Warded Mage (Reawakening Saga)

by Jackson, D. W.

  The city of Handlane was much like any other, with the inns and shops in the center of the town and the residences in the outlying areas. The smell of saltwater and fish was strong within the city to the point it made Thad’s stomach churn. The first thing they needed to do was find an inn. Thad wanted to find a cheap one to reduce the chances of drawing undue attention, but Brianna was insistent that they stay in the best inn. Thad didn’t know why she was so insistent but considering she rarely asked for anything he quickly gave in.

  After asking a few local shop keepers they decided on the Mermaids Cove to stay in. The inn had a nice common room, and even though it was still early in the evening it was already busting with patrons. Thad tried to get three rooms but the inn only had two available. Thad felt bad for Crusher who would have to share a room with Arianna and Avalanche but there was no help for it.

  “What, I have ta share a room with tha blasted fairy.” Crusher yelled so loud that over half the people in the inn turned toward the group.

  “Keep your voice down, we don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves.” Thad said trying to keep his voice just loud enough that his companion could hear it. “Yes you have to share a room with Arianna unless you think you can talk Brianna into switching rooms with you.”

  “Not going ta happen. It’s tha first chance I’ve had ta get you all ta meself.” Brianna said, staring at Crusher coldly.

  Crusher grunted but gave up complaining. Thad was glad that, for once, Crusher seemed to keep his cool. He had expected the dwarf to create a bigger ruckus than he had. Thad knew that there was a chance the Brotherhood might come looking for them in the town so as soon as he got to his room he started making preparations. A normal enchantment would do little against the Brotherhood, so he set up a two-stage system. The first was a shield that would block anyone not wearing one of the rings from entering. The other simply sensed the first and should it disappear it would send out an audible alarm to warn them. It had been one of the first things he had created after the last battle. It had been a brilliant idea, even if he had to say so himself.

  Once the protective enchantments were up Thad left Brianna in the room and headed to town to look at the shops. It was too late in the day to check on ships that might be headed in the direction of Farlan, but it had been a longtime since he had been in a real town. He missed browsing the shops and looking at wares. Thad didn’t have anything special in mind to buy, he simply wanted to check things out and feel the town out, there was no better place to do that than the city market.

  The shops were much like the ones he remembered back in Farlan; clothing shops, weapons shops, and a large amount of shops that sold fish. Seeing that it was a port town, the sheer amount of fish for sale didn’t surprise Thad. His first stop was in the weapons shop. They had a wide selection but most of the weapons seemed poorly made compared to the dwarven weapons he had grown accustomed to seeing. Nothing really caught his eye so Thad continued moving from shop to shop.

  It wasn’t until he visited his fourth shop that he saw something that caught his eye. In a small shop near the pier, Thad found a small ring that had an unusual design engraved along its band. Thad picked it up and inspected the ring closer. It looked as if two vines were tangled with each other. “Are you interested in the twisted fate?” a kindly voice asked from behind him. Turning around Thad noticed a young lady, in her early twenties. She had light brown hair with streaks of blonde in it, making it look as if it were shining.

  “It just caught my attention.” Thad said as he held up the silver ring letting it catch a few of the fleeting rays that streamed into the shop.

  The young girl brushed her hair from her face with the back of her hand giving Thad a good view of her amber eyes. “It is a very special ring around here. Supposedly, a long time ago a woman and a merman feel in love. Each night she would go out to the see and talk with the man of the sea. One night a local lord who had made many advances on the young maiden heard the rumors that she was consorting with the fish folk and sent guards to investigate. The soldiers captured both, the woman and the merman, and the lord held a makeshift trial and accused the woman of consorting with sea demons. The two lovers were burned at the stake. The young lord left the stakes that had held the two in the open so that all could see and remember the punishment. Over time, a red rose and a white rose grew up from each stake and entwined together over the years. Now when one wants to vow everlasting love this ring is give as a promise.”

  “That is a sad story. Why would people want their own love to be bound to one with such a sorrowful end?” Thad asked sullenly.

  “Men!” The young lady exclaimed, as if Thad had done something outrageous. “Do you not have a speck of romance in your blood? Every town and village has some sad legend to the theme of a love story. It lets young maidens think that such things as everlasting love exist. Every woman dreams of finding the one person that is meant for them and only them.”

  Thad didn’t know why but he ended up buying the ring. It looked nice and he was sure Brianna would like it, though he had no plans to tell her the story behind it. Thad visited a few more shops but didn’t find anything else that caught his attention, so he headed back to the inn. As he feared both Brianna and Crusher were at a table talking loudly and drinking heavily. “Didn’t I ask you two to stay in your rooms until I made it back from the shops?”

  “Crusher turned around mug still in hand and a wide smile on his face. “Did ya now boyo? I thought ya said fer us ta stay in tha inn until ya came back, so that’s what we did. I haven’t moved an inch from this seat since I sat down.” Crusher said, laughing so hard small amounts of ale sloshed from his mug.

  “You know that’s not what I asked you to do.” Thad said trying to keep his voice harsh but in truth, he knew that as soon as he was gone Crusher, at the least, would head straight to where there was strong drinks. He should just count his blessings that they served ale at the inn, otherwise he might have never found the dwarf again.

  Thad sat down next to Brianna and across from Crusher. So far, Brianna had been quietly staring down at her mug, her face slightly twisted in regret. “I only followed tha hard-headed dwarf ta keep him out of trouble.” She said glumly.

  Thad tried to keep his face straight and furrowed in anger but it only took a heartbeat before a smile crept onto his face. “No reason to worry about it now. I figured the ale addled dwarf would be drinking the second he had a chance.” Thad said winking at Brianna, removing the sorrowful look from her face and replacing it with the smile that was so dear to him. He enjoyed teasing Brianna when the chance arose but seeing her with a smile was much more relaxing.

  With her worries gone Brianna dived into her drink heavily and as soon as the barmaid made her rounds, Thad joined in with the two dwarfs. The ale was much weaker than what he had grown accustomed to in the dwarven village but it still had a nice flavor as well as a slightly bitter aftertaste that was somewhat refreshing. Thankfully, Crusher wasn’t paying too much attention to Thad and for once he was allowed to drink at his own pace, so as the night rolled in he was still in control of his own body. Brianna had drank far more than Thad had ever seen her do, so for the first time he was forced to help her up the stairs to their room.

  Thad lay awake listening to the grating noise of Brianna’s snoring. He held up his hand and looked at the ring he had bought in town. He had wanted to give it to Brianna but he had yet to find a good moment for the gift. He didn’t know why but he felt that he couldn’t just hand it to her as if it was something simple, if he did, he was sure she would make him regret it. The moonlight caught the ring and for a brief moment, it sparkled like a gem. “Eternal love,” was there really such a thing?

  Thad slipped the ring back into his coin pouch ad rolled onto his back and continued to stare into the darkness. Love was such a strange word, one that he was not sure he understood. He had asked himself many times what love truly was but he had never found an answer. He had asked himsel
f when he had spent time with Maria, and when he had spent time with Eloen, and now while he was with Brianna. Each one of the women meant something special to him but was that love?

  Aren’t you just overthinking things again? Does it really matter if its love or not? As long as you enjoy being with the person isn’t that enough? Thad tried to think of something to say back but nothing came to mind. The longer he thought about it the more his staff seemed to be right and that annoyed him more than anything. Trying to push the nagging thoughts from his mind Thad closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. He didn’t think sleep would come easy but before he knew it, the sun was once again shining on his face.

  Brianna was still sleeping when Thad finally began to stir. He wanted to return to sleep but the way the sun shined through the window directly into his eyes defeated all attempts to return to his slumber. Thad spent a few moments watching Brianna as she slept before slipping on his clothes and heading down to the common room to break his fast.

  When he arrived in the common room, it was almost bare, with only one other person sitting at one of the tables. Shortly after he sat, a young barmaid rushed over. She was a pretty thing with bright red, hair reminding him of Maria though her eyes were light purple. Her eyes didn’t seem to match her hair giving her an exotic look. Thad couldn’t help but stare, it was as if her eyes were drawing him in. Thad didn’t know how long he stared at her before he shook himself out of his trance. “What?” Thad asked slightly dazed.

  The barmaid blushed lightly, her pale cheeks turning a nice shade of red. “I asked what you would like to eat sir.” She said charmingly with her hands held behind her back as she rocked back and forth slightly.

  “I’m not that picky. Would you please just bring me something that tastes good and isn’t that heavy. My stomach is a bit fragile at the moment.” Thad said, his voice wavering slightly with embarrassment. The barmaid bowed her head though she never took her eyes off him, then turned and headed back to the kitchen. Thad tried his best to tear his eyes off the young woman but it was as if they had a mind of their own. She does resemble the princess a bit, excluding her meek demeanor. “Please don’t start in on me; it’s too early to have to swap insults with you.” Thad more felt than heard the laugh that seemed to issue from his staff. He couldn’t really argue with his staff, it knew his mind just as well as he did, if not better, every night for the past few week, the princess had dominated his dreams. Most times he saw her as he had last seen her; a young child, innocent and brimming with excitement. The other times she looked older and she was worn down with worry, most of all the innocence in her eyes were gone, replaced with a fierce determination. He didn’t know why she appeared in his mind so often as of late, but he was starting to think some part of it had to do with a magical influence. He had tried to check to see if there was a magical flow to his dreams but it was like looking through a sandstorm. It was hazy and undefined but he was sure there were some traces of magical energy in his dreams. The only real question was where it was coming from, him or another person.

  When the barmaid returned she was carrying a large wooden bowl and a plate with a half loaf of bread and an assortment of cheeses. The smell coming from the bowl was tantalizing, making Thad’s mouth water in anticipation. What was in the bowl looked a lot like gruel but it had a slightly different texture, and unlike gruel had a strong meat flavor that Thad couldn’t quite put a finger on. When he was about half way done with his food Thad looked up to notice that the barmaid was still standing by his table. “Do you need something?” Thad asked quietly as a bout of bashfulness overtook him.

  “You’re not from around here are you?” the barmaid asked as she shifted from one foot to the other, giving Thad the feeling that she was abnormally nervous for some reason. Thad was confused over her reactions to him. In truth, he had never spent a lot of time around other humans, except a select few but none of them had felt as if they had been nervous around him. He was sure she was hiding something, so he decided to play along and see if he could find out what she was about.

  “No, I am from the nation of Farlan.” Thad said dismissively as he took another bite but his eyes were locked onto the barmaid searching her for any clue as to why she was acting oddly.

  The barmaid took a seat opposite him lacing her fingers tighter with her thumbs revolving around each other. “Farlan, I heard some of the sailors talk about it. They say it is a land where wealthy women keep men as pets.” The barmaid’s voice was so offhand that Thad knew she had said it thinking it was mere rumor.

  “That’s not too far off the truth. In Farlan only women can inherit, so most men are not viewed in a high light and many become branded slaves.” Thad’s voice was cold with little inflection making the barmaid jump slightly in her seat.

  The barmaid trembled slightly as she raised her hand and lightly brushed her fingers across the double moons tattooed on Thad’s forehead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that those stories were true. I thought that it was just the sailors telling stories.” Her voice was soft and caring making Thad’s stomach tightened in remorse for his harsh words.

  “Having a morning chat are we?” Brianna said from behind Thad startling him.

  The barmaid quickly rose from where she was seated. “I need to return to work. I hope we get the chance to talk again.” The young woman darted off, leaving Thad confused and facing a very unhappy dwarf.

  “What was that about?” Brianna asked her voice as cold as ice.

  “I don’t know, after she brought my food she started asking me questions. I didn’t see a reason not to respond so I answered her.” Thad said slightly confused, not understanding why Brianna was mad.

  Brianna crossed her arms, her icy stare still fixated directly at Thad. When the barmaid returned to take the other two’s order. Brianna’s stare intensified, sending a cold shiver down Thad’s spine. While Thad was unsure why Brianna was mad, he knew that if he turned his eyes toward the barmaid that his life would be in danger. “I think I will go to the docks and check on a ship to Farlan.” Thad said his voice slightly trembling as he looked at Brianna who simply continued to glare at him.

  Once outside the inn Thad let out a heavy sigh. His body felt heavy now that the tension had left his body. Rotating his head slightly Thad took a deep breath. Hoping Brianna would calm before he returned to the inn later, Thad set off in the direction of the pier.

  After asking around it wasn’t hard to find out where the dock masters office was. Thad was soon standing in front of a large two-story building with a large sign depicting three large sails. Large amounts of sailors were gathered in front of the building talking. As soon as he drew close to the entrance, all the eyes seemed to focus on him. Thad knew that he would draw a certain amount of attention no matter where he went due to his left eye, but the feeling he was getting from the sheer amount of eyes on him was unnerving. The feeling didn’t disappear once he was inside instead, it seemed to increase.

  Inside the building looked much like that of an inn, with a large common room designed to serve as a gathering place that seemed to serve both food and drink to the guests. Thad surveyed the large room until he found a large older man sitting idly behind a desk, looking exceedingly bored. As Thad drew near, the man looked up at him his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What do you want boy?”

  “I am looking for a ship that can carry me to Farlan.” Thad replied confidently.

  The man pulled a thick book from under the desk and began to flip through the pages. “Looks like your best chance will be the Rose Runner. It should be coming back into port within the next few days. Write down the number of passengers you wish to take along with you and the inn you’re staying in and I will have a runner notify you of when they arrive. It’s up to the captain if they wish to let you board. I know the captain, for a few silver I can put in a good word for ya boy.”

  Thad wasn’t sure if the man was lying or not but in the end it didn’t matter. He had plenty of gold, and if spendin
g some would help ensure his passage he was more than willing to take the risk. Thad dug into his pouch and pulled out three gold coins that had once belonged to the slain Brotherhood soldiers and tossed them on the desk. “Make sure you put in a really good word.”

  The man looked at the coins sitting on his desk and smiled, his overall demeanor changing instantly. “I will do my best for you young master.”

  CHAPTER XXI

  Thad sat in his room, his hand in the pouch on his side that held the ring he had bought a few days beforehand. He wanted to give the ring to Brianna as soon as possible but she was still acting coldly toward him. Thad might not understand why she was mad but he knew it had something to do with the barmaid. The only thing that came to mind was jealously, though he wasn’t sure why she would be jealous from him simply talking. To be safe he had made sure to stay out of the common room, taking his meals in his room or eating at different places within the town.

  Thad was getting inpatient of waiting for the Rose Runner to come to port. Each day he waited anxiously of news of its arrival. His nerves had been on end since the day before. He felt as if he was being watched by someone but no matter what method he used, he couldn’t detect anyone.

  A knock at the door startled Thad making his heart race. Quickly he jumped to his feet and rushed to open the door. A young boy no more than thirteen stood on the other side. As soon as the door was open, the young boy tried to enter the room but his foot hit the invisible shield that protected the threshold. “Can I help you?” Thad asked dismissing the confused look on the boy’s face.

  “Borah told me to come down ‘ere and tell ya the Rose Runner is coming inta port now.” The boy said smiling and holding out his hand.