After Brand was brushed and saddled Thad led the horse to the gate where Reeve and Parson awaited him. Thad had hoped to leave silently but that looked like it was impossible.
“It looks like the time has come for us to part way my friend. It has been a pleasure to serve you and to serve with you,” Parson said, his voice light but his face showing his concern.
“Every meeting must end with a parting at some point. Sadly ours has come early. If all goes well I shall see you two again without much delay,” Thad replied, trying to smile.
“I hope that we do, though I have learned that the gods think nothing is more hilarious than the plans laid out by mortal man,” Parson replied with a slight chuckle.
“It has been a greater pleasure than I had expected working alongside you,” Reeve said blandly, his face keeping the cold look the assassin always wore. ”May your foes never see you coming.”
Thad had little clue of how to respond to Reeve’s statement so he simply clasped the assassin’s offered hand and remained silent.
With their goodbye said the door was laboriously opened for Thad as many of the other elves gathered in the courtyard to bid him a silent farewell. Looking back as the faces disappeared as the wooden gate was closed behind him Thad was fondly reminded of his last days among the dwarves.
Are you going to sit here all day and reminisce or are we going to get a move on it. I don’t like the idea of sitting still waiting for a passing member of the Brotherhood to pick us off.
Thad laughed and kicked Brand into a slow gallop. Before the manor was out of sight Thad took one last look over his shoulder and prayed that he would once again see Tuck as well as his other elven companions.
CHAPTER XIX
The trip to the capital was uneventful. Once Thad got on a major trade road he was astounded at the sheer number or travelers.
Thad had often heard that all roads ended in Thelsea, the capital of Rane, but now he understood why. The road was so crammed with travelers it was all Thad could do to keep from bumping into people. As he neared the gate Thad was even force to dismount and walk Brand through.
As he neared the gate he noticed guards posted, their eyes keenly focusing on the people passing within. Thad had to admit to being more than slightly nervous the closer he drew to the armed men. When he was not stopped Thad breathed a heavy sigh of relief and quickly headed in search of an inn in the poorer district of town.
Thad had never been in Thelsea before but he had found in his travels that all major cities were about the same. The farther one got from the market district and the palace the shadier the buildings became. Thad had an urge to stay in the finest inn the city had to offer, but the more prominent the place the more likely a member of the Brotherhood might learn of his location.
After checking out three different inns Thad settled on the Gilded Goose. It was run down and even though the sun was near setting only a handful of patrons sat at the bar. Thad paid the innkeeper a solid gold, more than enough to pay his board for a full season.
As Thad requested his room was the last one down the hall. Inside Thad found nothing surprising; dust, dirt, and stained covers. It wasn’t the ideal living situation but it would keep the rain off his head.
Are you sure about that? I think I can see some light shining through the roof. If it does rain you might just find yourself taking a cold bath while you sleep.
Thad dismissed Thuraman’s sarcastic remarks and started setting up the magical shields in front of the door and window. He doubted that the Brotherhood knew where he was but he wasn’t about to take an unnecessary risk.
The night was still young so after he had unloaded his luggage Thad headed back down to the common room of the inn in hopes of garnering some information.
The common room still seemed bare but Thad was not looking for idle gossip. What he needed to know was most likely common knowledge for those who lived within the city. Taking a seat at the bar Thad waited for the portly barkeep to waddle his way over to him.
“What can I do ya fer?” the man asked, his breath reeking heavily of ales and spirits.
Thad reached into his pouch and slid two silver coins across the table. Thad watched the portly man’s eyes light up with greed and he knew he had found the right person. “First off do you have anything to drink in this sty that won’t rot my gut?” Thad asked, putting on his most indignant air.
The barkeep laughed and gave Thad a wink. “That we do lad,” he replied, pulling a dark bottle from underneath the counter. “This here is me personal love, light a fire in your gullet without tearing ya up too bad in da morn.”
Thad took a healthy swig of the drink the barkeep placed in front of him suppressing a gag when the odor wafting off the man reached his nose. “Now that my bloods a bit warmer, I was wondering what you can tell me about the merchant guild?”
“Not much to tell really,” the portly barkeep said, his face twisted in thought. “They run about everything around ‘ere. King Thurmond thinks he runs the shindig but everyone knows it’s the merchants who have the real clout.”
“My problem is that I’m from Farlan and due to the current unrest I have decided to try my luck in a different region,” Thad said leadingly.
The barkeep leaned in close studying Thad’s forehead. Thad could feel the insides of his stomach burning in his throat as the rancid smell of stale ale and rotten meat assailed his nose. “Yer one of those slaves. Get a fair number of your kind through these parts. Thinking to try yer hand at being a merchant lad?”
Thad leaned back and laughed. “I don’t think I have the brains to be a merchant, nor the skill, but I heard they hire those skilled with a sword. Used to be a member of the princess own guard, before I found my chance to run in the turmoil.”
“I heard about that little twit,” the Barkeep said, spitting on the floor. “Started a rebellion raised an army then killed her own ma to get the crown.”
The more the man spoke the more aggravated Thad became. It was a credit to his will that he didn’t turn the oaf into the steaming pile of flesh that he smelled of. “You can see why I am looking for a new employer?” Thad asked through gritted teeth.
“That I can lad,” the barkeep said, grinning broadly showing that nearly half his teeth were gone and the rest were cracked and darkened. “The guild house is smack dab in the center of the city. Follow any road and it’ll lead you straight to it. Once you’re inside might take you a bit of fast talking, but if you’re any good with that blade you should at least find you a place on a small caravan.”
Thad thanked the man for the information and quickly left the bar, happy to finally be rid of the stench and hoping none of it had clung to his clothing.
With the sun already out of the sky Thad knew it was too late to find anyone at the Merchant Guild House but he still wanted to have a look at it for himself. It didn’t take long for Thad to fully grasp the size of the city. It was easily three times that of the capital of Farlan and most of the houses were richly decorated showing a vast abundance of wealth.
Thad found the Merchant House without much trouble. Calling it large would have been a gross understatement. It had more than ample space to fit four of the Farlan Palace inside of it.
Thad found a nice little spot out of the way and silently watched the building. Even though the sun had long since fell from the sky there were still plenty of people coming and going from the massive building. “Can you sense any of the white swords inside?” Thad asked his staff.
What did you expect, of course I can sense them. There has to be more than four score of those accursed weapons in that building. One whole room is nothing but a dark area to my senses. The swords are distressing enough but something else is bothering me.
“What would that be?” Thad asked more than slightly curious.
I can sense some of your work inside. Don’t know if you knew this but you leave a distinct mark on the items you create. There aren’t a lot of them in there but more than the
y should have.
“Monique,” Thad said under his breath. She was the most likely source for them to get ahold of his magical items. The real question was, was she still alive or had they simply done away with her as they had countless mages and others in the past? The question bothered Thad and he put it on his mental list of things he would ask any members of the Brotherhood if he was given the chance.
Thad closed his eyes and focused on the magical currents that flowed around him. Thad always enjoyed the myriad of colors that streamed below the surface of the world. Every object and person had their own distinct hue from the blending of different parts of magical energy. Thad was sure that if any member of the Brotherhood could see the world as he did they wouldn’t be so bent on killing those who wielded the magical forces that coursed through the world.
The Merchant Guild had a slight brown glow like most buildings but Thad detected more than a few glows of green coming through, showing that a large amount of lumber had been used in its construction. Though Thad found it fascinating the building itself was not what he was interested in. Underneath the guild house Thad was not surprised to find a series of tunnels leading throughout the city. He had expected that a sewer system would be in place but what he found was quite different. There was a sewer system but also other tunnels that looked to lead directly to some of the more prominent surrounding buildings.
Keeping his eyes closed and his focus on the magical ether Thad followed the underground tunnels until he found the one that led a nice manor, but one that was not nearly as protected as the others. That was his way into the guild house.
Thad slowly made his way back to the Gilded Goose as a plan started forming in his head. It was a simple plan and one that he hoped would work. First he would watch the suspect house and when he was sure its owner was inside he would have a nice chat with the fellow. If he belonged to the Brotherhood Thad could learn a lot, if not he still could gain access to the guild hall through the secret tunnel.
Thad had a momentary urge to have dinner brought up to his room but after remembering the bartender Thad quickly changed his mind. Better to go hungry than to eat anything that he might have had a hand in making.
Pushing aside the thoughts of food Thad started emptying the few supplies he had left on the dirty bed. He still had a few chunks of silver left and quite a bit of gold. His store of gems had been almost depleted and while he knew he could purchase more at the market he was afraid of drawing undue attention to himself.
After giving it a lot of thought Thad decided to make do with what he had available. He didn’t need anything fancy just something to draw attention should the need arise where he had to make a hasty departure. An earthquake would do nicely but the sheer amount of energy needed to create one was beyond his power unless he could find a crack in the earth below. Though an earthquake might have been beyond his capabilities something like one was not. That was if his idea worked.
Picking up a stone that he had removed from a piece of the cobblestone that ran throughout the city Thad began studying it intently. When he was sure that he knew how it was held together he picked up a small piece of silver and a sliver of a gem and went to work.
After only a few hours Thad’s hands began to shake and the weariness from the day weighed heavily upon him. Knowing that pushing himself further would only lengthen his recovery time Thad sat aside his work and pulled his bedroll from his pack and curled up in the corner of the room.
The next morning Thad woke with a stiff pain in his neck from sleeping in such an awkward position. Rolling his head side to side he wished he had slept flat on the floor, but once his mind cleared and he saw how dirty the room was in the light of day he was grateful his better senses had won out the night before.
Thad keenly felt his stomach complain at his lack of food and hurried out of the inn in search of more sanitary food. Not wanting to risk anything in the beggar district Thad headed back toward the merchant district. Thad stayed in the outlying district and found a small eatery that had a decent amount of patrons but not so full that he couldn’t walk in without having to jostle someone.
Thad didn’t like the idea of a busy eatery but he figured the more people who were around the less likely they would pay attention to him. Not long after he entered a young waitress just out of her teens with short curly auburn hair rushed over to his table. “What can I get…,” the waitress said before she suddenly went quite in mid-sentence. “What a lovely eye. Is that a real gem?” she asked, her voice full of awe.
Thad cursed his luck. He had lived with his magical ye so long that he had nearly forgotten it was there. For all intents and purposes it worked like the eye he had been born with. “Yes it is,” Thad answered, his voice cold hoping to scare the waitress away from the topic.
“How did you get it?” She asked, her voice bright and happy as if she were asking about where he had bought his clothes.
“A few years back I got in a fight and lost my eye. I found this pretty little gem on the fellow who had tried to kill me and thought it a suitable replacement,” Thad said quickly. It wasn’t really a lie, he had taken the gem from the creature that had tried to kill him, though it hadn’t been a man. “Now if you don’t mind I am famished and would love something to eat. I am too hungry to complain, whatever you think is good will work for me.”
The waitress blushed a deep crimson and gave Thad a coy smile. “Sorry sir, I will have the cook fix you up something special.”
When the young girl finally dashed back to the kitchen Thad noticed that more than a few eyes were on him. Cursing, Thad pulled the cowl of his cloak over his head hoping that no one took too keen of an interest in his presence.
To Thad’s amazement he didn’t have to wait long before a large plate of what he suspected to be chicken, ham, pastries, and an assortment of cheese was placed on his table. Looking up Thad expect to find the young waitress making dove eyes at him but he was surprised to find a much older woman wearing an apron glaring down at him. “Here is your food sir,” She said with an authoritative voice.
“Thank you ma’am,” Thad replied, his mouth nearly salivating at the sight of food that hadn’t been soaked in salt. “It has been a ten-day since I had my last good meal,” Thad added as he ripped a small loaf of fresh bread in half.
“Boy you seem to be quite the charmer,” the woman said, placing her hand down firmly on the table. “Do us both a favor and keep your sweet words in your mouth where they belong and away from my girl.”
Thad didn’t have to look around to know that every eye in the place was firmly fixed on him. He should have just risked the food at the Gilded Goose. Hoping that no one took him for anything else than an odd traveler, Thad gave the woman a pacifying look. “Miss, I promise you I said anything but sweet words to your girl. Honestly I wanted nothing more than a meal and to be on my way. I can’t help it if I am such a dashing figure she couldn’t help but take notice,” Thad words were light and his voice was full of laughter.
The woman face cracked into a thin smile before she slapped Thad hard on the back. “Boy you keep up that talk and it might not just be my girl who is fawning over you. The boys round here are looking for nothing more than a skirt to flip and most got no more backbone than a snake. You got a bit of fire in you,” she said, giving him a sly wink. “Nothing wrong with that, but don’t get me wrong. You go messing with my daughter and we bound to be serving up a new stew.”
As the woman walked away Thad couldn’t help but to laugh at himself. A part of him had wanted to beat the woman down with his magic while the rest wanted to cower and apologize. He still found himself fighting his inner demons but he was glad he had settled for somewhere in the middle.
Thankfully the young waitress was kept in the back for the rest of the meal. He didn’t know if it was her mother’s doing or if the young girl was too embarrassed to show her face after the display in the dining hall, either way Thad was grateful.
After his meal Thad made his
way back to the main square and the Merchant Guild. Unlike the night before the place was much busier with people entering and exiting nearly every heartbeat. Thad watched the people intently then after a short time he made his way over to the house he had marked. It was on the outskirts of the nicer homes making Thad wonder if the person who lived there had been the same who had the tunnel made. There was always the chance the house might have been sold or passed down years ago. In the end it didn’t matter, the house was his best chance at getting in the guild house without drawing undue attention.
When more than a quarter of the day passed and no one had entered or left the house Thad decided it was best to start on his other plans and come back at another time. He had only enough time the night before to finish four of his enchanted orbs but if he didn’t get them in place not even a thousand of them would do him any good simply sitting in his pack.
Walking around Thad placed one in a small sewer gate and listened as it fell into the small flowing water below. Thad continued to do this until all four were in different locations throughout the city. Once he was finished he walked back to the house and sat waiting for any signs of life inside.
As night began to encroach on him Thad was beginning to think that no one currently lived in the house. Through the whole day he had not seen so much as a servant. If that was the case then getting in and out would carry even less risk though he had to admit to being slightly disappointed. He had hoped that the owner would be one of the members on the Brotherhood council.
Back in his room at the Gilded Goose Thad began to work again on his enchanted orbs. When he finished his first one he rolled it around in his hand wondering what would happen when he set them all off at once. For a brief moment Thad even considered doing just that even if there was no need when he left the city just to see the end result.
You do understand the risk to the innocent that your little toy there might bring. I grant you that if it works the way you plan it will make for a great distraction, but at what cost?
Stranded Mage Page 17
