Of the Flutist's Return

by **Ireth Telemnar** on December 2nd, 2015, 4:21 am

Winter 5th, 515 A.V.

The moment the Wind Eagle touched down in Nyka, Ireth’s eyes teared up with joy. She never thought she’d be so happy to have returned to her adoptive city by the sea. The young woman closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, allowing the newly frosting winter air to fill her lungs and wrap itself around her core. It was beyond refreshing, like the first sip of water after a long fitful night’s sleep. Ireth held that breath in, letting it stir within her being and fill her with its familiarity. The enormous bird upon whose back she and her daughter were perched had landed amongst Nyka’s docks, and there were a great many people giving her the strangest looks. Best send this Eagle on its way and get out of the crowd’s eye before any Monks show up Ire decided.

Releasing Ellemyer’s cradleboard from where it was strapped to the Wind Eagle, her mother shouldered it carefully and listened to her daughter make the little breathy noises she made whenever she was happy. Perhaps she is happy to be back here too. In her excitement, Ireth released her blanket chest, backpack, and rucksack from their bindings and everything fell from the bird’s back, erupting into a mess of clothes and possessions upon the cobblestone dockside street. The Wind Eagle sashayed to the left, its huge head craning around and its piercing eye blinking at the sudden noise. Ireth nearly lost her balance when the bird staggered, both of her hands burrowing themselves in the feathers beneath her in order to get a grip on her steed and steady herself.

She shook, terrified, her face slowly turning bright red as she realized that all of her belongings were scattered about the street where anyone could make off with them. Her mind was running a mile a minute, but Ireth was frozen where she was. It wasn’t until someone called up to her that she came to.

“Pardon me miss, could ya use a hand?” It was a dockworker, a rough-looking older gentleman wearing a bright green vest over his tanned, leathery chest. The young flutist blinked at him for a long moment, befuddled. “Miss? Ya okay?”

Ireth nodded and made herself slide down from her perch upon the Wind Eagle’s back. The man began to pick up Ireth’s clothes and throw them back into the blanket chest, not caring to put anything back in any sort of order but doing the job quickly. “Let’s get ya figured out, eh? First time in Nyka?” Ireth shook her head and knelt down to put the toiletries back into her backpack. Her Nykan Citizenship Papers were just out of her reach, and when she went to grab for them, the wind picked up and they would have blown away had the dock worker not been quick to catch them. He glanced down at them.

“Oh, coming back home, eh? No better place to be really, if’n you ask me.” He spat something out onto the street and handed the young woman back her papers. Ire tucked them back into her backpack, right next to her Ravokian Citizenship Papers, and silently gave thanks that it hadn’t been that set of documents that had attempted to escape. That would have been the last thing she needed today. The man peeked over at Ellemyer, making a contented grunt. “This is a good place fer yer young’un too. I raised two of me own here, one’s a Monk and one works here on the docks with me. Finer young men couldn’t be found in all of Sylirias!” Ireth stood up and looked at the gleam in the older man’s eyes, there could have been no mistaking that pride. It made her smile.

Without much warning, the Wind Eagle decided that it had served its purpose and took off, sending Nykans scurrying for cover from the gusts of wind its enormous wings produced. The dock worker held his hat secure to his head and watched the bird fade off into the distance. Half under his breath and half to himself, he mumbled curiously “You’re the fourth person them eagles have brought here this week….” But he just shook his head and looked back to Ireth.

“Would you be willing to help me take my things to the Safe Haven? I can pay you.” Ireth reached into the coin purse that hung from her belt and drew out a couple of silver mizas.

“Ah, sorry miss, I can’t, I’ve gotta get back to work. But I’ll tell ye what,” he looked back toward the waterfront and cupped a hand to his mouth. “Ey up Nicholas! Come ‘ere boy!”

Another dock worker came over, his dark hair tied back into a ponytail and his beard braided. The first man clapped him on the shoulder. “Nicholas, will ye help this lady out? She’s in need of a strong arm and she be willin’ to pay ye.” Nicholas nodded and the elder man shook Ireth’s hand, his rough-skinned hand nearly swallowing hers up.

“Welcome home miss.”

Ire smiled and waved as he walked back toward a cargo ship. Nicholas shouldered the backpack and rucksack, then heaved the blanket chest up. “Where are we going miss?”

The young flutist took a deep breath of relief and pointing down a familiar road toward the center of Sylirias’s most colorful city. “To the Safe Haven Hostel please. I’ve friends to visit there.”

by **Ireth Telemnar** on December 2nd, 2015, 4:25 am

As they walked, Ireth began to pay particular attention to the Monks they passed. There seemed to be more roaming the streets today than she remembered. Some were at rest, leaning against the buildings of pink stone, their eyes roaming the people around them. Twice Ireth saw a couple of Monks go after passerby, shouting and beginning fights. She and Nicholas hurried past these squabbles as quickly as they could, not wanted to get involved in any way. Ire allowed the dock worker to lead the way, as people tended to make way for the large man and his burden.

The weather was just beginning to get cold in her little seaside city, but as they made their way further inland, away from the waterfront, the air got a little warmer as the buildings gave shelter from the winds coming in off of the ocean. The sun was on its downward path and the shadows were beginning to lengthen. Nicholas picked up his pace, but before Ire could ask why she remembered Nyka’s nightlife was rather… deadly. The young flutist sped up to match his step, hiking Ellemyer’s cradleboard up higher on her back to relieve some of the pressure the one year old was inducing. She’d need to come up with some alternative way of carrying her daughter, Elle was getting too big for the cradleboard Ireth had bought when Elle was born.

The Nykan Docks lead into the East Quarter of the city, the part of the city home to merchants and tradesmen, guilds and moneychangers. It was here that Ireth had spent most of her time back before she’d fled the city with her companion Toan. Not only did the Docks remind her of her beloved birthplace in Ravok, but it was here that she’d been most welcomed. As she padded along behind the dockworker, she wondered how many of her old friends were still here, or if any of them remembered her at all.

The pair trekked through the people and the Bridge of the Beginning came into view, a bridge crossing from the East Quarter to the Celestial Square, the center of the city. The bridge, and all the bridges in the city technically, crossed an enormous fissure that ran through the City of the Celestials. It was called the Aperture, but the locals affectionately called it the Heart of the World. Though Ireth knew little about it, she knew it was both a sacred and a taboo place, both loved and feared by Nykans. Ellemyer’s father had once ventured into it, and although he never recounted his tale to Ireth, every time it was brought up his face had turned ashy and he’d clammed up, causing her to assume that whatever had happened in the Aperture’s darkness had wrecked considerable havoc on the poor acrobat’s mind.

When they got into hearing distance, Ireth made out a trio of Monks that seemed to be picking a fight with a couple of young men whom she assumed had just attempted to cross the Bridge from the Celestial Square and into the East Quarter. The young woman could see that two of the Monks already had their weapons drawn, throwing stars as were customary of the Monks in this Quarter. The third monk was swinging a quarterstaff from side to side menacingly.

“Either pay the toll or go back to where you came from!”

Nicholas and Ireth pressed themselves into the shadow of the building they were next to and glanced at each other nervously. It appeared that this group of Monks were attempting to extort a toll from those crossing the Bridge. Although it wasn’t mandatory, the Monks still felt they had a right to whatever they desired, roughing people up in order to extort money and goods from the common folk. It was a simple way for the Monks to make some money, as long as nobody put up a fight and just did as they were told. But the boys that had just crossed the Bridge of the Beginning weren’t having any of it. One wielded a quarterstaff himself, the other drew a dagger from a belt sheath. The throwing stars the Monks were armed with weren’t going to be much good in close combat, but that didn’t deter them any.

Ireth watched them begin to spar, and then watched as a young woman took the distraction as an opportunity to cross the Bridge without being harassed by the Monks. Nicholas saw her too. “We could attempt the same, but they’ll surely see me hauling all of yer stuff, miss. And it’s beginning to get late, I need to get back to the Docks before sundown, ye know?”

The flutist nodded and tried to think of a solution. She hated when the Monks picked on the common folk, but it was their unwritten right as the Protectors of the city. They were permitted to do what they wanted, and it had turned them into a bunch of thugs, roaming the streets in gangs. The only thing that was worse than them fighting with the common folk was…

“I’ve got an idea. Will you watch my daughter?” Nicholas nodded and Ireth shrugged Ellemyer’s cradleboard off, leaning it up against the wall. She pressed her lips to the baby’s forehead and whispered “I’ll be right back, my dove.” Then she sprinted off toward the scuffle.

Ireth was nowhere near in good shape, exercise never having been in her daily routine, and was breathing quite heavily when she reached the fighting men. “Help!” she shouted, and one of the Monks turned.

“A gang of North Quarter Monks just ran that way” she pointed down a crowded side street. “I think they were headed to the Heavy Coffers Headquarters!” She hoped her panting and feigned worried look would convey distress.

“Oi!”

The Monks shoved their opponents away and took off hurriedly in the direction Ireth had been pointing. And the street became quiet again.
The young flutist went over and helped the two boys up. They were about her age, maybe younger, and had been scuffed up quite a bit. One was bleeding from his forehead and the other had cuts along his arms. She took a rag from her pocket and held it to the forehead of the one, guiding his own hand up to hold it into place. “You two better get out of here and cleaned up proper before they realize I lied and come back.”

“Thank you miss,” one mumbled, and they collected their belongings.

Ire jogged back to where Nicholas stood. “We’d best hurry too. I don’t want to get caught any more than those boys do.” She picked Ellemyer and they crossed the Bridge of the Beginning.

From her experience, the Aperture incited feeling and emotions in those that crossed it, depending on the time of day and other variables. This afternoon, it just made Ireth more eager amplifying her thrill of being back in Nyka after her time away. She chanced a glance down into the Heart of the World’s darkness and, on a whim, said a silent prayer. I’m so pleased to be back, please welcome me into your arms. Allow me to raise my child here in peace, in the shadows of your city. Thank you for bringing me back here….

She didn’t know where that last part came from, but it felt right, so she went with it. And as she thought her prayer, Ireth heard Ellemyer making her little happy noises.

Nicholas and Ireth touched down in the Celestial Square, its atmosphere different from that of the East Quarter. There were less rowdy people running about, not that Ireth minded. She needed to get to the Safe Haven quickly so Nicholas could be set on his way back, she’d hate to cause him to be outside after nightfall.

When she’d first arrived in Nyka all those years ago, Ireth had quite literally ran into Ellemyer’s father her first night in the city. It was he who’d taken her to the Safe Haven Hostel first. And here, as she walked toward it again, Ireth felt almost as if she’d never left. Approaching the Hostel, Ire could see that it hadn’t changed a bit.

Ireth opened the door for Nicholas, glad to be in out of the cold, and the dockworker set all of her belongings down just inside the doorway with a huff. She turned to him and smiled, dropping three silver mizas into his hand. “I really appreciate you helping me Nicholas.”

He dipped his head. “It’s been was a pleasure miss, I’m happy to have helped ye. Good evening.” And he took his leave.

Ireth stepped further into the Hostel, and a short spitfire of a woman came limping around the corner, griping under her breath. She lifted her head when Ire caught her eye and her mouth opened slightly.

The young flutist couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m home Vysia.”

by **Ireth Telemnar** on December 2nd, 2015, 4:32 am

The innkeeper wrapped her arms around Ireth quickly and patted her on the back. “I knew ye’d be back one day, girl. This place has grown on ye, I knew ye’d be back.” Anyone looking on could tell she was trying to hide a smile, an inkling of the attachment that she’d formed for this girl who had wandered into her Hostel those years ago lost as could be.

“It’s good to see you too Vysia. How’re things?”

Vysia grumbled and folded her arms across her chest. “Same as before. People can’t behave their damned selves, bringing their drama here. But I’ll have none of it. I threw a group of rapscallions out into the dusk here a couple of weeks ago for causing trouble. That’ll teach them not to bother me anymore.”

Ireth adored this woman who’d helped her so much when she’d first arrived in Nyka, all alone chasing a dream. It had been Vysia who had taught Ire the ways of the people of Nyka, how not to go out after dark, to avoid any confrontation with the Monks, how to get food. Without this innkeeper’s assistance, Ireth doubted she’d have developed the love for her adopted city

“And your kid?”

Ireth smiled and pulled Ellemyer’s cradleboard from off her back. Elle pursed her lips and blew raspberries at Vysia, and the older woman put her index finger the fist of the baby girl. “Look how much ye’ve grown! My gods, you’re a regular butterfly, aren’t ye?” Ellemyer made her little breathy laugh, and the innkeeper paused. “Does she not talk yet? How old is she?”

Sighing softly, Ireth shrugged. “She’s about a year and a season now, but she doesn’t talk yet, no. She’ll come about it in her own time I’m sure.”

Vysia grunted thoughtfully to herself and straightened up. “Need’n ye a room? Ye sold yer apartment, yes?” Ireth nodded solemnly. It’d been such a mistake to run off with Toan last year, she’d had to leave that godawful Sunberth for fear of her life! Finding herself in Zeltiva wasn’t terrible, and she’d made it fairly well while she’d been there, getting a job in their orphanage and making herself useful. But how she had longed for somewhere familiar. For Nyka, how she’d longed for Nyka.

The innkeeper called over a couple of men and ordered them to carry Ireth’s things to a room. “Number 14 okay? Up the stairs and on the left. Careful ye fool!” She knocked one of them on the head when he mishandled Ire’s rucksack. He shot the retired Monk a nasty look but continued on his way for fear of riling her further.

A call came from the dining room, summoning Vysia, who hollered back. Returning her attention to the young woman, the innkeeper gave little Elle a pat on the head. “We’re fixing to start serving dinner, so ye go get cleaned up and come on down. I’ll save some for ye.”

Ireth nodded in thanks and followed the two men up the stairs to her room.
The room was sparsely furnished, which was to be expected. A wardrobe, a nightstand, a chamberpot, and the single bed stood alone before Ireth. The men put her things down and shuffled out without saying a word. A sigh of relief slipped from the young woman’s mouth and she smiled down at her daughter. “Let’s get you out of here, shall we?” She laid the cradleboard on the bed and undid the thongs that held her child onto the brace. Free of her bindings, Elle stretched and giggled. Ireth leaned the cradleboard against the wall and reached out to catch her wiggle-worm of a daughter as the baby clambered around the bed. The flutist giggled. “You silly bird, come here. You need your swathing changed.”

All of their things sort of exploded when Ireth opened the blanket chest because they’d been so haphazardly shoved in there by the dock worker and Ireth. Digging through the clothes, Ire dug out a cloth diaper and laid Ellemyer down. The baby looked around sleepily as her mother released the used diaper, slid it out from beneath the child, wiped her bum clean, and bundled it up to wash later. Folding the clean diaper in half to form a triangle, Ireth slipped it under Elle’s little bum and pinned it in place again. Tickling her child, Ireth giggled. “Who’s a good girl? Who’s mommy’s pretty bird?” Elle laughed and fought against the tickles, trying to escape.

The young mother sat her daughter up and returned to the blanket chest, digging through its contents in search of clean clothing. When she’d retrieved what she thought was sufficient, she plopped it all on the bed in a pile beside Ellemyer. Ireth sloughed off her clothes, which smelled pungently of Wind Eagle and allowed the coolness of the room to caress her bare skin. Watching carefully, Elle did the same, taking off her little tunic and throwing it off the side of the bed. “Very good,” Ire brought out a clean shirt for her daughter, a tan tunic she’d bought before leaving Nyka. “Now put your hands up Elle.” Ellemyer put her little arms in the air and Ireth slipped the tunic on over her head and gave her daughter a kiss when the tunic was on straight.

Following suit, Ireth pulled on clean undergarments, her dark gray breeches, and a long-sleeved dark blue shirt. She unbound her hair from the braid it seemed to be in constantly and shook it out, allowing her long dark blonde hair to cascade down her back in crimped waves. Thinking about it, Ire asked her daughter “What do you think, little bird? Should I leave it down tonight?” Ellemyer clapped and smiled, and the woman rolled her eyes and gave the baby a tickle. With mock exasperation, she laughed “Fine, I’ll leave it down. But just for you.”

Taking up the little girl and propping her on her hip, Ireth slipped her boots back on and grabbed a blanket, making sure to close the door as they left the room. Down the stairs and across the foyer, the two entered the dimly lit dining room. Vysia and another couple of people bustled around, serving food to the Hostel’s patrons. Most of the people were quiet, eating their meals quietly or talking softly amongst themselves. Most knew better than to be chaotic in the presence of Vysia, who had a reputation for putting people in their places quickly. Ire shuddered at the thought of those men Vysia had mentioned earlier. It was a scary thought to be thrown out onto the darkening streets of Nyka just as night was about to fall. She sincerely hoped to never have to suffer such a punishment. A fire burned in a stove in one of the corners and Ireth took up residence in a table nearby, putting little Elle on the tabletop and giving her a spoon to entertain herself with. The baby took the spoon and nommed on it contentedly, her bright blue eyes wide as she surveyed the scene around them.

One of Vysia’s employees came up with a tray and set food before Ireth and Elle. A cup of water, a bit of meat and vegetables, a hunk of bread, and a cup of milk. The man pointed to the milk “This is for your little one, miss. And Vysia said to give a holler if you need anything else.” Ireth thanked him and he went about his business.

Ireth cut up the vegetables, giving bits to Ellemyer in between taking bites herself. The child would take the food off of Ire’s fork and play with it in her hands for a bit, her face the definition of concentration as she tried to make sure that her grip on the vegetables was good before stuffing it in her mouth. She didn’t seem to care for the green beans, but she liked the cooked carrots and kept trying to reach for more potatoes. The same went for the meat, chicken by Ire’s best guess, and the bread. The young mother divided it up between her and little Elle, and helped the child drink from her cup, wiping her face clean of mushed vegetables and milk dribbles. The food wasn’t the best that the young flutist had ever had, but she really didn’t expect gourmet food anyway. The Hostel received whatever food was leftover every day after rations were handed out to the rest of Nyka. It was food nonetheless, and Ireth ate her fill, washing it down with the water. It took her a minute to stomach the water, as Nykan water is distinct in taste and takes a little bit of getting used to, but she swallowed it down.

Vysia came over to check on them as Ire swaddled Ellemyer into the blanket she’d brought and rocking her gently. Vysia gave a small smile. She had been a friend of Ellemyer’s father, who had actually introduced Ireth to the innkeeper when he’d brought her here the night she’d arrived in this foreign city. But Vysia had told Ire that the boy wasn’t any good, and would probably gripe about it to this day, how a man like that had left Ireth alone with his child. Ire tried not to pay much mind to the innkeeper’s constant reminders about her slip-up, though they tended to get under her skin from time to time. The young mother just worked to remember that every storm ended in a rainbow, and Ellemyer was priceless beyond compare to Ireth.

“No more gallivanting off for a while, eh? Settle down again and think about yer child.” Ireth nodded and rocked little Ellemyer.

“We were in trouble Vysia. That man… The one I befriended, he told me we were in trouble and that the Monks were going to kill him. He needed to escape, so I went with him… I never sold my apartment, we just left. I was scared Vysia… Scared for Ellemyer, scared for myself. I didn’t know what else to do. I thought he knew what he was doing. He took us to Sunberth… Vysia, it was awful! Like a nest of snakes, I literally holed us up in our room to keep from being killed. I left him there… We went to Zeltiva. And it was nice there, I settled down for a while and got a job. And now we’re back.” She looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes. “Don’t let me leave again Vysia. Not for a good, long time.”

Vysia took ahold of Ireth’s shivering hand and held it tight, applying pressure reassuringly. “I won’t. And don’t ye cry now. We’ll get ye back on yer feet. We’ll get ye and apartment and move ye out of this petching place again, ye here me girl? Now wipe yer eyes. You’re beautiful and young, ye’ve the whole world ahead of ye. You and that little girl of yours.” Ireth wiped her eyes and nodded.

The sun was just about to set when Vysia knocked a cup on a table, calling the attention of the room onto herself. “Alright y’all, the sun has set. Ye know the rules, no one leaves without proper reason. Don’t open yer windows if’n ye don’t have a death wish. And don’t listen to anything ye hear.”

A couple of foreigners got a scared look in their eyes. Rightfully so. Ireth remembered the first night she’d stayed here, she’d been so tired she didn’t remember anything happening. But the second night, she’d had just about her fill of Nyka’s night terrors.

Crooning softly to the sleeping baby in her arms, Ireth whispered “Let’s be off, little bird. I’m quite ready to sleep.”

On her way out of the dining room, the young mother passed a table at which sat a trio of unfamiliar men, one of which Ire didn’t think was human. She tried not to pay them much mind, but one fellow reached out and grabbed the young woman by her shirt, giving her a smile complete with darkened and missing teeth.

“Are you alone tonight, pretty girl?”

“Leave me alone,” Ireth hissed, pulling away. She slipped out of the dining room and tried to cross the foyer quickly, not wanting to deal with hellions tonight. This has to happen the moment Vysia looks away…

But one of them followed her. “Surely you’re lonely?” He was thin and lizard-like, his voice scary and his eyes bright.

Ireth hurried up the stairs and into her room. With Elle still in her arms, she pressed her back against the door in order to close it. There was a clap as the man tried to force his way into the room, but Ire pressed with all of her might and the door handle clicked closed. Careful so as not to drop her daughter, she locked the door. She could hear the snaky voice whispering on the other side of the wood. “Come on miss… I’m lonely too. I only want a bit of lovin’…” Ireth sank down against the door and rocked Elle, the new tears in her eyes from fright. Then there was laughter from the hallway, and Ireth assumed that her assailant’s friends had joined him.

“Just a bit of loving, miss.”

“Come now, let us in!” The doorknob rattled.

There was more laughter and she listened to the men make their way down the hallway again. Only when all was quiet did Ireth get up.

She shook as she woke Ellemyer up and undressed her. When she settled her daughter in on a pillow and under her blanket, Ire undressed herself and slid into the bed beside the child. Taking the baby’s hand gently, Ireth closed her eyes and gave thanks again.

This city has its leeches, yes. But it’s a good place, it’s a healthier place for Ellemyer than anywhere else. And I’m safer here too, I have my friends, I have Vysia. We’ll be okay here, we just have to start over again. Thank you, gods above, for watching over me. Though I seem to stray, I thank you for continuing to watch over me. Guide me again. Guide me…

And she drifted off into a deep sleep.