Chapter Ten

"Don't get yourself killed, right?"

"Baisan, I didn't know you enjoyed my company that much," I said. Most of the others were asleep. I had decided to leave that very evening. It was a warm enough night, so it would be nice to climb into the upper city. The black tunic and pants I was wearing would help me blend in, especially when I reached the black stone walls of the Order's buildings.

I hadn't told Baisan where I was going, because I had never told him where I'd disappeared to years ago. That part of my life had remained a mystery to our little family. At first, I'd been holding back from telling them, but later it was just never brought up. Despite my early insistence that I would only be around occasionally, I quickly realized I actually liked the stability having a family provided. I understood why Baisan was worried about me disappearing again; I was his brother.

"I don't," he replied, though we both knew it wasn't true. "I'm worried about the girls, is all. They like you."

"I'll let you in on a bit of a secret, Baisan." I put my arm over his shoulders and lowered my voice. "I'm immortal. Besides, I know exactly where I'm going. I'll be fine."

Baisan rolled his eyes and pushed me away. "Go then. Be back tomorrow."

"Yes sir," I said. He just shook his head at my grin, and then turned to walk back into our building.

It was easy moving through the upper city. I still looked like a middle class foreigner, and so there was no need to hide in the shadows and duck away from guards. I got nervous every time a set of guards walked near me, but they never gave me a second glance. I reached the Order's wall sooner than I expected, and hesitated before starting up it. It had been years since I had last been over that wall.

I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if he would remember me, or if he would want to help, or if he'd even still be there. I had to take the chance, though. I could hardly go to any other Telt without running the risk of being arrested on sight, and any Native who could read would want in on the prize. Assuming there was a prize.

I slipped into a corner while yet another pair of guards walked past. Once I could no longer hear their footsteps, I started climbing up the wall. Before I knew it, I had safely reached the top and was working my way down the other side. The courtyard was deserted and perfectly silent. I could not see any lights from any of the smaller buildings. In the main building, some windows were still lit, no doubt because someone was reading old documents.

My memory had always been good, so I was confident I knew which window opened into his room. After making sure there was nobody around to see me, I began to climb up the side of the building. On the way up, I prayed quickly to Zianesa, hoping that he would still be in the same room. If it wasn't him and a stranger responded, I would have to be quick to get away.

I hesitated outside of the window that used to be his, instinctively eyeing an escape route, just in case. A quick drop to the windowsill below me, and then I would be far enough out of reach to climb down without being grabbed. Getting over the wall quickly would pose a problem, but I could deal with that if it came to it. I took a deep breath, muttered another prayer, and knocked on the glass. After a moment I knocked again. The window opened suddenly and before I could make even the slightest move towards my escape, I was pulled into the room. I was pinned against the wall with one strong arm, and a blade edge pressed against my neck. I froze, knowing that fighting would probably just earn me a slit throat.

"Finn?"

My eyes widened when I realized it was Tannix's voice. It was deeper than it had been the last time I'd seen him, but still his voice. He let go of me and without his support, I fell to the ground, where I landed on my hands and knees. I ran a hand across my neck, feeling for a cut.

"Sorry." He offered me his hand and I let him help me to my feet. My other hand was still at my neck, and I finally looked at him. He'd grown since we'd last seen each other. Obviously in four years I had grown, too, but while I was still fairly small, Tannix had filled out. He was at least a head taller than me, with broader shoulders and the type of body that came with a lifetime of good food and daily training. He looked every bit the noble young man he was, even in the dark. Suddenly nervous, I dropped my gaze.

"You know I'm obliged to arrest you on sight," Tannix said. He moved over to his desk and lit a small candle. He was dressed just like he used to in dark pants and a deep blue tunic. Telt clothing.

I nodded. "Yes."

"So?"

"I have something for you," I replied, faltering. I pulled the envelope from under my tunic and offered it to him.

He crossed his arms and leaned back against his desk. "What is it?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "It looked important."

"Why did you bring it to me?"

"Because we're... were once... friends," I said. "And I can't read."

"You read with me in the library."

"I stared at a book in the library."

He didn't reply for a moment, then sighed. "Where did you get it?"

"I stole it."

"Then I want nothing to do with it. Rich lords don't tend to associate with thieves."

I flinched. "I know, Tannix. I'm sorry I lied to you and..."

"Lord Tandrix."

I stared at the floor again and bit my lip. "Sorry, Lord Tandrix."

Tannix pulled the letter from my hand, but instead of looking at it, he just tossed it onto his desk. "Finn, sit down."

"Please don't call in the guards," I said quickly. "I'll leave, I'll never come back. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Tannix gestured at a comfortable-looking armchair with his knife. I looked at him nervously, but then did what I was told. I pulled my legs up and huddled into the chair, as if it would protect me. He started to pace in front of me.

"Four years. Not a word until you need help with something?"

"I'm sorry." I muttered, but then his words sunk in and I looked up. "Wait, you wanted a word?"

"Yes!" Tannix exclaimed. "You lied to me, you broke the law, but you were my friend."

I didn't know what to make of that. "So you missed me?"

"I didn't say that."

"You know, in my defence, I didn't want to lie to you. I was running away from some guards and you tackled me to the ground."

"Probably should have turned you in then."

"Probably," I agreed. "So, that letter?"

Tannix shook his head. "I'll look at it after you tell me who you really are. It's hardly fair that you know so much about me."

"I don't think you want to know who I really am."

"Finn," he said sternly.

I swallowed. "Um, all right. My mother was a prostitute. My father was probably a Telt, but there's no way to know for sure." I warmed up to the story a bit, having the hardest part out of the way. "I grew up in the brothel. All the women there took care of me, and they all cared about me, but at the same time I was a burden to have around. Men don't want to walk into a brothel and see a child running around, after all. So I quickly learned how to fend for myself. I became a pretty good pickpocket, and the women noticed, so they encouraged me to steal things for them as well. Money, food, jewellery, new clothing, anything they could think of, really.

"I learned to climb walls because they didn't want me using the front door, so I had to climb up to one of the windows on the second floor. As I got older, I relied less and less on the women at the brothel and stopped going back to them as often as I should have. I started to spend nights out on my own, which led to weeks out on my own. A few years before you and I met, my mother was killed by a customer. A Telt."

Tannix had stopped pacing early on, and was just staring at me. "What?"

"I know lives like that seem impossible to you, but it's all true," I muttered. "I didn't lie this time."

"No, I believe you," Tannix said. "I just... I apologize for my people."

"It isn't your fault Telts like to ruin our lives," I said. It felt surprisingly good, telling him the true story about my life. "But thank you."

"So much has already happened to you," Tannix said. "How old are you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, not really. My mother never remembered my birthday, so of course she could never tell me. Baisan's fifteen and I think I'm older than him..."

"You don't know how old you are?"

"It isn't that unusual. Not for a Native orphan. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Tannix replied. "You're probably..." he paused thoughtfully. "Around sixteen, I think."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, you're younger than me. I knew that when we first met. It's still just a guess, though."

"Oh, well, maybe I'll be sixteen," I decided. "The letter?"

Tannix sighed and walked over to his desk to pick it up. He slipped the blade of his knife under the wax to break it, and then pulled the letter from the envelope. He didn't put down the knife.

"Are you afraid I'll attack you?"

"A little," he replied, distracted because he had started reading.

"You know you could probably kill me with your bare hands if you wanted to."

"Of course I could," he agreed. "Be quiet."

I sighed grumpily and adjusted the way I was sitting. It seemed like I'd been forgiven for lying before, and I felt more comfortable being around him. There was no longer a need to huddle into the chair as if it could wrap around me and protect me.

"Finn?" Tannix looked at me. "Are you sure you haven't read this?"

"I can't read," I insisted.

"So you didn't make this up?" he asked.

"If I can't read, I assure you I can't write," I said. "Why? What does it say?"

He looked torn for a moment, probably wondering if he should tell me or not. Then he looked down at the paper and took a deep breath. "My dear Associate, I trust your trip was pleasant. As a method of transportation, the sea has always been a favourite of mine. Zianna is a city full of traders and goods; you will find it effortless to blend into the crowd. Be wary of men in yellow, for they are the city guards, and sometimes enjoy arresting people for offences that you would most likely find harmless.

"I have included a map of the city that I believe will be beneficial to your visit. The city is built in a style that will be familiar to you, but the Cliffs of Loth create minor alterations that can occasionally be confusing. Remember what I told you about the Lothian Dusk. The city darkens earlier than you are accustomed to. This is the time when the lowly thieves thrive. Always watch for them, for they are crafty.

"I hope you will find time to visit my old friend, M. He and I grew up together, trained together, and now he is my invaluable associate. He has a deeper knowledge of the city, and will be able to provide you with information that I, unfortunately, cannot. I am certain that you have remembered the directions I gave you.

"Please remember, a king leads a country. Without a king, they fight an aimless war, and a country falls. Your Associate."

When it was clear that Tannix wasn't going to continue, I shrugged. "So is it important?"

"Did you listen to anything I just read?"

"Sounded like someone describing Zianna," I said, confused.

"It's supposed to sound like that," he said. "The last line is the important one. Without a king, they fight an aimless war, and a country falls. It sounds like an assassination."

"Really?" I asked, my interest piqued. "Isn't this good? You can go hand it in, and then the king will be saved. I saved the king! Do you think he'd give me a reward?" I imagined all the gold and jewels the king must have had stowed away somewhere.

"No." Tannix interrupted my wonderful vision. "No, Finn, he wouldn't. I can't even turn this in."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'm not a spy," he said. "I can't explain having this. They'll assume that I'm somehow involved and just got nervous and decided to turn the whole thing in. I'll be arrested, and probably tortured for information, which I wouldn't have to give up."

"The son of West Draulin?" I asked. "They wouldn't suspect you. They wouldn't torture you."

"For the sake of the king's life?" Tannix shook his head. "My position would slow them down, but it wouldn't save me."

"But they couldn't hurt you," I protested.

"Yes, they could."

"Maybe we can figure it out ourselves," I said. "They mentioned someone named M, right?"

"No, M is a letter, not a name. The person's name probably starts with it."

"Oh," I paused to think. "Probably Malte, that sounds like M, right? I could see him involved in something like this."

My suggestion got a smile from Tannix. "You just don't like him because he saw through your lies."

"I still think it's him," I insisted. "So what else do we know?"

Tannix glanced back down at the letter. "It has the stamp of Navire in the corner. We can't work off that; we need to give it to someone." He paused thoughtfully. "Do you know where the director's office is?"

I shook my head warily. "Why?"

"Because you could sneak up and drop it off on his desk," Tannix explained. "Anonymously. Then I won't be suspected for it."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Finn. I think you can manage this. You snuck in here without anyone noticing."

"Yes..."

"So you can do this." He turned to his desk and started doing something I couldn't see. When he turned around and offered the letter to me, the wax had been re-melted and stuck back onto the envelope.

"Now?" I groaned.

"We should do it soon, but we can wait for a bit." He went back over to his desk and opened a large book. After flipping through a couple of pages, he motioned for me to join him. Reluctantly, I climbed from the comfortable chair to stand beside him. We were looking down at a layout of the building. "This is the director's office," Tannix said, pointing to a room on one of the drawings. "This is my room," he pointed to another drawing. "We're on the third floor, the director is on the fifth. Think you can find it?"

I studied the drawing a little longer before nodding. Memorizing maps was something I happened to be very good at. "Yes, I can find it."