Three weeks later, Aspen and Sekafi occupied a small hill, overlooking a part of the city. The sun beat down over their heads and dust billowed up with each dry gust of wind. Aspen pulled his hood further up, to hide his face from the sun.

'You melting, pointy-ears?'

Aspen snorted. 'Not so much melting as burning. Can't the rain come soon?'

'In a month or so. Probably,' she replied. 'You need a shower?'

He glanced around. His furry friend sat hunched in the partial shadow of a dry, thorny shrub, though some bright pink flowers still bloomed on the almost bare branches. Her watchful eyes swept over the cityscape, then returned to him. She grinned.

'You look too pleased with yourself.'

'Aren't you happy to be back doing what you do best?' she said, ignoring his comment.

'Hm.' He watched the map in his hands. Buildings, streets, markets. He preferred to draw maps of the land, not of cities. More exciting that way. But he couldn't really work up his earlier enthusiasm about that anymore. It felt safer here, within the confines of the city palisade, surrounded by houses. Only the stiff, straight lines bored him. He sighed.

'Do you think it all went well?'

'With the monster?' Sekafi's tone darkened, serious.

'Yeah.'

'I mean, the goblins said they haven't seen it for a while now. And Lady Hennaja agreed to leave them alone. The city will expand and send outliers in other directions. The land there is too foul to farm or log anyway.'

He nodded. She was right. Still. He watched the city again. The people milled about in the hot and dust like nothing had happened. An uneasy cold squirmed in his stomach. Why wouldn't it go away? Maybe because he hadn't been there to see it banished? That was probably it.

'You nearly done?'

'Yeah.' He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on his task.

'You seem a bit... distant,' Sekafi said after a while. 'Like you're not fully here.'

He finished the last few lines, placed the stylus back in his pocket, and rolled the map and placed it in a scroll-holder before turning back to her. She watched him with a sombre expression. He couldn't keep back a smile. He read her worry clearly in her deep, yellow eyes.

'Listen, fur-ball, I'm fine. Okay? Just a bit tired and...' He shrugged.

'And what? It's been three weeks. What's nagging at you?'

'I...' He sighed in frustration. 'I'm not sure. It's probably nothing.'

She stood and brushed some dust off her legs. 'You usually have a good instinct when it comes to stuff like that though.'

Aaspaelwin grinned. 'Sure I do. I'm a psychic, you know.'

She barked a high-pitched laugh. 'More like psychotic.'

'Hey!' he protested mildly as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Glancing up to measure the sun's position, he continued more solemnly, 'We should get going if we're to be in time for the meeting with Lady Hennaja.'

'You're the one keeping us back,' Sekafi helpfully pointed out.

'And what about you?' he huffed. 'Sitting and lapping sun rather than working.'

She shrugged and bared her teeth in a wide smile. 'It's literally my job, isn't it?'

'Right.'

'Right!'

The pair moved through the thronged streets as the sun sank towards the horizon, casting long shadows. Everyone moved out of the ikelos way as soon as they spotted her. Nobody wanted a fight, or even an intimidating glare from the powerful humanoid. At least it made their walk to the High Council easier.

Sekafi glanced back, making sure Aspen followed. He kept his eyes downcast, hood drawn forward. Only his straight ebony hair showed where it spilled out. She frowned. He'd been unusually crestfallen since they'd returned. She didn't understand why. They'd beaten it. The mage had gotten the strange symbols from Aspen. Which he could read. Master Owadro, his apprentice, a healer, and a whole bunch of guards had set out with the intention to banish the monster just a few days later. They'd returned happy as fairies and drunk as dwarves, celebrating their victory. Aspen and Sekafi had contacted Mirok, and asked about it. The goblins had confirmed the monster's absence. So... everything should be dandy. Yet. Something had to be wrong. Sometimes he picked up on things, even though others didn't.

She continued when some commotion broke out ahead of them, stopping all forward motion.

'What happened?' Aspen asked.

She stretched and stood on her toes, peering over the people ahead. They stood in a circle around someone. A woman. She couldn't quite see. 'Someone collapsed in the street, I think. Maybe heatstroke?'

Aspen looked up, his face pale and his eyes wide. 'Another one?'

He tried to see, but his small frame wouldn't let him see past the first row of people. She almost smiled at his effort. 'Yes. I suppose.' There had been a few incidents lately with people collapsing. But the summer heat was in full swing, and heatstroke wasn't unheard of.

'Gaen said something about a plague a few days ago. Do you think it's a sickness?' He shied away from people as the throng started moving again. A scent of fear came off him. Could it be a plague? Sekafi shrugged and walked forward again. But she kept her eyes and ears open, as well as her nose. Soon, a whiff of blood caught her attention. She watched her step, and as they passed the place where the woman had fallen she spotted blood flecks on the ground. Just small drops. Not like from someone scrubbing a knee, but more like from a nosebleed. She made sure neither of them stepped in it.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Shortly after, they arrived at the High Council. The doors were closed and guarded as usual. She took two steps at a time, impatient. She wanted to get home and relax, have some free time and eat before night time.

Aspen passed her, told the guards who they were, and handed over his identification papers. They looked briefly at the papers before returning them.

'Entry denied,' the guard informed.

'What? But... we have a meeting scheduled. Today.' He glanced back at her. What was going on?

'I cannot tell you that, Selksem,' the guard said passively. 'You have to leave.'

'But... I can't leave! We have to report and get our pay. Please, tell Lady Hennaja we're here.'

'I'm sorry, sir, but Lady Hennaja is unavailable at this time. Please return another day.'

'But. We're supposed to...' He straightened and took a deep breath. 'Is there anyone else we can report to? The map had to be finished by today, and I will not be accused of being late when I have done my job. I only need someone to affirm that I've done my duty, and hand over the map. Please?'

The guard puffed out his cheeks and eyed the two of them.

'Come on, you know us!' Aspen pressed.

'Very well. I'll see what I can do, but don't fret if they won't let you in.'

'Yes, no, of course not. Thank you!' Aspen stepped back to stand by her side as the guard vanished inside. His pale cheeks had coloured slightly from the encounter. He got so animated whenever things didn't go as planned.

'Calm down, elfling,' she chided.

'He snickered. 'I'm perfectly calm and collected, thank you. But what's going on? Why wouldn't they let us in? Even if the Lady isn't here, there should be someone else to handle it. Right?'

'That's how it usually is, but maybe something unforeseen's happened?'

'Like the woman in the street?' he muttered.

Sekafi ground her teeth. What if he was right? What would happen then? Lady Hennaja had been the head of the Council for many years, and people liked her. She also allowed other people than humans to live and work in Toin Caas. People like herself and Aspen. Earlier, this city had been very strict in their rules about who were let in. Only humans, pure elves, and dwarves had been allowed entry, and only humans could legally live and work here. That had changed some fifteen years ago when Lady Hennaja took over. She saw the benefits of allowing more people access to the market. Sekafi and Aspen had moved in soon after, though they didn't work together the first few years. Their first job together had been a mess, she recalled with fondness. They hadn't understood each other as well then. And neither had anyone else. Distrust and myths had run wild, making people afraid of them. Or spiteful.

The guard returned and she studied him carefully. His dark face showed no emotions, but his hands fiddled with his clothes. Nervous. Why?

'You are allowed to enter. Head straight for the main meeting hall. Lady Ilaana will meet you there.'

'Thank you so much,' Aspen said and pushed the heavy door aside.

Sekafi followed, keeping her eyes open, every sense tingling. Maybe she was paranoid, but better safe than sorry. Aspen was her friend, her pack. Nothing would hurt him if she had anything to say about it. She realized her hackles stood on end and forced herself to calm down. Nothing had actually happened. Aspen's apprehension has simply rubbed off on her. She snorted and drew his pale blue gaze.

'Nothing, nothing,' she muttered.

He raised a thin eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

They hurried to the meeting hall and knocked on the door.

'Enter,' a light, soft voice called.

Aaspaelwin pushed the doors open, and entered the needlessly large hall. The round chamber was built like an amphitheatre, with benches circling the room, leaving an open area in the centre, where a speaker could stand, addressing everyone while in plain view of all. In the roof hung large chandeliers, and between them, globes of magelight. Halfway between the central floor and the doors, Ilaana, the Akashian woman he'd seen when he'd met with Lady Hennaja after the first encounter with the monster. She had suggested the healer to them. She wore a cream coloured dress, covered by a short-sleeved coat in umber, embroidered with gold thread. Gold earrings and necklaces completed the picture, contrasting beautifully to her dark skin and black tightly curled hair.

'Welcome, Selksem,' she greeted in a court voice. She placed her hands on her back. 'Zand,' she nodded to Sekafi.

'Thank you, Lady Ilaana,' Aaspaelwin said. 'We were supposed to meet Lady Hennaja today.'

'Yes, she's not available. You had a map?'

He hesitated. She seemed a bit stiff and formal compared to last time he'd seen her. But maybe he'd misread her that time? 'Yes. I mapped out the Ferk District.' He pulled the scroll-holder out and handed it over.

'Thank you. I'll give this to Lady Hennaja. Was that all?' She wiped sweat from her brow with a handkerchief. Did her hand shake?

'Well, we usually get paid when we hand the maps over.'

'Oh, of course. How much?' She glanced at a door behind her.

'Shouldn't y...'

'We usually get twenty talents,' Sekafi chimed in, surprising him.

'Wh –' She elbowed him in the back and he snapped his mouth shut. Their pay varied depending on the job, but twenty talents were at least double. 'Yes, twenty,' he agreed.

'Right. I'll see to it. If you wait here, I'll send a servant to deliver it.' She walked off with the scroll-holder in one hand and the handkerchief int he other.

'That was... easy.' Aspen narrowed his eyes, watching her. 'Did she seem different to you?'

'I don't think I've met her before,' Sekafi said.

'Right, I forgot. You were, uh...'

'Dying.' She grinned.

'Yes.' How could she smile about that? He'd almost lost her. It had been too close.

'Hey, what's up? You look like you saw a ghost. I didn't die, okay? I'm right here.'

He chuckled, a bit forced. 'I'm sorry. I know. It was just so close.'

'Don't worry, pointy-ears, I'm not leaving you that easily. What about her?'

'She seemed a little... strained?' He twined some hair between his fingers.

'Maybe. She smelled a bit funny, I thought.'

'Don't smell people.'

'Well, I'm sorry. I can't help breathing!'

'Yes, you can!' He laughed.

The door Lady Ilaana had disappeared through opened and a servant in white and grey entered, carrying a small pouch. 'I'm supposed to deliver this to Aaspaelwin Selksem and Sekafi Zand.' His eyes moved back and forth between them.

'Yes, that's us,' Aspen said.

The servant handed the pouch over and left as abruptly as he had appeared. They controlled the brass talents inside. Exactly twenty. They smiled, then whooped. They had never received this much money for one job before. Technically, two thirds was Aspen's but they usually shared it alike. He didn't like to think that he was more worth than her when she was the one keeping them alive. He just drew things on parchment after all. He knew she was just a guard, while he had more of an education and a less common talent. But he couldn't make himself see guards as any less worth as people than anyone else.

It wasn't until they had gone halfway home, that Aspen realized they hadn't asked, nor been told, of a new job. They had to go back.