Riding through familiar streets on horseback seemed to make the city look completely different in some indefinable way. She kept grinning to herself and patting her horse as she rode through the snow. She would have to name her mount. What could she call it? Spot? Dapple? She discarded both as too unoriginal. Ah well, it would come in time. Of course, she’d have to sell the beast once her little task with her new companions had finished. There was no way she could afford to feed a horse on her meagre wage. She barely made enough to pay the rent for her room and still feed and clothe herself.
Velvet sighed, but then smiled and sat up straight. She would enjoy herself now and worry about the future when it came. Her thoughts were interrupted by Lord.
“Which way?”
They were at a junction. Velvet recognized it as Water Street, although further along than she usually walked. At least she was back on familiar ground now.
“Left,” she said confidently.
The big man nodded and they set off again, the horses’ hooves muffled by the snow. As they travelled the city began to wake up properly. Water Street was a long, wide avenue, lined by some of the better shops in the district. The proprietors started to emerge, and began clearing the snow from the store fronts, shovelling it into large piles near the middle of the road, creating new, smaller, thoroughfares in the street. The three were forced to detour around large mounds more and more frequently as the morning wore on.
They finally came to the end of the avenue and entered a maze of smaller roads, lined with one and two story ramshackle brick houses. Plumes of smoke rose from chimneys, dark streaks rising into a still overcast sky, creating a vivid contrast.
People stared at them as they rode past. This area was not affluent, and people with enough money for mounts would hardly want to be seen slumming it in these parts. Velvet began to feel nervous. Robbery was far from unknown, especially in these areas where the city militia patrolled infrequently. Then she realized who she was with and relaxed. A couple of thugs were hardly likely to challenge a large, well equipped and mounted warrior like the Lord of All. Especially in daylight. She remembered how he had dealt with her own attackers in the alley the night before.
In any case, they were emerging from the hutong* into the more prosperous merchants’ quarter by the river.
Even with the bad weather the area was bustling. Trade was always brisk in the morning, especially for foodstuffs, and the snow had already been cleared into vast piles around the square, to allow business to continue. Velvet saw two men shake hands on a deal over a couple chickens. The seller posed a question to the buyer, a skinny man with a long nose dressed in a warm jacket. The buyer nodded, and the seller threw the chickens onto the floor hard, killing them instantly. The man picked the birds up and stuffed them into a sack before moving off into the crowd.
“We should get some supplies,” said Nurn, speaking for the first time since they had started riding. “We’re running a little low.”
“We can last a little while longer,” replied the Lord. “Our business must take precedence.”
Nurn, riding alongside Velvet now, nodded. “Fine, but I need something to eat.”
“Buy something you can eat on the move then,” said the Lord.
“Are you hungry?” asked Nurn.
Velvet looked about and then realized the Grey was asking her. Her stomach rumbled. They hadn’t had time to eat anything before they had left. She nodded her head.
Nurn stopped at a small stall selling fried squid skewered on long wooden sticks, and purchased eight. He handed two of the things to Velvet, and kept the others himself, biting into one with gusto.
Velvet chewed on hers. It was fairly tough and spicy. Still, it did the job, filling a hole..
She ate both as they meandered through the market, stopping only once more to buy some watered-down wine, which was poured into the canteen Nurn pointed out to her, hanging on her saddle.
The merchants’ quarter went on and on. They rode through the different zones. Past the food sellers, into the jewellery and precious metals district. Here the stalls were replaced by discreet shops with bars on the windows. This area was not so heavily populated, and they managed to pick up the pace a little, quickly moving into the weapons quarter.
The stores here were larger, and displayed a variety of lethal weapons and armour. Smithies were frequent, their open fronted workshops radiating small islands of heat in the cold. Brawny men inside worked hot metal into swords, armour, or just plain old horseshoes.
The clientele of this district were mainly warriors. Clad in heavy robes with blades swinging from their sides or strapped over their backs, they appraised the party closely as they went by, sizing up the Lord of All especially. Velvet’s nervousness began to return.
It was unfounded; they passed into the next district with no problems. Morning gave way to noon, and noon to afternoon. The clouds thinned slightly, and a pale sun peered down upon them.
“At least the snow’s stopped,” Nurn’s commented.
They rode through the furniture market, where most of the shops were closed and shoppers were few and far between, and then back into a residential district.
“Is it much further?” asked Nurn eventually. “A few squid aren’t enough to last me through the day you know.”
“We’re nearly there,” said Velvet, smiling to herself. She often went with very little food from breakfast to evening. “See that road there?” She indicated a turning ahead and on the left. “That’s the start of the magic quarter. Rumpold lives only a short way in.”
“Good,” said Nurn.
The Lord of All said nothing, but adjusted course to head towards the turning Velvet had mentioned. The group turned into the street and immediately noticed the difference. This road was wide and well maintained. The cobbled streets were all but clear of snow. Where it had gone was anyone’s guess, but there was no sign of it. The houses were large and tall, rising four or five floors high, and painted in pastel colours. Most of them were behind sturdy brick walls. The ones that Velvet could see into had neatly kept gardens, some still had flowers blooming, despite the fact it was the middle of winter.
“It seems your wizards look after themselves at least,” said Nurn, head turning left and right.
“Well, in the main strip at least,” Velvet replied, remembering previous trips. “The backstreets aren’t quite as grand. These dwellings,” she gestured at the buildings, “house some of the more powerful magic users. They are often rather proud.” She paused a second, then, because you never knew who was listening and it wouldn’t do to make a wizard annoyed, added: “They probably have every right to be, there are some of the foremost mages in the world around here. Didn’t you come here already? If you’re searching for a magic user, this is the first place to look.”
“I have been here,” said the Lord of All. “However, information about wizards seems hard to come by. People would not speak with me.”
“Well, they’re probably scared. You don’t go around talking about mages if you want to keep out of trouble. They are a very… protective bunch.”
“Mmm,” said Lord, frowning. “What do you know of Rumpold?”
“He’s not one of the top wizards, as far as I know,” Velvet replied. “Though I’m just going by his house and where he lives, you understand. I’m not privy to the names of their hierarchy, they keep that pretty quiet, though some of the more prominent mages are known simply because of where they live and how much influence they seem to wield with others.”
“Sounds like most of the wizards I know,” said Nurn.
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