Arianwyn stood next to the girl, avoiding eye contact. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I didn't know.”
Elyse shrugged. “It was only a matter of time. He's been lookin' for a reason to get rid of me for some time.” Arianwyn followed Elyse from one task to another. They wiped down the tables, swept up the sawdust on the floor and put more down, checked candles around the room, washed dishes, and helped the cook. This was done between serving the few customers who arrived during the day. “Watch out fer Cook,” Elyse whispered. “He's mean as a bear with a thorn in his paw. I'll be glad to get out from under his eye.”
Things seemed manageable until the dinner hour arrived. Then the common room filled up. There was talking and shouting and cursing. Any fighting that happened caused the Innkeeper to storm through the crowd, grab both men by the nape of the neck and toss them out.
The night was not even half done and Arianwyn was exhausted, aching feet and back, stomach gnawing with hunger. Someone grabbed her elbow, turning her attention. “Hey, Jinny!” She stared into the gap toothed grin of the guard. “It's me, Bernie! I see ya found the Inn.” She nodded mutely at him. He plopped onto a stool near one of the tables. “Get me a drink an' when yur done, I'll take ya someplace fer the night.”
Arianwyn forced a smile. She had not even considered where she would sleep for the night. “Thank you,” she forced out.
True to his word, Bernie waited until the Innkeeper threw everyone out. Arianwyn wrapped her arms around herself, eyes darting to all of the shadows. Bernie chattered about the town and being a guard the entire way down. They entered a narrow alley. Arianwyn's insides twisted with fear. She glanced between Bernie and the shadows, wondering if she should call Dragon. A short distance down the alley, Bernie shoved a blanket aside and candlelight spilled into the alley. “Hey, Alice!”
An older woman glanced up. Her eyes narrowed. She planted her fists on hips and glared. “What do you want, Bernie? I don't have time for any of your games.”
“No games tonight, Alice! You still got room for a girl?” Arianwyn let her breath out and she moved next to Bernie.
Alice's gaze shifted, eyes narrowing. Her gaze was as sharp as her body, all angles and bones. “I'll not be taking a hussy into my home. I may be poor, but I've still got my respect,” she spat.
Arianwyn flushed. “Aw, Alice, don't be like that! Jinny here isn't a hussy! She's employed at the Inn.” Alice pursed her lips, still glaring. “Come on, Al, she just got here and hasn't anywhere else to go.”
“Don't call my Al,” she muttered. She stepped forward and grabbed Arianwyn by the elbow, dragging her into the small room. “Come here, let me look at you, girl.” She turned Arianwyn this way and that, pinched her cheeks, checked her teeth, and studied her eyes. “She's not much is she?” Bernie grinned. “Very well, you may stay. But you'll be paying for your room!” Arianwyn nodded. Alice nodded back. “You can have that corner. You'll have to get your own blankets, though.”
“Thanks, Al!” Bernie said, slapping the woman on the shoulder. She scowled at him.
“Out, get out!” She swatted half-heartedly at the still grinning guard.
“I'll see ya in the morning, Jin!” he said, waving at her over his shoulder.
Alice shook her head after him. “He'll be late,” she muttered. She blew out the candle and the two women went to bed.
2-Bernie
It was early in the morning. Another fall in the logging town she and Dragon chose had arrived. The ground was gaining a light layer of frost that disappeared as soon as the sun appeared each day. Arianwyn stood in the doorway of the hovel she stayed in, waiting. Alice had left to collect washing hours ago. She peered warily from behind the tattered blanket that acted as a door, peeking up and down the street. He was late. Again.
:You’d better get going,: Dragon said. :You cannot trust Bernie. He is unreliable.: She took a deep breath and walked into the alley. She kept her head down, eyes darting back and forth, watching for movement. She picked up the pace, breath constricting in her lungs.
“Jinny!” Arianwyn jumped and spun around. Bernie was jogging up the alley behind her. He grinned at her as he caught up. “Sorry I’m late. Le’s go!” Arianwyn nodded sharply, following him up the narrow alley. Bernie had been walking her to and from work nearly every day since the first day.
“You can explain to the innkeeper why we’re late,” she muttered. She ducked to the other side of Bernie when they entered the main street, putting him between her and the other pedestrians.
“Don’ I always?” Bernie laughed.
“If you’re going to continue being late, maybe you should send Rob instead,” she snapped.
“Ah, Jin, don’ be tha’ way. Ya know I’ll take care of ya.” Bernie threw his arm around her shoulders, hauling her up against his side. Arianwyn ducked out from under his arm and scowled up at him. She did not have better options for protection at the moment and lacked the ability to protect herself.
The innkeeper was already standing at the door, face a dark thundercloud as he searched for Arianwyn. “Mornin’, Master Will,” Bernie said cheerfully. The innkeeper’s scowl vanished, hidden behind an ingratiating smile. Only the tight corners of his eyes indicated his continued displeasure.
“Well, if it isn’t the town guard. Hope you haven’t found the girl stealing?”
Bernie chuckled. “’Course not! Jin’s a righ' fine lass. I was late comin’ by on accoun’ of some extra work las’ nigh’, so no hard feelins, righ'?”
“For the town guard, anything,” Will said, bowing slightly.
Arianwyn ducked around the men, anxious to get out of sight and mind. “I’ll see ya later, Jin! I’ve somethin’ I’ve bin meanin’ to ask ya!” Bernie called after her. She waved absently at him, slipping into the dark interior of the inn. She sighed when she saw the ‘leftovers’ from the night before. Most of them were only just waking up. It was going to be a long day. She walked toward the kitchen, trying not to make eye contact.
Several hours passed. Arianwyn had been moving back and forth nearly non-stop. She kicked a cat out of her way, ignoring the yowl of protest from the creature. He was the only fat creature in the area…unless you included the mice. She glanced around at the rest of the ‘creatures’ surrounding her.
Primarily men visited the inn where she was working. Most of them were employed in logging. The loggers were generally of wiry build and filthy demeanor. There were not many other occupations, or types of men, to be found. She supposed that she could include the innkeeper. He was nearly as fat as the cat. Not surprising, considering the outrageous prices he charged and the less than honest fillers he used in his ‘food.’
“Wench! Where’s my ale?” Arianwyn jumped from her musing, silently cursing her aching feet and the sharp ears of the innkeeper as he glanced in her direction. She carried the ale she had been holding to the logger, deftly swiping up the coppers he threw on the table while avoiding the hand that tried grabbing a feel of her backside. Not that there was much to feel. She had not gained much weight back from her time in the mountain forests. She wandered through a few more tables, using her dirty rag to clean the dirty tables and stacking dishes to take to the kitchen.
“Jinny!” She glanced up and forced a smile. Bernie walked in and sat down heavily at a table. “Haven’ much time ta talk, Rob’s coverin’ at the gate fer me, but I wus wonderin’ if yeh’d have time after work fer a walk today?”
“More than the walk home?” she asked. She sighed internally. She was ready to be home already. “I suppose, depending on how late the Inn stays open tonight. And it can't be too late. You know how Alice gets.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another logger open his mouth to call for her attention. A quick scowl from Bernie caused him to change his mind.
“How ‘bout I stop by and wait, then?”
“That would be fine.” She forced a smile at Bernie before continuing to the kitchen. Her smile vanished as soon as her back was turned.
:He’s nice. At least he treats me decently.:
:And did you plan on introducing us? And telling him your real name? Besides, he’s dirty.:
Arianwyn sighed. Since arriving, Bernie had been friendly with her. He showed her around the town, defended her from unwanted attentions when he was around, and went out of his way to help her out. He was safe to be around. He did have some habits she was unfond of, but they could be overlooked in light of the safety he offered. She chewed on her lip and tried to distract herself from Bernie.
A glance out the window showed the children still playing in the street, careful not to draw the attention of the adults around them. She smiled when she saw one swipe a sweetmeat from a vendor who was distracted by the ball of rags flying by. He ran over to his friends to share their spoils before picking a new target.
She sighed again and pushed the kitchen door open with her shoulder, dumping the dishes in the sink. She rubbed her bandaged hands together, glancing briefly around the kitchen. “Get to work cleaning those, ya lazy bugger,” the cook muttered, stirring the stew a little and adding a few more wood shavings to thicken it up.
Arianwyn turned her back, gritting her teeth. It was not as bad here as home had been, at least. She was hungry, but not mindless with it. She had somewhere covered to sleep that was relatively warm. The work was regular and begging was, so far, unnecessary. Part of her payment was that she could eat all the scraps the customers left and sleep in the kitchen if it was too late to go to her hovel. She generally ended up near the ashes. She was okay with being dirty. Only desperate men went after a girl as filthy as she. Unfortunately, there were more desperate men in this village than she liked. Of course, if Bernie and she went further than friendship in their relationship, she would not have to worry as much about the other men in town.
:I mind that you’re filthy. You stink when you come to visit.: She ignored Dragon’s voice in her head. :When are you coming again? It’s been awhile since we’ve flown together.: She ignored Dragon again, trying to focus on her work. Her thoughts wandered to the creature she was now bonded with. It was still strange to her, in spite of the years that had passed.
:You better start washing those dishes,: Dragon muttered. Arianwyn wrinkled her nose, but showed her agreement in her actions. She tiredly carried two buckets to the village well to fill with water, noticing that Bernie had already left. The innkeeper watched her with narrowed eyes as she left, causing a chill to run down her spine. :You shouldn’t trust him. You should leave.:
The children eyed her eagerly as she approached the well, one of the smaller ones walking up to her with hopeful eyes. Arianwyn smiled and slipped a hand into her apron pocket to hand the child a small treat to share with the others. She dropped the well bucket down before drawing it back up to fill her buckets.
Arianwyn frowned. :I can’t leave, yet. I have nowhere to go. Besides, what would I tell Bernie and the children?: A silent growl rumbled in the back of her head. Dragon wanted her to live in the mountains. There wouldn’t be a single creature that could catch them and meat would be plentiful. Arianwyn pulled the buckets back up from the well, heavy with water. :Except for the humans,: she reminded Dragon. Some humans had almost killed Dragon.
She turned and went back into the inn, heading straight to the kitchen before someone could try to get her attention. The innkeeper skulked at a table near the far wall, talking to yet another stranger. Arianwyn scowled. There had been a lot of strangers coming through town lately. It made her nervous.
She worked hard that day, trying to ignore her uneasy feelings. She focused on her upcoming walk with Bernie. She sighed. She was fairly certain she knew what Bernie wanted to talk to her about. And she was not ready. She could run, as Dragon suggested. Neither option made her feel very comfortable. Instead, she turned to the mind-numbing chores assigned to her, reveling in the aching feet and back now. They kept her mind on the present.
The inn slowly filled with the regulars. Some few of the men greeted her more or less respectfully. Some leered. Most ignored her once she deposited their food and drink. Bernie appeared near the back and hailed her with upraised hand. “You’re early,” she said, handing him a drink. “You’re never early.” He grinned and saluted her.
“Hopefully, yeh kin leave soon.”
It was nearly an hour later when she could finally leave. Bernie wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her out into the night. She withdrew from the circle of his arm as soon as it was polite. She wished they would just sit somewhere. Her feet were killing her. “Where are we going?”
“I got somethin’ planned.” They walked through town and down to the lake. “You know, I’ve grown quite fond of you.” He helped her into a rowboat and shoved off, climbing in. He rowed towards the middle of the lake. He started talking. Arianwyn looked up, watching the stars twinkle. A shadow slid across the stars. Arianwyn frowned. “…what do yeh think?”
Arianwyn blinked, looking back to Bernie. Her mouth went dry. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
It was hard to tell, but Arianwyn thought Bernie was blushing in the dark. “Well, I don’ haf a ring to do it proper like, but I was hopin’ yeh’d accept my proposal of marriage anyhow. I’m doin’ some extra side work, so it should be soon tha’ I kin get yeh a ring.” A sick feeling grew inside Arianwyn. “I won’ be a rich man,” he leaned forward and took her hand, “but I’ll love yeh forever.”
“Bernie,” she squeezed his hand, thinking fast.
:I thought you wanted to marry him,: Dragon commented.
:I do. I just didn’t think I’d feel so trapped by him,: she replied. She slipped her hand from Bernie's, chewing on the inside of her cheek.
:So don’t marry him.:
:I need to. He will keep us safe.:
:I could come get you now if you’d like.:
“Jinny?” Bernie caught her hand in his again.
“I…I don’t really know what to say.” Bernie’s face fell. He continued to hold her hand, looking out over the lake. “I just need some time. I think I will say yes,” she stuttered. His gaze popped up to hers, a grin forming. “But I hope you’ll give me time to be certain of myself.”
His head bobbed forward. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, tha’ would be okay. But yeh think yes, maybe?” She nodded. He leaned forward, swooping in for a kiss. At the last moment, Arianwyn turned her face to the side, his breath heating her cheek. He kissed her cheek and she leaned back so he would not try to claim more. The sick feeling dropped and settled in the pit of her stomach like a stone.
3-Voices
It had been a week. Arianwyn still had not given Bernie a firm answer. He was coming by after work every day now, holding her hands and gazing into her eyes. She was pulling her hands from his and avoiding his gaze. She knew she should answer yes. Or run. Those were her only two options right now.
She took a deep breath, going over the positives of marrying Bernie again. He was a good man. He would take good care of her. Inevitably, her mind moved from the positives to the negatives. She did not know how she would explain the Markings to him. Or Dragon, assuming she ever told him about Dragon. He was a good man to “Jinny,” but she wondered if he would treat Arianwyn the same way.
She squeezed her eyes shut and forced them open again. She should answer yes. It was the safest answer. Besides, telling him no would break his heart. She did not want to hurt him, not after all he had done for her. She sighed and picked up her water buckets. Bernie could wait one more day.
She lugged the water into the inn for dishes. It seemed she was always doing dishes. Once again, the innkeeper was speaking to a stranger in the common room. She thought she recognized the stranger from earlier in the week. She hurried through to the kitchen, anxious to avoid their attention.
She soaped up the water in one of the buckets and washed the dishes in the cold water. It did not take long for the water to turn brown and distasteful looking. In the back of
her head, she felt Dragon poking around. Eventually, Dragon found what she wanted and created a complex image in front of Arianwyn’s eyes. :Speak!: Dragon commanded sternly. Arianwyn blinked, confused. Dragon huffed mentally, nudging Arianwyn’s consciousness to the side. :Watch.:
Arianwyn felt her jaw drop as her vision took on a yellowish hue. Different shades of yellow filled her vision, dark golds where solid objects stood to nearly white whenever she exhaled. :That is Air,: Dragon explained. She walked carefully to the door and peeked out. She could see a slight breeze blowing down the mountain toward the village. She could see people exhaling in puffs as they walked, longer streams flowing from their mouths with brief puffs of dark gold at the consonants when they talked. :Notice the patterns created with their voices. You have a stronger Voice and can Speak. Now Speak!: Dragon commanded again.
Arianwyn walked back to the dishes, pondering. What would she Say? How would she do it? Dragon seemed to think that it would be instinctual to her. Had dragon magic somehow been imparted to her at their Bonding? She looked thoughtfully at her bandaged hands again. It seemed plausible, considering the Mark she was now hiding.
She took a deep breath, thinking. Her mind went back to the innkeeper and the stranger. What if…? She chewed on her lip, thinking of the patterns melding and blending as people were talking, and thought of the Dragon’s comment about her Voice. She focused on her breathing pattern, watching the flowing stream move in and out of her. “Listen,” she muttered under her breath. The flow of air twisted as it left her, wrapping around her head. She felt as if her ears were unstoppered. She could hear everything!
Arianwyn dropped the plate she was washing, gripping the edge of the bucket. She nearly fell over at the sound of shattering glass, hearing every crack and striation run through the plate. The voices from the street carried, every conversation, foot step, breath and cry melding into a painful cacophony. “Hey!” the cook’s voice cut through everything, nearly rupturing her eardrums from the volume.
The King's Treasure Page 2
