Chapter 18

It was Sunnudag evening, and I was sitting with Frode in the darkened herbal shop. Linnea and I had come to the shop again this morning, called a doctor there who had then alerted the city police and, by afternoon, the caretaker had taken the body away for the funeral. Everything had gone exactly as Frode had said it would. The doctor hadn’t seen anything mysterious about her death and the city police didn’t want any extra hassle and therefore they listened to the doctor. After all, nothing was stolen and there weren’t any signs of violence. The funeral would take place in just two days because it was still summer and quite hot.

The reason why Frode and I were waiting there inside the shop was that now all the neighbors also knew that ‘the scary herbalist woman’ was dead, and the shop would be empty - and this part of town wasn’t quite as nice as the one where I was living. Not necessarily dangerous, but there could be some people who might believe that some of the jars contained something of value. Which they did - and therefore Frode and I were there.

All morning, and throughout the day, I had carefully tried to read the people around me. Their feelings and especially how they felt towards Linnea. It was clear that Mrs. Hansen had said something to the other tenants since they all had been very supportive towards Linnea. Besides noting the reactions, I had done my best to remember all the discussions regarding the authorities - and especially Mages - if they had been mentioned inside the house. I didn’t have the same ability as Linnea, therefore I needed to trust my instincts here. I cleared my throat.

“Frode, I’m certain that I can tell if someone is trying to get too close. I mean I can sense if someone gets too close.” I looked at him even though all I could see in the darkness of the shop was just his figure. I couldn’t see or sense any real reaction. My voice had been low but for sure it had been loud enough for him to hear.

“I had been wondering if your hearing is just extraordinarily good. But I guess that’s the real reason why you cannot be easily be surprised.”

His voice was as low as mine, but there was nothing malicious that I could hear - or sense. Then he chuckled.

“I can remember a few times in my past when that kind of skill would have been very useful.”

There was a pause before Frode continued. “If that skill of yours really works, maybe you should take a nap now. I’m quite sure that during these first hours we’re safe. Any real thug would not try anything until sometime after midnight... - or at least, I wouldn’t.”

This was the real decision time for me. I wondered if going to sleep here would make it easier for Frode to hurt me if he wanted to. Then again, if not here, there would be several opportunities at home. I would either trust them or not.

“OK, I trust you with that. Please wake me some time before you think someone might come.”

“You can be sure that I will.”

To my surprise, I had no problems falling into a dreamless sleep only to be woken by the push on my leg. It took me a few blinks of an eye to orient and notice the shape of Frode next to me.

“Stian, it’s not that late yet, but I’m quite sure that I heard something out front. It has been silent since I heard that noise, but I would have had to wake you up soon, anyway.”

I pulled myself into a sitting position and carefully opened my sensing a bit more, even though I already had an inkling of what I would sense. I wondered if my subconscious was doing some work even when I was sleeping.

“Three. There are three of them outside and waiting.”

Frode was going to step forward, but I shook my head and picked up the ugly-looking knife we had taken with us from Mrs. Hansen’s house. Then I carefully moved close to the door, with the knife. Besides the lock, there was a chain inside protecting the door, but it had been left unfastened. After all, there should be nobody here. I wondered if these people knew that there were so many locks on the back door that coming through it would have been almost impossible. Most likely someone knew. According to Frode, the professionals could almost immediately tell what kind of security each door carried.

Mrs. Hansen had informed us that the main reason for us being there was to discourage any attempts at plundering this little shop - now, and in the future - with some force, if necessary. Even though it would be unlikely that the thugs would complain if some of them would be hurt trying to break in, I hoped that I wouldn’t need to hurt anyone badly.

I waited in the darkness. First, I sensed the movement and then was able to hear it, too. Then there was a quiet, scratching noise to be heard from the lock. Almost as silently, there was a muted click when the lock opened. After that, the door started to open, but only the tiniest of bit and a piece of crooked wire came through that tiny opening. That wire moved carefully but also quickly up and down the gap between the door and the frame until it was pulled back.

“No traps. You can enter, now. I did as I was asked. Now, I’m out of here.”

I wouldn’t have heard that low voice unless I had been just on the other side of the door. Then I was able to hear the first two steps, but after that, nothing. However, I was able to sense that the third person had actually moved away. The door started to open carefully and I held my knife ready. When the gap was just wide enough, a shadow tried to sneak inside. Only to face the blade of that ugly looking, big knife.

“I’d suggest that you try your luck somewhere else. This place is protected, now and in the future - and this is the only warning you’ll get!”

While saying that, I pushed the tip of the blade forward so that it nicked the throat of the guy who had tried to sneak in. Just nicked. Since I wasn’t certain that a small nick would be enough I decided to add a targeted mental image to my message with some of my magic. That image contained blood, gore and dead bodies as I remembered them, that I had seen myself. Just to add to the effect, I launched my body against the door, closing it so hard that it banged against the frame. Then I fastened the chain with so much noise that it could be heard outside.

From the voices outside, I was able to guess that the guy who had tried to enter the shop had tumbled over the other guy and he also let out a squawk. Soon there were steps running away from the shop. I breathed out and allowed my body to relax, wondering if the use of magic had been a serious mistake. What worried me more was that only a part of me thought that way. Some other part of me would have been quite willing to really use that knife on both of the intruders and was almost disappointed as there had been no bloodshed.

“Mother Earth! Those guys aren’t coming back for sure, and once the word gets out this shop will be in peace for a year or two.”

“I hope so.”

At least Frode didn’t run away. Instead, the older man took a few steps back to his backpack and picked a hip flask made of pewter. After opening it, he took a sip, wiped the mouth of the flask and offered it to me. I took a sip myself and I could immediately tell that it was the same as the golden liquor stored in glass carafes in Mrs. Hansen’s house. Some stuff they called usquebae - or something like that. Rare, if good and very expensive. I gave the flask back to Frode and shrugged.

“Thanks, I needed that. I’m happy there was no need to kill anyone.”

Frode was silent for a moment but I could almost feel him looking at me. “I take it that you have killed, Stian.”

I shrugged again. “For self-protection and in order to protect those I care about, yes. I can still see their faces if I close my eyes.”

I didn’t tell Frode that, besides being able to see all those faces, I was also able to relive all those times. I was able to see what I had done well and where I had failed somewhat - so that I would be more successful the next time. Frode just nodded and took another sip before offering the flask again. I took the flask and took a sip myself. This time I was even able to taste the spirit and figure out how it tasted. After wiping its mouth, I gave the flask back to Frode who had been watching me.

“Maybe I’d better admit that, besides being able to sense the bigger beings close to me, I’m also able to push some mental images towards people close to me. I just wanted to scare those thugs away, so that they don’t come back.”

Frode started laughing. “I’d be surprised if the guy didn’t piss his pants! Damn, I would have.” Then he turned serious. “Besides those mental images... ?”

He wasn’t a dummy, I knew that already. I nodded.

“I may be able to affect the other people’s opinion about me somewhat. For sure, I cannot get anyone to like me if they don’t, and I can’t force a girl to love me. But if people are undecided, I might be able to affect them somewhat. I don’t really want to do that unless it’s absolutely needed.”

“You know that there are some groups here in Aston who would be more than willing to catch you. They’re known to pay for hints.”

“Thinking about collecting the money?”

Even though it was dark, I saw smile on Frode’s face. “Nah, if I were after power or too much money I would have swallowed my pride and accepted what my so-called relatives tried to tell me.”

He took another sip.

“With too much money, you just lose your freedom. I have learned to love my freedom way too much to make deals with those guys in black robes or those with shiny uniforms. Once they have a hold on you, they will never let loose, never ... The late Mr. Hansen had some shady business with them and those shady guys didn’t have any issues with his behavior. So, I’d guess that you’re quite safe with us. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll take a nap. Considering the way those two guys ran I’d be surprised if somebody would bother us again tonight.”

I sat there the on the shop floor, thinking. Yes, I had good reason to worry about the Mages, but it seemed that they didn’t have unanimous support even here in Aston. Normal people - well, if you could consider Mrs. Hansen and her tenants normal people - didn’t seem too happy about Magicians and their power plays. From the discussions at the dinner table, I knew that my new family members were well aware of the real power groups of this Kingdom: The Magicians and the Guardians. They also knew that not all the people understood that those two groups were cooperating closely, even if it seemed that the ‘good’ Guardians were holding the ‘bad’ Magicians in bay - and using them occasionally against foreign threats. Some people even believed that the Royals and the nobles were actually making all the important decisions.

There were almost continuous scuffles, not quite war, against all the nearest neighboring countries. Mrs. Hansen had once said that if an independent merchant managed a lucrative trade deal, some sort of hostilities are sure to follow. Then the Guardians could look like heroes by protecting those unlucky traders. Too bad for that previously lucky merchant. The real key to success was to stay unnoticed. You had to be small enough - or look small enough.

I could not help wondering if Frode would have thought differently about me if he had known how much I had held back while pushing those images to the thug who tried to enter the shop. Or how I had struggled to prevent myself from killing them.