by Taran, David
Hoping that this fire shavren was one of the latter, she raised her hand in greeting as she passed him by. He nodded at her and turned to walk back inside. Sighing in relief Sarena turned to face forward again. That wasn’t too bad. She thought. If that’s what I can expect from the rest of them then this should be an easy trip.
The village itself wasn’t that big, only around three dozen buildings spread throughout a clearing near the edge of the forest. There were still plenty of trees in the village, and surprisingly there was none of the stench she had expected from when people begin to gather together. Even Garland Keep hadn’t been able to escape that in the outdoor areas. The shavren people were walking about on their own business, all of them stopping to take a look at the strange visitor on the even stranger horse. Sarena thought she might have been imagining it, but more than a few of them looked to have a hostile expression on their face, while some looked at her with pity.
She continued to head toward the largest building in the village, where there were the most shavren gathered. Uckey had thought it would be a good idea to visit the local tavern, which also doubled as an inn, and try to find out more about the time period. He suggested she try and find a place to sell some of the extra pelts from the blue beast also. Sarena wasn’t sure she wanted to part with them, but she had to admit a bit of coin would be nice. Her clothes were the same ones she had been wearing since escaping from the keep, and what had started as a light tan color had instead became a mottled deep brown from all the blood stains. No amount of washing would ever save these clothes. There were rough patches all over from the constant repairs she had been forced to make.
Dismounting Uckey and leaving him to do as he wanted outside, Sarena stepped into the tavern and looked around. A counter stretched along the wall of the right side of the room, with round tables and chairs set up throughout the rest of it. It was only midday, so there weren’t that many patrons yet, but still more than a dozen men and women were seated and eating while talking merrily. The sound reminded her of the meals she used to have back home, with soldiers generally being loud and lively every day. Everyone in the room looked unique, no two having the exact same shade of hair color, and all of them with eyes to match. They all had looked up and paused in their meals when she entered, once more giving her pitying and hostile looks, making Sarena even more curious about their reaction. A burly man in an apron and dark brown hair, including a full beard, stepped out from behind the bar and walked up to greet her, his face showing none of the pity or hostility that everyone else seemed to have.
“Welcome stranger!” He greeted her with a deep voice while smiling, “I am Asbin, owner of this inn. What brings you to my fine establishment today? Are you here for a meal or do you plan to stay longer and require a room?”
Sarena stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of how to reply. It was her first time coming to an inn like this, and she hadn’t been expecting anyone to walk up and begin talking to her so suddenly. Her plan had been to find a table to sit at while she listened to the conversation around her - admittedly suspicious, but with her lack of means to pay she didn’t really have many options.
Seeing her discomfort, the large man spoke up again, “The first drink is on the house to strangers, helps to spread the word about the quality of service here.” He winked one of his solid brown eyes at her, the sight of it almost making her burst out laughing.
“Might as well accept it,” Tyrus spoke in her mind, “I’ve never seen a more welcoming aura than this man. He genuinely wants to make you comfortable.”
Unable to hold back a smile, Sarena’s dark mood from the morning was forgotten as she replied, “That would be wonderful, but I’m afraid I’m light on coin right now. I do have some pelts I could part with, but I’m not sure where I could trade them in this village.”
Asbin’s face showed a hint of surprise for a moment before he opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything another voice broke in to the conversation.
“Pelts? What kind do you have? I might be willing to buy them off of you if they are a decent quality,” A small man with pale blue hair and a hooked nose stood up from the table closest to the entrance, walking over to the two of them.
Sarena was unsure of how to reply. While she had been hoping to get some information on where to sell the pelts, she hadn’t expected a buyer to pop up as soon as she mentioned them. It took a moment for her mind to catch up with the situation, and without thinking about it she drew on her wind element from Tyrus to calm herself, forgetting about the restriction Uckey had given her.
As soon as she had drawn in the wind the eyes of both Asbin and the short man went wide in shock, their mouths hanging open slightly. If not for the confidence granted from the wind she would have been too confused to answer.
“I’ve left them with my horse, but if you want to step outside I can show them to you. I can guarantee they are unlike any you’ve seen before,” she replied calmly, ignoring the incredulous looks on their faces.
“You-how are you doing that?” The blue-haired man stuttered. “Aren’t you one of the magicless?”
“The what?” Sarena asked. Then it hit her. The pitying looks, the hostile ones, they were all because they thought she had no magic. Uckey had even said that they looked almost identical to humans until they began to take on the aspect of their element. If they didn’t have any magic though, they would just look like a normal human. Just like her. That explained the pity, but she wasn’t sure about the hostile still. Was there a prejudice against those without magic here?
“Tell them you were unable to use magic until recently. Uckey says that very rarely a child is born with a block that they don’t overcome until later in their life. Not as late as you, but it should be a good enough excuse,” Tyrus sent to her. He had been staying in contact with Uckey outside in case something unexpected happened.
“I was born with a block that I wasn’t able to get past until recently,” Sarena quickly said, “and I’m still fairly new to my power, so I haven’t begun to change yet.”
A look of understanding passed between them, while those who had been close enough to hear their conversation began to nod and whisper quietly to each other. The silence that had permeated the room since she entered was dispelled, and the interest in her was gone along with it.
“Of course, of course, I was just surprised. I haven’t heard of anyone awakening to their power at such a late age, but the proof stands in front of my eyes,” said the short man while nodding. “Let’s go take a look at these pelts of yours. I want to see if they truly are as outstanding as you say.”
Without any hesitation the man walked past them and towards the door. Right before exiting he turned and spoke, “My name is Ropal. A merchant if you hadn’t guessed by now.”
“I suppose you’ll be waiting to take me up on that free drink until later then,” Asbin said with a laugh, “You can trust Ropal to give you a fair price for your pelts. Probably not a good price, but fair. He’s been trading with our village for years and never cheated us.”
“Thank you,” Sarena said with a small bow. “You’ve been very helpful. I’ll definitely be back for that drink, and a meal if I can help it.”
Stepping outside, Sarena saw Ropal staring at Uckey, warily eyeing his vicious looking horns. He glanced at Sarena for a moment when as she walked up next to him before speaking.
“I don’t know if I would call that a horse. Looks more like a demon to me,” he said.
“Uckey is harmless, he only attacks when I tell him to,” she replied confidently, walking over to the saddlebag she had made with more of the pelt from the blue beast. Reaching in she pulled out her last two rolls of the tough pelt, each enough to make a cloak from. The fur was short, barely an inch long, but softer than the smoothest silk. She tossed one of them to Ropal. His eyes widened as he stared at the fur in his hands.
“Remarkable. I’ve never felt such a soft fur, or seen one with this coloring. And the
size of it, whatever this came from must have been at least the size of a wolf. You were able to take it down on your own without magic?” Ropal asked, his eyes glancing over the rest of the gear on Uckey, obviously surprised at the amount of fur that had been used.
“No,” Sarena answered while shaking her head, “the battle with the beast is what awakened my magic in the first place. Without that I wouldn’t be here right now. They are tough enough to protect against most blades and arrows, and will keep you warm when made as a cloak.”
Ropal stood holding the fur silently with eyebrows raised. After a few moments had passed he nodded to himself and spoke. “I can give you twenty gold for each one. They are worth more, but I can’t afford any more than that. I’ll barely be able to make it to the capital to sell them as it is after spending that much.”
“Take the offer, Sarena,” Uckey suddenly spoke to her, almost making her jump, “Forty gold was no small sum in my time, and if it’s enough to beggar a successful merchant then it should more than cover our costs to reach Stewrix.”
She frowned for a moment, trying to make it look like she was considering his offer instead of just jumping at it right away. “That sounds reasonable, but I’d also like some information. We can talk over a meal can’t we?” Sarena gave her best smile, unable to hide the eagerness in her voice at the prospect of a meal that wasn’t dried meat.
A flash of surprise crossed Ropal’s face at how easily Sarena had accepted, but immediately disappeared into a broad smile of his own. “It would be my pleasure. Tovern may be a small village, but Asbin’s wife is the best cook for a hundred miles. Not even the royal chefs can match her, or so I’ve heard; I’ve never actually been to the palace.” He turned back to the tavern and led Sarena back inside, walking back to a table in the corner. Asbin looked at them as they entered and grinned at Sarena.
Sarena sat in the corner with her back to the wall, while Ropal took the seat across from her. Before either of them could speak a young woman, barely more than a girl really, set two mugs of a clear brown liquid in front of them. Her hair and eyes were the same color as Asbin’s, and Sarena didn’t doubt that she was his daughter.
“The first drink is free,” she said with a clear high voice, giving Sarena a warm smile before turning to Ropal. “Except you Ropal, you’re no stranger. One copper as usual. A meal is three coppers. Today’s is lamb stew.”
Both Sarena and Ropal ordered the stew and sat back to relax while sipping their ale. It wasn’t Sarena’s first time drinking, but the ale they had in Garland Keep was so bitter that she had never bothered with it again after her first taste. She had been expecting Asbin’s to be similar, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was perfectly smooth. Ropal watched her face and she took her first sip and couldn’t help but smile when he saw her look of pleasure.
“Best ale in all of Shavren isn’t it? That Asbin can’t use his nature magic for anything except brewing, and it’s made him famous. Tovern wouldn’t even exist without him here; the only reason I go this far out of my way is to trade for his ale. Most profitable part of my entire route,” he said while bringing his mug up for another deep gulp.
“Uckey is requesting you buy some for him,” Tyrus interjected. “Well, more demanding than requesting. Please do it. He won’t stop talking about it.”
Raising her eyebrows, Sarena nodded at what Ropal had said before answering, “You’re right, but I don’t think I’ll be able to bring any with me. I’m no trader, and ale just doesn’t agree with me.” Sarena couldn’t help but feel regret as she set her mug down. As good as the ale was, she couldn’t pass up the chance to get her revenge against Tyrus and Uckey for the past couple days.
“What!” Tyrus yelled, “You’re going to abandon me like this! You realize he’s going to be just as annoying to you when we leave!”
Sarena did her best to fight back the smile that was desperate to appear, even with the wind still in her to calm her down. It didn’t take long for Asbin’s daughter - Tiera as Ropal called her - to return with their dinner, which Ropal paid for with a silver coin, getting three copper back in return, and the rest of the meal was eaten with little conversation. While Sarena had said she wanted information, in truth she was mostly just hungry and wanted Ropal to pay for the meal. Any information she could get from him would just be a bonus as far as she was concerned. So far she had already learned that one silver was worth ten copper. It was different from her own time, but easy enough to remember.
“Where are you headed, if you don’t mind me asking?” Ropal inquired. “If we’re going the same way it might be worth it to travel together. Your magic is suited for combat if this pelt is anything to go by, and there’s always safety in numbers. I go north until the Teroban for my next stretch, and there’s plenty of dangers to look out for. I always welcome company.”
Sarena wasn’t sure how to answer, she didn’t know of any rivers except the Agraven, and Uckey hadn’t mentioned any others either. Maybe the name is different in this time? She thought. He did say to the north though, so it should be alright. Uckey said Stewrix is five hundred miles north of here in the White Mountains, so it should be fine to travel with him for a time.
“I’m headed that way myself, and I might be willing to travel with you if you can provide the meals. I’ve been out hunting for too long now. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand the taste of dried meat ever again,” Sarena answered. She doubted Ropal would mention safety if he wasn’t afraid of being attacked at some point. Although it looked like he normally traveled alone, so he couldn’t be completely helpless in a battle.
“Perfect!” He said, his face lighting up, “I’ll pay you for the pelts tomorrow morning, and even cover the room for you here tonight. It’s the least I can do for you after getting such a bargain on those pelts.”
Nodding, Sarena asked a question that had been on her mind ever since Uckey had mentioned it the night before. “You mentioned dangers. Would that be the lesser races that roam the area? Or is there something else now?”
Ropal couldn’t help but show a look of confusion at her question, “If by lesser races you mean monsters, then yes. They are the worst danger, but there’s always bandits and thieves on the roads out here. The king’s soldiers don’t patrol as often this far from the capital. Normally I would hire a few guards, but the ones I normally use were busy this year. The only ones available on short notice were less than reputable, so I decided to take the risk of heading out here on my own. So far I’ve been lucky and only a couple of harmless goblins have attacked, but I’d prefer not to stretch my luck too far.” He sighed as he shook his head. “I hired a retired mercenary that happened to be in town, but he’s only willing to go half the distance to the Teroban, and it’s not likely I’ll find another trustworthy mercenary between here and Millstone. After that I just go by boat all the way to the capital, so there’s no need for any guards.”
Going by what Ropal was saying, Sarena was fairly sure Millstone was the town on the Teroban, but she was surprised he was willing to risk traveling alone. Uckey had told them that the monsters in the Godwoods seemed similar to the lesser races that existed in his time, but Sarena didn’t realize they were actually considered monsters.
Seeing the look of confusion on her face, Ropal guessed at its source. “My own magic is somewhat helpful in a fight, nothing like what a real battlemage or Highmage could do, but I can hold my own against anything less than an ogre. I would never risk traveling this far alone if I wasn’t somewhat confident in being able to take care of myself.”
Sarena decided to leave it at that. She would just have to ask Uckey about everything else later on. She regretted not learning as much as she could about this new world from him before arriving in Tovern, but she had let her anger and stubbornness control her instead. The first thing she would do the next day would be to ask him everything she could about the world, starting with the lesser races. They sounded like monsters to her, but Uckey had made it sound like t
hey were much more than that before. Aside from the creatures that came out from the Godwoods in her time, monsters didn’t exist.
After Ropal had settled the bill for a room and stable for Sarena, the two of them went their separate ways. She was starting to suspect Ropal hadn’t told the entire truth about being beggared by their deal. Sarena lead Uckey to a stall, even though he could have done it himself, and Tyrus’ prediction came true. Uckey wouldn’t drop the subject of the ale the entire time. She made him promise that he would explain everything about the lesser races to her the next day and then went straight to her room in the inn, excited to finally have a real bed to sleep on.
Before taking Uckey to the stables she had arranged for a bath to be brought to her room, and Ropal had given her some new clothes as an extra payment for her protection while traveling. After stripping down for the bath and getting her first good look at what she had been wearing she changed her mind about those pitying looks from before. They weren’t because she was magicless, they must have thought she was homeless. Bursting out laughing she realized that that was actually true. Garland Keep didn’t exist anymore, and it hadn’t been her home for over a month anyways. It was a sobering thought.
Chapter Nine
Tyrus focused on the area around him, trying to stay on guard while Uckey explained the concept of lesser races to them. They had left Tovern right at dawn, when the village had just begun to stir. Asbin didn’t wake up until later, so they had left in silence and met their mercenary escort on the outskirts of Tovern. He was a middle-aged man named Jesba, and he was a metal user - copper to be exact - with a massive copper broadsword strapped to his back with a leather cord. According to Sarena his short hair and eyes were both reddish brown, and Tyrus could feel that most of his aura matched that as well. When Tyrus had wondered how he was able to even draw his weapon, Uckey had replied saying that he could easily just have the blade flow around the strap on his back like it was liquid. Aside from introducing himself he had said almost nothing.
