Chapter 20

The afternoon sun warmed the earth with its gentle rays and a soft breeze, made it the perfect day for walking. The savage-looking Zinjo and his wife to be Princess Aurelia entered the Dame of Flame blacksmith shop. Hammer struck steel, the smell of charcoal and smoke, gave the shop an industrious feel.

Armor stands with completed suits of armor, weapons of all descriptions hung on the wall. In a glass case lay a pair of swords. Aurelia studied the flawless metal and admired the curvature of the blade. Aurelia looked over at her big companion, "Well what is the quality here like?"

A nose pressed against the supple leather on the stand. Zinjo examined the seams and the kirtle. "This forger knows their craft. I'd wear this armor into battle confident of its protective capabilities."

"High praise from a foreigner," A gruff female voice said from behind him. The pair turned and saw a short woman with powerful arms, and half her face burned. "Princess Aurelia? What brings you to my humble shop. Wouldn't the boutique down the road suit you better."

Zinjo growled and Aurelia put her hand on his chest, "Let the lioness handle this one hmmm?" she said in a deadly sweet tone. She flashed a disarming smile at the smith, "My dear Smith, is there a law that prohibits me from buying armor?" her hands were now clasped behind her back, and slid to the short swords.

The smith grinned, "Well, well, looks this royal has some spine, unlike her mother."

Aurelia twisted and drew a blade and placed the tip in the armpit, the smith nearly jumped out of her skin, "Keep insulting my family and you'll get more than you bargained for. Bear in mind if I fall you'll have to deal with Zinjo. I assure you, he won't be as kind as I am," she applied pressure to the blade and the smith squirmed.

"I apologize for insulting you, Princess Aurelia. I can see the apple fellas from the tree as it possibly could," The smith smiled at the next ruler, "Shadowfen needs a ruler with some guts. What can I do for you?"

Zinjo pointed to the decorated leather armor, "We'd like to purchase this set."

"It will cost you an arm and a leg. Decorative pieces have been in high demand lately. The name is Scathach by the way, war maiden and smith extraordinaire." She noticed Aurelia staring at the blades in the glass case.

"Do you like them?" The smith asked.

Zinjo stared at them and smiled, "They are the perfect fit for the armor, dark princess. What is the scroll for?"

"I traveled to the far east to learn different methods of forging. The scroll teaches you how to use the blades and training exercises. Would you like to see something neat?" Scathach giggled like a little girl.

"Yes, please," Aurelia said with a smile.

"You said, decorated suits of armor are in high demand. What kind of scrollwork were the customers asking for," Zinjo asked curiously.

"I'll show you. The last customer brought a drawing. Strange fellow too. Quiet like your companion, only opened his mouth to convey relevant information. His smile was quite unsettling. What did he call himself again? Something exotic...Mshindi."

Aurelia and Zinjo looked at each other and nodded, "Did this Mshindi say where he would be staying?" Aurelia asked.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you. If word gets around I out my clients business could go south."

Aurelia pulled out her coin purse and dropped on the counter several coins clinked against the wooden counter, "Mshindi is a person of interest. One of his men attempted to kill the Queen, take what you think is fair, and if anyone speaks ill of you, I will say your actions were draped in patriotism," she promised.

Scathach grinned, "Well since you put it that way," She took a handful of coins, and opened the glass case, "Take these, and the manual. It would be a shame to have such beautiful weapons lay inert in their scabbards."

"We will practice daily, forger," Zinjo promised.

"Scathach reached under the counter and produced a bottle and glass, "They didn't give me specifics as to where they would be staying," A deep brown liquid filled the glass, she pulled out a map and pointed to a group of hills, "I send people to Litchport Hills, I'll assume Mshindi and his people are hidden among the peaks and valleys."

"Hmmm," Zinjo grunted. His hand traced over the area. "The hyenas will settle in a place with flat land. Who's territory are they in?"

"No one and everyone's. Technically they belong to Cherish Empire, but everyone agreed the Litchport Hills wasn't worth the effort to defend, because next to no one survives the journey across."

"That leaves us with two separate leads to follow," Zinjo began helping Aurelia into her armor, "Which is more important?"

Slender arms raised as Zinjo tightened the buckles as Aurelia spoke, "Well I think we should delegate Zadock to Mashek. I think Zadock will see us coming and bolt for the hills." She pulled the thigh protection, "Our best bet for straight answers is Mshindi."

Zinjo nodded, "I agree."

"You guys know Mashek?" Scathach asked.

"Yes," Zinjo tightened the swordbelt around Aurelia's waist, "We met him in the marketplace."

Scathach smiled, "He spends his downtime at the Unearthly Treasures brothel."

"Brothel?" Zinjo asked.

"A place where women of ill repute offer their virtue to random strangers for money," Aurelia said in a tart tone.

Zinjo shook his head, "We have no such places in Kianzangi." Zinjo stood back and admired Aurelia.

She loved the way he looked at her. It never failed to give her butterflies, it never failed to show how much the Werelion cared about her. "We should set a wedding date."

Zinjo gathered Aurelia in his arms and smiled, "I agreed."

***

They arrived at the Unearthly treasures brothel. Zinjo looked around and shook his head. "This place serves no purpose, but to spread corruption. It should not be."

Aurelia sighed, "True, but it's one of the best places to acquire information. Men tell their lovers things they wouldn't tell anyone else."

"Then shouldn't they be mated?"

"That's not how it works, they pay for their hour and then the woman moves on to the next slob."

Zinjo spat on the ground, "What a waste of lives..."

"That's enough Zinjo, you don't have to like it. Brothels are legal in Shadowfen." Aurelia scowled at the big man.

Zinjo stood in front of the door, "In Kiazangi..."

"Here we do things differently, Zinjo."

"Well, maybe you should do them differently so your daughters don't act like a lioness in the heat all the time." Zinjo roared.

"I don't control how people raise their families. I am not the reason this place exists," Aurelia shoved him back, "Wait out here. Your moral fiber can't fit through the door." With that Aurelia marched into the den of iniquity and left Zinjo standing in the street.