by Tina Hunter
“Lynn are you ok?” Dorothy asked. Lynn used her peripheral vision to find out where Declan was. People were jostling to get across the bridge next. No doubt Declan would be one of them, trying to be the gallant savior. Lynn quickly picked herself up, straightened her hat and walked as quickly as she could away from the bridge. She didn’t care where she was going as long as it was away. Dorothy was her shadow, following her wherever she went. Malack was right. How could she look out for the girl when she couldn’t even look out for herself?
Lynn had found a sitting room with a washbasin and spent a few hours hiding in there with Dorothy under the guise of washing the mud out of her dress. A few women had come in to rest for but had left her and Dorothy alone. Her dress wasn’t perfect by any means but the dark green color was just a little darker in places by the time she felt brave enough to walk onto the deck again.
“Here,” Lynn handed Dorothy a small vial of perfume she had taken from a woman in the room. “I thought you might like it.”
Dorothy grabbed it out of her hand and stared at her open-mouthed. “How did you do that? I didn’t see anything, and I was right next to you.”
“Not all thieves need magic to steal,” Lynn whispered with a giggle.
“Teach me?” Dorothy begged.
“Teach you what, little one?” Malack asked from behind them. Lynn and Dorothy turned around and Lynn could see the look of worry on his face. So, he had seen her slip.
“I’m fine,” she said with a sigh. “Dorothy was asking me to teach her some... card tricks.”
“Card tricks?” Dorothy looked at her confused.
“Ah. Those kinds of card tricks,” Malack said, before leaning down to look Dorothy in the eye. “You know I was the one who taught her how to do them.”
“Really?” Dorothy finally caught on to what they were talking about. And Lynn had an idea.
“That’s right. He did. In fact, he is probably a way better teacher than I am. Up for showing her a few?”
Malack stood back up and gave her a blank look, well, except for the eyes which flickered between annoyance and pride. She’d caught him. He’d have to spend time with Dorothy now and then he’d grow to care for her.
“Clever,” he whispered before leaning back down to Dorothy. “Well, care to play a game with me?” He held out his elbow for her to take. Dorothy looked at Lynn first but then quickly tucked her arm into his.
“Yes, please.”
Lynn stood and watched them walk away from her. She prayed that Malack would take to the girl. Lynn didn’t like what Dorothy had been hinting at last night. The Morendi seemed kind from what she’d heard, but they still held a grudge against Iridan and the Dukana people for taking their land. It was some time ago now but still, who knew what they would do to a young girl from Iridan with no guardians to watch out for her. No, Malack was the best choice. She hoped Dorothy would see that soon too.
She found an unoccupied table near the front of the ship and sat to watch the mountains grow bigger with each passing moment. She felt someone slide into the seat next to her and refused to look. She knew it was probably Declan.
“You took quite a spill getting onto the boat earlier. That’s not like you. You must have been very distracted,” Declan said quietly.
Lynn didn’t respond. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“You’re right, it’s not my place to wonder,” he blurted. “You’re The Lightfoot. The leaper of tall buildings. If you slipped, it was because you meant to slip.”
Lynn peeked at him out the side of her eyes. He appeared so relaxed and disarming sitting there. Apparently, she was more like Malack than she thought; she couldn’t stay mad at people long, either. He was almost like family.
“So, what is your big business trip all about?” she asked him, keeping her eyes on the mountains.
“Oh, nothing too big,” he replied, “just never been this far into the mountains and wanted to see what the fuss was all about.”
Lynn rolled her eyes. Fine, if he wouldn't tell her then she didn’t have to keep talking. After a while of silence, Declan leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. She could see him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. What now?
“Any of them look familiar?” he asked quietly.
“Who?” Was he talking about Simon and the others? Did he know Darkan?
“Not who silly,” he said with a laugh, “the mountains. You lived around here, right?”
Lynn let out a sigh of relief and tried to get her bearings. The truth was, she’d never come this far before. She sat forward in her chair and looked for something familiar.
“There,” she pointed to a peak over to right, “the one with the low flat top. It looks just like one by the farmstead.”
“Did you ever climb it?” he asked.
She shook her head no. “Did I ever tell you about the time my father made me climb one though?”
It was Declan’s turn to shake his head. Lynn settled back into her chair and turned to him.
“There was a lost calf, and father always said we couldn’t let them get lost or there would be wild herds growing up to compete for food. So, he and I tracked the little thing on horseback all the way into the mountains. We didn’t run into any Morendi but we were on their land and I was scared they would come to get us.”
“You? Scared?” Declan laughed, she swatted at him to get him to hush.
“We were halfway up this mountain trail when we heard it bawling. Father found it and trussed it up so he could sling it onto the back of the horse. I was ready to race home but Father said since we were already halfway up we should keep going. If I was scared before, I was petrified then. And the higher we got the more I could hear the harpies screaming. It was an awful sound.”
“You mean you could hear the harpies? I thought they stayed in the deep mountains on the Belalto side?”
“They do but the mountains carry their screams. I would hate to be close to one of those giant lizard birds when it screamed. Anyway, when we got near the top, there was this ledge. I stayed on my horse and Father went to look out. Then he told me I had to come and see the view. And it was amazing. I could see our whole land for the first time and I could cover it with my hand. I could even see the ocean on the horizon.”
“It sounds beautiful,” Declan said in a hush. His eyes on the mountains now and not on her. Maybe she could stay friends with him after all.
“It was.” She let the moment stretch, thinking about how she planned to get the farmstead back. Her uncle, The Pater and Malack’s father, was a greedy man. Since Donassi women couldn’t own property, he was gracious enough to hold on to it for her until she married and it became the property of her husband. He was currently renting it out for a healthy annual price, of which she didn’t see a coin. But the Donassi still lived in the Kingdom of Aguara, and the laws were changing. She had a contact, a lawyer who was interested in her case... for a steep fee.
She felt Declan’s eyes on her again, and she turned to meet them. Maybe now was the time to confirm her suspicion about him.
“So, I’ve been doing a lot of work in Upper Iridan this past year. It’s a shame we never crossed paths,” she said with an easy smile.
Declan shook his head with a smile. “You tend to work while most normal people are sleeping.”
“True,” she said with a smirk. “I do hope I didn’t take anything from your family though.”
“Nice try, but I’m not falling for it.” He leaned back in his chair and turned his eyes to the mountains. He had never told Malack or her who his family really was. But over the years they had figured out he was born and raised in Upper Iridan. Hence his nickname. He eventually told them that the previous Prince of Iridan had appointed his father to a position in Upper Iridan, but that was all he would say.
“You know,” she whispered leaning toward him, “I did a job at the palace once.”
Declan looked at her, curious now.
�
�I got to see a lot of it actually since the Royal Guards gave chase.”
Declan laughed.
“But for a while, I hid in the library. Man, that place is big, and so much artwork.”
Declan’s smile wasn’t as easy now.
“There was this one painting... I must have stood in front of it for a good ten minutes. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Do you know what it was?”
“What?” Declan’s steady voice was forced.
“The Prince of Iridan and his family. Even the little prince that no one sees because he is a spy for his father. Of course, he’s not so little anymore. Is he?”
Declan dropped his smile and searched all around them to make sure no one had overheard. Lynn was grinning when he looked back at her.
“Who have you told?” he asked.
“I knew it!” she said, forcing Declan to look around again. “I knew it was you,” she continued in the whisper.
“Who have you told?” he asked again, his eyes fierce.
“No one, Declan,” she said softly. Though Declan wasn’t his real name. She was sitting next to Prince Dechen Dondor, 15th in line for the Imperial throne. He didn’t look like a Dechen though. “I wouldn’t betray you.”
Declan breathed out a sigh and visibly relaxed. “Thank you,” he whispered.
It made everything between them make more sense. A prince could only marry a princess, and she was not a princess. Hopefully, now that she knew for certain she could move on for real. Nothing could ever happen between them.
“So...” she said trying to take her mind off the past, “can we at least tell Malack? He wouldn’t believe...”
“No!” Declan said, looking back at her. “You may not believe in the Donassi religion anymore but he does. He hates Inborns and I don’t want to lose my best friend.”
How could she have forgotten that part? The royal family. Inborns. But Malack hating them was new to her. Sure, it was a Donassi tenet, but he wasn’t a full believer anymore... or was she wrong about that?
“What’s your ability?” she asked softly.
“Ha!” he let a bray that had always reminded her of a donkey. “That I will definitely not be telling you. Ever.”
“What? Why?” She gave him a pouty look, and he shook his head.
“Not going to happen,” he grinned.
“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair.
He slid off his chair and knelt on the floor in front of her, pulling her hands out to hold his.
“Now Miss Lightfoot. A good spy never gives up the advantage. You know that. Don’t be mad.”
Her heart was pounding too quickly. Why did he have to hold her hands? Why did he have to tease her? Nothing could happen between them. She wanted to leap into his arms and run away at the same time. He gave her hands a tight squeeze before standing up.
“I’m going to get something to eat. Care to join me?”
“No,” she replied keeping her voice steady. “I think I’ll stay and watch the mountains some more.”
She didn’t watch him leave. Perhaps still being friends wasn’t such a good idea after all.
The temperature fell in the afternoon, and by the time the sun was just about to hide behind the tops of the mountains Lynn had pulled out her winter cloak. The boys hadn’t wanted to chat yet again, so she cornered them on the deck where everyone was watching the sunset and the arrival at the Fort. The boat was crossing the widest part of the river. It looked like a lake to Lynn, wide enough that the opposite shore was on the edge of the view. The mountains came almost to the water, making it look like they were in a bowl.
She found the men huddled up near the front of the boat, the bow as someone had mentioned in passing within earshot. The three of them appeared surprised when she pushed her way in between Brutus and Teodor. Simon glared at her from the other side of Brutus but said nothing.
“I was hoping to have this conversation earlier, and in private, but since you have been avoiding me this entire trip and we have now reached our destination, it is time we think about the plan.” She kept her voice low enough that Simon had to strain to hear her. She needed them to know what to do, but she wasn’t stupid enough to talk about stealing anything in front of the other travelers. They were reaching the far end of the ‘lake’ section now and the river was becoming narrow again up ahead.
“When we arrive, we will go to the first available Inn, as close to the dock as possible. Then I will need all of us to go out for an evening stroll. Take in the sights, meet the people. But, most importantly, figure out how one gets over there,” she pointed discreetly at the massive stone building surrounded by a tall wall on the right side of the river, directly opposite the town of Eldridge. Both the town and the fort sat where the river narrowed to only four or five steamboats across but from what Lynn had heard, the river was deep. The Fort was a massive building built into the side of the mountain, impenetrable from two directions. The side facing the river, that anyone could approach, was heavily guarded and Lynn counted five men from this distance at various positions around the entrance. The other side was just wall bordered by forest.
“If there isn’t a second entrance, we’re all in trouble,” she said.
Teodor laughed. “I was in trouble long ‘fore I met you lot. Though I’d hate to shoot the brown.”
“Well I’m not yet convinced it would be a bad thing if we should fail,” Simon said with the hauteur she’d become accustomed to.
“Then let me convince you,” she said raising her voice just slightly so that Simon could hear her clearly. “Darkan has contracted all of us to complete this job. Failure is not an option for him, and therefore it’s not an option for us. And if you gentlemen get in my way or purposely hinder my chances of success, I will make your lives so miserable you will wish Darkan was here. Are we clear?” She was looking directly at Simon as she asked, and he visibly blanched before he nodded. Lynn didn’t want to physically assert herself, but they weren’t giving her much of a choice. Perhaps now they could get things moving.
“What about the child?” Brutus asked, the first words she’d heard out of him since Iridan.
Lynn looked behind them to where Dorothy, Malack, and Declan were standing taking in the sunset view themselves. All with happy grins on their faces.
“The child will be taken care of while we do our work. She isn’t part of the plan, I assure you.” Brutus visibly relaxed and nodded. He really was a man of few words.
They stood in silence for the rest of the docking process, and Teodor pointed out likely inns he could see from the water. The town of Eldridge seemed to be expanding, with lots of newer looking buildings and small farms—no doubt to support the growing population. It proved to her that despite what the Donassi were pushing in the more rural communities of Aguara, the magic trade was going well. It was getting dark but there was a mixture of magic lights and oil lamps turning on throughout the town. This was not Donassi territory.
Another low slope of land served as the dock for the steamboat, so it practically had to beach itself in the mud to get the ropes tied up. Wooden planks and walkways were moved into position around the base and a raised platform was being dragged over toward them. The platform had gears and wheels and moved effortlessly over the grass and dirt. They would exit off the upper floor again and never have to the touch the mud. How civilized.
When they disembarked, Malack and Dorjee found her on the shore.
“So, what’s the plan going forward?” Malack asked.
Lynn knew he was referring to Dorothy and the young girl stood off to the side looking at her toes, listening to every word. Lynn tried to think of the best way to ask Malack to watch Dorothy while she did her work, without coming across like she didn’t want Dorothy around. She liked the girl. Unfortunately, Malack didn’t look too keen on taking her, either. He was just as hesitant to put himself forward as Dorothy’s caretaker.
“Well, I have a lot of work to do...”
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“As do I,” he added.
“... But I’m sure Dorothy would love to spend time with you when you aren’t busy?” Dorothy’s head snapped up at the sound of her name and then she quickly peered back down at her shoes. Lynn tried not to grin at catching the girl listening in, but it was very difficult.
Malack rolled his eyes. He really didn’t want Dorothy around.
“That sounds lovely,” said Malack in a happy voice, though his eyes told her he was not pleased with the arrangement. Dorothy was a sweet girl, what could he possibly not like about her?
“Well, now that that is settled,” said Malack, “where are you staying while you’re in town? Declan is going to secure our rooms at the Burnt Scroll.”
Well, she knew where she didn’t want to be staying.
“I’m not sure yet,” she replied, “but Teodor had some ideas about our accommodations.” Malack shook his head.
“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing here?” he asked her in a hushed voice. Dorothy was listening intently now. Lynn didn’t know how to answer so she brought her wrist up to her face, the one with the bracelet, a subtle reminder of why she was doing this.
“I’m sure I’m doing what I need to do,” she replied. Malack nodded.
Teodor returned from whichever inn he had found for them and waved her over. Please don’t let it be the Burnt Scroll.
“Well Dorothy, you’ll still be sharing a room with me. It’s not safe for a young unmarried girl to spend so much time alone with grown-up men.” Both Malack and Dorothy smiled at her but the exchange lacked the humor of earlier. Dorothy bowed to say goodbye to Malack, and he smiled in return. Lynn led the way over to Teodor.