Page 4 of Witchcraft and Fury (Chronicles of the Divided Isle #1)

As she made her way down the alley she suddenly noticed a wizened old man staring at her from a shadowy doorway.

He was hunched over a crooked walking stick.

His hair was lank and grey, and he wore a wispy beard that fell down to his chest. Heart hammering, Solar realised from his knowing look that he had witnessed her whole encounter with Hroth, including the illegal casting of the spell.

He winked. Solar stopped in her tracks. Her eyes darted around the alley, wondering if there were others lurking in the gloom. It appeared to be otherwise deserted, although the back of her neck prickled as if someone else was watching her also.

She looked back at the doorway, but the man had vanished.

*

Half an hour later, having traipsed across the city, Solar arrived at the Inn of the Fickle Friend. She entered the kitchen through the staff entrance at the back and flung her satchel and sack of bread into a corner.

‘You’re late.’ The gruff voice came from the inn’s owner, Norvel, who had great spits loaded with rabbits over a huge fire.

He had greying hair and a large frame that was the result of him eating too much of his own cooking.

Solar felt the familiar sting of the fire smoke in her eyes.

She propped the back door open to let some fresh air in.

‘I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,’ she muttered, heading for the opposite door that opened onto the bar.

‘It’d better not, or I’ll make you work overtime without pay,’ grumbled Norvel, but he was a kind-hearted man, and Solar knew the threat was empty.

As she walked past the fire its flickering light illuminated her jaw, which was red and swollen. ‘Solar, wait,’ he said, his tone softening. ‘Have you been in a fight? Who did this to you? ’

‘Hroth Archdale,’ Solar answered, scowling.

‘He’s a disgrace to his family name, that lad, picking on those who can’t defend ’emselves,’ said Norvel with disgust. ‘And not by himself, neither; I’d wager he had some of his brainless friends at his back too.’

‘I can defend myself!’ protested Solar. ‘Just ’cos I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t look—’

‘I never said it has anything to do with you being a girl,’ interrupted Norvel in a gentle voice.

‘But listen, young Hroth is the son of an earl. You can’t go making enemies of that class.

He’s a strong lad for his age, and he’s only going to get bigger.

One day he’ll be a fully trained wizard and have powers that neither you nor I can imagine.

Take my advice: stay out of his way, or that swollen jaw’ll be just the beginning of your troubles. ’

Solar bit her lip. The injustice of it was maddening.

Why should the bullying Hroth be able to strut around acting as he pleased, and be rewarded with becoming a wizard?

She knew there was no point arguing with Norvel, but she couldn’t help herself.

‘Gods!’ she swore. ‘Hroth, that arrogant, stuck-up idiot, training to be a wizard. It’s beyond unfair! ’

‘In my experience, barmaids who judge their lot against that of the nobility are rarely satisfied.’

‘I’d be far better at magic than he’ll ever be – in fact, I already am!

’ she continued, thinking back to the spell she had performed just half an hour ago.

Norvel gave her a sharp, probing look. ‘I mean, I have more potential,’ she added hastily.

‘Just ’cos he’s a boy with a filthy-rich father, he’s got a life laid out before him full of adventure and magic. ’

‘That’s just the way things are, Solar. Some things you cannot change.’

‘Well, I’ll teach myself magic if I have to. ’

Norvel laughed, although not unkindly. ‘That’ll be the day.

You should be dreaming of owning your own inn or shop, or marrying a good, steady man.

Forget these notions of magic. After all, unlike wizardry, witchcraft is hardly smiled upon.

Now, go on through and see if there are any more orders to take from customers.

Then come back here, cut up one of these rabbits and serve it with another jug of ale to the two gentlemen in the back corner of the taproom. ’

*

The taproom was a sprawling, chaotic arrangement of tables, benches and chairs.

The combined smell of sweat, alcohol and meat was almost overpowering.

The small, circular windows, stone pillars and walls were black with grime and the floorboards sticky with spilled beer.

The only light came from candles on the walls and tables.

It was heaving. It always was at the end of market day.

Stall owners and customers, who earlier had haggled mercilessly with each other, now huddled in groups and laughed at each other’s jokes.

Prostitutes from the brothel across the alley moved among them, advertising their services with flirtatious giggles and deft touches under the tables.

Their efforts would be well rewarded later that night, when the inn closed its doors and the clientele looked for distraction elsewhere.

Members of the city watch played dice at one end over large cups of wine. Solar noticed that the watchman Feran, who had been inspecting the traders’ goods under Captain Grubber, was among them. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but his eyes seemed to follow her around the room.

There were orders for food, and Solar passed them on to Norvel in the kitchen.

She removed a rabbit from a spit, cut up the meat and loaded it onto plates already overflowing with onions and golden potatoes.

She carried them through to the taproom and made her way to the back corner.

There was a crush of customers gathered around the table there and she had to clear her throat noisily several times before anyone let her through.

Finally the crowd parted. Sitting there at the table was the handsome doctor with flowing, golden hair and the shrivelled old man she had seen in the alley.

The former smiled as if he had been expecting her, showing two rows of neat, white teeth, and his companion whispered in his ear.

The doctor stroked his chin thoughtfully.

It was all Solar could do to carefully arrange her features into a neutral expression devoid of surprise and take the final few steps towards their seats.

‘My friend Bayen here tells me that you had quite the eventful day,’ the doctor said.

‘Nothing out of the ordinary,’ replied Solar, unwilling to talk about her encounter with Hroth Archdale in a room full of the city watch. She placed the plates of food on the table. ‘I’ll be right back with more ale.’

Solar walked to the bar and poured the mysterious doctor and old man – Bayen – a jug of frothy beer.

As she was pouring, the front door of the inn swung open and in staggered Grubber.

His face was flushed and he swayed from side to side.

He caught sight of the doctor and gave a bellow of rage.

The inn fell silent. Civilians backed away towards the walls whilst off-duty members of the city watch reached for their swords, ready to act if called upon by their captain.

‘You gave me fake medicine! I took the medicine with my lunch, and it hasn’t worked!

’ The captain held up the vial that he had received outside the city walls.

It was empty. ‘Do you see any change in me?’ he demanded.

The doctor stared at him impassively. ‘Do you see any change in me?’ repeated the captain, roaring this time.

Though clearly drunk, he did not slur or stumble over his words.

‘I can’t say that I do,’ replied the doctor calmly. ‘The medicine does not work immediately. It takes many weeks and months for its effects to be noticeable. This morning you looked like a swine in trousers, and for now you will have to put up with looking just the same.’

There was a collective intake of breath from around the inn.

‘You cheated me,’ spat Grubber, his voice seething with rage.

‘How many other vials of fake medicine have you smuggled into Falcontop? I will exact a hefty price for such blatant criminal activity!’ He took a step closer to the doctor and raised a threatening finger.

‘Tonight I intend to break you, to take my dues. I challenge you to a game of Danger!. If I win, I claim everything on your person: your bow, your fancy sword and any potions you have stowed away under your cloak. If I lose, which I assure you I will not, then I will pay you two hundred pieces in gold.’

Shocked murmurs ran around the room. Two hundred gold pieces was a small fortune, a sum that many of the customers could scarcely even imagine.

Furthermore, by laying down this particular challenge – a popular way of settling matters of pride – the captain was declaring he wished to deal the doctor a far more humiliating and costly blow than a mere night in the dungeons on unproven charges.

The doctor seemed unimpressed. ‘I would love to, my dear swine, but I am a busy man and have places to be. As soon as I have finished this delightful supper of roast rabbit I will be on my way. ’

‘Tomorrow then, in this very room, at dusk. Refuse me and I assure you that you will not leave the city in one piece.’

The doctor speared a chunk of meat and raised it to his mouth. He chewed calmly and deliberately. Finally he savoured the last mouthful of ale in his tankard. ‘Tomorrow, at dusk,’ he said with a cold smile.

‘And what should I call you, my worthy opponent?’ asked the captain, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

‘Day. Irenbend Day.’

The captain seemed to be thinking of something witty and scathing to say.

In the end, though, he merely shook his fist at Day, flung open the door and stormed out.

The hubbub of the room resumed, but the table in the corner was quiet.

Everyone had moved away from it, giving it a wide berth as if its diners carried the plague.

Clearly they now considered Day dangerous to be associated with.

He had made a powerful and vindictive foe in the captain.

Solar walked over to the table, the jug of ale in hand.

‘It’s Solar, isn’t it?’ asked Day as she refilled his tankard. Beside him Bayen gave a slight nod and winked at Solar.

‘How do you know my name?’ she asked with suspicion.

‘Let’s just say, Solar, that today you have drawn almost as much attention to your person as I have to mine.

I helped you out of a tight spot this morning.

If it had not been for me, Grubber would have found that intriguing wizardry manual underneath your eggs and thrown you in the dungeon.

’ He paused, letting his words sink in. ‘Nothing comes free in this world. Are you ready to repay the favour?’

‘What do you want from me?’ asked Solar warily.

‘The captain has quite the reputation at the card game Danger! . The locals here look at me as if I have already lost. I believe I can beat him, though I am not one to leave these things to chance. That is where you come in.

‘During tomorrow’s game there will come a point when I will risk everything, betting everything I own against the captain’s hand.

The winner will take all, and this will be decided by who has the highest-value cards.

Before I place this final bet, I must be certain that my cards are highest. I will call you over for ale.

At the table, look quickly and discreetly at my cards.

Memorise them as you pour. Then walk round the table and serve the captain his drink.

Look at his hand. If he has the higher cards then fill his tankard as normal.

If, however, his cards are lower than mine, pour just enough to make the ale spill over the rim.

That will be my signal to go all in. Can you do that for me? ’

Solar thought for a moment. She knew she could do it.

She had grown up working in inns and knew all about Danger!

and its intricate rules. She was a practised thief, and cheating at cards could hardly be more difficult than thievery.

‘What if the captain hides his cards from me? He’ll surely remember that you came to my aid at the city gate.

He might suspect we’re some kind of team. ’

Bayen chimed in for the first time in a deep, melodious voice, ‘The captain strikes us as the sort who would not suspect a working-class girl of possessing the daring or intelligence to cheat him at cards. Do not worry about Grubber.’

Solar mulled this over. ‘I can do it,’ she said eventually. ‘But what’s in it for me?’

Day cocked an eyebrow. ‘Beyond fulfilling the debt you owe me?’

Solar looked away briefly. He needs me. I hold all the cards here , she thought to herself. Then she looked him in the eye and said in as steady a voice as she could manage, ‘Aye, beyond that. ’

Day considered, then gave her a broad grin that showed his dazzling and perfect teeth. ‘Adventure beyond your wildest dreams.’