Private Tales A Thief in the Night

[Raigryn Vayd]

Raigryn canted his head to one side as he tried to follow the boy's gestures. When his gaze followed the line of his finger towards the bag he thought he understood.

"Oh I'm still annoyed you tried to steal my things," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "I'll get over it. I doubt you steal because you want to. Not with the number of fingers the guard have cut off recently."

There was an entire wall of them nailed up near the markets as a show to would be thieves.

"If you don't learn at least some basic control it will be dangerous to you, but it will also be bad for me. Empaths don't have a good reputation A nasty incident could make that much worse for the rest of us. A little selfish of me, I know, but best we start on an honest footing."

Raigryn started to realise that he hadn't considered the practical aspects of trying to teach someone that couldn't talk. It also occurred to him that he would need to find her some kind of occupation. There were enough people who owed him small favours. If he carried on living on the street, chances were that he would end up using his abilities in anger one day.

 

[Fife]

His ability to laugh off her flopped theft was admirable, and Fife lowered her eyes at the mention of severed fingers. She wasn't stupid -- she had seen the wall of digits, had stared at them in wide-eyed horror as she passed knowing that if she were caught it was the consequence she faced. Her fingers curled into her palms in her lap, as if he was going to take that payment now.

But she shook her head, an indication that no, she didn't want to steal. But her options had been severely limited thus far in life and she had been doing what she could.

Hearing Raigryn's reasoning for teaching her caused her to look up at him at last, the dubious look returning to her features. He agreed it was selfish, so Fife's expression must have read as she'd intended. She simply nodded in agreement as she ate the last bit of her biscuit.

But then there was silence, and Fife's mind was turning with questions she didn't know how to ask. She let her attention stray from the man sitting between her and the door and inspected the room. After looking around for several moments, the crease between her eyebrows had returned.

Fife pointed to herself, then folded her hands together and pressed them to one cheek as she had done before. She finished the gesture by pointing down. Do I sleep here? She still wasn't sure if she was agreeing to all this, but she also wasn't going to say no just yet. If this man -- this Empath -- could teach her how to control her abilities and would also house and feed her for the duration, Fife was willing to test it out. She had no other prospects, aside from proving toa thieves' guild that she could be a worthwhile apprentice. With winter approaching, this might be her best shot at finally getting an upper hand on her situation.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

He realised that he hadn't given much thought to the practicalities of carrying out his plan. It was the middle of the night, the pub below them was closed and the landlord had probably gone to sleep some time ago.

Fife was going to need a change of clothes and a bath. Living on the streets he was probably riddled with fleas too. The beds here only had minor infestations of parasites.

"Yeah lad, you can sleep here tonight. In the morning I'll get you another room."

He mentally checked off the things he would need to do. "I'll have to go out and get you some apprentice clothes. We don't tell people about our magic so we will tell people that you'll be learning to read and write for me. I'll get them to run you a bath after breakfast."

There was just the one bath here so they were more dictated by when it would be free than their own schedule.

They sold orphans as apprentices, but they typically weren't taken up to be taught such skills. There were enough nobles out there with under educated brats paying top coin for them to be taught the skills.

Raigryn stood and moved towards a wooden box against one wall. There was regret and longing in Jason's wide eyes as he watched the bag move out of reach again. Raigryn pulled out some spare quilts and flicked them out to lay them across the hard floor next to the bed. At least it was warmer inside the room that the street.

"Best I can offer for now."

 

[Fife]

Her own room? New clothes? A bath? Fife simply stared at Raigryn and nodded along. Her mind was too full of questions and excitement and caution. He got up and pulled out blankets -- clean, whole, warm blankets -- and made a pallet for her on the floor.

The best he could offer, as if this wasn't one of the most comfortable arrangements she'd ever known. It was a room with walls to ward against the rain that was beginning to patter at the pane and the wind that whistled in the alley. She was the dirtiest thing in this room and obviously the coldest.

She didn't know what to do or how to say anything to him, so Fife just looked back up at him with incredulous wet eyes. People weren't this nice. People weren't this nice to her. She was overwhelmed by his perplexing kindness that was apparently only just beginning.

Blinking back the tears of thanks and confusion, Fife nodded and rose tentatively. She pulled off her boots -- too small and the seam between sole and toe pulling apart -- set them aside, and paused. After some consideration upon looking at the pretty materials of the quilts, she peeled off her tattered jerkin. Beneath it, her threadbare shirt wasn't as dirty. Her breeches, however, she didn't dare shed as she sat down and pulled a blanket over her lap.

She cast one last look at Raigryn, as if he might yet change his mind about trusting the thief to stay.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

He didnt know if there was anything he could say to soothe his thoughts. He didn't need to see the moist corners of his eyes glint in the candle light to feel that deep well of emotion spilling over. In the end he said nothing. He didn't want to skim from his Joy and ruin what was perceived as one of the nicest things done for him in a long time. Fife needed to work this out on his own.

As Fife sat her murmured something to Jason. He closed his eyes for half a second. Unobserved the Lunasloth made her way back to the bed on top of the wardrobe made from a spare cushion in a heartbeat.

"See you in the morning Fife," he murmured. He kicked his fingers and pinched out the candle. Having been quite so startled it would take some time before he found sleep himself.

---

In the first few waking moments he didn't remember that there was a boy sleeping on his floor. As he rolled to one side he lowered a foot over the bed and very nearly trod on Fife's shoulder.

"Oh, crap, sorry," he muttered as he lifted his foot and headed for the other side of his bed.

 

[Fife]

Raigryn only bid her goodnight and extinguished the candle, so Fife laid herself down. She pulled the blankets tight about her shoulders and settled in to the sound of the rains beginning outside. In the silence that fell upon the room, her mind turned over a million thoughts -- why and how and what if. But as the storm outside grew, so did the cloud of exhaustion that had been hovering over her mind. Fife's eyes closed against the flashes of lightning and she soon fell asleep.

---

To say she slept well would have been an understatement. By morning she was a small tangle of quilts and human body, curled into a small ball beside the bed. Though the floorboards weren't very forgiving, her youthful body had endured worse and she entered a deep and dreamless sleep -- a small blessing, that.

Raigryn's foot dropping to the floor next to her shoulder, however, jerked her out of her deep slumber. Fife jerked awake and flinched away from the strange sound. For a moment, the girl forgot where she was and the strange events of the night prior, and she pushed herself up with wide, startled eyes.

It only took his apology and a few waking seconds, however, for her to remember, and she loosed a steadying sigh. Right. The "Empath" man with the sloth. Fife rubbed at the sleep in her eyes and pulled the blankets back over her lap. It was so warm and snuggly under the quilts, and she wanted to melt back into them and capture more of the sound, peaceful sleep she'd been having. The rain on the window was a lullaby to sleep, and she wanted to obey it.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

Fife

"You sleep for longer if you want," Raigryn said as he stood up. "In fact definitely stay in the room for now. I'm going to talk to the landlord."

He couldn't read minds. In fact Raigryn wasn't very adept at linking the vague emotions he sensed to what could be the cause. It was, however, quite easy to sense the thief's comfort and groggy mind. Former thief, he told himself.

Raigryn stepped off the other side of the bed and pulled up a pair of reasonably smart trousers before pulling off his nightshirt. When he stayed in the city he had to look the part of a scholar. Worn travelling clothes, fit for the road, was not what was expected of a man who made money putting ink to paper.

"If they've started on breakfast I'll bring you up some bread," Raigryn explained as he stepped past Fife to the wardrobe. There was no sign of Jason. He pulled out a shirt and started to button it up. "I'll tell him I have a potential apprentice coming later in the morning and see about another room."

It occurred to him that talking to himself wasn't going to be conducive to Fife finding some sleep again. Raigryn feel silent once more as he pulled on a tunic and his boots.

 

[Fife]

Though given the permission to sleep, Fife had intended to remain upright to listen politely to Raigryn. At least, until he began dressing. Crimson flashed across her face and she immediately laid back down, clutching the quilt close to her chin and putting her back to him. He told her that he would see about another room and Fife raised a her clenched hand and flicked her thumb up to him. Okay.

The nest of blankets were warm, and she wasn't going to fret about whether or not it was wise to stay. She shoved away that sense of caution that told her this would be the best time to leave. How much of his gear would he leave behind? It would be too easy to just... take something and go, and never see this peculiar man again.

But the blankets were warm, and she couldn't help hoping this wasn't too good to be true. If someone was finally giving her a chance, she was obligated to take it. Fife wiggled in her nest for a comfortable position, then sighed deeply and laid very still when she found one.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"So when is this apprentice coming?" Jerome, the landlord asked.

Raigryn took another swig of ale to give himself time to consider the phrasing of his reply. Before him was an end of bread and a bowl of porridge that had been wiped clean.

"I'm meeting them down at the market mid morning, through a friend."

"Can't get good staff these days," Jerome complained. "You'd think an elf would be diligent right? Check the back door and lock it at night before he goes?"

Raigryn shrugged, not wanting to get involved in the conversation. Especially if Fife had picked the lock. She hadn't, and the elf was genuinely at fault for not checking the door, but Raigryn didn't know that.

"Got enough for another bowl?" Raigryn asked.

"For two more. Three more for a splash of rum in it."

"Just the porridge and another ale," Raigryn decided. The kid probably wouldn't deal well with a good splash of rum in the morning.



"There's food," Raigryn said as he stepped back into the room. He had a plate with the bowl of porridge and a chunk of rye bread. He also carried a fresh mug of ale. "I'm going to have to go and get you some clothes and sneak them back in here somehow," he muttered as he moved to get his coat.

 

[Fife]

Fife laid awake for a while after Raigryn left, fighting the urge to ransack the room and be on her way. But she bid herself to lie put and sleep, so that's what she did. Though it wasn't as peaceful as before and she tossed and turned, she dozed in and off until she heard the door opening.

Peeking her head to see over the bed, Fife watched as Raigryn returned and placed a bowl and a flaggon on the table. Steam was rising from the porridge, beckoning her. As if on cue, her stomach complained loudly. She quickly stood up but moved toward him slowly.

"I'm going to have to go and get you some clothes and sneak them back in here somehow," he muttered as he moved to get his coat.

Fife frowned. Didn't he have a key to the back door? Or did he not know about the shady affairs? She thought about how to ask but when she couldn't come up with a simpler way, she ended up crossing the room behind him. Opening the door, she quickly checked the hall for anyone else. She saw that it was empty and she took the few quick steps to the top of the stairs before he had any chance to stop her and interrupt her attempt to convey her message.

She pointed to the alley door as she turned back to look at Raigryn, then herself. This is the way I came in. If she had startled him by leaving suddenly, her face didn't seem concerned. So long as no one else had used the door that morning, the paper she had slipped into the mechanism would still be there. She motioned to the door emphatically once more.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"Oh, the whore door?" Raigryn asked bluntly. He wasn't proud, but the location was about the best he had for renewing his emotional Aspects. A few drinks and all kinds of emotions percolate up and could be carefully syphoned without drawing attention. That was going to be a hard lesson for Fife.

With a glance down the stairs he decided to lower his voice slightly. "Landlord found it unlocked which I assumed might have been your doing? I was just thinking of putting the clothes in a bag," he chuckled.

"But if you want to sneak out and we can find something that fits a bit better instead of relying on my eye..."

 

[Fife]

The whore door. She was relieved he knew and his term was quite succinct. Fife blinked but nodded in agreement. He lowered his voice to a whisper to mention that the door had been discovered unlocked that morning. Her eyes met his and she smiled a bit sheepishly. Raigryn chuckled and she shrugged and she began walking back to the room.

"But if you want to sneak out and we can find something that fits a bit better instead of relying on my eye..."

Fife sat down but considered the proposition as she lifted the spoon. She had a secret she intended to protect from this man, and going out to be fitted for clothes seemed like an intimate task she wanted to steer clear of. Masquerading as a boy shielded her from many things. Would he have been so eager to take her up as his pupil if he knew she had been a girl? Fife couldn't say, but his character had surprised her thoroughly this far. She had built a tall wall around a part of herself, and it wasn't going to be simple or easy to take down those blocks. Yet...

In spite of her doubts, Fife nodded, pointed to herself, and walked her hand on two fingers. I want to go. She mostly didn't want to be tempted, alone in this room with his things. Going to be fitted up might be a bit reckless, but she would be cautious.

She quickly spooned down the most of the porridge and managed to poke in every bit of the rye bread, but made a face at the ale. Feeling ungrateful, she only managed to take a couple of drinks of the awful stuff. Regardless, she could barely draw a full breath without feeling a sting of pain in her gut when she pushed back from the meal. Had she ever eaten this much? She wasn't sure. Bending to put on her boots was also a bit painful but she dressed herself quickly, not wanting to make him wait too long.

She thought to wash her face, but looked over at the broken basin and felt a flash of guilt. Would Raigryn have to compensate the innkeeper for that? She looked away from the porcelain and used the sleeve of her shirt to (hopefully) clean her face up a bit. A bit of dried blood came away from her cheek, so she assumed she had been at least somewhat successful. Whether she was presentable or not, she smiled up at Raigryn.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

The market was still setting up when they arrived. Traders were still putting out their wares but Raigryn doubted they would turn down coin if it was on offer. They found someone trading second hand clothes. Likely from children who had outgrown them or, in a more macabre scenario, sold on from deceased owners. He couldn't afford to take him to one of the permanent establishments as he was dressed.

Sensing a flare of anger nearby he turned to see a pair of guards bearing down on them. Taking a tunic from the table once the owner had made eye contact he held it up to see if it was too long for Fife.

Raigryn already knew that it was, but as the guards closed it established that he was here with Raigryn and not to try and pinch goods whilst the traders were busy unloading. One of them gave him a suspicious glare as they passed, but they kept on going. At least they hadn't stopped to voice what they might imagine a middle classed scholar was dressing up a street boy for.

"We need two tunics, shirts, pants. One set of boots. Probably a hat but... we'll save that for after your bath." He didn't want to spell out that was because he probably had a fair collection of fleas to wash out before rehoming them in a cap.

"Any colour take your fancy he asked," sweeping one arm to encompass the line of stands selling clothes.

 

[Fife]

It was early in the day -- far earlier than Fife had ever traversed the markets. With so few people to shield her from the observant eyes of guards, she wouldn't have dared gone there alone. But she stuck close to Raigryn's side and tried not to look too out of place beside him. Still, her eyes scanned nervously for guards as they found a stall, and they met those of a pair of who were already heading toward them.

She had stepped closer to his side, lowering her gaze, when he seemed to notice them as well. He held up a tunic to her that was much too long, but the charade appeared to pacify the guards. Her heart was racing and her breathing forced to be calm, and she didn't dare look them in the eye as they passed by her.

"We need two tunics, shirts, pants. One set of boots. Probably a hat but... we'll save that for after your bath."

Lingering fear made her a bit slow to look up, but she nodded obediently. She was dirty and itchy, so she didn't blame him.

"Any colour take your fancy he asked," sweeping one arm to encompass the line of stands selling clothes.

She dumbly looked at him for a moment, and then the clothes. Taking it all in, she felt herself getting a little overwhelmed. Fife had never thought about colors she liked. They all reminded her of the feelings she felt sometimes, however, so a few were instantly repelling -- red and green. Her eye drifted to one colored a rich, warm yellow and her finger followed. It was radiant like warm spring days of sunshine and flowers and honeybees -- all happy things.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

Raigryn didn't waste much time in making a few purchases. They had to dress him well enough to come across as an apprentice. These weren't being purchased as gifts as pay back for trying to steal his things. In short order they'd finished off his temporary shopping list and his purse was a little lighter.

"Well then," Raigryn said with a bundle over one arm. "Shoes on, put the tunic over the top of your clothes and we'll head back and get you a room, yes? And then bath. Bath first, lessons second."

It was blunt but there were no two ways about it. It would also give him time to think about exactly how he was going to go about starting his lessons. Raigryn wasn't a mind reader and Fife being mute was going to make it an arduous task to get feedback. Nothing ever worked the first time, Empathy was a delicate art.

 

[Fife]

It was with a strange mix of excitement and surprise that Fife watched Raigryn purchase the new (to her) clothes. She shucked off her old worn boots in favor of the new ones and pulled the tunic on over her jerkin as he instructed, and followed close behind him as they began the trek back to the tavern. They traveled without incident or further speculation from the guard. When he wasn't looking, she admired the tunic's yellow material or held up her boot to wiggle her toes. There was "growing room" in both, which inspired a wry, secretive smile to bloom on her face.

Back at the inn, Fife waited silently (of course) as Raigryn took care of the business of securing her a separate room and getting her a bath. She stood to the side, looking around the tavern's interior and the bottles on display and generally doing her best not to consider the expense this stranger was going to for her. It seemed like a lot to her, who had only ever had nothing.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"Come on, little money off the second room?" Raigryn asked. "For a returning customer." He could remember being a guest inside some of the finest mansions of Vel'Anir . Now we was negotiating for a discount in a filthy bar where the main attraction was a back door that opened onto a quiet street that street girls could pass through.

The landlord rolled his eyes and offered to take ten off the price. "I'll get Cynthia to bring up the tub and hot water, alright Fife?"

"He's mute," Raigryn explained. Better to clear that up now than have it become an issue later.

"Wassat?"

Raigryn made a thin smile with his lips. "It means that Fife can't speak."

"Really? Not a word?" he asked Fife directly. "Sure you just don't need to learn?" the landlord pushed a key across the bar and then turned towards the fire to pull the rack over it for a bowl of water to be heated. It wasn't going to be a hot bath, but it wouldn't be ice cold either.

Raigryn took the key and didn't bother to answer the question on his speech. Turning and walking away he grumbled just loud enough for Fife to hear.

"Idiot. I'm going to have to find some noble brat too lazy to have learned to write yet to pay for all this." It wasn't necessarily true but he wanted Fife to know that paying for these things wasn't a small expense for him right now.

 

[Fife]

When the conversation turned to her, Fife nodded at the innkeeper. She kept nodding when Raigryn explained for her that she was mute.

"Really? Not a word?" he asked Fife directly. "Sure you just don't need to learn?"

Her answering smile was forced and there was a crease between her brows. She shoved down the urge to wheeze at him, the best she could do to summon a sound from her throat, but wasn't inclined to demean herself. Snide remarks weren't exactly a new form of punishment in her experience.

Thankfully, Raigryn also wasn't up to challenging the other man. He took the room key and began walking toward the stairs, but not before Fife could hear his muttered remark. A twinge of guilt once more rent through her gut. She clutched her shirt and her head hung as she followed him up the stairs to her room.

Raigryn opened the door and Fife looked in. The setup was almost identical to his, except the length of the bed was against the wall and there was an unbroken pitcher and basin on the table. She stepped into the room and looked around sheepishly before looking at Raigryn.

In the daylight he looked a bit older than the night before, but he was hardly old. His rough appearance was a bit at odds with his scholarly clothes, however. He was confusing to be sure -- part warrior and part scholar, both grizzled and softened. Fife lowered her eyes before he caught her looking at him, but she was curious what sort of life he must have led to become so strange

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"There, all yours," he said with a chuckle. Without being able to hold a real conversation on the matter he tried to imagine what a room and board meant to the boy. He didn't know if he had been an orphan for a long time or recently put out onto the streets. Whilst it was something of a cover story to practise an art of magic that had fallen from favour, Raigryn realised that having the time to teach Fife to write would have been useful.

There were interrupted by the sound of the wooden tub being dragged across the corridor. Raigryn stepped aside so Jerome could drag it into the room. The landlord muttered as he dragged it in and placed it at the foot of the bed. It took up almost half of the little floorspace the room actually provided.

"You havin' the water after?" Jerome asked Raigryn.

Raigryn shook his head. He had to step aside again as a lanky girl in white aprons walked past with the first bucket of water. It would take a few more and then the boiling water to fill it enough.

"I'm going to get some work done in my room. Fife, when you're ready after come knock on the door." She likely couldn't read, but he didn't carry any books that she could study from anyway. What he needed to think about was where would be the best place to go and start some basic lessons. It must have been seven years since he last taught someone how to get through the first stages of controlling their abilities.

Fife

 

[Fife]

"There, all yours," he said with a chuckle

Raigryn's chuckled remark wasn't exactly helping her feel any less overwhelmed, but she put on a smile regardless. Hearing something large and wooden being pulled across the hall, Fife lightly stepped further into the room. She watched as the landlord brought in a wooden tub that took up most of her small room and a woman poured in the first bucket of water.

"I'm going to get some work done in my room. Fife, when you're ready after come knock on the door."

Fife nodded in response to Raigryn's instructions. Frankly, she was anxious for him to leave and for this bath to be over. She sat on the bed to wait and was relieved when everyone left her. The door remained open for the woman to bring up subsequent buckets to fill the tub, so Fife waited patiently. Trip after trip, bucket after bucket, she finally added the final drops of water to the wooden tub. Pulling a lump of soap and a rag out of her apron pocket, she asked if there was anything else Fife needed. Seeing her shake her head, the woman took her leave.

Loosing a sigh, Fife set about taking a long, thorough bath. She scrubbed her skin until her whole body was red and blotchy. Dunking her face beneath the surface, she worked the soap into her wild hair and scratched it into her scalp, hopeful that the coarse soap would rid her of at least some of her fleas. There wasn't a mirror in the room, so she relied on her murky reflection in the water to see her face as she washed away years of grime.

When she had bathed and dressed, she leaned over the tub once more to look at her reflection. She didn't really know too well what she looked like, but she could tell that her appearance was much improved. Hopefully she didn't look too much like a woman under all that dirt. She had been sure to wrap her chest again carefully, concealing what sparse curves she harbored, but she had no control over what her face looked like.

Leaving her room, she was finger-combing her tangled hair when she knocked on Raigryn's door. She could pull out most of the knots that way, but her shoulder-length hair was due for another cutting to help keep it more manageable. It was still a twisted mess when Raigryn opened his door, but she dropped her hands to her side and beamed up at him anyways. She was clean for the first time in her life, thanks to him.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

There was a fresh washbasin on a stand in his room. That might have drawn her notice as he stood up. The tools of the trade of a scholar were set out across a very small desk next to the wardrobe. The ink wells, pens and paper that he had suggested Fife should have stolen the night before. He had been using his more steady calligraphy to offer his services to a few old acquaintances.

"Ah look at that," he said with a grin. He reached out and tousled the boy's hair. "Bet it felt good to get the grime out of your skin?"

The people of Alliria liked to think they were particularly hygienic. A number of public boathouse were located along the river front and people tended to bath at least once a week. Seeing the change in Fife's complection he was quite glad not to be using the water after him.

"Did you know that they believe during the Age of Wonders we drew water right out of the river into homes, heating it with fire so everyone could have a piping hot bath?

"Hah the hot springs of Velmonte are probably the closest you'd get now." Not that Fife would get to see it, with it being a nude men's bathing house.

"Now we need to go somewhere a little out of the way to talk some basic rules. You up for breaking those new shoes in on the road?"

 

[Fife]

Raigryn ruffled her hair and she immediately began to comb it back down, but nodded happily to his question. She didn't know how to thank him, since she had yet to find a fitting gesture for that, so she would have to find other means of expressing that thanks.

Her eyes didn't wander far into the room, as she found herself oddly engrossed by what he had to say. She looked over the writing supplies on the desk for only a moment before her gaze met his. Though she wasn't sure she understood too much of what he was talking about, she gave him her undivided attention and shook her head slowly in response.

"Now we need to go somewhere a little out of the way to talk some basic rules. You up for breaking those new shoes in on the road?"

A smile returned to her face and Fife nodded excitedly. Without waiting for him, she walked into the hallway. If there was any way to show this odd man her appreciation for his unwarranted and undeserved kindnesses, it was going to be by a degree of diligence in learning the tasks he put before her. Most of her viable (and illicit) skills were self-taught so she didn't know how well learning by another would work, but she was eager to go and find out.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

They left the inn promptly. Raigryn only stopping to tell Jerome that the bathtub could be emptied now. Those waters were probably quite murky, he imagined. They stepped out into the fresh morning air. A few horses moved down the centre of the dry dirt road that ran down the street. In the shadows on the far side there was still a sheen from an early morning mist across the ground.

By late afternoon this would be a busy road. By evening the city workers would be rapidly trying to shovel the horse dung out of the middle of it. There were positives and negatives about staying in the city.

"I don't suppose you happen to know how to write?" he asked. Raigryn pulled his heavy coat tight to his neck against the breeze. The cold hadn't always cut through his skin as it seemed to do these days. The coat had seen better days. The faint stripe of bright red across the back suggested long hours in the sun with a scabbard across his back.

 

[Fife]

Fife took to spectating while they walked. As a member of the social fringes, there were aspects of the city that she knew but not with any familiarity. A dirty child walking amidst throngs of people was suspicious, so she tended to slink along alleys and avoid the main paths. She was a thief and a pariah, and being caught by a guard had consequences.

But today she wasn't a dirty child. She caught herself nervously glancing toward every guard, only to find their attentions elsewhere. It was surreal.

Raigryn's question seemed almost hopeful, and she was sad to disappoint him. She shook her head when he was looking at her. No. She could guess at a handful of the initial and final letters on a few signs, but only because she already knew the place's one-word name. That was a stretch, though, and be able to pronounce them did her no good.

// Raigryn Vayd //​

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"It was a bit unlikely. Might have taught you a little if you had more time," he said. It was a rare enough skill that few of the favours he could call in for a genuine apprenticeship for Fife would know how to teach him either.

Maybe, he thought to himself, it was a hollow promise. For all he knew right now Fife was a terror of the back streets who cut purses and throats. But Raigryn had reached an age where he felt he had earned the right to follow his instincts from time to time. No beggar wanted to be on the street. People were, for the most part good souls who wanted to stick to their simple lives. Selfish at times, but not mean or violent.

They walked into a wife open courtyard that was mostly abandoned for the day. There was an old war memorial standing in the centre. The stone pillar held up a statue of an Allirian Admiral who had defeated a foreign armada in the Allir over a hundred years ago.

"Sit with me," he said. The stone stairs around the memorial were not especially comfortable, but perched a few up he had a good view of the people crossing the courtyard.

"When you sense the energy you take...can you do that all the time or right as you use your abilities?" he held out one hand in turn for each answer so he could choose.