27 – A New Day

Ward yawned and opened a bleary eye, peering through a gap in the silk-paneled room divider to see what had awoken him. The room was dim, but he saw shadows jumping as someone, probably Fan, moved about, carrying a small lamp. He supposed she was getting ready for the day and was trying not to wake him. He cleared his throat and whispered hoarsely, “Fan, you can turn on the lights. I’m up.”

“It’s me!” Fay announced, and the lamp grew much brighter as she turned up the wick. “My aunt’s already down starting the biscuits.”

“Breakfast gonna be good?”

“Always! It’ll keep, though, if you want to go back to sleep. I’ll be gone in a minute.”

“Nah, I’m a morning person. Once I’m up, my brain starts going; no way I’ll fall back asleep.” Ward stretched and sat up, stuffing the pillows behind his back. Fay’s bed was comfortable, if a bit narrow and short for him. He’d been oddly relieved that she didn’t change the bedding; he supposed he’d have felt differently if it belonged to someone less clean and nice than Fay, but he was glad she hadn’t gone to the trouble. “Thanks for letting me sleep here.”

“Well, you’re paying, right?” She giggled as she walked into the bathroom, and Ward took the opportunity to stand up and pull his shirt on. He’d slept in the loose, comfortable pants Fan had acquired for him; it had either been that or sleep in the nude, and he wasn’t going to push the two women’s hospitality that far. Once he’d pulled on the shirt, he stepped around the screen, looking for his leather slippers—his feet were cold!

“It’s cold in here!” He spied the moccasin-style footwear and slipped them on, sighing with relief as the soft lining hugged his toes.

“It’s going to get colder in the coming weeks. This is nothing!” Fay called from the bathroom.

“Well? What’s your big plan for the day?” Grace asked. Ward jerked his head to the sound of her voice and saw her fiery eyes flickering in the shadows near the doorway. She hopped up on the dining table, folding her legs under her.

“That’s not a chair,” Ward muttered.

She winked one of her bright eyes and repeated, “Your plan?”

“Gotta do some shopping today.” Ward raised his voice, so Fay would assume he was talking to her.

She answered, her voice echoing funnily from the bathroom, “I can show you around once the breakfast rush is past. Or do you want to be alone?”

“Nah, a guide would be great.”

“Okay, you can buy me lunch while we’re out!”

“It’s a date.” Ward turned to Grace, grinned, and offered her a wildly exaggerated wink.

“You’re ridiculous!”

He moved closer to the bathroom door. “Whose clothes am I wearing? I never got the chance to ask Fan last night.”

“I’m pretty sure she got them all from Willard.”

“The big guy who works in the kitchen?”

“Yeah, that’s him. Don’t worry; he always wears the same boots, day in and day out.” The door opened, and Fay stood there, smiling brightly, almost like she was proud of her two missing teeth. “Need to go?”

“Yeah. I’ll be quick.”

“Just come down, or did you want me to wait?”

“Uh, I don’t care. Nah, it’s fine—go ahead. I’ll see you in a minute.”

“Great!” She paused, then gestured to her bed. “Sorry, I didn’t get clean linens out in time. I was busy with that crowd in the common area, and Fan didn’t warn me before you went up to sleep.”

“No!” Ward shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. That was the best-smelling bed I’ve been in in a long time.”

She grinned at that, then nodded and walked past him, smelling like flowers and mint, and Ward continued into the bathroom and closed the door.

“I need to buy a toothbrush and, shit, do you think they have deodorant?” He wasn’t sure why he spoke aloud. It was almost like he was inviting Grace into the bathroom with him.

“What?” Fay’s voice sounded distant, like she’d already stepped out the door to the hallway.

Ward raised his voice and called, “Nothing! Talking to myself.” Ten minutes later, with Grace trailing behind him, talking his ear off about what he needed to buy, he padded down the wooden stairs to the common room. The scent of sugary baked goods, bacon, and frying potatoes assaulted his nose, sending his stomach into rumbling overdrive. He’d eaten and drunk quite a lot the night before, but he felt like he was running on empty again.

“I’m starved!” he announced, grabbing a small, empty table near the front window. The fireplace was doing a great job of warming up the space, so he didn’t mind the slight chill coming off the glass. The view of the street and the people walking by was worth it; Ward dearly enjoyed people-watching. He didn’t have to order breakfast; five minutes after he claimed his seat, Fay brought a tray of food over along with a big mug of steaming cider.

He was beaming, ready to thank her, but a patron sitting in a soft chair near the fireplace grumbled rather loudly, “Wonder what he did for the special treatment! I been waiting a quarter-hour for some food!”

“Sorry, sir! This customer made his order last night.” Fay’s voice was breezy and cheerful, and she traipsed out of the room toward the kitchen without giving the complainer a second glance.

“Last night, huh?” The old timer harumphed, but Ward ignored him, too busy enjoying his plate of eggs, sausage, and pan-fried potatoes to care.

“Looks good. Oh, God, it is good!” Suddenly seated across from him, Grace leaned toward his plate and moaned softly, licking her lips.

“You’re a glutton. Do you ever not like the way something tastes.”

“Well, just like I don’t have to smell or hear or see what you do, I don’t always have to taste what you taste. That’s good news for me, by the way; your taste in warm beer isn’t something I fancy.”

“My taste? There isn’t much of a selection in this town, and my body actually develops a thirst, you know? So, yeah, to me, that stuff tasted damn good last night. Anyway, do you have to express your enjoyment so . . . sensually?”

Grace sighed and sat back in her seat. “Fine. Just eat, and I’ll try to keep from showing any pleasure. By the way, people are staring, so maybe don’t talk to me so much.”

Ward frowned and looked around at the many people sitting at tables in front of the fire. No one seemed to be particularly interested in him. Using his arm to cover his mouth, he said, “You're killing me, Grace.” He tried to forget she was there for a while and got to work tucking into his meal. Everything was good, especially the warm cider. He’d expected something sweet, but it was spicy and, without a doubt, alcoholic. “What a great tradition!” Ward licked his lips after downing a nice long sip.

“Booze for breakfast? Not exactly Nobel Prize worthy.”

Ward took another drink, ignoring her, then got back to work on his breakfast. He was just scooping the last of his potatoes onto his fork when Fay returned with a tray of steaming, butter-and-honey-covered biscuits. She dropped one off to everyone in the common room, including Ward. “Sorry it wasn’t here with the rest of your meal, but they just came out of the oven!”

Ward leaned back and patted his belly, laughing. “At least these clothes are nice and loose.”

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“Oh, I think you can afford a big meal or two! I doubt you ate very well in the catacombs. I don’t know how you survived for weeks down there.” Before Ward could try to explain the weird time loss he’d experienced, she was wending her way back toward the kitchen.

“It is awfully strange how you lost so much time. I was wondering if the fruit or wine caused it. I’ve heard of magical foods, usually involving the Fae, that caused people to lose years or entire lifetimes dreaming away while the mortal world moved on.”

“Fae? Fairies, right? Yeah, I remember stories like that. Never take food from a fairy or some such. You don’t think they’re the ones who set up the catacombs, do you?”

“Oh, I doubt it. It might be a related kind of magic, however. Those plums and wine may have been part of your reward. Next time you get a chance to gather some mana, it will be interesting to see if you can take in very much.”

Ward tried to mask his chatter with Grace by facing the window and speaking in a low voice. “Speaking of that, I was wondering what to do about that copper sheet with the words.”

She nodded. “There may be a mana user in this town—a witch or fortune teller or some such. If so, you might be able to purchase or earn some instruction. Something to ask your little friend while you’re out on your date.”

Ward didn’t take the bait. He ate his biscuit, staring into Grace’s face, watching for her to break and show some pleasure in the absolutely decadent deliciousness. It didn’t take long; just two bites in, he saw her moving her jaw and swallowing. She stared at his mouth, her eyes glued to his fork as it moved up and down with new bites. After a while, he chuckled and broke the spell. “That’s pretty nice that you can enjoy things like that.”

“Food is my favorite. I would have said sex, but my first host ruined that for me.” She frowned, folded her arms over her chest, and looked out the window. “At least most of the time.”

“Do I want to ask?”

“No. Sorry, I mentioned it.”

Ward nodded, wiping his mouth on a napkin. He was stuffed, and the common room was still busy, so he leaned back in his chair and settled in for some people-watching while waiting for Fay to finish the breakfast rush. He liked watching families most of all, especially out and about this early during a celebratory time. He’d watch the kids with their rosy cheeks, breath pluming, chattering excitedly to parents who seemed relaxed and cheerful. Ward knew he was in a different world with fantastic things like magic and monsters and everything in between, but what really drove it home for him were those happy people strolling along the street; you just didn’t see much of that anymore back on Earth.

Ward shook his head, correcting his train of thought—he didn’t see much of that kind of thing anymore. He supposed his line of work, the hours he put in, and his generally anti-social behavior could be major contributing factors. Whatever the case, he was enjoying his time on Cinder. “In Tarnish,” he corrected himself; the catacombs had not been fun.

“Hmm?” Grace asked.

“Nothing. Watch out the window; check out how happy these people are.”

“Simple lives bring simple joys.”

“Huh.” Ward folded his arms and considered that for a minute. He hated admitting it, but he felt she had a point. These people weren’t worried about social media, news reports, or competing to get into a fancy school or land a high-powered job. “Bah.” He dismissed the notion—the truth was, he didn’t know if any of that was true. Maybe he wasn’t seeing the darker side of this society. Maybe there were homeless camps beyond the farms up in the hills, or perhaps there was an addiction problem, and mutant addicts lived in the sewers. His musing made him chuckle, and so he was sitting there grinning like an idiot, laughing to himself, when Fay came up to the table.

“I’m ready!”

“Oh? That was quicker than I thought it would be.”

“Fan has plenty of help today; she wants me to have fun.” As she spoke, Ward turned to look more fully at her and saw she’d changed into a soft-looking yellow sweater and some slender, blue woolen pants. She wore polished leather boots and, overall, just looked very comfortable and warm. He scooted his chair back and stood, clearing his throat.

“You look nice.”

Fay folded her hands before her and shrugged, shrinking into herself a little as her cheeks reddened. “Well, let’s get you some new clothes so I can say the same!”

Ward looked himself up and down. “You kidding me? This is some high-quality threadwork—”

“Oh, hush!” Her smile widened, and she stuck the tip of her tongue in the gap where her left incisor was missing. The expression was endearing, and Ward wanted desperately to ask her about her missing teeth. “Go get your things! I’ll wait out front.”

“On it.” Ward stood and returned to the room, where he gathered up his backpack, beat-up armored shirt, revolver, knife, axe, and sword. He figured it would be easier to stuff everything in the pack along with the gems he wanted to trade. Buckling it shut, he swung the now-heavy pack up to his shoulders and hurried downstairs, where he found Fay outside, sitting on the top step.

“All set?” She hopped to her feet, and Ward couldn’t help but think she was pretty and vibrant and full of the kind of energy he often felt he lacked. He supposed he needed to start cultivating a different attitude now that his body was youthful and healthy—now that he had a new world of opportunities in front of himself. Thinking that way made him look around for Grace, wondering if she was silently judging him, but he didn’t see her. He considered that maybe she wanted a nap after savoring his breakfast. The thought almost made him laugh, so he covered by inhaling the brisk air exuberantly.

“Damn, it smells good out here! Cool fresh air with a complex layer of woodsmoke . . .” he wrinkled his nose and chuckled, “and animal dung!”

Fay reached up and tucked some of her pale blond hair behind an ear. “You’re in a good mood!”

“How could I not be after that breakfast?”

“A good point, sir! Well? Where to first?”

“I’d like to unload some of these heavier things first. Know anyone who would buy some old armor and weapons?”

“Of course! We could go back to old Gonjin’s, but you’ll do better with someone who specializes in those sorts of things. I know the place.” She turned and started down the cobbled road, and Ward fell in by her side.

“Nice of Fan to let you off work.”

“Oh, I complain about her, but she’s great. I know I’m lucky.” She looked like she would say more, but then she just smiled slightly and took hold of his arm. “So, what will you do next?”

“Hmm. You mean after I finish shopping today, or are you asking more long-term?”

“I mean, now that you’re done with the catacombs, will you be moving on?”

“Ah, yeah, I think so. I wasn’t expecting to come to a world like this, and now that I’m here, I feel like there’s just too much to do, too much to see, for me to stay in one place.”

Fay turned down a narrow street where Ward was certain anything with more than two wheels would get stuck between stone walls. “I understand. I’ve thought about heading off a few times. There are cities I’d like to see and places I’d like to visit. Still, when I think about what I’d like to be doing with my life, I can’t think of much I’d like more than to work with my auntie in her inn. I know it’s simple, but—”

“Don’t feel like you have to explain that! Shit, I can think of a million worse ways to live. You’re lucky, and I’m glad you know it.” Fay glanced up at him sideways, and he smiled at her. They kept walking for a few minutes, and Ward saw her reaching a finger between her lips, prodding at one of the spaces between her teeth. He couldn’t help himself and asked, “What’s the story there?”

“Oh!” She pulled her hand away from her mouth as if he’d caught her stealing a cookie. “I’m still getting used to the space! You mean how I lost ‘em? Let’s just say I got a little enthusiastic breaking up a brawl in the common room a while back.”

“Someone hit you?”

“Mmhmm, but it was an accident—there was quite a melee, and one of the regulars ducked a thrown chair, and it caught me right in the mouth. Fan thinks I’m lucky I only lost the two teeth and didn’t get a broken jaw or some such. Anyway, it’s costing me most of my savings, but I’ve got an artificer making me a couple of silver ones.”

“An artificer?”

“They don’t have ‘em where you’re from? He’s sort of like a skillful tinker who knows a thing or two about enchanting. The fellow I hired knows the words to make the new teeth grow into the gums.”

“The words? Like the words of power?”

“Exactly, though I guess they’re different for putting on artifacts than those meant for speaking. You probably know more than I do.” Fay turned again and pointed down the steeply descending, narrow, cobbled lane. “Speaking of my missing teeth, the smith I know is down there in the market square.”

Ward followed her, a little confused about what the smith would have to do with her missing teeth. “So, this artificer, how long does he take to make two little teeth?”

“He wanted three months, but I keep stopping by to bug him, and I think he’s hurrying. I saw him yesterday, and he really groused! ‘I’m going as fast as I can gather the mana! You’ve really put a strain on me with this order! I should charge you extra!’ On and on!” She laughed, and Ward chuckled along with her. The narrow street opened into a small, cobbled courtyard with a stone well at the center. Several stores opened onto the square, and on the far-left corner, Ward saw an open-air smithy with a man wearing an apron hard at work, pumping a bellows, sending bursts of air into a brightly glowing forge. Fay approached him and called out, “Rolph! I have a customer for you.”

Rolph turned toward them, and Ward saw his swarthy cheeks lift upward as a smile crinkled his bright blue eyes. “Fay! It’s been too long; are you avoiding me?”

Fay stopped and put her fists on her hips. “No, but I notice you’ve been keeping away from the Nest ever since that brawl!”

“Oh, Fay!” Rolph stopped pumping the bellows and clapped his hands to the sides of his head. “Don’t remind me of that! I’m so sorry I ducked—”

“Hush! I told you then it wasn’t your fault.” Fay turned to Ward and winked. “This is the guy I was telling you about.”

“You’ve been telling people about that?” Rolph looked horrified as he practically jogged over to the two of them. “Sir, I have to tell you, I didn’t know Fay was behind me!” He reached out a hand. “I’m Rolph, and it’ll be a pleasure to earn your business today.”

Ward shook his hand and nodded. “I’m Ward, and don’t worry—I’m sure you can earn Fay’s good graces with a fair price. Let me show you some stuff I want to sell, and then we can talk about what you might sell me. That sound all right?”