“I’m sure they are, but a wise man sees what he is buying, and only a fool expects to sell what he is unwilling to show.”
The man gave up, shrugged, and led them down the hallway.
“Could we have something on the second floor?” asked Maya sweetly. “I feel safer on the second floor and tend to sleep better,” she batted her eyelashes.
The innkeeper stuttered and led them up the stairs. Both rooms were beyond sufficient, and Justin gave the innkeeper the other half, plus an extra coin. The innkeeper was quite mollified by this and offered to have their baths brought up right away so they could clean off and then eat. They thanked him, and he walked off to see to things.
Both rooms had double beds in them. They didn’t bother to ask for rooms with singles. With so many people about it wouldn’t hurt people to think they were two couples. Otherwise, the women might get targeted. This was less a concern for the women and more a concern for the wellbeing of the fool who attacked, but it was a good policy to avoid violence unless provoked. They could discuss sleeping arrangements later. Both rooms had fireplaces, wardrobes, and tables with chairs as well as cushioned chairs by the fireplace. There were curtains on the windows, down comforters, and fluffy down filled pillows on the beds.
True to his word, two tubs were brought up and filled with steaming hot water. Everyone gratefully washed the dirt of the last few days off their bodies. They had glanced into the dining area on their way in, and the clientele were dressed better than they had expected. The shepherd from the last town would have been severely underdressed if he had been allowed in at all. Justin and Gavin put on clean clothes that hadn’t started to look too worn out yet. Usually, men only had to look decent in places like this; it was the women who were on display.
So as not to disappoint the innkeeper, Maya borrowed one of Lucy’s outfits from Kennemt. Kaliea had insisted the outfits were not a loan, so they had brought them along. Maya felt her outfits were too revealing for a place like this, but Lucy’s were perfect to keep eyes on her without giving an older man a heart attack. She did her hair up on top of her head with tendrils falling down her back and looked gorgeous. Lucy admired her ability to dress as easily for dinner as she did for travel. Lucy still felt awkward in nicer things (they ripped so easily you had to watch every move), uncomfortable in dresses (where did you hide weapons?), and strange in anything that drew attention to her body (she hated it when people watched her). She was in the process of searching for something suitable when Maya came up behind her and offered her a dress.
“I knew this would come in handy,” she said with a smile.
It was green, simply cut to drape around the body, and long enough that Lucy could wear her boots and keep a dagger there. She handed Lucy a jeweled belt to wear with it and did her hair up. Lucy did not look as eye catching as Maya, but at least she wasn’t wearing her travel clothes. Luckily, it also had sleeves long enough to cover her wrists. Maya was wearing bracelets and the men, gauntlets. They weren’t sure if anyone here would recognize the mark, but better safe than sorry. With rumors trickling around, they did not need to end up in the center of them unless it was because Maya was beautiful. In fact, that was part of the plan. Perhaps people would remember Maya, but not any of the rest of them, including how many of them there had been.
When they entered the room, most of the heads turned to see who the new arrivals were, and all the eyes focused on Maya. She flashed the nearest man a smile and led the way to a table near the middle of the room. The serving girl brought them food, ale, and wine. Around them, discussion flowed again, along with many glances at Maya who took it all in casually and bestowed smiles on anyone brave enough to smile at her.
“Have you heard? The Baron is thinking about sending out a search party.”
“Do you think it’s worth it?
“Who can tell? There are always rumors, but the mill seems to be working overtime lately.”
“I heard it was four people who have the Eye.”
“So did I.”
“Do you know what direction they are heading?”
“The rumors are starting in the east and working their way west so I would guess west, but it’s hard to say. There is so much room for them to turn any direction and no one seems to know where they are going or what they are going to do with the Eye.”
“Were they hired by someone do you think?”
“Hard to say. You’d think, with all the rumors, that if someone with money had hired them and they do have it, he’d send an army to protect them and bring it to him.”
“Unless he’s afraid they’d subvert the army and take over his land.”
“Rulers are always suspicious.”
“Hard to believe it might not be in Kleth anymore.”
“I wonder how they managed to get it.”
“Anyone able to get it is someone I don’t think I’d want to cross.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“As long as it doesn’t affect trade or trade routes, I’m not too picky who has it.”
“I wonder what they plan to do with it now that they have it.”
“Did someone say it was three people? Because I heard four.”
“No, everyone is saying four.”
“Men or women?”
“That rumor is going around yet.”
“It’d have to be men,” said a good looking man to the right of their table.
“Really?” asked Maya innocently. “What makes you say that?”
“It would take someone strong, don’t you think?”
“I agree it would, but women can be strong.”
“Of course they can,” the man said in an irritatingly patronizing way.
“Although, I think anyone who could acquire the Eye would also have to be cunning, talented, and smart, and there men so often fall…short,” Maya said as she looked the man up and down and dismissed him while the members at his table listening in laughed.
“By that rationale, all the members would be women,” joked another man behind them.
“Perhaps they were,” said Maya with a smile.
Maya verbally teased and sparred back and forth with many of the men in the room until it was very late. They didn’t learn anything specific from the evening, but it did make them feel like they should hurry since the rumors were spreading and causing interest among people who could do them harm. They entered one of the rooms together to talk and discovered they were not alone.
“What are you doing here?” asked Maya. “Leave the door open, Gavin, he’ll be leaving shortly.”
The man who had gone out of his way to irritate Maya with his sexist comments was lounging in a chair, one leg thrown over the armrest. He was tall with black hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. His body was slim, but muscled, and he had a half smile on his face similar to the cat that had swallowed the mouse.
“Pleasure to see you again,” he said directly to Maya.
“The pleasure is all yours,” she replied.
“Doesn’t have to be.”
“What do you want?” asked Maya attempting to be to the point.
He smiled suggestively at her and cocked an eyebrow at her. Maya threw her hands up in air and gave a pleading look at Justin.
“I could be wrong,” started Justin, “But I’m willing to bet you want something different from me, so let’s start there shall we?” Justin sat in the chair opposite him.
“You want to start right there?”
“Is there somewhere else you’d like to start?” asked Justin, highly amused.
“Certainly, I’d like to start with introductions. Or, if you’d prefer, you can keep thinking of me as the man who that beautiful creature is attracted to and I’ll keep thinking of you as the group with the Eye. Your choice.”
Gavin closed the door tightly behind him, Maya choked, Justin laughed, and Lucy stood there trying to figure out what she should do in this situation.
“Introductions sound like
a fine place to start. I’m Justin, the man with the weapons is Gavin and he does know how to use them all in case you were wondering, this lady is Lucy, and the beautiful creature is Maya. Your turn.”
“My name is Joss.”
“Wonderful. Now, what are you doing here?”
“Again, trying to rush things. Don’t you want to know anything about me?”
“Not particularly,” said Maya.
“Would you be interested if I told you I was a king?” Joss asked hopefully.
“Not in the least.”
“Pity.”
“Are you a king?” asked Justin attempting to make some progress since it appeared Maya was determined to make things difficult.
“Goodness no, that would be terrible,” replied Joss. “Would the ladies care to sit?”
“No, the ladies would prefer to pace and wait until you are gone,” said Maya.
Joss shrugged.
“Before you have to ask again, I’m here to help you,” Joss spoke to Justin.
“Maya, if you can’t be quiet long enough to let us talk, I’ll gag you,” warned Justin as she opened her mouth to retort to Joss’s offer to help. “I can’t decide if we need to kill him or not with you interrupting every other word. What makes you think we need help, and what makes you think you can help us?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not offering anything major. I won’t even travel with you for very long. You need help, because it won’t be long before people are after you. You also could use some assistance with that erdette on your trail. He’ll leave you alone while in town, but he’ll be after you again the moment you’ve left.”
“Why should we trust you?” asked Lucy.
“The other lovely lady goes right to heart of the matter. You should trust me to help you because of this.” Joss took off the gauntlet on his left wrist and held up his arm for them to see a circular tattoo. “Yes, I have also met the Lady, passed her test, and asked her questions. She told me that one day the Eye would leave and I would be called upon to help the bearers. She said I would know them because the group would contain the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.” He looked pointedly at Maya.
“You don’t have to be a good person to pass the test,” said Lucy. “How do we know you don’t want the Eye for yourself?”
“Do I look like a man who wants to be chased around Kinowenn by people trying to kill me for a troublesome object? We’ve only met, so I can understand that you don’t know much about me. Allow me to enlighten you. I prefer surviving. It’s one of my main pursuits in life.”
“You went to Kleth,” pointed out Lucy. “I’m not sure that falls under self preservation.”
“Everyone makes mistakes in their youth,” said Joss.
“Assuming we believe you mean us no harm, what are you offering?” asked Justin before the discussion got too out of hand. Joss appeared to like to talk, but he also possessed the ability to talk without saying anything important.
“Any number of things are possible, more distraction and misdirection than anything else. You’re too dangerous for me to want to join you fully. The erdette for instance; I can get him to follow me instead.”
“How can you be so sure? We’ll still appear the more appetizing meal,” said Justin.
“Appetizing, but not easier. An erdette never has a problem eating a quick easier looking meal before getting back on the track of a larger, more difficult one. Right now, I’d assume, you’re trying to stay ahead of it. If I travel with you, break off after a day or so, and start setting wards, it’ll start to follow the wards. It will sense you are the better meal, but why not eat the bread crumbs when you’d have to kill the deer. It’ll give you more time, and I’ve had some experience with erdettes.”
“I think we could take out an erdette,” said Gavin.
“I’m sure you could,” replied Joss, “but it will cost you time, energy, and the chance of getting wounded, when you need to travel as fast as you can.”
“Would you rejoin us later?” asked Justin.
“Wasn’t planning on it. You’re awfully dangerous to be with right now. I thought I’d do some wandering around, rumor control, and misdirection.”
“Some specifics on that would be helpful,” said Justin.
“I know there are people who intend to come after you. They might be planning on getting ahead of you. However, they won’t want to get too far ahead and have you veer another direction or have someone else intercept you. If I tell them I saw you in Plint yesterday, they will come here to head you off, and by then you’ll be days gone. I can keep people guessing at what you look like and whether or not you are two men and two women. Small things like that.”
“I think we could find that useful,” said Justin. He looked around at the others who nodded, except Maya, who frowned.
“What do you want in return?” she asked.
“My debt to the Lady is now fulfilled. I ask for nothing from the group. However, a small token of appreciation would be acceptable. A kiss or something like that would suffice beautifully,” he grinned at Maya.
“Well, he’s not sleeping here,” she said ignoring his last statement.
“Certainly not. I have my own room,” Joss rose from his chair and moved to the door which Gavin opened. “Care to join me?” he asked Maya.
Maya recovered enough of her usual composure to raise an eyebrow and say, “Don’t flatter yourself. I doubt you’d be worth my time.”
“Only one way to find out.”
Gavin pushed Joss out and closed the door. He was tired of listening to this, and he was sure they could trade insults back and forth for quite some time. He, for one, wanted to sleep on the luxurious beds.
Chapter 55
That was how their group grew by one when they left the next morning. Joss decided it might be beneficial to his wellbeing to ride with Gavin in the rear rather than irritate Maya further. He liked his breakfast to settle before he started to banter. Joss and Gavin found each other to be ideal travel companions. They were jovial, jocular, and able to converse on a surprising variety of subjects. The morning passed quickly. They paused for lunch.
“The erdette still back there?” asked Gavin.
Lucy nodded rather than talk through her bread.
“Anything else back there?” asked Joss who had been apprised of their ability. “Anything ahead of us either for that matter?”
“No,” responded Justin.
Joss left a ward for the erdette following them to snack on. Hopefully this would help temp it to follow him when he left the group. That afternoon he rode with Maya. He began by riding slightly behind her and on her left (the side away from her sword) without talking. She was apprehensive at first, but since he wasn’t talking, she chose to ignore him instead. After some time without talking, he rode back and talked with Gavin again. Then he returned to Maya, still not talking.
“Back again?” she asked.
“Miss me?” Joss asked in a hopeful, teasing voice.
“Hardly.”
“Harsh comments cut me to the core.”
“Egotistical, good looking men irritate me.”
“Why?” Partly seriously, and partly to be annoying.
“They are so sure that they are the perfect specimen that a woman who sees through their blatant sexual advances and wants nothing to do with them is incomprehensible.”
“Good thing I’m not an egotistical good looking man,” Joss said sounding completely honest and thankful.
“Why don’t you go back and talk with Gavin? You two seemed to be getting along.”
“I think I’ll be leaving you tomorrow sometime before lunch, and I want to make sure you don’t forget me.”
“You can be assured that I won’t”
“I’ll die a happy man.”
“Is that happening anytime soon?” asked Maya, but she smiled when she asked it.
“Would you mourn for me if it did?”
“Since we plan on leaving and being so
mewhat unreachable for awhile, I’m not sure when I would hear about your death. It might be that by the time I did, I would have forgotten who you are.”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t left yet. I still have time to give you some memorable moments.”
“How exciting.”
Justin and Lucy rode behind Maya and Joss and did their best not to openly laugh at the situation. Maya was used to having guys admire her, but they were generally also somewhat intimidated or awestruck by her. If she frowned at a guy, he usually died of shame. Maya had done everything she could to show she was not interested, and still Joss acted like he had a chance with her, which irritated Maya. Lucy wondered if Joss was teasing Maya to pass the time or if he had other motives.
“Joss?” said Justin shortly before they would have normally stopped for the evening. “Not to interrupt your witty repartee, but I think your plan has a flaw in it.”
“What’s that?” Joss asked, slowing his horse so that Justin could catch up.
“It seems that your added magical powers make us an even more enticing meal than we were before. I don’t think the erdette will wait for you to branch off and follow you. I think it’s going to wait until dark and then attack.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The small fact that it has been picking up its pace and is now no more than a mile behind us.”
“Hmm, that does look suggestive,” replied Joss. “Good plans do not always equal good results. That’s why you always have a plan B.”
“And what is plan B?” asked Justin, pretty sure he knew the answer.
“I have absolutely no idea, but we have at least the time it takes an erdette to catch up with us to think one up. That should be plenty of time.”
“I don’t get the impression that they are slow travelers,” commented Justin.
“They aren’t,” replied Joss with an ironic grin. “I’m counting on us being faster thinkers.”
“Wonderful,” said Maya rolling her eyes. “Anyone have any ideas?”
“My general plans tend to be simple and to the point when it comes to being followed by anything with malicious intent,” said Gavin. “Have more weapons than it does and kill it.”
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 42