Broken Earth Page 19

  Quite all of her life, Heidi had been in the habit of taking rather long evening walks, as something of a mode in which she released those excess emotions which came to exert a heavy, and almost physical, toll upon her body and mind. Naturally, upon coming to Delvare, she fell into this same daily routine; and very much enjoyed herself in those first weeks, as she undertook to explore all that town and its surrounding land.

  It became something of a nightly ritual, directly after supper, that all four women would take to the fields and the dirt roads about the house. And it was on one of these excursions, what had run somewhat longer than usual, that they received the first sign of their new business.

  They had ventured round about some low hills, whose floor was one of grass and sand, and on two sides of which there rose tall walls of rock. Heidi, Jade and Josephine kept to the footpath that ran through the narrow ravine to the left of the hills; but Dera took a rather extreme turn to the right, and began to creep along the Northern rock wall. There came a strange look of concentration upon her face. She pressed both of her palms to the rock, and tilted her head so that she might put her ear to it, as well.

  When the others asked her what she did, she only spoke for silence, and went on with her odd procedure. So they stood, quiet and still, for many minutes upon the footpath, waiting for her to reveal something to them.

  When finally she turned from the rock, and returned to her friends, her revelation was even more peculiar than any of them had expected. She told them, that as she walked along the path, she heard an inexplicable sound, what seemed to originate from the wall of rock. So she made over to it; and when she pressed her ear to the rock, she heard something that quite resembled a deep heartbeat, somewhere behind the wall.

  She talked of it for many days. The others grew exasperated with her, and begged her to forget what she had heard; for surely it amounted to nothing at all. Yet she would not put it to rest.

  Now, Heidi did possess a few specialised tools, given to her by John Skyler. These tools she had made use of, on trips she had taken with some of the artisan’s suppliers, to mine for precious metals. So angry had she been at her release, she had of course never considered returning them. And so, after the incident of the mysterious heartbeat, Dera fell to beseeching Heidi the use of her tools, as well as her limited expertise. Heidi grew so tired of it, that finally she agreed to the thing, if only to quiet Dera.

  The four friends set off one afternoon from home, hauling a wagon behind them filled with Heidi’s tools. They came again to the rock wall, and with a bit of instruction from Heidi, began a shallow excavation.

  It was not long at all, before the wall gave way to a low cave, what had been blocked up with many years of sediment. Everyone looked in amazement at Dera; but she only shrugged.

  Heidi set a light glowing in the cave, and crept inside it, pick-axe in hand. She looked all about; and after a little examination, discovered a familiar sheen in the left wall of the cave. She took her axe to it, and was soon confronted with an impressive amount silver ore.

  Thoroughly astounded, she hurried from the cave (and in the process of her excitement, struck her head against the low roof of the place, and was rendered unconscious; after which she was mended by Dera, and was able to reveal the news of what she had found).

  And so it seemed, that Dera Black had the ability to locate certain minerals within the crusts of the earth. Having lived all of her life in a city environment, she had no knowledge of it; but became soon aware of it, in the wooded countryside that was Delvare.

  Heidi fell to teaching the others in the occupation of mining. Together they excavated the cave of silver ore; and when they had collected all there was to be found, Heidi contacted her old nemesis, John Skyler, with a handsome offer.

  They fell quick into business with the man. Dera located the metals; and all four women took to work, to dig them from their ancient homes. Heidi, who was familiar with the industry, and well aware of fair compensation for valuable metals, negotiated all transactions with Skyler (as well as with several other prominent artisans, who quickly became aware of her reputation, and desired her services). She and her small company came to be called, in commercial circles, “The Mining Women of Delvare” – and it grew into quite a gainful employment.

  But to return to the presently described April morning, both Heidi and Jade rose up off the blanket in the yard, and started off towards the stable, in which was locked the delivery of ore.

  “I think, perhaps,” said Jade, “that we can make this a trip of just the two of us. It’s not a particularly large load. Why not leave Dera and Jo to their cooking?”

  “You’ll hear no complaint from me,” said Heidi, fishing a key from her pocket with which to open the stable. “We can save the expense of two heads at the inn.”

  “Almost like a holiday,” said Jade with a smile. “And there’s no reason, you know, why we should have to come back right away.”

  “A couple of days at the inn, you mean?”

  “And why not?”

  “I can’t think of a single reason,” said Heidi, who leaned in to bestow a kiss upon Jade.

  ~

  That time described above existed somewhere between the beginning, and the beginning of the end. It was about two years after our young women met, and three years before their futures became so uncertain, that thinking of them was almost painful.

  The very beginning is already known, though the remainder of the process of their coming together has not been explained. Perhaps we should start – or continue – from there.

  ~

  It was just the right time of night for the tavern to be full to bursting. Turning into the wide dirt lot of Rúmen’s House of Spirits, they could all see the men hanging out of the door, and the heads sticking out of the windows. There was loud howling, and catcalls to the women, followed by rude suggestions and obscene gestures.

  “Nice place you directed us to,” said Dera to Heidi.

  “Needless to say,” said Heidi, puffing up her chest, “I have never been here at this time of night. I’ve never been here at all, for that matter.”

  “If you’ve never been here, how did you know that it was here?”

  “That’s an idiotic question. I’ve never gone inside – but I can still read signs as I pass them.”

  Dera scowled. Jade grinned.

  “I don’t know about this place,” said David. “I don’t think we should go inside.”

  “What’s the matter, brother?” asked Jade. “Can’t you handle a few drunken fools?”

  “It’s not that I can’t – but why should I have to? It’s silliness.”

  Jade moved near to Heidi, so that she could slide an unconscious Josephine (whose name, of course, was as of yet known to none of them; and so she should rather be referred to as only, “the unconscious girl”) onto her horse. “Hold this, will you?” she said with a smile.

  “Don’t you dare, sister,” warned David.

  Jade got down from her horse, and started for the door to the tavern. “But I’m so thirsty, brother!” she called over her shoulder.

  “Curse it all, Jade!” said David, dismounting to run after his sister.

  It was just at that moment, when the formerly unmoving and unconscious girl, began to stir. She opened her eyes, and reached up to hold the back of her head, wincing and blinking slowly.

  “Where am I?” she asked softly, starting at the sight of Heidi.

  “You’ve had a bit of an accident,” Heidi proffered.

  “An accident? What are you talking about?” She tried to get down from the horse, but Heidi held her arm. “I have to get back, don’t you see? I’m going to be in terrible trouble.”

  “I don’t think you need worry about that anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her eyes were wide as saucers.

  “I promise I’ll explain,” said Heidi (though she was not in fact much looking forward to it). “For now, though – let’s only
find out what’s to be done here. All right?”

  “All right,” the girl said simply. “But I do wish I knew what was going on.”

  “To be honest,” said Heidi, “so do I.”

  David had caught Jade up by both arms, and was trying to drag her back to the horses. She shook him in an instant, and ran a little ways away from him, laughing loudly.

  “This isn’t a game, sister! Come on, now – quit your playing.”

  “But I’m having fun,” said Jade. “Don’t go spoiling my fun, Davie boy!”

  She started to run circles around him, and though he tried to catch her, he only made himself dizzy – and fell down to the ground, right in the middle of the dust Jade had kicked up. The men at the door were laughing wildly, snorting and guffawing like slobbering pigs.

  “Give up, Davie?” asked Jade, holding out a hand to help her brother to his feet.

  “I suppose,” said David. “Just promise you’ll keep one hand on your sword – at all times.”

  “As if I knew of any other way to walk into a pub!”

  They linked arms, and made for the tavern. They gestured for the others to follow.

  “I suppose we had better go with them,” said Dera. “It’s better to stay close, in a place like this.”

  Heidi sighed miserably, but got down from Breaker all the same. She helped the girl down, and then held out an arm to support her, as they walked into the tavern.

  Just as she was thinking, that that particular tavern seemed not to be the best place to take a person who had only recently been unconscious, another thought occurred to Heidi. For the first time, she thought to ask the girl:

  “What’s your name?”

  “Josephine,” the girl answered. “And who are you?”

  “My name is Heidi.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, I suppose,” said Josephine. And with that strange introduction, Heidi, Josephine and Dera went to stand with Jade and David, whom they had spotted at the bar. They were ordering a round of ales.

  “Don’t you think that we should bring her somewhere to rest?” said Heidi to Jade, gesturing to Josephine.

  “She will be fine, Heidi. It won’t hurt her to get a little of this down her gullet.” She passed a mug to Josephine. “This should liven you right up, sweetheart.”

  Josephine looked at the mug she was holding, and then raised her eyes to Jade. She glanced questioningly at Heidi, who still held her by the arm.

  “It’s all right,” said Heidi. But then she looked around the tavern and added, “At least I think it is.”

  “Loosen up, woman!” said Jade, taking Heidi’s free arm, and leading her to an empty table by the door. The women sat down in the four seats positioned around it, while David went to search for another.

  By the time he returned, Jade and Dera had emptied their mugs. (Heidi and Josephine had yet to even touch theirs.)

  “Do you mind fetching another round, brother?”

  “Why don’t you go and get it? I haven’t even sat down yet.”

  “That’s the point! I’ve already made myself comfortable.”

  “Oh, all right,” David grumbled, disappearing once again into the loud, smoky throng.

  “I’m so very confused,” said Josephine, to no one at all in particular.

  “Don’t worry about that for now,” Jade said kindly. “Just relax, why don’t you? There’s nothing to do but be.”

  “What exactly does that mean?” Josephine asked politely.

  Jade laughed. “Just drink your drink, darling.”

  Josephine looked down silently into her ale.

  A man had already asked Dera to dance, and despite the absence of music, she had gone trotting off with him into the middle of the room. Josephine had nothing to say, seeing as she had no idea either where or why she was – and Heidi was just looking out of the window, wondering how she had come to be in that place, with those people whom she barely knew.

  She emptied her glass in three gulps.

  “Well, there you go!” said Jade. “That didn’t hurt so badly, did it?”

  Heidi glared at her, but she only laughed again.

  “Such cynicism and poor attitude would irritate me in anyone else,” she said. “But there’s something about it in you that just – well, I don’t know. It’s almost endearing.”

  “Endearing?” echoed Heidi, feeling a faint flush spread across her cheeks. Whether or not it was from the ale, she was not entirely sure.

  “I said almost,” Jade repeated. Her grin was quite mischievous.

  “Well, that makes all the difference,” Heidi said, reaching for the glass that David was suddenly handing to her. She kept her eyes turned away from Jade after that, for no real reason other than the fact that she did not like the feeling that looking at her inspired in the bottom of her stomach.

  Dera was twirling round the bar from fellow to fellow, accepting the drinks that they offered her and becoming louder by the minute. She was quite at the other end of the room, but Heidi could hear nearly every word she spoke. A few choice phrases came to mind as she listened – but she thought it wisest to keep them to herself.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt anyone’s fun,” Josephine said meekly, “but I really would like to know how I came to be here.”

  She looked at Heidi. “And I’d like to know why you said what you said, as well.”

  “What did I say?”

  “You said that I need not worry about my trouble. But you see, I still am terribly worried, and I won’t be able to be anything else – until someone tells me what’s going on.” She gave a small, timid smile, apparently feeling that she had been too bold. “Please,” she added.

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, sweetheart,” Jade began, “but I’m afraid that you’ve lost your place with Josef Falimer.”

  Josephine’s eyes grew so round, they seemed about to pop from her head. But she only listened quietly, as Jade recounted the incident at the market, their meeting with Falimer, and the loss of said man’s hand.

  Josephine pushed away her untouched drink, and dropped her head down to the table.

  Heidi put a hand on her back. “It will be all right,” she said, trying to sound confident of the fact.

  “How?”

  “Well, I suppose – oh, I really couldn’t tell you right now. But I promise that we will help you to figure it out.” She glanced at Jade and said pointedly: “Won’t we?”

  “Oh, of course,” said Jade quickly, nodding at Josephine reassuringly.

  “I think maybe I’ll drink this now,” said Josephine unhappily, taking up her ale once again.

  She drained it without even appearing to have swallowed.

  “Well, then!” said David, passing her another.

  She emptied that one even more quickly; and then reached for Heidi’s, and drank that one, too.

  “All right, now,” said Heidi, staying Josephine’s hand, as she stretched her fingers towards David’s nearly-full glass. The others only laughed – and then David gave his drink to her, anyway.

  “She’s going to make herself sick,” said Heidi in a scolding tone, taking the glass away from her.

  “I really don’t think that that’s my biggest concern right now,” said Josephine, who was speaking far more loudly now. She took the drink back from Heidi, and added, “If it’s all the same to you.”

  Jade and David continued to laugh.

  “What’s the matter with you people?” Heidi asked, looking to Jade in particular.

  “What did we do?” she returned, seeming really not to know.

  “Oh, never mind,” said Heidi, taking Jade’s glass and passing it to the waiting Josephine.

  ~

  Being closest to it, they all went that night to Heidi’s rented room. Old Mrs Flebott watched in astonishment, as the five of them came through the door and marched up the stairs. Her eyes were fixed especially on David. Heidi only looked away, hoping that she would not say anything – for if she did, He
idi would have absolutely no idea how to answer.

  She followed them up the stairs, and then squeezed through to the front of the group, so that she might unlock the door. She moved aside to let them enter; but then dashed back down the steps, and out the door.

  The night air was cool, but pleasant still. Heidi sat herself down on the stoop, looked up at the sky, and then back down to the ground. She was very tired, but felt that there was no way she could sleep. She had failed, once again, to complete the task assigned her by Skyler. How would she explain herself?

  She heard no footsteps behind, and so was rather startled when someone sat down beside her. Yet before she even glanced over, she somehow knew (or perhaps simply hoped) that it was Jade.

  Her face was turned up to the sky. Heidi could not see her eyes, but could see very well the silver sheen of the moon upon her long, red hair. She could see the perfect, pale skin of the side of her face; and she could see the corner of her mouth where her lips made an angle, pink and soft.

  It took her a few moments to realise that she was staring. When she finally did, she looked away quickly and stared at her feet, trying to make it seem as though they were what she had been looking at all along. But Jade did not turn her attention to the side for some time – and when she did glance at Heidi, it was clear that she had not noticed her staring at all.

  “Not a bad view of the stars,” she said. “I imagine that you sit out here quite often.”

  Heidi lifted a palm to rest her head upon, trying to use her fingers to cover part of her face. She felt almost like she wanted to hide.

  “Not often,” she answered. “I’m usually so tired when I return, I only want to look upon them through my little window.”

  “You work hard for that man,” said Jade. “But you get very little in return.”

  Though Heidi did in fact spend most of her time regretting the path she had chosen (and the paltry benefits which that path yielded), at that moment she felt the need to justify herself.