Free Dominion by Scott McElhaney Page A

was fully large enough to stand up in and offered about a hundred square feet of living space.  While merely ten feet by ten feet wouldn’t seem like much space for two people to call home, it was perfectly suited for its most important amenity – the small iron furnace in the center of the room.  The tent was already warmer than any room Hawke had had the pleasure of sleeping in on Rain.
    “These tents are usually home to four people,” Night Rain said, pointing to the cots at each wall, “For now, this will just be home to the two of you, but don’t be surprised if you end up with roommates at some point in time.   The showers and restrooms are only twenty yards to the east like I showed you and you’ll find all the food and drink establishments along the roadside where we were dropped off.”
    “What about wood or coal for the furnace?” Hawke asked, nodding to the black stove.
    “This isn’t Komasch, my friend,” Night Rain laughed, lighting one of the three oil lamps for him, “Coal and wood are hot commodities here in the North, so we prefer to use bane for heat instead.  We won’t need to refuel that thing for about a week.”
    “Bane?” Hawke asked.
    “Cheronook magic,” Kashuba explained, waving him off, “T he same stuff that operated the steamer we rode in on, I’m sure.”
    “Yes, the steamer does use bane as a source of heat,” he replied, “Though it’s anything but magic, my dear.  We’re not the ones who dabble in the mysterious arts and religions.”
    Hawke was already trying to peek inside the grill of the furnace.  Night Rain retrieved a hooked tool from the chimney flu and used it to open the furnace door.  The base of the stove was filled with glowing violet pebbles that gave off a significant amount of heat.
    “Please tell me this isn’t radioactive,” he said, backing away, “Do people ever get sick or do they end up with swollen flesh from being around that stuff?”
    “Well, they definitely get burned if they get too close,” Night Rain replied, “But no, I’ve not seen anyone get sick from it.”
    “What is it, then?” he asked.
    “It’s the magic stuff they sell in the marketplaces,” Kashuba replied, “Some of the Shomani buy the Cheronook’s witchcraft, but you won’t find them welcomed into any of our churches.”
    Night Rain merely shook his head and closed the furnace door. 
    “It’s sad what the Shomani have done to you, young lady,” Night Rain said, “Perhaps you will learn enough amongst us to be able to break free from their lies.”
    He reached down into a wooden chest and brought out some folded furs.  He tossed one to Hawke and the other to Kashuba.
    “These blankets will help to chase away the cold at night.  I will have an associate bring you some clothing and other necessities in just a few minutes,” he said, turning to the door, “You will find various soaps in the showers if you wish to wash up.  Otherwise, I highly recommend checking out some of the local establishments and meeting some of the locals.  I highly recommend The Comet or perhaps the Fisherman’s Grill.”
    He reached out an d took a gentle hold of Kashuba’s wrist, then turned her hand palm-up.  He dropped several small gold coins into her hand and smiled at her warmly.
    “You are not my enemy, Kashuba, and I hope that one day you will learn to accept that we are not yours,” he said, “This is more than enough to take care of any of your evening adventures in town.”
    “Thank you,” Hawke said, realizing Kashuba wasn’t going to say anything.
    Night Rain nodded, then left them to the silence of their fabric home.  Kashuba was still looking down at the coins in her hand.  Hawke came over and put an arm around her.
    “Looks like real gold,” Hawke said, lifting one of the coins, “This is valuable where I come from.”
    “It’s valuable where I come from too,” she said, “Especially since this is Shomani gold.”
    “What?” he asked,