Uraj smiled and clasped Hawke's arm. He gave me a small nod and swung himself into his horse's saddle. Looking at the way he handled the mount, I almost found it impossible to believe this was the same man who was nearly falling off his horse just weeks ago.
With a snap of the reins, Uraj urged his horse off down the road, following the trail the caravan left behind. We gratefully took the reins of our own horses from the soldiers, who rushed off to tend to their tasks. Uraj had already prepared ahead for us, and our mounts were loaded with plenty of provisions for our trip.
“Oh, shoot,” I muttered as I was saddling Sir Brown Horse. “I completely forgot to say goodbye to Luke.”
“If all goes well, we'll be seeing him soon enough,” said Hawke. Restless was giving him a hard time, and Hawke looked ready to punch the poor horse. Eventually, he managed to wrestle the saddle on him and mount.
I took my seat and gave one last look around the town of Liturgy. It would be awhile before it got back on its feet, and I had no idea how long it would take to heal the wounds the believers had suffered, both on their flesh and in their hearts.
To my surprise, many of the houses already had new frames erected, and a few even had the first boards placed up for the walls. Those hadn't been there the day before.
“I wish I'd been able to get more done, but a single night just wasn't enough time,” said Hawke when he caught me staring.
“You did all this by yourself?” I said in awe.
“Not completely, but my talent for building certainly did speed things along.” He nudged Restless to a trot and started down the road. He looked back to see if I was following and said, “After all, what's the point of having a power if you don't use it?”
Chapter 15: A Home for Thieves
For once, we had a solid direction for our quest. With Winter's tip, we had an actual chance to hunt down the Giant's Shadow before our time was up. Unfortunately, time was still ticking by faster than we'd liked.
With our return visit to Liturgy, we were looking at just three weeks to gather the last two nullstones. It was a sheer stroke of dumb luck that we managed to get our hands on Bojangles' stone, and one of the others was safe behind the walls of the most powerful military city in the land. We would need all the time we could afford to figure out how to get that one.
Hopefully, the Shadow wouldn't prove too difficult. I kept telling that to myself in my head over and over.
“You seriously never met him before?” I asked Hawke one day after we stopped for a lunch break. He polished an apple on his shirt and appraised it.
“Nope,” he said, taking a bite. He savored the fruit for a moment. “I had thought he was just a rumor when we first heard of him. You know, one of those urban legends like Callos the Winged, or Bronco Ballard, or the Vagrant Knight. The Giant's Shadow was just another story I'd picked up someplace or another.”
That wasn't good. Hawke had a good memory for faces, and I'd expected him to remember someone as distinct as what Uraj described the Shadow to look like.
I tried to hide my unease by digging out my old map. I unfolded it carefully, making sure not to tear it where it had been creased hundreds of times before, and pored over it to find roughly where we were. With the help of the early noon sun, my compass, and some local landmarks I'd penciled in years ago, I found that we only had maybe another day and a half before we reached Hafwei.
“Funny,” I muttered, “we've been to Hafwei before, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was like.”
“I'd be surprised if you could,” said Hawke. “Hafwei is up there with the most unremarkable of all towns in Astra.”
I frowned. “I can remember all the other towns, though.”
“It's probably for the better,” said Hawke. He gripped Symphony's hilt and gave it a squeeze, the bindings creaking under his fingers. “Hafwei is a sort of hub for thieves from all over the country.”
“Wait, what? You mean, like, what the family does?” I didn't recall ever hearing about this town when we worked with the family.
“The family does a little business out of Hafwei, but even they don't have absolute power there.” Hawke shook his head. “It's basically the capital of the Astral underworld. Anything you might need or want that requires unsavory means, you can find in Hafwei.”
“I hope that won't make finding the Giant's Shadow difficult,” I said.
“Why would it?” said Hawke.
“You don't think they'll try to protect their own?”
Hawke stared at me for a moment, then burst out laughing. “It's a city of liars, conmen, and murderers, Micasa. We can probably buy his location from the first person we see with a pair of ruples. That does remind me, though, make sure you keep anything you value tucked tight in your clothes. There are more pickpockets on the streets than average passerby.”
We packed up and rode for the rest of the day, and most of the night, too. When sunrise was just a few hours off, we stopped to grab a bit of sleep. Hawke guessed we'd reach the town before midday, and neither of us felt like infiltrating a thieves' den without our wits about us.
I took first watch as usual. Hawke often said he could get by with little sleep, though I knew that he'd pass out for half a day if we weren't in a hurry. Sitting by the smoldering remains of our fire, I found myself on edge more than usual. Maybe it was the thought that we were so close to such an infamous location, but I ended up jumping at even the most innocuous sounds and seeing skulking bandits in every shadow. My sword lay bare by my side the whole time, ready for anything.
The first peep of daybreak was blotting black sky with blue when Hawke woke and relieved me for my rest. As I settled down and pulled the blankets over my head, I felt a wash of power as Hawke extended his essence all around us.
It was a basic technique called scrying that let someone with enough skill sense anything that passed into the user's field of essence. To me it was barely noticeable, but anyone else stepping into it would feel that same weight I'd experienced from the Goodmother. With Hawke's strength, he could probably hold a field like that stretching thirty feet in every direction with ease, letting him notice anything approaching us instantly.
I suddenly felt stupid for being so jumpy earlier. If I'd kept my cool, I could have done the same thing and saved myself a lot of grief.
With the reassuring press of Hawke's essence protecting me, I managed to catch a good few hours' sleep. Hawke shook me awake some time before noon, insisting we should get back on the road if we wanted to make it to Hafwei before sundown. He made it very clear that it would be a bad idea to arrive in town after sundown.
I shook off the sleep as best as I could and insisted that we had time for me to change. I'd finally been able to launder my clothes in Liturgy, and I didn't want to miss the chance to wear some clean clothes for once. I grabbed a fresh tunic and breeches I'd dyed my favorite plum color, and a bottle of water to wash up with, and scooted off to a small grove of trees nearby for some privacy.
Splashing some water on my face made me feel loads better. Almost good enough to brave these mean streets Hawke kept harping on about. As I peeled off my old clothes, caked with sweat and road dust, I wondered idly if there was a decent locksmith in the town. Surely, there'd be a good business in town for someone that could make a device even the most determined lock charmer couldn't overcome. I smiled at the thought of the look on such a person's face when they met me.
The bush to my right shuffled.
I was halfway through pulling on my tunic, but I was still just barely able to grab the hand that shot out from the leaves towards my face. The person on the other end tugged and tried to pull free, but I let him pull me along and used the momentum to crack my free elbow into their nose. They let out a manly grunt of pain, and I let go of their hand. As I expected, my attacker stumbled from the bushes, both hands pressed to his face, and I took the opportunity to stroll up and lock both his hands where they were.
He struggled for awhile
, grunting in confusion as he tried in vain to pull his hands away, and I took the time to get a good look at him. He wore a leather jerkin and threadbare cotton breeches, a pair of sturdy leather boots on his feet. It was hard to make out his features, but I could see his greasy black hair and the coating of stubble on his chin well enough. He looked every part the storybook bandit.
“You come from Hafwei?” I asked, pacing a slow circle around him. I doubted he'd be much of a threat in his condition, but I didn't want to make it easy for him to know where I was.
“What the cockamamie 'ell did you do, witch!?” the bandit blurted. He tried to rise to his feet, but a swift kick in the back of his knee sent him sprawling awkwardly to the ground again.
“I can do worse than that if you don't talk,” I said. I tried to make it sound threatening, but I always found my voice a bit too high to come across as dangerous as I wanted it to sometimes.
“Alright, calm down love,” he said. He stopped struggling and took a second to catch his breath. “Aye, I'm from Hafwei. 'S a beautiful li'l getaway. I just wanted to show a sweet thing like ya the sights, I swear.”
I blanched a little. “I'm sure you did.” I gave him a kick to the stomach. Not as hard as I wanted to, but I didn't feel like beating a helpless man too badly so early in the morning. “So, you say you know Hafwei pretty well, then?”
“Yes, yes,” he said with strained enthusiasm, “Lived there me whole life.”
“Sorry to hear that,” I said. “I'm looking for someone they call the Giant's Shadow. Do you know him? He might go by Fasketel, too.”
“Fasketel?” The bandit went stiff. “Oy, please, don't tell 'im I tried to rough ya up. I wouldn't last a day if he knew I was eyein' one of his old flames.” There was genuine fear in his voice, but his accusation caught me more off guard.
“I-I never even met the guy!” I said. I could feel the heat rising to my face. Why was I getting embarrassed over something some flunky was saying?
“No need to be coy 'bout it,” he said. “Past conquests of his roll through all the time, tryin' to get back at 'im. I'll gladly tell ya where to find 'im, if ya just let me hands free and promise not to rat me out to the ol' ogre.”
I wanted to argue against his assumptions, but the free information was too good to pass up. I grabbed him by the elbow and hauled him to his feet.
“Fine,” I said. “Come tell what you know to my friend, and I'll let you go if we're satisfied. Try anything funny, though, and I'll lock your feet to your ass and leave you here.” He let out a whimper and graciously let me lead him blindfolded back to camp.
Hawke caught sight of us, and his face went rigid and purple. I only then realized that my clothes were skewed from my interruption, and my face felt ruddy from the short fight. I hastily straightened my tunic with my free hand and sped up a bit, almost pulling my captive off his feet.
“Who's your new friend?” Hawke said. Even I nearly flinched away at his tone.
“A simple traveller out of Hafwei,” I said. I tugged the bandit's elbow and deposited him on his knees in front of Hawke.
“Oh? Do tell.” Hawke drew Symphony free with more force than needed, making a sharp metallic keen. The man shivered, doubtless well acquainted with the sound of naked steel.
“Don't worry, dad,” I said. I had the satisfaction of watching the color drain out of the bandit. “He's as harmless as a deer.”
“A deer, eh?” Hawke crouched down and brought himself face to face with the bandit. Of course, my captive couldn't see Hawke, but he could feel Symphony slip under his throat. Hawke said, so quietly I could barely hear, “Deers are good. I love the taste of venison.”
I snorted. Any other time, I would have found it impossible to believe anyone would be frightened by such a cheesy line. Instead, I got to enjoy watching the bandit begin to cry.
“Please, sir,” he managed to croak. “I done nothin' to yer sweet daughter. Sh-she said she needed to find that no good womanizin' Fasketel, yeah?”
(Womanizing?) Hawke mouthed at me in confusion. I shrugged and motioned for him to roll with it.
“Yeah,” Hawke growled, “that scumbag has a lot to answer for after what he did to my sweet little flower.” I suppressed a groan.
“Of course, sir! Of course!” The bandit sniffled and did his best to nod. “Th' no-good chump owns a place in town named Last Call! He's there almost every day! Now please, please don't kill me…”
He devolved into a weeping mess, and Hawke started looking uncomfortable. Even I almost felt bad for the poor sod. Almost.
“Fine, get going.” Hawke pulled Symphony away and sheathed it. The bandit let out a gasp of relief.
“Oh, thank ya, sir! Thank ya, miss!” He stood shakily and bowed his head. “I swear I won't ever bother ya two again!”
I picked my sword up and drew it quietly. I put a hand on the bandit's shoulder and spun him towards the road.
“Remember,” I hissed in his ear, “if you bother us again. Your feet. Your ass.” I swung my blade with all my strength, smacking the flat side of it on his rear. “Locked!”
He stumbled forward, and at that moment I released my locks on him. His hands flew away from his face, and he used his newfound freedom to flail them in the air as he ran off as fast as he could, shrieking in terror. He didn't look back even once.
“I always feared the day you brought your first boy home,” said Hawke, “but that wasn't what I was expecting.”
I elbowed him in the gut, hard. He sputtered and doubled over a bit.
“We're not ever speaking of this, ever again,” I said heatedly. “And for the record, that was for that 'delicate little flower' remark.”
Hawke rubbed his stomach and winced. “Hey, you were the one who wanted to play the father card, not me.”
“Did you expect me to play you off as my lover? Gross.” I shuddered at the thought. “Let's just get going. Is there another road into town? I don't want to ride past that guy.”
There was another road, but we would have had to cut across several miles of wilderness to reach it. As much as it irked me, we didn't have the luxury of wasting time; we'd have to take the main road.
We packed up and rode off, setting a decent pace. I expected to see our new acquaintance pretty quickly, but even after a half hour there was no sign of him. I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that he'd decided he didn't want to risk running into us, either, and hauled himself across the countryside to find a more private way home.
It was only a few more hours riding before we caught the first glimpses of Hafwei. It looked from a distance like most of other towns Hawke and I had traveled through over the years. As we rode into town, we passed under a simple arch boasting the town's name on a simple wooden placard. The streets were simple cobblestone, lined with simple wooden cottages. A few stone masonry buildings broke up the housing, their signposts calling out the businesses they housed. It truly was the picture of an underwhelming, plain city.
My hackles rose the moment we stepped foot into it.
For one, the road into town was nearly deserted, yet just within the city limits, the streets were crawling with activity. Hundreds of people swarmed the streets, jostling each other to and fro. They weaved between street vendors who cried their wares, though if you watched closely, you'd notice they never took their eyes from their stock for a second.
The other thing that disturbed me was how cheerful everyone seemed. There was hardly a face on the street that didn't have a smile, or at least an air of ease about them. They happily exchanged pleasantries with each other, even as they all bustled past to get to wherever it was they were hurrying. Nobody even seemed to mind as we rode Sir Brown Horse and Restless straight down the street, the crowd opening to let us march through without pause.
And all the while, a furious game was being played among the throng.
From my vantage point, I could see just what Hawke had warned me about. Every few seconds, I saw a couple of people bump into each ot
her, and in that instant a sly hand would dart into a pocket. Before I could even register it, the pickpocket would vanish among the throng. At one point I saw, amusingly, as two people picked each other's pocket at the same time.
“I don't know how I didn't see it before,” I muttered to Hawke from the corner of my mouth. It was hard to make myself heard over the chatter, but nobody seemed to pay us any mind.
“You weren't looking for it. Most visitors don't,” he said. “By the way, watch your belongings better. Someone just rifled through them.”
I startled, turning in the saddle and rummaging through my bag. Sure enough, about half my rations and two of my spare blankets, as well as my favorite blue dress robe, had disappeared. As angry as I was, I was thankful I'd already stowed my most precious possessions in the folds of my tunic.
“I'm surprised there are any visitors, considering,” I grumbled.
“Oh sure, there are tons. To the average person this place is considered a plain village, but those in the right circles know Hafwei as a tourist location where you can find the most unique of pleasures and distractions.” He tapped the side of his nose and smirked.
It took me a second to understand what he was hinting at. “Those 'unique pleasures' are just a ruse?” I asked. His smile widened.
“You do get it! Though that's only half true. This place does certainly have everything it offers,” he swept his hand over the town and people, “otherwise people would catch on to the little game. But when those rich and powerful people show up, who's to stop someone from helping themselves to some of that wealth? What are the victims going to do, confess that they were swindled while enjoying some forbidden pleasures?”
A sour knot grew in my stomach. “You sound too comfortable with this. What if some of those activities are things like purchasing slaves, or torturing people?”
Savants of Humanity (The Scholar's Legacy Book 2) Page 17
