“Nah, we’ll be fine,” Korima said, her voice breezy as she began to move more quickly, the bounce to her step so pronounced that the edges of her hat were flopping up and down. “I recognize one of the guards, which’ll make this easy.”
“If you say so,” Ruethwyn replied, trying to keep up with Korima.
The kitsune was moving quickly enough that the only person able to keep up with her easily was Tadrick, whose longer legs allowed him to keep pace relatively easily. Ruethwyn and Sella almost had to break into a jog by comparison, leaving Ruethwyn slightly winded by the time they reached the perimeter surrounding the troupe’s lodging.
“Hi, Uncle Zumis!” Korima exclaimed brightly, pulling her hat off as she practically bounded toward the burly, brown-haired kitsune who was on guard, startling both Ruethwyn and the man in question. He caught her in mid-air, a look of shock on his face.
“What the—Korima? What in the name of Vendra are you doing here?” the man demanded, his voice deep. “Where’d the wind blow you in from?”
“From here, silly. Give me a hug, would you?” Korima demanded, and the big man slowly smiled, chuckling before he gave her a hug, then set Korima down as she continued. “It’s good to see you, Uncle. I started going to Tyrness Academy this fall, so I’ve been here since before you arrived.”
“Ah, that’d explain it! I heard you were going to be training as a mage, but no one ever bothered to tell me you were going outside the clan for that!” Zumis replied, chuckling again as he shook his head. “They seem to always forget to tell me about things like that.”
“That’s not very nice, especially as much as you travel,” Korima replied, grinning and nodding back at the others, Ruethwyn just having managed to catch her breath. “These are some of my classmates and friends, Uncle. Ruethwyn, Sella, Tadrick? This is my second uncle, Zumis. Careful; he could throw you over the wall of the theater.”
“Umm…” Ruethwyn murmured, looking up at the wall of the theater, which was nearly thirty feet tall, if not more. “Hello?”
“Korima exaggerates. Slightly,” Zumis told her, ignoring the stares and murmurs the other citizens were casting in their direction. He studied Ruethwyn for a moment more than the other two but smiled as he said, “A pleasure to meet the three of you. I hope Korima hasn’t been too much trouble? I’m surprised to see her in robes, rather than a pair of dirty trousers and a torn tunic.”
“So, you’re saying that her sheer enthusiasm and tendency to throw herself into things without thinking them through is normal?” Tadrick asked, glancing at Korima in amusement as the kitsune sniffed and crossed her arms, offering his hand to the burly kitsune.
“You might say that,” Zumis replied, shaking Tadrick’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Zumis,” Ruethwyn said, nodding her head politely.
“Agreed,” Sella added, smiling up at him, an odd color to her cheeks. “I—”
“So, Uncle, I was hoping to take them to meet my parents. Do you know if they’re available?” Korima interrupted, smiling at him as she added, “I’ll vouch for them, too. Promise.”
“I don’t know, Korima.” Zumis’s smile faded and he glanced around the square before he continued. “Your mother’s been getting those letters again, so we’ve stepped up security.”
“Oh no… that’s horrid.” Korima’s expression fell slightly, her ears flattening a bit. “Is there any sign something might happen this time?”
“Nothing solid, no, but it has most of us on edge,” Zumis said, frowning. “It’s why I’m a bit uncomfortable about letting anyone in.”
“Well, I guess, though it’s a bit frustrating,” Korima said, sighing heavily.
“Zumis, let them in,” another kitsune interjected, the woman shaking her head. “Look, we can keep an eye on things out here, so you go ahead and escort them inside. It’s Korima, not some random third cousin of a friend.”
A few of the other guards in earshot laughed at that, prompting a smile from Ruethwyn, but after a moment she spoke up. “Even so, I don’t want to cause problems. If you need me to, I can go back to the academy, Korima.”
Sella nodded in agreement, but as Korima opened her mouth to speak, Zumis quickly spoke. “No, no… that isn’t necessary, Ms. Ruthwyn. If the others are willing to keep an eye on things out here, I’m comfortable letting you inside.”
“It’s Ru-ethwyn, Uncle, but thanks. I really wanted to introduce them to Father and Mother,” Korima said, looking like she was relaxing at last. “I didn’t think it’d be a problem.”
“Normally it probably wouldn’t be, but some months are more interesting than others,” the man said, gesturing them past the other guards, who quickly headed off a handful of onlookers who tried to follow.
Ruethwyn followed, glancing around as Sella asked, “What’s this about letters?”
“Oh, Mother has a lot of admirers, and she gets letters from some of them, some of which profess their love or similar things,” Korima explained, following Zumis with her hat in hand now. “A lot of them are open about who they are, but some are anonymous. If it’s the type of letters that I’m thinking of, years ago, Mother was getting some that were far more… intense than normal. The person said that they wanted to take her away with them or something, and they were quite threatening.”
“That’s not good,” Ruethwyn said, frowning. “Why would someone do… never mind, I shouldn’t ask. Of course some people do things like that.”
Zumis glanced back, his eyes narrowing slightly, but before he could say anything, Korima spoke sternly. “Zumis, knock it off! She survived Mellesyn, and if anyone is an example of the crazy person obsessing over Mother, a dragon is a good comparison.”
“You survived…? Ah, my apologies. I didn’t realize,” Zumis said, his stride hiccupping slightly, but he opened the door of the building, shaking his head. “I worry whenever something thinks they understand it, honestly. But I’m afraid that Korima’s right about the type of letters we’ve been getting. Worse, the person’s obsession seems to have grown far more intense than it was before.”
“I’ve heard about things like that,” Tadrick murmured, frowning as he stepped inside. “Most of the time, nothing comes of them, but every so often a person is obsessed enough to do something dangerous.”
“Exactly,” Zumis said and led the way upstairs. “This way, Korima. Your parents got their usual room, so you should feel somewhat at home.”
“Wait, you’ve been here before, Korima? I thought you primarily stayed with your clan!” Sella exclaimed.
“I did! I also traveled with my parents to the shows a few times, so it isn’t like I’ve never been here before. I just haven’t been able to explore properly,” Korima replied. “I was young, so I didn’t get to go out without supervision.”
“For good reason.” Zumis’s stage whisper wasn’t quiet enough to fool anyone, and Korima promptly kicked him, prompting a laugh from everyone.
The building was surprisingly mundane, Ruethwyn realized, glancing around. The halls were similar to those at the inns she’d visited on her way to the capital, and the floor was worn smooth by the passage of feet. She’d expected it to be more like the academy, but instead, it was just… normal. She thought about saying something, but decided not to after a moment, not wanting to invite still more teasing from Tadrick.
“Alright, here we are,” Zumis said, then knocked and spoke loudly. “It’s Zumis! I’ve got Korima and some of her friends here, if you’re decent.”
For a moment, there wasn’t any sound, then the door burst open to reveal a man in a simple tunic and trousers, grinning broadly. The kitsune had dark brown hair while his ears had white tips, and it was with a bit of surprise that Ruethwyn realized he was the illusionist from the parade that morning. The man grinned and enveloped Korima in a hug.
“Korima! We hadn’t heard whether or not you were meeting with us, you little rascal! How are you? Are you eating well?” he exclaimed, even as Kori
ma began to giggle, squirming as she tried to escape.
“Dad, stop it! We’re… we’re in public!” Korima exclaimed.
“Cerid, let her go and show them in, if you would?” A woman’s voice came from inside the room, her soprano beautiful and mellow enough to startle Ruethwyn.
“Of course, dear,” the man said, letting go of Korima and ruffling her hair once more, smiling as he turned and said, “Thank you, Zumis. We were hoping Korima would visit, but didn’t know whether or not it’d happen.”
“Not a problem, though you could’ve told me she was here. It was a bit of a shock to see her come bounding out of a crowd of elves,” Zumis said, shaking Cerid’s hand.
“It was discussed last spring, during the meeting you slept through, so it’s your own fault,” Cerid retorted, to the bigger man’s groan. Then Korima’s father turned to them, his topaz eyes glittering with mirth as he gestured at them. “Come on in, all of you.”
Ruethwyn followed his directions, stepping into the room behind the others, and was startled at the interior. Unlike the halls, this room was almost the size of the classroom Master Mara taught in, and it had fine furnishings, a heavy four-post bed, and broad, glass-paned windows. Standing from the couch opposite the door was a woman, and Ruethwyn barely kept her jaw from dropping open at the sight of her.
Korima was a beautiful woman, but her mother put her to shame. The woman was curvaceous, tall, and had perfect skin. Her eyes and hair were a deep scarlet red that was almost unnatural, which was matched by her ears and tail, and she was wearing an elegant blue dress that made her coloration stand out even more. The woman was wearing a simple silver necklace and bracelet as well, and she smiled gently, accentuating her pristine beauty even more. The only beings more beautiful that Ruethwyn had seen were Zaria and Amalla, which was even more impressive to her.
“Gods… Korima, you didn’t say your mother was Lady Rithara!” Tadrick exclaimed, the young man stock-still and looking poleaxed.
“No, I told you that you’d never believe me if I told you that,” Korima said, grinning. “So I didn’t tell you, because you wouldn’t have believed me.”
“Korima… you sprang who I was on them?” the woman asked, her voice gentle but disapproving.
“Yes, but… what else was I supposed to do? If I said who you were in public, I’d get mobbed by people trying to get close to you, Mother!” Korima protested, stepping closer and giving her mother a hug.
“I suppose so, but it’s something we’d do best to rectify, hmm?” Rithara said, and looked up at them as Cerid closed the door. Ruethwyn shivered as the woman focused on her for a moment, then each of the others in turn before speaking. “As at least one of you knows, I am Rithara Lightweaver, actress of the Starlight Troupe. Cerid is my mate, and is the troupe’s head illusionist, and our daughter is Korima. May I ask who you are? Starting with you, young lady. Shush, Korima.”
Korima closed her mouth at her mother’s words, looking embarrassed. Sella shifted under Rithara’s gaze, her voice almost a squeak. “Me?”
“Yes, you. I like knowing those who’ve gotten close to my daughter, hmm?” Rithara replied with a gentle smile.
“W-well… I’m Sella Vintas, from Waterstone. I’m just one of Korima’s classmates, and we’ve gotten along fairly well,” Sella replied, looking somewhat flustered. “I knew Korima was hiding something, but I had no idea that she was the daughter of someone so famous.”
“Fame isn’t everything. It’s been quite a few years since I was last near Waterstone… it may be a good idea to swing up through that part of the country next year,” Rithara mused, glancing at Cerid as she asked, “Cerid? Your opinion?”
“It’s not a bad idea, just to change things slightly,” he agreed, smiling back. “I’ll bring it up with the council.”
“Excellent. Now you’re… let me guess, one of the Daskar family? You have the particular features of their clan,” Rithara said, examining Tadrick, who stood up straighter, flushing slightly, though Ruethwyn wasn’t certain if it was caused by pride or embarrassment.
“That’s correct, Lady Rithara. I’m Tadrick Daskar, second son of Earl Daskar,” Tadrick said, bowing deeply. “It’s an honor to meet you. If I’d known who we were coming to meet, I’d have dressed more appropriately.”
“It’s no matter, Tadrick. This is hardly a formal occasion,” Rithara said, smiling slightly. “I’ve met your father a couple of times, as well as your mother. I hope they’re well.”
“They are, thank you,” Tadrick replied, opening his mouth to continue, but stopping as Rithara turned her attention to Ruethwyn.
“Now, you’re most unusual, young lady. You’ve obviously had a hard life, and from how you move… you can’t have been injured for long,” Rithara said, scrutinizing Ruethwyn closely. “I have my guesses as to why, but I think it’s best to let you tell your own tale.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Rithara, even if unlike the others, I’d only heard of your troupe before this,” Ruethwyn said, bowing her head slightly, then hesitating. Finally, she licked her lips and admitted, “I’m Ruethwyn Sylaris, formerly of Mellesyn.”
“Gods,” Cerid murmured, coloring slightly as Ruethwyn glanced at him.
“As I thought. You have my sympathies, Ruethwyn,” Rithara said, shaking her head. “There’s no way to express how horrible what happened was, so I will not try. All I can give are my condolences.”
“I understand,” Ruethwyn said, swallowing and nodding. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, why don’t we all sit down and I can pry into how things are going at your academy,” Rithara said, smiling more warmly as she gave Korima another gentle hug. “I do worry about Korima, after all.”
“I’m fine, Mother! Ruethwyn even made me a nice dress!” Korima said quickly.
“Oh?” Rithara asked, her eyebrows arching as she looked at Ruethwyn curiously. “I’d like to see it.”
Ruethwyn paused for a long moment, scrabbling for words at the thought that one of the most renowned actresses in the kingdom might want to see the dresses she’d made, then slumped slightly, muttering forlornly, “Korima, you could’ve told me this before you asked me to make you a dress.”
Her reply seemed to crack some of the tension in the room, as the others began to laugh. Ruethwyn couldn’t keep a lump from forming in her throat as she realized how much Anara would’ve loved to meet Rithara.
Chapter 28
“Hello, Ms. Ivrad.” Essryl’s voice was soft, and she smiled broadly as the woman all but jumped out of her skin.
The blonde woman spun around, metal hissing as she snatched a dagger from its sheath, and then froze, her blue eyes widening as she saw Essryl. Ivrad was pretty enough, Essryl thought, even if her nose looked to have been broken once or twice and was somewhat crooked. She was also fit and moved smoothly in her tunic and trousers, but the woman didn’t move for a long moment. Then she slowly, carefully, sheathed the dagger.
“My… my apologies, Lady Demara. I didn’t realize you were planning to visit,” Ivrad replied, straightening and letting out a breath. “I would have preferred a warning that you were coming.”
Ivrad ran a small adventuring guild in Tyrness, what amounted to a mercenary guild, in all honesty, though the locals like to dress it up in nicer terms. Essryl didn’t see the point, but it didn’t matter to her. Slipping into Ivrad’s office would tend to excite Resvarygrath’s informant, but that was fine with Essryl. It made things more fun.
“Ah, but if I warned you, that means someone might have been able to intercept the message, and then I would’ve been forced to massacre who knows how many incompetent fools?” Essryl replied, a smile playing across her lips as she studied Ivrad carefully. “I’d rather avoid that… though if you’d like a rematch, I’d be happy to oblige.”
“No!” Ivrad said quickly, then flushed as she shook her head. “No, that won’t be necessary, Lady Demara. Last time was more than enough to teach me the diffe
rence between us.”
“Of course it was,” Essryl replied, suppressing any sign of her disappointment. She’d thought that Ivrad might be worth her while, but it appeared that hope wasn’t going to be fulfilled.
“Well, since I wasn’t warned that you were coming, may I ask what you’re here for?” Ivrad asked, walking around her desk to sit. She had mostly regained her poise, Essryl thought.
“Yes, asking me is fine,” Essryl replied, her tail flicking as she meandered over to Ivrad’s armor rack, studying the old breastplate critically. There were only hints of scars where it’d been damaged, showing that the woman had used it quite a bit for years, but it’d been well-maintained since then.
Ivrad let out an annoyed sigh and asked, “Then why are you here? I didn’t think you wanted to contact me too openly.”
“I didn’t and don’t,” Essryl said, smiling as she reached into her belt pouch to pull out a small bag of coins, which she tossed onto the desk in front of Ivrad. “A payment from My Lord for your service. Now, I’m told there’s a new summoner in the academy, and I need to know what you can tell me about her.”
“Oh! That would explain why you’re here, then. Summoners are a bit rare at that,” Ivrad said, a smile blossoming on her face as she picked up the bag, hefting it for a moment before sliding it into her desk and saying, “One moment; I need to find the file in question.”
“Of course,” Essryl replied, watching as Ivrad pushed her chair back and stepped over to a cabinet in the corner. The woman unlocked it and went through several sheaves of parchment before pulling out a few pages.
“Here we are… let’s see,” Ivrad said, nodding as she continued. “It’s good that I kept this, because I might’ve forgotten some of the details otherwise.”
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 21
