Close Call

Petyr changed quickly into the dry clothes and they were off. The more the man sobered up, the more coherent his speech became.

He was still a creep, but it soon became clear that his training as a merchant was very good. His family's business and Renat's father's business were the two best in his hometown, and therefore friendly rivals. Since Petyr and Amaki were around the same age and ran in the same circles, it was only natural that they would become fast friends.

Both Petyr and Renat's older brother had a penchant for talking people into things, which had gotten them both in a heap of trouble over the years, but it also made them very successful businessmen. That is, when Petyr wasn't drinking himself under the table and losing his earnings to strangers.

The short merchant ducked back into the last tavern he had visited and quietly retrieved his pack. The man had been using it as a pillow and no one had seen it when they grabbed him. With his belongings returned to him, Petyr led them down the road to the nearest market.

"Now the common man does not usually have need for a map, but merchants use them all the time. I am surprised you could not do this yourself, Renat, with your training." Petyr scolded him.

Angry on his behalf, Mairwen opened her mouth to defend her husband. Renat stopped her with a gentle side hug. "I'm not a merchant anymore, Petyr. I haven't been for a long time. I have...other pursuits." He smiled at the lovely dark haired woman.

"Just as well, you were never a good merchant. You'd be begging people to buy things at a loss to yourself," the merchant chuckled.

"Enough," Alaron said, his eyes flashing. "Do what we brought you here to do."

Sensing the strength that the Guardian possessed, Petyr stopped reminiscing and focused on his task. The man went from antagonist to extreme pacifist in the blink of an eye. With each shopkeeper, he begged their forgiveness and wondered if they might have any maps for him, a poor, weary traveler. While most merchants tend to ignore people who are not potential customers, it was very different with a fellow merchant.

With his humble method, which was mixed with the slightest amount of flirting with the female vendors, Petyr quickly located a cartographer. However when the group arrived at his stall, it was empty. Behind the stall was a house in the long line of dwellings with the door partially open.

Petyr hopped over the stall's low counter and strolled over to knock on the doorframe. The others squeezed between the market stalls to join him. "Are you the cartographer?" the merchant called amiably.

"I am but I am busy," a voice answered gruffly.

Not dissuaded, the merchant pushed open the door and strode in. "Forgive me, but I could not hear you clearly and you sounded in distress. Are you alright?"

'He heard perfectly well,' Mairwen realized. 'He just wanted an excuse to barge in. Clever.'

The mapmaker looked at them angrily, but then his face returned to searching the ground, which was covered in scrolls, papers and folded parchment. "That blasted earthquake knocked all my maps to the ground. I had one that I needed to send to the palace, but I cannot find it." He looked up again and spotted Eira in her soldier's uniform. His face paled. "You aren't the emissaries from the palace, are you? You shouldn't be here for another hour!"

"Please be calm, we are not palace emissaries," Mairwen answered. Her soothing voice stilled the frantic shopkeeper. She felt guilty knowing that her earthquake-inducing shoulder was the cause of his distress. "But we can help you look for what you need."

Petyr nodded. "We need a map that includes the town of Abeyance on it. Perhaps we can look for both maps at once if you will tell us what to search for."

The mapmaker nodded. "I have seen that town on the maps I copy once or twice. I believe it is to the northeast of here, but I could be wrong. You'll want a map that spans the cities of Valiant to Oblivion if you hope to find that tiny place."

The cartographer went on to describe the map that contained the borderlands demarking different creature groups. It was an ancient map and he was unsure why the Empress would want such a thing. Perhaps she was just sentimental. Yet the scroll was lost among the masses of other papers.

The group got to work sorting. Petyr talked to the mapmaker like an old friend and quickly put him at ease. They settled into a rhythm and soon enough, the scroll for the palace was discovered underneath a huge fallen bookshelf. Luckily it seemed unharmed.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the shopkeeper relaxed. "One down and one to go."

"I think this may work," Petyr called from the other end of the room. He brought over a large map that folded into eight parts. It was in fact exactly what they needed. Located northeast of Valiant, the town of Abeyance was clearly marked.

"How much?" Mairwen held out her hand for some money from Eira.

"For someone who helped you save your neck from the palace, the price should be very reasonable," Petyr interjected, his negotiations skills kicking in. "You might even give it away as a token of your appreciation."

"I am most thankful for your assistance, but a man has got to eat," the shopkeeper said. "You cannot expect..."

The princess was suddenly anxious to leave. They had been there quite some time. Mairwen shook her head and pressed a few coins into the mapmaker's empty hand. "Of course you should be compensated for your hard work. We do not need charity. We are always happy to help a neighbor. Is that sufficient?"

"It is and then some, thank you." the man bobbed his head, ready to show his guests to the door.

Just then there was a knock. "Open up in the name of Their Majesties!"

The four who knew that voice panicked. "Do you have a back exit?" Alaron asked hastily.

"No," the mapmaker said, his face taut. "Are you on the run from the law?"

"We are not. We just aren't supposed to be here and that man knows it. We don't want to get her in trouble." Mairwen pointed to Eira, who was in her soldier's uniform.

"If we were not friends of the Empire, we would have left the moment you mentioned the palace ," Alaron added.

It made some sense to the man. Choosing to believe them, especially after another coin was placed in his palm, he directed them to the back room.

"Hello! Is anyone home?" the voice came from the door again.

"I'm coming," the man called. At last he opened the door to allow Junayd to enter. "Sorry for the mess. I am still working to clean up after the shaking last night."

Advisor Junayd nodded. "It is quite alright. I was just hoping you hadn't given up waiting and gone on an errand. The Emperor kept me longer than anticipated with other pressing matters. I almost didn't come at all."

The shopkeeper laughed nervously. "I am happy you are here to take this document." He passed over the map. "Please be sure to tell the Empress and Emperor what a loyal and helpful citizen I am."

Junayd furrowed his brow. "I suppose I could put in a good word for you. Are you wanting to get a job at the palace because if so, there are easier ways…"

A sneeze blasted from the other room, cutting off Junayd's advice. The advisor gave the man a curious glance waiting for an explanation of some sort. However the mapmaker just winced.

"Aren't you going to bless your assistant?" Junayd cocked his head to one side to peer into the back room.

"Of course. I'm so rude. Bless you!" the man called blindly.

With a shove, Petyr's head peeked around the doorway. "Thank you," he answered before being pulled back from view.

Junayd took a step toward the back room, giving the mapmaker a small heart attack. "Wait!" the shopkeeper cried as he blocked his path.

The advisor paused and turned his dark eyes on the nervous shopkeeper. "Yes?" he asked, his voice full of suspicion.

The shop keeper swallowed hard, but then his eyes brightened. "Aren't you the man who has that statue in the square?! I would know you anywhere. You are even more spectacular in person."

Junayd gave a smolderingly handsome wink. "Yes, that statue is of me, and I agree it did not capture my full essence. But how does one sculpt this kind of perfection?" The man's humility was on full display. "I told them it was unnecessary. I mean all I did was save the Emperor's life multiple times..."

"That's amazing! I cannot wait until I tell my friends I have met one of Valiant's heroes. I will have to tell the weaver right away. I hope you don't mind." The cartographer walked towards the door and Junayd took the hint.

"Of course. I understand the excitement of meeting a real celebrity."

"Excitement doesn't begin to describe it," the shopkeeper answered as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Junayd shook the man's forearm. "Bet you won't wash that for a week," he joked.

"You caught me," the man smiled weakly. "Glory to the Empress!"

The advisor found himself out on the street a moment later feeling very pleased with the whole encounter. He was actually running ahead of schedule for when he needed to be back at the palace.

"I think I shall drop in at the Sitting Duck," he announced to no one in particular. After all, he reasoned, a hero needed a good send off before leaving on an epic quest. It was his duty to fulfill this sacred tradition. As he marched down the street triumphantly, those inside the back room of the mapmaker's home breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close."