Spring always brought heavy rainfall to the North, filling the woods with tangly vines and tall plants, making travel slow and tedious. Illifer literally fell to the ground and kissed it as soon as he was free from the forest, while Roland pulled a map from the bag of provisions the elves had provided, ignoring his antics.
“Looks like we can take this trail about five miles south, and then head west along the coast road for fifty miles to Avaris.”
Illifer sat up immediately, an incredulous look plastered across his face. “Are you serious?”
“What, is this map wrong?”
“We’re out of the power of those damn elves, we don’t have to go on their stupid quest.”
Roland frowned deeply. “We owe it to them, they saved our lives! Besides, where would we go?”
“I don’t know where you’re going to go, but I’m going to hit the road and head back home to Nightsong.”
“NO!” Roland shouted. “I will NOT allow you to go back to that life!”
Illifer snorted. “I’ll go where I want. I owe you nothing now, heck, I never did! It was an act from the heart to get your sorry ass out of there.”
Roland knelt down and lowered his voice, pleading. “Its true, you owe me no debt. But please, by the ties of brotherhood, accompany me on this quest.”
Illifer threw his hands up in exasperation. “Alright, alright, I will go with you only to Avaris though, and I want two of those bags of blackpowder if you can claim the reward without being shot.”
Roland sighed. “So we’re bargaining now? Money, money, money, do you have any priorities above that one?”
“Yes, power.”
Roland unrolled the map again “Fair enough.”
“Put that damn map away I know how to get there.”
“Alright, you lead the way then!”
A light sprinkle began to fall as the pair meandered their way along the trail, following the curves of a gentle brook. Every once in a while a small one room cabin could be seen on the banks of the stream, the homes of poor fishermen. On the other side were vast farmlands and orchards. Once Illifer tried to reach into a tree and pull an apple from its boughs, but Roland stopped him and made him walk on the other side of the road.
Eventually the trail merged perpendicularly with the Coastal Road, the largest road on the free peninsula and the one used for the vast majority of commercial traffic between the free cities. Across from the small trail the brothers had journeyed on was a slightly larger one, and next to it was a dilapidated two story inn, the Sunset Inn according to a sign.
“Fifty miles to go and the sun is starting to drop in the sky. If I remember correctly, there’s another inn about fifteen miles further, which we can make tonight if we push on a little while after dusk. Then we can adopt a more leisurely pace and should be able to arrive in Avaris before noon two days from now. Sound like a plan?”
Roland thought to himself, looking indecisive. “That walk through the woods really tired me out actually. Hmm.” He gave the inn ahead a closer look. “Then again that place across the way looks a bit…untrustworthy… Let’s keep going.”
So they travelled on. The coast road was busy enough that many merchants travelled it during the night, sleeping within their cozy carriages while their guards kept them safe. Illifer and Roland followed such a caravan from far enough to be unseen, but close enough to deter robbers. Aquas, the only moon in the sky that night, bathed the road with just enough blue light to save the two from needing to strike up torches.
Finally they found themselves standing in front of the door of the ironically named Blue Moon Inn, exhausted, but wanting for a hot meal. They crossed their fingers and Illifer opened the door.
Inside were about ten tables, with a young boy moving among them washing their surfaces, and a bar, with a heavyset man sitting behind cleaning glasses. Three tables were full though, so there was a chance they were still serving.
“Hey!” The bartender shouted across the room, apparently reading their hopeful expressions. “Have a seat, dinner is still going.”
They took a table right next to the bar for two reasons. One, it allowed them to speak with the bartender, and two, in the corner on the other side of the room sat four soldiers of Kelewan, easy to notice in their red and blue uniforms, talking much louder than necessary and laughing.
Illifer turned in his chair towards the bartender. “We need two mugs of mead.”
The bartender was obviously very experienced at his job, and within seconds two mugs were sliding gracefully across the counter. “Enjoy!”
Soon a comely blonde teenaged girl came out of a door next to the bar and walked over to the table, looking strangely nervous. “Can I get you anyth-“
She was cut off by the sound of glass breaking across the room and a yell, “Hey beautiful! Why don’t you bring that skirt over here so we can help you loosen it?” followed by suggestive whistles and obnoxious laughter as the girl winced with embarrassment.
Illifer ignored it as best he could while Roland glared at them, they didn’t notice fortunately. “We’ll get a couple of slices of ham, please.”
She half-ran back through the door into the kitchen not a moment after Illifer had ordered.
Roland turned from the soldiers to his brother. “You can’t tell me we’re going to let that continue!”
“We are! There’s four of them.” Illifer hissed, “They’ll probably give us a reason to shut them up before we leave anyways.”
“They already have! Look how they treat her!”
“Just let it go for now, we’ll take care of them soon.”
Roland gave up and sat back in his chair, just as the girl returned with the ham.
“We’ll take care of them.” Was his whispered promise to her. She smiled lightly and returned to the kitchen.
Illifer snorted.
“What?” Roland asked, knowing the answer.
“Just eat.”
--
All the other diners had left by the time the two were finishing their meals. All except for the soldiers, who were still behaving boisterously. Illifer and Roland themselves were just about to get up and rent a room when two colorfully gloved hands landed on their shoulders. Turning, they saw the loudest of the soldiers between them, sneering, and supported by the other three behind him.
“Let’s see if there’s anything we want in those bags of yours.”
Illifer stared into the soldier’s eyes coldly, having little effect on him in his drunken state, before emotionlessly reaching under the table and grabbing the forty pound bag of blackpowder and lifting it towards the soldier. Roland was in shock until he saw how unnaturally steady his brother’s hands were.
Those hands…
Memories flooded back to him, the past teaching him exactly what to do. He snapped out of it just as Illifer was opening the sack.
The soldier leaned over and peered inside, his eyes opening wide in disbelief as he registered what was inside just in time for Illifer to stuff his head into the sack.
Roland sprang upright and nearly put his fist out the back of another soldier’s head. The other two jumped back and brandished swords, one edging around to help his friend who was weakly scratching at his neck attempting to rip the expertly tied drawstring around it. As he passed the bar and got closer to his suffocating leader, the bartender leapt up from waiting and staved his skull in from behind with a powerful swing of a walking stick. The big man then gave a shout and shot over the counter to charge at the last soldier, who dropped his sword and laid flat on the ground, yelling, “I YIELD!”
The bartender stood above him, having an internal conflict as to whether or not to bash his head in, starting to swing, then stopping. Finally he sighed and kicked the soldier’s sword away. “I should do it.” He said, turning to Illifer and Roland.
Illifer adopted an authoritive tone, “Is anyone staying upstairs?”
“Nope, no one.”
“Then go ahead and do it. He needs to die now anyways.”
The soldier moaned pitifully but kept his face in the floor.
“NO!” Roland shouted.
Illifer rolled his eyes. “I should have known.”
“I will NOT allow an unarmed man to be slaughtered!”
“Well Mr. Paladin, if we let him walk, a scumbag continues his pretty life while an innocent man’s inn is burned and he’s executed. Is that really the kind of justice you’re looking for?”
“I will not let an unarmed man be harmed!” Roland repeated.
The bartender raised his hands palms-out. “Hey hey, stop yelling. Both him and I can live.”
Illifer and Roland looked at him questioningly.
“I was going to need to lose this inn anyways. We’re still in Kelewan territory, and the new king is taxing us country folk out of our asses to improve the city proper. Me and my family were going to move west to Avaris or Teledrin within the month. Now is good a time as ever I suppose.”
Illifer shrugged. “I’m not some bloodthirsty monster. As long as you aren’t hurt for helping us, I don’t care whether he lives or dies.”
“Really?” Roland asked, looking taken aback at this declaration.
“Yes really, what, you thought I was a pleasure killer?”
It took all of Roland’s restraint not to respond negatively, an effort he himself was surprised to be making. Instead he turned again to the innkeeper. “We’re heading to Avaris too, will you come with us?”
The innkeeper didn’t immediately respond, probably set off by the fact that the two attacked a group of soldiers who wanted to search them.
A voice came from the doorway to the kitchen, “We should go with them, father, they promised to take care of those soldiers even before the fight started.” There stood the serving girl, her hand on her younger brother’s shoulder.
The innkeeper laughed heartily, “Well, she’s the boss, we’ll go with you. But first, I want to know what the hell it is you have worth killing over.”
Illifer turned to Roland, “I guess we have to tell him don’t we.”
“I guess so.”
Illifer sighed and strode to the suffocated soldier, “Alright, come over here and lift this guy upside down.”
The bartender did what he was told and a small knife flicked into Illifer’s hand. He delicately cut the drawstring, but it was so tight he couldn’t help cutting the soldier’s neck a little bit too. The bag fell onto the floor, revealing the ghastly black figure the blackpowder had made of the soldier’s face.
The innkeeper gasped and dropped the corpse, “Blackpowder?!”
“Yes, blackpowder, we’re taking it to Avaris to warn the council there of Kelewan’s mining operations.”
The innkeeper kept staring. “That much is worth a kingdom!”
Illifer picked up the sack and closed the top, trying to avoid continued discussion of blackpowder. “Half of one at least.”
A groan came from the corner of the room, where the soldier Roland had punched earlier was coming to.
“I almost forgot about him.” The innkeeper said absentmindedly.
Illifer walked towards their other captive, “Roland and I will bring this one downstairs and lock him in a room with some food. Guard the other, we’ll get him in a minute. We should be safe in Avaris by the time they find them.”
Illifer grabbed the prone prisoner by the arm and guided him up, through the kitchen door, and down into the basement, with Roland following armed with a stick.
--
“This is a heavy one!” Roland exclaimed. He and Illifer were pushing hard on a cupboard full of pans. It finally slid into position in front of the door, allowing the two a break. They both leaned over it, panting.
“Roland.” Illifer said in a tone barely above a whisper. “We are going to have to ditch that family on the road.”
“Wha-What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you see how they were looking at the blackpowder? I knew they’d have to know about it if we let them travel with us.”
“But they’re honorable, they probably saved our lives. They aren’t the type to steal.”
Illifer sighed. “You don’t get it. Saying you could buy half a kingdom with this sack, is not an overstatement.”
Roland grunted. “We still can’t leave them, they might not make it without us.”
“I’m sure they can, it’s a half-week walk at the very most.”
“We can’t leave them, they may be hunted by the military.”
Illifer shook his head. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to move you.” He grabbed the sack of letters off Roland’s back and emptied it’s contents into the half full provision backpack under it. Taking the empty sack, he started towards the stairs. “I’m going to sneak out and fill this with dirt, hopefully it will look enough like blackpowder that they’ll run off with it if they’re the sort. We need to keep the actual powder hidden at all costs.
“Looks like we can take this trail about five miles south, and then head west along the coast road for fifty miles to Avaris.”
Illifer sat up immediately, an incredulous look plastered across his face. “Are you serious?”
“What, is this map wrong?”
“We’re out of the power of those damn elves, we don’t have to go on their stupid quest.”
Roland frowned deeply. “We owe it to them, they saved our lives! Besides, where would we go?”
“I don’t know where you’re going to go, but I’m going to hit the road and head back home to Nightsong.”
“NO!” Roland shouted. “I will NOT allow you to go back to that life!”
Illifer snorted. “I’ll go where I want. I owe you nothing now, heck, I never did! It was an act from the heart to get your sorry ass out of there.”
Roland knelt down and lowered his voice, pleading. “Its true, you owe me no debt. But please, by the ties of brotherhood, accompany me on this quest.”
Illifer threw his hands up in exasperation. “Alright, alright, I will go with you only to Avaris though, and I want two of those bags of blackpowder if you can claim the reward without being shot.”
Roland sighed. “So we’re bargaining now? Money, money, money, do you have any priorities above that one?”
“Yes, power.”
Roland unrolled the map again “Fair enough.”
“Put that damn map away I know how to get there.”
“Alright, you lead the way then!”
A light sprinkle began to fall as the pair meandered their way along the trail, following the curves of a gentle brook. Every once in a while a small one room cabin could be seen on the banks of the stream, the homes of poor fishermen. On the other side were vast farmlands and orchards. Once Illifer tried to reach into a tree and pull an apple from its boughs, but Roland stopped him and made him walk on the other side of the road.
Eventually the trail merged perpendicularly with the Coastal Road, the largest road on the free peninsula and the one used for the vast majority of commercial traffic between the free cities. Across from the small trail the brothers had journeyed on was a slightly larger one, and next to it was a dilapidated two story inn, the Sunset Inn according to a sign.
“Fifty miles to go and the sun is starting to drop in the sky. If I remember correctly, there’s another inn about fifteen miles further, which we can make tonight if we push on a little while after dusk. Then we can adopt a more leisurely pace and should be able to arrive in Avaris before noon two days from now. Sound like a plan?”
Roland thought to himself, looking indecisive. “That walk through the woods really tired me out actually. Hmm.” He gave the inn ahead a closer look. “Then again that place across the way looks a bit…untrustworthy… Let’s keep going.”
So they travelled on. The coast road was busy enough that many merchants travelled it during the night, sleeping within their cozy carriages while their guards kept them safe. Illifer and Roland followed such a caravan from far enough to be unseen, but close enough to deter robbers. Aquas, the only moon in the sky that night, bathed the road with just enough blue light to save the two from needing to strike up torches.
Finally they found themselves standing in front of the door of the ironically named Blue Moon Inn, exhausted, but wanting for a hot meal. They crossed their fingers and Illifer opened the door.
Inside were about ten tables, with a young boy moving among them washing their surfaces, and a bar, with a heavyset man sitting behind cleaning glasses. Three tables were full though, so there was a chance they were still serving.
“Hey!” The bartender shouted across the room, apparently reading their hopeful expressions. “Have a seat, dinner is still going.”
They took a table right next to the bar for two reasons. One, it allowed them to speak with the bartender, and two, in the corner on the other side of the room sat four soldiers of Kelewan, easy to notice in their red and blue uniforms, talking much louder than necessary and laughing.
Illifer turned in his chair towards the bartender. “We need two mugs of mead.”
The bartender was obviously very experienced at his job, and within seconds two mugs were sliding gracefully across the counter. “Enjoy!”
Soon a comely blonde teenaged girl came out of a door next to the bar and walked over to the table, looking strangely nervous. “Can I get you anyth-“
She was cut off by the sound of glass breaking across the room and a yell, “Hey beautiful! Why don’t you bring that skirt over here so we can help you loosen it?” followed by suggestive whistles and obnoxious laughter as the girl winced with embarrassment.
Illifer ignored it as best he could while Roland glared at them, they didn’t notice fortunately. “We’ll get a couple of slices of ham, please.”
She half-ran back through the door into the kitchen not a moment after Illifer had ordered.
Roland turned from the soldiers to his brother. “You can’t tell me we’re going to let that continue!”
“We are! There’s four of them.” Illifer hissed, “They’ll probably give us a reason to shut them up before we leave anyways.”
“They already have! Look how they treat her!”
“Just let it go for now, we’ll take care of them soon.”
Roland gave up and sat back in his chair, just as the girl returned with the ham.
“We’ll take care of them.” Was his whispered promise to her. She smiled lightly and returned to the kitchen.
Illifer snorted.
“What?” Roland asked, knowing the answer.
“Just eat.”
--
All the other diners had left by the time the two were finishing their meals. All except for the soldiers, who were still behaving boisterously. Illifer and Roland themselves were just about to get up and rent a room when two colorfully gloved hands landed on their shoulders. Turning, they saw the loudest of the soldiers between them, sneering, and supported by the other three behind him.
“Let’s see if there’s anything we want in those bags of yours.”
Illifer stared into the soldier’s eyes coldly, having little effect on him in his drunken state, before emotionlessly reaching under the table and grabbing the forty pound bag of blackpowder and lifting it towards the soldier. Roland was in shock until he saw how unnaturally steady his brother’s hands were.
Those hands…
Memories flooded back to him, the past teaching him exactly what to do. He snapped out of it just as Illifer was opening the sack.
The soldier leaned over and peered inside, his eyes opening wide in disbelief as he registered what was inside just in time for Illifer to stuff his head into the sack.
Roland sprang upright and nearly put his fist out the back of another soldier’s head. The other two jumped back and brandished swords, one edging around to help his friend who was weakly scratching at his neck attempting to rip the expertly tied drawstring around it. As he passed the bar and got closer to his suffocating leader, the bartender leapt up from waiting and staved his skull in from behind with a powerful swing of a walking stick. The big man then gave a shout and shot over the counter to charge at the last soldier, who dropped his sword and laid flat on the ground, yelling, “I YIELD!”
The bartender stood above him, having an internal conflict as to whether or not to bash his head in, starting to swing, then stopping. Finally he sighed and kicked the soldier’s sword away. “I should do it.” He said, turning to Illifer and Roland.
Illifer adopted an authoritive tone, “Is anyone staying upstairs?”
“Nope, no one.”
“Then go ahead and do it. He needs to die now anyways.”
The soldier moaned pitifully but kept his face in the floor.
“NO!” Roland shouted.
Illifer rolled his eyes. “I should have known.”
“I will NOT allow an unarmed man to be slaughtered!”
“Well Mr. Paladin, if we let him walk, a scumbag continues his pretty life while an innocent man’s inn is burned and he’s executed. Is that really the kind of justice you’re looking for?”
“I will not let an unarmed man be harmed!” Roland repeated.
The bartender raised his hands palms-out. “Hey hey, stop yelling. Both him and I can live.”
Illifer and Roland looked at him questioningly.
“I was going to need to lose this inn anyways. We’re still in Kelewan territory, and the new king is taxing us country folk out of our asses to improve the city proper. Me and my family were going to move west to Avaris or Teledrin within the month. Now is good a time as ever I suppose.”
Illifer shrugged. “I’m not some bloodthirsty monster. As long as you aren’t hurt for helping us, I don’t care whether he lives or dies.”
“Really?” Roland asked, looking taken aback at this declaration.
“Yes really, what, you thought I was a pleasure killer?”
It took all of Roland’s restraint not to respond negatively, an effort he himself was surprised to be making. Instead he turned again to the innkeeper. “We’re heading to Avaris too, will you come with us?”
The innkeeper didn’t immediately respond, probably set off by the fact that the two attacked a group of soldiers who wanted to search them.
A voice came from the doorway to the kitchen, “We should go with them, father, they promised to take care of those soldiers even before the fight started.” There stood the serving girl, her hand on her younger brother’s shoulder.
The innkeeper laughed heartily, “Well, she’s the boss, we’ll go with you. But first, I want to know what the hell it is you have worth killing over.”
Illifer turned to Roland, “I guess we have to tell him don’t we.”
“I guess so.”
Illifer sighed and strode to the suffocated soldier, “Alright, come over here and lift this guy upside down.”
The bartender did what he was told and a small knife flicked into Illifer’s hand. He delicately cut the drawstring, but it was so tight he couldn’t help cutting the soldier’s neck a little bit too. The bag fell onto the floor, revealing the ghastly black figure the blackpowder had made of the soldier’s face.
The innkeeper gasped and dropped the corpse, “Blackpowder?!”
“Yes, blackpowder, we’re taking it to Avaris to warn the council there of Kelewan’s mining operations.”
The innkeeper kept staring. “That much is worth a kingdom!”
Illifer picked up the sack and closed the top, trying to avoid continued discussion of blackpowder. “Half of one at least.”
A groan came from the corner of the room, where the soldier Roland had punched earlier was coming to.
“I almost forgot about him.” The innkeeper said absentmindedly.
Illifer walked towards their other captive, “Roland and I will bring this one downstairs and lock him in a room with some food. Guard the other, we’ll get him in a minute. We should be safe in Avaris by the time they find them.”
Illifer grabbed the prone prisoner by the arm and guided him up, through the kitchen door, and down into the basement, with Roland following armed with a stick.
--
“This is a heavy one!” Roland exclaimed. He and Illifer were pushing hard on a cupboard full of pans. It finally slid into position in front of the door, allowing the two a break. They both leaned over it, panting.
“Roland.” Illifer said in a tone barely above a whisper. “We are going to have to ditch that family on the road.”
“Wha-What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you see how they were looking at the blackpowder? I knew they’d have to know about it if we let them travel with us.”
“But they’re honorable, they probably saved our lives. They aren’t the type to steal.”
Illifer sighed. “You don’t get it. Saying you could buy half a kingdom with this sack, is not an overstatement.”
Roland grunted. “We still can’t leave them, they might not make it without us.”
“I’m sure they can, it’s a half-week walk at the very most.”
“We can’t leave them, they may be hunted by the military.”
Illifer shook his head. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to move you.” He grabbed the sack of letters off Roland’s back and emptied it’s contents into the half full provision backpack under it. Taking the empty sack, he started towards the stairs. “I’m going to sneak out and fill this with dirt, hopefully it will look enough like blackpowder that they’ll run off with it if they’re the sort. We need to keep the actual powder hidden at all costs.
so are you sure the trademark applies to names?
