Reidier

12: Araldia

A/N: This chapter proves my theory- if things get boring, chuck in a new character, and it'll flow. Ish. Heh. 

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The streets of Geraldine were dark at best, treacherous at most. Araldia shivered as they passed under the glares of its inhabitants- knife wielding men, and the other assortment that prowled the streets. Ukarie pointed out a few of the more prominent- La Yager members, a gang of women who bared their branded midriffs, but were sworn to be chaste, and controlled half of the illegal plant trade in the area. Nineteen Whispers- a company that spread vicious rumours and destroyed reputations as rats destroyed food stores. The Cobras, that apparently spoke with the Wraiths of Winter outside the city walls, and were the most ruthless loan sharks in the district. There were dozens of names that flew over her head, but it didn't really matter what they called themselves- no matter the name, they were all dangerous.

Ukarie walked briskly, and Araldia had trouble keeping up. She didn't want to lose her mentor- her only link back to her humble life on the Quis Residence. It would be disastrous to be left alone in these badlands, not the least because she didn't have any clue how to go back to Dansert. 

Ukarie paused to let her catch up.

"Keep your eyes open, Araldia. What do you see?" 

The girl squirmed. "I see danger." 

Ukarie sighed. "What else?" 

Araldia gazed around, lost. What in the sweet Isles was she meant to see?

"Look at the ground," her mentor instructed. 

The ground was muddy, and it looked different from either Tansa or Dansert. She tried to remember what the roads were like in Dansert. They were paved, weren't they? Flagstone? 

"It's mud... because the area's too poor to pave it?" she suggested. Ukarie sighed again. 

"Close enough, I suppose... for a newbie. What about the people? And don't give me 'dangerous' again- any idiot with eyes can see tha'."

She couldn't think of anything else. The sun was rising above the buildings. The buildings were squat, tiny affairs- no fences, no yards. She studied a building support behind her. It was wood, and it was rotting. She harboured a guess at its age- ten years, perhaps. But it wasn't collapsing. It was sturdy, still standing. 

"Things... everything wasn't always like this, was it?" she asked softly, looking at all the decay around her. She realised now- though the ground was just mud, it was firm. She used her shoe to scrap some mud away- and below it was cracked, but definitely laid stone.

Ukarie smiled- just the tiniest upward flicker of her lips- but she smiled. "Yer learning, girl." 

*****

"Look at what they're trying to hide, girl." 

It's no use, Araldia thought. How am I meant to see what's being hidden? 

Yet Ukarie could do it. She seemed to be able to read Araldia's mind, just by glancing at her. "You won't be heading back anytime soon," she told her, or, "Relax, that guy's not following us." 

It was a little unnerving, truth to be told. And Araldia actually envied that ability- it was strangely amazing. 

Though she wasn't quite sure why exactly did she have to acquire this skill. 

"The Archheir needs you to be able to quickly read people and situations," Ukarie said. She did it again, Araldia marvelled. 

Two La Yager women- girls, really, no older than her- passed. They glared at Ukarie- clearly somehow offended by her red garb. 

Araldia didn't think much of it. They'd been a recipient of such glares for the entire afternoon. 

Then one of them stuck a foot out and tripped her. 

She didn't quite manage to catch herself before she fell, so she landed chest-first in the mud. She scrambled up hurriedly, fearful of being trampled. Part of her was annoyed- but she was mostly scared. 

The girls hooted with laughter. She couldn't help but feel the urge to run- just keep running, not caring where she was going. 

Only the fear of losing Ukarie kept her from doing this.

Are they trying to hide anything? she wondered, and tried to do the mind reading that her mentor had been doing the entire time. She looked. 

One of them looked younger than the other, and her hand often strayed to her bared midriff, to trace the brand mark. She compared their marks- it was the same dagger through the heart design, but the older girl's was whiter, more faded. 

She had black hair, tied back in a knot- the way the women in the poor part of Tansa did. 

Araldia scurried away from them to tell Ukarie about her observations. 

Perhaps Ukarie's skill wasn't as unattainable as she thought. 

***

Lumis was already waiting outside the whorehouse when they got back. Ukarie bade her a brisk goodbye, disappeared through the entrance and left the two standing outside. 

Araldia was so tired that by the time she got back, she wanted nothing more than to collapse in her thin mattress in her cramped room in Ivendite House. But she knew that it was approaching teatime, and there were dishes to be served, and cook pots to be scrubbed. 

She hurried, not wanting to receive another tongue lashing from grumpy Maerey. The Kitchen Lion, she nicknamed the woman in her head. She'd have to share it with Vela and the other kitchen wenches. 

She just needed to go back to Ivendite for a quick change- her muddied frock would draw scorn, and more importantly, suspicion. She and Lumis parted ways just past the gate, and she was halfway to the Ivendite before a voice stopped her. 

"Oh, Senses be damned, why are you so fast?" 

She turned around. There was a youth chasing after her. He was small and scrawny, and had the oddest proportions; his legs were short and his arms were long and gangly. It was as though his arms thought they were legs and his legs thought they were toothpicks. 

He was also bald, and his head, strangely enough, reminded Araldia of a duck. It must be that ridiculously long nose that stuck out like a bill, as well as the strangely round shape. 

He caught up to her, panting like a dog.

"Yer... " he paused to draw in a breath, "Yer Araldia, righ'?" 

She nodded, puzzled. 

"Well," he said, starting to breathe normally, "Yew been transferred." 

It took a few moments for that to sink in. "What?" she asked dumbly.

"Transferred, " Duck Face repeated. "You know, when yer dragged out of yer old job ta go somewhere else?" 

She blinked. "Transferred.... where?"

"The forges. Yer to be a forge girl. Like me." 

Araldia stared. Duck Face realised his blunder. 

"I mean... Forge boy... Uh... wait..." He saw Araldia hiding a smirk. 

"Oh, damn the Wraiths, I'm a forge boy, an' yer a forge girl now, alrigh'?" he yelled. 

Araldia wiped her mirth from her face. She got the feeling that Duck Face didn't really like being laughed at. 

"Just.... git yer stuffs. I'll help," he grumbled.

As they strode towards Ivendite House, Araldia realised that she wouldn't have to face the Kitchen Lion tonight after all. The thought cheered her massively, and she skipped the whole way to her room.