Auguries of Dawn

by Peyton Reynolds

At the conclusion of her final appointment, Madi was more than ready for the day to be over with, and was almost regretting her promise to meet with Oliveah and her siblings for supper. Her ailments of earlier had slowly receded over the course of the afternoon, so she no longer felt ill, but her temper remained short and the downright oddness of the day wasn’t helping.

  Of course, as a Seventh-day, it was not uncommon for bizarre or unexpected circumstances to arise, particularly around those born to Destiny, as she was. However, tonight’s full moons already appeared to be exercising their influence, eliciting even stranger results than what was normal. Destiny was one of the five dominions of the moons, along with Justice, Travelers, Chaos, and Love, and whenever both bloomed full upon such days the results were always interesting. Judging by the day’s standards, Madi was almost hesitant to see what the night would bring, once the full light of the white and the green were showering down their radiance.

  Her first appointment had been with a drunken man whose very smell had almost caused her to lose what little porridge she’d managed to consume. Growing exasperated—and disgusted—with his constant flirting, she’d called for Mika to evict the man while in the very midst of the reading. Her cousin had complied without question, and refused the refund the lout demanded. Thankfully, he’d finally skulked off, after Mika threatened to summon the Legion of Justice and have him arrested.

  Madi’s second appointment had consisted of a woman who’d decided to bring her two squalling infants with her, in hopes of swindling extra readings for them in addition to her own. At another time, Madi might have been generous and complied, but the woman was annoying and arrogant, and so she became the second eviction of the day.

  Mika had poked his head into the back room after this, his look concerned.

  “Everything all right with you, cousin?”

  “Fine,” she replied. “I suspect today’s oddities are simply due to the influence of the moons.”

  He accepted this with a wordless nod, vanishing back through the curtain.

  Now having some time before her next appointment was set to arrive, Madi decided some fresh air might do her good. She was just stepping outside of The Seeing Eye, her hand still upon the door handle, when a boy of about twelve was suddenly before her. Taking him in, she said, without pause, “I am Madilaine Savannon.”

  The boy looked momentarily spooked as he stared back at her, but he composed himself quickly, looking away and muttering “diviner” under his breath. “This is for you,” he said more clearly, pulling forth one of the two small scrolls wedged into his waistband and holding it out to her.

  Madi thanked him and took the scroll with little interest. Most likely it was sent from some lord or lady looking to be squeezed into her schedule before the conclusion of the festival. They would have little luck at this barring a cancellation, which was a rare occurrence indeed.

  Sighing, she began unfurling the scroll, thinking to give it no more than a quick glance before dumping it into Mika’s hands. Scheduling was his concern, a duty she was more than happy to let him handle.

  Instantly her brow furrowed as she began to read. Although there were no names written, it took only a few words for her to determine that this letter had not been meant for her—clearly the messenger had bungled his assignments. She looked back up quickly, her eyes scanning the surrounding crowd, but the boy was no longer in sight, gone as quickly as he’d appeared.

  Madi frowned and looked at the parchment again.

  Mages Villian and Synna identified.

  Officers to be on premises: 20

  Staring at these strange words, she abruptly became very aware of the insistence that had risen up in her mind. Whatever the meaning of this, these words were most certainly not meant for her eyes. Then, she was smelling smoke, and knew instantly that somehow, in some way, the content of this message would relate to fire.

  Crumbling the parchment in her hand, she closed her eyes and leveled her breathing until her nostrils cleared of the acrid stench. Perhaps this was not error, but rather Destiny, she then found herself thinking. But if so, Destiny was not giving her much to go on. She would just have to remain vigilant to any circumstance that might work to explain her part in this. There was really little else she could do.

  Sighing, she’d then retreated back into The Seeing Eye to quietly await her next appointment.

  The oddness of her day continued with her third session, as it required a rare divination by gyromancy. This involved the practice of walking in a circle until she fell from dizziness, an act that resurrected her nausea and set her head back to pounding. By the time her fourth and final appointment arrived, her mood was downright foul.

  The session started off well enough. The minor lord at first simply asked what he could do to counter his failing eyesight. Madi recommended the wearing of emeralds, as they were known to aid in this, just one of their many properties. Speaking this, she was then harshly reminded of the fact that she should have been wearing an amethyst the night before, a gem that prevented intoxication.

  The lord readily agreed to her suggestion, and then asked her where he might procure large amounts of fenyl. Madi’s hope for a decent reading fled then, as fenyl was largely used as an aphrodisiac, and the intents of this man’s uses for it became quite clear as she divined his fortune with a toss of her augury stones. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally removed his perverse presence from the shop, leaving her alone with her cousin.

  “What is my day tomorrow?” she asked him heavily, now anxious to be on her way.

  “Busy,” Mika replied, pausing and looking up from his bookkeeping. “Appointments from Seventh-hour to Twelfth.” Seeing her barely-concealed grimace, he went on. “I left all of Tenth-day open so you’d have some more time to enjoy the festival. And Fifteenth-day you need only to appear at the Tulan ball for some readings—the rest of the day is yours.”

  Madi paused then, for a quick flash of vision had swept through her mind’s eye at mention of the Tulan ball. Unfortunately it passed so quickly that she could not make out its content, but this in itself did not prove overly alarming. It was not unusual for her senses to give her insights in this way—although they did typically hold somewhat more clarity.

  Wondering if this day was ever going to end, she bid her cousin a good evening and gratefully left The Seeing Eye behind as she started down the street.

  She had told Oliveah she would meet her at The Yellow Orchid at Twelfth-hour, and already she was a few minutes late. The streets weren’t aiding her progress, as crowded and rowdy as ever as the celebration of Ardin’s Pride raged into its seventh evening. She could do nothing but press on, finally closing in upon her destination at well past the appointed time. At least she’d given Oliveah warning that she might be late.

  The Yellow Orchid was one of the more expensive eateries in the city, and was consequently patronized by nobles. Madi had dined there on several occasions before and was looking forward to their signature dish of emu and noodles baked in a rich cream sauce. Having eaten nothing since those few bites of porridge this morning, her stomach rumbled at the very thought and she reached eagerly for the door to push her way inside when a voice suddenly stopped her.

  “Madi, is it?”

  Paused, with her hand still held aloft, she looked over and locked eyes with a young man who was standing just a few paces away. Appearing to be only a couple years older than herself, he had thick brown hair just brushing his shoulders and bright green eyes. He wore a sword on his hip and a band colored turquoise about his upper left arm. The former marked him as potentially dangerous, and the latter as a slave. Madi immediately assessed that he was not familiar to her and her gaze narrowed quickly in suspicion.

  Lounging casually back against the outer wall of the building, he grinned at her look and said, “Oliveah sent me. There’s been a change in plans. We are to be dining at Reif Manor this evening.”

 
Madi digested this for a moment, taking a few steps closer to him as she rapidly surmised that this must be either Taleb or Nathon. Out of reflex she glanced to take in his Birth medallion, already knowing that it would show War no matter which of the two men this was, but completely unprepared for what actually followed. The moment her eyes settled upon the bronze circle at his throat, her head spun. Blurred images raced past her mind’s eye, one after another, including several that she was, this time, able to identify—and one in particular that sent a bolt of shock and utter terror into her heart.

  She had not forgotten the one who’d given her the name Lendiv Vakli, the strange man who’d come to her for a reading the first night of Ardin’s Pride. The man she’d had no choice but to send to Oliveah for reasons she still did not understand. But that man’s face was in her mind now, telling her that he was in some way connected to the one before her—with Oliveah acting as the link between the two. This was not all she saw. Whether it was Taleb or Nathon who now stood before her, death, steel, and blood surrounded this man. Both past and present, violence lay all about him, inescapable and undeniable—and she wanted her friend to have no part in it.

  Frantically attempting to disguise her shock and confusion, Madi blinked quickly, her eyes still holding to his Birth medallion. Distractedly, she noted that his Secondary was also clearly visible, showing his Choice as Destiny. Typically, seeing this would have pleased her, but today it just made her all the more wary. Finally she dragged her eyes back up to his face; he was gazing down at her, frowning slightly.

  “Taleb Okin,” he introduced himself.

  She nodded back at him, taking this in. Taleb, then. She would therefore be giving Oliveah a strong recommendation in Nathon’s favor just as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

  “Madilaine Savannon,” she murmured in reply. Who was this man? No mere slave, that was certain.

  He gestured at her and began to step away from the wall, leading her back into the city streets. “It is nice to at last put a face to the name. I have heard much of you from Oliveah over the years,” he said.

  “I suppose we have that in common,” she replied, still thinking furiously.

  He shot her a glance at that but said nothing.

  “So, what is the reason for us now to be dining with the Reifs?” she asked, just as something else occurred to her. “Was it Oliveah who sent me that message? For I fear there was a mix-up and I received another’s in error.”

  Taleb frowned briefly and shook his head. “I know nothing about any message, only that after my party arrived at Reif Manor, Oliveah claimed you needed to be informed of the changed circumstances. She asked if Nathon or I would attend to you.”

  “Oh, so the both of you came, then?” she asked, keeping stride with him as they rounded a corner and headed for the northern end of the city.

  He glanced over at her again. “Lord Oslund agreed it would be prudent to have us both along, yes. The roads can be dangerous this time of year.”

  She nodded, wondering at Oliveah’s reaction to this. Her friend had not been expecting to confront the both of them until her return to the Oslund vineyard the following week. Ehle, the Patron of Destiny, was certainly letting her presence be known this Seventh-Day of the full moons. Madi was now more hesitant than ever to see what the night still had in store for her; her gift had already revealed more this day than she’d typically receive in a week.

  “Madilaine Savannon!” a commanding voice then shouted from somewhere behind them. “Halt, I command you!”

  Madi stopped and turned, more curious than alarmed. Taleb, however, had already drawn his sword and stepped in front of her before she’d even finished turning. She stretched onto her toes and peered past his shoulder.

  Three Justice officers were fast approaching, their strides as one as they closed in. Madi, still not overly concerned, moved around Taleb and regarded them.

  “Can I be of some assistance to you, officers?” she asked.

  They drew to a stop and the man at their center pulled a small piece of parchment from his belt. “A warrant. For your arrest.”

  Madi felt her jaw drop before suddenly recalling what Oliveah had said to her that morning over their porridge. Apparently they may have started some trouble the night before, although neither had remembered enough of the night to be certain.

  “What is the charge?” she managed to ask.

  “Assaulting an officer, as well as inciting a riot. Your actions began a block-wide brawl, you realize. Several officers were injured while attempting to quell the fray.”

  Madi blinked in shock, trying desperately to recall any details of this. Her memory remained blank, however, and she again cursed herself for not wearing her amethyst. And then Taleb was suddenly hissing at her from the side of his mouth.

  “At Oliveah’s wish, I am yours to command. If you intend to resist, rest assured I should have no trouble overcoming these three.”

  She stared at him dumbly, in total shock, for several moments before finding her tongue. “Of course I don’t intend to resist!” she finally managed.

  “You’d do well to sheath your blade, slave,” one of the officers barked then to Taleb.

  Rather than comply, he looked again to Madi, waiting for her nod before sliding the steel home.

  “Come with us, now, Lady Savannon. You’re off to the jail until someone has paid your charge.”

  Madi’s eyes widened even more. Jail? Me? She swallowed over the sudden knot in her throat.

  “Shall I fetch Oliveah?” Taleb now asked her quickly.

  “No!” she came back instantly. She would not let this ruin her friend’s long-awaited reunion with her siblings. Although, she supposed it was possible Oliveah and Reavis were also being sought by the law. Since she couldn’t remember a single detail regarding her own involvement, she couldn’t be at all certain as to the extent of theirs.

  “I need you to go to The Seeing Eye. It is a shop on Nestleburn. There you will find my cousin Mika. He will come and pay my fine,” she instructed. He would also likely be furious with her—indeed, the entire family would not be impressed.

  “The Seeing Eye on Nestleburn,” Taleb repeated with a nod.

  “Please hurry,” she added, then watched as he turned and sprinted off. Turning her attention back to the Justice officers, she saw they were waiting for her. Gulping, she stepped over to them, saying nothing as a hand was clamped onto each of her shoulders, propelling her forward.

  The walk to the jail took all too brief a time. She estimated that even if Taleb did not get lost upon these streets unfamiliar to him, it would likely be at least an hour before he returned with Mika. Needless to say, Madi had never before been in jail, only able to recall the tales she’d heard of the experience, mostly from Reavis, and so she was bordering on terrified when her escorts marched her into the building.

  “Not to worry, Lady Savannon, for you’ll have plenty of company to pass the time,” one of the officers sneered at her as he paused before one of the cells and inserted a large brass key into its lock. “After all, half these cells are filled with those who participated in the riot you yourself began last night.”

  Madi stared at him, horrified. He’d clearly spoken this loud enough to be heard by everyone in the cell he was now roughly shoving her into, as well as those surrounding. Madi heard the door slam shut behind her as she spun to keep her footing. Halting, she raised her eyes and looked about slowly.

  There were six others in her cell, five of them men. The lone female was on the floor, sleeping, or, more likely, lost to a drunken slumber as she appeared covered in her own sick. She snored loudly with every exhale. Of the five men, Madi noted nervously, all were staring fixedly at her.

  The nearest, leaning against the bars that adjoined this cell to the next, was very tall, very muscular, and showing features that were clearly not Dhan’Marian. Jennite, she quickly deduced.

  Th
is man seemed to be appraising her slowly, his dark eyes lingering upon her Destiny Birth medallion before rising to meet her stare. She was fervently hoping that her fear was well hidden, but she’d never been very adept at concealing her emotions and knew it was far more likely to be written all over her face.

  “So you’re the one who started all of this,” the Jennite said to her. “Not one of the better street brawls I’ve seen in my day, but mildly entertaining, even so. Were you aware that half a block burned in the west end?”

  Madi’s eyes widened, and he smirked at her reaction.

  “I would be curious to know what began it all,” he went on, sounding amused.

  Still cautious, she replied. “I wish I could tell you. I’m afraid I remember nothing.” Then, slowly, “Is that why you’re in here? The brawl?”

  He shifted slightly and shrugged. “I suppose one could say that. As well as that I have a certain talent for finding trouble.”

  His slight movement had given her a better view of him, and her look closed in upon his throat. His Secondary was hidden, as was her own, but she could now make out his Birth medallion with little difficulty. This man had been born to Chaos.

  “I can see how that might be true,” she returned pointedly.

  He grinned slightly in response.

  “In any case, I am sorry my actions led to you being here,” she went on. Despite his candor, this man had a definite sense of danger about him, although whether it was a sort of danger she needed to personally fear remained unclear. However, given the fact that she was currently locked in a cell with him, she thought it best not to take any chances.

  He shrugged again at her words. “This certainly won’t prove my first week in jail, and it’s unlikely to be my last.”

  “A week?” she repeated, aghast. “Over some silly fighting? This is the week of Ardin’s Pride, these things happen!”

  “Well, I also resisted arrest and injured a number of the officers who were attempting to detain me.”

  Madi looked at him in silence for a long moment, casting about for something appropriate to say to that. Then she remembered her own infractions.

  “They list one of my charges as assault upon an officer as well. I really can’t imagine what I might have done,” she then added, almost to herself. The Jennite made no reply, continuing to stare at her, and she went on. “But there is no need for you to serve a full week, so long as someone will pay your fines,” she told him. Certainly he should know this—by his own admission, this was not the first time he’d been incarcerated. But perhaps those instances had occurred in other countries, where the laws differed than those here in Dhanen’Mar.

  He did not, however, appear to think much of her comment. “I’ll serve my week,” he said. “It is only fifteen days.”

  Madi glanced around, presently unable to think of anything more horrible than spending an entire week here in this cell. She’d only been in here a few minutes and already felt in dire need of a bath.

  A sudden commotion then erupted in the outer chamber beyond the cells, near to the doors that led into the building. Madi turned, hearing the shouted voices of the Justice officers but unable to see much beyond the archway separating the two rooms. She did not realize the carelessness of her action until she felt the hands seize her from behind. In that moment, when instant panic gripped her, she understood just how foolish it had been to turn her back on those in her cell.

  Her vision was a blur of motion as the hands pulled her back, groping at her as they did so. Then she was free, and falling, and striking the floor with a force destined to leave bruises. Scrambling, she managed to get her feet under her and shoot upward, just as a loud, repetitive banging began sounding out. She furiously pushed her disheveled hair from her face, frantically scanning the scene.

  The Jennite had a hand around the neck of one of the other men sharing their cell, and was rhythmically slamming his face into the bars. He appeared unperturbed as he did this, despite the grunting sounds of pain coming from his victim as his nose broke and began gushing blood.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, watching Madi as he continued slamming the man’s face into the bars.

  She found herself unable to speak, instead just giving him a jerky nod.

  After a few more slams, the Jennite dropped the man’s unconscious body to the floor, sparing him not so much as a glance as he fell.

  Madi, still trying to find her tongue so that she could thank him, abruptly felt her attention being dragged back to the commotion that now seemed louder than ever. Dazedly, she turned her head, craning it over her shoulder while carefully keeping her back to the bars of the cell. She quickly realized what had caught her ear. One of the Justice officers was rushing toward her cell, keys in hand, while calling her name.

  “Lady Savannon, ten thousand apologies for your inconvenience!” he was exclaiming, spearing the key into the lock.

  “What?” she managed, as another officer, one of the three to have arrested her, rushed in and began trying to wrest the key from his comrade.

  “She assaulted me and ultimately caused all sorts of damage!” this one yelled, red-faced and furious. “She will remain until her fines are paid!”

  “Are you mad?” the one intent on liberating her roared back, spinning about. “You think to throw a Savannon diviner in jail and not face the wrath of her family? Have you any idea their donations to our cause? We would all but cripple without their support!”

  “I don’t care!” the other raged in reply. “She should be held accountable, the same as anyone else! It’s not as though her family won’t have her sprung within the hour anyway!”

  “Don’t be a fool! It is sheer madness to risk their retribution! And to throw her in with this lot—why, we are beyond lucky that she is even still clothed and on her feet!”

  Madi had stepped back and turned, forgetting the danger in the cell behind her, while looking back and forth between the arguing officers and taking in their words. Her emotions, building all day under the myriad of bizarre circumstances, finally came to a head—mindless of all her other present circumstances, the words regarding her family had finally brought forth her fury.

  “ENOUGH!” she screamed at them, even as her mind continued to thunder over the implications of their dialogue. If the charges against her were indeed sound—and she had no reason to believe that they weren’t—she had every reason to be locked here in this cell, no different than anyone else who’d committed such crimes. The possibility that she would be released, her acts ignored simply because of her family name, completely enraged her.

  “I am going nowhere,” she went on to state clearly, her voice now low but still trembling in anger. “My cousin will be along shortly to pay my charges, but until then, do not even think of releasing me!”

  Even the officer she’d assaulted was now staring at her, dumbstruck. After a moment he turned to exchange a glance with the one he’d been arguing with, both of them looking bewildered. Finally the two simply turned away, stepping back through the archway and disappearing into the outer room without a word.

  Madi spun furiously back to face the interior of her cell. “Can you believe this?” she demanded, pacing about a few steps. Of course, she’d been aware of things such as this happening; she had, in fact, heard many a tale that were much, much worse during the course of some of her readings. But to have now been confronted with the circumstance personally, the matter was taking on a whole new reality. A reality she did not care for in the slightest. Unfortunately, however, she suspected the majority of her family members were not going to share in her views.

  Her pacing had now taken her very near to the Jennite, and she noted that he was regarding her somewhat strangely.

  “You are a very peculiar woman,” he said when she met his look.

  Sighing, she drew to a pause before him, already feeling her anger beginning to drain away. She rarely lost her temper, and when she di
d it never lasted for long. “Well, I am having a most peculiar day. Not a common claim to be made by one of my kind.”

  “Yes—a diviner,” he said, clearly repeating what he’d overheard from the arguing officers. His tone held some amusement as he said this. “You know, in my country, you would be named a witch.”

  Madi gave him a flat look. “I am well aware of the general opinion held by Jennites regarding the matters of destiny and divinity. But as we are presently here in Dhanen’Mar, I would appreciate you showing some sensitivity and keeping such opinions to yourself.”

  His eyebrows rose at this, but he also seemed to be fighting off a grin. “In the interest of not adding to what has obviously been a trying day, I’ll do what I can,” he replied.

  Madi bit her lower lip, reminding herself of her circumstances and that she’d be wise to keep a tighter rein on her tongue. The Jennite might have saved her from one of their cellmates, but that was no reason to completely drop her guard with him; he could have any number of motivations for doing what he had. She retreated a few steps, nearly tripping over her unconscious assaulter, and then sent him a cautious glance.

  “So,” he said, watching her, “tell me more of this peculiar day you’ve had.”

  Chapter 7