It wasn’t long before Dannurn stopped infront of a modest home that looked like it had been recently constructed by a very skilled carpenter. The walls were made of large stones that had been shaped so that they fit together perfectly. There was plaster coating the walls to keep the weather and insects out and keep the warmth in. Each wall had a small rectangular window in it that let in plenty of sunlight but was too narrow for a person to climb through. There was a cellar, and judging by the chimney that rose up on the side a very nice fireplace. The home was only one story, but as far as Tartum was concerned, it was perfect. It was as if this house had been specifically built with him in mind. Tartum saw Dannurn looking at him as he was admiring the house.
Smiling, Dannurn motioned towards the home, “Welcome home, Tartum. I hope you find it to your liking. I’ll have you know I built this house myself!” he said sheepishly. Tartum gave him a doubtful look which seemed to make him uncomfortable. “Well…maybe a few of the others helped out. The man that we built it for was a good friend of mine…he came from the city to open up a tavern, spent most of his money gathering up the materials to build this home. He had a lovely wife and two beautiful little girls…” he said under his breath. Tartum saw tears form in Dannurn’s eyes. “He was with me when we tried to force the Boggs to leave town. Kinton, the father and leader of the Bogg family, hit him in the head so hard with a club that his head burst. A few days later I found his wife at my doorstep with the key to their home in her hand. She threw it at me and they left town that very night.” Tears fell from Dannurn’s eyes, unchecked; Tartum respectfully remained silent. He could see the man felt guilty about his friend’s death, but the way Tartum saw it, he had known the risks when he had thrown his lot in with the group that went after the Boggs to evict them. It was his own fault he lost his life, and there was no blame to be placed at Dannurn’s feet. He knew all this, and he also knew telling him as much would do nothing to ease his guilt. Tartum decided to leave the mayor to his thoughts and walked towards the front door. He was tired and had little patience for the man’s grieving.
Tartum unlocked the front door with the key Dannurn had given him. Pushing open the door it creaked loudly; Buddy walked inside and immediately began sniffing around. Tartum took stock of the home and found it to be much better than he had hoped. The quality of the handiwork that was evident on the exterior of the house had not stopped there. The interior was just as well made and many of the furnishings were still in place. There was a long oak table in the middle of the front room that had been laquered and polished into a fine glossy finish. The five wooden chairs around the table were made with the same care and skill the table had recieved and had a thick layer of padding tailored into them. They didnt look as comfortable as his old study chair had been back in Saroth, but for the town of Yucoke, Tartum believed they were the epitome of luxury.
The kitchen was in the far corner of the house and walled off. There was a doorless entryway that led into it. There was a wood burning stove, some cabinents to hold cooking supplies, and a refuse container for scraps and other garbage that he accumulated while cooking his meals. A small basin had been built into the wall that had a drain in the bottom of it. Tartum saw that a pipe lead from the drain to the wall that emptied the basin’s contents into the streets outside. Using the stopper that hung from a hook above the basin, Tartum clogged the drain. Opening himself to the magic he placed his finger on the rim of the basin.
“Agua Basura.” he commanded, and water began to flow from his finger into the basin. Once it was about half full, Tartum removed his finger from the rim and the flow of water stopped immediately. Plunging his hand into the water, Tartum removed the stopper and watched as the water flowed down the drain. With his enhanced senses, he clearly heard the water hitting the ground outside his home. With the basin empty once again Tartum smiled and replaced the stopper. Never in his life had he been the owner of such luxury. Now that he was, he wondered how he had ever gotten along without it.
Exiting the kitchen, Tartum looked around the rest of the house. A narrow door in the corner of the main room led to a small bathroom. Upon inspection, Tartum saw the sewage fell into a tunnel that had been dug underground that led away from the house. All this meant to him was that he would never have to empty another chamber pot for as long as he stayed here. There was an oil burning lantern sitting on a small shelf that lit the room up adequately enough to ensure no accidents occurred. With a nod of approval, Tartum left the lavatory and continued to his inspection of his new home.
The last room of the house quickly became his favorite. There was a large brick fireplace set into the wall that had etchings of dragons carved into the individual bricks. They were all in different poses, made to look as if they were breathing fire into the center of the fireplace. Tartum thought it was very clever and was very pleased to see it was yet another feature of his house. Dannurn had apparently gotten himself under control and was now kneeling down, starting a small fire inside the hearth. Within moments, he had the fire going Tartum watched the flames dance along the wood as it pleasantly warmed the room. A small shaggy red carpet lay on the ground; Buddy walked over to it and after giving it a quick sniff, he laid down upon it and closed his eyes.
There was a large wooden desk against the wall of the room furthest from the fireplace that looked like the perfect spot for Tartum to store his spell books and scrolls. There were writing utensils, as well as a few stacks of paper, neatly arranged on its surface. The matching chair that had been pushed into the desk was nowhere near as plush as the one he had lost when the guild had been raided, but Tartum believed it would be comfortable enough judging by the amount of padding and sturdiness of its construction. Shelves encompassed the entire room which Tartum immediately knew he would use to hold his various spell components and treasures he acquired during his stay. All in all, this had been the best reward for completing a mission he had ever received.
Dannurn was sitting on the floor next to Buddy and was gently petting him. The combination of the heat from the fire and Dannurn’s petting had put him fast asleep. Seeing his companion napping so soundly reminded Tartum just how exhausted he was. Releasing his hold on the magic, he felt the weakness take him, and he leaned heavily on his staff. The shifting of his weight caused the floorboards beneath to creak in protest. The sound caught Dannurn’s attention. Tartum saw an embarrassed look form on his face as he stood up.
“I’m sorry, Tartum, you must be exhausted. Saving my daughter and then the entire town would sap the strength of any man; I’ll leave you to rest.” he said; as he began to make his way towards the door, a thought seemed to occur to him and he stopped. “Later this afternoon, I’ll send Betty to bring you some food if that’s acceptable to you.” he said. Tartum just nodded and smiled at his offer. Right now all he wanted to do was find his bed and get some rest. Food was the last thing on his mind.
Seeing he had outstayed his welcome, Dannurn hurried towards the door. As he was walking out he stopped and looked at Tartum. Tartum’s patience was at an end, and he was about to tell the man to leave, when he saw the intense look of gratitude in his eyes. The look gave him pause, and he stood silently to see what the man had to say.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me and my town. You’ve single handedly saved everything I hold most dear in this world. I don’t know if you did it because you’re a good man or if you’re just an opportunist…and I don’t care. You’re a great man in my eyes, Tartum, and if there’s ever anything you need do not hesitate to ask.” he said. His voice was full of sincerity that caused a lump to form in Tartum’s throat. Swallowing hard, Tartum took a moment to regain his composure.
“Thank you, Dannurn. I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer if the need arises.” was all he could think to say. He wasn’t sure if it was due to his exhaustion or the way he had spoken to him, but Dannurn’s words had touched Tartum deeply, and he began feeling very proud
for helping him.
Shaking his hand one last time, Dannurn smiled, “Welcome home, Tartum, I hope you stay with us for a long, long time.” With his final farewell, Dannurn left, and Tartum locked the door behind him.
Turning around, he saw a small staircase that led up to a loft about ten feet above the floor of the room that held his new kitchen table. Climbing the stairs, he saw the most inviting bed he had ever seen in his life. There were no sheets or blankets on the mattress, but none the less, it looked like a cloud of comfort to his weary eyes. Dropping his burdens on the floor, Tartum pulled out his old blanket and flopped onto the bed. The mattress was as soft and comfortable as it looked, and it wasn’t long before Tartum was snoring soundly in his new home.
CHAPTER 34
It was well into the afternoon when Tartum finally rose from bed. Looking around, he saw that it hadn’t been a dream. Smiling, he pulled himself out of bed and began to dress. Once completed, Tartum reattached his spell components to his belt and slung his staff on his back. Picking up his packs, he headed to the room with the fireplace and began arranging his possessions along the shelves that lined the walls. Unpacking didn’t take very long; before he knew it both of his packs were empty, and he found himself standing in the middle of the room looking at his possessions that were now displayed along the walls of the room. The room was larger than his old room back at the thieves guild. His possessions looked meager arranged as they were on the shelves of this one. His extra spell components took up the most space, but in comparison to the empty space still left in the room, they might have amounted to dust. His containers of gems and the remaining dragon tankards were the most impressive items on the shelves, yet they did nothing to diminish the vacant feel of the room. Sighing, Tartum walked to his desk to place his spell books inside. He lovingly ran his hand down each one as he reverently removed them from his pack and placed them into the drawers.
The only items he had left were his scroll cases, only one of which actually held a scroll. He stacked them in the corner between the desk and the wall. Pulling out the chair from his desk, Tartum sat down and looked around the room. He was pleased to discover that the chair was much more comfortable than he had originally thought it would be, but even the quality of the chair did little to sooth the inadequacy he felt when he saw the quantity of treasure in the room.
Buddy had been awoken while he was arranging his items along the walls, and now he trotted over to Tartum from his spot near the fireplace. Placing his head in Tartum’s lap, he looked up at him and began wagging his tail. Tartum’s hand moved of its own volition and began absently stroking his soft fur coat as he pondered what he should do next. His journey had come to such an abrupt end now that he had decided to stay in Yucoke, that he had not had time to think about what his next step would be. He was just beginning to ponder his dilemma when a gentle knock at the door caught his attention. Buddy’s ears went up, and he ran towards the door, barking loudly. Grateful for the distraction he laughed as he made his way towards the door. He remembered Dannurn said he would send Betty over with something to eat later in the day and considering no one else knew he was here, he assumed it was her.
By the time he got to the door Buddy was barking frantically at the door and scratching at the floor desperately trying to get to the person on the other side. Pushing Buddy to the side and giving him the command to heel, Tartum opened the door and looked outside. As he expected, a very nervous looking Betty was standing outside with two large covered platters as well as two full water skins. What he hadn’t expected to see and what now had his mouth hanging open were the mountains of gifts that had been laid out in front of his home as he slept. Betty was saying something, but her words fell on deaf ears as he stepped past her staring wild eyed at the plethora of items that were piled around his home.
The amount of stuff stacked up around his front door was dumbfounding. There were rugs and carpets of all different sizes. Color, and design stacked upright along the length of his home. Stacks of chests and handcrafted containers of varying craftsmanship and design, food, drink, clothes, jewelry, gems, trinkets, and jars containing everything from pickled pigs feet to candied yams were piled up high just outside his door. Tartum was stunned at the sheer quantity of it all. He felt numb, as he stood outside his door processing the diversity of the gifts that had been left for him. Something was tugging at his sleeve, causing him to shift his attention away from the items. Betty was looking up at him with an annoyed look on her face. She was saying something; seemed to be upset with him. Shaking his head, Tartum forced his mind to focus on the girl.
“What did you say?” he asked.
Betty rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly at him. “I said that it’s very rude to leave all these gifts lying around outside in the dirt. The townspeople worked hard to bring you this stuff, and you don’t even have the decency to bring them inside! Hmph!” she said.
Tartum was blown away. Never in his life had he seen gratitude of this magnitude. He found himself wondering just how bad the Boggs had been in order for the people to be this grateful for their deaths. The look on Betty’s face forced him to push the thought out of his head. There would be plenty of time to debate just how terrible that family had been later when he didn’t have to deal with such an ungrateful brat judging him. He was about to set her straight when he realized he needed her at the moment to answer his questions. He decided to tolerate her attitude just long enough to get an understanding of everything that was happening; after that he would celebrate by teaching this over privileged bitch some respect for the man that had saved her from being raped and murdered.
“So…” he said with controlled irritation, “All of this is for me?”.
Betty rolled her eyes again, and sighed. “Well yea! Who else would it be for!?”
It was the final straw; fixing Betty with a look that would have made an ogre whimper he watched as her pompous attitude melted away and a much more humble one took its place. “Ummm, I meant…uhhh…yes, sir?” Tartum nodded as she corrected herself but held her gaze with his own. It didn’t take her long to figure out she should keep explaining, “You have no idea just how terrible the Boggs were! My Papa used to call them cancer! He’s very happy with you and hasn’t stopped talking about you all day. The people left this in front of your house as a thank you. Everyone hopes you’ll stay and protect our town now! There’s even talk of building you a statue if you’ll stay!” she said. Now that she was done with her explanation she looked down at her feet. Tartum noted just how respectful and forthcoming she had been after no more than a look from him. Satisfied she had gotten the message, Tartum smiled and began examining the items that cluttered what amounted to his front yard.
“Well, you can tell the people that I am very pleased by their offerings and that I do intend to stay here for some time; however, a statue is unnecessary. I will do my part and defend the town for as long as it suits me, but when I decide to leave I will do so at my leisure. Until then, you can rest assured Yucoke will be safe.” he said over his shoulder, as he inspected a stack of wooden chests that had been left against the wall of his home. They were all very well crafted; some of them even had locks built into them that he knew he could use to secure his more valuable items like gems and coins. The locks were remedial in design, but he had little doubt they would be sufficient to secure his possessions from the people of the town. The situation just kept getting better and better as far as he was concerned. He wished he had killed the Boggs years ago. He believed he could get used to this.
“That’s wonderful, Mr. Tartum! Everyone will be very pleased to hear that!” she said. Tartum heard her father’s excitement in her voice and smiled. She was definitely Dannurn’s daughter. Picking up one of the chests, he began carrying it into his house. He called out to Betty as he passed her.
“Betty, do me a favor and help me bring this stuff inside. I wouldn’t want to be rude now, would I?” he said with a laugh. Betty jumped to obey him, she
began gathering up the small jars with random food items inside and ferried them into his kitchen.
“Yes…” he thought to himself, “I could very easily get used to this.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon bringing the gifts inside. The sun was very low on the horizon by the time they had finished moving it all inside and arranging it throughout the house. Betty turned out to be a very efficient organizer and by the time they were done situating the final few gifts, his home looked incredible. Rugs and carpets covered the floors in every room, the extra’s hung along the walls, giving his home a softer feel that reminded him a lot of Vaund’s old room. Thinking of him made Tartum oddly sad. He hoped he had been with Liddia at the time of the raid. Out of everyone in the guild, Vaund had been his favorite in the end.
Pushing the thought into the back of his mind, Tartum continued assessing their work. The room with the fireplace and desk, Betty had referred to it as a study, now had chests and containers lining the walls under the shelves. At the moment, most of them were empty, but Tartum wasn’t concerned. At this rate, they would be full soon enough. Betty had taken the jars of food and placed them in the pantry and cupboards in his kitchen. The platters of food Betty had brought were eaten as they worked; after Buddy licked them clean, Tartum tossed them into the basin. Betty told him they were his to keep since her father didn’t think he had any dishes. The water skins had been filled with a juice made from apples and sugar. Tartum had enjoyed the sweet drink thoroughly; Betty told him that her father had been taught by the man that used to own his house how to make the drink into something called cider and that it would get him just as drunk as any ale. Tartum made a point to ask Dannurn for a sample later.
The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2 Page 28