As they neared the stone slab, another loud grinding sounded followed. The stone sank slowly into the ground. Once it settled and the grinding stopped, they crossed through into the short tunnel of the gatehouse. Aaron glanced up and saw several guards peering down at them through slats and grates set into the bricks above them. He knew enough about cities to know those were the last line of defense should the gate be breached, a place for defenders to pour oil or rain down arrows. Aaron was thankful they were welcome visitors when he thought of what it would be like to try and weave through during a siege. Once the quintet was through, they were greeted by another guard that walked with perfect posture and his chin slightly raised allowing him look down his nose at those around him.
Upon seeing him, Aaron heard Mila mumble under her breath: “Damn.”
The guard’s shoulders and hands were armored by plate that was edged with gold inlay. His face bore a scar that ran from one ear down to his throat on the other side. He also wore the most self-assured smile Aaron had ever seen.
“Greetings, Dragon Guards,” the man said. “What brings you to Grey Gate on this cold autumn evening?”
Mila’s replay carried no small amount of disdain: “Hello, Flint . . . I see that you’re still in good health.”
He narrowed his eyes and his smile faded slightly. “Yes, I’m rather stubborn when it comes to my health,” he said. “It takes a lot to put me down. So tell me, what can we do for you?”
Claudia replied before Mila could. “We’re just passing through. Need a place to rest.”
He nodded and motioned to their hands. “Of course,” he said. “As you know, my job requires me to ask you to show me your bands.”
Claudia, Mila, and Kenneth lifted their hands and removed their gloves to show him the steel bands around their wrists.
The guard never even glanced at their wrists. He kept his eyes firmly on Daniel and Aaron. “What about them?”
“They are trainees for the order,” Claudia said.
“Are they Dragon Guards as well?” Flint grinned.
Claudia’s tone had a bite of annoyance to it. “As I said, they are trainees.”
“Have they gone through your ceremony or whatever it is you people like to call it? They wear no bands as far as I can tell.”
Claudia narrowed her eyes. “They will receive their bands when their training is complete. Is that all, captain?”
The guard looked them over one more time before motioning for a young man in ragged clothing. “He’ll take your horses to get them fed, watered, and brushed,” the guard said. He pointed down the street behind him as they dismounted. “The closest inn is on Service Level. Take the seventh underpass on the right, and then go straight until you reach the stairs. The inn is down the right passage at the top.”
Claudia handed the boy her reins, as did the others. He took their horses to one side of the gate where the stables sat snugly against the wall.
Just before they started walking, Mila brushed past Flint and motioned to his face. “Nice scar, captain.”
He smirked. “Thank you. Makes me look rather dashing, doesn’t it?”
“Not the word I’d use.”
Before Mila could say more, Claudia gripped her by the shoulders and the group started walking at a brisk pace. Aaron glanced back to see the stone slab slowly rise and close the gate behind them while Flint continued to stare them down. When it settled in place, Aaron had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He suddenly wanted to leave the city as soon as possible.
“Well, that wasn’t what I expected,” Daniel whispered.
Mila elbowed him hard enough to make him stumble. “No talking,” she said.
Aaron looked around him. From here, it certainly didn’t feel like a city. The pass itself narrowed at its middle before widening back out toward the other gate a great distance away, making him feel trapped in a chute like an animal. He couldn’t imagine what it was like inside the tunnels. For that matter, he wondered how expansive they had to be to claim this as a city. The walls of the pass were lined with tunnels set several dozen feet apart, with decorative archways that led into the mountains. He attempted to count them but gave up when he passed twenty on each side.
Now that they were within the pass itself, the pathways and carved homes on the cliff wall seemed less inviting. Just above head level were several stonework bridges that spanned the width of the pass to the other side, allowing citizens to cross from one wall to the other. In spite of all this, it still seemed far too small to be called a city.
They made their way past the first six tunnels and turned into the seventh. As soon as they stepped inside, Aaron felt claustrophobic. The tunnel was lit with hanging braziers that cast only a small amount of light and gave brief pockets of warmth. The walls were bare and rough, made of cracked stone with wooden support beams every few feet that were equally cracked and rough. Doors and small windows lit with candles were set in the walls at awkward intervals. Some were left open. Aaron peered inside as they passed to find that most were what he assumed were homes, though each was made up of only a single room. Some had nothing in them except for a candle on the floor. They passed several people in the tunnel. All of them looked tired and somber as they shuffled along. Some were simply slumped against the wall, their heads between their knees.
The farther they went, the worse it got. Doors now either hung awkwardly on their hinges or were absent entirely. There was also a growing smell of mildew and rot, among other things. They finally came upon the stairs the guard had mentioned and started up, the only sounds being the echo of their footsteps and the occasional cough or moan of discomfort behind them. The Service Level was such a drastic change from what they’d seen moments before that Aaron wondered if they were in the same place.
The walls and ceiling here were covered with light red clay. Ornate braziers hung from the ceiling in place of the plain and shoddy ones hanging below. The braziers were also placed much more frequently, giving the tunnel a far warmer color and feel. The tunnel itself was wider than the previous and every door was accompanied by a sign hanging either above or next to it indicating the purpose of the establishment inside. There were people everywhere moving between the doors or simply standing and happily conversing with one another.
Aaron whistled. “Well,” he said, “now it feels like a city.”
The tunnel stretched as far as he could see, with branch-offs that people poured out of and into, just like the streets of Dalisia. It took his breath away simply thinking about the time it must have taken to carve it all out of the rock.
Claudia nodded at the crowds. “Service Level,” she said. “Everything from a barber to a mercenary can be found here. It’s where most of the residents spend their days.”
Aaron read the signs around them as they walked past. There really was everything here, from scribes and butchers to things less . . . dignified, to say the least. They turned to the right. Just a short way down the street was an open double door with a sign reading Prospector’s Rest. They stepped through and Aaron scanned the main room of the inn. The walls were the same red clay, with paintings hung haphazardly here and there, all of which were crooked. A fireplace sat at the far side of the room and every seat was filled with patrons. Waiters and waitresses ran frantically around the great room with trays of food and mugs. People laughed and shouted over one another. Being underground, the noise was amplified. Aaron already felt his head beginning to pound.
They approached the bar. Kenneth gingerly pushed aside a man who had fallen asleep with his head on the counter and an empty mug in his hand. The bartender was a tall and portly man who seemed to struggle to lean over the counter and get close enough to speak with Kenneth. After a few words, Kenneth handed him a handful of silver and bronze marks. The bartender nodded and motioned to a young girl with blonde hair. He pointed toward a door near the fireplace and raised five fing
ers. She nodded and motioned for the group to follow her through the maze of tables and customers. They followed her through the door into a hall with doorways on both sides.
The girl led them to the end and pointed to the doors on either side of her. “These two are yours, three beds on the right, two on the left. If you need anything else you know where to find us.” She smiled and fished out two keys from her pocket, she checked the small wooden tags hanging from them, nodded and passed them to Kenneth before heading back to the main room.
They all entered the room on the right and closed the door behind them. The room was barely able to fit the three beds it had, none of which looked large enough for Kenneth. Aside from the beds, the only other furnishing was a small table with an oil lantern and a short dresser missing one of its three drawers.
Aaron sat on one of the small beds. “Well,” he said, “This is cozy, isn’t it?”
“Morning can’t come soon enough,” scoffed Kenneth.
Claudia ran her fingers over the band hidden beneath her glove. “I want us at that gate and ready to leave at first light, no later.”
Mila tapped her foot. “We need to set a watch on the doors tonight,” she said.
Daniel looked at her curiously. “What for?”
“Let’s just say Flint is . . . less than trustworthy. He’s with some people that do not take kindly to Dragon Guards.”
Kenneth nodded and opened the door back into the hall. “Well, since we’re here, it’ll be nice to have a proper meal. A drink wouldn’t hurt either. Does anyone care to join me?”
“I’ll join you in a moment.” Claudia said.
Kenneth looked to Aaron and Daniel with a raised eyebrow. “Well, lads?” he said. “Hungry?”
Daniel shook his head. “No thanks.”
Mila brushed past them and into the hall. “I’m going to take a walk.”
Claudia gripped Mila by the arm and looked her in the eye. “Don’t do anything foolish,” she said. “Let him be. He’ll be dealt with eventually.”
Mila nodded, and then continued out the door. Aaron watched her go with a raised eyebrow as Kenneth followed and shut the door behind him, leaving Claudia with Aaron and Daniel.
“They don’t like opening those gates, do they?” Aaron said the moment the latch of the door clicked shut.
“They didn’t seem to like the two of us,” Daniel said. He sat on the bed across from Aaron. It creaked under his weight.
Claudia shrugged. “The people here tend to not like anyone.”
“Why are people here so untrusting?” Daniel asked.
She started removing her armor as she spoke. “Well, it was a border gate before the war between Edaren and Prect. After Dalisia conquered Dawnstone, it became a place for refugees of the war to wait for their homes to be rebuilt. But that never happened, so they started mining the mountain for ore and gems to make the marks needed to buy back their lives. It just kept growing from there until it became Grey Gate.”
“Is the whole city like Service Level?” Daniel shifted on the bed causing it to groan again.
“More or less. The levels get nicer the higher up you go.”
“How many are there?”
“There are four on each side of the pass. First is Slum Level and we’re on Service now. Above us is Market Level, then last is the city’s storage centers.”
“What about the other side?” Daniel asked. “Is it the same?”
“First is the slum, same as this side. Above that is Common Level, followed by Noble and then Military Level at the top. The outside of each, which you could see from the pass, is mostly housing for the rich. They think they own the right to fresh air.” Claudia sighed and turned to the door. “Well, I need a drink . . . or several.”
Daniel watched her close the door behind. “Well,” he said, “they don’t seem very happy to be here either.”
Aaron shrugged. “Grey Gate has never been very welcoming. So I don’t really blame them.”
Daniel shook his head. “No kidding. That guard sounded almost angry they opened the gate for us.”
“He probably was. They normally charge a toll to open the gates but they can’t force Dragon Guards to pay.”
Daniel tilted his head to one side. “Really? Why not?”
“It’s part of Edaren law. Cities aren’t allowed to deny passage to any member of the Dragon Guard unless they’ve committed a crime of some sort. It’s a really old law that the council doesn’t actually want around anymore. They’ve been trying to get it abolished, but for that to happen it needs a unanimous vote in the council. Forge’s councilman manages to keep it around.”
“Why would Forge side with the Dragon Guard on that?” Daniel asked.
“Vigil buys a lot of ore from the mines. He wants to keep it that way, so he stays on the commander’s good side by keeping the law in place.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow at the explanation. “You sure know a lot about Edaren law.”
Aaron felt his cheeks burn and avoided eye contact. “Uh, comes with living in Dalisia, I guess.”
Chapter Nine
23th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.
Daniel lay on the stiff bed, tossing and turning for nearly an hour. His sense of time told him it was well after dark, but having no visual reference was disorienting. The fact that Kenneth snored endlessly didn’t help either. They hadn’t even been in Grey Gate for a full day and he already disliked the city. While the upper levels were visually appealing, it all had a sense of confinement, like no one here really had a choice whether or not they stayed. Slum Level was the worst. He dreaded having to walk through it again to leave. Everyone on that level seemed broken, like they had lost their will to live and were simply waiting for death. He hoped maybe a walk would help him sleep so he stood, dressed, and went into the main room of the inn.
The first thing Daniel noticed when he exited the hallway was the music. A young man played a lighthearted tune on a flute, accompanied by a rapid fiddle played by a young woman who looked at her partner with doe-eyed admiration as they played. Several of the patrons tapped their feet and clapped along with the tune, while a few were up and dancing in front of the hearth. Daniel watched them from the door for a moment, mesmerized by the sounds, before he noticed Mila sitting at the far corner of the bar, a wall at her back and side. For a moment he considered leaving her alone, but she had already noticed him and gestured slightly with her head to the seat next to her. He could tell she was already a bit drunk. Feeling awkward, he crossed the room to take the seat beside her.
“What are you up for?” she said, resting her head in her hand and staring at him.
“Couldn’t sleep.” He eyed her nearly empty mug, which sparked a question. “Why don’t Kenneth and Claudia know that you drink? Seems a little odd to hide it from them, doesn’t it?”
She chuckled. “Because I’m a ranger,” she said. “Secrets are in my nature.” She motioned to the bartender to bring her another drink. “And because the things I’m trying to forget were done in secret. Seemed rather fitting when I took up the habit.”
“What are you talking about?”
She wagged a finger in his face and laughed. “Now if I told you that, it would be breaking the rules.” She closed her eyes and bobbed her head along to the music before stopping suddenly and looking at the empty mug in front of her. “You know . . . in spite of everything I’ve done, and what I probably will do, I wouldn’t change any of it. If I were to die tomorrow it would be with no regrets.”
“Kind of contradicting the whole drinking-to-forget part, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “I absolutely am, but those things I did are what made me, me. If I hadn’t done them, then I would be someone else, and that other person might not have helped you at the river. That other person might not drink like a horse,” the bartender placed anoth
er mug in front of Mila. She took a long draw before continuing. “and if that person didn’t drink, what fun would they be?” She laid her head in her hand again and stared at him. “What about you? Who are you?”
The question, oddly enough, gave him pause. He wasn’t sure how to answer it. “I don’t know yet.”
She laughed. “Yet he says! Now that is a good answer!” She took another drink before slamming it back on the counter. “You know, there is something about you I like. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like it.”
He shrugged awkwardly under her gaze and she smiled before draining her mug again and turning around on the stool to stand and start for the hall leading to their rooms.
She stopped and waved for him to follow. “We better get some sleep, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.”
“Thank you for your cooperation,” the guard captain said. He signaled to the men atop the wall to begin lowering the stone gate.
The man in line ahead of Daniel sneered at the captain. “You’re all a bunch of thieves!” he said as he peered down from atop his wagon.
The captain looked up from his papers and raised his hand. The gate, midway down, stopped moving. “I do believe the price has just changed,” the captain said. “What unfortunate timing for you.” He nodded toward the back of the wagon.
Two guards that had been on the sidelines ran forward to remove another wooden crate and a linen sack from the back and carried them into a door set in the wall. The trader stared in furious disbelief as more of his livelihood was stolen from him. He struggled to speak for a moment before half spitting his words at the captain. “I’m going report you to the Council. What you’re doing cannot be legal!”
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