by M. Gregg Roe
“Yes.” Ilona jumped to her feet. “I need to put on something nicer.”
Audrey chuckled as her cousin raced through the parlor toward the stairs. Nearly half an hour passed before Ilona returned, clad in a frilly blouse and long skirt. She had even worked on her hair.
The walk to the temple was pleasant. Autumn had brought cooler weather and tinges of color to some of the trees. Once at their destination, Ilona spoke briefly with an acolyte before being taken to see the High Priest, an older half-elf that Audrey both liked and respected.
She waited in the large open area where the statue of Arwon stood atop a wide stone pedestal. Sitting on a bench off to the side, she observed the visitors. Most went up to the statue, bowed their heads in prayer, then dropped coins in the offering box. A few voiced strident pleas, and some approached the priestess on duty, presumably in need of healing or counsel.
Ilona looked glum when she returned, her long skirt swishing as she walked. “They said I have to wait until Spring,” she complained. “That’s over five months!”
That probably seemed like a long time to someone her age. “That’s when they’ll decide?” Audrey asked, rising to her feet.
Ilona scowled childishly. “No. Of course not. They want me, but that’s when they have a slot available.”
“Then congratulations, Ilona. Where do you want to eat?”
“Hmm,” she said, putting a hand to her chin. “Can we get some food and then go eat with Marilee and Karin?”
That was not what Audrey had been expecting. “We can do that. Do you want to invite your sister?”
The childish scowl returned. “No. This is my celebration.”
“Okay. Let’s go pick out some food.”
It was an odd sort of meal but fun overall. Marilee and Karin both heaped praise on Ilona. And once Iris got wind of it, Audrey knew she would have to do it all over again. Sibling rivalry was a powerful force.
Audrey strolled around the densely wooded area as she waited for Livia to finish speaking privately with Iris. The log house was old but appeared to be in good repair. Flowering vines grew up the sides and onto the thick thatch roof. Some even wound around the stone chimney. Most of the surrounding trees were old maples, and bright green moss covered much of the ground nearby. A brook with a small waterfall ran just to the west. It was definitely an appropriate dwelling for a druid.
Livia was another matter. Audrey had occasionally encountered a plump half-elf, but never one that was just plain fat. Nearing middle age, the woman’s face was that of someone who had lived a hard life and deeply resented it. Despite having pale blond hair and green eyes, the woman’s skin was the color of mahogany. She also moved in a way that made Audrey uneasy, always fidgeting and cocking her head. Audrey rarely took an instant dislike to anyone, but she did not like Livia one bit.
Iris had a desperate look as she came out the front door. “She wants to talk to you,” she said, then strode away from the house.
Inside, Audrey found Livia standing in front of an open window. She was holding Audrey’s quarterstaff with both hands and peering at it with her head tilted to the left. “This is good work,” she said, barking out the words. “The wood, and the enchantment.”
“It’s served me well,” Audrey said, still standing just inside the door. Livia suddenly pivoted and tossed the staff in her direction. Audrey snatched it out of the air with her right hand and moved it to a vertical position resting on the wood plank floor.
Livia stepped forward, wearing a gray, sack-like dress that hung loosely. “The girl says you’re trained to fight.” She tilted her head. “You’ve got the look. Move like a cat.”
“Thank you?” Audrey just didn’t know how to deal with the woman.
“One month.” The woman’s face formed into a crude semblance of a smile.
“I don’t understand.”
Livia showed her teeth as she relaxed. “The girl’s got promise. We’ll try each other out for one month. If either of us don’t like it, then we part ways. No hard feelings.”
Audrey hadn’t expected such a rapid decision. “Uh, I’ll need—”
“She’s already agreed,” Livia snapped. “And the month starts now.”
Realizing that she was getting agitated, Audrey took a moment to calm herself. She also noticed what she should have spotted earlier: The additional clothing that Iris had brought in case they needed to spend the night was sitting out on a chair near the fireplace. “Iris will need more clothes,” she said, staring at them.
“Then send her some,” Livia spat. “Make sure they’re rugged and warm. Nothing fancy or frilly.”
Audrey nodded. She and Iris had traveled along with several Novox employees hauling trade goods. They plied that route regularly, so she could send Iris’s clothing along with the next group.
“You’ll be wanting to stay the night at the inn,” Livia said, now smiling crookedly. “Storm’s coming.”
It didn’t look that way to Audrey, but then she remembered she was talking to someone attuned to the weather. Livia might even be able to control it to some extent. Audrey’s plan had been to head back the way they had come and then just teleport home once she was well away from Redflower. Now she had no choice. Fortunately, she had brought a change of clothes to maintain appearances.
“I’ll do that,” she told the annoying woman.
Livia picked up Audrey’s backpack from where it was lying and held it out. “There’s powerful magic in here, but I didn’t look.”
Once again, Audrey felt she had no choice. After taking the pack, she removed the translucent amber gauntlet and pulled it over her left hand and forearm. “It’s called a Gauntlet of Force,” she explained, then flexed her fingers and formed a fist. She had brought along the item because it was in character for a former adventurer, not because she needed it to defend herself.
Livia hesitantly touched the wrist area, then shook her head. “I’ve never seen the like. It’s bound to you.”
“Yes,” Audrey said, surprised. The woman definitely knew her magic. After removing the gauntlet, she stowed it back inside and shouldered the pack.
“Stop by in the morning if you like,” Livia said casually. “Should be sunny.”
“Okay.” She would definitely check on her cousin before leaving for home.
Audrey opened the door and found Iris standing outside with a guilty look. “It’s only for a month,” she said, staring down at her feet.
“And I get to be the one to tell everyone,” Audrey sighed. “I’ll be over to check on you tomorrow morning. Behave yourself.”
“I will.” Iris flashed a smile before entering the house.
After adjusting her pack, Audrey set off along the narrow trail they had followed from the village to Livia’s house, which was just over a mile south. She wondered if the inn would have anything good to eat.
Audrey paused to admire the inn’s sign. Below the name was a depiction of someone asleep in bed. You could even see the contented look on their face. The Weary Traveler was where she would spend the night, and it looked like a nice place, well-maintained and nestled squarely in the middle of the village.
Arms suddenly wrapped around Audrey from behind, just above her waist. She had sensed someone approaching, but not any danger. “Guess who it is,” said an unmistakable voice from behind her head.
“Hello, Cinda. You realize that you’re also hugging my backpack.” The arms released and Audrey turned around, only to receive another hug that she returned as best as she could while still holding her staff.
“It has been ages,” Cinda exclaimed. “I have missed you dearly.”
“You too.” Audrey patted her friend’s back. “Enough hugging. I need to get a room.”
Cinda released her and stepped back, her bright blue eyes twinkling with delight. “You are staying? How fortuitous! I am to perform tonight.”
“I’d guessed that. You are a traveling entertainer.” Cinda played the lute, but it was her s
inging that impressed Audrey.
Cinda struck an elegant pose, tossing her wavy black hair and angling her head. “I am indeed. Why are you here, Audrey?”
“I’ll explain after I get my room.” The village was so busy she worried the inn might be full.
“You may stay with me. I have a fine room with a sizable bed. They treat entertainers well here.”
That ruined Audrey’s plan to take a room but then sleep in her own bed. “That’s fine,” she told her friend. “I just want to drop off my things.”
After a quick word with the innkeeper, Cinda led the way up the narrow staircase to the upper floor. Audrey put her pack on the desk and leaned her staff in the nearby corner. It was a nice room, and the bed was definitely roomy enough for two. There was even a vase with flowers—red ones, of course.
Cinda’s face showed a variety of emotions as Audrey explained how she came to be there. “Iris a druid, and Ilona a priestess,” she said, smiling with delight. “How marvelous!”
“They’re not quite there yet,” Audrey countered. “How long are you performing here?”
“This is my third and final night,” Cinda answered. “We can return to the Witch’s City together.”
And now she couldn’t just teleport home. It was tempting to just tell Cinda about her big secret, but probably not a good idea.
“It is,” Audrey agreed, with a smile she hoped didn’t look forced.
They went back downstairs and sat down with tankards of the local ale, which Audrey found somewhat bitter. Cinda then launched into a recitation of the places she had visited and events of note that had occurred. It made Audrey realize how little of Andoran’s Realm she had actually seen. She hadn’t even heard of some of the villages that Cinda mentioned.
Audrey had never expected to become friends with Cinda. The two of them had met because they were both novice students at Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy. And they had not gotten along well at all. The youngest daughter of a wealthy family, Cinda had been haughty and pretentious. She had looked down on the common folk, and Audrey in particular. It got so bad between them they ended up getting into a fight at the school. Grasapa punished them both for the indiscretion, but Cinda in particular.
It was Cinda’s subsequent apology and confession of her family issues that had launched their unlikely friendship. To escape an arranged marriage, Cinda fled her home, eventually taking employment at Desires, something that had shocked Audrey and horrified Cinda’s family. The courtesans had become Cinda’s new family, and it was there that she had learned the skills she now plied as an entertainer.
By the time they finished their dinner—a bland but filling mutton stew—the predicted storms had arrived. That was probably why so few people showed up for Cinda’s performance. Sitting at a large table by herself, Audrey sipped mediocre ale as she enjoyed her friend’s show.
“That is how it is sometimes,” Cinda explained as she carefully placed her lute in its case. “The other shows were well-attended.”
Holding the fat candle that she had carried upstairs, Audrey said, “I can’t believe that you actually collect money. I know you don’t need it.” Cinda had reconciled with her family and also inherited a small house from a distant relative. She didn’t need to work at all.
“It is customary,” Cinda explained. “I will give at least a portion away before we depart tomorrow. I do not do this for the money.”
Audrey smiled at her friend’s miffed expression. “Well, obviously.”
A bright flash briefly preceded thunder that shook the room. Cinda flicked her eyes upward briefly. “I pray this rain has passed by tomorrow.”
Audrey shrugged. “The unfriendly druid said it would. But it will be muddy.”
Cinda yawned. “Mud I can tolerate. Shall we turn in?”
“Yes,” Audrey said, resisting the urge to yawn herself. “I’m tired too.”
Despite the raging storm, her dreams were nothing but peaceful that night.
Ilona was beside herself when Audrey gave her the news. “You left my sister there?” she exclaimed with a look of horror.
Standing in the sitting room portion of the suite that her cousins shared, Audrey said, “Iris now lives there as an apprentice druid. Now help me pick out some of her clothing to send to her.”
Within a few minutes, they had laid out a selection of items that Audrey deemed appropriate. A worn blanket sufficed to bundle them all up.
“What’s wrong?” Audrey asked after they returned to the sitting room. She was well versed in reading her cousins’ emotional states.
“We’ve never been apart,” Ilona breathed, then sat down heavily on the small sofa. “I don’t know how to feel.”
Audrey had expected jealousy, but not this. “It had to happen eventually,” she said lamely.
“I know, but…” Ilona took a deep breath. “I just wasn’t expecting it. Romee’s gone. Saxloc is talking about moving in with his girlfriend. I’ll be all alone.”
“Draymund and Almera aren’t going anywhere,” Audrey pointed out. “Neither is Daragrim. And I’m not planning on leaving soon.”
“But you will eventually,” Ilona said, her eyes wet with tears.
Feeling for the girl, Audrey stayed for over an hour before departing. She still hadn’t divulged her own plans to her cousins, and she worried about how they would react. There would come a day when all three of them lived separately, but she hoped it wouldn’t be soon.
[ 30 ]
Fate's Servant
Flying just above the tallest trees, Aliva searched for prey. Her craving to feed grew by the day. With no executions scheduled, she needed to find a male who deserved to die, and she couldn’t afford to be picky. Any humanoid roughly her own size would do. If she found a suitable orc, then she would change her appearance to that of a sexy female orc and seduce him. It was instinctual for her.
Starting roughly twenty miles south of Rohoville, the Southern Woods provided an excellent hunting ground, harboring countless small villages. She was familiar with several places where the more undesirable elements took refuge, mostly small cave complexes. With luck, one would be occupied. Her heart pounded at the thought of feasting on several males. It wouldn’t be the first time.
More to the right, sounded Lasrina’s mellifluous voice, startling Aliva.
“Why are you helping me?” Aliva asked suspiciously, altering her course. It was chilly but otherwise a beautiful day to be flying.
This is an opportunity to satisfy your need and advance my purpose, the goddess answered loftily.
Aliva didn’t like the sound of that. “I don’t prey on the innocent,” she insisted, gritting her teeth.
Sounding slightly irritated, Lasrina said, Innocent now does not imply innocent in the future. You will be preventing future death and suffering.
It wasn’t the first time that the goddess had provided that unsatisfying reassurance. Aliva listened as Lasrina described her task in great detail. It was horrifying. She was to kill a young man whose wife had just given birth to their first child. And the blame would fall on someone innocent.
“I don’t want to do this,” Aliva said, abruptly slowing. “They’ll kill that woman.”
They will not. They will drive her from the village. In time, she will find both a new home and a fulfilling life.
Was Lasrina telling the truth or just trying to make her feel better? The goddess wouldn’t hesitate to lie if it suited her purpose. But it wasn’t like Aliva had any choice but to obey.
It took hours. First she had to secretly observe the woman whose appearance she was to take, a young and childless widow who wove baskets. Next she rendered the woman unconscious before taking on her appearance and donning her clothing. As instructed, Aliva made a show of seducing the young man away from his herd of goats and leading him away into the woods.
The village was odd. It wasn’t unusual for the houses to all be similar, but it was for the inhabitants to be so uniform. Without exception, th
ey had golden hair, caramel-colored skin, dark eyes, and soft features that gave them a distinctive look. And they were all half-elves. That suggested to Aliva that the place was completely insular, shunning all outsiders. It also strongly implied centuries of inbreeding.
In a secluded clearing, Aliva bent the man to her will. He performed adequately if not exceptionally. The body she disposed of miles away, relying on predators and carrion-eaters to erase the evidence. She returned to the village on foot from the direction she had departed with the man. Back inside the woman’s house, Aliva swapped back into her own clothing and resumed her normal appearance.
Despite the energy she had gained from draining the man’s life-force, Aliva felt tired as she flew back. She wondered if the man’s absence had been noted yet. Would anyone believe the woman’s claim to have inexplicably fallen asleep? Would they beat her? And what would happen to the young mother who was now a widow? But she had no answers.
Crossing a wide river, Aliva spotted a small ship struggling with the headwind. Going west, ships reefed their sails and relied on the river current, but it was barely sufficient at the moment. A pang of guilt struck as the sight recalled the memory of a particularly unpleasant task that Lasrina had once required of her—the complete destruction of a merchant ship. That had also supposedly saved more lives than she had taken.
Must you question everything? Lasrina complained as Aliva adjusted her course to avoid a flight of geese.
“Did that man really have to die?” Aliva asked. The questions she put to him had revealed no evil intent. That was why she had treated him gently. He wasn’t some criminal who deserved to suffer.
It was the least harmful solution, the goddess explained. All of the others involved multiple deaths.
Since the goddess seemed to be in a talkative mood, Aliva tried another question. “Do I have a role to play regarding that castle?”
