The Northern Approach (59 page)

“We can share it,” Dalania said suddenly, though she was still eyeing the door as if the human man would come barging in at any moment. She stopped wringing her hands for a moment, but then toyed with the end of her long hair, as though she had to fidget with something when nervous. “You, I don’t worry about.”

That made Raeln’s ears stand straight, wondering what the woman was getting at. “What’s that supposed to mean? Yoska scares you, but I don’t?”

Dalania laughed lightly, motioning to the bed. “Men are easy to read by their eyes. Yoska’s eyes are drawn to me, and I see in them thoughts of a woman who is gone. He has no malice, but he also has thoughts that he might act on. You watched the man outside this room the way Yoska looks at me, admiring while thinking of another. I understand and have no reason to fear you. This is why I already told you that I consider you like a brother. Why do you think I keep you close?”

“And if you misunderstand me?”

Dalania shook her head at that. “You continue to try to intimidate others, even those you trust,” she observed. “You fear being viewed as weak, when I doubt anyone would be willing to call you that. Do not put on a mask. I gave up hiding behind my own not that long ago, and for all my failings, I would never go back to it. Be who you are. Everyone already knows, so why hide?”

Reluctantly, Raeln went to the bed and was soon joined by Dalania, who curled up against him. The woman made him think of his sister yet again, who had always been comfortable with him, even when others had made fun of her for sleeping with her brother. Like Dalania, she had done it because it made her feel safe, though in the end it had not been enough to save her.

Deep down, it honestly made Raeln feel safer too.

*

Raeln woke early…insanely early, judging by the dark windows. He initially thought to return to sleep, but then realized he was alone in the room. Looking around, he could not find any sign of Dalania and the door was ajar. Sniffing, he found her scent was faint, as though she had snuck away an hour or more prior. He could not pick up any other scents, hinting that she left under her own power.

Getting up slowly and listening for any sound of trouble, Raeln went to the door and peeked out into the hall. There was no one out there that he could see, but somewhere in the house he could hear faint conversation in hushed tones. Following the voices, he made his way to the entry room, where he found the gathered prostitutes that had greeted them upon entry…plus a few more that had been occupied elsewhere at that time. As he entered the well-lit room, ten human faces turned his way, plus Dalania’s. The fae-kin woman smiled and waved him over to join them.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he wandered closer. He hesitated just outside the group of people when, at almost the same time, one of the men and one of the women patted the floor beside themselves, giving him a coy smile. Too tired to even object, Raeln practically collapsed beside the man.

“I had to face some old fears,” Dalania explained, getting nods from several of the humans. “Years of being forced into places like this or similar situations made me fear the place, rather than the people. I wanted to talk to them and see how they were being treated and let them know what the world is like outside the city…they don’t get much news, beyond city gossip.”

The barely clothed group of humans whispered their agreement with her assessment, as the man beside Raeln put a hand on Raeln’s knee. Sighing, Raeln pushed his hand away, though the man seemed more amused by the act than dissuaded. Raeln began to wonder if he had become a game of sport for these people.

“I’m sorry,” Dalania went on. “Yoska woke me when he got up to go make his deals over our wagon. I heard some of these fine folk up talking and chose to join them. We have learned much from one another.”

“Like the fact that your group is the first we have seen go north in months,” one of the men noted. “Hundreds have fled south, but never north.”

Dalania smiled back at the man. “Or that Jnodin still resists Turessi from within and that they are using your house as a relay for information to the resistance. Apparently the whore houses and several other groups are working together in this.”

That snapped Raeln awake immediately. “Resistance?”

“Yes,” Dalania said, with most of the humans smiling wickedly. “Officially, the city has been taken by Turessi without a fight. This treaty was made without any consultation of the people. As a result, a large portion of the population is waiting for the right time to fight back. They even allowed in a Turessian so that they could study him before engaging him in battle.”

Raeln studied the faces of the men and women and saw a hardened resolve, similar to that on the faces of slaves he had met near Lantonne. They were not warriors, but they were willing to risk themselves in whatever way they could find to help further the causes of those who would be warriors. He was willing to bet they would fight in their own ways from the shadows when the time was right.

“Do you know where Yoska went?” Raeln asked, but Dalania shook her head.

“I do,” the man beside Raeln told him, putting his hand back on Raeln’s knee. “I can show you what you need.”

“Just show me where Yoska is,” snapped Raeln, a little more harshly than intended. Apparently his words did not insult anyone, as the man and most of the other humans laughed.

Getting up, the man who had spoken motioned for Raeln to follow. “You can’t blame me for trying,” he told Raeln, waiting for him to stand as well. “Old habits die hard. Besides, we don’t exactly get wildlings around these parts. I haven’t even seen one since I was a child far west of here. There’s something about exotic people…”

One of the woman added, “He’s leaving out that we placed a wager on who might be able to draw your interest. So far, I’m winning my bet.”

“However, I do know where your friend is,” the man beside Raeln noted, giving the woman a somewhat catty and annoyed glare. “Follow me. They’re outside and down the street a little. Not far, I promise.”

Raeln looked down at Dalania, surrounded by the group of men and women. “Will you be all right here? I want to be sure Yoska’s not selling us to the highest bidder.”

“I’ll be fine, Raeln,” she said, smiling. She did appear more comfortable than he had seen her since she had stopped hiding in plain sight as the fox. “Go and check on him. Hurry back, though.”

Following the human man out of the inn and onto the dark streets, Raeln was surprised by the number of different scents that were still strong so late into the night. Many cities tended to become as mild as they were quiet once the sun set, but Jnodin smelled more active than most. He could smell the stables, but he also picked up a lot of humans having passed by recently…and dogs, though that scent was partially concealed by incense. It was somewhat bewildering, but he guessed one of the neighboring homes had something burning that was throwing off his nose.

“Down here,” the man told him, walking toward the stable. “They only arrived here about half an hour ago, so they should still be arguing, if I know anything about their people. They may not have even moved past insulting one another. I believe they have to insult every one of their ancestors before they can begin haggling.”

Sure enough, as they passed the stables, Raeln could hear two men bickering. The human led him to the far side, where a wide shadowed area for storing supplies between the inn and the city walls had been occupied by their wagon. Standing behind it was Yoska, having changed back into his blue silks with brown trim—despite the hole in the side where he had been wounded long ago—and another man, dressed in maroon silk with grey accents. The two were arguing, but in soft voices that did not carry far.

“Is a fine wagon!” Yoska was saying, gesturing broadly at the wagon. “You have no finer among yours, no?”

“Is stolen!” the other man snapped back, pointing at a dried bloodstain near the door from their battle with the undead patrol. “You wish to sell me stolen goods so that I am target of law, yes?”

“Stolen does not make it any less of a fine wagon.”

“It makes it worth less.”

“It makes it worth more, as it has character, yes?”

“Burns are not character, Yoska.”

“You have scars you claim give you character. How are burns different?”

“Wagon is not built for winter. Will be very cold this far north.”

“Why do you think I sell? We are going north and need something better-suited. You already say you head south. Is much better for you.”

“You still owe me for getting me arrested in Thindor, Yoska. You should give me the wagon, no?”

“Is not my fault you cheat badly at cards. Besides, I made it up by finding a husband for that cow of girl you call niece. Boy I find was great choice and save her from cross-eyed cousin from Erasha.”

“That—” The man in maroon stopped and thought a moment, going from anger to mild annoyance. “—is true. I raise my offer to thirty.”

“Thirty-two and no lower.”

Making a show of appearing wounded, the man begrudgingly took Yoska’s hand. As soon as he did, Yoska added, “And warm clothing for our journey for myself and my companions.”

“You will get thirty and clothes,” the man conceded. “Do not push luck, cousin. That price will get you small wagon that is built for the winter and a few horses.”

“I have pushed all I wish,” Yoska replied, grinning.

The two men seemed to finally notice Raeln and the man with him. The maroon-silked gypsy eyed the human beside Raeln and then turned his attention to Raeln. “Big one is your companion, yes? He keeps small toys for such big man. My cousin would say he is likely to break small toys.”

The human at Raeln’s side grinned and stifled laughter, while Raeln clenched his fists, glad that his kind could not blush the way humans did.

“Yes, big one is companion,” Yoska agreed, leaning on the wagon. “Little one…I do not know where he found that. We do not keep that one. I throw him back.”

The other gypsy replied, “I see you have pretty fae-kin with you. I could not help but see who you travel with when I hear you wish to barter. Is almost like old days, no? Traveling world with exotic people to see things that our clans have forgotten. She is with you in very familiar way?”

Yoska reacted swiftly, punching the other man in the throat just hard enough that he coughed and gagged. “No, is not like old days,” said Yoska as he lowered his hand, looking older than Raeln had ever seen him. He appeared genuinely tired, and the laughter lines on his face deepened, truly showing his age. “In old days we travel because we could. Now, we travel to stay alive, while our families die. All of my companions are to be treated as family. I am sorry about throat, but you know better than to speak of people like this, cousin.”

Patting Yoska’s shoulder as he straightened, the other man told him in a somewhat hoarse voice, “Not all the clans are so scattered. There is hope for many. Do not trouble yourself so, cousin. I will see to it that your clothing is delivered within the hour, on my honor. I apologize for speaking so of the woman. Will not happen again.” Excusing himself, the maroon-clad gypsy placed a jingling bag of coin into Yoska’s hand and hurried off onto the streets.

“Leave us,” Raeln told the man from the inn, who bowed his head and went back toward the inn. Once he was out of sight, Raeln walked over to stand beside Yoska, leaning on the wagon.

“Is getting harder to do this,” Yoska said, shaking his head sadly. “My cousin, Gunari, he brings news that his clan is nearly as decimated as my own. They were on the road when Turessian army swept south. Many dead. The rest, they fled. There is talk that some of the oldest families may soon join Turessi in hope of keeping our people alive through ill-advised bargain.”

Raeln looked around the dark walled area uncomfortably, unsure what to say. As he did, he thought he saw movement out near the street. He could not spot it again when he searched, but he swore he saw robes. After so long running from Turessians, he guessed it was becoming habit to see them at every turn. Again, that hint of incense and fur.