City of IF

[Shady Stoat]

The vote went with exploring the city further, and talking to Shakal about possible ways in. Chapter 6 is a continuation of that...

Chapter Six

Time was growing short. The sun was bleeding its rays of red into the granite sky. Keli could feel the minutes ticking by, one by one – and still she could not envision simply walking past the guards with Shakal in tow.

She turned abruptly to the reclining wolf. “We have to find another way in.”

Shakal raised her head slowly. “Another way? What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. Are there any other gates in? What about the walls? Are they solid all the way around? Could we get in through the river entrance somehow? I just think walking straight past the guards is too big a risk, that’s all.”

“You will not fulfil your part of the pact?”

Keli felt herself growing irritated.

“I’m trying to get us in without getting us caught. If going through these gates is the best way, we’ll take it. Until then, I want to know what you can tell me about the City defences.”

Shakal flashed her a dark glance. When she spoke, however, there was no trace of anger in her voice.

“This entrance is one of three. You stand at the southern entrance. The others are at the westmost and north-eastern edges of Shift City. The west doors have become little used, and the gates are often kept closed. The other entrance is much like the one you see before you now. There is no advantage to using one gate over the other, and we will waste hours on the venture.”

Keli felt her curiosity being tugged again. What was it that Shakal wanted so desperately from inside the City walls? If she had nothing to hide, then why all the secrecy?

Suddenly realising the hypocrisy of the last thought, she brought herself sharply back to the argument.

“What about the walls?”

“They are smooth-sided and in good repair. Even if I could scale them, there are sentries on the walkways at the top of the boundary. They would see any such attempt.”

“Maybe not, if you did it at night,” argued Keli. “And you can make yourself invisible, can’t you?”

“The walls and the gates are proof against all forms of magic. You know this.”

Keli flushed, feeling stupid. Nevertheless, she continued to hunt for any gap.

“The rivers then.”

“You want to swim into the city?”

“It’s an option. I want to know whether we could, yes!” Now Keli was both defensive and angry. Why was it so hard to talk to this creature? She dropped her words, like stones into a deep well. The answers she received seemed like nothing but echoes; vague, distant and unsatisfactory.

The werewolf sighed. “The river flows out where you see it. It flows in between the other two gates. I have no further knowledge of it.”

“I want to see for myself,” said Keli, stubbornly.

“You will not enter the City with me?”

“Not yet.”

“Then we should go now.” In one swift movement, the werewolf rose and started towards Keli. She shrank back involuntarily, only to feel foolish again when Shakal reached for the pack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she turned and waited patiently for the girl.

Keli struggled to her feet, wincing as raw flesh rubbed against her boots. She grabbed her pack and hobbled after Shakal. Already she was mourning for the luxuries that a simple walk-in had offered. Hot food, a place to sleep and tend her blisters, maybe a hot bath.

Maybe a hot branding-iron too. She could not afford to put her life in jeopardy just for the sake of a few home comforts.

Nevertheless, her feet gave loud and frequent protests over the next few hours. There was no path, as such, around the City. Rough tracks existed at times, only to dissolve into muddy ditches and knee-high nettles. Despite the protection of her cloak, some of the stings got through, leaving her irritated in both skin and mind.

Shakal said nothing. She displayed her disapproval in a subtler way. Always ahead, she travelled just a little faster than Keli could manage. Every time Keli called out to her, she stopped and waited, only to resume at the same pace shortly after.

Finally, Keli found herself unable to keep up. She sank onto a small boulder, trying to catch her breath. Hardly caring whether Shakal stopped or not, she started fumbling with the laces of her boots. Slipping off the left one, she yelped with pain. The sock was crusty and red with her blood. The whole foot throbbed like a second heartbeat.

“We are nearly there.”

Shakal was standing over her. She bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes. It would be unthinkable to cry in front of this alien creature. Instead, she bent over her foot, trying to pry away the sock without causing herself further pain.

“You are hurt?” Shakal knelt swiftly, sniffing at the wound.

‘Like an animal,’ thought Keli, resentfully. ‘Just like an animal.’

“I just need to rest,” she gritted.

“You need to clean and tend yourself. Injuries will delay us too much.”

“Why don’t you…” Keli stopped mid-rant, aware that she was angrier with herself than the werewolf. “Why don’t you see if you can find some wintersbane leaf around?”

“Wintersbane?”

Again, the girl held back an irrational burst of anger. She held her breath for a moment, then released it with a sigh.

“It’s a white-veined leaf. Big and round. There’s usually some growing near nettle patches. I can mulch it into a balm to spread over the blisters.”

Shakal gave her a lop-sided look. It was obvious that she thought Keli might be trying to get rid of her.

“Stay there,” she stated, at last. With that, she sprang off, heading back the way they had come.

Keli faced the wall of the City, cold and hurting. So far, Shakal seemed to have been telling the truth. There was a vertical expanse of smooth stone. Even though there was no well-laid path, the keepers of the City seemed to have some way of dissuading weeds or ivy from growing up the stonework. It had been kept depressingly clear. There were chips and cracks in places, but it was still unscaleable by any means short of a rope and grapple.

They must be nearly at the west gate by now. Her pace had slowed considerably over the last hour and the route had been laborious. Nevertheless, the sun was near noon and they had covered a considerable distance. Hopefully Shakal would find the leaves she needed and they could continue to keep moving.

At least life as a herbalist’s daughter had given her some preparation for her new role as a fugitive, she thought wearily. If only she could fight or earn a trade. For that matter, if she could only control her nightmares or find a way of getting on with her travelling companion it would be a start!

As if summoned by the thought, Shakal appeared, bounding back towards her. Glad as she was, she still wished that the wolf would move more discreetly. Anyone looking out from the city would see a creature in a cloak, not a running human. And in Shift City, it seemed better that no-one was watching.

Keli felt her nerves unclench a little as her companion held out a bunch of large leaves.

“Are these the ones?” asked Shakal.

Keli nodded. She took the bundle, bit into them and chewed. The taste was bitter and sour, and she had to fight back a retch. After a minute of determined chewing, though, she had a slimy blob of leaf-paste spat into her hand. She applied in gingerly, wincing as it stung the weeping wounds on her feet. Then she tore strips from the sleeve of her shirt and fixed the paste in place with makeshift bandages.

It was a temporary measure. She still needed to rest and get out of her boots for a day or two. At least it might hold for a circuit of the city now.

She slipped her foot back into the hard leather and left the laces as loose as she could manage.

“Can you walk now?” asked the wolf.

Keli groaned as she rose. “I’ll have to.”

Shakal merely nodded. This time, though, she stuck close to Keli, observing her none too subtly.

A misplaced sense of pride made her try to conceal any trace of a limp. She gritted her teeth and endured the nettles and the ditches and the slopes that jolted against her blisters.

It was with a great sense of relief, then, that she saw the west path running towards the city. A moment later she saw that a single cart was running along it, way in the distance. Moreover, it seemed to be travelling away from the gate, not towards it.

It seemed Shakal had been right about this too. As they got closer, they saw a great wooden pair of gates, sealed tight. A couple of sentries walked the top border of the wall above. There seemed to be no outlets or cracks in the defences here.

Keli felt her heart sink. Her great plan was achieving nothing. Still, she couldn’t back down now. They would have to plough on, at least to the next entrance. If there was no further hope by then, they could always try their luck going through the north-eastern gate.

The wolf was already walking up the grassy slope towards the west path. There was nothing else to be done but follow her. She felt self-conscious as she walked across the roadway and down the other side again. Even though both Shakal and herself were wearing hoods, she wondered whether it was enough. Were the city guards passing on news to each other of two travellers circling the city? Given how few people seemed to pass through this route, were they acting suspiciously just by being here at all? Would they be picked up for ‘loitering’ or some similar charge? If so, was anyone looking specifically for Shakal and her? Would they be taken in and interrogated? Imprisoned? Burned?

She shuddered. To take her mind of her thoughts – and her feet – she tried again with Shakal.

“Are there any Were… I mean, any of your people left in the city?” she asked, timidly.

“We do not know what has transpired since we left,” replied the wolf.

Keli waited for a moment, but nothing more seemed to be forthcoming.

“But there could be?”

“It is possible.”

“Are you going to find them?”

“You ask many questions and give few answers, human,” Shakal said, bluntly. “Perhaps you should be spending more time on thoughts of your own survival. Shift City is a dangerous place.”

“I can take care of myself!”

Shakal merely snorted.

Keli was stung. Even so, she couldn’t help but wonder. What was she going to do when she got into the city? All of her thoughts had been about getting away. Running from, not to. That would end at the moment she breached the confines of the city walls.

Her mind simply refused to consider it. She was too tired and too sore. A good bed was as far ahead as she could think.

“I can take care of myself,” she muttered. Then: “How long will it take us to reach the next gate?”

“The river comes first,” answered the wolf. “I believe that we will have to walk a mile or so from the city, to find a bridge. Then we make our way back to the walls and continue. I doubt whether we shall make the north-east gates before nightfall.”

Keli was dismayed. Two miles, there and back, just to cross a river?

“Couldn’t we swim?”

“The packs would stay reasonably dry, but your clothes would remain cold and wet. You would not survive the night, unless you care to plunge naked into the water.”

Keli’s eyes widened. That would certainly draw an uncomfortable amount of attention from the city sentries. She might as well wave a flag with the words: ‘Arrest me’ on them. Not to mention the inherent horror of flaunting herself naked in front of this half-animal and a bunch of leering men!

“We’ll walk it,” she said, ungraciously.

Shakal nodded curtly and they continued together. Once again, the silence fed off itself and the minutes turned to hours. It became a mind-numbing task to place one foot in front of the other, keeping close, but not too close to the smooth city wall.

The day blossomed slowly into afternoon, and finally Shakal spoke.

“The river,” she said, simply.

Keli dragged her eyes from the ground in front of her and looked down from the top of the rise. Below them, running along the length of a narrow valley, flowed a dirty brown expanse of water. It seemed wider and faster-flowing on this side of the city, and it disappeared through an arched recess in the city wall.

There was no need for discussion. Squaring their shoulders, the two companions began a long hike over hilly land. The bridge may have been a mile away, point-to-point, but the steep rocky slopes multiplied that distance. Shadows were already beginning to lengthen as the crossing came into sight.

Keli’s feet felt suspiciously damp inside her boots. The bandages had possibly bled through. She could barely wait to stop for the night. Thoughts of reaching the north-east entrance were gone, replaced by the simple need to rest and recharge.

They trudged down the hill, over the bridge and back towards the city. Light leaked away from the sky like beer from a tavern-keg. Shakal matched Keli, step for step, but it was obvious how frustrated she was with the girl’s pace. When they finally ground their way back to the sheer wall again, it was almost completely dark.

“We camp here,” said Shakal, flinging her pack onto the floor. A few moments later, she had retrieved a bundle of smoked meat from her pack. She threw half to Keli and started tearing at her own portion.

Keli ate, pondering the possibilities of the river. Now that dark had fallen, it might be possible to swim under the city wall and gain entrance by stealth. If they were lucky, the river would carry them in its current. If they were even luckier, it might not sweep them helplessly away. Either way, they should be able to make an attempt without the city guards seeing them.

It was worth a try. Keli turned to Shakal.

“I’m going to swim down,” she said, sounding a lot cooler than she felt. “See if there’s a way in through the water.”

A long pause from the wolf. Then:

“No.”

Keli opened her mouth to protest, but Shakal was already standing.

“If you insist on trying this foolishness, I shall attempt it, not you.”

The girl subsided. She felt cowardly, but Shakal was probably right. Keli was an adequate swimmer, no more. The night was getting chill, too, and the wolf seemed to feel the cold less than a human did. If the attempt failed, then Keli would most likely freeze in her soggy clothing.

Obviously feeling that the matter was decided, Shakal stripped off her cloak, gloves, leggings and shirt. A moment later, she sprang into the water with an audible splash. Keli winced, but there was no accompanying outcry from the city walls. It appeared to have escaped notice completely.

Wrapping her arms around her knees, Keli attempted to hoard her warmth as the time passed. Finally, when she was about to give up on seeing the wolf again, a head surfaced in the water, long taloned fingers grasping the bank less than ten inches away from Keli’s feet.

The wolf was breathing hard and deep. Once she had regained her breath, she spoke in a low voice.

“There is a metal barrier, running from top to bottom of the wall arch. I believe that I can loosen it, but it will take time and the river flows swiftly into the city. Do you still wish to enter this way?”

Keli considered, aware that Shakal was waiting in icy-cold water. After a brief hesitation, she gave a curt nod.

“We’ll try it.”

Almost before the words were out of her mouth, the wolf’s head had popped back under the water. Keli waited, sick with tension and not really knowing why. More time passed. Occasionally, she would see the dark shape of a wolf-eared head rising in the middle of the river, only to submerge again a few seconds later.

Finally, there was the quiet splash of someone swimming towards her. Shakal pulled herself strongly out of the water and shook violently. Keli gasped as huge droplets of water splattered her.

“It is done,” said Shakal, gazing at her with an impenetrable look. “Can you swim?”

“Yes. A bit.” Keli admitted.

“Put the heavy parts of your clothing in the backpack. I will carry both your equipment and my own through. Once you are ready, follow me into the river.”

Keli shivered as she divested herself of cloak and boots. The bandages were predictably dark and moist. She supposed a healer would have to take a look at her feet, once they were inside the city. For now, though, they could carry her into the river and to the closest refuge on the other side of the wall.

Shakal packed both sets of clothing, sealed the packs up tight, then splashed back into the water. A second later, it was as if she had never been there.

Keli took a couple of deep breaths, bracing herself against the inevitable shock of the chill water. Then, closing her eyes and holding the air in her lungs, she slid into the river.

The breath burst out of her in a yelping gasp. Every muscle clenched, sharp and tight in paralysis. The next thing she knew, the water was whirling her towards the archway in the city wall. Her eyes opened wide as she realised that she could see a dark criss-cross of metal looming up fast.

Her thoughts whirled with supernatural rapidity. Shakal had kept disappearing under the water. It must be the bottom part of the grate that had been loosened. She needed depth.

She took a shaking breath and ducked under the murky water. Her body slammed hard against metal grating an instant later, threatening to push the air out of her again. Somehow, she kept control and started using numb fingers to claw her way to the bottom of the river.

Her body was already wracked with the shivers. The deeper she went, the less she could see, and her descent seemed to be taking far too long. As she clambered hand over hand, though, she started to feel the give in the grating. A few more pulls and she felt the gap.

A random thought occurred to her in the dark water. The bottom corner of the grating was bent back at an angle of seventy degrees. Either the grate had already been badly damaged or Shakal had muscles of iron.

Fumbling clumsily, she managed to pull herself halfway through the gap. The cloth of her trousers caught on a splinter of metal, as she tried to squeeze her hips through the hole. For a horrified moment, she thought that she might drown here, trapped in an icy grave. Then the cotton tore and she popped out of the gap like a stone from a sling.

The water took her. She rose to the surface, only to be submerged again. Sodden, cold, dizzy and frightened, she was beyond control. Her poor swimming allowed her only to flail against the masterful current. The dark silhouettes of the banks fleeted past as she fought for one breath then the next. Unseen objects bumped and bruised her before she had time to see them coming. Pain made her swallow great mouthfuls of water and she began to choke.

After an eternity, the river turned sharply and she was flung, face-first, onto a gravel bank. For a time she just lay there, beyond fear, beyond caring. Then, slowly, Keli raised her head and dared to look around.

No more than five feet away, further up the bank, she saw a single backpack. There was no sign of the other, nor of its owner.

Somehow, she knew. Shakal was gone.

==========

I have to admit, I'm in a bit of a dilemma here. I'm not sure whether this is the end of the chapter or not. I feel like it's a good place to pause and catch our breath, but I don't know whether everyone will feel too ill-prepared to vote on what Keli might do next. I'd really like some discussion at this point.

Once I know how people feel, then I'll either put up a poll or I'll put an addendum to chapter six, with a clearer-cut set of choices. Feel free to criticize, debate, throw stones at me or otherwise show your feelings ;)

[martpart]

sweet! really gud!

[Ingrothechundyer]

Yay a new chapter posted in time for my lunch break.

At this point it seems to me that Keli is injured and in need of rest. I think that going to an inn at this time of night would arouse unwanted attention as would going to a docter.

Does she know if it would be likely for her to be caught if she crawls into a deserted alley and goes to sleep?

[Suneila]

I think this is an ok spot to end the chapter. We could vote on whether she crawls into an alley like ingro suggested and sleeps, finds a hotel, or finds a doctor. Or she could seek out the Itharien (although that probably isn't a good idea when she's tired, cold, wet and hungry, but maybe they would take her in if she pretended to be a follower and she could learn more about them.)

Just as a precaution, and she might think of this herself, she should make up a story about falling into river to explain her wet clothes.

Also: there was one spot where you had a word in italics with no space after it. "tooclose" I think it was.

~sunny

[Shady Stoat]

Thanks Sunny. Fixed :D

[Smee]

Good chapter, some very interesting interactions between them.

Shakal is very formal, shows a caring side with the injury (but only for the time delay) and then leaves at the earliest possible moment.
Can't expect much favour from her again in the future then.

Exhausted, cold, wet etc... she needs to sleep.

I say head for an Inn.

She's only a small girl and can say that she lives on the otherside of town and doesn't know how to get home after having a picnic by the river and falling in. The current sweeping her down and dumping her in a strange part of the city. A bed for the night, a hot bath etc will do her good and she can decide what to do next in the morning.

Happy Writing. :)

[Chinaren]

I am going with the majority opinion here, as I agree. Rest is needed, and a room that she can use as a base until she decides on what action to take next.

Nicely written old Stoat! o-)

[LadyK]

I agree that this is a good place to end the chapter. I like the ending very much, in fact. I agree also that she needs to rest, but I don't know if an inn would make sense. Is the river walled in at all? Would it be possible for someone to just "fall in"? She does need to go somewhere to dry off and check her injuries. Perhaps some shelter somewhere in the city other than an inn. An alley blocked off from the wind, or by a bakery - there would likely be warm air blowing out from inside and they would start the baking early.

[D-Lotus]

I think the getting dry and sleeping is pretty elementary, what is she gonna do afterwards?

I suggest finding a job, making Shift city her home for a while. She can't turn back anyway, that new religious sect is after her in her own town.

[DukeReg]

I agree that this is a good time to end the chapter. After all, we know exactly as much (or as little) as she does about where she is.

I think that an inn is a good idea. Sleeping in a cold city while wet could be the death of her. Loitering in the doorway of a place of business like a bakery could draw attention to her. Since Shakal is gone, whether attention is good or bad depends on the attitudes of the local citizens and authorities towards homeless girls. It could score her some charity, or maybe some work.

She has to talk to the locals eventually anyway, so she might as well start tonight, when the possible benefits are most likely to save her.

In summary, she should go somewhere warm (inn or somewhere else) and talk to locals as much as possible.

[LadyK]

If she stays in the city and finds a job, how much knowledge does she have from her mom being an herbalist? Could she maybe find a job with those skills with someone in the city? That would make the most sense, I think.

[Suneila]

Like D said, getting dried off and rested is elementary, but how is she gonna do that?

I'm thinking that an inn wouldn't be as plausible as at first glance. She has no money, so would have to rely on charity. It would be easier for her to slip into some busy tavern or pub and hide in a back corner or near the fireplace. That would be warm and she could probably go relatively unnoticed. If someone did notice her, they'd either throw her out, or have pity on her. If they throw her out she could just find another tavern. A large city is bound to have a couple.

I think it might be a little too early to be thinking about the future, where she's gonna live, where she can get a job. It seems like Keli is pretty stuck in the present. So far, she's only succeeded at looking ahead once, when she decided to scout around the city instead of just walking through the front gates, and that didn't turn out so well. Now, her feet hurt, she lost her companion, and she almost drowned, I think she's gonna think about what's best right at this moment.

~sunny

[Smee]

She has her pack, I thought the Wolves gave her some gold? :?

Get it open, and get into her cloak to try and warm up. I still say head to an inn.

[Shady Stoat]

Keli still has all the equipment that the werewolves gave her

Quote:
Her outfit was not the only thing that the Were had left her. She now had a knife and a belt; a pack containing smoked pork and two full waterskins; a belt pouch, containing a sharpening stone, a flint and a tinderbox, and a second pouch with twelve gold coins and a scattering of silver.

- minus a portion or two of food and drink, of course. Twelve gold coins seemed like quite a lot of money to her at the time. Of course, in the City, there's no saying how far it will take her... but she should be able to walk into an inn and get a meal and bed, if that's what you choose to do. :D

[Suneila]

Totally forgot about the money. Go to the inn, I say!

~sunny

[D-Lotus]

A litle girl with money? I'm sorry, but first of all she should get a bodyguard! :shock:

Lets see how long it takes her to get everything stolen. Lets face it, its all pretty hopeless, whatever she does, unless she finds someone to protect her, even if its an employer.

[Suneila]

It's late at night, she's cold and tired and hungry. It isn't the right time of day to be looking for employment and she wouldn't have any idea where to look for a bodyguard. Everything looks better in the morning: she should dry off and find a warm place to sleep.

~sunny

[D-Lotus]

I was just kidding about the bodyguard...but I do think she should find someone to protect her eventually, after all, she's only a little girl.

[Shady Stoat]

I'll be putting up a poll for this one towards the end of the weekend. If you want a say, say it soon! :D

[Suneila]

Ooh, ooh! I want a say! I've said it before, (like three times actually) but I think she should either go to an inn or a tavern.

~sunny

[Shady Stoat]

Suneila wrote: Ooh, ooh! I want a say! I've said it before, (like three times actually) but I think she should either go to an inn or a tavern.

~sunny

LOL!

Well, no-one can say you're not enthusiastic Sunny! :lol:

[Shady Stoat]

For completeness sake, I'm going to answer the questions that have been asked so far (I forget earlier, sorry!)

Ingro asked:

Quote: Does she know if it would be likely for her to be caught if she crawls into a deserted alley and goes to sleep?

She doesn't really know anything at this point. A lot of her thoughts and suppositions could just be plain old paranoia. There's no saying what the City Guard would think of vagrants, though, if they stumbled across her.

LadyK asked:

Quote: Is the river walled in at all? Would it be possible for someone to just "fall in"?

The river is mostly unwalled, although there are a few places where barriers have been built up. Keli saw the silhouettes of buildings as she was thrown about in the water. The walls would have prevented that, if they had been there.

The bank on which she is lying is unwalled. She can get up and leave the same way that (presumably) Shakal did. :D

Quote: If she stays in the city and finds a job, how much knowledge does she have from her mom being an herbalist?

Keli will have at least as much knowledge as an experienced apprentice, when it comes to herbs. Her other parent is a teacher, so it can be presumed that she has reading and writing knowledge to a fair degree too. Given the amount of time she spent as a prisoner in her own house, it's fair to assume that she could run a household too, in the capacity of housekeeper (even though she's very young for a role like that).

Other than that, I would think she would count as unskilled labour.

I'll try to include 'the next 24hrs' as options in the poll, if I can. Meaning that Keli will be expected to plan for the night and the following day ahead of her. I hope to put it up tonight, but if the discussion keeps going, I'll delay it until people have had their say :cool:

[Shady Stoat]

There's a 3 day poll up. Only 3 options this time. :)

[Ingrothechundyer]

Resting tommorow sounds like a good choice to me after all this adventure.

[Suneila]

^ditto^

~sunny

[Night Walker]

I think that i'll go with the majority. Go to inn and get a meal and a bed.next day she can explore the city and decide what to do.

And by the way,this has been a really awesom story so far :tu2:

[Shady Stoat]

Thanks Night Walker. Much appreciated :D

[Suneila]

There seems to be a tie. Does my enthusiasticness count for two votes? Huh-huh?

~sunny

[Shady Stoat]

That all depends. Did you vote for my favourite option? If so, it counts for two :P

[ethereal_fauna]

There's a really good blurb on dealing with tied votes. Although I'm certain the stoat has it under control. :)

[Smee]

Tie broken :)

[Shady Stoat]

Rest and recuperate it is then. I'll get on with writing it. Thanks everyone! :)

[Shady Stoat]

Chapter 7 is now up. This topic is being locked. Thanks :)