“I will join you momentarily. I need to let the others know what will be happening,” Parson said, his voice filled with no small amount of mirth.
Thad nodded his head to his friend then walked confidently forward. For a moment it didn’t look as if the crowd would let him pass but when he was only a step away they parted to let him and Reeve through.
With the small army making camp and the negotiations over, the townsfolk began to shamble off back to their own lives. Thad was happy to see that not all of the people had sour looks on their face but more than enough kept their unsociable disposition clearly written on their faces.
Thad's first stop was to the butcher though as he had suspected they had to wait for the man to return to his shop. The butcher was a large burly man with thick arms and Thad remembered him being one of the men who had forced the portly gentlemen out front of the group to speak.
“I need all the salted and dried meat you have available,” Thad said as soon as the man was back behind the counter.
“That’s a tall order friend,” The butcher said eyeing Thad curiously. “You have the gold to pay for it?”
Thad reached into the coin pouch at his side and pulled a nearly impossible amount from within its recesses. “I am sure I can cover the cost,” Thad replied with a taunting smile.
As they left the butcher shop Thad let his fingers run through the gold in his pouch. It still held plenty to make another hundred such purchases, but having been poor for most of his life, spending that much gold at once made him sick to his stomach. Before their next stop Parson had caught up to them, his face still beaming from the encounter at the edge of the town.
After the butcher they made stops at the local bakery, clothier, and general store. Thad had ordered much more than was probably wise but each time gold left his hand the faces of the shop owners changed from one of concern to one of gratification.
I think it is best if we leave the town,” Reeve said as they exited the last of their stops. “There is no reason to push our welcome.”
Thad’s mind rushed for any reason to stay even a moment longer within the confines of the town. “I think it would be prudent to stop and get a fresh meal as well as listen for any local news,” Thad replied quickly.
“That might not be a bad idea,” Parson replied. “Though it would be best we take care not to overstay our welcome.”
Thad hastily agreed, happy for even an extra moment around civilization. The town only had one large inn that doubled as a pub and eatery. Inside it was well packed with townsfolk talking about the day's events. As they entered the place became eerily quiet and all eyes focused in on the trio.
The penetrating stares were more than a little uncomfortable but Thad did his best to ignore them as he searched for a place to sit. They found a place not far from the outer wall and as soon as they were seated a nervous young barmaid greeted them. “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice broken and barely above a whisper.
“Bring us the special of the house,” Thad replied cheerfully, “and a round of ale for everyone.” At Thad’s mention of free drinks a few cheers went up but most continued watching them cautiously.
It didn’t take long for the barmaid to return with their food and drinks and Thad was sure that the proprietors of the inn were in the mind to get them to leave as quickly as possible. “The food is two coppers a piece and it will be three silvers for all the drinks,” The barmaid said, her voice still meek and unsure.
Thad dug out a gold coin from his purse and handed to the barmaid. “You can keep the rest,” Thad said smiling.
Thad watched as the young barmaid bit down on the gold coin and when she was sure it was real her face changed from one of trepidation to one of happiness. “Do you require anything else?” She asked, her voice now steady and confident.
Thad gave the girl a charming smile. “Information would be nice,” Thad said, leaning forward. “Have you heard any rumors that might be of interest?”
“Not much going on around these parts. We get quite a few merchants moving through but this time of year they are always in a rush,” she said thoughtfully. “There were a good sized group of guards through the other day but they were pretty tight lipped about their business tough if memory serves me they were asking around about rumors as well.”
Thad pulled another gold from his pouch and tossed it to the barmaid. “If you remember anything else please let me know,” Thad said continuing to smile.
The news of the guards moving through didn’t surprise him, though he did wonder if it had been one of the groups they had already met. Reeve and Parson ate quickly and Thad could tell they were in a hurry to leave town with haste. Thad tried to peck at his food but the glares the two elves gave him forced him to finish up his meal without dawdling.
Their bellies full and the supplies purchased they returned to the elves awaiting them just outside of the town. Though it had been a much shorter visit than he might have liked, the short amount of time within the town had lifted Thad’s spirits immensely. He didn’t know what it was about being around other humans. He didn’t have to talk to them, just being in their presence soothed his mind like a balm to a burn.
When they returned to the camp they found out that most of their supplies had already be delivered, all they were waiting on was the order from the bakery. While they waited on the last of the supplies the elves were already helping themselves to the fresh meat. It had been a long time since there had been enough food for everyone to get a full share. Now that there was abundance they were not going to wait around and stare at it.
Well before nightfall the last of the food was delivered and separated out between the elves and the horses. Thad would have liked to stay near the town for the coming night but Reeve was adamant they move as far away from the settlement as possible before nightfall. Knowing that nothing he could say would change the truth Thad agreed, though he did not do so happily.
They made their final camp more than fifteen miles away from the town after marching well after the sun had left the skies. Parson had decided that no fires would be lit that night so as to not give away their position in the chance Brotherhood spies had been within the town. Thad agreed with his elven friend but he still missed the warm crackling glow of a fire as the night air started to move in.
“Homesick?” Tuck asked from behind Thad startling him.
“I don’t know if I am,” Thad said, looking up into the night sky. “I never really had a place I could truly call a home. I do feel a need to return to Farlan if for nothing else than to get some closure on that time in my life. Other than that I don’t know what I will do. That is if I live long enough to see Farlan again.”
Tuck sat down next to Thad and joined him in looking at the stars. “I was born on the island,” Tuck said almost mournfully. “This is the first time I have seen the outside world. Not too long ago my master had seen me looking longingly out over the sea. When I told him I felt a need to go out past the waters he told me I was homesick. At first I thought he was making fun of me but he told me something then I have held close to my heart since. A person only becomes homesick for a place they consider their home, even if they have never seen it before. He said I was homesick for a home I had never known, not the one I had.”
Thad looked over at his young friend who was still looking longingly at the stars. Homesick for a home he wanted to have. It was a romantic thought one that struck a chord in Thad’s soul. “I think your master was a wise elf,” Thad said, looking back up at the stars.
When Thad laid down that night to sleep his mind was still troubled but his heart felt more at ease. Thad wasn’t surprised that when he dreamed he once again himself floating in the darkness.
When the darkness cleared Thad found himself in the room he had called his home back in the Farlan Palace. Many of his possessions were gone but the majority of the room had been left unchanged. Maria sat on the bed wearing a think silk nightgown of deep emerald. It was a rich col
or and it matched well with the fiery hair that cascaded over her shoulders. “Calling me again so soon?” Thad asked, walking over to stand in front of the princess.
“I have spent many nights in this room lately” Maria said wistfully. “I knew one day you would return and I still believe you will someday.”
“I plan to return as long as I am able but first I have business with the Brotherhood to finish,” Thad replied grimly.
“Then you are in Rane?”
The firmness in the question surprised Thad. How had Maria known where he was? Thad remained silent as he thought. She had mentioned it after he had said he was after the Brotherhood, so she had known where the Brotherhood was located. “Yes,” was all Thad replied as he watched the princess closely.
“I wish I could send men to aid you but I cannot afford to when my own country is in such a dire state. I do take solace in knowing that I am keeping many of the Rane soldiers busy in my own country though.”
Rane was fighting in Farlan, why? Thad couldn’t think of an answer to the question and before he could ask the princess, the darkness began to creep in on him and his surroundings began to fade. Maria’s face was tear streaked as she slowly disappeared from his sight.
CHAPTER XVI
The group didn’t get their next hint of the Brotherhood for another five days. Thad and the others huddled around a small stump that had been turned into a makeshift table. With a long stick in his hand Parson pointed out small drawings that represented their surroundings. “The Brotherhood has a large force in our path. At least a thousand soldiers are camped to our south and another seven hundred have split off and are moving around to the east. My guess is that they know where we are and are trying to maneuver around us and push us into the larger force.”
Parson moved the stick to small piece of rock that symbolized their position. “Right now we have just slightly over one hundred and twenty soldiers. Against either force we would be sorely outnumbered. We can try and run but I don’t see us evading the Brotherhood in the middle of their own country.”
“We could move around and attack them at night slowly reducing their forces,” Reeve suggested.
“Yes, that would thin their numbers but we only have a handful of troops with that specific set of skills. We need more than simple assassin tactics if we are going to survive the next few days,” Parson replied his voice stern and slightly worried.
“We could lay traps, both magical and non-magical, in the path of the Brotherhood. I could make up some enchanted traps as well,” Thad countered.
Parson looked down at the stump and sighed. “It’s not what I would like to have but it looks like we have little choice. I will start training anyone who has nimble fingers on trap building. Reeve will start training anyone who he can find useful in his night arts, and Thad you will need to make as many of your magical traps as possible.” With Parson’s last statement the meeting was adjourned and each person went about their tasks.
Thad paid little heed when the others left as he went back to his own camp place to start the grueling task of making magical traps. The last time he had made any such thing had been deep in the Underearth and those had worked well but it had been a tight area with little room for the enemy to maneuver. Thad was not sure how the same would work in the open fields that they now traveled.
Thinking of the new problems Thad tried to think of the best traps that he could use. The vines were useful but they were not much of an offensive trap. Not only did Thad need a wide attack, he needed one that would work regardless of the Brotherhood’s white swords.
After hours of thought Thad only had a handful of ideas. The most promising of those being a trap that would recreate the stone spikes that he had used back at the Rane border. The stone spikes would be much smaller, roughly the size of a man’s leg, but should still do sufficient damage.
One of the other ideas Thad had thought of was enchanting stones to launch themselves at anyone who neared them. There was also the idea of making an energy based trap but Thad still hadn’t figured a way to make them work around the white swords. The only other problem Thad had to deal with was what would happen if the Brotherhood didn’t activate all the traps and they sat dormant until an unsuspecting traveler or farmer happened across them. Thad decided that he would add a second enchantment on them much like he did the magical gathering devices he had made back in Southpass where they would cease to function after a set period of time after being activated.
Still thinking the stone spikes would do the most damage Thad went to work setting out gems and metal to use in their making. Unlike his other enchanted items these did not have to stand the test of time so he would be able to cut a few corners as the bonds between the gems would not have to last for more than a fortnight, hopefully.
Late into the day Thad was pulled from his work by Parson, who carried with him a host of things in his hands. “Thad, I was wondering if I might have a word with you?” The hunter asked, his face beaming with eagerness.
“What do you have in mind?” Thad asked, knowing from the look on the elf’s face and what he carried in his arms that he was there for more than idle banter.
Parson set four items in front of Thad; a long sharpened stick, a coil of tightly bound vines, a stone the size of his hand that was sharpened like an arrowhead, and finally a stretch of vine that had small sharpened sticks protruding from it. “I was wondering if you could make these sharper and strong. Many of our enemies will have armor and theses would simply break,” Parson said, holding up the sharpened stick.
“That wouldn’t be difficult,” Thad replied, remembering doing the same on the wooden practice sword he had used before he had arrived at the Farlan Capital.
“Then could you make the vines stronger as well,” Parson went on, holding up the coil of vine and the one laced with small sharp sticks.
“I don’t see a problem with that,” Thad replied almost bored sounding.
“And for this,” Parson said, holding up the large stone arrowhead. “It needs to be stronger but could you also make it move faster after it is launched from the trap?”
The first few requests were easy but to make the stone increase speed Thad would need to attach a gem and some metal. He had tried to write enchantments on stone before and they never held together long without some metal to reinforce the bond. If he added a metal covering to the bottom of the arrow it might work but it would make the whole process more taxing. “I think I can but not as many, it requires much more work than the others,” Thad replied solemnly. “Don’t you have any elves with skill in enchanting?”
“We have some back home with the skill but they are few and far in-between,” Parson replied, shaking his head. “Even then they only have skill with natural enchantments like on the wood and vines, they would be useless working with stone.”
“Bring me as many as you need done and I will see what I can do but I cannot promise miracles,” Thad replied.
Parson left, leaving behind the few objects he had carried for Thad to start his work on. Sighing, Thad set aside his own work and began the all too boring task now in front of him. Before Thad had finished the stick, Parson returned along with nearly twenty elves carrying an assortment of items laying them down at his feet. Most of the items were the sharpened stick and the coils of vines were much longer than the original one Parson had brought. Luckily there were only a few dozen of the stone arrowheads. Even so, the sheer amount in front of him would take days to finish even if he went without sleep.
Late that night Thad had finished two stone spike traps, and three of the shooting slug traps. Thad had spent the bulk of his time on Parson’s items; finishing a score of sharpened sticks, four of the coils of rope with the small sticks, three coils of long vines, and only one of the large stone arrowheads.
Thad was tired and his head was pounding furiously. He knew he had pushed himself far beyond his limits and he was starting to feel its effects. When Reeve came up to where he sat car
rying a handful of boots Thad could almost hear the question before the elf opened his mouth.
“I have found more than a dozen elves who could be put to night work but they would still need a lot of training in moving silently. I have heard of mages in the past who could cast spells that blocked all sound from an area,” Reeve said, leading Thad along his line of thought.
“And you would like me to enchant the boots so that no sound would escape the touched ground?” Thad asked, his voice teetering on anger.
Reeve looked around seeing everything strewn about at the mage’s feet and shrugged his shoulders then sat the pile of boots among the clutter. Thad glared at the assassin’s back as he turned and left Thad with even more work and even less time.
It was your choice to bring them on this journey. Can you really blame them from trying anything they can to survive it?
“At this rate I won’t even make it to the next battle,” Thad answered back bitingly.
Thad picked up one of the boots. It was made of good soft leather and it had a thick sole. Thad was sure that if he placed a small metal band around the heel along with two gems he could accomplish what Reeve wanted, but unlike the other things he needed to get ready, these would need to last and that meant much more time and effort.
Why don’t you do what you did with me and slowly coax the bonding of the gems and the enchantment. It will still take more effort than the other items you have to make but it will save you some of the work.
Suddenly an idea hit Thad. Not only could he let the bonds grow slowly forming them a little each day but he could also make an enchantment to strengthen the other items as well. Much the way he did with gathering the energy for the glass orbs at Southpass. Why hadn’t he realized it before? He would have been much further along if he had.
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