Seralyse I
Seralyse woke to the sounds of arguing outside of her caravan. It wasn't uncommon. That was how she woke nearly every morning outside of The Land. The humans didn't ever seem to realize just how loud they were, even when they were trying to be quiet.
It led to some interesting problems. It wasn't her fault that you were whispering ten feet away and she could still hear it clear as day. Have you seen her ears? At least go around a corner or something!
She'd grown accustomed to it. Mostly out of necessity. Especially if she wanted to get any sleep. Which, frankly, she enjoyed doing. Even if doing it at night with the humans took far more getting used to than she'd hoped. Her father had tried to drill that routine into her at a young age but certain events had made it less necessary so he'd given up.
Her fox tribe preferred nights. Not all of the kin did. It was one of the first changes she noticed when she started to travel away from the land. Bazaar was always a bustle of activity, no matter the hour. Groups of kin all seemed to adhere to their own unique schedules so the city was always busy.
It made it so strange to her when the Calabarian and Lorakian cities essentially shut down after dark. And the citizens all talked in hushed tones about how it was dangerous to even be on the streets at those times. Which was such a foreign idea to her she struggled to comprehend it. She half expected to peer out of the small windows of her caravan and see literal monsters stalking about with how some people spoke of it.
Still, she'd had her own fair share of close calls on the way over. Some Calabarian and Lorakian men seemed to have this strange thought that a lone Kin woman was easy prey. They tended to underestimate her speed, her strength, her biting ability and her skill with a hatchet in a pinch.
None of them had gained anything that they'd tried to get from her. But as she'd told the pirate the night before, her home had been broken into on multiple occasions on the way down. She didn't keep, well, any valuables in it but they'd still taken quite a few of her things here and there. She was down to only a couple of pots and pans and some generic goods.
Thankfully none of them had seemed that interested in dried meat or hempen rope or any of the other standard sundries she'd traveled with. Which seemed silly of them, as it was absurd to think they couldn't find a use or two for non-perishable foods.
She spent a moment dressing as she reflected. The first thief had made off with the only bit of valuables she'd had on the trip. After that she'd learned to hide it better, or to keep it on her. The bracelet couldn't have fetched more than a couple of gold coins to even the most discerning merchant.
It was stupid she'd even kept it. It hadn't fit her for years. But it was the first gift a suitor had ever given her. Sure, she'd been all of seven at the time and only vaguely even recalled his face. He'd been the first boy her father had insisted she'd learn to impress. Somehow, she hadn't managed to impress any of them. Until they became rather sparse.
She was intelligent enough to know it wasn't entirely her fault. Bad business decisions, a complete loss of political power, and some wasted funds damaged her dowry. She liked to think she was worth it without having the monetary incentive. But the only boys she attracted were not ones her father would let her go anywhere near.
She shimmied her way into a thin Lorakian dress. She'd actually bought a handful of them from Nora. It was just a touch too small for the Lorakian girl. But it fit her well enough. And it served to supplement the maid's income. The girl had even helped her stitch the holes for her tail in the garments.
Seralyse swished her tail once as she peered in her mirror. She spun in a small circle and lifted her tail to make sure everything fit as it should. The Lorakians were less conservative with their clothing than the Calabarians. She couldn't quite wear as little as she could get away with in The Land but it was better. She'd grown used to the dresses while in Calabar, even if they felt oddly suffocating to her. And the heavier material was stifling in general.
In The Land almost no one cared about what she wore. Her day-to-day outfits in most cases wouldn't be too dissimilar from the outfits she performed in. Sure, her father preferred something a bit more concealing. But it wasn't like she strutted around naked.
The Loarkians wore similar swishing skirts to the Calabarians, although they tended to be of a lighter material. But plunged necklines and slits in the skirts were far more in style than she expected they would ever be in Calabar.
She didn't have the assets to sport the more daring ones she'd seen about town. But the clothing still felt better than most of what she'd worn between the Land and Pelican's Rest. She shrugged at herself in the mirror as she gave herself one final once over before grabbing her coin purse and stepping out of her caravan.
She locked it out of habit. Hardly noticing as she did so before tucking they key into the purse with her coins. There didn't seem to be a lot of crime around The Door but it still seemed silly to take the chance.
A glance toward the sky revealed it was barely past dawn. That annoyed her, as it seemed unlikely Rob was cooking yet and she certainly didn't feel like making her own breakfast. Of course, she hadn't stocked much food in her caravan while in the city. Normally she'd just spend the coin she earned the evenings before.
Of course, she probably shouldn't be splurging on expensive breakfasts after she just agreed to spend a thousand coins on an armed escort. The thought still made her gag a little bit. She couldn't even be sure her father would honor that upon her return to The Land.
Granted, if he didn't, the guards would run the two foreigners out without much issue and who would believe a couple of pirates if they whined about it?
Still, she'd prefer to keep her word. She knew she didn't have the thousand coins yet, but she could make a few every evening if they wandered close enough to towns. Probably even more if they took a less direct route that took them through the more populous Calabarian towns. Her father would still have to pay, but if she could reduce that amount as much as possible it would only help her cause.
It was at least worth a thought. And it was a great deal of money. And if she was paying, she assumed she would have some say in the route they took. She was the boss in the situation. Still, the pirate didn't strike her as the type who would take orders too kindly if he thought the person giving them was an idiot.
She knew next to nothing of him. At least nothing that she hadn't been told.
Nora said he was charming and sighed happily while staring off into space. Undoubtedly imagining him doing all sorts of things to her body all while making it so she never had to toil away in the inn another evening in her life.
Seralyse wasn't sure if the girl found the pirate, or the thought of an easy life to be the more attractive feature.
Rob, on the other hand, was more blunt. He'd known the man for a couple of years, on and off. And in that time he hadn't always been a pirate. He'd taken to seafaring late. Before, as best she could tell, he'd done odd jobs around the city.
The tavernkeep told her he was young, but dependable. That he didn't trust easily, or, Rob thought, ever, but he was one of the few that would keep his word on such a long journey, no matter what it saw.
He'd finished with the comment that if he had to get Nora across the continent, the pirate was the only one who he'd trust to do it. Which had been all she'd needed to hear. She knew obedience was easier to purchase than loyalty but she'd grown to trust Rob and figured that if the man said the pirate was the best choice, then the pirate was going to be the best choice.
Rather than dwell on that she decided a bath may well be in order. She knew some of the filthy southerners thought the Kin had an unpleasant scent to them. Personally, she thought it was hooey. But if she was setting out on a journey that day she may as well lather herself up with as much perfumed soap as she could find in an effort to give them nothing to complain about.
It didn't help that she hadn't bothered with anything particularly hygienic after her performance the night before. Just a towel and her robe. Which probably needed to be washed in general. Then again, it wasn't like the humans ever smelled particularly good. And she would know, she'd yet to meet one of their kind with a nose better than hers.
She turned down a few vaguely familiar streets. She smiled at the few Lorakians out at the early hour. Only one or two smiled back. Most looked away when she approached. She was accustomed to such treatment and by this point in her travels it seemed mostly pointless to comment on it.
It only took her a couple of minutes to walk to the bathhouse she frequented. The first one she'd attempted to utilize had declined to service her kind. She'd been annoyed and offended at the time. Now, as she thought about it, she was pretty sure they weren't selling baths.
The second one she'd found was a little dingier. But the attendants she'd had were always personable and nice. And if they bothered saying anything about her body it was always complimentary.
All it took was a few silver coins and a quick point at one of the Lorakian girls milling around and in moments she found herself in a private bathing chamber. The girl undressed her and got her into the marble tub.
She relaxed into the warm water as the girl went about gathering up soaps. She had her sample a few scents. She started with a lemon one but Seralyse hissed that away and settled on something far more floral.
The girl started washing her. She was far too gentle. Which annoyed her but only took a little prompting to get a good lathering. Her hair took the longest, and despite her protests that it was fine, the girl was very hesitant around her ears. Eventually, Seralyse gave up expecting much more and dunked her head under the water to wash off the remnants of the soap.
She rose from the tub and let the Lorakian girl pat her dry with various soft towels. As usual, her tail took the longest. The girl accidentally tugged on it a couple of times, enticing a small growl from her charge. But it wasn't anything she hadn't been unaccustomed to.
The girl asked her if there were any other services she would enjoy as their hour wound down. Seralyse shook her head and tipped her a couple of silver coins before redressing herself and venturing back out into Pelican's Rest.
She made her way back to the Rusty Door. She drew a couple of odd looks from the Lorakians as she left the bathhouse but again, it didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. She peered at her caravan as she walked passed. Everything seemed to be in order so she ducked into the now open door of the inn.
Rob stood behind the bar, washing glasses that she would have sworn he'd washed the night before. There seemed to be no reason to call him on that though, so she moved over toward the stools and perched herself on the one at the end.
Rob peered down at the glass for a moment before setting it down on the bar and raising his brows at her.
"Hot bean juice?" she asked. He shook his head, a ghost of a smile flashing onto his face.
"It's called coffee," he said. "And you don't get it by juicing the beans."
"Please?" she asked. Rob raised his brows and muttered something about stimulants or some such thing before disappearing into the small kitchen behind the bar. He returned after a couple of minutes with a rough terracotta mug filled with an almost black liquid.
It wasn't the same color as the first cup he'd given her. It didn't quite smell right, either. Still, outside of the lemon cake, he'd never served her anything actually disgusting. She brought it to her lips and sipped from the mug.
It was horrible. Bitter. And it burned her tongue. She nearly dropped the mug as she glared at the liquid, wondering how he'd ruined it. A moment later Rob returned with a small cup of cream. He raised his brows at her and poured it into the coffee.
A lighter brown color, one that looked far more palatable to her, spidered through the liquid. Rob held up a spoon, making a stirring motion in the air, before offering it to her. She took it and obliged.
"Best if you let it cool off a little," he said.
"I gathered that," she said. She continued to sniff at the coffee, finding herself rather nervous about taking a second sip.
"Breakfast?" he asked. He'd yet to make her pay for a meal in her time performing at his pub. She appreciated it but it did make her feel a bit like a mooch. Even if she knew that her presence probably made him more money. She couldn't be sure, though. Everyone she heard talk indicated that the Rusty Door was a popular establishment regardless of her performances.
"Please," she responded, her stomach winning out over her brain. She also knew that if her journey was to start soon, she would regret passing on quality food at any opportunity. She may have been a bit of a glutton.
"I'll whip something up," Rob said. He turned away from the bar and left her to her coffee. She sipped at it, finding it far more palatable than her first attempt. After a few minutes Nora walked in and peered around. They exchanged a few words about Seralyse's dress before Nora started wiping down the tables.
Seralyse fought off the urge to help the girl. It wasn't her place to do so, but she grew bored the more she sat and drank the coffee. Thankfully, it only took a few minutes for Rob to return with a plate of scrambled eggs and overcooked sausages.
She saw no reason to complain though. Humans all tended toward overcooking their meat. She'd been forced to learn to find it palatable. Still, she went with the eggs first.
She watched Rob as she ate. He continued to putz around behind the bar with various minor tasks that all felt oddly pointless to her. But she would never claim to understand human cleaning rituals or whether or not it mattered how many times someone ran a cloth over the bar.
She knew very little about the man. He was popular and well thought of in Lorakian circles. She'd at least inquired that far after a few performances. Something she should have thought about doing more at the first joint that recruited her.
He'd been a prize fighter before he opened the bar. And a talented one, from what she could tell. He was educated, or at least everyone said. Where he'd gotten said education remained a mystery.
He'd had the good sense to save a large portion of his earnings while living a modest life at the height of his popularity. And the better sense to notice when he started losing more matches than he won. He'd been able to retire on his terms, rather than winding up crippled in the arena.
He'd used his prize money to purchase and remodel the Rusty Door. And he'd spent the years since running the tavern. Even in her fairly short time there, she'd noticed that others in the neighborhood would come to ask him for advice.
While no one said anything to her she suspected it was one of those neighbors who mentioned her performances in other areas and asked him to look in on them. If he were from a smaller town he'd almost certainly be the mayor or the community leader. It was difficult to find anyone who would ever say a negative word about him. As a performer she envied that.
Granted, it was a little bit of a different situation. He probably faced the same scrutiny as an athlete, except rather than his breasts being too small, his hips too thin, his legs too muscular or his hair too furry it was probably something equally inane like his abs not being toned enough.
But he seemed happy as the barkeep. Not that she expected he'd tell her if he wasn't. A sort of contented air followed him though. Even as he walked over toward her while she ate her breakfast.
"Are you leaving?" he asked as she cut into a sausage. She popped it into her mouth and chewed slowly while she looked at him. She didn't like when people watched her eat. Something about it just made her unnaturally nervous for reasons she couldn't place.
"I don't know," she admitted after following.
"Kaden and Arestes were up early," Rob frowned. "Did he decline your offer?"
"Not directly," she admitted as she continued eating the eggs. "He just said he would talk about it with his friend and let me know."
"I see," he said. Seralyse frowned down at her food.
"Do you want me to go? I can move the caravan," she started.
"No," he interrupted. She frowned and stared down at the half eaten eggs.
"Oh, uhm," she said, destroying them with her fork.
"You're a good girl," Rob shrugged. "You are the most painless diva I've met and still bring in good business. I thought about offering you a contract to stay."
"Really?" she asked. She liked to think she'd put on a good show. She'd only had vegetables thrown at her a couple of times. And one of those times she thought it might have been a compliment as she'd performed at a small town's Harvest Festival. It was the first time someone had mentioned having her stay though.
Granted she never tried to stay in any one spot. Two or three days was usually the max. She knew people would grow bored of her regardless. And while bigger cities had larger audiences to draw from, it was inevitable wherever she went. It felt nice to be wanted.
"Yes," he grunted. He was not a man of many words.
"That's very kind of you," she said. Mostly because she had no real idea what to say. And she'd been trained to compliment when unsure. It worked more often than not. Here it merely earned her another grunt. He walked away from her and left her to her meal. When she finished he returned and put a wrapped package down on the bar and set a small coin purse on top of it.
"What's this?" she asked as he took her plate and slid it out of view.
"Twenty percent," he said. "Plus three more of Nora's old dresses."
"You don't have to do that," she said. He snorted.
"Should do more," he said with a shrug. She didn't think so. But even if he thought that, it was clear he wasn't going to. She peered into the purse and saw a surprising amount of silver coins.
"Thank you," she said. He nodded. She thought that was going to be it as he turned away from her. It felt rather empty for their final interaction. But he turned back to her and spoke.
"Have a safe trip home. If you ever come back, the stage is yours," he said.
"I'll try to," she responded, finding it odd that her eyes grew wet as she spoke. Her ears twitched slightly and she felt herself blushing at his simple praise. He gave her one more nod and turned to head back toward the kitchen.
She finished the coffee. Left a few of her newly earned coins on the bar and slid from the stool. She spent a couple of moments peeking around the Rusty Door for the last time, smiling at the memories it brought to mind before turning and walking back outside.
Voices from the alley startled her. They were quiet, but her hearing was far better than most. She dashed toward the alley and found the back door of her caravan wide open when she entered it.
Her muscles tensed and she readied herself to attack whoever dared to steal from her. Her eyes flashed upwards and she saw a tall Lorakian man peering through her belongings. She made to pounce when she heard a voice.
"How's it look?" the pirate said. Her eyes flashed to the side. He was leaning against the building with his arms across his chest looking incredibly bored.
"Sparse and cluttered at the same time," the other man said, disdain evident in his voice.
"So like every workspace you've ever used?" the pirate countered.
"What are you doing?" Seralyse spat.
"Seeing what supplies you'll need to buy for our trip," Kaden said.
"Excuse me?" she asked, walking toward the pirate. She half expected this was just some ruse to rob her and was glad she had most of her valuables on her.
"I'm not paying for the supplies. It's your journey home," Kaden said.
"I have everything I need," Seralyse bristled.
"The paid help does not purchase their own supplies," Kaden countered. Seralyse narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
"I don't think that's true," Seralyse said.
"It is in this situation," Kaden countered.
"You're taking advantage of me," Seralyse countered.
"I'm making sure our cross-continent trip goes smoothly and doesn't wind up with all of us dead in a ditch," Kaden said.
"I made it south just fine on my own."
"You're the one who wanted to hire me. I can go back inside and flirt with Nora," Kaden said. Seralyse narrowed her eyes and glared at him. But he was right. She had offered to hire him. She blinked as the realization hit her that he was accepting the task.
"Wait so you'll do it?"
"A thousand gold. You're paying for expenses along the way. Because of that caveat I won't make you pay anything up front. Even though I should."
"When can we leave?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not pulling the cart," Kaden said.
"Right. I need to fetch the horses," she said. Kaden nodded and turned his attention back to the caravan.
"So how's it looking?" he asked.
"We need more food for one. Her diet appears to be entirely salted beef. And when adding in our stuff there's only about a hundred feet of hempen rope, so we should get more. She has nothing for the horses. They can graze a bit I guess but I'd like to not have to rely on that," the Lorakian said as he walked toward the end of the caravan. Kaden stopped him by holding up his hand.
"How much?" he asked.
"Ten silver. Could maybe get by with five to eight but I'm not sure if prices will be better outside of town."
"Right," Kaden said. And then he was holding the coin purse Rob had given her. The one that moments earlier had been in her hand with the parcel of dresses. She frowned down the parcel and then reached toward the purse. He held it out of her reach while he dug out ten coins and handed them to the Lorakian. When he finished he offered the purse back to her.
"That's incredibly rude," she said.
"Arestes, this is our client, Sera," Kaden said, ignoring her.
"Seralyse," she corrected.
"Nice to meet you," Arestes said with a slight nod.
"Uh, you too," she said.
"Now let's go get the horses," Kaden said. He shifted off of the wall and started down the alley in the general direction of the north gate. She watched him go then turned her attention to Arestes as he closed her caravan door. He moved out of the alley and down the street the opposite way from his friend.
She checked the door on the caravan to find it locked. She opened it, dropped off the parcel of dresses, and locked it once more before chasing after the pirate.
"The door was locked," she said as she caught up. He raised his brows at her and shrugged his shoulders.
"And?"
"How did you get in?" she asked.
"Through a window," Kaden said.
"You're too fat."
"Excuse me?" he laughed. "I know humans are, in general, larger than the Kin, but fat?"
"Well, bigger than the windows at any rate," she said, looking away from him. "I wouldn't fit through."
"You're larger in the chest region than I am," Kaden countered.
"Huh, that's a first," she said.
"What's a first?"
"No one has ever accused me of having large breasts before," Seralyse said. She brought her hands up to her breasts and jutted out her chin. She let her hands rise until they hit her chin. "They don't even come out past my face."
"Is that a normal unit of measurement?" he asked.
"I don't know." She caught his gaze out of the corner of her eye as they walked. His expression was unreadable. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. He nodded and smiled at everyone they passed. She didn't get the impression he knew any of them, just that he was annoyingly personable. Neither of them spoke until the north gate was in sight.
"I picked the lock," he said.
"Oh. Do you do that often?"
"It's been known to happen," he shrugged. She wasn't quite sure how to take that answer. She'd known he was a pirate. While he more or less denied it, Rob had made sure she understood that and just what it meant.
It was annoying, really. She wasn't dumb. Her father was a merchant. She knew what pirates were. She wasn't sure why the barkeep had felt the need to explain it to her like she was a small child but there they were.
So she knew he couldn't have been opposed to activities that weren't strictly legal. But petty thievery rang false in her head. It instantly made her trust him a little less. Even if she knew that was absurd.
"I see," she said as a thought struck her. "Don't steal from people while working for me."
"Sure thing, Sera," he said in a tone that made her doubt his honesty. But it seemed wrong to press him on it. She'd given the order. There was little use arguing about it unless he actively refused it.
He walked through the gate with her and toward the stables outside the city. She moved toward the door while he leaned against the building, seeming content to wait. It took a few minutes to make sure her paperwork was in order. The guard was clearly annoyed she'd ripped it in half. Eventually he ordered a stable hand to fetch her two jennets.
She gave the stable boy a couple of bronze coins in exchange for a couple of carrots and fed one to each horse. They were always a little skittish around her but the carrots helped. She led them back out from the stables and found Kaden frowning at her.
"They're a bit small, don't you think?" he asked.
"Pudding and Apple got me here just fine," she said, defensively.
"Pudding is the palomino and Apple is the sorrel?" Kaden asked.
"What?"
"Pudding," Kaden said, pointing to the light-colored horse. "And Apple," he pointed to the reddish hued mare.
"No," Seralyse said. "Other way around."
"Of course," he sighed, shaking his head in obvious disbelief.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Do you mind leading them? They get skittish in crowds with me there," she said.
"They're your horses," he laughed. But he took the leads from her as they walked back through the gate.
"Horses don't like Kin," she said. "You're Calabarian, you should know that."
"I always assumed that was an unfounded rumor," Kaden shrugged.
"And that Prince Gareth was assassinated?" she countered. He shook his head.
"No. Accidents happen. Even during jousts. And if the stories are to be believed he was going against someone with almost no experience," Kaden said. "Not that it had any bearing on me."
"We don't usually joust," Seralyse admitted. It was true, mounted sports were almost unheard of for the kin. But they'd wanted to participate in the tournament games at the Festival of the Betrothal. The crown prince had agreed to tilt against one of the kin as a show of good faith at their inexperience.
"Still always thought it sounded odd," Kaden said.
"It takes a long time for horses to be comfortable with us," Seralyse shrugged.
"Do you ride?"
"I know how to but I prefer to avoid it," she admitted. "They're always more comfortable with me in the caravan than on their backs. Most of the Kin never learn."
"I'd heard that. Seems silly. It's far more efficient than walking."
"Only for a slow human," she teased and skipped a few steps ahead of him, her tail wagging happily as she weaved through the streets. She heard a winnie from one of the horses and immediately felt bad for startling it but Kaden only laughed. He seemed to have no issue keeping them under control.
Arestes was waiting for them as they approached. Kaden brought the horses to the head of the caravan and started through the ritual of hooking them to it. She thought she'd have to explain how to him, but the pirate seemed comfortable enough among the land animals. Instead she found herself helping Arestes load goods into the caravan.
It wasn't anything that surprised her. But he bought in more bulk than she would have. He obviously wanted to have supplies to fall back on while she had little issue bartering from town to town. They took a few minutes to organize everything. It was odd having someone else in her living space with her. She spent more time dodging around him than she would have thought.
Eventually Kaden poked his head into the door and called for her. The horses were ready if she wanted to leave. She saw no reason not to. He nodded and surprised her with a sheepish smile. He'd never piloted a carriage before. He was a quick learner, but she'd have to show him how to start.
She left Arestes in the caravan and joined him on the bench behind the horses. She spared one last look at The Rusty Door before they departed the town. Thoughts of returning home filled her with an odd sort of joy, even if she knew the journey would take months. She found herself feeling rather light as they drove through the north gate of Pelican's rest once more, following the road north toward Bazaar.
The feeling didn't last.
The first few days were fine, more or less. One minor encounter with some bandits that ended almost as quickly as it started was the only real thing of note.
The humans were obnoxious. They were loud, they never shut up, the Lorakian liked to sing and was awful at it. Sometimes he'd try to harmonize with whatever song she practiced, which only served to make her want to stop practicing.
She knew she wouldn't be rusty by the time she found a tavern to perform in. But she felt worse about not practicing. Music was her escape in general and somehow the stupid humans made her uninterested in it.
In her travels south she'd never found her caravan to be small. But now in the moments where all three of them were in it, it felt absolutely tiny. They made it through the Lorakian desert quickly enough, but even just those first ten days were mind-numbing.
The heat bothered her more than it did them. In her first trip she'd negated it by traveling mostly at night and wearing her light, thin costumes. Now, modesty seemed a little more important and the humans preferred to move during the day. While Kaden took to driving the carriage easily enough, he also rested the horses more than she did. She wanted to complain about it, as Apple and Pudding were far more capable than he was giving them credit for.
She didn't say anything though, because she loved the two small horses and she didn't want anything bad to happen to them.
They stopped at two small towns on their way north. She'd passed through both before and most of the locals remembered her. She performed in each. In the first, the boys stayed and watched her show. In the second they didn't bother.
It annoyed her. Although she knew nothing good ever came from forcing someone to go to a performance. She saw them talking with another woman outside of the tavern during her show. She meant to scold them for it after the show.
When she left the small inn and made the way to her caravan she stopped as she overheard them talking.
"You know she doesn't have the money," Arestes said.
"She promised a thousand gold, we'll get a thousand gold," Kaden responded.
"No chance," Arestes laughed. "You've been in her caravan. She has what, maybe a hundred squirreled away."
"Seventy-eight," Kaden corrected. She froze. She knew she'd have to make a killing performing on the way to get anywhere near the amount promised. But she also assumed it would work out in the end. Things tended to do that. And she could always maybe sell the caravan once she made it home. But she figured she'd have longer than a few days for them to figure it out.
Of course now she realized how silly that thought was as they shared a tiny room for most of their waking hours. She debated telling them they would stay an extra night or two in some of the towns. But so far her two shows had yielded only a handful of silver coins. It was enough for them to eat and stay relatively comfortable. But after that there would be very little left over.
"She can maybe, and I mean maybe get a hundred for the cart and the horses. We shouldn't be stopping every night for the chance that she makes one or two gold," Arestes said.
"She'll pay," Kaden said. There was a slight note of command in his voice. Something about his tone froze her in her tracks. The words hung in the air for a moment before he let out a long sigh and added. "I think her family has money."
"Well, she takes care of her instruments. They're nothing special. I could probably make her a better lyre. But she's a stickler for maintenance," Arestes said. "Still they're not what I'd call expensive.
"Make her a better one then," Kaden shrugged. "It'll occupy your mind and you'll stop talking about how we won't get paid."
"Hey now. I wanted to stay in Lorak," Arestes said.
"Yeah, well, that didn't feel right," Kaden countered. Silence fell between them again and she took it as her cue to speak up.
"Hey boys," she yelled, faking enthusiasm. "Did you eat yet?"
"Yes," Arestes said, peering over his shoulder. She wished the Lorakian blushed noticeably so she could see if he felt any embarrassment at talking about her behind his back. But not everyone could turn the color of her hair at the slightest embarrassment.
"We got you some seafood gumbo," Kaden said, nodding toward a large brown bowl of it sitting above a small fire they'd started in front of them. She walked up to them and peered at it. It smelled a little too shrimpy for her tastes but she was hungry after performing and they had done something for her unprompted, so it seemed like something she should at least sample.
It was delicious. She plopped herself between the two of them on the bench of the caravan and ate the entire bowl in minutes. Arestes ignored her. But that was what he did. It had only take her a few days to recognize when he'd lose himself in thought.
"Where did you find this?" she asked as she finished the food.
"An old crewmate settled down here," Kaden said. "We went for a visit when you were performing."
"Well, thank you," she said.
"No problem," Kaden said. They lapsed into silence. It felt awkward to her. But it always did. Kaden and Arestes both seemed comfortable with the quiet but it always sat wrong with her. She thought they should be talking and laughing and smiling and having fun. But the two men would rather be quiet.
It shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did because she'd traveled the entire way south without a companion or without much senseless chatter. But now that there were people around her she wanted to talk. She wanted to learn more about the Lorakians and the Calabarians. But they didn't seem overly interested in talking to her.
Part of her wondered if it was merely because she had less to do on the trip up. She'd been responsible for the horses and her route and everything else while heading south. Now they were handling most of it.
She felt her ears twitch a second before the thunder. Her eyes shot to the horizon. Nothing looked out of place for a moment but then lightning flashed through the sky off in the distance.
"Storm coming," Kaden shrugged as he stared off it as well. Seralyse nodded. Arestes ignored them. The two of them watched it blow in over the horizon but didn't say anything.
She wasn't sure when she started to doze off, but she snapped back to reality, her head lifting off of Kaden's shoulder, as another clash of thunder rolled through. The pirate gave no indication that her closeness bothered him. Arestes was nowhere to be seen.
"Sorry," she said on instinct. "I should head to bed. Performing always takes a lot out of me."
"I bet. It looks like hard work," Kaden said. She nodded.
"It's worth it though," she said. He only nodded so she slipped off of the bench and made her way into the caravan. Arestes was asleep on the floor. She stepped around him and curled into her nook and willed herself to fall asleep in between bouts of his snoring.
It was difficult for her. She wondered if she should have stayed out with the pirate. She'd been weaned on romantic stories of strangers growing into more on perilous journeys. Should she have kept her head on his shoulder and done something cliche like talk about the beauty of the stars?
That would have been really dumb given that she couldn't see any of the stars through the clouds. But it would have at least been romantic.
The snoring either woke her, or kept her awake all night. She couldn't tell for sure. But she knew enough to know she wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon. It was still dark out and she could hear rain pelting against the ceiling. Kaden hadn't come into the caravan in the meantime. That wasn't unusual. He'd taken to sleeping either under the caravan or against a tree. She meant to ask why but sleeping near Arestes led her to assume why. Although maybe snoring bothered humans less with their small and worthless ears.
She weaved around Arestes's body and made her way out of the caravan. The rain had chilled the night but the Kin preferred it cool so it didn't bother her. Kaden wasn't under the caravan. She peered toward the town and saw him sitting quietly underneath an awning coming off of the inn. His eyes were closed and it almost looked like he was asleep.
She pranced through the rain, wondering if she should even bother him.
"You should sleep," he said as she approached. He didn't even bother opening his eyes.
"So should you," she said. "Foxes are nocturnal."
"Nothing does well on two hours of sleep," he countered.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Meditating."
"Why?"
"It helps me keep my mind in order," he said.
"You are the weirdest pirate I have ever met."
"You've met many?"
"Two."
"Touche. Join me?"
"I don't really see the point. My mind isn't cluttered." she shrugged. She wondered if she'd just insulted herself. "What are you thinking about?"
"I haven't been back to Calabar in years. I'm not sure how I feel about a return," he admitted.
"Does it matter?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he admitted.
"That's unhelpful. We're not going to find wanted posters with your face on them all over Zuzu, are we?" she asked, referencing the first Calabarian town they intended to stop at. If their pace continued they should reach it in two nights.
"I would be surprised if we did," he said. She saw his lips curl upward into a slight smile as if his face being plastered everywhere amused him.
"That isn't as comforting as I would like. I'm going to have an issue if I lose my escorts," she said.
"I don't think you need us," he said.
"It's dangerous to travel alone," she shrugged her shoulders. "I can defend myself if I have to. But three or four people could overpower me easily enough."
"That's true for everyone," Kaden said.
"Hence why it's better to have more people. Now what's so concerning about your return to Calabar?"
"Nothing," he said. But he said it too quickly. There was something there that was bothering him. She knew she wouldn't learn it that night but it was worth tucking away in the back of her mind.
"Tell me," she said anyway. He shook his head.
"Not tonight. Does your returning to the Land bother you?" he asked.
"Not at all. Why would it?"
"Your family was happy with you running off to be a dancer?"
"I'm not a dancer."
"You dance."
"I play the lute. Or the lyre. Or I sing. Sometimes I sway my hips and wag my tail while I do it. That is not dancing."
"If you insist."
"I do."
"My question still stands."
"My family supported me," Seralyse lied. They didn't forbid her from going. And her father had provided the cart and quite a lot of supplies. But before all of that there were some veiled threats. It only changed when they realized they wouldn't stop her. And she'd had to sneak out in the night. Part of her was surprised she ever made it out of Bazaar, much less to the southern tip of Lorak and Pelican's Rest.
"I don't believe you," he said. "But it doesn't matter."
"Well they supported me. Or at least knew I'd do it anyway. And I've learned a lot."
"Always helpful," he said.
"Yes. Now tell me why you're worried about Calabar."
"Chatting kind of defeats the purpose of meditation," he said again ignoring her question.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just a bit bored. I can go back to trying to sleep," she said.
"Sit," he responded, tapping the ground next to him. She sat, pulling her tail into her lap and stared at him.
"Now what?" she asked.
"Close your eyes, breathe slowly, let your thoughts unmuddle," he said. She nodded and complied.
Nothing really happened. She felt a bit tired, sure. And she kept getting distracted by small knots in her tail. So she'd spent a moment or two pulling them out while popping one eye open to make sure he wasn't watching. She made a note to try to groom herself a bit more, especially after performances. But she didn't like doing it while they were watching.
She kept her breathing slow. Her mind wandered toward just what her parents would think when she returned to Bazaar. She thought they'd be happy to see her. But it had been a couple of years. And she hadn't really corresponded as regularly as she should have. Not that there was much opportunity to do so. She had sent missives the few times she encountered someone who was actually heading toward Bazaar. But the further south she got, the less of those she found.
Her mind filled with images of hugs and kisses and happiness, with them asking about every little detail of her travels and her gushing on about it. But what if they were nothing but upset with her. What if they didn't understand just why she'd had to leave? She didn't want to face them if they thought she was nothing more than a weirdo who'd ruined herself by venturing south of The Land.
She must have drifted off as she meditated because she woke in her nook with the caravan already moving. Kaden must have carried her back inside. The sun was peering through the windows and the pirate was asleep with his back to the door.
She didn't bother waking him. Instead she spent the next few hours of their trip restringing her lyre. She tried to keep the noise to a minimum. If any of it bothered the pirate he did not comment. They didn't speak, but there was something calming about his presence.
So much so that when he and Arestes swapped places for the afternoon she joined him on the bench. Part of it was merely to waylay her boredom but part of it was that she liked being around the pirate. She couldn't quite put a finger on the exact reason why. She told herself it was merely because he smelled better than the Lorakian.
They didn't make Zuzu by that evening. But she hadn't expected to. Kaden borrowed her hatchet and found some firewood and they ate a simple meal around it. He volunteered to stay awake first to watch the horses. She sat with him for the first hour or so before retiring.
She woke a few hours later and relieved him. He returned the favor and sat with her for a few minutes before finding a tree to lean against. She watched him sleep more than she watched the horses. There was something alluringly peaceful about his face.
Arestes relieved her in the morning. He walked over to his friend and kicked him in the leg to wake him up before he set about feeding, and to her surprise, brushing the horses. She watched as Kaden stretched, finding the shape of his arms to be appealing. Humans seemed to have more musculature than the Kin she knew and she liked the way they bulged out. Something about it just made him seem stronger to her.
It was deceiving, she knew. Calabarians were often surprised by how strong the kin were compared to how they looked. But she still thought that those muscled arms were strangely alluring. Alluring enough that she half wondered if her moon was coming on, but that was months away at the earliest.
Right about the same time that he noticed she was staring she decided to duck into the caravan. She wrapped herself in a clean robe and curled up in her corner. She did everything she could to ignore the quiet conversation between the two pirates as she drifted off to sleep.
She woke to the door of the caravan closing. She rubbed her eyes as her ears twitched, listening for the telltale sounds of the horses breathing and the ground rolling between the wheels of the caravan.
"We're almost to Zuzu," Kaden said. She stretched her arms over her head and nodded.
"I slept all day?"
"Most of it. But we made pretty good time. Apple and Pudding are more capable than I expected."
"Told you."
"I'm assuming you're going to try to perform?"
"I know a great little inn, actually. I'm sure they'll let me."
"I'll let you get ready then," Kaden said, turning back toward the door.
"I could use your help," she admitted. She shrugged off the robe and started to tug on the laces on the bodice of her dress. Mostly, it served to tighten the dress on her. Human clothing still had an annoying tendency to confuse her. She much preferred the more flowing and lighter garments she wore as costumes.
"Those should go outwards not in," he said. She frowned at him but corrected herself, loosening the bodice. She meant to let it drop but saw he was still staring at her. She pointed at him and then spun her index finger in a half circle. He took the hint and turned around.
She let the dress drop, finding it obnoxious as it caught on her tail as she dug out a costume made mostly of sky blue silk. It came with a veil, but she decided against that. It only took her a couple of moments to dress, and a few more to affix the matching golden bangles to various parts of her. There were enough of them so that she jingled when she moved.
Once dressed she turned back to face him. He was still facing away from her and had his eyes closed. She dug out a thin brush and some black paint.
"Okay," she said. He turned around and she offered the brush and paint to him. He took it but looked confused.
"What's this for?" he asked. She turned away from him and tilted her head toward her right shoulder. The fake tattoo was nearly completely washed away.
"Can you touch that up?" she asked. "It's incredibly difficult to do by myself. It takes me hours usually and I've never tried it while moving."
"I'm not much of an artist," Kaden said.
"Just darken the general outline, it will be fine. No one ever looks that close," Seralyse said.
"Rob did," Kaden countered. But he dipped the brush into the paint, steadied her with a hand on her left shoulder, and started to do as she asked.
She fought the urge to shiver as he touched her. Which was odd to her. And she certainly wasn't sure why she was chewing so much on her lips. Or why she liked the thought that he was holding her in place, even though he wasn't. Or why she enjoyed his warm breath on her neck so much.
She closed her eyes and thought of anything else while he worked. It only took him a few minutes before he dropped the brush. She moved toward the mirror and peered at the reflection.
"You did better than I do," she said. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I painted my niece's nails a few times. It wasn't that different," he admitted. He blinked as he said it, as if he couldn't believe he'd let it slip out.
"You have a family?" she asked.
"No," he answered. She watched his expression harden and she knew there would be no chance to get anything further out of him in that moment.
"I'm sorry," she said. There was really only one possible reason a person no longer had family. She let the silence linger before she attempted to lighten the mood. "How do I look?"
"Good," he shrugged his shoulders as if he had no real idea but knew better than to give a negative answer.
"Helpful," she laughed as she swapped out her silver earrings with golden ones, figuring she'd look more like a real siren if her costume matched completely. The caravan was starting to slow by the time she finished.
Arestes stopped it and joined them inside a few minutes later. The three of them returned to the bench and Kaden took over as they entered the city. She'd wanted to, as she knew where she was going, but Kaden picked up on her ruse rather effectively. He'd told her that she should sit there and look pretty and put out, like a diva would. A siren wouldn't be driving herself anyway.
Part of her wanted to argue that surely some people would remember that she'd done that the last time she'd come through. And she'd spent nearly a month there before. So surely people would remember. But another part of her thought he was right, so she did her best to look sullen while they maneuvered through the town.
It seemed shabbier than she remembered. But she couldn't place if that was truly the case, or if it just wasn't quite as well off as Pelican's Rest. Zuzu was smaller than the Lorakian city, but not by much. It was the next hub on the land trade route and a popular enough destination for most Calabarian merchants.
It seemed quiet to her. She'd remembered it as a lively town. She distinctly remembered almost accidentally running over people in the streets. But now they were almost empty. She didn't say anything to the humans. They'd already picked up on the fact that she didn't have the money she'd promised. And part of her started to doubt that her father would even fill in the difference.
She grew more concerned as she approached the inn she remembered. When she'd last been there, it had been so popular people flocked around the outdoor seating area. Now that area was empty to the point and didn't look like it had been used recently. Neither of the humans with her seemed particularly bothered by the weather so she doubted that had any bearing.
Kaden stopped the caravan outside of the inn and hopped off of it. She followed him and then led him inside as Arestes tended to the horses.
The barman recognized her, but looked skeptical about the entire situation. There were only four or five patrons in the bar and he didn't give any indication that he expected many more to show up that evening. But he agreed to let her perform.
They spent about an hour doing some minimal advertising in the street. Which was mostly just her and Kaden stopping random pedestrians and saying a Siren would be performing that evening at the tavern.
The crowd was better when they returned. But the tavern was still only perhaps half full when she took the stage. Kaden leaned against a far wall and watched as she started her performance.
In the past the crowds in Zuzu had been easy to rouse. But it took two or three songs before they seemed to even notice her. She pranced more than she was accustomed to, and sang a few ancient Calabarian myths hoping their history would intrigue them. She was desperate to put on a good show, to show she could do it. Although she wasn't sure just who she was trying to prove anything to.
In the end she won them over by encouraging their participation in a local folk song she'd learned on her last way through. The tips rolled in when she finished playing. She'd made more money there than she had in their previous two stops combined.
She debated asking the boys if they wanted an inn room for the evening, and if they were willing to stay for another show the next day. But she thought doing that would be too much of an admission that she needed the jobs to be able to pay them. And she wasn't ready to have those conversations.
Instead she bought a round for the three of them and they loitered for a half hour or so after the show. They didn't talk of much. Arestes fiddled with some pieces of metal. She tried to ask him what he was doing but Kaden laughed at her and told her when he was inventing he was in his own little world and to ask him about it in the morning.
They left together and walked toward where Arestes had stashed the caravan. Kaden stopped her mid step by throwing an arm in front of her as they approached.
Ten or so city guards stood around it, most were leaning lazily against their spears, their back to the caravan. The door on the back was broken open and a corpulent man was yelling orders at the people inside.
At almost the same time they turned the corner, a tall young man in green armor stepped from the other side of the caravan and made toward the fat man. He nodded in their direction and turned.
"Is this her?" the man asked.
"That's the Siren," one of the guards confirmed.
"That beast?" the man answered.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, Lord Millwood?" Kaden asked. Seralyse raised her brows at him. She didn't like that he initiated the conversation when she was supposed to be the one in charge. And the fact that he recognized the man set off her internal alarms.
"The Beast didn't pay her taxes," Lord Millwood spat. "Bitch probably thought she'd get away with it."
"Songestress Seralyse is a Kin Siren of great renown. Landowners pay taxes to their local barons. Not performers," Kaden said.
"Anyone who profits in my town pays me my share," Millwood said. He stalked over toward him. The green armored man followed. The armor was decorated with sigils on the shoulderplates. They glowed faintly in the evening light. Kaden raised his brows as they grew more visible, but otherwise kept his attention on the magister. Seralyse couldn't help herself, she gasped as she deciphered the sigils.
"I doubt your superiors would agree with that sentiment," Kaden said.
"If you'd like to ride the ten days to Noha to petition the Duke, be my guest. But I doubt he'll side with a filthy animal when I explain how she stole what is rightfully mine. And he has much more important things to keep his mind on. Like his progressively worsening health," the lord sneered. Kaden sighed.
"How much?" he asked.
"Forty percent," the lord responded immediately. Seralyse growled at the figure. Arestes whistled and raised his brows. Kaden held up a hand to them and turned to face his companions.
"Pay him," he said.
"What? That's absurd," Seralyse argued. Kaden shook his head. He agreed with her, she could tell that much just by his expression. There was a sort of quiet fury behind his eyes. He really disliked this Lord Millwood.
"It's easier than a fight. I'd give Arestes and I even odds against some city watch. But we'd have to kill a few to scare off the rest, which would lead to even more problems. But throwing a Warden into that fight hurts the odds," Kaden nodded toward the green armored man. Who, Seralyse noticed, stared at the pirate with an almost confused expression, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Fine," Seralyse sighed. She dug into the coin purse. Kaden held up his hands and cupped them so she could empty it into them. She put just over half of the coins back into the purse. The Lord and the Warden approached as they were counting. Kaden handed them over to the man.
"There you go," he said calmly. A few of the soldiers relaxed as they watched. The Warden kept his eyes on Kaden, his expression now unreadable.
"That will cover today," Lord Millwood said. He tucked the coins into a pocket and stared back at her. "And your cart should cover the last month."
"What?" Seralyse shrieked.
"We've never been here before," Kaden argued.
"Don't give me that. I have two witnesses that say you are the same Siren who passed through a few months back. I saw nothing from your earnings then. I will have mine," Lord Millwood said.
"No," Kaden said. He shifted, his hands sliding toward his hips. Seralyse knew that wouldn't do him much good. He'd left his weapons in the caravan. She saw his hands tense into fists.
"I'll hold your caravan until you earn enough to pay me back. Should only take you another month here," Lord Millwood said. HIs eyes flashed toward the Seralyse and his lips curved into a smile. "Unless you want to pay me another way."
"How?" Seralyse asked.
"No," Kaden reiterated. It almost surprised her how much vitriol he could put into one single word.
"Pity. Those look like they have some value," Lord Millwood said. He reached out and slid his finger through the golden earrings She wore. With one quick pull he ripped them clean out of her ear.
She howled, her vision flashing red as pain shot through her body. One hand flashed to her ear as she felt the tears come. Her other hand shot toward the ground, steadying her as she fell to her knees.
She saw Kaden shoot forward an instant later. His fist impacted against Lord Millwood's face with a loud cracking sound. But the Warden was between them in seconds, his sword flashing as he knocked the pirate down. Arestes lunged toward the Warden but the soldiers reacted in that moment too. Spears surrounded them.
"Take them to the dungeon," Lord Millwood said, his hand cupping his nose. "We'll make an example of them for striking me."
"Yes sir," the Warden said. He pulled Kaden to his feet and gestured for the soldiers to lead them off. She felt a spear press into her back as she pulled herself to her feet. She knew she had no choice but to go where they led.
Author's Note: As always thanks for reading and reviewing. I do appreciate all of the support I receive. If you wish to support me further I am available on PAT RE ON ate TE7writes. The first 13 chapters of this story are available there as well as the next couple of chapters of Cleansing the Sins as well.
Next up here this story shifts back to Hogwarts for a bit. The front half of this story is a bit campaign heavy while the backhalf focuses far more on Hogwarts.