Shadows of Home

by James R. Vernon

  "Good. Then the three of you should go to the inn and get settled in."

  "And what will you be doing?"

  "I'm going to scout all the roads entering and exiting Rensen. See if there are any more signs of battle or if I can find a fresh set of tracks that might belong to the man we are hunting. Besides, you don't need me to get involved in questioning a room full of people. I’m not very subtle."

  That's the understatement of the year, Ezzy thought before turning to her other companions. "Alright, before Shay goes we should unload Paz here and carry our things. Nolan, Bavian...where is Bavian?"

  Nolan gave her a weak smile. "As soon as you agreed to spend the night here, he took off."

  "And you didn't say anything?"

  "If you want me to say something whenever the man does something strange, I'll never stop talking."

  Ezzy just glared at him.

  "You handle the crazy man," Shay said before turning to walk away. After a few steps she looked back over her shoulder. "I'll be back before nightfall. Try not to get into any trouble until I return."

  "Can't make any promises," Ezzy said, flashing her sweetest smile.

  Mumbling and shaking her head, Shay followed the road heading into the east end of the village.

  They unloaded Paz from heir wagon and Ezzy had him sit in the open field. With the largest known Vithalos residing in the village’s sawmill, a normal sized Vithalos shouldn't draw too much attention. She left Paz there and hurried to catch up with her group.

  Rensen had grown to a sizable village over the years. From her private tutoring sessions when she was young, Ezzy knew it had started off as a few shoddy huts and a small work area for the dozen or so workers who had staked a claim in the center of the woods. Ezzy had passed through once or twice during her hunt for Ean, but this was the first time she had slowed down to take in what the village had become in recent years. Now a wide swatch of forest had been cleared and replaced with solid, one- and two-story homes. It housed close to two hundred hard-working citizens now, no longer just those who worked with wood but various professions as well. “Salt of the earth” was how her father had described them, willing to help neighbor or stranger alike. If that were true, she should have no problem finding out what had happened recently and if Ean had been a part of it.

  The best place to hunt for news in any village, town, or city was the local inn. Ezzy and Nolan made their way towards the center of the village where it would most likely be found.

  At first, the inn looked like it had caught part of the battle as well. On the front of the building, two new, heavy doors sat closed inside a frame that had a darker shade of treating than the wood around it. As they got closer, Ezzy saw the work hadn't been done as recently as she first thought and the new door was more than likely to have been installed at the most a season ago. A sign reading “Reopened Under New Management” was nailed next to the door. It was missing any kind of identifying markings as to its name.

  "That couldn't have been done by Ean," Nolan said as they approached the front of the inn. "The repairs done to the homes on the outer edge of the village look only a few days old. These doors have a bit more wear to them."

  Ezzy grunted in reply. "Probably the after-effects of some out-of-control bar fight or something like that. Doesn't mean the people inside might not have anything that could help us."

  As Ezzy and Nolan walked through the doors, the sounds of conversations and merriment cut off. Instead of finding a room filled with villagers enjoying a warm meal and a hearty drink, they found a room of staring eyes and less-than-friendly expressions.

  Ezzy almost flinched at the animosity directed her way.

  "So much for this town’s reputation for being friendly to strangers."

  Chapter 13

  The harsh wind of a winter storm would have given a warmer reception than the one Ezzy and Nolan received as they stepped into the inn. Dozens of men and women populated the common room of the inn, most wearing the heavier garments common for this freeze season, even inside and with a large hearth heating the room. Others wore the clothes of hunters, wood workers, and farmers that allowed for easier movement. They sat at tables full of steaming plates and wooden cups.

  And all of them were staring at Ezzy and Nolan.

  She smiled at the group. Nolan grunted.

  "Now, now," a woman said as she bustled over. She was a robust woman in her middle years, dressed in a simple brown shirt and long skirt, covered by a black apron. In each hand she carried three full mugs that clunked together as she moved. "No need to show newcomers a cold reception, even with everything that’s been going on."

  Whoever the woman was, she didn't seem to have much effect on the crowd at first. "Well," she continued, "if all you want to do is sit and stare, I can close off the taps and put out the oven fires."

  The threat of dry glasses and empty stomachs thawed the icy stares and the majority of people returned to their conversations, even if they weren't as lively as they were before. Ezzy caught sight of a few eyes still glancing over every now and then while one or two villagers still glared openly at her. She was about to cast back a glare of her own when the woman who spoke stepped directly in front of her.

  "Welcome!" She lifted her mugs in their direction. Nolan politely refused with a small shake of his head but Ezzy happily accepted. She carefully removed one of the mugs from the woman's hands while the woman continued to talk. "My name's Bellinda, but most people around these parts just call me Belle. I'm the new owner of this establishment. Haven't decided on a proper name yet, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to toss them my way. Otherwise, grab a seat at a table and I'll have one of the servers bring you a fresh loaf of bread. Are you here just for the food and spirits, or are you looking for a room as well?"

  "The latter," Nolan said since Ezzy had the mug already to her lips. "We'll need two rooms. Preferably close to each other, if not adjoining."

  "Excellent. I have a pair of adjoining rooms free at the moment. I'll have the linens put on the beds." Bella glanced around until she found what she was looking for and waved a man over. An average-sized man maneuvered through the crowd and stood waiting for orders. "Coop, take their bags up to room twenty-one and have both twenty-one and twenty-two prepared for the night."

  Somehow, the man was able to heft all their bags onto his shoulders and maneuver through the crowd towards a hallway at the back of the room with little trouble.

  "Now, if you'll excuse me," Bella said, "I have plenty of food and drink to sell before last call. Find a seat and I'll be by your table later to check on you."

  "Let's go find a table," Nolan said as Bella left them and returned to the crowd. "If you can handle moving without spilling your drink."

  He gave a pointed look inside her mug. Looking down, she noticed she had drained most of its contents while the other woman had been speaking.

  "What? I didn't get the chance to have a drink in Lurthalan. And we've been traveling a great deal. I was parched."

  Nolan favored her with a loud huff and then moved into the crowd. Ezzy followed along after, and they moved to the closest open table they could find. The room had returned to its more positive energy as they sat down, with people joking and carrying on and enjoying the night after a hard day's work. It all seemed to be well-intentioned, without the undertone of the potential for drunken violence. Everyone in the room seemed to know each other as names were called out and people moved from one table to the next. Even when people bumped into each other and drinks were spilled, it resulted in friendly smacks to the back and laughter. By the time the bread was brought to Ezzy and Nolan's table, even Nolan’s stoic nature seemed to relax a bit as he sat back in his chair and the tension left his shoulders.

  After receiving a less-than-cheery welcome from the other patrons, Ezzy decided her best bet for information would be to wait until Bellinda stopped back. The woman was friendly and seemed eager to make conversation. Besides, with the res
t of the group doing their own thing, Ezzy felt this would be the best time to finally speak with Nolan.

  "Are you hungry?" A weak opening, but she had to start somewhere.

  "A little. And we should order something for when the others return. Even if it goes to waste, it’s Bavian and his benefactors who are paying the bills."

  "Have you seen him?" She glanced around. "I thought he was heading here as well, but I can't seem to find him."

  "No. Maybe he got distracted by a squirrel. If we're lucky, he'll be gone the rest of the day."

  "You really don't like him, do you?"

  "Like I said before, I don't trust him. He is undeniably loyal to the Janpair family, who were in direct competition with your family before..." Nolan trailed off, his eyes going to the table. Ezzy felt a little warmth grow in her chest, and not from the alcohol. The foolish old man still tried to protect her from the memory of what had happened to her family. It was unnecessary, but still sweet of him to try.

  "With my family in ruins," she paused as she realized it still hurt a little to admit, "the Janpairs don't consider us a great concern. If anything, they view me as more of a curiosity than anything else. Since my family were the only Hawkpurses in recorded history to ever fall apart and lose everything, I'm sure most of the other Hawkpurse families are curious to see what happens to me next. Besides, we need all the help we can get. You didn't see how powerful-" she glanced the strangers all around them, unsure if it would be best to throw out Ean's name. "--how powerful our bounty really is. He punched Paz hard enough to put a dent into him. With just his fist! With someone like that, we'll need the entire group working together to take him down. Even if that does include someone who is clearly insane."

  Ezzy said the last few words with a laugh and was happy to see she at least got a small smile out of the other man. That made for the perfect opportunity to probe a little deeper.

  "It's not just that, though, is it? You've been a little more reserved since Shade."

  His smile disappeared. "You're imagining things." The smile returned again, but this time it was obvious it was forced. "Why? Worried I won't be able to rebind you to Paz if your connection fails again?"

  "Not in the least, but don't deflect the question. You know I'm too smart for that to work."

  "Not smart enough to keep us out of dangerous situations."

  "Nolan, stop." Ezzy reached over and placed a hand on his arm. "I know something is bothering you. Is it...the after-effects of being a Thaljori? Is your mind--"

  He jerked back, his chair scrapping along the ground at the sudden movement. A range of emotions crossed his face in the few breaths that followed. Anger. Confusion. Even shame. It all ended with a sigh that screamed a sad acceptance as he leaned forward again.

  "I'm sorry. Touchy subject." He returned his hand to the table and placed it on Ezzy's hand. "No, my mind doesn't feel like it's starting to crumble. Quite the opposite, in fact. Since our trip to Shade, I've felt more focused than I have in years."

  "Really?" Thinking back, Ezzy was surprised she couldn't remember any point since Shade where she had needed to rescue her friend from being lost in his own mind. They had been chasing around rumors and ideas to the point that she had neglected to check on him during their journey, but it might not have just been because she had been too focused on finding Ean. But there hadn't been a time she could remember where he had stumbled, wandered off, or gone completely blank for even a few moments. "I hate to admit it, but I haven't really noticed the improvement until you brought it up."

  Nolan gave her hand one last reassuring pat "It's the truth. I haven't caught my mind wandering off topic or found myself forgetting even the simplest things. My mind has been as sharp as any of Shayua's blades," he gave her a wry smile, "even if all this running around has been wearing out this aging body."

  "That just comes with the territory when you're on the hunt. A few more seasons and we'll have you in as good of shape as..." She trailed off as a nearby conversation caught her attention. What had the woman just said?

  "Hello?" Nolan leaned forward and waved in her face. "Did I lose you there for a second?"

  "Shhh! Wait a moment."

  Nolan grumbled to himself and sat back, allowing Ezzy to focus on the other conversation.

  "...Can't believe Thomas left with those going to Rottwealth," a woman seated at the table next to them said. "Just cause the man said they had a touch of the Abyss on them doesn't mean it was true."

  "If you had seen one of those creatures that had been running around, or the strange woman who caught and killed a lot of them, you would have believed the man too."

  "Excuse me," Ezzy cut in. "What did you say about the Abyss?"

  The woman shot her a look that told her exactly what she thought of Ezzy for eavesdropping, but the man was friendlier.

  "You must be new to Rensen," the man began. "The people here don't view the Abyss with as much dread as the rest of the realm anymore. If you have a problem with us discussing it, I would suggest you find a different place to drink. With everything that's happened here in the past couple days, talk of the Abyss is in the majority of conversations, I would reckon."

  "No, that's not it," she replied, giving a half-hearted smile. "I'm not as squeamish about talking about the Abyss either. I was more curious about the man you said was talking about it."

  "I just said a lot of the people of Rensen are talking about it--"

  "But you just mentioned someone specific, and it sounded like he wasn't someone from Rensen."

  "Oh, sorry for the mixup. Yes, we were talking about--"

  The woman he was with silenced him with a raised hand. "Pete, I'm not sure if we should be speaking to a stranger about what happened. This woman could be an agent of Alistar, or even one of those Seekers."

  "There's only one female Seeker, Claudia, and you got as good of a look at her as I did when she made a mess of things in this very room. That woman is not here."

  "She could be in disguise. Or just a follower of Alistar ready to run off to Lurthalan and report us to Alistar's followers."

  "The Seekers are too bold to ever wear disguises, and Alistar fanatics are just as obvious."

  "Still, who knows what they are capable of. They say the man who took all those people was the same man who helped all those injured during the bandit attack a few seasons ago, and he looked completely different. He was the whole reason Thomas had to leave--"

  "He chose to leave. And that Ean fellow stopped that crazy fire elementalist from burning down our entire--"

  "Wait!" Ezzy seized the man's arm. "Did you say Ean? Ean Sangrave?"

  The man frowned at the hand digging into his arm but answered her anyway. "He didn't give his last name. Just went by Ean."

  "But he was the man who had some connection to the Abyss."

  "Connection?" the woman scoffed. "If people are to be believed, this man either opened a Scar, closed it, or both. Let a pack of dangerous little creatures loose in the village. I don't think the woman who was with him was entirely human either. I didn't see the man, but I saw her running past my home after one of the little monsters. She moved unnaturally fast. And I swear, in the moonlight, her skin was an unnatural color."

  The man said, "Doesn't much matter if it was his mess or not. No one died, and he cleaned it up. He might not be from Rensen, but he has the morals of one of us. He promised to protect those touched by the Abyss, and when he faced that Seeker last season, he easily could have killed her but chose to spare her instead. A man like that will always be welcome in Rensen." He paused for a moment. "As long as he doesn't start infecting everyone with the energies from the Abyss, of course."

  "That's just your opinion," his companion said.

  "That's most people's opinion, except those bootlickers who care about the negative things the mayor has said about Ean. You're just upset because you had your eyes set on Thomas for a husband."

  "That's beside the point."

  Ezzy wo
uld love to add her own opinions of the man who had brought down her family, but information was more important than going on a rant. "So what happened? Where did he go?"

  The man stared at her until she finally removed her hand from his arm, then he spoke. "Took everyone he said had been touched by the Abyss back with him to Rottwealth."

  "How long ago?"

  "Yesterday morning. I would guess they would have arrived by now. The path through the mountains takes close to two days if you make camp for the night at the midpoint. That many people, I doubt he would have made them march through the night."

  "Thank you."

  The man shrugged and Ezzy turned around back to face Nolan. She waited to speak until the conversation behind her resumed, although the man and woman spoke in more hushed tones.

  "Did you hear that?" Nolan nodded in response, a grim look spreading across his face as she continued. "Rottwealth. If we leave tonight, we could be most of the way there by the following night."

  "Ezzy, you and Shay decided we should spend the night here and get a decent night's rest."

  "That was before I knew how close we were to catching him again."

  "When Shay returns, we can discuss--"

  "The only time you want to discuss things with Shayua is when you know she will take your side."

  He kept talking as if she had never spoke. "--what we should do next. If she thinks we should leave tonight, we can. But if Ean is heading to Rottwealth, we aren't exactly in any rush. As far as anyone knows, there is only one path into that valley. There is no chance if we left tomorrow, he could somehow get by us. We'll either run into him on the path through the mountains or find him in Rottwealth. There is no need to leave tonight."

  "Well, if your mind is made up, you and Shay will certainly overrule me when she gets here, so there is no point in waiting for her to have the discussion."

  Ezzy downed what was left of her mug and grabbed a piece of bread before rising out of her seat. Then she was moving, weaving through the crowd of tables and people.

  "Where are you going?" Nolan called after her.