“I don’t know, Jinaari. We’re not running a tour here. Are you sure he should be coming?” Adam’s voice drifted into her room, waking Thia up.
“It wasn’t my decision to make,” the paladin’s deep voice responded. “He’s supposed to be here, same as you, me, and Caelynn. There’s something Pan has to do, some way he’ll help Thia. That’s all I need to know.”
She rose, shivering slightly. She’d not bothered to light the fire before going to bed. Grabbing the old cloak, she pulled it close around her as she went out to see what was going on.
“Who’s coming with us?” she asked.
Both men looked her way. “Morning,” Jinaari said. “How’d you sleep?”
Shrugging, she moved further into the common room and sat near them. “Good. I was tired.” She gave him a direct look. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“His name’s Pan Beckenburg. He’s sleeping. He drank a lot last night, trying to convince me to let him join us.”
Something tugged at her mind. Where had she heard that name before?
“Thia?”
Blinking, she looked at Jinaari. “What?”
“You looked like something was wrong.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s just that I remembered hearing that name before. But I don’t remember where.”
“The family’s got a Barony somewhere. Maybe that’s why?” Adam commented.
Thia sighed. “No. That’s not it. I never paid attention to any of that. I don’t even know who the ruler of Avoch is. It’s probably nothing.” She pulled her feet under her on the seat of the chair, trying to warm them underneath the cloak. “Does that mean we’re leaving today? If Pan’s coming with us, why should we wait?”
“Tomorrow. I’m waiting on some information and supplies to come in.” Jinaari broke off a piece of bread from a loaf that sat on the table. He looked at her. “Is that the only cloak you have?”
“My other one got left in the cave. Most of what I owned was in that pack. I never had the inclination, or coin, to have a lot of clothes. When you spend your day in prayer or lessons, there’s not a big need.”
“Talk with Caelynn. She knows some shops. You’ll need clothes that’ll let you move and keep you warm,” Adam said. “We won’t have to worry about things like snow or rain, but it’s going to be cooler than you’re used to.”
“I don’t have any coin,” she stammered. “It was in my pack. I’ll make do with what I have.”
“That’s not a problem,” Jinaari said.
She stared at him. “I won’t take coin I can’t repay.”
“It’s in our best interest,” he pointed to Adam, then back at himself, “to make sure you’re comfortable, Thia. You can’t draw the sigils if your hands are stiff from being cold. Or run, if it’s necessary, in long skirts or boots that have no sole left. The chain shirt I gave you before was good, but you need better.”
“Just let them do it, Thia.” Caelynn came out of her room and grabbed an apple off the table before sitting down. “You belong with us. That means you get a share of anything we find. And, like he said, we’ve got an interest in making sure you’re able to move.” She bit into the fruit. “Am I taking her with me, or do you want me to just get stuff and bring it back here?’
“You can move easier in the city than she can,” Jinaari said, “even with that hair of yours. She’d be remembered.”
“Because I’m half Fallen?” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice.
His fingers drummed against the arm of the chair. It was obvious to Thia that he was choosing his words carefully. “Because your eyes give you away. That’s it. The rest of your features could pass as having ties to Caelynn’s race.” He gave her a direct look. “My job is to keep you safe. That means I get to decide where you go and what you do. Until we leave Almair, you stay up here or down in the common room. And you don’t go down there unless one of us is with you.”
“Calm down, old man,” Adam joked. “You make her mad, she may decide to make your armor chafe you all the way to Byd Cudd.”
Caelynn smiled at her. “Come on, Thia. Let’s see what you have so I know what to get you. Besides, that one,” she shot a glare at Jinaari, “needs to remember that bullying people that are capable of healing him isn’t a great move on his part.”
She rose, grabbing some food off the table, and led Caelynn to her room. She didn’t fully trust her, not yet, but the others did. And the bard had been doing this sort of thing for a while. Certainly longer than Thia had. While she’d rather do her own shopping, she needed Caelynn’s help. Jinaari isn’t going to let me leave the inn. My best chance at getting something that didn’t fit like it was made for someone twice my size is to let her shop for me.
“Jinaari’s not nearly as bad as he sounds,” Caelynn said as Thia closed the door. “He’s a paladin, with a warrior’s mentality. You’ll get used to it.”
“To which part? The arrogance or the insufferableness?” Thia asked.
Caelynn shrugged, “Both. The problem isn’t that he’s that way. It’s that his swordsmanship and honor back it up. I’ve never seen him run from a fight or come close to losing. I don’t know what Drogon did to knock him out but drowning almost killed him. You know that. So does he. It’s not something Jinaari will forget, either.” She went to the chest. “What are we working with?”
Thia opened it up, pulling out the few things she had and placing them on the bed. “Not much. I didn’t pack anything I would’ve worn to perform rites or anything like that. From what it was like in Tanisal, I thought it wouldn’t work to wear a floor-length robe.” She sat on the bed, looking at what little she had. “It’s not going to cost much, will it?”
“Pfft,” she said, dismissing her concern with a wave of her hand. “Doesn’t matter. We’ve been doing this long enough that we don’t know how to spend the coin we have. Plus, Adam’s got a stake in this place. He collects his portion every time we come back.”
“The three of you have been doing this sort of thing for a while, then?”
“I’ve only been around for the last year. Those two,” she nodded toward the common room, “have been working with each other for years. I think they met when Jinaari was still an initiate in his Order or something.”
“Do you know why Adam calls him ‘old man’? It looks like he’s the older of the two.”
“Oh, that,” she laughed. “Adam told me the story. Jinaari and others were sent to escort him from Helmshouse to Dragonspire. They got delayed due to weather and Adam went out with some other warlocks to search for them. They were buried in the snow from an avalanche. Jinaari’s hair and beard were white from the cold. Adam said it made him look like an old man. When he woke up and started giving orders, as he does, the nickname stuck in Adam’s mind.” She smiled. “Personally, I love it. Jinaari needs to be reminded that he’s human.”
“Has he ever been wrong? Made a mistake?”
“No,” she sighed, “and that only adds to the arrogance. Anyway, enough about those two. You’ll figure out how to work with them soon enough. They’re not hard to read once you get to know them.” Surveying the small pile on the bed, Caelynn nodded. “One more thing. Stand up and take off the cloak.”
Thia did so, draping it on the open chest. Caelynn pulled a length of string with knots tied at regular intervals out of her belt pouch. “Raise your arms,” the elf told her.
“What’s that for?”
“It’ll give me an idea of what size will fit you best when I get to the shop,” she replied, wrapping the cord around her waist. Thia stood patiently as she measured a few more places. “That should do it.” She stepped back, looking at her critically. “You’re thin, but in okay shape. I’ll get a few outfits, make sure they’ll fit but also give you room to grow.”
“Grow? We’re going to be walking, fighting who knows what. Not feasting every night!”
“Yes, but your arm and leg muscles will get stronger, not shrink. I’m leaving the armor up to Jinaari. He knows that stuff better than I do.” She winked. “Don’t worry. He’s not going to put you in plate armor like he wears. Probably the same sort of thing you wore before but better quality.”
Thia sighed. “I wouldn’t know what was good or bad, so it doesn’t matter.”
“It does, actually. We want you to live, Thia. Armor’s the best way to do that.” Caelynn wrapped the cord up and put it back in her pouch.
“Do you wear any? Or Adam?”
“Mine’s hardened leather and I usually wear it under my clothes. I can’t move as well, do what I need to do, in chain. The leather’s quieter. As for Adam, no. Not that I know of. Warlocks have spells, though, that help protect them. And he stays out of direct combat. That staff of his has a nice range to it. Now, I’m going to go shopping. Try not to hurt Jinaari while I’m gone.” Caelynn walked toward the door.
“I can’t promise that,” Thia laughed.
“Please? I mean, why should you get all the fun?” Both women laughed as they walked back into the common area.
The man from the night before sat with Adam, his face scrunching up in pain at the sound.
“Where’s Jinaari?” Caelynn asked.
“Downstairs. He’s expecting a delivery. Got everything you need?” Adam asked.
“Almost. Just need to get my coin.”
“No need. I’ve got plenty, and he wanted me to go with you.” Adam gestured at the other man as he rose. “Thia, I think you’ve met Pan. He’s a little hung-over right now, so he probably won’t be good company. Oh,” he said, turning back around to face her, “one more thing. I worked on that illusion for your wall last night. Remind me when I get back and I’ll show you where I’m at. I’d like to get your thoughts before I finalize it.”
“I, ah, okay,” she stammered. He remembered what she said and worked on the spell already?
“Great! If you need something, Jinaari’s downstairs. But send Pan, okay?” He waited for her to nod in agreement, then followed Caelynn out the door.
She felt someone watching her and turned to face Pan. His face smiling.
“Hi,” he croaked.
“Hello.”
“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression last night. You guys looked so serious, though. I thought buying a round would help lighten the mood.”
She shrugged. “Things are . . . strange right now. We’re all a bit on edge.”
“Being hunted by a Goddess would do that to a person,” Pan said.
“Look,” she said, “I’m sure you’re nice and all. If you weren’t supposed to be here, Jinaari would’ve sent you away. Instead, he brought you up here. My life’s been turned upside down recently, though, and I’m not in a talkative mood. I’m going to go back to my room for a while.”
“Okay. Should I tell the big guy when he comes back where you went?”
“Only if he asks. He already knows more about me than I do.” She walked to her door and went inside, closing it behind her. She started to gather up what was on the bed, putting it back into the chest. It doesn’t make sense. Why did Keroys trust Jinaari enough to tell him about my Mark, but not me? What else does he know that I don’t? And will he keep everything a secret from me like he did this?
Closing the lid, she sat on the bed. Stop thinking that way. He saved my life, more than once. And Keroys didn’t want him to tell me. When he knew I knew, he didn’t lie about it. I need to learn how to ask the right questions, that’s all. This isn’t a book; it’s life. The answers aren’t going to be easy to find.
With a sigh, she flopped back on the mattress. The restlessness wouldn’t go away, but she couldn’t go anywhere, either. Might as well test this magic bath Adam talked about. At least I’ll be clean when Caelynn comes back.