“By yourself?”
He nodded.
“What are you going to do?” She asked Jacko.
“Wait for him at the inn.”
“Are you sure you don’t want help or a distraction?”
“Let me think about it?” Sun answered.
“When are you going?”
“After it gets dark.”
They spoke for a few more minutes and then left. What they didn’t know was that a dirty-faced vagabond, hidden behind a few baskets, was eavesdropping after they’d invaded the alleyway he called home. He heard almost the entire conversation and even took a few risky glances to see what they looked like and the clothes they wore. After they were gone, he found some guards in the market and told them what he heard and saw. They paid him a few gold coins and sent him on his way.
Shortly before nightfall, Breen and Jacko parted company from Sun and went to the Inn of the Lion. The place was dimly lit, less cheerful than the Inn of the Wolf, and the clientele appeared to be seedier. They were cautious about selecting a table where they couldn’t be overheard. After they were seated and served ale, they kept a visual on their surrounding and spoke quietly. Breen decided she wanted to go with them if they wanted her to, and Jacko said yes.
They were on their third tankard of ale, when a few guards entered the inn, looked around until they spotted them and then came walking over.
“What’s your business here in town?” One of them said.
Jacko was taken aback by his statement and simply said. “We’re just passing through. Why?”
“Where’s your friend?” The guard on the left asked.
“Which one?” Jacko answered.
“Don’t get smart with me boy, or we’ll throw you in prison.” The guard’s posture stiffened and the other two fanned out slightly as if they were expecting trouble. “The one you were with earlier, in the black and red traveling clothes.”
“What’s this about?” Breen asked.
The guard placed both gloved hands on the table. “We heard that you and your friend are thinking about breaking into that bitch of a healer’s house. We’re here to make sure you don’t cause any trouble. Now, where’s your friend?”
Before either one could answer, Sun entered the inn and walked over to the table.
“What’s going on?” He said to the guards.
The guard on the right straightened and turned around to face him. “You’re lucky you’re here. Why are you asking about the priest and Katara?”
Sun did his best to look puzzled. “Just curious, that’s all.”
“Why?”
“After Captain Strom told us about what had happened to him, we became curious.”
“Where did you get those armbands?” The guard on the right asked after noticing the one on Sun’s arm.
“They were gifts.”
“From who?”
“Captain Strom.”
“How do you know the captain?”
“My friend Konafar is a personal acquaintance of his.”
“I’m warning you don’t get any bright ideas about snooping around her house or causing any trouble. You got that?” The guard said and then left the inn, along with the other two.
Sun sat down.
“What are you doing here?” Jacko asked him.
“As soon as we parted, I was followed by some guards, so I led them down a few streets, circled back, and came here to warn you that they are watching us. I guess I was late.”
“I wonder how they knew about our plan,” said Breen. “Do you think Konafar or Tonles said something?”
“No. I don’t think they would, because they’re not the type. I’m thinking someone might’ve overheard us.”
“Now what?” Jacko asked.
“Let’s wait here for a little and then go find Konafar and Tonles. Maybe they can help.”
They arrived at the Inn of the Wolf and when they didn’t see Konafar and Tonles sitting there drinking, they went up to their room and knocked repeatedly on the door. Several minutes later, they gave up and went back to their own room.
Once the door was closed, and they were seated, Sun spoke. “I’ve been thinking,” he began. “I believe there will be guards at Katara’s house, so I’ll need you to create a distraction long enough for me to enter through the back. Do you think that you can do it?”
They nodded.
“I’m not sure whether the guards will be hiding or standing out in the open, so I want you to create one even if you don’t see them.”
“What kind of distraction did you want?” Breen asked.
“Just act like you’re drunk and trying to enter the wrong house. That should work.”
“What do you want us to do after that?”
“Return here and wait for me.”
“Do you think guards will be hiding inside the house?” Jacko asked.
“Hopefully they won’t be. We’ll leave in a couple of hours, so get some rest."
When the night was at its darkest, Jacko and Breen arrived at Katara’s cottage and saw that there was only one guard posted on her porch.
“Ready?” Breen whispered, and he nodded.
They stumbled around the walkway, crashing into a few bushes and flowerbeds, all the while laughing and apologizing to the shrubbery for their transgressions. When the guard saw the drunken pair stumbling towards the porch, he grabbed his spear and shouted for them to halt. Breen and Jacko didn’t heed his warning and after the guard told them to halt again, Jacko tripped and fell to the ground. The guard raced down the steps to confront them.
“What are you doing here?” He said.
Breen was helping Jacko to his feet, and then she let go of his hand, allowing him to fall again. They started laughing. The guard grabbed Breen by the arm, she pulled away stumbling and then regained her footing.
“Hey.” She said, slurring her words at the guard and swaying her body back and forth.
“What are you doing here?” He asked them again.
“We live here!” Jacko answered as he was rising to his feet and stumbling around.
This is not your house, and if you don’t leave I’ll throw the both of you in jail or do something I might regret. Now get out of here.”
Breen stumbled over to Jacko, he grabbed her arm for support, and together they stumbled away.
Around the back of the house, Sun didn’t find any guards waiting for him there, so he quietly opened the window and peered inside the house. Even in the darkness, he could tell the room was a mess with broken furniture all around. After picking an empty spot on the floor, he carefully entered. Activating a glow rock, he gazed around and saw that there were many personal items strewn about.
The only things of interest appeared to be a chest in the far corner of the room that had a smashed in lid, and a trapdoor partially covered by a rug. He figured that was how Torhan and Katara had escaped. The inside of the trunk contained a few personal items such as; copper coins, herbs, jewelry, and books.
He rummaged through the books and found most of them to be about healing, but two of them caught his attention. One was titled “Tirips”, and another didn’t have a title at all. At that moment, he thought that he heard someone trying to enter through the front door, placed the books into his bag and climbed out the window.
He returned to the inn and saw Jacko and Breen in the back, motioned to them that he was going upstairs and left. After entering the room, he lit a few candles, sat down at the table, and took out the untitled book. The initial page was titled “My time in Mirkin.” He realized at once it must’ve been Katara’s diary and began glancing through the pages until he came to the first passage that mentioned priest Abiathar, and then slowed his pace.
Day Thirty-Five
I met priest Abiathar for the first time shortly after his lecture. We talked for several hours and exchanged stories, teachings, and details about where I’m from. He seems like a nice fellow. I didn’t ask him to take me under his tutelage
yet, because he’ll need more convincing of my skills before I can. However, I did mention brother Pien, and he was delighted that I knew his mentor.
Day Thirty-Seven
Today, priest Abiathar asked me to participate in his morning service. He must have been pleased, because he asked me to do it again tomorrow.
Day Thirty-Eight
Today, I assisted with the service again and this time, took lead over one of the acolytes named Kilder. Priest Abiathar was so impressed that he asked me to study under him. I’m very happy and can’t wait for the lessons to begin.
Day Forty-Two
The first lesson was great. He taught me how to mend simple cuts and abrasions and how to treat minor sicknesses. Tomorrow’s teaching will be much more intense he said. Brother Pien will be proud of me. I know it.
By the time he reached the fifty-ninth day, his eyes grew weary, and he felt tired from the day’s events. He still didn’t discover anything of relevance, but knew there were still a lot of pages to read through.
The door opened and Jacko entered. “What did you find?” He asked.
“I found her diary, which may shed some light on her time spent in Mirkin, and a few books for Breen.”
“Did you start reading the diary?”
“I did a little, but it’s going to take some time.” Sun held up the journal to show him just how thick it was.
“Where’s Breen?”
“In her room, she was tired.”
“Did everything go alright?” Sun asked as he was preparing for bed.
“Yes. Breen did a great job.”
“Good.” Sun said and climbed beneath the covers.
Jacko did the same in his bed.
The sounds of the birds chirping outside of their window and a light cool breeze woke Jacko and Sun. They dressed, packed a few items, and went downstairs. The place was overly crowded with people, and if it wasn’t for Breen, who was already seated, they wouldn’t have found a place to sit. She smiled and called them over when saw them.
“Have you seen Konafar or Tonles?” Sun asked her.
“You just missed them; they were on their way to train. Did you find anything last night?”
“I did and I have a present for you upstairs.”
Breen’s eyes lit up because it had been awhile since anyone had given her anything. “Can I go up there now?”
Sun handed her the key and whispered. “It’s in a bag under the bed. Leave the diary alone.”
She smiled and got up, because the excitement was too much.
“I meant to tell you. If you should ever come across a fox wearing an eye patch, avoid him at all costs. His name is Slyantom, and he’s a killer.” Jacko said to her.
“I will.” She said and went up to his room.
Jacko and Sun ordered food and ale after she was gone.
Breen was delighted to find three books in the bag. Two were about healing and the third, much smaller than the rest, was titled “Tirips.” She’d never heard of that word before and opened that one first. After scanning through several pages, she realized that it was a book of conjuration and given the complexity of the symbols and words, neither of which she understood, she found herself glancing over the pages. She was about to close the book when she came upon a page with two words written in a common tongue at the top of the page.
“Wood Tirips.” She whispered.
The pictures were easy enough to follow, but the words to activate the creature was what she couldn’t understand. She glanced over the next five pages which displayed pictures of the wooden creature, from the beginning stages until it was fully assembled. She paused and fantasized about owning one, then turned her attention back to the book and continued reading.
The next Tirip she came across was called Water and again, there were pictures and unrecognizable symbols. She was impressed and smiled at the thought of conjuring this one, because her cottage back home had a pond and it would be fun to use the creature to play tricks on the children as they walked by.
The remaining ten pages of the book went on to describe, but not conjure, five more Tirips and which one was better suited to battle the other. It appeared that even the most terrifying and deadly Tirip, called Vacuum, had an equal.
After closing the tome, she realized that she needed help to decipher their meanings and smiled at the prospect. She opened the healing manuals and began studying the material, which was easier to understand given her background. It was around midmorning when Breen grew weary of her studies and went back to her own room to rest.
Jacko and Sun finished eating and left the inn. Along the way, they saw Konafar and Tonles training some of the guards. Jacko nodded toward Tonles after he acknowledged their passing. Before they exited the city Konafar came up to them.
“Where are you going?” He asked.
“We’re going to our Order.” Jacko replied.
“Will you be back?” They nodded. “Good because I need to talk to you before you leave the town for good.”
“Is it important?” Jacko asked.
“No.”
“We should be back in a couple of days.” Sun said.
“See you then.” Konafar replied and left.
Jacko watched him walk away. “I really don’t want to fight him, but I will if I have to.” He stated.
“I feel the same way.” Sun added.
They bid the guards farewell as they left the city.
About an hour later, they entered the forest towards the west and enjoyed the cooler temperature the trees provided.
“Have you ever been to this Order?” Jacko suddenly asked.
“Once. I delivered a message to Teacher Tae Fu, and he taught me a few things while I was there.” He paused. “Speaking of which, I still owe you some training, so don’t let me forget.”
“I won’t. Did you find anything else last night?”
“I saw a trapdoor that they must’ve used to escape.”
“I’ve been thinking. Do you think the Master is alright? I hated the fact that we had to leave Wistful.”
Sun stopped and faced his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I think he’s smart enough to know if the cause is worthy or not, so stop worrying, he’ll be fine. Plus if we stayed, Torhan wouldn’t have us to save him. I want to take a rest.”
While they were doing so, Jacko ate some food while Sun took out the diary and began reading it again. He found the next thirty pages to be pretty much the same, with a little more detail about her training and daily activities.
He marked the last page and placed the book back in the bag and stood up. “Are you ready?”
“Did you find anything else out?”
“A little bit more. I’m not sure if she came to Mirkin of her own accord or was sent by someone named brother Pien. As far as I can tell, she spent her days training and nights to herself. I’ll know better when I’m finished.”
“Do you think it will be soon?”
“You saw how thick the diary is, right?”
“I don’t mean to rush you, I’m just worried.”
“I know you are.”
By dusk, they had reached the Order and were greeted by several students walking around the perimeter, none of which were of higher rank then Sun. After some brief introductions, one of the students escorted them into the school, down a very long hallway, and into a small seating area with doors to the east and west.
“Please take a seat and someone will be with you shortly.” Their escort said, bowed and left.
“Where do you think the doors go to?” Jacko asked.
“From what I remember, the one over there,” Sun pointed to the western door, “goes to the upper student area and the other one is for us lower ranked students.”
“Did they give you a tour the last time you were here?”
“Yes, but it was brief.”
A few minutes later a student, dressed in a yellow and green uniform, entered the room from the eastern door. Sun and Jacko stoo
d up, with Jacko bowing to the senior student and the student, in turn, acknowledged Sun’s rank.
“My name is Kroy and my rank is Hawk. This way please.”
He led them down to the dining room that had five large tables full of students and four doors scattered throughout.
“Are you hungry?” Kroy asked.
Jacko nodded.
“Good. Please have a seat. Tonight’s dinner is a selection of roasted fowl and vegetables accompanied with an assortment of wines.” Kroy said and then left.
Halfway through the meal, a student entered the room wearing a gray and black uniform indicating his rank of Red Falcon. Everyone stopped eating, stood up, and bowed.
The senior student walked right up to Sun and Jacko. “My name is Fen. Welcome to our school. The door to the north will take you to the training area, and the one beyond that will take you to the Master’s greeting room. If you feel like training feel free, if not, let someone know and proceed to the greeting room. Teacher Lee Chee Wa will meet you there.
“Thank you brother.” Sun said.
Fen bowed out of respect, Jacko and Sun returned the favor, and then sat down to finish their meal.
After they were done, Jacko and Sun went through the door and passed through the training area. The area was filled with students of various ranks practicing together, none higher than Griffin rank.
“It looks like this school has more students than ours.” Jacko commented as they were passing the students.
“The school was built after ours, and Brother Lee Chee Wa decided to make it bigger and do things a little differently. He wanted students up to the rank of Yellow Sparrow to train together. I like that idea better because it exposes them to advanced techniques.”
They proceeded through the door at the far end of the room, up the stairs and entered the greeting area. The room was very elaborate looking, from the designs carved into the floorboards, to the exotic plants and finally, the bamboo walls, ceiling, and furniture. The seating area towards the back was flanked by two ponds. After they were seated, they only had to wait a few minutes before the door to the side opened and in walked a man with a long white beard and ponytail. He wore a gray and green uniform and used a walking stick that was more for a show than assistance. Upon seeing him, Sun and Jacko stood up and bowed as he approached.
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