Gleeman's Tales Read online

  Cleo swallowed a lump. “Might I introduce, good sir, one Gnochi Gleeman, master bard,” Cleo said, fumbling for formality.

  “Gleeman?” The man’s voice roared through his store. “Gnochi Gleeman? The Gnochi Gleeman?”

  “The very same,” Gnochi replied.

  “Get over here and let me feel you up.”

  Gnochi closed the gap between himself and the burly shopkeeper. He reached out and grabbed the man’s calloused hand, pulling it up to his face.

  As the shopkeeper’s rough hand patted over Gnochi’s face, a smile broke out and split his own. “Well I’ll be damned. Gleeman,” his booming yell rattled Cleo’s ribs. “It’s good to see you friend.”

  “Likewise.” Gnochi hesitated, and then offered, “Oslow. It’s good to see you again.” The two men grasped hands.

  “Gnochi, how many times have I demanded that you call me Oo? The only people who know me as Oslow are Providence’s own tax collectors.”

  “Of course, the years have dulled my mind a bit on the intricacies of our friendship. How has business treated you, Oo? I see, you mule, that you persisted in using that tar in your practice even though it dulled your sight.”

  “You can sit and be all high and mighty on that mare of yours, but at least my leather’s stronger ‘an any other out there.”

  “Of course. I could never detract from the level of finesse taken to craft such beauteous and protective armor,” Gnochi affirmed.

  “I even use it on the missus here. She’s strong as ever,” Oslow claimed, tugging on his beard.

  “Looks like she’s a little longer than I last remember. And a wee heavier,” Gnochi said, tapping his elbow into the ribs of his friend.

  “Aye, gotta treat the missus well, so I keep her full of jewels. But enough of me and the missus. Tell me about the pretty lady you’ve got there,” Oslow said, reaching a hand out.

  “Ah, where are my manners? Cleo, dear, allow Oslow, err—Oo to get a feel of your face,” Gnochi instructed. She hesitated, then obeyed, guiding Oslow’s rough hand to her face.

  “Gnochi, is this that niece you’d been talking about?” Oslow asked, pulling his hand back from Cleo’s face.

  “Nay, my friend. This is Cleo, my apprentice. She is probably going to transcribe my stories as my eyes are closer than naught to yours,” Gnochi explained.

  “I didn’t take you for the teaching type, Gnochi,” Oslow’s eyes squinted. He leaned closer to where Gnochi stood. “Give me your forehead.”

  Gnochi leaned in and made an affirmative grunt.

  Oslow palmed Gnochi’s forehead, then brought his lips to Gnochi’s ear, the finite ends of the tanner’s mustache resting on Gnochi’s skin. “Is there somebody with an arrow trained on you forcing you to do this?”

  Cleo wasn’t sure if Oslow was attempting to whisper, or if his voice naturally carried.

  “Just say so and I’ll whip ‘em twice outta Mirr with my staff.”

  “No need, Oo. I actually do have an apprentice now, as scary as that seems.”

  “Ahem! Still here,” Cleo said, tapping her foot.

  “Yes, and we need to work on the logistics of proper apprentice etiquette still, Oo, if you couldn’t tell from my introduction,” Gnochi said.

  “I like her,” Oslow said, a grin splitting his face. “She’s got a bit of fire in her, just like you did at her age,” Oslow remarked. “So, what can I do for ya?”

  Gnochi blushed under his mentor’s observation and cleared his throat. “We need some armor, for Cleo.”

  “Well shite, if your apprentices are getting armor of this quality, I went into the wrong business.” Oslow laughed, then traced a finger over his palm for a few moments. “What’ll it be?”

  “Slim fit, inconspicuous, full set: torso, greaves, vambraces, and legs.”

  “That’ll be the usual payment.”

  “Oh, gems. Well let’s see here,” Gnochi said, fumbling with his coin purse. “You sure I can’t tempt you with some gold pence?”

  “You know the bargain, Gnochi. Gems only. That’s all the missus will take.” Oslow answered.

  Gnochi placed his pack on the ground and sorted through it, running one hand through his hair.

  Cleo left the room and heading back to Perogie, who stood tethered to a post outside. She returned a minute later with the sapphire necklace dangling from her clasped hand. She hissed at Gnochi tossing him the pendant.

  He mouthed to her: You sure?

  She mouthed back: Yes, don’t be stupid.

  “How about this, Oo?” Gnochi handed the sapphire pendant to the tanner.

  Oslow held it up to his cloudy eyes and glared at it. The deep blue from the gem flushed his face with color. He placed it under his nose and sucked air in. He even dragged his tongue across its cool surface.

  “This sapphire. It’s way more valuable than my services to you. It’s more valuable than all of my services to you combined, and likely for the rest of your life, young man,” Oslow said, his voice quiet. “I simply cannot accept this.”

  Gnochi’s head snapped to look at Cleo, his eyes asking the question his mouth would not form. She nodded.

  “Maybe I could get my armor repaired, some more packs, and we could get some new clothes? You still tailor as well, yes?” Gnochi added as an afterthought. “Cleo needs some clothes fitted to her small frame. It’s all we have to offer I’m afraid.”

  “It carries immense value. I want you to know that you will be losing a fortune no matter how many holes I repair in your socks.”

  “Think of it as a token of our longstanding friendship, and for the quality of goods that put your eyes to their death,” Gnochi said, grabbing Oslow’s hand.

  “Only for you. Of course, I’ll need to take measurements and I’ll need your armor to make the necessary repairs. I noticed you weren’t wearing your vambs. Did you lose them?”

  “I don’t know, but I will need new greaves and legs too. Only wearing the torso,” Gnochi admitted.

  “That’s fine. I’ll get started right after I introduce this beauty to the missus,” he said admiring the deep blue stone. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as if waiting for something. “I’ll need Cleo in her small clothes to get accurate measures,” he said. “Gnochi, come with me to my back room so the lady doesn’t feel watched.”

  ◆◆◆

  Gnochi allowed Oslow to lead him into one of the back rooms. He watched as the tanner found his bearings in the room by tapping with the staff. The entire time, his free hand refused to let up on its grip on the necklace. As the door clicked shut, Oslow turned to Gnochi and gave him a stern look.

  “You know that I have a way with people,” Oslow said. “That girl is special, Gnochi. You know what I mean.” Oslow’s eyes roving over his face as though expecting a response and searching for a facial expression. When Gnochi failed to speak, the tanner retreated to a cabinet and removed a small needle tool, a mallet and a ceramic jar. He busied himself, gingerly removing the gem from its necklace and placing it within the arms of a vice. “Don’t tell anyone I’ve got one of these. The folks are already scared because of the Luddites.”

  “Is that why this place is deserted? What happened?” Gnochi watched Oslow line the needle tool with the top of the gem. He leveled the mallet over the top of the tool and practiced lowering it a few times.

  “Fire,” Oslow said, slamming the hammer down. The needle tool buried itself half way through the gem. “In Pike’s Cathedral. The cathedral itself. Carrier pigeon arrived yesterday saying that a fire destroyed the cathedral and killed a pair of the folks inside. Town believes that the local Luddite group was responsible. No proof, of course. And fear’s the only thing that spreads quicker ‘an fire. Some of the townsfolk went off to see if they could be of service, being the good Mirranese we are. Others have been hiding out in the woods or in cabins outside of the town for fear of the Luddites coming here. Don’t worry, though. Mirr’ll be back to her old self in a few days.” He slammed the mal
let down again, this time the needle tool broke through the other end of the gem. He held it up so Gnochi could see through the hole.

  “Hmm, I guess we’ll have to be careful if there’s a Luddite presence in the area.”

  “About being careful. Gnochi, what’s between you and the girl?”

  Gnochi was taken aback by his friend’s abrupt remark. “Nothing intimate, if that’s what you’re thinking. Why?”

  “I didn’t want to say anything back there, but I’m not stupid, nor am I deaf. I know it was her amulet, and I felt her face. Pristine doesn’t accurately qualify in describing that girl’s features. She’s probably not worked a day in her life. And to have a gem of that wealth. Gnochi, did you kidnap a princess?”

  Gnochi laughed. Not because of the sickening feeling that squeezed his gut, but because he had been wondering the same thing lately. “No, I promise.”

  “Well, regardless of who she is, someone is going to be looking for her. You’d best keep that in mind as you get closer to the capital. There are lots of loose eyes and ears in the big cities.” Oslow dipped his fingers in the ceramic jar and coated a few of his beard hairs with the tar extracted. He then twirled a few hairs into one line and worked it through the gem’s new hole. Finally, he tied the hairs off creating a loop and locking the gem into his beard. “Hope you like it, Missus,” he said to himself.

  “What would you suggest?”

  “Well, cut the girl’s hair, change her appearance a bit. She’s young enough that as a lad, she could still be without her beard. I haven’t felt her chest, so I can’t say if it’ll be easy to make her into a boy, but her features and voice are neutral. I’d say that’s your safest bet.”

  Gnochi nodded, seeing the value in such a disguise.

  “Do me a favor,” Oslow said as he grabbed a measuring spool and a pair of scissors.

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t tell her it was my idea. I don’t want her to resent me—because well, I need a pretty face to speak at my funeral,” he said, his smile beaming. Oslow exited back into the storefront. Gnochi faintly heard him say, “Alright now, Miss Sapphire, I hope you don’t mind my calling you that,”

  Gnochi smiled, shaking his head. He sunk into a nearby chair thinking of how he could broach the subject to Cleo without marring their friendship. He mused on the predicament for a minute but was interrupted by Oslow’s loud yell and something in the storefront crashing to the ground.

  He rushed out into the store.

  Oslow was picking himself up off the floor, fumbling with his staff. Cleo looked shocked and scared, her bare pale arms encircled her chest making her as small as possible.

  Gnochi cursed himself for not realizing that she might be scarred from the mugger. “Oo, I’m so sorry,” he said. “We were attacked a week ago. It’s the reason for our getting armor, but it may have left Cleo a little scarred.”

  “Oh, that’s quite alright. Everyone has their demons. Miss Cleo, if you still want the armor, I could have Gnochi measure you.”

  Cleo nodded.

  “I’ll do it, thanks Oo,” he agreed, offering a hand to Oslow.

  “Your measurements need to be precise, one hair off, and the fit will not live up to my standards.”

  Gnochi assented with a slight grunt. He accompanied the blind tanner to the back counter.

  “She’s sitting on a tempest of turmoil,” Oslow whispered. “I only touched her neck before she pushed me away. Be careful, Gnochi.”

  “I am,” he whispered back.

  Chapter 11

  Gnochi woke unrested with a crick in his neck and, for the seventh time in the past week, the added weight of Cleo’s head resting on his arm. He had told her on the third morning that she needed to stay in her own sleeping area, but that night, sleeping separate, she awoke, screaming and would not be pacified until he wrapped his arms around her and lulled her to sleep. He stopped implying that she should sleep alone in hopes that she would outgrow her crutch for nocturnal companionship over time.

  Gnochi slid himself out from under the lone blanket’s embrace and padded to the inn’s only washroom. He realized after his conversation with Oslow that he would also have to alter his appearance in addition to changing Cleo’s. He snipped away at his messy hair, then, satisfied, tackled his unkempt beard. Half an hour later, he stepped back and splashed cool water onto his beardless face, noting with a grin how young he looked. He walked back to their shared room, easing the door open and had only crested the room when Cleo tackled him to the floor, pinning his bare neck with his own hunting knife.

  Gnochi eased air into his lungs, cautious not to stretch his throat. He saw the light of recognition dawn in Cleo’s slate-grey eyes. “Morning,” he croaked, eying the blade kissing his neck.

  “Gnochi? You shaved!” Cleo sat back on Gnochi’s stomach forcing his pent breath out.

  He grunted. “Yes, and if you would, I think we need to talk.” Gnochi sat up, rubbing his neck where the knife had rested. “Cleo, this might sound abrupt, but I think you should disguise yourself from here on out.”

  “What? Why?” She frowned.

  “Well, you’ve yet to talk about where you came from, so I have to assume you stole that necklace. If it’s as valuable as Oslow says, then someone is looking for it, and thereby looking for you. And considering the two fights I’ve had to get into, it would just be easier—”

  “What? If I were a boy?” Her tone felt as sharp as the blade at his throat. “Why should I have to deny my true self? Because you want to sleep a little easier at night?”

  “That’s not why—”

  “That’s exactly it. You figure if I looked like a boy, then we won’t run into any trouble from muggers, and people will stop throwing snide comments your way. I thought you didn’t care what people said, Gnochi.”

  “I’m only offering this to protect you.”

  Cleo glared at Gnochi.

  He imagined she was used to hearing that excuse before, judging from the fire behind her eyes. “I’ve already failed.” He said, allowing his head to fall to the wood floorboard. “I already failed to protect you.” Without pause, he spoke the words that clouded his mind. “I couldn’t protect the only family I have, and now they’re in danger. And now I have you and I’ve already failed to protect you.” Upon vocalizing his failure, the instructions that Jackal had drilled into his head during his captivity flooded his mind.

  ‘Do not let anyone touch this amulet,’ they had warned. ‘Do not let anyone see this amulet. We will know, and your family will pay the price for your insolence.’

  “Gnochi, I didn’t know.” Cleo’s voice pulled him back from his patchy memory.

  “Of course you didn’t!”

  Cleo recoiled, a frown pricking her face.

  “Because I didn’t tell you. Because I don’t know for sure,” he said, shaking his head in confusion. His momentary anger drained from his eyes. “The whole thing is a haze in my mind.”

  “What happened?”

  “No. I’m not going into this now.”

  “Well, I’m not going to hide who I am to make your life a little more convenient. And if you’re not okay with that, then maybe we should part ways.”

  A small hand squeezed Gnochi’s heart tight. “You’re doing a fine enough job hiding who you are.” Gnochi’s voice sounded faint. His words, however quiet, came tumbling from his mouth without filter. “Who are you, Cleo? A young woman. That’s all I know about you besides what you look like.” She looked ready to speak, but he continued before she could say anything. “You’ve been traveling with me for a few weeks but have yet to ask me where I’m going or why I’m going there. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that you have nothing: no plans, no goals, no motivation, and clearly no idea of the world’s true colors.”

  “I may not be accustomed to the world’s underbelly, and I might be a little new to living off the land, but you haven’t exactly been forthcoming about things either.” Cleo blew the h
air from her eyes as she stood. “I’m going to get our supplies from Oslow.”

  ◆◆◆

  She stormed out of the inn, grabbing Perogie’s reins and leading the mare through town to Oslow’s storefront. Along the way, Cleo grumbled aloud. “I don’t know how you can stand that man. I want to strangle him.” She imagined the mare giving her a sympathetic nod, then she tethered the horse to a post, entered the shop and rang the bell at the front calling out: “Hey Oo, it’s Cleo. Sapphire. I’m here to pick up the order for Gnochi and me.”

  “I’ll be right out,” Oslow called from the back room. “It should be in a bundle on the counter.”

  Cleo spotted the bundle and leafed through its contents finding clothes her size wrapped together on top of a deep brown leather armor set. As she lifted up the torso armor piece, the store’s dim light caught on something emblazoned on the shoulder strap. She let out a slight gasp.

  “I hope that means you like everything,” Oslow said, inching to the counter.

  “I don’t know if calling it beautiful will be doing it justice,” she said, shocked. “This, emblazon on the shoulder. It’s beautiful.”

  “I figured since you are Gnochi’s apprentice, you wouldn’t mind his coat on there, but if you’d like, I can—”

  “No! I mean, you don’t have to. It’s fine.”

  Oslow smiled at her outburst. “You’ve been awfully quiet, Gnochi. I made mends to your armor in there, too. Plus, I’ve got you started with the rest of the fixin’s.” Cleo turned around expecting to see Gnochi’s silhouette against the bright morning sun. She hoped to see a forgiving smile strewn across his freshly shaven face, but he was not there. In that moment, she remembered Oslow’s sight.

  “Oo, it’s just me. Gnochi and I got into a fight.”

  “He off grumbling somewhere?”

  “Probably,” Cleo said, huffing in frustration. “I don’t get it, Oo. He expects me to be an open book for him, but he won’t tell me a thing. I don’t know an ounce about him, let alone what his plan is right now. He wants me to look like a boy so we avoid the perverts and the jokesters. It seems like he has ulterior motives if you ask me. Maybe he’d just rather have a boy around than me.”