Sly

Chapter Nineteen

Sly

Marak and his, what turned out to be quite a large family, were indeed happy to take in the Carpenter. They were in a secluded farming community outside the city walls and there were plenty of jobs there for a carpenter. Grethan and Jexa carried what they could to the farm, though Jexa grumbled about missing out on the action most of the way there. The young family settled in quickly and Davery had sent Grahm and Bricker to buy them a few things that would have been ruined in the fire. Blankets, a lantern, basic grooming items, and a bit of cloth to make or repair clothes with. What they wore was still damaged. The day had been spent well, it wasn't until we returned to the city in the late afternoon that the mood had changed.

My brother led the way, chatting with Jexa. Bricker, Grahm and Grethan tailed behind recalling favorite events of the day. Touching, and something I would have participated in if I weren't keeping the back of the line with my eyes on Grethan. How easily he had assemilated to our day. To the black daggers. There was something about the ease of it that I didn't like, though Orchid would just tell me I was being paranoid. Still, Davery and I were still alive today despite living in the most dangerous district in Unays, and it wasn't from the goodness of our trusting hearts.

The group's conversation ended when Bricker halted the group.

"Is that a notice?" Bricker pointed to a large new parchment on the message board as we passed through a square in Dock District. "Davery, what's it say?"

"You read?" Grethan asked Davery, who nodded as he approached the sign.

"Him and Sly both, he used to work at a Scribe's." Jexa said proudly.

"They lowered the Autumn taxing, this will be the Prince's doing then." Davery looked thoughtfully at the sign. Jexa gave a whoop and smacked Grahm on the back hard enough to make him stumble forward. Bricker and Grethan also appeared quite happy about it but my eyes stayed on my brother. Ever the thinker, his expression was what I wanted to see, and I noticed Davery's 'thinking face' was still on. No one else seemed to notice. It was probably best to wait and ask him about that when we got home.

"Anything about when the next wave of soldiers are due back?" Grethan asked. Davery glanced at the message board again.

"I don't see anything," he replied. Grethan shrugged and left it at that. The party was about to leave the square when an old man and a girl of about ten caught my eye. I let the group trial away, catching Davery's eye and waving my fingers in a gesture for them to leave me. He nodded, and I turned my attention to the ones that had caught my eye.

The girl was reading the signboard out loud for the old man and I wanted to hear what the people from Dock District would make of the news. I paused to the side of the notice and busied myself adjusting the straps on my boots.

"Praise Hearth! We may keep the house yet." The old man squeezed the girl's hand.

"What about the new rent, Papa?" The girl's eyes were filled with concern that quickly reflected in her grandfather's.

"Hey now, you don't worry about that. And no more talk of working instead of your letters. See how much they helped Papa today? I'll take care of it, don't you worry my little buttercup, Papa will take care of it." The pair wandered off, only going as fast as the old man could walk.

New rent? If they were in trouble I wanted to help them, and it might be good to see if this 'new rent' affected many more people. When the war began most of the landlords who raised rent were craked down on hard from the castle. Were they being brave again so many years later?

I tucked myself into the shadows of the buildings around them and followed. The old man's slow pace made it easy but time-consuming. Finally, they reached a humble cobbler's shop with a small living area in the back. It was still in Dock but close enough to Northgate and Green Districts that his customers probably come from there. What could rent here be? It wasn't particularly desirable to live in Dock. Sure, the useful property went for more, but that would be placed near the water where all the action was, not in this little building that wouldn't even be enough room to make a useful warehouse. I watched the old man and the girl go inside.