by Devyn Jayse
A thousand thoughts raced through me. If the prince isn't the expected successor, then who will it be?
Garren's expression didn't change as he watched me slowly figure it out.
The only other successor to the crown other than the prince would be his heir.
My sister's child.
Whoever was plotting with Garren was plotting treason.
19
A rooster crowed, waking me much earlier than I wanted. I wondered who had gotten a rooster and how many mornings the neighbors would let him see before they served him up in a meal. From his voice, I predicted that wouldn't be too long.
With all thoughts of sleep gone, I lay there in my bed, thinking about the events that had transpired over the past few days. I was no closer to finding out who the killer was. It was clearly someone familiar enough with the women in the Blights. No reports had come in from a stranger who was approaching women. Everyone in the Blights was warier about strangers, so a stranger would have trouble moving around without attracting notice.
I ran through the different options. I couldn't rely on Garren's word that it was someone from the castle. I had to be certain. If the murderer was someone from the Blights, someone would surely have noticed different behavior. That left the townspeople. Someone who was used to visiting the Blights wouldn't raise any attention, much as Morris came and went to The Fortune without drawing suspicion.
I figured I would be able to learn more if I visited town and asked around.
"Welcome back," the bookseller greeted me. A kindly older man, Colten, was used to seeing me once every blue moon.
"How are you doing, Colten?"
"Can't complain. I'm afraid I haven't gotten anything interesting lately."
I smiled. "I'm not here for Penny. I came by to ask you some questions."
"Oh, have you know? And what sort of questions are they?"
"Not the interesting kind, I'm afraid. I wanted to know if you know of any people who've come to town recently and been causing trouble."
Colten's brows met as he considered my question. "Can't say that I do. Town has been the same as usual, with the exception of the new bookseller that's opened up down the street."
"I heard of her. Is she hurting sales?"
"No, she's bringing in more specialized goods. I focus on pleasing everyone, so I have a broader selection." Despite Morris's misgivings, Colten didn't seem too concerned about the new competition.
"What about sailors? Have any ships stayed in port longer than the usual? I know some sailors get up to trouble if they're too long in one place."
Colten scratched the back of his neck. "Can't say that any have. As far as I know, the ships at port have been keeping to the usual schedule. What's this, now? What are you after with talks of sailors gone rogue?"
"I've heard rumors of trouble happening and wondered what the cause was," I replied, remembering Oscar's advice to not share news of the Blights killings with the townspeople.
"Rumors or truth?" Colten regarded me knowingly. "Seems like you're going to a whole lot of trouble asking questions for rumors."
I shrugged. "Half and half. Just wondered if there were any strange people around recently that could be the cause of my friend's troubles."
"No, there haven't been any strangers. You can strike down the thought of stray sailors. All crews have gotten back on board, or I would have heard about it. It's been a while since a sailor has landed here and decided to stick around."
"Any idea of where I could go looking to find answers to my questions?"
Colten squinted his eyes in thought. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to verify my answers with the local taverns. They would know for sure if any crew had been left behind. You'll always find a stray sailor lurking in a portside tavern. As for the rest, I can tell you no new faces have appeared in town."
"Thanks for your help."
"No need for thanks. Tell young Penny I should have a new batch of books in a few weeks."
"I will," I said as I left the store.
I walked down the street until I reached the new bookseller's store. She had a large window display, which featured a collection of antique books with beautiful leather covers and penmanship.
As I stepped inside, a bell rang overhead.
"I'll be right there," someone called out in a deep voice.
My eyes traveled all around the store. Bookshelves with beautiful leather-bound books were all around me.
A tall woman emerged from the back. She was taller than me, with dark skin and beautiful black eyes. "I'm Amne, the storekeeper. How may I help you?"
"I'm Dare," I said. "I heard you deal with rare books and manuscripts."
She nodded. "You heard right."
"I wondered if you had any books from the Shreperi."
When she didn't say anything, I thought she was unfamiliar with the place, so I continued, "They're a land far away. I heard they have really cold weather and it's rare for them to venture away from their territories."
"You mistake my silence. It's not that I don't know the Shreperi. On the contrary, I have been there myself."
"You have?" I opened my eyes wide.
"Yes, I lived there for a short time in my youth. But I found it unusual that someone should ask me for a book from there, especially since it is the second such request in as many days." Her dark eyes looked puzzled by the odds.
I laughed. "Oh, no wonder. That must have been strange. I guess Morris came here already? He's the one who told me about your store and the Shreperi. I was so interested I wanted to learn more about them. I'm surprised you managed to get him to leave if he knew you had been there. Did he ask you many questions?"
She smiled. "Yes, he did. But I was glad to answer. I traveled to gain knowledge. It would be useless of me to be stingy with it now."
"Did he get a book?" I asked her, a little excited.
"No. Unfortunately, I didn't have any in stock. But I plan on getting in touch with my friends there and asking them to send me any they are willing to share with us here."
"That would be wonderful. Can I depend on you to let Morris know if there is any news?"
"You can be certain of it," she said graciously. "In the meantime, if there's nothing else I can help you with, feel free to browse my other books and see if there are any that catch your fancy."
"Thank you. I will."
I spent some time perusing the bookshelves and was nearly tempted by a few books, but I guessed they were worth more coin than I had in my possession. I would have to start saving up for the Shreperi book if it ever came--or ask Oscar to purchase it himself. After all, the map was his mystery to solve. I was just helping.
Realizing I had lost track of my afternoon's objective, I thanked Amne and left the store.
I had to continue my search for information.
I walked down the street, heading toward the port. Listening to Colten's advice and asking at the taverns wouldn't hurt. The day was fair and the port half full. Luckily, Valona was located halfway between destinations that sailors regularly visited for supplies. That made for a thriving and bustling port.
My feet took me to my favorite tavern, The Drunken Sailor. The last time I had been here was years before, with Tobin and a random town boy I had met. The town boy had helped redirect me when I was lost.
I was pleased that nothing in the tavern had changed. The tavern was half full with sailors who didn't have ship duties. I breathed in the scent of ale and salt.
I seated myself at a small table and sat there, observing people. A few sailors looked my way, and one of them winked at me.
A serving girl shortly appeared. "Hello there! Will you be having a meal or a drink today?"
"I'll have a meal and a drink." I smiled at her.
She grinned back. "We've got a lovely fish dish cooking. I'd recommend that unless you don't have a taste for fish."
"That sounds great."
"And what'll you have for your drink?"
"A
le, please."
"I'll be right back. I'm Minna if you need to call out for me." She gave me another pretty smile.
"Thanks, Minna."
I didn't have to wait long for Minna to bring my ale, and not much longer after that, she brought out a dish smelling of citrus and herb. I inhaled the delicious scent. The fish came with a side of vegetables, which made for a nice change from the lamb and chicken at The Honest Tavern.
Minna came back when she saw I'd cleared my dishes. "Liked it, did you?"
"I'd order another plate if I had space in my belly," I confessed.
She beamed. "I'll tell the cook. She'll be right pleased."
"Please do." I placed coin on the table, enough to cover my meal and a bit extra. She raised an eyebrow at the extra.
"Thank you for making my meal enjoyable."
"It's nothing at all," Minna replied.
"I just had a question."
A wary look crossed her features, but she said, "Of course."
"Have you heard of any unhappy sailors being left behind from their crew?"
The wary look left her face, and she frowned in thought. "How long ago do you want to know?"
"Over the past few moons or so."
She shook her head. "None I've heard of as recent as that. I knew of a man who was a wrong sort being left behind, but that was years ago. No captains have left any crew behind, voluntarily or involuntarily, over the past few moons."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm sure. As sure as I know that you haven't been to this tavern over the past few years, if at all, because I've never seen you once."
I smiled. "And you'd be right about that. I last came here many years ago, when I was much younger and had no business being here."
"I'll keep an ear out for you if you'd like," she said, scooping up the coins. "And when you return, I'll let you know all I've heard."
"I'd be grateful. Thank you."
She gave me a pretty smile and left me to my thoughts.
Neither the bookseller nor the serving girl had said any notable people had come to town and decided to stay. However, that didn't eliminate the possibility that the killer was from town. It could also have been someone from the castle or the Blights itself. I had no way of knowing whom to watch out for if the murderer was someone familiar to the Blights. If the killings didn't stop soon, neighbors would turn on neighbors, but I suspected that as long as the murders were of women who worked in a line of work many frowned upon, no one would do anything to seriously search for the killer.
20
I had one more place to inquire at in order to complete my search.
That place was located in the Blights.
I made my way to Maggie's store. She was the person to go to if anyone needed any information. You could buy almost anything from her store, including information. When I walked in, I saw several regulars. Maggie was at the counter taking coin from one customer.
"Hello, Dare," she called out when she spotted me. "Here for the usual?"
I moved closer to her before I spoke. "No, I had a few questions for you if you have the time."
Maggie gave me a shrewd look. "Want to come to my storage room to discuss?"
The storage room was a cramped room full of odd bits and ends. It was where Maggie took everyone that wanted to buy or sell a piece of information.
"That would be great, thank you." I followed her to the storage room as she instructed one of her sons to take over her duties.
"What are your questions?" she asked me without preamble.
"You've heard about the killings, yes?"
"Is there anyone in the Blights who hasn't? People are scared stiff, except for those who think those women deserved what they got, as if anyone deserved that." Maggie made a face, showing exactly what she thought of those people.
I frowned. "There are those saying that?"
"Aye, folk who don't fear the world turning its wheel and the same happening to them." Maggie nodded.
"That's awful," I said.
"Aye, people tend to show the worst of themselves at times like these. But you can trust that part to be their true selves. Never believe it to be a lie or just a passing. This is who they are deep down," Maggie advised me.
"Well, have you heard about anyone new coming to the Blights? That's what I'm after, news of anyone new that's moved here. Besides myself," I interjected before she could say it herself.
She shook her head. "Nobody besides you has come and settled here in some time. And we'd know because new people tend to stick out like a sore thumb until they change their ways to suit their surroundings and the people around them."
"Are people looking out for new faces?"
"Aye, they know to keep track of any new faces, but so far, no one new has come in. And you know what that means." Her face took on a sad expression.
"The killer is someone we know. Or someone that the Blights folk know," I amended.
"Aye, someone familiar enough to the Blights, be he a resident or from town or castle. People around here must be used to seeing his face."
"Can you let people know that if they have suspicions against anyone, to let me know?" I asked Maggie since she interacted with nearly everyone.
Maggie shook her head. "That won't do anyone any good."
"What do you mean?"
"The second you ask people to watch out for anyone suspicious, they will see everyone as suspicious. They'll turn on each other."
"Yes, but if the killer isn't stopped soon, everyone will turn against each other. It won't matter who you are--people will be suspicious of folk they've known their whole lives," I said.
"Aye, that can happen." Maggie looked worried. "I've seen it myself."
"Then what can be done?" I asked.
"People will just have to be on their guard, especially those young women working those jobs. They're the ones that are at the highest risk. They'll have to go out in pairs or groups to make sure that they're not caught out alone by themselves. It would lower the chances of the killer going after them."
"We've already advised them to do that. From the recent murders, it doesn't seem that they're listening," I replied, frustrated.
Maggie snorted. "Think people listen to great ideas? They have to somehow come up with them themselves."
"There is another option, you know." She looked at me. "You could tell Blaze to pass the word along. Folk here tend to listen to him."
"That's a good idea. I'll do that, of course." Why hadn't I thought of that? Everyone would listen to Blaze's instructions.
"I'm new here, as you know. But I'm trying my best to find out who this person is, killing the women in the Blights. Is there anything that you can think of that may seem like something small but that I should know?"
"Like what?" Maggie asked.
"For instance, all the women that have been killed so far have been women who kept jobs that others looked down upon. Is there anything else that all those women have in common? I didn't know them, so I don't know if they all grew up here or lived in the same neighborhood or had the same type of personality. Something like that. Something you may take for granted but may offer me a different perspective."
Maggie thought for a while. "I don't believe I know anything like that. They didn't all live in the same neighborhood. The only thing all of them shared was a similar job. Oh, and maybe the same motivation. They all liked to earn easy coin. The easier, the better."
I frowned. "Are you basing that off the jobs they do?"
Maggie shook her head. "No, it's from knowing them. They wouldn't go to a spot of bother if it meant they would have to do a little more work for better pay. They would choose the easier option for lesser pay. They mainly looked after their comfort."
"Thanks for that insight." I wondered what I could do with it, but I had been the one who asked her to supply me with any detail, no matter how insignificant. I couldn't backtrack.
Before I walked out of the storage room, I ma
de one last request of her. "If you hear anything, even if you don't think it may be of help, please let me know."
"I will," Maggie promised.
21
I was close to The Fortune when its door opened. A man emerged, wearing a long black tunic and trousers. He had black leather boots on. He looked at me, and a fierce grin broke across his face. Something glinted in his hand, but before I could see what it was, he burst into motion.
He charged me at a run.
Alarmed, I pulled out my sword. A moment later, I was glad I did as he proceeded to attack me. His weapon of choice was a three-tonged dagger with long, thin blades.
"What are you doing?" I yelled at him. His eyes were intense as he countered every move I made. My sword was at risk of getting stuck between the long blades as I tried desperately to fend off his attacks.
"I'm trying to see if you're as good as they say you are," the man responded, still pressing forward.
Confused, I continued to return his blows until he finally managed to disarm me. My sword fell to the ground, and I scrambled after it, but before I could pick it up, he put his foot on it.
"Get your foot off my sword!" I snarled at him.
He pointed his dagger at me. "And if I don't?"
Without thinking, I lunged at him, trying not to impale myself on the long dagger. He couldn't sidestep me completely, so he tumbled to the ground. I realized then how close the dagger was to me as he brushed it lightly against my throat. I swallowed hard.
Reading my mind, he said, "Good thing I'm not a real attacker, or I would have skewered you for that thoughtless reaction."
"Who are you?" I asked against the blade at my throat.
He withdrew his weapon, and I scrambled away from him. He rose to his feet and dusted off his clothes. When he was done, he finally looked back at me and replied, "I'm your instructor."
I frowned. Instructor?
"Oscar said you needed someone to train against you, but it's clear from your poor defensive skills that what you need is an instructor. I'm surprised you've managed to stay alive so long, with your basic bladework."
