As A Stranger Or A Friend?: The Swallow And The Drowned Sailor

Mariel - 3 Sun's Dawn, 1246 A.D.

I watched as the children played with their kites alongside their father and smiled weakly at Hilde, who came to join me with the baby in her arms.

"Are you well, dearie? You seem drawn." She asked with some concern.

"I just didn't sleep well, that's all." I replied softly.

"Why not take the evening for yourself then, dearie?" She offered, "I wouldn't want these little ones to wear you out so much that you miss out on the festivities."

"Oh no, please don't think that! The children have been lovely." I replied with a worried expression.

She nodded but didn't seem convinced.

I'd stayed home with them the night before so she and Balhur could fully enjoy themselves at the festival. They were rather apologetic about it when they returned, seeming to think that staying behind had been a tremendous burden on me. But it wasn't. What they were probably noticing was my newly acquired melancholy showing through.

"Go enjoy yourself, dearie. You're young and beautiful. Who knows, you might turn a few heads and end up with a little one of your own. Wouldn't that be nice?" She said with an empathetic look on her face.

I felt my cheeks grow warm at her suggestion.

The idea of celebrating that way, so fully and wantonly, was not something I'd ever considered, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't. My courses had still not returned. Moreover, she didn't know who I was or how dangerous having a child would be for me. Her suggestion, as innocent as it might seem to her, was a complete impossibility for me.

"Go on now, dearie. The sun is nearly set." She said with a warm smile.

I nodded, deciding not to argue further, and went inside to prepare myself for the evening.

I didn't actually have to go to the festival itself. I could simply linger at an inn for a time and then return home to rest. It would be better that way, especially now that I knew Axtapor was nearby and in the company of his new wife. Avoiding the main square would undoubtedly be the best way to ensure I didn't see them again. And anyway, I wouldn't need to be there to be able to admire the fireworks. I could always see them from afar.

I chose a very simple tan dress and brown leather shoes, doing my best not to appraise myself in the mirror as I dressed. I'd seen some improvements in my health because the Copperpots were so diligent in their care of me, but I was still relatively thin, tired-looking, and generally miserable to look at. It made me rather glad that I could wear a mask and cloak to hide how sickly I was. At least then, no one would have cause to stare or to ask questions. I turned my attention then to the task of neatening my hair. It wasn't soft and was rather short since Yula had trimmed it for me recently, but I could certainly still do something to make it appear nicer than it was.

A soft knock came at the door, followed by Hilde's voice. "May I come in, dearie?"

"Yes." I called out softly.

She let herself in with a smile and came to stand beside the vanity where I was sitting. "Before you go, take this with you, dearie."

"What is it?" I asked as I set down my brush and looked curiously at the rectangular leather pouch she was offering me.

"A blowgun. Just so you can look after yourself, dearie. You never know who might be out there. The darts are just here, and the pipe is here." She said, opening the pouch carefully, "They're loaded with luneya enough to drop the stoutest of men like a stone, so be careful not to prick yourself, dearie."

"I will be sure not to." I said with a nod as I carefully took the pouch and secured it onto the belt around my waist.

Fortunately, luneya was not a foreign substance to me, but I wondered just how expensive these darts were if they were as heavily loaded as she claimed them to be. The emergency vials for Samuel were steeply priced at thirty pieces per dose and were incredibly small. Anyway, he was only a child, so it wouldn't take much to sedate him, especially because luneya was quite potent. Based on that, to drop a large man instantly, one might only need two or three times the amount Samuel would require, and at twenty darts...their sum would be upwards of one thousand pieces! And that was just for the darts! The pipe itself represented a cost that I wasn't familiar with, but despite my ignorance, I could tell it was well made. I would have to use them sparingly, if at all, and return them to her when they were no longer needed. This was certainly worth far too much to accept as a gift.