Disclaimers: These characters don't belong to me. They
belong to Tamora Pierce. Except for my main character. Don't you love her? Read and Review, please.
CHAPTER TWO
By Hendy
The corridor after the escape door was dark and smelled like mold. An
expression of disgust on her face, Rue went down the straight hall with all the
stealth her mama had taught her. She slowly made her way down toward light and
noise, bypassing another stairway that led up and another that lead down.
Slowly opening up the door, she was relived to see daylight.
Closing the door behind her, she followed her nose to the docks of Corus.
The walk was long and so she had plenty of time to think. Had her papa given
her up? It didn't seem possible- her father loved her. But then something the
fat nobleman said came back to her. "…Gave you to me so you could become a
proper young woman." Her become a proper person? No, she thought, shaking her head, Captain
would never betray his wife's memory like that. Thoughts swirled in her head;
did he? If so, what now? He couldn't have! He wouldn't! Suddenly, she thought
of the fact that seamen were suspicious. What if they decided she was getting
too old and now counted as a woman? After all, everyone knows that having a
woman on your boat was suicide! Had the men she had known her whole life turned
on her? Could the crew have pressured her father into making him put her on
land? Shaking her head, Rue dismissed the idea. No one could force the Captain
into doing anything he didn't want to. So then, if she was abandoned, it had to
be his idea. The thoughts in her head were so hurtful it was making her
nauseous, grouchy and angry. Pausing, letting the traffic of the streets pass
her by, Rue emptied her mind of all of these speculations. When she had more
time, she decided, she'd sort them out into some order of sense. Until then
there really was no point in wondering-now was the time to concentrate on not
getting lost.
Forcing her way through the crowd, Rue continued to the wharf, to go to
her father's ship and make him see reason. This was all a bad joke, and a big
mistake. But it was no mistake. When Rue came to the docks and though she
looked and looked, she did not see her fathers ship. Walking the whole length
of the wharf was long and time consuming but Rue did it twice. Swallowing the
betrayal and pain would be hard but it would be impossible with a dry throat
and aching feet. Turning her back, she walked toward the first bar she saw. She
did not care that she would be conspicuous; if someone started up with her,
well then, she'd handle it. Ignoring the fact that her father had never let her
come into a place like this, only upscale inns and taverns, Rue didn't look at
any of the other patrons except for the once over she had given the room when
walking in. Sitting down at a table,
Rue waited for a barmaid.
Not long in coming, the woman got to the point "What a chit like
you doin' in a place like this? This
ain't no place for a kid." Rue sighed and replied that she just wanted a
drink of ale. Shaking her head, (and wondering where the world was going that a
tiny girl wanted to drink alcohol) Rue's ale was brought. As a paying customer
was a paying customer, the barmaid also brought her the refill that Rue
requested. Finishing her drink, she stood up and left but not alone.
It was the barmaid. Looking concerned, she asked, "Kid, you okay?
I mean, you ain't from around here and I just warning you to be careful- too
many kids like you end up hurt around here, you know?" Turning to her, Rue
smiled and said,
"My father is Captain Rilart and my mother was First mate Deanna,
both of the ship the Independence."
"Ah." was all the bar girl said before smiling and adding,
"My name is Namah. You can leave messages for me at Hairy Horse." Rue
raised her eyebrows at the name and Namah shrugged.
"Hey I didn't think it up." After pointing to the bar Rue had
recently visited, Namah turned and went back to work.
Rue looked at the retreating Namah's back and wondered why in Mithros
would she leave a message for Namah? Shaking
her head, Rue began to think about what she would do now that her father had
gone of and truly left her, and wandered the streets of Corus, obviously
preoccupied.
Going past an alley, she heard a sound that sounded like a kitten in
pain. Looking in she saw a girl of about 12 kicking two teenaged boys who were
pawing at her skirts. Saying nothing but glaring them to oblivion, the girl was
putting up a decent fight, and feeling restless, Rue jumped in. The girl saw
and her eyes widened, but luckily her attackers didn't realize that there was
someone behind them. Her hands in a fist, Rue hit one in the back of his knee,
causing him to fold down, and then the girl gave him a kick in the head. The
fallen boy's friend turned, enraged, and tried to get a grip on Rue. Stupid
kid, thought Rue as the olive skinned girl shoved him toward her. Rue punched
him and the girl hit him with a glass bottle that was on the floor. The problem
was solved (both men were not going to wake up for a while), fun had been had
and a possible ally had been discovered.
The two children looked at each other, measuring the other to their own
standards. Rue saw a girl with olive toned skin, large brown eyes, and shoulder
length curly brown hair that was barely contained by the headband on her head.
She was of medium height and had on clothes that while did not scream wealthy
noble girl, they had the air of well-made, privately tailored clothes. If
Rue hadn't seen her fight, she never would have graced this pampered looking,
future society darling with her witty conversation but since she had…
Rue stuck out her hand "My name is Rue."
The noble girl took rue's hand and shook it. "My name is Fionola of
Kipling Peak. Pleased to meet you."
"I'm sure it is, but what were you doing in a place like the docks
without a guard or chaperone?"
Fionola tossed her hair over a shoulder and raised her head. "I was
peeved at my guardian and so punished her by going off on my own."
Staring at the girl, Rue reassessed her estimation of Fionola's
intelligence. Shaking her head, Rue offered to take the girl back to where she
was staying. Fionola thought for a moment and was about to answer when a shout
came from the front of the alley. "There
she is!" A tired and exasperated city guard jogged up to the two girls and
directed a scowl to Fionola.
"A lovely chase Lady Fionola, but its time to come home now. Your
guardian is waiting for you at City Headquarters." Turning her nose upward,
Fionola didn't reply but merely glided past him, with the attitude of boredom
and superiority in her every movement. Rue grinned at Fionola's mannerisms, but
stopped when she realized that the guard was looking at her.
"What?" she asked, on the defensive. "Your mother never taught you no manners?"
The guard didn't appear to notice her but looked away smirking. Her
already frayed temper snapped and about to yell some choice comments on his
mother, sisters, and an area of his body that all men are proud of, Rue was
interrupted by a shout. "Rue!" Ignoring the self-satisfied guardsman, Rue
looked at Fionola.
"I'm giving you a reward for rescuing me." Fionola commanded.
"Come with me to my guardian and then I'll give you some payment." Never
one to dismiss money from any source, Rue shrugged and agreed to come.
Going through
the streets, the guards chatted only a little and the two girls not at all. Rue
had never been this deep into a city in her life and it showed in the way she
tilted up her head and stared at the vendors. Sighing, the guardsmen warned her
not to stop and look because they were not going to wait. Not replying, Rue
examined everything in her eyesight with wordless amazement. It's like the
biggest, most diverse load of cargo in the world she thought to herself. There
were things that she recognized: weapons from Scanra, the famous Yamani Island
silks, Carthak jewelry, Copper Isles fruits and plates and pottery from all
over Tortall herself. However, there was much she didn't understand or know
where they came from or what their purpose was. What in the goddess' name was
that box thing? Or that pastry- it smelled wonderful but looked like a fat
slug.
The noise was only getting louder and the vendors, sensing a virgin to
cities, screamed at her, thrusting their hands laden with goods, in her face.
All the change began to fray Rue's temper and when yet another person shoved
something at her, Rue was going to try to break it and the vendor but her arm
was grabbed by a guard and held onto, not allowing her move anywhere but where
the guard holding her wanted to go. Her temper recovered, Rue allowed this and
so she plodded along with the man. Coming to a large, nondescript building of
no real age, it was identified as the City Guard Headquarters only by the flag
outside, waving merrily on its pole.
Once inside, only the captain of the guards escorted them into his superior's
office where a furious looking woman was waiting.
"Hello Auntie Gertrude." Fionola said warily, already knowing what was
going to happen.
"You! You should know better! I expected this sort of ridiculous
behavior by your sister but you Fionola? YOU know better. I am shocked and
annoyed and very unhappy." Fionola said not a word but looked ashamed and
apparently this pleased the incensed aunt. Calming, Gertrude looked at Rue and
her outfit and then back at her niece.
"My dear," Gertrude drawled, "If your going to get a pet, at least get
a pedigreed dog- not a mongrel like this piece of trash." Rue for a moment said
nothing, shocked by the unwarranted attack, but she very quickly recovered.
About to kick the pompous woman, she was stopped by another voice,
saying coldly "That trash, madam, has more pedigree then you'll ever wish for."
Turning to see who her unexpected champion was, Rue gasped. In fact, the whole
room gasped.
Gertrude, her eyes wide, curtsied low and deep, "My lord Myles. What an
unexpected surprise to see you in the city guard headquarters."
"Yes" said Myles, "I was about to report the disappearance of a certain
child I am responsible for but now see she's here." Eyes laughing, he added. "I
applaud you Captain. Your city guards know what to look for even before I filed
my report-highly efficient." Taking Rue's hand, Sir Myles leaned down and
putting a hand on her shoulder, whispered that he would answer all her
questions if she would come with him quietly now. "After all" he added, "I
think by now you realize your father is not coming back for you."
Looking at Sir Myles, Rue took her shoulder back and said in an angry
whisper "I did not give you permission to take my hand. Don't touch me!" she
ended with a hiss. Myles nodded his head, agreed, and apologized.
Taking a breath, and giving up all hope that her father was still in port, Rue agreed to go. "All right then." Myles said turning and bid everyone in the room to have a good day. Fionola pulled Rue to the side and told her that they would meet again and Rue believed her for some reason. She just wasn't sure though, if that was a bad thing or a good thing. Turning, she went out the door into the sunlight and then into a coach with sir Myles. As the coach began to move, Rue wondered why everyone seemed to know something she did not about herself. However, she concentrated on Sir Myles as he looked like he was ready to talk.