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Authors: Barbara Kloss
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pokers and raised it like a lever. The ground rumbled, stone grating upon stone, and very slowly the back of the hearth spun around, revealing a wide, torch-lit passage beyond.
So this was the hidden entrance to Thieves. Or at least one of them. The bear-man had made it sound like there might have been another when he had mentioned that the horses wouldn't fit on this side.
The guard gestured for us to go inside, and as Mistress of the Vale, I thought that I should probably go first. Alex followed close behind me, and the hearth was so tall that even he didn't need to duck. We stepped inside of a torch-lit antechamber, and once all of us were through, the wall of the hearth rumbled to a close behind us, leaving us alone.
Wind whistled softly through the cracks.
It was Alex who finally broke the silence. "Spirits, Daria…" He dragged a hand over his face. "Where in Gaia's name did you come up with that ?"
I shrugged. "From a book I read at the castle."
He stared openly at me, like he was trying to find the girl he'd grown up with in the person standing before him.
Vera snorted, eyeing me down her nose. "How lovely. A princess who reads. Unfortunately, she can't follow directions very well. I told you to let me do the talking."
"And a lot of good that did us," I said. "I thought you said we'd be welcome here."
Her eyes narrowed. "In a manner of speaking."
"And just what manner would that be…?" Alex asked. His astonishment was gone, and now he looked just a little upset.
Her lips pursed. "I think the threat of war has forced them to heighten security."
"I'll say," I huffed, and then I was struck with a sudden thought. "That man back there called you a wolf ."
Alex exhaled slowly and looked back at me. "Aegises serve the crown, and therefore don't hold the highest of opinions with everyone."
"But why wolf?" I asked.
Vera took the opportunity to answer this question. "Because we're stealthy and vicious and we usually travel in packs." Her eyes narrowed. "And because we hunt…and kill."
I couldn't be sure, but it almost seemed like she relished that last description of herself. "Should I be expecting this same kind of warm reception once we actually get inside this city of yours?"
Her exhale shook with annoyance. "I didn't expect to be recognized so easily."
"What gave you away, then?" I asked.
"Probably our cloaks," Alex said. "The material is of much better quality than what they're used to seeing."
Vera looked away and her anger filtered through me. It seemed Miss Omniscient was furious with herself for overlooking this little fact.
"I guess I didn't realize the quality of our wool was so different," I said. I hadn't spent much time in the company of Gaia's people; I'd always been surrounded by nobility. "What do the civilians wear?"
Alex exchanged a glance with Vera. "The civilians can't afford new clothing," he said carefully.
"And why not?" I asked, thinking about all the wealth in the castle at Valdon.
He hesitated. "Because most of their profits are given to King Darius."
"Has it always been this way?" I asked.
"As far as I know," he replied, "which is one of the main reasons his reputation with the people is so…unfavorable."
"That seems to me an easy fix," I said. "When we return, we're going to have to change that. The castle has its weight in excess. No wonder Valdon is having a hard time gaining support. Who would fight for a man that steals all their earnings?"
My somewhat rhetorical question was met with an uncomfortable silence. Alex and Vera were being careful. They would not dishonor the very man they served by speaking out against his actions—even if they disagreed with them.
"Well, is there something we can do about these, then?" I asked, gesturing to our cloaks. "Like tear them up a little, or should we just leave them behind altogether?"
"No…" Alex looked over me, deep in thought. "I think I may be able to do something."
"Oh?" Vera sounded intrigued.
Alex approached me,
So this was the hidden entrance to Thieves. Or at least one of them. The bear-man had made it sound like there might have been another when he had mentioned that the horses wouldn't fit on this side.
The guard gestured for us to go inside, and as Mistress of the Vale, I thought that I should probably go first. Alex followed close behind me, and the hearth was so tall that even he didn't need to duck. We stepped inside of a torch-lit antechamber, and once all of us were through, the wall of the hearth rumbled to a close behind us, leaving us alone.
Wind whistled softly through the cracks.
It was Alex who finally broke the silence. "Spirits, Daria…" He dragged a hand over his face. "Where in Gaia's name did you come up with that ?"
I shrugged. "From a book I read at the castle."
He stared openly at me, like he was trying to find the girl he'd grown up with in the person standing before him.
Vera snorted, eyeing me down her nose. "How lovely. A princess who reads. Unfortunately, she can't follow directions very well. I told you to let me do the talking."
"And a lot of good that did us," I said. "I thought you said we'd be welcome here."
Her eyes narrowed. "In a manner of speaking."
"And just what manner would that be…?" Alex asked. His astonishment was gone, and now he looked just a little upset.
Her lips pursed. "I think the threat of war has forced them to heighten security."
"I'll say," I huffed, and then I was struck with a sudden thought. "That man back there called you a wolf ."
Alex exhaled slowly and looked back at me. "Aegises serve the crown, and therefore don't hold the highest of opinions with everyone."
"But why wolf?" I asked.
Vera took the opportunity to answer this question. "Because we're stealthy and vicious and we usually travel in packs." Her eyes narrowed. "And because we hunt…and kill."
I couldn't be sure, but it almost seemed like she relished that last description of herself. "Should I be expecting this same kind of warm reception once we actually get inside this city of yours?"
Her exhale shook with annoyance. "I didn't expect to be recognized so easily."
"What gave you away, then?" I asked.
"Probably our cloaks," Alex said. "The material is of much better quality than what they're used to seeing."
Vera looked away and her anger filtered through me. It seemed Miss Omniscient was furious with herself for overlooking this little fact.
"I guess I didn't realize the quality of our wool was so different," I said. I hadn't spent much time in the company of Gaia's people; I'd always been surrounded by nobility. "What do the civilians wear?"
Alex exchanged a glance with Vera. "The civilians can't afford new clothing," he said carefully.
"And why not?" I asked, thinking about all the wealth in the castle at Valdon.
He hesitated. "Because most of their profits are given to King Darius."
"Has it always been this way?" I asked.
"As far as I know," he replied, "which is one of the main reasons his reputation with the people is so…unfavorable."
"That seems to me an easy fix," I said. "When we return, we're going to have to change that. The castle has its weight in excess. No wonder Valdon is having a hard time gaining support. Who would fight for a man that steals all their earnings?"
My somewhat rhetorical question was met with an uncomfortable silence. Alex and Vera were being careful. They would not dishonor the very man they served by speaking out against his actions—even if they disagreed with them.
"Well, is there something we can do about these, then?" I asked, gesturing to our cloaks. "Like tear them up a little, or should we just leave them behind altogether?"
"No…" Alex looked over me, deep in thought. "I think I may be able to do something."
"Oh?" Vera sounded intrigued.
Alex approached me,
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