The Swordmage Trilogy: Volume 02 - The Darkest Hour

by Martin Hengst

  “Not likely, Miss--”

  “Tiadaria,” she supplied helpfully. “So what do we do now?”

  The hooded stranger eased the hammer down on the cannon and dropped it into a holster hanging at his hip.

  “You wouldn’t be the Tiadaria, would you? The Tiadaria who fought at Dragonfell? The Tiadaria who gave the eulogy at the Captain’s interment?”

  Tiadaria sighed again. The most painful moment of her life had turned out to be a boon on more than one occasion. It seemed that people all throughout the Imperium had heard the story. In many cases, they told it as they themselves had been there. An interesting feat for so many people when it had been such a small group that was gathered around his tomb that day. Still, if it made them feel a part of it in the retelling, who did it really hurt?

  “Yes, that Tiadaria.”

  The hooded man sniffed. “Never figured the Captain to put a girl on the battlefield.” He stabbed a thick finger at her. “I think you got damn lucky. Luck is no substitute for experience and planning, girl, remember that.”

  Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked back to the wagon, climbing into the driver’s position. Following his lead, the other men holstered their weapons. Tiadaria gaped at them. The tale of their heroic battle against the Xarundi usually got her at least the offer of a drink and sometimes an invitation to a meal. The condition of the road wasn’t the only difference out here.

  With a snap of the reigns, the wagon started forward. As it passed, the stranger tossed her belt knife into the mud at her feet. She knelt to retrieve the Captain’s blade, shaking the worst of the mud from the blade.

  “Wait!” Tiadaria called. “Can you at least tell me how to get to Ethergate?”

  “Follow the road, girl.” The man called, without turning around. “Another half a day will get you there. Sooner if you find your horse.”

  It may have just been the rain, but Tiadaria was almost certain she heard a rough laugh as the cart moved onward. Tia stood in the middle of the muddy road, watching the wagon until it had disappeared from view. She wasn’t sure how much worse this day could get. She wanted to sit down and cry. Instead, she put one foot in front of the other, following the deep ruts made by the wagon.

  Minutes blended into hours as she trudged through the mud. At some point, she had lost the feeling in her toes. If her boots weren’t ruined, she would be absolutely amazed. Night was coming on quickly. She would have to find somewhere to while away the hours until dawn. It would be a miserable evening without her tinderbox.

  A flash of lighting lit the sky and Tia saw the shadow of a curtain wall against the fading sky. That had to be Ethergate, she thought. Even if it wasn’t, it was likely somewhere she could get a room for the night. At this point, she’d even take a stable stall if it meant getting out of the rain. She thanked every minor deity she knew that her purse was still safely tucked into her belt. A sudden apprehension flashed through her and she dropped her hand to her belt, searching frantically for the drawstring pouch until she found it, its narrow neck wrapped around and knotted. She sighed in relief and set off toward the city with a lighter heart.

  Night had fallen by the time she reached Ethergate. Large braziers on the top of the wall burned with purple flames. Tia didn’t care what color the flames were as long as she could get near enough to them to get warm and possibly dry some of the wrinkles from her fingertips.

  She reached the portcullis and was relieved to find it open still. She stepped into the passage, relishing in the fact that for the first time in nearly a full day, she wasn’t being rained on. She leaned against the wall. Her feet ached so badly and she still had to find somewhere to sleep for the night.

  “You look like you’ve seen better days,” a voice came from ahead. A lantern flared in the dark and an armored guard approached her. “Worse rains we’ve had around here in, oh, probably ten years or so.”

  “Just my luck to be caught out in them, then,” Tiadaria tried to keep the bitterness from her voice with little success. The guard smiled.

  “There’s an inn just beyond the wall, take the road into the city, turn left, it's the building on the right.”

  “Thank you!” Tia didn’t need to fake the gratitude she felt toward the man. All she wanted was a warm fire and a bed. “My horse bolted on the road during the storm, I don’t suppose he’s made his way here?”

  The guard shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I’ll put a word in with my men. If the patrols find him, they’ll bring him in.”

  “Thank you again,” Tiadaria said with a wave and started toward the city proper.

  “And Miss?” the guard called. Tia turned to see him motion toward her collar. “The Guard Captain will want to see your papers. Go get yourself a room and a warm fire. It can wait until morning.”

  Tia nodded and continued into the city. It was a good thing that her presentation could wait until the morning. She still wasn’t sure how she was going to pull that off with Nightwind being missing in action. Oh well, she’d worry about burning that bridge when she had to. For now, there was an inn, with beds, and fires, and she had money. This was going to be the best night in a long time.

  All activity in the common room stopped when Tiadaria entered the Elvish Harlot. It was obvious that the majority of those in attendance were regulars. Every eye in the building followed her to the counter where the tiny innkeeper rested on both elbows. She’d have guessed he was in at least his eighth decade. The skin drawn over his skull was deeply creased, but his blue eyes were as clear and bright as any Tiadaria had ever seen. She suspected that the man cultivated his helpless appearance, and she wouldn’t be at all surprised if he had more than one trick up his sleeve.

  “How can I help ye, Miss?” His smile was welcoming, if a bit eager and some of the apprehension that she had gained on the road began to lift.

  “A room, please, with the biggest, hottest hearth you have.” Tia noticed belatedly that she was dripping into a puddle around her feet. She went red right up to the tips of her ears.

  The innkeeper peered over the counter and chuckled, nodding to her.

  “Aye, Miss...And don’t you be worrying about that. These floors have seen far worse than a little rainwater.” He winked at her before he turned to the pegboard behind the counter, lifting a key from its neatly numbered peg. He laid the key on the counter and looked at her expectantly.

  The intervening pause was uncomfortable, with the innkeeper staring at her and Tia having no idea what he expected of her. She was used to the Imperium where the cost of goods was posted, or if it wasn’t, then the vendor or merchant was more than willing to tell you exactly how many crowns something cost.

  “I, um--” She stammered, her voice the barest whisper. “How much for the room?”

  The innkeeper leaned forward on his elbows. “Depends on what you’ve got, Miss. Three average garnets is the going rate. Or a good quality sapphire. Trade goods, well, depends what you’ve got.”

  “I don’t have any of those things,” Tia replied, her heart sinking. She was so close to a bed, and a fire, and...and! She wanted to cry. “I only just arrived from the Imperium. All I have is crowns.”

  “Well why didn’t you say so?” The innkeeper smiled tolerantly at her, producing a thin metal block that he placed on the counter. “Gold is gold, doesn’t matter whose stamp is on it. Let’s see then?”

  Tia took her purse and reached inside, unsure what to offer and not wanting to offend or seem foolish. She took a five crown piece from the small leather bag and handed it to the old man. He raised an eyebrow, but took the coin and rang it against the block of metal on the counter, catching it on the first bounce. Tiadaria watched in amazement as he made the coin dance over his knuckles before it disappeared into his palm.

  “How long did you plan on staying, Miss--”

  “Tiadaria. Two nights? Maybe three?”

  The innkeeper scratched his chin, then nodded. “Three nights, blackrock for the hearth
, and meals, yes?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Tiadaria was starting to wonder if she wasn’t being taken advantage of. Five crowns was a lot of money. In Dragonfell, a five crown piece would get you a week in the finest inn with all the accoutrements. She supposed some value was lost in the exchange, but even so!

  Deciding that looking foolish was better than being ignorant, Tiadaria had decided to ask about the costs when the man sat a red velvet bag on the counter. He slipped the crown piece inside and rooted around in the depths of the bag. He placed four blood-red stones on the counter and deposited next to them a slightly larger sapphire. The innkeeper pushed the stones toward her.

  “This’ll help you trade while you’re in Ethergate. I did you right on the exchange, since you won’t have had a chance to visit the brokerage yet.” He laid a finger aside of his nose as if he had involved her in some grand conspiracy. He offered her the key. “End of the hall, last door on the left. I’ll send a boy to tend the fire.”

  Tiadaria reached over the counter and clasped the innkeeper’s hands in hers. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  The old man smiled. “Ethergate isn’t that much different from Dragonfell or Blackbeach, Miss Tiadaria. Just different enough to keep you on your toes.” With another wink, he withdrew his hands from hers and shuffled to the end of the counter where another patron was patiently waiting.

  Tia took the key and following the hallway to its end, opened the last door on the left and slipped inside. A small oil lamp burned on the table. The hearth was banked, and put off a warmth that, though it was meager, felt amazing. She struggled out of her boots and had shucked her breeches when there was a knock at the door. Choosing urgency over modesty, she threw the door open to find a young man standing there with a bucket of blackrock.

  “Come in,” she said, standing aside. “Please hurry, I’m freezing.”

  The young man entered the room, pointedly not looking in Tiadaria’s direction. He prodded the fire to life and laid out a layer of blackrock on the grate. He kept his back to her for the duration of the process.

  “Generally wearing clothes helps with the whole freezing thing,” he said, still facing the hearth.

  Tiadaria couldn’t help but laugh. “I was soaked straight through and couldn’t stand being in wet clothes another minute. Once you’ve properly tended the hearth, I promise I’ll dry my clothes and be more presentable.” More for his comfort than hers, she took the blanket from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “Blackrock takes a minute to catch,” he remarked as he turned toward the door. Seeing that she had covered up, he breathed an audible sigh and glanced at her. “I’ll come check on it in a minute. Can I get you anything?”

  “Something hot to drink? And eat? I’m starving! All I’ve had is trail rations for days.”

  The young man’s wrinkled nose told Tiadaria all she needed to know about his opinion of travel rations. “Bess made a pot roast for the working folk, there’s probably some left.”

  “Please and thank you. That would be perfect.”

  The porter slipped out of the room without another word and Tiadaria set about shucking the rest of her clothes. She wrapped the blanket around her naked frame and spread out her clothing as near the hearth as she could manage without worrying that she’d catch something on fire and burn the inn down.

  By the time she had managed the arrangement to her satisfaction, the young man had returned with a blanket under one arm and a laden tray balanced on the fingertips of his other hand. He tossed the blanket on the bed, and deftly transferred the tray to the little table. Nodding to Tiadaria, he crossed in front of her to check the fire and gave a half smile at the array of clothing laid out before it.

  “I thought the extra blanket was in order,” he said, apparently satisfied with the state of the fire. “I brought you some things from the kitchen. Nothing fancy, but I suspect it’s better than travel rations.” He wrinkled his nose again, shaking his head. “Goodnight!”

  Before she could offer a word of thanks, he had passed through into the hallway, closing the door behind him. She threw the bar on the door, guaranteeing her privacy, and turned to inspect the tray.

  It was a banquet. It was more than a banquet! It was a feast! There was a metal plate with a few slices of roast beef, some carrots, a piece of crusty bread, a small crock of butter, and most importantly, a mug of hot spiced cider. This she took carefully from the tray, cradling it in her hands and wishing its warmth to spread through her palms into the rest of her body.

  She ate more quickly than was probably advisable, or ladylike, and then tucked herself into bed with both blankets wrapped around her like a cocoon. Tiadaria was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  * * *

  The next morning, Tiadaria was awoken by an insistent pounding on the door. She dragged the blanket up over her head, willing whoever was causing such a racket to just go away and leave her alone.

  “Miss Tiadaria?” She recognized the muffled voice as that of the innkeeper she had spoken to last night. It would do her well not to alienate that old man. He had given her far more information about how to get on in Ethergate than anyone else had. “Miss Tiadaria? Open up please, there’s someone here who needs to speak to you.”

  “Just a minute,” she called. Tia doubted she had time to get dressed, so she wrapped the blanket around herself once again and went to the door, lifting the bolt and hauling it open.

  The innkeeper stood there with a man she recognized as the gate guard who had told her she would need to present herself. Her heart went to her throat for a minute before she realized he was grinning at her.

  “Sorry to bother you, Miss,” the guard said with a smile. “But we thought you might want these.” From behind his back, he produced her saddlebags, offering them to her with a wide grin. “All apologies, but we went through them to find your papers. I’ve already sent word to the Guard Captain, so you’re free to stay in Ethergate as long as you like.”

  “Oh thank you!” Tiadaria flung herself at the guard, trying to hug him, take the saddlebags, and hold the blanket all at the same time. The old innkeeper laughed and took the saddlebags from the guard, laying them on the table and retrieving the tray. He excused himself and disappeared down the hall. Belatedly, Tiadaria realized that she had her saddlebags. “Nightwind!” she gasped.

  “He’s fine,” the guard assured her, nodding. “We gave him a good rub down, a bag of oats, and put him in the guard livery. He’ll be fine there until you move him to the livery here, or wherever.”

  “How can I repay you? I don’t even know your name!”

  The guard smiled. “My name is Thomas, Lady Tiadaria. You paid me in full when you sent those mangy dogs back into their hole.” He paused just a moment as he turned to leave. “My brother, Cabot, says to tell you hello.” With a grin and a little wave, he closed the door.

  Tiadaria glanced around the room, almost unable to believe her good fortune. She flipped open her saddlebags. The contents were still fairly waterlogged, but her traveling clothes were dry, and that was a start. She dressed quickly, delighting in the warm cloth against her skin. Even her boots were mostly dry. She looked out the window and realized that the sun was shining. Things were definitely looking up.

  Locking her room behind her, Tia made her way to the common room. It was much less crowded than the night before and seemed much more welcoming. Though she strongly suspected that was mostly due to her no longer being soaking wet and dripping on the floor.

  She approached the innkeeper who was leaning on his counter. It seemed to be his customary spot.

  “I never got your name, sir.”

  “No, Miss Tiadaria, you didn’t. You can call me Harold. You’ve already met my boys.”

  “Your boys?” For a moment, she thought he meant the porter from last night, but he had said boys, plural.

  “Cabot and Thomas, Miss.”

  “Cabot is y
our son? And the guard, Thomas?”

  “Aye, and fine boys they are...but you’re not standing here looking to climb my family tree. What can I do for you?”

  Tiadaria fingered her collar before answering. “I’m looking for someone, an apprentice of Master Faxon Indra’s. I suspect I can find him in the library, if you can point me in the right direction.”

  Harold’s brow furrowed. “That might present a problem, Miss.”

  Tia’s heart dropped. If she had come all this way and Faxon’s apprentice wasn’t here, she didn’t know what she was going to do. “A problem? Why?”

  “Well,” Harold began, running a hand over his wrinkled scalp. “There are eleven libraries in Ethergate.”

  Chapter Four

  “How much further?” Xenir growled. “I’m about to roast alive.”

  Zarfensis could appreciate the Warleader’s sentiment. The heat was stifling and as they descended deep into the tunnels under the Warrens, it had grown exponentially more cumbersome. His metal leg was now too hot to comfortably touch and their thick fur was suffocating them slowly.

  “Not much further,” Zarfensis grunted. “Relish the heat, brother. Soon enough you’ll long for it.”

  The Warleader grunted something non-committal and followed the High Priest deeper into the twisting tunnel. Zarfensis kept quiet. It was better if the Warleader stayed ignorant of the true nature of their destination until he had to experience it for himself.

  Zarfensis was well aware of what awaited them below. He remembered, in vivid detail, the long hours that he had spent descending through the twists and turns at the heel of his grand-sire. The elder High Priest had ensured that his kin knew where to find the Deep Oracle. It was the duty of the High Priest to maintain the rituals that kept the thing bound to its ancient prison.

  It had also been his grand-sire who had taught him of the thing’s craving for runedust and the information that could be gleaned from the Oracle by making the merest offering of the magically-imbued powder. He had watched on in tandem awe and horror as his elder made an offering to the creature and then asked it about Zarfensis’s deepest, most hidden secret.