Page 56 of A Wayward Movement

“We do now, Your Highness,” said the woman seated closest to them. She started to stand, but the effort was clearly taxing on her depleted energy resources, so Xavier waved her down.

“Most of us didn’t know each other before,” her closest neighbor added. “But we’re accommodated on site for the duration of our employment, so plenty of chance to mingle.”

“Have you noticed anyone who doesn’t seem to know anyone else?” Xavier asked. “Who keeps to themselves, or seems out of place? Maybe doesn’t seem to know their way around?”

He saw Alina looking curiously at him, but kept his attention on the woman in front of him.

“Can’t say I have.”

“The others inside said the same,” Xavier commented.

“Yes, most of them are pretty local, I think,” the woman said. “Try the manual laborers, Your Highness. I think a few of them were brought in from elsewhere.”

Xavier thanked her and moved away, Alina following.

“Are you asking those questions because of what you told me at dinner last night?” she asked. “Are you trying to figure out if there’s someone here from the continent?”

“It would be good information to know,” Xavier said. Realizing Alina’s attention wasn’t on him anymore, he followed her eyes to see a woman walking past, whom he was sure he recognized.

“Ellen,” Alina greeted the other woman. “How are you? Come to deliver the eggs again?”

“That’s right,” Ellen said. “All finished.”

“Ellen, have you noticed any groups forming among the workers here?” Alina pressed. “Anyone who seems a bit outside of it all?”

“Bless you, love, I just deliver the eggs,” Ellen said breezily. “I don’t know anything about all that. I must run, my dear.”

She trotted off with the words, leaving Alina watching her with a furrowed brow. Xavier remembered what Alina had told them before, that Ellen usually loved a gossip.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s speak to these manual laborers. And stick with me this time, no wandering off.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Alina sighed, but she obeyed him.

The men in question weren’t a talkative bunch, but a few of them were happy to pause their activity to speak with the group.

“There are quite a few as keep to themselves, Your Highness,” one told him. “And the rest of us are happy to leave them be. We don’t all like to fill our breaks with chatter.”

“What are you working on?” Alina asked.

“A fence,” the man told her. “To keep all the critters out.”

“And any unwanted humans, too, I reckon,” chimed in another.

“Could be,” acknowledged the first man. “But mainly the trouble is with the alicanto.”

“Alicanto?” Alina repeated, intrigued. “Aren’t they the nocturnal birds who eat gold and silver and precious ore like that?”

“They’re supposed to be nocturnal,” the workman said. “But for us, they’re making an exception. Guess they’ve never tasted chameleon steel before, and they seem to really like it. They’re coming out at all hours just to get a taste.”

“Always wait until the refinement’s all finished, too,” chuckled the second worker. “Drives the boss and all them craftsmen mad. They do all the work to get the metal perfect, then the alicanto come and gobble it up quicker’n you can curse their eyes.”

“Their eyes?” Alina was clearly bemused by the choice of words.

“The eyes of an alicanto emit a strange light,” Xavier explained. “It can dazzle potential predators so they can’t see the alicanto properly, or—”

“Or can lead pursuers off cliffs and such if the alicanto is feeling particularly testy,” Alina finished for him. “I do remember hearing something about how they like to lure people into trouble, now you mention it.”

“So which workers would you say keep to themselves?” Xavier asked, getting the conversation back on track. “Is that them?” He pointed to another clump of workers further down the partially finished fence.