by Jen Wylie
Bo stiffened beside her, but remained silent.
"You're hurt," Hale said quietly. His thumb brushed over her swelling lower lip.
She pushed his hands away with a frown. "I'm fine."
The Were glanced at Bo, taking in the forming black eye, and then back at her. "You were fighting?"
"Got mixed up in a little brawl at a tavern," she replied evenly. "It's nothing."
Hale reached for her again but she flinched back. "Oh, stop," he muttered, gently brushing hair from the side of her face. "You're bleeding."
She felt her hair stick to her skin. "I'm fine," she insisted.
Garen growled low again, and Hale glanced down at him. "Easy, boy." He did, however, take a step back. Smiling weakly, he shrugged a shoulder. "Was just worried about you. I smelled the blood…" His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat, glancing over at Bo.
She rolled her eyes. "He knows, and thank you, for your concern."
Hale nodded once and they stood there awkwardly for a moment.
Bo finally frowned and tipped his head at her. "Shall we?"
She nodded and looked to Hale. "Good to see you again."
"Ah, yes," he fumbled, frowning again. He stopped her when she turned to go. "Come by sometime. There are some weapons I'd like to show you."
She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "I will."
Once Hale left, Bo rolled his eyes. "Not a good idea."
"Weapons are always a good idea."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
She smiled innocently up at him, making him sigh wearily, which only made her laugh.
"Seriously." He gave her a stern look. "I don't want to have to tell you later I told you so."
Not wanting to argue with him, she changed the subject. "It's interesting though, don't you think?"
Bo glanced back at her as he pulled open the tavern door. "What is?"
That he didn't know Garen was Were.
Bo raised his eyebrows but remained silent as they found their booth.
Well noticed, Garen said finally. It would seem the glamor Prince gave me does more than just hide my true appearance.
Before they could sit down, Elaina swooped in, all smiles and eyes on Bo. The smile quickly disappeared, lines of worry appearing between her eyes as she took his face in her hands, turning it from side to side. "What happened to you?" Her voice rose, "Were you fighting?"
Wincing, Bo stepped back, taking her hands in his. When she saw the marks on them, her frown deepened, and he spoke quickly. "Nothing important. Just a little scuffle. We're both fine."
She froze, her eyes growing wide. Tearing her hands free of his, she spun to face Aro.
Aro glared at Bo as the young woman fussed over her, quickly finding her own cut, bruised hands and the gash in her hair. "I'm fine, truly."
"You're bleeding!" Elaina turned fierce eyes on Bo and pointed a finger at him. "We will talk later." She turned back, her face softening. "Sit, sit. I'll get a cloth and some water and we'll get you cleaned up."
Before Aro could protest, the barmaid was gone. She raised her eyebrows at Bo, trying to hold in a smile. Leaning forward, she kept her voice to a whisper. "What exactly does she think we do? You tell her we're farmers or something?"
"No," he said in exasperation. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told her we were guards."
Aro leaned back and crossed her arms. "Not sure she believed you." Her grin turned wicked. "Hey…I told you so."
Elaina did not seem impressed to find her laughing so hard when she returned.
∞ ∞ ∞
The days passed and the weather held as they continued to search for word in the numerous dock taverns. Though more had actually heard of Kingsport and its fall, no one knew of the Mason brothers. Their daily travels weren't totally unfruitful. They managed to narrow down the best taverns to search. The problem was ships and their men were constantly coming and going.
When they awoke one day to find another storm had rolled in, Bo took that as a sign to spend more time with Elaina.
Aro didn't mind, their wandering days had taken up a lot of her practice time. When Bo finished his chores and headed out, she continued to practice. Her blades flew as she thought of Kei. His pain remained a lingering reminder of his absence.
She’d still heard nothing from Damon on when Kei would be returned, or anything from Prince, either.
Whipping a dagger, she growled in frustration. It was hard not to think about him. Walking to her target, she jerked out the blades and put them away. The need to do something suddenly overwhelmed her.
She'd told Hale she'd visit and liked the idea the more she thought about it. Though genuinely interested in seeing what other weapons he wanted to show her, she had ulterior motives. Perhaps they could talk various Vor species and what might be most helpful to her. The large Vor she'd encountered before hadn't been as large as a dragon, but any weapon used effectively against it might work well.
Closing her eyes, she pressed a hand to heart.
I miss you, Kei.
Set on her task, she dressed for the weather and headed for the blacksmith's shop. With the driving wind, she knew they wouldn't be working outside today.
Hale greeted her with a surprised, but warm smile.
"I didn't think you'd come."
Stepping in the door, she threw back her hood. "When you tempt me with weapons? Of course I would."
His head tilted to the side as he smiled and regarded her thoughtfully as she removed her hat and gloves. "You look better."
"I told you I was fine." In the days since he'd stopped her in the street, her hands had healed and her swollen lip returned to normal. A little boost of Fey power sped things up. Of course, being in a human city, she now dealt with the annoyance of keeping her healing powers hidden.
"Well, let me show you what we have, then."
He led to the back room and then surprisingly through the next door. It didn't go to their quarters as she'd thought, but a long workroom. She looked around, intrigued at the weapons and drawing and crafting implements spread over walls and tables.
"Would you like something to drink?"
She nodded, wandering to a wall to look at a collection of swords hanging there.
He moved across the room to a side table. "You know, my brother thinks I should stay away from you."
She laughed and turned to face him. "My brother said the same about you."
Sharing a conspiring grin, she found herself relaxing.
"Hmm, whiskey or whiskey?"
"That's fine."
He brought over two small glasses. Apparently, Bo wasn't that strange after all for having some. As they slowly sipped, he walked her around the room, pointing out the various weapons and their attributes.
"Why are you here?"
He paused, head tipping to the side. "In Westport?"
"Yes. Shouldn't you be running in the woods?"
He turned away and shrugged. "The Were need metal goods. We supply them."
As she'd thought. "You like doing this, then? Why don't they have a smithy in one of the settlements?"
"Supplies, mainly. Though we like to keep an eye on the humans. Make sure they aren't planning to move their borders, that sort of thing."
She nodded. Humans always wanted more space, more land, more wood. More everything.
"I don't mind it here. You can get used to anything, I guess." He smiled weakly. "Being low in our social order, I'll likely be here a while."
Prince once told her of how packs worked, with the most powerful being the alpha and how Were each had a place in the pack. She knew when Garen lost the ability to shift, his place dropped considerably. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
"Nothing to be sorry for. It is how it is." Hale leaned back against a table. "So…anything you like?"
She didn't argue when he changed the subject. "What do you have that I could use against the Vor?"
He coughed
into his drink. "You are going back?"
"I am. Come spring." She smiled wryly. "I've Fey to heal. I've fought the Vor before, so don't doubt I will again."
"But…the king," he said quietly.
She made a face. "I'll deal with that when the time comes. So… Vor?"
He looked away and she wondered what he was thinking. Perhaps he talked to someone else. So far, he hadn't tried to mind speak with her. For all she knew, he hadn't found out she could. She didn't completely trust him, not yet, so didn't share the information, or that her dog was one of his kind.
"What have you faced so far?"
The rest of the morning they spent in discussion, about types of Vor, how to kill them, and what possible weapons she could use. As noon passed, they sat at a table, heads together while they spoke rapidly as Hale made notes. The whiskey bottle in front of them became lighter.
She found herself swaying in her seat and laughed. "Time for me to head home."
He looked up and out a window. "The day has certainly gone by quickly."
"So it has." She grinned. "Good conversation."
"And good company."
"That, too." She stood, catching her balance on the table. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last drink. Or two.
He walked her to the door. She grimaced at the howling wind as she donned her hat and gloves.
"Can you come by tomorrow? I'll talk to my brother about some of these ideas. I can let you know what he says."
"I can. Not sure when, though."
"Anytime is fine."
When he opened the door for her, she smiled over at him. "Thank you, for your time and…everything."
"Don't thank me yet. You might not like what we make for you."
She rolled her eyes and stepped out. "I’m sure I will. See you tomorrow."
The walk home froze her face, even though it wasn't too far. An empty house proved Bo and Garen hadn't yet come back from the tavern. Cold and tipsy, she stoked the fires, curled up on the couch, and fell asleep.
Chapter 14
No Choice at All
Aro sat on the couch, staring at the fire. Bo had not been impressed the night before when she'd missed meeting them for dinner or the reason why. He still didn't trust the blacksmiths. Her argument that she had no reason not to trust them, and the Were had been good to them so far, didn't go over well. She didn't ask, but from Bo's rising anger and irritation, she assumed Garen took her side. He'd stomped off to bed, telling her to do whatever she wanted.
It had been a long night. Despite her whirling thoughts, she'd eventually fallen asleep on the couch, back into nightmares. When she woke in the morning, he and Garen had already left.
Putting her face in her hands, she took a long breath. Fighting with her boys tore her up inside, but sometimes they just didn't want to listen. Was she being unreasonable?
With everything going on inside her head, perhaps she wasn't thinking clearly. Anger, fear, and worry over Kei, Prince, and the future nearly overwhelmed her. She hated the helpless feeling clawing at her insides. She hated the hopelessness that pulled at her heart and stole her breath away. The uncertainty, not knowing what she should be doing, drove her crazy.
She didn't have any answers. The only thing she'd decided on was to prepare herself as best she could for whatever the future held.
Finally, she rose and made herself presentable. Checking both of the fires, she then bundled up and walked out into the dying storm.
Hale greeted her in the shop once again, though she surprisingly found his brother also waiting in the larger back room. While Hale chattered on about designs, she felt Laek's eyes on her and shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't spoken, and she wondered why he was there.
When Hale eventually wound down, she glanced over at the other Were.
He shifted, noticing her questioning look, and stepped closer. "You're most interested in weapons for the larger Vor. Why is that?"
Her brows drew together at the strange question. "I can fight with daggers, a sword, and bow. Those kill the smaller Vor just fine."
"The Were will handle the Vor."
She snorted. "I'm sure they will. But we've stumbled on them before, and by the time the Were arrived we'd already had to engage."
"What you should be worrying about are the Vor-ai."
The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember who told her about them. "The smart ones." She paused, trying to remember. "They turn into fog?"
Laek nodded. "Fog, mist. You can't touch them, but they can certainly kill you. Suck the life right out of you. You can only kill them when they are in solid form, which isn't often."
"A weapon won't be any use with them, then," she pointed out.
"No, but the Fey can bind them."
"I don't see the problem," she said, wondering why he'd brought it up. She'd have Kei, and once back in the forest, likely a number of other Fey around as well.
"It's been five centuries. How old are the ones you've found? Even if you heal those from before the fall, will they remember how to bind them?"
She had absolutely no idea. "I'll…see what I can find out about that." Not much of a response, but it was the best she could come up.
His frown showed what he thought of her answer. He looked her up and down for a moment and then moved to stand between her and Hale. Shifting the papers around, he selected a few pages and then pointed at a weapon on each. "These would be best for your size and skill." He glanced over at her. "Since you're still alive, I'm assuming you're moderately capable."
She gritted her teeth. "I am."
"Where is the Fey?"
His sudden question surprised her. "He left."
"To go where?"
"I don't know where he is," she snapped.
"So how–"
"He'll be back in the spring."
"Brother, enough." Hale gave her an apologetic smile. "You know a Fey wouldn't do well in a city."
"True," Laek admitted grudgingly.
"Are you done with the questions?"
The oldest Were stared at her for a long moment. "For now." With that, he turned and left.
"Please forgive my brother. He isn't very trusting of humans."
"I'm feeling rather foolish for trusting you," she stated bluntly, rising to her feet angrily.
Hale rose hastily and reached out a hand. "Aro, please. I want to help you."
The sincerity in his voice, as well as written all over his face, made her pause. Could she trust him? She wanted to. If she walked away now, what would that accomplish? She looked down at the drawings. "Can you teach me how to use these?"
The surprise on his face made her smile, but also wonder if she was asking too much. "I can pay. Or if you can direct me to–"
"No," he interrupted. "I can show you." A grin lit his face. "I thought you didn't trust me."
She shrugged and smiled in amusement. "I need to learn these things. Trust can be overrated."
"Very true," he said solemnly, though his eyes danced with laughter. "Come by in a few days. They won't be ready yet, but there are some things we can work on."
"Good enough."
He walked her out, and with a wave, she stepped out into the snowy streets. She stopped once, the feeling of being watched again crawling down her back. Looking around, she saw only a few people out, and none paid any attention to her, so continued on her way.
Pausing by the tavern, she braced her shoulders and headed inside. Even if she didn't agree with Bo, he was family.
∞ ∞ ∞
"You be careful," Bo lectured as they walked down the street.
"I'm always careful," she grumbled. Things were better between them now. The day before, they'd even headed down to the docks again. They still hadn't found out anything about her brothers but had made progress with the regulars and bartenders. Stopping by their chosen taverns often now resulted in more people talking to them. Of course, the topics ranged from the unseasonable amount of storms to the celebration the
prince planned for the upcoming winter solstice in a few weeks.
She found talk of the pirate Roan rather fascinating. He'd taken over the lower city and was mentioned in almost every conversation. He provided work and order. His ships came, left, or didn't, due to the weather. Yet, there was an undercurrent of awe and fear in those who spoke of him. Not all the gossip spoke of pleasant things. Some spoke of him fighting with the other so-called rulers of the darker parts of the city, others of fierce and bloody retribution to those who did not obey him. Not much was spoken about him personally, other than he was a superb fighter and had a commanding presence. The dock district of the city belonged to him, and though many had seen him, or so they said, she hadn't yet. Though curious, the more she heard, the less she actually wanted to meet the man.
"Are you listening?"
Bo sighed at her blank look, and Elaina chuckled.
They hadn't gone to the docks that morning. She'd planned on meeting up with Hale, and Elaina had talked Bo into going to the market with her. They'd all left together, and when it turned out Hale had gone out to run some errands, she'd decided to continue with them to the market and try again on their way back.
Garen looked up from where he padded along beside her. Sometimes I wonder if you annoy him on purpose.
She held in a grin. Sometimes I do. Was just thinking this time, though.
Are you looking for anything today?
A good question. There wasn't really anything she needed. She joined the others in conversation as they made their way, and once they reached the busy market, she browsed around. People crowded the square, enjoying the milder weather and sunshine.
She caught sight of a shop at the edge of the market and smiled. "I'm going to the book shop. Want to come?"
When Bo gave her a wry look, she shrugged.
I don't believe they'll allow me in, Garen said when she looked down at him. Besides, we're heading to the meat stalls next.
"I won't be long."
Bo looked over at her and nodded. "We won't be far."
The bookshop, in fact, contained very few books, which didn't really surprise her. Likely most were in the upper city. Browsing the few titles, a wistful longing for home came over her. Books hadn't been scarce there. There'd been a time she'd even hated how much she had to read for her lessons.