Obey Your Captain

“I will always be here for you, even if you never know.”

Kaliyah watched the blood drip from her thumb a moment before her eye went back to the new spellbook she’d bought that morning, re-reading the text. “Seulachadh agus càradh.” She pushed her magic through her palm as she held her thumb, despite it being the easiest healing spell, she felt the pull of magic, her power draining from her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused on the skin knitting back together over the quarter inch-long gash.

She’d already had to re-open the cut twice… it had started healing on its own before she could get the spell to work. She was getting frustrated but was sure she’d be able to do this tiny healing spell. It could help the boat more than what she could do.

If she could just heal cuts.

Taking her hand away, she couldn’t help the grin. It wasn’t perfect… it wasn’t pretty. But instead of an open cut, there was now a seal. It wasn’t bleeding. She ran a forefinger over the red line.

She’d keep practising.

Grasping a crystal, she drained the magic, it flowed through her eradicating the tiredness that had began to set in. Sighing, she grasped the blade next to her, placing it a little further down than the previous cut. Not anywhere that would make using her thumb difficult when the door opened.

“What are you doing?” Baron asked, a tiny worry in his voice.

“I’m trying to learn to heal wounds.”

“Why?” He grasped her hand, inspecting the cut she’d ‘healed’

“There’s always injuries on a boat, if I can heal them, it will be more useful.”

“I don’t want you hurting yourself to practice. Is there not another way? Maybe on boar skin?”

“No… it’s best to practice on live. It says here. It’s the tiniest wound, it does not hurt.”

“I’m not best-pleased thinking you are wounding yourself, even if it is small.”

“Then don’t think about it. Did your meeting go well?”

“Somewhat. We have gathered all the papers you signed, will you come and have a look? See if everything is in place.”

“Yes. If it will help.”

“I think it will. Come.”

Kaliyah looked around at the piles of papers neatly placed on the large table, the candle light flickering the pages yellow. “I didn’t sign this many papers,” she announced.

“It is all the papers relating to the Warrens. I wanted to be thorough and transparent,” Lord Neverember explained, gesturing for her to take a seat. “These are what possess your signature,” The Lord stated, gesturing to the pile directly in front of her, “The others are notifications of debt, payment receipts and possession inventory. Among a few other things.” She was a little overwhelmed looking at the stacks, upon stacks of paper, but with a squeeze on her shoulder from Baron, she grabbed the first piece of parchment, the fibres stiff and somewhat rough against her fingertips.

She looked over the scrawling handwriting, outlining the number of ships. Her stomach tightened and heart pounded, remembering signing the ships over to the city until she could pay. Forfeiting any profit the ships may yield but also handing the cost of the ships over to the city. She hated she’d signed it… but she had. She had had no choice.

Setting it aside, she pulled the next page from the stack. Scanning, she read the tax increase she had agreed. She hadn’t felt she’d had a choice. There was no more money to pay. Without selling the house which she refused.

The debt had been put against the house, she remembered that… but this line ’On the twelfth month if the aforementioned debt is unpaid the city will have possession of Warren Manor, to do so as the city wish until at such time, the tax debt is paid.’

There had been no time limit… she’d ensured. “This isn’t right,” she whispered to herself, staring at the line. “I wouldn’t have agreed. I knew I couldn’t pay within a year…”

“Is it possible you don’t remember?” Lord Neverember asked kindly.

“No… I would have… I would have argued this. I wouldn’t have signed it.”

“Are you sure, Pouco?”

“Yes.” She glared at him with all her assurance. She wasn’t mistaken in this.

“Put it to the side, continue to look,” he advised, a small frown creasing his forehead.

She did as he said, the next paper laid out the tax and debt, she had signed that, she remembered it… knowing it was already far more than she could have ever afforded. Let alone the increase for giving her more time.

Yet… the number was more than it should be. She’d paid more than that in the first week.

Her head pounded. All the concern and stress she had buried the last year flew to the surface. It was like she was seeing it all for the first time, despite that she remembered it. Remembered signing the pages, reading the words… apart from these bits she didn’t remember.

She didn’t realise her breathing had grown laborious until Baron’s hand slid over the back of her neck.

The fog that had started to descend receded, her mind clearing and calming enough for her to think.

“Lord Neverember,” she began in a small voice. “Can I try something? With magic?”

“Are you going to set my office alight?”

“No, sir.”

“Then of course.” He gestured for her to do as she wished. She placed the two pages she swore weren’t the same when she signed them before her. “Fa’aalia uchawi, fa’aalia kujificha. Opinbera gişt.” She spread her hands over the pages, feeling the magic flow through her palms.

Looking at the pages, she was disappointed to see no glimmer that indicated magic. Either her reveal spell hadn’t worked or there was no magic that had been used on the parchment. She let out a frustrated breath. It wasn’t right… she hadn’t put her name to this!

She tried to think of another spell… like a reversal, showing stages… but she wasn’t even sure if a spell of that nature existed.

She tried to remember… remember what the pages looked like, but she had no idea. She’d been grieving… devastated. Her father had been her best friend, her confidant.

But even in hysteria…. She would have never only given herself a year to pull together the money.

She was certain.

And she was certain there had been four thousand in the family vault that she’d given to the city.

“I didn’t sign it like this.” She banged her fists against the table in frustration.

A calming hand slid over her back, “What’s wrong about them? What part do you not remember?” Baron asked calmly, his low voice penetrating through her irritation.

She pointed to the line at the bottom of the page, above her signature. On the next page, she pointed to the middle paragraph. Baron picked up the second page. “Jeremiah, what can you see?”

The lord frowned as Baron passed over the parchment.

“What? What do you see?” she asked.

“What am I looking for, my friend?”

“Does it look different?”

Lord Neverember placed the page on his desk, pulling a magnifying eye from a drawer. “The script looks the same. It is from the same hand.”

“The ink is different,” Baron growled.

“What do you mean? It’s the same colour.”

Baron grasped the magnifying eye from The Lord before tilting the parchment more into the sunlight. “See it?”

“I… I’m sorry, Baron, I cannot see what you see.”

“Is there a spell that can age ink?” he directed the question to Kaliyah.

“I don’t know of such spell, but the High Mage may.”

“I’ll request someone fetch him immediately.” The Lord pulled a spare strip of parchment before scrawling a line or two quickly. Folding it, he grasped a candle from the wall, pouring the wax over the joint in a seal, pressing his ring over the drying blue wax.

He left the room a moment, giving Baron time to draw Kaliyah into his chest. “We will get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

“Do you think it was added after my signature?”

“It seems likely, but who would do such fraud I cannot say.”

“It sounds like the same person who wrote it…”

“The individual could have done so under duress. Threats and blackmail are very successful methods to get your own way.”

Nodding against his chest she unashamedly buried into his warmth, his comfort. “You believe me?”

“I have no reason not to, Pouco. If you only had a year, I feel you would have gone to desperate measures to pay the debt. You were under the impression you had time.”

“I don’t want my family here.”

“We can talk to your mother, she may have an idea where she wishes to go.”

“You’ll take her there?”

“Of course, we can ensure she is looked after.”

“I will never be able to afford the life she is accustomed.”

“Alas, neither of us will be able to facilitate the wealth your father kept your mother. But she can be comfortable. She will understand.”

“She doesn’t seem too understanding right now,” Kalayah whispered forlornly.

He rubbed her back before tightening his embrace. “She is upset. I fear she is embarrassed her daughter will find out how low she feels she has sunk.”

“She did what she had to… I don’t care what she had to do.”

“She does, Pouco. You must understand that her actions are a disgust of herself, not you.”

“I disappointed her. I did not protect the family.”

“Your mother had a duty to protect your family too. It is not all on your shoulders. It now is upon my shoulders.”

“You will never need to take on all the responsibility. I would like there to be no responsibility for you to take on… however, I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

“That was very diplomatic, Pouco. I want to do this. I want to help you.”

“Thank you.”

“Never need to thank me. Just don’t burn me.”

“That was one time!”

“Or my ship.”

“Twice. Twice I scorched your ship.”

“I counted thrice.”

“Your schooling leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Why you cheeky-” He bent, lifting her into his arms before digging his fingers into her ribs.

She squealed, wriggling within his arms, “Baron!”

“Take it back.”

“No, you are uneducated, terrible arithmetic- ah!” His fingers tickled lower, forcing gales of laughter from her belly.

“I will spank that sass, missy.”

She panted, glad his fingers had stopped their assault. “Of course, an uncultured, uncouth male-”

He sat heavily in a chair, restraining her flailing legs with his thigh. “I think the lady is asking for her bottom to be warmed?”

“Of course not!” but she couldn’t help a bark of laughter. This was fun, she felt lighter. Through the stress and worry, this was what she needed. His hand landed heavily, sparking warmth through her body.

“Baron! We’re in Lord Neverember’s-”

A barrage of smacks cut off her protest. A groan left her chest.

“He could be back any second!” she whispered hastily as she pushed against his thigh, trying to release herself.

“Should have thought about that before, Miss Warren.”

“Baron!” she protested much to his pleasure. He knew Jeremiah wouldn’t even bat an eye if he entered his office again. But he understood Kalayah didn’t want to be found in such a compromising position. He landed a heavy smack before righting her beside him. He swiped his thumb under her eye to wipe the tears of laughter from her cheeks. At the same moment, Jeremiah re-entered the room. “He should be with us within ten minutes.”

“Thank you, you are most kind.”

Jeremiah waved him off before sitting at his desk, “It’s nothing. I’ve also requested the information who drew up the papers. I didn’t sign these debts off, my father did so I have to make enquiries.”

“Thank you, Lord Neverember,” Kaliyah muttered as Baron stood, offering his chair to her.

“It is my duty to ensure every citizen of my city is cared for.”

“My mother and sister have been without a home for two months…”

“I was not aware of that happening. I can only apologise. If she had come to me-”

“When your guards turfed her out in the middle of the night? Imprisoned our friend, our valet! He was our advisor and you imprisoned him to stop him helping! Why would she trust you?” Kaliyah spat in disgust, raising an inch from her chair.

“Kaliyah,” Baron warned.

“It’s quite alright, Baron. I am disappointed this happened under my command. I need to find out what’s happened, Miss Warren. I will, I promise.”

He set a heavy hand on her shoulder in an attempt to ground her. Her fire would do no good here.

“Have you set an exact day for your union?” Jeremiah asked mildly. A distraction?

“I think we want this problem dealt with first.” He squeezed her shoulder. He’d join with her today if he felt that was what she wanted. But he knew she needed her slate wiped clean. She needed security more than just a union with him would bring.

She needed to know her mother and sister were going to be well.

A knock came on the door, Lord Neverember called for them to enter. An elderly fae walked in. His ears pointed far higher than an elf, his features angular and pointed despite the wrinkles sagging his skin. “You called upon me, My Lord?”

“Yes. Thank you for coming so quickly. We are having difficulty with some paperwork that was signed. Miss Warren feels there is something wrong.”

“Something wrong? Child, explain?”

“High Mage… I signed these papers after my father’s passing. I’ll admit… they were debts I had no idea about but I had to make arrangements. The tax was high… I couldn’t afford it.” Her cheeks glowed in embarrassment and shame. “I had to sign these, to state agreement of the gold owed. These do not look the same they did on that day.”

“You feel it has been altered after your signature?”

“Yes, sir.”

“A grave thing to do. An offence surely not one would take lightly.”

“Indeed. Therefore, it is something we must be sure. Our talk turned to you, if there were ways to age ink on a page or revert it to its original state,” Lord Neverember announced.

The mage put thin fingers to his chin, stroking in thought. “There is no way to age ink on a page. The ink does not change from well to parchment even if it were 100 years later… as long as it was from the same well.” The Mage shuffled on the spot, “Your request about setting the page back to how it once was. Undoing line by line to see what came first, the text or the signature. I do not know of such spell.”

Kaliyah looked away, disappointed. She had been sure there was such a spell. Even if it was a hope rather than her surety being based on knowledge.

“However. There is one thing I can try. Miss Warren, do you remember how this page looked upon your signature?”

“Not in its entirety.”

“Do you have the time in your mind when you signed these particular pages?”

“Yes. I remember it well.”

“Good. There is a spell I can do on you. Few can use this power, but I am one who can. I will admit it will not be comfortable. I may see things you do not wish of me to see.”

“I do not understand.”

“I can delve into your memories, child.”

Instantly, she shook her head. No. He could not.

“Kaliyah, if there is a chance-”

“No.” He would see her true race… he would easily find that out. “We will move my family. It does not matter. You have our house, our ships. There is nothing more I can offer. We will go.” She stood so suddenly Baron had to grasp her chair to prevent it from tipping back.

“Miss Warren, if a crime has been committed we must get to the bottom of it.”

“It does not matter.” She took a few steps to leave only to be stopped by Baron.

“If this is the only way, Pouco, I think you should allow the mage. He will not be looking for anything but the time you signed these papers.”

“I can’t.” She fled the room, it was all she could do. The fear battering her. He could not look inside her mind. For him to do that was almost guaranteed what he would find.

Her life would be forfeit.

Changelings are not allowed to live.