Page 21 of By Fang and Fire
“Is that so?”
“Of course. The inn will have its own guard, of course, and I’m sure many of its visitors will have their own personal guards as well. If anything were to happen...”
Adrissu trailed off, glancing around. The capital looked as peaceful as he remembered it—busy, of course, but with no hint of impending doom or overt fear of attack. “Well, I don’t expect anything to happen, but if it did, being surrounded by people who would know how to defend themselves will put you in a better position than the alternative.”
“I can defend myself, too,” Kian muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Of course,” Adrissu said, nodding. “Your magical ability is the same as many of the elves here. But the elves fear orcs for a reason. Have you ever seen an orc before, in the flesh?”
For a moment Kian was silent, then said softly, “I haven’t.”
“They’rehuge,” Adrissu said, gesturing. “Not only in height, but in muscle. This orc king that just died: he was considered small for an orc, and I’ve heard he was seven feet tall. Something that much bigger and stronger than you—well, magic will only do so much against a wall of flesh.”
“I’d be safe ifyoustayed with me,” Kian said.
Adrissu met his gaze again, and Kian raised a knowing eyebrow. Kian disliked being apart nearly as much as he did; even if he knew otherwise, the human would always ask him once if he would stay longer, whenever Adrissu dropped him off somewhere. So he knew that this was that moment, but like so many other times, he could only refuse.
“One of my kind would have no issues taking on an orc, of course, or even a group of them,” Adrissu replied evenly, then he lowered his voice. “Unfortunately, I cannot stay with you longer than a day, so unless there is an imminent attack planned for tomorrow morning...”
Kian snorted with laughter. “I’ll see what’s on the schedule when we get there. What’s the name of this place again?”
“The Magenta Marigold,” Adrissu replied. “A very old inn, even by elven standards. Historic, one might say, but quite nice the last time I was there. It’s down one of the main roads...”
He walked slowly until the surrounding streets started to look more familiar, and before long they were approaching the inn with its vibrant sign: a carved flower painted a gaudy pinkish-purple. The sign was new, Adrissu thought—he would have remembered something so eye-catching if it had been there the last time he was in Aefraya, probably a hundred and fifty years ago or more.
A pair of elves behind the long counter called out a greeting as they entered, and seeing the heavy rucksack on Kian’s back, another waved them over to check them in. Her eyes lingered for a brief moment on Kian’s rounded ears, then flickered between the two of them as Adrissu paid. But she was perfectly polite, and Adrissu supposed that he couldn’t fault her for not having seen many humans in her life, especially within the walls of the capital city.
“And here are the keys for you,” she said brightly, holding a key in each hand. Adrissu paused, waiting for Kian to answer that they needed only one, but the human smiled politely and took one with a murmured thank-you. So he shrugged and took his as well, helping Kian with his belongings as they turned toward the narrow staircase that led up to the private rooms.
Kian’s room was comfortable, not exactly spacious, but perfectly serviceable for a month-long visit. But Kian barely looked around, tossing his things onto the bed, before turning back to Adrissu with a deep sigh.
“You’re sure you can’t stay? Even an extra day or two?” he asked, stepping closer to him. Adrissu laughed.
“Is that why you wanted me to take that second key?” he teased, opening his arms as Kian reached for him. “You know I can’t. Staying until tomorrow is the best I can do.”
“I’ve just never been so far from home,” Kian replied softly, pressing his face into Adrissu’s chest. “I’m—nervous, I suppose.”
“You’ll be fine,” Adrissu reassured him, squeezing his shoulders. “Elves can be a little stuffy, of course, especially the ones who study in the castle for a living, but that’s nothing new. Just study hard and don’t go out alone at night, and I’m sure everything will be fine.” He pulled away just enough to look down into Kian’s eyes. “And if anything does happen, write to me on our scroll, and I’ll be there as soon as anyone possibly can. I’d teleport to you if I had to.”
Kian laughed at that, shaking his head. “Teleport all the way here? You’d be dead of exhaustion by the time you arrived.”
“You’re probably right,” Adrissu sighed, squeezing him again. “Very well. I’d teleport halfway and fly the rest. Shave off at least a few hours.”
He felt Kian nod, but for a moment they were both silent, hugging each other.
“I don’t truly think anything is going to happen,” Kian said softly, muffled against Adrissu’s traveling cloak. “The city already seems too peaceful for anyone to really be worried about an attack, at least not here. Right?”
Adrissu thought of the last time Polimnos faced an attack, when the newly minted Federation of Autreth came to bring them to heel. He remembered the tension that was all but palpable in the air, even before their small band of mercenaries and soldiers left to meet the invaders in the field. Aefraya was nothing like that now, not even close.
“I agree,” he replied, keeping his tone carefully light. “I don’t think anything will happen either. But if you even hear a rumor, or start feeling worried, write to me, and I’ll get you out as soon as I can.”
Kian pulled away, smirking up at him. “Is that the only reason you’ll come? What if I just really miss you?”
Adrissu scoffed, but smiled in return. “I might be able to get away for a weekend in two weeks. Otherwise, enjoy your break from me. You’ll be too busy to miss me.”
“Don’t forget to eat while I’m gone,” Kian chided, now finally moving away to unpack his things. “You always do that. You’re always skinnier when I get home.”
“That’s quite impossible,” Adrissu sighed, helping him unpack. “It’s all an illusion. And I eat less often because I don’tneedto eat as much.”
