by Tom Liberman
“Yes, thank you,” said Rhia and Marianna in unison and even Mike nodded her head.
Chapter 8
“See,” said Rhia as they continued walking through the low hills that marked the transitional area between Tanelorn and Grelm. “I told you it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“It wasn’t awful,” said Mike with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Are you going to start dressing like a girl?” asked Marianna who had a broad brimmed hat on to protect her fair skin from the heat of the sun.
“I guess that’s probably a good idea,” said Mike looking to the north and scratching her head. “My hair isn’t going to grow any faster but I won’t mind taking off all these wraps,” she concluded looking down at her torso where the wrappings kept her breasts pushed down. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay that way.”
“It’s your decision, of course,” said Rhia with a grin. “We could run into gnolls anytime now and if what Greta said is true about how they treat boys, I think it would be best if you changed out sooner rather than later.”
“I’ll do it tomorrow morning,” said Mike still scratching her head. “It’s too much of a nuisance to do it now and I doubt we’ll have any trouble this close to the border. The gnolls are all supposed to be gathering for the ceremony anyway so they won’t be eager to start trouble.”
Rhia shrugged, “If you say so.”
“I say so,” said Mike and continued walking at a brisk pace.
Rhia dropped back to walk with Marianna. The girl continued to look healthier every day. “That was kind of fun, wasn’t it?”
“She knew the Gray Lord!” said the red-haired girl as she looked up to Rhia with wide eyes.
“It was funny to imagine her giving a bath to Jon and Jane in that old tub,” said Rhia. “Neither of them could fit in it anymore, that’s for sure.”
Marianna laughed, “Jon is so handsome and strong. I wish I knew someone like that.”
“You’ll find someone,” said Rhia. “Now that you’re free from Pillswar and your mother.”
Marianna looked down, “My mother wasn’t so bad before my father died,” she said quietly.
Rhia put her arm around the girl and frowned, “Nothing that happened was your fault. Anyway, that’s all over now. You’re with us.”
Marianna smiled and looked at the ground, “I don’t know. Pillswar knows I overheard a lot of their plans. He might send someone to kill me.”
Rhia thought about reassuring the girl as they continued to walk along at a good clip but then remembered the raw power and speed of Adusko. The orc might well be able to kill all three of them and without much trouble. “If we see Adusko then we’ll just have to make a run for it,” she finally said.
“Oh, Adusko’s not so bad,” said Marianna smiling. “He never hit me or did things like the others. He was pretty nice really. Sometimes I think he felt bad about the way they were treating me, that he wanted to do something, but he never did.”
“Really?” said Rhia. “You were there when he attacked Mike; he seemed to like hurting her and me then.”
“Oh no,” said Marianna looking up and shaking her head. “He wasn’t really angry at all. He’s very cold. He’s like what Greta says about the Gray Lord, he doesn’t do anything without a reason. There was no reason to hurt me so he didn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry. One time there was this young Gray Knight Pillswar wanted something from. I can’t even remember what it was about. And Adusko got hold of him. He was so scary. He was hitting him and yelling and he looked like he was going to kill him. Then, right in the middle of it, he saw me looking and winked at me. It was all a show to get what he wanted. And he did. No, Adusko was always nice to me and he was never cruel. And he’s nice to his mother, which means a lot. He told me about her, he said maybe one day I’d get to meet her.”
Rhia said nothing to this and the two continued for a while saying nothing. The grass was soft beneath their feet and the sun beat down on them only interrupted by a fluffy white cloud now and again. Mike moved ahead of the two walking with short and quick strides until she was well out in front of them.
“She’s angry,” said Marianna after the long silence and just a moment later a hawk gave out a loud cry from somewhere off in a little copse of trees to their left.
“She is,” said Rhia. “It’s funny because she doesn’t really have anything to be angry about.”
“She’s lucky,” said Marianna and Rhia could see the girl was holding back tears.
“She’s had a fortunate life,” said Rhia. “I had a good life as well. Better than yours at least. But I was unhappy as well. I left it to come here. I think it’s in the nature of everyone to be unhappy with their lot in life. Some people have much more reason for those feelings, obviously, but we cannot blame her for feeling so. She knows nothing else. Who knows anything more than what they know?”
Marianna walked on with Rhia and looked at the girl ahead of them who strode on with such determination, “She’s very confident about it. I wish I had that.”
“We can all get what we want,” said Rhia. “I think that’s true. If you want to be confident, if you want a good husband, if you want to be independent from your parents, if you want to be a Gray Knight even though you’re only a girl living ten thousand miles away from Tanelorn, if you want it enough and you’re willing to do what it takes to get there, you can make it happen.”
“Not always,” said Marianna shaking her head. “I would have been dead if not for you and Mike. What is her real name?”
Rhia laughed, “I’ll let you ask her that. It’s not completely true what you say about your situation. You could have run away, like I did.”
“I didn’t have any friends to help me. I didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“The Gray Knights knew about you. You could have come to them for help. When your father died you could have left. I’m not saying it would have been easy. I’m not even saying it would have been the right thing, they might have found you, they might have killed you, or just brought you back and done what they were already doing. I’m just saying the only way to really die is to stop trying. You have to fight for what you believe even if it means you might die. Fear is the great enemy.”
Marianna now was openly crying, “I guess it is my fault, what happened to me, in a way it is my fault.”
Rhia gave her a light punch in the shoulder, “That’s right, it was your fault what you let them do to you, but it’s their fault for doing it. You might have done better but you might have been hurt worse or been killed trying. What’s important is that you’re here, with us, now. You’re with Mike and you’re with me. We’re working for Lofo and we’re going to help save Tanelorn. This big war you say is coming, I believe you. Would Pillswar destroy Tanelorn so he could rule it?”
“He’ll do anything,” said Marianna simply. “Anything to get what he wants. I know that much.”
“Then we have to stop him,” said Rhia. “If I’m going to be a Gray Knight it’s not going to be with a man like that as ruler. I’d rather go back to Elekargul and marry some stupid boy.”
“Really?” asked Marianna.
“Well, I’m not going back there, at least not any time soon. But I’m not going to work for someone like Pillswar. We’ll get this all straightened out, I promise.”
“People can promise anything,” said Marianna and looked down at the ground again.
“That’s true enough,” said Rhia looking up at the sky. “You’ll just have to see if I make good on my words. Anyway, we’ve got some excitement ahead of us for now. I’ve seen a few of these gnolls in Tanelorn over the last few months. They look fairly scary. I can’t imagine tens of thousands of them all gathered up.”
Marianna shrugged her shoulders, “I guess. There were always a few hanging around at the house talking with Pillswar about things. Dragonkin as well. Just about everybody came by at one point or another. He has a lot of people working for him.”
“I wish the Gray Lord would take charge,” said Rhia her fingers tapping at the hilt of the sword at her side. “That would put an end to a lot of this nonsense. The First Rider would never stand around while something needs doing.”
“She’s getting pretty far ahead,” said Marianna looking up to where Mike had continued to move at a fast pace and the distance between them was increasing rapidly.
“Want to run?”
Marianna smiled and broke into a trot.
Rhia realized that the girl was still somewhat weak and did not sprint at her best speed. The two quickly gained ground on Mike and within a few minutes had completely caught up. Marianna was breathing hard from the sprint although Rhia not as much.
“You shouldn’t get so far ahead,” said Rhia when they arrived. “You never know what’s going to happen out here in the wild. There could be bandits or wild animals. We need to stick together.”
“Maybe you should walk faster,” said Mike turning, looking at the two, and shaking her head. “We don’t know when this High Chieftain ceremony is going to take place or where. So maybe we need to be in a hurry. Did that occur to either of you?”
Rhia laughed, “Fine, Mike. We’ll walk faster. Is that smoke over there?” she finished pointing to a wisp of smoke that rose in the sky to the west toward where the sun was slowly sinking.
Mike nodded her head and smiled, “Probably an inn or something. They’re common on the borders between nations. Places travelers can meet up. There will be someone there who can tell us where the gnolls are gathering.”
“Sounds nice,” said Marianna with a grin. “Maybe there will be handsome boys?”
Mike rolled her eyes. “Great. I’ll wait to change into a girl until after we leave there. I get sick of being bothered all the time.”
Rhia rolled her eyes at Marianna.
Soon enough Mike’s suspicion proved correct as they came across a large building with half-a-dozen chimneys and what looked like a huge gathering. There were people of all races gathered on an outside porch and many more seemed to be moving inside, if shadows that flitted back and forth on the windows were of any indication.
The smell of cooking meat permeated the air as the trio approached and a stable became visible where young boys busied themselves tending to a large number of horses.
“This place is popular,” said Rhia wrinkling her nose. “All the way out here that seems strange. Have you ever heard about a place like this?” she said to Mike.
The girl shook her head and frowned, “I guess word of the High Chieftain ceremony must be spreading all over. I don’t think we’ll be able to get a room in the main building. It’s way too crowded. Still, we can find out where to head from here. Come on.”
The trio moved forward toward the entrance and Rhia reached for the door just as it swung upon and a group of young teen girls, five of them, all in rather form-fitting dresses barged out. One of the girls, a tall elf girl with long blonde hair and wearing a golden necklace looked up at Rhia and looked her over with appraising eyes and then snorted. “Come on,” she said to her friends who likewise took a moment to appraise Rhia and Marianna although they ignored Mike.
“What was that?” said Rhia as they entered the building. No one had an answer.
It was smoke-filled and quite inviting with a number of stout wooden tables in a dining area, and the sound of someone singing from a back room immediately came to their ears. The place was bustling with people although the vast majority of them seemed to be young, pretty girls of various races. They were all dressed in fineries and wore colored paint on their faces.
“What is going on here?” repeated Rhia as she gazed around the place.
Mike shrugged, “Beats me. I’m going to find out where the ceremony is taking place. Someone will tell me. See if they have a room. I doubt it but we might get something in the stables.”
Rhia looked at Marianna, “What are all these girls doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? Something is wrong here.”
Marianna shook her head, looked down at her own rather travel stained clothes, and frowned.
A tall man with a scar along his cheek bustled past carrying a tray full of drinks and Rhia reached forward to stop him, “What’s going on here? Who are all these girls?”
The man stopped for a moment and smiled at her, “You don’t know?”
Rhia shook her head and the man smiled. “Sir Otun Helmsfire is reportedly going to be here tonight. He’s been seen on the road approaching not far away and with the High Chieftain ceremony it’s likely he’ll stop here tonight. Every girl for fifty miles in all directions is here.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” said Rhia trying to determine if the man was lying. There seemed to be no reason he would do so.
“I’ve got to deliver these drinks,” said the man with a smile. “You won’t find a room tonight I’m afraid. They’ll let you stay in back behind the stable if you want.”
“Thank you,” said Rhia and looked at Marianna. “Have you heard of this Helmsfire fellow?”
Marianna nodded her head, “I think so. He’s from the Five Nations I think. A big hero. I don’t remember much else though.”
“Let’s go see if we can arrange something behind the barn or whatever,” said Rhia looking around the very crowded inn. “If we have to sleep outside I don’t mind much. It didn’t look like rain.”
Rhia led the way into the interior of the inn, named the Hawk’s Den they soon discovered. They eventually found a matronly woman who took their silver and showed them where they could set up behind the barn although there were already dozens of little makeshift cots strewn about the area.
“You can get food and drink in either the main dining room or the commons,” said the woman. “If there’s any left. We’ve sent out to all the local farmers to bring what they’ve got but we’re swamped.”
“Who is this Helmsfire?” asked Rhia before the woman could leave.
“He’s the finest knight in the Five Nations,” said the woman nodding her head. “He’s quite famous in these parts. He’s the personal friend of the chieftain of the Blackrose clan.”
“I gather he’s not married?” said Rhia looking at what appeared to be an endless stream of eligible girls going to and fro about the place.
The woman gave her a puzzled expression and then shook her head with a smile, “Just wait around and you’ll see,” she eventually said and then rushed off to take care of wagon that pulled into the main yard loaded with supplies.
“Come on,” said Rhia looking over to Marianna. “Let’s go to the commons and try and get something to drink before they run out. Do you drink beer?”
“I’m willing to try,” said Marianna with a grin and the two soon found themselves crammed up against the back wall of the large room. There were two big fireplaces and half-a-dozen young servers running back and forth trying to fill all the orders. The crowd was predominantly young women dressed in fineries but there were others of all races and sexes as well. It was easy to tell from various conversations that the upcoming High Chieftain ceremony had brought many of them to the inn.
Rhia did her best to eavesdrop and it wasn’t difficult to learn that the big ceremony started sometime next week in the plains to the northwest of the inn. It was only a day or two travels from the inn so the crowd that had already gathered was merely a prelude to the throngs that would soon be in the region.
As the day wore on more and more travelers came by the inn and the room got continually more crowded although the many young women were largely disappointed as the great orc warrior did not make an appearance.
Mike joined them after a while and they managed to secure a small table in the corner when a group of girls departed, apparently with the idea of meeting the champion as he approached the inn in the hopes of making a good first impression.
“Do you know who this guy Helmsfire is?” asked Rhia of Mike when the girl joined them at the table.
Mike nodded
her head and smiled, “He’s part of the Blackrose tribe I believe. A famous adventurer and soldier. I’ve heard of him but never met him. My father knows him I think.”
“The Blackrose tribe is the most important of the Five Nations, right?” asked Rhia.
“That’s right,” said Mike nodding her head and smiling. She’d had a few beers and seemed to be in a more cheerful mood. “They are the most warlike of the Five Nations and they’ve always been the first to battle. The last First General was a Blackrose, I’m pretty sure but that was long before I was born.”
“First General?” asked Rhia having to speak loudly to make herself heard above the din of the crowd.
Mike leaned back in her seat and teetered for a moment but managed to right herself, “When there is some great crisis the Five Nations can vote to become the One Nation and a First General is chosen to lead the armies. It hasn’t happened in years and years. I think the Chief of the Blackrose tribe is the grandson of the last First General. At least that’s how I remember it. It’s all a little bit confusing to be honest about it. Whoever is First General is essentially the ruler of the entire nation. It’s an honor that they maintain for life, even when the Five Nations split up again.”
“How do they vote?” asked Rhia hoping to take advantage of Mike’s willingness to discuss matters so openly.
“It has to be unanimous, that much I know. All five of the nations have to agree to become One Nation and then they go about picking the general. That’s why it doesn’t happen very often. If even one tribe doesn’t want to do it, then it doesn’t get done.”
Rhia nodded her head, “I can see that. Getting five different tribes to agree to something so important can’t be easy. This Helmfire fellow must be quite the adventurer. I mean, look at this place. There are at least a hundred girls waiting for him to get here.”
Mike shrugged her shoulders, “I’m a boy for at least one more night,” she said and smiled. “So I don’t much care.”
Rhia laughed and remembered the words of Greta, “True enough, Mike, true enough. Still, I’m intrigued, not that I’m looking to get married or anything but it doesn’t hurt to keep your eyes open for a good man.”
