“If you wouldn’t mind cleaning him up…?” Even as Ruby knelt by her side and took the patient’s arm, Zae glanced over toward the other patient. The eye was bandaged and the patient seemed either restful or actually asleep, but was still crusted in metal dust and drying blood.
“Of course.” Zae crossed to the other patient, her orange peel potion bottle still in hand. With clean cloths, she gently washed the student’s face.
“How did you come to healing?” Ruby asked her.
“I grew up in a troupe of traveling engineers and artificers,” Zae said. “There were always accidents that needed healing. I sort of came into both skills at once. How about you?”
“A similar sort of thing. I grew up in the family tradition, but I was always fascinated by my mother’s familiar. I knew I would inherit it when she died, so I was motivated to learn how to keep it in good health.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. How long ago did your mother die?”
Ruby tilted her head, tapping her finger in a silent count. “Three years. It was clean and painless, and now she’s with my father again. Are you ready? We should probably move on.”
17
WAYLAID
ZAE
Zae had agreed to meet Keren back at home after they were both done for the day, but she was too shaken and restless to be alone with her thoughts. She approached the grand doorway of the Tempering Hall, pushed her way inside, and followed her memory to the hall where Appleslayer trained. If Houndmaster Charish was surprised to see her, it didn’t show. She welcomed her in and let Zae observe, then invited her to ride Apple the way she had the day before.
This was how Keren and her trainer came upon them. Zae, on Apple’s back at a gallop, wielding a wooden sword, while Sula charged at them. Whatever the threat to Zae, Apple had to listen to his rider, not his instincts, unless she gave him free rein.
It was, in many ways, precisely the opposite of Keren’s training, in which she had to learn to trust her own instincts but still be willing to give Iomedae the reins when it was time for the goddess to work through her.
Perhaps she wouldn’t share that observation with Keren quite yet. There were more important things to talk about first.
On the way home, speaking quietly from dog-back, Zae described the explosion at the Clockwork Cathedral. Keren’s lips tightened to a grim line as she listened. “All right,” she said when Zae had finished. “What does it look like to you?”
Zae had been pondering this all day. “I can’t be sure it means anything, but … assuming it’s not coincidence, the workroom that was wedged closed was the same one Rowan and I peeked around in.”
“The one with the hidden panel. The one building a construct powered by something in a jar.”
“The very same. Do you think it’s worth telling your church about?”
“I don’t know. I doubt there’s anything they’d do about it besides tell you to be careful and alert, and you seem to have that covered. It’s not as if we can prove the jar was ever there.”
“Mm. And if the whole thing was staged to steal a Turis, whatever that is, then it’s nothing to do with us or the Bloodstone at all.”
They reached Lumpy Orange Crescent and skirted the fountain in a careful, alert manner. Zae dismounted and went inside first. Just within the doorway, she extended her senses to check for disturbances or traps. Keren did her own physical circuit once Zae pronounced it clear.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have dinner ready. Plans got waylaid.”
“It’s okay, Pixie.” Keren knelt to hug her close. Hugs were awkward with Keren’s armor, but still worth it. “Let’s do something else. It’s been a tense, horrible few days, we’re in a new city, and we haven’t even explored it yet. I think we can be careful and alert and still take a little time for ourselves, like we should have been able to do our first day here.”
“I…” Zae blinked. “I wasn’t expecting that. After everything today, is it respectful to go out and play?”
Keren squeezed her hand. There was an earnestness in her eyes that was open, vulnerable, and not entirely familiar. This was something that Keren needed for herself, but didn’t know how to ask for. “I can’t focus on anything when I’m this weighed-down. I know you can’t either. Just for a night, let’s enjoy the novelty of not being exploded, poisoned, or ambushed for a change.”
Zae still smelled smoke in her hair, and when she closed her eyes she still felt the way the room had jolted. Replacing those milling thoughts with more pleasant ones sounded like a necessary thing for both of them. “I like the way you think.”
Zae helped Keren out of her armor, then washed up and changed into a simple pale blue dress with a white underskirt. She waited with her ever-present satchel over her shoulder and soft leather shoes on her feet. She wore thick leathers for working—a single stray spark could be deadly to fabric and anyone in it—so it was novelty enough just feeling layers of soft skirts brush against her legs and swish around her ankles.
Keren had also changed, into tailored leather trousers, her formal boots, and a brown suede tunic with gold embroidery at the neck and sleeves. She jingled when she emerged from the bedroom, suggesting chain and another layer of shirting underneath the loose tunic.
“You look beautiful.” Zae folded both her hands over her heart.
Keren should have been used to the compliment by now, since Zae said it to her almost as often as she thought it, but the knight floundered for something to say. “So do you! When’s the last time you dressed up?”
“There was the— No. Or … Hmm.” Zae shook her head. “I don’t actually remember. I can hear your mail under there. Are you going armed?”
“Probably should,” Keren said with a grimace.
“No, don’t apologize. It’s comforting. Safe and alert, right?”
“Right.”
Keren locked the door behind them while Zae got up into Appleslayer’s saddle. “Where are we headed?” the gnome asked.
“The Ivy District. I thought maybe we’d take in a concert and a diversion.”
* * *
The boundaries between some of Absalom’s districts were subtle or even indistinct, but Zae knew the moment they crossed into the Ivy District. Even the air smelled different, of leaves and perfume. Gone was any hint of the sea.
The sun was on its descent, and the hanging plants that lined the narrow cobbled street filtered it into dappled light. Zae stopped and breathed deeply. She thought it might have been the deepest breath she’d taken since her arrival in the city. Even Appleslayer walked with a lighter step.
The main road curved around a large, open-air park, punctuated by groves of trees and lakes that reflected the orange hues of approaching dusk. At some point Keren directed them to turn. A short block of residences opened out onto such a lush and well-groomed market that it was hard to believe it occupied the same piece of land as the shifty bazaar in the Coins. Sellers’ portable carts overflowed with freshly cut flowers and others still alive in decorative pots. Other vendors offered perfumes, teas, fruits and vegetables, pottery and carvings, and even the materials of scribes and clothiers: vellum and inks, and fine cloth and dyes. Permanent shops ringed the market, offering books, pastries, and artisans to tailor or sew the cloth sold just paces from their doors.
“I could live here,” Zae proclaimed. That earned her a gentle brush of fingertips against her cheek and into her hair.
“You’ve still got your goggles on,” Keren teased, tugging lightly at the strap.
Zae laughed. “I’m so used to perching them up there, I completely forgot. Hopefully they make the outfit?”
“Absolutely.”
They eventually wandered toward the food sellers and purchased a bag of fresh greenhouse berries and two pastries filled with venison and mushroom in a savory herbed gravy, and a wrapped parcel of just meat for Appleslayer. A bottle of sparkling wine finished out the impromptu picnic, and a park bench at the edge of the market proved the perfec
t place to eat. A trio of violinists was just setting up nearby, so they dined and listened to string music, while the sunset painted the treetops and a breeze gently stirred their hair.
“This is perfect,” Zae said. “Thank you so much. I had no idea this city had so much serenity in it.”
Keren leaned in and kissed her. “I wanted to give you something new and different. I know it’s your favorite thing.”
The gnome felt her cheeks flush. “You get dropped into the middle of a giant mess that could turn into a holy war, and you’re thinking about me?”
Keren laced their hands. Their matching rings glinted. “I’m always thinking about you.”
Zae scooted closer, into the circle of Keren’s arm. Appleslayer leaned against their legs and slid down to a graceless sprawl, basking in the afterglow of his meal.
Before Zae knew it, it was almost fully dark and the musicians were packing up. She got up and gave them a few coins for a lovely performance, and stretched. “That was wonderful.”
“Oh, we’re not done.” Keren rose, dusting off her tunic, and grinned. Zae, intrigued, slipped her hand back into Keren’s as they set off at a relaxed stroll, Appleslayer at her side.
“How did you learn about this place?”
“I asked around,” Keren answered. “It should be just up … here. This one.”
She turned up the walk to one of the meticulously groomed houses, double-checked the discreet plaque beside the door, and knocked. In moments her knock was answered; a beautiful woman with a narrow face and ears that suggested elven heritage opened the door wider and invited them in.
Pale wooden floors and orchid-stenciled walls dominated the front parlor. These were the sorts of floors you had when you wanted to show off how perfectly dirt-free your existence was. Zae, self-conscious, dug a hammered brass saucer out of her satchel. She bent and applied it to Appleslayer’s paws one at a time, cleaning them with the simple spell triggered when his paw pads touched the surface. The dog, as if trained to this, turned after every paw to accommodate her.
Keren waited patiently, making small talk with the woman who’d let them in. Corn-silk hair framed her face and spilled in a straight fall down her back. She was dressed in white-and-pink silk. When Zae was finished, she introduced herself as Alturiel and led them further into the house. Zae tried to catch Keren’s eye with a questioning look, but Keren’s only response was a faint smile.
Their first stop was a comfortable, carpeted room with a cushion on the floor. “If you’d like, your companion can rest here a while. We provide water and grooming.”
Appleslayer looked content and relaxed. The dog sensed no threat, so he’d be willing to part from them for a while, especially if brushing was involved. She suspected Alturiel had no idea exactly how much Apple could shed, or what she was getting herself into, but at Keren’s nod of agreement, she said, “That would be very nice. Thank you.”
With Apple settled, Alturiel led them farther into the house and down a flight of stairs. Humidity rose as they descended, and Zae soon saw the source: a sunken bath carved into the floor, filling the room with the mineral scent of hot springs. Potted flowers thrived here, fed by the dampness and magical light.
“There’s a cabinet for your clothing here. Powdered soaps are in jars at the poolside. Help yourself to water or wine, by the soaps, but I don’t recommend drinking from the pool itself. And here are towels, and just ring the bell if you need anything, or when you’re ready.” She bowed her head pleasantly and started back up the stairs.
“Keren … you got us a private hot spring?”
Keren toyed with the ends of her hair. “And an oil massage for two, with the attendants of our choice for after, if you’d like.”
“How are we—”
“Affording this? With the money we didn’t spend buying meals on the sea voyage we didn’t take to get here.” She pulled her tunic off over her head, and then bent over to wriggle her mail shirt off.
“We never did get to finish celebrating,” Zae said.
Keren peeled off her final layer of clothing and strolled nude toward the square stone pool.
Zae, heart beating fast, got to work on her laces.
* * *
“Why didn’t Vigil ever have gorgeous breezes like this?” Zae asked as they made their way home. It was a calm night, clear and cool enough to hint that the change of seasons was on the way. She felt drunk with relaxation and happiness, a glow due more to intimacy than to wine.
“You had a long day.” Keren tousled Zae’s hair with her fingertips. Appleslayer padded alongside them.
“Class, the … incident, at the Clockwork Cathedral … that was all still today, wasn’t it? No wonder I’m ready to drop.”
Keren squeezed her hand once in warning, then let go, hand moving toward the hilt of her sword. They had strolled into a narrow street at the start of the Merchants’ Quarter, and silhouettes moved atop the buildings.
Unease sat heavily in Zae’s stomach, but there was nothing to do but continue onward and stay alert. With every stride, Zae expected a group of attackers to appear from the shadows with a growl and a flash of steel. She considered her options, ticking through her remaining spells, and settled for quietly murmuring a prayer to Brigh to bring favor onto herself and her companions.
The attack came not as a sword or spell, but as a high-pitched swish like the flutter of bats’ wings growing ever louder, and a heavy, shining web that emerged from the night sky and descended to tangle them in its cold wings. It was upon them before they could make sense of it, much less move out of its way. Zae knew that it had been flung onto them by the silhouettes atop the nearby rooftops, and didn’t question how she knew or why it was happening. Panic overtook her even though she fought it. Instinct was to tear at it, as she was doing, or slash at it, as Keren tried to do, but they only ended up tangled further. Before Zae could be sure entirely what had happened, both of them were bound up in strong mesh and tumbled together on the ground. Appleslayer, only feet away, was barking and baring his teeth at a woman in leather, snapping his jaws warningly. For now, the woman was poised defensively and shooing him away, but one of her companions was approaching with his sword bared. Zae tried to direct a surge of energy at the man with the sword, but nothing happened.
Zae had come to love her silly white dog very much, and her worst nightmare was of seeing him cut down before her eyes. She’d had quite enough of that sort of helplessness for one lifetime.
“Apple, no!” Zae yelled. “Run, Apple!”
The dog whined. He paused for an indecisive moment, then ran. Zae was so relieved to see him sprint off into the night that she almost didn’t mind the dull blow to the back of her head that followed.
18
THE TURIS
ZAE
Zae awoke, head pounding, to find she was sleeping on a hard stone floor. A few sparse shafts of light filtered in around the edges of a doorway, but that was more than enough for a gnome to see by. She could tell that she was under the weighted net, which held her prone, close to the floor. Even if her head hadn’t been threatening to split apart, she wouldn’t have had the clearance to sit upright. A handful of feet away, Keren was similarly bundled under her own net. Her armor and sword were gone, and her hands were tied with rope behind her back. Only when Zae shifted her shoulders did she realize she was similarly bound, at her wrists and—as another shift of sore limbs told her—ankles as well. Her mouth was strangely dry, and it was a few more moments before she was aware enough to realize her lips were held apart by a gag.
Unable to call to Keren with words, she instead made a questioning hum. After watching for what felt like a long time, she saw dark hair shift and recognized the way Keren always moved when she was surfacing from slumber.
Well, things could be worse, then. Zae was alive and seemed unharmed, and Keren likewise. Without the use of her hands to roll herself over it was hard to be absolutely certain where she was, but she could see well enough in
the low light to recognize the greenish color of the metal—the metal she had helped to braid and weave.
A flush of bitterness at the betrayal rose in her like bile. Who? Was Rowan her enemy after all? Or one of the other creators?
No—anger and panic weren’t helpful in a situation like this. She had to observe, remember to breathe, and wait for opportunities if she wanted to make it through.
She thought about Appleslayer. To the best of her knowledge, he had run home. She wasn’t sure how far away home was, or whether their captors had gone there looking for them first. But it wasn’t helpful to think about that, either. Whatever happened back at the house, there was little she could do about it from here. But it was all right to think about Apple in general. He was such a smart dog, and she had enjoyed the chance to participate in his training herself. She wondered if Sula could speak with animals and interpret his barks into the common tongue. That prospect amused Zae greatly; she would have to find some way to speak with Apple, sometime, and find out whether he was happy living with her, and what his life had been like before she’d rescued him. She wondered what his name had been before he was a slayer of apples.
There. Calm again. This time when Keren shifted, coming awake now, Zae felt relief instead of worry. And then, because she could, she raised her head and looked around.
Keren was under a second net. It looked more traditional, made out of thick, varnished rope. A third net seemed to hold a third captive, but this one was unconscious. If she concentrated, she could see clothing move with the slow and even breathing of deep, drugged slumber.
The room didn’t look like an actual dungeon or jail, but rather a makeshift one. It was the sort of stone room Zae would have expected to find in a warehouse or a keep, filled with perishables that someone wanted to keep cool. The door was wooden, bound with iron. From the way light made its way through the cracks, she could see the shadow of the bar that latched it shut from the other side. A series of open horizontal slits up near the ceiling, probably barely large enough to fit a gnome’s hand, ventilated the cool room and gave the warmer air—since warm air rose—a way to escape. The small openings may have been viable escape routes for air, but they were not an option for gnomes or humans.
Pathfinder Tales--Gears of Faith Page 16
