Mid-Gozran, 4700 (Korvosa)
Kali had been tossing and turning under the covers for over an hour because sleep just would not come. Every time she felt herself slipping under, her mind would start racing and she’d be awake and staring at the walls. Again.
It didn’t help that the Flood Moon was shining through the window directly onto her bed. Her room at her grandparents’ house was on the second floor and faced southeast, providing a grand view of Midland, the Jeggare River, and East Shore beyond. Normally, that was a breathtaking sight, but right now she just wanted the light out of her eyes. So she got out of bed, walked over to the window and pulled the curtains shut. As the room darkened she became aware of voices coming from downstairs.
I will never get to sleep, she thought.
The voices grew louder, briefly, and then quieted down quickly. Another argument?
She opened the door slowly and checked the hallway: it was empty. Down below, the voices grew louder and then cut off abruptly for a second time.
Kali quietly and cautiously crept down the stairs.
“—barely 10 years old. She’s still a child, for gods’ sake!”
“It’s still Midland, mom, not The Shingles.”
Kali sighed to herself. Mom and grandma, at it again.
Her grandmother snorted, loudly and derisively. “West Dock. Close enough! A bunch of thieves and laborers. And you want to take her there.”
Their voices quieted again and Kali couldn’t make out what was said after that. She risked tiptoeing down the last few steps to the main floor. She could hear her grandfather’s words now.
“—about Kali’s safety? She can’t protect herself.”
His words stung. Kali had a large scab on her forehead, still, from the previous week. Marlena and Ianca had cornered her, and when Kali finally got away she ran half-panicked and tripped. It was just a scrape, but it was large, and it was taking too long to heal, and of course her grandparents had fretted over it. They, too, thought she was fragile and she resented it.
“They’re friends, dad. They have been for years. That hasn’t changed.”
Her grandmother spoke again.
“And what about what she’ll say? You shouldn’t expose your daughter—my granddaughter—to that.”
“Not expose her to what, mom? The world?”
Another long silence. Uncomfortably long.
Her father’s voice broke it. “She will find out soon enough. They are to return to Sandpoint in the coming weeks. But right now, Qatana is here, and she wishes to—”
And that’s as far as Akmal got because at the sound of Qatana’s name, Kali burst into the sitting room.
“What do you mean, ‘Qatana is here’?”
Kali opened the door and stepped in.
Her parents had prepared her. She knew the whole story of what had happened to the Marchands, where Qatana had been for the past several months, and what she had endured. They did not elaborate on the details, but they didn’t need to. Kali understood enough. She knew what Kaer Maga was.
Her father said to her, solemnly, “She has changed since you last saw her. And I mean more than just her age and her appearance. She is not the same girl you knew. But it is important to remember that it is still her.”
Her mom added, “And that she needs her friend, not an inquisitor. Just talk to her. Tell her how you feel about her.”
Kali nodded.
And she thought she was prepared, but when she stepped inside and actually saw Qatana, she froze and drew in a sharp breath.
Qatana was sitting on the bed. The first thing Kali noticed were her eyes, which seemed huge and wild as they stared into hers. The second thing was her hair, which was not just short but shockingly short. She could pass as a boy in the right clothes.
The room was small and sparsely furnished: a worn but comfortable-looking bed, a small table that doubled as a nightstand, and a wooden stool for sitting. Heavy curtains could be drawn to block the window which overlooked the street below. It was small, but not cramped.
Kali took this all in, recovering quickly from the shock, and bounded across the room, tears welling up as she embraced Qatana in an awkward, tight hug.
“You’re alive! Gods, you’re alive!”
She sobbed into Qatana’s shoulder for what felt like several minutes. Inside her arms, she could feel another change: strong, firm muscles. Like Anavaru, she thought, as she pulled away, drying her eyes by wiping the tears away with her hands.
“It’s really you,” she said. Then, her voice breaking slightly, “I…I thought I’d never see you again.”
Qatana appeared to be startled, and Kali just now realized how tense Qatana had felt in her embrace. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, she thought.
She stepped back to give Qatana space, and herself some time to gather her composure. She fumbled with the stool, clumsily pulling it out so that she could sit at what she thought was the right distance.
“Kali,” Qatana said, barely above a whisper. “They said you were here, but I was afraid to believe them.”
She looked at Kali, actually looked directly at her, with watering eyes. She shook her head, turned away briefly, and when she returned her gaze to Kali her eyes were dry.
“Your parents came by earlier and were so nice, and when they asked if you could come visit it took me a while to realize what they were asking, or even why they were asking it.”
Qatana flashed a fleeting half-smile.
“I’ve never been to Korvosa before, but I’ve not seen much of it yet. Mostly just this room and the Gray District.”
The Gray District?
“I lit a pair of candles for my parents.” She became quiet again, fidgeting with a loose tie on her jacket.
Kali shifted uncomfortably in her stool. What am I supposed to say?
And then Qatana continued again, so softly that Kali had to lean forward to hear her.
“One of the clerics told me that our loved ones can speak to us from beyond death, but after all that has happened, I don’t think I want to know what my parents would have to say to me.”
“I…I don’t think I would eit—”
“So when are you going to show me the town?”
Kali sat back quickly, startled by Qatana’s abrupt change in tone. This was not going anything like she expected it to. The question was surprising, to say the least, and it just didn’t seem to fit. It would be fun, but was it the right thing to do now? She didn’t know.
Maybe she just needs something that’s normal. Maybe doing that would help?
“Um…Well…I’d have to ask permission, but…I…We could go…tomorrow?” Mom and dad would let me…wouldn’t they?
She continued, hesitantly at first, then more excitedly as she went on. “We’re…just below The Heights. We could…walk up there. On the way, there’s this huge bookstore, the biggest one I’ve ever seen in Varisia. And…at the top is the museum, and the big temples, and the amphitheater. There’s also the tower; the Sable Company—they’re the military here—keeps hippogriffs up there, and you can see them flying in and out! And on the other side are the Merciless Cliffs above the bay. On clear days, you can see all the way to Veldraine.
“Do you…Would that be OK?”
“Sure!”
Qatana actually looked excited at this idea, and for a moment, it was just the two of them ready to explore the city together like Qatana had never been gone. Like the past few months had not happened. But, that’s not how it is at all, is it? There was something very wrong about Qatana’s reaction, but she didn’t understand what. She replayed the conversation in her head, trying to figure it out.
“So, tomorrow, then.”
Qatana’s voice snapped Kali back to the present. She was smiling.
Is that it? Are…are we done?
“Yes! Tomorrow. I’ll come by…assuming my parents are OK with it….I’ll come by…around 11 o’clock.”
Kali stood up. She thought about giving Qatana a parting hug, but she had stayed seated on the bed. So instead, Kali walked over to the door and opened it. She looked back at Qatana one last time—she was still smiling at Kali, so Kali smiled back—exchanged an awkward good-bye, and left.
In the common room on the main floor, she found her parents were seated at a table with Shalelu. Kali hesitated at first—she was not very comfortable around the elven woman (though she did not know why)—but overcame her anxiety and walked over to where they were sitting. Their conversation came to a halt when they saw her, and all three of them turned their heads to watch as she crossed the room and sat down next to her father.
Akmal glanced up at Denea briefly and they had a silent exchange before he turned his attention back to his daughter.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. She…”
Kali hesitated.
“What is it?”
“She…she wants me to show her the city. I…I said I’d do it. Tomorrow. If you and mom said it was OK. That I’d take her to The Heights.”
Akmal looked up at Denea, who had been watching Kali intently. She met his gaze and then nodded once. He turned to Shalelu next, and they had a short conversation in Elvish. It ended with her nodding, too. Finally, he turned back to Kali and spoke in an even, serious tone.
“And do you want to do this?”
“She asked to go. I think she really does want to see the city. And, I think she needs it. That it will help.”
“Kali. Do you want to do this?”
“Yes. I do. And, I want to help.”
He nodded and Kali relaxed, realizing for the first time how tense she had been.
“Very well,” he said. “We will make arrangements for—”
“Where is the Gray District?”
All eyes were on Kali again, and it was so long before someone spoke that she was afraid she had said something wrong. Denea and Akmal both looked up at Shalelu, and they had another exchange in Elvish.
When it ended, Denea stood up, gently took Kali’s hand and said, “Come with me, and I’ll tell you about it.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No, Kali. You’re not in trouble.”
After they had gone, Akmal and Shalelu sat facing one another.
“You are sure you are OK with this?”
“Yes. She needs a friend. Someone her age that she can trust. And they’ll be safe in The Heights. Especially with me keeping an eye on them.” She paused before adding, “Discreetly, of course.”
Akmal smiled at this.
“Of course. If you need anything more, do not hesitate to ask. We will be here for another week at least. You know where to find us.”
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