by Terry Schott
28
Doctor Johnston entered the coffeehouse and was bombarded with shouts of greeting and invitations to sit. He grinned and stopped at each table, inquiring about the health of recently sick family members and making general small talk with the affluent patrons who were also his patients. He sauntered to the back booth and waited for Leo to stand before hugging him.
"Happy birthday, my boy." He clapped the young man on the back and sat. "I can’t believe how time seems to fly by. It feels like just a moment ago when I first set eyes on that sixteen-year-old unconscious boy brought into my office, and now look at you. Nineteen years old and much better off, I am thinking."
"The time has passed quickly, Doc." Leo rubbed at the light blond beard on his jaw. "I didn’t think you would remember."
"An excellent memory makes for a superior doctor."
"True." Leo looked past the doc and smiled. A moment later, Syntha appeared, sliding into the booth beside Leo. She put her arm around him and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. The doctor raised one eyebrow and nodded. Leo saw the look and laughed.
"Morning, Doc," she said. "What can I bring you to drink?"
"Coffee would be perfect."
Syntha stood and grinned at Leo. "I’m bringing you another coffee too, partner."
"No thanks, sweetness."
"Another one won’t hurt. Besides." Her eyes sparkled. "I want you wide awake tonight when I give you your birthday present."
Doc Johnston chuckled and Leo blushed. "Okay. No sugar though."
"In the coffee or tonight?" She winked.
"In the coffee." He grinned. "I will take all the sugar tonight you are willing to give."
Syntha kissed him and walked away.
"How long have the two of you been together?" Doc asked.
"Couple months now."
"I should visit you here more often. It’s good to see you this way, Leo."
"What way?"
"Relaxing."
"Life is balance, Doc. I do my best to get the ratio of play to work as perfect as possible."
"You have always displayed wisdom beyond your years in such matters."
"I shall take that as a compliment."
"That is how it was intended."
Leo grinned. "Thank you. I hope you didn’t bring any gifts."
"It is unlucky not to give presents, Leo. I know you were clear on this, but the danger is to me if I do not present a gift to one of my favourite people on their birthday." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small bag.
"I’m surprised to hear that you are a superstitious man, Doc."
"I am when it serves me. Now open your present."
Leo opened the bag and slid the contents onto his hand. It was a fountain pen made from a dark, black, shiny material, with a clip of gold. He opened the lid and inspected the tip, which was also gold. "This is beautiful, Doc."
"It is made from lion’s mane."
"Incredible." Leo hefted the pen. "It’s extremely light."
"Layers of lion’s mane specially layered, lacquered, and then formed into a cylinder. There is no other pen like it in the world."
Leo replaced the cap and lay the pen on top of the empty felt bag. "I can’t thank you enough for such a thoughtful gift."
"Something to remember me by."
"I will treasure it always."
"There is a glass tube inside that holds a reservoir of ink so that you need not dip the pen continually to write."
"Truly?"
The doctor nodded and extended his hand. Leo handed him the pen and the doctor unscrewed the bottom to reveal the interior. "Such things do not exist here, but I met a man from a faraway land once who possessed such an instrument. I remembered the concept and had a local designer create it."
"I expect this will become popular very soon."
"I agree. But yours was the first."
Syntha brought the drinks.
"Sit with us for a bit?" the doctor asked.
"I would love to, but the girls need my help. I’ll sit down and visit next time you come in."
"I shall hold you to that promise, young lady."
She smiled and moved to the next table.
"How is business, Leo?"
"I am very fortunate. Business is good."
"Word on the streets is that you will more active in Lord Argon’s court."
"I hope not."
"Why? You are beloved of the alley, are you not?"
Leo set his coffee down and laughed. "I wouldn’t say that. True, many in the alleys have borrowed from me and prospered as a result, but that doesn’t mean that they love me."
"Lord Argon’s alleys are the most prosperous in the city, lad. Everyone knows that you have had a major hand in it."
"Lord Argon is the one responsible. He feeds his people and protects them. He searches for those with talent and helps them to develop their particular skills."
"He did none of this before you came along."
Leo nodded and sipped his coffee.
"There is another rumour circulating that he will soon take control of a third territory."
"I have not heard that."
"I don’t believe you."
Leo smiled.
The two drank the rest of their coffee and made polite small talk. When his drink was finished, they stood and hugged.
"I will let you get back to your day, Leo. Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Doc. And thank you for the pen. I love it."
"Come see me soon. I would discuss a little business."
Leo pointed to the booth. "Let’s do so now."
"No, no. There is nothing important. It can wait."
"You know me. I hate to wait."
"Then come see me tomorrow."
Leo laughed. "Tell me that it is nothing serious and I will agree."
"I promise, it is nothing serious. Enjoy your evening with Syntha."
"I will."
29
"You are in danger."
Leo cut a large piece of steak, sawing with his knife and lifting it to his mouth. He sighed and closed his eyes as he chewed. "No one else can cook a steak like the cook in this restaurant."
"I know you heard me." Mouse lifted a green vegetable from his plate and bit the end off.
"Life is dangerous." Leo shrugged and took another bite.
"You’ve climbed the ranks fast, even by alley standards."
"I hold no rank."
"Officially, no, but the name Leo Wrathson has become well-known."
"People speak well of me, both to my face and behind my back."
"That is a second problem, and one that does not help with the first."
Leo speared a small white potato with his fork. "People say good things and that is bad?"
"It makes others resent you."
Leo finished the food in his mouth, took a drink of red wine, and wiped his lips with a napkin. "Who resents me?"
"None and all. You appear to covet no one’s position or wealth, yet you are building a large amount of money and influence on your own. You are bound to none."
"I belong to Lord Argon."
"No one believes that. You do not sit on his court or conduct business in his name."
"So?"
"You move freely in both the alleys and on the main streets."
"That is correct."
"It is not correct. No one else is able to live in both worlds, to conduct business in the shadows and the light." Mouse leaned forward. "I know what you are doing from as much as you tell me and what I can piece together, Leo, but to the average person, you are a mystery. A dangerous one."
Leo waved one hand. "The average person does not spend a moment thinking of me."
"You know who I mean."
"Powerful people."
Mouse nodded.
Leo pushed the plate away and dropped the napkin on the half-finished meal, nodding as the waiter appeared to remove it. "I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. I’m busy. If someone is stupid eno
ugh to attack me then I will either defend myself or they will kill me."
Mouse chuckled. "Stick says it would take a small army to best you in combat."
Leo smirked.
"It’s not you that I’m worried about. It is those around you."
The sparkle in Leo’s eyes disappeared and his lips pursed. "Syntha."
"That’s right. The best way to hurt you is to attack her."
"She is safe as well."
Mouse nodded.
"She is safe, right, Mouse?"
The attendant brought coffee. Leo spooned sugar into it and watched the liquid swirl as he stirred.
Mouse took a sip of his coffee. "What are you considering?"
"That perhaps it is best to make an example for the rest to see. Choose an opponent and bait them into attacking."
"Want me to see to it?"
"Yes."
***
Cairn waited until she was ten steps ahead before he emerged from the shadows and followed.
For years he had paid his dues, starting as a street rat and building his skills. Life had not been easy for Cairn, but it never was in the alleys. It had taken him almost a decade to claw his way from the bottom to a place where he could begin to earn money and enjoy his life. He was fierce, loyal, and strong, all qualities that his alley lord rewarded. Everyone had been certain that he would be one of the youngest lieutenants, and this had pleased him.
Then Leo had appeared and eclipsed not only Cairn, but everyone else as well. During the past two years, it seemed that everywhere he turned, the young lion was there, succeeding where others could not. Cairn and the rest had been forgotten. It had become so bad that his income was declining, and his gang had started to laugh at him behind his back.
Cairn hated being laughed at.
That would end tonight. He quickened his pace and gained on the young woman, quiet, to make sure she did not hear him. Cairn smiled. He would teach Leo and his bitch a lesson tonight. He grabbed Syntha’s arm.
After tonight, Leo would learn his place.
***
Mouse dropped to the ground and waited unseen as Syntha and Cairn approached. A quick glance to his left and then above showed him the silhouettes of his two best apprentices. He nodded at the first on the ground and scowled at the one on the roof. The boy above was easily seen, not to the average person, but to Mouse. He would be given more drills to improve after this night was complete. Mouse picked the best to join him and his expectations were high.
Syntha and her attacker were less than two steps away from him. He would intercede at precisely the correct moment, striking from darkness so that Cairn would never know where the first hit had come from. He slowed his breath and waited.
***
Cairn halted. The girl jerked backward and spun to face him.
"It’s not safe for a pretty young thing to be out on the streets at this hour."
Her eyes narrowed. "Gods, Cairn, you scared me!" She yanked her arm down but he held her tight. "Let go."
"How do you know me?"
"I’ve seen you with Leo at the coffeehouse."
"Only once."
She shrugged.
"Good. Then you can tell him who hurt you. If you’re ever able to talk again."
Syntha’s eyes widened and her shoulders bunched around her neck. "You don’t want to do this."
Cairn yanked her forward and his other hand came up in a fist aimed at her face.
At the last moment, Syntha swerved out of the way and lowered her shoulders, throwing her entire weight to the ground. The force pulled her arm from his grip and, before he could react, her foot shot straight up to strike him in the groin. Cairn dropped to the ground like a stone and his eyes bulged as he gasped.
Syntha was already standing. He reached out with one grasping hand and she stomped the heel of her boot onto his palm. Cairn heard a crunching sound and a new pain shot from his hand down into his arm. A moment later, he could only watch as she took two quick steps towards him and, with the other boot, kicked him squarely in the head.
***
Cairn lay motionless and Syntha looked down at him for a moment before raising her head and scanning the area for additional attackers. She spied Mouse in the shadows, ran a hand through her hair, and shook her head.
Mouse nodded and stepped back, disappearing from sight.
Syntha pulled a knife from her boot and knelt down beside Cairn. "Hey." She slapped him on the cheek. He did not stir. She pushed into a spot on his throat with her finger and, after a moment, his eyes flew open and he gasped for breath.
"That’s better." She reached down and grabbed his left hand. "You tell everyone what you tried to do tonight, Cairn. Tell them you got stupid and decided to teach Leo a lesson by hurting something of his. Then you tell them what happened after."
"Wha—" His voice was slurred. "What happened after."
"This." She drew the blade quickly across his little finger at the bottom knuckle, slicing the digit from his hand. Cairn screamed and tried to pull his hand away, but Syntha gripped it tightly and ground the bleeding wound against the flagstones. His screaming grew louder and lights began to turn on in the houses nearby.
When a dozen heads were sticking out of their windows and looking down, she nodded and stood, kicking Cairn in the face once more to silence him before strolling away.
30
Three years later
The journey took four hours by carriage.
When they arrived, Leo stepped out and surveyed the area.
It’s smaller than I remember.
Armoured guards stood on each side of a black wrought-iron gate. They ignored Leo as he walked past and made his way through the small, dense garden to the front door of the ancient stone fortress located in the centre of this immense city.
A silver-haired man dressed in black pants and a jade green silk shirt met him at the door, bowing and leading him inside. Leo walked to a stone staircase and descended alone into the bowels of the manor, travelling down a low-ceilinged stone hallway until he reached a great wooden door. Without hesitating, he pushed on the door and entered as it swung inward.
The room was a large library with high ceilings, and bookshelves lined every wall. At the far end sat a great wooden table, which served as a desk, and a large leather chair. A dark-robed man rose from the chair and pulled the black hood from his head as Leo approached. He looked to be about sixty, a handsome man with golden blond hair cut short and a well-groomed beard of the same colour. He squinted as he looked at Leo, his sharp blue eyes examining the young man who stood before him.
Leo bowed low, resting one knee on the ground and lowering his head. "Greetings, Chronicler."
"You look well." The Chronicler’s voice was deep and rich, a combination of power, comfort, and malice all at once.
"As do you," Leo replied.
"Come over here and take a seat."
Leo stood and obeyed. The man’s manner was appraising as he examined the young man for for another moment before sitting, shrugging his shoulders to adjust his black robes around him. "It has been many years since I led you to the alleys."
Leo nodded.
"I am pleased with your progress thus far."
"That is good."
The Chronicler chuckled. "You have followed my instructions to the letter."
"The only instructions you gave me were to survive in the alleys and to return to this place on my twenty-first birthday."
"And here you are. Would you like a drink?"
"Yes, thank you."
The man produced two glasses and poured a dark amber liquid into each from a decanter sitting on his desk. Leo accepted one and sniffed it. "Excellent aroma."
The Chronicler raised one eyebrow. "You have learned to appreciate fine liquor. That is good." He raised his glass. "To your prosperity, Leo."
"May it endure for a thousand years."
"Just so."
Both men drank. Leo surveyed the room, his ey
es stopping on volumes of books along the walls before moving on. "I could spend a decade in here, reading."
"Most of the volumes are empty. You would require less than a week to read all of the words currently written in this room."
"Why am I here?"
The older man retrieved a large leather-bound book and opened it to a blank page. "I have questions." He produced a pen and placed it on the table. Then he reached for a bottle of ink and removed the lid.
"Ask them."
"It will require time."
Leo bowed his head. "Take all the time you need, Chronicler."
***
Hours passed while the two men spoke. A servant brought food and they continued speaking while they ate.
Finally, the Chronicler nodded and replaced the lid on the ink. He set the pen to one side and carefully closed the book. "You progress."
"As expected?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any new instructions for me?"
"Prosper and return to this place should you reach the age of forty."
"On my birthday?" Leo stood.
"The day is not important. The year is."
"Very well."
"Thank you for the visit, Leo. I am . . . encouraged by what I have heard."
"Will you be alive when I return in nineteen years?"
The man’s mouth twitched and he smiled. "Do I appear older than when you saw me last?"
"No."
"Perhaps I will look the same nineteen years from now. That is my burden, not yours. You must wait and see."
"As you say, Chronicler."
Leo bowed and left the room.
The Chronicler looked at the door for many minutes. Then he picked up the volume that he had been writing in, stood, and walked to a nearby shelf.
He placed it among the other books that looked identical and paused, letting his hand trail slowly down its spine.
31
Leo entered the room and knew immediately that Lord Argon was in a foul mood.
"Ah, here he is. The man who is ruining my alleys."
Leo glanced over his shoulder and then faced Argon with a puzzled expression. "Me?"
"Yes, you. Destroying everything."