Book of Remembrance: The Forgotten Gods: Book One

by Tania Johansson

  She paused a moment before continuing. “The second reason for my presence is to clarify who it is you seek and where you must go. In all, there are seven that you seek. You have found two already,” her eyes went to Seran and Trissa, “we are tracing the rest, but as of yet we know only where one resides. Four days’ travel to the west of Brailen, you will come to a town called Andos. This is where you will find her. She is a merchant’s daughter, her name is Alathaya Almeida. We will pass on any information we can find regarding the rest of them.”

  I smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you Teacher, we were feeling at a loss for where to go next. I am curious though, why did you not tell me that Brant was the first of those I seek?”

  She frowned, her golden eyes perplexed. A moment later, her expression cleared. “Why, because he isn’t one that you seek. He is here for other reasons.” She pointed a slim finger to Trissa. “She is the second you have found.”

  Trissa looked like a startled mouse cornered by a very big, very hungry cat. Her mouth opened and closed making her look like a fish. I was sure that my face showed my surprise as clearly as hers did. Quiniewa looked amused. “You have fine luck if this one happened to fall into your lap by accident. Apparently, she is not aware of her own power yet, but I can sense it in her.” She looked at me. “Once you become more attuned to your own nature, you will be able to sense this as well.”

  I shook my head. “But, what can she do?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “That, I do not know. She will find it and she will show you, maybe even before she is able to tell you.”

  Trissa finally found her voice. “But, I cannot do anything. I cannot fight in a battle. I carry no weapons and have had no training for anything such as this.” Panic was near to the surface of her voice.

  Quiniewa gave a tinkling laugh. “The luck of the humans. We have always believed you have enormous luck. Luck that you do not even know of. Without it I do believe your species would not have made it this far.”

  Brant snorted. “I don’t think you want to say that to humans. They may not take too kindly to that.”

  Raising one eyebrow, she simply looked at him as if she was looking at an errant child. I could understand his point of view though. The Fae did seem to feel annoyingly superior to us. Her face went serious again. “One more thing. If we are after these remaining five, you’d best accept that Dark powers will be stirring in that direction as well. You would do well to make haste. For every one of these five that you find, your collective power and therefore, your ability to stand against the Dark Master, will grow. He will do all that he can to stop you. If you fail to reach all five in time, calamity will be upon us.”

  She stood gracefully and as if to some command we all rose. She smiled, making her golden eyes sparkle as if they held all the light in the world. We bowed to her and even Trissa gave a stiff curtsy. She inclined her head and walked away into the crowd. Staring after her, I wondered why I had not had the same reaction to Trissa, as I had when I had first seen Seran. Perhaps because she was not aware of her power?

  We did not sit down again, but trawled through the market to gather supplies. Now that we knew where we must go, we would leave at first light. As we wandered among the stalls, I remembered my promise to Aliana that I would bring her back a memento from my travels. This night market was something I had not come across and I thought it a good place to keep an eye out for a gift for her.

  After looking at, and turning down, several bracelets and rings, I came across a necklace. On a leather cord hung what looked like a rock hard drop of honey. Encased inside it was a beautiful blue flower. When I asked the stall keeper about it, she said that flower was the town’s emblem. It was perfect. I paid a silver coin for it, which I thought a small price to pay for the smile this would earn me.

  When we had all the provisions we needed for our journey, we went back to the inn. Seran had stayed at the market, only saying there was something else he needed. We had a quick dinner in the common room before going up to our rooms.

  Knowing we would most likely spend the next four days filthy I had wash water brought up to the room. Revelling in the fresh feeling of being clean and smooth cheeked, I lay down and immediately fell asleep.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  We started out before even having breakfast. When we went down to the stables, the bleary-eyed stable master brought out our horses. Four in all. I looked a question at him and was about to point out that we only had three horses, when Seran spoke. “I thought since Trissa is going to be coming with us, she needs a horse of her own.” She gaped at him with such open adoration in her eyes that it made me wince a little.

  We followed a narrow road leading west for three days. It was hardly wide enough to ride two abreast and slightly overgrown. We kept vigilant throughout, but we did not come across any signs of pursuit. I could only hope that was not because they were already ahead of us.

  The landscape around us had changed again. Vast open grasslands surrounded us with massive trees dispersed throughout. Trissa thought these were twine leaf trees, but I had never seen any tree this big. With arms outstretched and fingertips touching, we could not even complete the circle around the trunk of one of these trees. Looking up to the top of them made me feel dizzy.

  They bore a strange fruit. It had a thin purple skin with soft red flesh inside. For all Trissa’s claims that she was sure it was safe to eat the fruit, she was not willing to test it, so, I ate a small piece to ensure it did not cause any ill effects. It had a sweet taste that almost made my tongue feel like it was tingling. After that, we collected as many as we could. They were delicious.

  Early on the fourth day, we saw farms dotted along the road. We went by a plantation of the twine leaf trees; row upon row of these giants. Gradually the road became busier as we approached the town itself, which to me looked more like a city. It was midday before we reached the town proper. After a quick look around, we decided to stay at the Happy Boar inn. The sign above the door was of a boar dressed in a gleeman’s cloak and it had a grin showing a few too many teeth to look pleasant. Seran took the horses round to the stables and we entered the common room.

  After arranging our rooms with the innkeeper, a pleasant looking man of middle years, we sat down for lunch. As soon as Seran joined us, our conversation turned to Alathaya. Brant thought we should simply ask around for her, reasoning that someone will know where to find her. Seran, however, thought a more subtle approach would be wiser, and I tended to agree with him and since Trissa would agree with Seran if he said that grass was pink, Brant was outnumbered. He grumbled a bit about that, but did not argue.

  To be more effective in our search we split up that afternoon with plans to meet again at the inn for dinner. Most merchants brought goods in through the port so Brant and I walked down to the harbour hoping that knowing her family name would make it easier to find her. Seran and Trissa had gone to the market stalls.

  The harbour was very impressive with larger vessels than I had ever seen. I knew it was the same for Brant, but trying to look worldly, he kept his face blank. We walked along the quay looking at the boats and hoping for some clue.

  A sailor came rushing past us. Brant spun on his heel and in an officious voice said, “My good sailor. We are looking for Merchant Almeida. Do you perhaps know where we may find him?” So much for being subtle, I thought.

  He sneered at us. “Most unlikely place would be here. I gather fine gentleman do not get them paws dirty for nothing. He’d be readying for tonight.”

  When it was clear that he was not going to expand on that I asked, “What is happening tonight?”

  He looked at us as if we had suddenly grown horns. “You must know that tonight is the betrothal party. Even a lowly sailor like myself knows that!” Shaking his head and muttering to himself, he walked away before we could ask anything more.

  Pleased with this bit of useful information, we returned to the inn early in the hope of finding Seran already th
ere. As it happened, they were waiting for us by the time we got there. I had to look twice and if it hadn’t been for Trissa next to him, I would not have recognised him. He was wearing a dark blue suit with long tails at the back and the frilly sleeves of his light blue shirt were a hand longer than those of his coat. He had had a haircut and shave, and could pass for nobility.

  “What is all this?” I gestured to his clothes.

  He smiled enigmatically. “Have you not heard? I have a party to attend. I do believe my father once dealt with Merchant Almeida and it would be awfully nice to see him and his lovely daughter again.”

  Trissa giggled next to him. “Is he not adorable?” I did not know what surprised me more, Seran being primped and primed as he was or Trissa speaking so casually, but I could not help but be impressed by his transformation. “Are you sure you can pull this off?”

  He smiled roguishly. “My dear lad, this is what I grew up with. I will blend in so well they will think me a chameleon, if they think of me at all.”

  Brant frowned. “What is a chameleon?” Seran burst out laughing and clapped Brant on the shoulder before striding away. He looked at me, but I just shrugged helplessly.

  We followed him to a table in the common room. As we sat down he said, “We need to decide now what the aim is for tonight. Is it simply to meet her or am I revealing all?” He wiggled his spread fingers enigmatically and his eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm.

  I smiled, but said, “I think we need to take one step back here. I am sure they will have a guest list at a function such as this. Obviously, your name will not be on that list. How do you plan to get in?”

  He held up a finger shaking it. “Now that is easy. These things are all about money and power. If they think you have more of either of these two than they, they will do everything they can to avoid offending you.”

  I nodded slowly. “Right, but we do not have much of either.” He grinned. “You do not need to have any… you only need them to believe that you do.”

  Trissa was beaming. “Isn’t it such a perfect plan?”

  Brant looked at her with barely concealed irritation. “In theory perhaps, but how is it that you plan to convince them?”

  His smile stretched a little wider. “This is where Kadin comes in.” He pointed a finger at me. “You, my friend, will be my coachman. The horses we have, and the carriage is being prepared as we speak.” His smile was smug.

  I smiled incredulously at him. “Do not hold back. Astonish us. How did you arrange a carriage in such a short amount of time?”

  He laughed. “I happened to speak to a man who had some trouble with his sheep. I gave him one of my whips, I always carry a couple of spares, and gave him a quick tutorial on how to use it. He was so grateful that he called in a favour that another man owes him. This man just happens to be a carriage repairman renowned around the whole of the west for his skill at transforming an ordinary carriage into an extraordinary carriage. He was currently working on one for a noble Lord from Clarheim, who is picking it up in a few days’ time. As for the rest of it, if you behave as if you expect unquestioning service and respect that, my friends, is what people will give you. We will have to leave soon to go and collect the carriage.” Even Brant was smiling at this bold plan.

  Seran clapped his hands together. “Now, back to the original question, what is the aim with Alathaya tonight?”

  I raised my eyebrows. ”Simply the fact that this is her betrothal complicates things. What if she does not wish to leave her soon to be husband? I think for now, we should try to make contact with her and find out as much as possible about her. If we jump in and tell her everything we could easily scare her away or even end up getting arrested if she makes a fuss.” They nodded in agreement.

  “There is only one group of people that gossip more than the lords and ladies.” Seran looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “The servants. That is why your role is even more important than mine tonight Kadin. The lords may refrain from spreading gossip to someone if they do not know their allegiance, but a servant is a servant.” He looked out at the disappearing sun. “It is time to go. I got you a plain blue suit. It complements my outfit, and therefore, should do nicely for my coachman. It is in your room.” He all but ushered me up the stairs.

  I was not sure what exactly was plain about this suit. It had all sorts of buttons and tassels that I could not find a use for. It fit perfectly though and I hurried back downstairs. We had left Trissa and Brant at the table and I had to hide my smile at how discomfited they were in each other’s company.

  We fetched the horses from the stables earning a frown from the stable master when we said we do not wish to have them saddled only bridled, but he only shrugged and did not ask any questions. When we were out of earshot from the stables, I asked, “Where are we collecting the carriage from?”

  He pointed across the town square which was slowly emptying of people. “I had it taken to the sheep farmer’s house. It should not take us long to reach there.”

  We rode in silence through the city streets. Lanterns were burning in more windows than not and the smell of numerous dinners being cooked drifted out onto the street.

  Soon we left the city and houses behind and were riding along a dirt road. It split and we took the one leading to the east. “Are you certain you know where we are going? Only it seems a bit further than I had imagined."

  He looked at me askance. “Of course I know where we are going. It is not much further.” True enough it was not long before we could see the dim outline of a house along the road with some lanterns lighting a couple of its windows.

  We dismounted and led the horses up to the house. Seran knocked on the door and a lanky man answered it. His face lit up when he saw Seran. “Welcome again! I presume you are here for the carriage. I think you will be best pleased with it.” He led us round the outside of his house and as we rounded the last corner, it came into view.

  Even in the dim light, it took my breath away. It was a deep purple colour with gold gild work on the frame. Decorated to the point of being ostentatious. I realised I had stopped and was standing staring at it. I made myself walk around it trying in vain to keep my face blank. Seran was joking and laughing with the farmer. I walked over to them. “Seran, you do not think it is a bit…much?”

  He laughed. “When it comes to impressing these people there isn’t such a thing.”

  I hitched the horses up to the carriage. We had taken Balder and Trissa’s new gelding. They were well matched in height; I just hoped they worked well together. They stood placidly enough while I worked at the straps and I took this as a good sign. I am sure that Balder at least, had never drawn a carriage before. When I was done, I had another walk around it. I opened the door and climbed the couple of steps up to have a look inside. It did not quite match the flamboyancy of the outside, but it still looked luxurious to me. The seats were soft velvet decorated with embroidery. As I stepped back out, Seran said, “He said the inside has not been refurbished yet, but I think it should pass.”

  I cleared my throat. “Yes, I think it should be just fine.”

  He thanked the farmer profusely before handing me a whip. “Have you ever driven a carriage before?” I hadn’t even thought of this part and at the shake of my head, he continued. “It is easy. The whip is only for encouragement and you should not even need to use it, but just in case…” he took the whip from me and showed me how to flick my wrist to make it crack spectacularly. He made it look the simplest thing in the word, but it took me a few attempts before getting it right. He nimbly jumped into the back of the carriage and opened the small window to the driving seat. I got up onto the seat and Seran spoke from inside. “Just follow the road back into town the way we came.” I flicked the reins over the horses’ backs and breathed a sigh of relief when they started off. It was a bumpy ride back and I quickly realised why the seats inside the carriage were so soft.

  As we approached town I asked Seran where it
was that we were heading. Although I could not see his face, I could hear the smile in his voice. “I do not exactly know, but I reckon with such a big affair, we should be able to follow someone in. I reckon drive towards the main street and we should come across someone heading our way.” I groaned on the inside at this half-baked part of the plan, but I knew it was the only plan we had.

  Luckily, it was not long before we came across a grand carriage heading in the opposite direction to us. Briskly, I turned around and followed at a good distance. We followed it back out of town, but where before we had taken the western branch at the split in the road, now we took the eastern. I was just starting to wonder whether this carriage was going to the right place when I started hearing music and voices. We crested a small hill and in front of us was a massive mansion. It was lit up by what must have been hundreds of lanterns. The carriage in front of us slowed as we approached.

  Seran whispered through the window. “Slow right down to create a sizeable gap between you and whoever is in front of us. That way we have more attention focused on us as we arrive.” I did not particularly want all attention focused on us, but I did as he asked.

  I watched carefully as the carriage in front pulled up to the entrance. A man holding a paper stepped up to the coachman and was obviously marking off the name against a list. My heart started hammering in my chest as I realised I did not even know his family name. I whispered my question fiercely. “Name me as Lord Trien of Ghaldea. Let me deal with the rest.” I swallowed hard trying to swallow my fear with it. What would they do to us if they find out we were imposters? Would they lock us up? I tried telling myself that was the worst they would do and managed to calm my nerves a fraction.

  The carriage in front drove off as its occupants strode up to the grand entrance. I flicked the reins, but kept the horses going at a slow walk. Impatience was clear on the porter’s face as we pulled up at our leisurely pace. When the carriage pulled into the lantern light, though, he quickly smoothed his features. He was wearing a suit nearly as fine as Seran’s with a frilly collar coming up to his chin. He looked up at me expectantly. I sniffed and in my haughtiest voice said, “I present Lord Trien of Ghaldea.” He nodded and started paging through the list. He got to the end and frowning, started looking again. My stomach fluttered. What am I going to say? Just then, Seran threw open the carriage door and started climbing down the steps all the while muttering about country folk not knowing decent manners.