Sherie was impressed that a blind man would be able to lead her anywhere. “I’m not going to make you lead us around. If you can just tell me the place I’m looking for, I’m sure I’ll be able to find it.”
“If that is your wish, Milady,” he said with a smile that wasn’t at all mocking. “When you go inside avoid all the inns on the main street. They are all crooks, I swear. But three streets down on your right, turn right. It will be on the left side of the road after the first street you must cross. The name of the inn is the Sailor’s Sorrow.”
She had him repeat the directions and made sure that Brina was listening, too. She thanked the young man. He simply said, “You’re welcome, smoking lady.”
Sherie smiled at the name he gave her. The young man continued down the line of those entering Grax asking for alms.
Within just a few minutes they Legionnaire at the gate was completely everything exactly as he should have, even looking for the horse's brands.
Sherie couldn't help but respect such a professional and courteous man.
When they were passed through Sherie pocketed her spent pipe and mounted Lucky. It took some time for them to make it through the throng of people in the street. Sherie watched as street lamps were being were next to enter. The professional and checked lit, and looked about in wonder. About half of the shops were closed for the night already, but there were many still open for business.
Following young Jona's directions, they came upon the Sailor's Sorrow. It was a white three story building. Sherie saw there was a stable just across the street from it on the corner. They each slid off of their saddles and walked the horses over.
When they approached, the older man simply said, “I ain’t buying any more horses right now, sorry.”
“We’re just looking to stable our horses here, sir.” Sherie told him.
His expression changed to a friendlier one. “That I can do. If you have yer own feed, it’s one copper mark a night for each of ‘em. If I have to feed ‘em it’s three coppers more.”
“We have feed.” Sherie said, but she thought, “I might as well use it since I bought it.”
“Fine then." He said. They made the arrangements, Sherie got her claim checks from the man. They took the saddle bags off of the horses but left their feed for them.
They walked across the street and into the inn. She hoped she hadn’t been led astray by young Jona. She wouldn’t be happy if this place was another dive like the Drunken Rat had been in Vox.
That said, Sherie didn't intend to sit idly either. She might as well get used to drinking with the other criminals now that she was one of them.
Monday July 9th 1612th year of the First Great City Shocking news
Sherie woke up groggily. It was a slow climb out of the depths of her rest, not at all like normal for her. She usually got right up and started dealing with her day. Not only did she not have to get ready immediately, she didn’t feel like moving at all. Someone was with her. “I must have brought a man to my room,” she realized. Whoever was there was wrapped around her body keeping her nice and warm.
By the spirits, she had gotten almost blackout drunk last night. After she had gotten into a fight with a guy that wouldn't leave Brina alone, people left them both alone. She opened her eye for only a second, and immediately closed it. It was too bright. She felt so relaxed, it was like she was a puddle in the middle of the bed. She distinctly remembered her body arching as it was racked with pleasure last night. She hadn't felt like that since the last time she was with Bryce.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her. If this man was that capable, she would give him another round, she was definitely feeling limber. His hair was long, she could feel it lay across her arm as she pulled him to her.
When she did, his hand slid up her stomach and tickled her slightly. It made a wave of warmth spread through her body and goose bumps rise on her flesh. "Don't do that," she whispered. He didn't answer.
Instead, his hand went to her breast and started rubbing her nipple as it rose to the occasion. When he kissed her neck and bit it lightly, a soft moan escaped her lips. His leg went over her body and his soft chest pressed into her body.
“What the hell?” She thought as she opened her eyes to look at him.
She squinted her eyes against the noon time light pouring into the room. Sherie could see the sandy brown hair streaming down from the head that was buried in her neck, kissing her and nibbling. She turned so she could get a better look and moved his hair so she could see his face.
He raised his head, and that was when Sherie noticed the ample bosom attached to his chest.
“Morning Jirai," Brina said breathlessly.
Sherie jumped out of the bed so fast half of the blankets came off with her. “Oh, what the hell?!” She yelled as she grabbed the thin feather pillow.
“You fucking pervert! Taking advantage of me while I was drunk?” She began beating Brina with the pillow mercilessly.
Brina curled up and covered her neck and head with her arms, laughing every time Sherie beaned her with the rapidly disintegrating pillow. By the time the pillow had been completely murdered, feathers floated about the room, and Sherie just stood there with the empty pillow corpse in hand, while Brina laid there on the bed giggling like a little girl.
“What the hell were you thinking?” She asked Brina.
“I don’t think either one of us was thinking by the time we got up here.” Brina pushed herself up on her elbow and watched her with a lewd twinkle in her eye.
“I told you, I’m not into women,” Sherie growled.
“If you give me a chance, I’ll make you forget you ever thought that,” Brina laughed as she watched her.
Sherie shook her fist at her menacingly and grabbed her breeches. "I thought I only had male perverts to worry about," she said as she slid her legs into them.
Brina just laughed again, more happily than Sherie had ever heard from her.
* * *
The two of them left the Sailor’s Sorrow just a bit after the fourteenth hour struck. Sherie was walking down the street and heard the fourteen deep bells sound. She’d given Brina a half dozen coppers or so to see her through. That was probably more than she would need in a single day. But she would need to get something to eat today while she looked for work.
Sherie was also going to look for work, but she wouldn’t consider scullery or waiting tables; that was the kind of work Brina sought.
Sherie was going to look for work as a mercenary, or a guard.
She had just left a leather-working shop with a pair of hard-boiled bracers and a hard boiled leather girdle around her midriff. She put them both under her shirt, she didn't want people to know that she had them. The stomach was often an easier target than other parts of the anatomy, and she didn't want people to know she was armored there. The best part was that this light armor wouldn't interfere with her movement at all.
After she and Brina had cleaned themselves up in the public bath just a block over, she noticed how sour her stomach was today. She figured it was because she had drunk too much, but even with coffee and food, it didn't go away. In fact, she had only been able to keep her food down for a bare half hour before it made its reappearance.
So she switched to water and took care of getting her covert armor. When she finished that, she decided to go see a doctor about her stomach. She asked the first pair of Legionnaires she saw, and they were able to direct her to a clinic.
She hailed a carriage to take her, she was feeling so rotten. It wasn't even that far, but she was feeling horrible so suddenly that it worried her. Was this the flux that had taken down so many people in Vox? Had she brought that with her to this City? The possibility horrified her.
She slowed her breathing and calmed herself. The flux started with diarrhea, not nausea she recalled from the briefing she had been given. She was certain she didn't have that problem, thankfully.
She wondered if the doctor at this clin
ic she was going to would be another criminal like last time. Her concerns seemed unfounded though, when she was seen by the doctor here, he was a wizened old man. He examined her and did all the things that Doctor Zanna's assistant had done last time.
When he finished, he asked her to pee in a cup for him. Sherie just blinked. “What the hell does my piss have to do with anything?” She growled at him.
“I would like to test it, young lady.” he said calmly.
“Why?” She asked, suspicious.
“I think I know what is wrong, but I want to be certain.” he replied kindly.
“Fine then," she said and did as he asked, when he wasn't present, of course.
He told her that she could come back in an hour, and he would have her test results. She just went out to his waiting room and slept in a chair while she waited. She felt drained like she hadn't slept enough. She was reasonably sure that was because of the liquor she had drunk last night though.
When Sherie was awakened, she took the old man by the throat and drew steel on him. Everyone in the room screamed, and they yelled at her. It took several seconds before she even realized where she was.
She let him go; her hands shook and she sheathed her dagger. She apologized profusely and offered him coin for mistreating him so. He laughed it off nervously and told her he should have known better than to touch a warrior while they slept.
She walked with him into a private room where he closed the door. That was when he said the last words that she had been expecting to hear.
“I am privileged to inform you that you are pregnant, Miss Sonom," he told her with a cautious smile.
Sherie just blinked. "What do you mean I'm pregnant?" she asked without comprehension.
“I mean that in about eight months, you will be either giving birth to a child or near time to do so,” he told her firmly.
Sherie sat down heavily and tried to think. She failed utterly though. This made no sense. There was no room for a child in her life.
“How do you know I will give birth in eight moons?” She asked, trying to figure out what she would do.
“What you are experiencing is called mother's illness. It often starts about a month after the man's seed has taken root in a woman's body," he told her gently. He sat down and continued. "If you are not prepared for a child, and the man is not in your life, there are alternatives to bearing it though," he said quietly.
Sherie knew about these alternatives. She had friends that had gone to the Alchemists and bought the potion to end their pregnancy. They had told her that it was the worst pain they had ever experienced in their lives. Sherie doubted very much that any of the girls that had told her that had ever had a spirit pulled from them by a Wizard though.
“You are certain that his seed took root in the last moon?” Sherie asked, needing to be certain about what he was saying.
“Generally. Most times women who get mother’s illness show symptoms within four to six weeks after conception,” he replied. “I will refer you to a midwife here in the city, though. She will be able to answer your questions better than I can. I assure you, she is quite skilled and Academy trained as well.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly, as tears started to fall.
“You are welcome,” he said nervously. “Let me get you her information. I’ll be right back.” The doctor left the room.
Sherie knew there was only one man that could be the father if the doctor was right about the time frame.
Bryce Tangarth.
Sunday July 15th 1612th year of the First Great City New employer
The last six days of Sherie's life had been unpleasant. She had gone to speak with the midwife. She was a nice middle-aged woman called Glory. She confirmed everything the Doctor had told her. In addition to that, she had told her not to drink alcohol if she intended to keep the baby.
Sherie wasn't sure about either keeping the child or this "notdrinking" stuff. Without alcohol she had a heck of a time getting to sleep, because of her flashbacks. Brina had been nothing but supportive about it though.
The only reason Sherie was indecisive at all was because of who the father was. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t even be thinking about it. She would have run to the nearest Alchemist’s shop a bought a draught of the medicine she needed to be rid of it.
Bryce Tangarth's child was a different matter altogether. He is the man she would have wanted to father a child for her, and he was dead. There was no trying again if she made the choice to end this pregnancy, but what would she do with the child? She couldn't work like that. She didn't want a kid to get in her way, but this child was important.
She agonized over this decision. She didn't want a child, but she'd been damned with this decision. According to Glory, she had another six weeks to decide. After that, the alchemist's draught to end her pregnancy wouldn't just harm the baby, but her as well.
When she went home the first night she talked to Brina and cried on her. Sherie felt so fortunate now to have such a friend. She held her tight that night while trying to get to sleep, but admonished Brina that she wasn’t interested in any of her perversions. Brina had just laughed at her and called her a prude.
That was the last thing Sherie had ever expected anyone to call her.
During the next several days Sherie continued to look for work. She ran into young Jona again, and he introduced her to some of his pauper friends. They seemed to be nice enough folks, other than their smell.
Sherie was becoming frustrated with trying to find work. She had three men tell her that they would consider it if she would suck on their members. Two of them had escaped her wrath after saying that because they had two or three friends with them though the last one had gotten his well-deserved beating at Sherie's hands for his words.
“I don't need a toothpick," she told him as she walked away from his unconscious form.
The others had been more honorable and simply told her they didn’t need her services, or that they had enough hands. There were many places that wouldn’t consider her because she couldn’t show them her Legion discharge papers. She made excuses about losing them, but they simply declined to employ her until she could produce those papers. It pissed her off, but they weren’t being rude, so she couldn’t exactly take them to task for it.
Sherie knew she couldn't get her Legion papers by lying about them though. They have Wizards on-hand.
She still didn't feel good, but the midwife, Glory sold her an herbal brew that helped her feel less nauseous.
That was when she saw a flier on the ground. Sherie snatched it quickly, so she wouldn’t get run down in the street. It took her a few moments to read it.
Need coin? Do you have a strong back and a weapon? Can you capture people alive without causing serious harm? If so, come see Lodicuois at 5468 Grote lane.
Sherie looked at the nearest clock face on one of the buildings. It was nearly the fourteenth hour, but she had no idea where Grote lane was. So she asked a Legionnaire. Sherie had been so nervous about talking to Legionnaires at first; she feared that all of them would somehow know that she was a deserter, but now she wasn’t afraid of them. She realized that she was being silly all this time.
According to them, Grote lane was to the far east, on the other side of Furosi Manor. He told her it was one of the streets that crossed main before entering Central Grax.
She thanked the man, and dropped a copper mark at his feet, and said "Oops." He smiled slightly but otherwise didn't acknowledge the tip. Just as he was supposed to. This was the only way to give back to a pleasant Legionnaire for doing their duty well. It was illegal to tip a Legionnaire because such a thing could easily be considered a bribe, but any person could accidentally drop a coin on the ground.
She returned to the stable and got Lucky out. She still had Brina's horse. She had given it some thought and realized that with the refugees from Vox and the northern holds arriving here, horses were becoming quite expensive.
With th
e influx of people, it was as if the population of paupers had grown by one thousand times what it was before. Sherie saw Brina in front of the Sailor’s Sorrow helping the Legion relief workers dishing up soup for the lines of people. The proprietor allowed the Legion relief workers to use his facilities for making food during the day since he did not open the bar until the late afternoon.
Brina wasn’t making a lot of coin doing this, but she made enough to pay for their room at least. She would stop to tell Brina that she wouldn’t be home until late tonight, but it was so crowded she would probably have to beat someone just to get close enough to yell to her.
She watched jealously as mercenaries pushed people back that were trying to shove in line, and occasionally one would be singled out and beaten thoroughly for trying to come through the line twice.
Sherie knew the mercenaries were working hard, but it looked like a lot of fun to her.
Well, she wouldn’t have anything particularly interesting to tell Brina until later, and maybe not even then.
* * *
She rode for a few hours to get to Grote Lane. While doing so, she went around Furosi Manor. The place was a massive fortress in the middle of West Grax. This "manor" as they called it was even bigger than the Great Citadel of Vox had been. Sherie was sure there were a few miles of road that had been laid just so people could go around it.
Sherie had always scoffed at the travelers that would say things like "Vox is so outdated, or Vox is nothing compared to (another great city)," but now she understood why people said such things.
Yes, Vox had the distinction of being the First Great City. While the First King of the Realm had not lived to see it completed, his son had. The second King of the realm and his children had ruled over the entire realm from the Great Citadel of Vox. These grand achievements also meant it was the oldest. Something Sherie was unlikely to forget now. While there were things Sherie missed about Vox, and she would probably always miss them, there was one thing Grax had that she had never even known she wanted; water pressure.
Fugitive: A Prequel to Spirit of Magik Page 12
