by AC Cobble
Meghan stepped forward and pleaded, “Father, you are not losing me. I have to go for a time but I will be back. I will be fine.”
“Back, back when? Everything you know will be gone. I will be dead!” Alistair wailed.
Meghan shot Ben and Serrot an apologetic look and placed her hand on her father’s shoulder. “I will be back.”
The woman lifted her pack and growled, “I’ve lost patience with this. We’re losing daylight and have a schedule to keep.” She looked meaningfully at Meghan. “We’re leaving now.”
Alistair shuddered in another wave of sobbing. Ben had never seen him like this, even when he thought Brandon was on death’s doorstep. Where was Meghan going that he thought he would never see her again? Alistair was a man who was used to controlling every aspect of his own life and many of the lives around him. What had shaken him so that he lost control like this?
Meghan, the woman and the rest of the party started strapping on their packs, adjusting ties and settling their gear to leave. Alistair shot up from the chair and shouted, “wait, wait!”
He turned to Ben and demanded, “Ben, you must go with them. Escort her to the city, stay with her and come back when you know she’s safe. However long it takes. Brandon doesn’t have the strength for it yet and you’re the only one I can trust.”
Ben looked around the room. His head was spinning but it was slowly starting to come together. The travel plans Saala and Amelie had been discussing and Alistair’s frantic despair at Meghan leaving. He had not had the time or the clear head to consider everything last night. The woman being a Mage was the last puzzle piece. They were going to THE City. In the stories, The City was rumored to be the seat of power of all Alcott’s Mages.
Not even Old Gamson claimed to know where The City was. It was like wyverns. Something told to entertain children. Serious people doubted The City existed at all.
But despite that, Ben could tell from the looks on Meghan and Alistair’s faces, they were convinced that it did indeed exist. And Meghan was planning to go there.
Ben was still considering the implications of the mythical City being real when Rhys winked at him and said to the group, “he did fend off a demon and save that kid. I don’t think he’ll slow us down much.”
Meghan added breathlessly, “Ben you should come. Think about the adventure!”
The woman shook her head and glared around the room before shrugging her shoulders. “Fine, but he’s not my responsibility.” She looked at Ben and said, “we’ll stay at the Waystation tomorrow night and leave in the morning. If you are there, you can come with us. If not, we’ll leave you behind.”
With that, she cinched tight one final strap on her pack and barked, “we’ve wasted enough time in this town. We’re leaving. Now.” Then she headed out the door. Meghan spared one last look at Ben and her father then she too was gone with the rest of the party behind her.
The three remaining men in the room sat in stunned silence. The strangers were a whirlwind that had turned their world upside down. A Mage, a Blademaster and The City. Suddenly, Farview seemed like a very small place.
Serrot was the first to speak. “Ben, are you really going with them?” From his expression, Ben could tell that Serrot would have left in an instant. The thrill of adventure was almost overpowering. But, as badly as he wanted to go, Ben realized it was impossible.
“I can’t. Who would tend to the brewery? I don’t even know how long I’d be gone or where they’re going! And how could I afford to eat and stay at inns? It’s expensive to travel and I don’t have that kind of money.”
Alistair shook himself and pleaded, “you have to go. Those people don’t care about Meghan. She’s been a sister to you, you have to take care of her!”
Ben hesitated and Alistair saw his chance. “The brewery is your’s. You go with them and bring back word that she’s safe and it’s all your’s. I’ll even take care of your travel.” Alistair stripped off his belt pouch and spilled the contents on the oak table. A pile of gold, silver and copper coins with a smattering of tin bits lay there. It was more money than Ben had ever handled, and by a quick count it was at least four times more than he had saved behind a loose plank in the back of his room.
The thought of owning the brewery free and clear had always been a dream but one he was not sure he’d ever achieve, at least not soon. Coupled with the prospect of travelling outside of Farview and seeing the world, he didn’t even consider the dangers and unanswered questions before placing a hand on the pile of coins.
“You better move fast Ben. If they’re leaving the Waystation in two day’s you need to get packed. You get what you need and I’ll meet you west of town at the Callach Road.” Serrot slapped him on the back as they both ran out the door. “I’m going to miss having you around here but damn if you don’t have all the luck. You, the open road, and two beautiful highborn ladies to keep you company.”
Serrot guffawed and shook his head as he turned across the green towards his family’s cottage. Ben started trotting back to his room, already planning what he would need for a long journey and how much of it he could actually fit into his rucksack.
The Road
Ben quickened his pace as night fell. He had descended from the mountains by the Callach Road which followed the river of the same name. Closer to Murdoch’s the terrain was heavily wooded and the deep shadows were ominous for someone who weeks before met a demon in a similar forest. Before the demon, Ben was comfortable in the woods, but it would be a little while before he had any desire to be alone in them after dark now.
Back in Farview he had given little thought to his decision to follow Meghan and the strangers on this journey. Alone on the road with nothing but his own thoughts for company, he was questioning his decision. He thought back to the series of events that led him to be marching at night on this deserted road to accompany people he did not know to a place he recently wasn’t sure he believed in.
The strangers were in Farview for less than a day and their visit was a blur. There were still unanswered questions of why Meghan had agreed to leave and why these five seemingly disparate strangers were travelling together. He nearly stumbled as he came to the disconcerting realization that he didn’t even know the Mage’s name.
When he left Farview, none of these questions seemed important. His entire focus was on preparing to leave and wondering what else was out there. If Mages and The City were real, what other truths lay hidden in some far-fetched story?
He barely had time to say good bye to Serrot before he left. They met just outside of town on the Callach River Bridge. Serrot gave Ben a cheesecloth wrapped package of food his mother had thrown together when she heard Ben was leaving. He also gave Ben his favorite hunting knife. It was nearly the length of Ben’s forearm and forged of high quality steel. Serrot spent several silver pieces on it and it was the most valuable thing he owned. Ben almost refused, but he could see that would have upset Serrot. He regretted he did not have an equal gift to give in return. Instead, he asked Serrot to look after the brewery for him and promised he would make it up to him when he got back.
That meeting already seemed ages ago and in a different life. He knew he’d miss Serrot and his other friends, but he decided that until the end of this journey, and until he returned home, his life was the road and his focus would be ahead.
It was three bells after dark when he finally saw the lights at the Waystation. He’d been pressing hard since before daylight and his legs felt like he was moving heavy logs instead of numb feet. A day of hard work was not unusual for Ben, but marching that long was a difficult day for anyone. With only half a day on the road yesterday, he didn’t have time for anything else. He was spurred by fear that he would arrive at the Waystation and somehow miss his companions.
He started down the final hill before the Waystation and saw it’s scale laid out in front of him. Even though the only permanent residents were Murdoch, his family and his employees, the huge inn and surrounding
buildings were larger than anything in Farview. The Waystation was built to accommodate several merchant trains at once and had the space to do so. There were horse corrals, a wagon yard, a barn, a timber mill, a warehouse for merchants to temporarily store their goods and a general store that supplied travelers and small towns for fifty leagues in every direction.
The inn itself was a massive log structure that included a tavern, quarters for all of the Waystation staff and could sleep 200 guests. It was likely only a quarter full at this time of year. During the fall harvest it was said you had to pay up to five coppers for a bed. No one from Farview ever visited then, of course.
In the wagon yard, Ben saw there was at least one merchant train here and as he got closer he could tell from the raucous noise pouring out of the tavern that they were cutting loose tonight. He could hear a fiddle, drums and some type of pipes. From outside he couldn’t tell if they were playing together or just playing. Whatever they were doing though, it was popular with the crowd. Enthusiastic, off-key singing broke out when they started a new verse.
Ben was greeted with a wave of sound as he strode up the creaky pine plank steps and into the open door. It was early spring and this far down the mountains it was pleasantly cool outside. Inside, it was unpleasantly warm with roaring fires at both ends of the hall. One was in an actual fire place and had an elk turning on a spit. The other was in an open pit on the floor and involved a game where drunken men leapt over the flames.
A serving girl appeared at his side and explained, “aye, a strange one that. Last spring the fools lit up a bonfire outside and started jumping over it. Murdoch had em bring it inside, drew up some rules and sales of ale are up 20 percent. I don’t understand it,” she said with a shrug. “Take a seat lad and I’ll be by in a minute for your order.”
A spray of bright orange sparks soared upwards as a leaping man caught a flaming log with his foot. Laughter and jeers rang out as the man tumbled to the ground, rolling quickly away from the heat. Another man tossed a fresh log onto the blaze and the fallen man was doused with half drank ales when he stumbled to his feet cursing. Ben smirked when he heard the crowd calling for the man to buy a fresh round for the remaining competitors who’d just soaked him. Murdoch drawing up the rules and the spike in sales of ale wasn’t that great of a mystery.
After a quick scan of the rest of the room he found Rhys, Saala and the girls at a table watching the progress of the game. Rhys kicked out a chair as Ben approached and drawled, “glad you made it. Take a breather and get some beer and stew if that wench ever comes back. It’s all fish and wine down on the coast.”
Saala rolled his eyes at Rhys and shook his head. “I’m sure she’d be back more often if you didn’t inquire about ‘extra services’ every time she came by.”
Rhys grinned and took a swig of his ale.
“Coast, what coast? I thought we were taking the Kingdom Highway,” stuttered Ben. On the lonely walk down the mountain he thought he’d figured out which way they were headed, but apparently not.
Saala replied, “We’ll head towards Fabrizo and from there we’ll take a ship across the bay to Whitehall. From Whitehall we’ll cross the Snowmar Pass, go down the Sineook Valley and follow the Venmoor River to The City. It would take an extra month to go by the Kingdom Highway.”
The three girls smiled at Ben as he sat down and the woman scowled, which Ben took to be her permanent expression.
“Now that you’ve decided to join us, let’s get a few things straight” the woman said. No pause for pleasantries with her. “First, my name is Karina Towaal. You should refer to me as Lady Towaal. Second, I am in charge of this group and as long as you accompany us you will follow my instructions. Fail to do as you are told and we will leave you behind.” Out of the corner of his eye Ben saw Meghan grinning. He surmised she had also gotten this talk recently. “Third, our task is to deliver these girls to The City unharmed. Your part in that enterprise is to remain out of my way. Do you understand and agree to these conditions?”
“Yes Lady Towaal.”
Lady Towaal leaned back, apparently saying all she wanted to and had no further interest in conversation. The girls on the other hand were excited to have a new companion and gushed about how happy they were he was joining them. Ben couldn’t help a smile from forming on his face while watching Amelie and Meredith talk. A long journey in this company suited him just fine.
It was already late and they planned an early start in the morning so Ben shoveled down a bowl of hot stew. Saala and Rhys said he could share their room. The girls were in an adjacent room. As they were in the hall going to the rooms Meghan caught his arm and whispered in his ear, “meet me back in the common room in five minutes.”
Ben threw his travel pack on the bed and made an excuse to Saala and Rhys to duck back out of the room and went to wait for Meghan. As he waited, he watched the rest of the common area. The music had died down from the raucous beat that had been playing earlier and now only the fiddler was still playing. The man was talented and slowly slid his bow to produce a mournful bittersweet tune. Ben noticed several more groups heading towards the hallways that led to the rooms. The serving staff scurried around wiping off the tables and straightening up chairs and benches.
The men who had been jumping the fire had returned to their tables but were still drinking heavily and laughing loudly. He guessed they were the guards for the merchant train. He imagined they spent long boring days on the road and this must be their most comfortable stop in weeks. There was a scattering of other folk in the room too but this late in the evening most of the serious travelers had gone to bed.
He was still watching the guards when Meghan quietly sat down beside him.
“Ben, I want to talk to you before we leave and this goes any further. I appreciate what you’re doing but I am fine. You don’t need to do this and it’s not too late if you want to turn back. Just tell my father we already left when you got here. You don’t owe him anything.”
“I, I’m not doing this for Alistair,” he mumbled abashedly.
“Oh no, Ben! You have to know that I love you but like a brother. You can’t do this for me!”
Ben’s face suddenly felt flush. That was not what he meant at all but he didn’t know how to explain it. “No Meghan, it’s not like that. It’s just that, well, I always thought I would spend my life in Farview. I always thought the most excitement I’d have was competing with the staff in the Springtime Festival or out hunting with Serrot. This is a chance for me to go out and see the world. This is my chance to really do something.”
She smiled at him and he wasn’t sure if she believed him or not, but it was the truth. He cared about her and he wanted to make sure she was safe, but he knew that Saala or Lady Towaal could take care of her on the road far better than he could.
“Well, in that case. I’m happy to have you with us. Karina, I mean Lady Towaal, says that it’s a two month journey to The City and it will be good to have a familiar face with us.”
“Meghan,” Ben asked tentatively, “what happened back in Farview? Why are you going to The City?”
“It’s for Brandon,” she sighed. “Lady Towaal healed Brandon but she only did it after I agreed to go with her. She said she sensed great potential in me and that she would heal him in exchange for 20 years of my service.”
“20 years! Wait, service doing what?”
“I am to become an Initiate of the Sanctuary.”
Ben sat back stunned. The Sanctuary was part of the myth of The City. It was said that the Sanctuary was a fortress in the middle of the City that housed the Mages. It was also said that the Sanctuary was a sort of school.
Meghan kept going, “Lady Towaal says that I will be an Initiate for several years. After that I will serve the needs of the Sanctuary until the remainder of my 20 years are up. At that time, I’m free to stay or go as I please. Ben, I will be a Mage!” Meghan breathlessly finished.
Ben realized that just like him, she was excite
d about the possibilities of a life outside of Farview. She may have agreed to this deal to save Brandon’s life, but Lady Towaal did need to force her. She wanted to go and she wanted to do this thing. He sat in silence contemplating how this girl who was like his sister was going to change into something that he had thought only existed in stories.
“Ben, I feel like we have so much more to talk about but we’ve been here too long. We have to get back to the rooms.”
Right then, two hairy knuckled fists smacked down on the table. “Why lass, if this boy got you back to his room he wouldn’t know what to do with you. Why don’t you come on back to my room instead?”
The man looked to be one of the merchant’s guards. He wore a stained leather jerkin and had a bushy black beard that was in serious need of a comb. His eyes were glazed over from too much ale and he reeked of stale sweat. He was a monster of a man – nearly as wide as Ben was tall and his arms were like tree trunks sprouting out of the wood table.
Meghan stared in shock but managed to reply, “no thank you sir. We are fine.”
“Ah lass, ‘fraid that wasn’t meant to be a question. It’s been a long trip all over half of Alcott and this place don’t even have a proper whore. But don’t you worry, the boys and I will pay you good copper and you might even enjoy it. We ain’t here to take your virtue, just want to rent it for a bit.” The man leered down at Meghan and smiled, showing he was missing his front two teeth.
Meghan tried to stammer a response but the big man clamped one hand around her arm and said, “Now now lass. You ain’t my wife, so there’s no need to go arguing.”
Ben shot out of his chair and shoved the man away with all of his strength. The man drunkenly stumbled backwards against a table and slurred, “hey, why the roughness? You can have your turn too. Right after me and the boys get done. Course, if it’s a fight you want…” He lurched forward and before Ben knew what was happening, the man backhanded him across the face. Ben felt like he’d been hit in the head with an iron bar and went crashing down to the beer soaked, sawdust covered floor.