Ashes

by Lauralana Dunne

  “Good,” Malcourt said. He used his spoon to scrape the last remaining broth from the sides of his cup, then set that down for the pup as well. “Sylvia, we must make time to stop into the next village - Birchwood, I believe? - and inquire about any new spice shipments. Tessa is looking for a new source for the cold season.”

  Sylvia blinked at him, her face unreadable. “Oh?”

  Malcourt nodded seriously, oblivious to her confusion. “We also need to look for new ink for the scribes. Masterrunner Tal is looking for new hides for the messenger drums… and Sean is looking to do some trades during foaling season,” Malcourt was ticking off the points on his fingers as he spoke, “he’s looking to introduce a few more bloodlines to the stock, but he just wants us to get the word out for him. No need for any contracts this early.”

  Sylvia nodded seriously, setting her bowl down next to Malcourt’s. “Of course. I know there’s a lot of room in the stables, but that’s only proper. With so many workers it’s hard to keep track. Sean might find one preferable over the other.”

  Malcourt hummed in agreement, nodding.

  Phoenix couldn’t help but stare at the two. She knew it was after harvest, but foreign spices were a luxury any time of year - even if they had just made their profits. And a place that boasted multiple breeding stocks as well as constant hiring… Her head swam. Where were they from?

  Her gaze dropped to the pup, her snout caked with the thick broth as she happily ate her meal, before sliding to Muler, her heart swelling when she saw that the donkey had settled down for the night. Phoenix opened her mouth, the words making it just past her lips before they guttered into silence. Malcourt and Sylvia paused and turned towards her.

  “Did you say something, my dear?” Malcourt’s attention fixed on her, and Phoenix felt herself blush under the intensity of it.

  She cleared her throat and tried again. “Take me with you.”

  The words came out harsher than she had meant them to, forced awkwardly into the air between them before she could reconsider.

  The two adults looked at her for a moment. They remained silent. Sylvia cut her gaze to Malcourt, then leaned back as if to remove herself from the conversation. Malcourt, almost simultaneously, had leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers underneath his chin as he watched her. His sapphire eyes glittered in the firelight, dark and assessing as he stared at her - stared through her - without moving, but she refused to back away from his gaze. She would beg if she had to. For the sake of Muler, and now Kit, she would beg him for work.

  “It seems,” he drawled after a time, “that you haven’t been entirely honest with me, Marie.” He said the name with a lilt, and Phoenix realized that he hadn’t used it since she first introduced herself.

  Phoenix exhaled through her nose. “I didn’ want t’ lie – I jus’ felt I had no choice.” He watched her, waiting for her to continue. She took a breath. “I ran away. Me an’ Muler did, I mean. My name is Phoenix… of Avondale.” She added her Proper in place of a last name, as was customary. She waited for their demeanour to change, for the realization of her Bloodless status to illicit sneers, but she was only met with expressions of polite curiosity.

  “Is that where your parents are, Phoenix?” Malcourt’s gaze was steady as he watched her.

  Phoenix briefly debated telling another lie - that they had told her to leave home, or that they had supported her leaving - but she stalled when trying to think of a good one. She didn’t see the point. “Don’t got none. My family - the people taking care of me - died inna fire when I was a babe.”

  Malcourt looked surprised, and Sylvia’s gaze dropped to Phoenix’s hands. “Ah,” she said, as if Phoenix had answered an unasked question.

  Phoenix resisted the urge to draw her hands up in to her sleeves. “Tha’s wha’ I was told, anyway.” She stretched out a hand to see the scars creeping up the sides of her fingers. “I’ve had ‘em as long as I can remember.”

  Sylvia frowned. “But where did you go after the fire? Surely you must have family somewhere?”

  Phoenix shook her head. “No. No one ‘cept for Muler, anyway. A woman, Marla, took me in… She was a Healer – like you, but she got th’ breathin’ sickness. She couldn’ heal herself.” A lump came to Phoenix’s throat at the thought, the memory of Marla’s last shallow breaths that had somehow seemed deafening at the time. “The Speaker was arrangin’ t’ get rid o’ me an’ Muler, so we left by ourselves. That’s when we ran int’ Malcourt - after outrunnin’ th’ Stormhounds.”

  Malcourt watched her thoughtfully. “And so you were making your way to town - why? To live?” He tapped his chin. “It is much easier to go unnoticed in larger places. Were you planning on making your living by thieving from one town to the next?”

  “Tolen!” Sylvia sounded shocked.

  “O’ course not.” Phoenix felt stung by the accusation. “I never stole nothin’ in m’ life. I worked hard fer m’ keep - as good as any boy. I just don’t got no one t’ vouch fer me anymore, and Speaker Thomas don’t want no bloodless girl hangin’ around t’ shame him.” She choked slightly on the last part, the unfairness of the situation. She had been avoiding thinking about it. Now it threatened to flood her head and pull her down all over again. “I needed t’ leave. I needed t’ go somewhere new. I had to.”

  Her breath rattled in her chest. Phoenix had always grown up knowing what she was, but now, without Marla, she truly understood how alone that made her. Pushing aside the feeling of helplessness, Phoenix straightened her spine. She didn’t have the luxury of drowning in self-pity.

  “Take me wit’ you,” she implored again, her voice stronger this time. “I ain’t lookin’ for charity. I’ll work for my keep - and for Muler and Kit, too.”

  Kit, for her part, gave a soft woof and rested her muzzle on Phoenix’s knee. Phoenix laid a gentle hand on the pup’s head.

  “Please,” she added to Malcourt, who still watched her intently.

  “That’s enough, Tolen.” Sylvia gave Phoenix a sympathetic look. “Tolen takes his tests a little too far at times, Phoenix, but I assure you he has a good heart.”

  “Sylvia’s right,” Malcourt agreed. “I do tend to push too far at times, and for that I apologize, Phoenix. You see, what we’re doing - Sylvia and I - is very important. There are people out there following us; trying to stop us. I had to be sure that they weren’t working through you.”

  Phoenix blinked. “Through me?”

  He shared a look with Sylvia who gave the slightest nod in return. “We’re from the court of King Benedict, Phoenix, and we’re on a very important mission. An errand that some - enemies of the King - do not want to see us finish. However,” he held up a hand, “I can assure you that the danger is minimal now. So, having said that: if it’s work you’re asking for, it’s work I can provide… So long as you are honest with me, of course.” He gave her a small smile, as if to soften his words.

  “Your time with me will not be easy. The tasks I assign may seem strange at times, but I will require you to finish them to the best of your ability - despite how long they take or frustrated you become. And it will not always be safe. But I will train you how to protect yourself. And, of course,” he quirked a half smile, “I will be hovering incessantly.”

  Phoenix felt her surprise turn to shock. Her jaw dropped and she could only gape at him. It all made sense now: the fine horse; his traveling clothes; his interrogation upon meeting her. He was in disguise.

  Phoenix blinked. Her thoughts fought to detangle themselves so they could catch up. Was he really saying she could live in the castle?

  Phoenix slid her gaze to Sylvia. The woman seemed genuine enough. Maybe she really was his moral compass, as he claimed. And there was no denying the pull she felt around him. Meeting him had made her feel at ease. That had to count for something.

  Matching his gaze, Phoenix extended her hand, palm up. She had never done it before, struck a bargain, but she had seen the men
do it at the farm all the time, and Marla had done it whenever she had been agreeing to payment for her services.

  She was proud of her steady hand as she held it out, even when he raised his own hand to line his palm above hers. She was worried that she would look foolish, but Malcourt looked strangely delighted for some reason.

  “To having the courage to look for somewhere new,” he murmured, sealing the deal.

  And Phoenix was positive she felt a jolt from his palm to hers, even though there was a buffer of air between their hands.

  CHAPTER 5

  A soft growling next to Phoenix’s ear woke her, causing her eyes to snap open. The field was tar-black. She was unable to see anything, including the hand she waved in front of her face, and it took a moment for her to realize what had woken her.

  “Kit?” she prodded the pup in the ribs to wake her. “Quit it.”

  Kit was already awake, and she was agitated. Her round ears were pressed flat against her head and her fur bristled as she growled.

  “Wha’ issit, girl?” Phoenix asked.

  Kit stopped and tilted her head, ears pricking forward for a moment before they flattened again and another soft growl rose from her throat.

  As if in answer to her warning, an owl shrieked, unseen from the darkness. Phoenix laid a hand on the dog’s back to comfort her. She jerked when a twig snapped from the other side of the wagon - the direction in which Kit was growling. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim star light, and she strained until she could make out several shapes moving towards them in the tall grass.

  “Shh!” she heard a harsh voice growl. “You’ll wake him!”

  “You shh!” a second voice hissed, sounding sullen. “We don’t even know if he’s here or not.”

  “He’s around here somewhere. I can tell,” the harsh voice responded with authority.

  “How do you know?” a third voice joined the two.

  The harsh voice, the leader, scoffed with a sneer. “I can smell his horse. Can’t you?”

  “Yeah. But I can’t see it anywhere.”

  “Of course not, idiot,” the sullen voice chimed in. “You can’t see him, either. He’s in his circle. You just have to find it.”

  “Hey!” The third one was loud now. “You’re the idiot!”

  “Quiet!” snapped the leader.

  There was a moment of complete silence before the sullen voice whispered: “How are we supposed to get into this circle if we do happen to find it, Oliver?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” the leader, Oliver, replied. “Our employer gave me something to take care of that.”

  They were now close enough that Phoenix could make out their features. Three large men, wearing thick leather and weapon sheaths, were slinking into view. They moved in a crouch, the long grasses barely covering them as they crept forward from the road.

  “And then?” He looked at the largest man, whom she guessed to be Oliver. He didn’t respond, but he let his hand come to rest on the hilt of his sword.

  Slowly, trying to stay silent, Phoenix pulled her blanket back and turned over into a crouch. Keeping the wagon between her and the men, she crawled to the dying campfire where she had left Sylvia and Malcourt earlier that evening.

  Kit, slinking beside her, kept her attention on the strange men, teeth barred in a warning that they couldn’t see.

  Reaching the campfire, Phoenix was relieved to find Malcourt already fully awake and sitting up. Seeing her, he put a finger to his lips to indicate silence. His eyes remained narrowed as he continued to watch the three men intently.

  Being careful not to wake Sylvia, Phoenix crawled to him and pivoted so that she was sitting in the dirt. “Don’t worry, Phoenix,” he murmured softly, barely moving his lips. “The circle is intact. They can’t see us.”

  “Who are they?” she murmured back, one hand coming to rest on Kit’s bristling back.

  Another soft growl came from Kit’s throat.

  “Hush,” she whispered to the pup.

  Sylvia, hearing the growl, stirred from sleep. “What...”

  The owl shrieked again from the trees, causing the men to freeze and covering the noise that Sylvia made upon waking. A tense silence settled over the clearing.

  Sylvia did not speak but, instead, much like Phoenix did, she slowly pulled back her blanket and sat up. She caught Malcourt’s eye, and in response he held up three fingers. She nodded silently and reached down to check a pouch attached to her belt. It was the same one Malcourt had been wearing earlier.

  “They should move on soon enough,” Malcourt murmured to them. Sylvia and Phoenix nodded in acknowledgment. They remained motionless as they kept watch.

  The men moved forward cautiously. They walked unerringly towards the wagon and the horses, and Phoenix found herself holding her breath. Her entire body was tense from worry, but at the same time she was incredulous. How could they not see the wagon mere foot-lengths from where they stood?

  The men continued moving for what seemed like an eternity. Malcourt watched them intently, his fingers tapping purposefully on his crossed knee. Finally, when it seemed like they were going to run right into the wooden cart, the three turned sharply without warning and continued on in a straight line.

  Phoenix’s mouth opened in surprise. A quick glance at the other two showed that they were expecting this to happen. This was what Sylvia meant when she said that Malcourt’s circle protected travelers from harm. She knew the men couldn’t see them, but to have their direction change without realizing it...

  The men disappeared behind a slope in the ground, and Malcourt rolled his shoulders and chuckled softly. “We should be all right.”

  “That was close, Tolen.” Sylvia shook her head. “That was much faster than I expected. How did they know where to find us?”

  “Someone from town must have tipped them off. They probably just followed the road between there and Castle Angor.” He gave a shrug. “No matter. They’re gone. Still, I think we should be ready to leave at first light.”

  Sylvia nodded in agreement. “How are you feeling, Phoenix? Any better, aside from all the excitement?”

  Phoenix gave a weak smile and nodded. “I’m fine. Jus’ a bit spooked, I guess. I never seen anyone like tha’ a’fore.”

  “Did you get a good look at them, Phoenix?” Malcourt asked her.

  She shook her head. “Not really. Kit woke me up,” she ruffled the dog’s ears, “an’ I could only make them out a little, but I moved away a’fore they got too close. The leader is ‘Oliver’, but I dunno about th’ others.”

  “Oliver?” Sylvia asked Malcourt.

  “Could be anyone,” he shrugged. “Hired thugs, maybe.” He smiled at Phoenix. “That’s more helpful than you might think. Thank you, Phoenix.”

  She gave a shy smile which was followed by a big yawn. Sylvia and Malcourt chuckled, and Phoenix felt her cheeks become warm.

  “We still have several hours before we have to get on the move. Why don’t you get some rest?” he asked. “You’ve had an exciting few days.”

  “Bring your blanket over here, Phoenix,” Sylvia offered, sensing her hesitation at leaving the campfire. “I think it would be better if we stayed close tonight - I know I’d feel better, anyway.”

  Nodding gratefully, Phoenix stood and first went to check on Muler and the horses. Muler greeted her happily enough with a sleepy nudge, but he remained lying on the ground so she left him to continue sleeping.

  Yawning again, she made her way around the wagon and gathered the sleeping gear. Holding the bundle of blankets out in front of her, she looked down and walked carefully over the wagon tracks to ensure that she wouldn’t stumble in the darkness.

  Lifting her foot to skirt a particularly deep rut, Phoenix’s gaze followed the tracks away from the wagon towards the line that Malcourt had drawn in the ground several hours beforehand. He had filled in the tracks to draw the circle along even ground. She paused, her eyes lingering with a sense of dread.

&
nbsp; Slowly, as if willing herself not to believe it, her eyes followed the broken tracks in the direction of the little hill that the men had disappeared behind. There, crouched down to the ground, the men were creeping back towards the camp along the ruts. The closest, Oliver, paused and looked up.

  For a moment, the world went entirely still as their gazes locked. His eyes passed through her, searching along the edge of the circle as if he could see it. Phoenix froze in terror as she caught sight of the sword in his hand.

  Malcourt and Sylvia were still by the fire pit. Kit had remained with them, so Phoenix knew she was all alone. She tried to think of some way to warn them; some way to let them know the danger that they were in, but she was frozen in place and unable to move.

  She could think of nothing to say, so Phoenix did the only thing that she could think of.

  She screamed.

  “They’re here!” Oliver reached into his pocket and threw a handful of red powder ahead of him. The powder hit the circle and separated, traveling along the markings in the ground until it met at the other side with a crash. The red light blinded Phoenix and she held up her hands to protect her face. “Now!” he yelled.

  Phoenix felt her foot fall into the rut and she stumbled sharply. A thick hand grabbed the back of her tunic and yanked her into a standing position. “Got one!” the sullen voice called out.

  There were sounds of a struggle coming from the direction of the fire. Desperately, Phoenix tried to pull free.

  “None of that, girl,” the man growled, shaking her roughly.

  A savage snarl erupted next to Phoenix. A body of fur and fury crashed into them and Phoenix fell from the impact. Dashing her hand across her eyes, she looked to find Kit on top of the man that had held her.

  She was a fearsome sight standing on his chest, pinning him to the ground, fur bristled and fangs bared savagely at his throat. She looked like a creature that had been born from a nightmare.

  “Good girl!” Phoenix cried. She kicked the man’s dropped sword out of reach and ran towards Malcourt and Sylvia.