“Let’s stop here,” Celesia whispered. Groth walked to The Missing Mermaid and stood still beside another row of horses. She slid off Groth’s back and searched through a pouch for a sack of money. “Wait here until I come back. I promise I won’t be long. Understand?”
The horse nodded enthusiastically.
“Good. Stay here, and take care.”
Celesia turned for the doors of the tavern, passing a pair of grungy men who looked at her for a while. Why did everyone stare at her so strangely? She quickened her stride as she went inside. Beyond the doors was a spacious room, crowded with more people than tables. A flutist and a cello player filled the room with music, joined by the scent of meats and candied roots. Being careful not to nudge anybody, she made her way to a table next to a bar, where others sat on tall stools. A small man in a colorful suit approached as she sat down.
“Welcome to The Missing Mermaid,” the man said, addressing her warmly.
“Hey,” she answered, her voice lower than she meant to make it. “What do you have to eat here?”
“You’ve brought an appetite, haven’t you?” the man replied with a toothy grin. “Name’s Jalb, owner of the Mermaid. What’re you in the mood for this evening?”
“What’ve you got?”
Jalb scratched his chin. “We have a large assortment of beverages. Today we’re roasting chickens and ducks over a hot fire. We also have steamed squash and lentils, shepherd’s bread and brioche. Might I interest you in a steaming bowl of fresh borsch? Sounds good?”
Celesia was up for anything. “Surprise me.”
Jalb scampered into the kitchens after leaving a glass of water on the table. She looked into the glass without much interest in sipping it. The thought of drinking on an empty stomach made her ill. A moment later, the two men who saw her come in walked up to her.
“Nice horse you’ave out there,” one of them said. He had scars on his hands, and his body displayed evidence of hard labor. “I saw a breed like it when that prince sailed into port, ’bout three months or so ago.”
“No other creature like it, Daxx,” replied the other, a small man with brown, leathery skin. “How’d you come across it? Kill the prince for it?”
“Never heard of this prince,” Celesia said, adjusting her voice to sound impatient and gruff. “I came to enjoy a hearty meal—not to discuss my horse.”
“Sure ya are!” Daxx ignored her by sitting right next to her. “With a pedigree like that, the horse must be worth a handful a’gold. Vigus has money of this amount if you’re willing to sell it. I’m speak’en of a business opportunity, lad. We go in as partners and sell many horses, ya see. I don’t know why you’d let yours stand outside without a rope, or ride it without a saddle.”
“We have a number of small ships,” Vigus added flippantly, sitting on the other side of them. “Think of the joint effort you would make to our enterprise.”
Celesia looked up. “You have a boat?”
“A skiff really,” Vigus said, scratching the side of his head—similar to how a dog would. “The Blessed Bella, a lovely thing. Why the sudden interest in boats?”
“Over’ere, waiter!” Daxx called to a man carrying a plate with three flagons on it. “We decided to sit with our friend’ere. Pass them drinks, we’re dying of thirst!”
The man put a copper flagon in front of each of them. Daxx and Vigus raised theirs high, about to drink when they paused. Celesia didn’t touch hers.
“Come now lad, this is the best shandygaff of all the seas! Sailors come from all over for a swig.”
Celesia pushed her flagon away. “Thanks, but I don’t drink. I’ve been without a decent meal for weeks. All I want to do is eat, then I will be on my way.”
“A lone traveler, then?” Vigus lowered his arm as he gazed into her eyes. “What business have you traveling in dangerous lands on your own? That doesn’t sound very safe, now does it, Daxx?”
“Right you are,” he answered, winking at Vigus, as if giving a signal. “Maybe it’s time to consider retirement. We’d be doing ya a favor by liberating you of that horse and all its baggage!”
Vigus reached for her belt and tore off the small bag of coins that were hanging at her side. Celesia tried to take the money back, surprised at how much stronger she was. Daxx grabbed her from behind. She stomped on his foot with a loud crack, giving her enough room to draw her dagger. She swung at Daxx, and engraved a long scratch on his bicep. The man snarled as he lashed at her with an uppercut, and smacked the dagger from her hand. The tip plunged into the wooden beam above them, vibrating from the impact.
“You’re in for it, boy!” Daxx pushed her into the bar, knocking over a bottle of wine. His hands gripped her neck. “I’ll rip your ’ead off with my bare hands!”
A loud twang sounded by the entrance. Daxx’s arm jerked to the right, so hard that his body rammed into a support beam. An arrow had pierced the man’s sleeve, pinning him to the wood post. Vigus dropped Celesia’s bag of coins and ran for the back, pushing a waiter aside. A silhouetted figure stood at the tavern entrance, a tall man with a crossbow, and a longsword at his side.
Celesia stared in disbelief as he entered.
“You dare plunder this boy?” Prince Dálcort drew his sword and raised its edge to Daxx’s throat. “Do not bother this village with your foul schemes again!”
Dálcort slashed at the man’s sleeve, freeing him from the arrow. After the thief ran away, Dálcort held out his hand to hoist Celesia back to her feet. Even though she was grateful for his help, she had a hard time letting him touch her. His demeanor was as arrogant as ever.
She also noticed that his clothing was soiled and untidy, which made her wonder where he’d been. He stepped on a chair, pulled her dagger out of the ceiling and studied it. He hummed with interest as he stepped down. The crowd, who had done little more than look up, returned to their meals and small conversations.
“Nice knife.” Dálcort handled the dagger with care as he returned it. Celesia didn’t sheath it right away. “Looks much like the one that old librarian described was missing in Bëdoustram.”
“I could’ve handled them myself,” Celesia lied.
“That would be amusing to see.” Dálcort laughed. “Wait a moment. I know you. Yes—that stablehand from Bëdoustram. You helped me look for Princess Celesia. What brings you out here in Caperholm? I was not aware that you had left.”
“I’m uh—” Celesia tried to think like Lyell. If she could pretend to be like him, then she wouldn’t react as she normally would. “I was looking for her, too.”
“Brave lad!” Dálcort slapped her shoulder and held on with a firm grip. “I thought you had given up. Alas, you were fond of her, which gave you the motivation to keep searching. Even if you do find her, I would be glad to know of it, for I am the one whom she will marry.”
“We’ll see who finds her first.”
“So much for gratitude,” Dálcort said as he snapped his fingers. “Sounds like a challenge. So be it. I propose a wager to help our search. Whoever finds Celesia first may offer his hand. Of course, if I find her, I will have her hand, whether she wants to offer it or not.”
“You have no idea how much she despises you, do you?” Celesia returned to her seat by the table. Dálcort joined her, and sat in front of the flagon that the two men had bought for her. “She said any girl would be a dunce to accept your hand in marriage.”
“Nothing I haven’t heard before.” Dálcort removed his gloves. “At least I am comfortable in my own skin. Celesia will be mine, and her captors punished.”
Celesia realized how hard it was to act unlike herself. What surprised her even more was how completely unfazed Dálcort reacted to her blunt criticism. “How do you know she’s alive? We know she survived the fall—but how do you know if the dragon ate her or not?”
“So you know of the dragon.” Dálcort lowered his voice. “It would be wise to speak of this without prying ears. If you must know, I have been tracking
them from forest to swamp, even to the ruined palace of LaVóndia. The dragon’s trail led me to the outskirts of this village. Clever creature, cleverer than most trackers would give him credit for. He flies most of the time, but the ogre’s tracks give him away. The Princess’s footprints were alongside the beast at times. I will slay that creature for the spell he has cast on my wife to be.”
So that’s why Flint leaves us so often ...
Celesia nodded. “How goes the gathering army?”
“Army?” Dálcort stammered. “What army?”
“In Bëdoustram,” she said, finding it hard to believe that he didn’t know. “It was getting crowded. That’s one of the reasons why I left ... to search for her.”
“I was not aware of any army,” Dálcort uttered, “but then, I have not returned since Celesia’s disappearance. I do not recall seeing such tracks heading that way.”
Neither had Celesia’s company. They hadn’t seen any kind of army moving northwest. Not one, even though Tuke and the fairies had said otherwise. Dálcort had to be lying. Why would he? What would he gain from it?
The innkeeper returned with a large platter, filled with everything on their menu. Celesia dived in without grabbing a set of utensils. Many flavors enveloped her senses as she devoured what was in her grasp. Dálcort frowned before snapping his finger at the innkeeper.
“A platter of what he’s having.”
Jalb nodded before darting back into the kitchens.
“Have you been without a morsel in weeks?”
Celesia nodded, reaching for a loaf of bread.
“Interesting. Eat up while I tell you what I found in the ruined palace,” Dálcort continued to speak about his endeavors. “Strange things happened to their tracks. I trailed the tracks of a dragon, an ogre, and a horse. That matches what Mavarco had described, what he saw through his looking glass the night we learned Celesia was alive. The horse left for the northwest, about five days from here. She was riding that horse, because now her prints are with the ogre and dragon. When I came to the edge of this village, a man replaced her tracks.”
Celesia spat a mouthful of food on the table. Perhaps the prince wasn’t as dimwitted as she wanted to believe. Did he suspect deception from their tracks? She had to stay calm. Celesia had to think of something to say, for the look in Dálcort’s eyes was connivingly dangerous.
“You saw that, too? I wondered the same.”
“You did not—it was your tracks I found.”
“Of course they’re mine,” Celesia replied, realizing how backhandedly honest she was. “I stepped on her tracks by accident, but I think she mounted another horse and came here. What for, I don’t know. It would be too dangerous for her to venture into this town alone. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes ... you are quite right.” Dálcort’s jaw squirmed. “She would know better than to trample into this village alone. That foolish girl. Have you found no trace of her since you entered Caperholm?”
“Nowhere to be found.” Celesia forced a frown to keep her from smiling. The hunger that once pained her was easing away. “I’ll keep looking, but not for you.”
Dálcort grabbed the flagon in front of him. “Shall we drink to that?”
Celesia belched. “I’m too full, thanks.”
“Here’s to women who are worthy of a hunt!”
The prince pressed his lips on the flagon and quaffed all of its contents with a few swift gulps. Celesia reached into her bag to pay for her meal when she saw Dálcort sway in his chair, looking at her with a suspicious stare. Before she could ask what was wrong, he blacked out on the table. The music ceased, and the other customers stopped what they were doing to look. Jalb returned with a new platter, and placed it by Dálcort’s head.
“What happened?” Jalb asked with a shrill cry.
“Drank too much. You have good food here.”
Celesia threw down her coins and left the tavern. She motioned Groth to follow her away from the trough of water, where the other horses drank. That was close. Dálcort wasn’t blind to the prospect of magic, now that he knew dragons and ogres were real. She knew there was something off with that drink, too. Just as they passed a vacant tollbooth, she heard the angry roar of a growing mob. Jalb was leading them. She wondered what the problem was until they started to run after her.
“That boy killed the Prince! After him!”
Killed him?! What are they talking about?!
Celesia picked up her legs and ran for the shoreline. Groth followed her, nodding urgently. They turned a corner and entered an alleyway, startling a clowder of cats feasting on clams and fish bones. Something about her was feeling normal again. A burst of light sheared through her, and she transformed back into her true self. They had no way to hide from the growing horde of men now. She then rolled onto her stomach to cover her identity as they advanced. They didn’t strike her.
“See a boy come this way, miss?” Jalb asked.
Celesia kept her head down and pointed down the alley. The others continued without giving her another look. Once she was alone, she readjusted her cloak and called for Groth. He had reverted back to his normal self, and was hiding behind a crate of old oysters.
“That was close,” Groth said. “What commotion did you cause in that place, Princess?”
“They think I killed Dálcort,” she answered, “but it wasn’t me, it was those two thieves, and I know where to find a boat. Do you have any more of those beans?”
“Hold on, is Dálcort really dead?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
“What a calamity! What should we do? We have only one bean left, and I can’t be seen like this!?”
“If she wasn’t so busy stuffing her face, we would be on that boat by now,” Taika murmured near Groth’s chest. Celesia had almost forgotten about the fairy.
“Save it for later,” Celesia whispered. She grabbed Groth’s arm and headed for the exit. To their left was the sea. Along the shore was the dock, aligned with boats bobbing with the tide. “I met someone in the tavern who owns a boat called The Blessed Bella. Let’s commandeer it.” Groth protested while she guided the ogre to the vacant street, keeping an eye out for people who might see them. The coast was clear. “Don’t worry, we’ll just borrow it. Hurry before someone sees us!”
They quickly made their way to the docks. Several large boats were coming in. Some released their anchors in the water. Armed men stood on their decks. Soldiers. Armies. It was true, then. Her father had indeed sent for men to gather in Bëdoustram. Now they had come.
The way Groth and Celesia ran for the wooden dock without detection was a miracle. They looked for The Blessed Bella without success, until Groth saw a small vessel at the end of the dock with the name painted on its stern. The integrity of its hull was questionable.
Groth turned his nose up. “We’ll drown in that!”
Celesia shrugged. “We have no choice.”
They hurriedly stepped into the boat. Groth untied the moorings, weighed the anchor, and grabbed a paddle. They rowed into the water without any trouble. Celesia heard a chorus of shouting from the edge of the dock. Vigus and Daxx stood there, swearing and waving their fists. Although Celesia didn’t have time to acquire any provisions, she was able to have a kingly meal and learn of how easily Dálcort had followed them. Now he was dead, thanks to a poison from the two thieves.
“I was afraid for our lives, Princess,” Groth said. The wide strokes of his arms carried the boat into the ocean with little effort. “Not just ours, leaving those poor cats as strays in the streets. Humans can be scary.”
Taika landed on Groth’s shoulder. “I’m surprised a human was tracking you for all these months.”
“Yes. Master Flint was suspicious for some time, and now we can be certain of it,” Groth said as he slowed his rowing. “He thought it may have been Alkivar, so he decided to watch from the skies, to see if any trouble was coming our way. I’m pleased to know that it was only the prince,
but I am saddened for his demise.”
“They blamed me for killing him,” Celesia said. She was about to tell them everything when a sudden yank pulled at her chain. The stone was reaching for another fragment, and it was somewhere beneath them—
—somewhere deep under the waters.
Chapter 17
Assisting the Merman
Celesia held out her hand. “Stop the boat!”
Groth ceased his rowing. “Whatever for?”
“The Dragon’s Heart! It’s reaching again.”
“Straight down? How will we fish it out?”
“Leave the Dragon’s Heart in my charge,” Taika said, hovering between them. She looked into the sea with anxiety. “I’ll look after it while you two swim for it.”
“Nice try, gnat. Do we tell Master Flint?”
“No, Groth. It’s so close to us, we might lose it if we move away.” Celesia held onto the side of the boat with a tight grip. “If only it were a few feet closer.”
The gemstone wasn’t tugging on her neck anymore. It came to rest below her collarbone. No one spoke for a minute. Groth scratched his chin and dropped their anchor, so they wouldn’t stray far from the fragment’s location. Celesia gazed into the water. While it seemed clear and blue, there was no telling how deep the waters plunged. She also didn’t know how to swim. Her father hadn’t allowed her to tread water, insisting that horse riding and fencing were skills of more importance. She had no choice but to stand and remove her cloak.
“I have an idea, and I’ll need that bean.”
Groth stared into the water. “You sure?”
“No, but I must try before it’s gone forever.” Groth sighed as he reluctantly handed her what she wanted. She placed the bean in her mouth, hoping she could support another bite of food. She thought up a new wish, and chewed. “I wish to breathe under water.”
The air in her lungs vanished. She couldn’t breathe anymore. Her vision turned black as she fell overboard. The terrible gasping she experienced alleviated after she entered the water. Celesia opened her eyes, amazed by the beauty below her. Schools of fish swam along a grouping of spongy rocks and coral, covered with rows of swaying sea plants. The water was warm. She thought it would be as cold as ice, being the middle of winter.
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