The Witch's City

by M. Gregg Roe

  “I will charge her only what is fair,” she insisted. “I will charge less than a professional would cost her, and probably do a better job.” Marryn scowled at him. “It’s none of your business how I spend it.”

  She was definitely planning to spend it on clothing. “Very well.”

  Marryn sighed. “I won’t take advantage of her. She’s going to be my teacher soon. I signed up for one of Grasapa’s women’s self-defense courses.”

  Gabriel found the news surprising. “I am happy to hear it,” he told her as he nodded at a passing pair of city guards.

  “I understand Audrey better now. She’s not who I thought she was.”

  Gabriel gave his sister a sidelong glance and thought that she looked embarrassed. The two of them walked along in silence for several minutes before Marryn suddenly began to speak.

  “I asked Audrey about her friend that moved to Dymar. You know, to be polite. She told me about the baby’s namesake. The story made me cry. That’s why my eyes are red.”

  “Quentin,” stated Gabriel solemnly. “He gave his life to save Audrey. It is unfortunate that the villagers had already disposed of his remains before we arrived.”

  “It’s not something I think about often. People in villages like that … When they die, it’s forever. I take it for granted that if something happens to me then I’ll be raised. I’ll get a second chance, just like you and our parents did.”

  Marryn went silent and Gabriel saw that she had begun to cry. After a moment, she continued speaking. “When Audrey was injured, she said that she expected to die. She wanted to die because the pain was so bad.”

  “And then Saxloc saved her.”

  “Yes. How could she not love him after something like that?”

  “How indeed?” agreed Gabriel as he looked at his sister’s resigned expression. “Even if the two of them drift apart, they will always be bound by that.”

  “I know.”

  Marryn didn’t say another word during their walk home.

  36

  ‡ Games ‡

  There was an alligator on the road.

  Since her initial visit, Audrey had been to visit Violet twice, but never alone. Almera had gone one time, and Cinda the other. And neither time had they had to deal with an alligator, even though they had been prepared. But the first time she went alone, the largest alligator she had seen in the Witchmarsh—nearly three yards long—was not only on the road but in the middle of it facing her. She had her marshwood staff with her, but that suddenly seemed like little more than a joke. It would probably just eat it and then her. One stupid alligator shouldn’t be a problem for someone trained to kill with their bare hands, but Audrey’s fear of crocodiles and alligators was deep-seated. She had considered skirting the edge of the road to go around it but feared that it would suddenly turn on her were she to try. From a distance of ten yards, she clutched her staff tightly and stared at the creature, feeling very nervous. Finally, she decided that she would just wait. It had to move eventually, didn’t it? Ten minutes later it hadn’t done anything other than occasionally move its head, and she was beginning to despair.

  “May we be of assistance?”

  The melodious and polite voice was one that Audrey recognized. She looked back and saw Erik and Ilia, the two city guards that she knew best. Ilia, the diminutive elf, was holding a staff identical to Audrey’s and it was nearly a half yard taller than she was. Her hulking human partner Erik was simply smiling through his thick beard as the two of them walked up to her.

  Audrey felt very relieved as she replied, “Yes. I’m frightened of alligators. Can you deal with it?”

  “But of course, Mistress Audrey,” said Ilia as she boldly walked forward. Audrey watched carefully as Ilia began to use her staff to prod the alligator. It simply ignored her efforts at first, but she rapped it hard on the snout and then went back to prodding. Within a minute, it was headed down the slope to the right. It soon entered the marsh and swam away.

  “Thank you,” said Audrey as she smiled at the two of them. “You saved me.”

  “Excuse me for asking,” said Erik, “but if you’re so afraid of alligators, then why are you out here?”

  Audrey smiled sheepishly. “My best friend moved to Dymar recently from my home village, along with her husband and baby. I don’t really have a choice. I’m terrified of alligators because I was once almost killed by a giant crocodile. They look a lot like alligators, only much bigger.”

  “How much bigger?” asked Erik.

  “Almost twice as long as that one.”

  “That would scare me too,” Erik told her.

  “And I as well,” added Ilia in her lovely voice. “We are headed to Dymar for our guard shift. Would you care to accompany us?”

  “Yes. Please. And on the way, I will explain exactly why I’m so frightened.”

  By the time they reached Dymar, Audrey had related her story. She went into Dymar’s general store and bought Erik and Ilia each a sweet roll as thanks, as well as buying some for Violet and herself.

  Violet and Orian’s house was larger than the one that they had occupied in Farmerton, and was of far superior construction. It was built of marshwood, which had a rich, dark orange color. The windows all had netting to keep out insects. The roof was made from overlapping pieces of light brown ceramic that Audrey thought were very cleverly designed. All of the buildings in Dymar used similar construction.

  Violet was delighted to see her. After peeking in at the sleeping Quentin, the two of them sat down at the dining table and ate the sweet rolls and drank tea. Audrey spent quite a bit of time telling Violet what had been going on in her life lately.

  “The dress business sounds interesting,” said Violet. “I’m still bad at sewing, but I’ve got a lot of free time. If you need something simple done, let me know.”

  “Actually, Aliva is going to be doing all of the sewing. She’s incredibly good.”

  “Oh. That’s too bad.” Violet took a sip of her tea. “I want to come to this game night you’re planning.”

  “Why? I didn’t think you liked to play games.”

  “I want to meet some new people,” said Violet while gesturing wildly with her arms. “I’ve met enough farmers and their families to last me a lifetime. And guess what they always talk about?”

  “So you’re going to leave Quentin with Orian and spend the night?”

  Violet rolled her eyes. “I’m still breastfeeding him, Audrey. And I will be for months! I’ll be bringing him with me. I think I’ll stay two nights. I want to start exploring the city. I’ve got a sling I can carry him around in.”

  “Oh … right.” Audrey felt like an idiot; she really should have known that. “I’ll tell Almera. Will Orian be coming too?”

  “No! He’ll be working. I could use a day or two away from him anyway.”

  “Okay. I’ll set aside the day after we play to show you around.” Something occurred to her. “Are you going to walk to the city by yourself? Well, with Quentin too, of course.”

  Violet smirked. “Sure. It’s safe. I don’t share your mind-numbing fear of alligators. I’m actually getting used to them living here.” She frowned. “But I don’t know how to get from the gate to your house.”

  Now Audrey rolled her eyes. “It’s not my house; it’s Draymund and Almera’s mansion. And I am not going to have you walk there by yourself. I’ll either come for you or send someone. Okay?”

  Violet waved a hand in resignation. “Whatever. Who all’s going to be there?”

  “I’m not completely sure yet. Rosalind for sure, since it was her idea. Cinda will be there. And Carlinda—she’s an older half-elf who’s married to the Captain of the Witch’s City Guard.”

  Audrey thought a moment before continuing. “Let’s see. Zalina wasn’t interested. Mianna doesn’t know how to play. I haven’t asked Kora yet, but I’m sure she will come if she can. And Lilina said that she would get back to me.”

  Violet shrugged. “I
don’t know most of those people, but I’ll be happy to meet them. Now tell me about this game we’ll be playing.”

  Audrey considered how best to explain it. “It’s called Sparrow, and it’s played with little wooden tiles, not dice or cards. Each tile is painted with either a bird or a flower of some type. There are four players, and everyone starts with twelve tiles. When it’s your turn, you draw a new one. Then you have to discard one.”

  “So you’re collecting all of one type of flower or something?” Violet grinned as she asked, “Is one of the flowers a violet?”

  Audrey laughed. “Yes, one of them is a violet. But the game’s not that simple. There aren’t twelve of each type. You usually collect sets of four, or you try to get one of each type. And sparrows are special. The scoring is really complicated and it’s weird how it works. If you go out with a hand worth ten points, then you actually score thirty because each of the other players loses ten. And while you’re playing, you can see what tiles everyone else discards, so sometimes you have to change your plans. It’s really hard.”

  Violet had been frowning more and more as Audrey explained. “That does sound hard. I’ve seen those tiles in some people’s houses, but I didn’t pay any attention. I’ll see if I can get someone here to teach me.”

  “Okay. They actually sell Sparrow sets in the store here. I’ll buy you one so you can read the rules. Don’t worry, Violet. I’ve played several times and I’m still really bad at it. I’m playing for fun, not to win.”

  “And I’m just there to meet people and talk,” declared Violet.

  Audrey couldn’t help laugh. Violet would probably talk so much that she would distract the other players. As for herself, Audrey just wanted to finish one game with a positive number of points.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Aliva watched as in response to Audrey’s question, Kora consulted her calendar—a tiny book she kept in her belt pouch. “The evening of the twenty-seventh? Yes, I’m free. I would be happy to attend.”

  Audrey broke into a smile, but it faded as she turned to address her. “I’m sorry, Aliva. I would have it in my cottage, but there just isn’t room.”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” said Aliva. “That’s just part of what I am.” But the truth was that she did feel left out.

  “Maybe we could have one here sometime,” suggested Kora and Audrey nodded her agreement.

  “Maybe, but it would be crowded. I know the mansion’s a better place for something like this. And besides, I’m not a very good player.”

  “I’m with you there,” said Audrey. “I’m really bad.”

  “I could give you further instruction,” offered Kora with an eager look. “I’m free tonight.”

  Aliva wasn’t really surprised. Kora’s one outside interest was Sparrow. She loved the game and had a group of people that she regularly played with. Aliva had quickly been able to memorize the basic rules of the game, but that wasn’t enough. Playing well involved analyzing what the other three players were doing and modifying your own strategy accordingly. The only way to really learn was to play frequently, preferably with a variety of players.

  Audrey looked torn, and she hesitated a long while before answering. “I’m sorry. I’ve just got too much to do at the moment. But I appreciate the offer.”

  After Audrey departed, Kora said, “How about if we invite two people over here to play Sparrow tonight?”

  Aliva suspected that Kora was trying to make her feel better about not being able to attend the Sparrow party. It wasn’t like Kora needed the practice. Aliva smiled at her. “Okay. That sounds good.”

  Kora nodded and smiled. Her smile deepened as she adopted her courtesan persona—as Aliva now thought of it. “And afterward,” she purred in her sexy voice, “the two of us will play a different kind of game.”

  “That sounds good too,” replied Aliva, returning Kora’s lascivious smile. Kora was no longer afraid of her. In fact, Kora initiated most of their sexual encounters. Aliva still desperately wanted to be able to safely have sex with men—Stanley, in particular—but for the present Kora sufficed.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “No,” said Audrey as she waved both her hands. “That’s too close. Put the other table farther away.”

  Saxloc and Hankin obeyed without comment. There was actually a third game table set up in the opposite corner of the parlor. The two of them along with Gabriel were planning to dice for coppers while the women played Sparrow. Audrey didn’t mind. She secretly planned to steal Gabriel away if they needed another Sparrow player.

  Audrey was in a good mood. On the way back from Dymar that morning, she had finally gotten to use her alligator-prodder, with Saxloc and Violet cheering her on. It wasn’t that large of one, but it was a start. And it had been fun, not frightening.

  Everything had come together nicely. Medea had accompanied her two children, and they were all currently in the kitchen helping to prepare the food. She and Almera would make certain that everyone was well-supplied with food and drink.

  Audrey watched as Marryn entered the parlor with a platter of cheese slices and placed it on the large table they had set up for the food. “Thank you again for inviting me,” she said as Audrey walked up to her.

  “You’re welcome. Rosalind heard that you were good. She’s eager to play you.”

  “Is there going to be a prize?” she asked, looking slightly embarrassed.

  “Yes. Ten silver to the highest total score. Five silver to the second highest.” Draymund had insisted on providing the money. “Cinda suggested a year’s supply of AP powder for the winner, but I said no.”

  Marryn laughed. “That sounds like her. I promise to be nice.”

  “Good, because two more courtesans will be here.”

  Violet appeared at the entrance to the parlor with Quentin in his travel crib. Marryn’s face lit up as she made directly for them. “Hi! I’m Marryn. I’m Gabriel’s sister. He’s so cute!”

  “Yes, he is,” agreed Violet with a proud look. “Nice to meet you. I’m Violet and this is Quentin.”

  Violet went over to the corner near the Sparrow tables with Marryn following. Audrey heard the bell and walked through the parlor to the entryway. She opened one of the doors and saw Rosalind outside, actually looking a little nervous.

  “Good evening, Audrey.”

  “Good evening, Rosalind. Come in.”

  Rosalind stopped at the parlor entrance and peered inside. “Is your friend here? The one with the baby?”

  “Yes.” Audrey pointed. “They are in that corner where the red-haired girl is making a fool of herself.”

  “Thank you!”

  Rosalind practically ran across the parlor as Saxloc walked up and said, “That’s no surprise, but I wasn’t expecting Marryn to go so crazy. I guess all women love babies.”

  Before Audrey could disagree, Saxloc’s eyes suddenly went wide, and she soon saw why. Two more guests had arrived. Cinda had dressed casually, but not Lilina. She wasn’t wearing a revealing dress, but what she had worn was nearly as bad: high leather boots, tight blue pants, and a white shirt with a deep V-neck that displayed a great deal of cleavage. Audrey looked around and saw that everyone, male and female alike, was staring at the gorgeous, platinum-haired half-elf. Lilina smiled in a self-satisfied manner, clearly basking in the attention.

  Audrey greeted the two and sent them to join the crowd around Violet and Quentin. Saxloc had a somewhat dazed look as he asked, “That’s the head courtesan at Desires? She definitely looks the part.”

  “Yes, she really does. Lilina is waiting for Aurelia to either retire or die so that she can take over.”

  Saxloc grinned. “I am sorely tempted to hire her services, but I’ll have to settle for just dreaming about her.”

  Audrey smiled and elbowed him in the ribs before going to greet the last two guests. It was time to get things started.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  As Carlinda read off the first round scores for their table, Marryn
secretly enjoyed the crestfallen look on their host’s face. Audrey had finished last by a sizable margin. Marryn finished with the highest score, but Kora was a strong second. Together with herself and Rosalind, that gave them three strong players.

  A normal four-person Sparrow game consisted of twelve hands and lasted about three hours. This was different. Each round had only two hands, but there were seven rounds total. A chart, provided by Rosalind, showed the arrangement of each table for each round. Each pair of people would find themselves at the same table three times during the course of the evening. That meant three chances for Marryn to go head-to-head against Rosalind. She was looking forward to it.

  Audrey scooted back her chair and stood. She nodded to her left. “They’re still playing, so we all get a break.” She promptly headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

  Kora headed to the food table with Marryn following. From what Audrey had said earlier, the woman had to be a courtesan. Kora’s long hair was lovely, but otherwise she was plain and short. Marryn filled a small plate with chunks of fruit and cheese and then went to where Kora had seated herself on a small sofa.

  “Are you a courtesan?” Marryn asked hesitantly.

  Kora nodded. “Yes. I completed my contract, but I still work freelance.”

  Marryn was very curious how much Kora was paid, but she didn’t dare ask. “How long have you been playing Sparrow?” she asked instead.

  “About eight years. What about you? You’re very good.”

  “Six years,” Marryn replied. “My whole family plays.”

  “That’s nice.” Kora looked to Marryn’s right as another person joined them. “How did you do, Rosalind?”

  “I won, but Violet came in second.” Rosalind sighed. “I don’t know if it’s luck or her non-stop talking.”

  “She told me that she’s got a group of other young mothers that she plays with almost every day,” Marryn told them. “Maybe she’s just a fast learner.”