The midwife clucked her tongue and drew me into a comforting hug, “Oh, you poor, poor girl. I know how you're feeling. Look, I’ll mix you up an herb, and if you bleed in the next few days, then you lost the child. And if that happens, then I'm very sorry, but things will be better in time. Who would want a babe from a man who beat them, anyhow?”
I nodded my thanks and drank the tea she gave me, part of me hoping I had my bleed and part hoping that I wouldn't. No matter what the woman said, it had still been my baby. My child.
The rest of the day went pretty fast, clothes bought and a haircut, as well as a bath at a public bathhouse. I felt cleaner and fancier than I ever had before and felt sure that I’d get the job. A princesses' maid would be the perfect job, hard work, but good food and most likely decent pay. I didn't really need the money anymore, but I could be discreet about looking for Jack as long as I was there. Something told me he wouldn't leave this city, at least not yet.
Two days later, I bled.
13
Nick
I looked over our camp one last time before setting off into the woods, Olive and Josh close behind me. Josh held the bow and the few remaining arrows, still a little bit rusty on their use, but it was better than nothing. I had a broken silver arrow clutched in my hand like a makeshift dagger. Someone had stepped on it during a scuffle, but I didn't want any advantage we could have to go to waste.
The trees pressed in close around us, muffling any sounds, making the land seem even more dead. Rustling leaves moved even though there was no breeze, and even Olive seemed ill at ease.
“Are you sure this is the best plan, papa? Life was okay in the camp; why do we need to find more people? Aren't I enough?” Her pouting that worked so often before didn't even make me look twice.
Josh was quiet through it all, content to sit back during this family squabble while I tried to handle it, “Sweety, I loved the little camp; we were a family. But if we want to try to get out of here or help people like Ayden, you remember him, right? Well, in order to do that, we need to go out and fight. And the best way to do that is to find others who want to fight with us. If we can get everyone here fighting together, we can take purgatory by force!” My fist clenched hard enough that my knuckles shone white in the gloom. “That boy did so much more than I can ever thank him for. He gave me the kick in the pants to start this revolution.”
Josh grunted in agreement, eyes darting around, trying to pierce the darkness between the trees. The trunks seemed to grow closer together the farther in they went, but none of us were the types to give up.
Olive decided that was a good enough answer, or maybe she was just distracted by something or a stray thought, but at least she spent the next few minutes quiet.
Josh finally spoke up, though, with his gruff voice; I almost had to strain to hear, “What's your plan, Nick. We gonna find people and set up a bigger camp? Or are we gonna be a traveling band of mercenaries and not bother settling down anywhere?”
I ducked under a branch and thought about what he asked. Part of my mind said that setting down a camp would bring the familiarity and comfort back, but part of me knew how I had to answer, “We can't settle down. That's just asking to be found and killed. Constant movement should keep us on our toes and the enemy in our dust.”
Josh nodded, content with the answer. I had to wonder if he asked as a test to see if I would be able to answer. I could never be sure of anything anymore, though the short time spent with Ayden brought a faint hope back again. And I had never seen Olive react to another in the way she had Ayden.
For the first time in a long time, she had seemed happy and carefree. I sighed, knowing that no one would be happy once the battle was joined.
Ayden
My clothes were once more ragged and torn, barely able to stay on my body. I had gotten used to the stench, though hunger pangs still stabbed through my gut. I had left all my spare coins and clothes back with Victoria, worried that they might give me away.
I couldn't come into this section of town like I owned it; it would raise too many questions, which might lead back to the fact that I was supposed to be dead. The guards had found my “body” washed up in one of the sewer canals scattered about around the city, and when it became apparent that this wouldn't be an open and shut case, they stopped trying to find the person who murdered me. Not that they really tried, anyways.
“Worthless rollers ain't good for anything at all, just sit around and beat the poor. If I had my choice, I'd gut all the bastards.” My breath came out in short gasps since I had just finished running from a pair of them.
I had been letting my antics be seen by some folks, though this time, I misjudged who was able to see me. I wanted the current group of thieves to approach me, but it didn't seem like there was any around. My appearance should have been circulated around, and someone should have done something about it, either to recruit or try to kill me. But so far, nothing had happened. I was starting to lose hope.
As I was sitting there, trying to gather my breath, another homeless wretch came up to me and sat at my side. “You know, if you keep doing what you're doing, you're gonna get caught and either thrown in gaol to rot or die. And I'd rather neither of that happens. I know how it is to be poor, with nowhere to go and no family to turn to.”
I almost choked when I realized that the wretch next to me was a girl. The dirt and rags helped hide it, but her voice was unmistakable. “What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about.” I made to stand up, but her hand on my arm stopped me. I had to keep myself from striking out at her with one of my many hidden knives and waited for her to continue.
“Please. I've been watching you the last few days. Your technique needs a lot of work; you're actually pretty obvious to anyone looking. But you don't even need to steal anymore. If you really need food, there's a man who will provide it for you; you just have to do odd errands, like delivering mail and such. It'll keep you fed, clothed, and out of gaol. Doesn't that sound better to you?”
I shook off her hand and stood quickly, keeping an eye out, “I'll think about it.” I shuffled away as quickly as I could without alerting anyone that I was more than I seemed, and I could feel her eyes boring into my back the whole way.
Half a mark later, I ducked into the hole in the wall that I currently called home and mulled over what I had learned, “That's why there's no crew around; a man is trying to keep the streets clean. And no stealing? In this whole section? Interesting. Seems to be working pretty well so far.”
I glanced out and saw the girl who had been talking to me stumbling along, eyes questing for me. She had followed me all the way, but I lost her in the last few streets. I didn't want her, or anyone else, knowing where I was staying. Word could leak back to anyone, and I didn't need any problems.
Even with all my precautions, I saw her hesitate when she still didn't see me. Casting her eyes around, she gave it one last effort before wandering off, her feet shuffling the dust up into clouds.
“Great, now she's gonna report back that I live near here. If they don't start combing the neighborhood before tonight, I'm going to be very surprised.”
I grabbed the small purse I traded my gold for and felt the rings and other jewels through the leather. A large enough fortune to buy me any house I wanted and fill it with everything I'd need, but small enough to fit on the inside of my thigh. It was my emergency fund, and I tried not to touch it. I hated carrying such wealth but didn't dare leave it where someone could get at it.
I stumbled back out into the street, bumping into people, leaving them cursing the “bumbling wretch” and ignoring their threats. They would forget in a few minutes what they were even mad about; life in the city was full of such things. And by the time the few of them discovered they were missing their money, I'd be streets away. Being a thief in an area it wasn't known for had its perks.
I kept my eyes peeled for any other beggars but got caught by surprise when what appeared to be a page
boy grabbed my arm. Two others appeared, “You're supposed to come with us; Mr. Franklin wants to talk to you. You've been causing some problems around here, and frankly, we're all getting pretty tired of it.”
I relaxed in his grip, going along with him in annoyance, “Well, I suppose this is what I've been trying to get. It's not quite what I expected, though; you're a lot fancier than I thought you'd be.”
“What was that?” The page squeezed my arm hard, trying to squeeze the answer out of me, but my silence was solid. He regretfully relaxed his grip when he realized that it wouldn't work.
“Don't worry; you'll be saying everything you know soon enough!” He dragged me along behind him, and I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
Aether
Being the maid to a haughty princess was a lot harder than I could have imagined it would be. Day in and day out, from dawn till past dusk, I was mending or washing clothes until my fingers felt like they would fall off. It was not only tiring but very monotonous as well. But every once in a while, a moment of peace would come along.
I would be sent out on errands throughout the city to all of the Princess's favorite stores, trying to find something she would like, what was on sale, that sort of thing. The girl was as spoiled as could be, though I had to admit, she didn't treat me too unkindly. I could take as much time as I wanted, as long as I brought back enough to make her happy.
Today was one of those errand days, with instructions to stop in every cloth store the city had to check their wares. My cracked and aching fingers would be glad for the break, though my feet would surely be sore by the end of the day.
Passing by a small, ill-lit tavern in Beggar's square, I overheard something that caught my ear, “You hear about that boy was leading his crew, the Mercs or whatev's the name was? Sources tell me he was found floatin' face down in a canal somewhere nasty, almost couldn't tell who he was. Iffin it wa'nt fer his clothes, ain't nobody woulda known.”
“If you ask me, served him right it did, running around with street trash, lording yourself over the other poor folk. I wish they'd all end up like that; yes, I do! Less worry for the folks who work hard for their living!”
I whirled around, eyes searching frantically for whoever it was talking to, but no one stuck out. I whispered to myself, “No. No, it can't be true.” The clothes I had been holding slipped from my lifeless fingers, fluttering to the dusty ground. My one fear since finding Jack again was coming true... That he would die again, and I'd lose him forever this time.
The square suddenly seemed to be too crowded, jam-packed with too many people. The noise was almost overwhelming, and so I did the only thing that made sense. I ran, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to break loose.
After a few minutes of senseless running, thought finally caught up with me: Victoria. She would know what happened; she would know what to do.
I took off down barely remembered roads, trying to remember the path we had taken to Jack's hideout. Someone there would know where he was, how he was. He couldn't be dead, not again. Not without at least saying goodbye.
A few people shouted curses at me as I jostled them aside, but I didn't even slow to apologize, intent on the path before me. Breath coming out in ragged gasps, my feet found scant purchase on the loose gravel and dirt, almost causing me to slip and fall multiple times. Somehow I kept my feet under me and kept running.
Finally, I found the building he had run to that night the young boy had gotten hurt. I saw a few boys I recognized seeing around him, but none of them looked my way. Most of them seemed to be intent on gaining as much rest as possible while keeping an eye out for guards or other bully boys.
The only one I recognized by name was the boy, Benny, who had been injured. I could see that he still favored his injured side, wincing when the bustling crowd caused him to have to move too fast.
I slowly picked my way across the street, trying to decide on the words that would convince Benny to take me inside the hideout. If Jack was truly dead, security around Victoria would be ridiculously tight.
Before the words could even be thought of, I heard that sultry voice call out, “Hey, girl! Jack's friend. Get in here; we need to have a talk!” I turned away from Benny, watching the surprise register on his face at how close I was. I suppose in my concentration; I had fallen into my old stalking ways, like when hunting in the forest, and was pleased to discover they were just as valuable for the city.
Victoria stood in the doorway of the well-crafted house, hands on her hips and a condescending smile twitching, the corners of her mouth up.
“Yeah, I'm talking to you. I figured you'd be coming back, nosing around after my man. So why don't you come on in already? Standing around won't accomplish anything.”
She turned and strolled back inside, not even bothering to glance back at me. She didn't seem to care if I came in or not; she just didn't want me lurking around outside.
Biting back my reply, I stomped up to the cracked wooden steps leading up into the house. It was dark inside and so cold it seemed almost impossible. A few candles cast a small amount of light but did nothing to really pierce the darkness. The heat outside couldn't seem to pierce the walls of darkness, and I felt goosebumps rise along my arms.
The instant the door closed behind me, Victoria's whole attitude changed. Her shoulders slumped, and I noticed how wild her clothes looked, almost as if she had been sleeping in the same outfit.
She turned on me and stared hard until I found the nerve to speak up, “Where is Jack? Is he okay? I heard at the square that he...that he..” My voice cracked, and I couldn't swallow past the lump in my throat.
Her stare of hatred turned to one of surprise, then she erupted with hysterical laughter, “Jack? How in the hell am I supposed to know where Jack is? What did you hear, that he ran off with another gal? Or that he left town? The miserable bastard would do it, too, can't keep his word for two lousy minutes!!”
With her last words, she picked up a pouch and threw it against the wall, gold and silver scattering everywhere. They bounced and spun, flickering in the soft candlelight.
I swallowed a few more times, giving her time o calm down a little bit, “No. Not that. Someone was talking about the...Mercs? That their leader was found dead or something. That is your gang's name, right? I just...I thought you would know or something about what he...what happened to him. If he's okay if he needs help.”
Victoria seemed to break, tears leaking from her eyes. A sad, sarcastic chuckle broke free, “He's perfectly fine. It's a way to get away from the guards. He doesn't need me. He doesn't need anyone, it seems. Not since you came around.” She blinked the tears away and shook her head angrily, “What is it about you, girl? What is so special about you that just seeing you makes him go crazy and foolish? Like his brain's dribbled out or something.”
I just shook my head, not willing to interrupt her. It seemed like she needed to get this out, one way or another, and the sooner, the better.
She scoffed and brushed back her hair, eyes rolling, “And here I was, wondering who Aeth was and what they did to make him cry in his sleep so much. And it's you! You...you...Gah!”
I walked over and tentatively touched her shoulder, trying to convey how sorry I felt, “I never... I never meant to do that. I didn't think he even thought of me anymore. Not after all that has happened.”
Victoria stared at me for a moment before whispering softly, “Every night since we met, every night. Your name, over and over, crying. I don't think he knows, but it happens. I hear him cry out, and it breaks my heart.”
I stared down at the floorboards, trying to fight back a sob that threatened to escape. Despite all my efforts, I broke down and cried, joined moments later by Victoria. We sat there for half of a mark, and by the end, we were both laughing together.
After a few breathless sobs, I managed to regain my composure. Victoria took a while longer than I did, but she soon looked back at me with a serious gaze, “So, what are we g
oing to do now? He's still out there, you know, and if we aren't there to look after him, there's no telling what he's gonna end up screwing up. You've known him longer than I; you should know that by now.”
Laughing through the remains of my tears, I nodded and sat down on the foot of the bed. The room was pretty cluttered, clothes scattered across the floor and draped over all the furniture. Picking a place not filled with filth was more challenging than one could imagine, and I didn't want to sit on anything that might be important to Victoria; she seemed temperamental enough without any help.
“So, Jack said he was heading down to the south area, trying to expand our control or something. At least, that's his excuse for trying to get away from me. I don't know if I should believe it or not. If you want, I can send some feelers down there to try to find if he's there.” Victoria didn't bother trying to hide her anger at Jack, but I was grateful for her offer to help.
Thieves' Race Page 15