[Askoga]: 89.Novels.Kode.Chapter 1

I walked into the Dancing Thieves bar and sat down, glancing around at the occupants of the room. There were a few people, but not enough to really give me trouble. I was a little edgy, since the deserters had given the law-keepers a fairly accurate description of me, right down to which two teeth I was missing. I'd recently seen a sketch of myself hanging on a wall, and was surprised at the detail they'd given.
The bartender, a stocky, well-muscled man with a bristly beard, walked up to me, “Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked in a deep voice. His eyes were wary and hard as steel.
“A beer is all.” As I continued to look around the room I noticed that the patrons of this bar seemed to be fairly respectable, law-abiding peasants. There were a few minor nobles and some merchants mixed in, as well. Then I noticed that the person sitting next to me, whom I'd thought at first was a man, was actually a woman.
She was drinking a scotch, from the smell of it. Her breasts were only a slight swell under her dusty brown tunic, beneath which she wore a man’s white shirt. The garb of a peasant man. I noticed that her hands were callused and weathered, like a man’s hands. She was watching me with her hard blue eyes, and I felt my muscles tense up. This woman had an air about her, like a queen, yet it was so subtle that I didn’t notice it until she’d been looking at me for several seconds. I didn’t think I liked her, yet she might be exactly what I needed. Still, I wasn't sure that I should trust her. Too many times had I bestowed my trust on those I thought were "just what I needed," and I'd come out with a dead band. All of them had deserted me. I’d taken that pretty hard, since without the men I was virtually nothing. If nothing else, though, I’d learned not to bestow my trust as easily on others.
The bartender brought me my beer and waited for his money. I took a handful of coins from my pocket and dumped them on the counter. The bartender counted them suspiciously, then looked at me again. I might have detected a hint of admiration in his face, but I knew for certain that he would remember my face.
I turned back to the woman and found that she was still watching me with her hard blue eyes. “Anything I can do for you, Ma’am?” I asked her politely, keeping my voice low, as it rumbled enough to attract unwanted attention. I knew that politeness was the best way to go about my business. Besides, I was in no position to act aloof, as I desperately needed people in order to carry on with my business.
The woman nodded. As she did so a few tendrils of her sun-bleached hair fell from the tail she’d pulled her hair into. Her sun burned, freckled face and dry red lips had the beauty of a mound of dirt, yet still I was captured in her eyes. Her skin was mostly either tanned or burnt from being in the sun too much, and she had muscles. Oh gods, did she have muscles. She could have broken any man’s arm without even a second thought. With the way she was watching me I wouldn't have put it past her, either. Yes, she was exactly what I needed. Now if only I could get her to agree to it.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing. But since you got to it first... I need a job. You look like you’re out to hire. I can do anything, except cooking.” Her voice, contrary to the rest of her appearance, was soft and airy. It seemed that it couldn’t have come out of her, yet it must have. She continued to watch me, and her stare was beginning to make me a little uncomfortable, though I did my best not to show it.
I studied her for a moment before answering, and I thought of how best to put it. “If you're willing to take risks, then I may have a job for you. And it doesn't include cooking.” I smiled just barely, allowing for a little humor to enter our conversation, though it was a serious one.
She smiled slightly and drank the last of her scotch. Her blue eyes showed her humor was still good, though obviously my words didn't comfort her. “I'm willing to take risks, but I'll have to have a good reason to. What’s the job?”
I studied her again, looking her over from head to toe. She seemed right for the guild. “You'll get a fair portion of the profits; I won't get any more than you. As for the job, you'll just be helping those oppressed by the government." I knew that even if she didn't know what I was talking about she'd already have a fair idea. Her face showed a strong, deep-rooted intelligence.
Her blue eyes were steady on my face as she thought briefly. “Why me? Why not a man to do your business? You say you won't take my fair wages, and you look like you want me to join you.”
Ah, she was definitely a smart one. “I need people,” I said simply. I didn’t mention that currently I was the only one in my band of assassins. I figured that if she hadn't already guessed it, she'd find out soon enough—if she accepted my offer. I also failed to mention that I had tentative control over two passes from this plane to another. She didn’t need to know that yet.
The woman nodded. “Sounds fair. You need me, and I need food and a place to sleep.” She spit on her hand, then held it out. I followed her example and took her hand.
“Welcome. My name is Kode.”
“Well met, Kode. I am Lotina, but you may call me Lot.”
“Alright, Lot. I'll finish my beer, and then I'll show you your new home. Wages will be set according to our customers, so I can't promise much, but it will be enough. Until business starts back up we'll settle on a monthly rate.” The name Lotina had a familiar ring to it, but I couldn't place it. Well, perhaps I'd had dealings with one that went by that name at some point.
Lot nodded. I smiled and took a long drink of beer. I set down my glass and stared moodily at the wall behind the bar. I was thinking about my plans for the future. I wondered how long it would take for me to get a good sized band together, but let that thought slip away. Time wasn’t my problem just yet. My problem was now the training of Lotina. I finished my drink and stood.
“Well, shall we be going? You’ll need your first lesson.” I would be teaching her to throw a weapon called a fashoke. Fashokes are lightweight metal fan-like blades. They have spells worked into them that allow them to recognize and respond to the Will of their owner, to a limited degree. Because of these spells, they return to their owner, much like a boomerang. They are very, very sharp, and can cut through almost any material easily, including bone and most armor.
I held out my hand to Lot. She ignored me and stood, brushing her hands on her dusty brown trousers before placing a few coins on the bar. I led her out the door and through town. We went through a maze of alleys and little-used streets, before coming to a dead-end. I traveled slowly enough for Lot to follow me, but quickly enough to escape the notice of the law-keepers. I didn't need trouble with my first new recruit. She didn't yet know to keep out of sight from the law-keepers. Or so I thought at the time, though I did notice that she stuck with me, making sure it looked like we were going together, and not like I was leading her to an unfamiliar place.
At the end of this particular alley there was a door built into the wall, and a dingy sign that read, “Bull's Eye Bar.” It was a popular place for outlaws and crooks, though some patrons were a bit more respectable. I knocked twice on the door, and the door-keeper’s face peered out at me. “Ah! Askoga, we weren’t expecting you back so soon,” his voice had a note of relief in it, which seemed odd right then, “You’ve a visitor. She’s waiting in your room. I-I left her there…I dunno why, but I j-just couldn’ bring m’self to stay with her…” now the poor man sounded as though he was afraid I’d do horrible things to him for letting this woman stay in the meeting room alone. Indeed, I was fairly angry. When he added, “She…she said her name was Wizop,” my anger evaporated.
I nearly laughed aloud, and the door-keeper looked relieved at my good spirits. Now I knew why he’d left her alone, since she’d probably “encouraged” him to. Savera—or Wizop as the door-keeper had called her—had far better means of persuasion than mere weapons, though she didn’t use them often.
“This lady’s with me. She’s a new member. Don’t you forget her face; I don’t want to find out that you wouldn’t admit her just because you couldn’t remember her.” I stepped past him and held the tapestry open for Lot. She preceded me into the hallway, and we walked down it to the room at the end. I didn’t see any point in telling the door keeper to remember Savera’s face, as she usually makes herself unmemorable when she comes to visit me.
"By the way, Lotina, Askoga is the name that the door keeper knows me by. If he does forget your face, mention my name. He should let you in, but he'll test you to see if you know where the passage is. Usually he remembers faces well, though." We passed several rooms on either side of the hall, but I directed her ahead. At the end we entered a fire-lit room and I saw Savera sitting elegantly in a chair, just as I had expected. The room was small, but I’d placed special weapons on the walls. Most of them had been put there by Savera, and they wouldn’t come down unless I or another of my bloodline took them down. All but one of the weapons on the walls had been those of each of my family members who had run this band. The one that was placed on the west wall was my own weapon of choice, though not the one I used.
“Wizop! A pleasure to see you.” I bowed, knowing better than to try and give her the hug I would normally give a family friend. Her silver hair, which was no longer covered by the cloth, was done up into an elegant bun at the back of her head. The style showed off her elegant, elf-like ears and gave her face a fragile-looking beauty. She was watching us as we entered, and her pale skin and bright blue eyes shone in the light of the fire. I always wondered if her hair really glowed, or if it merely reflected the light. I sat in my customary chair and gestured for Lot to sit also. I was facing both of them. Apparently Lot had followed my example and bowed, however slightly, at Savera. Now Savera was studying her with those cool blue eyes.
She turned her eyes back to me, after a few moments, and spoke, “Askoga. It’s nice to see you also. You are recruiting? I don’t recall seeing this woman before. And what happened to the others?” Her musical voice filled the room and Lot looked at her in wonder.
I sighed heavily. I knew it would be best not to try to hide anything from Savera, but I didn’t really want Lot to have very much information from the very beginning. It was a bit difficult for me to devise a way to let Savera know what had happened, yet not allow Lot to understand the entire story. “Wizop, this is Lot. Lot, this is an old friend of my family, Wizop.”
I thought for a moment, then said, “The men found work elsewhere.” I looked directly at her and thought in an unguarded part of my mind, They deserted, then managed to get caught by the law-keepers. I knew that Savera would catch the look and read the thought. I decided that I probably didn’t need to get much more detailed about their desertion, she could figure out the reasons later.
Savera nodded slightly, “I didn’t really think they had will enough to be here, anyway. But, your father liked them, and I suppose that’s why they stayed.”
I glanced at Lot briefly. She was studying the weapons on the walls, not really seeming to pay attention to what we were saying.
“Now, Lot, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m sure Askoga has forgotten to ask the most important questions.”
Lot looked at Savera and seemed to sit up straighter. I watched amusedly as the two battled for domination, but did not cut in. Savera continued to look levelly at Lot, and Lot’s hard blue eyes seemed to harden further. They sat there for several minutes in this silent battle. Finally Lot surrendered and began her own tale. Obviously Savera had said something to her through her actions.
“I am Lotina Kerousian." I blinked when she said that. Kerousian sounded very familiar, but I still couldn’t place it. Lot continued, as though she hadn't even noticed my reaction, though Savera's mouth twitched with amusement, "I have been working since I was twelve. I started by helping out around our farm, until my parents both were killed in crossfire. Pa and Ma had been going to the store, and a band of robbers was fighting the law-keepers. That was when I was fifteen, and I took control over the farm. The farm eventually fell apart, because it was too big for me to handle, and I left. Since then I’ve been doing any job I can. I’m twenty-five now.”
I watched Savera’s expression. She smiled slightly, which I hadn’t really expected. She rarely showed more than a twitch at the mouth unless there was something that made her especially amused or happy. “A touching story. I’m sorry it’s not all true, for it made a lovely tale.”
Lot stared at Savera for a moment, before regaining her composure. I noticed that the expression she assumed now was offended. I watched Savera, still trying to remember why Kerousian sounded so familiar. “What makes you think it’s not true?” Lot finally asked.
“Lot, dear, I’ve been around for a lot longer than it appears. First, though the name Kerousian may have been forgotten twenty years ago, I still remember it. The farm bit may actually have been true, I don’t know, but I do know that your parents did not die in cross fire. They were assassinated when you were fifteen. Before that your family fled from the castle during a revolt. You grew up knowing you are royalty, and you carry yourself as such. You learned it from your parents. I also happened to be present at your birth, so I know the name Lotina as well. Do not try to fool me, child. I know more than you think.”
Lot stared. Finally she looked at me and composed herself. “Just because I’m royalty doesn’t mean that I won’t join this guild. I still need a job.”
I laughed, “I learned long ago that a title does not bring food. Wizop taught me that, actually. Lot, here no one but Wizop and I will know your past unless you choose that they do. Now, get yourself settled. I'll teach you how to use a fashoke tomorrow, after you've settled into your room. Come, I'll show you your room. Wizop, will you be staying for supper?” I stood, then waited for Savera's answer
She shook her head, “Thank you, but I don’t think I will. I’ll be going home now; I merely wanted to see how things are with you.” She put the cloth back over her hair and stood. No longer was she the regal, proud Savera, now she was merely a haggard peasant woman. She walked out.
Lot turned back to me, having watched Savera leave, “How does she do that? I can look like a man, but I have never been able to change my looks just by putting a cloth over my head.” She stood and gathered the few things she'd brought with her here. Then I led her to her new room, answering her question as we walked.
“Wizop knows how to walk, how to move. She can look the part of a goddess, or a carefree young maiden, or a wizened old crone, all depending on the way she moves. She’s very good at it, and I’m sorry that she refuses to join my guild.” I left her to settle into her room while I went into the main room of the bar and ordered supper for the both of us. I also used that opportunity to catch up on the news.
Apparently the law-keepers were still searching for me, though it was little more than a half-hearted search. That was good. They probably thought I'd left town after my men deserted me, and wouldn't start searching again until I started working again. I already knew of at least two other assassin bands, but neither of them had much business while I was working. They'd be thriving right now, of course, but they both had a reputation for not being trustworthy under torture. I always made sure that my men had the proper poisons and small daggers on them, so they'd die before giving information.