she said as the band struck up the next tune, thankfully a waltz.

    ¡°Are we speaking of the same man?¡± He gave her a mischievous smile as they began to twirl.

    ¡°The one who speaks about elven culture as if it was something to be poked and prodded?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. I hope he hasn¡¯t been too offensive.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I can see his intentions lie in the realm of interest and not vulgarity.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Now, slake my curiosity, how did an extraordinary young lady like yourself make her way to Cataya from Ashven?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long, tragic story.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯d tell it to you, but I fear I get quite emotional over my past. I¡¯d rather not speak of it in front of so many people.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m quite interested,¡± he said. As an afterthought, he added, ¡°And of course we could go some place quieter to speak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± she said.

    They continued the dance until at seemingly long last the song finished. Crishold walked her off the floor and escorted her back to the foyer and up the grand staircase. They walked past several doors that were closed. ¡°My children¡¯s rooms,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have quite a few,¡± she said, slowing her steps.

    ¡°I do what I can. I¡¯m a wealthy man who can afford to take in children who might suffer terrible fates otherwise. Are you familiar with the Nui-Breckin Alliance?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°They captured me once and they killed my sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about your sister. How did you escape?¡±

    ¡°I was traveling with friends. They rescued me and in turn we freed their baerd. He¡¯s living with my tribe now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a kind thing to do.¡±

    Anla stopped and he turned, giving her a curious look. She reached out and touched one of the doors. ¡°Which one is Garlin?¡±

    ¡°Garlin? He¡¯s the next door¡­how did you know I had a son named Garlin?¡±

    ¡°I recognized him immediately.¡± She opened the next door quietly and walked in, stopping next to his bed. The light from the sconces cut a bar of light over his head. He murmured in his sleep and turned. She sat gently on the edge of his bed.

    ¡°Your brother?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Is he a good boy? Is he well-behaved and takes to his lessons?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very smart, good at geography and languages. He speaks Arvonnese fluently¡­your father?¡± She nodded. ¡°He has a bit of a mischievous streak and he likes to sneak sweets when he should be sleeping, but he is a good boy. Quite the imagination. He often talks of a tower with wizards and a tiny underwater world with crabs and starfish and schools of fish.¡±

    Her throat burned as she thought of that final vacation in Analussia. Her breath caught and her eyes blurred with tears. She stood, kissed his head, and left.

    ¡°He won¡¯t say what happened to his parents or his family,¡± he said, ushering her into an empty den. ¡°One of my colleagues was in Hanala and happened to see a half-elven boy playing on the streets. He knows I look out for children like that, so he brought him back here. I didn¡¯t know he had family still alive.¡±

    ¡°My father felt it was important to teach us about the world outside the Dreelands. He would take our family on vacations once each year. We were instructed to call him Martin and pretend he was our guard. We were in Analussia when my parents were caught, tried, and hanged. We walked north to Hanala, where it would be easier to blend in. We lived on the street, in an abandoned building in Yue Begule with other street kids. One by one my family disappeared. Sildet was first; I found out recently that she was killed. Garlin second. Raidet was the last; she left me to marry a Pilgrim and I found her traveling with them.¡±

    ¡°You were right; that is a tragedy. No one deserves a history like that.¡± He looked down for a moment, then back up. ¡°So, where does this leave us? Have you come for your brother?¡±

    Anla was about to speak when he lurched forward slightly, a confused look crossing his face. She hadn¡¯t seen Raulin cross the dark room and stab Crishold from behind. He blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said.

    Raulin held his finger to his lips, then pulled the knife out from Crishold¡¯s back. She looked away as the trirec slit his throat, the gurgling noises of a man¡¯s last breath bad enough to hear without seeing it, too. ¡°Like I said,¡± Raulin said before disappearing.

    She didn¡¯t need to fake the tears that were in her eyes. She did, however, need to feign her distress. She opened the door and moved to the hallway until she found a servant running between wings. ¡°I need help,¡± she said, grabbing his lapels. ¡°Mr. Crishold has been killed.¡±

    He looked at her as if she had been drinking too much, but she pulled him to the room. The young man swore and ran while she sank to the ground, waiting.

    It wasn¡¯t long before voices grew louder and a familiar voice spoke. There was a hand on her arm, tugging her up. Cavren was close to her face, asking her what happened, but she pretended to be too dazed to speak. He walked her to the hallway as a uniformed constable took her aside.

    ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡°She was speaking with Crishold when he was killed,¡± Cavren said.

    ¡°Why? What were you speaking of?¡±

    ¡°My brother,¡± she whispered and was asked to repeat herself louder.

    ¡°Why your brother?¡±

    ¡°He adopted him some time ago and I was asking after his well being.¡±

    ¡°That seems awfully suspicious,¡± the constable said. ¡°It would make sense that you came here tonight to kill Mr. Crishold in order to take your brother back.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was here before tonight.¡±

    ¡°I can vouch for her,¡± Cavren said. ¡°I was the one who invited her and it was in happenstance.¡±

    The constable nodded, apparently knowledgeable about the relationship between Cavren and Crishold. ¡°Can you tell me what the man looked like?¡±

    ¡°Dark haired, dark eyed. He had whiskers on his face across his upper lip to his ears.¡±

    ¡°Muttonchops,¡± the constable muttered. ¡°Anything else? Clothing? Scars? Teeth?¡±

    She continued giving a plausible description of a nonexistent man, then did her best to pretend to be faint from the exhaustion. The constable took her hotel room down and told her not to leave town. She was escorted to a carriage by Raulin, who looked worried for her until they were a block away from the manor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you kill before.¡±

    ¡°You saw me kill a crazed man who was coming after you. That was justified. You¡¯ve never seen me kill in cold blood before.¡±

    The events had worn her emotions thin, so she spoke without mirth or passion. ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°It matters to me.¡± He held her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve given you enough reasons to think poorly of me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. Plenty of men have terrible jobs. Not all regret them.¡±

    He looked into her eyes. ¡°What do you think of me?¡±

    She touched her temple with her fingers and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Raulin.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long night,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We have a busy day ahead of us.¡± He squeezed her hand again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anla. We¡¯ll get Garlin.¡±

    She gave him a weak smile and sat back, thinking of nothing but being together with her brother again.

 Chapter 223

    After their visit to the ember man, Anla had closed her eyes briefly in their carriage ride back to their room. She startled awake sometime early in the morning, realizing that Raulin must have carried her up and laid her in bed without waking her. She could hear his deep breath next to her and she reached out to touch his face softly.

    She¡¯d had other thoughts about what they would have done after the ball. For one moment she smiled, then she remembered what had transpired. She felt sick with worry over her brother and ashamed she had used her magic on him. Hadn¡¯t she asked him to lean on her many times? When there were issues, when he was unsure, when there had been miscommunication, she had hoped he would come to her for help. And when it came time for her to do the same, she had cast him as an enemy and turned away.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered.

    Anla couldn¡¯t fall back asleep, though her body desperately wanted to. Her mind kept playing scenarios over and over again, bouncing from the high of reuniting with Garlin to the low of seeing him killed.

    Finally, daylight came and she awoke, dressed, and sat curled up in the chair. It was another hour by the clock before Raulin awoke, looking around for her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Waiting. What are we going to do today?¡±

    ¡°We are going to pay a visit to the Crishold household, discreetly, and figure out the status of things. Since you said his wife visits family during his Brotherhood events, she might be a few days. And, she¡¯ll be in mourning. I¡¯m not sure about exact customs in that regard, so we¡¯ll need to ask Al what¡¯s appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you sneak in and take him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d rather we do this as legally as possible. It sounds like Mrs. Crishold isn¡¯t going to want her husband¡¯s half-elven children around, so she will likely find some orphanage to take them whenever it¡¯s socially acceptable. When that happens, we can stroll in first chance and adopt him ourselves. That way there will be no one to come after us when it¡¯s reported a child has gone missing, a child whose sister recently entered the picture and was connected with the murder of that child¡¯s adoptive father.¡±

    ¡°You think they would come to me first?¡±

    ¡°Very likely. And since we don¡¯t have a base, per se, the police would check here first. We could get another room elsewhere, but if you were followed, it would look very bad when they searched there. It really all depends on how badly the police want this solved. I don¡¯t know how much clout Crishold held or how much crime the city has at this point.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything we can do now?¡±

    He stood, stretched, then began his morning exercises. ¡°I¡¯m going to at least monitor the estate, if not visit the grieving widow. It¡¯ll allow me to keep abreast of the situation and know if I need to strike early.¡±

    ¡°But, what can I do?¡±

    ¡°For now, you need to pretend you were just the woman who happened to see Crishold murdered. Your involvement was accidental, your timing terrible. I¡¯ll do what I can to speed things up.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well about this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried. I understand. I gave you my word, though. He will be coming with us on our ride to Riyala.¡±

    He meant it. She could tell by his tone that held that same clarion bell tone that Al¡¯d had when he spoke of wanting to save the Arvonnese monarchy. She relaxed a little. He would save Garlin.

    They were early to breakfast and had to wait until their food was eaten and their teas cold before Al and Tel came down. ¡°How was last night?¡± Al asked, flapping out his napkin.

    ¡°It went about as expected, for the most part. We¡¯ve hit a bit of a snag.¡± Raulin explained Garlin¡¯s situation. ¡°We won¡¯t be leaving until we have him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s relieving,¡± he said, smiling at Anla. ¡°I know how much your family means to you. This will be wonderful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear there are no objections to having a boy in our group.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Anla¡¯s brother. It¡¯ll have it¡¯s problems and adjustments, but I¡¯m sure we can make it work for a few months.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Now, what can you tell us about Ghenian women in mourning?¡±

    Al frowned in thought. ¡°A lady in mourning is effectively cut off from everything during her period of grieving. Of course, she¡¯s allowed to do anything she needs to do, like work and shopping, but all social engagements are suspended. She¡¯ll wear all white and pay her respects frequently to Kriskin. She might cut her hair or wear a veil.¡±

    ¡°What will she be doing in her first week of widowhood?¡±

    ¡°Other than planning for her husband¡¯s funeral, not much. She¡¯s not expected to do anything other than receive visitors and make sure the household is running.¡±

    ¡°And do you know of any customs about visiting a widow?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I think you should ask at Kriskin¡¯s temple.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the one god that loves me no matter where I am. I¡¯ll be there this morning. Wizard, care to be my tether?¡±

    ¡°I could use the fresh air,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°Mezzem, I¡¯d take you, but I need you to stay here should the constable need to ask you more questions.¡±

    She nodded solemnly. Al lent her a book and he and Raulin set off to the Kriskin temple. Al needn¡¯t have come; the temple was only a few blocks away from their hotel.

    It was a beautiful building, white marble with intricate carving on the quoins. A garden freshly in bloom was on either side of the walkway, the wisteria drooping from the pergola over white stones below them. Above the entrance was an engraving of a capped horizontal line below a bottomless triangle, both encircled. This was a church that provided all services for the dead: funeral, burial, and record-keeping.

    Raulin stood for no more than five minutes before he caught the eye of one of the priestesses. She hurried to great him, her impeccably white robes fluttering and flowing around her.

    ¡°Greetings. How may we help you? Oh, my manners. I¡¯m Kiscada. Please take a seat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said as they both sat. He introduced himself and Al as his client. ¡°I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes to inform me about local mourning customs for widows.¡±

    ¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± Kiscada said as if nothing would please her more. They listened as she rattled off the same points that Al had told him earlier.

    ¡°When would be a good time to pay a condolence visit to a widow?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, no. This is for something I¡¯m planning in Riyala. I hope the traditions aren¡¯t too different.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± she said, fixing her hair as she had several times already. ¡°To answer your question, it depends on how well you know the woman. Immediate family are allowed to come at any point and stay to help her cope and to decide arrangements. Close friends and non-immediate family may begin to show one full day after the death of the husband. The third day is for business colleagues, associates, and politicians.¡±

    ¡°What about the general public?¡±

    ¡°After the third day, anyone may visit the widow during appropriate hours.¡± She frowned. ¡°Of course you understand that it might be years before she¡¯s willing to take off the white and engage in any sort of relationship outside her vows.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t my intention at all.¡±

    Kiscada brightened. ¡°Oh, good! You wouldn¡¯t want to tarnish her good name.¡±

    ¡°Unless that was my objective, which it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°None of my business, knight. Was there anything else you wanted to know about?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± he said, standing.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure? I mean, I could speak about what to wear or appropriate gifts¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. The last one.¡±

    Kiscada smiled in relief. ¡°The public¡¯s concern with a widow is to make sure she and her children are well cared for. Anything of need, usually foodstuffs or purses of coin are acceptable.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s informative, thank you. We must be going. I wasn¡¯t expecting our visit to last so long, but you did a wonderful job explaining everything.¡±

    A blush crept onto her cheeks. ¡°Yes, well, you¡¯re very welcome. Please come back if you have any more questions.¡±

    Once they were out on the street, Al cleared his throat. ¡°So, she seemed mildly enamored with you.¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I have some sort of knack with the clergy.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Um, so¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank, since my curiosity has now outweighed my decency. You slept with a Kriskin priestess?¡±

    He looked back at Kiscada, who was watching them leave from the doorway. ¡°Yes, why? What¡¯s so strange about that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re pretty terrifying in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Maybe some of them are. And maybe some, like the one I bedded, are pretty normal people. Not every Kriskin priestess is going to put a bone blade to your neck or drink your blood. That was more the Iondikan girl.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I will say that experience caused me to vet my clergy better.¡± He looked over at Al. ¡°This is an odd conversation for you.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­yeah, I guess so. I used to hate hearing this sort of talk in Amandorlam, who bedded who and which was the best to try. It was disrespectful. But¡­I don¡¯t know. Since Mian, I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to someone about it.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever talk to your friend Aggie about your wife?¡±

    ¡°No. Couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise. And also there wasn¡¯t anything to talk about. I hadn¡¯t performed my duties as a husband for¡­about a year before Marnie was born. And I was faithful, even though she wasn¡¯t.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Raulin coughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a woman for¡­almost four years?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s about right.¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡¯d like to one day be faithful, but right now I can¡¯t and I don¡¯t know how you did that.¡±

    ¡°Tichen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. His ¡®monastic virtue¡¯ spiel. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not as interested in that as you once were.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve sort of lost interest in trying to attain a high level of living. Feels lonely.¡±

    ¡°It sure does. So¡­how was your tryst with Mian?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Al said. ¡°Really good, actually. I¡¯ve never been like that with a woman. I even broke a rule.¡±

    ¡°Dare I ask?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a rule, but wizards aren¡¯t supposed to use their magic in that setting and I did. I¡¯m pretty sure she liked it.¡±

    Raulin chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that. If I recall how you two were in the restaurant with all of us, then yes, I can see that she liked it then. Wow. If I could do that, I¡¯d never get out of a temple alive.¡±

    Al laughed, but let the silence take the conversation. He¡¯d had a strange, sudden realization. While he¡¯d had plenty of friends he could chat with, he¡¯d never really had a friend he could talk to like this, like a brother. A firm decision, then. He was going to Aviz.

    Raulin sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to break the news to Anla that it¡¯ll be a few more days.¡±

    ¡°Why, though?¡±

    ¡°You heard the lady; it¡¯s going to be four days until it¡¯s appropriate to call on Mrs. Crishold.¡±

    ¡°For you, sure, but you¡¯ve explained how Marin Liasorn acts to me. He¡¯s a bit bumbling as far as Ghenian etiquette goes. It would make sense for him to call on her with the pretense that he¡¯ll be leaving soon and they don¡¯t do these sorts of things in Arvonne, et cetera,¡± he said with an arm wave. ¡°Just go, stick your foot in the door, apologize, and since you¡¯re there, ask about the children.¡±

    Raulin stopped cold before grabbing Al in a tight hug. ¡°Genius!¡± he said, letting go. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I need to change and get everything ready!¡±

    * * *

    At 5:23 in the evening, less than a day after Mathen Crishold had been stabbed, Marin Liasorn knocked on the front door of his estate. He wore a serious set of clothing in dark grays, his vest a linen in houndstooth. He took off his bowler before the door was opened by a servant.

    ¡°Sir, the missus is in mourning and is taking no visitors.¡± She began to close the door before he placed his hand heavily against it.

    ¡°Yes, I understand she¡¯s in mourning. I was at the ball last night. I was hoping I could pay my condolences before I left for Genale tomorrow.¡± He moved his hand so the purse with money in it was more visible.

    ¡°Wait right here, sir. I¡¯ll ask.¡±

    She meant for him to stay on the threshold, but he slipped in behind her and stood in the foyer. He waited some fifteen minutes before he heard a conversation between two women that seemed to be getting louder.

    ¡°¡­interrupting me. I am not interested. Please tell him to leave and to come back at the proper¡­¡± A women dressed in white with a long lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders stopped briefly when she saw Raulin was inside. She walked to him, covering her head. ¡°I¡¯m in mourning. I have no idea who you are. It is incredibly rude of you to show yourself here today. Come back in a week.¡±

    ¡°A thousand apologies,¡± he said, bowing low. ¡°This is not the way things are done in Arvonne, so I was unsure when it would be appropriate for me to pay my condolences.¡±

    ¡°Not today!¡± she snapped. She eyed the purse in his hand and calmed slightly. ¡°What did you bring me, at least?¡±

    He handed her the purse that was filled with fifty gold. ¡°In Arvonne, it is a man¡¯s duty to help the bereaved.¡±

    She opened it and peered inside. ¡°This will help. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I know it won¡¯t go far with so many mouths to feed.¡±

    She snorted, closing the clasp. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to worry about those savage children anymore.¡±

    His breath caught for a moment, but his facade stayed in place. ¡°Oh? Are they not here? They were last night.¡±

    She turned to leave. ¡°I called the Nui-Breckin Alliance first thing this morning. Those horrid brats are out of my life for good.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he said, then recovered when she snapped her head back. ¡°I mean, it must have been a difficult decision to make under grief.¡±

    ¡°I knew the first chance I got they would be gone. Now, it¡¯s me and my son, just like it should be. Good day.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s stomach clenched as he mumbled a response and left quickly. He panicked and he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had done that. He knew that when he needed to run, he ran, and when he had to fight, he fought, but when he had to hunt someone down now to save them, he was untrained. He walked towards the hotel, stopped and turned towards the heart of the city, then back again four or five times, finally stepping off to Cataya¡¯s downtown. Hopefully, he had enough slack to make it to the building.

    Where was it? How did he get to it? He didn¡¯t know. How would he¡­? Ask someone. It took fifteen people before one said they thought they remembered seeing a building on Crescent and Farthing with that name. He ran there, searched the whole block, checked every door in the building before giving up. Who would know for certain? He wracked his brain, wringing the edges of his bowler, wiping his brow from the exertion.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the police station?¡± he finally asked a man who startled and pointed in the direction he had been heading. He ran, hoping to catch someone before they locked up for the day, forgetting until he arrived that Cataya was large enough to need an overnight patrol. ¡°Can you..tell me.. where the¡­ Nui-Breckin¡­Alliance¡­building¡­is?¡± he asked in blown gasps.

    ¡°Alliance¡­building?¡± The man behind the desk gave him an odd look. ¡°The Alliance doesn¡¯t have a building in Cataya. We ran them out years ago.¡±

    ¡°But¡­how would someone¡­sell children to the¡­Alliance then?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± the man asked sharply. ¡°Who said they did that?¡±

    ¡°The widow Crishold. I visited her today and she said she had given all her husband¡¯s children to the Alliance.¡±

    The man paused for a moment, then snorted. ¡°You¡¯re saying the wife, nay widow, of the city¡¯s most fervent opponent to the Alliance just gave her children over to them?¡± He shot Raulin a nasty look then went back to his paperwork.

    Raulin opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. As the priestess had covered, widows were fairly untouchable. It would be much harder to prove that she had basically given over seven children to a despicable slaughter. He was wasting time. Without another glance, he left the station and began walking, asking people about which areas he should avoid in Cataya and heading straight for them.

    He spent hours asking, looking, threatening, pleading, chasing, bribing, posturing, and gritting his teeth in frustration. If anyone knew where they were, they weren¡¯t talking, not a single one of the scores of people he had run into that evening.

    It was well past midnight when he returned to the hotel. He opened the door to his and Anla¡¯s room quietly, a shaft of hallway light falling on her sleeping form. He quickly undressed to a pair of loose trousers and crawled into bed, trying not to disturb her. If he could hold off speaking with her until he had Garlin, she would never need to know how badly he had miscalculated this situation.

    He awoke before she did and slunk out of their bed, dressing as Raulin before sneaking into the other room and waking Al. ¡°Wizard, I need your help.¡±

    He snorted awake. ¡°Wuh? Help? Help how?¡±

    ¡°She already gave them to the Nui-Breckin Alliance!¡± he hissed.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Crishold!¡±

    Al sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. ¡°She¡­wait. She gave the children to the Nui-Breckin Alliance? That¡¯s monstrous!¡± He jumped out of bed and threw on his shirt. ¡°What do we need to do?¡±

    ¡°I spent about six hours last night trying to find some hint as to where they are. No one was willing to talk. Other than trying that again, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Did you do your normal ¡®I¡¯ve got eleven cleavers and you only have ten fingers, so one is going to be sad¡¯ routine?¡±

    ¡°Yes! No one budged.¡± He paused. ¡°Wait. Ah, I was dressed as Marin, not Raulin.¡±

    ¡°That might make a difference. Unless you¡¯re really ugly; I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± He frowned. ¡°Of course, if you knew where they we sending the children, you could just go there and head them off.¡±

    Raulin stared at Al for a few moments, then began swearing. ¡°The wharf! They¡¯re going to ship the children to New Wextif. Gods damn my stupidity!¡± He ran out of the room and the down the stairs. Al paused only for a moment, then ran after him.

    Al had to remain on a bench and wait a few hours until he finally spotted Raulin walking back. He knew immediately from his sunk shoulders to his slow pace that he hadn¡¯t found Garlin. He waited until Raulin spoke.

    ¡°I found the Nui-Breckin Alliance. Two men were on a ship with some of the children. A few others had been sent ahead by train to New Wextif, since Tektorn doesn¡¯t have a chapter.¡± He sat next to Al and slumped forward. ¡°Garlin is gone.¡±

    ¡°You did everything you could.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough. Anla has survived on the streets of Hanala for years so that she could find her siblings. One sister is dead, the other doesn¡¯t want to speak to her. Garlin is all she has left of her family and she needs this to be a happy reunion.¡±

    Al breathed into his clasped hands as he thought. ¡°Were they certain the others were taken by train? They could be on the road.¡±

    ¡°Those are pretty much the same thing, as far as I¡¯m concerned. If Garlin was put on a train for New Wextif yesterday morning, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d catch him. And if not and he¡¯s in a cart or carriage, which road, the main highway to Acripla or some back road through towns? I¡¯m giving equal measure to both.¡±

    Al sighed. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell her.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    They walked back in silence. Al was hoping for some breakthrough in strategy to come to him, but other than hassling a widow, he had nothing.

    Anla was in their room, reading in the chair, when Raulin came in and removed his mask. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for some time. How are things going?¡±

    He sat on the bed. ¡°Anla, I¡¯m so sorry. Garlin¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Gone?¡± she asked, putting the book down. ¡°Where? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The widow called on the Alliance the first chance she got and gave them over. I spent last night hunting for them and this morning I found some on a few ships about to set sail. A few other were possibly sent by train or on the road to New Wextif. When or precisely where or how, I don¡¯t know. I assume Garlin was one of those children.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do to get him back?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. If we had the time, I¡¯d sail as fast as we could to New Wextif and wait for them to bring him in. But we don¡¯t. It would take us two months at least by train or ship to get to New Wextif. I have three months, including travel, to get from here to Riyala to Hanala. We just can¡¯t do it in the time I have left.¡±

    ¡°But if you didn¡¯t finish your contracts, we could save him.¡±

    ¡°And, I would be dead. My order does not grant extensions. I don¡¯t get clemency for failure. They won¡¯t take any excuses other than my death for why I couldn¡¯t finish a contract.¡±

    Her lips pressed together. ¡°So, you¡¯re giving up?¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s what I can offer. We will sail for Riyala. I will finish my two spying contracts there. Then, we will take a ship to New Wextif. We¡¯ll get him back even if we have to storm the Alliance and kill everyone there to get him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be dead by that point.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take us about five days to get to Riyala. With everyone¡¯s help, I can have those contracts done in days, hours if you¡¯re willing¡­Well, I won¡¯t ask you to use your magic like that, but it would cut down on time. From there we sail for New Wextif, two months. It will take around two months by train or road for them to get him to the capital. The difference, Queyella willing, will only be a week.¡±

    ¡°Which is enough time for him to be killed.¡±

    ¡°Or not. Sakilei said that children sometimes spent weeks in a place before being¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. ¡°I know it¡¯s poor bed, but I¡¯m willing to try.¡±

    ¡°You promised me,¡± she said, tears in her throat.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You said you had to kill Crishold. I helped you do it. You said you would get Garlin if I helped you. And now you¡¯re saying he¡¯s gone, he¡¯s going to be killed, even though I did everything you asked?¡±

    ¡°Anla, I didn¡¯t think Crishold¡¯s widow would pass her adopted children off like that! It¡¯s barbaric to think she had so little love for another human that she would sentence them to death like that. It boggles my mind.

    ¡°I am giving you what I can. I wish I could give you more.¡±

    She held her stomach. ¡°Get out.¡±

    He waited to see if any other thoughts came to his mind, but nothing did. ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said before leaving.

    Raulin had never been in a serious quarrel with anyone in his entire life. Oh, he¡¯d had lover¡¯s spats with some former beaus and a few fights with acquaintances that weren¡¯t that important to him, but never had he been in a situation where he wanted to make something right, but couldn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t sure how to solve it. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing the right thing. He gave her space. When he needed to speak, it was brief and his tone was kind without being mirthful, as if he had forgotten about what had happened. And, of course, he went back to sharing his room with Tel.

    He bought flowers and chocolates for her before the ferry ride to Riyala and set those outside her and Al¡¯s door. He tried speaking to her, but she refused to acknowledge him. Meals were awkward and she had taken to moving to another table to sit alone for quite a few dinners.

    A week passed and she still said nothing to him. He knew that she hadn¡¯t accepted any of his gifts, but it wasn¡¯t until he was standing in the hallway that he saw where her heart was about it. She caught his eye, and with a glare that could wither a fresh spring bloom, she crushed the bouquet he had left outside her door for her with her heel.

    By that point his patience had worn thin and his hope was gone. ¡°Are we over?¡± he asked.

    She opened the door to her cabin.

    ¡°Look at me! I¡¯ve tried everything I can think of, other than sacrificing myself, to fix this. Tell me what I can do or tell me were done and I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±

    She stepped back slightly and glared at him. ¡°I have asked for nothing from you in our time together. I have helped you, I have saved you, I have put up with a lot from you. I forgave you after you cut me to pieces in Mount Kalista. I shouldn¡¯t have. I should have kept my distance so that when you disappointed me yet again, at least it would be expected instead of me hoping you¡¯d do the right thing.¡±

    ¡°By forfeiting my life.¡±

    ¡°By trying. You keep putting it in terms of ¡®my life or his¡¯, but you don¡¯t consider leaving your order. It would¡¯ve solved everything. By not chosing that I understood what kind of man you are. You say you hate killing, that you hate bedding women then leaving them, that you don¡¯t want to steal or spy anymore, but you love what it brings. You¡¯re rich. You¡¯re spoiled. You can disappear from people¡¯s lives when it pleases you, because you don¡¯t have to worry about the long-term. You can leave a wake of pain behind you because that¡¯s what your order says you can do and that gives you license to do so without repercussion.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t be a part of that any more. I can¡¯t allow myself to let you hurt me yet again and just forgive you because I have to keep the peace. No. Thank you for showing me what I won¡¯t be missing before I started to wonder what could have been.¡± With that, she closed the door.

 Chapter 224

    Al supposed that Riyala was beautiful. It had grand staircases up streets with palm trees and bright, pink flowers in beds between the middle hand rails. It had festively colored buildings in bright pastel stucco, mosaic tiled trims and corners for the richer houses. Short walls of dark stone surrounded houses, keeping the yards tight and tidy. The streets rose up hills, homes popping up like bright flowers amidst the grass and rich soiled roads. He¡¯d read of it as a breathtaking paradise in several books and from the hearsay of classmates and clients. He believed them, but he was not in the mood to appreciate their opinion.

    Raulin was miserable. Anla was indignant. He leaned towards her, watched her, was as polite as possible to her. She repelled any attempts at reconciliation. Both Tel and Al, who¡¯d had several conversations about their situation, had decided to give them space and treat them as if it wasn¡¯t an internal problem. They had hoped that given a week of cooling down, she would have budged a little on her feelings. If she had, she was good at hiding it.

    They walked several blocks from the wharf and found a neighborhood with narrow streets and thick vegetation. It was quaint and felt like a small village. Raulin found a hotel of three floors on the corner of Koule and Barrist streets, the layered vertical wood facade on the outside giving the building a shaggy sort of look. It was two rooms, as always, but he was with Telbarisk and Al was with Anla. He hadn¡¯t even asked the group for preferences, knowing full well what Anladet would say.

    Al knew they¡¯d be staying in Riyala for some time, so he pulled out his clothing from his pack, folded it, and put it in his drawers. Anla decided to hang her clothing in the wardrobe next to the window. He paused, turning towards her, trying to find the right words to start the conversation he¡¯d wanted to have for several days.

    ¡°Riyala is pretty.¡±

    She turned a little, but continued her task. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the kind of city you¡¯d want to take in with a friend.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t where he wanted to go with the conversation. He¡¯d hoped he could nudge in something about going for a walk with Raulin, but this might work. It didn¡¯t really matter where they had this talk, only that they had it. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a nice day and I¡¯d like to go shopping.¡±

    ¡°Let me finish and then we can go.¡±

    There was an open-air market only two blocks away with at least fifty vendors lining the sides and middle of the cordoned-off street. While it seemed chaotic at first glance, there was some order he began to see once he was able to watch for a few minutes.

    Anla began walking slowly on the right side past several spice, tea, coffee, and legume vendors. They engaged her in conversation, but didn¡¯t bark offers nor force her to try a sample of their wares. She was polite, but moved on to the next section that was filled with accessories for women.

    ¡°What do you think of this place?¡± he asked after she had haggled a woman down to two-thirds her asking price for a scarf.

    ¡°I think I could spend a lot more than a few gold if I stayed too long.¡± She smiled as she wrapped the chiffon around her neck, a brown and gray tartan with gold woven in.

    ¡°You know Raulin says you can tell a lot about a city from its market.¡±

    Her smile dropped. ¡°Does he?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Whether it¡¯s busy or not, what¡¯s for sale, whether the vendors try to cheat you, things like that. I bet he¡¯d like this one.¡±

    She made a non-committal noise in her throat as she continued past a middle stall with strips of dried meat.

    ¡°Anla, why are you still mad at him?¡±

    She took a deep breath. ¡°Because, Al, there are few things I care for more in my life than my family. I only have my brother left. He was right there in front of me, asleep. I didn¡¯t get to tell him I love him and that I¡¯ve been looking for him every day since he disappeared. I couldn¡¯t because I had to help Raulin. I was willing to let him stay there, being raised in a kilik household with siblings that weren¡¯t his blood because it was a good life. And Raulin took that from him. He promised that if I helped him kill Garlin¡¯s new father, we would get my brother and that he would be safe. That didn¡¯t happen. Garlin has been sent elsewhere to be killed. He may already be dead. And that¡¯s all I can think about every time I look at him.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Anla, Raulin tried everything he could to find him and bring him to you. He spent hours after he visited the widow scouring Cataya for the Alliance. Then he got up early the next day and hunted the docks until he found the other children.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± she snapped. ¡°He told me.¡±

    ¡°But none of this is his fault!¡±

    ¡°We could have taken him that night, but Raulin told me to exercise caution, that it might look suspicious if my brother was gone right after his adoptive father was murdered. He told me to sit back and play the part of a stunned woman who had seen a murder instead of ensorceling the widow into giving Garlin to us. He didn¡¯t even ask¡­¡±

    ¡°You always say you won¡¯t do it again now that you can influence instead of enslaving.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always said that I have no qualms with following and helping Raulin, so long as I was able to find my siblings. It was the only thing I asked for.¡± She sighed as they stepped out of the market. ¡°I know that it was misfortune. I know he tried. But it is, yet again, another time that he has let me down and hurt me. And I don¡¯t want to give him another chance to do the same.¡±

    Al¡¯s jaw clenched for a moment, but he fought against saying the arguments that came to mind. Telbarisk had taught him that part of discussing meant listening, sometimes watching, for the finality. Conversations weren¡¯t about winning. Sometimes you could debate someone into agreeing with you, but not always, and not always right then and there. Chats could sometimes plants seeds that made the other person think when you weren¡¯t there. Al had to hope this was the case.

    They returned to the hotel. Raulin had just left his room and passed them in the hallway. Anla paused to purse her lips at him, glaring as he began to ask how their day was going. He stopped, bowed quickly, and kept going.

    ¡°Was that necessary?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°He needs to know that he is not allowed to speak to me.¡±

    He sighed, grabbed a book, and headed downstairs, disinterested in speaking with Anla anymore. Anla went inside to think.

    There was a knock on the door about ten minutes later. Each of them had their own distinctive way of announcing themselves: Al¡¯s was four quick raps with the second and third closer together, Raulin¡¯s a double knuckle staccato. This was three even pats with a flat hand. ¡°Come in, Tel¡± she said.

    He opened the door, ducking under the lintel to enter. ¡°I was wondering how you were doing. Is this room nice for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it looks much like yours does.¡±

    He sat on the floor. ¡°The bed is against that wall,¡± he pointed, ¡°and the box for clothes over there. I think your room is nicer in its arrangement.¡±

    ¡°Are you bored? You came to speak about furniture?¡±

    ¡°No, I came to listen.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to forgive him. There needs to be some sort of give and take in a friendship, and he has only taken from me, over and over again. I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°That is the way your judge friendship? I must not be a friend, then. I¡¯ve only taken your money and time.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯ve given back by listening.¡±

    ¡°Raulin doesn¡¯t listen?¡±

    ¡°Raulin¡­all right, he does, we are friends in that we get along. But, sometimes someone does something that is too hurtful to you to forgive. That¡¯s where we¡¯re at.¡±

    ¡°This suits you, then? You prefer not to speak to him. You withhold yourself to punish him for something he¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me. I wish we could break the spell and go our separate ways so that I wouldn¡¯t have to deny him my company; I would be away from him, finished.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the spell.¡±

    He said no more, letting her think about that for a moment. ¡°I will not make up with him just because there is a possible threat to my life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve called this ¡®integrity¡¯ before. You¡¯d rather die with integrity than live with humility?¡±

    Her eyes flashed and her jaw set. ¡°Yes. This is the first time in my life when I¡¯ve been able to have things I thought I¡¯d never get to have. Respect, dignity, control. I have worth now because I don¡¯t have to scrape by every day, begging people for kindness. I¡¯ve can hold my head high. I don¡¯t ever want to look down at the ground again.¡±

    ¡°And what of us, Al and I? Are we worth your integrity?¡±

    She looked away in thought for several minutes. Tel was patient and waited. ¡°I need time,¡± she finally said.

    ¡°We have time. And, you have me and Alpine to talk to, should you want.¡±

    Anla did a lot of walking the next day, to the market, to the ocean, through the surrounding neighborhoods. It allowed her to think while a small amount of the anger drained away. Not enough anger that she was willing to speak to Raulin, but that if she saw him, she wouldn¡¯t warn him off with a glare. She wanted to try this, but Raulin was busy with his contract. She didn¡¯t see him for three days.

    She went to the market on the fourth and was returning to the hotel when she saw him in the street, looking at her. Anla tried to calm the flush to her cheeks and forced her jaw open, but she couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes. Did he think she had forgiven him, that all he had to do was flash his boyish smile and she¡¯d speak with him again?

    She fought the urge to spit and was about to turn into the hotel when a puff of air and a flash of deep red blurred next to her. Raulin opened his arms and a woman ran into them, pulling him down into a kiss. She barely heard him greet her. He looked so happy, so overjoyed to have this petite, curly-haired woman wrap herself around his arm. They turned and took off down the street, leaving Anla standing in front of the building in shock.

    After a few moments of nothingness, she felt a tangled pit in her stomach. It blossomed into something that seized her chest, twisting and writhing until she felt something break. Whatever had happened, it stole her breath until she finally blinked.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, walking inside the hotel. She made her way up the stairs, closed the door, and locked it.

 Chapter 225

    ¡°Anla?¡± Al asked as he continued to rap on the door. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, though if he hadn¡¯t been a wizard, he probably wouldn¡¯t have heard it.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Okay. If you want, I can sleep with Tel tonight. I just need my pack and clothes.¡±

    The door opened a few moments later and his things were put outside. He noticed it was dark, the curtains closed. ¡°If you want to speak, I¡¯d be happy to¡­¡± he began but she closed the door and he heard her lock it.

    He took his things to the other room and deposited them on the floor. ¡°I think Anla¡¯s not well.¡±

    Telbarisk looked up. ¡°¡¯Not well¡¯? She¡¯s sick?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. She¡¯s locked herself in our room and won¡¯t let me in.¡±

    Tel stood. ¡°Let me speak with her.¡± He was about to move from his spot when he turned and looked out the window. Across the narrow street was another hotel, the walls a bright blue stucco. One floor down, and very visible to any of the quartet looking out their window, was occupied by a couple loudly engaged with each other. The man pushed the woman against the window, his head buried in her neck so that only his medium-brown hair, long enough to tie into a tail, was visible. Tel narrowed his eyes and would have dismissed it, but Raulin chose that moment to look up not at Tel, but at where Anla¡¯s room was.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said quietly and left for Anla¡¯s room.

    He knocked. ¡°Anladet, if you want someone to listen or talk to, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Surprisingly, the door opened a minute later and he stepped inside. He swiftly went to her window and reached between the drapes to close the casements, then turned to face her. She threw herself into his arms and began to cry.

    * * *

    Music filled the air, originating some few streets over from where Raulin and Takiya were walking. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the surprise I was telling you about.¡± Her black eyes sparkled with mirth. ¡°Would you like to go see what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It sounds like fun!¡±

    She led him by the hand down a few alleys before hitting a wall of people standing and looking out at the street. ¡°You¡¯ll probably get a better look than I,¡± she said, ¡°since you¡¯re so tall.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll laugh when you meet Telbarisk.¡±

    ¡°I should! I want to meet your friends. You¡¯ve said so much about them.¡±

    ¡°Soon. I need to work a little more on gathering information before I devise a plan involving everyone.¡±

    He felt her arm wrap around his waist. Since everyone was watching the spectacle in front of them, they didn¡¯t mind the display of affection. Then again, no one had minded the dozen other infractions over the last few days. Her hand slid down his hip and in, causing him to laugh in surprise. ¡°Later,¡± he growled into her ear, giving her a quick kiss on her jaw.

    Finally there was movement as the music was so close he could feel it vibrate in his chest. He thought for a moment they were creveirs; they walked on stilts and had elaborate costumes. Pinks and purples were favored with some blue and green in the mix and plenty of gold, silver, and copper.

    ¡°It¡¯s a parade!¡± he said with a laugh. A group walked by holding blue and teal streamers, the inside actors pretending to be fish with shining scales.

    ¡°Not just any parade,¡± Takiya said. ¡°This is the Abarikha, the Bounty Festival. It starts today, on Ap Filox¡¯s Day, and goes for two and a half weeks, through days for Queyella and Zayine¡¯s aps, and ends with Beliforn¡¯s. So, starts with love and ends with marriage and lots of feasting in between.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a holiday I can get behind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see a lot of people wearing masks during the Festival.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked. Now that was convenient. He hadn¡¯t told Takiya he was a trirec, just a thief in town as a favor to a client. And even though he wanted to introduce her to his friends, there had been no way he¡¯d show his bare face in front of the wizard. Maybe before they parted in June, but not now. Wearing a festival mask solved this neatly. And that was very good because he was going to need his friends¡¯ help soon.

    His contract was mundane, but also frustrating. He needed to discover where a secretive group met bi-weekly, the contractee hoping that he could bribe his way into the council and attain whatever power he was looking for. While he had a short list of potential members, he was only one man.

    He had been tailing one of his suspects the day after they had arrived in Riyala when he had heard two people sniggering. He turned and saw two women, one wild and dark with sharp features and angles, the other pale and rosy with bronze, curled hair. He noticed they were watching him and tipped his bowler, then continued to trail after his target. They followed him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at this,¡± the darker one said.

    He turned. ¡°At what, miss? I¡¯m walking home.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re following that man up ahead, the one with the burgundy waistcoat. We¡¯ve been watching you for about eight blocks now, right Sheska?¡±

    The redhead nodded with a smirk. ¡°Might have been nine. I lost count.¡±

    ¡°And why would a man be following another man unless he means to mug him?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be doing that, miss,¡± he said quickly, watching the man continue on down the street.

    She folded her arms. ¡°None of our business what you wish to do with a man, except that this is our territory. And if you¡¯re doing business in our territory we¡¯ll have to talk about cuts.¡± She rubbed her fingertips together, then drew a finger across her neck. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    It was about this time that Raulin had formed a theory as to what was going on here. They were thieves that thought he was new in town and was poaching their marks. Their little back-and-forth sounded very rehearsed. He smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking that I¡¯m new in Riyala and was here as a favor to someone, not to establish myself. I¡¯m thinking I¡¯d be gone as soon as it was done. But, these are just thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the darker one said, grasping her chin in thought. ¡°What do you think, Sheska?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that if we let him do this one job it¡¯ll turn into two, then three. Can¡¯t let these things slide, Takiya.¡±

    He held his hands up before looking quickly around. He was slightly annoyed that he had lost the man, but turned his focus back to them. ¡°One job. In fact, maybe we can come to some sort of agreement, an exchange of help for help?¡±

    ¡°And why would we help someone who can¡¯t even tail a mark casual-like?¡±

    ¡°Because I knew you were thieves and intentionally drew you out so I could get help in this contract.¡± It was a lie and it stung that he was bad enough to get caught by a low-level gang of thugs. He was really starting to question whether his heritage played a bigger role in his success as a trirec than he originally had thought.

    The two women looked at each other, then Sheska leaned in and spoke into Takiya¡¯s ear. ¡°It¡¯ll depend on the cut,¡± she murmured.

    ¡°How much are you being paid for this favor?¡± Takiya asked, turning back to him.

    ¡°Seventy-five gold with expenses.¡± Actually, it was two hundred and fifty.

    Both their eyebrows rose. Takiya spoke. ¡°Give us fifty and we¡¯ll help.¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five and I¡¯ll steal something of equal value. Whatever you want. And I¡¯ll do it tonight.¡±

    The two women exchanged a quick glance. ¡°I like his bravado,¡± Sheska said.

    ¡°That means he¡¯s either really stupid or really good.¡± Takiya turned back to Raulin. ¡°All right. Follow us. If you¡¯re really that good, there¡¯s a place you can hit. We¡¯ll even be nice and give you until dark to case it.¡±

    He had walked behind them in silence, feeling like he was getting dangerously close to the edge of the spell¡¯s distance, until they stopped. ¡°That building,¡± Takiya said. ¡°There is a necklace of gold with three purple stones clustered in the center. Steal it and we have a deal.¡±

    ¡°Do I get any more information about it? Who¡¯s necklace is it? Which room is it in? Where in the room?¡±

    ¡°It is the necklace of the lady of the house. That¡¯s all the information we have on it.¡± Takiya pulled out a pocketwatch and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s almost five now. You have about two and a half hours to case it. We¡¯ll stop by in that alley on the hour. Our offer ends at midnight.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He tipped his hat again and walked across the street.

    At six o¡¯clock, as promised, they moved down the alley near the fire escape. ¡°How long do we give him?¡± Shaska asked.

    ¡°Five minutes. Maybe two in the beginning. He won¡¯t be done.¡±

    ¡°This is turning out into an interesting evening. You promise we won¡¯t get into trouble?¡±

    Takiya nodded in consideration. ¡°Either he¡¯s good and we get some great help on our next job or he¡¯s lousy and he shoos from our territory.¡±

    Shaska examined one of her curls for a few moments. ¡°He¡¯s cute, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, what happened to you and Gigre?¡±

    ¡°Gigre and I are fine. I can look.¡±

    Takiya¡¯s face broke out in a smile. ¡°He is. I kind of like a guy with longer hair, yeah? So tired of the short, parted, and oiled like everyone else. He¡¯s a handsome devil. And that walk¡­like a cat! If he¡¯s not a thief then I¡¯d love to know what he does in his spare time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d some spare time,¡± Shaska said and they laughed.

    ¡°Ladies?¡± Raulin said and they turned to find him hanging upside-down from the fire escape. His bowler was in his hand, which he passed to Takiya. She looked in, looked up at him in shock, then back down.

    ¡°You have it already?¡± she said, lifting the necklace out.

    He grabbed the bottom of the escape for support and slowly moved his legs from the railing over his head to the ground. He was showing off, but this was one of those times where he felt it was an acceptable thing. ¡°What was that about me being cute?¡± he asked, wiping the grit off his pants.

    Takiya had laughed and the three walked out of the alley.

    Raulin invited them to dinner. Sheska declined, but Takiya joined him. By the time they had arrived at the restaurant, he knew he was going to seduce her. This wasn¡¯t like his usual marks; she was a brutal flirt and she had likely made the same decision. He had bedded her that night in the hotel across the alley from the group and awoke with her tangled in his sheets.

    He¡¯d spent the last few days with Takiya, soaking in the city, feeling carefree and happy and wanted. It had been some time since he¡¯d felt so relaxed. And in between visits to rooms and secretive places, he¡¯d managed to get his first contract done. The drop was done, too. Now, he had to focus on the other one, the hard one.

    Lady Asetra Fremark was betrothed to Eri-Viscount Viren Silant, a smart match in the noble world. Both families ran cities that already had strong trading ties and the couple seemed fond of each other. The small issue, the niggling little problem, was the rumor that she had a commoner lover. If it were true, as she had escaped detection thus far, it would be a big problem for confirming the Silants¡¯ offspring. Raulin would have to spend the full two weeks tailing her. If she were very good, he would need help.

    After they had gone back to his hotel room and delivered on his promise of ¡°later¡±, he had the owner¡¯s son next door with a note for Tel and Al to convene in the common room in a half-hour. ¡°We¡¯re going to go meet them,¡± he said to Takiya as he closed the door.

    Her face lit up. Even though she was two or three years older than him, she had young moments that, if examined, would remind him of someone else. Those expressions had been rather forthcoming since her impression of him as a piss-poor thief had changed. ¡°Really? Everyone?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± he said. There was much he hadn¡¯t told her, basically to keep certain elements in the dark, but that one was too complicated, and too painful, to elaborate upon.

    They dressed. (While the owner said little at seeing Raulin in his shirtsleeves, the public would likely feel differently.) Takiya fretted that she wouldn¡¯t look nice enough for them, adjusting her hat and making dismayed comments at her choice in outfit for the day. While he watched and calmed her fears, he wondered if she was just like that or if he had oversold his friends. He trawled through the last few days¡¯ worth of conversations and couldn¡¯t reach a decision.

    Raulin put on his festival mask, giving an excuse about them being on their way to an event. She put hers on as well and they set off to next door.

    He saw Telbarisk sitting through the window and felt relieved. A part of him worried they wouldn¡¯t show.

    Raulin opened the door and ushered Takiya inside. His smile wavered when he saw that all three, even Anla, were sitting on the davenports in the common room. They were engaged in a quiet conversation. Anla looked up and met his gaze, startling for a moment before plastering a smile on her face. The other two noticed her gaze and turned to look at them, neither looking pleased.

    ¡°Hi, everyone. This is Takiya. She¡¯s been helping me with my contracts here in Riyala.¡± He noticed that Al¡¯s jaw dropped at that. ¡°Takiya, this is .rd Alpine Gray, Telbarisk of Nourabrikot, and Anla.¡±

    ¡°Hi!¡± she said warmly. Anla gave a small wave, folded her hands in her lap, and looked ahead. The other two said nothing. She fumbled with the ribbon ties and took her mask off. ¡°Raulin has told me so much about you. I hope we can work well together.¡±

    Takiya¡¯s smile slipped when no one said anything. Finally, Anla smiled again and looked up. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll work well together¡­and¡­I think that¡­¡± He hand shook visibly as she took a few gulps of air.

    Telbarisk leaned in and murmured, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    She paused at this, nodded, then let him help her up. ¡°It¡¯s was nice¡­meeting you,¡± she said to Takiya in a whisper, meeting her eyes briefly.

    ¡°Same,¡± Takiya said, trailing off.

    When the two were gone, Raulin turned to his new beau. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Let me talk with Al and figure it out. I¡¯ll meet you at the hotel before we go to the park.¡±

    She nodded and pressed his hand quickly before leaving.

    Raulin sat slowly in the armchair across from Al. ¡°You want to explain to me why you were so rude to Takiya?¡±

    Al gave him a hard smile. ¡°I told you that if you ever hurt Anla again, we were through.¡±

    ¡°Hurt her? How have I hurt her? She said we were through!¡±

    ¡°And you thought inviting her replacement to meet us with Anla present wasn¡¯t going to be painful?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t invite her! And why would it be painful?¡±

    ¡°Because you two were romantically involved. And what were Tel and I supposed to tell Anla. ¡®Stay here, we¡¯re going to a meeting with Raulin and you¡¯re not invited?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Last I knew she wasn¡¯t speaking to me. If I so much as looked at her, she tried to cut me with her eyes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been four days since anyone has seen you. Maybe if you cared so much about us you¡¯d have checked in.¡±

    ¡°I was working on my other contract.¡±

    ¡°Sure, and tumbling with that new girl so that you can get over Anla. Have you yet? Or are we going to stick around Riyala until you figure out where you are with her?¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do, huh? You want me to pine away for Anla for the rest of my life? You want me to never be with a woman again because she and I are over? I¡¯m supposed to cut out my withered heart and toss it at her feet like one of those saps in your books?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said quietly. ¡°That would be hypocritical, wouldn¡¯t it? Also unrealistic. I just want you to answer me, truthfully, that you haven¡¯t done any of this to put Anla in pain. That you didn¡¯t intentionally hang around our hotel in hopes that Anla would see you two. That you didn¡¯t just happen to rent a hotel room across the alley so that Anla can look down and see you and your girl tumbling at all hours.¡± He held up his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Think, then answer. If you value my friendship, you¡¯ll be honest.¡±

    ¡°Why, does she care?¡± He gave a light laugh, but Al¡¯s face was hard. ¡°I went to another hotel to avoid Anla so there wouldn¡¯t be any complications.¡±

    ¡°To avoid Anla or to avoid Tel and I seeing you do that to Anla?¡±

    Raulin hissed a breath. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this. I can never do anything right by any of you. Yes, fine, I was hoping that maybe she would understand some of the loss I was feeling if she saw she had lost me. Flaunt my new relationship, make her a little jealous. Obviously it didn¡¯t work. She¡¯s happy. She smiled and was polite.¡±

    ¡°¡¯You can tell volumes about a man by how he treats another who has wounded him.¡¯¡±

    ¡°And Tichen makes a return. Wonderful.¡±

    Al took a very slow breath in before standing. ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®no¡¯ from me; I won¡¯t help you. And Tel asked me to speak on his behalf as well. Anla is interested, but don¡¯t accept her offer until you two figure out things.¡±

    Raulin stood. ¡°Oh, so now I¡¯m a terrible person for moving on?¡±

    ¡°I was on your side before this,¡± Al said, moving past him. ¡°I tried to talk to her as much as I could. I thought she was being unreasonable. I saw how hard you tried to save her brother and that there was nothing more you could have done. I was hoping you two would reconcile. Now, maybe I¡¯m thinking you need to step back and figure out what you want from her.¡±

    ¡°You know what I want from her. She¡¯s not interested!¡±

    Al gave him a hard smile again before going up the stairs to his room. ¡°Stop fooling yourself that you¡¯ve moved on.¡±

    Great, Raulin thought as he walked out the door. He was really counting on Tel for his ability to detect people and their movements. Anla would be better, with her ability to follow sound, but she was out of the equation. And how was he supposed to reconcile with Anla if he couldn¡¯t work with her?

    Takiya was sitting on the edge of the bed when he came back. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said. ¡°The performance should be starting just after we get there.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°What was¡­? Oh, I apologize again,¡± he said, touching his chest with his fingertips. ¡°I had no idea they would behave like that. I¡¯ll have a talk with them and maybe the next time we¡¯ll have a better introduction.¡±

    ¡°It seemed like they were mad with you.¡± She looked at him. ¡°Why is that?¡±

    He took a deep breath. ¡°I spoke with Al. He seemed to think I had done something to upset Anla. I assured him that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°What is she to you?¡±

    ¡°Anla? She¡¯s¡­a friend, though we¡¯re not really on speaking terms at the moment. Something happened that she¡¯s mad at me for and I can¡¯t seem to make it right in her eyes.¡±

    ¡°But she seemed eager to help.¡±

    ¡°I was surprised by that. Now, would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid,¡± she said, folding her arms across her chest.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid,¡± he said slowly.

    ¡°Let me say that I might not have been clever enough to figure it out what¡¯s going on with your friends, but I was smart enough to stick around to get the full story.¡±

    He sucked in his teeth. ¡°You eavesdropped on Al and my conversation. Al has a peculiar way of thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°What, honestly? And it wasn¡¯t his words that I was paying attention to.¡±

    Raulin ground his teeth for a moment. ¡°Anla and I were romantic, yes, though nothing serious. She¡¯s had a hard time with men in the past and I don¡¯t think she knows how to love. Or maybe it was just me. Either way, we¡¯ve never declared our love for each other nor have things gotten too intense in other ways. But, she¡¯s been mad at me and considers our relationship concluded. And I moved on.¡±

    ¡°By using me to make her jealous.¡±

    ¡°What, do you think I love you? I¡¯ve only known you for less than a week!¡±

    ¡°No, gods, no,¡± she said with a mirthless laugh. ¡°I¡¯d hope you¡¯d have more sense then that. And don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re just a fling to me as well.¡± She stood. ¡°And flings I¡¯m fine with. I didn¡¯t ask for anything more. I wouldn¡¯t want anything more. But I have enough respect for myself not to be a weapon, to be used to hurt someone else. I think you should go across the street and apologize to that girl.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m sick of having to grovel to her.¡±

    She picked up her skirts and made for the door. ¡°Then I want you to leave Riyala. You¡¯re finished. If we catch you operating here, we¡¯ll knock you out and dump you in front of the station ourselves.¡±

    ¡°What, you and Shaska?¡±

    She stood in the doorway and gave him a sickly smile. ¡°That house you broke into as a test? One of my parents¡¯ houses. That was my mother¡¯s necklace. My father is the head of the Thieves¡¯ Guild in Riyala and one of the most powerful men in the city. It¡¯s how we fed you that information for your job; he¡¯s also on that council your client wants in on. Thanks for the heads up on that, by the way; that information won¡¯t do your boss any good if they switch their days and times.

    ¡°So, yes, go right ahead and finish your theft and see if you can do it with our interference. Enjoy the festival.¡±

    Raulin took off the stupid mask after she had left and wiped his face of his sweat. Yet another unfair thing in his life. He¡¯d had a string of them since he was ten; why should this time be any different? He¡¯d survived a shipwreck, several incarcerations, the death of his mentor, fighting a crazed wizard, being burned with combustion, his friends turning on him, and rogue trirecs slicing up his arms. He¡¯d survive this, too, somehow.

 Chapter 226

    Raulin sat in his room and took stock of his situation. For the first few minutes things felt dire and he was still angry at what had transpired. He dwelt on Takiya. Did he miss her or how she made him feel? Would he ever see something like that again? What of his friends? Had they been unfair or did he really deserve their ire?

    He took a deep breath and stood. Harboring his thoughts on the past would only cause him to wallow in melancholy. He had a job to do.

    At least he had been smart enough not to trust Takiya with all the information about his job. She still assumed it was a theft. If she was going to make good on her word, she¡¯d warn the Fremarks or have her people steal the diamond earrings first. She would be looking in the wrong direction.

    Takiya also assumed he had no knowledge of the city. He had played dumb, initially to get closer to her. While he wouldn¡¯t say he was an expert, he had spent almost as much time in Riyala as he had in New Wextif during his previous stint in Gheny, so he wasn¡¯t lost.

    And lastly, she didn¡¯t know she had slept with a trirec. Once he slipped his mask on, he was essentially another person, one who wouldn¡¯t make the mistake of trusting anyone again.

    He¡¯d do this without Takiya and without the quartet.

    First things first, he changed into his traveling clothes. He paid the innkeeper for his room and added that night¡¯s fee, to keep the man assuaged. Then, he walked a block over and down, found a room on the bottom floor with a window into an alley, and left for dinner with his notebook ready.

    ¡°Day one,¡± he wrote in his normal code. ¡°I have laid the groundwork and feel I am ready to pursue the target. I suspect the later evening hours or early morning hours to be the most likely time for a rendezvous. I will begin at six o¡¯clock this evening.¡±

    By the time he returned to the inn at two in the morning, he¡¯d filled the page with notes. Lady Asetra was social, an unsurprising fact for someone in the echelons of the upper crust. She had visited several places, some for a quick call of fifteen minutes, some for as long as two hours. None stood out as suspicious, but he would be checking the next day to make sure that stayed true.

    He slept until breakfast, grabbed something quick to eat, and made his way back to the Fremark estate. It sat on one of those lovely hills that overlooked the rest of the city, not terribly far from the neighborhood where both the hotels were. It was a small blessing, as was the fact that he hadn¡¯t reached the end of the mile radius yet, though he thought he might have several times.

    As he watched the house, he reminded himself that he needed to make sure that the lady was definitely inside. There had been at least three instances where he was tailing someone, just like this, only to discover that his target wasn¡¯t where they were supposed to be. That morning wouldn¡¯t be admissible as time towards the due diligence if his target had given him the slip. He needed to make sure she was still inside.

    While the estate was lush in vegetation, creating a perfect cover for his skulking, it also had high walls topped in speared finials and plenty of attending servants. It took him over a half-hour just to make it from the edge of the yard to a window and another three quarters to locate Lady Asetra just rising from her slumber. She was an unmistakable woman. Like her sisters, her hair was a pale flaxen found in some Sonderian or Tondeivan lines, her skin equally as light. Her features were delicate, save her rounded nose and thick lips that gave her a commanding appeal. While the rest of the girls in the house seemed to shrink back into their dainty fans, she powered through rooms and conversations.

    He made note of her pale pink dress and accessories, though he would also refrain from making the mistake again of assuming targets didn¡¯t change their clothing. He left the house and grounds and waited across the street for her to leave, following her from event to event when she left around two o¡¯clock. Soirees, parties, get-togethers, readings, plays, this was the life of a young, unmarried woman in Riyala. She would be expected to polish her family name while keeping proper decorum so that her future husband¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t be shamed.

    After three days, Raulin¡¯s thoughts on the matter were in the category of doubt. She seemed capable of a secret affair, and love found its way into all sorts of hearts, but she held to practically the same schedule every day. When would she find time outside of all that to meet with a mysterious lover?

    He would have held that thought and done his due diligence, sending in his report after two weeks of nothing gleaned, save for one occurrence that happened.

    Raulin was watching Asetra at a gathering at the Wilbet estate, some rich but not noble family many of her other friends were friends with. He was tucked in a corner under the brush, obscured from foot traffic by several large leaves from a ground plant. Occasionally he¡¯d check she was still inside by finding her in his spyglass, then checking the time on his pocket watch, both items he had bought recently.

    He was bored out of his mind. There were a million things he could be doing that were more interesting, even joining the girl inside and listening to the insipid conversation of high society youth and whatever fashionable philosophy they were clinging to. Gods, even a deep look into Tichen would be better than sitting and waiting.

    ¡°Now, what would you be doing here, Raulin Kemor?¡± a man asked.

    ¡°Sitting,¡± he replied casually, but he was alarmed. Who the hell knew who and where he was?

    ¡°Obviously. Seems like a strange place to sit.¡±

    ¡°I am a strange man who does strange things.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re a trirec who¡¯s been tailing my little sister for the past few days.¡±

    Raulin swore under his breath and moved the leaves out of the way. ¡°Viscount, how nice to see you again.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say the same about you,¡± Viscount Dangic Fremark said, leaning on his cane.

    ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get over it. Now, about my question.¡±

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m trailing your little sister? Who says I¡¯m trailing anyone?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the Cumber says so, and I¡¯m willing to trust my men over the word of a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they have their information wrong. I¡¯m following Danri Offert,¡± he said, waving inside to one of the men he knew was there, ¡°on charges of embezzlement. My sources tell me he¡¯s been secretly meeting with associates weekly and I need to find out where and with whom. So, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to wait here until he leaves.¡±

    ¡°I could have you arrested.¡±

    ¡°You could,¡± Raulin admitted, ¡°but watching a party is hardly grounds for arrest. Or did you mean for breaking and entering the Cumber? Even the director will have a hard time drawing up the paperwork to extricate me to Shingden. Does the king give you carte blanche?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± he said, rubbing the whiskers of his sideburns. ¡°Mr. Kemor, let me level with you. I know you¡¯re following my sister. I don¡¯t know why and I don¡¯t know who hired you. I do know that if a trirec is tailing someone, it¡¯s not a good thing. It means that you¡¯re going to harm her some way.

    ¡°Now, we can come to an arrangement. We know that trirecs have a time limit to their contracts, which means you¡¯ll be leaving Gheny in a few months. Up until now we¡¯ve let you do what you needed to without harassment; we can¡¯t go around arresting people for being a trirec. Bad on that business end, after all.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve let me do my contracts. How kind.¡±

    Fremark pulled out a notepad from his breast pocket. ¡°There was a murder in Baradan shortly after you arrived, followed by an assassination in Whitney. You made short work of those bounty hunters in Ashven, then we lost you for a while until someone reported a trirec associated with a murder on a ferry.¡± He looked at him. ¡°You were cleared, but that was you on the Constance on the Sea, yes? Well, then you were involved with a few things in Tektorn. Now, you¡¯re here for some reason.¡±

    Had Raulin been shouting his location to everyone in Gheny? He tried to convince himself that this was only because he¡¯d had to wear his mask the whole year and not because he was sloppy. ¡°I¡¯d be a stupid man to admit to any of that.¡±

    Fremark put his pad away and leaned once more on his cane. ¡°Between you and me, Mr. Kemor, I am not a man who sees only evil in men. While you¡¯ve killed some good men and ruined a few lives, you¡¯ve also done some amazing things. Schoolinghouse admits freely they hired you to clean up and, despite the president¡¯s son being implicated in espionage, they were quite pleased with your work. You spared a woman from possibly being killed by a stalker, saved a city from the grip of a mob family, and put down a crazed killer who had been terrorizing a quarter of Tektorn. I don¡¯t see you as a menace to the law any more than I would consider a carpenter a disaster to a forest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to receive your approval.¡±

    The Viscount sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be at odds was what I was trying to get at. If you¡¯re willing to let me know the details involving my sister, I¡¯d be willing to extend our hands-off approach to your career. I would even throw in some bonuses, like any information we had regarding future contracts or an assurance to deal with local police on your behalf. And, of course, my offer in New Wextif still holds.¡±

    Raulin closed his eyes. It was the most tempted he¡¯d ever been about his future, ten times more than back in New Wextif. If he embraced the Cumber, he might be able to live a life with all the comforts he¡¯d always wished for. And with his defection would come other powers, like saving a little boy from the Nui-Breckin Alliance, which might clear things with Anla. He could see it, a modest three-story house here in Riyala. Anladet in beautiful dresses, Al and Tel taken care of. Children; there would be three, no four, three boys and a girl. He¡¯d name them after his father and brother, himself, Anla¡¯s father, and his mother. Here, they wouldn¡¯t mind. It ached, it ached so badly.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered whether or not I¡¯d get a nice uniform with a cape,¡± he said.

    ¡°Dammit, Kemor!¡± Fremark sword, slamming his cane into the street. ¡°It¡¯s easy! It makes so much sense!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help you,¡± Raulin said, ¡°but I can offer another exchange.¡±

    ¡°Which is what?¡±

    ¡°I want your assurance that, if I give you a name, the Cumber will find him and care for him until his sister can retrieve him.¡±

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ¡°Someone important to someone important. He¡¯s a boy who¡¯s in trouble for no reason other than who he is.¡±

    ¡°A political pawn?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s half-elven.¡±

    ¡°Ohh,¡± he said, holding out the syllable. ¡°And that woman you travel with is also half-elven. Are they related?¡±

    ¡°They are.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s the ¡®someone important¡¯?¡± Raulin didn¡¯t answer this. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not taking my offer with that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s my exchange, which I¡¯m sure will go punished if discovered. There was a man in Declinst, Ashven who was making black powder for the Freeman¡¯s Army. I assume you know of them?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Black powder¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It is a substance that combusts when ignited. I wasn¡¯t aware of this when I set his house on fire and was launched thirty feet in the air. Imagine projectiles more efficient than a human and what they could do to the defenses of Shingden if the Army developed that weaponry.¡±

    ¡°The name of the boy?¡±

    ¡°Garlin Deerborn Auchindol.¡±

    ¡°Auchindol? That name sounds familiar.¡± He took a few moments before his eyebrows raised. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­his father wouldn¡¯t happen to be Martin, would it?¡±

    ¡°He was. He was hanged in Analussia.¡±

    Fremark exhaled loudly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­sad. All the more reason to save the boy. Thank you for your information. We¡¯ll look into it and we¡¯ll keep a net out for this Garlin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of more help today.¡±

    ¡°Understandable. I still consider our conversation open-ended.¡± He tossed a calling card on the ground. ¡°We can help you. You don¡¯t have to throw away your hopes and dreams because you¡¯re loyal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    Fremark left him alone. Whether the Cumber did as well, he couldn¡¯t be sure, but he kept a sharper eye out for tails. It came as a surprise to him that, later that night, a boy ran up to him with a message. ¡°There is a metal masked man following you,¡± he said, his palm out.

    Raulin gave him a silver for his troubles. The kid scarpered off before he could ask questions, unfortunate because he had a few that he would pay gold to have answered. He continued on until he could guess where Asetra was going, then waited around a corner until a trirec stepped out. Before he could register that he¡¯d been discovered, Raulin slammed him against the wall of the building and held his knife to his throat. ¡°Name, contract,¡± he growled in Merakian.

    ¡°Jakith, watching you do your contract.¡±

    ¡°Jakith? From the hedge maze?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Are you stealing this from me, Kemor?¡±

    He dropped his knife and let of the pressure. ¡°No. That would seem strange, reporting my own actions. Who hired you? Was it Arvarikor? I checked in immediately, even though they said it was a courtesy,¡± he said bitterly. He had known this, and still the Hanalese headquarters had brought him in and punished him for it.

    Jakith shrugged. The question had been a courtesy; either Jakith didn¡¯t know or he wouldn¡¯t tell.

    Raulin took on a more casual air. ¡°How am I doing?¡±

    ¡°Since you caught me, you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    Raulin stepped away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but know my eye is fixed firmly behind me. Take care, Jakith.¡±

    So, he had the Cumber, Arvarikor, and some phantom watching him now. He was grateful he was wearing his mask. Although Arvarikor allowed them to break uniform for situations where being masked would be a hindrance, he might not being able to talk his way out of being unmasked while tailing someone.

    Arvarikor was likely following up on the issues he¡¯d had when in Hanala. The person who tipped him off maybe wanted to make a little extra money; Raulin would have to keep an eye out for him. Those were answers that were satisfactory enough, but why was the Cumber following him? Did they follow every trirec now? Did they think Raulin was the weak link they could snap? Why announce it now and not wait for a more opportune time?

    He took his position across from an estate that was holding their soiree on the lawn due to the heat and ruminated a bit more. He decided by the end of Asetra¡¯s night that it wasn¡¯t the Cumber, but a personal matter. People never protested more loudly then when they were guilty.

    Raulin expected to see a change in Asetra¡¯s schedule, assuming her older brother tipped her off, but nothing deviated over the next three days. Not one thing. She had either been coached to keep her schedule the same, she was innocent, or she hadn¡¯t been notified. Again, why would her brother step in if she were innocent? Raulin wasn¡¯t harassing her. Eventually he would leave.

    What if she was guilty, but nothing needed to change?

    He thought on this while in his room. What would that look like? Every day, or every few days, she¡¯d visit someone¡¯s house. With or without her friend¡¯s knowledge, she¡¯d find her lover and consummate her feelings. His money was on one of the daily places. If she was willing to risk everything for him, then she likely had a need to see him daily.

    He checked his notebook and began taking notes. ¡°Check dailies for lover,¡± he wrote. ¡°Either meets or works there.¡± He circled five places before putting down his notebook for a bath.

    On his way to the Fremark estate, a vendor waved him over. ¡°This is for you,¡± he said, handing him a letter.

    ¡°Who is it from?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he said and folded his arms.

    Raulin cracked the seal, just blobs of wax with no crest, and read the note quickly.

    ¡°Tuchien Mistar, steward of the Graliss Family¡±

    He thanked the vendor and kept walking. Was this someone he needed to meet? A member of the Cumber, perhaps, or maybe even the man who had tipped him off to Jakith¡¯s presence? He took out his notebook again and saw that the Graliss estate was one that Asetra had visited five out of the seven nights. She would likely be there that night.

    Raulin supposed it didn¡¯t matter which order he went in, so he went to the Graliss household. He made his way to an unused bedroom and waited until guests began to ring the bells on the door before ducking his mask in his shirt and finding a better vantage point.

    Asetra arrived and sat for tea. She pardoned herself about an hour later, went upstairs and entered that same bedroom he had holed himself up in. Five minutes later, a young man, perhaps of Raulin¡¯s age, entered the same room and closed the door. All it took was a very slow turn of the knob and a slight push on the door to confirm the tip.

    He left, not without the sadness of knowing those two would soon have to say goodbye. Perhaps she would find happiness with her new husband and eventually would get over Tuchien.

    He wrote his letter to the Silant family, wondering what they would do with the information. Then, he wrote a note and had it sent to the other hotel.

    They were waiting for him the next day, chatting about something until they saw him. They quieted, until Al said, ¡°How is your contract going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s finished. We¡¯re leaving today.¡±

    ¡°Will Takiya be joining us?¡±

    He looked at Anla, whose hands were folded in her lap as she stared ahead. ¡°Takiya and I called it quits some time ago. It will just be the four of us.¡± A ghost of a smile played on her face, but she controlled it quickly.

    ¡°So sorry to hear.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, Wizard. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They walked back to the wharf. Raulin chatted with several men about suitable places to unwind for a few weeks, places that were harder for people to follow him to, but also had everything a man could wish for. ¡°Ah,¡± the last one said, ¡°you want Lanelais. It¡¯s on the way up to Haka Ril. It¡¯s a large island with several towns. It¡¯s self-sustaining for the most part. There are quite a few rich that stay there.¡±

    ¡°Sounds wonderful,¡± he said and found them a ferry to take them there.

 Chapter 227

    It wasn¡¯t like Raulin didn¡¯t try. While they took the ferry from Riyala to Laneleis, he tried to make conversation with Al and Tel. Al had been terse and pointed. Tel had been uncomfortable, which he recognized after a few attempts was due to Tel being in the middle of two sides. And he didn¡¯t even try with Anladet. Every time he made eye contact with her, she looked away and moved to somewhere else on the small ship. At least she wasn¡¯t glaring at him anymore.

    After a half day of that, he kept away from them. There were a few people on board, the captain included, who didn¡¯t seem to mind the mask and struck easy conversations with him. It helped, but he was essentially alone with his thoughts for two days, staring out at the sea and pondering over a number of things.

    Mostly, he thought about his work. While he had managed to solve his last contract alone (a fact that he took some pride in), he preferred working with others, especially them. There was something reassuring about having someone to watch your back, to offer suggestions and solutions when he couldn¡¯t wrap his brain around something. It was what Isken had spoken about the last time Raulin had seen him. Trirecs were skilled enough to make great leaders for projects and having subordinates made solving things a breeze. He looked back and realized he might not have solved some of his contracts without the others. Not even that they would have taken longer, he just wouldn¡¯t have solved them at all. He couldn¡¯t even argue that twenty-four was too many; he¡¯d taken a full docket a few times before. But, the work he wanted to do now was more complicated. He realized he was either going to have to be very careful when choosing his contracts, go back to more assassinations, or find a situation similar to the one he stumbled into.

    Or, he could try to leave on his own. The thought had kicked up once in a while in the back of his mind well before this journey through Gheny. He felt it wasn¡¯t possible, not without the support of trusted friends who wanted to fight for his freedom as much as he wanted to. He missed his friendship with Al. He also missed the future he had promised him, something that Raulin had thought of daily since that walk from Kinuestra to Cataya. He¡¯d begun filling in the details, putting his own mind to the problem. He realized he¡¯d turned away from Arvarikor and he didn¡¯t want to go back.

    The ship anchored offshore and sent several boats to ferry the visitors. Raulin sat with several other passengers and waited until he felt the sliding crunch of sand on the boat¡¯s keel before standing. He waited until the ladies had disembarked first, then hopped onto the beach, sizing up the island. The sand was a toasty white with dark brown rocks lining the edge where glossy green bushes encroached. Palm trees swayed with the light breeze. Puffy white clouds, the bottoms flat and lined in silver, seemed to march towards them. This was going to be nice, he thought, though it could have been nicer.

    He waited until the other three landed and gathered to him. ¡°This is Laneleis Island. I plan on spending ¡¯til the end of the month here, then we¡¯ll make for Uilaida. Today is April the third; we¡¯ll meet back here on the morning of May the first.¡±

    He began to walk away when Al said, ¡°I thought you said you were going to pay for our vacations.¡±

    Without turning, he said, ¡°And I thought we were friends.¡±

    And since no one objected, he took the silence as confirmation.

    Raulin walked farther down the road until he felt it was safe, then ducked into the forest for a few minutes, waited for the foot traffic to pass, then took off his mask. He sighed in relief. Just one more spy contract in Hanala, then he would be free until he landed in Noh Amair at the end of the summer. He¡¯d likely be taking the southern route this time through the Empire, Br¡¯vani, and maybe Beroth. The thought couldn¡¯t disinterest him more and he promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t think about being a trirec for a solid four weeks.

    He took a moment to take off his boots and socks, too, and carried those as he continued onto the first village. The path had bricks laid out in the middle wide enough for a cart or carriage, but on either side were strips several feet wide of warm, white sand. Like him, the people avoided the middle and walked barefoot, taking their time lugging bags of food or cloths over their heads. He inhaled sharply: the tang of the sea, some tropical flower, dry vegetation in the form of reeds and grass on either side of the road. The ocean waves lapped at the shore not fifty feet from where he walked. The tension drained from him almost instantaneously.

    Lona Rui was the name of the first village, as a heavy-set woman with dark skin and long, long black hair told him. He inquired about whether this would be a good place to stay. She offered a few hotels and inns, but finally uttered a syllable of understanding when he described what he wanted in depth.

    ¡°Kila¡¯mauli,¡± she said, pointing down the road. ¡°This is where the very rich stay. There¡¯s a hotel with hot springs and sunken beds with sea sponges for straw. Quite luxurious.¡±

    He brightened. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, and bought one of her seashell necklaces. It would look good on Anla, he thought, then sighed, putting it in his knapsack.

    It was a few miles more, but he had no rush whatsoever. When he got hungry, he stopped at a stand and ate boiled and seasoned palm hearts and fried plantains. He took a nap on the beach. He¡¯d noticed the men of the island wore open or no shirts, so he took his off and journeyed north.

    There was no mistaking when he made it to Kila¡¯mauli. The road immediately turned from rough, cracked brick to higher quality tile in a herringbone pattern, still being swept with palm brooms by local children. The forest was thicker there and the town had cultivated it into something to be envied by the rich and noble houses of Gheny, bright pops of fuchsia and orange amid the deep greens and browns behind them. There was a fountain in the center that doubled as a water station for the travel weary. Both in the native language, in some hybrid of Kintanese and Br¡¯vani, and in Ghenian, signs pointed to various restaurants, hotels, inns, and buildings. The businesses had added a description below pointing out their highlights.

    There was a path bracketed by two large stones carved to look like nautilus shells. The sign that pointed up read ¡°Kaisara Mai¡±, which he guessed meant ¡°shell bed¡±. This was likely the one the woman spoke of, since it boasted hot springs on property. He took a deep breath and began walking.

    He remembered to put his shirt and boots back on before entering the main house. The lady at the front desk, deeply tanned and darkly featured, smiled at him. ¡°Reservation?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything open for a long stay?¡±

    ¡°Let me see,¡± she said, peering down at the desk. ¡°How long were you looking at?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Til May 1<sup>st</sup>, ideally.¡±

    She flipped the pages back and forth a few times. ¡°It looks like we do have a room available, but nothing past that point. I¡¯ll put you and your spouse down?¡±

    ¡°Just me,¡± he said. ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°Ten gold per night,¡± she said, not looking up from her scribbling.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    He inhaled sharply, then reminded himself that he had worked hard all year so he could enjoy a chunk of time without any care, and that often came at a steep price. Long-term stays in Gheny generally asked for fifty percent upfront, so he doled out one hundred and forty gold. She took the money with a smile, then called for another woman to take him to his room. She was far prettier and gave him suggestive looks while walking him across the main house and outside. He considered, but anything with her wasn¡¯t something he wanted at least in that moment.

    She took him outside and showed him all the amenities on the grounds, pointing out the hot springs before showing him to his room. It was in a building with three other rooms, the door opening up to a half-level staircase that led to a platform with a sunken bed. ¡°We get heavy rains sometimes, so it¡¯s beneficial to keep as much as possible off the ground.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, looking into the bed. The four corners had poles that supported mosquito netting that pinned to the floor. Inside was a large square sunken in with a mound of sponges for bedding.

    ¡°If this is uncomfortable, we can provide a feather mattress that fits.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try this,¡± he said. He sniffed the air and noted that the sponges must have been lightly scented with something to mask any brackish smell. ¡°Where is the bar?¡±

    ¡°We have two: one by the hot springs and the other in the dining hall.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said and she left. The center of his room was tall, which allowed for him to stand without crouching. In the back was a sliding window that he opened to let the breeze clear the room. He had a private, walled garden with a small, raised patio and a table to take breakfast at. There were four chairs, a reminder of what his vacation should look like.

    After hanging and putting away his clothes, he went to the dining hall for dinner. Most of the folks eating were middle aged or older couples on a holiday and he stuck out like a tree fallen across a derby track. His meal was light, since a heavy meal would impede what he was going to do tonight. It had been almost a year and he was still going to keep with tradition, after all.

    He bought a bottle of rum, followed a path to the beach, and got sozzled while he waited for the waning gibbous moon to rise. Normally he¡¯d take this time to have one night where he forgot about everything, all the killing he¡¯d done and the pain he¡¯d brought people. Instead, he blacked out, waking every so often and dying a little inside when she wasn¡¯t in his arms.

    And since he both hated and loved the experience, he repeated it twice more. He awoke, swallowed whatever was left in his bottle, went back to the inn to actually try to make himself presentable, drank one of the tastier mixed drinks until sundown, then started again. He knew it wasn¡¯t doing him any good, but there were so few places that he felt almost safe enough to break one of the hard laws of Arvarikor.

    After the third night, he awoke and decided it had been enough. He found the hot springs, soaked in the waters until his hangover was mostly gone, then went to his room for his exercises. He wondered if Al was still practicing with his ax.

    After breakfast he took a long walk and explored everything on the grounds but found himself drawn again to the beach until it began to pour. He stayed, soaked through by the warm rain, trying not to think about the things alcohol had stopped. He¡¯d liked having friends. He missed them. He missed Anla.

    He wiped his face. He was brooding. He hated brooding. Such a waste of time when he could be figuring what he wanted to do and how he was going to do it. What he had done in Riyala was wrong. He knew that. So, he needed to apologize. He¡¯d find them and say he was sorry, especially to Anla. He should have done it on the ferry ride over, just made them listen. He needed to tell her about the deal he¡¯d made with Arvarikor, that hopefully the country¡¯s finest would be looking out for her brother. She didn¡¯t need to be mad at him anymore and maybe things could return to normal. Or at least in a better direction.

    That evening there were musicians playing a concert. In another mood, Raulin might have enjoyed the performance, but since everyone at the resort would be there, he took the opportunity to soak in the hot springs alone. Someone had carved seats into the rocks and he had found one that fit his height, allowing him to lean back so that his neck was cradled in a hollow. He watched the light of the sconces also carved from the rock play strangely on the mist rising from the hot water before soaking a cloth and placing it over his face and loose hair.

    Some fifteen minutes later he heard someone wading in the water. They didn¡¯t come close to him, but did stop nearby. He lifted a corner of the cloth to see who was there.

    Before him, nude and looking up at the giant rock that blocked the view of the entrance, was Anladet. It was a knife twist and a breathtaking awe all at once. What was she doing there? Whatever her motives, he realized he had a chance to amend things finally. ¡°Mezzem,¡± he said cordially, pulling the cloth off his face.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if she heard him, since she didn¡¯t say anything in return. And on some level that was fine; he took the opportunity to gaze at her. She stood in profile, wearing the misty waters like a low-slung, silvery skirt that covered just the tops of her legs down. While still quite slender, she looked healthier than when he had first seen her bathing in the river all those months ago. There were fewer ribs visible, her collarbones was smoother, and her hip bones didn¡¯t jut out as much. She pushed her hands slowly through the top layer of the water, ¡°finding the silk¡± as she had once told him she called it.

    After a few minutes, she finally turned towards him and met his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wondered,¡± she said.

    ¡°And what¡¯s that, mezzem?¡±

    ¡°You said you would seduce women to get information. How would you do that?¡±

    Oh. He sighed and slunk back, putting the cloth over his head again. So, that¡¯s why she was here, to give him a morality lesson. ¡°Very carefully,¡± he said.

    ¡°I suppose so. It just never made sense to me that a woman would want that¡­¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. Oh. He had been right about her experiences, then. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a morality lesson. ¡°I¡¯d hold a conversation with them,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how talking with a woman would get her to-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m using a metaphor,¡± he interrupted, ¡°though sometimes it was a simple as talking and listening. It¡¯s surprising how sometimes that¡¯s all a woman wants. But, usually, it was an exchange, so to speak. When a man talks to a woman, sometimes he doesn¡¯t know how to be anything but boorish. Or maybe he doesn¡¯t care. He¡¯ll talk about whatever he wants and talk until he¡¯s said what he wants, never letting the woman speak about what interests her. Most women have passions and would love to talk about them, but they only converse with men who don¡¯t know to ask her about them. I¡¯m rather good at conversation. So, when I want to know something, I make sure they get to speak. And often times, within that conversation, they¡¯re willing to spill their secrets.¡±

    She paused to take that in. He doubted she understood, but he wasn¡¯t about to explain it in any more detail. He was stretching his legs when she said, ¡°What if I had a secret?¡±

    He stopped, stunned. No, she definitely didn¡¯t know she was asking him. That whole explanation must have flown right past her. But¡­but what if it hadn¡¯t? What if she did know? He took the cloth off again and looked at her. She was watching him, waiting for him to move.

    It was going to end badly, but in the slight chance it wasn¡¯t, he had to try. He stood and walked slowly towards her. She didn¡¯t say anything, only watched him with those uptilted, wild eyes of her, fringed thickly in dark lashes. When he finally stood in front of her, he leaned down and kissed her. And he waited. She was going to tense, to pull away, to slap him. When she didn¡¯t, he ended the kiss to see what her reaction was. And he was shocked when she stood on her tiptoes and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that,¡± into his ear.

    She did know. She knew exactly what she was doing. And while that dazed a good portion of his mind, he found that he didn¡¯t need to use that part of him any more. He kissed her with greater passion that she matched, pulling him close while he walked her back to the edge of the springs to an embankment of soft grass. He was patient and slow. He had, after all, been waiting for a very long time for this to happen and he wasn¡¯t going to rush the enjoyment. He made sure she understood exactly what he had been inferring earlier. And when he finished, he picked his head up from next to hers and kissed her just as deeply as he had, loving every moment she kissed him back, her fingers wrapped in his hair.

    He moved next to her and continued to catch his breath. This was it, then? She had forgiven him? Or maybe she was apologizing in her own way. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. How quickly the day had changed.

    The words he¡¯d wanted to say for months were on his lips when a thought crept into his mind. What if this wasn¡¯t what he thought it was? Why would a woman who had hated him suddenly wish to tumble with him? He closed his mouth. There were a few, but one sprung to mind. He stood, leaving Anla laying on the grass, and left the springs without saying another word.

 Chapter 228

    ¡°Alpine, you see comfortable.¡±

    Al looked up from his book and saw Telbarisk crouching down next to him. ¡°I am. How are you doing? Are you too hot?¡±

    ¡°It is a bit warm for my comfort, but I¡¯m doing well. I¡¯ve never seen you unclothed as much as you are.¡±

    Al looked down. He was wearing loose fitting trousers and his shirt was open in the front. ¡°The locals all dress like this. I think it¡¯s too hot for them to dress like they would in New Wextif.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay if I don¡¯t wear clothing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s¡­wait. You still have to wear pants. There¡¯s never a point when you can¡¯t wear pants.¡±

    ¡°But, I can take my shirt off?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And your shoes.¡±

    Telbarisk grinned and threw off his shirt. He looked down again. ¡°What are you reading?¡±

    Al turned the book so he could read the title. ¡°It¡¯s a secondary source about trirecs. This man supposedly spent time with one who was dying and he gave up a bunch of secrets. It¡¯s likely complete fiction, and I¡¯ve noticed quite a few errors, but it¡¯s interesting.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like what you normally read.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Kiesh the Black or an alley novel. But, I found this and thought it might help me figure out some better way of getting Raulin out of Arvarikor.¡±

    Telbarisk¡¯s smile started with his eyes. ¡°I had worried that you wouldn¡¯t want to help him anymore.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still upset with him. He needs to apologize to Anla and start treating her better. I mean, you¡¯d think he¡¯d treat her the best since he loves her and all. But, even if he doesn¡¯t apologize, I think this is the right thing to do. He obviously wants to leave and it would be better for a lot of people if he did.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said dejectedly. ¡°I still don¡¯t have enough information. But, I¡¯m going to keep trying.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tel said.

    * * *

    The more Raulin thought about it, the more he was sure he was right. It was revenge, plain and simple. Despite how loud Anla had protested that she would never get even with anyone ever again, Raulin knew all too well that everyone had their breaking point. This, apparently, had been hers.

    Her plan, he surmised, was to seduce Raulin in hopes that he would fall in love with her. Then, when she had him wound around her little finger, sometime right before the chalice spell was finished, she would break his heart. There were many ways that could go, but he suspected she would find some man to bring to her room so that Raulin could catch her, followed by how Raulin had been so unsatisfying and boring that she¡¯d had to find someone else. It had a certain poetic justice to it. It made sense.

    Raulin almost grabbed another bottle of rum for the beach, but instead headed to his room. It was fine to drink to excess once in a while, but not four nights in a row. He had to handle that piece of information in miserable sobriety. How happy he had been for such a brief amount of time.

    The bed was rather comfortable. He pulled the satin sheet over himself and stared above at how the netting collected like a star. He sighed. She had been so beautiful, so incredible. How many times had he thought about it, playing that scene over in his mind? How much time had he spent yearning for her, waiting and hoping?

    He shook his head sadly and cut off his brooding. This was another contract, he decided. He was hiring himself to withstand this campaign of hers. He would avoid her. He would say ¡®no¡¯ to any offers in the future. He would be polite, but he would not stand for her to do this to him.

    It was a solid plan that helped him sleep easier. He awoke, did his exercises, ate breakfast, explored Kila¡¯mauli and spoke with some townsfolk, walked the beach, and finally ate a wonderful dinner of roast chicken with an orange glaze. He walked the beach again, collecting a few shells along the way, and retired to his room.

    There was someone there waiting. He put the shells down on the cabinet at the top of the stairs and quietly tried to peer through the netting. The figure was sitting in the bed, her arms resting on the edge as she looked out the open window. Since he doubted there was more than one woman with pointed helices on Laneleis, it had to be Anla. She was being more daring.

    This was a test, then. He disrobed and sank into the bed, ignoring her. This revenge of hers wasn¡¯t going to work if he didn¡¯t participate. He would treat it as a mistake, a regret. He would turn this upside-down on her.

    But, there she was, so breathtaking even when she was just watching the sun set. His hand reached out to touch her back. He paused for a moment, warning himself against this. She would win if he let his needs take over. After a few aching moments, he sighed internally and let her win. When his fingertips touched her skin, she didn¡¯t startle away, instead arching into his touch with a gasp. His hand slid up and over her shoulder, his lips touched her neck. It felt natural, like a well-worn river cutting through a glen. It felt amazing. It felt right.

    She was gone when he awoke the next morning, though he remembered her falling asleep in his arms. He brought his hands to his face. What was he going to do? Once was forgivable in this game, twice was far from just a mistake. She had him. If only she knew she¡¯d always had him. He realized he couldn¡¯t say ¡°no¡± if this happened again. He¡¯d continue to fall into this trap.

    It didn¡¯t have to be over, he decided. Would revenge taste as sweet if she didn¡¯t hate him as much, if he apologized and told her about his deal with the Cumber, if he promised to leave then and there to find Garlin?

    He didn¡¯t see her all that day and he wondered if she changed her mind. She wasn¡¯t waiting in his bed when he went to sleep. It was when he began to doze off that he was pulled back to consciousness by the smell of the perfume he¡¯d gotten her. He opened his eyes and saw her looking down at him, wearing only the necklace he¡¯d given her for her birthday. He reached for her, drawing her mouth to his, holding her as tightly as he dared. It wasn¡¯t the time to discuss things and he fell asleep shortly after their tryst, so his words were unspoken. She was there when he awoke and he began a polite conversation while he exercised and she laid in bed. When she didn¡¯t respond, he looked in and found she was already gone.

    And it was the same for the rest of the month. At some point she¡¯d find him and they would entangle themselves after a look or a few silent moments. They¡¯d find some creative bolt to spend their passions. He¡¯d kiss her, try to start a conversation, then be disappointed when she¡¯d startle away.

    His disappointment wasn¡¯t just because his plan was failing. He had considered this the most delicious kind of torture he¡¯d ever had, an inverse of the normal where he was blissfully happy while it was happening and aching for it in the hours between. And ¡°aching¡± was such a flat word to describe what he felt. It was anguish and need and desperate pleading with himself to do what he needed to in order to stop those interim times and make her his somehow. He¡¯d take the Cumber¡¯s deal, or Al¡¯s plan, if only she¡¯d talk to him and see that he couldn¡¯t stand life anymore without her.

    The month ended with painfully shy progress and he kicked himself for it. They had gotten to small talk, maybe a little further. He¡¯d given her the seashell necklace and she thanked him, putting it on immediately. But then he¡¯d kissed her neck and the conversation had halted. There had been one other time where she had laid next to him on the beach and they had talked about cloud shapes for a few minutes before she had carefully moved a piece of his hair out of his eye and looked at him for a few moments before kissing him. It was moments like those that made him second guess himself and hope that he had been wrong.

    He donned his mask again and met the group back at the wharf. As they waited for the ferry to come for Uilaida, he realized it wasn¡¯t just Anla he was having trouble speaking to. It was like an invisible hand was around his throat, stopping him from speaking. He cleared his throat and they turned to look at him. ¡°I, uh, wanted to apologize. For Riyala and anything else I might have done to cause you pain or your ire.¡±

    Al gave him a cool gaze, a nod, then looked away at the sea. Anla met his eyes for a moment, then looked away. Tel smiled at him, then moved closer to him.

    ¡°You look well, Raulin,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you had a good holiday.¡±

    ¡°I did. I hope yours was nice as well.¡±

    They chatted about what Tel had learned about Ervaskin and how he had gotten a bad sunburn the first day. He¡¯d spent most of his time in the thicker parts of the forest, eating what food was available.

    ¡°I should have given you money, Tel. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No need. I only needed a little and Alpine gave it to me.¡±

    The ferry arrived shortly thereafter and it took the rest of the day to arrive at Uilaida, the largest island in Genale. It would take them the better part of a week to travel to Aparista, the northernmost city that would allow them to take a ship to Miscomme, Hanala, or New Wextif.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Raulin sat on a wooden chair and spoke with Tel, trying to glean something about what Anla was doing. A confirmation would help immensely, but the grivven grew obviously uncomfortable every time the conversation swayed to Anla. ¡°She has had a lot to think about¡± and ¡°change takes a lot of strength¡± were the most concrete answers he got from him.

    At least Telbarisk was back to being friendly with him. His next course was to work on the wizard, who had picked up his stilted attitude back at the wharf. He tried small talk to no avail. He even tried striking up a conversation about alley novels. While Al wasn¡¯t rude, he wasn¡¯t forthcoming with his answers.

    They landed in Pies¡¯rael just before dinner. They traveled up the main road a few miles and struck camp. Once things were settled, Anla announced that she was going to go for a walk. The look she gave Raulin suggested he would be very foolish not to follow her. He waited until Al was distracted, then left, doffing his mask at the first opportunity.

    ¡°Anla?¡± He didn¡¯t see her until she moved out from behind a tree.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± she said.

    He obeyed, an amused smile on his face. When fabric was placed in his hand, he opened his eyes and looked down. It was her traveling tunic. He looked up and around and spotted her down the deer trail a ways, understanding the game immediately and running to catch her. Maybe the apology had helped.

    She was seriously benefited by her upbringing, but Raulin hoped the game didn¡¯t involve him actually catching her or else he¡¯d never win. He slid through underbrush, wet from recent rains, over rich, brown dirt, past large, green leaves. He lost her at one point until her skirt fell onto his shoulder from a nearby tree. She took off again, laughing as she ran naked through the forest.

    He was close and so he picked up the pace. He could almost reach out and touch her. And he just about did, but his height disadvantaged him. She had ducked underneath a thorny vine that he walked right into, slashing his forehead painfully. Raulin stopped and sucked in a breath, touching his fingertips to the wound and bringing them back red.

    She turned back and her grin dropped. ¡°Raulin,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Got you.¡± He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

    She pulled back. ¡°Your face.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯re bleeding. Into your eye.¡±

    Yes, he had noticed that, having closed it. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    She grabbed her clothes and put them back on. ¡°You need to take care of that.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± he began, then stopped when he realized he was whining.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Al.¡±

    ¡°I doubt he wants to help me. And I¡¯m fine.¡± He followed her, putting his mask on. The moment was ruined, but at least he¡¯d gotten a conversation out of her. ¡°Hey, um, you know I¡¯m sorry about Riyala, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°I was in the wrong and I behaved very poorly.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    That was all he could say. She wasn¡¯t inviting conversation about it, so he felt that saying any more would be like flogging a clean carpet. It didn¡¯t feel like things were back to normal, though. One step at a time, he told himself. This was discussion in a good direction. If only he could deal with this cut, which had already begun to itch.

    * * *

    At this point, Al was merely keeping his promise, though he didn¡¯t want to. He wanted things to go back the way they were, back when they had come together to take out Cove. He¡¯d been so incredibly warm then, accomplished, happy, and with three friends who had supported him and cared.

    Now, things felt¡­broken. Yes, Raulin had apologized, Anla seemed to accept it, but Al only wondered when it would happen again. And he hated seeing Anla so hurt.

    He sighed and sat next to Telbarisk. ¡°Should I forgive Raulin and forget?¡±

    Tel turned to face him. ¡°Those are two very different things.¡±

    ¡°Well, forgive him, then.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel he¡¯s wronged you?¡±

    Al thought about this for a moment. ¡°I want to say ¡®no¡¯, but it¡¯s ¡®yes¡¯. I set down a law. He agreed to it. He broke that law. He should be punished. The person it concerns doesn¡¯t seem that bothered by it. I think that I may be upset because he crossed my line.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he understands that?¡±

    ¡°I can tell he¡¯s been trying to make peace with me.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should talk with him about what you told me.¡±

    Which was a good idea, Al thought, until he tried. But, Raulin was suddenly irritable, constantly squeezing his fists and pounding them into the loamy soil. He paced and muttered under his breath. Neither Anla nor Tel commented on this, preferring to stare into the fire.

    Something had happened that day, but Al couldn¡¯t figure it out. So, he left Raulin alone, wondering why no one was talking about it. Anla kept staring at Raulin, looking away when he turned. Raulin kept swearing under his breath. Telbarisk remained neutral. There was a time when they spoke to each other about these things. Some quick admonishment or teasing would get them through this. Now, it was as if they didn¡¯t even know each other.

    Al could fix this. It was him, after all, that people were waiting on. So, he tried engaging in conversation with Raulin a few times, but his terrible mood persisted into the next day. They all ate their meals in sullen silence, taking to the road again in haste. The trirec continued to ball his fists and swear under his breath.

    Without any camaraderie, there wasn¡¯t a need to linger after breakfast. Al finished his exercises, ate quickly, and helped pack up. They went back to the road.

    Anla eventually moved next to Raulin, getting his attention.

    ¡°What?¡± he snapped, and she moved back. He took in a slow breath. ¡°Sorry. What?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you can talk to Al about healing your forehead. It seems bad.¡±

    ¡°Like he¡¯d do that.¡±

    Anla turned to address everyone. ¡°Let¡¯s break for lunch.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only been walking for an hour,¡± Raulin growled.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said and moved off the road. Raulin sighed and followed her.

    They put down their packs and sat facing each other until Raulin stood and stomped off into the woods. ¡°Al, could you please heal him?¡± Anla asked.

    Al¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°He¡¯s hurt? Is that why he¡¯s in a bad mood?¡±

    ¡°He has a cut on his forehead that¡¯s bothering him quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°That means he has to take off his mask. And we know he won¡¯t do that around me.¡±

    ¡°If he says ¡®yes¡¯, will you, please? For me, then. I¡¯ll owe you a favor.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®for you¡¯?¡± His eyebrows knitted together and then it dawned on him. ¡°Wait, are you two¡­intimate?¡±

    She smoothed out her skirts. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your concern, but yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s¡­disappointing, seeing as how he was an utter ass to you.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I know what I¡¯m doing, I hope. Please?¡±

    He sighed and threw up his arms. ¡°Fine.¡±

    Raulin returned a few minutes later. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this anymore. Wizard, I know you don¡¯t care much for me right now, but will you heal this damned gash?¡±

    He twisted his mouth to the side. Anla had forgiven Raulin. Tel didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with him. It was time to admit that the insult needed to pass and that they could move forward. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, pulling his pack in front of him. ¡°I need to see how your skin is knitting, so that means you have to take off your mask.¡±

    ¡°Whatever will make this stop. It¡¯s worth the risk,¡± he mumbled.

    Al stopped and looked at him. ¡°What risk, though? Do you think that after all this time I¡¯d turn you in?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not exactly happy with me right now.¡±

    ¡°No, but that wouldn¡¯t be justified. Look, I know that you know that what you¡¯re doing is wrong. You don¡¯t enjoy it. You¡¯ve shown me that over the last year. You picked helpful contracts when you could. You don¡¯t take pride in killing or stealing. When you can do good, you do it and you are pleased to do it. I think that¡¯s the biggest point I¡¯m trying to make: you have taken a bad situation that you have little control over and distilled whatever good was possible and did it. You are a force, but you¡¯re also a man, and no man is perfect, not even I.¡±

    Pleased smiles grew on Anla and Tel¡¯s faces. Raulin said, ¡°Well, I guess I couldn¡¯t ask for a better guarantee. Thank you, Wizard.¡±

    Raulin wiggled off his mask and set it aside, giving Al a curious look. Al laughed. ¡°Why does everyone laugh at me when I do this?¡± he said with a scoff.

    ¡°In the beginning, you always told me how ugly you were. Ritualistic scarring, broken nose, pockmarked. I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, since your skin from your nose down was clear, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be comely. It¡¯s funny to me. And also, I probably wouldn¡¯t have taken orders from someone who looked so boyish, so maybe that was a good call.¡±

    Anla began giggling, hiding it as well as she could behind her hand.

    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, you made the right call. I can see that your cut is infected. Without treatment, you might have gotten a fever or worse. Tel? Can you get that salve we got from Mount Kalista?¡±

    Raulin laid his head down on Al¡¯s pack. ¡°Anla,¡± Al asked, ¡°can you get a clean cloth and wet it with fresh water?¡±

    She handed him what he needed and he gently wiped away the crusted blood and pus from the wound. He dabbed the salve over it, then placed his hand on Raulin¡¯s forearm. Raulin immediately took in a deep, ragged breath and closed his eyes.

    The angry pink skin around the gash began to reduce in minutes and the cut scabbed over. That was a bit faster than Al was expecting, but not atypical for Raulin. It was also appreciated. Healing wasn¡¯t a fast process and anything that reduced the time was relieving.

    Still, even though it was insisted by Amandorlam that you paid attention to your clients and be present with them, Al¡¯s mind wandered. He checked the cut occasionally, but in between he noticed that something was nagging at him. He had that egg shell in the whites feeling, like being called on in school and not knowing the answer, even though he knew the material. What was it? he asked himself, looking around. Were they in a familiar place? Was there some sort of danger lurking nearby?

    No, he realized, looking again at Raulin¡¯s face. He looked familiar.

    Maybe he had seen him somewhere without his mask. That must be it, he thought, but he couldn¡¯t think of a single time when he might have seen him, not even with Anla. He was waiting for that click to happen in his mind.

    He looked up again. The wound was healing nicely. Raulin lifted his hand to itch it and Al caught his wrist. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just don¡¯t touch it. Your skin is fragile right now.¡±

    Raulin had a beauty mark under his left eye and an old wound next to his right. Those were fine. The chin scar didn¡¯t fit, he decided. ¡°When did you get this?¡± he asked, flicking his fingernail over it.

    ¡°When I was at Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t be able to heal it, then.¡±

    ¡°S¡¯okay. It¡¯s old.¡±

    So, this familiarity Al had was when Raulin was younger. Impossible. Raulin grew up in Noh Amair and Al didn¡¯t think he was lying about that. There was no way for Al to have seen Raulin as a child. But, there was a partial click. That was a satisfying answer, so he explored it a little further.

    Something dark and still. He pictured Raulin¡¯s face as something softer, his eyes staring right at Al. His hair was cut short and lighter, blond. He began filling in some details. This boy was about nine and was dressed far more seriously than he should have been, in some fitted, elaborate uniform. His hand was resting on the shoulder of someone¡­

    Ah, a portrait! But, why would he have seen Raulin¡¯s portrait? And who else was in that painting?

    Then, in a flash, he saw the whole thing. Raulin¡¯s arm resting softly on the shoulder of his beautiful mother, who was seated with her hands in her lap, her blond hair curled, her neck adorned with gold and jewels. He remembered staring at the deep blue and green of the cabochons, wondering how the painter had captured them so perfectly. At her knee were two younger girls, Raulin¡¯s sisters, one blond like him and the other with dark brown hair, both in frilly, ribboned dresses. To his mother¡¯s right stood her husband and Raulin¡¯s older brother, both severe with black hair and dark eyes.

    And atop his parents¡¯ heads sat crowns.

    Al¡¯s body felt both hot and cold at the same time. His hand shook. He felt his lip quiver as he scurried away, a wave of nausea and faintness taking over.

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. I feel a lot better now that¡­¡± Raulin opened his eyes and saw Al. And while Al¡¯s mind kept saying, no, it can¡¯t be, this is not real, this isn¡¯t happening, the look on Raulin¡¯s face sealed his conclusion. Raulin wasn¡¯t confused or annoyed or amused by Al¡¯s reaction.

    He was scared.

    ¡°Wizard, wait¡­¡± he began, reaching out to assure him.

    Al stood, feeling like he was about to vomit ice water. And, as he had always said he would, he clasped his left shoulder, bowed at the waist, and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m yours.¡±

 Chapter 229

    There was silence. It felt like it traveled throughout the group into the landscape, quieting birds and rodents as they also took notice of his promise. Al continued to stand in ceremony, bowed, in a strange purgatory where he wanted it to be true, but not, he wanted to know, but didn¡¯t. His fingers began to curl and claw into his shoulder as he waited.

    ¡°Al, what do you mean?¡± Anla asked quietly.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re acting a bit stranger than normal,¡± Raulin agreed, ¡°though I suppose I¡¯ll take all the help I can get.¡±

    Al finally looked up, feeling a bit foolish, but ultimately confident in his discovery. He turned to Anla, pointing at Raulin, and said, ¡°He¡¯s Caudin Alscaine.¡±

    She blinked. ¡°The dead Arvonnese prince?¡±

    Raulin laughed. ¡°Wizard! I warned you not to read all those alley novels. Now your brain has rotted and you¡¯re seeing things that can¡¯t be. Preposterous.¡±

    Anla didn¡¯t laugh. In fact, she was frowning and her eyebrows were knitted together. ¡°Is it true?¡±

    Raulin rolled his eyes. ¡°You believe him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I believe him, but I know that you were lying when you said it was preposterous.¡±

    ¡°Well, I suppose it could be, then. Yes, why not? Maybe the prince could have survived and he¡¯s somewhere out there,¡± he said, waving distractedly. He turned to Al and said, ¡°Wizard, let¡¯s you and I go for a walk. Maybe I can help you clear your mind of the odd fantasies playing in your mind.¡±

    He started to stand when Anla said, ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    He smiled and turned to her, looking away when he saw the intense expression on her face. He rubbed his palms on his pants, laughed once, and shook his head at the silliness of the situation. Finally, his humor fell and he clenched his jaw before growling. ¡°Damn you, Wizard! You couldn¡¯t leave well enough alone!¡± He tented his hands in front of face.

    ¡°It¡¯s true?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, moving his hands away. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m¡­yes.¡±

    It was at this point that Al¡¯s legs could no longer support him. He fell into a genuflection, which was a position he was pleased to be in at that moment. Anla¡¯s hand slowly covered her mouth. Telbarisk grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Al. It was never a lack of trust. I just figured that if there was one person in this world who could somehow know who I was, it would be you. I had hoped that you wouldn¡¯t, though.¡±

    ¡°S¡­sorry, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Stop kneeling.¡± Al collapsed so that he was sitting. ¡°All right, then,¡± Raulin said to no one. ¡°There, now, it¡¯s done. My worst nightmare is realized and there¡¯s not much I can do about that.¡± He sighed loudly and looked up. ¡°We¡¯ll have to move on from this point. We¡¯re going to go back to the road and continue walking north. Once we leave this forest, we are never, ever going to speak of this again.¡±

    ¡°You have to go back,¡± Al said, his voice warbling.

    ¡°What?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°To Arvonne. You have to go back and take the throne.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± he responded.

    ¡°You do! Your people are suffering.¡±

    ¡°They are not my people.¡±

    ¡°They are! You are destined to be their king!¡±

    ¡°I will never do that.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Because they killed my family!¡± The forest around them actually grew quiet as birds startled away from the sound. Raulin drew in a few heavy breaths. ¡°If you think I would go back and help those vile murderers, you¡¯re insane. I¡¯m glad! I¡¯m so very happy they¡¯re suffering!¡±

    ¡°But, that¡¯s millions of people¡­¡±

    ¡°So what? Do you know what they did to my little sister, Petulet? They stabbed her fifteen times. She was five years old! Can you imagine what her last thoughts were as they killed her? My older brother, they taunted him. Eight of them fought against him. He killed two before being run through by three epees. Those people? You want me to go back and lead those people?¡±

    Al¡¯s hands clenched his head. ¡°But, it was only two thousand that took the palace! There were millions of people who didn¡¯t want that. Caudin, you have to understand that-¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± he snarled.

    ¡°You have to understand that the Arvonnese didn¡¯t want the Coup, didn¡¯t support it, and still don¡¯t. They-¡±

    ¡°They can rot for all I care. Listen to me very carefully. I¡¯m not going back. I am never going back. If you bring this up again, Wizard, I will have to-¡±

    The two of them looked over as Anla ran into the woods. ¡°Anla?¡± Raulin stood, his mood changed from hostility to concern in a heartbeat. He looked back at Al. ¡°Don¡¯t move until I get back,¡± he said, then followed Anla.

    Al looked at Tel in a daze. ¡°How are you so calm? Do you understand what just happened?¡±

    ¡°Raulin finally admitted to his past.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Finally¡¯? Wait, did you know?¡±

    Tel shook his head. ¡°I suspected. Raulin never told me anything save what he told you and Anla. Among what I could gather, there were too many things that added up to him being someone of importance. We already knew he was a hayinfal. I never really believed that his current path was going to lead him to the conclusion that he needed.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hayinfal! Yes! He needs to go back to Arvonne and take the throne. This is what the gods want him to do. Oh, Kriskin malor,¡± he said, slapping his hand over his mouth, ¡°that¡¯s why¡­that¡¯s why the chalice chose us. The gods put us in his path to help support him to get back Arvonne. How¡­how do you get a hayinfal to take a hold of his destiny?¡±

    Tel shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t. They must realize what they must do in their own time.¡±

    Al¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°But, he needs to go back.¡±

    ¡°He has had the choice available to him ever since he was spirited from the country. I¡¯m sure feeling alone and unsure of who his allies would be are large reasons why he hasn¡¯t returned, but this comes down to his anger at his people. You¡¯ve known how he¡¯s felt since the first time you¡¯ve met him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not right, though! I¡¯ve read enough to know that it was just one thousand men that stormed the palace and killed the royal family. There may have been another thousand supporters, but that was it. It was definitely not the whole country. There are millions of people in Arvonne who wish they could get the monarchy back; the current system is crumbling and the people are starving. Why doesn¡¯t he understand that?¡±

    ¡°Because, he only sees red when he thinks about Arvonne. There is an obstacle in his path, just like you had for many things you¡¯ve changed your mind on.¡± Al sat back and thought for a few minutes. ¡°Alpine, I know that look in your eyes. You¡¯re trying to think of a way to get Raulin to change his mind.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember how you reacted whenever anyone tried to get you to change your mind, say about Raulin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d argue.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Raulin¡¯s way, but his usual course of action is also to brush off things that bother him. If he hasn¡¯t brushed this off, what do you think he¡¯d do?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d argue. He¡¯d fight. And, instead of giving in, he¡¯d do what he¡¯s done before: he¡¯d alienate whomever was becoming an enemy to him.¡±

    ¡°We have a gift, Alpine. We know him. We know how he¡¯ll respond to things. What he needs most in his life are not jailers, not guards, not seneschals, but friends. He needs people who will support him and give him a safe, comfortable place to perhaps change his mind. He will not do that if he feels yoked or threatened.

    ¡°You need to ask yourself which is more important to you: Arvonne or Raulin?¡±

    ¡°Raulin,¡± he answered, without hesitation.

    ¡°Then understand that being his friend may mean you never get to see him return to rule. Are you okay with that?¡±

    He took a few deep breaths. ¡°Honestly, no. But, it¡¯s something I can keep to myself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now,¡± Tel said.

    * * *

    When Anla didn¡¯t want to be found, she was good at hiding. It took whatever skills Raulin had learned from her to spot her light footprints, to see broken branches made when she had passed through in a rush. And finally, after twenty minutes, he found her.

    She was sitting at the base of a tree, crying, her shoulders heaving as she hugged her knees. He tried to recall when he had seen her cry. After her sister¡¯s rejection and¡­well, there had been no other times. He¡¯d seen tears of frustration and anger, sometimes because of him, but he¡¯d never seen her sob hysterically, like she was doing then.

    Since she didn¡¯t know he was there, he gathered his thoughts. He hated to do this, but he had a prime opportunity to spring her plot early. Her resources, at the bare minimum, were to have the strength to crush his heart. Right now she was vulnerable. If he forced her to talk early, to admit to what her plan was now, then a lot of the sting would be taken from the scheme.

    Raulin hesitated. He was already reeling from having his past exposed. Now he was going to have his heart crushed. He sighed and made his steps obvious. She looked up, hastily wiped away her tears, and plastered a smile on her face. ¡°Raulin. Just give me a few minutes and I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°No, I think we should talk,¡± he said, sitting not too far from her.

    ¡°Please,¡± she said, her head dropping. ¡°Just a few minutes.¡±

    It hurt to see her like this, but he had to do it. ¡°Why are you crying? Is it because I was so cruel to the Arvonnese?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Is it because of what you just heard?¡± She nodded. ¡°Is it because of your secret?¡± She wiped the tears with the backside of her arm and nodded.

    He took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get that disgusting little piece of information out into the open, shall we?¡± She looked up at him like she¡¯d been slapped across the face. He barged on, trying not to lose his will. ¡°I know what your secret is. I knew about it a half hour after you said you had one. You have a plan to seduce me, to make me fall in love with you, then enact some form of revenge by telling me how disgusting I am or having me catch you with another man.¡±

    She shook her head, her lip quivering.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe it came to this. We know each other. We¡¯ve been through so much together. I know I¡¯ve been awful to you. I am truly sorry about Iascond and Mount Kalista and Riyala, truly sorry. I¡¯ve been trying to talk with you for the last month about it, to apologize and begin to make up for it. I sincerely hate what I¡¯ve done to you. But, if this is what you want, to hurt me, to teach me a lesson, to¡­whatever it is you want to do, then I can¡¯t allow it. I won¡¯t let you do-¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Please stop,¡± she said, angrily slapping the tears away. ¡°That¡¯s not it at all.¡±

    ¡°Then what was it? You have something orchestrated.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right that I had a plan,¡± she said, her eyes meeting his fiercely. This was it, he thought. ¡°I did want to seduce you, to make you fall in love with me, but not because I wanted to get even with you. Why would you think I would do that?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s what most people would do? I¡¯m sorry, I get that what you went through was horrific, but I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t consider revenge in situations like the one we have. You¡¯ve lived on the streets for a long time. Revenge is a survival tactic.¡±

    She shook her head and sniffled. ¡°That¡¯s not true at all. When you¡¯re on the streets, you make yourself as small as possible until you can leave. You¡¯re a ghost, a puff of wind. If a man hurts you, you forget about it and you run. You can¡¯t afford to get back at someone, because they might in turn start a war with you, which may lead to your friends getting hurt. You don¡¯t get even, you get away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I think about it. I get angry. But, when I think of something like humiliating someone or making them hurt, it¡¯s like I¡¯m a glass with no bottom: all the water poured in just leaks out. Nothing stays. Yes, you¡¯ve hurt me, yes, I thought that maybe doing something in retaliation might make you stop and think twice about doing something like that again in the future. But, I never get past the pain. I get sick in my stomach and I think about Analussia. And then, it¡¯s gone, and I think it¡¯s better to just hide.¡±

    Raulin blinked a few times. ¡°So, what is this about, then? Why did you suddenly decide to start sleeping with me after months of coyly keeping me at a distance?¡±

    ¡°We have so little time¡­¡± she whispered and looked down. ¡°I thought that if you loved me, you¡¯d take me with you when you left for Noh Amair.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked, hoping against hope.

    A single tear ran down her cheek. ¡°I know you don¡¯t love me like I love you. I know you don¡¯t understand how I can no longer live without you. I thought that maybe with some time you¡¯d come to see me more that what you do now, that if we were closer then you¡¯d see something in me worthy of loving.¡± She sucked in a ragged breath. ¡°I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d marry me. I¡¯d hoped that you¡¯d turn to me one day and say that you¡¯d decided I could follow you in your contracts or that we¡¯d find a house somewhere, like your mentor had done with his wife and child. And that was possible, until I learned you were a prince. Now¡­¡± Two fresh tears ran down the already present tracks. ¡°Now it¡¯s all over. So, please, let me be in peace for a few minutes more and I¡¯ll go back to the group and we can do whatever you want.¡±

    It took him a few moments to take in everything she had just said. He rubbed his mouth for a moment, then said, ¡°How could I have made such a mess of all this? I was so sure you hated me. And I deserved it, too.¡±

    He moved closer and tipped her chin up with his finger, but she still kept her eyes low. ¡°Anla, look at me.¡± She did. ¡°I have always loved you. We left Carvek with me completely smitten with you and I have only grown to love you more. I should have said this a long time ago, but it was never the right time, and I didn¡¯t want any strangeness while we so close, and I was afraid I was¡­I was afraid. I was deeply petrified that you were going to say you weren¡¯t interested in me and I was going to have to spend the rest of our year together mending a broken heart.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say I haven¡¯t loved other women, but I can easily say that I¡¯ve never, ever loved someone as deeply as I love you. And, unfortunately, a burning jealousy that I didn¡¯t know how to handle came with that. I am so sorry about the pain that I caused you, but I found I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of the woman I loved with someone else and it caused me to say and do some pretty terrible things.¡±

    ¡°You love me?¡± she whispered, her eyes wide.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He pulled her towards him and they kissed. He held her and wiped away her remaining tears. ¡°Now, ainle, if you¡¯re willing to accept a man with a little bit of money and not a lot of skill as a husband, I would like to offer myself. We¡¯ll move to Aviz. I¡¯ll have to learn a new trade, since I won¡¯t be a trirec anymore, but I believe that place is ripe with opportunities.¡±

    Though her mouth was open, she still smiled. ¡°You¡¯re quitting?¡±

    ¡°Al has hatched some plan. It needs a lot of work, but it might get me out. I told him that if you loved me, I¡¯d leave and start a new life with you.¡±

    She laughed. ¡°He knew?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even Al figured it out. Tel knew, um, from right before he got sick. Teased me occasionally about it. Now, I don¡¯t have a ring to give you, but would you like to get married?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    He stood. ¡°Shall we go tell them, then?¡± he asked, grasping her wrist.

    She pulled him back down. ¡°We don¡¯t have to tell them immediately.¡±

    ¡°You know, you are absolutely right,¡± he said.

    * * *

    Some time later, the two made their way back to the clearing, spending a good amount of time brushing dirt off their clothes and picking leaves out of each others hair. Raulin¡¯s hair was loose with a small braid twisting his hair off his left side. ¡°You know, I do have one question,¡± Raulin asked. ¡°Why did you always spirit off after our encounters? I would¡¯ve liked to talk with you.¡±

    ¡°I thought that¡¯s all you wanted from me.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows and tipped his head at her. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I slept next to you at night, courted you for months. It was because I wanted the thing you weren¡¯t giving me, not because I loved spending time with you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t stop to find out.¡±

    She inhaled deeply. ¡°All right. I think it was easy for me to throw myself into what we were doing, but when things cooled I became a little flustered around you. I was afraid I¡¯d say or do the wrong thing.¡±

    ¡°Interesting how we both found ourselves in the same predicament, then. I could have given you advice on how to talk to me, but that sound silly and kind of hurts my mind to think about it.¡± He leaned over and kissed her temple before they crossed into the clearing where Tel and Al were. Because he¡¯d heard them approaching, Al turned to see this.

    ¡°You two are good?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had a long talk, Wizard, and sorted a lot of things out.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone a while. It¡¯s now actually past lunch.¡± He handed them each a leaf of steamed fish and rice.

    ¡°Apologies. We¡¯ll hit the road as soon as we¡¯re finished.¡±

    Since Al had finished packing and cleaning while he and Tel had waited, he sat and watched them. ¡°Out of curiosity¡¯s sake, how good are you two?¡±

    ¡°Very good, Wizard,¡± Raulin said, popping a chunk of rice in his mouth.

    ¡°Like, are you¡­part of my book club still or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Will I be reading any more fictionalized tales of myself? No. I told her that I love her.¡±

    Al let out a breath. ¡°Thank every god twelve times.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and we¡¯re getting married.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­wait, what?¡±

    Anla smiled. Raulin said, ¡°The institution when two people decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know what it means. I¡¯m just¡­surprised I could be even more shocked today. You don¡¯t want to think about it? Plan more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted this for a while. She wants it. What more is there to think about?¡±

    Al ran his hand through his hair. ¡°Well, I mean, normally these things take a year or two of contracts and lots of organization, sending out invitations, paying for things. You don¡¯t have any of the normal things needed.¡±

    ¡°What more do you need, Wizard, other than two people, two witnesses, and a priest?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­flowers? A bouquet?¡±

    Tel, who had been sitting and listening to the conversation, walked over to the edge of the clearing and found a flowering bush with bright pink flowers. He gathered enough to make a nosegay and handed them to Anla. ¡°I think it¡¯s wonderful you¡¯re getting married,¡± he said. ¡°Congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anla said, smelling the bouquet.

    ¡°A veil?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I have one of those!¡± she said, She picked up her knapsack and rifled through to the bottom and gently tugged the scarf Raulin had bought her out. ¡°See. I¡¯ll wear this.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll look as beautiful as ever,¡± Raulin said, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. ¡°I will admit, I don¡¯t think I had this in mind when I bought it, but it¡¯s a wonderful coincidence.¡± He turned to Al. ¡°I hear your point, Wizard. Marriages are essentially the joining of two people as well as their families. There are long engagements so that clothes can be sewn and details planned and contracts written so that those two families feel pleased with the end result. The fact is, we have no family. We¡¯re orphans. We are just joining together us, no families, no houses. We¡¯ll start something new today. That¡¯s good enough for me.¡±

    Al had the good graces not to say anything about a prince marrying a commoner and how problematic that might be for the future. That was partially because his mind had already thought of something else. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and let out a soft moan before using the heels of his hands to wipe away the tears in his eyes.

    ¡°Wizard?¡±

    He pulled his pack to him and began looking for something. ¡°I¡¯m all right. It¡¯s¡­I can¡¯t talk to you about this. I¡¯m trying to be respectful of your choice. But, then I remember things like this and I can¡¯t help but feel like I did as I was standing on that cliff, choosing what to do, but feeling peaceful and powerful at the same time.¡±

    Al threw him the inkwell and hugged his stomach. ¡°Is this a gift?¡± Al nodded. ¡°Well, thank you. I don¡¯t recall my father owning this, if that¡¯s what you wanted. Still, I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    Raulin unhooked the clasp and pried open the top. ¡°What is it?¡± Anla asked.

    He inhaled slowly, prying the contents out of the wax and placing them on his palm. ¡°Wedding rings?¡± she asked.

    ¡°My parents¡¯ wedding rings. Al, you had these inside the entire time?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave them there on a shelf, collecting dust. It was¡­it was wrong. I knew stealing was bad and I had broken the law, but I felt so right doing it, like¡­¡± He sighed in frustration and grabbed at his hair.

    ¡°Speak. Say what you need to say.¡±

    ¡°Like I was meant to do it, like everything in my life had pushed and jostled me to that decision. Caudin, you have to go back. I¡¯m not saying that because it¡¯s what I want; I¡¯m saying that because I truly believe that everything, me stealing the chalice, each of us meeting, of finding you, of the highs and lows from the last year, have all been because the gods wanted us to help you get back the throne of Arvonne.¡±

    Raulin stared ahead in thought for a few moments before standing. ¡°I don¡¯t recall a shrine in Pies¡¯rael. Our best bet will be to head north and hope there¡¯s one in the next village.¡±

    Al opened his mouth before a large hand clamped down on his shoulder, keeping him still while Anla and Raulin made for the road. ¡°Small steps, Alpine,¡± he said.

    ¡°But this is destiny!¡± he hissed. ¡°Why can¡¯t he see that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been just a short time. Raulin has a lot of anger inside of him that he needs to move through. Hopefully we can help him with that.¡±

    ¡°We need to take the next ship to Arvonne. I¡¯d lash a raft together and paddle across the Gamik myself if I thought I could do it. We¡¯re wasting time.¡±

    ¡°Raulin isn¡¯t the only one who needs to work through things. This will be good for all of us, some time to slow down and think. If kouriya still holds for me, I think we¡¯re doing the right thing. But that doesn¡¯t always mean it will be easy. Let¡¯s enjoy things while we can.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get kouriya. If things are going to be hard, why can¡¯t we avoid it?¡±

    ¡°Because life is not always easy. You¡¯ve had to go through a very hard thing to become the person you are now.¡±

    ¡°But if the gods want this, if the world is somehow tipping us this way, wouldn¡¯t They want to reward us for doing the right thing?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t about rewards. And we might not be on the right path. We¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±

    It was mid-afternoon when the road moved farther inland from the sea and the farms began to collect closer together. Almost immediately they found a tiny, one room building with a carving above the door of a book with a feather on one page and a coin on the other. ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°What can I help you with?¡± a man in a black cassock asked. He was seated behind a desk with stacks of papers, scratching things with a traditional quill.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to get married,¡± Raulin answered.

    The priest gave a nervous smile, transfixed on Raulin. ¡°Don¡¯t you want Beliforn¡¯s temple? There¡¯s one in Aparista as well as an Aliornic temple or church of Zayine.¡±

    ¡°No, this will do nicely.¡±

    ¡°I¡­You¡¯re sure you wouldn¡¯t want another place? I mean, all gods accept the union of their children, but Cyurinin is usually not sought out for this reason.¡±

    ¡°Well, we could have stumbled on Kriskin¡¯s hall,¡± Raulin replied.

    ¡°Imagine the kind of marriage Skethik would bless,¡± Al chimed in.

    ¡°Perhaps Cyurinin isn¡¯t the worst of the gods, but¡­I haven¡¯t ever married anyone. We did the ceremony once in school, but that was over twenty years ago for me. I do record keeping! I¡¯m sorry, I just don¡¯t want to disappoint you two.¡±

    ¡°This is just another record,¡± Raulin said. ¡°We¡¯re not looking for perfection. We just want to be married.¡±

    The priest sighed. ¡°All right, but don¡¯t get upset with me!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t.¡±

    Anla and Raulin changed into their finest clothing. The priest took a half hour to set things up, donning more ceremonial robes, fetching the paperwork, and lighting all the candles on the mainly unused dais. He summoned them over and he had them read the contract. While dry and lacking the flowery language other priests would put into theirs, it still held a peaceful dignity in its words. It didn¡¯t speak of love and providing so much as living life with each other, growing together as they changed and learned, accepting that a bond involved leaning on the other in times of need. They signed their names to both the original and the copy.

    Caudin Alscaine

    Anladet Auchindol

    She looked at him with an arched eyebrow. ¡°Legal issues,¡± he explained.

    The ceremony itself was full of imagery and the priest stuck nervously to the script, which he read from unabashedly. He warmed up towards the end and gave them a warm smile as they exchanged rings and kissed to seal the contract. Tel and Al clapped, the latter slipping the priest a tip and taking the copy while the newlyweds led them into town.

    They found the main tavern and took the one empty table near the middle. Al approached the barkeep. ¡°One bottle of your finest wine,¡± he said with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the occasion?¡±

    ¡°My friends just got married!¡±

    ¡°Here? What, by Mikan?¡±

    ¡°The priest at the Cyurinin temple? Yes, then. Look!¡±

    The barkeep leaned to look around his patrons and saw Raulin steal a quick kiss from Anla. ¡°Newlyweds in the house!¡± he yelled. The room didn¡¯t seem to need confirmation, they cheered and threw their mugs into the air.

    ¡°How much do you think a round would be?¡±

    ¡°Kind of you,¡± the barkeep said. He eyed the room and tallied under his breath. ¡°Let¡¯s say three gold.¡±

    Al flicked the coins on the bar. ¡°From them,¡± he said, nodding towards Anla and Raulin.

    ¡°The newlyweds just bought a round!¡±

    The room cheered again and this time the men who had figured it out came to slap Raulin on the shoulder and offer congratulations.

    About an hour later, a man approached the table. ¡°Excuse me, but I heard you were just married?¡±

    ¡°These two wonderful people,¡± Al said, starting the feel the effects of Genalian hospitality.

    ¡°Do you have a place to stay? I ask because I have an extra room out back that I had built for my mother-in-law. It¡¯s just sitting there. I¡¯m sure my missus would love to cook for you in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great!¡± He had a thought to check with Raulin. He pivoted his head to him and raised his eyebrows dramatically.

    ¡°That does sound wonderful. Medemme?¡±

    Anla grinned. ¡°Yes, wonderful.¡±

    They paid their tab and followed the man to his house, not terribly far from the center of the village. It looked fairly ramshackle, the room freestanding and made of scrap lumber, but they didn¡¯t need much. Raulin carried Anla into the room, his forehead touching hers, before closing the door.

    Al turned from the scene to the owner and asked, ¡°Do you have a spare couch?¡±

 Chapter 230

    Sunlight crept in through the slats of the room. Raulin felt fingertips gently brush his chest. He inhaled, then smiled before opening his eyes. ¡°Abene mautin, ainle.¡±

    ¡°Abene mautin, ainler.¡±

    She rested her head on his chest. ¡°Still feels so strange.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad strange, though?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. It feels right, but it also feels like I don¡¯t deserve this. I haven¡¯t been happy in years, since my parents died.¡±

    ¡°With the exception of the last year, it¡¯s the same for me. It¡¯ll take some time to get used to, I¡¯m sure.¡± He brushed her hair from her face. ¡°Mind if I ask a question?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll never mind.¡±

    ¡°When should I have told you that I loved you? I¡¯m sure there was some point much earlier than yesterday when it would have been better that would have saved us much grief.¡±

    She drummed her fingers lightly on his chest to show she was thinking. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I knew I loved you in Riyala, that¡¯s definite, but I was also angry with you then. Before then, I probably loved you, but didn¡¯t realize what that was. I do remember feeling jealous at times. I remember missing you the most when the baerd hunters had me and thinking that you were now in the same place as my siblings, as far as people I needed to see again. I missed you in Calaba, when you decided you weren¡¯t speaking to us. Before then, perhaps I would have thought you were like all the other men who¡¯ve said as much, trying to bed me or being infatuated with my looks. After that, I would have stopped to think more about it.¡±

    ¡°Calaba? That far back?¡± He let out a loud sigh. ¡°Such a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re together now. I consider it a journey that took longer than needed, but the destination was still made.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair. Um,¡± he said, smiling, ¡°I do have some news to share as well as an admission. You were right. I should have committed to leaving Arvarikor earlier. We should have taken the next train to New Wextif to get him.¡±

    Her face fell and she moved to lay on her back. Raulin turned to look at her. ¡°We were so close,¡± she said. ¡°I sat next to him and kissed him. I am sorry I was so angry with you. I know you tried as hard as you could to retrieve him. It¡¯s just¡­he means so much to me.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why I made a deal with the Cumber.¡±

    She shook her head and blinked. ¡°The Cumber?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice they were following me in Riyala? You noticed the trirec. Thank you for the warning, by the way.¡±

    She turned her head to look at him. ¡°You knew that was me?¡±

    ¡°Who else would want to help me, but not be able to speak to me directly? It was either Tel, who would have spoken to me, Al, who didn¡¯t have the ability to follow the trirec, or you, who could tail him discreetly, but also weren¡¯t speaking to me. But, yes, the Cumber was also on my trail. I met with the director and we made an exchange. I told him about the Freeman¡¯s Army and their capabilities and in return I asked that the Cumber look out for your brother.¡±

    Anla sat up with a start. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that we will work on that plan to get me out of Arvarikor. After that, we¡¯ll go to New Wextif and I will contact the director again. Hopefully they will have found him and moved him somewhere safe until we can retrieve him.¡±

    When he finished, she hugged him fiercely. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He kissed the top of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me until we have him.¡±

    She looked up at him. ¡°You were angry with me. Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t angry, I was hurt. But, regardless, your brother didn¡¯t deserve to die. Your sister didn¡¯t, your parents didn¡¯t. None of the half-elven children do and the elves don¡¯t deserve to be crowded out of their homes and harassed into starting a war to keep what they have. It¡¯s all sick and cruel. I can¡¯t stop it, it¡¯s too grand, but I can try to help one child escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said those things about you being spoiled¡­¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°No, you were right about that as well. I always said I¡¯d marry you if you said ¡®yes¡¯, but I wonder if I¡¯d actually know what I¡¯d need to do to make that happen. I should have given it up then.¡±

    ¡°And they would have chased you down. This way we have a plan to get you out and get Garlin before leaving for Aviz. We¡¯ll have the greatest chance of success if we do it quietly, keeping things seemingly normal for as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°Which means we¡¯re going to have to be careful once we reach Hanala. I was caught once before because I was sloppy. This time, I won¡¯t be. There¡¯s too much on the line.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of being careful, there¡¯s someone else you need to talk to about how he acts around you.¡±

    ¡°My ¡®vizier¡¯?¡±

    She nodded.

    He rested his head on his pillow. ¡°Anla, I can¡¯t be what he wants me to be. I¡¯m not going to do what he wants me to do. Hell, I can¡¯t even pay him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to be paid, or at least not in coin.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Al spent years working a job that paid little. He¡¯s never shown me to be greedy. He¡¯s not interested in being your vizier to get wealthy. He¡¯s happy to help you. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be satisfied if you answered some questions for him and gave him a little guidance.¡±

    ¡°I so very much wish to not talk about my past.¡±

    ¡°I know, but you have. You told me things about your family and your childhood because you knew it made me happy. Now, you should do the same for him.¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­go check on him.¡± He kissed the top of her head and told her he loved her before dressing to go outside.

    Not too far into the forest he heard the rhythmic thunk thunk of someone hitting a tree with an ax. He followed the sound until he found Al practicing. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you didn¡¯t stop.¡±

    Al paused to bow before continuing. ¡°I practiced all last month.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve reached the point of being a warrior.¡±

    ¡°I have even more reason to train now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a talk about that soon. For now, though, I¡¯d like to again ask which king you plan on killing with that ax.¡±

    The ax slid from his grasp and he turned. ¡°Not you. No, I¡¯d never turn on you.¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t go back? Even if I make poor choices?¡±

    ¡°I chose to go with you wherever you wish before I knew who you were and that is a stronger choice than supporting the crown. Besides, you¡¯re technically a prince, not a king, and therefore you don¡¯t fit the bill. It¡¯s not you, anyway. I don¡¯t know who it was, but I do know it was someone I hadn¡¯t met before. And it was ravings of a mad man.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes they call mad men ¡®god touched¡¯. I feel like there¡¯s a bit of meddling going on.¡±

    Al looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°You believe me? I said that They were meddling. They need to keep a balance and Arvonne is without its monarchy. They would¡­¡±

    Raulin held up his hand to quiet him. ¡°Show me where you¡¯re at.¡±

    Al sighed, but went through all the techniques Raulin had shown him, adding a few he¡¯d discovered on his own. He ended in a two-handed hold that signified he was finished.

    ¡°Good, Wizard. I¡¯m proud of you. You¡¯ve been doing this for well over six months now and you handle your ax like it was a part of you.¡±

    ¡°No criticisms?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now you want me to criticize you?¡±

    ¡°I want to get better. I don¡¯t want to fail you.¡±

    Raulin took a slow breath. ¡°You still need to get your weight right. Back foot¡­there. Front foot¡­there. Now, how does that feel?¡±

    ¡°Stronger.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, run through it again.¡± Al began from the beginning, slicing from the top, then the sides. ¡°I think we should talk seriously about the plan. Any thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Plan? To fake your death, you mean? I told you the best one I¡¯ve come up with. We can hash out the details if you want.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. We¡¯ll break for camp tonight and I want the best, most intricately detailed plan you can come up with. With the four of us on it, we¡¯ll be able to come up with something that will allow me to slip away from Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°You really want to do it?¡±

    Raulin folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do it for a long time, I¡¯ve just never had anyone to help me. It¡¯s the reason why Arvarikor refuses you every tie you could make. No family, no friends, no allies. They know this is unbearable work even for Merakians. No man wants to kill another, and try as I might, I just can¡¯t steal and ruin lives anymore, either.¡± His eyes flicked back to the room where Anla was. ¡°I have a future now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Al said, returning to his forms, ¡°because your future is my future.¡±

    ¡°Al¡­you don¡¯t have to be my vizier. It won¡¯t hold you to that. I understand that you were emotional and made a rash judgment when you pledged yourself to me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a rash judgment. I¡¯ve always said I¡¯d pledge myself to a nobleman who needs me. It¡¯s why I¡¯ve been training.¡±

    ¡°I know. But, it¡¯s going to seem strange that you¡¯re a vizier to a man who¡¯s renounced his titles.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care what you do. I said I¡¯d stay with you and that means whatever you need me for.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t really pay you. Whatever money I have is going to go towards buying property or a business.¡±

    ¡°I know. I can get a license in Aviz and help you and Anla out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the opposite of how employment works.¡±

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t call me a vizier, then. Call me whatever the Arvonnese term for someone who helps someone out in their life.¡±

    ¡°Pada.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°What did I sign up for? What does that translate to exactly?¡±

    ¡°Brother.¡±

    Al froze mid-slice and dropped his ax again. Raulin walked forward until he was in front of him, then embraced him. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said and Al hugged him back.

    ¡°Now,¡± Raulin said, stepping back. ¡°We need to talk about how you are around me. I know it¡¯s been a lot to take in and you have a different perception of me, but we need to go back to how you and I were¡­let¡¯s say in Kinuestra. I liked us then. And we worked well together, as equals.¡± Al began to protest. ¡°I understand there are some things you are curious about. So, tonight only, I will allow you to ask me one question after dinner. Then, we are to return to normal. Is this fair?¡±

    ¡°Yes, fair.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Raulin said, leaving Al to practice. ¡°We¡¯ll take to the road in a little while, maybe a few hours. I am on my honeymoon, after all.¡±

 Chapter 231

    Dinner was served around a large fire. Telbarisk said rain was likely that night, so Al set up the tent and gifted it to Anla and Raulin. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense for one person to be dry when it could be two,¡± he said when they thanked him.

    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you,¡± Raulin said.

    Al spent much of the next fifteen minutes tending the fire, watching Raulin quietly but expectantly. Anla nudged her husband at one point and nodded in his direction. Raulin gave a smirk. ¡°Yes? What¡¯s on your mind, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your merit?¡±

    ¡°Is this your one question?¡±

    ¡°No. I just thought it would be helpful to know, in future situations.¡±

    He cocked an eyebrow, then drummed his fingers on his forearm. ¡°You know most of the aristocracy don¡¯t share theirs even with their spouses, right? It¡¯s something they keep close to their chest. Mmm. All right. It¡¯s called the Bolt. Whenever I¡¯m in mortal danger, my body automatically moves me out of harm¡¯s way, if possible. I get a flash of white across my vision and then I find myself twisting in some strange position. For example, back at the house with all the things we needed to find, when the floor collapsed, I landed inches from a spike that would have punctured my torso.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a handy merit for what you became,¡± Al mused.

    ¡°While it saves me from surprise attacks and let¡¯s me know I need to get out of that situation immediately, it also makes me somewhat reliant on it.¡± He poked the fire the fire with a long stick. ¡°All right. Go ahead and ask your one question, Wizard.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°What? How what?¡±

    ¡°How this, how everything? How did you get from Eri Ranvel on the night of the Coup to Arvarikor?¡±

    He stared at Al with dead eyes before his shoulders slumped. ¡°Damn you and your clever, little mind. I meant one specific question about¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°All right. The whole damn thing, then.

    ¡°My father¡¯s merit must have been something involving foresight. A few weeks, maybe a month, before the Coup there were some drastic changes in my routine. We, my sisters, my brother, and I, had to learn codes and we weren¡¯t to go with anyone who didn¡¯t know them. Our guards were doubled, including a trirec for each of us children, though I didn¡¯t know that until the Coup. And, something I thought was odd for many years until I realized what had happened: my father made my cousin sleep in the same bed with me. When I asked, he said Petrin¡¯s bed was broken, but when I asked him, he said it wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t mind; Petrin and I got along well, since we were only a few months apart, and I thought of it like extended play time.¡±

    ¡°Petrin?¡± Al asked. ¡°Oh, Petrin, Archduke of Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Raulin said, ¡°though were just called him ¡®Petrin¡¯.¡± He continued. ¡°I awoke on the night of the Coup to a gurgled, rasping breath. I thought Petrin was playing with water, gargling it in bed, and I turned to yell at him to stop when I saw a trirec standing over him with his bloodied knife. He turned to me and said, ¡®Sweetrose¡¯, which was the code word. I froze. I wanted to yell out, call my guards, but he knew the password. I thought maybe he had forced someone to tell him and that he was going to kill me next, but then Belisant, my butler, was next to me. ¡®Good lad,¡¯ he said. ¡®We need to go.¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡¯What¡¯s happening?¡¯ I whispered as the trirec was pulling the sheets up to cover Petrin¡¯s corpse. I¡¯d seen a few men killed at joust, but I¡¯d never seen a dead body so close, especially not of someone I knew.¡±

    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Al said, who was perched so far forward over his knees he looked like he was about to fall over. ¡°They found Petrin and confirmed the body was royal, but they thought he was you.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, this is going to go a lot more smoothly if you stop interrupting me,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Okay, all right. Continue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Petrin and I looked an awful lot alike, so I¡¯m sure someone thought he was me.

    ¡°Belisant said, ¡®There are bad men coming for you. We have to move swiftly.¡¯ He grabbed my wrist to pull me from bed, which startled me into action. Commoners never touched the royal family. It was a great breach of protocol.

    ¡°I started to ask questions as he put my clothing and a cloak on. ¡®Shut the boy up,¡¯ the trirec said, coming around the bed.

    ¡°¡¯My prince, you need to be quiet right now. I promise I will answer all the questions you have once we¡¯ve left the city.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I fought with him over this until he gently put his hand over my mouth. I was, again, shocked into silence. Belisant had a pack full of clothing and, I later discovered, loose jewels, jewelry, and foreign coin. Once I was ready, the trirec, Ikiyel, bade us to follow him. He led us through the palace grounds, making us stop and wait occasionally, until we were out. I remember shaking even though it was warm, my stomach hurting but not from hunger.

    ¡°The plan was to spirit me down to the docks and have me board a ship to Kinto. It was a good plan; assassins and revolutionaries would likely check Grand Avenue for any of us children escaping to Elebtor, where my aunt is the queen, or Sayen, where my mother was from and my grandparents lived. They wouldn¡¯t think that I¡¯d be sent to the country of my betrothed, Mayasena.

    ¡°Or maybe they did consider it or maybe there was collateral damage. As we made it a few blocks from Dilvestrar, the palace, we saw the sky light up on the sea. The harbor was on fire and all the ships were burning. Ikiyel knew we had to get out of the city, so he took us through alleys and streets, stopping only for a few moments to catch our breaths. I¡¯d never seen such carnage. Groups openly fought other on the street. Men were slumped against walls, holding wounds they had succumbed to. I heard people shouting ¡®Down with the Alscaines!¡¯ and ¡®Tear down the throne!¡¯, fighting with swords and pikes and clubs against guards. I was confused. I didn¡¯t understand what I had done to make everyone so angry.

    ¡°There were a few run-ins. Occasionally Ikiyel had to fight off someone who was in the moment, wanting to fight someone and anyone. I can¡¯t imagine that a sane person would attack someone with a trirec mask. He killed a few people along the way. I remember one man in particular grabbing my shirt and smearing blood on my chin as he looked at me. He was about to yell when Ikiyel ran him through with a found sword, then yanked his hand off me.

    ¡°We made it through the gate, finally, after what seemed like hours. It was abandoned as the guards fought against the uprising. My legs were on fire and my feet ached. I began to cry around then, the shock wearing off, and I begged Belisant to tell me what was going on.

    ¡°Ikiyel pulled us into someone¡¯s open courtyard. ¡®Tell him what he wants to know while I think of what to do¡¯, he said. Belisant knelt down in front of me and he told me about the Coup in terms a ten-year-old would understand. I didn¡¯t, and frankly I still don¡¯t, but he did his best.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°I say Belisant was my butler, but the actual term we used was magricap. He was in charge of my household and was assigned to me at birth. He was the one who woke me up and the one who tucked me in at night. He was the one who told me about the best places to hide when I played ¡®hide and seek¡¯ when Mayasena visited. He was the one who would sneak in chocolate-covered frayed almonds from Jemerie. He knew my fears, my strengths, and everything that made me tick. He knew me and he knew that telling me to behave and be quiet wasn¡¯t going to work. Instead, he said, ¡®We need to play a game. We need to pretend that you¡¯re not Caudin, Prince of Arvonne. If anyone finds out, we lose the game.¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡¯Who am I going to be?¡¯ I asked. He made up a name, Quin Sesault, and that he was going to pretend to be my uncle. I was his apprentice and we were on our way to buy things. I took to this with an unparalleled focus, coming up with stories and lies, while Belisant and Ikiyel argued over what we were going to do next. There was no back-up plan. I saw dark stains on the stone where Ikiyel was pacing. I didn¡¯t connect it at the time, but he had been injured fighting some of those men in the city.

    ¡°The choices were to travel by foot to Kinto, travel to another city and hope they had a ship to Kinto, travel to Elebtor, or travel to Walpi. They finally agreed to the last; my father and King Anistro had very good relations on account that Arvonne was one of the few kingdoms that actually sent men to fight against the Merakians when they invaded. I¡¯d overheard snippets of boring party conversation about how foolish it was that my father did that, since border issues were border countries¡¯ problems, but it wasn¡¯t foolish then. He¡¯d likely accept me to his court with open arms.

    ¡°We traveled for weeks on horseback. Ikiyel started to look worse every day. On the border of Walpi, he fell from his horse, but got back up once he regained consciousness. We made it a day or two from Akau Vria when we had to stop. The village doctor looked at Ikiyel and said he had gangrene and that he needed to amputate his leg. He refused. He died a few days later and the townsfolk of Akausa Minest were nice enough to bury him in their cemetery.

    ¡°I remember Belisant being very upset during this time. He was always a genial man, putting up with my rambunctious nature with a cool understanding, only stepping in when it was really necessary. During that time, he was cross, sending me away to play with the village children quite often. He didn¡¯t have time for my lessons, not that it had ever been his responsibility to teach me, nor could he spare moments for my childish excitement at interesting things I did or found. He was going through a lot, grieving so that he could be there for me when I needed it.

    ¡°Word had spread quickly. The Coup, the Revolution as the winners called it, had been successful. A new government had been established. All members of the royal family were dead. Word came from the other direction, too. King Anistro had been killed leading troops against a border incursion. Not only was Belisant grieving for the loss of his former life and the people who had employed him well for decades, he also had to make a tough decision on my behalf. He wasn¡¯t a young man; the journey had already taken its toll on him, so Elebtor and Kinto were out of the question. He could risk bringing me to the court at Akau Vria in hopes that the new king would be as sympathetic to me as the old king would be, or he could take me to the place Ikiyel had told me I should go, to Arvarikor.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t make the decision quickly. We stayed in Akausa Minest for months. He gave me a good amount of time to adjust to my new setting before telling me about my family. I didn¡¯t take it well. I blamed him, I blamed myself, I blamed everyone. I spent a lot of time down a lane with a stone wall at the end, crying and kicking things. It was then I met a widow, a middle-aged woman who had me call her Emaudla, which is Walpin for ¡®mother¡¯. She invited me into her kitchen, gave me sweets and tea and freshly baked pastries. We talked quite a bit, she about her husband and me about my family, though I never told her who I really was. She held me more than a dozen times when I cried. I hugged her when she broke down. She helped, a lot. I¡¯ve occasionally stopped back to see her from time to time and accidentally left large pouches of money in her house. Clumsy of me.

    ¡°A few months later, Belisant said we were leaving. I don¡¯t know what his thoughts were about his choice, but I can gather that he was worried about the new king, the old king¡¯s younger brother. Maybe he thought he¡¯d use me as a bargaining chip with the Kalronists. Maybe he thought he¡¯d help me overthrow the Kalronists, but be a puppet king for Walpi. I don¡¯t know. All I knew is we had a long journey to take over mountains in the middle of winter. It took a long time, but he was set on taking it then and there. He¡¯d caught a cough and I think he was deathly worried that he¡¯d die before I could find a secure place to live.

    ¡°It was the tail end of February, maybe March, by the time we arrived in Ki-ist Bi-rien, the village surrounding Arvarikor. Ikiyel¡¯s directions were imprecise and we got lost a few times until he realized that I had picked up Walpin rather quickly and occasionally one or two villagers would speak the same tongue. We were ushered by the villagers to the large compound set against the mountains and we waited in the front room for some time.

    ¡°Finally, they brought us in and someone translated for Belisant. He presented Ikiyel¡¯s mask with our tale, the truth. Then, he launched into a plea for them to take me as a student.. He must have had several discussions with Ikiyel on how to sell me, because he talked me up like an emaciated cow at auction, most of his points being embellishments or outright lies. I wasn¡¯t obedient. I wasn¡¯t hard-working. I wasn¡¯t clever. Still, the mask and all the jewels he gave made for a tempting deal. They could have killed us both and kept it all, of course, but I think the idea of having a student they could solve some persistent issues with, namely spying in foreign lands, won them out. They accepted.

    ¡°I think Belisant knew the whole time he was deciding that he was giving up his life for mine. He was afraid, but not shocked when they made us go outside. They shoved him to his knees and told him to say goodbye. I wasn¡¯t allowed to hug him. One of the Merakians held my shoulder so I couldn¡¯t run to him. He looked up at me and said, ¡®Never forget who you are. Be good. Go home when you¡¯re safe.¡¯ One of the masked men pulled out a knife and slit his throat.

    ¡°I was too numb to move for a minute, then finally I ran to him. I screamed, ¡®How could you do this? He did nothing to you!¡¯. The one that had been holding my shoulder dragged me up, then slapped me so hard I saw stars. I¡¯d never been hit before that point.

    ¡°The translator stepped forward and loomed over me. ¡®Your first lesson: we own your life. We have decided to train you, for now, but if you show us you are an unworthy student, you will spill your own life¡¯s blood on the ground where your butler did. Will you give your life to us?¡¯ I didn¡¯t answer because I was confused by his translation, thinking he meant they were going to kill me. He kicked me with his boot. ¡®I suggest you say ¡®yes¡¯ before we slit your throat¡¯.

    ¡°¡¯Yes,¡¯ I croaked. They dragged me into the compound, bathed me, shaved my head, and put me into classes that day. I was beaten quite often for not understanding the language and for obstinacy, weeks and weeks of caning. When I did begin to try, I still failed because I still refused to wipe out my childhood and my family from my memories. I didn¡¯t want to forget. I never did, but I learned over time to bury it deep, deep within me.

    ¡°Which is what we must do. You have your answers, Wizard. Now you have to bury it. We cannot speak of this again. No references, no veiled jokes, nothing. I am Raulin Kemor, sometimes Marin Liasorn, sometimes Chayen Whithwer, but never, ever Caudin Alscaine.¡±

    Al blinked a few times before nodding. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s the best tale I¡¯ve ever heard that I can tell no one.¡± He rummaged in his pack before bringing out his alley novels, tossing them on the fire.

    ¡°Wizard, what are you doing?¡± Raulin asked, looking at him with alarm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can ever read those again. It¡¯s¡­I get why you hate them now.¡±

    ¡°But, they meant something to you.¡±

    He shook his head, watching the pages curl and burn. ¡°It feels hollow.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, actually. This is for me.¡±

    Rain began to hiss on the fire. Telbarisk rose, put his large hand on Raulin¡¯s shoulders, then moved under a tree to stay dry. Al joined him a few moments later. After a few swigs of water, Raulin crawled into the tent with Anla.

    She moved over and leaned on his chest, then looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hmm? About what?¡±

    ¡°What you had to go through.¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve had much to be happy about since that time. This last year¡­I feel like I¡¯ve been fighting it because it doesn¡¯t make sense to me. Misery I can understand. Friends and love I can¡¯t.¡±

    She brushed the side of his face with her fingers. He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. ¡°You deserve to be happy. No man deserves misery.¡±

    ¡°The same to you as well.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, resting her face on his chest. ¡°It¡¯s just going to take some time to get used to being married, finding my place in that description.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I love that you¡¯re you, so freely and openly. Be you and no one else.¡±

 Chapter 232

    It took them ten days to walk the length of Uilada, take a short ferry to Miscomme, then walk up the peninsula to camp a day away from Hanala. The plan they had crafted was that Raulin would check in at the headquarters, leave immediately for New Wextif to get Garlin, and return to finish the contract. He¡¯d collect his beads and get money from his order. Then, they would spring their new, more simple scheme where Al would claim to be a disgruntled man who killed Raulin in a knife fight at the docks for sleeping with his wife. He¡¯d pretend to stab him, take his mask, then kick him into the water. Telbarisk would make an air bubble for Raulin to breath as he swam to another area along the coast. Anladet had contacts that would act as witnesses, should Arvarikor decide to investigate. Still a risky strategy, but less risky than Raulin having his life almost extinguished in order to pretend to be dead.

    Al was still having a hell of a time trying to come to terms with the situation. He understood quickly that the person he had read about for years in the alley novels was not the person before him. That was fiction, fake. Raulin was Raulin, the same as he¡¯d been for the past year, though he did seem far more content than Al had ever seen him. The problem was that their relationship was fundamentally shattered, at least to Al. Raulin continued to treat him the same while Al found himself tongue-tied and bashful at strange points, stammering over his words, instinctively trying to please his master, then reminding himself that it wasn¡¯t what Raulin wanted as he tried to cool himself off of the obedience. Raulin was genial. The few times Al had said, ¡°Your Ma-, Raulin,¡± he had smiled and say, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±. He tried to be normal, if only for Raulin.

    The four readied for the day in a routine that had become seamless. While Raulin and Al worked on their exercises, which Al struggled to concentrate on, Telbarisk checked the weather and Anla cooked. She didn¡¯t know how to prepare many meals, so they usually ate fried eggs and bacon with fruit she carefully sliced on a small piece of wood Tel had made flat for her. Al and Raulin would find a stream to wet towels in and would return after a quick bath.

    After breakfast, Anla and Raulin would go for a ¡°walk¡±. They did walk for some time, discussing some topic for a bit, then one thing would lead to another and they would find better things to do with their time. On that particular day, a half hour past the time they had left, found Raulin laying on the ground next to Anla, his eyes staring at a nearby flowering bush. He reached out and picked a bright pink flower, the same kind from her wedding bouquet, and tucked it behind her ear. ¡°This is always going to be your flower, you know that?¡±

    ¡°We need to find out what it is so we can plant it in Aviz.¡±

    ¡°Bushes in front of our stoop, one outside our window so we can have clippings in our bedroom. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll grow, but we¡¯ll try.¡±

    She kissed him quickly before leaning on his chest. ¡°May I ask how your other contract in Riyala went? We don¡¯t need to return, do we?¡±

    ¡°No, that is finished. Oh, I told you about your brother, but didn¡¯t tell you about Jakith. Seems Arvarikor was checking up on me, to make sure I was doing my contract correctly. I guess I passed the test. But I guess you knew at least Out of curiosity, how did you know how to help me?¡±

    She gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°I snuck into your room when you were taking a bath and read what you wrote. I followed you around the city.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve had you, the Cumber, and a trirec follow me at the same time and I didn¡¯t even know it. I think it¡¯s high time to get out of this profession; I¡¯m not doing well at it. Oh, and I was also possibly followed by a gang of thieves, if they realized who I was.¡±

    Her smile dropped. ¡°Were you happy with her? You seemed happy.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, no. I was happy to have some companionship and, well, to satisfy needs, but she was more around for me to use. She trounced me thoroughly, so even if I were happy, there wasn¡¯t much time for me to get attached to her.

    ¡°There are levels of appreciation to my paramours. I¡¯ve tumbled with some women I really can¡¯t stand,¡± he said, holding his hand flat almost to his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve had some I thought were cute, but I wasn¡¯t really attracted to.¡± He raised his hand a little higher. ¡°I¡¯ve had a few that I had a connection with.¡± His hand rose a little higher. ¡°And I¡¯ve had some women I¡¯ve loved and gave some serious thought about leaving the order for.¡± He raised it much higher. ¡°And then there¡¯s you.¡± His hand went as high as he could reach before brushing it aside.

    Anla smiled again. ¡°So, no more paramours?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! That¡¯s what I promised. And I¡¯ve been through enough to know that I¡¯m okay with that. I know who I am and I¡¯m not interested in carrying out affairs anymore. In fact, even if I had decided to stay in the order, I¡¯d still cut out seducing women. I¡¯d wait to come home to you.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s not practical, but since we won¡¯t have to worry about it, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me,¡± he said, sitting them up.

    ¡°Right now I know this is a promise you¡¯d make, but it¡¯s untested. You¡¯d find some girl fetching in some way you couldn¡¯t deny or you¡¯d find no other way to work around your contract but to seduce someone. I understand how men are. It¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t need to talk about this because it¡¯s not going to be a part of our future.¡±

    ¡°This is because of what you¡¯ve seen.¡± She nodded. He held the sides of her face gently. ¡°This is something worth talking about because we need to work through this. I¡¯ve been terrible to you and I am sorry. I know that words aren¡¯t going to solve that. I will just have to show you that you¡¯re enough for me.¡±

    She smiled and kissed him, then sighed. ¡°Time to get back. We need to get to Hanala, so this is it. We¡¯ll get your last contract done, spring the trap, and head to New Wextif. Just a few more weeks and we¡¯ll be on the train to Aviz.¡±

    He stood and helped her up. ¡°Just a few more weeks.¡±

    It began to pour suddenly and Raulin laughed. ¡°I guess Tel is giving us a message. Come!¡±

    * * *

    ¡°They¡¯re not actually going for a walk,¡± Telbarisk said.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Al said, wiping the pan clean of grease with some broad leaves.

    ¡°They¡¯re actually-¡±

    ¡°I know exactly what they¡¯re doing, Tel. That¡¯s a private thing married couples do. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not upset that they are lying to you?¡±

    Al pursed his lips. ¡°Raulin was right. Sometimes people lie, but they¡¯re not bad things. I always thought honesty was the best way to go and that I would always want that in return. I¡¯m thinking now I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°You now think that some lies are fine?¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re necessary,¡± he said, moving over to the bushes to dump the leaves. ¡°It¡¯s best to tell the truth, but there will be times when telling the truth hurts more than lying would. It¡¯s hard. Tichen opined that the best laws are ones that are universal, but that¡¯s not true. That¡¯s¡­¡± He stopped when he turned and saw the look on Tel¡¯s face.

    ¡°Agarik nemi frask,¡± he said just above a whisper. It had been one of the commands Al had memorized when they¡¯d been hunting Cove Gray, just in case the wizard had decided to hide in order to ambush Al.

    Al paused for just a moment, then adjusted his grip on the pan. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his stomach completely knotted from tension. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s too ideal a construct to survive in our world. Tichen didn¡¯t know as much as I once thought.¡±

    He turned and started walking back to the fire, his hackles raised in a chilling, prickly pressure. Even with his superior hearing and his perception of the situation, he still found it hard to hear the whisper-quiet footsteps of someone running up to him. He stopped and swiveled on his feet, using a backhanded motion to connect the bottom of the pan with the figure behind him.

    There was a loud clang, not a thump. The trirec had seen the pan coming and had turned into it, taking the full brunt on his mask. He still staggered back a few steps, but recovered quickly, jumping at the wizard, who lost the pan. Al turned and tried to shake him off, but the trirec held onto him. The trirec pulled on him as Al tried to shove him away, backing away one heavy step at a time. There was a thunderclap and the skies opened up, rain pouring in sheets. Al slipped free of his grasp and backed up.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he shouted over the roar of the rain.

    The trirec crouched and began looking for an opening. It was at this moment that Al noticed he held two daggers in his hands, the same shape as the ones Raulin had. Weapon, he thought, and ran to his pack. He made it just in time to grab his ax and swing it wide in a circle, missing the trirec by an inch. He started wide with his grasp far out on the handle and pulled the ax closer in towards him, hoping to lure in the trirec before he swung out again.

    The trirec watched, stepping back. Al almost had him backed against a tree when he dashed to the side, slipping around the radius of Al¡¯s attack. He turned and they both realized at the same moment two things: they were evenly matched, years of training and skill versus heightened balance and tenacity, and that there was a better target.

    ¡°Come at me!¡± Al yelled as the trirec ran towards Telbarisk. ¡°No!¡±

    Tel hadn¡¯t even stood up, sitting to concentrate better on making the rains fall to give Al the advantage. He looked up as the trirec sank behind him and pressed a knife to his neck. ¡°Raulin Kemor!¡± he barked in that gulping way that Merakians spoke.

    ¡°Raulin¡¯s that way,¡± Al said pointing, halting ten feet away from the hostage situation.

    ¡°Raulin Kemor!¡± he repeated.

    ¡°Do you want me to go get him?¡±

    ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± the trirec repeated, his beady eyes warning of his intentions if Al didn¡¯t leave.

    The rain stopped. Al hadn¡¯t even gotten near the edge of the clearing before he saw Raulin and Anla walk into view. He stood still and met his eyes. ¡°Raulin¡­¡±

    Raulin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed for a moment until he looked past him at Telbarisk and the trirec.

    They say you can tell a lot about a man by how he reacts in the moment he realizes his life is over. Some blubber and plead, others bargain, others fight or rage. Raulin gave a quick smile and a laugh, then sauntered over to his pack. He picked up his mask and put it on, then walked casually towards the trirec, giving him a wide berth. ¡°Well met,¡± he said, speaking in Merakian.

    ¡°You dishonor us by showing your face to the miartha!¡± he said.

    ¡°I am on a spy mission and I can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Silence! No one speaks, especially her, or I will spill his blood all over the ground. One sound from her and he dies.¡±

    ¡°Let me tell them.¡± He switched his tongue to Ghenian. ¡°No one is to speak, especially Anla. I¡¯m guessing he knows about your magic.¡±

    She swallowed and nodded.

    Raulin turned back. ¡°You¡¯re Jakith, the trirec from Riyala.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± he said.

    ¡°Care to tell me about your contract now?¡±

    ¡°I just had to follow you and wait until you broke your vows.¡±

    ¡°What do you want? Money? Contracts? I¡¯d like to remind you that I saved your life in Monsard¡­¡±

    ¡°You think poorly of me if you think you can bribe me.¡± He cracked his neck. ¡°It was sanctioned for me to work in tandem, due to the nature of the situation. I tell you this so that you don¡¯t get the idea of ambushing me and either killing me or using her foul magics on me. If I don¡¯t report to my colleague or colleagues soon, they will go to Hanala and report that I am missing. Then, ten trirecs will be sent to find you and slaughter you without mercy.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really think I was worth such measures.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t you but the what you tried to do. You must be made an example of.¡±

    Jakith was just a pawn in this, therefore it wasn¡¯t worth trying to convince him otherwise. ¡°Let us break our camp and gather our things before heading off to Hanala. I assume we¡¯re traveling until we get there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Just a few minutes, then.¡± He turned to the group. ¡°We¡¯re breaking camp. Let¡¯s gather our things and move to the road. No words.¡± Anla caught his gaze and gave him a pleading look. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just a miscommunication I need to clear up with Arvarikor.¡± She gave him a dubious look because the rock-grinding sound coated his words. ¡°Shh. I love you.¡±

    To Jakith he said, ¡°I think you should take me by knife-point. It will be awkward with Telbarisk.¡±

    He gave Tel his pack, slipping his wedding ring into his large hand, and stood with his arms out while Jakith searched him, removing all the knives he had on him. When they were finished, they walked solemnly out onto the road and began the trek north to Hanala, everyone in front of Jakith. A few miles down the road, right as Raulin was beginning to suspect this was a solo operation, another trirec appeared from the other side of a building. He greeted Jakith and asked how he was faring. Since his voice was distinctive, Raulin recognized it immediately. ¡°Curvot,¡± he said. ¡°This is about Afren, then? We promised no retaliation!¡±

    Jakith jammed his knife into his ribs. Sharp pain blossomed and he felt the area grow wet after a few moments. ¡°I warned you not to speak!¡±

    ¡°No more words,¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    The people who lived just out of Hanala stopped and stared at a strange group parading through the streets. Some even followed, murmuring loudly when a third trirec appeared. This must be Ratzik or the other trirec who had assaulted him in New Wextif. It didn¡¯t matter because the fourth member of the group showed up not far from the gates of the compound.

    By this time it was late in the evening. The lamps were burning and the traffic had slowed, which was a godsend to a group of eight trying to navigate a street wide enough for only two carriages.

    Jakith pounded on the sliding door before Curvot pulled on the bell. Isken was only a minute in answering, his voice changing quickly from a pleasant tone to one of alarm. ¡°Open the damn gate,¡± Jakith said.

    While he was distracted, Raulin risked another wound by leaning close to Telbarisk and spoke quickly to him. ¡°Raulin?¡± the grivven asked right before the gate opened to accept the trirecs, then slammed in their faces.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Al asked. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He said, ¡®Don¡¯t say anything about trirec ways, trust Isken, I love you all, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about what?¡± he asked, but mid-question he looked over at Anla and had seen her fall down into the street, hugging her stomach as she began to cry. This was not good, he realized, but he would do everything in his power to help his friend.

 Chapter 233

    ¡°Openupopenupopenupopenup!¡± Al said as loud as he could with his hoarse voice. He continued to pound on the door even though both his hands had swollen into mitts an hour prior. He gave the gate a few good kicks with his heel. ¡°I¡¯m going to use my ax!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± a man said from the street. The three of them turned and saw a constable approach them. ¡°You can¡¯t be out here yelling at all hours of the night. We¡¯ve had several people complain about the noise.¡±

    ¡°We need to get in there!¡± Al said, pointing to the gate.

    ¡°Ha, well you wouldn¡¯t be the first who wanted that.¡±

    ¡°No, our friend is in there.¡±

    ¡°Friend?¡± He looked alarmed. ¡°Did the trirecs take a citizen behind their lines?¡±

    ¡°Yes! His name is Raulin Kemor and he¡¯s a trirec, but we met him about a year ago up in¡­¡±

    The constable held up his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t help you there, son. That¡¯s trirec business. Best go find a hotel room, get some rest, and take off in the morning.¡±

    But we can¡¯t, Al wanted to say. ¡°We need to make sure he¡¯s okay.¡±

    The constable walked up and put his arm around Al¡¯s shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do, lad. I¡¯m sure he was a good friend to you, but that¡¯s just how they do things. There¡¯s a nice place about two blocks over. The mistress keeps late hours, so she¡¯ll likely still be up. Tell her I sent you and-¡±

    Al shrugged his arm off. ¡°If we wait until morning, they may have already killed him! We need to get inside to talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if it will work, but there is a bell most people use,¡± he said, pointing to the sliding window twenty feet from where they were. The three looked over. ¡°Good luck to you. And if you don¡¯t get anyone¡¯s attention, please be quiet about it. I don¡¯t want to, but I will drag all three of you to jail for disorderly conduct.¡±

    Al ran over and rang the bell enthusiastically. The window slid open immediately. ¡°Hello! What can I do for you?¡± a cheerful voice said in a clear, but distinctly Merakian accent.

    ¡°We need to see Raulin,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Raulin Kemor is in the middle of being tried. There¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Al said as he began to close the window. ¡°Are they going to kill him?¡±

    The trirec leaned forward and spoke quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s likely. He committed some serious crimes. It doesn¡¯t look good.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­then I have something to tell them. They could be killing innocent people.¡±

    ¡°What? How?¡± he said, his fingertips touching the bar in front of him.

    ¡°If they kill Raulin, they will also be killing us. It¡¯s a spell that we¡¯re under.¡± The trirec made a soft ¡°oh¡± sound as he thought. ¡°Are you Isken, by chance?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Then Raulin told us to trust you.¡±

    He peered around the corner and saw Anla. ¡°It is as he says.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she asked, moving closer. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°This was months ago. He talked about you a lot.¡±

    She leaned in next to him so her lips almost brushed the metal of his mask. ¡°We¡¯re married. Please help us save my husband.¡±

    Isken inhaled sharply. ¡°It is a beautiful thing. He told me how much he loved you and how wonderful you were. Bu,t I don¡¯t know what I can do.¡±

    Al spoke. ¡°Grant us an audience with one of the men who¡¯ll be judging him, one of the¡­what are they called¡­trivren?¡±

    Isken hissed and grabbed his arm. ¡°This is knowledge you¡¯re not supposed to have! I will bend the ear of one who might be sympathetic to Raulin¡¯s fate, but you must teach yourselves to be ignorant. Speak to one another and get your story ramrod straight should I get the gate open for you.¡± He let go then closed the window.

    They moved to the gate again and sat. Al guzzled the rest of his water and ate some of the dried fruit they had leftover. ¡°Tel, you¡¯re going to have to pretend like you can¡¯t speak Ghenian. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have a problem keeping the truth and lies separate, but the least said the better. Anla, they won¡¯t let you talk anyway, but if they do, the less the better.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should call in our favor to the Duke,¡± she said.

    ¡°I thought of that. I don¡¯t think he can help us. On the other side of this wall is technically Merakian land. So long as they don¡¯t break any high crimes, like treason against the King, they can do whatever they want. They can kill Raulin. They have the ultimate authority over him. There¡¯s nothing the Duke can do, not summoning him, nor hiring him, nor raiding the compound.¡±

    ¡°What if we told the Duke who he really was?¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°If he believed me, he¡¯d have to get the King¡¯s army to back him to raid the compound. Then Arvarikor would withdraw and plot and you don¡¯t want them as your enemy.¡± He looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I thought either option had a firm chance, I¡¯d try it. But, I know the laws and how they work and they¡¯re not on our side, therefore they¡¯re not on the Duke¡¯s.¡±

    She sighed and propped her chin up with her hands. Al spent the next hour muttering to himself, combing over every interaction he¡¯d had with Raulin, and removing the dangerous information. He reminded himself that he had never helped Raulin in Iascond, never figured out who was stalking Lady Amirelsa, was never hired by Schoolinghouse to find the embezzlers. Raulin had kept to himself. Al knew it would seem unrealistic that he had been quiet, so he found topics they had discussed. There were some gray areas he decided to lie about, like who had trained him to wield an ax.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Finally, finally, there was a wooden thumping noise on the other side of the gate. The three startled and stood, waiting. ¡°Anla, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to look less enthusiastic,¡± Al whispered. She nodded and schooled her features into something blander.

    The door creaked on its hinges and two trirecs stood before them, one with the same mask that Raulin wore and the other with red lacquer around his eyes and mouth. ¡°You may enter while we discuss things,¡± the red-lacquered one said.

    They hung the lanterns on hooks that were on either side of the sitting area. The two trirecs sat and bade the rest of the quartet to do the same. ¡°My name is Curvorn,¡± the older man said. ¡°I am what¡¯s called a trivren, a retired trirec who presides over the fate of Arvarikor and its trirecs. Isken tells me that you have information you wish to share. Before you begin, I must remind you that I am aware of the gifts you three possess. There is another trirec outside this gate who will sound an alarm if he hears this young lady speak.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Al said. ¡°My name is Alpine Gray. I and my companions got tangled in one of Raulin Kemor¡¯s contracts and we were all imprisoned together. By that point, the three of us were already under a spell. May I retrieve something?¡±

    ¡°You may,¡± he said, then said a command to Isken in Merakian. He tensed in response, his hands hovering near his knives.

    Al ignored this and pulled out the chalice. ¡°I know to you it looks invisible, but to us we see a gold chalice with red stones.¡± He paused, shocked to realize that even in this light he could tell that the stones were clear. He was sure they had been red as rubies the last time he looked. ¡°It¡¯s an artifact of Mikros, the god of brotherhood. Here.¡± He handed it to Curvorn.

    Curvorn hesitated, then reached out to take it. His arms sank with an unexpected weight. ¡°What strangeness is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like I said, a deitic artifact. I stole it and I don¡¯t know much about it. I know that smearing your blood on it and drinking from it binds you to whomever else drank from it. Raulin had been fingering a wound he took fighting the guards and drank from it not knowing what it would do. For the last year we¡¯ve been forced to stay in proximity of each other or else we get painfully ill.¡±

    ¡°This would explain his twenty-fifth contract,¡± he mused.

    ¡°He asked us to pay him and sign papers saying he was our guard. Whenever anyone asked, we had a cover story. Anla was my wife, Telbarisk our ledgerer, and Raulin our guard. We went where he needed to go.¡±

    ¡°And did you assist him in his contracts?¡±

    Al fought the urge to confide in the man. ¡°No. We would journey some place. He would tell us to stay in the hotel or nearby, because of the spell, and we would stay. Then, we¡¯d move on to the next place.¡±

    Curvorn held up the chalice, trying to see it. ¡°You believe then that if Raulin is found guilty and is executed, you three will also die due to the bond of the spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You feel your fates are intertwined while this spell is still in place?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And why is it our concern whether you live or die?¡±

    Al weighed those words, studied their tone and their meaning. He didn¡¯t think Curvorn was coming from a place of indifference or even of indignation. If he had to put money on it, he¡¯d guess he wanted to know because he needed to build a case for them and for Raulin. ¡°From my education in Amandorlam, I know that you trirecs value the public¡¯s opinion of you. I know that some places are hostile or won¡¯t allow you to operate. You cultivate perception. You need people to know that a contract is binding and that you¡¯re worth the money spent. I suspected it might not go well, so I sent a letter a few hours ago to my mother asking her to check in on me.¡±

    ¡°That was smart, but I doubt one grieving mother will kick up much fuss from the public about us.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what the A Rendi Vhradir is?¡±

    ¡°The Br¡¯vanese council? Yes. The one in Baradan is quite influential.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who heads the council in Baradan?¡±

    Curvorn sat and thought about this for a moment. ¡°Abeli Choudril, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±

    ¡°My name before I became a wizard was Dominek Choudril. I am her youngest son.¡±

    He bowed his head slightly at this, then smirked before he returned the chalice. ¡°Yes, we wouldn¡¯t want to anger the Br¡¯vani. I will need to speak with my fellow trivrens before we allow you inside. And, again, your lives are automatically forfeit if she speaks.¡±

    The door to the compound was opened and both trirecs left. Al slumped in his chair. ¡°Well, at least my blood was elevating at least once in my life.¡±

    * * *

    Raulin shifted on his knees as he sat on his ankles. His legs had lost most of the circulation a long time ago and he was doing his best to keep them ready for when he¡¯d need to stand again. He still felt woozy from the blood loss from the ¡°conversation¡± he¡¯d had with Stavro earlier.

    Curvorn entered the tribunal room once more. ¡°Your protection charges are quite tenacious. I do believe the wizard broke both of his hands pounding on the door.¡±

    Oh, Al, Raulin thought. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed they are insistent in many things.¡±

    ¡°The wizard informed me of something you¡¯ve failed to mention. Tell me about the chalice.¡±

    Raulin betrayed nothing even though he was cringing inside. What game was Al playing? Why would he tell him that after he warned him not to say anything? He knew Al had come far, but maybe negotiations were beyond him. Or what if they weren¡¯t? Why would he give a trivren that piece of information? And why would Curvorn bring it up? Unless¡­unless Anla kept her promise and never told Al that the chalice wouldn¡¯t kill them if one died. He was still under that assumption¡­

    ¡°I beg forgiveness on this. It is something I gave little thought to unless it became a problem. During my first contract in Carvek, I was captured and thrown into jail with the group who are outside now. They were already under a deitic spell, one that forced the group to stay together for one year. I accidentally wound up fulfilling the requirements to become the fourth member of the group and I¡¯ve had to stay within one mile of at least one member.¡±

    ¡°What else does this entail?¡± a trivren asked.

    ¡°Little is known of it. It is an artifact created by an ap of Mikros, the miartha god of brotherhood. Other than staying in the vicinity of the others, it supposedly will kill all the members if one dies.¡±

    ¡°And that would mean we would be killing three innocent people if we kill Kemor,¡± Curvorn said.

    ¡°Why does this matter to us?¡± Stavro said.

    ¡°The wizard that I spoke to happens to be the son of the head of the A Rendi Vhradir in Baradan and he was crafty enough to pen a letter to his mother should something happen, as an insurance policy.¡±

    A ghost of a smile played on Raulin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°So, we wait until the spell is over. When will it finish?¡± Stavro asked, turning back to Raulin.

    ¡°I¡¯m unsure, master. The woman tried to research its history when she could, but found conflicting information. Some books said a year, some said when certain obligations were fulfilled, some said it was lifelong.¡±

    Stavro scoffed, then burst into a series of hacking coughs. ¡°The boy needs to be punished!¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°We cannot allow our trirecs to unmask themselves in front of miartha.¡±

    When they had asked earlier, Raulin hadn¡¯t lied. He¡¯d been caught, so there was no reason to. He¡¯d admitted truthfully that he had grown too familiar with his charges and had taken his mask off in front of them, starting with an injury he¡¯d needed healed by the wizard. This hadn¡¯t saved him from the beating they had given him and the recutting of his forearms, but he was still alive and he didn¡¯t think he was going to lose any teeth. Not that he¡¯d survive long enough to be able to tell.

    ¡°But, we cannot kill the other miartha tied to him,¡± another trivren said. He was the young one who had admired his speed when Raulin had been here a half year ago.

    ¡°I agree as well.¡±

    ¡°You have a solution, then?¡± Stavro snapped.

    He took a sip of tea. ¡°Kemor, you are dismissed for now. You will sleep on the beam tonight.¡±

    Curvorn was speaking of a beam they used to help with balance, a thin wooden plank off the ground that was impossible to sleep comfortably on. ¡°Thank you, masters,¡± he said, bowing low and waiting for someone to crush his neck with their foot. And he meant it. He had one more day to live and that meant maybe one more moment to see Anla.

 Chapter 234

    Al snorted awake, his neck and back stiff from sleeping on a bench. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and looked over to see Anla sitting against the wall. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep.¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Or maybe not precisely, but enough.¡±

    ¡°You fell asleep, though.¡±

    ¡°I needed to. I have to be sharp for him today.¡±

    If she wanted to fight with him, she had no energy to do so. She nodded and laid her head on her knees, though she still didn¡¯t fall asleep.

    Tel woke shortly thereafter, pensive. Al was just about to suggest they eat the rest of the dried food when they saw a bundle being thrown over the inside gate. ¡°Those are blindfolds. Put them on tightly.¡±

    There were three scarves for each of them, which were tied hastily. ¡°We¡¯re finished,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You will be escorted inside the compound. At no point will you take off your blindfolds unless you are instructed to. The woman is not to speak or the three of you forfeit your lives. Is this understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They heard the jangling of a wooden board and the creaking of hinges. The air shifted and expanded. A hand was placed on Al¡¯s arms and he was tugged forward. After a dozen steps, the grip loosened. ¡°How is it that you walk so freely? Can you see?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m a cross-switching wizard. Right now I¡¯m using magic to improve my balance.¡±

    Al could smell the rich scent of earth and pine, even hints of sweat, timber, leather, and numerous other things. He could feel tiny permeations of the ground below his heels, even through his loafers, the soil changing from pounded, dusty dirt to rocky to sandy to wooden planks. ¡°Up,¡± his escort said and he lifted his his foot to shift his weight onto a stair.

    They were led into a room that was down a short corridor. ¡°You may take off your blindfolds here. You are not allowed to leave. You may not look out the windows, which we have covered. When someone knocks, you are to put on your blindfolds again.¡± The speaker left and closed the door behind him.

    The room was dark save for the rich brown glow of the blankets tacked across the window. Several square candles occupied a table in the corner. There were pillows of different shapes and materials strewn on the floor. Fruits, nuts, and breads were left on a platter near the candles as well as a pitcher of cool water. ¡°This is further than I¡¯d thought we¡¯d get,¡± Al remarked.

    Anla laid down on the pillows. Al thought she might have finally fallen asleep when the sound of someone being whipped cracked through the air. She flinched, tensed, then relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±

    They waited perhaps an hour, munching on the food provided, before there was a thumping knock on the door. They grabbed their scarves and put them on. ¡°We¡¯re blindfolded,¡± Al said.

    The door was opened and Al¡¯s arm was grabbed. ¡°Come,¡± the man said and he moved forward. He could tell after a few moments that it was just him, the speaker, and another trirec. Tel and Anla had been left in the room.

    He was led down the stairs and through a few corridors until he was told to sit. ¡°Take off your blindfold,¡± a familiar voice said. When he opened his eyes, he was before who he strongly suspected was Curvorn, who sat behind a desk in a style Al vaguely recognized as Merakian, thin and roughly hewn, but polished with a down-turned top.

    Before he could get his bearings, a trirec punched him square across the jaw.

    He looked at Curvorn. ¡°I thought it might be best if you understood what¡¯s at stake,¡± the trivren said. ¡°I will ask you questions. If I feel you are lying, Tashke will help correct your tongue.¡±

    Al could have argued that torture was against the Noh Amairian Accords, but he was on Merakian soil and he had signed up for whatever it would take to free Raulin. He nodded.

    ¡°Your name.¡±

    ¡°Alpine Gray.¡±

    Tashke slugged him.

    ¡°Ah,¡± he winced. ¡°Alpine Gray! .rd Alpine Gray, first in my class of the twenty-seventh presentation of wizards from Amandorlam in-¡±

    Tashke punched his stomach, all the wind knocked out of him. He sucked his gut hard trying to regain his air. When he finally breathed again, he looked at Curvorn. ¡°Dominek Salvati Choudril.¡±

    ¡°And how did you come to meet Raulin Kemor, Mr. Choudril?¡±

    ¡°We caught him assassinating-¡± Another punch to the face.

    ¡°Trirecs are too skilled to get caught. How did you come to meet Raulin Kemor?¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s true! He was standing-¡± This time he spat blood after he was hit.

    ¡°Try once more to remember.¡±

    Al clenched his fists tightly. ¡°We were put in jail together. In order to escape he used our combined-¡± This time he saw stars for a few moments after the punch. ¡°We were¡­at a banquet together¡­and we accidentally put the chalice out and he drank from it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, very unfortunate. Tel me again, with more detail¡­¡±

    It was a maze, Al finally figured. He¡¯d move forward, turn a corner, move more and either hit a wall or turn another corner. And once he¡¯d completed the maze correctly, he¡¯d have to do it all again. The process took several hours, until he was drooling blood, his lips and face swollen almost to the point where he was unrecognizable in the reflection of the polished weapon hanging on the wall.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re almost done,¡± Curvorn said. Al was wheezing. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve reached this point, tell me, why are you willing to risk so much for a man you claim you barely know?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Al had been waiting for this. He realized his story had a large hole in it when it came to his and Tel¡¯s and Anla¡¯s motivation and Curvorn had just questioned it. Al blubbered, letting his blood drip into the floor. ¡°He¡¯s like Kiesh.¡±

    ¡°What? Who is Kiesh?¡±

    ¡°A book.¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor is like a book?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been reading Kiesh the Black books since I was a teenager,¡± Al said, letting his eyes light up. ¡°He¡¯s a great hero, a man I strive to be. He journeys across Noh Amair trying to clear his name, fighting wrongs and dueling and vanquishing evil.¡±

    ¡°And you think Raulin is like this Kiesh?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I know he¡¯s not the same. Raulin is a trirec who serves Arvarikor by fulfilling contracts. But he¡¯s a lot like Kiesh. There¡¯s a certain romance to a man traveling the land and changing things for the better, or worse.¡±

    ¡°So you admire him?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Enough to possibly lose your life, if we decide you¡¯re lying about your heritage or about the letter you sent?¡±

    ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make sense. But since I¡¯ve been with Raulin, my life has gotten so much better. I¡¯ve traveled, I¡¯ve met people, I¡¯ve tried new things. Just like Kiesh the Black!¡±

    Curvorn gave him a strange look, as if he were assessing his sanity. ¡°What if I said that Raulin is a cruel, sadistic man who tortures and kills for bloodlust?¡±

    Al shook his head, wincing at his fresh injuries. ¡°No, that¡¯s not him.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I know Raulin a little bit. We talk politely. He listens to advice. He¡¯s never used his skills against us. I¡¯ve never seen him do anything cruel or sadistic at all, ever. I know he does some unkind and bad things in his contracts, but he doesn¡¯t bring that back with him when he¡¯s done. It never spills over into other things.¡±

    ¡°And what of your two companions? Assuming they¡¯re here not because you brought them along or because they¡¯re afraid for their lives, why have they stuck their necks out for him?¡±

    ¡°Telbarisk feels kindly towards Raulin because Raulin befriended him when he was in Ervaskin before Tel was exiled. Anla-¡±

    ¡°Could you explain that again? How do Raulin and Telbarisk know each other?¡±

    ¡°As Tel told me, Raulin and several other trirecs went to Ervaskin on a diplomatic mission, to see if they could get a foothold in Ervaskin. Raulin befriended Telbarisk, who is actually next in line to the throne in Nourabrikot. Raulin has been looking out for Tel, making sure people don¡¯t take advantage of him.¡±

    ¡°I see. And the woman?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s sweet on Raulin. Maybe a little more than that.¡±

    ¡°I notice she wears a ring like many married women do.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡± He swallowed air, not risking his spit. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just the fake ring we use. I have the matching one in a pack somewhere.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not married, then?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Her name is Anladet Deerborn Auchindol?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The trirecs who watched you did so for some time, since Raulin checked in at Riyala. They say there was a marriage in a village on Uilaida, one Anladet Auchindol to a Caudin Alscaine. Any idea about that?¡±

    Al shook his head. When he stopped, a fist flew into his nose. Blood spewed down his lips, over his chin, and dripped onto his pants. ¡°Carefully tell me what you know of it.¡±

    ¡°Nudding! Anla isn¡¯t married and I¡¯ve never heard of dis ¡®Caudin Alscaine¡¯. Id¡¯s an official document, so you have do use your real name in order do seal id with de gods. ¡®Anladed¡¯ is a popular Arvonnese name. Dere mus¡¯ have been anudder one in dat well-chaversed village.¡±

    Curvorn folded his hands on the desk. ¡°I think we¡¯re done, then. Blindfold him and take him to the injunction hall.¡±

    Before he put the blindfold back on, he grasped his nose tightly and tweaked it to the side, groaning through clenched teeth. The blood stopped flowing and he was able to wipe some of it away with his sleeve.

    The trial hall was, at least, not far away from Curvorn¡¯s office. Al could tell from the echoing creaks of the floorboards and the chair he sat in that it was empty save for himself and the trirec who was just leaving. He took a few moments to collect himself before he heard the heavy, lumbering gait of Telbarisk and the softer, barely-there one of Anladet. Both were seated next to him, Tel to his right and Anla on the grivven¡¯s other side.

    A chair was dragged next to him. ¡°Alpine, this is Isken. I¡¯ll be acting as your translator for the injunction. Are you okay? Do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said.

    Several trivren began to sit in chairs across from the table where the quartet sat. Stavro and Curvorn were the last to arrive, still sharing heated words in Merakian as they came into the hall. Finally, Raulin entered, his head shaved. Isken sucked in his breath at this: it was a harsh punishment and didn¡¯t bode well for Raulin¡¯s future.

    Raulin sat and looked over at his his three friends. Anla turned her head and bit her lip, but said nothing. Tel stared ahead, curious. Al looked awful, a bloody, pulpy, puffy mess. Raulin¡¯s stomach clenched. Al must have heard him sit down because he turned his head in his direction and gave him a big grin, his blood staining his teeth like clay mortar. It wasn¡¯t the expression one man gave another after he¡¯d betrayed him. Raulin was so sorry he¡¯d ever doubted his wizard.

    The trial began. Isken whispered the words lowly so that only the three of them could hear him. Raulin had been cleared of insubordination, of conspiracy against Arvarikor, and of breaking several laws that Isken waved away as minute infractions.

    ¡°The accused, however, is guilty of removing his mask in front of non-Arvarikor peoples,¡± Isken whispered. ¡°Since this infraction was not incidental nor were there any extenuating circumstances, we feel the accused did so willfully and with hostility to his brethren. It is our will that the punishment shall be one hundred¡­¡± Isken¡¯s voice broke. ¡°One hundred and twenty-three lashes with the beraki.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Al asked Isken.

    ¡°By removing his mask in front of miartha, he declared himself not a trirec and disgraced himself and every trirec in Gheny. For that he owes one lash per trirec in the lands, one hundred and thirteen. The beraki is a whip with many sharp heads. I was punished earlier this year with thirty lashes from a beraki. Any more than forty and most men die. One hundred and twenty-three is a death sentence.¡±

    Raulin knew this. He had known it would likely come to this when he had been caught. Still, he had to give thanks to whomever wished to listen. He had rekindled his friendship with Tel. He had made a new, loyal friend in Al. And he had been married to an incredible woman. It had been short and sweet, but worth it. This was his fault. He couldn¡¯t blame anyone else. He had been careless and¡­

    ¡°Ten¡± Al said, firmly and confidently. His chair creaked as he moved it out to stand.

    Raulin¡¯s head snapped up and there was a strong feeling of deja vu that swept over him. More importantly, he felt hope.

    ¡°Ten?¡± asked Curvorn. ¡°Ten what?¡±

    ¡°I will take ten lashes on behalf of Raulin Kemor. You stated that the punishment was one hundred and thirteen lashes, but you didn¡¯t say who had to take them. I will take ten.¡±

    ¡°Ten,¡± Isken said, standing.

    ¡°You?¡± Curvorn asked.

    ¡°I dishonored Arvarikor by not keeping a careful eye on contracts, which is my job. If Raulin hadn¡¯t saved himself and the other two trirecs from death in Miachin, I would have died for my inattentiveness. I will take ten lashes for him.¡±

    ¡°As if we¡¯ll let you!¡± Stavro said. ¡°Trivren, clearly the punishment is meant for Kemor and Kemor only. We cannot allow this kind of fraternization.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t fraternization but a blood debt,¡± Curvorn corrected. ¡°After this the slates will be clean for both of them, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°But, this is-¡±

    ¡°Twenty,¡± Telbarisk said.

    All eyes in the room swiveled to him. ¡°You agree to twenty lashes?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Al was reconsidering his offer. He could heal himself quickly and reduce how much pain he felt. He could do more. Just as he was opening his mouth, he heard Anla say, ¡°Forty¡±.

    ¡°No!¡± Raulin yelled. ¡°Not forty! She¡¯ll die! Take it back, Anla! Take it back! You can¡¯t-¡± There was the sound of flesh connecting to flesh and a chair toppling.

    ¡°It is done, then,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°Isken Fren will take ten lashes. The miartha will take ten, twenty, and forty lashes on behalf of Raulin Kemor. Kemor himself will take forty-three lashes. This matter is closed.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Al said before Isken put his hand on his arm.

    ¡°Forty-three is possible. Raulin is strong and young. The case is closed and speaking any more will only enrage the trivren. You did enough.¡±

    Al sighed. He should have taken twenty. Five for Anla and for Raulin. As it were, he wasn¡¯t sure if either of them would make it through.

 Chapter 235

    Isken brought the three to their new quarters, which Al belatedly realized was a medical room. Five cots were shoved against the walls while there were four stone tables in the middle as well as cabinets with supplies. Al put his pack down on one of the beds and sat.

    They continued to hear the sounds of whipping in the courtyard. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked Isken, who was lingering behind.

    ¡°Those are three trirec agents who are being punished for insubordination and dereliction of duty. They conspired against Raulin after he killed one of their mentors, Afren Merak. With the blessing of one of the trivren, they hired another trirec to spy on Raulin and wait for him to slip up. We don¡¯t take contracts out on other trirecs, and therefore they¡¯re being punished.¡± With a pause and his voice lowered, he said, ¡°Not that they¡¯re punishing the trivren.¡±

    Al sighed. ¡°The initial problem was my fault. I followed Raulin to his assassination job, hoping to help him get around having to kill someone. I snuck around Raulin and Afren, who were fighting, and went upstairs where Raulin¡¯s target was sleeping. I lowered his vitality to almost nothing and wound up killing him anyway. Raulin cut himself and killed his mentor. I helped him escape, but¡­He was wrong. He said I¡¯d never know how much I cost him. I do now.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know-¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t and I wasn¡¯t supposed to!¡± He looked up quickly at Isken, then down again. ¡°He warned me. He told me over and over again to let things be, to let secrets be kept and knowledge hidden. But I had to keep prodding, interfering, trying to stop him from living his life. You can¡¯t do that.¡± He bowed his head and leaned on his elbows. ¡°You can¡¯t make people be perfect.¡±

    Isken placed his hand on Al¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We don¡¯t normally speak the language of ¡®ifs¡¯ and ¡®maybes¡¯, but you must. You know how it will be if he lives through this.¡±

    Al nodded eagerly. ¡°We had already reached that point before this. He called me brother¡­¡± His voice caught. ¡°I have no idea what to do if he dies. I should have taken more of his punishment.¡±

    ¡°It is not an easy thing to do. We are taught to be strong in the face of pain, but my gut is churning and I am afraid. I cried when I was being punished. I would wake in the night with bad dreams, afraid that it was happening again.¡±

    ¡°But you still volunteered to take ten lashes even though you know what¡¯s about to happen. Most people feel bravery is running in stupidly to danger, but I¡¯ve always thought it was running into danger even though you are almost paralyzed with fear. You are brave.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said just as a trirec rounded the corner and barked something at Isken. ¡°Time to go,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Al said and reached out his hand. Thinking he wanted to shake, Isken held his arm out and gasped when Al transferred his magic. ¡°You may feel a little scared from it, but it will dull the pain. Good luck,¡± he said as Anla and Tel were led inside the room and the trirec left.

    He busied himself by gathering what he would need to help heal everyone. He was fine; already the swelling had gone down in his face and all the bruises he¡¯d found were yellowed. Al should have questioned this, but he was distracted.

    Clean water, gauze, cloths, the salve from Mount Kalista. He looked down at his two hands and realized he was going to have too many patients. He needed help.

    Curvorn entered the room with paper, ink, and a quill. ¡°We have one more issue to attend to. I have contracts for the three of you to sign stating you are taking this punishment of your own volition. I will also request Mr. Choudril write to his mother regarding his circumstances, assuring her of what¡¯s about to transpire.¡±

    ¡°I will agree, but I would like one request in return: I would like to send a letter to an associate of ours asking her if she¡¯ll travel here and help us with our healing as well as your permission to let her on the grounds for that purpose.¡±

    ¡°Explain to her that she¡¯d get the same treatment as you three.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Al took one of the sheets and looked it over. It was a standard document stating that they had volunteered to take the stated punishment and had not been coerced in any way. It also said that they weren¡¯t to speak of anything that occurred nor any details of the Arvarikor compound. He nodded at the other two, signed it, and began with his letter to Alistad.

    He wished it had taken longer. Once he finished, his mind strayed to the sounds of a whip cracking and connecting to flesh. There were yells and grunts through clenched teeth. Finally, the tenth was over and a few minutes later Isken was helped into the room and onto one of the slabs in the middle of the room. The trirec said something and Isken translated. ¡°He says ¡®whenever you are ready¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Give me a few minutes to heal him,¡± he said, already moving towards Isken, who translated it to the trirec.

    Al lurched to a stop when he saw Isken¡¯s back. Most whip marks were an angry red that followed the course across the skin that the weapon had taken. Sometimes it was violent enough to break skin. With the beraki, though, the claws had dug into the skin four times and ripped across, leaving a gash that oozed blood. I can¡¯t do this, Al immediately thought, then remembered that he had to.

    ¡°Anla, wet a cloth and clean his wounds,¡± he said while he placed his hand on Isken¡¯s back. Immediately the tension drained from the Merakian. Anla dabbed at the wounds until the bleeding stopped. Al wanted to stay until the wounds were at least closed, but he knew he was putting off the inevitable.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he said and let the trirec lead him outside.

    This was his first time seeing the inside of the compound. It was more lush than he had expected, tall pine trees creating a fringe of privacy from surrounding buildings. He was walked along a stone veranda to the courtyard, a place dusty from activity wearing away the grass in large patches. There was equipment of various kinds and a large post. In front by several feet was a wooden board fixed to a short post. He had a choice to stand or kneel.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Around were loitering trirecs allowed to watch if they were masked. To the right on his knees was Raulin. Al could already see what an emotional toll this was taking on him, watching his friends suffer in his stead. He looked up and made eye contact with Al. Knowing he¡¯d spent time in Br¡¯vani, he gave him the symbol for brothership, interlocking knuckles turned outward. He wanted Raulin to feel all right about this, but instead he sighed and his shoulders sank with his gaze.

    Al took off his shirt and knelt, letting his arms rest on the board in front of him. He closed his eyes and began breathing slowly. He was ready, or as much as he could be, but there was no motion. ¡°Go!¡± he yelled behind him at his punisher.

    He heard the whip whistle through the air and heard a crack but didn¡¯t feel it for two or three seconds. Hot, white pain lanced across his back and he sucked in a large lungful to keep himself from yelling. The pain came faster with the second, crossing the first line, but it was still within tolerance. His magic had kicked in, reducing his ability to feel pain and allowing him to process the sensation faster. It still hurt beyond anything he¡¯d ever experienced, but he could do this. He could get through it.

    Eight. Nine. The trirec with the whip paused to catch his breath. ¡°Get it over with!¡± Al yelled and the man snapped the beraki one last time, catching the flesh of his shoulder and tearing it. That was the worst. He felt himself shake from the experience, before he opened his eyes.

    He was still alive. He grinned, but dropped it quickly. He measured himself. He could easily have taken more.

    Al remembered that Raulin was still next to him, watching him. Loudly he snorted and picked up his shirt. ¡°Really, that¡¯s all?¡±

    Raulin caught his eyes and shook his head in humor. Hopefully it would help.

    Telbarisk was walking outside when Al past him. He turned and grabbed his hand, transferring his magic to the grivven. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Isken¡¯s masked face was already turned towards the door when Al came through. He tossed his shirt onto his cot and walked over to the Merakian. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Um, all right. It feels like my skin is on fire and it itches fiercely, but I¡¯m doing well for the circumstances. How are you?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said distractedly. Isken¡¯s back was in surprisingly good shape, stable and mending. The four lashes that had ripped open flesh were hollow valleys crusted with scabs. No blood, no signs of infection. He dabbed the salve here and there, then touched his magic into spots he thought needed concentration, though that wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d been taught. Isken soon fell asleep.

    Tel lumbered into the room a few minutes later, bending his knees to lower his head instead of ducking. ¡°Okay,¡± Al said as he walked him to his slab. ¡°Anla, can you get¡­that cabinet there? Move that here¡­good,¡± he said, propping Tel¡¯s feet up.

    Al tended to his friend in the same manner, Anla helping by soaking rags in water to clean while Al stabilized his friend with magic. The blood stopped spilling from the wounds and Tel relaxed finally. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, my friend,¡± he whispered in his ear.

    ¡°Al,¡± Anla said and he looked up. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    He broke away from Tel and wrapped her in a hug. She gingerly put her arms on his back and squeezed lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few minutes,¡± he whispered, picking up her hand and transferring his magic to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be here waiting.¡±

    She kissed him on the cheek and turned. If she waited any longer, she¡¯d lose her nerve.

    The escort handed her what she thought was a straw mat to kneel on, until he mimed putting it on himself. There were two braids on the corners of one end and in the middle of the other end, the first to tied around her waist and the second for her neck. This apparently was a panel for modesty or to protect her front. While she didn¡¯t really need it for the first, she admitted she wasn¡¯t too proud to accept it for the latter.

    There were a lot of Merakians milling about the courtyard. They kept a wide berth around Raulin, the post, and the space between, but everywhere else they hovered, like flies on a carcass. She stepped through and walked slowly to get a good look at her husband.

    Her heart went out to him. He looked broken down and miserable. Since he was shirtless, she could see the bruises that colored his torso and snaked up his neck into his face. His hair, his beautiful, rich brown hair with blond and gold and bronze strands, was gone. He looked up at her quickly, then down again in shame.

    There wasn¡¯t anything worse they could do to her than this and what was going to happen, so she risked a few quiet words. She whispered ¡°I love you¡± and let it travel on the winds to his ear. She saw him inhale and twist his head up and to the side, as if he could feel the words caress his skin. He opened his eyes and she heard him barely breath ¡°I love you, too¡±.

    She knelt on the ground and took off her shirt, replacing it with the straw mat. She took the ribbon Al had gifted her and tied her hair up and off her neck and back. Then, as calmly as she could, she placed her arms on the plank and waited.

    Raulin didn¡¯t know which would be worse: to watch this so his imagination didn¡¯t make it worse or to close his eyes so he didn¡¯t have to see her go through this torture. The whip cracked and she cried out softly, breathed slowly through her teeth. He fought with every fiber in his being not to jump up and protect her, to not say encouraging words to her. He couldn¡¯t. He had to stay still. And after three cracks he knew that it didn¡¯t matter if he watched or not; he was dying inside either way.

    He watched as the beraki slashed her back to ribbons. Her skin paled and he could see tremors in her arms and her legs. Please, he thought, survive if only so I can begin to tell you how much I love you for this and for everything else.

    It was somewhere around the twenty-sixth lash (he was counting every single one) that she began to sing the song of healing they had composed in that mansion outside of Acripla. His heart broke. There was no other way to describe it. Something inside him pained so much that it felt like phantom claws in his chest ripping his life in twain. He finally had to look away or scream his throat raw.

    She stopped singing around the thirtieth lash. He began to whisper ever so softly the words he¡¯d say to her when they left here together. He spoke of his favorite times with her, the moments when his breath had caught in his throat by what she had said or done or just been. It hadn¡¯t taken much, so there was much to speak of.

    He was in the middle of describing how jaw-dropping she had looked at the libertine ball when he realized there hadn¡¯t been any sound for a good minute. He looked at the post and saw the punisher was touching Anla¡¯s neck. He turned and waved Curvorn over, spoke to him lowly, then moved out of the way. Curvorn said something to her, then touched her neck. After a half minute he stood up and walked to Raulin.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take the last four lashes and add them to your total.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked. He hadn¡¯t heard the first part and the second didn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead. I¡¯m sorry, but you still need to take the lashings. She almost made it, but we can¡¯t find a pulse.¡±

    ¡°Pulse,¡± he repeated.

    ¡°We¡¯ll move her body to the room and ask the wizard what would be best for her. You¡¯ll need to take your punishment soon.¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± he repeated.

    Curvorn had been gone a few minutes when he looked down and saw his fingers clawing into his thighs. He looked up and saw an empty post with blood on the ground. Where was Anla? He looked from the spot where she should be to the room then back again. Something about¡­

    A feral noise rose from the back of his throat, pained and hungry. He was back in Walpi and Belisant was telling him something. His sisters were dead. His brother was dead. His father was dead. His mother¡­she was dead, too. And Anla, his wife, his love, the woman who was his future, was¡­

    Someone barked something in Merakian. He looked up, confused. Two sets of hands grabbed his arms on either side and dragged him to the post. His punishment. He took off his shirt and mask and let them fall to the ground, not caring about the reverence he should be showing his trirec symbol. He¡¯d never need it again. He was dead already.

 Chapter 236

    She could be sleeping, Al thought, as he gently laid Anla on one of the slabs in their room. He gently rolled her over so that she was prone and couldn¡¯t believe the sight of the carnage. Whole pieces of her back hung loose, flaps large enough to pick up and move with his fingers. In some places he couldn¡¯t even see the damage; the blood pooled too thickly.

    Without thought he began cleaning the wounds. Halfway through the process he stopped, threw the rag on the ground, and knelt before her face. ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± he said, grabbing her hand. ¡°You can¡¯t be dead. You just got married to the man you love. He was waiting a year for you to look at him the way he looked at you. You pined and yearned for him. I was so happy that you two finally found each other. You can¡¯t¡­¡± He wiped away the tears running down his face. ¡°You can¡¯t be dead. I love you, Anla, my sister. I won¡¯t allow this to happen.¡±

    But there was silence. Her eyes remained closed. He kissed her hand and held it to his face. ¡°Please.¡±

    But there was silence.

    It finally hit him that she was gone and he began to sob. He put his hand on the table to steady himself as his stomach seized. He doubled over, wailing. ¡°Please.¡±

    But there was silence. He heard nothing. His fingers slipped on the slick surface. Why?

    The slab was damp. It was like a jolt that sprung his arm from the table. His hand had been in front of her mouth. And if the table was damp, that meant moisture. From breath.

    He looked around the room wildly for a few moments, then realized he couldn¡¯t leave her. He needed¡­he needed something to¡­He looked at her other hand and quickly pried her ring off. He wiped it clear then stuck it front of her lips. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, then lifted the ring to his eyes. He wiped his finger across and saw the dampness clear.

    ¡°Anla. Anla! Anla, thank you, thank you so much!¡± He pried his hand from hers. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, I promise.¡±

    He sped outside the room into the courtyard, past two startled guards who immediately caught him and were dragged as he continued to run towards the whipping post. ¡°Raulin!¡± he yelled and every head turned towards him. ¡°She¡¯s alive! Raulin, Anla¡¯s alive!¡±

    Those who were caught without their masks hastily put them back on. Some that were already masked joined their fellow trirecs at trying to stop Al from going where he shouldn¡¯t. He continued to push through the weight of six trirecs holding his legs, arms, and weighing against his torso.

    The trirec with a whip stopped and put on his mask before Al saw him. ¡°Raulin!¡± he kept yelling. Someone punched him in the face, but he ignored this.

    He made it across the yard and laid his hand on Raulin¡¯s shoulder, transferring his magic. ¡°She¡¯s alive. I felt her breath. I¡¯m going to go heal her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard,¡± Raulin said, unable to look at him.

    He stopped surging forward and shook off the trirecs. One fell flat on his face. Al calmly walked back to the room and sat down next to Anla, grabbing her hand and announcing that he had returned. ¡°I told Raulin you were alive so that he would fight,¡± he explained. ¡°Hope is an incredible thing, Anla. You gave that back to him.¡±

    Al continued to clean her wounds, delicately tending to skin so frayed and cut up it appeared more like the bark of the trees he used to practice with his ax. Some color returned to her skin and he was able to see her chest rise and fall with her breathing.

    He kept at it until two trirecs dragged Raulin in and helped him up on the slab. Isken stared at him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s still alive, never mind walking.¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Al said, touching Raulin¡¯s back and giving him enough of the Calm to relax him into unconsciousness. ¡°He¡¯s more than what he seems.¡±

    His cot barely fit between their slabs. Al had to crawl from the end to get into bed, but there was no place he wanted to be. He awoke several times in the night to hold their hands and make sure they were healing well.

    Alistad arrived five days after the punishment, blindfolded and walking timidly into their room. Al jumped up and greeted her. ¡°Thank you so much for coming,¡± he said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, taking the blindfold off. ¡°What¡­¡± She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth before running to Raulin¡¯s side. ¡°What happened? You said lacerations and possible organ trauma, but I thought you meant he got punched and sliced with a knife.¡±

    ¡°The shortened version is that all four of us were whipped, Anla and Raulin more severely than Telbarisk and I. I¡¯ve done the best I¡¯ve been able to with my wizard training, but it¡¯s a bit much.¡±

    She took a deep breath and tucked the strands of her walnut brown hair behind her ears before hefting the straw basket off her back. ¡°How long ago did this occur? What was used to make these lacerations? How many did he receive? How many did she receive? What have you been using to care for them, other than your magic? Were there any other injuries?¡±

    As Al began to answer her questions, she pulled out item after item from the basket, vials and unguents and herb packets and bandages and her mortar and pestle, and began to grind and mix a concoction together. When she finished with the paste, she very carefully measured out one drop from a clear vial into the mixture.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Al asked.

    She pressed the stopper back into the vial. ¡°Tears of Zayine. It enhances the healing ability of anything mixed with it. It¡¯s difficult to produce.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve used that before.¡±

    ¡°I was reprimanded for taking it before,¡± she said, stirring the mixture. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed to use it until we understand the gravity of its presence and need.¡±

    ¡°Will you get in trouble for this, then?¡±

    A small smirk tugged up the corner of her mouth. ¡°They don¡¯t know about this.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­yours?¡±

    She nodded, laying out wet linens and brushing the paste onto strips. ¡°One of the requirements to becoming a priestess is making your own vial of the Tears. I began working on mine early, as soon as I started having the dreams.¡±

    ¡°Dreams?¡±

    ¡°Nothing concrete, but whispers from someone that filled me with confidence. I had knowledge that something was going to happen, that I was going to travel south, that I would meet the person who holds my destiny. I¡¯ve had a bag packed for weeks. I knew someone would call on me.¡± She gingerly placed the linen strips on Raulin¡¯s back, smoothing them out to cover as much space as possible.

    ¡°When you say ¡®holds your destiny¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°I know he¡¯s a trirec. I know he can¡¯t have relationships, though he seems to have one with you three. Still, I feel drawn to him.¡± She looked up from her work and met Al¡¯s gaze. ¡°Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Will you tell me?¡±

    Al sighed and shook his head. ¡°I want to, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Will you tell me some day? I¡¯ll journey wherever is needed to find out.¡±

    ¡°That I will do for you. I don¡¯t know if that day will come, but I will promise to remember you and to tell you what I can.¡±

    ¡°Can you give me a hint?¡±

    While she ground and mixed the same ingredients for Anla, he finally said, ¡°It might be worth your while to study the flora and fauna of Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Arvonne?¡± she asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say.¡±

    She nodded and began laying the poultices on Anla¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. They seem stable and recovering.¡±

    ¡°Anla was pronounced dead at the whipping post. They couldn¡¯t find a pulse.¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°How did she survive?¡±

    He cleared his throat. ¡°If you think your destiny is wrapped up in ours somehow, perhaps it¡¯s necessary to tell you how we met¡­¡±

    Telbarisk came in from the walled garden and greeted Alistad. She continued to work as she listened to Al, checking the status of Anla and Raulin and taking notes. When he finished, she asked, ¡°Have you heard of the Theory of Divine Equilibrium?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That was in my class on the Twelve in Amandorlam. I¡¯ve even spoken to these three about it.¡±

    ¡°Albrever and its Noh Amairian counterpart, Costoli Bri¡¯kavat, have announced that there is a very strong deitic and divine presence in our world right now, stronger than any they¡¯ve ever recorded. Excessive natural disasters, famines, plagues, signs that things are out of order, they say. Until whatever was wronged is righted, it will continue to get worse.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, it began about seventeen years ago.¡±

    ¡°Likely, they¡¯re unsure if it¡¯s sixteen or seventeen. Some signs might not have been reported previously. How did you know?¡±

    Al shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m just curious. There are some possible answers, but none that really make sense. But, I brought up the Theory to substantiate why I¡¯m not surprised you have a deitic artifact. It¡¯s been rumored that all thirty-six of the major artifacts are in play right now.¡±

    ¡°Wait, ¡®major¡¯ artifacts?¡±

    ¡°Let me check on your back,¡± she said and he sat on the edge of a slab. ¡°The chalice isn¡¯t just an artifact. There are three major artifacts for each god. Zayine¡¯s, for example, are the Healing Bowl, the Blessed Grain, and the Spoon of Abundance. Mikros has the Everlasting Clover, the Glove of Charisma, and the Chalice of Friendship.¡±

    ¡°He has other chalices, though?¡±

    ¡°No. Just the one, and because it¡¯s a major artifact, no other god has a chalice.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    He puffed his breath out of his cheeks. ¡°I knew it was His chalice, but I didn¡¯t realize He only had one and that was it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very special. We don¡¯t learn much about each one, especially not another god¡¯s artifact, but I can tell you that it¡¯s not the reason why Anla was pulled from the brink of death. That¡¯s healing and it isn¡¯t His realm. The chalice would only effect bonds and friendship and brotherhood.¡±

    He turned to face her. ¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s not healing that happened, but our bond. At one point we believed that if one of us died, all four of us would die. But I think it may be the opposite, that the bond won¡¯t allow the soul as well as the body to travel a mile from all of the members, so the other three souls won¡¯t allow the fourth to depart.¡±

    She gave him a sweet smile. ¡°That may be true, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. Al, you said you were whipped ten times less than a week ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°Have you seen your back since that point?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy to take care of myself. I had to heal Isken, Tel, Anla, and Raulin. I know, I know, you¡¯re first patient is always yourself, but I can¡¯t take time away from helping them. I¡¯m too afraid something will go wrong when I¡¯m sleeping or eating.¡±

    ¡°You do need to start taking care of yourself, at least for a healthy mind and spirit. Your body, though, is healing at extraordinary levels. Save right here,¡± she said, drawing her finger over his shoulder, ¡°and here,¡± she said, crossing her finger on his middle left back, ¡°there¡¯s no sign that you were whipped. You have the lightest of scars.¡±

    ¡°My magic is augmented by the chalice.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that? I wouldn¡¯t assume that of something of Mikros¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Anla has gotten much stronger in the last year with her own magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Anla has been training,¡± Tel said, finally chiming in after listening to their conversation for some time. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been training, too. I¡¯ve gotten a higher tolerance to magic consumption and I can switch between the Unease and the Calm without a thought.¡±

    ¡°One of my teachers is a Calm wizard who also took her vows to Zayine after her training,¡± Alistad said. ¡°She¡¯s never described her abilities on that level. You took about one tenth the time to heal with no scarring while sleeping and eating poorly. What if you¡¯re a cyclical wizard?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°You as well? I¡¯m not. They¡¯re exceptionally rare and there¡¯s already one this generation.¡±

    ¡°One in a million doesn¡¯t always mean there¡¯s only one in a million.¡±

    Al took in a sharp inhale. ¡°Alistad, no. I¡¯m not a cyclical wizard. I am barely keeping myself together right now and I¡¯m fraying at the edges. Cyclical wizards don¡¯t have issues like that.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know very much about cyclical wizards. That could be normal for them. I think you should at least consider-¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he yelled, startling Alistad. ¡°I am not a cyclical wizard! I am tired of people trying to foist that term on me! I¡¯m¡­¡± He clenched his teeth and growled, then left the room for the garden.

    Alistad turned to Telbarisk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to upset him.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine. This is something I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get over quickly. But it would be best not to speak about it around him.¡±

    ¡°Why not? It makes such sense to me. The Chalice of Mikros wouldn¡¯t do what he¡¯s suggesting. It has to be him! And it would explain why the Chalice fell into his possession. It¡¯s attracted to the people that can correct issues of imbalance, who are usually powerful themselves.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already quite powerful as a cross-switcher.¡±

    ¡°But cross-switchers have limitations, if my training serves me well. Cyclical wizards can do incredible things, like bring people back from the brink of death. He did that with Anladet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as well as a baby and a man who lost a duel.¡±

    ¡°So why won¡¯t he at least consider what he could be?¡±

    Telbarisk quietly considered her question while she began tending to his wounds. ¡°Did Alpine tell you what happened late last year?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°He had a crisis of the mind. He felt we were going to kill him and replace him with another companion. In fact, he tried to kill that man, but didn¡¯t succeed. It was a terrible time for him. We kept him tied to a tree until we could figure out what we should do. He escaped his bonds and jumped off a cliff.¡±

    ¡°Al? Al did?¡± She shook her head. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Anladet followed him, which caused Raulin to follow her. He managed to make it in time and lassoed him. He dislocated his shoulder and Al fell into a torpor of sorts.¡±

    ¡°That happens sometimes when the mind is overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°He slowly pulled out of it and has been working to understand life from a different angle. He¡¯s become quite good at listening, for instance. But he still feels inadequate and inferior. He¡¯s not a man who comes to change easily and being in a low place is a miserable comfort for him. I am proud that he¡¯s changed as much as he has, but he still needs time to consider that he is just as worthy of life and love as the rest of us are.

    ¡°He is what he is, whatever he wishes to call himself. He is using his gifts naturally. If it makes him feel better to call himself a cross-switcher, but to be and act as a cyclical wizard, then that¡¯s fine to me.¡±

    ¡°He should receive training, though¡­¡±

    ¡°From what he tells us, there are so few cyclical wizards that there is no curriculum for it. He would have to seek out the other cyclical wizard for training.¡±

    She began grinding his medicine. ¡°So it is best to leave him alone about this?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you don¡¯t need to intervene to heal.¡±

    Alistad paused in thought, then nodded.

    Al came in a few minutes later and dealt with his outburst by forgetting it had happened. Alistad and he spoke of different healing methods for their situation. Despite the strange circumstance, Arvarikor considered them guests and fed them dinner, as they had since they had arrived. Alistad picked a cot and got comfortable, stating she was staying the night to see how well Anla and Raulin were developing.

    Nighttime in the compound had its own kind of comfortable routine meted out by sounds and fragrances. After dinner smells of roasting meat and spices, there was always dust kicked into the air and whisking noises of two men sweeping the grounds. Al thought he could even smell the scents of soap and herbs from men washing themselves before bed. He wondered what they would be doing on the morrow.

    It was in the silence of the hours just after midnight, when he couldn¡¯t even hear the carriages outside, that he heard something that tugged at his consciousness. The sound reminded him of something concerning that was due his attention, but also something that set him at ease. It was the latter reason why he didn¡¯t awake until he was grabbed from his cot and shoved towards Anla.

    ¡°Heal her,¡± Raulin said, his voice gruff from disuse.

    ¡°I¡­I have been. She¡¯s stable. Raulin! You¡¯re awake!¡±

    ¡°Heal her,¡± he repeated. He pushed Al until he was standing right next to her table.

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± he said, putting his hand on her bare leg. ¡°She¡¯s been doing really well. Alistad is here and Anla¡¯s wounds look so much better after the treatments.¡± He rambled on about the medicine used and her progress, but Raulin said nothing. Instead, he sat on his cot and stared at his wife.

    ¡°You should rest,¡± Al said. ¡°It¡¯s the best thing you can do for your healing. If you move around too much, you¡¯ll rip open your wounds.¡±

    It was an hour later when Al started to feel tired and moved back to his cot. ¡°Heal her,¡± Raulin said again.

    ¡°No, Raulin, I can¡¯t heal her constantly. It¡¯ll be too much magic for her to take in. Besides, I need to sleep.¡±

    ¡°If you had done a better job, she would be healed by now.¡±

    Al recoiled as if he had been slapped. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Maybe I could have-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Tel said, sitting up from his cot. ¡°Anla will awaken when she can due in large part to Alpine. He has sacrificed sleep and time and ease of mind tending to all of us. He could not have done better. If he says that he needs to rest and Anla needs a break from magic, then that¡¯s how it will be.¡±

    Everyone settled after this, even Alistad, who had awoken at the noise. Raulin, however, didn¡¯t go back to sleep. He continued to stare at Anla.

    He was like that when the dawn rose and the group still lay sleeping. He heard a scuffling noise, but paid no attention to it.

    ¡°Kemor,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°I heard you had awoken. How are you feeling?¡±

    Raulin didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Perhaps you have forgotten who I am and what respect I deserve, how I am the reason why you are alive right now.¡±

    Raulin snapped his hands at his sides and bowed quickly, hissing at the pain. ¡°Forgive me, master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve had a terrible week. You are forgiven. Now, I¡¯d like you to take a walk with me. Don¡¯t worry about your shirt.¡±

    Raulin arose, his eyes lingering on Anla for as long as he could before leaving the clinic.

    ¡°My, it¡¯s been quite an interesting week for me, Kemor. I¡¯ve been in contact with several of the trivren from the Riyalan office. I¡¯ve had to explain my actions to them as well as a few of my own fellow trivren, at times coming close to blows. They are not happy about what I¡¯ve done.

    ¡°Of course, what I¡¯ve told them and what I will tell you are two different things. I¡¯m going to tell you the truth.¡±

    They climbed the stairs to his office. ¡°I would imagine you don¡¯t believe me. I assure you that by the end of our discussion, you will come to know I am speaking the truth. And perhaps you will also be truthful with me. I think we can reach a common understanding.¡±

    Raulin opened the door to Curvorn¡¯s office and stepped inside, holding the door open for the trivren. It was a courtesy and an understanding that trirecs looked out for their trivren by sweeping rooms like this. Curvorn nodded his head in thanks and sat at his desk, offering the chair where Al had been beaten to Raulin. He sat gingerly.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to be blunt and open. I don¡¯t like Arvarikor¡¯s harsh punishments.¡± Raulin raised his eyebrows at this, but said nothing. ¡°You know this because twice now I¡¯ve softened the blow for you, once after your shipwreck and once when you passed through Hanala late last year. It does me no good to see my trirecs beaten so badly that they cannot perform their contracts, especially not with one who takes full dockets. Your last contract has been revoked, by the way, so don¡¯t worry about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you may have guessed that Stavro doesn¡¯t agree with me. In fact, he and I are like the full moon and the sun, always at odds and trying to steal the sky from one another. I say this because I want you to know that, if it were up to me, I would have had you birched instead of them using the beraki. I did what I could.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, since I have done so much for you, it¡¯s time for you to return the favor. You put up a good front when speaking to all of us trivrens. The wizard did, too, blubbering about how he looked up to you because you remind him of some tragic, romantic figure from some books he reads. I wouldn¡¯t have thought he would have held out for one punch never mind dozens. I almost believed him, too, but my gut was telling me it was a ruse.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why you beat him in the first place, then?¡±

    ¡°I had to put up a good front myself. I had interrogated him, Tashke can attest to that, and that whatever his reasons were, he stuck to them enough to be convincing. If any other trivren wanted to do the same, he would play them like he played me. That was all I cared about.

    ¡°If this wizard, who had likely never been put to the fist in his life, was willing to hold out for hours and present a bluff, it tells me two things: one is that he is a clever man who sticks to his convictions, and two is that he is fiercely loyal to you. The latter is not something I would think would be inspired from a mere casual acquaintance. Therefore, I believe you two are closer than that. As is your relationship to that woman. I watched you stare at her for some time before I introduced myself this morning. You are deeply concerned for her. Noble, but I think it¡¯s because you are infatuated with her. The wizard admitted she felt the same for you. And by both of your reactions at the trial, her taking forty lashes and you becoming that upset by it, I can only assume that you are in love with each other, if not worse.¡±

    ¡°No, that would be against our code, master. Even if I were to love her, I wouldn¡¯t act upon it.¡±

    Curvorn sighed in disappointment. ¡°I still feel I¡¯m right about this. I understand, though. Admitting that you two are paramours would put you right out on that block again. That¡¯s something that we can¡¯t abide. Which reminds me, why didn¡¯t you tell us about Afren Merak¡¯s family?¡±

    Raulin swallowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know until he told me, when we last met. I was distracted when I came through Hanala. I apologize, master.¡±

    He folded his hands on the desk. ¡°Well, since no one has brought up the fact that you knew and should have reported it, I think we can forget about it. See, I¡¯m not a man quick to punish. I¡¯m also forgiving. I can¡¯t make you trust me and admit how you truly felt about these three companions of yours, but I also don¡¯t need you to admit it. I¡¯m going to assume I am correct and we¡¯ll sidestep that fact.

    ¡°You have a friend from Ervaskin, a loyal servant in the wizard, and a paramour. You¡¯ve made allies who risked life for you. Let¡¯s wave that away as part of this chalice business and that you weren¡¯t thinking with your right mind. Since only you and I know this, I don¡¯t see any reason why we can¡¯t move forward. You can start fresh and forget this whole business happened. Tell me, when does the chalice spell end exactly?¡±

    ¡°I was honest when I said we don¡¯t know much about it,¡± Raulin said. ¡°The wizard couldn¡¯t find much about it. The woman, Anladet, found some information in a short book that stated it was likely that the spell lasted one year. That will be June Twelfth, I believe.¡±

    ¡°June Twelfth. That¡¯s¡­three weeks. A sufficient amount of time to accomplish what we¡¯re going to do.¡±

    ¡°Which is what, master?¡±

    ¡°You and I will be speaking several times daily. We¡¯ll discuss many things, including what will happen should you decide to continue your relationship with your friends. All the while, you will assure them that everything is fine. And finally, when the spell is broken, you will leave on the first ship to Noh Amair. You, of course, realize you must go through a retraining at Arvarikor.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s shoulders dropped, but he recovered quickly. ¡°Of course, master. I have broken the laws and must relearn them.¡±

    ¡°You will also work with Atelo, when he returns. He will be traveling to Arvarikor himself to be instated officially as a trivren. I will be making a covert contract for you to protect him, just to sweeten this deal.¡±

    ¡°Which is what, precisely? Just so I understand.¡±

    ¡°I need you to fool your friends into thinking you have fooled Arvarikor, then leave while they suspect nothing. A fresh start. No more encumbrances. Fair?¡± he asked, holding out his arm.

    Raulin hesitated. After a few moments of thought, he said, ¡°Fair,¡± and grasped Curvorn¡¯s forearm.

 Chapter 237

    ¡°I think we should speak of something else today,¡± Curvorn said.

    Raulin stopped brushing his fingers over his shaved head and met his gaze. ¡°What would you like to discuss, master?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve spoken at length about why you should stay with Arvarikor, the repercussions of leaving, how to fool your friends, and your plans for the future. I haven¡¯t taken the time to ask you what you want out of this.¡±

    Raulin sat back in the chair slightly. ¡°Master, I was able to survive due to your machinations. My former companions are all alive as well. That is enough for me.¡±

    Curvorn had apparently picked up some miartha expressions in his time outside Merak. He snorted and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, of course you¡¯re pleased to be alive. Aren¡¯t we all? What I¡¯m wondering pertains to what can be done to make you happier with your career. I¡¯m coming to understand through our discussions that one of the reasons why you broke our laws was because you were searching for things you cannot find in your successes. I cannot bend the rules about allies and other kinds of relationships, but perhaps the future with Arvarikor would look brighter if you looked forward to it.¡±

    ¡°I speak the truth when I say I am happy with the order.¡±

    Curvorn frowned and leaned forward. ¡°Kemor, I thought we had an understanding.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master. I suppose that I¡¯ve always wondered why Arvarikor requires us to take a balance of contracts for our docket. I do not question the wisdom of tradition, but in a situation like my own I feel that I do better unbalanced.¡±

    Curvorn waved his hand palm up. ¡°Explain.¡±

    Raulin chose his words carefully. ¡°Since I look like a miartha, I find I exceed in contracts that involve spying. I am able to slip into situations unquestioned. I have plenty of contacts who I¡¯m able to call upon to reintegrate me into society quickly. This is not something a Kachilan trirec can do with ease. They must linger longer on planning, spying from the shadows, because miartha do not trust Merakians. It is difficult for them, but easy for me.¡±

    ¡°You had how many of each?¡±

    ¡°Ten spying contracts, eight thefts, five assassinations, and one open contract.¡±

    ¡°It seems like a healthy, normal balance. Why didn¡¯t you take more espionage contracts?¡±

    ¡°I wished to, but Master Stavro made some decisions for me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. And I am not surprised.¡±

    ¡°I feel that it may be the same in other headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why we require trirecs to take a balanced docket?¡±

    ¡°I believe so, master,¡± he said, his back itching from his scars. ¡°It is to keep each trirec honed on all skills, so his ability to do anything will not atrophy.¡±

    ¡°From your point of view that makes sense. From my perspective, however, and all of Arvarikor, we stop an unbalanced docket because we do not want to become dependent upon one person in regards to one kind of job. Imagine what a problem it would be if you were to take twenty-four spying contracts in Gheny, then die during the first one. We would have a crisis on our hands.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Raulin said, hiding his disappointment as well as he could.

    ¡°It is the same with even the bigger names in Arvarikor. You¡¯ve heard of Varik Motet, yes?¡± Raulin nodded. Curvorn had made sure to show him the newly adjusted leader board with his own name at twelfth. Varik was second. ¡°He is a brilliant man, especially when it comes to assassinating heavily protected targets. We still require he take spying and theft contracts, though only a token one in each.¡±

    Raulin furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°A token?¡±

    ¡°Just one. So, his are twenty-two assassinations, one spy, one theft.¡±

    ¡°For some, the eight each is waved?¡±

    ¡°For those in the top ten, I¡¯m sure some exceptions can be made.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m close, then.¡±

    ¡°Rather close, though I hate to say you will see some setbacks in the next year or two. I think that recent issues will drop you out of the top twenty. But, if you work hard and get your next docket done quickly, perhaps you can take another and make up for it. I dare say that you could be doing what you excel at in two years time.¡±

    Raulin smiled at this. To not kill and steal anymore was a dream. Well, he had to admit that the stealing wasn¡¯t terrible, but the killing had become so detestable that he had a hard time thinking about doing it in the future. Twelve, maybe eleven, more assassinations and he could cut it down to one per year.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss your next three dockets. After your retraining in Arvarikor, where had you planned on going?¡±

    ¡°I usually split Noh Amair in half, but I think it would be better if I did it in three parts. I will ask and see where I am needed the most. I doubt I will return to Gheny for some time.¡±

    ¡°I believe that is a sound plan. The Cumber has taken interest in you and-¡±

    There was a knock at the door. Isken poked his head in after Curvorn gave him permission to. ¡°The woman is awake,¡± he said quickly and left.

    Raulin schooled his features. Indifference, neutrality, maybe boredom. In his mind he screamed with delight, the rush of joy at finally being able to see her, to talk with her, to tell her how much he loved her and how thankful he was at her sacrifice and how angry he was that she took his punishment and how happy he was that she lived.

    ¡°Well, we shall have our first test, then,¡± Curvorn said. ¡°A few minutes, then report back to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he said, bracing his forearms in a salute.

    His gait was measured, his posture relaxed. He was casual and nonchalant as he walked through the door to the infirmary. Al looked up from the table, his eyes tight with suspicion. He¡¯d already asked twice where Raulin was spending all his time. Raulin suspected he wasn¡¯t happy with his answer and he¡¯d ask again, just not now. He turned, pretended to look outside, then rushed to Anla¡¯s side.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Hi, ainle,¡± he said, taking her hand. He was shocked at how much weight she¡¯d lost. She looked almost as gaunt as when he¡¯d first met her. Still beautiful, though.

    Anla gave him a weak smile. ¡°Hi, ainler,¡± she said, her voice hoarse from disuse.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get you?¡±

    She shook her head slightly. ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the mask. There¡¯s not much I can do about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I remember.¡±

    He lifted her hand to the mouth of his mask. ¡°I want you to promise me that you¡¯ll never do anything like this again.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, her smile dropping.

    ¡°I mean it. You almost died. In fact, you may have. I can¡¯t live in a world where you¡¯re not there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I did it. I did what I needed to to make sure you would live. I¡¯d sacrifice whatever I needed to in order to make sure you were happy.¡±

    He sighed and held her hand tighter. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I can¡¯t accept it in return.¡±

    She reached up to move a lock of hair out of his face and found it was gone. She touched his temple anyway. There was a snap and an echoing sound as she gave them privacy. ¡°It¡¯s why we married. We chose to be bound until we die and I haven¡¯t had enough time with you. My pain and comfort was a small price to pay for your life.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to get used to that. Do you know how much this has eaten away at me over this last week? I don¡¯t think I can hate myself more.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll love you to make up for it.¡± She smiled and looked in his eyes. ¡°Are we still good for when we leave?¡±

    His stomach seized, but he said, ¡°There are still big plans ahead for us. I need you to get better enough to travel. Your back¡­¡± His voice broke and he cleared his throat. ¡°Your back is still very bad. You need to eat and regain strength; you¡¯re skin and bones again. You have to get healthy before anything else can happen.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll start now that I¡¯m awake.¡± She dropped the dome and tried to sit up, but Raulin gently pressed her arm down.

    ¡°Rest. I¡¯ll get some food for you to eat.¡± But, by the time he had returned, she had fallen asleep.

    Raulin turned to catch Al¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯ll feed her when she wakes up?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Training.¡± Al¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and his shoulders slumped. ¡°Listen. They¡¯ve been extremely generous thus far, letting three miartha stay on grounds, letting Alistad stay for a night to heal us, feeding us and giving us medical supplies. I would rebuild this entire compound pebble by pebble for those gifts. I have to do whatever they say.¡±

    Al frowned, but nodded as Raulin walked back to meet with Curvorn.

    Most days were like this, with Raulin in and out of the infirmary, checking in on Anla, continuing to use the medicine and Al¡¯s ability to heal, chatting with the three of them. Anla grew stronger and her back healed, though like Raulin, the skin would never be smooth and unblemished again.

    Raulin slept in the same room, as close to Anla as he dared. Curvorn had said nothing of that. He supposed it would have been wise to start sleeping in one of those open rooms available to any passing trirec, but it seemed like every night at least one of the group would awake with a scream, unsounded or not, and the nearest person would reach out and grab their hand. By the time mid-June rolled around, Raulin tallied at least a dozen of those occasions alone.

    Then finally, it was the thirteenth of June. Raulin had double-checked the records from last year and knew when he¡¯d left. He¡¯d only taken a day to get to Carvek, then two days before he had assassinated the Count. It had been another in jail. That night would have been the twelfth, after sunset, so likely ten o¡¯clock at night or so when he had drank from the chalice. This meant that the spell should be broken.

    Curvorn was concerned that things were still too unscripted, so he gave Raulin permission to walk to a point that was past a mile, then return and report to him. He took the opportunity to visit the Queyellan temple. He trusted Anla and didn¡¯t think Isky had lied to her in the letter, but there was still a weight on his shoulders that would hopefully dissipate once he saw her for himself.

    She was, again, in the front room pouring water into basins. He could still see her beauty, but she was unfortunately against high standards. He wouldn¡¯t compare her to his wife, since that would be unfair to this woman, but he still did enjoy watching her accomplish her task with almost ecstasy on her face.

    He saw her eyes widen when she saw him, then recognized him. ¡°You¡¯re back. I¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± she began, then started towards the doorway to another room.

    ¡°Wait, please,¡± he said. ¡°I only wanted to apologize.¡±

    She turned back and put the pitcher on the wide edge of one of the basins. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have done it, but it was my choice.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize when we¡­when it happened that you might suffer afterwards because of it. I should have. If you had died, I would have felt responsible and grieved¡­¡±

    She put her hand up to quiet him. ¡°I find myself still attracted to you, but I didn¡¯t¡­¡± She looked around for a moment. ¡°Would you like to speak somewhere quieter?¡±

    ¡°Briefly,¡± he said.

    She led him to a small room that was meant for consultations or meetings. He sat across from her and waited for her to continue. ¡°My name is Raulin, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Nerien. What I was saying was that it wasn¡¯t a mistake. I think that, even though I¡¯ve never seen your face, that you¡¯re a charming man. But, I didn¡¯t, um, do what I did because of that. It was because I felt Queyella speak to me. She told me to, that She wanted me to, that it was important.¡±

    Raulin blinked at this. He didn¡¯t want to seem rude, but he had always been uncomfortable speaking to zealots. ¡°Why do you think it was important?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only had faith in Her. She told me all would be well and that I had served Her well. And so, when I was in the waters and I should have died, I lived. The tide should have covered my head, but that day it had behaved irregularly. It never went higher than my chin. She cradled me instead of killing me.¡±

    ¡°Why would She ask you to do that, especially Her of all the gods?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, folding her hands and looking down.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bother you, not knowing?¡±

    She gave a hard smile and looked up again. ¡°There¡¯s a certain peace that comes with understanding that faith makes you a pawn and not a bishop.¡±

    ¡°Where do you get that kind of faith?¡± he asked, realizing somewhere in those words that the conversation was shifting.

    ¡°You do not have it?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Who is your family¡¯s patron deity?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the one who abandoned them when they were slaughtered? Magrithon.¡±

    Nerien blinked at this. A look of understanding washed over her face, but she didn¡¯t address it and he didn¡¯t elaborate. He hoped she was realizing why she had been attracted to him and not anything more. ¡°My father was a fisherman who never came back one day. From then on I hated Queyella. She took my father from me. Later, my mother grew sick and died when I was fourteen. I¡¯m guessing I was older than you were, but I understand the hardships of being an orphan.

    ¡°I was still angry when I and my little brothers were sent to live with my aunt and uncle. I was still angry when She spoke to me. I was still angry when I went to this temple and told them to make Her stop talking to me. The priestess, her name was Waztel, sat with me and just held my face in her hands, her old, gnarled fingers pressing lightly against my cheekbones. And the anger burned away and I was left with the realization that it was all fear. I was afraid that my father¡¯s spirit was in agony. I was afraid my mother had died hating me. I was afraid of my future, especially since I realized it was with the being I hated the most, with Her. That was when my healing began and I stopped fearing.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear you¡¯re happy.¡±

    ¡°I feel like you aren¡¯t, though.¡±

    ¡°I have a long journey ahead of me with a lot of pain.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way I can help?¡±

    He stood. ¡°No, though I appreciate it. Your words were nice to hear.¡± When he was in the next room, he left a gold coin on the edge of the basin.

    His mind was a storm. He was technically free of the group, the spell broken, but he knew he never would be happy about it. It was okay. He had come to terms with this. There was no choice.

    That night he slept in the room with the group. In the morning he left Anla¡¯s flower next to her head, a solitary bloom that he had paid five silver to a sentimental shopkeeper to part with.

    They were visited around lunch by Curvorn. ¡°How are we feeling?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re well enough to travel,¡± Al answered.

    ¡°Excellent. I think the time has come to part ways, then. I¡¯ll give you one half-hour to pack and then we¡¯ll escort you outside the premises.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Raulin?¡± Al asked, looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s no longer your concern, but Raulin has already left for Noh Amair.¡±

 Chapter 238

    ¡°Was it me?¡± Al asked once they were back on the street. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was pressuring him too much. I hardly asked him what he was doing away from us.¡±

    ¡°Alpine, I don¡¯t think it was you,¡± Telbarisk said.

    He furrowed his eyebrows, then looked at Anla, who was leaning against a wall, hugging her torso and looking down. When he looked back at Tel, the grivven was shaking his head.

    ¡°Why would someone deceive his friends like Raulin did?¡± Tel mused.

    ¡°Are we his friends?¡± Al asked bitterly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt that, Alpine. Why would he leave that flower for Anla if he didn¡¯t care about her? I think it is safer to assume that he felt warmly towards us at least a few hours ago. And since none of us have done anything to cause him to change his mind, he is acting in what he thinks are our best interests.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think he¡¯s doing this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My guess is that he had to make a choice that he knew we would not agree to.¡±

    Al let out a sigh and wiped his face. ¡°All right. Have any of us changed our minds about wanting to be with Raulin? I mean, he¡¯s yet again acted like an ass, so I understand if any of you want to go your separate way¡­¡±

    He thought this was an obligatory question, but he noticed that neither of his two friends answered quickly. This actually frightened him. For the past year, over a year, he¡¯d been with them. Since Raulin¡¯s revelation, he had put zero thought into any other future. If either of them said ¡°no¡±, he¡¯d have no idea what he would do.

    ¡°I feel that kouriya is pointing me in that direction.¡±

    Al relaxed a little. Anla was still thinking, though.

    ¡°Are you angry with him?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am. He promised me that he¡¯d never hurt me again. He broke that one. He promised me that we¡¯d be together no matter what happened. He¡¯s broken that one as well.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking that you want to part ways, to let him go?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. We exchanged our vows. I plan on keeping mine. My choice isn¡¯t to be with him or not; I know what I¡¯d say to that. My choice is between him or Garlin.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Anla, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    There was a look of pain that crossed her face. ¡°Damn him for this. Yes, let¡¯s go find him.¡±

    ¡°Good. Okay. Well, first we need to think of where he went. Wait. Maybe someone knows something.¡±

    Al walked the three of them back across the street to the compound. He rang the bell as quietly as he could and waited. A few minutes later, the window slid open. ¡°Alpine?¡± Isken asked. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you can tell us about what happened to Raulin and where he¡¯s going.¡±

    Isken looked to either side of him before leaning in closely. ¡°He left with Atelo, a trivren. That¡¯s all I can say. I wish you good luck.¡± He closed the window slowly.

    Al stepped back and thought. If he left with a trivren, then that meant he was escorting him to another headquarters. Would they be going to Riyala or somewhere in Noh Amair? Where would they choose? Then he realized it didn¡¯t matter. Like he had suggested to Raulin back in Cataya, when they were trying to figure out where Garlin had been taken, any place Raulin chose to go would need a ship.

    ¡°We need to go to the wharf. Anla, lead us to the booking offices.¡±

    She nodded and turned them south. After a few miles of walking, they turned east to the sea, the smells of briny sea filling their nostrils. They passed the fish market where those who didn¡¯t want to walk a little farther could by fish from mongers at a markup.

    ¡°There are a few companies,¡± Anla said. ¡°There are three major ones and three or four minor ones.¡±

    ¡°Do you know which ones are local and which trans-oceanic?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll just start with the one closest.¡±

    That was Breman Brothers, a small shop with a plaque outside picturing a ship sailing into the sunset. Al entered with Anla. The clerk, a very young man who looked like he¡¯d just gotten his first straight razor last week, looked up from the books. ¡°May I help you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was wondering if you might tell us if a friend of ours booked passage and where.¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°We get the lists of passengers and cargo right before the ships sail. Before then, you¡¯d have to go to the ship you wanted to book passage.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, dismayed. There had to be at least thirty ships in port. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯d know if, say, a trirec booked passage on one of your ships?¡±

    ¡°That would be of note, but unless you drank with the captain at a bar, you¡¯d know when I did.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Al mumbled as they left.

    He immediately said, ¡°We¡¯re going to have to split up. See if you can find the captain or first mate of the ship and talk with them. Check if it¡¯s a ship that takes passengers; ask that first so you don¡¯t waste time. I¡¯ll take ships whose name starts with the letter A through H, Anla you take I through P, and Tel you take Q through Z.¡±

    Telbarisk was impressed with Al¡¯s enthusiasm. He watched his friend march right up to the first mate of the Brequenchoir and ask the first mate about his passengers. It wasn¡¯t the boldness that surprised him; it was the ease of the conversation. A year ago he would have twisted the man¡¯s arm to get what he wanted. Now, he eased into it, laughing and giving a small wave to the man as he left.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Most of the ships he saw didn¡¯t have names that began with the letters he was responsible for. There was one called the Shallow Waters, but it was quite obviously a barge that didn¡¯t take passengers. So, he walked the wharf and contemplated the lie he had told his friends.

    He hadn¡¯t felt kouriya tell him to what to do in a long while.

    Tel had listened to Raulin¡¯s solid yet hypocritical advice about putting his wants aside and doing what was best for the greater good rather than himself. And when he did that, he started notice the sway and pull of kouriya come less and less. He felt no need to move rocks and sticks around, he didn¡¯t leave coppers in odd places, he didn¡¯t look in strange places for things that might be there. When he had stood and said he would take twenty of Raulin¡¯s lashes, it had been because he didn¡¯t want to see his friend die, not because of some whim that told him to do it.

    It felt a little sad to him. None of the others saw what he did, the little permeations rippling into others lives. Al had acknowledged it a few times, when some strange plan came to fruition, but he hadn¡¯t even paused to note the silk thread¡¯s need in Tektorn or the salve being to help heal their wounds. It was something that amused him, but he didn¡¯t need it. People would go on living their lives without the ordered chaos.

    In the moment that he sighed and accepted that he would no longer be a part of these wonderful little changes, he heard his name being called. He turned and saw a man enthusiastically waving with his arm, a knitted cap flying in his hand. Tel almost thought it was an unmasked Raulin for a moment, since the man was of similar height to his friend, but he would have had to have grown a beard overnight.

    The man jogged up to Telbarisk, wrapped his arms around him, and said, ¡°You owe me nine.¡±

    ¡°Jorm¨¦!¡± Tel said, laughing. He¡¯d had a little difficulty recognizing him behind the beard. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. The men in the office said you were a captain?¡±

    ¡°Captain indeed! Did you see my beard?¡±

    ¡°I did. You are in port, then?¡±

    ¡°For two more days. See that beauty down yonder, the one with the man in white on the mizzenmast?¡± he asked, pointing. ¡°That¡¯s the Tempest Free and she¡¯s mine. Or, not mine as in I own her, she¡¯s the company¡¯s, but I captain her.¡±

    ¡°She is beautiful, Jorm¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. She¡¯s not glorious, but she¡¯s capable. They have me doing small loads and passengers right now. I¡¯ll get something more substantial after a few years.¡±

    ¡°Passengers?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, I have eight cabins. Having trouble finding people who want to travel to Kitstuar, but we¡¯ve filled some. We might have to add stops in Arouk and Thrayis if we don¡¯t get everyone. Now, you must tell me about the last year. How was Gheny?¡±

    ¡°Gheny was very interesting,¡± he said as he began to think.

    ¡°¡¯Interesting¡¯?¡± he asked, laughing. ¡°That¡¯s far too brief.¡±

    ¡°Jorm¨¦, I have some friends I¡¯ve met who need passage to Noh Amair. Would you be willing to take us?¡±

    Jorm¨¦¡¯s smile dropped and looked thoughtful for a few moments. ¡°These are good friends of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve had quite a few adventures over the last year.¡±

    ¡°How about I meet with your ¡®friends¡¯ before I make a decision. Tonight at five o¡¯clock at The Rushing Stag. We can talk about your time in Gheny as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°If you want to go without them, come see my on my ship later tonight.¡± He turned and left before Telbarisk could tell him

    * * *

    Jorm¨¦ was already there, coat and hat shucked, when they arrived a few minutes to five. Tel sat next to the captain in the booth seat and Al and Anla took chairs. They all shook hands and introduced themselves. Jorm¨¦ gave an appreciative look to Anla, who then made an obvious gesture of tapping her cheek with her ring finger. He looked a little disappointed.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the people that have been journeying with Telbarisk for a year?¡± Jorm¨¦ asked, lighting his pipe.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said. ¡°Can we get you anything to drink? Chapman¡¯s Water or some wine? I can recommend the¡­um¡­never mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all set,¡± he said, taking a few puffs. ¡°Telbarisk says you with to book passage to Noh Amair?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for the three of us, and another.¡±

    ¡°Another?¡± He turned to face Tel. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention a fourth.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated,¡± he answered.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    Al spoke. ¡°We need you to secure his passage, and that of a man he¡¯s traveling with, from another ship. He¡¯s going to Noh Amair as well, but he doesn¡¯t know that we know that.¡±

    ¡°Maybe this man doesn¡¯t want to travel with you anymore.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± Al admitted.

    ¡°So, why should I help you three with this issue? I feel badly for you if he stole your money or owes you something, but I don¡¯t want any trouble aboard my ship.¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s my husband,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Well, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry then that your husband has decided to leave you and I don¡¯t think it sounds like a good idea to trick him into a reconciliation.¡±

    Al frowned and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, and I don¡¯t need to. You¡¯re asking me to take you three to Noh Amair. That¡¯s fine. You have money, I¡¯m sure, and you can pay your fare. Telbarisk would be free; he would work for his board and I know he wouldn¡¯t use a cabin anyway. But, meddling with someone else¡¯s passengers is not something I¡¯m willing to do. I mean, maybe I know the captain and he owes me a favor or he¡¯s a good friend, but likely not. Likely, I¡¯ll have to inquire with another company and why would they help me out? I¡¯m sorry about your friend, but there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±

    Al sighed, his shoulders slumping. Tel stuck his hand out and enveloped Anla¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯ll keep trying. We can still ask the people on the ships.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°It just seems¡­¡± She looked up at Jorm¨¦. ¡°Thank you for letting us take up your time.¡± She would have said more, but she noticed he was staring at Tel¡¯s hand and puffing on his pipe.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, how did you three meet?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Tel was falsely accused of murdering the mayor of a small town. Al pretended to be a lawyer and got the charges acquitted.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, still staring.

    ¡°Since then we¡¯ve looked out for him.¡±

    ¡°Must have offset his costs somehow.¡±

    Her eyebrows furrowed. She had caught something in his tone that sounded like anger. No, not anger, indignation. She tried to understand what he was thinking, but she wanted to answer his question first. ¡°Telbarisk was invaluable to my husband¡¯s work. He assisted him when he could. I¡¯m not sure if you could put a figure to it, but I¡¯m sure what we paid and what he gave were even.¡±

    ¡°And what was your husband¡¯s work?¡±

    She lowered her voice. ¡°He¡¯s a trirec.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ pulled his pipe away from his face. ¡°You married a trirec?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone know about it. His order doesn¡¯t allow him relationships, never mind to marry.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know that. Our secret to keep, then.¡± He puffed a few more times, then turned to Tel. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t happen to be your trirec friend that you met in Nourabrikot?¡±

    ¡°Raulin Kemor. Yes, that¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°So, you four bumped into each other and decided to travel together, with a trirec, for a year?¡±

    Al pulled the chalice from his backpack, now invisible to everyone there, and set it on the table. ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± he began.

    Even with only the highlights and plenty of omissions, it still took a half-hour for him to tell their tale. Jorm¨¦ sat back and took it in, occasionally looking at Tel. When Al finished, he asked only one question: ¡°So, you didn¡¯t take advantage of Telbarisk?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Anla said, giving Al a break. ¡°I mean, we didn¡¯t fully understand what binding him to the chalice would do, but that was ignorance, not malice. Tel is our brother; we¡¯d never hurt him intentionally.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± he said, brightening and sitting up. ¡°I misunderstood. Though I don¡¯t know him all that well, I¡¯m sort of fond of Telbarisk. I thought you must have exploited his naivete or abilities somehow.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she said, choking on the word.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s different, then. I¡¯ll take care of everything. There¡¯s only about five vessels out there, beside my own, that are taking passengers. I know the captains to three of them well enough that this won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll bring him aboard your ship?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Yes. And don¡¯t worry about their fare; I¡¯ll take care of that, too.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Al said, grasping his hands. ¡°We appreciate this.¡±

    Jorm¨¦ stood and paid for the drinks. ¡°The Tempest Free sails the day after tomorrow at four o¡¯clock. I¡¯d recommend trading coins at the bank and stocking up for a long journey. And, for your scheme to work, I¡¯d keep out of sight as much as possible.¡±

 Chapter 239

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand miartha,¡± Atelo said. ¡°You would think that one paying customer would be the same as another.¡±

    ¡°Not when they¡¯re trirecs,¡± Raulin responded. ¡°It¡¯s only fair. We spread rumors of our abilities. We make people fear us. It¡¯s only natural that a captain would have second thoughts about taking us aboard. I recommend we be as cordial as possible¡­master.¡±

    The honorific was almost unnecessary. Atelo had admitted quite quickly that he was in awe of Raulin¡¯s ability to complete a full docket. Since the trivren was still untrained, he hadn¡¯t acquired that meddling, pretentious air he¡¯d notice most trivrens he¡¯d spoken to had in various flavors. They were almost equals, but Raulin still deferred to him and threw in a ¡°master¡± every once in a while, just so he couldn¡¯t be accused of insubordination.

    ¡°Perhaps you are right,¡± Atelo said, limping as they slowly walked towards their ship. ¡°It would be in our best interest to remain aloof, yet approachable during our voyage.¡±

    Raulin smiled. At least he wouldn¡¯t be lonely during the trip. ¡°I took the same approach on my journey here. If I hadn¡¯t, I likely would have drowned in my cabin when the ship capsized.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard something of that. I believe you lost a great deal of paperwork.¡±

    ¡°It was regrettable. All I had left were the clothes I wore, my knives, my beads, and my mask when I arrived in port.¡±

    ¡°I think I would like to hear more about your tragedy when we have a moment.¡±

    The two walked up the plank to a double-master carrack called The Tempest Free. Raulin appreciated the name; he would prefer this trip to encounter the least amount of tempests possible. At the top a bearded man stood smoking a pipe, speaking cordially to a well-dressed older couple. The two trirecs waited until the couple had moved away before moving aboard themselves.

    ¡°Oh, hello!¡± the man said, addressing them. He held out his hand to shake, which they both did with some surprise. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Mayard of The Tempest Free. I¡¯d like to welcome you aboard. If you need anything, please ask either myself or the crew. If you have any issues with the crew, take it up with my first mate, Abri Veront. He¡¯s the squirrely little man with the curly, brown hair. And if you have an issue with my first mate, take it up with me.¡± He puffed on his pipe. ¡°That¡¯s a little nautical humor.¡±

    Raulin chuckled and quickly translated it to Atelo, who let out one solitary ¡°heh¡±. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. I¡¯m sure our voyage will be a quiet and uneventful one.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± he said, smiling to himself. ¡°Your fare was translated from one shared cabin to two smaller cabins. I hope this is all right.¡±

    ¡°Preferable,¡± Raulin said.

    ¡°Excellent. You¡¯re in 2 and 4, under the forecastle,¡± he said, pointing to the bow of the ship. ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long to investigate where everything is, but if you have questions, feel free to ask the crew.¡±

    Raulin led Atelo to the forecastle and found their rooms easily. Making sure that his charge was comfortable, he went to his own and unpacked. Besides his clothing, coin, and a few leftover crumbs, he had nothing to spread out. He¡¯d left everything of value behind.

    He laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was comfortable, just long enough for his height, with a mattress of cotton that surprised him. The pillow was down and the blanket felt thick and unworn.

    He sighed. After a few moments of thought, he reminded himself that he hated brooding, then told himself to shut up. His mind had gotten what it wanted, it was time for his heart to grieve. And he knew this was, by far, the worst departure he was ever going to have.

    And so, he let the emotions cleave him in two. He let the ache and despair wash over him and drown him. He relived every happy memory he¡¯d had in Gheny. He imagined every happy future he had conceived play in his mind.

    The ship lurched and he felt the rocking shift. He looked out his porthole and saw the land shift, the people grow smaller. He smiled, weakly, sadly. He was gone. They were gone. They were safe.

    * * *

    There were actually a few times Raulin was grateful to be wearing a mask. Obviously, if he was spotted during his contracts, he would feel relieved, even emboldened by his anonymity. During times of low light, it was very helpful. And, for two days aboard The Tempest Free, he didn¡¯t have to smile at everyone he passed. He didn¡¯t have to meet people¡¯s eyes, nod, and contour his face into a hollow, false expression he wondered if he would ever want to use again.

    It also was great at hiding alarm, at least partly.

    He walked from his cabin and slowly took in the day as he sauntered to the stern on the main deck, where the larger cabins, the lounge, and the mess hall were.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Storm!¡± a sailor yelled from above.

    Raulin quickly scanned the horizon, turning around frantically, not seeing anything. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Off the¡­bow stern!¡±

    ¡°Ilden! If you piss off the rat lines again, the boatswain will have your hide!¡± another sailor said, grabbing a barrel near Raulin. To him, he said, ¡°Sorry, sir. Ilden¡¯s a bit of a pranksy fellow, on a good day. You likely make him a bit nervous.¡±

    ¡°Trirecs don¡¯t scare me,¡± Ilden said, dropping down to the forecastle and leaning over the railing. ¡°Not on a ship they don¡¯t. If I were walking around on land, minding my business, then I¡¯d be a tad nervous. They might be out for me there. Here, though, they¡¯re just traveling and no one murders the men sailing them. Safest people in the world are carriage drivers and sailors.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed a coachman before, though you¡¯re right about me not killing sailors. Bad business when you have to step in for the help because you¡¯ve accidentally stabbed them a few times. I might be willing to make an exception for you, though.¡±

    Ilden¡¯s neck slowly straightened while the other man laughed. ¡°I told you your antics will be the death of you!¡± With he left arm wrapped around his barrel, the man put out his right arm and shook. ¡°Encran, sir. Feel free to tweak his nose a bit with my blessing.¡±

    He nodded and made his way to the mess hall. While he hadn¡¯t laughed nor smiled at the exchange, he had felt something a little closer to happiness. Maybe by the end of the trip he¡¯d actually be fine. He doubted it, but he could hope.

    Raulin sat alone at dinner, which was a half-hour of picking at his food before leaving for his room. He had to try, he thought. Maybe tomorrow.

    * * *

    She knocked on the door to cabin 2 and heard a startled ¡°Trivren?¡± a few moments later. She said nothing. When there was no sound, she knocked again. ¡°Chari?¡± he asked, his footsteps soft but loud enough to hear. He smoothly unhooked the latch to the door and opened it wide enough to look outside.

    ¡°Hello?¡± he asked, trying Ghenian. ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    Taking him off guard, she pushed against the door. Raulin stumbled back as she walked in and pushed the door closed behind her. He stood alert, ready to spring, his knives in his hands.

    She stood facing him, then pushed back the cowl of her wool cloak. He dropped his knives and ripped the mask off his face. ¡°Anla?¡± he whispered, staggering back a step.

    With him standing there, the tongue-lashing she had prepared in her cabin died. She had been furious with him for making him choose, for leaving her, for never saying goodbye. But¡­stronger than that was her love and her need. She had missed him so terribly, and had never realized how much until that moment.

    She closed the space between them and he wrapped his arms around her, gently so as to not hurt her still healing wounds. Still kissing her, he sat on his bed and she straddled his lap. They didn¡¯t stop. Finally, breathing hard with their heads on each others shoulders, they were still, and for a moment, everything was sound and wonderful and peace. Then, he shoved her off him and turned away, leaning his elbows on his knees and the heels of his hands into his eyes.

    Anla was so shocked by this action that she was silent as she tried to figure out why he had been so tender in one moment, and so forcefully rejecting in the next. She watched him. She was again shocked to see his shoulders shake and him sniff. This was a first for her. Never had she seen him cry.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°Be with you, leave you. I am torn apart.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, please. Why did you leave me?¡±

    He pinched his eyes with his finger and thumb to clear his tears, then turned back towards her. ¡°I was a fool to think that I could escape Arvarikor and have a happy life with you. They found us as they will always find us. There is no safe space in this world where you and I can be a family, have children, a home. I am a trirec. I must be a trirec, or else they will remove any and all obstacles from that path. The next time they will slice your throat in front of me, like they did with Belisant, and they will beat submission back into me.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even give me a chance. We made a mistake. In the future we will be careful, secretive, more prepared for them than ever. We can make this work-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t, Anla.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re married, Raulin. We promised each other we¡¯d love and cherish each other until we die.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that promise that¡¯s the problem,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the one involving being with you and protecting you. I can¡¯t do both. At least if I¡¯m away from you, you¡¯ll be alive and I can be at peace knowing that. So, I¡¯m going to go talk to the captain and have him turn the ship around and drop you off at the nearest port. Al?¡±

    ¡°¡­is in our cabin,¡± she said.

    ¡°Tel? How¡¯d you hide Tel from me?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the captain¡¯s cabin.¡±

    ¡°Why would he hide Tel in his cabin?¡±

    ¡°Because the captain is the same first mate that brought Tel over from Ervaskin. They¡¯re good friends and Tel has using his kiluid magic to help the journey go faster and without issue.¡±

    Raulin looked at her then swore.

    ¡°Yes, so the four of us are on this ship until we reach Kitstuar, whether or not you like or appreciate it,¡± she said, folding her arms.

    ¡°Atelo can¡¯t know about us,¡± he said. ¡°If he finds out¡­I don¡¯t even want to think about it. I have no idea what Curvorn told him before we left, but I wouldn¡¯t put him killing you out of the question.¡±

    ¡°I can handle myself,¡± she said.

    ¡°Have you already?¡±

    ¡°No, and I won¡¯t if I don¡¯t have to. I have no qualms using my magic if he comes for me, but I won¡¯t ensorcel him and rob him of his free will. And I¡¯m sorry I did that to you in Cataya.¡±

    ¡°I understood why you did it. Please never do it again, but I couldn¡¯t really be upset with you over it. Now, as much as I hate to say this, you need to leave. And be careful of who sees you leaving.¡±

    She put her cloak back on and drew a letter from her pocket. ¡°This is from Al. He took precautions to make sure only you could read it.¡± He took he letter and she cupped her hands around his face. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten that we, all of us, said we would lean on each other if we ever needed help. I¡¯m still upset with you. But, I still love you.¡± She kissed him.

    ¡°I still love you, too,¡± he said as she left the room.

    He opened the letter. In Raulin¡¯s code, Al had written in his shaky hand. ¡°Raulin. I know a way to get you out legally. I found the loophole. Please talk to me when you get a moment. -Al.¡±

    He sighed and laid down to think about it, tapping the paper against his cheek. He didn¡¯t know the details, but he could see the pathway and the assurance he¡¯d have to make in order for this to work. No, no, a thousand times no, he thought. That¡¯s my answer. He was sticking to his course, though he couldn¡¯t help but smile for the first time in days. She was here, she was in danger, but she was here.

 Chapter 240

    At least Al could truthfully say that he had been sick. The Tempest Free had barely pulled out of the harbor when the nausea began. He laid in bed, a bucket next to his head, for a full twenty minutes. Then, for about ten, he was just queasy and could sit up. Finally, it dissipated.

    The remaining one day, twenty-three hours, and thirty minutes was spent in happy bliss.

    He had sold his remaining alley novels in Hanala. He¡¯d kept his editor¡¯s copy as a memento of a job well done for Lady Amirelsa and filled a small, silk purse with a wood chip, a stone from Mount Kalista, and a lock of Mian¡¯s hair and used it as a bookmark. Everything else he had dumped. Well, not the cutlery and the frying pan and a bunch of other things, including the ax. But, a lot.

    It had been freeing for him to shuck off Gheny and give himself a fresh start. This was his life now, moving forward and across the sea. He was sad that their life tucked away in Aviz hadn¡¯t materialized, but was rather happy to not be at the mercy of his mother¡¯s whims and help. And he was incredibly pleased not to be going back to Whitney, though he hoped Burdet had straightened her life up and was taking care of Marnie.

    He was a traveler, an adventurer, a wanderer of magnitude. Now, if he could only get their guide to lead them.

    Anla knocked on their door and he stopped practicing with his ax. She came in, her face speaking so much. ¡°He didn¡¯t say ¡®yes¡¯ to my plan,¡± he surmised.

    ¡°No,¡± she said, taking off her cloak.

    ¡°Did he¡­are you back together, at least?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Al sighed something that was almost a growl. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­suspended, not over, I guess.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the speech?¡±

    ¡°I saw him and¡­everything I had prepared slipped away. I missed him, Al. I missed him too much to be angry with him.¡±

    ¡°Tell me he said he loves you.¡±

    ¡°He did,¡± she said, a ghost of a smile on her face. ¡°Our cause isn¡¯t lost. He¡¯s just in a difficult position and has a hard choice to make.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll make the right one?¡±

    She rubbed her nails together. ¡°We can¡¯t make him turn to us, but we can sell our position. He needs to know that if he leaves Arvarikor and stays with us that we will never make the same mistakes again. We need to show him that we will be careful, meticulous, and ruthless when it comes to protecting our secrecy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think on that,¡± he said. ¡°For now, I¡¯m going to stretch my legs and see the world from something larger than a porthole.¡±

    As he stepped out of his room, he heard a noise that made him flinch. He took a few deep breaths and stepped out onto the main deck where a group of people clustered around the decks and the sides of the ship. In the middle was a slight man, about the same height and weight as Al, cracking a whip at the masts.

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Auslen, so glad to see you¡¯re feeling better just in time for the entertainment,¡± Captain Mayard said.

    ¡°Yes, feeling much better. What¡¯s he doing?¡±

    ¡°Bloody hell if I know. It¡¯s one of his pet projects.¡±

    A sailor leaned in and spoke.¡°Think someone should let Abri in that there aren¡¯t any actual rats in the rat lines or crows in the crow¡¯s nest?¡±

    ¡°He paid for this time fairly. I¡¯ll let him have his fun.¡±

    ¡°What, precisely, is he trying to accomplish?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°He said something about ¡®reducing time¡¯. My guess is he thinks that he can crack his whip and wrap it round a yard, then swing from mast to mast like some Thrayisian monkey.¡±

    ¡°And you have no problem with him doing this?¡± Al asked, whip cracks punctuating the air.

    ¡°He¡¯s worn me down. He was assigned my first mate seven legs ago and he immediately proposed an experiment. Not this one, something else involving training birds to relay messages or something like that. I told him he was free to do as he wished, so long as he insured.¡±

    ¡°Assured?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No, insured. I¡¯m not going to let a man crack a whip at my sails without making sure I can replace them mid-route. He has a full, extra main course stowed away, just in case he slices this one to ribbons. Not sure how he got it, but he fulfilled his end of the deal, so I have to let him try.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Captain, you could just have him try on Ilden,¡± another sailor said. Al thought for a moment he and the other sailor were brothers, since they looked so much alike, but there were a few key differences that made it clear they were not related and not enough to distinguish them from each other.

    ¡°I admit I had considered it.¡±

    ¡°Sir¡­¡± the other man, presumably Ilden, said.

    ¡°Then I remembered that you¡¯re probably the only man daring enough to caulk the devil¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and other men¡­¡±

    The captain cleared his throat and nodded towards the passengers. ¡°And tell me why I shouldn¡¯t put you up there, Encran? Perhaps you have some chore you should be doing, so that I don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±

    ¡°Aye, aye,¡± he said, slipping away.

    ¡°How is Mrs. Auslen doing?¡± the captain asked, quirking his eyebrow up.

    ¡°Very well, thank you. We¡¯re doing much better.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. May I introduce some of my crew?¡± He pointed out a series of men, who were standing around, gawking at the first mate¡¯s attempts to wrangle a mast. ¡°And this is Ilden.¡±

    Al leaned in. ¡°How exactly do you tell him and¡­Encran, was it¡­apart?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I lump them collectively until one opens their mouth.¡±

    ¡°I see. And how are the passengers?¡±

    ¡°Thus far cordial. Smooth sailing, as they say.¡±

    The crowd dispersed when a frustrated, but undaunted, first mate quit for the day, the back of his shirt soaked with sweat. The captain declared it was ¡°sun over the yardarm¡± and invited the passengers for a drink, sitting for a few minutes to chat with his fares.

    Al took that opportunity to introduce himself to the other guests. While most of them seemed pleasant and polite, none were as interesting to speak to as Ilden and Encran.

    ¡°Have you seen him, yet?¡± Encran asked him, standing on the forecastle.

    ¡°¡¯Him¡¯? Which one are you referring to? The trirec?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No, and there are two trirecs, just so you know. I¡¯m talking about the tall fellow.¡±

    ¡°Tall fellow?¡±

    As if on cue, Telbarisk walked out from under the forecastle. ¡°Blimey, I¡¯d say he could reach up and touch the yard without trying.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Abri that,¡± Ilden said. ¡°It¡¯d break his heart.¡±

    ¡°What do you think made him like that?¡± Encran asked.

    As Al still loved to educate people, he had to bite his tongue.

    ¡°We should ask him,¡± Ilden said. ¡°Oy, tall fellow!¡± Tel turned around. ¡°Why are you so tall?¡±

    ¡°Tall? I¡¯m actually short,¡± he said, to which the three of them laughed.

    ¡°You¡¯re taller than anyone aboard here. Why?¡±

    He explained his past, giving Al amused looks, until Encran suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s a siren aboard, gentlemen. Block your ears else you go down to visit Queyella sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°Immune,¡± Ilden said.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Maya, my wife,¡± Al said. He waved her over and she greeted the men briefly, before strolling off to another deck.

    ¡°That¡¯s your wife? No wonder you kept her locked up in your room.¡±

    * * *

    Al had almost perfected the art of listening and speaking. Most of the conversations he held with the other passengers were met with his full focus and volleyed appropriately. But, on one or two occasions, he spent too much time observing and there would be a rude lapse in the discussion that he would apologize for and make up for with zeal in whatever the topic was being discussed.

    It¡¯s just that he found the stolen looks he¡¯d see between Anla and Raulin to be almost unbearably longing.

    It was at dinner that he had a stroke of brilliance. The older Aroukean couple, Mr. and Mrs. Gouren, were speaking about the looks of people. ¡°It is easy to judge people, but to judge one correctly is hard,¡± Mr. Gouren said, sipping on his brandy. ¡°Most happen to put their personal prejudices before understanding that one¡¯s true nature will always shine through. Take you for instance, young man. Some of my colleagues back home would see you were of darker skin and therefore think of you as a thief or a brute. Not I, though. I knew you were of upstanding character just by your expressions, your mannerisms.¡±

    ¡°Not like those dreadful masked men,¡± his wife inputted.

    ¡°You believe them to be brutish, ma¡¯am?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Well, you know what they do. They handle seedy business.¡±

    ¡°But, does one¡¯s job dictate one¡¯s character?¡±

    ¡°An excellent question,¡± Mr. Gouren said. ¡°I¡¯m of the opinion that the character can become warped over time. Perhaps a young pickpocket can be rehabilitated, but an older thief not so.¡±

    ¡°I have to disagree,¡± Al said. ¡°I think there¡¯s always a chance. And not necessarily does one¡¯s career define how they are at the core.¡± He sipped on his wine, a fine vintage from the vineyards of Arvonne called bruslis. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a bet.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Mr. Gouren asked.

    ¡°Yes. I postulate that a trirec is a good man outside his professional duties, that aside from his contracts, he is someone to befriend. If my lovely wife wouldn¡¯t mind joining¡­¡± He looked at Anla.

    ¡°I¡¯m in agreement,¡± she said. ¡°What would you have me do?¡±

    ¡°Sir?¡± Al asked, waving his hand at Raulin. He stopped a conversation he was having with Atelo and looked up. ¡°Sir, may I ask a favor of you?¡±

    Raulin stood from his seat and walked over. The Gourens stiffened, but said nothing at his approach. Al continued his cheery demeanor, standing and shaking his hand. ¡°Fiar Auslen. I was wondering if you knew much about Arvonne.¡±

    Anla choked back a laugh. ¡°¡¯Know much about Arvonne¡¯?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°Yes. My wife and I plan on journeying there from Kitstuar and it occurs to me that neither of us speak the language. I have no head for it, but my wife is an intelligent woman. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take to it quickly. What do you say? Would you be so kind as to teach my wife Arvonnese? I¡¯ll pay you well.¡±

    ¡°One moment,¡± he said. He returned back to his table, spoke with Atelo, then returned. ¡°I cannot accept payment for your offer, but I would be happy to teach your wife Arvonnese. It¡¯s not a hard language. I¡¯m sure she will be able to speak it fluently by the time we disembark.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Al said. ¡°Feel free to use our room for a more private place.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said, bowing. Anla stood and let him to their cabin, looping the door open.

    ¡°Do you think that was at all wise?¡± Mrs. Gouren asked. ¡°He could kill her or¡­or worse.¡±

    ¡°I think if he wanted to, he would have attempted it by now. And we¡¯re on a ship, ma¡¯am. It would be very hard to escape him if he wanted to do someone harm.¡± He took another sip, smirking. ¡°No, I feel that I¡¯ve made a safe bet and gotten something for it.¡±

 Chapter 241

    Raulin had to admit that Al¡¯s plan was either foolhardy or genius. After a few days, he¡¯d given Anla several Arvonnese lessons without anyone batting an eyelash. Not that she needed it; she was quite good, but practice always made perfect.

    Over that time, the four started to create relationships with each other, a rather strange concept since they were essentially pretending to be friends with people they were already good friends with. Al did a great job, playing someone very eager to get to know Raulin while also seeming a little afraid. This was the same man who had mimed that awful skulking step back in Iascond. He had really come a long way.

    Telbarisk remained aloof. Raulin suspected he didn¡¯t quite understand what they were doing and felt left out.

    It would seem strange if Anla didn¡¯t speak to the man who was teaching her Arvonnese, so she occasionally made polite conversation. They appeared like acquaintances, but often they spoke of deeper things. Through these their relationship had come to be something less tumultuous. He promised to give the situation thought, since the idea of abandoning his friends in Kitstuar was revolting, yet the problem of needing to stay with Atelo was daunting.

    A little over a week after they had set sail, Raulin was thinking with his back against a railing near the mizzenmast. He found the sailors that worked there tended to leave him alone and that it wasn¡¯t a busy part of the ship. It allowed him to enjoy the peace of the sea, especially in the early morning.

    Except, someone was blocking his sun. He opened his eyes and saw a figure crouching down in front of him. They kept moving, making it hard for him to see who it was until she laughed.

    ¡°Maya, you¡¯re hurting my eyes. Stay still, please.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you up here?¡±

    ¡°Thinking. I have a lot on my mind.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    He lowered his voice. ¡°Nothing really serious. Because Atelo is with me, I¡¯ll have to go straight to Arvarikor and retrain. Which way to go, though? Take another ship across the Mielik Sea to Breaverie and go north or cut across Noh Amair by horse the whole way?¡±

    ¡°Riveting material to churn.¡±

    ¡°You asked.¡±

    ¡°I thought there might be other things you were thinking of.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Of course there is, but it¡¯s not easy. How are four people going to outsmart the world¡¯s best spies? If I entertain the thought of setting up some place for you three, I need to know what that will look like and I can¡¯t see a situation that¡¯s safe that works for everyone.¡±

    ¡°You know we wouldn¡¯t mind living tucked away-¡±

    ¡°You would, though. Eventually one of you, maybe all three of you, will mind and you¡¯ll resent my position. You¡¯ll tell me what I¡¯m giving isn¡¯t good enough, that I spend too much time away, that you¡¯re tired of living under all the protocol and precautions. It will be too much.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be. I promised I¡¯d be with you and I plan on keeping that promise.¡±

    ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t. Say it.¡±

    She turned her head down for a moment, causing the sun to sting his eyes once more. ¡°Yes, you hurt me again, but at least you¡¯re doing it for better reasons. I¡­I get it. I know how hard this is for you. I know you¡¯re doing what you can.¡±

    He looked at her for a few moments before speaking. ¡°You¡¯re too damn good for me.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said smiling. He wished with every fiber in his being that he could hold her and kiss her in that moment, but he couldn¡¯t risk it. Things were working well in the moment and he didn¡¯t want to lose what little he had with Anla.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish I was better for you.¡±

    ¡°You are what you are and that¡¯s enough for me,¡± she said without hesitation.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. You deserve a husband like who I wanted to be. I had such high hopes for our future.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out.¡±

    He bowed his head for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll seriously consider what we can do once I figure out which path we¡¯ll take. Soon.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s enough for me, for now. I¡¯ll leave you to think. I guess you¡¯ll have to make a decision, then.¡± She stood and touched his shoulder briefly as she passed, but he barely felt her touch and didn¡¯t notice her departure.

    There it was again, the deja vu. ¡°Ten,¡± he whispered. Al had said ¡°ten¡± and there was the same feeling, like he had put on new shoes perfectly worn to his feet. And now, she had said those words and he was numbed by the shock of having known this would happen almost a year ago.

    He didn¡¯t have a clairvoyant merit. He couldn¡¯t have known he would be in the position to have his dear friend and his wife speak certain phrases when he was aboard the Spirowan. He could pass off the coincidence of two people saying not unusual sentences, but the feeling was identical up until the deja vu took over. Someone had grabbed these moments and told him they would happen a year ago.

    Why? To what purpose? And more importantly, who?

    There was only one being he could think of that would do this, or perhaps not one but twelve. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had felt guided by an unseen hand. From time to time, he had seen some whisper of events over the last two decades that could be interpreted as divine intervention. That, though, from the shipwreck to the premonition, the last year of his life, had been the strongest he¡¯d seen.

    Perhaps They were getting impatient.

    Raulin actually didn¡¯t mind feeling like a pawn. He¡¯d been raised knowing that, while one day he¡¯d be a powerful man even if he was an archprince and not the king, he¡¯d never have the choices most men had in their lives. His wife, his clothing, his itinerary, they would all be chosen for him. It had actually seemed strange to live a life without those assurances.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Is that what this was, then? The Twelve had shown him his future and told him that this would happen, but only if he chose well? It seemed he had done little other than love three people to get here. Were They telling him this was going to happen, whether or not he wanted it? Or was this a new kind of assurance, divine hands on his shoulders telling him that They were there and to trust in Them, and to trust in his friends?

    The problem with either was that he still hated the Arvonnese. How could you rule a people that had done such atrocious things to their monarchy? Brutal murders, of children and adult alike, the pillage of the palace and the family¡¯s heirlooms¡­He¡¯d even heard someone had paraded his father¡¯s corpse around after Dilvestrar had been taken. That was the biggest obstacle for him, imagining himself waving and smiling atop a horse during a promenade while the people that had run his mother through were on the sidelines. It made him nauseous.

    Al seemed to think this whole thing was more like an apple or a potato, that you could cut out the rot and eat the rest. He was an enthusiastic lover of Arvonne, though, and not an unbiased source. Still, it would be fair to hear all the evidence he could present for his case.

    Raulin made his way to the lounge area outside the larger cabins. Al was speaking with the young banker, who had slowly come out of his shell over the last week. When his friend looked up, he said, ¡°Sir, it occurred to me that you might want to try to learn a few key phrases in Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, standing, ¡°that sounds like a good idea.¡±

    Once the door to the cabin was shut, Al grabbed a quill, ink, and a piece of paper. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Raulin asked.

    ¡°I should actually write something down before we get into what you really want to talk about. Give me a few simple phrases and we¡¯ll pretend we worked on them.¡±

    Raulin slowly gave him five sentences, resisting the urge to make him say something silly as a joke. ¡°You¡¯d come across as rather uppercrust and formal to a farmer, but I think most would get that you don¡¯t speak it fluently.¡±

    Al furrowed his eyebrows, but said nothing. ¡°So, why did you pull me in here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to read into this, but I have a request. I¡¯d like you to tell me what you know of the Coup. I want you to give me a detailed overview, I want you to name sources, and I want you to be as unbiased as possible.¡±

    Al blinked a few times as he sat on the bed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m a little unprepared, but I¡¯ll do my best. I should probably start prior to the Coup and lead up to it. It was noted by several authors, Cragic, Samillan, Shorst-Verime, to name a few, that the rule of King Aubin LVII wasn¡¯t remarkable in the negative sense. The monarchy was seen as a little out-of-touch, perhaps a little too steeped in tradition, but not to a noteworthy extent. Kilvis suggested that the population of Arvonne found it a bit difficult to relate to their ruling family. There were no indications that the people felt they were oppressed or underrepresented or even downtrodden. Economic charts of the decade prior show that-¡±

    ¡°¡¯Not prepared¡¯?¡± Raulin said, scoffing. ¡°Wizard, do you fall asleep at night to this report?¡±

    ¡°I have done some extensive research, for fun,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°You know my hobbies. Now, economic charts showed that there were no major issues. Trade was doing well, as it¡¯s something Arvonne has always excelled at. There were no more border excursions than normal, and most were naval. Kerchon, Cragic, Tuin Ev Diak all spent hundreds of pages discussing how there were no major reasons why this should have happened.¡±

    ¡°The people must have been unhappy for some reason. Move on to the night of the Coup.¡±

    Al spoke for a full twenty minutes about key figures, numbers, strategy, weapons and armor, whatever information he had. ¡°So, as I said, the numbers tallied about a thousand bodies that lay seige to Dilvestrar, and another thousand in the city itself, making sure no one escaped. It was an overwhelming maneuver, like a sucker punch to the monarchy. Once the Alscaines were killed, the battle was over.¡±

    ¡°And since then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of five or six attempts to wrest the government from the Chancellor in the last eighteen years. There was a principal who had a strong claim, until he was assassinated with his mistress about seven years ago. The people are very unhappy. There is massive inflation, starvation, unemployment, and disease. As Arvonne is a large country, it¡¯s spread out and there are some places relatively untouched by the problems brought on by Kalronism, but overall, the people want things to go back to the way things were.

    ¡°Have you heard of Riban Al Kestrani?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been conducting surveys of Noh Amair for several decades. Well, he did. He stopped traveling and stayed in Arvonne for the last seventeen years. He¡¯s been interviewing the people, asking them questions, and giving concrete numbers on their opinions. The government did well for a few years and people were hopeful that things would be okay, maybe even better than when it was a monarchy. The numbers started falling about fifteen years ago and they are pretty low. I think the last one I saw, from two years ago, was at one sixth approving, one fifth neutral, and the rest disapproving.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Raulin said, standing. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it? I mean, do you have any other questions or need any more information?¡±

    ¡°Not right now, but I¡¯ll ask you if I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, hiding his disappointment poorly.

    ¡°Ar vrido,¡± he said. ¡°Repeat that clumsily when I open the door.¡± Raulin said a string of phrases in Arvonnese, then ¡°Ar vrido¡±, which Al stretched out with unfamiliarity.

    He bumped into the captain next, who was happy to take him to his cabin to discuss his own personal thoughts on his travels in Arvonne. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe. The structures are mostly fine, though not kept up well, but the people don¡¯t look functional. It¡¯s hard to find certain things in the cities, even in Eri Ranvel. Some smaller towns have been abandoned. Certain industries are wiped out, which is sad when you realize some very specific skill sets died in the last few decades.¡±

    ¡°Have you spoken to anyone about their feelings on the Chancellor and the government?¡±

    Jorme snorted. ¡°They hate him, plain and simple. They speak of that openly. They don¡¯t even care if anyone overhears them. I could hum you three tavern songs about that. My favorite one is called ¡®Not Enough Rope in All the Lands¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate you taking the time to speak to me.¡±

    ¡°If I may, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you and your friends, but I want you to seriously consider whatever it is they want. Those are true friends, people willing to uproot their entire lives to help you out. You don¡¯t come across those too often.¡±

    ¡°I am considering it and I do know their worth.¡±

    Later on, sometime past lunch, he was idly playing with Anla¡¯s hair as she rested her head against his bare chest. ¡°Do you know anything about the Coup?¡± he asked.

    She lifted her head up. ¡°Not very much. My father refused to talk about it. I asked my mother once about that, and she told me a story from when I was very young. She said it was the only time she was ever really afraid of my dad.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°He came home early from a late summer route with a bottle of whiskey. He sat in the rocking chair by the fire and drank about half of it before he said a word. He screamed and raged, he cried, he snarled at my mother when she tried to talk to him. Then, he drank the rest and passed out after chucking the bottle against a tree.¡±

    ¡°Did she say why he was so angry?¡±

    ¡°She said he told her it was like they had destroyed Arvonne. To him, the Alscaines were Arvonne, the national identity of his home. He was very bitter about it for many years.¡±

    And finally, later that evening, he found Tel on the forecastle, untangling a net. He sat next to his friend and said, ¡°You¡¯ve always said that you¡¯d be available if I needed someone to talk to.¡±

    He put down the net and smiled. ¡°Always.¡±

    And they talked for a very long time, not just then but over the course of three days, in snippets or in large, involved conversations that stretched for hours.

    Raulin found himself on the bow of the ship early in the morning of the fourth day, alone yet not. He pressed his hands into the rail, leaning out to greet the rising sun.

    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be in this position,¡± he said quietly, ¡°but You win. I won¡¯t fight this anymore. It¡¯s time to go back and take what¡¯s mine. I¡¯ll accept any and all help, if You¡¯re listening, though I think You¡¯ve already sent it.¡± He sighed. ¡°So, I guess what I¡¯m saying is yes, yes, a thousand times yes.¡±

 Chapter 242

    ¡°Give that back,¡± Anla said as Raulin held her blouse out-of-reach. ¡°Unless, of course, you want all the men aboard the ship looking at my bare chest.¡±

    He handed it back quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve ruined the fun.¡±

    ¡°I could keep it going,¡± she said with a sly smile. ¡°I like this idea of not wearing clothes. I think I¡¯ll go sun on the deck with nothing on, see if anyone talks with me. Might be interesting. You know, the captain isn¡¯t a bad looking man. I wonder if-¡±

    He grabbed and kissed her to shut her up. ¡°Now you¡¯ve really spoiled things.¡±

    ¡°No, I just turned the tables. It¡¯s fun for me.¡± She put on her blouse and smoothed the wrinkles out, then grabbed her hairbrush. Raulin sat on the edge of the bed and put on his boots with a sober look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I hate this,¡± he said, pausing.

    ¡°You hate us being together?¡±

    ¡°I hate slinking around. You¡¯re my wife; I should be able to be your husband in public as well as in private.¡±

    She bit her lip, avoiding saying everything she wanted to him in that moment. Instead, she tried to bring the mood up again. ¡°¡¯I hate this¡¯ is a three word phrase I don¡¯t want us to part with. I think you can think of a better one,¡± she said, standing between his legs.

    ¡°Like ¡®I love you¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Like that,¡± she said kissing him.

    ¡°Like ¡®You¡¯re so beautiful¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice one, too.¡±

    ¡°How about ¡®Be my queen¡¯?¡±

    She started to laugh, then her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re serious! You mean it. You¡¯re going to Arvonne, to take back the throne?¡± He nodded. ¡°What, how? When did you decide this?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, this morning,¡± he said, giving her a devilish grin.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡±

    ¡°It means absolutely nothing until you give me your answer.¡±

    Her smile fell, but hardened into a brave expression. She touched the side of his face. ¡°Ever since you told us who you were, I¡¯ve hoped you would say you were going home. It¡¯s your destiny. But, my love, you need to marry a princess, and I¡¯m a commoner. I will be with you however you want me to be, and I mean that, but I can¡¯t be your queen. They¡¯d never accept me.¡±

    Raulin¡¯s face wavered between confusion and amusement several times before realization dawned on his face. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I thought you were keeping this secret, but you didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what? Who didn¡¯t tell me ?¡±

    ¡°Your father. He never told you that you¡¯re noble blooded.¡±

    She gave him an incredulous laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not noble, ainler. As much as it would help, I¡¯m just the daughter of an elven woman and an Arvonnese doctor.¡±

    ¡°An Arvonnese doctor who happened to be the third son of a principal. Your father made quite the scandal when he decided to go to medical school when he was eighteen. Nobles don¡¯t learn menial jobs like that; it¡¯s beneath their station. But, he fought his father tooth and nail for almost a year until your grandfather finally relented, hoping it would make him happy enough to return to his life. Instead, he left for Gheny almost immediately after he graduated and no one knew what happened to him, until you told me.¡±

    All mirth had left her. ¡°How do you know this?¡±

    ¡°I knew your father-¡±

    ¡°You knew my father and you didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    He ducked his shoulders as she sat next to him. ¡°I was going to bring it up at some point. And I didn¡¯t know him well. As a prince, I had hundreds of nobles below me that would greet me at balls and soirees. I was a kid, he was almost an adult who attended those events with friends. He would politely say hello in the receiving line, but I didn¡¯t know him well.¡±

    She stared ahead. ¡°I know you believe you¡¯re telling the truth, but this doesn¡¯t make any sense to me. How can I be an aristocrat?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the first time we spoke?¡±

    ¡°In the jail?¡±

    ¡°Alone, just the two of us.¡±

    Anla thought about this for a moment. ¡°At your camp.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We had escaped from Carvek and you came to negotiate our group dynamic.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t find you at your camp, so I went to the clearing and found you there. I watched you do your exercises.¡± She smirked and turned to him. ¡°I liked watching you even then.¡±

    ¡°And then what happened?¡±

    ¡°You caught me and threw a stone as a warning.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I didn¡¯t. I threw that stone meaning to hit you. I mean, I thought you were Al and I was irritated by him and pretty much everything he did. I missed because I couldn¡¯t hurt you. Nobles can¡¯t hurt each other.¡±

    ¡°You have, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s technically possible for one noble to hurt each other, but it pains them greatly. My wrist killed after I brought you back to my room in Mount Kalista. And Katerin¡¯s wrist was sprained after she slapped you. I once held a marquess at knife point and had to grit my teeth until I was finished. You can get away with small things, but killing definitely not. That¡¯s why I never take contracts that involve killing nobles; I can¡¯t.¡±

    Her mouth quirked up for a moment. ¡°Well, okay. What¡¯s my merit, then?¡±

    ¡°Some form of Augury. You have more than an uncanny knack when you read your runes. I¡¯ve never seen you be wrong. It¡¯s a rare one; most nobles don¡¯t test for that merit because why would they play around with cards or stones?¡±

    She shook her head, frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Anla, you¡¯re noble. You¡¯re an Arvonnese duchess in your own right, which is like a marchioness in Gheny. So, no, you¡¯re not a princess, but they should have a hard time saying ¡®no¡¯ to someone so high in the peerage.¡± He took her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a lot, being a queen. I want you to think about the responsibilities that come with it before you say ¡®yes¡¯. It means doing what other tell you to do, spending from dawn until midnight at engagements, traveling. It means¡­¡± He pulled her to him and rocked. ¡°Shh. I know, it¡¯s overwhelming. Exciting, though, yes?¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°No!¡± she said, pulling away. His eyes widened. Though her eyes were dry, she was obviously unhappy about this piece of news.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn not to understand¡­¡±

    She held her head in her hands. ¡°This is not who I am.¡±

    ¡°It is, though.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I am¡­an orphaned girl who lives on the streets. I am a courier, a barmaid, a homeless wretch who serves and begs and pleads for food and a warm place to sleep. I am not someone who¡¯s never starved or debased themselves in order to survive. I have earned the money I have, every cent. I am not someone who is given everything they want. I am not someone,¡± she swallowed hard, ¡°whose family is safe.¡±

    He swore. ¡°Garlin. I am sorry, ainle. I had hoped you would find him after you forgot about me.¡±

    She shook her head again. ¡°I don¡¯t know who I am if I¡¯m a machioness.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, picking up her hand and kissing it. ¡°We both need to readjust our lives to new identities.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯ve always known. You chose not to return to your place. I never had that choice. My siblings and I, we could have at least walked to Hanala and knocked on the door to the Duke¡¯s palace and explained what had happened. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have taken us in, but someone else would have.¡±

    ¡°The aristocracy isn¡¯t without their share of problems.¡±

    ¡°Yes, occasionally they have to sell a third house,¡± she said bitterly.

    ¡°I mean, look at Vanif. He was disowned as the heir-¡±

    ¡°He still has a job and an allowance. What I mean is¡­¡± She heeled her eyes for a moment, then whispered, ¡°¡­all of our suffering has been for nothing.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°He should have told us! At least Raidet! Why would you do that to your children? He was always about giving us every advantage he could; why wouldn¡¯t he tell us?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he wanted to let you live by your merit, not your inheritance. Maybe he wanted to leave it all behind him and live like a commoner. I¡¯d think that would be the reason why he left it. Don¡¯t judge him too harshly; he was just a man, faced with his mortality and the worry that his children were about to be orphans. Telling you about lineage might not have been a priority.¡±

    ¡°I need to think about this,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Understandable.¡± He leaned down and kissed her temple before leaving.

    * * *

    ¡°I think it means he¡¯s considering,¡± Al said to Tel as they sat on the forecastle deck.

    ¡°What do you plan on saying to him about it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡± he said, holding up his hands. ¡°I think this is a great step forward. As much as I¡¯d like to nudge him along, maybe tell his some of the things I forgot to mention, I am leaving it alone. Who knows? Maybe by the time the trip is finished he¡¯ll have decided to go through Arvonne. And then, he might see how terrible things are and change his mind.¡±

    ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t?¡±

    Al sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tel. I realize I¡¯ve staked a lot on Raulin¡¯s decision making, which has never been the best.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something to consider.¡±

    Al was about to speak when Ilden and Encran stopped in front of them. ¡°Hello, gentleman,¡± Al said with a nod and a smile.

    ¡°See, I like him,¡± Encran said. ¡°He still thinks of us as ¡®gentleman¡¯. He doesn¡¯t have to be so nice.¡±

    ¡°Makes this all the harder,¡± Ilden said.

    ¡°What¡¯s harder?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Well, you know your wife?¡± Encran said, squatting down.

    ¡°I should hope so,¡± Al said, smiling.

    ¡°You know that arrangement you have with that trirec guy?¡±

    ¡°Yes? She¡¯s making excellent progress. She can hold a conversation with him now.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not all she¡¯s holding.¡±

    Al kept the smile on his face, though he was afraid he knew where this was going. ¡°Pardon? I don¡¯t think I follow you.¡±

    Ilden chimed in. ¡°Let¡¯s just say he¡¯s teaching her a tongue, but not the one you think.¡±

    Al shook his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s making like an starfish on a sunny rock. Purring at her cat-heads. Nibbling on your rib. Spreading her jam. Hoisting her sails.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s shtooping your wife,¡± Encran said.

    ¡°No,¡± Al said, waving his arm, ¡°she¡¯s a faithful woman. She¡¯d never cheat on me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you see, Ilden¡¯s a man who likes being on the rat lines and they happen to be outside your room. And, well, your wife isn¡¯t a quiet woman¡­¡±

    Al¡¯s smile dropped.

    ¡°I mean, I suppose she could still have a cold and need to sneeze. A lot. Like, one long, sustained wind up for it¡­¡± Ilden posited.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Al said, moving his fists to his face to think. ¡°I get your point.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to do something about it?¡± Encran asked. ¡°I know he¡¯s a trirec, but no man can withstand the blows from a mob of sailors. And one angry husband, of course. Maybe the tall guy will help, too.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a gentleman and I will handle this in my own fashion.¡± He stood, his mind racing to come up with a plan.

    He stomped off, looking for Raulin. He spotted him at a railing, looking out at the sea. ¡°Wizard,¡± he said, ¡°I need to talk with you about-¡±

    Al grabbed a fistful of his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall. Raulin¡¯s eyes were wide beneath his mask. ¡°Just go with it,¡± Al said between clenched teeth. Loudly, he asked, ¡°Are you sleeping with my wife?¡±

    ¡°N-no!¡± Raulin said. ¡°You asked me to teach her Arvonnese, so I am!¡±

    ¡°I trusted you! I tried to befriend you when others said it was a bad idea. I let you use my cabin, speak with my wife in private, no supervision!¡± He felt the eyes of many people as he turned Raulin and grabbed the back of his shirt and shoved him forward. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a nice chat with Maya and see what¡¯s to be done about this!¡±

    The two marched quickly to Al and Anla¡¯s cabin. After opening the hatch, he threw Raulin inside and closed the door behind them.

    Anla¡¯s eyes were wide as she looked up from the tiles she had spread out on the bed. ¡°What passes?¡± she asked.

    Raulin sat next to her and leaned against the wall. ¡°I think our ruse is up.¡±

    ¡°Al, what happened?¡±

    ¡°Those two knuckleheads just approached me and told me that my wife was tumbling with her tutor. In crass terms, they pretty much said you were quite vocal about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, bringing her hand to her mouth. When she turned, Raulin had laced his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles.

    ¡°So, we need to come up with a plan,¡± Al said. ¡°I need to get a length of rope, some flour, a gull, and a little bacon grease.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell him?¡± Anla asked Raulin.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m kind of curious as to what this plan entails.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± Al asked, taking a break from his pacing.

    ¡°We¡¯re going with the other plan.¡±

    ¡°Other plan?¡± he asked, exasperated. ¡°I don¡¯t have a backup plan for this!¡±

    ¡°No, Wizard, I mean the plan.¡±

    ¡°What? Oh. Oh! You¡¯re¡­you want me to get you out of Arvarikor? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Seriously. I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°I am so happy to hear this!¡± Al laughed, clapping his hands together and looking around the room. ¡°This is great! Okay, um, I need to go speak with the captain and gather a few things.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to let us in on what this entails?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell him the rest?¡± Anla asked, a smirk on her face.

    ¡°Well, that all depends on you.¡±

    She held up three tiles in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve drawn these now four times in a row. I gave my bag a good shake in between, too.¡± She held up the runes for yaw, maw, and ef. ¡°I¡¯m going to need longer to¡­understand everything, but my answer to you is ¡®yes¡¯.¡±

    Raulin let out a held breath, then moved forward so he was sitting next to her. ¡°Thank you. You don¡¯t know how much that means to me.¡± He touched his head to hers, then turned to Al. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to return to Arvonne and claim the throne.¡±

    Al¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re serious? He¡¯s serious?¡± he asked Anla. She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around Raulin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± he said, moving things off the desk and sitting. ¡°May I ask what changed your mind?¡±

    ¡°I did a lot of thinking and I looked at all the parts of the problem. Then, I removed something and everything made sense.¡±

    ¡°What did you remove?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to do it?¡±

    Raulin sighed. ¡°I am still fighting against why I¡¯ve known, or thought I¡¯ve known, for most of my life. But, I listened to you and others who spoke about Arvonne, and I concluded that I¡¯ve been unfair. The pain still rests here,¡± he said, tapping his heart, ¡°but in time I think I can begin to include the Arvonnese when I say I love my country.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a start in the right direction,¡± Al said. ¡°Now, I need to go talk to Jorme about our plan. Sir?¡±

    Raulin stood. ¡°First, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    Al opened his mouth, then shut it, instead letting his teeth show in a wolfish grin. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡±

    ¡°I deserved that.¡±

    ¡°Just, find a second and when I give you the signal, take off your mask.¡±

    ¡°Second? Like, a duel second?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Make sure to grab my shirt in between my shoulder blades. You¡¯ll get a sturdier grip, especially since you¡¯re shorter than I am.¡±

    ¡°Right here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Al unlatched the door and opened it, momentarily shocked by the amount of people milling about outside of the cabin. He shoved Raulin out and said, ¡°If I catch you even looking at my wife, I will find everything on this ship that has a name and nail a piece of you to it.¡±

    The door was slammed shut and Raulin caught his stride. As he walked to his cabin, the eyes of quite a few people on him, he had to admit that was a pretty good idle threat. The wizard was learning even in subjects like that.

    As he laid down on his bed, he tried to remember what the third part of his dream had been. He closed his eyes and recalled the large hand closing around his own, the pain, the tears running from what he guessed was Anla¡¯s face. The voice had been deep, obviously Telbarisk¡¯s.

    He looks good for a man who¡¯s died three times.

    Raulin bolted up. What was the wizard planning on doing?

 Chapter 243

    ¡°What does this entail, being a second?¡± Atelo asked in Raulin¡¯s doorway.

    ¡°You act in my stead,¡± Raulin said, checking his knives. ¡°I can¡¯t communicate with the aggrieved party, Mr. Auslen, so you¡¯ll have to do that for me. He¡¯ll be doing that through his second, which I believe is going to be the tall man he¡¯s been speaking with lately.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t speak Ghenian well, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll translate for you.¡±

    ¡°So, you can¡¯t speak to the tall man nor the angry one, but you can hear their words and translate to me, then I can speak and have those words translated by you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That is stupid.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t create the rules.¡±

    ¡°This is done often in kemor lands?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t give you a number, but I believe a city like New Wextif probably has at least one per week. Those are duels that actually make it to the final stage; most complaints are solved amicably by the seconds and no blood is ever spilled.¡±

    ¡°I can do this, making amends?¡±

    ¡°You can feel free to try. I doubt he¡¯d be open to it, since he seemed quite insulted.¡±

    ¡°Does this man not realize he¡¯s going to die?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d probably rather die than be dishonored.¡±

    ¡°Did you do it?¡±

    Raulin dusted the arms of his tunic. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Atelo shook his head a little. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a beautiful woman. It just happened.¡±

    ¡°This man is right. You are in the wrong. And yet, he will die because he has decided to settle things outside of a court.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Miartha are stupid.¡±

    ¡°If I were a miartha,¡± he said, pausing for the irony, ¡°I would agree. There are so many little things within the law that aren¡¯t fair.¡± He looked outside quickly. ¡°We need to leave now or else they will think I¡¯m a coward and have forfeited the duel.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should,¡± Atelo said.

    This was a hole in the plan Raulin had spotted and therefore had a lie prepared. ¡°If I forfeit, it means I have to hold still while he kills me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then perhaps you shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    They stepped out onto the main deck where Raulin quickly spotted the boats that had already left. Al and Tel were being rowed to a small atoll by Ilden or Encran, whichever one wasn¡¯t rowing Anla and the captain. Another sailor was waiting to row the two trirecs, a thin fellow with a shaved head who seemed none too pleased at his job. The rest of the crew was to look lively, since he¡¯d heard the captain use the excuse of the ship needing repairs.

    By the time they had reached land, the other parties were already in position. Tel stood next to Al, facing the beach, while Anla stood opposite the captain. The two sailors stood off to the side, kicking sand with their shoes and pointing out different features of the tiny spit of land.

    Raulin took a deep breath and stepped ashore, walking purposefully towards the group. The sand was toasty in color and coarse beneath his boots. Al met his gaze with a look of such intense hatred Raulin had to pause and remember it was all a lie. He stopped at the vacant point and nodded at the captain.

    ¡°Gentleman, we¡¯re here because there is a matter of honor at stake. Do we still wish for the duel to commence?¡± Al spoke to Telbarisk, who answered in the affirmative. ¡°Then, my job, as requested, is to make sure all the rules are adhered. The weapons chosen are knives. Is this correct?¡± Al looked at Tel, who nodded, then the wizard pulled out two knives that seemed better suited to filleting fish than fighting. Raulin snapped his out. ¡°Is there anything either of you would like to say before we begin?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said. ¡°I would like to claim this island as my own.¡±

    ¡°As a certified captain under His Majesty, I am authorized to acknowledge your claims to this island. What do you wish to call it?¡±

    ¡°Isele-e Librath,¡± he said. Raulin tipped his head at that. It meant ¡°Island of freedom¡± in Arvonnese and he was sure it wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

    ¡°Beware,¡± Atelo said after he translated. ¡°He¡¯s sovereign of the soil we stand on. He¡¯ll try enact some immunity to save himself. It¡¯s clever.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Raulin said. ¡°He¡¯d need to adopt the Noh Amairian Accords and those would only pertain to god-blooded monarchs.¡±

    ¡°Then what is he doing?¡±

    Al spoke. ¡°As ruler of Isele-e Librath, I would like to adopt the laws of Gheny and add only one: any dispute that demands a trial shall be dealt with immediately as well as the punishment. If you disagree, you must leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°This is odd,¡± Atelo said. ¡°He hasn¡¯t asked for anything that gives him an advantage. Am I missing something?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Just as he was beginning to realize what Al was doing, he turned to Raulin and said, ¡°Now.¡±

    With his pulse in his throat, Raulin took off his mask. This was, as they say, the point of no return. It took a moment for everyone gathered to realize what had happened.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Atelo hissed, shoving him. ¡°You fool!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a bloody Noh Amairian,¡± Ilden said, his eyebrows high on his forehead. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they had those!¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Atelo grabbed Raulin¡¯s arm and began to haul him back to the boats. ¡°Wait!¡± Al said and they turned. ¡°Is there a dispute?¡±

    ¡°Nothing that concerns you!¡± Atelo said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but by staying on the island, you agreed to the terms of my kingdom. All disputes must be dealt with immediately.¡±

    ¡°This is not¡­I cannot make a judgment like this!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you can. You are a trivren and can make calls for whatever you need for the best interest of Arvarikor.¡±

    He growled. ¡°How does he know this?¡±

    ¡°He stayed at the Hanala headquarters for a month. He likely picked things up.¡±

    It was then it dawned on the poor Merakian. ¡°These were the people who took part of your punishment! You know them! And you brought me here¡­to trick me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Atelo, but I must do this.¡±

    ¡°Again, there needs to be a trial,¡± Al said, his hands behind his back.

    ¡°A trial!¡± Atelo barked. ¡°Yes, fine! I find him guilty of unmasking in front of miartha! His punishment is death!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Al boomed and Tel actually startled. ¡°The most severe punishment for unmasking is one lash per trirec in the lands. And since this is my land, free of any other lands, the total comes to¡­two.¡±

    Raulin couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    Atelo stood in his spot, stunned. ¡°I have nothing to punish him with.¡±

    Al held out his hand and Tel unwrapped the whip they had borrowed from Abri from his waist. He walked over to the trivren and held it out for him to take. ¡°Let¡¯s be quick about this; I don¡¯t want to miss tea,¡± Al said.

    ¡°This is¡­no! We need an inquest and a council and-¡±

    ¡°Atelo,¡± Raulin said, and he turned to look at him. ¡°It would look bad for Arvarikor if you balked now. You have to show that the order has harsh and swift punishments.¡± He took off his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±

    ¡°This is not over.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be.¡±

    He knelt in the sand, his stomach jittery and his hand shaking. It was almost too much for him even though it was only two lashes. He had taken fifty-four a month and a half prior, and these two would mean freedom for him, but it seemed so much worse.

    Anla must have seen the look on his face because she crossed the circle and knelt in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m here for you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay until this is done.¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Ilden asked Encran. ¡°Why is he not cross that his wife is helping the man she cheated on him with?¡±

    Al heard this and held up a hand to quiet the sailor. Then he turned and watched as Atelo balled his fists, then stepped back. He cracked the whip twice, in quick succession, then kicked sand on Raulin¡¯s back before limping off in anger.

    Anla pressed her husband¡¯s head to her chest. Tears streamed down her face, for his pain and for their future. One dropped onto his cheek as he tried to breath out the pain.

    ¡°You can still make this right,¡± Atelo said, crouching so his masked face was in front of Raulin¡¯s. ¡°Take the oath and renew your vows.¡±

    Raulin reached down, picked up his mask, and shoved it into the Merakian¡¯s chest. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°There,¡± Al said, turning to the two sailors. ¡°Raulin Kemor is now dead. He chooses to live his life outside the order of Arvarikor as a free man.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand any of this,¡± Ilden said.

    ¡°They get mad when the trirecs take off their masks,¡± Encran explained. ¡°So, they¡¯re punished by being whipped. You can see it¡¯s happened before; look at his back.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s done this three times now,¡± Al added. ¡°I hope it¡¯s sticking this time.¡±

    Tel walked over and took Raulin¡¯s hand. ¡°He looks good for a man who¡¯s died three times.¡±

    Raulin laughed as he used his friend¡¯s hand to pull himself up to standing.

    Ilden and Encran walked over to Al as things began to wind down. ¡°So, uh, if you want us to help you take that guy out, now would be a good time. He¡¯s vulnerable and I don¡¯t think that other trirec is going to help him now. He looks like he could chew iron and spit nails.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said. ¡°Everything¡¯s as it should be.¡±

    ¡°Begging pardon, but I think he has your wife.¡±

    ¡°His wife. Anladet, who you know as Mayasena, is Raulin¡¯s wife.¡±

    ¡°You were sleeping with his wife? He seemed pretty nonchalant about that.¡±

    ¡°Because he trusts me and knows I did nothing but snore next to her.¡±

    ¡°And how does he know that?¡±

    ¡°Because Raulin and I have been friends for over a year now. Anla is like a sister to me.¡±

    Ilden scratched his head. Encran rolled his eyes. ¡°They put on this ruse to catch that other trirec guy so that that guy could get out of being a trirec.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So, is the tall guy actually tall?¡± Encran cuffed him upside his head.

    Atelo was already being rowed back by the captain. It made for a tighter return, but since Anla and Raulin didn¡¯t mind sitting close to each other, it wasn¡¯t unpleasant.

    The crew and passengers looked at Raulin strangely when he arrived, but before he could say anything, he and Al were summoned to the captain¡¯s quarters. They sat and Jorme poured a glass of pear brandy for the three of them.

    ¡°To whatever the hell just happened,¡± the captain toasted before sipping. ¡°Gentleman, I understand that I¡¯m not going to be privy to all the information at hand. All I¡¯m concerned with is the safety of my crew and the passengers aboard The Tempest Free. Can you assure me of that?¡±

    Raulin, realizing his back was ablaze and that he could get drunk if he wished to, put the empty snifter on the table after guzzling the contents. ¡°If you include me in that, then, no. I will speak with Atelo as soon as I can to amend things, but I can¡¯t guarantee that it will work. But, Atelo will not hurt anyone else. I can say that, at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your life is at jeopardy aboard my ship.¡±

    ¡°Not your fault. I should have taken the hand of friendship instead of the backhand of masters. A lot of things would have been solved if I had just stopped being so selfish and learned to think of others.¡±

    Al briefly raised his eyebrows at this. Jorme coughed. ¡°Yes, well, I understand if you don¡¯t wish to say anything more, but I am burning with curiosity. I was given a story about how you all met and I saw the chalice, but I wonder if there isn¡¯t something more going on here.¡±

    Raulin rubbed his chin. ¡°Do you consider yourself a shrewd man, Captain Mayard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m not quick witted, but given a chance to dwell on things, I usually discover everything I need to.¡±

    Turning to Al, Raulin said, ¡°Well, I think it might be best to bring him into the fold.¡±

    ¡°You think that would be wise?¡±

    ¡°I need to learn to start delegating. If a rumor spreads among the troops, you either ban them from talking about it, speak to them directly, or level with the general and let him deal with it. He says he¡¯s a clever man; he¡¯ll figure it out and I¡¯d rather have a captain in my pocket. Especially someone who treated my friends so fairly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t object,¡± Al said.

    Raulin sat at the edge of the seat and tilted back so his shirt hung loosely. ¡°I have spent the last eighteen years of my life as a trirec. Before that I was Prince Caudin of Arvonne.¡±

    Jorme choked on his drink and began coughing. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t¡­say¡­¡±

    ¡°I was smuggled out of Eri Ranvel on the night of the Coup by my butler and another trirec. To make a very long story short, I think it¡¯s time to take back the throne.¡±

    The captain looked between the two of them. ¡°This is pinch-me real?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t realize how hard he tried to keep this from us,¡± Al said. ¡°I was the one who realized it, and he still tried to suppress it. To get to the point where he¡¯s willing to not only admit who he is but to want to attempt to rule is fathoms from where he was just a month ago.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have the feel of a con,¡± Jorme said, ¡°so I¡¯m willing to put my doubt aside. What would you like of me?¡±

    ¡°Your men and the passenger may ask questions. Just cover for me, for now. I¡¯d like to be careful and plan better before I go public, so for now I¡¯m Quin Sesault. Come up with whatever story you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°And anything else?¡±

    ¡°I think if you could keep your ear out for anything I should be aware of.¡±

    Jorme stared into his drink for a moment before downing it. ¡°I can do that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Raulin said, standing. ¡°I need to go find Atelo and settle things with him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­Your Majesty,¡± he said.

    ¡°We can forgo the honorifics, but thank you. Oh, there is one other thing. If there is any way you could drop us off closer to Arvonne, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping to get a bonus for returning to Gheny far ahead of schedule. I could drop you off in Sayen, if you wish, since that¡¯s not terribly far from Kitstuar.¡±

    ¡°Sayen?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°Is your ship able to traverse land? How would you do that?¡±

    ¡°Sayen has control of the Mialsa River and the port city of Erifana.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that. We may ask for that, then. I¡¯ll need to speak with my friends. Are you coming?¡± he asked Al.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, though he was very pensive about something and not at all happy.

 Chapter 244

    That night there was a soft, warm rain that enveloped the ship. It made for miserable sailors working the lobster trick, but it had the advantage of muffling sounds. With the swaying of the ship on cat¡¯s paws, the passengers were lulled into deeper sleeps than normal.

    Raulin was lying on his stomach, his arm around Anla. While he hadn¡¯t been able to speak to Atelo, a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He slept the most soundly of any soul on the ship, despite the lingering pain after Al¡¯s healing of his lacerations.

    So, it was a surprise to him when a dream of his (of him splitting the sun in half and cradling both new spheres in his arms) was interrupted by a flash of white before his body slammed into Anla¡¯s. For a moment he thought the ship was in rough waters, but he heard Anla gasp and knew what was happening.

    He turned, crouched, then flung himself at a stunned Atelo. He felt the white-hot slice of the trivren¡¯s knife graze his arm as he toppled him to the ground. He jammed his knee under Atelo¡¯s chin and wrestled the knife from his hand while the Merakian choked. Once he was neutralized, Raulin lifted the pressure.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk with you,¡± he said in Merakian. ¡°Will you abide a truce to your cabin or must we do it like this?¡±

    ¡°Truce.¡±

    Raulin stood and helped the trivren up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly, ainle,¡± he said.

    ¡°Be safe,¡± she said, her knees tucked under her chin.

    Raulin led Atelo across the main deck, his knife pointed at his back, but not into his side. He was respectful, but not stupid.

    When they were in the small cabin, Raulin said, ¡°You have a bad leg. You should sit.¡± Atelo complied. ¡°Now, I think I¡¯d have to be completely addled to not realize why you just tried to kill me. I apologize that it¡¯s come to this. I like you and think you¡¯re a good trivren, someday even a great one. But, since I¡¯m no longer a trirec, you are no longer my master and I am no longer beholden to the rules of Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°This is not true. You either retire as a trivren or die. You cannot renounce your training and expect we won¡¯t retaliate.¡±

    ¡°I can pledge to you that I will never speak of anything regarding Arvarikor. Not the training, the inner workings, the contracts I¡¯ve completed.¡±

    Atelo snorted. ¡°You think we would trust you to keep your word when you¡¯ve already broken it with us?¡±

    ¡°We had an agreement today. You punished me already for taking off my mask.¡±

    ¡°I was forced to. I do not agree that it was legal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the unfortunate thing about loopholes; if you¡¯re the one without the airtight language, you feel cheated. I warned Arvarikor several times that people could take advantage of our contracts. I actually had that happen this time around where someone had me retrieve a dozen items, listing it as one collection. I understand your frustration and anger, but what happened was under the rules Arvarikor set out at my trial. For taking off my mask, I was sentenced to one lash per trirec in the lands. And it was repeated yesterday, only to my benefit.¡±

    ¡°But after you were punished, you retook your oath. You have not done so.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t intend to.¡±

    ¡°Which puts this affair in limbo.¡±

    Raulin clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re right. You should be killing me for running away. I should have said I planned on retaking it in Kitstuar, then losing you at the first opportunity. You¡¯re not that stupid, though. You wouldn¡¯t have bought it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have give you a better reason to keep me alive. I can give you Arvonne.¡±

    The Merakian scoffed. ¡°Why would Arvarikor want Arvonne? It¡¯s a wasteland. We have no offices there because no one can pay our fees.¡±

    ¡°I know. I mean I can give you an organized, stable Arvonne where people may be interested in paying trirecs to steal and kill and spy once more. Not immediately, but let¡¯s say in five years.¡±

    ¡°And how do you propose that?¡±

    ¡°By taking back the throne. As heir, I have the right to it, I just haven¡¯t exercised it before now because I¡¯ve been with Arvarikor.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®as heir¡¯?¡±

    It felt strange to Raulin. Since he had kept his secret for so long, he thought he¡¯d have a harder time saying it, but it came easy to him now. ¡°Like all Merakian children who become trirecs, I was an orphan. My parents, however, were the king and queen of Arvonne. My older brother was set to be king and I was going to be the archprince before the Coup happened. I was saved by my butler and a trirec and brought to Arvarikor.¡±

    Atelo snorted. ¡°And you have proof of this?¡±

    ¡°Nothing that would satisfy you, I¡¯m sure. I could tell you hundreds of pieces of information that only Prince Caudin Alscaine would know, but that wouldn¡¯t mean anything to you.¡±

    ¡°What was the name of his trirec, then?¡±

    ¡°Ikiyel.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, his entire demeanor changing, softening. ¡°Say the name again.¡±

    ¡°Ikiyel. I don¡¯t think I could tell you much about him. He kept his mask on the entire time and I didn¡¯t notice anything unusual about him.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°He was stabbed as we tried to escape. He survived for several weeks until he contracted gangrene and refused to have his leg amputated. He died shortly thereafter, in Walpi. I could tell you the town where he was buried.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    ¡°Akausa Minest. Did you know him?¡±

    ¡°I thought he left me.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Left you¡¯? Were you¡­oh.¡±

    ¡°Tell me this: when he was indecisive, what would he do?¡±

    ¡°I remember him pacing. He¡­he rubbed his fingertips together.¡±

    Raulin was disadvantaged by poor light, but he could still see the motion of Atelo¡¯s shoulders slumping. ¡°I think it unlikely that a miartha child would know a trirec that well otherwise. Perhaps what you say is true. Still, Arvarikor will not let you leave.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the bottom line, then. If I were some no-name trirec in Merak chasing contracts for a pittance, you wouldn¡¯t care if I disappeared. This is because I make a lot of money for Arvarikor. I¡¯m a lucrative asset. Do you know how much I made this last docket?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere between four and five thousand Ghenian gold, I believe.¡±

    ¡°Something like that. If I were to open Arvonne up again, there would be five times the contracts available for trirecs.¡±

    ¡°The problem has never been the amount of contracts but talented trirecs to do the hard ones.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t replicate me. Yes, I was a better prospect because I could speak five languages and ride horseback and hold my own with a sword before I ever started training, but this can be taught to any child. There are three miartha that are being raised right now in Arvarikor. The order has already opened themselves to the idea. In five years time, there will be three just like me, ready to soak up contracts.¡±

    Atelo thought about this for a few moments. ¡°I still do not believe Arvarikor will let you leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to convince Arvarikor.¡±

    The trivren looked up at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to convince you. You are the one who will make the decision. You¡¯re the only one that knows the truth. It¡¯s in your hands what you tell Arvarikor. Did I leave the order legally? Or did I die on an island in the Gamik Sea? Perhaps the captain made me walk the plank and my body is at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe a jealous husband got the better of me back in Hanala.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± His tone was difficult to read precisely, but Raulin hoped he was genuinely curious and not indignant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what being a trivren is like. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t, either, at least not yet. I¡¯d suggest waiting until you understand that world better, then telling the others what you think is best. I know that allowing me to live will be a gamble, but it is for me, too. I¡¯m taking back my country even if I die trying.¡±

    * * *

    Al saw Raulin stifle a yawn as he leaned against the starboard railing, gazing out at the sea. He joined him. ¡°How are your wounds?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not bad at all, Wizard. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Did they keep you up?¡±

    ¡°No. What kept me up was-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know,¡± Al rushed.

    ¡°I was going to say, what kept me up was an assassination attempt.¡±

    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Al said, bowing his head. ¡°I should have realized the trivren was going to try that and watched out for him.¡±

    ¡°And do what? He¡¯s a trained killer. He would have gutted you like a fish or a cow. Ask Anla¡¯s brother-in-law about which is the better analogy. No, this worked out well. I was able to hopefully talk some sense into him, and maybe he¡¯ll realize I¡¯m telling him the truth about my intentions regarding Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to say you¡¯re going to allow trirecs in your country?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to, I am. Yes, I know it seems like a terrible thing to allow, but this will be one of many things I will have to bear as king. People in my country will starve, evil men will rule, there will be suffering. These are certainties. Only utopias exist without those, and as much as I¡¯d like to make Arvonne a utopia, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s feasible. So long as they keep to their rules, I will allow them inside.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Raulin turned to face him. ¡°I do. You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll strive for this,¡± Al said, placing his flat hand high, ¡°reach this,¡± he said, lowering it, ¡°and stay above here.¡± He dropped his hand again, then put it to his side.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be a perfect king, Wizard, I can tell you that. I have many years of training missing. I don¡¯t know what the political climate is like and I don¡¯t know the finer nuances of trading and negotiation. All I can say is I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°Raulin¡­¡±

    ¡°Caudin,¡± he corrected.

    Al smiled. ¡°Caudin, I wouldn¡¯t look at your years abroad as wasted time. You can learn all that you mentioned, but having a firm understanding of the common people is something that makes a leader great. You¡¯ve lived among them, you understand them. You¡¯ll have a greater success of being a balance between the nobles and the working classes. You have the makings of a fine regency.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, Wizard. It¡¯ll be hard work for you, too, as my vizier.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so now you¡¯re willing to accept my offer?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I still can¡¯t pay you.¡±

    Al laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a gamble. Either I¡¯ll live in a palace or I¡¯ll wind up in a ditch somewhere.¡±

    Caudin laughed with him. ¡°That¡¯s precisely my take on my future.¡±

    They stared out at the sea for a few moments. ¡°What do you see when you look out there?¡±

    ¡°Water, Wizard. I see water.¡±

    ¡°I mean, what does it feel like to you, as you stare at the horizon?¡±

    Caudin sunk down a little, stretching his arms. ¡°Hopeful. A little scary. I had to stare at the horizon from a much lower position a year ago thinking I was going to die, and it quickens my pulse for a moment or two. But, it¡¯s alluring, too. So many possibilities, so many avenues. I can¡¯t stay afraid of it for long.¡±

    ¡°I had a professor in Amandorlam say that whatever a man feels when he looks upon the vastness of the sea is how he feels about his future.¡±

    ¡°Apt, especially since I wanted to ask you something. It¡¯ll be your first official piece of advice as my vizier. Where do you think we should go? There¡¯s Arvonne, of course, but that comes with risks of discovery. I could go to Kinto, to see if Mayasena would be interested in helping. That tie seems tenuous, though. We were friends in childhood, but I haven¡¯t seen her since I was nine or so. Or, the one I¡¯m leaning to, is to go to Sayen. I could petition my grandfather for help in retaking the throne. As a fellow monarch, there¡¯s a stronger chance that he could support my claim and¡­what?¡±

    Al had inhaled sharply at the word ¡°Sayen¡± and hung his head. ¡°I was listening.¡±

    ¡°I gather you didn¡¯t like that choice.¡±

    ¡°I¡­mmm¡­okay. You wanted my advice and my suggestion would be to go to Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°And why do you suggest that?¡±

    ¡°Process of elimination. I have a theory, but you¡¯ll think it silly.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give it gravity, then I¡¯ll listen.¡±

    ¡°The alley novels, I believe, were written to be instructional, like a beacon. They became popular as a symbol of hope and longing for the Arvonnese, but I think they would have been printed anyway. Whoever is writing them always has the same elements in them. I think it¡¯s because the author wanted you to read them and to know you¡¯ll be supported if and when you return. In every one there is always some sort of underground organization waiting for one of the Alscaine children to come forward and discover. I think that¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think those elements wind up in those books because books with those elements sold well? They¡¯re romance novels. I don¡¯t plan on popping out of an alley to find some woman I¡¯ll fall in love with; I already found my wife, in a castle, not on the street. I don¡¯t have amnesia, nor was I a slave. Okay, the last part may be arguable, but my point stands. I think those novels are just a sensation people enjoy and those pieces work well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dismissing Arvonne, however. I want to know what you mean by ¡®process of elimination¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Kinto might be fine, but I agree that your relationship isn¡¯t as robust as it could be. Sayen is¡­not the path I¡¯d recommend.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Al took a deep breath. ¡°So, I spoke with Tel about this and he suggested I approach this in a certain way. If you could humor me, I have a thought experiment I¡¯d like to walk you through. I¡¯d like to see if you reach the same conclusion that I have.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°Fine, Wizard. I have two or three weeks before we reach Kitstuar.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± Al cleared his throat. ¡°Imagine you are a young king, in your early twenties, ambitious and hungry to make something better of your landlocked country. You know that lack of a port and seaworthy vessels are keeping your country back. Other nations thrive through sea trade whereas your country has to watch from afar, opportunities missed. It¡¯s also a mountainous country and, as such, you can only produce certain goods and must rely on taxed and imported items. Your country wades instead of swims; it¡¯s not a terrible place to live, but you want glory for your name. What do you do?¡±

    ¡°Is this country beholden to the Noh Amairian Accords?¡± When Al nodded, he said, ¡°So, no expansion or military campaigns. I would have to rely on friendly methods. I would discuss treaties with the surrounding countries.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve tried that, but no one is interested in giving up any land or letting you rent it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps something more sinister, then. I¡¯d try to dig up dirt and blackmail one of those kings.¡±

    ¡°Despite the best efforts of your extensive spy network, no one can find anything concrete or strong enough to hold against any one of the kings of your neighboring countries.¡±

    Caudin clicked his tongue. ¡°Ah! So, I¡¯d create ties. Like the Empire, I¡¯d marry relatives out in hopes that they can soften someone¡¯s position.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. You have a young daughter five years younger than the prince of your southern neighbor, which is the country you were aiming to get. You marry her to the prince.¡±

    ¡°And I get what I want?¡±

    ¡°Alas, no. Even though you trained your daughter from a young age to manipulate the king to your demands, she fell in love with him and refuses to do anything to damage her new country.¡±

    ¡°I may be stumped.¡±

    ¡°Think in devious ways. Think as if your goal has driven you to obsession, so much so that you are willing to destroy everything you love in order to attain it.¡±

    While Caudin had kept an interested attitude before then, his mirth dropped as he began to figure it out. ¡°I would sow dissonance, creating a magnified hatred in that country. I¡¯d stir the pot. I¡¯d find people to lead a group of revolutionists, someone I could control, and I¡¯d fund them. Then, I¡¯d point them at the capital and tell them to butcher the royal family in exchange for river rights to the sea.¡±

    ¡°You see what I see.¡±

    Caudin turned, his face stricken. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this, Wizard. He¡¯s my grandfather. He visited once a year. He sent presents on my birthday. He¡¯s all I have left.¡±

    ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t thought of this, but then again, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to stumble into that viper¡¯s nest.¡±

    ¡°How sure do you feel that your theory is true?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t give you a number. It explains a lot, though. Why did a vocal minority suddenly turn on a well-liked ruling family? How did they get so organized? Where did their funds come from?¡±

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Sayen just taken Arvonne, then? It¡¯s ripe for the picking.¡±

    ¡°I asked myself the same thing. And I think that maybe he had that intention originally. To preserve the monarchy, he¡¯d sweep in, retake the throne, and put some puppet ruler in charge. But, the Kalronists must have been very appreciative of the help and Arvonne wound up sinking pretty fast. If all he wanted was sea rights, then he got them and he didn¡¯t even need to lift another finger. Sayen has the Mielsa. I didn¡¯t realize they did, but when Jorme said it, my thoughts cemented further.¡±

    Caudin tented his hands in front of his mouth. He kept taking a deep breath, as if to speak, then closing his mouth. ¡°Look at who it benefits the most, Your Majesty. Obviously not Arvonne. Not the Kalronists, since they see daily how terrible their policies are and have had several attempts on their rule or lives. Not any other country. The Empire has done better, but I can¡¯t think of any links to them, especially since it was Mayasena who has created the Empire and she was twelve when the Coup happened. Sayen is the only one who got what they wanted. They have access to the sea, their economy is doing better, and they haven¡¯t had to spill a drop of their own blood.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to believe me about that, Sire. Maybe I¡¯m dead wrong about it. I hope I am. But, just in case I¡¯m not, don¡¯t choose Sayen. I think Arvonne is the best choice.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. I asked for your opinion and you gave it. I think¡­I have some dwelling to do.¡±

    Al nodded and left Caudin at the railing, his head hung low.

    * * *

    Two days later, Anla, Al, and Telbarisk were waiting in the chart room. To pass the time, Anla was peering at some maps when the door opened.

    ¡°You at least have a handle on keeping us waiting at the king¡¯s pleasure,¡± Al said.

    Caudin smiled as he sat. ¡°I actually was waylaid by the captain and had intended to be on time. There¡¯s a reason for keeping people waiting, but there¡¯s no need to do that to you three.

    ¡°I called you here to discuss the plan for when we disembark in a few weeks¡¯ time.¡±

    Anla could have guessed this. His mind had been more or less on this for the past few days. ¡°And have you made a decision?¡± Al asked, warily.

    ¡°Two points: first, I don¡¯t want to automatically assume that I¡¯m leader here just because of my lineage. I want to make sure we¡¯re all happy with that.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I wanted to lead for a change,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°You do?¡± Caudin asked, surprised.

    ¡°No, and no one else does. Go on, ainler.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I was being fair. Second point, then, is something I need to share. I haven¡¯t shared this with anyone. I mean, no one, not Anla, not any priest, not anyone in Arvarikor.¡±

    Anla blinked at this and leaned forward.

    ¡°The captain of the Spirowan, the ship I was on last year that sank, knew the storm was approaching. I spoke with him briefly and he suggested I sleep as much as I could before it hit. While I napped, I had a strange dream. I say dream, but it was more than that. It believe it was a prophecy. I can only conclude that, since I¡¯m not merited that way and it has been very accurate, it was sent by some force beyond my comprehension. The Twelve, perhaps, I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°This dream came in four parts. The first was of a friend saying the word ¡®ten¡¯. The second was of the love of my life telling me that I had a decision to make. The third of a deep-voiced man saying that I looked good for a man who has died three times. Perhaps none of you remember saying those words, but all three of you did, precisely and exactly as I remembered it from my dream.

    ¡°More strongly was how I felt. I loved you three before I met you in Carvek. Well, Tel I still did, but Anla and you, Wizard. To a man who craved friendship and love, it was a dangerous thing to experience. When I was asleep, I felt like I knew those people. And when I awoke, I wanted to know them so very, very badly. It pained me, so I rejected it, then forgot about it until I met Anla. I was afraid for some time that she was the woman from the dream. I didn¡¯t want it to come true. I wanted what I could get from it, but not what it meant I had to give up.

    ¡°I thought about what the dream might mean when I was deciding whether to pursue the crown. I wondered why I had been sent the future and how I had stepped twice into situations that played exactly as I had seen them a year prior. And I realized that it meant that it was pointless to fight, that my future was in someone elses hands. Some men struggle with destiny versus free will. I¡¯m fine knowing that I¡¯m being watched out for, protected maybe. And I¡¯m glad you three were the ones from my dream.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything before?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I would have rather it been a silly dream before I decided to make the decision.¡±

    ¡°I knew They were meddling,¡± Al said. ¡°This feels guided.¡±

    ¡°I know. I agree with you. For the record, I agreed with you before, but, well¡­I admit I¡¯ve had some growing up to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Caudin,¡± Telbarisk said. ¡°You¡¯re embracing your work as a hayinfal. What was the fourth person?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, the dream was hazy. It was mostly sound and emotion for me. The last person was someone I knew from my childhood, I believe. His name was Jemerie, the Principal of Dairy.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an exquisite title,¡± Anla said, smirking.

    ¡°It¡¯s not poetic, but it was a very powerful title. He was part of what they called the Cocktail Soiree, which included the principals of dairy, wine, and grains. A very influential trio that were doing well to make gains in those industries and were seen quite often at court. They were always like amused uncles to me.¡±

    ¡°What did Jemerie say?¡±

    ¡°¡¯I¡¯d like to meet the woman who made you a king.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Is that what you believe?¡±

    ¡°We can tell people whatever they want to hear from now on, but the truth of it is I¡¯m choosing this because it¡¯s the only way I can help all four of us attain the best life. I want a life with my wife and my two best friends. This path isn¡¯t a guarantee of success, but it¡¯s the best I can do.¡±

    Anla smiled at him. ¡°This Jemerie, where do you think he¡¯ll be?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He may have fled the country when the Coup happened. He may have stayed put. I only mention this to be on the lookout for him. He¡¯d be in his sixties. He¡¯s an inch or two taller than Al, but was always heavier set, stocky in his youth, but rotund by the time I knew him. He had orange hair, like butternut squash, but I¡¯d guess it would be white by now. It was fuzzy and untamed, always floating around him like he spent too much time rubbing his feet on carpets.

    ¡°The route I¡¯d like to take is to head east from Eptrikonvonue in Kistuar. We¡¯ll cross over the Mielsa River and travel to Eri Ranvel. On horseback, Wizard! You¡¯ll finally get your wish.¡±

    Telbarisk placed the snub bottle of wine from his pack on the table with a loud thump. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for this.¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡± Caudin said. ¡°Let¡¯s not get any wine on the maps, though. Wouldn¡¯t want a keel haul.¡±

    They stole glasses from a case in the corner meant for whiskey and poured the bottle out. ¡°To Arvonne,¡± Al said.

    ¡°To home,¡± Caudin toasted and drank.

 Chapter 245

    Caudin smiled as Anla ran her hand over his head. ¡°You had such beautiful hair,¡± she said, ¡°but this feels interesting. Soft, like velvet almost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll grow back, though I won¡¯t be able to keep it as long as I used to.¡±

    She stuck her bottom lip out for a moment. ¡°Yes, you must keep appearances. Kings can¡¯t have thieves¡¯ hair.¡±

    ¡°Alas, no. It will be something fashionable and austere. And it¡¯s the same with you. They¡¯ll ask you to grow yours long so it can be plaited and piled on your head. My mother¡¯s hair reached the small of her back and took her a half-hour to brush at night.¡±

    ¡°There are worse things than having long hair.¡±

    ¡°There are. Have you though much on the gravity of your decision, on what it¡¯s going to take to be a queen?¡±

    ¡°Ruling a country is hard work, I know that. You have to constantly be making rules and decisions, and you never know if its the right one. ¡±

    He sat up in bed, leaning against the wall of their cabin. ¡°It¡¯s not the ruling part that¡¯s hard. Yes, there¡¯s a tremendous pressure that whatever decision you make might end up being the wrong one that costs people their lives, but those don¡¯t come by all that frequently. And we¡¯d have councillors and advisors to help weigh our choices. No, it¡¯s the day-to-day living. Getting up at dawn, attending a dozen events during the day, from medal ceremonies to balls to luncheons for some cause. You have to be pleasant at all times, you have to check your words, you have to wear what they say and say what they want. Then, you fall into bed exhausted and do it all over again the next day.

    ¡°Being the ruling couple of Arvonne means that you are Arvonne. You cease to be a person and instead are some statue, some figurehead that people adore. They think you¡¯re perfect when inside you¡¯re screaming because you never wanted any of this.¡±

    By this point Anla had sat up as well. ¡°You felt that way at ten years old?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well, I was definitely frustrated. I wanted to be a child, but was forced to be a prince. I wanted to play and run in the streets and hit things with sticks. Instead, I had to sit still for long-winded speeches and be tutored in boring subjects. I was reminded constantly that I was going to be my brother¡¯s right-hand man, and that as king he would need me to be mature and proper. It didn¡¯t help that he took to it like a bird in an updraft; he relished being responsible. He would have made a great king.¡±

    ¡°So will you.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that.¡± He looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯m not being morose about this. I think I¡¯ll do fine, after some education. It¡¯s just that it should be him in this position. Arvonne would be led better by him.¡±

    ¡°But, they have you and they will love you. You¡¯re not going to be a king that molds himself to the position. You will be a king that forges a new way, the right king for a land that needs a fresh beginning. As you said, you will be Arvonne and Arvonne right now is a country that needs to be rid of a rule that is stifling it. It needs help and support from allies. It needs to remember who it is and move forward with its head held high. It needs to adapt and change and find its place in the world once more.¡±

    He leaned over and kissed her. ¡°You are wonderful. But, if you find yourself needing to scream, just know I¡¯ve been there and I can help you through it.¡± He stood and began dressing. ¡°We need to pack. I spoke with Jorm¨¦ last night and he was bursting to tell anyone that would listen that we would reach Eptrikonvonue by mid-day and that he was likely to set a record for it.¡±

    ¡°That must make him quite pleased.¡±

    ¡°He said that a captain with a record like that would have a huge bargaining chip when it came to employment opportunities. His company has him on a four-year probation. They may break that for him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad we were able to work with him. He¡¯s a good man.¡±

    ¡°A good friend, yes, but I think only because this worked out in our favor. I can¡¯t imagine what things would be like if this hadn¡¯t worked out well.¡±

    She smirked at him. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a rather comely man. If you had rejected me, maybe I would have given up and turned my eye to him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, would you have?¡± he said, bemused.

    ¡°He was interested, before I showed him my ring. He¡¯s been a gentleman, but that¡¯s easily remedied with a look and a smile.¡±

    ¡°Woman, are you trying to make me jealous?¡± he asked, leaning on the bed. ¡°I should remind you that while I gave Atelo most of my trirec belongings, but I did keep one of my knife sets. I haven¡¯t forgotten how to use them.¡±

    ¡°On me?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d take out the competition. His first mate can take over.¡±

    She laughed, tucking her knees to her chest. ¡°He¡¯s not competition.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he said, crawling onto the bed. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely convinced.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said we should be packing.¡±

    ¡°That was before you told me the captain was comely.¡±

    She laughed again as he moved close, pressing his forehead to hers. ¡°I¡¯ll make a note of this. If I ever want your attention, I just have to make you jealous.¡± As he started to kiss her neck, she said, ¡°I think we¡¯re going to miss sailing into port.¡±

    ¡°Your fault,¡± he murmured.

    ¡°Mmm, yet I don¡¯t feel guilty at all.¡±

    * * *

    The captain¡¯s smile could have made the sun jealous. ¡°Four weeks and five days!¡± he said, laughing as he hugged Telbarisk. ¡°The old record was five weeks and four days! You¡¯ve made me a famous man!¡±

    ¡°I am so very happy for you.¡±

    ¡°Will we see each other again?¡± he asked abruptly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel the same way about you that I did about Raulin, though I wonder if its kouriya or hope.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my ear out for new about Arvonne,¡± he said. ¡°If things work out well, I¡¯ll make sure to let you know when I¡¯m due in port. Maybe we could meet up and you can tell me about what¡¯s been going on in your life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that, Jorm¨¦.¡±

    At that moment, Anla and Caudin rushed out of their cabin to the deck to meet up with Al and Telbarisk. She grabbed his arm and said something. He nodded and rushed back to their cabin to grab something they had forgotten.

    Anla walked over to Jorm¨¦, looked back quickly, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thank you so very much for everything you¡¯ve done for us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he said politely, but with a smile. ¡°Again, thank you for looking out for Telbarisk. I think it speaks highly of your character that you¡¯ve included him in your lives.¡±

    Caudin returned and shook the captain¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you. I know I didn¡¯t seem grateful or friendly in the beginning, but I¡¯m glad you helped them help me come to my senses.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome and I wish you all the luck in the world, Sire.¡±

    Caudin smirked at the title, but nodded his thanks as the four walked down the plank to the wharf.

    The homes Eptrikonvonue made good use of the nearby woods of various colors. They were always framed in the dark brown kiaskenda wood, but the internal slats varied from pale blond to deep reddish-black, even the cheaper houses of the wharf. As they walked through the streets, Caudin pointed out the curtains.

    ¡°Richer folk like to show off their wealth by hanging long outer curtains of bright colors out their windows. They have to change them as they fade from rain and sun as well as repaint the white wattle and daub walls surrounding the casement.¡± He pointed to one with an intricate pattern on a sixth of the drapes. ¡°That¡¯s a clan emblem. The man of the house and his eldest son will wear that on a sash with their dress for the day. If you look up ahead, there¡¯s a man with a long beard who¡¯s wearing one in blue.¡±

    The eastern gate was higher than where they were, so it was easy to follow the roads towards it. ¡°Thousands of years ago, before the Noh Amairian Accords were signed, this city and the lands east were part of Arvonne. For some odd reason, you¡¯ll find a few old families in the city who still wish it were. See that flag hanging below the Kistuaran flag? Blue, green, and white.

    ¡°Those rickshaws over there are proudly run by five major guilds in the city. Once, they had a strike that shut the¡­¡±

    ¡°Um, Your Majesty?¡± Al interrupted. ¡°May I ask why we¡¯re getting cultural lessons?¡±

    ¡°My father used to say that any time spent traveling was a time to learn. If you three are still serious about putting your every ounce you have into this campaign, then you must assume that we will succeed. And if we do, then you may be in a position where you will speak with Kitstuaran emissaries at court. Confusing two noble families, one pro-Arvonnese, the other not, perhaps of two feuding rickshaw guilds, would be a terrible gaff.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Unless there are objections, I will continue the lessons. And when I have nothing to add, I will teach Arvonnese, court style.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Court style¡¯?¡±

    ¡°There is a more refined version of Arvonnese. The nobles pronounce things a little differently, use a few different words. It¡¯s mostly the same, but commoners will instantly recognize you as someone with bearing by the way you speak.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter that I don¡¯t look like an Arvonnese?¡±

    ¡°Wizard, if this works people will know who you are before you open your mouth. They¡¯ll treat you with respect based on that. But, it will help if you could speak on a higher level.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Al gave a funny little smile at that.

    ¡°Now, before we leave the city, we should run a few errands. First, we need to exchange our money at a bank. Then, we need travel clothing and provisions for a few weeks.¡± He looked up. ¡°We should probably stay here overnight, so I¡¯ll find us a hotel that¡¯s not too expensive. Finally, horses.¡± He looked at Al. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret wanting to ride horseback, at least for a few days.¡±

    They left early the next morning after a quick riding lesson from Caudin. Telbarisk enjoyed the horses, but since there were no destriers available he walked. And after he noticed how Al squirmed in his saddle after a few hours, he didn¡¯t regret it.

    ¡°Khiestra,¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°Kiestra,¡± Al repeated.

    ¡°No, listen to the ¡®k¡¯ in the beginning. It isn¡¯t made with your throat, but by opening the sides of your mouth Kh, kh. Try it.¡±

    ¡°Kyestra,¡± he said.

    ¡°Almost. Try opening puffing air past the gums next to your last molars.¡±

    ¡°Hhh, hhh. Khiestra.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    ¡°Sire, if saying ¡®hello¡¯ is that difficult, I can only imagine what the rest of the language is like.¡±

    Caudin chuckled lightly. ¡°Easy or hard, you¡¯re going to learn it. I will admit that, aside from a few words, it¡¯s not that hard. Kitstuaran is hard. Br¡¯vanese is hard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you grew up speaking Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°Maybe true, but what¡¯s ¡®hello¡¯ in Br¡¯vanese?¡±

    ¡°Navska.¡±

    ¡°Notice how you draw your teeth effortlessly from your lips to the bottom inside of your mouth during the v to sk transition? That takes some practice.¡±

    ¡°Point taken, but it¡¯s still hard. Tel?¡±

    ¡°Khiestra,¡± he said.

    Al sighed. ¡°And it must be easier for Anla to transition from what she knows to the refined speech.¡± There was only the sound of horses as Caudin gave Anla a look. Al looked between the two of them. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to mention it,¡± she said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if he knows?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s still a little hard for me to acknowledge it, so feel free to tell him.¡±

    ¡°Mention what?¡± Al asked.

    Caudin reined in his horse so he was next to Al. ¡°You know the hierarchy of the nobles in Arvonne, yes?¡±

    ¡°The royal family leads, then it¡¯s principals, dukes, marquesses, and so on. Arvonne doesn¡¯t have barons.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m guessing though that you don¡¯t know any of the house names of the principals.¡±

    ¡°Just that the Alscaines are the ruling family and no one else is named that.¡±

    ¡°It holds the same for the principals. Not the given names, just the surnames are unique. The Principal of Seas, for instance, is titled ¡®Etesco¡¯ and his or her family name is Aunvredu. My friend from my dream, his title is ¡®Jemerie¡¯ and his family name is Cuistetta. And the Principal of the Woods is titled ¡®Commres¡¯. His family name is Auchindol.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyebrows took a few moments to climb his face as he figured things out. ¡°Oh. How did that happen?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned once quite some time ago about a scandal in the Arvonne court where a son of a principal renounced his titles, went to school to be a doctor, and left. That was Anla¡¯s father.¡±

    Al wished Anla would turn around to confirm the news, but she looked straight ahead in the saddle. ¡°So, she¡¯s a¡­duchess then? I can¡¯t tell you what a relief that is. I was wondering how I was going to have that conversation with you.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the ¡®you can¡¯t marry a commoner¡¯ speech? That would have been fun to listen to, knowing something you didn¡¯t, especially since what you always thought her piscarin tricks was actually her merit. I should point out, though, that we¡¯re not in the clear. She has a much better standing as a duchess than as a commoner, but it will be expected of me to marry a princess and have children that are half god-blooded instead of children on the same level as principals.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do, then?¡±

    ¡°¡¯We¡¯. Thank you, Wizard, but that¡¯s a decision I need to make, or have already made.¡± He sat up straighter in his saddle. ¡°I am never going to hurt my wife again. I now have the means to keep that promise and I intend on keeping it this time. Anla is my wife. She is not my mistress or my concubine or my courtesan. Our marriage will not be left-handed. She is now the other half of my life and Arvonne is going to have to accept that or be without a king.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be willing to throw everything away for her?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said without hesitation. Anla turned slightly back in her saddle and smiled.

    ¡°Is that position open for discussion?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± was Al¡¯s reply.

    They reached the checkpoint for the Sayen border by late afternoon. Caudin had what seemed like a pleasant conversation with the guards, who let them go after a few minutes.

    ¡°We¡¯re set to ferry?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Caudin said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anla gave him a searching look.

    ¡°The guards were crass. In a five minute conversation they managed to joke about what they¡¯d like to do to you and suggested it was similar to what their king had done to Arvonne.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s been some time since I actually wanted to stab someone. Most people I killed I didn¡¯t want to kill. Those guys, I might pay someone to let me take them out.¡±

    She laid her hand on her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°Leave it be. They won¡¯t harm a hair on my head and you know that. And they¡¯ll be without those jobs in a year¡¯s time. Might be a miserable situation for them, if they¡¯re looking for work and people remember their attitudes.¡±

    ¡°A valid point. I can do more damage to them by just doing what I plan to do.¡± He kissed her temple and continued on to the ferry.

    The Mielsa was wide enough to appear like an ocean, the other side too far away to be visible. It took an uneventful day to cross and they left Sayen territory behind quickly. They were in Arvonne by mid-day.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite pretty,¡± Al said, shifting back and forth to take in the countryside, or perhaps to relieve some pain from sitting in the saddle. ¡°Quiet, too.¡±

    ¡°This is the Temenrinde region, though technically it started at the border of Kitstuar,¡± Caudin said. ¡°The people here connect strongly to Kitstuaran culture and you may find some wearing plain side scarves instead of ones with crests. Temenrinde was under the protection of Duke Challe, who is actually a second cousin of mine.¡±

    ¡°Should we stop in the castle, then?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Quin Sesault doesn¡¯t know Duke Challe and it¡¯s unlikely that Duke Challe is still the duke of this area. From my understanding, most of the aristocracy was overthrown not too long after my family was killed. Only the lickspittles managed to keep some power, and those were likely viscounts who dropped their titles, but kept the job.¡±

    They continued on past a crossroads, Caudin continuing to teach Al and Tel about Arvonne and the language. He saw smoke in the village ahead and frowned, then stopped their train at the edge of the town. ¡°Wizard, what do you see?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a hefty man with a white kerchief on his face. Is he robbing the place? Should we go do something?¡±

    ¡°Turn around,¡± Caudin said, reining his horse around.

    ¡°What? We should help them!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no help for them. We need to go around. Back to the crossroads.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d abandon them!¡± Al accused.

    ¡°We can¡¯t help them!¡± Caudin said, crossly. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a bandit. Bandits would work in groups and they wouldn¡¯t wear white. He¡¯s burning diseased corpses. That village has been hit by a plague and they¡¯re trying to stop to spread of infection.¡±

    Al opened his mouth to protest, but he stopped to think instead. After a minute or two, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry I accused you of neglect.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that we would catch whatever is going around, especially Telbarisk. Your magic doesn¡¯t help disease. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±

    The next day, after camping in the woods, they were attacked by brigands. The quartet made quick work of the men, even at thrice their size. Caudin approached the leader, whose legs and arms had been entangled to the ground by Tel¡¯s magic. He was middle-aged, his skin tanned against his brown eyes. The rest of his face was covered in a brown kerchief.

    ¡°Thirteen to four is hardly fair,¡± Caudin said, pulling one of his knives out.

    ¡°You fight any way you can to survive. It¡¯s your fault for being unprotected.¡±

    ¡°How does one protect themselves in this area?¡±

    ¡°By paying me and my men, of course.¡±

    ¡°We took care of you easily enough. Why would I pay a man to do what we can?¡±

    ¡°You think we¡¯re the only band doing this? These woods are crawling with highwaymen. Kill us and there will be another group and another and another. Are you really the type of man who would kill hundreds?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± he said, and the bandit¡¯s eyes widened at his tone. ¡°Tell me a route that has less of you to worry about.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s intention was to force an answer from the man, then pay them a small fee to leave them alone. However, the more he pressed his knife to the man¡¯s throat, the stronger the cramp in his wrist became. He dropped his knife and rubbed his arm. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°My men call me The Sparrow. We are the band of thieves known as-¡±

    ¡°No, who were you before you took up this life?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in the past,¡± he said.

    Caudin reached around and untied the kerchief as the man fought against it. ¡°Anonymity is the one treasure I value above all else!¡± the man said.

    As he looked at the man¡¯s full face, Caudin¡¯s stomach dropped out. He stepped back. ¡°New plan,¡± he said loudly. ¡°If The Sparrow here can land a cut on me, we¡¯ll give him everything we have, including the horses.¡±

    ¡°How about the woman?¡± one of the men tied to a tree yelled and the men laughed.

    ¡°Kentro,¡± The Sparrow warned.

    ¡°Release him, Tel,¡± Caudin said and stepped back. He took his two knives and jammed them into the ground.

    ¡°Your¡­Quin? Quin, is this really a good idea?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°It will cut through the brush quickly,¡± he said, standing stock still as The Sparrow moved forward.

    ¡°Where is your trick?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No trick. I just want you to see what I see.¡±

    The Sparrow wasted no time. He took his own knife in an overhand position and plunged it down into Caudin¡¯s collarbone. Or, he would have, if he didn¡¯t drop the knife and grab his wrist. He didn¡¯t bother with the question, he just studied Caudin¡¯s face for a few moments, then said, ¡°Can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Challe.¡±

    He turned and paced away, then stormed back. ¡°Why now? Why didn¡¯t you come back sooner? We¡¯ve needed you!¡± He shoved him with his fingertips. ¡°Do you see this, me? I¡¯m was a duke and now I have to rob my own people in order to live one more day!¡±

    ¡°I can only apologize and hope you¡¯ll accept it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll accept it if you fix this godsforsaken paradise.¡±

    ¡°I can only try.¡±

    Challe sighed heavily. ¡°What do you need from me?¡±

    ¡°If you were being truthful, protection. You¡¯re right that I¡¯d rather not kill dozens of people, especially those who are suffering like everyone else.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Home. Eri Ranvel.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I can negotiate throughout Tamarinde. I can protect you as far as Erinbront, but it¡¯ll be us against them. I may lose men.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I can pay you some money¡­¡±

    Challe waved his hand. ¡°Money¡¯s no good anymore. People wallpaper their homes with it. What we need are goods, food, weapons, tools.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what we can do. And, Challe, that woman your men were joking about is off limits, yes?¡±

    ¡°She already was. I don¡¯t abide that.¡±

    ¡°Good, because quite frankly I¡¯d worry about your men more than her. She¡¯s capable of a lot more that she appears to be.¡±

    Caudin spent most of the next half-week in council with Challe. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Challe told him of corruption, famine, poverty, and disease. ¡°We can¡¯t keep up with it. The system is broken. No one will trade with us, so there are dozens of towns with specialty items, like clocks, that rot in barns. The clockmakers can¡¯t put food on their tables, so they have to work the fields, which they know nothing about, or steal. Courbey over there used to make Somstair scarves. His family had been making them for five generations.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think no one¡¯s buying them?¡±

    ¡°The Arvonnese don¡¯t have the money to spend on luxuries. The other countries won¡¯t buy them because some people were taking advantage of the dependable Arvonnese quality in goods and selling poor products or skimmed shipments.¡±

    ¡°Our name is tarnished. I¡¯ve heard that before.¡±

    ¡°Losing the Mielsa cost us quite a bit, too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m likely to deal with that early if not in priority.¡±

    Challe cleared his throat. ¡°Sire, if I may, why did you stay away so long?¡±

    ¡°Like Arvonne, I had no support. I was adrift, living my life as dictated. I should have returned earlier, but it would have been like catching fish without a net or a boat. I¡¯m hoping to be guided well.¡±

    It took them three weeks to reach Eri Ranvel. They took a suite in a grand hotel for three coppers¡¯ worth of vons and were treated royally by the staff when they learned they would be there for some time.

    That night, Caudin lay in bed staring up at the ceiling while Anla got undressed. She blew out the candles and nestled next to him. She kissed his cheek, trailing down his neck before stopping. ¡°Did I do something?¡±

    When he said nothing, she wiggled her fingers in front of his face. ¡°What?¡± he asked, turning towards her.

    ¡°You seem pensive. Either that or some pretty Arvonnese lass caught your eye.¡±

    ¡°Those are my only two options?¡± He drew her into an embrace and squeezed her shoulder. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here in Eri Ranvel, I¡¯m really seeing Arvonne for what it is. This was my home. I didn¡¯t play in the streets, but we traveled throughout the city almost every day. I remember what the neighborhoods looked like. I remember what the people looked like. Even accounting for the fuzzy lenses of nostalgia, this place looks terrible. The streets are dirty, the homes in disrepair. There were too many people to count on my fingers who had hollowed cheekbones and ragged clothing. My eyes are wide open, Anla. I never paid enough attention when I took a contract in Arvonne. I didn¡¯t see it for what it actually was.¡±

    ¡°My father always said you can sit by the river and lament of the past, or you can walk into the woods and start a new adventure.¡±

    ¡°He took that advice literally, hmm?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t regret it, at least I don¡¯t think he did. I know it wasn¡¯t easy for him living in a strange place with strange people who almost completely shunned him, but he was always happy with us kids and my mother.¡±

    ¡°As I will be with you and our family, wherever we wind up. I just didn¡¯t realize what I was bringing you three into.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle, ainler. Remember what we¡¯ve done? We rebuilt a town after a volcanic eruption. We saved potentially dozens of women from a mad wizard. This will seem like nothing in short time.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°I wish I had your optimism.¡±

 Chapter 246

    Caudin had said more than a few times that the key to understanding a city lay in its market. For the last few days, Al had walked through a place that might have been one, but had meager offerings, fruit and vegetables close to rotting, threadbare, second-hand clothing, and a few items here and there that were never likely to sell. It was the one place in Eri Ranvel that he had started to feel comfortable in. He¡¯d traded halting conversations with kind, patient people, who managed to compliment his learning even when he bought nothing.

    Despite the miserable conditions, the market was always some sort of lively. So, it was a shock when he rounded the corner and was met with silence. Not a soul spoke a word and everyone tread lightly, their heads hung. There was no laughter, no banter, no easy joking, just silence.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± he asked Mavet, a woman who sold a smattering of clothing.

    She glared at him and tapped her thumb and index fingers together. He didn¡¯t know what that gesture meant, so he mimed confusion. She sighed and pulled out a calendar, pointing to August 20<sup>th</sup> and pointing down.

    Al nodded and bowed his head in apology. Today was the anniversary of the Coup, which had occurred eighteen years ago that day. The Arvonnese must remember it by being silent.

    And when he realized that, he walked through the market with an amazement, watching as people conducted sales in silence. He continued on until the bells tolled in a nearby church. The people around him frowned and continued on with their day.

    Al was thrilled with this display of disapproval, so much so that he walked back to the hotel and found Caudin immediately. ¡°You have to go outside,¡± he said.

    Caudin looked up from the newspaper he was reading. ¡°I planned on staying in today.¡±

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s not a good time for you. But, I really think you need to go somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see. Trust me, please.¡±

    Caudin set down the newspaper and sighed. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t expect me to stay out long. I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡±

    Really, of all the days the wizard wanted him to go and put on a merry face¡­ It was the anniversary of the day everything ended for him and Al knew that. And while he had gotten over most of anger, there were old channels he couldn¡¯t help but take for a brief moment before he retrained his thoughts. There were still some people in this city, in his home, who had yelled ¡°Down with the Alscaines!¡±, who had killed his family. He¡¯d much rather stay inside and not bump into any of those folks, especially not on that day.

    Still, he had done his best to look for familiar faces for the last week. There had to be someone left in the city that could point him in the right direction. Thus far he¡¯d come up empty-handed. Perhaps it was defeatist, but he just wanted a day off to reflect and wallow in a little discouragement. He didn¡¯t want to be outside.

    He took some pocket money and headed to the market. He normally bought food and gave it to a family he¡¯d see on the way over, huddling in an alley or street corner begging for whatever they could get, but today he was scolded by the grocer when he tried to buy something. He knew the gesture the man used immediately, but couldn¡¯t understand why he wanted him to be quiet, nor why he shooed him away with a fist full of vons, ready to pay.

    It was then that he noticed everyone else in the market was quiet. All he could hear was the occasional cough and the rustling of bags opening for items to be deposited inside. No one spoke, no one wore loud shoes, no children played and shrieked. It was silent.

    He was stunned for a moment. He chided himself for not noticing that the people were taking part in a day of solemn silence. Two months out of Arvarikor and he had forgotten to be careful, to listen and pay attention.

    Then, he smiled. The people were with him. Every person who refused to speak was still mourning the loss of his family. He blinked a few times and lightly cleared his throat before continuing his walk through the market.

    It was meager. Even two days ago when a harvest had come in, it was still so paltry compared to where it should be. Baskets were empty and anything too expensive gathered dust.

    He continued walking into the market until the silence was broken by a very loud ¡°sir!¡±. Along with everyone else, Caudin looked over at the man excitedly waving. Not just waving in general, but waving him over. A few fellow merchants hissed at him, but he completely ignored them, continuing to beckon him to his stall.

    Caudin saw immediately the man sold books. There were stacks in piles behind him, some even propping up the piece of wood he used as a counter. He had one open in front of him.

    He hesitated. The old man was a fool by going against custom, yelling cheerfully for him. Likely, he was just a very desperate merchant who didn¡¯t care whom he irritated. He moved to walk away, not wanting to be associated with him, when the old man jumped over his counter, held up a book, and said, ¡°Sir, I have the title for you! A romance with a happy ending! It¡¯s called Sweet Rose.¡±

    Caudin froze, then slowly turned to look at the man. He held the book aloft in his chubby hand, next to a head of wild, white hair that stuck out in every direction. By his girth and his red, blossomed nose he could tell that the troubles of the city hadn¡¯t affected him like so many others. A healthy, well-fed man selling books in a poor market who knew the last code word his father had given him before the Coup had happened.

    And he just so happened to look like an older Jemerie.

    He walked over to the stall and quietly said, ¡°Is there some other place we could speak?¡± The man smiled and beckoned him, leaving his merchandise behind.

    They walked in silence for several blocks, Caudin trying to remember what part of the city this was. Debruste, he decided, which had comprised of several neighborhoods that had housed merchants and bankers. Most of the homes looked abandoned, or were very unkempt, with broken windows and stitched together canvas bags used as dividers instead of doors. The man took out his keys and unlocked his untouched door, holding it open for Caudin to walk inside.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Tanvin! Go mind the books!¡± he yelled. A young boy just nudging into adolescence ran down the stairs and left without complaint.

    ¡°You have a well-behaved grandson,¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°No, I have a grandson spoiling to not study. Come, sit down. Chavet? Dear, could you make some tea for me and my friend¡­?¡±

    Since this man hadn¡¯t introduced himself or acknowledged who he suspected Caudin was, he felt it was fair only to play along. ¡°Quin Sesault,¡± he said.

    ¡°Quin, yes. If you could also get the sweets, too, Chavet.¡±

    A young face, a few years younger than Tanvin, poked around the corner. ¡°The¡­sweets?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Chavet.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she squeaked, her eyes widening as she studied Caudin.

    ¡°Yes, really.¡±

    She beamed as she took off, running up the stairs. Caudin sat on a davenport and smirked. It seemed pageantry was just as alive in the hearts of romantics as well as those who employed trirecs.

    He took a moment to study the room. It was a parlor just off the main hallway, filled to the brim with books. Many of them had the distinct green-gray color of alley novels. This place was not wanting; though it might be a bit dusty, it was decorated nicely and there didn¡¯t seem to be any stains or tears in any of the furniture.

    The man sat in an armchair next to him and he took the opportunity to thank him for the invitation. ¡°The pleasure is all mine,¡± he said. ¡°What brings you to Eri Ranvel?¡±

    ¡°Who says I haven¡¯t been here for a while?¡±

    ¡°You still have the smell of horse on you. Not unpleasantly, just enough where a fine nose could detect it.¡±

    ¡°Why is someone with a fine nose selling books? Shouldn¡¯t you be, I don¡¯t know, tasting cheeses instead?¡±

    The man smiled. ¡°Yes, once upon a time I did just such a thing. But, nowadays gourmet cheeses are hard to come by and aren¡¯t produced as they once were. I had to take up selling books to cover the costs.¡±

    ¡°And you seem to be doing well at that.¡±

    ¡°Not particularly. I¡¯ve picked up writing as well.¡±

    ¡°Writing books? That pays well?¡±

    ¡°If you write the right kind of book, people will skip meals to afford them and sleep to read them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Caudin said, his suspicions mounting. He heard the thumping steps of Chavet come down the stairs, then stop as she entered the room with as much grace as a gangly older girl could muster. Her hand shook as she placed a tray of sweets on the coffee table in front of the two men. She curtseyed, then said, ¡°Tea will be ready shortly, Grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Chavet,¡± her grandfather said. ¡°Do you have children?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You are married, though? I see you have a ring on your finger.¡±

    ¡°I am, newly married. She was really the main reason why I returned to Eri Ranvel.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, dropping his smile. ¡°May I offer you a sweet?¡± he said, gesturing to the plate his granddaughter had left. ¡°Please, pick your favorite treat and enjoy.¡±

    Caudin looked down and immediately saw what the game was about. On the serving tray were several varieties of chocolates, candies, and confections famous in Arvonne and around Noh Amair. Off to one side was a bonbon with a dripped star at the top, a chocolate-covered frayed almond. This had been a favorite of his as a child and Jemerie knew that quite well since he had snuck in boxes of it through Belisant, his butler. He wiggled his fingers above the platter, then plucked the bright orange kiic candy and popped it in his mouth.

    He could almost hear the sound of disappointment in the man¡¯s throat.

    ¡°This takes me back,¡± Caudin said, sucking on the treat. ¡°I had a friend when I was little, fiance really, named Mayasena. She was the princess of Kinto, did you know? She used to bring me these all the time when she visited me here in the palace. Of course, you wanted me to pick the chocolates you used to get me, but you did say I should pick my favorite. I¡¯m sorry to have to break it to you all these years later, but Maya won that round.¡±

    The man¡¯s mouth was open.

    ¡°Now, if you want to continue playing games with me, Jemerie, we¡¯ll be here for a while. Maybe you can hold three flowers up and I¡¯ll have to pick the day lily, since it was my mother¡¯s favorite, but I¡¯ll actually pick another flower because it reminds me of my wife. Or maybe you¡¯ll ask which one of your alley novels is my favorite. Easy answer: none of them.¡± While he had been a bit peevish up ¡¯til that point, he was now serious. ¡°How dare you exploit my family¡¯s deaths by writing insipid romance novels?¡±

    ¡°Your Maj- Highness, I didn¡¯t mean any harm. I was only trying to put the word out that there were people here supporting you. I had hoped you would read one and realize you should come home, that we had a system in place to take everything back.¡±

    ¡°You realize I hadn¡¯t read a single one of those books until this year, and only because a dear friend of mine loved him. He¡¯s a smart man, but no accounting for taste. He thinks Caudet is the best wine ever created.¡±

    ¡°Surely my books aren¡¯t as bad as Caudet¡­¡±

    Caudin smiled and sat back as Chavet returned with the tea. He took a few sips and waited for her to leave, though he suspected she was hovering just around the corner. ¡°If everything is in place, why haven¡¯t you propped up one of my cousins as a figurehead and retaken the throne?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°We can drop the honorifics, Principal, since neither of us have anything but our blood. Tell me what I¡¯m walking into.¡±

    ¡°There is a group of us former principals and dukes who have survived the culling that happened in the years after the Coup. We meet yearly, or more frequently, depending. Of those, there is a rather large and stubborn percentage who refuse to accept anyone but an Alscaine. I consider myself one of those,¡± he said proudly.

    ¡°Why would you assume I was alive?¡±

    Jemerie hoisted himself out of the armchair and walked over to one of the bookcases. He plucked a thin, leather-bound tome out and carefully shook out a letter, which he handed to Caudin.

    ¡°J-, I have C-. We are with I-. and headed to AK. in W-. C-. is safe and unharmed, but I-. is badly injured. I will write again once we have made contact with A-. at his home. I hope this letter finds you healthy and safe. We will resume with step four when it is safe. B-.¡±

    ¡°I never got the second letter, but I hoped that something had happened to the courier and not the writer.¡±

    Caudin leaned forward on his knees. ¡°King Anistro died before we could make it to Akau Vria. We were in Walpi for some time, after Ikiyel died of gangrene. I don¡¯t know if he ever wrote you a second letter or what happened to it if he did.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Quite frankly, I¡¯m at a great disadvantage right now. I have no idea who to trust.¡± He met Jemerie¡¯s gaze sharply. ¡°If I say what happened, I will only say it once and then it will not be repeated ever. Ever. You¡¯re not writing some stupid romance book that makes me look like a goofy idiot; it wouldn¡¯t fit anyway.¡±

    ¡°Belisant and your father trusted me enough to be in on the escape. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± he asked, nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you had the trust from someone else.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your wife,¡± he grasped. ¡°You said you were here for her. I suppose she nudged you here not just because you wanted to show her your home. She wants this, too, I bet. She wants you to live your destiny. Perhaps you could bring her over? I would like to meet the woman who made you a king.¡±

    Caudin closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The tension drained from his shoulders. That was the final piece of his dream, the words he had been waiting to hear from his friend. ¡°All right,¡± he said, opening his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet my three companions, actually.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Jemerie said, clapping twice. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll invite three of my closest confidantes and we¡¯ll have a little soiree tonight. Nice and even. I¡¯ll get you the address.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Caudin said, suddenly feeling tired. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure my friend doesn¡¯t bring Caudet.¡±

 Chapter 247

    They walked not because they couldn¡¯t afford a carriage, but because there were none to be found. Only those in the Kalronist government could afford one and they didn¡¯t use them to go to parties or soirees. It only made them slow moving targets for angry crowds who saw the waste of money at the display. And the waste of food. When he realized that, Al felt poorly for the horses they had ridden across Arvonne and sold in the city. He had grown attached to his chestnut mare.

    It was roughly twenty past seven when they arrived late for the party. The owner of the house was wealthy enough to own a maid, who took their affects and led them into a room lit with lanterns, not candles.

    As they entered the parlor, Caudin was taken aback for a moment. Two decades ago, this could have been some corner of a party his father would have attended. Jemerie was sitting in profile, his fat fingers holding a spear with sausage, cheese, and vegetables on it. He was speaking to Duluv, the former Principal of Wine, a slight man with pale skin, light green eyes, and dark hair shot with silver. At the bar was Rogesh, once the Principal of Grains, a ruddy man with white, combed back hair that had once been strawberry blond. He tipped back his head and took a shot of some liquor, likely shablou if his tastes still ran the same.

    This was the Cocktail Trio that Caudin had mentioned previously, named because they had been three of the more powerful principals and therefore had been invited to many parties, always responsible for keeping a steady flow of cheeses, wines, and crackers for the events.

    As a child, it had been easy for Caudin to remember Duluv and Rogesh. (Not that it was really a problem for him, being god-blooded.) ¡°Dul-¡± was a prefix often used in Arvonnese to describe things pertaining to the moon, as in the word ¡°dulurah¡±, which meant ¡°silvery and soft, like the moonlight¡±. Duluv was dulurah just as much as Rogesh wasn¡¯t. Duluv was witty and chuckled quietly whereas Rogesh laughed boisterously, especially at lewd jokes, lit up a room with his presence, and had the warm, reddish-yellow coloring of the sun. From an early age he had remembered them as the sun and moon principals.

    They both turned at the same time and matched each others look for just a moment. Duluv gave a small smile and a nod while Rogesh gaped. ¡°Jemerie, it¡¯s him. It¡¯s actually him. Well, uh, welcome back, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Rogesh. How are Miret and the girls?¡±

    ¡°Doing well, actually, relatively speaking. No one is doing as well as we used to, but I¡¯m sure you knew that.¡±

    ¡°Duluv? How¡¯s your brood, both in family and your dogs?¡±

    ¡°Had to give the dogs up a long time ago. The family is fine. Chirin and his family moved to Kipraud about six years ago. He¡¯s doing well.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± he said, though the message was tainted in sadness. If someone who was nobly blooded moved their main residency to another country, they forfeited their titles.

    Jemerie stood and waved them in. ¡°Thank you so much for coming. You must be friends of¡­oh dear.¡±

    The three men in the room arched their necks up to take in all of Telbarisk¡¯s height. ¡°Good evening, everyone,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Yes, I think we should probably start with Telbarisk of Nourabrikot. He¡¯s a grivven from Ervaskin, actually a prince of the Valley of the Cold Winds. I met him many years ago when I sailed there, then again when he sailed to Gheny.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s quite tall, isn¡¯t he?¡± Rogesh asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually short, for a grivven,¡± Tel replied. Rogesh laughed in a jovial manner while Duluv chuckled.

    Caudin took Al by the shoulders and moved him forward. ¡°This is .rd Alpine Grey, top of his class at Amandorlam. One of the smartest men I know.¡±

    ¡°I am pleasing to make the acquaintances,¡± he said.

    ¡°Okay, well, languages aren¡¯t his forte, though he¡¯s working on Arvonnese. Smart in many other pursuits. And this,¡± he said, holding out his arm so that Anla could walk forward, ¡°is my wife¡­¡±

    The fourth of Jemerie¡¯s guests stepped into the room at that moment, brushing his coat. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I missed your introductions.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Caudin said, stopping to gather his thoughts. ¡°I, uh, guessed you were bringing Rogesh and Duluv, Jemerie, but I didn¡¯t know who your fourth would be. I find myself at a loss for words.¡±

    ¡°For Commres?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°But, surely you remember him? Were there hard feelings when you last spoke?¡±

    Commres was staring at Anla with a confused look on his face. ¡°This is your wife?¡± he asked and Caudin nodded. ¡°She looks very familiar.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve ever met,¡± Anla said, but her face was troubled as well.

    Caudin cleared his throat. ¡°You haven¡¯t. This is my wife Anladet. She was born in Liyand, but as you can tell her father was Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jemerie said, holding his hand up to his mouth.

    ¡°Anla?¡± Caudin said, and she turned to look at him. ¡°This is Commres, otherwise known as Stevrin Auchindol. He¡¯s your grandfather.¡±

    She turned to look at Commres, then took a step towards him. He opened his arms and she ran into them, hugging him tightly. ¡°My little one, I¡¯m so happy to finally meet you!¡± he said, then to the others, ¡°It¡¯s one of Martin¡¯s daughters!¡±

    When he pulled away, he looked down as she hastily wiped away her tears. ¡°Let me see you. Yes, you look like so much like him. That¡¯s why you looked familiar. But, why are you sad?¡±

    ¡°Um, I think I should take over here, Commres. I think this is a good moment to sit and get comfortable.¡±

    Anla sat next to Caudin on a davenport across from Duluv and Commres on the other. Al spoke quietly with Telbarisk to get caught up while Rogesh sampled the crudites at the bar.

    ¡°May I ask what happened to Martin? I know I was too harsh with him in my last letter, pressuring him to return home, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d stop writing to me all together. If he¡¯s here I¡¯ll apologize.¡±

    ¡°Commres,¡± Caudin said, rubbing his wife¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I must be the bearer of bad news. Your son was tried and hanged some six years ago in Gheny. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    His face took some time to figure out how to deal with the information. ¡°Dead? But, why? My boy would never do anything to break the law.¡±

    ¡°There is a law in Gheny called the ¡®Nui-Breckin Act¡¯. It forbids humans and elves from marrying and having offspring.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but what does that have to do with Martin?¡±

    Caudin turned and tucked Anla¡¯s hair behind her ear.

    Commres¡¯s mouth took a few moments to remember how to work. ¡°What? He never told me¡­never said anything about marrying an elf! How could he¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be careful about what you say next,¡± Caudin said, looking straight at Commres. ¡°If I¡¯m accepted as your king, she will be your queen. And if I¡¯m not, then I will still be a husband who would very much dislike people talking ill of my wife¡¯s father and of her heritage.¡±

    The room was very quiet for ten seconds, then Commres said, ¡°You are right, Your Highness. I apologize. I was merely startled by the revelation. Anla,¡± he said, looking at her, ¡°believe me when I say that he never once mentioned that his wife was elven. I had no idea. I will still accept you as my granddaughter.¡±

    ¡°That might help with the legitimacy,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°But it will still be a tricky sell.¡±

    ¡°We should probably hold off on mentioning her elven blood until she¡¯s accepted,¡± Duluv said.

    ¡°Bah! Elven or not, she¡¯s just a duchess,¡± Rogesh said, sloshing his drink around. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much a commoner.¡±

    ¡°While I admit that taking a princess as a wife would have solved a lot of problems, I can assure you that she will be invaluable as a queen for different reasons.¡±

    ¡°Caudin?¡± Al asked. ¡°Are we sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Wizard. Jemerie said the words. If he trusts his men, then I must as well.¡± He turned back to the men. ¡°The reason why Gheny has the Nui-Breckin Act is because a human and an elf have a very small chance of creating what¡¯s known as a baerd. They are very powerful magicians that can manipulate sound. Anla happens to be one.¡±

    ¡°What does that entail, precisely?¡± Jemerie asked.

    ¡°Quite a few things. Anla can speak a phrase, capture it, and pass it along to someone else who can hear it when they wish to break the confinement. She can stand in the spot a man was in and parse out a phrase he said earlier in the day. She can tell when someone is lying.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°This would be beneficial if we could tell people. But, by telling the world she has those abilities, it would cause our enemies to be more careful around her, thus making her powers all but useless.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you because I need you to fight for us. I will be blunt; I¡¯d rather walk away from all of this than walk away from her. And I can¡¯t begin to tell you how badly I want this.¡± All three of his friends turned their heads towards him in surprise. ¡°I began my journey to Eri Ranvel thinking I had to do this, I had to come back. Along the way I realized I needed to come back. And then, I think just in the last few days, I¡¯ve realized I wanted to come back. I want to bring change. I want to rule. I want to go home. But, not without Anla, Al, and Telbarisk. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking for.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Of course no one will mind who you keep company with, Your Highness. But, Arvonne is extremely fragile. Your grasp on the throne would be tenuous. Other countries might not accept your heirs if they are not half-blooded.¡±

    ¡°All challenges I will accept head-on if I am coronated.¡±

    Jemerie threw his hands up. ¡°All right. We all said we would support our prince if he ever returned, no matter what state he was in. We even had a discussion about him having married a commoner. This is¡­better than that. At least we can instate her as a duchess and let the people know that our prince returns happy and in love. Perhaps we could spin this as the beginning of a new era.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you wish me to do or say, I will.¡±

    ¡°I was saying that more for Commres¡¯s benefit. He¡¯s the editor-in-chief of the Eri casdem i Treru.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Caudin asked darkly.

    ¡°Now, wait, sire. Let me explain. Commres has to print any articles the government makes him print. And he can¡¯t print anything seditious. But, if you read between the lines, a lot of what¡¯s in those rags are biased to be anti-government. There¡¯s are certain words the common people know that are used sometimes as code.¡±

    ¡°Tielcheny?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes! Oh, this must be your friend who read the alley novels. See, I wrote those to help teach people how to pick up key phrases. So, when you see an article in the paper that uses the phrase, uh,¡± he leaned over and asked Duluv a question, then said in Ghenian, ¡°¡¯Twenty yards too far¡¯, the reader will know that¡­¡±

    Al piped up. ¡°The person speaking is saying something preposterous.¡±

    ¡°All right, fine. I trust that you know what you¡¯re doing with the newspaper.¡±

    ¡°I can assure you that other key phrases will begin to crop up. Everyone will know you¡¯ve returned.¡±

    ¡°Is that what we want?¡± Caudin asked. ¡°The element of surprise is a powerful thing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve discussed this before,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°If you ever returned, it would be best to make sure the people were with you. I¡¯ve heard from countless people that if they had only known that the Kalronists were serious, they would have taken up arms against them.¡±

    ¡°If wishes were fishes, Jemerie. I¡¯m not dismissing their bravery in hindsight, but I doubt they would have stopped the running of Dilvestrar.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for protection and the battle, I meant for afterwards. We have had five major revolutions without our influence. So, imagine if we had the power of the people and our strategy. And never mind a siege, we want as many people to know that you will return so that they can begin to return their lives to normal.¡±

    ¡°I doubt I¡¯m going to do that quickly.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re selling yourself short, sire,¡± Duluv said, ¡°or perhaps of what you symbolize. If the people know their king has returned, they will feel confident in the leadership. Other countries will wish to trade with an Arvonne who has someone who upholds the dignity of the office. They want a fair and just king leading.¡±

    Al leaned over. ¡°Remember the numbers that man had correlated?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Caudin said. ¡°All right, if that¡¯s what everyone thinks is best, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Council of Principals and Dukes,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°They will essentially vote where to accept you as their monarch or not.¡±

    ¡°And he is your king!¡± Al said. ¡°Why would they say ¡®no¡¯ to a king that is yours?¡±

    ¡°Um, as I said, it¡¯s complicated. The majority of the principals wish to only instate an Alscaine. Others have put forth their own candidates and are staunchly holding out for them. And there have been¡­mistakes.¡±

    Duluv folded his hands and looked down. Rogesh snorted and went back to the bar.

    ¡°¡¯Mistakes¡¯?¡± Caudin prompted.

    ¡°Well, it was six or seven years after the Coup that we got our first impostor. I had my doubts about him, but he bore quite a striking resemblance to you, or at least how I thought you¡¯d look as an adult. And he knew things you would know. I was excited and I fear I acted too rashly. I convened the Council, where they neatly saw through his lies and exposed him. It was a blow for us of the traditionalist ideal.¡±

    ¡°An impostor,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Well, was he at least handsome?¡±

    Duluv smiled, but Jemerie said, ¡°You jest, but I felt very foolish about it! That¡¯s why I made the vetting process much harder.¡±

    ¡°With the candy test. Really,¡± he said flatly. ¡°And what if you were too rash again? I pick the right candy, which I should point out to the room I didn¡¯t, and I simply must be your long, lost prince? I look like him and I can tell you the name of the trirec who traveled with Belisant and I, therefore there¡¯s no way I happened to find that second letter he sent to you and filled in some blanks? Jemerie¡­¡±

    He held his hands up in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it was my greatest moment. And frankly it¡¯s not really the candy test that sold me. It was your attitude. Their mistake, the thirty or so impostors of all four of you children, have been to be uncomfortably you. Either they are too supplicant or too haughty. You didn¡¯t have your full training. You were whisked away at ten, but you still knew better than to grovel to your lessers or lord over your fellow countrymen. You knew, and still know, that being king involves give and take.¡±

    ¡°I pretty much ¡®took¡¯ that Anla is my wife and no one else, end of story.¡±

    ¡°You gave us the hard line only when soft didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should ask, then,¡± Rogesh said. ¡°Are you Prince Caudin?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°but how exactly does one prove they are irrevocably one person and not a fake?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll give their best efforts, but in the end doubt will always remain. We can¡¯t solve that. What we¡¯re hoping to do is-¡±

    ¡°Pardon, sir,¡± Al interrupted, ¡°but I was thought that¡­nobles seeing each other knew each other?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true, especially for those of higher blood. But, we can be fooled. I was almost certain that first boy was our prince and I thought that was enough, that perhaps after seven years I wasn¡¯t going to recognize him.¡±

    ¡°You sawed Caudin at the market?¡±

    ¡°Good point. I knew it was him immediately, even though my eyes are old and I wasn¡¯t expecting him.¡±

    ¡°I knew it was him,¡± Rogesh said. ¡°No doubt in my mind. Then again, well, it¡¯s like Jemerie said. Maybe we can fool ourselves. I thought that other kid looked enough like Prince Caudin to believe him. You weren¡¯t fooled, though, were you Duluv?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I had strong doubts. In hindsight, I should have said something, but you two were sure.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Rogesh asked, tipping his head to Caudin.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s him.¡± He gave a small smile. ¡°I had speeches prepared to say to you two, since I figured this wouldn¡¯t be him, but I¡¯m happy to say I won¡¯t be saying them tonight.¡±

    ¡°And I had anecdotes prepared to blackmail you into your votes,¡± Caudin said, smirking as he sipped his wine. ¡°I guess they¡¯ll have to be unsaid.¡±

    ¡°You have our four votes, I believe?¡± Jemerie asked to four nods. ¡°We will submit an article and convene the Council as quickly as we can. That will take a few months to alert everyone and to reach an agreement on a date. What¡¯s left is to answer the second biggest question, after the one on your existence: where have you been these eighteen years?¡±

    Caudin¡¯s smile dropped and he put down his glass of wine. Rogesh pushed a chair over and sat down, crossing his ankle over his knee. ¡°I suppose you want the truth, but I¡¯d really rather not tell you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jemerie asked. ¡°If you were ill or held against your will, we¡¯d understand.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it was more the latter, but I would be lying to myself if I said that was the full truth. I could have left at any point and returned, but I chose not to.¡±

    ¡°Then why not?¡±

    ¡°I was bound to continue doing what I was doing. I was not allowed to leave my career. And, frankly, I was good at it. I was rich, I ate good food, had good company, I vacationed in the nicest places in the world. There was no reason for me to return.¡±

    ¡°What changed your mind, then?¡±

    ¡°As I said before, my wife. I wanted a life with her that was stable, or had the potential to be stable, where we could raise a family without fear. And also, because higher powers were at work. I don¡¯t consider myself a pious man; that would¡¯ve been my brother. But, I can¡¯t help but notice very obvious signs that the gods were done with me being selfish and leaving Arvonne without a king. So, with the help of my friends, I returned and stumbled into you, Jemerie, who They said I could trust.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you listened. You wouldn¡¯t want Them upset. But¡­¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°I am dying to know what happened after the Coup.¡±

    Caudin took a deep breath, then looked at Anla. She nodded once the dome of silence was up. Duluv pricked his ears up at the change, but said nothing. ¡°The ships were burning, so I couldn¡¯t go to Kinto. Our second choice was to go to Walpi and have me stay at the court of King Anistro, but unfortunately he was killed shortly before we arrived. The trirec with us had died of gangrene and Belisant was an old man. He knew he couldn¡¯t travel around Noh Amair looking for a place for me. He was afraid Anistro¡¯s younger brother wouldn¡¯t protect me. So, he made a very hard decision. He brought me over the border into Merak and gave me to Arvarikor, the order that trains trirecs.¡±

    ¡°He what?¡± Jemerie¡¯s neck couldn¡¯t be farther craned from his body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame him, Jemerie. His options were limited. He chose to tuck me away in a place where no one would find me until I was old enough to return. The problem that he didn¡¯t realize was that by having me joining the order, it meant I was theirs for life. Trirecs die or retire, they don¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°This is the truth?¡± Rogesh asked. When Caudin nodded, he tipped his glass back and finished his liquor.

    ¡°How did you leave, then?¡± Jemerie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain I did, actually. My departure is incredibly tenuous, but technically legal. I¡¯ll skip the intricacies and say that my fate essentially is in the hands of one man who didn¡¯t like me very much the last time I spoke with him.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­what could happen?¡±

    ¡°He is hopefully going to report me dead to the order. He could tell them the truth and they might agree that it was fair . Or, he could tell them and they could kill me.¡±

    ¡°You need to be protected, then. We need to send you to an estate in the country, far from¡­¡±

    ¡°Jemerie,¡± Caudin said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I go, they will find me. They are the best killers in the world. They could track down me to any hole you want to stuff me in and they will send ten to find me. Hell, they sent four to take me in before I left Gheny and they never allow trirecs to work together. I have to hope that the trirec chooses one of the first two options and that I am left alone.¡±

    There was stricken silence as the four Principals took in that information. It was Commres that broke it. ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°I absolutely agree with that,¡± Caudin said. ¡°I know far too much about their operations. If they knew I was still alive and telling people their secrets, it would be a matter of days, not weeks or months, before I was killed. They wouldn¡¯t care that I was a king.¡±

    ¡°So, what do we tell the people?¡± Jemerie asked.

    ¡°Whatever fiction you¡¯d like. I¡¯ve traveled pretty extensively and I can speak quite a few languages pretty well. I think my journey should end in Gheny, like mine actually did, to account for my wife and Al. I¡¯ll leave the rest up to you and I¡¯ll play along with any tale you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Jemerie said, still numb. ¡°May I ask¡­did they treat you well?¡±

    He thought of lying, then shook his head. ¡°I was treated like any other orphan, so no, not well. I was beaten, exhausted, starved, half-drowned, frozen, burnt, and anything else that came with hard training. But, I was alive and I was fed and given a roof over my head. I was paid for my work. That¡¯s all I can say.¡±

    ¡°Did no one love you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a place for friendship, but I had scraps here and there. I found it where I could once I was on my own. It was only this last year that I was really loved enough to break myself from Arvarikor.¡±

    It was obvious that the four Principals were too stunned by the information to hold much of a conversation. ¡°I think that maybe this is enough for one evening,¡± Jemerie said, standing. ¡°I can¡¯t express enough how happy I am you¡¯ve returned to us, Your Highness. And I thank your friends for helping you find the strength and courage to do so. There is a lot to mull over. I will call on you tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯ll write down where we¡¯re staying.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. A toast, at the end of our evening,¡± he said, lifting his glass, ¡°to a new beginning of a wonderful era.¡±

    As they were walking back to their hotel, Al asked, ¡°So, how did it go?¡±

    ¡°As well as it could have. They¡¯re like uncles to me, so I was happy to not have to go into detail about what my career entailed. I¡¯ve never enjoyed it, you know that.¡±

    ¡°I think I knew that a lot sooner than I was willing to admit.¡±

    Caudin smiled. ¡°You know, you missed your opportunity back there for an autograph.¡±

    ¡°Autograph?¡±

    ¡°Jemerie. His pen name is Desuint.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± he said, stopping in his tracks. ¡°I would have¡­well, thanked him for all the books he wrote. But, maybe those times are behind me.¡±

    ¡°He says he¡¯s going to write one more. Who knows? Maybe a dark-skinned wizard will make an appearance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s lunacy,¡± he said, though he felt sort of pleased at the thought of being a character in a book.

 Chapter 248

    With a pleased smile that crinkled her eyes, Anladet did her final inspection of Caudin¡¯s attire. She picked a piece of lint off his coat, brushed away a few wrinkles, then nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You look so handsome,¡± she said.

    It had been a series of visits over the last few days that had brought him to this point. His hair had been cut and oiled to a side part. His face had been shaved of the short beard he had grown, so as to appear more open and allow people to see his face. His nails were clean, his skin scrubbed of all accumulated dirt. And he wore a wonderfully tailored outfit of a rich, brown overcoat, tan plaid waistcoat and trousers, a green tie, and a starched white undershirt. He¡¯d had to hunt for a habberdashery to make a bowler, since only government officials could afford to wear nicer hats. Top hats were considered more authoritative, but reminded most of the Kalronists.

    It felt strange to be dressed in fancy clothes again. He¡¯d spent the last seven weeks posing as Quin Sesault and had traveled with his friends around Eri Ranvel and the surrounding towns and neighborhoods. It was a good will mission that had a lot of similarities to the days they had spent in Mount Kalista, though here people were slowly dying under the weight of poor bureaucracy instead of quickly under debris. Al volunteered healing services for those who could benefit from them, mending old injuries and broken bones. Telbarisk helped grow crops, mainly, and played with the children who found his height to be fascinating. Anladet and Caudin had listened. They spoke with people about a wide gambit of issues, from supply chains to bandits to blights. Mainly, though, it was despair that was the biggest problem, and the two did their best to inspire hope without revealing who they were.

    They had to cut their tour short when Jemerie had left a message at their hotel. October Twelfth was going to be the day the Council convened. They had chosen the town hall of Meprivou, a town about three day¡¯s ride north from Eri Ravel.

    And so, Caudin stood before his wife in their hotel room on October the Twelfth, butterflies in his stomach, and smiled. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m less concerned with handsome and more with looking like Caudin Alscaine.¡±

    ¡°I think you look like him, but I suppose I¡¯m not the expert. Maybe we should ask Al?¡±

    ¡°I will in a minute. Will you be okay here with Telbarisk?¡±

    She, too, was dressed and coiffed, but just in case she was summoned. Likely, she would spend the day around town with Tel and hear about the events afterwards.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Ainler? If the Council decides that you need to marry a pr-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say and the answer is ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    She grabbed his hands. ¡°Listen. I will always be here for you. I won¡¯t leave you, no matter what happens. We¡¯ve seen how badly you need to take the crown back, and in order to do so, you need the support of the Council. I won¡¯t let you lose that because of our vows. Remember what that old woman said in Vrihela?¡±

    ¡°The one that was convinced I was Caudin Alscaine?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She said she thought I was a beautiful little thing, but that I wasn¡¯t fit to be queen.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear what she said to me before we left.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That perhaps she had been hasty, and though you weren¡¯t royalty, perhaps the tradition could survive one exception.¡±

    Her eyebrows shot up, then fell. ¡°Well, she was one person.¡±

    ¡°I know we¡¯ll never be able to convince everyone. But, the fact is, I will be unhappy sharing my regal duties with another woman. I want my children to be yours. I want to share my bed only with you. I want to arrive at a ball with your hand in mine and be the envy of every man in that room. I don¡¯t want to shove you to the side and call our children bastards when they would be the legitimate ones. I don¡¯t want to cheat on you, even if it¡¯s sanctioned. I don¡¯t want to sit in court and look over at the queen and see someone who isn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°But you may have to.¡±

    ¡°Anla¡­¡± he began, then took a deep breath. ¡°Your opinion has been heard, but it will not be. I don¡¯t want you to worry about it.¡±

    She nodded her head, then kissed him. ¡°Good luck, ainler.¡±

    Al was downstairs waiting in the common room. He stood and dusted off his own outfit, though it was far different than Caudin¡¯s. Arvonnese advisors had always traditionally worn a dark blue coat that buttoned on the left with several adornments and medals. Al¡¯s was plain, but anyone who had been to a royal court prior to two decades ago would know why he was dressed that way.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, rising from a couch, ¡°though I¡¯m more nervous right now than I was on my wedding night.¡±

    Caudin laughed. ¡°Well, I can see the similarities. Both are very formal and important occasions witnessed by many and likely to be objected by some jealous fellow in the back.¡±

    The two left and began walking down the main road of Meprivou. Caudin and Al received many looks, though this time they weren¡¯t afraid, but admiring. ¡°How do you forsee this going?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°I think it all depends on who is there and what their agenda is. Since you¡¯re mentioning it, it might not be a bad idea to keep track of dissidents.¡±

    Al pulled out a notepad and a pencil from his coat pocket. ¡°I was already going to.¡± He put the items back and buttoned his coat. ¡°This feels strange. The last few weeks have been exhausting, but rewarding. I liked helping people. I liked that you were your best, too. I¡¯m afraid this is going to end today and I don¡¯t want it to.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, you and I aren¡¯t going to end today, know that. It¡¯s the four of us, always. Whether or not the Council wishes to join our group is their call.¡±

    ¡°What happens if things go pear shaped?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I actually think it will. My suspicions are that some people aren¡¯t going to like their prince returning, since that will get in the way of their plans. Greed always wins out over patriotism in my estimation.¡±

    ¡°So, what will we do?¡±

    ¡°Something. Let¡¯s worry about it when we need to worry about it.¡±

    Jemerie, Commres, Duluv, and Rogesh, as well as a few other former principals Caudin had met with over the last two months, were waiting outside. Jemerie waved he and Al over and shook their hands. All were wearing their best suits, some even daring to wear the brooches of their former stations pinned to their waistcoats. ¡°I really love your outfit, .rd,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°It takes me back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I hope it doesn¡¯t come across as presumptuous.¡±

    ¡°I think presumptuous is a good thing today. Let them feel indignant over the truth.¡±

    The group went in through the side back door, which led to the area where they would sit. There were three chairs facing rows of dozens of chairs. Some people were already sitting, but most were congregating into groups wherever they could find a spot. The room was absolutely packed and loud.

    Caudin took off his bowler and sat quietly in the middle seat, Al to his right and Jemerie to his left. When Jemerie was about to thump his cane for attention, Caudin put his hand up to stop him. ¡°I just want to take a moment,¡± he told him.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I get rare flashes of my childhood now and again and I like to appreciate them when I notice them. This feels like that gala they had at Dilvestrar for my father¡¯s decennial celebration that everyone attended. All the guests dressed in blues, greens, and diamonds. There was champagne and steel wine for everyone. They had these delicious little fruit sandwiches that I probably ate a dozen of.¡± He shook his head. ¡°This is not that, of course, but it¡¯s like some echo of it.¡±

    ¡°I remember that gala,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°I had special blue velvet shoes that weren¡¯t dyed well. They ruined my socks. But, it was otherwise a magnificent evening, like so many others.¡±

    At their reverie, some people had turned to the front. Conversations began to drop as everyone turned to look at Caudin, who in return looked out at the sea of people, men and women both. He found surprise, delight, and awe mixed in with doubt and sneers and eye rolls. He, in turn, crossed his ankle over his knee and leaned forward. He knew most of the people here and smiled at some whose gaze he met.

    Jemerie banged his cane into the floor as the remaining people headed towards their seats. ¡°If there¡¯s no objection, I¡¯d like to start our meeting. I know some of you have traveled far to come here, and I¡¯d like to thank you for that. It is for a good reason, however. I¡¯d like to introduce the two gentlemen to my right, .rd Alpine Gray from Gheny, advisor to this man here, Prince Caudin Alscaine.¡±

    ¡°Is this one for real, Jemerie?¡± a man asked from the crowd.

    ¡°I can assure you that I am very real,¡± Caudin said, with some light laughter from the crowd.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± another asked.

    Caudin folded his arms and recited the story they had worked on. ¡°On the night of the Coup, I was taken from Eri Ranvel and brought to Walpi by my magricap, Belisant, and a few other trusted companions. They raised me, moving from country to country when they feared we¡¯d been discovered. They continued my education as well as they could and provided for me until I turned twenty. Since then I¡¯ve tried several times to return, but I¡¯ve never had any luck finding the right people until a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like Prince Caudin!¡±

    There was a murmur at that, some agreeing and some dissenting. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I could look any more like myself, but I will try if it helps.¡±

    ¡°He was blond!¡±

    Caudin laughed for a moment. ¡°I was, like my mother and Petulet. I believe it¡¯s called ¡®toeheadedness¡¯. My hair was shaved for most of my teenage years, so I¡¯m not sure when it darkened, but the summer sun usually bleaches it to a lighter shade of brown.¡±

    ¡°At least he didn¡¯t dye his hair, like the other one.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t because it¡¯s deceitful. If this moves forward and you accept me as your prince, then I¡¯d rather not start out by lying to you. What you see in front of you is who I am.¡±

    This gave people something to think about, until after a minute, a woman asked, ¡°What was your mother¡¯s favorite flower?¡±

    ¡°The day lily. She always had one in a vase on her vanity.¡±

    ¡°What were the names of the two young men who trained you and your brother in fencing?¡± another man asked.

    ¡°Uh, the Trella brothers. I usually worked with Kalin and my brother Donil, but sometimes we switched.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What were the names of your dogs?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was fond of Risky. He was the pup of Dubret and Mountain. These were all King Charles Spaniels, I believe, pure bred. It was a hobby of my father¡¯s to raise them-¡±

    ¡°What finger was your grandfather missing?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t his whole finger, just the end of his pinkie.¡±

    This went on for fifteen minutes. People kept asking questions of him and he answered those he could within reason. In the middle of the thirtieth question he interrupted the asker.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what is this doing?¡±

    The man, a principal known as Estuel, pondered this and said, ¡°We¡¯re testing to make sure you are who you say you are.¡±

    ¡°This only proves that I know my life, like any well-versed person could. I don¡¯t believe that asking questions will satisfy anyone, at least not completely. Some of you will always have doubt.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you suppose we should do?¡± a man asked. His father had been Kidelimore, the Principal of Olives, and Caudin remembered this one, his eldest son, from a few invitationals.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a matter of authenticity. I know who I am and since we¡¯re all god-blooded, you all know who I am. If you haven¡¯t recognized me by now, then you never will. Therefore, I believe this is a matter of support. Will you back a man you believe to be your long lost prince instead of one of the other contenders? I hear my young cousin from Elebtar is interested, now that he¡¯s of age. A group of principals are offering a young principal in my absense. And, of course, there are a few other Aubins and Caudins floating about, trying to take my place.

    ¡°The fact is, you¡¯ve been waiting for me. Not a cousin, not a principal, but your prince. This is why no one has managed to take this spot for eighteen years. You don¡¯t want them. You want to be lead by an Alscaine. You know that we are the destined rulers of Arvonne. Figure out what that means to you and stand by your conviction.¡±

    There was a pondering silence as people shifted in their seats and whispered to each other. Caudin thought that he may have won them over and shot Al a smile.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Kidelimore said, ¡°you wear a ring on your left hand. Are you married?¡±

    The smile vanished. ¡°I am.¡±

    The crowd murmured loudly at this news.

    ¡°And I suppose she isn¡¯t a princess, is she?¡±

    ¡°No. But, she happens to be the daughter of Martin Auchindol, the granddaughter of Commres. She¡¯s not a commoner, but a duchess.¡±

    ¡°But not someone who could provide us with an alliance our country so desperately needs.¡±

    ¡°She is worth more than that. I have my full faith in her and that she would make Arvonne a wonderful queen if she-¡±

    ¡°Arvonne needs help, desperately!¡± Kidelimore said, his cohorts nodding and murmuring agreement. ¡°Our country doesn¡¯t need some pretty duchess that can wave at crowds and bear children. We need a queen with ties to a nation who would be happy to reignite our economy, to help expel the Kalronists and deal with our northern neighbors. Not to say that monarchs do not marry within the country; they¡¯ve always married outside the borders.¡±

    ¡°Monarchs also traditionally haven¡¯t had their families butchered and have lived in exile for almost two decades. We¡¯re going to be blazing new trails no matter what.

    ¡°Look,¡± Caudin said, pausing to meet the eyes of the crowd, ¡°I¡¯m not some moon-eyed boy who fell in love with a woman and expect people to accept her based solely on that reason. I think she will make a great queen. She is noble-born, level-headed, smart, a fast-learner, and graceful in public as well as beautiful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not her qualities, Sire,¡± an older man, Duke Ashcri, said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make a fine queen. I personally don¡¯t have a problem with elevating her status in this instance. It¡¯s your children where I find the issue. Your offspring with her will be at principal-level for blood quantum. Monarchs are always half-blooded because their merits are stronger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a compromise we can reach,¡± a younger principal said, someone Caudin didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Your wife could have a position similar to a queen. And you could have a marriage with her, so long as you sired an heir with the actual queen.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± someone yelled from the back. ¡°No polygamy!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± a woman said, standing. ¡°We don¡¯t condone polygamy, even with our monarchs.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s not something I would accept anyway,¡± Caudin said. He could almost celebrate that they¡¯d accepted him as Caudin Alscaine if it wasn¡¯t this problem of all things.

    The room quieted, then Duke Ashcri said, ¡°That leaves demotion to a mistress or divorce.¡±

    ¡°I reject those offers,¡± Caudin said. After a few frowns and murmurs, he added in desperation, ¡°Beyond our marriage vows, where I promised to the Twelve to keep her above all others, I also owe her a life debt. There was a situation in Gheny where I was forced to take a punishment. Selflessly, she volunteered to take some of it, as did my friend here,¡± he gestured at Al, ¡°and my friend Telbarisk. She almost died. I wasn¡¯t far from that myself. Because of her sacrifice, I sit before you today. I don¡¯t throw away bonds like that.¡±

    ¡°A life debt is quantifiable to money,¡± someone near the front said. ¡°It would be a fair sum and not something we could afford now, but certainly we could set up an estate for her and her children.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s jaw tightened and he said nothing. Other people began to speak up, discussing the different points of the problem. The Council had seemingly left the concern of whether he was their prince behind them; he was unofficially accepted. But, it seemed like this would come at the price of his marriage. If they couldn¡¯t agree on what Anladet was going to be, then there would be no progress.

    This was a crossroads for him. On the one hand, he could accept her demotion. She wouldn¡¯t be his mistress; she would have some formal title and their children would have worth. Anla had offered this as a solution less than an hour prior. It was a pain she was willing to live with, so that she could be with him. It would tear open her heart every time he had to perform his duties with whomever they would pair him with. He knew how that felt.

    On the other hand¡­

    Caudin stood and turned to pick up his bowler. Al¡¯s eyes were wide with alarm. ¡°Sire?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done hurting her,¡± he said and walked out.

    There was a roar of indignation from the Council as he walked across the threshold of the hall. Al was frozen. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should go after him, to talk to him and see if he could broker some agreement, maybe come up with a compromise. But, his training returned to him. As the room dissolved into chaos, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded himself of why he was here.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Jemerie kept yelling, thudding his cane into the floor.

    Al opened his eyes and stood. He gestured and Jemerie handed him his walking stick. The wizard inhaled and bellowed, thumping the cane against the floor and smashing it into dozens of pieces. His mouth made a small ¡°o¡± and he said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡±

    When he turned his attention to the crowd, everyone was staring at him. He dropped the pieces of the cane and brushed his hands and coat of any splinters. ¡°My name again is .rd Alpine Gray and I¡¯ve traveled with Prince Caudin for more than a year now. That may not seem like much; I¡¯m sure plenty of you knew him for ten years before the Coup, but I have the distinction of knowing him well as an adult. And I can tell you, without a shred of hesitation, that he will leave Arvonne over this issue with his wife. He has lived a life of travel, of knowing the roads and cities of almost every country in Noh Amair. Wandering comes easy for him. He¡¯ll do it again.

    ¡°Now, you know as well as I do who he is. He¡¯s not an impostor, he is really Caudin Alscaine. I watched and listened to you and I know you were swayed to the truth. So, why the questions? I think this Council is either very fond of sticking to the program or you wanted to see who your future was. Is he a patient and kind man? Is he the kind of person to know when to push back? Does he have strong convictions? Yes to all of those. There is no doubt in my mind he will make Arvonne a good king.

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re worried about that. You¡¯re worried about tradition and alliances and children with pure blood. While they are important things to think about, what you have forgotten is that your king is also a man, a man who happened to fall in love with a woman while he was under no oaths to this country. A man who knows the incredible amount of work ahead of him. A man who will not fritter away time and money on hobbies and luxuries. A man who will work himself to the bone in order to turn this country around and is asking for one thing in return: allow him to choose his queen.

    ¡°If you have decided that this point is not negotiable, then I bid you farewell. I travel with Caudin and I know he will leave rather than listen to you continue to figure out how you can politely turn his wife into his whore and his legitimate children with her into his bastards. I hope that you choose someone worthwhile to overthrow the Kalronists, maybe someone who will serve the country and isn¡¯t from a particular faction or political party over another.

    ¡°But, if you¡¯ve chosen to have a heart and you realize that traditions have already been broken and that alliances can be forged in other ways and that the difference between a principal¡¯s and a prince¡¯s merit isn¡¯t enough to make two people in love miserable, then I will be seeing you shortly. And likely for a long time afterwards. For now, I will go fetch my dear friend and see if I can persuade him to return to this meeting.¡±

    No one said anything as Al left. He finally allowed himself to swallow and moisten a dry mouth and shake out his jitters. Him, addressing a room of the most powerful people in Arvonne like he was reading a class report in Amandorlam.

    He looked around, wondering where Caudin would go. He doubted he¡¯d return to his hotel room; it wasn¡¯t like him to find solace with Anla over something like this. He wouldn¡¯t have sought out Tel, either. This was something he¡¯d stick around for, something he¡¯d need to ponder. Where better to think about things than some place beautiful?

    There was a graveyard behind the town hall that sat atop a hill. Al intended to walk to the top to see where Caudin was, but he needn¡¯t look farther. He sat on a bench that overlooked the river valley.

    Al unbuttoned his coat and sat next to him. Caudin was leaning forward and running his thumbs along the brim of the hat. Finally, he said, ¡°You¡¯re here to tell me I¡¯ve made a mess of things, that I¡¯m being unreasonable, and that I should return and apologize before I miss my chance.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Caudin sat up and turned his head. ¡°¡¯No¡¯. You, the person who has wanted me to return to the throne ever since you found out who I was, don¡¯t want me to compromise and do my duty as a king?¡±

    ¡°That would contradict the speech I just gave a room full of former nobles.¡±

    ¡°What did you tell them?¡±

    ¡°That they should stop treating you like a pawn or a king or any other chess piece and instead think of you as a man.¡±

    ¡°And how did that go over?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I left and found you. I¡¯m about two feet too short to be a grivven, but I thought you might want someone to listen to you.¡±

    Caudin laughed in disbelief. ¡°It is crazy how much you¡¯ve changed in a year. Truly spectacular.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be impressed just yet. Anla has a lot to learn and she still has to overcome quite a bit. I love her, but I can¡¯t say I have total faith she¡¯ll become what she needs to. It might be easier for her if she doesn¡¯t have all the duties of being a queen foisted on her as well as being a wife and mother. I know it won¡¯t be easy. But,¡± he shrugged, ¡°that was my opinion and it was yours that was the important one. I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    Cauding pressed his fingertips into his temples. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m being unreasonable, Wizard. I feel like my way is a victory for everyone: I get my wife, my wife gets her husband, and Arvonne gets a happy royal family.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like their objections are coming with concern, not indignation. Most of them had arranged marriages that may have broken up lovers. If they survived decades of matrimony like that, then they¡¯re going to expect the same of you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the woman I was betrothed to is married, so they would have to find someone else anyway. And that¡¯s tricky when you have a limited pool to choose from.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°Queen Mayasena never married. I found out a few weeks ago that she actually took the white for you and refused to marry anyone else.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s neck straightened. ¡°Why? We never married. We were close as children, but not inseparable.¡±

    ¡°Apparently she was very, very upset at your death. This, of course, did allow her to take the throne instead of being married off, and she created the Empire, so it did work out.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I wonder if that¡¯s who they¡¯re thinking of when they suggest making Anla a concubine.¡±

    ¡°I used the word ¡®whore¡¯ in hopes that it would splash in their faces a little.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± Caudin barked a laugh. ¡°I would have loved to hear that. Thank you.¡± He looked out over the river glittering in the mid-day sun for a few minutes before he said, ¡°You know, you and I have never really spoken about us. We used to be at each others throats, bickering over Tichen and ethics. Now, we¡¯re both looking in the same direction, side by side.¡±

    ¡°Literally, yes, but metaphorically not quite. Whatever happens to us, I am still going to argue with you if I think you¡¯re making a bad decision. Thus far you¡¯ve been wise, but no man is perfect. I¡¯ll be there to tell you when you¡¯re being an ass again.¡±

    Caudin smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. ¡°Do you know what an ¡¯emrys¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°No? Is it a bird?¡±

    ¡°An emrys is an old position in Arvonne that hasn¡¯t been used in a few generations for whatever reason. They were advisors to the king, usually the top one who would sit in on councils that were usually closed.¡± He turned to face Al. ¡°I¡¯d like you to be my emrys.¡±

    Al blinked a few times. ¡°I¡¯m honored. Of course I accept.¡±

    ¡°That comes with the promise of keeping me in check. I don¡¯t want a sycophant. I want someone who will point out my mistakes, who will show me different ways of thinking, who will tell me when I¡¯m being an ass.¡±

    ¡°I can promise that.¡±

    ¡°Good. That position is contingent on their acceptance, of course.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Shall we head back, then, and see? It would be rude to spirit off before they can properly tell me off.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be pessimistic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being realistic, Wizard,¡± he said, standing. ¡°I¡¯m not budging on my end and they seemed quite certain of their position.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to go in there and what? Tell them off?¡± Al said as they walked.

    ¡°Something along those lines. I hate to take the high position here, but if I were already coronated, I¡¯d be able to tell them all to go stuff a frozen goose. This is my country. I use them, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you like some of them. You said Jemerie was like an uncle to you.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do. I actually like quite a few of them. But, it doesn¡¯t change who I am and what I am. If I don¡¯t draw a line somewhere, then they¡¯ll walk all over me and I¡¯ll be a terrible king anyway.¡±

    They almost bumped into Jemerie as he walked between the trees that lined the graveyard. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m glad I found you,¡± he said. ¡°Come back, please.¡±

    ¡°We were intending to,¡± Caudin said, ¡°though they probably won¡¯t like what I have to say before I leave.¡±

    ¡°Leave?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°No, no. You have it all wrong. They¡¯ve accepted your legitimacy and your proposal. They¡¯ve just voted on it. It wasn¡¯t unanimous, but it was a majority.¡±

    ¡°What, what?¡± Caudin said, stopping in his tracks. ¡°They accepted me as king and Anladet as queen?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Oh. I was not expecting that.¡±

    ¡°Too bad,¡± he said, leading them to the door, ¡°because you need to address them now.¡±

 Chapter 249

    The room sounded more like pleasant anticipation, as if this wasn¡¯t a meeting to determine the fate of Arvonne but people awaiting an opera. Caudin noted that it didn¡¯t appear like anyone had left, a small relief that there was no one with a vendetta. There were still cliques, Kidelimore speaking with emphasis to a group of about ten, but no strong hostility.

    Caudin took off his hat as he walked across the floor and stood at the front of the room. As people noticed his return, they began to break their conversations and take their seats again. A man took his place to the left of Caudin and held a piece of paper. As the man¡¯s uncle had once been the Equienth, Principal of Rituals, this seemed like an appropriate task for him.

    Equienth cleared his throat. ¡°On this day, the Twelfth of October, in the two thousand and tenth year since the Noh Amairian Accords were signed, the Arvonnese Council of Principals and Dukes has voted on two official resolutions. The first, on the legitimacy of the the heritage of the man standing before us known as Caudin Alscaine, has passed with a vote of forty-nine to fourteen. The second, on the acceptance of Anladet Alscaine as the legitimate wife of the prince and the future queen of Arvonne, has passed with a vote of thirty-six to twenty-seven.¡± After a moment of hesitation, he moved to the back to take his seat.

    As Jemerie had said, it hadn¡¯t been unanimous for either measure. Caudin might allow himself to feel a little sour at that, but he realized he was no longer in a position to hold grudges or be petty. Jemerie leaned over and said, ¡°They¡¯d like to hear a confirmation of service.¡±

    ¡°Confirmation of service,¡± he said, loudly enough so everyone could hear. ¡°I haven¡¯t said one of those since I was eight. First, let me say ¡®thank you¡¯ for both accepting me and my beloved. I know it was a contentious decision to make and that many of you were not, and are still not, pleased by it. All I can say is that I will do my best to translate my happy domestic life to a king who will work tirelessly to turn this country around and bring it to the glory we all know it should be in.

    ¡°There is a lot of work ahead of us. I have been touring the countryside around Eri Ranvel with my wife and associates these past six weeks and I have seen the devastation wrought by the fall of my family and the rise of the Kalronists. Giving people the food, work, security, and peace they deserve will take a lot of coordination and cooperation from able leaders.

    ¡°I confirm that, as your king, I will be above all things fair. I will listen. I will be attentive. I will reward those who work hard and punish those who are lazy. I will not accept corruption, not while our people starve. If this is what we want, we must accept difficult times before we can take another breath, another bite, another wink of sleep.¡±

    He let that sink in for a few moments before continuing. ¡°We all know that my older brother was born to be the king, both as his right and in his temperament. He was a good prince. He knew his place and never wavered. I¡­miss him.¡± His voice broke for a moment and he cleared it before continuing. ¡°I believe that the best thing I can do is emulate him as much as possible, to be a prince born to be a king.¡±

    Caudin took a moment to sit, waiting for the next course of action. Jemerie stood. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I believe that concludes our meeting. Is there any other order of business?¡± he asked the crowd.

    There was a light murmur from the crowd as they consulted each other and looked around the room. Caudin leaned over and asked Jemerie if this meant that people would be leaving and he confirmed that it was.

    ¡°If no one has anything to add,¡± he said, rising again, ¡°then I¡¯d like to hit the ground running. It will be difficult to get this many principals and dukes together again, so we should start while we can.

    ¡°My first order of business is to reinstate the nobility.¡± There were some chuckles and sighs of relief. ¡°Anyone who was a principal or duke prior to the Coup may retake their title. Anyone who is taking their hereditary right and is unchallenged may retake their title. Any industry that is lacking a principal may be headed temporarily by a duke. Challenged titles and rising statuses will be reviewed case by case.

    ¡°My second order is to reissue the government in my name. Our two primary goals are to reinvigorate the Arvonnese economy and to retake the country from the Kalronists. I assume we all haven¡¯t been idle these eighteen years. I would like reports from every principal here before they leave for their homes, specifying what needs to be done in order to bring their industry back from death.

    ¡°Let me make this clear; your titles come only when we retake Arvonne. Until then, you will be doing a lot of work for promises and dreams. I give you my word to strike as quickly as I feel is safe. Until then, I ask for your patience and understanding as we work to rebuild the future.¡± He scanned the crowd. ¡°Is there anyone taking over for Denitore?¡±

    ¡°I can, Your Highness,¡± Duke Liskeln said, ¡°but, well¡­¡±

    There was another pause. Caudin¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°We lost him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Well, that complicates things.¡± Denitore had been the Principal of Steel, the man in charge of the armed forces and royal guard. ¡°Is he still alive?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°Equienth, since you don¡¯t have an industry with material goods, I¡¯d like you to make a list of who we have, who we don¡¯t have, and whether that¡¯s because there¡¯s a vacuum or because they have been bribed.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Your Highness.¡±

    He turned around and reached out his hand. ¡°Wizard, the list?¡±

    Al pulled out the notepad and flipped it to the right page before handing it to Caudin.

    ¡°If they¡¯re present, I would like Principals of Grain, Coin, Law, Ties, and Husbandry to meet with me before they leave. I will be available for audiences over the next few days, if you¡¯d prefer to give your report that way. Please seek out my emrys, .rd Alpine Gray.¡±

    Caudin noticed a large figure walking brusquely towards him as the meeting ended. She was tall and big boned, a farmer¡¯s daughter¡¯s physique in a sea of dainty women. Her mousy hair was pulled back in a jeweled clip.

    ¡°Your Highness, may I please speak with you before our meeting?¡± she asked, her big, brown eyes darting around.

    ¡°Certainly.¡± He eyed Rogesh and held up one finger and he nodded, then escorted Haubret outside to a secluded area. ¡°What¡¯s this about, Haubret? Or should I say ¡®Diansken¡¯?¡±

    ¡°My father has left his duties to me due to poor health, Sire. He sends his regrets over the matter and would like to assure you that he supports you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Please send my condolences and wishes for a better future.¡±

    He smiled at her encouragingly, but she had suddenly grown bashful and lowered her eyes. ¡°Since we are alone, I should take this opportunity to apologize to you,¡± he said, and she lifted her eyes again. ¡°I recall you were always very kind to us children, often spending time with us in the other wings while celebrations were happening. My sisters adored you. I, however, remember our last time together with shame. I believe I teased you mercilessly because you had confessed to the girls that you had feelings for Evrin Ferault. I know I was just a child, but I knew better. I¡¯m sorry I caused you embarrassment and pain.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sire.¡±

    Caudin waited again. He had to remember that being a monarch meant sometimes letting the other person carry the conversation. Also, he had forgotten to use the royal ¡°we¡± when addressing the Council. Maybe he could hold that off until he was actually coronated, since he found it a strange way to speak with people.

    Finally, after a minute or so, Haubret¡¯s face crumpled, though she didn¡¯t cry. She carefully knelt before him and bowed her head. ¡°Your Highness, I have committed treason and ask for your forgiveness.¡±

    He blinked in surprise a few times. ¡°Treason? What have you done?¡±

    Her voice was just a hoarse whisper. ¡°Your Highness, I have been¡­,¡± she swallowed, ¡°¡­acting as a spy for the Kalronists. I report the actions of the Council to them. I know my life is forfeit, but still I hope you are willing to pardon me.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± he began, buying some time to think. ¡°I am surprised that you chose to betray the Council.¡± She flinched at the word ¡°betray¡±. ¡°But, since the royal government has been suspended until today, what you did was duplicitious, but not treacherous. Rise, Haubret. You are conditionally pardoned. Tell me how this happened.¡±

    She did so, wiping the dirt from her knees. ¡°I was recruited perhaps a decade ago, when my father grew ill and could no longer travel to attend meetings and I was instated as acting Diansken. They promised me money if I would tell them when the Council met and what was discussed.¡±

    ¡°I take it they know about today, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. There goes any element of surprise. What do they know of today?¡±

    ¡°That Jemerie had a candidate he wished to pass by the Council and there was a good chance it was actually Caudin Alscaine.¡±

    He saw her hands shake before she clasped them in front of her. ¡°Haubret, I should let you in on a little secret: in my time abroad. I did a fair bit of spying myself.¡± She looked up at him quizzically. ¡°Not against governments, but in enough situations to know that spies are best when used. Are you willing to be a double agent for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said quickly. ¡°But, I fear that I¡¯m not the only one. The man I spoke to, he often seemed disinterested in the information I gave him, as if he already knew.¡±

    Caudin sucked in air through his teeth. ¡°Feeding them false narratives won¡¯t work, then. I don¡¯t suppose you ever drew any conclusions about who the other person was, per chance?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure there may have been someone missing at a meeting that was unable to tell him anything. There were times when he seemed excited and asked me a lot of questions, and as I said, other times when he was dismissive.¡±

    ¡°I think we should assume that the other person will report that I was accepted, then. When you report, I want you to downplay the division over my wife as well as the overall acceptance of me as Caudin Alscaine. I¡¯d rather the Kalronists try to wedge a knife in the smaller crack. I need you to report this first. When are you due to meet?¡±

    ¡°Tonight in the tavern in town called Causilin¡¯s Mark.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°Bold of them. I wonder if they want to catch a glimpse of me.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be sure, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Out of curiosity, what made you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s you. I suppose that it was harmless when nothing was happening. But, now that we have a chance at taking back the country, I don¡¯t want any part of them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Just a while longer, though I am going to correct you. It may have seemed harmless, but spying is not an action that comes without consequences. Think on that.¡±

    She pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°Tell him that, though!¡± Kidelimore said, laughing. ¡°He¡¯s the one who thinks he¡¯s better than everyone else.¡±

    The door knob jangled and there was a curse before a key was inserted. The door creaked open, then closed. A match was struck, the smell of sulphur filling the air as a hurricane lamp was lit. Kidelimore turned and almost knocked the lamp to the floor. ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± Caudin said, sitting in the corner armchair.

    ¡°How did you get in here?¡±

    ¡°I have my methods,¡± he answered, thinking of how Telbarisk had spent a good hour growing a strong vine for him to climb three stories high for him to get in here and wait for this man.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not the prince and you¡¯ve come to kill me for opposing you.¡±

    ¡°Wrong on both accounts, actually,¡± he said, rising. ¡°I am Caudin Alscaine, just with some rather unprincely skills. And I don¡¯t want to kill you. The opposite, in fact.¡±

    ¡°Which is what?¡±

    ¡°Someone once asked me whether I liked my tea with sugar or black. Are you a man who appreciates the art of fencing with words or do you like things spoken plainly?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the conversation. Right now I¡¯d suggest the latter before I call for my colleagues.¡±

    Caudin waved away the threat. ¡°Fine then. I would like to know what you want and how I can best give that to you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked, suspiciously.

    ¡°So that we can work together. I¡¯m going to need as much of a united front as possible. Since you seem to control a faction with a few dukes who might take over some principal¡¯s positions as well as Avernit and Selicou, I thought it might be easier to convince them through you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t give me what I want.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°Power.¡±

    He clicked his tongue. ¡°Might I ask why you decided to throw your support behind Selicou and not put yourself as a candidate?¡± When he didn¡¯t speak, Caudin continued. ¡°I think it¡¯s because you like to pull the strings, not have your strings pulled.¡±

    Kidelimore shrugged in response.

    ¡°You like power, but you don¡¯t want to be in power. I can admire that. I¡¯m sure that one week of duties and I¡¯ll be wishing I bought a little house in Provinqui instead of coming back.¡±

    ¡°So leave for Provinqui and let us who¡¯ve been dealing with this mess alone.¡±

    ¡°And who will take over, then? You haven¡¯t had any luck putting Selicou forward as a candidate and neither has anyone else. The Council was too divided and the traditionalists too entrenched and powerful to allow anyone other than me in. I¡¯m appealing for many reasons, but perhaps mainly because I am uninfluenced.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly true. The traditionalists put you forth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Jemerie less than a day¡¯s worth of hours since I¡¯ve returned. Commres, Duluv, Rogesh, and the others even less. I¡¯m not a traditionalist.¡±

    ¡°You certainly benefited from them.¡±

    It was Caudin¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°Here¡¯s what I will offer you: a string to transfer your tensions. When I comprise my short council, I will name you as one the men.¡±

    ¡°Why would you do that? I¡¯m just the Principal of Olives, one of the least influential industries. It would be at your cost.¡±

    ¡°It would. But, somehow one of the least influential principals managed to amount quite a bit of influence in the Council. You have almost a dozen backers. I see you as an ambitious and cunning man, and those type of men are best kept within arm¡¯s length, not in the shadows.¡±

    ¡°I want a switch in industry. My father was content with Arvonne having the fifth largest olive oil commodity in Noh Amair. He sat back on his estate, happy to be left on the sidelines. I won¡¯t have it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are plenty of vacant industries we could look at.¡±

    ¡°Not some pitiful station like Glass¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could do much worse than Olives, but no, I¡¯m not trying to satisfy our agreement by giving you a minor upgrade. I need a sharp mind in charge of Carpentry and Horses, for example. If you¡¯d like, we can sit down tomorrow and look over the list. I will warn you, though, that I can¡¯t give you something major like Steel. It will be better than Olives, I promise. And I¡¯d also like the name for your replacement.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I need to think about this.¡±

    ¡°Of course. The sooner your answer, the better, but I¡¯m not forcing you to make it now.¡±

    Kidelimore seemed pensive as Caudin walked past him. ¡°This is not a trick. Promise me that.¡±

    Caudin stopped. ¡°Why would I trick you? I need you. I¡¯m going to use you If you can rise to the occasion, you will be rewarded. If you flounder, I¡¯ll find someone else. No, I¡¯m not tricking you.¡±

    He left the ambitious and cunning man in his room. His mind was racing with ideas on his way back. What would be a good fit for him? He was still pondering when he found Al across the street from Causilin¡¯s Mark. ¡°How goes it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s still meeting with Haubret,¡± Al said quietly, rubbing his hands together.

    ¡°Go back to the inn. Get warm and sleep. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d rather stay.¡±

    Caudin smiled. ¡°Fine, but we split up if we¡¯re noticed. How long have they been speaking?¡±

    ¡°I heard Cyurinin¡¯s bell off in the distance right after she went in. I haven¡¯t heard Skethik¡¯s, though I don¡¯t know if there is one.¡±

    ¡°It was a quarter past one when I left Kidelimore¡¯s room. Good. This means he¡¯s asking her a lot of questions.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before a very large woman left the front of the tavern and put on her hat. She stopped for a few moments, pretended to give a sleepy stretch, then tapped her pinkie finger with her thumb three times before leaving.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s good,¡± Caudin whispered.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an Arvonnese gesture. If you want to point to someone and don¡¯t want to be overt, you tap your pinkie with your thumb a few times while pointing your arm in their direction. She¡¯s letting us know that the other spy is already in the tavern.¡±

    ¡°Then she knows who it is?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. Or the other man was concealed. Or in another room. Our best bet is to just wait.¡±

    There were a few minutes of silence while Caudin fidgeted. Al finally asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me do this and give you the description tomorrow? You have an early day ahead.¡±

    ¡°So do you. It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know everyone. What if the man is nondescript? What if he bears a striking resemblance to someone else? I¡¯ll know who this is immediately.¡±

    It was another minute before Caudin sighed. ¡°I need to know who this is, Al. I need to know before I do anything else. I have to know that the knife isn¡¯t coming from someone I trust. If this is Duluv or Commres, it throws everything off until I can recover.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just one man, though.¡±

    ¡°Is it? What if it¡¯s Jemerie?¡±

    ¡°You think Magrithon would pick a traitor to help you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t mean it would be the end of things, it would just feel like it, to me.¡±

    ¡°There will likely be spies in the future.¡±

    ¡°The future, yes, where I have my home and a country. I can take nicks then. Now, it would be like slashing a suckling pig across the throat. I¡¯m too vulnerable.¡±

    It was only a short time before a man stepped outside, his face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. ¡°I can¡¯t tell who that is,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to tail him until I can see his face. Follow the next person who leaves.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    His insides twisted as he took off, his footsteps quieter than the man¡¯s but not silent. He was on the shorter and slighter side, like Duluv. Please don¡¯t let it be him, he thought.

    He might have had to follow the man all the way back to his hotel, but a swift breeze suddenly blew his hat off his head. He turned to catch it, stepping too far from the light of the closest lamp for a moment. For just a second, maybe two, he was turning back and the light hit him at the right angle.

    Caudin sighed deeply, the relief of the moment making him dizzy. Duke Aceril. It was Duke Aceril. He mouthed ¡°thank you¡±, wondering if anyone was listening, and made his way back to collect Al before walking back to the inn.

    Anla was asleep when he finally made his way to their room. Even though he was quiet and careful, she still awoke. ¡°Done for today?¡± she said, yawning.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s now the next day, this is essentially my break,¡± he said. ¡°I need to get up for meetings in about five and a half hours.¡±

    She leaned over and kissed him. ¡°Sleep. You did wonderfully today.¡±

    He was too tired to answer, but he did smile. Yes, he had done everything he had set out to do. Tired was a state he could deal with when he got the chance.

 Chapter 250

    There was a knock on the door.

    ¡°No!¡± Caudin said, lifting his head from his pillow. ¡°Nothing before noon!¡±

    The knock came again.

    ¡°We¡¯re on vacation from six in the morning until noon. It was promised!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Jemerie said, muffled by the door, ¡°I know what the deal was, but this cannot wait.¡±

    Caudin leaned over and kissed his wife, then grumbled, ¡°How do they expect us to make an heir if they¡¯re working us all the time?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame Jemerie,¡± she said, yawning. ¡°You were asleep.¡±

    ¡°I was waking up, though, and then¡­¡± He tied the belt to his robe and gave her a look. ¡°And then.¡±

    He answered the door to the room provided by Duke Chaslise, a staunch Royalist who had managed to keep his mansion and most of his wealth, unlike most of the aristocracy. Jemerie stayed outside and spoke with an informative tone that was meant to be quiet. For most, it would have been.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Captain Corpresti?¡± Anla asked when her husband returned to their bedside, not to sleep but to dress.

    ¡°When I knew him, he was already a captain at a young age. He was head of the household guard. Still is, Jemerie says. I¡¯m told he¡¯s willing to turn heel on the Kalronists.¡±

    ¡°The man who let them into Dilvestrar in the first place and sat back with his men as they took the palace? Sounds like a trap.¡±

    ¡°I know. Which is why I need you there when I meet him.¡±

    ¡°Just to listen?¡±

    ¡°As easy as this whole thing would be if you worked a little of your magic, I¡¯m never going to make you do that. It¡¯s your choice.¡±

    She nodded and slid out of bed, hugging him. He kissed the top of her head, then chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re still on the topic of your choice or heirs. You are completely undressed.¡±

    ¡°I am. And we don¡¯t have to meet with him immediately, do we?¡±

    ¡°I do enjoy the way your mind works,¡± he said, lifting her chin and kissing her.

    They were ready an hour later and borrowed the Duke¡¯s hansom, making sure to bundle against the cold. A chill had blown snow and frigid air down from the north mountains and the temperatures were unreasonable, even for the end of autumn. While Caudin wore his normal wool suit with the only difference being gloves and a coat, Anla wore a fur hat and muff with her emerald green overcoat.

    It was about ten miles into town. The snow had melted enough that the horses were walking through mostly melted slush instead of plowing through feet of hard snow. They saw people walking around in town without too much concern for the weather.

    ¡°Look,¡± Caudin said, pointing to a man hammering a plank into a business next to few colleagues.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great sign,¡± Anla said. ¡°People feel good about helping others start their businesses.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± When the man noticed them looking, he waved and smiled. It was an open secret in the town as to who Caudin and Anla were and what they were planning on doing. They waved back cheerfully.

    They disembarked a few streets down and entered a warehouse. If he hadn¡¯t seen Jemerie and Rogesh standing across the street, he would have questioned things. He led Anla inside and a man escorted them to the back.

    Captain Corpresti stood when they entered the office, his bowler already in his hands. ¡°Captain,¡± Caudin said, shaking his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°It has, Your Radiance,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯re using ¡®Highness¡¯ as the moment, since I¡¯m not coronated. This is my wife, Duchess Anladet, though in this case she¡¯d be ¡®Your Majesty¡¯.¡±

    He took her hand and kissed the back of it, almost touching her wrist to avoid her fingertips. As he did, Caudin watched him for any signs of deceit. He certainly seemed nervous, a thin sheen of sweat already dampening his thinning hairline and his shaved upper lip despite the coldness of the room. He was stiff and jerky, not in a formal way or even speaking of his training and occupation. This was making him uncomfortable, but was it because he was afraid of getting caught or because he was, once more, causing the fall of a monarchy?

    ¡°Sit,¡± he said and Corpresti almost slammed his body down into the chair.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he began, eyes looking everywhere but him, ¡°I wanted to offer my sincerest apology.¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know where to begin. I was tasked, honored, with serving your family. Then, I was led astray. Money, threats, ideology, it doesn¡¯t matter, I broke my promise. I let the Kalronists inside the palace. I stood down while they murdered your family. I¡¯ve told myself excuses for a long time, that it was inevitable, that I needed to take care of my family before anything else, but the guilt has eaten at me. I said, ¡®It¡¯s too late. They¡¯re all gone and we just have to deal with what we have¡¯. But, it¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± He looked up at him finally.

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± he said, giving him a hard smile, ¡°the little boy who, despite you saying you were a family man, knows that you were flirting outrageously with my sister¡¯s maid, Tayena, and once caught you two in the garden underneath the maple tree. So, I suppose it wasn¡¯t the first vow you broke.¡±

    Corpresti blanched at this, perhaps at the shame or because he realized it actually was his prince before him, but likely due to both. He mumbled and stammered for a few moments.

    ¡°I heard about what you did to Stevrin Palerno,¡± he said, his tone getting pointed. ¡°You sold him out as well as his revolution. Did you know I¡¯ve met him?¡±

    ¡°H¡­how is he, Sire?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s half-mad and living with to¡¯ken in the middle of the Gamik Sea. He can¡¯t go home, because he¡¯d be tried as a traitor, and he can¡¯t go to Gheny, because they¡¯d ship him to the desert where he¡¯d likely die. He was your friend, no?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you see why your apology is unbelievable and your offer to help us seems suspect?¡± Anla grabbed his hand to calm him down.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Tell me one thing: what did you do the night of the Coup?¡±

    ¡°I was¡­I was tasked with burning the ships in the harbor. That¡¯s where I took my men.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°My men. And you¡¯d be the reason why I was unable to escape to Kinto.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°At least we have some ground. Had you been anywhere near the palace, I¡¯d run you through right now.¡±

    Corpresti looked up, alarmed. ¡°I come unarmed and alone¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­a mistake.¡±

    ¡°I was assured safe passage.¡±

    ¡°Not by me. Did you happen to hear what they did to my family after they were killed?¡±

    ¡°I was told no harm was going to come to you!¡± he said, his hands on his knees. ¡°They promised that they were going to charge you for crimes and lock you in a prison! I didn¡¯t know¡­I believed them and that was stupid of me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    At this point Anla squeezed his hand hard, digging her nails into Caudin¡¯s palm. He turned to look at her, then nodded before turning back to face him. ¡°Did you come today to apologize?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and to right wrongs. I¡¯d like to offer whatever I can to help overthrow the Kalronists.¡±

    ¡°And what would that include?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d give you information. I¡¯d order my men to stand down or fight for you. I¡¯d smuggle you into the palace. Whatever you needed.¡±

    ¡°Why? Forgive me, but at least twice now you¡¯ve decided to side with the Kalronists over the monarchy and tradition. Are you fond of change or is there something you¡¯re not telling us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to do what¡¯s right, Sire. I¡¯ve seen the good you¡¯ve done for the people, even out of power.¡±

    ¡°Surely you¡¯d like to tell us more, Captain?¡± Anla asked.

    His face softened as her magic took affect. ¡°The Kalronists are close to bankruptcy. They haven¡¯t paid some of my men in months. It¡¯s only time before they can¡¯t pay me. And I can¡¯t stand the Chancellor. He¡¯s insulted me far too many times. I¡¯ve had to stand there and take the abuse from that disgusting swine for eighteen years. And the more desperate the Kalronists are, the worse the abuse gets. It¡¯s reached a boiling point.¡±

    ¡°Honesty,¡± Caudin said. ¡°How refreshing.¡± Corpresti blinked a few times and frowned. ¡°You could start today, if you wished, as a sign of good faith. I¡¯d like the names of key players in the Kalronist government, especially anyone who is more backdoor with the movement, and also any events happening in the next few months.¡±

    ¡°Like the New Year¡¯s Masquerade?¡±

    ¡°That¡­would be one. Please give us details before you leave.¡±

    ¡°Sire, I wish for only one thing. Please keep my family safe. My children are grown, but things can still happen.¡±

    ¡°As much protection as I can give, I will. Your family is safe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.

    As they were leaving the warehouse, Caudin asked, ¡°So?¡± of his wife.

    ¡°He¡¯s layered. While he¡¯s not lying, he¡¯s also lacking that spine-straightening patriotism I¡¯ve heard from so many others. He¡¯s an opportunist. He¡¯s a rat jumping ship.¡±

    ¡°He bought the wrong property and is now realizing the land floods and the crops won¡¯t grow.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lost my temper in there. I still need to work on my anger.¡±

    She rubbed his arm soothingly. ¡°Thank you for admitting it.¡±

    ¡°Now, after we speak with Jemerie and Rogesh, I have some meetings. Then, tomorrow, we¡¯re having another vacation.¡±

    ¡°Such luxury,¡± she said, giving him a crooked smile that made him laugh.

    * * *

    The following evening Caudin met with his council. This included Al and Anla, Rogesh, Jemerie, another former principal named Triniste, Equienth, and Brevairn, the new Principal of Education who had once been known as Kidelimore.

    (Caudin had no idea why he had chosen that industry, since it wasn¡¯t a top choice, but he had learned over the last two months that Brevairn was tenacious and ambitious. He was extraordinary at pulling resources to get what was needed and had been invaluable to the reclamation effort, but Caudin knew he was in for a reign where Brevairn would haunt him until he got what he wanted.)

    ¡°Now that we have an inside source to the palace, we can be a bit more clear about who is there and in what capacity,¡± Caudin said. ¡°What is most important is figuring out who we need to take out of the picture in order to topple the government. Who is indispensable?¡±

    ¡°The Chancellor,¡± Triniste offered.

    ¡°Not very efficient at ruling, but the figurehead of the Kalronists. Definitely him.¡± Caudin noted that Equienth took the initiative in taking notes. ¡°He¡¯ll have the people that are propping him up. Not his lackeys, though they get a spot, but the shadow rulers, the ones who pull the strings above the curtains.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that would be Amonri, Chaste, and Lechab,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°They helped fund the Kalronists after they took office and have received quite a few kickbacks. I think Commres would know better than I about anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Al, make a note to ask him about that, and anyone else who may know.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking long and hard about our potential methods and I¡¯ve come to the decision that we will not shed blood. I do not want anyone killed.¡±

    ¡°Admirable, Sire, but impossible,¡± Rogesh said. ¡°Someone will draw steel to protect themselves.¡±

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t have steel?¡±

    ¡°Could there be a situation where we can capture as many high ranking, unarmed Kalronists?¡±

    ¡°The New Year¡¯s masquerade.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Al said, grinning. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re doing The Masquerade.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Desuint¡¯s most popular alley novel.¡±

    Caudin threw up his hands while Jemerie said, ¡°Not here it wasn¡¯t. Did it do well in Gheny?¡±

    ¡°It was at least the nation¡¯s favorite if not in the top three best-selling alley novels.¡±

    ¡°Hum,¡± Jemerie said, trying not to look proud. ¡°I¡¯m glad someone liked it. It received a lot of criticism here for being too farfetched. Everything happened conveniently, they said.¡±

    ¡°What was so convenient about it?¡± Al asked, genuinely curious. ¡°It seemed plausible to me.¡±

    ¡°That was what I said.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to explain this to me,¡± Caudin said. ¡°I didn¡¯t read it, though I do know someone who said it was her favorite alley novel.¡±

    ¡°When was this?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°When you were¡­indisposed.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°Well, what happens in the novel is a group of people slip into Dilvestrar on the night of a masquerade. Then, they take a target, subdue them, and take their mask and place. Then, the Chancellor moves the party to the throne room, to show off, and he finds Caudin draped across the throne. When he calls for his arrest, he takes off his mask and so does everyone else. The Chancellor finds himself alone and challenges Caudin to a duel. He wins and the throne is retaken.¡±

    ¡°I can see why that didn¡¯t hold water. I have a lot of problems with that,¡± Caudin said. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®draping myself across the throne¡¯, first of all. And you¡¯re also asking dozens of people to subdue other people who likely don¡¯t have the skills to do so. It¡¯s not like you can bash someone across the head and expect them to pass out every time. And where did you put all the bodies?¡± he asked, turning to Jemerie.

    ¡°Uh, I think the canon was in one of the dining rooms.¡±

    ¡°You had a hundred unconscious bodies in a dining room and no one happened to stumble across them? Or none of them woke up early and sounded the alarm? I understand fiction doesn¡¯t have to be factual to enjoy it, but if you¡¯re going to base our strategy upon a book, we need to iron out a few wrinkles.¡±

    ¡°It would be better to stop the guests from coming in the first place,¡± Triniste said.

    ¡°That would mean knowing who was invited and stealing their invitations before they got them, which are likely hand-delivered by someone who¡¯s trusted.¡± Caudin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too complicated and risky.¡±

    Al spoke. ¡°We have a hydra situation; take out the Chancellor and you¡¯ll have two cronies taking his place with sympathy from supporters. We either keep taking people out, who will likely go into hiding or be better guarded, or we take them all out at once. And when else are we going to have an opportunity like this? Most Kalronists will be in the same place at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Fair point, but we still have a lot of problems. How would we stop the real guests from arriving?¡±

    ¡°Send them a new invitation saying it¡¯s in a new place due to fears of a revolution or something.¡±

    ¡°And how will we know who to send them to?¡±

    ¡°There must be a list somewhere. The Chancellor has a secretary that handles this.¡±

    Jemerie cleared his throat. ¡°Easier still, the Eri casdem i Treru is required to publish a front page article every year about the New Year¡¯s Masquerade and how it symbolizes the prosperity Arvonne will experience in the upcoming year, or some drivel like that. Commres is sure to have several lists from previous years that we can cross-check. We may miss a few that were added this year, but we should get close to nine-tenths of the people attending.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay, but how would we get invitations and people there? It took six weeks to get everyone to gather for the Council.¡±

    ¡°That was the Council, a bunch of stuffy people who pulled power plays for several weeks so that they could say they had some input as to where the meeting took place.¡± Jemerie¡¯s gaze lingered on Brevairn for a few moments. ¡°Most live within a week¡¯s ride from Eri Ranvel, at least half in the city itself.¡±

    ¡°And we can fill in with other people,¡± Brevairn said. ¡°I know three dozen people off the top of my head who are loyal and would be more than happy to stand in for some Kalronists who just so happened to not show up.¡±

    ¡°Are we really discussing this?¡± Caudin said half to himself. ¡°We¡¯d have about three weeks to implement this plan. We have to get the Council, Brevairn¡¯s group, and Corpresti and his guards on board as well as an additional force to arrest everyone who isn¡¯t attending or is going to the other place. Oh, and we also need to feed false information to Aceril and Diansken to whisper back to the Kalronists about another plan.¡±

    ¡°They say to strike while the iron is hot,¡± Jemerie quipped.

    Anla leaned over. ¡°This does sound like your modus operandi. It couldn¡¯t hurt to consider it.¡±

    ¡°True. All right then, let¡¯s hash this out.¡±

 Chapter 251

    Anla pouted her bottom lip before smiling. ¡°You¡¯re looking so wonderful tonight, and now you have to cover your face with a mask.¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re used to it,¡± Caudin said, looking out the window of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t ask me to put one on now and again for old time¡¯s sake. Maybe not something shiny, but a feathered number or a harlequin in diamonds. I might be persuaded, you know, if you ask nicely.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very, very nervous,¡± she said, taking his hand. ¡°This is different from a contract, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Far much more at stake. Before I only had myself to worry about. Now, the whole damn country.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine, ainler. This is just a formality, an arrest for men who don¡¯t know they are cornered.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the cornered part that worries me. Will they be men or animals?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve fought both before. You are prepared.¡±

    ¡°But, then I had little to lose.¡±

    Caudin looked out the window and Anla knew he was going to be pensive for the rest of the ride. She rose and saddled over to the same side of the carriage as him, grabbing his arm and lacing her fingers with his. He looked back at her, smiled weakly, and went back to looking outside.

    She knew it was more for him than nerves. She had watched as her husband spent upwards of eighteen hours a day speaking with people, planning and plotting for what was about to happen. They¡¯d gone over all the details dozens of times. They¡¯d prepared for issues and problems. She knew he wasn¡¯t worried about the plan going wrong, but the plan going right.

    Suddenly, he sat up straight and reached for his mask. ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    The carriage slowed, halted, then the driver opened the door a minute later. Caudin stepped out and offered his gloved hand. As it was the last day of the year, it was customary to wear dark colors, so his suit was a charcoal gray that matched her own dress and lace petticoat. They wore matching gold masks that covered the top half of their faces in a sloping design that made sure to obscure more than most people¡¯s masks.

    They stood in line behind a couple she was sure was one of their dukes. Anla held polite conversation with a few others, coyly speaking behind her gold-etched fan. When it was their turn to present their invitations, she caught him staring forlornly at the palace. She rapped him on his arm and he pulled the black paper out of his coat pocket.

    ¡°It¡¯s our first time,¡± she explained to the servant, who nodded and took the invitations, read them to another servant, and waved them inside.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said once they were far enough away. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would have that much of an impact on me.¡± He closed his eyes and inhaled once they were inside. ¡°The smell¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, but you can savor it later. We have a mission.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right now, just bowled over.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m onto the business.¡±

    Black velvet roped off rooms and ushered people to the left. After a moment, Caudin seemed assured in the direction and walked with confidence. ¡°Not the Main Ballroom, then, but the Northwest.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean anything?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s smaller. Makes for a more intimate party.¡±

    And he was right; it was packed. The room was awash in the outfits of blacks, grays, navies, and deep browns and greens, pockets of people chatting. Music played, but the numbers didn¡¯t correspond to any dances and it was barely audible over the crowd.

    They stood at the edge of a group and listened as a man in a raven¡¯s mask told an amusing story about a hunting trip. He lacked any blue in his outfit, a sign of a Royalist, and so was likely a Kalronist. The two laughed at the right parts and Caudin made a few witty comments with the group, but they didn¡¯t speak to him and moved on quickly.

    An hour passed and they finally made their way to the front of the room where a heavily surrounded man drank and laughed with his friends, none of who wore blue. He was short, fat, and balding, three traits accentuated by his pasty, sweaty skin. Caudin squinted, then straightened suddenly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°The Chancellor,¡± he said once they moved aside. ¡°Here I thought he was some instigator from the masses, a mayor or teamster who was a good leader. I didn¡¯t know I knew him.¡±

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Thierin Yaskit. He was one of my father¡¯s secretaries. Makes this whole impoverishing the country worse, since he knows how to handle money.¡±

    ¡°He still does, just to his own coffers.¡±

    Caudin frowned, then nodded.

    They listened as the group brought up memories of things that had happened, of meals, of drunken nights, of women. ¡°Speaking of such,¡± one of the hangers on said, ¡°there is a beautiful woman I¡¯ve had my eye on for some time now.¡± He gestured to Anla and she opened her fan in fake modesty.

    ¡°How can you tell? I¡¯m masked.¡±

    ¡°I find it hard to believe that a woman would possess such grace,¡± he said, letting his eyes wander down her figure, ¡°like you do and not also be at least comely to look at without a disguise.¡±

    Anla noticed Caudin clenching his jaw and tightening his fists. ¡°Well, my husband knows the truth and that¡¯s all that really matters,¡± she said quickly. ¡°And he¡¯s usually easy with the compliments.¡±

    ¡°And who is your husband? I¡¯ve never seen you before, so you must be new and he must not be as connected as any one of us. We can get you things, my pet. Jewels, sweets, furs, beautiful dresses, whatever you desire. Perhaps you just wish to help elevate your status in the party. Think on it.¡±

    ¡°Caudin Alscaine,¡± her husband said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You asked who I was and I am responding. I am your king.¡±

    There was a few moments, then laughter before the Chancellor spoke. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re that impostor who¡¯s been beating the masses into a lather. We were warned about you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°I know your sources. I let you know I was coming, though I¡¯m sure you were expecting me to make an attempt next week.¡±

    Yaskit swigged his wine. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got in, but no bother. Guards!¡± he yelled.

    The plan had been to wait until midnight when everyone shed their masks. It was a neat and romantic gesture that had been lobbied hard by Al and Jemerie. Caudin couldn¡¯t be too upset that the plan had been foiled.

    Captain Corpresti himself rushed over. ¡°Yes, sir?¡±

    ¡°That man is vexing me,¡± he said, waving his pasty hand in Caudin¡¯s direction. ¡°Have him put in the cells until I can think of what to do with him.¡±

    There was confusion on the guard¡¯s face, doubt, consideration. She¡¯d seen it before with her friends in Hanala when they returned to a place they had once received money or food from, but were kicked every other time they had returned. Corpresti wanted familiarity. He knew that he had a job here and that he was still being paid. His family was still secure. Maybe¡­perhaps¡­

    ¡°Now!¡± Anla yelled before he could change his mind. It took a few moments for the Royalists to realize the change in procedure, but they did as they were told. Throughout the hall people stopped what they were doing, reached up and removed their masks. They said nothing, only turned to face the Chancellor and his men at the head of the room.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°What is this?¡± the Chancellor asked, genuinely surprised.

    ¡°These are my people,¡± Caudin said, taking off his own mask, ¡°not yours. We are taking back what is ours.¡±

    A few of the smarter men in the group had already slunk away from the group only to be caught by guardsmen at the exits. A half-dozen were left standing in a room of about two hundred people, a fifth who were foreign dignitaries and thus unreliable, and the majority people who loathed them.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± the Chancellor said, finally recovering.

    ¡°Do you mean we can¡¯t take the country back from inept idiots who have run it into the ground?¡± Caudin asked. ¡°You took this country by murdering my family with a pittance of rabble and called it a glorious victory, as if murdering little girls could ever be honorable. Then, you impoverished this country and drove it to desperation all for your own gain. You sit fat and content in your stolen palace while the people starve, die ill, and are murdered for what little they have. How long did you think it would be until someone took it away from your incompetent hands?¡±

    ¡°Guards!¡± he yelled, but they stood still, their faces impassive only because they were professionals.

    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself? How could you do this to your own people?¡±

    ¡°How could I do this to them?¡± he yelled, his face red. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that they are lazy and refuse to do work!¡±

    There were disapproving murmurs from the crowd before one of the Chancellor¡¯s colleagues spoke with a bit more polish. ¡°You think us monsters but we¡¯ve done everything we could to save Arvonne. We¡¯ve set up work houses and bought surplus goods that have rotted. We¡¯ve set up charities and have given away a considerable amount of our money, from our own pockets! We¡¯ve done all we can to help save Arvonne, truly we have. There is no work and no trade deals, nothing that is our fault. We¡¯ve tried endlessly-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned that running a country is hard, then?¡± Caudin said, interrupting that man¡¯s savior speech. ¡°Perhaps it would have been wise to never have tried. Eighteen years, now. Eighteen years you¡¯ve had to figure it out and what have you to show? Lavish balls like this one and fat, greasy chins that you wipe with gold cloth? You have ruined this country!¡± he shouted. ¡°No more. Guards, take them!¡±

    They snapped at attention and hooked their arms around men who were almost all surprised. They fought and cursed, but no threat was going to change the odds of three hundred to ten.

    Save one threat. Anla yelped and straightened her back, straining against the man behind her. ¡°Your wife, Your Majesty?¡± the man behind her mocked. ¡°Not a princess, if I¡¯m certain, but also not my concern. You will allow me to leave the palace and I promise not to harm her. Agreed?¡±

    Caudin felt his heart squeeze in his chest as he locked eyes with his wife. They hadn¡¯t counted on this, but still, how could he have failed to protect her? He almost charged the man, knowing full well that there was a good chance that he would kill her when he was done with her regardless, but he read Anla¡¯s lips. She said two words: trust me.

    The past year and a half came back to him like a man grabbing his lapels. She had her magic, she could do this. She survived for years on the street. She dealt with some of his contracts practically by herself. Hell, she¡¯d rescued him several times. She¡¯d asked for this before, back in New Wextif in the carriage. She could handle herself, she had said, and he needed to trust that she could do it.

    ¡°Stand back,¡± he said, putting his arms out. ¡°Let him go.¡±

    ¡°Richad!¡± the Chancellor spat. ¡°You could¡¯ve helped us.¡±

    ¡°So sorry,¡± he said, sidling to the back of the ballroom, ¡°but he¡¯s right. It¡¯s time we gave up. I¡¯m going to cut my losses and run and I only have one hostage.¡±

    Caudin watched her, his breath in his throat, but she seemed rather calm for the situation. She even smirked before they back out of the room. ¡°Go after the Queen!¡± Jemerie yelled to the guards.

    ¡°No!¡± Caudin said and the guards stopped. ¡°We wait. Get all the others together, two people to each man. Anyone not wearing the sign needs to be cordoned off and assisted, as we planned.¡±

    A few of the Royalists stood around him, watching the same exit he was watching. ¡°Sire, if we send some guards, we¡¯ll be able to surround them and extricate the Queen.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, though he wanted very much for someone to overrule him. He¡¯d do it himself. ¡°When I spoke to you and argued for you to accept my wife as Queen, I told you she was more than just a woman with a dazzling smile and a pretty face. She¡¯s smart, she¡¯s capable, and she¡¯s very persuasive. She¡¯s going to walk through that door any moment with Richad subdued.¡±

    They stared, the room as quiet as one could expect in the circumstances. Every moment was agony, but at least she didn¡¯t make him wait long. She walked back in, unrushed and unharmed. Caudin broke decorum and ran to her, embracing her by pulling her face to his chest. She moved away and held his face in her hands, smiling. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly before kissing him. ¡°I know it scared you, but you don¡¯t know how much that meant to me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to test me again,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m never letting you out of my sight.¡±

    Just then a dark-skinned guard brought forth a squirming man to kneel before Jemerie and Caudin. ¡°We caught a runner.¡±

    ¡°Nicely done, Wizard. Lachab, is it?¡± he asked the man.

    ¡°How dare you? I am a patriot of Arvonne and a very rich man-¡±

    ¡°Who is about to have his assets stripped from him,¡± Caudin finished. To Corpresti he said, ¡°This one gets three.¡±

    A goblet of wine was thrust into his hand and he realized there were quite a few people surrounding them. ¡°I still say the midnight reveal would have been better, but at least this gives us a few hours to celebrate on someone elses tab,¡± Jemerie said.

    ¡°It would be criminal to let the food and wine go to waste,¡± he admitted, chugging half his cup to calm his nerves. ¡°We deserve this after all the hard work we¡¯ve put in¡­which we¡¯re back at tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hear that, folks? Drink up! It¡¯s back to the grindstone at dawn¡¯s light!¡±

    Caudin took a moment to survey things, not a grin but a serious look on his face. ¡°This felt too easy,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°We prepared for this,¡± Anla said. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t call be at knifepoint ¡®easy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right, but I thought this wouldn¡¯t work, that I¡¯d have to escape with you somehow.¡±

    ¡°This was just an elaborate arrest.¡± She watched as he downed another glass and plucked another off a tray carried by a confused servant. ¡°You didn¡¯t want this to work.¡±

    ¡°I did¡­¡± he protested.

    ¡°You are still terrified of being Caudin Alscaine. You wish things could be simple, like what you¡¯ve known your whole adult life. This masquerade was it, the manacles being locked around your wrists. Now you have no choice. You have to lead instead of plan.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I think you¡¯re partially right. It¡¯s less the lack of freedom and more the expectation that what I planned will fail. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve known my whole adult life, how to correct the mistakes I always make. It¡¯s still foreign to me that my plans are not only supported, but helped by others.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡±

    ¡°I know. You, Al, and Tel were preparing me for it, though none of us knew it.¡± He finished the steel wine, held out his hand, and said, ¡°Come. We need to speak with the dignitaries and calm them. They picked an unfortunate night to be in Arvonne.¡±

    A few kind words helped most. There were a few who were so indignant at being accused of treason and detained that they would never do business with Arvonne again. Caudin cared little for them; they were likely in the pocket of the Kalronists anyway. His concern were for the ambassadors and diplomats, especially those speaking on behalf of very powerful monarchs.

    A dark-skinned man and his wife were waiting patiently to speak with him. ¡°Your Radiance,¡± he began with a bow.

    ¡°Soon, Your Excellency. I¡¯m missing an official coronation before I can have that title.¡±

    He nodded from his neck. ¡°I am Kalokar ast¡¯Restali and I speak on behalf of Empress Mayasena of the Empire, Sire.¡±

    Caudin grinned. ¡°Kalokar, yes. I remember you from court. You had recently won a sword-dancing competition and performed in front of the royal family. Truly breathtaking to watch.¡±

    He blinked rapidly then smiled. ¡°You honor me, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°How is the Empress? I do confess that I¡¯ve missed her all these years.¡±

    ¡°She is well, Sire. I know for a fact that she has mourned your apparent death all these years.¡±

    ¡°Express to her that I would love to see her again soon.¡±

    ¡°I will, Sire, I most certainly will.¡±

    The exchange between the ambassador from Sayen was much different. As was typical of Sayenese people, he spoke in a cool aloofness, rarely smiling. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out what he was trying to say,¡± Anla said after they had spoken with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he was trying to say two things with one word.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nicer when people are more plainly spoken, like Kalokar.¡±

    Caudin smirked before taking a sip of his third glass of wine. ¡°Oh, but he did the same thing. It¡¯s not necessary to address the king twice as ¡®Your Radiance¡¯ in a conversation, just as ¡®Sire¡¯ or ¡®Sir¡¯. He did so after I reminded him that we had met before and he used that address to solidify his belief that I am the King of Arvonne and I am who I say I am. Two words, one heavy endorsement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult,¡± she said. ¡°It sounds duplicitous, like a lie but not the same noise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it, especially knowing your talents.¡±

    Banter was starting to pick up again and the confused bandleader struck up some traditional Arvonnese tunes. At some point they played ¡°Reverie¡± and the whole room sang along to it. At least that¡¯s what Caudin thought. By his fifth or sixth drink things were quite hazy for him.

    He gave a toast just after midnight, something which must have been pleasing since the crowd roared with applause. Having done his duty, he stumbled out of the hall and began walking once familiar corridors.

    Anla had been speaking with Al and Telbarisk for a few moments, then realized her husband was missing. The three left and looked around for him.

    ¡°Trail him,¡± Al suggested and she cocked her head to concentrate before laughing lightly.

    ¡°He¡¯s stumbling drunk,¡± she said, following her husband¡¯s staggering gait.

    After several turns down dusty corridors and stained carpets, they arrived at a room with an open door. They peered into a massive room with a large bed, large closet, and attached bathroom that hadn¡¯t seen any use in a long time. Ripped curtains hung off the windows, allowing a little more light from the lit grounds to pass through. On the bed, face down, was a man in dark clothes.

    ¡°And I thought your bedroom was large, Al,¡± Anla whispered, walking quietly to the bed. She sat next to Caudin and moved his hair off his forehead. ¡°Ainler?¡±

    He murmured.

    ¡°Do you want to go back to the hotel?¡±

    In response, he grabbed her waist and pulled her next to him on the bed. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sleep, guys. Good night.¡±

    ¡°Good night,¡± Al said, wandering off to find a place for he and Tel. Before he did, though, he took a moment to stop, look around, and grin.

 Chapter 252

    Caudin snorted awake. His head hurt and his mouth tasted like he¡¯d eaten pig tripe in a shoe trencher. As he peeled his eyelids open and looked up at the ceiling, he had a very queer feeling take over. It was two different decades, his first and his third, warring as to which was correct.

    This was his bedroom. Belisant would be in any moment with his morning tea and¡­no. Belisant was dead. He was a trirec¡­no. He was Caudin, yes, but he was not a boy, but he was in his childhood bedroom. There had been a party. The Kalronists¡­

    He moaned as he shifted. It was too much to consider when his head pounded behind his eyes. Anla moved into his vision, smiling. ¡°Morning,¡± she said. ¡°Shall I see if I can get someone to make you something?¡±

    ¡°Mnyah,¡± he said. He thought it would come out more erudite, for some reason. He sat up, smacking his lips as he tried to clear the old wine taste from his mouth.

    ¡°Are you two decent?¡± Al asked, his head popping in through the crack in the open door.

    ¡°We are,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°I had the staff make you breakfast and tea. I think the head, the Master of the Household, would like to speak with you immediately as well as a long list of others. We wanted to give you your privacy.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s still here?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°There were quite a few rooms that were empty. I believe most of the Royalists stayed.¡±

    ¡°Okay, good. I think if the Master wants to speak while we take breakfast, that will be fine. After I¡¯m dressed I¡¯ll speak with my short council. I¡¯ll need you there for that. Tell them we¡¯ll need to discuss the most urgent issues, including what to do with all the prisoners and the aristocrats that turned to the Kalronists, starting with Denitore.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± He grinned, bowed, and left just before a cart was wheeled in and man in a worn uniform kept as clean as possible entered.

    ¡°And it begins,¡± Caudin said to his wife under his breath.

    His headache was still pronounced when he sat at the head of a table his father had used for more intimate gatherings, like for cards or cigars. There were two copies of a newspaper being read by Jemerie and Esquieth, who closed his and handed it to Caudin. It boldly proclaimed on the front page that their prince has returned.

    ¡°Commres used some of his own money to print enough copies that everyone in Eri Ranvel knows,¡± Jemerie said.

    ¡°As if ringing the bells wasn¡¯t a big enough clue?¡± He¡¯d heard every single clang.

    ¡°The Kalronists rang that bell so often, I¡¯m surprised it didn¡¯t crack and then remain that way since they never cared for anything.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ll need to do a walkthrough of the palace today,¡± Caudin said soberly. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to the Master of the Household about it. Now, to first order of business: the prisoners.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve transferred all the members from the other ball to the jail in Hemrikel. It¡¯s quite full, even though we did release anyone who seemed caught in a bad situation. We¡¯ll be conducting interviews with higher priority people.¡±

    ¡°Good. The next order of business, then is¡­¡± he looked at his notes.

    ¡°The coronation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, wait, what? The coronation? No, we have some very pressing issues, like how to deal with the rogue peerage and getting the supply lines enacted. The coronation can wait.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t,¡± Jemerie said, putting his hand on the table and leaning forward. ¡°We will take care of those problems soon, but planning for the coronation needs to happen immediately. Having our king sitting on the throne with legitimacy will solve a lot of problems. It will give us a figurehead. It will renew the faith of the people. It will project strength to other countries.¡±

    ¡°But, coronations don¡¯t come cheaply and money and supplies are something we have little of,¡± Caudin argued.

    ¡°Traditionally, yes, they are exceedingly lavish. But, we think it would be a great opportunity to show the public that we are willing to cut expenses to help the nation recover.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°Fine, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll tie it together with the wedding.¡±

    ¡°Wedding?¡± he said, tensing. ¡°I¡¯m already married, surely you¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    His mood had changed so drastically that it took a few moments for Esquieth to find the right words to say. ¡°Your Highness, we don¡¯t mean for you to marry anyone other than your wife. This will be more like a renewal of vows so that the Arvonnese people can claim the marriage as their own, hopefully also embracing your wife as their queen.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re envisioning it as a three-part ceremony, again to save money,¡± Jemerie said. ¡°Your coronation, followed by your wedding, then our queen¡¯s coronation.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to start very early in the morning,¡± Caudin said and the room laughed as the tension broke. ¡°I think it would be fair to ask my wife if she wants to marry me.¡±

    ¡°Let me think on it,¡± she said, tapping her lip with her fingertip. She stopped and smiled. ¡°Yes, ainler. I¡¯ll marry you again.¡±

    They broke for lunch after a few hours of discussing a small fraction of the long list of high priority things that must happen immediately. Caudin felt beaten down by the sheer scale of the work, then reminded himself that this was only the first day and it was only going to get worse.

    Revinpel was the name of the Master of the Household. Caudin remembered him in a fairly high position, a Page of Chambers or Palace Steward, when he was younger. Apparently he¡¯d been groomed by the Deputy Master to take over some day, not knowing that the job would land in his lap when everyone above him refused to work for the Kalronists and were fired or jailed. Revinpel was just as patriotic as everyone else around him, he just interpreted it as doing his job as well as possible instead of protesting. He was no-nonsense, bland, and held no opinions about anything other than keeping things traditional. The man kept combing his balding hair straight back because it was the style that the Head always wore. While he was not a man Caudin was going to befriend, he hired him partially because he fit his job well and mostly because the palace would fall apart without the steady order he brought to the place.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Many of the rooms were disused, stripped, or wrecked over the years,¡± he said as Caudin, Anla, Al, Rogesh, and Jemerie took the post-lunch tour with him. ¡°I can personally vouch that none of my people were responsible for any theft or damage done, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± he said.

    Revinpel pulled out his set of keys and opened large double doors. ¡°After the fourth or fifth year, we began reducing the amount of the palace used. I personally made monthly checks on those areas and we did a yearly cleaning. I apologize, Sire, since they were done in the beginning of spring last year.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have anticipated this would happen,¡± Caudin said as they walked down the corridor. A thin layer of dust coated the floor and furniture, at least what was left of the latter. There were conspicuous areas where banquets, chairs, and benches were missing. Even more obvious were the shredded portraits and shattered busts that were handled with as much care as possible.

    ¡°It¡¯s an outrage,¡± Rogesh said as he stared at a statue of Caudin¡¯s great-great-great grandmother, Queen Bidelia, whose head laid in front of the pedestal and whose white marble body was splattered with stains so dark red they were almost black, save the thinner, smeared handprint that told the tale of a man¡¯s final moments as he clung to her dress¡¯s hem.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the appropriate thing to do would be.¡± Caudin took a step towards the statue, examining it more. ¡°Do you clean and repair to wash the tragedy away or do you keep everything as is to preserve the history?¡±

    ¡°Something that can wait, Sire,¡± Jemerie said.

    He nodded and they continued.

    The corridor to the monarch¡¯s apartment was unlocked and well-used. ¡°The former Chancellor took these as his own shortly after the Coup,¡± Revinpel said.

    Caudin sneered, then said, ¡°Of course he did. Well, let¡¯s see what he did.¡±

    They entered another hallway and Caudin went immediately to the Queen¡¯s chambers. He stood in the doorway as he took everything in, the garishly ornate curtains and bedspreads, the change in furniture, the smell of foreign perfume. He couldn¡¯t decide which was worse: someone using his mother¡¯s things or someone replacing them with their own tacky pieces.

    He walked inside and opened the door to a large inset and was met with a brick wall. He fumbled for a moment as the Royalists shared a worried look with each other. ¡°Could have sworn there was a servant¡¯s staircase there,¡± Caudin said, laughing nervously.

    ¡°There was, Your Highness,¡± Revinpel said. ¡°The former Chancellor was worried about people using it without his guards being able to vet visitors, so he bricked this one and the one in the King¡¯s apartments.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Well, not good; we¡¯ll have it unbricked to make things easier for the staff. I meant ¡®good¡¯ since I thought my memory was off. I recollected playing in there and bothering the staff until they gave me pastries.¡±

    ¡°It does lead to the kitchens, Sire.¡±

    He nodded and walked through his mother¡¯s dressing room to his father¡¯s. ¡°Smells like cheap cigars,¡± he said.

    ¡°The former chancellor was fond of smoking them.¡±

    He opened the window to his father¡¯s balcony to air the room out and was met with cheers. Blindsided by a crowd of several dozen if not a hundred that had formed on the streets outside Dilvestrar, he smiled weakly and waved to the crowd.

    ¡°Well, I think we need to have a speech today as well,¡± Jemerie said, poking his head outside quickly. ¡°At the very least a greeting.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly; then. I¡¯d like to see what shape the Paradiv dri Arvron is in.¡±

    Anla stepped out of the chambers with her husband. ¡°What are all the other rooms?¡±

    ¡°There are bathrooms on the other sides of the bedrooms, then private dens, offices, reading rooms, solariums, and collection rooms.¡±

    ¡°This whole wing was your parents¡¯?¡±

    ¡°And now ours, I suppose. You¡¯ll get my mother¡¯s rooms, about seven in total, and then we¡¯ll share another eight, no nine.¡±

    She looked sad for a moment. ¡°Do I have to sleep in my bedroom?¡±

    ¡°If you want any rest,¡± he murmured close to her ear, then kissed her temple. ¡°They will be your rooms. Whether you use them is up to you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®paradise of Arvonne¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful piece of art I¡¯ve ever seen, and you know I¡¯ve seen a lot. It¡¯s a mural in the Summer Dining Room that takes up a whole wall. I will honestly say that if they defaced it somehow, I will be crushed by that despair.¡±

    She squeezed his hand and kept walking alongside Caudin.

    The whole Summer Wing had been unused and was in the same condition as the first corridor they had walked down. Caudin stopped in front of a small portrait of his mother and father, circular burn marks about the same size as a cigar over their faces. He scowled, then moved on to the dining room.

    A large section of the room was draped in a large curtain. His stomach churned. He took a deep breath, then tugged the fabric off the wall. The group beheld a giant painting of the Twelve interacting with the land of Arvonne, each giving a boon of some kind. Its subject wasn¡¯t uncommon; other palaces had similar paintings on their walls. However, none had one with such exquisite detail. The clouds looked like they were rolling across the sky. The trees of the northern forests had been painted with cat whiskers, if the rumors were to be believed. And faces, sometimes as small as a quarter, looked the same as they would have in a portrait.

    ¡°They did one thing right, leaving this alone. Just the one, though.¡± He turned to address Revinpel. ¡°I¡¯d like a report from you as soon as possible on how many people you will need to reestablish order to this place. We cannot afford to live as lavishly as we once did, but I think we can do better than a skeleton crew.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Your Highness. I will have it to you by this evening.¡±

    Caudin stood in front the painting, looking up with Anladet, on the first day of the year. They were there again doing the same thing almost two and a half months later, this time he was bedecked in a blue velvet flared jacket, green satin undershirt, gold breeches, white stockings, and shiny, black shoes. Anla wore a long, blue dress with gold embroidery, a green satin undercoat, white gloves, and one of the few remaining sets of diamond jewelry.

    The clock in the hallway chimed pleasantly as the bells for Aliorna¡¯s hour rang a few blocks over in the private temple of the monarchy. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Caudin said.

    Anla stifled a yawn. She had been up for four hours already, a flurry of activity for her toiletries and dressing. She nodded and took his arm as they walked to the grand entrance of Dilvestrar. They split at the top of the stairs and took opposite sides down, they way lined with guards. They rejoined and walked past lines of dignitaries, advisors, and all forty-four principals. Al stood stock still, trying his best to wipe the stupid grin off his face and failing. Tel nodded with a smile when the two of them made eye contact.

    They waited while the final touches were added by a priest of Magrithon. Caudin received the vestments due to him as a prince: his ermine-lined robe, his circlet, his saber and knife, and a draping sash of gold cloth with a crowned sun and rays embroidered. Anla¡¯s costume had been trickier, since she was technically a duchess married to a prince, but not a princess. She received a plain cloak of purple with a gold embroidered edge, a modest tiara, and the reset wedding belt of Caudin¡¯s aunt to his uncle.

    The two turned once more and walked slowly to the carriage that awaited them. Ahead for miles were guards of different orders, delegations from every duchy and island Arvonne inhabited, and representatives of the Twelve. Even though the carriage had panes of glass, he could still hear the crowd roaring from the streets.

    It was just the two of them. He peered out the windows and waved, watching the people. ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± she asked.

    He smiled. ¡°A lot. Mostly that this feels exactly the opposite of where Raulin would want to be. He¡¯d hate being the center of attention, exposed and open for attack with no clear goal in mind. He wouldn¡¯t mind some pageantry, if on a spying contract, but this would be far too much for him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Raulin anymore,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know. Just reflecting.¡±

    She was wrong, he thought, waving at a group of children waving the Arvonnese flag on the ends of sticks. You couldn¡¯t erase eighteen years of your life. Though he knew he wasn¡¯t as sharp as he¡¯d once been, he still used the skills he¡¯d acquired. Along the route, he took in all the people, including one shadowy figure in a cloak who disappeared after the carriage had passed. During his speech after his coronation, he was surprised to see the ambassador from Sayen wearing a disgusted sneer. And during his second wedding, he felt the wine in the cup they shared tasted strangely metallic. He was later told they steeped it in herbs sacred to Beliforn, which he wished they would have told him before the nuptials, since he almost threw the goblet to the ground and spat out the wine.

    He was still Raulin. He¡¯d forever be Raulin. This was something he could keep close to his chest and not let anyone know. For while his immediate focus was to be Caudin, it didn¡¯t hurt to rely on instincts.

 Chapter 253

    One of Telbarisk¡¯s new realizations while he stayed in Eri Ranvel was that rumors were a powerful thing while essentially being nothing. They were words, breath and sound that created an idea. Still, he knew the power that these weightless, heavy things could have. It was the reason why his brother paced his new home in the mountains far from Nourabrikot in impotent frustration.

    The household staff of Dilvestrar assumed he was dim-witted and unable to speak or understand Arvonnese. He knew that because he had no obligations as the Ervaskin Ambassador and often sat in places to watch, and to listen to, people. The palace workers were liberal in their gossip, especially the maids. It was thought by some that Alpine was stealing things, but no one had found anything in his room, so it was usually dismissed with some chiding of the speaker. There were some thoughts on where their king had been all these years, but surprisingly they didn¡¯t speak much about him. No, the focus of the rumors was squarely on Anladet.

    They knew she was half-elven. While the papers had focused more on her Arvonnese lineage, they had let it ¡°slip¡± in an article that she had been born in western Ashven duchy, where the elves lived. She would be in the public eye constantly, therefore it had been considered pointless to try to cover up who her mother¡¯s people were. But, this meant that speculation on her differences ran wild. Had she bewitched the king into marriage? Was she planning on taking over the throne? If so, what did she hope to gain by it?

    Of course, Telbarisk knew the truth. He knew that Caudin would bloody his arm if Anladet ensorcelled him. He knew that she really had no aspirations to the throne and would have preferred they lived quietly in Aviz. She gained nothing by being the queen. In fact, she was slowly losing quite a bit.

    Caudin tried to invite Telbarisk and Alpine to private meals in their apartments whenever possible. In a strange way, it felt like older times in Gheny, when they picked whatever restaurant they wished to dine and enjoyed each others company. He attended whenever asked. Sometimes Alpine did as well, and sometimes Caudin wasn¡¯t able to attend after something arose. Anladet was always there and Telbarisk always watched her, just as he watched everyone else. She was becoming rigid, overly pleasing, and falsely happy. Her smiles were tight, the kind she plastered on her face when she was upset but wanted others to think she was fine.

    It was after a few dinners that Telbarisk uncomfortably spoke with Caudin about this. The springtime air was comfortable, making it ideal for taking dinners on the balcony that overlooked the garden courtyard. Alpine was still busy with some planning and Anladet was getting dressed for an event they had that evening and would join them late. ¡°It¡¯s just us for now,¡± Caudin said, fanning out his napkin. He disliked being waited on during these meals, save having the food served, so they weren¡¯t bothered. ¡°How is everything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still quite happy,¡± he said. ¡°The gardeners have been kind in letting me sleep outside and have even started to make me a private area with hedges and trees overgrowing, like a cave.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°If you need anything else, let me know. I can¡¯t make it snow for you, but I can have them move rocks and moss to your area.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. He picked at his meal for a few minutes before asking, ¡°How is Anladet?¡±

    ¡°Fine, I believe. Why?¡± he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

    ¡°It is a strange position for her. I often wonder if she¡¯s growing into her place, like you have, or if the position is bearing down.¡±

    ¡°She seems happy when I¡¯ve spoken to her. Is there something I¡¯m missing?¡±

    ¡°The servants speak of her often when cleaning or cooking. They wonder if she¡¯s casting spells, or if she¡¯s bewitched you into marrying her.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s mouth crooked up in the corner. ¡°They aren¡¯t wrong about the latter, though it wasn¡¯t magic. I might question it, too, if she hadn¡¯t caught my eye while she was sleeping, but I was already enamored before she ever spoke to me.¡±

    ¡°Some of the things they say are unkind, such as stories about her people.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop the servants from gossiping. Besides, Anla is too busy to hear them speak of her.¡± He took a bite of food and chewed for a few moments before setting his fork down. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s listening to the rumors later, with her magic?¡±

    ¡°I suspect it. I haven¡¯t asked her yet. I was hoping you could stop it and she wouldn¡¯t be trying so hard to pretend it doesn¡¯t bother her.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could. If I forbade the servants from speaking as they wished, they would resent me for it. Perhaps it would remind them of the last regime. It would definitely drop morale and I need the country, even the most wretched busybody in this household, to feel safe enough to spend their money, so that others will get jobs and open businesses to handle the demand. Maybe if I thought it would work, I would, just to make my wife happy. But, it wouldn¡¯t. They¡¯d just be more careful where they spoke.¡±

    Telbarisk nodded his head slowly, sadly. Caudin caught this and frowned. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If there was a way for you to silence them, even for just a few days, I think you¡¯d see an improvement in her mood.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think there was a problem to begin with. What do you see that makes you feel she¡¯s not happy?¡±

    Telbarisk listed a few things, such as her hard smile and her terse, bland responses. ¡°She has a sneaky, humorous look that she gives you that I know brings a smile to your face. I haven¡¯t seen it in some time.¡±

    Caudin pondered this, then frowned after a few moments. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been too busy to realize it. Thank you for letting me know.¡±

    And when Anladet arrived for dinner, Caudin saw that his friend was right. She sat prim and proper, ate dainty bites, and spoke in short sentences that gave her an air of vapidity. Caudin clicked his tongue, then said, ¡°Ainle, would you like to go to Tamarinde with me in a few days? Duke Challe is having some difficulty retaking his seat and requested I lend him some help. I think we can repay his favor of escorting us through the region.¡±

    Her eyes lit up, but she asked, ¡°Would that be all right? You still have so much to do here.¡±

    ¡°We have so much to do,¡± he corrected, ¡°and it will have to be all right. Al will stay and make decisions on our behalf and we¡¯ll push off what we can. Now is a better time, since most people are waiting for things to get better before they host parties.¡±

    ¡°Well, then,¡± she said, giving him a sly look, ¡°I think we should.¡±

    Caudin met Telbarisk¡¯s gaze for just a brief moment, but he could tell things were headed in a good direction.

    * * *

    It took a few days of negotiation. It was a terrible time. The logistics were too difficult. There was far too much to do. It was dangerous. Caudin reminded his counselors and advisors that they had been working tirelessly since last fall and they needed a short break. This would look well for the monarchy. It would show they cared for their subjects and would bring stability to a sorely needed area. When that persuasion didn¡¯t work, he crossed his arms and told them to make it work.

    The retinue would be small. They found a sleeper coach and enough horses to trade out as well as a team and guards and provisions. Caudin vaguely remembered some hundred people accompanying him and his family when they went to the beach. They were bringing about forty.

    It was a few days after their real wedding anniversary that Caudin and Anla left for Tamarinde. Even with the constant travel, it would take them five days to reach Alosreal, where the duchy seat of Castle Nauvrige sat on a cliff overlooking the busy town. That latter was a great sign; a busy town was a productive one. They had seen lumberjacks hauling timber into town and several merchants on the road as well as some curious cairns.

    ¡°What do those represent?¡± she asked Caudin, who looked up from his paperwork. She pointed to two stacks of rocks joined on the top by one longer, flat rock on top of a tree stump.

    ¡°Ah, those are fairy houses. When they take wood from the forest, they leave those should the fairies be displaced. They hold to their customs here a little stronger than most places in Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°Are there actual fairies?¡±

    ¡°Likely not, but don¡¯t tell the people that. In one of his rare mistakes, my brother wound up arguing with some boys in Alosreal over the fairies¡¯ validity and wound up having to apologize to the gathering crowd. My father explained that it was better to accept their beliefs as harmless than break their customs, especially since they still worshiped the Twelve and were good subjects.¡±

    ¡°Sakilei said there were fairies out west where he grew up. He wasn¡¯t lying.¡± She rested her chin on her fist as she continued to look. ¡°I wonder what it would have been like to visit western Gheny.¡±

    ¡°Is that what¡¯s been bothering you?¡±

    She turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m not bothered, ainler.¡±

    He scooted next to her and tipped her chin up. ¡°There are times when you seem happy and times when you are happy. You¡¯ve only seemed happy lately.¡±

    ¡°Things are fine. I¡¯m not-.¡±

    ¡°Honestly. Please.¡±

    She sighed and turned to face him. ¡°As the queen I have two responsibilities. If I keep you happy, I¡¯ve fulfilled the first.¡±

    ¡°And the second is?¡±

    ¡°Bearing your children. I¡¯m still without child and I know how important that task is.¡±

    ¡°Tch, it takes time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what they¡­¡± She stopped.

    ¡°So, you have been listening to rumors.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t, I know, but they speak sense. We¡¯ve been married for a year now. I know you stopped taking the tea when we landed in Kitstuar, which means we¡¯ve had at least ten chances to conceive.¡±

    ¡°I stopped taking the tea when we took Dilvestrar.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, blinking.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring a child into the madness of a siege or being hunted down. When we took back the palace, it was the first time I felt it would be fine to be a father. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you. And I also don¡¯t know how long the tea takes to wear off. Either way, the blame is not on you but on me.¡± He put his arm around her and she moved closer. ¡°It will happen. Don¡¯t listen to what they say; gossipers know half as much as they think they do and say it with twice as much confidence as they should.¡±

    The carriages stopped and the master groomsman addressed them after a few minutes. ¡°Your Radiance, Your Highness, the road to Nauvrige is temporarily closed. They¡¯ve had heavy rains in the area and there are trees blocking the way. Duke Challe sends his apologies and has had his men clearing the way since yesterday. There¡¯s only a little more work, perhaps a few hours, before the way is cleared.¡±

    ¡°Tell him we will be in Alosreal until the road is ready and take a team of volunteers to help.¡±

    ¡°Very good, Sire.¡±

    They quickly put on what was called their working circlets, plain crowns of silver leaves that fitted around the posterior lobe of the head instead of resting atop it. The groomsman opened the door and helped them each step onto a block he had put down.

    There was already a small crowd of plainly dressed townsfolk gaping at the carriage line. Caudin took Anla¡¯s hand and headed into the town, both of them smiling and nodding at the people. Anla gasped lightly and tugged Caudin over to table set outside a shop. There were several roughly hewn items, including several dolls with pointed ears. The older woman who was tending the store stopped whittling and took the pipe from her mouth.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Anla bent over to inspect the dolls, holding one up. ¡°Grandmother, why do they look like this?¡± she asked the woman.

    ¡°They¡¯re for the elves, dear. We place them in our windows and the elves take it as a sign of respect.¡± The woman pulled a pair of old, cracked spectacles from her pocket and put them on.

    ¡°How much for one?¡± Anla asked.

    The woman¡¯s face turned red and pulled her apron over her face, darting into the shop.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Anla called after her.

    A man chuckled from behind her and she turned. ¡°I think she¡¯s embarrassed, Your Highness. She didn¡¯t know who you were and now she thinks she¡¯s offended you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not offended,¡± she said. ¡°I just wanted to buy one of her dolls. Grandmother! I¡¯d like to buy this one, please.¡± She held up a doll to the darkened doorway of the shop.

    A young woman came outside. ¡°She said it¡¯s yours, a gift.¡±

    She turned to Caudin, who had an amused look on his face. He had once told her that some people found gift rejections unfathomably rude while others expected a begrudging back and forth. He pressed his thumb into his palm. She turned back to the shop. ¡°I¡¯m honored, but I insist on paying for it. How much does she charge?¡±

    ¡°Fifteen von,¡± the woman said before her skirts were clutched and she was dragged back.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll pay twenty, then. Thank you, grandmother.¡± She took a small purse from a clerk, counted out the von, and placed them where the doll had stood. She held it up to inspect. While she couldn¡¯t say it was a thing of great beauty, nor was it factual, it had a certain charm to it. This one had intricate detail on the loincloth the elf wore and even fine score marks that indicated hair. She handed it to one of her ladies-in-waiting. Though the crowd looked hungrily at the money on the table, no one touched it.

    ¡°May I ask Your Highness why she chose to buy one of our dolls?¡± the man from earlier asked.

    She looked to Caudin again, who nodded quickly before they continued walking into the town. ¡°I¡¯m always curious how people view the elves. It¡¯s always different. Our friend Telbarisk, who is a grivven, said his people got along with the elves. In Gheny it¡¯s far different.¡±

    ¡°The elves are real?¡± a lady in the crowd asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. ¡°My mother was an elf. I grew up in an elven village in Gheny.¡±

    The crowd softly muttered at this revelation. ¡°Are they real here?¡± the same woman asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t met one, but perhaps they are still out there.¡±

    The main road opened to many shops and side streets. Anla pointed out things that interested her, like the roof decorations or the tightly packed herb gardens that were starting to sprout. The man stepped forward finally and asked, ¡°Your Radiance, may I ask what you¡¯re doing here? Not that we aren¡¯t blessed by your presence¡­¡±

    ¡°The Duke has asked us to visit,¡± he said. ¡°The road is still blocked, so we thought we¡¯d walk through your town in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so the queen isn¡¯t pointing out things that need to change?¡±

    ¡°Gods, no! She genuinely charmed by your ways.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well then¡­¡± he said, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    An older man came out a few minutes later after the man ran to get him. He struggled to keep his sash on the right way as he hustled to the group led by Caudin and Anladet. ¡°Greetings, Your Radiance. We had no idea you would be here. My name is Camin Strokel and I¡¯m the mayor of Alosreal. I¡¯d like to welcome you and the queen to our humble place.¡± He finished with a bow.

    ¡°Thank you, Mayor Strokel. My wife and I were learning about your history and customs. We¡¯d appreciate it if you could continue our education.¡±

    And so he did for the greater part of two hours, covering everything the man could think of. Anla asked plenty of questions, and if she wasn¡¯t genuinely interested in what he was saying, she did a wonderful job at faking it.

    Finally, they received word that the road was clear of debris. They bid the townsfolk goodbye and returned to the carriages, which had a hard, but not difficult time of making it up the road to Nauvrige. The Duke was waiting for them at the gate and bowed deeply. ¡°I am terribly sorry about the road and the delay, Your Radiance,¡± he said. ¡°It seems it¡¯s difficult finding good help around here.¡±

    Caudin ignored the last comment. ¡°It¡¯s no concern, Your Grace. We spent time in Alosreal, learning about our subjects.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then you see why I have issues.¡± Caudin and Anla both gave puzzled looks at his comment. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get you comfortable and see to your things. You must want to rest after your long travels. Dinner will be served at six-thirty.¡±

    There was a royal apartment set in the donjon, and as at her home in Dilvestrar, Anla put her belongings in her room but intended to sleep in Caudin¡¯s bed. She changed into a white gown with metallic threads that would look lovely by the candlelight and handed her day clothes to her ladies to brush out. It was strange how easily the comforts of royalty came to her now.

    Dinner was impressive: roast lamb and suckling pig, desserts with fresh fruit and chocolate, several soups, including one with vegetables that weren¡¯t yet in season. The conversation was light and witty, though not very deep. That came during the after-dinner brandy.

    They retired to the Duke¡¯s drawing room, a confused look on his face as Anla followed them. ¡°Your Highness, my wife is dead these past four years, but I do have a daughter about your age. If you¡¯d like I could call her to keep you company or¡­¡±

    ¡°You called on us to help you with your issues,¡± Caudin said. ¡°My wife is quite intelligent and insightful. She will be an asset to our meeting.¡±

    Anla beamed at him and followed the group into the room.

    They sat and listened as Duke Challe explained the situation. ¡°I understand that they¡¯re mad at me. As The Sparrow, I was part of the problem, not of the solution. I stole from my people, I kidnapped them, I¡¯m sure I even killed some of them. I am sorry for that. But, now I am here as their rightful leader and they are showing me contempt instead of respect.¡±

    ¡°My father always reminded me that respect is something earned, not freely gained,¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°Yes, yes, for the peasants I¡¯m sure it¡¯s that way,¡± he said, gesturing with his brandy snifter, ¡°but I am their duke. You said yourself that everyone must do their part to turn this country around.¡±

    ¡°And what has been your part?¡± Anla asked, very carefully using an interested tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been three months. Taxes haven¡¯t been collected. It¡¯s hard to do much when you have no money.¡±

    ¡°Your grounds are well cared for. The gardens are as good as the townsfolk¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve hired some people to clean up the place, to help stimulate the economy.¡±

    ¡°And what have you paid them with?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°Well, when we get the taxes in, they will be paid.¡±

    ¡°And how does that help them now?¡±

    ¡°It will, it will¡­¡±

    Caudin cleared his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understood what I meant by ¡®wading into our baths¡¯ at the Convocation of the Peerage. We can¡¯t return things to the way they were overnight. You can¡¯t fix your castle in a year and expect our subjects to be pleased at where their taxes are going.¡±

    Duke Challe leaned forward in his chair. ¡°So, we starve and they get everything? We are due our riches! We are god-blooded and they are not!¡±

    Caudin frowned and shook his head. ¡°Challe, our blood gets us nothing without our people. I know you had a hard time. I know you wish for what you feel is owed. I¡¯m asking you to strike a balance with what you need and what you want. Somewhere in there is a place where your people don¡¯t starve and you still get some boons to your position.¡±

    He scoffed. ¡°This is all easy for you. Dilvestrar is gleaming and full of servants.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only hired as many as we thought necessary. There are still several wings that are closed off until we can afford to open them. I believe we¡¯re operating at fifty-five percent, as the head of my household recently told me. And our meals do not include tomatoes and strawberries out of season.¡±

    Caudin took a sip. ¡°What have you been doing to improve your people?¡±

    ¡°You saw the lumber, yes? We¡¯re trading with Mielsa.¡±

    Caudin soured at this news. ¡°I applaud the effort, but I wouldn¡¯t rely on that in the long term.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Duke Challe asked.

    ¡°I have greater obstacles at the moment, but soon I will have to expel Sayen from our lands.¡±

    ¡°I see. I will try to diversify, then.¡±

    ¡°What of the craftsmen in Alosreal?¡± Anla asked. ¡°I noticed your sub- our subjects- are quite deft and detailed with their ability in woodwork.¡±

    ¡°No one wants to buy carvings of bears and roof ornaments.¡±

    ¡°We do. I bought one of those dolls that looks like an elf.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked, slouching back in his seat.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the first thing in this country that¡¯s felt like home.¡±

    Caudin raised his eyebrows lightly and gave her a considering look. He turned back to Duke Challe after a sip of brandy. ¡°We¡¯d be more than happy to buy a larger, multi-worker piece for our gardens in Dilvestrar.¡±

    ¡°Or,¡± Anla said, ¡°we could fashion a guest room into one of this region. Wouldn¡¯t that be lovely, a hand-carved bed with d¨¦cor from Tamarinde?¡±

    Duke Challe snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you two see, but it¡¯s your money.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re never going to earn respect if you don¡¯t respect the people in return,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Stop looking at your people in terms of needs and understand the wants.¡±

    ¡°Nobody wants anything now! We¡¯re still crushed under the foot of the Kalronists, even if they¡¯re gone. And I¡¯m still stuck with people who hate me because I survived when they stuck to their principles and died.¡±

    Caudin frowned and said nothing for a minute, swirling his brandy. Finally, he said, ¡°This is worse than I thought. Challe, we share the same great-grandfather and you are my cousin. I have so few members of my family left that I treasure them. But you are shaming me right now. You have much to repent to your people and in return you demand they adore you and give you things. This is not how this will work.

    ¡°Tomorrow, you will accompany us into Alosreal and see who your people are. You will listen and you will change. I am not above finding a better suited replacement to rule this duchy and moving you to a land starved of good people and leadership.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t! How dare you threaten me, in my own-¡±

    ¡°You forget yourself!¡± Caudin said, standing abruptly. ¡°I am in your manse because I have allowed the aristocracy to return! By my leave, not yours! These are my lands and you are wasting them with greed and impudence.¡±

    He took a moment as he watched the Duke, a surly expression still on his face. ¡°We cannot rise too fast. It will break us if we do. And if we squeeze the people we are no better than what we just tore down. For a time our dukes will live as marquesses, our marquesses as counts, and so on through all of our aristocracy as if our place hangs on thin thread. Because it does. So, we will go down to the town tomorrow and you will remember that those people have held on through the toughest eighteen years our country has ever known. You will learn about their strengths and you will use them, just as I will use you to help repair this country.¡± He set his brandy snifter down and offered his hand to Anla. ¡°We are retiring early this evening.¡±

    If he had thought his speech would have any impact on his cousin, Caudin was disappointed when they met in the morning. Decorum forced Duke Challe to be polite, but he was obviously chafing against demands. He only spoke when spoken to and took a separate carriage down to the town.

    Spirits were not high when Caudin and Anla stepped out and she had to force some of the enthusiasm that had come naturally. She waved at the crowd gathering again, who seemed to squint in suspicion at Duke Challe¡¯s presence. The mayor met with them again, his smile tight when greeting his duke, but very pleased to hear about their commission. ¡°Your Radiances, I will make sure to find the best woodworkers in Tamarinde to plan and create a masterful piece for you.¡±

    As they walked, some of the townsfolk came to visit or to give gifts to their rulers. The woman from yesterday¡¯s daughter rushed forward, curtseyed low, and pressed an intricate carving into Anla¡¯s hand. ¡°From my mother, Your Radiance. She said this is for conceiving healthy, strong boys and for a safe delivery.¡±

    ¡°Tell her I said thank you and that I am honored by this treasure.¡± She smiled, but it slipped from her face quickly. It was hard not to hear the echoes of the murmured conversations of the servants who made their bed in Dilvestrar and their comments about her skinniness, her heritage, and the whispers that Caudin¡¯s eyes, and hands, had already strayed. A piece of their gossip must be true, they said, and that¡¯s why Arvonne had no heirs. It didn¡¯t matter that Caudin had set the story straight or that she¡¯d ignored all the rumors in Mount Kalista. This was different.

    They said their goodbyes and a stiff farewell to Duke Challe, who left almost insultingly quick after they shook hands. The entourage prepared for the trek back to Dilvestrar and Caudin had a few moments alone with his wife outside their carriage. ¡°You wear your heart on your sleeve, ainle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I do. It¡¯s something I must learn to control.¡±

    ¡°It will take time, but please don¡¯t be hard on yourself. I know you¡¯re trying and I am as well.¡±

    He leaned down to kiss her and she smiled as they looked at each other. The shove to the ground came so suddenly, she wasn¡¯t coherent until she saw Caudin running into the woods as fast as he could. She blinked and accepted a groomsman¡¯s hand as she stood, a crossbow bolt imbedded into the carriage where her torso had been. She searched into the woods off the road. Another bolt went wild, soaring over the carriage¡¯s roof and she relaxed a little. She turned and realized the whole entourage was watching. ¡°Behind the carriage!¡± she said, moving them back in case another bolt was loosed.

    Several guards and Caudin emerged from the brush a few minutes later. Other than a bloody lip, Caudin was unscathed. He took off his jacket that was covered in dirt smudges, and handed it to his dresser. He hugged his wife as the man and his crossbow were dragged out. ¡°Care to lend an ear while we ask this man a few questions?¡± he murmured into her ear.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said.

    He bent down in front of the man, short-bearded and dark blond, bleeding and bruised. His hands were cuffed to the outside of the wheels, stretched a little as he wasn¡¯t a very tall man. ¡°Whose man are you?¡± Caudin asked.

    The would-be assassin looked up with dazed eyes. He had been knocked senseless and he was barely conscious. Anla knelt down and his gaze drifted from her eyes to elsewhere, not locking onto anything. ¡°You should tell us your name,¡± she said.

    His head rolled back and forth a few times, but he said nothing. Anla whispered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to speak.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­or he doesn¡¯t understand. That would means he¡¯s foreign.¡± His face had already clouded by the time he finished his thought. ¡°Svre cauli afrou pintous?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Mre Vinkep As¡¯is Onplai,¡± he mumbled. Caudin let out a hiss, but continued to ask questions that were answered by the contused man. Caudin stood and brushed himself off, calling his head guard over, who stumbled into a kneel and begged forgiveness.

    ¡°Forgiven,¡± Caudin said without much thought. ¡°We have a situation. This man is part of the Network. He needs to be locked up, but we have several days¡¯ travel ahead of us. He will likely escape any restraints we can put him in.¡±

    ¡°The Network, Your Radiance?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see. We could execute him, Sire.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do that. He deserves a trial.¡±

    ¡°We could give him to Duke Challe, Sire.¡±

    Caudin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s really our only choice.¡±

    The man was uncuffed from the wheels and recuffed for travel. The head guard personally delivered him to Duke Challe with three other men. Once they left for Nauvrige, Caudin stepped into the carriage with Anla. ¡°I actually thought he was Challe¡¯s man for a moment,¡± he said once they had privacy.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Network?¡±

    ¡°The Sayenese spy association,¡± he said, wiping his hands on his trousers. ¡°They¡¯re trained similarly to trirecs, but not as brutally. They¡¯re not as good, but still not someone I¡¯d want to cross.¡±

    ¡°He was assigned to kill you or to scare you? Or to kill me?¡±

    ¡°He was aiming for me, I believe. Thankfully they don¡¯t, or didn¡¯t, know about my merit.¡±

    ¡°Why assassinate you? They had plenty of time to kill the Kalronists.¡±

    ¡°The Kalronists let the Sayenese do whatever they pleased. Now that the legitimate heir is back, my grandfather knows his country¡¯s occupation of the Mielsa will be challenged.¡±

    Anla whispered, ¡°And without an heir, the line of succession will definitely die with you.¡±

    He grabbed her hands and kissed them. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be worried about that. I will sort things out with Sayen when we have a stronger presence. Until then, I will have to explain to my grandfather that we can do things diplomatically or in a difficult way.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should have Al write that letter.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, and I wonder now which one of those letters will have more expletives.¡±

 Chapter 254

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a man work so consistently for so long,¡± Brevairn said. ¡°You have been reading letters and writing letters and taking notes for an hour and a half.¡±

    Al didn¡¯t look up. ¡°And you¡¯ve been watching me on and off for just as long.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you stop for, I don¡¯t know, air? Food?¡±

    Al glanced at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s ten-thirty. I ate breakfast, then started this. I¡¯ll go until noon, then I¡¯ll eat lunch. I¡¯ll take meetings in the afternoon and make sure things are going well.¡±

    ¡°No woman? No hobbies? No sports?¡±

    It was finally then that he put his pen in the ink bottle, poured the sand off the last letter, and looked at the Principal of Education. ¡°Right, so what did you want that couldn¡¯t wait an hour and a half?¡±

    ¡°Why are you assuming I want something?¡± he asked, lighting a pipe. ¡°Maybe I find you interesting.¡±

    ¡°Because I would do the same thing to my mother when I was a child.¡±

    ¡°Is that a veiled insult?¡±

    ¡°We all interpret things differently.¡±

    Breivarn laughed lightly at this. ¡°I suppose. Maybe I just wanted to get to know my fellow short council members. You¡¯re Br¡¯vanese, correct? I brought you something.¡±

    He handed Al a finely woven cloth of bright color, a hand wide and several feet long. On one end was a thin metal hoop that was open. ¡°I have no idea what this is,¡± he said after his examination, ¡°but thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a darimughi,¡± he said. ¡°Your people clip them on to the ends of their spears as the men protect the women in their desert trades.¡±

    ¡°My grandparents were from Br¡¯vani. I speak a little and sometimes keep to some traditions, but I¡¯ve never carried a spear in my life. My ex-wife was Ghenian and we kept our marriage as she liked it, which meant open to sleeping with my best friend. I¡¯m finding that keeping away from women and hobbies for the time being to be better for my constitution.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Brevairn said, slumping into the armchair in the corner.

    ¡°I appreciate the thought, though.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about your wizardry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I haven¡¯t had the need to practice it in months. Maybe I should open a clinic, when things die down.¡±

    ¡°Did you do well in school?¡±

    ¡°Top of my class. If you¡¯d like to see my stole, I set several records.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Brevairn said, looking interested again. ¡°So, you enjoyed Amandorlam?¡±

    ¡°I did. It was after I left there that my life melted slowly into misery until I met the King, the Queen, and the Ambassador.¡±

    Brevairn leaned forward. ¡°Ah, yes. I heard you traveled with them for some time. You must have used your wizardry quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°It helps that I¡¯m a switcher. I healed when needed, then was able to use my magic to increase my speed or strength.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he said. ¡°Did you ever teach anyone?¡±

    Al frowned. ¡°No. I was assigned to Whitney as a touch wizard. I didn¡¯t have much of a chance to take a pupil, but Amandorlam prefers that students are taught magic in the school only.¡±

    He puffed a few times on his pipe. ¡°Do you think you would have preferred your life if you could have stayed in Amandorlam to teach?¡±

    ¡°Um, I think I would have made a terrible teacher. I¡¯d have been too rigid in what I would have accepted. You have to understand that not everyone thinks the same as you, in a non-factual sense, and that their differences are fine, rewarding to the class, even. Maybe now I could do it, but¡­¡± He gave Brevairn a sharp look as he finally picked up on things. ¡°¡­but I¡¯m emrys to the King and unavailable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, of course. Very busy. And your talents would be wasted in a professorship. Even as head of the school, you¡¯d be more valued here then there.¡±

    ¡°What school?¡± he asked flatly.

    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t thought of a name yet, but don¡¯t you think Arvonne deserves its own school of wizardry?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Look, our king keeps speaking of investing in his people, yes?¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°And right now, if any of the millions of people that live in Arvonne show promise as a wizard, they must leave the country and journey to Hiben, Sayen, or Kinto to learn, which basically means they must be rich in order to afford the travel, tuition, and expenses. Quite often they stay abroad. And, as such, we have no wizard laymen, no inspectors, haulers, touch wizards, and so on. Our country is lacking.¡±

    ¡°Valiant point. So, what would you like of me, if not to teach or head the school?¡±

    ¡°Input, mainly. We¡¯ll pass the curriculum and details by you for inspection. Um, support.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Support¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Well, at some point it¡¯s going to need to be approved by someone you happen to know well.¡±

    ¡°Ahh,¡± Al said. ¡°You would like me to back the project and use my influence to persuade our king to approve it.¡±

    ¡°It seems like a wonderful thing for this country that is also something near and dear to your heart.¡±

    ¡°In times not so trying as these, I would-¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s the biggest issue,¡± Brevairn said. ¡°Everyone wants to wait until the time is right or there¡¯s enough money or the right people come along. I can tell you that there is no right time. My family wanted me to wait to propose marriage to my wife until things started picking up in the olive industry. Do you know where the olive industry sits? Exactly where it was nine years ago when I married. You¡¯ve seen Laradet and Miarala running around the palace. I wouldn¡¯t have them because another principal was courting my wife. She almost said ¡®yes¡¯ to him, reluctantly, before I ignored my family and rode three weeks to meet her.¡±

    Caudin had warned Al about Brevairn. ¡°Do you have a proposal written out?¡± he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°As a matter of fact I do.¡±

    ¡°Where were you thinking of locating this school?¡±

    ¡°There are a few places. The one that I feel best suits our needs is in Tapenstri. It¡¯s an estate of one of the moguls who were helping fund Kalronism, so something that was confiscated by our dear king. We have this big, beautiful mansion, new mansion, sitting on these gorgeous lands with no use.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at your notes if you leave them with me.¡±

    ¡°Great. Great, .rd, and we can talk about them tonight over dinner.¡± He stood and walked over to him.

    ¡°If I can get to¡­¡±

    Brevairn placed a folder he¡¯d brought on top of Al¡¯s ¡°to read¡± pile and shook his hand. ¡°I would love to hear your thoughts on how we can improve things. Bring that sharp mind of yours tonight!¡±

    Al swore under his breath once Brevairn had left, partly because the folder was so thick and partly because he¡¯d hooked Al with the ship¡¯s anchor. How often had he sat in classes yearning to trim the fat from the curriculum? How many times had he spoken to his colleagues about integrative classes with more hands-on work? He flipped the cover open and began rummaging through.

    After several pages of notes, he looked up at the small clock on the table he¡¯d converted into a desk. One-thirty. He sighed and berated himself, thankful that at least he hadn¡¯t had a luncheon meeting scheduled.

    He was on his way to the kitchens for whatever they had leftover when a page approached him. ¡°Your Excellency, there is a woman here who is asking for you specifically.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Woman?¡± he asked, gesturing for the page to lead him.

    ¡°Yes, sir. She didn¡¯t have a letter of presentation. She apologized for leaving earlier than you requested, saying you were going to send one to her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this woman, she was young and had scars on her face?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then she¡¯s been invited. Thank you.¡±

    Alistad was seated in a large chair in what Caudin had said had always been called the Damask Room. On the floor next to her were two large baskets and a travel suitcase that seemed like it barely latched shut. She stood quickly once she saw him, then calmed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Al. I know you said to wait, but I needed to come.¡±

    He moved in front of her and embraced her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. How was your trip? And how did you find me without the letter?¡±

    ¡°My trip was fine, thank you,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°We hadn¡¯t heard about the Restoration in Gheny when I left, but the sailors were talking about it on the ship. Since you mentioned Arvonne and something big happened, I figured you must be involved somehow. I began asking around for a dark-skinned wizard and a very tall grivven. It didn¡¯t take much hunting to find out you were here; you¡¯re rather famous.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that comes with the station,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m emrys to the King, his top advisor.¡±

    ¡°How did you get that position? Not that you don¡¯t deserve it, and congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. This is going to be a long conversation. Actually, I think it would be best if some things were left unsaid until you meet the King and Queen. They¡¯re away on a brief diplomatic mission and they¡¯re expected home in a few days.

    ¡°Alistad,¡± he said, holding her gaze, ¡°I invited you because you impressed me with your knowledge, piety, and most of all, your discretion. The King needs people he can trust. Can he trust you to hold his secrets, for his health and life?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°We take those oaths when we become priestesses. I held to the troth earlier than that.¡± She cleared her throat and smirked. ¡°Out of curiosity, how are Anladet and Raulin? Are they here?¡±

    ¡°Well, Anla is here, but it¡¯s, well, complicated about¡­¡±

    She laughed. ¡°Al, I figured it out some time ago. Well, perhaps not specifics. Who could have guessed that? But, I understand why you asked for my discretion.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± he said, letting his breath out. ¡°Are you hungry? I skipped lunch and was about to head to the kitchens for a sandwich or some cold meat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starving, actually. I¡¯ve been waiting to speak with you since early this morning. The vetting process to enter Dilvestrar is extensive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to wait, but we do have a lot of people wishing to meet with the King. Some just want to see the King and give blessings, some are ex-Kalronists who wish to kill him, the rest somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°I understand, I do.¡±

    Al rang for a page. ¡°Go ask Revinpel if there would be a suitable place for a doctor to put her things. If so, have these moved there. If not, then find the next best place. Inform me of where they are. We¡¯ll be in the kitchens, then my office. Thank you.¡±

    The boy ran off. ¡°Doctor,¡± Alistad said, laughing a little. ¡°I¡¯m hardly a doctor.¡±

    ¡°I had asked you here to be the monarchy¡¯s doctor,¡± he said, leading them out of the Damask Room. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have the same training, but we could find some appropriate title for you. If you wanted the position, that is. I apologize for not asking.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Al. I traveled here because She told me I was needed. I don¡¯t know what form that is precisely, but I would be honored to attend the court and heal.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Maybe you could help me with my¡­¡± Al trailed off in disappointment. ¡°Well, I wanted to open a clinic, but I think there¡¯s too many things going on for me to devote time.¡±

    ¡°Skipping meals isn¡¯t healthy,¡± she said with a good-natured smile. ¡°We learn early on that we must care for ourselves if we¡¯re to care for others.¡±

    ¡°We learned that, too, and you chastised me before about it. I¡¯m usually better. At least I¡¯ve kept up with my ax training.¡±

    ¡°I remember you doing that in Hanala. Do you mind if I ask about it?¡±

    ¡°Ask about it?¡± He gave her a curious look. ¡°Is it unusual?¡±

    ¡°For a man who can break bones with is bare hands, it might be.¡±

    They sat at a butcher¡¯s block in the kitchens and were served cold chicken, hunks of bread, and warmed soup for lunch. When the large room was mostly cleared of workers, he continued. ¡°After my¡­crisis¡­I decided I needed to fill my moments with something in order to keep from being pulled back under. I asked Anla to tell me about her people. I asked Tel to teach me how to listen and engage better with others. And I asked Raulin to teach me how to fight.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve done that since then or did you stop once things became calmer for you?¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯d argue that things haven¡¯t been ¡®calm¡¯ since I left Whitney¡­wow, over two years ago. No, I haven¡¯t stopped.¡±

    ¡°Why? I think exercise is wonderful for one¡¯s disposition, but it¡¯s something martial men do, not emryses.¡± She asked this with curiosity, not judgment.

    ¡°It may seem out of character for a wizard to practice a weapon, but it seems right to me. I¡¯m going to keep doing it until it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    They sat and ate in contented silence for another ten minutes until a breathless page darted into the kitchens. He spotted Al and stood in front of him. ¡°Did you find rooms for Alistad?¡± the wizard asked.

    ¡°Wha- yes, sir. She¡¯s being put into one of the rooms above the King and Queen¡¯s wing until the Autumn wing is cleared out. There is an apartment above that overlooks the Autumn Gardens that has an apothecary attached to rooms. The Master said she can move in when repairs and cleaning are complete.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Alistad breathed, ¡°that sounds heavenly. May I help with the cleaning and decorating? Could I move in early and begin?¡±

    The page looked like she had sprouted fangs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, m¡¯lady.¡±

    She turned to Al. ¡°I see no problem with that,¡± he said, ¡°but we should check with Revinpel.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± the page said. ¡°The King and Queen are returning today!¡±

    ¡°Really? They¡¯re early.¡±

    ¡°There was an attempt on the King¡¯s life!¡±

    Both he and Alistad stood in alarm. ¡°Is he all right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. I was told to fetch you. They are due in a few hours time and the short council is meeting now in the Council Room.¡±

    ¡°Could you please escort Priestess Alistad to her quarters where her things are?¡± He turned and said, ¡°Sorry to cut our lunch short, but at least I got some food in today.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, Al. I will see you soon.¡±

    She was there next to him and Telbarisk when the carriages rolled in through the gates. Al began to weave his head back and forth to get a better view and let out a deep breath when the carriage stopped and Caudin stepped out. Anla took his hand and stepped outside, smiling and nodding her head to the servants.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s quite handsome,¡± Alistad said out of the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to be an issue, is it?¡± he asked, smiling at her. ¡°He¡¯s very much taken.¡±

    ¡°I can see that. I¡¯m quite pleased that they finally found each other. You do realize we have several classes on our relations with the monarchy and how it might affect our relationship with them. Had I known¡­¡±

    ¡°Had we all known¡­¡±

    Caudin stepped forward with Anla on his arm. Al gently led Alistad by the arm towards him. ¡°Your Radiance, Alistad arrived from Gheny today. She would like to be accepted at court as your physicker, if it pleases you.¡±

    He gave Al a hard smile, then turned to Alistad. ¡°So pleased to see you again, Alistad. We hope your trip was pleasant.¡±

    She curtseyed low. ¡°It was, Your Radiance. Thank you for accepting me at your court.¡±

    ¡°It is our pleasure.¡± He turned to Al and said, ¡°Emrys, please attend to us in our chambers at once.¡±

    It was a tone he hadn¡¯t heard Caudin use before. His hackles raised a little, but he smiled and bowed. ¡°Certainly, Your Radiance.¡±

    He followed behind the retinue of servants, wondering what had happened. Had it been the trirecs? A Kalronist? The servants dispersed and he followed them into their apartments.

    As soon as the doors to the hallway were closed, Caudin wheeled on Al. ¡°Why the hell did you invite Alistad here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I invited her because I trust her and I felt it would be wise to surround ourselves with good people.¡±

    ¡°Did you stop to think for a moment about what would happen if we kept inviting people from the past here? Hmm?¡± He tossed his bowler angrily onto a seat. ¡°Yet another person we have to trust not to reveal who I was.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s trustworthy!¡± Al said. ¡°She always has been. And I spoke with-¡±

    ¡°Do you realize what a thorn this is going to create? If I have a priestess of Zayine living in the palace, then I must have priests from the other eleven here or else I¡¯m playing favorites.¡±

    ¡°Caudin¡­¡± Anla tried.

    ¡°You¡¯re the King!¡± Al said. ¡°You can make a special position for her. She can be your physicker, like I said, or¡­¡±

    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you say something about this, hmm? You just sprung this on me and I had to figure out how to react, whether I knew her or not!¡±

    ¡°Caudin,¡± Anla tried again.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if she was coming or not or when. I sent letters out-¡±

    ¡°Letters? Who else did you send letters out to?¡±

    ¡°The Duke of Sharka. I needed to settle things with him-¡±

    Caudin cursed. ¡°And what else are you doing behind my back? What other little surprises do you have in store for me?¡±

    ¡°Raulin!¡± Anla yelled and he turned to give her a sharp look. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that, you¡¯re acting like you used to. The two of you are bickering like we¡¯re in Calaba all over again, only this time Al is being the sensible one and you¡¯re just malingering. You¡¯ve been like this all during our return trip. You¡¯re angry about something; don¡¯t take it out on Al. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He flopped into a wing back chair, crossing his feet onto an ottoman. He knuckled his lips, staring off to the side. Minutes slipped by. Both Anla and Al took seats in other chairs, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he put his thumb and pointer finger up with a little space and said, ¡°This close.¡±

    ¡°You were almost hit by a bolt. This is not new to you,¡± Anla said softly.

    ¡°No, you were almost hit by a bolt. I looked at where we were standing when we were getting our things ready. He was aiming for me, but when you¡¯re a hundred feet away and you¡¯re not an expert bowman and someone moves¡­That bolt would have gone right through your throat. You would have died in my arms and I would have let him get away, not knowing who had tried to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Your merit prevented that.¡±

    ¡°No, my merit took over because I happened to kiss you in that moment and stepped in front of you, where he had mistakenly aimed. You are alive by accident and they are coming for me and I don¡¯t know how to handle the fear that they will get you next time. I want you to stay in the palace-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly. ¡°You will not lock me up to protect me. You will allow me to live my life.¡±

    ¡°I was saying that I want you to stay in the palace, but I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. And thank you, Al, for inviting someone we can trust who is knowledgeable about healing and medicine.¡±

    ¡°We have Al for that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­and it is always nice to have more friends on our side for that reason. These are difficult, dangerous times. We knew going into this that there wasn¡¯t going to be a reprieve from the ways things used to be. We all are prepared to give what we need to, at least I am.¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed for me, either,¡± Al said.

    Anla moved and sat on the arm of Caudin¡¯s chair. She knuckled his cheek lightly. He sighed then grabbed her hand, kissing it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done.¡±

    ¡°Made a lot of the aristocracy happy, eventually,¡± she said with a smirk. He didn¡¯t share the joke.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Sayen,¡± Caudin replied.

    ¡°But, why?¡± he asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t made any moves against them.¡±

    ¡°My grandfather must know that eventually we will. He holds no treaty with us or power over us. It would be best to assassinate me before I have heirs that complicate matters.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to increase security.¡±

    ¡°Wizard, we already have a high enough budget.¡± He stood, brushing the wrinkles out of his trousers. ¡°What we need is a plan. I think that¡¯s what we need to go discuss at our short council: when to take back the Mielsa.¡±

 Chapter 255

    The first meeting on Sayen mostly comprised of Caudin explaining Al¡¯s theory, the original one about his his grandfather. ¡°What we¡¯re dealing with,¡± the king said to a stunned room, ¡°is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve glory for his country. He didn¡¯t hesitate to groom my mother for subterfuge, then discard her when she didn¡¯t give him what he wanted. He didn¡¯t hesitate to help have her slaughtered or his grandchildren, never mind the countless guards, subjects, family members, and servants who just got in the fray. He propped up a phony government that beggared the people. And then, since he got what he wanted, he stood by as they starved, grew ill, and died.¡±

    ¡°How sure of this are you?¡± Jemerie asked.

    ¡°If I had any doubts before about who helped the Kalronists and funded the Coup, they have been wiped out by this attempt on my life. And if you have doubts, I hope in a few days¡¯ time our would-be assassin will arrive intact and can be more thoroughly questioned. I don¡¯t feel that we will find anything new. My existence, in general and now as the King of Arvonne, is a threat to Sayen holding a port and having access to the sea. Though we haven¡¯t made a single move to evict them or renegotiate terms, they have decided to preemptively assassinate me. I believe this will continue until the Mielsa River Valley is clear of the Sayenese or I am dead.¡±

    ¡°Then we must increase your security,¡± Breivarn said. ¡°We will cancel risky events, decrease your appearances, stop any and all trips to-¡±

    Caudin held up his hand. ¡°Assassins can breach walls as well as shoot from crowds. If I cower in the palace, then my grandfather has effectively killed me anyway. I must be out among the people, showing them support, especially at this crucial time. As for security, whatever we can spare. We still have less than optimal numbers for garrison postings and training will be slow.¡±

    He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment before lifting his eyes. ¡°If nothing else stays in this room, this will, aye?¡±

    ¡°Aye,¡± they all said.

    ¡°I have the Bolt as my merit. Outside functions won¡¯t be a problem for me, so long as anyone close to me is protected. I don¡¯t want you to worry too much about long-range attempts.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Radiance,¡± Rogesh said. The others murmured their thanks as well.

    ¡°We should break for dinner. We¡¯ll reconvene afterwards and discuss what we were originally slated to before we had to add security to the situation.¡±

    Everyone stood and Brevairn leaned over to speak to Al. ¡°Still on for our meeting?¡± he asked.

    Al gave his a sideways look. ¡°Even after all that?¡±

    ¡°Especially after all that. Our beloved king will be harder to convince if he¡¯s focused on Sayen. Did you get a chance to look at my proposal?¡±

    ¡°I fear I didn¡¯t give it as much time as I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°Well, so long as you gave it some time. I can fill you in on the rest and answer any questions you have.¡±

    Dinner was surprisingly enjoyable. There was a flash now and again that this man had not only voted against instating Caudin as King, but had encouraged his followers to vote the same way. They had almost cost Caudin Anladet, and therefore cost him the crown. But, Al had come to understand that Brevairn was a man that needed a project. He admitted that he had begged is father for an orchard, had designed a new crop rotation that increased yield, then gnashed his teeth when his father had patted him on the back and continued to do things the old way. He craved to dismantle, fix, improve, rebuild, and settle back and bathe in praise when things were done. Now that fiddling with the monarchy was out of reach, he had set his eyes on education. And he had let it slip that the wizardry school was only the first of many.

    The following evening was a quartet dinner. Caudin made it a point to apologize to Al for the previous evening. ¡°I¡¯m glad you said something,¡± the wizard said, ¡°because I was going to call you out on being an ass. However, I recalled one of my discussions with Telbarisk in which he remarked that it was better to wait for a pattern to emerge than to jump to conclusions based on one event.¡±

    ¡°As always, our grivven brother speaks wisdom.¡±

    ¡°You could still call him an ass, Al,¡± Anla said, sipping her wine with a smile.

    ¡°Once again, I do apologize. Changing subjects, how was dinner last night, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, do go on.¡±

    Al dabbed his mouth and placed his napkin on the table. ¡°I had a meeting with Brevairn, as I¡¯m sure you know, Your Radiance. He has asked that I influence you to accept his proposal to start Arvonne¡¯s first school of wizardry.¡±

    ¡°And do you feel inclined to? Influence me, that is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually, for two reasons. The first is it¡¯s a solid idea. The expense won¡¯t be tremendous, the projections of how this will affect our future are astounding, and it¡¯s a great sign to show the people of Arvonne that there is a future that any man or woman can achieve. The second is that Brevairn needs this and he will hound you until he gets it or something like it.¡±

    ¡°The second isn¡¯t really a great reason.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t for a typical person. You bartered his support for yours. You let him choose his industry and he took Education. Now, he¡¯s putting his attentions on this school in a way that¡¯s going to make much more money for Arvonne than it will lose. If you say ¡®no¡¯ to him, he will hound you until you say ¡®yes¡¯. And if you refuse him this without condition, he will find another school to make that might not be as promising.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Caudin asked, biting the garlic buttered beans.

    ¡°Fight with him a little. He¡¯s prepared for a few rounds, so he¡¯ll counter any riposte you make. Go back and forth a few times, get a little mad, then give it to him under some condition. You¡¯ll buy yourself a half to a full decade of peace.¡±

    Caudin smiled. ¡°Wizard, this is very astute of you. You¡¯ve learned to read people in a short amount of time. I¡¯ll take your advice and see where it goes.¡±

    The short council met all that week, an hour or two in the afternoon. It was difficult to get them all there together, with Brevairn¡¯s project, everyone¡¯s family, and other engagements (some literal, as in Triniste¡¯s recent betrothal to Duluv¡¯s granddaughter, recently returned to the country).

    Most of the relations between the two countries would hang on what happened at the Noh Amairian Conclave that would happen in two-and-a-half year¡¯s time. Until that point, they would continue to allow Sayen to hold the Mielsa, likely without any money for it. During the Conclave, Caudin would do his best to drum up support to his cause, which hinged greatly on the upcoming visit with Mayasena, Empress of Kinto.

    The promise of non-aggression seemed to have worked for there were no more attempts throughout the summer. During a lull as the seasons changed, Caudin spared a few hours to sit with his newer physicker.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really done a marvel with this place,¡± he said as he stepped inside. He remembered the long room that bridged over the gardens as a dusty storage closet with fantastic hiding places. He and Petrin had played solely in that room. Now, everything was shining clean, the wardrobes and stacked furniture that had once blocked the windows on either side pushed away to let in all the early autumn light as possible. On closer inspection he noted that many cabinets and shelves were mismatched or recently crafted from different woods, but hidden with artwork that seemed vaguely familiar. ¡°Did Telbarisk help you with that?¡± he asked, tapping on a curling, green vine that bordered a curio filled with labeled powders.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Alistad curtseyed. ¡°He did, Your Radiance. We had many lessons on healing while he painted.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s found a friend here. I worry that he¡¯s bored or lonely. So, I haven¡¯t had my annual exam yet. Is right now a good time?¡±

    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t, you¡¯re the King and I would have made time, Sire.¡±

    He smiled and took off his bowler and coat. She ushered him to a small area with screens that gave some privacy from anyone in the gardens below. ¡°How have your studies been going?¡±

    ¡°Wonderfully, Sire,¡± she said, bringing a satchel of instruments over. ¡°There was quite a library of books on local flora and I¡¯ve made a few short trips to collect some samples.¡±

    ¡°And have you made contact with the local church?¡±

    Her smile tightened. ¡°I have, Sire. There is a language barrier, but I¡¯m working on learning it quickly.¡± She said a few sentences in halting Arvonnese.

    ¡°Good. If you want, I can find a translator in the meantime.¡±

    She nodded and looked down for a moment.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t been kind, have they?¡±

    ¡°I believe there is some confusion as to why someone from Arvonne wasn¡¯t picked for this position, Sire.¡±

    ¡°It would have been smart of me to have written them a letter explaining your appearance. Or invited the highest clergyman to the palace. I apologize, Alistad, and I¡¯ll have it taken care of.¡±

    ¡°I am honored that you would consider it a matter to attend to, Sire.¡±

    She began her examination, asking questions about his health and his habits. She looked over his wounds, paying close attention to his back. ¡°Out of curiosity, how does it look?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There is significant scarring,¡± she said. ¡°It looks much better than it would have if Al and I hadn¡¯t attended to you. I cannot give you anything to fix it, Sire. I wish I could.¡±

    ¡°I was just wondering.¡±

    She asked a few more questions and asked him to dress again. While she was finishing her notes, she said, ¡°Was there another reason for your visit, Sire?¡±

    He took a few moments, then gave a nervous chuckle. ¡°Well, yes. I was wondering if you¡¯ve ever heard of chilam-de tea.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so, Sire. Is it know by another name? Or could you tell me its properties?¡±

    ¡°When ingested, after a few weeks it prevents a man from impregnating a woman. This was used in my training. I know it was reversible for the Merakians who took it, but I¡¯m wondering if it is for humans. I stopped taking it nine months ago and we still haven¡¯t conceived. I¡¯d like to know if there was another issue or if there is more to be done about it.¡±

    She paused as she gathered her things, taking a moment to school her expression. ¡°Well, I will most certainly look into it, Sire. Sometimes there are other factors that are easily remedied. Assuming that marital habits are normal, a day or two of relaxation could work wonders.¡±

    ¡°That is a great suggestion. Our last vacation was back in May and lasted roughly two hours.¡±

    ¡°Sire, perhaps a change in location, so that there cannot be distractions?¡±

    He smiled as he thought of all the places he¡¯d been meaning to take Anladet. ¡°Thank you, Alistad. Whether it helps or not, I think it¡¯s a great thought.¡±

    That evening he suggested it over dinner with his wife. ¡°I feel that I¡¯ve been having a craving to visit a place,¡± he said.

    ¡°The museum again?¡±

    ¡°No, something a little grander. I¡¯d like to take a few days to visit Biashka.¡±

    ¡°The perfume place?¡±

    He laughed. ¡°Yes, the perfume place. It¡¯s a relaxing hot springs region. I thought we could use a break.¡±

    ¡°I think we could,¡± she said with a smile.

    They went to bed late that night, as they usually did, blowing the lamps in the room out well after dark, exhausted from late meetings and correspondences that took a long time to pen. Caudin shifted in his sleep at the chill from the open window, his mind not connecting the issue with that fact.

    It took him far too long to notice someone was staring at him mere inches from his face. His eyes slowly drew open heavily and he startled. In a flash the knife under his pillow was in his hand and against the throat of the man looking over him.

    ¡°It is you!¡± the man said cheerfully in Merakian, as if he wasn¡¯t a cough away from pouring his life¡¯s blood all over the royal bedchamber. ¡°I thought it was, but they said you were dead and I didn¡¯t think you would be the King of all people.¡±

    Anla had awoken by then and crouched behind Caudin. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Isken.¡± Caudin relaxed his hold and returned his knife to his pillow. ¡°What are you doing here? How did you get in and past the guards?¡±

    Isken relaxed, sitting cross-legged on the bed while Caudin lit a candle. ¡°Raulin, I¡¯ve been in and out of this palace for weeks now. I had no difficulty slipping past your guards.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± he said, wiping his face. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see you made it to Arvonne and can speak the language. I don¡¯t see your mask, so I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not here to kill me.¡±

    ¡°No, goodness no!¡± he said, grinning. ¡°I came because I¡¯m free and to hopefully get¡­what is that called? ¡®An audience with His Radiance¡¯ I think the people call it.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have one. What did you want?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to know if it was you. I saw you at your¡­coronation? Yes, coronation. And I thought, ¡®Hey, the King looks an awful lot like my friend Raulin¡¯. But, that was a crazy thought that wouldn¡¯t leave me. You looked so much like him. So, I thought that if I could sneak into the palace and see if I could find you alone to ask you. You¡¯re very busy. The only time I could catch you was when you were sleeping, and I didn¡¯t want to wake the king to ask if he was my friend Raulin, just in case he wasn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted a kami-no-siali-temetro.¡±

    ¡°No one likes a kami-no-siali-temetro,¡± Caudin admitted. ¡°So, what made you change your mind tonight?¡±

    ¡°The man I killed.¡±

    Caudin jumped out of bed, toppling Isken. ¡°Killed? Who did you kill, Isken? One of my guards?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± he said, scrambling to stand.

    Then Caudin saw him, a man hunched on his side on the floor, a dark pool of liquid beneath him. He ran over and turned the corpse, sightless eyes starting past partially opened lids, thick lashes making it almost hard to tell whether his was of dark or light eye color. His throat had been slit from side-to-side, but not cleanly.

    ¡°Did I kill someone I wasn¡¯t supposed to?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him. How did you figure he was an assassin?¡±

    ¡°He was doing that creepy walk with his knife out.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Creepy walk¡¯? Do mean that strange tip-toe that they do in plays?¡± When Isken nodded, Caudin said, ¡°Are you serious? They sent an amateur to kill me? And he would have likely done it, too. I¡¯m slipping something fierce.

    ¡°All right. Isken, go stand next to Anla. I¡¯ll try to keep them off you, but know that you¡¯re safe. Guards!¡± he shouted. He grabbed a robe and put it on in the moments it took before the two men stationed outside his room entered.

    ¡°Your Radiance?¡± one asked.

    He gestured at the floor. ¡°There was an attempt on our life tonight. Wake the Captain.¡± As an afterthought, he said, ¡°And the emrys.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire!¡± he said and left.

    The other man scanned the room and stopped when he saw Isken. ¡°Sire! There¡¯s another-!¡±

    ¡°No, Gentru, he¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m not dead right now.¡± He gestured Isken over to a sitting area and slumped in one of the armchairs, Anla sitting between the two of them.

    ¡°So, how are things going with you?¡± he asked, switching to Merakian. ¡°I assume you¡¯re through with Arvarikor as well?¡±

    ¡°As far as I could tell. I was supposed to be going to Hiben, but I haven¡¯t reported there. For good measure, I wrote a letter from a fake policeman and paid a local kid to turn my mask in to the office in Kitstuar. I hope that is enough.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully it is. You said that Arvarikor said I was dead?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Word came back around November that you had been keelhauled by the captain of some ship for sleeping with some married woman. Oh, Curvorn was not happy.¡±

    ¡°Stavro must have been pleased.¡±

    ¡°He died a few months before that, last August or September.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Sorry I wasn¡¯t there for that. But, I¡¯m free then?¡±

    ¡°Yes! How did you get out?¡±

    ¡°Loophole that Al discovered. He¡­¡± Caudin looked towards the door as he heard commotion from the hallway. ¡°He is right on time. Let the emrys in!¡± he shouted to the guards.

    ¡°Your Radiance!¡± Al said, shoving past the guards. ¡°I heard there was an att- hi, Isken!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Al! I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re here.¡±

    Al turned to Caudin. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him, was it?¡±

    ¡°He actually stopped the assassin.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do about it?¡± Al was speaking about Sayen, but Caudin thought he meant Isken.

    ¡°Well, with his acceptance, I¡¯d like to hire him as a personal bodyguard. You don¡¯t have any obligations or objections, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, Raulin!¡± he said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking odd jobs as a dockworker, when I need to. That 1,600 bretue reward for my mask in Kitstuar has stretched quite a way here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re still working on that. And it¡¯s Caudin now. I¡¯ll have Al catch you up to speed on etiquette and whatnot.¡±

    Isken leaned in. ¡°Between you and me, what do you have to do to be a king? I¡¯m not going to challenge you or anything; I don¡¯t want to be one.¡±

    ¡°You need to be born to it, Isken.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so how did you get it.¡±

    ¡°I was born a prince.¡±

    ¡°Am I confused in the translation? Why would they send their prince to become a trirec?¡±

    ¡°That is a very long story. For now, I think I¡¯m going to take my wife to her bedroom and sleep for a few more hours. Wizard? Did you find anything on the body?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean like a notebook?¡± he asked, holding up a notebook. He tossed it to Caudin, who caught it and read a few lines in the candlelight.

    ¡°It¡¯s in Sayenese,¡± he said, putting it down. ¡°Isken, what¡¯s your take on the Network?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that since they took the Mielsa, they¡¯ve had greater access to countries to the south of the Mielik Sea. They¡¯ve been recruiting quite a few, putting half-trained spies down in the Empire and Br¡¯vani.¡±

    ¡°This is the second attempt on my life and the quality of the assassins has been¡­well, less than trirec level. Not knowing the local language, keeping a notebook out of code, missing your target. I can¡¯t judge too harshly; this one almost got me, but I am worried.¡±

    ¡°Why is that, Your Radiance?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Because it means they can keep throwing warm bodies at me. Eventually, one of them is going to use their meager training correctly and they will get lucky.¡± He sighed. ¡°I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before I¡¯m killed.¡±

 Chapter 256

    Dear Emrys Gray, formerly known as .rd Alpine Gray of Whitney, Eerie, Gheny,

    First and foremost, I am glad to hear that you are in good health and have not only met your hopes and dreams, but exceeded them. I must admit that I found your claims dubious when I first read your letter. Through our discussions, I knew you to be an honest and forthright gentleman, but the long ordeal you wrote about was of a fantastical nature. Impossible, I thought, but I should have labeled it just ¡®improbable¡¯. I ask your forgiveness in my doubt and I wish to convey the most sincere congratulations to the King in his return and to our mutual friend Mizz Anladet, who has rose herself to incredible heights.

    As for the matter you have written about, I have accepted your offer and have fulfilled it beyond your request. There were some loose ends that needed tying that I felt would benefit your conscience. If I have erred, I apologize, but I feel that a man with your character will appreciate my efforts.

    Of the matter of your debts, they are paid in full. There were some outstanding loans to Amandorlam and some taxes due in Whitney that were covered by your share of the reward. I have spoken to the school and they would like to express their understanding in the matter and that there is no ill will towards your unique situation. If you would like to return to Gheny at any point, the school would open an opportunity for you at any point. I gather, however, you will be far too busy in Arvonne for a return trip. And if you aren¡¯t, or if diplomatic reasons find you journeying home, know that my palace is always open as well.

    When my men were inquiring about your financial situation, they came across an interesting case. I confess that I was not aware that you had been married. Not all of our countrymen wear wedding rings, but many do and I do not recall seeing a band on your left hand. My men tell me that shortly before our paths crossed, you had a falling out with your wife over her affections straying. I am sorry to hear that, Emrys Gray, but I personally do not find infidelity to be a reason to abandon your wedding vows. That being said, it is your choice on how to conduct that business. If your wife were still alive, I would have sent her. Sadly, she died of consumption on the fourteenth of October, 2009 and was buried in Lafrimont¡¯s Garden in Parrin¡¯s Cove, Whitney.

    To be concise, my men checked to see if you had any issue from your marriage. It seems that you had a daughter, Marniva, who was given to a local orphanage when her mother died. We managed to find her and she was brought to my palace, where she stayed for some time. Unless she took all her traits from her mother, I do not believe you are that child¡¯s sire. However, since you are listed as her father in the records of Gheny and because I do not think you would like a child who has some connection to you to linger any longer than necessary in that place, I have arranged for her excursion across the sea. I have outfitted her with some of Silfa¡¯s older clothing as well as a few dolls she has outgrown. Silfa took quite a liking to your daughter and would love to hear about her in the future.

    As for Anladet Auchindol, now known as Queen Anladet of Arvonne, she had no outstanding debts to consider. We did have quite a difficult time with the other matter connected to her. When my men went to New Wextif to seek the records involved with her brother, even with persuasion there was nothing with the Nui-Breckin Alliance. At my behest, my men then spoke with the Cumber, since you did say they had promised your companion to look out for him. The Cumber, too, hadn¡¯t found trace of him in New Wextif. With their cooperation, and some expense, we managed to track the Queen¡¯s brother down to Cataya. It seems that before a Mrs. Crishold sent her adopted children away, a Cavter Rimar decided to unburden her by one child, who happened to be Garlin Auchindol. He had been raising him as his ward after overhearing Queen Anladet¡¯s relationship to the boy. He was under the assumption that she would call upon him to help with her brother, wherein he would have revealed that he had taken him in for her. He was quite puzzled when she did not inquire. My men thanked him, repaid some of the costs of boarding, and suggested that in the future he keep clearer communications in situations such as that.

    I hope all the matters have been solved to your satisfaction. There is a little money leftover, which, as you have requested, will be given in King Caudin and Queen Anladet¡¯s names to a local orphanage that desperately needs funds.

    You have made it clear the displeasure the King and Queen have for the Nui-Breckin Alliance. I will make it known during my next council meeting that Arvonne is not a country Gheny would wish to lose a trading partnership with and that perhaps we could look at modifying the law. I shall write with any developments in the future.

    As always, please feel free to continue your correspondence with Lady Silfa. She still holds you two dearly in her heart and her joy soars when I inform her of a letter from either of you. I will also feel warmth keenly at any exchanges in the future.

    Yours Respectfully,

    Iasont Frenrell, Duke of Sharka

    ¡°Al, what is this about?¡± Anla asked as she, Telbarisk, and Caudin followed him in the palace.

    ¡°Just a little surprise. I think you¡¯ll be quite pleased by it.¡±

    ¡°I hope this won¡¯t take long,¡± Caudin said. ¡°We have a meeting with some of the city¡¯s guilds in a half-hour and you never want to upset the people who are cleaning your streets and sewers.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    They walked down the staircase of the main atrium and through the large, double doors of the long and tall room known as the Hall of Ancestors. The room, which took up a half a wing, was covered in busts, statues, and portraits. There were several notable areas that were bare that the curator of the recently reopened Arvonnese Museum in Eri Ranvel was trying to fill with any originals he could find.

    The Hall of Ancestors looked out onto the front courtyard through dozens of double-storied windows. On the other side were several rooms for different functions. Al opened the fifth one down, the one dedicated to entomology. Inside the spacious room were comfortable chairs, desks, and close to a hundred white plates of insects pinned to boards collected by Caudin¡¯s great-great aunt.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Sitting on a chair facing the door was a little girl. Her brown hair had been done in curls and pulled back in a blue satin ribbon that matched the belt and gloves of her outfit. She swung her feet back and forth, shiny, black shoes buffed for the occasion. ¡°Dada!¡± she said, smiling as she launched herself from the chair and into Al¡¯s waiting arms.

    He picked her up and hugged her. ¡°Guys, I want you to meet Marnie. Marnie, these are my friends Telbarisk and the King and Queen of Arvonne.¡±

    She laid her head on his shoulder and sucked her thumb as she looked at them.

    ¡°This is your daughter I take it?¡± Caudin asked, waving at her with his fingertips.

    ¡°Yes, well, Burdet and Aggie¡¯s daughter. I received a letter from the Duke and he said that Burdet died and that Marnie¡¯s been in an orphanage since he retrieved her. It was astute of him to pull her out and send her here. With your leave, I¡¯d like to raise her as my own.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Caudin said. ¡°You didn¡¯t even have to ask. Your room already has an adjoining room, so she can stay there. And we¡¯ll get her a governess.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Al said, putting her down.

    ¡°Um, Wizard,¡± he began, but Al grinned and put up one finger.

    ¡°Okay, you can come out now!¡± he said.

    A boy jumped out from behind a chair that had been facing away from the door, excitement and anticipation written across his familiar face. In response, Anla gasped so deeply she must have stolen air from her soul and sank to the floor, her arms reaching out for the boy. He blinked a few times then ran to her, knocking her over.

    ¡°Anla!¡± he yelled and she cried almost to a keen. She pulled him towards her shoulder and rocked back and forth, hugging him as the tears streamed down her face.

    ¡°Well, there goes the guild meeting,¡± Caudin said. He looked over at Al and saw his expression. ¡°I¡¯m jesting, Wizard. Well done. I especially liked the bait-and-switch.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°By the way, it slipped my mind in everything that you are totally free to return to Gheny, if you wish. Isken allowed me to take one last contract before I left. It seems that lady from your old work, Ember, had taken a theft contract out on you for the chalice.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± he asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yes. And since I died in the line of retrieving it, no other trirec can be hired to steal it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sire, for plotting to steal something that was partially yours from me.¡±

    Anla wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at her brother. ¡°Garlin. How was your trip?¡±

    ¡°It was fine,¡± he said. ¡°What is this place? Why are we here?¡±

    She pulled the two of them to standing. ¡°This is Dilvestrar, the palace of the King and Queen of Arvonne. This is Caudin, my husband and your brother-in-law. He¡¯s the King of Arvonne.¡±

    Garlin gave a very dashing bow, likely practiced with children his age in daring adventures involving plots like the one he was now living.

    ¡°Well met,¡± Caudin said, shaking his brother-in-law¡¯s hand. ¡°My house is yours. I believe some of the servants have children living here that are around your age. The best places to play hide-and-seek are along these rooms here and upstairs near the library.¡± Though she smiled, Anla also gave him a look. ¡°I mean, we will be getting you tutors, so that will, of course, be outside of your lessons.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡°Ah, they like it if you use the right terms around here, which is ¡®Your Radiance¡¯. Your sister is ¡®Your Highness¡¯, even though she¡¯s not very tall.¡±

    Garlin laughed. ¡°Yes, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°Now, Emrys, we must leave for a meeting.¡± In Anla¡¯s ear he murmured, ¡°You¡¯re excused.¡±

    ¡°No, I should be there. Garlin will be here when I return.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps Telbarisk would be so kind as to show the children around and answer any questions?¡±

    ¡°I would be honored,¡± he said. Both Marnie and Garlin followed him outside.

    Anla had her cosmetics reapplied quickly and the three of them left only a few minutes later than they would have. Along the way, they took in the sights of the city. Al pointed out repairs to buildings long neglected and the increasing tidiness of the streets. There were more people out walking with outfits appropriate for the weather. There were far fewer people leaning against walls with their hands out or families sleeping in alleys. Eri Ranvel wasn¡¯t devoid of suffering, but there was less of it.

    There was a small smirk on Anla¡¯s lips as she watched the people on the streets. ¡°Ainle, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Caudin asked.

    She turned back to the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of when I was Marnie¡¯s age and the tidbits of memories I have of my mother being pregnant with Garlin. She later said she knew immediately that he was a boy because everything felt different. She was very nauseous and dizzy for several months. When that lessened, he started moving and kicking all the time. My mother was afraid he was going to be a terror. He¡¯s a good boy, but he will need to be supervised. I remember a few instances where he got into tussles with the other boys and came back home with bloody knees and a fat lip.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always going to be a tough world for him,¡± Caudin said. ¡°We¡¯ll provide for him as much as possible, but you¡¯ll have to help him navigate the rest.¡±

    ¡°I know. To be honest, it was never my heritage that was the problem, just the class. I hope that gives him a great enough advantage to thrive.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll do well. He seems like a bright boy.¡±

    There was a lull in the conversation for a few minutes while they waved at some of their subjects on the streets. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s true about boys giving mother¡¯s a harder time in the womb?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so. My mother actually thought I was a girl since I was rather docile. She was content and happy. My father said she was that way with Petulet and I, less so with Aubin and Ebridet. I¡¯ve heard that it depends on whose child it is. I was close with my mother, as was Petulet. We were hers from the beginning, contented to be close to each other.¡±

    Anla bit her lip. ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry to say that this one must be mine.¡±

    Caudin froze, then slowly turned back to look at his wife. Even Al, who had been engrossed in some additional papers about the wizardry school, looked up and at her. ¡°Clarify,¡± Caudin said to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been two months.¡±

    ¡°You could have told me earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Alistad recommended that I wait until today, to make sure it wasn¡¯t illness or too much work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re with child?¡±

    She gave him a nod as he gently grabbed the sides of her head and kissed her. He touched his forehead to hers and gave a small laugh.

    ¡°Congratulations, you two,¡± Al said. ¡°When would you like to announce? Or would you like to?¡±

    ¡°I suppose we have to, don¡¯t we?¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°That all depends on where you think this falls. We do have that clause in your coronation covenant where any matters you feel are family matters are outside the jurisdiction of the churches of the Twelve and the realm. You don¡¯t necessarily have to announce it, though I¡¯m sure it would be a great omen for the country.¡±

    Still looked at his wife, he said, ¡°It would be. Unless you object, I think we should. We¡¯ll have to make it before we go to Biashka, first amongst the Council, then in the papers.¡±

    ¡°Biashka?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes. It was recommended that we take a holiday, to help conceive. I still think it would be a good idea regardless.¡±

    ¡°Well, perhaps you didn¡¯t get the notice, then.¡±

    ¡°What notice?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°Empress Mayasena will be arriving in two weeks time.¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Sorry, ainle. That¡¯s going to be an important meeting. Seems we¡¯ll need to push that off again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± she said, moving her lips close to his ear. ¡°We will have other children.¡±

    Caudin smiled. ¡°In case I haven¡¯t told you enough, I love the way your mind works.¡±

 Chapter 257

    There was a game Anladet used to play with Riyan, Aykati, and a few of the other street girls in Hanala when the days were the coldest, the food meager and the people meaner: ¡°At Least I Don¡¯t Have To¡±. They would stand around the barrel fire, warming their hands, and they would take turns salting the aristocratic life. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to eat liver,¡± they¡¯d say. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to wear a corset.¡± ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to run a household.¡±

    Anla smiled as she took her now familiar path from the atrium, up the stairs, and down several corridors to her apartments. She was an aristocrat now and she didn¡¯t have to eat liver and someone else ran the household. She still had to wear a corset, though her waifish figure didn¡¯t need much cinching and she had traded the whalebone one for something softer, to accommodate her growing belly when she finally showed, but it hadn¡¯t been as bad as all the girls had said it would be.

    ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to starve,¡± she told herself, as she had been telling herself more frequently. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to run across Hanala in shoes with holes in them. At least I don¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s here, finally!¡± a portly man with slicked back peppery hair said. ¡°Welcome, my queen. Please, come in and see what we have in store for you.¡±

    She entered her room and saw there were three ladies, including an older woman the same age as the man, and dozens and dozens of dresses and fabrics strewn about the furniture. A folding screen was set in the corner, but that was the only privacy she¡¯d have here.

    ¡°Dontreim, I presume?¡±

    ¡°As Your Highness says,¡± he said, bowing slightly. ¡°Come, come, let me see how you are progressing.¡±

    She walked to her bed and shucked her gloves, coat, and hat. Dontreim circled around her, clicking his tongue, though it didn¡¯t quite remind her of how Caudin often did that when thinking. ¡°Petite,¡± he said. ¡°Very few curves. Small bossom.¡± He pinched the fabric around her sides. ¡°She barely shows at three months.¡± He picked up her arm. ¡°Warm tones, and dark skin, like a farmer. Meddem, if you would undress for me.¡±

    Dontreim was one of the most sought after designers in Eri Ranvel, especially now that more people were seeing the economy turn. Caudin had mentioned this a few times before today¡¯s visit. She gave him a small smile and stepped behind the folding screen as one of the women joined her to help. There was, at lease, a thin robe she could wear for a little warmth.

    ¡°Now, ¡®dem, if I may ask, what did your people wear?¡±

    ¡°My people? The Arvonnese are my people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you were raised by your mother¡¯s elvish people when you were younger, yes?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Til I was ten.¡±

    ¡°What did they wear?¡±

    She breathed a little easier as the woman picked out the laces of her corset. ¡°It depended. In the cities, they wore clothing that was similar to the styles found in the larger cities of Gheny. Not hoop skirts, but bustles and petticoats.¡±

    ¡°How about outside of the cities?¡±

    She paused, realizing where this was going. ¡°Well, they made do with what was available. If they could trade for fabric, they would, or they¡¯d barter for already made dresses.¡±

    ¡°Furs? Bone? Did you wear leaves, ¡®dem?¡±

    ¡°Leaves? I don¡¯t think there are any leaves strong enough to make into a dress.¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. But, perhaps as an accessory?¡±

    ¡°No. Sometimes we wore flowers, like I¡¯ve seen Arvonnese children wear during spring and summer. We wore animal hides as blankets during colder times and to stop chaffing in armor, but not really as clothes.¡±

    There was some loud sighing and murmuring on the other side of the partition. ¡°¡¯dem, I¡¯m merely trying to discover what your personal style is. I can dress you like all the other ladies in Arvonne, but then you will never rise above them. The obvious advantage you have is your exotic heritage. Every lady in Arvonne will be envious of you, especially when they cannot imitate you. You will be a dream, a myth, a legend. And that¡¯s what the elves are to us; stories we tell our children. Imagine taking some of that and reminding them constantly that you are from someplace mystical. What did you wear? What did the women wear?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you honesty. Um, the dresses tended to be sleeker and the skirts swished more.¡±

    ¡°That helps.¡± As he spoke with his assistant, the other assistant peeled off her chemise and gasped, taking a moment to compose herself. ¡°¡¯dem, I¡¯m thinking that we should highlight your back. Since you don¡¯t have an ample bossom, ornate necklines may make you look childish. We can drop the line in the back to a demure point, perhaps introduce some jewelry for your pinned hair or the back. Step out, please, and I¡¯ll see how that will work.¡±

    She grabbed the robe and put it on quickly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. She stepped out from behind the partition. ¡°Excellent, ¡®dem.¡± Dontreim hooked his finger on her collar and pulled down. ¡°We can see¡­¡±

    It was only a year¡¯s worth of decorum lessons that kept her chin from dropping and her hands from pulling the robe up. She stood as still as marble. She knew what they were thinking; no one needed to say anything.

    ¡°Well,¡± Dontreim began, clearing his throat. ¡°There is something to be said about tradition. On second thought, crisp lines for the decollatage would look becoming for the queen. There are other possibilities, too.¡±

    He made a few suggestions, but they were half-hearted. He stopped waxing poetic about the mysticism of her people. It was as if all had heard terrible news all at once and their enthusiasm had died.

    The experience left Anla in need of some solitude. The group packed all their things and left while she stayed in her room. She looked out the window and saw Garlin playing with a group of children, some game that involved a stick and following the command of whomever held it. He wasn¡¯t holding it, but he was having so much fun that she laughed with him. It took her a few moments to blink away the tears before she rose from her seat and put her hand against the glass.

    He seemed happy every time she¡¯d seen him. His tutors said he was bright, though spirited and prone to daydreaming. He had been six when their parents had been hanged in front of them. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t been old enough to remember. She didn¡¯t want to ask and risk his mood breaking in the recollection. It was enough that she could hold a vigil to the graves in her mind, as Caudin had once spoke of about how he remembered his own family.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    There was nothing on her agenda. Though she was still content with the child inside her, she had been excused from attending things normally assigned to the Queen. Caudin was inspecting the new headquarters of the dockworkers. Al had the day off and was taking a walk with Marnie. Alistad might be around, but she had seen her yesterday. She could find Telbarisk¡­

    ¡°¡­ -n he looked at you,¡± she heard. It was an earlier echo of a conversation between a girl, no two girls by the giggling, likely her chambermaids. There was the sound of fabric being smoothed.

    ¡°He was just being nice,¡± the other girl said.

    ¡°I heard he¡¯s nice to a lot of girls, if you know what I mean. Men tend to stray when their wives are pregnant. Ask Mirella. She¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s had a few married men?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean she¡¯s warmed the King¡¯s sheets.¡±

    ¡°But the King and Queen sleep together every night, like commoners. We wash and change these sheets every day for no reason.¡±

    ¡°I mean he found her in some quiet corridor and had his way with her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that where she got that ring from?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what she says but wh¡­.¡±

    The voices faded as she stood still. She knew it for what is was, just idle gossip by girls who needed some theatrics in their days. But, that was her husband they spoke about. And while her mind trusted him, her heart had doubt. For every logical point she made, another would arise to question it.

    She realized she had been standing there for five minutes arguing with herself. Walking. Alistad had said it was good to go for walks, to take in the fresh air. Walks were good for her and the baby.

    After several corridors and a staircase, she was on the grounds. Dilvestrar was beautiful, even though some of the gardens were still fallow and places were in desperate need of repair. In places it felt like she had stumbled into a ruin, a quiet, barren place sadly bereft of meaning and use. There was one such place far from the main house, on the grounds opposite the entrance. It was easier to forget there that she was in the middle of a city of close to a million people.

    It was the beginning of October and in Eri Ranvel that meant the leaves had just started to change. She followed a path to one of the old chapels, a small stone building dedicated to Magrithon that hadn¡¯t seen any love in almost two decades. The trees were thicker here and a some red leaves had already fallen onto the remainders of the roof and inside.

    Anla wondered why Caudin hadn¡¯t spent the money to refurbish this chapel then recalled that the reason why it was so small was because it was redundant. The palace itself was considered the temple of Magrithon; this was available for private matters and never held a service of more than a dozen people. Devout Alscaines of the past prayed here and now it was forgotten.

    She ducked under the door off its hinges, her soles crunching on broken glass and tile as she walked inside. It was modest, especially considering its patron deity, just six paces across and twelve down, two rows of pews and an altar on a dais. Of the four stained glass windows, none survived intact, though the one of Magrithon blessing his children had the least pieces missing.

    Anla took one of the padded cushions from a pew and set it on the floor slightly to the left of center to avoid the caved in roof. She knelt and bowed her head, not knowing what to expect.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how this works,¡± she said quietly. Her voice echoed against the stone and she realized it was a far broader declaration than she had intended. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to be a queen. I know I am one of your children, but I didn¡¯t know that before two years ago. Should I just know? Am I being a good queen? What does that mean? What can I do to do well in my position?¡±

    Her voice fell to a whisper. ¡°I¡­I think this is too much for me. I sometimes wish I could give it up, that Caudin could have another queen. But, then that means he would have another wife and¡­and¡­¡± She sniffled and brushed away her tears. ¡°I know that he loves me, but I think he could love two women and I don¡¯t want that.

    ¡°Mayasena is coming in a few days. She and Caudin were close as children. He¡¯s excited, I can tell. I think¡­I think it would be best if they joined Arvonne to the Empire and if they ruled together. Maybe I could still be Queen of Arvonne and Caudin could be Emperor with Mayasena as Empress. I could still raise the future princes of Arvonne while he and the Empress have children for the Empire.¡± She smiled weakly. ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s the best plan. I¡¯ll speak with him about it. Thank you.¡±

    That evening, when Caudin finally joined her in bed, she moved into his arm and put her head on his bare chest. ¡°How was your day?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Busy, as always. Ten months and already the honeymoon is over. A few of the laborers¡¯ guilds are demanding higher wages. I want to pay them more, but we still need taxes to come in before we can see if that¡¯s even feasible. How about you?¡±

    ¡°Quieter than yours. I had my fitting with Dontreim today.¡±

    ¡°And did he figure out how to make my wife prettier than she already is?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. I think he wanted to dress me in bark and leaves.¡±

    Caudin laughed. ¡°Pulling from your mother¡¯s side? I don¡¯t think I saw a single leaf on anyone¡¯s body, though some of those women maybe should¡¯ve been wearing more. Not that I was allowed to explore how much they were wearing and if I could get them to wear less; you blocked me from all attempts. You gave me some paltry excuse, but I¡¯m beginning to think you were jealous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit it, since we¡¯re a very large ocean away. I had a number of inquiries, too, but I said that you couldn¡¯t take off your mask. A few were still interested and I said that you were a eunich.¡±

    He laughed loudly at that. ¡°You minx. I don¡¯t think it would¡¯ve been worth it anyhow. So, no barks and leaves for you. What did he dress you in?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think he had these great plans that I foiled.¡±

    ¡°Foiled? How?¡±

    ¡°He wanted to show off my back.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± He kissed the top of her head. ¡°Ainle, no one is ever going to understand that. I won¡¯t lie and say it looks appealing, just as I¡¯m sure my back looks gruesome, but to me it is one of the most beautiful things in the world. As a child I had guards that would have given their life for mine, but that was their job. I¡¯d never had someone say that I, me, was worth dying for, someone who knew exactly what I had done in my life and felt that I was still worthy of sacrifice. I¡¯m sorry this world judges people that way. I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I know. Still, he seemed annoyed that I wasn¡¯t willing to be a savage, half-naked queen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he wasn¡¯t going to do that. He knows what is expected of you. Just tell him what you want, like¡­like that dress you wore to the libertine ball. You picked that out, yes?¡± She nodded. ¡°Damn near stopped my heart when I saw you. You definitely took my breath away.¡±

    She smiled, though he couldn¡¯t see it, feeling better. ¡°I will. Out of curiosity, do you know a Mirella?¡±

    ¡°Mirella¡­Is she one of the maids?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°I think so. She¡¯s the one with the curly hair and the loose tongue. Why?¡±

    Anla¡¯s smile wavered. ¡°I think I heard she was with child,¡± she lied.

    ¡°Oh? One of the valets? That¡¯s up to you what you want to do with her. If you want to look the other way or if you only want moral girls that don¡¯t have children out of wedlock, I¡¯ll let you decide.¡±

    ¡°Does it bother you, that she¡¯s pregnant?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to judge people living the life I have. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a denial, but from his tone she couldn¡¯t place anything like guilt or worry. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a rumor. I complain about those girls chattering and here I am doing it myself.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to talk about something major like that. I hope it winds up just being gossip and you don¡¯t need to deal with it.¡±

    She nuzzled next to him, feeling a lot better than she had earlier. ¡°Are you excited that Mayasena will be here in tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yes! You don¡¯t know how excited I am to see her again. I have so many things to tell her, to share with her¡­¡±

    He began telling her stories about when they were little, about times when he had visited Kinto and she had visited Arvonne. At first she was happy that he had a friend he was going to see after decades apart. But the more he spoke, the more she realized how well suited Caudin and Mayasena would be at ruling together. She tuned out the stories and began to think more about her function as a queen that stayed in the background, raising the princes while Caudin stayed in Kinto with his other wife. She felt her pulse quicken and her chest tighten, but she knew that it had to be that way.

    ¡°Ainle? Are you still awake?¡± he asked.

    She slowed her breathing, pretending to avoid discussing with him the decision that needed to be made. Tomorrow. Mayasena would be here and they could discuss it then. For now, she could be in his arms one more time¡­

 Chapter 258

    There was a parade from the harbor of Eri Ranvel to Dilvestrar, of course. An organizer had been dispatched very early in the morning with requests from the Empress Mayasena in regards to her arrival. Caudin had been eager to accommodate her, so he allowed the ostentatious display of jugglers, acrobats, belly dancers, fire eaters, coin flashers, and sword dancers to dazzle his citizens, especially since they threw silver pieces at the feet of the crowds. Anla and Caudin watched from the Psitta Parapet, the low deck that allowed the king to address the crowds gathered outside the front of Dilvestrar.

    ¡°I''m thinking she came only to show off,¡± Caudin joked, clapping as the performers were let inside the gate. ¡°I don''t see Maya, though.¡±

    Anla smiled weakly and took his arm as they went inside to the throne room. Al took his place to the right of the throne and Telbarisk stood with the other invitees, including the short council. Twenty-four pairs of guards and handmaidens filed in to protect a woman who wore white from top to bottom and walked alone. Her head was covered and her face veiled, the white fabric encrusted with clusters of diamonds. She stood still, waiting.

    Caudin stood and walked forward. ¡°Empress Mayasena, Maya, it is so good to see you again,¡± he said. ¡°You are welcome in my home as if it were your own. I hope you feel...¡± He stopped short once he had a better chance to look at the woman. ¡°You''re not Maya.¡±

    She curtseyed low and pulled a scroll from her sleeve, unfurling it to read. ¡°Your Radiance, Her Highest Radiance, the Empress Mayasena of Kinto, would ask your forgiveness in this matter. She is here, but wishes for you to find her, stating that the game would be fair if you stayed in the middle and she stayed where she is.¡± She curtseyed low again and moved to the rear of the throne room.

    Caudin blinked a few times, looking back at his friends and colleagues by his throne. He turned back and clicked his tongue. ¡°A game,¡± he said aloud. ¡°You wish to play a game with me, Maya, like we did as children. Should I point out that I''ve been tested by my own people, a lot, and it''s become rather irritating to me?¡± When all attending continued to look forward, he sighed and said, ¡°Fine. It''s probably the least I can do after the wonderful show you gave my people.¡±

    He put his hands behind his back and began walking up and down the room. ¡°I wonder what you mean by this, Maya. Are you trying to determine if I''m your old friend, if I''m the real Caudin Alscaine? Something else? Maybe you just want to play a game with someone who''s your equal. I''ll have to ask one of my principals to help me out here, then. No? Not rising to that barb? I suppose it was worth a shot. You used to tease me about being first in line to the throne whereas I was only second. Thought you might find it funny.

    ¡°So, we have a false empress, handmaidens, and soldiers. Well, I hope they''re not soldiers; bringing soldiers into my throne room is bad form, Maya, and I might...¡± He trailed off as he stopped. ¡°The orphanage. All handmaidens, please leave.¡±

    As if they had been prepared for the cue, they curtseyed, turned, and walked to the front of the room.

    ¡°The last time we spoke, you mentioned how difficult things had been for you. You were thinking about running away. You said, ''I''m going to go where they won''t find me. I''ll cut my hair short and I''ll pretend I''m a boy and go to a boy''s orphanage. They won''t look for me there.''¡±

    There was a sniff from one of the men, but he couldn''t figure out which one. He moved closer to the back and stood there. ¡°I told you that if you ran away, we''d never see each other again, that I''d miss you. You ran away then and hid somewhere in Dilvestrar. When you came out, you said you''d changed your mind and that you wouldn''t go to the orphanage.

    ¡°I''m so sorry I didn''t see you, Maya. I went to Kinto many times, but then I wasn''t a prince and I didn''t think you''d want to see me.¡±

    He saw her then, one of the soldiers whose chest was jerking in breaths. She turned and met his eyes before running to him. He held open his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°Caudin,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hi. Welcome back, Your Highest Radiance.¡±

    She laughed and stood back, wiping her tears. ¡°Look at you. You grew tall like your father.¡±

    ¡°You didn''t,¡± he said, grinning.

    She playfully shoved his arm. ¡°I can still take you in a tussle, no matter how tall I am.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. I''ve learned some things over these years.¡± He looked up and around the room. ¡°Ah, shall we resume decorum, Your Highest Radiance? I''ll give you some time to change and I''ll meet you for tea in the Chrysanthemum Room?¡±

    ¡°With pleasure, Your Radiance.¡±

    Maya left with her handmaidens that were taking up an entire wing, two floors. Caudin left out the other room, speaking with his secretary. The group around the throne looked at each other. ¡°Well, that was...interesting,¡± Jemerie said.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Rogesh asked. Anla left the room quietly while the rest of the men stood.

    ¡°Caudin always spoke highly of Mayesena,¡± Al said. ¡°Most of the anecdotes involved how they played with each other. And the Empress is known to be a bit mischievous. I suppose this was her way of introducing herself to Caudin again after all these years as the same person she always was.¡±

    ¡°I would have been nice to know what they said to each other. I don''t speak Kintonese.¡±

    ¡°Well, I apologize if it was unusual, gentlemen. Feel free to enjoy yourselves in the Liansh Room. I''ll have refreshments brought in due time. You''re welcome to stay for any other events. I''ve been told the Empress brought food and entertainment for this evening.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Emrys,¡± Jemerie said as the remaining Principals slowly left the throne room.

    Brevairn moved next to Al. ¡°Have you spoken with him yet?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, not yet. I figured he would be in a better mood to take the news after his visit with the Empress.¡±

    ¡°One month.¡±

    ¡°It''ll be before then.¡±

    Al wasn''t particularly hungry, but he did spend almost an hour speaking with the Principals, guests, and a few members of the Empress''s retinue who joined them. He wanted to get some work done, but realized it would be more important to solidify relations between the Empire and Arvonne. He introduced Telbarisk to the group of both men and women, explaining their relationship to the King and regaling them with tales.

    It was almost dinner when he went to check on Marnie. He stepped into the Hall of Ancestors and almost tripped when he saw the scene in front of him. On one of the many round settees sat Anla, her back straight, her hands in her lap as she gazed out the two story window onto the gardens. He knew that Anla was considered by most to be beautiful, and it was something he could appreciate with the detached respect of a brother, but never had he seen the elements at work like this, for her or any woman. The sky off in the distance was cloudy with a champagne sunset, the evening rays piercing the room. She seemed perfectly posed to consider the heavens in her cream gown with gold paisley print, her hair curled and swept off the nape of her neck under a hat with young pheasant feathers. Al had known wizards that would give their dominant hands to paint that vision.

    Since no one was within earshot, he said, ¡°Anla, I thought you''d be with Caudin and Maya by now.¡±

    It took her almost a half-minute to pull herself from her thoughts and turned to him. ¡°I wasn''t invited.¡±

    ¡°I''m sure they''re reliving fond memories and lost track of time.¡±

    ¡°Or making big plans for the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, we hope so. Arvonne is picking itself up, but trade agreements with the Empire would be a great boost to the economy. Anything that joins the two together would be great.¡±

    ¡°Anything...yes,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°I''ll see you at dinner shortly?¡± he asked. She rose and walked away. ¡°Anla?¡±

    Anla didn''t go to dinner. She didn''t join anyone at the party that evening. For the first time in her time living in Dilvestrar, she didn''t sleep in Caudin''s bed. Not that Caudin noticed; he was helped to his room past midnight, stone drunk. She knew that because she couldn''t sleep and had been curled in an armchair in her room when he had arrived noisily to bed. He had once told her he needed her to sleep comfortably, something that had happened when they were just traveling companions sleeping in the same bed to save money. She kept hoping he would call out, wondering where she was, but he didn''t. Because, she realized, he didn''t need her anymore.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    She had found peace in the little chapel, so she dressed early and spent her time there after a sleepless night. She still didn''t know what she was doing, but so long as she stayed warm, she stayed there. As she was walking back, a harried looking valet walked brusquely to her. ¡°''dem, the King wishes to see you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she managed to say. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°He''s in his apartments, in the Waishki Room.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I''ll see myself there.¡±

    He gave her an odd look, but bowed and left.

    Every step was enormous, though she felt light and dizzy. Whatever the outcome, it was going to be over with soon enough. She was prepared to accept the decision they had made. It would be best for the country and everyone''s future.

    But, she loved him. She still wanted to be his wife and the mother to their children, who would go on to rule Arvonne. She didn''t want to share him. She didn''t want to wait for him to return home from Kinto.

    But, this is what the country needed. People still starved and died of disease. They needed the Empire to help them, to accept trade deals and establish routes and buy their surpluses.

    But, she had fought so hard to be with him.

    But, this was bigger than her.

    But...She couldn''t breath. The dizziness was so strong that she found a doorway and slumped down, struggling to unbutton her blouse. Her breath came raggedly, her airway too small. She felt as if she were dying, like she was drowning on land.

    Tears streamed down her face as she realized that she was dying. She was leaving Caudin. The baby wouldn''t be born. She was letting down her people. Breathe, she thought, gasping for air. Breathe.

    It returned slowly in painful gasps. When she could finally breathe deeply without fear of her air being stolen again, she stood up and saw her reflection in the brass of the knob on the door. She was a mess. She did her best to wipe the staining cosmetics from her face. She buttoned her dress and tucked her hair back into place.

    The hallways was still, a small miracle in a busy palace. She took a few deep breaths. This has to happen, she thought. This was always for the best. He will be happy and that''s all that matters.

    The laughter of a man and a woman spilled out of the door to the Waishki Room. The doorman nodded, opened it, and announced, ¡°Her Royal Higness, Queen Anladet of Arvonne.¡±

    Caudin finished his joke and they laughed as they rose to greet her. She curtseyed low and said, ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±

    ¡°Agree to what, ainle?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The merger. It''s what''s best for everyone, so I will accept whatever terms you have come to agree upon.¡±

    ¡°What is she talking about?¡± Mayasena asked. Anla looked up the Empress. She was rather plain, though she had an authoritative air about her. Her aquiline nose and bony figure lent to that, though she pushed up her spectacles with a quick, nervous jab. Her white dress made her look severe, but the embroidery of the Empirical flower-sun in several colors made her more approachable.

    ¡°I don''t know. Anla, what merger? Do you mean our trade deals, because I don''t think that affects you very-¡±

    She licked her lips. ¡°The merger between Arvonne and the Empire. Arvonne will become a part of the Empire and you two will rule.¡±

    ¡°I...I have no idea what you''re talking about, Anla,¡± Caudin said. He murmured, ¡°I''m sorry about this,¡± to Maya, who was studying Anla closely.

    ¡°You''re going to leave me and move to Kinto and I''m going to be alone.¡± She blinked in confusion. It made sense.

    ¡°No, Anla, I said I wasn''t going to do that. I don''t know where you got this idea from.¡±

    ¡°You love her, you said you did,¡± she protested.

    ¡°She''s my friend!¡± he said, annoyed. ¡°Did you think I was going seriously leave you and our child and Arvonne after fighting so hard for all of it? And why would I leave now, when things are still not stable?¡±

    ¡°But...you don''t need me...the maids said you were sleeping with...with...¡±

    Caudin took a deep breath. ¡°Why are you listening to them? They gossip about me because they do it for everyone. Al''s apparently having affairs with three different maids, all at the same time. Al, Anla, Al is having affairs according to the rumors. Listen, because I know it will mean something to you: I''m not tumbling with anyone but you. I love you and I have no interest in anyone else. Even if I did, I''m done hurting you.¡±

    He turned again to Maya. ¡°I am so sorry about this. I''m not sure what''s passing.¡±

    Relief flooded Anla too quickly. She had to grip the chair next to her to keep from collapsing completely. The room blurred and sounds muffled. There were dark shapes around her, then something cool on her neck. Someone picked her up. Hands clean, but rough with old calluses moved hair off of her face. Then, his face was in front of hers, deep blue eyes, heavy lashes, light brow, small nose, strong chin, and the beauty mark under his left eye. A comfortable pattern, though normally he was happy. There he looked...worried.

    ¡°...something, Anla. Please? Tell me you''re okay,¡± he said.

    ¡°I''m okay,¡± she said as he sighed.

    He kissed her, then held her against his chest. ¡°You scared me. Are you all right? Is the baby all right?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Did you sleep last night? You have dark circles under your eyes.¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°When did you last eat?¡±

    ¡°Breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Breakfast yesterday? And you didn''t sleep. No wonder you''re hysterical.¡±

    A fan rapped Caudin on the arm. He turned to see Mayasena crouching down in front of the chaise Anla had been laid down on. ¡°She''s pregnant, you idiot. This likely isn''t a passing issue. This has been festering for some time.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, sitting up. ¡°We caught her insecurities before. I''ve been watching her.¡±

    ¡°Apparently not well enough. Anladet? Hi, I''m Mayasena, Caudin''s childhood friend. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Embarrassed,¡± she murmured.

    ¡°Don''t be. I''m glad you said something instead of bearing it in silence. I hope this means something, but you don''t have anything to worry about. I have three countries to oversee and that is far too plenty as it is. I''d like to help Arvonne, yes, but I have no interest in ruling it. And Caudin is my friend. Why you''re in love with that blockhead is none of my business. I''m sure you could have anyone in the world.¡±

    ¡°Let''s not give her any ideas, Maya.¡±

    Anla met Maya''s gaze, a realization forming. ¡°You took the white for him, though.¡±

    ¡°I was devastated. He was going to be my husband and he was my dear friend. I never found anyone else to replace him.¡±

    She sat up a bit more. ¡°That''s a lie.¡±

    Maya looked surprised. ¡°Anla!¡± Caudin said. ¡°That''s...wait. You weren''t devastated?¡±

    ¡°She was. It was the last part she was lying about.¡±

    ¡°How does she know that?¡± Maya asked, looking over at Caudin.

    Caudin crossed his arms. ¡°Go ahead and tell her, since you let that out, ainle.¡±

    So, she explained to the Empress what a baerd was, about her upbringing, the laws surrounding it, and what it meant she could do. When she was finished, Maya sat in her chair and chewed on a lacquered thumbnail in thought. Finally, she looked at them and said, ¡°Direct diplomacy is the best, then. You''d be able to hear the deceit in my voice and it would get us nowhere.¡±

    ¡°You should know that you never had to lie.¡±

    ¡°Caudin, it''s been twenty years since we''ve seen each other. People change. And while you''ve been out of the politics for that long, I haven''t. You weren''t scrutinized, doubted, watched. You didn''t have to fight to rule. There are so few people I can trust and almost none I can trust completely.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, disappointed.

    Her eyes flashed as they met his. ¡°Don''t be upset, you don''t know what it''s like to hide secrets.¡±

    He laughed bitterly. ¡°I don''t know how to keep secrets. Hmm.¡±

    ¡°This isn''t a joke. I-.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know where I was the last twenty years? I was a trirec, Maya. An assassin, a thief, a spy. There was nowhere safe for me to go and all the options were gone, so my butler threw me into Arvarikor. I survived, I flourished, but I could never be me. So don''t preach about keeping secrets. I kept Caudin dead for eighteen years.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She looked at Anla.

    ¡°I had no idea who he was until the day we married. He wore a mask for a long time. Somehow I still fell in love with him.¡±

    Maya nodded. ¡°I took the white because I was devastated, but that was when I was twelve. I kept it because people didn''t question a widow, even though we weren''t married. They respected my grief. But, while I miss you, I moved on from the tragedy. I kept the white because it meant I didn''t have to marry. As first-born, I arranged the marriages for my younger siblings and they gave me the Empire. Very few challenge my marital status, but whispers get back to me. They want to know when I''ll have an heir. And I can''t answer that question because I know they won''t like the answer.¡±

    ¡°What''s her name?¡± Anla asked softly.

    Maya jabbed her spectacles. ¡°Nacilene. She''s here, if you want to meet her.¡±

    ¡°You''re a Sapphist?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°I apologize for using your tragedy as a screen, but it became necessary when I realized I just could not be with a man. I''ve tried, trust me I have, but the misery was too much. I''ve given enough, haven''t I? My privacy, sense of well-being, dignity. I can''t give them everything.¡±

    Caudin started laughing. Maya''s face was stormy as she glared at him. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he explained, ¡°but I''m relieved. I spent so much time thinking about you over the years and how terrible I was for never finding you, for letting you know I was alive. We were promised to each other, yet I couldn''t even send a letter to you. I was shipwrecked in the middle of the Gamik Sea and I thought of you. But, you see, it wouldn''t have worked out. Maybe we would have had a good partnership, but not behind closed doors. It was better this way.¡±

    ¡°You''re right. I can imagine things growing sour between us. I would have tried harder for you, but it wouldn''t have ended well. Not with heirs, I don''t think.¡±

    The room grew silent as they considered everything they had shared. Finally, Mayasena spoke again. ¡°I also have to admit that this trip wasn''t solely to rekindle our friendship or to negotiate trade deals. I am sorry to ask this of you, but I need an heir...¡±

    ¡°You...you want our child?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°Not your first!¡± she said quickly. ¡°And not your second. Perhaps a daughter, someone who is destined only to bear children, but could be so much more. And not immediately. We would have her make visits when she was young, for longer periods as she grew older, and I would groom her to take my place as my adopted daughter.¡±

    Both Caudin and Anla were stunned. They looked at each other as Anla placed her hand on her stomach.

    ¡°I don''t want you to make this decision because of our negotiations,¡± Maya said. ¡°I will still lift the embargoes the Empire had and resume trading with Arvonne. I admit that I will promise more if you say ''yes''. We''ve discussed your grandfather''s involvement in the Coup and the recent attempts on your life. I can guarantee protection for the future, a dozen saltiva morims at your disposal, guards...counter measures.¡±

    ¡°You do know that I''m a duchess and that our children will only be quarter-blooded,¡± Anla pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, and if my countrymen have accepted my ''chastity'' thus far, then they''ll accept this situation as well.¡±

    ¡°Why not one of your relatives, a niece or nephew for your crown?¡±

    ¡°It''s in the Noh Amairian Accords,¡± Caudin answered. ¡°Empires are tricky. They are legal, but each child''s offspring must remain in that country''s family. It stops the empire from perpetually existing. She has to create her own family and can''t rely on her brother or sister''s.¡±

    ¡°It was near-sighted of me,¡± she admitted. ¡°I assumed that I could get whatever I wanted if I made Kinto strong enough. I didn''t think about what would happen if I couldn''t give Kinto an heir.¡±

    ¡°We''ll have to think about your request,¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°Of course! We''ll continue everything as planned.¡±

    They spoke of times past, Anla content to listen to the mischief her husband used to get into. She was surprised to learn that he had spent almost as much time in Kinto than he had in Arvonne past the age of six. He spoke the language well, to the point of idiom, and taught Anla a few saucy phrases that had Maya''s lip curling in amusement.

    But, the mood was different. Each of them had learned something new about each other and they needed some time apart. Sensing this, after an hour Maya suggested she check in with her administrators for a short while before dinner.

    Anla and Caudin ate their lunch together, just the two of them. They said nothing until after their main courses were served.

    ¡°Why didn''t you say anything?¡± Caudin asked, leaning across the table to meet her eyes.

    ¡°I didn''t want to bother you or spoil your time with Maya.¡±

    ¡°My time would have been spoiled far worse if something had happened to you. I told you being a queen would be difficult. I told you to come to me if you needed to talk about issues.¡±

    ¡°And I told you I would learn anything, bear any hardships, if you would return to Arvonne and take your place as king. I''m keeping my promise.¡±

    ¡°You can keep your promise and also find ways to be happy, ainle. You don''t have to suffer in silence under the weight of the crown.¡±

    She nodded, but she still didn''t understand, so she changed the subject. ¡°What are we going to do about Maya''s proposal?¡±

    Caudin sighed and sat back in his chair. ¡°I have no idea. How do you feel about it?¡±

    ¡°The idea of giving away a child seems painful to me,¡± she said, placing her hand on her stomach, ¡°but it wouldn''t be that, would it? It would be more like an apprenticeship for a powerful position.¡±

    ¡°It would mean that one of our children would no longer be ours. A child who you birthed and we raised would be a Kiprassi, not an Alscaine. Maya would be her mother. We would see her do well from afar, proud for her, but not of her.¡±

    ¡°If Petulet had lived, what would you have wished for her? To be wed to a prince or to be able to forge her own destiny as Empress of the Southern Empire?¡±

    ¡°I think it would depend on what kind of woman she would have been. If she had been like my mother, no. My mother was happy at small gatherings and couldn''t do much more than lead her household. Any more than that and she would have been miserable. It was just who she was.¡±

    ¡°It would be unfair to force a child into a life that she doesn''t want. We should let the choice be hers and hers alone.¡±

    ¡°That doesn''t sound fair to Maya. She could invest a full decade of grooming our daughter with plenty of other promised boons to Arvonne, only to have her say ''no''.¡±

    ¡°We will have to work out something between the three of us that works in everyone''s favor.¡±

    ¡°But you are arguing for this, then?¡±

    ¡°I am arguing for one of our children to be given greater possibilities than she normally would have, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then...yes, all right. My gut reaction was to let you decide, so this is what we''ll do. Now, what can I do to help you now?¡±

    She put down her fork and thought about this for a few moments. ¡°I''m unhappy doing nothing and being away from you. I know Alistad said rest is important, but I think I have too much of it now. I don''t mind going to meetings. In fact, I kind of like it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that makes one of us. Perhaps I can send you in my stead from now on.¡± He gave her a boyish smile. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°I''d like to speak with Maya tomorrow. Just her and I. I''ll tell her about our decision and explain our terms.¡±

    ¡°I''m surprised that you want to speak with her, but I think if it brings you two closer, then it will be a good thing.¡±

 Chapter 259

    The Empress was waiting in the gardens below Alistad''s office as Anla approached the next morning. Neither were alone; these sorts of things were always done in the company of many servants. But, they could have privacy if they needed it.

    Anla curtseyed as Maya bowed her neck. ¡°I thought I was at the King''s pleasure today.¡±

    ¡°I asked to speak with you instead of Caudin. I hope you don''t mind; he plans on keeping the schedule the same for the rest of the day, and likely for the rest of your visit.¡±

    ¡°That is a relief,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°I was afraid I wasn''t going to be able to visit the dairy farms of Yulendi today.¡±

    ¡°You jest, but they make an incredible soft cheese that melts into hot bread.¡±

    ¡°My mind has been changed,¡± she said with a smirk as the two began walking the grounds.

    The day was gray and threatened rain, but thus far it was dry. Two valets were at the ready with umbrellas, but they were instructed to stay ten paces behind the two women, as well as the rest of the staff that trailed behind them.

    Anla cleared her throat with a lace gloved hand. ¡°I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I made private, marital matters known to you as well as accused you of untrue things.¡±

    ¡°I''ll admit it was an interesting way to meet you, but I think I can understand, considering the circumstances. A few of my maidens have found themselves stretching the title and being with child, so I am not unfamiliar with how women can be when they are expecting.¡±

    ¡°You didn''t dismiss them?¡±

    ¡°Kinto isn''t as matriarchal as Br''vani is, but we tend to care less about a woman''s purity or whether or not her children have known fathers. A handmaiden is a well-paying position and the palace has its own brood of servants'' children that keep out of the way. Another one isn''t a terrible thing.¡±

    Anla considered her words, or more the rhythm of how she said them. It had been a full minute of thought before Maya spoke again. ¡°I would actually say your outburst made me feel better. Caudin had spent a great deal of time talking about how perfect you were and how happy you were together. My Nacilene is wonderful, but she is tempestuous and forgets her place at times. I was feeling rather jealous until that happened. Is he prone to exaggeration or are you really quite happy?¡±

    She spent a moment silencing the air around them. ¡°I''m happy with Caudin, very much so. But, I can''t say I was always very happy with Raulin. That was his name when he was a trirec and how I knew him for almost a year. He was jealous and possessive of me, even though we weren''t romantically involved for quite some time. He was pushy. He played a few games with me. There was an incident where he went beyond the pale and I stepped away from him for some time. But, once we reached a point where we both loved each other and knew that, we fought hard to keep it. Since he''s become Caudin, our relationship has settled into something I didn''t even realize was possible to attain.¡±

    ¡°Why did you suspect him of dallying with one of your maids, then?¡±

    ¡°It''s hard for me to shut out conversations I hear from people. People believe gossip and once it''s been told as a lie to someone else, it becomes just the same as the truth. So, I hear my maids speak of how he looks at them or how they heard he slept with some other girl and it sounds like the truth to me.¡±

    ¡°You know why they do it, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°Jealousy?¡±

    ¡°In part. They are surrounded by us and our lives and our riches. They are a part of it, ever so slightly. But, it''s like looking in to a wonderful greenhouse, always a pane of glass between them and us. It frustrates them. So, they try to find ways of seeing their reflection ghosted inside. Pretending they have taken your place is one way of doing that.¡±

    ¡°That''s...incredibly insightful. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome. My mother is masterful at these things. She''s taught me a lot on how to handle people.¡±

    They could see the chapel in the distance. ¡°I had a few reasons why I asked for this walk. It occurred to me that you are in the same position I''m in, yet doing so much better than I. I was wondering if you could help me.¡±

    ¡°Help you to be a queen, you mean? Anla...may I call you Anla?¡± She nodded. ¡°You need to figure out what kind of queen you want to be. I can tell you how to rule like I do, but I may not get the things you want. I am respected by my people, but not adored. When there are processions, people do not leave their meals or shops to wave at me. They live in comfort and prosperity, but I have passed laws that are unpopular and levy high taxes and therefore I am seen as a cruel mother to my people.

    ¡°By proxy, whatever Caudin does you will be wrapped up in, unless you put yourself at odds with his persona. I don''t think this will be an issue; he is considered well in the opinion of the Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°You know this?¡±

    ¡°I''ve had my people look into things, including his authenticity. I wouldn''t have traveled here and tarnished my name if it wasn''t certain he was actually Caudin or if he was unpopular. So, yes, I know how your people feel about him, you, your heritage, your status...¡±

    ¡°How do they feel about us?¡±

    ¡°Are you sue you want to know?¡±

    ¡°No, but I think I need to and this will be my one chance to know.¡±

    ¡°Some are irritated that it took Caudin so long to return, but most are thrilled to be out from under the rule of the Kalronists. There is some concern about his lack of training and experience. He''s seen as boyish, and some are worried that the country won''t turn around, but most feel it''s fine that he grows into his role.

    ¡°You are mysterious to your people. A woman whose father left the nobility to become a doctor and later married an elf. The western parts adore this; how fantastical. The rest are suspicious. Some feel your blood cheapens the monarchy. Overall, I don''t think they know you.¡±

    ¡°I''ve heard similar things already. Thank you.¡±

    Maya smiled. ¡°At least you''re not simpering or an idiot. Your skin has some thickness to it.¡±

    ¡°I grew up on the streets of Hanala,¡± she said, meeting her gaze. ¡°You have to learn to deflect in order to survive, at least here,¡± she said, tapping her chest over her heart.

    ¡°Yes, I should have figured that from your history. Caudin did tell me that and anyone who can live as an orphan on the streets for five years searching for her missing siblings deserves my respect.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I wish I could recapture my ability to not care so much.¡±

    ¡°But, that''s who you are now. Don''t see that as a negative. People love monarchs that see them and understand their plights. It''s draining; I honestly couldn''t maintain it. If you can, I encourage you to.¡±

    ¡°I''ll try.¡±

    ¡°If I may offer something else... Yesterday, and today, you''ve curtseyed to me. I am an empress, yes, and with that comes a great deal of respect. But, you are the Queen of Arvonne and I am your guest. You and I are equals. There is only one person you bow to here and that is your husband. Did they teach you stations and courtesy?¡±

    ¡°They did. I think I just fall back to making myself smaller to stay hidden.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can''t stay hidden in your position. You and I bow from our necks to each other.¡± They practiced this a few times until they were laughing. ¡°Good. That''s the most amount of exercise you should get, other than waving. Is there anything else bothering you?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Here and there. I need to figure out how to speak to servants, like my clothing designer.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why him in particular?¡±

    Anla relayed the conversation to Maya as the Empress''s mouth slowly hung open. When she finished, Maya said, ¡°Outrageous. I would have never allowed him to say those things in my presence.¡±

    ¡°But, he comes highly recommended and is sought after...¡±

    Maya shook her head. ¡°Doesn''t make a lick of difference. You are at the top. If you aren''t happy, no one else will seek him out. You are the disappointment that can break his career. Listen, if I impart nothing else to you, then it''s this: know your place.¡±

    ¡°My place three years ago was a pauper. Two years ago I was a woman who had managed to make a decent amount of money. Not enough to be a merchant, but I might have been able to buy a home with it and rent a business. A year ago I had barely been accepted by the people I now rule.¡±

    ¡°A large shift, yes, but something you''ll have to accept. You are Arvonne. You are beholden to your people, but as the symbol of the land you have the ability to command a lot of dignity and respect. But, there are many ways to be a queen and wield your power. That I can''t instruct you in. No one can. You will have to make a decision or interact with someone and reflect, then change or repeat.¡±

    ¡°It will take time, I see that. Thank you,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°You''re welcome. What have we here?¡± Maya gestured to the chapel.

    ¡°This is our derelict monument Magrithon. I''ve been spending a good deal of time here recently. I pray. I don''t hear anything in return, but I feel like He''s listening.¡±

    ¡°What do you pray for, if I may ask?¡±

    ¡°Help.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Are you aware of a philosopher named Tichen?¡±

    Anla laughed. ¡°I''ll explain later, but, yes. I haven''t read anything by him, though.¡±

    ¡°He wrote a book called The Golden Lands. It''s about ruling your life as if you were a monarch, even if you''re a street beggar. In it he posits that a monarch is essentially the hands and eyes and tongue of Magrithon. So, one might say that He did hear you and sent me in His stead.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that. I''d like to show you the chapel, alone.¡± She gave her a knowing look. Maya turned and gave a few commands to her entourage and they were left in peace. ¡°I apologize that it''s dangerous. I''m going to ask Caudin to give me the funds to fix it as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°It''s no concern. I''m not a a teacup in a porcelein doll''s hand.¡±

    They ducked inside and Anla removed another cushion from a bench, setting it down on the floor next to the other. The two women knelt before the bare altar. ¡°Caudin and I spoke of your request last night,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We do plan on having more than two children, Beliforn willing, and in that case any child past our second will be in consideration. We will not force our child into a position they would not want to be in. If we have a daughter who would be best suited to embroidery and bearing children, like her grandmother, then we cannot in good conscience force her to take the throne. But, we assume one of our children will and we will send any born after our first two for you to choose.¡±

    ¡°That puts the risk on me," Maya said, jabbing her spectacles up on the bridge of her nose. " What if none of your children are suited? And will you force your eldest to take the Arvonnese throne if they aren''t suited?¡±

    ¡°In the case of our son Aubin, we have little choice. We will groom him to rule even if he''d rather travel the countryside or become a doctor. Caudin mentioned that there''s been a few Aubins in history who have absconded the throne immediately to the Caudin, so we at least have the security in knowing that should our eldest be poorly fit to rule, his brother can take over. We will also be training all of our children, despite their gender, in the same role the Caudin usually holds.¡±

    Mayasena nodded slowly. ¡°At least this is a ''yes''. It''s not ideal for me, but hopefully one of your children will take to ruling.¡±

    ¡°In return for your risk, we ask that you treat your negotiations as you would normally. We don''t ask for anything special in return. Though we appreciate your offers, and we would accept them, we feel that it wouldn''t be fair with our request.¡±

    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± the Empress asked. ¡°You''re not relaying a painful message, are you?¡±

    ¡°I argued for this, Maya. I see this as an opportunity my daughter would not normally have. I will try my best to lead her to make the decision to rule the Empire, but in the end I will be her mother and will only want the best for her, not exactly the world.¡±

    ¡°I think that''s fair enough,¡± Mayasena said. ¡°I accept.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°You came to visit,¡± Telbarisk said, beaming. ¡°Welcome!¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is lovely,¡± Anla said, studying his new home. ¡°Truly, I am amazed. Is this how a home in Ervaskin would look?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat. We prefer natural caves, if possible, though one of my tasks as a kiluid was to grow homes like this.¡±

    Large boulders had been pulled from the forest on the grounds and brought to a side garden. Telbarisk had shaped them into an wide, open cave filled with blankets, paper, pencils, and stone for him to work with. He had already made a dozen small figurines in the shapes of indigenous animals and had sketched the portraits of a large number of willing subjects. Anla had been his first, she remembered, way back in New Wextif.

    ¡°May I come in?¡±

    ¡°Please, I hoped you would.¡±

    Anla sat, not caring if her beautiful dress would tear or get dirty. She picked up a few of the figurines and smiled as she examined them. ¡°They''re almost life-like. You have such a gift, Tel.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I realized yesterday that I missed you. I haven''t seen you in weeks. You always knew what to say to make me feel safe and happy.¡±

    ¡°I think it comes from not speaking, then choosing my words carefully.¡±

    ¡°However you do it, it''s another amazing gift of yours. I wish I could be more like you.¡±

    ¡°But you are wonderful in different ways.¡±

    ¡°I haven''t been feeling that way recently.¡± She told him about almost botching the meeting between Arvonne and the Empire, about her trials as she adapted to motherhood.

    ¡°I did well with Maya. I like her and I think we''ll grow to be friends in the future. But, I wish I could be like her, powerful and confident.¡±

    ¡°I heard a saying in Gheny that I feel works for you: ''It is a sad day when the pearl wishes it was a diamond''.¡±

    ¡°I''m not a pearl, Tel.¡±

    ¡°It''s hard to see your worth when you''re so busy looking at others.¡±

    She smiled and nodded at this. ¡°What do you see?¡±

    ¡°I see a woman who is tenacious, who fights for what she wants with every fiber of her being. I see a woman who cares so much about what she loves that she is hurt deeply when she feels she''s losing it. But, I also see a woman who carries the weight of her past on her shoulders and cannot see that those two things should embrace each other. You are smart and you are sensible. You know what you should have and what are others. Don''t give up so easily. Fight.¡±

    Anla embraced him. ¡°Thank you. I needed to hear that. How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Well enough. I am still trying to understand my life without kouriya. At times it felt like it was a sensible thing, and at others it seemed pointless.¡±

    ¡°It brought you comfort.¡±

    ¡°But, at what cost? I accepted my defeat before I could allow myself to understand how I felt about it. It brought me to you three, but it also means I am away from Kelouya, my family, and my people.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can return?¡±

    He sighed and looked away. ¡°That is my crossroads. My brother has been censured. My sentence may have been reversed, but I haven''t received word. I could return and fight for it...¡±

    ¡°Or?¡±

    ¡°Or I can follow kouriya and stay.¡±

    She blinked it surprise. ¡°Kouriya is telling you to stay?¡±

    ¡°I don''t understand it. I felt at peace when I decided not to follow kouriya, like I had chosen the right thing to do. But, now this feeling haunts me and I no longer feel settled over the matter. I should go home, but...¡±

    ¡°Could it be that kouriya and normal sensibility are not exclusive? Maybe kouriya is best used in doubt or when it feels stronger?¡±

    ¡°This is generally how most of my people use it. My master felt that it would be more powerful if you listened constantly for it.¡±

    ¡°If that''s the case, then this would be a loud instance of kouriya. What do you feel you need to do?¡±

    ¡°Stay with Caudin. There''s something left for me to do that only I can. That''s what I''m feeling.¡±

    ¡°Then I''m glad you''re staying.¡±

    * * *

    Anla began visiting Tel more frequently as well as Alistad, who recommended increasing visits for her well-being. She found a fast-forming friendship with Maya, who helped her understand her role better. She started attending more events in the city, a few by herself (though technically Isken was always close by as well as several guards).

    Still, she felt untested. She knew it was going to happen sooner or later, some instance where her spine was going to need to be steel instead of mica. She''d rather it be on her own terms.

    The double doors to her wing were opened quietly by the doorman. Anla moved out of the way and listened to the conversation happening within her room.

    There were four girls inside, one sweeping the carpets while the others changed linens, fluffed pillows, and spot cleaned. She thought she might have to wait long for someone to gossip, but they were already in the midst of it.

    ¡°Mirella says he gave her a bracelet,¡± one said.

    ¡°Then why isn''t she wearing it?¡± another asked.

    ¡°Because she doesn''t want it getting dirty. And it was apparently his mother''s, so he doesn''t want the Queen getting jealous.¡±

    ¡°Why Mirella, though? The Queen seems nice and pretty. And she''s with child now, so she''s healthy.¡±

    ¡°Mirella says the King likes his women plump. The Queen isn''t well-endowed, rather willowy, and he says he''d rather have someone with curves.¡±

    It was still painful to hear, even though she knew by then it wasn''t true. She took a deep breath and turned the corner.

    ¡°Yes, but Mirella isn''t that comely. It seems like he''d rather...¡± The girl spotted Anla and curtseyed low. The other girl, the one who''d been gossiping harder, turned in the middle of fixing the bed. Her eyes widened in fright and her cheeks reddened deep. She stumbled into a curtsey while the other two girls were more graceful about theirs.

    ¡°Who''s Mirella?¡± she asked. When none of the girls were forthcoming, she moved in front of the girl who was blushing furiously. ¡°I asked who is Mirella.¡±

    ¡°''dem, she''s...she''s a chambermaid in His Radiance''s household.¡±

    ¡°And she''s told everyone that she''s been carousing with my husband?¡± The room, and also the rooms within earshot, were deathly quiet. ¡°Or is this something you''ve been making up to do harm to Mirella?¡±

    ¡°N-n-no, ''dem. This...those are things she''s said.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it''s wise to repeat them?¡±

    ¡°No, ''dem.¡± Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

    ¡°Do you think it''s becoming as a member of the Queen''s household to take part in idle gossip?¡±

    ¡°No, ''dem,¡± she said with a shake of her head.

    Speaking to everyone, she said, ¡°I trust that we will review the proper decorum of a royal chambermaid and conduct ourselves in that manner in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ''dem,¡± they said.

    ¡°Now, I would like to speak with this Mirella.¡±

    One of the girls quickly ran out of the room. Less than a minute later she returned with a plump, horse-faced girl with black, curly hair. ¡°This is Mirella?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, ''dem,¡± the girl responded and moved out of the way.

    Anla couldn''t help but quirk her lips up for a moment. It wasn''t because she realized that the girl was homely and that her husband would''ve chosen every other maid in the whole palace before her, including the older ones. It was because she realized she had been had by the whole situation. If she had only confronted this head-on earlier, she would''ve seen it for the childish game it was, a way for an ugly girl to boost her ego.

    She felt pity for her, even as she curtseyed with a haughty look on her face. She''d never had the intention of letter her go, but she''d wanted to force the girl to confront that what she''d been lying about was hurtful. Now, she didn''t even want to rob this girl of what little she likely had in this world.

    ¡°Mirella, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ''dem.¡±

    Anla pretended to study her. ¡°I see,¡± she finally said. ¡°You may return to work.¡±

    She bowed her head while curtseying, then left the room. She might hold her tongue in the future, or she might continue to gossip. It would likely be the latter. Anla no longer cared. It wouldn''t affect her, unless she claimed a bastard as her husband''s. But, she''d deal with that if it came to it.

    Anla walked slowly out of the room. Before she left, she turned and looked at the bed. ¡°Why are you changing the sheets?¡± she asked. ¡°I don''t use it. Tell the headmistress to reduce the changing to once a fortnight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ''dem,¡± the blushing girl said.

    It was a few days later that Dontreim returned. She entered her apartments and took in all the clothes he had laid out. She''d been unsure of how to stop him once he''d gotten his barbs in, but she needn''t have worried. She was herself.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he said as he and his ladies bowed. ¡°I''ve taken some time to-¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, walking over to a dress on a mannequin. It was of a slimmer cut with no bustle, no hoop, and no flaring of the skirts. It appeared that there was only two layers to it, the bottom plain dress a cream color and the top a sheer paisley in gold and red. ¡°This is stunning.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think ''dem might find that a dress that helps accentuate her deficiencies-¡±

    ¡°-will only make me look like something I''m not. This is so beautiful, the airiness of it, the way the fabric moves. I think you could change this outside layer to leaves, perhaps take the line of the back up, and pair it with lace gloves.¡±

    She turned to look at him. ¡°Well, I suppose if that''s what you want, ''dem, but it doesn''t seem austere enough for every day attire.¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring it then for me to fall in love with?¡±

    ¡°You love it, ''dem?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°I had considered it for private dinners at your estate. I don''t forsee the public taking too well to something that appears so...shift-like.¡±

    ¡°You can dress it up, maybe gather the skirt a little in the back for a bustle or do something with the decollatage. I have faith in you, Dontreim.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, thank you, Your Highness. Let''s see how you fit in it.¡±

    She fit into it very well indeed.

 Chapter 260

    Laughter, then applause rang out from the Heathden Dining Room, a smaller room with dark blue doors that was used for intimate gatherings. Anla, Caudin, and a few others were being entertained by a small theater troupe during a late morning repast while Al sat outside in riding clothes. He occasionally wiped his palms on his pant legs as he sat.

    Finally, he could hear people talking and the doors opened. Al stood quickly and waited until Caudin and Anla passed him by, then joined the group. It was a good minute before Caudin turned his head and noticed him.

    ¡°Wizard! You missed a lovely short production of Twenty Nights in Kinto. The actor that played Persisco could have showed you a better way to sneak.¡±

    ¡°It would have been a wasted lesson, since no one here is a thief.¡±

    ¡°Good point. Why didn¡¯t you join us and what do you need now?¡±

    ¡°I was¡­I was busy packing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re slated for a trip?¡±

    ¡°Your Radiance, I would like to ask for an extended leave.¡±

    Caudin stopped walking and turned to face him. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®an extended leave¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I would like permission to help establish Samenstrar in Tapenstri, Your Radiance.¡±

    An annoyed look crossed Caudin¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s two short council members I¡¯ve lost to this project. When do you journey?¡±

    ¡°By your leave, in two hours.¡±

    ¡°Two hours? Wizard, that¡¯s hardly enough time to say ¡®goodbye¡¯.¡±

    The group began walking as the King set his pace again. ¡°I apologize, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask earlier?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I was afraid you were going to say ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I should. This is a rude thing to do to a friend, but you are your own man. How long will you be gone?¡±

    ¡°I promise to return before your babe is born, Sire. I wish to see the school established and the students comfortable, then I will head back. Perhaps I will be gone in as little as two months, though it might be the full five.¡±

    Anla moved forward, her violet gloved hands outspread for an embrace. He held her tightly, though not too tightly. At four months her stomach was no longer flat and her imperial violet dress of gathered, beaded tulle was gorgeous, but delicate. ¡°You look radiant,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Good luck, Al. I¡¯ll miss you,¡± she said.

    Caudin hugged him secondly. ¡°You¡¯ve said goodbye to Telbarisk, I hope?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Well, since you wanted no fanfare, have a safe journey.¡± He made to leave, then stopped. ¡°You know, I never thought it would be you to break our quartet. I always figured it would be Tel.¡±

    ¡°Sire, I¡­¡± he began, but the group was already on the move away from his position. He sighed and left for the stables.

    ¡°Dada, where are we going?¡± Marnie asked as he sat next to her in the carriage.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this about eighteen times, dear. We¡¯re going to a school that helps people become wizards like Dada.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll come back to the palace?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in due time,¡± he said, slapping the outside of the carriage. It lurched forward as they began to move.

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Marnie, no. We¡¯re going to be away for some time.¡±

    ¡°Tonight?¡±

    ¡°Marnie, stop!¡± he said, immediately regretting his tone. He took a deep breath. ¡°We¡¯re going to be away for some time. It will be fine, darling. We¡¯ll have fun. It¡¯ll be like when you came across the sea in the boat.¡±

    ¡°I was sick on the boat.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be sick in the carriage, sweetie. We¡¯re going to another big house, one near the ocean.¡±

    ¡°I want to go back to the other house.¡±

    ¡°Me, too,¡± he admitted.

    * * *

    Anla squeezed her husband¡¯s hand as they rode into the city. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset by his departure, but he¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°I know he will. I¡¯m not worried about it. I¡¯m just¡­confused. Why didn¡¯t he ask sooner?¡±

    ¡°I could come up with a dozen possibilities. I do know that he felt quite a bit of shame over it.¡±

    ¡°These things make us look bad. If it were an emergency, I could understand, but this wasn¡¯t one. He completely uprooted his life, and that of his daughter, to run off and help with this school. I mean, isn¡¯t this enough? He dreamed his whole life of restoring the Arvonnese monarchy, which everyone assumed was impossible, and he finally gets to be in the middle of that, yet leave for something else.¡±

    ¡°Technically the monarchy is restored, and while things aren¡¯t necessarily stable yet, they are running smoothly enough that he isn¡¯t needed. People need to be needed. Maybe he knew he was needed at the school and it appealed to him.¡±

    ¡°Did I not give him enough to do? He was always busy, always involved.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the other way, then? This could be a respite of sorts, a vacation.¡±

    Caudin leaned his head into his hand. ¡°Which one is it? Was he overworked or bored?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. If I did, I¡¯d tell you. I can, however, tell you that you¡¯re upset not because he¡¯s insulted the crown or left you in a lurch. You¡¯re hurt personally by this.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. You know that he¡¯s more than just my emrys. I love him and I¡¯m going to miss him.¡±

    ¡°I will as well. But, he¡¯ll be back shortly and then we¡¯ll put this behind us.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. I think I¡¯m going to send him to all of the guild meetings for a season.¡± She giggled suddenly and put her hand to her stomach.

    ¡°Is the baby kicking?¡± he asked, his eyes wide.

    ¡°Far too early for that. No, just a sort of fluttery movement. Alistad said I should expect that during the quickening.¡±

    ¡°How long then ¡¯til the kicks?¡±

    ¡°About a month or so. We¡¯ll have to wait for him to introduce himself properly.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of introductions, are you going to tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°This is a little something I¡¯ve been working on at Al¡¯s suggestion.¡±

    ¡°No surprises like Alistad?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Just a public appearance. I hope you¡¯ll allow me to continue my inquiries and service towards it.¡±

    ¡°Likely. You know I can¡¯t deny you anything.¡±

    The carriage stopped a few streets later in a less than reputable part of Eri Ranvel. They stepped outside, several guards and one cloaked Merakian shadowing them, as Anla lead Caudin to the main doors of the building. Along the front several dozen children stood in a line in their best clothes, freshly washed, their hair cut and combed or in two braids.

    ¡°An orphanage?¡± Caudin asked.

    She smiled and waved at the children. ¡°Many, many children were displaced during the Kalronists¡¯ reign. Even still the orphanages are overflowing. Inside they sleep on the floor and share blankets, the headmistress told me. They eat enough, but not well. There are no toys for them to play with and they only have whatever books are donated. Not all of them can read by the time they turn twenty and none know any labor skills.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    A middle-aged woman moved forward and curtseyed low between them. She had the look of a woman who cared for her appearance up until practicality got in the way. She tucked a few loose strands of her hair back in her bun and pulled her shawl around her shoulders. ¡°Your Radiances, thank you so very much for honoring our home with your presence. Children, say ¡®hello¡¯ to the King and Queen.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    A chorus of greetings rang out from the children.

    ¡°Thank you, children,¡± Anla said. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you today. Let¡¯s go inside and see where you sleep.¡±

    It had once been a factory, a two-story stone building with poor insulation and a cracked foundation. Windows had long since been boarded, the wood used as a makeshift chalkboard for fifteen years¡¯ worth of children. The bottom floor had a room converted to a kitchen, a large room with many tables for eating, a bedroom for the headmistress, and a room with odds and ends from outside, including sticks that formed dolls. Upstairs were rooms with piles of blankets on the floors and a room with a tub for washing.

    ¡°How did it get so bad?¡± Caudin asked absentmindedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sire,¡± the headmistress said, looking ashamed. ¡°I accepted fifteen children at the start and was able to manage a better place for them. But, people kept leaving their babes on the stoop and I¡¯d be woken in the middle of the night to a crying newborn. It¡¯s usually the young mothers that send them, usually.¡± She readjusted her shawl. ¡°As you can see, I have five times my capacity.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to suggest you weren¡¯t doing everything you can. We commend you for this. But, children with torn clothing and not a proper bed¡­ How do you fund what you have?¡±

    ¡°The Church of Beliforn offers some assistance. I also have a few generous sponsors.¡±

    ¡°But, we can see it¡¯s not enough. Thank you for walking us through today.¡±

    They left and entered the carriage once again. Anla said nothing, knowing she didn¡¯t need to.

    ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t expecting us to adopt them all,¡± he finally said when they started moving. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the experience of one child, yet, never mind sixty.¡±

    ¡°Of course I wasn¡¯t expecting us to adopt them, at least not directly. I think there should be a crown-sponsored orphanage, a place that we can put our stamp on. We¡¯ll direct some of our funds there, and perhaps to a few others, and allow some of the most destitute in the city to live well.¡±

    ¡°I think a little could go a long way, too. I saw what they did to entertain themselves.¡±

    ¡°They have food, thankfully, but they need warm beds and an education and happiness.¡±

    He clicked his tongue as he looked out the window. After a minute of thought, he turned back. ¡°It speaks highly of someone who is willing to see others gets what they only wished they¡¯d had.¡±

    ¡°Al told me that the rest of the money promised to me by the Duke of Sharka was spent on orphanages in Hanala. I thought his suggestion was such an insightful gesture and I wondered if there was a way to do the same. I understand I get a purse as the Queen and I¡¯m able to spend money on whatever I¡¯d like, so long as it¡¯s not unbecoming or politically upsetting.¡±

    ¡°That purse is for personal items, like your wardrobe or anything you¡¯d like to buy abroad and have shipped here. We will find funding for the orphanage outside of that. I¡¯ll ask for someone to find you an advisor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I think this will be a wonderful cause for the world to know us by.¡±

    * * *

    As this was a quieter day for the two of them, Anla and Caudin found themselves eating dinner in their rooms. After they finished, Caudin got comfortable in his armchair near the fire. Instead of taking her own seat, she snuggled in next to him, giving him something more interesting to occupy his time rather than a newspaper.

    ¡°Are you happy?¡± he asked, sipping on a glass of wine.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean ¡®are you happy because I¡¯m happy?¡¯ or ¡®are you happy because that¡¯s where you¡¯ve forced yourself to be?¡¯. Are you happy, with me, with everything that¡¯s happened?¡±

    ¡°Is it strange that I still dream of Aviz? I think there are some people who aren¡¯t cut out to be rich and famous. They like the feel of sweat on their backs and they prefer quieter days. I might be one of those. But, I don¡¯t know if I would have been happy in Aviz. I know that I¡¯m happy enough here. And I will always be happy with you.¡±

    ¡°Even if I carry out affairs with ugly chambermaids?¡±

    She snorted and stole his glass for a swig of wine. ¡°Ugly women can seduce just as easily as beautiful women, maybe even more successfully. I¡¯m sorry I was foolish about that.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t foolish, you were jealous. In a way it reminds me that you love me and care about having my sole affection. You know, they¡¯ve asked¡­¡±

    ¡°Asked about what?¡±

    ¡°If I would take a mistress while you were with child.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± she asked, her expression serious.

    ¡°Anla¡­Just like you¡¯re not meant to be a queen, I¡¯m not meant to be a womanizer. I¡¯ve known this for some time, before I ever met you. I chafed against my former role just as you chafe against this one. I, however, wished for a house, a wife, and a family and got just that whereas you wished for Aviz and got this.¡±

    ¡°¡¯This¡¯ is not bad, just something I will have to understand in time. I was led to believe that I had little choice in my life as a queen when I¡¯m finding I can influence some things. And you didn¡¯t answer my question directly.¡±

    ¡°I said ¡®no¡¯ even though there is a complicated reason behind the recommendation. It¡¯s not as simple as ¡®we want to satiate your urges, here¡¯s a pretty girl¡¯; they often choose the girl who has political ties, who then sways my heart to their cause. They also think you¡¯re too strong of an influence on me.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re afraid I have too much power?¡± She laughed at this.

    ¡°Yes. A clever, strong-willed queen confuses things. They don¡¯t know how to appeal to you other than gifts of clothing and shoes. They¡¯re just guessing. They know how to bribe men.¡±

    ¡°Chocolates would have worked,¡± she said, reaching past him for a truffle on a tray next to his seat. ¡°See, Jemerie sent these to you when he should have sent them to me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll drop that hint. Are those chocolate covered frayed almonds?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said, biting into it. ¡°The center is strawberry cream.¡±

    ¡°Odd choice for him. Anyway, I still said ¡®no¡¯. I understand that old game. They want to make me a king for the principals. I am one already, but I can also present a united front with my queen. I think that may have one them over, the fact that the people will look more fondly on a faithful king.¡±

    She rubbed her eyes and pressed her fingertips into her temples. ¡°Yes, I¡­that was the smart¡­choice.¡± She tried to move out of the chair but slipped against the arm.

    ¡°Anla? Do you want to lie down?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°You look really flushed. Let¡¯s move you away from the fire.¡±

    She toppled over the armrest and fell to the ground. She began to shake a few moments before she vomited.

    Caudin raced around the chair to disentangle her from the furniture. She continued to vomit, trying desperately to catch her breath. It finally snapped into place for Caudin that this wasn¡¯t morning sickness and everything shifted.

    ¡°Guards! Isken!¡±

    The Merakian was the first to move from his place in the room next door to their room. ¡°What passes?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Go get Alistad now!¡±

    A guard entered the room as Isken bolted past him. ¡°Your Radiance?¡±

    ¡°The Queen has been poisoned.¡±

    ¡°Sire?¡± he asked, then looked at Anla. He turned and ran from the room.

    He continued to rub her back as she shook and vomited. ¡°It¡¯s okay, ainle. Get it out.¡±

    Isken dashed back in the room carrying a wicker basket. ¡°Anything I can do?¡± he asked, placing it down near the two of them.

    ¡°Assist Alistad. Quarantine the area. The guards should be looking for the assassin, but if you see anything they miss, let me know.¡±

    Alistad came rushing in wearing an open robe that concealed a thin, cotton gown for sleeping. She slammed her basket next to the one Isken brought and knelt next to Anla, who was still vomiting. ¡°What did she eat? When did she eat it? When did the vomiting begin? Tell me all the things you noticed about her.¡±

    ¡°It was most likely the chocolate. This was about ten minutes ago. Her skin started flushing, then she seemed confused and she was pressing her fingers to her forehead like she had a headache. She fell from the chair and started vomiting and shaking.¡±

    ¡°Bring me the chocolate,¡± she asked Isken. ¡°Use gloves or a napkin.¡±

    By this point Anla was no longer retching, but doubled up and shaking. Caudin held her and waited. Isken brought it over and Alistad sniffed. ¡°Other than strawberries and chocolate, what are you smelling?¡±

    Isken took a whiff. ¡°Floral wood. Smells familiar.¡±

    Caudin gestured for them to bring it over. His face clouded as he sniffed it. ¡°Henchin bark.¡±

    While trirecs never used poisons for assassination, they needed to be familiar with them. In this case, the smell would have been important to know. Caudin would¡¯ve caught the scent and known what it was before swallowing. The Network wouldn¡¯t have known that, though, and they also wouldn¡¯t have known that he knew henchin trees grew exclusively in the colder, mountainous climates of central north Noh Amair and was used frequently by the Network.

    Alistad was already taking her tools out of her basket. ¡°I¡¯m going to need hands,¡± she said.

    ¡°Isken, go grab five of those gawkers in the doorway and bring them in here.¡±

    She first gave Anla a dark solution that caused her to retch and dry heave. Then, in turn, she crushed, mixed, and set several vials, which she handed to waiting servants with instructions. Everyone awaited in silence or tight-lipped prayer.

    It took the better part of an hour for Alistad to mix the compounds together. Caudin lifted Anla each time to help Alistad pour the mixture down her throat, speaking soft and encouraging words to her every time she tensed and grimaced.

    Anla stabilized over the next hour. She stopped wincing in pain, her breathing deepened, her pallor returned to normal, and she stopped shaking. Caudin picked her up when Alistad gave him approval to do so, laying her in their bed after her ladies changed her clothes.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Sire, I¡¯d like to sleep closer for a few days,¡± Alistad asked. ¡°May I use one of your rooms?¡±

    ¡°You have our permission,¡± he said.

    Other physickers and priests were called the next day, to see if there was some way to improve Anla¡¯s health. She remained asleep and Caudin remained at her bedside the whole day, canceling all his plans.

    That night he awoke to her loud moans of pain. ¡°Alistad!¡± he yelled. Anla¡¯s moans grew louder and she writhed, arching her back. It was then he realized that the bed was soaked. He jumped out and peeled back the covers, devastated to see the stain was wide and dark in the candlelight.

    Alistad strode in and stopped short for just a moment. She immediately yelled for one of the midwives.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Radiance. I prayed that this wouldn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°The poison was too strong for the baby, Sire. She¡¯s miscarrying.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    She met his gaze and held it. ¡°I know you want to be there for her, but it would be best if you left and let us handle this, Sire.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her.¡±

    ¡°Sire, we can move a chair over for you, but please stay there. We¡¯ll let you know how things are progressing.¡±

    He sighed and moved to the chair in their sitting room. It was a grisly ten hours before the screams and moans stopped. He suddenly perked up and caught Alistad¡¯s attention.

    ¡°How is she doing?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still not well, Sire. She was already weak from the poison before having to go through childbirth. The worst is over; now she needs to recover.¡±

    ¡°Will she, though?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for her to decide, Sire.¡±

    He slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees and heeling his eyes. Some time later, minutes or hours, he felt a large, comforting hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Caudin, would you like me to sit with her while you rest?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t leave her, Tel. I don¡¯t want to be away in case¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s strong and she will get better. You need to be rested for when she awakes.¡±

    He nodded. It made sense. But, he didn¡¯t move. Instead, he spoke of what he had been thinking of the entire time his wife labored. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tel.¡±

    Telbarisk crouched down next to him. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°You have done everything in our friendship to teach me how to be a better man. I may have grasped some of them, but it seems forgiveness is still far from my reach.¡±

    ¡°What aren¡¯t you willing to forgive?¡±

    ¡°This. Three times now they have tried to kill me, and all three times they have put my wife in peril. They killed my child, Tel. Anla¡¯s life hangs on by a thread. I¡¯m certain that the next time, if there is a next time,¡± he said, his voice cracking, ¡°she will not survive.

    ¡°I know we planned things differently, but I¡¯ve made my decision. The longer I wait on this, the more harm will be done to my country. I¡¯m calling a meeting of the Principals and I¡¯m declaring war on Sayen.¡±

 Chapter 261

    Caudin was fuming. He sat at the head of the table, leaning his head into his fist, as the majority of the Principals made arguments against war. Against. After the Queen was almost killed, after their child, the heir to Arvonne, was killed. After the third attempt, known attempt, against his life.

    No, too much money, they said. Too precarious a position. The monarchy hadn¡¯t been officially established by the Noh Amairian Conclave, so it might backfire if other countries came to Sayen¡¯s aid. They already had a plan in place and they should stick to that.

    They, of course, couldn¡¯t overrule him. If he chose to go to war, the country would go to war, with or without the approval of the Principals. And was he sorely tempted to force this edict down their throats. But, his training had kicked in, and he knew that telling the Principals to stuff their caution would lead to poor relations between the crown and its constituents. And while this might feel like it was worth it, he would pay for it in the long-run.

    So, he gritted his teeth and bit his tongue and listened for what he could get from this. They condemned the actions and were willing to acknowledge behind closed doors that it was Sayen who was responsible for these attempts. They were concerned for his well-being and had commiserated the loss of their child and had asked how Anladet was doing. They suggested coming up with a backup plan, should another assassination work.

    Schooling his tone and features, he interrupted that course. ¡°So, We shall look weak.¡±

    ¡°Not weak, Sire, but calculating,¡± Triniste said. ¡°It shows that we¡¯re a country that understands its place and is seeking to work out our grievances through the proper channels.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like the equivalency of a farmer robbed thrice who finally goes to the sheriff, who never makes it in time to save him from the next pillage.¡±

    ¡°Sire, our country needs more time,¡± the older female Principal name Reldarin said. ¡°If we had the immediate backing of the Southern Empire or if we were as strong as we were before the Coup, then this would be a different outcome. I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be clamoring to sign a war proclamation. Many of us are heartbroken and furious as to what¡¯s happened. But, we¡¯re also still wary and afraid of returning to where we once were.¡±

    Her speech had calmed him to the point where he knew he wasn¡¯t going to win today. ¡°It seems that the majority do not wish for war and We wish to hear the will of the land as well as Our own. However, to take no action at this point is not acceptable. We will break for a half-hour recess while We hear solutions.¡±

    Al would have figured this out. Damn him for leaving.

    Caudin stayed in his chair, feeling the exhaustion of holding in simmering anger. He folded his hands in front of him and leaned back, looking at the table for a few moments. When he looked up, most of the Principals were gathered in groups around the room, but his small council was surrounding him. Jemerie leaned forward in the seat to his left. ¡°Your Radiance, what will it take to satisfy you as well as the Council?¡±

    He sighed, sitting up. ¡°I want them to stop trying to kill me. I have far bigger things to worry about other than the Mielsa at this moment. Retaking it isn¡¯t a priority and I haven¡¯t made any move to. But, they keep trying.¡±

    ¡°I doubt a sternly worded letter would work in this case.¡±

    ¡°No, I very much doubt that as well.¡±

    ¡°Other than hoping Sayen will decide to wait and see, what can we do?¡±

    ¡°Return the favor? Send assassins to Corvreki Astel?¡± he joked.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure your uncle will take over with passion if your grandfather is killed.¡±

    Caudin shrugged. ¡°What else can I do? Sayen is in the stronger position. It seems that you will be looking for a new king in half a year¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± Rogesh suddenly said. ¡°I think you need some fresh air to clear out the cobwebs of despair.¡±

    Jemerie gave Rogesh a wary look, but nodded. Caudin rose and he and Rogesh moved outside to a hallway outside the chambers. ¡°It looks bleak,¡± the Principal said.

    ¡°She almost died and she still hasn¡¯t awoken from her coma. Good on them, finding my weakest point and attacking it. Bravo.¡±

    ¡°They want you to declare war, my boy. They want the new, young, brash ruler to take mostly untrained troops and fight a war under a dubious cause.¡±

    ¡°I can prove it was the Network.¡±

    ¡°No, you can prove that a Sayenese man shot an arrow at you and that a Sayenese man tried to stab you. The weight of a nation takes a lot more than conjecture. We need a Sayenese duke charging at you with a lance to go to war, otherwise our attack will seem unmitigated.¡±

    ¡°The Principals realize that another Coup is just months, or weeks, away, yes? I will likely be dead by the next year¡¯s end. And don¡¯t say I¡¯m being dramatic.¡±

    ¡°You are, but it¡¯s a fair estimation.¡±

    ¡°And, so, we¡¯ll just let Sayen take Arvonne this time?¡±

    ¡°Caudin¡­you over-extended yourself. You thought the Council would be as angry as you are over the death of your heir and the attempt on your and the Queen¡¯s life. It¡¯s not that we aren¡¯t upset; I am personally furious that they¡¯ve done this thrice and caused you so much pain. But, I am also a Principal, and I am old, so I have learned to temper my rage and think rationally when I have to. I have the shortest fuse in there! You can imagine where this vote is going to go.¡±

    ¡°So, what, we should let them kill me? Or should we do what Banisault suggested and give Sayen concessions if they stop trying? Hmm? ¡®You can have the coast and parts of Temenrind just so long as you stop sending assassins, pretty please¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Caudin, they won¡¯t vote for war. You¡¯ll have to swallow your pride on that today. However,¡± he said, giving him a look of importance, ¡°there are a thousand other things you can do. You are the King. Send assassins after your grandfather. Kill his heir. Do whatever your vengeful heart commands, just don¡¯t do it officially.¡±

    He had been so focused on the light that he had forgotten about the dark. In a similar sense, they had recently condoned an extra-marital affair by offering a mistress, just as Rogesh was now slipping him this opening. He could do anything he wanted as Caudin, so long as he didn¡¯t do it as the King.

    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Please reconvene the Council.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Your Radiance.¡±

    Caudin took a few moments to gather his thoughts. He¡¯d plot later. For now, he just needed to appear like he didn¡¯t get what he wanted.

    The Council agreed to increase military spending and work on a contingency plan, should an assassination attempt be successful. He displayed the same simmering anger he¡¯d had before speaking with Rogesh and ended the meeting with words of disappointment over their choice.

    As soon as he was back at Dilvestrar, he visited his wife by her bedside, holding her hand as she continued to sleep. He had canceled all events and had ample time to be with her. Since she didn¡¯t stir, he thought about what he wanted to do, what he could do to douse the fire of vengeance within.

    He summoned Isken over. ¡°I have a project for you to do. Would you like it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can say ¡®no¡¯ to the King in this country?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I suppose you can¡¯t, but I¡¯d rather know that you wanted to do this rather than be forced to do it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that the project is, so how can I say ¡®yes¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I would like you to train a hundred men in the art of pillaging.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Pillaging¡¯? What exactly do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Basic fighting techniques with two or three weapons, scare tactics, sneaking, arson.¡±

    ¡°Why? What do you wish to do?¡±

    ¡°In three month¡¯s time I¡¯d like to lead those men to Erifana and evict Sayen from the Mielsa Valley in the most brutal way possible.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well then, my answer is ¡®yes¡¯, Your Radiance. You should have led with that.¡±

    * * *

    Caudin spent the rest of the day taking notes on what exactly he would need from and for this squad. For them money, weapons, provisions. From them, well, anything he desired. In this case, all he wanted was revenge. And not just for his wife and child, not just for the two other attempts, but for his people, for his family, and for every single second in those eighteen years of his life.

    He happened to look up and saw that Anla was blinking. ¡°Ainle?¡± he asked, grabbing her hand.

    ¡°Ainler?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    He kissed her hand. ¡°I love you. I¡¯m so happy you woke up. Do you remember anything?¡±

    Her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Hot.¡±

    ¡°We were in front of the fire, talking. I was drinking wine and you had a chocolate. It had henchin bark in it, a deadly poison. You were very sick, but Alistad managed to counteract the toxin.¡±

    She slowly lifted her hand to her stomach.

    ¡°The baby didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    She swallowed hard, her eyes twinkling with tears. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Absolutely none of it was your fault. The only person to blame is my grand-, is the King of Sayen.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be more careful. We¡¯ll hire a taster and I¡¯ll start vetting the staff.¡±

    Caudin nodded, distracted.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He picked up the bell on her nightstand and rang it. To the valet that entered, he said, ¡°Tell Priestess Alistad and the Duke of Eri Ranvel that the Queen is awake.¡±

    Garlin made it to her chambers before Alistad did, hugging his sister tightly. ¡°She¡¯s still in recovery, Your Grace,¡± Caudin said with faux sternness.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, pulling back. ¡°I was worried about her.¡±

    ¡°As you rightly should have been. It was a near thing.¡±

    Anla pulled him back and rocked him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if I had died, you¡¯d still have a home here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my brother now, for better or worse,¡± Caudin said. ¡°You will always have a home here.¡±

    But when he lifted his head again, his lashes were wet and he hastily wiped his nose. Caudin thought that, much like his sister, he tended to measure homes less in bricks and more in embraces.

    Garlin kept her company by showing her the things people had sent, including a bouquet of wildflowers and a card from the orphanage, when Alistad arrived and began her check-in. It was the perfect time for Caudin to slip away and find Isken, who had been sent out on a few errands.

    ¡°I found my friend,¡± Isken said, walking next to Caudin. ¡°Kavrin Aldlismon. He¡¯s the one you want to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Can you arrange for tonight, say Kabidon¡¯s bell?¡±

    ¡°Very likely. He was eager to meet with you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise. I hope his appetite is as strong as my own.¡±

    He thought maybe he had competition when he got a good look at him across from a tavern table in Aubrige. Kavrin looked to have a lot of northern blood in him, with his pale skin and shockingly red hair and beard. He was polite and sane, so long as one didn¡¯t discuss Sayen.

    At first, his jaw clenched and he whispered nothing sweet about the country. Later, as his tab increased, he was more liberal with his swears. Eventually his story came out.

    ¡°My family had lived for four generations in Chremant-asvil when a blight of them came from up north. ¡®Our land now¡¯, they said. ¡®Says who?¡¯ we asked. ¡®Says the men with the swords,¡¯ they answered. They gave us three days to pack up and leave, though not everything. Not our crops, not our equipment, and not¡­not our women. They left most of the married ones alone, but not me. No, they took my beautiful, young wife and three of my cousins, the eldest only fourteen.

    ¡°And what could I do? No one could fight. There were too many of them. Do you think I didn¡¯t want to fight?¡±

    ¡°You lived for this one,¡± Caudin interrupted.

    ¡°What is ¡®this one¡¯? What have you invited me here for? Not that I am upset by free beer and chicken.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m told you are a man who knows a lot of other men. You must know a few who would be willing to spend a few months training to go on an excursion.¡±

    ¡°To where?¡± he asked, pausing mid chew.

    ¡°Erifana.¡±

    ¡°Erifana,¡± he said, musing as he put his chicken down. ¡°Erifana is that port town in Sayen-occupied Mielsa.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of Sayenese there.¡±

    ¡°There are.¡±

    ¡°¡¯twould be a shame if it caught fire and all those ships were destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Terrible shame.¡±

    Kavrin gave a wolfish grin that he dropped after a moment. ¡°I have one problem.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anyone?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know plenty of like-minded individuals, more than enough who wouldn¡¯t mind taking an excursion. I don¡¯t, however, like taking orders from a man whose face I¡¯ve never seen.¡±

    ¡°Understandable,¡± Caudin said, tipping his hood back a little to show his eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be taking orders from me, but from Isken. I am just an overseer. I provide the purse and an instructive word, but I will be working from the shadows.¡±

    ¡°How do I know this isn¡¯t a trap?¡±

    Caudin paused at this. ¡°Distrust is a healthy thing with strangers.¡±

    ¡°I give you the names of men who have reason to hate Sayen, then they start going ¡®missing¡¯. It would be an easy way for Sayen to remove obstacles. They¡¯ve already tried to get the King five times now.¡±

    ¡°Five?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°I¡¯d only heard of three.¡±

    ¡°Five,¡± he assured, counting each off on a finger. ¡°One and two were in Temenrinde, a rock slide and an arrow. Three was an assassin on the way to a meeting. Four was an assassin in the palace. Five was the poison that got the poor Queen. It was my friends that got the assassin on the road. He was too obvious, bragged too much.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Caudin said, stunned. ¡°Well, I cannot show my face. I cannot tell you who sponsors you. I will ask that you trust him,¡± he gestured to Isken, ¡°since he trusts me.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Kavrin asked.

    ¡°He saved my life,¡± Isken said. ¡°I saved his, twice. I make sure he¡¯s around the return the last favor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a difficult man to know, Isken. How do you two know each other?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for many years now,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Friends in unlikely circumstances.¡±

    Kavrin tipped back his mug and finished his drink. ¡°So, let me ask you why you want to do it. Other than the pay, I¡¯m assuming.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve had a hard life and I can trace all my tragedies to Sayen.¡±

    The burly man considered this for a minute. ¡°How many men do you need?¡±

    ¡°Close to but under ten dozen.¡±

    ¡°Women?¡±

    ¡°I have no objections, if they want revenge as much as anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Give me one week.¡±

    * * *

    As Caudin looked at the group in the old Dablen Market, he was happy to see he wasn¡¯t starved for applicants. There were closer to two hundred men, and women, talking and joking in the building¡¯s courtyard where animal auctions, and the occasional performance, used to happen. He stood watching them, waiting for them to quiet.

    ¡°My name is Quin Sesault,¡± he said once he had most of their attention. ¡°This is Isken Fren and most of you know Kavrin Aldlismon. Tonight we gather because we all share one thing in common: we are all patriots. Right now part of our lands are in the grip of another king, another people who are not us.

    ¡°I have been commissioned to remedy that situation. I need a solid team of people who will work for me. Therefore, I must ask this crowd to close their eyes. Everyone. Right now.¡±

    There were a few laughs and looks, but most people did as he asked. ¡°I will explain what will be demanded of you. At any point, if you think this is not for you, I want you to leave. And anyone here who opens their eyes when we are done and sees a friend missing should thank them for not wasting our time.

    ¡°I will not pay you. You will earn no money from this. You must buy your own weapons, sacrifice your own time, and go without many comforts. Eyes stay closed!¡±

    He waited as at least two dozen grumbling men shuffled out, some shooting him glares.

    ¡°You will spend one year doing all the training I ask of you. If I see you staggering in your training, I will ask you to leave.¡±

    A few more left at this, though far fewer than the first group and some with disappointed looks.

    ¡°We will be conducting our missions with a strict code of ethics. No raping, no stealing, no killing.¡±

    ¡°No killing?¡± someone asked. ¡°You do realize at least half the people here have sworn public oaths to destroy Sayen by any means necessary.¡±

    ¡°Just the same, I will not train you to make decisions on behalf of my benefactor only to have you turn into wild dogs and ruin our objective.¡±

    Surprisingly, no one left after that explanation. He was still left with about 160 people.

    ¡°I would like anyone with an ailment of some sort to step towards me. While I will find a use for you in our cause, I want to know how many fighting men, and women, we have.¡±

    Only about ten moved, most with missing body parts that would make fighting incredibly difficult. 150 soldiers, then.

    ¡°All right, you may open your eyes. I only have a hundred swords and sixty other weapons, so I need you to carefully choose amongst you who will wield what.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said we had to buy our own weapons,¡± a man called out.

    ¡°Oh, I lied.¡± A few people turned their heads sharply to his. ¡°I plan on paying for as much as I can. Weapons, armor, horses, meals, and compensation for the time you spend training and traveling. You¡¯ll get your first stipend in two weeks¡¯ time.¡±

    There was pleased murmuring and even laughter that rang through the crowd. ¡°So, why did you lie to those other guys?¡± a woman asked.

    ¡°The ones that left? Because I don¡¯t want brigands. I don¡¯t want thugs or sell-swords or bandits. I want a family. I want us to support one another. They weren¡¯t our family,¡± he said, gesturing to the door. ¡°They left when they realized they couldn¡¯t show up and collect coin for scraping by. They left when things got tough. They had no passion. We don¡¯t need to mix with people who don¡¯t understand that we will do whatever it takes for revenge.¡±

    There were some cheers at that. ¡°Do we get to kill the Sayenese, then?¡±

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want wild dogs. Listen to me carefully: if you stayed because you want to kill the Sayenese, then leave because my sisters and my brothers don¡¯t kill innocents. The Mielsa was settled twenty years ago by thousands forced there by their government. Some are children who¡¯ve lived their entire lives there, never knowing what their parents did. Some are Arvonnese women forced into marriage. Can you tell the difference between the innocent and the guilty by torches at night?¡± He paused, letting them think. ¡°We will have targets, people we know deserve our steel. But promise me now that you will not thirst for the blood of those who had no hand in your misery.¡±

    ¡°Aye!¡± a man shouted weakly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough! I want your oath that you will not belly yourselves to the level of Sayen! My family is better than that!¡±

    ¡°Aye!¡± came a stronger shout from half.

    ¡°Good!¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°Because when you kill wantonly, you will be killed. And if we all die in our first mission, then we won¡¯t get to soak the shores of the Mielsa in the blood of those who deserve it. So, now tell me, who wants to rise above the wild dogs and become not just men, but angels of revenge?¡±

    ¡°Aye!¡± the market crowd thundered.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°I see why they made you King,¡± Isken murmured as the people shuffled out of the market. A few stopped and shook his hand, introducing themselves quickly before leaving. Kavrin left with a group he knew well. The building was almost empty when they headed for the door.

    ¡°Wait!¡± a man called. ¡°I won¡¯t tell them anything!¡± Isken and Caudin turned and saw a man climb down from a stall, laughing. ¡°I finally understand! And no one could pry it from me! They could pull all my teeth and every one of my nails and I¡¯d still laugh in their faces.¡±

    He stood before them, a scrawny man of middling years made older by too much sun. It took Caudin a moment to recognize him. He almost swore out loud, but remembered who he was pretending to be. ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    ¡°I asked myself who knew I was marooned with the to¡¯ken and who would invite me, personally, to return to Arvonne? A very short list. Perhaps someone got wind of my story from a passing vessel and told the right person. It didn¡¯t matter, the Prince had returned and I was overjoyed. I had hoped beyond hope that one of our princes were still alive and my wish came true. I¡¯ve seen the King many times, in parades and walking to his carriage from an event. He looked a little familiar, but it didn¡¯t matter, because I was in my country again.

    ¡°And tonight I saw you cloaked and swathed in a scarf, hidden like that trirec, and it all made sense.¡±

    Caudin put on an air of boredom. ¡°Sounds like a lot of conjecture. Who am I supposed to be?¡±

    Stevrin whispered, ¡°You were that trirec, Raulin Kemor. You are¡­I will not say it aloud.¡±

    ¡°I am Quin Sesault. Believe what you want, but do not ruin my chance for revenge.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, Sir. No, no indeed. I would never ruin this for you. You will find me here tomorrow, and the next day, as long as you need me. I just wanted to thank you, for my invitation back and for this one. You¡¯ve reminded me of why I am alive, again. And I apologize for using your brother¡¯s name.¡±

    He left the two men standing there before Caudin took off in a huff. ¡°This is a bad omen,¡± Isken said.

    ¡°It means nothing. He¡¯s not a snitch. In fact, he¡¯s insanely devoted to the Arvonnese royal family. I believe him when he said he¡¯d withstand torture to keep that secret.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I should ask, once more, if we want to proceed. This is new territory for us, despite our background.¡±

    ¡°I want this.¡±

    ¡°I know. But, you said it would be highly unlikely that you¡¯d be recognized. What if¡­?¡±

    ¡°I know the ¡®what ifs¡¯. We will be fine.¡±

    As they took a convoluted path back to Dilvestrar, Isken murmured, ¡°Bad omen indeed.¡±

 Chapter 262

    The plan had been to oversee the training a night or two per week. Caudin found that he couldn¡¯t stay away for more than one night. He¡¯d itch to teach, wait for it all day, sit through meetings and luncheons and ribbon cuttings completely distracted. Not enough to rouse suspicion, but enough to raise an eyebrow here or there. Then, he¡¯d dress for a card game or an informal soiree with a different Principal or Duke and leave. He¡¯d change, arrive at the market, and find out what needed to be taught.

    He did that for two weeks. By the end of the fortnight, he had a good idea of who would be best suited to the different positions needed for the first raid. He called out names a few minutes after he joined the group that night and took them aside, bestowing upon them the leadership of the scouts, sappers, archers, and corralers. ¡°Your job will be to find others with the same talent and to guide them. Only take those you feel you can train. We¡¯ll have plenty of work for anyone not chosen.¡±

    He went over what each job entailed and how each would play out during their missions. When he was finished, he allowed each of the leaders to choose one person and begin to train them. They were given half of each night off in exchange for working on their training exercises during the day, which Caudin had begun to create. Scouts, for instance, were asked to go to various parts of the city, locate a renowned person, and tail them discreetly.

    They were six weeks into the project and Caudin was feeling proud at his people. He¡¯d lost only a few, and of those they were confirmed ill or having second thoughts, usually due to family. They were all trying so very hard to improve and most were quite capable. He never expected to make professional fencers of any of them, not with the time constraints, but some took to it quite well. All were at least trained enough to use their weapons with a fair amount of skill.

    A few more weeks passed, two full months of training. It didn¡¯t come cheaply, but this would be worth it in the long run. The days were beginning to warm and lengthen, but there was the occasional squall in Eri Ranvel. Erifana would be only a little warmer. To strike so early in the season would be unexpected.

    He gathered his leaders, Isken, and Kavrin, to him in the first few days of March. ¡°We¡¯re looking to leave in a week or two, depending on the weather. I want you to prepare everyone and set up notification lines.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re marching so soon?¡± Kavrin asked. ¡°You told us a year.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk spies finding out our time table.¡±

    ¡°But, are we ready?¡±

    ¡°I am confident that we will be able to conduct our mission with minimal loss.¡±

    ¡°Which is what? Or are you lying about our goals, too?¡±

    ¡°We will be hitting Erifana, burning the ships and harbor, and destroying the command chain. From there we will pick communities along the Mielsa that would completely undermine Sayen¡¯s sea trade. I¡¯m not above making stops along the way up the river, should someone voice some strong needs to.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re taking on the whole Mielsa?¡± Kavrin asked, incredulous.

    ¡°As many stops as we can. I doubt we¡¯ll make it to the border, but if we can knock out a half dozen ports, my benefactor will be pleased. This will take several weeks. That¡¯s why everyone needs to make contingencies for their families and jobs immediately.¡±

    ¡°We prepared for this,¡± Carbret, the leader of the scouts, said. ¡°Most of us have been waiting twenty years for a chance at revenge. We¡¯ll be ready.¡±

    Caudin left early that night, having done what he set out to do. He was three winding blocks from the market when he felt the almost forgotten prickling sensation on the back of his neck. Were the scouts playing with him? Or was this a spy?

    He kept his pace the same and turned down an alley, flattening himself against the wall. He waited, then grabbed the person by the collar as they turned into the alley. He stopped short of slamming the person against the wall only because the whole thing felt very familiar.

    ¡°Ainle?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ainler,¡± she responded, pushing the hem of her cowl back to the crown of her head to show her face.

    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why are you dressed that way?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold out and I wanted to shield myself-¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t. You know I can tell when you¡¯re lying.¡±

    He said nothing, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°I followed you tonight. I finally got the courage to know, one way or another. I wanted to see what she looked like.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re interest in me has dropped significantly. You spend many nights out with men who get flustered when I ask them to corroborate your whereabouts. When you finally come to bed, you smell like sweat, not like cigar smoke or strong drink. What was I supposed to think? I lost our child and the pain must have made you wander.¡±

    ¡°You thought I was having an affair?¡±

    ¡°I was almost positive you were. It explained everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°I know. I almost wish you were.¡±

    ¡°What would you have me do, wait until they kill you? Or me? They wouldn¡¯t give me war, so I¡¯m forcing Sayen to declare it against Arvonne. Then the Principals will have no choice but to give me what I want.¡±

    ¡°Revenge.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t end well.¡±

    ¡°Likely not, but I will at least have done something. I can¡¯t sit and wait for the next attempt. I can¡¯t step out the door any more, riding in carriages wondering if someone on the street has a knife they¡¯ll bury in my ribs the first chance they get. I¡¯m tired of being scared. I was, I should say. I haven¡¯t felt fear since I started this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leading a hundred and fifty people to slaughter innocent people because of who they are.¡±

    ¡°Likely. I will try not to. I only want a few people dead. The rest I hope to leave to the chaos.¡±

    She cupped his face with her hand. ¡°Is there nothing I can say to stop this?¡±

    ¡°No. Give me this. Let me settle the debts. Then, I will return sated.¡±

    She sighed, then pulled out a pouch from her cloak. He heard the tinkling sound of lacquered tiles hitting each other. She pulled out a rune and placed it in his hand, not bothering to look at it before she left. He left the alley and held it up to the nearest alley to read it. It read ¡°A¡±. Death.

    * * *

    When he told her he was leaving for the Temenrinde ten days later, she looked at him with sad eyes and nodded. He kissed her and she returned it, though she left with unspilled tears and didn¡¯t say farewell.

    His driver had been instructed well and bribed to let him out in a small town called Briona and to wait for him there. Caudin changed and took a horse to the rendezvous point of a little farm west of Briona, a place the quartet had stayed at before reaching Eri Ranvel almost two year prior. He found the camp well-concealed from the road. They headed out the next morning, the scouts already staggered hours and days ahead of them.

    They reached Erifana towards the end of March early enough in the day to attack that night. The scouts and corralers trickled in, getting comfortable. The archers found key positions. A squad took a ferry across to the small village Sayen had bullied from Kitstuar. Caudin wished he could join them, if only to personally stab those two guards that had talked crassly about Anla, but he knew they would be dead either way.

    The rest of the day was spent waiting for the sun to kiss the horizon. Finally, he heard Kavrin¡¯s whistle pierce the air and he turned back to the group. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said, drawing his sword from his scabbard. ¡°Remember the targets.¡±

    He had just one and he walked straight for him. He was joined by his own private force, handpicked for being both intimidating and handy with a sword. Everyone on the street ducked away when they saw them, some gasping or screaming. He didn¡¯t pay them any heed.

    The city hall was on a hill, a few blocks from the river. He could already see the crowds below being forced to head to locations by the corrallers. Carts, carriages, and any other mobile, wooden items were pushed into alleys and set ablaze while the most menacing of his crew banged on shields and yelled. The corralers had what might have been the hardest job: breaking the spirit of the people.

    Caudin pushed open the doors to the city hall, sending a few men scrambling for cover. ¡°Greetings,¡± he said in Sayenese, grabbing the closest man he could find and holding a knife to his throat. ¡°We want every man in this building brought into this room. You,¡± he said, pointing to a young, scrawny man, ¡°will fetch the harbormaster and bring him here in ten minutes. For every ten minutes we don¡¯t have our men, one of yours will die.¡±

    The young man ran off. ¡°We have the building surrounded. If anyone leaves, they die and someone in here will die. Get everyone in here now.¡±

    Two men volunteered to round up anyone who was still in their offices. ¡°Who are you?¡± a man asked as they waited. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°Start with a man¡¯s basic, most primal needs and work your way up from there.¡±

    The harbormaster made it in with the young man before the rest of the men in the same building. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked, huffing to catch his breath. ¡°The city is on fire and there¡¯s screams in the air.¡±

    ¡°We are here to right wrongs,¡± Caudin said. ¡°You men unfortunately represent a king who stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. He killed, he stole, he lied, he cheated. He beggared a nation, all so he could have, what? A portal to the sea.¡±

    ¡°Arvonne fell,¡± an older man said. ¡°They weren¡¯t using the Mielsa. Our king made a deal with the new nation. There¡¯s no shame in that!¡±

    ¡°Only if he hadn¡¯t poured resources into causing the fall in the first place.¡±

    The dozen or so men in the room looked at each other. ¡°Is it true?¡±

    ¡°The old chancellor confessed.¡± That wasn¡¯t a lie. He had right before he¡¯d spent his first of eighteen days in a pillory with a cigar burn on his forehead.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate,¡± the old man said, ¡°but what¡¯s it to do with us?¡±

    ¡°We are Arvonnese and we¡¯re taking back the Mielsa, starting with Erifana. I take it you¡¯re the mayor?¡± he asked the old man.

    ¡°I am. Is there some sort of arrangement we can come to?¡±

    ¡°The pain is too great, the injustice too long.¡±

    ¡°So, we men who were asked to take jobs here, who never lifted a finger against an Arvonnese man or woman, must pay for what our military did?¡±

    ¡°For what your king did, and if you are loyal you¡¯ll take his punishment instead.¡±

    ¡°This will solve nothing and will only anger our king.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    He snapped his fingers and the mayor was brought before him. ¡°Each of you gets a man in this room. Whether you kill him or not is up to you. I get this man and the harbormaster.¡±

    Caudin had wondered if he would feel sated when he slit their sobbing throats. He wondered if he¡¯d feel empty or alive or regretful. He felt nothing. He regretted taking a man from his family, but not killing Sayenese. Even when he had killed in contracts he¡¯d felt regret, and he¡¯d spoken to these two men more than he had any of his targets.

    It dawned on him as the groans and screams filled the room, as he pulled out a satchel of somewhat melted chocolates and stuffed them into the dead mayor¡¯s mouth. This was the first contract he¡¯d ever completed for himself. And it made the world feel balanced again. Not right, not wrong, but as it should be.

    His men followed him to the harbor, where he forced the assistant to point out which ships were Sayenese and which were foreign. He needn¡¯t have bothered; after a few, he could tell from the curling scrollwork in gold along the decks that his grandfather had wanted the world to look at his fleet with envy. They were beautiful ships that burned just as easily as any other, his archers lighting the decks with lit arrows. The new shipyard and the offices burned just as easily, too.

    Once the city was gutted, he joined the large gathering of huddled families. They said nothing, just staring, until he spoke in their tongue. ¡°People of Erifana, you must leave. Take your loved ones and go. We have burned your ships and killed your leaders. Erifana is Arvonnese once more.¡±

    It was a bluff. They had no way to keep the Sayenese out of Erifana once they left. But, having tarnished the city and destroyed their livelihood, perhaps they wouldn¡¯t want to return even if it were empty.

    They picked a section with the nicer houses, evicting the occupants who had holed themselves in the servant¡¯s quarters in the basement. One of the women had two children with her, a girl and a boy, twins about the age he had been evicted from a city with ships afire. They ate well and stole as much jewelry and money as they could find, divvying it up a part to a man, with ten parts to Caudin.

    Kavrin joined him, a bottle of Caudet in his hands. ¡°I figgered it out,¡± he said, that obviously not his first drink. ¡°Yer benefactor wanted to rob the Mielsha cuz the people here are rich. Thaz why yer takin¡¯ suh much.¡±

    ¡°It was one of the reasons,¡± he lied, ¡°and a main one.¡±

    ¡°I dunno if iz fair.¡±

    ¡°He could have charged you for your weapons, your training, to rent the market, for your horse and armor. He chose to gamble our successful future to bankroll his past.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to pay him back your stipend and pay for all the equipment you own?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s let him have his larger share.¡±

    Frankly, Caudin had no idea what he¡¯d do with some of the items. He tried to choose things that would be harder to sell, planning to keep it somewhere dark for a long time.

    He found a spare bedroom far from everyone else, propping a dresser against the door. After shucking his cloak and scarf, he crawled into bed and prepared to fall asleep quickly. But, he didn¡¯t. He stared up at the ceiling, wishing he was anywhere but there. He wanted to be in his bed with his wife. He wanted the stability of his day, making decisions and attending events. He wanted to see his friends. He¡¯d gone from being Raulin and never wanting to be Caudin, to being Raulin and wishing to be Caudin so very badly.

    And yet he didn¡¯t regret anything. It was only when they road out the next day that he began to feel that, perhaps, the means weren¡¯t justifying the ends. He saw a gambit of emotions from his crew. Most seemed happy, joyous at their earnings and their victory. A few seemed excessively pleased and Caudin felt a little revulsion at how triumphant they were at slaughtering unarmed men. It reminded him of Arvarikor after the first round of assassinations were complete. The swagger of children thinking taking blood meant being a man.

    Harder was watching those who had wanted a taste of revenge and wound up choking on it. They stared ahead, their eyes unfocused, their faces rigid. He watched them carefully.

    One of his scouts walked up next to his roan. ¡°Did we do well, sir?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Our objectives were met with no loss. We came to make our cause heard and hear it they shall all the way to Sayen.¡±

    ¡°But, did we do well?¡±

    He looked down, wondering what she meant. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done better.¡± When she seemed uncertain, he continued, guessing. ¡°If you are wondering if what we¡¯ve done is ethical, then I won¡¯t lie to you. This was never about doing anything heroic. We are doing ugly deeds to people who don¡¯t deserve it. The nation must pay. Unfortunately, that means people will die who were just doing their duty.¡±

    Later, Isken approached him, speaking Merakian. ¡°There¡¯s some unease with the greener people.¡±

    ¡°I thought as much.¡±

    ¡°I would recommend a speech.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to give one.¡±

    ¡°This seems like a thing you are better at than I. They listen to my commands because I have proven that I am superior in what we are doing. But, they do not trust me. I am not Arvonnese.¡±

    ¡°You are. Special dispensation.¡± He grinned. ¡°But, I hear what you¡¯re saying and I will speak later tonight.¡±

    He waited until just prior dinner to speak.

    ¡°Some of you are proud and excited about our success in Erifana. We did well and I am pleased.¡± He waited while the group cheered in response.

    ¡°Some of you, however, have doubts.¡± He held his hand up at the protests. ¡°Not everyone reacts to violence the same way. Some of you are feeling sickened or unsure about what we did. I am not here to berate you for feeling this way.

    ¡°What we came to do was destroy a symbol. The Mielsa River Valley being in the hands of Sayen is a symbol of the misery Arvonne has suffered for the last twenty years. That symbol is made of people, real people who are fathers and neighbors and parishioners. Many of them were born in Sayen, relocated two decades ago to Erifana, and did nothing to warrant what we did to them. They may have even sent charity to Arvonne. They were good people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    ¡°It is healthy to feel guilty about that,¡± he said quietly, the attention of every man and women on him. ¡°It could even be the right thing to feel. And that is because we are good people doing something terrible. We did well at it, but we still killed men and left people without jobs and homes.

    ¡°It is now the time to look inward and see what this has left. I know that many of you signed up never having killed or seen a man killed before. It does something to some people. Some cannot take it, no matter how many times you practiced stabbing a man and imagined your hands around their throats. Thinking and doing are two different things. I will not force anyone to do it again. Come to me tonight and speak with me about your feelings. If I cannot convince you to stay, then you may leave.

    ¡°If you choose to stay, then we will march on. We have a few more locations to hit before I fear Sayen will retaliate. I will be with you for the next, but after that I must report our success to my benefactor. We will meet again for the last and we will have one final retaking of our lands. I hope you will be there with me.¡±

    There was clapping and cheering after his speech. That night, only four sought him out. Three he couldn¡¯t convince to stay, though he kept those talks short. Caudin could tell immediately that they couldn¡¯t handle it and he sent them back to Eri Ranvel with a horse, coin, and some provisions. He gave them the kindness he was never allowed to have.

    Monrei-al, once called Asentrie, was a town twenty miles north that worked as a warehouse and supply hub for Erifana. Again, the plan went off without a hitch, all the timber set ablaze and the iron dumped into the river. Caudin killed the mayor and a few members of his crew were able to enact their own vendettas.

    He left them the next day, saying he would be back in two weeks¡¯ time, and rode to Briona. He mailed letters there as the King and took a casual walk around town before leaving once more for Mielsa. He could smell the char in the air as he rode farther north.

    Finally, he came across Linesta unmolested. He stopped short of the town, one of the major shipyards for Erifana, and wondered why they hadn¡¯t reached it yet. He turned and went back until he spotted their camp sign hanging from a tree. He dismounted and led his horse into the forest.

    There were things he picked up on before entering the clearing: large mounds in the distance, the smell of something rotten and unpleasant, and the absolute quiet of the camp. Birds still sang off in the distance, but there were no sounds of trees being chopped or conversation. Just a solitary campfire crackling and popping.

    Once he reached the edge of the clearing, he froze. There were several large trees that had been cleared of their fire-facing branches, each with something in front of it. No, not just in front, but tied. There were two not far from the path he took and he could hear the buzzing of flies.

    He wrapped the reins around a bush and ran over to the closest tree. A short, coppery-skinned man was tied tightly to the trunk with ropes. Caudin stepped close, then jerked away in shock when he finally pieced together the situation. It was Isken. He was dead.

    ¡°My friend,¡± he whispered hoarsely. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak whatever language that is, but if you¡¯re wondering how he died, it was dehydration,¡± a voice said in Sayenese. ¡°Not a pleasant way to go, if it can be judged by the screams and moans they made.¡± Caudin turned to face him, a man that wore a kerchief over his mouth and nose. ¡°These were your lieutenants, yes? We tied them to a tree and let them watch while we slaughtered every single one of your mercenaries. Then, we left them with skins of water around their necks while they slowly died, waiting for you to return and tip a few precious drops into their mouths. That one,¡± he said, pointing to Isken, ¡°lasted far longer than the others. He was a bastard to keep tied up, too. All the same, he died.¡±

    It would be extremely sensible to run at that moment. However, Caudin heard the sounds of several men walking behind and to the sides of him. And he wanted to know. Whoever this man was, he seemed like he wanted to speak. ¡°Why?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why? You ask ¡®why¡¯? Because you have severely angered the King, you idiot. You took a band of brigands and tried burning the Mielsa and you didn¡¯t think there will be repercussions? Did you think His Radiance wouldn¡¯t be protecting the valley with an army after Arvonne was retaken?¡± He gestured with two fingers and strong hands grabbed his arms.

    While he struggled, the man dropped his kerchief and approached him. Caudin recognized him as the Sayenese ambassador that was there the night they retook Dilvestrar and again at his coronation. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not intrigue, it¡¯s the smell. We¡¯ve been waiting days for you to return and we just tossed the bodies in a big pile. We¡¯ll set them on fire later. Now, you,¡± he said, jerking the scarf down. ¡°As suspected. You¡¯re a bigger moron than I suspected, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°And what was I supposed to do?¡± he snarled. ¡°Wait while my grandfather sent more of the Network until one of them finally succeeded? My wife ate those chocolates you sent!¡±

    ¡°She survived,¡± he said, nonchalantly. ¡°Too bad about your child. Congratulations on fatherhood, Your Radiance.¡±

    Caudin fought against the men holding him, stomping sideways on one man¡¯s knee only to have another man take his place quickly. He spit on the ground.

    ¡°What you should have done was grovel,¡± the ambassador said. ¡°Signed a proclamation giving us the Mielsa, and perhaps some of Tapenstri, too. His Radiance might have been pleased with just that and some other promises, who knows? But, no, you cocksure son of a bitch, you were too proud, too naive, too stupid. You were going to march in and take all of Arvonne back, and the Mielsa, too!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to touch the Mielsa until after the Convocation.¡±

    ¡°His Radiance didn¡¯t really care what your plans were. He knew that sending assassins against you would only be a win for him. You either caved and negotiated, did nothing and looked weak, or did something stupid like this. He was hoping you would. He¡¯s not a young man and he¡¯d rather be able to tie up all the loose ends before His Highness the Prince takes his place. He was counting on something like this. Watch, men, and see how I can make an arrogant fool dance!¡± He leaned in and whispered, ¡°Let me tell you exactly what I¡¯m going to do to your wife once you¡¯re dead¡­¡±

    Caudin was straining and clenching his teeth in a matter of seconds. The men in the camp laughed as he fought and fought against the men holding him.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, Your Radiance. It will likely be a one-time occasion, since I¡¯m sure so many other men would be interested. Or maybe I won¡¯t get the chance at all. Your cousin has a slight fascination with elves. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d make an excellent concubine.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked. ¡°I won¡¯t beg for my life. Just kill me now and be done with it.¡±

    The ambassador rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a lot to break you of that, huh, boy? No, I¡¯m actually not going to kill you. I¡¯ve been waiting for days just to make sure you saw this and knew it was all your fault. Now that my job is done, I can leave and be done with this accursed forest. And you, boy, you can go home with your tail tucked between your legs and wait.¡±

    ¡°Wait for what?¡±

    ¡°War. Sayen officially declares war on Arvonne.¡±

    ¡°For taking back what is lawfully ours? It won¡¯t hold. We¡¯ll call the Empire and obliterate you all within the Accords.¡±

    ¡°Which would work, if that was the cause. No, the justification is Arvonne being ruled by an impostor. His Radiance feels so distraught that a fake is ruling from his beloved daughter and son-in-law¡¯s throne, using his power to attack Sayenese lands, that he feels no choice but to declare war.¡±

    ¡°He knows I¡¯m his grandson.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t really care. Now that you¡¯ve done this, he has cause enough to finally solidify Sayen¡¯s hold of the Mielsa. And we¡¯ll carve some choice bits, too, while we¡¯re at it, when you die in battle and Arvonne sues for peace.

    ¡°So, I believe, as the aggressor, His Radiance said ¡®May the First¡¯. As the aggrieved, you get to choose the location.¡±

    He thought quickly. Choosing any place not on the border would be costly. The Sayenese could march through a town and essentially take what they needed for provisions. He also wouldn¡¯t trust them. ¡°Payenre,¡± he said.

    ¡°Uninspired, but it will do. See you in battle on Ap Jorsen¡¯s Day, boy. You best practice your fencing since His Radiance will have his choice of seconds.¡±

    The men let him go. His back itched as he retrieved his horse, but no arrow or knife came. They did want him alive and he wondered why it wasn¡¯t easier to kill him on the road.

    It was a long trip to Briona. His carriage driver was still waiting and took him back to Eri Ranvel, where he had to pretend everything was fine. He smiled and waved to the crowds, went through the gates of Dilvestrar, and went straight to his room. One of the maids found him sitting on the floor, his back against the bed, and ran to find the Queen.

    ¡°Caudin?¡± she asked. He looked up at her, his eyelashes wet with tears. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, sitting next to him on the floor.

    He told her everything. He couldn¡¯t even speak through his sobs when he recounted the scene he had found in the woods. She fetched a glass of water, then rubbed his back while he calmed down enough to tell her what the ambassador had said.

    ¡°You live,¡± she said. ¡°You came back to me. You should be dead.¡±

    ¡°I should be,¡± he agreed, wiping his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You were right.¡±

    She pulled his head to her breast and stroked his head. ¡°Maybe now you understand why I can¡¯t enact revenge on people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to.¡±

    ¡°Why did he keep you alive?¡±

    ¡°Legalities, really,¡± he said, moving away from her. ¡°If they killed me and sent my body to Eri Ranvel, the Principals could deny it was me and state that the King was missing and his council could make laws in his stead, until he was found or declared dead. The King of Sayen wants this done. This way, he challenges me legally in battle, there is no denying I live or die.¡±

    ¡°You said nobles can¡¯t fight each other.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he won¡¯t be fighting. He¡¯ll have a second and so will I. The problem is, Sayen still has tourneys and jousting and knights. He has the best of the best when it comes to dueling champions. Arvonne suspended those events when it fell into the Kalronists hands. I have no second.¡±

    ¡°You do,¡± she said, putting her hand on his arm.

    ¡°Al?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s weeks away. He¡¯ll never make it in time. And we¡¯re talking a man who¡¯s spent less than five years on the worst weapon to duel with.¡±

    ¡°We still have to try.¡±

    He stared ahead, then nodded. ¡°Maybe if I send a messenger¡­¡± He sighed and stood. ¡°I need to call the council immediately. I¡¯ll see you there.¡±

    ¡°I have good¡­¡± she began, but he had already stalked out of the room. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her dress. Some other time.

 Chapter 263

    There was a knock at the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Al said, putting his pen down.

    The door creaked open and a curly head popped around the edge. ¡°Hi, Al!¡±

    ¡°Hi, Salet. What would you like?¡±

    ¡°Who says I want anything?¡± she said, opening the door and walking inside his office.

    ¡°Nobody this time, but the other five times you asked for something started exactly like this.¡±

    She bounced over to the seat in front of his desk. ¡°Did you know that your daughter is cute?¡±

    ¡°Most say that. Did she get into trouble?¡±

    ¡°No. She was dancing for all the students earlier, during lunch. She does this cute little twirl, then nods her head back and forth. It got the other kids laughing and clapping.¡±

    ¡°Is she distracting you?¡± He folded his hands and placed them on his desk.

    ¡°No, no! I was just thinking that maybe she needs a mother.¡±

    ¡°She had a mother, who sadly perished.¡±

    ¡°Well, what about a step-mother? Maybe you and Corida should think about courting.¡±

    Salet was seventeen, but she still hadn¡¯t moved beyond thinking smart matches were made by putting a man and a woman, any man and woman, together for a few weeks. ¡°Corida is a lovely girl, but I¡¯m not interested in courting any of the students here at Samenstrar. Nor the teachers, if that was coming next. Marnie and I won¡¯t be here for much longer.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, pouting. She kicked her stocking feet a few times, then casually asked, ¡°So, how do you feel about the wage markets in Kinto?¡±

    He sighed loudly and in annoyance. ¡°Mistress Cambdel warned me after the last time you pulled this stunt. Go to the library and read books and figure it out.¡±

    ¡°But, it¡¯s easier to come to you! You know everything!¡±

    ¡°I ¡®know everything¡¯ because I went to the library and read books and figured it out. Who will you go to when Mistress Cambdel asks the next hard question? Or the one after that?¡±

    ¡°But libraries are so boring.¡±

    ¡°I never said they weren¡¯t. They have a charm that are only felt by certain people. I was lucky to be one of those paramours of text, delving into any and all volumes on any and all subjects. I can smell a library from a mile away, old paper and glue and a bit of leather. I find solace in the creak of old chairs, the turning of pages, the occasional cough.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. I hope some day you have a passion. For now, though, you will have to bear the discomfort of reading, taking notes, and compiling what you¡¯ve learned. I am not tell you about the wage markets of Kinto, nor anything Almisori and Kelmenchin might say about them.¡±

    ¡°Almisori? Kelmenchin?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Maybe Alga Dise might round out any lingering questions.¡±

    ¡°Alga Dise,¡± she said, rising. ¡°Okay, Al. Thank you.¡±

    He went back to his work. He would be leaving for Eri Ranvel soon. In the meantime, Breivard kept asking him for more and more favors. He picked up on what he was doing; by giving him tasks a headmaster would do (which they hadn¡¯t found yet), he was hoping to poach Al from the emrys position. While he knew Al would say ¡®no¡¯ if asked, Breivard had discovered that making Al feel enough pity would make him amenable to taking on several tasks outside his arrangement. He was sliding him into the job.

    He stopped and quickly sipped the rest of his cold tea, taking the tray of his half-finished lunch down to the kitchens. He waved at the students who were walking between classes and made his way outside for his afternoon constitutional. He walked along the beach, far enough away to still be on grass. There was a pile of rocks thirty feet high that he would climb atop and contemplate the sea. It invigorated him for a few more hours until he¡¯d late into the evening he¡¯d quit his work for the day.

    Al was in the middle of his thoughts when he heard the frantic steps of a preadolescent boy running towards him. It was Riran, Mistress Cambdel¡¯s eldest son. He leaned over and caught his breath. Al waited. ¡°He¡¯s¡­here,¡± he finally said.

    ¡°Thank you, Riran,¡± he said, putting his shoes back on. The boy took off again. Al remembered himself at that age, only wanting to travel as fast as possible.

    Breivard, some of the teachers, and another man were already gathered around the fireplace, sipping tea. Al was startled by the man¡¯s appearance, though he shouldn¡¯t have been. Kytren Bi Teleure was from Sonder, the most northern country in Noh Amair. The people there were typically fair in color. But, Al had always pictured him as swarthy with a square jaw and black hair that curled slightly. Before him was a gangly man whose skin was paler than Telbarisk¡¯s. His hair was a blond so light it appeared white, though it could be from age. And his eyes¡­a blue that pierced like the cold.

    Despite his appearance, he wasn¡¯t cold and was quite congenial, laughing at a story Breivard was telling. Al shucked his coat and joined them. ¡°Ah, here he is. .rd Teleure, this is Alpine Gray, the King¡¯s emrys and a great help to us here at Samenstrar.¡±

    ¡°Kytren,¡± Al corrected. ¡°Since he¡¯s from Sonder, his clan name is Kytren and his given name Teleure.¡±

    ¡°And you are a Ghenian wizard, no? The nature and color name?¡± His accent was thick, but Al could understand his Arvonnese.

    ¡°I am,¡± he said, shaking his hand and taking a seat in an open armchair. ¡°I came to Arvonne with the King after we met in Gheny.¡±

    ¡°And which of the kinds are you?¡± Teleure didn¡¯t seem to have a problem watching people.

    ¡°Kinds? Do you mean which level am I? Cross-switcher.¡±

    ¡°Ah, not too many of those.¡±

    ¡°Even fewer cyclicals!¡± Al answered, gesturing towards him.

    ¡°Ah, this is very true.¡±

    Breivarn cut in. ¡°We appreciate you making this trip, .rd Kytren,¡± he said, looking at Al. ¡°Would it be all right if we asked you to make a speech tonight, just something informal to let our students know who you are and why you¡¯ve graced us with your presence?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Your Grace.¡±

    Samenstrar was located along the southern coast of Arvonne, not far from the Tepenstri region where the Caudet lady haunted and where Anla¡¯s family¡¯s house was. The climate was mild, therefore the students ate dinner outside on an early spring day that was warmer than most summer days in Baradan. Teleure was introduced to the students, who openly gawked at the man. He stood and waved before speaking, a concise, laid-back speech about working hard and making their country proud. He must have gotten a tip about the patriotism because the kids¡¯ eyes lit up at his words.

    Teleure was invited to the parlor in the teachers¡¯ wing for after-dinner brandy. Al wasn¡¯t inclined to join them, but knew it would be insulting if he declined, so he attended. Breivarn was his usual outgoing self, asking questions and smoking his cigars.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you must get the same question, the one I¡¯d like to ask. May I?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d like to know how I became a cyclical wizard.¡± It wasn¡¯t even a guess.

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s so interesting to me, how one can be lifted to a higher level like that. If we knew how, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d launch as the premier wizarding school.¡±

    Teleure gave Breivarn a queer look. After several awkward moments, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know how I became a cyclical wizard?¡±

    ¡°Well, no! It¡¯s a closely guarded secret.¡±

    ¡°Not to the schools. They¡¯ve known for some time now how I, and others, have become cyclical wizards.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s news to us. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like to enlighten us?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± the Sonderian said, sweeping his icy-colored gaze over the group. ¡°I will because it is not fair for one school to have that knowledge and not another. However, you must promise not to use what I tell you. It would end in the loss of a great many students. They tried this in Ranfitten some two hundred years ago and the results were disheartening.¡±

    ¡°What is the point, then, if we can¡¯t use it?¡± Brevairn asked just as Al said, ¡°We promise.¡±

    Teleure met his gaze and gave him a slight nod. ¡°A quarter of all humans can become wizards. Two-thirds of those can switch between the Calm and the Unease. One-eighth of those are cross-switchers, like our friend Al here. And far, far fewer are cyclical wizards. I was a cross-switcher for a few years before a very traumatic event in my life. I barely survived it. That is how you make a cyclical wizard. You push a man through the ranks until they are a cross-switcher, you put him through hell, hope he lives, and see if he was one of the rare ones to actually have the capability to be a cyclical wizard. This was the problem Ranfitten discovered. They either never discovered the correct kind of trauma or it is only a small percentage of cross-switching wizards that can become cyclical. Either way, thousands of cross-switching wizards were killed over the course of a few decades for only less than a dozen cyclical wizards.¡±

    There was a heavy silence when he finished. Breivarn cleared his throat. ¡°Well, of course we won¡¯t use that knowledge on our students. That¡¯s atrocious. I didn¡¯t realize that when I asked.¡±

    ¡°It is all right,¡± Teleure said. ¡°I doubted you would. I haven¡¯t heard of any of the other four schools trying and I visit all of them as frequently as I can.¡±

    ¡°Is that your job?¡± Master Tandsin asked, an older, but still agile hard wizard.

    ¡°A duty, more like. I live very comfortably, some say lavishly, and I¡¯m accepted wherever I wish to go. When there is no hardships in life, one must create interests.¡±

    ¡°But, you could do so much if you settled in one place,¡± Mistress Cambdel said.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve often thought about that. I could settle in some central location and provide my services for free. Or maybe even return home. It never seems like there is a right answer, a right place for me to stay. Live in Kipraud or Breverie and it¡¯s still a long distance for a Berothian or Sonderian to travel. I enjoy traveling, it¡¯s in my blood.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Al said, standing. ¡°I think the brandy isn¡¯t agreeing with my dinner. I need to check on Marnie anyway.¡±

    They all said ¡®good night¡¯ to him, Teleure watching him closely. Instead of returning to his room, he went for a walk on the beach, the moon already above the horizon. He sat for some time, pondering the new guest and his story.

    The next day he went out for another afternoon stroll. This time he was joined by an umbrella-carrying Sonderian. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I join you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Al said, though he wasn¡¯t in the mood for company.

    Teleure opened his umbrella and sat next to him on the rocks. ¡°My skin is sensitive to the sun. In climes such as this I¡¯ll see my skin burn in little time.¡±

    ¡°May I ask why you decided to meet me here, then?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a private place.¡±

    ¡°What do you wish to speak about?¡±

    ¡°You. You¡¯re an interesting person, Alpine. I asked the Principal about you and he told me what he knew. A Touch wizard who flees his home and job and meets a group of travelers, one of whom is the King of Arvonne in disguise. You journey across the Gamik, help retake the throne, and now serve as the head advisor to the King. That is quite a tale.¡±

    ¡°I suppose. I¡¯ve just always done what I was drawn to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what any of us do, though most live rather sedate and boring lives.¡±

    Al nodded, not really wishing to speak to him. They sat, watching the waves crash against the shore for a few minutes. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that what you see when you look out at the horizon is how you feel about your future,¡± Teleure said.

    ¡°I once said the same thing to the King.¡±

    ¡°Come, what do you see?¡±

    Al sighed and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words. Maybe that it¡¯s endless, that there¡¯s something else just beyond the line.¡±

    ¡°Unfinished business?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Another few minutes passed in silence. Al didn¡¯t appreciate him, or anyone for that matter, invading his sanctuary. Shoving decorum aside, he finally turned to Teleure and asked, ¡°So, what was your trauma?¡±

    ¡°My trauma? Do you mean what caused me to become a cyclical wizard?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You seem like you wish to chat, so maybe that would be a good topic to start first with.¡± Al gave him a hard smile before he continued looking out at the ocean.

    ¡°You¡¯re a learned man, so you must know what the ¡®Bi¡¯ in my name means.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Unwalled¡¯, ¡®free¡¯. You¡¯re from the nomadic Kytren tribe that roamed the taigas and tundras of Sonder, herding reindeer.¡±

    ¡°Well, we were more southern than that, but you essentially have it right. My tribe is nomadic and we would sometimes fight against the Anms, the walled peoples who lived in settlements. Most people have a hard time understanding that Anms and Bis are two different people who follow two different kings, even though we share an island. We trade, we avoid, we sometimes war, but we don¡¯t intermingle. A problem, you see, when you¡¯re me and you fall in love with a walled girl.

    ¡°We met when we were just coming into adulthood. My father traded leathers for smithy work for our tribe, nails and horseshoes, things like that. Her father was a blacksmith. We would speak while they haggled and our attraction was instantaneous and deep and forlorn. When we grew, we stole kisses behind the smith and promised ourselves to each other. After the kisses, we planned. We were caught, more than once, and I was beaten. I¡¯m sure she was, too. After the fifth or sixth time, things became serious. Her father was going to marry her off and we had little time left.

    ¡°I was one of the best hunters in my tribe. I could run faster, run quieter, throw farther, and hit harder than anyone there. I got better shares than anyone else, so I was able to hoard and trade enough money for us. I was still too late; she had been married off before I could save enough. She was unhappy, though, and we still saw each other. Then, I told her to wait for me one night and I stole her away.

    ¡°We moved west and settled in a town a hundred miles from our lands. My money ran dry quickly; I wasn¡¯t trained in anything other than hunting. She worked as a laundress, not a prestigious job, and I took what I could around the area. I could chop trees far faster than any man, but there were only so many trees than needed to be chopped. The same with raising houses or clearing rocks or lugging iron.

    ¡°For one year, five months, three weeks, four days we were happy. We had a little girl that looked like me, save her nose and chin were her mother¡¯s. Our home was filled with laughter. But, her husband finally tracked us down, along with her father and some others from the village, and pulled them from our home.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you the story behind what I saw, just the sequence of events. There were many tracks, some horse, many men. Not far from the town¡¯s wall I found my daughter laying in the snow, gutted, almost peaceful. Some of the tracks dragged, like someone was being tugged to move. There was a struggle. Then, horse tracks for several miles. Some blood along the way. Then finally, the group had stopped. They were crowded around something on the edge of the road. My wife¡¯s body. I think she had loosened her bonds and flung herself from the horse, hitting her head on a rock. I didn¡¯t know that at the time. I probably wouldn¡¯t have cared. I charged into the group with the spear I had grabbed from someone in the town and began stabbing the men as they protested.

    ¡°I killed, in total, twelve men. I took their swords and beheaded them in one swing. Blood poured out in a massive crimson puddle. I didn¡¯t take a scratch. Or maybe I did and healed quickly from it. Who knows? I don¡¯t remember anything past the point of seeing her dead on the roadside. I was held in a jail cell for some time, until I was released to the King¡¯s men. I assumed I was going to be hanged, but it was the Unwalled King, Asquin Me¡¯ra Altreb, that I was released to. He told me that he was proud of me, having slaughtered twelve Walled men and a woman. Her death had been pinned on me. I still didn¡¯t stir from the cold cell of jail that my heart was in. This was seen as impudent, so someone tried pushing me to kneel. He couldn¡¯t. Someone else couldn¡¯t. Both together couldn¡¯t. It was then that the King¡¯s advisor asked if I was a wizard. I didn¡¯t say anything, so they brought me to the jail cell at one of the castles of the King.

    ¡°Apparently the advisor checked in daily, but I still stared ahead, not communicating, not eating. I did chug whatever they gave me, water, mead, wine, but I don¡¯t remember. It was weeks before they found me curled into a ball crying my eyes out.

    ¡°From that point I answered their questions. I couldn¡¯t stay in Sonder, so the King sent me to Wayzant. There they discovered I was a cyclical wizard. I don¡¯t often tell that story. It¡¯s not something that¡¯s come easier with age, not in the slightest. I still love them.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Reciprocity.¡±

    ¡°You want me to tell you about my daughter and wife?¡± Al asked bitterly. ¡°Marnie isn¡¯t my issue, obviously, but she¡¯s my daughter. My wife engaged in an extra-marital affair with my best friend. She died of consumption a few years ago.¡±

    ¡°Was that your traumatic experience?¡±

    ¡°It stung a little, but I can¡¯t say it bothered me very much.¡±

    ¡°Something else then?¡± When Al didn¡¯t answer, he said, ¡°I checked up on you. Your students complain because accessing magic comes so easily to you that they can¡¯t learn well when you teach them. There was a virulent cold that passed through that you didn¡¯t get.¡±

    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°That you¡¯re cyclical as well.¡±

    Al threw up his hands in anger. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! You¡¯re making half-arsed guesses about someone you barely know!¡±

    ¡°So there was no traumatic story for you, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I mean, sure, I had a bad spell for a while. Things were not great for me. But, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a cyclical wizard! They¡¯re exceedingly rare, like you said.¡±

    ¡°How rare?¡±

    ¡°Once per generation.¡±

    ¡°Which is¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps one every fifty years?¡±

    ¡°You do realize I¡¯m almost seventy.¡±

    Al¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Seventy? You don¡¯t look an older than forty-five.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told cyclical wizards don¡¯t age like people do. Our bodies are constantly regenerating in equilibrium. While we¡¯re not immortal, we are long-lived.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve met other cyclical wizards?¡±

    ¡°One is still living in retirement. He¡¯s a few years older than a hundred. I met another when I was younger who was a great mentor to me.¡±

    ¡°Are you looking for someone to mentor, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious to find the next cyclical wizard. There hasn¡¯t been one for some time. We¡¯re due and I¡¯d rather help him or her before I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s odd to me that you¡¯re not interested in even considering it. Most people are so disappointed when I tell them they¡¯re only a cross-switcher, as if that¡¯s not enough. Could you at least explain why you wouldn¡¯t want to be a cyclical wizard?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­¡± he began. He shook his head. ¡°Because a cyclical wizard is rare. Some would say they¡¯re singled out by the gods, important, worthy. I¡¯ve always been happy being less. My life wasn¡¯t perfect when I lived in Whitney, but I didn¡¯t hate it. My life since then continues to be one where I¡¯ve been pushed into uncomfortable roles, but not a leadership one. When I met Anla and Telbarisk in Gheny, early in my journey, I was happy to be their leader, but I was secretly happy that Caudin took over. I¡¯d much rather he make the decisions. He¡¯s good at it, a born leader. I¡¯m a born advisor. I don¡¯t want to be anything more than what I need to be.¡±

    ¡°What if what you need to be is a cyclical wizard? It might not be your choice, but it may be your destiny.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡¯s for¡­someone like Caudin,¡± Al said, waving his hand. ¡°Not me.¡±

    ¡°Most wizards I know are rather self-important. You seem unusual in this.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem self-important.¡±

    ¡°No, I let others take care of that,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m just a hunter from Sonder. Alswer, my mentor, came from a long line of pig farmers. Nothing fancy.¡±

    ¡°My mother is the head of the council of women in Baradan.¡±

    Teleure closed his eyes, nodding. ¡°Ahh. I see now. I had forgotten you were Br¡¯vanese.¡±

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Constantly remarked that you must be a brute or a thief. Just a man, not a woman. Your mother is powerful and you live in that shadow. What did your father do?¡±

    ¡°Does. He¡¯s a fisherman.¡±

    ¡°A humble man, quiet, loves to be out at sea?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think most fishermen do.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s where he can be himself. I think you have been taught to be like your father and you don¡¯t know how to fit into the role your mother holds.¡±

    ¡°You mean I don¡¯t know how to wield power.¡±

    ¡°Yes, to put it nicely.¡±

    ¡°I am a powerful man. I¡¯m the emrys to the King, I am helping to found this-¡±

    ¡°Helpful roles. You don¡¯t know how to believe in yourself and allow people to see you at the top. You don¡¯t mind speaking your mind when you need to, if you feel it¡¯s right, but you don¡¯t like being the center of attention.¡±

    Al thought back to Tel¡¯s trial, to his speech in front of the Principals. ¡°This doesn¡¯t prove I¡¯m cyclical¡­¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started making my case for that. I¡¯m merely trying find the reason why you dislike the consideration. Let¡¯s for the moment look at cyclical wizards as just the next step in the chain, from wizard, to switcher, to cross-switcher. Did you feel uncomfortable when you were labeled a cross-switcher?¡±

    ¡°I¡­never let them. I pretended I was just a switcher so they wouldn¡¯t make me do any hard wizard work.¡±

    Teleure furrowed his pale eyebrows. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because they warned it would age you, drain your vitality and cause an early death.¡±

    ¡°A fair point, if you don¡¯t take care of yourself. Then, how did you feel when Amandorlam said you were a switcher?¡±

    ¡°A little scared. I learned from that, hiding my cross-switcher ability.¡±

    ¡°If I said you were cyclical, you would be afraid then?¡±

    Al shrugged.

    ¡°Do you need to think to tap into the Calm or Unease?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel like it¡¯s always there, waiting for you to use it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you were ill?¡±

    ¡°I was seasick when I crossed the Gamik, from Gheny to Kitstuar.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°About a half-hour.¡±

    ¡°And before that, did you cross any other waterways?¡±

    Al knuckled his lips. ¡°On the trip from Genale to Sharka, I was ill for a few hours. Before that, from Sharka to Tektorn, it was a day. If I got sick, then that means I¡¯m not cyclical then.¡±

    ¡°No. It means your body hadn¡¯t had the chance to fix whatever problem sea travel causes to some and not others. It took a few times, as it did for me. I was so sick from Sonder to Tondeiva. Now, I¡¯m chipper and well on the sea. Haven¡¯t had a problem in decades. Have you been ill? Colds, perhaps the consumption you came into contact with when you saw your wife?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you often forget to eat and sleep?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had some long days,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°Have you ever touched someone presumed dead only to see them rouse again?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­yes,¡± he said, swallowing. ¡°There was a baby in Mount Kalista I saved from the wreckage of a house. It was pale and blue, hypothermia. It cried out after I held it while I was bringing it down from the house. And¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°There was a man who was in a duel. He was run through and suffered a grievous injury. Everyone left him alone to die. I held his hand in order to comfort him. He was breathing blood, then he got better.¡±

    ¡°Anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Anla, my friend, the Queen. She was whipped severely and they couldn¡¯t find her heartbeat. They said she was dead. I held her hand and begged her to live¡­and she did.¡±

    Teleure held out his hand and Al tentatively took it. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

    ¡°What? What did you feel?¡± Al asked when he broke contact.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m not a cyclical wizard, then?¡± Curiously, he was unsure if he was disappointed or not.

    ¡°No, you are. It¡¯s how I can tell immediately. I felt nothing different. Our abilities are the same, like pouring water into water.¡±

    He turned to face Al. ¡°We can¡¯t bring people back from the dead, but sometimes we can take the tiniest ember of life and coax a fire from it. We cannot cure certain things, just give people our perfect ability to heal. We push the boundaries of what a body can sustain much more than the strongest or fastest hard wizard. We are perfect wizards, our bodies in harmony with magic. We constantly absorb it without problems. Or perhaps there are withdrawals, but the magic heals them. That¡¯s a source of debate in the schools.¡±

    ¡°What does it mean, then?¡± Al whispered.

    ¡°It just means you are more talented then most of the wizards in the world. What you choose to do with it is up to you. I¡¯m assuming only you and I know and I¡¯ll keep it that way until-¡±

    ¡°Al!¡± the air said around the two of them.

    They both looked around for the source, but they were alone. ¡°What was that?¡± Teleure asked.

    ¡°It sounded like Anla,¡± Al said.

    ¡°Al! Tel is helping me. Sayen has declared war on Arvonne on Ap Jorsen¡¯s Day. You must go to Payenre and help Caudin. Ride safe and with my love.¡±

    ¡°Kriskin malor,¡± Al swore, standing and scrambling over the rocks. Teleure was on his tail.

    ¡°What do you need to do?¡±

    ¡°I need to get to Payenre, wherever that is, in two weeks to help the King negotiate the terms of battle and war.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡°What? No, you stay here and wait while I help the King. I¡¯ll return.¡±

    ¡°No. You may need to know what I teach you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just negotiating.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to get there?¡±

    Al said nothing as they reached the school. Breivarn was reading a newspaper by the fireplace on the first floor. ¡°Ah, Al, how was your-¡±

    ¡°I need a horse and provisions. Do you know where Payenre is?¡±

    ¡°Payenre?¡± he said, standing. ¡°That¡¯s¡­on the border of Sayen, right next to the Mielsa. Why? What passes?¡±

    ¡°Sayen has declared war on Arvonne. The battle negotiations are set for May the First.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s two weeks from now. You won¡¯t reach it in time. That must be six, maybe seven hundred miles from here.¡±

    ¡°We can do it,¡± Teleure said. ¡°We¡¯ll need help. Four swift horses, provisions, a pack with clothing.¡±

    ¡°And can you care for Marnie?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± he said. ¡°Riran! Salet!¡± he bellowed. He sent Riran to the stable master to prepare the horses. When Salet arrived from her class, he said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be in charge of Marnie for the next few weeks, on top of your classes.¡±

    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, yes, where is she know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but fetch her.¡±

    Teleure and Al were packed within fifteen minutes. Salet brought Marnie to the main sitting area. Al put his canvas bag of food and bag of clothing and tools down. ¡°Marnie, Dada has to go help the King. You have to behave for Salet, okay? No hiding from her. Do what she tells you to do.¡±

    She nodded and wrapped her arms around her father¡¯s neck. ¡°Will you be back soon?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Soon, sweetheart,¡± he said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°As soon as possible.¡±

    The two wizards climbed on their steeds and grabbed the reins of their additional horse. Breivarn was next to them, handing Al a rolled map. ¡°I marked the towns you¡¯ll need to hit until you reach the Mielsa. Then take the road north. Gods speed.¡±

    They trotted their horses on the back road. ¡°What¡¯s our plan?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to push the horses until they¡¯re blown, then let them go.¡±

    ¡°And after?¡±

    ¡°We run.¡±

 Chapter 264

    Caudin had never worn the uniform he was in before and it chafed and itched. He stole a moment to hook his high collar from his neck for a moment of relief. There wasn¡¯t much he could do about his trousers nor the blue plume on his hat that kept blowing into his eyes, but at least he found a tiny bit of respite.

    ¡°Surprisingly warm for this time of year,¡± Jemerie said, his horse trotting next to Caudin¡¯s. He had volunteered to accompany the King, since none of the other Principals wished to after he had confided what he had done.

    ¡°Wish for linen and it¡¯ll be cold. Wish for wool and it¡¯ll be hot.¡±

    Jemerie leaned in. ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel fear in this situation. Chatting always helps me in times like these.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I feel. I think I¡¯m a pearl right now, layers of different things. Fear, yes, sadness, anger¡­¡± He turned to look back in his saddle both ways. ¡°Not things a king can feel.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, Your Radiance. I happened to realize that our king was riding by himself and perhaps he wanted a companion for some time.¡±

    ¡°Astute, but I¡¯d rather no one overhear my internal dilemmas and have their hope and faith in me shaken. If nothing else I can give my men peace of mind.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Something else. Tell me, how did you wind up being a writer of novels of¡­questionable taste?¡±

    ¡°Your Radiance is displeased with my omnibus.¡±

    ¡°Your Radiance had to read a series of books where he acted like a love-smitten idiot fumbling his way through a half-baked plan in some land of perfect opportunities.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t start out that way. They were originally fantasies of mine, of you not being dead, of you returning, of things going exactly as planned. I shared it with Commres who said it was drivel, but that it might sell well. He published it. It did all right, well enough that he asked me to write another with some changes. A romantic interest, a solid reason why you hadn¡¯t returned, things going exactly according to plan.¡±

    ¡°So, I should be thanking my grandfather-in-law for those masterpieces.¡±

    ¡°I know you dislike them. You¡¯ve made that abundantly clear. But, they kept people happy and hopeful in trying times. And you keep saying that I¡¯ve painted you unfairly, but would you say that you¡¯re far from love-smitten? A king who rejected the idea of a mistress, who refused his crown without his wife as queen, who wanted to go to war when she was poisoned. And about fumbling into a half-baked plan¡­You recently acted a lot like the Caudin from my novels as opposed to a sensible king.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair, Jemerie.¡±

    ¡°I came today because I always promised myself that if you returned, I¡¯d be there for you, even when your judgment was less than regal.¡±

    ¡°Not that it matters, but I was told that the only way out of that situation was to give Sayen the Mielsa as well as some of the coast.¡±

    ¡°He said that? The ambassador?¡±

    ¡°When I asked him what I should have done.¡±

    Jemerie paused at this. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this at the Council?¡±

    ¡°The Council? You mean the same people who voted to ¡®wait things out¡¯, or even suggested the same thing? They wouldn¡¯t have seen things from my perspective. It wasn¡¯t their lives at stake, or the life of their spouse. It wasn¡¯t their child who died. None of you would¡¯ve understood. You all quietly hedged your bets over the years, making subtle political moves. What was the closest to danger you ever got, Jemerie? Was your house ever raided? Was your family threatened?¡±

    ¡°No, because I was careful.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how I work. I¡¯ve never been ¡®careful¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But, that¡¯s how a king works when he has the whole country to think of, not just his family.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Caudin said, giving him a pointed look. ¡°I know who I am and what I represent. But, sometimes it is wise to shuck off the weight of your station and act like a man. If my options were to give up parts of my country, cower in fear, or covertly stop things, then I¡¯d make the latter choice again. And I will not apologize, however this day unfolds.¡±

    ¡°I am not the kind of man to wring his hands over decisions made, Your Radiance. I am, was always, secretly proud that you tried something rather than react to another grim situation. I just wish it had been more thought out and less antagonistic.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I could have asked Isken to assassinate him, but he would have likely suspected that as a possibility. He thinks things out, my grandfather. He¡¯s very cunning. It¡¯s like playing chess with a man who carved the pieces and the board himself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope. I know you were trained well in fencing and your style has grown since then. I have faith in your ability.¡±

    Caudin looked ahead on the road and saw a small escort of Sayenese men, including the ambassador. Jemerie waved and moved back to his position. If nothing else, at least their chat had distracted him from the upcoming duel.

    ¡°Your Radiance, we meet again,¡± the ambassador said with a smirk and a bow. Caudin nodded at him, grim-faced. ¡°I am to lead you to the appointed place for the duel, or battle should it come to that. As per the Noh Amairian Accords, your regiment is to wait back while your entourage of twenty-four accompanies you to the center of the grounds. There, we will discuss the-¡±

    ¡°I know the law, lackey,¡± he said, looking bored. He chose his men, sending Jemerie to the line as the batan-glage, the monarchy¡¯s representative with the military. Finally, he gave the ambassador a withering glare. ¡°Lead on.¡±

    His stomach was in a knot as he trotted his horse from the road to the field. Caudin looked around, surprised at the choice. It was a naturally flat corridor, patches of high grass and wildflowers swaying in the breeze. There was no high ground and no advantage for the Sayenese. The eastern edge was still being cleared of trees, the lumberjacks taking a break as they watched the scene unfold. As far as he could tell, they were actually laborers and not Sayenese in disguise.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Caudin took deep breaths. The field smelled of freshly fallen rain and the horses. Their hooves fell almost silently in the muddy earth. In fact, the only sound he heard was the occasional murmur from his party or the sound of chain mail clinking.

    Something seemed off as they reached the half-way point, but the retinue from Sayen began to move down. He saw a man in a violet coat with black trousers and gray embellishments. He held his breath. He hadn¡¯t seen his grandfather in twenty-two years. What would he say to him? What look would he give or receive from the man?

    Caudin¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t as sharp as Al¡¯s were, but he could begin to make out finer details about his grandfather. He sat straight in his saddle, his conical woolen hat hiding tidy, black hair that had always been cut in the latest¡­

    ¡°Black hair,¡± he whispered.

    The ambassador¡¯s head turned sharply, having caught his murmur. ¡°Ready!¡± he yelled, slapping a helm on that had been hidden under a saddle blanket.

    ¡°What?¡± Caudin asked aloud.

    The retinue halted. A call cried out from the Sayenese side as the first two lines picked up something in the grass.

    He heard another cry, then the sky blackened. Caudin didn¡¯t even comprehend what was happening until the arrows were seconds from him.

    His merit was not perfect. None were. There had been times when he had been held down and beaten by several men. He had taken the hits, the pain and injury lessened only slightly by his ability. In this case, where an arrow occupied every few inches around him, his merit could only help him twist in a way that avoided major organs and arteries. It could not save him from injury. It could not save him, period.

    Thrice did he feel a concentrated sharp agony only partial seconds apart. He looked down dazed at the three arrows sprouting from his chest, violet and black fletchings. He fingered one before he slid from his screaming horse.

    In the distance he could hear cries of anger and dismay from the Arvonnese. Nearby he heard the moans of his men as they died. He fell to his knees. Ah, now or then, here with arrows or in a painful, drawn out duel with a sadistic master, he had known he was going to die. He would have given his all for his country, he might have had a slight chance, but here was fine, too.

    * * *

    ¡°They can¡¯t do that!¡± the woodsman said, pointing at the center of the field. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about battles, but I know you can¡¯t shoot a man in parlay!¡±

    ¡°Craven,¡± the man next to him said.

    ¡°Yellow-bellied,¡± another lumberjack said.

    ¡°Can anyone tell if the King is still alive?¡± said the first man. ¡°Tall guy?¡±

    Telbarisk pretended to look, instead using his kil to sense Caudin¡¯s body. He was still warm and not yet laying on the ground. ¡°The King still lives.¡±

    There was quiet for a moment, then the man said, ¡°We need to protect him.¡±

    ¡°How? With what?¡±

    ¡°Us.¡±

    ¡°What, we¡¯re supposed to shield him with our bodies? We¡¯ll die and-¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be ruled by Sayen?¡± the first man asked again. ¡°Because that¡¯s what will happen if the King dies. We¡¯ve all heard the stories from our neighbors in the Mielsa. High taxes, edicts, pledges of loyalty. Our king has been fair and as kind as possible, and he¡¯s our king. If he dies, it¡¯s all over. Look,¡± he said, pointing to the Sayenese line. ¡°They¡¯re going to fire again.¡±

    He moved forward, grabbing his ax, dodging around stumps until he reached the edge of the corridor. Then, he ran. Several men only paused for a moment, then grabbed their axes and joined him. All-in-all, two dozen men wound up leaving the sidelines.

    ¡°Tel,¡± Anla said, ¡°you need to help those men. The Sayenese are nocking their arrows for another volley.¡±

    He turned from watching the men run to the middle. A line of a hundred or so of the thousands were pointing their arrows down, shaking their shoulders to loosen themselves, waiting for the word. There were choices. How would he approach this?

    A man yelled and the bows were pointed up. Tel closed his eyes and pushed the wind above the Arvonnese towards the archers. Another command and the arrows loosed. The woodcutters flinched, but they still stood in front of their king, grimacing in anticipation of the arrows.

    The black cloud hovered. A groan escaped Tel¡¯s throat as he kept the arrows in place, finally releasing the tension and his breath. The arrows fell straight down, all momentum spent. The woodcutters looked up and cheered just as the King fell over.

    Anla watched as the bows and quivers were dropped. They must have realized they were useless, she thought. The soldiers began to march forward. ¡°Tel, I know you must be tired, but you need to stop them from reaching the center. They¡¯ll slaughter everyone.¡±

    She saw the other problem. While no weapons and armor were allowed in parlay, the Sayenese escort still stood. They must have worn mail. And if they had armor, they likely would have weapons as well.

    Having anticipated a need for mobility, she had dressed in traveling trousers and a bodice. She began running, hoping she could reach the center before it was too late.

    The lumberjacks had their axes raised, using them partially as a shield as the Sayenese men tried to find an opening to the King. A few had broken ranks to tend to wounds inflicted, but the men closed any gaps.

    ¡°Ssayenesee men,¡± she yelled when she was fifty feet away. The entourage suddenly stiffened. ¡°You will cease trying to kill the King of Aarvonnee.¡±

    They stopped, bewildered by their surroundings. A few of the woodsmen took advantage of the moment and made impressive cuts to the Sayennese group¡¯s necks and legs before they dispersed. They tried to head back to their army, but the ground had grown incredibly muddy and they stuck thigh-deep into it. Several horses from the other side had already tripped and thrown their men before the regiment had fallen back, looking for a way around.

    The woodcutters parted for Anla, who threw herself into a kneel next to Caudin. He wheezed painfully, his breath dragging in and out as his gaze focused on the sky. ¡°Ainler,¡± she said, taking his hand and kissing it.

    It took a few moments, but he finally turned to look at her. He smiled. ¡°I told you¡­to stay¡­in Dilves¡­trar.¡±

    ¡°Like I would listen to you.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t want¡­you to¡­see this.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to be here with you, during the most important day of your life?¡±

    ¡°Lies,¡± he said, reaching for her face and wincing. ¡°Meeting you¡­¡±

    She lowered her face to his hand so he could thumb her tears away. ¡°Ccaudinn,¡± she said, and he stiffened, ¡°you can¡¯t die. I won¡¯t let you ddiee.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­work¡­that way. No¡­scratches,¡± he said, trying to hold up his left forearm.

    ¡°We never perfected our song. I¡¯ll sing, but I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she said, sniffling. He smiled as she hummed the notes he had taught her back in Acripla.

    Alistad, out of breath, broke through the line and knelt next to him. She feverishly looked over his body as Anla continued to sing. Finally, she straightened her spine and looked at Anla, her eyes wide. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do anything for him, Your Highness. He needs to be stabilized while the arrows are pushed through his chest. We need¡­a cyclical wizard.¡±

    ¡°And Al¡¯s not here,¡± she said, sniffling. Caudin took in a ragged breath and relaxed, staring ahead.

    ¡°No!¡± she said and he looked back at her. ¡°Please. Caudin, it¡¯s still too little time.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°I love you. You can¡¯t leave us.¡±

    ¡°I love you. You¡¯ll have¡­Al and Tel.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said sobbing. ¡°I mean us.¡± And she moved his hand to her stomach. ¡°Please hold on for us.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡± he asked and gave her a radiant smile that faded quickly. ¡°Take Tel¡­and your¡­brother. Go to¡­Kinto. Maya will¡­protect you¡­until¡­¡±

    His chest stilled and his eyes glazed as he stared just beyond her. ¡°No¡­¡± she moaned, pressing her face to his hand. ¡°No. Please. It has to be enough. You can¡¯t leave us.¡±

    Sometimes there is nothing in the world, no matter how compelling, that can keep a man there. A beautiful wife, a child, all the happiness he had dreamed of for years was right there waiting for him to breath once more, twice more, until he was healed. But, it was too much. He had played his part. His last thoughts as the sky blurred were hopeful that his son could come back someday and right the wrongs that would have to stay for a little while longer.

 Chapter 265

    ¡°Where to go?¡± Al asked from the opening to the corridor.

    ¡°Which army looks familiar?¡± Teleure said.

    Al looked left and saw purple, black, and gray. To his right he saw blue, green, and white. ¡°That way,¡± he said, pointing to the Arvonnese.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here. I can¡¯t take sides, Alpine. I operate as apolitically as possible.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you, for everything.¡± He hugged Teleure, who turned up his cowl and found a boulder to sit and spectate.

    He walked to the army, scanning everyone until he found a familiar face. ¡°Your Grace,¡± he said to Jemerie. ¡°What passes?¡±

    He wrinkled his nose for a moment, then gave him a sudden, incredulous gaze. ¡°Emrys, where did you come from?¡±

    ¡°Samenstrar.¡±

    ¡°Directly? But, how? We didn¡¯t know until two weeks ago that Sayen had declared war.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a story for another time. Where is the King?¡±

    Jemerie sighed and jutted his chin in the direction of the Sayanese. Al turned and surveyed the scene, having a hard time understanding what the other regiment was doing, or not doing. He could clearly see a ring of men surrounding something in the middle. Not much of it made sense. ¡°The King went to parlay for terms and the Sayenese shot a hundred arrows at the party. I¡¯m almost certain that he is dead. The Queen is with him and I¡¯m sure the reasons why the Sayenese aren¡¯t attacking have something to do with Telbarisk. I¡¯m fairly certain he¡¯s the tall man standing at the edge of the woods over there. Other than that, we¡¯re sort of at an impasse.¡±

    ¡°Attacking at parlay is heavily punishable. Of course, if every witness were killed, I suppose they wouldn¡¯t mind risking it. The victors write history. Thank you, Jemerie.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Emrys,¡± he shouted as Al ran to the center.

    Al hadn¡¯t realized how tired he felt until he made that final sprint. Teleure and he had run all night to get here in time and he was already exhausted, feeling like a piece of straw in a banjo player¡¯s mouth. Every inch of his body felt rubbery, chewed, sweaty, and deeply needing some rest.

    This didn¡¯t stop him from running at top speed, of course.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± he said and two of the axmen parted. As Al suspected, Caudin had fallen to the salvo. In one swift move, he knelt into a slide that stopped next to Caudin¡¯s feet. He pulled up the hem of the King¡¯s pant leg and grasped his shin. ¡°Come on,¡± he whispered.

    Anla startled and turned to face him, her eyes red and wet with tears. ¡°Al! You came. I didn¡¯t know if you got my message.¡±

    ¡°Loud and clear. I left as soon as I could.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°He passed a few minutes ago.¡±

    ¡°Give me a chance.¡±

    She stared at him with her mouth ajar, then gently gave her Caudin¡¯s hand. He took it, moving to his side and clamping his other hand on his chest. He gritted his teeth. He was going to hate a great many things if he had run 650 miles and made it within the window to help his king only to have his magic exhausted from non-stop running¡­

    Caudin gasped a breath in and fluttered his eyes open. Anla cried out and ran to his other side, grabbing his hand. He gave a wild look, then turned to her and cupped his hand against her cheek. Then, he turned to his other side.

    ¡°Al,¡± he said, his voice hoarse. ¡°You made it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Twas a close thing.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Sire. I wish I had arrived sooner.¡±

    A few of the woodcutters turned and stumbled back in surprise. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± one said and the rest turned to look. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡±

    ¡°Alpine,¡± Alistad said, moving next to him. ¡°He needs those arrows out to heal, but removing them may cause him to go into shock and kill him. Can you¡­can you stabilize him while pushing the arrows through?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in theory. I¡¯ve never done it before.¡± He turned back to Caudin. ¡°Sire, I¡¯m going to need you to touch my skin so that I can use both hands.¡±

    ¡°I would do whatever¡­you wanted at this point. You want the national¡­wine to be Caudet? I¡¯ll name it.¡±

    ¡°Caudet is terrible,¡± he said, breaking the shafts in half as gently as possible. ¡°Anyone have a glove or a bit of fabric?¡±

    One of the lumberjacks pulled a kerchief from his pocket and handed it to him. ¡°Finally listening to wisdom, Wizard?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire. Could you help the Queen hold him at an incline?¡±

    ¡°Just about wine?¡± Caudin asked.

    Al locked his gaze on his king¡¯s as he was pushed up. ¡°No, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Finally.¡±

    He wadded the kerchief at the end of the shaft to help him brace. ¡°On the count of three. One, two¡­¡± He pushed the arrow through as Caudin gasped in pain, his head swaying for a moment while his eyes blinked rapidly.

    It grew a little easier with each arrow, but Caudin was far from safe. He had lost a lot of blood and his skin was shockingly white. Al healed him until his wounds were closed, then stood.

    ¡°What would you like to do about Sayen, Sire?¡± he asked.

    ¡°As I am grievously injured, it is in my right to appoint my second to fight for me. I know you are tired. You just ran almost seven hundred miles in two weeks. You just saved my life. If you have anything left to spare, I¡¯d like my second to be you. You¡¯re the only one I trust to do this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be honored, Your Radiance.¡±

    Al knelt beside Caudin, who took his blood and drew three lines on the wizard¡¯s forehead, the middle straight and the other two flaring from the top. ¡°The Sigil of the Monarchs. Show him that and he can¡¯t deny you a duel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, Sire, so please don¡¯t move before I can heal you fully.¡±

    ¡°Al,¡± he said, grabbing his arm. ¡°Make him pay. I want the ambassador, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Also, you might want to change before you challenge him, unless you plan on killing him with your stench.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey. I will, Sire.¡±

    He quickly shucked off his clothes and put on his wrinkled uniform. ¡°Lose the coat as soon as you can,¡± Caudin advised. ¡°And Al?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a weapon. Perhaps one of these kind gentlemen will let you borrow one?¡±

    Three men immediately turned around and held out their axes. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, picking up each and deciding on the one that felt like it was balanced best.

    He turned and was embraced by Anla. ¡°Come back,¡± she said. ¡°We still need you.¡±

    ¡°I will, Your Highness,¡± he said. She gave him a kiss on his cheek and patted his arm, reassuring him. He realized the doubt she knew he had by the tremble in his voice and was thankful that she didn¡¯t say anything.

    Telbarisk had joined them and stood just outside the circle. ¡°Alpine,¡± he said, ¡°where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To fight the King of Sayen. Can you make a bridge wide enough for a horse to cross?¡±

    He nodded and turned to the ground between them and the Sayenese, closing his eyes and holding his hand in front of him as he usually did. Al moved in front of the group and planted his feet. ¡°Hey!¡± he shouted, ¡°I want your king!¡±

    Those in the front who had been trying to find a way around the bog in the middle of the field looked up sharply at him. ¡°I challenge the King of Sayen to a duel, based on rules laid out in the Noh Amairian Accords!¡±

    Most went back to looking around, but he held the attention of a few of them. ¡°Your king is a coward!¡± His words were much louder, and he turned to nod at Anla in thanks. ¡°He¡¯s so afraid of losing his precious Mielsa that he broke parlay and attacked a defenseless king. News will get out and your country will be sanctioned, embargoed, ostracized. We¡¯ll leave today and we¡¯ll ask our ally, Empress Mayasena, to bring her wrath down upon Sayen.

    ¡°Unless the King fights me now. Then, the Accords will be satisfied and no one will challenge your rights.¡±

    A few soldiers pointed down and yelled something at him. Before he could say anything, a few other men found the bridge Tel had created. Two men on horseback proceeded to walk over the small strip of dried land. One was a young man with long, dark blond hair tied back, his strong, angled face impassive. He was dangerous looking, but Al ignored him completely for the older man beside him. He felt an odd sensation looking at him, like the world around him grew darker for a throbbing moment and he felt like he should be feeling pressure, but nothing had changed save his attention drilling into the man. He was old, in his seventies, but still had straight posture and the alertness of a man twenty years younger. His white hair had thinned to almost nothing on the top of his head, making his working circlet of amethysts and jet set in silver stand out against his pink skin. His beard was thick and kept short. His face was disarmingly pleasant, blue twinkling eyes and soft features that reminded Al of Caudin here and there, especially his nose. He looked far too kind to be the man behind the atrocities of his grandson¡¯s life.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Both dismounted at the same time and walked towards him. The young man gestured to the older, and in Arvonnese said, ¡°This is His Radiance, King Halinar the Thirteenth, called Halinar the Grand, Halinar the Boon, Lord King of Sayen and the Mielsa, The Fierce Protector of-¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just a swell ruler,¡± Al said. ¡°I¡¯m Emrys Gray, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Emrys¡¯?¡± the King asked, his voice a nasally tenor. ¡°That¡¯s, what, an advisor?¡±

    ¡°Top advisor, yes.¡±

    ¡°And how did you come about this position?¡±

    ¡°Caudin and I have been friends for some time now.¡±

    He was going to continue, but the King cut him off with a dry laugh. ¡°He sends a paper-pushing bureaucrat to fight the most decisive duel Noh Amair has known for centuries! I wondered if this king of yours had something up his sleeve, but I see he¡¯s just as idiotic as I suspected. So, as the King¡¯s second, I suppose you wish to choose me to fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s in the Accords. You do realize I am an expert swordsman and have been training since I was five?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Al said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you were the top fencer in the known world, I¡¯m still going to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Bold and confident. Pray tell, what makes you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Because you are the wrong the gods have spent decades trying to fix.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pious¡­¡±

    ¡°Hardly. I just can¡¯t deny when things are obvious. The Twelve are very angry with you. You groomed your daughter to persuade her husband to give you the Mielsa, and when you failed you instigated the Kalronists to kill them, just so you could have a connecting port. Your daughter, your grandchildren¡­What kind of monster does that?¡±

    ¡°Heavy charges¡­¡± the King mused, absently checking his sword belt.

    ¡°Today you fired upon another king during parlay.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that I didn¡¯t do. He would have to be my real grandson for that to be true. And the volley was loosed in self-defense. A parlay party can only be twenty-five members; the Arvonnese sent thirty, which we saw as a threat and acted within the bounds of the Accords.¡±

    ¡°He sent twenty-five and you know it.¡±

    The King shrugged smugly. ¡°Not that anyone will know. Once you and I are finished with this duel, we will wipe this battlefield of any witnesses. Now, shall we get this over and done with?

    ¡°Telbarisk!¡± he yelled. A minute later the grivven was at his side. ¡°This is Telbarisk of Nourabrikot. He will act as Arvonne¡¯s witness.¡±

    ¡°Fine, use your pet giant,¡± the King said, waving his hand. He shucked his outer coat and unsheathed his saber, studying it just as Al quickly took off his own coat. ¡°I should ask if the King of Arvonne is still alive.¡±

    Al lifted his stringy hair from his forehead. ¡°He said this is the Sigil of the Monarchs and this guarantees me a duel. He was alive last I spoke with him. He requested the ambassador when I win.¡±

    ¡°¡¯When¡¯,¡± he sniffed. ¡°All right. You have your tall, intimidating man and I have my witness. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± He turned to Glostinag. ¡°Signal the men that we¡¯re sparring and that we¡¯ll continue our business in a minute or so.¡±

    Despite his threat, the King didn¡¯t attack. He and Al circled each other in a patch of clover, the King¡¯s sword low, but not posed. Al kept reminding himself to loosen his grip on his ax. He needed to be springy, relaxed, not to break his weapon before he ever swung. ¡°Why an ax?¡± the King finally asked. ¡°It has to be the worst weapon to fight against anything, even a tree.¡±

    ¡°Skethik gave one to me,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Ah, the piousness again.¡± He feinted in, testing Al¡¯s defenses, managing to brush the sleeve of his shirt. ¡°It¡¯s an admirable quality.¡±

    ¡°So is ambition, in the right amount and direction,¡± Al retorted.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong there. Ambition is a wonderful thing in the right people. Ambition is terrible in a farmer or a tailor; what a waste to work your whole life bettering your village if you can¡¯t better your country. In a king, now there¡¯s a worthy place.¡± He feinted again. ¡°Kings aren¡¯t held by any restrictions. They are the only people that could rule the whole world, if they chose to.¡±

    Done with the conversation, the King went on his first attack with his saber, his stance wide and his left hand on his hip. Al was able to flip his ax twice to parry, but the King sliced his left arm before stepping back. ¡°This has to be the most ludicrous fight I¡¯ve been in. Where do they teach you to fight with an ax? Which school did you attend?¡±

    ¡°The King of Arvonne taught me. I¡¯ve been practicing for a few years now.¡±

    The King snorted and Glostinag laughed. ¡°I would have had more respect for you if you had said you¡¯d forgotten your weapon and had to make do with that.¡±

    He attacked again, this time slicing Al¡¯s cheek. Though shaken, Al took a moment to remember some of Caudin¡¯s lessons. His window of advantage had already closed, but perhaps he could find an advantage somewhere else. The King was old, and though still reasonably agile, he could only make two or three moves before needing to catch his breath. Al began to return the attacks, swinging and chopping into the King¡¯s space as he retreated. He didn¡¯t even parry those, just dodging as best he could. Al managed to hit his shirt, but heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

    Okay, he thought, catching his breath. He has chain mail. Caudin would say that chain mail is increased protection at the cost of stamina. Which meant that¡­

    The King went in with a flurry of fast thrusts, parrying what Al could return. His saber clanked loudly, a grating sound, but better than the silence Al heard when he managed a slice on his ribs. He stumbled back, then dove forward with his ax in a wide, backhanded arch that connected solidly with the King¡¯s side. While it didn¡¯t cut him through the mail, it definitely hurt by his stumble. He¡¯d bruise.

    Al was thinking of his next assault when the King asked, though heavy breaths, ¡°So. You¡¯re southern. Kintanese?¡±

    ¡°Br¡¯vanese,¡± he replied, clutching his ax in anticipation of an attack.

    ¡°How does a khajit find themselves in the court of Arvonne?¡±

    Al rankled against the slur, but didn¡¯t bite. ¡°I¡¯m Ghenian, second generation. I met Caudin when he was traveling and we struck a tried and true friendship.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The mocking smile on his face wavered. ¡°Ghenian. Gray. That¡¯s a wizard¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not just a paper-pusher, I see. Enhanced reflexes, better stamina, superior balance. You¡¯re a hard wizard.¡±

    ¡°Just a hard wizard. No.¡±

    ¡°Oh. A switcher, then? I shouldn¡¯t let you rest and tap into the Calm to let you heal from-¡±

    ¡°No, not a switcher.¡±

    The King scowled slightly and narrowed his eyes. ¡°A cross-switcher?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Al said, licking his thumb and wiping it over the cut on his cheek, showing the King that it had already healed. ¡°I¡¯m cyclical.¡±

    His opponent gave a quick laugh, then looked more closely at his face. ¡°True?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Now, tell me your merit,¡± he grinned as he began the series of spins and chops that Caudin had taught him back on the crossing from Sharka to Tektorn. He wheeled and sliced, coming within a hairsbreath of the King. Then finally, two dozens moves in, he clipped him on the chin. Blood spurted from the wound, staining the King¡¯s beard and neck crimson. Al knew it was superficial, but finally getting one on him boosted his confidence.

    ¡°You are a cyclical wizard, I can see that. Very, very rare and very valuable. I have a proposition for you. I will end this duel, spare your life, and give you whatever you wish if you join my court. Riches, women, power, it¡¯s all yours. You could be on my council, helping make decisions. Or perhaps you¡¯d like to govern Erifana? Your little king there came up with a covert posse and tried to take out my power in the region.¡±

    ¡°He did?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°Yes. Quite irritating, really.¡±

    ¡°Good for him.¡± An annoyed look crossed the King¡¯s face while Al gave a lopsided smile. That had been a stupid idea that he would have counseled against, but it was so direct and brash and Raulin that he couldn¡¯t help but remember the days they¡¯d spent together in Gheny.

    ¡°One point of negotiation,¡± Al said.

    ¡°You¡¯re considering,¡± the King grinned. ¡°Yes, what would you like?¡±

    ¡°A cape.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I want a cape, something fancy.¡±

    ¡°A cape?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you know with a jeweled clasp and some detailed embroidery.¡± When the King said nothing, Al rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m telling you to take your offer and fuck off, you idiot.¡±

    The King¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Fine, then. Act like a khajit at the end.¡±

    With that he began attacking in earnest, but so did Al. The King would thrust a few times, then let Al swing wildly, dodging until he found an opening. Al had done wonderfully up until then, being unblooded and generally untested, but it was here that everything began to catch up to him. He was still exhausted, running on his fifth or sixth wind, and every wound he received only tired him more. He suffered one particularly nasty slice to his unprotected leg that immediately ached and throbbed through his healing ability.

    ¡°You should have taken the offer,¡± the King said.

    Al charged once more, hobbling on his leg, his flurry slower. The King stepped back, watching the swings until he calmly stepped in and stabbed his outer left chest with the tip of his sword. He pulled out with a jerk and retreated to his side. Al gritted his teeth, taking in short, shallow breaths.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been rather insulting to me and quite boorish, but I still admire you for putting your life on the line for your king despite your deficiencies. I¡¯ll make it quick.¡± He took a stance that splayed his arms, taunting Al to make his move.

    He didn¡¯t have much time to really articulate the sense of dread he was feeling. He had been anticipating healing Caudin, of seeking out others who needed it, of a warm bath and good food and laughter. He wanted to hug his friends and talk about his time in Samenstrar. He didn¡¯t want to die.

    With a heavy sigh, he twirled his ax. He started in his outward pattern and pulled in, as he¡¯d done against the trirec who had attacked Telbarisk in Genale. When he got close, he planted his left foot back and chopped diagonally. He hissed and collapsed forgetting that he was injured. An experienced fighter wouldn¡¯t have made that move. An experienced fighter would expect his injured opponent to favor his wounded leg and try a different technique.

    Al¡¯s ax sunk into something and he panicked. The one rule Caudin had taught him, had beaten into him, was that he needed to make sure he pulled his ax from the tree trunk as quickly as possible. Chop, pull, move on. Al tugged with urgency for a few moments, waiting for the King¡¯s blade to find his open flesh, until he realized his ax hadn¡¯t found a tree, but the neck of the King. He let go of the haft and watched as the King sank to his knees. He looked up at Al in total surprise, his lips already stained crimson with his blood. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to bleed out; his body crumpled to the ground as he suffocated.

    There was a stunned silence as two thousand people took in the results of what should have been a relatively easy, one-sided duel. He stood over the King¡¯s corpse and pried his ax from his spine, wiping the blade on the greenery. As an afterthought, he reached down and took his sword and crown, then turned to the King¡¯s second.

    ¡°Your king is dead. You must instruct your army to lay down their arms and surrender. If you do not comply, the Arvonnese army is within their rights to hunt you down to a man and slaughter you. We will expect the general of your regiment and the ambassador to Arvonne in parlay within a quarter hour. You may retrieve your dead after that point.¡±

    Glastinog looked like he wanted to say, or do, something. Instead, he set his jaw and nodded, hopping on his horse and riding to his army.

    Al hobbled over to Telbarisk, who set his hands on his friend¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m so very proud of you, Alpine.¡±

    The wizard gave a weak smile. ¡°Thank you. Make sure the army doesn¡¯t slink away.¡±

    He was tired in ways he thought only the dead could appreciate. Just a little bit longer, he thought. There was still so much to do.

    The lumberjacks, still at attention, parted when they saw him. One laid his hand in Al¡¯s shoulder in camaraderie, which made him wince. He paused to watch Anla gently stroke Caudin¡¯s face, which was in her lap. They¡¯d had no idea how the fight would end and had chosen what may have been their final moments together loving one another. The looks on their faces were pure. He hated to interrupt.

    They both looked up when he shakily knelt next to his king. ¡°Your Highest Radiance, I present to you the crown and sword of the former King of Sayen. Long live the Emperor.¡±

    It took Caudin several moments to school his expression from one of joy and amazement, to something close to majestic. He cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, thank you, my emrys. You have pleased your king today. You may ask a boon of us.¡±

    ¡°Caudin,¡± he said, slumping down, ¡°I just want a damn bath, a hot meal, and a bed.¡±

    ¡°I think we can arrange that,¡± he said with a broad smile.

 Chapter 266

    Telbarisk had fashioned a throne for Caudin, who wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand while he held court. The Sayenese general officially laid down his sword in front of Caudin in front of a small, yet important audience of officials, half of who were about to be arrested. The General was professional about it, obviously displeased, but polite and refined, while the rest looked grim.

    ¡°Thank you, General,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Out of curiosity, whose idea was it to fire on an unarmed parlay?¡±

    The General swallowed. ¡°I take responsibility, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what we asked, General.¡±

    ¡°It was decided before the battle that we would fire upon you, since you were not considered the real King of Arvonne. That is why we had ample bows and arrows at the ready. It was not my idea, Sire. I would have preferred to engage your regiment when something went south with negotiations.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re from the Circuit?¡±

    His eyebrows lifted slightly. ¡°Laurel Crown in ¡¯04.¡±

    ¡°Crisfrio?¡±

    ¡°Top of my class.¡±

    ¡°It would be foolish of us to dismiss you, then.¡±

    ¡°I¡­couldn¡¯t say, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Obviously we can¡¯t allow this to go unpunished. Your regiment must appear in Eri Ranvel for sentencing. However, we will promise some leniency if every member of Sayen on our soil today makes it to the capitol. How much provisions do you have?¡±

    ¡°Two weeks¡¯ worth, Sire¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯d be quick about it. You are prohibited from provisioning from our people. Not a berry from our lands, not a drop from our reservoirs, not a hair harmed on any of our peoples¡¯ heads. Lose a man and your punishment grows harsher.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire. Are we to include the entourage in that group?¡±

    Caudin looked around. ¡°Ah, you mean the ambassador? No, we will personally see to his misery.¡±

    After the General left, as well as most of the Sayenese, the ambassador was ushered forth by officers in the Arvonnese regiment. He immediately genuflected and waited with a sour look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can guess what we¡¯re thinking,¡± Caudin finally said.

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    ¡°That was a trick we played on you. No, you can¡¯t, you absolutely cannot. Whatever you think we¡¯re thinking, you are wrong. You cannot fathom the loathing we bear for you. The torture we are planning for you is inventive and astonishing. Some may record it and even call it brilliant.¡±

    The ambassador swallow hard, but did not look up.

    ¡°You are henceforth stripped of every title you posses, every manor you own, every favor that¡¯s owed to you. If you have family, they will be evicted from your holdings penniless. And then, once you reach Eri Ranvel, the real fun begins.¡± He gestured to an officer with his arm still on the rest of the throne, unable to lift it without pain. ¡°Shackle him and bring him to Getrifont. If he escapes his restraints, there will be a bonus to the officer that brings him back in, in whatever state he is found, as many times as he escapes.¡±

    Anla gently put her hand on his shoulder and waited until the men had left. ¡°You were lying,¡± she murmured into his ear.

    ¡°You asked before if I understood what you meant by not being able to take revenge on a man. The king in me knows that I have to show strength, but¡­I¡¯ve lost all interest in doing anything to him. I picture Kavrin and Isken and everyone else. I¡¯ve starved, I¡¯ve thirsted, I¡¯ve known I was about to die. I can imagine their agony so easily. And still, I don¡¯t want to destroy him. I want to live and forget about him.¡±

    She leaned in and kissed his cheek, saying nothing more.

    ¡°One last thing,¡± he said to one of his officers. ¡°Bring the woodsmen to us.¡±

    The two dozen or so men that had rushed the field to protect their king were brought forward, looking a little confused and worried. ¡°Who speaks on behalf of all of you?¡± Caudin asked.

    The men looked at one another until one stepped forward, the man who had incited the others to run from their cover to protect the king. ¡°M¡¯names Lamintret, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°Lamintret, we are pleased to meet you. What made you decide to protect us when you could have simply watched from the sidelines?¡±

    ¡°Well, sir¡­ it wasn¡¯t right! You don¡¯t brawl with a feller then make up, only to have him slug you in the back when you aren¡¯t looking. That¡¯s not honorable and neither was them shooting arrows at you when you wanted to talk. Plus, you¡¯re our king. We had heard you returned only after your coronation, so we didn¡¯t go, but we were mighty pleased you came back.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re glad to hear it, Lamintret. Do you enjoy cutting trees?¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s work. I make enough to feed my family.¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer other work, better paying work, if it meant moving to Eri Ranvel.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t speak for everyone, but I wouldn¡¯t mind it. I always wanted to see the city. Sir.¡±

    Caudin swept his gaze slowly over all the woodsmen. ¡°We believe that a man can learn any subject, work as hard as he can, be given every opportunity to excel, but if he does not have his heart in it, he will never be the best in his field. It is much easier to shape a man who has passion into whatever he wishes than to evoke that passion from him in the first place. You showed us that you have the courage and patriotism to be a king¡¯s guardsman. I would personally like to invite you to join my household as a guard, train with my soldiers, and protect me as you showed me you so very much wanted to today.

    ¡°This is a large decision that we will give you time to think over. You will have to decide what is to happen to your property, whether you will sell it to a neighbor, leave it to a family member, or to let the crown care for it. Your family may live with you at Dilvestrar, if you choose. Or you may choose that this option is not for you. Either way, you will be guests of honor tomorrow night at our celebratory banquet and will be compensated for your bravery. We would appreciate answers in a timely fashion.¡±

    Lamintret burst out immediately with a ¡°yes!¡±. Caudin grinned and laughed. ¡°Sire, Your Radiance, I live with my sister. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind leaving for the city.¡±

    ¡°Then we are pleased by your choice. As for the rest of you, we will see you tomorrow night at Castle Gentrifont.¡±

    Al walked through the crowd and bowed in front of Caudin. ¡°I managed to find five that were still living, Sire,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the rest.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough, wizard,¡± Caudin said. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Like a gentle breeze could blow me over.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be returning to Gentrifont tonight. I want you to rest and relax. Tomorrow night we¡¯ll have a great feast in your honor.¡±

    ¡°If you wish¡­¡±

    Anla and Caudin laughed. ¡°Not interested?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve never enjoyed pomp. I can¡¯t tell you how much I hated giving the valedictorian¡¯s speech at Amandorlam.¡±

    ¡°Well, some things can¡¯t be helped. For now, if you could help coordinate with the medics and take care of yourself.¡± Caudin gingerly rose from his seat and Alistad put slings around both his arms, making him drink an analgesic concoction.

    Anla surprised Al by grabbing both sides of his face and kissing his lips, then hugging him tightly. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± he replied, a little flustered.

    There was an informal party that night after dinner. Key higher ranking members involved with the duel and battle sat around the Marquess of Ischefel¡¯s grand room in Gentrifont. They wine and liquor poured for hours, the Marquess being more than pleased for the opportunity to bend the ear of the King.

    ¡°Your Esteemed Radiance, how do you feel?¡± the Marquess asked after refreshments of smoked fish sandwiches with skewered fruit were served.

    ¡°Besides the obvious,¡± Caudin began, gently touching his chest, ¡°I feel wonderful. It¡¯s the first time since the Coup that I haven¡¯t felt like death is just around the corner.¡±

    ¡°Did you experience it, death that is?¡± The Marquess blinked a few times realizing he may have made a social faux pas.

    Caudin didn¡¯t mind it and smiled thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everything was dark and¡­even, I suppose. I didn¡¯t hear or see or feel anything. Then I heard a voice say, ¡®Wait¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Just that? ¡®Wait¡¯?¡± his general asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Was it one of the people surrounding you?¡± the Marchioness of Ischefel asked.

    ¡°He sounded like he was right next to me. Only my wife and Alistad were there, until Al arrived. And he didn¡¯t sound like Al. If anything he sounded like how I remember my father sounded.¡±

    The room paused to consider this before the Marquess asked, ¡°Where do you go from here, Sire?¡±

    ¡°The amount of work to be done is monumental,¡± he admitted. ¡°Not only do I have to continue to pull Arvonne out of the bleakness of two decades of abuse, but now I must manage a country that¡¯s almost completely foreign to me. I speak the language and I visited my mother¡¯s homeland thrice, but I know nothing of the people, their ways, and their economy.

    ¡°For now, though, I am going to heal and enjoy becoming a father later this year.¡±

    There were pleased gasps and laughter at this news. Al, who had been staring out a window, snapped his head back to the conversation. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything!¡± he accused.

    ¡°Well, assuming it wasn¡¯t some trick of my wife¡¯s, I only heard earlier today.¡±

    Anla smiled. ¡°That would be a cruel trick to play. I am three months along and already showing,¡± she said, placing her hand on her stomach.

    Congratulations were tossed around and another in a long series of toasts was had before Al and Teleure begged off for rest. The party wound down and they all rested until far into the morning.

    The household staff started preparing very early for the banquet that was to serve almost a hundred people. Caudin lent some of his staff to help and their breakfast was more of a sparse repast served around ten-thirty.

    Prior to the meal, in the warm afternoon sun, the Emperor bestowed honors upon everyone involved. Most accolades were mandatory; Jemerie had done little more than inform the General that he was not allowed to rush the field. But, he was given a medal as well as the General and several of the officers.

    All of the woodsmen showed up, fourteen of the twenty-three taking the offer given by Caudin.

    Teleure and Telbarisk were given commendations. Anla was praised, but nothing was said of why the ambassador and his men had suddenly stopped trying to kill the woodcutters.

    Finally, Al genuflected before his king. ¡°Kings pray for patriots to be there in the times of greatest need. In my emrys, Alpine Gray, I not only received a patriot and a hero to fight in my honor, but I received a true, loyal friend. No king has ever been given a greater blessing.¡± Anla slowly drew Caudin¡¯s sword from its scabbard and placed the hilt in his hand, moving the sword¡¯s tip to each of Al¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I bestow upon you the title of Baronet of Eri Ranvel. Arise.¡±

    As Anla sheathed Caudin¡¯s sword, Al rose with a barely contained grin on his face and turned as the crowd cheered. Anla kissed both of his cheeks.

    The feast was lively despite the hosts trying to put on airs and keeping things stiff. At one point the Marquess stood next to Caudin and gestured to Anla. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s appropriate for the Empress to be speaking to the commoners like that?¡±

    Anla was engaged in a conversation with a few of the lumberjacks¡¯ wives over the embroidery on their dresses. The women were flush from the praise, laughing and demonstrating the techniques.

    The Marchioness added, ¡°There will be a lot more pressure on her to be dignified now that she is an empress. Perhaps you could recommend speaking with a more refined crowd?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d sooner capture the wind,¡± Caudin responded. ¡°Look at how happy she is talking to those women. Look at how happy they are that the Empress has taken an interest in their hard work. Few rulers have the ability to connect to the common people like that. Telling her not to do what she feels comfortable doing would be a mistake.¡±

    ¡°But, you must keep the peerage happy, too.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ll sweep her up at some point to make the rounds and keep them happy as well. For now, I¡¯ll let her charm those women, who will tell their friends and neighbors, who will then tell their neighbors. It means a lot to them, being seen as valuable. It¡¯s a brief conversation for us, but not for them.¡±

    * * *

    The crowds were thick when they watched the Emperor and Empress arrive home. Somewhere behind them they could hear the boos for the defeated Sayenese army, who slunk into the garrison with their heads hung low.

    A short council meeting was called as soon as possible. After congratulations were made, Caudin started the meeting by asking about the prisoners. ¡°We can¡¯t send them back to Sayen; it makes my back itch. We can¡¯t keep them here. I find it detestable to kill them. We need another solution.¡±

    ¡°Break them up?¡± Rogesh asked. ¡°Send them in squads to different places?¡±

    ¡°Not every place needs additional soldiers, who would be extra mouths to feed.¡±

    ¡°Send them to the border?¡± offered Triniste.

    ¡°Not much better than sending them home.¡±

    ¡°Why not retrain them to rebuild the Mielsa?¡± Al suggested.

    ¡°Yes. That will have to do. I really shouldn¡¯t have destroyed the land I was about to inherit,¡± he mused, then looked up. ¡°Last time we will speak of it. I acted foolhardy in making those pillaging squads, especially by taking such a strong hand in them. Many good men died because of me. I will not act so brashly in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Esteemed Radiance,¡± Rogesh said.

    A few days later, Caudin dressed as Quin Sesault once more and visited the dungeons below Dilvestrar. There weren¡¯t too many there; a few Kalronists who couldn¡¯t be trusted out into the public yet and some higher profile criminals. And one Sayenese ambassador.

    Caudin grabbed a stool and sat across from the cell. It took the ambassador a few minutes to realize he had company. ¡°Sire,¡± he said, wrapping his hands around the bar. ¡°The guards have forgotten to feed me or give me drink.¡±

    ¡°Have they?¡± he asked. ¡°How forgetful of them.¡±

    ¡°Please, Your Radiance, I beg forgiveness. I know that my actions were cruel and unacceptable. I only wish to please you. If it is in your plan for me to die, then give me the knife.¡±

    ¡°It would be too quick. And your words are from a man who has lost everything and can only improve his situation. Had I died and Al lost, you would be doing some unspeakable things to my wife right now.¡±

    ¡°Sire, they were only words of antagonization. I would never dream of harming the Empress nor-¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± he said. To the ambassador¡¯s great surprise, Caudin handed him a cup of water and a plate of meat, potatoes, and fresh peas. He gulped the contents of the cup then fell on the plate, not even bothering with the utensils. Caudin threw a kerchief at him when he was finished.

    ¡°Sire, you¡¯ve shown me a great mercy. If I could ever show you that I am your man, I won¡¯t hesitate to prove it.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen,¡± Caudin said, leaning forward. ¡°What you did was abominable.¡±

    ¡°Atrocious,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°It needs to be punished. But, punishing you fairly, in a court of law, would raise certain questions from the public.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t breathe a word of it, Sire.¡±

    ¡°I considered torturing you, killing you myself with some painful method. So many to choose from. But, in the end I realized that I no longer had the stomach for revenge. You cured that for me, and for that I will be lenient in your punishment, but I will not grant clemency.¡±

    He stood and removed a key from his belt and opened the door to the cell. The ambassador looked baffled. ¡°You are free to go.¡±

    ¡°Sire? But, you just said-¡±

    ¡°I know what I said. I said that I have no stomach for revenge. However, I am unsure about the families and friends of the hundreds of people you slaughtered. I gathered them together and told them that you and your friends were going to be released today at about this time and where your route would be. If they choose to forgive you, then you may go free. But, there are a lot of angry people.¡±

    ¡°Sire, please don¡¯t make me go outside.¡±

    ¡°Did you know that Isken and I were trirecs together?¡± The ambassador looked frightened. ¡°No? I wondered if the Network knew somehow. I don¡¯t lie about that. I was trained as a trirec and was one for almost ten years. One of the best, I was told, number thirteen in the world before I escaped. Knowing that, do you still wish to stay in here with me?¡±

    He gave one last look as the guards ushered him out to the street. ¡°Tell me how it ends,¡± he asked the Captain. He didn¡¯t want the details, just the closure, just to tie up the last end, just to finally be at peace.

 Chapter 267

    ¡°Kamisdel is asking for you to look into brokering a deal with Sayen over land rights,¡± Al said, summarizing the letter.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± Caudin responded, biting his nail while his leg bounced.

    ¡°Essentially, he was wondering if he could create posts for ore production and a supply chain and what the cost would be.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Al put that missive onto the top of the very tall ¡°unanswered¡± pile for the day. ¡°Duke Agrieson sends his regards and wants to point out that Breaverie continues to test Arvonne¡¯s eastern borders in skirmishes.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    ¡°He requests the addition of-¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Caudin said, standing and walking out of the room.

    ¡°Sire!¡± Al said, scrambling to catch up to him. ¡°You asked me to keep you occupied!¡±

    ¡°I know and I thank you, but I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there! Men aren¡¯t allowed!¡±

    He stopped. ¡°I know. I¡¯m going to be in the way. It¡¯s gory. Women don¡¯t want men to be involved, and I respect that. But, we¡¯ve been there for each other through everything. It feels wrong to abandon her now, especially since she¡¯s early and their may be complications.¡±

    Caudin continued walking towards the royal apartments. Al couldn¡¯t find an argument. While he¡¯d fight with most men in this situation, he recognized that they were a bit special, all of them. ¡°I¡¯m sure she already has a soft wizard helping her, so I won¡¯t interrupt that. Besides, Teleure suggested that I not help women in labor. Our level might actually harm the process. But, I can help afterwards. And I¡¯ll stay next to you, unless Anla says ¡®no¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard.¡±

    Al heard the crying moans far before Caudin did, but he also heard the soft, encouraging commands and knew she was doing well. ¡°Things are progressing as they should,¡± he told his king.

    ¡°Good,¡± he said, relaxing.

    They stood in the doorway and Caudin waited until he could catch the eye of Alistad. She carefully cleaned her hands and walked over to him. ¡°The baby isn¡¯t here yet, Sire,¡± she said, curtseying.

    ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t stay away any longer. Tell the women I¡¯m going to sit by my wife.¡±

    Alistad frowned, but said, ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    They watched as she relayed the command to the midwife, who shook her head vehemently. ¡°What?¡± Anla asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The Emperor would like-¡± the midwife began Anla interrupted her.

    ¡°Is he here? Bring him here, please.¡±

    Caudin ran in and took the soft wizard¡¯s chair. He kissed her forehead and smoothed back her hair before grabbing her hand.

    ¡°This hurts,¡± she said and he laughed when she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard as much.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were doing important paperwork.¡±

    He waited until the contraction had passed until he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that important. Al did his best to distract me, but I didn¡¯t want to be there.¡±

    For the next few hours, he encouraged her and spoke to her as she gritted her teeth every few minutes and groaned through the pain. Finally, the midwife encouraged her to push. She almost crushed Caudin¡¯s hand when she did so. He wisely said nothing, waiting until finally the midwife, the attendants, and Alistad all cried softly. A few moments later the babe sucked in a lungful and cried.

    ¡°Congratulations, Your Esteemed Radiances. It¡¯s a boy,¡± Alistad said, holding the baby for them to look.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Caudin said softly, rubbing a knuckle on his son¡¯s cheek. He looked at Anla with a huge grin on his face. ¡°I think he looks more like you than¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Her face was still contorted in pain. ¡°It¡¯s not stopping.¡±

    ¡°Alistad, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She quickly brought the baby to an attendant and grabbed the midwife. She quickly looked at the situation and exclaimed, ¡°Oh!¡± before sitting at the stool at the foot of the bed again. ¡°Just push, Your Radiance.¡±

    ¡°Push?¡±

    ¡°Yes, push.¡±

    The bells from the nearest temple of Beliforn rang out and they could hear the cheers from the people near the palace.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°What passes?¡± Caudin asked, holding on to Anla¡¯s hand again.

    ¡°Nothing to worry about, Sire,¡± the midwife said, turning her attentions to Anla. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s crowning. Good. One big push¡­breathe¡­once more, Your Radiance¡­and there.¡±

    She held up the second child, another boy, and he cried almost as loudly as his brother. Caudin blinked for several moments before turning to his wife. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were having twins.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± she said. ¡°No one said anything!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Esteemed Radiances,¡± Alistad said, not looking terribly sorry. ¡°I suspected when you were early and how you were carrying, but there¡¯s no way of knowing until the moment.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Caudin said.

    Al slowly crept into the room and stood next to them while they held their sons. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said. ¡°I, uh, heard it was traditional to get a stuffed animal as a gift for a new child. I¡¯m going to have to get another one.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Wizard. Do you want to hold one of the babies?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± He took the boy from Caudin¡¯s arms and sat on the bed next to Anla. ¡°Which one is this? Aubin or Caudin?¡±

    The bells of the temple rang again. This time the crowd paused, then cheered even more loudly once they had figured out what the additional sound meant. ¡°This is the first born,¡± he finally answered, ¡°but he won¡¯t be an Aubin.¡±

    At that moment Telbarisk chose to enter, bringing two carvings he had made of the large squirrel-like creatures from Ervaskin called titaskrees. ¡°You knew?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± he asked stopping short. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that you didn¡¯t know.¡± He placed the figurines on the side table and took the baby Anla was holding.

    ¡°Telbarisk could almost fit him into one hand,¡± Al joked.

    ¡°They are small babes. I think they look like their mother, though. Their ears point a little bit in a strong way, not like mine did when I was a newborn.¡±

    ¡°Your ears pointed?¡± Caudin asked, breaking momentarily from his examination of his son.

    ¡°Yes, but that might be because I¡¯m part elf.¡±

    The quartet laughed at his joke. ¡°The tallest of my brothers,¡± Anla said.

    ¡°What was that about him not being called Aubin?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°For some time we¡¯ve felt the hands of higher beings meddling in our lives. I suddenly don¡¯t feel it¡¯s a coincidence that a god who is a twin helps bring us together to save a country, then we have twins to rule each of our holdings.¡± Caudin took his son back from Al. ¡°This one will be called ¡®Magrithin¡¯ and his brother will be called ¡®Kabidin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll like that, Sire,¡± Al said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°When I asked them to accept me as their king, I made it very clear that I was going to value being a husband and a father over being a leader. And as a father, I will name them whatever I please, so long as my wife agrees.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°I think they¡¯re very lovely names indeed. But, I get to choose their middle names.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said, kissing her.

    * * *

    Ten Years Later

    ¡°Are there bears? Mommy? Are there bears? Are there bears?¡±

    ¡°No, pawl,¡± Anla said. ¡°No bears.¡±

    ¡°Are there bears?¡±

    Caudin grabbed his son around his waist and pulled him onto his lap. ¡°No bears,¡± he said when he turned around to look at his father. ¡°But, there might be hungry lions!¡±

    The carriage was filled with shrieks and laughter as the Emperor of the Northern Midlands tickled his third son, Prince Caudin. It might be undignified if anyone had witnessed it or he had been older than two, but since it was neither, it was just a wonderful, family moment.

    ¡°So, will you tell me now where we¡¯re going?¡± Anla asked. ¡°It¡¯s some place not terribly far from Eri Ranvel. Some place near water. I can hear waves lapping against the shore and gulls.¡±

    ¡°Shall we tell Mummy?¡± Caudin asked his son. ¡°Tell her¡­¡± He whispered in his ear.

    ¡°Yashka!¡± their son said proudly.

    ¡°Yashka?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s Biashka,¡± Caudin corrected.

    ¡°Oh, the perfume place? Well, this has been a long time coming.¡±

    ¡°It has. I thought we might actually want to go to the place I¡¯ve been talking about visiting for the better part of a decade. I loved it here as a child.¡±

    She looked out the window. ¡°Is Biashka on the coast? We couldn¡¯t have traveled that far¡­¡±

    ¡°No. Biashka sits on a large inland sea called Meritraume. Some of the beaches have black sand.¡±

    ¡°Like Genale,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes, and a few other places I¡¯ve been to over the years.¡±

    ¡°I can see a beach from here.¡± She turned, excited. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here.¡±

    Caudin opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it. They¡¯d had a Talk a few weeks prior about what was okay for her to shirk decorum on and what wasn¡¯t. She had pointed out that some things were too stifling and that he should really pick his battles. She would be more vigilant if he would relax. And so, he didn¡¯t think the family heading to the beach for an hour or so would ruin plans for today by that much.

    The carriage stopped and the three of them stepped out, followed by the four other children in the other two carriages. The twins immediately ran to the sand and began exploring. Little Caudin, still unsure on his feet, had to stumble his way over pebbles, rocks, and holes to get to his older brothers, who grumbled at his appearance.

    Ebridet and Petulet stepped out more daintily, holding their skirts up and standing next to their mother. ¡°The beach?¡± Ebridet said. ¡°It smells.¡±

    ¡°You know Auntie loves the beach,¡± Caudin said. ¡°We used to come here when we were little.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, brightening. ¡°If Auntie likes it, then I should learn to like it, too.¡±

    ¡°Auntie should also like asparagus,¡± Anla whispered to Caudin.

    ¡°That can be arranged.¡±

    It took a little while for the girls, but after fifteen minutes all five children had warmed to the beach. Anla and Caudin stood and watched their children play. Her hand crept into his and he turned to see her eyebrows knotted. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, ainle?¡±

    ¡°I was just wishing that there was some way to freeze this moment. There is a lot of love here.¡± She turned to face him. ¡°Soon enough Kabidin will have to train to take Sayen, and Ebridet will go to Kinto. I don¡¯t want them to leave. I want this.¡±

    ¡°It was always going to be our trade. We can be rich, rule the country, and be together, but our children will have to rule other places far from us.¡±

    ¡°Saying it aloud doesn¡¯t make it easier.¡±

    He stood behind her and slid his arms around her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we return here as often as we can for as long as possible. But, someday all we¡¯ll have are memories about beaches, just as you and I had when we were younger.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, that does put things in perspective. If nothing else our children will have happier childhoods than we did.¡±

    ¡°Though likely less interesting adulthoods. At the very least, their courtships will be absolutely dull next to ours.¡±

    She smiled, but said, ¡°It was complicated. I don¡¯t think anyone would envy that part. But, once we finally admitted we loved each other, it was wonderful. Even through the terrible things that happened, we still loved each other deeply and we fought with everything we had for each other.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wish them to know that. Maybe less of the other stuff, but I hope they can have what we have.¡±

 Chapter 268

    Epilogue III: Sayen

    Ten Years Prior

    Caudin held his hand up to silence the doorman that was about to his presence. He ducked his head around the corner and surveyed the room. It was called the Portrait Room due to the massive amount of portraits covering the walls, both small and massive. There was a long, polished oak table with a runner and a bouquet of chrysanthemums in the center.

    More importantly, there were two men seated at the end of the table next to each other, the place of honor awaiting him. He watched the two men, waiting to see what they would do. Finally, the one farthest from the end turned to the other and picked something off the others lapel.

    ¡°Stop,¡± the redheaded man said. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to mother me.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted you to look perfect for the Emperor,¡± the other man said. ¡°Are you going to tell me who he is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± he answered, crossly. ¡°I¡¯ve never met him in my life!¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just nervous. We need this and I don¡¯t want to let you down.¡±

    Caudin smiled. That was what he had wanted to hear. He turned to the doorman and nodded. ¡°His Esteemed Radiance, Emperor Caudin I of the Northern Midlands, King of Arvonne and Sayen.¡±

    The two men rose quickly and bowed from their waists. Caudin strolled to the table and waited until the doorman moved the seat out for him. He sat. ¡°Please sit, gentlemen.¡±

    They did so, both looking up at him and taking similar expressions of surprise and awe. After a few moments, Corrin blurted out, ¡°I thought you said you were the Count of Aubrige!¡±

    He smiled. ¡°I am the Count of Aubrige, and also the Duke of Kadriga and the Marquess of Comricauri. They give you a bunch of titles when you¡¯re second-in-line to the throne.¡±

    Vanif quirked his mouth. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pleased to see you took my advice about cutting your hair, Your Esteemed Radiance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, much more regal, I¡¯m told.¡±

    ¡°So, the whole time you knew Vanif you were the Prince in disguise?¡± Vanif leaned over and whispered something in Corrin¡¯s ear. ¡°Your Esteemed Radiance,¡± he added.

    ¡°I think saying I¡¯m a noble, just a few rungs below my actual station, wasn¡¯t much of a disquise. But, yes, I¡¯ve always been the Prince of Arvonne, until I was the King, then later the Emperor. Though, I will admit I am not quite as clueless as Marin Liasorn was. Any other questions, gentlemen, or should we discuss why I asked you to come?¡±

    ¡°No, please do go on, Sire,¡± Vanif said. ¡°We¡¯ve been very curious as to why you asked us here.¡±

    ¡°Vanif, when I arrived in Gheny as a foreign soul with no connections, you took it upon yourself to introduce me to society and make sure I was seen about in society. I never gathered you were all that interested in helping Arvonne remove the Kalronists, yet you stuck your neck out for me, twice. It always made me think highly of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Was there every a specific reason why?¡±

    Vanif folded his hands on the table and took a few moments to think of his answer. ¡°I¡¯ve always had this fascination with people. Watching them, seeing them interact with each other, wondering where it will all go. I can almost look at a party and see the mechanisms, like who will work well with each other and who needs to meet another. It¡¯s like¡­it¡¯s like my friend Taiktol. He¡¯s a clockmaker. He says he can take a bunch of gears and set their teeth together and tell before he turns a crank whether or not it will work. I can do that with people, knowing who will turn well in their own spoke when someone else moves them.¡± He met Caudin¡¯s gaze. ¡°You always had this aura about you, Sire, like you were the key that winds the clock. Whenever you interacted with people, things would happen.¡±

    Caudin pursed his lips for a moment. ¡°You should have a conversation with my friend Telbarisk. He¡¯s a tall guy, lives in a cave on the grounds here. Hard to miss. Ask him about kouriya.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean we are invited to stay here in Dilvestrar, Sire?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m sorry, I thought that was conveyed in the letter. Regardless of whether or not you take my offer, you may stay here.¡±

    ¡°Offer, Sire?¡± he asked, straightening his spine and sharing a quick look with Corrin.

    ¡°Have you heard about my recent good tidings?¡±

    ¡°That you had twins? Yes, Sire. We brought gifts, for all four of you.¡± Corrin handed him a bundle of boxes that were wrapped and strung together and Vanif placed it on the table.

    ¡°Thank you. I appreciate this, especially knowing that you have limited means. But, I was referring to my recent acquisition of Sayen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, of course, Sire. It was major news even across the Gamik in Gheny. I think people enjoyed the change and cheered for the new empire.¡±

    ¡°I enjoyed the new change, too, until I realized how much work it is. There¡¯s still so much to be done here in Arvonne. We¡¯re still dusting twenty years of oppression off our shoulders. I have far too much work ruling one country. I need someone to rule Sayen for me.¡±

    Vanif¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And how may we help with that, Sire?¡±

    ¡°¡¯I need someone who is very keen on industry and making money, connecting dots. I need someone unattached to Sayen. I won¡¯t put someone involved with the Coup to rule as regent and that could be anyone of those vipers, my cousins and second cousins, scrambling for this job. I need someone, too, who has no ambitions for their own family, someone who wouldn¡¯t want to see their own kin one day take the throne instead of my son, Kabidin.

    ¡°I had a list of some people who fit those criteria, but it was my emrys Alpine who remembered you. I will be honest with you, Vanif. I was involved in your family¡¯s discovery of your relationship, which led to your annulment and your disownment. The guilt from it weighed heavily on me and I tried to warn you.¡±

    ¡°Warn me?¡± He thought about this for a few moments. ¡°The piscarin?¡±

    ¡°When you have the pleasure of meeting the Empress, you¡¯ll understand. I was so upset by what happened that I spoke with my companions. My emrys, Alpine, has a keen mind and I tasked him with trying to find a way out of my predicament. He couldn¡¯t, then, but he remembered you and offered you as a candidate. And I realized that he hadn¡¯t failed me in New Wextif, he had just taken his time with his solution.

    ¡°I am sorry and I hope you accept my apology.¡±

    Vanif pressed his lips together. ¡°Sire, I am honestly unhappy to hear that you were involved. I feel my trust in you is broken. Could you tell me why?¡±

    ¡°I cannot except to say that I was told to look into the matter without knowing who you were. I was not pleased when I realized it was you. I wouldn¡¯t have involved myself otherwise.¡±

    Vanif sat back for a few moments. ¡°You were caught, then?¡± Caudin nodded. ¡°That makes a difference. And I suppose I can¡¯t be upset with you over the outcome. I had always weighed being with Corrin over being rich and titled, but the momentum was too strong. There was too much pressure. Gretza is a lovely woman who¡¯s happy now with her husband and child. I¡¯m happy with Corrin.¡±

    He suddenly gave Caudin a sharp look. ¡°The invitation was for me only.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, I wasn¡¯t aware of your situation.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m to consider this position there are some contingencies.¡±

    ¡°Corrin?¡± Caudin asked. When Vanif nodded, he said, ¡°Behind closed doors I am delighted you and Corrin are still together. I think that in a land full of spies, having a partner with an eidetic memory will be incredibly beneficial as well as having someone who makes you happy. So few of us get that in life. But, I cannot condone it publicly. I have the Church of Beliforn to contend with, and you know how they feel about homophilists. Therefore, I ask for discretion. Don¡¯t let them, whoever they are, create an issue with your relationship. Don¡¯t give them the excuse to press me to dismiss you. I suspect you will do well in this position and I would hate to have to do that.

    ¡°Other than that, I can offer you a moderate salary and an equal title to the one you had in Gheny as well as estates to match. Would there be anything else you¡¯d want?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said hoarsely. He swallowed. ¡°What exactly would this entail?¡±

    ¡°In the beginning, managing Sayen to create revenue for Arvonne. Dismantling some of the seedier aspects of the culture. Dealing with my extremely put out cousins, all who will be clamoring for your position. Later, you will be teaching Kabidin how to rule. When he turns twenty and takes the throne, you will be kept on as an advisor.¡±

    ¡°Might I, we, take some time to consider it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Caudin said, standing. The other two followed suit. ¡°As I said, you are both guests here in Dilvestrar. Tonight we have a performance by musicians from Daubriska after dinner, both of which you are invited to attend.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sire,¡± Vanif said, bowing.

    * * *

    Eighteen Years Later

    ¡°They¡¯re all sycophants,¡± Vanif said, disgusted, sipping on his brandy. ¡°They spend countless hours complimenting him, showering him with gifts, crushing each other underfoot to get his attention. And he laps it up, like a starving kitten and cream.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a boy,¡± Caudin said, sitting in a nearby armchair. ¡°He¡¯s still coming into his own.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s not far from being an adult and I taught him better than this. I warned him, I threatened him, I gave countless lessons on this premise. I read him Tales of Count Dodrigue when he was a boy. Do you think any of that seeped through his thick skull?¡±

    ¡°Vanif¡­¡± Caudin warned. ¡°This is a common problem with the aristocracy, from what I hear. I¡¯m sure you went through something similar.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, pointing at him. ¡°I did not. I was smarter than this. I was approached by people like them starting when I was twelve and I saw through all of them.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s due to your merit, then? No, I¡¯m not asking. I doubt after twenty-five years you¡¯d tell me now. I¡¯m just highlighting that you have an advantage that he doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s a very powerful boy already and will only be more so when he inherits the crown. Of course he¡¯s going to have leeches.¡±

    ¡°Leeches are beneficial in times of sickness. In health they only steal vitality.¡±

    Caudin sighed. ¡°How bad is it really?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s spent a fortune hosting parties for his young friends, often with copious amounts of alcohol, food, and gambling. They¡¯re happening more and more frequently. He¡¯s gifted several of them, as well as other nobles, lavish gifts. I don¡¯t mean just jewelry and gold, but manors and land. And, he¡¯s quite, well, promiscuous. Last count he had taken five different women to bed this week alone.¡±

    ¡°Five? But, it¡¯s only Wednesday!¡±

    ¡°And not all of them are libertine nobles, Sire. In fact, most are courtesans or prostitutes, another great cost to keep them paid, quiet, and¡­once or twice¡­childless.¡±

    Caudin blanched. ¡°Here I thought you were exaggerating a few parties and beggars. This goes beyond acceptability.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you see it my way, Sire.¡±

    He clicked his tongue. ¡°How to approach this, though? I assume you¡¯ve been hard-lining this part of his education.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. I think it¡¯s best to explain to him how his actions have consequences.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really work with him, nor his brother.¡±

    ¡°How did you deal with Magridin when the same thing came up?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had too much of a problem. People try to cozy up to me, then Anla, then Al, then so on down the line well before they think of Magri. He has a few acquaintances that I don¡¯t totally like, but they¡¯re kept in check. If what you¡¯re saying is true, it¡¯s the difference between weeding a garden and a forest.¡± He took a swallow of brandy. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s too late?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still a good boy, at the core. It¡¯s his friends that instigate everything. They have the brilliant ideas, they introduce the women, they plant suggestions for boons.¡±

    ¡°That makes me feel better, then. There is hope. I just need to¡­Hmm. Yes. I think I have a plan for us to work on.¡±

    It was early the next morning when Caudin knocked on his son¡¯s door. A pained moan, followed by ¡°go away!¡± emitted from the room. He sighed and turned to one of the guards.

    ¡°What time did he get in last night?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It was about halfway through my shift, Your Highest Radiance.¡±

    ¡°And when did you start?¡±

    ¡°Cyurinin¡¯s bell, Sire.¡±

    Which would mean he¡¯s been asleep since four, three hours. Or he¡¯s been in his room for three hours. He nodded at the guard and opened the door.

    The heavy, velvet drapes were closed save for a small beam that illuminated a pair of women¡¯s gloves on the floor. He closed the door noisily. This did nothing to rouse the two occupants of the bed. ¡°Kab,¡± Caudin said in a firm voice. ¡°Wake up.¡±

    Kabidin slowly looked up and yawned until he realized who was standing at the foot of his bed. ¡°Father!¡± he said, sitting straight up. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to be here until tomorrow!¡±

    The young woman grabbed at the sheet and wrapped it around herself. She picked up her clothing and slipped into the bathroom to change.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± Caudin asked, taking a seat in a chair facing the bed.

    ¡°Oh, uh, I don¡¯t remember her name.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Get dressed.¡±

    Kabidin laid back down and pulled the sheets up. ¡°I¡¯ll rise in a few hours.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re leaving for Gilvregok this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°No, today. I¡¯ll expect you in the stables in two hours.¡±

    It was closer to eleven when he came into the stables with a group of seven boys around the same age, laughing and jesting with each other. The work had already been done. Valets had brought several suitcases and strapped them to the carriage as well as provisions for the road for a large entourage. ¡°Can I ride with Adni and Revtro, Father?¡± Kabidin asked, gesturing to his friends.

    ¡°You see them all the time. I¡¯ll be leaving in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know, but¡­¡± He gave an awkward shrug.

    ¡°Fine, travel with your companions.¡± He turned away, not letting the sting of that choice show, nor worsen, when his son thanked him with excitement.

    He traveled in another carriage all the way to Vredonta, their first stop on the way to Gilvregok, a royal manor some hundred miles from the capitol. The town boasted five bars, all of which Kabidin and his friends visited. They brought three girls back with them to the hotel room late into the night, a waist in one hand and a bottle in another. Caudin was fifty, but he could still tail a man, or a boy, without them knowing. He hadn¡¯t lost his skills, which he knew would be handy in the upcoming weeks.

    Caudin was reading a book when his son finally awoke close to noon. He looked around befuddled for a few moments, then saw his father. ¡°Is breakfast ready?¡±

    ¡°Closer to lunch,¡± he answered, pulling out his pocket watch. ¡°Would you like me to have them bring you something up?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Fresh baked bread with a slice of mutton, a bowl of almonds, celery, and a glass of steel wine.¡±

    He gave his son a hard look until he finally said, ¡°Please.¡± The owner of the establishment arrived himself with some boiled potatoes, a slice of old bread, and a piece of salted ham. He placed a jug of water on his side table and bowed as he left.

    ¡°Not exactly what I wanted, ¡° Kabidin said, ¡°but it will do, I suppose. Where is everyone?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they left a few hours ago. I said I¡¯d wait here with you and that we¡¯d catch up. There are a couple of horses in the stables. We¡¯ll leave at your leisure.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± he said. ¡°I need to bathe and change after lunch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll put out some clothes for you.¡±

    They were on the road some time in the early part of the afternoon. His son spent most of the time chatting about his friends and the antics they had gotten into. Caudin listened in annoyed silence.

    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t met Givril yet!¡± he said. ¡°Givril is in the circuit. Fantastic swordsman. He¡¯s ranked in the top fifteen and-¡±

    ¡°Hold!¡± a man said as he and several others emerged from the woods. Their faces were covered in masks and two of them held crossbows. ¡°Dismount and we won¡¯t loose!¡±

    ¡°How dare you?¡± Kabidin said. ¡°I am the Ki-¡±

    Caudin knocked his horse into his son¡¯s before he could say more. ¡°Absolutely, sir. Slowly, Kab.¡±

    ¡°But, Father, we can-¡±

    ¡°Be quiet!¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll get us killed. Dismount like the man said.¡±

    Once they were off, their horses were taken, saddlebags and all. One of the men patted them down and took the knife Caudin had and the pouches of coin on their belts.

    ¡°Surely you¡¯d leave a man with at least enough for a meal tonight?¡± Caudin asked.

    ¡°What, and let the next robber get something? Sorry. But, thank you for being so cooperative.¡± The men mounted their horses and took off down the road.

    ¡°Father, what will we do? And why wouldn¡¯t you let me tell them I¡¯m the King? They would have listened.¡±

    Caudin began walking down the road and his son followed. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have. They¡¯re outlaws. And do you know what ransom is? They would have taken us prisoner until the palace paid the fee.¡±

    ¡°But, we can afford it! Whatever they asked, Sayen would have paid it!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Can you? Tell me now, how are the mines doing?¡±

    ¡°Well, I think. I have a secretary who keeps track of that.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t know yourself?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. You don¡¯t know how well your mines are-¡±

    ¡°We recently hit a vein of gold in Dumbrusher that¡¯s going to pay well. There was a miner¡¯s strike in Melconsta, but demands were not unreasonable and met. Three of my mines are running dry and we¡¯re looking for a new source of silver.¡±

    Kabidin closed his mouth and thought for a few minutes. ¡°All right, so I don¡¯t know about the mines. But, we have a lot of money. Nobody has told me we don¡¯t.¡±

    Caudin bit his tongue and continued walking. They could see the start of a village up ahead, a mill next to a river and a few houses with fields of rye and barley. They walked up to the open front door of the mill and Caudin knocked on the frame. ¡°Hello?¡± he called in.

    ¡°Hello!¡± an older man said, coming in from the back. He wiped his spectacles and replaced them, getting a good look at the two men. ¡°How can I help you two gentleman?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the King and you¡¯ll give us a place to sleep and food and fresh horses.¡±

    The older man blinked and gave an absent chuckle. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about all that¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, goodman. We were robbed of our possessions by a group of highwaymen. Could you point us towards a respectable man who¡¯ll trade with us fairly?¡±

    ¡°Ah, mmm, the fellow at the general store in town is fair enough. He¡¯s not stupid, mind you, but he won¡¯t swindle you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Caudin said and the two left, his grasp firm on his son¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t he do as I say?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he said, walking down the road, ¡°why would he believe you? If a man came to the palace and said he was the King of Sonder, with no entourage, just his father, would you believe him? To him a king wears a robe and a crown and hold a scepter. He¡¯s not a man who gets robbed on the road. And if you could keep our lineage quiet so the villagers don¡¯t accidentally let slip to the wrong person who we are, that would be optimal.¡±

    ¡°Let them take us,¡± Kabidin said, bitterly. ¡°At least we¡¯d have a roof over our heads and food.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? You can guarantee this? A man can survive three days without water. Why give us water before then? A man can survive a few weeks without food. Why feed us? And if things don¡¯t go well, guess who will take the brunt of their displeasure?¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± he said haughtily, but his father could read a little doubt mixed into his tone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not give them that opportunity. We have a few things we can trade or trade down. We¡¯ll have to sleep outdoors tonight-¡±

    ¡°Outdoors?¡± he scoffed.

    ¡°You and Magri always loved sleeping outdoors when we went to Biashka.¡±

    ¡°But, that was Biashka¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s normal to feel fear about uncertain places.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid! I¡¯d just rather sleep in a real bed with a duvet and pillows.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we all? We¡¯ll make do with what we have tonight. Hopefully the guard will realize that we didn¡¯t make the rendezvous point and begin searching for us soon.¡±

    Caudin haggled a few hundred sren from the shopkeeper for a few pieces of Kabidin¡¯s jewelry, which he wore in excess and without much thought. It bought them a sack, some provisions, a knife, and a few items for camping.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re stranded here,¡± Kabidin said as he watched his father spark flint over dry grass.

    ¡°We should probably make the best of it. How are your studies going?¡±

    ¡°Well. I think I¡¯ll be able to take over things from you. Vanif said he was proud of me.¡±

    Caudin frowned at the lie. ¡°He did? Where exactly did he say you were excelling?¡±

    ¡°Nothing in particular. Just overall.¡±

    ¡°Ah. So, you¡¯re getting in several hours a day.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°After you wake up at noon?¡±

    ¡°A king needs to be social,¡± he protested. ¡°You said that yourself. You made us attend all those parties and events when we were younger to ¡®bolster good will¡¯ or something like that. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing, bolstering good will.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we diversified who we saw. It wasn¡¯t just the same seven or eight men.¡±

    ¡°You saw Triniste often enough¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on my council, and when we do see each other at soirees, there tends to be hundreds of other people. I spend only a few minutes speaking with him. What I am suggesting is that you could have spent last night in better company.¡±

    ¡°What better company than my friends?¡± he spat. ¡°You said that having friends that will support you no matter what, like Al, are treasured.¡±

    The fire finally caught and he blew gently on it to stoke the flames. ¡°You think those friends of yours will be with you no matter what?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a bet with you. A thousand sren says those friends of yours aren¡¯t looking for us right now, nor will they. They¡¯ll continue on to Gilvregok and wait for you. And when you don¡¯t show, they¡¯ll crack open their bottles and find their women and enjoy life without you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t know my friends like I do. Akildro once fended off a man from accosting me. He protected the King¡¯s person.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure he was rewarded handsomely for it, which he knew would happen since you give boons out to anyone who asks.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having people like me? Ohhh,¡± he said, smiling knowingly. ¡°I know what this is about. You¡¯re jealous.¡±

    ¡°Jealous of¡­what, exactly?¡± He was still coaxing the flames into a fire, else he might have lost his temper.

    ¡°I have lots of friends, money, women. I¡¯ve had more at my age then you¡¯ve had in your entire life. How many women have you had, Father?¡±

    ¡°By the time I was your age? Let¡¯s see. My first was at thirteen. By the time I was fifteen I¡¯d had, oh, maybe five or six? At sixteen I did a round at an Aliornic temple for a few weeks. That was exhausting. Maybe twenty-eight or thirty women? And you¡¯ll be eighteen in a month, so between then and eighteen perhaps another four dozen? I honestly didn¡¯t keep count in my adolescence and I regret that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± his son asked quietly.

    ¡°Because those women were people. Some of them just wanted a good time. Some wanted money. Some of them loved me, and some of them I loved. I will say I remember those women in particular, but the rest¡­I wonder what happened to them. Were they brokenhearted? Did they ever rise above their situation? Did they want more but couldn¡¯t ask? They deserved more than that from me.¡± He looked up at his son. ¡°Now, did you want to go find a tree so we can continue this pissing match? I can tell you that since your mother and I have been together, there¡¯s been no other woman for me. That¡¯s going on twenty years now. Your mother is still my light. She still makes me happy, makes me laugh, pulls me out of the darkness. She still makes my breath catch when I see her, just like the first time I saw her. I wouldn¡¯t trade or think to ruin that with anyone else. And if that means I lose, then I¡¯ll tell you that we¡¯re playing the wrong game.¡±

    His son was quiet for a few minutes. Caudin piled on a few logs, sending the sparks floating up around them. ¡°I don¡¯t love anyone,¡± he said finally.

    ¡°How are you and Devtrika?¡± he asked of his son¡¯s betrothed from Misitraen.

    ¡°Oh, same as it¡¯s always been. She¡¯s not interested in my hobbies and I¡¯m not interested in hers, so we don¡¯t say much to each other.¡±

    ¡°What are your hobbies?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like going to our parties.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone is interested in drinking, gambling, and carousing. She¡¯s a good girl, an excellent painter and poet, from what I remember. Did you invite her to one of your parties?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And how did she feel when you took a buxom lass onto your lap and stole kisses in front of her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You two have at least been friendly since you were children. You can¡¯t guess?¡±

    ¡°She left early. Quickly.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Caudin said. ¡°Either you don¡¯t know what that means or you don¡¯t care.¡±

    Kabidin didn¡¯t say anything in response. Caudin let his son¡¯s quiet do its own work. He made a stew of the pork, peas, and potatoes he¡¯d gotten in trade and they ate in silence.

    The next morning they were both up by mid-morning. ¡°How long do you think it will take if no one finds us?¡±

    ¡°A hundred miles from Gilvregok. We traveled maybe fifteen. If we walk a little more than ten miles a day, then eight days.¡±

    ¡°But, we could also turn around and go back to Wisciene, get a carriage, and arrive in Gilvregok fairly soon.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen miles back is about two days, since we wouldn¡¯t want to leave at night. Then, another day coming back this way, then the rest of the eighty-five miles.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We could quicken the pace and get to Gilvregok faster. Perhaps six or seven days is all we¡¯ll need. But, we¡¯d be sacrificing comfort for time.¡± He handed him a bowl of porridge. ¡°We¡¯re also more likely to encounter the guard if we take the road we¡¯re expected upon. I¡¯ll leave the decision to you.¡±

    ¡°I think it will be good to head towards Gilvregok, that way we won¡¯t be wasting time backtracking. Jaigib and Midelk have never done anything like this! They¡¯ll be jealous when I tell them I walked to Gilvregok.¡±

    ¡°There is that. Let¡¯s pack up and head east, then.¡±

    Caudin gave instructions on how to leave a campsite as they found it, but Kabidin wasn¡¯t listening. He was busy looking around for berries and mushrooms to contribute to their provisions. He didn¡¯t find any, which was just as well since Caudin didn¡¯t want to explain why he needed to throw out whatever he found.

    Not a mile from their campsite was a fork in the road. ¡°Which way?¡± Caudin asked his son.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why would I know that?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve been by here several times before? I¡¯ve never been to Gilvregok. Do you remember the name of the town it was near? Does either way look familiar?¡±

    Kabidin winced as he looked back and forth. ¡°Maybe that way?¡± he said. ¡°Wait. Wait! Look at the tracks!¡± He ran to the middle of the road and pointed. ¡°Those are carriage wheel ruts. This is the way they took to Gilvregok.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±

    ¡°This is exciting, Father. It¡¯s like we¡¯re paupers.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s very little difference between us, if you think about it.¡±

    ¡°How? They¡¯re poor and we¡¯re rich. They¡¯re-¡±

    ¡°Are we rich right now?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but that¡¯s because we were robbed. It¡¯s temporary, an illusion,¡± he said, sweeping his hand. ¡°We will go back to being royal when we reach Gilvregok.¡±

    ¡°But, for the next week or so we are poor. What does that tell you about a man¡¯s money?¡±

    ¡°¡¯That it is fleeting and mercurious, and the best of men do not weigh their worth on golden scales.¡¯¡±

    Caudin laughed. ¡°I¡¯m walking a long distance and another man is quoting me Tichen. I¡¯m feeling strongly nostalgic to my year in Gheny. But, yes, it is a good quote. When we are stripped of everything temporary, there is little difference between men.¡±

    ¡°But, I have things that are always with me. My experiences, my relationships, my education.¡±

    ¡°All true. That makes one man different, but not unequal, since even a pig farmer has those things.¡±

    ¡°But a pig farmer does not know Tichen¡¯s works or even how to read!¡±

    ¡°No, but he knows how to care for his farm. And since in this moment you are not lecturing on Tichen and he has his pigs, he is richer than you are. He can use his education to eat a meal tonight whereas we will have to see where our meager coin takes us. Tichen will not fill our bellies on this trip.¡±

    They were quiet for most of their walk, until they got to Hamagrieb, a large village set near a wide lake. ¡°Father, could we go into a tavern? I haven¡¯t had any entertainment for over a day now.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much coin,¡± he began.

    ¡°Just for an hour.¡±

    ¡°For one hour.¡±

    He smiled and dashed down the main road until he found a one-story building with a picture of a mug swinging from a post. His son was already inside at a table with a beer, listening to the band play a saucy tune, when he caught up. Caudin watched him, noting that he was not an excitable youth taking in the place. He was one who was well-accustomed to being surrounded by strangers, his whims attended to. He sat next to his son and ordered himself a beer, then ordered dinner for the two of them as well.

    Caudin finished his meal slowly and counted five more songs before he began to pry his son away. By then it was already too late. He had been flirting unapologetically with two of the barmaids and had ordered two more beers when Caudin wasn¡¯t looking. When he got up to settle his tab, he heard a loud ¡°round on me!¡± from his son, followed by a cheer from the whole tavern.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that kid is, but I like generous patrons,¡± the barkeep said.

    ¡°He¡¯s my son and he can¡¯t afford to pay it,¡± Caudin said after getting his change. ¡°You might want to tell those girls that before he promises them pearls he doesn¡¯t have.¡±

    The barkeep¡¯s face clouded and he yelled, ¡°Kid can¡¯t pay! No round!¡± He turned back to Caudin. ¡°How¡¯s he paying for those two drinks?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that myself.¡±

    He gestured two men over and yelled something to them over the jeers of the crowd. Kabidin was already standing, sweeping his gaze until he found his father just as the two men grabbed his arms and forced him to the bar.

    ¡°Time to settle your tab,¡± the barkeep said.

    ¡°Father! Father will settle it!¡±

    ¡°Kab, I told you we didn¡¯t have much coin.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± He looked frightened.

    ¡°Give them the silver chain.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s from Devtrika. She¡¯ll be disappointed¡­¡±

    Caudin folded his arms and waited, though he was surprised something held sentimentality to him. The men let go of Kabidin¡¯s arms and let him take off the necklace and hand it to the barkeep. Caudin leaned in and spoke to the owner, who nodded and shook his hand before he joined his son.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pay?¡± Kabadin asked, standing and brushing off his clothes. The men had forcibly thrown him outside.

    ¡°Pay with what? If I had bought those beers you drank, then we¡¯d have no money to buy food in a few days. You would have had to pawn your chain anyway.¡±

    ¡°But, she¡¯ll be sad¡­¡± Caudin realized that his son was rather tipsy and put his arm around his shoulder to guide him.

    ¡°She¡¯ll get over it. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d rather you were unharmed.¡±

    ¡°Unharmed?¡±

    ¡°Often if you can¡¯t pay your tab and they think you¡¯re skipping out, they¡¯ll beat you for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not nice.¡±

    ¡°Neither is stealing, which is what you would have been doing. Let¡¯s go past the town and set up camp.¡±

    Despite the danger, they had been walking all day and Kabidin had a few drinks and a warm meal inside him. He fell asleep before Caudin could even get the fire started. Caudin took the time to watch his son and remember the boy he had been years ago. He, and his brother, looked like Anla, with dark hair and sharp, brown eyes that went wild with mischief at the slightest ruse or game. They had always behaved, though. They weren¡¯t as serious as their uncle had been when applying themselves to their education, but they hadn¡¯t been as bad as Caudin himself had been. He was still a good boy, he hoped.

    When Caudin woke up, his son had made a large pile of kindling and was feeding the sticks to the coals. He sat in sullen silence, his face heavy with thought. ¡°Good morning,¡± Caudin said.

    Kabidin didn¡¯t say anything in return. Caudin got strips of salted bacon out and laid them on a flat rock he placed over the coals. ¡°Anything on your mind?¡±

    ¡°Just missing home, I guess. How¡¯s Mama?¡±

    ¡°Two days and you¡¯re just now asking about her. She¡¯s fine. Her latest project is working with Sevelrei on preserving traditional styles of art and culture. She¡¯s going to create a program to bestow a mastership to those who have perfected crafts unique to Arvonne. Her reputation with the country folk couldn¡¯t get any higher.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice. Any how is Magri?¡±

    ¡°When was the last time you wrote to him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a few months.¡±

    ¡°Magri¡¯s doing well. He¡¯s starting to take over certain meetings and I¡¯ve already sent him out on diplomatic missions to Breaverie and Kitstuar. He did quite well. I¡¯m proud of him.¡±

    ¡°Are you proud of me?¡± Kabidin asked.

    Caudin flipped the bacon with his stick. ¡°What should I be proud of?¡±

    His shoulders dropped and his head sunk. ¡°I thought you were, but I doubted. I guess I was right.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what I should be proud of. I don¡¯t know everything that you¡¯re doing in your life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m running the damn country, Father! I¡¯m doing the best I can!¡±

    Caudin said nothing. He found two flat rocks that served as plates and served the cooked bacon with a hunk of bread and hard cheese.

    ¡°You always taught me it was good to make strong connections with people. And¡­and I go to meetings, but my secretaries handle all the details for most of it. Vanif does all the serious stuff, like making decisions.¡±

    ¡°That should be you by now.¡±

    ¡°Well, he won¡¯t let me!¡±

    ¡°And why do you feel that is?¡±

    ¡°Because, he doesn¡¯t want to give control of the country over to me when I turn twenty.¡±

    ¡°Could it be because decisions need to be made at all hours of the day and you¡¯ve only made yourself available from noon to five? He¡¯s not going to try with someone who doesn¡¯t seem interested. I¡¯m assuming you aren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s boring. Why would anyone want to sit in dull meetings and go to banquets where they have to behave?¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you think I like doing that? Nobody enjoys that. It¡¯s our job to do all those things.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you throw parties, Father?¡±

    ¡°First, I¡¯m almost fifty. Competitive drinking is a young man¡¯s game. Second, I am a family man who likes to spend time with his wife and children, which is also why I don¡¯t womanize. Third, I have responsibilities, so I can¡¯t go to bed in the morning and rise at noon. I¡¯ve already done almost half my day¡¯s work by then. And last, I can¡¯t throw parties every day because it would bankrupt my country.¡±

    ¡°Bankrupt? But, they don¡¯t cost that much.¡±

    ¡°How much do they cost? How much did your night out in Vredonta cost?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Cagardma handles all that.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred and twenty-eight sren, Kab. Food, dozens of bottles of liquor, women, the hotel rooms, paying for damages caused by your friends¡­ And that was a rather tame night for you, Cagardma told me. You hold parties three or four nights a week steadily for a half-year now.¡±

    ¡°We can afford it,¡± he said weakly.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, how much does the average Sayenese farmer make?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°About eight hundred and fifty sren per year.¡±

    While Kabidin thought about that, Caudin cleaned up and kicked out the fire. He waited for his son, who eventually came back out on the road with a set jaw. ¡°So, you want me to chain myself to a desk and have no fun? Sit around all day and listen to boring people say boring things and then go to sleep and do it all over again the next day?¡±

    ¡°Kab, what you¡¯re doing is what they call ¡®stacking ice blocks¡¯ in Tondeiva, or ¡®sowing your wild oats¡¯ around here. Most kids around your age do it. It¡¯s a right of passage, the death knell of childhood, a time to do all the things you want to do before you need to be a responsible adult. I don¡¯t object to that.¡±

    ¡°Then what am I doing wrong if I¡¯m doing what everyone else does?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the excess and the disrespect. The first I can understand a little. You didn¡¯t know how much you were spending or how frequently you were throwing parties. You didn¡¯t know what a colossal waste of money you were costing your subjects. You should, but you didn¡¯t. Ignorance. The disrespect, though¡­I thought I taught you better. You took the chastity of a girl whose brother wound up fighting a duel with your friend Akildro and died from his wounds. You¡¯ve destroyed priceless heirlooms. And you hurt your betrothed. I was aghast when I heard this. My boy, my boy, did those things?¡±

    Kabidin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°She threw herself at me. And the vase and paintings were accidents.¡±

    ¡°Accidents that happened when you were drinking. Frankly, I don¡¯t care what went on between you and that girl, but if you think girls are sleeping with you just because of your looks, you¡¯re sorely mistaken. They sleep with you because of your power and your money.¡±

    He snorted at this. ¡°I can get any girl I want without all that.¡±

    ¡°Another wager, then. We¡¯ll stop at a tavern tonight for dinner and one beer. Since you¡¯re so amazing at it, you will have all evening to seduce one of the barmaids, or any woman in the tavern, with only what you have in this moment. No future promises of when you retain your wealth again, no lies about what you have, just you and your charm.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said quickly. ¡°What are the wagers?¡±

    ¡°If you can do it, I won¡¯t say one more word about how you¡¯re conducting your life. If not, then you¡¯ll pay reparations to the family of that young woman whose brother died defending her honor. Personally. With an apology.¡±

    Without a word and with his jaw set, Kabidin shook his father¡¯s hand and marched forward down the road. He spent the entire day leading the two of them, sneaking looks back to see if Caudin was still there. They passed through a small village and Kabidin spent some time trying very hard to be nice to the folks he saw walking about. They managed to make it to the small town that was next on the route by nightfall. Kabidin turned and gave his father a smirk before heading into the tavern.

    Caudin took a seat in the corner and discreetly paid for his son¡¯s drink and meal. After that, he watched. Kabidin tried for the better part of an hour to make friends with anyone, but most of the men were older and long-time friends who weren¡¯t interested in speaking to boys who didn¡¯t live nearby. The woman at the bar was clearly the owner¡¯s wife and quite a bit older. Finally, after an hour, a young woman came in. She was quite pretty in a startled sort of way, but not as comely as the usual beauties that found themselves into his circle. Still, his eyes fixed on her and he was polite whenever she passed by. In return, she was busy serving dinner and drinks and hardly had any time for him. He managed to get her attention once, but she only listened for a minute before excusing herself and leaving him alone.

    He made no headway with her over the course of two hours, but Kabidin didn¡¯t seem upset by it. An older boy, perhaps a year younger than him, ducked in to say something to his father then noticed Kabidin sitting by himself. They struck up a conversation, and after a while the boy dragged him out of the tavern. Caudin followed, unsure of what was happening.

    The boy led him to a tall tree where two other boys waited. The four took off down a side street and disappeared.

    ¡°Sire?¡± Lanintret asked, meeting Caudin on the street. He held the horses they had stolen from he and his son a few days ago.

    ¡°Have someone tail him, but only intervene if something sinister happens.¡± He took his eyes off the road and looked at the head of his Axwielders. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind some more provisions. And did you get the chain from the barkeep?¡±

    ¡°Aye, Sire. And he was fair about the price.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°How much longer do you think?¡±

    Caudin sighed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Every time I think something¡¯s soaked in, he fights back. It may be a few more days.¡±

    ¡°Think we need to continue making the fake carriage ruts?¡±

    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t commented on that in a while. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d notice.¡±

    His men later informed him that Kabidin had spent the night at one of the boy¡¯s houses and he met him the next morning in the center of town. ¡°How was your night?¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°We had fun, the guys and I.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t cause any damage, did you?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. We spooked some horses, but they were all right.¡±

    ¡°What else did you do?¡±

    ¡°They brought me to a haunted field where ghosts live, but none showed. And we went swimming in a pond. And we stole some berries from a neighbor¡¯s field and he caught us and we ran.¡±

    ¡°Sounds relatively normal. You had a good time?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, frowning as he looked down the road. ¡°Father, I was thinking¡­Would you mind if we stayed for a few days here? Dagrib said there was a harvest festival in a few days that was the highlight of the year. Dances and contests and merriment. It sounded wonderful.¡±

    Caudin¡¯s eyebrows lifted. ¡°Kab, this is your holiday. If you wish to stay, then I have no issue.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I said I¡¯d help on the farm today, if I could stay.¡±

    Caudin almost choked in surprise. ¡°Well, of course. You¡¯re certain?¡± His son nodded. He tested this, hoping his son¡¯s resolve was strong. ¡°I ran into my men last night. It seems we were going down the wrong road. We could be at Gilvregok in a few days¡¯ time.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking maybe we could ask for something special for the festival, like nice prizes or extra food.¡±

    ¡°That, I think, is money wisely spent.¡± His mother would love that, he thought. ¡°Do they know who you are?¡±

    His son looked sheepish. ¡°They saw my ears and I didn¡¯t give a false name, so they asked. I didn¡¯t lie to them. They asked a few questions about what my life was like, but I asked the same of them. They seem fine with it.¡±

    ¡°Then I think it¡¯s a capital idea. Let me speak with, what was his name, Dagrib? Let me speak with his father.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±

    He started to take off when Caudin stopped him. ¡°I want you to check in with me daily. I¡¯ll be taking a room at the tavern we stopped in last night and I¡¯d like to eat lunch or dinner with you.¡±

    He nodded and took off at a sprint back down the road.

    After speaking with Dagrib¡¯s father about the strange scenario, he took to his room in town and laid on his bed for a spell. He hadn¡¯t imagined the plan going this way; he had expected to isolate him from his friends and slowly correct his behavior. And while he didn¡¯t think spooking horses was something a king needed to know, having friends that enjoyed him for his company and not his money was what his son needed.

    What surprised Caudin were the memories this situation stirred in him. He had only been a few months younger when he had fallen in love with Mara in the small town in Hiben. For a season he had been blessedly content with his lot of farming fields, stealing time with his girl, and befriending the local boys. He should have thought of this. He understood what sort of healing a simple lifestyle could do for a boy coming into manhood.

    He¡¯d arrived in Sayen thinking his son was some spoiled child he hardly knew. He hadn¡¯t expected Kabidin to be just like him.

    Caudin was pleased at how happy his son was over the following days. He¡¯d excitedly tell his father of the things he was learning from his friends, of what he was doing. The haughty boy who had tried so hard to be an adult had disappeared, replaced by a man who¡¯d never really gotten the chance to live his childhood.

    The festival was idyllic and quaint, not overly impressive, but very genuine. Kabidin was overjoyed to present the winners of several competitions with gifts greater than the had expected when they sewed their quilts or practiced for their foot races in the seasons prior. He hugged his new friends goodbye the following day and hopped into the carriage with his father.

    They spent the time traveling to Wisciene discussing things. It wasn¡¯t always pleasant; Caudin had tried to explain a few times why his ideas were too farfetched and Kabidin had argued and sulked. But, mostly it was a fine journey.

    They arrived home close to ten o¡¯clock at night. Kabidin greeted some of his friends that had stayed at court, then begged off for a bath and sleep. Vanif, who had stood in line, raised an eyebrow at Caudin, who nodded in the direction of his office.

    Corrin joined them with chilled wine. ¡°We¡¯re dying to hear what happened.¡±

    He told them both about the trip, which took a full half-hour in detail. Corrin swirled his glass. ¡°I¡¯m thinking he was forced too early into the pressure of leading and eventually rejected responsibility by trying to be the worst kind of adult possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault,¡± Vanif snapped.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was, dear. It¡¯s what had to happen.¡±

    ¡°I think that was astute, Corrin. Negative influences were not your fault, Vanif. Neither was doing your job of preparing my son to begin his reign. He made some poor choices. Now, we have to step back and hope he makes better ones.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he will?¡± Vanif asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s my son,¡± he said, smiling proudly. ¡°It might take him a while, it might take some very strong friendships, but eventually he will.¡±

 Chapter 269

    Epilogue IV: Telbarisk

    Fifteen Years Prior

    Telbarisk was staring out a window when Caudin and his council left the room. He turned and kept pace with the group, waiting patiently for his friend to finish his thoughts.

    ¡°Tel! I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. How are things?¡±

    ¡°They are well, Caudin.¡±

    ¡°You usually don¡¯t find me like this. Is there something¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°Is there something you need to talk about?¡±

    ¡°My brother is dead.¡±

    He slowed his pace. ¡°Leave us,¡± he said to the rest of the group. He eyed Anla and Al and jerked his head to follow. They walked to an adjacent wing that hadn¡¯t been opened yet and stepped into an almost bare room without curtains and with sheets over the chairs.

    Caudin turned to Tel and asked, ¡°You¡¯re certain he¡¯s dead?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Emperor sighed loudly. ¡°You need to go home, then.¡±

    ¡°Jorm¨¦ arrived yesterday in the city. He has agreed to take me to the port in Nourabrikot on his return journey to Gheny.¡±

    ¡°I see. And your answer?¡±

    ¡°I have to go home, Caudin. I am king now, and I feel that my exile will be lifted now that he is dead. It may have been earlier, but¡­ I will miss you, all of you, as well as the friends I have made.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to take a special diplomatic trip to Ervaskin,¡± Caudin suggested. ¡°Perhaps in the spring, when the weather gets better and your lands start to thaw. It will be wonderful to show Al and Anla your home, if we¡¯re invited.¡±

    It was meant to be a joke. But, Telbarisk¡¯s face fell and his shoulders sagged. He looked at each of them in turn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.

    ¡°What for?¡± Anla asked.

    ¡°I have been thinking a great deal about things for a long time. I have seen the good of bringing new ideas and things into a place. But, I also saw what they did to my brother and to other grivvens.

    ¡°My brother was not a greedy boy. He would often make things for me, or give me part of a sweet he received. He shared and took care of me. The man he grew to became was only because of outside influences. He was told that in order to take care of his people, he needed things that he only wanted. I remember the days when he was just curious, when he showed me things like shoes and candles. It was only after speaking with some of the ambassadors did he begin to show me gold and jewels with a look in his eye I didn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tel, for being a part of that,¡± Caudin said.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you. He was already infected by the time your people came. And you never encouraged his avarice.¡±

    ¡°But, that was just your brother¡­¡±

    Telbarisk shook his head. ¡°He had supporters, people who also wished to see our land plundered for trinkets. Some were loud about their wishes, other merely curious.¡±

    ¡°But, you¡¯ve learned so much!¡± Al said. ¡°You know how we work. You know a bad deal from a good one, who to trust and who not to trust, when to walk away from a situation.¡±

    ¡°I know only a small amount of what I should. There is still far too much in your complicated world that I will never understand. If stay longer to learn, my people will be exposed while others try to fool my parents. And even if I know enough, my people will not. I won¡¯t be able to teach them in time. Maybe some day,¡± he said, then barely as a whisper, ¡°but not in your lifetime.¡±

    Anla took a deep breath, then sighed before embracing him. ¡°Tel, you don¡¯t know how sad you are making me. You have been one of the greatest friends I¡¯ve ever had. You have saved our lives countless times, and you¡¯ve saved mine, just by listening to me, just by being someone I can turn to in my darkest hour. I wish you would stay, but I think you¡¯re right, so I will wish you well.¡±

    Al opened his arms and moved forward. ¡°No, we¡¯re not doing this,¡± Caudin said and the two looked at him. ¡°The Baronet here slunk off to Samenstrar to avoid a fuss. We will say ¡®goodbye¡¯ in a proper way tomorrow. Invite Jorm¨¦ to the palace. Hell, invite his whole crew. You¡¯re not leaving until you are properly thanked.¡±

    ¡°If this is what you want,¡± Telbarisk said.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s what I want. And it¡¯s what¡¯s called for.¡±

    They decided on a banquet at noon the next day. Though classified as small, it still had over two dozen people in attendance, including Alistad, Jemerie, and Jorm¨¦. Towards the end of the meal, when guests became more informal, his friends took him aside.

    ¡°I was going to give you some books to read on your journey,¡± Al said, ¡°but I thought this might be better.¡± He handed him a twined bundle of a journal, a sheath of high quality paper, and two boxes, one with quills and ink and the other with art supplies. ¡°I wrote a letter to you because I¡¯m not going to remember everything I want to say. But, basically it says I love you and I¡¯ll miss you.¡± He hugged his friend and stood back as Anla cut in.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have as much time as I wanted, but this is a box of sounds. I captured some birds and animals, some are from people. I tried to put as many in as possible. I hope they don¡¯t break during your journey.¡± She hugged him fiercely.

    With a smirk on his face, Caudin brought out several lacquered boxes. ¡°I would like to gift to you the official royal collection of rocks. There is one from every duchy as well as samples of each kind.¡±

    Telbarisk¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t get any wider. ¡°This is¡­too much. I can¡¯t accept this.¡±

    ¡°Tel, they¡¯re rocks. I can have someone get new ones in a few months¡¯ time. I knew you would appreciate them.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you. All of you.¡±

    He finally hugged Caudin. They walked him down to the courtyard and said goodbye once more as he climbed into the carriage he shared with Jorm¨¦.

    The three stood next to each other, Caudin¡¯s arm around Anla¡¯s waist. ¡°This is¡­painful,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll never see him again.¡±

    ¡°We can still write,¡± Al said. ¡°Maybe Jorm¨¦ will stop by to see if he changes his mind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Wizard. We can try, but I think his mind is made up. And I can¡¯t exactly fault him for that.¡±

    * * *

    Telbarisk was melancholy from the time the ship left the harbor of Lake Mirscau in Eri Ranvel down the Gris River, and out to the sea. Jorme let him be for the first two days, but on the third he took a few minutes to sit next to his friend on the forecastle deck.

    ¡°You miss them,¡± he said. Tel nodded. ¡°This is because you¡¯re a good person and they are good people.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never see them again.¡±

    ¡°Likely.¡±

    ¡°My life has been theirs and theirs mine for the past five years. They have done so much for me.¡±

    ¡°And you for them. They¡¯ve become a part of you and sometimes it¡¯s hard to untangle things once they¡¯ve become entangled. You are mourning their loss from your life.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°This is how I felt when I left on my first journey. I told myself I was ready, but the first week I was on a ship I was miserable.¡±

    ¡°How did you stop being miserable?¡±

    ¡°Threw myself into my work Kept myself busy.¡±

    ¡°I am already make the winds favorable and-¡±

    ¡°I know! I¡¯m not asking you to do more, Tel. I¡¯m thinking you should speak with the crew, maybe learn a few games to play. It won¡¯t replace your friends, but it might take your mind off of them for a while.¡±

    Tel thought about this for some time and realized Jorm¨¦ was right. He had missed Kelouya and his family, but he had chosen to grow his crops on his island, then to leave with Jorm¨¦¡¯s men, then to have his adventure with Caudin, Anladet, and Alpine. He pined for home, but he had never rejected the present, of making new connections. They same would be true for his new future.

    He was reintroduced to the crew members he remembered. The first mate, Abri, had traded in his inventions for something more sensible. Jorm¨¦ knocked on the door to the cabin and opened it to reveal Abri hunched over at his desk, a bottle in front of him as well as a set of tools. Inside the bottle was miniature ship¡¯s hull glued down.

    ¡°Can I borrow your finger?¡± Abri asked. Tel scooted forward and watched while Abri tugged on several strings. The mast straightened. Abri placed his finger on the ends of the strings and used a tool to straighten the yards and glue the sails. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s always the trickiest part.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how they make ships in bottles?¡± Tel asked.

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know? Sometimes sailors do this when we¡¯re out at sea,¡± Jorm¨¦ said. ¡°It¡¯s better than staring at the horizon or yet another round of Maccre.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was an answer to it. Anladet didn¡¯t know when I bought one in Calaba. I thought it was one of those things that no one could answer, like why are leaves shaped the way they are or why can¡¯t penguins fly.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone knows. It¡¯s the novelty of it. It seems like an impossible thing, but there¡¯s a logical explanation to it.¡± He led them outside the cabin, claiming the fumes from the glue were too strong. ¡°Are there other things you have questions about?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I just never thought to ask things because it was confusing and no one explained it.¡± He turned to Jorm¨¦ as they stood on the main deck. ¡°Why is the sea blue?¡±

    ¡°The sea is blue because the sky is blue. It reflects the sky. That¡¯s why the water gets darker the deeper the farther from the sky you get. I mean, unless you are religious, and then the sea is blue because Queyella said so.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Why are clouds white?¡±

    ¡°Clouds are collections of steam and smoke trapped high in the sky. Steam and smoke are white, and so are the clouds.¡±

    ¡°I need to read my notes,¡± Telbarisk said, heading towards the cabin he used to store his things, ¡°and pick out the things I should ask.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but maybe spread the questions around to the whole crew. I would love nothing more than to teach you about the world, Tel, but I do have a job.¡±

    The weeks at sea slipped by quickly while he his days reviewing his notes, jotting questions down in his new journal from Alpine, and asking the crew about various subjects. Why had he been almost hanged by those townspeople? Why did they have calendars? What were the corners of the known world and what did people think were beyond them? It was like he had awaken from a dream and had never asked someone to interpret it.

    Still, despite his new enthusiasm, he knew where they were. He could sense Ervaskin not just with his magic, but with in his bones.

    He was heart-soaring across his home, being rowed to shore by Jorm¨¦, when he found Kelouya. She was, actually, not far from the shore and stood still as he swirled the wind around her. She touched the cheek he brushed and sighed, a tear spilling down her cheek. He pressed against her jaw with as much power as she could, turning her head to his direction. He was close enough to the shore to hear her cry out and to see her drop her basket before running into the water.

    ¡°Go,¡± Jorm¨¦ said, steadying the boat. Telbarisk was already over the side and his feet barely touched the bottom. He ran fast through the water, wrapped his arms around Kelouya, and kissed her, finally after all their years apart.

 Chapter 270

    Epilogue V: Alpine

    They say a man is awake before dawn for three reasons: he¡¯s a farmer, he¡¯s a thief, or there is something left unsaid. Al had just discovered he was a cyclical wizard. He had found a mentor to teach him. They had journeyed almost seven hundred miles to a battle where Al had slain the King of Sayen on behalf of his friend Caudin, whose life he had just saved. He was hurt, tired, hungry, grimy, and unnerved, but he couldn¡¯t sleep. So, he finally sat at the desk at Getrifont after hours of lying awake and wrote:

    ¡°Dear Ember,

    You were wrong.¡±

    He laughed, put his pen down, and fell back into bed, falling asleep immediately.

    The following day was the banquet, where he was instated as a baronet of Arvonne, the highest noble ranking a man without god-blood could attain. He still felt a bit embarrassed and odd about the whole ordeal; you don¡¯t sing praises of hammers and looms. He had done his duty, which is what he had always wished he could do.

    During the following months, until Vanif and Corrin arrived and accepted the Sayenese regency, Al made many trips across Arvonne in lieu of Caudin. Not always was he treated well. Some principals and dukes saw his skin and assumed he was a servant, not the emrys. A portion of those apologized, and a portion did not, continuing to look down on him. There were really only a few who completely snubbed him, which was a stupid tactic. Al had enough power to deny them whatever they needed, if he chose to, though he didn¡¯t. He did his best to overlook asinine rulers for the voice of the people.

    Once Al¡¯s exhaustive tour of Arvonne and duties were trimmed, he made good on his promise to study with Teleure. He was a patient teacher, keen to understand the mind and motivations of his pupil as well as educate him in his abilities.

    ¡°Why do you spend so much time picking at my mind?¡± Al asked one day. They were in Dilvestrar, in a small, private library meant for religious study. Having grown irritable by his line of questioning, he had asked his question and strummed his nails on the table.

    ¡°Alswer, my mentor, had an interesting way of looking at things. I¡¯m going to use the phrase he used when I asked him the same question. ¡®You don¡¯t want the carrion to be the ones to pick the bones clean¡¯.¡±

    ¡°And that means¡­?¡±

    ¡°He felt it was our duty to perfect ourselves. Since we¡¯re likely to be educated and we can heal almost anything, it¡¯s our spirit that tends to be the part that¡¯s neglected. I trained with him not long after I finished my education at Wayzant, which was only a little over two years¡¯ time. I was still in a lot pain over my wife and daughter being killed, and of me killing their killers. He saw it immediately, a desire to douse myself on a bonfire. Snippy, cocky, angry. What a waste it would have been to try to teach someone like that equilibrium.

    ¡°And so, for a long time, we talked. He was patient and kind, rarely rising to insults I hurled at him when I wasn¡¯t throwing dishes. With just a few questions he laid me bare over and over again. We explored my life, my love, my hatred, my anguish, my regret, my impotence, everything. And once he was satisfied that my carcass had been picked clean, so that nothing could rot or fester and take me over, I was deemed worthy enough to teach. Essentially, he didn¡¯t want me to waste my gift.¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m festering?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I think you are in a much calmer place than I was when I began. But, I don¡¯t think all the meat is gone.¡±

    ¡°What shall we talk about, then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know where your spirit needs healing. You are a good man. Loyal, upstanding, proud without being prideful, a true friend, and intelligent. But, there¡¯s something else.¡±

    ¡°There always will be.¡±

    And so they spoke every day for weeks. Teleure worked backwards from Al¡¯s current position, to the battle, to his training leading up to it, to his friendships and his family. Finally, Teleure asked him about his wife.

    ¡°Burdet. Yes, she and I were a relationship that should have lasted only as long as the passion held out, a brief fling, not a marriage.¡±

    ¡°You loved her?¡±

    ¡°I did. We loved each other for a candle¡¯s length, a bright spot in the night that didn¡¯t last very long. I think people¡¯s love for the other changes as they change and grow in life. Once the wax melted, I did my best to scrape the dripping and reform a new candle. She felt it wasn¡¯t worth the hassle.¡±

    ¡°She had an extra-marital affair with your best friend.¡±

    He sipped on his brandy before sighed and slumping into his chair more. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yet, you¡¯ve told me before you didn¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Aggie didn¡¯t sleep with her and Burdet didn¡¯t sleep with him because of me. They had no idea they had me as a connection. He didn¡¯t betray me. She betrayed a broken marriage.¡±

    ¡°How did you feel when she told you?¡±

    ¡°She told me she was pregnant. We hadn¡¯t had relations in quite some time, so I figured it out quickly. I¡¯ll admit that it was painful, here,¡± he said, tapping his chest, ¡°but I didn¡¯t feel it for very long.¡±

    ¡°How did you react when she told you?¡±

    ¡°I believe I gave her an angry look. She began to turn it around on me, saying how it was my fault that she strayed. I grabbed my coat and left for a stroll.¡±

    ¡°What did you think on your walk?¡±

    ¡°I thought¡­It felt like things had changed and I didn¡¯t appreciate it. Like how I always looked at a pot of flowers on the desk at work from the perspective of a client and not from the secretary¡¯s, but now I was forced to. I wondered what the next step would be. Would she want to divorce me?¡±

    ¡°Wait, why wouldn¡¯t you want to divorce her?¡±

    ¡°Not the Br¡¯vani way. Even though I had married a Ghenian woman with some Arvonnese blood, I defaulted to my upbringing and let her make that decision.¡±

    ¡°What if she was expecting it from you and you from her, and that¡¯s why the decision was never made?¡±

    Al shrugged. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what happened. I think she realized she could have her cake and eat it too if she stayed married to me. I paid most of the bills, I cleaned, I cooked, I took care of her child. She continued to go out with her friends and spend our money on drinks and entertainment. I scrimped for books and spent as little as possible on myself.¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think responsibility looks fair on the responsible one. Someone had to do it. I wasn¡¯t about to kick a pregnant woman and later a baby out on the street.¡± He sipped. ¡°I felt bad enough when I had to leave them later.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that you placed the blame with her. Many men feel it¡¯s the fault of the philandering man.¡±

    ¡°That would mean ignoring all the times she rejected my chances to reconcile our marriage. I knew it was over, but it was easier to just keep walking one step at a time, just as I had. In a way I should be thankful. If she hadn¡¯t help to make my life miserable, then I wouldn¡¯t have started on my journey.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Teleure said, shaking his white blond hair. ¡°Making a negative into a positive is a coping mechanism, but you and I are beyond that now. Feel how you should feel about that situation.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything. Marnie is here, being cared for by her step-father. Burdet died, and while I¡¯m sad about my estranged wife¡¯s death, I¡¯m more sad that Marnie doesn¡¯t have a mother. And Aggie¡­¡± He waved his hand. ¡°Aggie is likely still cheating on his wife with other women, spending his money on them, working a job that will kill him eventually.¡±

    ¡°You admitted that you called that hard wizard in New Wextif ¡®Aggie¡¯ and said you hated him while you beat his face into a pulp.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± he said, nodding. Teleure waited until Al spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ve admitted that I no longer feel fondly about him. He used me and continues to this day with me raising his daughter. But, there¡¯s no winning with him. What could I do to feel satisfied? Take him to court? Get him fired? Tell his wife? Caudin was right; he¡¯s a man who makes everyone else take responsibility and shoulder the pain of his actions. I do hate him and every man like him.¡±

    ¡°Was this why you disliked Caudin for so long?¡± Teleure knew about the chalice and their forced journey, but not about the King¡¯s former life outside the charade they all kept.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not sure. I once said that Telbarisk was like Aggie. They¡¯re both big and friendly. I was missing the positives Aggie brought in my life, security and appreciation.¡± He sighed and swirled his glass. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Maybe I hadn¡¯t allowed myself to confront Aggie, so I instead confronted Caudin with similar accusations.¡± Al would have felt guilty if he hadn¡¯t apologized several times since they had left Gheny, and also had killed the man who had ordered the death of Caudin¡¯s family.

    ¡°In a way you were filling a gap from home with someone you were forced to be with constantly.¡±

    ¡°That sounds possible. But, I don¡¯t see Caudin, Anla, and Telbarisk all that much anymore and I don¡¯t feel the need to fill the gaps they left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the ideal. Friends and loves enhance your life. They make it more enjoyable, but you should always be an island unto yourself.¡±

    ¡°That sounds cold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying to have no friends, but to be able to survive without them. You¡¯ve done well without a lover for some time.¡±

    ¡°So, have you.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had some women in my life since my wife. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve never married, but I¡¯ve enjoyed companionship now and again.¡±

    Al raised his eyebrows at this revelation. ¡°Well, some men are confirmed bachelors. I have a daughter, a secure career, friends, a mentor. I¡¯m fine the way I am.¡± Teleure raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, perhaps not ¡®fine¡¯, but if finding someone never works out for me, I won¡¯t be sad.¡±

    They discussed other things over the next few weeks. By the time Teleure needed to leave, Al felt like he had dusted out every cobweb he ever had in his mind and heart. He felt overworked, but better, fuller.

    He continued his work for a few more years. He saw off Telbarisk and helped take care of and sometimes tutor Anla and Caudin¡¯s children in between his normal duties of advising Caudin and heading several projects.

    His favorite of these was Open Library Day. Once every month, on the first Monday, the Gambesarie Library in the western wing would be open to the public. He had envisioned it as day when anyone could come and use the books in the royal library. It had been trimmed when lines formed and fights broke out and the place was left a mess. Several notable places, including the museum, were given passes. The rest of the openings were from a lottery.

    Al went every month he was available. He found that he could exchange help in getting other volumes rotated in for information on their current projects. He was on a first name basis with many people and greeted them when he entered just after lunchtime.

    ¡°Calouj is over in the middle, by the maps.¡± He eyed the older man from the Eri Ranvel Astronomy Society and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go fetch it for you.¡±

    He hurried over to the tables in the middle. He reached for the book, a rusty brown with gold lettering, and bumped into someone else reaching for the same book.

    ¡°Oh, so sorry,¡± he said. He looked at the arm, smooth and draped with a shawl, then up to its owner.

    ¡°No, my fault,¡± she said, handing him the book.

    ¡°Please, take it. You reached it first. And I was really getting it for someone who just needed to confirm a quote. Not a major need.¡±

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we help him out, then I can use it after him?¡±

    ¡°A splendid idea.¡±

    He snuck a glance quickly at her while they walked. Her hair was a wavy brown that she piled on her head in the fashion of the day. The curls around her face seemed genuine, not rolled, and he liked that for some reason. She favored an older style of dress still popular in the lower classes, a capped-sleeve bodiced dress with a bustled back and a gathered petticoat in hues of brown linen. Her face was heart-shaped, her mouth small and plump, and her dark brown eyes wide and round, fringed with dark lashes. Though she didn¡¯t have her face powdered and etched nor did she wear anything classy, Al found her monumentally more beautiful than any of the high society ladies he met often.

    ¡°Ah, Daminet,¡± the older man said, eyeing the young woman.

    ¡°Oh, you two know each other?¡± Al asked.

    ¡°She is my granddaughter and came to help me with my research today.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought you were interested in astronomy,¡± he said to her in a genial tone, handing the book to the older man.

    ¡°I am!¡± she retorted, her eyes flashing for a moment. ¡°My grandfather has been teaching me quite a bit about the subject. I¡¯m quite good at plotting the alignments. The mathematics, I admit, are a bit beyond me, but I¡¯m working diligently to understand them.¡±

    ¡°Um¡± Al said, his eyes wide at her tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to suggest you couldn¡¯t be. I assumed you were only just assisting your grandfather when he revealed your relationship. You have my apology.¡±

    Her eyes widened once more, then she calmed. ¡°Accepted.¡±

    ¡°Were there any other books you needed from the palace? I could make a trip for you.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, Alpine.¡±

    Daminet perked up. ¡°Alpine? Like, Alpine Gray?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± he said.

    ¡°The Emrys?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, flushing pink. She curtseyed low.

    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t need to do that. I¡¯m not noble. Or, well, I am, I keep forgetting that, but not a god-blooded royal.¡±

    She looked up at him. ¡°You saved our country from Sayen. You killed the King.¡±

    ¡°He had it coming,¡± he blurted out. She laughed for a moment, before clearing her throat.

    The older man was smiling. ¡°Now that you mention it, there is another book I was hoping to look at, Known Heavenly Bodies by Roverund.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s likely in the Star Room. I can go get it- or, would you like to come with me to fetch it? Daminet, was it?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t mind being alone for a few minutes, do you, Grapre?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said.

    The guards nodded at Al as he escorted Daminet through the palace. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± she said, her head swiveling to take in all the paintings and furniture of the hallway.

    ¡°It¡¯s home. It took some getting used to when I arrived. Now, it feels like it just takes a long time to get to where I need to go.¡±

    ¡°I doubt I could ever get used to this.¡±

    ¡°May I ask a question?¡± She turned to look at him and nodded. ¡°How is it that you are studying with your grandfather?¡±

    ¡°Why, shouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but it¡¯s not common for a woman to be schooling at your age.¡±

    Her mouth hardened. ¡°You¡¯re saying that because I am past the age of acceptable marriage that I should be married, that I should have settled down and cast away my dreams of education in order to raise children and please my husband?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normally what women do, but not every woman.¡±

    ¡°And I suppose you must be thinking that I am unappealing to men, and therefore I have selected education to fall back on because of a lack of proposals.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a world where you would be considered unappealing. I am merely confused. I see a beautiful woman before me who is unmarried and I ask questions to clarify her situation, to understand if every man you¡¯ve come across has been blind or if there¡¯s something I am missing.¡±

    The hallway filled with their footfalls for a few moments before she responded. ¡°There have been interests, yes, but none would have allowed me the ability to study what I wish.¡±

    ¡°You would have been yoked.¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t wish for a family some day, but I have so many things I wish to accomplish before then.¡±

    Al opened the door to the Hall of Ancestors. He heard Daminet sigh quietly and turned to see her astonished face. ¡°There are several scientific rooms to the left. The Star Room is at the end.¡±

    ¡°What is it like living here, m¡¯lord?¡± she asked him, finally grasping who she was talking about.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a ship, really. It takes a bunch of sailors to sail a ship, like it needs many servants to run a palace. But, I get to be not too far from good friends of mine. And my daughter has a room next to mine, so I can keep an eye on her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re married?¡± she asked, sounding a bit disappointed.

    ¡°I¡¯m a widower. My wife died years ago.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, m¡¯lord.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that.¡±

    ¡°What should I call you?¡± Her mouth quirked up a little. He was surprised to find the motion comfortable and endearing, as if he¡¯d seen her every day for years.

    He took her hand and kissed her fingers. ¡°You can call me Al.¡±