The Wandering Inn_Volume 1

by Pirateaba

  In movies or in books, the protagonist following the suspect had the advantage of darkness, or an unaware target, or some convenient plot twist which would help them complete their mission. And at the very least, they could blend with the crowd.

  But Ryoka stood out. She knew she stood out. She was an Asian girl who didn’t look like the other native Humans to this land, and certainly not like the other species. So she’d been spotted with disgusting ease. The blind guy couldn’t see her, but his helper could, and she kept staring around—probably to tell him what everything looked like!

  That was one side of the problem. The Troll-girl saw Ryoka. She saw Ryoka, but Ryoka saw the man following the pair. That was someone the half-Troll hadn’t spotted.

  And no wonder—he was completely bland. He had flaxen hair, a nondescript face—his clothes weren’t anything to blink twice over. And yet, he was following the blind man known as Laken and the half-Troll Durene as well, Ryoka was sure of it.

  He was following them, and Ryoka wanted to know why. She kept eying the man as she walked into the plaza with all the adventurers lined up. They were an odd bunch. It looked as though each one had their space to, well, show off. Teams of adventurers—Silver-rank at best by the looks of them—were doing tricks with swords or just trying to give off a certain amount of swagger as their teammates or hired help extolled their virtues, trying to get them a job.

  It was an odd way of doing things, but Ryoka supposed it was needed advertisement if you wanted a lucrative contract. In a place with so many adventurers—Ryoka saw one every block it seemed—people with requests could choose their team, which meant competition had to be fierce.

  Now the human and half-Troll seemed to be stopping. They were headed for some unoccupied benches sitting in the shade of some trees in the plaza. Ryoka bit her lip.

  She hadn’t gotten close enough to hear more than a few snippets of conversation and she’d already been made. Should she try to get close, knowing she was exposed?

  It had just been a few words. In German. Just a few words—why couldn’t there be some nation based off of Germany, or some culture with Germanic roots? But Ryoka had to know.

  So she walked closer. She looked around—where was that man in plain clothes? He was a master at being invisible. Ryoka would never have spotted him if she hadn’t noticed him following the pair like she was.

  There. He was strolling ahead of her, right next to the half-Troll. Ryoka’s eyes narrowed. She watched as he approached, and then cursed.

  “Son of a—”

  —-

  It happened in a moment as we were walking towards the bench that Durene had found. I, walking by her side, felt her pause for a second.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry!”

  “My fault, Miss. Please excuse me.”

  An unfamiliar voice. Male. Pleasant. I frown and hear him walk away.

  “What was that, Durene?”

  “Nothing, Laken. I just bumped into that man.”

  “Huh.”

  Durene sounds at ease, but my frown remains. Something feels wrong. Bumped into her. Why does that…

  Who would bump into someone as big as Durene? From what she’s said, she gets a lot of room even on a busy sidewalk. Who goes around bumping into people ordinarily, anyways? And the way he said it—

  “Durene! Check your money pouch!”

  I snap as thoughts come together in an instant. I’ve encountered thieves and pickpockets before. I know the scam. I hear Durene gasp and then her anguished shout.

  “It’s gone! He took it!”

  “Go after him!”

  “But—”

  “Go, Durene!”

  I shout, letting go of her hands. That’s not just her money that was taken—Durene had the entire pouch of coin and gems I found by her cottage! If that thief runs off with it—

  To her credit, I hear Durene hesitate only for a second. Then I feel her turn and run away from me. Then her voice.

  “Stop! Thief!”

  It’s a shout that drowns out all sound for a second. Durene has an impressive pair of lungs, and I can practically hear the thief’s heart stop as she runs towards him.

  I stand in the plaza, not moving, fishing in the small rucksack I’m carrying for something. I pull out my foldable cane and extend it fully.

  I haven’t had to use it in a while. I decided not to use it when Durene was walking me around—I trust her completely and it might have gotten in the way of all the pedestrians about. But it’s a useful tool now.

  A quick check—I tap carefully in a circle around me and find the bench we were about to sit at. I move over to it and sit down.

  It’s not as if I’m not panicking right now. A thief, taking all the money Durene and I have—the money meant for Riverfarm? That’s a disaster. But what can I do in this situation? Panic?

  Durene’s chasing after the thief. Either she gets him or she doesn’t. I can only make things worse by shouting and running about. So I sit and try to think.

  If she fails to get him—we have to talk to the Watch. But can we get our money back? It’s not like I had a credit card—that gold and those gems are probably as good as gone the instant they’re lost. And would the local law enforcement help us? The way they treated Durene—

  I wrench my mind off of that train of thought. Consider the worst when it’s over. The real question is—why target Durene? Who steals from a half-Troll? I haven’t ever really laid eyes on Durene, it’s true, but a girl who towers over the biggest Human and who can probably bench press a horse is not someone I’d expect pickpockets to normally go after.

  Unless that’s normal in this world. No—it can’t be. Did that cutpurse realize how much money she was carrying? Or—

  “Damn. A Skill. It must be that.”

  Why didn’t I think of it? It’s a reasonable explanation. If you assume there’s a class for everything, and that’s what Durene seems to believe, then there’s definitely a [Thief] class. And what better Skill than one that allows someone to pick out an easy mark? Or a rich one?

  I clench one fist as I hear Durene’s shouting and the commotion growing more distant. Pray. Hope. And think about what to do if she doesn’t catch him—

  “Excuse me. Is your name Laken?”

  I start. A voice—a female voice comes from above and to my left. I turn my head.

  “Hello. Pardon me, but have we met?”

  “Not before. But tell me—woher kommst du?”

  The pronunciation is terrible, and the words are stilted, spoken without fluency. But I stiffen nonetheless, because I know German when I hear it.

  And I know that no one on this continent speaks German, as far as Durene or Gamel know.

  So why is someone speaking it to me right now?

  In the time it takes for me to clear my throat and respond, my thought process is simple. Who’s talking to me? It has to be the girl Durene spotted. Why?

  Well, either she thinks I’m from her country or, more probably—

  “Aus San Francisco. Und Sie?”

  A sharp, indrawn breath is my only answer. But it’s the only one I need.

  “Dieu merci. I am not alone.”

  Can you feel shock, amazement, relief, and confusion all at once? I’m sure there is one, even if it’s not an English word. There are words in other languages for feelings that are never fully translatable into English.

  The Norwegian word forelsket for instance—I feel that towards Durene every time I touch her. I suppose in lieu of a word now, I think I’ll go with ‘relief’ as incomplete as it may be.

  “I am not alone.”

  I feel tears spring into my eyes, gathering behind my eyelids. As strange as it may sound, I really did think I was alone up until this moment. Alone, in a new world.

  But there’s someone else. I stand up, and hear someone take a step back. There’s noise all around us—has Durene caught the thief? I can’t focus on that. Suddenly, I’m in a small bubble with this girl.

>   “You’re—from home, aren’t you? Earth?”

  “Yes.”

  “My god. Excuse me, but who are you? I’m blind—are you the young woman who was following us around earlier?”

  A pause. I listen, heart beating, before the young woman replies in a low voice.

  “I am. I’m—a friend. My name is Ryoka Griffin. Tell me, when did you get here? Do you know why you came to this world? Who have you talked to—who’s that girl who was with you?”

  The questions are like a storm, tersely delivered. I hear in them echoes of all the things I want to know.

  “My name is Laken. Laken Godart. I came here a little over a month ago. I don’t know how or why—the girl’s name is Durene. She’s my guide, my friend. She found me when I first came to this world.”

  “I see.”

  “Where is she, do you know? She ran off—”

  “After the thief. I think she got him.”

  “She did?”

  I’m astonished, but there’s a flicker of amusement in Ryoka’s tone.

  “Yeah. She picked him up and threw him on the ground. I think she broke some of his bones.”

  “Durene?”

  I can’t imagine it. Well, I can, but I can’t imagine her doing that. But this strange young woman seems focused. I hear her moving closer and resist the urge to reach out to try and touch her.

  “Look, I don’t have a lot of time before your friend gets back.”

  “Why would that—”

  “Do you have a cellphone? Flashlight? Anything—anything from our world?”

  The question catches me by surprise, but then I fumble at my pocket, and then remember and grab for my rucksack.

  “I do. I have an iPhone—it’s practically out of battery, and there’s no signal obviously, but—”

  “You can recharge it.”

  “Really?”

  “If a mage casts a [Repair] spell it’ll go back to full charge. Okay, listen. Did you get a call—no, you wouldn’t have if you were only here for two months…huh…”

  I can tell she’s thinking hard about something. Myself, I’m just astonished. Mage? [Repair] spell? You mean I can charge up my phone in this world with magic? What possibilities might that unlock?

  Then I hear Ryoka’s voice in my ears and jerk away. She’s so close! And she’s whispering, very urgently.

  “Listen up. You’re not entirely safe with that iPhone. You might be tracked with it—there are people in this world who know we come from another one. If you get a call on your phone, don’t answer it. There are more of us in this world, but—”

  “Hold on, hold on! More of us?”

  I can’t process everything that she’s saying. Ryoka shakes her head—I know because her hair hits my face slightly as her head moves.

  “I can’t give you the full details, not yet. Look, we need to talk. Why don’t we meet up later? I have something to do now, but I can meet you here in—an hour. Can you wait until then?”

  My head is spinning, but I nod.

  “I can. I’ll be here.”

  “Good.”

  She’s gone before I can give voice to the questions in my mind. At least, I think she’s gone. I tap around cautiously with my cane—she could be just out of range and I’d never know.

  What was that? I sit back down on the bench; my knees are shaking. Before I can collect my thoughts, I hear a voice speaking to me again.

  “Sir? Are you the friend of Miss Durene?”

  For a second I think Ryoka has come back. But it’s not her—the speaker is different. There’s a bit of a growl to her tone that makes me think of a dog. And worry. Dogs scare me. I’ve been bitten three times while walking—I can’t tell where they are until I run into one, and if the owner’s not got a leash or isn’t attentive, some of them take objection to my presence.

  But this is no dog. It must be a Gnoll! I stand up, turning my head in the direction of the speaker.

  “Can I help you…Miss?”

  “Yes, sir. My name is Raisha, and I am a [Guardswoman] on duty. I am told you are blind. Well, I would like you to know that I have recovered your lost belongings.”

  “I got it, Laken!”

  Durene calls out and I realize she’s standing with Raisha. I smile.

  “You caught the thief?”

  “Yes, your friend broke his arm and several ribs.”

  An amused tone enters Raisha’s growling voice. She touches something which makes a metallic noise.

  “He has been arrested and will be charged. However, I would like to confirm that this bag—”

  She hefts something metallic with a strained grunt.

  “—is yours. Is this so?”

  I’m confused and say so.

  “It is—but Durene, you were carrying it.”

  “Yes, but…well, it is yours, Laken!”

  That’s true, but I have to shake my head over Durene’s semantics. Raisha, the Gnoll [Guardswoman] doesn’t seem to care who owns what.

  “I don’t need to know who was carrying what. The issue is simple, sir. I just need to prove that you are the owner.”

  “How?”

  Now I’m worried. It’s not as if I could prove anything. Raisha opens something with a snap and rummages around in some sort of purse.

  “I have here a gem enchanted with a spell of [Detect Truth], sir. It will tell if you are indeed the owner of the stolen goods. Will you comply with this test?”

  “Truth spell? Well—certainly. What do I need to do?”

  “Place your hand out, palm up. Good—”

  I feel something small and hard drop into my palm. It’s cold and I jump a bit. Raisha’s voice is calm.

  “I will ask you one question. Please answer yes or no. Is this stolen pouch of coin yours?”

  “Yes.”

  I can’t help but feel worried. It’s technically mine by the uncertain rules of finders keepers, and it was on Durene’s property, which is to say, mine. And it was a byproduct of a Skill, but I can’t help but tense a bit. I wait for any reaction, but the cue must have been visual.

  “You’re speaking the truth. Thank you sir, I just had to check. Your friend has your belongings now. Thank you for cooperating. I regret that you were the victim of this crime, and hope you will have a pleasant day.”

  “Oh—thank you.”

  Raisha leaves. Durene steps over, and bends down to talk to me.

  “Laken, it was amazing! I ran after that thief—I thought I’d lose him, but I just kept on shouting and someone tripped him up for me! Then I grabbed him and threw him down—I didn’t mean to break anything, but I was just so worried he’d run away! And then Raisha ran over and said that she’d never seen a dumber [Thief]—trying to steal from me I mean, and—”

  It’s too much for me. I sit back down hard. Unfortunately, I miss the bench and land hard on the paving stones in the plaza. That hurts.

  “Laken! Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, Durene. It’s just…something happened when you were gone.”

  “What?”

  I have to laugh as Durene helps me sit down on the bench. How can I tell her? It’s actually easy to say, really. I met someone from my world. Six words. The rest is just speculation.

  “I can’t believe it.”

  I say it again as we sit together. Durene is silent, thinking. I told her what happened. I wouldn’t keep a secret like this from Durene. I don’t think I’d keep anything from her.

  “Do you know why she found you? I mean, how?”

  “I have no idea. I just know that she must have been watching us—she was talking to me in German, so she must have heard my comment to that guardsman earlier. It might have been coincidence or—she knows about me some other way.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know. Magic? Or maybe—she mentioned my iPhone might be used to track me somehow. I wonder, can they use the GPS…? I’d imagine it has to be on, but…”

  I trail off. After a moment D
urene speaks.

  “What are you going to do, Laken?”

  “Do? Wait for her. But do it intelligently. Before she gets back, I want to just sit—sit and think, Durene.”

  “Okay.”

  She’s a good listener. I have to smile, and when I reach out, she takes my hand. For a few seconds we sit together, sitting together, not just on the same bench. I feel myself calm down and when I have my thoughts in order, tell her what they are.

  “We learned a lot, and not just that there are other people like me, Durene.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think we had better find a bank—or some kind of moneylender. That thief didn’t go after you by chance. Also, I had no idea there were truth spells in this world.”

  “You didn’t? I mean—of course you—but you have things like that in your world, right?”

  “Nothing like that. Oh, we have something called a lie detector test—it can’t be trusted. There’s no certainty, no knowing if someone’s telling the truth like this.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Truth spells, huh? If we had that where I come from, politics might be a lot different.”

  I shake my head, thinking about what that might mean. Fact: that guardswoman had a truth stone. Even if that’s only because this is a prosperous city, it means that a truth spell isn’t out of the reach of an affluent member of society. So…

  “Things just got a lot more complicated, Durene. I think we’d better wait for Gamel and Ryoka Griffin right here, but in the meantime, here’s what I think we should do.”

  “Yes?”

  Durene’s voice is quivering with…anticipation. She doesn’t seem scared, only focused and ready to act. It seems like when the chips are down, she’s not afraid to be bold.

  I admire that—I’m completely scared spitless by recent developments. But—I smile.

  “I smell good food. If I hold down the bench here, you can get us lunch. And something for Gamel too.”

  “Really? Food?”

  Durene is incredulous. I shake my head.

  “There’s no use thinking on an empty stomach. And believe me, we’ve got a lot of thinking to do.”