Silver Stalker
8th Zida 719 in Raelia
CHAPTER FIVE
Continues from hereAshling had walked around in Raelia looking for the tavern The Ox’s Bellow. Her goal had been to speak with the tavern owner Soren Kvistson. She had wanted to ask if he had heard any rumours about the stormtouched people the Ragnari had abducted, ed at the end of Vhalar. But, she had lost her way. Children had misdirected her as a prank. A greedy perfumery shop clerk had only told her the way after she had bought a cheap soap from him. After losing her way again she had begun to feel like someone was stalking her. This was true ... the stalker was a limping dog with a silvery coat.
Continuing with the dog in tow, she had realized that she was followed again. This too was true. A mage, the shadow-flayer Adèle was in league with the dog. She had been following Ashling because she wanted her to bring a message to Soren. It was a small silver pendant belonging to the mage’s abducted husband Helwig. Having met the pair before and under annoying circumstances, Ashling had taken on to do it to get rid of the mage.
She had taken the dog with her as the mage said it was only a stray. After drinking mulled wine in The Ox’s Bellow for a while and feeding the dog, Ashling had mistaken another man for the tavern owner and waved at him. It had been a big mistake. She had tried to leave the tavern alone, but the stranger had followed and insisted on escorting her. After a few hints about Myrkvior’s Kin and telling her that the abducted people were in the prison where they belonged, the man had implied that Ashling might be a stormtouched due to her unusual skin colour. Stepping into a side alley to do doge an attack, she had been saved by the shadow-flayer Adèle who had been waiting there. While the man had lost his way in the dark, Ashling, Adèle and the dog Silver had made a narrow escape, running away while the falling snow soon covered their tracks. They had arrived at the room Ashling rented in a calm part of the city ...
And here they were now. The room was actually a very small apartment, not a room in an inn. They had entered without meeting anybody on the way. Ashling had closed and locked the door. Breathing out now, she leaned against it and shut her eyes. Her heart was beating too hard. Everything had gone south this trial. She had walked around in Raelia for what had felt like an ice-cold eternity. She had been stalked multiple times but failed to find Soren. All her efforts had come to nothing. In the end, she had found herself running in pitch-black magic darkness guided by the mage who had created it. Said mage was now a guest here in Ashling’ temporary home, so the troubles weren’t over.
She had teamed up with a known practitioner of foul magic. And this had seemed like the best option? The shady Adèle Air’ryn was now her ally? Oh, and one limping little traitor of silver-coated dog ...
Woosh! The sudden sound made Ashling open her eyes. To her surprise, there was already a hearty fire in the fireplace, the dance of the flames happier than usual. Adèle Air’ryn stood at the fireplace holding out her hands toward the fire to warm them. How could the fire already be so lively? How could the warmth spread so fast in the small one-room apartment? Ashling feared the answer. She abstained from asking as it felt better to not know but her inner spiritual familiar answered all the same.
The dog whimpered. Ashling looked at it. “You have already eaten,” she told it. “You ate all the food I ordered in the tavern. You are one well-fed dog.”
The mage turned around. In the firelight, she looked more like the flamboyant biqaj woman Ashling recalled from their first meeting in the spring and less ... like the shadow-like being roaming the streets of Raelia. Adèle had pushed the hood of her cloak back. Tousled dark hair fringed her beautiful face. The firelight made her ear-rings glitter, but her eyes didn’t reflect any light at all.
“I have some bread and cheese,” said Ashling. “I can also make tea.”
“I have already eaten. But I would like a cup of tea.” Without waiting for an answer, the mage poured water into a kettle and put it on the iron tripod which already stood in the fire.
Ashling watched with a sinking feeling. The water had run into the kettle so fast and the mage hadn’t seemed to be careful to not burn herself when she had put it over the fire. There was nothing spectacular to point at, but Ashling still felt uneasy. Kitchen work had never before seemed this easy.
...has already eaten ...
She must be thinking slower than usual because the water began to boil before she had time to refocus and fetch the tea. Ashling shook her head a little bit in an attempt to shape up. She found the herbal tea she had brought with her from Fensalir, a special blend spiced with herbs from home. While the leaves soaked in the hot water they pulled the two simple chairs up to the fireplace. Ashling found two mugs and a small stool they could use as a table.
While she watched the mage inspected the bread - yesterday’s bread - and the cheese. Then she pulled out a small knife from a skirt pocket. She sliced the bread without cutting the whole way through. Then she cut the cheese to pieces she placed in the slits. She topped it with tea herbs and put it in the fireplace. A delicious smell of toasted bread, molten cheese and spices spread in the air. Soon a perfect grilled bread with cheese was ready to serve. Adèle used the knife to pull it out and placed it on a platter.
“Here. Eat. As the dog ate your dinner...it’s a grandmaster at begging, this dog.” Adèles tone sounded a wee bit affectionate when she spoke about the animal.
It was already so warm in the room that Ashling took off her winter parka. The knitted sweater was enough. Adèle hung her woollen cloak on a hook beside the door. The biqaj wore silk and velvet but managed to still look casual and even a bit shabby. Ashling blinked. It was incredible. The woman’s clothing was so wrong for living in the streets in winter. For a moment she almost said it aloud. Then she realized that Adèle might dress this way because she didn’t have any other clothes. It was probable that she still wore what she had been wearing when they had come for her at the end of Vhalar. You don’t stop to change clothes when you are running for your life.
They drank tea and Ashling ate more of the grilled bread and cheese than she had thought she would do. It tasted better than she would have expected if somebody had told her the recipe. It was so simple but still so tasty. She noticed that Adèle shared the bread like she had forgotten the words about already having eaten. It seemed like it had been a lie. A wish to keep some of her pride?
“What did he say?” the mage wanted to know. There was only one “he” she could mean.
“Soren wasn’t in. Then I had to leave when that man who made trouble ...”
“Oh.” The disappointment in the mages voice was palpable.
“Here’s your medallion.” Ashling grabbed the parka and pulled the small silver trinket out from the pocket where she had kept it. The sooner she would get rid of it the better. She handed it to the mage, but to her surprise, Adèle shook her head.
“Keep it ... you might find him later. someday... then you can give it to him, yes?” A smile passed over the mage’s lips but her eyes were as lightless as before.
Ashling put the medallion away again. She didn’t like to keep it, but she wanted an argument with a mage even less.
“I helped you,” Adèle pointed out. “I gave you the dog and I helped to get away when that man attacked you I saved you. I have done a whole lot for you but you haven’t done anything for me. Yet.”
Ashling knew that she owed the mage. Also, she already knew what Adèle wanted. She was looking for a safe hiding place where nobody knew her. When they first met, she had hinted that she would like to go to Fensalir. The mere thought of bringing a mage to her home town was disgusting to Ashling. But, what Adèle said was nonetheless true. She had saved Ashling.
Ashling didn’t want to answer at once, so she finished her tea while she tried to come up with some way to stall for time.
Silver whined a bit. The dog lay on the floor, licking at its injured leg.
“The dog. I must treat that leg.” Ashling had found her excuse for changing the topic for a while. “It needs a bath too,” she added in her sternest doctor voice.
“What are you ...”
“Warm some water and pour it into the basin there. I happen to have bought ... dog soap.” When she had bought it in the snobbish perfumery it had seemed like a waste of money but it came in handy now.
“I don’t ...” began the mage.
Ashling interrupted her. “I can’t treat the injury when the dog is dirty. It must bath first and then I’ll have a closer look at that leg. Please warm the bathwater now.”
For a moment it seemed like Adèle was going to object but then she shrugged and went about preparing the dog bath. “You are going to owe me for this too,” she informed Ashling. “Even more so if it bites me.”
Soon a nice warm bath awaited the dirty animal. The dog had predicted this and was now hiding under the bed. Their attempts to make it come out of there were met with a low growl. Ashling was about to try and crawl in and pull the animal out, but all of a sudden it began to crawl out on its own accord ... or not, as Ashling was under the impression that a mysterious wind was blowing at the rear of the dog, pushing it forth. She glanced at Adèle. The mage shrugged. The woman grabbed the dog when it came out of the hiding place and the look on her face could only be called smug. “I fixed it.”
With concerted efforts, they bathed the dog. The water became black and they had to get rid of it and make one more batch of warm water. Ashling used most of the soap too. In the end, one clean but wet dog shrugged the water off on them. Ashling didn’t care, but Adèle complained about how her dress was being ruined. “And I have nothing else to put on! “
Now when Silver was a clean dog it wasn’t all grey anymore but brown and silvery grey with a tinge of blue. It rushed around like crazy everywhere in the small apartment. As the limp slowed it down Ashling still managed to catch it. Now, it was time for treating the leg injury. An examination showed that nothing seemed broken, but there was an infected wound. Ashling made a wrap with herbs to pull out the infection and fixed on the dog’s leg. The animal didn’t agree to this and immediately tried to take the wrap away. But, Ashling smeared soap on the wrap and the dog gave up.
“When I travel south you can come with me if the situation hasn’t improved. On a condition. There are people who need help. You seem to be able to ... lit a fire, warm water, cook, help out with things in a healing house. You’ll need to earn what you need, like all others.”
That way I’ll at least know where I have her...
“Work? You mean a job?” Adèle sounded like she had never heard the word before. Ashling thought of the mage’s husband, the biqaj who “never lost” at cards. A card shark. He had seemed to be into money. Adèles casual elegance was somewhat shabby but expensive nonetheless. Magic might be more profitable than people knew.
The fire danced wilder in the fireplace and shadows flicked at a high pace over the walls and over Adèle’s face. For a moment her lightless eyes gleamed like dark water. The expression on her face shifted and became closed, immovable as a mask. “It’s a hard world,” she answered after a short silence. “I will do what you ask of me. And the sooner we leave Raelia the better.”
"When we first met you said that you had information you would share if I would help you to "disappear". "
The mage got to her feet and donned her cloak. “You haven't done it yet. I will share my information when you keep your word and I am safe. Until then ... I'll continue to ... hide. The dog will find me,” she said as she walked toward the door. Opening it she turned around: “And don’t forget our deal.”
Ashling nodded. It wasn’t the kind of deal she could forget. But, as the mage kept her secrets, Ashling also kept hers. She didn't say anything about the prison that man who had attacked her had spoken about.
Adèle stepped out, closed the door and was gone. It was a bit colder in the room now and the fire was calmer. Ashling put more fuel on it. It took more time to warm the place up this time. She sat in front of the fireplace and tried to think. She had heard rumours about an alchemist who could make potions that kept people warm in winter. If that was true it might solve so many problems...
Continuing with the dog in tow, she had realized that she was followed again. This too was true. A mage, the shadow-flayer Adèle was in league with the dog. She had been following Ashling because she wanted her to bring a message to Soren. It was a small silver pendant belonging to the mage’s abducted husband Helwig. Having met the pair before and under annoying circumstances, Ashling had taken on to do it to get rid of the mage.
She had taken the dog with her as the mage said it was only a stray. After drinking mulled wine in The Ox’s Bellow for a while and feeding the dog, Ashling had mistaken another man for the tavern owner and waved at him. It had been a big mistake. She had tried to leave the tavern alone, but the stranger had followed and insisted on escorting her. After a few hints about Myrkvior’s Kin and telling her that the abducted people were in the prison where they belonged, the man had implied that Ashling might be a stormtouched due to her unusual skin colour. Stepping into a side alley to do doge an attack, she had been saved by the shadow-flayer Adèle who had been waiting there. While the man had lost his way in the dark, Ashling, Adèle and the dog Silver had made a narrow escape, running away while the falling snow soon covered their tracks. They had arrived at the room Ashling rented in a calm part of the city ...
And here they were now. The room was actually a very small apartment, not a room in an inn. They had entered without meeting anybody on the way. Ashling had closed and locked the door. Breathing out now, she leaned against it and shut her eyes. Her heart was beating too hard. Everything had gone south this trial. She had walked around in Raelia for what had felt like an ice-cold eternity. She had been stalked multiple times but failed to find Soren. All her efforts had come to nothing. In the end, she had found herself running in pitch-black magic darkness guided by the mage who had created it. Said mage was now a guest here in Ashling’ temporary home, so the troubles weren’t over.
She had teamed up with a known practitioner of foul magic. And this had seemed like the best option? The shady Adèle Air’ryn was now her ally? Oh, and one limping little traitor of silver-coated dog ...
Woosh! The sudden sound made Ashling open her eyes. To her surprise, there was already a hearty fire in the fireplace, the dance of the flames happier than usual. Adèle Air’ryn stood at the fireplace holding out her hands toward the fire to warm them. How could the fire already be so lively? How could the warmth spread so fast in the small one-room apartment? Ashling feared the answer. She abstained from asking as it felt better to not know but her inner spiritual familiar answered all the same.
Magic.
The dog whimpered. Ashling looked at it. “You have already eaten,” she told it. “You ate all the food I ordered in the tavern. You are one well-fed dog.”
The mage turned around. In the firelight, she looked more like the flamboyant biqaj woman Ashling recalled from their first meeting in the spring and less ... like the shadow-like being roaming the streets of Raelia. Adèle had pushed the hood of her cloak back. Tousled dark hair fringed her beautiful face. The firelight made her ear-rings glitter, but her eyes didn’t reflect any light at all.
“I have some bread and cheese,” said Ashling. “I can also make tea.”
“I have already eaten. But I would like a cup of tea.” Without waiting for an answer, the mage poured water into a kettle and put it on the iron tripod which already stood in the fire.
Ashling watched with a sinking feeling. The water had run into the kettle so fast and the mage hadn’t seemed to be careful to not burn herself when she had put it over the fire. There was nothing spectacular to point at, but Ashling still felt uneasy. Kitchen work had never before seemed this easy.
...has already eaten ...
She must be thinking slower than usual because the water began to boil before she had time to refocus and fetch the tea. Ashling shook her head a little bit in an attempt to shape up. She found the herbal tea she had brought with her from Fensalir, a special blend spiced with herbs from home. While the leaves soaked in the hot water they pulled the two simple chairs up to the fireplace. Ashling found two mugs and a small stool they could use as a table.
While she watched the mage inspected the bread - yesterday’s bread - and the cheese. Then she pulled out a small knife from a skirt pocket. She sliced the bread without cutting the whole way through. Then she cut the cheese to pieces she placed in the slits. She topped it with tea herbs and put it in the fireplace. A delicious smell of toasted bread, molten cheese and spices spread in the air. Soon a perfect grilled bread with cheese was ready to serve. Adèle used the knife to pull it out and placed it on a platter.
“Here. Eat. As the dog ate your dinner...it’s a grandmaster at begging, this dog.” Adèles tone sounded a wee bit affectionate when she spoke about the animal.
It was already so warm in the room that Ashling took off her winter parka. The knitted sweater was enough. Adèle hung her woollen cloak on a hook beside the door. The biqaj wore silk and velvet but managed to still look casual and even a bit shabby. Ashling blinked. It was incredible. The woman’s clothing was so wrong for living in the streets in winter. For a moment she almost said it aloud. Then she realized that Adèle might dress this way because she didn’t have any other clothes. It was probable that she still wore what she had been wearing when they had come for her at the end of Vhalar. You don’t stop to change clothes when you are running for your life.
They drank tea and Ashling ate more of the grilled bread and cheese than she had thought she would do. It tasted better than she would have expected if somebody had told her the recipe. It was so simple but still so tasty. She noticed that Adèle shared the bread like she had forgotten the words about already having eaten. It seemed like it had been a lie. A wish to keep some of her pride?
“What did he say?” the mage wanted to know. There was only one “he” she could mean.
“Soren wasn’t in. Then I had to leave when that man who made trouble ...”
“Oh.” The disappointment in the mages voice was palpable.
“Here’s your medallion.” Ashling grabbed the parka and pulled the small silver trinket out from the pocket where she had kept it. The sooner she would get rid of it the better. She handed it to the mage, but to her surprise, Adèle shook her head.
“Keep it ... you might find him later. someday... then you can give it to him, yes?” A smile passed over the mage’s lips but her eyes were as lightless as before.
Ashling put the medallion away again. She didn’t like to keep it, but she wanted an argument with a mage even less.
“I helped you,” Adèle pointed out. “I gave you the dog and I helped to get away when that man attacked you I saved you. I have done a whole lot for you but you haven’t done anything for me. Yet.”
Ashling knew that she owed the mage. Also, she already knew what Adèle wanted. She was looking for a safe hiding place where nobody knew her. When they first met, she had hinted that she would like to go to Fensalir. The mere thought of bringing a mage to her home town was disgusting to Ashling. But, what Adèle said was nonetheless true. She had saved Ashling.
Ashling didn’t want to answer at once, so she finished her tea while she tried to come up with some way to stall for time.
Silver whined a bit. The dog lay on the floor, licking at its injured leg.
“The dog. I must treat that leg.” Ashling had found her excuse for changing the topic for a while. “It needs a bath too,” she added in her sternest doctor voice.
“What are you ...”
“Warm some water and pour it into the basin there. I happen to have bought ... dog soap.” When she had bought it in the snobbish perfumery it had seemed like a waste of money but it came in handy now.
“I don’t ...” began the mage.
Ashling interrupted her. “I can’t treat the injury when the dog is dirty. It must bath first and then I’ll have a closer look at that leg. Please warm the bathwater now.”
For a moment it seemed like Adèle was going to object but then she shrugged and went about preparing the dog bath. “You are going to owe me for this too,” she informed Ashling. “Even more so if it bites me.”
Soon a nice warm bath awaited the dirty animal. The dog had predicted this and was now hiding under the bed. Their attempts to make it come out of there were met with a low growl. Ashling was about to try and crawl in and pull the animal out, but all of a sudden it began to crawl out on its own accord ... or not, as Ashling was under the impression that a mysterious wind was blowing at the rear of the dog, pushing it forth. She glanced at Adèle. The mage shrugged. The woman grabbed the dog when it came out of the hiding place and the look on her face could only be called smug. “I fixed it.”
With concerted efforts, they bathed the dog. The water became black and they had to get rid of it and make one more batch of warm water. Ashling used most of the soap too. In the end, one clean but wet dog shrugged the water off on them. Ashling didn’t care, but Adèle complained about how her dress was being ruined. “And I have nothing else to put on! “
Now when Silver was a clean dog it wasn’t all grey anymore but brown and silvery grey with a tinge of blue. It rushed around like crazy everywhere in the small apartment. As the limp slowed it down Ashling still managed to catch it. Now, it was time for treating the leg injury. An examination showed that nothing seemed broken, but there was an infected wound. Ashling made a wrap with herbs to pull out the infection and fixed on the dog’s leg. The animal didn’t agree to this and immediately tried to take the wrap away. But, Ashling smeared soap on the wrap and the dog gave up.
“When I travel south you can come with me if the situation hasn’t improved. On a condition. There are people who need help. You seem to be able to ... lit a fire, warm water, cook, help out with things in a healing house. You’ll need to earn what you need, like all others.”
That way I’ll at least know where I have her...
“Work? You mean a job?” Adèle sounded like she had never heard the word before. Ashling thought of the mage’s husband, the biqaj who “never lost” at cards. A card shark. He had seemed to be into money. Adèles casual elegance was somewhat shabby but expensive nonetheless. Magic might be more profitable than people knew.
The fire danced wilder in the fireplace and shadows flicked at a high pace over the walls and over Adèle’s face. For a moment her lightless eyes gleamed like dark water. The expression on her face shifted and became closed, immovable as a mask. “It’s a hard world,” she answered after a short silence. “I will do what you ask of me. And the sooner we leave Raelia the better.”
"When we first met you said that you had information you would share if I would help you to "disappear". "
The mage got to her feet and donned her cloak. “You haven't done it yet. I will share my information when you keep your word and I am safe. Until then ... I'll continue to ... hide. The dog will find me,” she said as she walked toward the door. Opening it she turned around: “And don’t forget our deal.”
Ashling nodded. It wasn’t the kind of deal she could forget. But, as the mage kept her secrets, Ashling also kept hers. She didn't say anything about the prison that man who had attacked her had spoken about.
Adèle stepped out, closed the door and was gone. It was a bit colder in the room now and the fire was calmer. Ashling put more fuel on it. It took more time to warm the place up this time. She sat in front of the fireplace and tried to think. She had heard rumours about an alchemist who could make potions that kept people warm in winter. If that was true it might solve so many problems...