Chapter 6 Welcome to Svlandir
“Giving money to a Riganite is like dumping water into the sea.” — old Nagir saying
After a time, the boat drifted into the docks and Odie tied the yawl to a post along a pier. Nemophily even stopped reading The Old Gnome and the Sea to take in the sight as the late-day sun gleamed on the town's many-spired buildings. Finally, they have reached Svlandir!
Tine’s tail switched in happy anticipation of land. She heard Autumnus sigh. I guess I’m not the only one who is relieved, she thought. Finally, she was away from the Strige, the wolves, and the ice!
Once the small ship was fully docked, she jumped ashore. With her back to to docks, she surveyed their new surroundings; there was no shortage of things to look at. On their left was a water-bound building with a large globe-like sphere on top. Not far from it, was something she presumed was a church, or so she guessed from the steeple. Directly ahead, stood a shop with a large cat's eye window and a sign that read "Rosetta's Stones." To the right, a little up the street, she could see a cheerful-looking tavern inn with a hand-painted sign that informed anyone who could read that its name was The Happy Dragon.
Hafoc was the first to barrel past her. Tine watched him as he paused, then lumbered decisively towards the tavern. She turned back to the boat and watched Autumnus as he tarried before disembarking. He caught Rhalie’s eye as he hesitated, but she shooed him on with a wave of her hand. Zawn and Nemophily stepped onto the pier from the ice floe at the same time he joined Tine to survey the city.
Tine looked back once more to see two deflated-looking sailors hovering near Kylia and Rhalie. Kylia blew a kiss in Odie’s direction and sprinted off deck onto the pier. But what about Rhalie, Tine wondered, was her affection for Gai sincere? Her gnome friend winked at her. Either way, I guess she’s fine.
As the others headed in the direction of The Happy Dragon, Tine found herself alone with Autumnus on the pier. Her ears flicked. She struggled for the right thing to say. “So…I guess—“
Autumnus interrupted her. “So, I thought I’d find out more about this curse by asking some of the merchants if they know anything. Care to go to that one with me?” He pointed to Rosetta’s Stones. “I feel a little awkward ‘shopping’ alone.”
Tine shifted her weight from foot to foot, considering. She liked Autumnus but felt awkward herself at the thought of shopping together. And she still wasn’t sure why he thought they could actually stop the curse. Ah, hell, anything to get me onto shore, she thought.
She nodded. And took a ginger step forward, as she gave the surrounding water the evil eye.
Autumnus noticed and grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry; I won’t let you fall in,” he smiled.
Tine’s ears went flat. “Thanks,” she said. “I should be braver than this. It’s only water, for Mut’s sake.” She looked down.
He squeezed her hand. “Think nothing of it. We all have things that scare us.” He cleared his throat and looked away. “For instance, I have an aversion to, um…mirrors.”
“Mirrors?” Tine grinned. “Really?”
He frowned. “Don’t laugh. I know it’s silly; it’s just I have trouble looking myself in the face.” He gestured towards himself, “You know; the horns, the demon look, and all that.” He sighed. “I hate being scary.”
“You’re totally not.” Tine insisted. She glanced in the direction of The Happy Tavern. “Now Hafoc, he scares me. Just a little.”
Autumnus raised his eyebrows.
“I know,” Tine said, he can be helpful and nice, but…” She shrugged. “It’s like there’s something else waiting to come out.”
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Autumnus nodded with a tilt of his head as if he understood her sentiment, rather than agreed with it. “Well, it’s just the two of us for the moment, and we are on blessed land!” He raised his free hand in triumph.
As they walked to Rosetta’s Stones, Tine realized, to her surprise, that she wished they were still holding hands.
A small bell rang when they entered the store, but once inside, they found it empty. In stark contrast to the clean look of the mostly white buildings outside, the store was a world of red velvet and gold filigree. Candles lit up carefully displayed necklaces and rings, each one set with a single large gemstone.
Tine and Autumnus bent closer to inspect a gold and velvet tray that displayed rings. She heard an echoing voice behind them. "How can I help you?" When they turned, Tine was startled to see a well-coiffed Strige smoking a long cigarette as her laser eyes pinpointed Autumnus from where she stood atop the room’s staircase. Tine stepped behind Autumnus without thinking. This vampiress seemed civilized, but Mut—they had come a long way to avoid creatures like her.
Autumnus tightened his jaw and returned the vampiress’ stare as she walked down the stairs. He bowed. “Good day, madam. We wondered if you might have any information regarding the encroaching ice that is headed this way?” He picked up a jade ring to inspect it. Tine could see him watch the Strige shopkeeper out of the corner of his eye. She kept her hand on her quarterstaff.
Suddenly, she was beside them. "I see...first things first, darlink." She lowered her excruciatingly long eyelashes and gazed at Autumnus’ neck while she talked. "I am the one called Rosetta. As you may imagine," she coyly tapped a fang, "I mostly keep to myself."
“So, no, I do not have information,” she continued, “so much as ways to get information. But, if you can tell me whoever or what you need to communicate with, Rosetta's Stones has a way.”
"As for cost …" she eyed the ring Autumnus held. "That one is 3,000 gold."
When she saw him put it down quickly, she added. "Too much. I see."
After a long drag from her cigarette that had seemingly given her time to think, she added, "But I won't let such a delectable morsel such as you fret, my dear. Us darker creatures have to stick together. I'll tell you what, if you help me, I'll help you. When you know who you need to get your information from. I'll have just the thing.”
Autumnus started a little when Tine put a protective hand on his elbow. He smiled at her, then at Rosetta in turn. “Well, always happy to help a lady in need. As long as what you have in mind isn’t terribly dangerous or illegal, of course.” He coughed nervously into his free hand.
Rosetta smiled, pointily. "Vunderful, darlink. What I need is this: you must buy me a barrel of blood. Oak will do. The butcher I get it from, he does not like me. He puts garlic in my orders of late, so you mustn't tell him why you want it or who it is for. All good, yes?”
Still smiling, she ushered them both outside. "Look for the sign with a big pig on it.” The door slammed behind them.
Tine shook Autumnus and looked back at the store. She didn’t trust vampires as a rule, and that was putting it mildly. “Do you really think it’s worth it? Weren’t we just trying to get away from those bloodthirsty things?”
Autumnus put his hands on her shoulders. “I think it’s worth a try. After all, how hard could getting an order at the butcher’s be?” He frowned. “But where is the butcher’s shop anyway?”
Tine pointed to The Happy Tavern and remained quiet. She had noticed how Rosetta shared a kinship with her Aamonwelp friend. Maybe he felt the same way. After a moment, she added, “The others went in there. Let’s join them and I guess we can find out.”
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Back on the boat, Rhalie whispered something to Gai that only he could hear and smiled gently as he wiped away a tear. She pressed a copper into his palm.
“Here, take this. It’s a good luck charm. Something to remember me by.” With that, she winked, and jaunted down the pier, jangling with each step, as she played with her pocketful of ‘lucky’ coins. “All money’s lucky, if you ask me,” she sang softly to herself.
Then, she jolted to a halt as a short, brightly colored figure caught her attention. It carried bird cages on its back and jigged down a nearby street toward the docks. Its mask served as a horn and it played music with each dancing step. Additional birds rested on the mask's trumpeting nose and flew about nearby.
Rhalie was transfixed. She fingered the coins in her pocket. No way was she going to leave this town without buying a bird. She thought back to her childhood; in Rhalie’s home, they were allowed to keep badgers or even wolverines for protection, but birds were considered a needless frivolity. Young Rhalie envied the beauty and freedom birds possessed, and longed to have one as a companion for as long as she could remember. And she loved to watch them soar. As a gnome, she might be stuck low to the ground, but she figured she could at least have friends who could fly. Plus, the bird seller looked hilarious. She had to get a closer look.
She ran up to the bird seller, grinning in anticipation.