by Kris Kramer
* * * * *
At first glance, the Honest Soldier seemed to be a slightly smaller, but more respectable place than most of the other inns in this district. It was only a short walk from their current inn, and when Iago led the group inside, they found themselves in a large common room, with a bar, and several large tables spread out, very similar to the Major’s Reward. However, this place sparkled in comparison. There was no ever-present smell of smoke and sweat, and also no blood-stains on the floor, something the Reward could not claim.
The common room was empty, except for the innkeeper standing behind the bar to the right. Iago saw two other doors besides the one they entered through, one behind the bar, probably for storage, and another on the back wall next to windows that showed a small courtyard outside. Stairs next to the back door led up to the second floor, presumably where the actual rooms were located. The place seemed quiet enough, so Iago walked up to the innkeeper, who was busy flipping through the pages of a large, leather-bound book lying on the counter. He looked up as the group approached him.
“Good day, sirs,” he said.
“We need a few rooms, if you have them,” Iago said.
“That I do. How many do you need?”
“Three.”
The innkeeper flipped through his ledger until he reached an empty page. He marked off three numbers on the blank page and then looked back up. “What name will these rooms be under?”
Iago glanced back at Galen, who stepped forward. “Galen Corovin,” he said.
The innkeeper jotted down the name with a practiced hand. “Very good. My name is Jonn and the Honest Soldier is my Inn. Let me know if you have need of anything while you’re here.”
“Well met, Jonn,” Galen said. Jonn proceeded to take the group upstairs and show them to their rooms. They split up just as before, and once they spent a few moments getting settled they all returned to the common room and found a table where they could relax for a while. As nervous as everyone felt, no one was eager to wander around the city, so they decided to spend the day entertaining themselves at the inn.
The Landers occupied their time with dice and card games, or telling stories, doing whatever they could to alleviate the boredom. Margis and Galen stayed with them for a short time before moving back upstairs to study their Air Magic notes in seclusion. Iago took part in the games briefly before retiring back to his room for some rest. The trip had taken its toll on him, both physically and mentally, and he was so overcome with worry that sleep became difficult. He hoped he could sneak in a nap before the meeting tonight so he would at least have all his wits about him, in case of any troubles.
He remembered his last encounter with Oln, over a year ago, when Oln needed him to look into a trading partner. He remembered Jonn still being here back then, but since he’d only been inside the Honest Soldier about 3 times now including today, he didn’t think Jonn recognized him. He’d always liked this place, though, and he wondered why he didn’t think of it as soon as he came into town. He figured he only thought of it as the ‘meeting spot’ and decided that actually staying there somehow lessened its importance. Regardless, under different circumstances, he could enjoy relaxing here for a week or so, even though there were far better inns to be found in other districts.
It wasn’t long after he lay down in his bed that he finally did drift off to sleep, and when he woke up, the shadows from the sunlight told him it was late afternoon already. He felt rested, a feeling he'd forgotten existed, and he was tempted to stay in bed a while longer. Another hour or two and sunset would arrive, however, bringing Oln’s people with it, so he reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and went downstairs, seeing Saalis and Hal at the table where he’d left them.
“Finally woke up, eh?” Saalis said.
Iago nodded and took a seat next to them. “Have you two been here all day?”
“Saalis slept after you did, Cap’n, but he woke up before ya’. I’ve been wanderin' around a bit, but I never went too far. And I didn’t buy anything,” Hal replied, eagerly.
“The others upstairs?” asked Iago.
“Yeah,” said Saalis.
“Jonir’s asleep, too. The Pilots,” Hal caught himself quickly, looking around to make sure the room was still empty, then continued, “the other... people are in their room writin’ some stuff.”
“Well, I guess we wait around a couple more hours. You got those dice still?”
Hal smiled and pulled them out of his pocket. The three played some simple dice games, mostly just games of chance to pass the time since they had no money to bet. As the afternoon turned to evening, a few more people entered the room, mostly men, and went upstairs to their rooms, except for two older men who took a table at the other end of the common room. Jonn showed up immediately to get them food and ale, then took his usual spot behind the bar.
Iago asked Hal to bring the others downstairs. The meeting would happen soon and he wanted all six of them present when it did. He needed a good showing, to ensure he was taken seriously, plus he felt more comfortable with everyone at his back, just in case something happened. He didn’t expect Oln or his people to turn on him without at least hearing his proposal, but it never hurt to be too safe around here.
Hal returned with Galen, Margis and Jonir, and they all took a spot at the table. They ordered food, deciding to pass the time eating. Once the food was served Galen leaned over to Iago.
“We’re meeting here?”
“Aye.”
“Is it safe to talk about this here, in public?” Galen seemed unusually worried.
Iago nodded. “It’s always been safe before. I think Oln and his people have an agreement with Jonn. When they show up for a meeting, everyone else sort of clears out.”
Galen nodded and returned to his food, although he didn’t eat much. Iago’s appetite had disappeared, too. It was hard to eat with your stomach churning from worry. He pushed his plate away and rested his elbows on the edge of the table. He laid his head in his hands and tried to think. He wanted to make sure he was prepared for anything. Galen would be able to handle the specifics of the deal, but it was up to Iago to make sure they were safe. He only hoped his trust in Beneschal and Oln were well-founded.
Saalis nudged his arm, and Iago looked up to see four people entering the Inn, a woman and three men. He straightened up, recognizing Cyara and Ballok, along with two others he didn’t know. All four stared directly back at him.
This is it, Iago thought, suddenly uncomfortable in his chair.
Cyara and Ballok came to their table while the other two took seats at a table nearby. Cyara, a pretty, middle-aged woman with long brown hair and a still-youthful face took the lead. She stopped at the edge of the table and looked everyone over carefully. Ballok, a slightly younger, well-built man, with a face that seemed frozen into a sneer, stood behind her.
“Cyara,” Iago bowed his head. “Good evening.”
Cyara smiled. “Iago. I haven’t seen you in some time.”
“I’m back for a few days. Why don’t you sit down?” Iago stood and offered her a chair at the end of the table. Cyara nodded her head in thanks and sat down. Iago motioned to another empty spot at the table and looked at Ballok. “Would you like to join us, Ballok?” Ballok walked over and took a seat, though he didn’t seem interested in being friendly.
“So, who are your friends?” Cyara asked. Iago introduced everyone else at the table in turn, starting with Galen. He gave only names though, and offered no other information. Each offered a small wave of their hand or nodded their head, but other than that no one said a word.
“Well. Now that we’ve made our introductions, perhaps you could tell us what you need? It’s been some time, but that ridiculous old beggar made this seem important.” Cyara wore a typical Anzarin long dress, light brown with yellow trim and a red shawl. She continually adjusted the shawl around her shoulders as she talked.
Iago lowered his voice. Jonn stood at t
he bar, but he kept his eyes down. The other two patrons ate quietly on the other side of the room, out of hearing range as long as no one talked loudly. “I need some help, Cyara, and Oln is the only one who can do it. We have a large supply of some very valuable items. Very powerful items, and highly illegal.”
Cyara furrowed her brow. “What are you speaking of?”
Iago leaned in close and lowered his voice to just over a whisper. “Mergoran crystals. Barrels of them.”
Cyara’s eyes opened wide and she leaned back in her chair. The sneer on Ballok’s face turned into shock as his mouth dropped open. He quickly regained his composure and leaned in. “Are you here to mock us?” he asked.
“Not at all. We have a lot of crystals but they’re untreated, and we don’t have anyone to purify them. I know Oln knows people who can do that, and if he can agree to help us here, then we can be agreeable to some kind of deal.”
Cyara and Ballok looked at each other, speechless. Finally, Cyara turned to Iago. “You know just talking about this can get us all killed. This had better be real or you’ll end up in even more trouble than you already are.”
Iago nodded. “Like I said, I’m serious. Get us a meeting with Oln, and we’ll make him very happy. But it needs to be fast.”
Cyara took a deep breath and paused for a long moment. Finally, she nodded. “Stay here, we’ll find you tomorrow and let you know. And like I said, if this is some kind of trick, then you better not show your face in this city again.”
Iago shook his head. “No trick, Cyara. This is real.”
Cyara stood up. “I hope so. Good eve to the rest of you. I hope to see you all tomorrow.” Cyara did her best to seem as cordial as possible, and she was probably one of a few people who could do it as well as she did. Ballok stood up, as did the two men at the next table.
“As do I,” Galen said. Cyara, Ballok, and their two companions left the Inn. Galen turned to Iago. “Is that it? We just wait until tomorrow?”
“That’s all we can do. If he’s interested, then they’ll come to us. But trust me, he will be interested.”