![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
k_a_webbLucille stared at herself in the mirror, running a brush through her hair as readied herself for another day of searching for the elusive counterfeiters, and tried to focus on the good she’d managed to do. That was the only thing that kept her going some of the time. Every day they received new reports of more counterfeits appearing and the damage they were doing, but at least the people of Seahorse Port had agreed with her that those who were being most affected by the counterfeits should receive monetary help. She’d had a chance to spend more time with Kaito, which was wonderful because she never thought she’d see him again after he disappeared, as well as making new friends, who were all teaching her more about Quiar.
If it wasn’t for the counterfeiters everything would be wonderful. With every day that passed it was beginning to feel like they’d never find the counterfeiters, even though it was obvious they were still around because they kept leaving hexes. Lucille wished they’d do something, anything, to make themselves easier to find, instead of keep hiding in the shadows like cowards. With one final sweep of her brush she put it down and left the room. She didn’t feel hungry, but she knew she needed to eat.
When Lucille reached the dining room Peric and Bertram were already sat at their usual table. From the looks on their faces she could tell that another hex had been found. Shaking her head she made her way over to them. The first hex they’d found, after she’d returned from the market on their first day in Seahorse, had nearly pulled their group apart because of the argument it had caused, but ever since then their bond had been even stronger. She was just glad both Sini and Meriwether had been there to talk sense into the three of them, before Lucille had gone through with her threat to walk away from the investigation.
“At least they can cast enchantments,” Bertram said, shrugging. During the time they’d been working together Lucille had started to understand the raven’s body language better. “We know we’re on the right track, Peric, because if we weren’t they wouldn’t feel the need to try hexing us.”
“Bertram’s right, Peric,” Lucille replied as she sat down next to the mouse. “The more they try to hex us to stop us from investigating the more certain I am that we’re getting closer to them, even though we might not know how close we are.”
“Hereward wanted me to tell you that the raccoons were attacked last night,” Meriwether said, surprising Lucille because she hadn’t seen the deer, but that wasn’t unusual. He seemed to move quieter than a spirit. “Two are still with healers, but Hereward thinks that’s more because the attackers got lucky than anything. The rest are happy to go back out tonight.”
“What happened?” Lucille asked, not quite able to believe that the counterfeiters really had made a move, even though she didn’t disbelieve Meriwether.
“They were down at the port, along one of their normal patrol routes, and they were set upon by a group of mice. None of them were recognisable, but that’s not really a surprise.”
“Mice?” Peric asked, sounding disappointed, as though he’d been let down by his race.
Meriwether nodded. “The raccoons are certain if they were with the counterfeiters, if they ‘d been hired by the counterfeiters to complete a job for them, or if it had nothing to do with the counterfeiters at all. Of course the third possibility seems the least likely, but just because we’re focused on the counterfeiters it doesn’t mean there aren’t other crimes going on.”
“It’s about time.” Bertram had hated the waiting as much as Lucille had, if not more, even though he loved Seahorse Port. “They had to make a move eventually.”
“I know it doesn’t feel like it but we have only been here a week,” Peric said. “We got lucky in Sheepshank, because if we hadn’t kept duplicates of all our files I doubt we would have had any idea where to look for someone to arrest. Seahorse Port is much bigger and the counterfeiters will have had a chance to become entrenched here, especially as the city never stops.”
“Peric’s right.” Meriwether sat in the free chair, the way he did when Sini wasn’t there. “The counterfeiters were never going to be easy to find, even though I know you were hoping that your arrival would bring them out of hiding, and it’s not as though you’ve just been sitting here expecting them to come to you. Maybe they’re hoping that the longer they take to do something the sloppier you’ get, and it will make you easy targets.” He shrugged. “Or maybe they were hoping for the hexes to do more damage than they have. A couple of them could have been really dangerous if you hadn’t found them quickly enough.”
Lucille nodded, knowing that both Peric and Meriwether were right, but that didn’t make things any easier. “If they are stepping things up we’re all going to need to be more careful. They’re going to want us out of the way, because we’re a danger to them, and as they’ve attacked the raccoons I’m pretty sure they’re going to try the same thing on us.”
“Did you have anything planned for today?” Peric asked.
Bertram and Lucille looked at each other, before shrugging. They tried to leave the bed and breakfast every day, hoping that being seen would draw the counterfeiters out, but with the change of moonweek it was much less fun wandering around the market than it had been before. At least it was for Lucille. Bertram was going to be more used to the way things changed from one moonweek to the next, so it was likely he didn’t dislike the mist as much as she did.
“I don’t,” Lucille said, because it wasn’t unusual for the two of them to be doing different things, although they always made sure they met up for lunch. “Although I did tell Annis I’d try her new concoction next time I was in the market.”
“Is that a good idea?” Bertram asked, and Lucille couldn’t help smiling as she remembered him having to help her back to the bed and breakfast after trying one of Annis’ drinks.
“Probably not, but she likes to show her appreciation for my help by giving me free tasters of whatever it is she’s selling at her stall.”
“Do you think she might be amenable to doing smaller bottles?” Meriwether asked. “I was thinking of putting some of her drinks, especially that herbal wine she does, into the cool boxes I have in the rooms.”
“Ask her, Merry.” Lucille smiled at the deer. “She knows who you are and what you do, so I’m sure if you had a chat about what you wanted from her she’d work something out. Annis is just starting out with this and I know she’d appreciate help from one of Seahorse’s bed and breakfast owners.”
As Lucille looked at her Quiaran friends she couldn’t help feeling grateful all over again that the investigation into the counterfeiters meant she had to spend so much time on the world. She knew if it hadn’t been Quiar she wouldn’t have been in the same position, because there were other Walkers who could have done the job, but she was the only Council Walker who’d willingly visited Quiar in decades, maybe even centuries. It would be the same thing with Kniroch’s sibling worlds, if the Council ever managed to send a Walker there, and, even though she hadn’t been certain before, she had plans to visit one of the sibling worlds if she could. She’d leave deciding which one until she’d had a conversation with her cousin.
It was the first chance Lucille’d had for a while to think seriously about her future. Leaving the Council behind was a tempting dream, but she knew it would just make things harder for her and she’d never be able to see her sisters again. Even though she wasn’t certain exactly how things were going to work she knew she had to work with the Council as best she could. Balancing her connection with the worlds, her friendships with the races of those worlds, and the jobs she’d have to do for the Council was not going to be easy, but it was necessary.
One thing Lucille did want to do was talk to her grandmother. They both had positions on the Council, but they’d never been close. At the time when they might have made a real connection Lucille had been to busy working to become a Walker. It was something she was beginning to regret, even though she couldn’t help worrying that the older woman was going to look at her and realise she’d broken the first rule.
Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Feedback
Date: 2013-06-27 02:02 am (UTC)That should say "aren't certain" above.
It's exciting to see the counterfeiters starting to move in closer!