‘You have to be the unluckiest person I have ever met,’ Felix commented. ‘You can never catch a break, can you?’

  Vivian sat cross-legged on Felix’s bed, hugging Ebion to her chest, scratching him behind the ears to draw out his soothing purring. The feline had wandered into the house early in morning, sneaking in through her open balcony and crawling under her sheets. Vivian had woken up to a familiar, furry behind squashed against her face.

  She couldn’t help smiling as she drew the cat into her arms and snuggled into his fur, falling back into sleep.

  ‘So, are you going to do it?’ Aiden asked, sitting properly on the sofa, a cup of tea pinched between his fingers.

  ‘I don’t fancy another nighttime visit from her so yes.’ Vivian finally released Ebion from her grip and leaned back on her arms. ‘Besides, I’m just passing a message.’

  ‘Wonder what’s the connection between the two?’ Felix stepped out from his dressing room, giving a twirl to show off his clothes. Vivian resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead smiled and nodded, hoping to get it over with.

  ‘I really do want to get this over with, so I don’t know why I'm saying this’ Aiden said. ‘But I’m not going out with you dressed like that.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Felix gestured at Aiden and glared pointedly at Vivian. ‘That’s what I need. Actual feedback.’

  Felix disappeared inside his dressing room once again. Vivian gave Aiden a pointed look.

  ‘What?’ he said defensively. ‘I’m serious. I wasn’t going to walk around with someone dressed like a clown.’

  Vivian sighed but didn’t respond. This is going to take a while...

  ‘So, about what we were talking about,’ Felix’s voice came through the open dressing room door. ‘When are you going to do it?’

  Vivian shrugged. ‘I was thinking I’d just do it today and get it over with. No point dragging it out.’

  ‘Great! I’ll come with.’ Felix stepped out again in a shirt that had considerably less ruffles and a colour that didn’t burn her eyes. ‘I’ve been eying a cloak in her boutique. I hope no one else has purchased it yet.’

  ‘We should have some breakfast before we go.’ Aiden stood up. ‘Bruz came over in the morning to help in the kitchen. He would be upset if we left without eating.’

  The three of them trooped downstairs, heading for the dining hall. Cyrus, Dixie, Rikan and Sina were already seated at the table, halfway through their breakfast. They looked up as they entered.

  ‘Good morning,’ Vivian greeted to the room in general.

  ‘Good morning,’ a few greeted back.

  ‘I hope you all slept well,’ Felix said. ‘Were there any problems during the night?’

  Vivian sat down next to Sina and pulled the breadbasket towards her. Bruz appeared out of thin air to place a plate of eggs in front of her. She smiled at him in thanks before digging in.

  ‘It was quite comfortable,’ Sina smiled. ‘A few weeks of sleeping on the hard ground in the biting cold can make anything seem luxurious.’

  ‘Well, you won’t have to worry about either while you’re here,’ Felix said. ‘There’s an enchantment around the city that moderates the weather. During the winter, it will snow, but it melts away within a few days. At most you’d only feel the cold for a couple of days and the rest of the time it’ll just be a bit chilly.’

  ‘Oh, I was wondering what happened to the snow,’ Vivian said. ‘How do you know all of this?’

  ‘I listen when people talk... even if I’m not part of the conversation.’

  ‘Meaning you eavesdrop,’ Aiden said flatly.

  Felix shrugged. ‘How else am I supposed to gather information?’

  ‘Normal conversations?’ Vivian suggested.

  ‘Sure, but how many people will actually tell you the truth.’ Felix shook his head. ‘No, my way is better. Afterall, gossip makes its way around through overhead whispers. Speaking of which, did you hear about Hunson?’

  ‘The Clumsy Ox owner?’ Vivian leaned in to listen, despite her seeming aversion to gossip a mere moment ago.

  ‘Apparently, he’s pursuing a certain someone.’ Felix wiggled his eyebrows. ‘I heard someone say that they overheard someone else who saw him purchasing a bunch of roses from Torr’s shop the other day. Moreover...’

  Vivian was a bit ashamed to admit that she listened with rapt attention as Felix shared the gossip he had overheard. Aiden shook his head in disappointment and turned to have a conversation with Cyrus instead, something about shadow magic, but she didn’t pay much attention. Rikan and Sina sat talking to each other in a language that she couldn’t understand, their tones soft as they spoke. They were all almost done with their breakfast when the three elves walked in. Vivian’s gaze immediately snapped towards Tala, their conversation from last night running through her head. She gave the elf girl a small nod, which was stiffly reciprocated.

  ‘Good morning,’ Felix greeted cheerfully. ‘I hope you were comfortable last night.’

  ‘Very,’ Sylf replied. ‘Thank you for the hospitality.’

  Felix’s nodded. ‘That’s good. I was worried if the unfamiliar environment might have kept you awake.’ His grin turned sly as he continued. ‘I’ve heard some people get so restless in new places that they sometimes take to sleepwalking. Can you imagine?’

  Tala narrowed her gaze at Felix but didn’t say a word.

  ‘No...’ Sylf said slowly, clearly not understanding the strange turn the conversation had taken. ‘We slept quite well.’

  ‘Oh well, as long as you’re happy.’ He gestured at the table. ‘Come, sit with us. Bruz can whip up a truly delicious breakfast.’

  Tala slipped into the chair next to Vivian and immediately proceeded to step on her foot. Vivian barely kept herself from crying out in pain.

  ‘You told him?!’ she hissed.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Vivian wriggled her foot out from under hers and decided to return the favour, stomping on the elf’s foot. Tala let out a let out a small sound of pain.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she replied, her voice sweet as she pressed down on the foot. ‘I didn’t know I was supposed to keep the presence of a murderous elf in my room last night a secret. I'll remember that next time.’ She took her foot off and Tala immediately retrieved her bruised appendage.

  ‘Is something wrong?’ Cyrus looked at them suspiciously.

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing.’ Vivian smiled. ‘Girl talk.’

  ‘... Alright,’ he said disbelievingly, but decided not to pursue it any further. ‘So, what are you plans for today?’

  ‘Well, we’re going over to Sith’s for practise with Peri,’ Aiden answered. ‘He’s finally let us start training with weapons.’

  ‘And enjoying our pain a little too much,’ Vivian grumbled.

  Cyrus snorted. ‘Good luck. You're going to need it.’

  ‘Hmm, that does not fill me with confidence.’ Vivian swallowed the last bite of her breakfast and stood up. ‘Let’s go.’

  .........

  ‘How are your guests settling in?’ Peri lazily parried a blow from Vivian, twisting her dagger to easily disarm her.

  Vivian huffed as she bent down to retrieve her dagger. This was the third time in a row today. Not that she held much hope of landing a blow on the man, but at the very least she was managing to hold on a bit longer before her inevitable defeat.

  ‘They’re alright,’ Felix responded. He let loose another arrow from his bow. The projectile struck within the third circle of the target. Biting his lip, he pulled out another arrow from his quiver, his focus never once shifting from his target as he spoke. ‘They seemed to have had a good night.’

  ‘That’s good to hear.’ Peri blocked a strike from Aiden, shoving his sword to the side and then tripping him. Aiden went down face first, barely managing to hold his sword away so that he didn’t fall on top of it. He rolled over and glared at the older man.

  Peri shrugged. ‘What? Don’t expect your enemies to always play fair.’

  ‘Anyway, one of the elves has asked us for a favour.’ Vivian readied herself for another attempt.

  ‘Asked?’ Peri glanced at the small scar on Vivian’s throat where Tala had pressed her knife against last night. ‘It looks like sharp, pointy things were involved when this request was made.’

  Vivian scratched her throat. ‘Ah, well...’

  Peri sighed. ‘Why is it so hard for you to stay out of trouble?’

  ‘How is this my fault?!’

  ‘Maybe you’re just cursed,’ Felix suggested. ‘Are curses real?’

  ‘Yes,’ Aiden answered. ‘But they’re a complex branch of magic and require a lot of work to make. I doubt anyone hates you enough to put in so much effort.’

  ‘Thank you? I think?’ Vivian shook her head and focused on Peri once again. She gripped the hilt of her dagger tightly as she leapt forward again, only to find herself on the ground once more, her weapon pulled out of her hand once more.

  ‘So, what did the elf ask you to do?’ Peri twirled his sword before facing Aiden again for his turn.

  ‘To pass a message.’ Vivian pulled herself to her feet once more. ‘Saying they want to meet.’

  ‘Meet who?’ Peri smoothly sidestepped a blow aimed right at his chest. Aiden stumbled forward under the weight of his own sword, giving Peri an ample opportunity to kick his behind, which he took advantage of, leaving a dusty boot print on the seat of Aiden’s pants.

  ‘Madame Jeanne,’ Vivian readied herself once again. ‘She gave me this bunny figurine and told me that Madame Jeanne would recognize it when she saw it.’

  Peri gestured at Vivian to come at him.

  This time Vivian didn’t try to leap right into it, but instead circled around Peri a bit, trying to find any gaps in his defence. She had been trying to charge him headfirst for the past three hours with no luck. Clearly, she needed to come up with a different strategy. However, despite the man’s relaxed demeanour and slouched posture as he held his sword, Vivian knew by now that he could move that blade faster than her eyes could follow. The only chance she had to get past his guard was to do something unpredictable.

  Clenching her teeth, she charged Peri once again, keeping her eyes fixed on the tip of his sword. She barely saw it flash, and she ducked instinctively throwing herself at Peri’s feet, hoping to stab him in the foot. However, the man recovered quickly and stepped aside, forcing Vivian to roll to recover. She looked up just in time to see Peri’s sword swing down on her, stopping an inch away from her neck.

  Peri lowered his sword. ‘That was a stupid move. Never drop and roll like that.’

  Vivian sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. ‘I thought it might work,’ she mumbled.

  Peri leaned against his sword. ‘When you roll like that, it leaves your back exposed to your enemy. Moreover, you won’t even be able to raise your weapon to defend yourself and it takes too long to recover and stand up. Plenty of time for someone to run you through.’ He sighed. ‘Well, at least you’re trying to think before you attack. I suppose for you that’s progress.’

  ‘Oi!’

  Peri stepped back and studied the three of them. ‘I think we’ll stop here for today. Go... do whatever it is you three do. I’m going back to sleep.’

  Peri sheathed his sword and left without so much as a farewell.

  ‘Rude,’ Vivian commented, sheathing her dagger.

  ‘But expected.’ Aiden sheathed his sword as well. ‘Were you expecting him to give you a goodbye hug?’

  ‘Do you think we’re getting any better?’ Vivian sat down on a nearby boulder. ‘Sometimes I think he’s just messing with us.’

  ‘You are getting better.’ Felix joined her on the boulder, his bow slung across his back. ‘You’re faster now than when you started. And you did manage to evade his strike today, though like he said, that drop and roll was stupid.’

  Aiden nodded in agreement. ‘It’s just common sense. We don’t have eyes in the back of our head to see any attacks coming from behind. So, you should always keep your weapon and your opponent in front of you.’

  ‘Alright, I get it!’ Vivian snapped. ‘Let’s just... let’s go to Madame Jeanne’s now.’

  Vivian pushed herself off the boulder and marched off with a huff.

  So, I made a mistake! Sometimes, it’s like they don’t even realize that, unlike them, this is my first time holding a weapon.’

  Vivian stormed off ahead, hoping to avoid any further conversation. The boys scrambled after her, following her into the city.

  ‘Ah, come on now, don’t be like that,’ Felix said jovially, talking a bit louder to be heard above the crowd. ‘We were just teasing.’

  At least Felix was trying to make up. Aiden was looking around, not even paying attention. He stepped away from them for a moment, his attention caught by something.

  ‘Yes. I'm aware,’ Vivian quipped back. ‘But have you ever met someone who has responded to be being teased by saying thank you?'

  Felix held up his hands in concession. ‘Alright, alright we’re sorry.’

  ‘You don’t sound very sorry.’

  ‘I am, I mean I do.’

  Suddenly, a bag of roasted nuts was shoved under her nose. Vivian followed the arm to see Aiden holding it, looking at her expectantly. Vivian couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. She grabbed the bag and popped a few of the nuts in her mouth.

  ‘You see,’ Vivian shook the bag of nuts in Felix’s face. ‘This is how you apologize.’

  ‘A bag of nuts?’ Felix snorted. ‘You’re too easy. That costs only a deno.’

  ‘It’s the thought that counts.’ Vivian popped a few more in her mouth and then offered some to Aiden. ‘And just for that comment, you don’t get any.’

  ‘Well, that is just-’

  ‘Oh, look at that,’ Vivian cut across him. ‘We’re here.’

  Before Felix could utter another word of protest, Vivian pushed open the door and stepped into Madame Jeanne’s boutique. There were a few customers inside who looked up when they entered. They took one look at them before promptly ignoring them, some of their mouths pressed into thin lines of distaste.

  ‘I see we’re as popular as ever,’ Felix remarked dryly.

  Aiden sighed. ‘Let’s just find Madame Jeanne and get this over with.’ He rubbed his arm in discomfort. ‘I’d rather not run into anyone and have to start a conversation.’

  ‘Every time I think your introversion is getting better, you go and prove me wrong.’ Felix tutted. ‘You’re going to regret not talking to people later.’

  ‘I’m regretting talking to you right now.’

  ‘Oi!’

  Vivian left the two them to their bickering and scanned the shop for a familiar head of bright yellow hair. She quickly spotted Madame Jeanne, standing with her hands clasped behind her back, nodding at something a customer was saying. It took a few moments before she was able to extract herself from the conversation. She looked up to catch Vivian looking at her and made her way towards their group, elegantly weaving her way through bustling sales-elves and browsing customers.

  ‘Welcome back,’ she greeted courteously, her yellow eyes scanning them from head to toe. ‘How may I assist you today?’

  ‘Oh, we were asked to pass something onto you.’ Vivian fumbled around in her pockets and pulled out the bunny figurine. She held it up to offer it to Madame Jeanne. The elf took one look at it before her hand shot out and clamped Vivian’s hand closed over the object, pressing hard enough to leave indents in her palm. She glanced around furtively before nodding towards the back of the shop.

  ‘Let’s talk.’