The Maker's Brush by David Alastair Hayden

Author:David Alastair Hayden [Hayden, David Alastair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Typing Cat Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Iniru climbed to the top of the garden wall and, with a sharp scan of the area, analyzed the route to the Kobarai Estate, envisioning what lay beyond her range of sight. Memorizing in intricate detail the city’s layout on her first day here would now pay off — her mother would be so proud.

Darkness lay across the city, punctuated by streetlamps and candlelit windows. With her hyper-sensitive k’chasan ears and nose alert, Iniru closed her eyes and took a deep breath … dozens of floral scents (the Chonda loved lavish gardens) … the reek of humanity (the odor was fainter here than in other cities) … meat and vegetables steamed and baked and kissed by flame … bats and birds aflutter … the drone of cicadas and the croak of frogs in the many ponds … distant mutterings of people going about their peaceful evening lives … broken by one couple’s fussing over the quality of the rare salmon steak served at dinner.

She took it all in. And then she blocked it all out.

Her mother’s voice came to mind.

Dart from shadow to shadow … speed and caution … avoid the streetlamps, they are the enemy … a random child staring from a random window is just as dangerous as a guard on duty, the world is full of eyes … focus, but do not think … as the bats squeak but no one pays attention, be at one with your surroundings.

Iniru released her breath and leapt off the garden wall. She darted to the first shadow and then on padded bare feet, she ran with a speed only another k’chasan could match. In a thousand heartbeats — or one single exhilarating thump — she sped past the great houses of the Copper Ward and the even greater estates of the Jade Ward and raced up to the last estate before the street wound uphill to the palace.

A patrolling guard turned a corner. She flexed the extra muscles in her hands and feet that only k’chasans possessed, and claws popped out from beneath her fingernails and toenails. Using these, she climbed up the garden wall and peeked into the back gardens of the Kobarai Estate. A dense stand of bamboo screened this section near the wall from the rest of the gardens — clearly, security wasn’t a major concern. Iniru scrambled over the top and dropped in behind the bamboo. A smile spread across her face and soaked deep into her heart. This thrill and danger that a k’chasan qengai embraced: this was what she loved most of all.

With a silent laugh, she pinched the bottom ends of her makeshift tunic and spun around. She’d done it all in this ridiculous silk nightgown embroidered with … what was it embroidered with? She hadn’t noticed. She looked carefully and wished that she hadn’t. Kittens?! Seriously, Imi? She sighed. It was insulting … but she was fairly certain Imi was only teasing her.

At home she could’ve worn — anywhere, anytime — a simple pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt that came down to her navel.

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