Hearts and Stones - Robin D. Owens Page 0,35

barricaded door of his forge, found the nail head sticking out, and shoved the papyrus onto it. The sheet flattened, spread thin and stuck.

Oh. He’d used too much Flair. Or too much Flair spiraled out of him.

“Ash, you don’t look well,” said an older woman dressed in layers of clothes, peering at him from under a scarf-shawl and the low brim of a hat.

No use saying “Passage.” Downwinders, the lowest of the low, most with pitiful Flair, wouldn’t believe him if he gave that excuse.

“Sick,” he said instead, raising his arm and wiping it over his sweaty face. Smelled not-too-bad, not work-sweat or fight-sweat, but Passage-sweat, with a sweet note. Helluva thing.

She hesitated, dug through her tunic layers for a pocket, pulled out a button of plant-material he recognized as prime Healing herb with a spell for fever and clear thinking. Better than anything he had in stock. “Here.”

“Pay you back when better,” Ash offered.

With a smile, she sighed. “Yeah, later.”

“Later.” He eyed the thinned and stretched sign. Looked odd, but definitely announced “Closed.” Good enough. He’d lose custom, but he’d rarely been unavailable, and never for sickness, so no one would bother him.

Zanth rumbled a loud purr. The woman dipped her knees to pat him on his large, round head, then walked away.

With another thwack on Ash’s ankle, Zanth said, Follow Me inside. You sit and eat and drink herb water. When close to sunset Me make sure you wake and take good herb-tab and get ready for fun tonight!

“Fun,” said Ash and sat in the one battered chair in his room near the antique no-time food storage unit and the little eating table.

His vision darkened and soot-smoke swarmed around him with flicks of bright cinders for a long time.

Wakie! Zanth sat on his lap, angled his head and licked under Ash’s chin. He shuddered out of a stupor, took an old cloth and wiped his head and neck down, sniffed at his armpits. Not terrible.

Take pill now! The FamCat snapped his paw down next to the herb disk that the old woman had given Ash. So he did, and initiated the Healing spell, too.

After a couple of minutes, Ash rose and began to move, ignoring the fever aches in head and body and old bruises from the night before. He stood and flexed and lunged, warming his muscles, making his blood course through his body, hoping to give the herbs a boost.

He buckled his sword sheath around his waist, then pulled out his weapon and did passes as Zanth hunkered under the bed. As the spell and herbs mitigated the fever and his body moved better and his mind cleared of fog, his determination grew.

The advantages to helping Holm still outweighed the effort, particularly if Ash received some short-term benefits, too, like selling his work to the man. Yes, risk his life in the death duels tonight, and maybe by the end of the night he’d have a real friend, not just one in name only.

Long minutes passed and gloom filled his rooms as he waited for the the time for Holly to come Downwind. Ash didn’t waste energy in turning on a Flair-tech light or summoning a lightspell

Finally, he left his lean-to, wanting to be well away from his home when the fighting started. No need for Holm or any dockrat thug to know where he lived. He trod the winding streets toward the main teleportation pad straddling lower-class Druida and Downwind. Maybe the nobleman wouldn’t want to explore the depths of the slum tonight. Ash wouldn’t mind following the Holly to bigger, less slimier streets. To less dangerous bars holding people who fought to hurt, not to kill.

And when the correct shade of twilight neared when Holm Holly arrived the evening before, Ash listened closely for his spy’s alert. Zanth had a network of informants and this time they’d report to Ash.

He is HERE! squeaked the faint mental voice that belonged to a young feral tom. My favor paid, Zanth. Me go back to My new home in temple!

Zanth stopped and turned around in the street to stare at Ash.

“I heard,” he said.

Did you SEE place where noble is? Zanth flicked a ragged ear.

“No.”

A sniff. Follow Me.

Ash’s mind had cleared to close to normal, and his determination solidified to help the Holly in his Passage death duels.

Zanth and Ash wound through a maze of twisty little passageways. As he and his Fam closed the distance toward Holm, Rand sensed the homing stone he’d given to Holm