Search for Audric

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "I have never thought of the Lomites as such," Gunnar defended himself. "I just thought they preferred to be left alone."

  "To a degree, you are right," conceded Talot, "but that does not mean that we are not curious about the world around us."

  "Yet you deny that same curiosity in others," accused the Arin prince. "Now who is prejudging others?"

  Talot stared blankly at Gunnar for a moment and then finally nodded. "You are right," he admitted. "I never looked at it that way before. We assume that everyone entering our lands is there to take it. Perhaps we all have something to learn from one another?"

  "Then it is a good thing that we are sharing our journey," smiled Gunnar. "If we all keep an open mind, we will learn much about our friends and neighbors."

  "And our enemies," Talot added in a serious manner as the innkeeper arrived with three bowls of greasy stew and a loaf of dark brown bread.

  Gunnar and Kerzi resumed talking about products to take to Anatar, but Talot tuned them out. He silently dwelled on the previous conversation and his thoughts soon drifted to the day when Gunnar and his friends had been found violating the border of Lom. He suddenly realized how close the Lomites had come to executing all four of the men and how wrong that would have been. Only the strange feeling he had felt for the man who was later identified as the prince of Arin had made Talot intervene. Why was he so drawn to Gunnar? What made this particular man special? The questions twirled around in his head. Unable to reason an answer to the questions, he pushed the empty bowl away from him and stood up.

  "I am going to see how the lad has taken care of the wagon and the horses," announced Talot.

  "I'll go with you," offered Gunnar. "I want to wax my bow tonight. It will give me something to do other than sit in the common room and drink ale."

  "I plan to catch up on my sleep," declared Kerzi. "I don't need anything from the wagon for that."

  Gunnar and Talot left the common room and stepped outside through the rear door of the inn. The horses had already been unhitched, and the wagon sat alongside the stables. Gunnar went directly to the wagon while Talot entered the stables in search of Jared. He found the stableman just inside the doors where Jared was tending to Kerzi's horses. The Lomite pressed three coins into the lad's hands, and Jared's eyes lit up in appreciation. Talot smiled at the lad and left the stables to rejoin Gunnar. Jared suddenly frowned and ran after the Lomite.

  "This is far too much for me," Jared declared loudly. "I am looking for your appreciation, not pity."

  Gunnar heard the voice and a cold shiver raced up his spine. He spun around and gazed into Jared's face. With a movement made swift by years of practice, the Arin prince drew his two-handed sword and placed the tip to Jared's throat. Talot dove through the air, his huge body colliding with the Arin prince. The two men tumbled to the ground, but Gunnar was quicker getting to his feet. He snared his sword and swung a slashing sweep towards the stableman's waist. Inexplicably, his swing slowed down, and the sword stopped a hand's-width away from the lad. Gunnar stared at it in amazement, clearly confused about what had just happened. Talot jumped to his feet and grabbed the sword from Gunnar's hands. He tossed the sword to the ground and pinned Gunnar against the tail of the wagon.

  "What is wrong with you?" shouted Talot. "Have you lost your mind?"

  Jared had remained frozen in position. His body trembled with fear, and his mouth hung open. His eyes were wide with fright, but he did not run away.

  "Kill him!" shouted Gunnar. "Kill him before he uses the Talent to destroy us. He is the dark prince."

  Kerzi had exited the building when he had heard the shouting. He raced across the yard to find out what was happening.

  "I do not know who you think this lad is," growled Talot, "but he is no harm to you. He is just a poor stableboy."

  "Did he say dark prince?" Kerzi asked excitedly as he stared at the lad. "Is this him?"

  "Gunnar thinks this lad is his enemy," answered Talot, "but he is just a lad."

  "He is magical," argued Gunnar. "Didn't you see my sword halt in mid-swing? Let go of me and get out of my way."

  "Did his sword really stop?" asked Kerzi.

  Talot nodded. "But I do not care about that. This lad would not kill anyone. Gunnar has gone mad."

  Kerzi moved close to Jared and stared at him. He shook his head when the lad refused to even acknowledge that someone was talking to him.

  "The lad is in shock," Kerzi said as he walked over to where Talot was holding Gunnar. He looked his friend in the face and said, "He is in no condition to harm anyone, Gunnar. Calm yourself down before you strike out at an innocent lad. If this boy was truly the dark prince, and he held the powers that you claim, we would all be dead by now."

  Kerzi's logic seemed to get through to the Arin prince, and Gunnar began to calm down. Talot felt Gunnar's body uncoil, and he cautiously eased his grip. The Arin prince moved to one side so that he could see the stableman. He saw the lad shaking in fear, and his heart was burdened by what he had done.

  "I do not understand," Gunnar said softly as he approached Jared. "He looks exactly like the dark prince. He even has the Borundan's voice. That is what alerted me. How can this be?"

  "There are stranger things in the world than two men looking the same," shrugged Talot. "We need to help the lad. Let's get him inside."

  Talot scooped up the lad and carried him towards the inn. Kerzi ran before him and held the door open while Gunnar picked up his sword and followed, his mind still dazed in confusion.

  "Where is the boy's room?" Kerzi called to the innkeeper.

  The innkeeper hurried over and looked at the lad. "Is he alright?"

  "I think he is just scared," offered Kerzi. "We need to put him to bed."

  "Any room is fine," replied the innkeeper. "What is he scared of? Is he afraid of you three? He's a good lad and would not even think of stealing if that is what you have accused him of."

  "We do not think that he would steal from us," Talot said as he carried Jared up the stairs.

  Talot opened the door to the first room and placed Jared on the bed. Kerzi, Gunnar and the innkeeper flowed into the room and stood staring at the stableman.

  "Get some water," Talot instructed the innkeeper.

  The innkeeper rushed over to a small table near the window. He picked up a pitcher and poured a cup of water. When he went to hand it to Jared, Gunnar reached out and took it from the innkeeper.

  "He cannot drink for himself right now," explained the Arin prince. "I will help him."

  Talot's eyes narrowed as he watched Gunnar. He was not entirely sure if he could fully trust the Arin prince with the lad. Gunnar slid one arm under the pillow to raise the boy's head. When his arm touched Jared's skin a bolt of energy shot through the prince's body. He yanked his arm away and dropped the cup as he scrambled backwards to get away from the bed.

  "What is it?" the innkeeper shouted in alarm. "What is going on?"

  Kerzi retrieved the cup and moved to refill it. Talot moved towards Gunnar and placed his body between the prince and the lad.

  "What happened?" he asked softly.

  "I do not know," replied Gunnar as he examined his forearm. "It was as if just the touch of his skin burned me. My arm felt seared as if I had stuck it into a fire, but there is no burn on my skin. What is happening to me? Am I truly going mad?"

  Talot turned so that they could both see the lad. Kerzi had raised the boy's head and held the cup to his lips. The innkeeper cast a strange look towards Gunnar as if the foreigner was crazy, but the Arin prince did not notice.

  Jared drank from the cup, and his eyes soon began to focus. He blinked and looked around the room, confused by his surroundings. When his eyes landed on Gunnar, he stared intently.

  "I think the lad will be fine now," Talot said, directing his words to the innkeeper. "We will keep watch over him for a while. You might as well return to your duties downstairs."

  The innkeeper hesitated as he glanced at Gunna
r again. Kerzi understood what was going through the man's mind.

  "I'll go with you," offered Kerzi as he put his arm around the innkeeper and led him towards the door. "Perhaps a bowl of that good stew you made will make the lad feel better. I wouldn't be surprised if his empty stomach caused his fainting problem. You can add the cost of it to my room."

  The innkeeper nodded agreeably as was his disposition, and Kerzi led him out of the room. Talot crossed the room and closed the door. He moved quickly to the bed and sat down before Gunnar could do anything foolish.

  "How are you feeling, Jared?" asked the giant.

  "I feel strange," answered the lad as his eyes drifted towards Gunnar. "Why did he attack me? I stole nothing."

  "He mistook you for someone else," explained Talot. "He is very sorry about it. We all are. How long have you worked in the stables here?"

  Gunnar understood what Talot was trying to do. He walked to the window and sat in the chair next to it. He tried to appear disinterested in the conversation, thinking it would ease the boy's nerves, but he listened intently for any clues that might explain the lad's appearance.

  "About a year," answered Jared. "I have been well-treated here. I eat regularly and have a bed most nights."

  "Do you not have parents?" asked Talot.

  "Not anymore," Jared shook his head. "My father died a year ago. That is when I struck out on my own."

  "Was your father a stableman, too?" asked the Lomite.

  "No," Jared shook his head. "My father didn't have a trade. We hunted mostly, and moved around a lot. When we needed money, he would do odd jobs for people. He was very skilled in many things. He could fix anything that was broken."

  The door opened and Kerzi entered with a bowl of stew and a chunk of bread. Jared's eyes widened at the sight of the stew, and he sat up in the bed to receive it from the merchant.

  "This is a generous amount," beamed the lad, "much more than I am used to."

  Gunnar began to feel for the lad. It was not that long ago that he was fifteen, and he could not imagine existing on less food than a bowl of stew. Jared spooned the stew into his mouth hungrily and bit off a large chuck of the bread. Talot shook his head sadly and let the boy eat without having questions thrown at him. Jared finished the stew in short order, and Kerzi took the bowl and placed it on the table.

  "How did your father die?" asked the Arin prince.

  "I don't know," shrugged Jared. "He sent me to the market one day, and he was gone when I returned."

  "Then how do you know that he died?" asked Kerzi.

  "Why else would he not return?" replied Jared. "I waited for weeks for him to return, but he never came back. He would have returned if he were alive."

  "Are you sure?" questioned the giant. "Sometimes parents don't come back for other reasons. Maybe he was imprisoned, or he got lost?"

  "No," Jared replied emphatically. "My father would never get lost. He knew trails that no one else knew. It would have been impossible for him to get lost."

  "There is still imprisoned," offered Talot.

  "My father was a good man," Jared shook his head. "He loved me dearly. He told me so every day. He would never steal or attack anyone, so there was no reason for him to be in prison, and he would not abandon me. Death is the only thing that would have kept him away."

  Tears welled up in Jared's eyes, and Talot decided to move the conversation away from the lad's father.

  "It is hard being off on your own," smiled the Lomite, "but you have learned to take care of yourself rather well. Our horses looked well cared for when I saw them in the stables. You must take your duties very seriously."

  "I do," Jared nodded vigorously. "When there are not any customers for the stables, I clean it up and repair things. Many customers have complimented me on the cleanliness of the stalls."

  "What of your mother?" asked Gunnar.

  "I never had one," frowned Jared, "at least none that I ever knew. My father never spoke of her, and he never seemed much interested in women."

  "So it was just the two of you in the house then?" probed the Arin prince.

  "We had no house," answered Jared. "We lived in the woods."

  "Surely, your father provided some type of roof over your head?" frowned Kerzi. "Maybe you didn't think of it as a house at the time, but it must have been something. You haven't lived in the woods for fifteen years."

  "No house," Jared shook his head. "It would not have made sense anyway. We always kept moving around. Why would anyone build a house and then leave it?"

  "You roamed all over Salacia without ever having a roof over your head?" Talot asked with disbelief.

  "Not Salacia," answered Jared. "We lived in Capri most of the time. Sometimes father would tell me that we were in Arin, but that wouldn't last for long. We would cross back over the river and return to Capri."

  "Then how did you get here?" asked Gunnar.

  "After my father died," explained Jared, "I didn't want to stay in Capri. The people hunters there were mean and nasty. I like Arin much better, so I left and walked to Anatar."

  "People hunters?" questioned Talot.

  "He probably means bandits," interpreted Kerzi. "Capri is loaded with them, and the lad is correct. Most of them are a mean and nasty bunch."

  "Not the bandits," Jared shook his head. "They hardly ever bothered us. We had nothing for them to steal. Why would they waste their time?"

  "Then who are the people hunters?" Talot asked.

  "They are men who hunt people," replied Jared. "Father could always tell when they were in the area. Whenever they arrived, we moved onward."

  "Why didn't you stay in Anatar?" asked the Arin prince. "Surely, you could have eaten better there than you do here."

  "It was a big city," shrugged Jared. "There were too many people for my likes. I found a family that was moving to Kyland, and they let me travel with them, but it wasn't much better, so I kept on going. Some days I walked along the Caxon-Kyland Road, and some days I rode a ways with travelers. One of those travelers stopped here, and I liked it. It is a fine town. The people are really nice to me."

  Gunnar rose from his chair and approached the bed. Talot tensed, but Jared did not. The Arin prince kneeled beside the bed and placed his arm next to Jared.

  "I want you to place a single finger on my arm," instructed Gunnar. "If I flinch, pull it away, otherwise keep it there. Will you do that?"

  Jared look confused by the request, but he obeyed. Gunnar braced himself for a burning feeling, but all he felt was a tingle surging into his flesh. He concentrated on the feeling and tried to analyze it, but he could not.

  "Do it to Talot's arm now," Gunnar requested as he rose and sat down on the chair.

  Talot knelt next to the bed and extended his arm. Jared obediently touched the Lomite's flesh and Talot shrugged.

  "What is the purpose of this?" Talot asked Gunnar as he stood up.

  "Did you feel anything?" asked the Arin prince.

  "I felt Jared's finger touching my arm," answered the giant. "What was I supposed to feel?"

  "I don't know," sighed Gunnar. "I felt a tingling sensation. I cannot describe it, but I am sure that I felt it."

  "I felt it, too," interjected Jared. "It felt like a ripple of dull pain to me, sort of like when you stub your toe or cut your finger. Do you know how pain feels when a wound is new? It sort of pulses."

  "Do you mean that touching me hurt you?" asked Gunnar.

  "No," replied Jared. "There was no pain involved, but the way the sensation moved through my finger was similar to how pain feels. It throbbed and tingled."

  "Do you wield the Talent?" asked Talot.

  "Me?" balked the lad. "No. The Talent is evil. If I knew magic, I would throw myself off a bridge. Father called it a curse."

  "I think we should leave Jared to rest," Gunnar said suddenly as he rose.

  "I must get back to the stables," Jared responded. "I don't want to lose my job."

  "You stay in bed," ordere
d Talot as he made for the door. "I will speak to the innkeeper and explain your need for rest today. Tomorrow is soon enough for you to return to the stables."

  The three men left the room and closed the door. They went down the stairs and informed the innkeeper that the lad was not fit to work. The innkeeper grumbled until Talot placed a few coins in the man's palm. Gunnar chose a table in the common room far away from the kitchen. They ordered a pitcher of ale and sat silently waiting for the innkeeper to serve it. When the innkeeper had returned to the kitchen, Gunnar spoke softly.

  "There is something very strange going on," he said. "That lad looks exactly like the dark prince, and his voice is also the same, not quite as polished, but the same nevertheless."

  "What are you thinking?" asked Kerzi. "Tell me you are not scheming to impersonate the dark prince with this lad."

  "That idea has merit," chuckled the Arin prince, "but it was not on my mind. No, there is some affinity between the lad and me. I do not know what it is, but I do know that what I felt is not normal, and Jared felt it as well."

  "Yet you tried to kill him," reminded Talot.

  "I did," nodded Gunnar, "and I am grateful for your intervention. I thought I only had seconds to defend myself before the dark prince's spells struck me down. That also brings up another peculiar thing. I swung my sword at Jared, and the sword stopped short. How do you explain that?"

  "Your conscience got the better of your mad rage," suggested Talot.

  "No," Gunnar shook his head. "I did not stop the swing. In fact, I would have been incapable of stopping it. One cannot halt a swing so suddenly. It was as if my sword struck some protective barrier, but not one hard enough to cause my sword to bounce back. It was more like some huge invisible hand streaking out and grabbing my sword. I could not move it."

  "I had no trouble taking it from your hands," Talot pointed out.

  "I know," nodded Gunnar. "Do you think I would have allowed you to do that in my state of mind if I had any control over it?"

  "No," Talot replied with a new understanding of what had transpired outside the inn. "So you are saying that the lad is magical, but he denies it. Is he lying?"