“We none of us do,” said Helena. “I care that you were together when Tintar invaded. The separation and not knowing would have been worse for you both.”
“Yes, it would,” River said, her usually eager face pinched.
Quinn set her fork down. “I am grateful for the five of you,” she said, looking at the rest of us and away from River next to her. Then drolly, she said, “There is no one with whom I would rather be kidnapped.”
Helena let out a titter of pure levity that was more than just due to the wine oft served with dinner. She covered her mouth and leaned into me, continuing to laugh.
I glanced over to the Procurers and noticed most of them watching, Thatcher’s eyes alight as he watched her mirth. I put my arm around her shoulders and smiled at Quinn. “I agree.”
That night in the dormitories, our mood shifted from blithesome to frantic. The six of them had been allotted small chests that fit under their beds. When River, who often took her Tallowgill at night with some water, looked inside her chest, she could not find her Tallowgill jar. We were a week from the next moon’s pay and Quinn said she did not want River to go a full ten days without the medicine. Her seizure the night of our first bath in Nyossa had been bad. I had not witnessed it, but Quinn reminded River that she had bitten her tongue.
“Where could it be?” Quinn said, both arms in River’s wooden chest.
“I don’t know,” River cried, standing behind Quinn, peering over her shoulder. “I don’t know. Oh my gods, all your coin spent on this.” She turned to the rest of us.
“Do we have enough coin for another jar?” Mischa said, pouring her two remaining copper coins onto a pile Quinn had started with her and River’s coin.
Catrin, Helena and Maureen added to the pile. Together there was enough for one silver coin, but the Tallowgill cost two.
I had been working lavender into my unbraided hair and I felt such guilt at my spending my remaining copper on it. “Let me ask Alric.”
All of them looked to me.
“The worst he can do is say no,” I said, standing up from my seat on Helena’s bed. I handed her my tin cup of wine. “Give me time. I may have to track him down.”
56. Apothecary
I left the dormitory and crossed the stairwell landing to the officers’ hall. I knocked on my bedroom door but there was no answer. I opened the door and confirmed the room was empty, noticing the chair from the desk was missing. I thought I heard voices from behind Thatcher’s door. I knocked on the door and the voices fell quiet.
“Who is it?” called Thatcher.
I cringed. I was in an awkward position having to ask Alric for coin. I did not want the secondary discomfort of having to ask his friends for his whereabouts. “It is Edie.”
The door swung open to reveal my husband, a tin cup in one hand. Behind him, in a room similar to ours but without windows, at a desk pulled to the center of the room, sat Thatcher, Perch, Anwyn and Arbis. Each of them also had a tin cup. A deck of fortuneteller’s cards had been dealt to each man and a collection of copper coins sat in the center of the desk. I noted that one of the chairs was likely our chair. At first I thought them reading their fortunes to each other, but remembered that the deck could be used to play a gambling game called straw man’s revenge.
“Good evening, sister,” Anwyn called, holding up his cup.
“Edith?” Alric asked when I did not say anything.
Before I could open my mouth, Arbis said “How goes it, my brother’s bride?”
“Come play some straw man with us,” Anwyn invited.
Perch and Thatcher were watching Alric watching me.
I gathered myself. “Please forgive my interruption,” I said, directing this at the four other men, but to my husband, I said, “May I speak with you in the hall?”
“You can kiss him in front of us,” Arbis wheedled.
“Don’t tease her,” Anwyn chided. “She has enough to put up with, married to him.”
Alric’s nostrils flared and his ears reddened. He nodded at me and closed the door behind him, stepping into the hallway, following my backwards steps.
“I am sorry,” I began.
He frowned. “Do not apologize. What do you need?”
I swallowed, wishing I could better know his disposition. “You know that River has seizures?”
