The Shadow Gypsy (The Shadow Sisters)

by C. R. Daems

  Kata drove us hard to perfect a two fireball routine. I knew as soon as we had that perfected, she intended to work on a three fireball one. She was like a commoner at the table of a nobles' feast. I also noticed other acts were looking at adding new routines. The Zunji had certainly energized the Tobar clan.

  The four day trip to Zeles felt hours rather than days with my mind whirling with questions, doubts, guilt, but no conclusions. I knew Luka had talked a lot, but I couldn't remember a word of it. Fortunately, I don't think he noticed. My love for him was the one thing I was certain about. As we rolled into Zeles that evening, I gave up thinking. I realized I'd been trying to resolve my questions, doubts, and guilt with logic. It not only didn't work, but it caused me blinding headaches. Much like Luka, logic didn't explain why he loved me. He did and that was all that mattered. The same would be true for my concerns. I couldn't solve them with logic. My intuition said I didn't have all the pieces. Until then, there was nothing I could do.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CALION: Zeles – Lady Roshan

  "Night business?"

  "Yes, love. Talk, nothing more," I said, assuring him he didn't have to worry. I wonder how I would feel if he were going off to unknown places to do unknown things. He was a wonder. I kissed him long and tender before exiting the wagon. I knew Zeles well and had no trouble avoiding people on my way to the Earth Wizards’ guild house. I smiled when I saw the open door and a middle-age wizard in the doorway.

  "Good evening, Shadow of Peace," he said as he waved me in. "We have assembled in the great hall."

  "Good evening, brother wizard," I said, following him down a short corridor into the three-story domed room, which gave the appearance of being outdoors, far away from the city: trees, flowing water, shrubs, flowers, and walls of stone. Even the vine like seats seemed a natural part of the environment. They stood when I arrived. I gave a small bow and took the empty chair in the middle of a sort-of-circle of wizards who blended into their vine chairs.

  "Thank you for seeing me. As always it's an honor."

  "You will always be welcome, Sister. We have the same wish for Hesland—peace," her voice soft, yet like stone. She was the same gray-haired, female wizard I had met last time I visited Zeles. "We have had word from Ahasha for you." She nodded and a young boy, probably an apprentice, came running up to me, and handed me a small capsule, which had obviously not been opened. Inside was a small, thin sheet of paper. Written on it, the names of the current Sisters on assignment, their rank, and current location. Morag had shown a lot of faith in my judgments by trusting such a list with the Earth Wizards.

  "Thank you. I would not trust this capsule with anyone else on Hesland," I said. That was true even today when Sisters weren't being hunted. On second thought, Sisters were being hunted and this list would have been a living death sentence. "I have a message I need to send."

  The same boy came running up to me with ink, quill, paper, and a capsule. He waited off to the side as I wrote the message:

  JELENA DRUGGED INTO SUBMISSION. I KILLED.

  AVOID TUSKA. WILL SEND DRUG SOON.

  There was no reason to sign as it was coming from the Earth Wizards. I inserted the paper into the capsule and gave it back to the boy. He bowed and ran off.

  "I'd like each of you to taste something," I said holding up a small vessel.

  "Spill it on the ground," the lady wizard said. I did. Silence followed for several minutes. "That is a very tasty liquid, like a mixture of fruit, but it's not. It's not native to this province. I suspect, in larger amounts it would produce very pleasant sensations."

  "Yes. Extremely pleasant. So pleasant, you would do anything to get it. Anything. I believe it is the most dangerous drug on Hesland."

  "And the reason you've brought it to us is because you believe anyone, including wizards, would become addicted to it," a young wizard asked.

  "Yes, commoners, nobles, Sisters, and wizards. The yellow-robes were using it to recruit members. Do you have any information on the black-robes in Calion or robed ones in the other provinces?"

  "That is disturbing, and we thank you for the warning. In the end, we wizards are men and women who are not immune to drugs." As she scanned the room, I saw nods of agreement. "The robed ones appear confined to each province by a single prophet and God. And they have each chosen a distinct color. Our brothers in Tuska have notice some aggressive behavior from the yellow-robed ones, but weren't aware of any drugs. We will get that information to them immediately. Except for a couple of over-zealous disciples, the black-robed ones here in Calion have caused no major trouble we are aware. And in most of those instances, the black-robes were trying to help someone in trouble. Except for Tuska, the robed ones do not appear to be a problem. Of course, they all make their camps well out of the towns, so their actions there are not known. You have concerns?"

  "Yes. The robed ones I've met have admirable goals, but I doubt they are doable without force."

  "Yes, the road of evil is paved with good intentions. We will watch the robed ones more closely and pass our findings on to Araby for you."

  "I thank you for your support." I rose and left. I had learned little I hadn't known before, but I was grateful for the list of Sisters on assignment. The thought of them seduced like Jelena brought me to tears.

  My encounter with the Eyes of God prayed on my mind, but these groups appeared to be religious, whereas the Eyes of God were assassins wanting to overthrow a province leader. And the cults didn't appear to be training an army in a military sense.

  * * *

  "Ryana, guess what," Alida said, as Luka and I joined the circle for our morning meal.

  "Roshan," I said. "You could have waited until I had my coffee and a full stomach."

  "You've already told her she's going to be the province leader and everyone will love her. What now?" Alida grinned, looking around the group. There were lots of smiles, except for Santo who was frowning.

  "That I made a little mistake. She is going to lose her rank and die without a copper," I said, frowning as I looked at my hands like they held a crystal ball. Dead silence for several seconds, followed by laughter. Santo's frown hadn't changed.

  "I can see why Stela calls you her wild child, and Alida says you do dumb things. We trick commoners with our games of chance and merchants with our claims for the goods we sell from other provinces. We consider them marks because they fall for our tricks and lies. They may feel cheated, but there is little they can do about it since we have broken no laws. But a noble that feels cheated or embarrassed has the power to satisfy his or her anger. Nobles are very dangerous marks." Santo said, quieting the group. He was right to be concerned for the Tobar clan and me. An angry noble was dangerous. Lord Phellen was an excellent example, feeling it his right to have me whipped to death on a whim or to tear apart the gypsies' homes out of hate.

  "I do not claim to tell anyone's future—commoner, noble, or wizard. But you are right; it would not matter if they felt like a mark." I paused, taking a sip of my coffee. "I ask only two coppers of those who ask me for my thoughts, noble and wizard included, and I consider no one a mark. But I'll understand if you would prefer I leave the clan." I began eating my eggs, waiting the verdict with my heart pounding in my throat. Although no one was looking for the Shadow of Death, I was as dangerous as before. Losing Luka would break my heart, but that would be better than causing harm to the clan. Maybe I could join the Zunji. Maybe I should go regardless of the clan's decision. I put down my plate and walked off into the nearby trees, tears streaking my cheeks. Luka didn't follow me.

  * * *

  I sunk into the moment where emotions didn't exist, neither hate nor fear, joy nor sadness, right nor wrong. When I returned, it was dark and Anil and Kasi were resting against my neck. They must have left the wagon through an open shutter or Luka let them go. Ironically, I felt at peace and ready to face whatever the day or night had in store for me. What I had told Jelena was right. Sister Rong had taught us
the secrets of the Shadow Sisters, whether we chose to be a Spy or Assassin. But the real secret was one the founding Sisters had discovered—how to survive. You had to play with the cards life dealt you. You did not quit, and you did not sit around wishing for a better hand. You made the best of the hand you had, because every hand was a potential winner. I was clan and a Shadow Sister with responsibilities to both regardless of what happened.

  When Kasi and Anil took off, I knew someone was coming. A few minutes later Lujza appeared. She stood appraising me for several minutes before sitting.

  "I spent many hours with Stela discussing you, when I learned Luka intended to marry you. Not to judge whether you were good enough for my son, but to understand my future daughter. A gypsy clan is like a blood family. Stela said you understood clan better than us gypsies. Today, I understood what she meant. All of us would die to defend the clan, but I doubt many of us would offer to give up their clan to save them pain." She pulled me to her. "Stela told me the things you did for the Dorian clan. As Alida continues to remind us, some pretty dumb or maybe rather naïve but always in the clan's interest. Others, extremely shrewd. I believe Stela didn't tell me everything and those dumb things weren't as dumb as they appeared to Alida and others. You are impulsive but have good instincts. You are fragile but not weak. And you know more than you should."

  A long silence followed. Luka's mother was a shrewd woman who would not easily be tricked.

  "Come, daughter. Your clan misses you and my son's frantic with worry. We've just been giving you time to calm yourself. I understand your training at Ahasha allows you to do that." She kissed my forehead and rose, pulling me with her. When we reached the edge of the camp, Luka, Alida, and Kata stood talking.

  "You missed practice," Kata shouted, trying to suppress a grin. Luka grabbed me and squeezed me tightly to him. Alida stood shaking her head.

  "You can be dumb at times. You can't leave clan. It's not permitted. Besides, no one wants the fortuneteller tent duty."

  Our lovemaking that night was long and passionate. The thought of life without him had been terrifying, and I hung on as if I'd lose him if I let go.

  * * *

  The next day, the emphasis was on choosing the acts for Lady Roshan. She hadn't seen the Magic Balls, and they had been very popular with the audiences, so it was included. The swings were left out because of the setup problems and because several of its members were also in the Magic Balls act.

  We arrived early to install the props for the performance and retired to a smaller dining room to await our call. We sat around talking, while nibbling on the snacks that had been laid out for us. The mood was sober but relaxed. Although we were performing before nobility, we had each performed these acts hundreds of times before large crowds. Even Santo had relaxed. I'd wager Lujza had talked to him. I'm not sure what she could have said, but whatever she did, it seemed to have helped to relieve or, at least, lessen his concerns. Kata waved the five of us over to a corner.

  "Is anyone uncomfortable using two fireballs?" she asked, making eye contact with each of us. Although that was the one act we hadn't performed a hundred times, I felt comfortable with the routine. The new routine with three balls would have made me very nervous. Every performer made an occasional mistake, or dropped something, or... but new acts needed to be tested in small towns, not before nobles. No one seemed concerned. "Alright, we will add the two-ball routine on the end of the normal performance."

  We spent the remaining time talking through the routine to ensure everyone knew not only their part but everyone else's part. Not long after, a steward opened the door and found Santo.

  "Gypsy Santo, Lady Roshan is ready. If you would follow me," he said, proceeding down the back stairs and to the entrance to the dining hall. We followed in the order of our entrance. Opening the door, he announced in a loud voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Tobar clan."

  The tumbling team entered first, running in with high-spinning jumps and flips. We followed. Luka was next followed by Lujza, who had an illusion act where she made a variety of articles appear, disappear, and multiply. Especially clever was her performance with a guest's goblet of wine. She poured the full glass of wine into her pocket; the goblet disappeared, and reappeared with the wine. The Magic Ball act was last. We began kneeling with Kata dropping a ball that happened to roll to one of us who then went through our individual act finishing in a kneeling position again. When Kata finished, we all stood throwing the balls into the air and the coordinated team performance started. We finished that part with a catch on the ground. One at a time we rose propelling our ball towards Dmitri who stood to the side. When the last ball reached him, he lit a fireball and, pretending he had gotten burnt, tossed it in the air to Kata. The routine started. The ball was passed in high flung arcs from one person to another so that each of us handled the fireball several times, varying the way we caught the ball, the way it was handled, and the method of flinging it into the air. After Kata had released it for the fifth time, Dmitri rolled the second fireball to her, which she flipped into the air with her foot. The act ended by tossing one fireball at a time to Dmitri who caught it in a blanket and smothered the flames. All through the performance, I could hear ooohs, aaahs, and clapping. Many stood to see better.

  Afterward, Roshan called Santo over and gave him a bag of coins. The Steward led us back to the waiting room, which was now teaming with food of every description. Halfway through our meal, the Steward returned and found Santo. They talked for a few minutes, and Santo waved for me to join them.

  "Ryana, Lady Roshan, would like to talk with you. If you will follow me," he said, and proceeded to leave without waiting for a response. When he reached a door where two guards stood, he knocked and hearing, "enter," opened the door for me. Lady Roshan sat behind a large desk and the same middle-aged man in military dress, wearing a sword and long dagger, stood several paces behind and to her right.

  "Lady Roshan," I said and gave a small bow. She sat staring at me for several minutes without saying a word. "I don't know why nobles, wizards, and I seek you out. I'd wager you don't tell any of us what we would like to hear. So, it's not for our amusement. I don't think any of us believe anyone can tell the future, you included." She paused to take a drink from a crystal goblet with what looked like jewels set in the crystal. "And then there is the question on why you do it. I don't believe you do it for the money. Last time I gave you the two coppers you asked for and realized you didn't care. You may have liked more for your clan, but you didn't care about the money. Telling fortunes for nobles should pay a lot to be worthwhile. Anyone of us could have you whipped on a whim if we didn't like something you said, or we thought you thought us fools. And then there are those who want to know what you've told us and are willing to use force to find out. It seems two toras wouldn't be worth the risk. Even the king would like a private telling." Again she sat silent, staring. What could I say? I agreed with everything she said. Fortunetelling for nobles qualified as one of the dumb things Alida always accuses me of doing.

  "Maybe those are all the reasons we seek you out. You're an enigma. One who has a unique insight into the future as it relates to each individual." She stood and came walking around the desk to a small table and two chairs. "I used to think the table and hands over mine an act. I've come to believe you need that contact."

  I sat after she did and the Captain pushed in her chair. She placed her hands on the table, and I placed mine over hers, closed my eyes, and dropped into the moment.

  "I see one future where there is no nobility—"

  Her chair shot backward and tipped over as she jerked her hands loose and stumbled backward.

  "Damn you, Ryana. Damn you," she shouted. The Captain had his sword out, waiting on his liege lady to indicate what she wanted. She waved him back. "Damn you. Just once... never mind." She sat after the captain had righted the chair and placed her hands back on the table. I put mine over hers.

  "The conditions are right for one
with intelligence, charisma, and desire for greatness to destroy Hesland as we know it. The ones in hiding are the storms waiting for a wizard to give them direction. The shadows and the earth can protect you, but not without your help and vigilance."

  "The Shadow of Death? Shadow Sisters? Earth?"

  "You are not alone. But without support no one can stop it." I removed my hands, to Roshan's surprise, and reached into my pocket, which provoked a guarded response from the captain. I removed a small vial, and uncapped it. "Give me your finger."

  Roshan frowned, giving me a hard look through narrowed eyes before sticking out her hand. I turned it over, palm up, and touched the vial to her index finger.

  "Taste that."

  "What is it?"

  "A drug that could reduce you to a slave," I said. She jerked her hand back.

  "Damn you. Damn you," she whispered, staring at the finger, then at me.

  "My Lady, don't taste that. She could be poisoning you!" The captain moved towards me. Roshan stopped him with her hand. Then put her tongue to her finger.

  "Tasty," she said, licking her lips. "Like ripe fruit of some kind."

  "The Zunji call it the deadly Passion. If you taste it in anything you eat or drink, you should find out who put it in your food and who gave it to him. Because they are trying to control you."

  "That's almost funny, because I would have asked for more. That's delicious." She stood and walked back to her desk and threw a bag to her captain. "I should put you in a cage, so I'd have you available when I wanted you, but I suspect you'd be of little value locked up. Captain, give that bag to the Tobar clan leader. Thank him for Ryana's time and tell him he is to perform for me every time his clan is in town."

  She walked back over to me and dropped two coppers in my hand. "I'll wager there are several persons who would pay you more gold than in that bag for what you told me—or use torture. But somehow I suspect you wouldn't tell them for either."