Frasie stomped the ground. “What are you doing?” Cadrin asked.
Frasie grinned. “Just umm… well, you know… dancing?” She tapped her foot in an awkward, makeshift rhythm.”
“You caught the carpet on fire, didn’t you?” he asked.
Frasie continued to dance as a large puff of smoke traveled up her leg. “Not exactly… well, somewhat. Just a bit.”
“It looks like you’ve put it out quite nicely,” Cadrin said.
Frasie ground her heel into the floor, then stomped it a few times. “Yes. I. Think. So.” She handed the bow back to Cadrin. “Here, take this before I burn your house down.”
Cadrin refused it. “No, Frasie, it’s yours.”
“What? No, I clearly can’t be trusted with it.”
Cadrin laughed. “Not indoors, no. But Frasie, I want you to have the bow. I know you will put it to good use.”
She embraced the weapon. Her emerald green eyes shined with appreciation. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Frasie hugged Cadrin. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” She grabbed her bow and jumped up and down. “Aiden, it’s my bow. It makes its own arrows. And they set things on fire!”
Chapter 34
Aiden pointed to a two-story building. “I bet that’s it.”
Frasie shook her head. “They show the largest flag on this street. Hardly a place to run the resistance.”
He looked around to ensure nobody overheard them. “Quiet, Frasie. We can’t just blurt that kind of thing out loud.”
Frasie gasped. “Sorry!”
They approached the door and saw a small sign in the window that read, Ormond, Proprietor.
“Just as I thought.”
A door chime greeted them as they entered the store. They marveled at the enormous display of merchandise. Every nook and cranny were filled with all sorts of household wares, trinkets, supplies, and ready-made clothing. The wood floor creaked as they stepped to the counter.
A middle-aged man with sandy hair and a worn face greeted them. “May I help you?”
“We are here for the mayor,” he said. He removed the paper from his pocket. “We’re here to resupply the kitchen with herbs.”
“What kind of herbs are you looking for?”
“The first item is nutmeg.”
“Excellent for digestion.”
“Rosemary.”
“Ah, yes. Good for unpleasant dreams.”
“There’s one more thing – Star Anise. And, if I’m not mistaken, that helps with…”
Frasie crinkled her nose and rubbed her stomach. “Gas.”
He chuckled. “Yes, gas.”
“Welcome. You are among friends. I am Ormond.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Aiden, and this is Frasie.”
Frasie pointed to the front of the store. “Why display such a large flag for Vorea?”
“I proudly proclaim my allegiance,” Ormond replied. He leaned over the counter and lowered his voice. “Keeps the guards off our trail.”
“Good point,” she said.
“Cadrin sings praises of your skills,” Ormond said. “Come, Aiden. I want you to see my workshop.”
Ormond called to his wife to mind the store, then escorted them to the back room. A long bench ran the length of the room, and shelves of parts, materials, and tools lined the opposite side. A wood stove kept the workshop toasty warm.
“I’m sure you’re used to a better equipped shop, but this will have to do.”
“Oh no, this is fine,” he said.
Frasie surveyed the shelves, poking at anything that caught her attention. “There are many interesting things in here.”
“Cadrin said you knew how to make explosives.”
“I do,” he replied. He looked around for the necessary materials. “You have charcoal, but I’ll need sulfur.”
“Alright,” Ormond said. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
Frasie bounced next to him. “I’ll fetch it.”
“Actually, Frasie, I have an urgent task for you,” Ormond said. “It involves a bit of snooping.”
“Alright, what is it?”
“We’ve been receiving reports that Drox and his officers are recruiting men from the countryside to enlist in his army. I need you to confirm this.”
Frasie grinned. “You want me to spy on him?”
“Precisely.”
“I can do that!” The enthusiasm on her face vanished. “But Aiden will need my help.”
“I can manage,” he said.
“Excellent. Frasie, you can’t miss Drox. He’s a tower of a man. He dwarfs anyone in Lahara.”
Frasie nodded. “I’ll follow him.”
“Good. Let me know what you find,” Ormond said, then left the workshop.
Frasie meandered around the room as he gathered tools. Her gait and demeanor scarcely hid her disappointment.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Did Ormond upset you?
“No.” She looked at the ground. “I… I just…” She exhaled sharply. “Never mind.”
He stopped her from leaving. “It’s just what?”
“I… I love the idea of being a spy. It sounds exciting. But I don’t want to do it alone.”
“Well, I’m busy—”
“I know, I know. I’ve just grown attached to you, Aiden.”
He smiled. “I feel the same way, Frasie, and you can tell me all about your secret spy mission tonight at dinner.”
Her slump vanished, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “I’d like that.”
“See you at dinner. Be careful.”
“I will.”
Chapter 35
As Frasie walked through the snow-covered streets of Lahara, she eavesdropped on conversations amongst the guards. It was quite an effort for her to remain inconspicuous. She struggled to remain silent and rein in her insatiable desire to greet everyone she saw. Her ears perked when the soldiers slipped the name Drox among their conversations. With careful observation, she pieced together an overall picture of their current orders as she sleuthed from post to post.
By mid-morning, she had determined that Drox was in the council building near the mayor’s house. Rather than parade through the front door, she used the service entrance. She expected a congregation of politicians, but only a handful of people were in the main meeting hall. After some careful snooping, she overheard Narelle in a side office.
Her first instinct was to greet Narelle, but she resisted the urge and hid behind the door in an adjacent hallway. She snuck another peek and was surprised to see Narelle in a long dark-blue halter dress. A very tall man, who she presumed to be Drox, was standing next to her. She cupped her ear to listen.
“The result from our recruitment drive has been abysmal,” Drox grumbled.
“What did you expect, Drox?” Narelle asked. “It’s been a rough winter. They’re needed on the homestead.”
They changed positions and it became difficult for Frasie to hear. She leaned in closer.
“I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” Narelle said. “Vorea already controls the city. What more does she want to do?”
“She can raze it to the ground for all I care,” Drox replied. “It makes no difference to me. An order is an order.”
“You won’t burn my city to the ground!”
The sound of footsteps caused her heart to race. She squeezed in the tight space between the door frame and hallway. It would be no use should they decide to exit the room, but it was all she could to do. The footsteps stopped, then retreated. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“I would never hurt you, Narelle,” Drox said. “If Vorea decides to sack Lahara, I’ll escort you to safety.”
“If only I had a way to contact Vorea. Drox, you must tell me, how do you speak with her? How does she give you orders?”
Drox sighed. “We’ve been over this.”
A moment of silence prompted Frasie to take a
quick peek. Her mouth hung open when she saw Narelle pressing her body against Drox.
“If I betray that information, me and my men will suffer greatly at her hand. If it were just my fate, I would do it. But I will not send those under me to certain imprisonment or death.”
“But we could avoid so much bloodshed.”
Drox walked away from Narelle. “I am sorry.”
“Promise me you will let me know if Vorea orders you to attack.”
Drox slowly approached and ran a finger through her hair. “Of course, I will.”
“Promise.”
Drox seemed lost in Narelle’s gaze. “I promise.”
Narelle backed up to a desk and sat on its edge. After a gruff kiss from Drox, the two fell into a feverish embrace. Drox lifted Narelle’s dress and started grinding against her. Frasie gagged and looked away.
She endured several moments of their heavy breathing and moaning before being startled by a loud crash. When she glanced inside the room, the image of Drox hovering over a partially naked Narelle seared into her mind. Narelle shoved aside the last remaining object on the desk, then allowed Drox to fully corrupt her.
Frasie returned to her hiding place and vowed to never look again. She considered leaving but knew she might miss valuable information. The fear of getting caught after Narelle’s disgusting tryst was reason enough for her to leave. She quietly exited the council house and marched through the square, taking out her frustration on the cobblestones with her boots.
She tried to wash the image of Drox’s dirty, sweaty flesh and Narelle’s vile submission out of her mind. She felt unclean in the dress she wore, a personal gift from her benefactor who had fallen so quickly from grace. Cadrin was a sweet man, and she knew he deserved better.
Narelle’s betrayal nauseated her.
Chapter 36
Temperatures plummeted as darkness fell over the Laharan plains. Niv’s face was chapped and her feet ached, but Shareis’s stalwart determination gave her the motivation she needed to carry on after sundown. Despite the poor conditions, they had put over ten leagues behind them since they left Lahara. Eventually, they gave into the cold and exhaustion and agreed to setup camp for the evening.
Shareis gathered wood and Niv started the fire. Their campfire burned well in the still air but offered meager resistance against the brutal cold. They erected a tent next to the fire, then huddled inside for warmth. The two enjoyed a hot cup of Elvemon tea with their rations.
“I can feel the tea as it makes its way to my stomach,” she said. “I think my insides were frozen.”
“I’m glad it stopped snowing,” Shareis said. “It would’ve been worse if the blizzard had persisted.”
She cradled her cup. “It’s even colder now. It never gets this cold in the woods.”
“As we increase in elevation, the air thins and the temperature falls.”
“I’m looking forward to that,” she said.
“We will make it.”
After she finished her tea, she started to shiver. Shareis poked her head outside the tent to make her another cup. “Drink up. It will help you stay warm.”
She noticed Shareis’s hands were warm. “How are your hands so warm?”
“Proctors prefer cooler climates.”
“Yes, but this is more than cool. It’s frigid.”
Shareis shrugged. “I’m a bit chilly, but I’ll be fine.”
“Chilly is an understatement.”
“Which is why you must finish your tea.”
She still shivered despite the second serving. She bundled her cloak around her and bunched her legs to her chest. Shareis encasing her frozen hand in her warm fingers.
“That feels so much better,” she said.
Shareis took the other hand. “Does that help?”
She nodded. “Maybe we can build a bigger fire.”
“There aren’t many trees around here. I doubt we’ll find more.”
She sighed. “I’ll get warm eventually. I shouldn’t complain so much.” She felt Shareis’s arms. “It’s not just your hands. How do you stay so warm?”
“We are different.”
“I suppose.”
Shareis dug through her backpack. “We should have brought more blankets. I can give you my bedroll. That should help.”
“No, Shareis. You need to sleep on something.”
“I am used to sleeping on the ground. In fact, a bed feels strange to me.”
“Maybe so, but you’re not sleeping on the ground.”
She continued to shiver, despite the warmth from Shareis’s hands.
“Well, if you won’t take my bedroll, that leaves me no other choice.”
Shareis unbuttoned her dress, exposing a black chemise. She bunched up the skirt of her dress and prepared to slip it off.
She stopped her. “Wait, what are you doing?”
“My body heat can keep you warm. But not through my leather dress.”
Her eyes were drawn to the plunging neckline of her undergarment.
“What’s wrong?”
It was all she could do to maintain eye contact. Finally, she managed to clear the lump in her throat. “It’s not necessary. You’ll freeze.”
“No, I won’t. Besides, you can’t feel the warmth of my skin through my dress.”
Shareis slipped off her dress. Her chemise stopped at her knees.
“Your legs are bare! You’ll catch your death.”
Shareis frowned. “That’s not it. Why do you not want me to undress? I’m trying to warm you.”
“I am concerned for your health,” she replied. She didn’t even convince herself.
“Are you embarrassed?”
She sighed. “A little, yes.”
“Proctors do not blush at nudity.”
“Humans do!”
“I am sorry. I did not mean to offend.”
“Your body does not offend me,” she replied. “It’s my problem, not yours.”
“Is that why you covered yourself so hastily when I saw you in the bathroom?”
Any excitement of seeing more of Shareis’s bare skin faded with an overwhelming sense of shame. “Yes. I… I didn’t want you to see me. And you just left. I worried you were disgusted by what you saw.”
Shareis shook her head. “Not at all, Niv. You are beautiful. Many women would love to have such a graceful figure as yours.”
She blushed. “Really? No, you are trying to make me feel better.”
“I am trying to make you feel better, but I speak the truth about your beauty. You have nothing to hide.”
She looked away. “I… I’m just not comfortable being naked with you.”
“Have you ever been naked with Frasie, or anyone else?” Shareis asked.
“Yes, Frasie and I swam naked many times in the summer. But it’s not the same.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t really understand why. You are both women. You are both my friends. None of this makes any sense.”
“I’m sure a human could help you better in this regard. I could walk down the main street of Lahara completely nude without any embarrassment.”
“I envy that,” she said. “Your confidence is…” she sighed. “I don’t understand what is going on with me. I don’t expect you to know, either.”
“What is it you’re not telling me?” Shareis asked.
She almost let her guard down. She briefly entertained the idea of telling Shareis everything she felt. Her fear shut that down immediately. “No, I can’t.”
“You can’t tell me?”
She didn’t answer.
“There is no hurry,” Shareis said. “When you are ready, I will be here.” She removed her boots then gestured to her bedroll. “Lie down.”
She was so addled and cold that she didn’t question Shareis’s request. She removed her damp boots and pulled up her socks as far as they would go, then laid down and bundled up as tightly as she could. Shareis nestled behind her, making contact with her back, buttocks, and legs. She wr
apped her frigid feet amongst hers, then put her arm around her.
Shareis covered them with their blankets, then placed her bedroll on top, creating multiple layers of covers between them and the icy cold.
She adored the closeness. Shareis’s embrace was safe and soothing. The awkward feelings she had when she saw Shareis nearly naked transformed into a profound sense of comfort. She couldn’t see her, but she felt her, allowing her to fully experience their growing connection in a new way.
Her shivering stopped.
“My fingers ache,” she said. “I hope they aren’t frostbitten.”
Shareis took her frosty fingers and squeezed her hand, sending warmth throughout her arm. She gently massaged them, restoring full sensation and relaxing her dull, aching muscles.
“I’m not sure I deserve you.”
“You deserve better,” Shareis said. “But your choices are limited on this frozen tundra.”
She chuckled. “I’ve never been this close to anyone, and it scares me.”
“Why?”
“Everyone in my life, except for my brother and Frasie, has deceived me.”
“I did horrible things, but I never lied to you. I know that isn’t much comfort. But above all, I strive for authenticity. I will always tell you the truth.”
“I hated you so much for what you did. And now you are my closest friend. It is almost more than I can fathom. Though I do not understand why you risk so much to protect me. You could have left after I returned your dagger.”
“When we both are ready, I will share that with you,” Shareis replied.
A surge of warmth flowed through her as Shareis nestled closer to her. Dangerously cold air surrounded their tent.
There was nowhere else she would rather be.
Chapter 37
The cold morning air bit Niv’s face. Her body was toasty warm, but her lips and cheeks were chapped.
Shareis’s soft voice warmed her chilled ears. “Good morning.”
She squeezed Shareis’s hand. “Good morning. How long have you been awake?”
“Probably an hour or so.”
“You’ve been lying here that long?” She turned to Shareis. “You must be bored.”
“I meditated. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
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