Unsuspecting Mage

by Brian S. Pratt

  Reaching into his travel purse, he pulls out two silvers and hands them over to her. She takes them and says, “I’ll be right back.” She walks over to the man behind the counter and his coins change hands. Then the man hands her back several coppers and she returns to give him his change. He gives her two coppers for a tip.

  “The stall for your horse is the third from the right,” she explains. “If you need feed for your horse just give a copper to Ferric when you stable your horse. He’s the stableman. Your room is up the stairs and second on the left.”

  Despite being in close proximity to the window, he’s unable to stand the stench in the common room any longer. “I’ll take care of my horse first then retire to my room,” he explains. “Would it be possible for my meal to be delivered to my room after I’m finished settling in my horse?”

  “Sure, if you would like,” she says. “When you come back from stabling your horse, just let me know and I’ll bring it up there myself.” She gives James a wink and a knowing smile before walking over to another table where a customer is signaling for her.

  Getting up, James hurries back out the door into the cool refreshing evening, taking a couple of deep breaths. Haven’t these people ever heard of baths? I suppose I better get use to it. They’re not very hygienically conscious here.

  He unties his horse and leads him around the side to the stable. There he finds a man filling the feed bins in several of the stalls. “Are you Ferric, the stableman?” he asks.

  “That’s me, what can I do for you?” Ferric inquires.

  “Melinda said I was to have the third stall from the right.” Digging into his travel purse, James hands him a copper, “This is for feed for my horse.”

  Taking the copper, Ferric takes the reins from him and leads James’ horse to the stall. The stall is roomy and filled with clean straw. At the rear is an area where the tack and saddle can be stored. Finding a brush hanging on the wall, he takes it down and proceeds to brush his horse’s coat, getting all the dirt and dust off just as Corbin said he should. When he finishes with the brushing, Ferric comes over with a pail of feed for his horse.

  “He’ll be fine,” assures Ferric as he pours the grain into the feed bin. “My room is at the end of the stable so I can hear if there is any trouble. Should there be trouble or a problem arises, I will come get you.”

  Giving him another copper, James says, “Thank you.” Turning to his horse, he pats him and says, “I’ll see you in the morning.” With one last pat he turns and heads back to the inn.

  James signals to Melinda as he comes back into the inn, indicating that he will be in his room and that she can bring up his dinner. Nodding, she finishes with a customer and hurries into the kitchen.

  He climbs the stairs and finds a long hallway stretching the length of the building. Four doors line each side of the hall and two lit oil lamps at either end do little to banish the growing shadows. Coming to the second door on the left, he opens it and goes inside.

  The room is somewhat dark as the window faces east and the sun has begun dipping below the horizon. A single candle sits in a candlestick on the middle of a small table. He tries a simple spell to light the candle’s wick.

  Candle wick,

  Light quick.

  A barely perceptible surge of power flows from James and the wick bursts into flame, giving off a comforting light. He sets his backpack and travel bags down in the far corner and then sits on the bed. It’s sort of soft with a few lumps. The sheets and pillows are stained and not entirely clean. The room, though small, doesn’t feel cramped. Aside from the bed there is a small table with two chairs.

  Getting up from the bed, he crosses the room and opens the window to let in some fresh air. He finds that it overlooks the stable and courtyard below. Now that the window is open, the noise from the common room is more pronounced. It’s not long until he hears a knock on the door.

  Opening the door he finds Melinda carrying a tray of food balanced on one hand with a flagon of ale held in the other. He takes the tray from her and sets it down on the table. She brings over his ale and asks if there is anything else he would like.

  “No, not right now, thank you,” James tells her.

  “I’ll be back in a while to take the tray back downstairs, after you’ve finished.” With that she leaves him to his dinner.

  The roast beef is surprisingly good, not too tough and a little juicy. The half loaf of bread that came with the roast beef is somewhat fresh, with a hint of nuttiness about it. It doesn’t take him long to finish the meal. After sopping the last bit of juice up with some bread, he goes over and stretches out on the bed. He lies there awhile, thinking about the last few days and where the next ones will take him.

  Knock! Knock!

  Not wanting to get up, he hollers “Come on in.”

  The door opens and Melinda walks in. “Is there anything else you will require this evening?” she asks him.

  “Nothing, thank you,” replies James.

  Coming over, she sits on the bed next to him, “Are you sure there is nothing else that you want?” She lays her hand on his leg and gives him a look that leaves little doubt what else there is available.

  With the state of personal hygiene that he has seen since coming to this world ever present on his mind, he says “No, not tonight I’m afraid.”

  Getting up off the bed, she gives him a disappointed look and then goes over to the table to gather the dinnerware. As she leaves, she turns to him and says, “I’ll be around all night if you should change your mind.” And with that she turns and walks out the door, closing it behind her.

  James gets up and hurries over to the door, securing the lock. Turning to the table he blows out the candle and then gets undressed before crawling into bed. He fervently hopes there will be no biting bedbugs, then slowly drifts off to sleep.

  The morning dawns bright and sunny, the sunlight coming through his window awakens him from a dream of home. Getting up, he quickly dresses and after gathering his things, heads downstairs for breakfast. There are still a few people at the tables eating and he makes his way to the same table under the window where he sat the night before.

  It doesn’t take long before a girl comes over to take his order and is soon enjoying a breakfast of ham steak, potatoes and eggs. While he eats, he notices two gentlemen at a table in the middle of the room in the midst of a friendly conversation. One is in his mid forties and the other is a younger man, perhaps early twenties. They look like father and son, both dark haired and dressed well.

  James takes notice of another man sitting alone at a table in the corner. He isn’t eating, just having a drink. He soon comes to realize the man in the corner is taking an unusual interest in the two men. His clothes are a bit ragged and is unshaven, hair uncombed. His eyes never stay on the two men for any length of time, but James notices that they come to rest on them often.

  Finishing his meal, James sits back and takes his time finishing his drink. Wondering what the man in the corner is up to, he just relaxes and waits. Sipping on his ale, it’s almost gone when the two men finally finish their meal and head for the exit leading out to the stables. Out of the corner of his eye, James sees the man’s attention is now completely focused on the two men. As they exit the inn, the man gets up and follows them out.

  Curious, James walks over to the door and peers through to see what’s going on. He finds the two men entering the stables, while the single man makes his way across the courtyard to a window in the side of the stable and looks inside. The man gazes through the window for a few seconds, and then quickly glances around the courtyard. James ducks back from the doorway then peers around again a second later. He sees that the man is no longer looking through the window. Instead, he’s walking around to the stable door where he slips inside.

  Leaving the inn, James hurries across the courtyard to the stable’s door. Coming from within the stables he hears hushed voices, but is unable to make out the words. Nearing the entranc
e, he begins to be able to make out what is being said inside.

  “…Now!” says a voice, menacingly.

  “Here, take it! Just don’t hurt us.” James recognizes the voice of the older of the two gentlemen. Cautiously peering around the door, he sees the older man handing a purse over to the robber. The robber is standing with sword drawn, the point scant inches from the chest of the younger man. Taking the purse, he gauges the weight of the coins contained within and then places it inside his tunic.

  “Thank you, gentlemen,” the robber says. He begins backing toward James slowly, his sword still leveled at the two men.

  James quickly looks around and sees a pile of old broken boards lying next to the side of the stable. He quickly and quietly takes a two foot long piece and then stands ready to wallop the robber as he exits.

  From where he stands with the board raised high, he hears the robber coming closer to the doorway. When he judges that the robber is close enough, James swings the board with all his might and feels a soft thud as it connects with the back of the robber.

  The robber stumbles forward from the force of the blow, his sword sailing out of his hand. Falling to the floor, he quickly rolls and regains his feet, knife drawn.

  The two men, though surprised by James’ attack, quickly react as they draw their swords and advance on the robber. The robber realizes his advantage is lost and leaves his sword on the ground where it fell. Making a quick leap through the side window, he hits the ground on the other side.

  “Thief!” the older man yells. The younger man starts running for the door where James stands and gives chase to the robber.

  James glances toward the robber as he gains his feet and for a short second, their eyes lock. He can see the hate behind those eyes, directed at him. Then the robber turns and runs to where a saddled horse is tied to the hitching post. The younger man rushes through the door and runs after him, but is not fast enough to catch the robber before he mounts his horse. Spurring him to a gallop, the robber quickly races between the buildings until he is out of sight.

  The older gentleman comes to James and holds his hand out, “Thank you, sir.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m just sorry he got away,” he replies, shaking the man’s hand.

  Holding up the pouch, the man says, “When you hit him, our money fell out of his tunic as he hit the ground. We are in your debt.”

  The younger one comes up as James asks, “Did you know him?”

  Shaking his head the younger one replies, “No.” Looking at the older man he asks, “Have you father?”

  “No,” replies his father. “But I’ll know him if I ever see him again.” Looking around, he stares at the courtyard, empty except for themselves and James. No one even bothered themselves to come and give aid when he called ‘Thief!’

  Turning to James the father says, “I guess we’re pretty lucky not all people are cowards. My name’s Renlon, this here is my son Kinney. We’re heading north if you’d care to travel with us.”

  Smiling at the offer he replies, “No thank you, I’m on my way south to Bearn. My name’s James.”

  “Well James, if you’re ever in Illion, you’re welcome to our hospitality,” the father says. “We own and operate an iron mine and smelter. Maybe you’ve heard of us, Renlon’s Iron?”

  “No, sorry, never heard of it. I’m new to the area,” he explains. “I will definitely stop by should I be that way.”

  Digging into his purse he hands James two gold coins. “Here, take this with our gratitude.”

  Taking the gold, he says “Thank you.”

  Placing the gold in with his other coins, he then goes and checks on his horse, finding that he has been well taken care of. James then saddles him and walks him over to the hitching post near the front of the inn. Tying him there, he returns to the inn to gather his belongings left by the table when he went to investigate the happenings at the stable. He brings them out and secures them to the saddle before mounting. As he turns to leave the inn, he spies Renlon and his son and waves goodbye. They wave back and soon James has put the inn far behind as he continues his way south.

  On the road again…, he begins singing one of his favorite songs. Spirits once again high, he brings his horse to a trot and exhilarates in his freedom. No demands, no tests, no grandparents pushing him to get a job. What could be better? The rest of the day goes by pretty uneventfully. Long before Bearn appears on the horizon, the untamed countryside turns into farmland with hardworking farmers out in their fields. By the time Bearn finally appears in the distance ahead, the sun is only a couple hours away from dipping below the horizon. Two days, just as Corbin said.

  He finds Bearn to be much bigger than Trendle. The city seems to stretch for over a mile to the east of the river and probably half as much on the west side. There’s a large bridge spanning the river near the center of the city as well as a smaller one further to the south.

  An encircling wall gives the city some security and protection. The road passes through a gate in the north wall allowing entry into the city. Approaching the gate, he notices several guards maintaining order, occasionally pulling aside various travelers and asking questions. As James approaches the gate, one of the guards comes over and states, “Welcome to Bearn. Please state your name and reason for visiting.”

  The guard looks bored, as if he has already asked this question a thousand times today.

  “My name is James,” he explains. “I am just passing through, though I plan on staying the night at the Flying Swan. Maybe a day or two at the most.”

  The guard nods his head, makes a quick notation on a piece of paper, and then waves James on through.

  Once through, he finds merchant stalls lining the street, each with a loud proprietor trying to entice people entering the city to buy their goods. Some people occasionally stop to inspect the goods offered while others pointedly ignore them as they attempt to get by without being hassled.

  Several street boys come up to James, each pitching some business or other where they could take him.

  “Come with me sir, I can take you to the prettiest girls in town,” one lad offers.

  “His girls are the ugliest,” yells another. “Come to Banif’s and you’ll see the best.”

  Holding up his hand for quiet, James asks “Can one of you take me to the Flying Swan?”

  Several hands fly into the air and he points to one of about thirteen. The boy heads off with James following close behind.

  The boy takes him down several streets and then heads west, crossing over the big bridge that he saw earlier. The boy occasionally glances back to make sure that he hasn’t lost him. They finally arrive at a building bearing a colorful sign depicting a white swan in flight over a lake. The boy stops in front of the Flying Swan and says, “Here you are, sir.”

  James reaches into his pouch and takes out two coppers and tosses them to the boy. Catching the coins out of the air, the boy seems satisfied. “Do you need more help sir?” asks the boy.

  “Not right now and thank you for your help,” he replies.

  “If you ever have need of a guide while you’re here, come to the gate where we met,” says the boy. “My name is Miko.”

  James considers the offer and says, “Maybe tomorrow morning you could come here. I have a few things I need and maybe you could help me find what I require?”

  Smiling, the boy replies, “Ok! I’ll be here, bright and early.”

  “I’ll see you then, Miko,” says James.

  The boy turns and scampers back into the crowd. In a flash he is gone.

  Nice boy, James thinks to himself. He ties up his horse to the hitching post and walks into the Flying Swan.

  Chapter Seven

  _______________________

  The Flying Swan turns out to be a nice, clean place. In fact, it’s the best he’s seen so far since coming to this world. Upon entering he can readily tell that it’s a cut above the Bend in the River, the inn where he stayed the night before.
Curtains drape the windows and candelabra hang from the ceiling. Each table is draped with a clean white tablecloth and the employees present a neat, tidy appearance. One of them, a man in his middle years and dressed slightly better than the rest, sees him enter and moves toward him.

  “Welcome to the Flying Swan good sir,” he says with a warm and friendly smile.

  “Thank you,” replies James. “I met a traveler on the road and she said this would be a good place to stay while I am in Bearn.”

  “Of course, of course, the reputation of the Flying Swan is well deserved.” Smiling broader he says, “And who might I thank for such a good recommendation?”

  “A lady trader by the name of Celienda,” James explains.

  “Ah, little Celienda,” he replies. “Yes, I know her and her father well. They are old and dear friends. How were they when you last saw them?”

  “They were well and she said to tell Jillian that she sends her wishes,” he tells him.

  “I am Jillian and I appreciate the deliverance of her message” replies the man. “We do have several nice rooms available. The ones on the bottom floor go for a silver a night and the ones on the second floor are a silver and three coppers.”

  “A room on the second floor would be perfect,” he relied. “Perhaps one with a window overlooking the river?”

  “I have one that would suit you. Do you have a steed as well?” he asks.

  “Yes I do. He’s out front,” replies James.

  Motioning for a lad of about fourteen years to come over, Jillian says to James, “Elren will take you and your horse to the stables out back. It’s another three coppers a night for your horse, but that does include grain.”