Apparition

by Tom Liberman

  “It doesn’t look like anyone’s around,” said Marianna. “Just a few stable boys. I could just wander in and say I’m thinking about stabling my horse and wanted to see the place.”

  “That’s probably better than skulking about,” said Mike. “Now tell me what you’re going to say so we can practice. When you say it for real it has to be natural or people will get suspicious. You always must practice your lies.”

  “I’ll say I plan on coming back with some horses next month and I wanted to inspect all the stables in town,” said Marianna although her voice quavered a bit.

  “Not good enough and don’t say, I’ll say. Say it exactly the way you would to the stable hand.”

  Marianna stood up straight and stiff and started to speak.

  “No,” interrupted Mike. “Look relaxed. Look around at how tidy the place is before you say anything. Then say, is it always this clean? But make it so it sounds like maybe you’re saying it’s not clean enough.”

  Marianna slouched down a little and pretended to look around, “Do you keep it this tidy normally?”

  Mike shook her head, “That’s not horrible and it’ll probably be good enough for today but you have to learn how to lie better. I’ve been lying to my parents since I was six years old. It’s going to take some practice but we’ll get you there. Now try again.”

  Marianna and Mike practiced like that for ten minutes as the sun slowly began to set and the light began to fade.

  “All right,” said Mike nodding her head with a narrow smile. “That’s as good as it’s going to get. We can practice more later but we’re losing the light, so go on.”

  Marianna took a deep breath and then crossed the distance to the stables. There was a young dwarf with barely any beard at all standing near the entrance working a strap of some sort over a leather harness. He looked up as Marianna approached and jumped to his feet, “Hello, miss. Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking into bringing some horses into town later this month and I was told this is the place.” She paused and looked around. “Looks fairly tidy. Can I see some of the stalls?”

  The boy bobbed his head, “Of course, ma’am. Right this way. We don’t get too many pretty human girls around here if you don’t mind me saying.”

  “I’m not pretty,” said Marianna but then stopped and stood up straighter, “I meant to say, that’s kind, thank you, but flattery isn’t going to make me stable my horses here.”

  “Oh no, ma’am,” said the boy. “I wouldn’t lie or nothing. We don’t see many girls with that color hair. It’s very nice. Here you go. This is the west wing. We don’t have too many in here right now, business is a bit slow.”

  Marianna went from stall to stall but saw no horse that she recognized. “What about the other wing?”

  “It’s pretty much the same but there’s only one horse over there now.”

  “I’d like to see,” said Marianna.

  The boy shrugged, “Like I said, they are pretty much exactly the same but if you want to see, come along.”

  They walked to the other side of the stable and it was exactly as the boy said. The only horse was a squat and powerfully built two-tone beast and it looked content to graze at some hay in a bale leaning against the stall door.

  “Anything else to see?” asked Marianna.

  The boy shrugged again, “You’re not bringing a wagon with you are you?”

  Marianna pursed her lips, “We might need a wagon to haul all the treasure we’ll find. Why do you ask?”

  “We have a roofed pavilion out back for wagons and a yard for horses to run a bit.”

  “Let’s take a look,” said Marianna and the boy led her to a large pair of doors in the center rear of the stables. He pushed them open with an easy shove and Marianna immediately gasped.

  “Ma’am?” said the boy looking over at her. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing at all,” said Marianna trying to relax her face and body. “I just got something caught in my throat there for a second. A bit of dust when you opened the door.”

  The boy looked around and then back to her with a rather skeptical eye, “If you say so, ma’am. Is there anything else? I’ve got to get back to my chores or I’ll get in trouble.”

  “No, that’s fine. Thank you very much. She reached into her coin pouch, given to her by the Gray Knights when they brought her over to meet Mike and Rhia what seemed like a lifetime ago, and handed the boy a very small silver coin.

  He looked at it with undisguised disdain for a moment but then caught himself, “Thank you, ma’am. Come back any time.”

  Marianna’s heart was pounding now and she felt like she couldn’t breathe, but somehow managed to make a few small pleasantries with the boy before heading back to meet Rhia and Mike. “Borrombo is here! I saw his wagon.”

  Mike nodded her head, “I suspected he might come here once he finished his business in Grelm. This is not good. We’ll have to be very cautious. I hope Adusko isn’t with him.”

  Rhia put her hand to the hilt of her sword, “Not good at all. We’re pretty recognizable. Anyone looking for two girls, one a half-orc and one a human with red hair, and a young boy with his head shaved would spot us in a second.”

  “There’s nothing to be done about it,” said Mike. “We need to find out about this Elder Council and what Borrombo is offering them to betray Tanelorn.”

  Rhia nodded her head, “I agree but I’m not sure how we’re going to do that. Maybe we can ask about that dagger of yours and get an audience with someone high up. That guard certainly seemed interested enough in it.”

  Mike nodded her head, “That’s a good idea. We’ll go back to the Dancing Bear and mention that I wanted someone to look at it. That I thought it was magical but no one else can figure it out. The dwarves love a challenge. Someone will believe that.”

  “You really are good at lying, aren’t you?” said Marianna grinning from ear to ear.

  Mike laughed, “It comes from having overbearing parents.”

  Marianna frowned and said nothing to that.

  “Let’s wander around town first,” said Rhia noting Marianna’s silence. “This place is interesting. I’ve met plenty of dwarves but I’ve never been to a dwarf town before. They are normally pretty secretive about that sort of thing. There’s supposedly a great dwarf citadel hidden somewhere in the world.”

  “Craggen Steep,” said Mike with a smile. “Paw-paw tells stories about that place. It goes back to the Imperial Era. Supposedly they were great allies to the Emperor way back when, and it’s the richest place in the world. The streets are paved in gold with gems embedded in them. Of course paw-paw said it was all nonsense but a lot of dwarves believe it.”

  “Well this town isn’t paved in gold but the avenues are certainly tidy enough. Not a brick out of place. They must spend a great deal of time on maintenance,” said Rhia as they continued down the street looking at the various sites. As they got deeper into the city they found that the streets narrowed and the doorways went from being tall enough to accommodate human sized people to being shorter and apparently largely for dwarf use only. Eventually they got to the wall of what was a ringed inner city and gate guards, dressed in the spotless steel armor and carrying shields emblazoned with a white-colored four-pronged cross on a black circle politely but firmly turned them away.

  After a few hours they eventually found their way back to the Dancing Bear and sat down for another beer and run through the menu. They had a different server this time and the boy lacked the enthusiasm of his predecessor, but there was nothing to complain about in any case.

  “Do you know a good blacksmith who might look at this knife and tell me about it?” asked Mike loudly to the boy at an opportune moment when their table was surrounded by dwarves.

  The boy looked at the dagger she held out and nodded his head, “There are many blacksmiths in Ironhome and I’m sure they’d all be more than happy to help you.”

  “Any one in particula
r you’d choose?” persisted Mike with a smile. “It’s a family heirloom and I’d really like to know its origin; I suspect there might be magic involved as well.”

  “The finest smithy in Ironhome is the Cold Harbor Smith and you’d want to talk to Edos Demsharp,” said the boy. “If anyone can tell you the origins of that dagger it’ll be him. He’s the finest Edos in all of Ironhome.”

  “Thank you,” said Mike and put the dagger back in its sheaf. She winked at Rhia and casually looked around the room noting that numbers of dwarves were eavesdropping on the conversation. She whispered to the girl, “If we’re not approached within five minutes by someone telling us that this Demsharp is an amateur and we need to go somewhere else my name isn’t … well …,” she laughed. “You know what I mean.”

  Rhia laughed along with Marianna and Mike’s words proved more than accurate as one dwarf after the other stopped by the table for polite conversation which eventually led to a recommendation on which smithy might be the most likely to shed light on the origins of the knife.

  By the time they adjourned to their comfortable and perfectly organized room they had a dozen suggestions.

  “Which should we go with?” asked Marianna as she sat on one of the three beds and looked at Mike’s dagger. It was rather worn but also had strange little letters visibly etched into the blade.

  “That’s the problem with too much advice,” said Rhia shaking her head. “We’ve got ten choices although that one place got several mentions. That could be the best place to go.”

  “I would guess the best places are deeper in the city,” said Mike leaning back on the bed and sighing. She had unwrapped the tight bindings and took advantage of the time to breathe as deeply as she could. “I hate all that wrap,” she said.

  “If I was as pretty as you I’d be happy,” said Marianna looking over at the girl.

  Mike shook her head, “You just don’t know what it’s like when no one treats you seriously because you’re a pretty girl. It’s awful. My brother is a complete idiot but he got invited to be a Gray Knight because he’s a boy.”

  “Life isn’t fair,” said Rhia looking over at Marianna. “Life is more unfair to some than others but there is no doubt that everyone has a difficult time of it. It’s just a matter of accepting you are who you are, and if other people have a problem with that, that’s not your fault.”

  “It’s easy for you to say, Rhia,” said Mike shaking her head and stretching her arms and legs out in opposite directions. “If only you know what I went through.”

  Rhia looked at Mike and sighed, “I’m not saying your life wasn’t difficult in some ways, Mike. I’m saying you can’t run away from who you are forever.”

  Mike closed her eyes. “I know,” she finally said.

  “I do think that idea about finding a blacksmith, or what do they call it, Edos, in the heart of Ironhome is a good idea. Probably the blacksmiths on the edge of town are for adventurers and foreigners but the real dwarf smithies are going to be near the center of town. Probably in that inner city they wouldn’t let us in this afternoon. The problem is how do we get in?”

  “There’s no way to sneak in,” said Mike with her eyes still closed. “I could probably do it alone but not with you two and what would be the point when I’d have to show myself to get information about the knife anyway.”

  “Maybe we could try the truth,” suggested Marianna. “These dwarfs really do seem to have a thing for well-made weapons. Just show one of the guards the knife and ask if we can see someone who can tell us more.”

  Mike laughed.

  Rhia looked at the girl who had her eyes still closed, “What’s so funny.”

  “Marianna’s right! But I would never have thought about it because I’m so used to lying to get my way. I was laughing at myself, not you, Marianna.”

  Marianna smiled, “I’m useful for something at least.”

  “Stop with that already,” said Rhia standing up and giving Marianna a light slap to the top of her head. “You’re useful all the time. You might well have saved our lives back at that Sunbringer house. We’re all useful in this world, sometimes it just takes a while to find out how.”

  “I’m drunk,” said Mike sleepily. “Mmm, beer.”

  Rhia and Marianna laughed.

  “Me too,” said Marianna. “But at least this time I stopped before I got sick.”

  Rhia got up and walked over to her own bed, “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. While we’re learning about that knife we have to try and find out more about the Elder Council.”

  “I don’t see how,” said Mike. “But we’ll try.” Then she yawned and a moment later was asleep. Of course she didn’t snore but just emitted soft little sighs that almost sounded musical.

  “She’s so pretty,” said Marianna who now lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t understand why she doesn’t want people to see. I mean. I hear what she says but I don’t believe it, I guess. What she says about her parents doesn’t seem bad at all.”

  “She’s a bit spoiled,” said Rhia unlacing her boots and pulling off her jerkin. “She’s not bad though and she’s been kind to me. She’s just young and hasn’t seen the world.” She thought of Adusko and the lesson he had planned for Mike before Sorus intervened. “She’ll learn. She’s already learning I think.”

  “Good night,” said Marianna sleepily.

  “Good night,” said Rhia looking to make sure the door to the room was bolted. There was no fireplace or windows in their smallish room, just the three beds and a small cabinet, so she didn’t see how an intruder could break in. With that thought she too drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 17

  The squat little dwarf had a beard that went down below his waist and required four thick bands to keep in check. He held the little blade in his right hand while he cocked his head and examined it. “Fine work here, fine work indeed. Where did you say you got this?”

  Getting past the gates to the inner city required a little more fast talking than the girls thought but Mike had been up to the task and they quickly found themselves at apparently the finest blacksmith in the entire city. They went through two apprentices before arriving in this back room with the Master Edos. Again it was only Mike’s slick talking and effortless confidence that got them this far.

  “My father gave it to me,” she said.

  The dwarf looked at her suspiciously, “He was an elf then?”

  “Dwarf,” said Mike.

  The dwarf looked at the girl with narrow eyes and shook his head, “If you’re not going to tell me the truth I’m not going to be able to help you learn the origins of this knife.”

  Mike moved her lips back and forth over her teeth for a moment, “Fine. My father is Potto Fivefist and he got the knife from his father, Pedlow.”

  The dwarf’s eyes opened wide and he looked at Mike, “Your brother is Ironhead?”

  Mike nodded.

  “I had thought they had only the one son,” said the smith. “You clearly take after your mother then.”

  “In appearance at least,” said Mike staring back into his dark eyes without flinching. “Now what you can tell me about that dagger.”

  “I know of the Fivefist family and their history,” said the dwarf nodding his head. “Your grandfather is a fine man, Sir Pedlow. This was his blade then. That makes sense. These runes are of dwarf origin, but they bear similarities to those carried by the soldiers of the Fist.”

  “The Fist?” said Mike.

  “You do not know of the Fist?” said the dwarf looking closely at the girl who was once again wrapped up tight to hide any indication of a womanly figure.

  “Why, should I?” she asked.

  “Because the armies of the Fist is where you grandfather was forged and thus of which you were eventually born. That which is his heart beats within you. You have not asked him?”

  Mike shook her head, “I guess I wasn’t that interested.”

  The
Edos shook his head, “A shame. There is much to tell I’m sure.”

  Mike looked at the ground and said nothing.

  “About that dagger?” said Rhia trying to steer the conversation back onto its original course.

  “Indeed, a weapon forged by dwarf slaves under the rule of Stav’rol. It is a martial nation known for the discipline of its soldiers and quality of their weapons. I’m not surprised for this blade was not easily made nor thoughtlessly designed. It is magical, that is certain. I will need to spend some time studying it. May I have it for two days?”

  Mike bit her lip, “It was my grandfather’s blade …,”

  “I swear to you upon my family name, upon my honor, and upon the forge, I will return it to you in the same or better condition than upon which I received it,” said the dwarf bowing his head. “My word is a hammer that strikes true.”

  Rhia and Marianna looked to Mike, “I trust your word,” said Mike. “But I wouldn’t mind staying close to the blade while you work. Can you get us permission to stay here in the inner city while you complete you studies?”

  Marianna looked over to Rhia, gave a little smile, and shook her head in admiration of the girl’s guile.

  “Of course,” said the dwarf. “I’ll get one of my apprentices to write up the papers. If you’ll go back out to the front room.”

  “Thank you,” said Mike with a nod of her head. “I do not have unlimited funds; how much will you charge us for this service?”

  The dwarf pursed his lips and nodded his head, “How much do you happen to have?”

  Mike shook her head and laughed, “I’m half-dwarf remember. How much do you charge?”

  The dwarf laughed, “You can’t blame a dwarf for trying.”

  “I can,” said Mike with a wide grin and lifted her coin purse with her hand. “Suddenly it feels lighter, and thus I have less with which to offer payment.”

  “You do your grandfather proud. Though you take after you mother in looks, you have the heart of a dwarf. For that I will offer you a price so low that it hurts me to the quick to even say it. One thousand silver coins though that price is hardly worth a few hours of time and it will certainly take longer to do the research required.”