law? Our men can't even go into the city—you should know! We all have to hide or the Empire takes us! Marries us off, conscripts us—”
“ You jus’ said you people get married or volunteer y’selves. What’s the problem?”
Her hands clenched around her mug, and for a moment he thought she would fling it at him. There was a flinty gleam in her eyes that did not go away, even when she forced herself to relax. “It’s not freedom if you don’t have a choice,” she said through her teeth.
“Y'could leave.”
“ This is my home! —Wait. Did you just call us heretics?”
Cob flinched. Somehow he could not control his tongue when it came to that word. At least the dining room had cleared out somewhat; there were a few women knitting on a couch while several trainees ate at another table, but no one was close or visibly paying attention. Fumbling for an excuse, he glanced to Arik—who had finished licking the plates clean and now watched him with sad, disappointed eyes—then back to Fiora. “Uh,” he said, “from the Empire’s perspective…”
Her eyes narrowed, then widened in horror. “That’s why you want the Guardian out? You’re a—“
“ Wait, wait, listen,” he said, holding his hands up defensively. She glared at him but paused. In a lower voice, he continued, “Yeah, I’m of the Light. But I’m not your enemy, all right? If I was, I wouldn’t be here, I’d be on the pilgrimage. I jus’ wanna be free too.”
For a long moment she just stared at him. Then she sighed and planted her chin in her palm again, skepticism written clearly on her face. “Fine. The wards let you in, so you have no ill intent. But you’re crazy. Carrying the Guardian and you can’t get it through your head that the Imperial Light is trouble?”
“The Imperial Light ended the Long Darkness—”
She laughed shortly. “So the stories say, but that was what? Two hundred years ago? Who remembers that? Who can say if it really happened, or if it’s just some legend the Emperor spread around to make himself look good? You said you’re from Kerrindryr, right? That means you’re not a proper Imperial. You don’t live in the Heartlands, you don’t know—“
“Fine, I don’t know, all right? I don’t wanna fight.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded curtly. “Right. Well. Look, it’ll probably take a while for them to set up for the cleansing and get Sister Merrow back. I can take you the guest area so you can nap…”
Next to Cob, Arik nodded vigorously, then unleashed a massive yawn.
Cob shrugged. He felt irritable now, and far from tired. Even if he had been exhausted he did not know if he could sleep in a heretic place.
“Or I could show you around,” said Fiora. “If you’re bored.”
He took in the bland expression on her broad, rosy face and scowled. “Y’don’t have to be my watchdog.”
“Are you sure?”
Arik heaved from the bench and hauled him up by one arm before he could speak. “Go. See the sights,” the skinchanger said, smiling widely, and nudged him around the table toward Fiora. “I will find a place to sleep.”
“Two chambers north, then one east,” said Fiora, pointing.
The big skinchanger nodded to her, thumped Cob on the back, then ambled off in that direction. Cob glared after him, face heating; from what Arik had been saying before, he could guess what ‘sights’ he meant.
Not gonna happen , he thought as he turned to the girl. She planted her hands on her hips and stared up at him as if calculating how best to take him down, then cracked a smile.
“ Come on,” she said. “Let’s see if we can’t educate you about the Empire.”
“ Jus’ kill me now,” he mumbled. She grinned and grabbed his arm, and with great reluctance, he let himself be led onward.
*****
By the time the tour ended, Cob was ready to leave. To what
“ You jus’ said you people get married or volunteer y’selves. What’s the problem?”
Her hands clenched around her mug, and for a moment he thought she would fling it at him. There was a flinty gleam in her eyes that did not go away, even when she forced herself to relax. “It’s not freedom if you don’t have a choice,” she said through her teeth.
“Y'could leave.”
“ This is my home! —Wait. Did you just call us heretics?”
Cob flinched. Somehow he could not control his tongue when it came to that word. At least the dining room had cleared out somewhat; there were a few women knitting on a couch while several trainees ate at another table, but no one was close or visibly paying attention. Fumbling for an excuse, he glanced to Arik—who had finished licking the plates clean and now watched him with sad, disappointed eyes—then back to Fiora. “Uh,” he said, “from the Empire’s perspective…”
Her eyes narrowed, then widened in horror. “That’s why you want the Guardian out? You’re a—“
“ Wait, wait, listen,” he said, holding his hands up defensively. She glared at him but paused. In a lower voice, he continued, “Yeah, I’m of the Light. But I’m not your enemy, all right? If I was, I wouldn’t be here, I’d be on the pilgrimage. I jus’ wanna be free too.”
For a long moment she just stared at him. Then she sighed and planted her chin in her palm again, skepticism written clearly on her face. “Fine. The wards let you in, so you have no ill intent. But you’re crazy. Carrying the Guardian and you can’t get it through your head that the Imperial Light is trouble?”
“The Imperial Light ended the Long Darkness—”
She laughed shortly. “So the stories say, but that was what? Two hundred years ago? Who remembers that? Who can say if it really happened, or if it’s just some legend the Emperor spread around to make himself look good? You said you’re from Kerrindryr, right? That means you’re not a proper Imperial. You don’t live in the Heartlands, you don’t know—“
“Fine, I don’t know, all right? I don’t wanna fight.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded curtly. “Right. Well. Look, it’ll probably take a while for them to set up for the cleansing and get Sister Merrow back. I can take you the guest area so you can nap…”
Next to Cob, Arik nodded vigorously, then unleashed a massive yawn.
Cob shrugged. He felt irritable now, and far from tired. Even if he had been exhausted he did not know if he could sleep in a heretic place.
“Or I could show you around,” said Fiora. “If you’re bored.”
He took in the bland expression on her broad, rosy face and scowled. “Y’don’t have to be my watchdog.”
“Are you sure?”
Arik heaved from the bench and hauled him up by one arm before he could speak. “Go. See the sights,” the skinchanger said, smiling widely, and nudged him around the table toward Fiora. “I will find a place to sleep.”
“Two chambers north, then one east,” said Fiora, pointing.
The big skinchanger nodded to her, thumped Cob on the back, then ambled off in that direction. Cob glared after him, face heating; from what Arik had been saying before, he could guess what ‘sights’ he meant.
Not gonna happen , he thought as he turned to the girl. She planted her hands on her hips and stared up at him as if calculating how best to take him down, then cracked a smile.
“ Come on,” she said. “Let’s see if we can’t educate you about the Empire.”
“ Jus’ kill me now,” he mumbled. She grinned and grabbed his arm, and with great reluctance, he let himself be led onward.
*****
By the time the tour ended, Cob was ready to leave. To what
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