Sandry's Tale
Chapter 2: Suspicions
Two days after the earthquake, and Lark was getting desperate. Although the novices and initiates had temporary accommodation in the city, there was simply no room for Sandy – "Since you're not a dedicate or a novice, dear, we can't actually support you, I'm afraid," she kept saying to Sandry, who reassured her that she would find a place to stay. The earthquake had destroyed half of Summersea as well as Winding Circle, and the few rooms left untouched at the Duke's Citadel were full of bandages, clothes and food for the homeless. There were surprisingly few injured, however – the majority of the city had found shelter before it struck, and only those left out in the open were hurt during the chaos. After the events in the previous four years, Summersea was more resilient than ever, and was coping well in such adversity.
But Lark was not coping well. She was heartbroken at the thought of Sandry living with strangers, or worse by herself, and tried to persuade the girl to let her move with her, but Sandry laughingly declined, saying, "They need you at the Mages' Council, to support us stitch witches!" and refused to let her come with her. Sandry was looking forward to this new experience; she welcomed the chance to meet new people and wanted some of her own independence to rival her siblings'. Part of her wanted to see their faces when they came back from their travels –
"We went to far-off corners of the world, but Sandry, you lived on your own? How brave of you!"
So with excitement she entered the home of a potential landlady, a small thin woman with sharp eyes that followed her round the room. The lodgings she was offered seemed fine; smaller than her rooms at the citadel but bigger than her bedroom at Discipline, and the lady offered to provide two meals a day and to do her laundry – although Sandry assured her she would rather do it herself. She gave the woman a week's worth of rent in advance, hugged the weeping Lark and promised to visit the next day, then went into her new rooms and sat down on the bed.
Through the paper-thin walls she heard the landlady whispering sharply; she couldn't make out the words but the tone sounded angry. She edged closer to listen, and was shocked at what she heard.
"You never told me she was a lady! What if she has rich folks what'll come after us?" came the woman's nasal tone.
"Well how was I to know – she came with the dedicate. Maybe she's an orphan?" said another voice, a deep, rough one that suggested the owner had few teeth remaining.
Sandry realised what they were talking about and nearly gasped – they were plotting to rob, maybe kill her! She had to leave! She was glad she had not yet unpacked, quickly picking up her bags and climbing out of her window onto the low roof of the shed outside. She then jumped down, stole out the garden and went off to find the nearest watch station. However, on the way she ran into Pasco.
"Hello Lady Sandry, what are you doing out so late tonight?" he enquired in an innocent tone, which made Sandry guess he was not meant to be out so late. "May I carry a bag?" Definitely not meant to be here.
"Pasco, I need your help. Some people are planning to kill me! I'm going to the watch station, will you stay and listen to see if they know I'm gone? Make sure they don't leave the house. Thank you!" And the boy ran off, eager to help his teacher solve yet another crime.
Sandry ran to the watch station and came bursting in on a group of officers playing dice. The tallest, a man with red hair and a scowl on his face, jumped up and said, "What's the matter, miss?"
Breathlessly, Sandry replied "the woman whose house I'm staying in is planning to kill me! I heard her plotting with an accomplice! You've got to help!"
At once all the officers jumped up and ran about, one called for the local mage, and, after requesting Sandry's name – "Lady Sandrilene fa Toren" – called for a better one, and the red-headed chief started taking notes on the woman, her address and her description. They had just assembled a team to go investigate when Pasco ran in.
"Oh no! Are they coming?" asked a horrified Sandry, grabbing Pasco's arm. He shook it free with an odd smirk.
"Not exactly – Lady, I think you might have made a mistake." He tried to look serious, but he couldn't keep a grin from playing around his mouth, which Sandry thought was very cruel considering her desperate situation.
"What on earth, Pasco? Why aren't you still watching them?" The tall officer, she noticed, had put down his pencil and was looking intently at Pasco, who swallowed and continued explaining.
"Well, Lady, I went to listen and sat outside the door, where they couldn't see me, and at first all I heard was them talking about the meal tonight. I figured it was a bit odd, but maybe they were coming on to the planned attack. Then the woman said 'I still think we'll get in trouble', so I listened really close, and the man said 'She won't be able to tell, I'm sure.' That didn't really make sense, so I peered around the window, and the woman was holding a bit of old meat, which, by the way, stank a lot! Then the woman said, 'But if she gets ill and blames us, what if her rich family come after us?'"
Pasco paused his story because the officers began to laugh, while Sandry flushed a deep red. After a moment she gathered herself, thanked the officers for their time, and stormed out of the watch post with Pasco running after her, howling with laughter. Ten paces later, she turned round, eyes sparkling with humiliation, and said brusquely, "There's no need to laugh, it was an honest mistake."
Pasco said nothing, but giggled helplessly. After another ten paces, Sandry turned round again and said, a bit less harshly, "I'm glad I'm not staying in that place anyway, if they serve old meat for dinner!"
Again Pasco did not reply, and ten paces later, a much more mollified Sandry joined in the laughter, saying, "Imagine if I'd ordered their arrest, because they wanted to give me some old meat!" and the two of them stopped on the street and laughed until their sides ached.
After a while, Sandry stopped, wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Well now what do I do? I have nowhere to stay, and it's dark already!"
Pasco frowned. "You could stay at our house, but we have family over for my sister's wedding and the only space left is in my uncle and aunt's bedroom."
"I think I'd rather sleep on the street!" giggled Sandry, and they both carried on walking down the street. However, five minutes later they bumped into a large man wearing a turban and many jewels.
"Lady Sandrilene, and your young student!" he cried joyously.
"Oh, um, hello Master Rokat!" replied Sandry awkwardly, as Pasco bowed.
"Where are the two of you off to on such an unforgiving night?" the merchant asked. Sandry briefly explained her plight, which Pasco nodded at appropriate moments.'
"And so," she finished, "I'm not really sure where I'll be sleeping tonight."
"Don't worry, I know!" beamed Master Rokat, "my brother in law has recently moved here with his family, they have plenty of space to spare."
"Oh no, really, it's not necessary – I don't want to put them to any trouble, I mean"- "Nonsense! Nothing is too much trouble for the lady who saved our family's fortune – and my neck!" he insisted, and before Sandry could resist, she was swept along with the merchant and his entourage, leaving a confused Pasco hoping his teacher would be alright.
