II. Missing Magician
The ‘Dragon and the Maiden Fair’ always ended on a long note and Hawke figured he’d carried it well, even as it burned his throat. Worth it, though. His voice coiled across the room with ease, settling around it like a blanket. The little girl was all smiles. His cup was absolutely full of coin. The drunk and sober were absolutely happy with his rendition. Good night, all around.
As he was gathering the coin filled cup, a very handsome traveler with golden eyelashes caught his arm and wanted to see this gallant bard for a private session. Maybe without clothes. Hawke certainly couldn’t say no—not to those pretty eyes.
“Yes, yes,” Hawke insisted as he led his new acquaintance by the arm to his forlorn table. “I just need to let my friend know.” It earned him a kiss on the cheek and Pretty Eyes took Hawke’s seat at the table. “He’s just on the balcony—I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t keep me waiting long,” Pretty Eyes said, batting their pretty eyelashes at him. “Maybe your friend”—they stretched the word playfully—”would like to join us. If you know what I mean?”
Hawke hated that imagining both of them, maybe on their knees, shot a very pleasurable reaction right through him. He quickly—very quickly—buried that desire. No mages. He’d already decided and he needed to keep that decision. Even if Vahn was flirty and far too cute for a mage.
“Just us, babe,” he insisted and took Pretty Eyes’ hand. He gently kissed it, prompting a soft smile on those pretty lips. “Be right back.”
Besides, one-on-one would let him focus more. It would be remiss of him to ignore Pretty Eyes here—shit, he needed to get their name somehow. At some point they must have said so, but Hawke had been too wrapped up in the magic in the room to remember it. As he went in search of Vahn, he tried to think of a way to get them to repeat it, but all those plans stopped one foot out past the doors.
The balcony was empty. The warmth stole out of Hawke and he desperately peered around.
“Vahn?” he called out, but no one answered. He strode over to the railing and turned to make sure Vahn wasn’t hiding anywhere else. He was gone. Hawke gazed into the valley below. All was silent there, but the question of why Vahn would have fallen nagged Hawke. Vahn hadn’t been that tipsy. Besides, he could probably magic himself back up.
But then where was he? All his things were still at the table—his coat, his magic bag, and both his book and notebook. More and more ceased adding up and sobered Hawke way too fast for his liking. Hawke didn’t like it. At all. His gut instinct got him this far and he wasn’t about to ignore it when it was telling him something was very, very wrong.
Especially when he noticed the crescent moon and teardrop crystal earring on the floor near the railing. Vahn always had a pair of them in his ears. Hawke gently picked it up and breathed out. Didn’t mean anything. Maybe. He drew his gaze over the valley and out toward where the pines thinned out for the road. Couldn’t quite see that far.
What he needed was more to go on.
He pocketed the earring and went back inside. No one was sitting near the balcony doors, so if there had been a commotion, no one would have heard it. Most of the crowd had been close to the hearth listening to him. Cursing, Hawke went back to his table, a hopeful Pretty Eyes smiling at his approach.
“So,” Hawke started and their smile dropped. “Sorry. My friend kinda went missing.”
“Not the worst rejection I’ve ever heard,” Pretty Eyes teased, a purr to their words.
“Seriously,” Hawke said. He sat in Vahn’s vacated seat and leaned forward. “While I was singing, actually, did you see him? He’s got blue hair. Can’t miss it.”
Pretty Eyes paused and gave it some thought, long nimble fingers drumming their chin. “Not since you started singing the ‘Dragon and the Maiden Fair’.” They tilted their head and lifted their gaze to the rest of the room. Their glances were sharp and quick before their eyes narrowed. “Hm… those two girls are gone too…”
Hawke raised his eyebrows. “What girls?”
“Non-descript, not old. Barely old enough to drink if at all, I’d wager,” Pretty Eyes said. “Saw them watching people, but just not you which was curious when you had every other eye completely captured. They were wearing bright clothes, but that’s all I really remember.” They gathered themself up and stood. “If anyone’s got info, I’m sure it’s them. Good luck, Mister Bard.” They bent over and gave Hawke a soft kiss on the lips before leaving with a swagger to their hips.
A swagger Hawke was willfully letting go as he assessed his situation. Missing Magician. All his items still at the table. No sign of where he’d gone. Likely he was missing and under duress. Two brightly clothed girls acting suspicious. If they were at the bar, maybe someone remembered seeing them. He shoved Vahn’s forlorn coat and books into his bag and marveled at the bag practically eating the items up, making them disappear. Hawke was never not going to be amazed with whatever sorcery Vahn managed to cobble together for this thing. One day maybe he’d get Vahn to tell him what all was inside.
He just had to find Vahn for that to be possible.
First, Hawke checked everywhere his honey voice could get him into just in case someone in the tavern was in on it. Most of the staff was happy to let him check, but he found Vahn nowhere on the premises. And while many remembered seeing him go out to the balcony, no one saw him come back in.
Hawke returned to the common room and panic was worming its way into his chest. He was taking too long just to find a clue. He drew his gaze over the room again, hoping for a sign, and noticed a couple sitting at the bar. They’d been there all night and he figured it was time to start asking the patrons. He sat on the stool beside them and studied them for a moment. Both were older ladies, skin weathered with time, but they held themselves proudly beneath their tunics and cloaks. Both had short hair, one red and one blonde, and if he had to guess, probably local.
“Hey!” he said, magic tickling out with the word. The women stopped chatting amongst themselves and gave him their undivided attention. “I’m missing something and you two have been here for about as long as I have: see anyone acting a little bit off?”
The closer woman, the one with the red hair, paused. “Well, you know… now that you mention it…” She drew her arms together in thought. “There were two girls up here looking around.”
All right, corroborating Pretty Eyes’ story was a good start. Hawke nodded, thoughtful, and urged the women for more before they got distracted. Another bard was belting a song out now, but that man could not hold a note to save his life. Harp play was on point, though, as his nimble fingers moved across the strings.
The blonde was nodding in agreement. “They seemed to be searching for something too. I tried to help them when we sat down, but they weren’t interested in listening.” She looked over Hawke’s head and toward the balcony. “Last I saw, they were going for the balcony. Haven’t seen them since, but it’s been pretty crowded in here with you singing like that. Maybe they slipped out.”
The bartender placed a glass at the counter, making Hawke flinch. The red head happily took it, drinking it down, but the bartender was giving Hawke a hard look. “Hey now,” he said. He was a burly man that Hawke was sure had thrown out his share of guests. Could give Diana a run for her money. “You talking about Mel and Mar? They’re Jake’s girls. Never mean to harm anyone.”
“Oh!” The blonde snapped her fingers. “That’s why they were familiar!” She smiled at Hawke, all earlier suspicion gone. “Jake’s a traveling stage magician. He always has these two twin girls with him. He does pyro tricks—pretty sure it’s actual magic—and they do little acrobatic stunts.”
“Damn good at acrobatics too.” The red head nodded sagely. “Weren’t they performing in the town square around lunchtime? I swore I saw their colorful caravan there, but I would have figured they would have left by now.”
“I wonder if they’re going up toward Westin Spire City?” The blonde gathered her glass for a drink and it was too evident they had forgotten Hawke was even there. “They were passing out fliers for a big show up there coming next week. Something about the troupe getting back together after going in all different directions?”
Their attention waned, turning to more focus on what kind of acts they’d think there’d be, but Hawke had heard enough. As he stood, the bartender settled a hand on his arm. It made him flinch again, forgetting the man had been watching him closely, and Hawke tried to give him an easy-going smile.
“You gonna give them trouble?”
Hawke placed a hand on his chest, huffing. “No, I’m just looking for a friend.” He forced a laugh next. “He likes stage shows like that. Probably left with them to get a good look at the caravan and just forgot what time it was.” The lie lilted off his tongue, hurried and quick, but the bartender bought it.
“Yeah, I can see that.” The bartender retrieved his hand and took one of the empty mugs from the women. “Their caravan’s this garish thing—bright colors and patterns. Can’t miss it on the road.” He gazed out toward the window and nodded. “They camp out a lot, so if you leave now, you might be able to catch up.”
The man suddenly stopped, eyes narrowed, and Hawke choked down the magic and left before the bartender said any more. Couldn’t get caught now spinning lies. Vahn probably needed his help.
Chances were, when Vahn left for the balcony, the girls simply followed him out. As for the why? Hawke wished he knew. Then, somehow, they must have tumbled over the railing—it would explain why no one had seen them since. If the girls were acrobats, then it stood to reason they could easily make their way down to the valley floor. Vahn, on the other hand…
No. Hawke shook it from his thoughts and headed out into the street. The sun was well below the tree-line by now, casting long rays of dusk across the sky. It’d be dark soon.
His gut told him those girls had Vahn and he trusted his gut. Westin Spire City was to the north and he hurried in its direction. Hopefully the bartender was right and they’d stopped somewhere along the road to camp.
What worried Hawke more was why they’d chosen Vahn at all.
🙡🙢
« PREV CHAPTER | ☉ | NEXT CHAPTER »