Firebrand

Cobbled Streets

On Solday, Martel reflected on the past fiveday. He had attended celebrations in two mansions and eaten more expensive food than he ever knew could be found together, he had proven his magic against more advanced students and in front of Morcaster's nobility, he had seen a play inspired by his own deeds, enjoying another party after that, and tonight he intended to repeat the experience with Shadi. It felt like five years of good fortune crammed into just five days.

Solstice celebrations did not provide Martel with any excuse for being derelict in his duties, however. Sindhu, being located further south with days of more even length, cared little for such events, and neither did Mistress Rana. She supervised Martel's work more often now, perhaps because she had deemed him worthy of the investment. While that was encouraging, her presence also led to a barrage of constant corrections on every detail of his work, which he found hard to swallow. But he bit his tongue and cut his roots, dried his herbs, cleaned his jars, pulverised his ingredients, cleaned his tools, and everything else she asked of him. And once he had finished, along with his duties assisting Master Jerome, Martel could finally leave the Lyceum for his recurring meeting.

~

They met by the statue of the rider as usual, Shadi waving to him from across the square. "There you are! Let's dive in," she suggested, to which he agreed. They spent an hour strolling through the district to peruse its many stalls and offers of entertainment. Martel still felt uneasy whenever he saw a beggar approach, quickly looking them over for any signs of hidden weapons. But all they wanted were spare coins, and Martel simply pulled away from them. Once he had spent his last money buying food for Shadi and him, he could earnestly tell them he had nothing to give them.

Despite the crowds and the occasional encounter that left Martel uncomfortable, he enjoyed the solstice gathering. They saw all kinds of spectacles. A Sindhian woman who could bend and twist her body to move more like a snake than a human. A Khivan who swallowed fire only to breathe it out; Martel made his act a little exciting by strengthening the flames as they left his mouth, making the entertainer looked startled and Shadi laughing. Jugglers wielding swords and acrobats, fortune tellers, a seiðr-wife who offered to inscribe a rune promising long-lasting life for just ten silvers.

As it became late afternoon, Martel led her towards the square with the theatre. "Look who is back!"

"Oh, your friends!"

"They're doing a performance in a little bit," Martel revealed. In part, the timing was a favour to him. "I thought we could watch it together. I promise, you won't be disappointed by the story."

"You've already seen it?"

"Yeah, it's a new play, and they couldn't wait to show it. Once you see it, you'll understand why."

"I don't know…" Shadi bit her lower lip. "It is going to be late once it finishes, and I should get back home before then."

"It'll just take an hour," Martel promised. "It won't be dark until late tonight, and I'll walk you home."

"Alright," she relented, and they moved towards the benches in front of the stage. "How much does it cost again?"

Martel looked at Ian, the young boy collecting payments from the audience. "Nothing for us to worry about."

~

Shadi clapped her hands as the play ended. "That was great! I recognised a lot from what you told me. But I thought this happened in Morcaster, not some ruined castle?"

"They may have changed one or two details. But it is still very close to the truth," Martel maintained.

"Isn't Regnar much older than you? And you only met this spring? And you said Maximilian fights with a hammer, not a sword."

"A lot of details," he conceded.

She laughed. "I'm just making fun of you. The play was great," she reiterated. "I really should head home now, though. Before my dad started to wonder where I am."

"You don't want to meet the players?" Martel thought about last night, sharing their company and laughs as they played music and danced. Repeating the experience, but with Shadi this time, would be wonderful.

She shook her head. "It'll get too late."

"Alright." Martel tried to hide his disappointment. "I'll follow you home."

~

Even during the early evening, the crowds in the market district hemmed them in, forcing them to make uneven progress south-east towards the Khivan enclave. Eventually, escaping the worst of it, they could slow down and walk side-by-side, even talking a bit at the same time. Martel laughed on more than one occasion, enjoying his easy rapport with Shadi.

He briefly thought about how it contrasted with sharing the company of Maximilian and Eleanor. Sure, he could discuss magic and life at the Lyceum with them, and he had been through dangers with Maximilian that would always tie them together. But he had known from the start that they lived different lives from him, and attending their families' celebrations had only made it more obvious.

Shadi was like him. She knew how to make a meal or how it felt to worry about money. She grew up with wooden floors and dressed in wool. She had never looked down on him because of his origin, whether considering Nordmark or his distant Tyrian blood.

As they reached the edge of the Khivan quarter, Shadi stopped. "I can walk home from here, it's fine. You got a long way home."

"I don't mind." They had so little time together these days, Martel was happy to prolong it.

"No, really. It's fine."

Her tone of voice had become apprehensive, making Martel frown. "What's wrong?"

Shadi glanced down the street. Three young men stood, perhaps in their twenties. Khivans, by the look of it, and hardly a surprise given the location. They scowled.

"Are they giving you trouble?" Immediately, Martel evaluated the distance towards them and how far his magic would reach.

"No, they don't give me trouble." The way that Shadi stressed the second-last word made Martel look at her.

"I see. They don't like me."

"There's just been a lot of fights with Asterians, and these guys keep a watch out."

Martel gave them a second glance. They had bruises and a scar or two, suggesting they did more than watch. "But I'm not causing any trouble. I'm just walking in and out of the quarter."

"It doesn't matter." She stood uneasy, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"I'm not scared of them." Almost to his own surprise, Martel realised it was true. He knew what his magic could do, and he would not be bullied.

"I know that. It's not about who's right," Shadi argued. "It's just best for everyone if we say farewell here. I'll see you next Solday." She gave him a mirthless smile, squeezing his arm before she began walking down the street.

Martel watched her, his happiness quietly dwindling away. As she entered the Khivan quarter, he could still see her, yet it felt like a door had slammed in his face. He was reminded of watching Maximilian dance with Eleanor, treading steps he did not even know, their union already being planned. Another world where he did not belong. Whether on cobbled streets or marbled floors, he stood alone.