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Soris followed his troublemaking cousins, Novhen and Shianni, through the winding streets of Denerim's human districts. Most days, it wouldn't be safe enough for them to be allowed to wander so far out from the alienage walls, but today, they had to make an exception. Novhen's Nonna Ofra had recently taken a terrible fall and could no longer walk, so she had tasked her grandson to visit a human weaver whose shop was set up far from the alienage. They had been paying off a bolt of fabric in several smaller payments, and today, they would finally be able to take the fabric home.
Soris had very rarely been allowed to visit this part of town before. The bustling roads were lined with well-maintained shops and inns. Human children loudly played with their dogs and their hoops in the street. The aromas of a million different foods all flooded his senses. He had no idea how near or far they were from their destination shop. Novhen had been the only one to receive their actual instructions, and Soris was usually more than content to just follow where he led.
Then, his eye and nose were caught by a glistening honey cake in one of the bakers' stalls just up ahead.
There wasn't much Soris could see of it, but it was being sold by the slice and only half remained. Naturally, Novhen was carrying their excursion's finances. Soris wouldn't be able to get that cake without convincing him, and even one piece would likely be a pricey order.
Soris swallowed his pride. He had to try.
"Hey, Novhen," Soris said tentatively. "Do you see that honey cake over there?"
Novhen's ears perked at his name being called. When he turned to look at Soris, he found him pointing at the baker's stall.
Predicting his next question, Novhen said, "We barely have enough money for the plaidweave."
Though his expression remained blank, Soris could hear the grimace in his voice.
"I know, but this is important," Soris whined.
Novhen said, "Is that supposed to convince me? Wanna give it another go?"
Soris sighed and said, "Well, someone's naming day is coming up and–"
"Whose?" Shianni asked.
"It doesn't matter who," he said quickly.
She singsonged, "It does if you want the cake."
"I don't have to tell you!"
Shianni spun on her foot, "Novhen, who all has a naming day soon?"
Novhen whistled.
"That Soris may actually care about? There's Shona, Nola, Maha–'' A devious grin grew on Novhen's face. "It's Mahanon, isn't it?"
Soris's face became hot, "It is not!"
"It is! You're red as a lobster!" Shianni jeered.
Novhen leaned over to Shianni and teased, "I think he does a bit more than care about him."
Soris buried his face in his hands.
"My dear cousin, it would be my honor to help you find true love," Novhen snickered. "Problem is Nonna gave us barely enough to finish paying off the plaidweave, and cake costs a number of bits more than that."
Soris looked around. He grabbed Novhen's arm and gently led him to the side of the street on the mouth of an alley.
Hesitantly, he suggested, "What if you snuck in?"
Novhen took in the street around them and said disapprovingly, "Guard's high here, and I'm not eager for a lashing."
Soris frowned. He would survive without the cake, but it really would have been a perfect gift for Mahanon. There was no one else whose sweet tooth could compare.
Shianni chipped in, "What if me and Soris could create a distraction?"
A dangerous glint shined in Novhen's eye, "That may be a way. What did you have in mind?"
"We could set a small fire," Shianni whispered.
Soris's hair raised.
Novhen frowned, "That seems more likely to get you two arrested than anything else."
"I said small," she protested.
Soris said, "There are a lot of taverns here. What if I find one's cooking oil and douse their floors without setting a fire. That could still cause enough of a distraction."
Novhen raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you could manage that? You stomp when you walk."
Soris shifted his weight. He didn't have to point it out.
Shianni added helpfully, "What if I keep watch to make sure no one else sees him do it?"
"I guess that could work," although his tone implied he was less than enthusiastic. "Who're you gonna hit then?"
Shianni surveyed the scene.
"How about the Wheel of Fortune right across from the baker? I don't see a lock on their larder," she said, "and I've heard a rumor that they use liquid oil they've imported from up north and a lot of it."
"Maybe not a bad idea," Novhen appraised. "You know, Shi, you might be better fit to sneak in."
Shianni's eyes gleamed from the approval.
"Novhen, please," Soris said. "Your da will kill us if anything happens to Shianni."
"Nothing will happen," she argued.
"And I doubt Da will be any less upset about something happening to you," Novhen added.
"That's not the point! Shianni's just a kid," Soris said.
She folded her arms, "You're not all that much older!"
Soris looked intensely at Novhen, "Look, I've been practicing, and I promise to leave before anyone sees me. Besides, I'm the one who wanted the cake."
"Ach, fine, Soris will do it. Just please be careful," Novhen groaned. "Shianni, you take the purse. If you're just watch, you're the least likely to get caught. And don't try to pocket any while it's in your hands."
She saluted irreverently, "Yes, ser!"
"I'll go camp out. Give me a minute before trying anything, and don't get yourselves hurt," he said.
Shianni trapped Soris's wrist in her grip and dragged him away from the alley.
Novhen called, "And meet back up behind the Kerry's with the red roof once you're done."
"I hear you," Shianni returned playfully.
Shianni soon let go of Soris's wrist and pushed him away while she wandered off across the street. Soris split off clinging along the same side of the thoroughfare they had been on. Two buildings down from the bakery, there was another alley with just enough room for him to squeeze through and a good view of his target.
Novhen moved quick and likely got in position before Soris reached his own hiding spot, but that was not something Soris was going to gamble on. Even without the additional warning, he had thankfully sat in on enough of Auntie Adaia's lessons to have it well ingrained to never strike immediately after settling into cover. So he waited. People passed by, and Soris became part of the shadows. If anyone was still around who had witnessed him enter the alley, they had already forgotten about him.
The front windows of the Wheel of Fortune had been opened to give him a perfect view of both their indoor and outdoor seating. He could indeed see the door to the larder that Shianni had mentioned, but he would have no need of it.
There was a single waiter on duty who looked overworked and exhausted out of her mind. Soris felt a twinge of guilt for putting her in the crossfires of this scheme. There was also a single musician playing away on a bowed lyre for the entertainment of a dancing couple and a man arguing inside with the bartender. Maybe half of the tables had dining guests seated at them. He also caught a glimpse of Shianni right next door to it, playing with her skirts as she covertly kept an eye on their surroundings. Novhen said she would be safe, but she was the most visible of them.
Soris pushed his feelings down. No one would see him do this. They knew what they were doing. Neither he nor Shianni would endanger themselves for this cake. Mahanon's smiling face passed through his mind. This would be worth it.
He stared intently at the Wheel. He thought of the fizzling sound of frybread cooking and the smell of too much oil in the pan. He thought of the way grease clings to his face and between his fingers after a good meal. He thought of sitting next to his uncle on a warm and humid spring day and tossing chunks of chicken skin and fat into a pot over a weak fire until the schmaltz was ready to collect and store. Then, Soris thought of grease rising from floorboards, coating it in a slippery layer of fat that would be near impossible to walk on.
The waiter set a tray of steaming soups on a table. She took one step away and slipped heel over head. The loud crash and skid when she hit the ground drew several curious eyes, but few did more than slow. The couple fell next. One into the other's chest as they slipped and screamed for several seconds before finally dragging each other to the floor. The music stopped. More heads turned. The man who had been arguing groaned at the couple who were presently crawling over each other in a never-ending string of failed attempts to stand. He then attempted to storm out of the alehouse and soundly planted his face on the street. Outside of the alehouse, particularly inattentive passers-by were beginning to slip and stumble as well, and street dogs swarmed the fatty floors.
The flow of the street was grinded to a halt as so many people stopped to gawk at the state of the Wheel of Fortune, and even shopkeeps were stepping out of their businesses to join in on the show.
With great trepidation, the musician brought his bow back up to his lyre and began to play a new, comical jig.
Soris ran away before anyone saw him.
He may not have been familiar with this area, but the red roof of their rendezvous was impossible to miss. He bolted into the alley behind it and stumbled to a stop. His heart was pounding in his chest.
There was a tug on his sleeve, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Soris, Soris ," Shianni had hissed.
He whipped around. Shianni smelled vaguely oily but appeared unharmed, and she had made it back barely a second after he did.
"Hey, Shianni," he said as he smoothed out his shirt. "Glad to see you're okay."
She barreled past his niceties, "How did you do that? I was watching, and you didn't get anywhere near their oil before everyone started falling!"
His heart raced.
He stumbled through a pathetic lie, "What are you talking about? Of course I did. Maybe I'm just better at sneaking around than you thought."
She crossed her arms, "Yeah, not likely."
"Fine," he threw his hands up to better sell it. "The floor was already slicked when I got there. I ran away because my help wasn't needed, and I didn't want to get caught."
"Better," she said, "but I'm still not buying it."
He asked pathetically, "What if I ask you to nicely?"
She leaned in and grinned, "Then I'll know you're lying."
Soris felt his stomach turn. He never was the best liar.
This wasn't going to be fun, but Shianni could out-stubborn him any day. Better to give in early and save himself the trouble. Besides, she had lived with them long enough now that he could probably predict her reaction, and he thought she'd be accepting of him. Or at least accepting enough that she wouldn't run off to inform the closest Templar. Probably.
He whispered, "Do you promise to keep it secret?"
Shianni's eyes widened, "What is it?"
"Do you promise?" he repeated, more intently this time.
"Yes, I promise," she said. "Now what is it?"
Every part of his body was screaming to run away, but that could only delay the conversation at this point. She wouldn't rest until he told her. He looked around. They were alone as far as he could tell.
Against the will of his tongue, Soris confessed, "I'm a mage."
Time stopped. Shianni's jaw fell.
"Really?" she gasped.
"Keep it down!" Soris said.
Shianni whispered intensely, "What do you mean? How long have you been keeping this secret? Does anybody else know?"
"How many things could I mean by that, Shianni?" he said.
"Right, right, bad question," she said. "You're not going to set the house on fire are you?"
"Maker, no!" Soris said. "What's with you and fire today?"
"I'm just checking!" she laughed. "This is so cool! We should grease the floor of the Holy Elderath Chantry next. Those Templars will never know what hit them!"
"No, no, no! Those Templars will know exactly what hit them, and I really don't want them to stick their noses anywhere near me!"
"Ugh, fine, maybe you're right," she conceded. "Let's create some snow to shove down the back of Novhen's tunic then."
"Maybe no pranks or schemes for a little bit. I'm not supposed to draw any attention to myself." He paused, "Where is Novhen, actually?"
"Here."
Soris and Shianni whipped around. Their unbothered cousin had just turned the corner holding on a platter half of a whole spongy honey cake blanketed in glaze and tree nuts.
Soris's jaw dropped, "Did you take a whole cake?"
Novhen squinted, "No? This is clearly half."
"I was just expecting a slice."
"If that's what you want, I could go give the rest back," Novhen suggested.
Soris said, "No, no, that'll work. Let's go before anyone catches us."
Novhen nodded, "Back home then?"
"But what about the plaidweave?" Shianni asked.
Novhen shrugged, "We'll have to grab it tomorrow. We're not flaunting a stolen cake through the entire city."
Soris winced, "Sorry."
Novhen nodded in the direction of home and started walking. Soris and Shianni tailed behind him, carefully ignoring the main roads.
"Nonna will understand," he said, "but do you think we should tell Ma?"
"Probably. She'll be mad if she thinks we spent Nonna Ofra's errand money on it."
Nonchalantly, Novhen said, "No, about the magic. She might be able to help you hide it."
Soris tripped over his own feet.
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
Novhen turned around to look at him as if he had just asked the dumbest question in the world, "You're not that sneaky."