Eryn
Eryn and Silas followed them down a dark alley and around a corner to a pair of large red doors. The big man knocked on it twice, paused, and knocked twice more. Eryn could hear the sound of someone shifting a huge crossbar out of the way, and then the door swung open.
"Bryant," the doorman said on seeing the big man. He scanned the group, his eyes stopping on Eryn and going wide with fear. "What are you doing?"
"Is okay, Alain," Bryant said. "She's in disguise."
Alain moved out of the way, and ushered them in. He was an ordinary looking man, with short brown hair, a large nose, and crooked teeth. He bowed to Eryn when she walked by.
"Save it for later, Alain," the small man said.
"Shove off, Edgar," Alain replied.
Beyond the red door was a large, dark room, lit by candles placed into a row of dusty old chandeliers that hung from a wood-paneled ceiling. The floor was marble, but had seen better days, and the mural painted walls were pitted and cracked. To the rear of the room was a fireplace, and scattered around in no particular order were straw beds, next to which lay assortments of personal items. Eryn saw a staircase on either side of the fireplace, each going in opposite directions.
"Where is this?" Silas asked, joining her in scanning their surroundings.
"Is home," Bryant said. "Not much, but is better than being out in rain."
A sudden rumble shook the building, the dark clouds they had seen earlier finally unleashing their payload.
"It used to be a theatre," Edgar said. "The stairs up led to the seating and the stage. The stairs down to the wardrobe and prop rooms. This room was for banquets and dancing."
"There was a fire one night," Alain said. "The Overlord refused to let us rebuild. He claimed our shows were spreading discord among the citizenry. That we were anti-empire. He shut us down. We've been living here, destitute, since."
"You're performers?" Eryn asked.
Edgar chuckled. "Yes, my dear. The Tilling Theatre Troupe, once the pride of the Tenders, now just a leaky roof to hide under." He turned to Silas. "You must be Silas Morningstar?"
Silas nodded.
Edgar gave him a theatrical bow. "A pleasure," he said. "We were told to keep an eye out for you here."
"You were?" Silas asked.
Edgar reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper. He handed it to Silas. Eryn positioned herself over his should so she could read it with him.
Edgar,
His soldiers are searching for a man with white hair and blue eyes named Silas Morningstar. He is headed to Elling, and may be traveling with a young girl. The Overlord is afraid of him, and he helped Sena and me, so please keep a look out, and help him when he arrives. For all our sakes.
- Robar Quall
"You entertainers are a sly bunch," Silas said.
Edgar turned to her. "My apologies to you, miss. When we saw Silas being chased by a Mediator, and didn't see a young girl..."
"You don't need to apologize," Eryn said. "It was a little scary, but I've been through worse."
"I'm glad you weren't harmed in the confusion," Edgar said. "Although, we did think it was odd that a Mediator would be trying to catch someone like Silas on their own. Mediators aren't soldiers."
Eryn wasn't sure what he meant, until she remembered that most people outside of his army didn't know their secret. She considered telling him, but there was a time and a place, and she wasn't sure this was it. "No, but it was an important part of the plan."
Edgar laughed and clapped his hands twice. The rest of the assembled performers lined up behind him.
"You already know Bryant, and Alain," he said, sweeping his hand towards them. They bowed in response. Next, he pointed to the two women, both with long black hair and thick, curvy bodies. "That is Canae, and her sister Lanae." The two women curtsied. He motioned to a man who was taller and thinner than Silas. "That's Winslow." He waved at a handsome man with shoulder length blonde hair and a sharp nose. "Galvan."
"And I'm Morie," the last one said, stepping forward from behind Galvan. He was the shortest person Eryn had ever seen, standing no higher than her waist. "Every theater needs a dwarf."
"A pleasure to meet you all," Eryn said.
"Edgar," Silas said. "It isn't safe for us to be here. It's only a matter of time before the soldiers figure out that we tricked them. The Overlord will stop at nothing to catch me, once he knows I'm in the city."
"This is a theater, Silas," Edgar said. "There is no better place in Elling to hide, and there are no better people to hide with." He leaned in close and whispered. "If you don't mind my asking, why exactly does the Overlord fear you so?"
Silas shrugged. "I wish I knew. I've come to Elling to find out."
"Well, a friend of Robar Quall is a friend of ours, and an enemy of the Overlord is a best friend of ours. Talk to Canae or Lanae when you need to go out into the street. They are experts with makeup and wigs. Nobody will know that it's you. For now, please, make yourselves at home. Alain was just downstairs preparing dinner before you arrived, so there will be stew soon."
Edgar bowed to both of them, and took his leave, wandering off to check on the water that was now dripping in through the ceiling. Eryn could see why their beds were arranged in such a random order. It wasn't for space, it was to avoid the leaks.
"Is kind of out of rain," Bryant said with a laugh. "I get some straw from downstairs, make you at home. Rain is good timing, it help you avoid drips."
Silas came over to her, his face serious.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I don't like the idea of putting these people at risk. The Overlord will know I'm here by the end of the day, and he'll empty the barracks to find me."
"Edgar sounded confident that they could hide you," she said. "I think this is a blessing from Amman, Silas. We had no plan for where we would stay once we were in the city. At least this way we have people willing to help us hide, or give us a disguise. It's their choice. They know the risk."
Silas gave her a warm smile. "I can't say I'm not fond of the idea of a nice hot bowl of stew."
Bryant returned from the basement a few minutes later, cradling bales of straw in both of his large arms. He found some open space against the wall, where there was a large enough dry spot, and dropped the bales. He worked fast, molding the straw into two sleeping areas.
"You can keep things here," he said, once he was done. "No one will take."
Eryn was certain that was true. They were all in this together, and they were willing to put themselves at risk for the two of them. It wasn't the family she had expected to have, but she appreciated them all the same.
***
The soldiers arrived the next morning, led by a man who called himself Constable Latten. He was a handsome man with a muscular physique, short red hair and a strong jaw. He carried himself with confidence and purpose, and it was obvious from the moment Alain opened the door to the theater to let them in, he was looking for any reason at all to burn the place down.
"My Lord, we haven't seen them," Edgar insisted. "We would know if we had, with all the rain last night."
They were standing in the ballroom. Edgar, Alain, Bryant, Constable Latten, and six of his soldiers. Eryn could see them through the smoke from their hiding spot in the fireplace, a secret small alcove that kept them invisible through a lit fire. She had thought Edgar was crazy when he had told them to hide back there, but now she believed he was brilliant.
"My men reported that they followed Silas and a Mediator through the streets of Elling, to this block of buildings. They came upon a lone charger returning from the street two blocks from this one, and we are now quite sure that the Mediator they saw was no Mediator at all. Your sympathies for fugitives, rebels, and scum is well known. In fact, the Overlord shut down your so-called theater for your subversive content. The only reason you and your troop haven't been shipped off to the ore mines is because you are the brother of Lord Tilling. Yet, you expect me to believe that you don't have Morningstar and the Cursed hiding here?"
She was impressed with Edgar. He didn't react to hearing she was Cursed, even though they had never mentioned it to him.
"My Lord," he said. "I have rejected the accusations made against me regarding the nature of my plays time and again. What the Overlord holds as his opinion is only that. I am a loyal citizen of his empire today, tomorrow, and always. Now, you are free to examine every square inch of what is left of this once fine establishment as you desire. I assure you that you won't find any trace of the fugitives."
Constable Latten turned to his men. "You two, upstairs. You two, downstairs. You two, with me."
The soldiers split up. Eryn watched the two pairs approach, holding her breath and praying that they wouldn't be able to see them once they got close. They passed right by, headed in opposite directions on the stairs.
"Search their things," Latten commanded his men, pointing at Bryant's bed and personal effects.
The two soldiers went over and began tearing apart the straw, throwing it everywhere while Bryant looked on, his face a mask, hiding the anger that Eryn could see behind his eyes. He had a small barrel where he kept his clothing and personal treasures, and they turned it over and threw all of those things everywhere as well.
"My Lord, is this necessary?" Edgar asked, following behind Latten.
The Constable turned and smiled. "No," he said. "I don't expect to find them, or any hint of them. To be honest, I'm not convinced that they are here."
"As I said."
Latten held up his hand. "Even if they are not. I am convinced you know where they are, and that you helped them find somewhere else to hide."
Edgar maintained his composure. The soldiers moved on to Winslow's bed. Eryn heard crashing now from downstairs too, and Winslow complaining at the mess those soldiers were making.
"My Lord-"
Latten raised his hand again. "Edgar, enough. You have some protection from your brother, but it will only extend so far, for so long, especially where Morningstar is concerned."
Edgar remained silent after that, while the soldiers ransacked the troupe's meager possessions. Eryn felt guilty for putting them in that position, and she knew Silas did too.
They waited for an hour after Latten and the soldiers had left, to receive the signal from the spotters across the city. It had been an interesting conversation that Silas had held with Edgar, about how they had known where he was, and when he was there. There was an entire network of people living in Elling who did their best to interfere with his soldiers at any available opportunity. Many spent their days crouched on the rooftops, tracking the movements of the soldiers and sending signals to one another by reflecting light when the sun was out, or lighting candles when it wasn't.
"I'm sorry," Eryn said to Edgar, once they had come out from behind the fireplace.
Edgar smiled. "It is of little concern. Even if you had never come here, the result would have been the same. We certainly couldn't prevent you from entering the city, and wouldn't ask you to leave."
"The Constable said your brother was the Lord of Tilling? Where is that?"
"If you take a boat from Elling, north across the lake and up the river to the sea, that is where you will find Tilling. It is a beautiful place, and the sight of the ocean is one I miss nearly every day."
Eryn was confused. "So why are you here?"
"That is a long story, my dear. Suffice it to say, my brother prefers me alive, but at a distance."