We left with more gold and silver than had been agreed upon and it made me think that, perhaps, even the queen of the Maidens knew when she had crossed the line.
"Thank you," I said to Essmay, finally alone and headed back to drop off our loot.
The girl in question ruffled her peacock wings, "it wasn't anything really. She knew she had been pushing it."
"I didn't know she hated my mother that much"
Essmay shook her head, her green and blue eyes glowing faintly. "She doesn't. I think it's guilt. She never would have allowed that to happen if she had been the leader. Her mother, as you know, had few qualms with slavery." It was hard to remember my great grandmother, but I knew she was not of the friendly sort. People used to call her The Crone and said that she ate little fledglings for breakfast. I wasn't sure about the fledgling part, but I had heard enough stories from my mother to know that she was a nasty piece of work.
I looked down and studied the black and silver patterned fur of Luna.
"Yeah, to a notoriously cruel Leader no less."
"Skyee..." Essmay's eyes held mine. "We can't help where we come from you know. Like I told Kayden and Brandon earlier-only matters who and where we are now."
I sighed dramatically, "I change my mind about you bein' a show bird. No man likes a woman who always right." Essmay and I chuckled, spurring our mounts into a fast-paced trot.
Mr. and Mrs. Gold were not my favorite District Leaders to meet up with. They lived as lavish as possible and rarely took adequete care of the subjects that couldn't steal for them. We arrived in their District which, unlike Black's, had hardly any greenery in it save for some sparse trees and drooping bushes. They were constantly bugged by the Pentacouncil to foster their plant life, but without much luck.
"Gods, I hate this place," mumbled Essmay, blowing a piece of stray hair from her perfectly proportioned face. It was no wonder Kayden was so enamored with her. Hell, why everyone was.
More people were out and we walked past small stalls that were setting up for the Night Market. I took a deep breath in and smelled cinnamon, nutmeg, and something spicy. It reminded me of my childhood. I looked over to one of the stalls and noticed a Gold clan member, easily recognizable by their numerous piercings, talking with a small elderly woman with whimsical dragonfly wings. Something about her demeanor to the huge burly man made me pause and slide off Luna's back. I knew Essmay would be close behind me. As partners, we were impeccably in sync.
I clenched my hands, the reinforced metal on my knuckles stretching uncomfortabley over the skin. It was a welcome uncomfort compared to the blue and purple coloring of the day after a fist fight.
I took my baton out and tapped on the large clan member's shoulder, narrowly avoiding his seagull wings. The man snarled and turned, stopping abruptly as he recognized the light uniform of a Hunter. He had a rusty orange beard that was begging for a wash and small hungry eyes that were sunken into his skull.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked, scrambling to see if I could recall his name.
"Ye might be. Depends on how wide you can spread yer-" His foul language was cut off by Essmay's baton which had landed quite accurately in between his legs. He made a low moan before keeling over.
"Essmay he was supposed to be mine. Spoilsport." The woman in question whirled her baton gracefully, ignoring my complaints. I turned my attention to the elderly woman.
"Was he bothering you ma?" I asked, leaning gingerly over the counter. It held a variety of glossy fruits that had me drooling. The woman shrunk back, nervously tugging at her short gray hair.
"He said a fly like me didn't belong in Lowland. Said my tax would be higher because of the trouble I'd cause."
I sucked in air through my teeth and resisted kicking the stupid fellow who was still out cold. Bugs and Birds were not very fond of eachother. Most Bugs were in Higher Cities, a prejudice that Birds had never forgotten, especially those from Lowland. The big brute had been trying to extradite more money from her even though every citizen in Gold District already had to pay a 'safety' tax. The only real danger was the clansmen themselves.