Chapter 24
Traveler's Camp at Henge
Take the Thief was still determined to find out what he could about his long lost father, in spite of his reluctance to be in the same city with the sorceress, Serafina. As dusk turned to night at the Traveler's camp, he moved his few possessions into the old woman's wagon. It was painted bright red with yellow stars and moons.
"I appreciate this, Zigana. I will pay you as long as I'm here."
Zigana flapped her hand at Take. "Go on with your pay. I like having company." She hung a cloth from the ceiling to divide the wagon into two sleeping areas. "So you've decided to find out who your father was?"
Take shrugged. "A person likes to know these things. He may not be too pleased to know me—a man called Take the Thief?"
"To me you are Drina's boy, Finn. And I am pleased to have you here."
"You are a queen among women."
Zigana laughed. "I am that. A gypsy queen."
Take was quiet for a few moments. "I suppose the soldiers have their favorite taverns when they're off duty?"
"They drift down to the docks, most nights. I've seen them going into the Carp and Gull and sometimes into Lindys."
"Would you care to accompany me to one of these fine establishments tonight for a pint or two?"
Zigana smiled. "I'm too old for such foolishness. I wouldn't have been down there at all if it weren't for..." Her voice trailed off.
Take pulled the sheet aside to see Zigana, sitting on her bed, shaking her head.
Take's voice was full of concern. "If it weren't for what?"
"I'm worried about Juanita and Esmeralda. They're good at what they do. They tell people's fortunes and they have a knack for it. They can tell a lot, just by looking at people. But Serafina has forbidden us to tell fortunes. The girls are angry about it. It's how they make their spending money. They're both high spirited girls. I know they are going to the taverns where the soldiers gather. I don't want to see them get into trouble—or to get us thrown out of Henge."
"I'll keep an eye on them tonight. How about El Grande? Could he rein them in a bit?"
"He'd be more likely to throw them out if they caused trouble for the rest of the camp. They're not kin to him."
"Don't worry. I'll see what they're up to tonight."
Take walked into the Carp and Gull that evening. The tavern was full of soldiers making the most of their free time. They all had their pints of ale in hand. Some were playing a noisy game of dice. Others were playing at cards. A few men sang rowdy drinking songs as they waved their pints to and fro in time to the music from a fiddle.
Take saw two old men sitting together, reminiscing about battles fought and won. Take asked if he could join them.
One of the men had a white mustache and bushy white eyebrows. He seemed a little inebriated, but in a cheerful way.
"An why would a young buck like yerself be wantin' to join us old army coots?"
"I was hoping you might have known my Uncle Finn," Take said. "I never met him but my father used to talk about him a lot."
The second soldier was a thin man with suspicious eyes. He studied Take as he sipped from his drink. "How is it ya never met yer Uncle Finn?"
"My family moved South, down by Land's End. This is the first time I've been to Henge."
"Finn," the white haired soldier repeated. I don't recollect a Finn, do you Dewey?"
"Never heard a no Finn and I'm not one to forget a name," Dewey said.
"I suppose he might have died young," Take suggested. "We might not have heard if he did."
Both men shook their heads, unable to remember a Finn who had died young.
"What company are you a part of?" Take asked the white haired man.
"We're cavalry—me an Dewey. We were there when we bested Fernland under old King Blackwell."
"Good on you." Take stood up. "Thanks for your time, Gentlemen."
"Luck to you. Ya might take a look over ta Lindys where the infantry men tend to gather." The white haired man saluted Take with his ale.
Take saw Juanita and Esmeralda as soon as he stepped into Lindys Tavern.
Esmeralda was dancing alone while a few card players watched off and on. Juanita was bringing two ales to another table of soldiers.
Take sat in a corner with a pint of ale and watched the girls carefully. It did not take too long to figure out what they were up to.
The two girls sat together talking. A soldier noticed Esmeralda's empty glass. He offered to buy her a glass of ale if she would dance for him and his buddies. Esmeralda looked at her empty glass, shrugged and smiled at the soldier. He brought her a pint of ale and she put it behind her bag, out of sight and stood up to dance.
Juanita appeared bored while her friend danced to the tune of a fiddle. After a moment Juanita sauntered over to stand beside a table where three soldiers had glasses close to empty. She listened to their jokes and teasing remarks for a minute, then offered to bring them fresh drinks. They all gave her money, probably a little extra, and she walked off with the three empty mugs. She passed by the table she shared with Esmeralda and, using her body to shield the view, left one of the three empty mugs behind the large bag beside the full mug the soldier had bought. She went on to the bar, lifted the two remaining empty mugs and asked for two full ones. She paid the barman and stopped back by her table where Esmeralda now sat. They exchanged a few words, and again, shielding her movements with her body, picked up the full glass of ale the soldier had purchased for Esmeralda. She carried the three full mugs to the table where the soldiers sat, exchanged a few more jokes and returned to her table where Esmeralda sat with an empty mug, waiting for the next soldier to offer her an ale in exchange for a dance.
It seemed to Take a harmless scheme. The soldiers were paying Esmeralda to dance, one way or another, but when the scheme was finally noticed, they might be banned from the tavern or reported to the infantry commander.
Take strolled over to the girls' table.
"Remember me from King's Lake?" he asked.
"I've seen you before." As recognition dawned, Esmeralda's lip turned out into a pout. "I remember you. You took Avor away from us."
"That was me. Good memory," he complimented.
"What are you doing here?" Juanita asked.
"I'm staying with Zigana for a while. She knew my mother."
"You should have left Avor with us. We had a plan," Esmeralda complained.
"What was your plan?"
"Never mind," Juanita said. "So what do you want with us? Did Zigana send you to watch us?"
"Why would you ask that? Are you doing something you shouldn't?"
Juanita looked offended. "Of course not." She narrowed her eyes. "What if we were? Would you tell on us?"
Take smiled at them. "I'm sure anything you could think up, I've done worse. But I was wondering—why don't you just ask for money to dance instead of doing all that extra work to replace an empty glass with a full one that someone's bought for you?"
Esmeralda blushed and Juanita looked angry.
Juanita muttered something under her breath.
"What?" Take asked.
"They won't let us tell fortunes and it's against the tavern rules to take money for dancing. But they will allow someone to buy us a pint to dance. That way the tavern makes money—or so they think." Juanita glanced at Take to see of he understood the unfairness of the rule.
"They are bound to notice eventually. I noticed in the first five minutes."
"We need to make money some way," Esmeralda whined.
"Let me think about it. Mayhap I'll come up with an idea for you. In the meantime I'll give you each a silver coin if you come up with some information for me."
Juanita looked interested. "What kind of information?"
"Ask some of the older soldiers if they remember a man named Finn. He might be dead. If not he would probably be in his fif
ties or older by now."
"Who is he?" Esmeralda asked.
"If someone needs to know, tell them he's my long lost uncle."
"What if no one knows him?" Juanita asked.
"I will still give you the price of an ale each, and no one has to dance."
"Don't tell Zigana," Juanita warned.
"I won't." Take put his finger to his lips. "Friends?"
Take and the girls shook hands.
Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music Page 24
