Chapter Three: Acting Skills

Willah Stark hid behind a crate on a dock of the city of Ormid of the borderland country of Ryvell. She observed a docked pirate ship which was rumored to have recently plundered a fleet of merchant vessels headed for the port city of Callim on Endoray Island. Except for the pirate captain bribing a city official to dock, there had been little activity on the ship and Willah was growing impatient, having watched for a week. Her partner in crime, Xander Sefeleize had insinuated himself among the pirates, who always frequented the same tavern. Disappointingly, Xander was unable to extract much information from them as the rounds of ale he bought caused more fights than loosened tongues. In the foggy air, Willah smiled as she thought of Xander’s pirate disguise, a tri-cornered hat, eye patch, cutlass, and long-coat.

Out of the gloom, a figure abruptly walked by Willah. Poking her head above the crate, she recognized the bribed official. At the gangplank, coins exchanged hands, the official led below deck by a pirate. Willah debated following, but decided to wait. The minutes ticked by and she listened to the waves crashing against the docks. Growing anxious, she wondered after Xander and whatever was happening within the ship. Finally, the pirate and official emerged, the latter with a bag hoisted over his shoulder. He went passed Willah, humming a merry tune. Eyeing that bag, she silently trailed after him. Through the grubby streets of Ormid, she tracked him and when the man turned into an alleyway, she saw her chance. With a metallic sound, she withdrew her sword from its sheath. The man turned eyes wide in fright. He barely reacted as the flat of Willah’s sword struck him in the head.

Willah, a thief with some morals, checked the man’s pulse before taking his bag. It was normal and she started down the alley, turning to look at him, brows furrowing. Grumbling to herself, she dragged him close to a main street where he would be discovered more quickly. Congratulating herself on having the forethought to hide her features with a mask—something she usually did anyway—Willah hurried for the Drunken Duck, an unsavory inn near the edge of town where she and Xander stayed.

Having permission from the owner to enter through the backdoor, Willah went through the kitchens and tavern, going upstairs to her and Xander’s room. She locked the door behind her, knowing that when Xander finished with the pirates he would come here. Most nights they reunited to concede defeat, but their patience had paid off.

Excitedly, Willah sat on the bed, dumping out the contents of the bag. There were a plethora of items, all very expensive looking to her delight. There was almost nothing that bothered her more than stealing something of no value. First, she took a dagger with a green and silver flaked handle and sheath. Knowing such ornamental weapons were hardly ever serviceable she put it to her right which she designated the ‘sell’ pile.

“Yes!” Willah exclaimed as she unwrapped a brick covered in gold paper to find it to be chocolate, setting it at her left.

Someone pounded on the door and it could only be Xander as the noise came at a precise sequence, their secret knock.

Willah rose to open the door, still carrying her prize. “Xander! We have chocolate!”

Xander, still in his pirate disguise smiled cheekily. “Great! So you got in?”

Willah nodded, “Yes, but there’s little of use to us, so we’ll be selling most of it.”

“Ah,” Xander said, discarding his eye patch, hat, and cutlass.

Willah took her seat and began opening caps of perfume bottles to smell. One smelt of citrus, another like flowers, and the last reminded her of fresh air after rain. Xander sat close beside her, taking a figurine of a knight on his horse in his hands.

“That goes in the sell pile,” Willah commented, also putting two bottle of the perfume at her right, saving the one that reminded her of rain.

Out of nowhere, Xander started laughing.

“What?” Willah asked, mouth forming a frown.

“It’s just that you look so serious.” He replied, gasping for breath.

“But it is serious!” Willah protested.

Xander raised a hand, managing to regain his composure and give her a winsome smile. “It’s cute.”

Willah grinned leaning over to briefly peck Xander on the mouth, tickled by his beard and moustache. Together they went through the rest of the items, choosing to sell most of them but reserving the chocolate, three pears, a package of fruity smelling tea, and two blue cloaks. By nightfall, both confessed exhaustion and went to bed without dinner. In the morning, they would decide what to do next.

People weaved in an out of Willah’s dreams, their features never distinct. Voices cried out and blood flew through the air to splatter on the floor. Something gargantuan loomed in front of her and moaned. Willah felt an increasing dread. Then there was a beacon. She reached out to it, surprised to find the path ahead of her clear. Rhea stood there, the light around her dissipating, her expression sorrowful.

“Why are you glowing?” Willah asked, puzzled.

Rhea shook her head. “Willah, something we must work to stop has been unleashed upon the world. I need your and Xander’s help. We are on the tip of the Irraidian Thumb.”

Rhea disappeared.

Willah shot up in bed, struggling for air. Beside her, Xander awakened asking what was wrong.

“Something is happening. Rhea is waiting for us.”

Xander frowned. “Rhea was in my dream too. We were sparring with practice swords. I won.”

“The Irraidian Thumb in the morning, then.” Willah decided for them both, rolling over to sleep away the last few hours of darkness.

In the morning, Willah and Xander left the Drunken Duck, going to the central marketplace of Ormid. Willah located an art dealer who scrutinized a small painting that had been in the stolen bag. It depicted a flowering branch with a cardinal perched at the end. While Xander waited near the doorway of the shop, Willah haggled with the old man, parting ways with the painting and the figure of the mounted knight.

“It’s better we’re leaving. Soon he’ll realize I’ve cheated him and start asking about for me.” Willah remarked.

Xander smirked.

Off the city’s main thoroughfare, they purchased quality horses cheaply, thanks to Willah. As the two proceeded out of the bustling port city, she thought of various disguises.

“If anyone asks, we are both messengers, out of the guild here in Ormid. While I travel to Ultan to deliver a message to Baron Yenisar’s sister, you travel north to Sova because you wish to relocate and the guildmaster has granted you permission to be stationed there.”

Xander gave her a quizzical look.

Willah let out an exasperated sigh. “The less strangers know the better. The best way to accomplish that is to feed them completely incorrect information.”

“Whatever you say, Willah.” Xander said, giving her a wide smile.

Under stormy clouds, Willah and Xander spurred their horses out of Ryvell and into Irraidia. The lands they traveled through were hilly, dotted with trees and farmsteads in the valleys. With winter over the roads were busy and the two often saw the Irraidian Road Guard. After taking a ferry across the Martog River, named for a national hero, they were stopped.

“Halt! Inspection of your goods is required if you wish to travel further.” A mounted, armored guard called, riding towards them.

Xander and Willah pulled their horses to the roadside. The guard dismounted in front of them.

“My lord, we are so thankful for your protection. Surely the road would be targeted by bandits or worse without you and your comrades.” Willah said as she climbed off her horse, grinning to the man slowly, tucking some hair behind her ears, staring at him shamelessly.

Xander hopped off his steed, mumbling under his breath as Willah flirted.

The guard sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, I am only a lowly soldier, not a lord. Where are you headed, my lady?”

Willah’s smile broadened as she saw the effect she was having on the man. “And we’re merely messengers from Ormid. I go to Ultan to deliver a message to Baron Yenisar’s sister and my friend relocates to Sova.”

“Sova’s a miserable place if you ask me.” The guard turned his attention to Xander for the first time.

“I have family there, sir.” Xander replied.

Completely disinterested in Xander the guard turned back to Willah, studying her for a long moment before speaking. “Very well, you may carry on. Perhaps we will see each other in Yargo tonight.”

Willah returned the wink the man gave her. “Perhaps we will.”

“That was outrageous, Willah! Outrageous. He didn’t even ask your name.” Xander exclaimed as the guard left them and they continued down the road.

“Eh, I succeeded. He didn’t touch our bags, did he?”

“Yeah, but he wanted to touch you.” Xander snickered.

“Only you have that privilege, Xander. Only you.”

Xander looked dumbfounded.

Willah laughed.

As night began to fall, the two fake messengers found a convenient travelers’ camp. These camps were commonplace in Irraidia and in lands beyond, free to all. Willah and Xander corralled their horses, thanking the volunteer that would watch over them and taking their saddlebags. They made their way to the roofed pavilion, taking a spot near the outside of the circle of people gathered around a fire. A woman skillfully played a lute and a toothless old man told children stories. With the camp unsanctioned by the Irraidian Road Guard, armed volunteers protected the resting travelers.

“Shall we eat?” Willah asked Xander, rummaging through a bad to take out their meager supply of pears and chocolate.

“Sure,” Xander replied, biting into the pear she handed him.

They ate in silence until Willah broke it, trying to anticipate what they might face. “What do you think we’re walking into?”

Xander shrugged. “I don’t know. Rhea and I were sparring in my dream. I won but she didn’t put up much of a fight. She seemed sad, more than sad, and guilty almost, as if she wanted to reveal something but couldn’t. She told me she needed allies.”

Willah, always astonished when Xander showed such insightfulness, inclined her head in agreement. “She said something had been unleashed upon the world.”

Xander finished his pear and put his left arm around Willah’s shoulders. “We’ll find out soon.”

Willah leaned into Xander’s side and they shared chocolate.

About half an hour later as both dozed, a young girl came up to them. “The man without teeth is a drunk. I’m Ephrata.”

Willah raised a brow towards Xander then looked to the girl. “Hi Ephrata. I’m Shira Winlock and my friend is Sazuro Ichibaki. What can we do for you?”

Ephrata’s eyes flashed to the chocolate resting on Xander’s leg. “I was just wondering where you’re going. My father and I are returning to Oxfeld, but we’ll stop in Besryn to visit my Uncle Nerrin.”

Willah had taken notice of the path of the girl’s eyes. “Ah, well I’m going to Ultan and Sazuro is going to Sova. Would you care for some chocolate?”

Ephrata’s face brightened, gladdening Willah’s heart. “Yes! Please!”

Xander took his dagger and shaved off a generous portion of chocolate from the brick, handing it to Ephrata.

“I like the sound of Sazuro. Do people ever call you Saz?”

Xander chuckled. “All the time. You can if you want.”

Ephrata giggled and looked behind Xander, lower lip pushing outward. “Uh oh, father is coming. I better go. Bye Saz! Bye Shira!”

With that, she ran off.

Willah settled back into Xander’s side. “What a nice little girl.”

“Adorable,” Xander concurred.

At dawn, they resumed their journey. Passing by the town of Yargo, Xander jokingly asked Willah if she wanted to find her guard friend. She turned back to glare at him, threatening to revoke his touching privileges. He shut up about it after that. Through green countryside, they rode under clear blue skies, turning off the paved road to go on the dirt path towards the Irraidian Thumb. The pair proceeded forward until they could hardly see through the dark, the moon a sliver. Tying their horses to a lonely birch, Xander and Willah camped in a meadow full of daisies.

Rising early, their trip was uneventful until noon when they crested the hill that began the Irraidian Thumb. In the distance, Willah pointed to a row of tents. Someone ran in their direction. He was tall and wiry with ear length blonde hair. Apparently winded, he waited for them a considerable distance away.

“Hi! You must be some of Rhea’s people. I’m Rory; let me take you to her.” He said as they reached him, starting back to the camp.

“Why did she call us?” Xander queried.

Rory glanced to Xander only to look away. “Mistress Rhea should answer that question.”

“Mistress?” Willah asked, brows shooting upward.

“There don’t appear to be many of us necromancers left and it’s standard procedure to elect a leader. Mistress Rhea was the natural choice. Shamim objected to choosing an outsider, but she hates agreeing to anything…” Rory babbled.

Willah looked to Xander who shrugged.

Rhea came out of a tent, speeding towards them.

Upon seeing her friend, Willah abandoned her horse to meet the elf in an embrace. More slowly, Xander followed.

“Rhea! It’s been much too long.” Willah nearly shouted, hugging Rhea.

“Yes! We must cease these long absences from each other.” Rhea said, stepping away to give a hard look to Xander. “Xander! You must shave. A beard doesn’t suit you at all.”

Xander played at being crestfallen. “What about the moustache?”

“Keep that, it’ll look good.” Rhea amended, beckoning them inside a tent...

Author's Note

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