The Ruins on Stone Hill (Heroes of Ravenford Book 1)

by F. P. Spirit

  Maltar

  In the doorway stood a man garbed in deep purple robes

  The next morning, Glo, Seth, Aksel, and Lloyd met in the common room as planned. During breakfast, a number of folks entered and exited the tavern, many smiling and nodding to them. Two even called out, “Good job!” and “Nicely done!”

  Lloyd wore a confused expression. “I wonder what that’s all about.”

  “Word of your exploits has gotten around town.” Kailay approached their table with a pitcher in hand.

  Glo found that hard to believe. “Already?”

  The barmaid smiled at him as she refilled their mugs. “It’s a small town. News travels quickly.”

  “What are they saying?” Aksel asked.

  She gave them a coy smile, mostly aimed at Lloyd. “Not much—just that you took down about fifty orc bandits along with a giant, and saved the caravan from Tarrsmorr.”

  Seth’s lips formed into a half twisted smile. “A giant, huh? Are you sure it was only one? I seem to recall two…or three.”

  “Everyone looks like a giant to you,” Glo retorted.

  Seth turned toward him and without missing a beat said, “Well, at least my trigger finger didn’t freeze up.”

  Glo gave the halfling an acid look.

  Aksel stepped in, staring first at one then the other. “Okay, okay, that’s enough, you two.” When neither replied, he turned back to Kailay. “It was more like twenty, and one was really huge. We were just happy to help.”

  Kailay put down the pitcher and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t care if there were giants or not. You four are heroes, and the whole town is talking about it.” Her attention swept across each one, her eyes finally settling on the handsome warrior. “Now that that’s settled…is there anything else I can get you?”

  “No, thank you,” they all responded.

  “Okay.” Kailay turned and slowly walked away, her curls swaying behind her. “If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen,” she called over her shoulder, flashing Lloyd one of her delightful smiles.

  Seth folded his arms, a smug smile crossing his lips. “Sounds like we have a reputation already.”

  Aksel nodded. “I say we take advantage of it. Seth, why don’t you poke around town and find out what’s going on in the area.”

  Lloyd pushed back from the table, stretched and yawned. He patted his stomach, now full of pancakes, eggs, and potatoes. “While he’s doing that, I need to get in my morning exercise.”

  Glo also had things to do. In particular, he needed ingredients for his spells. Aside from a caster’s will, spells required two or three physical triggers to manifest them. The first trigger was the arm and hand motions, the second the spoken word, and the third a symbol representing the spell’s effect. For example, the sleep spell he used required a fine pinch of sand. Maybe I’ll check out Pheldan’s. Xelda might even be there. He brushed any remaining crumbs from his robe and stood up. “I’m headed down to the shops. I could check to see if anyone knows anything.”

  Aksel wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. “And I’ll check out that temple we saw up on the hill. Let’s meet back here for lunch.” Everyone agreed.

  The rest of them got up, left a nice tip, and went their separate ways.

  It was around noon when the small company met back at the Charging Minotaur. Seth had checked out the two other taverns in town—Falcon’s down by the docks, and the Tavern of the Winds a few blocks over. He discovered that any trouble in the area was usually brought before the baron during town meetings held up at the keep. The meetings were open to everyone and were held every few days, but the next one wasn’t until three days from now. Still, he had heard rumors of strange happenings in the area, including the caravan attacks, trouble at the farms north of here, and folks disappearing in the woods to the southwest.

  Meanwhile, Aksel investigated the temple and met with the town Abbot, one Qualtan Berric. The Abbot had already heard of their exploits and alluded to the fact that he was good friends with both the baron and the baroness. He told Aksel he would introduce them if the occasion arose. While there, Aksel was given permission to setup a shrine to his gnomish goddess, the Soldenar. He spent the rest of the morning doing so in the small alcove allotted to him.

  Lloyd had worked up a healthy appetite after a fierce workout in the clearing behind the inn. The young man had an audience as both Kailay and Morwen took turns watching him sweat. Kailay even brought him a towel when he finished. It turned out that the young woman was also a pretty good source of knowledge. She told Lloyd all about the town meetings and the same rumors Seth had heard while he was drying off.

  Glo had gone to Pheldan’s shop as planned. It turned out the old half-elf did indeed have a small area where he kept spell ingredients. Xelda had studied the basics of magic with the town wizard, Maltar, and ever since, Pheldan kept those ingredients in stock. Glo had spent most of the morning talking with Xelda and thus learned more about the irritable Maltar. He had also heard the rumors.

  Seth rapped the table impatiently with his fingers. “What do we do for now?”

  Glo wondered the same thing. “Well we’ve already taken care of the caravan problem. That leaves the farms north of here, or the woods to the south.”

  Lloyd chimed in eagerly. “I’m up for either.”

  Seth stared around the table, his expression incredulous. “Without being paid for it?”

  Aksel faced the halfling. “Much as it would benefit us to be paid for our work, we could still poke around the farms or the woods to see what’s going on.”

  Seth cocked his head, as if thinking it over, then sighed. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt our reputation any.”

  Aksel opened his mouth to reply when the tavern door swung open. The room abruptly went silent, everyone turning to stare at the entrance.

  Glo’s back was to the door. “What’s going on?” he whispered to the others. When none of them answered, he gazed over his shoulder toward the door.

  In the doorway stood a man garbed in deep purple robes. He had short-cropped hair and a thin beard under a determined chin. Both were dark colored but with vague hints of grey. There was an air of power about the man that practically screamed the word mage. His sharp eyes scanned the room, abruptly stopping when they found Glo and his companions. The mage paused as if mentally evaluating the little group, then walked over toward them.

  Glo leaned in close to the others. “That must be the town wizard. Careful. He can be touchy.”

  Maltar reached their table and stopped. His dark eyes scanned across each of them in turn. “An elf, a gnome, a halfling, and a human. You must be the band that rescued the caravan yesterday.”

  Aksel nodded. “Indeed we are. And you are…”

  The man’s lips upturned slightly followed by a short humph. “You are obviously not from around here. I am the Wizard Maltar—and I need some work done, immediately.”

  If nothing else, this Maltar is to the point.

  Aksel leaned forward. “And what can we do for you?”

  Maltar’s eyes lifted and he gazed around the room; Glo followed suit. Everyone was staring at them, those closest quite obviously straining to hear what they were saying. The mage glared at the nosey patrons, causing them to blanch and turn away. Satisfied that any onlookers were warned off, Maltar leaned in close and began his story.

  “There is a scroll of moderate importance that I would like to have for my collection. My sources tell me that it has come to reside in the former keep at Stone Hill, in the woods southwest of here. I do not have the time to search the place right now, thus the need for hired help such as yourselves. I do not expect you to find the scroll, but could usea good map of the keep for later. I will pay 500 gold for you to scout out the area and provide me with such a map.”

  “And what
if we do find the scroll?” Seth eyed the wizard with caution.

  Maltar responded with that same humph. “If you are able to find the scroll and return it to me in pristine condition, I will reward you with 5,000 gold.”

  Glo raised an eyebrow. He glanced at his companions and saw a glint in Seth’s eye. Aksel’s hand went to his chin, but was otherwise silent. Lloyd’s expression had not changed; he appeared just as eager as before the wizard’s offer.

  “So what say you?” Maltar shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glared at them.

  Aksel looked around the table. Glo nodded his agreement, as did Lloyd and Seth. Aksel turned back to the mage. “Done.”

  “Very good.” He pulled a small pouch from his belt and dropped it on the table. It made a metallic clinking noise as it landed. “There’s a small down payment. When you have the map, or the scroll, bring it to me at my house, and you will get the rest.” With that, Maltar spun on his heel, and left the tavern.

  Seth reached for the pouch. “Agreeable fellow there.”

  Aksel was quick to respond. “Agreeable or not, we can do this job and check out those woods at the same time.”

  Seth opened the pouch and dumped the contents onto the table—a small pile of gold coins. He began to count them.

  “The two might even be related,” Glo mused aloud.

  “Well, I’m up for it either way.” Lloyd stretched his large frame and flexed his arms to emphasize the point.

  “200 gold here,” Seth told them.

  Glo glanced from the halfling to the pile on the table. “That was quick.”

  Seth shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a fast counter.”

  Aksel stroked his chin as if deep in thought. “Well, if we’re all agreed, I think we’ll need a few more hands to pull this off. We’ll definitely need someone who knows the area, who can lead us to this Stone Hill.” He paused a moment. “And another warrior wouldn’t hurt either. No offense, Lloyd, but good as you are, you are only one man.”

  “None taken,” Lloyd responded evenly, “as long as there are enough monsters to go around.” All eyes turned to him. Lloyd sat there with a broad grin on his face.

  Glo chuckled. “Seth, I think you’re beginning to rub off on him.”

  The halfling gave a short closed-mouth laugh. “What can I say? I just have that effect on people.”

  Aksel glanced at Seth. “Okay then, we’ll need provisions and horses. Actually, riding dogs for you and me. You and Lloyd go see to that. Meanwhile, Glo and I will search out a guide.”

  Seth nodded, not taking his eyes off the pile of coins in front of him. He had split it in two, and now pushed the smaller pile across the table toward Aksel. “You’re probably going to need this.”

  “More than likely,” Aksel agreed. He pulled an empty pouch from his belt and started to fill it.

  Meanwhile, Seth pocketed the rest of the coins and pushed back his chair. “Come on, big guy,” he said to Lloyd. The tall warrior got up, nodded to Aksel and Glo, then followed the halfling out of the tavern.

  Aksel had just finished stowing the coins away when Kailay came over to them. “Did I just see the Wizard Maltar at your table?” she said in a hushed voice.

  Glo responded to her question with a question. “Why do you ask?”

  She leaned down close, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. “We never see him in here. He mostly hides in his house. Occasionally he’ll head up to the castle, but that’s rare. Usually only if the baron calls for him.” She briefly glanced around then continued. “You see, the baron and Maltar used to be good friends. They adventured together before they settled here, but they must have had some kind of falling out a couple of years ago. Maltar had a tower in the keep, but after that moved into his own house. He and the baron almost never talk anymore.”

  Aksel’s eyes fell on Glo. “Interesting.”

  “Indeed.” Glo had heard some of this from Xelda already, but not all. He turned back to Kailay. “Thank you for the information.”

  Kailay stood back up, a satisfied smile on her face. “You are most welcome.”

  This young woman appeared to know quite a lot about what went on in the town. It gave Glo an idea. “By the way, you wouldn’t by chance know where we could find a guide?”

  Kailay’s face took on a quizzical expression. “You mean a tracker?”

  Glo grinned. The girl was smart. “Exactly.”

  Kailay pursed her lips as she thought about it. She bent close once again and nudged her head toward a booth by the fireplace. “See those two over there, the thin one with the dark hair and the tall blonde woman?”

  Glo and Aksel turned their heads, glancing in the direction Kailay pointed out. In a booth to the right of the hearth sat a dark-haired man in a brown leather outfit and a tall woman with blonde hair wearing a red cloak. Her chainmail-covered arms protruded from under the cloak as she raised her glass.

  “That is Brundon and Titan. Brundon is a tracker. He’s only been around a year or so, but he seems to know the area quite well. Titan grew up here. There’s no one in town better with a sword except the captain of the guard, or maybe the baron himself.”

  Glo was impressed. This woman was indeed an excellent source of knowledge about the town and its occupants. He reached into his pocket and handed her a few copper coins. “Thank you very much, Kailay.”

  Kailay stood back up and curtsied. “You’re very welcome.” She pocketed the coins, then gathered up their dishes. As she walked back to the kitchen, she glanced back over her shoulder and flashed Glo a shy smile.

  The young woman was positively delightful. On the surface she may appeared all bubbly and flirty, but underneath it all she had a keen mind. She was not at all like the girls he had known back home. Neither was Xelda for that matter. She was witty and smart with an appreciation for magic. Meeting the two was an eye opener for Glo. Prior to leaving home, he had led a rather sheltered life. Privately tutored, he had only met girls at social functions. Those he did meet tended to be superficial, with little awareness of anything that mattered. Neither Kailay nor Xelda were like that. Both women showed interest in the world around them. For the first time Glo saw how an elf could end up with a human or half-elf.

  Aksel pushed back his chair. “Shall we then?” Glo wondered if his friend had any inkling of his thoughts, but Aksel’s expression was unreadable.

  Aksel, with Glo at his side, went over to meet the duo Kailay pointed out. The pair conversed softly, but stopped as the companions approached. The dark-haired man was tall and lean with a slim face, a hawk-like nose, and a thin beard and moustache. The woman appeared even taller, perhaps the size of Lloyd, with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms under her form-fitting chainmail. Her dirty blonde hair was braided on the sides and down the center in a warrior-like fashion. Impressive, he thought, feeling almost intimidated as the blonde woman’s eyes took him in with mild interest.

  “Good day to you,” the woman said.

  “Good day to you.” Aksel gave a cordial bow. “May we join you?”

  The lean man looked them over. “A gnome and an elf. Don’t see that every day. Sure, have a seat.” He got up and slid into the seat next to the tall woman. Aksel and Glo sat down opposite them.

  “My name’s Brundon, and this here’s my friend Titan.”

  “I’m Aksel, and this is Glolindir.”

  “A gnome and an elf,” Brundon repeated. “You must be with that group that saved the caravan yesterday.”

  Aksel nodded. “Yes, that was us; Glo and I and our other two companions.”

  Titan turned her steely blue eyes on Glo. “That was some nice work. Rumor has it that you’ve got a warrior with you who mowed down at least twenty orcs.”

  The corner of Glo’s lips upturned slightly. “That might be just a bit exagge
rated.”

  A thin smile spread across Brundon’s face. “We kind of guessed that already. Folks around here love to stretch their stories. It keeps them entertained.” He emphasized the last word, his voice taking on a mocking tone.

  Titan gave her companion a sidelong glance. She did not appear thrilled with his attitude. “Either way, I’d love to meet this fellow you travel with.”

  “Well, that could be arranged,” Aksel told her. This young woman was refreshing; she seemed genuine and straightforward, despite being a tad intimidating. Aksel found the half-truths and deceptions most people engaged in a waste of time. “In fact, the reason we sought you out is because we have another job—one with which we could use some help.”

  A spark lit in Titan’s eyes; she leaned forward with an eager smirk on her face. She was about to speak, when Brundon put up his hand. Titan stopped, her mouth hanging open. She fixed her partner with a cool stare, then sat back and crossed her arms.

  Brundon looked down at his fingertips and inspected his nails, as if totally disinterested. “A job you say? What does it entail?”

  Aksel was no novice to negotiations. He had seen it all before in the markets at Caprizon. What Brundon was doing was a fairly standard tactic to drive up his price. Aksel kept his expression impassive. “It’s not a hard job. We merely need someone to lead us to Stone Hill.”

  Brundon looked up, his expression remaining neutral. “Stone Hill, you say? Why would you possibly want to go there?”

  Aksel did not answer immediately. He was certain Brundon knew the job was for Maltar. The entire room had seen the wizard talking with them. He cast a quick glance at Glo. The elf sat back, his fingers in a steeple, barely hiding the slight smile on his lips. Glo wasn’t buying this act either. Aksel almost laughed, but caught himself. He didn’t trust this Brundon and would only tell him what was absolutely necessary. “We were contracted to map out the old abandoned keep up there. So do you know the area?”