Morning in the Merchant’s District square was bustling as preparations for the day hurried to conclude before the heat moved in. Breakfasters sat in outdoor dining areas for a last few moment’s respite ahead of a long day.
A troupe of players had set up a stage in the center of the square, hoping to make a few coins from the early crowd. Their caravan looked like remarkably fine craftsmanship and its quality suggested that this group possessed both money and talent. The gathered crowd seemed to confirm his suspicions.
“What are they called?” Raith asked, taking a sip of tea as he sat with Thea in the shade of a large willow tree. He never had much interest in plays and the like, but the unexpected entertainment was a pleasant surprise. The play satirized the Archduke, whose authority was threatened by the Guilds’ wealth and power, thus hurting his feelings. Raith was always up for a finger in the eye of rulership, but these actors were taking a risk doing it so publicly.
“The Players of Shan. Came here all the way from the free city,” Thea replied. She was eating an enormous breakfast of eggs, toast and sausage. Raith had already eaten, but the smell was making him hungry again. He turned to look for a server and winced. Three days of rest and working in Vandamir’s shop had him feeling a lot better, but there was a lingering soreness in his ribs the healer hadn’t entirely fixed.
“Ouch. I sure hope this heals up in the next few days before our big match.” He gave Thea a flat look.
“Don’t be such a baby. You’ll be fine.” She waved her hand towards him. “So, let’s hear the plan.”
“This is a good one.”
“I give it even odds.”
“Come on, that's not fair. I'm great at plans.”
“I will allow that you have had excellent plans on more than one occasion. Now out with it.”
Raith put his elbows on the table and leaned forward.
“First, the bad news. Getting in at night is completely beyond my ability, which means a day job. The Promise Day festival is working against us. There are a lot of visitors from out of town, and the library is an attraction.” She frowned and gave a small nod in agreement. “Now for the good news. There is only one old Loremaster overseeing the Rare and Priceless section.”
“Master Rinnel. He’s a delightful man and friends with my father.”
“Right, Master Rinnel. The door is locked and alarmed during the day. Runes prevent any books from leaving the premises. Which is fine, since I’m not stealing anything.”
“You’re stealing knowledge.”
“They’ll be left with no less knowledge than they had before. Now stop it. The Thieves Guild lent me a ward stone that will disable the alarm runes for ten seconds.”
She glowered at the mention of the guild, but didn’t interrupt.
“So getting in is the easy part. Master Rinnel has spectacles that pierce illusions and invisibility. There’s no sneaking past him, and he’ll summon the Templars if he finds anyone who shouldn’t be there.”
“I am thus far not impressed with your plan.”
“Hold on, now. I’m getting to the good part.” He looked up to see his secret weapon approaching from across the plaza and smiled. “And here it is now.”
Thea followed his gaze to the stout young woman walking towards them. She wore a utilitarian work shirt and pants to match. She had pulled her short black hair into a tight ponytail, and the working of stiff leather and driving metal needles had made her hands calloused and strong.
“Nessa?” Thea’s confusion was plain on her face. “How is a cobbler your secret weapon?”
“Did you just call me ‘it’?” Nessa asked, sidling into a chair at their table.
“Randy gods, you have good hearing. I said you were the good part.”
That seemed to mollify her a bit, but she still rolled her eyes at him.
“You still haven’t told me what this is about. So at the moment, I’m not the good part of anything.” She turned away from Raith and smiled. “And hi, Thea. It’s very nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
“I thought perhaps you’d joined the Forgotten Ones. You disappeared so quickly.”
“I’d hate to think you all had forgotten me entirely! Sorry, I’ve just been so busy with the shop I haven’t seen anyone in ages.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Nessa had fulfilled his sister’s dream almost immediately out of school. Opened up her own shop with an apartment above in the merchant’s district.
“Don’t have much need for shoes with these, do I?” She gestured at her hooves and they shared a laugh.
“Speaking of the shop, I’ve got to open up soon. What’s the urgent mystery?”
“I need you for a distraction. Can you get a cart and set up a shoe sale outside the library with your specialty during the Templar show in four days?”
She looked at Thea, who shrugged, then looked back at Raith.
“Why?”
“I will tell you if you really want to know, but you might not want to know.”
Nessa paused, and actually thought about it. That was one of the things Raith had always liked about her. This wasn’t the first of his schemes she’d been involved in over the years.
“Will I be doing anything illegal by helping you?”
“You will not be doing anything illegal by having a shoe sale in front of the library.” Raith said carefully.
After another few moments of deliberation, she came to a decision.
“I’ll help, but only as a [Quest]. I’ve been making the same type of shoes over and over. I’m making plenty of gold, but getting nowhere on levels. It’s a lot harder to make progress once you reach the second braid.”
She’s already twice braided?! I really need to step it up after I get this pattern.
“What kind of shoes are you making?” Thea asked, still looking confused by the situation.
“I stitch an enchantment for balance. Old folks absolutely love them and I can’t keep them in stock. The cane merchant down the street has threatened to burn my shop down.”
Raith smiled and nodded at Thea as understanding dawned on her face.
“Alright, no need to look as though you’ve caught a case of the Grins. I’ll admit that’s bloody brilliant. All the young folks will be at the Templar exhibition, and the only ones in the library will be gray hairs who’ve seen it a hundred times. They’ll empty the place out for a sale on these things.”
“So do we have a deal?” Nessa asked.
“Deal,” he said, and they exchanged a salute. “Hey, if you’re working for [Quests] can you make me some boots for me?”
“That might set you back a level. I’m not trying to brag, but I’m very good at my job.”
“I’ve been at level ten in all three classes for a year now. Plenty of weft saved up, and this is exactly the sort of thing I’d planned on using it for.”
Nessa’s eyes widened.
“You’ve been putting off braiding for a year? Is it for that stupid game?”
“Of course not. I've just been waiting on the right pattern. I’m not an idiot.”
The two girls exchanged a knowing look, and Raith thought it was best not to dig too deeply into the meaning.
“What did you have in mind for these shoes?” Nessa asked.
An image of Kieran skipping between buildings on top of the air itself rushed to the forefront of his mind.
“Ones that will let me walk on the air?” Her brow furrowed. “Even just a few steps?”
Nessa shook her head.
“Stitches like that are beyond my ability. I may be able to manage one that will let you walk on water, though. It’s a little outside my comfort zone, but the challenge of it, along with the weft from your [Quest], may give me a level or two.”
Raith tried not to look too excited at the offer. Water walking shoes would be incredibly fun.
“I can see how those might be useful, too.” He pretended to mull it over for a bit. “I’ll do it.”
“Come by my shop later today so I can get measurements.” She stood up from the table and smiled at Thea again. “You should come by the shop, too. Even if it’s just to catch up. I miss you guys. It’s appalling how fast you lose touch with everyone after leaving the lorehall.”
As Nessa made her was back across the plaza, a roar of laughter came from the crowd. Raith noticed it had grown considerably larger in a short amount of time. The actor playing the Archduke was now simpering to someone wearing a dog costume beneath the dark blue robes of the Order’s Emissary sect. Something about being a Royal Duke and demanding to be called Your Highness. Raith had not been following along well enough to get the joke.
Thea brought his attention back to the table.
“I imagine you need me to get the word out about this sale.”
He nodded, smiling.
“Exactly. Especially to Master Rinnel. Make sure everyone knows how wonderful the shoes are.”
“And about the sale. Old folks love a good sale. Don’t worry, I’ll do my part.”
The smile faded and he leaned back, stroking his chin.
“Where are the holes in this plan?”
There were a lot of things he could count on Thea for, but pointing out when he was being an idiot was at the top of the list. At times like this, he sincerely appreciated it.
“What if there are guards?”
“Willoughby said they are very confident in the rune phrases engraved into every entrance. ‘Easier to push a book through a castle wall than one of those doorways.’ Was his exact phrasing.”
She seemed satisfied with that answer and leaned back, looking up thoughtfully.
“Everyone might not leave the library.”
“The out of town visitors won’t know who’s supposed to be coming and going from that room. People won’t look too close if I’m casual.”
“True. And anyone there to do actual research won’t pay you any mind. We’ve got to wave a hand between my dad’s face and his tomes to get his attention sometimes.”
“So I think I should be able to pull it off so long as Master Rinnel leaves.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
There was the issue he’d been chewing on for an age with no solution.
“That may be the deal breaker. I don’t think I can get in there if he hasn’t left. Do you have any ideas?”
Thea furrowed her brow and ate a few bites of her eggs.
“None right this moment. Let me give it a think and get back to you.”
A commotion in the crowd drew their attention. A group of guards pushed their way to the players and interrupted the performance. Raith couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the stabbing finger of the guard captain and the fear on the players’ faces were definitely not part of the act. The crowd nervously began to disperse as two of the Players of Shan were led away with hands bound and heads downcast.
Rough way to find out Beckhaven isn’t the Free City.
“Looks like a tenday in a cell for that lot.”
Thea curled her lip at the scene and pushed her plate away.
“If they’re lucky. I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Outstanding.”
Raith reached over to grab her plate and started eating the sausages. He was a few mouthfuls in before noticing the look of disgust leveled from across the table.
“What? We have a match in a few days. I need to keep up my strength.”
“What are the odds you can make it that whole time without doing something stupid?”
Raith waggled his eyebrows and flashed a grin.
“I give it even odds.”
