Threat

by Drae Box

  She clenched her eyes shut. This isn’t helping. But she didn’t know what to do. Maybe he was right. Did I cause that? Did chasing Rivermud force his hand? Raneth’s note said Rivermud was a coward but he wasn’t. And Haethowine was trying to protect me. She looked at her reflection. Some Dagger Bearer you are. Her puffy eyes reddened with the stabbing heat of fresh tears, the first of which was sliced by her eyelashes.

  The door slammed against the wall as Jenny Moolie strode in. She paused, eyeing her best friend. “Please tell me you haven’t been in here all night.”

  Aldora sniffed. “I don’t know. Probably.” She let go of the basin. “Everyone blames me, don’t they?”

  “What?” Jenny strode closer, ignoring as the bathroom door swung shut behind her. “Did you attack Winnie?”

  “No.”

  “And did you make that guy attack for no reason?” asked Jenny.

  I don’t know. Aldora looked away as she shrugged.

  “Alright. Let me make this simple for you. That man chose to do what he did. Nobody could make him do that to Haethowine. Nobody blames you.”

  “But I couldn’t protect him. And if I hadn’t chased him in the morning—”

  “He’d what? Be sunbathing? That guy’s a criminal and it wasn’t you that failed or screwed up. It was that.” Jenny pointed at the Dagger of Protection. “It should have kept that guy off Winnie from the start.”

  “But I’m the Dagger Bearer, so it’s my fault it didn’t work,” said Aldora.

  Jenny shook her head. “Says who?”

  Aldora pulled her hairband out and repositioned her hair, securing it. “Everyone’s looking at me.”

  “With guilt, probably.” Jenny tugged Aldora into a tight but brief hug. “They didn’t stop it either.”

  “I just wish Raneth was here,” said Aldora as she wiped at one of the tear tracks on her face. “He’d know what to do. I should have tried to train more. I shouldn’t have agreed to just one week’s training each month. I should have insisted on being given a permanent dorm room at the Royal Official University. I have no clue what I’m supposed to do next, and now Haethowine’s stuck in hospital, so I’m gonna have to deal with Rivermud on my own. I need Raneth.”

  “When your royal official screws up, he has to fix things himself, or he’d be dead… Haethowine’s going to be alright, right?”

  “Yeah. No thanks to me,” said Aldora.

  Jenny tapped Aldora’s hand. “Stop that. Now look, what would that hunky boyfriend of yours do now?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” warned Aldora.

  Jenny grinned. “Yet.”

  Aldora sighed, running a hand down her ponytail before she nipped at the inside of her left cheek. “I guess he’d go after Rivermud even more determined.”

  “So be smarter than this criminal,” insisted Jenny. “Why did he come after you and Haethowine? Why’s he sticking around here and what does he need to do next?”

  How on Giften’s soil should I know? “I don’t know. Raneth warned he was a coward unless… Unless the sons are nearby.”

  “Do we know anything about them?”

  “Nothing,” said Aldora, shaking her head. “Rivermud said something to Haethowine too. He said he wasn’t supposed to be there.”

  Jenny frowned. “That’s... odd. Can we do anything with that? Why might this criminal have said that?”

  “I don’t know.” Aldora looked at the thin window. “And with the weather about to break, maybe he’s sticking around to find shelter before the weather gets really bad.”

  “Why not Wisner? The city’s close and he could hide more easily there,” suggested Jenny. It was one of the things Aldora liked about her friend. When she saw a flaw, she never said you were an idiot, she just offered an alternative.

  She would have made a better future village leader than me.

  “So why here?” pressed Jenny.

  “How should I know? But he needs to get away or hide.”

  “From?” asked Jenny.

  “Me. Haethowine. Raneth. Could he, do you think he could be waiting for Raneth?”

  Jenny was quiet for a moment before she shook her head. “Why on a unicorn’s horn would he wait for the law enforcing soldier chasing him? We should see if Winnie’s awake. He might be able to help us figure this out.”

  “Us?” asked Aldora.

  “A good friend doesn’t find her friend crying and then leave.” She smiled and slipped her arm into Aldora’s. “I’m going to stick to you like glue.”

  Returning to Haethowine’s side, Aldora noted Doctor Smith standing by his bed, the two adults nodding in turns as they spoke in hushed tones. Aldora flushed as Haethowine looked past the elder doctor and spotted her. He gave a tired smile and tugged at the collar of his fresh white shirt, hiding the red marks on his neck.

  “I’ll leave you three to it,” said Doctor Smith, patting Aldora’s shoulder before stepping away.

  “Haethowine, I’m so sorry. Are you OK?” asked Aldora.

  He reached for her hand and gently clasped it between both of his. “I’m fine, Aldora.” He patted her hand before he let go. “Thank you for finding her, Jenny.” Aldora watched as her friend nodded. “Aldora,” said Haethowine, “I’m happy he attacked me and not you, but you will have to figure that out.” He nodded towards the Dagger of Protection at her waist. “Maybe you were right; maybe we should be doing more, not just spotting the criminals and reporting back to the palace to help their assigned royal official.” He repositioned, resting half his back against the headboard of the bed. “When Smith’s happy to let me leave, I think I’ll organise for everyone to have some sort of training.”

  “We should go,” said Jenny, slipping her arm into Aldora’s. “Let you rest.”

  Aldora allowed Jenny to lead her towards the corridor, but Haethowine called her name. She turned and waited.

  “Be careful,” he said. “That criminal is violent, and he looked like he was going for you when I intervened.”

  Giften’s soil, it was my fault!

  “Be safe,” added Haethowine.

  Jenny dragged Aldora outside.

  “Training more of us might not be a bad idea,” said Aldora as they walked through the streets. “Maybe I should go and get additional training this month from Master Redler. Stay longer than I normally do. Insist on it.”

  But you don’t have time for that.” Jenny unlinked their arms as they came to the marketplace where Haethowine had been attacked. Most of the blood-gift substance remained where it had struck, but as the girls drew closer, Aldora noticed it looked hardened and had a yellow tint to it. “Cafe?” asked her friend, dragging Aldora’s attention away from the events of the previous day.

  “Yeah. I should eat something.” Aldora led Jenny away from the area, keeping her focus on their surroundings as they moved towards Village Circle. “I haven’t eaten since before Haethowine.” Aldora nipped at her left cheek. “Since the attack.”

  Keeping a much closer eye on their surroundings had Aldora relieved when Buzzard Cafe was directly in front of them. She’d been looking before, when she had chased Rivermud, but this time Haethowine wasn’t there to bail her out. This time if anyone was attacked, it was less likely they’d survive with her looking after them. Especially as Haethowine used to be a legionary. She held the door open for Jenny, inspecting the innards of the cafe as she did. Just familiar faces.

  One of the less damaged structures in the village, the Buzzard Cafe had acted as the community hub the ten months since the attack on the village. The owners had happily cooked warm meals for all the villagers without kitchens and had never asked for anything in return. Even now, several villagers were there with their whole family, tucking into a large breakfast spread across their table on multiple platters. Along the ceiling, the gas lamps dangled like large magic orbs at varying heights, and the beige walls gave the offered glow a homely warmth. Other than replacing the destroyed windows, the decorative but still fit-for-pu
rpose lights were the only change. The cafe had even kept the large blackboards behind the counter, despite a crack that hadn’t been there before the attack. Jenny and Aldora sat at a table with another villager their age. Richard looked them over quietly before he gulped down a mouthful of a brown drink.

  “The hot chocolate’s fresh,” he said. “Just arrived from the Southern Kingdom courier.” He looked towards the counter. “They’ve already made a fresh batch.”

  “Perfect,” stated Jenny as she looked towards the woman behind the till. “I’ll go and order.” She strode away from Aldora and Richard.

  Don’t leave me alone with Richard. Warily, Aldora watched Jenny strolling to the counter before she looked at Richard. He looked back at her. He was tall, but that was where the similarities between him and Raneth ended. For one thing, Raneth was generally a nice person. Richard tended to be more of a jerk. Richard’s blond hair was long, curling and framed his face. His eyes were grey, like the village’s outer defense walls, and his skin was pale, like any who could claim they were fully Giften, without any Eastern Barbarian or other foreign bloodlines that darkened the skin. Ever since the one date Aldora and Richard had two years before, Richard had always been a little too interested in her, despite her warnings not to be.

  “So I heard Haethowine got hurt,” said Richard, before he held up his cup and wiggled it, looking hopefully at Jenny. Their friend nodded, listening to the cafe’s owner and her part-time boss.

  “He did. It was my fault.” Aldora looked down at the table, spotting a wayward kidney bean that hadn’t been moped up after someone’s breakfast.

  Richard fell quiet before his hand settled over Aldora’s. She slid it free, placing her hands into her lap so he wouldn’t try again. “So what’s the plan? Wait for that royal official of yours?” he said.

  It was too easy to see the curling sneer as Richard spoke, but Aldora tried to ignore that and the tone he was using. He’d been like that whenever Raneth was spoken of. “No,” she said, unable to hide the sharp irritation in her voice. “I need to come up with a plan.”

  Jenny returned to their table with a tray of fresh cups and a pitcher. She set a cup in front of Aldora before pouring hot chocolate into it and Richard’s cup, then served herself before sitting beside Aldora. “We need a plan, and more eyes are better than two, right?” she said.

  “Yeah,” said Aldora, nodding. “We could make sure everyone knows what he looks like.”

  “The adults could help you look too. Me as well,” offered Richard.

  “The general store could make copies of Rivermud’s description.” Jenny looked at Aldora. “You or Haethowine can do that, right? Use their Southern Kingdom machine to make leaflets or something.”

  “As far as I know, there’s no rule against it.” It was a good idea, getting the other villagers to help, armed with the knowledge of what Jules Rivermud looked like. “If we can make it impossible for anyone in the village — even those passing through — not to recognise him, we might get somewhere. We could even organise a few areas where they can drop off sightings for me. Some sort of note with the date and time so I don’t chase older sightings over newer ones,” said Aldora.

  “Wait,” uttered Richard. “Are you going to try and do the royal official’s job? Isn’t that insane?”

  Jenny cuffed the back of Richard’s head. “Not if she’s careful. She was caught off-guard before. This time she’ll be ready.”

  I hope so, Jenny. Aldora gave her friend a smile. Where do you get all that confidence in me? “I’ll get the description copied.” She picked up her cup. “I’ll bring this back when I’ve finished babysitting the machine.”

  Chapter Nine

  Raneth

  His stomach grumbled and his side twinged as he strode through Keepaldell. Raneth rubbed at the corner of his eyes as he dodged a woman around his age, dressed to appear as a humanoid cat. He prowled around other civilians, all wearing clothes designed like characters Raneth vaguely recognised from fiction. Seems like the streets are getting busier instead of quieter. Don’t they realise the time? He continued to weave his way through the growing clumps of people, most talking and laughing whilst others manned attractions that Raneth had rarely seen, the rattling chugging of a Southern Kingdom energy generator rippling out from each. Screams erupted above him and to the side and as he looked towards the source, he noticed the smiles on the faces of the culprits. They were being twirled around in some sort of giant teacup. What’s all this for? It’s not a seasonal holiday. Lifting his gaze away from the screeching men and women, he paused, inspecting the others on the street. A young couple with a small child walked towards him from further down the street, and between them and the royal official was an elder man with eyes that twitched as he took in their shared surroundings, his own clothing a simple suit. Raneth approached him. “Excuse me, sir, but what is this?”

  The man smiled, a hand slipping into his trouser pocket. “You’ve never been to Keepaldell on its birthday?”

  Birthday? Raneth shook his head.

  “Today is the day we celebrate the town’s history and her community.” The man looked around, then nodded towards the young couple with their child. “See the husband’s costume? That’s Captain Lintang from The Five Heroes. The author lived here.”

  Taking a closer look at the father’s costume, snippets of the Giften tale flung itself at Raneth from the back of his mind. He had barely been able to keep up with his royal official training’s required reads growing up, and had only read the Giften classic two years ago between assignments. “Oh.” It does sort of look like Lintang. “Wasn’t that character a woman that strapped her chest?”

  “So? The current royal official captain does.”

  Raneth nodded. “I’m friends with a healer that regularly does gender changes. I’ve no issue with it.” He gestured to the road. “Where’s all the traffic?”

  “The royal detectives set a route that takes all the carriages and riders straight back out of the city today. There’s only a few shops open for those that need supplies for the celebratory suppers. You looking for someone in particular, royal official?”

  “Yeah.” Raneth paused, looking at a side street as a large elephant eased its way into the street where he and the civilians were. The early evening’s sunlight snuck through the grey material, revealing a wireframe and six men within the elephant as the last of its bulk stepped free. “Whoa.”

  The old man looked over his shoulder. “They do the elephant every year. Most famous children’s book character from here.”

  Raneth briefly describe Reinette Osric and made sure to mention the tattoo on her cheek, but the older man shook his head.

  “Haven’t seen her but if she’s wearing a mask she could walk right by me.”

  “She might have been in a carriage too, for eight people,” said Raneth.

  “I’m not exactly looking at carriages,” stated the old man.

  “Thanks. Enjoy your evening.” Raneth strode away from the old man, careful not to get too close to the backside of the large elephant costume that was as tall as the one story buildings lining the street. Working the streets won’t work today, not with all this stuff going on. Everyone will be distracted more than normal. Best see the detectives.

  He headed towards the northwest of the city, aiming towards the inner centre as best as he could judge. It should be around here somewhere. Looking towards the skyline, Raneth inspected the rooftops near him, sweeping his gaze towards the nearest chimneys and looking for a pattern of two zigzag lines chiseled into the bricks. Spotting none, Raneth turned to the nearest civilian, a woman around his age with her midriff exposed. Her upper torso, hips, feet and hands were covered in long fake yellow fur, but Raneth couldn’t identify if she was supposed to be a character or not. It certainly wasn’t normal Giften attire. “Excuse me, ma’am. Where can I find the royal detective headquarters here?”

  “That way.” She pointed deeper into the city, so Raneth th
anked her and continued on, keeping an eye out for the mark on the chimneys.

  As the evening’s glow started to die, Raneth spotted the zigzag lines on a house’s chimney. Left by another royal official more familiar with the city, the dual zigzags pointed towards a side turning visible on the right to where Raneth was, the left side of the horizontal zigzags connected. Trusting in the unofficial markings, Raneth headed right, following another zigzag mark that had him turn left. At the end of the left turn was Keepaldell’s royal detectives headquarters. A large rectangular building, it was one of the few with black wooden beams running across its outer wall with smooth white plaster between them. That doesn’t seem right. Raneth glanced at the building on the left to the headquarters. It was brick. The building to its right was also brick, as were most of the buildings on the street. Protected building, perhaps? He eased closer and loitered at the front window, which had black wire within the glass panes, creating a black diamond effect. A candle glowed on the other side, in the window alcove, but the rest of the room beyond it was lit by a string of three large gas lamps dangling from the ceiling. Two royal detectives were sitting at a rectangular table in the centre of the otherwise barren room. The male detective gesticulated widely as Raneth watched, and the detective’s grin grew wide before his hands paused. The female detective lifted her face to the ceiling, roaring with laughter. Alright. They’re detectives. Then again, blue suits aren’t completely uncommon. He tried to see the front left pocket of their suits, where Cray had started insisting they have the royal emblem embroidered to help prevent the uptick in criminals impersonating royal detectives, not that it helped; the more determined criminals had gotten good at embroidery in return. I should be able to tell by how they act around me. He strode to the front door, paused, and looked at the rusting sign above it, KPDRDHQ, and headed inside.