The Courier's Code

Chapter 4

4

Lu was already waiting downstairs at the bar when Rasha made her way down the steps of the inn. She held up a hand at Lu while she paid the barkeep. The man lifted out a black box he kept behind the bar and she swiped her disk across the top. The confirmation beep ended the transaction. Silae slithered out of the back before she got away and called out to Lu. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite greenie.”

How could she be less dressed than before? The small shirt managed to cover her chest leaving her shoulders and midriff bare. The skirt, a thin material, hung around her ankles but didn’t hide her legs, which could be seen when the light shone behind it.

“Hey, Red, you’re looking charming this morning. Shouldn’t you be sleeping after an overnight shift?”

“Not when there’s a chance I might see someone like you. I was telling your partner last night it wasn’t the same without you.”

“Next time. I promise. Any news?” he asked.

“Not really. They announced The Choosing has begun, so be careful on the trade route. You know how competitive these purists get,” Silae said.

“Have you seen who’s in the running this year?” he asked without looking up from his communicator as he checked the facts.

“The Sidoans are offering a princess of age for the first time. She’s striking, they say. With the mines in Sidoa now offering the rarest gems ever found in the ten kingdoms, she’ll have an even better chance of being chosen.”

“My money is on the Karmirians, they’re the closest other than the Chilalians, who don’t even have a pure daughter to offer. Crazy, right, Rash?” He still didn’t look up.

“Yeah, isn’t it?” Silae said with a significant glance at Rasha.

Rasha’s hands clenched at her sides. Silae was pushing their fragile acquaintance with her insinuations.

Lu didn’t seem to notice. He leaned over the bar and whispered something to Silae that made her laugh. Rasha grit her teeth and turned to go.

“Rash, wait, where are you going?” Lu called after her. He gave Silae a kiss on the cheek and bolted after his partner.

Rasha reached the cool fresh air and took a deep breath. What did Silae know, anyway? Why was she giving her those looks?

“I’m not spending another night here. The place is far too loud and, if you ask me, overpriced. How was your business last night?”

“Fine,” Lu said looking at his feet. Rasha was ahead of him and didn’t see his hesitation.

“Where’d you sleep last night?” she asked.

“I—,”

Before he could answer, her communicator signaled. She looked down at the screen. “What the yahtz?”

“What?”

“Central is sending us a mandatory.”

“Oh, well, glad I didn’t skip town right away, now we can take care of this and then I can go visit my family.”

“This is madness. I should contact Central and find out what the mix up is. We just finished a one-month fetch and delivery due to theft. Why do we always have to be the ones?”

“We’re the best, that’s why they call us.”

“Yeah, but why is this one mandatory?”

“You think they’ll tell us?”

“No, of course not. It’s all the way in Sidoa.”

“The tenth kingdom!” Lu slapped his leg. “Well, then let’s go, it’ll take us longer if we stand around complaining. We’ll worry about the rest later.” He adjusted his pack on the back of his tuskin and led him toward the woods.

Rasha thought for a moment. True, she couldn’t ask them why they wanted to send her. Besides, it was a mandatory. She didn’t have a choice.

“Wait a minute.”

Lu stopped short and looked back at her.

“How’s your family? Did you get to talk to them at all?”

“Yeah, they’re fine.”

“They’ll be sad you missed them.”

“I’ll send them a message when we’re well on our way.”

“Fine, but after this assignment I’m turning off my communicator and throwing it into the nearest river.”

Rasha grabbed her large riding beast, a tuskin, and the animal’s short tail wagged in greeting. She didn’t notice. Her mind was on the journey south. Lu pulled out a piece of gale fruit and gave it to his tuskin, who gobbled it up in a saliva filled slurp. He rubbed his curved horns against Lu in thanks. Lu rubbed his knuckles up and down between the beast’s eyes.

Temi made a faint cry of complaint from Lu’s pocket.

“We should pick up supplies. Our animals are hungry and it will be much warmer in the south. We might pick up a few things while we’re there,” Rasha said.

“Like some jewels,” Lu smiled.

“Something like that.”