by C Woodward
Teltar was the first one to fall asleep. Basically, he heat his meal on the fire and retired right away. Kalus walked around the area and then did his mediation. It was much too dark for him to work on his stories or music. I lay in my bed roll, turning over expecting to find Talestria to be snoring away next to me. She should be fine. I stared at the two moons and the stars until falling asleep.
Kalus was the first one to wake up if he slept at all. I woke up to him playing his lute. He was kind enough to not make any noise during the night, but I guess after a certain length of time, it was okay that he woke us. He smiled, “Morning!”
I sat up and twisted around to pop my back. Teltar was still sound asleep. I decided to wake him. I tapped him with the scabbard of my sword. He let out a big grunt and opened his eyes. He stared blankly at me a few seconds before his brain had time to awaken as well. He sat up, “Guess we go then.”
Kalus laughed, “I thought dwarves were early risers!”
I laughed with him, “Teltar is a big fan of sleep.”
Teltar just stared at us and didn’t take offence, “That I am.” Kalus just laughed quietly and shook his head. Teltar was different alright. By noon, we were still on our way to Golashe. We had a nice, quiet ride and would reach it in a few hours. I began to worry about how I would afford more supplies. I pondered that throughout most of the trip. Maybe we could offer to escort someone going in the same direction who would pay a little in advance. “Hey Teltar!” I yelled.
He moved his pony closer to the carriage, “Yeah?”
I said, “Do you think we should try to find someone who might have a need for an escort?”
Teltar stared blankly at the road in front of him and rubbed his beard, “That might be a good idea.”
I looked at him, “Do you know anyone like that at the lumber company?”
Teltar shrugged, “There might be but, I don’t know.”
I grinned, “Well it couldn’t hurt to ask.” Kalus interrupted, “Blake!” I quickly turned and saw a large log laying in the middle of the road. Alpo stepped over it but sadly the carriage wasn’t so successful. Hitting the log caused the carriage to fly up and forward. Since it had no seat belts, I followed the carriage.
I found myself face down on the road with some of the carriage on my back. My body throbbed in pain but I didn’t feel that injured. I didn’t have on my helmet but the rest of the armor protected me well. I felt the warm cobblestones and dirt on my face. I also felt blood trickling down my face. I wasn’t too concerned about the blood. I lifted my head and saw Kalus on the grass at the side of the road. He seemed to be hugging his lute. He opened his eyes and looked around at the mess. The elf must have hopped out of the carriage rolled before we hit. I chuckled while looking at him, “Didn’t know elves were ninjas.”
Kalus checked his lute to make sure it was fine then gawked at the carriage in horror, “Oh no!” From the look on his face, I knew before I even looked. The carriage was totaled!
“I am going to retrieve your horse!” Teltar called as he rode off. Alpo was startled by the crash and kept running while dragging a piece of the carriage behind him. Kalus ran over and helped me get out from under the wreckage. I dusted myself off and was very thankful for my armor.
The front axle of the carriage was snapped and two wheels shattered into at least four pieces. Kalus and I searched through the broken pieces of the carriage. I must say that it was one heck of a crash. Kalus retrieved our packs while I stared at the whole scene. The front wheels of the carriage had hit the log, which sent it angling upward. That’s how I ended up with carriage wreckage on me. The carriage was light and not made for durability. I kicked at it in frustration.
“Our supplies are still fine, one wineskin has a small leak a little but I’ll dry that!” Kalus said with enthusiasm. I grabbed the larger pieces of the carriage and tossed them off the side of the road. I didn’t want to leave scrap on the road.
“Are you alright?” Teltar asked while riding slowly back leading Alpo. He helped me remove the stupid log from the road. “It was careless of them to not return to pick this up” Teltar grunted as we lifted it.
Kalus threw smaller pieces of the carriage to the side of the road. After we got the log off the road, I checked my wounds. I felt a big bruise on my forehead and at least two deep scrapes. My lip felt a bit busted. I looked at the other two guys, spit out some blood and said, “Well, that sucked.”
Kalus looked at Alpo, “He seems calm but what do we do with him now?” Teltar hopped back on his pony, “You ride him.”
Kalus scrunched his face at Teltar, “I know that! I was talking about do one of us ride him or we put our packs on him and walk him?”
Looking at Alpo I confessed, “I don’t really know how to ride a horse and I am sure with my armor I’ll be too heavy for him.”
Kalus looked at me, “That armor does appear hefty but if it was made by dark elves, it should be lighter than what a human could make.” I shrugged, “We can just put our packs on him. If you think he can handle it, you can ride him.” Kalus smiled and reached into his pack from which he pulled a blanket. He carefully tossed it over the horse’s back, made a few adjustments, and then hopped on. I just laughed and looked around for my helmet.
Walking in armor does take its toll. I could use the exercise, but thankfully, it was getting cooler. Kalus and Teltar were in front and I just tried to keep up with them. I had trouble trying to get my pack on while wearing my armor. The shoulders have these small curved blades sticking out. I had my cape still attached which was filthy with dirt and blood. I just held the cape like a small body while sounding like a cyborg breathing inside the helmet. I removed the mouth piece to be disconnected for eating and attached it to my belt. It had a tiny metal loop on it for that purpose.
Man, whoever made this armor thought of everything. I almost expected tools to pop out. Talestria once told me it belonged to a noble who had fought in the ancient war. She had it collecting dust with other artifacts in the castle and gave it to me as a wedding gift. I was glad she wasn’t here to witness the crash. She is a tough girl but, I wasn’t sure she could have jumped out and rolled to safety like Kalus. The sun was setting behind us causing our shadows to grow tall in front of us. Golashe was in sight now and my legs were happy.
The town had changed little since I last visited. There was a perimeter wall around the town now, made mostly of lumber. “I think I still can get a free room at an inn here so we should be good tonight” Teltar mentioned.
I glanced around, “We should stop there first so we can leave our packs.” Kalus took notice of a few stares but kept near Teltar, hoping it would prevent anyone from bothering him. No one did. The dwarves don’t trust the elves and they aren’t the sort who would harass them either.
We arrived at the inn and my legs rejoiced. Teltar and Kalus went around outside to take care of the horses. I went directly inside. The place was big and crowded with humans and dwarves who were ending a hard day’s work with a drink and stories. I saw an older dwarf behind the bar who I remembered seeing here before. I walked up to him and sat on a stool, and dropped my pack next to me. I smiled and nodded and asked for a glass of water. I hoped there was no charge since I was really thirsty and needed to kill time waiting for Teltar and Kalus to come in. The dwarf turned around and gave me a glass of clean water. I glanced around as I enjoyed my water.
The place was more crowded than I remembered. Our first time here, a fight broke out. I wasn’t sure if it was some guy or just Jerak having a few drinks too many. Teltar and Kalus came in. The barkeep waved at Teltar who waved back and walked toward him. Kalus spotted me and sat next to me. Teltar and the barkeep walked around a corner to have a quiet conversation. “Hey! Elf! What are you doing here?” yelled some dwarf who was obviously drunk. He had two other friends with him. The friends were bigger humans and appeared too dumb to do anything more than mindless labor.
Kalus tried to ignore him but one of the humans st
arted poking him saying, “Hey, fancy boy! Where did you get your sissy clothes?”
Kalus sighed and smiled at them, “Oh, hi there! How are you chaps doing?” The drunken dwarf mumbled to himself and went to get another drink while the two humans stayed. The other guy got into it now, “I think my mother has a get up like that!”
Kalus laughed nervously, “I bet your mother looks quite lovely.” The guy took offence at that and shoved Kalus. These guys were just aching for a fight and picked the meekest looking guy in the room. I sighed and turned their way, “Leave him alone.”
“Oh look! Mr. Fancy Armor is defending Mr. Fancy Clothes!” one of them joked and the other laughed with him. I turned around and hopped off the stool. They were slightly taller than me and didn’t seem to want to back down. Kalus stepped in, “Oh, please, sirs! Don’t get him angry!” Kalus turned and looked at me, “Please, don’t destroy them! We already had enough bloodshed today.” He gave me a wink so I played along.
I stood there staring at the two with my arms folded. Kalus turned to them, “Do you know who that guy is?”
The two looked a bit puzzled, “No, and why should we care?!”
Kalus acted scared, “He is the man that defeated Xum’gol! He also has a bad temper so please, be careful around him!” The two laughed and the taller one spoke, “He doesn’t look even half as strong!” Kalus backed away and looked at me with the expression that said that at least he tried. The two were too stupid or just looking for a fight.
The bigger guy shoved me hard enough that I stepped back. “See!” he laughed, “Maybe you should hand over that fancy armor and we won’t break you apart!”
The other laughed, “Yeah! I bet it would fetch some serious coin!” The larger one tried to shove me again. This time I countered with a fist to his stomach. I guess a heavy metal fist can do some real damage. Plus, I had gotten a bit stronger since I last came through here. The guy grunted as he spit out some saliva and tilted his head forward. I grabbed his neck with my left hand. I didn’t want to choke him but kept a tight grip. I spoke quietly, “Please, leave before I get angry.”
He stared at me; I tighten my hold a little more. I expected him to pull back and end the conflict but he reached for my hand and tried to pull it away. I lost some of my grip so I improvised. I fisted my right hand and introduced it to the bridge of his nose. I think I punched a little too hard since when I let go, he dropped like a rock.
His buddy stood there dumbfounded. I smiled, “You’re friend might need some medical attention, I suggest you take him outside to get some.” I turned and looked at Kalus appeared impressed. “Blake!” He cried out just as a blunt object broke over my head.
I was so thankful for my armor because a glass pitcher could hurt like mad, or even knock me out. I turned around quickly. It seems the two guys have a few friends. I spoke to one who had regained some courage since he had three guys to back him up. Four against one. I doubted Kalus could help much.
The friends were all human and the one dwarf who started the conversation had passed out on his stool; so no threat there. “What is it with you guys? Acting like a bunch of lowly, Shaden thugs!” I complained. One of them laughed and I decided they just might be thugs or what was left of them.
I then laughed myself, “I thought were no more of you guys after the death of Deshra.” One of the guys spoke, “We have our own gang and it’s better, too!” Another stepped in to take a swing at me with a mug. I dodged and grabbed his arm as it passed. I just pulled him past me. He was drunk and unbalanced, so he fell easily. Two others reached for better weapons. One grabbed a bar stool and the other found a club he had brought. I was tempted to use my sword if they started using more dangerous weapons. I hate using lethal force but if things get too out of hand, I will.
Feeling braver, they both ran at me while the other guy cheered them on. A moment later, one of them tripped on something and crashed hard onto the floor. Someone had thrown a broom down in front of them. Teltar yelled, “No fighting!”
I guessed he was the one who tossed the broom. The other guy was still coming. This one had his club raised in the air. I let out a war cry and charged him with my fist ready to break his face. The club came down and landed heavily on my helmet. The hit was enough to make my ears ring and gave me an instant headache but, my fist was going to hurt him much more.
I felt a bit of a crunch as it connected. We were moving toward each other and it didn’t take a physics expert to know it was going to suck for that guy. I almost cringed when I saw the aftermath. The goon fell backward and laid there with his face covered in blood. I stood there and I felt bad for him. The last guy screamed and took off running, and no one bothered to stop him. Everyone else in the bar was quiet and stared at the fallen man. Oh, crap. I ended up being questioned by some local guards. The fact is, I did kill him. A bit of bone from his nose was shoved into his brain. One of the guards was trying to clear the area while the other one sat next to me. “You did what you had to,” he stated. “He pulled out a weapon and tried to use it on you.”
I lowered my head, “True, but I didn’t mean to do that to him.”
The other guard walked toward the corpse, “Did someone mention these were ex-members of the Shadens?”
The guard next to me said, “Yes, there were several that made the same claim.” The other guard shrugged, “Oh, well! They won’t take lightly the death of one of their own. But, if he was scum, he got what was coming to him!” The other thugs were arrested including the one who was knocked out. I was not charged with a crime, but I was asked to be a little more careful.
Teltar had success finding a free room, but his room was taken. Since our barroom brawl took some time, they no longer saw a need to hold it. We got another room which wasn’t as fancy. Two simple cots and a small end table with a lantern were the only things in the room. Kalus let out a sigh as he hoped for something a bit nicer. I decided to let him take cot and offered to sleep on the floor. Teltar was already laying on the other cot.
Teltar sat up, “We should get some food. What do you guys want?”
I was removing my armor, “I am a bit tired and fear that with my luck, I’ll run into more trouble, you two go get some food.”
Kalus jumped off of his bed, “That is fine by me. I have to see if there are any decent prospects anyway!”
Teltar looked at me, “What does he mean by that?” I shrugged. I was a tired and decided to close my eyes while I waited for them. I really must have been wiped out since the next thing I knew, they were waking me up. Kalus smiled, “There is a cute lady in the restaurant! If we were staying another day, I might try to enchant her. It is nice to see someone worthwhile for once. Oh yeah!” He recalled, “We brought you food.”
Teltar and Kalus had brought back some bread and roast meat. The bread was still warm and soft, and the meat looked delicious. Before I could ask how much I owed them, Kalus spoke up, “You saved my skin a few times already and got me a lovely room in Trawlast, so this is the least I can do!”
I bowed my head and thanked him and started to chow down. The food tasted great and filled me up well. Teltar sighed as he lay back in his cot. Kalus sat near me and finished eating his portion. “This is going to be long trip. Should take us about five days of solid travel to reach Felmun and then another two days to reach Vunash” he stated as he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. I was too busy stuffing my face to remark with anything other than a nod.
Teltar let out a yawn, “We will need time for getting provisions so that will add at least one more day.”
Swallowing, I remarked, “Remember, I am practically broke. We need to find someone who needs escorts.” We discussed the matter a little more before retiring for the night. I still felt guilty about the bar fight. The man pulled a weapon on me and even the guards didn’t hold it against me. I glanced around to see both Teltar and Kalus sleeping away. I needed to sleep.
I had a sense of security but felt the need to keep my sword
nearby. I wondered what dangers awaited me when I faced Forren Grubska. I didn’t even know what he looked like. He could be completely innocent, but he was my only lead and I needed to find some answers. If he is guilty, I can’t just walk into Vunash and dispatch him. I am not even allowed in the city. There was much to plan for, but I didn’t want to sit idly and wait for The Blood Witch to make another attempt. She scared me; something about her just creeped me out. Maybe it was the obvious insanity she showed when we encountered her. Even if I took care of Forren, I doubt she would simply stop. How can I defeat someone that powerful? After a long time, my mind finally let me drift off to sleep.
The next morning, we left our room to search for jobs and to get some provisions. I glanced in the now empty bar; most of the mess was cleaned up and one could hardly tell there had been a fight. I stepped outside and saw the same drunken dwarf who had started to harass Kalus. He looked like he had been just dumped outside and was still sound asleep. Kalus laughed, “That dwarf needs some self-control.”
Teltar nodded, “He is a regular here.” I stared into the busy streets and tried to guess where to look first. “Where should we try to find someone to hire us?” I asked, hoping to put some more coins in my pouch. I really hated to burden my friends with paying for my supplies.
Teltar led us toward a small building which served as an employment office in the town. There were tons of papers pinned on a board used for posting jobs and other messages. I was glad I now was literate in their language. I still can’t read it very quickly but I can at least understand it.
“You two search there. I will ask around,” Teltar ordered. Kalus and I fished through the posted papers but didn’t have much luck. There were traders who wanted someone to escort them to Halatross but no one was traveling to Vunash.
Kalus laughed, “Here is one that requests an entertainer! We should show that to Teltar! Oh wait, it was dated yesterday.” I just laughed. We fished through the rest, but had no luck,
