"Lady Belmonte, Lady Stone. Your guests are waiting in the parlor."
Penny and Chrissa exchanged a glance. Penny saw the younger woman clutch the dagger in her hand more tightly. "Our guests?"
Alicia looked confused by their attitudes, staring between their faces, the weapon, and the blood of the soldier that was on Chrissa. She shook her head. There were some things that were better not to ask about. "Yes. Would you would like me to take you to them?"
Closing her eyes briefly, Penny said a quick prayer under her breathe and then nodded. Alicia turned to lead them into the parlor and she took the opportunity to lean over while they walked, "Be ready."
Chrissa nodded. They went in the door.
Penny stared, surprised, at the occupants of the room. Joanna and her entire party sat on her sofas, lounging, in soot covered clothing. To make it worse, they were all smirking.
"What is going on?" Penny asked, stepping inside. Chrissa followed her and shut the door.
Joanna smiled, "I finally implemented the plan I told you of."
Penny only stared at her. Joanna gestured her over and Penny had to bite back a sight at being beckoned in her own house. Chrissa and her both went and took a seat. Penny found herself slumping down, exhausted. She could feel her bruises from her time with Eldrin much more exquisitely than earlier.
"One of our plans," Joanna said, "It went off wonderfully. We came here to tell you about it. Everyone was very pleased."
"Your plan," Penny repeated. The adrenaline in her system was being replaced by confusion and shock. She had never seen Joanna so excited. Everyone around her seemed to be basking in it.
Joanna nodded, "Right. I told you I had a plan. You asked what it was, and I told you that you'd have to wait and see it in person. Here it is." She gestured around, excited.
"Your plan is to sit in my parlor?" Penny arched an eyebrow. She couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice.
"No," Joanna said with a laugh. Those around her laughed too. "Our plan was to burn down the houses."
"What?" Penny demanded, sitting up straight, "You lit those fires?"
Joanna nodded, letting out a sigh of relief that Penny had finally caught on. "That's right. Simons has been teaching me fire manipulation. We spread the flames with wind manipulation."
Penny's eyes narrowed, "Why would you do that?"
"Because we wanted to make a big statement," Joanna said, her happy expression fading as she realized Penny was not as excited as her, "We've been planning it from the start. Start with small things, then some worse incidents, then this, and then we'll move onto things even larger."
Finding herself on her felt, Penny couldn't keep the rage out of her voice, "Come outside with me, Whitetree."
Joanna stood, despite someone's hand on her arm and shrugged. When Penny turned on a heel, storming out of the room and down that hall that would lead to the outside garden, she followed.
The second the door clicked shut behind Joanna, Penny turned towards her, livid, "What in the hell were you thinking, Joanna?"
Joanna met her gaze without flinching, "I told you what I was thinking. This is a huge step for us. The soldiers are going to spend the entire night and most of tomorrow putting out fires. Then there's going to be complaints, and follow-ups, and of course, they're going to be wondering who was behind it..."
"You attack soldiers," Penny nearly screamed, "You don't attack the people of the city! They're innocent!"
Without emotion, Joanna shook her head, "They are far from that, Penny."
Penny tried to calm herself down, feeling herself growing more heated as she did. She took a few steps away from Joanna and drew in a breath, "You are released from your services. Your group will join with ... Dalton's."
"You can't do that!" Joanna exclaimed.
Spinning back around, Penny jammed a finger against her chest, "You could have killed someone! You probably have! Someone that isn't a soldier!"
Joanna shoved her hand away, her own voice just as loud, "They might as well be soldiers! Half of them join their army, and the rest give soldiers the gold they need to keep us in line and to support their cause."
"Justification," Penny snapped, "That's all that is. You're trying to justify your actions and I will not listen! You had no right to bring Valishna citizens into this! You have been against the wealthy since we started and I'm tired of it. Being poor does not give you an excuse to hate everyone with gold!"
"Oh, of course not," Joanna said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "I had better think twice about judging someone by their true natures."
"True nature?" Penny asked. She had stopped screaming but her voice was still a dangerous tone, "True nature? Joanna, I'm not sure you know anyone's true nature."
"I know plenty about the wealthy and the elite," Joanna said darkly, "and they got what they deserved."
"That was not your call," Penny said, striving to keep her voice down, "You had no right to do what you did. You are finished here. Now, you are going to go back inside. I'm going to find Dalton, and you are going to hand your command to him."
"I'm not going to do that," Joanna said gritting her teeth.
Penny's eyes blazed, "You will do what I say or I swear I will destroy you. Go inside! And don't even think about leaving until I return! Unless you want the soldiers to know exactly who it was that set those fires. I hear they're looking for a scapegoat for everything."
Joanna turned on a heel, storming back into the house. The door clanged shut behind her.
Shaking, Penny stared at the door where she'd gone. She could not believe she would have felt it was okay to destroy the homes of citizens of the city. She glanced back at her own house and grimaced. She would easily have destroyed hers too if she had not been leading them. She couldn't imagine being homeless.
"Eldrin!" Penny called out. She peered around. She knew the chances of him actually being around was little but calling out gave her something to do. She paced the entire garden, searching, and considered going into town. Realizing it would be a bad idea, Penny gave up, nearly flopping onto the ground in frustration. She decided to go to the beach instead.
When the security had been posted on the shore, there had been regulations passed that forbid people from walking down there. Penny had kept herself from going since the regulations but now, in her anger, she decided to risk it. She had missed the beach.
It was weird to see the shore after avoiding it for weeks. In the past, she had gone there to walk alone but this time it felt mostly lonely. Penny picked through the rocks while she thought. She calmed down a bit but every time she thought about Joanna sitting her parlor, her internal rage would fire back up.
Penny thought about the few times in her life that she'd been that angry. When she was younger, she had plenty of tantrums and angry fits. The older that she grew, the more she was able to control herself. It wasn't until Matilyn had left that she'd really felt this level of anger.
Shivering, Penny swore that she'd kill Joanna before admitting to being in the wrong. It was growing late and while the smoke was still rising in the sky, the wind had picked up and she hadn't grabbed a jacket.
Penny sighed and found herself a place on the beach to sit. It was far away from the docks so she was less worried about soldiers coming out this way. She was hardly worried at all, actually. Once she was sitting, she dug around on the ground until she had found a sand stone.
Focusing on it, she thought about Joanna again. Her anger flared and this time she directed it. The spark of anger grew and then engulfed her until the sandstone exploded into flames. Penny glared at it and the flames grew and then started to spread along the sand.
"Stop it."
Penny whipped around, losing focus. Eldrin stood a few feet away from her, his arms folded. The fire behind Penny died down without further encouragement.
"You know," Eldrin said, "When there are homes on fire, it isn't a good idea to be caught on a banned beach practicing regulated manipula
tion with fire."
"I..." Penny started to say and then hesitated and sighed. She stood up and brushed her pants off. "You're right. I was looking for you, you know."
Eldrin shrugged and then gestured at the path. Penny started to walk up and he followed behind, "I do know. I heard you calling. I was nearby."
"You were nearby my garden," Penny said dryly.
"I was on my way over," he said with a simple shrug, "and you were calling to me, thinking that I wasn't even close. I might get a complex, Penny."
Penny sighed, "I was angry and I wanted your advice."
"Was?"
"Am."
Eldrin glanced over at her, "I talked to Whitetree."
"Did she tell you what she did?" Penny demanded.
"Well, I heard you screaming at her outside, but yes, when I went inside, she told me." Eldrin shoved his hands into his pockets while he walked, seemingly unfazed by the wind. Penny shivered again.
"So you told her that she was to replace herself as leader and that she is to get away from us and not show her face again?"
"No," Eldrin said.
Penny waited and then lifted an eyebrow, "No?"
"That's right," Eldrin said, "No. I did not tell her that. We talked, and I listened and I told her that I would bring you back so that you would listen too."
"You don't think that she was wrong?" Penny asked slowly. She could feel her face turning red. She balled her hands into fists.
"Of course I do," Eldrin said with an exasperated sigh. "But there are things in this world that are not black and white, Penny. She shouldn't have burned down those homes. She was wrong for that and we both know it. Why did she do it though?"
"She hates everyone that has any kind of money," Penny said darkly.
Eldrin shook his head, "So what? She's just jealous so she constantly hates them. No, there's a reason she harbors a grudge."
"What is it?" Penny asked looking over her shoulder.
"That's for her to say," Eldrin said with another of his simple shrugs.
Penny shook her head, "There's nothing she can say that will make me forgive her."
Eldrin only sighed.
"Where is everyone?" Penny asked as she stepped back into the parlor. Only Joanna remained.
Joanna was sitting stoically on one of the couches, her joyous expression from earlier completely gone. Penny thought her eyes looked a little red-rimmed but she wasn't sure. "Dalton sent them home."
Penny glanced over at Eldrin, narrowing her eyes. He held his hands up in surrender.
"Look," Joanna said, standing, "I'm not going to pretend that I'm sorry for what I did. Obviously I didn't think it would have this kind of effect. I guess I got caught up in the action."
Penny shook her head, "That is not an excuse. People lost their homes today."
Joanna stared at her for a long moment, her jaw working. Finally she sat back down, "I loved him, Penny."
Penny felt as though she'd been hit in the chest. It had been months since she'd thought about her late husband, "I know."
"No," Joanna said, "You don't. You don't know what it was like, losing him. You don't know what it was like, loving him in the first place. The two of you barely got along most of the time."
"That doesn't mean I didn't care," Penny said, angry again. "I did."
"There's a world of difference between caring for someone and loving them," Joanna said, "and I loved him. I loved him so much and every day, I think about him. I think about his smile, and his laugh, and when I go for walks, I pass places we used to go together. And it reminds me of him. You don't know what that's like."
"Yes, I do," Penny said, "I'm not heartless, Joanna. I know what that's like. My girlfriend went to war, and she never came home. You think I don't know what it's like to lose and love? I do."
Eldrin shifted behind her, suddenly uncomfortable.
"I didn't know you had someone," Joanna said.
Penny nodded, "You never asked. Well, guess what? She's gone too, and I think about her too, and I don't go around burning down houses."
"But we could have been together," Joanna said. Tears were in her eyes again. "We could have, if it wasn't for the standards set by your class. Your people. They tell him he can't be with me, so he marries you instead."
"I know," Penny said. She suddenly understood Joanna's anger. "I know, and it sucks. He should have stood up for what he wanted, but he didn't, and it's too late to change that. But we have a resistance to lead. I don't condone what you did. I can't."
"I have to follow through with what I said," she said. Her voice was gentle but unyielding, "You may work with Dalton but you will report what your plans are to him and get approval for each and everyone from this time forward. Understood?"
Joanna hesitated and then nodded. "Yes."
Penny nodded and then stepped away, gesturing towards the door. "I expect to have your next report in the morning."
Joanna headed for the door, nodding.
Once she was gone, Eldrin stepped in, and shut the door. Penny flopped down on a sofa, completely tired.
"That was a smart move."
"I had to do something," Penny said, "I couldn't let out seem like I'm just letting it slide. Still, I get it."
Eldrin nodded, leaning against a wall, "So you do forgive her then."
Penny shook her head, "I told you, there's nothing that could be said that would make me forgive her. She used this as an excuse for revenge. That's not okay. It's the Chapel's place to judge people, not an individual's."
When Eldrin glanced away, Penny frowned, "What? You don't agree?"
"I do," Eldrin said, "That's why we're fighting this. Lamonte tries to say they're creating equality for all by meting out this justice but look what they're really doing. It's just... I was once a Priest, right? It just reminded me..."
"You know," Penny said, "You could come back to the Chapel, Eldrin. We could use more people who are officially trained. There are so many unqualified priests now that the laws on the Chapel have been abolished..."
Eldrin shook his head, "I have done things you can't even imagine. I would never be welcomed back."
"That's not true," Penny said quickly, "You could come in; you could sit through penance..."
"Stop right there," Eldrin interrupted, "I'm not interested. Good night, Penny."
"Oh come on," Penny said, "Just tell me what happened out there, Eldrin. I want to know more about what you went through. We're friends."
Eldrin shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it, Penny. You wouldn't understand."
"I would!" Penny said quickly, "I would understand. I've done things too, in the past."
"Nothing like this," Eldrin said.
Penny frowned as he walked towards the door, "Eldrin, you don't have to leave. Okay look, I'll stop trying to get you to talk about it."
"I have an early day," he said without glancing back.
"Don't leave," she said quietly, "I have a guest room. Just sleep here."
Eldrin glanced back, "Why?"
"Because," Penny said, twisting her fingers on her lap, "I want to be able to find you when I need to."
"That's ridiculous," Eldrin said, "I'm always around. You never have to look long."
Penny's face turned red with embarrassment but she shook her head, "Chrissa killed someone. There was a soldier who was going to take her and she stabbed him. I just thought maybe you'd like to hang out, eat dinner with me, chat about things not related to this mess."
Considering for a moment, Eldrin let out a sigh, "It would be nice to sleep somewhere with a real roof."
Penny gaped at him, "Where have you been sleeping? Not at you and Matilyn's old place?"
"Don't worry about it," Eldrin said with a wave of his hand, "Let's make your chefs busy."
She sighed.
THIRTY-SIX
It is Indifferent Cold
"WHERE ARE WE?" WILL ASKED, FROWNING. THE three of them were huddled as close as possible as
they walked. It was cold, and snowing. The wind was sharp and painful on any skin that wasn't covered. The three of them had taken the time to make some heavier coats out of animal hide, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Sean looked over at Janice, "Well?"
She was the one who was supposed to be good with directions. Sean gave her an encouraging smile. Since he and Will had rescued her from torture, she'd been even warmer towards them than before.
Janice smiled at him, but her lips were chapped and the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She was tired, like he and Will were. And cold. She was so cold.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I think we're in the pass that leads to the mountains between Arinford and Lamonte."
Will actually came to a stop, looking around, "You mean it? We're almost in the mountains? You know what that means?"
Janice frowned at him.
"It means we're nearly home," Will said. His expression broke and he was suddenly grinning, large and boyishly. For the first time in a long time, Sean remembered that Will was just a teenager. He wasn't an adult. He was practically still a babe.
His birthday had come, twice now since he'd left home. That made him sixteen, almost seventeen now. Finally old enough to be part of the Guard. When Sean was sixteen, though, the most he'd done was work in his uncle's shop to try and earn some extra spending coin. He'd had a crush on Penny Belmonte, and he'd wanted to buy her gifts, to impress her.
Will had already been through so much more than he had. He'd killed people. He'd been tortured. He'd escaped prison, and now they were on the run, and they'd been on the run for what felt like forever. It must seem like a dream come true, to go home.
But Sean knew the worst was still ahead of them. If Janice was right, and they were headed into the mountains, they were looking at a lot of trouble. And it seemed as though she was right -- the mountain range was one of the only full winter states in either kingdom. People had been known to freeze when they stayed in it too long.
Revolution (Cartharia Book 2) Page 38
