by C S Vass
“The school is secure,” Fiercewind stated after a moment. “We have received word from Sun Circle that there has been another kidnapping, along with an attack. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you several citizens were killed during a raid on the Merchant’s Guild. It is not yet clear that the kidnapping and robbery are connected, though it would seem an unlikely coincidence. No one has been apprehended. It is my belief that the danger has passed for today, but we will wait and see nonetheless.”
A wave of chattering broke over the students.
“How could someone rob the Merchant’s Guild?”
“Who is it that got kidnapped?”
“Laquath did it, obviously.”
“Don’t be dim, it was the Vaentysh Boys!”
“Tellosian spies!”
“It was Laquath and it’s going to mean war, you just wait and see.”
A blast of sound immediately silenced the room. Helena had taken the trumpet from Professor Musty’s hands and blew the horn so loudly that Fiona’s skull was left pounding. “In times of such darkness as this, it is of the upmost importance to remember not to give way to wild rumors or speculation,” she said. “We will wait here until I can be absolutely positive it is safe to exit. School will not resume today.” Fiercewind added that last sentence as if it were an afterthought.
They spent several minutes nervously looking around the room. Fiona studied Sasha’s anxious face and knew she was worried for Reggie. So far all of the kidnappings had been prominent members of the court at Sun Circle, or their family members. Fiona was nervous for Rodrick as well, but that was silly, wasn’t it? Who would actually be able to kidnap a member of the Brightbows, much less the Commander? No, Rodrick would be just fine.
“I hate when this happens, and it seems like it happens so often now,” Sasha said as her eyes raced back and forth. “I do hope someone gets to the bottom of this mess soon.”
“I don’t know why they lock down the school every time,” Fiona said. “It’s not like anyone is coming for us.”
“You can’t know that,” Sasha said. “Though I wish it didn’t take so long.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, Sacrosin,” Jared snorted. “It’s not like there’s anybody left in your family to take. Unless you count that ragamuffin brother of yours, which I doubt anybody does.”
Fiona gave him a look that made him take a step back. “If I were a gambler I’d be willing to stake some money that maybe it’s your friends or family behind these attacks,” Fiona said.
“As if,” Jared whined. “We believe in the rule of law at my house. We’re not a bunch of up-jumped peasants who got egos too big to plow fields.”
“Leave it be,” Sasha hissed in Fiona’s ear. “Don’t you realize, whoever’s doing this wants exactly this kind of discord to spread through the city.”
Fiona looked at her friend and saw only naivety. “Right, we should all be friends and everyone in Haygarden is kind and good and everyone outside of it is a savage barbarian.”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I’m saying. Honestly, you’re so difficult sometimes.”
“It’s because she don’t belong,” Jared said. “Bad blood, these peasants. They’re not from the right stock, like you and me Sasha. I reckon—”
What he reckoned they never found out because Sasha slapped him in the face so hard the room went silent. Fiona looked at her friend in shock, and then smiled at the sharp red handprint on the side of Jared’s face. Sasha looked mildly amused with herself.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Helena Fiercewind’s voice drained the color from Sasha’s cheeks. The Headmaster of Clearwater Academy had descended on them like a vulture and she did not look pleased in the slightest. “Do you have any idea what’s going on? You’re about to graduate and this is how you act in a time of crisis?”
Fiona thought they were about to get a stern punishment, and then felt her stomach tie into an anxious knot when she realized the look of worry on the Headmaster’s face. It was only then that Fiona noticed that two members of the city guard were approaching, their hands on the hilts of the longswords they wore at their sides.
“The two of you will need to come with us,” Fiercewind said, in an oddly apologetic tone. Sasha’s face went even whiter, and Fiona felt her mouth go dry.
“What’s happened?” Sasha asked at once.
“It’s not to be discussed here,” Fiercewind responded. “Please, ladies, you will follow me now. We’ll sit in my solar.”
Fiona and Sasha glanced unhappily at each other and followed Fiercewind and the guards out of the room while the other students looked at them curiously. Fiona turned back long enough to see Jared give her a dirty smirk as he rubbed the red spot on his face where he had been struck.
They moved through the halls of Clearwater in silence. Fiona felt like the cavernous passage was swallowing her whole. She tried to keep her mind blank as they moved past portraits of previous headmasters while their footsteps ominously echoed, but terrible thoughts kept finding her. Why were they both being summoned? Had something happened to Rodrick and Reggie? Could they have been among those killed at the Merchant’s Guild? It was possible, wasn’t it? Rodrick may have been there trying to intervene. She tried to ask again, but was told to keep her silence.
At long last they reached Helena Fiercewind’s solar. It was a circular, high-ceilinged room with big oval windows on all sides that sunlight poured into. It seemed positively too pleasant in there to hear terrible news, with the exotic plants that filled the room and the smell of spices in the air.
“Headmaster, please,” Sasha said. “What’s happened.”
“In a moment, Rains,” Headmaster Fiercewind replied solemnly. “We’re waiting on others.”
“What others?” Fiona asked. She needn’t have, because at that moment the door opened and in came Professor Thrushling with his flute in his hands and a steady look in his eye. Behind him was…
“Martin,” Fiona said. He gave her a small smile. Martin Lightwing was a childhood friend of Fiona’s before she moved to the Leaf District. He had tried to join Rodrick in the Brightbows but lacked the depth of skill required, and so he now lived in the Stone District and served in the city guard. She hadn’t seen him in quite some time.
“Hello Fiona,” Martin said. “Sasha, good to see you too.” He bit his lip awkwardly, as if only just realizing that the circumstances were not good. He was taller than Fiona remembered him, and very lanky. Curly brown hair crowned his head and there was a wisp of a mustache on his upper lip that she had never seen before. He looked odd in the leather armor of the city guard, with a sword at his side and longbow on his back.
“Will somebody please tell us what’s going on now?” Sasha said.
“I have hard news,” Headmaster Fiercewind said as she poured them each a cup of tea. She took a long sip of her steaming drink and looked at Sasha. “Reggie has indeed been kidnapped. A note was left to confirm it, though like the others there was no request for ransom.” Fiona took Sasha’s hand, but her friend refused to meet her eye. All of the color had drained from her face, but she wore a grim determined look. Fiona felt oddly proud, and wondered what other terrible news she was about to hear.
“Is, is Rodrick…” Fiona didn’t know how to ask.
“Rodrick was well the last we heard,” Fiercewind said. “The Duke has decided enough is enough and sent your brother to lead the Brightbows on a mission to get to the bottom of these kidnappings and bring the perpetrators to justice. Or bring justice to the perpetrators, should that be what fate has in store for them.”
A dead or alive mission, Fiona thought. How long had it been since Rodrick had been assigned something so dangerous? “When can we expect to hear from him?” Fiona asked.
“When he returns,” Fiercewind responded curtly. “In the meanwhile Martin will escort you home.” Fiona opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it. She caught Martin’s eye and
he blushed, as if reading her mind. They both knew who should be escorting who, but she wasn’t about to embarrass the boy. The man, Fiona suddenly realized. He was seventeen years old now, the same as her. That was a strange thought.
Fiona looked to Fiercewind. “Headmaster, given the circumstances I think we have a right to ask. What do you think is going on here? Is this Laquath? Tellos? The Vaentysh Boys? Please, I just want to understand if my brother is going after some low brow thugs or if this is potentially the start of a war.”
“I wish that someone could tell me that, Fiona,” Fiercewind said. “I don’t know what’s going on. I can only advise you both to be careful. Sasha, with Reggie gone you’re already proven to be another potentially valuable target for these people, and Fiona, now that your brother is leading the hunt for them, that puts you in danger as well. We can’t know who they are or what they know.”
Those last words chilled Fiona more than she cared to admit. She felt a creeping dread drip through her body and took a sip of tea. It was warm, but brought her no comfort. She wished that if this had to happen, it could have waited until after graduation. Until after the Brightbows had accepted her. Then she could be with Rodrick and his team, not waiting around uselessly.
“Fiona,” Fiercewind said. The Headmaster gave her a deep and penetrating gaze. “This is not a game. Something is happening that nobody fully understands. These are dangerous times, and you are not a child. I will not have you acting recklessly, is that clear? Your brother doesn’t need the distraction of you winding up missing amidst the rest of this mayhem.”
Fiona scowled, and any feelings of solidarity she had felt for Fiercewind burned up inside of her. They always insisted on treating her like a child. “You needn’t worry Headmaster,” she said. “I promise not to be a nuisance to the brave adults protecting us.”
Fiercewind frowned, but made no further comment. “Very well. I’ll hold you to that. Now it’s time to get the rest of the students home. Sasha, you’ll be escorted with these two guards. Martin, see Fiona home.”
Fiona gave her friend one last sympathetic look and walked out of the solar with Martin.
Outside the air was refreshingly crisp and the smell of honey-blossoms lingered in the breeze. Up above a bluejay was following his lover in loopy circles across the sky. It seemed far too nice for things to be so dire. Though the warning light from the trumpet had faded, the sense of foreboding it had brought had not. The streets were empty.
“Shall I…take your arm?” Martin asked awkwardly.
Fiona rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a doofus Martin,” she said as she started walking. “It’s only been a few years since we’ve seen each other. I still remember forcing you to eat mud pies when we were kids.” Martin blushed, but to her relief he also dropped some of his performative formalities.
“Sorry, the city guard really beats that stuff into you,” he said. His voice was high for a man’s, but not quite high-pitched. “How are you though? Other than, well you know.”
Fiona wanted to laugh at that but it seemed to die inside her before it came out. “I’m living the life of a noble young woman in the Leaf District,” she said dryly. “Only problem is that’s not what I am. I don’t even think that there’s anyone from the Stone District at Clearwater, much less from outside the city walls. These kids born with their coin purses already full for life with gold, they don’t know anything about what it’s like for ordinary people.
Martin laughed. “Coin purses filled for life with gold? Hell I’d have settled for parents.” Fiona smiled. She had almost forgotten that Martin was also an orphan. They had understood each other in a way no one else had as a child. Well, except for Rodrick of course.
“They’re not all so bad though,” Martin said. “I don’t mind serving in the city guard, protecting them, and the poor ones too. I’m still hoping to join the Brightbows though.”
She smiled sadly at him. That was never going to happen, she knew, but all the same she said, “They would be lucky to have you. I’ll look forward to serving with you when we both get there.”
That made his face break into a wide smile. “Glad to see that you haven’t given up on your dream either. Just don’t think I’ll be looking for any special treatment when you get in first. I’ll make it when I’m good and ready, don’t you worry.”
The sun was low in the sky now, transforming from a golden sphere to an oily blob of orange-pink that bled a plethora of color across the heavens. “So tell me,” Fiona said. “Do you have an opinion on who’s behind it?”
“I can’t say with any certainty,” Martin said. “The Tellosian Empire would certainly make sense. I could see them wanting to weaken our government, maybe to try to get us back under their rule. But I sure don’t like those Vaentysh Boys if I’m being honest with you.” His face darkened as if he were remembering something deeply unpleasant. “Nasty lot that bunch. They have some real hatred in their hearts. The ones on the city guard are the worst. Abuse their power every chance they get it seems.”
“They have Vaentysh Boys on the city guard?”
“Oh gods, yeah,” Martin said. “Not a majority mind you, but they’re there. Most of them would never resort to criminal behavior, and certainly it could still be the Laquathi or Tellosians behind these kidnappings…I’m just saying. I’m not fond of the Vaentysh Boys is all.”
“I bet Jared is one of them,” Fiona muttered.
“What?” Martin asked.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “What do they even believe in really? I mean, are they an organization or just an ideology?”
Martin furrowed his eyebrows. “Both, I suppose,” he said slowly. “There are rumors of a centralized group, but I can’t claim to know it’s true. Lots of folk will just say they sympathize with the general sentiments. You know, Haygarden is ours, keep the scum from the Lordless Lands out. Laquath is our enemy but the Tellosians might not have to be if they don’t provoke us. Stop giving money for the almshouse and use it to beef up the city guard.” He laughed. “Not that I wouldn’t mind a pay raise. No, don’t give me that look. You know I’m kidding. I’m not Vaentysh.”
“Good,” Fiona said. “I’d hate to have to kill you for throwing in with the folks who kidnapped Sasha’s betrothed.”
“Don’t joke,” Martin chided. “These are dark times. No one knows who to trust these days.”
The conversation shifted towards a happier tone after that. They talked about what their lives had been like for their adolescence, how they hoped to join the Brightbows, how much they both looked up to Rodrick. At last they came to Fiona’s front door.
Martin whistled. “You’ve come a long way from beyond the city walls.”
Fiona felt uncomfortable, all too conscious of the life-changing wealth they had acquired from Rodrick’s rise. “Rodrick’s come a long way,” she replied. “I’m just along for the ride. For now. Soon I’ll be making my own path though.”
“I’m certain it will be a journey to remember,” Martin said. He studied his boots for a few moments. “Until next time Fiona. It truly was nice seeing you.”
Before he could turn to leave she embraced him. “You as well. Don’t get killed before you make it into the Brightbows.”
She could practically feel the heat of embarrassment radiating off of the awkward guardsman. But it had been a long time since she had seen her friend.
Chapter Three
Several hours later she was in the basement cellar of her home and dripping with sweat. Sighing, she nocked another arrow on her longbow. This cellar meant safety to Fiona. With its smooth wooden floor and comfortable stone walls draped with velvet banners it blanketed her with all of the wealth and comfort her childhood lacked. Rainbow firelights flickered along the walls. Soundmages had crafted them so that their soft melodies magically turned into visual energy in some way that the gods might have understood, but Fiona did not.
She aligned the arrow with the chest of a dummy stuffed with straw and for
a brief moment considered imagining it as Jared before she decided that he wasn’t worth the thought. The familiar satisfying thrill of release rushed through her spine as the arrow landed in the center-left portion of its upper chest.
Her afternoons and oftentimes evenings had been spent in this cellar, training in the various martial arts that Rodrick had taught to her. She often put many extra hours into the bow. It was Rodrick’s weapon of choice but for Fiona it was always a challenge that required great patience, something the gods had not granted her with. She preferred to duel up close with long knives, though on her fifteenth name day Rodrick had gifted her with a beautiful curved sword with a demon’s head pommel and white scabbard that she had grown to favor.
A sudden noise made her spin her head around.
One of the soundlights had made a sputtering sound and the soft maroon fires turned to grey evaporation. She put down her weapon, willing to grant herself a break. No matter how much she rested, Fiona could not find relief. It had been hours since she had left Fiercewind, and nobody had bothered to come tell her anything. Every ten or fifteen minutes she could hear a horse click-clacking up the street, but it was just the city guard making their rounds.
Maybe they just didn’t care. Jared was one of the few who would so cruelly try to tear at a person’s emotions, but practically everybody in Clearwater felt the same way. They all saw her for what she really was. An outsider, and therefore, a freak.
But no, she decided that the thought was unfair. It didn’t do justice to good folk like Professor Thrushling, or even Sasha of course. In any case one or two friends couldn’t make up for the fact that the rest of Clearwater felt threatened by her, hated her intensely at times. What did she ever do to deserve it?
