Chapter 83: An Ambiguous Plan (P2)

As promised, the next morning we all had hearty meals for breakfast; eggs, bread, something that tastes like butter but certainly isn't. Anselm even let me have his plate given what I'm going through.

Strangely, despite all my thoughts of backstabbing and blowing up places, I slept rather peacefully; completely undisturbed until it was time to wake.

I was also glad to see that the clothes I set out have dried, I don't want to go into Aste with my purple, for now, for some reason, these plain set of clothes speak to me.

It doesn't take long for everyone to declare they're ready to get going but the three of us still have to wait a bit longer. The Matron had promised the day before two things.

A good place for us to stay- I'm particularly excited about this because it means I'll have ample funds left over for my future dealings- and a way for Anselm to see the boys, specifically Mevir.

So, despite our early bird routine, we ended up waiting a few more hours for the Matron and the entire lodge to wake before leaving.

This is when an annoying decision was made.

"I'll be your guide in Aste." 

It's Audwin.

"Can't one of the maids be our guide." Anselm says, his visage desperately constrained to hide the true feelings of displeasure underneath.

"Yes, can't one of the maids be our guide?" Kaylin echoes, although her words are filled with contempt and the pointed glare, she angles at Audwin deceives no one her true feelings.

Audwin scoffs, "I am as unhappy about this as you, elven sc…" he trails off, shuts up and breathes before speaking again, "But the Matron is adamant that I'm the only person she can trust for this job."

"Sounds like she doesn't want you here." I blurt out and blink in surprise a second after. That was far too hurtful.

Audwin looks particularly uncomfortable now with the theory in his head, like he's about to force out a huge…never mind.

He sighs, straightens his bowtie and pulls out an envelope from his jacket pocket, "This is an appeal, written by the Matron herself to our Lord. If he grants this then the boys will be escorted to your place of living, a place I must guide you to and secure first."

"Secure?" Kaylin asks, "What are you really planning? You're going to try and trap us in that place, aren't you?"

Audwin looks confused at first, but the slight upward dip of his lips does not go unnoticed, "Why? Would I ever?" 

At this I simply roll my eyes, his denial needs some work.

"Asher!" Kaylin gasps, "He's definitely going to try and trap us, he'll bring the Synagogue!"

Rubbing my temples, I try to answer quietly, "No he's not, he's just messing with you, Kaylin. There's no way he'd put us in danger."

I say this not because I'm overly trusting of Audwin but rather, I trust the power dynamic between the Matron and Audwin. There's certainly no way she'd let him act out like that.

Besides, he's far too weak to touch any of us, it's almost embarrassing he saved Anselm and I not too long ago.

"Let's just get going, I have things to do and fast." I mutter and walk away, leaving them to glare at themselves or follow.

***

As usual, the Matron has the maids fill the back of the carriage with all the foodstuffs we can carry without becoming a merchant car. This time, instead of dry foodstuffs, ready to eat, she has them give us fresh foods for cooking.

This very action prompts Audwin to make an ill-advised comment about Kaylin and her cooking capability.

Fortunately, both Kaylin and Anselm know how to cook. Anselm from his days as a squire cooking, cleaning and doing all sorts of labour for his Knight.

And Kaylin from her days…or years in the small clinic run by her mother, or perhaps the entire underground. She served food to the needy but most of the time it had to be watered down or filled with sawdust to be filling and feed all mouths.

So, she can't rightfully guarantee the tastes of her cooking. It never really mattered.

I don't pay too much attention to their squabbling; I had Kaylin sit at the back with me while Audwin sat out front and yet still, the two managed to come up with creative ways to fire hurtful and presumptuous retorts to each other.

We come up to the gate not too long after we leave, an hour after or so. It is here I poke my head out.

Unfortunately, the face I see at the gate isn't the face I want to see, but it's good to ask questions.

"Where is Aren? Your colleague, where is he?" I demand.

The man standing in my mouses place looks surprised, "You know Aren? Haaha!"

"What's so funny? The man asked you a question, answer it!" Audwin's tone is rather too threatening for a simple inquiry like this but…the man's reaction is even more out of place.

"Lord Audwin!"

Lord?

"Do not refer to me as such! I am no Lord, simply a faithful servant to our Lord." He grumbles

The man nods humbly, nearly turning himself over as he bows, "Ah, sir, Aren quit work, he said he wouldn't need to work for a few measly fifty silver a year if he had his own business."

"Hey! Would you get going already!"

"Toss them out of line!"

"Let us through, we've been waiting!"

The hollas from drivers behind us is strangely reminiscent of the blaring horns of drivers in my world.

Setting a hand of Anselm to recharge the spell as well as prompt him to move on I tell Audwin and the man, "We should probably move, I'll be back later to find out more about Aren. Wait for me."

The man fervently nods and even throws in a salute as Anselm whips the horse to trot on into the city.

The city isn't unchanged from what I saw the last time. A roundabout with a fountain with some Avian sculpture in the centre and merchants eagerly, fervently and madly pursuing entering carriages to sell their ware.

This time we have less merchants come our way and rather…the opposite questions being asked.

Rather than tell us about their fresh fishes they want to know about the large chest that sits on the carriage head or the bags of fresh meat at the back or the grain that keeps on tipping over and pouring.

Their interest in buying goods is…new. Usually when you enter a market the people already there don't ask you to sell them what you have on you. I wonder the reasoning behind this.

But that aside, I'm far more curious to how Audwin got away with yelling at the guard.

"So, are you going to tell us how you have the right to scold guards?" I ask, rather accusingly.

He looks confused and a bit troubled, "Is it not plainly obvious?" he says, pointing Anselm in the right direction.

"No, spell it out."

"I'm a servant of the Mayor and so are they. I'm just far closer to the Mayor so they respect me…as they should." He says with a grin that threatens to split his face.

I shake my head at this, "Why would they…how long have you been here? I thought the Mayor, your Lord was just installed?"

He grunts a bit as we hold on to the carriage passing through a tough turn, "He was, but the actual processes happened about a month ago. My Lord wouldn't be Mayor here if it weren't for two things." He says, emphasizing with his fingers.

"One, the former Mayor doing a bad job. And two, a vacancy in one of the Marquess' many lands that need governing. Ioiona, I think it was called."

Before I can ask any questions, he gasps and says, speaking to Anselm, "Oh no, you're going to need to go through here, I know it's narrow but it's the only way to go through the first strata."

Anselm does as he asks and takes us through a rather steep and narrow incline leading to the first strata. "We'll be stopped." I say, "Carriages aren't allowed in the first strata."

He gives me a ludicrous look, "Where did you hear that? How would people get around down there without them?" 

"Well…I..."

"Only Nobles and important Merchants are allowed to have carriages in the strata." Kaylin grumbles from behind.

We trot down the incline and are soon levelled as the landscape changes bit by bit, it's obviously manmade but it works fine to relived the feeling that you're about to be tossed down a mountain.

Audwin flashes them an emblem with the insignia of what I'm guessing is the Mayor's House. It's the same one I saw on the portraits.

The guards at the checkpoint straighten up and salute, quickly lifting the large log that blocked the way with a nice pulley system.

We pass into the first strata unperturbed, there are still some steeps here and there but I can rather easily tell that this is the upper-class part of the first strata.

The place is nothing like what I saw when I came looking for registration. The houses aren't slanted or quirkily supported by something or another and it's very quiet.

It doesn't take long before we stop at one of the far more luxurious looking homes. 

The house is dark, unlike the others beside it. It towers around about two stories with undoubtedly a plentiful number of rooms and is painted white.

Inside the compound, behind the rather short and useless gates there's a fountain; it's dry because well, no one lives in yet. There's a smaller building in it, nothing like the lodge but just small enough to not count as a shed.

"You will live here…rent free as per the Matron's orders." Audwin says, getting of the carriage. "I'd love to help you in but I've got other orders to carry out." He waves the letter in hand.

"Right, thank you Audwin."

He gives a simple bow and turns around, headed to wherever the boys are.

"This is a lot to carry." Kaylin complains, looking at the heap of foodstuff as well as the large chest overhead.

"We'll need to hire some help and I think I know where to find one."