Learning to Fall

They hadn't been flying long before Aytin's mother slipped beside him. "I'm sorry I haven't said it sooner, but I'm so happy to see you, Tin."

"I, um, yeah. I'm really happy to be here, too."

"There was nothing that could keep me away. After that ransom note... And then your letter... Well, you can't imagine what it was like."

'What I can't imagine is why you're acting like this. I don't think she's ever even called me Tin before.'

"You were back from the dead! A gift from Kalador and Itova! A... a miracle!"

There was a hitch to her voice, and Aytin could almost swear he caught the glitter of tears at the edges of his mother's eyes before they were torn away by the wind.

Which was impossible. She had barely had time for him growing up. Outside of the occasional lecture for one misdeed or another, the most time she had ever spent with him was during that week before he left on Faelon. That was all lessons, going over the family's holdings and how to act in the capital.

'Why does she suddenly care about me enough to let my sister run the whole keep while she travels halfway across the kingdom just to see me?'

He didn't have an answer to that question. Nor did he have much time to think about it, because their first destination was in sight. They came down just outside of an unmarked door.

There were shops to either side of it. Upscale ones, too. But this entrance had no markings. It was well constructed, made of some sort of heavy wood with iron banding and a prominent lock. There weren't any windows to offer any clues as to what was behind that door, just a strip of white plaster wall to either side.

"Is this the right-" Aytin began, but his mother simply walked up and thumped the heavy brass knocker. Nothing happened for long enough that he began to suspect no one was there, then a slot slid open, revealing a pair of eyes half hidden behind spectacles.

"Yes?" The voice was curt, and sounded more than a little irritated.

"Is there a Juzil Altini here?"

"That's me," the dragonette beyond answered. "But I don't know you."

"I think you do. We just haven't seen each other in a long, long time. My name is Norvinia Luffin."

"Norvinia..." He seemed to taste the word for a moment before his entire tone changed. "Oh. Oh! Please, come in!"

There was the sound of something heavy being moved on the other side of the door, then it swung open to reveal Juzil waiting just beyond. He was a small dragonette. Not only barely taller than Aytin, but thin, verging on emaciated.

It didn't show in his smile as he welcomed the pair inside with a wave of sooty hands. "We can talk in my workshop. There should be enough chairs. At least... well, you might need to give me a moment. And who's this?" he asked, finally realizing that his guest wasn't alone.

"My son, Aytin," she replied before he could answer for himself, and the young dragonette was surprised by the amount of pride in her voice.

'That's never been there before. Where is all of this coming from? Where was it ten years ago?'

"Well, bring him in, of course! But bar the door behind you." He motioned back as he led the way. Aytin picked up the thick wooden bar in question and slipped it onto the mounting brackets. No one would be getting in short of a battering ram.

He found Juzil in the room at the end of the short hallway, moving things around a crowded workshop as his mother looked on. Despite only a few slits for windows, the room was very well lit. Several oil lamps with silvered reflectors kept the shadows at bay, and revealed what could only be described as a mess.

Juzil was moving a box off of a stool and set it on the ground nearby. Not the table or a shelf because all of those were covered by a clutter of tools and crates and various unidentifiable items. A thin, dark patina covered much of the furniture as well, which made Aytin worry for the state of his expensive outfit.

The sole exceptions to the chaos were a single workbench and what looked like an undersized forge next to it. That area was clean and uncluttered, if somewhat stained, with all the visible tools lined up in neat rows and plenty of clearance around the coal pail and firepot.

Aytin's nostrils flared slightly as he inhaled. The whole room had the smell of hot metal, sort of like his sister Suuie's forge, but there were musty undertones. Dust and a space in desperate need of cleaning.

It was also hot and stuffy. As bad as midsummer back home. Waves of heat were coming from the forge, made worse by the lack of any sort of breeze from the tiny windows.

'I thought we were here for an invitation to the Royal Jubilee?' He vaguely recalled the name Juzil from the discussion his mother and uncle had had earlier, just not why he was important. This certainly didn't look like the room of someone with any sort of influence.

Then a glimmer caught his eye. It was coming from the box Juzil had moved off of his chair. As Aytin stepped closer to take a look, his eyes widened and ears perked fractionally.

A small pile of glittering gems lay there. He was far from an expert on such things, but they looked like an impressive collection. 'And he just had them sitting there...'

He looked at the room with fresh eyes and spotted the details that he had missed. Several metal ingots stacked on a shelf. A golden chain spilled carelessly across the table. Something small and glittering held in a vice on the workbench.

"I'm afraid I don't have any refreshments to offer you," Juzil said, apologetically as he wiped the soot off of a chair with a rag. "I don't usually eat here, and-"

Aytin's mother cut him off. "That's fine. We just had breakfast."

"Oh. That's good then, I suppose." He paused, awkwardly, before adding, "When did you arrive in the capital? You hadn't said anything about it in your last letter."

"Not too long ago," she answered, sitting down once she was certain that the chair wouldn't stain her dress. "This trip was a bit of a surprise to everyone."

"That's an understatement." It took a moment for Aytin to realize that he had spoken out loud.

Thankfully, his mother only chuckled while Juzil looked inquisitive. "His flight was ambushed by brigands last fall. We thought he was dead, so when we got word that he had arrived here over half a year late... Well, you understand."

"Yes, I think I do." Juzil walked up to Aytin, examining him with enough scrutiny that he started to feel self-conscious. "You do look like you've been through an ordeal," he said after noticing the wing scars. "I do believe you might have had a worse time of it than I did at your age."

"You were a bit older than him when you flew through Luffin keep, weren't you?"

Their host turned and strode over, the tip of his tail flicking slightly in what seemed to be a nervous habit. "Possibly. It was so long ago. You didn't come much above my waist at the time." She was clearly taller than him, now, even without the slight stoop in his neck.

"Your mother showed me all around your keep," he said, returning his attention to Aytin as he continued his pacing. "Especially the mines. Does she still go down there? I understand she practically lived in those tunnels as soon as she was old enough to walk."

The younger dragonette shook his head slowly. "No, she has my sister Zara to manage the mines now." He looked at his mother, a bit confused. No one liked going into the mines. It was a punishment for criminals and the supervisors that went below had to be well paid.

She looked back, a slightly sheepish expression on her face. "Speaking of the mines," she said. "I have something for you." At her gesture, Aytin passed over his bag. From within she drew out a tightly wrapped cloth package which she held out.

Juzil stopped his pacing and took the bundle eagerly. "Now what is this?" he muttered even as he selected a small knife from the table to slit the bindings. His eyes lit up as he saw the contents. With steady fingers that belied his twitchy appearance, he withdrew a light blue stone.

"Oh, these are just perfect!" His entire face was lit up, like the bag was full of platinum. "I have been desperately searching for turquoise for a piece I've been working on this whole month! And those merchants are about as honest as a darkling. Do you know one of them tried to pass off jasper as turquoise just a week ago? Can you believe that? Jasper?! She must have thought I was blind and stupid!"

He carefully set the stones aside as he continued to grumble. "No, this is exactly why my old master sent me out to the keeps when I was first getting started. If you don't know who your materials are coming from, how can you trust them? And that's why half the nobles in the city come to me for their jewelry. Because they know that I'm not going to pass some colored glass off as an emerald."

"And you've had plenty of customers coming through here lately, I see." Lady Luffin gave the room a deliberate look, eyes lingering on a stack of elegantly carved boxes next to the workbench.

"Things are always busy," he grumbled. "You would think that if I took a season off, half of the nobility would be wearing bone necklaces and wooden rings."

"Well, you are very talented. I've known that for a long time now." She cocked her head, indicating a silver hoop on one ear with an intricate knotwork pattern.

Juzil preened at the compliment. "I really should make you something better. That was some of my early work."

"No, it's wonderful. And it sounds like you're far too busy. In fact, we shouldn't be interrupting you."

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She made as if to stand, only to be waved back down. "No, no, I'm not that busy. And I can always go a night or two without sleep if I have to." He laughed to show he was joking. "No, I can afford to turn down work, now. Besides, it makes me more exclusive."

"Speaking of exclusive..."

The jeweler gave her a knowing look. "Ah! So the real reason for your visit is revealed? I should have known it wasn't to say hello to an old friend." But he smiled when he said it, before finally sitting down and clasping his hands in front of him. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, you know about the King's Jubilee next week?"

He snorted. "Half of the work I've been doing since midwinter has been for it. And if you're going to ask me for something in time for that, I'm sorry. I have far too many commitments as it is."

"While I wouldn't turn one of your pieces down, that's not what I wanted to ask for. Tell me." She leaned forward a little, voice dropping fractionally. "Do you know anyone with an extra invitation?"

Juzil had leaned forward to match and now rocked slightly on his chair. "Hmmm... it's just a little late notice, you know?"

She nodded. "I know. But someone like you must have some sort of idea."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken on that count," he apologized. "If I had more time, I could make some inquiries, but..."

"It's fine." She waved it away like it was nothing. "I know what I'm asking for, and it was just a hope."

They stayed for a bit longer, the jeweler and his mother exchanging pleasantries and a few stories while Aytin mostly sat and listened. Juzil made them promise to come by again, after the jubilee and with a little more warning before they left for their next destination.

The rest of the day followed the same pattern. Aytin was surprised his mother knew so many people in the capital. She had been born in Luffin Keep and never left there for as long as he had been alive.

A former mining guild representative treated them to several excellent cups of tea, but ultimately didn't have an invitation. Two minor noble houses they visited were both attending, but didn't have any spots not spoken for.

Each time, Aytin was introduced with a few words and then nearly forgotten as his mother went to work. Only a professor at the royal academy had anything much to say to him, and that had all concerned the wildlings. He was apparently fascinated by the isolated tribes, and was more than a little impressed with his knowledge of their language. That meeting lasted far longer than the others, almost two hours, but was ultimately just as unsuccessful.

It was a network of friends and contacts that he had never known about. Sure, his mother always received heaps of letters from traders and the occasional courier. And she always had replies for them when they left. He had just always thought that they were part of running a successful keep.

To be fair, he had his own contacts now. Trademaster Raleigh might just be able to find him an invitation. Lord Carnot definitely could. It seemed like the sort of thing a favor might be good for.

Only, he didn't really want to bring that up.

Part of it was that he had no interest in showing himself off to high society. He didn't need to find some fifth daughter of a noble family to impress. He had Rina and Faelon, and he wasn't going to abandon them.

But even more, no one had asked. They'd just assumed that after all he had gone through, he'd slot right back into their plans without a bit of fuss. That there was nothing but luck or divine intervention in what he had managed and he was the same dragonette who had left home the year before.

'I thought maybe - maybe - her showing up like this, that maybe she actually cared. But I guess I'm just a thing to show off.'

His thoughts had turned dark by the time late afternoon came and they arrived at a townhouse in one of the more affluent neighborhoods of the city. The plaster sides of the townhome were freshly whitewashed, and the shutters and siding were a bright blue. There was a small garden flanking the walkway, red and orange and yellow flowers competing for attention as they passed.

A high, clear voice answered their knock. "Coming!"

Moments later the door opened, revealing a tall, slender dragonette, horns freshly shined and wearing a white garment that was something between a robe and a dress. She blinked in obvious confusion at her visitors. "Can I he- Norvinia?!" Then she was suddenly throwing her arms around Aytin's mother in a hug so tight that he could hear wings creak.

"It's... good to see you, too." The pair separated suddenly, and the other dragonette held her at arm's length, looking her over. They were closely matched in terms of age. Both still in their prime, but with a clear air of maturity. This new dragonette was taller, and her horns curled at the end, but otherwise the two might have been sisters.

"And who is this?" she asked, turning to face Aytin. "Wait, don't tell me. Not Stonar. He doesn't strike me as the big, soldiering type. And the rest of your brood aren't nearly old enough. So Aytin, is it?"

Despite his sour mood, he smiled and nodded. "That's me."

"Well, I'm Flitter, of course," she said, giving a half-bow that he returned. "Your mother told me all about you in her letters. In fact," she said, turning to his mother with head tilted and eyes lidded in a mock-pout. "You said he was going to come for a visit when he arrived last fall. I kept expecting a knock on my door all winter, but there was nothing! And you haven't sent so much as a letter in almost a year!"

This time, Aytin was determined not to be relegated to ornamentation. "I only arrived a few weeks ago. There was trouble on my flight."

"May we come in?" his mother asked. "We'll tell you all about it."

"Of course, of course." Flitter opened the door wide and made an inviting gesture. "We have the place to ourselves. Nalkin is with his mother. She picked up something nasty over the winter and is having just the worst time getting over it. He took little Kal with him because I have an engagement tonight. I hope you don't mind if we don't take too long? As much as I'd love to catch up, I have to be there before sunset."

She had ushered them into a well appointed sitting room as she spoke. A cut glass decanter sat on a table, and their host poured three small glasses of dark red wine from it as they took their seats.

Aytin took his and nodded politely. "We won't impose on you too long, I promise."

"So polite," Flitter remarked, then turned to his mother. "You taught him well. Or is that his father's charm?"

"Maybe a little of both," she replied with a small smile.

"So what is it that you have to do tonight?" Aytin asked.

"Just a performance at a little restaurant. It's small, but I know the owner."

"Oh? What sort of performance?"

That got a raised eyeridge in response. "Has your mother really never mentioned me? I'm simply devastated!" She held one hand theatrically over her chest as she arched her neck in feigned agony. "Oh, how will my ego ever recover from this?! I'm ruined! Ruined!"

Aytin's mother kept her face stoic throughout the performance. When Flitter finally cracked one eye to check for a reaction, she gave a snort. "And here I thought you couldn't get more dramatic. I should have known better." To her son, she added, "And I know I've told you about Flitter before. You've seen the lute on my wall. She's the one who gave it to me."

He did remember the instrument in question. It wasn't particularly well made or elegant, so it had always seemed out of place among the other decorations. Although he was sure that she had never told him where it came from.

"I'm a musician, in case Norvinia really didn't mention me."

"An exceptional musician."

"I really am," she replied, and there was no false modesty in her smile as she rose once more and took something from a shelf.

It was a beautifully wrought mandolin, made of some richly stained wood with ivory keys and twelve silver strings. She stroked one hand across it and produced a chord of clear, ringing notes. Just as the last faded away, she began plucking away in a fast-paced melody.

Aytin found his head bobbing involuntarily at the almost bouncy tune. Flitter's fingers practically flew across the strings, moving with unerring grace even as her eyes remained closed. It reminded him a little of some of the songs they sang at festivals back home, only smooth and flowing instead of loud with more enthusiasm than skill.

Something, though... something seemed off. The rhythm didn't quite match the finger movements. At first, he wasn't so sure. He wasn't a musician. But the more he watched, the more certain he became. The notes were coming faster than her fingers could pluck.

The song didn't last long. Its almost frantic pace slowed to a more reasonable one, then a crawl, and finally faded away. Flitter opened her eyes and inclined her head as her small audience slapped their legs appreciatively.

"You've only gotten better over the years," Lady Luffin remarked. "Has your singing improved as well?"

In response, she hummed in perfect accompaniment to a few quick notes from her instrument. "Sorry I can't do more than that," she said as she finished. "I really must save my voice for tonight."

"That was amazing!" Aytin meant it, too. That short performance had been unlike anything he had heard growing up, or among any of the performers in the streets and taverns around the capital. But there was one thing he had to know. "How did you do... well, that?"

Her smile turned wry. "You mean this?" At her words, the mandolin went through a scale. It did it without her so much as twitching a finger.

"I have the gift of very minor telekinesis." At his mother's snort, Flitter flicked her ears. "It really is! I don't think I could so much as lift that cup of wine off the table."

"I wouldn't call it a minor gift, either," Aytin said.

"Well, you work with what you have. And I wouldn't have had a chance if it wasn't for your mother." She added the last with a nod in her old friend's direction. "She was the one who convinced her mother to sponsor my education here. It wasn't cheap, from what I remember."

"It was worth it. And judging by your home, you've done well for yourself."

Their host glanced around with a satisfied expression. "I have been rather successful. Although my mate Nalkin isn't without means."

"You said in a letter that he works at a Tonselra stadium?"

"Manages at one, yes. And his family is well off. Between them, they own a few shops, an inn, and a chunk of a couple of theaters."

"Oh, don't tell me. He was an usher at one of those theaters and you were a brand new opening act."

Flitter let out a high, bright laugh. "Close enough, actually. And those uniforms they have the staff wear are just delightful. How could I resist?"

The pair shared a chuckle at the image, and Aytin squirmed slightly. He'd never seen his mother like this. Not in all his years. She'd always been distant. Stoic. Hard and cold as the stone of the keep's foundation.

He was also being edged out of the conversation, something he had committed to avoiding. Seizing the first thought that came to mind, he asked, "So, will you be playing at the King's Jubilee?"

"Of course. The royal family has exquisite taste," she answered, taking on a haughty bearing. Then she dropped it and demanded, "Why? Are you looking for an invite?"

"Uhhh..."

"Because if you are," she said, voice taking on a dark, menacing note. "I know where you can get one. For a price."

She stared at him for a long moment, before her composure finally cracked. "Oh, you should see your face right now!" Snorting, she slapped her knee as Aytin's ears dipped.

Into the pause that followed, his mother asked, "I don't suppose you really do know where we could find an invitation?"

Flitter paused at her old friend's question and suddenly turned serious. "Well... maybe."

"Maybe? Maybe like, 'Maybe I could win a Tonselra match?' Or maybe like, 'Maybe it will rain when there's lightning in the skies?'"

"All the masters in the entertainers guild got an invitation," Flitter began.

"And you're not one of them yet?"

"Hush," she said, giving her friend a scathing look. "Anyway, I just so happen to know one of them has been offered quite a bit of gold to perform instead. Gossip says that there's more to it than that, but there always is." She gave a small shrug. "Anyway, we've known each other a long time. If she decides to perform - and I think she will - then I can probably get you an invite."

Aytin didn't know quite how to feel as his mother broke out into a huge grin. "Oh, that would be wonderful! But are you sure? It's so much!"

"Of course I'm sure. I owe you all of this." She waved around her home. "Compared to that, it's nothing."

"Well, you'll still have to let me thank you somehow. At least treat you to dinner. And I'd love a chance to meet your mate."

The two started chattering away, Aytin left forgotten and alone with his thoughts as he worried about what the future might hold.