Butterflies of Blood

Chapter 10

Tai leant against the wall on the edge of a shouting mob. The stalls that rimmed the main square were abandoned by customers and workers alike, instead they crowded around four soldiers in Lyerion armour. The soldiers were attempting to question the crowd but were met with anger and suspicion. The Border Town's folk did not take kindly to being summoned by an imperious guardsmen of Lyeron and were very vocal about it. The Gol way was loose and full of stories and easy conversations, the tales told over ale tankers were always rooted in truth, however far they may stray.

Tai pushed off the wall and weaved through the hostile crowd, flipping his hood back as he did. He was a few shades paler than the Gol people, mainly because they worked in the sun all day and cloaks were worn for warmth alone. Tai was slightly built and cute in boyish way, his hair scruffy and shorter at the back and his features soft. He arrived in front of a soldier who was desperately trying to ask about a tall dark skinned woman while the questioned woman yelled about interrupted business. Tai shook his head a little to clear the hair from his eyes, then stepped between them and spoke, "I know her. Now get out of here, you're making unnecessary noise."

The soldier turned on him, face already flushed and expression darkening.

"Where is she? How do you know her?" He demanded.

"Not here," Tai said, bored.

"Obviously she's not here!" The soldier was fraying at the edges, crowds in Lyeron respected the army, stones and threats were a rarity.

Tai took a moment to meet the man's eyes and raise one eyebrow, giving him a look of insufferable irritation. "You want to discuss this at the centre an angry mob?"

The man was almost foaming at the mouth but the soldier beside him had taken notice and caught his shoulder. "Any place we can talk, little man?"

Tai shrugged. "Sure, follow me." Then he stalked off, clearing a small path through the crowd.

*****

Tai walked into the tavern, the door propped open with a barrel and headed for the bar, the four Lyerion soldier traipsing behind him. He waved at the ale dispensers. "Order what you want. Not my treat." Then he turned to the bar tender who greeted him with a toothy grin. He was a big, bald man with darkly tanned skin and heavy eyebrows over grey-blue eyes.

"Lemon Dell," Tai said and dropped five copper coins onto the bar. The bartender swept them into a massive hand and dropped them into his apron pocket. Then he took a glass and dunked it into a barrel behind him. It fill with a vaguely yellow liquid. He dried the glass and slid it across the counter to Tai, the drink sloshing up the sides.

The soldiers ordered drinks while Tai slid into a seat in the corner of the large room. Circular tables took up the centre space while squares lined the walls, they were made of dark wood and shone with polish. Tai took a sip of his drink and watched the door, the tavern was dim, lacking windows entirely so the light came solely from the door. The original soldier slipped onto the bench opposite Tai and block his view of the door. Tai gave him an irritated look and shifted to view the door once more. Then the other three soldiers piled in and forced him to give up on it.

"The murdering woman, who is she?" The first soldier demanded, steepling his fingers and glaring at Tai.

"My name's Jak, nice to meet you too. Lovely place here. Thanks for talking to us," Tai muttered, giving the soldiers a fake name and fair dose of sarcasm.

The soldier half stood as though to reach over and pull Tai out of his seat, growling as he did so.

'Woah, woah," The man to his right said, the same one that had stopped him before. "Calm, man, calm." Then he turned to Tai, "My apologies, Jak. I'm Rair, that's Aaron." He nodded to the man who sat fuming opposite Aias. "Karrie." He pointed a thumb at the man who had pulled up a chair at the end of the table.