Gunnar took the string and strung the bow. Monte handed him an arrow, and Gunnar nocked it and pulled the bowstring as he aimed at the closest target. He released the bowstring and the arrow sailed through the air. It flew over the target and landed halfway to the next target.
"You are stronger than you appear," chuckled Monte.
"I must be out of practice," frowned Gunnar. "I thought I was a fair shot."
"It is the bow," offered Monte as he handed Gunnar another arrow. "Father uses a compound of selected hardwoods in his recurves. You will find that you can achieve greater distances with less effort. Try again."
Gunnar nocked the arrow and pulled back on the bowstring. He mentally gauged his degree of error from the first attempt and then released the string. The arrow sailed into the first target a hand's width above the bull's-eye.
"Try again," suggested Monte as he handed Gunnar the last arrow. "I will go get some more shafts."
Monte dashed off and returned with a full quiver of arrows. Gunnar had released the third arrow and scored a bull's-eye on the first target.
"Now you are getting the feel of the bow," nodded Monte. "Try the second target."
Gunnar shot three arrows at the second target. The first two were slightly high, but the third hit the bull's-eye. None of the shots had wavered left or right of center.
"I think your claim to be a fair shot was a humble one," remarked Monte. "You have done this before."
"A few times," grinned Gunnar as he grabbed another arrow.
"Try for the farthest target," instructed Monte, "but do not be dismayed at missing it. I purposely place that one far off to discourage braggarts from using the lane all day. I will move it forward if you wish."
"Are you saying that this bow is not capable of reaching such a distance?" Gunnar joked, expecting to see Monte revert from an instructor to a merchant anxious to hawk his wares.
"The bow is capable," Monte replied seriously. "I was merely trying to temper your expectations. Shall I demonstrate?"
Gunnar's eyebrow rose as he turned to gaze at the merchant. Slowly, he nodded and handed the bow to Monte. The young merchant grinned broadly and accepted the bow. He plucked an arrow from the quiver and nocked it. Drawing the bowstring back and releasing it almost appeared to be one fluid motion. The arrow sailed into the bull's-eye of the third target. With swift smooth motions, Monte plucked two more arrows from the quiver and sent them sailing into the bull's-eye as well. He grinned broadly and handed the bow back to Gunnar.
"My father always taught me never to do that in front of a prospective customer," he laughed, "but I somehow thought you might appreciate it."
"Appreciate it?" gawked Gunnar. "I have never seen such skill in all my life, and I have seen many a fine bowman. You should not be selling wares in a marketplace. Your skills are wasted here."
"I feel the same," nodded Monte. "I am not sure what I want to do in life, but I have already informed my father that today is my last day."
"That's right," replied Gunnar as he remembered the merchant's words from earlier. "Tomorrow is your birthday. I would like to buy you an ale in celebration if you will allow me to."
Monte hesitated as he looked at the scarlet sky. Finally, he nodded and smiled, "This day is done as far as the marketplace goes. I would not mind ending it up with a bit of celebrating. My brother will not mind taking over the stall for the last few minutes of the day."
"As long as he doesn't close the stall," chuckled Gunnar. "I want some time to haggle over the price of this bow."
"You want it then?" inquired Monte.
"I cannot leave Caxon without it," grinned Gunnar.
"You have just diminished your bargaining position," laughed Monte, "but I like you. I will give you our best price as long as you allow me to overcharge you on the arrows and quiver that you will need."
"Done," laughed Gunnar.
Monte led Gunnar back to the stall where they completed the deal. By the time they were done, Monte's brother merely had the task of closing up the stall, and he offered to do so. Monte led Gunnar to the nearest tavern where the merchant slid across the bench farthest from the door until he was next to the wall.
"A favorite seat?" Gunnar questioned as he looked around the nearly empty room and slid across the bench to sit next to Monte.
"Not really," Monte shook his head. "You appear to be a man of some traveling, certainly not a Caroomite. I want to talk to you privately about the places that you have been so that I can get some type of idea where I should go. I am not eager to have anyone hear the conversation."
"Why not?" Gunnar asked with suspicion.
"My father knows that I am leaving Caxon tomorrow," answered Monte, "but he does not know that I plan to travel farther than the borders of Caroom. I am not sure that he would approve. He thinks leaving Caroom is merely looking for trouble."
"There is some wisdom in your father's words," frowned Gunnar. "The world can be an unsafe place at times, and it is not getting any safer. I think that war will come to the Land of the Nine Kingdoms rather soon. Why don't you stay in Caroom? It is a large country and I am sure that you can find adventure within its boundaries. "
"I have been manning my father's stall for five years," answered Monte. "Over those years, I have seen many strange and interesting people come through Caxon. Each time I met an interesting person, I would end up daydreaming about what those foreign places must be like. I don't know if I can explain it, but I must travel the world. I cannot be satisfied until I have seen it all, but I do not know where to begin. Where are you from?"
Gunnar hesitated before answering. While he liked Monte a great deal, he did not know whom Monte might end up talking to.
"I have been to most places in the Land of the Nine Kingdoms," he finally answered. "While there are many interesting places to visit, there is a certain amount of danger involved, especially if you are traveling on your own. A lone traveler is often the choice of targets for bandits and others of low moral character."
"Perhaps I can travel with you?" suggested Monte. "Where are you heading?"
"I am a warrior for a merchant," Gunnar answered vaguely. "I will go wherever he decides to go."
"Does this merchant desire another warrior?" Monte asked hopefully. "I am decent with a sword, and I could defend a wagon with my bow rather well. I could even help him with his sales. I do have skills as a merchant."
"He is not looking for any more help," Gunnar shook his head as the serving woman arrived.
Gunnar ordered a pitcher of ale and two mugs, and the woman soon reappeared with them.
"I thought you would be more helpful," Monte said with obvious disappointment.
"You don't want to travel with me," Gunnar stated. "I seem to be a magnet for trouble. I think you would do fine being a warrior with a merchant, but with a different one."
"That is not much help," sighed Monte. "Most of the merchants who travel through Caxon are from Capri, and they always seem to have enough warriors with them. There are never any openings. I suppose I will just have to go off on my own."
"That is not wise," Gunnar said strongly. "That is almost an offer that the bandits cannot refuse. Bide your time and wait for the right opportunity."
The door opened and a hooded man stepped into the room. The stranger caught Gunnar's attention because the day was fair, and there was little need for a head covering.
"Would traveling with you be more dangerous than me traveling alone?" inquired Monte.
"Both are dangerous," Gunnar replied as he watched the stranger cross the room and sit opposite another customer at a table not far away.
"Would you at least recommend to your merchant that he let me ride along with him for protection?" asked Monte. "It will be as if he were getting an extra warrior, but he would not have to pay me for my services."
As the stranger turned to order something from the woman, the torch on the wall highlighted his face. Gunnar inhaled sharply when he recognized the
face of Prince Zinan, but Monte did not appear to notice.
"I am disappointed," Monte said. "I know that I had no right to expect that you might allow me to travel with you, but I had not expected such stout rejection. I thought you might at least put in a good word for me."
Monte wore a hat that was quite popular with the hunters of Caroom. It was not a hat that Gunnar considered fashionable, but he grabbed it off Monte's head and placed it on his own. He pulled it down over his eyebrows just before Prince Zinan turned around. The prince's eyes swept over the other patrons in the room, but he saw nothing that alarmed him. Gunnar intended to keep it that way no matter what the cost. He was unwilling to be noticed by the mage in a public place where he could not properly respond to the danger.
"My hat!" scowled Monte. "Are you now trying to make fun of me? Slide out and let me up. I think the time has come for us to part company."
"Be quiet," whispered Gunnar. "Let me wear your hat, and I will speak to my merchant about your traveling with us."
"I don't think so," Monte shook his head. "I think you are toying with me, and I am not so desperate that I have to put up with such behavior. If I must travel the world alone, so be it. I am not afraid of what awaits me. I can probably travel much faster alone in any event. I could probably be in Tarent before you reached Laborg."
The thought of Monte ending up in Borunda greatly disturbed Gunnar. He liked the Caroomite a great deal and did not want to see him gobbled up in the Borundan army.
"Alright," Gunnar said softly, "I will make you a deal. If you sit here and talk softly until I give you leave to do otherwise, I will allow you to travel with us. Is it a deal?"
"Now you are going to let me ride with the merchant?" Monte asked with a mixture of hope and suspicion. "How is it that you can now speak for the merchant who hired you?"
"He respects my judgment," answered Gunnar, his eyes never leaving Prince Zinan. "I will even give you my wages of one silver a day. Will you accept?"
"If you are serious," Monte said cautiously, "I readily accept, but if you are toying with me, I urge you to end it now, as a man of honor would."
"I am serious," replied Gunnar. "I do not mind telling you that my words of caution before were not idle ones. Trouble does have a way of following me. I hope my actions here will not result in your untimely death."
"I am prepared to accept that risk," grinned Monte. "When do we leave?"
Gunnar watched the hooded man rise and exit the room. He sighed with relief that Prince Zinan had not recognized him. Until he had the knowledge of what the Talent was doing with him, he knew that he had to avoid a confrontation with the Borundan prince.
"We leave tomorrow," Gunnar answered as he returned Monte's hat. "Do you know that man?" he added in a whisper as he pointed at the man Prince Zinan had met with.
"I cannot tell by staring at his back," shrugged Monte. "Let me go talk to him."
"No," objected Gunnar. "Let us go outside. Try to get a look at the man's face as we leave, but do not speak to him."
Monte nodded and they both slid off the bench and exited the building. Gunnar's eyes immediately scanned the street looking for any sign of Prince Zinan, while Monte glanced back while closing the door to gaze upon the customer's face.
"I know him," Monte said softly after he had closed the door.
"Be silent and come with me," ordered Gunnar. "We must talk in private, and you should meet your new master."
Gunnar led Monte through the marketplace to the Rose and Thorn. They entered the common room and saw Horst sitting alone at a table. He appeared bored out of his mind and was instantly pleased to see Gunnar arrive. When he realized that Gunnar had someone with him, he became very cautious. Gunnar and Monte did not sit down at the table, and Horst rose with a questioning gaze at the newcomer.
"We will talk in the room," Gunnar said softly. "Monte will be riding with us."
Horst nodded and relaxed somewhat, but his hand never strayed far from the hilt of his sword as he led the way up the stairs and into the room. Kerzi was sitting on the bed making strokes in a journal he looked up with surprise as the three men entered the room.
"This is Monte," introduced Gunnar. "He is the best archer I have ever laid eyes on. I promised that he could travel with us. Monte, your new boss is Kerzi, and my partner is Horst."
"Is this wise, Gunnar?" asked Kerzi. "You yourself have stressed the danger you bring to our travels."
"I did try to talk Monte out of it," shrugged Gunnar, "but he is determined. At least with us he may have a chance to survive for a while. There is another development that worries me, and I need to discuss it with Monte. Bear with me. Monte, who was that man?"
"He is a delivery man," answered Monte. "His name is Asgar."
"What does he deliver and to whom?" asked Gunnar.
"He will deliver to anyone," answered Monte, "but mostly he runs provisions up to the palace. When the army purchases supplies from my father, we usually send them up with him. Why are you asking these questions about him? Do you know him?"
"I do not know him," answered Gunnar, "but I do know the man he met with while we were talking. Unless I am missing the mark, Asgar is working for the Borundan government."
"Are you sure?" asked Horst.
"I am positive," nodded Gunnar. "I know the Borundan that he met with. He is the same man who organized the attack on me in Capri."
Chapter 13
Asgar
The four men in the room at the Rose and Thorn Inn sat silently staring at one another. Neither Kerzi nor Monte knew who Gunnar was talking about, but Horst knew that his friend had just seen Prince Zinan of Borunda. The implications of the dark prince's presence in Caxon were disturbing.
"Monte," Horst broke the silence, "I need a guide through the streets of Caxon. Can you take me to the tavern where you and Gunnar were drinking?"
"What do you have in mind?" Gunnar asked with suspicion.
"Worry not, my friend," smiled Horst. "I am not going to bring dishonor to my family on the streets of Caxon. I want to find out the purpose of the Borundan's visit to Caroom. I can do so without setting off any alarms. Besides, I need to get to know our new fellow traveler, and Kerzi has something to discuss with you. It is just a reasonable use of time for all of us."
"I will guide you," offered Monte. "If Asgar is not still there, I know the circles in which he travels."
Horst nodded and stripped off his sheath and placed his scimitar on the bed. There were several parcels wrapped in paper on the bed, and Horst picked one up and unwrapped it. Gunnar's eyebrows rose as the paper was unwrapped to reveal another scimitar and a pair of cross-wrapped sheaths. Horst slipped the two sheaths over his head and shoved the two scimitars into them.
"I see that you have made good use of your wages in the marketplace," Gunnar nodded in appreciation at the crossed scimitars.
"I could not resist," grinned Horst. "Let us go, Monte."
"Be careful," Gunnar called after the two men as they left the room.
"You attract people to your side as an uncouth man gathers lovers," Kerzi said softly. "Is it wise to be bringing Monte into our group?"
"Probably not," sighed Gunnar, "but he was bound and determined to leave Caroom on his own if I refused. He is a good man, Kerzi. I can feel it, and you know what would happen to him alone on the road."
"Aye," nodded the merchant, "but is he aware of what may befall him with our group?"
"I did my best to dissuade him," answered Gunnar. "I figured he would be safer with us at least until we reach Kyland. Perhaps he will find something or someone that interests him there."
"Then we shall be four," Kerzi shrugged in acceptance. "I picked up something for you in the marketplace. It is a small token of appreciation for your service in guarding my wares and me. Open it."
Gunnar's gaze fell to the two extremely long paper-wrapped packages on the bed and frowned. "I see nothing small before me," he said. "Which one do I open?"
&n
bsp; "Either," smiled Kerzi. "They are one and the same."
Gunnar reached for the closest package and was surprised by its weight. Once the package was in his hands, he could feel the shape of the object and his eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Stop fondling it and open it," laughed Kerzi.
Gunnar ripped off the paper to reveal a long two-handed sword. He gripped the sword to get its feel and a wide grin spread across his face.
"You should not have, Kerzi," Gunnar said with a lump in his throat. "This sword makes my services rather expensive to you. It must have cost a fortune."
"It did," chuckled Kerzi, "but what is a man's life worth? You have been more than a warrior to me. In addition to saving my life, you have brought me more profit than I normally see in months. I wanted to give you something that you would find useful."
"It is perfect," smiled Gunnar. "How could you even choose something that sits in my hands so well?"
"Horst helped me pick it out," explained the merchant. "He was very fastidious in making the merchant show every sword he had. I think we drove the poor merchant out of his mind. The other package is a back sheath"
Gunnar placed the sword on the bed and embraced the merchant.
"I do not know how to express my appreciation," Gunnar said with a tear in his eye as he hugged the old man.
"You just did," smiled Kerzi. "You have become to me the son that I never had, Gunnar. I may not know your real name, and I know that someday you will leave and never come back, but I will treasure you while we are together. Whoever your real father is, you must make him very proud."
"I would like to think that I do," Gunnar smiled tautly as he released the old man. "Perhaps someday I can introduce you to him."
"I would like that," smiled Kerzi. "I would like that very much."
* * *
Monte led Horst to the tavern where he had been with Gunnar. Asgar was no longer there, and they left promptly. For the next two hours, Monte led Horst on a tour of the nightlife of Caxon. Neither Asgar nor the hooded man was found in any of the taverns. As they were returning to the Rose and Thorn, Monte gently grabbed Horst's arm and nodded towards a man emerging from one of the inns. Horst halted and watched as the man left the inn and proceeded into the inn next door.
Search for Audric Page 15