Cade 7

Once the boys were tucked back into the hideout and bundled up against the night's cold, Cade and Whistle told the story of the drowned man to Pole and Shine. Pole grinned and said,

“Your first mistake was not going through his pockets.” He thought for a moment and continued, “You didn't even check to see what size his boots were. You've learned nothing.” He shook his head dramatically, half-serious.

“So,” Shine interjected, “you reckon it was fish who drowned the first man in the alley?” Cade was confused.

“Fish?” he asked. Pole answered.

“Yarr, the fish. The priests, the fathers, the holy whosits. And their Templars.” Fathers came out sounding like 'fahjahs,' an exaggerated mimicry of the Eastern accent, from whence the Church had originated. “You're sure that bit at the end was the same?” Whistle looked at Cade, who nodded.

“Yeah, definitely,” Whistle said. Shine looked doubtful.

“Why would the fish drown a man in an alleyway?” he asked. Pole shook his head, looking puzzled, and spoke.

“Better question. Who cares? And why? The fish don't bother me, and they don't carry copper, so they matter absolutely zero.” There was nothing more to say, it seemed. The conversation was over. There were questions, but no answers, and it wouldn't do any good to worry about them. Nonetheless, Cade laid awake in the cold for a while, doing just that.

The next morning, Cade decided he needed a new jacket. He'd been growing quickly, and there was a gap between his gloves and his sleeves. Not only did it look ridiculous, but his wrists were cold all the time and he hated it. No one had been having much luck picking pockets; people didn't stand around much in the cold, and it would have been very bad luck to steal from those at the Remembrance. Even Pole, generally not superstitious, wouldn't do such a thing.

And so, he set out to 'find' himself a jacket. The walk to the marketplace was miserable. The wind was gusting and it chilled him to his soul. Half of him wanted to give it up and go back to the hideout, but the other half knew that if he could just get a decent jacket then he wouldn't have to suffer so much. He dragged himself onward.

By the time he made it to the market, he was stiff with the cold. His gloves weren't keeping his fingers warm, his hands had been cold when he'd put them on. There were few vendors out, and fewer shoppers. Cade wandered around for a bit, eying several booths, but he realized that anyone with eyes could tell he didn't have the money to buy what he needed. As he lingered, people began to eye him suspiciously. What was a ragged boy doing out wandering the market in the cold, if not shopping? Cade decided he'd been stupid. Now was not the time, he should be huddled under blankets in the hideout, waiting for spring to break when people would be out in force. He staggered back toward the hideout. Ashe made his way out of the marketplace and into an alley, he became disoriented. This wasn't his alley. He looked around, confused. Why had he walked to the southern part of the square? He reoriented himself and plodded toward the eastern alleys.

He was too tired, too cold and too weak to feel frustrated. He forgot his cold feet as they numbed, and the sharp pain in his fingers faded to a dull throb. His warm, damp breath steamed up into his face. Ice formed first on his eyebrows, then on his eyelashes. Snot froze on his upper lip. Halfway home he began to lose his motivation. All he really wanted was to lie down and take a nap. He didn't realize he was freezing to death. Several steps later he caught his toe on the uneven stone and toppled onto the ice. Unable to break his fall, the the icy stone of the road gouged deep scrapes into his face. He groaned, suddenly awakened by the fresh, raw pain. He struggled to his hands and knees, but as he tried to climb to his feet he fell again, this time breaking his fall with his hands. He barely felt them. “I don't want to die here in the street,” he thought, as he rolled to his back. Within moments his cares slipped away as he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.