Rooftops passed below Aytin as he flew, and he didn't even try to hide his gawking.

  He knew that the capital was more than just a big town. But there was a difference between knowing and seeing.

  Ahead, the gleaming white Central Spire of the Royal Palace shone like a model on a pedestal. The massive marble buildings made up the heart of the city, and a steady stream of dragonettes flowed in and out of its gates. Even more darted in and out of the countless caves carved into the mesa it sat upon.

  Aytin realized that his course was drifting towards the city center and he pulled slightly to the right. His destination was just ahead, among the sea of buildings and small towers that surrounded the palace.

  The neighborhood in question was nicer than many others, with the buildings more widely spaced and no rickety crosswalks or washing lines hung between them.

  He picked out one house in particular. A four story job, with a fieldstone base, wooden siding, and a roof of red clay tiles. The Luffin crest was painted in a bright blue that stood out against the whitewashed walls.

  His mother had described both the building and its location before he left. So many times, in fact, that Aytin was pretty sure he could have found it in the dead of night.

  At the time, he had been frustrated by the whole ordeal. It seemed like a waste of time that he could be spending enjoying his last few days at home. Besides, he knew the city couldn't be that big.

  He smiled at the thought as he began to descend.

  "You'll be wanting to keep flying!"

  Aytin jerked slightly, then craned his neck to look up. A uniformed dragonette stared back at him. She held a short club in one hand and her expression made it clear that she was itching for an excuse to use it.

  "I have business here." The reply was clear and calm. Also true enough. But the guard snorted.

  "Fat chance you do. Find somewhere else to beg!"

  For a moment, Aytin was taken aback. Then he remembered what he was wearing and had to hide an ironic smile. 'Mother, if only you could see me now.'

  His outfit was a mish mash of wildling leathers, recovered brigand clothes, and the few bits and pieces of his original wardrobe that had survived. The small canvas pack he wore was stained and dirty, although it was at least well made underneath the grime. Still not the image of a son of a noble, no matter how far down the family line.

  The out of date and no doubt musty clothes he had packed away at the start of his journey would have been better received. Unfortunately, with most of the tribe asleep for the winter, no one had noticed when a family of rodents had snuck in to use it for bedding.

  "I'm not here to beg," Aytin insisted, once he understood the situation. "I'm here to see Cork Luffin."

  That obviously wasn't what she was expecting to hear, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she reevaluated him. Then she shook her head. "He didn't say nothing about some street rat coming to visit him today."

  "Look, just ask him. I'm sure that-"

  "I'm not gonna let some lying piece of trash bother anyone down there. Get a move on, before I give you a reason!" She smacked the club into her free hand for emphasis.

  Aytin thought about arguing. After a few moments, he decided against it. 'There are other, less painful ways to do this.'

  He turned and angled away from his uncle's home. Behind him, the guard gave a short laugh. "Smarter than you look. Don't let me see you again!"

  'You keep thinking that.' They would see each other again. He just needed some things first. Things he had already planned on picking up at some point, anyway. It would have been nice if Uncle Cork could have provided what he needed, but it wasn't like he was short on funds.

  Lord Lazon had been more than accommodating. He had welcomed Aytin along with Rina and Attalee into his home. Aside from helping with chores, there had never been any question of payment for the two weeks they stayed there.

  It had been funny watching the two wildings adjust to life in a keep, even one on the very edge of the frontier. Some of it was luxuries like salted meat or clean-burning lamps with silvered backing. Then there was the time that he had found Attalee running her fingers over the line of iron nails used to secure a wooden joist.

  To be fair, they did spend longer at the keep than expected. There was no way anyone would be risking that flight again. Not without a dragon.

  And hadn't that been funny when the dragon Zegel finally arrived, accompanied by the trader Vesper and her crew. He might have been on the small size for a dragon, but the green was still imposing. Also quite a bit more sociable than Faelon.

  Once Aytin told his story, they'd been more than happy to help. Vesper didn't even charge for the detour to the wildling island to drop off Rina and Attalee and pick up the rest of Aytin's things. Something about a responsibility to fellow traders and Zegel having a passing acquaintance with Faelon.

  The goodbye that followed had been hard. He and Rina had agonized about whether or not she would accompany him to the capital. After the taste of civilization she had gotten in Lazon's Rest, she wanted to see more.

  Aytin had wanted to bring her. Gods, had he wanted to bring her. They had gotten even closer in those weeks leading up to winter. Then there had been the weeks of training together for their journey between islands. Recovering from the heaven oak induced hibernation and the lingering effects of Aytin's injuries. Long days... and more than a few long nights as well.

  By the time of the crossing, there was no longer any question about what they meant to each other.

  Which only made it all the harder to leave her behind.

  Rina had responsibilities on the island. After the deaths and injuries during the battle with the brigands, they needed every huntress they had. Especially with Faelon to feed on top of the rest of the tribe. Just their absence during the time at Lazon's Rest had been felt.

  Moreover, even if Vesper was willing to cut Aytin's passage fees to not much more than the cost of food, she couldn't afford to extend that charity to another. Especially as they were already running with a heavy guard complement.

  'It won't be for long. Just a few months. Fall at the very latest.'

  Yet, paying for Rina's passage wouldn't have been too much of a burden. The lockbox had yielded to the key recovered from Xantha's corpse. There had been just over seventy gold in coinage, with another twenty in various bullion.

  Then there had been several small, valuable items of cargo. Various pieces of jewelry. One potion that would let the user stand naked in a blizzard for an hour with no ill effects. Another that would neutralize any poison less potent than green dragon venom, or so it claimed on the label.

  Several jars of spices were currently sitting with his luggage, back at the free trader's guild. Also messages to various keeps and parties in the capital. He planned to deal with a few of those himself. Those that he could, anyway.

  All that was missing from the lockbox's treasures was a jar full of honey. It was gone, consumed during the long flight between islands.

  Faelon had gifted everything to Aytin. Or, perhaps gifted was the wrong word. He had entrusted it to the young dragonette. It was a trust that Aytin had no intention of violating.

  Apart from the funds from Faelon, they had thoroughly looted the brigands before leaving the bodies out in the woods for the wolves and the worms. Between them, they had about ten gold in coins. And while most of the other supplies and weapons went to the wildlings, Aytin had brought along the handful of finer pieces, like Xantha's saber.

  He had also recovered what was left of his knife.

  A hand reflexively went to his belt, closing on the rough leather wrap of the handle to make sure that it was still there. The original grip was gone, along with the beautiful turquoise stone that once graced the pommel. And the heat of the fire had warped the blade, ruining the fine edge.

  He'd sharpened it as best he could, but it never seemed to take. One of Zegel's escorts, a female by the name of Viper, had told him the heat had probably undone all the work Suuie had put into hardening the bronze, and it would need another smith to put it right.

  It still made him feel better to have the blade at his side. Even if it wasn't as good as it once was, Aytin wasn't going to give it up.

  The good news was that after adding together everything with his own recovered funds, the young dragonette had close to a hundred and sixty gold worth of assets. Maybe more depending on what he could get for the weapons and jewelry.

  He glanced back up at the Royal Palace and shifted his course to take him towards the rear of the spire. His destination was ironic, given the source. But Aytin didn't have the first clue where much was in this city.

  Closer to the Central Spire, the heart of the kingdom's power, the concentration of wealth was obvious. Not just in the spotless towers and decorative stonework, but in the space between them. Gardens and wide boulevards and even broad lawns of manicured grass and trees spoke as loudly as any gilding could.

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  Cork's place had actually been at the edge of this belt, where things became more of a patchwork. There were blocks where the buildings seemed to huddle together. Where the paint was a little faded and the crowds quite a bit tighter.

  They were still respectable, nothing like the slums out towards the edge of the city. Just focused on commerce more than impressing the upper class.

  Mixed seemingly at random were what could only be estates. Clusters of buildings, often walled, with similar architecture and usually a bit of distance from the surrounding buildings. Now that he knew what to look for, the occasional guard circling over these was obvious. Aytin made sure to steer clear of those, given his earlier experience.

  Interestingly, a few of these showed little signs of neglect. Like roofs with missing shingles or a reflecting pool with a skim of algae.

  All the random construction made his directions a little vague. '"About eight blocks behind the palace spire," she said. But is that whole estate a block? Or those two roads a dozen wingspans apart?'

  In the end, Aytin landed in an open square about where he thought his destination would be. There were nearly as many dragonettes in that single intersection as there were residents of Luffin Keep. Nevertheless, he didn't exactly blend in. There were eyes on him, especially those of a pair with some sort of official looking badges. One of those two said something to her partner before moving in his direction.

  A quick scan showed a score of shops and stalls scattered in and around the nearby buildings, with even more accessible by stairways or along narrow side streets. Signs ranged from the subdued to garish riots of color. None of them were for the place he was looking for.

  One nearby stand did catch Aytin's eye. Or, more accurately, his nose. The smell of meat and spices made his mouth water.

  There was no line, it being mid-afternoon. He stepped up and the elderly proprietor frowned at him.

  "I don't do charity and I don't have any work I need done."

  Aytin pulled a few copper pieces out of a pouch and held them up. "Then it's a good thing I don't need either. But I'd like some of whatever it is you have there." He jerked his head at the pot and its gently steaming contents.

  "Two copper."

  When he laid a pair of coins on the counter, the old dragonette made them disappear with the swipe of a hand whose hide had turned a pale silver with age. Then he pulled a piece of flatbread out of a warming box and ladled a generous helping of meat in a thin sauce on top. A couple of deft folds later, he handed the open-topped wrap over.

  The first bite hit Aytin like a kick to the teeth. His eyes went wide and ears shot up as the heat slammed into him.

  He had grown up near the southern borders where most of the kingdom's spices grew. Strong flavors and hot food were part of day to day life. But half a year living on traveling rations and whatever herbs the wildling tribe could find had definitely worn away a bit of his tolerance.

  "Water's over there," the proprietor said, amusement written across his face as he jerked a finger towards a jug and dipper.

  Aytin took a long, grateful sip. Then he went back for another bite. The meat was a little stringy, but full of flavor beneath the spice. Now that he was prepared, the heat wasn't even that bad.

  "This is good," he mumbled around the mouthful of food. He gulped it down and then went in for another.

  "You were looking like you might need a healer just a moment ago." With coins in his pocket and no other customers to deal with, the owner seemed a lot more inclined to chat. "Name's White." The dragonette nodded towards the sign bearing his name and a stylized picture of the wrap he had just made.

  "Aytin," he offered between bites. "And I'm just a little out of practice is all. Been... way out in the back of beyond for a while now."

  White grunted and looked him up and down. "I can see that." Then his gaze shifted to someone behind Aytin. "Afternoon, Nell. A little early for dinner, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, just doing my rounds," the guard said, sidling up behind the young dragonette and looming over him. "How are things over here?"

  "Good, good. Aytin here was just telling me about how he's just arrived back from the frontier."

  "First real food in way too long." Both of them turned his way as he held up his meal with a friendly grin. "I know I look like I just crawled out of a dragon's backside-" Nell snorted, and Aytin's smile turned wry as he realized all the time he'd spent with traders was starting to rub off on him.

  "Anyway," he continued, "my luggage got ruined during my trip, and I was hoping to get some replacements. Either of you ever heard of a place called Citadel Needleworks?"

  Nell seemed quite a bit more accommodating with someone who didn't talk or act like a beggar. "Yeah, they actually do a bit of fitting for the city guard. I had to pick up the lieutenant's uniform one time." She pointed up a road that led in the direction of the palace. "One block that way, on your right. The sign's a little small, so keep an eye out."

  She hesitated for a moment, then added, "Citadel does good work, but they charge for it. There's a couple of places that are almost as good and-"

  "It's fine." Aytin waved what was left of his snack, dismissively. "Some... some people I knew recommended it."

  Nell seemed to consider that for a moment, then shrugged. "Your gold. But tell you what. Things are quiet here and you're not going far. Let me go talk to my lazy excuse for a partner and then I'll walk you over. Hate to see you getting lost."

  White snorted a laugh. "You're just trying to wrangle a kickback!"

  The guard's face was the picture of innocence as she shook her head vigorously. "What? Me? Never!"

  That only drew an incredulous snort as well as a smile from Aytin. "I'm sure it's nothing like that," he insisted in a tone that oozed sincerity. "And I'd appreciate a guide."

  'Especially if it keeps any other city guards from trying to kick me out.'

  "Sure thing. Be right back!" Nell flicked an ear and jogged back across the square, dodging through pedestrians and past a handful of carts.

  "I'm not going to wake up in an alley missing my coin purse, am I?" Aytin asked once the guard was out of earshot.

  White gave him a conspiratorial smile and shook his head. "Nah, Nell's a good one. She really is after that referral, though. It's how a lot of places around here drum up business."

  "I figured, and I really don't mind." The wrap was almost gone and Aytin savored the last bite before going back to the water dipper to wash it down. "And that was delicious. Are you usually around here?"

  "Most days. If it ain't me, it's one of my kids."

  "Then I'll definitely be back here again."

  "Glad to hear it!"

  Nell was returning, and Aytin waved goodbye to the stall keeper as he walked over to meet her. Then he followed half a step behind as she led him up a wide street.

  The crowds were heavy, at least to someone who had never been to a city before. Even the towns that Zegel had passed through on the way here couldn't compare. It was like walking through a busy corridor that never seemed to end. Some pedestrians moved with a purpose, others stopped at random or changed directions on a whim.

  "Is it always like this?" Aytin asked as another passerby jostled his shoulder.

  Nell turned slightly and gave him a confused look. "Like what?"

  "Everyone out here. Is there some festival?"

  The guard blinked and then laughed. "You really are from the frontier, aren't you?"

  "Uhh..."

  "No, it's alright," she assured him with a smile. "I remember when I first landed here. Everyone I ever knew up to then could have been thrown in one tenement with room for a couple more keeps.

  "Now, you'll probably want to be wherever you're going by early evening. That's when the crowds will come out so thick that you'll need to pull in your wings to keep them from getting crushed."

  "Good to know." He didn't quite believe the answer. 'Probably an exaggeration. There's no way that many people could live here.' He'd find out one way or another soon, though.

  "So," Nell said after a moment's pause, "if you were just out on the frontier, do you have any news?"

  Aytin raised an eyeridge. "What kind of news?"

  Her expression changed slightly, getting more serious before she asked, "How bad is it out there, really? I've heard things, but half of it's obviously made up, and the rest can't all be right."

  "Well, I certainly didn't have an easy time of it out there." Aytin wasn't sure how much of his story he wanted to share with a random guard, even if she was being helpful. But she wasn't going to be satisfied with something so vague, so he settled for a small piece. "Brigands attacked us during the trip. Injured our dragon and we ended up wintering in the back of beyond."

  Nell let air hiss through her teeth in surprise. "Damn, no shit?"

  "No shit."

  "What about darklings?" she pressed. "I've heard half the keeps out on the frontier have been overrun."

  "No darklings, and thank the gods for that," Aytin said. "None of the keeps I passed though this spring had seen any, either. Well, one drove off a patrol last fall. Nothing since then."

  "Well, that's good to hear. The way some people talk, you’d think there's an armada of darklings and shadow drakes massing the next island over."

  Aytin glanced around at the buildings. The city was a far cry from a defensible keep. Walls of thin wood with doors and wide windows. The latter seemed to have become more common as they had walked, with some of the clearest glass that he had ever seen.

  They had definitely entered a slightly more upscale area. Not that the last place had been poor or anything. There just seemed to be more money here. And that was made doubly clear with the pointed glances various dragonettes were sending his way. Without an escort, he had no doubt that his reception would have been considerably less friendly.

  "Say," Nell asked, drawing Aytin's attention back to the conversation. "You didn't happen to fly through Vulcha, did you?"

  He shook his head. "Can't say that I've ever heard of it. Why?"

  "It's where I grew up. I still have a couple of cousins there I keep in touch with. Just a few letters a year. It's only... well, I haven't heard from them since fall."

  "Sorry. I can't really help there." Aytin shrugged. "Vesper - she was the trader I flew back with - she said that things have been crazy this season. It could just be that a dragon hasn't flown through yet."

  "Yeah." The guard nodded to herself. "Yeah, that's probably it." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anything.

  Nell shook herself, then came to a sudden stop and cursed. Looking back the way they had come, she pointed a few doors back. "There, see, even I almost missed it!"

  The sign really wasn't obvious. Just the name, Citadel Needleworks, carved into a plank of stained wood with a stylized engraving of needle and crenelated tower in one corner. It was neat, clean, and subdued. The sort of sign for a place that didn't need to attract customers.

  'A bit strange that Xantha of all people would know about this place. Reed, sure, but not the sort of place mercenaries or trader crew would shop.'

  Nell insisted on walking him up the stairs to the second story entrance. A white-painted door was flanked by windows that looked into the shop floor. Shirts, dresses, trousers, suits, jackets, and all manner of accessories hung from racks. One well dressed dragonette stared out at him, obviously perplexed at the rough looking person at their door.

  Aytin felt just a little hesitant going inside. Not because of how he looked. No, it was just a feeling. He still remembered the conversation he'd had with Xantha, nearly half a year before. Back when he still thought of her as a friend and mentor. Before he knew the truth.

  They had talked about his plans. The capital, and what he would do when he got there. She'd joked about going to a Tonselra match, and gave him the recommendation for this very tailor. All the while, she knew, knew that none of them would ever get there.

  'Well, I'm here now. I made it. After everything you did, everyone you hurt and betrayed and murdered to try and stop me, I still made it.'

  Aytin opened the door and walked inside.