I needed information about Grenwood; unfortunately, I had precious few contacts. My only options were either Lily or Neil. Since Neil was the closest, I headed to him first. Both to ask about this supposed gang and to get his measure. A man with a daughter, who seemed to love him, was a man who could be trusted. And one that could be effectively threatened.
Mildly curious, I decided to stop by the tanners. Business as usual, unsurprising; what were they supposed to do? No guards came running to enact justice, nor did the husband and wife seek them out. Whoever Derek was, he had these people truly docile; without a doubt, I would end up in conflict with the man eventually.
'Might as well learn as much as I could about the enemy.'
Walking into Neil's shop, I waited until he finished serving every customer. It seemed simple items like nails and spikes were the most common. I ignored the banging coming from the rear of his store.
"Hoy, Sera, how are you?" Neil asked.
"Fine enough, “I said, walking up to the counter.
"What can I do for you? “He asked.
"Answer a few questions and take an order for a set of knives."
The large man smiled, "Happy to do both, what you wanted to ask."
"Got a visit from someone this morning."
His eyes darkened, "Anything' happened?"
I shook my head, "No, I had coin. I'm guessing they came here, too?"
"Aye, probably should have warned you. That’s how it is around these parts. Derek and his goons take a piece of everything. "
"I saw what happened when you don't pay."
Neil remained silent. I supposed news about that little tragedy would have spread already.
"You make out, ok?" I asked to fill the silence.
Neil sighed, "Just barely, though that Bastard Vin's been eyeing Jenna."
'Desperate, clearly concerned for his daughter.'
"I know the look. What's stopping him?" I asked.
"Derek has him, and twenty others, on a leash, spread all over the Lower Quarter. So long as we pay, we remain safe; that's the deal. If we can't, you know what happens."
I nodded solemnly.
"Why not leave the city? Family?" I asked.
Neil chuckled without humor, "As shite as this city is, village life is worse. Bandits, starvation."
Recalling the downtrodden wretches I saw while traveling here, I nodded. "And the baroness and guards do nothing?"
Neil looked like he wanted to spit at my mentioning the Baroness, "Guards don't care, they're all on the take. And so long as that witch's coffers get filled, she doesn't care."
Then he caught himself. Badmouthing the Baroness in the open was not a smart thing to do. "No worries here, I'm just a peasant."
He laughed, "You ain’t just a peasant. There's somethin’ ‘bout you. Been driving Jenna crazy."
"Not many people see Northwomen this far south," I said.
"That's not it,"
I raised an eyebrow. And he continued, "Fear, my girl, you don't have it. You can see it in everybody, fear of tomorrow, the gangs, winter, but not you. Not a drop."
'That's something I’ve never considered. If I had no power, I would be terrified of this place. A normal person, let alone a woman, walking the streets infested with gangs and thieves. Certainly, wouldn’t be as bold, let alone live by herself.'
"You do have a point. What about you? You mentioned village life, you weren't born here?" I asked.
"No, I was born out east, only came here last summer. That damned winter was harsh; we barely got through. Jenna's mother didn't survive." Neil said.
The pain in his eyes was either an impressive performance or the memories were that painful.
"So, you came here in hopes of a better life?"
"Better? No. I knew about Grenwood. I just hope that I can get Jenna a good man and leave behind a proper business. Tis all I can do." He took in a deep breath, centering himself.
"What about you, Sera? How did you end up in this dark corner of Aneira?"
I shrugged, "Travel mostly, parents owned a successful farm, fields went barren, and I decided to move here."
"What were they like?"
"Good people, honest, kind. Forgiving. Wouldn’t be the person I am now without them. I owe them much." I tried to push the remnants of my feelings toward Beth and Darion into my words. It wasn't hard.
"Have you ever read the Tale of David the Dimwitted?" I asked.
"Haven't had the pleasure."
I smiled, remembering that moment with Beth, "My mother was in the room when I reached the end. It's one of my most treasured memories."
"It's not nice to eavesdrop, my dear?" Neil said.
I turned to see Jenna in thick overalls, her brow hair tied back. A sheen of sweat across her brow, likely from hammering iron. She was probably a year or two older than I was. I met her brown eyes.
"Sorry," she said, looking rather guilty.
So invested I was in my performance, I didn't realize the banging had stopped.
"Forgiven, I imagine anyone would want to know what the strange black-haired girl is doing in this city on her own. Can’t fault curiosity."
"Sorry again. I’m not the only one wondering'. Rumors flying all about you, and all you've been spendin’."
"My parents left me coin, it's not that complicated."
"There's more, isn’t it?" she asked.
I gave her a sly grin, "There's always more."
She just stared at me, blinking rapidly as if she had dirt in her eyes. Not saying anything.
'There's something off about her I can't put my finger on.'
I returned my attention to Neil. "Anyway, about my order. I'll need a good set of kitchen knives. Cleaver, chopping knives, you know the lot."
"Aye, that I can do. But it will take some time, a day or two, per knife. Say eight knives," Neil said. He looked incredibly eager.
"What will you bleed me?"
"You want good, proper, long-lasting knives that keep their edge?" Neil asked.
"Aye, best you can make."
"Four and a half?" He said, hedging. I didn't care if he overcharged me. I dropped five on the counter.
"Can you sort out a rack for me?" I asked.
He tried to be casual, but I could tell this coin was a windfall for him. After all, he mentioned he barely made the payment.
"Aye, that I can do, thank you for the trust." He said taking the five silver.
'Not just yet, let it simmer for a bit, I can leave it here. That should be a good windfall of coin for him. But the daughter, though, I can use her. It wouldn’t be odd for two young women to become friends. Being friendly with his daughter and a source of much-needed coin should be enough to guarantee his compliance. But if that didn’t work, there were always threats.’
"Jenna!" I said, surprising her.
"Y-yes?"
"There's a good eatery not a minute's walk away, we should go sometime. I have precious few friends, well, none really, and I can’t think of anyone else I'd like to spend some time with." I gave her my best winning smile. The one I had practiced when working for Beth and Darion.
She looked at her father, who nodded. “Aye, you been cooked in the forge for too long. ‘Sides, it’s just down the street.”
"Excellent, say tomorrow. I've been waiting to try Unber's meat pie and milk tea. Have you had it?" I asked.
"Aahh. No, but I hear it's good and they make it fresh." Jenna said.
"It's a plan then.”
Jenna gave me a halfhearted wave, and Neil said, "Good day, Sera, Anier's blessing upon you."
'And just like that, my mood has soured.'
I threw a glance at Jenna.
'I should get her gifts and such.'
With one last winning smile to her, I left the shop.
~
I spent coin like a madwoman. I walked into Grenwood with about 240 silver. In that time, I spent: 45 on furniture, 3 on clothing. 4 on the bath alone. 15 to bribe the magistrate. 3 for the first month's rent. Two on protection from the gangs. And today I spent another 10 alone. Five at Neil's for a set of his best knives and rack. And another five, buying meat.
I stood staring at the icebox. Pork, chicken, beef, fish, and boar. Everything from steaks, fillets, and racks of ribs. It was probably enough food to feed a family for a year. And still the box wasn't even half full. The cuts of meat were wrapped in parchment. I had the foresight to label each item.
Next to the meat box was the vegetable and fruit box. Frozen vegetables and fruit tend to become mushy when defrosted, but in a stew, it made little difference. I was tempted to devise a system that would keep the temperature just slightly above freezing, but I couldn't be bothered.
Meat was a luxury even in the best of circumstances. The envy people would have if they knew I ate meat for every meal could be deadly. Gridiron was easy to come by, and I enjoyed roasting a chicken leg or thigh over an open flame. My skills weren't quite up to Darion's, but compared to normal peasant dining, my meal of roasted chicken and hardy potatoes was practically the food of the gods. I ate at my writing desk; something was missing. I stared at the large room, no sound, no music, no laughter, no one to share a meal with. Only my thoughts and the crackling of the hearth for company.
"Bread, I need bread," I muttered.
~
I dressed well for my outing with Jenna. Black was my color, and it was easy to apply the dark makeup to my eyes, making them 'pop' as Beth would say. I had no interest in wearing a dress; I didn't hate them beyond the restriction of movement. But I found Elis's free style of shirt, bodice, close-fitting leather, and free-flowing hair to be quite fetching. My chest, hips, or face weren't impressive, but my hair was something I took pride in. Daily cleaning and oiling had made it grow thick and healthy with an appealing sheen.
I had no mirror, but my reflection in my bath water gave me confidence that I did a decent job.
After locking up, I headed to Niel's shop.
Jenna was waiting outside, hands behind her back, rocking in place. She was in a simple brown dress. If she wore proper clothes and had access to the luxuries, she would be a fetching woman.
"Hello, Jenna, you look lovely," I said with a bright smile. A girl who worked as an assistant to a blacksmith didn't have any real sense of fashion. But it's not like I cared about such things either.
"Sera, you look....." She couldn't find the words. I knew she was 17 summers old, but she felt younger than I was in my fifteenth year, near sixteenth. Age and experience were different things in the end.
"I know I'm stunning, aren't I?"
"More than that," she said with an awkward chuckle.
I walked up to her, caught her arm in mine, and tried to emulate Yarah's youthful exuberance. It always managed to pull me out of my shell.
'This girl really needs to get out more.'
"So, the plan is: we do a little shopping. Try Unber’s meat pie and milk tea, and you'll be back well before sundown. Sounds good?"
"I don't have much coin," she said guiltily.
"Jenna, please, I'm the one who asked, and not to worry, we won't even leave this street. "I said.
The city wasn't safe at the best of times. Most people knew each other in this area, and I intended to have her home long before any of the refuse crawled out of their holes.
On our outing, our first stop was a stall that sold simple metal jewelry, no silver or gold, but the steel was polished so well that an unsuspecting eye could be fooled.
"So, how is life in the city?" I asked.
"Ha. Right shite it is, but could be worse."
"You know, people everywhere in every circumstance say that. Does it ever get to a point where it can’t be worse?"
Jenna finally released her tension with a laugh and said, "I guess not. A bit of a useless turn o’ phrase if you think ‘bout it."
"That's what I've always thought, people just say to feel better. It never helped me, though."
Jenna gripped her arm a bit tighter, "Me neither. If someone said that to me while watching me mum die, to the flux. I'd bloody their nose."
"Sorry to hear that,"
Jenna shrugged, "It's been years. What ‘bout you, you've got no family."
I shook my head, "None living' that I know of anyway. Might have to trek all the way north to find kin. Ah, here we are."
An old woman and a young boy sat behind a small wooden stall, looking us over with eager eyes.
‘Desperation, I can see it everywhere.’
"Good day, it's nice to see young people having a good time." She said.
I looked at the wares on offer, none of which were particularly interesting. But they were polished and pretty. I spotted a ring just my size.
"What do you think? I've always considered wearing rings." I asked Jenna.
She shrugged. “Don’t know, I don't go in much for jewelry."
"Neither did I, but tell me, do these earrings look good on me?" I still wore the silver earrings Yarah forced me to get.
Jenna looked at me as I pulled my hair back to reveal the simple silver earrings.
"Aye, they're lovely on you. But..." She said with honesty.
"But nothing, I never thought much about jewelry, but there’s something for everyone. A good friend convinced me otherwise. Tilt your head up for me. " She looked confused and did as I commanded.
"A long, elegant neck." I examined.
I turned to the old woman.
"Need something, don’t you think?" I asked her.
She nodded eagerly and reached for a simple necklace. It wasn't impressive, but better than nothing.
I took the necklace and held it up to Jenna. "Please just try it for me."
I gave her the same innocent and eager expression Yarah gave me when she convinced me to get my ears pierced. Jenna was putty in my hands.
"As you command, Mistress," I said, then dropped my performance.
"Please don't do that again," she said, sounding exasperated.
I shrugged, "Next question."
"Ever been with a man? “She asked.
I didn't need to pretend to be repulsed. "No," I said with a laugh. “Still pure as untouched snow.”
She seemed pleased with that response. Then I mumbled, almost to myself, “Though I did kiss a boy once.”
“What was that like?” she asked.
I shrugged, “Is that your third question?”
She mumbled, staring off into the distance, then finally said.
"What's your most embarrassing memory?" I leaned back, thinking.
"I used to wander the forest when I was young. However, one day while wandering, I got my moonblood. My friend found me, saw the blood, and that idiot thought I was dying. He tore off his shirt, trying to stop the blood, then carried me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes to his mother, not listening to me when I tried to explain what was happening."
Jenna stared at me, mouth agape. "His mother never told him about the Moonblood?"
I shrugged, "He was touched. Seventeen summers, well, nineteen now, but had the mind of a child."
Jenna sighed, shaking her head, "Poor boy. Shame to be born like that.”
“He’s the happiest person I know. Not a mean bone in his body. He, at the very least, doesn't seem sorry for himself.”
“What’s his name?” Jenna asked.
“We called him Dim,” I answered.
She snorted, “That’s cruel.”
I shrugged, “He didn’t care even when we explained it to him. He was just happy to have friends.”
~
Jenna eventually shared her life story with me. It was as uninteresting as I assumed it would be. Her family, her father, made tools and farmed. One bad winter, and her mother died, then they moved to Greenwood. Her tales of childhood mischief were mildly amusing at least. She had a habit of stealing food.
We walked to her father's store in silence. Not awkward but a nice companionable silence.
"Another time, Jenna," I said as we reached her store.
"Aye, but next time I'm payin’."
She turned and offered me a lovely smile. Her crooked teeth somehow added to her charm.
~
Unwilling to head home just yet, I headed to the markets on the main streets. Mostly to find anything interesting. Nothing in this city was of any note. I wondered for hours until the sun started to set.
Shrugging, I turned to head back to my home. I absent-mindedly thought about how to go about making coin. I still had enough for about two years even after overspending on many things. But to advance my studies, I needed far more.
The sun had almost set, and the streets were getting dark. Taverns were getting lively, and whore houses were at peak business.
Two familiar figures came walking down the road, slightly drunk. Vin and the bald man.
Unfortunately, they spotted me.
"Well, well, I knew you had somethin' under those clothes," Vin said as he eyed me.
I stiffened and kept walking, but they blocked my path. The few passersby gave us a wide berth, unwilling to intercede.
"Come now, you dressed up so nice, now you got us curious." The bald one said.
"Didn't I already pay you fools for this month?"
"And who's going to tell Derek, hm?" The bald one asked.
My heart rate increased, and my blood boiled.
"So, what do you two want since you won't let me go about my day?"
Vin smiled, showing impressively straight white teeth, "I think you know."
"Sorry, not interested."
Vin grabbed my arm, "We weren’t asking."
'I'm going to enjoy this.'
I looked to my left and right,
'There, perfect.'
I gave him a seductive smile. The same that Darla gave me. "Fine then, that alley. I don't want to do this in the street."
Vin liked his lips and released my arm, but he did seem keen to grab me if I tried to run. He nodded towards the alley.
I sauntered toward the alley, swaying my hips as Darla did, amused that none of the passersby who saw what was happening offered assistance. And now the streets were empty.
They followed, and I could hear the sound of pants being unbuckled.
After we reached my goal, a neat stack of wood, probably for someone's hearth. I sat on the pile, spreading my legs, and asked.
"Who's first?"
Vin rushed forward, shoving the bald man out of the way.
I grabbed a log of wood with my left, extended my right hand, and strengthened the focused binding I held between my left and right gloves, almost constantly.
A blazing red, blue flame extended from my hand, lighting up the alley and colliding with his face. Dragon's breath burned hotter than any normal flame, and in a fraction of a second, his face became a charred ruin. He collapsed to the ground, writhing and screaming in agony. I turned the stream of fire onto the other idiot and gave the bald man the same treatment, keeping the fire active until the log in my hand turned to ash. Clothes burnt away, and skin cracked and bubbled under the intense heat. I didn’t know what was louder, his screaming or my laughing.
I didn’t carry my dagger, but I did have Elis's pocketknife. The bald man went still, but Vin was still writhing in agony. I grinned, grabbed another log and started cooking him alive, laughing as he tried to crawl away, only to have a fresh patch of skin cooked to a charred ruin.
‘How did I not notice this before? Humans smelled like roasted pork.’
It took three logs before he just stopped moving. Much of his clothing had been burned away, and in some places, I could see muscle and white fat through the cracked and leaking skin.
I spat on his corpse, robbed him of all his coin and valuables. Then I turned to the bald man, still somehow alive, just passed out from the pain. I slit his throat with Elis’s pocketknife and left the alley before spitting on him as well.
'Pigs. All that and they only had a few silver between them.'
I walked away, deciding to head to the Kingfisher for a meal. I felt hungry.