A Rock and a Heart Place (gxg)

Chapter 16

After two days, the city was operating relatively normally. Slaves mostly went about doing the work that they had been, though now they would earn money for it. Many of the troops that had come up from Southington were helping, and money from the coffers of the trading clans had been spread out among the people. It was a new way to live, but with nobody being whipped or sold, the people were happy to get used to it. For some people, they had no real trade, so they were learning one. This was especially true of those in the pleasure houses who had never been taught anything but how to use their bodies. Some of them were so overjoyed about the changes that they couldn't stop crying.

The older councilman from Southington who had taken Medya's truthstone was working as an advisor to the city, using the truthstone to interrogate people who had surrendered to determine if they could be trusted. If they were part of a clan, and they couldn't be trusted, they were executed. If they weren't part of a clan, they were sent north out of the city. They could live, but they couldn't stay. Quite a few normal citizens who were just tradesmen stayed. They had no love for the clans, as at any time they could have been seized under a false pretense and be sold themselves. To them, they now had their pick of new apprentices ready to learn a trade, and a grateful citizenry who wanted to finally learn to live their lives.

It would take time, but they would find a way.

Inez and Medya didn't see any of this. Medya was confined to a bed in the inn, her shoulder bandaged and Inez at her side tending to her every need. She had been so angry that she had almost lost the woman that she felt was her future that she scolded her the entire time that she was asleep when Liana carried her to the inn. But once the Kittani woke up, Inez couldn't stop kissing her and crying while telling her over and over how much she loved her. Katja just laughed at her, knowing that she would never stay mad at the cat girl.

"We have to go meet Hudd." Medya pointed out on the third morning after her injury. Inez was holding her hand while sitting next to her in a chair. Medya continued to recuperate, but her left arm wasn't going to be usable in a fight for several more days.

"Not until you're better, he can wait," Inez replied.

Medya just shook her head. "No. Every day we wait means he can find out who just took over the city and he could ride out to attack us. We need to take him fast. We don't really even need a big army. We could just sneak into the city and kill him. I'm sure you know all the secrets in the castle."

Inez thought about that for a while. If she was going to wait until Medya was better, they wouldn't be facing Hudd for over a week including travel time. But if they left now, they had a chance to get there before he was ready. "I'll ask Liana and her crew if they want to come. I can have Nahmia come as well, and Katja will go where we go. That should be enough to get us there if we look like traders. Then once we're near the castle we can sneak in if you can do that invisible trick."

Medya smiled over at her. She was feeling guilty that Inez was thinking more about her injury than the throne, when right now they needed to ensure the safety of an entire country, not just her. "Go talk to Liana, I'll be fine. But then tomorrow morning we leave."

Inez laughed softly at her recovering friend and then gave her a kiss on the forehead as she snuggled up in the blankets. "I love you Medya, I'll be back soon."

"I love you too, my queen."

Inez went off to find Liana, and as soon as Medya heard the door close, she opened her eyes. With a quick grin, she slipped on her clothes, and then went out the back of the inn. She had a quick errand to run.

Liana wasn't hard to find. All her crew had taken up quarters in the inn with Katja and Nahmia, and they had become fast friends. Currently they were out in the street teaching Katja how to use weapons, and she had a look of concentration while she was stabbing a practice dummy.