Chapter Seven

After a long afternoon spent riding, Noah chose the town of Sashay Hills for a well-needed rest.

The traffic was surprisingly important.

                This was a town of stone and brick with paved streets twisting around hills. Noah had heard they made their wealth mostly from gemstones mined in the surroundings. The terraced market squares were crowded, taverns and inns brimming with people. Musicians and jugglers in colorful garb performed at intersections, hoping to earn a few coins from passersby.

It was on every local’s lips if you cared to listen; coded messages were circulating between villages, folks were gathering in Sashay Hills to talk politics, there was even rumor of a coup being planned. Still, according to the locals this was good for business.

When Noah stopped in front of an inn"the Traveler’s Nest, it was called, a two-storey brick building with a pointed rooftop and smoke coming out of two chimneys"he felt a prickle along the back of his neck like he was being observed.

Perched on the steep tiles was an unusually big red-tailed hawk, beady eyes unmistakably surveying Noah. But then the hawk just vanished, without taking flight, as though it had never been there at all.

Was that Red?

~ That was definitely Red. ~

Why on earth would Kitera’s demon be watching him?

Noah pushed the inn’s front door, and saw a crammed common room. Almost every seat was taken. A man in a dark blue coat with silver buttons greeted him. He had thinning reddish hair and freckles, and a warm smile despite tired eyes.

“Welcome, my name is Shaun, this is my establishment. There are no rooms left, but,” he raised a finger, “everyone else in town will tell you the same thing, and I at least can offer you a meal, and a stall in our stable yard for your horse, if you have the coin for it of course.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Noah said.

“Lovely.” The innkeeper’s smile widened.

As if on cue, an old man with a wispy beard came from behind Shaun to take Shadow’s reins from Noah.

“Thank you…”

Hoisting his bags, Noah followed the innkeeper inside. He could always negotiate for a room later.

Serving maids in dark blue dresses and white aprons bustled in and out of the kitchens, carrying trays bearing mulled wine, ale and plates of food. The smell of roasted lamb reminded Noah just how hungry he was.

No one played music on the little stage, where a fiddle’s leather case rested forgotten on a chair. Two roaring fires in hearths placed at either end added warmth and brightness to the room. In the back, a black cat sat on the windowsill, watching everything with lidded eyes.

The innkeeper miraculously found a small unused table, then he was gone, the cook shouting for him.

Noah sighed, sinking in his chair. Stuck between a wall and three groups of people, he didn’t have much room to stretch his legs.

A serving girl came by and took his order; mulled wine and roasted lamb"why the hell not, he was rich now.  

Noah managed to hear bits and pieces of conversations. The locals were right. People discussed politics. They were disappointed with the new queen, her take on religion was all wrong, she was insane to ban ritual sacrifice, she didn’t care about tradition; the gods were angry.

They banged their fists on tables and shouted arguments at each other when they weren’t busy drinking or filling their pipes with tobacco.

The serving maid came back. She put down the hot mug of wine and the generous portion of lamb served with potatoes and carrots.

Noah thanked her and immediately started to wolf it down. Still, his ears stayed sharp, picking up on a few more things.

He heard the name Mattias Dawnson again. Matt, some people called him; the queen should forgive him, they said, after all he had slaughtered so many Azurians.  

Something tickled at the edge of Noah’s mind, like he was forgetting some important detail.

But then it was gone. Drowned in delicious mulled wine.

The one other thing people seemed worked up about was how the queen allowed women in the army, guards and militia. Noah rolled his eyes"who cares?

A gust of chilled air was let in as the door opened, cooling the room momentarily, and Noah almost choked on his wine.

Kitera had just stepped inside.

She was in a dress. Simple and slit for riding, cream-colored, long-sleeved and cinched at the waist, her breasts dark mounds of flesh that wanted to escape from the tight corset, her brown hair hanging loose. Some conversations were put on hold as she got more than a few looks from male patrons.

There was someone with her, skinny with blonde hair. Noah almost dismissed him for some kind of a servant because of all the things he was burdened with; bow and quiver, saddlebags, some small instrument’s case, and a black and silver scabbard with the sword hilt protruding. Then he recognized him.

Now, Kitera was one thing. It wasn’t that shocking. He’d caught her bloody demon watching him from the inn’s roof. But the queen’s brother? Shouldn’t he be recovering from a near-death experience?

Innkeeper Shaun brought the newcomers to Noah’s table.

“Friends of yours?” Shaun’s face was red and weary but he managed a smile.

Noah said, “I’ve never met these people before in my life.”

Shaun’s smile twitched, and Jaden stood awkwardly with all his stuff, serving maids and scullery boys bumping into him. Kitera just rolled her eyes.

“I’m only joking, master,” Noah said.

The innkeeper breathed in relief. “Ah, well, then I’ll leave you in charge of, uh,” he eyed Noah’s tiny table, “finding a seat for the lady.” Clearly he was all out of miracles.

Before trotting off he exchanged a glance with Jaden.

“Don’t forget our deal.”

Jaden nodded.

“What’s going on?” Noah asked.

“The good master is kind enough to let us stay if I play a bit of music,” Jaden explained.

“Not that. Why are you here?”

“Oh, that,” Jaden said. “Right.”

Sighing, Kitera helped him with their things, tossing most of it under the table, leaning the weapons against the wall.  

“I heard about what you did for me,” Jaden started, grey eyes meeting Noah’s, “and I very much wanted to thank you.”

Noah was silent for a moment. Abruptly he got up, bowed at Kitera and offered the chair.

“My lady.”

A small smile on her lips, she sat, and drank from his cup.

“It’s cold,” she grimaced.

Noah ignored her.

“So you came all this way,” he told Jaden, “instead of resting, just so you could thank me?”

Jaden’s cheeks were a bit sunken under high cheekbones and he still had those dark circles under his eyes. Noah surmised the riding coat distracted from how skinny he truly was. Even as a fake healer Noah could tell this kid belonged in a bed.

“You saved my life…” Jaden protested.

“Her royal highness your sister already gave me her thanks aplenty, and by her thanks I mean her gold.”

“Keep your voice down,” Jaden said in pleading tones.

He was right. Jaden’s resemblance to the queen might attract the wrong kind of attention if Noah didn’t watch his tongue.

“Sorry,” Noah said.

“Just be careful,” Kitera said quietly.

“And why are you here?” Noah asked her without wasting a breath.

Jaden took that one: “She’s my bodyguard.”

Noah raised a dubious eyebrow.

“The queen,” Kitera said, keeping her voice low, “graced Jaden with some time off. He wished to meet the man who’d saved his life. I was appointed as his bodyguard.”

“Knowing of your appearance while I did not,” Jaden added, “she proved a valuable asset.”

I can imagine.  

“Well,” Jaden chanced a smile, “I should get up there to play. The innkeeper said we would talk about a room if I play well enough to keep this lot under control.” He picked up his instrument’s case"a flute case, Noah noted. “Worth a shot, I believe,” Jaden gave a shrug, “this summer my music more oft-than not kept Azurians and Etreoni from murdering one another.”

Jaden meandering towards the stage, Noah worried again that people might notice the resemblance with his sister, but, busy that they were, smoking, drinking, playing cards or partaking in arm wrestling competitions, they paid him no heed.

Sick of tray-bearing serving maids elbowing him without so much as a word of apology Noah decided to simply sit on the table, his back against the paneled wall, long legs dangling.

“So, Kittycat. Care to tell me what’s going on here?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yeah,” Noah said, “you do.”

After handing the empty cup and plate to a scullery boy, Kitera hefted herself onto the wooden table, sitting snugly next to Noah.

“Honestly I think Jaden just needs some time away from the castle. Don’t read too much into it.”

“And you’re his bodyguard.”

“Exactly. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with him. I’m just obeying orders.”

Noah followed her gaze, to the stage. The sound of Jaden’s flute did carry across the room despite the noise. Notes followed one another seamlessly, the rhythm was entrancing, fast but never rushed, and never off. He was playing the Ode to Dryan.

Dryan was the creator, the god of ocean and land"folks here would love it, Noah thought, them religious enthusiasts.

Some people clung stubbornly to their conversations, but others began to sing along to the tune.

“Kid’s good,” Noah commented.

“I believe he’s nineteen which makes him only one year younger than you are,” Kitera pointed out.

“Exactly.”

“Are you doing that thing again, calling everyone younger than you are a kid, and everyone older, well, old?”

“He’s a kid,” Noah said, “you’re old.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Does he know that we know each other?” Noah asked.

“No,” she said. “He thinks we met last night, when you came to heal him.”

“That might be hard, pretending not to be dear, loving friends...”

“Speak for yourself,” she mocked.

Noah leaned back against the wall, listening to the music in silence for a few moments. Meanwhile a serving girl stopped by to take Kitera’s order.

Towards the end of the tune, melancholic notes pealed from Jaden’s flute. Noah’s chest felt tight; Jaden was talented, he supposed.

Jaden moved on to playing The Scale of the Gods. It was a real crowd pleaser in Quickrivers. Seemed to be the case here, too, from the way people cheered when they recognized the melody.

“People are suckers for stories about impossible love,” Kitera said.

“That, they are. Oy, what was up with Red earlier? I get why you used him to find me. But he tried to hide from me, so that was weird.”

Kitera’s demon couldn’t teleport, Noah knew. The hawk had to physically fly back to her.

She sighed. “Stupid bird. My instructions were to hide himself from Jaden, not from you. Honestly, I wish demons could talk. That would make things so much easier.” She tilted her head. “Don’t you ever wish your demon could talk to you?”

Noah scoffed. “Nah. Who knows what goes on in a spider’s mind? Must eat insects. Must weave web.”

“I suppose,” Kitera said.

~ Must weave web. Really, Noah? ~

You’re the one who doesn’t want me telling people about you.

“So then how’d you explain it to Jaden?” Noah asked. “How easily you found me, I mean.”

“I told him my guards questioned you briefly and found out you were traveling north.” She shrugged dismissively. “This is the next big town on the way. Biggest inn in town… Simple logics and luck, as far as he’s concerned.”

“Why’d you do it?” Noah asked.

“What?”

“You could’ve just said you had no bloody idea where I was, and that would’ve been the end of that. You know I’m doing something important for Michaela right now. I can’t waste any more time.”

                “Come on, Noah. This is important for him. Besides, we get to spend time together. Thought you said you missed me.”

                “How do you always do that?”

“Do what?” she asked innocently.

“Win all our arguments.”

“Ah,” she winked, “don’t underestimate experience. I’m old, remember?”

“Damn.”

“I won again, didn’t I?”

Kitera’s food came"a huge meat pie with extra chicken on the side, vegetables and samples of local cheese; the girl had an appetite"and she started eating in silence. Noah held her wine for her, stealing a few sips.

“Not very gentlemanly,” Kitera commented.

“By the gods, now people will know I’m not a gentleman. My life,” Noah said, “is ruined.” He snatched a slice of cheese from her plate.

Kitera laughed. “So much for pretending we don’t know each other.”

“I have an idea. We’ll tell him we bonded instantly. Like soul mates.”

“You’re an idiot,” she replied.

Throughout the room folks seemed to have calmed down, lulled by Jaden’s music. The innkeeper and his staff could finally breathe. Jaden switched from songs about the gods to one about an ancient legend; the Winter Elf Princess, if Noah wasn’t mistaken. Incidentally this one spoke of impossible love as well.

Innkeeper Shaun even came round to speak with them.

“Your friend keeps playing like that,” he said, “I just might find you three a room.”