by K. M. Bonde
Eadric scrunches his face and sighs. “It will be a long time before I'm dry again.”
Bruce laughs at him and tells everyone to get going. “It is time to move again.”
Arddun and Elora walk behind the rest of the group as they continue down the path.
Elora keeps her head down, her cheeks pink. “Sorry I snapped at you in the cave yesterday. I'm just so frustrated when the magic doesn’t work. It’s so important for me to master it and… it’s just frustrating.”
Arddun puts her hand on Elora's arm. “I'm sorry for snapping back at you. We will get there eventually. Magic works in mysterious ways. Just let the power come from within, using focus and determination.”
On their way, they pass another wooden sign telling them that the city is only a short distance away. While walking, Elora follows Arddun’s instructions and focuses, drawing power from within her. It seems the staff is helping her focus, and she generates real lightning from her hand. Holding the staff feels surreal, but at the same time, it’s uplifting. It warms her hand, and it feels like an extension of herself.
After a while, they pass a big rock on their right side, and Bruce looks back to the team. “We’re almost there, it’s just up a small hill and around a bend. We should be able to see the city soon.”
Elora glances around the group, sensing their fatigue but also their excitement at being near the city. It would be a welcome rest for her as well.
“I just want to sleep in a bed tonight,” she murmurs to Ryan.
“A bed... is that not too much like the comforts of our old world?” Ryan teases Elora, smiling.
Elora is about to respond when she senses a shift in the air. Something, no, someone...
Before she can say anything, five men jump out of the bushes around the bend, shouting loudly. “Get her!” shouts one of the men, and one of his comrades joins him in approaching Elora. The other three move toward Bruce and Eadric.
Ryan pushes Elora behind him while Bruce and Eadric draw their weapons. Arddun shouts to Elora, “Run behind me!”
Elora runs toward Arddun, the two bandits trying to catch up to her. Ryan tries to intervene but is pushed to the ground by one of the bandits. As soon as Elora is behind Arddun, she turns around and tries to form magic in her hands. It fails, and the bandits are almost upon them. Arddun creates small fireballs in her hands and hurls them toward the two men.
The bandits scream as they throw themselves on the ground. “Fire?” one of them exclaims. “No one said anything about magic wielders.” They look at each other, scared. Soon they are on their feet again, running away, leaving their swords on the ground.
“Nothing beats a little fire sting on your behind,” shouts Arddun with a chuckle and big smile as she hurls a few more fireballs after them. One of the men is hit on his behind, and they take off toward the river, screaming. “Perhaps they will run off to the river to cool down,” Arddun says to no one in particular.
Ryan has gotten over to Elora, and she peeks over Ryan's shoulder only to see three bandits in a sword fight with Bruce and Eadric. “I really need to practice more if I am to keep up with those two,” Ryan says as he watches the fight.
Elora nods her head and glances at Arddun, “I know what you are saying, I need to practice as well.”
Bruce swings his sword with great power, and the bandit drops his sword. He tries to pick it up, but Bruce steps on it and shakes his head.. The bandit freezes, and then takes off after his friends.
Eadric swings his sword and yells as the bandits run for their life, and they scamper off after their comrades. Eadric picks up the swords left by the bandits. “These should sell for a good coin in town,” he says.
Bruce picks up the other sword, and they walk over to the rest of the party. Eadric lowers his shoulders and frowns. “I don't like the fact that the bandits would be ambushing this close to the city and that they seemed to know when and where to ambush. Times must be dire if the local bandits are working with the Dark Forces.”
They continue down the path, and soon they see the gates of the city. The wall around the city stretches far to the west and toward the denser Dark Forest in the east, just shy of the high hills. The entry to the city is made up by two very large doors, forming a formidable wall of wood and steel. Small hatches exist on both doors where the city guard can greet visitors before letting them in.
Bruce looks at Elora and Felan, “Felan cannot come in here, people would be scared.”
Elora gaze sadly as she whispers something to Felan. Felan looks sad, but he bows his head to Elora and trots into the forest. Then, the group walks up to the doors.
“We would like entrance please,” Eadric says, pushing a coin toward the guard. The gate swings open, and the group steps into the city.
Chapter 12: The City
As soon as they step through the gates, Elora realizes just how big the city is. It sprawls far beyond the horizon. It’s situated between the forest in the north and east, the hills and roads to the south, and the wet and dense outskirts of the marsh in the west.
It's a lively, busy city full of life and people walking everywhere. Merchants, inns, and taverns seem to occupy every corner. This looks more fun than my old home city, Elora thinks as she follows her group. The streets separating the houses are made up of dried uneven mud, and Elora watches her step carefully. This must be a nightmare when it’s raining. And those houses…
The houses and buildings lining the streets are all close to the same height, roughly two stories, but the only other thing in common they have is the wood they’re built from. Some of the buildings have square windows, others rectangular or round. And the doors vary in size and width, from very short to very tall and wide. As Elora and the party walk up the street, she notices the people milling about around them are all dressed like they’re from Medieval Europe.
She turns to Bruce. “Where are we going? How big is this city?”
“We’re looking for an inn on the east side of the city. It’s calmer there, fewer taverns and merchants,” he says. “The east side has more living quarters, too. The section we are in now, including the north and east is part of the higher level of the city. The walls here are more easily defended as they are on higher ground. To the north are the government buildings, and to the west are more merchants and inns. On the far west side of the city are the slums, an area best left alone, especially at night. The west also hosts the only other gate into and out of the city.”
While they continue winding through the city, a few merchants try to sell their items to the group, shouting out for business. Bruce walks up to one of them, gripping the sword he stole from the bandit. He soon comes back, a deep frown set on his face. “I tried selling the sword, and can you believe it? He only wanted to pay one silver coin.”
“How much is that?” asks Elora.
“We have three coins here: copper, silver and gold. One gold is worth seven silver coins, and one silver coin is worth seven copper coins. Most items are bought with copper and silver coins. A sword of this make should at least be going for two silvers; that's what standard swords usually cost.”
Ryan smirks. “And how much would a nice comfy bed be?”
Elora giggles, but Bruce scrunches up his face. “A night at the inn should be around one silver. Food and drinks are a couple of coppers.”
Further up the street, Bruce tries another merchant and gets lucky, coming back with a handful of coins. He comes back and shows Elora six silver coins before giving her one and putting the rest in his pocket. Elora looks at the coin, noticing it has some text and an unfamiliar face on one side. When she turns the coin over, she sees it’s an animal of some sort.
She puts it in her pocket and turns to Bruce. “Can I have some copper coins as well?”
He gives her a couple of them. They’re the same size but obviously a different color, and they have similar inscriptions as the silver coin. Elora shrugs and puts them in her pocket, then follows the party up the s
treet. After a few moments, they stop, and it looks like the city center. It’s the highest point in town. A big tree is growing here and there are benches to sit on and signs pointing in different directions, just like the ones on the roads outside the city. These say, Merchant Street and South Gate, West Gate and Lower City, Government Row, and finally, pointing to the east is a sign saying Bor'lansh Fair.
As Elora looks around and down the hill toward the city, she recognizes the shape.
“It looks like a cross,” she says, nudging Ryan on the shoulder.
He looks around, turning to look down each major street. “You’re right, it looks like we’re at the center.”
“Elora, Ryan,” Bruce calls, motioning for them to follow.
Elora catches up to Bruce. “What does the name of the city mean?”
“It is an old name that means to live long,” he says.
As they descend into the eastern part of Bor’lansh, Elora notices it’s a lot calmer and more affluent than where they entered the city. People are dressed better, and the pace isn’t as fast here. Soon, they reach a doorway with a sign above it, one like every other building in the city. But this one says, Inn of the Sleeping Giant.
Bruce turns to the group and smiles. “This is the place! My friend should be here, waiting for us.”
Chapter 13: The Inn
The inn is a little cramped and damp, with lots of tables and wooden benches squished into the dining room. People are drinking ale and eating, dipping their bread into a meat stew that looks more creamy than soupy. Elora’s stomach grumbles. The clientele here are varied, and some don’t even look human... and when they notice the group of newcomers, they all stare at Elora and her party.
There’s a bar at the far end straight back from the entrance, and a staircase goes up on the side, probably to the sleeping quarters. Bruce hustles up to the bar and asks for a room for the night, handing over a few coins. Then, he slams his fist and demands an ale. People around the room shrug and go back to eating, and Elora smiles. Thank goodness, she thinks. We don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves.
Elora looks at Bruce curiously as he walks back up to the group. “I didn't know you liked beer.”
Bruce smiles at her. He says quietly, “It’s not for me.” Then, he scans the room, and seemingly finding what he was looking for, heads to a table in the corner. A short and very big hairy man sits there, and Bruce slams the ale on the table so it spills. The man looks up from his food, scowling.
But then, the dwarf’s face lights up. “Bruce, finally!” He gets up and gives Bruce a big hug, almost lifting Bruce from the floor.
In turn, Bruce introduces everyone. “This is my friend Elof of the Mountain Clan, and these are Arddun, Eadric, Ryan, and of course Elora.”
When Elof sees Elora, he slightly bows, “I am at your service.”
She nods politely and smiles, then they all sit down. A maid comes up and asks if they need anything, so Bruce orders food and drinks for everyone.
As the maid leaves, Elora asks politely, but with a hint of nervousness. “Is it okay to eat here?” Elora has so far not been amazed by the food, and the thought of the rabbit stew at Myrna and Eadric’s house still makes her a little nauseated.
“It’s fine, don't worry. I think you’ll like it.” Bruce smiles at her, then continues. “I fought in wars together with Elof, and we’ve been close friends since way back.” He turns to Elof. “We need to travel to the Mountain Clan to see the Elder before heading through the mountain toward Winterhaven at the far reaches of the Frosty Plains.”
Elof frowns, his bushy eyebrows knitting together. “To Winterhaven, you say? You would need my help, then. My axe will keep you all safe.” He pats the large axe sitting next to him. “It is a troublesome path through the mountains nowadays. Something lurks within the depths, and they say an Ancient One has awakened.”
Elora leans over the table, and whispers “I need to face the Ancient One.”
The dwarf looks at her like she’s crazy, and he stays silent for a moment while he studies her face. Finally, he sighs. “I will guide you to the mountain, but I will not go near the Ancient One. There are only two things I cannot stand: the Ancient One and those pesky elves.”
“You know,” Bruce says quietly, “we have to enlist the help from a certain person among the elves as well.”
Elof looks at him, horrified.
“Why do you not like elves?” asks Ryan.
Bruce is quick to answer. “He had a falling out with a certain one during our time together in the war. He used Elof as a platform to reach higher grounds, where his arrows could reach what Elof's axe could not.”
“I'm still the best fighter, and no elf will take that away from me,” Elof mutters quietly. The party chuckle, and even Arddun gives Elof a tentative smile.
Soon, the maid comes with their food, and they start to eat, hungry from their journey. They’ve only just started their meal when suddenly, another maid comes and sits down in Ryan's lap.
“Good sir!” she cries. “Please, will you help me?”
Ryan looks at her, confused, and then at Elora. Elora just shrugs.
Bruce raises an eyebrow at the maid. “What’s wrong?”
She throws her arms around Ryan’s neck. “I need help! An evil merchant is after me for something I did not do. The merchant has threatened me and said that he will come after me.” She looks at Ryan again and bats her eyelashes. “Can you be my hero and save me from the evil merchant?”
Ryan glances nervously between Elora and the maid. “I'm no hero. I'm afraid you got the wrong person. I can’t help you.”
The maid tilts her head down, eyes wide and lower lip jutting out pathetically. Elora's hand starts to spark under the table, irritated by the obvious flirting from the maid, but Arddun takes her hand to calm her.
Elof takes the maid’s arm and moves her over to his lap, throwing a wink in Ryan’s direction. “I can be your hero, fair maid. What will my reward be?”
The maid smiles and looks at the dwarf. “Anything you want, my big hero.”
“Tell me the whole story,” says Elof, before throwing in, “my fair maiden.”
Elora rolls her eyes and scoots a little closer to Ryan.
“One day I went to buy supplies for the inn, and my usual merchant was sick, so I had to go to another one,” says the maid. “He tricked me to buy more than I needed, and the inn did not cover the cost for those items. I did not have enough coins to pay the difference. The merchant said that I could return the items if the inn did not need them, but later refused to accept the deal to take back the items.”
Elora sighs quietly, looking between the maid, Elof, and Ryan. At least Elof took care of things before I had to, she thinks. But we have more important things to do.
Bruce frowns. “That is not right, the merchant should take back the items. What is his name?
“He is called Eight Finger Fred. He’s near the entrance to the east side,” the maid says.
“Of course,” says Bruce. “I’ve dealt with him in the past. Eight Finger Fred is a notorious character in this town. I'll talk to him, but please, do not do business with him again.”
Elof adds, “I'll let him taste my axe if he does not cooperate.”
“Oh, thank you!” the maid says before kissing Elof on the cheek. She walks away, smiling. The biggest smile of the day belongs to Elof; it looks like he is dreaming.
As the maid disappears, Elora looks seriously at Bruce and Elof. “Really? We have time to help some silly maid now? Surely she can handle a grocery issue by herself.”
Bruce smiles at Elora. “I understand your feelings, but this man is not any normal trader. He is a schemer and a crook who takes advantage of the weak. He needs to be corrected in his wicked ways.”
After finishing up the food the party agrees to split up for some sightseeing and to resolve some business. There is still some time before night. “Be back here before the sun sets,” says Bruce.
“I'll go with Elof and take care of the merchant issue.”
“And I have some business with the local authorities,” Eadric says stoically. “I'll try to rally whatever support I can for our cause.”
Arddun grabs Elora's hand. “I'll bring you to a special wizard store in the city.”
“Can we bring Ryan as well,” Elora asks politely. “I'm sure he would like the cool stuff.”
Ryan nods with a smile as response to Elora, then takes a place on her other side. “Yeah, I’d love to go.”
“Sure, come on then,” Arddun says, motioning for them to follow her.
Back on the street outside, Arddun takes Elora's hand and moves quickly toward the end of the street, away from the main square. The fleet footed Arddun pulls on Elora and makes them move faster than Ryan is used to, so he jogs to keep up with them.
They’re almost at the city wall when Elora frees her hand from Arddun’s. “We can’t go any further here,” she says. “It’s the city wall.”
Arddun smiles. “Ah, but if you know the right spell, you can open the doorway.” She turns to a small alley and walks in. Once at the end, she mutters a few words under her breath, and a door opens in the back of a house.
Elora and Ryan look at each other, then shrug and follow Arddun. They enter through the door and walk down a set of stairs. When they reach the bottom, they’re in a room full of magical items, plants, and pots. At the center near a big table, a tall, skinny man in a mage robe stands, staring at a map.
“Hello!” Arddun says in greeting, waving to the man.
“Ah, Arddun,” he replies. “So nice to see you again. How is Alric these days?”
Arddun smiles to the gentle man in front of her. “Alric is the same as always. He’d probably sting me with some fire magic if he knew I was here.”
The man laughs. “That sounds about right, my brother has always been hesitant to my choice of living, about having a magical store, but a man needs to make a living. Not everyone in the family can be an Elder. So, who did you bring with you?”
