NaNoWriMo, part 16
Nov. 23rd, 2006 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bookish_dragonChapter 10
The rest of the journey went by without any more trouble. The bandit did not show up to make good on his threats.
"It is about an hour from here, I deem," Bjernu said. "It does not seem that far anymore. Shall we?"
Marnak nodded. The group walked on. The priest was thinking. He was feeling ignored and left out. He regretted letting the monks join them. Only sparsely did anyone seem to remember he was still there, and the leader. After the bandit they had listened to him, but that did not last long and they were clearly resenting it. He scowled. He was still the leader. It was not an easy job, but he was doing it the best he could. And it would be nice if they listened to him. They never did. They would not get into trouble all the time if they just listened to him. He was always correct, they should listen to him. He withdrew into himself.
Ameena noticed Marnak's withdrawnness. She did not like it. He had changed so much from how he had been at the monastery. Now he was distrusting, and snapped, and wanted everyone to jump through his hoops. His behaviour after the bandit-incident had nearly made Emmar cry, several times. Marnak seemed to focus mainly on her. Ameena looked around for Bjernu. He had vanished to go scouting. She sighed. She wanted him ti be here, she worried. Ameena shook her head. It was all going so fast. She liked him, but did she like him like that? He was the one she went to when she needed comfort and support, but that was what friends were for, she had heard. It was confusing, this friendship-thing.
"So the only one who might get refused entrance if the stories are true is Ameena," Emmar said to Olgyu. "Her tail is hard to hide."
"Bjernu might have problems too," Olgyu said. Her hand was close to her axe. They were close to the city. Nothing was likely to happen to them here, but she was nervous.
"Why him? He is an elf, is he not?" Emmar asked.
"He is not. He is an half-elf. It is hard to tell by humans, but elves will recognise him instantly. He could not hide it if he wanted to."
"Oh. I did not realise that. I hope I have mot insulted him." She looked around. "Wherever he might be."
"I doubt it. It was an honest mistake to male," Olgyu assured her. The nearer they got to Larghain, the more nervous she got. Feyador! She wanted to meet the man and shake his hand. Then try and see if she could defeat him. Olgyu grinned. Either way it would be good. Her palms were itching.
Conversation ceased as they got in sight of the gates. The walls around the city were thick and forbidding.
"Somebody does not like uninvited visitors," Bjernu said, who had joined the rest a while ago. He shaded his eyes. "There are two elves standing guard, dressed in plate armour and armed with halberds. The door is open."
Marnak motioned for them to continue. He headed to the front of the group, ready to start talking.
The guards stopped them as they made to enter to enter the city. "Halt! Who are you and why are you here?"
Marnak bowed. "I am Marnak Rilyuaa, and these are my comrades. We have come to your city to visit Feyador's academy. Olgyu Axil wants to enroll as a student there."
"You and the two human females can pass," the first guard said. "Those other two can not. They are not allowed here." He scowled at Ameena and Bjernu.
"Why is that?" Marnak asked. "I will vouch for them. They are good people, and will not cause trouble here."
"We do not care about that. They are scum, stains on the noble blood of the elves. We do not want their kind here."
"By the blessed sword of Kord, they will be let in. You can not deny them entrance on ground of their heritage.!" Marnak exclaimed. He took a deep breath. "They are good people. She was trained at The Duchess. I understand that that monastery has an excellent reputation in these regions. Would you deny all monks from there?"
"Only if they are an insult to our race. These are the rules. If you do not like them, we have others, which you really will not like. You three can pass, those two can not."
Bjernu stared fixedly at the wall. He would not give the guards the satisfaction of showing how insulted he was. He tuned out the conversation between Marnak and the guards until he heard Ameena gasp.
"Then they will be let in, no troubles?" he heard Marnak say.
"Yes," the second guard said, something glinting in his eyes. He started to grin. "Collar your pets and no more trouble will befall them."
'Collars! I will not wear a collar!" Bjernu though. He would not be humiliated like that. The rest of the group looked equally abashed. This could not be true.
Marnak nodded, and jaws almost hit the ground. "They will be collared. Where is that to be done?"
"At city-hall," the first guard said. "You had better do it first thing, or else your pets will be put to sleep. By arrow, in the middle of the street. It gives such a mess to clean up." The guards were guffawing as the group walked into the city.
Bjernu was red with anger and shame. Once they were out of earshot of the guards he stopped. "Collars? What were you thinking, Marnak? Why have you agreed that Ameena and I would be collared? That is no way to treat us! We are not animals, and doing this because they say so is wrong."
Marnak stopped and turned. "You are welcome to leave and camp out in the woods. All of you. But I thought you wanted to go here and see this city, and your hero Feyador, for yourself. What is one little collar compared to that? You knew that you might not be welcome here, and yet you still wanted to come."
"I can not believe I am hearing this. Is this the same Marnak, priest of Kord, who went against Olgyu's tribe because they did not like fae? What is different here from there? Have you taken leave of your senses, priest?"
"I am. Quit your whining and leave. Or shut up and come along. Either way we will have peace. Do not think of it as a collar, think of it as an accessory." Marnak looked smug.
Bjernu looked furious. Ameena put her hand on his shoulder. "We can take it off when we are alone. Those are the rules. We have to follow them or leave."
He turned on her. "Do not tell me you want to be collared."
"I do not." She resisted the urge to look away from him. "I also do not want to leave the group. It is only a small sacrifice."
"Of independence, yes. We will get treated like second-class persons."
She shrugged. "I am used to that."
His heart broke at that. "You should not be."
"That is the way it is. I am willing to do this."
Olgyu and Emmar looked uneasy. "Please do not do this just on our behalf," Olgyu said. "If this is the only way, I would rather leave."
Ameena smiled. "It is no trouble, really it is not. I am not holding this against any of you. Do not feel guilty."
Bjernu looked her in the eyes. "If you really want to do this, then I will too. Just for you." He glanced at the others. "Only for you."
Ameena blushed. "Do not, not like this."
"If you can do this, then so can I." He straightened and took her hand. "Now, where is that town-hall?" He squeezed Ameena's hand reassuringly.
"The guards said it was this way." Marnak pointed in the direction.
A pair of agents walked towards them. They were human, dressed in blue and carrying swords. "Excuse me sir," the woman said. "I am agent Akoenin, and this is my partner Amis. We saw the argument. Are these two bothering you?"
The man, agent Amis, walked over to Ameena and Bjernu. "You, scum. Were you bothering these people?"
Ameena put her hand on the half-elf's arm as he took a step forward. "Please, do not do anything rash."
"Listen to her. She is wise, for what she is," agent Amis said. "Answer the question, or are you so stupid that I need to repeat it?"
"They are not bothering us," Marnak told agent Akoenin. "They are with us, members of the group."
She looked suspicious. "Keep a good eye on them. You never know what they might get up to. He especially looks untrustworthy. And get them collared."
"We were on out way to city-hall. Could you tell me where it is?" Marnak asked.
"We will walk you there," agent Akoenin said. She walked to the front with Marnak. Her colleague brought up the rear, keeping a close eye on Ameena and Bjernu. They were still holding hands. Bjernu was squeezing her hand pretty tightly. It hurt but she did not say anything. She was feeling humiliated. It was a familiar feeling, but not like this. She had never been treated like dirt on this scale before. It bothered her more than it used to. She concentrated on the feel of Bjernu's hand in hers, hoping he would be able to keep his temper. Something grabbed her tail. She froze for a moment and then walked on. It was probably agent Amis, hoping to provoke her. She risked a glance at him. He laughed and grabbed her tail again, pinching it. When he let it go, she curled it up against her, out of his reach. Ameena looked at Bjernu. It did not seem that he had noticed anything. Good. She did not want him to get into trouble for attacking an agent.
They wandered past stone houses, built close together. There was little greenery, but it was not colourless. The houses were painted brightly and well-kept. The people they met paid them little attention, except for when they saw Ameena's tail. Then they stared after the group, eyes narrowed. The presence of the agents reassured them and they went on with their day. Eventually they reached city-hall. The agents escorted them in. They went up to the first floor, and stopped in front of a door marked 'Animal Control'. "Here we are," agent Akoenin said. "We will be waiting outside. She bowed. "Glad to have been of service today." She opened the door and ushered them inside. The room was dark and dank. A single oil-lamp lit the room, smoking heavily. They blinked against the gloom, and still could not make out much, apart from Ameena. She saw a small woman with a bird's nest for a hairdo sitting behind a small desk. From here she looked to be rather squat and dumpy. "What do you want?" she barked at them. "I am busy. That keeps on barging in and bothering me. Never a moment's peace around here."
"Some more light would be nice," Marnak said, peeved. "Also, we are in need of some collars."
"Ke ke ke, got some pets, have you? You have come to the right place. I am Kjerba. Where are the animals? I need to take their vitals and make sure they are healthy." There was a sickly shine to Kjerba's face, Ameena noticed. She looked like she never went outside.
"How can you do that in this darkness?" Marnak asked. "You can barely see your hand in front of your face."
"Practice, a lot of practice. My pay is low and the price of fuel is high and I have to buy my own supplies. So you adapt." The woman spat on the floor. "Bloody bureaucrats. What are you going to do about them?"
"We do have some lamps of our own. We could light your way, while we are here."
"That would be helpful. Do not think that it will change my mind in any way. I can not be bribed that easily."
"The thought had not crossed my mind. I just wanted to make your work a bit easier," Marnak said. Bjernu snorted derisively. Marnak ignored that. "Everybody, get out your lamps and help out miss Kjerba." There was much grumbling as lamps were retrieved and lit. Finally the room was brightly illuminated. It did not do much for it. The light called attention to the patches of mildew on the floor and the sagging floorboards in one corner. Kjerba sat blinking against the light.
"Well then, where are those pets?" she finally asked. She got up from behind her desk and waddled over to the group. "There is one," she said, grabbing Ameena's tail. "Mum shagged a cat, did she?"
"Oww!" Ameena yelped.
"Shut up," Kjerba said casually. "The reflexes are good, and it had a good sense of pain. Bend over and say 'Aaaaah'." Ameena bent over and opened her mouth. Kjerba grabbed her jaw and peered inside. "Got all of its own teeth. Good obedience. Stand back up and get rid of those clothes."
Ameena blushed very deeply. She could not speak, only back from Kjerba as fast as she could.
"Hey!" Bjernu said. "You can not make her do that."
"Yes, I can. They told me that I could do this. Who are you to object to how your pet gets treated?"
Marnak coughed. "He is the other one."
Kjerba nodded. "Birds of a feather...I understand. Have they been spayed?"
Olgyu had to physically restrain Bjernu from attacking Kjerba. "I will kill her!"
"Hmm, aggressive. That needs to be planned into the calculations for the exact measurements." Kjerba brightened. "Well, they are healthy."
"Calm down, Bjernu," Olgyu whispered in his ear. "You will not be of much use to us when you dead or in prison. We will kill her later. Now breathe. Calm down." He stopped struggling to get out of her grasp.
Emmar walked over to see how Ameena was doing. "Are you all right, Ameena?"
"I am, I am just shocked. This I did not expect." Ameena smiled weakly.
"Nobody would have." They continued in hushed voices.
Marnak stood alone near the desk. watching what was happening. This was much better. Now they would realise who they needed. They needed him. They needed to listen to him. He shook his head. Where did those thoughts come from? He had been having a lot recently. They were not about what he previously held precious. He valued friendship over leadership, even if he was losing the former for the latter. Who needed friendship when a strong hand was needed to make sure everything went well? If only they had listened to him, then this would not be happening. It was their own fault.
"What a concern for your pets. Now, hand them over so they can be processed," Kjerba said. "Ke ke ke, such concern," she laughed.
"Breathe," Olgyu whispered in Bjernu's ear before releasing him. He took Ameena's hand and they walked over to Kjerba.
She laughed again. "Ke ke ke, so sweet." The laughter faded. "Sit." They looked at the floor, and decided not to. They crouched down, balancing on their feet. Kjerba shrugged. "Whatever you want. Just stay there." She waddled back to her desk and opened a drawer, taking out two black contraptions. She fiddled with the buttons, making notes, checking her notes, fiddling with the buttons on the collars some more.
The pair were wobbling where they sat, but they did not complain. There would be no use. Bjernu looked at Ameena. She was red, and staring at the floor, apparently studying the patch of mildew in front of her. He touched her shoulder, and smiled at her when she looked at him. He knew she had said that she did not mind and would do this, but he wondered how the others had agreed to go through with this.
Olgyu made sure she was not leaning against the wall, and thought the same thing. Why had she agreed to this? Not that she had, she realised. People had barged on with this and she had just followed, overwhelmed and confused. Looking at Emmar she could see that the monk was thinking the same thing. She cursed. At herself. At the city. At the whole city.
"Cursing will not make me work any faster. Patience, I will be done soon," Kjerba said, not looking up from her work. She fiddled and tweaked some more. "Here we are. Now we can take proper care of your pets." She got up, took one of the collars and waddled over to Bjernu. "The aggressive one first. we would not want any trouble when its mate gets processed. Ke ke ke."
Marnak only nodded. He did not know what to say. He had only wanted them to learn a lesson. This room, Kjerba, the whole situation was getting on his nerves. He had gone too far. He felt alone. Kord help him, what had he done? He covered his face in his hands, and then looked up. This had to end, now. "No! Stop!" He strode over to Kjerba and grabbed the contraption out her hands. "You are not going to do this to them."
She looked up, furious. "Yes, I am. This is my job. These are the rules. You agreed to this. You can not back out now."
"They are not 'pets, or 'animals', or 'stains', or whatever you have come up with and want to call them. They are my friends and comrades, and they will not be humiliated and robbed of what they are by you, or anyone else here." He flung the collar against the wall.
"That is city-property. You better not have damaged it, or you will regret it," she said.
"Do I look like I care? Get up, you two. We are leaving." Marnak kept looking at Kjerba.
Bjernu looked suspiciously at the priest as he got up. He hoped Marnak was being serious.
Ameena was glad she could get up. Her legs had started to fall asleep due to her position. She refused to focus on what was happening. It was all bad.
Olgyu drew her axe and moved to the door to keep guard against one or both of the agents hearing the disturbance and coming to see what was going on. Emmar guarded her back, crossbow and loaded and at the ready. It would be her first fight. She was nervous.
"Emmar! Cover her!" Marnak addressed her, pointing at Kjerba. Emmar turned and aimed the crossbow at the woman. "Now then, we are leaving here, all of us, free and unburdened."
"You will not get far," Kjerba said. She was not afraid. She had been threatened before. "You can not with what you are travelling with. You are in the centre of the city, you will not be able to get out without attracting attention from the guards or the agents. They are very good at their jobs." Kjerba looked smug.
"So are we," Marnak said. He hit her across the head. She went down with a 'thud', lying in a heap on the floor. "Move, we will not have not long before the agents come and see what is taking so long. Get your lamps."
Emmar turned back to the door. Ameena and Bjernu collected the lamps and turned down the flames. They did not blow them out, because the nightblindness caused by this would seriously inconvenience them in any following encounter. Marnak started to drag Kjerba behind her desk. "Bjernu, a little help, please?"
The scout hurried over and took the woman's legs. Together they got her out of sight. "How long will she be out?" he asked.
"Long enough for us to be able to get out of here," the priest replied. He wiped his hands on his robes, leaving long smudges. "This place needs to be torched. Olgyu, are you ready?"
"Ready as I will ever be," she replied. She opened the door. "Hey, come here! Quick!" she called to the agents.
"What is happening?" agent Akoenin asked as they hurried inside, swords drawn. They found themselves surrounded by a group of rather irate people, all of whom had drawn their weapons.
"We are leaving," the elf dressed in robes said. "You can start by dropping your weapons." He was holding a very impressive broadsword.
"You will not get far," agent Amis said.
"That is what miss Kjerba, in charge of 'Animal Control', said as well," the elf replied. "Guess what? We will. Now drop those swords."
They dropped them, glaring at the group. Bjernu came forward and retrieved them. "Good quality. Dwarven? Strange to find that in these surroundings."
"We do recognise good metalwork when we see it. At least they have the right idea about race and blood. Have you ever heard of a half-dwarf?" agent Akoenin said.
"I heard stories about the daughter of a silver dragon and a dwarf. She is traipsing around up north," Bjernu said. "She is a weapon-master with the great-axe. I will spread the word that you were asking about her. Enough with the small talk." He lifted the manacles out of their belts. "Hands in front of you, please. Or does my friend with the crossbow have to make you?"
Emmar carefully aimed at the man. Agent Amis swallowed. "A crossbow? In here? That is dangerous and suicidal!" he squeaked.
"We are desperate. Now hold them out." He manacled them and pocketed the keys.
"Give those back!" agent Akoenin said. "Those are ours."
"That sounds familiar," Bjernu said. "Do you have relatives in banditry?"
"There is no time for reminiscing," Marnak said. "This has gone on too long. We still need to leave."
"Yes, boss." Bjernu turned back to the agents. "You heard the priest. Down on the floor."
"Have you even seen the mildew there? I am staying standing," agent Amis said.
"No, you are not," Bjernu said. He kicked out the man's legs in one sweeping motion. "You were right," he said to Ameena. "Aiming for the ankles really does work. Will you go down without a fuss?" he asked agent Akoenin. "Think carefully." She looked at the half-elf. He was looking very angry, and he was holding a sword, and he had just kicked down her colleague. Without a word she lay down next to Amis. "Good girl," Bjernu said. He bent and gagged them both, before biding their feet together. "There, all done. Let's go."
"You are the scout, go ahead," Marnak said. They opened the door, blew out and packed away their lamps, and went out. Weapons were re-sheathed, but hands were not far from them. They managed to get out without people noticing them. Bjernu walked up front. He had paid attention, and the lay-out of city-hall was straightforward. They got to the exit, standing in the doorway blinking against the light.
"Where are we going now?" Olgyu asked. "We do need a place to stay, at least until it gets dark. We can not stand here, and we can not leave the city in broad daylight."
"There is a church there," Ameena pointed out. "There is a good chance there are some unused rooms. There always are. And they will not search a church. Too much friction that will cause."
"This is the human quarter, it looks like. I have not seen any elves here, only humans. So Bjernu will not attract undue attention. That leaves us with you. Can you hide that tail?" Marnak asked Ameena. She nodded in response.
"It will make my walking a bit awkward, but I can do it." She hid her tail in her trousers. They were baggy enough to allow for that.
"Why have you never done that before?" Bjernu asked her, when they walked off to the church. "If it is that easy to hide?"
Ameena shrugged. "They still knew. People knew my parents. What good was hiding it?"
"I see. You were from one of the villages?"
"Pranz. My parents lived there until their death." She looked up. "We are almost here. We should see if there is an entrance at the back. Getting in like that would attract less attention than going in at the front."
"Have you done this before?" Bjernu asked. "You do know a lot about this."
"A benefit of a misspent youth," Ameena answered. She went round the back. The rest of the group followed here, all of them watching for signs of trouble. There were none as they got in and found an abandoned storage-room. They settled down as best they could and waited for the night to come.
The rest of the journey went by without any more trouble. The bandit did not show up to make good on his threats.
"It is about an hour from here, I deem," Bjernu said. "It does not seem that far anymore. Shall we?"
Marnak nodded. The group walked on. The priest was thinking. He was feeling ignored and left out. He regretted letting the monks join them. Only sparsely did anyone seem to remember he was still there, and the leader. After the bandit they had listened to him, but that did not last long and they were clearly resenting it. He scowled. He was still the leader. It was not an easy job, but he was doing it the best he could. And it would be nice if they listened to him. They never did. They would not get into trouble all the time if they just listened to him. He was always correct, they should listen to him. He withdrew into himself.
Ameena noticed Marnak's withdrawnness. She did not like it. He had changed so much from how he had been at the monastery. Now he was distrusting, and snapped, and wanted everyone to jump through his hoops. His behaviour after the bandit-incident had nearly made Emmar cry, several times. Marnak seemed to focus mainly on her. Ameena looked around for Bjernu. He had vanished to go scouting. She sighed. She wanted him ti be here, she worried. Ameena shook her head. It was all going so fast. She liked him, but did she like him like that? He was the one she went to when she needed comfort and support, but that was what friends were for, she had heard. It was confusing, this friendship-thing.
"So the only one who might get refused entrance if the stories are true is Ameena," Emmar said to Olgyu. "Her tail is hard to hide."
"Bjernu might have problems too," Olgyu said. Her hand was close to her axe. They were close to the city. Nothing was likely to happen to them here, but she was nervous.
"Why him? He is an elf, is he not?" Emmar asked.
"He is not. He is an half-elf. It is hard to tell by humans, but elves will recognise him instantly. He could not hide it if he wanted to."
"Oh. I did not realise that. I hope I have mot insulted him." She looked around. "Wherever he might be."
"I doubt it. It was an honest mistake to male," Olgyu assured her. The nearer they got to Larghain, the more nervous she got. Feyador! She wanted to meet the man and shake his hand. Then try and see if she could defeat him. Olgyu grinned. Either way it would be good. Her palms were itching.
Conversation ceased as they got in sight of the gates. The walls around the city were thick and forbidding.
"Somebody does not like uninvited visitors," Bjernu said, who had joined the rest a while ago. He shaded his eyes. "There are two elves standing guard, dressed in plate armour and armed with halberds. The door is open."
Marnak motioned for them to continue. He headed to the front of the group, ready to start talking.
The guards stopped them as they made to enter to enter the city. "Halt! Who are you and why are you here?"
Marnak bowed. "I am Marnak Rilyuaa, and these are my comrades. We have come to your city to visit Feyador's academy. Olgyu Axil wants to enroll as a student there."
"You and the two human females can pass," the first guard said. "Those other two can not. They are not allowed here." He scowled at Ameena and Bjernu.
"Why is that?" Marnak asked. "I will vouch for them. They are good people, and will not cause trouble here."
"We do not care about that. They are scum, stains on the noble blood of the elves. We do not want their kind here."
"By the blessed sword of Kord, they will be let in. You can not deny them entrance on ground of their heritage.!" Marnak exclaimed. He took a deep breath. "They are good people. She was trained at The Duchess. I understand that that monastery has an excellent reputation in these regions. Would you deny all monks from there?"
"Only if they are an insult to our race. These are the rules. If you do not like them, we have others, which you really will not like. You three can pass, those two can not."
Bjernu stared fixedly at the wall. He would not give the guards the satisfaction of showing how insulted he was. He tuned out the conversation between Marnak and the guards until he heard Ameena gasp.
"Then they will be let in, no troubles?" he heard Marnak say.
"Yes," the second guard said, something glinting in his eyes. He started to grin. "Collar your pets and no more trouble will befall them."
'Collars! I will not wear a collar!" Bjernu though. He would not be humiliated like that. The rest of the group looked equally abashed. This could not be true.
Marnak nodded, and jaws almost hit the ground. "They will be collared. Where is that to be done?"
"At city-hall," the first guard said. "You had better do it first thing, or else your pets will be put to sleep. By arrow, in the middle of the street. It gives such a mess to clean up." The guards were guffawing as the group walked into the city.
Bjernu was red with anger and shame. Once they were out of earshot of the guards he stopped. "Collars? What were you thinking, Marnak? Why have you agreed that Ameena and I would be collared? That is no way to treat us! We are not animals, and doing this because they say so is wrong."
Marnak stopped and turned. "You are welcome to leave and camp out in the woods. All of you. But I thought you wanted to go here and see this city, and your hero Feyador, for yourself. What is one little collar compared to that? You knew that you might not be welcome here, and yet you still wanted to come."
"I can not believe I am hearing this. Is this the same Marnak, priest of Kord, who went against Olgyu's tribe because they did not like fae? What is different here from there? Have you taken leave of your senses, priest?"
"I am. Quit your whining and leave. Or shut up and come along. Either way we will have peace. Do not think of it as a collar, think of it as an accessory." Marnak looked smug.
Bjernu looked furious. Ameena put her hand on his shoulder. "We can take it off when we are alone. Those are the rules. We have to follow them or leave."
He turned on her. "Do not tell me you want to be collared."
"I do not." She resisted the urge to look away from him. "I also do not want to leave the group. It is only a small sacrifice."
"Of independence, yes. We will get treated like second-class persons."
She shrugged. "I am used to that."
His heart broke at that. "You should not be."
"That is the way it is. I am willing to do this."
Olgyu and Emmar looked uneasy. "Please do not do this just on our behalf," Olgyu said. "If this is the only way, I would rather leave."
Ameena smiled. "It is no trouble, really it is not. I am not holding this against any of you. Do not feel guilty."
Bjernu looked her in the eyes. "If you really want to do this, then I will too. Just for you." He glanced at the others. "Only for you."
Ameena blushed. "Do not, not like this."
"If you can do this, then so can I." He straightened and took her hand. "Now, where is that town-hall?" He squeezed Ameena's hand reassuringly.
"The guards said it was this way." Marnak pointed in the direction.
A pair of agents walked towards them. They were human, dressed in blue and carrying swords. "Excuse me sir," the woman said. "I am agent Akoenin, and this is my partner Amis. We saw the argument. Are these two bothering you?"
The man, agent Amis, walked over to Ameena and Bjernu. "You, scum. Were you bothering these people?"
Ameena put her hand on the half-elf's arm as he took a step forward. "Please, do not do anything rash."
"Listen to her. She is wise, for what she is," agent Amis said. "Answer the question, or are you so stupid that I need to repeat it?"
"They are not bothering us," Marnak told agent Akoenin. "They are with us, members of the group."
She looked suspicious. "Keep a good eye on them. You never know what they might get up to. He especially looks untrustworthy. And get them collared."
"We were on out way to city-hall. Could you tell me where it is?" Marnak asked.
"We will walk you there," agent Akoenin said. She walked to the front with Marnak. Her colleague brought up the rear, keeping a close eye on Ameena and Bjernu. They were still holding hands. Bjernu was squeezing her hand pretty tightly. It hurt but she did not say anything. She was feeling humiliated. It was a familiar feeling, but not like this. She had never been treated like dirt on this scale before. It bothered her more than it used to. She concentrated on the feel of Bjernu's hand in hers, hoping he would be able to keep his temper. Something grabbed her tail. She froze for a moment and then walked on. It was probably agent Amis, hoping to provoke her. She risked a glance at him. He laughed and grabbed her tail again, pinching it. When he let it go, she curled it up against her, out of his reach. Ameena looked at Bjernu. It did not seem that he had noticed anything. Good. She did not want him to get into trouble for attacking an agent.
They wandered past stone houses, built close together. There was little greenery, but it was not colourless. The houses were painted brightly and well-kept. The people they met paid them little attention, except for when they saw Ameena's tail. Then they stared after the group, eyes narrowed. The presence of the agents reassured them and they went on with their day. Eventually they reached city-hall. The agents escorted them in. They went up to the first floor, and stopped in front of a door marked 'Animal Control'. "Here we are," agent Akoenin said. "We will be waiting outside. She bowed. "Glad to have been of service today." She opened the door and ushered them inside. The room was dark and dank. A single oil-lamp lit the room, smoking heavily. They blinked against the gloom, and still could not make out much, apart from Ameena. She saw a small woman with a bird's nest for a hairdo sitting behind a small desk. From here she looked to be rather squat and dumpy. "What do you want?" she barked at them. "I am busy. That keeps on barging in and bothering me. Never a moment's peace around here."
"Some more light would be nice," Marnak said, peeved. "Also, we are in need of some collars."
"Ke ke ke, got some pets, have you? You have come to the right place. I am Kjerba. Where are the animals? I need to take their vitals and make sure they are healthy." There was a sickly shine to Kjerba's face, Ameena noticed. She looked like she never went outside.
"How can you do that in this darkness?" Marnak asked. "You can barely see your hand in front of your face."
"Practice, a lot of practice. My pay is low and the price of fuel is high and I have to buy my own supplies. So you adapt." The woman spat on the floor. "Bloody bureaucrats. What are you going to do about them?"
"We do have some lamps of our own. We could light your way, while we are here."
"That would be helpful. Do not think that it will change my mind in any way. I can not be bribed that easily."
"The thought had not crossed my mind. I just wanted to make your work a bit easier," Marnak said. Bjernu snorted derisively. Marnak ignored that. "Everybody, get out your lamps and help out miss Kjerba." There was much grumbling as lamps were retrieved and lit. Finally the room was brightly illuminated. It did not do much for it. The light called attention to the patches of mildew on the floor and the sagging floorboards in one corner. Kjerba sat blinking against the light.
"Well then, where are those pets?" she finally asked. She got up from behind her desk and waddled over to the group. "There is one," she said, grabbing Ameena's tail. "Mum shagged a cat, did she?"
"Oww!" Ameena yelped.
"Shut up," Kjerba said casually. "The reflexes are good, and it had a good sense of pain. Bend over and say 'Aaaaah'." Ameena bent over and opened her mouth. Kjerba grabbed her jaw and peered inside. "Got all of its own teeth. Good obedience. Stand back up and get rid of those clothes."
Ameena blushed very deeply. She could not speak, only back from Kjerba as fast as she could.
"Hey!" Bjernu said. "You can not make her do that."
"Yes, I can. They told me that I could do this. Who are you to object to how your pet gets treated?"
Marnak coughed. "He is the other one."
Kjerba nodded. "Birds of a feather...I understand. Have they been spayed?"
Olgyu had to physically restrain Bjernu from attacking Kjerba. "I will kill her!"
"Hmm, aggressive. That needs to be planned into the calculations for the exact measurements." Kjerba brightened. "Well, they are healthy."
"Calm down, Bjernu," Olgyu whispered in his ear. "You will not be of much use to us when you dead or in prison. We will kill her later. Now breathe. Calm down." He stopped struggling to get out of her grasp.
Emmar walked over to see how Ameena was doing. "Are you all right, Ameena?"
"I am, I am just shocked. This I did not expect." Ameena smiled weakly.
"Nobody would have." They continued in hushed voices.
Marnak stood alone near the desk. watching what was happening. This was much better. Now they would realise who they needed. They needed him. They needed to listen to him. He shook his head. Where did those thoughts come from? He had been having a lot recently. They were not about what he previously held precious. He valued friendship over leadership, even if he was losing the former for the latter. Who needed friendship when a strong hand was needed to make sure everything went well? If only they had listened to him, then this would not be happening. It was their own fault.
"What a concern for your pets. Now, hand them over so they can be processed," Kjerba said. "Ke ke ke, such concern," she laughed.
"Breathe," Olgyu whispered in Bjernu's ear before releasing him. He took Ameena's hand and they walked over to Kjerba.
She laughed again. "Ke ke ke, so sweet." The laughter faded. "Sit." They looked at the floor, and decided not to. They crouched down, balancing on their feet. Kjerba shrugged. "Whatever you want. Just stay there." She waddled back to her desk and opened a drawer, taking out two black contraptions. She fiddled with the buttons, making notes, checking her notes, fiddling with the buttons on the collars some more.
The pair were wobbling where they sat, but they did not complain. There would be no use. Bjernu looked at Ameena. She was red, and staring at the floor, apparently studying the patch of mildew in front of her. He touched her shoulder, and smiled at her when she looked at him. He knew she had said that she did not mind and would do this, but he wondered how the others had agreed to go through with this.
Olgyu made sure she was not leaning against the wall, and thought the same thing. Why had she agreed to this? Not that she had, she realised. People had barged on with this and she had just followed, overwhelmed and confused. Looking at Emmar she could see that the monk was thinking the same thing. She cursed. At herself. At the city. At the whole city.
"Cursing will not make me work any faster. Patience, I will be done soon," Kjerba said, not looking up from her work. She fiddled and tweaked some more. "Here we are. Now we can take proper care of your pets." She got up, took one of the collars and waddled over to Bjernu. "The aggressive one first. we would not want any trouble when its mate gets processed. Ke ke ke."
Marnak only nodded. He did not know what to say. He had only wanted them to learn a lesson. This room, Kjerba, the whole situation was getting on his nerves. He had gone too far. He felt alone. Kord help him, what had he done? He covered his face in his hands, and then looked up. This had to end, now. "No! Stop!" He strode over to Kjerba and grabbed the contraption out her hands. "You are not going to do this to them."
She looked up, furious. "Yes, I am. This is my job. These are the rules. You agreed to this. You can not back out now."
"They are not 'pets, or 'animals', or 'stains', or whatever you have come up with and want to call them. They are my friends and comrades, and they will not be humiliated and robbed of what they are by you, or anyone else here." He flung the collar against the wall.
"That is city-property. You better not have damaged it, or you will regret it," she said.
"Do I look like I care? Get up, you two. We are leaving." Marnak kept looking at Kjerba.
Bjernu looked suspiciously at the priest as he got up. He hoped Marnak was being serious.
Ameena was glad she could get up. Her legs had started to fall asleep due to her position. She refused to focus on what was happening. It was all bad.
Olgyu drew her axe and moved to the door to keep guard against one or both of the agents hearing the disturbance and coming to see what was going on. Emmar guarded her back, crossbow and loaded and at the ready. It would be her first fight. She was nervous.
"Emmar! Cover her!" Marnak addressed her, pointing at Kjerba. Emmar turned and aimed the crossbow at the woman. "Now then, we are leaving here, all of us, free and unburdened."
"You will not get far," Kjerba said. She was not afraid. She had been threatened before. "You can not with what you are travelling with. You are in the centre of the city, you will not be able to get out without attracting attention from the guards or the agents. They are very good at their jobs." Kjerba looked smug.
"So are we," Marnak said. He hit her across the head. She went down with a 'thud', lying in a heap on the floor. "Move, we will not have not long before the agents come and see what is taking so long. Get your lamps."
Emmar turned back to the door. Ameena and Bjernu collected the lamps and turned down the flames. They did not blow them out, because the nightblindness caused by this would seriously inconvenience them in any following encounter. Marnak started to drag Kjerba behind her desk. "Bjernu, a little help, please?"
The scout hurried over and took the woman's legs. Together they got her out of sight. "How long will she be out?" he asked.
"Long enough for us to be able to get out of here," the priest replied. He wiped his hands on his robes, leaving long smudges. "This place needs to be torched. Olgyu, are you ready?"
"Ready as I will ever be," she replied. She opened the door. "Hey, come here! Quick!" she called to the agents.
"What is happening?" agent Akoenin asked as they hurried inside, swords drawn. They found themselves surrounded by a group of rather irate people, all of whom had drawn their weapons.
"We are leaving," the elf dressed in robes said. "You can start by dropping your weapons." He was holding a very impressive broadsword.
"You will not get far," agent Amis said.
"That is what miss Kjerba, in charge of 'Animal Control', said as well," the elf replied. "Guess what? We will. Now drop those swords."
They dropped them, glaring at the group. Bjernu came forward and retrieved them. "Good quality. Dwarven? Strange to find that in these surroundings."
"We do recognise good metalwork when we see it. At least they have the right idea about race and blood. Have you ever heard of a half-dwarf?" agent Akoenin said.
"I heard stories about the daughter of a silver dragon and a dwarf. She is traipsing around up north," Bjernu said. "She is a weapon-master with the great-axe. I will spread the word that you were asking about her. Enough with the small talk." He lifted the manacles out of their belts. "Hands in front of you, please. Or does my friend with the crossbow have to make you?"
Emmar carefully aimed at the man. Agent Amis swallowed. "A crossbow? In here? That is dangerous and suicidal!" he squeaked.
"We are desperate. Now hold them out." He manacled them and pocketed the keys.
"Give those back!" agent Akoenin said. "Those are ours."
"That sounds familiar," Bjernu said. "Do you have relatives in banditry?"
"There is no time for reminiscing," Marnak said. "This has gone on too long. We still need to leave."
"Yes, boss." Bjernu turned back to the agents. "You heard the priest. Down on the floor."
"Have you even seen the mildew there? I am staying standing," agent Amis said.
"No, you are not," Bjernu said. He kicked out the man's legs in one sweeping motion. "You were right," he said to Ameena. "Aiming for the ankles really does work. Will you go down without a fuss?" he asked agent Akoenin. "Think carefully." She looked at the half-elf. He was looking very angry, and he was holding a sword, and he had just kicked down her colleague. Without a word she lay down next to Amis. "Good girl," Bjernu said. He bent and gagged them both, before biding their feet together. "There, all done. Let's go."
"You are the scout, go ahead," Marnak said. They opened the door, blew out and packed away their lamps, and went out. Weapons were re-sheathed, but hands were not far from them. They managed to get out without people noticing them. Bjernu walked up front. He had paid attention, and the lay-out of city-hall was straightforward. They got to the exit, standing in the doorway blinking against the light.
"Where are we going now?" Olgyu asked. "We do need a place to stay, at least until it gets dark. We can not stand here, and we can not leave the city in broad daylight."
"There is a church there," Ameena pointed out. "There is a good chance there are some unused rooms. There always are. And they will not search a church. Too much friction that will cause."
"This is the human quarter, it looks like. I have not seen any elves here, only humans. So Bjernu will not attract undue attention. That leaves us with you. Can you hide that tail?" Marnak asked Ameena. She nodded in response.
"It will make my walking a bit awkward, but I can do it." She hid her tail in her trousers. They were baggy enough to allow for that.
"Why have you never done that before?" Bjernu asked her, when they walked off to the church. "If it is that easy to hide?"
Ameena shrugged. "They still knew. People knew my parents. What good was hiding it?"
"I see. You were from one of the villages?"
"Pranz. My parents lived there until their death." She looked up. "We are almost here. We should see if there is an entrance at the back. Getting in like that would attract less attention than going in at the front."
"Have you done this before?" Bjernu asked. "You do know a lot about this."
"A benefit of a misspent youth," Ameena answered. She went round the back. The rest of the group followed here, all of them watching for signs of trouble. There were none as they got in and found an abandoned storage-room. They settled down as best they could and waited for the night to come.
