Toymaker

Prologue

Lacet thanked the innkeeper before headed towards the stairs. The stairs were rickety as he climbed up towards the room he had hired. When he approached his door, he kept his step light. Pushing open the door, he was met by a sleeping babe. She was still satiated by the feeding an hour or so ago, a smile on her lips. Swaddled in blankets, all he could see of her was a strand of pure white hair as she slept in a small cot next to his bed.

She looked so small; vulnerable almost. Why would Merrine simply hand her away. What kind of danger was this little infant in?

It boggled Lacet's mind.

Keeping watch on their perch beside the cot, was Minerva, – his owl familiar. Minerva hopped towards him and hooted a greeting.

"How has she been?" Lacet asked the great horned owl.

The bevy of images flashing through his mind told Lacet all was well. He leaned over to scritch the top of Minerva's head, unable to hide the smile stealing across his face. Minerva had been a faithful companion ever since he had sat in the small glade of trees on the Academy grounds as part of the summoning ritual which had been part of his course to become a qualified mage.

It was too bad he had nothing to give her as a treat. He needed every spare coin.

As if sensing his presence, the babe stirred. Her face screwed up in distaste and then she let out an awful cry.

The moment ruined, Lacet rushed to her side and picked her up. Seeing him, her entire expression transformed. Delighted at seeing her caretaker, she gurgled out a string of incoherent words that meant absolutely nothing to him.

When he stared at her blankly, Idana reached up to tug at his hair. He held her away, frowning. Damn it. He'd referred to her once again by name in his head.

That was a boundary he could not keep crossing. One of these days, Merrine would be back to reclaim her child and it was easier, for all involved, if Lacet kept this baby girl at a distance.

But he could not help it as his thoughts circled back to her name. Idana was the name embroidered on one of the blankets in gold stitching. It was an odd name. Derived from the old tongue. From his studies, Lacet knew it meant she who rises. Although, there were some scholars that contested the translation.

It was best suited for warrior queens of old. Not bestowed upon green-eyed she-devils. "You knew I'd come back, cheeky little thing," said Lacet.

The baby babbled at him again.

In his heart of hearts, Lacet knew it would be no simple matter of leaving her behind if Merrine or the man who had been with her did not show. The child needed him. And until he could reunite both mother and daughter, he would have to remain at The Docile Dragon until he received word of what had happened to the couple that had knocked on his dormitory door seeking aid.

Even if it meant he would run out of coin.

Unless of course he took Idana with him. But that was out of the question when everything was still in limbo. What if Merrine were to show up the day after he had left? No. He could never do that to someone who clearly loved their child as much as the woman seemed to...

So, why did she see fit to leave Idana with him?

There were too many questions running through his mind and too few answers.

With a sigh, Lacet set Idana back down in her cot. He would wait until the end of the week. In that time, perhaps he would try once more to see if he couldn't find out what was going on in the capital. He might not be able to enter Wyndhaven as yet, but he could certainly pay a messenger or two to help him make a few discreet enquiries. Minerva, too, could serve as an extra pair of eyes.