by R. G. Long
"What country are you a citizen of?" Blume asked. She had been quiet for a time, but now that she had spoken, Ealrin was glad for her observation. He had not thought to ask.
Holve chuckled uneasily.
"To tell you the truth," he said, "I am in exile from my own country. I haven’t seen it in many years."
Well, isn’t Holve full of surprises today?
"Yes, it’s been many winters since I've returned to my homeland. Is very far away from here, and not very often visited by those with common sense."
Blume gave him a questioning look that Ealrin interpreted. She wanted to know what country he spoke of.
"I think what lies down the road will be sufficient to take your mind off where I'm from," Holve said.
And he was right. As the three crested the hill they saw before them the city of Breyland. And surrounding it on every side were the tents and makeshift shelters of what was unmistakably Merc Raiders.
22: Information
The trio sat around the table of the Gilded Mare eating their food and being thankful that fate had allowed them to arrive at this point unharmed.
They knew they had not been followed. Nor had anyone seen them and run ahead to report to the Merc leaders what had happened to the stragglers at Weyfield. The story of how two men had come and killed several Mercs and rescued a little girl had not yet made its way here.
Holve had to grudgingly agree with Ealrin's plan. If he were to collect information and give it to the king, what better place would he be able to gather it than in the heart of the Merc camp? They had entered the city without being questioned or noticed. Breyland, thankfully, was big enough that any number of passersby and strangers would come in and leave its borders without attracting much attention to themselves.
"Would your daughter like anything else to eat?" The innkeeper asked Ealrin.
"No thank you, I think we've all about had our fill," he replied to the innkeeper. He huffed, and walked away.
The decision was made before they had had a chance to discuss it. There were some strange looks when they came to the end. Two grown men walking around with a 13-year-old girl unsupervised would certainly bring attention to them, and that was exactly the opposite of what they wanted.
Ealrin had told the innkeeper that he was Blume’s father, and that they were traveling north to visit other family. Holve was playing the part of uncle. This had allowed them to be given one room with three beds without any further questions. Though the innkeeper felt shorted in that he had hoped they would take separate rooms.
But there was something about the greedy look in his eyes that unnerved Ealrin. Blume was more than fair looking, and could easily attract most men to her, especially with her striking blonde hair. Ealrin made a mental note to not leave her out of his sight.
"Tell me, Blume. Are you okay?" Ealrin asked her as the innkeeper was off busying himself with another table.
Blume sat quietly for a moment. She put her spoon down and continued to look into the plate she was eating from.
"It doesn't feel real," she said after a few moments.
Ealrin could understand such a feeling. He was still trying to recover from the loss of Roland as well as the crew of the White Wind. The action of the past two days had pushed it from his mind, but only when he was active. Sitting or lying alone with his thoughts brought up the images that haunted his sleep.
"Blume, you're still on your feet after losing your family as well as your friends and your whole city. There's much to be admired in a girl with such a high resilience," said Holve.
Ealrin, again, was surprised by how he spoke so well to her. Holve hadn't really shown him a great love for children, even older ones such as Blume. Then again, he had cared for Ealrin when he needed him. Perhaps this was Holve caring for Blume as well?
Blume looked up at the two of them. Fresh tears were rolling down her face now.
"Dad would always sing a song to me when I was scared or afraid or just sad. Would you like to hear it?" she asked them.
"Please," said Ealrin, leaning back in his chair to get a better look at the girl. Perhaps singing was the only thing she knew to do when she was sad or scared. Perhaps it would make her feel better. Either way, whatever would help this little girl cope, Ealrin was going to do.
Her voice was first low and cracked a bit with sadness. As she sang, she became more confident, and with her confidence, the beauty of the song increased.
"Over high mountains,
The sun chases spring.
Over the hilltops,
My love I will bring.
I'll rush through the meadow,
I'll run through the plains,
So that you will feel,
My dear love again.
Over the night sky,
And up with the stars,
My love will be with you,
Where ever you are.
No matter what heartaches,
Or trials that come
My love will come rising,
As sure as the suns."
After she had sung the last note, Ealrin raised a hand to his eye, wiping away a single tear. As he did, he noticed that several had looked over at their table. Perhaps the song too had moved them.
Only Holve kept his head down, more interested in his food than the attention being put on them.
"That was beautiful, Blume," Ealrin said. "You sing well."
She sniffed.
"Singing is what helps when I don't know what else to do," she replied. "I feel like that now. Where will I go, Ealrin? What will I do?"
He had no answers at the moment. He had been thinking about this for a time. Obviously she was not meant for battles or long journeys across the continent. Fate had put them together, and he wondered where fate would lead them now.
"I don't know either, Blume," Ealrin said as he put out his hand on the table on top of hers, "but we'll find out. Together if we can."
He gave a smile and then gathered her plate and cutlery up for her. She had finished her whole meal. Ealrin was becoming very fond of his adopted daughter. He wondered if he had children of his own. If he didn't, he made a commitment to have them in the future. He would like to be a dad.
As they sat there, Holve and Ealrin looked around the room to see who would be staying the night in the inn along with them.
Most of the patrons of the Inn were a bit rough around the edges. Which is to say that they were an improvement over the Raiders who walked the streets. If the Mercs had higher ups, these were them.
A group of four sat at a table and ordered food in such quantities that they kept the innkeeper fairly busy running back-and-forth from their table to the kitchen. They spoke with an air of importance, and so whatever they had to say may well be information Holve could report to the king. As they spoke, Holve and Ealrin did their best to listen in. Blume busied herself with eating everything that was in sight, apparently ravenous from their journey here.
"Do you think he'll make it back tonight?" asked the shortest of the group. He was younger than the rest, but no less muscular and battle hardened. His blonde rough-cut hair gave him the air of one who either cared little for his looks, or tried very hard to achieve an air of indifference.
"Don't know Xaxes. Better keep it together in case he does though. He won't be happy about what happened in Sea Gate," replied the robust man sitting to Xaxes' left. He was taller and more muscular than any of his companions. His reddish hair, along with his stout arms and chest, made him stand out from the others. Yet, he was the most reserved and mature of the group.
"Sea Gate was not Xaxes' fault Verde! And you know it," shot a long black haired man from across the table. "That little thief would have escaped us even if he hadn't gotten his prize. He knew the city too well."
This third man was lean and tall. Ealrin thought that there was something about him that resembled a hawk. Maybe it was his angular features or his long black hair, flowing down to his chest.
"That
'll do," replied Verde. "If he does come tonight, and I assume that he will, we will still need to explain how we lost the amulet."
Blume made a small noise, like a hiccup.
The four men turned to glance at Ealrin's table just as the door to the inn opened and they directed their attention to it instead.
In stepped a man who exemplified what it meant to be in order. His jacket was neatly pressed and his brown hair was combed precisely over his head. He wore a handlebar mustache that looked like it had never known a hair out of place. On one eye, he wore a round glass monocle. He stood at an average height, but there was something about him that made his presence larger than anyone else in the room. Like he was more than met the eye. His sword dangled from its sheath at his side.
He starred at the table of four men, and then quietly walked up the stairs to the left of the door that went to the rooms for guests. Silently, and with several glances at each other, the four men rose and followed him.
Ealrin had noticed that several patrons of the inn had nudged each other and nodded to their companions when he entered. Most looked at the man as he entered. Some starred. The only one not looking when he entered was Holve, who had directed his attention at this plate of food instead. It was as if he were trying to avoid being seen by the man.
He raised an eyebrow at Holve, who had resumed a normal posture at this point.
"Ealrin, I think we best retire for the night. What do you think?" There was the slightest hint of a plan in his voice other than sleeping. Ealrin also followed his eyes up the steps that the five men had just walked.
"I believe you're right. Come on Blume. We ought to get some rest while we can. There's a big day tomorrow."
Ealrin rose and waited for Blume to do so as well. It took her a while, as she had let the chest lay on her lap as she had eaten. She refused to let it out of her possession. Not even for a moment in the room upstairs.
The three thanked the innkeeper for their meal and then walked upstairs to their room. At each door, Holve stopped for half a step to listen.
At the fourth door, he apparently heard what he was listening for, but then sent them on with a wave of his hand to their room, three more doors down. Ealrin and Blume went in quietly and shut the door behind them.
"Who was that man?" Blume asked as Ealrin sat down on his small bed. It was just large enough for his feet to hang off the end of it. They were all this length. Apparently some beds were reserved for dwarves and halflings, those who were neither men, elves, dwarves nor any other race. Just smaller people. The room was certainly meant for them, as all of the things were a tad smaller than would make sense for a typical person.
It didn't bother Blume any. It meant all of the things were the right size for her.
"I'm not sure," said Ealrin. "I'm betting he's someone of great importance. He definitely had that air about him. Like he was the leader of the Mercs."
Ealrin paused. He didn't know what that would mean for them as they stay here in the inn. Somehow he felt like they should put as much distance as they could between themselves and Breyland. But it had been his idea to gather information, so now they would have more than they had originally hoped.
"We may need to leave quickly if things should not go how we would like, Blume," he told her.
She was sitting on the bed across from him, still holding her chest in both of her hands. It was resting on her lap. She looked up at Ealrin, and then back down at her treasure box. She silently opened it and pulled out a beautiful necklace.
It was a simple silver chain, but on it rested a green jewel that Ealrin didn't recognize. It was about the size of his thumb. Two strands of silver entwined it several times, giving the illusion of growing vines encroaching on the precious stone.
No wonder she had kept it hidden. It must be valuable beyond the comprehension of a girl such as her. Then again, she had already surprised Ealrin by her wisdom. Perhaps she would again.
"That's a beautiful necklace," he told her. He hoped it didn't sound like he wished to have it from her. He wanted her to trust that he would protect her and look out for her, not steal her family's greatest treasure from under her nose.
"Dad owned a jewelry store in Weyfield. This was his favorite piece. It was never on sale in the store, always hidden in our family’s house. We kept it safe," she told him as she fastened to her neck and stuffed it inside her dress.
"If we have to leave quickly I don't want to risk losing it. It'll be safer on me than in a box."
Ealrin agreed and was about to ask more about the necklace when the door opened and they both jumped.
"Holve..."
"We are going to need to be very cautious about how we go about our departure from here," said Holve as he stepped into the room.
He wore a look of both surprise and anger.
"That man is Androlion, a former elder of the Southern Republic and for good reason. He was removed from his post for his radical ideas about racial cleansing, basically what we've just witnessed in Weyfield. This is going to get tricky quickly."
"You mean he's the one telling people to kill other races?" Blume asked him.
"Yes, I believe he is Blume, but we shouldn't go..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Blume was out the door and back into the hallway.
Quickly the two men followed her. Holve was whispering as loud as he dared, "Blume! Get back here!"
"We need to hear what they're up to if we're going to stop them!" she whispered over her back as she crept down the hallway.
She lowered herself to the ground at the door where Holve had stopped as they made their way to their own room. Holve and Ealrin exchanged a glance, but then positioned themselves next to the door as well.
Ealrin pressed his ear to the door silently.
"...doesn't matter that we are not where we would like to be, the time to act will be very soon. Our friends from the west have begun what I pray will be distraction enough to throw most of the Southern Republic's attention towards the southern part of the peninsula, leaving us to do what must be done in Conny."
There was a general murmur of agreement and then one man spoke up, Ealrin thought it was the long-haired man from below.
"Sir, about the amulet you had requested we look into finding..."
"Yes, I'm aware that you have failed to bring it to me, but it is of little importance now. It will be harder to trace after the rebellion has begun, but I do imagine that it will surface again when the time is right. Believe me, however, I will not be as tolerant should you fail me again in the future Darius."
There was a moment of quiet. Ealrin could barely make out the shuffling of chairs and bodies. Apparently it was quite uncomfortable in the room at the moment.
"Sir," said the voice that belonged to Xaxes. "The amulet being lost was my fault. I did not do my due diligence..."
"Enough Xaxes. I'll not have you taking the blame for what is truly the responsibility of the group."
Ealrin assumed that the one doing most of the talking at that moment belonged to the man who had walked in and was followed by the others in this room. He had no idea who he might be, though he was certain that Holve knew full well who he was. He also knew that they were seeking an amulet and planning something in Conny, the capital of the Southern Republic. Were these men going to attempt to burn down that city as well? And what purpose would that serve?
"Sir, when you have risen to power..."
"There will be no talk of that until all is..."
Blume had made a tiny squeak. A man had just walked up from the stairs below. Ealrin had been so intent on listening to the conversation that he didn't pay attention to the sound of him coming up the stairs.
And there they stood, Holve and Ealrin, ears pressed to the door while Blume kept watch. The man shouted, "Hey! What are you doing there?"
And at that moment, the man named Verde opened the door to the room and stared down at them, for he was taller than Holve by a head.
&
nbsp; Ealrin acted without thinking. He kicked as hard as he could, sending Verde back enough steps to allow Holve to close the door. Ealrin grabbed up Blume and ran toward the man who had shouted at him, shoving him down the stairs.
The three of them fell into a heap at the bottom on the floor of the inn. Holve picked up Ealrin by the scruff of his shirt, and Ealrin grabbed Blume.
And with that the three of them raced out of the inn, with the shouts of the group of men following closely behind them.
23: A Quick Getaway
Ealrin held onto Blume's hand tightly as he followed Holve through the streets of Breyland. It was a much larger city than Good Harbor or Weyfield, at least as best as Ealrin could guess Weyfield was.
They darted from one street to the next. The moon had risen enough to light their way through the streets. Every now and then a city lantern guided their path as well. Sometimes they were forced to hide in an alleyway as someone went past, running in search of them. Each time they did, Ealrin held his breath for fear of being caught. While he and Holve could easily deal with a few raiders, the idea of capture was not appealing. They would escape with what they knew now, rather than risk any more close calls.
It had been some time since they had heard the shouts of those behind them, but they feared staying in the city. Perhaps the trio didn't hear their pursuers because the Mercs had gone back to get more help finding them?
"If we give them time to comb the streets with their thugs, we'll be found out for sure. And Androlion will know who I am," said Holve. "We had better get out of the city and up to Thoran as quickly as possible."
Ealrin agreed, but on foot that would take too long. Then, as they rounded another corner, they came to another inn, a little smaller than the Gilded Mare. The three hid in an alleyway just before it as two men came riding their horses down the opposite end of the street. They talked in loud voices.