After the group passed the guards' inspection and were allowed entrance, their eyes met the dismal view of the square turned into gallows. A long wooden deck had been raised, four tall poles standing in a row on top of it. Three were occupied. Aspen gulped, unable to look away as they passed, cold sweat running down his back. An ikelos, at least a few days old, a male goblin, and a dwarf, with a wooden sign hung around his broken neck with the words “traitor” painted in red. Had the dwarf supported the forbidden non-humans perhaps? Opposed the Council? He didn't recognize the goblin but hoped he hadn't arrived with Mirok and the others.

'This really doesn't look very good,' Sekafi hissed by the window, startling Aspen so much he almost yelped. 'Did I scare you?' she chuckled, her smile flashing, human-like, yet toothy, for a second before fading again.

'Maybe. Please don't sneak up like that.' He wanted to rub his eyes every time he looked at her. But at least her voice was the same. Reassuring and safe.

'Where are we headed,' Salabil asked, reminding him about their goal.

'We should probably meet up with the goblins, if they're here. Then, perhaps rest and prepare at our place?' he suggested. 'And stable the horse. I know a place.'

'Goblins?'

Aspen froze, he hadn't told her about them. He'd forgotten. How careless. Would she abandon them now? 'Uh, yes,' he squeaked. 'They helped us against the monster in the forest. And they agreed to help us again.'

Her dark eyes stared into his for what felt like a million years. Aspen wiped his sweaty palms against his breeches nervously, squirming in the seat. He wished he could just sink through the carriage and out into the street.

'Very well. Interesting. Why didn't you tell me before?'

'Well, I thought... I mean. You know, goblins.' His face heated.

She nodded. ' I understand. Do you think they're trustworthy?' Her thin eyebrows knitted.

'They are!' He wanted to say more but couldn't think of anything smart to say.

A slight smile pulled at her mouth then. 'All's good then. Though unusual.'

Aspen breathed deeply, letting out his fear. It was all right. She trusted them. No, he corrected himself, she trusted Lady Hennaja's judgement. He hoped they wouldn't let her down. He wasn't sure why she'd trusted them to do anything about this in the first place.

Salabil interrupted his train of thought. 'I would like to go to Lady Hennaja's home and speak to her family. I can do that while you meet with the little ones, perhaps?'

'Yes, for sure. Just a moment, I'll have to contact them first.' Aspen pulled out the green, round stone he'd been given by the goblin shaman. Staring into its depths he envisioned Mirok's face.

'Oh! You have a scrying stone?' Salabil asked.

'Huh? Oh, I guess so?' Aspen said, losing his concentration. 'I mean, I can't see whatever. It's just for talking through.'

Salabil looked thoughtfully at it for a moment. 'I see. A discourse orb. How did you get one of those? I didn't think you had any magical items or knowledge about them.'

'I don't. It was a gift.' The stone gave off a faint glow for a second, then a face appeared in its green swirling centre. A sharp-nosed, big-eared, green-tinted brown face. Aspen grinned, relieved to see her safe. 'Mirok!'

'Hello, ugly. Did you think of me?' She gave a toothy grin.

'As a matter of fact, I did. Where are you?'

'In city. We promised.'

'Good. Where? How did you get in?'

'We sneak. Good at sneak.' She winked.

He chuckled. 'Of course. Where can we find you?'

Mirok turned away from the stone and he saw her mouth move but couldn't hear what was being said. Odd. Maybe because the stone only forwarded direct dialogue?

'We be near big house.' She frowned. 'With big round roof on top.' She looked sideways again. 'Bathhouse, Kassem says.'

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Aspen nodded. 'All right. There should be plenty of places to hide around there. Stay there, and we'll meet up with you in about an hour.'

She gave an exaggerated salute and the stone darkened again.

He gave Salabil and Sekafi directions for a stable and explained where they'd have to go. Then he sat back and waited as the wagon slowly bounced forward. Sadly, they couldn't drive around in the carriage all the way as many streets were too narrow and it'd slow them down. His eyes followed the muddy streets, some doors painted with white chalk, the people hurrying past, their eyes downcast. Unusually many patrols with city guards walked around as well, sometimes stopping people in the street. He wondered what they said. Why they were stopped? It didn't feel like his home anymore. So strange. Like when he'd arrived for the first time, many years ago. A stranger and outsider, clueless to customs and rules and without friends. Only, he had friends this time.

A scene ahead caught his eyes and he hung out of the window to see better. Sekafi grabbed the reins of the horse and led it aside as much as she could, causing the carriage to jump and shake as it moved out of the ruts in the road. On the right, on top of a box outside one of the registration centres, stood a lizardman. But unlike Hiaashaqwi's red and bright yellow, this one had bluegreen scales and a mane of thin yellowish spikes around the head. The swamplizards, or Lesurii, were by far more common than Hiaashaqwi's kind, but neither were common here. Aspen had seen them more often when he'd lived to the far west.

The Lesurii shouted about injustice to a small crowd gathered there, cheering it on. However, some less optimistic people stood nearby. A rock flew at the lizardman, hitting its shoulder. It glared at the offending human, then continued its speech. Even as the carriage rolled past the gathering, shouts rose and more rocks and rotten potatoes flew through the air. The lizardman and its crowd of onlookers ducked and hid as best they could, then someone retaliated. The clash was inevitable.

The carriage stopped.

'What now?' Aaspaelwin muttered, wanting to move away from the unruly crowd before they were caught in the mess. He leaned out of the window farther to look ahead. More people had gathered there, though they had their backs turned as if they were trying to leave. They blocked the narrow street.

'What's going on here?' a harsh voice shouted above the ruckus. 'Get back. Move!'

He stiffened. A guard patrol. Now things would surely get even messier. They had to leave now. He tried to get eye contact with Sekafi but she held the reins of the horse, pulling it backwards. He glanced back, just as three humans and an ikelos smashed into the side of the carriage. The large ikelos fought all three at once, wielding a club. The humans held short swords.

'Aspen, watch out!' Sekafi's shout came a second too late. The ikelos yanked the door open and Aspen, leaning against it, flailed to keep his balance.

The ikelos blocked an incoming sword with one hand and grabbed Aspen's tunic with the other. 'Get out, human!' he roared in Aspen's face, and pulled him out, stepping up on the carriage.

Aspen fell face first into the mud, scrambling to avoid getting stepped on. He scraped his hands and knees, got a kick in the side. Groaning he stumbled to his feet and away from the carriage, somehow behind the humans. He had to get back in. But how? What would happen to Salabil? Frantically searching for a way around the humans trying to get at the ikelos, he quickly decided it was impossible and grabbed the arm of the human furthest back and started pulling.

A shout drew his attention to the side. Sekafi moved towards him, tossing a man as broad as he was tall on top of two guards. A high-pitched yelp had him turn back to the carriage in fear. A loud bang resounded from the open door and something large flew out, knocking two of the humans blocking Aspen's way to the ground. He skipped aside in surprise, letting go. The ikelos!

'Wha...?'

Salabil looked out of the doorway, frowning disapprovingly. Then her eyes locked on him and she smiled. 'Aspen! Get back inside.'

He nodded and scrambled forward when a robed character streaked right past, a guard lumbering on his heels.

'Watch out!' Sekafi warned.

Aspen spun just in time to see the robed figure reach out towards him. He ducked flat without thinking. The stranger missed, but continued the motion and smacked his hand into the face of the last man standing by the carriage. He choked and staggered backwards. Aspen held his breath and reached up towards the carriage to get back. A hand grasped his wrist and pulled him up. Salabil.

Confused and muddy, Aspen yanked the door closed. 'Sekafi! Get out of here,' he called through the window. She nodded and turned back the other way, narrowly avoiding the guards marching past, their shields up and moving like a wall into the fighting crowd, beating them with iron clubs. Aspen searched the chaos, certain he'd seen that robed man before. But he had vanished.

Once out of harm's way, they resumed their trek towards a stable.

'By Yhori's fires,' Aspen breathed. 'You all right out there?' he asked Hiaashaqwi and Sekafi.

'No problem. It was just a tiff,' Sekafi answered, coming up beside the window. 'We're fine.'

Aspen snorted. 'Right.'

'Are you in one piece?'

'I'm just dandy, thank you. Can't you tell?' he joked, though his heart wasn't in it.

'I can't even tell it's you,' she giggled and indicated his muddy face.

He grumbled and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his face as best he could. The robed man. Had he tried to kill him? Why? Had it been a random attack, or had he been targeted? No, he'd been disguised. Surely not?

A warm hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him back into his seat. Salabil gave him a reassuring smile.

'Don't worry. We'll set things right,' she said quietly.

He nodded. 'But how many will be hurt and killed before we do?' He swallowed hard. The situation in Toin Caas was getting way out of hand. He'd never seen things get this crazy so fast.

'Fewer the faster we can resolve this.'

He sighed. She was right. Getting out there to help wouldn't do anything. They had to move on. He hated feeling so helpless, but each receding shout and cry behind them spurred his resolve. They had to fix this, and soon.