Investigator

Investigator

                Tadyel really didn't understand Mavnen. Her random almost-mercy a few nights ago had been out of character, but it wasn't a sign of some kind of change. Mavnen was exactly the same as before - keen to fight and even kill. The best Tadyel could think of was that the man had reminded Mavnen of her husband, or someone else she knew.

                Kind of unluckily, the few times Tadyel had a chance to ask Mavnen a question she couldn't find the right words or had something else she needed to ask. At least it wasn't something important, just curiosity.

                One thing Tadyel had managed was to get Vanna to voice her thoughts. "Sometimes our conscience gets to us," Vanna had said. "It's to be expected."

                Better things to focus on, thought Tadyel. It was late in the day - almost the time they would usually start training - and Vanna had been in her room since mid-morning. That had been when news reached them of four refugees being found dead in their camp just outside of town. After the customer who had brought the news left, Vanna had rushed off immediately. It was the first time Tadyel had ever seen her worried.

                With Vanna preoccupied, the day's work had been left to Tadyel and Mavnen. There were a lot of deliveries to be done - some even outside of town - so Tadyel was working away alone while Mavnen roamed around on a borrowed horse.

                As she was not stupid, Tadyel was pretty sure that at least one of the dead refugees had been working for the Magi. Had they screwed up a mission? Was there a leak in the Magi's organisation somewhere? Were Ormgus's people on their way for a lynching? Tadyel wasn't too worried about the last one - they'd have a hard time attacking them in the middle of town.

                Vanna finally popped out of her room a short while later. "Is Mavnen about?" she asked, wandering over to where Tadyel was working. Her face looked grim.

                "No, she's doing the blanket delivery to the shelter on the coastal road," replied Tadyel. "She should be back really soon, though."

                "Alright. I'll go into the details when she gets here, but the four dead were all agents," said Vanna.

                "Really?" asked Tadyel.

                "Yes. They were sent together so we had a team here able to work on 'big' operations," said Vanna. "I'm going to get cracking on the fine work on Andrav's new skirt - when you finish there, run through some exercises. And good work getting through what you have, Gel."

                "Thanks," replied Tadyel, getting back to work.

                Mavnen returned twenty minutes later, yawning tiredly as she walked in. She waved to Tadyel, and upon seeing Vanna said, "Sorry I'm back so late. I was shanghaied into making the beds at the shelter," she said. "The guy who runs it is hard to refuse."

                "He certainly is. Come - both of you. You can finish after we talk, Gel," said Vanna, motioning for the pair of them to follow her to the back room they used for training and discussions they needed to keep private.

                Once all three had made their way through, Vanna said, "We had someone else in town poke their nose into the killings for us. It was definitely done by Ormgus's people - in fact, someone's already challenged them about it. They admitted to the killings, and claimed that all four were Magi agents.

                "How they knew about our agents we don't know yet. We might have a spy in the fortress or out here, within or without our ranks. I'd like you two to investigate as best you can without breaking your covers. I will be doing the same, but also coordinating the actions of the remaining refugee agents to ensure their safety. They may be or become compromised as well. And so very many other things to clean up this mess.

                "So you both know, there are several places we could have a leak. There are other agents in town that know of me and I of them, but we all report to Eden. I am the manager of the refugee operations, but a couple of agents know some or many of the refugees, such as Carmichael who you have both met. Within the fortress, there are many who have access to my reports and Eden's work."

                Vanna sighed, and continued, "While I handle things you two will have to manage any clothier work that I'm not needed for and handle all orders for the next few days, on top of investigating. Training is on hold unless you find the time to spar to keep your skill up. Any questions?"

                "Yeah," said Mavnen, "How are we meant to investigate?"

                "Find out if anyone's been displaying abnormal interest in those refugees, and if so, why they were. Especially if it turns out that, say, one of Ormgus's people came into town and saw something odd, then asked some questions. That would be nice and straightforward. But you guys probably won't find 'the answer' - just tell me anything interesting you find out, and I'll put it all together," replied Vanna.

                "Shouldn't we just grab one of the followers and make them squeal?" asked Mavnen. "That'd be even more straightforward."

                "After we rule out a couple of things that will probably be our next move," said Vanna, "But not right now."

                That's the usual Mavnen, thought Tadyel. 'Make them squeal'.

                "Alright," said Mavnen. She sounded - and looked - pleased at the idea.

                "Tadyel, any questions?" asked Vanna.

                "None. I think I get the idea," replied Tadyel.

                Vanna nodded. "Back to work then, both of you. It's probably best to work on getting ahead. I'll be in my room - also working - if you need anything," she said.

                It was difficult for Tadyel to figure out what to ask. Chatting about the killings was easy, and so was picking up rumours... But neither would help her find out anything Vanna wouldn't hear from a dozen other sources unless she got lucky.

                Still, she wandered down to the pub the next day and ran into some locals she knew frequented the place: Boyd, Igasse of Higgins, and Milio. Boyd was the son of the fine metal-smith, and also her apprentice. He was a few years older than Tadyel, but still had another decade of training ahead of him. His build was wiry, as unlike most metal workers he needed steady hands rather than strength.

                Igasse was a retired merchant, originally from Higgins, who'd gotten rich setting up a trade route that took the coastal road out to the east. It was an unusual route - the desert drew very close to the coast for some distance before receding, and most trade that way was done by ship. Somehow Igasse had made it work, and reaped enough profit to retire in her early forties.

                Milio was an odd jobs man. He worked at the pubs some evenings, helped out at public events, did courier work and helped farmers bring in their harvest. Between the many things he did he made enough to support his expansive and unusual family - two 'de-facto' wives and eleven children in total by the age of thirty-four. Tadyel was amazed by the number of kids he could keep, and thus been one of the few people to put up with his bragging. In turn, he'd taken a liking to her, especially as she 'reminded him of his eldest a bit'.

                They sat around one of the tables, idly chatting as they ate their lunches. Talk centred around the dead refugees and the accusations of the followers. Tadyel heard some things she hadn't known - the names of the refugees, exactly where they had camped, who found them that morning - but nothing Vanna wouldn't already know.

                After a bit of fact sharing, however, talk moved to the rumours. "I heard that they didn't want to work for the followers, so they killed them," said Boyd. "Mum reckons they're just spouting crap about the Magi to cover their tracks."

                "I don't know. The followers have had a lot of bad luck, and just a couple of days ago a bunch of them were found dead! Either the Magi are trying to slow them down or someone in town really has it in for them," said Milio.

                "Yeah, but, even if they were Magi, how'd they know? Unless they were the killers from the other day and they got seen or something? But Ormgus's guys were shocked as when the bodies were found," said Boyd. "So can't have been. How'd they have known?"

                "Probably someone saying the wrong thing to the wrong person? I don't know. All I know about espionage is from a couple of fiction novels I read when I was a lot younger. About the time I met-" said Milio.

                "Now, now, don't segue into 'how you met your ladies' again. I've heard both stories at least fifty times," said Igasse. "Tadyel, how about your thoughts? Do you reckon the followers are telling the truth? About what why they killed those poor people, at least."

                "I think so. I can't think of why else they'd do it - I know they don't attack people for not joining," said Tadyel. "Maybe if they really wanted some sort of skill they had? But you'd kidnap them or something, not kill them."

                "How do you even know? You started working for Vanna a week after you came here. Actually yeah, even if they approached you it's been months since then. They've gotten worse since their leader died, that's for sure," said Milio.

                Tadyel shrugged. "I do talk to other refugees, you know. News from the peninsula still matters to me. The ones that want to move on or even hang around peacefully get approached by the followers all the time, but it's always... Recruitment-y. Well, I guess, inspiring, rather than threatening. 'Join us and stop the Magi!' or 'Join us and save the South!', although they seem to hate the Magi more than the Thrath which kind of weirds me out," she explained.

                "That is pretty weird," muttered Igasse.

                "Hey, that's true! I guess the Magi are just the closer threat?" wondered Milio.

                "I don't... want to talk about it, but using people to somehow make their constructs is nothing on what the Thrath have done. And are still doing. It's why most of the refugees keep going - they want to be as far from the Thrath as possible," said Tadyel.

                "You stayed but," said Boyd.

                "Yeah. Maybe that wasn't my brightest idea, but I ran out of money and Vanna offered me a job so here I am," said Tadyel.

                "Back to the burning topic: I heard that the campsite had been ransacked, as if the followers were looking for something," said Igasse. "Maybe they were after something the refugees had?"

                "Ooh, now that's an interesting possibility," said Milio. "Something from the south, you reckon?"

                "Maybe even something from the desert or taken from the followers themselves," said Igasse. "It does open up that maybe the followers are lying about why they attacked, though."

                "Ha! Yeah, this sounds more likely," said Boyd, happy that the 'followers are lying' theory was reopened.

                Tadyel considered siding with the followers, broadly - she knew they were telling the truth, and being rumoured to be sympathetic to them might help keep suspicion off her. Instead she let the conversation continue, moving on to guesses as to what the followers may have been after (a weapon or a valuable treasure were the favoured guesses) and then on to more mundane matters.

                The group left together after finishing their meals and a couple of drinks (Tadyel and Boyd eschewing any that were alcoholic as they had to return to work). Tadyel knew a few additional things, and some rumours, but altogether she had learnt... Nothing.

                After splitting off to make her way back to Vanna's shop, Tadyel almost sighed. I guess next to nothing is better than nothing, she thought.

                Late in the afternoon, Vanna had Tadyel go over what she had learned. "Nothing that I haven't heard already," said Vanna when Tadyel had finished, "But it's good to know anti-follower rumours are spreading."

                "I was thinking it would be good if I seemed against those - I mean, it would lessen suspicion on me, right? From the followers," asked Tadyel.

                "Possibly. It can't hurt," said Vanna.

                "Hey Vanna!" came a voice from the front room.

                It was obviously a customer. "I'll see to it - I may as well," said Vanna, bustling off.

                Tadyel followed her out and returned to what she had been working on (marking out patterns on cloth before she cut them out). She overheard Vanna's conversation with the customer as she did so:

                "So you are alright! I heard that you've been hiding all day - Minn thought you were sick or something," said the man. He was well-dressed and likely well-off. Tadyel was fairly certain he had visited before, but couldn't recall his name.

                "Just busy with fine work. My apprentices are more than able of handling customers," said Vanna. "Did you come for something or just to check on me?"

                "Oh, haha, I wouldn't impose. No, little Munn ripped Minn's shawl and I pass by here on my way to the pub so," said the man, pulling a well-torn shawl from his satchel with a flourish, "Do you reckon the rip can be hidden? If so, I've got the money for a repair job now."

                Vanna took the shawl from the man. She ran it through her hands, peering closely at the rip. "I should be able to hide it, yes. I have some thread that I use for work like this - it's very difficult to see individual strands, as it's a very fine thread. I'll use that for the bits that will be visible and normal thread for the rest - I have to ask for fifty percent more than normal, though, is that okay?" said Vanna.

                "Hm," said the man. "Well, I'm sure Minn will harangue me for not haggling but the pub calls, so it's a deal!" He fished through his pockets, and produced the money required.

                "Thank you," said Vanna, taking the shawl and the funds. "I'll have it done within the next couple of days - should I have Tadyel or Mavnen deliver it to you?"

                "That would be excellent," said the man. He hovered as Vanna wrote down the order details and a receipt.

                "By the way," he added, "Did you hear? They found the old horse rearer Hum dead at his home an hour ago."

                "Really?" asked Vanna. Tadyel looked up at that moment; Vanna was doing a good job of seeming uninterested.

                "Oh yes. That young guardsman with the beard told me that he was killed last night. They're sure it was the followers, too - they marked the place. Do you think Hum might've been a Magi agent like those refugees? His family have a long history here, though," pondered the man.

                "Here's your receipt," said Vanna, holding out the paper. "That's some rather interesting news, too."

                "Oh, my pleasure to bring it. Well!" said the man, folding and placing the receipt in his satchel, "Pub time for me. Good evening."

                "Good evening," replied Vanna.

                After the man had left, Vanna called Tadyel and Mavnen into the back room. Once within, she allowed her worry to show on her face.

                "I think Gel overheard the discussion, but I just heard that Hum was killed last night. The horses we used when we took out the weapons shipment were his," began Vanna.

                "He wasn't one of ours. I'm unsure exactly why the followers thought he was one of ours... But we definitely have a leak. No-one knows we used his horses except a few of us. Except - those who nicked the horses know he wasn't one of ours. Those at the fortress should have access to the full information, which notes the same. And, well, I suppose I didn't tell you guys explicitly but you'd have to be kind of dumb to think we'd steal horses from one of ours...

                "I guess you could be really stupid, but I know you're both not stupid, and if you were a spy you'd have to be even less stupid, so. Ugh. Okay. There's got to be a connection somewhere I've missed. Someone spotted us coming back on the horses, maybe? Maybe. Okay, tomorrow focus on finding out if us using horses to hit the wagon was known. I've got to dig through my notes unless one of you has something really important to say?"

                Mavnen and Tadyel both shook their heads.

                "Alright," said Vanna, before hurrying off towards her room. Halfway there, she stopped and added, "Be prepared for me to change your orders half a dozen times while I poke through my notes," then finished her hurry.

                With Vanna on the other side of a couple of rooms and a closed door, Tadyel said, "She sure seems flustered."

                "Maybe she knows no-one saw us on the horses?" asked Mavnen. "The weapons shipment was barely news here, but I heard nothing about horses."

                "She has to have been worried about a leak already, though," said Tadyel.

                "Maybe she's certain, now? Since she runs a lot of the operations stuff she probably feels like she'll be the next target," said Mavnen.

                "Hey, maybe. But that'd be all three of us and more helping if the followers came here in force," replied Tadyel.

                "Unless she's more worried about you, me or one of the agents she knows striking suddenly," said Mavnen bluntly. "That's what I'd be more worried about."

                "Oh," said Tadyel. "You're right. Now I'm kind of scared for her."

                "Me too," said Mavnen. "But we'll do our best."

                Tadyel nodded and said, "Yeah."

                After a pause she added, "I'm getting back to work to get my mind off this business."

                "Good idea," said Mavnen. The pair of them got back to work, both tense with worry.

                For the first time in a while, Tadyel slept poorly. She was worried about an attack they wouldn't see coming - a knife in the dark while she slept, for example. But eventually, after much rolling back and forth, she drifted off to sleep.

                The next morning Vanna's orders were unchanged - find out if anyone knew that someone had used Hum's horses on the night they were taken. She also said, "Eden's poking around to check where else the information could have come from, especially partially. She suspects that it might be one of the refugees they have working as assistants, though how they'd get the information out is a completely different question."

                Vanna's calmer demeanour that morning helped Tadyel relax herself. She decided that asking some questions while doing deliveries was a good idea, so she volunteered to do them all day. Mavnen's information report the previous day when she was handling deliveries had been pretty lacklustre. In turn, Mavnen was happy to be able to 'sit around' for once.

                Although she asked quite a few leading questions, Tadyel learned nothing relevant at all in the morning. Thankfully there had been no new killings; possibly because the town guard were on edge and itching for an excuse to 'deal with' the followers. Killing a few refugees was one thing, but Hum - and Hum's relatives - were townspeople. It was not a good time to be associated with the followers and in town.

                Actually, Tadyel reflected as she walked, It's probably not a good time to be a refugee in town at all. She'd received some angry stares herself. The anger was worrying, but also kind of reassuring - if anyone went after Vanna, they'd be found and end up very, very dead.

                Jamming the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, Tadyel double checked the address. Vanna had 'found time' to finish Minn's shawl early and Tadyel was delivering it. Vanna hoped the heavily pregnant Minn would appreciate the gesture.

                Tadyel knocked on the door and it was almost immediately opened by a little boy of about ten. "Is Minn home?" asked Tadyel, "I've brought her shawl."

                The little boy suddenly looked quite guilty. "Yes!" he said, after a moment of silence. "She's sitting down in the lounge, having a nap. Um, you should take the shawl to her."

                "You must be Munn, then," said Tadyel, stepping through the doorway. The boy closed the door behind her.

                "Yes I am!" replied the boy, proudly. Then he looked worried and asked, "Dad didn't - um - say how I broke the shawl right?"

                "Not how, no," said Tadyel.

                "Phew," the boy said. "This way!"

                Munn led Tadyel through a couple of rooms to his family's lounge room. It was poshly furnished - almost on par with Andrav's mansion, though their home was far smaller. A pregnant woman who was obviously Minn sat up as Tadyel entered the room. There was a strong family resemblance between her and her son.

                "I've brought your shawl," said Tadyel, retrieving the piece of clothing from her backpack.

                "Oh, Vanna fixed it already? Thank you," said Minn. She smiled as Tadyel held it up. "Oh yes, I can barely see where the rip was."

                Tadyel passed her the shawl, and she continued inspecting it. "Vanna also asked that I pass on her best wishes for your pregnancy," said Tadyel.

                "Oh, yes. Tell her I'm very thankful - for the shawl and the wishes both. Even though my husband paid the full fifty percent!" grumped Minn. "Surely the thread can't be that expensive."

                "I don't know, ma'am. I'm an apprentice," said Tadyel. "I believe he was in a hurry, though."

                "Oh, was he? A hurry to get to the pub!" said Minn, rolling her eyes. "Such a hurry to tell everyone that poor Hum died and not even remembering that he was my second cousin once removed."

                "Really?" asked Tadyel. "My condolences. I heard that his death was not... peaceful."

                "We scarce talked at all. Just the occasional chat, and sometimes I'd refer him business. I referred Vanna's other apprentice - Mannen? - to him when she was asking about borrowing a horse a couple of days ago," said Minn.

                "It's Mavnen. My name is Tadyel, by the way," said Tadyel.

                "Oh yes, I know your name. Vanna had you talking to everyone at the ball, and unlike your co-worker you're not a bad one to chat with, I've heard," said Minn, smiling.

                "Thank you," said Tadyel. "Unfortunately, I must-"

                Tadyel stopped mid-sentence. A thought had just occurred to her.

                "You - um, wouldn't have mentioned to anyone that Hum lost horses on a specific day a few weeks ago?" asked Tadyel.

                "Hm? Well, maybe once or twice. Hum complained about it to me, of course. He found them wandering around near town like the others," replied Minn. "Actually, now that I think about it, your friend Mavnen asked if he'd had horses pinched so I told her about it all. Is horse stealing big gossip amongst clothiers?" Minn smiled, having amused herself.

                Tadyel, however, was feeling cold. "I've got to go, get going," she said. "I hope you choose us for your clothier needs!" She forced out a fake smile.

                "Remembered something that needs doing, dear? Off you go," said Minn with a chuckle. "I'm not looking forward to getting back to work myself."

                "Bye!" replied Tadyel. She made her way out of the house, barely remembering to close the door behind her.

                Okay, so asking doesn't mean it was her, thought Tadyel. But it might be. The timing is spot on, too, and she was a bit late so maybe she was asking around for a while? Whose horse did she borrow anyway?

                Barely managing to stop herself from rushing through the streets, she thought, Okay. Calm down. Get back. But... Vanna is alone with Mavnen, and Mavnen might be... Fuck.