by C. R. Daems
Never do what your opponent assumes logical.
I stepped out and threw a knife, and again it melted in the fire ring. I waited for a moment and then darted back into the same doorway and loaded my blowtube with a rockberry dart. The Wizards threw his next fireball to the opposite side of the alley, anticipating that I would dash across as I had before. It hit the building and exploded in flames. I stepped out and threw a knife as the firewall went up. I started counting. Ten…Nine…I blew the dart high. If I was right, the dart would drop into the ring from above…five…I sprinted toward the ring…four…three…I blew a dart at the ring and dived at the ground, sliding toward the fire ring as it dropped. Lying with my last knife clutched in my hand, it felt like the world around me had stopped. The Wizard stood frozen, and Ilka stared glassy-eyed at nothing. Then everything seemed to come back to life. The Wizard collapsed to his knees and then onto his face—a dart in his neck and another in his shoulder.
I took a deep, shuddering breath as the pain in my arm and side hit me. I staggered up, grabbed Ilka by the shoulders, and turned her away from me.
"Walk, don't run, to the end of the street. If a crowd develops, join them. If not, make your way back to the wagons. Go." I gave her a shove, and she began walking stiff legged as if in a trance.
The Wizard lay unconscious, unless two doses of rockberry had killed him. I couldn't take any chances. I jabbed two rocktail-dipped needle sticks through his scorched, burnt-black shirt into his chest. It looked as though when the darts had hit him, he lost control of his fireball.
On the other side of the street, I spotted an overhanging terrace. I jumped up, grabbing the railing. Pain in my arm and side felt like I had fallen onto a mound of broken glass. My left hand lost its grip, but I managed to hang on with the other. I hung there for what seemed an eternity. Eventually, I dragged myself up and over. As I did, I heard voices in the street. With Kasi's help, I made my way across several roofs to the next street and dropped down. On impact, I almost passed out. My head spun and every part of my body felt on fire. I wound my way through the streets to the outskirts of town, each step painful. While everyone was distracted by Ilka's return, I slipped into my wagon, stripped naked, hid my clothes, and collapsed onto my cot. I vaguely heard a knock on the door.
"Ryana, are you in there?" Marku whispered.
"Come in," I rasped. Even that hurt. I was alive but definitely not well. Marku slipped in, stopped, and spun to face away.
"You're naked!"
"Call Stela. I need salve for burns."
"Everyone will know you're…"
"Don't say anything except I'm hurt. I'll have a bedtime story." I laughed and immediately regretted it. Searing pain. I heaved but only a string of yellow bile came up. "Go."
He flew out the door. It seemed forever before Stela opened the door and came in. She knelt and examined my arm. "Those are bad. I've some salve that will help, but it's going to hurt."
It did. I could have suffered the pain in silence. But Stela would expect me to react, so I moaned, jerked away, and sobbed. I got so engrossed in the act that I almost forgot about the pain—almost. When she finished, she wrapped my side and arm with a cotton cloth.
"What happened? It had something to do with Ilka, didn't it?" She looked at me suspiciously. I could see by her wide-eyed expression that she had jumped to the correct conclusion.
Practice makes perfect, my Shadow-self mused.
"Yes. When that damn Wizard dragged Ilka off, I grabbed a good-sized rock and chased after them. I had some crazy idea that it had worked last time, so maybe it would work again. Sneak up and whack him in the head, but I lost sight of them. Then I heard a commotion one street over and ran there. When I turned the corner, the Wizard and Ilka were at the end of the alley. Two Shadows had him trapped. The one I was facing drew a knife at the Wizard as he threw a fireball at her. She got out of the way, but I didn't." I paused.
Good story, Ryana.
"At that moment, I understood why the Shadows made me leave and why I would never be good enough to be one. I'm far too impulsive. I act then think, and I'm far too slow. I thought for sure the Wizard's fireball would hit the Shadow. It didn't. She moved like a wraith. I knew she could save Ilka better without me, so I headed back." I closed my eyes. I wasn't faking the pain or dizziness.
"That was very brave, if not too smart. Rest now. I'll check on you later." She covered me with my blanket and kissed me on the forehead before she left. When I woke, it was morning judging by the dim light and the noise outside. Marku sat by the side of my bed, looking like he hadn't slept.
"Thank you, Ryana."
I motioned for some water. My throat was so dry I couldn't speak. He spoke while he held the cup to my lips. "Your story has been told a dozen times. You're a hero. You tried to get the Wizard to take you and tried to help. We stood around doing nothing but arguing what to do. If Ilka hadn't returned… Well, I'm afraid we would have gotten the clan killed. We owe you even if they don't know. We've everything packed and will be ready to leave shortly."
"Don't. Stay and do the performance tonight."
"Are you crazy?"
"My advice: never do what they expect. Do the opposite. If you run, they will think you're hiding something. If you stay, they will think you've nothing to hide; otherwise, you would have run."
"What about Ilka?"
"She should say that the Wizard wanted to know about the roadblock. On the way, two men in robes attacked him. She ran. She saw fire and heard noises but kept running. Play stupid."
Marku's eyes lost focus. After a few minutes, he shook his head, rose, and left the wagon. I could hear him shouting to unpack and everyone yelling at once. Bedlam reigned for a long time. I hoped the enemy reacted logically.
CHAPTER NINE
Adak—Saxis Province
I stayed in my wagon for two days sleeping, eating, and thinking. Had I done the right thing chasing after Ilka and confronting a Fire Wizard? I had risked my life, my identity, and my assignment. I could've stayed with the clan and listened to them argue. After all, no one expected me to do anything. I wondered if Ilka's life was worth the future of the Shadow Sisters. She wasn't, so why did I risk it? My mind exploded in chaos as I fought fear, regret, shame, recrimination, indecision, guilt, and another hundred emotions. Knowing the Fire Wizards were in league against the Shadows didn't justify my actions. I had no reason to kill one. Morag had told me to find who was killing our Sisters and get the information back to her. I could find no answer to my dilemma, so I tried to hide in my wagon. It didn't help. I was treated like a hero. Everyone in the clan visited at least twice. Food was brought to me. Stela stopped in several times a day to inspect my burns. And Ilka was a regular visitor. Sitting by the bed, she held my hand between hers.
"You were so brave trying to save me. Everyone wants to make you a member of the clan…only if you want. This the second time you've helped us."
The next day, Stela sat looking at me after she had finished her nursing routine.
"Marku told me that you convinced him to stay rather than leave Adak. That was very clever for a young…woman." I could sense where she was going: You're a Shadow aren't you?
"The one thing I learned at Ahasha was never to do what people expect. It confuses them when you don't and gives you an advantage."
Stela laughed. "We gypsies do that all the time with our games of chance, our acts of magic, and many other things. But we didn't when we needed it most. Marku almost had to fight the clan when he told us to unpack. Later one of the Wizards came by to talk to Ilka. He was eager to believe it was one of the other Wizards who attacked his friend and left after only a few questions. The clan owes you."
She seemed satisfied and left. I sat thinking. The clan was providing me cover and helping me investigate every city in Hesland—my assignment. So helping them allowed me to fulfill my mission. Morag was right. I should follow my intuition. With my turmoil resolved, I felt better and left the wagon. Alth
ough I wasn't well enough to take part in the tumbling or the skit with Yoan, I did help with the games. To everyone's relief, we saw no more Wizards and left on schedule for Lanpo.
* * *
Lanpo—Tuska Province
Lanpo was in Tuska Province, a two-day detour from the main road to Naze. The land soon became rolling prairie ideal for grazing cattle, which provided the town's main source of income. They supplied much of the meat for Adak, Naze, and Kaslos, the capital of Tuska.
Lanpo was a cattle town and the people boisterous and full of energy. As we rolled into town, men and women rode alongside, shouting greetings and making good-natured jokes directed at the clan's clothes, wagons, and individuals. As I had been taught, I scanned the streets to get a feel for the town and its people. The men on horses and the people waving from the streets seemed normal.
The campground was flat and dry with a few small trees. The surrounding area consisted of grass and shrubs, which would make it difficult to leave without drawing unneeded attention. The clan unpacked quickly in preparation for the evening performance. Still not able to take part in the acts, I spent much of the time watching the crowd. I noticed what appeared to be thieves and assassins moving among the spectators. The thieves were easy to spot. Like the young woman who stumbled into a mark as her partner lifted his purse. The Sisters practiced similar techniques at Ahasha. It was one of many methods they used to acquire information.
A gangly young man in work clothes wove in and out of the crowd, examining each woman. Another, a couple of years older, passed him, intentionally ignoring him. I couldn't be sure whose side those two were on, if any. Many groups were involved, which indicated to me the Sisters were only an impediment to a larger conspiracy. I was faced with a dilemma. Had I accomplished what Morag asked me to do—find who was killing Sisters? Knowing what I knew, she might decide to recall everyone and let the game play itself out. Or should I continue and try to find the root of the cabal? I couldn't resolve it. Morag had suggested I rely on my intuition. After the Fire Wizard incident, reason dictated I run back to Ahasha as fast as my legs could carry me. But my intuition told me to continue. I decided I could put off the decision until I reached Naze. If I could find the Spy and her apprentice, I could send them home with the information. But could I trust them? The conflicting options gave me a splitting headache. Thankfully, Marku jerked me back to reality.
"Ryana, are you well enough to take the fortuneteller duty tonight?"
"I'd be happy to. It's kind of fun making up stories people want to hear." I chuckled.
"Your stories put us gypsies to shame." He made a small bow and wandered off.
I had been telling people's fortunes for over an hour when a gangly youth lifted the flap of the tent and came in. He put down his three coppers. I recognized him as one of the men who had been roaming the crowd and thought he might be in the assassins' guild.
"Well, sweet thing, what good things are going to happen to me?" He smiled as he sat down in the wooden chair across the table from me. Most customers tended to be apprehensive, not charming. He was either very clever or very inexperienced. Until I found out which, I had to avoid the kind of slip I had warned Zeta and Salma about.
"I see you've had a tough time in the past, and it's been difficult to get to where you are now. Luckily, I see success in your future," I said staring into my glass ball. Smoke swirled in it like clouds in a storm, a simple trick. Air was forced into the globe through a hole in the bottom. What I told him was easy to deduce. If he was an assassin, he had grown up on the streets—a very hard life.
"How quick?" he asked, a huge grin splitting his young but haggard face.
"Not soon. It'll be a bumpy road and will take time, but you'll have pretty women to smooth the bumps." The bumps and time would make the dream seem real. Just what a fortuneteller did—make the future look better than it would probably be. Actually, I thought he would be dead in a cycle or less. Belonging to the assassins' guild didn't change that he was a cocky amateur.
"Are you sure you don't –"
"Luix, you're supposed to be working. Get your ass out here." An older man stood holding the tent's flap open. His scarred face and whipcord-hard body suggested a dangerous man. Luix jumped up, knocking the chair over, and hustled after the man. I pitied Luix, a small sparrow trying to fly with hawks.
The rest of the evening proved boring. Most of the clients were women who wanted to know the future. I couldn't say I blamed them. They had hard lives and wanted someone to lie to them about tomorrow.
After we had closed the tents for the night, I wandered away from the camp to a small hill topped by a large-leafed tree and sat. I would never have felt Kasi and then Anil's feather-light landing if I hadn't seen them. For the thousandth time, I admired their large pointed ears, their small black eyes, and the silver-gray fur on their body, which gave the small creatures a wraithlike appearance. Anil's fur tickled as it crept toward my wrist, its sensitive nose searching for a vein close to the skin. Using razor-sharp teeth to make a tiny cut, it lapped up the warm flowing blood. I smiled. Anil had not found food. I didn't mind sharing.
I sat wondering what I should do now. The assassins were in the pay of or sided with whoever was planning to do something. I laughed. If I returned to Ahasha, what would I tell Morag? I didn't know who, what, where, when, or why. It was my move not theirs, as they hadn't found me. Suddenly, Kasi and Anil took off. I could see through their echoes that someone was coming. It turned out to be Marku.
"How are you feeling, Ryana?" he asked when he got closer. He looked tired. No one was near, but I was still wary of saying too much.
"I know it's been hard having me along. I'm ready to leave anytime you want." It was bad enough that the gypsies were distrusted and disliked by so many without having a Shadow along who everyone was searching for. It would be certain death if I were found traveling with them. He shook his head like a dog shaking water off. He reached out and took my hand.
"Yes, I'm tired, and I do fear for the clan. These are troubled times and not because of you or the Shadows. A storm's brewing that will affect all of Hesland. I can feel it in my bones and so can everyone in the clan. You've been more a help than a burden. These people would be searching our wagons whether you were with us or not. You've thwarted the theft of our horses, which would have been a disaster, and you've risked your life to save Ilka. For that, the clan owes you a debt. Saving her had nothing to do with your assignment. You're welcome to stay for as long as you wish."
"I'll leave the second I think I might put you in danger. I won't have your lives on my conscience."
"The men in the crowd? Thieves or men searching for you?"
"Both. I don't believe they know I'm in Lanpo. They think I'm in Naze." I gave a small smirk. "They're just covering their bases. In Adak, it was Fire Wizards. In Lanpo, it's assassins. The funny part is that I always thought of assassins as experienced, clever, ghost-like people. They're a disappointment."
Marku laughed. "I've a woman still in her teens telling me that she's disappointed in the quality of the people in the assassins' guild."
I nodded. "Most have had hard lives growing up in the slums. They have had to fight to survive. That's made them hard men willing to do anything. It makes them killers, not assassins." I paused to consider what I had just said and how it might sound. As if somehow assassins weren't killers. "Marku, a person trains to be a soldier or a knight. I trained many cycles to be a Shadow. A person doesn't train to be an assassin or a thief. They are a collection of survivors."
Marku sat quietly for a while. "I see your point. You're saying an assassin could kill someone in a fight or sneak up on someone and kill him. They couldn't kill a Fire Wizard or wouldn't risk their survival to save a friend. And Shadows make terrible enemies."
The next day Yoan asked me if I wanted to start practicing again. I did, and the next night, we performed our skit to cheers and laughter from the crowd.
* * *
&nb
sp; We left Lanpo at midmorning. On day two, Marku decided to stop early and make camp short of the crossroads to and from Adak to Naze in anticipation of a roadblock there. When he called a halt for the night, I sent Anil to check on the road ahead. As Marku had anticipated, the same bunch of mercenaries was searching everyone. Telling them where I planned to go didn't matter, since they had to know I would eventually go to Naze. My ploy had been primarily to divert suspicion away from the gypsies.
The early stop gave an excuse for a small party, a slow meal, and lots of talking and dancing. I spent time afterward in the forest with my darlings. By now everyone knew I stayed up late and wandered off by myself, which they attributed to my training at Ahasha. In part, that was true. I could remain functional on four hours' sleep a night for a sixday.
The next day, we had been on the road to Naze for an hour when we came to the roadblock. Because the mercenaries were only searching those traveling toward Naze, the road north to Adak was moving freely. Ahead of us waiting to pass were horse-drawn wagons, several mule trains, and over twenty people on foot. There were more mercenaries this time. Judging from the loud grumbling and yells, there would have been a riot without the additional men. They were abusing every woman they encountered.
It took us three hours to make it to the front of the line. To my surprise, they looked each of us over, but no one was touched. I think they remembered us and were verifying we hadn't added anyone. Interestingly, they ignored the men. I would have to keep that in mind for the future. Maybe I could pass for a young man or older boy. With my figure and size, I barely passed for a woman. For this assignment, that had proved fortunate.