by Lola Ford
Slowly exhaling and trying to stand he heard a giggle from the other bed. Turning his head with another pop, he saw Alix sitting cross legged watching him.
“You sound like a kettle full of popping corn,” he said, trying to keep his face straight. Failing, he fell over in a fit of laughter.
Graith smiled and stiffly walked over and tousled his hair.
“Well lad, we have a lot of gear to replace. And we have the eggs to locate. Zel said she felt them in the city two nights ago.”
Shrugging his shoulders with a last loud pop, he pulled on his boots, motioning for Alix to follow along.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted with the sight of Doreen, smiling, and carrying a large tray of breakfast foods.
“Good mornin’ darlin’s. Thought I heard you up and about. Eat up. You poor things are nothing more than skin and bones,” she said as she laid the tray on the same table they had eaten at the night before.
Graith’s stomach gave a mighty growl at the sight, and Alix nearly lunged into the seat closest to the food.
“Doreen, just a moment,” Graith said, as he stepped away from the table.
“Yeah hun?”
“I’m not sure how long we are going to be in town, but I would like to pay in advance by the week, if that’s possible.” Graith was pulling out his coin pouch as he spoke.
Doreen’s smile faltered for a second, before she became very professional, “Of course then. A week will be fifteen gold.”
Graith nodded and counted out the money before returning to the table with Alix.
“What was that about?” Alix asked around a mouthful of hot porridge.
“Just paying in advance. Don’t know how long we’ll be in town.”
Graith reached for a scone and his own bowl. The food basically melted in his mouth and his eyes closed in bliss. Damn, he sure had missed the finer meals.
“Oh, how much did she charge ya?” Alix continued after a few bites.
“Fifteen gold. Seems reasonable to me.”
Graith shrugged and took another bite of food. Alix however, laid his spoon down and stared at Graith. After a few moments, Graith noticed and raised an eyebrow.
“Just like a full gold seemed reasonable to give a stable boy for tending to your horse?” Alix asked, staring at Graith.
“Well… yeah?”
“Graith. That is way under charging us. Food and beds… that’s a bare minimum of five gold a day. Food like this?” Alix waved his hand at the table, “I would charge another ten.”
“Really?” Graith didn’t see what the problem was.
“Really. Randy charged that - and you stayed there. It was much lower quality than this place.”
Alix glanced towards the kitchen where Doreen was busily sweeping.
They finished their meal in silence, Graith content to enjoy the food, Alix watching Doreen out of the corner of his eye, wary.
As if on cue, as they finished, she bustled over while calling for Kade. He sauntered down the stairs, his dark hair gleaming in the candlelight that illuminated the large room.
“Oh good, you’re all ready for the day Kade!” Doreen gave him a sugary smile and patted his cheek. “Be a dear and help Graith and Alix around the town. If I recall correctly, they have supplies to replace.”
He didn’t respond, just nodded, and turned around to fetch his cloak. Doreen collected the dishes and Alix and Graith stood, stretching.
“I think I need a nap,” Alix complained, patting his full stomach.
“Got to get moving. Zel’s counting on us,” Graith said, tousling the boy’s hair.
Alix grinned and stretched again. Kade returned, smiling at the duo.
“Ready to go?”
“More than ready. Please, lead the way.” Graith nodded for him to take the lead.
Leaving the inn, Graith noted that all the windows remained shut, even though the morning sun would have illuminated the hall.
Kade led their small procession, with Alix right at his heels. Graith trailed along behind them, occasionally stopping to peer into a window or chat with a merchant at one of the many stalls that lined the streets. They waited for him patiently as he talked, Kade buying a sweet for Alix to suck on as they waited.
When Graith offered to repay him, Kade simply shook his head and asked where they would like to go first.
Graith looked over at Alix who shrugged.
“Know of any good leather workers in town?” Graith asked, having decided what needed to be done first in his mind.
“Aye, it’s a bit of a hike though,” Kade said, turning to face them.
“We have all day, no hurry,” Graith told him, smiling.
They walked in companionable silence, their gait brisk now that they had a destination. Slowly the smell of tanning leather and fish surrounded them, Alix tucked his nose into the collar of his shirt.
Kade knocked on the door of a small shop, before leading them inside. It was dark, but not pitch black, and as a small man came out of a back room, he lit a lamp, illuminating his wares.
Belts, bags, shoes, and many others lined the walls. He was wearing a leather apron and had thrown his latest project over his shoulder as he walked into the store proper.
“Kade! Good to see you. How’s Doreen?” Seeing, Graith and Alix, he introduced himself. “Hello there, I’m Rand, leather worker extraordinaire,” he said with a flourish, bowing to Graith.
The lump of leather that had been on his shoulder tumbled to the floor. He hurriedly picked it up then reached out to shake Graith’s hand.
“Graith, nice to meet you Rand. Kade here thinks you’re the right man for my job.”
“Oh? What can I be doing for ya?” Rand settled into a relaxed stance, pulling out a small notebook.
“We are in need of a few things. Primarily, Alix here needs a new set of boots. Would also like to get two bags to haul our stuff around in. We have a couple saddlebags, but we’ve run out of space.”
He stopped and grinned at Rand as the man was scribbling notes into the book. Alix just stared up at him in amazement, but after a moment started to shake his head.
“No no no. I don’t need boots.”
He looked a little panicked.
“Don’t be silly, of course you do. With how much we travel you need a good pair of boots. And you’re lucky you didn’t lose a toe getting here,” Graith said as he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Graith, really, you shouldn’t spend money on me.”
Alix was frowning and still shaking his head.
“Alix, I told you. That’s what family does for one another.” Graith pulled him into a short embrace.
“Well now Alix, if you’ll just have a seat here, I’ll get you measured for your boots,” Rand said, pulling over a chair with a tape measure slung over the back.
Alix sat, looking uncomfortable, but his complaints halted for the moment. After a few pulls of the measurer, and a few more scribbles in his notebook, Rand stood.
“Alright. The boots I can have done in two days. As for the bags, I have a few already made, we can look at those, and if they work you can take them now, if not, it will give me an idea of what you’re looking for and I can get them made.”
He nodded to the shelves to his left.
After looking through what was available, they found two bags they could carry on their backs. Rand then lead them over to the counter and wrote them an invoice of their order, and the cost. Standing at the counter, Graith noticed a coin pouch and belt set that he also purchased for Alix. The boy turned a bright red but kept silent.
They left the shop, new bags hanging lightly on their backs. Stepping out onto the street, the smell of fish once again became overpowering.
“Kade, do you think you could show us around the docks?” Graith asked, seeing the riggings of ships tower over the buildings in the distance.
“Are you looking for something in particular Graith? Most of the stuff on th
e docks tends to be overpriced.”
Kade smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes as he too looked in the direction of the docks.
“Oh, well we - uh, had a friend arrive by boat a while back, wanted to see if the boat was still in town.”
Graith chuckled and scratched at the back of his head.
“I can, don’t know too much about the dockside of town myself, but we can take a peek.”
Kade waved them to follow him.
As they got closer to the docks, shouts and yells along with the bangs and slamming of heavy objects filled their ears. Kade’s shoulders were tense as he looked side to side, staying in the center of the road he led them down. When Alix went to peer into a window, Kade wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder pulling him along.
Emerging onto the pier proper, Graith felt the wind knocked out of him at the sight. Water spread out along the edge of the city as far as the eye could see. To the east was the enormous body of water that he had seen through Zel’s eyes. From the west the river carved a scar into the land, clearly delineating the city’s edge. Boats were moored along the coast, while more were specks upon the horizon. One was just beyond the city, headed back upriver to Kelna.
Kade was standing directly behind Graith and Alix, his head towering above Graith’s.
Putting a hand on each of their shoulders he asked, “See the ship you were looking for?”
Graith did indeed see the ship. Long furrows were dug in the railing were Zel’s talons had sunk deep into the wood. Rigging and lines were snapped, and one of the mainsails was scorched from her breath.
“Aye seems he made it into town long before us,” Graith said, nodding to the ship next to the one Zel had destroyed.
Graith, please go look at the ship, Zel pleaded suddenly into his mind.
Zel, I don’t think I could get close to it, even if I wanted. It’s under guard, he responded.
Just get near enough so that I can try to sense my eggs? she begged.
All right, all right.
“Huh, I wonder what happened to that ship?” Graith asked, feigning ignorance. He pointed to the ship that Zel had ravished.
“No idea heard it came into town a few days ago,” Kade said. “Did you have a plan to meet up with your friend? Maybe I could help you find him?”
Graith just shook his head and walked forward. Kade tightened his grip, but Graith shook him off.
“I’m just going to have a look at that ship. Looks like a monster took a bite out of it…” he said, as he walked off.
He didn’t make it very far before the guards he’d told Zel about approached him.
“Sir, this ship is off limits to pedestrians. Please step back,” one guard told him stiffly.
“Oh, I was just surprised to see a ship so damaged. Thought I would take a look,” he told the guard, still facing the ship.
“Step back now Sir!” the other guard demanded.
Both guards were carrying short swords, and small shields. The second guard drew his sword.
“We have both told you to step back sir! Do so. Now,” the first guard said, taking a step towards Graith.
They aren’t there.
Zel’s mental voice sounded exhausted.
Graith walked backwards, away from the ship.
“I was just taking a look! What happened?”
The second guard did not lower his sword, instead he raised it and pointed it at Graith’s chest.
“What happened is King Oron’s business, not yours old man. Leave.”
Kade’s hand was suddenly firm on Graith’s shoulder.
“Excuse my father, his nose is bigger than his sensibility sometimes!” he said as he dragged Graith back, away from the ship.
“Maybe you should keep a better eye on him then,” the second guard said as he sheathed his sword.
“I will sir!” Kade promised, wheeling Graith around and forcing him away from the ships.
Once they were out of sight of the guards he stopped and turned towards Graith. His face was pale and his eyes dark.
“What do you think you’re doing Graith?” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder.
“I just wanted to look!” Graith raised his hands in front of himself defensively.
“Just take a look my ass.” Kade was inches from his face. “You were looking at that ship the moment we stepped onto the pier.”
“I was just surprised to see a ship so damaged!” Graith tried to step back, but Kade had him pinned between a couple of large crates.
“It’s our friend. Well it’s more like our friends,” Alix said suddenly.
Kade looked over at him, frowning.
“What do you mean?”
“They actually came on that ship. They are in danger and Graith just wants to help!” Alix told the older boy, refusing to look at Graith.
“Alix, stop,” Graith told him, but Kade’s attention had shifted.
“What do you mean they came here on that ship? I heard what those guards said. No one lightly throws out the king’s name, and if I recall correctly the port was shut down when that ship came into town.”
“We can’t tell you about them. It’s dangerous to you, and to them. But they aren’t here anymore,” Alix’s voice cracked as he spoke quickly.
Graith stood up straighter.
“Let’s get out of here then. The docks are not the safest place in town,” Kade said, before he made a sharp turn on his heel and walked quickly away, back the way they had come.
Before following, Graith turned to Alix and shook his head, “Not another word from you about the eggs.”
Alix just nodded and looked down at his feet. Graith ruffled his hair and they followed Kade who, noticing they were not following, had stopped and was waiting for them. He didn’t mention the ship as he continued to lead them around town.
Kade took them to a few more stores where they slowly filled their packs with new clothing and supplies.
***
By late afternoon they were back at the Running Ship Inn. They deposited their purchases in their room before coming down for an early supper. Kade had disappeared when they returned, and Doreen seemed more subdued as she served them another laden tray of food.
As they ate in silence Graith noticed the tavern part of the inn was empty of any other patrons. Alix ate with the same gusto he’d eaten dinner and breakfast with before but Graith picked at his food. Zel’s mood had been bleak since she’d not been able to detect her eggs upon the ship. She was in no mood to talk to him, but her mood was bleeding over onto him.
“Graith, who is King Oron?” Alix asked between bites, cutting the silence and Graith’s reverie.
“King Oron is the current ruler of Lutesia. He has been in power for nearly twenty years if I recall correctly. Why?”
“The guard and then Kade mentioned him. I didn’t know who he was.”
Graith frowned, another piece to Alix’s short life falling into place.
“You’ve never been to school have you Alix?”
“Pa taught me numbers before he died, but that’s about it,” he said defensively.
He looked down at his plate, shoving bits of food around with his spoon.
“Well, here, a brief history lesson.” Graith dug a gold coin out of his pouch and handed it to Alix. “Embossed upon the surface there, you can see a bust of our mighty king.”
The profile of the face was of a heavyset man, with short cropped hair and a large crown. Over his head was the saying King Oron the Virtuous, and under was the year it was minted. This particular coin was nearly ten years old.
“How does someone become king?” Alix asked
“By being son to the king. That’s the only way.” Graith smiled, knowing that Alix’s first thought was wondering if he could be king.
“Who will be the next king then?”
“If I correctly remember Prince Brantom is King Oron’s eldest son - so him most likely. As the people we don’t hear about the daily lives
of the royalty, we just feel the effects of the decisions they make. Mostly in taxes and levies. I’m a grain farmer, so each year a section of my harvest was taken for both Lord Arish and King Oron.”
Alix frowned.
“That’s not very fair.”
“Ah lad, life isn’t fair. But some things - like the reason why we are here - are too unjust to sit by and take silently,” Graith told him.
At that moment, Doreen bustled back out from the kitchen to take their dishes. Alix and Graith thanked her and bid her goodnight. She stopped Graith before he could head up the stairs.
“Graith, if you wouldn’t mind, we are expecting quite the crowd tonight, you should join us after Alix is asleep,” she winked at him playfully.
“I’ll think about it, but I’m pretty tired.” He stretched as he spoke.
“I insist, drinks are on me!”
Alix had already gone up the stairs as Graith spoke to Doreen, when Graith entered the room, Alix had laid out everything that Graith had bought for him during the day.
“Graith, here’s that gold back.” Alix proffered the coin to him, but he shook his head.
“Na lad, you keep it. First thing to go in your new pouch.”
“You sure? I mean, you spent so much on me today…” Alix was looking at all the clothing and items laid out on his bed.
“I’m sure. Good night lad.”
Alix cleared off his bed and was asleep in minutes, while Graith laid there, tired but unable to sleep.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Graith
Looking over at the softly snoring form of Alix, Graith sighed and stood. Doreen had been quite insistent that he join the festivities that evening and while not wanting to be around people, he didn’t want to offend their host. Scrubbing at his face and hair, he tried to push back the creeping exhaustion. It felt as though the last few months had only taken days rather than weeks and that it had been a head long sprint from the start.
As he walked slowly down the stairs, his thoughts were on the eggs. They’d already lost two. He didn’t know if Zel could bear to lose another.
