by Derek Palmer
I looked down at the wooden floor of the carriage and shook my head. "I don't know what to say, Elise."
"You could always say: 'Thank you, Elise'."
"Thank you, Elise. You are a wicked lady."
"Maybe I am. But I also try to take care of my family."
I probably should have felt more guilty when I thought about the future than I did.
--
Chapter 22
The winter solstice passed peacefully about which I was very happy. I was also quite happy because my nights had been much easier than I had feared. Oh, I had relived those fights more than a few times, but somehow they weren't so bad as they used to be - which didn't stop those dreams being nightmares. Or perhaps I just was able to handle it better. I also felt that my magic skills might had gotten a bit stronger or maybe I had just learned to do that sensing and masking more automatically. Of course, Linnea knew now about my nightmares and she even had helped me through those nights. Somehow that made us even closer, even though there was nothing sexual between us. Maybe this was what it would have been to have a sister. The whole idea was so stupid that it almost made me laugh, since this all was so weird, even on my scale.
It wasn't my newly formed relationship with Linnea that was weird. It wasn't the fact that I occasionally visited 'The Private Prospects', or the house next to the restaurant and met one of the two women working there for mutual satisfaction. It wasn't the fact that Frode looked at me with a totally new kind of respect because of my fighting skills. No, those things were almost normal and could probably have happened to any normal human being, I guess.
The weird thing was that I felt that I was starting to understand what had happened to me during the fight. As I had suspected, it had been something the creature - that lizard warrior from some other world - had passed on to me before he died. As a gift, from one warrior to another. Maybe as a gift. I hoped that it was meant to be a gift. There was a lot of it that I didn't understand, but I knew that somewhere inside my head was a pile of tactics, moves, bluffs, blocks - and codes of honor. Like mating after the fight had been the exactly right thing to do! Just as beating down a female warrior and healing her afterwards was an honorable thing to do. Well, I probably should have mated with her, too.
Somehow, I now got the feeling that the alien creature had been able to push these things into my head, and that had been what had prevented him from killing all of us with one major blast of magic. I was absolutely sure that he could have done that. Probably the major reason why I understood these things now was that I hadn't been powerful enough before. Once again, it had taken some major trouble to push me further. I had asked about this of the Elven elders, but they had no knowledge of it - or they knew that it was something that could happen with natural Human Mages. Which didn't help me much.
The real problem was that there really was no-one I could talk to about this. Frode was as open-minded as a person could be, but even without Linnea's abilities, I was able to tell that my sensing skills, combined with my fighting abilities, were just about as much as he could handle. Even if I didn't really like to do it, I went out with him a few times and got too drunk, even though I knew that the hangover the following morning would be a killer. Well, I didn't die and one time out of three I didn't even feel like dying. However, those two times were bad enough. Most importantly, getting drunk with Frode was something that almost normalized our relationship. Or maybe it was just the fact that he enjoyed seeing me miserable the next morning. I was quite certain that Elise understood what I did and why, but she never said a word about it.
Besides those weird things happening inside my head, the other things went quite smoothly. I was gradually figuring out - or merely remembering and recognizing through hard work - those mathematical tasks given to us. Now it was only occasionally that I needed Linnea's help. Of course, it helped that the other topics we were studying were more or less familiar to me already, thanks to all the books I had read. My relationship with Linnea had not changed much, but all those little changes were for the better. I wasn't sure if it was because she found it easier to tolerate my male presence, or if it was because I could get some release every now and then, and I really didn't care. Even if I would never be as close with her as I was with my Elven friends, it was nice to have somebody there I could talk to. Even if I still didn't trust her enough to really talk about magic with her.
In the city it wasn't all that clear when the winter ended and spring started. In fact, I wasn't sure if there really had been a winter at all or just some nasty season with lots of rain and smelly fog. Oh, there had been lots of rain in my childhood home, but the air had been fresh and clean. Here, I was sure that even the rain was filthy by the time it hit the ground. Days being dark had also made it harder to study and read, the latter being the thing I tried to do whenever possible. That was gradually changing, partly because of the longer days and partly because of less rain. Both Linnea and I used the University Library whenever possible; mainly because I found I had do that, because many of the classes we attended were totally useless. This had been a real shock to me: to find out that most of these University studies would not really help me with my quest. One more problem was that Linnea was almost always at my side and I didn't dare search for the books I really wanted to find. I had only been able to verify that at least some of them were there. I had been able to sense that much while brushing my finger a few times through the back of the books on the shelves.
The Northward equinox, together with my birthday - my 26th birthday - would soon be here. I was both anxious and terrified because of that day. Anxious, because we had agreed that Hantaliel should visit Aston about that time - and terrified, for the same reason. I knew that she had been here in Aston several times, she had been working here while collecting information and she knew what she was doing much better than I did. Which didn't stop me worrying about her coming here. Then there were the things I had been doing with those two women. A part of me was sure that they were okay with that - the problem was that they would need to convince me.
I shook my head when I found myself thinking about my real family and the possibility of seeing one of them soon. I wasn't quite sure which I missed more, the solitude of the forest - or my real family. Then I remembered those little girls I used to play with and I knew that it was my family and my children. I might be able to learn to live without the wild forest, but I wasn't at all sure that I could live without my real family.
"What is it, Stian? Planning to visit the restaurant? It has been a while you were there. Or was that smile something else?"
I moved my gaze away from the window and looked back at Frode. In the last months I had learned to be relaxed almost anywhere inside this house and with everybody - well, forgetting the twins, sometimes. The idea of two people even worse than Ceveneth, working together... They had been a bit disappointed when they had found out about the real reason for my visits to the restaurant. Once I found out that they knew, I had also spoken with Linnea about 'the issue', just to find that she was happy to be 'my sister' and help her brother when he was having nightmares. Surprisingly, it had been the twins who had explained to me about Linnea and her lack of any sexual feelings. According to them, there was group of people who just were like that and, in a way, it was just as normal as the way those two were. Even if, in Linnea's case, it might be a result of what had happened to her in her youth.
"No, not now. I was thinking of the wild forest and how I missed walking there, smelling the fresh air and not worrying about sensing the people near me. I guess that, at some point, I need to check the forests north of the University."
"You should remember that they are a part of the Royal hunting area."
I smiled more widely at Frode. "I'm quite certain that I can avoid an occasional hunting party. Besides, I hadn't planned to go hunting... well, I probably could snare some rabbits for Mrs. Ness."
"I'm sure she would be delighted to have some game that is really fr
esh."
Thinking about Mrs. Ness reminded me that I hadn't eaten for a while and I started feeling hungry. Then I realized that it was later than usual and the women weren't back yet. In fact, I didn't even know where they were, I just knew that they were supposed to see some matron who had seemed somewhat worried. Then, without any warning my hunger was replaced by fear. Fear of something bad - very bad - happening.
"Frode, shouldn't the women be back already? Do you know where they went?"
"I... I don't know exactly. It had something to do with some missing working girls, if I understood correctly. Their matron was worried, because she was sure that the girls wouldn't leave without telling her. After all, she makes sure that her girls are free to go if they need to."
Frode took a short pause which was long enough to turn my stomach in knots.
"Oh, they talked with Hanna about it. She should know more!"
I was on my way out of the room before Frode had finished his sentence.
"Young man, why should you need to see those abandoned women - girls and women out of luck - having to share the pretty flowers of their..."
"Miss Dahl, Hanna! I'm afraid that something has happened to Elise and the others. Where did they go? Where?"
Those green eyes which had probably seen almost everything possible during her years flashed and bore into me. Gone was the diva, and now I saw the woman behind all those acts. Old woman, eccentric, but not stupid. Someone who knew exactly how cruel the other humans could be and who probably could still be equally cruel herself, if needed.
"You really believe that, do you?"
"Yes. Yes, I really do."
Frode and I didn't quite run through town, down to the river, close to the docks where the boats coming down the river are allowed to berth. That was something the officials of the Kingdom were very strict about. If there was a possibility that you could have some imported items, you needed to go through customs - and sometimes also the cargo of the smaller ships coming from upstream was checked. I knew that the family that owned the restaurant sometimes allowed the officials to find something and then paid the fines for those products. It was all about being plausible. I was sure that they had some other creative ways of getting through the checks besides changing the wagons.
I noticed that I avoided thinking what might have happened to Linnea, Elise and the Twins while I followed Frode through the streets. It wasn't that we had been sloppy or ignorant, by all means, no. After the incident with the Shinies, we had made sure to keep low, but keep on listening carefully. The restaurant had allowed a check - during the daytime - and the people who had been working there or even some of those inside the restaurant had been questioned. Of course, none of them had seen anything, since those people who had been helping us were temporarily working elsewhere. Most likely the Shinies didn't have anyone like Linnea working for them, but there was no reason to take any extra chances.
So, there had been many people in several low places who had been listening carefully for everything all those important people had been talking about. The only thing Elise had found out was the Shinies had been really startled, and they were mostly afraid the Royals had found out about their plans to have even more financial power to support their plans. Of course, the Royals were totally unaware of almost everything that was happening outside the halls of their mansions in the Kingdom they were supposed to rule.
"Frode, stop!"
Of course we did not find the women where they should have been, but we found someone who had seen them and the matron. Thank Mother Earth for my ability to use my charm - or appeal or whatever it was - while speaking Anglon. I was sure that there would have been no other way that those people living or working around here would have told us anything. Now, we were standing in the shadows looking at a large building that separated the pier along the river Aston from the street on the side of the city. There was something in this building that made it different from the others close by and it took me a moment to actually see it.
The surroundings of this building were clear of trash - and people. Here, in this part of the city, it was quite common for there to be at least some piles of trash or some abandoned goods next to a building. If there were some suitable place, some homeless person would most likely also camp or even build a shelter next to the building wall. There were suitable places around these walls, but no trash and no people. Besides that, there were two people standing in the gateway, trying to stay hidden.
I was quite sure that Frode would have been able to find a way inside that building with time, but I had a gut feeling that time was something we didn't have. I was afraid that we were already late. I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to sense whatever I could before turning to Frode.
"Do you think that we could repeat the act we used in front of the restaurant?"
It was almost too easy. We walked towards the empty-looking gateway, looking like two men searching for a place where they would have some privacy. Neither of the two guards saw us as a threat, and I was able get close to them without any problems. Okay, they had their swords drawn as they had most likely planned to give a scare to two gay men. The men also had their body armor, but their heads weren't protected - and a drawn sword is not effective against someone who has stepped inside your reach. The first man hadn't even had time to be surprised and the second died on the sword of the first, after saying just a simple 'Oh.' I was aware that if there were a third person, things wouldn't have been this easy.
Sensing those two shimmers turn black was something that I'd probably never become used to. Especially since these two men maybe even had no idea what they were guarding and why.
I shook away the nausea and concentrated on sensing what was inside the building. I almost wished that I hadn't.
"Frode, once we go inside you need to obey me without any questions and immediately. Can you do that?"
"Stian, I..."
"Frode, my friend. There are enemies you aren't prepared to fight against. Trust me in this. With my skills I do have a chance if I don't need to worry about you." I wasn't quite sure who I was trying to convince, Frode or myself.
Without my sensing ability things might have gotten really hairy, but I decided to trust to what I was sensing and that meant that all the people would be in a single wide space behind a closed double door. Most likely there would another pair of wide doors on the other side of the big room, leading to the pier. Most likely those doors would now be closed. I took a good grip of the sword I had taken from the first man I had killed, the man who was now lying on the floor inside the building with his equally dead friend. I turned to Frode.
"Please, be ready if somebody tries to come out without speaking to you first. Strike to kill, without questions, whatever or whoever comes."
I didn't wait for Frode to answer but turned towards the door. I had a sick feeling that we had already wasted too much time on our way here.
There were two Guardians - two Shinies - standing by the door inside the room, but they weren't there to stop anybody from entering. No, they had been there as extra security to stop anybody from escaping. Since I had a good idea where they were and why, I didn't waste any time with niceties. The other people inside the room noticed my appearance because those two guys made quite a noise when they fell down dead.
I already knew that Linnea and Elise were in that room, and I also knew their approximate location inside the room. Besides a group of people at the back of the room, there were seven people - or four 'normal' people, two Trolls and someone who, instead of feeling like a normal person, had some sort of empty presence inside her shimmer. Yes, that person was a woman. I looked at the group standing by a large desk. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that there was a group of women inside a large cage at the back of the room. Most of them were standing but at least four of them were lying on the floor. Linnea was one of them and Elise was kneeling next to her. A part of me took note of all that, even while I kept my attention on the group
in front of me.
As I had suspected, those two Trolls were the first to react. I was able to tell that both of them were of the older generation and accustomed warriors, but neither of them was now wearing any armor. In fact, they were barely clothed and some distant part of me made a note of that and the probable reason. I also noticed that I had already seen both of these Trolls. Bjarke had been right, it had been a mistake to leave them alive. I smiled at the two Trolls who had picked up their swords from the table.
""I made a promise of what would happen if we met again. Trust me, I intend to keep my promise.""
""Die! Die! DIE!""
I could feel the command given with the Old Language tickling in my head, but all the practice with the Elves and my increased skills had made me quite immune to such disturbance.
""Not planning to, but I promise that you Ugly People will - and slowly.""
Again it was like my mind divided into multiple slices. One of them was worried whether I really had any chance against two Trolls with a sword I wasn't familiar with. A second one kept following the woman who looked like she was preparing to do something, to say something while the two men in Guardian uniforms were just standing there, not believing what they were seeing. Then there was the group of women whose attention was now focused on the fight taking place close to the doors.
