“Keep it,” Monique said refusing the small bottle. “I keep a large stock of it.”
Phena gave Monique a stiff bow then turned to the other women in the group offering them the use of the bottle. The each took a turn dabbing a bit of the lightly blue liquid on their upper lip. “It smells like a garden after a warm summer shower,” Lillian said taking a deep breath.
Monique’s house was close to the market district in the rich part of town. Bren had never seen so many large houses in one place before. Each one they passed was easily the size of a noble’s estate in Farlan and Monique’s residence was no exception. On the contrary it was far larger than any of the other houses he had seen.
As they approached the house, two guards opened a set of large double iron bound gates. Each guard bowed to Monique as she passed but their gazes turned to ice when they saw Bren and the others passing through so heavily armed.
One of the guards began to protest but he was quickly silenced by one look from Monique. As soon as they were past the iron gates and out of earshot of the guards Monique turned to Bren and gave him a warm smile. “Don’t think too badly of them,” She said apologetically. “A few years ago a rival merchant tried to abduct my son in an attempt to force me to sell my shares of the guild to him at a low cost. The guards at the time took no real notice when the merchant arrived at my house for a meeting with armed guards of his own. Ever since then they have taken great care not to repeat the same mistake.”
“I can understand,” Bren replied looking at Cass. “My own guards can be quite bothersome at times as well, though they always mean well.”
The front door of the mansion was simple in design with two elegant panes of stained glass situated at the top of the door. It was a little different than Bren expected but even though it looked like a simple door the dark purple hue of the wood left him speechless. Simple and elegant…It seemed to fit Monique.
The inside of the house looked much the same. It had simple furnishing though done in such a way that they spoke of great wealth and power. There was no large statues of gold and marble, or elegantly carved furniture that left the observer taken aback. Everything looked as if it was something that one would find in a common household, yet made of materials that were extremely rare. It was a simple yet elegant beauty, one that Lillian was enthralled by. The young elf eyes darted around as they followed Monique into a small sitting room near the rear of the house.
“Dear, who have you brought to visit now?” A large man asked as his eyes scanned the visitors. Though it had been years since he had last seen the man Bren new without a doubt that the large bear of a man was Jayden. Standing over six foot tall with arms thicker than Bren’s leg, Jayden was an imposing man…One Bren would hate to fight against.
“Bren and his friends decided to pay us a visit dear,” Monique said as she signaled for them to make themselves at home.
Jayden approached Bren and looked him over carefully. “Bren I haven’t seen you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper,” The large man said in a booming voice. “Monique has been talking about you a lot lately…Makes an old man jealous, but it is good to see that you were able to make it on your own. I always feared you would turn into one of those dressed up popinjay lordlings.”
“Dear that’s not very nice,” Monique said slapping Jayden playfully on the arm.
“Since when have I ever claimed to be nice,” Jayden replied giving Bren a sly smile. “The way his mother pampered him, who would have blamed him for turning into one of those popinjays.”
“If it had not been for my mother’s demand that I train with the royal guard I might just have turned out as you feared,” Bren said laughing.
“Before we start gossiping and talking about useless things why don’t you tell me what brought you so far from your wooden palace?” Monique said her voice switching over into a businesslike tone.
“I need your help,” Bren replied honestly.
“You need my help?” Monique asked skeptically. “Why would you need my help?”
Bren took a deep breath. He had thought over what he was going to say to Monique almost every moment since he had left Torin but he was still unsure of himself. “The Brotherhood have something I want but it’s not as if I can simply waltz through Northern Kurt without drawing the Brotherhood’s attention.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Monique admitted. “If I follow what you are saying you want me to send you along with a merchant caravan. That in itself isn’t that challenging but if I do that I will be placing them in great danger.”
“I need a caravan, but simply a writ of trade,” Bren replied quickly. “With that I can pose as a new trader trying to build a network of suppliers and buyers and move throughout Northern Kurt mostly unbothered. Even if they learn I can use magic it won’t be a huge problem as many mage’s have turned to the merchant lifestyle.”
“True,” Monique said with a worried look on her face. “I still don’t think it is a good idea. The Brotherhood spent years trying to get to your father and from what my sources tell me they have already tried for your life once since you left the Farlan palace.”
“Dear don’t hamper the boy,” Jayden said evenly. “He is old enough to make his own path. You do the same thing with Jin. Every time the boy speaks about going on a trip you find a way to keep him busy until the snow is so thick it’s impossible for him to leave.”
From the look that Monique was giving Jayden this was a topic that they had discussed many times in the past. “This has nothing to do with Jin,” Monique said squarely.
“What has nothing to do with me?” A young man in his late teens or early twenties asked.
The man stood slightly taller than Jayden with light brown hair that hung down his back. His arms were smaller than his father but still held a firmness to them that bespoke hours of hard labor.
“Young Bren here was planning a dangerous and daring adventure and your mother was trying to talk him out of it,” Jayden said before Monique had a chance to recover from the surprise appearance of her son.
“Jayden!” Monique said, her voice brimming with anger.
“Where are they going?” Jin asked eagerly.
“Northern Kurt to try and steal something from the Brotherhood if I understood him correctly,” Jayden said quickly anticipating his sons question.
“Think you have room for one more?” Jin asked Bren.
“Absolutely out of the question,” Monique nearly yelled. “I will not give him a writ of trade, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Whether I get a writ or not I will still be going. The writ would just reduce the chances of trouble,” Bren said honestly. “This is something I have to do no matter what dangers I must face. As far as room for another traveler I would welcome another sturdy hand seeing as without a writ we will most likely face a lot more danger.”
“See dear, he is not as easily swayed as our boy,” Jayden said in a half laugh.
“When do we leave?” Jin asked ignoring his mother’s complaints.
“Since we don’t have to purchase merchandise to trade we will leave first light tomorrow,” Bren replied.
“Wait just a moment,” Monique yelled so loudly that Bren was afraid that his ears would begin to bleed.
“Dear, I don’t think you are going to talk him out of it,” Jayden said trying to conceal a smile. “I think this time you just have to let them go and live a little on their own and that includes Jin.”
“You don’t care if Jin runs headfirst into certain death?” Monique asked angrily.
“Of course I care, but he needs to live his own life,” Jayden said evenly. “If he doesn’t then he will never become his own man.”
“Fine,” Monique said pouting. “I will get you a writ but it will take a few days. You can give me that at least.”
“Of course,” Bren said knowing that it was time to concede a little. “We can stay for five or six days but I hope to catch a ship through the crescent
isle before the rains hit.”
“Why don’t we forget this business for now and have a nice meal and chat about more pleasant things,” Jayden offered.
After a hearty meal Monique insisted that Bren and the others stay with her until she could get the writ and everything together for their trip. Bren didn’t like the idea of being under Monique’s watchful gaze for the entire time but he was given little choice.
CHAPTER XVII
Over the next few days Monique tried her best to talk Bren out of his journey, while Jayden did his best to help Bren escape her notice. Monique didn’t just focus on him though she was his main target it seemed.
The only time that Bren really had any time to relax was during the morning when Monique visited the Merchant Guild. She never stayed long, but those few hours of peace kept Bren from losing his wits. It was in those short hours that Bren and Jin met to talk.
Jin gave Bren the same wild feeling that Jayden did. It was almost as if the man was a wild animal instead of another human. Bren figured that it was because that he had inherited his father’s ability to shape shift. Unlike external mages whose personality determined their skills, internal mages often carried some of the same traits as their parents, though most the time there were still slight changes in ability and skill.
Bren had not been idle when he had been forced out of the tower and had spent what time he could studying the books about magic that Sae-Thae had been able to get to him. He found it odd, that magic worked in much the same way that eye color and hair color worked. Most the time it followed one of your parents or a mix of them but there were times that it was completely independent of outside factors. Sae-Thae called these changes from generation to generation anomalies. The Vathari believed that most the changes were due to the amount and kind of elemental energy that was present when the baby was conceived and carried by the mother, and Bren was inclined to agree though he was far from an expert.
On the fifth night when he was called to dinner, Monique pulled him aside and placed a thick piece of parchment into his hands. “This is a writ of trade that will get you into most countries without trouble. I have also prepared two wagons for you to travel with, as well as enough goods, and deliveries to last you until you reach your destination.”
“Deliveries?” Bren asked as he took the stack of papers.
“I can’t believe you want to pretend to be a merchant and you don’t even know that,” Monique said with a heavy sigh. “Merchants often carry goods, and letters to other places…For a fee of course, but often new merchants will offer this services free of charge in order to make contacts. There are even times that merchants will pay to carry a letter or good to a certain person so that they can have a meeting with them.”
“I see,” Bren replied meekly.
“If you have any trouble, Jin will be able to help you,” Monique said shaking her head. “He has gone on a few trips with some of the merchants though never far away from Rane…Take care of him…Please.”
Bren only caught a glimpse of a tear trickling down Monique’s face before she turned away leaving him standing alone in the dim hallway. After a few moments to clear his head Bren continued to the dining room where the others waited. Monique was already seated by time he arrived with no signs that she had been even remotely upset.
Bren had always been amazed when he saw his mother attitude change instantly whenever she had to deal with one of the nobles. It never mattered what kind of mood she was in she always put on the same face and that was the same face that Monique now wore. As he looked at Monique he wondered if all women were able to put on that welcoming yet cold disguise anytime they desired.
I told you time and time again, women are not to be trusted. They are like assassins hiding their true form until they are ready to strike. It would be best if you kept your distance from all of them, or at the very least stayed weary of their tricks.
Bren ignored Thuraman’s words. He had seen men be just as deceitful as women, and many times more so. From his little experience he often found that women were the opposite of how Thuraman saw them, often being too open about how they felt. How many times had Lillian, Faye, or Phena told him just how mad they were at him. Taking one last look at Monique, Bren held back a laugh and took his seat ready to eat.
The meal, like the others that had been served in Monique’s house was overly extravagant. Each night there had been at least a few dishes that he had never seen before. Many of them tasted great but others made his stomach churn with just the smell, and it seemed as if he was not the only one. Many times Monique would take a small bite of a food and quickly set it aside. Bren had inquired about this habit to Jin who told him that Monique demanded at least one new type of food per meal so that they could get used to cuisine that was served all over Kurt, and lately all the foods had been from the lands of Northern Kurt. To make matters worse they had been forced to eat with long thin wooden sticks that Monique called chopsticks, which were often used in the north. Most the time Bren fumbled with them making him take multiple tries to pick up a single food.
Looking at the two new plates that sat on the table, Bren began to worry about his trip. He was worried about the Brotherhood finding them, as he was certain just that would happen, but each passing day he was afraid they would starve well before they reached the Brotherhood’s camp.
Bren cautiously picked up the first dish that was placed in front of him. It was a thin slice of some form of meat on top of rice. It had an odd flavor and texture in his mouth but was not completely unpleasant. It was much better than the fermented beans that they had the previous day. It had taken Bren all day just to get the aftertaste out of his mouth.
The look of the other plate left him feeling uneasy. It was a large bowl with a light brown liquid filled with noodles, an egg, as well as other things that he had never seen before.
Using the chopsticks proved difficult on the new food as the noodles would slip between them as he brought them up to his face. After his fourth try Bren noticed that Monique and the others had picked up their bowls and were quickly slurping down the food making a large racket. Shrugging his shoulders Bren followed suit and after a few tries, was able to get his first taste of the odd food. It had a rich and deep taste that tingled his tongue, and a rich aroma that seemed to add to the flavor. Within moments Bren had eaten the entire bowl of noodles and silently wished the serving had been larger.
“Monique tells me that you will finally start your journey tomorrow,” Jaden said after everyone had finished with their meal.
“Yes,” Bren replied. “I wish I could afford to stay longer but I wish to reach the pass to Crescent Isle before the rainy season hits. Wouldn’t do much good to find ourselves shipwrecked on one of the small strips of land that dot the coast.”
“Too true,” Jayden replied. “Then I guess you will be traveling straight through Rane to Deliah port in Toria or do you plan to make for a smaller port?”
“I think Deliah will be our best choice,” Bren answered. “I don’t think any of the smaller ports would be able to transport our carts and horses.”
“I agree,” Monique said with a thin smile. “When you get to the port make sure to show them your writ. Rane merchants are given cheaper passage, otherwise you will find it costs a small fortune to travel by sea.”
“I will keep that in mind,” Bren said returning the smile.
Though everyone was talking and seemed happy there was an unseen darkness hanging over them that polite words and casual conversation couldn’t conceal. It was much different from when he left his own home to head out on his own. Bren even found himself slightly sadden that he was taking Jin away from his own but he fought against the urge to leave the man behind. Just as Jayden had said, at some point you had to take charge of your own life otherwise you would never grow as a person, and this was Jin’s choice and his alone.
After the meal Bren and the others moved into a small map room that Monique often used to plan her own
trips. Bren was surprised to find that even though she was now one of the five head council members of the merchant guild that she still went on merchant trips. It seemed as if her own thirst for adventure had not been dulled with age.
“So what is the plan?” Cass asked bluntly.
“Pretty much what we talked about in the dining hall,” Bren replied as he walked over to a large map that hung on the southern wall. “We will first travel east across Rane into the neighboring Kingdom of Toria then north until we reach the port of Deliah. Once we reach Deliah we will charter a ship north and bypass the Crescent Isle’s and land in Jakar. I don’t know much about Northern Kurt but the roads seem pretty simple and decently maintained, though unlike here most of the kingdoms are much smaller and called Daimios with a lot of infighting between the different lords. If my history serves me right before the fall of the empire they were separated into small lordships and when the empire fell, the lords kept domain over their own lands though some have tried to expand their territory over the years. They have different customs than we have so everyone keep your eyes open and try not to draw too much unneeded attention.”
“Where are the Brotherhood located?” Jin asked as he looked at the map intently.
“That’s the tricky part,” Bren admitted. “From reports they are here,” Bren said pointing to a point on the map in the western part of the country. “Houramara is one of the larger Daimios and the few reports we have say that the lord if cooperating with the Brotherhood.”
“I see what you mean about tricky,” Cass said with a frown. “They have camped in a small valley surrounded by a small range of large hills. It would be easy to see anyone approaching from the surrounding Plains with minimal effort on the Brotherhood’s part. I don’t see any way we can get close before they will be able to notice us,” Cass admitted.
“I am sure that we will find a way once we get closer,” Bren said cheerfully. “Right now all we have are maps and as you know even the best mapmaker cannot fully describe the landscape with a few lines drawn on a flat piece of paper. Not to mention the date on this map is over a hundred years old so there are bound to be changes in the landscape over that time.”
Silver Mage (Book 2) Page 14
