Ties of Blood

by D. W. Jackson

  Eloen could understand what he meant. Not to mention more than a little blood had sprayed across her bedroll. She could try to wash it but there was no way it would dry before the sun set without a large fire. Just in case she had Darryl carry the bodies off a way as she began to try and get the blood off of her belongings without having to emerge them completely underwater.

  Ballard returned a short time before the sun reached the base of the horizon. A disapproving frown spread across his face as he stared at the camp. “What happened while I was gone? You didn’t finally cut off Darryl’s manhood did you?”

  “No just had some trouble with some brigands that wanted more than I was willing to give. If you didn’t find anything closer Darryl found a crossing about an hour away.” Eloen said laughing.

  “I found one but it’s a little over two hours, give or take. You want to go ahead and head to town? We could get a good sleep and reach it in the morning without having to worry about having to ride in the dark in unfamiliar territory.”

  “I would prefer to have a hot meal and some walls around me.”

  “Fair enough, well then we better get going if we want to have a chance to get to town before the sun sets.”

  It didn’t take long for the three to get mounted and on their way. The ride was peaceful but the sun was setting quickly. When they reached the small bridge only half the sun still peeked over the mountains in the distances, outlining them in a mix of dark orange laced with red. It was a majestic view but it was also a warning that what little light they had left was beginning to wane.

  Quickening their pace the three rode hard in the direction of the village. Their race to outrun the darkness was a harsh battle that left Eloen more than a little sore in the saddle. She had ridden since she had been a small child but she had always wore riding leathers and without them she was beginning to chafe in uncomfortable areas.

  They reached the town right as the last bit of light was swallowed by the darkness. The village was small with muddy roads and empty streets. The village’s only inn had a painted sign of a stag. When they walked in the scent of wine and cooked lamb hung in the air. The smell of the food wasn’t the most appetizing but after the ride all she really wanted to do was sit down.

  As soon as they sat at a table a young waitress with a ragged look took their order. It didn’t take long before a bowl of what she assumed was mutton stew was placed in front of her. While there was plenty of meat in the bowl there were few vegetables not to mention it was heavily spiced burning her throat as it went down. Taking a drink from her glass of ale she found it much more flavorful than she had expected. It had a bold flavor that went down smooth. She had to give the Ablaians credit they knew how to brew a tasteful ale.

  After the meal the three retired to their rooms. They were small and it didn’t look like they had been cleaned after their last visitors. They were far from the best accommodations she had seen but neither were they the worst. Slipping on her battle leathers so she would have a layer between her and the sheets she crawled into bed. The stress from the past few days crashed down on her as she closed her eyes carrying her into a deep sleep.

  CHAPTER V

  Eloen woke as the first vestiges of lights streamed into her room though the small window. Yawning as she stretched her stiff muscles, wincing as her legs began to cramp. It had been years she had felt so bad after a day of riding. She knew her legs would be sore from standing in the stirrups all day to keep from rubbing her bare skin against the saddle would cause some soreness but she wasn’t ready for this. She slowly rose letting the pain trickle away as she stared out the window at the row of slate roofs of the small village. She could see people beginning to fill the streets below, wandering about on their business. It wasn’t a bustling town by any means but there were a lot more than she had initially expected.

  Pulling on the plain dress her stomach began to growl in complaint of the meal the night before. She was slightly hungry but she wasn’t sure if she could stand too much more of the rich Ablaian cuisine. Deciding to skip the meal Eloen stopped by the men’s room and knocked loudly. It took a while for Ballard to answer and when he did, it looked as if he had revisited the common room after she had went to bed for a few more rounds of drinks. Ballard tried to hide it but Eloen knew he enjoyed a good drink when it was available. She tried not to rib him about it unless it interfered with his performance and he seldom let it come to that.

  “I’m going into the market and see if I can’t pick up a few things. Need to me to grab anything while I’m there.” Eloen asked keeping her voice low, but Ballard still winched with the utterance of each word.

  “Not unless you can find a way to take some of that ale with us. I haven’t had something that good in years.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, but you need to take it easy. You look as if someone tied you to a pack of mules and let them drag you through the village square.” Eloen said laughing.

  “They might have, I can’t really remember. I didn’t expect the ale to hold as much of a punch as it did. Started with just one mug but before I knew what happened I woke with what feels like a small army fighting in my skull. Not the first time in my life I had one too many drinks.” Ballard said holding his head with his hand as if he was trying to keep it from falling off.

  Leaving Ballard to his misery Eloen went down to the common room to inquire about the location of the shops. She was surprised to learn the town only had one store and that it was located only a few doors down from the inn. Even the poorest of the villages in Farlan had two or three shops to cater to the needs of the residents and passing merchants.

  It didn’t take long for Eloen to find the store. It was rather large but given that it sold everything from clothes to weapons. Once inside she was greeted by the shopkeeper, an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair. “Can I help you?”

  “Yes I need a few new dresses and if you have them I could use some leather shorts to wear when I’m riding.”

  The old man let out a short laugh. “I’m sure we have a few things that will fit you. If I have to I can always take them in a bit, most the ladies around here tend to be a tad thicker than you are dear. When was the last time you had a good meal?”

  Eloen gave the old man a kind smile. “I eat well enough, but my family keeps me busy, hard to put on any weight when you constantly moving about.”

  “Well tell them to let you settle down a bit. You aren’t ever going to catch a man with that skinny frame, they’ll all think you’re sick of something. At the very least, you got a very pretty smile on you. Don’t give up lass I’m sure you can find you a good man if you keep trying, and my dresses can only help.” The man said giving her a knowing wink.

  Eloen was able to find what she needed, though as the man had said they were a little big for her. The only thing she had trouble finding was riding shorts for underneath her dress but the man assured her he could simply alter some of the leather pants he had in stock. While she waited for him to take them in a little she browsed the other objects in the store. There was a large assortment of items that she had never seen before. There were plenty of rings expertly made worth much more than what was being asked. One ring caught her eye, it looked like the grass rings she used to make as a kid. She had the urge to buy all the jewelry the man had to offer but held herself back. They only had a limited amount of funds and it would be selfish for her to spend it on fripperies.

  After a short wait she had two packages wrapped in a dark brown paper. All of the dresses she had picked out were plain but still looked good on her. She tried to go with an understated look in hopes that it would draw less attention. Once she was back in her room she quickly put on a pair of the leather riding shorts she had bought then slipped on one of the new dresses. It was a sky blue but it rode almost uncomfortably close to her neck. She wasn’t sure why the ladies in Abla liked to feel like they were being strangled but she was sure she would get used to it in time. The dress was heavy and had pock
ets like she wanted allowing her to cut slits in it without it being obvious or exposing herself when she moved wrong.

  Shortly after she was dressed she met Darryl and Ballard in the common room. Darryl looked well rested but Ballard looked as if he hadn’t slept at all. She thought about giving him a hard time but decided against it, as it looked like he was receiving enough punishment having to listen to Darryl who was talking absurdly loud right into the man’s ear.

  “Can I get your order?” the young waitress form the night before asked doing her best to shove her breasts into Darryl’s face. “Yes we will have whatever is hot and ready but please not as spicy as last night I don’t think our stomachs can handle that this early in the morning. Also is there any way we can get some of that ale from last night to take with us.”

  The girl looked at Ballard the tried to stifle her laughter. “Oh yes, that’s Lucas’s special brew. He had miniature kegs of it, though it’s fairly expensive. Six silvers a barrel but it’s extremely popular.”

  Digging out a small hand full of coins Eloen counted them out to the young girl. “Have them bring us four of the small kegs please, and make sure they’re sealed tight. I don’t want to have them break open when were on the back of our horses.”

  “Yes my lady.” The waitress said before disappearing into the back.

  The waitress brought out their meal which consisted of two eggs and a slightly spiced piece of thin slices of lightly spiced ham. It was tasty and didn’t set too heavily on her already delicate stomach. Before they finished their meal the four kegs were brought out. They were slightly larger than she had envisioned about the size of a large pail. She was sure she would be able to fit them in her travel pack, but barely.

  After squeezing the kegs into the magical travel pack the three started following the southern road. It was hard to call what they followed a road. In Farlan the roads were well maintained and paved with cobble stone in many places. What passed for a road in Abla was nothing more than a dirt path that looked as it had been worn down by heavy travel. While not bad for horses it had to be hard on the wagons that passed through.

  The initial excitement of being deep in enemy territory faded as the days passed. Abla was a mountainous land with only sparse patches of green. After a while one mountain looked no different than the other no matter the size. At night they ate the same meal of dried meat and fruit. It was bland but filling but what she wouldn’t give for some fresh meat. They had looked for some wild game, but the only meat they could find had been owned by the few farmers that dotted the countryside.

  Four days after they had set out from Boral they came across a band of travelers. It was a rather large group filled with mounted guards and wagons loaded down so heavily Eloen could hear their axle’s creak and pop as they rolled along. From what she could see most of the wagons were loaded down with raw metal ore, and grain. The group was moving slow but headed in the same direction as they were. Midday was already well past and night was fast approaching so they decided it would be best to spend the night in the company of the caravan.

  The Caravan master didn’t seem to mind letting them ride along for a bit as long as they didn’t cause any trouble. He even took a few moments to see if they wanted to buy any of their wares. Ballard bought two bags of oats for the horses at a horribly high price as far as Eloen was concerned, but it helped soften the caravan masters mood, and while they weren’t running low at the moment there was no telling when the bags would come in handy in the rocky terrain of Abla.

  Eloen didn’t like the slowed pace even if it was for a short time. If it wasn’t for their lack of information on the area she would have demanded they continue on. As it was she wasn’t even sure they were still headed in the right direction. It was frustrating to know that every minute they wasted the chances of catching up to Thad drifted father away.

  As night settled in the caravan stopped pulling their wagons into a large circle. Eloen had seen the formation before and knew that it was done to offer the best protection in the case of an attack. It was a good idea but she thought that they were allowing too much space between the wagons, leaving more than enough room for three riders side by side to ride through. The lapse in security nagged at her but she held her tongue not wanting to cause a problem with the caravaners.

  The three companions set away from the caravan’s main fire making one of their own, so they could talk in privacy. Their plan didn’t work out well as soon people started to migrate to their fire shortly after it was built. Most of them were younger and were more interested in talking to Eloen than anything but thanks to Ballard playing the overprotective brother she was spared from anyone making bold advances thought there were more than a few subtle ones thrown her way.

  Ballard fished for any information he could without being obvious about his lack of knowledge of the area. They learned that the caravan was headed to a rather large trading town. It was located between many of the larger mines in the country so it was an ideal place from many of the blacksmiths so it was aptly named Smithtown. The caravan expected to reach the town in a few days but Eloen knew that without even riding hard they should be able to get their within a day.

  Ballard and Darryl agreed to share the watch with the caravan guards but at least they had made sure to be scheduled at different times so she wouldn’t be left alone. It wasn’t that she was afraid for herself but killing one of the caravaners because they were a little too insistent didn’t seem like something that would go over well with the caravan master.

  As the moon began to climb into the sky everyone began finding the security of their beds. Darryl had the first watch so he met up with the caravan head guard leaving Eloen and Ballard alone.

  “What do you think about Smithtown?” Eloen whispered softly trying to keep her voice from carrying in the too far in the silence of the night.

  “If it’s as large as they say we should be able to find out information if they passed this way.”

  “How are we supposed to go about asking questions without drawing attention to ourselves?”

  Ballard gave her a sly wink. “How else, we visit the taverns. A couple of drinks and a few carefully placed statements can get people to talk about anything you want to. Why do you think I spend so much time in the taverns?”

  “I thought it was so that could see if you could drink yourself blind.” Eloen said smirking.

  “That too, but it is a great place to gather information. You wouldn’t believe how much men love to talk once they get a few drinks in them. Most of it is nothing more than bragging, but say the right thing and they will tell you everything you want to know. It just takes a little skill.”

  “I shall leave that to you then, oh master of the tavern.” Eloen said giving a mocking half bow.

  “Good, just don’t complain too much when I don’t look my best the following morning.”

  “I would never do that, but I won’t stop Darryl yelling in your ear either.” Eloen said laughing.

  “I knew that son of a goat wasn’t talking normally.” Ballard said furrowing his brow. “I just thought my hangover was worse than normal. Remind me throw him over the next bridge we cross.”

  Knowing that it would be an early wakeup Eloen and Ballard turned in for the night. Laying in her bedroll Eloen thought about Thad. He had been the center of her dreams since she he had been captured by the Ablaians. It wasn’t all bad though sometimes she dreamed they were back in Southpass hidden and talking about the possibly of getting married.

  Thinking back to the time she had spent with Thad, she smiled to herself. She hoped that they could find some hint of his whereabouts in Smithtown, but didn’t want to let her hopes get up. There were still too many unknowns to even think they would be able to rescue him, but she knew she had to try. She decided instead to focus on what she knew she could find in a large town, and a hot bath and soft bed would do wonders for her mood.

  CHAPTER VI

  Smithtown was much larger than Eloen
had expected. Though it was only early spring the air in the town was warm. The sound of hammers filled the air from the many blacksmiths and foundries. The smell of burning wood and coal hung over the town along with a thin cloud of smoke that eerily hung in their air, almost shimmering as it caught the last vestiges of light from the setting sun.

  Eloen wanted to stay in one of the finer inns of the town but Ballard had insisted that they pick one of moderate means. He assured her it wasn’t in an attempt to save coin or to dampen her spirit but because it would allow for the most diverse group of patrons increasing their chance of gaining information. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or getting back at her for teasing him earlier about his drinking, but decided that as long as they inn had a bath she wouldn’t argue.

  It didn’t take long for Ballard to find an inn he liked. It was one of the larger inns and had a metal sign hanging out front of a large pitcher tipped over on its side. As they walked in the common room the scent of burning tobacco assaulted her nose. As they approached the desk they were greeted by a heavy set woman, with grey eyes and long brown hair.

  “What can I do for you boys today?”

  “We need two rooms, and the lady will need a bath brought up to hers.”

  “We can do that for you. The rooms are three silver a piece and five coppers for the bath. While you wait for your bath why don’t you all get a bite to eat, the cook fixed up some barbequed lamb that’s as tender as a babe’s hind end.”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me.” Ballard said as he handed the woman the coins.

  The common room was far larger than anything Eloen had ever seen before. A large bench wrapped around the entire length of the wall with tables intermittently placed in front of it except where a small stage had been sat up. Other tables of varying size dotted the room but the center of the floor remained open. Eloen wondered at the wasted space but didn’t let it bother her as she followed Ballard to one of the smaller tables located near the corner of the room.