He said, “Utilitarian. And both well-made. What is the enchantment on the small one you wear on your leg?”
His tone had remained flat, but the warning from Sara slowed her response. Prin asked, “Does it matter?”
“Not officially. I was just wondering.”
“So, I’m not in any trouble because of it?”
“I am here to help, nothing else and I’m sorry if I was too inquisitive.”
Prin said, “In that case, I don’t know what the enchantment is. I didn’t even know it had one.”
He almost smiled, but managed to avoid it. “Most people would not see the dark enchantment. I have received training to perceive such things, and I sense there is much more than the odd knife about the pair of you. Beware, I am not the only one trained in sensing such things.”
Sara said, “What do you sense about me?”
He just nodded in her direction and said, “A sorceress should always be wary in a strange land.”
“Did that have anything to do with you following us?” Sara asked, not bothering to ask how he knew she was a sorceress. He obviously had the powers of a mage, or at least, some of them.
“I am sworn to protect all travelers, not just those blessed with abilities. It made no difference.”
Sara stepped closer. She looked him in the eye and said, “A fool can try teaching a man to be a mage for a hundred years, but if the man does not have the ability born to him, it will be a waste of a hundred years. What are you?”
He squirmed a little under her words, but said, “Some believe that we of the Iron Ring have some mage within us. I cannot say for sure.”
Sara relaxed, accepting his response as truth. “I’ve reconsidered. There is a way for you to help us.”
He only nodded for her to continue.
“We are new to Indore, as you know. We are looking for a place to rent, or to buy if the price is right. Our father is a spice merchant. At home, he stored his spices for on the ground floor, and we lived in a small apartment above. We are looking for such a place.”
He paused. Then, almost smiled again. “There are such places. Are you concerned with fashion in the building?”
“No,” Prin said without thinking.
Sara corrected her, “But we want a part of the city where we might step out at night without fear.”
He looked at Prin. “Like your knives, you wish utilitarian but well made. Yes, there are such places.” He pointed away from the ships to a part of the city they had not yet explored. “There is a steeple taller than the other roofs. See it?”
Both Prin and Sara nodded, looking across the rooftops to where the city was built on the long slope of a hill. The buildings in sight were one or two stories tall, mostly made of brick, the bricks probably made of river mud, with roofs that didn’t slant as much as those higher in the mountains. Prin appreciated the simplicity of the construction. But standing high above was a thin steeple or watchtower.
Sara said, “Who would we speak with?”
“There is a man near that steeple, located on this side of it. He buys, sells, and rents buildings, especially ones in that area. His name in Chalmers. I wish I could tell you he is fair in his dealings, but you must haggle to reach a good price.”
Prin said, “If I wanted to donate to your order, how would I do that?”
“Any of the Order of The Iron Ring are authorized to accept donations and convey them to our coffers.”
Prin slipped a coin into his hand. He didn’t look to see the denomination or color of the metal before placing it in a pocket with a flap and button.
“And if we find we need your services again?” Sara asked.
“Donations are made with your name attached. Any of my order will respond to requests from those who support us. They will know you anywhere in the city.”
Prin said, “Would you consider walking up to the steeple and showing us where to find Chalmers?”
“That would be my privilege.”
As they started walking, Sara whispered, “I would have never thought to ask if we could pay him, or if he could show us the way.”
“That’s because I’m only thirteen and don’t know what to ask and what not,” she laughed. “I just don’t know all the rules yet.”
The man hadn’t given them a name, and they didn’t believe he would. He was part of an order, a tiny portion of a whole. He pointed out a few small places of interest as they walked, a shop for meat, a reasonably priced seamstress, and the maker of soap and candles. They passed by two other members of his order, both with long, bare swords resting in iron rings on their belts. He made a hand motion and explained it would tell them Prin and Sara were benefactors of their order and under their protection. Prin had no doubt the men would remember, and spread the word.
The situation of hiding from her pursuers from the kingdom of Wren again came to mind. She wondered at the reception they would receive when asking the Order of The Iron Ring about her. She suspected it would be cold, and nothing would be shared. The order might even warn her. But she might be wrong.
Still, it almost seemed as if she had hired friends to protect her. If nothing else, the thieves, pickpockets, and muggers wouldn’t come around when one of the order escorted her on the streets. Perhaps the word would spread around Indore that they were protected. It seemed she had made a valuable ally.
Eventually, the three reached a nondescript building near the steeple they used as a navigation beacon. Prin expected that it would soon become a landmark for finding their way around the city. The man pointed to a doorway, then quietly slipped out of sight down an alley without a word, and disappeared.
Prin said, “Back down by the port, I read the sign by myself. It started and ended with S, and in between were H, I, and P. Ships.”
Sara flashed a brilliant smile. “Exactly right. The first word was ‘ships,' and the next word was ‘movements.’ The billboard had information about the ships that arrive and depart, their cargo, needs for sailors, and the ports they travel to.”
“You took a paper.”
“It tells of a ship that departed three days ago, named the Julianna. It says the ships returns here one time a year, and it travels to far off ports where few other ships sail to, in case you wish to ship something with it. It won’t return for a full year. If anyone wants to check our story, they’ll have to wait. Why don’t you choose a name for the place where we came from?”
“Any name?”
“Make it pretty. Exotic. Like a place with lots of islands.”
Prin said, “How about a beautiful place called Evelyn?”
Sara said, “That is perfect. A tribute to the sorceress who helped us escape.”
“And who we will one day see again and reward,” Prin added. “But now we need to find a place to live.”
They had crossed the street while speaking and were standing in front of the door that had been pointed out to them. They were still talking when it opened, and a rotund man with a wild head of curly hair and more savage looking mustache said, “Don’t just stand out there. Come inside and rent a place to live from me.”
“How did you know what we want?” Sara asked, not moving an inch.
“Perhaps your strange manner of dress, your hesitation to enter, and good luck with my guess,” he said with a warm smile. “And maybe I overheard a few words through the open window.”
Prin muttered, “Not much luck to it, if you ask me.”
But he led the way inside and stood aside with a sweeping motion of his arm. She found a small, but comfortable room with seating on three walls and a huge table dominating the center, covered in layers of papers, parchments, and manuscripts. Quills and ink bottles were spread around the table for convenience. At the far end of the table sat a rocking chair with a view of the front steps and the street outside through the window that was partially open. A soft breeze filled the room, as well as a murmur of sound from outside.