Chapter 18: Labor
Chapter 18: Labor
Exhausted and wet Renno lays his back against the rough stone smokestack in the market square. The fountain steams away in the cool winter air filling the air with a dampness that both warms and chills as the wind blows. He examines his paws, they are worn and tired from swinging a hammer. A shadow darkens him. Looming above, the silhouette of a familiar Anoran towers over him set against the orange and pink sunset sky.
"Kyra?" he says.
She extends a paw and pulls him to his feet. Wearing her cloak and skirt she smiles. "How's your day been?" she asks adjusting a bolt of cloth laying over her shoulder.
Renno rubs his paws and holds them to his mouth for warmth. "Rough, you?"
"She dusts her self off. I did okay. I managed to carry a few bolts of cloth around for Kota." She says. "My ribs are getting a lot better."
"Did you forget to deliver them all?" he asks pointing at the one bolt still draped over her shoulder.
"No, this is for you." She pulls the cloth from her shoulder. Rolling off her shoulder and unfolding as it hangs it is revealed to be an outfit. "I thought you could use at least a second pair."
He takes the linens from her slowly. "Thanks?" he says looking them over.
She looks to her side and sighs before saying. "I'm sorry about before. I know I already apologized but well, I feel like I need to explain."
"Explain what?" He asks still preoccupied with his gift.
Kyra crosses her arms and looks about her to see if anyone is too close so that her words are kept private. "I thought I could help you, that it would be easy and someone would recognize you. I thought if I saved you it would help me earn my bracelet. Then I got hurt and, well, you know. All I want to do is prove myself and instead of that, I end up relying on Rozen to fix everything." she pauses for a moment before adding. "And even that went poorly."
Renno raises his paw to her shoulder but she brushes it away. He ignores her dismissive demeanor as he has become accustomed to it and asks. "So how is Rozen?"
"He's back now." She hesitates timidly. "Keeta went down there and had a word with the guard captain."
Renno's ears perk up. "Well that's a got to be a relief."
Kyra rolls her eyes. "You know she went down there and he was playing dice with the guards. They didn't even intend on trying him. They just assumed Keeta would sort it out so they didn't bother."
Renno suppresses a laugh but as her words sink in he asks more seriously. "And you wanted them to put him on trial?"
"No, of course, I'm happy with how it turned out, but it was so informal." Kyra becomes angry. "He claws someone in the face and they don't even bother with a trial. But I lost my parents and I have to suffer. Why? Why do I have to live an entire life as a servant when I didn't even do anything wrong. It's not fair." she struggles to keep from shouting.
Cold, Renno pulls on his new shirt. "I don't see the connection."
Kyra calms her self and takes to holding her tail in her paws. "What I'm saying is, the law, it's applied firmly in one case and not in another. Why does it have to be stacked against me?"
"You know, I don't remember the past but, I'm starting to think there are a lot of things in life that aren't fair. Besides, I don't think they had you in mind when they made the law."
She glares at him.
He raises his paws defensively. "I didn't mean that as an excuse. I'm just saying. Life is hard, for both of us."
She relents and they take to leaning on the smokestack together. "Your right. I know I can do it, I just don't know what it's going to take."
"Has anyone ever earned one before? I mean, outright. Without having to marry or join the guard."
Kyra releases her tail and holds on to her wrist. "Yes, but, it's not easy. You have to be recognized as doing something great. You also have to have someone swear on your behalf. They risk losing their own bracelet for the rest of their life if you happen to commit a crime."
Renno smiles at her. "And you thought saving me would be good enough? Seems like it should be, though I may be a bit biased in that regard. Either way, I don't think I've managed to say it yet but, thanks."
For a moment neither of them speak, they absorb the warmth of the stone and watch colors of sunset fade from the sky.
Renno closes his eyes taking in the warmth of the stone. "Wouldn't Keeta swear on your behalf?"
"I really haven't known Keeta that long." She turns towards him and presses her face to the stone.
"She seems like she cares for you, even loves you almost like her own daughter."
Kyra reflects on his words for a moment. "That's just her way. I only met her after I lost my parents a few years ago. She's nice enough but an important woman like her. She wouldn't want to risk it and I can't blame her. She's been taking care of orphans as long as I've been alive. Probably longer."
"How many of those orphans took care of a Thono and saved someone's life?" he says.
Kyra perks up but before she can speak she is interrupted.
"Are you two on a date or what?" Jeron laughs poking his head around the smokestack from behind them.
Kyra fails to find Jeron humorous. "I would hit you if my ribs didn't still hurt."
Jeron smiles with a sly expression on his face. "Relax, I'm kidding." He pulls a hammer from his belt and hands it to Renno. "Ya lost this, I found it earlier."
Renno pats himself down realizing now for the first time it's gone missing. "By Miran, thanks. I keep dropping it."
Kyra looks at Renno and can't help but be amused by his use of the Anoran expression.
"Yeah, well you're lucky I found it this time, here." Jeron hands Renno a few coins. "Your cut of today's tips. Keeta said she already sent you something to eat."
Renno takes the coins from him. "Thanks."
Kyra turns to Renno and says in a sweet sarcastic manner. "Maybe Keeta will adopt you too?" adding before he can speak. "While you're learning our customs your meant to press your hands together and nod to him in thanks."
Renno complies, he and Jeron salute one another after which Jeron wonders off to see to his duties.
"Have you checked in on Minetz today? I'm kind of curious how he's getting along." Renno says.
"No not yet." Kyra slinks to the ground her back still pressed against the pillar.
Renno stretches. "I think I'll head over there now. It's getting late and the soup won't stay hot forever."
Kyra scrunches up her face. "It's not late yet."
Renno looks around him. The sky is a deep purple and blue. Many merchants have set out their lanterns, the rest have packed their carts and left for the day.
"The sun is setting isn't it?" Renno asks.
Kyra explains. "Yeah, but it's winter. It's still going to be a few hours before watchers rest."
"What's the deal with that anyway? I don't get it." Renno scratches his head.
To her the answer is obvious. "In the spring and fall, there is a day when the sky is dark for exactly half the time and the other half light. Sunrise and sunset mark Watchers Light and Watchers Rest. The rest of the year it changes. In the summer, there are a few days when the sun never fully rests."
"And this is normal?" he asks.
"Oh, right. Your memory. Yeah, it's normal. In fact, in another week it will be opposite we will have a few days with no light." Her eyes light up and her tail swishes once subconsciously before she regains control of it smiling.
"And that means?"
"It's part of the natural process. It's a holy day. Oh there will be a grand feast in the square and everyone goes out into the woods to listen to lectures on Miran and-" she stops suddenly.
"And?"
"I um, forgot. You can't go out, not on that day. It's special, it wouldn't be appropriate." she says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I'll survive a day in the workshop."
"It's two days." She corrects him.
"Fine, two days. Don't worry about me. I've learned to keep my curiosity at bay for the time being."
"No, it's not you. I won't have anyone to go with that's all." She sighs, her eyes stare into the night sky.
"Why not go with Tharen?" he asks.
Annoyed she responds. "Because the last time I went with 'Tharen', he ran off and joined the guard without telling me."
Timid, having forgotten how sensitive Kyra is on the subject Renno says. "I had heard about that."
"From who!" She snaps at him.
Renno startled jumps in his skin. "It's not important who, I just thought it seemed like he cares about you."
"Yeah well, I'm still mad at him so no, I'm not going with Tharen." She says.
He nervously fidgets with his paws before asking. "Can you explain it to me? The holy day, not the situation with Tharen."
She looks at him for a few seconds, not with the look of disdain he had come to expect but with curiosity. "You really want to know?"
"Of course, I mean, maybe at first I had not been interested, but if I'm going to be here a while I should try to understand." He reaches his paw out to her and she looks up at him. "Want to go sit by the fountain again like we did the first day we could talk?"
To his surprise, she accepts his paw and walks with him to sit down. They look over the water, the torchlight dancing against the surface. The steam appears to glow.
"Well, Miran teaches us many things but perhaps the most important is the natural order. You see, we are all part of the world and the world is ruled by a set of laws that are always obeyed. The forces of nature."
"And those laws rule you?" he asks.
"No, we, like everyone are a part of them. We each play a role whether we like it or not. Learning that role, and embracing it leads to happiness. It pleases the watchers to see us living as they intended and in turn the represent us well to the gods." Kyra looks into the night sky, the first stars have begun to shine down on them through the dark purple sky.
"So, what does that have to do with the holiday?"
She speaks in a soft inviting tone. "The tides, seasons, the procession of the sun in the sky. These things are proof that nature has its way. It's not that there is anything special about that specific day. But it's the most obvious example of the might of nature, the rules that govern the universe and we should reflect on that, remember what we are, where we came from, and take comfort that we have our place in the world."
Renno flicks an ear and asks. "Now, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but, what is your place in the world?"
She kicks her foot out flicking the top of the water with the pad of her foot. "We are the great predators of the south. We watch over the great cold reaches of the southern tip of the world. We live in a place where nature is at her most extreme. In that way we are special. To hunt, love, and live." She pauses to think. "I mean, just to be able to tolerate such a place where the might of nature can be so easily observed. Is our gift, our place."
"So, it's your place to hunt." He drops his shoulders and stares off into the murky waters of the fountain.
"It's in our nature. We have to accept that." She looks over at him with some concern that he's not willing to accept things as they must be.
"Don't you at least feel bad?" he asks.
"Does the sun feel bad when it melts the snow in springtime?" She asks this gently, not meaning to offend.
Renno turns to her. "So that's it? It's that simple? To kill?"
"It's nature, I didn't choose how we are. Besides, I've never killed anyone." She remains calm.
"But you're happy to eat them all the same. Is it really you're right to live off of others? No one wants to even deal with us 'Outsiders' do you think your selves so much better?" His temper getting the best of him now.
Kyra tilts her ears back a little but maintains her composure. "We live alone in the coldest part of the world, by design it is natural for us to stay isolated, to keep with our own kind."
"So that's it then? You feel yourselves entitled." He stands up in front of her.
Kyra finally loses her temper. "It's the natural order! Yes, we are better are we not?! We have been given the strength to kill. Is that not proof enough that their creator did not grant them the speed, the claws, or the fortitude to do the same? I could live outside here if I want, you couldn't you would die in the cold. We are made for this, why should we be ashamed? This is what the watchers intended!" she shouts at him. "You should remember that!" Now on her feet, she has him standing on the edge of the water.
A few onlookers gaze upon them from a distance at the disturbance.
Renno backs down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. This is all new to me, I didn't grow up with all this."
"I'm certain you did." She says firmly.
"Yeah, but I don't remember it. Okay? Maybe where I lived things are different. I don't know either way."
She sits back down and looks away from him at a small group of women watching from afar. They disburse. She looks back at him. "You're going to have to stop using that excuse at some point. You have known for a while now what we are, what we eat, and that it's not something that is going to change. How many times are you going to fight with me on this?"
He answers her immediately. "I just want the killing to stop. It's not right."
She looks up at him and pats the bench with her paw. "Sit down."
He looks at her curiously.
She tries her best to sound inviting. "Come on, please. I want to try and work things out."
He lets his guard down, and his tail, dipping it into the water. "Yikes!" he jumps away from the edge.
Kyra laughs. "Forgot you had one?"
Renno rings the water from it. "To be honest yeah, I'm not really conscious of it like you are of yours."
"We have laws about what we can and can't do with ours, and let's face it," She smiles devilishly at him. "Ours are simply better than yours."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Renno asks defiantly, smiling, in on the joke.
She takes hold of her tail and pets it lightly. "Longer, softer, with wonderful patterns on them. We Anorans are simply better. Wouldn't you agree?"
He waves his paw at her dismissively and has a seat. "Yeah, yeah. Here we go again." smiling.
"Anyway," she continues. "We don't kill them, or at least we don't hunt anymore. It was banned. I may be just fifteen, but I know as does everyone else where it comes from. The Tanoi, they give it to us willingly. Criminals, murders, victims of accidents, and even some of the elderly willingly choosing to aid their people as their final act. So you see? We are not killers."
Slowly Renno pulls out his emblem that he got from Tharen. "Then why do I need this."
She looks for a long time into his eyes as he holds the emblem out in front of her. She can almost make out a fear inside of him. A fear that goes back thousands of years to the dawn of creation. The instinct ingrained in all prey to fear predators. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can say."
He lets out a long sigh and lets go of the emblem allowing it to fall back to his chest on its string.
"You know, it's getting late. Let's go check on Minetz." She smiles at him.
Renno nods and together they head off to the workshop.
. . .
Minetz hammers away at a block of wood with a chisel. Renno slips in through the alley door and makes his way up the stairs.
"Minetz, hows it coming along?"
Absorbed in his work he answers Renno without looking away. "It's..." He holds up the block of wood to the light. "It's not good, but I'm working on it."
"What's wrong with it?" He asks.
"It's just not flat enough, it needs to be flatter. I don't know how to make things flat yet. Most of the things I make are round, wheels, spokes, axles, my old templates are flat enough to work, but not flat like this is, not flat like it needs to be. You know I bet there's a book on how to make things flat, there's a book on everything here. Have you learned to read anything new yet? We could work on th-"
Renno puts his paw up to Minetz mouth. "That's too bad, I'm sure you'll work it out. Hey, can you help me with something?"
Minetz licks Renno's paw.
Renno recoils in horror. "What did you do that for!"
Minetz giggles and squeals.
"Why do you have to be such a child." Renno wipes his paw on his pants leg.
"But I am a child, I can be a child if I am one right?"
Renno puts his paw to his face. "Never mind, forget I asked. Take a look at this here." Renno hands over his hammer to Minetz.
Minetz snatches it from his paws. "It's a hammer, its okay I guess, I have better ones. What's wrong with it?"
"Well, there's nothing really wrong with it, I just keep dropping it and it hurts my paws to swing it all day. Think you could make me a belt or something to hold it with?"
"No no no, a belt won't do. You gotta reach. You don't wanna drop it when you use it either. I know, I can put a wrist strap on it." He holds it up and looks down the shaft. "It's just too plain. That's the problem, you need a good handle. I can wrap it so it won't hurt anymore okay?" He asks sincerely.
"If you think you can do whatever you like, just don't break it." Renno says.
Minetz hugs onto his leg. "Don't worry I won't. I'll make it the best hammer ever, you'll see."
Renno pats his head between his ears. "I'm sure you will just make sure whatever you do it's done by morning. I need it for tomorrow."
. . .
The bells of watchers light wake Renno from his sleep. The loft is warm and the smell of Anoran stew fills the are. Minetz's bedroll is empty. Chatter from below can be faintly made out through the floor.
"But I'm gonna run out of ink soon." Minetz slaps his paws to the workbench ruffling numerous test pages stamped with prototype lettering sending several of them to the floor.
Kyra swallows a spoon of stew slowly without immediately responding. "You should learn to be more careful then."
"I am careful, I just need a lot of it." Minetz pleads.
Renno approaches wiping the sleep from his eyes. "What seems to be the problem."
"Nothing." Kyra states.
Minetz interjects. "That's not true! I'm almost out of ink and Kyra won't get me more. I need it."
She frowns at him. "I didn't say I wouldn't bring you more, I said you have to be more careful and not waste it."
Renno sits down at the workbench with them. "Is it expensive?"
A mix of voices respond immediately. "Yes. No."
Displeased Renno asks again. "Well is it expensive or not?"
Kyra holds her paw up to silence Minetz. "It's not cheap when you use as much as he does. I understand he needs it," she stares directly at Minetz. "I just wish he would work out his ideas more before testing them."
Minetz frowns making a face back at her, holding his mouth shut puffing out his fuzzy cheeks.
"I have a few coins I could get it for him." Renno says.
Kyra sighs and says back. "It's not an issue of money. I have the coin from Lady Manon. I can easily afford the ink." She takes a long look at Minetz.
Unable to hold his breath any longer he lets loose gasping for air.
Once done with his display Kyra says to him. "Okay I'll get the ink this ONE time, but you have to ask before you can use it."
Without taking even a moment to think about it Minetz shouts. "Deal! Buuuuut."
Kyra collapses into her paws. "But what."
"I need wood too, and paper, and wax." He says pausing short, as if there were more demands he wished to add.
Exasperated Kyra exclaims. "Is that all?"
Minetz takes a long time to answer her. "I need a new fine chisel, I broke my last one."
Her head falls to the table. "Minetz."
"But Kyra~" he opines back at her.
Renno clears his throat and speaks up. "How much? Manon did give you a lot didn't she?"
Kyra turns to him. "That's not the point he has to learn to be responsible. It won't last forever if I spend it on just anything. I can hardly afford to feed myself let alone Minetz. Don't forget baths, and clothing, and firewood, and lamp oil. Once I turn sixteen I won't be able to rely on Keeta anymore either. He needs to learn to pay for his own supplies, and you need to learn your titles, It's 'Lady' Manon."
Minetz wails.
Kyra relents. "Fine, I'll think about it okay?"
Immediately Minetz stops. "Okay." He puts on a huge grin then grabs a bowl of vegetable soup from the pot for himself.
As he sets it on the workbench Renno asks. "May I?"
Minetz nods and slides the bowl to him before fixing another.
"Thank's Minetz." Renno graciously accepts the bowl. "Do you have my hammer."
"I do, I do!" Minetz hops of his chair and runs to the supply room. Rummages around for a bit then runs back hammer in hand. He plops it down in front of Renno.
Carefully Renno picks it up from the table, the handle wrapped tight in a layer of treated cloth. The base drilled with a small hole with not one but two linen cords run through it as a wrist strap. Renno wraps his paws tight around it, his grip much tighter on the new texture of the handle than before.
Renno gives it a few practice swings before putting it down. "This is great work."
Minetz nods. "I knew you would like it."
"I really mean it Minetz, this is perfect." he says. Renno reaches into his pocket and puts a few coins down on the table. "I don't know what it's worth but you can have it."
Kyra casually cuts in. "It's 400 bits."
"Is that fair?" Renno asks.
"It's kinda too much seeing as you supplied the hammer. But it's okay I guess. A fair tip for doing it in such a hurry." She shrugs and returns to her stew.
Renno turns to her and says smugly. "You know, I bet the other guys would pay for this kind of work too."
Minetz snaps to attention. "Really?!"
"Oh, yeah. Really." Renno picks the hammer and holds it up to the light. "You got everything you need to do more?"
Minetz nods.
"Well then it's settled, when the guys see it later I'll tell them where they can get one."
Kyra chokes on her stew. "You're going to tell them to come her and pay a Thono for work?"
Renno looks at her with a smile. "Sure why not, they already work with a, whatever I am, I think they'll get over it."
Kyra shakes her head. "Okay, but this is all on you two, don't come complaining to me if things don't work out the way you think."
Renno and Minetz smile.
Renno hops to his feet and stretches. "Speaking of which, I do need to get going."
. . .
Another hard day of work, of merchants calling for couriers, of mothers ushering their children from place to place, of ice and snow being swept away in carts and poured into the fountain, of arguments over prices, of the fragrant yet haunting smells of fresh stew roasting at the inns.
Renno gathers at the end of his day with the other ice breakers to share in the days earning.
Jeron addresses his rabble of a crew standing on one of the stone benches. "Good work boys, now I have some bad news for you. On account of the festival the food budget will be tight, but don't worry people are in a giving mood and tips are up. We should all be able to afford a hot meal with perhaps a little change to spare."
Several of the men grumble before someone shouts. "Here here, to Miran may she grant us strength." The men cheer.
"Settle down, save it for next week. Now before you head off Renno has something he wants to say to us." He turns to Renno and pulls him up onto the stone bench.
"Ah- Yes, well-" He stutters. "Take a look at this." He holds up his hammer to the crow, then lets it slip and dangle from his wrist by the strap. "A friend of mine made this for me, the strap, the handle, and everything." He takes the hammer from his wrist and passes it off into the crowd.
The men each take a turn looking at it passing it from one another with little excitement. Eventually, it works it's way back to the front to Jeron.
Renno clears his throat. "Now, I um- I don't suppose... What I mean to say is if you want one he's willing to help for a small cost, just to cover supplies."
The crowd mumbles to itself seeming not to show much interest.
Jeron speaks up. "Come on now, which one of you is half as quick as Renno?" He doesn't wait for a response. "Faster work means more pay, more pay means more food, more nights with a roof over your head. You saw the hammer, tell me you're not interested."
Murmurs continue before someone speaks up. "It was made by a Thono wasn't it? I can smell it on the handle."
Jeron holds out his hand in front of Renno preventing him from speaking. "So what if it was. Are you going to let that keep you from a hot meal?"
The crowd remains in relative silence. Jeron hands the hammer back to Renno before saying confidentially to him. "Well, I tried."
Renno nods back to Jeron and speaks up to the crowd. "That's fine, I'm glad at least I have a place here. If any of you change your mind simply give me your hammer along with 300 bits and I will return it to you along with the improvements in the morning."
The gang or icebreakers already disbursing into the streets breaks apart one after another without a single one of them saying a thing to Renno or Jeron.
"Don't take it personally." Jeron helps Renno down from the bench and puts his paw on his shoulder. "It's a rough go during the holidays, they would rather waste their coin on drink and leisure than have to spend it on food. I'm sure a few of them will come around eventually."
Renno nods. "Thanks, I think I'll sit here a while and see if Kyra comes around before heading home."
"Alright, well I'll see you at Watchers Light." Jeron says as he walks off into the crowd.
Renno watches the steam roll off the water into the air, the last floating chunks of ice bob in the water melting away. Someone taps him on the shoulder. Renno turns around to find Ollin.
"I'll take one." He sets his hammer down beside Renno.
Renno nods. "Thanks Ollin."
"Not a problem." Ollin waves goodbye and makes for The Table.
A few minutes later another hammer falls to the workbench beside Renno startling him.
"By morning right?" The Ieza asks Renno.
"Yes," Renno says, "by morning."
Over the next couple of hours one at a time they come to him. "You won't tell anyone where I got it will you?"
"No, of course not." Renno assures them.
"I'm sure I can get the smell off with a salt bath." Says another.
Renno nods. "I'm sure it will work." Before long a pile of six or seven sit beside him.
"Are you sure he can get them all done?" Asks the next Anoran.
"Well, if he doesn't I'll bring it back as is and we will try again tomorrow I suppose." Renno replies.
As the man leaves Renno spots Kyra across the square arguing with someone.
"Kyra!" he calls out to her.
She throws her hands into the air and storms away from the bathhouse. Atta stands at the door arms crossed satisfied in having refused Kyra entry.
"Can you believe that woman." Kyra barks at Renno.
"Can't say I do, having never met her." He jokes back at her.
Kyra looks him up and down, finding the smile on his face disarming. "What are you so happy about?"
Renno straightens his posture and feigns formality. "Well you see, I am in need of a courier."
Kyra cocks her head and flicks an ear and with a hand on her hip says with skepticism. "Is that so."
Renno steps aside revealing the pile of hammers laying on the bench.
Kyra is genuinely shocked. "How did you..."
Renno smiles back at her. "Looks like Minetz is going to have a busy night."
End Chapter 18