He smiled at me. “I’ll get them for you. Nothing is too much for you and I promise you won’t regret giving me your dagger. But I should get going before someone gets suspicious.”
“Be careful,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck for a hug. He was tall like Rylan and I hoped he wouldn’t get any taller. “Go to the shop before you head back. That way it looks like you were looking for Zane.”
He pulled away. “I will.”
I wished he could stay here but I knew it was best that he didn’t. Ryder nodded respectfully at Rylan and Raikidan, who returned the gesture, and then he left. Jumping over the back of the couch, I sat down.
“When are you both going to tell him?” Ryoko asked when the front door shut.
“When he asks,” I said.
I picked up the paper Ryder had given us and slipped it back in the canister. Genesis will want this. I watched Rylan silently walk to his room. Even though he didn’t show it, I knew how he felt about my answer. I had to believe my decision was best, even if Rylan hadn’t agreed to it.
Ryoko leaned over the bar and watched as well, but obviously for a different reason. I looked at Shva’sika the two of us started giggling.
“Shut up,” Ryoko muttered, going back to her coffee.
I tossed her the canister. “Give this to Genesis. If anyone can figure out that gibberish, she can.”
“And then meet us in my room,” Shva’sika put in, pulling me off the couch.
“Why?” Ryoko and I asked in unison.
Shva’sika laughed. “I want to talk to you two about something.”
“Um, okay.” Ryoko watched Shva’sika pull me into her room before she headed to see Genesis.
Shva’sika left me standing in the middle of her room as she went about her business of looking for something. I looked around to pass the time. Her room was decorated in a way that made it look like it had been plucked right from her house at the village. I wondered if she bought all this stuff or if she had snuck back to the village using a portal to grab it. I was about to ask her when Ryoko opened the door and joined me.
Once Shva’sika noticed Ryoko had joined us, she grabbed three towels from a shelf and pushed us toward a wooden door that never existed before Shva’sika moved in. Entering the room on the other side, she closed us in. Ryoko and I gazed around. Much like the baths at the inn at the shaman village, this one had vine-covered stone walls, floors made of natural soil with beautiful plants growing from it, and a cobblestone path leading to a stone bathing pool and a stone sink with mirrors wrapped in what looked to be roots. There was even an artificial light source that mimicked the sun during the day and moon at night. The only difference between the inn room and this one, this one was far larger.
The air was warm and steam rose from the warm bath water.
“Wow, this is cool,” Ryoko whispered.
Shva’sika gestured for us to follow as she made her way to the largest pool. Stripping down, she wrapped a towel around herself and entered the water. I did the same without hesitation, but Ryoko was a little more reluctant.
I sighed. “C’mon, Ryoko. There’s no need to be self-conscious around us.”
Hesitantly she undressed and quickly grabbed the last towel to wrap herself in. She relaxed once she sank into the water.
“So why are we here exactly?” I asked.
“Well, since you all, mainly you, Laz, have been busy almost killing yourselves with few breaks between, I thought maybe the five of us could head out of the city for a little while to get away from all the stress. It would also help keep you all under the radar.”
“Five?” Ryoko asked.
“The three of us and Raikidan and Rylan,” Shva’sika clarified.
I thought this over. “I’m not so sure. While I’d love to take a break, we really need to focus on the rebellion. We’re not at a point where we need to keep low yet, and if we take a break we won’t be able to push our position as fast. We may even lose it. Each member of our resistance is important for our success.”
Shva’sika sighed. “You need to relax. You could have killed yourself on those assignments and you need a break. You’re the one I was thinking of most when coming up with this idea.”
Ryoko nodded. “Yeah. We don’t need to lose you, Laz. Take a small break. It won’t hurt.”
I sighed. “All right, all right, we’ll go on a small vacation. How do you propose we leave? Soldiers don’t exactly let people out all willy-nilly.”
“They let shamans out,” Shva’sika reminded me.
I grinned. Clever.
“So you want us to pose as shamans who wish to leave?” Ryoko asked, mirroring my thoughts.
Shva’sika nodded. “Exactly. They can’t look at our faces or stop us, so as long as only Laz, Raikidan or I speak it should be pretty easy to leave for a while.”
“I like the idea.” I sank deeper into the water. I could use the break. “When do you plan for this to happen?”
“I was thinking tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t give us much time,” I said. “But I think it’s doable, that is, if you figure out how to design Ryoko and Rylan some clothes and, after this is all done, make Ryoko and me a baths similar to this one for our rooms.”
“Deal,” Shva’sika agreed.
“Leave the boys out of the loop?” Ryoko asked with a grin.
Shva’sika and I grinned and nodded. It would make this a little bit more fun.
“I will let Zane in on this though. He’ll need the boys until late afternoon anyway so we can prepare tonight and tomorrow without them knowing,” Ryoko explained. “Rylan will not be so enthusiastic about this surprise so it might be a battle to get him to switch clothes.”
I laughed. “If I know Shva’sika as well as I think I do, that won’t be much of a problem. She can push anyone into doing what she wants.”
“Except you,” Shva’sika commented.
Ryoko laughed. “You can if you corner her.”
The two laughed some more and eventually I joined in. I didn’t care if they were picking on me. It was all in good fun and quite true. I was stubborn and fought if there was even a glimmer of hope of winning.
I stuffed another empty jar into my bag. Since we’d be out of the city I wanted to stock up on herbs and other supplies that were hard to obtain here.
Ryoko came into my room after knocking on the doorframe. “You all set?”
I looked at her when I placed the last jar in the bag. “Yep, you?”
She nodded. “I have everything I need, which isn’t much. Danika finished my outfit a few hours ago and is now finishing up Rylan’s. If I may say, if your outfit looks anything like mine, then I’m surprised you wear them.”
I laughed. “I don’t enjoy wearing them, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.”
She grunted. “I figured as much. I’m not too thrilled with mine either.”
“What kind of bottoms did she make for you?”
Ryoko thought for a moment. “I think it was a short skirt that tied off on one side showing off my thigh.”
I snorted and headed for my closet. “Consider yourself lucky.”
“Care to elaborate?” she asked.
I pulled out the thong I was supposed to wear and showed her. “I’d rather have the skirt.” Ryoko placed her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. It didn’t work. “Yep, keep laughing.”
She shook her head and tried to stop. “I’m… sorry. It’s just… I could never see you wearing that.”
“Join the club,” I muttered. “I didn’t have much of a choice. It was this or go with nothing at all.”
Ryoko’s brow rose. “Seriously?”
I laughed. “No. Shva’sika isn’t that cruel. She just bullied me into it.”
Ryoko shook her head and giggled. “I can’t see anyone bullying you into doing anything.” I gave her a long, stern look and she laughed. “All right, all right, with the right number of people, sure, but only one person? That’s a long shot.”
I chuckled. “You’ve never seen Shva’sika’s demanding side.”
Ryoko giggled. “Fair enough, but are you seriously going to wear that thing? It looks like something you’d wear to bed or use to seduce a guy, which, as much as I wish it were different, I doubt you have any plans to do in the future.”
I laughed. “Well I have nothing else to wear with the top. I might have to wear it.”
“Why not use the armor clothes?” she suggested. “For the pants at least. That should work out for you a little better.”
I blinked and then grinned. “Ryoko, you’re a genius. Shva’sika is going to kill me when she finds out but it’ll be worth it.”
Ryoko’s ear twitched. “Sounds like the boys are coming.”
I looked at the clock. “They’re early. I wonder what’s up.”
“Not sure,” Ryoko mumbled. “But I’d better check with Danika to see if Rylan’s outfit is ready.”
I nodded. “Good idea. It’s going to be a fight to get him to agree to do this, let alone get him into the clothes.”
“I don’t think the clothes for guys are that bad. They look real nice actually.”
“Neither do I. But Rylan is worse than a fashion diva in a thrift store.”
Ryoko laughed. “Good point.”
She shut my door and left me to change, though it didn’t take me long, since upon picking it up, I found the top for my outfit bent in several places. I was worried about damaging it further, so I chose to go full armor cloth. Seda had disguised the outfit during the raid, but that didn’t mean it was safe from harm.
Fastening my cloak around my neck, I opened the door. As I did the boys were coming up the stairs.
“You guys are home early,” I said as I headed for the kitchen. “Raikidan, go change. We’re going out.”
He nodded and went into my room.
“The power went out,” Rylan muttered. “And Zane is having issues with the military.”
I bit into an apple and leaned over the counter. “How so?”
“They’re refusing to pay for the damages they caused to the house,” Blaze said as he sat down on the couch. “And they’re adamant about not paying for the damaged cars since they are so expensive to replace.”
I snorted. “That’s what they get for raiding our house for no reason.”
Blaze smirked. “Well not for no reason, but we’re not going to tell them that.”
I shook my head and finished my apple as Raikidan came out of my room and headed my way.
Rylan eyed him. “How can you wear that?”
Raikidan shrugged. “I see nothing wrong with it. It’s better than those things you call a suit.”
Argus chuckled and took a seat at the bar. “He’s got a point.”
Rylan folded his arms. “I still think it looks stupid. The pants are outdated, the shoes are weird and what’s up with a vest with a hood?”
“Shamans need to hide their faces somehow,” Ryoko said as she came out of her room with a cloak fastened around her neck and a bag in hand.
Rylan raised an eyebrow at her appearance and then looked at me. “What’s going on?”
I grinned. “We’re going on a little vacation.”
Raikidan stared at me. I wasn’t sure if he knew was vacation meant but he seemed to know something good was about it happen.
“I could use a vacation,” Blaze said.
I laughed. “Sorry, Blaze, but you and Argus aren’t going. Shamans traveling on foot only travel in small groups.”
“That bites.”
Argus relaxed on the bar. “Fine by me.”
“City boy,” I teased.
“Country bumpkin.”
“Nerd.”
“Xylophile.”
I grinned. “And?”
The two of us laughed.
“What do you mean by vacation and traveling shamans?” Rylan asked.
“She means we’re getting out of this stupid city for a little while,” Shva’sika elaborated as she made it down the hall. “And that means you have to dress like us whether you like it or not.”
Rylan stepped back. “Like hell I am.”
Shva’sika sighed. “Look, I’m in no mood for games. So either you go into your room and dress yourself or I’ll dress you myself.”
He crossed his arms. “I’m not doing it.”
Shva’sika narrowed her eyes and then grabbed Rylan by the shirt. Everyone watched in stunned silence as she dragged him down the hall. My attention was pulled away from them by the sound of angry footsteps heading up the front steps. Zane appeared in the doorway but his foul mood switched to confusion when he noticed Shva’sika shove Rylan into his room and then follow him, slamming the door behind her.
“What is going on?” he asked.
“You’ll see,” I said, biting into another apple.
As we waited we could hear a lot of muffled yelling and complaining. It got so bad Genesis ended up poking her head out of her room to figure out what was going on. Finally the shouting stopped and Rylan’s door flew open. We all watched as Rylan was shoved out of his room and Shva’sika calmly walked out after him.
You couldn’t see what he was wearing thanks to the cloak, but I could tell by how the cloak covered him there wasn’t much on his body.
Blaze snickered. “How does it feel, Rylan, to be forcibly dressed by a woman?”
“Violating…”
We all laughed at him.
“You live with a bunch of pansies, Laz,” Shva’sika said as she walked closer to us.
I grunted. “I told you so.”
“Hey!” the boys shouted in defense.
I glared at them and they looked away. With a triumphant snort I went back to eating my apple. Rylan walked into the living room, muttering to himself and I sighed. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
He growled. “I don’t see why I have to wear these stupid clothes.”
“You know what, for being such a baby about all this, Ryoko is going to be your Guard,” I stated with annoyance.
Ryoko perked up. “Really?”
“What?” Rylan exclaimed. “You can’t be serious.”
“Dead,” I replied.
Ryoko squealed with excitement. “Yay!”
Rylan groaned. “Why do you guys hate me?”
“We don’t hate you,” Shva’sika said. “You’re just acting like a child and, even though normally I’d object to this idea because the soldiers will have a hard time believing it, at least I know Ryoko will act accordingly and pull off the Guard demeanor, unlike you.” Rylan sighed but didn’t voice an argument. He knew when he had lost. Shva’sika clapped her hands together. “All right, get your bags and we’ll head out.”
I slid off my barstool and headed for my room to grab my bag. Raikidan followed. He had a question for me. I knew it.
He closed the door behind him once he was inside. “I thought we weren’t allowed to leave the city. And I figured our cause was too important to leave anyway even if we could.”
I picked my bow and quiver up off the bed and slung them over my shoulder before snatching up my bag. “Normally you’d be right, but I also never factored in the option of leaving like this and Shva’sika had too many good points in factor of a vacation so I agreed to it.”
His lit up. “So this isn’t a bad joke?”
I giggled. “No, I’m being serious about this vacation. I’ll be good for us.”
Raikidan took my bag from me and slung it over his shoulder. �
�Good, because if you were messing with me I’d have to hurt you.”
I snorted and headed for the door. “You couldn’t hurt me.”
Raikidan invaded my personal space. “Oh yeah?”
I pushed him away and opened the door. “Yeah, you’d feel bad if you did.”
Raikidan only grunted in response, proving me right. The others were already waiting for us, and we all wordlessly headed down into the basement.
“Have fun you guys!” Argus called after us.
Ryoko opened the door to the hidden passage and we set a quick pace to the safe house. Once inside the house, we left through the front door of the building and headed for the front gate. Rylan started to lag behind in his sour mood, so Ryoko resorted to grabbing him by the hand and guiding him the rest of the way.
I watched how he’d react to her move and smiled at his reaction. Ryoko’s back was turned, so she was unable to see the redness in his face. Rylan could talk to her like nothing was going on, dance with her as if she was just another friend, or pretend he was indifferent about how he felt, but a small bold move on her part, like holding hands, gave away the truth.
As we approached the gate several soldiers positioned themselves in the way.
“State your business,” one soldier ordered.
“We are shamans from the West Tribe,” Shva’sika stated. “We request free leave on business.”
The soldiers looked at each other, Shva’sika’s formal speech throwing them off a bit. Rylan fidgeted catching their attention.
“What’s your problem?” one of the soldiers demanded.
Rylan stepped back and Ryoko took a protective stance in front of him, confusing the soldiers further.
“He’s mute,” I stated. “He won’t be able to answer you.”
“Is she his Guard?” one soldier asked.
“Yes,” Ryoko stated.
“Something isn’t right,” one soldier whispered to the one who was speaking with us. “Only men are Guards.”
Raikidan snorted. “And who told you that, a shaman? Or did you all come up with that silly idea on your own?”
Pieces Page 35