The bakery door slammed open so suddenly and hurriedly that it was lucky that only Lira and I were inside. It could have made any future customers feel unsafe coming to us, mainly because of the sight of greeting us both. I only got back ten minutes earlier, too, finishing my initial search to find clues about Mira, and when I looked up from the counter, I felt my fingers snapping the pencil I was using to circle spots we had already looked at.
Lira was almost frozen in place, watching the same scene I was: Puck standing in the doorway, panting, soaked from the rain. Then, he took a step—or rather, stumbled—while he held Mira's body in his arms, exhausted.
Blood stained the garbs around Mira's broken-looking body, and the fact that it was visible despite the monsoon-like downpour outside was telling enough. Just from where I stood, I could see that one of her eyes was swollen beyond reason, her lips split, and her limbs twisting in a way that was too unnatural. One of her arms hung down from Puck's hold; her fingers curled outward like a broken bird's claw. Her legs weren't in a better shape either, facing in the opposite direction than they should. The only good thing was that she was not conscious to feel it all... Maybe she wasn't even alive. I couldn't really see how she would be in that condition.
Then... Puck almost collapsed, finally rousing both Lira and me out of our shock.
I was the first to move, vaulting over the counter, the impact of my knees hitting the floor as I managed to misstep, but I was already up and taking Mira's broken body from him before Puck would finally collapse himself. He dropped beside me, gasping for air, his arms weak from bringing her back to us as fast as he could. No, it was more than just that. He was just as drenched, making me realize he literally fished Mira out of the river, most likely. Damn it. Just a moment later, Lira was also there, her arms hovering over Puck's body, not sure where to touch, afraid that he was also hurt or not.
"Get Puck dry up before he gets sick," I said, my voice cracking. "Hey—hey, look at me. Stay with me."
"I'm fine..." Puck coughed a wet, awful sound. "I made sure nobody was following or saw me coming back home, but Mira needs help!"
"Yes... she does..." I said grimly, looking at her.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and nose, threading a crimson line down her chin, which was not a good sign. I wasn't a doctor, but... I would say she was beyond saving.
"Come!" Lira pressed a hand under Puck's arms, lifting him from the floor. "She needs help, but so do you! Leave her to Auriel." She said, trying to sound sure and comforting, but the way she looked at me told me that she was deeply disturbed and afraid. No wonder—she could also see the shape that Mira was in.
"Go. I will take care of this." I was already nodding, having an exact idea.
"But—" Puck wanted to say something, but I was not interested in wasting more time.
"She'll die if we debate it. Shade will know what to do." I smiled at the boy, trying to look confident, while I stood up with the girl in my arms, her broken body lighter than it should've been.
First, I will visit Markus. He may have a potion or a doctor at hand, but if not, I still have a token I could use. I just need to find out where Silverhaven is.
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To my luck, the bad weather didn't relent at all—quite the opposite. It even picked up in strength, now producing wild winds howling through the storm, making my journey to their headquarters relatively isolated. When I entered, kicking the door in with my foot as I kept holding Mira's body under my hood, the noise startled Markus, making him flinch. Maybe he thought it was the Crimson Ledger coming for them, making him stand stunned at the counter, mid-discussion with a courier of his. But then he noticed the guards behind me who let me in after recognizing me from my previous visits... Yet, just when he was about to calm down, his eyes widened again at the sight of me cradling an injured girl.
"I need something to stop the bleeding," I said, without explaining much, only searching his gaze to see what his actual reactions are, "Probably she has internal bleeding too... I need to stabilize her. Now."
To my surprise, Markus moved fast, barking orders to his people to find the apothecary they had. But that was not like having a doctor. Oh well, it is better than nothing, and every bit of help counts. I watched as the courier vanished through another door without a word while I put Mira's body up on the counter.
"I think I have a weak potion that can keep her from slipping under," Markus said, pulling a small vial from beneath the counter. The liquid inside was pale green, faintly luminescent, and I didn't stop him from force-feeding it to Mira. "But it's not a cure."
"I understand. Just give her a chance." I nodded, moving over just as the apothecary, a gaunt-looking old man with ink-stained fingers, arrived. He took one look at Mira and exhaled sharply, his slit-like eyes opening enough to tell me he had already written her off.
"This is bad. Her lungs, pulse... all are weak," he muttered, taking a quick hold of her broken wrist. "She won't last the hour without intervention. Even if I manage to extend her above that... She will still die. Her body is broken beyond reason."
Then, for the first time, after the potion was down her throat, she coughed, the first sound I heard from her since Puck brought her back. Then, she began to tremble. At least... some kind of struggle was reignited in her. She wanted to live.
"She will die," the apothecary said softly. "Our best option is to end her suffering now."
"No," I answered him as I stared down at her. Her small face was bruised and still. The freckles across her crooked, broken nose stood out while her busted lips quivered.
"How much for a full healing potion?" I asked, my voice cold. "One that could heal it all."
"I don't think a potion like that is even present in this city." Markus glanced toward the old man and then back at me while sighing. "Those kinds of brews aren't meant for street kids either way. Nor is it for simple nobles, Auriel. It is for people who are... legendary."
"So there is a potion like that?" I said with a smile, making Markus blink his eyes in surprise, "Good. Shade can get it."
"I doubt it." He declared, but then added quickly, suddenly becoming unsure, "Look, I don't think even your boss could get it. But..." Then he fell silent, remembering he had just gotten himself a deal because of the information about where to find an elven artifact. Maybe... Maybe Shade could? But then the question was... Would he? It was just a girl. An orphan. Who cared about those? In this city? Nobody.
"Keep her alive until I'm back," I said, as my fists clenched, my knuckles standing out white beneath the skin.
"But," Markus added, "Auriel?!"
However, I was already out of the room, leaving Mira in their care.
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My legs moved quickly through the rain as I headed toward the Adventurer's Guild. Silverhaven... If I wanted to find where it was and find it fast, it was the place to go to look for answers. I crossed the threshold of the Adventurer's Guild without bothering to shake off the water, heading towards the counters. The place was quieter than usual, only the more desperate ones lingering about while the rest were probably taking a day off in one of the local taverns. No one looked twice at me, well, not until I headed straight to the counter at the far end.
"Jorren," I said.
"Huh?" He looked up from a stack of parchment, his usual easy grin surfacing when he saw me. "Auriel. Thought you were staying home in this weeping weather—what, the wife kicked you out or something?" he joked, but seeing my face, he quickly dropped it.
"Need to ask something." I leaned in, dripping across the wood and some of the documents he was handling, not that I cared. "Silverhaven."
If not for my expression, then that word alone wiped the smile right off his face. He went still, like I'd just spat out a forbidden curse or something.
"Where did you hear that name?" he asked, voice low, all trace of humor gone. "Why are you asking?"
"Don't mind that," I answered, reaching into my coat and pulling out the wooden token Garren had given me. I placed it on the counter for him to see. By his reaction, he knew more than I initially expected.
Sure enough, Jorren stared at it like it was a ghost.
"You are connected, aren't you?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. "Don't tell me. The less I know, the better... Were you given this? You didn't steal it, did you?"
"This was a gift I received before coming here," I nodded. "A man named Garren gave it to me after pulling my ass back from the dead. Told me to use it if I ever needed a helping hand..."
"That's... Something." Jorren whistled a little and looked around, checking to make sure no one was too close to listen in on us. Then he leaned over the counter. "Let's go into the back." He led me on, and when we were alone, he shrugged again, giving the token back to me. "Silverhaven isn't a place you just… go to."
"What is it, then?" I asked.
"It's an auction house," he said. "But not like the ones you know. The city lord does not run it. Nor do the nobles. Not even the Ledger has authority over it."
"Really?" I asked, surprised, "Then who?"
"Some would tell you the Adventurers Guild runs it, maintained for adventurers of a special kind... But..." He hesitated. "It's run by people stronger than regular folk. They are people the city lord can't touch, and I am serious about it."
"So..." I felt my brow furrow. "Are these the guys you told me about? The ones for whom the Guild would indeed go to war for?"
"Yeah," He nodded his head slowly. "These are retired adventurers."
"Huh?" That caught me off guard. "That's it? Retired adventurers?"
"That's it." Jorren chuckled dryly, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah. But not the kind who quit because of a broken leg or a bad contract; these are people who walked away from adventuring… because it stopped being challenging. Or fun. Many of these types of people once ran the whole Guild, Auriel! They got tired of THAT." His gaze sharpened. "You understand what I'm saying?"
"I think I do..." I nodded, remembering an old adage. That is to fear those who get old in a profession where many die young.
"They don't care about kingdoms. Don't care about power struggles. Some of them are proper legends to this day. They've seen the worst the world has to offer. And when it couldn't offer them more, they made something of their own. And when did that become boring? They went on their way to find new entertainment. I know that many opened shops... Some opened an auction house. A pretty exclusive one."
"Silverhaven," I murmured.
"Exactly. You don't get in... unless invited. You need to be referred to them." He continued, pointing at my hand while I stared at the token.
"Do you know where I can find them?"
"I do." He sighed again, "I once had the luck to deal with a contract of theirs... I was an independent appraiser... about twenty years ago. Anyway. I know the place." He paused, then added, "But Auriel—when you go there… be sure. They don't tolerate liars. Or beggars. You go in there? You'd better walk in like someone who deserves to be there. Or you'll walk out with less than you came with. If your token is not genuine or you stole it... You won't come out at all."
"Thanks," I patted his shoulder, smiling, "Don't worry. It is genuine. See you soon, and I will have an exciting tale to share with you."
"Sure, kid. I will hold you to that." He smiled back at me, but I could see he was nervous, which felt nice. It... really did.