Page 28 of Apple Boy

I saw a young boy in the green uniform I recalled was worn by a messenger. I noticed that on his back he shouldered a small folded timber board. A gentleman signaled for the boy to stop. They moved to a wall where the boy turned his back, and the man unfolded the board the child still shouldered. I saw then that it was a writing slope, and inside pockets held paper, a dipping pen, and a stoppered vial of ink. Both Adam and I were amazed to see the gentleman unstopper the ink and then pen a speedy missive. When he was done he sealed the ink vial and returned it and the pen to their storage place, then folded up the boy’s writing slope. He said something to the child that we could not ascertain then he handed him the note and a coin. With just a name or an address, the child was off running. It was a swift, efficient, and impressive service.

I recalled that my Uncle Ivon told of the city in the detailed correspondence he’d sent to me before I’d left Thorn. Sadly, all of my letters were in my trunk that was either resting on the sea floor or dashed upon the rocks, but I’d read one particular letter many-a-time during my long journey to prepare myself for the city. It had fueled my imaginings and made me keen to arrive at my destination.

Winter, my boy, soon you make your majority, and it cheers me to know that for your twentieth Bloomsday you come to Serein. Your father has permitted me to make a man of you, and make a man of you; I shall! Let Serein be your playground and I will be your guide.

You have never seen a city of such beauty as you will witness in Serein. As you know, it drove the old king mad, and you mark my words, boy, the women of this city will do the same, for you have never tumbled such buxom, feisty wenches!

I shall tell you a little of the locale, so you will find it easier to get your bearings when you arrive. The majority of the city is built on a vast flat plateau that rises to the north and flows down to the south meeting the Wide Sea. There are four primary districts. The Gentries district lies to the north. This district is well-planned with crisp tree-lined avenues, verdant gardens and the vast mansions of nobles overlooking the city. It is the highest point for hundreds of miles in all directions, and it is where I chose to take a house. Residents of the Gentries retain an undisturbed vista that allows us to look down upon the city and view the surrounding landscape and far out to the Wide Sea. This suits me very well, and I’m sure it will suit you too.

East of the city you will discover what originally had been named the ‘Learned and Law’ district. Here you will find the Great Council’s tower, depositories, the university, the courts, the halls of solicitors and the gaol. This district name has been converted by word-of-mouth over hundreds of years, changing from the “Learned and Law,” to ‘The Double ‘ells’ to eventually become “The Dells.” The Dell’s is where you will find our family depository, Percheval, and Wrenfrey.

West of the market square is ‘The Makers’, a district where the main factories are situated, and where craftsmen and artisans reside. This district’s most notable concern is the Royal Mint, where Empire coin is cast. I have been privy to a tour of the mint, and the coining process is quite fascinating. If you like, I can arrange a tour for you too. The rest of the district is of a mixed occupancy, with many a bordello is hidden among the factories, workshops, and taverns.

To the south “The Makers” merges into the ramshackle laneways and warehousing of “Cheapside.” “Cheapside” is where goods moving to and from the port are stored. It is also where the majority of the lower classes can be found. If you have a taste for socializing with sailors, the filthiest of harlots, or those who live in the shadows, here you will find boarding houses, brothels, and taverns that cater for any illicit thrill that could cross your youngling mind. But be careful, my boy, do not visit “The Makers” or “Cheapside” at night unless you are with a companion who knows the city well, and I’d advise that you carry a concealed weapon too, for after dark the streets there are unsafe for the uninitiated!

I remembered that letter as plain as day. It had excited and worried me. Of course, I was intrigued to see the city but, I was also concerned that from his comments Ivon would try to widen my tastes in bed partner. He bedded both men and women, and from the sounds coming from his wing of our family home in the middle of the night, sometimes he took them both at the same time! I was certain where my interests lay, and I was not interested in women for bed play. And at this particular moment, my eyes and desires were trained on one man and one man only!

Both Adam and I were long-legged and tall of stature, but that did not help us as we made our way deeper into the multitude shopping at the market.

“Which way now?” Adam queried. He then barreled into my side as a pretty dark-skinned girl with white blonde hair aggressively pushed past him, followed by two ruddy-faced women with squawking snot-nosed children hitched on their hips.

I steadied Adam and gritted my teeth. I saw how the girl looked at Adam with hunger in her eyes. Was it that obvious he was new to the city? If so he would be a lamb to the slaughter.

Eyeing the girl suspiciously, I said, “Keep hold of your purse. Make no mistake; trust neither a maiden-in-distress nor a crying child. There are younglings trained to prey on travelers. If you stay alert, you’ll see them skulking in the shadows or hiding in crowds. They’d cut your throat for a copper.” I informed morbidly, passing on what my Uncle Ivon had told me of the notorious gangs of harlots and street children who roamed the city on the rob. Adam’s hand groped for his purse, and he appeared relieved to find it still attached to his belt. I was relieved too. I saw that the girl had paused beside a haberdasher’s stall and noted that she looked back at us rather than at the ribbons and lace on display. I gripped a handful of Adam’s blue woolen traveling cloak and pulled him closer to my side so as not to lose him as we continued into the throng.

“I need to find my father’s depository. Percheval and Wrenfrey”, I said, trying to be heard over the din of market sellers and hawkers calling out to advertise their wares. From the sound of it, Serein pulled in merchants from all over the Empire, the mingling of accents a distraction. We passed a stall loaded high with the catch-of-the-day. The scent of raw fish made me gag, but then I saw the comely seller, and I near tripped over my feet. I was quite taken by the ethereally beautiful young man who tended the stall. He had long hair the shade of wheat sheaves at Harvest time, and eyes of turquoise that shone like the sea on a glorious day. He caught my eye, and his face broke into a wide smile as if he recognized me. He waved and nodded a greeting in the most precocious way. Automatically, I returned a nod and a wave. Confused by my actions, I strode on. Adam tugged at my arm and brought me back to my senses.

“Ye know where we’re going, don’t ya?” Adam asked anxiously. I hoped he had not noticed the way the pretty fisherman gazed at me. There were far too many distractions, and I needed to find my focus.

This was my first visit to Serein, and due to my losses I did not have the details of my uncle’s residence. I had always believed that my best course of action was to find our family depository first, and then Percheval and Wrenfrey could tell me my uncle’s address. I recalled from Ivon’s missive that the depositories were in The Dells district in the east of the city. Therefore, I supposed that we should head for The Dells.

I hitched my pack, which, even though it held a scant bundle of clothing felt cumbersome amongst all the bodies pushing and swaying against me as they happened upon their daily business.

The crowd thinned a little, and suddenly my foot was pulled from under me. I skidded for a step. I guessed I had trodden on animal muck on the cobbles, but when I looked down to where I was placing my booted feet, there was nothing slippery. However, a line of silver flashed before my eyes. It was as if a streak of bright white metal ran through the cobblestones. It shone radiantly, running ahead of where we walked, and when I glanced behind there was nothing unusual there at all. “Did you see that?”

“What?”

“On the ground there, something shining in the cobbles.” I insisted, wondering for a moment if I was going mad. Adam stopped and placed his hands on his hips and looked down, then glared back at me.

“All I sees is straw, sawdust and pig shit.” He mocked.

I saw a flash of silver out of the corner of my eye. “Come on!” I beckoned. I don’t know why, but it felt right to follow whatever it was I’d seen. Adam grabbed for my traveling cloak and wrapped his hand in the fabric as I set off apace pursuing the magic light it seemed only my eyes could see.

As if in a trance I trailed the strange shining line in the cobblestones as it darted ahead. It took us right past the roaring heat of the fire pit in the center of the square where beef, pork, lamb, and poultry were roasting above the incandescent heat of the pit. The rotund ruddy faced butcher’s wife was mopping the sweat from her brow with a filthy wet rag. She called out in a bawdy holler that the meat was for sale “a copper a slice” with thick fresh bread from the baker’s stall beside it. There was a queue of folk waiting for service. I was so hungry. I could see in the side glance I gave Adam that he salivated at the sight and scent of the hot roasting meat. But we had no time to dally. Once I’d dealt with my business, I would buy him a meal the likes of which he’d never tasted.

“We’re heading to the district with the Great Council’s tower in it,” I said, pointing at the tall tower that dominated the skyline to keep his focus. Adam nodded, and we hurried on. The transient silver line brought us to the edge of the square and then zipped left. It took us up rickety timber steps and then onto a counterweight bridge which, when we were halfway across, began to move changing the direction of our exit. Adam was stunned by the view of the city streets below, and it pleased me to see he was enjoying our adventure. The moving bridge met another set of stairs where a group of men and women on a platform waited to cross. The bridge docked, then Adam and I eased past the crowd and made our way down the steps. I was intrigued by the workings of the bridge but had no time to ponder how it moved.

Back on solid ground, I saw the mage-light once more. We followed, cutting down a filthy alleyway, and then onto a side street populated by small, quirky shops, a bookbinder, a bakery, a confectioner, and others that I had no time to browse. Now, Adam was not looking where he was going, and as we moved with the flow of people, Adam was near knocked off his feet by a young, flame-haired man, “Easy there,” the man cautioned as he clasped Adam’s arm to prevent him falling. He smiled warmly as he righted Adam, and we moved on without incident.

A few streets later and Adam seemed a little more bewildered. I noted how, once nimble on his feet, he now stumbled and stared questioningly at the faces of the men we passed. I understood then what he was doing and my heart ached for him. He was seeking out his brother. Any one of the men we passed could have been his brother Evan, but in searching the faces and eyeing the wrong kind of fellow Adam could quickly get us into trouble. Adam was an innocent in this beast of a city. He needed to remain watchful. With some ruffians, all it took was an ill-timed glance to start a fist-fight, or maybe for a stranger to bump past, and then suddenly you would find your coin purse or fob watch missing. Oh. I stopped walking, pulled Adam aside, and pretended to look in a shop window.

“Do you still have your purse? We should have checked after that redheaded man near knocked you to the ground.”

Adam’s eyes widened, and his hand searched under his cloak, he puffed out a breath of relief as his hand clasped the purse.

“Look, I know you are searching for your brother in the faces of passersby,” I said in a firm low voice, “I assure you when we have visited the depository, and I have spoken to my uncle, we shall set an army of men scouring the city for your Evan. No expense will be spared.” I insisted. “But you must stay alert. Watch where you’re going. Don’t meet anyone’s gaze and stick close to me.”

“Oh,” Adam’s shoulders drooped in resignation. “That obvious, is it? I keep forgetting ye can read me,” he confessed.