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The actual myths scare me less than they do my sister, which is why she was the one to plead for Anwir to stop singing, not that his teasing helps my anxieties. I didn’t want to come out here at all. I tried to convince Chesrie that it wouldn’t be too much of a risk to simply make another pass through the Seven Kingdoms on the coast, but she said no.
Honestly, she’s right. The punishment for thieves has become much harsher in the last few years, mostly because of increased pilfering in the aftermath of the war. That’s why Chesrie and I have had to bounce from kingdom to kingdom, all the way from Farland in the north to Sangorn in the south. If we had stayed in one place for too long, then there would have been a chance for the guards to link us to our many crimes, or even to ones we hadn’t committed. Moving around was our insurance.
As we slowly migrated south, however, we found that we still weren’t on pace to save up enough to escape this life. Even though we had been quite busy, our work wasn’t always bringing in the returns we needed. Thieves lose profit converting stolen goods into money. Handlers and black markets will only pay so much and always try to bid lower, and then there’s the money that has to be spent from time to time to get out of trouble. In all, we had done very well, but we needed to do even better. Enter Anwir.
We met him at a black market in the Kingdom of Safler. I detected his eyes on us, or rather on Chesrie, the moment we walked in. He was in the corner of the dimly lit hall, but stray light from the many cracks in the ceiling made his appearance a little clearer.
The first thing I noticed about him was that he didn’t look dark or scruffy like everyone else. His light-blonde hair and pale complexion seemed altogether out of place, which Chesrie later confessed to me was why she didn’t push him away when he started flirting with her. His temperament simply came across too harmless to require our normal precautions.
Little did we realize then how vicious he could be. Despite having hardly any reputation at all among the bands of thieves, he knew the ins and outs of them very well and could talk the talk and walk the walk. He was also able to get us much better deals on our loot than we could have ever gotten on our own. Chesrie took some offense to this, actually. She said it had to do with us being women. Although she was probably right, it was still nice to have a fresh face around.
“There’s the shore,” Anwir calls out, but I can’t see it.
“How can you make anything out in this?” Chesrie asks.
He doesn’t answer her question and instead points through the haze and fog toward some rocks I hadn’t noticed. I shouldn’
t be surprised that he can discern so easily what we can’t. That’s why he’s the guide. He was born somewhere out among these island colonies, though he’s never said exactly where. I’m glad he can navigate the dark mist of these troubled waters so easily because we’d probably become lost at sea without him.
“Like I’ve said all along, you two just need to trust that I know what I’m doing and where the best places are.”
Chesrie gives him a playful smile, one that she has been using more than usual lately. Once we’re on land, she’ll become even more animated and energetic. I’m beginning to suspect that she has been exaggerating her mood to encourage me, which works a little bit, but I just can’t share her optimism right now, particularly about this island. Its location is odd, being alone and slightly to the west of the otherwise north-south archipelago that runs parallel to the coast. Its isolation makes me uneasy, makes me not want to be here.
The boat suddenly hits bottom and tilts to the right, knocking Anwir off-balance and forcing him to jump off into the shallow water. He laughs as he examines his trousers, which are soaked well-above his knees.
“Well come on in,” he jeers to us, skimming his hand on the surface of the water to splash us lightly. “Haven’t got time to waste.”
His jovial tone is a little over-the-top, especially for him, as is the smile on his face, which rarely ever
shows. He’s been talking about this place for weeks, however, so he must be certain that he’s right. This place must be full of riches itching for us to get our hands on them. We just need to do the dirty work.
“Let’s get this over with,” I say to Chesrie, standing and holding my hand out to help her to her feet.
We walk together to the edge of the boat. Anwir wades just beyond it, holding out his arms to carry us to shore so we don’t get wet. I’m not sure what to do at first. It’s not normal for us to get stuck so far out. Usually, I can simply lift my skirt and cross the water myself.
“Just step forward, I’ll catch you,” he reassures.
I do as he says and fall comfortably into his arms. He seems even stronger now than I’d thought him to be. His hold is firm as he moves through the water with little difficulty. I’ve never let him be this close to me, and it surprises me how much I enjoy it, like being protected by a watchful brother I never had but always wanted. When he sets me down on the beach, I’m slow to release him, to my surprise wishing that the distance had been much further.
I watch as he does the same for my sister, who I can imagine enjoys the embrace in a different way than I did. Anwir has been with us for long enough that I think I’ll have a hard time saying goodbye when all of this is done, but I imagine it will be even harder for Chesrie to do so. Depending on how things go for us today, that farewell could be very soon.
To my surprise, Chesrie is very quick to let go and find her feet when the two of them reach me. I study her, trying to figure out why she would react that way. Then it occurs to me. She must realize, too, that the goodbye is coming soon and doesn’t want to feel anything when we leave the coast for the mountains. That’s how she was able to stay afloat when Mother died, while I nearly drowned in my sorrow.
“I’ll be here waiting as always,” Anwir calls out to us. “Just walk south along shore, the town’s about a mile away.”
Chesrie doesn’t turn to acknowledge him, but I do, nodding my head. He then steps back out toward the water, I assume to pull the boat in closer for when we need to go. Chesrie avoids eye-contact with me as well, but I can see the red in her cheeks, something she’s probably trying to hide from both of us.
“Being cold makes it just as obvious,” I say.
“Whatever,” she scoffs as we walk swiftly across the sand.
The mist remains just as chilly as it was on the boat, blanketing my exposed skin like dew on a leaf. The wind blowing in from the sea cools me further and makes my hairs stand on edge, driving me to walk even faster. Chesrie tries to keep up.
“Hey, slow down,” she calls.
“I just want to get inside where it’s warm,” I reply.
That’s the first part of our plan. Anwir told us that near the center of the town is a large inn that also doubles as a place of social gathering. Many older gentlemen, he explained, go there to pass time. That should mean that at least one or two will be eager to meet some young ladies passing through harbor.
