Askaro of the Falcon

  Chapter 16 – Life in the Clouds

  Askaro didn’t have time to wonder what was at the bottom. They fell into a pile of hay deep enough to absorb most of the shock. Blin groaned. Askaro began fighting his way out of the scratchy pile.

  Blin shushed him. “Stay covered and be still.”

  Askaro did as he was told. He could hear the men talking above. A voice he’d heard before grew louder. “I’m sure it was the boy. He was with another. Get more help. We’ve got a needle to find.”

  Blin sighed and slowly rolled out of the hay. The sleeve of his shirt caught on one of the wooden braces. The cloth ripped. He cursed softly.

  Askaro shook free of the dried stalks and scrambled out of the chute. Blin hastily tried to pull his shirt back together but he couldn’t hide the pale bandage wrapped around his skinny torso. Askaro touched it. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” His whisper sounded loud in the long dim room.

  Blin swatted at his hand. “Don’t touch.” He scooted farther from the hay chute. “We have to get out of here before they get wise.”

  Askaro jumped up and held out a hand to Blin. “Let me help you.”

  Blin looked at him with an odd expression and rolled the other way. “I don’t need any help.” He got up and the tattered shirt slid off. Blin reached for it. Part of the bandage slipped.

  Askaro gasped. “You’re a...”

  Blin glared at him. “A girl.” She managed to pull the wrapping back up over her partially exposed breast.

  Askaro stared at Blin as she struggled to get the torn shirt to cover the wrapping. He looked down at the clothes Zane had given him. He still had the other shirt on under the costume. He pulled off the blue jerkin and handed it to Blin. “Here. I still have my old one. You can use this one.”

  Blin took the offered shirt but didn’t meet his gaze. “You lost your hair.”

  “I what?” Askaro touched his head. The wig was gone. He looked back toward the pile of hay.

  “We don’t have time. It doesn’t matter anyway.” Blin finished tucking in the shirt and shoved the ripped one behind a barrel. She moved aside the lid. “Well, that’s a bonus.” She pulled out two red objects and tossed one to him.

  Askaro caught it. “What is this?”

  Blin bit into hers. “It’s an apple. Are you trying to tell me you’ve never seen an apple before?”

  He followed her example. It was tangy and sweet at the same time. “I haven’t. I guess I was never on collection duty where these grow.”

  Blin moved toward a wall with a row of odd looking doors. The top half of each large door consisted of metal bars. She began looking in each one. She stopped at the last door. “Ah, there you are.”

  Askaro could hear the heavy breathing on the other side of the door. He peered through the gaps. A draft animal stood dozing in a pile of hay. “Doesn’t look like he heard you.”

  Blin snorted. “That’s the point.” She pulled at the door and it slid to the side. “Come on. Pokey won’t hurt you. He’s deaf and mostly blind.”

  Askaro entered the stall and Blin pushed the door closed behind them. The draft animal’s head came up and its nostrils flared with deep breaths. It made a soft sound. “I think it noticed us.”

  Blin ignored him. She walked over to the beast and patted the thick brown neck. “It’s okay, Pokey. You can have my core when I’m done.” She went back to munching on the fruit.

  Askaro stayed in the corner of the stall and finished his apple. He looked around the small enclosure. “Now what? We hang out with your friend all night?”

  Blin took a final bite and held the remains under the creature’s mouth. Lips gently removed the offering from her hand. “For someone who’s lived aboard a ship his whole life, you don’t seem to know much about the docks.”

  Askaro leaned against the rough wooden wall. “We weren’t allowed off the ship if it was in an official port. I’ve never been on a real dock before we came to Rokathalon.”

  She pointed at his hand. “You done with that?”

  He handed her the seedy center. Blin fed it to the draft animal. The deeper question burned in his mind. He looked down at the straw on the floor. “So, can I ask?”

  Blin moved toward the other side of the stall and leaned against the wall. A slight crack appeared. She peered out. “We’re waiting for the night watch bell. This time of year, with the ships in for the winter, the docks pretty much clear out at night. When it’s fully dark, we’ll slip out and head for the warehouses.”

  Askaro moved to the wall and examined the wood. It wasn’t a wall after all but two large doors. He looked over at Blin. “That wasn’t what I really meant. Why do you dress like a boy?”

  Her face went taut. “You really are dumb. Don’t you pay attention to anything? When we were out and about on the streets, did you see any girls?”

  Askaro leaned into the corner and closed his eyes. “I don’t think so. But I wasn’t really looking for any. I was more focused on looking for trackers and Authority officers.”

  She leaned into the corner on the other side. “Yeah, well, there aren’t any. Let’s just say that it’s not a good thing to be a girl on the streets. As a boy, not many pay me much attention. It’s better that way.”

  He considered his parents’ discussion about girl babies born to slaves on the ship. He felt cold. He dropped his voice. “What happened to your mother?”

  “She died.” Her words were flat.

  Askaro didn’t want to press. He tried to put the day’s events in order. “What about the guy in the cloak? Who is he?”

  Blin shivered. She was quiet for several long moments. “He’s a Seeker.” When Askaro remained silent she sighed loudly. “Oh, you really don’t know anything, do you. Seekers are Knights of the Realm. They used to be loyal to the King.”

  “They aren’t any more?”

  Blin crossed her arms and glared at him. “Seriously?” She sighed again and relaxed. “No, of course you have no clue. The King has been dead for almost fifteen years. He had a son and all but he was only a baby and the people didn’t want just the Queen so the Regent took over. He rules until the Prince is old enough to be crowned King.”

  Askaro heard the anger rising in her voice. “I get the feeling you don’t like these people.”

  “The Queen is nice enough but the Regent is cruel. No one likes him. Everyone says it’s his fault that the city is falling apart, no jobs, no water, no food. As for the Prince, he’s a spoiled brat.”

  A clang echoed beyond the doors. There was a sound of footsteps and muffled voices above them. Blin put a finger to her lips. Askaro looked up, trying to make sense of the words but none of them were clear enough. After a while, everything became quiet. The only things he could hear was the soft breathing of the draft animals and his own heartbeat.

  Blin reached up and undid the latch of the double doors. She opened one just a little and peered out into the night. She finally motioned for Askaro and they slipped between the doors into the darkness. She slid the latch back into place on the outside.

  Askaro followed her in silence. They stayed close to the buildings, making use of barrels, crates, coils of rope, or any other object that provided shadows from the row of lanterns that hung along the docks. Askaro recognized the Smithy he’d seen previously. Just beyond it was a stone stairway that led upward.

  Blin paused at the corner of the Smithy. She leaned close and whispered. “Looks like several men are watching the top of the stairs.”

  Askaro could see their shapes in the light cast by the lanterns hanging at intervals along the stairway. “What now?”

  Blin studied the shadows. “We keep going. Stay as low as you can and follow me closely.” She crouched and scurried across the open area by the stairs.

  Askaro followed. They kept moving down the docks. Blin obviously knew the area well. Distant spots of light became lanterns hanging at the end of the docks.

  Blin stopped and leaned against the wall. It cr
eaked slightly and gave. She slid it aside only far enough for them to slip through the gap. “Help me push this closed.”

  Askaro was surprised at how easily the large door moved. He glanced around the dimly lit room. It was massive. Rows of shelves many units high were occupied by crates, barrels, and mysterious bundles. “This must be one of the warehouses you spoke of.”

  She motioned for him to follow. “This is only part of it. I’ve explored a lot of this place. They don’t store any food here.”

  Askaro followed Blin down a row to a set of stairs that went upward. They traveled through several tiers of the warehouse. “Where are we going?”

  They came to a brick wall and Blin turned to follow it. “Here’s the door.” She tested the latch. There was a soft click. “And it’s still open.”

  Askaro’s eyes protested the sudden brightness. He blinked as they moved into a well-lit hall. There was a distinctive hum that vibrated through the floor. A faint, all to familiar, odor drifted on the air currents. “That smells like peato. Where are we?”

  Blin closed the door and leaned against it. “Service access of Cloud Tower. Their hot plant is beyond that metal door.”

  He remembered seeing the tower as he fled Golarin’s men. Had it only been just the day before? He felt weak. He studied his companion. Her eyes were closed but her breathing had returned to normal. “We should find some place to rest.”

  Blin looked at him. “My thoughts exactly.” She pushed off the door and headed toward a stairway. There was a rough wooden door at the top. Blin opened it carefully then proceeded through. She stopped at another door with a small window. Blin stood on her tip toes but couldn’t see over the frame.

  Askaro leaned toward her ear. “Let me lift you.”

  She glared at him but then her face softened. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Boost me up.”

  Askaro laced his fingers together and Blin stepped into them. She balanced on his shoulders for a moment before quickly jumping down. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway. They came to a door, she listened only briefly, then opened it and dragged him inside.

  Blin groaned. “Well, I guess the servants need to be clean.”

  Askaro looked around the room. There was a large sunken tub in the floor, a small pedestal sink, and a lidded sanitary basin. “Okay. What happened?”

  Blin sank to the floor. “They added a night guard to the servant entry.”

  Askaro sat down beside her. “Maybe there’s another way out.”

  Blin sighed. “We’re on the level of the servants’ quarters. The people who live in Cloud Tower are just as bad as those on Snob Nob. Some say that those at the very top never come down at all. They have their own gardens up there and servants bring everything else to them. They only enter the building from High Street. The main entry has a doorman.”

  Askaro leaned against the tiled wall. “And there’s only these two doors in or out of this building?”

  Blin bolted upright. “No! There are others. There are small grassy areas next to the building along High Street. I saw someone come out of a door into one of those gardens once.”

  Askaro got up. “So all we have to do is find a door that opens out into a garden. Where do we look?”

  Blin opened the door and led him out. She put her finger to her lips and pointed up the next stairway. He nodded and followed. They moved through a common eating area and passed several doors that all looked the same. Another flight of steps ended on a landing with another rough cut door.

  Blin listened carefully before opening it just a crack. She sighed and closed it. “Looks like utilities and storage. Let’s try the next level.”

  At the next landing, there were two doors. Askaro heard voices coming from one of them. “There are people on the other side.”

  Blin grabbed his arm and pulled him up the stairs. The door opened as they turned the corner to the next landing. She glanced back. Footsteps on the wooden stairs faded as the pair of men descended to the lower levels. She let out her breath slowly. “Just a couple of servants.” She pointed to the door on the landing. “Let’s see where we are.”

  Askaro was closer. He opened it slowly just enough to be able to see out. “Looks like a fancy hallway. I don’t see or hear anyone.”

  Blin nodded and they slipped out into the hall. The floor was covered in soft thick cloth of some kind. Their footsteps made no sound. She stopped at a corner and looked both ways. “I see a glass window with a door next to it. I think we’ve found a way out.”

  They moved to the window. Plants grew next to it. Askaro couldn’t see anything beyond that except darkness.

  Blin pulled on the door. It opened. She motioned for him to follow. She moved slowly. “This is odd. It’s too warm.”

  Askaro’s nose twitched. “I smell water.”

  “Really? Where?”

  Askaro led the way through the foliage to a long narrow track of water. He knelt and touched it with his fingers then tasted it. “It’s fresh.”

  Blin was looking around. “I don’t think we’re outside at all.”

  “You’re not.”

  The quiet voice made Askaro jump and whirl. Blin had crouched in a defensive posture. A small girl stood on the path they had been following. Blin began scanning the area. Askaro relaxed. “Who are you?”

  The girl smiled slightly. “My name is Derry. What’s yours?”

  “I’m Askaro and this is my friend Blin.”

  The girl curtsied. “It’s very nice to meet you. Are you fairy folk?”

  Askaro sat down so he was eye to eye with her. “I don’t think I’ve heard of them before. My mother’s people were Tree Folk.”

  Blin’s face contorted. She couldn’t contain her laughter. “Of course you have no idea what fairies are either.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve met a lot of different people while on the Falcon but maybe we visited their land before I was old enough to remember.”

  Blin covered her mouth to contain her mirth. She finally had to breathe. “Oh my, you have obviously missed a lot.”

  The little girl smiled. “I come here at night sometimes to look for them. Nana says that’s the only time you can really see them.”

  Blin controlled her face. “Does your Nana know you’re out here by yourself?”

  Derry looked down and shuffled her shoes against the path. “No. I have to sneak out. This is the only chance I have to look for the fairies.”

  Blin knelt by the girl. “We’ll keep your secret if you keep ours.”

  Derry looked at her. “You have a secret, too?”

  Blin pointed at him. “This is Askaro, the famous explorer. There are some bad men trying to catch him. I’m trying to help him escape and meet up with his brave companions who are waiting for him in the Hanging Gardens.”

  Derry’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, that sounds very exciting.” She smiled. “I could help you!”

  Blin put a finger to her lips. “We have to be quiet.” The little girl nodded. “How could you help us?”

  Derry leaned forward and whispered into Blin’s ear. “Nana takes me to the Hanging Gardens sometimes. I know you have to leave the Tower. I could distract the man that stands at the door so you could sneak passed him.”

  Blin hugged her. “You are amazing!”

  Derry’s smile got even bigger. “I’ve always wanted to have an adventure.” She looked over at Askaro. “What kind of wonderful things have you seen?”

  He thought about the sights that had moved him to awe. “On the other side of the world, there is a place where water shoots high into the sky but it’s so hot, if a bird flies through it, it’s sure to die. The people that live near this place, collect the eggs from birds and cook them in boiling pools in the ground.”

  Derry put both hands on her cheeks. “Oh, that’s incredible!”

  Blin took one of her hands. “Now you see why it’s so important to keep Askaro away from the bad men.”

  Derry nodded. She pulled Blin t
oward the door and motioned for Askaro to follow. He wished he had a way to carry some of the water. He didn’t want to risk distracting their little helper. He fell in line behind the girls.

  Derry led them to a different stairway. This one was made of polished wood and was much wider than the servants’ stairs had been. She stopped at the top. She took his hand and tugged both of them down to her level. She hugged each of them then leaned towards Askaro’s ear. “I’ll keep your secret.”

  He smiled at her. “Thank you, Derry. And if I ever do find any of the fairy folk on my journeys, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  Derry’s smile seemed too large for her small face. She let them go and proceeded down alone into an open area surrounded by tall windows. A man in a tight black suit approached her. She looked up at him. “Good evening, Mister Grent.”

  He grinned and saluted her. “Well, good evening to you, Miss Derry. What are you doing down here at such an hour?”

  “Nana said I could come down and see if I left my favorite doll at Ania’s house but I can’t reach the bell. Could you help me please?”

  He bowed. “Certainly. Follow me.”

  He disappeared from view. Derry looked back for just a moment and winked at them then skipped off after the man.

  Blin let out a sigh. “That’s our cue. Come on.”

  They hurried down the stairs, across the lobby, and out the doors. Askaro felt the cool night breeze on his face. “We’re outside!”

  Blin laughed. “And we’re on High Street! This makes it even easier!”

  They passed numerous shops. They were closed but light glowed from the windows of upper stories. While the architecture was similar in style to the buildings of Old Town, the materials were different. The framing was cut stone, carefully placed and mortared. The walls were plastered and some of them were brightly colored like those near the quay where the Falcon was docked.

  Askaro looked up and caught a glimpse of a glowing tower over the tops of the roofs on their left. “What tower is that?”

  Blin paused to see what he was looking at. “That’s Garden Tower. Most of the food for everyone in the city is grown there.” She tugged on his arm. “We have to keep moving. If Authority sees us out at this hour, they’ll ask questions.”

  They came to a cross street. To their right was a wide square filled with small booths that had colorful cloth roofs. Blin went the other way down a street lined with more shops. They made a couple more jogs. Blin paused at the corner of a building. Askaro caught his breath. The street dropped down a series of steps and traveled through a vast patch of green that appeared to be suspended in a dark void. “So this must be the Hanging Gardens.”

  Blin moved cautiously forward and dropped her voice. “It’s one of them. There are several. Zane and Marlo should be waiting for us over there.” She pointed toward a darker shadow given definition by a row of lights. “This is Garden Street. It goes through the gardens and ends up at Garden Tower.”

  They passed quietly through the first set of gardens and went down more steps to the next level. They passed a side street that led toward Garden Tower. As they neared the edge of the second garden, Blin pulled him off the main path, careful to stay on a narrow raised pathway that ran between rows of vegetables. A wall ran beside the last row. She stopped and pulled Askaro down.

  He could hear voices and recognized them. “It’s Zane and Marlo.”

  Blin nodded. “But we have company.” She pointed at two men in blue uniforms who were walking casually down the street from the tower. They paused for a moment then turned down the street that was only a handful of units from where Blin and Askaro were hiding. Blin squeezed his hand. He didn’t move. The men passed them and continued down some steps to the next garden. Trees blocked them from sight as they progressed.

  Askaro felt cold. He could barely whisper. “Those are Authority, aren’t they? What if Zane and Marlo are discovered?”

  Blin grabbed his arm and kept him from rising. “Stay down. There’s no cover except for this short wall.”

  Askaro faced her. “It’s me everybody wants. Not you, or Zane, or Marlo. If they see me and I run, they’ll chase me and you and the others will be safe.”

  She shook her head. “Just like in the shop. That’s very noble but you don’t know where you’re going.”

  “I didn’t back there, either.”

  There was a loud shout from the garden below them. The officers had stopped and one was pointing into the man-made forest. “You there! Come out into the light!”

  Zane and Marlo emerged from the trees. Askaro braced himself to make a dash for it.

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