Chapter 14

THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE

Finn lay there thinking about Neeve and their night together. Considering the scars of his past, Finn was confident that Neeve would be the best thing to ever happen to him. She was a confident, successful business lady in public, but when the doors closed, and they were alone, she became cuddly, yet more insecure. However, a different animal emerged altogether when he got her into the bedroom. Finn hadn’t heard soldiers swear as much as Neeve had last night. He’d learnt so much from her simply by doing what he was told and listening for her blissful noises when he did things right. She’d even taught him about the art of good kissing.

Finn caught himself wanting her in his life, yet she’d told him not to love her. If all relationships were this vexing, he’d have to pass them by in the future. Finn snorted to himself. There was no chance of that, though. Not after he’d had a taste of the good stuff. He wanted it too much.

“Mmm! It went very well, I thought,” Gypsy contributed. “One point that I did think of while you were at it like rabbits was the prospect of baby Finns. Would they be dwarven or fae? Dwae? Or fwarfs, perhaps? Had you considered the possibility that Neeve might now be pregnant?”

“What?” Finn panicked.

“Gotcha!” Gypsy laughed, seeing Finn’s stricken expression. “And I quote, ‘Manaborn fae cannot impregnate other species unless they cast a fertility spell specific to the race they wish to breed with.’ As you already know. Should you wish to revise, we have the book on the subject in the library.”

“Oh! Yes, that’s true. I knew that.” Finn replied sheepishly. “You’re right, though. I didn’t consider it.”

“I wouldn’t worry. I detected traces of Bortwood bark in her blood. That’s a potent infertility herb.”

A sleepy groan came from Neeve. “Mmm?” she grumbled.

Finn smiled and kissed the back of her neck, making her shudder. “Morning, gorgeous. I’m sorry I kept you up so late.”

“Huh! You’ve got far too much stamina for me,” Neeve said, rolling over to face him with a lopsided grin.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Finn snorted. “We were just snuggling up to get some sleep when you kissed me and climbed back on board. I blame you.”

“Hmm! The pull you have on me scares me.” Neeve said.

“I think having you in my life would be a good thing, don’t you?” Finn asked.

“No, I don’t.” Neeve snapped. Then she took a deep breath and gave him a weak smile. “I’m serious. Please don’t fall for me, Finn. I beg you, for your own sake. You don’t know me. I’d be all sorts of bad news for you. Commitment terrifies me, and you’d end up hurt.”

Neeve looked at him sadly. “Look, I know you need stability and have been through some terrible things. That’s why I am trying to spare you the heartache. I don’t want to hurt you, baby. I want you to go out and find good women or men and be happy. You should try some goblins. They’re fiercely loyal to their lovers.”

“So, that’s it, one night and done?” Finn asked, already feeling stung.

“For now, yes. Who knows how I’ll feel somewhere down the line,” Neeve replied. “Just think of it as a transaction, and you’ll feel better about it. I got what I wanted, and you’ll get the armour you need before the trials. I promise. The deal is done, and no one got hurt.”

She looked at Finn’s stricken expression. “Uhm! At least I hope no one got hurt.”

Neeve looked panicked. She quickly broke their embrace and went in search of her clothes. “You’ve given me an appetite. Shall we go and see if Aggy will feed us?”

“Uh! Okay.” Finn replied. He dressed, feeling bewildered.

*****-*****

Finn walked into the forge a little later, feeling better after one of Aggy’s legendary breakfasts. He still had a head full of ‘what ifs’, ‘if onlys’, and ‘what is this thing about goblins in this place?’ rattling around in his brain, but at least he was well-fed.

His Ma could tell something wasn’t right, and she looked as panicked as Neeve by the time he’d wolfed his breakfast down without a word and fled the kitchen.

He didn’t need to eat, but he did like good food. Finn’s body could convert anything he ingested into mass or raw mana, and as he’d used a lot of his magical energy last night, a hearty breakfast was just what he needed.

Finn’s mind still wandered as he approached his workbench. He wondered what Hamish would teach him today. Finn jumped as the bald dwarf was suddenly in front of him. In his hand was a spearhead that glowed faintly.

Hamish’s grin was wide and happy. “Ye forgot ta mention that you was an enchanter, son,” Hamish said as he looked lovingly at the spearhead. “I suspect ye dinnae have a clue about how much this baby is worth, aye?”

Finn sighed. “I’ve never bought anything, so no, Da. Not a clue about its value, sorry,” Finn replied. His lack of consumer knowledge was a recurring theme that was becoming tiresome. Ember had promised to show him around Barter, yet she hadn’t even bothered to show her face. “It was easier to put sharpness runes on them than traipsing across to the grinding stones each time,” he said without enthusiasm. He kept trying to raise his mood, but it just sank straight back into the doldrums.

A sad look crossed Hamish’s happy face, “Looks like ye got troubles, lad. Neeve related, I’d wager. Take a wee bit o’ advice from your ol’ Da. Never chase em, son. A good woman who loves ya will come to you. Not run from ya. Your aunt is a runner. Let er go, an never take er back.” Hamish shook his head. “How about a wee bit o’ good news ta cheer ye up, eh?”

Finn gave a good attempt at a smile and nodded.

Hamish grinned. “I forgot te mention. You’re a very, very wealthy young lad now. A very eligible bachelor, indeed. We didn’t touch the ingots. We didn’t need to. You’re already rich beyond reason. You really should move the coins we made ye, though. Tell our mate, Gypsy, she can find the four chests in the strong room.”

“Thank Hamish for me. Tell him I’ve got them.” Gypsy said.

“No worries. Thanks for doing that and for befriending Hamish,” Finn replied.

“He’s easy to like and a very keen engineer, like you.”

“Yes, but unlike me, he has someone who loves him.”

“You’ll stop that nonsense at once, Finn Smith. I love you, always have, always will, and don’t you ever forget it. You’re part of me. So chin up and stop moping. You can’t lose a love you never had, for Liss's sake.”

Finn was shocked out of his mood when Gypsy used his name. That was a rare thing indeed. “I love you too. And thanks.”

“She said to thank you and that she’s just collected the chests. Thank you so much for doing that for us,” Finn said.

“Ach! Nae bother. Happy to help, lad.” Hamish lifted the spearhead he was still holding. “This, my boy, will easily sell ta a trader fer one-hundred gold coins. We’d be lucky to get a few silver fer em without magic. Enchanted weapons dinnae exist in this world anymore. Even the magical heirlooms have faded over the years. The last enchanters were murdered by the church over a hundred years ago.” Hamish shook his head and looked grave.

“Listen, lad. Ye could name your price if ye start empowering weapons with more complicated enchantments. You’ll also have every important family in Allis looking ta secure ye into their families either by marriage or a collar round yer neck, ya ken?”

Finn rubbed his neck, remembering the needle piercing his skin and the inexorable need to obey. The horror of the memory sent a shudder right through him.

Hamish looked stricken. “I’m sorry, lad. I know the bastards got you once, but you have to know the risks as well as the rewards.”

Finn thought hard about Hamish’s words. “What if I front the cost of the materials, you’d make the weapons, and then I enchant them? We’d have to recruit someone we trust who could sell them somewhere else for a commission. Then we split what’s left. Say eighty, twenty in your favour?

Hamish shook his head. “Eighty, twenty? What’sa matter wi ya, lad. We’re family, an you’d be addin the value. Eighty, twenty, indeed.” Hamish sighed and looked lovingly at Finn. “Look, son. I know ye mean well, an I expect yer Ma put you up to it. She’s right, as always. Business is bad right now. Lemme talk te some people. In the meantime, dinnae tell her bout any of this. She worries too much.”

Finn nodded.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. “Ahem! Boss?”

Finn turned to see one of the forge’s smiths standing beside Ember, who was grinning at him. Finn sighed and stepped to the side as Hamish approached the man. There was a whispered conversation, and Hamish turned back to Finn.

“Looks like ye got the rest of the day off, lad. Abbot wants to see ye.”

Ember’s grin disappeared when she noticed the enchanted spearhead still in Hamish’s grasp.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Finn waited for her to say something, but she shook her head and looked away. He wondered what to say to her. She’d not bothered with him for a few days, and his lack of world knowledge made him feel increasingly out of place with each passing day. He decided to let her talk first.

*****-*****

“So, you’ve been here for nearly three days. How do you like Shanty so far?” Ember asked Finn as they walked along the cobbled road.

They’d just passed Aggy’s clothes shop and received a bright wave from Star, who was in the window changing one of the displays.

“It’s been eventful, and I’ve only been this far out from the Smith’s house once. Someone had promised to take me on a tour of Barter, but then she never turned up,” Finn said, looking sideways at Ember to gauge her reaction. “Gypsy enjoys watching the city as it goes about its business. She says there’s a place called Madame Cat’s that’s fun to watch.”

Ember laughed hard, which turned into a cough. “Oh my!” She looked at Finn out of the corner of her eye.

“On a different subject,” Ember said hastily. “I know you trained in the military. Did they teach you to fight?”

Finn snorted. He’d noticed the way she’d quickly changed the subject without a word of explanation.

At the academy, his shortcomings with most of the physical aspects of all Finn’s subjects meant he’d had to work doubly hard just to receive even average reports from his masters. He winced as he remembered the frequent beatings he received for not being better. Much to his combat trainer’s disgust, Finn proved utterly useless with any weapon more significant than a long knife, yet he’d proven to be exceptionally agile and fast. That made him a natural at the mana-enhanced hand-to-hand combat style, Ki-Gesh. On top of that, his talents with spatial and shadow-aspected magic eventually led his trainers to concede defeat and bring in the indentured assassin trainer from the Shadowstep family.

The moment Master Wrathbone arrived from the Shadowstep estate, he’d begun torturing Finn with the intensity of his training sessions. He spent years knocking Finn into shape, eventually forcing his beleaguered student to become proficient at unarmed combat, short blades, and multiple forms of ranged combat. Later, Master Wrathbone added lessons on poisons, stealth, shadow manipulation, and types of close-ranged one-strike killing techniques that would horrify any sane person.

Finn wondered what he should divulge. “Because I was useless with most weapons, the military got me a specialist assassin trainer who trained me in Ki-Gesh and shadow combat disciplines,” he replied. “I’m a pilot and lead engineer by trade, not a fighter. I use magic when I fight, which makes me hard to hit. I’m not sure what else to tell you, sorry.”

Ember laughed. “I have no idea what Ki-Gesh is or shadow combat. Sparring with you will be a different experience indeed for Pixie and me. You’ll meet Pixie later today. We’ll train you together if you are as good as we hope. She is part pixie and fast, while I am better with heavy combat.”

Finn shook his head at that bad news. In his old world, pixies were shunned. They were mischievous, deceitful, and never to be trusted. Could they be different in this world? It was unlikely. He wondered what they planned to teach him or whether their training would just be a series of sparring sessions. He’d already been forced to do more combat training than he ever wanted. He was reluctant to do more. Finn wondered if he would be given a say on who trained him and how.

He’d never been this far down the road. As they turned a corner, just beyond S&S, the shops ended, and even larger stone buildings took over. One was clearly marked as the Bank of Shanty, which is somewhere Finn planned to visit when he had more time.

“What’s in there?” Finn asked Ember, pointing to a prominent six-storied building opposite the bank.

“That’s our guildhall,” Ember replied. “If you’re a crafter, you usually join a guild of like-minded crafters, pool resources, share wholesale orders and trade things. Were there guilds back in the fae lands?”

“Yes and no. We had organisations that acted as your guilds do, but they were all controlled by the queen. If you were a healer, you had to register as such, and they assigned you resources and work orders. Free trade was discouraged.”

“Oh! A very different world, then,” Ember replied, looking thoughtful.

They walked on into one of the many residential areas of the city. Hundreds of houses were crammed together, with only a small alley or road separating each section. There were stone buildings several stories high, with five or six lean-tos hugging their walls. Finn even saw a few multi-story lean-tos, which looked particularly precarious. Houses of wood butted up against stone walls or leant against each other, while shelters made of various assorted materials seemed to have been thrown up all over the place. It was chaos.

Finn wondered what lurked down those narrow, shadowy thoroughfares. “Do you get much crime here? Those alleys look ideal for anyone up to no good.”

Ember sighed loudly. “Bernard would claim our crime level is no worse than any other city, but as more people arrive, so do more criminals. I’m afraid that Shanty has become a melting pot for all the worst members of society,” Ember replied sadly. “Walking around at night is a foolish thing to do if you aren’t able to fight back. Even then, you still need a little luck.”

“Gypsy has stretched her scanner range out to cover most of the lower section of the city now,” Finn said. He and Gypsy both wanted to take an active role in Shanty. It was either that or stagnate in the dwarven section. “As I see what she sees, we could easily monitor people’s actions without issue. We could also transport people out of trouble if needed.”

Ember shook her head and then grinned. “Bernard would marry you for that ability, and he’s already married. As he’s already tasted your cooking, you’d best watch out,” Ember laughed.

“I’m not sure if I have a type, but I’m certain Bernard isn’t it,” Finn snorted.

Ember laughed along. They walked in peaceable silence for a while. Meanwhile, Finn tried to take in as much of the chaotic city as possible.

“Does Gypsy have training facilities?” Ember asked. Breaking the silence.

“She does. There’s even a reasonably sized sparring ring there, too,” Finn replied, proud to talk about his favourite subject. “The crew were expected to press weights and exercise for two hours each day if not on active duty. They used to compete when they ran the ducts.”

“Aww! Thanks, Hun, you’re my favourite, too,” Gypsy cooed.

“I should have known you’d be listening,” Finn laughed in reply.

“Uh! Ran the ducts?” Ember looked confused.

“Yes, sorry. Around Gypsy, there are passages that house all the technical workings. The crew made a route around her using those passages, and they used to race each other around that course.”

The tall warrior nodded but began to look troubled. She wrung her hands and flashed him a nervous smile. “Uhm! Finn, I’ve been thinking about our conversation while travelling to Shanty. Do you remember when I said I might never leave Gypsy?”

“Of course. Gypsy and I agreed that you’d be very welcome to stay,” Finn answered warmly. He liked Ember and her enthusiasm for everything. Gypsy liked her, too. “Why? Did you want to join us?”

Ember looked relieved. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind? Pixie and I are a bit stuck for a place to stay now that my old landlord moved his mistress into our old room.”

Finn’s brain felt like it had hit a wall. “Uh! You and Pixie? I don’t even know a Pixie. Who is she? Does she need a place to stay, too?”

Ember looked at Finn with suspicion. “Are you really this clueless about relationships, or is it an act?” She snapped.

“Wow! Damn, Ember! Cut to the feelings, why don’t you,” Gypsy snarled.

Finn looked shocked, and his head dropped, filled with confusion. First Neeve and now Ember, he was clearly out of his depth when trying to interact with Shantians. Especially the females of the species. He wondered if it might be better to shut myself away after all? She must be upset with him for some reason. Had it happened when they first arrived in Shanty? She hadn’t kept her promise to mentor him, but that would make sense if he’d done something to make her angry with him. How was he to know she was with someone? Finn wondered what he could have done to become the focus of her ire.

“Uh! I’m sorry if I said something to upset you, Ember. I didn’t mean to cause offence,” Finn said contritely. Embarrassingly, he felt tears prick his eyes and fought to hold them back. “Is that why I haven’t seen you since I arrived? Uhm—I should go,” Finn finished lamely, wanting nothing more than to flee this horrible situation. He felt wretched and confused. So he turned and started walking hurriedly back toward the forge.

“Hey! You didn’t do anything wrong,” Gypsy shouted into his mind angrily. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. She’s the one snapping out at assumptions, lover. I repeat, you have done nothing wrong.”

Realisation crossed Ember’s features like a tsunami. She ran after Finn and grabbed his arm.

“Don’t touch me,” Finn growled as he spun and struck off Ember’s grip with a well-aimed swipe. His tears betrayed him, causing him even more shame. “I apologise if my lack of understanding offends you. I think you should go and find somewhere else to live, don’t you?” He didn’t need her angst or her bloody pixie girlfriend. Instead, he decided to avoid further female company. It was just too distressing for him. He tried to keep walking, but Ember grabbed his arm again.

“Oh shit, no! What have I done? Don’t go, please. I’m sorry, Finn. I truly am,” Ember said, looking distressed. Her voice was pleading. “Some mentor I’ve started out to be. I’m supposed to teach you about normal life, not lash out when you don’t understand it. I thought you’d take my hints that Pixie and I are lovers and live together. Well, she’s supposed to move in today. We only met a few days ago, but she’s perfect, you’ll see.”

Finn shook his head. He was disappointed because he’d thought she’d been interested in him when she’d been on Gypsy, but that was his mistake, not hers. “I don’t care about your love life,” he lied. “It’s a shame because I’d hoped we could be friends, but you obviously have issues. I’ll talk to Abbot about your replacement. Then you won’t need to put up with me, and I won’t need to meet this Pixie woman.”

Ember looked him in the eyes. She looked panicky. “Finn, please don’t overreact. I fucked up. I’m sorry. It's probably best if we discuss this later. By then, you’ll have met Pixie, and we’ll have time to sit and chat. Right now—I’m annoyed at myself for lashing out at you. I need to get you to Abbot, so I’ll concentrate on not messing that up first.”

Finn shrugged. He just wanted to escape this situation. His old life had been much more straightforward. “It’s done. Talking won’t change anything. You’d best lead on.”

They walked on in awkward silence for half an hour until they approached the bridge to the monastery. Finn was surprised at how big it was. From the water, he’d thought it much smaller. He’d been right that Gypsy would never be able to float underneath it, though. The bridge was certainly wide enough, and the water looked deep enough to cheat and go sub-aqua.

As they reached the bridge’s apex, Finn saw that the monastery had many round buildings amalgamated to make one large circular structure. The only separate structure he could see was a wide, three-story tall building in front of them that spanned almost the entire island.

“That’s the infirmary and the library,” Ember said. “The library is on the right, and the infirmary to the left. Abbot will introduce you to the ladies that run those places.”

“Isabella and Miris, yes?”

“Yes. They’re both extremely capable ladies,” Ember replied.

Finn noticed that her voice had lost its usual vigour. She sounded downcast. He tried to stay angry at her, but he was already starting to mellow.

When they finally reached the monastery, Ember led Finn to one of the smaller, circular buildings that clung to the outside of the structure. The combined buildings increased in height until they reached the broken clock’s tower in the centre. The door she led him to was painted a bright jade green, the same colour as Ember’s breastplate. It creaked open as Ember lifted the latch and pushed.

“Needs some white-lithium grease,” Finn said in his best engineer voice.

Ember just looked at him. “Oh, err, really? What’s that?”

“You don’t know? Perhaps you’re as clueless about engineering as I am about relationships?” Finn snorted.

Ember blushed a little. “Okay, okay. You got me. Are we even now?”

“Hardly!”

Ember sighed. “Finn, I’m your mentor. Hopefully, so is Pixie, unless you or Abbot say otherwise. We’re already supposed to be two days into teaching you, then I messed up in the first hour.”

Finn shrugged. “We’ll see what Abbot says.” What she said was true, but he didn’t know how to handle this situation. Was it something he’d done that had caused this mess?

Ember looked distressed as she looked at Finn. “Please be patient with me. I’ve never been anyone’s mentor before.”

Finn wanted to retort but bit back his sarcasm, hoping his apathetic shrug would convey his emotion. He was hurting and couldn’t determine whether it was his fault. It was probably best to remain silent.

They stepped into a small entranceway, and then Ember knocked on another green door on the far wall.

“Come on in,” Abbot’s cheerful voice said through the door.