Drachenara

by T. G. Neal

  Robert nodded and dusted the table off in front of him. “It's what I felt like I should do. So, now, let's talk.”

  Before Vaelen could even talk, Davet ran into the room and sat down at the table. “Good morn, all! How be yer mornins?”

  Vaelen chuckled and sat down at the table across from Davet and next to Aurelia. “Good, sir. I think I should thank you for your treat last night, it certainly helped.”

  Delia looked at Davet. “So, you stole my sweetroll?” She smiled and shook her finger at Davet, then looked at Aurelia and Vaelen. “I jest.”

  Vaelen looked at Davet, and then back to Robert.

  Robert understood the gesture and cleared his throat, “Davet, why don't you let your mother serve you in your room this morning?”

  Davet was elated and darted off to his room with haste.

  Vaelen propped his elbows on the table and looked at Robert. “I didn't want to say anything the boy didn't need to hear.”

  Robert nodded.

  “I am Vaelen Wraithson, the son of the Captain of the Guard – who used to be the Captain of the Guard. Last night was...” Vaelen inhaled through his teeth. “Last night a plan was executed with precision to assert control over the brendom of Drachen. This is Aurelia, daughter of Bren Saden.” As he mentioned it, Aurelia stayed silent, looking solemn. “Jorvig Drache, son of the Bren, returned from a tournament in the North with a new bride, the Brenness of Stormvale. The two came down to announce their plans, then made it look like a band of mercenaries attacked and killed everyone. Now, I'm sure, Jorvig is seated on the Goldstone Seat of Drachen.”

  Delia looked flabbergasted and after she pulled the baked sweet potatoes -- dressed in butter, cinnamon, and honey -- out of the oven and sat them down and spoke even before Robert could. “I'm sorry, love,” looking at Aurelia, “Your father and mother were wonderful people. Wonderful for this land. They helped us when we came here by offering us a plot of land outside the city perimeter down here so that we could have a home near Lake Drachenara.”

  Aurelia smiled and let it fade, “My parents were helpers of the people. Jorvig took them not only from me, but from the Brendom. He will suffer, in this life or the next, for his transgressions.”

  Robert huffed, leaning forward on his elbows while Delia walked one of the baked sweet potatoes out of the kitchen and toward Davet's room. “So, what do ye two plan to do?”

  Vaelen looked to Aurelia, “I will follow her wherever she decides to go.”

  Aurelia processed what he was promising, and titled her head, thinking, You don't have to do that. Our roles. Who we were is gone. Forever. Then she looked to Robert “We haven't discussed it, yet. After I mended Vaelen's wounds and we ate, we slept. This morning we haven't spoken much, I think for fear of opening the wound of a broken heart.”

  Robert pursed his lips, placing baked sweet potatoes on wooden bowls for Aurelia and Vaelen. “I would like to offer whatever help we can, when ye decide what ye want to do.”

  “Robert, sir, you've done far too much for someone you don't even know. And I have no way to pay off the debt.” Vaelen exclaimed.

  Aurelia agreed.

  “Oh, now, hush. I firmly believe ye were placed in my life for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, if not for more than to get ye back on yer feet. Now, if ye have a heavy heart about it, ye can help me with some work around here that Davet isn't big enough to help with yet. And there are some merchants who still owe me money. If ye want to help me out, help me like that.” Robert said, filling his mouth with a bite before washing it down with ale.

  Vaelen took a bite and thought a moment, then nodded, swallowing. “I'll help you. That is something I can feel good about. When we decide where we're going, we'll leave, perhaps even this eve.”

  Robert nodded one more and the group silently finished their meal.

  Vaelen wore his sword while they were out and about, sheathed and wrapped about the base on his belt. With a full stomach, he moved to help Robert outside. The first order of business that Robert had in mind was simply moving a new boat that had freshly been built from behind his home, and into the empty slot in the boat house. It wasn't a particularly daunting task, but it was one that Davet certainly couldn't do, and Vaelen more than had the brawn for it, even though his wounds still ached from the night before.

  As they hoisted the boat and carried it across the yard to the water’s edge, Robert spoke to him about the merchants who still owed him debts. “There are two of them. One works as a middle man, reselling the fish I catch for higher prices, and the other salts, cures and uses the fish in recipes of various kinds – I suppose ye could call him a cook. Both of them are successful businessmen and asked for a 'few days' to get money to me. That was more than a moon ago. When I visited them the last time, they claimed they didn't know me. Taught me to never make deals with men that isn't in writing.”

  Vaelen nodded, “I see. Are they in the market today?”

  Robert nodded in return, “Aye, I saw them this morning when Delia and I went to sell the fish and buy yer cloth.” He stepped into the water, sat his side of the boat down, and climbed in as Vaelen pushed the boat the rest of the way into the water. Vaelen barely winced, doing his best to hide the pain of the wound on his shoulder and side. “Give me a moment.” Robert then pulled himself along the side of the boat house and nestled the new boat inside. Vaelen had gone around to meet him and secure the boat to the dock. As Vaelen tied it off, Robert stepped out of the boat and onto the pier. “Careful boy, I may want to keep ye around longer if ye keep helping out so much.”

  A chuckle escaped Vaelen’s lips. Inside he almost felt guilty for the small laugh, knowing full well that all his family was dead, but he allowed it anyway. It felt relieving. “So, you can tell me where in the marketplace they are?”

  Stepping out the door and into the sun once more, Robert shielded his eyes from the nearing-noontime sun and pointed. “You see the red canopy?” Vaelen nodded, “That's the first one. He owes me forty sovereigns.” He then changed directions, “The other one over there is the cook, and he owes me thirty sovereigns.” Robert then dusted his hands off and walked toward the house. “Scare them for me, I'd like to get my coin and do business with them again. They pay well. Don’t get yerself hurt worse on my account, ye hear?”

  Vaelen nodded and headed off toward the marketplace. The walk was short, and it gave Vaelen a look at Giltshore that he hadn't had in quite some time; probably since the last bandit raid in the winter. Peace had settled in the valley since then.

  Vaelen stepped up to the market stall and leaned against one of the support poles. “So, what do you have?”

  The stall operator looked at Vaelen then at the fish laid out, then back to Vaelen. “Are you blasted blind, boy?”

  “As blind as you are honest.”

  The market stall operator looked taken aback. “Wh- what do you mean by that?”

  “Robert, fisherman over by the bay. Works hard for his money, doesn't he? Good man.” Vaelen placed a hand on the hilt of his sword and stepped around the side of the market stall. “I'll be honest with you. I don't want any trouble. I just want you to pay the man what you promised him.”

  “Sod off you son of a tavern wench! You think your gentle words mean a sodding thing to me? Begone!”

  Vaelen grumbled and lunged for the man’s wrist. Once in his grip, Vaelen tightened. “Do you know the weight of a Drachenaran Two-Handed sword? On average, they weigh about eight pounds. To swing such a blade, you have to have a sturdy grip.”

  The shopkeep pulled on his arm.

  Vaelen slammed the butt of his wrist on the counter with force. “It means that I have a sturdy grip.” He began to tighten, grinding the bones of the wrist against each other, rolling as he squeezed.

  The shopkeep began to sweat. “I yield, I yield! Here.” The man pulled out a coin purse, tossed it down and backed away. “There's fifty sovereigns in there, now leave me alone!”

  Vaelen shoo
k his head and opened the purse. He took the extra ten sovereigns out and sat them back down. “Robert only wanted what he was owed. He wants to do fair business with you still, not be treated like a bastard dog. I am just making sure you treat him fairly.” Vaelen smiled a genuine smile. “You forced my hand. Things are good now, yes?”

  The keep nodded his head. “Aye.”

  Vaelen moved toward the next market stall, tucking the coin purse into his pocket. This time, when he walked up he said point blank. “Listen, let's make this easy. You bought some fish from Robert, yes?”

  The cook said nothing.

  “You owe him thirty sovereigns.” Vaelen said calmly.

  “I don't even know a Robert.”

  “You don't? Fisherman. Over there.” Vaelen gestured at the house. “You don't know a man that sold you a nice catch of fish, and you asked him to wait for payment then denied him his fair value?”

  “I told ye no, did I nae?”

  “Wrong answer.” Vaelen grabbed the cook by the nape and applied pressure.

  The cook buckled and tried to spin out of his grip. “Aye, aye! I know him, I know him!”

  Vaelen released the grip a little.

  “But I ain't paying a pence!”

  Vaelen sighed and slammed his face down onto a place of fish that was sitting right in front of him, prepared for a future noon customer. “You sure? I'd bet I can make you eat thirty sovereigns’ worth of fish. Or destroy eighty. By the Maker, I might even destroy a hundred sovereigns worth! Robert just wants what he's owed. Thirty sovereigns. I don't want to hurt you...” Vaelen said, then leaned close into the cook's ear and whispered, “But I will.”

  The cook dug a pair of fifteen-sovereign bags out of his pocket and dropped them on the counter beside him. “Look, I'm sorry,” he muttered from the plate of fish. Vaelen let him go and the cook rubbed his face clean with a towel, “I'm sorry. I saw an easy man. He trusted me, ye know?”

  Vaelen took the coins and sighed. “Robert's a good man, I'm not. He just wants to do honest business with you and trade so that he can keep his own family afloat. Thirty sovereigns is a lot. You must've turned that Thirty sovereigns worth of fish into eighty or better.”

  The cook nodded with chagrin.

  “Don't take advantage of him again or I'll be back.” Vaelen said and turned and walked away.

  Aurelia and Delia had gone out to the market to sell a recently completed batch of extra salted fish that Delia completed. Delia said the fish would fetch a fair price at market, and she haggled with a woman who owned the Gilded Hog Tavern on the edge of the Giltshire. Aurelia stood off to the side of where Delia was doing business, watching the people who walked by, one by one, and analyzed them as her father had taught her. Everyone tells a story by how they walk, how they talk, how they dress, and how they stand, he would say. She could see this here, better than she ever had in Drachenara Keep. Up there the same persons would come in. All highborne, deserving, arrogance and greedy. Here, though, she saw all walks of life and all races.

  Whereas in Drachenara, seeing a City Elf or a Wood Elf was rare, as it was a mostly human brendom, she had seen a handful of Elves wandering about the marketplace, trading, and then likely heading on their way. She summarized that they were likely travelers; probably treasure hunters, or businessmen, or hired killers. Her mind then gave way to giving them all stories. One man she made a mage. The next one she made a demon in humanskin.

  As she fantasized, her thoughts were broken, as was the sound surrounding them. All manner of motion stopped when a herald shouted. The sound alone, made Aurelia withdraw until she realized he wasn't looking at her.

  The herald began, “Hear ya all! Come forth and hear ye all!” He paused and gave time for all the folks of the market to gather or pay attention. “Grave news, do I bear! Over the course of the night, the Bren and Brenness have been slain by the Crimson Hood Mercenaries, a band now branded as outlaws! If you know any of these men and women, know the location of the headquarters, or know where any of them may be, ye are encouraged to speak with Captain of the Guard Denevim in Drachenara. You will be rewarded!

  'As a result of their heinous atrocities on the eve before, a funeral will be held for Bren and Brenness Drache tomorrow one hour prior to the setting of the sun.

  'Too, our new Bren and Brenness have been named! Bren Jorvig Drache is the new standing Bren of the brendom, and his wife Brenness Miliria Drache, formerly of Stromvale have married. For a first in the history of the Drachen Brendom, the nations of Stormvale and Drachen are to become one, remaining under the banner of Drachen! That is all! Praise be to the Maker. All hail the Bren and Her Lady Brenness Drake!”

  While the herald spoke, Aurelia had removed the dagger from its hidden place in the bodice of her new attire given to her by Delia and Robert. She stared at its perfect, glistening blade and thought about killing Jorving. My brother, she thought, biting with her words, that vile piece of filth. Who knows how he paid with this blade. I will attend the funeral and perhaps... perhaps I will find a way to kill him in the same cold blood he killed our father. Suddenly, as if out of thin air, a gloved hand appeared and snatched the blade from her hand.

  Aurelia stiffened. It happened so fast, she almost didn't see it, for as soon as it appeared, it disappeared again. Her eyes sought to find what it was, and had she not been as keen eyed as she was, she saw the thief reappear shortly down the way, and turn in between market stalls at a full run. The thief never bothered to look back, but she made pursuit at a full pace.

  The thief dipped and ducked through the crowd, dodging people with an alarming amount of grace and speed. It seemed like his feet barely touched the ground at the pace he made. Finally breaking into the open.

  As Aurelia passed into the open, she saw the thief bolting toward the last houses and likely headed for the forest. Once there, she would never catch him. She quickly analyzed her surroundings and saw a bow on the edge of a market stall. Without a split-second hesitation, she grabbed it and two arrows sitting with it, and docked the arrow. Now in her area of expertise, she quickly sighted, and just as the thief turned between two homes, loosed the first arrow, immediately followed by the second.

  The two arrows found their homes less than three inches apart, catching the fabric of the thief’s cloak and snagging him. The sudden stop caused him end up lying flat on his back.

  Vaelen, who had been nearby, ran toward the scene of all the excitement, and after seeing what was happening, attempted to head off the thief at the pass. By the time he reached the side of the house, Aurelia did as well, and both were met with the same surprise: the thief had somehow escaped, leaving his cloak pinned to the wall with the arrows, and had left Aurelia's dagger laying on the dirt.

  Aurelia picked up the dagger and slid it back up into the bodice and Vaelen started to speak, only to be interrupted by the stall tender to whom the bow and arrows belonged.

  “Missy, that bow--”

  Aurelia blushed and covered her mouth, extending her hand with the bow still in it. “Oh, Maker forgive me; I am so sorry. I apologize, I--”

  “Hun, I ain't never seen no peasant man nor woman handle a bow like you just done.” The stall tender said, walking toward her carrying a quiver. “I've handled bows my whole life. Been trained by the hands of the Wilder Rangers myself, and only their menfolk can shoot like that. I made that bow. Hewed it out of Hazel wood and inlaid the spun semi-silver, too.”

  Aurelia walked closer to him, still embarrassed.

  “No, hun. I don't want it. That thief’s been makin' off with our make and everyone elses for a quarter moon cycle. You taught him that he can't do that no more. That and you made a shot with my bow like you was blessed by the Maker Himself. Now I don't ask no questions, but if ye are, bless ye. Bless me. But I want to give you this here quiver, too. Made that myself, too. Now, please, take it.” The stall tender kept on and on about how impressed he was.

  Vaelen looked to Aurelia who looked to Vaelen quizzica
lly. Vaelen nodded to her, silently encouraging her to accept the gift. She looked back the tender and accepted the gift, “Thank you, sir. I--”

  “Don't thank me at all, hun. Thank you.” With that, the tender walked away.

  Aurelia felt confused, but also quite thankful at the same time. For the first time in her life, she was seeing everything from a different perspective.

  As the sun passed the midday mark and began its slow, but steady descent toward the horizon, it illuminated the valley in an orange hue that really lit up the small town of Giltshore. Drachenara was in the cradle of the nine brendoms. With mountains to the south and mountains to the north, Drachenara sat right in a delicate temperate valley that really made it perfect. Aurelia was going to miss that.

  Aurelia had decided to go to the funeral. She wanted to be present, even if it was from a distance. Vaelen had protested, but understood, and knew that they were burying his father nearby. The closure would be needed for Vaelen and Aurelia to have any sort of future, be it hidden away, on the run, or able to make something of themselves in another Brendom.

  When Vaelen tried to return the coin he recovered, Robert refused it in its entirety, and instead split the money with Vaelen. He had said the Maker wouldn’t have him not pay a man for fair labor. Appreciative, but feeling a burden, Vaelen and Aurelia said their goodbyes and left for Drachenara. They would have to make use of the Pauper Gate, dodging guards who might be looking for their faces, and sneak out in the cover of darkness, then make their way back across on the ferry and decide their ultimate path afterward.

  Before leaving, both of them purchased robes and the items they would need to travel from the market and paid the ferryman extra for discretion. The ferried trip across Drachenara Lake was done by chain guide, and pulled by Dwarven steam engines on either side, so the journey was swift.