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Novhen trudged through the slush of early spring with his youngest cousin Shianni clinging to the tail of his coat as though she'd drown without it. Despite the recent warm spell, Novhen's feet still sank halfway to his knees with every step, so he could hardly fault her for it.
Their destination was the north gate of the alienage. Every morning, a host of shems passed through the gate on their way to work. Novhen intended to take advantage of that. He explained the plan to Shianni. She had only arrived in Denerim a few months ago and needed to be shown all the ropes. He'd hoped this would help her become less afraid of the city.
"And remember not to call them shems in front of them. They don't like that," he finished.
She made a stink face, "Yeah, I know that. We have humans in the freeholds too. But why?"
Novhen could only shrug.
He yawned and looked up the road. In the dark before the dawn, a well-muscled woman approached. Their first victim of the day.
He hushed Shianni, "Here someone comes. Just watch me."
She nodded and stuck firmly behind him. Novhen tightened his da's apron around his waist, stepped in the middle of the path, and straightened his back.
As the shem neared, he put on the most official-sounding voice he could muster, "Excuse me, ser! Humans must now pay a copper bit to enter the alienage!"
Despite his best efforts, there was still a hoarse quality to his voice. The shem frowned at him.
"What's wrong with your voice, runt?" she asked.
Novhen explained, "Pox in my throat, ser. Two winters ago, but I'm clear now."
The shem took a step back.
"There's a pox going around?" her voice pitched.
"Not yet, not this year," Novhen soothed.
"So you say. I'm not risking it," she crossed her arms. "I'd rather miss an hour of pay than a month."
Novhen shrugged, "Safe travels then, ser."
Novhen then brought his elbow up to his face and feigned a series of ghastly coughs and wheezes.
The human's retreat quickly became a bolt.
As she became a dot on the horizon, a snicker slipped from Novhen's mouth.
Shianni pouted, "Why are you laughing? We didn't get any toll money."
He mimicked the cadence of a hahren, "Not every fish will swim into the net. May as well have some fun with it once you figure out they're a lost cause. We'll get the next one, Shi."
She grumbled, "If you say so."
Novhen looked ahead. Another shem approached: stocky, a quick step, wearing a laborer’s clothes. He elbowed his protégé.
"And he's already on his way. Put your business face on," he urged.
The shem showed little sign of slowing as he approached the tall alienage gates and the two tiny elves before it.
Novhen waved his arms and yelled, "Hold! Arl's put a toll on this road! One copper bit or turn around."
The shem jolted to a sudden stop as though he hadn't seen the young elves until this very moment, almost careening over them. He grunted and took two steps back as he examined above their heads and into the alienage.
"And just why would the arl tell us to stay out?" he grouched. "Don't look like there's no purge or plague in there."
Novhen gestured him to lean in closer. With a great huff, the shem complied.
In a loud whisper, Novhen explained, "Cholera and trench foot are going round the alienage again. Arl doesn't want any humans getting sick for a shortcut. Toll goes to fixing the pipes back up, so you won't have to swim to cross the street anymore."
The shem’s shoulders raised, "The pipes?"
"Runoff pipes, ser. Full of piss and manure on its way to the river. They have a lot of trouble this time of year. We get it in the snowmelt then it turns to slush again when it reaches us."
Novhen shuddered for effect.
The shem shook his head feverishly and scratched a beard. He grumbled a string of swears.
"Boss will have my hide if I take a detour," he raised his voice to a shout. "Do you have any idea how far the next bridge is?"
"Sorry, ser," Novhen said. "Arl's orders."
He glared, "I'll take my chances."
He slammed the bit into Novhen’s waiting hands and marched off fuming. Novhen slipped the coin into the front pocket of his apron as Shianni fell into a fit of giggles.
"He just did it!" she said between bursts.
"He's a man with good sense," Novhen said. "Now get it together, Shi. There's another schmuck coming up on the road! Do you want this one?"
Her laughter halted. Worried eyes snapped to him.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.
He shook her shoulder, "You've seen how it works. You've got this!"
Hesitantly, she nodded.
"I've got this," she repeated.
Shianni smoothed out her dress and stepped in front of Novhen. She held her palm flat and high and only shaking a little bit. The approaching human, who had until this point been desperately avoiding eye contact and trying to swerve around, was forced to slow.
"Two copper bits to enter the alienage!" she declared in her bravest voice.
The human scrunched her nose
"What's this?" she said awkwardly. "I don't remember any toll here."
"Brand new," she said. "It's for the runoff pipes. They're dumping pissy slush in the streets again."
She recoiled, "Oh that's disgusting."
Novhen nodded very seriously in agreement.
Shianni widened her eyes empathetically, "You're telling me! The coin goes to clearing it out."
"Ugh, I guess I'd rather not march through piss twice a day. Take this," she dropped the coins into Shianni's hand, "and tell whoever put you at this post to make sure it clears quick too. I don't want to be hearing this patter all year long!"
"You got it, ser."
The shem went around them in a wide curve and continued through.
Once she was out of earshot, Novhen bumped Shianni’s shoulder.
"You're a natural, Shi!" he said.
She turned to him with a grin plastered across her face, "That was so much fun!"
"Yeah!" Novhen said. "But we have to stay on guard. You never know when the next meal will turn the corner."
Their next encounter, however, came suddenly from behind. Their neighbor Tormey– his name, Shianni learned as Novhen whispered it into her ear– appeared from beyond the gates behind them and gave them a quizzical look. His cloak had been very sloppily thrown over himself just barely enough to keep the chill out and dark bags hung under his eyes.
"Good morning, you two," he yawned. "Unusual to see you up and about so early, Novhen."
"We're waiting for Ma to get home. We're gonna greet her at the gate," Novhen lied.
Tormey nodded in understanding, "Ah, that's right, that's right. She works for the shop, doesn't she? Terrible hours. Last time they shut the gates on us— it was when the pox hit. I'm sure you remember— she was the one who kept the food in our cupboard that my little girl could eat. She has such a delicate stomach, the poor thing."
Novhen glanced past. A half dozen shems in a loose group ambled towards the gate. The morning rush would soon begin in earnest.
"Yes, uncle. This is a big surprise for her."
Shianni, also noticing the approaching humans, shot her eyes quickly between them and Novhen. Novhen subtly raised his fingers to tell her to wait.
"How sweet of you. Adaia's lucky to have such a thoughtful boy as yourself. I hope your da knows where you are. Dangerous place for children, here," he mused.
Novhen thought of his da sleeping soundly in their bed. He had just returned from several days of work at Bann Rodolf's estate and wouldn't wake until far later into the day. He wouldn't want to worry him needlessly. They would be back well before he woke.
"Yeah, we told him," he lied.
"Oh, that's good. And if you smell even the slightest whiff of trouble, you'd better run back inside the gates. Seeing either of you hurt would be about the worst surprise there was," Tormey looked over his back at the slowly brightening horizon. "Ach but I'm making myself late. I really should go. Busy day ahead. Take care now, you two!"
"Bye, uncle!" Novhen waved as Tormey walked away. He gave a meaningful look to Shianni.
She nodded and waved, "Goodbye!"
The next humans were close. Novhen swerved in front of them and held up a waiting palm.
"Morning, sers! Toll is two copper bits!"
The two young cousins attended to their self-imposed duty for the next two hours as a soft yellow light grew and washed over the city in warm embrace. The jingle of coin weighed heavily in the front pocket of the apron. Most humans had decided it was more worth it to pay the toll than to completely reroute their mornings. The growl in Novhen's stomach was quite happy for it, and Shianni grew more confident with every coin they connived into their pockets.
In the full light of dawn, Novhen and Shianni were interrupted by the crunching of slush behind them by a large group. They turned around to find Valendrian, as wrinkled as a month-old apple and flanked by a half dozen neighbors all begging for his opinion on their own arguments and ideas.
Novhen quietly slipped the latest pair of coins into his apron. Shianni squeaked behind him and suddenly latched onto his back. All of her freshly earned bravery gone like a chamberpot over the bridge.
"It's just the hahren," Novhen whispered. "He's alright, I promise. Alrightest person we've seen all day."
She shook her head without further elaboration and buried it into his shoulder blade.
Valendrian smiled at them, "Novhen, Shianni, it's nice to see the two of you up so early."
"Good morning, hahren," Novhen said.
He awkwardly maneuvered his arm and nudged Shianni.
"Morning," she mumbled.
Novhen felt her tug on his sleeve. She leaned into his ear, "What's he doing here?"
Novhen grimaced in pain and rubbed his ear.
"I'm making sure the wall is fit for Shabbat tomorrow. I check it this time every week," the hahren explained gently. "Your cousins have both joined my checks before in fact. Now if I may ask, what are the two of you doing this morning?"
Shianni looked suddenly bashful that her attempted whisper had been overheard.
"We weren't doing nothing, hahren," Novhen said.
"Is that so?" he said. "Because on my way over I heard some very colorful language about a new toll."
He asked, "What'd they say?"
"Apparently, the arl has ordered for one to be collected on any humans entering the alienage to go towards cleaning up the runoff," Valendrian said. "I must say I was very surprised to hear that the arl had taken an interest in our sewage problem and even more surprised to hear that two little waist-high collectors had gotten posted before word ever reached me."
"I haven't seen anyone like that over here, hahren. Maybe they were at the other gate," Novhen said.
"All of the complaints that I had heard came from this direction," Valendrian raised an eyebrow, "and I see two people right in front of me who fit that description quite well."
To a chorus of chuckles from Valendrian's company, Novhen looked behind himself and saw nobody new.
Valendrian smiled, "I am of course referring to yourself and your younger cousin. I know you were only telling stories before when you told people you were acting on the arl's orders, but it was still very good of you to raise funds for the alienage."
Novhen could feel his plan crashing down around him.
"Right…" he said.
"Now you two are very lucky that nobody has gotten violent yet. Most people do not take kindly to unexpected costs, especially coming from people who look like us," Valendrian warned. "I'll encourage you to stop while you're both in good health."
Novhen looked down. It wasn't a direct threat, but the cost of the hahren's disappointment was as good a substitute for it as any. His da would be disappointed too if he found out he kept at something after the hahren asked him to stop. He learned that lesson after getting caught sneaking out to Hogshead market and calling himself an orphan one too many times last summer.
He kicked the dark trodden slush beneath his feet, "Yes, hahren. We'll go inside now."
"I'm glad to hear it. Your family will love to see you home safe."
"Do I have to give you the money now?" he mumbled.
Valendrian sighed. He knelt down carefully and put a hand on Novhen's shoulder, "Novhen, I know you were scamming those innocent workers, and I know that that's something your ma likes to encourage. It's true that it would go a long way in helping us clear the sewage, but you earned that coin with your own wit. I will not take it from you if you want to keep it for your family."
Novhen looked down and shuffled his feet.
After what felt like an eternity of adults staring at him as he weighed his options, he said, "Do you have a pouch?"
Valendrian paused. He had begun to push himself up from the ground while Novhen was distracted. He smiled approvingly.
"That I do," he said.
Novhen raised an open hand. Valendrian took the invitation and placed a pouch in it. It was mostly empty save for three copper and a tuft of lint. Still holding the pouch, Novhen buried his hands deep into the dragon's hoard of copper he had accumulated and awkwardly poured it into the bag. He went back and grabbed a second handful. It pulled most of the remainder and was significantly easier to handle. For a third trip to the pocket, Novhen hooked his fingers and fished for the last few coins at the bottom of the apron pocket. Valendrian put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Novhen's arm jerked out.
"That's enough, child," he said calmly.
Valendrian scooped a knobbled old hand into the pouch. He carried out a huge fistful of copper. Valendrian gestured toward Novhen with the fistful, and Novhen opened his front pocket back up. A waterfall of copper cascaded back into the apron. The metallic scent, warmed by their hands, wafted through the cold to Novhen’s nose.
"Take this," Valendrian said. "Your cut of the tolls for all your hard work."
Novhen evaluated the coins in his apron, and his eyes widened. It would be enough to buy weeks worth of food! He quickly came to terms with the pittance he traded away for the sewage to be removed from the streets.
"Thank you, hahren," he said.
Valendrian placed a hand on his shoulder, "You can trust me to put this toll money to good use, child. Nobody here is fond of the sewage situation, and I'll be sure to tell them all of your generous aid. Now, why don't you take your cousin to Moira's on your way back? She's just opened her stall for the day, and I hear today's meat is coming out very sweet. That should be more than enough to buy one for both of you."
It would be enough to buy one for everyone at home several times over.
"Yes, hahren!" Novhen said.
Shianni grumbled something into his back.
Valendrian smiled, "Come along then."
He walked back into the crowd of adults. Many of them wore pleasant smiles or hid their laughter behind their hands. A minority made a show of their disapproval, whether it be through scowls or scoffs. Some people just couldn’t appreciate a good game.
Novhen grabbed Shianni's wrist and led her into the fold with him.