3.29. Mercies, Negotiations, and Agreements (Patreon)

The rest of the morning passed in a haze of talking, brainstorming, and planning, but none of us felt good just sitting around—our hands needed to be as busy as our mouths—so we cleaned and oiled our gear at the same time.

Then, it was time for lunch, and we trooped downstairs for a meal corn and squash pudding. The stuff didn’t look appetizing at first, but after a spoonful, I discovered a layer of cheese and bacon, and I polished off the bowl right quick.

The cooks made a portion for Ikfael, which she appreciated. When I went to pick it up later, her bowl had been licked clean.

The early afternoon was spent resting—hanging out with my team, as well as Agath and Moon. We had to stay in Albei under Aslishtei’s orders, but at the same time, it didn’t make sense to tempt fate by needlessly wandering around the city, no matter how much I wanted to sightsee. I’d just have to wait until we figured out who exactly was trying to kill me and... well, I supposed I had to kill them first.

Boscun, Kaad, Otwei, Ghitha, and Borba—the list of people whose deaths I’d been directly or indirectly involved with was growing longer and longer. And would likely continue to do so. That just seemed to be the way of things. Honestly, the thought was a daunting one, and I found myself dwelling on it, wondering about how mi abuelito might might’ve handled the situations I’d been in.

Obviously, I was glad to be alive, but every death along the way carried some sorrow with it too, even in the case of twisted wretches like Ghitha and Otwei.

The spoon from lunch was in my hands, and I idly circled it around my fingers, just like my thoughts went round and round. I must’ve looked glum too, because Agath sat heavily beside me, the cushion tiny under her.

“The first man I ever killed,” she said, making herself comfortable, “was my father’s brother. He’d lost himself to the dark, and the family did its duty to put him down.”

The spoon slipped from fingers to clatter onto the table. “Oh my god, that must’ve been terrible.”

“It was, but also a mercy. To him and the rest of the family.”

Moon sat on the other side of me, the two dolbecs like bookends. “My first was a traditional bloodletting. The elders saw my potential, and arranged for my participation.”

“Ah, what does that mean?” I asked.

“A bloodletting is an opportunity to strike against criminals who’ve been sentenced to die, a way to give young warriors the taste of killing before their first battle. In my case, it was a bandit, and our reeve demanded at least twenty-five wounds before his death. There were five of us participating, so we each took turns, controlling the strength of our strikes, until the last which killed him.”

“And you were last,” I said.

“It was a great honor,” Moon signed.

“Death is not the enemy,” Agath said. “It is every soldier’s companion. Hunters too.”

“Oh, I know that,” I said, “but I don’t want it to become easy.”

Moon looked down at his hands before responding. “Some swords only know how to kill, but there are also those that protect."

Agath nodded. “That’s the choice every dolbec faces—the path set by the first of us.”

“Otherwise, we are no better than the animals we defend ourselves against,” Moon said, then he rose to go check on the street outside.

Agath and I watched him go.

“He’s doing okay?” I asked, thinking about his Battered Loyalty talent.

“Mmm. We had some unpleasant business recently, but my brother is not so easily lost to the dark. And what of you, are you doing... okay?”

“Sure, mostly. I don’t like being cooped up, though.”

“None of us do,” Agath said. “None of us do.”

###

By the mid-afternoon, the imposed idleness was getting to my team, so we headed back upstairs for a collective nap. That way, we’d at least get some productive rest. We went to Dura and Miri’s room, since Ikfael was still in ours thinking.

It was funny: Tegen was all like, “I doubt my worries will let me sleep, but I will join you for company. Perhaps I’ll meditate,” and then—not a minute later—he was snoring away. The rest followed soon after, including thankfully Teila. I didn’t feel ready to handle another chat about kissing.

Eventually, I fell asleep too, only to be woken up twenty minutes later by Yuki.

Billisha wants you to know that Borba’s family has fled Voorhei.

What? What happened?

Apparently, they went out to their fields in the morning like usual, and then kept going. The reeve went to look for them, but they’re nowhere to be found.

Why was Dwilla looking for them? I asked.

A representative from Voorsowen arrived last night with a claim against them. The family was supposed to respond by today.

Damn. Did they leave anything—

Dwilla searched their longhouse. They took everything of value with them. They’re gone, and the representative from Voorsowen is angry.

Borba had been a team leader in the lodge, and earned quite a bit in the last few months, including his share of the kalihchi bear bounty. The family wasn’t exactly wealthy as a result, but they did have assets. Well, now they and their assets were no longer available to help offset the claims incurred by Borba.

I didn’t mind the family escaping slavery, but it left the Hunter’s Lodge in even more of a lurch than before. With a sigh, I nudged Mumu awake and passed along the information. She just shook her head in response, though.

“The sale of the whole family might’ve paid the debt for one of the wind-touched. That’s no small amount, but—” Mumu shrugged.

“The lodge will be in trouble no matter what,” I said.

“Thikilei’s family had four element-touched, and many magicians too. The grandmaster's estimate is that the debt will be an eistaak or maybe even two.”

“I don’t know that one.”

“It's no wonder. The eistaak is a large gold coin worth fifty antaak. My hope was to one day see one, but that’s unlikely now.”

Holy hells. That was a thousand eltaak. Ten thousand taak. “Do we even have that much?” I asked.

“One eistaak among the entirety of the lodge and it's savings? Yes. Two, no.”

“Uncle Kila would probably loan us the difference,” I said.

“And ask for the source of the eilesheile as collateral,” Mumu said.

“He would, wouldn’t he? I suppose I’d do the same in his place. That’s a lot of money.”

Mumu rubbed at her eyes. “The lodge has survived worse in the past, and it’ll survive this too.”

“I’m not worried,” I said. “Or not a lot, anyway. An eistaak is three and half years of eilesheile production. As long as we get loan terms that match—let’s say four years, just to be safe—we’ll be okay. And who knows, maybe the tournament idea will take off, and we won’t need to worry about money ever again.”

“Can such a thing truly happen?” Mumu asked.

“If we handle it right. The key will be making sure people feel like they can get something from participating even if they don’t win—whether it's the experience of being there, notoriety for martial prowess, or whatever. Not everyone is going to be good enough to be a contender for the prizes, so there needs to be something for everyone in order to maximize attendance.”

“I’ve competed in martial games before,” Mumu said, “but nothing with a prize like what we’ll be offering. It will draw people.”

“Then we might as well take advantage of the situation, and charge them for it.”

We continued to talk, our voices low so that we didn’t disturb the others. The topic drifted from future plans to recent events, and then to random observations about the city and anything else that came to mind.

I thought that either she or I might drift off again, but we stayed awake instead, just shooting the breeze. It was nice.

###

Dinner was braised goat with squash and greens. There were mushrooms too—a long and stringy type I didn’t recognize, which I picked out. Dealing with the golden slumber had put me off of mushrooms for a while, and that suited Teila just fine; she added them to her bowl readily enough.

All through the meal, Tegen cast glances up toward where our room would be, but our dear otter knew how to take her time thinking things through. She still hadn’t made a decision.

So, we sat at the table—all the hunters together—the adults drinking a post-meal plum wine while Teila quizzed me on the new vocabulary I’d recently learned. There were a bunch words related to the law, banking, and sporting events. Miri leaned over on occasion to contribute, and she looked pleased to see Teila and me getting along well.

I almost felt bad for Miri. She was going to be in for a world of drama when the time came to arrange Teila’s marriage. And it was clear she had no idea about her daughter’s designs on my own children. Teila was a proper hunter that way, hiding her intentions until the moment came to spring into action.

In the back of my mind, I idly wondered about merging the families—that was a thing that happened on occasion—but it would mean bringing Ahlrein into my longhouse, which... well, he could be an ass sometimes. The rest of Teila’s family was fine, and they’d make decent in-laws.

This is ridiculous, I thought. My kids are way too young for me to be considering their marriage prospects. This damn world just pulls you into its pace...

A flutter of motion caught my eye, and I spotted Little Red flying through an open window to land on one of the nearby tables. His head quirked left and right to examine the room. I elbowed Mumu to point him out, the table’s chatter quieting as everyone turned to look. Moments later, Aslishtei came through the inn’s front door, followed by a couple of peltwei youngsters and... Brother Ekthei.

All the hunters stood up, and not even the densest inn patron would’ve attributed it to courtesy. The room as a whole quieted as the diners present became aware of the intensity of the hunters’ gazes. The realization that something was happening spread through the room.

Aslishtei ignored the rising tension, and strode toward our table. The people next to us fled, and she sat in one of the suddenly-empty seats, the one closest to me. An innkeeper approached, but Aslishtei waved him off. “We won’t be eating.”

The peltwei youngsters followed, looking around curiously at the diners present. The crow heads made it hard to guess their ages, but one had the gangly awkwardness of an eleven- or twelve-year-old, while the other was taller and more composed. She might’ve been thirteen or fourteen. Notably, she had streak of silver feathers along the left side of her face.

I brought up my Status camera to check out their talents. The younger was:

Krenya Cleidetsdotter (Human, Peltwei)

Talents: Mana Blossom, Thirsty for Knowledge

And the older was:

Winsastu Cleidetsdotter (Human, Peltwei)

Talents: Magic is as Magic Does, The Responsible One

Those talents... I didn’t even know what they did, and I still felt envious. Whoever the original Peltwei must’ve been, they’d passed on a rich and deep facility for magic onto their descendants. If either of these two studied and worked as hard as Aslishtei appeared to—and there was every reason to think they would—then they were going to be powerhouses when they grew up.

When the peltwei youngsters sat at what-was-now Aslishtei’s table, Krenya sniffed at the food left by the previous patrons, then pushed the bowl away. After a moment, her curiosity seemed to get the better of her, and she dipped a finger in the stew to give it a taste. Afterward, she reached for a spoon, but her sister placed a restraining hand on hers.

As for Brother Ekthei, he hovered uselessly, not willing to sit down while the hunters continued to stand. At one point, I saw him gulp.

“Whatever else I may be,” Aslishtei said, “I am a land soldier first, and will keep the peace. There will be no fighting, so all of you sit down. Ekthei, you first.”

Brother Ekthei eyed the hunters like a goat in front of a dragon. Still, he did as he was told, and nervously sat down. That seemed to wake the hunters up, the realization moving through them that it was just one healer present, and it was Brother Ekthei to boot—not exactly a threat.

Our emotions had been running high for days, but it struck me then just how high.

“Why are you here?” Mumu asked.

“I should think it was obvious,” Aslishtei said. “I’m sure our Eight has told you about the offer to marry into my family.”

“He’s not yours,” Mumu practically growled.

“He’s an adult according to the law, and free to make his own decisions.” Aslishtei gestured toward the youngsters with her. “My nieces are talented, and there’s much Eight can learn from my family—our understanding of the mysteries is deep, our practitioners powerful.”

“You’d steal him from our village, our lodge.”

“There’s no theft when there’s agreement on both sides,” Aslishtei said. “Besides, my family will compensate yours for the loss. The lodge is a second family, is it not? And the marriage gift we’d normally give, we’d offer to you instead.” She seemed to grin before continuing. “Even as we speak, there are representatives from the peltwei families and the healers speaking before the land knight, arguing their cases against the Voorhei Hunter’s Lodge. The financial burden will surely be tremendous.”

“You’d buy Eight from us?” Mumu asked, disgusted.

“There’s a latent power within him that must find expression,” Aslishtei said, her voice becoming heated. “That is more important than you, your lodge, and your village.”

Mumu was going to respond, just as intensely, but she caught herself. I saw her spirit roil, her thoughts turning, as she replayed Aslishtei’s words in her head. “The land knight... is hearing our case? Right now, without us present?”

“Your grandmaster was called in your place,” Aslishtei said. “I’ve come directly from after having given my testimony.”

I’d been okay with taking a backseat while Mumu argued on my behalf—she was my friend and lodge master—but I couldn’t help asking, “Is that normal? I thought we’d get to be there.”

From the scowls and perplexed expressions around me, the other hunters seemed to think the same.

Aslishtei nodded, and explained, “It is unusual, but the Healer’s Lodge argued in advance that your lodge’s judgement was compromised and your testimony untrustworthy.”

“And Knight Ithia agreed?” Mumu asked, stunned.

“She did,” Aslishtei said, “after hearing agreement from her advisors.”

“All of them?”

“Not all. Your grandmaster, the alchemists, and the soldiers disagreed. Everyone else though...” Aslishtei left the rest unsaid.

“It’s us against the world,” I muttered.

“So, here we are.” Aslishtei sat back, looking from hunter to hunter. “You have a problem, and I have a solution that benefits us all. “My family gains a talent, our Eight gets access to the magic he so desires, and your lodge avoids a terrible debt.”

Automatically, I said. “I’m too young to get married.”

“You are now, but in two years you’ll be old enough to get engaged. Commit to that, and all will be well. As a show of good faith, my family will hand over our gift early—two eistaak.”

The room gasped, like literally everyone—the hunters, Aslishtei’s nieces, Brother Ekthei, the diners shamelessly eavesdropping, everyone. It was that stunning an amount of money.

I felt a claw on my shoulder, but it was just Miri. She wasn’t even looking at me; her attention was focused on Aslishtei. She’d unconsciously grabbed me.

“I’m honored,” I said, shrugging free. “I truly am—it’s flattering to be so highly valued—but I’m going to decline... for now.”

Aslishtei quirked her head. “For now?”

“I’m just not ready. It’s something I’ve been saying over and over to people, but it’s still too early for me to think about marrying.”

“To marry, yes,” Aslishtei said, “but it’s not too early to make the arrangements. Unless you think you can somehow wait for a better deal?” Her gaze sharpened. “In which case, I can assure you there will be no others—not now that I’ve made my interest clear.”

Around the room, the eavesdroppers nodded. They were enjoying the show we were giving them, and they'd no doubt avidly share the story with their friends and families afterward, spreading the word far and wide across Albei.

I’d wondered why Aslishtei was willing to engage in such a private conversation in so public a place, but now I knew: she was marking me as hers, or at least her family’s.

And that was it: I was done, tipped over the edge. I’d been willing to overlook the unfortunate circumstances of our first meeting—Aslishtei was doing her duty, I got that—but these kinds of power games reminded me too much of my parents. No matter how much she and her magic intrigued me, I wasn’t willing to put up with that again.

The nieces seemed fine, but their aunt obviously held great sway within the family, and I’d not put up myself under her thumb. The allure of her magic was strong, yet there’d be other, not-so manipulative opportunities in the future. The world was full of magic, after all.

And maybe, maybe it would be nice to fall in love again. That thought was a small one, tucked behind a bundle of grief-guilt-loss, but it was there.

“I’m not waiting for a better deal,” I said. “My motivations are not economic. I genuinely don’t feel ready yet.”

Aslishtei leaned back, and considered me. I really wished I could see deeper into her spirit, but once someone hit dawn or dusk, everything got so much denser. I sensed undercurrents flowing, but not much else.

“I have brought Brother Ekthei to examine you.”

It took a moment for me to switch gears. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You were injured in the fight with that Borba. The physical wounds have since been healed, but the damage to your meridians must be assessed so that a treatment plan can be determined.”

“But Brother Ekthei isn’t allowed to treat me,” I explained.

“Not while you’re a member of the Voorhei Hunter’s Lodge,” Aslishtei responded.

“I won’t leave the lodge,” I said.

“Then at least be examined. ‘Know the terrain before you fight in it.’ That’s a saying among soldiers, but surely it makes sense for hunters too.”

“But his efforts aren’t necessary,” I said. “A spirit of the land travels with us, and she has magic that lets her look at a person’s magical structures. We’re all set.”

That seemed to surprise her—she leaned forward and her spirit rippled. A slight gap opened, and I caught a hint of disappointment. Ah, she’d wanted to know more about my internals. Well, too bad. And besides, there was no second set of meridians like she thought. I had even better: Yuki.

“But—” Aslishtei started, but there weren’t any good reasons to let Brother Ekthei examine me. I got a perverse joy in watching her struggle to come up with one.

And, oh my god, Ikfael’s timing was perfect: her Knight Otter walked downstairs, just far enough to be able to address the room like a queen might. “Where is my lackey?” she signed. “I have need of him.”

All around the room, there were gasps, and people bowed to the animated water sculpture—the cooks, innkeepers, patrons, and even the peltwei.

As for me, I was mildly annoyed at being called a lackey, but didn’t show it. Instead, I said to Aslishtei, “Sorry, we have to cut our conversation short. I’m being called.” And with that, I scurried to follow Ikfael, while the other hunters also excused themselves to follow behind me.

Up the stairs we went to the third floor. The spirits of Dura and Miri told me that they were dying of curiosity, but they stood sentry outside while the rest of us piled into our room. We found Ikfael there gazing out the window.

“Well,” Mumu asked, “what did you decide?”

Ikfael signaled for us to wait, then gestured again to shoot a water marble from out of Knight Otter’s body through the window. I caught a short glimpse of Little Red flying toward our room, but then he was hit, the magic bursting and vanishing into the air.

“Eight,” Ikfael signed. “Is there anyone hidden?”

I’d had my spirit eyes open, but really looked to make sure there was no else nearby. The room, the hall outside, and the alley below were all clear. When I said so, Ikfael dissipated Knight Otter and used the water to block the window. Then, she looked at each of us, her eyes solemn.

“I’ve decided, and the answer is yes, I agree to be the instrument of this boon.”