Chapter 1, Pages 12-16
The
body Brinarey was holding was wearing Yislon’s clothing, but Rielari
couldn’t believe it. The girls face was swollen beyond recognition,
her arms were contorted at unnatural angles and there were several
large bleeding holes in her torso. One of her small once perfect
breasts was ripped from her body and hanging from a small flap of
skin. Large and small ugly bruises covered her creamy white legs.
“Who,”
was all Rielari could bring herself to say.
Brinarey
shook her head, “A noble passing through.”
“Who,”
she shouted.
The
Madame shrunk back, scared of the rage in Rielari’s voice, “He said
his name was Zefrik.”
“Where
is he from,” Rielari ground out between clenched teeth.
Flinching
Brinarey spoke, “Friat.”
Friat
was a very large island, it was at least a few weeks journey south of
Geal. It was located off the coast of Dakrim, Rielari was certain.
She had also heard rumors that the family was so inbred they were
sterile.
“Was
he traveling back to Friat?”
The
cold stoney look Brinarey received made her shiver, “I think so,
I’m not certain. He was traveling with a large group.”
Rielari
nodded her head absently, standing she placed the lilies she had
bought on Yislon’s shattered breast. The stems were crushed but the
blossoms were unblemished. Tenderly leaning down she kissed the dead
girls bruised, swollen forehead.
“Bury
her with those,” Rielari whispered giving the Madame several gold
coins to assure a proper burial. Brinarey’s eyes went wide at the
sum, and nodded her head.
Standing,
Rielari walked to the small dresser in the cramped room that she had
shared her last moments with the girl she loved. Grabbing the
pendant Yislon had always worn when she wasn’t working, Rielari
placed it around her neck. Walking back over to the lifeless body
she knelt, gently taking a lock of blue hair in her hands she sighed.
Drawing one of her hidden daggers, she cut the lock free. Putting
it in her small medicine pouch, with the vials she had just
purchased, Rielari left the room.
Not
trusting herself to look back, Rielari went down to the kitchen
silently. The old couple were weeping together in the corner, when
she entered. Their heads snapped up when they heard the door slam.
“I
need some travel rations,” Rielari said almost apologetically.
“Le
mi ged ye dat,” Asunjia sniffled.
Joreb
rubbed his eyes and stood to help his wife get everything ready.
They emerged from storage room with an armful of dried food and a
large water pouch.
“I
can have the grouper ready for you in a minute,” Joreb stated.
“Thank
you, I need to go get a few things before I leave. If you would have
him ready with the supplies loaded, I should only be a few hours.”
That
said, Rielari left the sad couple to see the smithy. His shop was
only a few doors down from the brothel. Entering the establishment
the cold look in her eyes quieted the usually jolly man.
“I
need a few things, Enerak,” Rielari looked at the few items on
display.
<p align="JUSTIFY" style=”text-indent: 0.2in; margin-bottom: 0in”>“You
have death in your eyes,” Enerak concluded, “What were you
looking for Lady Rielari.”
With
a skillful eye she grabbed a set of throwing stars. They were
beautifully crafted with small lotus flowers covering each deadly
blade.
“Those
came in my last shipment from Bocliv,” Enerak stated watching
Rielari appraising the stars.
Rielari
nodded her head, Bocliv always had the best blades. She placed them
on the counter and looked at the talented smithy.
“I
need two blades four inches in length, small grips, and an edge on
each side. I also need two short katana’s about as long as my arms.
If you have any I also could use a quiver full of arrows,” Rielari
said mentally counting off the weapons.
“Preparing
for war,” the smithy’s eyebrow lifted slightly as he shook his
head, “I have most of that in stock, in the back. Just a moment
I’ll be right back.” Enerak left the front room through a large
leather curtain.
Rielari
started to pace with an agitated urgency to her step. She was a good
tracker, but she had to confirm that this Lord Zefrik was heading
towards Friat, she had to go ask the right questions at the local
pubs. It would take Enerak several hours to produce the blades she
needed and she would not waste a single minute.
“Well
I have the quiver and arrows,” Enerak said emerging with his arms
full, “And the two katana’s, but I’ll need to make you the daggers.
Should take about two hours unless you want some designs on the
blades.”
“No,”
Rielari shook her head, “I will be back to get everything.”
Leaving
the smithy to do his work, Rielari went to one of the richer pubs in
the city. She rarely went there, knowing that the nobles that
frequented those places were not the kind of people she liked to be
around. She did however know most of the staff in each pub in Geal.
Going to the service entrance of The Golden Goose she tapped on the
door. As it opened the loud voices of the patrons drifted out on the
warm breeze along with the smell of fresh cooked meats.
“Rielari,
it’s so good to see you,” the cook said cheerfully as he hurried
back to the fire and the food he was cooking.
“Trignik,
how are you,” Rielari paused hoping to engage the manic chief in
conversation.
“Eh,
very busy,” Trignik paused briefly, “What’s the matter girl?”
“I
need some information,” Rielari looked directly at the man with a
cold stare.
Brushing
his hands on his apron, Trignik gave her his undivided attention for
a brief moment, “What kind of information were you looking for?”
“I’m
looking for information on a noble by the name of Zefrik,” simply
stated.
Trignik
grabbed a huge slab of cooked beef from the fire and dropped it on
the large wood cutting board. Slowly he began slicing thin strips of
meat. Rielari watched him methodically cutting, knowing he was
thinking of everything he knew about the noble in question. Patience
was not on her side however and she began slowly tapping her foot.
Feeling unsettled as the silence grew, she slowly began pacing with
an agitated jerk in her step.
“Will
you stop that, I can’t think,” Trignik snorted.
“Sorry,”
Rielari mumbled under her breath. Pausing mid-step, she took a seat
on a stool close to the back door. Not able to sit still, her foot
started to twitch uncontrollably.
“I
think that gentleman was i
n here a few nights ago,” Trignik said
rubbing his chin slowly, “Yeah, I remember him now, he was heavy in
his cups while he was here. I think he was here with Yislon, caused
quit a stir it did”
Sitting
straighter, “What did he look like?”
“Let
me think for a minute here,” Trignik said returning to the rest of
the meat roasting on the fire, “He was very tall and thin, pale
blonde hair, dark blue eyes. Must have been nice to look at cause
the lady’s wouldn’t leave him alone. Why so interested?”
Rielari
narrowed her eyes, “Not really any of your business.”
“Well,”
Trignik scoffed, “No reason to be rude bout it.”
Rielari
lifted her chin, placed a gold coin by the cutting board and walked
out the door without as much as a goodbye or backwards glance. She
would not explain herself to a scoundrel like Trignik.