Chapter 173: Whitefall XXIX

Chapter 173: Whitefall XXIX

I wanted to punch something. Preferably something soulless that wouldnt crumble after the first strike. Giant serpent, or drake, something reptilian. But as we were in a civilization center, with very few lizards to speak of thanks to the climate, the feeling simmered, growing more palpable as the minutes passed.

A quick stop at the rooms later, Id applied earthen chalk to my hair and changed back into a set of worn travelers clothes. Theyd blend much better. My first delve into the district had been a flashy and intentional show of face. There were advantages to that approachfewer muggings, for onebut gathering information required more subtlety. A single flash of my golden hair and royal trappings would send the most useful sorts running, and place anyone I was meeting with under scrutiny for some time. There were countless eyes in Topside that never wandered, and for this, the longer I could stay out of their purview, the better.

I knew there was only a slim chance Kierans missing wife would lead me anywhere. At worst, hed help paint the picture of the nonhuman side of Whitefall, the issues they were facing and the temperature of the populace at large, get a sense of how my fathers decrees worked in practice.

Maybe wed find her. But people often went missing in a city this size. Some of the many reasons were nefarious, for certain. Others were as pedestrian as a man or woman who simply tired of family lifesad as it was.

Regardless of the reason, Kieran needed help he wasnt getting, to the point he was throwing rocks at royals. Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Before, I would have handed this off to someone else. Considered it below my station.

But Id come to realize the truth.

Nothing was below my station. That was the role of a king. Belaying or delegating responsibilities simply because they were small or potentially amounted to little in the grand scheme was folly. If there was a larger threat, and someone who specialized in investigation and information gathering, I might defer to them.

Right now, though, the only person who fit that bill was Thaddeus. Who I trusted about as far as I could throw him.

Suitably dressed down? I asked Alten, who looked far more comfortable now that he was clad in a tunic.

Still looks like theres gold to your name, Alten mused, putting a hand to his chin. But a little less like your daddy gave it to you. Slump the shoulders a bit. And dont smirk.

What? Plenty of people in Topside smirk. Its just below glaring and leering on the common-expressions-in-Topside list, I said.

Things as they are, you could be the son of a wealthy trader looking for an investment opportunity. Now smirk.

Puzzled, I did as he asked, checking myself in the mirror, and noticed little difference.

See? Noble in disguise, clear as day. Im telling you. Its the smirk, Alten reiterated.

I adjusted my shoulders and made a mental note not to smirk, irritating as it was. Then threw open my bedroom window, stepping through and out to the other side. After a taking a moment to make sure the ground beneath wasnt perilously uneven, I dropped thirty span, strengthening my legs as I landed, leaving twin imprints in the grass and mud.

Hells. If Id had magic in my previous life, I probably would have been out of the castle more than I was in it. This was so much easier.

I created a horizontal aegis, cushioned by wind, and looked up at Alten.

Your turn. I used the wind to carry my words to him. Jump.

His already wide eyes bugged out further. Not on your gods damned life. Use rope like a normal person, he hissed, gripping the windowsill tightly.

Alten wasnt trying to be loud, but his voice still carried. I looked around, spotting the telltale torchlight of a patrolling guard. The prior night had been different because Id had Cephur with me, a seasoned ranger, along with a larger group. As reasonable as my father was, I doubted hed look kindly on me going out into Whitefall more or less on my own.

Who keeps coils of rope in their room? I said, still using wind magic to carry my voice.

People who sneak out at night, Alten shot back.

The torchlight in the distance loomed, and before I could fully consider leaving Alten behind, hed climbed out through the window and part of the way down, deftly working his fingertips into gaps in the stone and maintaining a steady decline. I shifted the aegis beneath him, ready to catch him if he fell, but the man was clearly accustomed to climbing and my interference was unnecessary.

Almost as an afterthought, Alten jumped down the last few span and landed next to the aegis. He dubiously placed a foot on it, testing it under his weight. Springy.

There were two types of taverns in Topside: the kind where folk went to vent, celebrate and socialize, and the kind where drunkenness itself was the goal.

This was the latter.

And for the moment, at least, Kieran was nowhere to be seen.

I took a seat at the bar, noting the lack of reaction from the barkeep when I sat down. He seemed oddly preoccupied, and frustrated with the not insignificant balancing act of managing a bar this size on his own. A few heads turned as Alten wandered in, but they dismissed him just as quickly as he took a seat at the back.

The bartender dropped a full mug of ale and swore as it splashed everywhere.

Short-staffed? I asked.

Something like that. He toweled up the ale with irritation, sparing me an errant look. Gonna be a minute.

Take your time. I waited for him to finish cleaning the mess, then added, Im looking for Kieran.

The barkeep paused, then wiped his hands on his apron. Whaddya want with him?

Supposed to meet him here. I kept the explanation clipped, but honest. Folk in Topside protected their own. If I was too cagey, hed assume the worst. About his wife.

He hire you? Gods know he doesnt have a gold to his name, if thats the angle.

The bartender seemed to be a friend of Kierans, or at the very least, a protective acquaintance.

More like I owe him and need to make good, I said, making it clear I wasnt looking for compensation.

The barkeep nodded, leaning back as he considered that, then drew a fresh pint of ale from the nearby tap. He placed it in front of me with a thud. If thats the case, safe to consider the debt canceled.

Slowly, ane icy feeling coiled in the base of my spine. The same feeling that gripped me in the sanctum when danger was near. I took a long pull from the mug. The ale tasted like water. Dead?

A shadow crossed the bartenders face. Will be soon, if hes not already. Not sure if youve noticed, but hes not exactly been the rational sort, as of late. People been lax, given his circumstances, but hes been stepping on a lot of toes. Last I heard, he went to Schism. And if he got uppity with them well. Small wonder he didnt show up for his shift this afternoon.

Despite having spent a considerable amount of time in Topside, Id never heard the name.

Guessing you wouldnt be able to tell me about them? Or where to find them? I tried.

The bartender shook his head. Cant help you. Got a wife of my own. If I died, shed kill me.

Understandable.

I placed a silver rod on the counter and rose from my stool, straightening it absentmindedly as the barkeep pocketed the payment. Thanks for the ale.

My thoughts were elsewhere as I exited the tavern. So far I was out a good amount of silver, with little to nothing to show for it other than a bad feeling that Id never see Kieran again. Problem was, this was more or less a dead end. I could continue looking into Schismbut the criminal organizations common in Topside were notoriously flaky and difficult to pin down. No one overstepped; no one wanted to attract too much attention and take the risk of drawing the kings ire.

Alten fell into step next to me. If were gonna keep doing shit like this, we really need to work out a nonverbal communication system more robust than you blowing in my ear.

Is there a problem? I asked, still half-absorbed in my thoughts.

Alten kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. Could be. Because whatever you said in that bar netted us another tail.