Inker and Crown

Chapter 22

22

Adrial

“Ena, what”―Adrial shielded his eyes, examining the rocks by his feet―“I―I should wait by the horses.”

“But you haven’t seen what I’ve brought you here for.” Ena’s shift landed on his boot. “Now take your clothes off and come on.”

“Take off my clothes?” His words came out with a roll of laughter.

“We have to swim a bit, and you’ll have an awful night if you try to sleep in wet clothes.” Ena pulled his hands away from his eyes.

She was perfect, her technicolor hair draped over her shoulders. Alabaster skin and round hips. The only thing she wore was a black stone pendant that hung between her breasts.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a n***d woman before, scribe. If we don’t get up the falls, you’ll miss it.”

Adrial stood frozen as she unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers brushing against the bare skin of his chest.

“Can you do your pants on your own, or have the Guilds left you too helpless?”

“I can undress myself.” Adrial took a step back and turned away.

“As you say, scribe, but come on.”

Splash.

Adrial glanced toward the water in time to watch as she dove deep beneath the surface.

His fingers froze on the buttons of his shirt. “Saint Alwyn, help me.” He dropped his coat and shirt to the ground as Ena broke through the surface of the water.

“Jump in, scribe. It’s not that cold.” She treaded water, watching him pull off his boots and socks, a mischievous grin glinting in her eyes.

“I could just swim with my pants on.”

“And freeze when night comes? Would that be a fair price for modesty?”

Adrial took a breath, willing his hands not to shake as he unbuttoned his pants. “Is this a normal thing among the unguilded?”

“Afraid there’s a bunch of n***d rotta scum running through the alleys in Ilara?”

“I would never call an unguilded person such a thing.”

“If you’re going to be such a gentleman, I suppose I should be kind as well. Take off your pants in peace. But hurry it up or I’ll climb without you.”

She dove beneath the water and swam toward the falls as Adrial whimpered, “Climb?”

You’re the head scribe of all Ilbrea. Groomed to lead the Guild and face any foe who threatens the sanctity of the Scribes Guild. You cannot run away from a n***d woman.

Adrial dropped his pants and stepped free, slipping into the water before Ena could surface and look back.

The cool water didn’t match the spring air. Adrial had expected the cold to knock the breath from his lungs, but the chill of the water was more invigorating than painful.

“Well done, scribe,” Ena called from a boulder at the base of the falls. She’d climbed on top of the rock and stood, brazen in her nakedness.

Adrial dove beneath the water, letting his eyes take in the rock bottom of the pool instead of Ena’s perfect form.

What would Allora say?

Ena grabbed his hand as he reached the boulder, hauling him up onto the rock.

“Not so bad is…” The words faded from Ena’s lips as her gaze fell on his shoulder.

Adrial tipped his chin up, steeling his jaw as she examined the shining red patch of skin that marred his right side.

He shuddered as her fingers trailed along the scar that ran from his shoulder to his ribs.

She lifted her hand away, and Adrial thought it would be done. She would jump off the boulder and swim away from the horror of his flesh.

His breath caught in his throat as she traced the half-moon scars on his ribs.

He closed his eyes as her touch found his hip. No scars marred his flesh there, but the bones beneath were misshapen, and the muscles bulged in strange places as they tried to compensate for the deformed bones.

“I thought if you hadn’t been born like this, you must’ve gotten sick,” Ena whispered. “I thought an illness had stunted your bones. Who did this to you?”

Adrial looked to the bright blue sky overhead. The fierceness of noon had passed, and the gentle late afternoon sun caressed the sky.

“Who did this to you?” Ena took Adrial’s face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes. Her arms grazed his bare chest, pressing skin to skin.

“I don’t remember,” Adrial said. “I have no idea who did it. I remember pain. Lots of pain. But not a face. It could have been another child on the island or one of the matrons.”

She let go of Adrial’s face and turned away. A black bird marked the side of her ribs.

He wanted to touch the bird’s wings.

“We’ll take the easy path and climb slow.”

“Ena,” Adrial said as she climbed onto the next level of rock. “Ena.”

“Yes, scribe?” She leapt sideways, moving closer to the falls.

“Ena, look at me.”

Slowly, she turned around.

You’re a monster. A deformed beast.

He waited for her face to change. The moment of sympathy would pass, and she would see him for the twisted weakling an evil island had left him.

“You think I haven’t seen a n***d man before?” Ena’s mouth curled into a smirk.

“Ena―”

“You think I haven’t seen a scarred, n***d man before?” Ena c****d her head to the side. “Sorry, scribe, but I’ve seen much worse. If you ever remember who did this to you, I’ll kill them myself. But don’t expect me to cower and cringe. I’ve seen too much for that.”

They stood staring at each other for a long moment. The waterfall rumbled behind Ena, not caring for the troubles of the people who had invaded its home.

“Are you coming or not?” Ena held out a hand.

Adrial climbed onto the next boulder, more conscious than ever of the awkward movements of his bad leg.

“I promise it’ll be worth the effort.” She pulled Adrial onto the high stone with her and turned to the rock wall beyond. “You’ll be on your own for the next bit, but I have faith in you.” Reaching high overhead, she grasped a stone. The movement showed the black bird more clearly than he’d seen it before.

The beautifully drawn bird had its wings spread wide. Fine strands of black exquisitely etched out the details of the feathers.

“Where did you get the mark?” Adrial reached up to the high stone. Gripping the rock was simple and painless. Getting both legs to scramble up to the next level was a different matter.

“Mark?” Ena patiently waited to show him the next place to grip. Always one step ahead, never leaving him entirely behind.

“The bird.” Adrial leapt across a gap between two rocks, silently thanking Alwyn for not letting him fall. “I’ve never seen a mark outside of a Guilding brand.”

“It’s not a normal thing among common folk.” Ena perched on a stone jutting out from the rock wall that looked as though it might snap off at any moment. “It’s the mark my family gave me.” Ena moved on to more stable footing and left the protrusion to Adrial.

“It’s beautiful.”

Ena laughed over the roar of the waterfall. The low rumbling did nothing to diminish the beauty of her laugh. It made it fiercer, more defiant.

“It was never meant to be a thing of beauty, but I suppose it’s better than having a slug marked on my side.”

“Why a bird?” Adrial’s fingers slipped from his handhold, and his good foot slid out from under him. He snatched at the rock wall with his other hand and, with a shout, pulled himself back toward the cliff, smacking his torso against the stone.

Panting, he leaned against the cold cliff. It was cooler than the water, though the sun must have touched it during the morning.

“Nice save, scribe.” Ena stood on a rock ten feet above him. “It would be a pity to have to start all the way from the bottom when you’ve nearly made it.”

“It would be a bigger pity to die,” Adrial panted.

“You wouldn’t die if you fell. How do you think we’re going to get down?”

The world spun for a moment. Adrial closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to the slick stone. “Tell me about the bird. Please.”

“It’s a remnant of another life.”

Adrial focused on Ena’s words, forcing himself to climb up one more step.

“The mark has little meaning now.” The melody of Ena’s voice held a hint of sorrow.

Adrial needed to get to her, to look into her eyes and find where the sadness came from.

“How old were you when they marked you?” Adrial asked.

“Older than when the Guilds branded you.”

“But why would your family give you a mark?” Using his knee as leverage, he climbed up to the ledge right next to the waterfall and landed face first at Ena’s feet.

“Families come in all different kinds, scribe. You should know that as well as anyone.”

“You’re right.” Adrial kept his eyes down as he stood. “I did find myself in a very strange little clan.”

“And see what they’ve made of you.” Ena tipped his chin up to look into his eyes. “You’re an adventurer now. Climbing waterfalls to find hidden things. Who’d have thought it from the head scribe?”

“No one,” Adrial laughed, the absurdity of standing n***d beside a waterfall giving way to pure joy. “Absolutely no one.”

“Can you trust me just a little bit more?” Ena twined her fingers through Adrial’s.

“Yes.”

She drew him to the very edge of the rock where the roaring falls splashed on their skin.

How badly would it hurt for that water to pound me into the ground?

“Take as big a leap as you can, and aim for just about there.” Ena pointed a few feet below them, right in the center of the falls.

“What?”

“Best not to think too much about it. Just jump and hope for the best.”

“But, Ena―”

She dropped his hand and leapt into the falls.

Adrial’s heart soared into his throat.

She’s going to die. The beautiful bird will be smashed by the water.

But her colorful hair disappeared through the falls before Adrial could scream.

His heart raced in his ears, drowning out the roaring of the water.

Jumping was a foolish, deathly thing to do. It would be wiser to climb back down and find his pants.

Taking a step back, Adrial jumped with all the strength he had.

Cool water pounded down upon him, but before the sensation had time to become unpleasant, he landed with a splash.

Water surrounded him. His feet touched bottom a moment later and he kicked up.

“That’s the way, scribe.” Ena cheered as his head breached the surface.

“We’re not dead,” Adrial gasped.

“No, scribe.”

Ena stood ten feet away from him, the water lapping right below her breasts.

Adrial looked away, examining the cave he’d somehow leapt into. He was in a pool twenty feet long. Water fed in from the falls, kissing the edge of the pool, but there was no current trying to carry Adrial out.

Slices of sparkling blue stone cut through the gray of the cavern. Overhead, a tunnel of light peered through the earth, casting its beams on the small boundary of dry stone between the pool and the walls.

The blue stone had formed sweeping circles on the ceiling overhead, more like a painter’s work than anything to be found in nature.

“Dive down and look.” Ena smirked.

Taking a breath, Adrial dove into the water. The entire bottom of the pool was made of blue crystal. It looked sharp, vicious even. But his feet had touched it, and he hadn’t been hurt.

Kicking his legs, he swam to the very bottom of the pool and ran his fingers gently along the stone. But it didn’t feel like stone. It had the texture of fresh flower petals, and radiated warmth.

Letting the air in his lungs pull him up, Adrial rose to the surface. “What is it?”

“Magic, scribe.”

“Magic.” The word tasted dangerous and thrilling in Adrial’s mouth.

“Yes, magic.” Ena pushed herself out of the pool and sat on the stone side so only her legs were covered by the water. “And if you tell the sorcerers what I’ve shown you, you might as well tie the noose around my neck yourself. So don’t even dream of making pretty pictures in your book about this place.”

“I won’t.” Adrial swam over and leveraged himself up onto the ledge next to her. “How did you find this?”

“I told you before, I’m good at finding things.” Ena scooted closer to him and nudged him with her shoulder.

“But something like this…” Adrial took a long look around the room. “How many places this beautiful can there be in all Ilbrea?”

“You’d be surprised.” Ena lifted Adrial’s arm and draped it over her shoulders.

Adrial tensed as his skin pressed against hers.

“Don’t be frightened. I’m cold is all,” Ena said.

“I’m not frightened.” Heat flared in Adrial’s face.

“Yes, you are.” Ena nestled her head onto his shoulder. “And you should be careful about showing it. Making you uncomfortable is too much fun. I’m afraid it’ll become a habit.”

“I’m not―”

Ena cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. “Shh, you’ll ruin it.”

The circle of light that beamed into the cave shifted, a tiny movement as the sun tracked its path through the sky.

The ray of light reached the blue at the bottom of the pool, and as though a thousand candles had been lit, the cave burst into light. Each of the streaks of blue on the walls and swirls on the ceiling shone with a dazzling glow. The entire bottom of the pool radiated a light so bright, Adrial had to blink before he could see it properly.

The light wasn’t stagnant. It swirled and shimmered like a million tiny dancers come to life.

“There.” Ena pointed to the center of the pool.

The water stirred, bubbling as though something beneath had awakened.

Adrial blinked again, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, as a tower of light reached the surface and continued to grow. Leaves of thin, blue crystal blossomed out of the tower, unfurling as they draped toward the water.

The tower stopped growing, and its petals fluttered open. A burst of powder like diamond dust puffed up into the air.

“Now it’s my turn.” Ena slipped into the water. Her skin didn’t block the light from below. Rather, the glow enveloped her until her legs were a faint shadow.

As she swam forward, the pool echoed her movement, creating waves shimmering with what appeared to be the light of an unseen moon.

“Thank you, sweet flower.” Ena stood on her toes to keep her head above the water as she reached up and plucked a petal. The flower shivered at the loss, but before a breath had passed, a new petal grew in its place.

“Come see.” Ena beckoned Adrial into the water.

He slipped into the blue. A warm feeling, like life multiplied, buzzed against his skin.

In one stroke, he reached Ena’s side and stood in the water.

“Not fair, you standing so easily,” Ena said.

“Had to happen sometime.” Adrial smiled as the water swirled around his shoulders, bristling with light.

“Hold it.” Ena offered him the petal.

His fingers shook as he reached for it.

The thing will shrivel and die if I touch it.

But Ena placed the glowing petal into his hand. The heat of the flower kissed his palm, and vibrations tingled his flesh.

“Ever held magic before?” Ena whispered.

“No.” Adrial lowered his hands until the petal touched the water. With a c***k, the pool flashed bright white as a joyful ringing filled the cave. The sound vibrated Adrial’s lungs but wasn’t loud enough to throb in his ears.

“Told you there was life outside your books, scribe.”

“Thank you, Ena.”

She looked up to the pinpoint of light above them. “It’s almost done.” Looping her arm through Adrial’s, she guided him to the shallowest part of the pool.

She tipped her head back onto his shoulder so her hair spilled over his chest.

“Now,” Ena whispered.

With a flash brighter than any Adrial had ever seen, all the lights in the cave flared white before diming to shadows.

They stood in silence for a moment.

“We should build a fire before it gets too dark.” Ena didn’t leave Adrial’s shoulder.

“We should.” Adrial looked at the petal in his hand. The brilliant light of it had faded, but the sheen of magic still clung to the blue.

“I’ll hold it while we jump.” Ena gently lifted the petal from his palm. “If we lose this, we’ll have to try again next month.”

She dove down and swam to the far edge by the thundering falls.

Even without magic dancing in the water, she was perfect.

“Jump straight down, not out,” Ena warned before stepping off the ledge and plummeting out of sight.