Chapter Three
The night was cool, which suited Kellis just fine, as her pulse continued to race. What just happened? It's like her and her sister turned into different people. She's never felt such a longing before, and the feeling only kept growing. Even now she can taste her sister's toes in her mouth, which should be disgusting, but she knows she would do it again in a heartbeat, given the chance. She aches for it.
"Gods! Get a grip on yourself Kellis! You have important things going on", she mentally screams at herself. Someone in the council of Felutia has it in for her, and she needs to find out who, and why, before matters get even worse. Perhaps she should bring it up with Lord Prongald? But how would that look, the spymaster not even able to care for her own intelligence. No, she needs to find this on her own, and put an end to it.
A little little exercise and the night air will do her good, she tells herself as she slips silently through the city streets. Some practice with her stealth as well; she is almost certain to need it in the coming days.
Even in the middle of the night, the streets are never quite empty in a city like High Felutia, so Kellis makes a game of avoiding their detection. A man hurries by here and there, intent on their destination. A couple walks closely together, hand in hand, out for a romantic evening stroll. A drunk staggers along some distance behind them, muttering to himself and sloshing booze on the cobblestones. Kellis watches with amusement for a moment, then her eyes narrow. His stumbling and staggering seems a bit too forced, as he gains on the couple. When his hand slips inside his coat, a glint of steel can be seen; the couple are about to have an unpleasant night, if not a fatal one. Kellis sighs and slips from her cover to cut off the man.
"I think you've had enough, my friend," she says as she emerges from darkness to block his path. "Come, let me help you get home."
"Out of my way, bitch," the man snarls, his fist gripping the blade inside his coat tighter, and moving to go around her.
"But sir, wouldn't you like a bite to eat? I know an inn that serves all night, and they make delicious meat pies," she says as she again deftly blocks his path.
"I said out of my way!" he shouts, and out comes the blade, slicing for her throat. Kellis casually leans back, dodging the blow while she hears the woman of the couple scream behind her. She side-steps and snaps her foot out, kicking the man in the side of the knee and making him stumble.
"Oh, you had more than just strong drink planned for the night I see. Thought you'd add a little murder. I'm sure the guards will want to hear all about it," she says casually, watching his knife hand as he gathers himself. He lunges for her again, and this time her own blade is out in a flash, blade glowing faintly green as it deflects his thrust, and her leg snaps up again, kicking him in the stomach, making him double over with the wind knocked out of him. She then grabs his wrist and twists, and his blade goes clanking onto the street, and she kicks him onto his back, her blade at his throat, just pricking it lightly.
"That's all the chances you'll get tonight. Continue to aggravate me and you'll suffer worse than a kick to the stomach. Now don't move, you're going to the nearest guard post," she says as she sheaths her blade and pulls a chord from her pouch to bind the mans hands.
"Like hell I am!" the man shouts and starts scrambling away, making it to his feet and running after a few steps. Kellis sighs, and with a shake of her head she's off, gaining on him in moments. Just before she reaches him she leaps in the air, kicking him in the back, square between the shoulders. He tumbles forward, smacking his face against the cobblestones, leaving his nose a bloody mess, and momentarily unconscious. She quickly binds his arms behind his back before he groggily comes to. Once he's clear enough to remember what happened he starts to struggle and squirm.
"Let me go! Who the fuck are you??" he screams, trying to get to his feet again. She kicks him down once more, making him thump onto his bottom.
"No one of consequence. You'll be meeting the guards tonight, though, and if you don't stop trying to run I'm going to break both of your legs. Now be still." This makes him stop moving, looking up at her with rage and fear.
"You.... you saved us!" she hears behind her, and turns to see the girl from the couple, gaping wide eyed at her, and at the man at her feet.
"It was nothing. Be careful walking about at night. Felutia is generally pretty safe, but there's still scum like this one lurking about from time to time." She kicks the mans leg for emphasis.
"I... I know.. we had a later night than expected at my cousins, and well, Hammel went to go get the guard.
Kellis nods, "Very good, I'll wait here till they arrive."
"Where did you learn to fight like that? That was....that was amazing!"
"You just have to spend your entire life practicing, and you can do it too," Kellis laughs. Plus some magical augmentation, but Kellis neglects to mention that.
They wait for a while, making small talk, Kellis keeping an eye on the disgruntled criminal, until finally the guards arrive and haul the man off. The couple thanks her profusely, offering reward money (not that they have much) which Kellis refuses. They part ways and Kellis goes back to her routine of stalking the shadows, but nothing else of interest happens for the rest of the night. She makes her way back home, still unsure about what happened with her sister, still with no idea how she should handle it. She peeks in, and Elixia is fast asleep, so Kellis retreats to the main room and sprawls out on her couch, and is soon asleep as well. Her dreams are odd and haunting, and not without a touch of the erotic.
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Kellis awakens to birds chirping happily, the sun blazing through her windows already high in the sky. Her late night means she slept late, and a quick check shows her sister already gone. She strips and goes to the wash basin, still full with cool water and scrubs up, then finds clean underclothes and gets dressed; her usual outfit of her soft leathers and various accessories.
She finds a note from her sister that reads: 'Kel, going to meet with Calin. He has someone he wants me to meet. Didn't want to wake you, see you tonight.'
Someone to meet? What's that all about? She shrugs and leaves the note on the counter. She has her own things to look into today.
She headed out into the bright summer day, the sun already past noon, but with the cool breeze the day was pleasant enough. She made sure to stroll extra casual along the streets, stopping frequently to check out this or that, all the while searching for another tail. So far nothing. She made her way to the marketplace and decided to stock up on groceries, selecting a variety of fruits and vegetables, some salted meats, cheese and two large loaves of bread. With her bags full she decided to head home and put it all away, and still could find no sign of someone following.
With her shelves full to bursting (she wanted to stock up as she had a guest now), she decided to try the streets one more time, this time heading for the merchants quarter. One shop catches her eye, a clothing store filled with what to her untrained eye would call rather lovely finery. She's not much for dresses and skirts, but one dress catches her eye. A light pink thing, with a deep neckline and embroidered with flowers and butterflies. So girly! She can just picture some of her colleagues guffawing at her wearing it. But she was a girl, why can't she? Perhaps El would find her pretty in it? She blushes at the thought as her fingers caress the soft, fine fabric.
"Lovely piece, isn't it Miss?" a rather portly woman says with a big smile, taking the dress and holding it up against Kellis. "Ahh yes, with just a few minor alterations, it would fit you perfectly. You'll be catching all the boys eyes in this, I can promise you," she smiles some more, giving a conspiratorial nod.
Kellis blushes again, not at all used to this sort of interaction. She hasn't bought clothes for herself in, well, ever really, relying first on her parents, then the store rooms of the city. "Umm, yes, I suppose it is, but I don't know if it's for me...." she hedges.
"Nonsense!" declares the shopkeeper, "this color will match that gorgeous red hair of yours perfectly!" She reaches out and pets one of Kellis' flowing locks in a motherly sort of fashion. "Would you like to try it on? I have a changing room in the back."
"Umm, no. I'll take it," she declares on a sudden impulse.
"Excellent!" declares the woman. "Just let me get your measurements and I can have it ready for you in, oh, a few days? Wait right here." The woman hurries off and returns with a tape measure, and proceeds to get the measure of her bust, waist, hips, etc. "Very good. Now, you just come back, say, the day after tomorrow, and it will be ready. A mere three sovereigns, you won't find better prices anywhere in the city, of that I can assure you!"
Kellis nods, still in a bit of a daze, and promises her return. She exits the shop feeling a bit giddy. Well, that was certainly interesting! She's faced down killers and thugs countless times, but a motherly shopkeeper, that's a whole other story.
She decides to continue looking for her stalkers, and this time just walk right past the council building at a slow, deliberate pace. Still nothing. She shakes her head; it's a good bet they know she's on to them, whoever they are, as she slipped their last tail with ease. She doubts very highly, however, that whoever is behind this will give up so easily. They'll just try to be sneakier about it; she'll have to make sure to stay extra sharp.
