Audrey of Farmerton

by M. Gregg Roe

  “I’m hungry too,” he said by way of explanation. “You don’t look like you slept very well.”

  “No,” she replied sadly. “My father’s snoring kept me up. I’m really tired.”

  “I see. I’ll talk with the guards and see if they can rig up some kind of bed in the front of the wagon. Maybe you can get some sleep during our trip today.”

  She stared at him in surprise. He looked serious. “Thank you, Hankin. That would be wonderful.”

  “It’s not a problem. And it will make Saxloc happy since you won’t be sitting by him,” he concluded with an amused look.

  Audrey sighed deeply. “Does he really hate me that much?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid so. He never misses a chance to say something bad about you. His parents weren’t at all happy either, from what he says.”

  “Great. Maybe if I throw myself in the lake, the crocodiles will come back and finish me off.”

  Hankin gave her an odd look. “I assume that you’re joking. Did the crocodiles ever come back? I know that one got away.”

  “No. But I’m still terrified of them. Even that big lizard that pulls the wagon scares me.”

  “For me, it’s big fires,” he said, and she looked at him in surprise. “My parents died in a fire when I was very young. I still have nightmares about being burned alive.”

  “Oh. So you’re an orphan. That’s sad.”

  “I was for a while, but then Celebern took me in. I work for him now. Well, when I’m not out adventuring with Saxloc and the others.”

  “I’m glad that things have worked out for you, Hankin.”

  They were nearly back to the meeting hall now, and she could smell fresh bread. “That bread smells good,” he said. “They always provide a good breakfast here in Merryton. Let’s eat!”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey woke with a start, and she realized that the wagon was no longer moving. She opened her eyes and saw that it was now overcast and nearly noon. She raised herself up from the makeshift bed in the front of the wagon. The two men sitting in the front of the wagon looked tense and were holding their crossbows at the ready. There was obviously some kind of threat nearby, and she was suddenly afraid.

  She heard the door at the back of the wagon open and soon Celebern came walking up along the left side of the wagon along with one of the guards. “See to her safety,” he ordered as he passed by. The guard stopped and motioned to her. She got up and the guard helped her climb down. She looked toward the front of the wagon and saw a short, squat, ugly creature with almost black skin standing directly in their path. She had never seen anything like it before, but it looked dangerous.

  The guard took her left arm and guided her to the back of the wagon. “What is that thing?” she asked him.

  “A goblin,” he replied in a worried voice. “And there are probably more hiding nearby.”

  Saxloc, Gabriel, and Hankin were all standing at the rear of the wagon looking in different directions. Gabriel had retrieved his shield and helmet, and all three had their swords drawn.

  The guard, whose name Audrey dearly wished that she could remember, led her to the back and then closed the door after she had climbed in. Her parents were sitting as far from the door as possible, clutching each other and looking very frightened. Draymund smiled at her and indicated for her to take a seat. She sat down on the bench opposite him.

  “It will be fine,” he said calmly. “We can easily handle a few goblins.” He hesitated and then frowned. “But you need to be ready to flee if they set fire to the wagon.”

  Audrey gaped at Draymund, and Marilee practically shrieked, “Set fire?!”

  “Yes, but they probably won’t because that would destroy all the goods.”

  “What about us?” Marilee asked fearfully. “Do goblins take prisoners?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied in an offhand manner. “I’ve never lost a fight with goblins.”

  That actually seemed to reassure her parents, but Audrey was still worried and had to stop herself from fidgeting. Before long they heard Celebern’s voice, and shortly thereafter the door opened and he climbed in and seated himself next to Draymund.

  “How did it go?” asked Draymund.

  Celebern waved a hand casually. “That was just a goblin looking to sell us some insurance. Specifically, insurance against being attacked by a large band of goblins.” Celebern smiled slyly. “We came to an agreement. They will actually guard us until we reach Rohoville.” Her parents looked very relieved, and Audrey felt that way herself.

  “Excellent,” replied Draymund, now smiling broadly. “Then there should be no more trouble this trip.”

  “Yes. We even discussed employing them in the future to help guard Novox caravans on this stretch between Merryton and Rohoville. I think this could prove to be a good investment.”

  Draymund nodded. “I think so as well.” He looked directly at Audrey. “You can go back and lie down if you like.”

  “No thank you,” she replied. “I’m wide awake now. But I think I will go out and walk some.”

  “That’s fine.” He moved to open the door for her.

  Once outside, Audrey looked around. A group of four goblins was now standing about twenty yards behind the wagon. There were two more groups off to either side and a larger group ahead. The goblin’s clothing was nearly as black as their skin. They were all armed with curved knives, and some of them were also carrying crossbows made from dark wood. Saxloc, Gabriel, and Hankin were also up front, along with two caravan guards. She was relieved to see that they had all sheathed their weapons.

  The wagon began to move again and she had no trouble keeping up. She was surprised when she suddenly caught up to Gabriel. He had been standing still and allowing the wagon to pass, but he commenced walking as soon as he was next to her. He had put his helmet and shield away in the wagon, but he was still wearing his sword.

  “Are you and your parents well?” he inquired in a polite voice.

  “Yes. We’re okay now. But my parents were pretty scared for a while.” She hesitated, feeling embarrassed, and then confessed, “To be honest, I was too.”

  Gabriel looked very serious as he stated, “I am still concerned. The last time my friends passed this way—accompanying Priestess Alessandra—they were attacked by a large band of goblins. I will be watching the ones escorting us carefully, as will Hankin and Saxloc.”

  Now Audrey was worried again. “I see. That was when you stayed behind at the temple because of Ariel, wasn’t it? I remember Saxloc telling me that she had some problems. How is she doing?”

  He was clearly pleased by her question. “Ariel is doing much better. The people at the temple have been taking excellent care of her.”

  “That’s good to hear. She seemed nice when I met her. Uh … I initially thought that you and Ariel were a couple, but I guess I was wrong.”

  “Ariel and I are simply friends. We have known one another since we were children, and our parents are close friends.”

  “Oh. I see.” They continued walking along side-by-side for several minutes. She decided to ask him something that had been bothering her. “Gabriel, where is Rohoville? I’ve never heard of it.”

  He smiled pleasantly as he explained, “It is located about thirty miles to the south of Merryton, at the confluence of the North and Diar Rivers.”

  “Confluence?” She had never heard the word before.

  “It is where two rivers come together,” he explained. “It is not surprising that you have not heard of Rohoville because it is a new city. It was founded only about five years ago. Roho was a dwarf warrior who adventured with my mother and Siljan’s father. But that was long ago and on another continent.”

  “Another continent?” she asked in surprise. “I don’t understand. You mean outside of Andoran’s Realm?”

  “Yes. There are lands far to the west, across the Great Ocean.”

  “Ocean?” she said before she could stop herself. She was mak
ing herself look like a complete fool.

  “An ocean is a very large body of water, thousands of miles across,” he explained patiently. “The continents are essentially enormous islands within the ocean. Andoran’s Realm is located on Thren, the largest of the continents. Do not worry about not knowing these things. Few people here know anything of what lies outside of Andoran’s Realm.”

  Audrey certainly didn’t. She smiled and said, “Thank you for explaining, Gabriel.”

  He nodded. “You are welcome, Audrey.”

  She continued to walk along, keeping quiet and simply enjoying herself. Gabriel remained alert, the very picture of a warrior. She found herself wishing that he was the one that she had been engaged to marry. He was handsome and polite and kind. Saxloc would never be handsome, and she suspected that he would never be polite or kind to her again. She told Gabriel she wanted to go inside, and he promptly opened the door for her and helped her to climb into the moving wagon. She thanked him and then sat down next to her mother, who was dozing peacefully.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  In the early evening, they arrived at the north bank of a river and everyone exited the wagon. The goblins immediately headed off to the west. Audrey had gone out to walk several times during their journey. She had spoken to a couple of the goblins, but her attempts to speak with Saxloc had all been rudely rebuffed.

  The river was about a hundred yards across, and there was a ferry visible at the far shore next to a small wooden building. She noticed a wood box roughly two yards across and a yard tall located close to the shore nearby. It had two thick ropes leading out of it and into the water. Two other ropes emerged from the water and were secured to thick wood posts located two yards to each side of the box. She was startled by a loud groaning sound, and she saw that one rope was now moving into the box and the other out.

  Audrey squinted and looked across the river. There was a thin, dark-haired man standing alone on the ferry, and it was now slowly moving toward them. Off to the left, she noticed a giant lizard being led in a circle around a tall wood pole. To the right, another pole was rotating—easy to see because of the long spoke protruding from it. Understanding dawned and she thought it quite a clever system. When the ferry arrived, the lizard would be moved to the other pole—clearly a spindle—and would then pull them back across.

  She noticed her parents standing together, looking both tired and confused. The guards unhitched the lizard from the wagon and then tied it to a stake well off to the side. It would probably be brought across separately. As the ferry neared the north shore, the rope pulling it was now visible just above the surface. The two ropes to the side were still underwater, but they were obviously attached to the ferry somehow, guiding it and keeping it from being swept downriver by the current. It really was clever.

  The ferry arrived, and the man aboard was introduced as Stanley. He was smiling in a friendly manner and seemed nice. He supervised the guards as they pulled the wagon onto the ferry. Everyone except the guards then also got on, and they were slowly pulled across the river. Audrey enjoyed the trip across, but her parents were nervous and kept hold of the wagon.

  She saw that the river confluence consisted of several grassy hills with numerous stands of trees. There was a large stone building atop the nearest hill several hundred yards away, and the few buildings in sight were widely separated from each other and all looked new. It really is a new town, she thought, and with room to grow.

  Draymund noticed where she was looking and said, “That house on the hill belongs to Adrian, who is a skilled wizard, and his wife Asria, who is the chief Priestess of Dukane here in Rohoville.” Audrey was impressed. Rohoville was home to powerful people.

  When they arrived at the south shore, Celebern asked Saxloc, Gabriel, and Hankin to carry the clothing bundles for Audrey and her parents. They quickly retrieved them, and it only took a few minutes to walk from the ferry landing to the docks. There were two ships there, both larger than any she had ever seen. She couldn’t read the names on them, but they both bore the same symbol as was on the wagon. She looked around and spotted a nearby building that also displayed that symbol. She wondered if Celebern owned all of it. Her parents had noticed it too, and they were redoubling their efforts to befriend Celebern.

  As they walked up to the ship, it was clear that Celebern was in charge. The sailors hastened to obey his every order. They were also showing a great deal of deference to Hankin, and she knew that was because he worked for Celebern. Gabriel and Saxloc seemed quite at home as if they did this kind of thing all the time.

  She and her parents were assigned a small cabin with three narrow bunks, but they all decided to go back up on deck after seeing it. The ship soon departed heading east. They were going upriver, using sails to take advantage of the wind from out of the west. Audrey found the motion of the ship relaxing, but her parents looked ill and retreated to the cabin after obtaining some ale.

  Audrey asked a sailor how long it would take to reach the Witch’s City. She replied that they should arrive around dawn. Audrey sighed. That meant that she would have to spend the night in that tiny cabin with her parents. Saxloc and the others had disappeared, so she obtained some bread and cheese from the ship’s small galley and then watched the sun set. It was really quite beautiful, with dense woods on either side of the wide river.

  When she went up on deck the next morning, the ship was docked at the Witch’s City and the sun was rising. The docks were huge, with space for a dozen or more ships, and they were bustling with activity even at this early hour. A tall, curved wall of dark gray stone surrounded the city. She could see an opening with two large wooden gates that allowed access to the city from the docks. The city was slightly elevated above its surroundings. Outside the walls and dock area was mostly swampland. It was all dense forest south of the river.

  Audrey leaned on the railing and just took in the view. Inside the wall was safety and boundless opportunity. It was everything that she had always desired. The sun was rising and the sky was beautiful. For that one moment, she truly felt at peace and anything seemed possible.

  4

  ‡ Mansion ‡

  “Audrey, where are your parents?”

  She turned from the railing to see Draymund standing a short distance away, relaxed and smiling. Saxloc was standing beside him with a look of resignation. Both were wearing canvas backpacks, and Saxloc was wearing his armor and sword.

  “They were still asleep when I came up here,” she replied. “I don’t think ship travel agrees with them. I’ll go get them.”

  “Very good. Celebern, Hankin, and Gabriel have already disembarked, so we are just waiting on them. We will have breakfast at the house.”

  Audrey went below to the cabin and found that her parents were awake. They looked tired and pale. She told them that it was time to go, and they hurriedly followed her back up on deck.

  Draymund briefly greeted her parents, but she thought that his smile was looking a little strained. He said, “Here, let me carry that,” and took Marilee’s bundle from her.

  Saxloc frowned, walked over to her, and practically snatched the bundle from her arms. She smiled and thanked him. He nodded and then pointedly looked away from her.

  They disembarked from the ship and headed toward the open gates. The wall around the city was about ten yards high and looked to be nearly three yards thick. The wall appeared to be made of dark gray stone, but Audrey couldn’t see any joints—it seemed to be all one piece. The gates were each three yards wide and five high, built from thick oak planks and reinforced with iron.

  To either side of the opening were two people that Audrey assumed were guards. They were wearing black-and-silver checkered surcoats over chainmail and had both shields and large swords. The swords were sheathed, however, and they waved the five of them through with scarcely a glance.

  They walked down a wide and straight cobblestone street lined with wood and stone buildings of all sizes and shapes. To Audrey, most
of the buildings looked fairly old. Even though it was early, there were already many people out, and they were dressed in a wide variety of fashions and colors. She spotted more city guards, noting that they seemed to travel in pairs. There was a large building visible in the distance straight ahead. She was thrilled; it looked like a castle.

  They passed a large three-story building, and it was displaying Celebern’s company’s symbol. Draymund told them that it was the Novox headquarters building. Her parents began whispering to each other, and Audrey just knew that they were plotting to get closer to Celebern. She was really enjoying herself as they walked along. She smelled bread baking and was suddenly hungry. They passed shops that sold all kinds of things, including bread, cheeses, meats, clothing, jewelry, furniture, and rugs. The Witch’s City was definitely the kind of place that Audrey had always wanted to live.

  They eventually arrived at a circular plaza in the center of the city that was about two hundred yards across. The plaza was paved with triangular, light gray stone slabs that were well-worn. There was indeed a castle in the center of the plaza, but it had looked more impressive from a distance. Up close, she could see that it was old and somewhat run-down. It was two stories high and about eighty yards square, and parts of it actually appeared to be in ruins. Draymund told them that it was called the Witch’s Castle and that it was where High Witch Ermizad resided.

  “How many witches live there?” asked Audrey, unable to restrain her curiosity.

  “Only three—Ermizad, her daughter, and her cousin. In the past, there were far more, but they became an annoyance to Andoran, and he killed most of them.”

  “Oh … I see,” Audrey replied. She was dying to ask him what a witch was, but she wasn’t about to do it in front of Saxloc.

  They walked toward the left and exited the plaza on another straight street that looked to extend all the way to the far city wall. They came to a large complex of buildings on the right with a sign that she couldn’t read, and Draymund said that it was the headquarters of the Witch’s City Guard. They turned left and walked down a smaller street. The houses there were both large and impressive-looking, but they were nothing compared to the one they finally ended up at. Draymund opened the wrought iron gate in the tall stone wall that surrounded the huge property. Audrey and her parents stopped and just stared open-mouthed.