"The Twisted Path: Chapter 13" by Melissa ´TigerCat´ Jones

Chapter 13: Red Dawn



She slept on the rafters as often as in the hammock, Rhys thought. That was something he would just need to overlook, knowing there was little chance of winning that particular war, and as long as she used the blanket instead of enduring the late autumn chill all would be well. Her bare foot dangled from the beam in the main room, directly above the woven hammock, and Rhys watched as she drew it back within the folds of the blanket.

He sat on his bed, pouring over the few maps in his possession. Fox and Wren had counted their coin, the lot they shared with Vilma and Tille. There was enough for materials to fix the roof but little would remain. The families disliked having no store to fall back on should they need it. They were not his responsibility, truly, but Rhys wanted to help. Although he would never say it aloud, he enjoyed the feeling being relied on gave him. The dark-haired man felt pride in his accomplishments, illegal though many were, and he wholeheartedly enjoyed the camaraderie of his friends. He felt that these were good reasons to continue in his existence in this small cottage outside the walls of Lugnayos, though sometimes he wearied of hiding.

Living in Lugnayos was more difficult than it should have been. Although Rhys had served his time and had not been banished from Lugnayos, it was incomprehensible to many that he had returned. In the two weeks since Sidh"s awakening, Rhys had visited a few former acquaintances, and not all had been pleased to see him. It was a good thing that he had asked Dae to come along, since she had thwarted two attempts by those acquaintances at following him home.

Rhys rubbed his eyes, suddenly tired. The cottage and his companions were truly all he had, and he had been content with only those for the longest time. Was there a need for thieving, other than that it was an occasional enjoyment? Rhys knew it was the thrill that drew him and wondered for half a moment what it would be like to have a respected profession. But what skills did he have other than a strong back and swift hands? The monotony of physical labor such as blacksmithing did not appeal to him nor did the lethargic life of a clerk or shopkeeper.

He looked at the woman asleep on the rafter and thought. She had said she was a warrior. Certainly the scars were there to prove it. Rhys remembered the first day he tried to teach her to swim and how, midriff and back bared by the bandeau, he had seen those scars. Faded white lines, most shallow and faint, while a few were more visible. One twisted across her spine, touched with the old marks of burning. He remembered that one. In the ruins Dae had told Wren it was from firedust when she was thirteen. An unexpected admission. Another thin line traced its way from under her chin to her collarbone, a frightening scar if Rhys had ever seen one. A near death, obviously, that had been.

Despite her faded scars, she was beautiful to him. Even her name, Tylidae, was like cold water on a hot day. What was she to him? Rhys thought he knew. In fact, he was sure of it. But what did she think of him? A leap from one ledge or the other would need to be made.

"What are you mumbling about?" asked that voice he craved so much, light despite the weariness in it.

Rhys looked up from his maps, meeting sharp blue eyes. "I didn"t realize I was mumbling," he replied. "Sorry for waking you."

Dae stretched like a cat, catching the blanket before it fell. "I slept too long," she declared, not hiding any trace of her odd accent. She quickly folded the blanket, dropped it neatly into the hammock below, and rolled over to her belly on the rafter. "Any plans yet?" she asked, waving a graceful hand to the maps on the bed. Her blue eyes pierced him, watching. There was something feral in them, Rhys saw. Something wild and untamed.

"No," he sighed. "Nothing yet."

Dae glanced out the window toward the rising sun. "Any word on Alan?"

Rhys shook his head. "You"ve done all you can for him, I think. It"s just a passing sickness. Very common, especially during this time of year." The dark-haired man smiled gently. "He"ll get better soon."

Dae thought for a moment. "Yes, I think you are right. I would like to check on him later, however, to make certain."

"We will, then." Rhys did not think that Dae knew the young boy was smitten with her. Before he fell ill with a fever and cough, the boy had followed her like a puppy, but was too shy to speak. The blonde woman had cared for him throughout the night before Rhys urged her to get some rest. She never seemed to sleep enough, he thought, and did not know how she never appeared exhausted. "Let"s do something different today," he suggested, pushing the maps aside. "No more waffling."

"Waffling?" Dae asked, cocking her head to the side. She sat up on the beam, leaning forward so that her hair swung over her shoulders. The tips of her pointed ears peeked through; she never wore her headband when they were alone.

Rhys stood and stretched. "I told you on the ship that I would show you Lugnayos and all you"ve managed to see are our sad assortment of cottages and the lane to the apothecary. There"s more to the city than that."

"I saw some things when I was looking for you," she retorted. "A city like most others."

"Have you seen a giraffe?" Rhys countered lightly. "An elephant? Or, as Wren so aptly called you, a monkey?"

There was confusion on her face. "What are those?" Her lips twisted as she thought. "Wait, those are in that...menagerie? They are animals?"

"Yes. Very strange ones," he answered. "We could also go to the specularium and see the flowering plants, wander the shops in the Old Quarter and the quay, or watch a show in the arena, if you"d like?"

He had her interest now, and it lit her face from within. "We could see all those places," she prodded, grinning slyly. "I have not heard of a specularium before, nor seen plants that flower in winter." Dae slipped down from the rafter, landing noiselessly on the floor. "What shows does the arena have?"

"Poets and storytellers sometime speak there. Plays are often performed. Sometimes warriors battle and lots of people wager on the winners." Rhys said. "It is a varied place." His words grew slow as he spoke; an idea had occurred. The barest bones had emerged but that was enough. He shelved the thought for later, knowing he would not forget it.

"I would like to hear a storyteller," Dae said softly. "It has been a long time since I have heard one."

"I don"t imagine warriors have extra time for stories," Rhys said quietly, watching.

Dae sighed. "No, they do not." She reached up and felt one of her ears and sighed again. Rhys" eyes followed, wanting to feel her skin, wanting her to be able to leave herself unhidden. He hoped one day both things would be possible. "When shall we go?"

Rhys shook himself. He could daydream later. "Let me put these maps away first."


//~*~\


Alan was much recovered when Rhys and Dae stopped by later that morning. Still bedridden, and grumpy with that knowledge, the boy endured the brews Dae gave him and blushed when she felt his forehead to check for fever. When she asked how he was feeling, the boy lifted his head and tried to look composed and stolid.

"I"m better," he said, then subsiding into a fit of coughing.

"Almost," Dae said kindly. She took a thick leaf from her pouch and placed it in the boy"s hand. "This will make your throat stop itching," she said. "Break it in half and chew it until it gets small, then throw it out. Can you do that?"

"Yes, thank you," the boy answered, trying to smile.

"Do you want me to come back later and see if you need more?"

Alan shrugged his thin shoulders, trying to look nonchalant. "If you want," he said. "I am eight, though. Not a baby like Alessia."

"Of course," Dae replied, hiding her smile when Alessia yelled from across the room that she was most definitely not a baby.

Rhys turned to Fox and Wren in the main room. "We"re going to wander the town today. Care to come?" He did not want them to, in truth. He wanted some time alone with Dae, but it was only politic to ask.

"Sidh and I are going to the shore," Wren replied. "It"s a pleasant walk and he needs to get his strength back. I think the city lanes might be too much right now."

"I"m meeting some folks over at the Gilt Leaf. Perhaps I"ll join you afterward," Fox said, and Wren rolled her eyes.

"Folks," she whispered conspiratorially, "means a woman." She grinned toothily at her brother. "Don"t think I haven"t noticed. I notice everything!"

"Gods forbid," Fox grumbled.

"It"s about time," Tille cried. "My only son needs a wife, the sooner the better. Where am I supposed to get grandchildren?"

"Ma, Fox sequed quickly, "Wren can give you grandchildren." He pulled a face where his mother could not see. Rhys saw Dae bite her lip to keep from smiling.

"Flighty, spoiled ones, I fear," Tille retorted.

"Ouch, Ma," Wren said with rancor. "Besides, I"m not ready for a child yet."

"You"ve reached your majority, Renda. Instead of gallivanting about the countryside with boys, you should be home." Tille eyed her daughter. "I"ve overlooked the trousers - which is a fashion I can"t understand! - and I"ve overlooked the language and the ill-gotten coin. But there are some things a mother hates to hear."

"Do you see what you started?" Wren hissed at Fox.

Rhys did not sense Dae until she tugged his sleeve and motioned that they should leave. Slipping unnnoticed through the door and leaving the argument behind them was easy. Dae pushed her headband up, tucking it tighter around her ears. "Renda?" she asked, wide-eyed, after the door was firmly shut behind them.

"Yes. Wren"s real name. She hates it with a passion," Rhys answered, leading the way down the pathway to the city.

"I thought it a strange name," Dae mused. "I suppose Fox has one as well?"

Rhys laughed. "He"ll never forgive me for telling you, but it"s Forsythe. They"ve both gone by their nicknames for as long as I"ve known them. Before, even. Tille is the only one that ever calls them by their given names. And only when she"s upset."

"Why did they style themselves after creatures?"

The dark-haired man shrugged. "That"s something you"d have to ask them. I have no idea."

Dae fell quiet, as she was wont to do, and Rhys knew she was thinking. He did not ask, realizing that she would tell him if she deemed it important enough. Rhys enjoyed the fact that she did not say everything that came into her mind like many women he had known. It was mysterious and it made her appear even more intelligent and thoughtful.

The walk to the city did not take long. It was early afternoon when Dae and Rhys passed beyond the gates and into the crowded interior of Lugnayos. Dae did not flinch at the crush of people in the outer lanes, but she almost invisibly shied away from those who might brush against her. She slipped through the throng like water, and Rhys followed in her wake.

"Let"s go through the Old Quarter first," Rhys suggested. "The specularium is beyond that." Dae agreed, blue eyes flicking over the milling crowds. Her eyes were sharp as flint. He wondered what she saw, what she heard. She was always watchful, always alert. He wondered if it was only because she was a halfblood or if there was some other, underlying reason.

She stayed beside him as they walked though the outer lanes. The city walls opened up as they neared the lagoon. It was too shallow for ships to enter. Only the lightest fishing boats had a chance of crossing the still waters. A few merchant carts were posted near the edge of the quay, bright canvas roofs flapping in the steady breeze. From a food vendor, Rhys bought two helpings of spiced, sauced meat wrapped in bread, and he and Dae laughed at the grease they dripped on themselves.

"This is delicious," Dae said, licking hot grease from her fingers. She was smiling, closing her eyes as the wind ruffled her hair. Rhys loved to see her smile. "It tastes so different than what I used to eat."

"What"s different?" Rhys asked, sitting on the ground and leaning back against the low wall over the lagoon. Dae perched on the stone above him, her waist level with his head and back open to the water.

"The spices, mostly, and the olives, goat and cheese." She licked her finger again. "I like these spices," she said musingly.

"When did you have goat?" Rhys asked, confused. "We haven"t had any yet."

"Ah," Dae said, quirking her lips. "When I was alone after the shipwreck, I stole one."

"From a village?" he asked, remembering the one he had recovered in after the ship went down.

"No, I was in the woods and a goatherd and his trip walked past. I took a young one trailing behind."

Like a wildcat, Rhys thought. "Did the goatherd see you?"

"Doubtful," she contemned. "I was cautious." Rhys could only imagine. Dae had been cautious in the ruins, and her wariness was awe-inspiring. He looked at her, seeing her bare, tan shoulders in the light of the afternoon sun, seeing her full, smiling lips and slender waist and bright blue eyes. Her looks were deceiving, like the jewel-colored poison frogs in the menagerie. Rhys was drawn to the danger like a moth to a flame. There was no denying the fact that she was self-sufficient and capable, and that, in Rhys" mind, meant that she stayed with him because she wanted to and not because she needed it.

He smiled at her. "Are you ready to move on? The specularium awaits."

The specularium was a huge rectangular building with a pitched roof. That in itself was not irregular, but the amazing fact was that the entire edifice was created from large, flat sheets of thin mica. There was no way to make glass that flat and evenly shaped, and mica was the next best thing. Light filtered through the thin stone and, despite the chill outside, the flecked walls captured the heat from the sunlight and created a pervading warmth within that permitted out-of-season plants to flourish. Rhys paid the doorman two coppers and left two fake names for the ledger. In case of damage, the authorities would look at the ledger to find the perpetrators if they escaped from view. He had no intention of causing damage, but felt it best to leave aliases in any case.

Dae was visibly unnerved when the door shut behind them, despite the brilliant light, abundant green plants and multitude of colorful flowers and fruits. "I am fine," she said when he asked what was wrong. "I was only reminded of someplace I have been before." He would have believed her if not for the almost impeccably hidden tremor in her voice.

"Not a good place," Rhys said.

"No," Dae replied even though the dark-haired man had not asked a question. "Not a good place." She bit her lip, seeming to make a decision that worried her. It surprised Rhys when she continued. "It was always spring there. No winter, no snow. Always like this," she said, moving a hand to encompass the vivid foliage.

"Always spring? That"s impossible," he said, "and besides, the lack of cold doesn"t sound so bad."

"Not impossible," Dae answered, shaking her head. She reached out and delicately touched a red puffball flower peeking from between striated leaves. "Spring emerges from the death of winter. That constant spring, too, grew from death." She turned and speared him with her cutting eyes. "You have heard of magic. You saw what I did in the ruins."

"That spring sprouted from blood?" Rhys realized, aghast.

"Yes, from living sacrifices to a dark god." She stopped abruptly, feeling she had said too much, and walked away from him down the wandering pathway. Rhys trotted swiftly to catch up.

"You were a sacrifice," he said. Horror was in his heart, pressing cold hands against his spine. He shivered and did not know it.

She did not look at him. "Yes, I was meant to be." A corner of her mouth twitched up in a wry, dark smile and was swiftly gone. "Things did not turn out as planned."

"Thank the gods," the dark-haired man breathed. "How did you get away?"

Dae glanced at him, her blue eyes so wild and restrained. "I killed that dark god," she said flatly, "and its priest healed me for it. It was a beast in truth, but those strange people worshiped it like it had power."

"Dae," Rhys said softly, not wanting to accept what he was hearing.

"I do not know what you think of me, Rhys. I do not want you to get too close and then realize I am something different that what you expected." She clenched her teeth tight after she spoke; he could see the muscles working in her jaw.

"I don"t expect anything, Dae, other than your happiness. I"ll shut up if you want me to. Never another question. I"ll even sweep all the spiders from the rafters and I"ll open the roof over your hammock to the sky."

"You jest with me," she said, the look on her face an equal mixture of amusement and offense.

"No, I"m serious," Rhys objected. "I also believe every word you say."

Dae shook her head. "I do not understand you sometimes. Why should you do that?"

"Because I do," he said, holding back the real words that wanted to tumble from his mouth.

"You are strange," she replied gently, and he was glad to see that she was smiling again.

"I know," Rhys answered, grinning. "But we didn"t come here to talk about that. We came here to get away from everything and enjoy the day. And we are going to enjoy it, right?"

"I suppose," Dae said lightheartedly. "I hope you know what these plants are because I am going to ask you." She laughed at the sudden fear on Rhys" face. "No, I would not torment you like that." She touched his arm with light fingers as she turned away, unknowingly tormenting him with her touch. "Come. I want to see everything." Rhys followed, pulled along by an invisible, unbreakable string.

They went to the arena next. The storytellers were finished for the day and no more tales were scheduled until later in the month. Dae was disappointed but Rhys could focus on nothing but the kiss they had shared under the weeping willow in the specularium and the feel of her body under his hands. He wanted more, much more, but she shied away from him still. He did not quite know what to do about it.

The roaring crowd finally drew his attention. Two men battled in the sand pit ringed by terraced seating. The high walls around the pit were spattered with blood and the sand was stained with it, but still neither combatant had declared defeat. When Dae asked, Rhys explained that the men did not fight to the death. Usually, the battle ended when first blood was drawn but occasionally a bout went on until a fighter gave up or was unable to continue. This seemed like a latter match.

"Why do they fight? For coin?" Dae asked, watching the bout avidly.

"Usually, or sometimes a challenge is called if one"s honor is besmirched. A husband will call out his wife"s lover or something like that," Rhys explained.

"They do not take matters into their own hands, then?"

"Eh, it"s more official this way. Cleaner, I guess. Vigilantism isn"t well-liked here."

"Ah," Dae sighed in understanding. Her eyes flicked over the arena, taking in the sand and the circular, rough-walled pit and the lattice of ropes around the top edge that kept unruly spectators from falling in and the occasional beast from leaping out. She turned her head abruptly, peering at the crowd around them, and glanced at Rhys. "We have a visitor," she announced. "Hello, Fox."

"I"ll never be able to get used to that, I think," Fox answered, emerging from the throng to stand beside Rhys at the arena"s edge. "How"s it?"

"Good," Rhys answered. "The specularium was near empty. That"s unusual this time of year."

"Have you been here long?" Fox asked.

"Half an hour, maybe," Rhys answered, watching Dae. "How was the Gilt Leaf?"

"Packed to the brim. I couldn"t hear myself think," the other man said. "Heard news that Mog was sighted a few days ago, but vanished before the port authority could get near him. Wren will send him on his way, since we don"t have anything for him yet." There was a pause. "Do we?"

Rhys sighed softly. "Not yet." He felt no fear of speaking quietly here in the open. Dae would know if someone was listening or watching, he felt, and she would tell him. "I have the beginning of an idea, though."

"Oh? A good one, I hope."

"So do I, but it doesn"t depend on me," Rhys said. The blonde woman had turned away from the arena and was watching him now. Rhys glanced from her to Fox. "Tonight we"ll discuss this further."

Fox scratched his chin. "Right. See you at the house."

After he had ambled away into the crowd, the dark-haired man turned back to the woman. "Dae, how do you feel about fighting in the arena, just a few times? You don"t have to. I would never force you to do it, or ask you to do something you"d rather not."

Dae looked at him, into his eyes. "I will," she answered. There was no wavering in her voice. "Is that part of your plan?"

Rhys was somewhat stunned by the swiftness of her reply and the certainty he heard there. "I...Yes, it was in my mind. We could get around using you but..."

"You want my skills, my proficiency, I take it?"

"To raise the wagers. With what you can do, we can give these people a show they"d not soon forget."

"Ah," Dae said, realization in her eyes. "And since there are no death matches, I am in no real danger." She glanced out over the arena. "With all these people, I will have no anonymity in the city if I fight and raise the wagers for you. I will be known."

"Wren has a way with disguises. We can think of something clever, I"m sure. But Dae, please know that I won"t be angry or anything if you decide not to do this. I don"t want you unhappy. That"s the last thing I want."

Dae smiled at him, a soft heartbreaking smile. "I know." She reached over and rested light fingers in his arm. He could feel the spark of them travel through his veins, flashing like a lightning strike in his heart. "And because of that, I will fight."