“No…no of course not, Master Garret, I will see to it that your supplies are gathered quickly and I shall send for your horses,” Whalen stated all the while speaking in his jovial tone. “But in order to fulfill your request I had better get cooking.”
With his last statement the short, bald-headed man turned on his heel and strode through the door behind the bar.
The companions sat silently, each wondering what they might be eating for breakfast, and how long it would take for the horses and supplies to be gathered. Not long after the door had closed behind Whalen, it popped open again and a young boy poked his head out. Eyeing the companions briefly, he nodded as if deciding something to himself, and then his head disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. A few moments later, the door again sprang open and another boy darted out, around the bar and across the large common room to the door. He quickly exited the building, closing the door softly behind him. Having watched him run across the room and out the door, none of the companions had noticed that Whalen had also emerged, so they were each startled when they spun back around in their seats to face the bar and saw the short man where just a moment ago there had been no one.
Whalen handed them each a plate of food and a mug of fruit juice. The friends thanked Whalen who, as he had done the night before, accepted their thanks and disappeared through the door.
Upon each plate was a large half circle comprised of several eggs. It had been fried and folded back onto itself. Within its fold was placed bacon, cheese, onions and chopped red peppers. Beside it, on each plate, was placed a stack of sliced, toasted bread, cooked until crisp. Each slice of bread was generously buttered. The food still steamed from being freshly cooked and the aroma convinced each of the four companions to attack the food vigorously until it was consumed. They washed it down with the large mugs of juice which they decided together was mostly orange juice, with a hint of raspberry. The juice was fresh and cool and complemented the food nicely.
As they finished their meal, they saw the boy who had rushed out of the inn earlier return. This time he walked around the bar casually, with no speed or purpose in his pace, and he wandered through the door behind the bar without even so much as a glance at the four companions. No sooner had it swung shut behind him than the door burst open once again, bringing with it Whalen and his naturally grinning face.
“Well folks,” Whalen said. “Your supplies will be here momentarily. The horses are tied out front. If that be all you will be requiring then I suppose it is time we square your tab.”
“How much do we owe you, Whalen?” This time it was Sara who spoke to the round barkeep. Her voice and attention seemed to please the man and his grin widened, stretching almost unnaturally across the entire width of his round face.
“Well miss,” Whalen started. “The room is six silver, and the combined eight meals another twelve silver. The horses will be costing you fifteen silver apiece, and your supplies another five silver and fifty copper each.” Whalen spoke the prices, each with a nod, obviously calculating the numbers in his head.
Reaching down to the belt that held her small quiver, Sara released the small pouch of coins that had been given into her charge. Rummaging her fingers through the coins she brought forth a single gold coin, the exact amount due to the barkeep. Pressing it firmly into her palm she placed her hand on the bar, keeping the coin shielded from view.
“Thank you, Whalen, for your hospitality. You have a lovely inn,” Sara said to the grinning innkeeper, a smile on her own face.
With her words Seth watched as she released the coin onto the bar and slid it across the polished surface with her fingertips towards the barkeep. If Whalen had been surprised that such a young woman possessed such a coin, his expression had not betrayed it. His grin still on his face, he snatched the coin from the bar’s surface and deposited it into a pouch on his belt without even a second glance at it.
“Thank you m’lady,” Whalen said, nodding in response to her prompt payment.
As Whalen spoke a young boy joined him behind the bar. The group realized it was the same boy that had poked his head through the door earlier and had stared at them briefly. He waited patiently to see if the conversation had ended before speaking to the inn’s owner.
“They’re all set, grandpa,” the boy said in his young, high pitched voice to Whalen.
“Thank you Sedrik,” Whalen replied. “Now run along and see if your mother or grandmother needs any help in the kitchen.”
The boy neither hesitated nor complained, as many other children might have done. Instead he rushed quickly through the door to the room beyond, eager to help.
“So folks, your horses are loaded with your supplies, your breakfast is finished and your tab is paid.” Whalen stated the facts as if checking off a list mentally as he did so. “So if there is nothing else I can get you…” he paused briefly, waiting to hear if they would voice any new needs, and seeing they had no intention to speak he continued. “Well then, I shall bid you farewell and good luck for the remainder of your journey.”
Seth and his friends said goodbye to Whalen each in their own way, and thanked him appreciatively for his services. Before letting them leave, Whalen told them there were several stables within Valdadore where they could return the horses. He also gave them a small piece of folded paper sealed in wax to give, with the horses, to the stable master at whichever stable they chose. Their instructions completed, the group picked up their belongings from beside their stools, and slung their packs across their shoulders. Sara also slung her crossbow over one arm, and adjusted it for a comfortable fit. They turned together and walked out of the inn, feeling as ready as they ever would be for what awaited them next.
CHAPTER 60
Ashton
Outside the inn were four, very large, white horses. Ashton noted that they were the same breed of horse that the knights had ridden and surmised that Garret had come to the same conclusion after looking over to his friend. They were tied to an iron bar that ran for some length across the front of the inn, secured into the bricks themselves. Aston regarded the horses impatiently. He was ready to get back on the road. He had ridden several horses in his life. His family owned a pair back home, though those horses were much smaller. He knew Garret and Seth had both ridden a few times as well, though the horses had been labor animals belonging to the farms in Vineleaf. He could tell the twins were a little nervous, but like himself they each assumed one horse was much the same as any other and so they approached the steeds with nothing more than a slight pause. Sara, on the other hand, was terrified. It seemed she had never so much as touched a horse before, let alone rode one. And these weren’t exactly ordinary beasts either. They were monstrous! Ashton wondered if Sara was up to the task of riding a beast that she was obviously afraid of.
CHAPTER 61
Seth
Seth approached the horse he had decided he would ride and realized suddenly that Sara was no longer at his side. He turned on his heels, looking back to see why she had stopped, and froze. She was a few paces away from him, her face twisted in horror as she regarded the massive beasts before them. He had not even taken into account the fact that she might possibly never have ridden a horse in her life. Why would she have? She had lived in a town, unable to leave, living in fear and imprisoned by a man who intended to sell her body for profit. Seth walked back to Sara’s side. Thinking of the brothel owner, John, angered him still, but what angered Seth the most was the fact he had not anticipated Sara’s reaction to the horses. He wrapped his arms around her, standing between her and the horses, and hugged her close to his chest.
“Everything is going to be OK Sara,” Seth reassured her. “They are gentle animals, trained well to carry us safely. Riding is easy enough, and I am certain you are more than capable.” Seth spoke the words as convincingly as he was able.
Sara only nodded in reply and hugged him tightly before letting him go. Her previous mask of fear was now gone, replaced by one of determinatio
n. They walked together, hand in hand, back to the horses. Garret and Ashton had already mounted their chosen horses and watched Seth bring Sara to the nearest one without a rider. Seth instructed her to place her foot in one of the stirrups, and helped to lift her into the saddle. Once seated comfortably, Seth instructed her to hold on to the beast with her legs, and use her hands to control it with the reins. He showed her how to manage the horse’s movement as well as its speed using the reins. Sara quickly committed everything Seth told her to memory, not wanting to disappoint him by being a poor student. Seth then released the animal and Sara was able to easily guide it around the narrow street without much trouble. Satisfied Seth then mounted the remaining horse, and nodded to his twin, acknowledging that they were ready to leave.
CHAPTER 62
Sara
Sara and her companions rode slowly through the city, careful not to trample anyone. The streets were bustling with activity, but even so the horses were able to maneuver easily through the crowds. Garret led them in single file, taking a circuitous path to the south wall of the city and through the gate onto the open road. By the time they emerged from Paldoon’s Hold, Sara had become confident enough upon her mount that she no longer squeezed it so tightly with her legs that her knees trembled from the effort. She realized then that her fear had been unfounded, a fear that was only due to ignorance, and she felt ashamed that she had reacted so badly before.
Clear of the narrow city streets, the four rode abreast, taking the entire width of the road. Ashton rode to one extreme side, and then Garret. Sara rode between the twins, in case one of them should need to come to her rescue. They rode slowly at first, gradually picking up the pace as they each began to feel more relaxed atop the large animals. Before long they were galloping down the road at a breakneck speed, smiles upon all their faces, wind roaring past their ears, enjoying the sense of freedom.
They rode hard and fast the entire day, stopping only once to eat and allow the horses to rest and drink from the river that had snaked back to parallel the road closely. Their stop did not last long, though, each of them wanting to feel the wind on their faces again. They ate hurriedly and remounted the horses, kicking their flanks once more, driving the beasts to resume their amazing pace. They passed several people on the road that day, waving in greeting as they thundered by. They did not stop to speak to anyone, did not even slow for that matter, yet the horses were able to maintain the pace through the entire day without so much as a sign of tiring.
The day passed quickly, and before the four companions realized it, the sun had begun to set. They followed the road still, now at a slower pace, and decided together that they should find a place to rest for the night. They did not want any interruptions, or any trouble for that matter, from other travelers who may be following the road after dark, and so they turned off the road. They could see the river still lazily meandering this way and that in the distance, and decided to make for it, thinking it would be best to let the horses drink their fill. The sun sank ever nearer to the horizon as the twins and their companions neared the river. With only minutes of sunlight remaining they followed the river to a small copse of nearly bare trees. The leaves that did remain on the branches here were of darkened hues of orange and red. Most, however, had already fallen to the ground or been blown away by the wind. Even so, the small grouping of trees seemed a perfect place to spend the night.
Tying the horses at the river’s edge, they let them drink and graze on the grass that grew there. Pulling supplies from the horses’ saddle bags, they sat in a circle, eating and telling their vibrant descriptions of how it felt to each of them to ride the massive horses. Before they had finished eating the sun disappeared over the horizon, taking with it all traces of light. Impatient for morning, they all settled down to go to sleep early so that they could rise early to ride again. Garret and Ashton settled on the ground as was accustomed, and were quickly asleep. Seth laid himself down and gathered Sara to his body, and shared a few moments with her before snuggling up to one another to fall asleep. She knew that he was very proud of her this day. She had managed to face her fear of her horse, and more than that, she had easily mastered riding it as well. Sleep took Sara quickly. Not even the excitement of the day was able to keep her alert enough to avoid the dark nothingness that was sleep. It would not be until morning that she and her friends would realize the error of their ways and come to regret their long day’s ride.
CHAPTER 63
Garret
Opening his eyes, Garret noticed that the sky had just started to lighten on the eastern horizon. Feeling well rested, he quickly jerked himself into a seated position as was his morning custom. A burning, throbbing sensation painfully overtook his backside and he yelped despite himself. Thinking he had rolled into something hot, Garret jumped to his feet to relieve his rear end. At least that was what he attempted to do. He did nearly make it to his feet before there was an explosion of burning, searing pain down his thighs. Unable to keep his legs beneath him, Garret collapsed back to the ground in a heap. He thrashed about wildly on the ground, rolling this way and that, sure he had somehow caught himself on fire!
CHAPTER 64
Sara
Sara woke to Garret’s yelp and quickly untangled herself from Seth’s body. She rolled over just in time to see Garret collapse to the ground thrashing violently. She looked quickly around to see if anyone had come across their camp and was attempting to ambush them in their sleep. Spotting nothing she quickly woke Seth, who immediately sprang to his feet to see to his brother.
CHAPTER 65
Seth
Seth was nearly overcome with pain that exploded in his muscles, nearly driving him back to the ground. Sara had also begun to rise, but apparently feeling her muscles begin to cramp as well, settled herself back to the earth. As Seth paused to regain himself, Garret’s writhing had brought him precariously close to the still sleeping Ashton. Ashton’s peaceful repose was torn away from him by a spastic kick from one of Garret’s still flailing legs. He opened his eyes in time to dodge a second kick, this time aimed for his groin, and rolled swiftly out of range of Garret’s assault. Bringing himself to his knees, Ashton’s face crumpled into a grimace of pain and a realization he now shared with Seth who looked on with a knowing smile.
The group had spent the entire previous day upon their massive horses. They had ridden fast and hard with no thought as to how their bodies might respond to the punishment. Now it seemed their bodies had decided to teach them a lesson. It would be a lesson well learned.
Ashton remained kneeling, but repositioned himself to try and relieve his pained muscles. He looked to the heavens and whispered an inaudible prayer. Chanting quietly to himself, his entire body began to shimmer. The shimmer lasted only a fraction of a second and quickly turned into the glow the companions had all witnessed before. A few moments passed and the light that had engulfed Ashton from head to toe vanished. He rose to his feet and, flashing a smile in Sara and Seth’s direction, he turned and strode towards Garret.
CHAPTER 66
Garret
Garret ceased his thrashing, but convinced his body must be terribly burned he kept his eyes closed tightly, refusing to look upon the damage. He lay still now, in the dirt, sure that he had rolled far enough from whatever it was that had ignited him. He was panting loudly and sweating freely when Ashton dropped to his knees beside him. Garret did not see or hear Ashton approach, but he did hear his friend’s prayer, and the low chanting that followed. Ashton took little time to heal Garret’s pained flesh and muscles, and almost before he had started his healing chant, it was over. As the words come to an end, Garret opened his eyes. He lay flat on his back looking up at Ashton. Garret smiled in thanks.
“How badly was I burned?” Garret asked with a sincere tone to his voice.
Garret’s question was followed by robust laughter from all three of his companions. Seth laughed so hard it brought tears to his eyes, and Sara was forced to lie back down,
gasping for air when she finally stopped. Ashton’s chuckling, on the other hand, did not last long. He was directly in front of Garret when the man’s mood turned from one of concern to one of anger. The change in his friend’s face stopped Ashton’s laughter in its tracks.
Seth and Sara had finally stopped laughing, and both apologized quickly to Garret. They explained their amusement was due to the fact that though he had thought he had been burned, in actuality he was simply bruised and sore from the previous day’s riding. Even Garret laughed in retrospect.
CHAPTER 67
Seth
Seth sat patiently as Ashton treated his sore muscles before moving on to do the same for Sara. After completing his healing, Ashton suggested they eat and Seth readily agreed as did their other companions. Gathering their supplies, they sat together for a quick breakfast. While finishing up his food, Seth mused about how much had already happened that day, yet they had only been awake for less than half an hour. Today he was sure would be an interesting day.
The day passed quickly however, without anything else out of the ordinary. They rode their mounts more slowly than they had the day before, each of them now well aware of the consequences that would await them tomorrow. They passed several people on the road and noted that many of them were around their own age. Houses too began to appear in the afternoon, spread apart from one another at great distances at first, growing ever closer and closer as the group traveled. They rode much of the day in silence, simply enjoying the ride. It was a cool day, but not uncomfortably so. As afternoon approached the land leveled out, and again the river came near to the road and traveled parallel to it as far as the eye could see. Farmland lay barren all around them as they rode, having already been harvested for the season. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly, already past its peak, descending slowly.
Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) Page 16