“Wait, is he here?” I ask.
“Somewhere around, yeah. Norrial and Thallan, too, though I think Keshk already went to bed,” she says. “Bunch of mercenary groups are going to Frostcliff, and since the tradin’ season’s over, Jessic and his decided to head up.”
My stomach lurches uncomfortably. “What’s going on?”
Vanya shrugs. “Something about Frostcliff wanting extra hands. Not sure why.”
Olbric had told me about the intercepted Immen scouting party, but if Frostcliff is bolstering their numbers, they’re preparing for... something. Some folks from Airedale go to Frostcliff for patrols, but it’s usually to help maintain the roads, notfight. But if mercenaries are heading up the mountain, I’m walking into a worse situation than I realized.
When officials start showing up in the mountains, folks get nervous. We’re used to being left alone by the Crown and the Duke in Frostcliff unless trouble’s brewing, but if people with swords start marching through, some folks get up and leave altogether. Which is a hell of an issue if my mother turns out to be one of them.
“Why’reyouhere? Last I heard, wizards were stickin’ close to the -” she says, and I smother her with a finger all over again.
“Look, I’m not supposed to be,” I say in a low voice. “And I’m trying to make sure no one remembers me being here.”
With an impish smile, Vanya’s tongue traces my finger. I pull my hand away, shivering at the sudden rush of heat as she purrs, “Ooh, a runaway, huh?”
My cock gives a disappointed throb. It’s been less than a week, but dammit, Vanya’s a reminder of a lot of what I’ve been missing. “Guess you could say that. So you can playBandit Layer,just don’t single me out with it, yeah?”
“You have my word, Dominai,” she laughs. “Will you stick around after the show?”
I should say no. Whoever’s been sent after me will almost certainly stop in Crofton. I need to watch my back.
But... if I can get Vanya on hers, she can watch mine for me.
“‘Course I will,” I say with a wink. “And if you see anyone with spells come in, try and point them out.”
“I can’t see shit from that sorry excuse fer a stage, but I’ll do my best,” she says before she sweeps back to her abandoned mandolin.
Just having a friendly face to talk to has shined the sun on my mood. I’m able to relax a little as I settle back against the bar to scoop up my dinner again.
Vanya starts plucking out the familiar tune she uses to warm her fingers up as I scan the crowd for any one of Jessic’s crew. I wantto know more about what’s bringing them to Frostcliff, but Vanya’s playing has made the folks at the table next to me raise their voices just enough to let me overhear.
“- sure to have your guard up,” the man says. A merchant by the looks of him. “There’s talk of all sorts of nastiness happening further up in the hills.”
“Bandits?” the small woman sitting with him asks.
“Always.” The man spits into his empty cup in disdain. “Some new crew’s rolled into the area. One of my wool suppliers says they’re chasing off anyone trying to use the northern road.”
“Idiots,” his companion scoffs, and I can’t help but agree. The northern road is the only official road that stretches over the mountains from Straetham to Immenbach. It’s also the highest road through the mountains, and after that storm, it’s got to be coated in snow.
“Hey, look on the bright side,” the man replies. “Maybe the damnably early winter will freeze ‘em out. That storm cut my season short by nearly a month!”
Their conversation wanders to produce, so I turn my attention back to Vanya. She finishes her warm-up, but the crowd still seems pretty cold to the bard. That is, until she strums the beginning chord of a song.
It’s one I recognize from the road. An upbeat tune about a milk maid. Her voice cuts through the din of chatter, and it seems to surprise the disinterest out of folks. Eyes turn to the stage, and the mood of the room immediately warms.
I can’t help but chuckle as I watch her. These little mountain towns aren’t ready for a girl like Vanya. But Frostcliff will be, and I can already imagine her playing the dance hall. Almost makes me wish I was headingthatdirection instead of Airedale.
But maybe I could travel with them. The caravan taught me there’s strength in numbers, and I could have worse company than Jessic’s crew and Vanya on the road up.
I smile as I watch her play before something catches my eye. Maybe it’s just because I’m staring, but I’d swear there was a golden glow coming from the hollow of her throat. It could almost be a trick of the lantern light, but then it brightens as her song comes to a final high note.
Cheers erupt from around the tavern, and Vanya beams before she stands on her chair so folks can actually see her as she bows.
“My name’s Vanya,” she calls, and the crowd greets her enthusiastically. “I think I like mountain towns. This is m’ first time up, but y’all seemfun. What d’you want to hear, eh?”
As she starts into her second song, I watch the room go from being drunk and disinterested to drunker and rapt. All the while, that golden glow in her throat glows brighter and brighter, lighting her up from the inside out. Yet as I glimpse around, keeping an eye out for Jessic or his crew, I’m the only one who seems to notice it.
