by Shawnna Lea
"And they're still looking for me."
"Wait... you escaped the kings’ dungeon?!" Her eyes went wide.
"No... well, yes, but I was being tormented for no reason! We have to stop Traz." Sylvia stood, scowling now.
"You should have just explained it to them."
"I didn't know about it!" Avic bit his tongue. Sylvia took a step back then squinted over at Whisper. He hadn't removed his hat and continued to munch unconcernedly.
"You were both in on it! You lied to me!" She stomped toward the door ,and Avic jumped up after her. Something flew past his ear, thunking into the door by Sylvia's head. She stared at the dagger buried in the door only inches from her eyes. Turning slowly, she raised her hands defensively, seeing Whisper was stroking another dagger, his eyes glinting in the shadow of his hat brim. Avic decided he should probably step in.
"We did not mean for any of this to happen. I thought it was purely academic! We had no idea what Traz had planned when we helped him. We'd like to stop him now, but we need your help." Sylvia eyed Whisper nervously who hadn't changed his activities at all. "Please." The way Whisper was acting if the witch decided not to help them he didn't think Sylvia would make it home. She sighed, looking over at the dagger buried in the thick wood.
"Alright. I believe you." She moved back to the table sitting down and glancing at Whisper. "I will tell the king what you said. But what if he doesn't believe me?" Whisper smiled, flipping his dagger in the air.
"I won't be surprised."
Avic rubbed his eyes. It was almost dawn, and he folded the piece of paper he'd been drawing on, handing it to Sylvia.
"We all need to work together. This is what was drawn in the tunnel. Maybe his scholars can understand it. Maybe it will help convince him."
She took it, unfolding it to see the drawing. It was a rough sketch from Avic's memory of the cave wall. He was sure Whisper could have done better--he had an eye for detail--but he wasn't in the right mood.
"All we can do is try." Sylvia smiled and stood, shaking Avic's hand before leaving. Whisper too was out the door before Avic could say a word to him. Avic hurried up the stairs, grabbing a travel cloak and extra clothes he thought might fit. Then he hurried back down, packing up their food. As much as he trusted Sylvia he did not trust King Gerald. Not now. He was sure soldiers would be coming even if she didn't mean to give them away. Whisper came back just as Avic tied the bag and nodded in approval.
"You have another place to hide in mind?"
Whisper smiled holding the door for him.
"Of course!"
Chapter 7
It was noon before Whisper saw Sylvia limping down the hill again. He had half expected the witch to be imprisoned and a squad of soldiers to come after them, but the king was too shrewd for that. He continued to brush the horse as the woman passed. Dressed as a livery man holding a very fine horse in front of a nobleman's home, he was pretty much invisible. After a while watching the hill and no pursuit apparent, he led the horse down through the alleys back to the stable. He discarded the clothes and took his own route back toward Traz's shop. He knew all the shortcuts in the city and was confident he'd make it there before Sylvia.
At the end of the street he slid in an alley and scaled the wall to the roof. He loved the highway, moving quickly over buildings. Most of the buildings had different level roofs. Being so uneven most wouldn't notice him even in the daylight. Still, he kept low and sank onto his belly when he reached Traz's neighboring building. He lay watching the street and waiting for Sylvia to appear. He hoped the witch hadn't decided to join her family at the gates. Now that there hadn't seemed to be any pursuit, he was mildly curious what she had been told.
It felt like hours before Sylvia showed. She tried the back door, and, finding it locked, began to knock. Whisper made his way down to the ground then watched the witch as she peered through the windows. Finally, when it was apparent Sylvia wasn't going to notice him on her own, he gave a low whistle. The woman turned and scowled, folding her arms.
"Why didn't you answer sooner? You sent me on a fool’s errand, you know. The king wouldn't even see me! Made me talk to some secretary of his secretary who said the king’s schedule was very busy and they'd let me know in a few days. A few days! This important and they say a few days!" She threw her arms in the air, frustration plain. "The city could be rubbish by then." Whisper shrugged.
"This city has always been rubbish." He turned, heading toward Fairweather Road. It wasn't well traveled as it flooded in bad weather and was a mess the rest of the time, so of course it was the only place the king granted for all the displaced Lower city residents to camp. Sylvia hurried after him.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Whisper shrugged in response. He was tired of the woman's presence. Sylvia walked beside him once she caught up, and Whisper debated running. The lame witch would never keep up. She was having difficulties now.
"What are you going to do? I mean, without knowing where he is, how are you going to stop him?" Whisper sighed, taking another side road. He'd have to pull up his hood soon and preferred not having a witch beside him, though Sylvia hadn't commented or even stared at his ears for more than a moment. That didn't mean she wasn't plotting.
"As far as I am concerned, it's over. Nothing more we can do. I'm going to take a nap." Sylvia slowed, taken aback by Whisper's apparent uncaring. She recovered quickly and caught up again, grunting as her knee sent a sharp pain up her leg.
"You're giving up? Just like that?" Whisper smiled at her and picked up his pace. The woman stumbled after him. "You can't just give up! What about the city? The world?! You're their only hope!" Whisper snorted.
"Then I pity the world. I'm not a hero by any stretch of the imagination. Nor do I wish to be."
"But what about Avic? You care about him or you wouldn't have saved him. I bet he wouldn't give up." Whisper glared at her pulling up his hood. The street they came out on was packed and he slipped between the people expertly, leaving Sylvia behind. After a while he moved to the side, standing on the edge of a water trough to try to see over heads. After a few minutes, he spotted Sylvia. She had sat down on the boardwalk by a shop entrance rubbing her knee unhappily. The fact that she was so close behind him surprised Whisper. He had expected the woman to give up once lost in the crowd. A shiver ran up Whisper's spine.
Perhaps she wasn't lost. He jumped from the trough, running. Dodging between people and leaping small carts, he made it to his turnoff and kept running. He cursed magic wielders with every word he knew until he finally ran out of breath and stopped against a wall.
After his breathing calmed, he headed down the empty street and up the stairs to his small apartment. He slipped inside, ignoring the other residents. They knew better than to bother him. Avic stood as he entered.
"Your neighbors are creepy. They kept breathing at the door."
"They're just hungry." He left Avic to think on that and rummaged through his cupboards for more food.
"And Sylvia? I thought you were watching for her."
"The king wouldn't see her." Avic scowled.
"Didn't she find out anything?" Whisper shrugged. "WHISPER! Where is she?!"
"I lost her in the market." Avic stared at Whisper in disbelief.
"Are you TRYING to sabotage us?! Do you really not understand this?! We HAVE to FIX THIS PROBLEM!" He breathed hard trying to calm himself. Whisper stared back, a completely blank look on his face, frozen reaching for a stale loaf of bread.
"I understand. You can't do anything without knowing where Traz is and the king doesn't feel helpful. The witch was useless. So, what's your problem?" Avic closed his eyes holding the back of the chair to stay calm.
"I want to talk to Sylvia. She's a witch and might have an idea how to FIND Traz. She understands how magic works! Do you?!" Whisper glared at him, turning away and slamming into the hard bread with a knife. Avic held his head in his hands. He guessed he should go find her. He knew her family was leaving by the Nort
h gate. He pulled on Traz's cloak and marched to the door. He glanced back at Whisper, but he was nibbling the bread, glaring, and making no move to stop him.
Chapter 8
Halfway to MidMarket Street Avic realized he didn't know what Sylvia's family looked like. And if Whisper had lost Sylvia in that crowd there was no way he would be able to find her. He sighed, slumping against a wall. What was he doing? He should have followed his father's advice and stuck to friends of his own class. But being friends with Traz had been interesting. Traz had talked about magic and the Earth and the stars in ways he didn't understand, but it had been exciting. And Whisper?
He admitted that was probably a bad choice. That first meeting--not telling the guards where the wounded black garbed man had hid--had only been revenge for his terrible life. A small rebellion to his station. And he had to admit some curiosity. Whisper had disappeared as soon as the guards had rounded the corner without so much as a thanks. Seeing Whisper days later in the market he had approached him to see how his wound was healing. Whisper had been standoffish and suspicious for a long time, but they kept running into each other. Somehow a friendship started. But Whisper still never told him anything.
He stood, determinedly moving up the street through the busy market toward the North Gate. He would find Sylvia. Then he would find Traz. He couldn't let whatever strange dark power had touched them change his friend. Traz couldn't really want to rule the world. He hadn't even expanded his shop when he had had the opportunity! He pushed through the crowded boardwalk trying to keep his eyes down. He couldn't get caught. He had a mission to fulfill.
A hand closed over his shoulder, and he spun, his breath catching in his throat. He was pulled close, and his father's face filled his view. Without a word he was dragged into a coach and plopped on the seat. His father sat across from him as they started driving away. He did not look happy.
"Father, I wa--" Lord Braddock held up a hand commanding silence.
"No. I know what happened. I've covered for you so often since you became friends with that Kantro it didn't take much to guess what you were involved with. But no more, Avic. We're going straight to the Keep, and you're going to tell them EVERYTHING." He looked away in distress. "And you'll accept the kings’ punishment." Avic stared at his father.
"You don't understand! I have to fix this! I can't do that from a prison cell!"
"You should have considered consequences before you made bad decisions. As much pain as it causes me I cannot allow you to run from it. And escaping prison? Really? Instead of taking your punishment like a man and helping to right your wrong, you escape! No doubt it's that merchant boy's influence." Avic paused then nodded with a grimace.
"Kantro MAY have had a hand in my escape... But Father, I can't go back there! You don't understand. I'm onto something big! To save the world from this... this... well, the sky falling, I have to find this wizar--"
"You'll tell the king, and he'll take care of it." Lord Braddock leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. He was stone faced, his mind made up. Avic knew it was no use and hung his head. This was it. His life was over. Here began the torture again, and this time Whisper wasn't going to appear to save him. He'd offended him again somehow, and even if not he couldn't expect him to risk death on the wheel for him again. He shivered at the thought of all those spikes.
The carriage went over a bump rocking them back and forth. He scowled at his father across from him. The man was being completely unreasonable.
"Father may I at least tell you what happened? That way when the king doesn't listen AGAIN, you can take over saving the world." Lord Braddock shook his head negatively, ordering silence with his look. Avic slouched in the seat, closing his eyes. He was not going to enjoy this. That's when the door opened to the moving coach, and to his surprise, Whisper jumped in onto the seat next to Lord Braddock. He was dressed in the dark blue jacket and silly feathered hat he always wore around his father.
"Get out!" Whisper made a hurt expression holding his hands out pleadingly.
"But I just got here m'lord! I'm sorry I was late, but that's no excuse to--" Lord Braddock banged on the side of the carriage.
"PULL OVER!" There was a muffled reply from the driver, and the carriage started to slow. Whisper clicked his tongue.
"Don't you at least want the facts before you throw your only son and heir into the dungeon?" Lord Braddock huffed then banged again yelling for the driver to keep going.
"You're right. I'm sure you're more to blame than he, so we'll just stay our course and you can be the one to answer the king's questioners. I'm sure it's your fault anyway. You've been a thorn in our foot for far too long. You deserve that dungeon." Whisper smiled and shrugged, leaning back against the seat. Avic looked suspiciously at his friend. No way was Whisper really going to do this. What was he planning? The carriage rolled along, the large crowds around them slowing them. Lord Braddock tapped his fingers impatiently.
"Why are we on this street? There are clearer streets west of here. DRIVER!" He started to stand to lean out the window when Whisper snatched the back of his jacket, pulling him back down. Lord Braddock turned in anger, ready to tear Whisper's head off but gasped instead. Whisper smiled, pressing the tip of his dagger closer against the man's belly.
"I'm glad I have your attention now. See, we need to stay on this road. We have an appointment out the gate, and I'd hate to miss it." Lord Braddock fumed, his face darkening.
"If you think for one moment I'm going to keep my mouth shut when we reach the gate guards you're even stupider than that hat!" Again, Whisper mocked a hurt expression.
"This style is all the rage." He laughed silently, leaning back comfortably against the wall. "I think you'll do exactly what I say from now on. That is unless you'd like your wife and daughter brutally murdered in the next half a timeglass." Lord Braddock's face drained of color, and Avic leaned forward. His father clenched his fists.
"And how are you going to accomplish that, pipsqueek, behind bars?" Avic's stomach knotted and did a somersault.
"Whi-- Kantro that's my mother and sister!" Whisper's eyes were cold as he shrugged.
"You said this was ALL important. Relax. Your father wouldn't allow anything to happen to them, would you, Lord Braddock?" He scowled at the assassin, folding his arms defiantly.
"You seem to have forgotten you're in here and they're out there." Whisper got a bored expression.
"Nor am I stupid enough to climb into a carriage on its way to the Keep." He leaned forward fixing Lord Braddock in his stare. "We're going out the North gate. You're going to make sure we don't get stopped. I have a buddy watching this carriage. If it doesn't make it out the gate with all its passengers he's going to signal another couple friends of mine on the other side of the city. No doubt your lovely wife and beautiful daughter will make great sport for them before they die." Avic felt his heart drop to his stomach. This couldn't be happening! Whisper wouldn't arrange something like that!
No, Whisper would.
Lord Braddock turned, regaining his composure. Whisper sat back smugly. "So, you agree our quest is of the utmost importance?" Lord Braddock grunted.
"You leave me no choice. But if any harm comes to them--"
"If any harm comes to them it will be by your hand. Or the sky falling on them. One or the other." Whisper shot a smirk toward Avic who couldn't do anything but turn away. He was shocked. He'd always felt Whisper liked his sister but now realized this man had no heart to touch. The silence dragged on inside the carriage till they reached the gate. A guard poked his head in, addressing Lord Braddock.
"All well, my lord?" He gave the other two passengers a curious look as Whisper feigned sleep and Avic rubbed at his eyes.
"All is well, soldier. We're ready to go on."
"And are all these with you, my lord?" Lord Braddock glared at him, raising his voice slightly.
"Yes, of course they are! And we need to keep going, time is of the essence." The soldier smiled weak
ly and waved them through. The carriage ambled out past crowds still waiting in line.
"You were very gruff with him. He was only making sure you weren't being cheated. I took the liberty of charging the priority passes to your bill. Hope you don't mind."
"Passes?" Lord Braddock shook his head looking out the window at the long grasses. "I did what you asked. Now I'd like off." Whisper smiled, shaking his head.
"No, but thanks for asking." He closed his eyes again as the carriage bounced along feigning sleep again. Or perhaps he really was sleeping. It was a while before Avic cleared his throat. Whisper didn't flinch, and Lord Braddock made a gesture to be quiet. Slowly, he moved his hand down toward his boot and the knife Avic knew was waiting there.
"I wouldn't." His father froze, letting out his held breath. Avic looked up, questioning the heavens why Whisper was like this all the time.
"Where are we going?" Whisper opened his eyes, giving him that look that said he thought Avic were smarter than this. "We're going after Traz?" Whisper held up a finger.
"Correction. You're going after Traz. I'm not going near that madman."
"But where am I supposed to look? You said you didn't know where he went! Why do I always believe you?" Whisper scowled at him then reddened slightly to Avic's astonishment.
"Y-you said you thought um Sylvia might have an idea, so I brought her along. Catch was I had to get her a priority pass for the family." He gave a little nod toward Lord Braddock, smiling mischievously. "Thanks." Lord Braddock scowled.
"You're not involving me in this, Avic. I want out. NOW." Avic sighed, shooting Whisper a glance. He shook his head.
"No. We need a few more miles behind us, and this is much more comfortable than horseback. I'm sure you two have marvelous things to discuss, so I will leave you to some family time." He turned and climbed out the window of the moving carriage onto the roof. Avic sat nervously watching his father carefully.
"Father, I had no idea--"