Chapter Text
It was a cloudy, gray, miserable day. Rain had been drizzling since the night before, making the streets wet and muddy. Kate's boots sloshed through puddles and collected bits of damp earth as she walked briskly towards the inn. She was eager to get out of the cold and find a hot meal, but that would have to wait. Her contact first, rest later. Still, she hurried.
A bell jingled cheerfully as Kate swung the door open. She quickly stepped through and into the warm, cozy inn. Candles kept the dismal mood at bay. A blazing hearth against the far wall warmed the air, which smelled of ale and sweat. The room was crowded with travelers who'd been forced to find shelter after the previous night's weather, and they filled the atmosphere with loud laughter and conversation. Kate found herself relieved that she'd payed for a room for several nights before she'd left.
She shrugged Lockheed off her shoulder to remove her damp cloak and drape it over her arm. Lockheed hovered above her for a moment before returning to his perch, earning several confused and wary looks from nearby patrons.
With her wet cloak removed, Kate began to scan the room for her contact, a man she only knew as Fang. The codename was definitely unoriginal, but creativity was hardly a concern in her line of work. (Though secretly, she was very proud of her own alias, Shadowcat.) The last time she had seen him, Fang had been wearing a midnight-black cloak. He wore the same cloak when Kate finally spotted him sitting alone in the far back corner.
She wove through the maze of tables and bodies of all shapes, colors and sizes. When she reached Fang's table, she roughly threw her cloak over the back of an empty seat and sat down. Fang startled, and only relaxed slightly when he saw it was her.
"Shadowcat."
"Fang."
Lockheed squawked and hopped from Kate's shoulder to her lap. She idly scratched the back of his head as she said cooly, "You didn't say he was be a wizard."
Fang scowled. "I didn't think it'd be a problem." "Not at all," Kate said casually. "He was only a student. But he did disintegrate my favorite dagger. I'm going to need an extra ten gold pieces to cover it."
"It's not my fault you were sloppy."
Kate reached into her satchel and pulled out a vial of shimmering blue liquid. "Well, I guess I'll just keep this, then." "Or I could kill you and take it," Fang countered, his brow furrowing even more. She scoffed. "No, you couldn't."
For a moment, she thought he might actually try it. But after a brief stillness, he threw a cloth bag onto the table with a huff. Coins clinked inside as it hit the table. Lockheed raised his head to sniff the bag, then laid back down. Fang then grabbed a handful more from his pocket and slammed them against the table. The two sat in tense silence as Kate counted up the coins. Sure enough, there was one-hundred and ten in total. She returned them all to the bag and put the bag in her satchel, then placed the vial in front of Fang. "Well, it looks like we're done here."
He still didn't say a word as she stood, grabbed her cloak, and left. She climbed a set of stairs that led to the next floor of the inn, where her room was. Quickly, she found the room she'd rented before taking Fang's job. She slammed the door behind her and checked that the lock was in place. While she doubted that he would be foolish enough to attack her our of anger, it was always better to err on the side of caution.
So much for getting some rest, Kate thought to herself.
She tossed her cloak and bag on the foot of the small, rickety bed before laying down herself. She figured she could at least take some time off before finding another job. After all, she now had enough money to-
Something crinkled beneath the thin pillow as her head hit it. Kate sat up and carefully slipped her hand underneath. Her fingers brushed against a sheet of paper, and she pulled it out. She grinned as her eyes fell on the strangest combination of symbols she'd ever seen, ones she was oh-so familiar with. Kate read the code easily, her smile widening.
Shadowcat
I heard you were in town. Maybe we could catch up before you leave? I'm in Noplace; you know how to get there. The bartender here has an entrance. I hope to see you soon.
-Cypher
Immediately, Kate grabbed her bag and slung it across her chest. The sudden flurry of motion startled Lockheed, who leaped into the air with a squawk. "Sorry, buddy," she muttered as she clipped her still-damp cloak around her neck. The little dragon flapped its wings and perched on her shoulder. She scratched under his chin. “You like Doug, don’t you? Yeah, let’s go see him.”
Kate preferred to travel light, so she only had one more bag that she'd left in the room before taking her last job. She figured she would spend the night in Noplace and actually get some rest. Quickly, she walk back down the staircase and through the mess of tables. She also threw up her hood, just in case Fang was still hanging around. A stout, bearded man was taking orders at the counter, and Kate waved to get his attention as she approached.
The short man huffed. "Well, what can I get you?" "I'd like a pint of Miner's Ale," Kate told him. He studied her briefly, then rolled his eyes and gestured to a pale woman filling orders nearby. She looked at him, then Kate, and nodded. Kate knew how this worked well enough to follow her without being told. The woman quickly led Kate to a small alcove underneath the stairs, where she fitted her finger into a knothole in the wooden wall. When she pulled, the wall swung outward to reveal a dark passageway. "Thanks," Kate said before stepping inside. "Don't mention it." The woman laughed lightly at her own joke, because of they both knew better than to breath even a word to anyone. The door swung closed, and Kate was left in the pitch-black passage.
Kate reached out with her hand until she felt the wall. Cautiously, she took small steps forward until she felt the ground disappear beneath her toes. Using the wall for balance, she stepped down the step and kept going. As she descended, the smooth wood turn to rough stone against her fingers and beneath her feet. Eventually, the air became musty and damp, and she could have sworn she heard music playing faintly.
After several minutes, Kate reached the bottom. She stumbled when she tried to step down, only to be met with the floor much sooner than she’d expected. Righting herself, she felt around blindly and managed to find the doorknob in front of her.
The door opened outwards, and Kate was immediately greeted by dim light that seemed bright after being in the dark staircase for so long. She blinked a few times to adjust her eyes. The music she’d been hearing was much louder now; its cheerful tune a stark contrast to dull environment. Kate found herself in a cramped hallway. The walls and celling were all earth and stone. Large wooden beams provided support for the roof, and planks had been laid carelessly on the ground to create a makeshift floor. The tunnel was only about ten feet wide. Kate knew a whole system sprawled underneath the town, though she'd never been in this part of it before. What had once been old mining shafts had long since been abandoned, and they'd quickly become a hidden city and a hub of sorts for runaways and criminals alike.
To the left of the door she'd just come through were four musicians, each playing a different instrument. This particular hallway seemed to be a darker, smaller version of the tavern she’d just come from, but devoid of any of its cheer. Instead of tables, bar stools had been set up at the counter, about half of which were occupied. Kate closed the door behind her and took a seat in an empty one.
“Which way is it to the housing district?” she asked the bartender when she came to take her order. “You need to buy something first,” the woman replied dryly. Kate sighed and rummaged around in her bag for some coins. She only had the gold she’d just been paid, and hated to use it so soon. Reluctantly, she gave a single coin to the woman, who handed her nine silver ones as change. “Just an ale?” “Yeah,” Kate said, taking the coins.
The bartender took a small metal cup and began to fill it from a barrel. "You go down this hall that way." She gestured to Kate's left. "Second opening on your right will take you all the way there." She placed the mug in front of her. "Thanks," she said, taking it and bringing it to her lips. Most of the drinks served in Noplace were either extremely strong or extremely watered-down. This one was the latter. Kate drank it quickly and left, tossing a silver coin to the musicians as she passed.
As she walked down the tunnel, she passed dozens of vendors selling the widest variety of wares she'd ever seen in one place. Some sold pocketknives and daggers (she stopped to replace the one she'd lost), others sold sizzling meats cooked on spits. A few even claimed to offer magical artifacts, though Kate doubted they were real.
Even though she'd been in Noplace several times to visit Doug, she was surprised by how large it was. It took a few minutes to reach the opening the bartender had spoken of. She turned into it narrow offshoot, which had much less people than the previous tunnel. She walked it long enough for her feet to start hurting. Just as she was beginning to think she'd been given false directions, the tunnel opened into a large cavern supported by beams as thick as tree trunks.
Tents had been set up all throughout the area, and a dozen doors led off to personal rooms for some of Noplace's more long-term residents. Kate knew from Doug that the rooms had been made by some of the first criminals to use the old mineshafts as a base. She also knew that they were highly sought-after, and if one wasn't careful, they could find themself run out by someone else. Doug was lucky enough to have a room thanks to Kate's help, though she'd had to help him defend it a few times. (Fortunately, she was confident they'd deterred anyone else from wanting to try.)
Kate made her way though the mess of people and tent. There were even a few food vendors, and she suddenly realized how hungry she was. She made a mental note to ask Doug if he wanted to get something to eat.
After a short walk across the cavern, Kate found herself in front of Doug's door. She knocked and heard a chair scrape against the floor. A lock slid out of place, and the door opened to reveal Doug, grinning widely.
“Hey Cypher.”
“Hey Kate.”
Doug pulled her into a hug, which she returned gratefully. All right, maybe she was getting a little touch-starved during her jobs. "Come on in," Doug said, pushing the door open wider and ushering her through.
The room was fairly small, with stone walls and dirt floors cover with planks. A single support beam stood in the center. There was a bed in the corner, and a desk and a tall bookshelf against the left wall. It's shelves were stuffed with books and scrolls, some clean, others covered in dust. On the desk sat even more books and several scattered pieces of parchment. "Busy?" Kate asked. Doug scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, that's just a...commission." He quickly swept the papers into a stack and set them to the side.
Kate knew about the "commissions" Doug received, ones from wealthy criminals, and sometimes even nobility, who wanted a code cracked or a way of passing secret messages. She also knew how much he, like her, hated the job he did. He despised the fact that he could have done so much more with the power he had. He could have been anything from a translator to a diplomat, but pure dumb luck (or a lack of it) had left him making codes so survive in the kingdom's shady underbelly.
So Kate didn't ask any more about the commission, and he didn't ask about her job. She'd almost been hoping he would, because that'd give her a chance to talk to him about some things she'd been meaning to.
"Sorry to drag you down here after you just got back," Doug said. "But I know you're never in town for long, with..." He stopped himself. "Anyway, it's been a few weeks, so I thought it'd be nice to catch up."
For people like them, people with powers that baffled mages and defied what little was known about magic, friends were few and far between. When they'd met, two frightened, lonely teenagers fending for themselves, they'd quickly become each other's family. Kate showed Doug her powers, which he was awed by. A few years later, he discovered his own powers. For a while, it had seemed like they could use their abilities to build real lives, but most people were frightened by them rather than enticed. So, they'd wound up surviving through more dishonorable means.
But even after weeks away, Kate felt more relaxed around her friend than she did around anyone else. She smiled, and said, "Well, I'm glad you wrote. Can we get something to eat, though? I'm starving." "Of course. There's plenty of vendors around here, so we can go find something," Doug suggested. She removed her cloak and tossed it over the chair. Lockheed leaped onto the bed, where he curled into a ball and began to doze. They left the room, making sure the door was locked behind them.
They wound through the chaos, passing humans, elves, dwarves and orcs alike. A blond woman in a black cloak brushed past Kate's shoulder, but she ignored it. The cart selling skewers smelled amazing, and they agreed to go there. It only took a few minutes to order and receive their food. Skewers in hand, they trekked back to the room.
Doug twisted the handle, and Kate almost dropped her food. "Stop!" she hissed. Doug froze, but frowned. "What?"
Kate held a finger up to her lips. "You locked the door, remember?" She saw the realization hit him. He murmured something she didn't understand under his breath, but she could tell it was some kind of curse.
Kate's hand drifted to the brand-new dagger on her belt. "Wait here," she whispered. "Maybe we just forgot to lock it, but I'll go in just in case." If there was anyone inside, they'd be expecting them to enter through the door. They'd still see Kate coming, but at least she'd have a slight element of surprise. Doug clenched his jaw and stared at the ground.
Gripping her dagger, Kate stepped through the wall. For the briefest moment she was completely surrounded by stone, and then she was standing in Doug's room. A woman lounged in the chair at the desk, and she rushed her. She only got a few feet before skidding to a stop, suddenly feeling completely calm. Why would she attack this woman? She was here to help her. There wasn't any danger. She sheathed her dagger.
"Doug, it's fine. You can come in."
She heard the door open behind her. "You know, I'm not completely useless. I can help-" Doug froze. "What the hell? Kate..." His voice trailed off. The woman smiled. "That's right. I'm not going to hurt you." Unease curled in Kate's chest, but it disappeared quickly, soothed by an outside force.
"Wait..." She frowned. "You're the woman who bumped into me. But how'd you get in here?" The woman stood, and Kate noticed she was wearing a white cloak instead of the black one from earlier. She crossed she small space between them and looked down at her. "Oh you're clever, aren't you, Katherine Pryde? Yes, you'll do just fine." She smiled down at her as if she was a child. "And that's none of your concern." No, of course not.
"I'm here to give you a job." She circled Kate and ignored Doug, who simply stared straight ahead. "There's a witch in Bareford, it's not far from here. She has something I want very much, a sword with certain powers. You're going to find it and bring it to me." Right, of course she would. The woman walked back to the desk and began to idly flip through the papers.
She shouldn't be doing that, should she?
"And don't worry, you'll be payed handsomely. Enough to retire and settle down like you've been thinking about. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Yes, yes it would be. But Kate wanted to tell Doug about that herself. How nice of this lady. Kate nodded, and it made her feel as if liquid was sloshing around in her head. The woman smiled again, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Excellent. I'll find you once you've finished," she said, striding towards the door. She paused for a moment and looked back at Kate over her shoulder. "Well, even if you don't, I'll still find you."
Part of Kate recognized it for the threat it was, and that part grew as the strange lady closed the door behind her and vanished from sight. Fear replaced what had moments ago been calm, and she began to panic. What on Earth had just happened? She'd been ready to fight, but then she'd just stopped. Why had she done that? Why would she be calm in a situation like that? And why the hell would she ever trust a stranger so easily?
Her head still felt muddled, but she managed to push past Doug and get to the door. She flung it open, but the woman was long gone. "Damn it," she hissed. She slammed the door, making sure it locked.
Doug sat on the bed, massaging his temple. Lockheed, who had slept through the intrusion, tugged playfully on his shirt. "What the-would you cut it out? What the hell was that?" Kate sat next to him. Her head was slowly starting to clear. Whatever that woman had done to her was wearing off quickly. Lockheed climbed into her lap and curled up on top on her legs. "How would I know...but you felt that too, right?" "What, you mean like that huil was my friend even though she'd just broken into my house?" "Yeah, exactly."
Now that her thoughts were once again her own, Kate felt exposed, as if she'd been completely naked. Whatever had been done to her head had allowed her to be read like a book. She hated how helpless it made her feel. She wrapped her arms around herself.
"It was like she was reading my mind," she said, more to herself than Doug. "Well, telepathy would make sense..." Doug trailed off. His mouth fell open in shock. "Vala, I'm an idiot." "What?" Kate asked, but he was already starting to explain, the words practically tumbling out of his mouth.
"That same woman was here...not even two weeks ago, I think. Not in here here, but here in Noplace. She was at a tavern. She started talking to me, which I didn't think was weird because people give me...uh, well, commissions in taverns all the time. But she started asking about you. And not Shadowcat, Kate. She knew your name."
Panic seized Kate's lungs, and her breath caught. This was very, very bad. If her name was out, she'd be easier to identify; easier to arrest. She swore shakily under her breath as Doug continued.
"I told her I had no clue who you were, but...I think she knew I was lying. No, she definitely knew. She gave me this smile like-like she'd cheated but still won. Vala, Kate, I'm so sorry."
Kate glared at him, temporarily forgetting her panic. "And you're just telling me this now?" she shouted, startling Lockheed. "What, you didn't think that maybe I'd like to know that my identity's been made?" Doug frowned, visibly hurt. "Oh, well you clearly didn't think I'd want to know that you're planning on leaving me down here!"
His words knocked the wind right out of her chest. Is that really what he thinks? She opened her mouth to protest; to tell him that no, she wasn't leaving him alone. He cut her off, saying, "Don't even bother. I heard what that woman said. She obviously is a telepath." Guilt tightened in Kate's chest, making it hard to breathe. "Look, I'm not-" "Save it. I understand, I really do." Doug huffed dryly. "That is my only ability. You want out, and that's fine. So when you see a way out, take it. I've just been slowing you down this whole time, anyway."
"Doug, you know that's not true."
"It is, though. You get to take jobs that actually pay you enough to live off of, but I couldn't even get this for myself." He gestured vaguely around the room. "You're always looking out for me, and it's holding you back."
Kate furrowed her brow. "You think I like stealing from people? I just got back from a job where I had to steal from a kid! A kid, Doug, he couldn't have been more than seventeen. It's awful, and I'm trying to keep you from having to do the same!" "I don't need you to protect me, I'm not a goddamn child!" She winced at his words, but sighed. Doug was right, and she knew it. "Look, I know that! I wanted to tell you, I really did. I just didn't know how to start, or what I'd even say." Doug's expression softened, and he took a deep breath to calm down. "I could tell there was something you wanted to talk about. You were acting sort of withdrawn and closed off, like there was something on your mind." Now it was his turn to sigh. "And by the way, I didn't even remember seeing that woman until I saw her again today. She was definitely screwing with my memory."
Ashamed, Kate looked down and started plucking at the thin blanket covering the bed. "God, I'm so sorry. That was horrible of me. I'd never want to leave you here, I swear. I'll take a few more jobs, and then we can-" "Kate, you're doing it again." She groaned. "You're right, I just...I don't want you to still be stuck in this life when I get out." He pulled her into a hug. "I know, and I appreciate it. But I'm doing fine, I really am. In fact," he pulled away, and she could see the excitement in his eyes. "I've found a job. A real job. It doesn't pay much, but...it's something."
They were both smiling now. "That's great!" Kate exclaimed, hugging him again. "What is it?" "I'll be translating for an expedition going north next month. They aren't sure what languages will be spoken there, so they wanted someone who could understand almost anything. I applied, and I got it.
"Um, speaking of jobs," Doug said, his expression turning wary, "what are you going to do?" The joy faded, and Kate bit her lip. She thought about how the strange woman had blatantly threatened her. While she usually wouldn't let a client get away with that, she doubted there was much she could do against a telepath. She'd found her before, and could likely find her again. Besides, she had agreed to pay. Kate had stolen much more than swords, so how hard could it really be? Her options were to either take a simple job for an-albeit untrustworthy-client, or to risk making an enemy of a telepath.
Kate tasted blood, and realized she had broken the skin of her lip. "I'm going to take it," she decided.
Doug nodded. "I figured you would. You're all tense." Kate blinked. "What?" "Your body language practically screams 'I'm ready for a fight.''" She must have given him a strange look, because he frowned. "You know my power extends to body language, right?" "No? Oh my God, stop that, it's creepy." She shoved him playfully, and he fell back on the bed, laughing. As Doug threw the pillow at her, she phased so it passed right through and hit the far wall.
"Cheater."
"Nope, not after what you just pulled."
"Touché."
Lockheed dove at Doug, harmlessly nipping at his clothes and face. "Wait, not you too! Kate, call off your dragon!" She rolled her eyes. "Lockheed, c'mere," she said, and her flew over to her. "What, you can read people's body language, but you can't talk to dragons?" Doug propped himself up against the wall. "First of all, of course I can speak Draconic. I'm offended that you'd think I can't. And second, he only listens to you."
Kate let herself flop back at the foot of the bed and close her eyes, Lockheed settling on her stomach. For a moment, she let herself forget about the job and the unnerving encounter with the strange woman. She could deal with those tomorrow; right now she just wanted to rest. Everything would be alright, she told herself, though she didn't really believe it.