by Jeff Gunzel
Liam grinned, remembering how little interaction Viola had had with people. This was important for her development, something he had once acknowledged in the past but forgot somewhere along the way. Finished with their light session, she put away her sword and headed towards him. His hands began to fidget as she approached. They hadn’t spoken since he made her cry. He wanted to give her some space, but now it seemed she wanted to talk to him instead. Without a word, she dropped down beside him.
“Viola,” he began, his hands still fidgeting. “I...er...I just want you to know—”
She dipped her shoulder into his side, smiling as she almost tipped him over. “Don’t,” she said. “You don’t need to say anything.”
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I wasn’t thinking about—”
She shouldered him again, nearly tipping him a second time. His feet came up off the ground, and he had to wave his arms in circles to keep his balance.
“I told you to stop that,” she said. “I didn’t come over here to make you apologize. I just want sit with you for a while before we go to sleep.”
They sat in silence for a time, looking up at the stars through a break in the treetops. A glimmering white tail appeared briefly, flashing from east to west before winking out. “Whoa,” Viola whispered under her breath. Liam smiled, realizing that was probably the first shooting star she had ever seen.
“I...don’t have any children,” Liam whispered, breaking the silence. Viola lifted her head from his shoulder and turned to look at him, wondering why he would say something so personal out of the blue. “When I was a young man, I wished to serve in the Redwater military, so I did. I was a good soldier, more dedicated than most. I took my position seriously. But then after a time, it became the only world I knew. A year became two, two became ten, ten became...” His voice tailed off.
“During that time, I began studying the arcane arts when I had the time to spare. It turned out I was even more gifted with the arcane arts than I was with a blade. It came rather easily to me.” He looked at his aged fingers, flexing them open and closed. “Once I left the military, I never lost sight of my love for the arcane arts. Day and night, I honed my craft for several more years. It became my passion, and I have no regrets about that. All the while, I was following my heart.”
“You never fell in love?” Viola asked.
“Oh, I did indeed,” he replied, his eyes glassing over, a faint smile creasing his lips. Suddenly, he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Oh...well...that’s a story for another time.” Viola flashed him a sheepish grin. “The point I’m trying to make is that it’s been a long time since I was a youth, and having never fathered a child of my own, I often forget what goes through an adolescent mind. I asked you before to trust my instincts because I have invaluable experience when it comes to eluding danger, or dealing with it when it’s unavoidable. I have thrived in a dangerous world, and I know I can keep you safe.
“But I admit total ignorance when it comes to understanding the trials and tribulations associated with being an adolescent. I know you don’t want me to apologize for how I treated you earlier, but I need you to understand why it happened. I’m not asking for forgiveness, because I already know you would give it no matter what I’d done. However, I am asking you to help an old fool navigate his way through a world he knows nothing about. I need you to be patient with me, and don’t be afraid to speak your mind when I’m acting the fool. Do we have a deal?” He held out his hand.
“Deal,” she blurted, hugging him instead of taking the offered hand. The others were already tucked into their bedrolls, so the two of them tiptoed across the camp to curl up under their own. It had been a long day, and sleep found them quickly.
*
As the first light broke through the treetops, Liam’s eyes opened a crack. He began to stretch, then blurted out, “W-What are you doing?”
“Waiting for you to wake up,” Viola said innocently. She was straddling his chest, her face only a few inches from his. Unblinking red eyes stared down at his. Her face sported an ear-to-ear grin.
“How long have you been there?” he asked, then waved his hand dismissively as he scooted out from under her. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” Despite being startled by the intrusion, Liam couldn’t hold it against her. She was excited that they would be arriving in the city today and couldn’t wait to hit the road, but her social etiquette could sure use a little work. No doubt it took all her self-control not to wake him up.
“It’s time to go!” she blurted, jumping onto his back when he stood.
“Not yet, young lady,” he groaned groggily, shuffling along with the uninvited guest riding piggyback. “We’re the only ones up, and we haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Ye are not the only ones up,” Owen grumbled, stirring beneath his bedroll. “Ye would have been if ye had shut yer mouths. Every creature in the forest can hear ye two yapping.”
“Grumpy,” Viola muttered, sticking out her tongue at him before sliding down off Liam’s back. The hunter returned the gesture, fingers wiggling at the sides of his head before rolling to his side.
The others began stirring, and soon everyone was awake. After Thatra pointed out that they could get a hot meal from any tavern in Shadowfen, they decided to skip breakfast altogether and just snack on some dry rations from horseback as they traveled. With thoughts of a hot meal and a warm bath now heavy on their minds, the camp was packed up quickly and they were off.
Travel came much easier through this portion of the forest. The bushes were still thick, but there were fewer trees around. An hour became four as they continued to make good time. Every so often, Liam pulled the map from his pouch, holding it high above his head, as if that would somehow help him read it. The pattern was always the same. He would frown at it, turn it sideways with a nod, then roll it back up and shove it in his pouch.
“Up ahead,” Owen called, pointing towards the thinning tree line. With the trees so thin here, the others were able to ride up and form a line side by side. In stark contrast to the green terrain they had grown so accustomed to, before them sprawled a sandy desert as far as the eye could see. Warm, dry wind that was once held off by the trees now hit their faces in hot, pulsing bursts.
Down below, standing out among the dunes like some sort of mirage, they could see the city of Shadowfen. High walls hid most of the structures within. Red-and-gold flags rippled along the top of the wall, snapping in the high winds of what seemed to be a brewing storm. Packs of soldiers marched in predetermined patterns, securing the outer walls as they marched. They wore golden helmets, each shaped like the head of a lion, and breastplates sporting black ravens with a branch clutched in its beak. There looked to be heavy traffic flowing both to and from the gate on the main road.
“Well, it looks like we made it,” said Owen, hopping down off his beast. He pulled two sacks off the animal, then gave it a smack in the rear. With a snort, the lavics turned and galloped away back into the forest.
“Why did you send it away?” asked Viola, watching him attach the bags to Xavier’s horse.
“We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves,” Liam answered for him. “In a city that size, there are going to be more than a few who know of Owen Dunwich the Demon Hunter. If he enters the city riding that one-of-a-kind beast, there will be no doubt whatsoever as to who he is.” Adding nothing to Liam’s explanation, Owen climbed on the back of Liam’s mount.
“We’ll head off to the south and travel the rest of the way from the main road like everyone else. We’ve come this far without anyone of note detecting us. No reason to draw unwanted attention by emerging from a forest and cutting across the desert sand,” Liam said.
“Viola,” said Thatra, tapping her own head then pointing at Viola’s bag. “Speaking of not drawing any attention.”
“Oh!” Viola responded. She began digging through her bag. She had almost forgotten that she was the one who stood out more than any of them. After retr
ieving the needed items, she slipped on the dark wig and flipped open a black case. Inside was a pair of blue glass eyepieces. Anyone else would have had great difficulty putting these in their eyes, but she had grown used to them from her time in Redwater. Straightening the wig, she blinked, her now blue eyes glancing around at everyone. “How do I look?” she asked.
“Like an average boring human,” said Xavier with a chuckle. With a grin, she shook her head so the dark curls wiggled back and forth in front of her eyes.
“Then I guess I’m ready,” she winked.
Moving with caution so as not to be seen, they traced the tree line until the main road was only a short distance away. After waiting for two slow-moving wagons to pass by, Liam motioned for the others to follow his lead. Casually trotting from the tree line, the group earned a few stares from those already on the road, but their curiosity was short lived. Everyone was too busy trying to reach their destination to worry about these strangers.
As Viola and her companions neared the city gate, the lines of wagons and horses began to slow as the traffic backed up. They could see soldiers up ahead doing routine inspections of those going into the city, but showing little interest in the ones leaving. The inspections appeared to consist of little more than a question or two, as well as a peek inside any easily accessible bags. Given the amount of traffic, they seemed rushed and were moving as quickly as they could.
Once the wagon ahead of them rolled on, the group moved up. “State your names and business,” said the first guard, tapping his shoulder impatiently. They gave their names in turn, all except Owen, who gave “Tradic” as an alias. They glanced at each other uneasily. Not realizing they’d be questioned on the reason for their visit, they hadn’t prepared a story ahead of time.
Before any of them could speak, the guard’s attention was suddenly drawn to Thatra. “What business does a tarrin have traveling with a pack of humans?” he asked her. At least it had proved that Viola’s disguise had worked well enough, but they still didn’t need to draw any more attention than was necessary.
“Well... I-I...uh,” she stammered, not certain what sort of excuse to spill. The truth would have sounded more preposterous than anything she could make up.
“Oh, Thatra here is my hired servant,” Liam interrupted, promptly earning a sudden glare from the tarrin. “Why, yes, she polishes our weapons and waters the horses when needed. She’s quite handy, I must say. I’m not sure what we would do without her. In fact, I recall a time not so long ago when she really had to earn her pay. A most unfortunate incident.” Liam laughed, slapping himself on the knee. “I’d had too much to drink, you see, and I wasn’t feeling all that—”
“Bah!” the guard interrupted, signaling to the others to let them past. “We’ve no time for your ramblings, old man. Just go. Be on your way and stay out of trouble!”
“Then I bid you good day, kind sir,” Liam replied with an elaborate, formal hand gesture. With a slow trot, he and his friends passed on through the gate. The streets were crowded with wagons inching along, their rusty wheels creaking with each sluggish revolution, and locals with baskets balanced on their heads filled with everything from exotic fruits to expensive cloths. Merchants hollered from their stands, waving strings of smoked meats and dried salted fish.
“Did you have to say I was your servant?” Thatra asked, riding up near Liam and Owen.
“Hmm? Oh, that,” Liam replied, as if he’d already forgotten the incident. “Well, we’ve managed to gain entry to the city without drawing much attention. I would say the story worked rather well. I’m sorry if my tactic offended you, but I had to think quickly.” He tugged at a saddlebag. “Perhaps you should be carrying one of these for me. You know, in case someone follows up on our story.” He winked.
“I could use a foot rub,” Owen added, grinning with his boot held up in the air. Feigning insult, she gave him a playful push before falling back to ride near Viola.
Seeing the stunned look on Viola’s face, Thatra said nothing so as not to ruin this moment for her. Wide-eyed with awe, Viola took in all the sights and sounds around her. The sound of hundreds of people talking at once assaulted her hearing. She had never heard so many speaking at one time.
Sights, sounds, and smells that any local took for granted leapt out at her in a vast range of stimulation that tickled all her senses. The laughter of children playing in the street; the smells of fresh bread that made her mouth water; the sights of tall, well-kept buildings ranging in color from red to dark blue... This was a real city with real people, and she was able to move about as she pleased. Like a child with a new toy, she simply couldn’t stop grinning, no matter which way she looked.
Thatra reached out and lightly brushed her shoulder. Viola turned quickly, snapping out of her daydream. “Have you ever seen anything like it?” Thatra asked, already knowing the answer. Still grinning, Viola shook her head. “Shadowfen is probably three times as large as Redwater. Seeing as tarrins rarely ever leave Eldham, this trip is sort of special for me too.”
Sure enough, they were getting curious looks by some who passed by. Most knew of the tarrin race, but few had ever seen one in person. Thatra continued, “This will be a good place to hide among the humans until we can figure out where to go next. I’ll bet we can find anything we need in a city this size.”
Viola’s grin dimmed a bit. “I just want to find out what happened to my brother,” she said.
Thatra flashed her a sympathetic look. “Word travels fast in a place with this many people. I’m sure we’ll hear something eventually.” A sharp whistle drew their attention. Up ahead, Owen was pointing frantically off to the right side of the road. Xavier glanced back with a shrug, indicating this stop wasn’t his idea. A wooden sign with white dots swung from two chains above the door. Even from here, they could smell the sweet scent of lit pipes and hear the people inside whistling and hollering. No wonder Owen was drawn to it so easily.
Not seeing any harm in having a little fun after their long trip, they tied up the horses to go have a look inside. Immediately, Viola covered her mouth as lingering smoke and the tangy scent of sweaty people packed into an enclosed space smacked her in the face. Owen, on the other hand, displayed no ill effects whatsoever as he marched right in. Quite at home in this environment, he smacked one of the waitresses on the backside just before pulling up a chair where a pack of unshaven mercenary types were throwing dice. They glared at first, but the moment they saw his coin purse hit the table, their glares turned into pats on the back and mugs raised in toast.
Ignoring the girls in leather thongs dancing up on tables, the others went over to the bar. Liam ordered a round of drinks, then eyed his mug of ale suspiciously when it was served. Not caring if the barkeep was offended, he rubbed the side of his mug with his shirt before taking a gulp from the foggy glass. He coughed, thumping his chest as the burning drink went down. It wasn’t bad, only much stronger than he had anticipated.
“My dear, you might want to try something a little more mild,” he said to Viola, who was staring up over the bar with both hands clasped around her mug. Her expression was completely blank. “Viola, is it too smoky in here? Do you need to go outside?” When she still didn’t answer and her expression didn’t change, he followed her eyes to the poster nailed above the bar. With a gasp, he elbowed Thatra, who then turned to look as well.
That picture... Those red eyes and white hair... The hand-drawn image was rough, but there could be no doubt... It was a picture of Jarlen.
Chapter 9
“Barkeep,” Liam shouted, slamming his hand on the counter with a bit of urgency. The slender man wearing a greasy white apron regarded him briefly, then held up one finger, signaling for them to wait. Busy serving others at the other end of the bar, he seemed a bit overwhelmed. When a light touch on his shoulder startled Liam, he spun back on his stool.
“Hey there, sweetie,” said the topless girl standing there. Playfully, she swept her fingers through his white h
air. “What say you and I find ourselves a quiet spot where the two of us can get better acquainted? I got a room upstairs if you’re interested.”
Liam’s eyes fell straight to her bare breasts before he could even think, his mouth gaping wide open. No stranger to this sort of attention, the redheaded girl pulled her shoulders back, bouncing lightly as she smiled. “You like?” she asked with a wink. “Think you can handle the ride, pops?”
“Uh…oh...um,” Liam mumbled, appearing to have lost the power of speech. Finally getting a hold of himself, he managed to rip his eyes away from her chest. “Er...no, thank you,” he managed, cringing at how stupid he must have sounded. At least it was a coherent sentence...sort of.
“Suit yourself, sweetie,” she replied with a shrug, her nasal voice seeming to hang in the air. Unable to look her in the eye, Liam just stared at his reflection on the frosted glass behind the bar. Perhaps a touch insulted by the slight, she snapped her fingers and whirled away to find herself a livelier customer.
“Wait!” said Viola, snatching the girl’s elbow before she could leave. “What can you tell us about him?” she asked, pointing to the poster. “Who is that?” Showing no reservation as she stared right at her, Viola seemed oblivious to the girl’s partial nudity.
“Who is that?” the girl repeated, wondering if she had heard the absurd question correctly. “Isn’t he the reason you folks are here in the city?” She rested her elbow on Liam’s shoulder, purposely pressing her breast against his ear. “No offense, but it’s pretty clear none of you are from around here,” she said, winking again when he made the mistake of glancing up at her.