by B J Hanlon
Edin reached in his pocket and started to feel the sapphire. He walked further down and stared into more blue stones. Just like the rubies, there were different sizes and shapes, some he could see the black fabric beneath, others were cloudy.
“Twenty gold, seems fair,” Fali said as she held a red stone in between her finger and thumb.
“Twenty?” Edin exclaimed. That was more money than most people made in a year.
She glanced at Edin with a huge grin and held it just below her neck. “What do you think?” It did accent her hair and features well, but for that much? How much do people spend on small colored rocks?
Edin rolled the sapphire between his fingers.
“It’s very nice,” he said. She frowned. “I mean it’s beautiful.” She pulled out a sack of gold coins and counted out twenty before she handed them to the jeweler. He smiled at her and quickly shoved them into a bag with soft clinks.
“Now I just need to get a chain.”
“We have those,” the jeweler said. “Gold, silver, eluvrian steel…”
“On my next trip,” Fali said and turned toward the door.
Edin didn’t move, his fingers still felt the rough edges of his stone and walked up toward the man.
“Excuse me, can you tell me about this?” Edin said pulling it from his pocket.
The man looked annoyed for a second time until his eyes laid on the large gem in the palm of Edin’s hand. It was easily four times the size of hers. He heard a gasp from behind him but didn’t turn.
“My gods,” the jeweler said, “where did you get that?”
He could say it was from a cave in the Great Cliff, probably not the best idea. He paused for a second and the man peered at him almost accusingly. “It was my father’s.” Edin said as soon as the thought came to him.
“May I?”
Edin held it out and the jeweler put back on his thick bug-eyed glasses and stared. “No flaws, perfect clarity. It’s heavy too.”
Edin looked around and saw Fali looking at it with a gaped mouth as if her smaller ruby was worthless now
“It is a sapphire.” The man’s mouth shut and he looked up at Edin. “I’ll give you a hundred gold for it.” His hand was still open with the stone in it.
Edin snatched it up quickly from his palm and shoved it back into his pocket.
“It’s not for sale,” Edin said. He wasn’t sure about the value, but from the way the man made the quick offer and from his negotiations with Fali made Edin sure it was worth much more than that. Also, something told him never to sell it.
The man looked at him for a second, his jaw clenched and he nodded slowly. There was a glimmer in his eyes though that made Edin feel uneasy. Moments later, they left with the guard watching their every move.
Back in the streets, Edin saw that the sun was already past the horizon. How long did women shop? The walked quietly back toward the inn. Edin’s mind was on the stone and she seized his hand.
“I’m ready for that ale. There’s a tavern down this way, they usually have music and dancing.” She pulled him toward a thin road that intersected King’s Avenue.
Edin knew he should get back, the way the jeweler looked at him was bothersome. He also abandoned Master Horston, but she glanced back and smiled. Edin couldn’t resist that and let her lead him.
They’d only be in Frestils for another night, after that it was dirt roads and camping with only his companions for company. He’d get yelled at but at that point, he didn’t care.
14
Edin Exposing Himself…
Fali stared at him from across the small wooden table beneath a frosted glass window. Their ankles and feet touching each other. It felt good. She grinned as she sloshed down an ale as a quartet of men played string instruments. They’d arrived at that time when most patrons were starting to feel the effects of the ale.
He couldn’t look away from Fali’s piercing green eyes. As soon as he tried to take in the surrounding tavern, something drew him back.
Edin took a deep drink from his large mug. The drink was like a reward after a difficult task. The task being a long day of shopping and it was needed.
They held each other’s gaze making small talk about the day, the weather, the band. Soon though they had to put mouth to ear to understand each other.
“So, what does your father sell?” Edin yelled trying to spark some conversation.
“Anything he can make a profit on…” she yelled back.
Across the tavern, a group of men, soldiers or sellswords by the look of them, were laughing at a large table. A serving girl, a lot prettier and much nicer than Estillan flittered through the tavern with drinks and traded them and flirtatious chat for coin.
Suddenly, the music stopped and he heard the remnant shouts of people who still expected their words to be drowned out by the band. A sharp piercing whistle came from the bar man. People in the center of the room began standing and moving the long tables to the sides.
The musicians began anew, louder now and women seemed to filter in, appearing as if from nowhere to start dancing. He’d maybe seen two of them during the previous ‘quiet times.’ Now there were around fifteen women.
Music and dancing to women is like a flame to a moth, he mused as Fali grinned.
“Want to dance?” Again, the ginger woman didn’t ask, she just grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his seat.
“I’m not much of a dancer.”
“I’ll show you,” she moved close to him and took both of his hands. Follow my steps.” The sword banged into his legs.
Edin tried to follow her. Instead, he managed to step on her feet, and his own more than once. He kicked a table, and had his sheath somehow wedge between his two legs almost smacking him in his groin.
After subtle laughter, Fali’s nimble hands moved to his belt and Edin felt nervous.
Slowly, she undid the strap. Their eyes met and she grinned. Quickly, she yanked the sword and sheath from his hip. It was a practiced move. One that made Edin realize he wasn’t the first to escort this seductress around a city. At that point, he didn’t care.
“This isn’t the weapon I wish to feel.” She winked at him as she strapped the belt back using her body to steady him. Edin swallowed and nodded. He took the sword over to the table leaving it next to his pack with the new clothes.
When he got back, instead of taking his hands she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She pulled him in close. Through her thin dress, he could feel her supple body pressed up against him.
Suddenly, he was aware of movement in the trousers. He tried to maneuver his hips so it wouldn’t push up against her. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice.
A sly grin destroyed that fantasy. She lowered one arm and pulled his hips into hers. Fali moved her lips next to his ear. “The road can be a lonely place…”
Edin’s heart fluttered and he swallowed. His entire presence was in this moment. He felt her breath on his earlobe. Her soft lips glanced it for just the briefest of touches. Edin realized he’d do anything for her. Even show off the talent.
“I could use an ale,” she said in a slow soft voice before pushing away from him.
He didn’t need to look down to know his trousers had a new crease in the groin. What he wasn’t aware of was how she’d maneuvered them halfway across the room.
Edin glanced back and saw her sauntering back toward their table. Edin tried a few moves to cover himself. The heat rose on his face.
A woman cackled, and he lowered his head trying to make it around the room without too much notice. People laughed, a man expelled his ale and nearly fell from his chair.
He sat and looked at her. Fali had a coy smile as she drank her ale and leaned back in her chair.
“Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything, I really was thirsty.”
Edin swallowed a large gulp of ale and quickly ordered a new one from the serving girl. They sat in silence until she came back.
Fali watched the dancers while Edin watched her. He had no idea what type of woman she was, besides being one who enjoyed playing games with men.
“So, how’d you really come by that gem?” Fali said turning back to him. “Did you steal it?” There was almost a hopeful twinkle in her eye as if the illegality was somehow arousing.
Edin took a deep drink and for some reason, at that moment a bubble burst into his nose causing him to cough. The golden liquid splashed his face and up his nostrils. He almost waited for her laugh, but it didn’t come.
“You did, didn’t you?”
Edin set the mug down and leaned back. “I’m not a criminal…” He said hesitantly. Though that wasn’t true was it. He was a fugitive out drinking in a crowded inn.
She took a drink of her ale as he wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Where then?”
Edin took a breath, this wasn’t how he wanted the night to go. Then he wondered how did he want the night to go?
She looked amazing in the yellow dress, but what could he do? Take her to his room with Master Horston there. Edin was an abomination… the worst sort of criminal according to the church. There was nothing he could do about that, about her. For some reason, he pictured the last time he ever saw Kesona, her look of fear… uncertainty.
What if something happened between them… what if she became pregnant and suddenly her kid was an abomination… no… a magi. Edin would be long gone, unable to help the poor child. These were adult thoughts, ones he’d never had before. Edin shook his head. He couldn’t spend any more time with her. Nothing good could come of it; he had to leave. She is a mundane, he is a magus.
Edin took one final drink of his ale and looked at her. “It was my father’s, I’m not sure where he got it.” Edin said as he pushed back from the chair, “I’m sorry, I have to be on the road early tomorrow. It was a pleasure meeting you.” He picked up his pack and sword before heading toward the door.
“I thought you were here for the university…” Fali said.
At the moment he realized his lie was destroyed, a large man with a huge blond beard and what looked like an animal skin thrown over his shoulder shoved Edin.
He flew backward. Edin was sure his legs left the ground as his lower back crashed into a table and heard a crack. Hopefully it was the table. Someone, or something growled and he was shoved from behind toward the dance floor. Edin couldn’t stop himself and crashed into the back of a woman who’d apparently decided to stop dancing and drink an ale.
It splashed over her and somehow the world slowed for him. Edin watched the golden liquid slop all over her friend and the well-dressed man she was with.
“What in the...” the man shouted at Edin.
He glanced at him and pointed his thumb behind him, “they did it.”
The man had a thin mustache and a wide-brimmed black hat with a feather. He was clearly a bit drunk as his mouth twitched… or maybe it was a normal mannerism. His gaze turned from Edin to somewhere behind him.
“You dare push a noble you savage,” the man said in a haughty voice.
“Who are you calling a savage?” a deep throaty voice said.
Edin cocked his head, did the man just call him a noble?
Glancing over, he saw Fali’s eyes wide as she watched the scene. The way this was turning, he needed to get out of there, so did she and Edin couldn’t leave her.
At the Dancing Crane there were bloody brawls, usually broken up by Vistach or another town guard. Usually with multiple people needing to see the healer and once in a while, the undertaker.
He nodded toward the door and she responded with a vigorous nod. Edin slipped to the side as the men faced each other. Then another group of men stood, the huge blond bearded man sat uncomfortably close to the fire in a chair that creaked under his weight. He drank deeply from a mug twice the size of Edin’s and laughed.
Swords were drawn and tables skittered across the ground. A fist seemingly came out of nowhere toward his face. At the last moment, Edin ducked and heard the smack of a strike. He glanced up and saw the fist thrower hit a younger man with plumage on his big hat.
Behind him, he heard, “that boy ruined my dress!”
Fali raced past him as Edin pulled the door open and leapt down the three stairs onto the road. Shouts, wood cracking and metal clashing became muffled as the door slammed shut.
Edin didn’t want to be anywhere near the brawl. He started jogging down the street. He was a bit wobbly from the ale but they kept moving though he wasn’t sure to where. He was confused by the street, was he on King’s Avenue or somewhere else?
Fali’s long dress prevented her from making larger strides. She stumbled and Edin caught her with one arm under the armpit the other on her breast. She looked at him with a mischievous smile on her face.
“This way,” Fali said pulling him to the right and through a dark alley and hopefully toward their inn.
They ran, laughter began to come from Fali. He felt no burning in his legs, but eventually she was gasping for air. She looked at him, burst into laughter again and waived him to follow down a road devoid of nearly any illumination. It wasn’t a road, an alley more like it and if any lamps had been there, they’d been snuffed out.
“What’s so funny?”
“The… way… you… were… tossed,” she said through laughs before she stopped a few yards from a sign painted with ‘King’s Avenue.’ There was a lot more light only a few feet away but the shadow of the building sheared it off there like hair beneath a barber’s scissors.
Edin leaned against the opposite wall and put his hands on his knees. Fali’s breathing was slowing, he could barely see a glimmer of the bright red hair.
“Are you okay,” Edin said.
She moved close to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “That was fun,” she said into his ear. The lips, the caress… it was the same. Then slowly she kissed him.
Her soft wet lips parting on his as she pulled him close as if trying to merge their bodies. He squeezed back. His hands gripping her lower back and moving down.
She began kissing his neck and moving her hands toward his belt again.
A cat screeched then hissed from back the way they came. It caught his attention and he glanced toward the sound.
The light from the far street silhouetted a figure. A man was walking silently down the alley toward them. It took him a moment to process this. He swallowed and pushed Fali back.
“What? You don’t like me?”
“I don’t like him,” he whispered and started pulling her toward King’s Avenue. The man was only a few yards away now.
Edin turned to flee jerking Fali’s hand. Her wet palm slipped from his as he reached the street. He spun as she yelped only to see the last of her yellow dress floating as if billowed by air before being yanked back into the black shadows of the alley.
“Pull your blade and she dies,” a voice said, deep and threatening. Edin had heard it before but couldn’t place it.
The darkness of the alley gave no indication of where they were.
“Help,” Fali called out through a choked voice.
Edin swallowed. “Too afraid to mug me in the light? Coward!” Edin yelled, hoping to draw someone else’s attention. He was trying to sound braver than he felt.
“Give me the stone, and you both can leave.”
“Help,” Fali said again, her voice was weaker.
“Shut up or I’ll break your neck…” the voice was low and gravelly but now he remembered where he heard it. The jewelers.
Edin glanced around for help. The street was almost completely empty except for a group of men hundreds of yards away. There was no way to tell who they were. His hands clenched the hilt of his sword too tight.
‘Loosen it,’ Grent would say.
Edin let go slightly, as he approached. He wouldn’t give away the gem, he couldn’t. There was a need to keep it. A desire that maybe came from the stone itself. But would he sacrifice Falicia
’s life for it? What would his mother think? What would Kes?
Edin dropped the pack and stepped forward. The darkness of the alley was such that it was impossible to make out detail. Slowly, an idea formed as he moved toward the darkness. Edin reached into his pocket touching the gem. Slowly, he pulled it back out, keeping his hand balled-up.
With the little amount of ambient light from the lamps, they man was working in the dark. His eyes adjusted to it. Edin smiled as he stepped into the darkness.
“Closer,” the warrior said in a slow creepy drawl.
Edin concentrated. By the sound of his voice, he was only a pace or two away. He thought of the brightest light he could summon. He held out his hand and closed his eyes.
Instantly, he summoned the ethereal light.
The man screamed. Just as Edin opened his eyes and drew his sword. In an instant he leapt forward and pressed the blade through the guard’s open mouth before he knew what happened. The man fell, his sword and armor clanging like a bell against the street. His conical cap bounced down the alley before rolling to a stop.
Fali dropped and shuffled off to the side of the building, her eyes looking up at him with fear. Edin called the energy back into his body and dropped next to her.
Fali screamed and he quickly covered her mouth.
“He’s dead. Don’t worry,” Edin said. “Are you okay?” He couldn’t see her but felt her head nod.
He removed his hand and she screamed again, he moved to cover it but she twisted from his grip, leapt to her feet and ran down the alley screaming.
“Abo…” She was choked up trying to get it out. “Abom…” she was getting louder and starting to form the words through choked sobs.
Edin was stunned for just a moment. He saved her life but apparently that didn’t matter… just like Berka.
“Abomination!” She shouted at the end of the alley.
Time to leave, he thought no nice bed tonight. Edin sprinted down King’s Avenue, adrenaline surged through his veins. He felt as though he were running as fast as a horse.
Less than thirty seconds later, he was at the inn. He couldn’t hear Fali anymore, he opened the door and leapt inside. The fire was low and the room seemed more like a library as opposed to the night before. His companions sat around a table. He quickly walked over to them.