Taelord woke to the sound of poorly suppressed laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHush, Aiiva,\u201d a voice he recognized as Syafa\u2019s said from the other room. \u201cYou\u2019ll wake them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taelord rolled over and stretched, his arms over his head. He couldn\u2019t remember the last time he had slept like that. He had been worried about what had been said last night, but it couldn\u2019t compare to sleeping in the Volcarren, not knowing if he\u2019d wake up suddenly with a knife against his throat. He had slept soundly for the first time in\u2026 he didn\u2019t know how long. He glanced to his side. His mother still slept, but Veth and Scar-shoulder were gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It felt strange, just lying there, knowing that he didn\u2019t need to immediately get up. Taelord\u2019s life had been divided into two: the times in Srung, when he had been imprisoned by stone walls; and the times he had escaped from it, when he had needed to wake well before dawn if he was to avoid the Imperial patrols Ahnvad had sent after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lying here, with the knowledge that neither was the case\u2026 Taelord wasn\u2019t quite sure what to do. Perhaps there was nothing he could <\/em>do. Nothing aside from remaining here, where there was good food and a roof over his head, and simply waiting for Utgar to secure his future. Taelord felt uneasy at the prospect. He had always had some plan, some course he knew to take. Now he\u2026 just sat and waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord cast the thought aside and got up. If all he could was wait, then he might as well enjoy where he was. Leaving his mother still sleeping, he crossed the small room and eased open the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Syafa, Aiiva, and Rehs were sitting at the table, talking in low voices. Aiiva had her hand over her mouth, apparently overcome with suppressed laughter, and Rehs looked as though he was trying to be angry and failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTaelord,\u201d Syafa said as he entered. She stood, crossed to the fire, and began ladling something into a bowl from a pot. \u201cDid you sleep all right?\u201d she asked as she turned and put the bowl down in front of him. \u201cI do hope the straw was comfortable enough, and the nights can get cold here in Helsng\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was easily the best sleep I\u2019ve had in years,\u201d Taelord told her. She smiled, and he sat. The bowl seemed to contain some sort of fluffy, yellowish material, mixed with cooked vegetables and grain. Taelord had no idea what it was, but he picked up the fork Syafa provided and started eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you needed anywhere?\u201d Rehs asked. \u201cAnything you have to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord shook his head, and swallowed. \u201cAs far as I know, we\u2019re here until the scouts come back. They left with some Imperial guides three days ago, when we were still in the Red Flats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt will be at least a week before they return,\u201d Syafa said from the fireplace, where she was scooping out the pot into a bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs nodded. \u201cLook,\u201d he said, turning back to Taelord, \u201clet me show you around. I\u2019ve been all over Helsng \u2013 I can show you what it\u2019s like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord glanced up. \u201cI thought\u2026 I thought you were farmers,\u201d he said uncertainly. \u201cI thought maybe I could help\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Rehs said. \u201cYou\u2019re a hero! You shouldn\u2019t be working in the fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyway,\u201d Rehs continued, \u201cthe harvest is in. Father\u2019s supervising the storage of the grain, but there\u2019s nothing for you or me to do right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Veth?\u201d Taelord asked, noting his and Scar-shoulder\u2019s absence for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey left early,\u201d Syafa said. \u201cI think they wanted to see the rest of Helsng. You might as well let Rehs show you the city,\u201d she added. \u201cHe\u2019s been talking about nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aiiva gave a giggle which she managed to turn into a passable cough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord glanced at the door of the storeroom, where his mother still slept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Syafa assured him. \u201cI\u2019ll keep some breakfast warm for her, and she can come with me when I go to the Rows \u2013 we\u2019re nearly out of Eris roots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord didn\u2019t know what the Rows were, but he thanked her anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Rehs said, standing. \u201cI\u2019ll show you the Docks. You\u2019ve probably never seen so much water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord shrugged, scraped the last bit of food from his bowl, and stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d Aiiva said, getting to her feet as well. \u201cNeresa\u2019s home is on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs frowned. \u201cI wish you would stop going there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aiiva fixed him with a look. \u201cI need to learn a trade,\u201d she said. \u201cNeresa is the best weaver in Helsng, and she\u2019s willing to let me help her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s an Imperial,\u201d Rehs objected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aiiva rolled her eyes. \u201cShe\u2019s kind,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd she\u2019s not obsessed with politics, like some other people I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine,\u201d Rehs sighed. \u201cBut don\u2019t expect me to walk you in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike you ever do,\u201d Aiiva said, a smile tugging at her lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Rehs muttered, turning to Taelord. He pulled open the door, and Taelord followed him out, Aiiva bringing up the rear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe careful,\u201d Syafa called after them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs waved to her, and then jumped. His wings snapped out on either side, and then swept downwards, shoving his body up. Behind Taelord, Aiiva jumped as well, her wings pulling her skyward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord sighed. He preferred walking, but he supposed he\u2019d have to get used to flying. He wasn\u2019t in the Volcarren any longer. He bent his knees, and then leapt upwards, snapping his wings out and down. It was surprisingly easy, once he got used to having nothing below him but air. He rocketed upwards, not quite as controlled as Rehs or Aiiva, then leveled, doing his best to follow them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They flew over a winding maze of houses, some little more than conical tents, others built with stone foundations like G\u2019shar\u2019s home. Most were in between, formed out of mud with straw roofs, or built from wooden poles and animal hides. There seemed to be no order to the homes or the streets between them: houses had been built wherever there was room. Sometimes a road would simply end, blocked off by homes at random angles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Near the middle of the maze, Taelord saw a large tent. Volcarren guards seemed to surround it, and beyond them, a sizeable crowd of people had gathered. Utgar. Taelord shook his head. Of course he hadn\u2019t trusted anyone enough to let Runa sleep in a strange house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They sped by the tent, then more homes, then came to the first straight road Taelord had seen. It was wide, ran across their path, and seemed to be laid with flat stones. It was completely empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond it, the homes were different. Here, they were orderly, forming straight lines, with wide streets between them. They were constructed out of stone blocks, and all seemed to be squarish or rectangular. They were also massive. Each one of them could have easily fit at least four homes the size of G\u2019shar\u2019s inside, some of them more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs and Aiiva angled downwards, and Taelord followed. The stone street rushed up to meet him, and he leveled out quickly, coming to a wobbly landing. Aiiva and Rehs alighted beside him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They seemed to be in some sort of merchant quarter. Ter, a ramshackle village near Srung, had possessed something similar, a simple square where Volcarrens sold Ranta spines and Taklay silk to the Imperials, in exchange for food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, the large square buildings were open on the street side, and kyrie within were buying goods which had been placed on shelves or hung against walls. Taelord saw large bails of wool being loaded into carts, and various furs on display in another building. Nearest them, bolts of cloth had been hung outside, all dyed brilliant colors, some with patterns woven into them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTell mother I\u2019ll be back before dark,\u201d Aiiva said. She waved, and ducked inside the cloth-seller\u2019s building. Rehs frowned after her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy are these homes different?\u201d Taelord asked, turning on the spot, looking at them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese are merchants,\u201d Rehs said, a hint of anger in his voice. \u201cImperials,\u201d he added, when Taelord glanced at him. \u201cThey have all the money. They like to live here, in their straight streets and large homes, charging impossible fees when we try to buy anything from them. Come on,\u201d he added. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be seen here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He unfolded his wings, but a call behind them made him stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou there! Stay where you are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They turned, and Taelord saw two Imperial guards diving towards them from the sky. They landed on the street a short distance away, and approached quickly. They weren\u2019t as armored as the soldiers Taelord had seen in the Red Flats, but they wore breastplates, bracers, and shin guards, and each had a long straight sword strapped to their left leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cState your name,\u201d one of them barked at Rehs, while the other watched Taelord, hand on his sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taelord guessed he was supposed to feel intimidated by the soldier\u2019s glare, the strength of his grip on his weapon, the way his wings flared out behind him, looming over Taelord. But he had learned he couldn\u2019t be intimidated by people if he was to survive Ahnvad. So he simply crossed his arms and observed the soldier silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this about?\u201d Rehs said, scowling at the guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour name,\u201d the soldier repeated, stepping up to Rehs and towering over him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRehs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd are you a citizen of Helsng, Rehs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the name of your father?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cG\u2019shar,\u201d Rehs said, his scowl intensifying. He glared at the soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s a G\u2019shar here,\u201d the other guard said grudgingly, still watching Taelord. \u201cHe has a son. They\u2019re freemen,\u201d he added, glancing at his companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The guard and Rehs watched each other for a moment, neither saying a word. Finally, the guard turned away. \u201cIf I were you,\u201d he said to Rehs, \u201cI would stay away from them\u201d \u2014 he pointed to Taelord. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want people to get the wrong idea about you and your family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d Rehs agreed. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t.\u201d He stepped purposefully closer to Taelord, still glaring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The guard looked like he wanted to respond, but the other soldier grabbed his arm. \u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The guard nodded, though he still frowned at Rehs. They stepped away, then jumped to the air, flying back the way they had come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat was that about?\u201d Taelord asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs shrugged. \u201cThe Empire\u2019s on edge,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been paranoid for a while now, looking for rebels everywhere, and now you\u2019ve arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey were looking for rebels?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rehs shrugged again. \u201cThey probably saw us together, and thought that anyone with a Volcarren must be a rebel. Groundling Imperials\u2026 they\u2019ll have to arrest half the city with that logic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut,\u201d Taelord said, watching the retreating forms of the two soldiers, \u201cdo you think they\u2019re right? About rebels being here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope so,\u201d Rehs said, his voice growing eager. \u201cIf the Empire is starting to stop random people on the street, they obviously think so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebels. Soldiers. Conflict. If Taelord had hoped G\u2019shar was wrong about the unrest in Valhalla, here was proof otherwise. They had walked into the beginnings of a revolt, and Taelord knew from experience that those never ended well. They had to get out of Helsng while they could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And yet, he felt a twinge of guilt. G\u2019shar and Syafa \u2013 and probably most of the people here \u2013 had taken the Volcarrens in, given them food and beds\u2026 leaving them to their own problems seemed poor repayment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Taelord said. \u201cShow me the docks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Taelord woke to the sound of poorly suppressed laughter. \u201cHush, Aiiva,\u201d a voice he recognized as Syafa\u2019s said from the other room. \u201cYou\u2019ll wake them.\u201d Taelord rolled over and stretched, his arms over his head. He couldn\u2019t remember the last time he had slept like that. He had been worried about what had been said … Continue reading Chapter Eight<\/span>