"Welcome back," Azalea said, smacking his shoulder again. "You've been all silent and brooding since we set out this morning. Dao has been trying to speak to me about boring things--"
"Hey, I'm walking right behind you, you know!"
"--And the little imp wandered off as soon as the village came into sight. As annoying as he can be, trading insults is at least entertaining. But now he is gone and I'm bored. Talk to me!" Azalea put a little whimper in her voice, but her mood was flowing to Ean through their bond and it felt like laughter. However, unless he was mistaken, a trace of nervousness was coming through as well.
"And what should we talk about," Ean replied as he tried to figure out what Azalea was feeling.
"Tell me about Rensen. Zin mentioned you were quite the hero the last time you were here. Something about raiders. Did you fight them? Scare them off?"
"It wasn't anything like that. I helped take care of the people who were injured in the raid. I wasn't even involved in any of the fighting."
"Really? I thought Zin mentioned you foolishly tried to save someone?"
"Oh, well there was this girl Paige . . . "
"A girl? Now things are getting interesting. Go on."
"There isn't that much to tell. Paige was a waitress at the local inn. We had spent some time together earlier in the day--"
"And what did you two do during this time?" Dao jumped in. His face remained hidden behind his scarf.
"That's none . . . we were just . . . " Ean could feel his face heating up.
"Oh, now it’s getting really interesting!" Azalea laughed.
"We just talked--"
"Liar!" Azalea circled him as they continued into town. "You've been keeping things from me! My little Ean is not as innocent as I thought."
"Azalea, enough." Ean's face felt like it was on fire. It didn't help that they had started to pass by buildings with people moving about outside. "You're making a scene."
"From the stories you've told,” Dao cut in, “we should be receiving a hero's welcome. After spending a few days in your home, eating those weird slugs, I wouldn’t mind a bit of pampering."
"Dao I don't want a lot of attention . . . "
"Ladies and gentlemen of Rensen!” Dao leapt onto a stack of crates piled up against a nearby home. “Ean Sangrave, who saved so many of your lives not even a year ago, has returned!"
"Dao!"
But it was too late. People were walking over.
"This isn't the Ean I remember," a man said. "He was a scrawny boy, all arms and legs."
"And shorter as well. Not by much, but you don't grow that much in a couple of seasons."
"The hair seems right," a younger woman said, running a hand through his hair. "Although it was much more unkempt."
"Stop it." Ean shooed the people away. "I wasn't that much smaller."
"Now, that voice I do recognize!" one of the men said. "A young man's tone, with a hint of a whine."
"I do not whine." This was not going well.
"Just joking with you," the man said, slapping Ean on the back. "You must not recognize me. I'm one of the men that found you in the alley. The name's Ven. Sound familiar?"
"Yes." The name was familiar, but Ean didn't recognize the face. The man was as plain as could be from the way his dark brown hair was cut, his features, down to the simple clothes he wore. "You and another man took me to see the village Healer."
"Yes! The other man was named Charles. He was a good friend of mine. Been missing since last season. Sad that."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. He seemed nice."
"He was, he was.” Ven shook his head and stared at the ground.
"Yes . . . well . . . if you'll excuse us . . . "
"What? Oh yes, of course. I'm sure you have things to do. Are you going to see the Healer? Are you staying a few days? You really should. There are a lot of people that didn't have the chance to buy you a thank-you drink the last time you were here."
"We're actually just passing through--"
"No, you have to stay, at least, for dinner."
"My son is still alive thanks to you," another man said.
"And my father."
"My husband would have lost his leg if it wasn't for you."
Almost a dozen people had gathered around them now, and more were making their way over to see what was going on. This was not what Ean had wanted. He hadn't even expected this many people to remember him. All he had wanted was to avoid being recognized, have a nice meal, and get one night in a bed before they had five or six days of travel on the road to Lurthalan. No chance of that now. He wanted to strangle Dao for bringing all of this attention on them.
"Alright, alright." Ean raised his hands in a calming gesture. "A hot meal and a night in some comfy beds would be good before we continue on."
"Great!" Dao chimed in. He placed an arm around Ven's shoulder. "How about you and your welcoming committee lead us on towards the inn. The sooner we can get our hero fed the better, right?"
"Uh, absolutely. Right this way."
With Dao still hanging on his shoulder, Ven lead them into the village.
Not much had changed in the few seasons since Ean had last been in Rensen. It was a small community, slightly larger than Rottwealth, of mostly single story wooden buildings packed together. The inn peaked out over the houses near the center of the village, but it was far from the largest building. Two other buildings in town were so large they made the homes look like sheds in comparison.
The first was a large three-story building down a street to the right that they were just passing. Its wooden walls had a multitude of windows on each floor, although the inside sat dark. Ean had no idea what the building was used for. The last time he had been in the village, it had been a bastion of light and activity in one night. When he had visited it the following morning, though, it had appeared just as dead as it did now. Paige had mentioned something about it being the loggers’ barracks, but Ean had no idea why loggers wouldn't just go home for the evening after they had finished working.
The second building, and by far the most interesting thing in Rensen because of what it held inside, was the timber mill. Sitting in the middle of a clearing on the north side of town, the timber mill was a large rectangular building made of solid log pieces. On one side, sat a two-story door with a square opening just as tall and wide above it. The mill was supposed to be the heart of the village, producing massive amounts of lumber and material for craftsman that was then transported all over Ven Khilada. But it wasn't men that worked the lumber in the mill. It was a giant Vithalos, the first one Ean had ever seen. At least the part of it he did see. The wooden construct’s hand could have engulfed him when he had seen it, and it had easily picked up a log that had taken a few strong Taruun to carry into the village. Ean had seen a few other Vithalos since, most a fraction of the size and made of either metal or stone, but he would love to see the one in Rensen one day. Maybe when he passed back through after he had handled this business in the Deadlands, he could make use of his positive reputation to see it.
Men and women of all ages came up to thank him as they walked for healing them after the raider attack or for helping a relative. Some just wanted to offer a pat on the back. Others promised gifts later on if he stuck around: a pie or cake for his travels, a woodcarving or piece of copper jewelry, or a new set of boots or other article of clothing. Ean thanked them all for the offers and tried to say the gifts were unnecessary. He even tried to explain that it had just been fortuitous that he had a large supply of Rottwealth and could heal so many people so well. Without his supply of the powerful healing agent, there would have been a lot more casualties, so it was the plant–more than his skill–that was owed the thanks. The people ignored him. And all the while, the feeling of apprehension he felt from Azalea grew.
By the time they reached the inn, the small group of villagers following them had doubled. Azalea had slipped away. He felt her nearby, waves of apprehension flowing through
their connection. Ean could only shake his head. She must not have thought that so many people would want to see him. If she couldn't get a hold of her phobia with a group of this size, she would be a mess once they reached the large city of Lurthalan. They should have worked together on it in Rottwealth and its small population, but Rensen was also a small village and would be a good starting point to help her move on from it. He sent her as much support as he could through the bond and hoped she would join them. Then he turned his attention back to Ven.
"Can't wait to see the reaction you get inside," Ven said, walking up to the front doors of the inn. "Plenty of people enjoying a hot meal at this time of day. And the majority of them either people you've helped or family of those you saved.”
Ean just nodded as he walked past him and into the inn. Once he was through the doors, the noise of a packed common room filled his ears. Tables littered the middle of the room, each one had at least two people if not more sitting around it with a plate of food and a mug in front of them. The bar at the back was full as well, a woman behind it who was socializing and passing out drinks. A few serving girls moved about, being just as social as the woman behind the bar. They lingered at tables after dropping off a fresh mug, sometimes even pulling up a free chair for a few moments. The general atmosphere seemed friendly and even those that were clearly deep into their drink acted respectfully towards the servers. Glancing around, Ean didn't spot the one waitress he was hoping to see.
"Aww, don't see your fling?" Azalea said, siding up to him from out of nowhere. She had tried to sound condescending, but her face was taut and her eyes were scanning the room.
"That's not . . . " he began to lie, but stopped. The Yulari would know whatever he said was a lie. Blasted bond.
"Not to worry, I'm not jealous. If you want me to go . . . "
"No, stay." He took Azalea's hand. "I need you here."
"Of course you do!" She squeezed his hand back and some of the tension left her face.
The relief and gratitude that flowed through their bond made him smile.
"Make sure when they start passing out the free food and drink," Dao said, moving past them, "that you send some my way as well."
"You're not--"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Ven yelled, interrupting him. "We have an important guest!"
It only took a few moments for the crowd to quiet down and every eye to turn on Ean.
"I present to you Ean . . . um what was your last name?"
"Sangrave."
"Ean Sangrave, the man who along with Mable saved so many of our loved ones. Should we show him a proper welcome from the people of Rensen?"
A yell went up from the crowd and before Ean knew it he was mobbed by people. They herded him to a nearby table, his feet barely touching the ground. He held on to Azalea's hand, not letting her go as the mass of people pressed in on them. Before he could even open his mouth, he found himself sitting in a chair, a mug of what smelled like burnbeer and a plate of some kind of cooked meat sitting in front of him. A seat and food was brought for Azalea as well. Eight or nine people had pulled up chairs around his table. A table only large enough to comfortably accommodate four or five. Shoulders pressed against his sides and men and women crowded around his back. If he hadn't spent the last three seasons in the confines of the mine, he might have been felt claustrophobic at that point. Instead, he was overwhelmed by the show of thanks.
It felt like the entire village vied for his attention to express their gratitude for what he had done. At first, Ean tried to brush it off, but after a while he gave up and let the people say their piece. After receiving such a cold reception in Rottwealth, he found it nice to receive some appreciation for a change. The people of Rensen were friendly and he enjoyed being around people that didn't judge or fear him.
Azalea held his hand the entire time. She remained silent, ignoring anyone that came up and tried to talk or flirt with her. Whenever the crowd pressed in on them, she would lean in close to Ean, her hand tightening its grip on his. Ean made sure he caught her eyes and smiled, trying to reassure her as much as he could. If anyone tried to push in-between them, Ean made sure to politely ask them to back up. By the time Ean finished his meal, which took a bit of time with only one free hand, Azalea felt a tiny bit more at ease. It was only a small change, but Ean counted it as a win. As the light outside faded with the setting sun, Ean found himself laughing and enjoying himself and even heard the occasional laugh from the Yulari.
Everything was going extremely well. Too well for his luck.
Which was why he wasn't surprised when he heard the front doors bang open and a hush slowly settled over the crowd. He couldn't see who had entered through the crowd, but by the look on most of the faces he, it was someone that didn't instill a lot of happiness. Well, if it was someone who caused the people of Rensen any kind of unhappiness, he would put them in their place. He wasn't the nervous young man he had been the last time and he would use his power and strength to defend the people that had shown him a town's worth of friendliness.
Standing, Ean tried to find the cause of the village's sudden worry. His eyes fell on a woman with intense green eyes. Her gaze paused on Ean for a moment, then swept across the room.
Ean dropped back down into his seat. He had seen the woman before. Seen the pure white leather armor and the golden sigil of Alistar emblazoned on its chest.
A Seeker.
Chapter 12
A heavy weight settled deep in Ean’s stomach. It couldn't be coincidence that a Seeker had shown up at the exact same time that he had made it into town. The question was, had she somehow sensed him or had she been drawn by the Scar he had accidentally created? Could she sense him now? The heavy feeling in his gut sank deeper. Ean released the small amount of energy that he always kept at the ready. As soon as it was gone, he felt exhausted. Weak. He remembered how three Seekers had been able to take down a Crux. Killed it as quickly as he could squash a fly.
The Seeker that walked through the door was a reminder that he still didn’t understand everything he was capable of doing. He might stand a chance against her if things went bad. But at the moment, without the confidence the power of the Abyss provided him, he felt practically defenseless.
Besides, a fight in a crowded common room would lead to people being hurt. Or worse, the use of his power would infect others with its energy. He had already seen what that energy could do to a normal person. There was no way he was going to risk that with the people of Rensen.
"Of course," Ven whispered. The man had stayed around Ean the entire time. "We're having a good night of merriment and a Seeker has to show up. The gods certainly have a dark sense of humor."
"Ven, I need to get out of here."
"It's not that bad, Ean. I'm sure she will just question a few of us, perform her little test, and move on. Then we can get back to--"
"It won't be that simple. I think she is looking for me."
"What? Why would she--"
"Ven, listen, I can't explain it, but I'm sure she is looking for me."
"Oh . . . that means . . . " he leaned in closer, "you've been touched by the Abyss?"
"In a matter of speaking."
"I'm sorry to hear that . . . "
Ven began to pull back but Ean grabbed his arm.
"Ven, it’s not like I have some disease. I was touched by the Abyss before I helped save all those people. The fact that I have a connection to the Abyss doesn't change what happened in the past."
The man just stared at him for a few moments. Long moments. If the man decided to give him up, horrible things were about to happen.
"Ok," Ven finally said. "You're right. You helped hundreds while all the Seekers do is bring fear and pain wherever they pass through. I'll get you out the back."
"Thank you."
Ven took a moment to whisper something to a few of the men nearby, then ducked down next to Ean.
"Let's move."
Ean was about follow when the voic
e of the Seeker cut through the surrounding silence.
"By your warm welcome, I will assume that you know who I am and who I represent. For those few that might not, my name is Kaytlin Aubrune. I represent the Seekers and more specifically, the god Alistar himself. There has been an event in the area of Rensen. Whatever it was, it seems to have ended--"
"Then you can be on your merry way!" A woman yelled from somewhere in the crowd. The Seeker ignored the comment and continued on.
"--But for your safety and the safety of the realm, I need to conduct an investigation on my own. If a danger from the Abyss exists, it must be handled without delay. Any information you can provide will have me on my way sooner and you can return to your merriment. Think. If you have noticed anything strange, an animal not quite right, strange flashes of light . . . "
Azalea leaned in, the concern clear in both her beautiful eyes and the bond they shared.
"You feel worried," she whispered. "More so than I've felt all evening. Is this woman going to cause us a problem?"
"We need to get out of here without her noticing us. She is dangerous."
"Don't think that because I've been nervous all night I can't take care of one human."
"Azalea, I know you can handle yourself, but her and two other Seekers were able to take down a Crux. For all I know, she was able to do it single-handedly. I think it might be better if we just sneak off and leave her behind."
"Humans were able to take down a Crux?" Azalea's eyes widened and she stood to give the Seeker another look. Curiosity spilled through their bond, washing away the apprehension she had been giving off.
"Azalea, this isn't a game . . . "
"Ok, ok. Let's go. We can signal Dao to follow us as we make our way out the back. Is there an exit out the back?"
"Not an exit, but there is a passageway in the basement that leads out to the stable in the back."
Enemies and Allies (Bound to the Abyss Book 3) Page 9