It looked like there were three different inns along the main road. The extremely weathered sign and boarded up windows told him it had been closed for some time. A man leaned against the door frame of The Traveling Cart. He did not look friendly and gave Alec a disgusted look as he walked past.
The next inn was called The Merchants Rest. The place needed to be painted and one of the shutters on the side was hanging to the side slightly. If he was lucky the owner would hire him to do some of the work.
Alec walked in the entrance. Immediately he could see that the place had seen better days. At the same time, the tables were clean and the floor was swept. Someone cared to keep things neat and running well.
“Welcome to Merchants Rest.” A man not much older than Alec said.
After telling the man that he had no money and only the clothes on his back, he was given a glass of very watered ale and told to have a seat. A few minutes later an older man came into the common room. The two men were obviously related. The same eyes, nose, hair color and prominent chin. Alec stood when the man came over to his table.
“Charles, my son Charley. Welcome to The Merchants Rest. Charley said you’ve fallen on some hard times.” He held out his hand to shake.
Alec took the offered hand. “Alec Carter, sir. Yes, I was set upon by bandits a few days ago. They even took my boots.” Alec shook his head. “I’m not looking for a handout but saw a few things that might need a little extra care.”
“We’re coming into the busy season just now and could use a stable hand. If you’re willing to do some other labors during the day to spruce the place up a bit it would be great. I can only pay three copper a day and you’ll have to stay above the stable. I’ll throw in whatever is left for your meals.”
Alec agreed and made his way out back to look at the stable. There were four horses and a donkey in the stalls. Finding the ladder leading up to the loft, Alec checked it out.
Hay covered half the loft and someone had taken the time to make a low bed frame and stuff some blanket with it as well. A thicker blanket was tossed in the corner. Alec cautiously picked it up lightly sniffing it as he looked it over. It didn’t look or smell too bad. Shaking out the blanket, he drew water from the well, washed it, and hung it over one of the empty stall doors. When Alec was done checking the animals he headed back inside to see if he was needed to do anything. Charles met him at the door.
“Come on in and have a bite. Charley will take care of anyone else who comes today.”
Alec took a seat at the bar and was given a bowl of stew, a healthy slice of bread and a full mug of ale. It felt wonderful to eat a full meal again. Two men and a woman came in and Charley rushed out to take care of their horses. The three of them took seats at the bar giving Alec a nod in greeting.
Heading back to the stable Alec found two more horses in the stalls and a short wagon sitting next to the building. Grabbing his blanket off the stall door, it was still damp. He climbed the ladder to the loft and lay out the blanket on the bed. Pulling a little power from his well, Alec extracted water from the blanket and dumped it in a bucket he took for a chamber pot.
The evening light was slowly failing and the loft only had two open doors, one on each end of the building. Hanging his shirt on a nail pounded into a ceiling beam and setting his boots at the foot of the bed Alec laid down ready for a good night’s sleep.
As Alec’s back and head hit the bed and a puff of dust shot out around him. Coughing, Alec spun back around and looked at what used to be his blanket. There were scraps of it on the floor. When his fingers touched the blanket, it crumbled to dust making him cough again. The only thing he could think of was that he’d pulled all of the water from the blanket including the moisture in the woven strands that made up the blanket itself.
Pulling open the doors closest to his bed, Alec focused on the air around him and blew the dust out the door. Unfortunately, the air had to come from somewhere. The smell of horse manure permeated the air up in the loft, it was better than coughing all night though.
Chapter 16
A few days later and Alec was getting into a routine. Up early, get the horses and occasional donkey ready to leave. After a quick breakfast of whatever was left, Alec would start on any repairs that needed done.
Wolfing down some bacon and some diced potatoes he headed down the road toward the blacksmith’s shop. Alec needed some nails and a bucket that didn’t leak. Walking pass the other inn, Mr. Capland was thanking a man for coming then leaned over to kiss the woman’s hand.
Sherry and Robert! How they had followed him he didn’t know and didn’t care. He wasn’t going with them. This town was just a stopping point on his way to the northeast even if he didn’t know where he would end up.
Alec put his head down and walked quicker hoping they wouldn’t recognize him. Passing the stable, Alec heard his name called and turned without thinking.
“Crap!” Alec turned back quickly even though he knew it was too late.
Allen grabbed Alec’s shoulder and spun him back around.
“Not going to say anything? I’ve been chasing you all over.”
“There’s nothing to say. I’m a danger to anyone around me. A goddess wants me dead. Christi and your family are better off without me.” Alec shook his head. He had been doing so well trying not to think about Christi, now tears stung his eyes.
“You’re not getting off that easy! Come over to the inn, let me explain something to you, please.” Allen said.
“I’ve work to do. I’m working for Charles over at The Merchants Rest. When I’m done, we can talk.” Alec turned and walked away, tears ran freely down his cheeks.
When Alec got back he went right to work reattaching the shutters on the building. The shutters weren’t functional but more of an aesthetic thing. He wanted to get a couple more done before it started raining again.
Pulling the old nails out of the shutter, he pounded strips of wood into the original nail holes. Whoever had nailed the shutters back on the first time had found the original hole to be too large to hold the shutter in place. Instead of filling the hole as he was they had moved the shutter slightly leaving it slightly crooked. Coming down off the ladder Allen was there waiting for him.
“Good job. It makes the place look a lot better.” Allen told him.
Repositioning his ladder Alec started on another one. “What are Robert and Sherry doing here and how did you even find me?”
“At least listen to what they have to say. Sure Sherry’s a bit…rough but they seem to mean well. If nothing else you’ll at least get more information to go off of.”
Charles came around the corner looking up at the shy. “You might want to finish up, that storm will be here soon. And if these people are bothering you, you let me know. I’ll boot them out on their rears, paying costumer or not.”
“They’re fine. They just want to talk is all.” Alec told him.
Allen raised an eyebrow at Alec. Not many innkeepers would put out a paying customer just for bothering an employee.
“He’s a good honest man. Took me in and gave me work when I had nothing” Alec said after Charles had gone.
“You had a full coin pouch and a full pack when you left. What happened?” Allen helped him gather the hammer and pry bars and followed Alec to the stable.
Alec related how he was robbed on the road and then backtracked and started at the beginning. He knew Allen would want the whole story and would probably have some questions too. He was a lot like Tom in that way.
“So you overheard Aunt Teresa. When mother found out that you’d left, she threw her out, her own sister. I’ve never seen my mother that mad before. Teresa threatened to go to the family elders until mother told her she would be lucky if they didn’t disown her. Being engaged to Christi and helping the family save face at your own expense.” Allen shook his head. “The family elders would probably try to adopt you into our family just for being a mage. To have a mage in our family and marrying Chri
sti, your children would most likely be sorcerers if not mages themselves.” Allen leaned against a stall door absently petting one of the horses while Alec put things away.
Alec wasn’t so sure of his explanation, not that he thought that Allen would lie to him, just that he might be wrong. Handing him two bar stools he’d fixed the day before Alec carried one of the heavy set chairs back to the inn. He knew he’d have to talk to talk to Robert and Sherry sooner or later. He would rather it was later.
Gathering up the odd shaped knives and needles he’d sharpened for Mrs. Tillweed he headed for the cobbler’s shop down the road. Alec looked over at Allen as he walked. He remembered Allen being taller.
“So how did you find me anyways?” Alec asked.
“I tracked you out of Kingston and followed your boot prints, then the wagon tracks. Robert and Sherry passed me on the road following your power or something like that. They damn near rode their horses to death trying to catch you, when you learned to shield your well they started following me. You do realize how ironic it is that you were robbed, right.”
“Embarrassing is the word and painful. When I woke up in the back of that wagon, my head and neck hurt so bad. Cord told me I’d woken up several other times before that but I don’t remember any of it. My power felt like I was trying to grasp water with my hands. Trying to heal myself with it was next to impossible. I don’t go anywhere without a shield anymore. I’ve even learned to keep it active while I sleep.”
Alec entered the little cobbler shop with Allen right behind him. He’d struck a deal with the cobbler, sharpen her tools and three coppers in exchange for a good pair of boots. Alec called out for the woman by name and heard her call for him to come to the back of the store.
A small wood stove with three pots on top of it gave off a horrible smell. Mrs. Tillweed was off to the side scraping what looked like a large ax head down the length of a stretched out hide.
“I’ve got to finish this before it dries then I’ll grab your boots. Set the knives on the work bench over in the corner please.” She told him.
Laying out the knives in a row Alec joined Allen watching Mrs. Tillweed scrape and wet the hide. Each time she drew the dull blade down small hairs would clump together and fall to the floor under it. It smelled like vinegar and something else that Alec couldn’t place.
Watching her strain at the hide as she brought the blade down they could see that she was used to doing it. She had a steady rhythm and almost subconsciously would flick the blade at the end then start over.
“Keeps the leather soft longer. What do you think?” she motioned to the other two hides drying next to it.
Allen rubbed fingers along the leather and nodded. “Can you stain them too or would you have to do it before this?”
“I don’t think the stain would take very well after my treatment and the color would wash out somewhat doing it afterwards. What were you thinking?”
Allen nodded as she headed over to her workbench. Picking up one of the knives Alec had sharpened, she ran her thumb lightly along the edge, just enough to test how sharp it was. Poking her palm with a couple of the needles, she seemed satisfied.
Alec introduced Allen to her and sat down to try on the boots she’d handed him. Pulling off Cord’s old boots his socks were stained green from the leaves he’d crammed into the toe. Mrs. Tillweed stopped him before he could put the new boots on.
“I’ve heard of having a green thumb. What did you do to those socks?” she asked.
“The boots were too big so I stuffed them with leaves. I didn’t have anything else.” Alec hung his head embarrassed.
Mrs. Tillweed patted him on the shoulder, handed him a pair of socks from behind her counter, and told him to go wash his feet in the stream behind her shop. When Alec came back, he saw Allen shake hands with her and sat to put on the clean socks and boots. They fit good and being a used pair, he wouldn’t have to break them in much.
Paying the cobbler her extra two coppers Alec thanked her and headed next door to the tailor. The clothes and cloak would cost him the rest of the money he’d earned unless he could talk her into letting him work some of it off. The little bell tied above the door chimed as Alec led Allen into the store.
“Hello Mr. Carter. I just finished your cloak this morning and have everything ready for you.”
“Thank you ma’am.”
Alec tried on the pants and both shirts he’d ordered. The tailor pointed out that the leg of the pants were longer than normal like he’d asked, for growing room. She’d also left the laces on the front of the pant a little long saying that when young men grew taller they also tended to grow out a little too. Alec took her smile to mean that she wasn’t trying to be mean, just practical.
Trying on the cloak, he was glad he’d gotten the thicker material as she’d advised. He knew he wouldn’t have the money to pay for a thick shirt or lined cloak and would have to use his magic to keep him warm until he did. Promising her that he would come back, if he was in the area, when Alec left he saw that her husband was fixing the broken step leading upstairs.
Hurrying back to the stable Alec took his new clothes up to the loft. Climbing the ladder, he was happy with the boots, no more tripping on the rungs unless it was his own fault.
“Why are you staying up here? Let me rent you a room inside.”
“I’m working as the stable hand taking care of the horses. The rooms are for paying customers, I’m here to work and save up some money.”
“I’ll pay for your room or you can stay with me in mine. There’s no reason for you to stay out here.”
“You’ve done enough for me. I’ll stay here, sometimes people come late or need to leave early, I’m fine. Thank you though. Head inside, I’ll come in later after most of the travelers have come.”
Alec sat just inside the doors waiting in case someone came. Pulling out the knife Cord had given him, he started shaving down the long piece of oak the blacksmith had given him.
Two wagons and a group of riders later he had the piece of wood fairly rounded and cut to length. Once his staff was done he’d melt the old bent nails down and make caps for the ends. Sharpening his knife again, Alec spun the staff before him using his magic and set the edge of the blade against the wood thinning the width of the staff down. He would start carving the symbols he wanted into it tomorrow night.
Jumping at the crack of thunder Alec put his staff away and headed to the inn. He really didn’t want to go in and talk to Robert and Sherry. While talking to Allen was great and he did like the man it still felt like he was putting the Morton family in danger.
Inside the inn Alec found Charley in the kitchen toasting some bread and stirring a pot.
“Hi Alec. Looks like you got the last of the shutters back on before the rain. This batch of stew will be done shortly.” He nodded at the stool.
“Thanks Charley. The inn’s filling up fast isn’t it?”
“Yep, Pop made a couple extra loafs of bread this morning. Said the crops will be taken to markets which means we’ll get more business.” Charley dipped the spoon in the stew and tasted it. “Needs more of something?”
The stews and meals were fairly bland at the inn. Alec doubted either one of the men had ever been shown what spices to use with which meats or how much.
“Mind if I have a taste?”
Charley handed over the spoon and Alec tasted the a little bit of the stew.
“Try some basil and add salt before it starts to boil.”
“You cook too?”
“I grew up on a farm. My aunt was the cook. I picked up a few things while scrubbing dishes.” He didn’t want it to look like he was trying to show him up or anything.
“Great, can you tell me what some of these other things are?”
“Sure, do you want me to write out a list or just show you a few of them?”
“Well, ma has a recipe book over there but none of the jars are labeled and I don’t know what the different measurements
are.”
Charles came into the kitchen and saw Alec. “There you are. Old man Skins brought his cart. Would you mind giving him a hand, please?”
“Not a problem.” Alec headed for the door. “Just add two big pinches out of this jar and let it boil till I get back, Charley.”
Alec rushed outside to find an old man leading a swayed back horse pulling a small cart.
“I can stable your horse for you, sir.”
“None of that sir stuff for me. Skins is what people call me now a days. As for old Nell here, I’ll give you a hand with her. She can be a real pain sometimes.”
As if to prove his point Nell’s teeth chomped down on Skins’s sleeve and yanked. Alec reached out and caught the old man’s other arm before he landed in the mud. A string of curses flowed from the man’s mouth directed at the horse along with a swat from his dripping wet hat.
Skins advised putting his horse down on the end away from the other horses. It took both of them to push his little cart into place next to the stable. Skins told him that he’d be out early the next morning to help him get the nag ready to go.
Alec escorted the old man around to the front of the inn and held the door open for him then headed back to the kitchen.
“What do I do now?” Charley asked.
“We need to move the pot to a cooler part of the stove so it stops boiling and can simmer.”
“There’s a cooler part of the stove?”
Alec opened the front of the stove and found red hot coals in both sections. He smiled knowing he’d made the same mistake himself.
“Something wrong, it’s just a fire?”
“No not really. In the future you’ll want to make your fire only in the back half of the stove. That way you can cook at two different levels of heat.” Alec used the narrow ash scoop and pushed the coals back.
“Why would I need to do that?”
Mage (The Elemental Magic Series Book 2) Page 17
