Second Skin: Fractures

by M Damon Baker

  “Daile, my friend,” I answered. “You know how little coin I have right now.” As I spoke, I gestured at the meager pile of coins on the counter that I had yet to pick up.

  “Yes, well, be that as it may, I just wouldn’t forgive myself if you somehow managed to get hurt and I hadn’t at least shown these to you.”

  With a deep sigh, I followed him as he led me to yet another of his locked cabinets. He pulled out a medium-sized box and laid it on a counter before he opened it to show me that the wooden box contained an assortment of arrowheads.

  Even with my limited ability to perceive such things, it was obvious that several of the metal arrowheads were enchanted. The rest, while not magical, were of superior manufacture and would be a huge improvement even over the good-quality arrows I currently had. As a bonus, my quiver would be able to reproduce the non-magical arrowheads. I picked out the best from among the non-enchanted lot and inquired.

  “How much?”

  “Well now, these are very high-grade items. For a specimen like, that I would have to charge two Marks. Each.”

  He thought he had me, but it was my chance to turn the tables on Daile. I quickly opened my pack, pulled out my two spare quivers and emptied their contents onto the counter. Then I added all but one arrow from the quiver on my back to the pile before I made my counter-offer.

  “Daile, you have some very nice arrowheads here, but I can’t help but notice that your shop is rather low on actual arrows for sale,” I commented.

  I had checked his shop for arrows previously, hoping to find one better than what I had. With my Never Ending Quiver of Arrows, a single arrow would become a full quiver in a few short hours. It had seemed odd that, not only didn’t he have any arrows better than my own, but he didn’t have a single arrow at all in the entire shop.

  As he stared at nearly three score of arrows, I could tell Daile was also keenly aware of the gap in his shop’s inventory. He seemed to think for a moment, and then he made me an offer that I simply couldn’t refuse.

  “Because you’re such a good customer, I’ll offer you that one arrowhead for free in exchange for these. But that’s the best I can do. You’ll have to pay full price for any others.”

  I almost pulled my hood down, just so Daile could see the smile on my face. It probably would have been worth it; instead, I simply tucked the single arrowhead into my pack and headed for the door.

  “Pleasure doing business with you, Daile,” I said with satisfaction as I strode away.

  I desperately wanted to turn around and see his reaction, but that would have ruined my dramatic exit. Instead, I resisted the impulse, walked out the door and headed to the inn for an early dinner.

  Once I reached the inn, I took a quick detour to my room. I took a moment to change out of my dirty armor, get dressed in some clean clothes, strap my belt and dagger back on, and make my best effort to tidy up my cloak before putting it back on. Then I switched out my lone arrowhead for the one I had practically swindled from Daile, figuring that I might as well put the Quiver to work while I was at dinner. Once I was finished, I set the Quiver down with its single arrow and raised my hood before I set off downstairs to the dining room.

  It was a little less crowded that evening, so I had no problem finding a table. I noticed the same mixed group of dwarves and elves that I had seen prior, so I chose a table close enough that I could enjoy a bit of their usual banter. Annia brought me a delicious smelling bowl of bear stew and a mug of ale before I had even gotten comfortable at my table.

  “With Travis’ compliments,” she said with a smile.

  My mouth began watering as the smell hit me, and the first savory spoonful fully delivered on the promised flavor. The stew was simply delectable. I was almost shoveling it into my mouth spoonful after spoonful, and my bowl was empty before I even knew it. For a moment, I stared at the bottom of the bowl in disappointment. Even though my belly was full, if Annia had put another bowl in front of me right then, I would have wolfed it down as well. Instead, I settled back in my chair and took a deep sip from my mug, relishing the taste of the ale as it washed down the last of my stew.

  As I relaxed with my drink, I began to take in the sounds of the inn that night. The murmur of the various conversations melded together and seemed to combine into a low, comforting hum of voices.

  Oddly, the group I was most interested in were strangely subdued that evening. The normally raucous foursome was speaking quietly amongst themselves, and their typically cheerful attitude seemed lost for some reason. Curious, I listened closely and attempted to catch bits of their conversation. I was only able to hear a few words here and there, so it took a while for me to get the gist of their discussion.

  At first, I thought they had lost someone. I kept hearing the word ‘dead’ over and over again. Since they were obviously all still alive, I thought perhaps they had received word of a friend’s demise. Then, as I continued to eavesdrop, I caught mention of a ‘mission.’ As I overheard more and more of the conversation, I learned that they were on some sort of quest but believed they had failed. While I focused on their talk even longer, I finally heard more clearly the word they had been repeating all along. It wasn’t ‘dead,’ as I had first thought, but ‘undead,’ and then the pieces fell together for me. They were on a mission searching for undead but were despondent because they had failed to locate their prey. With that knowledge, I realized that their failure might very well be the opportunity I so desperately needed.

  I had no fear that these people were affiliated with the Bloody Hearts in any way—they simply did not fit the mold. I was also comfortable that they were a decent group who wouldn’t try and rob me the minute we were out of sight from town. These four were exactly the sort I needed to join up with if I wanted to take on bigger challenges and gain greater rewards. So, I drained my mug, stood up, and ventured over to their table to roll the dice.

  They took notice of my approach immediately, and all four turned to face me as I walked over to them. When I reached their table, I gestured to an empty chair as I began speaking to them.

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. If I understood correctly, I may be able to offer you some assistance. May I join you?”

  With a look of chagrin on his face, one of the dwarves reached into his purse and pulled out a silver Mark. He placed the coin on the table and silently slid it to the elf across from him. The elf, with a thin smile on his lips, simply picked up the coin and tucked it in his own purse. I was thoroughly intrigued, so I had to ask.

  “Lose a bet, master dwarf?”

  “That I did,” he replied, with the vexed look still on his face. “Noticed you here the last few days. We had a little fun trying to figure you out, acting all mysterious-like, and I made a wager with my friend, Stel. I took you for one of his people. Not a muscle-bound oddity like him, but one of the mysterious archer types. He claimed you were obviously a human female.”

  “Good to know that I was able to fool at least one of you, I guess,” I responded in amusement.

  “Not my fault most damn elves are built like women,” the dwarf replied, still somewhat perturbed by his loss.

  The other three shared a quick laugh at their friend’s expense, and the elven female gestured for me to sit with them before offering quick introductions.

  “The sore loser over there is Khorim, but don’t worry about him. One more ale and he’ll be fine. And this is his long-suffering wife, Broda” she said, motioning to the other dwarf. “My name is Venna, and Khorim has already told you the name of my husband, Stel.”

  Acknowledging each in turn, I introduced myself as well.

  “Pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Dae.”

  “The pleasure is ours, Dae. Now, what is it that you think you can help us with?” Venna asked.

  “Yes, well, first, I’d like to see if I understand the situation correctly,” I began, and then glanced at Venna, who quickly nodded for me to proceed.


  “You are on some sort of quest, searching for undead, but have not been able to find what you seek. Do I have it right?”

  Nodding her head reluctantly, Venna confirmed my observations.

  “Close enough. I was sent by my Abbott to cleanse an undead infestation somewhere near this town. We have been searching for days but have found no sign of them.”

  “Forgive me,” I replied. “The way you speak of this, I get the impression that this is no simple matter.”

  The other three looked at me with suspicion before Stel jumped in.

  “The importance, or lack thereof, of this assignment is no concern of yours.”

  There was a hint of anger in his voice, as if my question had crossed some line with him.

  “No,” Venna soothed. “It is fine. I have failed in my task. If she can help me redeem myself, she deserves to know the truth.”

  “I meant no offense, I assure you,” I offered sincerely. “I’m just trying to understand the situation.”

  “Of course, as would we, were our roles reversed,” Venna said, pointedly glancing at Stel as she spoke.

  “The mission my Abbott gave me is a test. Its purpose is to determine my fitness as a Curate of Thassa, Goddess of Light. Clearing the undead threat would prove my worthiness. Failure means dismissal from my order.”

  Her quest was no small matter at all; obviously, her entire life’s ambition was hanging in the balance.

  “I may have found what you are looking for,” I responded. “But I need to know one thing to be certain.”

  Since I had their undivided attention, I proceeded.

  “Why is your search centered here, in Laurel?”

  “Oh,” Venna answered. “That’s an easy one. The Abbott told me it was located somewhere nearby.”

  “And could ‘nearby’ perhaps be more than a day’s travel away?” I cautiously inquired.

  After thinking for a moment, she replied, “Well, I guess so, divining the location of such infestations isn’t a very precise matter.”

  “Good, then I’m pretty sure I know where your undead are,” I said confidently.

  “And what compensation would you be looking for in return for this information?” Khorim inquired, and his suspicion of my motives was clear by his tone.

  Despite the fact that the impact of my stare was severely dampened by my raised cowl, I looked him right in the eyes as I replied.

  “A fair share is all I expect. I will guide you to the location and help you clear the undead. In return, I simply ask for an equal portion of the spoils.”

  The group was silent for a moment before Venna spoke.

  “I accept your offer.”

  Khorim laughed heartily.

  “Here I was thinking you were going to ask for some outrageous ‘finder’s fee’ and then half the spoils to boot!”

  “Why would I do that?” I asked in confusion.

  “Oh, girl, you have no idea what some people are capable of, do you?” He replied with a chuckle.

  “Actually, I do,” I responded as I unconsciously pulled my hood slightly tighter around my face.

  “My apologies,” Khorim fumbled, realizing his error.

  After I informed the group that the undead I had located were nearly three day’s journey away, Stel went off to purchase some additional supplies, and the rest of them ordered extra rations for the journey from the waitress. Once we were equipped, we agreed to retire to our respective rooms for a good night’s rest before we would set off early the next morning.

  I was excited when I arrived back in my room, and I began restocking my ammunition reserve by removing most of the arrows from my now full Quiver and storing them in my spares. Smiling deviously as I made the transfer, I wondered just how much I could squeeze out of Daile for some of my newly upgraded arrows. I hadn’t thought of the Quiver as a revenue-generating device before, but it was an interesting idea.

  When I had everything ready for the morning, I undressed and got into bed. As I lay there, I was thrilled to finally have a real quest—one that had the potential for a lucrative payoff, both in terms of loot and XP. I drifted off contentedly to sleep, with my thoughts looking forward to the promise of the next day.

  29

  We met early the following morning for a quick breakfast in the common room. Over the meal, I learned that the two couples had actually first met as rival adventuring groups; circumstances had forced them to work together to take on a small orc warband, and they had remained together as a group ever since. When our meal was nearly finished, I broached the subject of travel.

  “I have been keeping to the forest mostly since I’ve been traveling alone and to avoid ambush. However, if we take the road at least as far as Clermont, it will cut our travel time significantly. What are your thoughts? I asked the group.

  “You were wise to avoid the roads while traveling alone,” Stel replied. “But as a group of four, now five,” he said as he nodded at me, “we should be safe enough.”

  “Then the road it is,” I agreed.

  I had suspected as much, but Stel’s confirmation was reassuring. So, after our meal, we left town and headed up the road to Clermont to begin our quest to secure Venna’s place in her order.

  We made good time traveling on the road, and we covered far more distance than I’d ever been able to when I had been making my way through the forest. As the sky grew dim and night approached, we were more than halfway to our destination. If we were able to manage the same pace the next day, we would certainly reach Clermont by late afternoon or early evening.

  When it grew dark, we left the road to set up camp under the cover of the dense trees. Once our preparations for the night were complete, I approached Broda and hoped that she would be open to the proposal I had for her.

  “Broda,” I asked her. “Would you be willing to spar with me a little? Nothing serious—I just want to work on my technique, and maybe get a few pointers from you.”

  I was hoping that a sparring session with her would improve my skill. I had noticed during our travels that instead of leaving her hammers sheathed at her waist, Broda had been carrying them, one in each hand, all day. It was obvious that she was comfortable wielding both simultaneously, while my own two-handed skill was among the least advanced of my combat proficiencies.

  Broda glanced at me, with her eyebrows raised as she replied.

  “I’m not sure that would be safe for you,” Broda said pointedly

  I wasn’t sure how to interpret her statement. Was she making a threat, or was she merely posturing? I quickly glanced at the others and saw looks of amusement on their faces as they waited for my response. I took their expressions as a hint and replied accordingly.

  “My apologies, Broda. I thought your skill with those hammers was sufficient to ensure a friendly competition.”

  Both elves smiled at my retort while Khorim grimaced, almost in pain. Broda was even less amused.

  “Very well, little girl. Let’s see what you’ve got,” she practically growled back at me.

  I watched as Broda began swinging her hammers in slow, lazy circles as she squared off across from me. I drew my blades in response and braced for the attack that I knew would be coming.

  Almost before I was set, Broda charged with her hammers tracing wide arcs through the air as she attempted to hem me in. But instead of retreating, I dashed towards her. When I closed in, I threw myself to the ground and managed to roll past her while barely avoiding the face of one of her hammers as it flew past my skull. As I came out of my tumble, I rose to my knees and swung the flat of my blade back at her in return, and the resounding sound of the blade slapping hard across her backside echoed through our small camp.

  Broda froze in place for a moment before she slowly turned to face me. She glared at me, and her face was a red mask of both anger and embarrassment. I had not intended the humiliating strike, but my blade smacking against her bottom had certainly been just that. A tense silence filled the camp as Broda contin
ued staring at me intently. When she finally spoke, her response caught me completely unprepared.

  “Next time you want to slap my arse, you should at least ask Khorim’s permission first,” she deadpanned.

  Her jest cracked the tension, as she had obviously intended, and we all broke out in raucous laughter. When the moment of levity passed, Broda spoke once more.

  “Alright, Dae, now that I know you’re a slippery little squirrel, let’s try that again.”

  We resumed our sparring session, and I learned that Broda was indeed much better at fighting two-handed than I was, as she scored most of the remaining hits. And while she held back just enough for those hits to not break my bones, she didn’t feel the need to restrain herself enough to prevent some rather impressive bruising. When we finally stopped our jousting, Stel took first watch, and the rest of us retired to our bedrolls to get some rest. I fell asleep almost immediately and rested peacefully until Venna woke me in the morning. As I realized what had happened, I was somewhat irritated.

  “No one woke me to take a shift on watch,” I stated flatly.

  “We thought it best to let you sleep since the rest of us can see clearly in the dark,” Venna responded.

  “I have no trouble keeping watch at night,” I replied sharply.

  I remembered Zander’s advice about how sensitive the topic of abilities could be, so I didn’t give away my precise capabilities.

  “Very well. We can discuss taking watch shifts next time we make camp,” Venna offered.

  I found her concession rather interesting—we would be sleeping in Clermont that night, so there would be no need to set a watch while we slept at the inn. From there, it was less than a day to reach the undead. Any breaks we took from that point on would likely be only short rests between combat, which meant that she had very deftly put off my request for the foreseeable future.

  We broke camp quickly after that, and after a breakfast of simple trail rations, we packed up and set off once again.

  Our travels the day before had been a mostly quiet affair, but that changed completely with the new day’s dawning. It seemed that the previous night’s sparring, and Broda’s jest after her embarrassment, had relaxed the two couples and lowered their guard somewhat. They talked and joked about many things, mostly past adventures and experiences, and made a point of explaining some of the subtleties so that I would not be left out. Their friendly companionship was a wonderful contrast to all the time I had been forced to spend alone.