Never taking his eyes from the armed Tribesmen, Seth nodded.
“No one do anything that could be remotely construed as hostile or suspicious,” warned Riyan.
An older man wearing a leather breastplate with a sword hanging at his hip led the group. He paused as he reached the edge of the village and spoke to the onlookers who had gathered there to gawk at the new arrivals. After a brief exchange of words, the onlookers moved back a dozen yards to be out of the way.
Seth and Soth continued to lead their group forward. When they came within twenty feet of the armed men, Seth raised his hand and brought them to a stop. Glancing back to those behind him, he said loud enough for the armed men to hear, “Stay here.” Then he turned back to the fore and rode out alone.
“Welcome stranger,” greeted the man with the breastplate when Seth drew near.
“And to you sir,” replied Seth. “You needn’t fear, we are not here to cause your village any trouble.”
“One can never be too sure,” the man replied.
Seth nodded. “My name is Seth,” he said. “My brother and I are agents for a merchant up north who has sent us here to investigate the possibilities of trade.”
The man glanced behind Seth, taking in his brother and the others. “I’m Garron. I have charge of this area,” the man with the breastplate said. “We don’t have much in the way of trade goods here in Sterrith. Though Enia has some fine wood carvings which you may find of interest.”
Behind him, his men visibly relaxed as it didn’t look as if a fight was going to take place.
“Perhaps,” agreed Seth. “Unfortunately, my master is a dealer in fine wines. He recently received word that one of unique quality has been made available, and it is to that aim that I am here.”
“Then you would wish to inquire further south in Hylith,” Garron stated. “If you’re going to find what you are looking for, it would be there.”
“So we understand,” Seth replied. He then looked to the armed men behind Garron before returning his gaze to him. “Do we have leave to stay the night in your fine village?”
“Provided you cause no trouble,” he replied. When Seth agreed, he glanced back to his men and nodded his head. At that, his men broke ranks and began heading back into the village.
Seth waved for his brother and the others to ride forward. “This is my brother Soth,” he said to Garron once his brother had joined him.
“Good to meet you,” Garron said. Then he saw the staff in Kevik’s hand. Turning back to Seth, he arched an eyebrow and asked, “A magic user?”
“Yes,” replied Seth. “My master had heard there were troubles down here and provided my brother and I with an escort.”
Riyan did his best to hide the grin that unexpectedly tried to break through.
“You have little to fear in Sterrith,” Garron said. “So long as your purpose is peaceful.”
“That is good to hear,” Seth replied. “Does your village have an inn?”
Garron nodded. “We have two. The Hollow Tree and The Green Bough.”
“Which one would you suggest?” Soth asked.
“Oh no,” he said with a grin. “I’ll not do that again.”
“Do what again?” Seth asked.
“I know both innkeepers,” he explained. “And the last time I suggested one over the other, it caused me no end of trouble. They are both good, clean inns.”
Seth laughed. “I understand,” he said. “And I thank you.”
“Behave yourselves and we’ll get along fine,” Garron told them.
Seth gave him a nod. Then he glanced back at his brother and the rest and indicated for them to follow as he proceeded into the village.
The villagers, after realizing the new arrivals weren’t there to make trouble, returned to going about their tasks, though they kept an eye on them. The village itself was larger than average, and in Bart’s opinion was about to develop into a town.
“Nice place,” commented Riyan as he gazed around at the clean streets. The general mood of the villagers was upbeat.
First inn they came to was The Hollow Tree. Out front hung a sign depicting a hollowed out tree wherein a sleeping man stood upright. As they stopped near the front, Bart said to Seth, “Go in and see about getting some rooms.”
The rest dismounted as Seth went inside.
“Are you from the north?”
Riyan glanced down and discovered the question came from a boy of about six summers. “Yes we are,” he replied.
The boy immediately spat on him and raced away.
“What was that about?” Riyan asked in shock.
A woman who had been talking with another nearby said, “His father was killed by a soldier from the north.”
“Oh,” Riyan said. “Was his father a Raider?”
The woman’s face turned into a grimace. “Certainly not!” she replied. “His father was a merchant who objected when soldiers were going to help themselves to his goods.”
“That’s a lie!” Chyfe exclaimed. “Our soldiers would never do such a thing!”
“Believe it young man,” the woman said. “While his father’s life was pouring from him, the soldiers ravaged his mother and sister.” She glanced to Chyfe as she said, “His sister was only fourteen at the time.”
Another woman next to the first added, “If he hadn’t been hiding in the wagon, they would have found him too. He was the only one who survived.”
Riyan came and laid a hand on Chyfe’s shoulder. “Easy,” he whispered in his ear. “True or not, we can’t have you causing trouble.” Across the street, five of the armed men who had been with Garron were watching them. One held a bow.
Chyfe turned away from the women and stared off into space. His face was red from anger and it was all he could do to keep his rage in check. When Seth returned with the news they had rooms, he quickly noticed their mood had definitely changed. “There’s a stable out back for the horses,” he said as his gaze went from Chyfe to his brother.
“Give Riyan his key,” Bart told him. Then to Riyan he said, “It might be best if you and Chyfe went upstairs while we take care of the horses.”
Riyan nodded. Seth handed him the key and told him which room was his. “Come on,” he said to Chyfe as he steered him toward the front door of the inn. Inside, they found the inn to be similar in nature to those found in Byrdlon. Riyan kept Chyfe in motion as he herded him toward the stairway leading up to the second floor. Once there, he quickly found the room to which the key belonged, and put Chyfe inside.
As soon as the door closed, Chyfe exclaimed. “They’re lying!”
“Maybe they are,” Riyan acknowledged. “But we have no way to ascertain the truth of it now.” He stood in front of Chyfe with hands on hips. “We are in a precarious enough position without you losing it.”
Chyfe sat down at the table and silently fumed. Riyan took the seat across from him and they remained like that until the others came up from the stable. A knock on the door was shortly followed by Bart walking in.
He glanced first to Chyfe and saw how he was still stewing about what the women had said. Then he asked Riyan, “Everything alright now?”
Riyan glanced to Chyfe and asked, “Is it?”
“Yes,” he grudgingly said. “I won’t cause any problems.”
“See that you don’t,” Bart said. “Dinner won’t be served for another couple hours. That gives you time to get yourself under control.” When Chyfe glared at Bart, Bart added, “If you don’t think you’ll be able to keep your anger in check, I suggest you have your meal in your room.” With that he left and closed the door behind him.
A few minutes went by while Riyan allowed Chyfe to work things out. Finally, Chyfe said in a voice devoid of rage, “I can’t believe our soldiers would do such a thing.”
“Out here along the border,” Riyan said, “who knows what kind of men you’ll find?” He knew Chyfe had always been idealistic about the Guild and the honor of his craft. It’s hard wh
en the bubble pops and you find out the world was not as you always thought it to be.
“Remember what the couple told us while in Catha?” Riyan asked.
Chyfe nodded. “How could I ever forget?” While they were in Catha, a couple had suggested that the soldiery here along the border wasn’t entirely the pure knights of honor that Chyfe had always believed them to be. Rather, they tended to never be around when you needed them. And according to the couple, Raiders moved at will without opposition along the border.
“You know,” Riyan told him, “we aren’t exactly perfect either.” Chyfe looked questioningly at him as he continued. “Here we are, posing as agents for a wine merchant, which is a falsehood.”
“That’s different,” Chyfe said. “What we’re doing isn’t hurting anyone. If what we’re hearing is true, then Byrdlon soldiers are violating a trust given to them to protect people. Not only that, but they are seeking people out to hurt them.” The anger began to creep back into his demeanor. This time though, it wasn’t directed at the villagers, but rather at the soldiers. “It demands retribution.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now,” Riyan said. They sat talking in Riyan’s room until dinner was about to be served, then went downstairs to eat.
The common room was partially filled with villagers, and a few travelers. Aside from their group, there were no others that stood out as being from Byrdlon. Stares were plentiful as everyone cast glances their way. Riyan was beginning to grow uncomfortable under such scrutiny.
“Haven’t they ever seen anyone from Byrdlon before?” Chad asked quietly.
“They would have had to,” Seth replied. “Seeing as how the road passing through here leads directly to Kendruck, a major trading city and all.”
Riyan saw one couple looking their way and gave them a genial smile and a nod. The couple immediately turned back to their meal without any sort of recognition.
“Maybe it would be better if the rest of you kept to your rooms tonight,” suggested Soth. “Seth and I could remain here and see if we can learn anything.”
Bart glanced around the room and nodded. Never before had he felt tension in the common room of an inn like he felt now. “That might be a good idea,” he agreed.
Chyfe leaned closer to Seth and said, “See if you can find out more about the incident where our soldiers supposedly attacked a peaceful merchant.”
Seth glanced to Chyfe and could see the intensity of his desire to know. Nodding, he said, “I’ll see what I can discover.”
Once they finished their meal, everyone but the twins adjourned upstairs. Riyan suggested they wait in his room until the twins rejoined them. Kevik excused himself saying that he’d like to go to his room and work on spells.
“Don’t get carried away like you did last time,” warned Bart.
Kevik grinned. “Don’t worry,” he replied. “I’m not doing that again for awhile.” He then entered his room which was situated across the hall and shut the door.
While they waited for the twins to join them, discussion ranged from a variety of topics. The one topic they avoided was that of the soldiers attacking the merchant. None wanted to upset Chyfe again by bringing it up.
Several hours later, there was a knock on the door. A second later the door opened and Seth entered the room followed by his brother.
Chyfe quickly got to his feet. “Did you find out anything?” he asked.
Seth nodded. “You could say that,” he replied. From his expression, whatever news he had wasn’t going to be well received.
“I’ll get Kevik,” Riyan said. “Don’t say anything until we return.”
“Okay,” agreed Seth.
Riyan quickly left the room and returned two minutes later with a sleepy eyed Kevik. Apparently, he had fallen asleep.
“Now,” Chyfe said, “what did you learn?”
“Once you left the common room,” Seth said, “the mood quickly changed.”
“One of the locals, a farmer by the name of Verin, came over to our table,” Soth added. “He was curious about us and as we talked, more of the locals came and joined the discussion.”
“When we felt the time was right,” Seth said and turned his gaze to Chyfe, “we asked about the incident with the merchant.”
“It seems it isn’t an isolated incident,” Soth explained. “Several of the villagers had similar stories to tell of being robbed, sisters and daughters ravaged, and even murder at the hands of Byrdlon soldiery.”
As they talked, Chyfe’s face grew redder and redder in anger. Riyan laid a hand on his shoulder but he just knocked it off.
Seth could see the effect his words were having on Chyfe. “From what we gathered,” he stated, “all incidents can be attributed to one company of soldiers.”
“Who are they?” Chyfe asked.
“Their leader is a red headed individual with a scar across the bridge of his nose,” Soth explained. “He and his company are usually found in the disputed area between here and Marl Crest. At least that’s where the locals said the attacks took place.”
“Why didn’t we see them then?” asked Chad.
“Could be they had returned to the Keep or were elsewhere,” suggested Kevik. “That would also explain the reaction we saw in that one town where the smoke ceased coming from the fireplace. They must have seen us coming and thought we were them.”
“That would make sense,” agreed Bart.
“Did you find out his name?” asked Chyfe.
Seth nodded. “Captain Lyrun.” He saw Chyfe silently mouth the name as if he was committing it to memory.
“He hasn’t been seen since the coming of fall,” Soth explained.
Chyfe had a determined look on his face and Riyan knew that should he and this Captain Lyrun every cross paths, one of them wouldn’t survive the encounter.
“Did you find out anything about the road to the south?” asked Bart.
“A little,” replied Seth. “We’ll find small villages along the way and it’s only a day’s ride to Hylith from here. Also, according to those we spoke with, we shouldn’t have difficulty from the locals, or even their soldiers for that matter. Trade is greatly valued by the Orack Tribe, and since we are playing the part of agents for a merchant, we should be welcomed.”
“Should be,” said Bart, the tone of his voice indicated he wasn’t at all sure such would be the case. “We still need to be alert and avoid trouble at all costs.”
“Very good,” Riyan said to the twins. “If we get an early start, hopefully we can be to Hylith by dusk.”
“And then the fun begins,” Seth said with a grin.
Chapter Twelve
__________________________
An early start saw them leaving Sterrith before the sun peeked over the horizon. The road heading south out of Sterrith was heavily forested. Limbs bereft of leaves created a patchwork over their heads. During their first hour of travel Kevik had to provide light with his staff until the sun had risen enough to be able to makes its way through the interlocking limbs above.
Chyfe was quiet during the early hours of the day. He couldn’t get thoughts of Captain Lyrun, and what the locals attributed to him, out of his mind. All attempts at conversation were met with short, single worded answers if he answered at all.
“After we get to Hylith,” Riyan was saying, “we should make inquiries into wine makers and distributors in the area.”
“Why?” asked Soth from where he and his brother continued to ride in the fore just in case they were to meet anyone. “We already know that the crest belongs to The River Man.”
“As long as we are posing as agents for a wine merchant intent on procuring contracts for wine,” Riyan explained, “we had best play the part.”
Beside him, Bart nodded agreement. “At least until we are ready to put that guise behind us.”
The forest was dark and foreboding, even after the sun had risen. By the time sunlight had worked its way through the canopy of branches, most o
f its strength was gone. The faint light made for eerie shadows deep within the woods.
Two hours out of Sterrith they encountered a four wagon caravan on its way north. Seth gave the wagon master in the fore a nod and friendly wave which was returned to him and his brother. Cold stares were all the others received. Riyan gave a friendly how-do-you-do that was all but ignored.
Once the wagons had disappeared behind them, Riyan said, “These people aren’t very friendly.”
“No,” agreed Chyfe. His reply startled Riyan for he had been quiet for some time. “Maybe they have a right to be.”
That declaration was even more unexpected. Riyan glanced over to Chyfe and could see he had come to grips with what had been troubling him. “Maybe,” agreed Riyan.
Not too long after that, the trees began to thin. A large expanse of blue water could be seen through the forest ahead which turned out to be a sizeable lake. “Hylith is on its southern shore,” Soth announced. “One of the locals last night said that after we reached the lake, it would only be half a day more until we reached the city.”
“It’s beautiful,” commented Riyan.
Indeed, as they drew closer and the trees thinned out even more, they could see that the lake extended far to the west and south. Sunlight reflected in a dazzling display off the shallow waves coursing across its surface.
As the road left the forest and began following the lake’s eastern shoreline, they emerged back into the light of day. Above, the sky was blue and the air fresh, a comforting detail after traveling through the closeness of the forest. The clouds that were evident yesterday forming to the south had apparently passed on leaving only scattered remains.
The road took them along the shore of the lake and to a small village nestled against its waters. The village looked for all the world like any other fishing village one would find back home.
That wasn’t the last village they would encounter on their way south along the coast road. It seemed as if small villages had sprung up about every four or five miles. Whenever they passed through one, the locals would pause in whatever they were doing and watch their passing. Fear wasn’t on their faces, rather curiosity.
Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 Page 15