The pair stood at once.
Finally, thought Minx, we're making progress. Though she hadn't yet been reunited with Mau, the idea that they were finally close to finding her brought a rush of energy. She set aside all this talk of visions, of dark armies spreading across the land and subjugating every territory. Such discussions had left a chill running down her spine—despite the fact she'd had trouble believing Vevne—but in the present moment there was nothing she could hope to do about this yet unseen threat. It would reveal itself when the time was right, when it was good and ready. She only hoped that, when that time arrived, she would be in a position to defeat it. Now was the time to dedicate herself to the things she could change.
She would focus on saving Mau. That was her top priority.
And then, together, they would find a way to save her people.
Chapter 12
“We can't just mill around like this,” said Kaleb, motioning to himself and Minx. “We're going to have to be a little more discrete, unless we want to stumble into trouble. A disguise is in order.” Already he was ready to leave Karn, to turn his back on this chapter of their journey and move onto the more pressing bits still ahead. An army of darkness? I don't like the sound of that. We need to get moving...
But a promise was a promise. He'd told the feisty Fae that he'd help her find Mau, and until they'd done so, he'd exhaust every lead in the grimy city.
The first thing they did before setting out in search of Mau was to find Minx some new gear. “You're going to need a weapon, too” began Kaleb, tapping the space between her shoulders where her quiver usually sat. “Vevne, do you know of a good place around here to buy a bow? A handful of arrows, too. My friend here lost her weapon back at the auction house, and I don't think they're going to hand it over kindly. We'll be better off replacing it.”
The tusked woman put out the lamps and donned her hood, giving the matter some thought. “There are some skilled bowyers in town. I could take you to them. It wouldn't require a major detour.”
Minx scoffed, folding her arms. “Something is better than nothing, I guess, but I doubt anyone in this city can make a bow of the same quality as our Fae artisans.”
Nothing is ever good enough for these Fae, is it? They're such a prideful race. He smirked, urging her toward the door. “Please, Vevne, lead the way. I'm sure we can find something suitable for her royal highness here.”
“You're not far off,” snapped Minx, shooting him a harsh glare. “I am a royal Fae. My parents are on the High Council.”
Before they set out, Vevne was kind enough to gift them each one of her old cloaks. Such was the towering size of their donor that the dark brown fabric stretched nearly to their feet as they put them on. Minx, in particular, found herself accidentally stepping on the hem as she sought to adjust the fit. Kaleb cared little for disguises, but there could be no denying that the two of them had made quite a stir in the city. If they went without cloaks, they would certainly be spotted by hostiles before long, and the errand they were embarking on was dangerous enough without such risks.
The three of them stepped back into the alley, returning to the hum of the city, and they departed through the narrow channel running beside Vevne's place, taking the first right they came across. The edge of the tattered hood Minx wore eclipsed her face completely, and as she walked alongside him, Kaleb noticed she was struggling to see with it on. She bumped into the stony walls, tripped on uneven cobblestones as they went, but still she retained a strong posture, shoulders back. He couldn't help but smirk. She was like a little girl playing dress-up with clothes many sizes too large. Her seriousness was uncommonly endearing.
They emerged into a quadrant of town Kaleb had not yet seen, a long street lined in boxy buildings. Some were very obviously taverns, boasting so many patrons they were lined up outside the doors to get in. Others, the quieter buildings deeper in, were storefronts. One among them, owned by a human bowyer with a long grey beard and a pot belly, was Vevne's destination. She led them to the wooden double-doors.
Minx entered first, and Kaleb trailed behind her. Vevne waited outside, uninterested in perusing the offered wares. The shop, scarcely larger than the tusked woman's simple home had been, was absolutely packed with weapons. Handsomely-made bows hung from each of the walls in neat rows, and wide-mouthed barrels full of arrows lined the rear of the front counter. Behind them idled the shopkeeper, stringing a new bow with the aid of thick lenses. “How can I help you?” he asked cheerfully, setting down his work and appraising the hooded newcomers.
Minx affected a deeper voice and gingerly pulled the tattered edge of the hood from her eyes so as to better appraise the goods. “I need a bow and a quiver full of arrows,” she said flatly. “What's the finest weapon you have?”
The old man cracked a toothy smile and leaned back on his stool, turning to the wall of displayed weapons to his back. “The finest? Well, miss, I've got many fine weapons in stock, as it happens. But the best fit will depend on your skill. Are you a beginner in archery?” He eyed her slight form, unable to assess her fitness through the baggy cloak. He probably couldn't tell she was Fae—probably thought she was a human child in her father's clothes.
Before Minx could jump down the shopkeeper's throat for daring to suggest she was a novice, Kaleb placed a firm
