Andoran's Legacy

by M. Gregg Roe

Siljan waved at Alzi to bring another ale. “Guess who has a date tonight.”

  The obvious answer was Siljan, but Audrey noticed that Gabriel was now studiously staring into his tankard. Apparently it was him. “With who?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.

  “With me,” said Alzi, placing a tankard in front of Audrey. “He has no excuse now.” Her speech was slow and strangely accented but easily understandable.

  “Excuse me,” said Gabriel. Tankard in hand, he walked off along with Alzi.

  Siljan grinned. “She asks every time we come here, and he kept telling her he wasn’t ready to start dating yet. That excuse won’t work anymore.” She finished her tankard and then smacked her lips.

  Audrey took a draught from her own tankard. The ale was brewed right there at the inn and was tasty. “So, where do people go on a date around here?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe a picnic by the lake or something. I used to get asked out when I came here, but not anymore.”

  “And I’m in a serious relationship,” added Audrey, saluting Siljan with her tankard.

  “Then you can tell me about it on the way to Albert’s tomorrow. We’re leaving after breakfast. And we’re not coming back the same way.”

  Audrey continued taking sips as Siljan described their route. They would be visiting the ruins of a monastery where Xlee had been trained and later returned to take charge of. And they would be going to Lancia, which had once been the most populous city on the continent. It had figured prominently in many of the old stories that she had heard.

  Audrey was so excited that she barely slept that night.

  25

  ‡ Albert ‡

  Other than having heads like a cat’s and fur all over, the people guarding the stone structure looked fairly normal. They wore clothing and were armed with both bows and thin swords. “They’re actually called catfolk,” Saxloc said to her as they entered the large clearing. “There is an entire village of them to the east of here.”

  “Then why aren’t gnolls called dogfolk?” she complained mockingly.

  “That’s a good point,” he said, smiling at her joke.

  Their twenty-mile trip following a path along the eastern shore of Lake Lasrina had been without incident. Along the way, she had picked a few plants and flowers she thought were interesting. Marryn had been noticeably tired the last few miles, but her only complaints had been about the biting insects that did seem to be attracted to her more than anyone else. They hadn’t bothered Audrey at all.

  After signaling everyone to stop, Saxloc said, “Wait here.” Then he walked forward to meet the two catfolk who had been heading their way. None of them had their weapons drawn, so there was obviously nothing to worry about

  Audrey studied the building now known as Albert’s Keep. The structure was rectangular, measuring perhaps thirty yards by half that. There was a second story, but it only covered what appeared to be the front half of the building, which faced the southern shore of Lake Lasrina. The stone blocks looked odd, mismatched in both color and size. She suspected that they had been scavenged from a variety of ruins. The keep’s harsh ugliness contrasted with the lovely setting. The surrounding clearing reached all the way to the shore, and it was rife with colorful wildflowers and flowering bushes.

  Saxloc waved, and they all headed for the entrance. There was an area for guards just inside, including racks for storing weapons and armor. And there was a gworn, which she could easily see because the ceiling was glowing. The four-armed, blue-skinned humanoid looked just like the ones they had fought in Zardis, but he was obviously friendly, even addressing some of her companions by name.

  Past there, they entered a wide hallway that extended nearly twenty yards and had both doors and side passages. And standing there was a smiling Albert, his tall form clad in purple robes. He looked just like she remembered.

  “Welcome!” he said, thankfully using the one language that she understood. “This is an unexpected pleasure. Lud will show you to your rooms. There is a washroom down that way,” he said, pointing to a passage that was to Audrey’s right, “and a bathing area upstairs.” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Or, if you’re not modest, you can simply use the lake. That water is quite clean.”

  Gabriel stepped forward and held out a folded piece of parchment. “This is from Aliva. Unfortunately, she was not able to accompany us.”

  Albert took the parchment and nodded. “Thank you, Gabriel. Ah, here is Lud now.”

  Audrey was a bit worried about Lud. His skin was a dull gray, and his bald head had a distinctly porcine look to it. His bare forearms were thick and muscular. The all black clothing also didn’t inspire confidence.

  “He’s a type of orc,” whispered Saxloc, apparently noticing her concern. “He was trained as a warrior, but now he spends most of his time reading and doing research.”

  That didn’t sound particularly scary.

  Lud began to speak in a tone that sounded meek, not threatening. It also wasn’t hard to figure out what he was saying, pointing at a door and then saying two of their names. Saxloc nodded at her and then followed Gabriel into that room. Lud pointed to his right and said something that included Marryn’s name. She promptly went over and began to climb the wooden stairs that were there. After moving farther down the hallway, Lud pointed to another door, and this time Audrey heard her own name. She followed Siljan in, closed the door, and then looked around. The room had two small beds and a single piece of wooden furniture with four wide drawers. That was it.

  “Marryn lucked out,” said Siljan. “There’s a nice guest room upstairs with windows and a wardrobe. That’s where Aliva lived for quite a while.”

  Audrey pointed to the left. “I’ll take that bed and the bottom two drawers.”

  “Fine with me.”

  It didn’t take Audrey long to transfer some of the items from her backpack into the drawers. Then it ended up under the bed along with the gauntlet and her staff. Meanwhile, Siljan was simply unfastening portions of her leather armor, letting them fall to the stone floor, and then kicking them under the bed.

  When Siljan finally finished stowing her own things, she stretched both her arms above her head and sighed. “What now?” she asked, rubbing her right shoulder with her left hand. “We’re only here one night.”

  “Saxloc said that he would give me a tour of this place. I also need to talk to Albert about my gauntlet.”

  Siljan frowned in thought. “You could do those things later. I’m going upstairs to soak in the big tub. Interested? They’ve got hot water.”

  It was tempting. “Maybe later.”

  “Okay.” Siljan grabbed some items of clothing from the top drawer and then left.

  The knock came only a few minutes later. Audrey opened the door, assuming it must be Saxloc, but it was Albert. And his expression was worrying.

  “May I come in?” he asked, and Audrey stepped back and waved him inside before closing the door.

  Looking remarkably serious, he took Audrey’s right hand in both of his. “I was truly sorry to hear about what happened to your home. I quite liked your mother when I met her.”

  “Thank you,” said Audrey, choking back tears. “I have come to terms with it.”

  He released her hand and stepped back. “I have often thought that very thing myself, but I still mourn the loss of the woman that bore me such a wonderful daughter.”

  “Aliva really did want to come,” said Audrey earnestly. “But she has responsibilities now. We all do.”

  “That generally accompanies adulthood. I have quite a few responsibilities of my own.”

  Audrey pulled out the gauntlet from under the bed. “Can you tell me anything else about this? It works fine. I’m just curious if it has any other powers.”

  Albert chuckled pleasantly. “You are worried it may have powers I added for my own amusement. Fear not. It was all I could do to remove the curse, and in doing so I had to remove one of the original powers.”

  “W
hat power? And what kind of curse?” She really wanted to know.

  “Originally it could generate an invisible barrier—very handy to stop pursuers or trap someone. The curse was insidious. Each use would have warped your mind slightly. Madness would ultimately result. I am told that Morton often behaved irrationally. Perhaps that is why.”

  “I’m just glad he’s dead. And that you made the gauntlet safe,” she added quickly. “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. How is Grasapa?”

  Audrey launched into a description of what was going on with Grasapa and with Ariel. And then she told him about her visit with Xlee. She would have kept going, but Saxloc finally showed up.

  Marryn had been fascinated by Albert when she was a child. He was large, taller than her father and fairly stout, but he wasn’t scary at all. Like his thick beard, his smile seemed to be part of his face. He spoke gently, always taking time to speak with both her and her brother. And sometimes he brought gifts!

  The erratic timing of Albert’s visits had mystified her. He might reappear after only a few days, or it might be a year or more before they saw him again. It was years before she really understood the explanation that her parents offered. Where Albert had lived then, time flowed differently. And unpredictably. To him, the spacing between his visits was very different.

  Albert always wore purple robes although with some variation in the exact shade and style. But when his wife accompanied him, she not only wore a variety of clothing, but often looked completely different. As a succubus, Wiva could change her appearance at will. That had utterly fascinated Marryn.

  Even as children, she could tell that her father disapproved of Wiva. He avoided her when possible, and his smiles were unconvincing. Mardan had been taught that all demons were creatures of pure evil, enemies to be slain without mercy. He even possessed a sword specifically designed for just that purpose. He only tolerated Wiva’s visits because Albert was one of Medea’s oldest friends.

  Wiva was dead now, slain in this very keep by her own daughter. Larna, who really had been a creature of pure evil, had ultimately been slain in Hamsa, but not before causing a great deal of pain and suffering. Unlike Gabriel, Marryn had never encountered the woman. That was something to be thankful for. And Aliva, Wiva’s other daughter, was nothing like her half-sister.

  The room Marryn had been assigned was lovely, decorated with colorful tapestries and soft rugs. The bed was remarkably soft, and there was a large wardrobe that contained some of Aliva’s old clothing. The view out the large window was also nice, with both woods and the lake visible. It was somewhat worrying that the room next to hers was apparently home to two gworn. She had heard about their species but never met one before.

  Marryn hadn’t even bothered to unpack. She was too tired. And her insect bites itched. Wearing a short-sleeve shirt had not been wise. But at least the broad-brimmed hat her mother had insisted she bring had done its job, keeping her from getting too much sun.

  After realizing that someone was knocking on the door, she dragged herself out of the bed and walked over barefoot. She smiled broadly, assuming that it must be Albert. Instead she found herself staring at a gworn clad in leather clothing that showed oddly shaped stains in a variety of colors. That was probably a result of working as Albert’s assistant, a job that was probably dangerous at times. He held out a ceramic jar that contained a light yellow substance, maybe a salve. Then he mimed dipping his fingers in it and smearing it on his face.

  Feeling hopeful, Marryn said, “I speak your language. It’s the woman with brown hair that doesn’t.”

  His look of surprise included his ears wiggling. “Oh. I got confused.” He thrust the jar at her. “This helps with bug bites. We’ve got something else that keeps the bugs away, but it makes you smell funny.”

  “Then I’d like some of that too, please.” She took the jar from him. “I’m Marryn.”

  “Kwayze. I’ll pack up some and bring it by later.”

  “Thank you, Kwayze.”

  The salve felt surprisingly cold on her skin, but it brought instant relief. She used the mirror next to the wardrobe to make sure that she didn’t miss any spots on her face. Healing magic could also have dealt with her problem, but she hadn’t dared ask about something so minor during their trip. And now she didn’t need to.

  The yellowish patches turned nearly transparent as they dried, which was a relief. She had just laid back down when there was another knock on the door. This time it was Albert, and the sight of his kindly face made her smile.

  “I would like to speak with you,” he said. “Perhaps in my sitting room?”

  “All right.”

  She ended up being given a tour of his entire suite first, which also included a bedroom, a bathroom with a circular tub, and a sizable laboratory where the two gworn were currently working. The sitting room had two upholstered chairs and a side table facing a rectangular rug, and all of the fabric was black. A large window looked out at the lake.

  “This is nice,” said Marryn, after seating herself.

  Albert merely nodded. “First of all, Oljot always brings me news and letters whenever he visits Andoran’s Realm, so I am aware that your parents are now divorced. And also that Gabriel now works for the Witch’s City Guard and that you are trying to build a business. I am impressed.”

  “Thank you. It’s a challenge.” That was an understatement. It was proving incredibly complicated.

  “Marryn, I believe that it would be best if you did not accompany the others when they leave tomorrow. Kaldir isn’t as dangerous as it used to be, but it is still not safe. You can stay here, and then I can teleport you to Lancia when they are scheduled to arrive there.”

  She hesitated, not wanting to say anything that might offend him. “The schedule is really just a guess. They might make better time, or they might get delayed by bad weather. I trust them to keep me safe, and I’ll be careful.”

  Albert crinkled his eyes as he grinned. “You forgot to mention that you’re now studying at Grasapa’s school. I knew you would never agree. I just needed to make the offer in case something bad happens—”

  “And my mother blames you?” asked Marryn, then laughed.

  “Exactly. Medea has quite a temper at times. Believe me; I know.”

  Marryn had experienced that herself, but not recently.

  For the next hour, the two of them simply sat and talked. Actually, it was mostly her talking while Albert listened attentively. She told him about her business, including Aliva’s involvement. She talked about what her father was now doing, and then told him about Tobias, who might one day be her step-father. She even told him about Denis, but didn’t mention that the two of them had been fighting lately. She hadn’t even told her mother that.

  Afterward, she returned to her room to rest before dinner, but she was soon interrupted by Kwayze, again holding a jar in one of his four hands. “As promised,” he said, then walked past her and placed it on the nightstand. She thanked him and he left, closing the door behind him.

  The ceramic jar, which had a wooden lid, was labeled “bug protection” in neat handwriting. She popped the lid off and took a tentative sniff. The earthy aroma was strong, but it didn’t smell that bad to her. All that mattered was that it worked.

  Audrey didn’t disappoint. In fact, her reactions to the tour of the keep were even more entertaining than he had anticipated. It was almost like she had reverted to the uneducated farm girl she used to be.

  Not wanting to intrude on Albert’s living quarters, Saxloc had simply taken her up the stairs and shown her the bathing area that anyone could use. (Siljan had invited them to join her, then splashed them when they declined.) Before heading back down the stairs, he simply described Albert’s rooms.

  It was no surprise to find Lud in the library reading a huge book whose pages seemed to be made from cloth. The books there were remarkably wide-ranging in subject matter, but that wasn’t surprising given Albert’s history. He had lived
for a long time and in a variety of places. And some of the books had probably been collected by Larna.

  The large kitchen was staffed by three mongrelfolk, short humanoids whose bodies incorporated animal traits of various sorts, with no two alike. They also did the cleaning and laundry. Audrey simply stared at them wide-eyed as they worked on preparing dinner.

  The next stop was the dining room, which had two rectangular wooden tables with bench seating. After showing her a storeroom, they went to the washroom. It had three separate toilet stalls that they made use of since they were there. The waste simply fell into a deep pit, but the smell wasn’t that bad.

  He gave her the full tour of the lower level, which really could be considered a dungeon. Part of it was just a storage area, but there were six cells with iron bars and living quarters for the jailers. These days, the cells were simply overflow housing for guests, and the living quarters were occupied by two creatures that didn’t mix well with others.

  “Weren’t you almost killed by a troglodyte cleric in that mine near Havenbrook?” asked Audrey after they had returned upstairs and gone outside.

  That was still a sore point. “Yes, but the one here is friendly. And he’s old.”

  Audrey pursed her lips. “He did stink, but it wasn’t that bad.”

  “That’s because Albert made him a potion that reduces the stench.”

  Audrey shrugged and smiled. “I really thought that you were kidding about Molruk, but you were right. He is incredibly stupid.”

  Molruk was a half-orc warrior who had served Larna. After being killed, she reanimated him as a type of undead soldier. Molruk, however, didn’t understand this. He just thought he had been raised from the dead, and he kept complaining that he couldn’t sleep and never seemed to get hungry. Those, of course, were undead traits. But Molruk was simply too stupid to understand.

  “It’s odd,” she said, serious again. “After the things that happened here, I would have expected Albert to just level the place.”