by Unknown
“Would you be in need of anything else?” she asked him for the fourth time.
He placed a silver coin on the table. “Just a little privacy. I think this will pay for renting this space a tad longer.”
The coin was quickly palmed. “Let me know if you change your mind.” She left him to his thoughts.
Finally, the watch commander disembarked and began to retrace his steps away from the wharf. Sloan allowed Wills to establish his direction of travel before standing and tipping his hat to the stern-faced hostess. Taking care to not draw the watch commander’s attention, he followed at a distance.
Wills eventually entered the Ward House for South Arlanda. Sloan took a position down the road where he could view the House entrance unseen. He pondered whether it was best to wait and follow Wills when he left the House or conduct further investigation elsewhere. He hadn’t learned much so far and wished he had been able to observe Wills’s activity aboard the ship.
Investigation won over surveillance. Sloan waited a mark before deciding to go back to the wharf and talk with Dock Master Breen. A little over a quarter of a mark later, he entered the building where the Dock Master was located. Sloan approached a young man who sat at a desk, writing in a ledger. The fingers of the man’s right hand were ink-stained, as was the cuff of his right sleeve. Absorbed in his work, he didn’t notice Sloan until Sloan cleared his throat for attention.
The startled fellow jumped and stammered, “May I help you?”
“I would like to see Dock Master Breen. Please tell him Watch Officer Sloan is here to meet with him. You are…?”
“It’s Thorm, sir. I’ll see if the dock master is available.” Thorm stood, walked a short distance, and knocked on the closed door of the dock master’s workroom. He waited a moment then entered the room, making a point to close the door behind him. He soon reappeared and held the portal open. “The dock master will see you now.”
“Thank you, Thorm.” Sloan entered the workroom. He spoke loudly as Thorm closed the door behind him to make sure the man heard him. “I want to thank you for taking the time to see me, Dock Master.”
The man Sloan addressed was sitting at his desk. He removed a small crystal bell from a left-hand drawer, placed it on the desk, and tapped it three times in rapid fashion with an ironwood striker. A crisp note rang from the chime with each strike, and a sustained melodic tone reverberated from the object after the final strike.
“There, that should keep any inquisitive ears from hearing our conversation. How are you, my boy?”
“I am fine, Uncle Timis. I hope you and Aunt Lorin are well?”
“I am well, and your aunt expects you for dinner two evenings hence. Your presence was missed at our last gathering.”
“As you know, work does, on occasion, keep me away. I would never intentionally miss one of her exquisite meals.”
“How can I help you today, nephew?”
“I’ve come to ask you about the Wave Dancer. What can you tell me about her?”
“The Wave Dancer… let’s see. She is in slip seven. Her captain’s name is Naider. She entered port with a damaged main mast that has kept her at dock longer than usual, because her crew has been making the repairs. I offered to send carpenters to help with the job, but Captain Naider declined. He said his men were capable. Took them some time to finish, but supposedly they recently completed the job.”
“What was the captain’s cargo?”
“Let’s see.” Timis removed a ledger from a desk drawer, turned the pages, and quickly located the one he sought. “She carried casks of metals, tar, fire stone, iron wood, and spice. All duties have been paid, as well as dock fees. She has been loading textiles, casks of liquor, and finished goods.”
“Any idea how long she’ll be in port?”
“Actually, yes. About a mark ago, Naider sent a message informing me that he plans to keep the Dancer docked one more dawn, to allow the crew to report, and will leave on the tide the following morn. Is there something I should know, nephew?”
“Not at this time, Uncle Timis, but, when there is, I’ll get back to you. Please keep me posted regarding any change in the captain’s plans.”
“Will do. Now don’t forget about dinner.” Timis picked up the crystal and placed it back in the drawer. The musical tone immediately stopped when he touched the chime. He gave Sloan a wink. “Well, you have taken enough of my time, Officer. Now I have business to conduct.”
“Thank you, Dock Master. Good day.” As he left the workroom, he noticed Thorm hurrying to his desk. Sloan didn’t say a word to the eavesdropper, just proceeded to West Ward Station. He needed more answers. Perhaps Wills’s office was a place to look for a few.
***
Liddea slowly opened her eyes. Her headache was gone, and the light no longer caused her discomfort. She was still tired, and her belly, which had settled, grumbled letting her know it had been a while since she had last eaten. She wondered what might be available for her to place into it. She didn’t have to look very far. A bowl had been left at the head of her mattress containing seaweed, a few dry crusts, and a hard piece of cheese.
Why was everyone so quiet? she wondered. She suddenly sensed she was being watched. Looking around the chamber, she saw her fellow captives focused on the closed door. Staring at them through the opening was a man with blackened teeth. He did not have kind or sympathetic eyes, and his smile sent a chill through her as he leered at them. This must be Bad Teeth, she figured. Without saying a word, the man turned from the opening and walked away.
Tilly jumped up from her mattress, hurried to the door, and looked through the hole in all directions. “He’s gone, and no one else is out there.” She brought the water bucket over to Liddea. “Are you feeling better? We saved you something to eat. You should drink. It will make you feel better. We have to use our hands to eat.”
Liddea hadn’t realized how talkative Tilly was when she was nervous. “Thank you. I am better but hungry. I’ll start with a bit of bread and a little water.”
She tucked a piece of crust inside her right cheek, took a sip of water, and held it, allowing the bread to soak up the moisture and soften. The water took away the dryness in her mouth as she sucked the bread then slowly chewed and swallowed it, as well. Over time, she ate all the bread and drank two ladles of water. She was pleased that her stomach hadn’t rebelled. “I’ll have the rest later but want to see how well this stays down first. How long was I asleep?”
“For a bit. We have no way to measure the marks,” Betra answered.
“I’m guessing our watcher was Bad Teeth. How often do they check on us?” Liddea reached for the cheese and bit off a small piece.
“Yes, that’s him. They feed us twice a day. Mostly it’s Stinky who brings us food. There is another man who we think is the boss who rarely comes. Bad Teeth and Stinky defer to him and call him ‘sir.’ They never use their names when they talk around us.”
Listening, she started to nibble the seaweed, but her stomach would not accept it. With a shudder, she returned it to the bowl. “Tell me more of what you have observed since each of you awakened here.” She listened closely to what they had to offer.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE BOYS STOOD waiting outside of Qwen’s for Mehrle and Tulip to return. They’d walked to within sight of the Temple and back, searching for clues to Liddea’s disappearance.
Their lack of success frustrated Zeal. “I wish the girls would hurry back.”
Nester could see Mehrle and Tulip approaching up the street. “I think they will be here soon. Don’t you worry now, Zeal.”
“Well, what if they got stopped by one of the mentors or something?” Zeal muttered.
Fronc saw Mehrle and Tulip as well and quickly looked away. “Then that would leave us to rescue them and Liddea.”
By the way Fronc and Nester glanced at each other and kept looking over his head, Zeal figured out what was going on. “Mehrle and Tulip are coming up behind me, aren’t
they?” He spun around, saw the girls, and then turned back to face Fronc and Nester. “One day, I am going to get you both.”
Fronc laughed and rubbed Zeal on the top of the head. “And we would just have to trick you again, Mouse.”
Once Mehrle and Tulip had joined them, Zeal asked, “What did you bring that belonged to Liddea?”
Tulip opened up the sack and took out a doll. “We got this.”
Zeal took the doll from her. “Oh, that’s the one she sleeps with.”
Fronc smiled. “Then, during the day, she hides it under her sleeper so that no one knows about it.”
“Good choice. I would have picked her doll as well.” Nester added.
Zeal observed Tulip’s puzzled frown. When Tulip started to speak, Mehrle interrupted her. “Don’t ask them, Tulip. I don’t think we really want to discover how they learned about Liddea’s doll.”
Mehrle asked, “Did you guys find anything on your walk to share with us?”
Zeal handed the doll back. “No, we didn’t. We searched along the route we figured she would have gone and investigated a different way when we returned to Qwen’s. She has just vanished.”
Tulip began to walk toward Qwen’s. “Let’s go see what Qwen can do with Liddea’s prized possession.” Just as she reached the door, it opened on its own, as before.
Zeal followed Tulip inside. As he entered, he studied the doorway and tried to spot the mechanism that controlled access but didn’t see one.
Qwen was placing food and tea on the table. He nodded to a basin of water, soap, and small towels. “Wash your hands and sit. I know young folk are always hungry. While you eat, you can show me what possession of Liddea’s you have acquired.”
Tulip gave Qwen the bag then took a place at the table. “We brought Liddea’s favorite doll. She sleeps with it every night.”
“Excellent. Something she holds dear and handles often.” He sat and poured himself a cup of tea.
Zeal asked, “What are you going to do with the doll?”
“I plan to use it to complete a simple scrying. If successful, we should be able to see Liddea, attempt to discern where she is located, and then mount a rescue.”
The food and drink disappeared in rapid fashion, and then the five young people quietly followed Qwen to a door that had remained closed during their prior visit. The door opened as they neared it.
Zeal wondered if Qwen used conjuring to make the doors function around his place as he crossed through the threshold into Qwen’s workroom. The chamber was made of unfinished stone. Sconces gave off bright light without fire. He reached toward one and felt nothing, which was another mystery for him, and missed the warmth that flame would have provided.
The floor of the right half of the room was taken up by a five-pointed star with a circle around it. Both the circle and star were made of a silvered metal unfamiliar to Zeal, and he wondered what purpose the design served. A work bench against the opposite wall filled the rest of the chamber, underneath rows of shelves filled with a variety of objects. Qwen had them stand at the sides of the bench as he gave out instructions. Even though Zeal wanted to peruse the collection, he thought it best to pay attention to Qwen.
“A scrying takes concentration and focus to navigate to the person or place you desire. Please stand quietly and make no interruptions during the attempt. Do not move from where you have been placed. Anyone have questions?”
The children were silent as he removed the doll from the sack and sat it up on a cleared space with a small hand mirror on its lap. Qwen positioned the hands and legs of the doll to hold the mirror steady.
Zeal studied Qwen’s every move as he took a wand of rose quartz from a shelf with his right hand and moved it in a circle around the doll three times. As he did so, a shiny golden halo formed around it. He made a brief gesture with his left hand and then whispered a few words that Zeal was unable hear clearly. Try as he may, Zeal couldn’t commit the pattern or words to memory.
As fog began to form in the center of the mirror and spread out toward its edges, Qwen spoke in a firm voice. “Liddea, Liddea, Liddea, I call to you three times. Show yourself to me.” A pulsating glow began to emanate from the fog, which, for a brief moment, cleared then reestablished itself. The throbbing stopped, and the light dimmed away.
Qwen’s eyes flashed as a soft growl emerged from the back of his throat. He took up the mirror and, with painstaking care, placed it back on the self. The golden circle faded away at his touch. He then picked up Liddea’s doll, returned it to its sack, and placed the sack on the table. “Come with me.”
Zeal hesitated, puzzled by what he’d witnessed: the attempted conjure and Qwen taking care to keep his anger from them. As he hurried to catch up to everyone and leave the room, the sconces darkened, and he had to hop forward to keep from being hit by the door closing behind him. When he joined the others at the table, he said, “Can we ask questions now?”
Qwen looked distracted. “That was interesting. What? Oh, sorry. Yes, you can.”
“Did you find her?” asked Mehrle.
“No, I didn’t. Wherever Liddea is, someone has used conjure to prevent her from being seen and her location being found. However, I was able to determine that she is still alive.”
Nester leaned forward. “Anything else you can do to help find her?”
“I’ll see what I can discover in a different fashion. Leave the doll with me. I still have a use for it. A way through the conjure that blocked my scrying has to be found.”
Fronc spoke up. “I was picked next for testing. Do I have to wait?”
“No further examinations for now.” Qwen looked into each of their faces. “Don’t worry. Everyone will have a turn. What next for you all then?”
Mehrle shrugged. “I guess we go back to the Temple. We want to help further. When would you like us to return?”
“Tomorrow will be soon enough. If I need you before then, I’ll either send someone for you or come get you myself. Let me see you out.”
Zeal stood. “You’re not trying to get rid of us so you can act without us, are you?”
Qwen laughed. “No, Zeal. I promise to keep you all involved.”
The children immediately fell into discussion with each other as they traveled from the cottage.
***
“Yes, please ward them for me,” Qwen said to the shimmering form that flowed away and followed the apprentices. He then glanced up over his shoulder. “I would like the two of you to follow me.” He walked back into the workroom, opened the sack, and placed the doll on the work bench. “Please take Liddea’s scent and search for her location. If you do find her, let me know where she is. Be careful. There may be another Practitioner involved. I don’t want either of you to come to harm.”
The two Zephyrs flew up the chimney of the cottage and then separated to search the city in different directions.
Qwen put the doll back in the bag. Liddea’s scent would take longer to dissipate if her possession was kept contained. Never alone, he turned to his remaining companion. “We will find Liddea and whoever took her will rue the deed.”
***
Mehrle was disappointed. She had expected a successful outcome from Qwen’s conjure and had not been prepared for him to fail.
As they walked to the Temple, Nester spoke with frustration. “What are we going to do now? We still do not know where Liddea is or even where to begin to look for her.”
Zeal skipped alongside him. “It’s easy. We keep a close eye on Lady Izlan and follow her wherever she goes. Master Slag did say he would keep her informed. We could never successfully track Master Slag without his knowledge.”
“Zeal is right, and we also have to be prepared to act once we learn what the adults plan on doing. So it is time to get our kits together. Don’t forget your night wear,” Tulip added.
Mehrle decided she needed to confide in her companions. “It’s not us against the adults. Kaid did tell me and Tulip to talk with him before we did a
nything.”
“Maybe he means to stop us, once he finds out our plan,” Fronc offered.
Nester had a concerned look on his face. “We need to trust someone, and I think Kaid would be a good choice.”
“Well, just in case, Zeal and I have something to do once we’re back at the Temple.” Tulip turned to Zeal. “It is time to go open our crock of worms.”
He gave Tulip a large smile. “Do you mean the whole crock?”
She nodded with a matching grin.
Mehrle shook her head. “Why are you two talking about worms at a time like this?”
“Yeah, what are you really up to?” Fronc asked.
Tulip chuckled. “You’ll see. Don’t worry, the Mouse and I have been preparing for an emergency such as this.”
Mehrle sighed. “Crock of worms indeed. Zeal worries me sometimes, but I think the two of you plotting together is downright scary.”
Zeal attempted to look innocent. “What have I ever done to cause you to think of me in such a fashion?”
Mehrle smiled knowingly; she saw right through him. “Okay, you both go do what you need to do, and don’t get into trouble. It’ll take all of us to help Liddea, so don’t upset any of the mentors.”
She looked over at Fronc and Nester. “When we get to the Temple, we locate Lady Izlan. Two of us at a time will keep track of her while the third person gathers their kit.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE EVENING MEAL consisted of a baked bread roll stuffed with fish, chopped vegetables, and a piece of cheese. She hoped there wasn’t seaweed in the roll. Talk was subdued as night fell. The only light in the room came through the opening in the locked door. Bad Teeth, when he delivered the food, left a lantern hanging in the passage outside the door. Light through the opening in the door provided the only source of illumination in their chamber.
