Chapter Text
Did you ever wonder how Captain Shakespeare knew Yvaine was really a star? How could a wayward pirate recognize a half-drowned girl in a bathrobe as a celestial light in mortal form? What if I told you that Yvaine, future Queen of Stormhold, was not the first star Shakespeare had met? What if I were to tell you that, in fact, she had been the second? Well, dear child, come close and lend an ear and I shall impart a tale of adventure, romance, imperiled stars, dashing rogues, and a young pirate.
Once upon a time, in a city on the other side of a wall… There was a young boy by the name of Wilhelm, though no one called him that. His father was a pirate of sorts, capturing lightning and selling it in backrooms all across the land. Wilhelm traveled with his father, Captain Ghostmaker, aboard the Caspartine.
Young Wilhelm enjoyed the travel, seeing new sights and meeting new people, however his favorite was to hear stories of England. A city beyond the town of Wall, that divided the world Wilhelm and his father lived in from the world where it was said there was no magic. It seemed fantastical to him, with its famous wordsmiths and mechanical creations. Young Wilhelm, or ‘Little Billy’ as many of his father’s crew referred to him, looked forward to every trip into town, so he might collect new tales of this England.
It is during one such trip, that our story begins. Wilhelm had been permitted to wander unaccompanied in town since he had been 7 years old and now, at a mature age of 10, he felt little fear in meandering the city streets. He knew when his father’s ship would depart and to be back an hour before that time to ensure they did not leave him behind. Today’s mission was to find a new book. He had read all the books he had as well as the very few his father kept, which left him needing a new source of entertainment for when he was down below as his father and the crew were in the lightning storms.
Wilhelm wandered the streets, looking here and there for any sign of a bookshop. The one he had been to last year, when the Caspartine last passed through, had since closed. Wilhelm wished more people were interested in books as that it would mean there would be more plentiful bookshops in every city, town, and village they came through.
The street vendors perfumed the air with the spicy meats and incense, a few sang or played music to further entice potential customers. Up and down the street it was alive with sound and energy. Wilhelm always enjoyed it.
“Little boy!”, called a white-haired woman in a bright blue dress.
Wilhelm walked over to her, admiring her beautiful dress. It had boatneck-neckline with slightly puffed short sleeves, a thick sash at the waist helped show off her figure before the skirt flared out from mid-thigh down to create a bell shape, with a darker blue frill at the hem. Throughout the skirt and bodice, there was a vine-like pattern in a deep blue that almost gave the dress the appearance of moving water.
“Yes, ma’am?”
She smiled, squinting up kind looking eyes.
“What do yer look for in this city? And why is you alone?”
Wilhelm knew from her speech she was a northerner. His father spoke frequently of them, from their elaborate fabrics he had sometimes traded when lightning was cheap, to their oddly flavored teas.
“I’m looking for a bookshop. I’ve read everything we have and I want to read some new things.”
“Oh, well little darlin’, yer off to the wrong direction.”, she stepped out from behind her stall full of wraps, cloaks, and scarves, to point west of where they were standing, “You’d best be off to there, little darlin’. They’ve got three bookshops down there.”
“Is there one that has more books than the others, or more interesting books than the others?”
The older woman narrowed her eyes a bit as if trying to discern something about his question. Wilhelm hadn’t thought it an odd question. Then, her face relaxed and a sparkle of mischief appeared in her pale eyes.
“Try The Lucky Attic. If Lucien asks, tell him you be sent by Elwyn.”
“Elwyn, thank you!”
With his new information, Wilhelm sped off down the west-laying street, out of the rows of vendors, to where most of the buildings were little shops and homes. Many had first floor shops with a second floor holding spare inventory, and the third looking to be where the storekeeper and his family lived. Wilhelm read the signs above and beside each door, looking for The Lucky Attic.
Many doors and a few times tripping over his own feet later, Wilhelm spotted what he sought. A four-story stone building, with an advertised two floors of books and a brightly painted blue door, a matching blue sign above that had ‘The Lucky Attic’ written in pale yellow paint. It was charming, against so many places that barely cleaned their doors, let alone painted them in any eye-grabbing colors.
Wilhelm let himself in. Instantly, his eyes went wide. This was not one of the smaller bookshops with neatly put together shelves on the back and side walls that held just enough books to not be in need of bookends. No, this shop was filled to the brim with books.
Every wall was covered with bookshelves, two of which had been custom-built to allow space for the windows, and every one of those shelves was sagging with books. In the floor, shorter shelves and a few long tables held more books, some lined up, some stacked on their sides, a couple propped up like painted plates or small portraits, to show off their titles. Even the counter up front had a few books piled on the one end.
As Wilhelm ventured further, he saw that the stairs almost appeared to stick out from another bookshelf so that you could look over more books while climbing up to the second floor, and there was a shorter bookshelf under where the stairs turned, so that no space was wasted with anything, it all held books. He was almost surprised, upon seeing a dog walking down the stairs, to find it did not have a book strapped to it.
“Hello?”, Wilhelm called out.
He had been in the shop for a few minutes now, looking in awe at all the books, and yet had seen no other occupant. Not a shopkeeper, not a clerk, nor another customer. Just the small dog.
The dog walked over, long tail wagging, before it sat in front of Wilhelm expectantly. It looked like a small retriever, except it was almost the shade of a rich, dark chocolate rather than any golden or red color he was used to seeing on the breed, and it was also about half the size of the retriever owned by an associate of Captain Ghostmaker.
“Hello.”, Wilhelm greeted the pup as he bent to pet him.
“Do you know where the shopkeeper is?”
“Up here.”, called a baritone voice.
Wilhelm looked up to see long, straight legs in knee-high boots and dark pants, coming down the stairs.
“Was bringing down some new stock that came in.”
The man stopped on the landing and Wilhelm got a good look at the man. He appeared younger than Wilhelm’s father, perhaps a little over 30 at most, with a mop of golden waves, lightly freckled skin, broad shoulders, a lean build, and mile and a half long legs. He made Wilhelm think of a spider.
“I just opened up a few minutes ago, I apologize. How may I help you, young sir?”
Still rubbing the dog between his ears, Wilhelm thought it odd that the man had just opened his shop. It was past noon.
“I have three old books I wish to sell, and I would like to buy more. I’ve read everything we have, and hoped to find some new adventures.”
The man smiled slightly.
“Ah, so it is tales of adventure and daring, you seek. I’ve got plenty. Which would prefer to do first, sell or purchase?”, he asked with a slower draw to his speech. Wilhelm did not recognize the accent, though it was a pleasant one.
“Sell, then I’ll know how much I have to spend, combined with what I brought.”
The shopkeeper nodded.
“A sound plan. Come, up to the register. We shall figure out the worth of your treasures and come up with a number.”
Wilhelm smiled. On the ship, his father considered any work of fiction to be worthless and any non-fiction book that had nothing to do with travel, commerce, or how to care for the ship, was worth very little. To have someone refer to any book as a treasure, made Wilhelm feel he was indeed in the right place.
Up at the counter, he found a tall stool to climb up on so that he was closer to looking the tall shopkeeper in the eyes as the man laid a white sheet out over his front counter. The shopkeeper gestured for Wilhelm to put down his books on the sheet. Wilhelm did as he was bid, laying each of the three books out so the shopkeeper could see the excellent condition Wilhelm kept them in.
Having gone with his father many times, Wilhelm knew a thing or two about negotiation. He had shown his wares and now it was time for the shopkeeper to take his mental tally of what they were truly worth, what he could resell them for, and what the seller would probably take for them. Wilhelm awaited the number.
“I’d say two gold for the one on the left here, and 15 silver for the pair to the right. If you prefer to trade the two, I will give you credit for 17 silver.”
“You trade books?”
The shopkeeper nodded, a softer look on his face.
“I do. In fact, yesterday a gentleman came in with four books from the other side of the city of Wall, and we traded. He seemed rather surprised by my trading, as well. Perhaps they don’t trade over there, and only purchase or sell.”
“Did he tell you much, about things over there? Did he mention England?”, Wilhelm asked, excited for any crumb of information about his beloved country.
The shopkeeper smiled, shaking his head.
“Afraid not. However, he said he will come back when he’s read everything he traded for and purchased yesterday. If you like, when he returns, I could ask him if there is anything of England he might think a young man such as yourself, would be keen to know?”
“Oh, could you?”
The shopkeeper let out a light chuckle that Wilhelm barely heard.
“Nearly anything, to please a customer. Now, do you prefer to trade or sell these two?”
“Trade, definitely." "And the one on the left?”
“Sell.”
“No haggling?”
“I’d prefer to keep you in a good mood for when we are trading.”, Wilhelm added with a smirk he knew got him extra sweets from the cook, Amelia.
The shopkeeper’s smile broadened. Holding out a hand, the man offered his name.
“Lucien Hedward, at your service.”
Wilhelm took the offered hand to give a shake.
“Wilhelm, but you can call me Billy. Oh, Elwyn said to tell you she had sent me here when I asked for a bookshop.”
Lucien smiled again with a nod.
“Ah, Elwyn. I haven’t seen her for a few days. She comes and shares a cup of tea with me, now and again, and we discuss books we’ve read. Sometimes we trade goods. Needed a new cloak last winter and her granddaughter had a birthday coming up. I got a new cloak and her granddaughter got a few books.”
“You will trade for more than just books?”
“If I’ve a need of something else, I’m not averse to trading. Most prefer coin over books, and that is fine as well. Come, upstairs is where I keep the fiction and the fun stories that aren’t entirely fictional. Down here is all the stuff such as history, navigation, how-to instructionals, and even a few on cooking. Come along.”
Wilhelm followed the shopkeeper up to the second floor, the little dog trailing them. He looked to have a bit of trouble with the steps and Wilhelm tried to help. The shopkeeper appeared to take note of them lagging, and turned, scooping the dog into one arm and continuing up the stairs.
“This is Zeus, don’t let his appearances fool you. He’s mightier than he looks.”
Wilhelm nodded, though he did not fully understand. As they come up into the second floor, Wilhelm was staggered by the sheer number of books. The second floor was even more packed with books. It was choke full.
Lucien smiled at the boy. It was good to see a child so in love with the written word. Though, Lucien supposed, it seemed no one back home shared the boy’s love of stories. It always saddened him to see children growing up without someone to share stories with them. This was one of the worst reminders of his view from home.
“Over there,” he pointed to the north-west corner of the room, “are the stories that are about flying on dragons, fighting evil warlords, and the like. And here,” he said as he gestured to the back-center of the room, “are the books about great journeys where the journey is more important than the battles.”
Lucien pointed to another area, where tables and shelves on the floor rather than against the wall, held more books. He had organized as best he could with a constantly shifting inventory.
“Stories about kids and teenagers who save the day are in that area, here to the middle are stories where there is a magical object at stake- such as Excalibur or Ra’s Staff, and in that corner are stories with magical creatures as important characters.”
“There are so many books.”, the kid almost whispered, as if he were in a holy house rather than a store.
“Indeed, Billy Boy, there are. Look as long as you please. I’ll be downstairs arranging the history section. Got some new books on female monarchs the other day and they are meant to be on a top shelf. Call down if you need anything.”, Lucien offered before putting little Zeus on his feet, and walked down the stairs.
A while later, Lucien heard a clamor before two still-growing feet rushed down the stairs. The young Wilhelm was holding an armload of books as he came rushing down the stairs, Zeus behind him with his tail wagging wildly.
“Lost track of time. Gotta go. Father’s leaving soon.”, the kid said in a pant, as he rushed over to the front table.
Lucien took a look at the books the boy had picked. Two were in rough shape for their covers but all the pages were intact, the third was a smaller book that was wildly available, and the fourth was a travel book meant more for entertaining a tourist. None of them were expensive books.
“Take the lot for the 17 silver.”
“You’re sure?”
The boy appeared quite surprised.
“We’re all good, Billy Boy. I’ll see you on your next pass, and hopefully I’ll have many good books for you to check out.”
“Thank you!”, he said before rushing of.
Lucien chuckled to himself, before moving to the counter to put away the books Wilhelm had brought to sell. The shop would be open for several hours yet, being one of the last to close at night in the shop district. Only the taverns stayed open later than The Lucky Attic.
`*`*`*`*`*`
Over the past five years, Wilhelm had made a habit of coming to The Lucky Attic whenever the Caspertine was in the city. Due to a change in what Captain Ghostmaker was smuggling and selling, and as such, where he went to sell his goods had changed. They made frequent trips to the city of Burheld and that meant frequent trips for Wilhelm to The Lucky Attic.
Wilhelm loved it. In the five years he had been coming, Wilhelm felt he had made a good friend in Lucien, the owner and operator of the Lucky Attic. They played card games, talked about books, played music, and sometimes Lucien would tell Wilhelm about other cities and towns he had lived in over the years.
Occasionally, as Lucien was telling a story where he mentioned the name of a town that Wilhelm knew had been a ghost town for a long while, or when Lucien mentioned something he had seen happen that Wilhelm knew had happened more than 15 years past, it occurred to Wilhelm that Lucien may have been older than he looked. Wilhelm never asked, fearful of losing his friend.
Today, he had three books for trade and a little bag of coin to purchase some teas for his father. Lately, the great Captain Ghostmaker had been suffering from terrible headaches that left him laying in his bed for two or three days at a time, sick from pain. Wilhelm hoped to get some healing teas along with his books.
As he entered the shop, Wilhelm noticed his friend Lucien, feeding a snack of roasted chicken to Zeus. The dog hadn’t gotten any bigger in the last couple years but he had gotten a bit more fur on him, all silky and wavy. Zeus let out a greeting bark as his tail went wild.
“Come on in, Billy Boy.”, Lucien offered without looking.
Once, Lucien had claimed Zeus held a particular bark for each person he greeted and if you listened carefully, you knew who he was greeting. Wilhelm supposed that if he had spent that much time around any dog, he would know it’s language just the way Lucien did.
“I see you’ve brought more books.”, Lucien said with a smile as he turned to face Wilhelm.
“Yes!’
“Good.”
Wilhelm moved over to the front table, watching as Lucien pulled out the white sheet to lay down. It was a usual thing for them. Wilhelm laid out his wares and watched as Lucien did his math.
“All silvers this time, I’m afraid.”
“My last run had two that were worth some gold coin, can’t have that every time.”, Wilhelm joked.
“True.”
They settled on the price and what they were worth to trade for store credit. Then, Lucien pulled out the kettle and cups.
“I’ve a new tea from Elwyn. Care to try, or stick with the Earl Gray?”
“The Earl, please?”
Both of them moved to sit at the table in the back, the pot between them, each with a cup steeping. There was a peace about the bookshop that Wilhelm found in no other corner of the world. Even with all his dreams of adventure and travel, he did love the calm of The Lucky Attic.
“How are things aboard ship? Did you talk your father into a dog yet?”
“No. He’s… he’s been sick. His headaches.”
Lucien tilted his head, his brow furrowed.
“He’s had them for as long as I can remember, but it used to be that he’d have a few in a month or so, then he wouldn’t have any again for over a year. Now, he barely gets more than a couple weeks between bouts, and each one is lasting longer, and is worse, than they ever had been before.”
“That is unsettling. Hm. Perhaps, on your way out, you should go by Elwyn’s store. She would know what to give you, to fix your father up right.”
“I had thought of that. She does know her teas.”
“She’s as knowledgeable of as many a physician I’ve encountered.”
“How has it been here? I don’t see many changes in the arrangement down here?”
“Not many would notice, though you are right, I’ve only added two books down here since you left. Haven’t sold any. I did luck into a trove of treasures for upstairs and I sold fourteen adventure stories, seven romances, and twelve other assorted stories since you were last here.”
“That’s a slow few weeks for you.”
Lucien nodded. He couldn’t disagree with the kid.
“Fortunately, winter is coming up soon. That’s my busiest time with the locals. Can’t travel as far, can’t go as often. People get stir crazy and itching for something to do that lets them stay close to their warm hearth with a blanket over their laps.”
“Hadn’t thought of that. Father sails no matter the weather.”
“I’ve noticed that.”
“Do you have any books that might have something helpful in them about my father’s headaches?”
“They sound like migraines to me. Perhaps I could pick out a book or two. Wait here, drink your tea.”
Lucien knew a few things of the migraines men and women sometimes had. Rarely, they meant something far worse. Mostly, they were brought on by stress, bad diets, and other similar origins. Better schedules for sleeping and eating, reducing stress, and simple changes of habit could knock out many migraines.
Retrieving a book from the top of the left shelf in the north-eastern corner of the shop, Lucien returned to the table. Billy Boy thumbed through the book till he found the section on migraines. Lucien smiled slightly as he took up his cup.
“What do I owe you for the book?”
“Two silver.”
Billy Boy looked up, skeptical.
“It is an older edition and around here, no one is interested in medicinal books. There are enough physicians and healers with medicines, teas, herbs, and other remedies, it makes for very little need of a guide book for Do-It-Yourself Medicine. I’ve had that book on that shelf for over a year.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am. Now, what else will you take this trip? Perhaps that new book I procured last week on architecture in London.”
He watched as Billy Boy’s eyes widened as he lit up at the mere mention of such a book. There would no coercion needed to get the boy to take that book. Lucien pointed out the direction of the book, then watched as Billy Boy launched off to get it.
“This book is amazing! Who traded it?”
“One of my regular suppliers. She’s got a husband who is one of your father’s competitors. In her travels with him, she picks up books from everywhere, then she comes in here and sells them to me. Sometimes she doesn’t come often, other times she’s here rather frequently. The more frequently she comes, the fewer books she’s got in each exchange.”
“Oh, I think I know who you mean. Father calls her ‘loony’, cause she’s always reading, daydreaming, and interpreting dreams- or so he says.”
Lucien nodded. He was familiar with the type, and with how the kid spoke of Captain Ghostmaker. The Captain did not seem to be an overly caring or considerate of other people, and their ways. In fact, the Captain seemed rather antagonistic towards his own son for not being the brash philistine that the Captain seemed to have expected his son would be.
Billy Boy was kinder than most, smart, creative, thoughtful, and appeared more interested in books than swords. He was a good sort, Billy. Lucien worried for such a fine boy in this world, or the one beyond the Wall.
They finished their tea in time for Billy to choose several books to use his leftover credit from his last trip and his full credit from the current trip, plus a single book that went above his tab but had beautiful sketches of the latest fashions out of the capital. Lucien tallied Billy up, and sent him on his way to Elwyn’s for something to help Captain Ghostmaker’s headaches.
No sooner had Billy cleared the street, than the bell rang for the next customer. Lucien smiled as he heard the familiar gait of a tall, dashing smuggler. He knew, upon closer inspection that he would smell blackberries and salt air on the smuggler’s coat.
“Welcome to The Lucky Attic, a place filled with wonders beyond imagining.”, he said with a wry grin as he turned back to his new customer and old friend.
`*`*`*`*`*`
Two weeks after his most-recent trip, they came into port and Wilhelm was off like a shot. He had several new books and could not hardly wait to trade with Lucien. There had been an estate sale in the town they had just left four days ago and Billy had found a good number of books on to subjects Lucien was always on the lookout for- star charts and art. Wilhelm had purchased and traded for seven such books and was anxious to see his friend’s face.
Lucien would be amazed. In the now seven years he had been coming to the shop, Lucien was always running short on star charts and his beloved art books. Wilhelm’s father had thought it a silly, wasted effort on Wilhelm’s part. When Wilhelm mentioned what his friend would likely pay for such a rare find, his father had been slightly less annoyed.
In no time at all, Wilhelm was outside of The Lucky Attic with his wares and a wide smile. He opened the door and called out for Lucien, before closing the door to find Zeus waiting with a wagging tail. He gave Wilhelm a greeting bark before taking off towards the stairs.
Wilhelm looked up in time to see Lucien coming down. He had forgotten the time until he saw his friend’s disheveled appearance. The Lucky Attic didn’t even officially open for three more hours, yet at just past nine in the morning, Wilhelm hadn’t expected Lucien to still be abed.
The tall man’s hair was a wild tangle atop his head, his shirt clearly slept in, his pants hurriedly pulled on, no socks or shoes- not even house slippers, a light shadow of a beard, and his long hands shoving the last bit of sleep from the corners of Lucien’s eyes. He looked almost like a small kid. Once more, Wilhelm was struck by the incessant curiosity about his friend’s background.
“What the blazes is a’matter, Zeus?”, Lucien growled from the steps.
“I thought you knew all his barks?”, Wilhelm teased his friend.
That gave Lucien pause as he looked up at Wilhelm.
“Billy Boy?”
“Aye.”
His friend’s face shifted from growling anger to the soft smile he usually wore. Nodding, Lucien headed down the last few stairs.
“I’ll put on the kettle.”
“First, I want you to look at these books.”, Wilhelm said excitedly.
Moving to the front table, he grabbed the white sheet and stretched it out over the table top. He then pulled up his satchel and unloaded the books for Lucien’s inspection. As expected, Lucien’s eyes went wide.
“Art and star charts, wherever did you find them?”
“Remember the small town near Wall, has all the circular paths for the streets?”
“Whirlton?”
“Aye, there.”
“I did not know they had a bookshop?”
“They don’t. It was an auction house that sold estate goods, and they had recently had several estates clearing out the leftovers that relations didn’t want or need, and they were between auctions so they were happy to take coin right away for these.”
“Name your price.”, Lucien said with a chuckle.
The two settled on the price with little quibbling, then Lucien went to start the kettle and left Wilhelm with a small plate of fruit. Zeus moved to be petted as they awaited the tea. Wilhelm looked around the shop, noticing a few items that always caught his attention, had moved.
There had been a diploma and a certificate for his business in the city. Both had dates on them and now were nowhere in sight. A new diploma rested where the business certificate had been and there was a map where the old diploma had rested. Wilhelm wondered why.
He crossed the shop to get a closer look at the new diploma. The date had been changed on it, though it was otherwise a perfect replica of the old one. The new issued date was nine years later than the previous had been. Wilhelm, due to his father’s profession and the men he did business with, knew what such a thing meant. It was something criminals did to hide their real age in order not to match the details of a Wanted poster.
“Lucien?”, he asked as his friend returned to the room.
Turning, he saw his friend’s face shift from tired to guarded. Lucien’s face was rarely guarded.
“Why did you change your diploma? Are you wanted for something?”
“None of your business, Wilhelm.”
Now he was concerned.
“If someone is after you, I won’t tell anyone about you. I promise.”
“Come have your tea and forget the dates.”
Wilhelm stepped back over to his friend, looking him over. He had been barely ten when Wilhelm first stepped into The Lucky Attic. Last week, he had celebrated his 19th birthday. In that near-decade, Wilhelm had grown up, Captain Ghostmaker had gone from a man in his prime at 43 to a withered and unhealthy man over 50. Lucien, however, looked exactly the same as he had that day almost ten years prior.
Leaning over the table, Wilhelm looked over his friend’s face. Not a gray hair had appeared, not a new wrinkle about the eyes or mouth, not a dulling of the skin, a recession of the hairline, or even an ounce added around his middle. Nothing gave a hint of the years having passed.
“You looked younger than my father and most of his men, when I first came here. In the years since, they have aged and I have grown up, yet you remain untouched. Are you some great sorcerer hiding from a terrible curse? Or maybe you are some curious adventurer from the other side of the Wall?”
Lucien’s face contorted to anger before he turned his back to Wilhelm. His friend shook his head, leaning against the back counter. Wilhelm worried that now, he might have finally been too curious.
“I don’t wish to talk about it.”
“I wouldn’t tell your secret, Lucien. You know I wouldn’t. I just wish you’d tell me, as I’ve told you all my secrets.”
“Go, Wilhelm. Go and take your curiosity with you.”
Lucien turned, his shoulders tense and veins in his neck popping.
“Go.”
Wilhelm gathered his books and walked out. Occasionally, he had pestered Lucien about his past, but when Lucien had told him to stop or had stopped answering, Wilhelm had quit. This was the first time he had truly pressed and had said outright that he knew Lucien had not aged and was living like a criminal.
Clearly, he had overstepped the lines of their friendship. Perhaps, when they returned next month to do the last summer shipment, Wilhelm would return to his friend’s shop and make his apologies. Lucien would have had time to cool off and Wilhelm time to think of how to properly word an apology.
`*`*`*`*`*`
A month later, Wilhelm eagerly headed to The Lucky Attic. He had news to share as well as his apology to make. His father was going to make him the First Mate. He would be First Mate of the Caspertine and as such, he would be helping map out where they would hunt lightning.
He was hopeful that Lucien would have forgiven him for asking if the man were on Wanted posters and not heeding the warning to quit his interrogation. Lucien had been so calm and easy-going over the years, it had been a shock to see him looking so angry and upset. Wilhelm hoped their friendship could be repaired.
Arriving on the street, Wilhelm looked to the familiar blue door and blue sign with pale yellow letters. The door was now grimy, though no less blue, and the sign was missing. Upon closer inspection, Wilhelm found the store empty and no sign of Lucien or Zeus.
Wilhelm instantly felt his stomach drop. What if something had happened to Lucien? If he were some sort of criminal and wanted, perhaps the authorities might have caught up with him. Or, as healthy as his friend looked, he might have had something happen with his health.
Elwyn would know, he was sure. Wilhelm took off, heading down towards the rows of vendors. Elwyn had brought her niece in and let her niece mostly run the show, yet Elwyn was never far from her stand. Wilhelm arrived to her stall, looking around for a familiar face beneath snow white hair, usually wearing a beautiful blue dress.
“Ah, Young Wilhelm. What brings yer to my stall in such a state?”
“I was just at The Lucky Attic, where are Lucien and Zeus? What happened to all the books and the sign?”
“Ah, poor boy. I went to his shop to bring my tea, an’ he was packing. Family emergency. He and that smuggler friend of his, they was a’packed in three days and cleared out. Never ‘ave I seen so many books packed together.”
“Is he coming back?”
Elwyn let out a long sigh.
“I would not count on it, Young Wilhelm.”
`*`*`*`*`*`
Ten years had passed since the day Wilhelm learned his friend had left, taking his dog and his books with him. In that time, Wilhelm had not forgotten his friend, despite all the changes the decade had brought. Captain Ghostmaker had passed, leaving his ship and crew to Wilhelm, not that the crew respected him or thought much of answering to ‘the kid’.
Now, Wilhelm was Captain Will, and they were traveling to the Capital city of the kingdom of Stormhold. He was excited to spend a few days traveling within the city before he and his men would be chasing the next batch of storms to get the lightning they made their living from. His first stop was to the fruit market vendors.
Wilhelm walked down through the vendors, a messenger bag at his hip to hold any new treasure or treat he might find. Last year, he had shared a short affair with a lovely jam-maker who had introduced Wilhelm to the lower market in the part of the city where only locals of more modest means, would shop. Now it was a regular haunt for Wilhelm whenever he came to the Capitol.
As Wilhelm reached for a peach, he bumped elbows with another shopper. Looking up as he went to apologize, he was met with a very familiar face. Tanned and freckled cheeks, deep slate-blue eyes, and a mop of wavy hair of spun gold. Lucien.
The man smiled at Wilhelm. Again, Wilhelm was struck by how unchanged his friend was by the passing years. Lucien spoke first.
“Hello, Billy Boy. I suppose I will need a new nickname for you, as you’re all grown up now.”
“Elwyn said you left, I had never thought to see you again!”
Lucien nodded, a shadow coming over his features briefly.
“I did clear out in a hurry. There were… circumstances. It was beyond my control and I could not leave a note. I had thought you might ask Elwyn and she would explain.”
“She said you and a smuggler friend of yours, packed everything in three days, and then you were just… gone.”
Lucien nodded.
“I’ve a new shop here, in the Capitol. Opened it a few months back. If you’ve the time, I would be happy to give you the grand tour.”
The young captain could barely contain his glee.
“I would clear my schedule for that!”
“Well, if you’re done, I was just going to get some tea and then head back to the shop. I’m expecting a special customer shortly so I can’t doddle.”
“Then let’s get your tea and get a move on.”
Lucien chuckled, before heading off to the tea vendor. The pair of them talked a bit, with Lucien filling Wilhelm in on some of his travels and where he had set up shop south of Wall, for three years, while Wilhelm filled his friend in on the death of Captain Ghostmaker and how Wilhelm had to get rid of the old crew who refused to take orders from ‘the kid’. Soon enough, they arrived at the new shop, also called The Lucky Attic.
“It’s a little different but the name was too good to let go of.”
Just as before, the door was a cheery, bright blue with a sign overtop in the same bright shade, with pale yellow letters announcing the name. When Lucien and Wilhelm stepped inside, it was still nearly overflowing with books, custom shelves near to bursting with stacks and rows of books, a few particular books on display like paintings. For a moment, Wilhelm just stood there smiling. It felt like a homecoming.
Lucien stepped around Wilhelm and let out a quiet whistle. A tapping sound emanated from behind the front counter, then Zeus appeared from behind it, his ears perked and tail wagging. He also looked as though no time had passed.
“Hey Zeus!”
The brown dog bounded over, then danced between Lucien and Wilhelm for attention, his tail madly wagging. Wilhelm was so happy to see his friends after the past decade.
“I had never thought to see either of you again.”, he said quietly.
“You never know when friends will return to you.”
Moving over, Lucien placed his goods on a shelf behind the counter. Wilhelm no sooner opened his mouth to ask how Lucien came to the Capitol of all places, when the bell announced another customer arriving. He looked up to see a tall woman dressed very similarly to how Wilhelm and other pirates, smugglers, and rogues would go out, right down to the sword at her right hip and the stiletto dagger on her left.
The tall woman looked around the shop with a calculating gaze that Wilhelm knew from the more hardened criminal element his late father had often dealt with. When her eyes fell on Wilhelm, they narrowed. He heard Lucien clear his throat in a clear attempt to say something to the woman without having to actually say whatever he meant.
“Young Captain Shakespeare, this is Leonne D’Winter. Leonne, meet Captain Wilhelm Shakespeare.”
She arched an eyebrow.
“Captain Shakespeare of the Caspartine?”
He nodded.
“Aye.”
Leonne nodded back, a vaguely impressed look on her pale face.
“She’s a beauty. Quick, too.”
She strode into the shop before dropping a pack covered in oiled leather, heavily onto the front counter. Wilhelm didn’t imagine the little smirk between Lucien and Leonne as his friend moved to uncover the heavy books.
“Wilhelm, you ought to come and see. These will likely interest you.”
He did as bid. The books did not disappoint. Hard, leather bound books. Two were big enough to put a dinner plate, goblet, silverware, and fingerbowl atop with room to spare. Three more were roughly the size of a soup bowl and each nearly an inch thick. The pages looked to be in good shape and the one small one had a satin thong for keeping one’s place while reading.
“We’ll dither later. Where’s the tea?”, Leonne asked as she moved to rub behind Zeus’s ear.
Lucien chuckled quietly to himself as he moved to the back room.
“I’ll put on the kettle. You three get acquainted.”
The woman, Leonne, moved to sit at a little table between the back room that served as a small kitchen and office. Wilhelm took the seat a bit to her right, Zeus plopping next to Leonne and rolling over with a clear expectation of a belly rub. Wilhelm wondered who this woman was and how she knew Lucien.
Her dark hair looked to be long, braided and pinned beneath the Cavalier hat she wore with a black feather tucked into the band. Her face was too fair for her to have spent a lot of time in the sun, her long-fingered hands remained gloved as she rubbed the dog’s belly. She had to have been nearly 6ft tall without her boots, which were of fine make. Whatever she did paid well.
“I remember you, young Wilhelm. When you were quite young, you used to frequent Lucien’s shop. I believe you were referred by Elwyn.”
“I don’t remember you?”
“You never saw me.”, she said with a wave of her right hand, her left still rubbing the now-snoring Zeus.
“Yet you saw me?”
“More heard of than saw, though I did spot you a couple times when you were heading back to the Caspartine. Usually in a hurry, as you’d lost track of the time.”
Just as with Lucien, she looked to be 30 at most, yet was speaking as if she had been an adult for more than two decades. Lucien had often spoken of things Wilhelm knew to have happened nearly a century earlier, and yet Lucien seemed to have personally witnessed what he spoke of.
“Do not trouble yourself with the math, young Wilhelm. You’ve already figured that Lucien and I are not so young as we first appear. Ask your question quickly, before Lucien gets the tea.”
“How are the two of you so youthful in appearance, and have kept yourselves hidden? Are you witches?”
Leonne barked a bitter laugh.
“I am no witch, boy. Nor is Lucien, despite the name. In fact, if a witch were to find Lucien, he would be in great peril.”
Wilhelm’s eyes went wide as an old legend, one he heard in old songs and whispered of by Elwyn on a few occasions over the years, ran through his head. From the look on Leonne’s face, she knew what he was thinking.
“A fallen star?”
Leonne nodded with a grave expression.
“Indeed. And if I ever hear tell you’ve breathed a word of his existence to any witch or a familiar, I will visit upon you a death so agonizing that you will beg for something so simple as murder.”
“I wouldn’t! I tried to tell him that back at his old shop, that I would never share his secret.”
“Now that you know it, you may better understand why he is so protective of his secrets.”
Wilhelm nodded. It made several things make sense. In the legends, fallen stars still danced under moonlight and glowed with happiness. There had been times when Wilhelm had sworn Lucien appeared to have a slight glow when he would be sitting with Zeus, reading and drinking his tea, out back of his shop. He kept late hours and slept in nearly every morning.
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before.”
“They are rare, fallen stars. And usually female. It is a host of sisters who are nearest to this world, accounting for how most of those who’ve fallen have been female.”
Before Wilhelm could say more, Lucien walked in with a small tray bearing three cups, the kettle, loose tea in three jars, sugar, and cream. Leonne shot Wilhelm a look to make it clear he needed to ask no further questions. He decided he wanted no repeats of his last meeting with Lucien.
“Thank you.”
Lucien nodded with a smile.
“It is good to have you back. So, did the two of you have a good talk?”
Lucien looked up as he sat, pinning Wilhelm with his gaze.
“Ah.”
“Ah what?”, Wilhelm asked in confusion.
“Leonne filled you in.”
“Better to handle his questions here, than to have him out asking others.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“He only asked Elwyn, and she knew.”
“She knew?”, he shrieked in surprise, waking Zeus.
Lucien nodded as he sat back with his tea, looking suddenly tired.
“She was there when I first moved into my shop. Her eldest granddaughter had just been born and she happily telling everyone who came to her cart.”
“Her granddaughter was a married woman when I met her, shortly after I started coming to your shop.”
Leonne nodded.
“A bright, brilliant artist and very good at handling her grandmother’s cart. You see why Elwyn was able to figure out Lucien’s secret.”
He nodded as it sank in. She had known that day when she sent him to Lucien’s shop the first time, as well as when she explained Lucien’s abrupt departure.
“She said you had a family emergency, when you left.”
“She was protecting me. It had been her hope, since she figured out what I was, that I’d return to my celestial home.”
“Is that why you like star charts so much? Like paintings of home?”
“To a degree. Highly inaccurate paintings, though they are enough to make home feel a little less distant. Drink your tea before it chills.”
Wilhelm's mind was spinning. The three of them enjoyed their tea with some conversation, which would stall from time to time as Wilhelm had to resist asking more questions. When finally he left, with a promise to return the following day to look over the books and bring two for trading, Lucien cast a grumpy look to Leonne.
“You needn’t have been so harsh with him.”
Leonne leaned back in her seat as she let out a slow breath. Lucien knew she was choosing her words carefully.
“He figured out you were some kind of immortal, and the next day there were three mercenaries at your door, looking for a fallen star. You know they were sent by Empusa, Mormo, or worse yet, Lamia.”
“They could have been working for any number of witches, and we have no way of knowing that Wilhelm is responsible for their knowing I was there, and that I’m a star. You said it yourself, months before I left, that I had stayed in one place too long. That I was sure to have attracted notice.”
“True.”
Turning in his chair to lean into Leonne’s space, Lucien looked up at her where she had tried to use her hat’s brim to shield her face. Her dark eyes were angry and worried. She was still concerned someone would trace him, find him, take him, and carve his heart out for the purpose of powering witches.
Lucien reached, catching one of Leonne’s gloved hands. He gave it a tug to get her to look at him. The anger faded from her eyes, while the worry increased.
“They could have been on my trail and discovered you through me, figuring you were the richer prize.”
“Just the same, I’d rather have you and young Wilhelm in my life, than not, even if your presence increases the risk of living out among people. Please, Leonne, do not be so hard on yourself or young Wilhelm. I doubt either of you are the cause for the near-miss that uprooted me. Elwyn had warned me that there were whispers of witches on the move, for weeks before those men came to my door.”
“Thankfully, Zeus was there and Elwyn sent them the wrong way on the street.”
“Yes. Now come on. Let’s tally your treasures and figure out how much you’ve got to spend in my store.”
That earned a bright smile from Leonne.
“Sure.”