School in Hastelan, chapter 47. (Patreon)

Here we are. A little late, but better that than never. Please enjoy this smaller chapter.

It seemed of late, that all was only perusing shops and working for the crown. Even my studies seemed less than the other two. It was enough to force thoughts of where one had gone wrong in life.

My bosom companions were having a wonderful time, of course.

"Come, you should see this!" Lady Delia all but accosted me, dragging me towards a shop which appeared to sell cloth of all kinds. One could only go to so many such shops, yet lady Delia must have something in mind.

We all followed, of course, some of us with more choice than others.

The door was silent as we entered, this shop not having some form of bell or noisemaker attached to it in order to gain the attention of others. The shop itself was wall-to-wall shelves, each bearing cloth of one kind or another. The space between the rows was such that those who feared tight places would shy away in terror, and there was a very real fear that one shelf or another might fall upon you as you carefully threaded your way into the depths.

This place was clearly not a shop designed for us or any other normal person. It even had more than its share of dust. One could tell which cloth did not sell well and which places were not frequented at a single glance.

No attendants jumped from between the rows to greet us, and no owner was in sight. Despite such circumstances, lady Delia was skipping through the tight spaces in wonderment.

Lady Serapis had her handkerchief out, and was pressing it to her nose in order to avoid the worst of the dust. A good idea, and I considered joining her in such. The others had split, however, so I knew not what they were doing.

Afore I could do more than wonder, an apparition shuffled into view of us. The first thing I noted was he had dust in his hair.

He was tall and dressed simply, a simple shirt and pants of rough cotton, all in gray without a single speck of color. Quite the contrast to the wares displayed. He bore a plain visage, and I could give no age to him, though he seemed young, his face bearing few lines.

The dust in his hair made him look older than his years, it seemed.

He beheld us suddenly, and started, slamming into the nearest shelf and setting it to wobble. My hands were upon it before I knew what I was doing, yet the movement ceased as it had begun.

It was foolish, really. With the weight involved should it fall, I would have no hope in keeping it upright. We would be crushed in an instant.

The man's eyes narrowed, seeming to darken even as he ceased his slouching. His true height was even greater still. Even so, his words were polite and voice cultured: "May I help you ladies with something?"

"Yes!" Lady Delia responded immediately. "I saw your cloth in the window. the multi-colored silk, and I should like to buy some."

"Dear lady, I am a whole seller. Do you know what that means?"

Lady Delia's eyes narrowed, a clear sign of danger. "Dear sir, I am a noble, do you know what that means? It means I've enough to buy your entire stock, should I wish it."

I did not know what a whole seller was. How could you sell less than the whole of a thing? does one sell halves of apples in the street now, or half of dresses?

"What is a whole seller?"

My confusion seemed to throw the man away from his anger. Even so, he rallied: "A whole seller is a merchant who sells to other merchants, in greater amounts than any one person could like. For example, I sell my cloth to dressmakers and others who make cloth goods. But I do not deal in small amounts of either merchandise or coin."

I see. Then the state of this shop made more sense; this man did not wish for visitors. At the very least, he had no wish for normal visitors. His wares were already known to those he desired, and he sold only to those. We were interlopers here.

An odd way of doing business, and yet it seemed to work for the man, who owned his own shop with plenty of stock. Even so, I could not help the thought that one easy fire would reduce the man to ruins in an instant.

Even so, we should leave. We were not welcome here. So why was lady Delia grinning so? She looked every measure, the savage warrior surveying a battle she was about to partake in.

"How low must an order be? Surely, no dress shops purchase so much of any one cloth. Then all their dresses would be the same, surely."

"Five spindles," the man said firmly.

So much? There was no way a dressmaker would need so much! would they?

Likewise, lady Delia scoffed. "Please, save your jests. You will sell me two, and no more. And you WILL sell them. You will sell me either two spindles only - or you will sell me all that you have. I will take nothing less."

The gleam in the man's eye was disquieting. He muttered something about nobles under his breath which I did not catch, and yet when he raised his voice his words were even; calm. "I have ten spindles of that cloth at present."

Truly a dizzying amount. One could cover the entire grand hall of the school with that much, and surely the man would raise the price after being treated so.

That seemed to be a concern lady Delia had as well: "At the price listed in your window?"

The man nodded. "Even so."

"Then it shall be done." Lady Delia said with a nod. She tossed a bag to the man, filled undoubtedly with gold. It was not a small bag. "Half now, and half upon delivery. You, of course, know the address?"

"I do, honored Sorceress."

The man made it sound a curse.

"Lady Delia. You should use that name to receive your payment. come everyone, let us go."

Despite her words, lady Delia could not lead us out, that honor fell to me, as I had the clear path to the door. I wasted little time.

The others were behind me as I once again tasted both fresh air and sunlight, the light causing a momentary squint.

It was at that moment, a shadow blocked my view and a sound of metal meeting metal met my ears.

Sir Conrad was standing beside me, his arm over mine, glaring out into the street. I could see people fleeing in terror around his shield; what had happened? Were we under attack?

"Stay behind me, lady 'Rine," the man said calmly, even as he stepped to my front. scanning all before him: "Someone took a shot at you."

At me? Why would anyone attempt such a thing? "Where was it aimed?"

"As best I can tell, your heart," came the reply, even as the others poured out and their own escorts stepped to them.

"Did you see it?" Sir Ordinand asked from his place by lady Serapis.

"Just the shot itself. I heard it, more than anything."

A good ear, the knight had. I had heard naught over the crowd.

"We'd best cut this short, then. We've not enough to chase down the would-be assassin and protect our charges.

"We can do better," replied a knight whose name I did not know, standing before lady Istha. "Call a carriage, and we can split. Three knights to escort, and three to chase."

Sir Conrad shook his head. "That will take too long. We must down the street, and procure any such carriage ourselves. Safety is our priority now."

A gentle tug had me moving, and the others followed. At no time did my chosen knight's shield come down, even as the street became completely empty. The others closed in, forming a circle around us in a maneuver that had to have been practiced often. Any gap was closed as best the knights could. Then they started moving around us, raising and lowering their shields just so, making any glimpse of any of us harder to come by.

For their part, my companions had also closed ranks, almost protecting me with their own bodies, and lady Delia had a conjured ball of fire above one hand, cocked as if to throw. Lady Serapis had a ball of water on the other side of me, and both were snatching glimpses from around the shield, looking for targets.

The knights remained silent on that matter as we moved.

A hiss and thunk, and another arrow slammed into a shield. This time from the side, and into the shield of the knight whose name I knew not. He was young and callow, and his armor seemed new, yet for all that, he deflected what had to be an arrow with skill, flicking his shield up just a little to lower the force and then letting it settle.

"From the right," is all he said. And that in a voice so even one might think he was speaking of the weather.

The knights moved again, this time giving us no direction. In light of such events, what else was there to do save move forward? Sir Conrad had given me the way at least, and so I matched him.

Thus we moved, even as no more arrows flew along the silent street.

The Sir Conrad pointed: "In there."

There was a stable, one of many, looking as they all did. Nevertheless, it must hold horses, mayhap even a carriage. I rushed to the place, and at the door, Sir Conrad peeled himself away again, His shield once again raised, protecting all in turn as we made for safety.

"May I help you, Sorceress?"

The man before me was short yet large, with a rotund frame that bespoke of good food and better drink. He wore a stained doublet over a white shirt, and mopped his face with a kerchief, as if speaking to me was an effort.

"We require a carriage at once." I informed him, and it was a wonder that my own voice was as steady as Sir Conrad's.

"Yes, of course!" The man shouted. the rest of us bursting in might have something to do with that, even one blind would be able to tell something was amiss.

Why had the archer, the assassin, not targeted the knights directly? Surely with one of them down, killing one of us would have been much easier. At that range, plate and mail could not stop a long bow. Could it?

Mayhap they would not take the chance. A quick and certain kill may be one thing, and yet an attack upon an armored foe quite another.

Sir Ordinant and Sir Conrad had stayed outside. Neither had been attacked, now that they were alone. Was the assassin even now stalking for another shot from a new location? Surely there was only one or more arrows would have come down upon us.

It seemed a farce, however; one assassin should know they've no chance against our trained knights, even striking at range from the shadows.

The other knights covered the windows around us with their shields, keeping us safe. Did not their arms get tired? My friends had likewise spread out, balls of the elements floating near them; even lady Istha had a visible ball of air circling itself before her as she glared at the now covered window to my left.

There was little I could do in order to help. I could reach out and determine if people trod upon the ground and stone around us, yet those around us would always trod upon the ground and stone.

knowledge of the air would allow for similar, yet might it not give more in the way of motion, and therefore make it possible to divine the intention of those around one? Even so, lady Istha could in no way do so much right now.

I could hear Sir Conrad shout from beyond the door. "Closer. Bring it right before the door. As close as you can."

Some rattling, some swearing, even more rattling, and then the door opened. "Come. enter quickly."

As before, I went first. Sir Conrad was upon the left side, and Sir Ordinant was to my right. They both had their shields up as before, blocking the spaces between the door and the carriage itself. The door to the carriage was open, and I pushed myself up and aboard, uncaring of how I might end up arranged upon the seat.

The windows of the carriage were blocked with thick wood, banded by iron. These devices fit as if made for those windows. Of course, they had. But why had they? For times like this? Was this stable owned by the order itself?

I'd gotten no glimpse of the horses; I dearly hoped they were armored as well, as it might be all too easy to turn one's murderous attentions to such noble beasts.

I was settled, and knowing the difficulty, I turned and helped lady Istha as she too lunged for safety. I kept her upright, just barely, and she settled in. Settled in by gently moving me away from the window, and also settling her gaze upon it. Her resolve seemed to waft from her as heat in the summer; I would swear that I could feel it.

Lady Nells was next, and she settled herself across from me without any of my offered help. She was graceful to do as much with no help in a dress. Then again, one should expect as much from her, or any of my peers.

No further hiss and thunk sounded as the others found their own seats. I could feel the knights themselves mount the carriage in order to drive it, and tied their horses behind it. The others fell in as the contraption lurched forward.

The street had not yet returned to normal; there were some few brave souls about, yet most were yet hunkered in places of hiding. My sense of the stone beneath me seemed excellent, as even without my eyes, I could sense them through the weight and movement upon the stone.

We thundered out and down the flags, horses' hooves striking the stone in rhythm. None needed to scatter before us this time. We were making a habit of this. I should prefer this not become an oft occurring event, yet it seemed the universe at large saw fit to deny me.

Mayhap even the Goddess herself was involved, yet that thought seemed mildly blasphemous. Surely it would not be so.

"Are you aright?" Lady Metis asked, her very form seeming to drip concern as she looked to me.

"I am fine. I was not so much as touched. I am more concerned with our knights, who seem to have bore the brunt of the attack."

"They are fine as well," lady Serapis intoned. "So far."

"Did you see anything?" Lady Istha asked us.

I responded with no, even as the others did the same: "The first attack was too swift and seemed to come from our front, the other came from the right. I saw no sign, and heard nothing beyond the arrow itself."

"Troubling," lady Nells declared. "Our movements may be limited until the would be assassin is caught."

She meant mine, of course. There was no doubt that the archer had been after me and me alone; no arrows had flown at anyone else.

The carriage thundered along, and all down our route, we were able to go at best speed. The peasantry somehow knew before we appeared at the speed of a running horse who we were and what we were about, and so the way was open. The peasantry had always had such a way, of course.

Words flew faster than any horse or bird, as I knew from my time in the countryside.

The gate came into my range, and I could tell it was opening. If ever there was a time for further plots of murder, it was now.

We passed it without event, and the heavy portal slammed closed behind us; the carriage at last stopped with a screech and jolt that unseated all of us. I picked myself from lady Nells and decided to ignore how we had fallen together, even as she seemed to. The door opened and Sir Conrad was there. His shield was down. the others stood betwixt us and the street as before, watching, yet their shields were also down.

We were safe.