The Alna was something else entirely. It stretched out forever, nearly as wide and as placid as a lake. Boats of various sizes traveled both up and downstream. Alena stared at the river in wonder, barely believing it could be real.
She passed some of the largest estates she had ever seen, enormous houses built overlooking the river.
As she continued on, she left the expensive neighborhoods, passing through a commercial area to finally reach the docks. She found it hard to believe the huge estates and the docks were both part of the same town. The docks were grimy, filled with wage earners hauling supplies to and from boats. The docks were loud, everyone shouting over everyone else in an attempt to be heard.
Alena found the chaos comforting. All sorts of trade originated at these docks, and she spent most of the afternoon watching. All of it, from the boats coming in to dock, to the unloading, to the bargaining that happened directly on the docks, fascinated her.
One downside of sleeping in so late was that she had lost much of the day for her observations. Eventually the falling sun reminded her to return to the inn, where she ate a hearty supper and fell asleep early.
The next morning her schedule returned to normal. She broke her fast with the other guests, then resumed her exploration of the town. In so many ways, Tonno and Landow were indistinguishable. They operated on the same principles. If she recalled her history correctly, both had essentially been built from small outposts to the towns they were by Anders I following his final conquests. As she thought about it, she realized there were even similarities to how the towns were laid out.
But they weren’t the same. Tonno had a different feel to it, one she struggled to name. Tonno was more connected, thanks to the Alna, than Landow was. Landow was the last town of any import before one reached the Northern Sea, but there were very few boats sailing those treacherous waters. There was a small port on the sea, but it saw little traffic. As such, Landow felt like the end of the road. It didn’t connect people like Tonno did.
Alena noticed the influence everywhere, from the variety of goods sold to the food on the street.
The variety of people was greater, too. Alena saw people from throughout the empire, but she also noticed an Etari trading clan, too, the first time she had seen one in years. Their distinctive red dyed clothing made them easy to spot.
By the third day of her exploration she felt like she had a basic understanding of the town. She began to understand how trade worked here, and she saw a few opportunities to begin a business. She could take advantage of the price difference in materials between here and Landow, and hopefully offer superior goods for cheaper prices.
She was sitting on a bench in a square, jotting down some notes to herself, when a city guard came and nailed a notice to a board. Alena noticed but didn’t much care.
A while later, when she stood up to stretch, she wandered over to the board. The notice was a wanted poster. Her eyes wandered lazily over it, stopping when they saw her name.
Alena swore under her breath. Their description of her was perfect, and she saw that she was accused of treason against the empire. Her eyebrow rose at that, but she didn’t stand to wonder about it.
Alena left the square. She needed to leave Tonno, but she needed to be smart about it. Tonno was a good-sized town, and she hadn’t attracted any attention, yet.
The inn was her biggest problem. If the guard in Tonno was actively looking for her, they’d check with the inns, and they’d soon find her. There weren’t many women traveling alone.
Even returning to the inn was a risk. But everything she owned was there, and she would rather not leave it behind. She decided the inn was worth the risk. Odds were good she could beat the city guard there.
Alena hurried to the inn. A quick examination of the surroundings led her to believe it was safe. She didn’t see anyone moving in her room, and the inn itself was quiet. She walked in the front door and nodded to the owner, who gave no indication that Alena’s presence had raised any suspicions.
Alena took the stairs three at a time, reaching her room in just a moment. Most of her clothes were still packed, so it only took a few heartbeats to gather the rest of her belongings and pack them up.
As she did, she saw movement in the corner of her vision, out through the window. She looked out and saw a pair of city guards approaching the inn.
She swore, watched them for a moment, then swore again. If she’d had just a little more time, she would have been out without a problem. The guards didn’t seem too concerned, though. From their walk, she guessed they didn’t know she was here.
But they would soon.
Alena tied her pack shut, then took out her purse and pulled out enough money to cover what she owed the innkeeper. She opened the window and glanced out. The guards had come inside.
Alena placed the money on the bed, then slipped out the window as she heard heavy footsteps on the stairs outside her room. She made herself light and climbed to the roof of the inn.
She hadn’t climbed a single roof in her time in Tonno, but the sight of rooftops stretching off into the distance was surprisingly reassuring.
Below, shouts came from the room, the guards quickly realizing what had happened.
Alena secured her pack tightly and ran.
29
Brandt had little trouble fitting into the daily life of the monastery. Daily
