CITY OF BRIDGES

31

The Returning

Still feeling as if she hadn’t slept a wink, Leonie woke well after sunrise. There was a momentary confusion while her foggy mind cleared. She winced at the bruising around her ribs; in fact, her whole body ached from the strain of last night’s battle and days spent in the saddle. Leonie steadfastly carried out her stretching routine to loosen up before heading off discreetly to find food. Then she’d find Jade to report on the last month’s activities.

Outside in the large square, people were busy shopping at the many stalls, going about their day-to-day tasks. The smells and sounds of the city were soothing in their familiarity, putting a spring into her step. Leonie looked around warily. On the far side of the square, she spied a couple of acolytes. Woorin noviciates, by their garb. She wondered if they were out for the fresh air and haggling, or something more devious. In case it was the latter she ensured her hood was up fully, she gave them a wide berth.

Curiosity burned inside Leonie when a flurry of activity near the garrison caught her attention. A squad of guardsmen, jogging in formation, headed towards Portside. Armoured guards in a hurry always raised her curiosity. As expected, any of a dozen taverns overflowed with information.

True to their kind, the rumourmongers were in full swing, spreading gossip quicker than a drunk could bring up his last meal. With a mug in paw, she milled through the crowd to listen.

“I seen it wit’ me own eyes,” one whispered hoarsely. “Four dragons fought furiously above the harbour, breathin’ fire and lightnin’ an’ controlled by ethereal riders they was.” He nodded vigorously. “They flew off south, back to Galhena, leavin’ charred corpses to feed the crocs.”

A few patrons turned away smirking, finding the contents of their mugs more to their liking.

“The ‘arbour were foaming an’ frothing like,” he continued. “Red with the bloody frenzy I tell ya.”

*

Reaching Jade’s office, Rohan’s bear-hug almost crushed her. When Leonie asked after Jade, his face darkened as he signed a reply with his big hands. His sharp hand signal reflected his mood. ‘She can be found at the Heart. She’s been there for two days.’

Leonie knew something was up immediately; Jade rarely left her office for long. She persuaded Rohan to come with her and they headed towards the Heart of Gold. When they entered the tavern, voices of the few patrons already present lowered to whispers.

“Another wine, Hilda. Now,” a slurred voice called from Jade’s private cubicle.

Leonie stalked over with the intentions of removing whoever had the nerve to use Jade’s table. She stopped in her tracks. She’d never seen her boss drunk like this; her hair was a mess, and she reeked worse than the clogged gutters in the back alley. Her leather clothing was loose, exposing more cleavage than the cheap harlot’s servicing the docks.

“Where’s my drink?” Jade’s bleary eyes slowly focused on the shape by her table. “You’re not Hilda.” She struggled to her feet, falling against her friend in the attempt. “Leonie?”

Leonie held her, turning her head from Jade’s foetid breath.

“Th-they said you’d been killed! I didn’t want t-to believe it. Not you. Not like that, but you were away for so long,” Jade slurred heavily.

“And you’re drowning your sorrows? You shouldn’t believe anything until you’ve seen a body, especially when it concerns mine. It’ll take more than a few assassins to get me out of your fur. Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll tell you all about it.”

With much protest and cursing from Jade, Rohan picked her up like a doll and carried her up the stairs. Leonie ordered food and water before bounding upstairs. It took the two of them the best part of the morning to get Jade settled. She wanted a full report and promised to continue being recalcitrant until she heard everything.

Starting with the first attack of the worshippers of Woorin at the chasm, Leonie told of her possession by the high priest of the Death Sect, the encounter with the undead creatures in the swamp, flying with wyverns, and about the incident at White Cliffs. When she began to talk about it, it all seemed so long ago.

Jade insisted she tell every detail of the fight with the assassins in the caverns. Even though she could hardly sit up in bed, she commiserated with her friend for losing her tail. “Lucky tha’s all ya lost.” She finished with a hiccup.

They stopped briefly when Netoha entered with the food. If the look on her face was any sign, Netoha showed great displeasure at Jade’s recent behaviour. Rohan interceded, placing the tray on the table by the bed in case the tray somehow slipped from Netoha’s grasp and landed on Jade.

Leonie smiled at the pair; sometimes his wife’s temper got the better of her. She stood up and gave her a warm greeting. “How’re you feeling, Nettie?”

“I’m well. Taking good care of myself. Unlike some.” She glared at Jade, who was picking at the food oblivious to her vexation. “We’re glad you decided to return from dead.” Netoha smiled at Leonie. “We all worried.”

“I’m sorry for any distress. The rumours were meant to stop people trying to kill us, keep them off our backs. Then we could return without the need to look over our shoulders. Our paws were full as it was—”

“Never a dull moment.” Jade stifled a yawn.

“Maybe for the first day or so. After that it got a bit lively,” Leonie said. “Boss or not, you’re going to rest. You can tell me everything that happened here later.”

“But—”

“Can you finish your food, or do you need help? I’m sure I could find someone to assist.”

“I can feed myself,” Jade grumbled, sitting back. “Anyone would think you were talking to a kid.”

Rohan turned towards the door so his boss couldn’t see his grin.

“Well and good.” Leonie didn’t hide her mirth. “We’ll see you and talk more tomorrow.”

Back on the streets, Leonie made sure she kept a low profile as she wended her way home. Netoha had filled her in on the recent events in Delta. Strange things – vile things – had been occurring to other half-breeds and crossbreeds lately, some of them her friends. This problem had escalated beyond the simple harassment; people had gone missing. Bodies had been found in various parts of the city. Mutilated beyond belief, some could only be recognised by the remnants of clothing and personal belongings.

It horrified Leonie to the extent she vowed to resolve the problem once and for all. Leonie thought she knew the reason, feeling indirectly responsible. This situation had worsened since the codex came to Delta. Whatever it took; whatever the risks, she’d deal with it. Those responsible would rue the day they drew their first breath.

She counted off who she’d be up against; The Flamers hadn’t made an attack since the chasm. Perhaps the rumours of her demise at White Cliffs quelled them. The aerial fight over the harbour indicated that either the Deathers and possibly the Jart’lekk knew she was still alive, but who really controlled Evlin? What about Zander? What was his involvement? She couldn’t go after them all.

“Not all at the same time,” she muttered.

*

Jade looked recovered, apart from a bit of redness around the eyes.

“Your turn.” Leonie started the conversation. “Did much happen while I was away?”

Her boss sat back taking a deep breath, thinking about what had occurred since she last saw her friend. “We discovered the Jart’lekk were hired by a sage, not Zander. If he believes the book concerns him, we have no confirmation.”

“We did a lot of studying of the codex on our way to Qelay. Feiron believes it has vague references to Zander, Dianah and Bren.”

Jade picked at her dinner and continued with her side of the story. “Some of the temples were out-and-about more than usual, keeping an eye on the river and North Gate specifically.”

“We returned last night on the backs of wyverns.”

Jade’s brows arched in surprise at this news. “Wyverns? I did hear rumours…”

“Rumours only, no mention of anyone actually seeing us.” Leonie went on to describe Evlin’s attack in what detail she could. “I’m certain she died in the White Cliff caverns; I felt her die with my claws in her throat. Her blood soaked my paw. I reckon the Death Sect got to her somehow, which would tie her and Lothas together. I’m not sure if the other sects know I’m alive yet.”

“Then you better make sure you keep your head down so they remain ignorant. The Jart’lekk alone are bad enough, let alone two of the more notorious temples. We don’t need any more trouble. Anything else? Did Feiron get his eggshells?”

“Not exactly. He almost died in the attempt.” She detailed Feiron’s brush with death when he almost melted. “It’s amazing what those illios can do. He ended up with a sack of wyvern scales instead. And I’ve collected an interesting toy; a harness that makes me as light as a feather. I’ll show you one day.

“We also camped on one of those sky-islands. I found this.” She produced the earring from her pouch. “It has a very faint aura, so it’s got some function, but what, I don’t know yet.” She tossed it to Jade, who dropped it on the bed.

Jade looked at it briefly. “Nice.”

Leonie caught it when Jade tossed it back. “I’ll work out what it does eventually, but earrings aren’t my thing.”

“Styx and the book should almost be in Reenat by now. I wonder what they’ll do with it?”

“No doubt the Athglenn rulers are keen to see what it’s all about. Unlike us, they’ve maintained close contacts with the rollos and therefore know a lot more about ‘prophecy’.”

They fell silent for a while as they continued eating, the new information going through their minds.

“What are your plans, now you’ve returned from the dead?”

Leonie paused before she spoke again in a sombre tone. “Styx dredged out a few deep memories, especially about the night we met. It seems I owe you a great deal. Why didn’t you mention anything about it?”

Jade sat down beside her when she realised what Leonie meant. “I wanted to, but you had such terrible nightmares. Then one day, it stopped. I was waiting for you to bring it up, but since you didn’t, I felt you preferred to forget. So, I left it at that.”

Leonie looked to her glass. “Any idea what happened to Pasha?”

“I arranged for her to be kept at a safehouse. A couple of days later, she disappeared.”

“Did she run away? She was unconscious when you saved her. Maybe she thought you were the kidnapper?”

Jade shrugged. “I looked everywhere I could, but she was nowhere to be found. I even sent messages via trusted people to the most frequented ports. Nothing. If she had simply ‘runaway’, she wouldn’t have been able to get far.” Jade shrugged again. “Back then, the Takers Guild wasn’t like it is now. I wasn’t the boss and had little control.”

“I can’t believe I haven’t thought about her all this time … either of them.” Leonie put her head in her paws.

“It was a dreadful night. They would have lost their home and mother too.” The talk went into greater depth, strengthening the bond between them as they reflected on years gone by. “You don’t have to go through this alone you know.”

“Yes, I do.” Leonie took a deep breath, gripping the table edges. “This is my problem. And don’t even think about sending someone out to look after me.”

Jade didn’t argue, knowing Leonie’s tone, but silently promised to keep an eye out anyway. “Take this.” She handed the assassins throwing dagger and scabbard from the night of the royal courier’s death. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”

Leonie paused before taking it to wipe her eyes. “May as well add it to my collection.” She hitched the scabbard on her belt.

“Jade, thank you… for everything.” Leonie slipped out the room. She left with a great weight off her shoulders. Emotionally exhausted, all she wanted to do now was sleep. Wearily, she made her way back to her room.

*

Tossing and turning, dark thoughts flared up, Leonie decided there were better ways to spend the dead of night instead of wrestling with the sheets and her morbid childhood. Stretching wasn’t enough and her random rooftop wanderings brought her to the Eternal Gardens. Damn subconscious! As she stared at the gardens, flashbacks of her youth quickly came and went; visions of fire and smoke, the sounds of women and children screaming resounded in her head, the yelling of guards assaulted her ears. These memories no longer caused the dizziness, but Leonie gouged her claws between the slate tiles to silently vent her anger. More memories of that night assailed her, this time with far more clarity than ever before. The night she lost her mother, her friends, her youth.

Using the lessons learnt in White Cliffs, Leonie calmed her mind and regained her composure, noting from the positions of the moons only a few minutes had elapsed. Thanks to the hroltahg training, she could now gaze upon the garden with the greater hindsight, picturing where the original buildings had been situated; the gravel paths generally followed the foundations of the old structures.

As the recollections of another way in returned, she realised there might not be the need to dodge guards to enter the palace. She didn’t want to get her hopes up as it may have collapsed or been blocked off over the years. Other people from the palace attended the numerous rituals, and they hadn’t entered the same way as her mother, or the other Favoured.

She recalled in her youthful expeditions the discovery of another exit from the dormitory area, a long dusty corridor and an entrance to an old storeroom. How and if they were connected was unclear.

She made herself comfortable against a chimney and waited, confirming the guard’s movements. If the hidden entrance was blocked, the walls would be the next option. More or less on cue, the pair of guards returned along the path they repeatedly trod night after night, watch after watch.

Leonie lowered herself to the damp grass in the shadows at the rear of the warehouse and edged toward the open expanse. She’d have to cover a lot of distance before reaching the protection of the trees and shrubs, and time was running out. It was said Zander was due back soon. If she was going to have any chance of getting information, sooner was better than later. She had put it off for too long as it was.

* * *