Chapter 6

The Rose's Thorns

Tshaya's dream had turned into a nightmare. The merchant had a hold of her arm, pulling her closer and closer to his wet lips and she was powerless against his strength. As she fought helplessly she looked at the merchant's face and watched as scars appeared across it. The next thing she knew she was staring into the face of Mario Veccini, who leered back at her with lust in his eyes.

"I will have you.", Mario hissed.

Tshaya awoke in her room with a start. She looked around. The door was still bolted and everything was exactly where she had put it. But she counted her money just to be sure and was relieved to find that it was all there. Then she gathered her stuff, everything that she owned, and left to find breakfast.

There were a few early risers in the tavern, the bard Tshaya played with for one, but not the merchant or his companions. Besides Damon and Tshaya, there were just two others in the tavern. They were tanned and looked strong for elves. Tshaya sat at a table as far away from Damon as possible and turned her back towards him.

A young elven girl came over to Tshaya to take her order. Tshaya was surprised for a moment when she saw her. The girl's nose looked exactly like hers and Tshaya was thankful that the girl didn't seem to notice the similarity. Tshaya looked closer at the girl. She was so young. She couldn't have been be more than fourteen. Tshaya wondered if she was another one of Adraiss' daughters, but she didn't want to ask around for fear that she would be found out.

"I heard that there are caravans that travel to Mal Erek.", Tshaya asked the girl. "Is this true?"

The girl nodded absently.

"Where can I find them?", Tshaya asked.

"Umm, there's one in town.", the girl said. "Maybe they're going that way."

"Where do they, um, depart from?", Tshaya inquired, hoping to get a better answer.

The girl scratched her head. "I think that they go from Mal Erek to Har Thelen and back. They stop here every two weeks or so."

"Okay.", Tshaya replied, knowing that she wouldn't get much more out of her. "So bring me whatever you have cooked for breakfast please."

The girl nodded and left. Damon yawned and took a sip of hot tea, trying to shake off the morning's grogginess. Shortly he downed the rest of it and made his way over to Tshaya's table. Tshaya cursed under her breath when she heard him coming. She needed to keep him at arm's length, so she decided to play dumb.

"Good morning.", Damon said brightly.

Tshaya smiled and spoke in broken Mordentish with a heavy Vistani accent, "Morning you too."

Damon grasped an empty chair and began to pull it out. "May I?", he asked.

Tshaya smiled and shrugged. So Damon took a seat.

"My name is Damon, by the way.", the bard said warmly. "Who are you?"

Tshaya placed her hand on her chest, as if to clarify what she was talking about, and spoke slowly, thinking each word. "Name me Tshaya.", she said.

The elven girl brought a plate of steaming breakfast to Tshaya. It smelled good. "On the house.", she said.
Tshaya smiled at the girl, then picked up her utensils and began to eat.

Damon leaned back in his chair. "You're quite a talented dancer, Tshaya.", he began. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone move quite like that."

Tshaya looked up at him quizzically as though she didn't understand a word he said. But Damon knew better. Her Mordentish had been very good last night.

Damon leaned over the table and whispered with a smile, "I've been a fool for beautiful women in the past, my dear, but you are going to have to try much harder than that."

Tshaya glared at him for a moment, then returned to eating. She dropped her act, and switched to treating him rudely. "What do you want?", she said, speaking in fluent Mordentish.

"My cut?", Damon said with a kind but firm smile.

Tshaya glared at him again. While chewing a mouthful of food she pulled several coins out of her belt pouch. She placed three crowns and three swords on the table in front of him. Dismissively she waved him away and resumed her meal. Damon drummed his fingers on the table.

"Like I said, a fool...", he muttered to himself in Vaasi and slid one of the crowns back to her. In Mordentish he said, "You did bring an audience."

Tshaya took the crown and returned it to her pouch. Reaching out she grabbed one sword. "And I didn't need you on stage either.", she replied.

Damon let her take the coin and was about to say something when a loud voice sounded from the door.

"Is it Iron Warden again?", the rich merchant from the previous evening said loudly. "How I dread this awful little town."

Tshaya looked up to see who was talking. The merchant looked around the tavern and spied Tshaya.

"Ah, there she is.", Silas said with a glint in his eye. "The woman who looks like an angel...and dances like the devil."

Silas' elven companion smiled at Tshaya and the half-elf scowled again. They followed behind as the merchant made his way to Tshaya's table.

Tshaya spoke a curse in Vistani and looked down at her plate muttering, "Don't say anything."

Then Tshaya continued eating, looking at her plate. She wondered why she was always popular with the wrong people. Damon pocketed the remaining coins as the merchant approached.

"I can't wait for your show tonight.", the merchant said with a grin. "Your special show."

Tshaya looked up at him quizzically as if she didn't understand him.

"You could be big in Mal Erek you know.", the merchant continued. "If you only knew the right people."

Tshaya shook her head and pointed to herself. "No, no...Tshaya.", she said in broken Mordentish. "No Mel Arek."

"She doesn't speak Mordentish.", the half-elf sneered.

"No, no Murdontish.", Tshaya answered. "Vistani. Tshaya Vistani."

"I know a few places in Mal Erek.", David spoke up. "The Silvered Gryphon was probably my favorite. There was a waitress there who could..." His voice trailed off and got a distant, happy look for a moment.

"Bah.", the merchant said. "Everyone knows that the action is at the Old Oak." Then Silas looked down at Tshaya. "But only I could get you in there.", he added.

"Oh they finally finished it? Took them long enough.", Damon interjected. "It wasn't more than a stack of wood when I last passed through."

"My dear, this man should not be your guide.", the merchant said to Tshaya. "Come with me and I will make you rich."

Tshaya squinted and looked at the merchant, pretending not to understand a word that he said. Damon smirked, knowing just how the merchant intended to go about making Tshaya rich.

The merchant looked at Tshaya's confusion then said slowly, "You.", he said pointing at her. "Dance.", he said doing a sloppy little jig. "For...", then he jingled the money pouch on his belt.

Tshaya looked to Damon and spoke Vistani as if he understood her. "Tell that fat pig that I'm not one of his whores.", she hissed.

Damon didn't speak Vistani, but he got the message.

"Ah. Hmm." Damon looked up at the merchant. "She politely declines your most generous offer."

The half-elf smiled. "She isn't THAT good.", she sneered.

Tshaya ignored her and Damon grinned at the half-elf consort. "The crowd seemed to disagree.", he countered.

"I've never known a Vistani to turn down money before.", the merchant sighed. "Oh, where are my manners." The merchant held out a hand to Damon. "Silas Erekholm. Seller of fine cloth and jewelry."

Hearing the merchant's last name nearly made Tshaya drop her act, but she kept her head down and tried her best to stay aloof. Her mind whirled. Was Silas her uncle? Her grandfather? Were they related at all? The thought sickened her.

Damon shook the merchant's hand. "Damon Hazelgrove.", he replied.

"It's a pleasure.", Silas said. "You play wonderfully. Perhaps you would consider my offer?"

"What exactly are we talking about here?", Damon asked.

"To play at the Old Oak.", Silas said warmly. "A shot at the big time. My caravan is heading that way. And we're due to leave in an hour. Although I can surely stay one more night to catch another show."

Damon laughed. "The big time.", he'd said as if he'd heard it all before. "Well that is a tempting offer."

"They don't have a shot.", the half-elf sneered.

"I would need a little time to consider.", Damon replied. "And perhaps one more show might put any doubting minds to rest."

"Do consider it.", Silas replied. Then he took his two companions to a nearby table and sat down facing Tshaya.

Tshaya made idle chatter in Vistani to Damon as she finished her breakfast.

"Care to find a place to speak in private so I can actually understand what you're saying?", Damon spoke low so as to not be overheard.

Tshaya finished eating and got up to leave the tavern. Damon followed close behind, having to hurry to keep up. The Vistani walked out onto the street and glanced back to make sure that they weren't followed. When she was sure that the coast was clear, she spoke low to Damon

"I'm not going to Mal Erek with that whoremonger.", she hissed.

"Well, would you consider coming with me instead?", Damon said, seizing the opportunity.

The wheels started to turn in Tshaya's head. She needed to get to Mal Erek and she couldn't risk going alone. But if she was going to agree with the gaje, she was going to need to get a few things straight with him.

"To Mal Erek, that is. It is a good offer.", Tshaya replied. "The Oak could mean a lot of money for both of us. But if I am not going to sleep with the fat merchant, what makes you think I will sleep with a poor bard?"

"I don't recall asking you to sleep with me.", Damon said, slightly offended.

"Your eyes asked.", Tshaya replied. "Besides, that's all you gaje men think about."

In a tone of false indignance Damon fired back. "My eyes appreciate beauty when they see it.", he answered. Then he softened his tone. "And that's not entirely true. We think about many things, like umm, and err, and, many things."

Tshaya thought for a moment. She had made up her mind, but she wanted Damon to think that she didn't need him. "Okay, I'll go with you to Mal Erek and I'll perform at the Old Oak.", she finally agreed.

Damon smiled. Then Tshaya whispered a few magic words and added, "But, you have to keep your hands and anything else to yourself."

Damon stepped in front of her and stopped. The spell took effect and he was bound to her command. But Damon didn't realize that he'd been bespelled, instead he merely realized that she was right. "I would not force you into anything you didn't want and I wouldn't let anyone else do so either.", he said nobly.

Tshaya looked at him as if she'd heard that one a million times before. "Okay, but let's go now.", she replied. "I don't want to associate with that pig."

Damon took a step back and held up his hands. "As you like.", he said. "We can probably do better on our own without having to cut him in anyway."

"Good.  Now let's find a caravan to travel with.", Tshaya said, turning away from Damon and walking away, looking around her for signs of wagons.

"May I ask you something?", Damon asked.

"Of course, you can ask me anything you like.", Tshaya replied with an air that seemed to say, "But I'm only going to answer you if I want to."

"Why are you here?", Damon asked. "I've never known Vistani to travel alone. Or to associate with uh, how did you put it? Gaje?"

"I am here because I am here.", Tshaya answered. "I am not alone because you are here. And I am associating with gaje because there are no Vistani here."

Damon grinned at her evasive answers and figured that it was time to take her down a notch. He looked sidelong at her. "You aren't a full-blood are you?", he said.

Tshaya stopped in her tracks. She was getting annoyed by people being able to see that she wasn't a full Vistani. But then, it was Sithicus, and she figured that people there would be able to tell that she was part elven easier than the humans in surrounding lands. "You are very nosy for a gaje.", she answered.

"You feel like a mystery.", Damon replied, feeling like he was finally getting somewhere. "I like mysteries."

"I am not something to be solved.", Tshaya said curtly and walked off towards the market.

Damon blinked and shook his head. He'd been shot down again. But he wasn't going to let that keep him from trying. Quickly he caught up to her.

"I can respect that.", Damon said. "When do you want to do a rehearsal?"

"Rehearsal?", Tshaya said the word as if she'd never heard it before.

"Practice.", Damon replied. "We can play it by ear for the simple townsfolk, but in Mal Erek they will expect more."

"That sounds like work.", Tshaya said looking rather confused.

Damon grinned and recited what his old instructor used to say, "How do you get to Harmonic Hall?"

"Never heard of it.", Tshaya snapped back before Damon could hit her with the punch line.

Damon smiled and shrugged it off. "You see? It's a good thing we met.", he said, recovering quickly. "There's a lot you need to learn."

"I know I have much to learn.", Tshaya said as she smiled and leaned close as if to kiss Damon. "But, nothing from you."

Damon had been shot down twice in a row. That was unusual for him. He decided against making a third attempt so soon and let Tshaya take the lead. Tshaya grinned on the inside, happy that she could string Damon along while giving him nothing. She began to feel confident that she could make the journey to Mal Erek in the presence of gaje.

Tshaya asked around town about caravans. She learned that there was only one in town, Silas' caravan, and that it might be a few weeks before another one came through headed for Mal Erek.

"It appears that we will either have to travel with the pig or travel on our own.", Tshaya conceded, laughing and walking to the caravan.

Damon chuckled in spite of himself and kept pace.

The two tanned elves that Tshaya noticed in the tavern were busy preparing the caravan for departure. There were four wagons. One was a fancy one for Silas. One was for goods. And the other two were plain ones for the hired help and their supplies.

Tshaya muttered to Damon as they approached.  "Now I have to play the dumb Vistani girl for a week.", she hissed.

Damon looked at her confused. "Play?", he replied. He smiled at being able to zing the girl back for once.

Tshaya said something to him in Vistani. She waited for a moment for his reaction and didn't get one. Then she said in Mordentish, "Now who is the dumb one?"

"I don't know what you said but I'm sure if I did I would have a suitably scathing reply.", Damon answered.

Tshaya smiled and lifted her eyebrows. "See? Dumb.", she answered. "Now go tell them that we've reconsidered the fat pig's offer."

Damon bowed with a flourish. "Shall I use those precise terms, then?", he replied.

"If that's all you can think of.", Tshaya retorted.

Shot down again. Damon couldn't believe it. He shook his head and went over to the elves. Silas was overjoyed when he heard the news.

"We shall leave at once then!", the large elven merchant declared.

And like they had been that morning and the night before, the elf-woman was happy, the half-elf was not, and Tshaya played the dumb Vistani girl.

Silas made new arrangements. "The dancer is to have her own wagon.", he ordered. "And the rest of you will crowd into the last one."

The men grumbled and groaned, but they obeyed. The two workers and four armed men piled into the last wagon.

Tshaya pointed at Damon. "With me." she said to Silas.

"As you wish my dear.", Silas replied.

Tshaya smiled and loaded her stuff into the wagon. Damon winked at the merchant with a sly grin as he passed by and climbed in after Tshaya. He was trying to imply that Tshaya was his and that Silas had no chance with her, but Silas would not be so easily turned away. Silas also took a number of pillows out of his lead wagon and put them in Tshaya's wagon for her to be comfortable on.

Tshaya smiled at Silas as she took the pillows. "Thank you.", she said in butchered Mordentish.

"You will dance for me tonight, right?", Silas said with a lecherous grin.

Tshaya looked to Damon and acted confused.

"I'm afraid my companion is quite tired. She'll need her rest if we're to be ready for the...big time.", Damon said, uttering the last two words with a hint of a scoff.

Tshaya smiled and nodded at Silas. "Beeg time.", she added.

Silas pulled Damon aside. "She's not your daughter?", Silas asked.

Damon laughed but the words stung a little. He was certainly old enough to be. "Gods no!", he answered.

"Your wife?", Silas continued.

Tshaya had to look away so that no one could see her bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"No.", Damon answered, hoping that Silas would catch his drift.

"Is she...", Silas began, lowering his voice. "Still a...still pure?"

Damon looked from the merchant to Tshaya. Tshaya blurted out a Vistani curse but then played it off as if she had stubbed her toe.

Damon looked between the two a second time. He decided to make Tshaya squirm. "As freshly driven snow.", he answered.

Silas grinned from ear to ear, giving Tshaya a long lustful look. He turned back to Damon. "As driven snow.", he said, then left for his wagon.

"Fucking pig.", Tshaya spat. "And why didn't you tell him I was your sister or something?"

"I'm a dumb gaje, remember?", Damon answered.

"Dumber than I thought. Now the pig will be offering to buy my virginity.", Tshaya moaned

"Besides, who would believe that we were related?", Damon replied. "I'm no Vistani and no elf, either."

"Bah. You could have come up with something.", Tshaya answered, but she couldn't come up with anything good either.

"And so long as he's interested in you, we'll be able to take him for whatever we can get.", Damon said, trying to appeal to Tshaya's greedy side.

"I could have done that before.", Tshaya replied.

Damon grinned. "Ah, but now you have my help.", he answered, disappointed that he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Oh yes. Thanks to your help, I now have a pig of a whoremonger counting his coins to see how much he can pay you for my virginity.", Tshaya hissed at him. "Or perhaps he's just planning with his armed guards on how they can rape me."

Then Tshaya said something obviously vile in Vistani and muttered, "Fool. Never trust a gaje." But even though she said it to Damon it seemed like she had been talking to herself as well.

Damon's flippant demeanor slipped at the mention of rape. His mind drifted back to the reason he'd returned to Sithicus. He changed the subject. "I'm sorry if I offended you before.", he said apologetically.

"Before what?", Tshaya asked.

"The 'full-blood' question. It was out of line.", Damon replied. "It's just that I know elves and you have their look."

"My look is none of your concern.", Tshaya hissed.

Damon sighed and sat down against the side of the wagon. He had encountered many women in his years but this girl was turning out to be one of the most difficult to deal with. It seemed like everything he said ended up being the wrong thing. He began to tune his lute while Tshaya laid back on some of the pillows and waited for the caravan to get moving.

Silas whistled to his horses and the caravan slowly worked its way north out of town. After a few hours Damon was convinced that the caravan should have been going faster. He climbed out and sat next to the driver.

After a some idle chatter Damon asked, "What's the hold up?"

The driver shrugged. "Don't know.", he grumbled. Damon frowned.

In the late afternoon the wagon train reached the Widow's Tears river and turned west. Silas' elf companion hopped out of the lead wagon and made her way to Damon and Tshaya's wagon. She climbed up to sit next to the bard and smiled at him. Damon made room for her.

"Good afternoon, my Lady.", Damon said.

"Yeah.", the elf said with a laugh. Her eyes sparkled when she talked. "Damon, right?"

Damon noted her less than formal manner of speech and matched it. "Yes. I don't think caught your name though.", he inquired.

"Jayeis.", the elf replied. "You're really good."

"Well, I can carry a tune.", Damon said modestly.

"And you too.", Jayeis said, turning to look at Tshaya. "Don't listen to what Arren says. You were great."

Tshaya gave the elf a confused look.

"You've got Silas really turned on.", Jayeis added. "He can't talk about anything else."

Tshaya looked to Damon again and shrugged as though she didn't understand.

"She's not from around here.", Damon explained.

"Yeah.", Jayeis replied. "Vistani."

Tshaya spoke to the elf in Vistani. "Do you speak my language?", she asked.

Jayeis turned to Tshaya and smiled warmly. She did, and she had Tshaya all figured out too, but she didn't let on at all. That was her way.

"You could be his wife if you wanted.", Jayeis said to her in Mordentish.

Tshaya shrugged and continued her pretense of ignorance.

Not wanting Tshaya to hear, Damon spoke to the elf-woman in Sithican. "Is he the sort that will take no for an answer?", he asked.

"No.", Jayeis said back in Mordentish, laughing. "But he's a big pushover."

Switching back to Mordentish Damon asked, "How'd you end up with him?"

"It's a good gig.", Jayeis said. "I could do a lot worse."

"You could do a lot better.", Damon countered.

"Yeah, maybe.", Jayeis answered. "Where are you headed?"

Damon nodded ahead. "That way.", he replied with a grin.

"Yeah, that way's good.", Jayeis laughed.

"But really, to Mal Erek at the moment. After that..." He glanced back at Tshaya. "...who knows?"

"Got a thing for her?", Jayeis said, looking into Damon's eyes.

"That's not your concern.", Damon replied, a little offended.

Jayeis just smiled back and nodded.

Damon looked at Jayeis. "Where are you headed?", he asked.

"Anywhere that I haven't been already.", the elf answered.

"And where's that?", Damon wondered.

"I hear that Richemulot is nice in the summer.", Jayeis said.

"Indeed it is." Damon frowned "We'd be getting near there much quicker if this caravan weren't moving at a crawl."

"Yeah.", Jayeis said casually. "When Silas wants something, he goes after it."

Damon looked at her, a bit confused. "What?", was all that he could say.

"It usually takes three days.", Jayeis explained. "But Silas wants more time to be with her." She nodded back towards Tshaya.

Damon glanced back into the wagon. Tshaya had gone to sleep. He continued to talk to the elven consort in her own language. "I don't think your Silas knows what he's getting into.", he said, speaking from experience.

"Yeah, but he doesn't care.", Jayeis replied. "He'll try something and she'll curse him and then we'll get to Mal Erek faster."

Damon gave Jayeis a curious look. "You don't sound too concerned.", he said.

Jayeis laughed. "I used to travel with a Vistani clan for a while.", she replied. "I know how they work."

"Really?", Damon answered. "They don't often let foreigners travel with them unless there's something in it for them."

Damon knew about that. One of the things that he'd always wanted to do was to travel with a kumpania and learn their music. But whenever he had asked the Vistani just laughed and flatly refused him.

"They're not all so bad like that.", Jayeis said. "But yeah, they like their privacy."

"Well, I hope she can convince him to get us moving soon.", Damon grumbled. "Three days of camping on the road is bad enough. I would much rather be in a warm bed than out in the middle of the woods."

"Yeah.", Jayeis replied. "But at least it's Sithicus."

Damon began to sing softly in Vaasi, a drifting melody to fit the scenery. As evening approached, Silas circled the wagons and made camp. Tshaya refused come out for dinner and instead had Damon bring her plate to her. Silas asked Damon to ask her to dance but Damon explained that she was too tired from the day's travel. Silas was disappointed but optimistically looked forward to the next night. When night fell Damon slept next to the guards and kept an eye on Tshaya's wagon, but nothing happened. Much to Damon's relief, Silas, and everyone else, kept their distance.