The eldon quietly opened the bedroom door and crept into the cottage’s front room. The small jail cell was occupied by a regular, Derric Larmpstine, who happily slept off a hangover from his previous night’s drinking. The cell door was wide open. Finn and Garm had dragged him out of the Golden Quail late last night, when he refused to leave at closing time. He claimed he had nowhere to go.
Jonas Kalher sat at the table with a steaming cup of black coffee before him. The old warden was wrapped in a blanket and appeared to be deep in thought.
“Good morning, Finn,” he said, without turning to see which brother was awake.
“Morning. Is something wrong?”
“No, no. I am just having a discussion about beer brewing with our guest,” said Kalher. The cell’s occupant was fast asleep. Kalher stared at his coffee. “I have to go away for a few days.”
“Why? Where to?”
“Yesterday, a merchant was robbed on the Konige Road, north of Treemere. I have to investigate it,” said Kalher.
“That’s not unusual. The merchants will just have to hire extra guards for a few weeks.”
“Maybe,” said Kalher. “The merchants were Freewater locals, Jacobson and his two sons. They were all killed in the attack.”
“Oh.”
“No one has been killed around here for some time,” said Kalher. “It’s my duty to investigate it.”
“Garm and I will get our gear ready. When do you want to leave?”
“I will leave this morning. You boys will stay here. It should only be for a few days.”
Finn could tell the warden was worried. When Kalher noticed Finn staring, he said, “It’s probably just a petty robbery that went wrong—nothing to worry about. I will need you two boys to do your duty and look after Freewater while I am away. Lock the gates and keep old Derric,” he gestured to the cell, “from disturbing the peace.”
“What if one of us goes with you?”
“I am not dead, yet, you know. I can still look after myself.”
“I just thought you might like some company.”
“You are good boys. I am very proud of the young men you are becoming. When I am gone, watch each other’s back—and look out for Kirk.”
The bedroom door opened and Finn jumped. He hadn’t realised how quietly they had been talking.
Garm stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starving.”
Kalher and Finn laughed.
Garm headed off to open the town gates and Finn went to the market to buy Kalher items for his trip. He required dried food, a length of rope, and flint for starting fires. Finn was in a hurry to get back, as the old warden was being unusually secretive about the mission’s details. As always, Garm did not appear to be very worried.
Finn walked along Main Street to the market square. The streets were quiet that cold morning, and it seemed like everyone was still asleep. Even the market was quiet, with only half the merchants with their wares on display.
Even the merchants are in bed.
He bought Kalher’s supplies and was about to head back to the cottage, when he caught a glimpse of Anna across the square. She was at the grocer’s stall buying vegetables.
“Good morning, Miss Anna. You’re up early,” said Finn, as he walked to her.
“Yes, I have a busy day planned, I am helping at the homeless kitchen. So it’s an early start for me,” she said. “It’s cold this morning, isn’t it?”
“Yeah—the smart people are still in bed.”
“You’re buying supplies? Are you going somewhere?”
“Not me—Kalher is.”
“Where’s he off to?”
“Merchant Jacobson and his two sons were killed yesterday on the Konige Road, near Treemere. Kalher is going to investigate.”
“Is anyone going with him?”
“No, he is going alone. In his absence, we have been left in charge.”
“There have been a lot of strange happenings on the roads around Freewater and Treemere, lately,” said Anna.
“Like what?”
“The Jacobson’s wagon is not the only one that has been robbed, lately. I heard the mayor saying that others have been attacked and only some of their goods were stolen—many valuable items have been left untouched. The mayor has been talking to Kalher about it for the last few weeks and he seems scared.”
“What is the mayor scared of?”
“I am not sure. You’ll have to ask Kalher.”
“It’s strange that Kalher never mentioned any of this.”
“It might be because the bandit leader is a tall, pale-skinned eldon,” she said. “His skin is supposed to be the same colour as yours and Garm’s.”
“Pale skin?” Finn was intrigued.
As far as he knew, only Garm and he had pale, grey skin. Even the eldon from their village had darker skin, including their mother. Their grandfather said that their father had pale skin, but he had died when they were both young. No one ever spoke about his father, except his grandfather, who never had a nice thing to say. Finn wasn’t sure if his father’s death was the truth.
Finn said goodbye to Anna and left the market.
What does this mean? Maybe this bandit is a relative or… our father?
“Where are you off to, puke?” Deep in thought, Finn almost ran right into Kirk and one of his friends.
“I don’t have time for this,” he tried to walk past them. “Move aside!”
Kirk pushed him back. “What’s in the bag? Did you buy me a present?” Rough hands grabbed Finn from behind and he dropped his bag of goods. Several items rolled across the dirt. Kirk leaned into Finn’s face and said, “Now, I believe I owe you this.”
He punched the eldon in the stomach, which made Finn double over and gasp for air. The two men held him upright, though, and he struggled to break his assailants’ holds. Kirk drove his fist hard into the eldon’s stomach again. Finn closed his eyes from the pain, but didn’t make a sound.
The two men behind Finn released his arms, and he dropped to his knees. He was prepared for the worst, but was surprised when he heard the thugs running down the road.
“Hey! Come back, cowards!” called Kirk.
“Looks like it’s just you and me.” It was Garm’s voice.
“Easy, I am important in this town…” Kirk stammered.
“So are we!”
The sound of a fist hitting flesh made Finn smile. Kirk dropped to the ground beside him, as a large hand helped Finn up.
“What are you doing, lying on the ground again?”
Finn was happy to see his brother. He looked at Kirk on the ground, holding his jaw and moaning. His friends were nowhere to be seen.
“I’ll make you pay for this, eldon!” he threatened.
“What a baby. I barely touched him,” said Garm.
“Come on, I have something to tell you.”
Garm picked up the bag and helped his brother to the warden’s cottage. On the way, Finn repeated what Anna had told him about the recent robberies.
The brothers entered the silent cottage.
“Kalher, we’re home,” said Finn. No one answered.
Finn looked in both the kitchen and Kalher’s room. The old warden was not there, though. The only sound was an occasional hammer tap from the blacksmith across the street.
They decided to look outside for him. At that hour of the morning, the street traffic had increased. People moved in and out of the south gate, going about their business. Kalher was not among them.
The brothers walked across to the stable, where Toby was leading a white and tan horse into the stable.
“Have you seen Kalher?” asked Finn.
“He borrowed my father’s horse earlier and rode out the south gate,” replied the ginger-haired boy.
“What? How long ago was that?”
“A while ago, now.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“No. Maybe my father knows more.”
The brothers thanked him and went back to the cottage and stood on the porch.
“Something is going on. What did Kalher do after I went to the market?”
“He was still here when I left to open the gates, as usual,” Garm shrugged.
“Maybe he thinks this bandit leader is our father,” said Finn. “And maybe he wants to investigate it, without us in the way.”
“But our father is dead.”
“Is he? How do we know that? I am the oldest, and I don’t remember him.”
“I guess it is strange that no one in the village spoke about our father,” said Garm. “Only grandfather.”
“I think one of us should go after Kalher.”
They argued about who it should be. Finn pointed out that, because Garm stood out in a crowd, he should stay in Freewater. Garm added that Finn wasn’t good at defending himself. They both agreed, however, that, if Finn stayed in Freewater, he would likely get bashed by Kirk, again.
“Kirk doesn’t seem to like you,” said Garm.
“Trust me, it’s mutual.”
Finn thought for a moment. “I’ll grab supplies, borrow Toby’s old mare, and leave as soon as I can. Can you think of anything else?”
“What about the mayor—and Anna? She’ll notice you’re gone. I think she’s keen on you.”
Finn chuckled and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, “You’ll have to come up with an excuse.”
Finn packed everything he thought he would need and went outside. Garm had the blacksmith’s old mare saddled, and Finn tied his pack and bedroll onto the saddle.
“What did you say to old man Wieck?”
“I told him Kalher forgot his medicine and that you are taking it to him. I also told him that he’s proud and wouldn’t like people to know. I think he believed me.”
“I didn’t know I had such a devious brother. Hopefully that will give me a day or two, before Wieck wants his horse back,” Finn said.
“He said Kalher will be gone at least a week, so he must be travelling some distance from Freewater.”
Finn mounted the old mare, he both looked and felt unnatural in the saddle. The horse seemed to know it and shook her mane in disgust, making Finn feel more uncomfortable.
“Morning, boys! Nice day for a ride,” said a girl’s voice.
Finn turned in his saddle as Anna rode up to them on a tall, black gelding.
“Morning, again, Miss Anna,” said Finn.
“If we are going to travel together, you will have to start calling me Anna. We have known each other for months—no more ‘Miss,’ please.”
Finn nodded, but had a confused look on his face. “What do you mean, ‘travelling together?’” Garm grinned at his brother’s obvious discomfort.
“I knew you would be off to help Kalher, so I have decided to help you. I explained to my stepfather that I am going to visit his sister in Treemere. I said I would be accompanied by an armed and capable warden for my protection—I not wrong, am I?”
“No, it’s too dangerous—”
“For a woman?” Anna interrupted.
“No. I meant this mission is dangerous. I am looking for Kalher and then I will help him find the bandits.”
“It’s settled, then, I will help.”
“You better go, Finn, before she convinces you that she is in charge and you are just helping her,” laughed Garm.
Finn nudged his horse forward. “Let’s go. See you in a few days, Garm.”
Garm said, “Look after him, Anna.”
“I will.” She nudged her horse’s ribs and trotted after Finn.
Chapter 7
The Konige Road connected Freewater with the next nearest town to the south, Treemere. It was well-travelled, as it was part of the country’s main trade route. If it was followed to its end, far to the south, it would lead to the capital, Andar, and the sea.
As they started out, Finn and Anna didn’t speak much. He felt a little awkward, but he wasn’t sure why. He had known Anna for only a few months and thought of her as one of his few friends he had in Freewater. She was a beautiful, young woman and he was surprised that she genuinely seemed to like him, regardless of their racial differences. He never felt that she judged him by his race.
Finn was worried he would say or do something that he would regret and that it would make Anna think less of him. To avoid saying anything dumb, he decided it was best if he said as little as possible.
After some time, Anna broke the ice. “It’s a nice day for a ride.”
“Yes,” said Finn. “It’s still a little cold.”
“Yes.”
Why is this so awkward? We are friends, after all.
They rode in silence for some time. The countryside was made of gently rolling hills and lightly treed woods. It rarely snowed the low country. The ground was fertile and much of the native woods had been cleared for farming. In the distance to the east, large mountains dominated the skyline. This early in the spring, snow still covered many of high, rocky peaks. Finn looked longingly at the mountains and thought about his homeland in the north.
An occasional farm house bordered the road, and many fields looked ready for sowing. When the weather warmed up, the farmers would be busy, but for now the paddocks were empty, except for a few fat black and white cows looking for the first spring grass. Finn decided it was a great time of year to be travelling. The air was fresh and he was content to be outside.
“Did Kalher mention where he was going, before he left?” Anna asked, awakening Finn from his daydreams.
“No, just that he was headed south.”
“I wonder how far ahead he is.”
“He has at least half a morning’s head start on us. If we don’t stop—and, if we are lucky—we might catch him before nightfall.”
“Assuming he doesn’t turn off the road.”
“Another reason we need to catch him quickly. He is a tough, old buzzard—even if he stops, it won’t be for long.”
“Finn, tell me about your life before Freewater—when you lived in your village,” said Anna.
“There is nothing much to tell. I grew up in a village called Third Peak, high in the White Cloud Mountains. My mother and grandfather reared us. I am sure we were trouble for them,” Finn smiled and looked out over the countryside. “My grandfather was a kind old man and when he died my mother suggested that we find work in a human town. There’s no work in our village, besides trapping and hunting. It’s a good life for boys, but a man can’t survive on the money. So we came to Freewater to look for work. We met Jonas Kalher and you know the rest.”
“What about your father?”
“I only know what Grandfather said, that he was a drunk and a bad husband and father. My mother never spoke of him. I could see the pain in her eyes whenever Grandfather mentioned his name. I have no memory of him. He was gone when I was very young.”
Anna could see that Finn was uncomfortable speaking about his father. She patted her horse’s neck. “Is he dead?”
“Grandfather said he was drunk, as usual, as he fished on a frozen lake. He slipped and fell in. His body was never recovered. My mother never mentions him—ever.” Finn looked toward the mountains, deep in thought, before he turned to Anna and changed the subject. “What about you? What’s Anna’s story?”
“Me? I guess mine is similar to yours. My parents died when I was a baby, and I spent my first year in Saint Tabitha’s Orphanage in Raknot. I was one of the lucky kids and was chosen by Mayor Bohmer and his wife. They were unable to have their own kids, so they took me in and raised me as their own. They have been very kind and loving parents to me.”
“How did your parents die?” asked Finn.
“My parents were listed in the orphanage’s records as having died of a sickness. It quickly spread throughout southern Tarmia in only a short time and thousands died. I have no memory of them, and the Bohmers never knew them. I guess I will never know my ancestry.” She looked a little melancholy
.
“Look at us, we both grew up without knowing one or both of our parents,” said Finn.
“Yes, we have a lot in common,” said Anna. “ Maybe that’s why we get on so well.”
Finn looked at her and she smiled back at him. She had an expression on her face that he was not familiar with. For some reason, it made him feel self-conscious, and he looked away, pretending to see something interesting in the distance.
By midday, they had travelled less than half the distance to Treemere, and it appeared that they would not make it to the town before nightfall, at their current pace. Unwilling to stop, Finn and Anna ate bread and cheese as they rode. There was little traffic on the road, and Finn felt like he and Anna were all alone in the world.
The bandit attacks have made people too scared to travel.
Late in the afternoon, they saw an old farmer mending a fence on the side of the road. He was the first person they had seen for some time and they stopped to greet him.
“Excuse me, sir. Have you seen a man on horseback pass by here this afternoon?”
“No, nothing springs to mind,” the farmer said, without stopping his work. Finn looked at Anna and she nodded to indicate that they should ride on. They urged their horses forward. “Unless you count old Jonas.”
“Jonas Kalher?” asked Anna, as she reined in her horse.
“Yeah. Do you know the old warden?” asked the farmer.
“Yes, sir. We are trying to catch up with him—hopefully before nightfall,” said Finn.
“You better get a move on. It will be night soon, and you are many miles from Treemere. You don’t want to be out on the road after dark, there are too many bandits roaming the countryside.”
“Do you know anything about the bandits?”
“No—only that it’s not wise to poke your nose in their business.”
“Did Kalher mention if he will stay in Treemere tonight?” asked Anna.
“Yes, Miss. He invited me to have a drink with him at Bronze Perch. I would if I wasn’t so busy.”
“Do you know Warden Kalher well?”
A Warden Born Page 4
