“I doubt that,” Glav said with a wave of dismissal. “It’s a pretty story, but there’s no way it’s possible.”
“In this city? From what Lizor has seen, anything’s possible,” the big man disagreed. “With all the crazy things here like the Tower District and Wraith Park, Lizor would not be surprised.” He jammed a thumb into his chest and playfully made his pecs jump in response.
“It is intriguing.” Aphry looked at Ebudae with interest. “What an adventure that would be.”
“It’s not possible, even with all the wizards here.” Glav was determined that it couldn’t be. “You said your family has been here since the beginning of Dralin. Does it say anything about the time before that?”
“No. The family histories begin then, and I’m not even sure I should tell you that, but . . .” Ebudae considered what to tell them. “The Pallon estate has been in our family since that time. It’s in the Merchant District instead of the Noble District because of a marriage in that early time between a rich merchant family and a powerful noble family.”
“Those arrangements happen a great deal throughout history,” Glav stated to the group. “Oftentimes nobles lose fortunes for any number of reasons: mismanagement, theft, war, drought, insanity. It’s fascinating.” He asked Ebudae, “Do you know why the marriage was needed?”
“No. That detail was left out. Since then, my family has done well for some generations and poorly for others. At this point, we have almost no power, but are still rich.”
“So dinner is on you tonight?” Glav asked with a raised eyebrow and mischievous grin.
Ebudae laughed. “Yes. I’ll buy dinner, a fair price for the shade and company. I’ve hardly spent any money today so I’m able to.” The statement brought cheers from the group. She gave Lizor and Juggles five silver pieces to get food and more wine. Then they all enjoyed a good dinner and more conversation before the girls eventually left at sunset.
Lamplighters used long poles to light lanterns in the Mosh District as the young women made their way home. The main avenues were busy, so Pelya took less traveled roads that would still be relatively safe.
Ebudae was grateful to get away from the press of the bodies, which had overwhelmed her again after leaving the tent. She left the directions to her friend who had spent her entire life studying the City Guard’s maps of Dralin and knew how to get nearly everywhere.
“This has been the best day ever, Ebudae. I had so much fun,” Pelya said with a happy grin as they walked arm in arm. Ebudae stayed on the left so that Pelya would have her sword arm free for any danger that might appear.
“I don’t know if it’s the best day. I think that was when we first went exploring in the ruined academy.”
“That was amazing, but it feels so good to be out on our own.” She let go and did a spin before catching Ebudae’s arm again. “I really like the group, especially Lizor. They’re so interesting.”
“Lizor scares me, but I like Juggles. Glav asks too many questions and he’s . . .”
“I know. He disturbs me and I didn’t like the way he looked at you a couple of times when he didn’t think anyone was paying attention.” Pelya’s face grew severe and her eyes narrowed.
“I thought he was looking at me. I don’t like that at all!” It bothered Ebudae. She didn’t say anything to Pelya, but Glav wasn’t the first man who had looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable that day. She was beginning to think that freedom was overrated.
“I still like them and I don’t think he’d do anything to you . . .” Pelya’s tone was defensive.
Ebudae caught the inflection and looked worriedly at her friend. “I don’t think so either and I do want to go back.”
Pelya’s eyes were on an alley to their left. The rest of the street had become oddly empty. “Danger, Ebudae,” she said quietly. It was the method used in the ruins to alert each other to peril. Ebudae knew their lives were threatened.
It took less than a second to cast the first spell protecting them from magic. Ebudae had refined the spell to be fast. It was powerful and a gust of wind hit her face as she drew in the energy and then it smacked hard into her back as she cast. Two seconds after that, another spell protected them from some forms of physical danger, but Ebudae’s hair was a mess from so much supernatural wind battering her. She had perfected the casting so that she never went off balance or lost her concentration.
Once the protections were up, she took a moment to assess the situation in order to determine what spell to cast next. Pelya slid her sword out with a hissing sound. She had explained in the past that it was an effective way to intimidate people. The quality of the custom-made steel would add to the intimidation.
There were four treacherous individuals moving into the street from the shadowed alley Pelya was staring at. Two more came from another alley behind the girls. Ebudae concentrated on keeping her breathing steady while Pelya put herself in a protective position in order to defend against the brunt of the attack so that Ebudae could counter-attack with magic.
One of the four was a wizard. Ebudae could tell by the robe the man wore and the way in which he moved. The two men behind were swordsmen, but Pelya backed Ebudae close to the building behind them so that she could keep an eye on them too.
The wizard spoke in a powerful voice, but he wasn’t casting a spell. “That was very powerful magic cast very quickly, Boss. I have a bad feeling about this.” He was speaking to a tall, confident man who was crouching in the middle of the street a short distance away.
Ebudae decided she would kill the wizard first and knew exactly how to do it. She reached for an ingredient in one of her pouches.
One of the swordsmen said, “The girl isn’t carrying a toy sword, Boss. The way she’s carrying it suggests competence beyond her years. I also have a bad feeling about this. These are not normal girls.”
The man they called boss made a couple of gestures with his hands. It was some sort of signal and all of the men backed up, returning to their hiding places. Ebudae was disappointed. She wanted to see how fast she could kill the wizard. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her legs were beginning to shake.
“Let’s get out of here before they change their minds,” Pelya said in a low voice that was half growl. She sheathed her sword, but kept her hand firmly on the hilt.
They kept their eyes open while moving as rapidly as was reasonable. By the time they had passed three intersections, the traffic had become normal again. “I think we’re safe for now,” Pelya said, looking back in the direction they had come. “I can’t believe they were willing to try something like that before the sun had fully set.”
“Shouldn’t we have done something so they wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else?” Ebudae’s thoughts were flying in wildly different directions. She wanted to do something and was both excited and terrified by the real danger they had avoided. The hardest part was feeling vulnerable and unsafe.
“There wasn’t a good solution. Attacking them might have gotten us killed. If we had killed them instead, we’d have had to explain our actions and would never be allowed out again even when we’re forty.”
“Yeah . . . That’s a good point,” Ebudae conceded. “What if they hurt someone else or kidnap others?” It bothered Ebudae.
“It’s a good question. There’s so much crime in the city and the Guard can’t seem to stop it, so I asked Daddy about that.” Pelya avoided a couple of college students who had begun drinking early that evening. To the east of the Mosh District was a college of business, popular with the children of merchants.
“What did he say?” She knew that Frath took crime personally when he couldn’t prevent bad things from happening to people.
“He said that it’s the fault of the person who commits the crime, not the fault of the person who can’t stop it from happening.” They passed into the Noble District and were walking quickly, making good time to get home. The last rays of the sunset streaked through the smog in the sky, mak
ing it a dirty orange that was astonishingly beautiful over the slate roofs of the noble’s houses. “Daddy tells himself that a lot to help ease the guilt he feels every time he sees another dead body in a gutter.” Pelya gave her a worried look. “I worry about him sometimes. He never talks about how much he hurts. Thinking about those men from the alley helps me understand him a little better.”
“I like your father, Pelya. I think he’s one of the best men in the city, even if he can’t save everyone.”
“I think so too.” Pelya smiled appreciatively.
Lady Pallon was waiting for them in the conservatory. She asked if they had a good time. After they said they had and assured her that nothing untoward had happened, she went to bed. The girls ran upstairs and talked about the day’s events for hours before turning in.
Chapter 5
It was noon the next day before they headed out. Lady Pallon was allowing them to go to Carnival again. Ebudae was certain it was because her grandmother enjoyed having a peaceful house rather than out of any generosity.
The first place they went to was the Carnie tent. The group did morning shows and had just finished when the girls walked in. “You have come to see Lizor’s magnificent muscles again! Good for you.” He performed a muscle builder’s pose. The oil on his body made every ridge of every muscle show in detail.
“Hello, Lizor,” Pelya said. “Yes, we’ve come to see your muscles again. They truly are magnificent.”
Ebudae pointed at her friend. “What she said.” Aphry was nowhere to be seen, but Glav was sitting in the same spot as the day before and Juggles was by some of his prop crates. He had swords, unlit torches, different sized balls and assorted objects that were either dangerous or oddly shaped. At that moment, he was juggling six multi-colored balls. “Hello, Juggles.”
“Hello, Ebudae.” His voice was raspy and he spoke as though trying to hide it. Ebudae liked the way it sounded though.
“Will you teach me how to juggle?”
“Alright.” He caught all six balls and handed three of them to Ebudae. She watched as he began tossing and catching the first ball. She mimicked his motions for a minute until she got the hang of it. He added another ball and showed her how to manipulate it as well. When she caught on right away, a smile touched his face. He didn’t seem the type to show happiness easily, so she was proud of the accomplishment.
Pelya had gone to sit with the boys around the hookah and nibbled on a fruit Glav tossed to her. Aphry came out from behind a changing screen on the other side of the room. She wore a simple dress and was tying her hair back in a ponytail. “It feels good to take off that outfit and put on something comfortable. Hello, Pelya. Hello, Ebudae.”
“Hello,” Ebudae said absentmindedly while trying to concentrate on the way Juggles was adding a third ball to the mix.
“Hi Aphry.” Pelya gave a short wave as the entertainer joined the others in the sitting area. “I hope you don’t mind that we came back.”
“Not at all. I meant it when I told you to visit anytime you had the chance.” Aphry gestured to the group. “We enjoyed your company yesterday. It’s nice to have someone other than Carnies to talk to every once in a while.”
“Lizor enjoys the company of pretty ladies. You are both Lizor’s friends.”
“Thank you Lizor,” Pelya replied.
“We all feel that way.” Glav smirked. “Juggles hasn’t spoken this much in years!” That drew laughter. The smile touched Juggles’ face again and Ebudae grinned merrily. “I forgot to ask you yesterday, Pelya, have you heard the rumors about Tathan of the Shadows?” Glav asked in his ringing voice. Ebudae dropped two of the balls she was trying to throw. She had forgotten how powerful the voice was, even in normal tones. Juggles picked them up and led her to join the others. They took their places from the day before.
“There are all sorts of rumors about him,” Pelya replied. “Let me think . . . His sword is called ‘Lifedrinker’ and is one of the most dangerous in the world. They say he stole it from a wizard who tortured peasants so that the sword could drink their pain and blood.”
“I hadn’t heard that.” Aphry paled. “That’s terrible.”
“I don’t know how many of the rumors are true,” Pelya said. “Some of them are outrageous. The latest is that he stole the crown from the Prince of Sooarth, killed him and then single-handedly killed every member of the Sooarth Army.” She grinned.
“That tale is taller than our muscle-bound friend here.” Glav indicated Lizor. “I know for a fact that the Sooarth Army still exists. I listen to everything and that detail isn’t true, although the prince did die and his crown was stolen. Popular belief is that Tathan of the Shadows did it.”
“What brought him up anyway?” Pelya asked in curiosity. “Was there a specific rumor you speak of?”
“The one that he’s been in Dralin for the last year,” Aphry said before Glav could answer.
Ebudae looked at Pelya only to see her friend’s face drain of blood. She grabbed her hand supportively. “Pelya, are you alright?”
“We thought you might know since you’re in the guard, but judging from the look of it, I’m guessing not,” Glav said. “There is talk among a few people, whispered rumors mostly, that he’s been hiding in Dralin. No one knows where he is if it’s true though.”
“I should tell Daddy,” Pelya said in a barely audible voice.
“Who is Tathan of the Shadows?” Ebudae asked. Studying books of magic alone in her suite didn’t lend itself to keeping up with the latest gossip.
Everyone looked at her in stunned surprise. “You’ve never heard of Tathan of the Shadows?” Aphry asked. “He’s only the most dangerous thief in the world. And they say he’s the most handsome too.” She winked.
Glav rolled his eyes. “I don’t think he’s the most dangerous. The reason he’s famous is that so many people think he’s a hero. It’s ridiculous.”
“Ahh, you don’t think he’s the most dangerous, but you do think he’s the most handsome then?” Lizor asked with a wink. Ebudae found herself laughing with the others. It felt good.
Pelya became serious. “In any case, he’s dangerous enough that the Guard needs to know and be ready for him. He’s not just a thief. Wherever he goes, big things happen.”
“Can’t we tell him tomorrow when he comes to take you back to the barracks, Pelya?” Ebudae pleaded. “I’m enjoying this and we won’t get to stay if you do tell them.”
“Of course,” Pelya replied. “There’s no way I’m going back to the barracks before tomorrow, even for that. I’ll tell Daddy then.”
“You don’t want to leave Lizor and his muscles so soon. That is the real reason,” the giant said with a wink.
“Yes, that’s the real reason I don’t want to leave. I couldn’t bear to be away from your muscles, Lizor,” Pelya replied dramatically.
“Pelya,” Aphry said in a sober tone. “Do you realize that you’re flirting?”
Ebudae had been worried about the same thing and didn’t want her friend to get involved with Lizor, or anyone. Pelya looked surprised by the question, glancing back and forth between the Aphry and Lizor. “I . . . That’s not . . . I didn’t mean.”
“I thought as much,” Aphry replied gently. “You talk to everyone with little effort and you smile easily. Many men would take that the wrong way, especially from someone so beautiful as you.”
Pelya’s face reddened brighter than any piece of cloth at Carnival. “I didn’t realize,” she said meekly, ducking her head. Ebudae held onto her hand to provide support.
“Don’t worry about it,” Glav said. “You’re among friends and I give each of you permission to flirt with me anytime.” He waggled his eyebrows and winked. It made Ebudae uncomfortable.
“No. Nobody is going to flirt with these young ladies,” Aphry said in an unyielding voice. The others became serious. “They are naïve to the ways of the world and are not meant for such as us. We shall be their friends, nothing more, nothing less
.”
“Yes, Dearest,” Glav said with a slight bow. The others nodded in agreement. Ebudae was impressed by the woman’s power and finally understood why she was the leader.
“Now what shall we have for lunch?” Aphry asked. The tension broke as though shackles had released the air around them.
“I’ll buy again. I still have plenty of coin,” Ebudae offered.
“Not a thing you should tell people so easily,” Glav advised. “But since you offered, I shall relieve you of the coin and fetch the food. Lizor will come with to carry it of course.” He and the big man stood to leave. Ebudae gave Glav five silver pieces, not knowing how much it would come to and not caring. When they had gone, Juggles handed Ebudae the three balls and began teaching her some more.
“I think we’ve lost them, Pelya,” Aphry said in amusement.
“It looks like,” Pelya replied. “What should we do now?”
“Would you like to learn how to dance? I can show you some conservative dances if you’re interested.”
“I’d love that! A few of my aunts and uncles have taught me some things, but I’m always willing to learn more.”
Ebudae stopped paying attention because Juggles was getting her to go faster and it took all of her concentration.
***
Ebudae could handle five of the multi-colored balls by the time dinner rolled around. The performers had enough of Ebudae’s coin left from lunch that day and dinner the night before to pay for their meal.
“I can’t believe how quickly you learned to juggle,” Aphry said to her. “You have a natural talent for it.”
“I have long, dexterous fingers.” Ebudae watched Juggles moving a coin through the fingers of one hand while he ate with the other. He was always doing something with his hands. “Oh! That reminds me. I have something for you, Juggles.” She reached into one of her pouches.
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