*****
We were careful to avoid the large Attorgron towns. Once we had broken through the densest parts of the forest and into the more civilized tracks of habitation, travel went much faster.
Five days later saw us at the outskirts of Santarus. I followed the directions that Thaddeus had given me as to where to go and what to do next. The Attorgron city of Santarus wasn’t as sophisticated in its appearance as the Zoarinian cities I had seen, but it certainly was as busy.
The city was broken into sections and was class restricted. There were poor slave class sections, middle class sections and wealthy class sections. The poorest sections were near the river front and industry centers. The middle class sections lay situated around the shops and places of entertainment, while the wealthiest sections were usually separate from the city entirely, in their own communities.
After stopping to ask directions several times, we found our way to the inn called Brassna House. I tied Flin to the railing and entered the main door of the inn with Zarsha by my side. We both wore traveling cloaks with hoods that helped obscure us from the probing looks we encountered from within the inn.
The occurrence of a man and child traveling together was a somewhat odd appearance in these lands and we received quite a few pointed looks of interest. I directed Zarsha toward the dining area of the inn as I scanned the room looking for what Thaddeus had mentioned.
I found it at the far end of the room in a darkened corner. Thaddeus had said to look for a mural of a Sarthan tree in full bloom. The room was full of murals, but the one I wanted was clearly distinguishable from the rest and we sat down at that table.
A serving girl approached, “Can I be of any help to you?” Looking up at her, I said the words I had been instructed.
“Whatever is readily available besides the oat crest.”
I watched her for any visible sign of interest, but couldn’t find any on her pretty face as she answered. “I’ll be getting you the house special then. Would you be wanting it to go or be delivered?”
“Delivered,” I replied.
She nodded deferentially and left us.
She had answered in code, unless her words had been a complete coincidence, which I didn’t rule out as a possibility. The denizens of the place had for the most part given up their study of us and I started to relax slightly. Then I noticed that the tables in front of us were filled suddenly, too suddenly for my taste. Just then the back wall of the booth swung open and I was startled to see the same serving girl beckoning to us from a darkened doorway that had been revealed.
I scooted down the booth, bringing Zarsha with me as I did so. A man and young boy, both wearing traveling cloaks like ours, scooted into our places at the table as the people seated at the surrounding tables were getting up or causing a general stir of activity that diverted attention from us to them.
The wall closed behind us and a lamp flared up immediately, lighting the dark corridor ahead of us. The serving girl motioned for us to follow her. Coming to the end of the corridor, she pushed a block on the wall in front of us and once more the wall moved. I stepped through the opening, holding onto Zarsha’s hand as I did so.
We were in a livery stable. There was a fancy carriage ready and waiting for us. I did a double take at the horses pulling it. Two big black horses, only one of them was Flin and he wasn’t looking too happy about being in the traces. I went to the carriage and opened the door. It was empty. I picked Zarsha up and placed her in a seat and then I climbed up to sit beside her.
Zarsha’s eyes were wide open with excitement and a little fear at seeing so much more of the world around her than she had never experienced before. She clutched my hand with a death grip as the carriage started to move. I put my arm around her and pulled her closer to me.
We left the inn behind and started to enter a neighborhood filled with more elegant houses. The carriage took us through a maze of streets until we came to the end of one of them where yet another elegant looking mansion sat off by itself. The carriage stopped and the door was opened shortly thereafter. Hands were offered up to lift Zarsha down to the ground and I let her go. I exited the coach and studied the man who had helped Zarsha down.
The carriage moved away and the man motioned for us to continue towards the house. There was no way I was letting the capable looking man walk behind me. I motioned him ahead with one hand, while my other hand rested on my sword. He gave a deferential nod and headed up the pathway to the house as we followed behind him.
The rich mahogany doors opened and we were ushered into an elegant foyer. Zarsha gave a gasp of amazement at her surroundings and clutched my hand tighter. I had seen such elegance before, and was more used to it. Yet, I too, was impressed with the tastefulness and richness of the house’s furnishings.
We followed the man from the carriage up a flight of mahogany stained stairs and down a long hallway. The man stopped at an open doorway and motioned us inside. He then turned and proceeded down the hall several feet and sat in a chair situated in an alcove off the main hallway. He was giving me space and my respect for him grew.
I stepped into the room followed by Zarsha, who stayed close to me. The room was well lit and had enough books in it to be classified as a library, even though it appeared to be a bedroom. Books were everywhere.
A large desk, dominating the center of the room, caught my attention as did the man behind it. The desk was an exact replica to the one in my grandfathers’ study! Inside I relaxed a little at the sight of it. We must be in the right place.
The man stood, walked around the desk and approached me. His distinguished features where enigmatic as he asked, “Have you seen such a desk before? If so, I would be most interested in its whereabouts so that I might purchase it.”
“Its owner would not part with it I’m afraid, but he would perhaps part with a book.”
I reached into a large pocket of my cloak and drew out the book Thaddeus had given me and handed it to the man. He took the book with eagerness and opened it to the table of contents.
What he saw there I do not know, but as he read he would flip to random pages throughout the book and then return to the table of contents. Finally, he closed the book and laid it on the shelf behind the desk. He reached out a hand towards me and I took it with my own, somehow already liking the man.
“It is good to shake hands once again with one of my own blood.”
At my puzzled look he smiled, “Your great grandfather was somewhat of a ladies’ man, even late into life, of which I am living proof. You see Roric, I am your great uncle and the younger illegitimate, as it were, half brother of your grandfather. It is good to see that our blood line has not perished after all. Roric, you are a man of surprises. The greatest of which is this enchanting young lady, who stands so gracefully before me.”
He leaned down and looked into Zarsha’s eyes kindly and reached out a hand. “Tell me, dear lady, of whom do I have the honor of meeting?”
Zarsha looked up at me and I nodded back at her. She looked at the man and said, “Zarsha.”
“My, that is a pretty name! Just right for a pretty girl like you.” Gallantly, he took her hand and kissed it.
“It is an honor to meet such a worthy companion of my nephew’s. Zarsha, I’m sure you must be hungry and tired from your long journey, would you mind if I talked with your guardian while your needs are met?”
She nodded hesitantly and then released my hand, which I missed almost instantly.
“You may call me Sebastian, little princess. Let me summon someone who will take good care of you.” Sebastian rose and pulled a cord on a nearby wall. Within moments, I heard the door open and the swishing of silky garments.
“Yes Sebastian, how may I help you?”
The feminine voice made me turn to see its owner, and I received the shock of a lifetime when I did. There, not ten feet from me, stood a part of my past, only she was all grown up now. I had thought of her on severa
l occasions, but I had figured that she would be dead by now after being worked to death and then thrown into a wayside ditch somewhere to rot among the weeds. But she wasn’t dead! She was standing here before me looking more alive and beautiful than I could have ever imagined a woman could.
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