Chapter 8: The Colours of Magic

Chapter 8

Rhea steered the house boat into a sheltered cove.  

“Ok, I don’t think anyone will find you here but I’ve got lots of protections ready just in case.  If anyone does come aboard go into the bedroom and don’t make a sound.  Anyone who boards uninvited won’t see the bedroom door, just a wall.  I won’t be long, I should be back in a few hours,” Rhea said.

“How are you going to row with Aya?”  Duana asked.

“I’ve got a basket I’m going to put her in.  She’ll be fine, it’s what I’ve done before,” Rhea explained.  

The two of them loaded the rowboat with all the things Rhea was bringing to sell.  When Rhea got in the boat Duana passed her Aya, already settled in her basket.  

“See you in a few hours,” Rhea said and started rowing.  

Duana fiddled with the bloodstone necklace as she watched Rhea leave.  She didn’t think Rhea would be so happy to see her when she got back.  It was almost time to go.  

It took Rhea half an hour to row into the harbor and to the docks. Once the rowboat was tied up to the dock she unloaded her wares.  Her first stop was the boathouse to pay for docking her boat, second was the war office.

“Rhea, sweetheart!” the man behind the desk called cheerfully when she entered the room.

“Hey Larry,” Rhea said with a smile.  

“How’ve you been?”  Larry asked enthusiastically.  

“Fine.  And you?”  Rhea asked.

“Better now that the Dark Queen’s been killed,” Larry replied.

“What?”  Rhea asked in confusion.  

“I keep forgetting you’re out on that boat of yours.  A lot’s happened since you were last here.  Queen Seraphina finally caught Queen Duana, who most people have taken to calling the Dark Queen because of her magic, and killed her.  She had to after the Dark Queen took the talisman,” Larry explained.

“Talisman?”  Rhea asked warily.

“Yeah, the King found a powerful talisman, and he was going to use it to end the war.  Except then the Dark Queen killed him and stole the talisman, probably destroyed it too,” Larry said.

“But why did the Dark Queen take the talisman?  Doesn’t she want the war to end?”  Rhea asked.

“I guess not or she wouldn’t have taken that talisman,” Larry answered.

“Guess not,” Rhea echoed quietly.

“The new King and Queen have invited all halflings to the castle to try and find another way to end the war.  You should go, get your man home,” Larry suggested.

“Yeah, I think I will.  But I’ve got to go pack first, you really can’t travel light with a baby,” Rhea said, “um, Larry, is there any news?” she asked hopefully.

“Sorry love, no change,” Larry replied sympathetically.  

“Ok,” Rhea’s shoulders slumped, “would you mind giving this to Jonny for me?  It’s for his wife,” Rhea asked and pulled out a pink vial.  

“Sure thing sweetheart,” Larry said and took the vial.

“You want anything?”  Rhea asked.

“What’ve you got?”  

“I’ve got talismans for luck, hope, cheer, and truth, for herbs I’ve got my standard healing tea mix, and a few jars of aged tea so it’s extra strong,” Rhea answered.

“How bout some luck then,” Larry said with a smile, “ten bronze?”  he asked.

“Eight for you,” Rhea replied and handed him a green knot.

Larry counted out eight bronze pieces, “Thanks love, you’re a dear.”  

“See you next time Larry,” Rhea said smiling and left the war office.

When she got outside she slumped against the side of the building.  No change.  Jason was still at the front lines, if he was still alive.  Rhea refused to think about that, he had to be alive.  With that though pushed out of her mind, room was left for more unpleasant thoughts.  Understanding hit her hard.  That was why Duana had been so vague, the war was still going and it was her fault.  The betrayal hurt Rhea because she’d trusted Duana.  She hadn’t demanded that Duana tell her everything, she’d let Duana keep some things to herself because she’d trusted that Duana would tell her if whatever was happening would affect her.  She’d thought that the friendship between her and Duana still stood, and she was furious that Duana didn’t respect their friendship.  She wasn’t just hurt at being betrayed, she was angry.

Rhea stormed over to the docks and loaded up her rowboat even though she hadn’t done most of the things she’d meant to do.  She rowed back to her houseboat as fast as she could.  She had quite a few things to say to Duana and none of them were friendly.

It only took her twenty minutes to get back to her houseboat.  Rhea tied the rowboat up and climbed onto the deck.  

“Duana!”  she yelled sharply.

Duana came out, “that was fast,” she remarked quietly.  

“You have some explaining to do!  I was informed that the war could be over right now, it could have ended months ago, and you are the reason it didn’t!  You stole a talisman that would have stopped the war!  It’s the bloodstone isn’t it, why would you do that!?”  Rhea yelled angrily.  

“This isn’t some toy that anyone can just pick up and use,” Duana replied bitterly.  

“It could have ended the war!  Don’t you want the war to end?”  Rhea yelled.

“I want the war over more than anything!”  Duana said fiercely.

“Then why did you steal the talisman?”  Rhea demanded.

“This wouldn’t have ended the war!  It would have ripped it to pieces!”  Duana said vehemently.

“You are the sole reason that people died yesterday, and the day before.  You are responsible for the people dieing today, and the people who will die tomorrow.  This is your fault.  This is your fault, and I saved you, so part of this is my fault.  You might not care about the cost in blood but I do, and I’m going to do my part to end this war.  There’s a royal summons for all halflings, and I’m going to go.”  Rhea said, her voice was steady but full of contempt.  

“Then go.  It’s time for me to leave anyway.”  Duana replied indifferently, her face devoid of all emotion.  

“I don’t know where you intend to go, because if anyone knew you were alive the whole kingdom would hunt you down.  Everyone wants the Dark Queen dead,” Rhea replied spitefully.

Duana smirked harshly, “then they’re about to find out how hard it is to kill a Dark Queen,” she said callously, “I think it’s past time I go home.”  As Duana said the word home a cloud of black smoke enveloped her then disappeared, taking her with it.

Rhea took a deep breath and brought Aya inside.  She packed everything she thought she might need into bags, unloaded the rowboat and added her unsold wares to the bags.  Then she steered the houseboat towards Lantern Bay.  From there she could get to the castle in half a day.

Rhea paid to dock her house boat for three days, promising that if she was gone longer she’d pay on her return.  Wagons to the castle left four times a day, twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon.  The second morning wagon would leave in two hours.  Rhea left most of her things on the houseboat, taking only what she’d meant to sell the first time she came.  

As she walked through the market selling what she could Rhea thought about Duana.  She was furious with Duana but knew that by the next day she’d just be hurt.  Rhea was determined to find out why Duana had taken the bloodstone.  There had to be a reason.  People don’t just do things like that without a reason and Rhea knew Duana was lying about doing it for power.  She knew Duana well enough to know there had to be another reason.  And Rhea was willing to bet it had something to do with her magic.  

Once she’d sold most of her wares and it was less than an hour until the wagon left for the castle Rhea dropped off what was leftover at the nearest shelter and returned to the docks to retrieve the rest of her things.  Then she went to wait for the wagon.

On the way to the castle Rhea was next to an old lady who spent the whole ride cooing over Aya.  

Rhea had never seen anything like the castle before, and the first sight of it took her breath away.  She couldn’t imagine living there.  She thought it would be quite lonely, all those empty rooms.  Although the castle was beautiful Rhea prefered her house boat where it was just her, the people she loved and endless miles of ocean.  

At the gates a rather bossy man directed Rhea to the meeting hall, scolding her for being late.  In the meeting hall there was about thirty halflings already waiting.  One man told Rhea that she’d arrived just in time, halflings had been arriving over the last two weeks and today the King and Queen were going to address everyone.