Her cheeks flushed. She hoped he wouldn’t think she was taking any of this for granted. She had intended to repay him, before she realized that she had lost the coins. Though even a brick of solid gold wouldn’t be enough for most people to aid a runaway sorcerer.
“I’m sorry. I thought I had money to pay you back, but I don’t.” She bowed her head. How pathetic she must seem to him.
Cain didn’t answer. He went over and sat in one of the two chairs in the small room. Arienne sat down opposite him.
“When I first came here to the Capital,” said Cain, “I was twelve. I couldn’t speak the language. The man I came with had left me to fend for myself… If my—” His voice faltered for a moment. “If Fienna hadn’t helped me then, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”
“Who is she?”
“A woman, about five years older than me… And kind.Feigere. Arleshe.You remind me of her a little.” Arlandais had crept into his Imperial.
“Your girlfriend?” She immediately regretted asking him.
“No.”
“Just a friend then?” Why did her mouth insist on asking these questions, she wondered.
“Yes. She died. I’m trying to find out who killed her.”
Arienne nodded. There was no tea to sip or biscuit to nibble to punctuate the silence. But this was not an easy topic of conversation to maintain.
As if reading her mind, Cain changed the subject. “Have you thought of where you might go?”
“Anywhere. I’m a sorcerer, so… I think I can manage wherever I go.”
That was not true. She did not know any sorcery that could protect her, especially from the dogged manhunt of the Office that would inevitably ensue. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell Cain that she needed even more help, for the fear that he might give it.
Eldred was still silent. She was glad he wasn’t whispering to kill Cain before he could sell her out to the Empire.
“Well, it’s just that some years ago I had a friend who was hired to help a runaway sorcerer… I’d assisted him with it. I think I understand what’s involved.”
Oh.She nodded.
“It was about five years ago, but the runaway never showed up… If you don’t have a route in mind, I can tell you what we had planned for that boy back then.”
She nodded again.
“The most important matter is to leave the Imperial heartland as quickly as possible. Four days at sea and three days across Ledon on foot will bring you to Arland. But there are clearance procedures on the docks before boarding, and records are kept… If you walk the eastern roads instead, you will arrive in about a fortnight. The road isn’t that dangerous either. It took me twenty days to walk from Arland to here. I was very little then, and slow.”
“I haven’t decided if I want to go back to Arland…”
Cain shook his head. “If you speak such perfect Imperial outside of the heartland, you will attract attention. Unless you speak a third language fluently, hiding in Arland will be the safest for you. What’s more…” He smiled. “I went to Fienna’s funeral today and heard a very interesting story. There’s someone claiming to be a princess of Arland who is fighting the occupying legion there. They say she was sent by the dragon and wields a flaming sword.”
Arland’s last king had died some years before Arienne was born. He had left no progeny from what she could recall, but had a daughter been hidden away all this time? Arienne imagined a young woman wearing a golden crown and shining armor, riding a dragon as she held aloft a fiery sword. In Arienne’s imagination, the princess resembled herself.
“If she continues to do well, the Empire will be too busy to concern itself with a mere rogue sorcerer.”
That made sense; what few runaway sorcerers there were would benefit from the Empire having something other than them to occupy its attention.
Cain named a string of passes, roads, inns, and villages, where she should go and where she should avoid. Arienne committed all of them to memory. It seemed that the sorcerer Cain had mentioned had also tried to run away to Arland or Kamori. Since that was five years ago, she knew why he likely hadn’t shown up—he must have been that skeleton in the basement of the Academy.
“Thank you.”
“And…” A shadow crossed his face. “Not to say I expect a favor in return, but I do have some questions for you.”
Arienne straightened her back, her face attentive.
“How strong is a Class Four Power generator?”
