Trudi Canavan - The Novice

Now those people smiled and bowed politely as she passed them. It felt strange and unreal. The feeling increased as she passed through the gates into the North Quarter. The gate guards stopped and saluted, and even stopped a carriage of House Korin so she could pass without delay.

Once in the North Quarter, polite bows and smiles changed to stares. After several hundred paces, Sonea changed her mind about visiting the Market. Instead, she stepped up to a house advertising “Quality Clothing and Alterations.”

“Yes?” A gray-haired woman answered the door and, upon seeing a young magician on her doorstep, she gasped with astonishment. “My lady! What can I do for you?” she asked, bowing hastily.

Sonea smiled. “I would like to buy a cloak, please.”

“Come in! Come in!” The woman opened the door wide and bowed again as Sonea stepped inside. She ushered Sonea into a room, where racks of clothing hung all around the room.

“I’m not sure if I have anything good enough,” the woman said apologetically, as she lifted several cloaks from the racks. “This one has limek fur around the hood, and that one has a beaded hem.”

Unable to resist, Sonea inspected the cloaks. “This is good work,” she said of the beaded cloak. “I doubt this fur is limek, however. Limek have a double coat.”

“Oh dear!” the woman exclaimed, snatching the cloak back.

“But they’re not what I’m looking for, anyway,” Sonea added. “I need something old and a bit worn—not that I expected to find anything of low quality here. Do any of your servants have a cloak that looks as if it ought to be thrown out any day?”

The woman stared at Sonea in surprise. “I don’t know...” she said doubtfully.

“Why don’t you ask them now,” Sonea suggested, “while I admire some of your work.”

“If that’s what you want...” Curiosity had crept into the woman’s gaze now. She bowed, then disappeared into the house calling a servant’s name.

Moving to the hangers, Sonea looked at some of the clothing. She sighed wistfully. With the law restricting her to robes, she was never likely to wear anything like this, even though she could now afford to.

Hearing hurried footsteps approaching, she turned to see the seamstress enter the room, her arms laden with clothing. A servant followed her in, looking pale and harassed. Seeing Sonea, the girl’s eyes widened.

Looking over the cloaks, Sonea chose one with a long, neatly repaired rip down one side. The hem had come unstitched from the lining, too. She looked at the serving girl.

“Is there a garden here? Perhaps a poultry yard?”

The girl nodded.

“Take this cloak and rub the hem in some dirt for me—and throw a little dust over it.”

Looking bemused, the girl disappeared with the cloak. Sonea pressed a gold coin into the seamstress’ hand, then as the servant returned with the soiled cloak, slipped a silver into the girl’s pocket.

Who would have thought I’d end up using my pickpocketing skills to give money away rather than steal it? she mused as she left the house. With the cloak covering her robes, she received no more stares as she continued toward the Northern Gates.

The guards gave her only a cursory glance as she entered the slums. They were more concerned about dwells leaving the slums than who was going in. A smell, both unpleasant and comfortingly familiar, enveloped her as she moved into the winding streets. Looking around, she felt herself relax a little. Here, Regin and Akkarin seemed like distant, petty worries.

Then she noted a man eyeing her from the door of a bolhouse and tensed again. This was still the slums, and though she could protect herself with magic, it would be better to avoid having to. Keeping alert and within the shadows, she made her way quickly along the streets and alleys.

Jonna and Ranel now lived in a more prosperous part of the slums, where the residents lived in sturdy wooden houses. She slipped into a Market to buy some blankets and a basket filled with vegetables and fresh bread. She wished she could buy something more luxurious, but Jonna had always refused such gifts, saying: “I don’t want anything with the look of the Houses in my home. People will get strange ideas about us.”

As she arrived at the street her family lived in, she tossed a few savory buns to a small gang of boys sitting on some empty crates at the corner. They called out their thanks. She realized she hadn’t enjoyed herself so much for months.

Not since Dorrien visited , she thought suddenly. But best not to think of Dorrien .

Reaching the house of her aunt and uncle, she sobered. Since she joined the Guild, they had been uneasy and awkward. They had witnessed her lose Control of her powers over a year before, and Sonea would not have been surprised if they were still afraid of her. But she knew that she would never overcome their fear or awkwardness if she didn’t keep visiting them. They were still her only family and she was not going to let them disappear from her life.

She knocked. A moment later, the door opened and Jonna stared at her in surprise.

“Sonea!”

Sonea grinned. “Hello, Jonna.”

Jonna pushed open the door. “You look different... but I see what you’ve done with the cloak. Is that legal?”

Sonea snorted. “Who cares? I got your letter today, and had to see you. Here, I brought you a present to celebrate.”

Handing over the basket and blankets, Sonea moved into the small, simply furnished guestroom. Ranel stepped into the room and laughed with delight.

“Sonea! How’s my little niece?”

“Well. Happy,” Sonea lied. Don’t think about Akkarin. Don’t spoil the afternoon .

Ranel hugged her. “Thank you for the money,” he murmured.

Sonea smiled and started to take off the cloak, then thought better of it. Seeing a cot at one side of the room, she moved over to it and looked down at her sleeping cousin.

“He’s growing well,” she said. “No problems?”

“No, just a bit of a cough,” Jonna said, smiling. She patted her belly. “We’re hoping for a girl this time.”

As they talked, Sonea was relieved to find them more relaxed in her presence. They ate some of the bread, played with the baby when he woke, and discussed names for the next one. Ranel told Sonea news about old friends and acquaintances, and other events that had concerned the slum dwellers.

“We weren’t in the city, but we heard when the Purge happened,” Ranel said, sighing. He glanced at her. “Did you...?” he asked reluctantly.

“No.” Sonea scowled. “Novices don’t go. I... I guess it was stupid, but I thought they wouldn’t have one, after what happened last year. Perhaps, when I’ve graduated...” She shook her head. What will I do? Talk them out of it? As if they’d listen to a slum girl .

She sighed. She was still a long way from ever being able to help the people she had once felt she belonged among. The idea of persuading the Guild to stop the Purge seemed naive and ridiculous now, as did the hope that they’d ever offer Healing to the dwells.

“What else have we got in here?” Jonna said, poking among the vegetables in the basket. “Are you staying for dinner, Sonea?”

Sonea straightened in alarm. “What time is it?” Looking through one of the high, narrow windows, she saw that the light outside was subdued and golden. “I’ll have to go back soon.”

“You be careful going home,” Ranel said. “You don’t want to run into this murderer everyone’s talking about.”

“He won’t be any rub for Sonea,” Jonna said, chuckling.

Sonea smiled at her aunt’s confidence. “What murderer?”

Ranel’s eyebrows rose. “I’d have thought you’d have known about it already. Been all over the city.” He grimaced. “They say the murderer isn’t one of the Thieves—I’ve heard the Thieves are out for him. Had no luck, though.”