by M. Gregg Roe
The woman stopped sweeping and looked up with a welcoming smile. “You must be Audrey. I’m Elina. I’m one of the cleaning and gardening and general maintenance crew. Almera told us you were staying here now.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” replied Audrey as she stepped out into the hallway. “How often do you work here?”
“Our usual schedule is every ten days, but we sometimes make a special visit if there’s an event scheduled or something that needs to be fixed. We’ll be cleaning your room sometime this morning, and I need to get your dirty clothes and linens as soon as possible.”
Audrey realized that all of her old clothes were dirty, and many of the new ones too. And she hadn’t been putting any of them in the provided basket. “Okay,” she replied. “I need a few minutes to clean up and get dressed. Then it’s all yours.”
“Thank you, Audrey.” Elina promptly resumed her sweeping.
Audrey went back inside her room. She hung up her robe in the wardrobe and tossed her nightgown into the wicker basket. After quickly washing up, she looked through her clothing and put everything that needed to be laundered into the basket. That left only the new white shirt and blue skirt, so that was obviously what she would be wearing. (The gold dress didn’t need to be laundered, but there was no way that she was wearing that.) The real problem was that she only had two sets of underclothes, and they both desperately needed to be laundered. The store where her new clothes had come from also sold underclothes, and she really wished that she had picked out some when she had the chance. Audrey did have some money, so she thought that maybe she might go out and buy some today. She was not going to ask Almera to buy her any more clothes.
Audrey donned her shirt, skirt, and old shoes. The new shoes still weren’t broken in, and she would be doing a lot of walking. It felt strange to not be wearing any underclothes, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before, especially when it was hot outside. She spent several minutes working on her hair and then finished up by putting on her leather belt with its attached belt pouch.
Her father had given her some coins before he and her mother had departed, and now she was glad. She was going to use some of it to buy underclothes as soon as she got the chance, hopefully, today. She was hoping that Almera would give her some free time if she told her that she wanted to go explore the city. It looked like it was going to be a nice day for it.
Audrey went out into the hallway, leaving the door to her room open. Elina had worked her way farther down the hall, and Audrey walked up to her and said, “Excuse me.”
Elina stopped sweeping and turned to face her. “Ah. All dressed now. You look nice.”
“Uh … thank you. I need to buy some clothes today. Almera took me a shop a few days ago. I want to go back there, but I’m not sure where it is. I’ve only been here in the city a few days.”
“Yes, Almera mentioned that. What’s the name of the shop?”
Audrey pursed her lips. “I’m not really sure. The sign said ‘WCC’, but I don’t know what word that is. I don’t really know how to read hardly at all,” she confessed.
Elina had an amused expression as she explained, “That isn’t a word; it’s an abbreviation. The name is Witch’s City Clothing.”
“Oh. Okay. Can you give me directions to it?”
“Sure. Do you know where the Temple of Dukane is?”
“No.”
“Hmmm. Well, it’s west of here and a little south. And the shop is south of the temple. I could draw you a map, but I’m kind of busy now. I would suggest just asking someone the way to the temple and then to the shop. The city guards will be happy to help you, and most people here are pretty friendly.”
“Okay. I can do that. Thank you, Elina.”
Audrey went down to the kitchen and found Almera just finishing her breakfast. There was no sign of Draymund or Saxloc other than some dirty dishes and cups.
“You will have to fend for yourself today,” said Almera. “I’m going out to find you a tutor, Draymund is off meeting with Celebern, and Saxloc left without saying where he was going.”
“Okay. I really appreciate you getting a tutor for me.”
“It’s not just for you. Once you can read and write, there will be even more things you can help me with.”
Audrey laughed. “Then I’m looking forward to learning. I don’t mind helping you out. It’s the least I can do.”
After eating a simple breakfast, Audrey went around and met the rest of the cleaning crew. There were a total of seven people working: three were cleaning the house and doing laundry, three were tending to the grounds, and one seemed to be inspecting everything looking for possible issues. They were all human, ranging in age from about thirty to fifty. One of them turned out to be Elina’s husband Tamas, and two of the others were also married to each other. They were all friendly to her, and they seemed to work well together. She discovered that they cleaned other large houses and buildings on a rotating schedule.
It was mid-morning when Audrey set off on her first solo trip into the Witch’s City. She exited the mansion’s grounds and headed left. At the next street, she turned left because she knew she needed to head south. She passed a number of large homes and soon came to a circular lake that was surrounded by grass and trees. Quite a few people were there just walking about and chatting with one another. She thought it was lovely. It would certainly be a good place to have a picnic or just relax.
There was a small street that went west from the lake. She went that way, and it wasn’t long before she came to a wide curving street that she recognized. Directly across was a wide street that continued west, so she followed it. A few minutes later she came to a large stone structure that resembled the temple that Almera had taken her to. The overlapping triangles carved into the stone above the entrance confirmed to her that it was, in fact, a temple of Dukane.
Audrey spotted a pair of Witch’s City Guards, and she walked up to them. One fit well with Audrey’s mental image of a guard: tall, broad-shouldered, bushy beard framing a grizzled and tanned face. The other one looked like a little girl playing dress-up. She was short and skinny and looked very young. But she was wearing chainmail, a helmet, and had a sword strapped to her right hip, although is was shorter than the one the man was wearing.
The young woman’s face was long, and she had a small mouth, narrow nose, and large blue-green eyes. Audrey was suddenly certain that beneath her helmet were the sharply-pointed ears of an elf. That would explain both her short stature and youthful appearance.
They both looked puzzled now, and Audrey realized she had just been standing there staring at the two of them. “Excuse me,” she said, feeling a bit nervous. “I’m new to the city. Can you tell me how to get to Witch’s City Clothing?”
The woman nodded and displayed a pleasant smile. “But of course.” She had a lovely, soft voice, and she proceeded to describe how to get there. Audrey was soon hopelessly confused because the directions were complicated and the woman kept referring to landmarks she didn’t recognize. She also spoke in a formal manner that made her even more difficult to understand.
The man was grinning now. “Ilia, she said she was new here,” he said in a deep voice.
Ilia made a face and pursed her lips. She bowed slightly. “My apologies, Miss. Erik and I will escort you to the shop’s location.”
Audrey was relieved, and she smiled at the two of them. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
The three of them walked around behind the temple and then followed a street to the south. Audrey was paying careful attention, hoping that she wouldn’t have to ask directions again to get back.
Ilia suddenly said, “If you do not mind, Miss, could you tell me where you are residing?”
“Uh … I’m staying with Draymund and Almera.” She wasn’t about to mention her sham engagement to Saxloc.
“Truly?” asked Ilia with a surprised look. Audrey nodded in reply. “You are a most fortunate young lady. I am from a wealthy
family, but nowhere near as wealthy as that.”
Audrey really didn’t really want to answer any more questions, but Ilia seemed to be satisfied. They took several turns, one down a street that intersected the others at a sharp angle, but things were starting to look familiar to Audrey. They soon arrived in front of Witch’s City Clothing.
Erik nodded at her and Ilia said, “Here you are, Miss, as promised. When you leave, head to the left and you will soon encounter the Endless Way.” Ilia noted the puzzled look on Audrey’s face and explained. “It is the street that encircles the central portion of the city. If you turn left, you will be headed back toward where you are staying.”
“Thank you both!” exclaimed Audrey. They nodded and smiled before walking off.
Audrey entered the shop and looked around. It looked like she was the only customer at the moment, and the shopkeeper spotted her and walked over as she was unsuccessfully trying to remember his name.
“Ah,” he said. “I remember you. Were the clothes that Almera bought you satisfactory?”
“Yes.” She gestured at herself. “I’m wearing some of them now.”
“So you are. What are you looking for today? I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name.”
That made her feel better. “It’s Audrey. I’m looking for some new underclothes.” She felt embarrassed and was suddenly worried that he might realize that she wasn’t wearing any.
To her relief, he simply nodded and gestured. “You will find them toward the back and left. My name is Tobias. Let me know if I may be of assistance.” He walked away toward the area in the center where purchases were made.
In the designated area, Audrey found a variety of underclothes for men, women, and children. They were all made of soft cotton, and she was surprised to see that some of them weren’t white in color. She didn’t understand why anyone would want colored ones, and she wondered if they cost more than the white ones. She was also disappointed that none of the underclothes looked like the ones that Almera had. She suspected that those probably came from some kind of expensive specialty shop.
Audrey picked out a set that she thought were the proper size, but she made use of the changing room just to be certain. They fit her fine. She was tempted to just leave them on but feared that the shopkeeper might think that she was trying to steal them. She took them back off before getting dressed.
She really wanted to buy several sets but wasn’t sure what she could afford. She was certain that Almera and the others changed their underclothes every day. Almera easily had enough to do just that since the laundry was done every ten days.
She took the set she had tried on over to the shopkeeper and asked, “How much are these?”
“Eight copper pieces, but it’s cheaper if you buy several sets at once.”
Audrey chewed on her lower lip while trying to figure out what she could afford. She was bad at arithmetic and it took her a while. And she was going to have to make what money she had last. “How much for three sets?” she finally asked.
“Eighteen copper,” he replied promptly. She thought about it for a while before concluding that it was a substantial discount.
“Okay.” She placed the underclothes on the table. “I’ll go get two more sets.” Audrey hesitated and then picked up the underclothes again. “Actually, I’m going to wear these.”
“That’s fine,” he replied with no change of expression.
Tobias either hadn’t noticed that she wasn’t wearing underclothes, or was too polite to say anything. Either way, Audrey was grateful.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey followed the directions she had been given, but she turned right on the Endless Way because she didn’t want to head back to the mansion yet. She walked along the wide street, looking at all of the people and shops and thoroughly enjoying herself. It wasn’t long until she came to an intersection with another wide street. She could see the large Novox headquarters building across and to her left, which meant that this was the street that she had originally entered the city on. Left would take her to the Witch’s Castle, and right led to the docks.
She kept walking on the Endless Way. After about an hour, she found herself back at the Novox building again. She was getting hungry, so she turned left and walked toward the castle. She had noticed food vendors at the market yesterday and was planning to buy lunch there. It should be much cheaper than eating in a restaurant or tavern.
The city market was once again teeming with people. Audrey strolled around and looked at the food for sale. She was able to buy a wood skewer with pieces of baked chicken on it for a single copper. It was both tasty and filling, and she washed it down with some well water that was available for free. Then she just wandered around looking at the incredible variety of items and services for sale.
Audrey was feeling tired, so she left the plaza by what she thought was the correct street to get her back to the mansion. Nothing looked familiar and the strange angles that many of the streets met in confused her. She soon found herself in a seedy section of the city and was thoroughly lost. Two sketchy-looking men suddenly emerged from a narrow alley ahead and headed straight for her. They had long knives hanging from their belts, and she clutched her parchment-wrapped clothing purchase to her chest and began to panic.
They stopped three yards in front of her and she began to relax as she spotted what her parents obviously hadn’t when they were robbed. The two certainly looked menacing, but they both had small Novox logos stitched onto their shirts near the left shoulder. The taller of the two stepped forward and looked directly at her as he asked, “Do you have Novox insurance?”
“Uh … I live with Draymund and Almera. My name is Audrey.”
“What is your full name, Miss?” he asked, now sounding more polite.
“Audrey av Marilee” she replied, trying to appear confident.
The shorter man pulled out a small book from a back pocket and began paging through it. He stopped and read something and then looked her over carefully. Audrey realized that he must have a description of her written in there. He nodded at the other man, who then smiled and said, “Very good, Miss. We’re sorry to trouble you.”
They began to walk away and she quickly said, “Excuse me. I’m new here. Are there unlicensed thieves here too?”
The taller man grinned. “There are a few, but they usually don’t last long. They not only have to avoid the Guard, but we at Novox don’t take kindly to their presence either. Is there anything else?”
Audrey lowered her eyes. “Actually, I’m kind of lost. Can you tell me how to get back to Draymund’s house?”
“Just follow us. We’ll take you to the Witch’s City Guard Headquarters. You can find it easily from there.”
“Thank you so much! You two are the friendliest thieves I’ve ever met.”
“We prefer to be called insurance collectors,” the short one told her.
“Okay. Then you two are the friendliest insurance collectors that I’ve ever met.” That made both men laugh.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey was able to find the mansion grounds with no trouble since it was the same route she had originally taken. She waved at the man cleaning the fish pond as she walked toward the mansion. He waved back and she realized that she had already forgotten his name. She went inside, through the parlor, and then up the stairs to her room without encountering anyone else.
Her room smelled wonderful when she entered it, and she saw a vase of fresh flowers had been placed on the desk. The bedding was a different color now, so she knew that it had been changed. She looked in the bathroom, finding it spotless and the shelves piled with clean towels. There was also a strong fruity scent that she couldn’t identify.
Audrey unwrapped her new underclothes and then went to the wardrobe to put them away. All of the clothes that she had put in the basket were now clean and stowed neatly inside. But what caught her eye was the shelf to the right. Instead of her old underclothes, there were two sets of bright white
underclothes with the same sheen as Almera’s! She picked up one of the tops and found that it was incredibly soft. She took a closer look and frowned. It was exactly the same design as her old ones and showed definite signs of wear. She looked through the other garments and the conclusion was inescapable: They were her old underclothes, but somehow whitened and softened.
Desperate to find out what had happened, Audrey dashed out into the hallway. She went downstairs and heard noises that led her to the library where she found one of the cleaning women using a cloth to dust the shelves. Audrey had been introduced to her that morning but had already forgotten her name. She cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me.”
The woman turned around and said, “Yes?” She was in her early thirties and fairly pretty. She had blue-gray eyes and long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail using white strips of cloth. Her shirt and pants were both dark gray. She was watching Audrey with a sly, amused look.
“I have a question, uh …”
“Mianna,” she said with a quick grin. “And you’re Audrey. Don’t worry about it. You’re trying to learn seven new names, and I only had to learn one.”
“That’s true. Uh … what happened to my underclothes?”
Mianna burst out laughing and dropped her dusting cloth. Then she raised both of her arms and began to speak in a spooky voice. “They’ve been transformed! And you’re next!”
Audrey started laughing. She realized that Mianna had the same silly sense of humor that Violet did, and that was somehow comforting.
Mianna relaxed and put one hand on her hips. “They really were transformed,” she said, gesturing with her free hand and still smiling in a silly manner. “I did it myself. I bleached them first since they definitely needed it. Then I soaked them in a liquid that some of the alchemists here sell. That’s the secret. All of Almera’s underclothes started off as plain cotton. Draymund’s and Saxloc’s too. It gradually wears off, so part of our laundry duty is treating them when they need it.”