Ebudae

by Carroll, John H.

  “I’m not hurt, Daddy. I promise.” Tears welled in her eyes again. “I might be in some trouble and I’m really tired.”

  Frath wasn’t afraid of many things in life. He had a healthy caution for things of danger, but that helped him to survive. The one thing he did fear was something bad happening to his daughter, so her words caused his heart and all the veins in his body to clench in ice-cold terror. “How much trouble? Do we need to get you out of Dralin?”

  “No!” That one word was uttered by everyone in the room along with spirited protesting.

  Pelya grabbed one of his hands with both of hers. “No, Daddy. I don’t want to leave Dralin. Please don’t make me.”

  “She is not in trouble,” the Knight of Reanna stated. “In fact, your daughter showed great bravery in rescuing a number of individuals who had been enslaved. She fought off creatures of the dark as well as corrupt men in order to rescue the slaves.”

  Frath looked at his daughter with pride and concern both covering his expression, pride for such a brave deed and concern for the danger inherent in all brave deeds. “Give me the story and we’ll go from there.” All Frath wanted to do was to put Pelya safe in her bed and then go to sleep in his own bed for a few days.

  At that moment, servers brought in breakfast for the group and everyone paused in order to fill plates and take a few bites. Frath was grateful for the food. His stomach growled when he didn’t send it down his throat fast enough. Bava let Pelya take a few bites before pressing her for the story. “It’s time for you to tell us what happened. It’s obvious you don’t want to, but you need to get it over with.”

  Frath listened as his daughter told of the Carnies she and Ebudae had met. He felt an urge to find them and warn them not to hurt her, which was probably part of the reason she never mentioned their names.

  When Pelya mentioned breaking into the warehouse, Bava asked, “Who did the warehouse belong to?”

  Pelya paused. “Ebudae said the yellow with three black stripes that the guard wore were the colors of Master Blavoci, a powerful merchant.” Frath exchanged worried glances with Gilron and Bava. Even tired as she was, Pelya didn’t miss it. “Is that bad?”

  “He’s a powerful man and he’s been under investigation for years, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.” Bava brushed aside any concern with a wave of her hand. “What happened after you made certain the guards were alive and then entered the warehouse?”

  Master Blavoci wasn’t just a powerful man, he was a dangerous and vindictive man who the Guard wasn’t able to get close to. Frath was truly worried for his daughter’s safety and knew Gorman and Bava felt the same, but all three hid their apprehension, although Albert was staring at him suspiciously.

  Pelya went on to tell of rescuing the actor and then the slaves. She cried when talking about how Master Blavoci’s guards had been killed, especially the one who had yielded.

  “You acted with honor, Pelya,” the weaponmaster told her. “But most people in the world do not. Your sorrow and regret for the death of a man you did not kill shows great character.”

  “Commander Coodmur speaks the truth,” Sir Imbra stated. “I want you to hold your head high. Do not let the craven activities of others weigh upon your shoulders.”

  Pelya looked to Frath and knew she wanted his reassurance. “They’re right. In everything you did, you acted with bravery, cleverness and compassion. I’m very proud of you and your actions.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “You did everything I would have done.”

  The tears she cried that time had relief in them and he felt some of the tension leave her. He was beginning to wonder how many tears the girl could hold. It was rare for her to show grief.

  By the time Pelya finished telling about releasing the slaves and Sir Imbra rescuing them from the dark ruins, she was fighting to keep her eyes open. Sir Imbra stood. “Your daughter is a shining light in this malevolent city, Frath Jornin. You have my respect and admiration for raising such a wonderful young woman.” He bowed to him. Frath would have bowed back, but he didn’t want to anger his ribs. “It is time for the two of you to get to your beds and sleep. My carriage is at your disposal. I must get back to the temple. Good day to all of you.” He tossed a gold piece and a number of coppers. “For the food and comfort, Innmaster. Please give the coppers to the servers for their excellent service.”

  “Of course, and thank you.” Albert stood and shook the knight’s hand. When the knight was gone, he escorted the rest of them out to the carriage. “You take care of yourselves and come again soon for dinner,” he told Frath and Pelya as they climbed into the carriage.

  Pelya hugged him. “We will, Uncle Albert.”

  They made the trip to the Guard District in silence with everyone lost in thought. Pelya rested her head on a pillow she found under the seat to set in her father’s lap and instantly fell asleep.

  Chapter 13

  The next evening, Pelya sat in a chair next to her father’s bed in the Guard’s Healing Hall. It was peaceful, but she ached from the exertion and stress she had gone through. She finished chewing a bite of her dinner. “I’m worried about Ebudae, Daddy. She was exhausted and her grandmother is going to be miserable to her.”

  Frath wiped a hand over his tired face. The healing had improved his condition a great deal, but he needed more rest. “I know Lady Pallon doesn’t like children, but she’s not quite as bad as you make her out to be.”

  “You don’t understand. She’s worse. You just defend her because she’s your friend.”

  “Ebudae will be fine. I admit that Lady Pallon is miserable to her.” He took a sip of the juice off his nightstand. “There’s something we need to talk about though.”

  That piqued Pelya’s curiosity. “Like what actually happened to you. No one believes you fell down stairs no matter how much you stick to the story.” It had frustrated the healers and Captain Zephan, his commanding officer, but there was no way to prove anything else had happened so they told him to get better and report to duty as soon as possible.

  His expression became firm, indicating that he wouldn’t tolerate the question from her any further. Pelya sighed and looked around the room. Healing Hall was magically cooled and its air purified to protect from the smoggy heat that suffocated the city. A few patients lay in beds, either injured in the line of duty or sick. It was mostly quiet with people speaking in low voices or an occasional moan.

  Pelya had spent the previous day and night sleeping in the bed next to her father’s, while the beds on either side of them were empty. Most of the healers adored Pelya and welcomed her presence, especially since she helped them with her stubborn father.

  “I wasn’t going to mention anything, but the more I think about it, the more I believe you need to be wary,” Frath said in quiet tones. Pelya turned back to him and met his gaze. She loved looking into the gemlike purple irises whenever he would let her. In the past, she had asked if they really were amethyst, but it was a question he never answered. The facets glinted in the soft light of Healing Hall as he spoke. “Master Blavoci is powerful, yes, but he’s also very vindictive. If he or anyone in his organization figures out who broke into his warehouse and freed his slaves, whom he considers his property, then he’ll go after them.”

  Pelya remained silent, her lips pursed and her jaw clenched. The clerk they had left in the office had gotten a good look at her. In addition, the slaves had thanked her profusely, each one gazing admiringly at her when they had reached the Temple of Reanna. It would be easy to figure out that she was the one who rescued them.

  He took her hand and she looked down at the myriad of scars earned from sparring and fighting with blades. It shielded and protected hers. She wondered if that would last forever. “Pelya, my daughter,” his soothing voice wrapped around her like armor and she looked up at him. “It is true that I still mourn your mother and will for my life. However, you must understand that you mean everything in the world to me
and I would kill or die to keep you safe.” Sincerity lay across a vulnerability Frath rarely showed to anyone.

  “I don’t want you to kill or die,” she protested in a weak voice. Ever since Glav had murdered the man who surrendered to her, she couldn’t stop thinking about death. It made her breathing shallow and her muscles lose strength.

  “That’s not what I mean.” It was Frath’s turn to sigh. He looked around the room as though hoping the words he wanted were resting in one of the empty beds. “I mean that I don’t hate you.” He turned back to her. “I think you’re the most amazing person in the world and I’m sorry you have a purple-eyed bonehead of a father.”

  “You’re not a bonehead!” Pelya protested loudly, drawing shushing noises from a nearby healer. In a lower voice, she continued. “You’re the bravest, strongest and best dad in the world. You scared me when we couldn’t find you and I’m still scared because whatever hurt you has to be terrible and I’m worried that you’re the one in danger.”

  He brushed the concern aside as though it were nothing. “Those stairs are gone. I destroyed them with my mighty ribs as I rolled down their length.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a suppressed grin.

  Pelya glared at him for a second before breaking into giggles. She tried to hold them back, but failed. They laughed for a few moments, drawing hostile scowls and shushing from the healers. When the laughter subsided, they were both more relaxed and Pelya could feel some of the tension gone from her shoulders and back.

  “Seriously though, are you in danger?” Pelya asked.

  His expression was one of reassurance and his words definite. “I promise that I’m not. Everything is handled and I’m safe.”

  “Alright. I just worry about you, Daddy.”

  “I know. Right now I’m more worried about you, Ebudae and these Carnies you were with.” He took another sip of the juice and used his fork to push the few remaining scraps of food around on his plate without showing interest in finishing. It was a sign he was recovering. “It’s unlikely he’d go after you. It’s well known that you’re protected by the City Guard.”

  “I’m worried about Ebudae more than anyone. She’s my best friend and the Guard doesn’t protect her.” The thought of Ebudae being killed, or worse, sold into slavery sent a chill up her spine.

  “Powerful people go out of their way not to upset Lady Pallon. Master Blavoci won’t touch Ebudae.” Frath decided one of the scraps looked particularly tasty. He stabbed it with the fork, put it in his mouth and chewed.

  “Why?” It didn’t make any sense to Pelya. Maybe powerful people knew how nasty the silver-haired woman was and didn’t want anything to do with her.

  “I don’t know,” Frath admitted with a shrug. “She frightens people. I’ve mentioned that I was her friend a couple of times when I needed something from a noble or merchant who wouldn’t give me the time of day.” He leaned toward Pelya and spoke quietly. “The blood drained from their faces and they took steps backward. Then they told me what I needed to know.” He straightened and tossed the fork onto the plate. “Ebudae is safe.”

  “So you think I’m safe and Ebudae is safe, but what about the Carnies?” Pelya was harboring a great deal of anger towards them for abandoning her, Ebudae and the slaves, but didn’t want them to get hurt.

  “Do they know who you rescued from that cell?”

  “Yes. He was an actor and they made him sign over his stage. They were going to ship him away to another country as a slave once the paperwork was registered.”

  “And do they have any way of knowing who his rescuers are?” Frath wasn’t challenging his daughter or prying, he was asking important questions in calm tones.

  Pelya thought about it. “I think so. His sister is the one that led us and two of the actors that worked for him told us he was missing in the first place.” She chewed on a nail until her father pulled the hand away. He hated the habit. “One of them died, so they can probably figure it out. Also, one of the Carnies was a seven-foot tall strong man, so he’s noticeable.”

  “They’re in danger. Do you think your new friends would rat you and Ebudae out?” He held her hand supportively while asking the question.

  She brought her braid to her mouth and chewed on that instead. Sometimes, it was hard to remember her father hated it when she bit her nails and Ebudae hated it when she chewed on the braid. Pelya removed the braid to speak. “I think they’ll protect us as long as they’re not in danger. If they are in danger, they’ll give in.” She resumed chewing on the braid.

  “Right. That’s a problem.” He shoved the covers aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

  Pelya stood and put a hand on his chest. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to go talk to these friends of yours and keep things from getting out of hand.” Frath would have stood, but a healer came running.

  “You are not allowed to leave that bed,” the healer ordered.

  Frath was about to challenge her, but a man with neat blonde hair and beard came up next to the woman. His voice was smooth but firm. “I know you’re not thinking of going anywhere are you, Sergeant Jornin?”

  “No, Master Irmin.” The speed with which her father ducked back under the covers impressed Pelya. Master Irmin was one of the three people in charge of Healing Hall and had full authority over anyone who entered. If Frath tried to leave against orders, Master Irmin would report to his commanding officer, which would result in heavy disciplinary action.

  Master Irmin narrowed his eyes, leaned over and put a fingertip on Frath’s nose. “If you cause any problems, I’ll see to it that you don’t get any pudding for dessert. You don’t want that, do you?”

  Frath shook his head.

  “That’s what I thought.” Master Irmin turned his narrowed eyes to Pelya. She stood as still as possible. Fortunately, he didn’t say anything to her before turning on his heel and marching off to care for some other unlucky patient.

  The female healer also went to care for someone else, leaving father and daughter to release held breaths. Pelya sat down. “I’ll go warn them to be careful, Daddy. I can see if anyone has been poking around too.”

  “You are not going there alone,” he admonished. “And you need to take someone other than Ebudae. Take someone in the Guard. Even Blavoci will think twice about causing trouble that way. Bava, Malwy or Herman would be good choices.”

  Pelya stood and buckled her sword belt on. It had been leaning against the wall next to the bed. “I get to decide who to take. You get better.” Frath narrowed his eyes, but didn’t argue. She gave him a kiss on the forehead before making her way out.

  ***

  Privates Grinkin, Florsy and Clutz were three well-traveled Guardsmen whom most others avoided whenever possible. They were old, grizzled and gnarly in personality. They always fought dirty and used words that made hardened sergeants blush. Pelya loved spending time listening to their stories of sailing the oceans and visiting other continents. They adored their young friend and loved regaling her with those bawdy stories. Frath was good friends with them, but didn’t like his daughter hanging around them so much.

  “Pelya!” Florsy called out to her from the table in a park outside of the Guard District where the three spent most of their time playing card games. They were all the worst sort of cheats and had taught her some of their best tricks. Pelya had begun to realize over the last few years that just because someone was in the City Guard didn’t mean they were always honest in their dealings.

  “Hello, Uncle Florsy. I need your help.”

  They stood and tucked their gambling equipment into various pockets. “What is it, lass?” Grinkin asked in his unusually high-pitched voice. He was stout and bald with a white mustache. The voice didn’t match anything else about him.

  “Some friends I made may be in trouble and if they are, I might end up in trouble too.” Pelya decided not to waste time before getting to the point. “Daddy wants me to warn them, but I’m not allowed to g
o alone.”

  Florsy smelled of metal oil recently used on his chain shirt as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He was the tallest of the group and skinny, although his ropey muscles held surprising strength. “We’ll go with and do our best to keep these ‘friends’ of yours out of trouble.” His sly voice added a dubious emphasis to the word ‘friends’. “If we can’t, we’ll make sure they don’t give it to you.”

  “It might not be that easy, Uncle Florsy,” Pelya warned as they began walking. “We broke into a warehouse to rescue someone and I released some slaves in the process.”

  “It sounds like a brave deed,” Grinkin said, admiration clear in his voice. “I’m proud of you for it, lass.”

  Pelya blushed at the compliment. The men didn’t give them easily, even to her. “Thank you.” She became serious. “But the warehouse belonged to Master Blavoci. Father said he’s dangerous and vindictive.” She caught the quick glances they gave each other. “I see you know it as well.”

  “He’s a bad man with wealth, power and connections in the High Council. That qualifies as trouble enough, but he’s also under investigation if I remember correctly. Something about smuggling illegal goods,” Florsy said, running fingers through his thick grey hair. It had once been a rich brown, but there were only hints of that left.

  “Where are we going?” Clutz asked. He didn’t speak much and his name was misleading. Clutz was a master of travelling over tightly packed rooftops in the city. The three had light duties because of their ages, so it was easy for them to take extra time out for her whenever needed.

  “We’re going to Carnival, a performer’s tent near the east side,” Pelya told him.

  “Your friends are Carnies?” Florsy asked.

  “Ebudae and I met them a few days ago. We thought they were good friends.”