Viper's Creed (The Cat's Eye Chronicles) (25 page)

“Ester,” she suddenly heard from behind her. She turned to find the mapmaker looking over her shoulder. “A land far to the East, past the Bracken. Used to be a lush kingdom, but after the War of the Races, it's now a desert. They say you can still find the floating ships of the Harpies buried in the sand. There are entire ship graveyards.”

Sora's eyes widened. She hadn't learned much geography in her manor; most of her studies had focused on propriety and arithmetic. She was always interested in the War. “Ester?” she murmured.

“Yes. We get treasure hunters coming through here, looking for maps. They seem to think there is a great treasure buried out there, something that the Harpies left behind.”

She could see Crash behind the mapmaker, tucking his coin purse into his cloak. He grimaced at the mention of Harpies. Sora frowned. Come to think of it, she had seen him act that way before on several occasions. Maybe it was more than coincidence?

“And the Bracken?” she asked, pointing to another section of the store.

“A dark forest, not for young ladies like yourself,” the mapmaker grinned. He seemed to be enjoying this. “I see you have a witch wood staff. That obviously came from the Bracken. It's the only place where the black trees grow. Nigh indestructible, that staff, and priceless. Try not to lose it.”

Sora nodded slowly. She could remember the weapons dealer they had bought it from. He had mentioned something similar, though it was so long ago that she couldn't remember all of the details. “I've heard that the wood is magic,” she said, her interest piqued.

“It certainly is,” the mapmaker agreed. “It will react to certain areas, especially those that are sacred. But I don't know much about that. Not many sacred areas left. Magic is fading from the world.”

Sora wanted to ask what he meant by sacred, but the mapmaker moved away abruptly, and Crash took his place. They seemed to be at odds with each other now, and she assumed Crash had talked him down to a good price.

The assassin looked her over quickly. “We're done here,” he said.

She nodded. Honestly, she wanted to stay longer in the store, but she got the sudden feeling that they weren't all that welcome. The mapmaker was bustling around, apparently eager for them to leave. She reminded herself that the front door was supposed to be locked.

With a nod to the old man and a small smile, she turned and headed for the exit. There were many lands beyond their Kingdom, she knew that much, but she didn't think she would ever get the chance to see them. Their world was shielded by wilderness on every side, and they hadn't come in contact with any new peoples or civilizations for hundreds of years. Even the kingdoms they traded with were overseas, offering no threat of war. She wondered if it would remain that way.

As the two left the shop, Sora noticed that the band of rowdy redheads had disappeared, probably off causing some kind of mischief. She wondered if the man she had met near the docks was related to them. Perhaps they were a large family?

With Crash at her side, they headed off into the night.

Chapter 12

"Looks like we're at the docks," Sora said. The two had been walking quietly, each lost in their own thoughts, but she was tired of the silence. Now she looked around. The cobblestones spanned out in different directions, and there was an endless row of bobbing ships before them, their sails drawn in for the night. She was mesmerized by the sight of the black, inky water, the streetlights dancing across its surface. So beautiful...
how could I have lived my life without knowing of something like this?
The lights from the stores lit up the water, as though gold treasures lay hidden beneath the surface. After a moment, Crash nudged her shoulder.

"So... where do you want to go?" he asked, his eyes roaming up and down the docks. "Anything you want to see?"

It was unexpected. Crash—sightseeing? Was he serious? She looked at him, wondering if it was a joke. He was staring up the thoroughfare, at who-knew-what. She followed his gaze but found nothing of real interest. Many couples were out watching the sea, peasants and lords alike. There was a row of benches a little way down the boardwalk. Sora prodded his shoulder.

"That looks nice," she said, and pointed to the area. "I think I see an empty bench."

He nodded, and they started forward at a leisurely pace. It was as though they had all the time in the world. She watched as a young girl grabbed the arm of her lover and pointed toward one of the shops. They laughed, then headed in that direction. Sora got the sudden urge to hold Crash's arm in the same way. She glanced at him, wondering if he would mind. Dare she?

They reached the bench before she could make up her mind, and sat down on the cold wood. The boats drifted and bobbed in front of them, and she caught snatches of the far-away horizon. Her eyes traveled up to the stars, which were half-obscured by cloud cover.

"So what is this obsession of yours with the sea?" the assassin asked, after a few moments of watching the waves.

"What?" Sora blinked out of her trance. "I've just never seen it before. It's quite breathtaking."

"I know," he replied. "It is beautiful, though I don't think of it much. I grew up by the sea."

Sora leapt at the invitation to learn about him. Finally, a bit about his past! Despite her curiosity, the words that tumbled out of her mouth were, “You don't seem very fond of it.”

She felt Crash grow uncomfortable next to her, and immediately regretted it.
Great, Sora, estrange him again,
she scolded herself.

“Brings back memories,” he responded after a moment. “No, I don't like it much.” A silence grew between them, this one more awkward.

"The only thing I don't like from the sea is squid," Sora said conversationally. She remembered, quite vividly, a doctor shoving the slimy stuff down her throat while she was sick with swamp fever. He had been certain it would cure her, but it had only made her throw up. Just the look of squid made her sick. “I don't like shrimp either. Spongy and tasteless.”

Crash glanced at her. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sora settled back and continued vigilantly watching the ocean. The wind picked up a little, and the air began to cool noticeably. A slight mist was gathering. Before long, she was shivering in her thin cloak, though Crash seemed unaffected by the chill, as usual. She looked up at him, and he turned to look back down at her, his eyes flickering that darker shade of green, his black hair tussled by the wind. His jaw was sharp, firm, without the slightest hint of stubble. Their faces were very close together, and she found her eyes lingering on his lips, suddenly noticing how full they were; they looked unexpectedly soft, despite his firm mouth.

In an attempt to hide her flustered state, Sora turned back to the ocean and crossed her arms. She tried to keep her teeth from chattering as the temperature dropped another degree. She thought she was doing a good job of concealing the fact that she was cold, but Crash's eyes saw everything.

"We should go inside," he commented.

She shrugged nonchalantly, though she knew he noticed her discomfort. Maybe he had noticed from the beginning. "If you want," she answered.

The two stood up and started back to their hotel. The wind began to gust with unaccustomed strength. Now Sora was visibly shivering. They walked down the docks toward their hotel, but her legs were almost numb from the cold bench.

"Here," Crash said after a moment, and she felt him putting his cloak around her shoulders. She stiffened against it, doubly shocked. The material enveloped her short stature, almost comically. Despite the fact that it was ridiculously oversized, the cloth was incredibly warm, either naturally or from Crash's body heat.

She pulled the material closer after a moment. It held Crash's scent all over it, a strong odor of grass, woodsmoke, saddle leather, a tinge of sweat and a slight spice that was unique to the assassin. It was a good smell, somehow familiar. She closed her eyes for a moment. She could envision all of those nights under the stars and the days of trail dust. Years and years of it, his entire life.

She opened her eyes again and found that they were in front of the hotel. It had been a short walk. Slightly disappointed, she allowed Crash to open the door and usher her inside. As she became enveloped by the indoors, she reveled in the warm, bright atmosphere.

The hotel was alive with sound. The adjoining restaurant was flooded with people, albeit a more expensively dressed crowd than the pubs she had seen outside. No less rowdy, though. Dishes clinked and wine bottles were passed around the tables.

She handed Crash his cloak with a grateful smile, then looked toward the restaurant. Her stomach rumbled just as her eyes fixed on someone at the side of the room, waving at them animatedly. She recognized Burn and saluted him, then walked quickly over to his table.

Burn motioned for her to sit down and said happily, "Sora! So good to see you awake!" He chuckled. "We saw you briefly in the room while you were asleep. By the gods, do you snore! I'm surprised there were no complaints!"

Sora rose to the bait gladly. "We'll see if there are any complaints tomorrow, after all the noise you make!"

"Me?" The Wolfy sputtered, a peculiar twinkle in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but you must be talking about Crash. I'm as silent as the night itself."

"I think you both snore terribly loud," Crash said wryly, and sat down across from Sora. "Why do you think I'm always the first one up? I never get to sleep in the first place."

"Truth is, you're just scared of the dark," Burn smirked.

"Or nocturnal," Sora muttered.

Burn laughed outright and Crash gave her a look. It was then that Sora noticed someone missing from their party. "By the way, where's Laina?"

"Laina? Who's Laina?" Burn said with mock seriousness.

"Burn....”

"She went up to change.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. "It's not like she needs help. She should be down any moment now. I decided to wait for you guys downstairs so we could have dinner.” The Wolfy wiggled his thick eyebrows at her. "I expected you'd be starving by now, but then of course, you're always hungry. I still can't imagine how a little shrimp like you can eat so much; it's phenomenal!"

"Easy for you to say!" Sora teased back. "You eat up all our rations with your huge bulk!"

The Wolfy laughed loudly again. Apparently he was in a good mood tonight. Sora was glad; she liked it when Burn was happy. Her friends deserved a break. She was about to mention it, but then her eyes landed on a figure standing near the stairs, and the words died in her throat.

There, looking slightly flustered and a little lost, was Laina. Except that Sora hadn't recognized her at first. Instead of a small, mousy girl, there stood a young woman, just beginning to blossom. Her usual gray rags were replaced by a smart green outfit that accented her soft violet eyes. The exotic mane of hair, now clean, was the color of whitewashed silver and glistened in the light like water. Sora was astounded. Obviously, the girl had convinced Burn to buy her some new clothes; she only hoped they weren't stolen. Laina looked fidgety and uncertain in the pretty fabric, as though she had been much more comfortable covered in dirt.

Then Laina moved, and the effect was ruined by her awkward, swaggering walk.
I could teach that girl a thing or two about walking like a lady...
Sora thought, then checked herself. Where had that come from? She herself had hated being proper!

Laina spotted them and started toward their table with a quick, eager stride.

"Sora, good to see you awake!" she said with a grin, and sat down next to her. "Those baths are a pain, aren't they?"

Sora nodded. “But they're so convenient! I'm going to see if my mother can have one installed when I get back home."
If I ever see home again
, she thought, but didn't say.

Laina's lips turned up slightly. "I guess you need your mother's permission, huh? That's nice, but I like making my own decisions." Then she shrugged. "One of these days, I'm going to have running water too!"

Sora was slightly stung by the orphan's comment. Laina must not realize just how rude she had been. Or... or did she?

Suddenly, a dazzling smile came over the young lady's face. "Oh, I didn't tell you, did I? I saw this lovely green shirt in a store window and I just had to buy it! What do you think?”

“It's very nice,” Sora said uncertainly.

“And a waste of money,” Crash stated, without a glance at the new outfit.

“Crash!” she chided.

The assassin wasn't looking at Laina, but rather was staring at Burn. “Do you have any idea how costly it will be to buy a ship, Wolfy? This isn't the time to purchase useless accessories.”

Burn frowned. “A few coins isn't going to make that big a difference in the long run. We can't afford a ship as it is. And we got it at a good price.... Come now, Laina, don't feel bad.” He turned to the girl with a smile. “The shirt looks marvelous on you.”

“It's the nicest thing I've ever owned,” she sniffed, then shot a glare at Crash. Sora, who could see Laina's bottom lip quivering, quickly decided it was time to eat something.