EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (50 page)

Klawdia was strange and mysterious. There was something confident and sure about her, as if she knew she would escape death or any other bad thing that life would throw at her. She was someone I would never be.

‘My uncle’d murder me if I took to animals,’ Jemely said.

‘Varago is a doctor of people. Why not use doctor skills to help animals?’

A doctor that only treats animals? I’d never heard of such a thing. It was a good idea. Father had said that horses and other prized animals were discarded if they were sick. Surely their masters would prefer them to live.

‘Could you teach me?’ Jemely asked.

‘No. I leave soon.’

‘Where are you going?’ I asked.

‘I am travelling by sea. North.’

‘To Ruxdor?’

‘Yes,’ she said.

My body came alive as I imagined travelling by boat and the smell of the ocean, which I’d heard one breath of it would cure any fatigue. Mother had told me that the ocean smelled like a salt mill and contained large fish, some as big as a house.

‘Why are you going?’

‘My father is dying.’ Klawdia’s seemingly impenetrable demeanour had holes.

She had a father she loved. My father had already died. Soon we would both have shared in the same sort of loss. I was jealous that she would never have to feel responsible for her father’s death.

‘Sorry,’ Jemely said.

‘There is a price to pay for everything we do,’ Klawdia said. Who was paying the price, her or her father? ‘These meat scraps will make Butter more obedient. Animals love food, and meat is good for training dogs, but your dog will be loyal because you are his master. When he is no longer a pup, he will obey you just to please
you.’

Klawdia grasped my hand and put it on Butter’s head. ‘Now push him down and say, “Lay, Butter.”’

I did as she asked, and Butter lay on the ground.

Klawdia said, ‘Now, give him some meat.’

He gobbled the scraps from my hand.

‘See? He learns that when you say “lay,” he must go low to the ground. Then he will get a reward. Let’s try another.’

We continued the lessons for an hour or so until Mother yelled that Klawdia was to come upstairs. Klawdia went inside.

‘Wait here,’ Jemely said. A moment later, she returned. ‘They’re discussing something. I never knew they knew each other.’

‘Me either,’ I said. Jemely and I continued practising Klawdia’s instructions. At one stage we heard Mother and Klawdia shouting, but I couldn’t make out the words and the row was brief.

‘What do you think they’re talking about?’ I asked Jemely.

‘Your mother’s a crafty woman. She’s likely rustling up some merchant business.’

As Klawdia was a traveller, it was possible they were making a deal. But I also knew that their familiarity with each other meant they could be talking of something else. We stood as Klawdia came down the stairs.

She came out to us, sighed, and said, ‘Goodnight.’ Her footsteps crunched across the ground as she left.

‘Hmm,’ Jemely said when the front door closed. ‘That was odd.’

When we went upstairs, Mother seemed agitated. She criticised Jemely’s cooking, saying the vegetables weren’t cut right, the meat was too salty, and the kitchen bench was messy. Jemely said nothing in return, which was a difficult feat for her.

Eventually, I asked, ‘What’s wrong, Mama?’

‘Nothing. Let’s eat dinner. Jemely, you join us. Adenine, you need a bath tonight.’

‘I’m going home, actually,’ Jemely said, and I didn’t blame her. She had taken Mother’s abuse without complaint, and I’d never known her to tolerate anyone speaking to her that way. When she was gone, Mother sat me next to the hearth. I scrubbed my body with soapy water, starting at my neck.

‘Will Klawdia be coming back soon?’ I asked.

‘No. Not for many months. She told me that if you practice Butter’s commands and reward him for good behaviour, then that’s all he needs.’

‘I wanted him to help my blindness. She didn’t teach me what to do,’ I said sadly.

‘There’s more important things at hand,’ Mother said.

Disappointed, I continued washing in silence.

When Jemely had first mentioned Klawdia, I’d imagined something different. I thought I would see Klawdia often, and together, we would teach Butter commands. He might have led me to school or Varago’s house, or to the supplier for general wares. It wasn’t enough that he could sit and stay, and I decided I wanted to see Klawdia again. That night while Mother slept, I stole coin from her purse.

I would visit Klawdia and persuade her to teach me more.

Chapter XVIII

T
HE
NEXT
DAY
, I
LEFT
for school early. I grabbed my walking stick, Butter, and a length of rope to tie him up with. Mother had not liked me going alone, but Jemely was late, and Mother could not take me herself. I insisted I’d be all right and would ask people to give me directions if I got lost. She’d reluctantly agreed.

On my way, there were many helpful people. Things had changed in the town. I was no longer feared, and I knew Butter was a big part of that. On occasion, I tripped on a stone paver, bumped into people, and found a few dead ends. As soon as I got close to the school, though, someone ran up to me.

‘Hey, Adenine,’ Emala said.

I had forgotten our fight from the day before, and thinking about it only made me feel foolish. Why had I been so angry at her? ‘Morning.’ I said. I could apologise, but what if she laughed at me?

‘Adenine, I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t even think that you’d be upset if I asked you questions about your eyes. You seemed so comfortable with it.’

I was relieved she’d apologised first. ‘I am. I’m sorry too. It’s fine if you want to ask me things.’

‘Thanks,’ she said and her tone suggested she was smiling, so I smiled back. ‘You’re really nice, Adenine.’

I blushed. ‘Er, so are you.’

‘Let’s be friends,’ she said.

My face stretched into a big smile, and my heart swelled with pride. My first real friend. ‘Sure,’ I said, but I wanted to say, ‘Thank you. Thank you. Come and meet Mother. Come and meet Jemely and see my house.’ But I didn’t want to seem too eager. And I knew that being too keen wasn’t a popular way to be.

Butter yelped.

‘That is a really cute dog,’ she said. ‘Can I pet him?’

‘He likes to lick,’ I warned, but by the sounds of her squealing, Butter had already begun mauling her face.

‘Want me to help you to school?’ Emala asked.

I nodded, and she linked her arm in mine and walked me to my classroom.

Sitting in class, I could hear Butter yelping and crying outside. I’d tied him up far enough away that I could listen to make sure he was all right, but that he wouldn’t disturb Headmaster Donlage.

‘Now, can anyone tell me why we are forbidden to trade with Ruxdor?’

Ruxdor people were not allowed to live in Senya without the permission of the king. So either Klawdia was in Borrelia illegally, or there was a special reason she could live there. I decided to ask Emala afterwards. As her father was the mayor, she might know Klawdia’s story.

There was a slight movement of air against the hair on my arm, and I guessed someone next to me had raised a hand.

‘All right, Biaka,’ Headmaster Donlage said.

‘Because they sell people.’

‘Yes. In Southern Senya, no person may be sold or bought. King Erageo outlawed all trading with the Ruxdor people because they deal in human trading and because the Ruxdor people allied with the Queens during the Meligna city takeover. ‘

Mother had told me that Senya people had dark hair and dark eyes. The Ruxdor people mainly had red hair and blue eyes, and that was how we could tell them apart from us. I wondered if Klawdia had those same features. Maybe I would ask her.

At lunch break, everyone made a fuss over Butter, and I allowed him to run around and play. ‘Emala, do you know Klawdia?’ I asked.

‘The Ruxdor woman? Yes. Well, I don’t know her exactly, but I know she’s lived in Borrelia for many years.’

That explained why she knew Mother. If she’d lived in Borrelia for some time, then maybe they knew each other from before I was even born. ‘If she’s from Ruxdor, then why is she allowed to live here?’

‘Anyone from Ruxdor can live here as long as they swear allegiance to South Senya. But they have to prove it. Father said Klawdia made a deal with the king, but that’s all I know. Father keeps an eye on her because anyone who is a traitor to their home country could also be a traitor to ours.’

Klawdia was travelling back to Ruxdor soon. What if she was a spy for Ruxdor? What if she was helping the Meligna Queens?

‘Is she allowed to go back to Ruxdor?’ I asked.

‘Why are you so interested in her?’ Emala asked.

‘She’s training Butter. Well… she was.’

‘Butter? Why would a common dog need a Ruxdorian to train them.’ She had a point.

‘Aunt Capacia was hoping she’d teach Butter some commands to aid me in sight.’

‘How would Butter do that?’ she asked.

‘Lead me out of the way of objects. I don’t know. Maybe he could memorise where people live too.’

‘I guess.’

‘Aunt Capacia thought it would be good to have someone experienced teach me in training him, since I don’t know anything about dogs.’ I had to be careful around Emala. Her father was the law in Borrelia, and I knew Mother was up to something. I didn’t want to get her in trouble.

‘You merchants are so extravagant. Spending coin on whatever sparkles and catches your eye.’ Emala laughed, and I forced a laugh too. Emala had forgotten my question about whether Klawdia was allowed to return to Ruxdor, but it floated at the front of my mind distracting me from laughing and playing with the other children.

Jemely yelled, ‘Adenine.’ She came over and sat beside me.

‘What are you doing here?’ I asked.

‘Your m…’ She stopped, correcting herself. ‘Your aunt wanted me to check on you and make sure you got to school safely. But I can see you’re just fine, aren’t you?’

I nodded.

‘Well met,’ Emala said.

‘Good mornin’.’ Jemely tapped me on the shoulder. ‘Who’s your friend, Adenine?’

‘This is Emala.’

‘Hey, I know you. You work with the doctor,’ Emala said.

‘That’d be me… and who do you belong to?’

‘Mayor Vawdon, he’s my father.’

‘Oh,’ Jemely said, and I could hear the unease in her reply.

Mayor Vawdon had made Mother uneasy, too. His many questions about my eyes had put everyone on alert. Jemely seemed reluctant to leave me, but I encouraged her to go.

‘Be careful who you make friends with,’ she whispered to me before standing.

When Emala and the other children had gone back inside for their afternoon lessons, I took Butter and snuck away from school. I had hid coins in a pouch in my dress—five silver had seemed enough.

Being blind made sneaking around impossible. I had no idea where I was going and had to ask various people for directions. I was a vulnerable girl carrying money. Mother had warned me that villains would rob anyone. Eventually, I found a small boy and paid him to lead me to Klawdia’s house. The sun was warm, the wind was still, and the ground had soaked enough heat that I didn’t need a coat. The fullness of spring was on its way. Soon, the days would go long into the night, and the farmers would be harvesting all my favourite foods.

I thought about what Klawdia had said, that merchants live off the work of others. Did we really take advantage of other people? Was their work more important than ours? I pondered those questions as we stepped along a track.

Butter trotted alongside us, panting. He would occasionally stop to sniff something, and I would tug on his lead, encouraging him to come. The road became rocky, with potholes and large rocks.

Finally, we stopped, and the boy said, ‘She lives ‘ere.’ He took me to the front veranda and placed my hand on a supporting beam. I thanked him, and when his footsteps had moved away, I used my stick to find the steps up leading to the balcony.

‘Hello?’ I called.

A door opened in front of me. ‘Adenine? You’re as bold as a lion to visit me on your own. Where is Capacia?’