Skye's POV
We'd been hanging out in the marketplace for several hours now. It was getting dark and people were headed home. We heard guards shouting loudly about a curfew and cursed our luck. We needed to hide somewhere and fast. There were two inns in Celeste's City. Both were crawling with Adrian's guards.
"You know, we could just leave the city." Jasper whispered to me in front of an armor merchant stall.
"Without any supplies? You're crazy. We wouldn't make it a day out there without food and drink." I reasoned.
"It's not like these people have much in the way of that either." Jasper noted. "And we can hunt our own food, remember?"
"Without bows and arrows?" I nearly yelled in exasperation.
"Your magic is coming along." Jasper responded with a shrug.
"That's not a good enough reason to use it!" I lowered my head pretending to inspect a shield as a couple of guards looked our way. "Look we need bows and arrows and flasks of water or wine. We have no money. We have no place to stay tonight. What do you suppose we should do?"
"Steal it like we stole these clothes?" Jasper suggested. Right now, it seemed like our only option.
I grimaced, "I don't want to keep stealing stuff. It's not right."
"Well, it's certainly the easier option." He huffed.
"Just because you CAN do it doesn't mean you Should." I quoted my mother and wanted to slap myself. I shook my head instead.
"If you're not gonna buy anythin' be on your way, we've got to close up shop before curfew." The stall keeper shooed us away. We casually strolled to a nearby alley and ducked into the shadows. Inconveniently, running into someone.
"Oy watch it!" A familiar dwarf lunged for what I assumed was stolen merchandise. I gripped his neck and pulled him up to me instead.
"Do you remember me?" I asked. He looked me up and down and then he saw my sword glowing in it's sheath.
"Oy, yeah I remember you. Captain, or should I say, Traitor Skye Firebird."
"Yeah, I'll betray you if you betray us." I stared hard at him. "Do you know where we can stay where the guards won't catch us, thief?"
"Follow me." He spit on the ground and I put him down. He led us to a cellar underneath the tavern nearest us. It was filled with wine barrels, blankets, and food storage. The dwarf led us to the left side of the cellar. He knocked twice, paused, then knocked three more times. A hidden door opened up and we ducked ourselves inside. This place was filled with gold, silver, weapons, armor, and many more precious things.
"You betray us, we betray you." The dwarf repeated. Four elves and three dwarves had occupied this room already. I nodded in response.
"You got it boss! Just tell me where I'm sleeping!" Jasper winked at the females in the room who all blushed. I rolled my eyes and dragged him away from everyone else. We were given some blankets and made beds on top of some barrels I'm certain weren't full of wine. Jasper slept soundly.
How can he sleep so soundly when he watched his siblings kill themselves?
Deities are immortal, Skye.
But I watched them die!
They blessed your sword with a most powerful magic. Their spirit goes on. I'm certain the Lady Jacqueline has already created new bodies for the both of them.
Wait, Jacqueline can do that?
She is the Goddess of Life, Skye. She can do that.
Bri's answer calmed my mind. No wonder Jasper didn't heal them. He didn't have to. Jacqui's got it all covered. My mind drifted. She was so beautiful in her realm. Her aura was so bright and her curiosity was so innocent. She cared so much for her people. All of the living and all of the dead. How did she do it all? How did her powers work?
My thoughts were interrupted when our thieving dwarf came into view. I clutched my sword tighter.
"It looks different than it did before." He spat into an open urn.
"What do you want?" If it came to a fight, I'd be ready.
"Last time I saw you, you were usin' your rank to look down on me. How does it feel to be a traitor huh?"
"I'm not a traitor."
"Then why'd the King lock you up, eh?"
"The King thinks what he will." I felt it was a safe answer. Honestly, I thought it might be just to punish me. I turned the direction towards him. "And how does it feel to steal, merchant?"
"Just like sellin' my wares." He didn't grin. "Only easiear."
"How did you end up like this?" I asked curiously.
"How do you think?" The dwarf spit again. "All my wares came from the mountain. The mountain collapsed on top of its people. No more wares."
Guilt coursed through me. I shouldn't have asked. I wasn't going to apologize though. I just needed to continue on my journey. Perhaps, when it was all over, Jacqueline could give the dwarves new life.
"What about you? What made you run from your company?" The dwarf smiled showing crooked teeth. "Fraid of a little banshee?" He laughed loudly.
"I left to train." I gripped my sword hilt. As good as that did me.
"Oh and are you proficient now?" The dwarf's sarcasm wasn't lost on me, but I answered anyway.
"Not in the slightest."
My answer surprised the dwarf but not into silence. "Oh, been humbled have we, Skye Firebird?" I supposed dying would humble anyone. That reminded me.
"What's your name, dwarf? I don't know it."
"Hetdreat Oreview." He spit into the urn again. "Not that it matters much anymore."
Poor lad. Bri lamented. He's lost his family and his friends and his home.
So has everyone else, Bri.
Then you understand his mindset.
Yeah, and I wouldn't want to be reminded of my family's death. I'd only want to press onward. As he seems to want.
But-
Let him be, Bri.
The dwarf and I didn't speak the rest of the night.
When I woke up in the morning, Jasper was surrounded by the team of elves and dwarves. He was jovially recounting our escape from the dungeon. Hetdreat noticed me first. He came over as I began folding the blankets he had loaned us the night before.
"According to your friend, you have some wit, boy." His tone was a little to cheery. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn't respond to him. He wasn't dissuaded from whatever it was he wanted. He clapped his hands together. "We could use a witty suspect and a charming fool in our party."
"You mean to use as bait." I stood up to my full height.
"There you go again, about to look down on me." Hetdreat glared. "You don't know the half of what you could gain."
"Oh and what could I gain by helping a thieves' guild, hm? Besides a knife in the back." I iterated. Hetdreat's face turned red with rage. Jasper's hand found it's way around the surly dwarf.
"Now, now dear Hetdreat. Allow me to express your thoughts to this wayward youth." Wayward youth? Me? Jasper pushed the dwarf towards his guild and then wrapped an arm around me, giving us the illusion of privacy. "Look, Skye. We're running out of options here. We're wanted men. They're wanted..." He paused, "people. The only difference between us and them is that they have a safe haven." Jasper pointed to the coifers of gold. "And money." He pointed to a table that had the remnants of last nights' supper. "And food!" He turned back to me. "All things we need to survive."
"Jasper, we need to get going. They live like this because their homes have been destroyed. It's up to us to avenge them and bring back a safe Comwen. We can't stay and work for thieves! We have a higher calling."
"You sound just like your mother." Jasper muttered but I thought pride radiated through his eyes. "But there's one little problem there, buddy."
"What?"
"Nik was the only one who knew where you are supposed to go next."