Luck in the Shadows

designs, it lay heavy against his palm.
    "This is too much!" he protested.
    Seregil shrugged. "It's the smallest I have. Keep it and we'll settle up in Wolde. It's a pretty thing, don't you think?"
    "I've never seen anything like it!" What little currency Alec had seen were crude lozenges of copper or silver, distinguished only by weight and a few crude symbols struck in. The designs on this coin were better than anything he'd seen in a jeweler's stall.
    One side bore the slim bow of a crescent moon, tipped on its side like a smile with five stylized rays
    fanning out beneath it to the lower edge of the coin.
    Cradled within the crescent was the figure of a flame. The obverse showed a crowned woman. She wore a cuirass of some sort over her flowing gown, and held a large sword upright before her face.
    "How did you get it into my hand?" he asked.
    "Telling spoils the trick," replied Seregil, tossing him a square of wet sacking. "I'll tend to the cooking. You go clean yourself up. A quick swim should help."
    Alec's smile disappeared. "Bilairy's Balls, it's nearly winter and you want me to take a bath ?"
    "If we're going to share blankets over the next few days, yes. No offense, but dungeon life hasn't done much for your general ambience. Go on, I'll mind the fire. And get rid of those clothes! I've got clean ones for you."
    Dubious but not wanting to appear ungrateful, Alec picked up a blanket and went to the pool.
    Noting the lacy edgings of that still rimmed the stones, however, he decided that gratitude only went so far. Stripping off his rags, he gave himself a scrubbing and pulled the blanket around his waist. As he bent to duck his head under the water, the sight of his reflection froze him, crouched and trembling, on the wet stones. Only the day before, Asengai's men had strapped him to a plank and titled him into a water butt, holding him under again and again until he thought his lungs would burst. He'd had enough of water for now thank you very much.
    Seregil smiled wryly to himself as he watched the boy's hasty ablutions. These northerners seemed to develop a genuine aversion to water over the winter.
    Tugging open his pack, he rummaged out an extra tunic, breeches, and a belt.
    Alec hurried back to the fire and Seregil tossed him the. clothes. "These should do for you. We're almost of a size."
    "Thanks." Shivering, Alec went off a few feet and turned away before letting the blanket drop.
    "Asengai's men did a thorough job on you, I see," said Seregil, running a critical eye over the bruises on the boy's back and thighs.
    "Dalna's Hands, there's such a thing as modesty," the boy muttered as he struggled into the breeches.
    "Never had any use for it, myself, and I don't see why you're so bothered with it either. Under those bruises and that scowl— you're fairly pleasing to look at." Seregil's expression betrayed nothing more than the thoughtful concentration a man might show when sizing up a horse he was about to buy.
    Indeed, Alec was well favored, Seregil thought, amused by his companion's discomfort. The boy was lightly built and supple with dark, intelligent blue eyes in a fair face that blushed easily and concealed little. This last was easily remedied, though at times an honest face was useful. The ragged, honey-gold hair looked like it had been trimmed with a skinning knife, but time would fix that, too.
    Still, there was something more than Alec's appearance that intrigued him. The lad was neat-handed, and there was a familiar quickness about him that had little to do with training.
    And he asked questions.
    Alec finished dressing and reached to put the silver coin Seregil had paid him into a pouch on his borrowed belt.
    "Wait a second. Watch this," said Seregil, producing another like it from his own purse. Balancing it on the back of one hand, he gave a quick snap of his wrist, pulled his hand out from under it, and caught the coin before it dropped half an inch. "Want to try?"
    Puzzled but intrigued, Alec tried the trick.
    On the first attempt he dropped his coin. On the second and third try it bounced off his fingertips.
    The fourth time, however, he grasped it before it had fallen more than a few inches.
    Seregil nodded approvingly. "Not bad. Now try it with your left."
    When Alec could do the catch with either hand, Seregil had him try it using only his thumb and forefinger, and finally to perform the trick with his eyes shut.
    "Ah, but this is too simple for you," Seregil said at last. "Here,