When Nuliyaa reached the top of the stairs to her family’s apartment, three figures stood just outside it. She stifled her sigh.

Her older sister Cheeyt and her friends Nuttulch and Saknuu turned to look at her. “You are home late,” Cheeyt said.

“And you are home when you told Miyt that you would most likely head back out immediately after your job.” Nuliyaa was not ready to hear her sister’s opinions on her day.

Nuttulch and Saknuu looked at Cheeyt as though they expected her to say something more than the curt, “Plans changed,” she gave, but when she didn’t open her mouth again, Nuttulch said, “I smell your miyt’s fish stew!” He then turned big eyes on Cheeyt and she sighed, pushing the door open.

“I ought to charge you two board for how much of my family’s food you’ve eaten over the years,” she said.

Inside, Miyt and their younger sister Tseetsaa sat on worn cushions around the stew pot, bowls on their laps. Perhaps Nuttulch and Saknuu’s presence would distract Miyt enough that she wouldn’t ask questions.

That hope died when Nuliyaa settled on her cushion with a bowl and Miyt immediately turned to her. “You are home late.”

There was nothing for it. She would not be able to hide her unemployment from Cheeyt, especially not if they would need to rely solely on her income for a time.

“Maltangku has officially retired and passed the shop on to Wiispuu,” Nuliyaa said to no one in particular as she contemplated her bowl of stew. “Wiispuu informed me he does not have need of me.”

Cheeyt landed heavily on the bench on the other side of the table. “So you have no work,” she said flatly.

“You act as though I did this to myself! It isn’t as though I quit!”

Nuttulch sucked on his spoon. “She speaks truth,” he said to Cheeyt. “She didn’t quit.”

There was something there. Cheeyt was eyeing Nuttulch with more than her usual exasperation.

“Nuliyaa is good at her work,” Miyt said, soothing as always. “She will find a new job quickly.”

“Yes,” Nuliyaa said. “Until then, we will need to be careful with our spending. Tseetsaa, no shopping.”

Her younger sister’s head snapped up. “It is hardly my fault you lost your job, either! Why must I suffer?”

“If you have money of your own, you’re welcome to spend that.” Did she think Nuliyaa would just walk out the door in the morning and come home with another job? Maybe if she’d try to find her own work, she’d have some more sense.

“I haven’t sold anything in a while.”

“Until I have a new job, assume I have no money to give you.” Nuliyaa caught Cheeyt’s eye. Her older sister looked as annoyed as she felt.

Tseetsaa’s fingers clenched around her bowl and she looked down.

“That is enough.” Miyt motioned for Nuttulch and Saknuu to help themselves to another serving of the stew. She spoiled them so much. “Snapping at each other won’t help us survive.” She firmly directed her next words to Nuttulch and Saknuu. “Did the job go well?”

Cheeyt’s friends immediately jumped into a story about one of the other employees losing something in a game that Nuliyaa didn’t pay much attention to. The two men were full of stories just like it, and every time they told one, Nuliyaa wondered how her serious sister fit in so well with their juvenile antics.

That story tumbled into another, and then another, while Nuliyaa made her plan for the morning. She would go to the Jewelers’ Guild first and see…

She stood, the movement so sudden she startled herself as much as her family. “I’m going to bed early,” she announced. She hadn’t even told everyone about the malk, but that hardly mattered. It was an interesting event, not as life-altering as her other news.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Yes,” Miyt said after examining her face for a moment, “that sounds best.”

Nuliyaa pushed past the woven mat that separated the living area of their apartment from the sleeping area. She sank to the ground under the window. The anger that had fueled her through the anger had evaporated.

Now, she was just sad. A sadness that had wrenched her heart around in her chest.

Because now she realized she had never meant as much to Maltangku and Tsus as they had to her.

Not a single coin of the money brought in by her ideas had gone toward an increase of salary. Her increases in pay had exactly followed the required percentages put forth by the Jewelers’ Guild.

Never an offer to teach Nuliyaa jewelry making. Never an intentional introduction to the others of the trade. Those she knew, she knew only because they had visited Maltangku at the shop.

She had never expected Maltangku to overlook his son in favor of leaving his shop to Nuliyaa. But he could have acknowledged the future in some way. Made some effort to see her cared for when it came time for his retirement.

Now she had to start over. And in another decade or so, she would probably experience this again.

Because of everything she had built, none of it was hers.

Movement outside the curtain made her dart for her bed, pulling off her outer tunic and sliding under the blanket before Miyt came in. She laid with eyes closed, trying to push her thoughts into some sort of order. She failed. The thoughts circled again and again, like over-excited children who had too much energy to obey the adults.

Finally, long after Miyt and Tseetsaa had settled down and seemed asleep, Nuliyaa gave up. She wrapped the heavier of her two littiichangs around her shoulders and moved to the curtain. She needed tea, perhaps with some warm milk in it if there was any left.

Right as she was about to push aside the mat, she heard, “I don’t know, I think this works out nicely for your plans, Cheeyt.” That was Saknuu.

“We all know you’re no good with the customers,” Nuttulch said. “So this will work out fine for ya, yeah?” He added, a bit of challenge to his voice, “If you’re brave enough to ask, that is.”

Nuliyaa slipped past the mat. “What are you talking about? What has Cheeyt planned?” She moved over to the battered teapot.

Cheeyt rubbed her hands over her face.

The warming stone still gave off heat, so Nuliyaa busied herself with pouring water from the teapot over the leaves from their evening meal. As her tea steeped, she checked the jug for milk. Yes, there was still a bit left. She moved the teapot off the warming stone and placed the milk jug there instead. Around her, the silence grew more and more uncomfortable.

Nuliyaa didn’t need to say a word. Nuttulch and Saknuu would do the convincing for her. Which, considering the narrow-eyed glare she was getting from Cheeyt, her sister knew exactly what her tactic was.

“You need to tell someone, Cheeyt,” Saknuu said, all teasing gone from his voice. “Especially now.”

Cheeyt sighed and Nuliyaa grinned to herself.

“I think it’s time to start my own company,” she answered. “A small escorting service. Pathfinding and guarding, like I’m doing now, but for myself instead of Supyuunch.”

“She feels we’re not being given fair cuts,” Nuttulch said in a loud whisper.

“You don’t agree?” Nuliyaa thought they’d been underpaid for the last dozen or so jobs they’d returned from, but she hadn’t said anything to Cheeyt because it would have resulted in an argument. Cheeyt was always accusing Nuliyaa of being nosy or interfering in her life.

He shrugged. “Maybe not. Works out well enough for us. But we’re not supporting nobody but ourselves, so it don’t matter to us.”

Tea made and milk added, Nuliyaa returned to her cushion and squinted as she thought and sipped. “You have enough experience for Guild approval,” she mused. “You would need a specialized skillset to attract customers, or they’ll go to Supyuunch and others like him over you.”

“I’m aware,” Cheeyt bit out. Her next words were less testy. “My application is in to the Guild. I need to interview mages.”

“Why do you need to interview a mage?” Nuliyaa asked.

“Having a mage makes pathfinding and guarding easier when you have a small crew,” Cheeyt answered. She suddenly sounded defeated. So odd, considering she normally acted as though the world was full of fools she barely tolerated. “But mages are expensive to hire.”

“The mages’ academies just held their graduation ceremonies,” Nuliyaa said. “Perhaps you could consider a recent graduate? Someone who will expect less pay now, but who could earn more as your company grows.”

“And where, exactly, do I go to find this mythical person, Nuliyaa?” Cheeyt demanded.

Nuttulch leaned over toward her. “See, this is where she can help you. Because she probably knows.”

Cheeyt glared at her friend. Nuliyaa kept drinking her tea, because she did know.

“Well,” he said, flapping his hand in Nuliyaa’s direction. “Ask her.”

“Nuliyaa, do you know where I can find a mage to hire?” she asked in a dutiful tone.

“Yes. I can take you there in the morning.”

“There’s no need to take me. Just tell me where to go.”

Both of Cheeyt’s fellow guards bounced their gazes between the two women, watching as though a River Festival play was being acted out before them.

“There are three academies to visit. Each has different specialties and processes for requesting employment listings. It will go faster if I accompany you to fill out the forms.”

Cheeyt’s expression sharpened into a glare. “Fine,” she said. “I want to leave at dawn.”

“The academies won’t take appointments until mid-morning, at least.”

Cheeyt smirked. “I have other errands.”

“Very well.”