Quests Volume One

by Barbara G. Tarn

  "Inex," Keenan answered, shaking his hand a little puzzled.

  "I hear it's famous for its archers." Owen wiggled his eyebrows. "Are you participating?"

  "Uh, no, she is," Keenan said, amused. Sayla smiled at Owen's puzzled expression.

  "An archeress! We don't see many of them around here! It will be an interesting challenge!"

  He vigorously shook her hand also, making her wince.

  "Are you trying to break my fingers so I won't be able to shoot and steal your title?" she asked, shaking her aching hand.

  Owen burst out laughing. "I'm sorry! I don't know my strength! You have such small hands..."

  "When is the contest? I'm not sure I know when this Mother Earth Day is..."

  "Ah, northern idolaters..." Owen tsked and told them the holiday was in a week's time and also where the contest would be held – outside the town walls and away from the river.

  Sayla thanked him and promised to be there. They resumed their walk, thoughtful.

  "I need to check my bow," she said, worried.

  They quickly went back to the Noble Nightmare Tavern where they still had their things. The morning had seen them wander through shops until they had managed to sell all of Sayla's maps, therefore they now had a very small fortune that would allow them to spend a week in town and prepare for the competition.

  Sayla took her bow and tried the wood. The yew was still flexible, but the string looked ruined enough that it could snap as soon as she strung the bow. Thus she checked her spares and changed it.

  She felt excited at the thought of another archery competition. She'd have to beat complete strangers and the prize was in money. She wondered how many people would attend.

  "Probably not the two dozen who compete in Inex," Keenan said, amused. "Do you need to rehearse?"

  "No." She shot him an impish smile. "My eyesight is still the same, thank you. I'm glad to shoot my arrows at a target instead of killing an animal."

  He helped her check the arrows as well. A couple were all used up, so they went out to look for a fletcher. The first one they found used eagles' feathers, so Sayla refused to even look at his arrows. Luckily they found another who used turkey feathers and gave them three properly spined arrows to refill her quiver.

  While waiting for the day of the competition, Keenan helped a tanner and Sayla joined the washerwomen on the river shore. They were of course curious about a girl who went out and about in breeches, but when she told them she currently had a nomadic life, they seemed to understand.

  The eloping story also pleased them, they found it very romantic.

  "But we did elope together, honey," Keenan said, holding her tight in their bed at the inn on the night she told him of her conversation with the washerwomen. "Although your father seemed keen to give you to me..."

  She rolled her eyes. Yes, Myckim might have been willing to give her to Keenan, unlike Sanylo, but... "He's not my real father, is he?"

  "I think he loves you like one."

  "Why can't he say it, then?"

  "Because he's a man."

  "You do tell me you love me..."

  "I'm young and in love. I think being a parent is harder. My own father never said a nice word to me, but I'm sure he loves me in his own grumpy way."

  Sayla pondered about parents' love. That would be interesting to try. Having a little one or something. But her periods had come and obviously Keenan hadn't impregnated her yet. Which was good, since they needed to reach the Central Massif and she couldn't climb it if she was pregnant.

  "Do you want to go back to Inex?" she asked him. "After we find my real father? I mean, you're following me, but I don't know what you really want..."

  "I want to be with you. Where, doesn't matter." He squeezed her and kissed her hair. "I kind of like traveling, by the way. But if we find the perfect place to stop, I will build us a house and we'll settle."

  She giggled.

  "I don't think I want to live in a town," she said then, thoughtful. "Too many noises and odors and... people! Maybe we should try a small village."

  "Sure. Whatever my lady prefers. My smelly profession has always left me on the outskirts of the town, so I'm not really looking forward to moving into the center..."

  ***

  And then the day of the competition came. Sayla tied her hair in a knot like she had done in Inex, but she didn't wear a gown anymore. She wore a clean shirt and breeches, took her quiver and bow, and headed for the compound with Keenan.

  He helped her wear her bracer and watched her string her bow like he had done two-and-a-half months earlier in their hometown. Sayla tried not to look around her. The expanse outside the walls of Xendaria was much bigger than the one in Inex. It was a rectangular field with seats on the longer side, including a covered stall for the king and his dignitaries.

  There were dozens of archers competing, and they shot ten at a time. There was an old man who kept count of their points and each round eliminated someone. Sayla never missed her target, so of course she stayed in the competition until only ten archers were left, including blond Owen.

  Sayla never glanced towards the stall with the blond king but before she shot her second arrow in the last round, Keenan approached her.

  "Don't win, Sayla," he whispered in her ear.

  "What? Why?" she protested in a low voice.

  "I think Owen is the king's son. I've been watching both him and the king throughout the competition so far and they look strikingly alike besides, exchanging lots of smiles and nods."

  Sayla pursed her lips. "All right, thanks for the warning."

  When she nocked her arrow, she kept her eyes on Keenan, who now stood on the side of the compound. She still hit the target, but not in the center. Owen shot her a disappointed glance.

  The targets were moved farther away. Again she shot without aiming, but still hit the target. Owen exchanged his place with the man between them.

  "Are you doing it on purpose?" he asked with a frown.

  She looked at him, then finally looked at the king. Indeed they were very alike.

  "I might be a northern idolater, but I'm not half-blind, quite the opposite," she replied, looking Owen in the eye. "And since I'm not sure of what the consequences would be if I beat a prince of royal blood in an archery contest, I'll just play it safe."

  He gaped for a moment, then burst out laughing.

  "Sayla, you have my word nothing will happen to you if such a thing happens," he said with one hand on his chest. He hadn't confirmed nor denied his identity, so she wasn't sure if she should trust him. "I like challenges. My men tend to let me win for the same reason you're shooting without aiming. I was hoping with a new archer in town that this year I'd have a real challenge ahead. Beat me if you can."

  "Yes, Prince Owen." She smiled as he went back to his place. He winked and bowed at her.

  Arrows nocked. String released. Sayla's aim didn't fail anymore. And as the target moved farther and the other competitors were eliminated, she and Prince Owen kept shooting.

  He made a couple of mistakes and she heard him curse under his breath. The last arrow was shot so far away that he didn't hit the perfect center like she did. His Human eyesight had served him well – he'd probably have beaten Sanylo back home – but it wasn't enough to beat a pure-blood Sila. She wasn't going to tell him her secret, though.

  He bowed at the winner with a crooked smile and took her hand to take her in front of his father's stall. The king rose. He looked amused.

  "Well, it seems this year you found a worthy opponent, Owen! Where does this young wonder come from?"

  "Inex, your majesty," Sayla answered with a curtsy. "The town is famous for its archers. You might want to send Prince Owen up there if he wants to compete against archers who don't know who he is."

  Both the king and Owen laughed.

  "You have earned this purse of gold." The king leaned to give her her prize. "Now please join us at the castle for the celebration."

 
"Is my husband allowed to come?" she asked.

  "You mean you're married?" Owen looked chagrined. "To him?" He turned to his father. "When I met her she was with a young man, and I wrongly assumed he was the archer of the couple."

  "Well, it's good she's already married, since so are you," the king reminded him, amused. "Yes, young maiden, your husband is welcome to join us at the banquet too."

  "Thank you, your majesty." Sayla curtsied. "I hope my plain clothes won't bother you or your court."

  "You might want to wear a gown tonight for the ball," Owen suggested with a wink. "But for now, this will do."

  Sayla bowed and went back to Keenan. "We're invited to the banquet. And to a ball! I'll need a gown for tonight to go to court!"

  "Wonderful. Let's go to the banquet, then we'll look for a dressmaker," Keenan replied with a smile, taking her hand.

  They followed the crowd and the train of people took them to the square keep. Tables had been set up in the main courtyard, but Prince Owen signaled them to come inside, to the great hall, and join the royal family on the dais.

  Sayla blushed under Queen Corinna's approving stare. She looked like a beggar next to the tired but very elegant queen with her golden crown. Since she was so obviously lost, Prince Owen made the introductions: his mother, his wife, Princess Elizabeth and his younger siblings, Prince Alvin and Princess Leonora.

  All were blond and blue-eyed. Princess Leonora was a plump teen who gushed at Sayla's prowess and wondered if they wore the same size. She could give her one of her many gowns for the ball, since her sister-in-law was taller. Sayla wasn't sure she could accept the hearty offer, but the king nodded benevolently.

  "Owen will give one of his to your husband," he said, amused. "You're tall, young man, how old are you?"

  Keenan was actually Prince Alvin's age, but more of Owen's size. Alvin was quite skinny because apparently he preferred sitting in the castle library than exercising with his brother and the other young men. He was also paler than his siblings for that reason.

  The meal had three courses with musical interludes. First a thick pottage of cabbage, leeks, onions and garlic with an extra flavor of herbs and ground nuts. Then an array of meat and fish dishes – venison, wild boar, salmon and pike. And finally savory and sweet tarts and pastries, candied fruit and cheese.

  Sayla didn't eat much, but watched Keenan taste everything and savor it with a blissful expression. For her it was way too much and she could hear the royal family comment she ate like a little bird, which pleased her immensely. She wasn't going to reveal her secret to them, but she couldn't keep her smile off her face.

  Then Princess Leonora took her to her rooms and they started the game of finding a gown for the ball. Maids pulled out damasks and velvets but the princess scowled until she saw a partitioned dress half sapphire-blue and half gingerbread-brown that made her jump up excitedly.

  "That's it! It matches your colors perfectly! Try it on!"

  It had the left side blue and the right side brown, with the left elbow-length sleeve brown and the right one blue. Sayla had to also borrow one of the princess's chemises to put underneath and was given one with long wide sleeves like hers had been.

  Since Princess Leonora was less willowy, one of the maids quickly took the measurements to fit the dress to Sayla's size and she took it off again.

  "Let's bathe together," the princess suggested. She'd change her gown too, so while the maids worked on refitting the dress, they had time to wash. Mostly Sayla, who had sweated under the sun for the archery contest.

  She liked the sixteen-year-old princess who missed her elder sister who had left for her husband's house six months earlier. She listened to Leonora's small worries and gave her a very brief summary of her own adventures, not wanting to dwell on too many details.

  "Keenan is gorgeous!" Leonora said. "I hope one day I'll find someone like him! Unless they marry me off to forge an alliance, that is." Her face fell a little. It probably wasn't easy to be a princess either.

  Sayla was amazed at the family dynamics. This royal family seemed more tightly bonded than her own. And they had a country to run. Not that Sayla had that much experience with kings, since King Edwyn was the first she met, but still...

  Leonora was serious only when she told her about the eldest, Prince Karl, who was at the war front with his father's army. Apparently their neighbors, the Varians, constantly threatened to cross the River Ondan and take the Blackmore lands.

  Sayla made a mental note to stay away from the Ondan or at least avoid the border patrols on both sides. Maybe she would cross it at the source, where Humans didn't go.

  ***

  "So, Keenan, you're a tanner! How do you do with a sword?" Prince Owen slapped Keenan's back so hard he almost fell flat on his face.

  "Not so good, Your Highness," he admitted. "Sayla's brother is much better than me. But he's the blacksmith's son."

  "I understand you come from the north, but are you aware of what's going on in this kingdom?" Prince Owen said, opening the door to his chambers to give him more elegant clothes for the ball.

  "Not really, why?" Keenan answered warily.

  "Which way did you come from?"

  "North east, through Backeran and Cinnae... We paid the pedestrians' toll at the border. Your guards were very thorough in their check."

  "Ah, so you haven't heard about the mess." Prince Owen nodded, thoughtful, then opened his chest of clothes. Servants brought in a big bath-tub and filled it with warm water. "Well, we have trouble on the western border."

  Keenan gulped, meeting the prince's stare. He wasn't going to be conscripted, now, was he? He wasn't a soldier, and he wasn't a citizen of the kingdom, he was only passing through. Surely no local law allowed the king to enroll foreigners in his army!

  "The River Ondan is the only thing that keeps the Varians out of our kingdom," Owen continued. "My brother Karl is constantly patrolling its shore, especially between Moriana and Salamar. Moriana is on the Varian shore, Salamar is one of our possessions. Last summer we had to destroy the old central bridge to avoid an invasion. It was the only bridge across the Ondan, now there's only well-guarded ferry services and we need to make sure nobody smuggles men in or out of the kingdom."

  "I'm sorry to hear this. I'm not a soldier and I wouldn't know how to help," Keenan said.

  "I know." Owen sighed. "You're lucky. I might join my brother soon – as soon as Elizabeth gets pregnant."

  Keenan nodded, but didn't have anything to say. The prince cheered up and invited him to join him in the bath-tub. Alvin knocked and came in with a towel on his arm, asking shyly if he could join too.

  Keenan watched their playful banter and thought they were a wonderful family. But staying in Xendaria might be dangerous for both himself and Sayla. He didn't want to be involved in any politics or other noblemen or royalty's affairs, therefore they should leave as soon as possible.

  Owen gave him an embroidered tunic to wear over his chemise and asked him why he shaved every day.

  "Sayla prefers clean-shaven men," Keenan answered with a shrug. Owen chuckled and Alvin smiled.

  "Real men wear beards," the youngest said, amused. "Warriors look more fierce and manly with facial hair."

  "So why do you shave?" Keenan asked him.

  "Because I'm a scholar," the young prince answered. "I don't want to hold a sword ever."

  "You're not strong enough to do it!" Owen teased.

  "I'm not strong enough to do it because I don't want to do it," Alvin replied. "How do you get your muscles, Keenan? By working in your father's tannery. How does Owen? By practicing with his sword-master every day. I hone my skills in the library, and I don't need strength or muscles on my body." He touched his forehead. "It's here that I need to exercise."

  From the previous chitchat Keenan had noticed that Alvin sounded smarter than Owen, but still respected his older brother. He smiled at the younger prince and nodded.

  "Do I have time to speak with Sayla b
efore the ball?" he asked, since all three of them were by now dressed and groomed and ready to go back to the great hall.

  "I don't know, women take forever to prepare themselves." Owen chuckled. "Let's see if Elizabeth can tell us where they're at!"

  The princesses weren't ready, of course, but Sayla came out of Leonora's chamber with a huff of relief. Keenan admired the dress that matched her colors. She looked beautiful in a gown. They had even combed her golden-brown hair into a complicated hairdo.

  She had her own clothes rolled into a bundle with her unstrung bow and quiver, and held them with one hand while the other pulled up the long gown.

  "I will take my things back to the inn," she told Prince Owen. "I shall be back for the ball."

  The prince nodded and pointed the way out of the castle. Sayla walked as fast as she could without running, and as soon as they were out in the streets she stopped to look Keenan in the eye with a worried frown on her pretty face.

  "Keenan, I don't want to go to a court ball!" she burst out.

  "So what do you want to do?" he asked, worried. He didn't really want to attend the ball either, not after the talk of war he'd heard from the princes.

  "How about we just leave? Like, right now? Let's go grab our things and get out of here!" she said. "We can return the clothes to the princes with a messenger and our apologies..."

  "Did Princess Leonora's dress really fit you?" he asked. "Or did they have to refit it?"

  "They refitted it, but it's still too elegant for me. I have no use for a gown. Especially if I want to fly – that's why I cut my old dress and turned it into breeches."

  "I see." Keenan nodded and they headed back for the inn.

  He helped her out of the elegant gown, took off Prince Owen's tunic and they wrapped everything with a leather strap. They pondered about the message for a while, then decided they didn't have anything to say. Thus they went back to the keep, left the bundle of clothes with the guards at the entrance, and headed for the closest town gate.

  One hour later they were cheerfully walking away from Xendaria, laughing among themselves. The king's gold would probably last them longer – hopefully until the end of the summer – thus he happily took her away from Xendaria.