Andoran's Legacy Page 4

  “Yes,” she spat. “It’s my parents favorite, probably because it’s so cheap. The labels are pretty though.”

  “Very well. I will address you as Private Peri.”

  After detouring around an obviously icy patch, she said, “Thank you, Corporal. If you don’t mind me asking why do you speak so formally? I’ve also never heard that accent.”

  “I emulate my father, who speaks in this manner. My family is from somewhere south of here that you would never have heard of.” The first part was true, but the second was a fabrication designed to avoid a lengthy and unbelievable explanation. It helped that the southern part of Andoran’s Realm was filled with a variety of small villages.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “In Zardis, only wealthy people speak like that. What’s the name of your home village?”

  Gabriel thought quickly. If asked for clarification, which was rare, he usually named an obscure village south of Zardis. But she might be familiar with it. “The village of Redflower,” he improvised. He had even been there once.

  Peri’s face froze briefly before she burst out laughing. “Would you like to guess where my father is from?” she asked, smirking.

  He had assumed that her parents were from Zardis. Gabriel exhaled deeply. “The village of Redflower, I presume?”

  “And my mother is from here. I’m actually staying with her parents.” She tugged on her left-hand braid and grinned. “Try again.”

  Gabriel decided to just tell her the truth, not that he expected her to believe it. “I grew up here in the Witch’s City, but I was born in the Sixth City of Yunn.” To his amazement, she reacted not with disbelief but with a thoughtful look, even putting a gloved hand to her chin.

  “Yunn’s the triangular one, right? The continent closest to Kaldir?”

  “Yes,” he replied, even more amazed. “My parents are both from Kaldir.”

  Peri spread her arms and smiled. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time in libraries, reading all kinds of things. I know there’s more to the world than Andoran’s Realm. And there have been rumors about people living here who are from outside.”

  “There are a few,” he said curtly, hoping to head off further questions.

  When they reached the central plaza, she gestured at the Witch’s Castle. “My mother’s parents used to work there as cooks. They said they’d take me inside sometime to see. Have you been inside?”

  Gabriel saw no choice. “My mother is on the Witch’s City Council. Along with my younger sister, I live with her in the Witch’s Castle.”

  After an embarrassed and apologetic look, Peri said nothing further as he guided them east past the castle and then out of the plaza onto East Street. It was in reasonable condition, likely due to the heavier foot traffic. Still, there were far fewer people out than normal for the time of day.

  After glancing over at her, he said, “What type of magic do you specialize in?”

  “White.”

  “Can you cast Recovery?” It was a white magic spell.

  “No, but I plan to learn. You’re pretty knowledgeable.”

  “My mother is a spell-caster,” he explained, again surprising her. “Earth magic is her speciality. I also have friends who are spell-casters.”

  “So do I, but not here.” She sighed. “I started later than most people, and I’m a slow learner. I only know four spells.” He looked at her expectantly, so she counted them off. “Illumination, Providence, Endure, and Sleep.”

  “And are you employing Endure at present?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Yes, I am,” she replied, crinkling her eyes. “Thanks to that, I’m nice and warm. Actually, I could cast it on you if you want.”

  “There is no need, but thank you.” He saluted a pair of city guards heading the opposite way, and Peri hurriedly did the same.

  “I’m not used to a command structure,” she commented, looking at her right hand.

  “I am certain that you will adjust. Do you have any weapon training?”

  “None whatsoever. You get to do all the fighting with that …” She suddenly held out her right arm toward him with a look of disbelief. “Your sword is enchanted—heavily enchanted.”

  “It was crafted to slay giants,” he explained. “My mother passed it on to me.”

  “Your mother used to slay giants? Seriously?”

  “Yes, and she is teaching me now.”

  Peri laughed and stretched her arms over her head. “This is why they paired you with me. You’re not intimidated by magic; you’re used to it.”

  “I believe that you are correct.” He guided her right onto a smaller street. “This neighborhood is neither affluent nor poor. It is our assigned patrol area.”

  “Does this area have a name?”

  “Not that I am aware of. This street is sometimes called Oak Street.”

  “Because of all the old oaks,” she said, gesturing broadly. “It’s nice.”

  Gabriel paid careful attention as they walked along the street at a measured pace. He was looking for signs of anything being amiss but not really expecting to find them. Thieves were unlikely to be out during the day. On the other hand, they might come across a domestic disturbance or someone in need of assistance.

  “In case you’re wondering,” said Peri, keeping most of her attention on the ground in front of her, “my parents sent me here because of how things are in Zardis. I didn’t want to go, but they didn’t give me a choice.”

  “I see. So the situation remains unsettled there?”

  She shook her head. “No one really seems to know what’s going on. They say half the city guards were arrested for being on the Guild’s payroll. The military seem to be the ones doing most of the patrolling now.”

  “And what do they say about the Zardis Thieves’ Guild?” he asked, truly curious to hear her views.

  “That they’ll be back. That they’re gone for good. Pretty much every ridiculous rumor that you can imagine. Looking at the city’s history, they always come back in some form.” She looked directly at him. “The rumors also say that High Witch Ermizad and the head of that Novox business were involved in the attack on the Guild. And our own government if you can believe it.”

  Gabriel didn’t dare say anything about that, so he simply shrugged.

  “We did have to pay protection money,” she continued, “but maybe that’ll stop now. Or maybe it will just be paid to someone else. Is there much of that here? And can we take a break?”

  “Of course.”

  He led her to where there was a low rock wall. She brushed an area off with her gloves and then sat down with a sigh. Gabriel simply remained standing nearby, facing the street.

  “I’m hoping that walking around will help me to finally lose some weight, but I’m not really in shape for it yet.”

  “Is that why you elected to join the Guard?” he asked, half-smiling.

  Peri laughed. “Partly. But it’s mostly because of them saying that they would help me find a magic instructor. That’s hard to do at my age.”

  She soon pronounced herself ready to continue, and they resumed the patrol. As they walked, he explained how the insurance offered by Novox worked. It was something that he had initially been quite skeptical of, but had eventually come to see the value in. Novox’s insurance collectors functioned as a second independent guard force to a great degree.

  It was some time before the questions began with, “Does that mean that I need to buy personal Novox insurance?”

  “Members of the Witch’s City Guard are exempt. It is likely, however, that your grandparents have both personal and household insurance.”

  “I’ll ask them about it tonight.” She tugged on her braid again. “It’s strange, but I can see the logic. With the government regulating what can be charged, most people would be able to afford it. And insurance sounds a lot better than protection money,” she concluded with a grin.

  “It does,” he agreed, smiling back at her.

  After that
, they continued to patrol the streets and alleys in silence.

  When Peri began hinting that she was hungry, they returned to the plaza for lunch, finding far fewer vendors than usual. After purchasing filled rice balls—chicken for himself, and vegetable for her—he led her inside the Witch’s Castle, because it was simply too unpleasant to eat outside. They went to a seldom-used meeting room that he knew about. As they ate, she asked him questions about his family and he reciprocated, finding out that her parents ran a bakery, and that she had an older brother who had recently married.

  Heading toward the main castle entrance after completing their meal, they encountered someone unexpected. “Congratulations on your promotion, Gabriel,” said Ermizad, flashing a smile as she gestured elegantly. As always, the woman was wearing a long dress with a low-cut front.

  “Thank you, Lady Ermizad,” he replied, noting the look of shock on Peri’s face. “This is Private Peri, my new partner.”

  Peri stepped forward and bowed deeply. “My full name is Periwinkle av Clover. My mother sent a letter for you, but I don’t have it with me.”

  “Your mother was a dear friend during my early years,” said Ermizad, clasping her hands to her chest with a look of delight. “I must hear about her, and about you. Would you care to dine with me this evening?”

  Peri was simply standing with her mouth hanging open and a look of near horror, so Gabriel nudged her shoulder. Then he nudged it harder, to Ermizad’s obvious amusement.

  “Yes,” said Peri, blinking. “Yes. I would be honored.”

  “Excellent. You may dress informally.” She motioned, and the two of them promptly stepped aside to allow her to continue down the hallway.

  Gabriel waited until they were back outside to say anything. “Your mother was a childhood friend of High Witch Ermizad?” he asked.

  Peri nodded and then shook her head as if to clear it. “Yes, her parents sometimes brought her to work with them. She told me and my brother stories about playing with the High Witch’s red-haired daughter. That’s a relief; I was worried about how I was going to approach her. Well, more like terrified.”

  He realized that he was going to need to tell her some things about both Ermizad and her daughter. There was also the issue of Peri’s obvious fatigue, visible in both her posture and how she was walking. When they once again turned east, she nearly fell on a patch of ice. He brought them to a halt and turned to address her.

  “When you begin your magic instruction, you will only be patrolling half-days, correct?”

  “They told me I could either have the morning or afternoon off, every other day. But I don’t have an instructor yet. Lieutenant Eomera said she would have someone look into it.”

  Gabriel made a command decision. Nothing would be served by Peri collapsing during their afternoon patrol. And Eomera could hardly object if he helped his new partner to find an instructor.

  “For white magic, a temple would be best.” He took her arm and led her west.

  “They will only want acolytes,” she objected, taking hold of his arm in return. “I’m not interested in becoming a cleric.”

  “It cannot hurt to ask. We will go to the Temple of Dukane. It is where I worship.”

  He felt her relax. “So do I. Thank you. I may ask them for healing while I’m there. My legs are really starting to hurt.”

  On the way they stopped at the Grand Bakery, not because Peri was hungry, but because she wanted to see how it compared to the one her parents ran in Zardis. Next door, he pointed out Witch’s City Clothing, telling her that it was a good place to buy quality items at reasonable prices. He did not, however, mention that his mother was currently dating the shop’s proprietor.

  At the temple, Peri spoke with an acolyte and was then taken to speak with an assistant priest. Gabriel waited in the large hall dominated by a five yard tall statue that supposedly represent Dukane—a bearded man with a noble face and wise eyes. He was well aware that someone had probably posed for the statue because deities did not possess fixed physical forms. But the populace liked to have something to look at and pay homage to when they visited a temple.

  When Peri returned, she first went over to the statue and deposited some copper coins in the offering box. After walking over to him, she said, “They want me to come back tomorrow morning and talk to the high priest.”

  Gabriel was acquainted with the man. “That is fine. I will inform Lieutenant Eomera.”

  Peri shook her head firmly. “I’ll talk to her. They wanted to know how much the Guard was willing to pay, but I didn’t know. This is all new.”

  Gabriel thought for a moment. “Then we should simply return to headquarters.”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  Instead of the most direct route, Gabriel opted for one that included some seedy areas near the North Gate. Disreputable characters melted into the shadows as the two of them approached. But not all of them were paying sufficient attention. They watched as a young man grabbed a package being clutched by an older man and then took off running toward them. Finally realizing his mistake, he abruptly veered to his left with a look of panic.

  “Sleep!” yelled Peri, holding out her right hand and rotating her wrist as she fanned her fingers. She laughed delightedly when the thief promptly fell face-forward into the slush-covered street, sliding for nearly five yards. Gabriel manacled the thief’s hands behind his back while Peri retrieved the package and returned it to its rightful owner.

  “That was fun,” she said, smiling radiantly.

  “You did well,” he told her seriously. “I would not have been able to catch him.” Even when not wearing armor, Gabriel wasn’t a fast runner.

  “What now?” she asked, seemingly revitalized.

  “You may end your spell. Then we will take him to be processed.”

  The thief said nothing as they marched him along. Once at the Guard building, they turned him over to the sergeant currently in charge. They then went to a nearby break room for some hot cider.

  “What will happen to him?” asked Peri, after draining most of her cup.

  “That will depend on the circumstances and how truthful he is.” Gabriel set his cup down. “And whether he is a repeat offender.”

  Peri frowned. “He looked awfully thin. I wonder if was stealing to get money for food.”

  “It is possible,” he conceded. “Some of the poor fear to seek assistance at the temples.”

  “It’s that way in Zardis too. Well, at least he’ll be fed here.”

  After they finished their cider, Gabriel escorted Peri to Eomera’s office. Then he went to the courtyard and was promptly drafted by Sergeant Ilia to work with some of the less-skilled guards on their combat skills.

  Over dinner, he told his mother and sister about his new partner. And later that evening, as he tidied up his room, he found himself wondering how Peri was faring at her dinner with Ermizad. He was looking forward to hearing all about it tomorrow.

  4

  ‡ Adventure ‡

  Hankin pointedly picked up the report he had been reading and put it away in the top desk drawer. He was in no mood for Siljan’s antics, although he did wonder why she was there in his office. She was outfitted for travel, simply clothed and with her long blond hair tied back. But her sly expression was as annoying as always.

  “New chair,” said Siljan, her hazel eyes twinkling as she bounced up and down on the seat cushion. “Comfy.”

  “Yes, it’s new. What do you want? I just got back from Zardis. Some of us have real jobs.”

  “Being a priestess is a real job,” she retorted, glowering at him. “This is about your other job.” She pointed upward with her right arm. “Adventure awaits!”

  “Can adventure wait until I’m caught up at work?” he asked dryly. Just reading all the reports that had accumulated would take him days.

  She dropped her arm. “The village where Audrey’s cousins are staying is in danger. Troglodytes. I went there as part of my job.”
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  That sounded incredibly dull. “I’m not interested.” He pointed at the door. “Begone!”

  Siljan showed her teeth. “There’s a woman in the village who’s a witch. I’ll bet Uncle Celebern would like to know all about her.”

  Hankin rubbed his five-day-old beard as he scowled at his so-called friend. Celebern wasn’t her uncle, but she had called him that since she was a child. And he knew it wasn’t an idle threat. If he refused, then she would go straight to Celebern. It was better to just give in rather than suffer the humiliation of being ordered to accompany her.

  “You win,” he said at last. “When do we leave?”

  Siljan’s expression was smug as she sprang to her feet. “Tomorrow morning, but not too early. Arrange us a ship. That’s your job.”

  After she departed his office, he pulled the report back out and finished reading it. Then he simply sat and thought for a while with his eyes closed.

  In a way, Siljan had done him a favor. Celebern would welcome any additional information about witches. He was always looking for anything that might give him an advantage when dealing with Ermizad.

  There was also the issue of missing out. If they happened on some great treasure without him, then he would never forgive himself. When it came down to it, he was part of the adventuring group, and he probably always would be.

  Hankin went to see his supervisor, received permission to take time off, and then began making arrangements. He was off to kill some troglodytes and talk to a witch. Adventure awaited, whether he wanted it to or not.

  Gabriel sighed softly as Ariel strode away. He couldn’t see her face, but he felt certain that it still displayed the same innocent and infectious smile. Speaking with her always gave him a warm feeling.

  “That was strange,” said Peri, walking to his left as they continued their patrol. “In a variety of ways,” she added, shaking her head.

  Gabriel did his best to explain about Ariel, but without getting into confusing specifics. Peri simply listened attentively. That was one of the things he liked about her.