23. Lirion
When morning arrived, Lirion found himself surprisingly relaxed and well rested.
It was easily the best night of sleep he’d had since discovering Aria had been kidnapped.
It couldn’t have been from the sex—which had been rather amazing and fulfilling—because he’d had plenty of other sexual encounters since Aria’s disappearance.
Was it the fact he felt safe with these “villains”?
Or possibly because he was finally taking productive steps to saving his sister? That had to be it.
He bounced out of bed, quickly dressed, joined the queue for the bathroom for a quick wash, and then ate a simple breakfast he was assured had not been made by Maxie. Afterward, Fenric announced he would be inspecting Lirion’s gear before he went shopping for supplies.
“You’re shitting me, right?” Fenric said in a flat voice.
They stood in the middle of the room he’d borrowed from Fenric and his friends for the night. It wasn’t a bad room, with its narrow bed, stubborn stains, and lingering smell of carrots. Gods knew he’d stayed in far worse places over the years.
Lirion tried to puff up his chest and bluster through Fenric’s disbelieving look, but he knew before he even said a word that Fen wouldn’t buy his nonsense.
“What?” Feigning ignorance seemed the safer course.
“You’re not ready to spend several weeks on a ship.” The thief waved a hand toward the change of rumpled clothes on the bed, a tangle of spare lute strings, and an apple.
Hey, most of Lirion’s travel was done on foot. It was best to keep things light. Especially if he had to leave town suddenly.
“Gods, you’re not even prepared for a trip to Briani, and that’s barely more than a ferry ride across the bay.” Fenric paused and narrowed his eyes on Lirion. “Have you ever been on a long sea voyage?”
“What do you consider long?”
“Weeks. Not days. Weeks on a ship. Even months.”
“Then no, sweetheart.” He patted Fenric on the cheek. “I have not been on a long voyage.”
“Good to know. Pack up. You’re coming shopping with me.
I’ll get you prepared for the trip. Bel and Puppy left ahead of us because Bel wanted the blacksmith to sharpen a few of our blades.
We’ll meet up with them. Puppy has a list of supplies Rain came up with for the ship.
Most of it we can have sent directly to the docks. ”
Lirion could only stare. “You’re going to help me?”
“Of course.” Fen frowned as if he couldn’t understand Lirion’s confusion.
“If you’re not prepared for this trip, you’re going to end up sick or dead.
” He stepped close and tapped Lirion on the tip of his nose.
“Having your sexual meals lined up isn’t enough.
Malfas is going to handle the food we need for the trip.
That’s why we’ve got Puppy with us. Can’t have him anywhere near the food.
But both of you are going to need more clothes, boots with thicker soles, and a few other items. We’ll get it knocked out today.
If Rain isn’t fucking around, we might be able to leave a day early. ”
“Oh. Okay,” Lirion murmured, still feeling like his brain was struggling to keep up.
He grabbed the ragged sack he’d used for the last decade and stuffed his few belongings inside.
His thoughts swirled. When was the last time someone had attempted to look out for him?
Possibly his mother, but that had been long before he left home to wander the world.
Since then, he’d been on his own, surviving by his wits and luck.
As unexpected as it was, Lirion couldn’t deny the bubble of warmth growing within his chest. This rough and gruff thief had a hidden caring side, and for some strange reason, he’d taken Lirion under his wing.
A few minutes later, they were standing on the street, a smile growing on Lirion’s lips as he saw Maxie waving wildly at them as he and Belstrom approached.
“Lirion! Fenric! We found you!” Maxie shouted.
“Yeah, Bel is kind of hard to miss,” Fen mumbled with a roll of his eyes.
He wasn’t wrong. The barbarian’s golden head towered several inches above even the tallest pedestrians, and most darted out of his way once they saw him approaching with a war hammer strapped to his back.
“Lirion will join us on our shopping trip today. He needs to stock up on as many things as you do.”
“Speaking of shopping,” Lirion interjected, a lot of his happiness wilting in the pit of his stomach. “I am light on funds and might not be able to afford everything you’ve decided I need. My focus has been on locating my sister, and my purse has become rather light, my sticky-fingered lover.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re shopping with a mix of coin and fast hands. Plus, we have Puppy.”
Lirion glanced over at Maxie, who was once again bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Fenric says I can be an excellent distraction.”
Lirion nodded. “I believe him, but then, I’m quite good at distractions as well.”
So, with that understanding in place, their trip became an enjoyable breeze as they visited countless shops, all with Fenric leading the charge.
The thief loaded him down with new, more durable clothes that could withstand storms and sun as they sailed.
He acquired thick gloves to protect his hands from the harsh conditions and the ropes he’d undoubtedly be handling, as well as some supple leather boots that hugged his calves and cushioned his feet, which he couldn’t be more grateful for.
He’d been feeling too much of the road through his parchment-thin soles.
What surprised him was the heavier garments.
“It’s summer.”
“And Baza is much farther north. Their nights are colder than you find down here. All made worse on the deck of a ship. Warm clothes are a must,” Fenric stated as he thrust another heavy leather jerkin into his arms.
The thief was astounding to watch. His hands were lightning quick and they were constantly moving. The only thing faster could have been his tongue. He talked a shopkeeper’s ear off or sent them darting away for more goods. At best, they purchased only a third of what they actually walked out with.
Belstrom moved closer as Fenric went to check another selection of wool socks—apparently, a person couldn’t have too many pairs of socks.
The barbarian had nearly doubled in size during the shopping trip.
While Maxie had proven to be a fantastic distraction, Belstrom had become their pack mule, carrying everything Fenric purchased or stole.
“I have discovered Fenric is quite sensible, and it is much less hassle to heed his instruction in these matters,” Belstrom murmured in a low voice, as if afraid the thief would overhear him.
It was hard to argue with his logic. Especially when Fenric started asking about his sister’s sizes. The notion Aria would need things for survival after her escape had never crossed Lirion’s mind. His only concern had been about freeing her, not about keeping her comfortable and alive afterward.
But Fenric thought about it and added things for Aria to the stack after asking Lirion about colors and patterns she might like. Lirion chose a few things because he knew they would make her smile, but Fenric’s thoughtfulness had permanently lodged a lump in Lirion’s throat.
It was late afternoon when Fenric declared they’d gotten enough provisions to survive a trip to Baza and back.
Lirion hesitated. Fenric had done so much for him already, and they hadn’t even left the port yet.
Sure, the thief was expecting his help in return, but helping with a job didn’t feel like enough. He needed to do something more.
And he spotted the perfect thing.
He grabbed Fen’s wrist, pulling his companion to a sharp halt. “Bel, you and Puppy go on to the house. There’s one more stop Fen and I need to make. We’ll catch up.”
“Where are we going?” Fen demanded, digging his heels in when Lirion attempted to pull him down a different street.
“To see an old friend.”
“Who?”
Lirion leaned in close, brushing a light kiss along Fen’s bristly jaw. “You’re just going to have to trust me. I trusted you all day, didn’t I?”
He still didn’t budge an inch. “Yeah, but you need me to help get your sister back.”
“And I’ll need you for the weeks ahead on the ship. Come with me.”
Fenric huffed but started moving with Lirion down the narrow street until he came to what looked to be a small shop with a simple sign that had just a red tulip on it.
Lirion pushed open the creaking wooden door and was hit in the face with the rich scent of incense and tea.
“You’re in the mood for some tea?” Fenric inquired as he looked around.
“Nope.”
“Lir? Is that you?” An old man’s voice rose from the shadows and a knife seemed to magically appear in Fenric’s hand, his reflexes were so fast. It probably explained why Fenric had lived so long with so few scars on his beautiful body—the rogue was always prepared to slice a throat.
“If you used more candles in this place, Gillea, you’d be able to see it’s me,” Lirion teased as he stepped up to the shop counter. It was cluttered with boxes of tea, teacups, fancy tea infusers, and more. “I’m not asking for much. Candles. Lamps. Even magic glowing orbs would be nice.”
“Yes, but the tea needs to rest, and it prefers the dark to rest in,” Gillea argued, his voice barely over a whisper, as if the tea didn’t like loud noises either.
“More likely, it’s easier for you to conduct shady business in the dark.”
The old man with wild tufts of white hair sticking out from his mostly bald and spotted head smirked, creating a complicated tangle of wrinkles on his face. “There’s that, too.” His too-sharp brown eyes snapped over to Fenric and didn’t waver. “You’ve brought me a new friend. Looking to sell him?”
“What?” Fen gasped.
Lirion almost reached over and smacked Gillea on the top of his head.
He did not need the pot stirred. It had been hard enough getting Fenric to come in there.
“Stop. He’s mine. You can’t have him.” He turned his attention to Fenric, who looked ready to bolt out the door.
“This is Gillea, a very accomplished and secretive fence. He’s one of the best connected across Moorwood.
I thought he might have heard something about the pieces of jewelry stolen from your mother. ”
“Truly?” There was such a note of wary hope in Fen’s voice, Lirion almost pulled him into a tight hug.
“Yeah. No one is better connected than Gillea.”
“What is it you’re looking for?” Gillea prodded.
“J-jewelry. My mother. Her name was Katrina Lowell. She was killed by several heroes and all her valuables were stolen. I’m trying to get them back.” As he spoke, he reached into a pocket in his vest and pulled out a piece of paper. He unfolded it with trembling fingers.
“Ah. Good. You have a list.” Gillea stepped away from the counter and returned a moment later with parchment, quill, ink, and a lantern.
He set up his items on the counter and started his list. “Now, tell me everything you know about each item you’re searching for.
Every detail, no matter how small, helps me. ”
Lirion wandered around the tea shop, which was just a front for Gillea to move illegally acquired goods, listening with only half an ear to the list of items Fenric was still searching for.
Gillea, to his credit, was thorough. He asked about material, weight, size, and origin.
There were only half a dozen items on Fen’s list, but each one he talked about seemed to be a weight coming off his shoulders.
He knew those objects as if he’d held each one of them just yesterday.
His voice shook and broke here and there as he described old scratches and wear that came from a lifetime of use.
Where he could, he even described who gave the piece to his mother or even who had made it, down to the fucking year.
These were all details he’d clearly burned into his brain over time.
Lirion wandered back to the counter and peered over at Fenric, his heart skipping at seeing Fen’s unexpected soft smile as he spoke about a set of earrings, even while pain furrowed his brow.
“Anything else?”
“No.” Fen sighed. “That’s everything.”
Gillea nodded. “It’ll take some time for me to check my sources.
If I can’t get my hands on the item, I’ll give you a solid lead on who last had it.
Anything I buy directly, you’ll have to pay me something for it.
I have to break even on this venture. But I won’t charge you for my time or my network because you’re Lir’s friend. ”
“No, no. I understand. Any help you can give me would be appreciated,” Fen replied promptly.
Gillea waved him off as he packed away his papers and ink. “Will you be around for a while?”
“We’re leaving for Baza in a day or two. We got a solid lead on my sister. Shouldn’t be away for more than a couple of weeks at most,” Lirion said.
A soft grunt left the old man. “Good. I should have something by then. Check in with me when you get back.”
Lirion dragged Fenric out of the shop before he could pepper the man with more thanks.
Their feet had barely hit the street when Fenric grabbed Lirion’s hand and pulled him into a tight embrace. Not a kiss or a grope. Nothing sexual in the slightest. It was an honest-to-gods hug.
“Thank you,” Fen whispered in his ear.
A hundred different ways to brush Fen off came to mind, but in the end, all Lirion could manage was a soft “You’re welcome.”