“No one enters the city after dark. Go away.”
The little panel was half closed again when Mei’An hissed strange words almost under her breath. The sentence was short, but the reaction of the person behind the door was swift.
“Forgive me my lady, forgive me. I didn't recognise you in the dark. In the company of villains … er, I'm sorry, your friends. Please, one moment while I get this door open.”
The watcher slid the panel home and bolts could be heard rasping in their iron casings. A final thump as a heavy beam was lifted clear and the door swung inwards. The man who had answered Mei’An’s tapping was bowing furiously, between berating two huge dogs that stood just behind him, snarling and growling at the intruders.
“Quickly my lady, quickly. The watch may be by any moment. Bring your party into the shadows here by my home.” The man’s home was little more than a low shack built against the wall itself. Quickly the horses were led through the opening. Antonin marvelled at the thickness of the wall. It was at least the length of three horses through the opening, including the people leading them.
One by one everyone squeezed through the narrow passageway. The pack horses gave some trouble with their wide loads, but eventually all were inside the wall. The gatekeeper hurried back through the opening to close the gate and bolt it.
He came back still bowing at each sentence.
“Will you stay at an inn my lady? The Bell and Whistle is owned by my cousin. He will take fine care of you…” His voice trailed off as Luan came out of the shadows and stood beside Mei’An.
“You will tell no one we have entered the city, Gatekeeper.” Said Luan. His voice was a quietly spoken command. The gatekeeper knew it.
“As you wish my lord Guardian.” responded the gatekeeper.
“And don't address me as My Lord.” growled Luan.
“As my lord wishes.” replied the gatekeeper.
“Gatekeeper,” said Mei’An “We stay at The Inn of the Blind Man this night. We are expected.”
The gatekeeper glanced at the rest of the group still standing in the deep shadows. The flickering light from the one torch was not enough to illuminate the area.
“Forgive me for speaking my lady,” he said. “But strangers came through the city only a few days ago.”
"Strangers?” said Luan. "Surely strangers come through this city daily.”
“These ones spoke of a party of Morgoth, in the company of a fine lady, intent on preparing the city for the coming of the Dark One. It has caused much trouble. All visitors are being interrogated. Your party was seen out in the mountains as you approached.” The gatekeeper was very nervous. He didn't know whether to look at Luan or Mei’An. He tried to watch both. Fear was causing him to shake visibly.
“You know I am not of the company of the Dark Lord,” said Mei’An. “You should know also that my companions are under my protection – and that of my Companion.”
The gatekeeper took a step backwards, stumbling on some firewood piled against the wall.
“Please my lady, I only mention it to forewarn you. May the light shine on you always my lady.”
Elsa and Edina stepped forward out of the shadows. The torch light flickered on their brown skinned legs and arms. Their eyes were like glittering fires as they reflected the torch. Elsa was hefting her short spear casually in her right hand. The gatekeeper squeaked as Catharina suddenly appeared right beside him. She said nothing, just looked steadily at the gatekeeper with an unblinking stare. “Like a snake waiting to strike.” Thought the gatekeeper.
“It is well my old friend. You reassure me, and I thank you for your warning that we appear to have been marked by those who are obviously the Dark Lord's workers.”
The gatekeeper was almost collapsing in fright. His tattered cap in his hands was being wrung like wet washing.
“Those men,” continued Mei’An. “Have stolen the Key To the Wheel of Sara Sara. We hunt them even now.”
With a groan of despair the gatekeeper slumped onto a stool by the door of his shack.
“My lady, at first I feared you might be those they spoke of. But your words. Only a Wind Reader would know those words. Other than another member of the Guild. Go as you will. I will say nothing. On my life, no one has passed through this gate in many days.”
“Yes,” said Luan in a low growl. “On your life.”
The gatekeeper jumped up from his stool and fled into the dark interior of his shack and slammed the door.
“Come,” said Mei’An. “We must hurry before a patrol finds us. This way. Stay close.” No one needed telling. Bunched together they wound through dark silent streets until eventually Mei’An led them in through a back gate to the stable yard of an inn. The horses were led into the stable and it took only moments to tend to them. Suddenly bright lamplight flooded the stable.
“Who trespasses in my stables in the dark of night but thieves and villains?” boomed the voice of a large man standing squarely in the doorway. He was flanked on either side by as rough a pair assistants as any of the group had ever seen. All held stout cudgels in hand and the innkeeper – obvious by his rotund bulk with the white apron straining across it – standing to the front with a blazing torch held high.
The two assistants advanced on the group, now standing in the middle of the stable’s large floor. The cudgels were smacking into their huge hands to emphasis their intentions.
Luan stepped forward into the torch light and rested his hand on the hilt of his battle sword. The Maidens already had their bows drawn tight, the arrow tips glinting in the flickering light. There was no doubt who would win this confrontation, and the cudgel swinging stopped, and the two assistants looked at each other uncertainly. The inn-keeper was fuming and waving his torch, trying to get the pair to advance. Luan would not draw his sword against the pair. They were no match for him and he knew it. The Maidens had no such qualms. One wrong move on the part of the assistants and they would be dead in an instant.
The assistants backed up all the way to the stable doors. If these were thieves and villains then they were very well armed ones, and in any case that big fellow looked remarkably like a Guard Companion. That meant there was a Wind Reader in that crowd of girls. One of the men whispered to the inn-keeper. “There’s a Wind Reader here!” The innkeeper goggled at the gathered girls, Edina, Elsa and Catharina in a close line just behind Luan. Antonin, Rees and Gaul still off to one side a bit, just standing there like idle farm boys.
Mei'An stepped out from behind the warriors. The whole scene had taken only moments.
“Master Tallbar, forgive us for coming into your yards in secret. Strange times are upon us, and secrecy is imperative at this point.” Mei’An came forward to greet the inn-keeper. Taking her hand, Master Tallbar bowed low over it, a huge grin splitting his face from ear to ear.
"So long has it been my lady. So long since I have welcomed you to my humble inn. Come inside, come inside you must be famished. You must have been on the road for many days. My apologies for the threatening welcome just now. The city is in turmoil. Tharsians and even Mordos warriors have been reported in various parts. We take no chances.” The innkeeper fussed as much as his bulk would allow, as he ushered the party out across the stable yard to the rear door of the inn. He kept a wary eye on the Maidens however. They still held their bows at their sides, with arrows nocked.
As they filed through the great kitchen the cook and scullery maids barely gave them a glance at first.
“We will begin celebrations this night.” cried the innkeeper in his booming voice. A voice meant to be heard across a noisy common room.
“Thank you master Tallbar,” said Mei’An. “But I think we will keep a low presence for some time yet. I'm sure you have heard the rumours of Morgoth in the area, and looking a lot like us! No, I think we will settle for rooms and a private dining room.”
"Surely, surely.” Master Tallbar motioned his assistants to make sure the horses were properly looked after and
escorted the party into the private rooms of the inn.
The inn, like all such inns, consisted of a well lit common room in the front. This opened onto the street with wide doors and shuttered windows. The noise and laughter, the music from the players, the smells of spiced ale and roasting pig would spill into the broad dusty street. An irresistible welcome to passing trade to partake of the warm hospitality within. There would be private dining rooms in the rear or on either side of a hallway leading back to the kitchens. Upstairs were guest rooms. Spacious well lit rooms for important or wealthy guests in the rear away from the noise of the common room. Smaller less comfortable rooms at the front above the common room.
The innkeeper led his guests into a private dining room right by the kitchens. Coming in through the rear entrance as they did, they trailed through the kitchen. There was a large woman at a massive stove along one wall, obviously in charge judging from the way she used the large wooden spoon to threaten a serving girl with as she harangued her over some minor infraction. She stopped in mid sentence at the sight of these strangers intruding into her domain. Eyes as big as saucers she looked to Master Tallbar. He put a finger to his lips and kept walking.
With a loud “harrumph” of protest, the cook gave a dismissive look to the entire party and turned back to continue her tirade against the serving girl. Nonplussed, she looked about her. The girl was nowhere to be seen, slipped away while the cook was momentarily distracted. The cook forgot her immediately as a huge pot of broth started to boil over.
Settled in the private dining room, Antonin allowed himself to relax. He stretched his feet out in front of himself, his companions Reese and Gaul in chairs either side of him. The fire was warming the room, crackling merrily in the hearth. The three girls sat at the huge circular table in the centre of the room, Mei’An and Luan with them. The innkeeper had quickly brought in jugs of ale for all and a stone bottle of his finesse white wine for Mei’An. Steaming trays of food were brought in from the kitchen by the serving girl so lately escaping the wrath of the cook.
This was the first decent food they had seen since escaping the village days before.
Sounds of merriment could be heard coming from the common room. Someone was singing a bawdy song, in time to a dulcimer being played rather skilfully. The sound of dancing feet could be heard. Antonin looked at his friends, wiping his chin as he did so with the back of his hand. A huge grin split his face. His friends looked back. Well fed, with a mug of ale in hand they realized they were in a city. There was adventure to be had, and new sights to see. Just in the next room. Mei’An knew better than to try and stop the boys. They were still dressed in the clothes of a small village, and would probably go unnoticed. The maidens of the Mare Altan were another matter though. There was no mistaking who they were.
Antonin, Rees and Gaul got to their feet and went out the door. The girls made to follow. Mei’An held up her hand to halt them.
“Wait one moment please girls.” She said quietly.
The boys disappeared in the direction of the common room, looks of expectation on their faces. Mei’An listened. The sounds coming from the common room never changed. No one paid the slightest attention to three farm boys out for a nights fun.
Mei’An counted to ten slowly. Nodding to the girls she let them go. Normally, no one would have dared command three warriors of the Mare Altan, but Mei’An was a Wind Reader and the girls accepted her cautions without question. They also knew that if they crossed her, she could tie them in knots and roll them down the street without raising a bead of sweat in the effort.
Luan and Mei’An both listened. The noise from the common room suddenly stopped. All sorts of people frequented the common rooms of city inns, but none had seen the Mare Altan in the common room of the Inn of the Blind Man before. All eyes were on the girls. Everyone knew of course who they were. The musicians were poised with bow strings about to fall, and the singer had stopped in mid sentence with her mouth still open wide.
Catharina and her companions found a booth along the wall and sat. They looked around the room with interest, they had themselves never ventured into an inn in their lives. All eyes were on them. Something was needed to break the tension. Catharina noticed that not a few of the men were giving her and her friends looks of open admiration. There was no doubt on their faces that three young women, turned golden brown from a life on the plains were a welcome sight in the inn.
Elsa winked at Edina then stretched her long brown legs out as they sat side on in the booth.
“What does one do to get a drink and some music in this place?” she asked no one in particular. Like a popping cork, suddenly the music started up again and the singer continued as though she had never stopped. A number of the bolder men fell over one another to carry mugs of ale and trays of breads over to the young warrior maidens. Laughing aloud with enjoyment the girls were the centre of attention, alternately dancing up a dust storm in the area by the musician’s stand or drinking and arm wrestling the men at their tables. There were a few surprised looks from hard working men as they found that these young girls were as hard as iron nails under their silken exteriors. No easy marks in wrestling or dancing. Antonin, Gaul and Rees were right in the thick of it, although they gave no sign that they knew the girls. The girls played right along with them. The merriment went on into the night. The common room was packed. People were coming from near and far as word spread of the merriment to be found at the Inn of the Blind Man. The innkeeper had sent for all his serving girls. Those in attendance in the common room were being dragged, not unwillingly, onto the dance floor in between rushing about with trays laden with mugs of ale, spiced meats and crackling and small breads. The kitchen was in full swing and the cook was sure she had never worked so hard. It was a challenge she enjoyed so much she even forgot to scold the serving girls.
As Antonin swirled in the circle now forming on the dance floor, he caught the eye of a lone figure standing by the front door. Something in that look held his eye for a split second. He almost fell as the circle closed up and started to move. He tried to look over his shoulder but could not. When he came around again the lone figure was gone. Had he imagined it? He thought not. Something about that person had caused alarm bells to sound in his head. The circle swirled on and he found himself clasping Catharina to his chest as he spun in the intricate steps of the dance. He eyes were bright and her lips were parted in a wide smile of recognition and enjoyment as they spun out and around to plunge back into the circle. Suddenly she was gone, only her fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary in his hand as she moved to the next partner in the circle.
Suddenly Antonin stepped back out of the dance and regained his chair. He tilted his mug and glanced about the room over the lip as he drank slowly. He sputtered as a voice at his ear said softly
“That young Mare Altan has eyes for you Antonin Rukul. Take her back to your village if you value her life.”
Antonin leapt to his feet and whirled around to confront the speaker. A threat it was, and he recognised it as such immediately. His chair had gone over with a crash and knocked the drinks in the hands of men sitting nearby. They too leapt to their feet in outrage, brushing away the dripping liquid. Antonin looked about wildly. There was no one to be seen other than men at tables nearby, and none so close that they could have been whispering in his ear. The men who had suffered the spilt drink went back to fresh drinks as Antonin passed a handful of coins without looking to a serving girl, who calmed the men with the bounty suddenly appearing before them. There was only the faint smell as of burning pitch lingering in the air about him. Suddenly he noticed a figure pushing out into the night through the front door. Antonin won no friends as he rushed for the door himself, but again there was no one to be seen when he stumbled onto the wide front porch. Anton had lost his love of dancing and laughter and pushed back inside to go in search of Mei’An.
She was not to be found. Neither was Luan. Antonin had a bad feeling about this. Who c
ould possibly know his name in this remote city. He had to find Mei’An and ask her advice. She had to know about this. The others as well as soon as he could drag them away from the merriment still going on in the common room.
Antonin went back to the common room and stood just inside the hallway door. Managing to catch the eye of each of the friends in turn, a slight jerk of the head was all they needed to tell them to find their way back to the private dining room. One by one, without seeming to be working together, they disappeared from the room. Hardly anyone noticed now. The merriment was set to continue into the early hours. It took only a few minutes and all were assembled in the private dining room. The girls were still flushed and laughing, and Gaul and Rees carried mugs of ale in their hands.
"So what causes such a serious look on the face of my young friend?” said Catharina to Antonin.
"Someone I saw in the crowd knows my name,” said Antonin. “And he told me to take you back to our village if I valued your life.” He added.
The smiles faded from the faces of his friends as his words sunk in. They had not even told the innkeeper their names. Catharina had been inclined to give a laugh of derision at any threat to her safety, but she could see that Antonin was very serious, and very worried on her behalf. She checked herself.
Antonin related the brief events. The man at the door. Moments later the words in his ear. The smell of pitch. The hurried departure of the person from the inn and their disappearance.
“Well,” said Gaul. “It is known that we are on the trail of the Key Stone. Certainly the Dark Lord knows. We must assume that someone will try and stop us.”
“We must remain together,” said Rees. “Only that way can we be sure that we are not taken by surprise.”
The Dragons of Sara Sara Page 16