“We’ll just have to prepare as best as we can, and then improvise. If we can’t, there’s always Khule. It’s only a day or so out of the way.” Elise frowned. “Not that I want to stop there, but if necessity dictates, there’s no way to avoid it.”
“I suppose as long as we’re as thorough as possible on this trip, we can make it work.” Ermolt scratched at his hairless chin. “So, what will we need?”
Elise paused in the street, stepping aside to let others pass by them. “We’ll need food. We didn’t resupply very well when leaving Jirda, for obvious reasons, so we’re down to our last bundle of salted beef and dried fruit. I can’t imagine that we’ll find anything in Marska worth eating, so we’ll need to have enough food for however long we’re there, as well as the trip back. And beyond that,” Elise said, allowing herself to smile, “we’ll need food enough for three.”
Ermolt shared the smile with a nod. “I suppose we should also get some gear for ruins exploration. Not sure what exactly we’ll need, but there are things that can’t hurt.”
“Agreed. And I’m sure we can find more things to spend Meodryt’s coin on, if only out of spite.”
They continued their travels, blending back in with the constant throng of people that crowded the streets of Lublis. Without discussing it, they headed for the Floating Markets. It was well known throughout Neuges, even though it wasn’t the biggest market in the world. Nor was it generally regarded as the best.
Just the same, it was the most famous, and that was mostly due to its unusual layout. The Floating Markets was located just west of the southern gate of the city, along the river.
A common story was that the market had been built there when the city was first founded, but before the erosion patterns of the river were fully understood. Alterations made to the riverside by the extensive modifications to the mountain meant that the ground beneath the market dissolved and washed away over the years.
But the young city of Lublis had been adamant in their defiance of the natural order. They had built a city where a mountain once stood—what could stop them from building a market where a river now flooded?
The Floating Markets were a beautiful feat of engineering regardless of origin. Its numerous paths and roads were mostly wooden boardwalks, supported by stilts to keep them several fen over the waterline. In places where there would have been alleyways between buildings, there were instead rope bridges. The oldest shops were constructed out of stone, built atop the sunken remains of their previous locations, sometimes three of four shops up from the silty bed of the encroaching river. Newer shops were constructed on top of similar stilts as the boardwalks, although they were rarely flush with the walkway, often needing a ramp leading up to the door. Elise knew that this was originally in case the riverbed continued to erode away, but now it was almost traditional. It also made the shops clearly visible and easy to find, no matter how thick the crowds on the Floating Markets might grow.
In addition to the boardwalks, some people also traversed the market on gondolas that passed beneath the boardwalk. It led to the space being clogged, not just by the support stilts of the boardwalk and buildings alike, but the vendors building stalls into small boats. Many of them rowed their wares around the market to mimic the mobile stalls used in other cities.
The boardwalks over deeper water actually made the market easier for Elise to traverse. It was simply that Ermolt couldn’t wander very far. They were able to talk through their expectations for Marska—as well as what things they might need to meet the potential challenges—before any purchases were made.
Elise’s concerns were mostly for survival. She wanted to make sure they had ample food and water.
Ermolt was much more focused on what they might need to get the Favor of Isadon, and so pushed for gear for excavation and exploration.
By midday, they had a bag filled with hard cheeses, smoked pork, and twice-baked raisin bread, and another filled with a hammer, pitons, rope, and torches. Ermolt had also acquired a pick mattock that he had already fastened to his belt. He walked with it as if it had always been there.
Elise insisted that they stop for a midday meal at the Clear Lily. She had been there on her last trip to Lublis, and their Sweet Opsau was her absolute favorite. It was one of the less well-known floating restaurants, tucked into the corner of the market, rather that out on the river’s edge. Without the lovely view of the river that most establishments boasted, it didn’t attract much attention.
The view didn’t matter anyway.
“I still feel like the whole place is shaking,” Ermolt complained as he looked around. They had to sit in the center of the building so that Ermolt’s bulging muscle didn’t tip the small restaurant right into the river. Many of the patrons had cried out when he first boarded the floating dining area and it noticeably slanted towards him.
“You need to sit still,” Elise said, hiding her smile behind the thin paper menu she didn’t need to look over. “If you hold, it will settle.”
“I just don’t see what the big fuss is about these floating restaurants. I’m not a fan.”
“Of course not. If a fight broke out, you’d capsize the whole thing before you got your blood up.”
“Exactly! So, what’s the point of this place?”
“Novelty, mostly.” Elise smiled, realizing this was the first time they’d spoken in days that didn’t feel like they were steps away from coming to blows.
It was nice.
When their meal arrived at the table, Ermolt’s distrust made Elise laugh. The Sweet Opsau was a sliced, pickled fish served over noodles, and it was drowning in a yellow sauce that was almost as thick as honey. Elise was already three bites into hers before he gathered a forkful of sauce-covered noodles and speared himself a bite of fish.
He made an uncertain noise as he chewed. “What is this sauce?” he asked once he had swallowed.
“Lemon sauce,” Elise replied. “I don’t know the ingredients. But it’s good though, isn’t it?”
“I guess.” Ermolt lifted his fork away from his dish and watched the thick sauce dribble off the noodles. “I had expected it to be sweeter though.”
“That’s just the name. Don’t expect it to be sweet and enjoy it for what it is.”
“You know, if you like it that much, I’ll have to find out how they make the sauce. We can get some ingredients together and I can try my hand at it to celebrate when Athala rejoins us.”
“Really?” Elise looked up from her meal, touched. She fought back tears that swam across her vision. “You would do that for me?”
“For you? No.” Ermolt shot her a grin. “I’m doing it for me, because I’m sure Athala will agree with me that you have weird taste.”
Despite his complaints, however, Ermolt still cleared his plate. True to his word, he even questioned the restaurant staff about the ingredients of the lemon sauce. Once that task was done, they returned to the market proper, refreshed by their lunch, to gather the last of their supplies. Ermolt convinced Elise to stop into the grocer so he could purchase a jar of pickled fish, some dried noodles, lemons, and the other ingredients for the sauce. Elise teased him, but she knew his mind had been made up about celebrating with Athala.
They didn’t carry one of the ingredients—an herb called linge—and when Ermolt went to ask the grocer where he could find it, he was drawn into a lengthy conversation about cooking. Elise grew tired of waiting for him, and so slipped out of the grocer. The next shop over on the boardwalk carried a variety of cooking supplies, and Elise thought she could surprise Ermolt with the tools needed to make the Sweet Opsau. He was always complaining about the handle on his old saucepan, and if he wasn’t forced to make the noodles in the same pot he used for the sauce, there was a better chance that the dish would come out the way she liked it.
Elise had just finished paying for her goods and loading them into the sack with their rations when she heard Ermolt shout.
“No need for that!” the barbaria
n exclaimed loudly. “I only asked what you wanted! I have a right to know!”
“What I want is for you to come with us,” a gruff voice demanded. “Asking questions isn’t doing that.”
Elise shoved her goods into the bag and hurried from the shop. Ermolt stood on the ramp in front of the grocer, and there were about half a dozen Lublis City Guards in leather armor around him. One had him by the arm and was trying to drag him down to the boardwalk.
“All I need to know is why,” Ermolt said as he looked out over the crowd. He spotted Elise and nodded at her. “It matters to me if you’re here to enforce the law, or to lick some noble’s boots.”
The guard at his elbow straightened up, though it still didn’t quite bring the top of his head to the barbarian’s shoulder. “Contrary to what you might have heard, the City Guard is only interested in enforcing the law. We’ve had reports of a man matching your… description… issuing threats of violence and kidnapping—which is against the law—and destroying property. That’s also against the law.”
Elise pushed her way through the gathering crowd, trying to get closer to her friend.
“I see,” Ermolt said. “Then you must have me confused with someone else. How good was the description you have?”
“Sir, if you think this is a case of mistaken identity, then we’ll get it sorted out. But we need you to come with us, now. It will speak well of your innocence if you submit to us.”
Had this Ermolt been the same one from before their troubles with the guards in Khule, Jalova, and Jirda, he might have gone with them at that point. Elise knew that the old Ermolt was trusting, especially of those in authority. But this Ermolt was much more callous, especially in regards to lying guards.
So instead of going with him, Ermolt lowered his hand from his chin onto the face of the guard at his elbow. The man let out a muffled curse a moment before Ermolt’s other hand swept around. The mattock on his hip was somehow in his hand, and the pick end of it looped around the guard’s knee. With a quick motion, Ermolt pulled the man’s feet out from under him as he pushed off with his other hand. The guard’s rear end hit the boardwalk with a loud bang, and he fell backwards, toppling over the edge of the boardwalk and flailing down into the water with a splash.
A gasp echoed through the crowd, followed by a moment of stillness.
The other five guards stared down at the man in the water, and everyone watching the spectacle of an arrest in the middle of the market was stunned by the sudden display. Ermolt turned and casually took three long strides out of the ring of guards.
“He’s getting away!” the guard in the water shouted, breaking the guards out of their stupor.
Ermolt broke into a sprint, shouldering his way through the crowd. His roaring laughter carried over the startled shouts of the observers, and Elise found herself rolling her eyes.
The guards took after the fleeing barbarian, but he already had a solid head start.
Elise sighed heavily, settling her sack of goods over her shoulder and jogging after the chase. She knew his earlier antics would get them in trouble. And while there was part of her that wanted him to learn a lesson, he couldn’t very well get out of this by himself, and she couldn’t let him get arrested now.
She wasn’t sure where Ermolt was heading, but at least his trail was easy to follow. Between the shouting guards, the angry bystanders, and his cackling laughter, she could have followed him across the entirety of Neuges without trouble.
Chapter Six
The boisterous laugh that trailed behind him was a bold lie.
Ermolt didn’t have confidence in his ability to escape the guards. He didn’t know where to run to, and the Floating Markets didn’t allow him much freedom to maneuver. The narrow boardwalks penned him in, funneling his chaotic escape into predictable routes.
But he didn’t need to come up with a plan.
Elise would take care of that.
Instead, Ermolt just needed to get some distance on the guards. If he got far enough ahead, she could jump in and tell him what to do next. And he could do that. He had confidence in his ability to outpace the uncoordinated and comically inept guards behind him.
These guards were clearly in Malger’s pocket, rather than an actual squad sent out to collect him. If there was any sort of official complaint, there would be more than six—although now five and one who was likely swimming their way to shore—City Guard. There would have been extra guards nearby in case he ran, and they would coordinate to cut off his escape. The lack of a wall of guards told him they hadn’t been prepared for him to run.
Far behind him, Ermolt could hear the guards shouting for assistance, likely hoping some stalwart shopper would willingly step in front of the charging barbarian eluding arrest. Unfortunately for them, Ermolt’s feet touched dry land before anyone decided to intervene. As soon as he was off the boardwalk, he knew he had the ability to move unpredictably, using alleyways and side streets to break line of sight. However, as soon as he was off the boardwalk, he also began to hear shouts from other guards responding to the calls for aid.
With an exaggerated sigh—given for no one in particular—Ermolt increased his pace. His long strides were threatened by the gawking crowds around the market, so he opted to get a little physical with those who were unable to get out of his way fast enough. The good news is, the toppled shoppers would slow up those who pursued from behind. He just needed to find a way to keep the guards ahead from encircling him.
As soon as he breached the edge of the crowd moving around the Floating Markets, he took off at a dead sprint down the nearest alley. He was vaguely aware that he was moving north, but he had little-to-no idea of where he wanted to go. Ermolt was certain that he didn’t want to lead the guards directly to the Rise of Numara, or they would eventually find them staying at The Darkest Night. But leading them to Catarin’s home would be equally disastrous, seeing as how she would not only get in trouble with the City Guard, but with Malger.
He had to stop running north.
At the end of the alley he took off down a street towards the east. If he led his pursuers away from both Catarin and The Darkest Night, he could avoid the negative consequences of both. However, after only a block, the road grew wider, and the buildings ahead were far nicer than the ones he had left behind.
To the east was the noble district.
And if the City Guards behind him weren’t enough trouble, he’d be charging straight into a district full of people who paid for armed guards of their own, and influenced the City Council to put extra guard patrols on their streets.
He couldn’t run east.
Like a panicked preoke, Ermolt cut south at the next alleyway.
But he immediately saw the mistake of this direction.
He was barely three hundred fen away from the south wall of the city. He could likely sprint through the gate and into the wilds south of the city to lose pursuit, but how would he return? Within two bells, every guard manning the gates would have his description and a healthy bribe from Malger to take him into custody as violently as possible.
If Ermolt continued south, he would be trapped outside the city.
He couldn’t run south.
With the dead end of the Floating Markets to the west, there wasn’t much he could do at this point. Where could he go? Was outside the city the best option? They were going to leave in the morning anyway, so Elise could just easily meet him out there.
And where was Elise anyway?
Ermolt turned left, heading back out to the east. He could handle a few House Guards. It might get violent, but that was just the price he’d have to pay. It wasn’t like he wanted to come back to Lublis ever again, anyway. Athala would just have to help Catarin either from afar, or with someone else’s help.
A shout from ahead caused Ermolt to take a sharp turn to the left. If he could just keep moving…
Dasis had other plans, however.
The alleyway he was in was cut short by a tall wall t
hat connected the two buildings he had darted between. Ermolt almost slammed right into it. There was a chance it would be a thin layer of decorative rocks plastered onto a thin wooden wall beneath. It looked like just the type. But before he got the ability to test it, a familiar face popped up over the edge.
“Up and over,” Elise hissed, reaching down to lend him a hand.
“Thanks!” Ermolt said, leaping up and grabbing her hand. Elise was strong for her height, and heavier-set than the average human, but his muscled bulk still almost yanked her off the wall. Ermolt released her hand as soon as he had momentum, but she still grunted with the effort of supporting him. He was over the wall and had dropped down only a breath after the clomp of guards’ boots filled the alley behind him.
Elise recovered the bag of their purchased goods as soon as she dropped at the base of the wall, and then together they took off running towards the north.
“Where are we going?” Ermolt asked as they left the alleyway and burst back into the streets.
“Rise of Dasis,” Elise said, her heavy breathing chopping the words up. He assumed that she had as hard a time keeping up with him as the guards did, and then also had to climb a wall to save him. Ermolt slowed his pace slightly to help her out. “Get us onto a lift, they can’t follow.”
“And with the number of barbarians around, it’ll make me harder to pick out in a crowd. They’ll also protect me.” Ermolt grinned. “A good plan.”
Elise nodded, and led them silently on an incredibly direct route to the rise. It seemed unusual for the ex-Conscript—he expected them to duck and wave and zig-zag to lose their pursuers. He wasn’t sure the reason, but trusted she had one.
They reached the lift quickly, and Elise grabbed a fistful of coin out of her pocket and pressed it into the lift operator’s hand.
The older man looked at the coin, bewildered.
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