Techromancy Scrolls: Soras (7 page)

But here, they coated the snaps in honey-butter instead and served them on a stick that skewered the cob. Celeste took a bite, tearing the puffy white kernels from the cob and savoring the sweet honey taste. She murmured, “Mmm... I hadn't had a snap since I was a child before father bought me. This is delicious.”

The consternated knights looked at us dubiously as we enjoyed our treat, then Bex tried it experimentally and his eyes brightened. He took a bigger bite and said with his mouth full, “This is tasty.”

The others tried a bite after him. I guess he was the canary in the coal mine for them. Since he didn't keel over dead, they all partook of the treat. I paid the lady a full penny instead of her half penny asking price, smiling at her shocked reaction.

Then we moved along, munching our snaps as we searched for a good place for a meal. I absently asked nobody in particular when I saw children all around us, “Do they use penny vouchers outside the Keep?”

Bowyn answered, “They do but not as much since the vendors have to wait for an officer of the Treasury to visit every couple months to redeem them for coin.”

Verna muttered, “Bowyn, you idiot.”

A smile spread across my face when I spotted a group of children playing and weaving through the market.

The man humorously backpedaled. “No... I mean no.”

Celeste chuckled. “Too late you lout.”

I stepped up to the children and they stopped playing as I knelt near their apparent ringleader, a little boy, perhaps seven or eight who had an unruly mop of red hair a few shades lighter than Celeste's and enough freckles on his face for any four children.

His eyes bulged like he thought he was in trouble when he saw the knights around me. I smiled to allay his fear and asked, “Are you the leader of this giggling band of mischief makers?”

He nodded and asked like he wasn't sure, “Yes ma'am?”

I approved of his manners and asked, “What is your name kind, sir? Mine is Laney.”

He smiled and said, “I'm Bernard Mason.” Then he looked at Celeste and me and said with excitement, “You're the Mountain Gypsy Princesses!”

I had to chuckle at that. It seems the Owensdale grapevine is just as fast and alive as the grapevine in the Keep. Word had already spread about us.

I smiled, nodded and said, “Well Bernard, how would you like to help me out on a goodwill mission for the Gypsies?”

He nodded enthusiastically and I reached into one of the pouches on my sword belt and pulled out a handful of bright violet penny vouchers. I handed them to him and I thought his eyes would explode from his head. I said in a serious tone, “Would you and your friends here like to be honorary Gypsies tonight, and give one of these vouchers to each of the children in the market today, for their families? And of course as our duly appointed representatives of good will, each of you can keep one for yourselves.”

The other kids were squeaking in excitement, prompting him and he just nodded then said excitedly, “Yes ma'am. We can be honerly... honor...” He furrowed his little brow.

I supplied, “Honorary.”

He nodded and said, “Honorary Gypsies.” He turned to his group with a big smile. “We're Mountain Gypsies!” A little cheer went up and I giggled.

I tousled his hair and he gave me a silly crooked grin and then started handing vouchers to his friends who ran off in every direction, handing out vouchers to surprised children. He looked up at me as I stood back up, and he said in a serious tone, “We have a lady like you too. Wexbury Keep has the Penny Lady.” He had pride in his voice as my smile doubled. Mother Luna, that nickname is my bane, even outside the walls of the Keep.

Then like a shot, he dashed off after his friends.

I glanced around to the silent knights around me, then at the warm smile Celeste had on her face. I asked, “What?”

She shook her head and offered up her arm again, I took it and then took another bite from my snap as I prompted, “Does our care for those we are sworn to protect end at the walls of the Keep?”

Celeste said with a warmth in her voice as we walked, “No, it does not. A lesson you teach us when we sometimes forget.”

I blushed.

Then she pulled us all up short when we heard the music. She grinned hugely and dragged me through the crowd, our escort hustling to keep up. We wound up on the edge of the market and there was a cluster of restaurants like we had in the Belt bordering the market back home.

In front of one was a group of minstrels playing a jaunty tune as a woman sang in Welsh of all things. Welsh was a dying language. Welsh, English and Mountain Gypsy were the three languages spoken throughout the lands in ancient times, but mostly, Welsh had slowly disappeared. It was only evident in the Outsider language anymore, which was a mashup of Welsh, English, and Mountain Gypsy.

It was a beautiful melody and I could understand part of what she was singing because the woodcutter, Corrick, who courted my mother and fathered Jace, had taught me Outsider.

Some couples danced to the energetic tune.

Celeste pulled me over to one of the long plank tables outside of the buildings, the occupants vacated when they saw Knights with the royal crest approaching. We sat and listened as a young lady came out to the table from the restaurant closest to us.

We had never had the coin to spend at one of the few restaurants in the Belt when I was growing up. They were a luxury that we just couldn't afford, for the cost of a meal, we could buy enough supplies to feed our family for a week, so it was always one of those things Jace and I only dreamed about doing one day.

We sold eggs to one of them, Benjamin's, and the cook there was always generous with the coin and appreciated the size and taste of our eggs.

Since I became Celeste's squire, she has taken my family and me out a couple times over the past two years to the restaurants. It was very exciting, and she was so patient with Jace and me as we looked all around to see everything as we ate.

I am embarrassed to say that I really couldn't tell much difference between the meal and the meals we could get from the carts in the Market for a fraction of the price. I rationalized that you were paying extra for the experience of feeling like you were being treated like a noble or one of the rich commoners from Mid End.

The woman who introduced herself as Jayleen, recited their menu and took our orders. I tried to get our silly friends to sit with us instead of standing at each corner of the table guarding us. Bex almost sat but when he saw the other three not budge, he remained standing. Celeste just shook her head. “For the very long list of Verna's shortcomings, she takes her duties quite seriously.”

Verna's lips trembled in a restrained smile as she protested, “Hey! Tramp.”

My lady gave her a toothy grin and countered, “Trollip.”

Another lively tune started up, I knew this one, the ‘Tavern Maiden's Bonnet.’ Celeste stood and dragged me into the group of people dancing, to Verna's protest. I heard Kristof telling her, “Let them have this.”

I was petrified, I had never danced before. I mean sure I've made my own silly dances as I sang songs when I was alone, but we had dozens of eyes on us. My lady grabbed my hands and started pulling me around in circles. Then she would pull me one way or the other. I found myself smiling and getting into it as I realized that there didn't seem to be any rules, you just let the music carry you.

When I finally exhaled and let Celeste lead me around, I was having fun. I worried as I started blurring, leaving an afterimage as I turned and moved. My white silk glove, a ghostly pantomime in the air.

I started getting nervous when I realized all the other dancers had stopped and gave us room. My lady locked eyes with me to reassure me that it was ok. The minstrels moved forward and the female bard started singing to us as Celeste spun me around and around, making me a whirlwind of white mist.

When the tune was finished, everyone clapped and Celeste released me and clapped for me as well. I had made a spectacle of myself with magics I could not control. I blushed and looked down.

The songstress excitedly spoke to me in the tongue of the People, with an accent different than the Lupei, “That was marvelous. What clan do you hail from? We are from the Andrei family.”

I hadn't taken in their brightly colored garb until then, they were Gypsies. The woman had a sword at her hip. It was very rare for a Gypsy woman to take up the sword and they were revered in their society.

She was slight of build with beautiful long curly locks of midnight black. Her delicately feminine face was punctuated by eyes as dark as coals. She moved with a natural grace and freedom as if the world was naught but a grand adventure for her. And I could taste... power.

I swallowed nervously, then said, “We are with the Lupei family, under Mother Udele.”

She rolled her eyes up and said playfully, “That explains it, you Lupei have an unfair share of the Touched.” Her eyes drifted to my sword and then Celeste's, and she added, shaking her head in bemusement, “And two Femeie de Sabies.”

I blushed at her grin.

She winked up at Celeste and said in accented English, “The show must go on, have a joyful evening.” Then she took a step back and her minstrels started up another tune as she spun off in a flourish and danced as she sang and wove her way through the crowd as I gave her a tiny wave.

My lady smiled fondly down at me then nudged her head to the table, where the food had arrived. Celeste stopped the server and flicked a gold coin through the air. It was my turn to be surprised, our meal had been a steep three penny, but to give a gold?

She told the woman, “Meals for all tonight until the coin runs out. Keep a penny for yourself.”

The excited woman bowed deeply and retreated back inside, just staring at the coin in her hand with a huge smile on her face. I blinked at the woman I loved, warmth spreading slowly through me and I gave her a kiss for her generosity to others.

Then we just looked around as the crowds slowly dwindled. It was close to the extended closing bell that the Magistrate decreed. We were just finishing our dessert, hot cinnamon apples, when Celeste froze and her hand moved half way up to the hilt of her sword.

My hand dropped to Anadele before I realized it as the other four knights did the same. The commander of the mobile battalion had an uncanny knack to know when she was being watched and we all reacted on instinct as soon as she had made the move toward her blade. I blinked at that, I was finally getting more aware of my fellow knights it seemed or was I just in sync with my Lady?

She didn't move her head but her eyes flicked down the row of buildings, near the highway. I glanced that way the best I could without turning my own head and saw a man in black near a streetlamp watching us. He was dressed in the armor of a knight like the men who had chased Dru.

Verna gave an almost imperceptible nod as she walked into the restaurant. She would be finding the back exit and circling around behind the man. We all relaxed and Celeste made a show of finishing the last bite of the apple. She didn't want him knowing he had been spotted.

But something must have spooked him because he turned to run. Kristof brought his fingers to his lips and let out a quick shrill whistle. I saw a shadow pop up on the roof of the restaurant and the sound of an arrow splitting the air.

I spun at the sound of a second as the escaping man was thrown off his feet and onto the highway with two arrows in his back. I made out a second shadow on another roof. I could just make out Alexandru standing there with a vicious look of triumph on his face. A woman somewhere screamed as people started running for cover.

I looked at the other archer as he leapt off the roof, three stories up, just to grab a rain-pipe with one hand and slide gracefully to the ground. It was Peter.

All the knights and Celeste were in motion, she just about yanked me out of my seat as we ran to the spy, our swords were drawn, emerald energy flowing down my lady as she left a trail of sparks from her eyes. Anadele was dripping amber sparks herself as I realized I could see as bright as day.

We arrived and the man was quite dead. His armor seemed no match for Pete's carbon steel arrowhead nor Dru's charmed arrow.

Peter cursed, “Shit!” He yanked his arrow violently out of the right side of the man's back and absently slid it into the quiver on his back without looking.

He looked behind me and hissed, “We wanted him alive.” He yanked the other arrow out of the man's heart.

I turned to see Alexandru stepping through the retreating crowd, like a looming specter. His eyes dark. Our Gypsy friend said through clenched teeth, “His people killed women, killed children, in my camp. I held their broken bodies in my own hands.” He raised his voice, “In my home!”

I had never seen him like that. He glanced at me and something made him hesitate and he calmed down and took a deep breath.

Celeste sighed and said, “What's done is done. We need to get the body back to the Town Hall to see if we can find any clues as to who these people are.”

Then she looked off in the distance to where Alexandru was apparently guarding us from, and said, “A hell of a shot, in any case, Dru.”