by Bill Albert
“My God will be very sad to see that,” Alek said. “So will I.”
“Thank you, Alek,” she said feeling slightly uncomfortable with his tone and the direction the conversation was going. “I’ll leave you in peace,” she said and quickly entered the dorm.
“Until we meet again, Gallif,” he said to the closed door and walked off to his prayers. He debated whether he should follow her and tell her the other things he had been told about her. Perhaps, with prayer, he would know the answer before she left.
Gallif quickly, but quietly, made it up to her room without any other encounters. She took a lantern from a wall mount to give her light while packing. Inside the door there were several packages and notes for her.
She saw that there were notes from all of the instructors at the school. She read one from Octob, who taught reading and writing, wishing her good luck and reminding her to try and improve on her rotten handwriting. She laughed out loud and decided not to read any more of the notes until later. She almost convinced herself that she was too pressed for time to read them now instead of denying the emotional moment that would follow.
She opened one package from Brilla and Forto and found several days of rations for her to travel with; some sweet rolls and bread wrapped in cloth and dried beef tightly sealed in a stone jar.
The second package contained several candles and flint and a brief note wishing her luck that was, to her surprise, signed from Anamita.
The next package was from Finella and held a crisp clean night shirt to keep her comfortable. The fourth package contained an attractive beaded necklace from Rosario and a small brass bracelet from Miki.
The fifth and final package had a small note attached to it. The note simply asked her not to leave without one last visit. It was unsigned but she recognized the handwriting as Luvin’s. She opened it up and held the potion bottle in one hand and smiled. She didn’t need to open it to know it was healing potion as she recognized the bottle as the one they had been offered after the rescue of the giant the day before: the one she had returned to the guard Captain. The one crafty Luvin had then stolen back. She held it close for several minutes and then started packing.
She wanted to travel lightly so she only packed what she needed as quickly as she could. She had a duffle bag that she loaded what few personal items she had, including the backpack Rayjen had given her, and then tied it tight. She took some blankets and her clothes and rolled them up in another bag.
She took the first bag out to the stable as quickly as possible. Alek was off on his perch saying his prayers and she tread carefully to avoid disturbing him. She saw Forto outside collecting wood for the stove and he smiled and waved at her. She waved back as best she could with her arms full but kept moving.
She left the dorm with the second bag and was in such a hurry she opened the door only to have it stopped halfway as Pate was grabbing it and holding tight. They stared at each other without saying a word. She refused to look away and finally he brushed past her like a boulder and stomped in and up the stairs making all the noise of an avalanche.
For her final trip to the room she collected her weapons and scanned the bed and dresser for anything she might still want. She strapped the dagger in its sheath to her side, buried a knife in her boots, and looped the short sword and sheath around her belt.
Though the armor had no left sleeve, as was the honor, many had leather gloves to at least offer some protection during combat. As she examined it she regretted not having it during the melee around the Giant Lord the day before. She had gotten out of the habit of taking it with her on trips from the school but knew this one was different. She slipped the long leather glove on her left arm and thought how nice the bracelet from Miki would look on her right wrist. She made a mental note to put the bracelet on when she stopped for the night. She picked up the rest of her weapons. She put the candle back in its place in the wall mount and exited the dorm for the last time.
She found a nice new blanket from Marin with her saddle and Snow nodded her approval when she laid it against the horse’s skin. In a few minutes she had the saddle on and walked the horse to the barn door and looked out. The sun was just over the horizon now and the school was waking up. She could smell breakfast cooking and some of the fighters were going through their morning exercises to keep them fit. She smiled at Nobe and waved at him when he briefly glanced in her direction. He waved back, wishing her well.
She almost mounted Snow but held herself when she realized there was one more stop she had to make. She didn’t want to do it. She knew she wouldn’t be good at it but knew it would be a betrayal not to at least say something. She walked Snow back to the dorm and looped the reins around a light post. Then she quickly went inside and up to the second floor and knocked on Luvin’s door.
She waited silently and was about to knock a second time when the door opened. Luvin stood in his ragged night shirt that hung down below his knees. His hair was tossed and unkempt and he wiped his eyes clear as he looked at her. He knew why she was there and had been dreading it. He motioned for her to come in and quickly closed the door when she was inside.
Having the room at the far end of the building meant he got one of the windows that was facing east. He pulled back the heavy wool blanket that had been tacked to the wall above the window to keep it completely dark inside. There was just enough light from the rising son that they could see each other in some detail.
Luvin sat down on the bed and wrapped a blanket around himself. Gallif took a chair and pulled it to the bed so she sat directly facing him.
“Look,” she said. “This really isn’t easy for me to do,” she said as she put her hands on his knees. “I’m just not used to saying this.”
Luvin looked at her with watery eyes and wrapped the blanket around himself as tight as it could go.
“My parents were killed in the great fire. Before anyone knew what was going on that day a dozen farms were in flame, all of ours were, and my brother and I were on the other side. I never really got to say goodbye to them.” She took a deep breath and brushed her hair back a few times before continuing.
“I got separated from my brother in the riots and before all the bastard aquilus were caught and killed, he was already dead. I never got to say goodbye to him, either. I’ve never had to do this before.”
“Take me with you,” Luvin begged as he fought back tears.
“You need to stay here,” she pleaded with him. “I can’t teach you what you need to know. I don’t know how to shadow form or lock pick or any of those talents you have.”
Luvin tried to speak, but, unsure of just what he should say, he stumbled over the words. “I’ll find you,” he finally managed to say.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” she said and moved closer to the bed.
“I gave you some potion,” he smiled. He pulled open the blanket and leaned toward her.
“Yes,” she smiled. “I didn’t see you take that from the hobgoblin Captain. That was pretty good.”
“I figured you would be there to protect me,” he said cheerfully. Then there was a pause and the smile faded. “I guess I’ll have to be more careful from now on.”
“Yes. Pate will leave you alone from the things that have happened in the past, just stay out of his way in the future.”
They were very close now and he looked deeply into her eyes. He started to gently put a hand on her cheek but stopped. It was light enough, and they were close enough, that he could see the remains of the bruise on her face. He did not need to ask.
“This was for me,” he said barely able to speak. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear “I will die for you.”
With tears streaking down her face she held him tight for several minutes. Finally, he put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her away.
“Sleep Day,” he said and curled up in the blanket and lay down.
She licked a finger and then put it to his lips, and he kissed it. Without another word she quie
tly got up and left the room.
As she stood in the hall for the last time she listened. There was a faint creek in the floorboards, but it was not from Anamita’s pacing. She could hear Luvin’s sobs and realized the bed he was in was shaking with him. She thought of going back to comfort him one more time but decided that enough was enough.
Walking fast to avoid any other encounters she went downstairs and outside. She took the reins and quickly mounted Snow. At a steady trot she headed to the forest line.
Alek still in his prayers as the sun was completely above the horizon. She heard the students as they lined up for breakfast and made sure the food that Brilla and Forto had packed for her was safely strapped with her belongings.
She rode by the barn and Marin was cleaning out the pen that Snow had lived in. He smiled and waved at her and she reached into her bag and tossed him a few dwarf coins. He nodded thanks and she increased her speed away from the campus.
Gallif stopped briefly when she got to the forest line and looked back wondering how long it would be before she returned to the school. She wondered how much, if anything, would be different. After a few minutes she galloped off into the forest at full speed.
She did not know that the next time she saw the school there would be nothing left but a broken shell and burnt timbers as she began uncovering the secrets of Starpoint Mountain.
ELEVEN:
REFLECTIONS IN THE CAGE
Upon leaving the forest and entering the main road Gallif brought Snow to a full gallop. She rode as hard and as fast as she could. She forced herself not to dwell on having said goodbye to Luvin or her feelings about the school but concentrated on the possibilities that lay ahead of her. The thrill of speed and the wind in her face overshadowed her doubts as they faded away for the time being.
It was nearly noon when she approached Atrexia at a relaxed trot. When she was less than a mile away from the city limits, she got off and started walking. With Festival Day in the past city life moved a lot slower and she hadn’t seen anyone else on the road for some time.
When she got to the main entrance she was greeted by a young man from the welcome center. He was just about her age and quite heavy. The closer he got the wider his eyes became, and he began staring at her.
“Can I... Would... It’s you?”
“I’m sorry?” she said. She was very tired and was hoping to quickly find an inn.
“You’re the one who saved the Third Minister aren’t you?”
Gallif paused briefly before saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I just came up from the southern farms and haven’t been near Atrexia since, uh, last summer.
“Um, I’m sorry.” the boy said as he quickly regained his senses, but it was clear he still suspected her. “Can I help you find something?”
“I really need someplace I could get a room for a few days.”
“Well, there is Gold Town on the eastern edge. They have the best and biggest places in the city. All the most important visitors stay there.”
“I’m not important,” she said. “I’m just passing by.”
“Yes, I see, like you were the other day? Just passing by?”
“What do you mean?” she asked with frustration when she realized the boy was staring at her again.
“I’m sorry,” he jumped. “You fit the description I’ve heard.”
“It’s okay,” she smiled at the boy’s silliness. “Like I said, I’m just getting in.”
“There’s Silver Town near the center of Atrexia. You can get a hot bath there.” She was about to say yes, when he added, “But that’s still full from all the people who came in for Festival Day.”
“Okay, okay, okay,” she said and waved her hands. “Gold Town is very expensive, and Silver Town is full. Well, where do most of the humans live?” she asked out of frustration.
“Silver Town is mostly human, Gold is the biggest mix,” he gave her the standard sales pitch. “Of course, in a great city like Atrexia, there are always cross over neighborhoods.”
“Which one’s closest?” she said looking him straight in the face and demanding a quick answer.
“Brown Town,” he said and pointed. “It’s just here on the southwest side,” he said with regret. “You might want to try Silver Town anyway,” he desperately tried to encourage her to head north.
“Thank you,” she said and quickly moved on.
“Lots of different types live in Brown Town,” he said to her back. “Mostly cause nobody wants them anyplace else,” he added under his breath hoping she hadn’t heard it.
She walked a full block before turning to look back and saw that he was still staring at her. He jumped; surprised that he had been caught, and then quickly turned away.
As she got further into the city she noticed the unusually high number of hobgoblin militia that was patrolling the city. She counted a pair of officers at every intersection and more on horseback patrols. She knew there had been this many on Festival Day but certainly, since most of the visitors had left, there would be no need to keep such a presence.
She turned and traveled south for several blocks. There weren’t as many officers on patrol here, but still more than normal. She finally came across a row of inns. They weren’t as bad as she had expected. There wasn’t anything fancy about these hotels, not one of them provided baths, but they all had kitchens and private rooms and only one of them looked like it was about to collapse. After several attempts to find a vacancy she headed for a mid-sized inn called ‘Blairs.’ It wasn’t the biggest or the best on the street, but it was the only one that had a stable attached. She gave a tip to the young kobold in charge of the stable and went into the main room.
The lobby of the inn had boarded up windows and the only light came from lanterns along the walls and candles on the tables. There was a bar on one side that also served as a desk for guests to check in. Behind the bar was a kitchen that continually, or permanently, emitted the smell of strong herbs and spices. In the center of the room were several tables and doors which led off to two hallways on the far side. There was also a fireplace that looked as if it would need serious cleaning before being used.
As Gallif entered she held back in the shadows and watched for several minutes four men huddled around a small table. One was an older man with silver hair and a lengthy beard. He wore clothes that looked like they were fancy five years earlier and had seen better times. Two were brothers and looked like they had not worked, changed their clothes, or even been outside in the sun for a week. The fourth was younger and wore faded clothes that hinted he had come in from the southern farms for a few days. They were surrounded by almost a dozen empty pitchers of beer and were in the midst of a heated gossip session.
“That’s not what I heard,” the older man said as he shook his head wildly. The beard was so long he had to brush it off his own shoulder when he finished moving. “I heard there were two spears and she shot them both out of the sky with arrows.” The men at the table erupted in laughter and each took a big gulp from their pitchers.
“Was that before or after the tigers attacked?” one of the dirty men asked.
“During,” the second dirty man jumped in and they laughed again.
“What I want to know,” the first dirty man insisted and banged his hand against the table to get their attention before he said, “Is why didn’t she just throw the axes at the Fire Daimons before they ordered the orcs to throw the spears.”
“Fire Daimons?” the fourth man asked. “Where did the Fire Daimons come from?”
“Hell, where else?”
They again erupted with laughter as their fantastic stories continued.
A middle-aged woman came from the kitchen and scanned the room. She saw Gallif standing in the doorway and waved for her to come over. Gallif carefully stepped around the four men and realized why there was a need for the spice smell to be so strong.
When she got to the bar the woman pulled a book from underneath the counter a
nd laid it open on the surface.
“Welcome,” she said. “My name is Blance and I manage this inn. The older bearded liar at the table is my husband, Blair. Are you here for a room or would you like dinner?”
“I’d like a room,” Gallif said. “Something out of the way where I won’t be disturbed for a while.”
“Sure,” Blance said and looked at the register. As she scanned the listings Gallif was surprised to find that twelve of the fifteen rooms were already full. “There is a room at the far end of the hallway open, if you want it. It’s nearest the stable. It’s very clean, but sometimes you can hear the horses on the other side of the wall.
“It sounds perfect. I’ll take it,” Gallif smiled.
Blance was about to ask another question when more laughter from the men interrupted her. She apologized to Gallif for the noise and told her, the two dirty men were Prove and Cale and the fourth man was Tavid. She also pointed out it didn’t take much for Blair to consider anyone a friend.
“How long will you be staying?”
“I’m not sure,” Gallif said honestly. “A few days at least.”
“Okay,” Blance spun the register and gave her an ink quill to sign it with. As Gallif signed she added, “Two days’ pay in advance.”
Gallif paid her and in exchange got a tarnished brass key. She turned down an offer for help and headed for her room.
Blance looked at the register and wondered what language the new guest had used when signing whatever name it was that she signed. The men at the table were having so much fun making up stories only one noticed her pass.
She went to the end of the hallway and was relieved to find there was a door to the stable nearby. She opened the door to the room and was surprised at just how clean it was. There was a dresser near a large bed and several hooks on the wall to hang clothes and gear on. After a few quick trips she brought in all of her belongings and leaned some of them against the inside of the door to prevent anyone from entering. Without undressing she dropped into the bed and slept for an entire day.