Into the Wastelands: Book Four of the Restoration Series

by Williams, Christopher

  Taking a deep breath, Flare stood to his feet. Immediately he had to resist the urge to be sick. He felt hot and he was covered in sweat, but at the same time, he was shivering.

  Flare stumbled forward and reached the tree. It was actually much easier to climb up on the trunk this time, as the tree was much lower than before.

  The tree was bobbing in the water and the motion didn’t help his nausea. He slid along the tree trunk until he came to a spot where several branches formed a little nook. He said a silent prayer that the tree wouldn’t roll in the water.

  Taking another deep breath, Flare directed his spirit to sever the last bunch of roots. With a sudden rush, the tree rushed out into the current.

  Flare smiled for one moment at his success and then he blacked out from the pain that was surging through his head.

  Chapter 11

  Heather looked out over the bow of the ship as it cut through the waves of Emerald Lake. For all their worry about having to fight the sailors, things had gone smoothly.

  From Alandell Lake, they sailed north in the Adelion River until they reached Victory Lake. They spent one day docked at a small seaport at the entrance to the lake and Kappie had done his best bit of bartering. They sailed from the port with several casks of salted beef and bushels of dried fruits. She wasn’t sure how much of a market there was for these goods up north, but she was extremely pleased to have them along. In addition to the foodstuffs, he also traded for pots, knives, clothes, and especially boots.

  With favorable winds at their backs, they seemed to race across Victory Lake. In only three days they traversed its entire length and entered the Mellis River. This part of the trip was slower and trickier. The river here was shallower and they had to go slower and use the oars more often. The river wasn’t normally able to handle a ship like The Willing Woman, but melting snows in the mountains had raised the water lever considerably.

  Navigating in the river required the use of the oars, and with the exception of the women, everyone took a turn. Well, Dagan was not required to. Not because he was a sorcerer, but because of his age. Agminion took his turns without a word of complaint.

  After travelling northeast for several days, the river took a sharp turn to the north. The surrounding country got wilder and fewer people and settlements were seen. After only spending three days on Victory Lake, it took them two and a half weeks to travel the Mellis River. During those weeks, the trip turned from relaxing to monotonous and boring. Just when she thought she might go mad, the ship emerged from the river and slid into Emerald Lake.

  There was a settlement on the southernmost part of the lake, but they passed it by and sailed north. This lake was the most remote part of their journey and after that first settlement; they saw no more until they reached the northern tip of the lake.

  The shore was heavily forested, and the small village blended in well with the trees. Every building was made of logs and even the village walls consisted of rough cut trees. The thoroughfares were muddy, owing to the heavy rains of the area. It was nearly sundown as they neared the village and smoke rolled from every chimney.

  There were only two small docks for boats, and The Willing Woman was almost too big to fit. The sailors skillfully guided the ship in and soon had her tied up.

  Ignoring the lateness of the day, every inhabitant for miles hurried to the docks to greet the newcomer. Heather got the feeling that ships didn’t bother coming here often.

  Kappie was all smiles as he leaned against the railing with his arms outstretched. “My friends. Thank you for such a warm welcome,” he shouted over the hubbub of the assembled throngs, “but I think it’s too late to trade today.” This caused some good natured booing from the crowd, but that only made Kappie’s smile broaden. “Now. Now. We’ll still be here in the morning and we’ll be most eager to trade.”

  There was some grumbling but not much and the crowd gradually dispersed.

  Heather turned and located Aaron, Atock, and Enton. They were standing along the railing watching the townsfolk leaving. She crossed the short distance and joined them. “I think we should find the town’s pub.”

  All three men looked up with joy on their faces and Heather sighed deeply. Men! “I don’t want you getting drunk, but some information on what we can expect to the north would be nice.”

  The grins slipped momentarily, but they came back fast enough and that caused Heather to frown. “I don’t care if you indulge some; just keep your wits about you.”

  “Of course,” Atock answered, “and we’ll be sure to find out what awaits us to the north.”

  “Probably should also ask about the east and west, as well,” Aaron added after a moment. All eyes shifted to him and he shrugged. “If anybody is trying to follow us, might as well make it as difficult as possible.”

  Heather grimaced. Aaron was correct of course. “You’re right. I should have thought of that.” She shook her head. She didn’t even have exhaustion to blame it on. The trip had been relaxing and had allowed them time to rest and heal.

  She started to leave, but stopped and turned back. She waggled her finger at the three men, “No fighting.” She almost laughed at the three innocent and hurt looks that came across the Guardians’ faces.

  The sun was just setting as the three Guardians found the small pub. Like every other building in the small town, it was made from logs and was a single story building. Three chimneys rose from different corners of the structure and smoke poured forth from each of them. It wasn’t cold, but the pub also served food and it was dinner time.

  A long narrow porch ran along the front of the building and several tables and chairs were scattered around. Enton had to stoop to get in through the low door and the inside was dark and smoky.

  At their entrance, the familiar sounds of the pub quieted momentarily and the only thing they could hear was the crackling of the fires. After just a moment, there was a cheer and several rough looking local women came over to lead the three newcomers to a table.

  The inn was small to their standards, but it still was one of the largest buildings in the town. Most of the entire building was one large open room. The floor was covered in tables and chairs. Here and there, stout logs had been used as pillars to support the roof. On the far side of the room was a long bar. Numerous casks and bottles were lined up behind the bar against the wall. There appeared to be a smaller room, for private parties, just off to the right of the entrance. The kitchen and storerooms were also to the right, just beyond the private dining room.

  The tavern owner was an older man, who was starting to get fat around the middle. He hurried over and introduced himself as William and then hurried away to get them their first round of drinks, on him as it turned out.

  “Why would he give us our drinks for free?” Enton asked, surprised.

  “Probably because half the town followed us in,” Atock answered. He pointed over his shoulder and Enton noticed the people still flooding in through the door. “We’re newcomers and they probably don’t see many.”

  William came back carrying a tray with three ales. He was only there a moment and then he was gone again, this time to get the men something to eat.

  Atock watched him leave. There was something about this William. He had the look of a man who could handle himself. Atock shrugged. Undoubtedly, the owner doubled as the doorman as well. Looking around at the rough nature of the crowd, he could easily imagine that this place saw a fair number of fights and brawls.

  Another fat old man stopped in front of their table, but this one didn’t look dangerous in the least. He just looked fat and soft. “Greetings. My name is Eugene, and I’m the mayor of Emtown.” There was a slight slur to his words and it made it more difficult to understand him.

  The Mayor was well past his prime and his hair was white, at least the little bits of hair that still remained around his ears. There were several days of beard growing on his face and his grey shirt was covered with several food stains. His effect was not
overly positive.

  Enton opened his mouth to speak and the Gods only knew what he was about to say, but luckily Aaron spoke first. “Mayor Eugene, let me be the first to thank you for your town’s hospitality. The town and the area are both very beautiful and rustic.”

  The old Mayor swelled with pride, which only emphasized the man’s soiled clothing. “Not at all. We so seldom have guests and the whole town is excited about the trade goods you have in that ship of yours. I can only imagine that the docks will be swamped with trading tomorrow.” He stopped speaking and regarded Aaron, who he had apparently picked out as the leader.

  Aaron was at a little bit of a loss as to what to say. The Mayor seemed to be waiting for something, but Aaron didn’t have the first clue as to what it might be. He might not know what the Mayor wanted to hear, but he did know how to be courteous. “Won’t you join us? My name is Aaron by the way.”

  The smile slipped a little from Eugene’s face, but just for a moment. He turned to look for a chair, but there wasn’t any available to be found.

  “Here,” Atock said, standing, “please take mine.” He didn’t wait for an answer but moved off into the crowd, heading to the long bar on the far side of the room.

  Eugene sat down on the old chair and it creaked ominously. His eyes sought out Aaron and he regarded the Guardian without speaking.

  Feeling that the Mayor was still waiting on something, Aaron picked up his ale and drank heartily. It was really a stalling tactic, but with surprise he realized that the ale was quite good, much better than he had anticipated.

  Eugene leaned in close and spoke softly. “I run the small general store here and I was hoping that I might get special considerations on the trade goods.”

  Setting his face down, Aaron kept his face neutral. At least he knew what the old man wanted. “Well, I’m not the Captain….”

  “Oh, of course not,” Eugene said quickly, interrupting Aaron. “But I’m sure you could put in a good word for me with your boss.”

  Aaron smiled, “I’m not a sailor. I’m a passenger.”

  Eugene blinked and pulled his hand away. “A passenger?” he repeated.

  Nodding, Aaron leaned in close and spoke quietly. He was quite sure that whatever he told this man would be all over town by morning, but this was a game and he had a part to play. “Yes. I work for Lord Montgomery,” he paused briefly. “Excuse me, but you won’t repeat this, will you?” He did his best to look worried, but it was all an act. As far as he knew, there wasn’t any such Lord Montgomery and Aaron really didn’t care if there was one.

  A smile blossomed on Eugene’s face and he shook his head vigorously. “Wouldn’t think of repeating it.”

  “Good,” Aaron said, looking relieved and smiling. “As I was saying, I work for Lord Montgomery. He’s a minor noble from Southern Aramonia and he fancies himself a hunter. He has, in fact, hunted most of the wildlife around Alandell Lake, but he is growing bored and is looking for a challenge.”

  “A challenge, you say,” Eugene said slowly. The smile was long gone from his face and now he just looked confused.

  “Yes,” Aaron answered nodding. “He’s looking for something different, something dangerous.”

  Eugene shook his head, “So why are you here?”

  Aaron glanced around as if to make sure no one was listening. He really didn’t care if anyone heard or not. “I’m scouting the area, checking to see if there might be some hunting near here that might interest my Lord.”

  The words finally registered and Eugene’s eyes opened wide in astonishment. “You mean that a lord might be coming here?” In his surprise, Eugene spoke quite a bit louder than he meant to, and several heads turned in their direction.

  Aaron didn’t care but he made a show of waving Eugene down. “Not so loud. Remember you said you would keep this to yourself.”

  Eugene nodded and looked around sheepishly. “Sorry. I just never thought that we might entertain a lord.” He brightened suddenly, “Say, he’ll need to buy a bunch of things and he’ll probably have a whole bunch of retainers.”

  Nodding, Aaron decided it was time to throw ice water on the Mayor’s dreams of riches. “If he decides to come here, that is.”

  The words brought Eugene back to the moment. “What? I thought you said he was definitely coming here.”

  “No. What I said is that I am looking for somewhere for him to hunt. It can’t just be anywhere, though. There has to be something to get him interested.” He paused briefly and then casually added, “So what can you tell me of the surrounding area.”

  “The area?” Eugene repeated, considering, “not much, I’m afraid. I don’t get out of the town much.”

  Aaron’s mood sank. He had done a lot of lying and he desperately wanted more than that. “Well, do you know anyone who could describe the area to me?”

  Brightening immediately, Eugene nodded. “I know just the man. Ol’ Clem travels far and wide. His duty and all.”

  “Duty?” Aaron asked. He was intrigued so far.

  “Yeah, Clem is the constable. He lives here in Emtown, but he travels every direction but south.” Eugene slapped Aaron on the back, “It’d be fairly hard for him to travel south, unless he took a boat.” The old man laughed like he just said the funniest thing ever.

  Aaron smiled and tried to look amused. “Does Clem stay busy as the constable?”

  “Oh, Gods yes! Emtown is constantly being visited by hunters, vagrants, and sometimes even the miners come down from the mountains. Every week or so, some ornery hunter will stab some other ornery hunter over a woman, or a drink, or just because. Then Clem steps in and does his duty. He also travels to the mines, although they normally handle their own problems. He also visits four or five small villages between here and the Silver River.”

  Aaron was liking this more and more. “Is Clem currently in town?”

  Eugene grinned and leaned close, “He sure is. Want to meet him?”

  The first thought that surged into Aaron’s mind was trap, but he pushed it away. It was true that the Guardians had seen more than their share of betrayal and traps, but that wasn’t any reason to be paranoid. Careful, maybe, but not paranoid. He raised his glass to his lips and drained the last of the ale, “I would very much like to meet this Clem of yours.”

  Eugene and Aaron rose from the table and Enton stood to follow. Several people in the crowd called out for them to stay and Aaron nodded to where Atock stood in the middle of a crowd of people near the bar. “Wait with Atock and I’ll return shortly.”

  Enton’s face darkened and for just a moment Aaron feared the big man would refuse, but instead he took a deep breath and nodded.

  A light mist was falling as Eugene led Aaron through the main part of town. There wasn’t much, although it was probably the largest town for nearly a thousand miles. The main thoroughfares were little more than mud and the two men squashed along in the muck.

  In some walled towns, buildings were practically being built on top of one another, but not here. Even though the town was walled, it felt roomy. The walls had been built with enough space for the houses and buildings to have reasonable yards.

  All the buildings and houses were simple one story buildings made from logs. Some were nice and had porches, like the pub had, but others looked like the first decent puff of wind would blow them over.

  Aaron considered making a joke about the poorly built shacks, but thought better of it. Eugene was the mayor of this hovel after all, and any jokes might offend him. Besides, one of those shacks might be his.

  They walked south from the pub and turned west just short of the docks. Several lanes of mud over, they stopped in front of the worst looking shack Aaron had seen yet. It looked like it had been made with wood that no one else wanted and the cracks between the logs were not even filled in. Light shone through the cracks and smoke flowed from the chimney. Well, in truth the smoke flowed from the chimney and a good ten to twenty gaps in the roof, it gave the shack the appear
ance of being on fire.

  Eugene stopped just short of the door. “Clem? Are you in there? It’s me, Eugene.”

  “No need to shout,” a voice said from just behind them. It nearly caused Aaron to jump out of his skin.

  They both turned to see a hulking outline of a man. It was hard to make out any features in the poor light, but the man was tall and broad. His hands were full with wood for the fire.

  Eugene put his hand to his heart, “You nearly scared the life out of me.”

  There was a soft chuckle from the hulking shadow. “Sorry, but you did come looking for me.” Clem moved past the two men and stopped at the rickety door. “Well, come on inside and at least get out of the rain.”

  Clem kicked the door open and in the light from the fire, Aaron got his first good look at the man’s features. He was tall, not Enton tall, but over six feet. He was broad and muscled. His hair was long and black with just the first touches of gray at the temples. His beard was also just going gray, but it was cut short. He wore deerskin clothes and he had a long knife strapped to his waist.

  Aaron stooped to get through the door and then straightened up, bumping his head on a support rafter.

  Clem dropped his firewood and turned back to his guests. “How can I be of service?”

  Eugene waved his hand in Aaron’s direction, “This young man is seeking information on the countryside.”

  Clem looked surprised. “Are you looking for something in particular?” he asked motioning towards a small bench. Eugene sat down, but Aaron remained standing.

  Aaron quickly began telling the same story that he had told to Eugene. All the while Clem watched him. There was something in the man’s gaze, it was like he was weighing and measuring every word that came out of Aaron’s mouth.

  It didn’t take long for Aaron to finish his story and he was relieved when it was done. The intensity of Clem’s gaze began to make him feel nervous. The constable was much smarter than the mayor and Aaron hoped he had kept the story straight.