Rage and Rebellion (Histories of Havenhearth)

5.8 Yarazhenya

After the morning meal with her niece, Yarazhenya sat in Birds with two of her business associates, Zohra and Elisee. It had been several days with no news from or about Callira- and she had heard of an attack, presumably by the Golden Defenders, on Charroux- precisely where the linguist had gone. The village plundered, some peasants killed, and a building had allegedly been burnt down. If this was not a sign of the growing threat of the rebel movement, then what was? Yarazhenya had considered going to the chancellor, but decided to consult first with her friends. And it was during this conversation that she realised that her life and circumstances and those of the other foreigners in Chevelles had changed. Outwardly, it began as typical evening: eating and drinking in the Birds of Paradise. Rather than the normal merrymaking however, things were tense. Rumours related to the Golden Defenders continued to run rampant, and Yarazhenya updated her friends on the conversations being had among the foreign population. She helped herself to another cup of wine.
"So they are all aware of the attack on our caravan last month?" Her friends asked.
"Yes. Everyone is." She drained the small ceramic cup, which barely gave her more than a gulp at a time, and poured another.
"And what do they say of the Golden Defenders?"
"Same as I do, I suppose."
When she had finished yet another cup, and exhibited her telltale sign of drunkenness, bright red cheeks, Zohra asked if perhaps she was not drinking a little much.
"I'm not drinking enough!" She replied, hailing the server for another pitcher.
"Ok, well before you drink anymore, there is something we need to speak to you about."
Yarazhenya raised an eyebrow. "It's about your niece." Elisee and Zohra glanced at each other.
"What about her?" She looked at them suspiciously, as if they had accused her of a crime.
"Has she said anything to you about the other foreigner? The one with the eyes of ice?"
"Floren? Not really, but they do spend time together. He will be showing her some of the sites in the area. Why do you ask? This is not the topic I had in mind when I invited you here." Her face misted up, going a little white.
"She's been seen here."
"I think she said she was here for dinner the other night,"
"Perhaps, but today, she's been seen in the rooms today,"
"Upstairs?"
"Yes,"
"Today?"
"Yes, with the man with the eyes of ice."
"Floren?"
"Yes, he lives here."
"Who told you this?"
"Same as usual. Rumours among other merchants."
"I heard one of the workers here say something." Her face flushed red, this time in anger.
"I'm not sure what you are saying to me exactly, but I do not wish to hear another word on the subject." she put back another glass.
"You know I am only telling you this for your and her good," Yarazhenya knew Zohra spoke the truth.
"We have discussed it together, determining that it was best to address you, rather than stay silent." Yarazhenya fumed quietly, doing all she could to keep her anger under control. She had trusted her neice to make good judgements, and worse, she had trusted Floren.
"What do I do?" But these were her friends, and with one breath, she sat in defeat. They looked at her with softness in their eyes. Her face was full of anguish and pains and she could not bring herself to say anything further.
"There's something else we must tell you."
Yarazhenya looked into their eyes, catching a mix of fear and worry in both of them.  She knew what was coming.
"So my friend, the linguist...she was killed?" Neither of her friends made eye contact with her.
"Yes," Zohra said, placing her hand over Yarazhenya's, in a display of affection that would normally make them both uncomfortable, but the shock of the news dwarfed the discomfort brought on from breaking social convention.
"The Defenders?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. Zohra's look indicated a clear affirmative answer. Her thoughts turning immediately to Cerys, presently off gallivanting with one of the two gentlemen, one of whom did not deserve the title, if one were to ask her.
"So they have reached Charroux...and what of Chevelles?" She asked, Elisee nodded, Zohra shook her head. "Well, which is it?" Yarazhenya felt her tempers rise, her cheeks flush with blood. "If they are not already here-."
"-they soon will be." Neither of them made eye contact with their friend.
"And the chancellor?" Yarazhenya knew the chancellor had connections in the commerces in Chevelles and beyond, although she denied it- holding that office meant that one had to remove oneself from profiteering. Her friends gave no response. The chancellor would do nothing.
"Murder," Yarazhenya said. "It's murder." Her anger dissolved into sadness, tears began streaming from her eyes. "What should we do?" There were too many emotions.
Callira had been so sure that they were safe. Yarazhenya recalled the warnings she had given her foolish friend, whose unending trust had been repaid with death. "For now you should do nothing. But be careful. And maybe prepare to leave if required." Now, add to that the ominous cautions offered by her friends.
She stood up, sat down again, not sure what to do. Without saying a word, she stood up again,  "Let her go," Elisee told Zohra as she staggered away, the wine hitting her hard. "we'll go check on her later".
Without any immediate idea of where she was going to go, she stumbled into the street. She could not go home just yet. Not until she had walked off some of her emotion and the alcohol. It was still earlyish in the afternoon, but the street was strangely, mostly empty. She swayed to the right, squinting to stop the spinning,  and she realized how disoriented she was.
She lurched aimlessly, thinking about the mistakes she made in encouraging her neice to come to Cassion, and of letting her galavant off with Floren. She turned into a small alley to lean against the wall and calm herself down a little bit. After a few deep breaths, her head a little clearer, her anger beginning to subside, she saw the way forward- she would have to leave with Cerys, to keep her safe. Right away. That would solve the issue of Floren as well.