Fire Ch. 12

The man's lip twitched up. He nodded. "More than passable." He answered, slipping into his mother-tongue as well. "I make it myself."

"Then I shall at least pretend to enjoy it, even if I disagree with that assessment. But, I'm sure that won't be necessary" The man didn't seem the gregarious type, but Ryder always put on his 'hail fellow well met' persona when meeting new potential clients, regardless of their profession or disposition. Always be making a sale, that was the key. One of the many lessons he'd kept close to his heart from his youthful days working as a merchants assistant.

The man chuckled. "How kind. And you, sir?" He asked returning to the local tongue and looking to Tamir.

"A pot of plum wine will be fine. Thank you."

Ryder noticed the tall woman had moved closer and was looking curiously, if still discreetly, in their direction. He could see she was indeed quite attractive, though she had strong features which made her something a little more than traditionally pretty. Striking was more like it...but her mouth and eyes, which were both bowed in a mild smile, were soft and full enough so as to keep her features from looking hard. He smiled back and she stopped what she was doing to join them.

He was about to greet her when something caught his eye, freezing his blood in his veins and closing his throat. She had a long and graceful neck, and at the base was wrapped a fine silver necklace studded with coral and jade. It was a beautiful necklace, and valuable. He should know, he bought it.

The last time he'd seen it had been the day he was forced from his home. The sight brought back the memory of that treacherous night like a punch to the gut. The feeling was just as visceral, and just as nauseating. He saw her mouth moving and heard her speak, but the words were a hazy murmur lost beneath the fearful buzz in his ear. Some part of him registered the woman before him, but his mind's eye was superimposing another face, pale and sharp in the darkness, with black, pitiless eyes.

"Sir?" She was frowning at him. He blinked and swallowed as the hard, cold features of nightmares past faded back into the warm, golden brown eyes gazing back at him with concern. Ryder crushed the instinct to whip around and search the room for danger, or worse yet, tear out of the place at a run. In the back of his mind he was already calculating how long it would take his wife to pack, and whether it would be safer to tell her in person or simply disappear and send word later. Reason caught up with panic quickly enough, and his well schooled mouth automatically covered for his addled mind while it calculated the possibilities.

He smiled and cleared his throat, "Pardon my rudeness, madam. I was merely struck by that lovely necklace...wherever did you find it? Did some jeweler in the city sell it to you? I'm sure my wife would adore something like that." She would, she'd been more than a little miffed when she found out he'd bartered it. He'd wisely left her other two favorites untouched, so she eventually forgave him.

She blinked back, looking slightly startled, her hand fluttering to the necklace as if to check if it were still there. A pretty flush colored her cheeks for a faint moment, then vanished when she caught control of her expression. "Oh, well...thank you. No offense taken, I merely asked where you were from, since I heard you speaking to Tim there. Ryder, you said your name was?" He nodded, suppressing the surge of paranoia which accompanied the question. "And the necklace was a gift. I wouldn't know where you'd find another." She paused and smiled kindly. "I would offer to sell it to you, for your wife, but I'm afraid I'm rather attached to it."

It was his turn to look a little abashed. Her suggestion, and the gentleness of her words and voice, dispelled his knee-jerk panic. Her face held an earnest expression, kind, and open...and while thoughtful, he saw no cunning or deception in her eyes or smile. In fact there was something quite calming and warming about those eyes, like being drawn to a warm hearth on a cold night. He felt a twinge in his gut...and somewhere a little lower.

He cleared his throat. "I'm a northerner." He offered carefully. She smiled more broadly, her hand fluttering to cover her mouth in an almost coquettish gesture. It seemed odd and didn't really suit her.

"I gathered as much." Her eyes shone with amusement. "I meant where, specifically. I myself am from a village in the hills south of The White Bay."

He raised a brow. "You don't say? I'm from that area myself...though I was more a city dweller." Her mild smile returned. Friendlier.

"I was there briefly. Do you miss it?"

Ryder accepted his beer from the stoic looking man who'd finally returned with his drink, and nodded his thanks. Tamir similarly took his own drink and pointed to a few friends he'd recognized across the room, indicating Ryder join them when he was finished. "Not really, not when it's all said and done. I prefer the people here actually: Friendlier." He took a sip. It was surprisingly good. A little on the dark side, but not in an unpleasant way.

She leaned her hip against the bar and idly twisted a cloth in her hands. "Is that why you left and came here?"

He considered his answer for a brief moment, then decided to push on and take a chance and see where the truth led him. "No. I was forced out." He leaned forward and lowered his tone to a conspiratorial one. "An assassin was hired to chase me out of the empire. Showed up one night and gave me the 'leave or die' ultimatum. No choice there really." Her eyebrows shot up, but then another expression, almost amused, fleeted across her face. She leaned in on her elbows, her subtle smile turning wry.

"Small world. Me too." She murmurer back in hushed tones. He relaxed fully and the both of them shared another conspiratorial smile. Her eyes gleamed, still inviting...still pulling him down into them like a fly in warm honey.

Nice girl this one, a fellow out lander. He should introduce her to his wife. Though...without the necklace perhaps. It might get his wife's goat a little to see it on another woman's neck. If it was indeed the same necklace, and he was sure it must. But, then again...

"Who was after you?" She asked, pulling away to lean her hip against the bar once more.

He shrugged and mimicked her stance. "Another councilman. He wanted a key seat on the merchants board, but the elections were looking in my favor for said seat, so a month before elections were held, I mysteriously went missing, leaving the field wide open for another ambitious fellow with enough business and family connections to swing the vote."

"It's all about who you know." She murmured, concurring with the tone in which he'd spoken.

"Indeed it is, Madam."

"What happened? Did he win the seat?"

"Sadly, traveling gossip tells me he did. It also tells me, however, that a small revenge I managed to commission at the last second also transpired, much to my great pleasure. You see I convinced the man who'd been hired to get rid of me...the very man sent to kill me no less...I managed to convince him to let me hire him for a counter job.

"He wouldn't kill the man unfortunately, so instead he did the next best thing and stole his prize art collection. I heard it was found in the river. Apparently there was quite a scene. I'm delighted the bastard—pardon my language—was so torn up about it, but it did seem such a shame to destroy such valuable art."

He frowned, but only in response to the strange look that had come over her. She looked suddenly far away or deep in thought, and her head tilted slightly, like an animal who'd heard something strange, her brow furrowing.

"An art collection?"

"Yes. Very valuable."

"Hm. I see." she fiddled with her cloth, twisting her hands in it. Her smile returned, but she still gave the impression of being slightly distracted. He wondered what thought or memory his words had dredged up for her and wondered again at the necklace. He really wasn't getting the impression that he was in danger, but who could say for sure.

"You?" He offered, "How did your adventure turn out?"

She waged her head noncommittally. "It's a long—and strange— story." She shrugged, "Family politics, I guess you could say. But I essentially received the same message as you. Leave now, or face the consequences. Well, different people wanted different things, and some just wanted me dead I suppose, but it was suggested to me that I leave the empire—like you—and be done with it."

"So you left." It wasn't a questions, but she answered in the negative.

"No, actually I didn't. I probably should have." She smirked and let out a dry chuckle. "Apparently I'm a little bit stubborn when I want to be. I foolishly decided to take on the people who had tried to have me killed."

"I'm curious to know how that worked out, what with you here anyway." He grinned. She continued to smile mildly back at him, though her eyes flicked behind him, toward the private rooms.

Her smile faded "Those that wanted me dead were killed. I left in the end anyway."

He cocked a brow at her. This was interesting. "Don't tell me you got your assassin to do it...I couldn't get mine too, the stubborn bastard wouldn't accept even a tripling of the offer. Looks like you won the last laugh at least, can't ask much more than that."

Her eyes flicked behind him again before she smiled and spoke. "Perhaps, though I lost far more than I gained through the experience. And no, I didn't get" she smirked again, " 'my assassin' to do it...though now that I think of it, I don't know why it didn't occur to me to ask." Her eyes gleamed. "I think he might have, if I asked nicely enough."

She chuckled and shook her head. "My assassin," she murmured bemusedly. Her eyes were now fixed on something behind him, toward the door, a strange smile making her mouth twitch. He wouldn't put money on it, but for a moment he thought her eyes took on a strange, almost eerie glow. No doubt the angle she was standing at and the steady gleam of lamp light playing in her already bright eyes.

He shook off the impression only to feel a sudden and unsettling presence closing in behind him. A tall, darkly clothed figure stepped up beside him, laying a pale hand on the bar within Ryder's sight. The hair at the back of his neck prickled up even before the man spoke. The woman smiled enigmatically at the newcomer before she pursed her lips and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You're late. They've been waiting some time. Vahideh says they're looking a little anxious."

"I am here precisely when I designed to be. No later."

At the sound of the stranger's voice the bottom dropped out of Ryder's stomach and hit the floor. He clenched his glass tight and kept his eyes on the woman.

She glanced back at him, her brown furrowing again slightly before she smiled politely and gestured between them. "Have you met Mr. Ryder? He's one of our neighbors in the Barid. Ryder half held his breath as he turned to the look at the taller man as the dark figure reached up to pull the dust cloak back from his head revealing, as Ryder knew it would, the face he had feared seeing not a moment ago.

'Why? Why had he not left the moment he saw that damned necklace?' He wondered as he stared once again into those black eyes.

The corner of the man's mouth twitched, almost imperceptibly and he nodded.

"You run a trading and accounts business, a few streets west of here. I've heard you are doing well for yourself." It wasn't a question. Ryder could only stare as fear and shock made mush of his brain. The twitch happened again and the man surprised him by giving Ryder a cool smile and holding out a hand. "Jairus. How do you do?"

Ryder blinked and took the hand reflexively, only realizing he'd done so when he felt the cold firm grip of the assassin's hand. And it was he. There was no mistaking that face and those eyes. They were burned into his memory for as long as he lived. "Well...and how are you?" He offered numbly. Was this it? Had he come back to finish the job.

"Just fine...thank you." Ryder couldn't be absolutely positive, but he was sure the man both recognized him, and was amused by the fact. The assassin's eyes gleamed as he released his hand and turned back to the woman who was now watching them curiously. The two of them looked at each other a moment, then he nodded and tilted his head towards the private rooms.

"Will you be long?" She asked.

"No."

"Good. There are short plays being put on in the Amir's public gardens tonight."

Ryder watched fascinated as the assassin....Jairus, made a subtly sour expression. "You don't need me to watch a play."

She looked unimpressed, and undeterred. "You promised."

"Radi or Kaffez?"

"It doesn't matter. You promised." There was a long moment where they glared stoney-faced at one another, and Ryder would have excused himself in any other situation, but found himself struck dumb and still by the mix of fear, shock, and plain old morbid curiosity coursing through him.

After a moment the man grunted. "Fine." She beamed and turned away, apparently to fetch something from down the bar.

Jairus glanced at Ryder and shocked him again by smirking slightly. "If you concede the small battles, you have a better chance of winning the larger ones." His expression cleared and he raised a curious brow in the woman's direction. "Speaking of which, how is your wife finding the city."

Ryder's heart clenched again and he felt his ire rise up to crush back his fear. He gave the assassin a hard look while he tried to detect the potential threat hidden in those words. He couldn't tell. The man was like stone. The twitch came back, accompanied by a dry, low sound which might have been a chuckle.

"Relax, Ryder. I am, generally speaking, a man of my word." he nodded toward the woman who was returning to them with a package wrapped in brown cloth. Ryder suspected he was referring to the necklace which he'd used to buy his families' safety. But seeing it with fresh eyes, and noticing again who wore it, caused an entirely new string of thoughts to go rushing through his head. 'Well I'll be damned', he thought, reassessing the woman under the light of this new information. She smiled sweetly at Ryder and handed Jairus the package, which he accepted with a tilting bow of the head.

"Play nicely." She warned lightly as he turned away.

"Hardly likely on either account, my dear." He countered as he made his way down the bar toward the privacy screens. She bit her lip slightly, and turned her eyes back to Ryder. They stared at one another for a while until she sighed. "Well?"

"Well?"

She pursed her lips. "Am I correct in suggesting that 'your assassin' is in fact 'our assassin'?" she offered in a low voice, careful not to be overheard. He glance back in the direction the man had disappeared toward and let out a heavy sigh. She nodded. "I thought as much. You looked like you were going to be sick for a moment. I'm sorry about that. I didn't know. Who would have guessed? If it makes you feel any better, he's not here because of you. It was my idea to settle in this city. I liked the gardens."

He nodded distractedly, still glancing behind him. "My wife does as well."

"Does she like the plays?" He turned back to look at her and encountered that warm, lulling gaze again. He could help but smile back at her.

"As a matter of fact she does" he frowned. "You know, I didn't catch your name. She looked surprised, then nodded.

"That's right, you were distracted by the necklace...Thea."

"Just Thea?"

She nodded. "My father was Huroth, they don't use surnames."

"Well...it's a pleasure to meet you Thea." he paused. "You're sure that he, ah..."

She nodded. "Very." He licked his lips and sighed.

"Strange world."

"You have no idea." She agreed wryly.

He had no idea why he said what he did, but it came out unbidden, and after he'd said it, he realized, he more or less meant it. "I, ah, I won't impose, but feel free to call on my wife if the mood strikes you, since it appears we've more in common than one would ever have imagined. I'm sure she'd be glad of the company, she gets home sick." She nodded and shook the hand he offered her.

"I will extend the same offer, though business demands that we keep strange hours."

"Business?"

She graced him with the same enigmatic smile she'd earlier offered the assassin. "The tea house, of course."

"Right." He lifted his glass and saluted her with it. "Of course."

With that he turned to make his way across the room to Tamir and the small cluster of friends he was with, all of whom were watching with rapt expressions of curiosity. Was he ever going to have a story for them...then again, maybe it was best kept to himself.

This was...this was probably going to be bad. He was definitely going to need something stronger than beer. When he turned back there was a shot glass waiting for him. She slid it toward him. His eyes lingered on her fingers as she gestured for him to take the glass. They were long and slender and pale, their movement calm and sure.

"On me." Just two short words, but her voice was as soft and sweet as her honey brown eyes, and it soothed him instantly. He smiled back as the chill from the icy gaze of the assassin melted back into memory, and he was instead warmed in the glow of these very different eyes. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Just strange luck, right?

He took the drink and ultimately decided to let things play out as they would.

He didn't see the dark man return, and at some point, the young woman behind the bar collected her cloak and left the place in the hands of the taciturn fellow who brewed the dark ale. With the exception of having to try to explain why the tall, pale man was talking to him without letting them in on the actual nature of their acquaintance—he was often seen there apparently, and most definitely not considered the sociable type—his evening continued rather pleasantly.

Another beer and two pots of plum wine later, he was quite ready to be getting home. It wasn't late enough, and he wasn't drunk enough, to infuriate his wife just yet, but years of marriage and dealing with the fall out from late night drinking had left him with perfect knowledge of his own cutoff line. Amir joined him for part of the walk, but peeled off before they entered the park.

His slight haze made the moon seem brighter, the shadows deeper, and caused the scent of the flowers to hang a little heavier. He was nearly through the park when he noticed one of the heavier shadows was moving a little oddly. For a moment he almost passed it off as an effect of the wine, but as his perspective shifted it revealed darkly cloaked figures, partially hidden by the mulberry trees which were scattered about the garden. A wisp of cloud passed and a brief flicker of moonlight illuminated a pale, slender hand as it lifted to entwine itself in the dark hair of the second, taller figure. Ryder chuckled at the sight of the stolen moment before politely averting his gaze.

His mind eventually caught up with his eyes and after another two steps he jerked his head back toward the tall, shadowy figures, his eyes wide, startled.

But the shadows beneath the low, twisting branches were empty, and the young, green leaves stirred with nothing more than the first gentle stirrings of a rising wind.

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***

Dear reader:

I have thanks and apologies to give.

Thanks come first, because they're more important, and apologies, like excuses, don't change any sad facts.

So, thank you. Thank you for reading this, my first attempt at writing actual fiction and *gasp* finishing anything that wasn't attached to money or a formal due date. Thank you for continuing to read it even though I am a procrastinator as well as a painfully busy grad student (i.e. I took my sweet frikin' time don'cha know). (continue->)