by M. Gregg Roe
“This is the Witch’s City Temple of Arwon,” she explained, but Audrey had already spotted the linked circles carved into the stone above the entrance.
“Are we here to pray? Because I worship Lasrina. Does she have a temple here too?”
“Lasrina, eh? Beauty and luck. A good choice for a young woman. But no, we are not here to pray, and there is no temple of Lasrina in this city. We are here for another reason.”
Audrey was puzzled, but she followed her inside. Almera asked to see Preston and he soon appeared. He was a half-elf, but a very old one. His hair was entirely gray and he was somewhat stooped. He was elegantly attired all in white and smiling in a kindly manner.
“You must be Audrey,” he said. “I am Preston, the head priest here. Almera has told me about your problem and I can see what she means. Come on back with me and we will soon take care of it.”
He had glanced down at her legs, and she wondered if he was referring to her scars. She followed Preston back to what must be his office. He went to the back of the room and opened a metal box. He reached in and pulled out a glass rod that was about a yard long and two inches in diameter. He walked up to her and said, “This is the LifeStaff, and it has great power to heal. Just stand still. It won’t hurt.” He touched the end of the LifeStaff to her left leg just below the knee. It suddenly pulsed with white light and she felt her whole body tingling. It was odd, but not painful. The light went out and he pulled the LifeStaff away. Audrey looked down and gasped. The scars were completely gone and the skin on her leg was now flawless! She bent down and ran both her hands over her left leg. It really was completely healed.
Preston smiled genially, explaining, “The best part of my job is seeing the reactions of those I’ve helped.”
Audrey hugged him tightly and said, “Thank you! And thank Arwon as well! How can I ever repay you?”
“Live a good life, and be kind to others. That’s more than enough thanks. I’m glad that I was able to help.”
They took their leave of Preston and began to head toward the center of the city. She kept looking down at her legs and almost running into people until Almera finally said, “Audrey, that’s enough! Look at your leg later.”
“Sorry.”
“Look!” exclaimed Almera. “There’s Gabriel. Let’s see if he will have lunch with us.” Audrey looked and could see Gabriel walking not far ahead of them. He kept glancing nervously around, and she wondered what could be making him so afraid. They caught up with him and Almera called out, “Gabriel!”
He flinched and jerked his head around. He looked very relieved as he said, “Oh. Good morning, Almera. Good morning, Audrey.” He slowed and all three of them came to a stop.
“Is it Petra again?” asked Almera.
Gabriel looked miserable. “Yes. She will not leave me alone, but she will usually not go outside when it is sunny.” He glanced up at the sky. “I should be safe as long as it does not start to become cloudy.”
Almera patted him on the shoulder. “You poor boy. We are headed to lunch. Would you care to join us? It’s a place that looks terrible on the outside, but it’s clean and they have delicious cooked vegetables. I think you will be safe from Petra there.”
He was briefly indecisive before smiling and saying, “All right. I will accompany you.”
Almera led the way, and they were soon in an area of the city that was making Audrey nervous. It was dirty and run-down, and she really didn’t like the look of some of the people loitering in the area. But having Gabriel with them was comforting. He had a dagger in his belt, and she knew that he was a skilled fighter.
Audrey assumed that Petra must be some girl who was pursuing Gabriel, and whose attentions he didn’t welcome. She must be quite persistent for someone as brave as he was to be so nervous.
The front window of the place they ended up at had actually been boarded up, and the door looked like it had been repaired multiple times. Inside was dark and cramped. None of the chairs or tables matched each other. It worried Audrey that there weren’t any other customers. They sat down at a table and a swarthy-looking man with shaggy dark hair and a greasy beard came out of the back. Almera simply held up three fingers. He nodded and disappeared into the back again.
Gabriel was sitting to Audrey’s left, and he was warily looking around the inside of the restaurant. He glanced at her and then blinked in surprise. “Audrey! Your leg!”
Audrey smiled happily. “Yes. It’s completely healed. A man named Preston did it with—”
“The LifeStaff,” completed Gabriel. He looked at her suspiciously. “You had Almera take you there for that?”
Audrey was feeling angry, and Gabriel seemed unaware that Almera was now glaring at him. “I did no such thing,” she declared. “Before today, I had never even heard of the LifeStaff. Or Preston. I didn’t even know there was a temple of Arwon here.” When she finished, Gabriel looked very surprised.
“Gabriel, dear,” said Almera with a sweet smile that was completely at odds with her tone of her voice. “What exactly has Saxloc been telling you about Audrey?”
He looked to the side. “I … I should not say. Saxloc is my friend.”
“And I am his mother and Audrey is his fiancé,” she stated firmly. “You can either tell me now, or I will talk to your mother and have her ask you.”
Gabriel put his face in his hands, and Audrey began to feel sorry for him. “Well?” asked Almera impatiently.
“Saxloc said that Audrey was only interested in your wealth,” he said in a resigned voice. “He said that she had both you and Draymund fooled and that she had made you buy her an expensive dress.”
Almera sighed and he looked up at her. “It’s interesting that Saxloc knows about the dress, given how little attention he has been paying to you, Audrey.” Audrey nodded her agreement.
“Gabriel, you have known Draymund and me for most of your life. Do you really think that we could be taken in by an uneducated peasant girl from a farming village? No offense, Audrey.”
“It’s okay,” she replied with a small smile. “That’s what I am.”
Gabriel sighed, still looking miserable. “No, I suppose not.”
Almera smiled gently. “It’s not your fault, Gabriel. Saxloc is the one who has been saying those things. You just need to think things through better.
“This is the way of it: I asked Audrey to stay with us. I am going to see that Audrey gets an education. I bought Audrey that dress, even though she begged me not to. So far Audrey hasn’t asked us for a single thing. Or a single copper piece.”
Gabriel seemed at a loss for words and Audrey was feeling embarrassed. He turned to her and said, “Audrey, I apologize. Almera is correct. I should have thought more about the things that Saxloc has said about you.” He smiled. “I actually thought you seemed quite nice on our journey here from Farmerton. I should have trusted my instincts.”
“Thank you, Gabriel, but don’t forget that I’m the one responsible. Saxloc does have a right to be angry, although I wish he wouldn’t make up things about me.”
The man brought out their food—plates heaped with a variety of steaming vegetables and cups of cider. None of the plates or cups matched, but they didn’t look dirty or chipped. Audrey began to eat and was pleasantly surprised. Each type of vegetable had been uniquely and expertly spiced.
When they had finished, Almera put three silver pieces on the table and stood up. “It’s not actually that expensive here,” she explained, “but I come here often, and I like to show my appreciation.”
“Gabriel,” said Almera, “I have been thinking about it. Do not tell Saxloc what happened here today. If Saxloc wants to complain to you about Audrey, then let him. I want for him to come to his senses on his own. All right?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I will do my best. Where are you going now? This is not a very good area and I can escort you.”
“That is kind of you, Gabriel,” she replied, “but we are going to the Witch’s Ca
stle to see my father.”
“In that case, I will see you out of this area safely and then go look for a place in which to hide.” He was smiling now, and Audrey and Almera both smiled back at him.
♦ ♦ ♦
After they parted ways with Gabriel, Audrey found herself puzzled. “Why does your father live in the Witch’s Castle?” she asked.
“I guess I never mentioned it. My father lives there because he is a member of the City Council, and that is one of the perks.”
Audrey smirked and asked, “Is this the same City Council that your husband said was totally corrupt and evil?”
Almera laughed. “Well, perhaps he exaggerated a bit. The other two members are Mardan, who is Gabriel’s father, and Celebern, who you have already met. Gabriel and his family live in the castle as well, but Celebern has his own rather nice place.”
“Uh … I see. I think.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go and see my father.”
The plaza in front of the castle was now an active marketplace. Numerous vendors had set up booths and tables, and the whole area was teeming with an incredible variety of people.
“This is the city market,” explained Almera as they walked toward the castle’s front entrance. “There are vendors here every day from around mid-morning to mid-afternoon.”
As they neared the castle entrance, Audrey could see the two large iron doors standing wide open. Two bored-looking guards were standing to either side, wearing green-and-white checkered surcoats over chainmail and holding spears. They simply nodded as the two of them walked past them.
The inside of the castle was just as disappointing as the outside. There were no decorations and it felt damp, although it was clean. They soon arrived in front of an old oak door with a name painted on it in black paint. Almera knocked, and the door was opened by a thin, smiling elf with graying hair and beard. He was slightly shorter than his daughter, and the tops of his ears came to very sharp points. He appeared to be around fifty to Audrey, but she knew that his age was nearly twice that.
“Father, this is Audrey,” said Almera. “I’ll leave her here with you. I’m going to go visit with Ermizad and her daughter.”
Audrey was startled by her casual statement. She was beginning to think that the woman knew everyone of importance in the Witch’s City. Almera turned and walked off as Daragrim stepped back and motioned for her to enter.
It was a small sitting room with a sofa facing two upholstered chairs. There was a small table between the two chairs and two others at either end of the sofa. A hallway was visible leading out of the back right wall. Two small high windows on the left wall provided illumination.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Audrey,” he said in a pleasant voice. He sat in one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit on the sofa.
She sat down and said, “It’s nice to meet you, uh …” She realized that she had no idea of how she should address him.
He smiled and showed his teeth. “Just call me Daragrim. My daughter has told me a little about you, but I would like to hear more. Tell me about where you are from. I have always lived in cities, and I would like to know more about life in a small village.”
Audrey hesitated, but then began speaking about her life in Farmerton. She talked about her family, her friends, raising pigs, cooking, sewing, and so on. He was genuinely interested and asked her many questions.
Then he suddenly asked a question that startled her. “Audrey, do you love Saxloc?” He was still smiling, but she could tell that he was deadly serious.
Audrey lowered her head. “I … I just don’t know. I liked Saxloc when I first met him, but he hates me now after what I did. But when he says he doesn’t want to marry me or even have me around, that really hurts.”
Daragrim smiled gently. “It is called unrequited love. Give Saxloc some time. You are both still young. You have plenty of time.” She looked at him in surprise and gratitude, and she could feel tears coming on.
They continued to chat for a while, and he briefly described his life living in the castle and serving on the Witch’s City Council. It actually sounded quite dull. Before long, Almera returned to collect her.
“How was your talk?” she asked as they walked away from Daragrim’s rooms.
“Good. I really like your father. He’s nice.”
“He’s also very clever and not easily fooled.”
“Uh …” Suddenly she was worried.
“Don’t worry, Audrey. He liked you. Now you’ve got Saxloc’s grandfather on your side too.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey thought that they were headed back to the house, but as they walked along, she was certain that they were headed the wrong way. “Where are we going now?” she asked.
“Who cuts your hair?” asked Almera, and Audrey looked at her in surprise.
“My mother. And I cut hers. Well, not anymore. She will probably ask her sister to do it.”
“I see. And who do you think cuts my hair?”
Audrey sighed. She could see exactly where the conversation was heading. “You go to a business that does nothing but cut hair. And it’s the most expensive one in the city. You probably pay more for it than most people earn in a month.”
Almera began laughing and Audrey couldn’t help smiling. “You are a clever girl. That is exactly where we are going. It’s called ‘Hector & Sons’, although Hector has been dead for years and his oldest daughter now runs everything. They don’t just cut hair there—they style it. Your hair badly needs help. It doesn’t even look like you have been using the hair products in your bathroom.”
“Hair products?” She had no idea what Almera was talking about.
“There should be several ceramic jars with lids on a shelf near the tub.”
“Uh … yes, there are some there. I thought they were just extra soap, or maybe for decoration. I can’t read the labels.”
“I’m sorry. I should have realized that. I will explain them all to you when we get home.”
“Okay. Uh … aren’t there cheaper places I can get my hair cut?”
Almera looked exasperated as she brought the two of them to a stop. “Of course there are. But most of them will do little more than hack your hair off to the length you tell them.”
“That’s fine,” said Audrey. “That’s good enough.”
“No, it is not!” Almera exclaimed, now looking angry. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, smiled and said, “Audrey, is there no limit to your frugality?”
“I don’t know what that means.” It was the second time that Almera had called her that.
Almera was clearly amused as she explained. “To be frugal is to not want to spend money, to always try to buy the least expensive things. It is a word that describes you perfectly, Audrey.”
“Yes,” she replied with a smile. She tried to look haughty. “I am Audrey, the frugal!”
“Well, Audrey the frugal, I will make a deal with you. We will have your hair done today where I always go. If afterward, you can tell me truthfully that it was not worth the price, then I will find you somewhere less expensive to go.”
Audrey nodded emphatically. “Okay. Audrey the frugal accepts your challenge.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey sat at her dressing table and admired her hair in the mirror.
She had lost. It hadn’t been as expensive as she had expected, and she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Almera. Her hair looked amazing. It had taken nearly two hours, including numerous trimmings and two separate washings. Her hair was shorter now, extending just barely to her shoulders. Despite all the trimming, her hair somehow looked thicker, and it practically glowed. (She had wondered how other women got their hair to look so shiny.) They had somehow added waves to her hair too. She thought that it suited her face perfectly.
Almera had explained the contents of the ceramic jars in the bathroom. Three of them were for her hair alone. Another two were moisturiz
ers, with one being specifically for the face. The other three were for putting in the water when taking a bath. They were supposed to be good for the skin, and they all smelled nice. She was looking forward to trying them out.
After she asked her about it, Almera had explained in depth what she was going to have to do to maintain her new hair style. It was definitely going to require some extra time in the morning. Almera also told her she could go back to have her hair done anytime—she had made the arrangements before they had left Hector & Sons. Audrey would go back there, but not as often as Almera did. Almera had told her she went three or four times a month!
Audrey went into the bathroom and stood in front of the large mirror. Between her new hair style and her scar-free leg, she almost felt like there was a stranger looking back at her. Although a stranger that was also sadly overweight. And wearing a cheap dress. But she couldn’t help but smile because she had been transformed.
She was disappointed that Saxloc wasn’t at dinner. Draymund was, and he flattered her outrageously and made her show off her healed leg. Audrey knew that he must have told his wife about her unwillingness to show her legs. It had certainly been a joint decision, and she thanked them both repeatedly.
Audrey encountered Saxloc that evening while she was strolling around the grounds. He was startled, and she suspected that he hadn’t even recognized her at first. Then he scowled and walked off. She really wanted to talk to him, and she felt real pain each time he rejected her. She desperately wanted his approval, but she really couldn’t explain why she felt that way. Daragrim had said it was unrequited love. It was definitely unrequited, but she couldn’t understand how love could hurt so much.
9
‡ City ‡
Audrey woke to unfamiliar noises coming from the hallway outside her room. She put on her robe and then opened the door and peered out. A thin human woman with short blond hair, blue eyes, and a rather round and unremarkable face, was industriously sweeping the floor with a wide broom. She looked to be in her mid-thirties and was dressed in brown work clothing that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Farmerton.
