Getting through the two checkpoints and into the City of Stone was easy.

Even with the baby.

We hadn’t even needed to hide the child in a box or anything. Renn had simply held the child in her arms, and they hadn’t questioned it. But it was their fault.

The permit they had given me had been a little too lax. They had left plenty of room for me to simply add the child’s presence to it. They hadn’t questioned it, or the fact that the ink I had written the extra segment in had been just a few shades too blue than the ink they used.

Reaching the entrance to the main castle proved to not be difficult either. I had expected the city to be a little… strange, what with the checkpoints and epidemic, but it was actually relatively normal. There weren’t as many people walking around as I remembered last time I was here, but there was still order and seemingly normalcy in town. People were working. Shopping. Even just calmly talking to one another, and going about their lives.

If not for the very obvious missing population, one wouldn’t think there was a deadly plague wreaking havoc throughout the lands.

“We’ll need milk Vim. Quick,” Renn worriedly reminded me, for the tenth time.

“I know Renn. We’ll have Landi find us a wet nurse,” I said.

One of the benefits of her being Queen. She could swiftly handle nearly any problem we had in this region with but a few words and orders.

“Wet nurse…” Renn mumbled under her breath, and I wondered if she didn’t know what that was. Surely not… right? I mean…

Unless the northern peoples used another term for them. Maybe they did. I didn’t often make a habit of needing to find women capable of breastfeeding, so it wasn’t like I was up to date concerning such matters.

Actually…

I didn’t like the fact that it’s been hundreds of years since I had endured a similar problem before.

Lately those I’ve saved, or encountered, have been older. Or although children, were old enough to not need such help. Like Lomi, or Fly.

It’s been… a long time since I’ve held a baby that wasn’t human. Decades. The last few I remembered I’d been there for their births but I hadn’t actually held them or cared for them. When I was around for the births of our people, I rarely lingered long. I stayed long enough nearby to let the mother and family feel safe, but I hated the feeling that I was intruding. That I was out of place. So I usually left not long after the births, once I was sure the mother and child would survive.

Last one I remembered holding had been Amber. But she had been human. Who had been before her…?

The baby made a noise and reached out for Renn. She smiled warmly as she lowered her face, letting the kid grab at her long bangs and nose.

Seeing the way Renn let it, and her smile, made me completely forget whatever I had just been pondering.

It was a good thing the child really wasn’t sick. Hungry, but not much else.

The child made another noise, and Renn giggled. “He’s just looking. He won’t bite. You’re not big enough to be a snack for him,” she said to him.

Hmph. Like the boy could even see my glaring at this angle anyway.

And as if I’d eat a baby. Let alone one that she was looking at so lovingly.

Her subdued grin, and the flushed happy smile is what had made our entry into the city so easy. My changing of the permit letter had helped, yes, but Renn had appeared as the child’s actual mother. Not a one had doubted her.

Which only further made this so worrying.

“I know, right? He’s so mean,” Renn cooed and talked to the boy as I guided our donkey along the… now blatantly obvious empty road.

We were rounding a large flat rock. One that had long ago been used to give speeches. Where the ruling class had updated the peasants on their laws, or decrees. Now it was used as a landmark. The stone road rounded the large flat boulder, and separated into four different directions. One of which led to the giant rock not far from us. The one that Landi’s palace was built into.

Usually by now the streets would be crowded. All around her palace was the business districts. Places of business, and markets. There was, or at least had been, even a large theater and other attractions too.

Yet I didn’t even need to pay attention to the donkey or our cart as we rolled closer and closer to the stone palace. There were that few people walking on the street, and passing us by.

I wonder how many had died from the plague, and how many were simply hiding away. Staying home as to not potentially catch the deadly disease.

Even if people had been out and about they’d likely have avoided us. Since we looked like traveling merchants, and as such potential carriers of the disease.

Glancing to the woman next to me, who was making weird faces to the baby in her arms… I felt oddly worried for no reason.

Why did a child in her arms make me feel like we were in danger?

It made no sense.

The baby wasn’t sick. I felt no fever upon him. I saw no pox, or signs of a plague. It could be carrying it, but as long as Renn didn’t lick its blood or anything she’d be fine even if he was a silent carrier.

Yet all the same I felt as if I should be on edge. As if the child was more dangerous than a thousand spears.

Ridiculous.

“Look at him glare at you. He’s so rude, huh Hark?” Renn teased as she giggled at the child’s attempt at tugging on her long bangs. Although a baby, it would have probably discomforted a human woman. But to Renn it was likely something that barely registered.

“Hark now, for all ye who ignore. Harken the end and all it brings,” I said.

Renn looked away from the child for the first time since we entered the city, which was noteworthy. Usually she’d not be able to keep her eyes from wandering all over the place, especially here. She was missing the City of Stone, and it was regrettable. It wasn’t often you saw an actual city built out of stone. Even half the buildings were made of stone. And not because they were made of bricks. Most of the architecture here was fashioned out of giant boulders. Shaped and cut to their needs from a single stone.

But I understood her fascination with the child. Especially since we had been so uniquely entrusted with his life.

That woman hadn’t hesitated to give me her baby.

And a good thing too. The guards had been readying to enter their camp right as Renn and I had packed up and left.

It was a good thing we had gotten far enough away before they had killed his mother. If Renn had heard her screams, I could only imagine what would have happened.

“Did you just quote that bible?” she asked in awe.

I frowned at her. “What? You can but I can’t?” I asked.

“Well… no but…” she looked oddly troubled, but I didn’t get to spend time enjoying that look on her face.

We had reached the palace’s gates.

Or well… not real gates. Just the place where the guards would begin to approach us, for passing by.

Large pillars of stones were angled and placed along the road we were on. They were all dark and glossy in color. They looked hard, but I knew the obsidian was fragile.

A few were even broken. They weren’t as tall, or as designed. Either from simple time, or accidents.

“Lo’! What business you on, merchant?” a guard asked as he stepped out towards us. He didn’t step out in front of the donkey, but did get close enough to make the creature hesitate.

“We’re tasked with bringing a shipment to Queen Landi,” I said to him.

The guard frowned, and glanced to my right. To Renn.

“Of…?” he asked as he stepped forward, to the cart.

“Dyes,” I said as I turned to pull back the cover.

“Hm…” the guard didn’t seem too impressed, which told me he either didn’t care or had been in his position for a long time. He might be used to Landi getting weird shipments often.

He did look a little older. I wonder if I’d met him last time I was here. I hadn’t brought a shipment of dyes with me, and had traveled on foot, but I remembered having to wait for them to get Landi’s authorization for letting me into the castle.

“I’ll need to verify this. See that building there? Mind going there? We’ll send for authorization,” the guard pointed at a familiar building. One next to the road, and was honestly a little too big. It dwarfed most of the other buildings around here.

“Aye, want my permit?” I asked him.

“No. If you got in then all’s fine. One moment,” he stepped away before I could say more. I didn’t even have a chance to give him my name as he walked away, heading for another building. One smaller, and with large windows. I could see other people within them, staring at us.

“Seems lax compared to the other guards,” Renn mumbled as I sent the cart into motion again.

“He does seem lethargic,” I agreed.

“Sick maybe…?” Renn wondered. As she did she actually shifted the baby closer to her, as if to shield him from any potential pathogens.

“Don’t get too attached Renn. I’ll take him to his family later,” I said carefully.

Renn glared at me in response, and I had to look away.

Yes. I know. I shouldn’t have said anything.

She knew. She knew full well… yet…

Sighing as I guided the donkey alongside the large building, I realized this was indeed the same one I had been kept in nearly a whole day last time I was here.

One side of the building was a large warehouse like barn. Perfect for us. But I wasn’t keen on letting them ignore us and take their time. Renn and I would be fine, but the child was another story.

We had water. But nothing the baby could comfortably drink or eat. And it’s already been long enough to be an issue. It’d only become worse as the hours go by.

Parking the cart alongside the side of the building, I placed the reins next to Renn. “Let me go throw my weight around,” I said as I stood.

“Please do,” Renn said simply.

Getting off the cart, I rolled a shoulder as I rounded the building to the entrance. The one not to the warehouse section, but where workers and a little sitting area was located.

As I went for the door, I glanced over at the smaller building. The one the earlier guard had went into.

I didn’t see any hint or sign of anyone following through with their duties. There were a pair of guards down the road, but they were just talking to each other. They likely didn’t even know we existed.

Odds are they’d send word on the next shift change. They were in no hurry.

Usually there’d not be any need to. Merchants were used to waiting. Even if they complained.

But…

Entering the waiting area, I found my memories to be a little accurate. A large open room, with tables and bars. Some stairs led to a second floor, which had an open ceiling, and the stone floor was layered with rugs.

Two men were in the building. Both sitting at a table near an unlit fireplace. They had cups in front of them, but were wearing the same guard outfit as all the rest. They were either on break or just bored.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Oh…? Who’s this?” one of them perked up at the sight of me as I walked over to them.

“We’re waiting for authorization to enter the palace. We bring dyes from the east, for your Queen,” I said.

The two men frowned, and one nodded as he stood. “Alright. Do you know if anyone’s sent word yet?” he asked.

“I think we’ve been set aside for other tasks. Is there any way I could entice either of you to send word for me? You probably hear it often from merchants, and are tired of hearing it, but I’ll make it worth your while,” I said as I pulled out a small handful of coins.

The man who stood whistled at me. “Wow. I knew dyes were expensive, but really…?” he stepped forward and frowned at me. His eyes never left the coins in my hand.

Smiling at him I held them out. “My name is Vim. The dyes are a personal gift to Queen Landi… So I’m a little rushed to get them to her, you know?” I said.

The guard smirked as the other quickly stood. “I’ll go too!” he said.

Before the other guard could even get off his chair, the one before me took the coins and pocketed them. “You do your job! I’ll go now. Vim, right?” the guard said with a nod as he stepped around me.

“Yes sir, thank you,” I said as he hurried out of the building. He didn’t even close the door behind him as he hurried out.

“Shit… should have known,” the other guard mumbled as he sighed and sat back down.

“Sorry,” I said to the man who had actually laid his head onto the table in defeat.

“Ah, it’s fate. I’ve had no luck at all lately. First Kathy leaves me, then my dog dies and now this,” he mumbled.

Poor guy. I knew that feeling.

“Can’t pay you the same, but I’d be willing to offer a coin for some information,” I said to the depressed man as I stepped up to the table.

His head perked up as he stared at me.

I nodded and pulled out another coin. “Know anything about a bowl shop in the southern center?” I asked.

The guard’s eyes focused on the coin and he nodded. “Aye. It’s a big blue building. Been there forever,” he said.

Interesting. “What can you tell me about it?” I asked as I put the coin onto the table… but I left my finger upon it, to keep it there.

“Well…” he sat up, his back going straight. “Like I said… been there forever. Ran by a large family. They came out with some fancy plates a few years ago, all the women wanted’em. I spent two months pay on them… for Kathy,” he mumbled.

My eyes narrowed at the man who was about to go back into depression.

Sighing I slid the coin over to him. He took it, but he didn’t seem too happy about it.

“Thanks,” I said.

He only nodded as he stared at the coin. As if it was the last one he’d ever earn.

Stepping away I left the building. I closed the door behind me and glanced around… and noticed the guard from earlier. The one who had stopped us on our cart. He was heading along the road, going towards the palace entrance.

Odds are I’d get one of them in trouble with my bribery, but I didn’t care.

A tiny cry drew my attention away from the guard and the stone city around me. Stepping around the corner of the building, I found the source. The baby in Renn’s arms was crying, although not too loudly.

She was rocking it, and I was a little surprised to see a… lack of urgency and worry on her face.

Either Renn was far more used to children than I had expected, or she was just keeping herself calm and would yell at me once I came into view.

Let’s test it.

Walking over, I stayed quiet and kept my presence low… until I stepped up to her right. Right next to where she was sitting.

“He’s hungry,” I said.

Renn startled, and actually pulled the bundle away a bit from my area. She held it out, as if to keep it safe. It wasn’t until she realized it was me before she sighed and calmed down, and brought the child back.

“Of course he is! We need to get him something, fast,” she said angrily.

Oh…? Was that anger because of the child or because I had startled her?

“I’ve greased the wheels. We should be in the palace shortly,” I said.

“Greased…?” she frowned at me, and then returned her attention to the boy. His crying had softened, but he was still making noises.

He was growing hungry. He’d soon become irate, and he’d let the whole world know once he was.

The boy’s mother had included a small bag of coins alongside him… but honestly I’d have preferred supplies. It wasn’t her fault though. She had done what she could, I guess.

“Will they be quick Vim?” Renn asked worriedly.

“If they don’t I’ll figure it out.”

I hope. It was hard enough to find a wet nurse even on a good day. And right now with the plague going around…

Yes… even if a woman was available, there was a chance they’d not be willing to risk it.

Maybe I should hurry to his family. That guard had said…

“I asked the guard of his family. He said it’s a large one. One with a long history here. Maybe we’ll get lucky and one of their women is up to task,” I said.

“And if they’re not? What if we can’t find a woman with milk? What then Vim? What if they won’t accept him?” Renn bombarded me with concerns, and I did my best to ignore them.

Well…

“It’s not like you can feed him Renn,” I said gently.

“Vim…!” Renn didn’t want to hear that.

“At worst we can get milk from goats or something,” I said.

It worked. Sometimes. But it was also a risk… A large one, to be honest. But it would at least be a temporary fix.

This era didn’t have anything to substitute a mother’s milk. And sadly there was already a problem with unsanitary conditions, let alone the diseases and stuff everywhere.

Even during a more advanced era, with more advanced peoples, children's mortality rate was high. And most of the time it was because of a lack of nutrients in one shape or another.

Renn’s glare turned into one full of worry as she stared at me. “Would a goat work, Vim?” she asked.

“Haven’t you raised children before Renn?” I asked. I knew at least about those human ones. Lujic and Ginny.

“They had already been old enough to eat normal food. I’ve never had a baby, Vim,” Renn said as she looked back to the boy.

Huh…? I knew she’s told me she’s never given birth before… but…

I mean… she was two hundred or more years old. You’d think by now she’d have been around, or helped, with a child before. Most communities and families in this era helped each other and raised their children together more than not. They had to. They’d not survive otherwise.

But it made sense. She’s been alone most of her life… and the few times Renn had not been so, was with those like Nory or those children.

Or that witch.

Suddenly Renn’s personality made a lot more sense.

She’s been alone most of her life.

A very long life.

Nory and the human children had been just that. Humans. Even if she spent many years with them, such moments had likely passed quickly. A fraction of her life. If she had actually been alone most, if not entirely, the rest of her life…

I studied the woman who now made a little more sense to me. I now understood why she found such great joy in simple little things, yet at the same time wept so strongly during the painful moments.

“All will be well Renn. I’ll figure it out,” I said gently.

“You better Vim. You vowed he’d be safe,” she whispered.

I had.

I had indeed.

Just as I had vowed to keep you safe too.

Reaching up, I patted her thigh. Renn glanced at me, but said nothing.

Little Hark continued to make small noises. Renn was doing a good job keeping him somewhat happy. But I knew no amount of rocking, or funny faces, would stop the unrelenting hunger that would soon assail him.

Stepping away from the cart, I sighed as I debated my next move.

Landi was a dictator. The ruler of a monarchy. As such she had checks and balances, yes, but they were lacking in most ways. Plus she currently, or at least had last time I was here, a firm grasp of her military.

She ruled with an iron fist. Her laws weren’t punished with jail time or hard labor, but flesh and lives. If one wasn’t hanged for committing a crime here, and their lives spared, they still lots something precious. Usually a hand.

So it wasn’t like I could just barge into the castle. Even if Landi wouldn’t mind, the guards would try to stop me.

Rather, I didn’t need to necessarily break in…

I could just sneak in.

But then what would I do with the dyes, and Renn and the boy?

“If they don’t return shortly we’ll head for the boy’s family. The southern center isn’t far from here,” I said. A large road nearby led all around the massive stone pillar we were under. And all around that pillar was the market districts. We were on the opposite side of the southern one, but I knew it’d not be too difficult for us to get there and find this blue building. It’d likely take only a few hours. We’d be able to find it before the afternoon.

“Should have just gone there first,” Renn mumbled.

Well… maybe.

Going to my people first was usually my priority. Over everything else.

But Renn wasn’t wrong.

“Want me to go find them? While you stay here?” I asked her.

Renn turned to look at me, and squeezed the baby closer to her. “With the boy?” she asked.

“I’d take him with me,” I said.

Her face contorted into worry and annoyance. She wanted the boy to get fed, and thus become safe and happy… but at the same time she didn’t seem to like the idea of handing him off to me.

“Merchant!”

I turned, as did Renn, and I found the guard waving me down as he hurried towards us.

“Good,” Renn said with relief as the guard ran up to me.

It was the one I had given the coins to.

“Queen Landi has authorized your entry into the palace,” he said with a huff. He was covered in sweat.

He had run the whole way.

“Thank you,” I said, and meant it. Now Renn and I would not have to get into any kind of argument.

The guard smiled and then pointed to the cart. “I’ll guide you, if you’re ready,” he said quickly.

Maybe he was hoping for more payment.

Actually…

“You want to take the dyes to the storage right?” I asked. It’s been a few trips since I’ve brought dyes, but they usually always took them there. To a smaller, secured and guarded, warehouse. One inside the palace walls. Usually I’d not complain or worry about it, since spending a little time doing it was no big deal. Since I was usually alone.

“Huh…? Uh… yes sir. I don’t think we’ll be taking it to the Queen herself…” the guard spoke oddly, as if unsure of what to say. He likely thought I wanted to hand them to the Queen myself.

“Would you take them then? I’ll go see Landi in the meantime,” I said as I stepped over and reached up to Renn.

She glared at me for a moment, but then nodded and handed me the bundle.

Taking the boy in my arms, I smiled down at the little face. He looked confused, as if not understanding why the beautiful woman who had just been smiling at him was now a weird looking man.

“Uh… sir?” the guard wasn’t sure what was going on as Renn stood and went to grab our bags. She pulled aside the cover as to do so, and I noticed the way her tail twitched beneath her pant leg. She was excited.

“I trust you. I’ll tell Queen Landi about the contents, so she and her people will verify that nothing gets stolen,” I said as I turned to the guard.

He looked terrified for some reason. He kept looking from me to Renn, who was rummaging with our bags. I heard her stuffing what sounded like a blanket into one of them. Was she going to keep all the blankets and stuff we had bought during our quarantine? I hoped not, they had been rough and uncomfortable. Cheap stuff.

“Sir…?” the guard mumbled as I nodded to him.

“I have an urgent message for her. So I’m going to go see her. The donkey’s name is…” I turned to the donkey, and wondered why I had forgotten it. “Hark?” I asked.

“It’s Fred! Did you actually call the beast Hark? Are you serious Vim?” Renn stood up straight as to yell at me.

Smirking at her, I nodded. “I had.”

She went to mumbling obscenities at me, and I turned back to the guard.

“As I said. I’ll tell the queen the contents… everything,” I said, re-enforcing the point.

He nodded quickly.

“Though, I think there’s oddly a small box missing. That one there?” I pointed at it from under the bundle and baby.

“Huh…?” both Renn and the guard paused a moment.

“That one? With the colorful lid? Yeah. That one went missing a few nights ago. During our quarantine. No idea what happened to it,” I said.

“Vim?” Renn sounded concerned, but the guard got my meaning right away.

“You’re far too kind sir,” he said softly.

“Want the job, or should I ask that poor unlucky fellow inside?” I asked.

“He’s not unlucky, just stupid. He cheated on Kathy,” the man said with a huff as he went to climb up onto the cart’s bench.

“Glad you’re not stupid then,” I said.

He nodded with a smirk, and then held out his hand as to help Renn off the cart. She ignored his hand though, and stepped out from the cart’s bed, and onto the bench… then off it to the ground.

The guard didn’t seem bothered by Renn’s actions, and instead went to picking up the reins. “They’ll be delivered promptly sir,” the guard said.

“Please and thank you,” I said as I then held the baby out to Renn.

Her expression instantly morphed into a happy one as she dropped our bags, almost a little too roughly, and went to take the baby from me.

Swapping responsibilities, I took the bags as Renn took Hark. “Good day,” I said to the guard as I stepped away from the cart alongside Renn.

“You as well sir!”

Heading for the main road, the one that led straight into the palace, I guided Renn and the baby she carried.

“Should have just done that from the start,” Renn said as we heard the guard usher the donkey forward.

“We would have still needed authorization to enter. There are two entrances. Both have these buildings for people to rest and wait for permission to enter the gates,” I said.

“She must have a lot of enemies,” Renn wondered.

“More than you’d think,” I said.

We reached the palace gates quickly enough. The large gates were built into the massive stone pillar, and were in sections. Three sections, each with their own gates, were between the outside world and the palace within. Although we were stopped at the first, to verify who we were, we weren’t bothered at the second or third even though guards were stationed at them too.

Hark started whining more as we entered the stone palace, and because of it… all eyes were on us.

“Shush now, it’s okay,” Renn tried to quiet him, but I knew it was pointless. His hunger was here. And it’d not be ignored.

“This way Renn,” I guided Renn deeper into the stone palace… we went from the open sky, if blocked by looming pillars of stones, to a cramped building. One with bland hallways and rooms fashioned out of the reddish black stone that surrounded us.

The stone let Hark’s cries echo well as we delved deeper into the palace.

Hopefully Landi wasn’t sleeping. If the child’s cries woke her, then I’ll need to keep her from eating the poor thing.

Though… based off the way Renn was protectively clinging to the thing, maybe I didn’t need to worry for its safety.

“State your business,” a guard in robes, and not armor, stepped out in front of us as we neared the entrance for the inner palace. A large archway, that led to a more decorative section of the palace.

One with ornaments and plant life. Nothing like the bare stone we had been walking through.

“We’re here to see Queen Landi. She’s expecting us,” I said.

The baby grew louder, and the guard flinched. “I sure hope she is, for your sake,” he said.