CHAPTER FIVE 464 – January - Pages
Kiyra woke up and stretched, running her fingers over the light scar on her right arm. It ran down her shoulder to just below her elbow. The deep cut on her left palm had been fixed by the healer that very night and only left a faint scar. The slice on her right arm was more serious. The healer could only cleanse it, stop the bleeding, and prescribe a balm. It had been two months since, but Kiyra could still bring back memories of the stiff pain.
Geoff had confirmed little Dann's observations about the goat necklace. He had hired a mage to magic the necklaces. The goats could tell if one of the Goats was in trouble, and bring the wearer to the spot. They could be very useful, as Kiyra's incident had proved.
Geoff had looked into the matter of the assassins that had been sent. Using sources that Kiyra could only guess on where he had found them, Geoff had figured out who they had come from. Like Kiyra had thought, the nobleman whom she had shamed had tried to kill her. Geoff wouldn't tell her what he did, but evidently, he scared the man in such a way that he would never send an assassin after anyone again.
The Goats were doing much better at their lessons. Geoff had made them start academic lessons. Most of them were learning to read; the others already knew. Along with reading, they were learning mathematics, riding, history, and immortal learning. Tyrell, the only magic one among the Goats, was being taught by a mage that studied at the university. He was one of Geoff's friends. The Shang Rat was pleased with their ability to fight much better now. He was starting them on archery, dirk and staff techniques and they practiced unarmed fighting for three hours a day now. The Rat had also begun teaching them complex acrobatics. Some, like Kiyra, already knew simple acrobatics. Cart also was to help teach them, as he was a proficient acrobatic.
Geoff had confided to Kiyra that the council of nobles that the king talked with would be voting on the Lower City Fund that very day. The Goats were needed again to instill pity and generosity into the hearts of the nobles.
Kiyra threw back her covers and slipped out of the large shirt that she wore when she slept. Instead of pulling on her one everyday pair of clothes, Kiyra pulled on her Goat clothes and boots. Once dressed, Kiyra gazed around the room that Geoff had given to the Goats.
It was small, barely more than a closet, but it was their own. Geoff, Cart, and Kiyra had spent a whole afternoon constructing a sort of bunk bed. It was four narrow beds stacked on top of each other. They were cramped and you couldn't sit up in them but they were strong and sturdy. The three friends had made three of these beds and nailed them to three of the four walls. Any other fixings were up to the Goats.
Emma and Wren had found string and old cloth. They managed to make a sort of curtain around each bed so that the Goats might have some privacy. Tyrell, Lars, and Cole had scrounged the streets and warehouses for empty crates that they had made into shelves. One such shelf was over each bed, near the sleeper's head. Toady and Dann had bought blankets from secondhand stores using stolen coins. They put them on the straw mattresses that Julie, Kiyra, and Merci had sewn and stuffed. Finn, Rye, Lars and Cole had found a bit of wood and the remnants of a paint bucket. They painted a sign to go outside of the door that said GOATS on it. Cole, who was somewhat of an artist, painted a realistic goat on it. All in all, it was home.
Breaking through her thoughts, Kiyra remembered her duty. "Wake up! Goats don't sleep late, not when we have a mission anyway." She ducked a pillow that Lars hurled at her and yanked him out of his third-level bunk. "C'mon, put your clothes on. Uniforms today."
"Can't we have just a bit more?" Emma pleaded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Nope." Kiyra reached over and picked the younger girl up. Setting her down carefully, Kiyra helped her slide out of her nightdress. Hearing a scuffle behind her, Kiyra turned fiercely.
"Cole, Finn! Stop it!" Kiyra cuffed them both. "Get dressed! I want all of you out of here by the time five minutes is up! Remember, uniforms today. We have another mission."
"Another noble mission, like the last one." Lars scoffed. "They're boring."
"I thought we'd be doing more exciting stuff." Toady complained. "I love being a Goat, but I want to be useful."
"Geoff just wants us do charm the nobles." Kiyra sighed. "I'll see if I can dredge up some better things to do."
Kiyra left the Goats' room, what they affectionately called the Hovel, and walked to the common room. Picking up a bowl of porridge that Randy had set for her, Kiyra was almost done by the time that the other Goats got down.
"One…five…six…nine…ten!" Kiyra counted them. All were in their blue full breeches, cream high collared shirts, silk stockings, and mid-thigh boots. They wore their dirks about their waists and they never took their Goat necklaces off. Grabbing porridge, they ate it faster than Kiyra had.
"Sa, wott rewa todoo?" Cole dripped porridge from his open mouth. Swallowing, he tried again. "So, what are we to do?"
"We all know how much Geoff wants those funds for the schools and hospitals. The nobles are voting on it today and we are there to convince them that commoners deserve it."
"That's boring." Wren moaned.
"We already did that, at the ball." Rye commented.
"Can't we do something fun?" Cole pleaded.
"I want to fight!" Toady mimicked sword-play. "That's fun!"
"How 'bout we do some exploring?" Kiyra asked. "There are secret passages in the palace. I think that Geoff knows some of them. I bet that we could find some."
"Stefan, the hostler, showed me some." Tyrell said. "Whenever I wanted to watch the pages, he snuck me in. I know what to look for to find them."
"Good!" Kiyra nodded, satisfied with her plan.
Geoff clattered down the stairs that led to his room and the Goats fell silent. He was dressed in his noble clothes and his cloak under his arm. "Why do I get the impression that you all are hiding something from me?" He asked suspiciously.
"Have you eaten?" Kiyra tried to change the subject.
"Yes, and no, you didn't succeed." Geoff smiled wryly. "I'm not stupid. Because we haven't go time to waste, let's get down to the palace."
The Goats walked to the palace, frolicking in the chilly air. Weaker children might have needed cloaks, but picks and street kids were used to the cold air. As long as they kept moving, the Goats were fine. Geoff just had his cloak for appearance's sake. Halfway to the palace, the group met up with Cart and Julie. Julie was in her fourth month of pregnancy and beginning to show. Julie hadn't wanted to come at first, seeing as she was only fourteen. She didn't want the nobles to look down at her, but Cart convinced her.
Cart was an excellent acrobat and turned flips in the streets, until Julie begged him to stop, that he was making her dizzy. Cart was wearing commoners' clothes, but they were nice and new. Julie was wearing a comfortable dress that she still looked beautiful in. Julie was the prettiest girl that Kiyra had ever seen, with her long brown hair and hazel eyes.
Kiyra stopped fooling around for a minute to talk to her friend. "Julie, how have you been?"
Julie knew what she meant. "It's hard. Morning sickness does not just apply to mornings. I'm tired a lot. Lalasa has helped. How come you never told us about her? I've known you for at least four years and never once have you mentioned her."
Kiyra shrugged. "No need."
Julie spoke slowly, knowing that she was treading on thin ice. "What about your family? Do you even have one? Dillus said that you sent all your money to them."
Kiyra almost turned around and didn't answer. Instead, she mumbled an answer. "They weren't much of one."
"It's okay." Dann put his hand in Kiyra's. "We're your family now." Kiyra hugged him.
"Kiyra, hurry up!" Geoff shouted to her. Him, Cart, and the other Goats were far ahead of Julie, Kiyra, and Dann. Kiyra picked up Dann and started to run. When Julie followed, Kiyra stopped.
"Should you be running?" Kiyra asked worriedly.
"You and Cart both!" Julie laughed. "I'm fine."
Soon, they came to a small palace gate. Geoff rapped sharply on the wooden door. "Haloo, open up!"
"Who goes there?" A voice came from atop the ramparts.
"We have an appointment with his Majesty." Geoff answered. Kiyra looked at him, wondering if they really did.
"Who are you?" The voice asked.
"His Majesty Geoffrey and some select members of his court." Kiyra rolled her eyes at Geoff's choice of words.
Surprisingly enough, the gate opened and the Goats poured in. Ignoring the questioning glances of the guards, Geoff addressed the group. "Goats, look lively. Remember, we need the funds."
"Yes, sir!" The Goats saluted Geoff in unison.
"I'm not sure I want to do this." Julie softly said to Kiyra and Cart.
"Why ever not?" Kiyra asked in surprise.
"Because I'm with child and I've no husband."
"That's no reason not to look down on you." Cart insisted, green eyes soft.
"Yes, it is!" Julie argued.
Kiyra left them, knowing that in the end, Cart would talk Julie around.
Entering the palace during the morning hours was an experience. The nobles stared at the Goats and whispered behind their hands. Geoff was in front, leading the others towards some unknown destination, probably some council room. Some children, which Kiyra took to be pages, looked at them with something akin to hostility. One older page made a rude gesture at the Goats. Kiyra and the Goats retaliated by each of them making an even ruder one. Geoff looked at them despairingly.
Once they came to the council room, the nobles that belonged to the Council were already grouping outside of it. The nobles stopped speaking when they saw the commoners. Geoff stepped forward and bowed slightly to them. The Goats and Cart followed his example and Julie curtsied.
The Goats mingled with the council members for about an hour or so before the meeting was to be held. Geoff was to speak there, but the Goats didn't have to be there. Cart and Julie were going to sit in though. Geoff gave the Goats strict instructions to go straight home. Something told Kiyra that he knew that they weren't going to obey.
As soon as the Goats were out of hearing distance, they began exploring.
"Tyrell, can you bring us to that passageway? The one Stefan showed you?" Kiyra questioned.
"Sure I can. It's right this way." Tyrell ducked into a doorway that led to a courtyard and left through a door that entered into a stable. "Hey, Stefan!"
A man dropped from a loft, sending the other Goats into defensive stances that they eased out of quickly.
"Goats, this is Stefan. Stefan, these are my friends and my gang." Tyrell introduced them.
Stefan bowed. "It's nice to meet the ones that the young 'un talks of so much."
"Tyrell told of us of how friendly you'd been." Kiyra bowed even deeper than Stefan had. "Thank you." Stefan nodded.
"We wanted to explore." Tyrell said eagerly. "Would you mind if we used the passages?"
"They aren't mine." Stefan said. "If you want a new one, check under King Jasson's tapestry in the south corridor." The hostler grinned.
The Goats thanked Stefan and followed Tyrell into an empty stall. Tyrell shoved aside the straw and removed a couple loose boards. A hole about a foot deep was under it with a trapdoor at the very bottom. Tyrell planted his feet at either end of the hole and pulled at the iron ring atop it. The trapdoor lifted and Tyrell slid down into the dark hole.
"It's alright!" He shouted up. "It's not very deep."
Kiyra dropped down and fell in a crouch. Tyrell was alright, it was hardly deep at all. If Kiyra stood, which she did, she could reach the edge of the hole with an outstretched hand.
"Dann! Grab my hand and I'll help you." Dann nervously gripped Kiyra's hand and leaped. Kiyra half-caught him and did the same for Wren. Toady insisted on doing it on his own and the other six followed in quick succession. Once all the Goats were down, Stefan replaced the trapdoor and floor boards.
Tyrell proudly made some light in the palm of his hand using his Gift. The passageway was tall enough that Kiyra could stand easily. A particularly tall man might have a bit of trouble, but Kiyra wasn't tall or short. The passage was wide, enough that Kiyra could reach her arms out fully. The passage way was not straight, but curved back and forth. The walls and ceiling were reinforced with boards, but the floor was hard packed dirt. The Goats half-ran, trusting Tyrell to tell them if there were any obstacles, because he was in front and he had been here before.
In less than three minutes, Tyrell stopped when the tunnel widened into a little room. "This is going to let us out near the pages' stable. We have easy access to the training areas."
"Where does that lead?" Kiyra asked, looking down the rest of the passage.
"It can bring you to the libraries or the pages' and squires' wings." Tyrell informed her.
Lars came into the light. "We'll be seen there. Why don't we go bother the pages?"
"We can spy on them!" Dann whispered. "Oh, good!"
"We have to be careful of Lord haMinch." Tyrell warned. "He's their training master and he looks mean."
Tyrell dragged a tall box out of the shadows. Standing on it, he pulled a latch on the ceiling. It opened and a rope ladder fell out. Tyrell gripped it firmly and climbed up expertly. Once she was up, Kiyra could see that they were in another stable. They were in a tack room. All the stalls that the Goats could see were full. Kiyra replaced the boards on the floor.
"This way." Tyrell motioned. "Pages practice staff work about this time."
"Maybe we can pick up some tricks." Kiyra mused as they left the barn at a crawl.
"There they are!" Emma pointed to a far end of a field. The Goats could pick up figures with staffs.
"C'mon, let's see how close we can get to them without them blindies seein'." Cole grinned.
The Goats slithered through the tall grass on their bellies like snakes. They were far enough apart that it would be hard to spot more than two at once, let alone notice one. They stopped when they were about fifty feet away. In the end, it was Lars that gave them away.
The two pages closest to them were sparring with their staffs. The bigger boy was smug, you could see it in his movements. He thoroughly trounced the younger one, but then he started showing off by not watching the fight. The smaller boy swung his staff around and over and leveled the older boy.
Lars openly cheered loudly, before clamping a hand around his own mouth. The Goats flattened out and lay very still. Lars sheepishly sent an apologetic look to Kiyra, who just smiled back and mimed cheering.
The tall, dark brown haired man who was most likely the training master advanced upon the section of the field where the Goats hid. "Come on out. If you want to watch, do it openly."
Kiyra popped out not ten feet from where the man was. "I'm open." She flung her arms out to show just how wide open she was.
This man's sharp black eyes missed nothing. "You must be Kiyra, the leader of the Goats."
"That I be." Kiyra bowed with a flourish. "But by what name should I call your honorness?"
The man's mouth twitched. "I am Lord Padraig haMinch."
"Ah, so you train the pages?" Kiyra asked. She didn't even wait for an answer, as she knew the answer. "Mind if I watch a bit?"
The pages were still practicing, not even aware of Kiyra, being so intent on their spars. "Actually," haMinch said, "I was hoping that your Goats were nearby. I wanted to try a little experiment."
Kiyra paused for thematic effect. "Well, in that case…" Kiyra stuck her two pointer fingers in her mouth and emitted a piercing whistle that echoed across the whole field. The pages stopped fighting and the Goats popped up from the tall grass.
haMinch started with surprise, but quickly hid it. "Very good." he said with approval. "What can all of you do?"
Kiyra assumed he meant the weapons that the Goats could use. Before she could answer, the Goats answered.
"Shang." Tyrell spoke quietly.
"Dirks." Rye drew his and offered it to haMinch, who inspected it with an experienced eye. He nodded his approval and handed back to Rye, who took it with a bow.
"Staffs." Merci pointed at the ones that the pages held.
"Fists." Lars laughed. Cole tacked him to the ground and they scuffled for a moment before Lars rolled out on top. "Our birth-given talents of wrestlin'."
Kiyra ignored the two fools. "The Shang Rat has also been teaching us archery and acrobatics."
"Well," haMinch said slowly, "Could you spare me an hour of your time?"
Kiyra looked around at her Goats. "We had no previous engagements." Toady groaned, obviously wanting to explore, but Kiyra mouthed later at him. There would be time.
"Good." haMinch said. "Would you mind giving us a demonstration of your Shang?" The pages gathered around their teacher curiously.
"I wouldn't mind, but couldn't we contest against the pages?" Kiyra held her breath. She had wanted to see how their skills match against those royally trained.
haMinch nodded. "We both know the extent of our groups. Let's try to match them up according to skill. I have three times the number of fighters than you do, so if you don't mind, I'll pick the best of them all."
Tyrell beat the smug page who was a fourth year. Merci, Lars, and Finn, who were paired with other fourth-years, all lost their matches, but they put up a good fight. If they hadn't been almost four years younger than their opponents, they might have won. Cole lost his match against a third-year. Both Rye and Emma, the twins, won their matches against two other third years. Toady fought with the Bazhir second-year who had been staff fighting with the smug fourth-year. The page won, but Toady fought well. Wren, who was only seven, flipped an overconfident first-year on his back and six-year old Dann held his own with another first-year. Even after he got hit a number of times, he refused to give up. Finally, his stamina held out longer than the page's and Dann got a headlock on the older boy.
Kiyra was proud of her Goats. She ruffled their hair, clapped their backs, and in Emma's case, tugged their braids. Kiyra couldn't even help sending a complacent look over to where haMinch talked with his pages. Ha! She thought. Some of my Goats beat pages four years older than them!
haMinch approached Kiyra. "I want to congratulate you and your Goats. Do you know about the voting on the funds today? Well, the council is also voting on allowing commoners to become knights." Tyrell's head visibly lifted and hope was etched on every line of his face. haMinch noted that and continued. "I think I will hurry to the council and offer my opinion on the matter. The pages have indoor lessons now, but you are free to use any of the practice courts."
The Goats bowed and haMinch and the pages left.
"I told you all that we'd have time to explore." Kiyra said.
Many hours later, the Goats found only one passageway that actually proved interesting, unless you wanted to watch the washerwomen work or have access to all the latrine pipes. Stefan had actually given them the latrine pipe hint, which ended up with Lars hanging above a pit of muck. Luckily, Kiyra and Tyrell had yanked him back up before he fell.
It was really by mistake that they had found the interesting passage. Kiyra doubted that anyone else knew about it. The Goats had all been in a passageway that was near the laundry, when Kiyra made them stop for a breather. The smaller ones were tired and even some of the older ones needed to catch their breath. Finn had been expecting a stone torch holder and he flipped a switch that his fingers found. To his dismay, Emma, who had leaned up against a section of the dusty wall, disappeared! Finn moved the switch back to its original position, and Emma moved back into view.
Upon further inspection, the Goats discovered how it had happened. The switch on the torch holder had caused the wall to turn halfway in a circle. A part of the floor was also connected to the moving wall and that is why Emma had 'disappeared.'
The Goats insisted on finding out where this secret passage led, but Kiyra wasn't going to let them for two simple reasons. There would be one person left outside the moving wall because he needed to flip the switch. Also, they needed to be able to find a way back. Luckily, Lars found a switch on the other side of the wall that did the same thing.
The Goats followed this new passageway, which quite a bit smaller than the others. Except for the section where the moving wall was, the Goats had to crawl on their hands and knees. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of smooth stone. Both Kiyra and Tyrell noticed that the passage had a slight incline. The Goats crawled for many minutes before they came out anywhere. Kiyra was crawling ahead of the rest and she stopped when the tunnel widened a slight bit. She found a door on the ceiling and opened it just a little. The noise from the room above them made all of the Goats freeze.
Kiyra peeked out and shut it quickly. "It was a kitchen. This lets us out under a big, heavy table, the kind they never move. Let's keep going." she whispered.
In just a minute of fast crawling, the Goats came to a dead end. Kiyra looked over her head and opened this door. This time, the room was silent and Kiyra opened it all the way. They were under another table, but this one was covered with a spotless white tablecloth. All the Goats climbed out to stretch. Kiyra noticed that this was a banquet hall, probably the largest one, judging by its immense size.
The Goats hurried back through the small tunnel, through the moving wall, and up through the stables. Tyrell quickly gave Stefan a summary of their adventures, leaving out the Goats' discovery of the moving wall and the passage behind it. Stefan told them that the council meeting was just getting out. The Goats thanked him and went to find Geoff.
The nobles were mingling outside the council room, as they had before the meeting. Geoff was looking very happy. Cart and Julie were talking to some of the council members. When Geoff saw the Goats, he scowled for a moment.
"Didn't I tell you to go home?" He asked.
"Did you really expect us to listen?" Kiyra shot back. "What happened with the meeting? Geoff!"
"We got the funds!" Geoff said ecstatically.
"What of commoners becoming knights?" Tyrell questioned.
"You, Tyrell, will be the first page ever to come out of the Rogue!" Geoff shook the beaming Tyrell's hand. "Any of you that want to!"
"Can I still be a Goat?" Tyrell asked Kiyra uncertainly.
"Of course!" Kiyra scoffed. "Once a Goat, always a Goat." She laughed. "You can't shake us off that easy."
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