Spring 61: ploosh

Beloved Zann,

Candur had told me to recruit some more Rosolla Guards while my wounds were healing. I intended to! But I got sidetracked almost immediately, and then I got sidetracked from being sidetracked.

It happened like this. I was in the roost alone, lying in bed and pretending I could feel my ribs growing uncracked. I thought, do I know a group of people who would make good Guards? So I could just bring in a whole passel at once? And I didn’t. I thought of some people I knew on the docks, but mostly they didn’t seem like they were what Candur was looking for. Maybe a couple.

Then I thought, Candur brought me in because he liked working with me and I could do things for him that he needed. Maybe I should bring in someone who could do things for me that I need. So what do I need, and who do I know who could do that?

I’d like having someone around who could stop me from being attacked. Someone I wasn’t worried if they were secretly working with criminals or anything. And someone who could shake my head up if I insisted on being wrong about something. That was a lot like Ambe, really. But she was already in the Guard and had her own responsibilities. Who else did I know who could do that?

“Pfff,” I said, and closed my eyes. Srix, that’s who. Srix was perfect for this. I hated it. Imagine inviting Srix into your life.

I told myself to forget about it and go back to finding regular guards. But I couldn’t leave it alone. And the more I considered it, the more advantages I started seeing. I stood up.

“Curse all,” I said, and dressed to go out and find Srix.

I’ll describe Srix later. For now, it’s enough to say that before I was a dockworker, I had other jobs, and at one of these other places, I met Srix. The two of us disliked each other immediately, which made it all the more maddening when he saved my life. So I did owe him something.

Walking across town was out of the question, so I limped up to a corner where I could catch a longcoach. The place where Srix and I had met was an old dark workshop. At one point there were dozens of artisans in there making all kinds of things, but the owner, Nangolt, was an old pissard who eventually drove everyone away until he was the only one left. He made cages for rich people to keep magical creatures in, and he needed help with heavy lifting and with guarding all the gold and silver and gems he needed for the wards on his cages.

Inevitably some of his guards betrayed him, and Srix and I had to fend them off, and it was a big mess, and when it was over Nangolt was safe and I didn’t work there anymore. (Which was good.) I had hoped never to set foot in that workshop again, but here I went.

It was a few streets away from where the longcoach let me off. I could handle a few streets. Even in this neighbourhood. I could see a guard standing outside the workshop as I approached. She looked bored. It confirmed for me that Nangolt was still in business, though, which was convenient.

I nodded at the guard and moved to walk past her. She held me up with a gesture. “I don’t know you.”

“I’m looking for Srix,” I said.

“Who the hell is Srix?”

“No? He used to work here with me. I’ll talk to Nangolt, then. I’m Ybel.”

She shrugged, opened the door, and called inside. “Nang! Fellow named Ybel here.”

“Hold him there!”

She looked back at me, but I wasn’t going anywhere, so she didn’t do anything.

Nangolt came out with a couple of guards, looking older than ever. He was all bent over. “Grab him!” he told them, and they did.

“Gentle!” I said. “I got thrashed a few days ago.”

“What do you want? Robber. Thief. You’re lucky I don’t have them kill you.”

“Nangolt, I never robbed you. I’m just not a fighter, that’s all. I was helping to protect you and your crap.”

“You’re a liar. I saw you holding Srix back. You had an easy shot on that Darde and you didn’t take it.”

“I’m here looking for Srix. Tell me what you know about where he is and I’ll go away.”

“Hasn’t worked here since the winter. I don’t know where he is and I don’t care.” Nangolt turned to his guards. “Throw him off the bridge.”

“Wait, what? No, don’t! Nangolt!”

Then the two guards took me away and threw me off the bridge.

Love,

Ybel