Carth smiled widely. “Jessica. Robin.”
They frowned a moment before realization dawned on them. Jessica stepped forward, opened her arms, and embraced Carth. “You returned!”
“You thought that I wouldn’t?” Carth asked.
Robin shook her head. “We didn’t know what to expect. You’ve been gone so long, we thought that you would’ve returned to us, visited with us before now. That you haven’t made us think you were going to leave us here.”
Robin and Jessica led Carth and Marna into the village. Praxis was not a big village. They had skill with wool, having mastered the weaving of fabrics, using the sheep they herded outside of the village itself for their wool. There wasn’t much else that was a draw for Praxis.
Robin and Jessica led Carth to the center of the village, and she waited outside a small, finely made home while Jessica went inside. When she reappeared, an older man leaning on a cane appeared with her. He eyed Carth up and down before turning to Marna. Marna stared at him defiantly, fully recovered now from sailing with Carth.
“Ms. Rel. You have returned.”
“I don’t believe I’ve had the honor of meeting you,” Carth said.
The man smiled, and Carth noted that his eyes had a film over them. She wondered how much he saw. “No, I don’t believe we were able to meet. Your name is well known here, as is what you have given to these people. You added to the village.”
“I want to thank you for taking them in.” This wasn’t the reason that Carth had come to Praxis, but it felt right thanking him. This had been the first place where she had established anything. And she was appreciative of the fact that they were also helpful.
“What prompts your return?”
Carth glanced back to Marna. “A friend of mine had someone she cared very much for abducted from Asador. I wasn’t sure if she might have remained in Praxis with the others. I thought it was worthwhile coming with her, to see if she might have remained.”
The chief turned his rheumy eyes onto Marna, somehow managing to see when he shouldn’t have been able to. His mouth spread into a slight grin. “Friend? She watches you with suspicion, Ms. Rel. I think friend might be a little generous, don’t you?”
Carth laughed. “Perhaps. Or perhaps we will be friends in time. We’re looking for her sister. A woman who was once a seamstress.”
The chief tapped his cane on the ground and nodded to Jessica. “Jessica can bring you to our skilled artisans. Since you left, we’ve had much fortune.”
Carth smiled. “So I’ve heard. It seems as if trade now favors Praxis.”
The chief nodded. “Favors us, and we are finally able to keep supplies. The village thrives. We have you to thank for it, Ms. Rel.”
“I’m thankful you were able to offer your protection. The women I rescued deserved safety, not suffering.”
The chief seemed to watch Carth, though it was difficult to tell with the way his eyes appeared. “Perhaps I will escort you myself.” He turned to Jessica. “Would you help Sarah while I do this?”
Jessica smiled warmly, and Carth had the sense that she didn’t mind at all helping Sarah. She didn’t recognize the name, and wondered if Sarah was someone she had rescued, or if she was a native of Praxis.
The chief guided them through the village, taking her to the north side, away from where most of the homes were situated. From here, Carth could hear a steady hammering, one that sounded almost as if it came from a blacksmith, though the hammering was softer, less intense than what she’d heard from blacksmiths. The chief made his way through the village, weaving as he went. He leaned on his cane, but didn’t seem infirm or frail otherwise. Carth was taken aback by the number of shops they passed. When she’d been here before, she didn’t recall this many village shops active.
She looked over to the chief for confirmation, but he didn’t pause.
When they reached the wall surrounding the northern side of the village, he stopped. Here Carth noted a row of three low buildings, each apparently new construction. The stone was freshly laid, and the roofs were neatly thatched. Thick trails of smoke escaped out of the chimneys.
“We have several places that we’ve had to add on to,” he said to Carth. “Since you came, we found an increased need for those with different talents. Not only have we needed our skilled seamstresses and weavers as well as those who know dyes, we’ve had to add masons and carpenters. Praxis is growing.”
Carth hadn’t heard that Praxis was booming quite like this. She was pleased to see it, though. If her small influence could lead to this much of a change in the village, she hoped that there were other positive changes as well.
The chief looked from Carth to Marna, his gaze lingering on her a moment. Carth wondered again how much he could actually see through his cloudy eyes. Marna met his gaze and returned it with a certain defiance.
Carth smiled inwardly. There was something about the defiant manner with which Marna carried herself that was enough to make her laugh. The woman was interesting, and Carth began to hope that she actually would follow through on her promise to travel with her to Neeland. She would need her expertise. She might need her organization as well.
The inside of the shop was awash with bright lantern light. The air carried the scent of oil from the lanterns, mixed with the heady scent of the dyes used in the fabrics, along with that of the smoke from the hearths. Carth surveyed the room, noting nearly a dozen women working at tables. Most were sewing, their hands moving with practiced movements, while others worked with fabrics, and a pair of older women—both of whom Carth recognized—worked at a loom.
Marna gasped and raced towards one of the women.
Carth watched, noting the similarities between them. The woman was probably a few years older than Marna, but she had wide eyes that were softer, and did not have the same hardened expression Marna possessed. She threw her arms around Marna and they began talking quietly.
The chief looked over to Carth. “It seems your friend found her…”
“Sister. It would be her sister.”
“They appear close. It makes you wonder why she never returned to the city.”
Carth nodded. She had wondered the same, but hadn’t had any answer from Marna and hadn’t felt the need to press.
“We have a great number of women who have remained in Praxis. Many feared for their safety were they to return to Asador.”
“I promised them that I would keep the city safe for them,” Carth said.
“It’s one thing to hear you make a promise; it’s another to see it enacted. They have experience with what happens in the city. Most know that safety is not guaranteed. Most recognize that there are others with power in the city.”
Carth grunted. “Yes. I’ve come to realize that as well and have had to work through several issues that have come up. Not the least of which was a woman with much knowledge who thought to turn against others. I consider it unfortunate that she has done so.”
The chief nodded. “There were some initial safety concerns here as well.”
Carth shot him a look. She hadn’t heard that.
The chief tapped his cane on the ground. “We have worked through them. There were a few who thought that adding these women would strain our capacity. They didn’t have the vision to see what could be.” He turned to Carth and smiled. “I may not see quite as well as I once did, but I still recognize an opportunity for my people.”
“Only your people?”
The chief swept his hand around in a wide motion. “I’ve claimed them as my own. That protects them, grants them whatever safety I can offer.”
Carth had done something similar. It was how she had forged the alliance with the Hjan and the A’ras and the Reshian. Since then, she’d used her connections for the same. She would do anything to protect those she cared about. She sensed from the chief that he felt much the same.
“What now for you?”
Carth nodded to Marna. “It depends on what she decides. Someon
e I care about was taken from me.”
“And you are after revenge? I thought you above such petty things, Ms. Rel.”
“Not revenge, not entirely. There is information that I need. I don’t know why the attacker was sent. She claims it was for her, but I’m not convinced that was the case.”
The chief tapped his cane once more on the ground. “You think they came for you.”
Carth nodded.
“And they are a threat to what you intend.”
“Anyone who would attack indiscriminately is a threat. That’s why I intend to find out who was responsible, and what must be done to avoid it happening once more.”
The chief glanced from Carth to Marna. “Where do you travel?”
“Neeland.”
The chief lifted his cane but did not set it back down again. “There are many risks in Neeland. I hope you recognize the dangers you place yourself in by going there.”
“The man who helped me rescue these women was from Neeland.”
“Not all men are like him. Most care only about the coin. They’re hired mercenaries. I would advise you to be cautious, but I suspect you are always cautious.”
“I appreciate your insight. I’m hopeful that Marna will accompany me.”
“Her? She has no ability—” He blinked his rheumy eyes and tipped his head as he studied Marna. “I see now. She has the knowledge of the Caulad.”
Carth hadn’t heard that term before. “What is the Caulad?”
“There are those who study for healing, there are those who study for harming. There is a balance between them. That is the Caulad.”
Carth frowned. She hadn’t realized there was an organization like that. Each time she thought she was beginning to piece things together, each time she began to think that she knew the next move she needed to make, she was again reminded of how little she truly knew.
“Do you know how to find others of the Caulad?” Carth asked. If he’d heard of them, it followed that he would know how to find them.
“Once, perhaps, but not any longer. I’ll listen, and if you fail in Neeland, return to me, and I will see what I can learn. There was a time when we were limited here in Praxis, but knowledge flows through here, the same way as trade does. Perhaps I can be of use to you.”
Carth sighed. The only thing left for her to know was whether Marna would return to Asador or whether she would accompany Carth north.
Marna answered that by leaving her sister and heading over to Carth, ignoring the chief entirely. “When do we leave?”
Carth glanced to the chief. “We can go now, if you’re ready.”
21
The ship rolled beneath them. Carth was impressed that Marna seemed to be handling the journey better this time than she had the last. Her face was still a washed-out pale shade, and she vomited a few times, but nothing like on the journey from Asador to Praxis. In fact, she even managed to join Carth at the helm a few times.
From here, the journey to Neeland would be several days. Several days spent crossing the wide-open rolling sea. Several days under the gray skies. Several days where she pulled upon her shadow blessing, drawing strength as she sent them moving as quickly as she could.
Despite that, she didn’t regret the need. She wanted to find answers, and now had only more questions, especially after meeting with the chief. There were things he knew, information he possessed about the Caulad that Carth would need to follow up on, but for now, she would remain focused.
“What do you usually do while sailing?” Marna asked.
They had been gone from Praxis for the better part of half a day. Despite the haze, Carth could tell the sun had reached its midday peak, but it still wasn’t very warm. The wind gusted as it so often did out of the north, sending occasional larger swells slamming into the ship. Carth noted the way Marna fought against the urge to vomit, keeping her jaw clenched, holding her focus. It was almost heroic in a way.
“Most of the time, I try to simply focus on the sea,” Carth said. “I haven’t been sailing alone for all that long.”
“No? What were you doing before that?”
Carth turned her attention to the ship. When she’d sailed with Guya, it had been easier. She hadn’t had the responsibility of making certain the sails unrolled the way they were supposed to or maintaining the lines, or even sealing the deck. She had learned the keys to navigation from him, had learned how to read charts and maps and how to rig the sales.
“Just know that I haven’t sailed alone for long,” Carth said.
“Well, I need something to take my mind off of what we’re doing.” Marna gripped the mainmast with her arm, her knuckles white as she did. She stood stiffly, her jaw clenched, as she fought back the urge to unload the contents of her stomach.
Carth sighed. She didn’t have much to offer. Except… there was one thing.
“Have you ever heard of the game Tsatsun?” Carth asked.
Marna narrowed her eyes. “No. What kind of game is it?”
“Hold this,” she said, guiding Marna to hold the wheel. The seas were relatively calm, considering what they’d experienced in the last few days. Marna could hold the position for now. Carth could always correct for anything when she returned. She hurried below the deck and found the board with the pieces where she and Lindy had left it. She felt a surge of sadness, thinking back to her friend and missing her again. Lindy had shown promise in the game. With much more time, Carth thought she could have made her a strong player. She had discovered the key to focusing on a different perspective, recognizing how that influenced her moves. It was something Carth had struggled with at first, until boredom had made her learn.
But Marna might actually be talented at playing Tsatsun. She had skill with coordinating and organizing her faction within the city. That proved a certain determination, one that Carth recognized could be useful.
Carth carried the board and the pieces up to the deck. Marna manned the wheel, holding on to it tightly. Carth assumed command and set the board down, quickly arranging the game pieces. She wasn’t certain how stable the game board would remain while sailing but had forgotten how there were small magnets underneath the board as well as on each piece that held them in place. It was a sailing board, one Carth had realized she needed when she’d found it.
Marna watched as Carth set up the game, saying nothing. Carth walked her through the various pieces, explaining how they were used. It was a little different than how she had learned from Ras, and a little different from what she had discovered from the books, but it seemed a sensible way to begin explaining how to play the game to someone who had never played before.
“The winner is the one who moves the Stone to the opponent’s side of the board,” Carth finished.
“I presume you’re a skilled player?” Marna asked.
“I’m not untalented,” she said.
“When was the last time you lost?”
Carth thought back. She beat herself frequently, but that wasn’t an honest answer. “The last time I lost was when I played the person who instructed me.”
“Are there particular strategies in this game?”
“There are countless strategies. This game teaches you to anticipate and outthink your opponent. If you can put yourself in the other person’s place, and you can envision how they would react and move, you will be at an advantage. There aren’t many people capable enough of doing that.”
“And I assume that you are?” Marna asked.
Carth nodded. “It was how I learned. I taught myself to look at the game how my first instructors would have viewed it. I thought about it from how my parents would’ve looked at it. I thought about it from the perspectives of people for whom I only vaguely knew how they might think. And I thought about how my enemies might play.”
“I think I might like this game,” Marna said.
“I’ll make the first move,” Carth said.
Marna studied the board, not looking up as she nodded.
Carth was impressed. Marna had lost the first game, but had really seemed to catch on to the idea behind how to play towards the end. Carth had been impressed with how she had finished, managing to take out several of Carth’s pieces before failing. Marna had immediately begun setting up the board for another match, having apparently memorized the setup from the first game she’d played.
Carth smiled to herself. Could she have found someone who would make a worthy opponent at Tsatsun?
This time, Carth allowed Marna to lead off. She made an aggressive move, one that reminded Carth of herself. Carth countered, and Marna made another move, one that was equally aggressive as one Carth would’ve made.
She knew that she shouldn’t be impressed. She’d known Marna was capable—she had to be, considering the way she’d consolidated her power—but the woman had quickly grasped several of the concepts of playing Tsatsun, enough that she already seemed to be mastering how to envision the way Carth would play.
“You have an interesting technique,” Carth said.
Marna stared at the board, considering her next move. “I see how you would’ve played.”
“And now you’re imagining how I would do it?”
Marna nodded.
Carth shifted her play, not wanting to win the game, hoping for a bit longer. She shifted, thinking that a strategy more like how Ras played might be more effective for Marna. It would allow Marna to participate a little longer, and would give her a different style of play. Carth had to intentionally separate out how she played, struggling to remove her own style, one that was a combination of all those she’d ever played with as well as all the styles she had read about, and played Marna more as Ras.
Putting herself in his mindset was still easier. She played more conservatively this way, making moves that brought her first around the edges of the board, attempting to play less aggressively. This allowed Marna to take a few of her pieces, position herself more on Carth’s side of the board, and in doing so, allowed Carth to observe her play.
From it, Carth could tell that she had a calculating mind. It was surprising the way that she struck, managing to attack more confidently then Carth would have in only her second game. Could she have found someone more than capable of countering her? Could she have found someone who could beat her?
Shadow Found (The Shadow Accords Book 6) Page 13