ICE

92. Interactions

BY THE TIME Vyses and Lyth had finished eating their dinner, it was very apparent that the spell had worked. The cracks that had crawled across the stone walls vanished, taking that eerie red glow along with them. The chorus of creaks and groans that Ravenna had heard earlier finally died out. The castle remained completely and entirely intact.

The notion brought some peace of mind to Ravenna and allowed her to relax.

Vyses moved back into Tylat's study, Lyth trailing along behind him. Together, the two of them cleaned it up a bit. A spell was used to remove all the gooey failed spells from the room, as well as Tylat's decomposing body. Ravenna went with them at first, watching as the duo poured all of their attention into the spell-book that Tylat had left behind. After a while, she retired back to her room, craving a snippet of silence and solitude. She spent the rest of the night reading through Caelan's spell-book.

When the sun appeared over the edges of the trees, Lyth appeared at her door. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. "I am about to go scope out the city," he told her. "I was asked to see if you wanted to come with me."

Ravenna blinked. She hid Caelan's spell-book within her dress and nodded. She climbed out of her bed and walked toward Lyth. He led her through the castle, toward the front entrance.

Vyses was waiting near the door. He grinned as they approached. "I had a feeling that you'd want to explore," he said. He held out his hand. "Here, I have figured out the spell that will allow you to safely pass through the forest. Give me your hand."

She lifted her hand. His fingers curled around her wrists, glowing a bright red color. The glow faded and he lowered his hand. A slender band of red magic remained wrapped around her wrist.

"This will last for a week, at least," he told her. "This way, you can come and go as you please. After a week, if we plan to stay further, I will look for more permanent spells."

"Thank you," Ravenna said.

Lyth pushed open the massive doors. The sun shined bright above the treetops, almost blinding Ravenna as she stepped outside. A small red light shot out from her wrist, pointing into the forest. Vyses gestured toward it. "Follow the light, lass. It will guide you through."

She nodded and started to walk. She carefully treaded through the forest, following the thin line of red light. Lyth trailed along behind her.

A painted wooden gate separated the magical forest from the rest of the city. The gate itself wasn't very ornamental —two wooden posts connected by a slender horizontal beam, painted entirely in a deep, navy color. It was completely unguarded. As Ravenna passed through it, she realized why. The moment that she stepped between the two wooden posts, an invisible line of pressure slowly moved across her body —a forcefield of sorts. It must have been created by Tylat to protect the castle from curious townsfolk, granting him the freedom to perform his magic in peace, without being ostracized by the community.

Once she passed through it, Ravenna found herself in the very center of the city's market. Wooden stands filled with various fabrics, fruits, and jewelry surrounded her on all sides. She glanced back over her shoulder, just in time to watch Lyth appear in the doorway of the building behind her. The building itself was unmarked and appeared desolate, a crumbling building constructed of rotten wood. It was the perfect place to conceal the entrance to the forest.

Lyth approached her. "I am going to canvas the city," he told her. He wore no emotion on his face. "Try not to harm anybody or cause any trouble."

Ravenna arched an eyebrow at him. "I will do my absolute best," she said around a stifled laugh.

Her sarcasm went right over his head. With a stern nod, Lyth started to walk away. She merely blinked and he immediately vanished within the sea of townsfolk that surrounded them. Ravenna heaved a sigh and looked around again.

As much as she hated to admit it, the guards that roamed the city had her on edge. Part of her was searching for a sign of corruption -just as she'd seen in the various towns they'd previously visited. She couldn't help but expect to see some sort of example of the guards abusing their power.

She walked toward a fruit stand. Woven baskets lined the front, overflowing with exotic fruits like bluebird berries and saltwater melons. From the corners of her eyes, she watched a nearby guard. He leaned against a nearby building, right next to a doorway. His head was dipped low, his chin almost touching the metal breastplate that covered his chest. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed.

The door next to him opened, and a young woman poked her head out. She looked around the market place and then glanced at the guard. A sly smile appeared on her face. Standing on her tip-toes, she planted a kiss on his cheek. The guard jerked awake, shock trickling through his facial features, and looked her way. The moment he saw her grinning face, however, his entire body relaxed. A happy smile stretched across his face and he leaned toward her for another kiss.

Ravenna tore her gaze away and focused on the fruit in front of her. It was weird to see someone happy in the presence of a guard. It wasn't something she'd really encountered before.

"Are you going to buy something or not?" a voice snapped from in front of her.

She blinked and glanced up at the vendor —a lanky man with straw like hair and sun-kissed skin. She smiled sheepishly and gestured toward the bluebird berries. "How much for a bundle of these?"

"Two copper pieces," the man responded. He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Interesting," she muttered under her breath. With a warm smile toward the vendor, she glanced at some of the other stands. "The last city that I was in sold them for a single copper piece," she told him.

The vendor sighed. "I suppose I can go that low," he said. Annoyance flooded his voice. He produced a smaller woven basket from behind the stand, holding it out to her. She took it and passed him a single copper piece. She filled the smaller basket with bluebird berries and bid the vendor goodbye.

As she continued through the market, she carefully monitored the guards, still searching for a sign of their corruption. It was a silly notion but it made the whole ordeal easier, she realized. It helped her to see the guards being horrible firsthand. It made it easier for her to hate them, to allow her soldiers to kill them.

Seeing a guard interact with his loved one made it harder.