Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (9 page)

Doing some unexpected counting in her head she considered it. She knew it would likely be reasonable for the Dolphin because Genne never inflated or cheated. Knowing it wasn’t a bad deal made her pause.
That is higher than I expected. I know the Dolphin is one of the best Inns in the city and also one of the most costly to stay at. At twelve
—
no, thirteen — crosses a cycle for the room and another seven for food I know I’ll be eating full hot meals as I please. But if I get some good work soon I’ll be able to maintain that rate. If I up my fee from a chera a day to a cross a day or six crosses for a week I would be just under the rate of some of the best in this room. I certainly have enough here to give me plenty of time to prove I can.
Looking at Genne, she saw he had a slight smile in his eyes.
He’s scheming and I’m obviously on course. I need to be sure the stable fees are in this too.
“Twenty-one crosses a cycle with stable, meals, hyly, arit, and milk for me and clients; but, as I don’t drink much I also want baths and,” sending up a small prayer to the Lady, “this table.”

Genne’s brows moved up and down a little as he obviously thought it through. His eyes told her he wasn’t as surprised as she expected.
You’ve been watching me closer than I thought. You knew I was going to ask for this table.
Ticca had to remind herself to breathe as he thought it over. Genne was reputed to be one of the hardest men to cheat or negotiate with. Standing up, he held out his left arm. “Done.”

It took a moment for her to recover from the shock of the quick agreement. She had expected to be bartering down to the threads of the bed cloth. Standing, she grasped his left forearm with her left hand. “Agreed.” Across the room the two other Daggers had stopped mid-bite and stared.

Genne’s large hand closed on her left forearm and he grabbed her left elbow with his right hand and held her there for a moment. Before he released her he whispered, “Ya done good lady. Try t’stay alive, I likes ya.” Releasing her, he started to turn to go.

“Genne, one more thing.” As he turned back to her she pulled another four crosses and two crowns out. “Make it four full cycles.”

Smiling, he took the coins, nodded, and headed back to the bar.

Ticca knew the room was watching now for sure. Smiling, she did the maneuver she had dreamed of doing at the Blue Dolphin since she was a child listening to the stories the bards told. Years of practice had made the choreographed sequence seem gracefully nonchalant. As she turned and sat she put the coin purse back into the pouch and drew her dagger. It spun around her hand before drop silently into the table’s holder where it stood boldly for all to see. It was a slightly longer than normal dagger polished to a mirrored surface, with a small brass cross guard etched with two packs of hounds running away from the blade, a fine bone hilt, and a diamond-shaped pommel. She smirked at the two shocked Daggers, who sat with their mouths hanging open, staring. She admired how nice the dagger looked standing straight up from the center of the table.
That’s right boys, this girl is an experienced hunting Dagger and dangerous.
In the back of her head she heard her Uncle’s voice when he was questioned about a Dagger story he was telling:
‘It ain’t braggng if you can do it. And let me tell you, Daggers can.’

Trying to not to pay too much attention to the room, she finished her meal. A few merchants openly inspected her dagger from a respectable distance, making a note in a journal or notepad before they left. She acknowledged them with a nod or smile. Some veteran Daggers came into the room for morning meals. She didn’t catch a single one of them inspecting her like the new arrival she was and a few even nonchalantly acknowledged her with a nod, wave, or morning greeting. Overall it was quiet and a little anticlimactic.

When she finished her meal Ellar appeared by the table as the serving girl carried off the empty platter. Placing a square paper-wrapped package and an odd-looking key close to her hand, he said, “M’lady, for you.”

Looking at the key, she thought about her next actions.
I need to figure out what in the Lady’s name is going on with this purse. Might as well inspect the room Genne thinks is right for me.
Standing, she reached out for her dagger and in a fluid swirl pulled it from the holder, looped it over her hand, and let it drop lightly in its sheath. Packing up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she grabbed the key and moved toward the stairs.

Hairy and Frumpy stood up as she moved off and grabbed their dagger. Before she realized what they intended Genne’s voice rang out clear and loud in the otherwise quiet room. “Oi, ya c’n plant yer selves back down lads. Dat table is Ticca’s from now on.” Hairy and Frumpy almost fell over backwards complying. Thankfully no one laughed too loudly.
I didn’t mean to embarrass them. Last thing I need is enemies right now.
She noticed a number of Daggers, merchants, and workman now looked her over fully and openly.
Well that should spread the word better than anything I could do. Bet I get something to do pretty soon.
Keeping her posture straight and casual she started up the stairs.

“Ta da right”

Jumping at Genne’s voice so close, she turned. “Sneaking up on a Dagger isn’t exactly safe.”

He smiled as he gestured down the hall. “Dagg’rs pay ‘tention, or dey die.”

Ignoring the obvious jibe, “I thought you were dealing with customers.”

“How’d ya fine yer room?”

She looked at the key; it was more complicated than she had seen before, there were two parallel rows of teeth and the tip was hollow on the end. Also it had no sign on it at all to indicate a room. She looked up at the hall of nearly identical doors that differed only in distance between them and color. The stone hall went a short distance from the stairs then did a gentle forty-five degree turn to the right, where it continued for some distance before ending. There were twelve doors in this hall, four on the left towards the rear, city-side of the tavern and eight on the right towards the front, wharf side. Each door looked completely solid, with a smooth surface, no handles, and each had an inlaid square brass plate in the center. Four parallel sliders moved horizontally, centered just above an engraving shaped like a keyhole for the key she held. The only exception was the door to her immediate left. That door didn’t have a brass plate, instead the whole door was a glossy iron-colored metal with five sliders and three engraved circles around the keyhole engraving. Confused, she looked at Genne who had stood there watching her with a proud little smile.

“You have a point.”

“Taint all dat hard. Yer key is fer d’purple door,” he indicated the second door on the right. “D’sliders is a’secon lock. I’ll hel’you t’set it. Den only you an’ I will know it. I’ve a few keys t’each,” he continued, gesturing at the row of doors. “If’n ya rent due an’ ya don come ba’ n’six cycles I call d’key, store everyting n’ secret place. If’n ya don come ba’ n’fifty years it’s me family’s clear. If’n ya come ba’ you owe six cycles’ rent plus a chera a cycle for safe store. Ya know how safe it tis here an’ mos Dagg’rs pay tention for udder Dagg’rs. Still we ain’t responsible if’n a thief gets inna your room.” Looking her square on, he added, “An if’n ders a fight cuz o’you,” he pointed a finger square at her chest, “yer ta pay fer damage. Clear?”

The price I agreed to is more than what I thought it was for a small Dagger room. We already agreed and nothing here will change it really; it is an interesting arrangement. I wonder if anyone has come back within fifty years.
Looking straight back at him, she said, “Clear.” Looking at the stone walls and running the new information through, she looked at the doors again. She glanced at the door on her immediate left that looked like solid metal. If it was painted it was the best job she had ever seen, but the locking mechanism wasn’t a brass plate and something else was a little different. Pointing with her chin, she asked, “Whose room is that?”

Genne didn’t even look. “Damega’s. He’s paid up clear for nodder few undred years. An glad I am, I don’ wanna be d’one ta try an open it. Ta be honest I dou’ we’ll ever try ta claim it. See, he is d’one who designed d’locks an some of our udder features.” Her eyes locked on the door, stunned as if it was a mythical monster come to life. Taking the key from her limp hand Genne stepped up to her door, moving the sliders to different spots. He waited a couple of seconds, then a soft click came from the panel and an interior cover slid out of the way, showing that the engraving was a real keyhole but with some kind of very tight-fitting internal cover. Genne stuck the key in and turned it to the right. A couple of clicks came from the door, and he pushed it open. As he removed the key another snap came from the lock as the sliders all returned to the far left and the interior cover slide back into place, turning the keyhole back into an engraving on the panel.

Stepping in, he motioned for her to look at the back of the door. Edging into a much larger room than she expected, she turned her attention to it. There was a handle in the middle of the plate which had another slider that moved vertically next to it.

“Ya c’n keep d’door open by mov’n dis up,” indicating the vertical slider, which was currently all the way down. “Up an any’one c’n come in. Down an’ its locked. Ya don need d’key ta get out.” He paused, looking at her. She nodded that she understood the basic workings. Genne pulled a different key from another pouch, moved the sliders again to open the keyhole. This time he stuck the different key in and turned it hard to the left and held it there. “Move these how ya wan dem t’open d’key’ole.”

She changed their positions and made sure to remember it. When she nodded to Genne he turned his key back and withdrew it from the door. Again the sliders all returned to the far left and the keyhole snapped closed. Closing the door, he handed over her key. “Les’ see ya open it.”

It took a couple of attempts to get the hang of the lock but she eventually passed some level of competence because Genne grunted. “Ya’ll do.” He gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Ya moved up a notch ta day, lady. Dagg’rs are m’family’s tradition an’trust. I thin’ yer ready. Ders an ancient Dagg’r say’n from afor dey came here,” he indicated Damega’s door with his head. “’Heros get remembered, legends live forever.’ It’s yer turn ta add ta da Dagg’r legend.” He stood looking her in the eye for a minute, then nodded as if she had made the mark. “Dro’ d’udder key off when yer don mov’n.” He turned and went down the stairs without another word.

Well, I wanted to be a Dagger, and I am. Honor, courage and commitment will win, just like you said, Uncle.
In the back of her mind she heard her Uncle’s voice:
‘Nobody ever drowned in sweat girl, so dig in and work hard.’
With a nervous glance at the metal door across the hall from hers, she stepped into the room and closed the door.
I just rented the room across the hall from Damega’s, in the biggest trade city of the realm. Uncle, you wouldn’t believe this in a million years. Lady forgive me, I don’t believe it myself.

She checked that the door was locked and stepped over to the large bed which was in a small alcove with an armoire on the right. Turning, she felt giddy looking at the magnificent room she could call her own. It was larger than she’d expected, with a dining or planning table filling the recess that jutted out to the left of the doorway. She stepped over to the street-side window and brushed her hand along the empty bookcase next to it. She plopped into one of the four overstuffed chairs in front of the bookcase and enjoyed the feeling of her own space.

There was a door behind the entry door. Curiously, Ticca stood up and opened it. She stood, shocked for a moment that she even had a private toilet with a clothes storage room big enough for dozens of outfits with room to spare.
Wow, I have running water in my room and I don’t have to use the communal toilet. I’m not even going to try to explain this to Uncle. If he comes he’ll be shocked silent.

Wandering over to the window, she looked out on the street in front of the tavern. Merchants and workmen moved back and forth along the wharf road. Large carts were being pushed or pulled in every direction imaginable. She noted that the window could be opened inward and had outer shutters. The view was amazing, the glass was almost flawless. Something about it made her look closer and she found that the frame was made of metal and the glass was an unbelievable inch thick. The security of the window was made even stronger by a set of inner shutters made of iron which could be closed and bolted shut.

Turning around she took in her new room again from the window.
Now I know why the rate was higher than I expected. This is more than I ever imagined. To think this place has been here for hundreds of years. I wonder who has used this room, if I ever heard of them in a bard’s tale.
Smiling widely, she laughed.
I wonder what the bards will do with a name like Ticca.

She shook her head.
I have things to do and I need to get back down there to get work to keep this place
. She quickly found a place for most of the stuff in her pack. Then she took off her belt and pulled the mysterious pouch off of it. Laying her belt out on the bed she took the pouch over to the low table and sat down in one of the stuffed chairs.
Oh Lady, these are comfortable.
She leaned back and enjoyed the comfortable feeling. Then she noticed a low stone table, just the right height for a drink… or her feet. So she put her feet up on it, finding it solidly in place. Holding the pouch with both hands, she started looking at it again, more closely this time.

It seemed a simple, medium-sized pouch.
You know, this is just the right size for a small travel book. And the package the Knife handed over in the Night Market would have fit in this perfectly, if nothing else was in it.
Opening the pouch, she discovered that it still had the coin purse and other items, which she now pulled out. There was a flint pack, some string looped so that so it could be pulled out easily, a small red wax candle, a small high-quality mirror in a silk sleeve, three circular stones that looked like fat coins but which stuck together quite strongly, and a second purse of brown silk that held five gems. Taking the cloth coin purse, she emptied it and counted thirty-two crosses, six cheras, nine bells, sixteen pence, and five rings.
The gems have to be worth at least fifteen, maybe twenty crowns. Lady, that wasn’t just any simple Knife! He had thieves’ tools, was carrying as much as a noble would, and wearing a pair of magic boots.