The wall swayed. Aureum felt sore where the chains held her up. It was the same cobbled wall it always was.
At first, she'd had a bed. That was gone for years now. She'd thrown a lit candle stub at some long-ago feast's tablecloth. It had gone up and stopped the festivities beautifully.
The winter trek that followed hadn't gone so well.
When she was thrown back in, the bed, bedside table, and most importantly the candle stub, all were gone.
Then there was the time she used a few dusty sheets and blankets tied up to climb off the balcony. That one had been less destructive, and less satisfying. It had taken months to relocate the bedding from the washroom during the time her peers were dancing.
All to get around the guard perimeter for the exits of the building. Aureum wasn't vain enough to think she was the sole reason, but with each year the security for Nix's parties got tighter.
That one had ended worse. Pulled off the sheets at the bottom, she was dragged back to the cell. The boots of the guards looked close enough to crush her head.
Each time it became more oppressive. She strained against the chains until she felt the blood trickle down her arms.
Aureum could almost trace every line on that wall. The one that looked like a woman of clouds. The curve that looked like a sad old dog. The little tree underneath a crescent moon.
A simple form of entertainment. Watching the wall.
It was night. A new moon. She couldn't see anything.
The floor swayed.
Stone doesn't sway?
"You're trapped. Isn't that enough?"
Aureum bolted upright in the bed. She felt damp. A cold sweat had broken out during the nightmare.
She closed her eyes. She heard Vitreum's little snores next to her. The straw mattress beneath her.
It was just a dream.
Just a dream.
She opened her eyes. Minutes passed as she stared at the wall.
———————————————————
It had been almost three weeks since Aureum got punched in the ribs. She was up and about now, almost as bad as Sitis. That day, Aureum and Vitreum decided to go shopping. Aureum had anyway. Vitreum's vote was overruled.
While Aureum was under bed rest, Vitreum was taken on walks often. The weekend holiday on Fluentem's market street, packed with part-time vendors along the storefronts, was all boring by now to the girl. Much like the toys she had brought along with her were boring. She preferred to play with Snowfluffles and the ragged doll Mendax had given her.
Those at least didn't lose her interest.
It wasn't as impressive as Triviis's showing, Aureum had to admit. The streets weren't as wide, and the vendors weren't as numerous or large. It might have been unfair to compare a weekly event to what Aureum had seen at Triviis, where their yearly main event was wrapping up.
"What do you think of this one?" Aureum said, looking at a little dress.
Vitreum frowned and turned her nose up at it.
Vitreum was pouting because Aureum hadn't allowed her to drag his majesty Snowfluffles along. It was the silent treatment this time.
"You're right, Vitreum," Aureum said, "it's perfect."
Also, it was the calmest morning Aureum had had in a while.
Vitreum stomped her foot and seethed but Aureum ignored it. Seeing her rage caused little concern to Aureum, she settled for crossing her arms as she turned her back.
It wasn't that the luggage Aureum had thrown together for Vitreum had been lost. Vitreum's old wardrobe proved impractical for a girl her age who ran around and played like a hellion. It was all lace and ruffles.
Vitreum was ruining the good clothes she had left. Silk and satin were covered in mud and torn with holes. It was a horror Aureum could no longer stand aside and ignore.
As Aureum rifled through another pile of small dresses, the sound of something crashing turned her head.
"Vitreum?" Aureum said.
But Vitreum was fine and out of trouble. The girl looked towards where the sound came from herself.
Aureum followed Vitreum's gaze. It wasn't a fight, despite all the noise. A woman had fallen, knocking over a table as she did it.
By the time Aureum got to her side, the vendor was shouting.
"Not my items! Why did she have to fall on my table?!"
"Is she all right?" some passerby said.
The owner grabbed some of the fallen items around the woman. A few people hovered nearby.
Aureum lifted the woman's torso up and dragged her a couple of inches away from the chaos. The woman felt hot. She put her hand on the woman's forehead. Definitely warm.
Have I seen her somewhere?
The woman looked familiar.
"She's really warm," Aureum said.
"Anybody who's a doctor?" Another stranger said.
Everybody shook their head.
"She's sick?" The table-owner said. "No, don't tell me. Get her out of here, get!"
"I need… I need to buy some clothes," the woman said.
She found and gripped Aureum's arm.
As soon as she spoke, Aureum recognized her. She was one of the people that Aureum had watched escape. The woman with a voice like sand.
Aureum could see the fever in her eyes.
"Do you know how many clothes you need?" Aureum said.
Her eyes met Aureum's. There was still sense there.
"I need three shirts and pants, and two dresses. None the same color, but in Ardere's style."
The woman rattled this off with the cadence of something she had repeated to herself.
"I can get them for you."
Speaking, Aureum again lifted the woman and dragged her to sit against a stone wall.
"Viti! Watch over her."
Vitreum jolted from her frozen position of watching and bobbed her head as she went to stand by the woman's side.
Aureum rushed as much as she could through the clothes. She had a feeling of what they were for. So anything too loud was out.
Ardere's clothes were voluminous, so sizes were less of an issue. But nothing that was for children.
She pushed aside a children's tunic and found the last dress.
An assortment of browns, beige, cream, lavender, and yellows filled her arms. Aureum paid for them and rushed back to the woman. She hadn't stopped moving since she started.
Vitreum had wide eyes as she turned to Aureum. The woman wasn't looking good.
"I have them," Aureum said.
"Thank you," the woman said.
"Come on, let's get you up," Aureum said.
Aureum tried to lift her up. It was difficult with one arm around the clothes. The woman coughed and held her head as she sat back down.
Aureum and the woman shared a concerned glance. The older woman's hazel eyes hardened.
"Come closer," she said.
Aureum bent down.
"I recognize your voice," she said.
Aureum nodded.
"I'm not well enough to go. But you will go in my place. Take these beneath the bridge four turns left leaving here to the east—
She gripped Aureum's arm as she coughed.
"Ugh. Tell Aquila," she swallowed, "tell him, Passer will be just fine."
Aureum felt the burden of the request.
"Can this wait?" She said. "There's Vitreum—
"Go!"
Aureum nodded. She stood.
"Vitreum, stay by her."
"Are you just going to listen to her?" Vitreum said. "She's not making sense."
Vitreum didn't know everything that had happened to Vitreum. She might not have heard everything the woman had murmured either.
That's one minor win.
"It's important," Aureum said. "Tell me you'll stay by her and wait till you can take her back to the inn if I don't—
Aureum saw the alarm in Vitreum's face.
She touched the girl's shoulder.
"This'll take a while. I need you to take care of her while I'm gone."
"I'm not making promises," Vitreum said.
"Do it anyways."
"Alright," Vitreum said.
"It'll just be a boring wait," Aureum said. "You'll see."
The woman started coughing again.
"Maybe get her a drink of water if you can," Aureum said, as she left Vitreum while the girl was distracted.
There was no time, as usual.
Following the woman's directions she found a dank place under the bridge. It opened out into a deep hole.
From the water flowing down the center, it was probably drainage for the city.
There were people there as well. Most looked like piled rags attached to heads. They barely looked up as she passed. Aureum clutched her pile of clothes tighter.
Is this the right bridge?
There were a few piles of sticks here and there. Left wherever the water dragged them. Going deeper into the tunnel there was less light. Aureum felt the weight of the stone begin to swallow her.
The only thing that didn't keep her looking over her shoulder like a kid was that there was still a stale breeze. She had some sense of her environment.
Oh, there's a group over there. I hope it's them.
Around five people huddled. Aureum approached them slowly, trying to get their measure.
They could be who she was looking for. Every other soul here was a loner.
"Excuse me—
She felt a figure she'd ignored as one of the homeless dash towards her and grab her from behind.
"You aren't Passer."
A sharp piece of something pressed against her neck.
"Aureum," she said. "That's my name. I have your clothes and I can lead you to your friend."
"Where is Passer?"
Passer? Passer must be the woman's name.
"She's safe! She told me to tell you she was just fine, but she's sick."
"And she chose you?"
"I'm the woman who helped unlock your chains."
Her neck was released. Aureum stepped forward as she touched it. It didn't feel like she was bleeding.
"Give us some light."
One of the others obliged his request.
Taking two pieces of flint and getting a spark, the man grew the spark into a ball of fire as he raised it above their heads.
The man who threatened looked over and found her words true.
Aureum in turn saw that he was the leader of the escapees.
"Give me the clothes," he said.
The others started changing as soon as they had them. Aureum turned away for their decency. It seemed the leader had already changed.
"What happened to Passer?" he said.
"She fainted. She's sick, if you didn't notice."
"I told you she was hiding how bad she was."
That was one of the escapees behind her.
"Focus on your own task!" He hissed back. "I am Aquila, Aureum. I need you to take me to Passer."
"That shouldn't be too hard," Aureum said.
"What about us?"
This was the same voice as before.
"Go on without me," Aquila said.
"What will we do without you?"
Aureum saw the expression on Aquila's face soften. The entire time his expression had been one of a captain spotting a storm up ahead. When he turned back to them none of that softness was apparent.
"You will be fine."
"'We'll be fine' he says."
"Are you lot ready to go?"
Aureum turned around. The whole group had solemn faces.
"Good luck, Aquila."
Aquila touched his pearl, which was on his forehead.
"May Bonum pass over your transgressions."
They nodded.
"Go! I must also go."
The group scattered into the darker tunnels, leaving Aureum and Aquila in darkness.
"Follow me out."
Aureum did, again gently stepping into shallow water and over sticks. When they got to the entrance there was a moment of pause.
"I'll take you to her," Aureum said.
Aquila nodded. There was a tension to him. Aureum didn't have to wonder why, but it made her tenser too.
A few minutes passed and they said nothing to each other.
When they did reach the street there were two guards towering over Vitreum and Passer.
Aquila slowed his step. Not stopping, but slowing. Less attention that way.
Fluentem did not condone slavery. That did not mean they freed the slaves upon their ground. Such things had inspired hostilities between them and the more militant city-states nearby in the past.
Fluentem, choosing peace, returned the slaves to their owners.
Aquila was right to slow down.
"You don't get to look at her!" Vitreum said as she pointed her finger at them.
"Young miss, we heard there was a disturbance nearby. We didn't come to hurt anyone."
"Don't you know who I am?! I'm Vitreum Lapis! I SAID she wasn't any problem here!"
Aureum rubbed her wrists.
She's announcing that in front of everyone?
Of course, she's announcing it in front of everyone.
At least it bought her time.
Aureum gazed at the scene, feeling at a loss. Aquila pushed her forward.
Right. It's probably best if I'm the one who speaks.
Aureum stepped beside Vitreum.
"I'm sorry…?" she said. "I didn't mean to leave her unattended like this! It's just that with the woman in such a bad state, I went to get help…"
Aureum couldn't keep herself from cringing.
The guard turned towards her. He looked severe. She felt herself start sweating.
Facing a guard when innocent, and facing a guard with two escapees were different.
Why did I have to meet a serious guard now?!
"He doesn't look like a doctor? And who are you?"
Aquila had decent clothes on at least. There was still a worn look to him though. He might never lose that.
"No, he's a friend! He'll help carry her to a doctor! I'm Aureum!"
"She's my nanny!" Vitreum said.
"I see," he said. "Do you want more help?"
Aureum's heart jumped into her mouth.
"No!" She said. "We wouldn't want to take up too much of your time!"
"I see," he said. "Clear out of the shopping area at least."
"I'm sorry again!"
Aureum lowered her head as they walked away. She watched their shadows leave her view.
Another tragedy barely avoided.