The False Martyr

by H. Nathan Wilcox

  The door opened. Teth’s smell preceded her into the room. Dasen made a point of finishing the sentence that he had given up on then set his pen down on the table. Teth looked exactly like she should. Her clothes were marked with sweat rings and mud. Her hair was matted to her head, making it look dark. Salt crusted her face. How could he have ever considered that attractive? – and still he did. His heart leapt at seeing her. Even as he cursed himself for it, he wanted nothing more than to hold her.

  Neither of them said anything for a long time. Teth closed the door behind her and watched him. He had removed the wig by now and washed off the makeup. He was wearing night clothes rather than the extravagant dress. He wanted to say something to her but could not think what it would be. The distance between them suddenly felt like the whole of the Clouded Range.

  “I’m sorry I disappeared,” Teth finally said. “I just needed to get out of here.” She chewed her lip and fidgeted with her fingers.

  “I knew you’d be back. I was . . . at first . . . .“ Dasen reconsidered. “I was hurt, Teth. I was just trying to help you. I didn’t want you to get hurt.” His voice rose, and he forced himself to be calm. “I get it that you don’t want me around. I don’t know what I did to upset you, but I get it. I’ll leave you alone. Is that what you want?”

  To Dasen’s surprise, Teth looked stunned. She took a step back, and for a second, he thought she might cry – he might storm out if she did. “Yes,” she finally managed, and though it was the word he expected, it stung like nothing he had ever felt.

  “Fine,” he said back, trying to maintain his distance. “I’ll stay as far away as I can. You can . . . you can . . . .” he found himself suddenly choking on the words. “You can do what you please. I’d give you the room if there was another to share, but you’re hardly ever here anyway. Do you want to take turns sleeping on the floor?” As a gentleman, he had thought about giving up the bed entirely but decided that she didn’t deserve it.

  “No. There’s plenty of room. I’m . . . I’m sorry, Dasen. I don’t want to hurt you, but this is probably for the best. I’m going to go clean up, alright.”

  “Fine,” Dasen turned back to the page. “I’m sorry, Teth. I really did think the Order had brought us together for a reason.”

  Teth’s only answer was a sharp inhale. Dasen turned away, looking through the notes before him. He could not see them for the blur that obscured his eyes. In a few minutes, Teth was out the door, and Dasen was cursing his foolish tears as he tried to keep them from ruining the paper before him.

  #

  “I guess I told you to come early,” Mrs. Tappers yawned into her hand as she stood in the doorway to her sitting room. The sun was barely lighting the sky, but Teth had been awake for what felt like hours. She had supposed that the innkeeper and his wife were always awake and available, as if they were not real people, but rather fixtures like the chairs – there to support their guests at any and all hours.

  “I’m . . . I’m sorry,” Teth started embarrassed. Mrs. Tappers had clearly just climbed from her bed. She wore a long white sleeping gown with a satin robe pulled hastily over it. Her hair, still piled in its mountain, was concealed by a cap. Her thick feet were bare, blue veins showing through spotted skin, nails yellow and cracked. Her face, without the cosmetics that were her hallmark, was rough and haggard, eyes dark with bags, skin sallow, lips thick and grey. And without the great dresses to give her shape, her body looked lumpy, thick, and misshapen. In all, Teth could barely tell it was the same woman that had hosted her here that first day.

  “Nonsense,” Mrs. Tappers said then yawned mightily into her hand. “Why don’t you go down to the kitchen and get us some of the pastries as they’re coming out of the oven. Have the boys fry you some eggs and fish to go with them. You still have a long way to go to build yourself back up. While you’re doing that, I’ll get myself together. Then we can talk while you eat. Agreed?”

  Teth nodded, but Mrs. Tappers barely waited for it before she was closing the door in her face. As ordered, she wandered down to the kitchen and tried to stay out of the way as a boy prepared her plate. “You can wait in the other room, if you’d like,” the boy offered. “I’ll bring it out to ya, my lord.”

  “I’m no one’s lord,” Teth laughed before she remembered who she was, then added, “yet.” The boy looked at her sideways but seemed to think no more of it. “I like it here,” she continued. “It may sound strange but it feels nice to be warm.”

  “If ya want ta feel warm, come back this afternoon,” the boy said absently as he cracked eggs into a pan. “I’ll barely need the stove ta cook yir eggs then.” He seemed only then to catch himself. “My lord,” he added quickly.

  “I hear they’ve no food at all,” another boy said to the lad at his side. They stood shoulder to shoulder working a great mound of dough.

  “And the Wasting Death too,” his fellow replied. “My cousin knows one o’ the soldiers whose been out there. Says they ‘ave two carts o’ bodies every day. Heard they just dump ‘em in the river fir the fish.”

  The first boy shook his head. “Bad times, these, and the gov’nor . . . .” the boy cut off as a hand found the side of his head, knocking it into that of his fellow. They both stopped their kneading to rub their aching skulls, which earned them flour stained faces and another slap.

  “The bread,” the chief baker growled. “You idiots will be headed out there with them if you can’t keep your lips from flapping.” He turned to Teth with a big, but entirely disingenuous, smile. “Master Esther, please forgive these fools. They have no idea what they’re saying. Idle chatter and rumor is all. We all know the governor’s doing all he can to keep order in the city in these hard times.” He took a deep breath and looked away. “Now, I’ve just pulled some cherry rolls from the oven. In these times, I don’t know how he does it, but Master Tappers found us the most lovely bushel of tart cherries. The rolls are a specialty around here. Just let me add the glaze and you can be the first to try them.”

  Teth returned to the Tappers’ chambers a few minutes later. She held a tray with eggs, fish, and three of the rolls. They looked like normal dinner rolls, but shiny with glaze, and the baker promised a surprise inside. She had received a number of curious looks from the residents who were just now starting to rise and seek their morning meals, but no one offered anything more than the most cursory greetings.

  Mrs. Tappers appeared at the door almost as soon as Teth knocked, and she nearly dropped the tray in surprise at the quick response. “I’m sorry, my dear,” Mrs. Tappers said as she relieved Teth of the tray. “I was standing right here. I’d had a premonition that you were on your way, but I did not mean to startle you.” She looked now as she always did – hair up in its imposing tower, face white with powder except where the rouge and paints stained it red. A corset had shaped her lumps into curves that a dress made the model of feminine form. In fifteen short minutes, Mrs. Tappers had transformed herself from a tired, aged, nondescript, old woman into the matron of a great house, mother, keeper of fifty families. Teth was amazed, but having seen what she had done to Dasen, she knew that Mrs. Tappers was a woman adept at transformation.

  “I am sorry. Please come in and join me.” Mrs. Tappers set the tray on a small table on the other side of the room from the armchairs that had housed them during Teth’s first visit. Teth ventured in cautiously and closed the door behind her. Mrs. Tappers led her to one of the table’s four chairs before which sat her breakfast. Teth took the seat and lifted the fork beside her plate. She was suddenly famished despite having eaten near her weight the night before – with food a supposed scarcity in the city, she was not sure how much longer the Tappers would be able to keep her. “Please, eat,” Mrs. Tappers insisted.

  At that same moment, another door opened, and Mr. Tappers emerged from what must be a bedroom. He was dressed and dapper, but still looking haggard. He rubbed his face and sat in the chair opposite his wife, so that they flanked Teth at the small
table. He reached his hand out to his wife, and she took it. They exchanged a knowing glance as Teth’s eyes bounced between them.

  “I think you and your husband have gotten yourselves in something a bit deeper than you realize,” Mrs. Tappers ventured. “I’ve been talking with Mark, and we’ve agree that we want to help you.”

  Teth stopped chewing the bite of egg in her mouth. Her eyes moved cautiously back and forth, trying to find the trap that must be contained in the offer.

  “I know I told you this before, and it may sound strange, but we know exactly what you are going through. We were once just like you, on the run from who we were, the whole world seemingly against us, secrets and lies everywhere we turned. We never would have made it, but someone helped us, someone showed us how to make our lives into something that we could live with. Now, it’s our turn to return the favor.”

  “What about Kian?” Teth asked then wanted the words immediately back.

  “We’ll deal with him when the time comes. He’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is.”

  The discussion after that was short and largely one-sided. The Tappers agreed that Kian was dangerous, that ambition was the only thing driving him, that he would turn on them as soon as the opportunity arose, and that Dasen and Teth should look to get away from him before that happened. They agreed to help them escape but thought the best time for that would be when Kian made his move to take the city. In the confusion that was sure to follow, the Tappers reasoned they’d be able to get them on a boat heading down the river. And if it all worked, Kian would never even know the innkeepers’ part.

  Through it all, Teth held her tongue, dying to tell them everything she knew but unwilling to risk it all, unwilling to trust even as all her prayers were answered.

  “Obviously, there are a lot of details to work out,” Mr. Tappers said when his wife had finished describing the plan. He looked around the room, seemingly still reluctant.

  Margot squeezed his hand until his eyes found hers. “We have to do this,” she said, conviction clear. “It is not just the debt owed. It is the world. If Dasen is what you have said, then we cannot allow Kian to use him or the invaders to claim him. It is our duty to the Order.”

  Mr. Tappers nodded at that, looking solemn. “We will talk again,” he said to Teth. “Until then, do not mention any of this to Dasen. He needs to be focused on his part. If he’s looking over his shoulder, this will never work.” He took a deep breath. “You should also know that Kian can hear everything you say in that room. There is a hole behind the picture on the north wall. If he knows you’re both in the room, then someone is listening. You can trust us and, probably, Garth, but the others are Kian’s men, bought and paid for. They will follow him to the Maelstrom.”

  “What about Lareno?” Teth asked, still thinking back to everything she had said to Dasen since they’d arrived, wondering what Kian or one of his cronies had heard. Luckily, she had said very, very little.

  “We don’t know him well,” Margot answered. “Kian said it was the valati that saved them, that he was waiting for them in the river, that he fished them out and brought them here.” She stopped. “I don’t know. He stays at the temple but has not displaced Valati Nommeck as would be his right. He is friendly enough, self-effacing, not at all like you’d expect from a man in his position.”

  “I mean,” Teth tried to think what she wanted to say. “I mean, what role does he have in all this?” She held her breath hoping for some indication that the Tappers had already lumped the valati in with Kian, that it was safe to confide in them fully.

  She did not receive it. “You can be sure that he’s involved in Kian’s schemes,” Mrs. Tappers answered slowly. “He may even be planning a lot of it, but I think his motivations are far different from Kian’s. He strikes us as a true man of the Order, a man who just wants what’s best for the people in his care. But in honesty, we don’t know him well.”

  Teth nodded. Mrs. Tappers indecision was not enough to risk giving anything more away. “But Garth is not one of them?”

  “He’s a Morg,” Mr. Tappers explained. “Unless he’s under contract, he’s his own man. Kian thinks he’s loyal, but Morgs have their own code, and Kian’s about as far from it as a man can get.”

  Teth nodded. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The Tappers help was exactly what she needed to get Dasen away from Kian and Lareno while still finding the peace they’d promised. If she could just play along for a few more weeks, could just hold out that long, she could have everything she wanted, and there’d be no way for the Weaver to stop her.

  “We need to get to the inn,” Mrs. Tappers announced, looking at the pendulum clock standing on the opposite wall. “We’ll be missed.” She pulled herself up then walked to Teth and took her face in her thick hands. “We will be watching over you. You are safe for now. Kian needs Dasen, and Garth will protect you as long as you are near him. You cannot be seen with us too much, but we can talk, and we will keep you updated on our plans. Until then, you must act as if you suspect nothing. Can you do that?”

  “Yes. Kian already distrusts me, but I won’t give him any other reasons to doubt. And I’ll do everything I can to stay away from him.” Teth stood and allowed Mrs. Tappers to lead her toward the door.

  “Smart girl,” Mr. Tappers said as he joined them. “Margot, dear, I need to finish getting myself ready. Can you handle the service for a few minutes?”

  “A few minutes?” she guffawed. “I handle it all day, every day. Unless you think your incessant yapping is what fills our customers’ bellies.”

  Mr. Tappers chuckled at that then disappeared into the other room. Teth was at the door to the inn by this point, and Mrs. Tappers was reaching for the handle. “It was so nice of you to stop by and apologize,” she announced as she opened the door. “I know that you did not mean to worry us. I understand how it is with boys and time. And you need not apologize to us for anything, but I appreciate your fine manners in doing so. Now, please get some breakfast before it’s gone.”

  And as quickly as that, Teth was in the hall with the door closing behind her. It had all happened so fast that she was not sure it had been real.

  “There you are,” Garth announced from the other side of the hall. “I’ve been looking everywhere. Your sister said you had stepped out, and I was worried you’d run off again.” The big Morg closed on Teth and clapped a hand on her shoulder, nearly sending her to the floor.

  “I . . . I . . . ah just stopped to apologize to the Tappers for worrying them yesterday.”

  “I see, well let’s get you some breakfast then to you training. I think we will find a new location. Too many distractions here, and as you said, we need space and air.”

  Teth was stunned. These were as many words as the taciturn Morg had spoken to her in the previous four days combined. She followed him to the kitchen and could not help the smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. Surely, the Order had other tricks in store, but this was a good day. Things were going her way for the first time in months – years – and she could not help but feel good.

  Chapter 44

  The 38th Day of Summer

  “Lady Esther, we were just talking about you. Won’t you join us?” Dasen looked at Kian and rolled his eyes. It was late in the night. He had just been heading to bed when Mr. Tappers knocked. He stepped into the storeroom of the inn wearing a women’s dressing gown and just enough powder to keep his stubble hidden from a chance encounter. Teth hobbled groggily behind. She had been asleep for an hour, was obviously still feeling the effects of the workout that Garth had put her through that day, had barely managed to pull on pants and a shirt before stumbling out the door of their room. She plopped onto a bag of grain, leaned against a stack of barrels, and yawned long and hard.

  “What’s this about?” Dasen asked as the innkeeper secured the door behind them. Garth took up a place near Teth, looming over her like the bodyguard he was supposed to be, eyes barely leaving
her. Dasen walked past him to the small table where the rebel band held their meetings. Kian was already seated with Valati Lareno on one side and the twins Torin and Jax on the other. Another of Kian’s men, a wiry fellow with a short beard and long hair, whose name Dasen couldn’t recall was next to Lareno.

  Coming around a stack of barrels that reached nearly to the ceiling, Dasen saw the room’s back door and nearly fell over himself in his shock. Leaning against the door, picking their nails with indifference, were a trio of uniformed soldiers. A stack of flour sacks as tall as himself kept Dasen from falling. He searched for the hands that should be reaching to take him, the swords that would ensure he didn’t struggle, the ropes that would secure his hands and feet. He reached reflexively toward the power he’d used outside Thoren. It was there but in barely perceptible. If Thoren had been a forest fire, this was barely a brand. He had no idea if it would be enough. “What . . . what’s?” his words stumbled with his body.

  Kian laughed. The soldiers looked up in surprise then snickered. Dasen lost his concentration and what little power he had found. Behind him, Teth groaned as she found her feet. Garth grunted. A knife scraped on leather as it came from his belt.

  “I’m sorry,” Kian snickered. “Have you already forgotten Sam, Geoff, and Rog?” The soldiers nodded and returned to their nails. “We’ve all joined up to save the Kingdoms,” Kian continued. Dasen realized for the first time that he was also dressed in the uniform of the soldiers that patrolled the streets of the city, enforcing the governor’s cruel edicts. “Right patriotic of us. It also gives us some insight into what the governor’s planning and allows us to move around the city a bit freer. The pay is nothing, but we get all the food we can eat, which is something these days. At least for most people.” He allowed his eyes to rove the piles of food that still filled the storeroom.