Chapter Two Draft: A Warm Welcome

The Charlatan and the Elf
Chapter Two

It was still early afternoon when Savia reached her apartment with the elf in tow. With so much time left until evening, Savia decided to begin the tour she was planning for Effie right away, only stopping at the apartment long enough for Effie to leave her sack of personal items inside the doorway before resetting both of the custom-purchased locking mechanisms.

Effie looked perplexed at the sight of the locks, one of which was difficult to see without the right angle due to its shape. "Your locks look a lot different than what I saw back home" she commented.

Savia considered whether she should be upfront about her reasons for the custom locking mechanism or brush off the question. If she didn't need to keep Effie quiet, she might have given an enigmatic reply and moved on, but she decided she could be honest if it would gain Effie's trust.

"In my line of work, it pays to have a healthy sense of paranoia" she explained, keeping her voice down in case any passerby got too curious. "Thing is, if I got the kind of fancy locks rich people usually have over their homes and put them on my little place, it would work like a beacon to thieves, which would defeat the purpose of spending so much on a lock."

"What does a fortune teller need to be paranoid about?" Effie asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Savia realized she might have been too honest, too early. She wasn't ready to reveal everything, so she'd have to divert Effie's attention...

"I'll tell you later, maybe after dinner." Savia gestured to the marketplace only a few blocks down from her apartment. "Why don't we see what's for sale today at the market?"

"Alright" Effie assented, her movements still cautious and hesitant. Savia hoped she could find Effie something in the market to distract her from the lock conversation.

While walking alongside Effie to the market, Savia noted that the elf was getting a few sidelong glances from curious passerby. Not liking the extra attention, Savia examined Effie as discretely as she could as they walked. The ears weren't quite as big a giveaway as most folktales suggested they would be, but Effie's outfit did stand out. It was a rustic dress that might have fit in with the clothing of women in Caristan villages but stood out in the city, where most of the women wore a shorter skirt over leggings that resembled those of the men.

"We should probably get you a change of clothes" Savia said matter-of-factly, hoping Effie didn't notice her examination.

"Why is that?" Effie asked, turning her head to look at Savia with a raised brow. "Is there something wrong with my dress?..."

Having arrived at the marketplace, Savia nodded at the people walking past them. "Look around. Dresses aren't worn in the city often except by rich people on special occassions. You look like a farmer or villager visiting the city for a day, and even villagers tend to keep an extra outfit for visits to the city."

"Oh." Effie frowned. "I don't really have much Caristan silver though..."

"I'll pay" Savia offered, seizing on the chance to further indebt the elf to her.

"Are you sure? We've just met..."

"It's not that big of an issue for me" Savia noted, pulling out a coinpurse and tossing it up a few inches into the air before catching it, the sound of coins clinking together noticable. "We're not going to buy anything fancy, just something to help you fit in better."

"If you're sure..." Effie trailed off, contemplative. Savia didn't like it when her marks thought too hard about her offers, but she decided to let Effie think. She needed to gain Effie's trust if she didn't want to be exposed as a fraud the moment Effie started telling stories of home.

"Something wrong, Effie?" Savia asked after a moment, aware that some people were beginning to take notice of them standing at the edge of the market.

"I'm just a little surprised. It seems like you humans are so much more helpful than elves. First Vinattio, now you..." Effie trailed off again. "This isn't like the stories I've read about humans. There were nice people in those, but also a lot of nasty people... it's hard to believe that I've been so lucky so far." Effie looked Savia in the eye, and she realized that Effie was starting to suspect her motivations. Maybe Effie wasn't as easy to convince as she had hoped.

"People are staring, Effie" Savia noted, making a subtle gesture toward the market crowd. "Why don't we see what we can find for you to wear, maybe get something to eat?"

Effie nodded, looking over at the crowd out of the corner of her eye. "Alright. I'd like to know why you're helping me when we get back to your place, though. I don't expect strangers to help people without wanting something in return."

Savia usually avoided anyone who could see through her ploys, but she felt a bit reassured that Effie was perceptive enough to sense that Savia had a plan. It'd be much easier for Effie to keep quiet if she knew what sort of people to be careful around. Of course, Savia still had to give her a good reason to keep her elven history to herself...

"Come, let's get you something to eat." Savia pointed out a stall on the far end of the market. "It looks like the baker has a few treats set out."

Effie shook her head. "No, thanks." She looked around, taking a few steps into the marketplace. Savia followed close behind, scanning the crowd to make sure people didn't pay too much attention to them. "Do you think they have any food that doesn't involve bread in any way?"

Savia suppressed a chuckle. "Perhaps the fruit vendors have something for you. Is there something wrong with bakers? I noticed you didn't like the idea of baking for Biana."

"Oh, that?" Effie shrugged. "I just want to forget about baking for a while. It's kind of a long story if you want it to make sense, though..."

Savia patted Effie on the shoulder. "A story I can look forward to for tomorrow, perhaps." She pointed out a stall selling fruit. "I've bought fruit from that man before, and it's always been fresh from the outlying villages this time of year. It should be a silver for two pieces." Savia pulled a coin out of her coinpurse and handed it to Effie. "This should cover that. While you take your pick, I'm going to look for something for you to wear."

Effie took the coin but hesitated before walking over to the stall. "Are you a tailor as well, or do your markets really sell ready-made clothing?"

"I can sew on accessories to my clothing, but not make anything new" Savia replied with a grin. "We do, in fact, have a small selection of clothing for sale in our marketplaces. It's not always a perfect fit, but the tailors charge less than for custom outfits."

"Things are a lot different here than back home." Effie took a deep breath. "Should I wait here once I get my fruit?"

Savia looked around, judging the crowd. She couldn't be certain no one would accost Effie, but she hoped she would be done finding a new outfit quickly enough. "This should be a good enough place. I'll be back as quickly as I can."

Leaving Effie to buy food, Savia began searching the marketplace for clothes that might help Effie blend in. She eventually found a decent outfit that fit the style of other Caristan women but was also tough enough to last on the road... Savia knew that she might be forced to leave the city one day and had a similar outfit. While it felt strange to be buying such an outfit for Effie, who had yet to commit to the kind of life Savia led, she felt obligated to prepare Effie for the possibility of life on the road.

Carrying the bundle of clothing under her arm, Savia headed back to where she parted ways with Effie. She stopped just a few stalls away when she recognized the ceremonial armor of the Arbiter of the Law. The Arbiter himself was standing only a few yards away from Savia, and her heart sank as she realized he was talking to Effie.

While there was a slim chance that Savia could have tricked the Arbiter into her scams like so many others, she avoided him because of the punishment that awaited her if he found out she was a fraud. A liar and thief would certainly get the Mark of the criminal just the same as a common pickpocket. Savia didn't want to risk that, and the man's serious demeanor suggested that she wouldn't have much of a chance of keeping her secret hidden from him for long.

Savia's instincts suggested that she leave Effie alone, at least until the Arbiter left. But as the moments passed, she came to the realization that he might learn something from Effie that could harm her even more than being recognized. Taking a deep breath, Savia decided to extricate Effie from the situation as quickly as possible.

"Excuse me, Sir Arbiter" Savia interjected as she approached, hoping she wasn't making the wrong decision. The man turned away from Effie and looked Savia in the eye with his own serious gaze.

"We were trying to have a conversation, miss. Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem, Sir Arbiter" Savia reassured him, feeling more and more uncomfortable under the man's gaze. "It's just that Effie here and I have somewhere we need to be, and I didn't want us to be late."

The Arbiter nodded slowly. "Right. I won't keep you or your friend any longer then, miss." He nodded to Effie. "Good day." With that he walked off.

Savia let out a breath she had been holding. She was glad the man hadn't questioned her about where she needed to be. With the tension in the encounter, she might have slipped in her explaination and drew suspicion to herself.

"Are you alright, Savia?" Effie asked, grabbing her by the arm as if to steady her. Savia flashed a half-hearted smile.

"I'm fine. Did he have anything interesting to say?"

"You mean Danito?" Effie shrugged. "When I told him I was new here, he said he was an Arbiter of law or something like that. Sounds important. What does he do?"

Savia decided to remember the Arbiter's name, now that she knew it. She never did get close with any forces of the law. "He judges criminals in our ward. Each of the other wards has an Arbiter of their own. Basically, when someone is caught or suspected of a crime, the Arbiter makes the final decision on guilt."

"And if he finds them guilty?"

Savia put down the outfit she bought for Effie and rolled up her right sleeve to demonstrate. "He's got a metal stamp in the shape of the Mark of the criminal. Each time someone is judged guilty, he presses this stamp into the inside of their right arm until the wound is deep enough to scar into the final Mark."

Effie's eyes widened in shock. "That sounds painful."

"I'm sure it is" Savia agreed. "After a criminal has three scars, if he or she offends again the Arbiter stamps them with the Mark of the slave. After that, the criminal is a slave to the city, which can mean a lot of things... most of them unpleasant."

"Um... could we go over the laws of the city tonight?" Effie asked, rubbing the inside of her right arm.

Savia nodded. Even if Effie did nothing but keep her mouth shut for her, the Arbiter could still consider Effie an accomplise. "Sure. We'll find some time to go over what I know."

The pair was quiet as they made their way back to Savia's apartment. Savia noted that there was still plenty of time left in the day, but suspected that she and Effie would need that time to come to an understanding about the arrangement Savia was planning. Still, Savia wasn't quite ready to reveal her secret, and to end the awkward silence decided to make some small talk with Effie.

"Out of curiosity, Effie, how old are you?" Savia asked, wondering how true the folktales of elven longevity were.

"Eleven" Effie responded. "Well, almost twelve, but eleven full years."

Savia stopped in her tracks and spun to face Effie. "Eleven?" she gasped, barely holding her surprise in enough to keep from drawing attention.

Effie frowned, clearly confused by Savia's reaction. "Why? How old are you?"

Savia collected herself before responding to avoid making a scene. "Twenty-something. I stopped counting birthdays after twenty-one."

"Really?" Effie asked, tilting her head and staring at Savia. "You don't look a day over twelve."

Savia shook her head and turned to start walking again. "I suppose the stories of thousand-year old elves are lies, then."

Breaking into a jog to catch up, Effie looked over Savia as they walked. "You have stories about thousand-year old elves?"

"For now." Savia scowled. "Not for much longer if anyone else finds out that you apparently age twice as quickly as humans."

The pair was quiet the rest of the walk to Savia's apartment. Savia had decided to think of how to win Effie's trust rather than attempt any more "small talk", and as far as she knew Effie was marvelling at how much older she was.

Once they reached the apartment, Savia unlocked the door and had Effie pick up her bag of personal items before sealing the door from inside. She led Effie to the small room she slept in, and pointed out the bed.

"I don't really have anything resembling a guest room, so you can go ahead and use the bedroom." Savia offered.

Effie frowned. "Are you sure? I said this before, but we did just meet today..."

"It's not a problem." Savia replied. "I can sleep in one of my chairs, and I'm sure I have an extra blanket somewhere."

Nodding hesitantly, Effie placed her bag on the bed and pulled out a few things. Savia noted that one of the objects was a thick book with a city sketched onto the cover.

"What's that?" Savia asked, a little curious at the familiar-looking sketch.

"Oh, this?" Effie held up the book. "It's a storybook about this city from hundreds of years ago. It's part of why I agreed to let Vinattio take me here." She let out a sigh. "Also, I technically stole it. I was never given permission to take it out of the castle..."

Savia shrugged, hoping to give the impression that Effie's supposed theft meant little to her. "I'm sure one book won't be missed."

"I hope you're right..."  Effie sighed again and put the book back down.

Savia didn't want Effie to be in a bad mood when she learned Savia's real profession, so she held up the new clothes she had bought for Effie in the hopes that would cheer her up. "Why don't you try these on, see if they fit?"

Effie looked at the clothes for a moment before accepting them. "Alright."

Savia stepped out of the room. "I'll give you some privacy while you change." She closed the bedroom door and moved to the main room of the apartment. She pulled an extra chair from the corner and set it across from her own chair at the small table in the center before sitting down. While she waited, she pulled out her dice bags and "talismans" and checked to make sure they didn't have any noticable flaws before she started carving a new set of dice. She put away the knife when she heard the bedroom door open and put the unfinished dice aside before turning to look at Effie.

Aside from her uncertain posture and movements, Effie looked like a native citizen of Carista. Savia was pleased in how ordinary she looked, having been worried that Effie's elvenness would show through even such a plain outfit. Effie looked at Savia with a hesitant smile. "Uh, how does it look?"

Choosing her words carefully, knowing that most women didn't like being told they looked plain and uninteresting, Savia responded. "It looks great on you. You'll fit right in with the other citizens now."

Effie touched the hem of her skirt. "I don't think I've ever worn a skirt so short before..."

Savia chuckled. "That's why you have the leggings. You might have noticed that some women here don't even bother with the skirt, since it's too reminiscent of old fashions for their tastes."

"I guess I'm used to a different kind of fashion, then." Effie noticed the empty chair across from Savia and gestured to it. Savia nodded and Effie went to sit down.

"What do you think of Carista so far?" Savia asked. "Good, bad, scary, exciting?"

Effie shrugged. "I've only been here for the better part of a day. I'm not sure I can make a judgement that quickly."

"Probably a smart answer." Savia replied, watching Effie's face. Effie had noticed the dice and talismans laid out on the table and was examining them.

"Is this what you tell fortunes with?"

Savia knew that each lie she told Effie would have to be explained when the truth came out, so she replied by saying "You could say that."

Effie looked up at Savia, clearly seeing through the evasion and probably curious at what Savia was hiding. Savia couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling she got when her marks saw through her lies despite the fact that Effie wouldn't be useful if she could be easily tricked.

"Is there anything about you that I'm allowed to know?" Effie asked after a few moments of silence. She quickly tried to salvage her confrontational tone by saying "not that I'm not grateful that you're offering to let me stay here..."

Savia sighed. No time left to butter Effie up... she'd have to tell the truth now or lie to Effie like she did to everyone else in Carista. Her instincts told her to keep her secrets to herself, but she knew that sooner or later Effie would cause her problems if left to her own devices.

"You deserve to know a bit about the person offering you a cheap place to live and free food." Savia acknowledged. She waved her hand over the dice and cheap jewelry laid on the table. "First of all, this is all fake. I'm not really a fortune teller."

Effie frowned and looked into Savia's eyes. "Wait, if you're not a fortune teller, what are you?"

Savia gave Effie a half-hearted smile. "A charlatan."