ONIUM | Open Novella Contest 2020

Chapter 10: Build Walls not Bridges

Quinnley sat atop a wheezing nag that could barely support its own weight. The way it stumbled was almost comical. Whoever had sold her the mangy animal clearly swindled the poor girl.

The girl herself looked anything but mangy. Her bright green dress and clean figure looked out of place among the grime of the streets, acting as a beacon for the gazes of the weary cleanup crew.

"You draw too much attention. This is exactly why I didn't want you to come." Vivian whispered as she led Lunam away from the scene. With Onium's name associated with the fire, she didn't dare take chances of being recognized. Once she determined Midest free enough to fend for itself, she would be on her way to the next town.

"Oh," Quinnley said before attempting to slide off her horse and do the same. Her body made it halfway down the side when a part of her skirt got caught on the saddle horn.

Not wanting an accident to draw even more attention, not to mention the ruining of another perfectly good dress by mud bath, Vivian steadied the girl until she had two feet planted on the ground.

"Thanks for that, I've never been one for riding." Quinnley admitted.

Vivian grunted in response until they were safely away from watchful eyes. A few locals passed them on the street, but none paid any attention to the pair. The princess stopped behind a familiar bakery.

"Wait here," she said as she passed Lunam's reins to the girl. If Quinnley was going to tag along like a lost duckling then she could at least entertain Vivian's horse.

"Where are you going?" Quinnley asked conspiratorially. "Are you going to spy on the soldiers?" The girl clearly had no idea how to be subtle. She didn't even have the decency to whisper.

Vivian ran a hand down her face. "If I tell you, will you stop asking questions for someone to overhear?"

Quinnley nodded empethatically.

"I was targeting two men before the fire. They were the ringleaders here. I'm trying to determine if either of them survived, or better yet how the fire started. I wouldn't put it past those two to fake their own deaths."

Vivian was losing precious sunlight to the conversation. With a final finger to her lips, she latched onto the bakery's stonework.

A curious voice that was nowhere near a whisper followed her up the wall. "These men, did one of them have a bad limp? And the other, was he handsome in an older man kind of way?"

Vivian let go of the wall she was climbing and dropped back down to the ground. "You saw them? Before or after the fire?"

Quinnley's eyes were glued to the ground as she shuffled back and forth. "Before."

"Do you know what happened?" Vivian pressed.

The other girl flinched slightly. "I don't want you to refuse to help me once you know." She whispered. "You should just take credit for the attack, people are already talking as if it was you."

The pieces of last night were beginning to fall into place. "The inn fire was your doing, wasn't it?"

Quinnley nodded and then whispered. "It's a part of not understanding my Gift. That man with the limp was the one who stole my book and staff. He laughed at my face when I threatened him."

"So to get back at him you set an entire building on fire?"

Quinnley's grip on her staff tightened. "It was an accident. I lost my temper when he taunted me and the next thing I knew, everything around me was burning." She looked up and met Vivian's eyes to make sure Onium understood. "Everything."