Sly

Chapter Twenty One

Sly

It was raining lightly when I woke up. The autumn wet season had begun and it has always been a time of worry. It rained all morning with no sign of letting up. I did every indoor chore I could think of. I cleaned, swept, and tried to hang up the bedding so it would air out as much as our indoor space allowed. I finally decided to just grab my hooded cloak and go. Normally I would take the low roads like usual but they were so caked and muddy that I climbed to High Road as soon as I could. Thankfully, there was a staircase only a block away from the Snoring Dragon. 

Nobles and merchants mostly used High Road unless it was a celebration day. The patrolling guards would view anyone who dressed like me with suspicion and dodging horses was an added hazard. Today though, between my new boots and my nicer cloak I didn't look quite like a maggot from Swamp district, and with the rain there were few horses out. I woudln't pass as a merchant's daughter either, but at least I was clean from the rain with no holes in my clothes.

Panther let me in after a long, cold walk, and insisted on giving me hot cider to chase the chill away. I didn't complain. The house was warm, with fires in all the fireplaces and plenty of soft cushions and plush blankets. All the girls knew how to cook in the house and took turns doing so, but River's cider was the most delicious thing any of them could make. The shorter muse winked at me from the kitchen, and not for the first time I wondered what her life had been like before she cast away her name in favor of serving the goddess Bliss. Nearly every time it rained all day or was windy outside River made a batch, and today I was just lucky to be present for it.

"So Sly, what brings you here today?" Panther carried over her own mug of cider, sitting across from me. Orchid had come downstairs to join us as well as Moon and Star. River was starting another batch of cider and Fae was making soup to go along with the rainy day. I was happy to take a long sip from my mug before speaking.

"Davery has made something of an interesting discovery," I began. But I paused. I wasn't sure how to put this, especially if they were hearing of it for the first time from me.

"He hasn't gotten into any trouble has he?" Orchid asked.

"No, no it isn't that. Has anyone in Lights appeared to be . . . buying property?" I finished her initial thought as the muses appeared to think for a moment.

"Now that you bring it up two neighbors on our street mentioned someone buying their houses." Panther thought another second, remembering who it was. "One was old Mina and she moved in with her son. That house was too big for her to care for anymore anyway, it was something of a blessing she could sell it. The other was Master Draymire, he wasn't looking to sell his little boarding house but he was offered a nice bit for it and enjoys retirement to the farmlands where his niece raises horses I believe."

"No one asked to buy Panther House?" I asked.

"No, but it is holy ground. This is a house for Bliss and her muses, I doubt anyone would offend her in such a way as to buy out a house and leave us to move elsewhere. We may not be her proper temple but this house is devoted nonetheless," Panther replied.

"Would you have us move Salysta? Leave our home and all we know behind us?" That was Moon. Or maybe Star, I wasn't sure.

"Cast into the streets! We're to wander homeless in the rain." That would be Star. Or Moon. Adding to the theatrics of her twin.

"Stop your mischief," Panther scolded lightly. "We worship Bliss in this house, not Shadow."

"What is this all about?" Orchid asked, turning her attention to me.

So I told them. I told them about the message board and the taxes, the cobbler, and the children. How we gathered information from each district and put together the map. Fae and River had come over to listen as the story got interesting. When I finished speaking everyone sat for a bit in silence. The reality was taking time to sink in.