Page 21 of Maneater

“Odessa,” Caz said, leaning his shoulder against the worn wood of the shabby stable. “Just the person I needed to see.”

That fluttering feeling in my chest started up again.

I had a sack of fodder slung over my shoulder, tipping it into the wooden bin beneath me.

The water trough had already been refilled, and Bellona and Juniper were happily slurping at it.

There were always one or two horses rotating through the stables, depending on who was passing through.

Since horses were a valuable asset, most folk still traveled by foot.

With one last shake, I emptied the rest of the fodder, brushed off my hands, and turned toward Caz.

“Hey,” I said, tucking the empty burlap bag under my arm. “You’re up early. What can I do for you?”

“I was thinking of getting a head start on my sketches,” he said, walking to Bellona and giving her a gentle pat.

“I’ll let Bell finish her breakfast first, then head out once she’s done.

” There was that familiar gleam in his eye, the one that always showed up when he talked about his studies.

He held up a half-penny between his fingers.

“Think you could pack me a breakfast that’s good for the road? ”

“Sure. It’s not much, but I can pack you some bread and cheese to take with you.” I swept up the bits of fodder that had spilled outside the bin. “And I can refill your water flask if you’ve got one.”

“Great. That’ll be just what I need.”

“So, I know you’re a mapmaker and all, but why Brier Len? Nothing happens around here.”

“Well, that’s fair. Not much is known about the geography of the outskirts, especially around the woods.

The Academy’s maps only cover the main travel routes, so the head cartographer sent me to document the area.

His goal is to eventually create a complete world map, with coordinates and everything.

I guess I’m the one he wants to start that work here. ”

“Lucky you,” I said with a dry chuckle. “So, you’re heading to the woods next? In those fancy clothes?”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” he asked, glancing down at himself.

“This is what all student scholars wear. We’re issued two sets when we’re initiated, so folk can recognize the Academy’s colors and emblem…

It’s all I’ve got, clothing-wise. I’ve never had trouble with it before.

Actually, it usually works in my favor…”

“You see, the folks in Brier Len have probably never seen a scholar or heard of the Academy,” I explained.

“I sure hadn’t before I met you. If you wander around the woods dressed like that,” I pointed to his clothes, “they might mistake you for some noble, a young lord or something, and give you trouble. They’ll probably try to take whatever coin you’ve got. Maybe your shiny tools and books, too.”

He stared at me, clearly bewildered. “You’re serious? I’ve never had anything like that happen in any city I’ve been to. And I’ve seen a lot of cities.”

“It’s Brier Len,” I told him. “We’re skirtsfolk, not cityfolk. You’ve got a lot to learn if you plan on sticking around for the next three months. And the condition of the woods is a whole other issue.”

“Really?” he said, frowning. “Now that I think about it… the trees did look a bit ailing.”

“They’re terrible. It started a few years back, five, maybe six. Here and there, trees began rotting, going bad from the roots up. I’m not sure if it’s some kind of disease spreading, but the woods are dying. At least, it feels that way.”

“Has anyone been sent to evaluate the state of the forest? If this is spreading, it could threaten nearby towns and cities.”

“That may be, but no one’s offered to help. Wouldn’t matter if we sought out the king himself. The Crown wouldn’t care.”

“That’s… that’s unacceptable. I’ll reach out to the Academy and my fellow scholars. There may be something we can do. I’m certain the Master of Herbology would want to investigate. If it is a disease, it could cause real harm.”

“Look, Brier Len hasn’t had aid from the Crown in years. My point is, keep your wits about you if you wander into the woods alone. Trouble may come from skirtsfolk, but the forest itself is trouble too.”

“I suppose you have a point…” He scratched his head. “How about a deal?”

“A deal?”

“You guide me around Brier Len safely, and in exchange, I’ll teach you how to read. It’d make my job easier with a local guide. Mapping the area from scratch would be a lot smoother with your help.”

I nearly snorted. “Like I said, there aren’t many books here. It wouldn’t do me much good. Plus, I’m all Griffin has at the inn. There’s no one else to open and close, it’s just me.”

“Come on, Odessa.” He clasped his hands together, looking at me earnestly. “I’d pay you more than the inn for your time as well.”

This time, I actually snorted. “Next thing you’ll say is that you’re some duke who can throw money around whenever he likes. Look, it sounds nice, but I need more than a few months’ worth of coin. If I walk away from Griffin now, he won’t take me back.”

“Odessa, I’m not a lord or noble,” Caz said, his voice more serious now.

“I’m just a scholar at the Academy. We get a stipend to cover our travel and studies.

We’re stewards of knowledge for the realm, and the Academy gets aid from the kingdom to support us.

” He paused. “Just think it over. I could talk to Griffin and ask him to let you take a break from your shifts every day for the next three months, until I head off to my next assignment. After that, you can go back to working at the inn. Please?”

His expression was so sincere, so genuine, that it was hard to look away.

“Fine,” I said, stopping the broom mid-sweep.

“If you can get Griffin to cover opening the inn, I’ll go with you.

I’ll come back for lunch and supper to close.

But just so you know, Griffin won’t do it unless there’s something in it for him.

Most days, he’s either drunk at the tavern or at the gambling house, so don’t get your hopes up. ”

“Really?” Caz beamed, that bright smile returning. “You might not know this about me yet, but I’ve got a knack for making things happen. And don’t think I’ll let you off the hook so easily with that reading thing, I’ll make that happen too.”

“Like I told you, we don’t do much reading out here,” I said with a shrug, waving him off. “There’s no real need for it. I’ll just stick to earning my coin.”

“No need for it?” Caz exclaimed. “There’s more to reading than you can imagine!

It’s how you learn, how you understand the world around you.

The knowledge alone makes it worth it. You can visit worlds you’ll never walk in, oceans full of creatures, ancient cities, lives that span centuries.

Every page holds something new. And it’s not just words on paper.

It’s a way to live a thousand different lives. Can’t you see how amazing that is?”

Caz’s eyes were practically sparkling with excitement, and I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips.

“That does sound pretty neat, I’ll give you that.”

“I’ll teach you a little bit every day to start. By the end of summer, who knows? Maybe in a few years, I’ll find you enrolled at the Academy yourself.”

I gave him a look, half playful, half pointed. “I’m more likely to become a scholar in three months than Griffin is to let me take mornings off at the inn. Let’s focus on one thing before you get too carried away.”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Caz grinned. “I make things happen.” He gave Bellona a final pat before leaving the stables. “Just wait and see.”

I shook my head, still smiling, and went back to sweeping.

“How did you pull it off?” I asked, disbelief written all over my face as I packed a waxed-cloth bundle of food into Caz’s rucksack.

Griffin had given me plenty of grief this morning for taking the shift off, but the old grump didn’t say much else as he left for the stables to tidy up. I eyed Caz with suspicion.

“Griffin only speaks one language: coins, cards, and coppers. So you must’ve paid him off. And now I’m on your payroll too... That’s a lot.” I raised an eyebrow. “Exactly how much coin did the Academy give you for this assignment?”

“I did offer him a little coin,” Caz admitted with a shrug.

He slung the rucksack over his shoulder and fastened his cloak.

“And maybe a couple barrels of Rymaren’s finest rum.

I ran into a merchant on one of my other assignments who owes me a favor.

Lucky for me, he’s got ties to the best spirits along the trade routes. ”

“Ah, yes. Griffin speaks with his tankard too. I suppose that was easy enough to figure out.”

“I told you, I make things happen,” Caz said, flashing that grin again. “We’re all set. Let’s get moving before dawn breaks. I want to make the most of the daylight before I lose you back to the inn.”

We made our way to the stables, where Caz neatly laid a thin blanket over Bellona’s back. “The Academy’s coin stretches pretty far,” he said, “but not far enough for a saddle. Hope that’s not too much of a problem.”

I hesitated. “You expect me to ride with you?” I’d somehow convinced myself I’d be walking.

“How else are you going to keep up with me and Bell? Of course you’re riding with me.”

“Alright,” I laughed. “Well, I’ve never used a saddle before, so I’m sure I won’t miss it.”

He mounted Bellona with ease, his posture relaxed with the kind of confidence that only came from long chimes spent riding. Caz’s life, no doubt, was filled with comforts most in Brier Len would never know. He adjusted his rucksack, took the reins in his right hand, and extended his left toward me.

“My lady?”

I rolled my eyes, though a small smile tugged at my lips. “Very funny, but I’m no lady.”

I took his hand, and the warmth of his touch sent a spark racing through me, my pulse quickening. I bit my cheek, trying to hide the blush creeping up my neck. Caz guided me onto Bellona’s back, making sure I was steady. The feeling of his chest against my back made my cheeks burn.

Caz’s voice whispered in my ear, “Ready to draw the world with me, Odessa?” I felt his smile without needing to see it. “Let’s ride.”

His arms held me close as he took the reins with both hands, and we galloped toward the main route. I guided him to the spot he’d mentioned earlier, where he wanted to begin mapping, and we rode along in an easy, casual rhythm of conversation .

Still, I couldn’t ignore the feelings growing inside me.

It was unrealistic, impossible even. He was a scholar from a far-off city, and I would always be a girl from the outskirts.

But that stubborn, foolish part of me refused to listen to reason.

My heart, in all its blind hope, would be the death of me.

When we reached the edge of the woods, Caz hopped down from Bellona first, then turned to help me down.

“This is a perfect spot to begin,” he said.

He shrugged off his rucksack and started digging through it until he pulled out a long spool of chain and a polished metal compass. His leather-bound journal was tucked beneath his blue cloak, along with a thin stick of charcoal.

“You see, the Academy’s maps already cover this route,” he said, pointing back toward the road we’d just traveled. “But now, we’ll start mapping from here and document whatever we find.”

Caz flipped open the compass, studied it for a moment, then muttered something to himself. He scribbled a note in his journal, his smile wide and bright as he turned to me.

He began to unwind the chain from his arm. It looked delicate, but the way Caz handled it made it clear it had weight and durability. Little metal tags dotted the links, each etched with a different symbol.

I watched as he walked to the road, positioned the end of the chain at the edge of the path, and drove a pin into the ground to hold it in place.

“I want to show you something,” he said, gesturing for me to come closer.

“I’m starting a ground survey. This is a surveyor’s chain.

” He lifted the spool of metal links, pointing to the tags marked with symbols.

“These are numbers. There are one hundred links total, and the chain stretches sixty-six paces long. Ground mapping is slow and tedious, but for accuracy, we always begin by pinning the start of the chain at our first marker. From there, we measure distance using the chain, and with a compass, along with a graphometer, we make sure we’re moving in a precise one-hundred-and-eighty-degree direction. ”

Caz gave me an apologetic, lopsided smile.

“Our technology isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Once we’ve gathered enough data, we plug it into a formula to calculate the area’s length and width.

Then we apply a map scale to convert those measurements into the units used by the Academy’s official maps.

That’s how new maps of the world are formed. ”

He paused, almost sheepish. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but this is what we’ll be doing for the next three-and-a-half months.”

I frowned. “I’m not entirely sure what you just said, but it sounds like something a mapmaker would say, so I suppose I’ll trust you.”

“Exactly.” Caz winked. “Would you mind taking Bell’s reins?” He handed them to me. “We’ll mostly be walking, but we can ride her back to the inn later.”

I took the leather straps. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to stay out here and keep mapping? You’ve only got me in the mornings.”

“I need my guide,” Caz said with a playful grin. “But really, you’d be surprised how much calculation and documentation goes into mapmaking. I’ll need time to record everything. Besides, it gets unbearably hot by midday. A change of scenery doesn’t hurt.”

I raised my hands in surrender. “Alright, scholar. My services are at your command.”

“Westward we go!” Caz declared, tossing his head toward the woods and marching ahead, the chain slowly unwinding behind him.

I trailed behind with Bellona, my expression caught somewhere between admiration and disbelief. It was going to be a long three-and-a-half months, and already, some part of me wished it would last longer.