Secrets of the Swords, Book 1

Chapter 39: Trouble Likes Company

"Any sign of them?"

Suthe dared to lift her head from under the tarp she had been hiding under since midday. She and Nem Koel had taken refuge in one of the many fishing boats tied up in one of the city's canals, and Nem Koel had set herself up as lookout at the prow while Suthe burrowed beneath the protective tarp used to shield the deck from sun exposure.

It was fishy and damp under the tarp, and she longed for a breath of fresh air, all cares of being seen thrown to the under-heaven. If she stayed under the tarp any longer, Suthe figured, she would actually start to prefer being caught and shipped back to Montmyth.

Nem Koel looked up from her nonchalant act of sharpening one of her knives and glanced around before returning her attention to the blade.

"None yet. You should get back under there."

"I'd really rather not. Isn't there somewhere else we could hide?"

"It's almost time for us to head over to the warehouses," Nem Koel said. "It would be a waste of time and effort to find a new hiding place now."

Suthe wriggled and squirmed until she'd managed to turn over, still half-beneath the tarp, and squinted up at the sky. "What if we left a little early? We could...we could scope it out ahead of time!"

Nem Koel looked up from her knife again, mouth twisted to the side as she considered Suthe's proposal. Finally, she shrugged and gave a nod.

"Well, why not, I guess. Makes sense."

"Yes!" Muttering a prayer of thanks to her ancestors, Suthe resumed her wriggling, struggling to get out from under the narrow space beneath the tarp.

"Hold on, I haven't confirmed the coast is..." Nem Koel began, trailing off as Suthe jumped to her feet. "...clear."

The boat rocked a little at Suthe's sudden move, but she didn't mind stumbling a little. "You just said there was nothing few moments ago."

"Nothing in regards to Saer Lon or Ulsper," Nem Koel clarified, but rolled her eyes and stood up from her perch, sheathing her knife in the process. "Follow me, and don't forget to put your hood up."

Suthe sniffed the fabric of her cloak as she did so, wrinkling her nose at the fishy smell that had now transferred to her clothes. What she wouldn't give for a proper bath at home in Crestdune!

She shook her head and followed after Nem Koel, wishing that things would fall into place as soon as they met with the design expert. They would find out where the swords were, make sure they were well-hidden, and once the search for them had died down due to a lack of success, she could go back home.

Too bad it was only wishful thinking.

Suthe heaved a sigh as they trudged up a street on a small hill, a series of walls and blue-roofed buildings clustered together coming into view in the distance. Though still in keeping with the rest of the city's color scheme, these buildings were more elaborate and set apart from their neighbors.

"What's that?" Suthe asked, pointing to the gleaming structures in the distance. A gust of wind tugged at her hood, threatening to pull in off, and Suthe withdrew her hand to tug the fabric lower.

"Oh, that's the palace," Nem Koel said, with all the enthusiasm of someone pointing out the local bakery.

"The- the palace?" Suthe echoed, unsure if she had misheard.

Nem Koel turned back and gave a fake smile. "It's best if you avoid it, for many reasons."

"Well I won't dispute that," Suthe muttered, then realized that Nem Koel had already started walking again, and scurried to catch up.  The panic from the morning's events had dulled after hiding out in a boat for so long, but the farther they walked, the more her concerns slowly began to come back to her.  All it would take was one person's suspicion, and she'd be in trouble again.