by RG Long
With this, Holve had given Ealrin something to think about. But first...
“What do you mean by elders?” he questioned him.
“Ah. I forgot that you’ve no clue what’s going on around you,” Holve said back to him in a mocking tone. Ealrin didn’t mind too much. He was almost certain Holve was joking with him.
“The Southern Republic is made up of three different races: Dwarves, Elves, and Man. By all accounts, men outnumber the dwarves and elves by ten to one. However the other races were here long before man. It must have been around one hundred years ago that a treaty was made. There was strife between the factions of man as well as the Woodlander Elves and the Dwarves of the Southern Range. A war with the goblins and trolls from the north caused them to unite. Assured that the three races could live in peace, the Southern Republic was formed. For each of the ten settlements, whether man or other race, two representatives are sent to the capital city of Conny. Six of them are the cities of men, two are the forest dwellings of elves, Talgel and Ingur, and the other are the mountain city and forge of dwarves, Cardun-Addush and Kaz-Ulum. Kaz means that it’s a dwarven mining city.”
“Each of these settlements designates its own elders and they speak for their people. So on the council there are twenty all together: four dwarf, four elves, and twelve men. By allowing each of these a vote, they are able to keep peace between the two races. Though the men outnumber the other races, it is never wise to always go against them for every decision. For example, say your settlement voted against the dwarven right to mine a new mountain because you feared for damage to your crops? Well, what if that mine would allow for you to arm the guards meant to protect your city? There are trade-offs at all levels and that's what has kept the peace between the races who share the southern peninsula. For the last one hundred years, it has kept the peace between man and dwarf and elf. Until ten years ago that is."
Ten years ago. Ealrin remembered that was when the rebellion first occurred in the Southern Republic. Holve had mentioned that just the other day.
"One of the elders of Conny, the capital city, began to make a case for an entirely human country. In other words he wanted to either remove the others forcibly or exterminate them. Of course the talks didn't start that way. He spoke of better lands for elves and better mines for dwarves. Not all could see through to the end of his dire plan. Some sided with him. He was removed by the vote of the council, as well as with the recommendation of the Head Elder, the closest thing to a single ruler the Southern Republic has. Disgraced, he fled to Seagate and tried to stir up a coup. The Mercs were sent in to deal with him, but were really sided with him. It was then that Thoran came to help drive the rebels to the mountains."
"Now they are a threat again. The question is: what is their end goal this time? And what purpose could be served by burning down an entire city?"
Holve let out a frustrated sigh. He stretched out his arms and let them fall to his sides. Apparently this journey wasn't going how he had anticipated it either.
"So now we travel to inform the king," he said. "Perhaps the army of Thoran could be used once again to put down this threat. Crush it so that the Mercs no longer loot and pillage innocent cities and kill its citizens."
And what role would he play in it? Ealrin wondered. He had seen the destruction first hand. He had witnessed violent acts that spawned from a senseless hate of other races. This was not the time to sit idly by, he thought. He would do whatever he could to bring justice to those who had committed these wrongs.
"Yes, I pray that the king will be able to make sense of what is happening here," Holve continued. "And take the necessary action to aid the Southern Republic in resolving it."
Ealrin wanted to know what he meant by "necessary action."
"Twenty years ago when the Southern Republic called for the Kings aid he quickly and decisively deployed his army," Holve said. "I was one of the generals who helped him fight that battle."
"You? A general?" Ealrin asked, not hiding the surprising his voice.
Holve had been withholding that piece of information from him. Ealrin had assumed that he was a knight of some kind, or perhaps a warrior or adviser to the king. But a general? That was a true surprise.
Holve chuckled as he replied, "Do I not seem like a leader of men?"
Ealrin was glad to see that a small smile had returned to Holve’s face.
"I suppose now that you tell me it makes sense, but why was the general of an army spending time on the island of Good Harbor?" he asked.
"I told you that I was in service to the king," Holve replied. "But I am not a true citizen of Thoran. The king values my advice and my leadership during times of trial and war. There has not been a war on the continent for the last 10 years, so I was assigned the job of gathering information and bolstering the ranks of the Kings personal knights."
"What country are you a citizen of?" Blume asked. She had been quiet for a time, but now that she had spoken, Ealrin was glad for her observation. He had not thought to ask.
Holve chuckled uneasily.
"To tell you the truth," he said, "I am in exile from my own country. I haven’t seen it in many years."
Well, isn’t Holve full of surprises today?
"Yes, it’s been many winters since I've returned to my homeland. Is very far away from here, and not very often visited by those with common sense."
Blume gave him a questioning look that Ealrin interpreted. She wanted to know what country he spoke of.
"I think what lies down the road will be sufficient to take your mind off where I'm from," Holve said.
And he was right. As the three crested the hill they saw before them the city of Breyland. And surrounding it on every side were the tents and makeshift shelters of what was unmistakably Merc Raiders.
22: Information
The trio sat around the table of the Gilded Mare eating their food and being thankful that fate had allowed them to arrive at this point unharmed.
They knew they had not been followed. Nor had anyone seen them and run ahead to report to the Merc leaders what had happened to the stragglers at Weyfield. The story of how two men had come and killed several Mercs and rescued a little girl had not yet made its way here.
Holve had to grudgingly agree with Ealrin's plan. If he were to collect information and give it to the king, what better place would he be able to gather it than in the heart of the Merc camp? They had entered the city without being questioned or noticed. Breyland, thankfully, was big enough that any number of passersby and strangers would come in and leave its borders without attracting much attention to themselves.
"Would your daughter like anything else to eat?" The innkeeper asked Ealrin.
"No thank you, I think we've all about had our fill," he replied to the innkeeper. He huffed, and walked away.
The decision was made before they had had a chance to discuss it. There were some strange looks when they came to the end. Two grown men walking around with a 13-year-old girl unsupervised would certainly bring attention to them, and that was exactly the opposite of what they wanted.
Ealrin had told the innkeeper that he was Blume’s father, and that they were traveling north to visit other family. Holve was playing the part of uncle. This had allowed them to be given one room with three beds without any further questions. Though the innkeeper felt shorted in that he had hoped they would take separate rooms.
But there was something about the greedy look in his eyes that unnerved Ealrin. Blume was more than fair looking, and could easily attract most men to her, especially with her striking blonde hair. Ealrin made a mental note to not leave her out of his sight.
"Tell me, Blume. Are you okay?" Ealrin asked her as the innkeeper was off busying himself with another table.
Blume sat quietly for a moment. She put her spoon down and continued to look into the plate she was eating from.
"It doesn't feel real," she said after a few moments.
Ealrin could understand such
a feeling. He was still trying to recover from the loss of Roland as well as the crew of the White Wind. The action of the past two days had pushed it from his mind, but only when he was active. Sitting or lying alone with his thoughts brought up the images that haunted his sleep.
"Blume, you're still on your feet after losing your family as well as your friends and your whole city. There's much to be admired in a girl with such a high resilience," said Holve.
Ealrin, again, was surprised by how he spoke so well to her. Holve hadn't really shown him a great love for children, even older ones such as Blume. Then again, he had cared for Ealrin when he needed him. Perhaps this was Holve caring for Blume as well?
Blume looked up at the two of them. Fresh tears were rolling down her face now.
"Dad would always sing a song to me when I was scared or afraid or just sad. Would you like to hear it?" she asked them.
"Please," said Ealrin, leaning back in his chair to get a better look at the girl. Perhaps singing was the only thing she knew to do when she was sad or scared. Perhaps it would make her feel better. Either way, whatever would help this little girl cope, Ealrin was going to do.
Her voice was first low and cracked a bit with sadness. As she sang, she became more confident, and with her confidence, the beauty of the song increased.
"Over high mountains,
The sun chases spring.
Over the hilltops,
My love I will bring.
I'll rush through the meadow,
I'll run through the plains,
So that you will feel,
My dear love again.
Over the night sky,
And up with the stars,
My love will be with you,
Where ever you are.
No matter what heartaches,
Or trials that come
My love will come rising,
As sure as the suns."
After she had sung the last note, Ealrin raised a hand to his eye, wiping away a single tear. As he did, he noticed that several had looked over at their table. Perhaps the song too had moved them.
Only Holve kept his head down, more interested in his food than the attention being put on them.
"That was beautiful, Blume," Ealrin said. "You sing well."
She sniffed.
"Singing is what helps when I don't know what else to do," she replied. "I feel like that now. Where will I go, Ealrin? What will I do?"
He had no answers at the moment. He had been thinking about this for a time. Obviously she was not meant for battles or long journeys across the continent. Fate had put them together, and he wondered where fate would lead them now.
"I don't know either, Blume," Ealrin said as he put out his hand on the table on top of hers, "but we'll find out. Together if we can."
He gave a smile and then gathered her plate and cutlery up for her. She had finished her whole meal. Ealrin was becoming very fond of his adopted daughter. He wondered if he had children of his own. If he didn't, he made a commitment to have them in the future. He would like to be a dad.
As they sat there, Holve and Ealrin looked around the room to see who would be staying the night in the inn along with them.
Most of the patrons of the Inn were a bit rough around the edges. Which is to say that they were an improvement over the Raiders who walked the streets. If the Mercs had higher ups, these were them.
A group of four sat at a table and ordered food in such quantities that they kept the innkeeper fairly busy running back-and-forth from their table to the kitchen. They spoke with an air of importance, and so whatever they had to say may well be information Holve could report to the king. As they spoke, Holve and Ealrin did their best to listen in. Blume busied herself with eating everything that was in sight, apparently ravenous from their journey here.
"Do you think he'll make it back tonight?" asked the shortest of the group. He was younger than the rest, but no less muscular and battle hardened. His blonde rough-cut hair gave him the air of one who either cared little for his looks, or tried very hard to achieve an air of indifference.
"Don't know Xaxes. Better keep it together in case he does though. He won't be happy about what happened in Sea Gate," replied the robust man sitting to Xaxes' left. He was taller and more muscular than any of his companions. His reddish hair, along with his stout arms and chest, made him stand out from the others. Yet, he was the most reserved and mature of the group.
"Sea Gate was not Xaxes' fault Verde! And you know it," shot a long black haired man from across the table. "That little thief would have escaped us even if he hadn't gotten his prize. He knew the city too well."
This third man was lean and tall. Ealrin thought that there was something about him that resembled a hawk. Maybe it was his angular features or his long black hair, flowing down to his chest.
"That'll do," replied Verde. "If he does come tonight, and I assume that he will, we will still need to explain how we lost the amulet."
Blume made a small noise, like a hiccup.
The four men turned to glance at Ealrin's table just as the door to the inn opened and they directed their attention to it instead.
In stepped a man who exemplified what it meant to be in order. His jacket was neatly pressed and his brown hair was combed precisely over his head. He wore a handlebar mustache that looked like it had never known a hair out of place. On one eye, he wore a round glass monocle. He stood at an average height, but there was something about him that made his presence larger than anyone else in the room. Like he was more than met the eye. His sword dangled from its sheath at his side.
He starred at the table of four men, and then quietly walked up the stairs to the left of the door that went to the rooms for guests. Silently, and with several glances at each other, the four men rose and followed him.
Ealrin had noticed that several patrons of the inn had nudged each other and nodded to their companions when he entered. Most looked at the man as he entered. Some starred. The only one not looking when he entered was Holve, who had directed his attention at this plate of food instead. It was as if he were trying to avoid being seen by the man.
He raised an eyebrow at Holve, who had resumed a normal posture at this point.
"Ealrin, I think we best retire for the night. What do you think?" There was the slightest hint of a plan in his voice other than sleeping. Ealrin also followed his eyes up the steps that the five men had just walked.
"I believe you're right. Come on Blume. We ought to get some rest while we can. There's a big day tomorrow."
Ealrin rose and waited for Blume to do so as well. It took her a while, as she had let the chest lay on her lap as she had eaten. She refused to let it out of her possession. Not even for a moment in the room upstairs.
The three thanked the innkeeper for their meal and then walked upstairs to their room. At each door, Holve stopped for half a step to listen.
At the fourth door, he apparently heard what he was listening for, but then sent them on with a wave of his hand to their room, three more doors down. Ealrin and Blume went in quietly and shut the door behind them.
"Who was that man?" Blume asked as Ealrin sat down on his small bed. It was just large enough for his feet to hang off the end of it. They were all this length. Apparently some beds were reserved for dwarves and halflings, those who were neither men, elves, dwarves nor any other race. Just smaller people. The room was certainly meant for them, as all of the things were a tad smaller than would make sense for a typical person.
It didn't bother Blume any. It meant all of the things were the right size for her.
"I'm not sure," said Ealrin. "I'm betting he's someone of great importance. He definitely had that air about him. Like he was the leader of the Mercs."
Ealrin paused. He didn't know what that would mean for them as they stay here in the inn. Somehow he felt like they should put as much distance as they could between themselves and Breyland. But it had been his idea to gather information, so now
they would have more than they had originally hoped.
"We may need to leave quickly if things should not go how we would like, Blume," he told her.
She was sitting on the bed across from him, still holding her chest in both of her hands. It was resting on her lap. She looked up at Ealrin, and then back down at her treasure box. She silently opened it and pulled out a beautiful necklace.
It was a simple silver chain, but on it rested a green jewel that Ealrin didn't recognize. It was about the size of his thumb. Two strands of silver entwined it several times, giving the illusion of growing vines encroaching on the precious stone.
No wonder she had kept it hidden. It must be valuable beyond the comprehension of a girl such as her. Then again, she had already surprised Ealrin by her wisdom. Perhaps she would again.
"That's a beautiful necklace," he told her. He hoped it didn't sound like he wished to have it from her. He wanted her to trust that he would protect her and look out for her, not steal her family's greatest treasure from under her nose.
"Dad owned a jewelry store in Weyfield. This was his favorite piece. It was never on sale in the store, always hidden in our family’s house. We kept it safe," she told him as she fastened to her neck and stuffed it inside her dress.
"If we have to leave quickly I don't want to risk losing it. It'll be safer on me than in a box."
Ealrin agreed and was about to ask more about the necklace when the door opened and they both jumped.
"Holve..."
"We are going to need to be very cautious about how we go about our departure from here," said Holve as he stepped into the room.
He wore a look of both surprise and anger.
"That man is Androlion, a former elder of the Southern Republic and for good reason. He was removed from his post for his radical ideas about racial cleansing, basically what we've just witnessed in Weyfield. This is going to get tricky quickly."
"You mean he's the one telling people to kill other races?" Blume asked him.
