Mud and Magic Ch. 04

"Why would I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to drive home the point you're more into tiny green goblin pussies than proper women? Maybe I'll find you sucking Borna's dick next time I come in here. I understand. I know my place. No more untoward advances from the stupid maid. Good night!" She stormed off, slamming the door shut behind her.

"What do you mean, 'Borna's dick?'" Rhys asked the unmoving wood. He shrugged and inspected the clothing she had brought. Neatly folded, the set of traveling clothes Dara had given him, lay on the bed. Almost reverently, Rhys put them into his wardrobe. The huge yawn which hit him was all the prodding he needed. He slipped under the covers and was out even before his head hit the pillow.

* * * *

A gentle hand on his shoulder woke him the next morning. His eyes fluttered open. In the dim light of the singular oil lamp he left burning, an unknown face looked down on him, a matronly human female with the first streaks of gray in her black hair. Her eyes were curious, slanted and almond-shaped.

"Huh?"

"Good morning. My name is Yukio. I'm here to bring breakfast." She stepped back from the bed and bowed. "I also took it upon myself to wake you, Master Rhys."

Rhys struggled into a sitting position. "Isn't that supposed to be Sen's duty?"

"She seems to be unhappy with you so she asked me to change charges with her. I used to serve Lady Chassari before."

"Oh. I hope you won't get in trouble for that."

"No, it's no bother. I brought your usual oatmeal. Are you awake? Lady Idunn-"

"Yes, I know. As soon as I'm ready, right?"

Yukio bowed again. "Indeed. Is there anything else you need, Master?"

"Thank you. I'm good."

Yukio bowed one final time and left, leaving Rhys to ponder this turn of events. He shook his head. "I didn't do anything," he muttered to himself. Groaning, he slid from his bed and padded into the bathroom, washing and shaving himself before putting on the traveling clothes. Idunn wouldn't send them back if I shouldn't wear them, Rhys thought as he fastened the cape around his shoulders. He tied his daggers to his belt and shin and slipped the Disjunction Stone's pouch into a pocket then he left and strode up the stairs to Thurguz' room. He could hear voices from inside. Mainly Hilgrun.

"He's not even close to ready. Do you really want to hang a millstone around all our necks? We'll be better off without a barely trained mageling!"

"Rhys goes and that's final," Thurguz growled. "He might not be the best fighter or the best caster yet but he has his head on straight and will be an asset."

His heart sank. Sighing, he rapped on the open door frame and entered. Idunn, Hilgrun, Elara and Thurguz were already in the room, mostly clustered around the far-seeing table.

"Good morning, Rhys," the huge half-orc said, beaming. "Join us, please."

Thurguz wore his customary red robe but the others had changed into adventuring gear. Idunn had replaced her teacher's robe with a dark garment. Silvery threads had been woven through the fabric and a smattering of runes went down her front, along the seams and around her cuffs. She had her long, black braid loose, hanging all the way down to her ample behind.

Hilgrun had armor plates strapped to her chest, shoulders, forearms and thighs. Most of them looked rather worn. A helm, sporting what looked like twin fangs on each temple, rested on the table and a large two-hander leaned against a shelf behind her. When her eyes met his, she didn't look too happy.

Elara sat on one of the chairs by the window. Instead of one of her see-through gowns, she had changed into a green coat over soft breeches, the shoulders stitched with a leaf pattern.

"Sorry if I'm late," Rhys said, placing his hands on the table's edge. The mirror showed a three-way crossroads. Several buildings could be seen too. "Did I miss anything?"

"Apart from Hilgrun voicing her misgivings, no," Thurguz said, drawing an irritated glance from the towering barbarian.

"She's got a point," Rhys said. "Apart from a whole lot of bruises, I haven't much to offer in the way of battle experience."

"Ha! Even he admits he's no use!" Hilgrun said.

"Hogwash," Idunn cut in. "Rhys has the fundamentals firmly in place. Heck, even Borna can't spook him like she used to. Having him cooped up and repeating the same exercises over and over again won't get him anywhere. It's time he receives his trial by fire."

"Just make sure it doesn't turn into a bloodbath -- on our side," Hilgrun complained.

Elara sighed. "I dimly remember you boasting that you killed your first opponent even before you had your first monthlies. How much training did you have at that point? Thirty years?"

"That's diff-" Hilgrun began then closed her mouth.

"I'll be by his side," Elara said, "so you and Idunn can focus on killing Carver's men."

"What is this all about?" Rhys asked.

Thurguz adjusted one of the arms above the table and the view zoomed out, showing the crossroads to the west of Lordehome.

"This is one of the toll stations along the western border of Lordehome's territory. The two other roads connect it to Stoneridge in the north and Orran's Crossing in the south. And one of my agents has found out that Carver aims to occupy it within the next few days. If he does, he'll have a nasty foothold between the Four Cities and can easily control where food and goods are going."

"If this station is so important, why isn't it better defended?" Rhys asked.

"There are a handful of guards. Six in total, along with a few civilians," Thurguz explained. "The Four Cities are basically at peace, if you ignore the spies and assassins they send each other. So the small garrison has worked out so far. The problem is, Carver is sending a sizable detachment their way, around thirty men."

"And Lordehome?"

"I've sent a message to the authorities," Thurguz said. "But knowing the city's council, it will get lost in the bureaucracy. By the time someone with the authority to mobilize troops sees it, Carver's men will have fortified the place and will be hard to dislodge. No. We will go now and help."

"The four of us against thirty of his guys?"

"They will not know what hit them," Hilgrun said, a vicious grin on her face.

Idunn raised her hand. The arm above Thurguz' moved, adjusting the image. "We'll have several advantages. First, this here is a watchtower. We can see them coming long before they know we'll be there. Second, and I hope I'm right, the locals will help us. Even if not, we can hold this place easily. Hilgrun and I will take the brunt of Carver's men while you two will make sure the civilians are safe."

"Any more questions?" Thurguz asked. "If not, you'd best be on your way."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rhys muttered.

Hilgrun smiled grimly. "At least in this we agree, mageling." She picked up her helm and put it on. The upper half was fashioned into a skull, with long fangs pointing down over her nose. With her greatsword in one hand, she walked past the table.

Idunn joined her and spread her arms. "Hold on to me, everyone."

Rhys clasped Idunn's elbow, offering his hand to Elara. "What about supplies and the like?"

The elf threaded her fingers around his. "There is a small inn. Idunn has a thick pouch full of coin." Her free hand went around Hilgrun's waist who in turn placed a hand on Idunn's shoulder. "We're ready, Idunn."

"Well then." The female dwarf closed her eyes. She balled her fist and splayed the fingers of her free hand. Rhys could feel the energies rushing through her, much more than he'd ever dared to gather. And a moment later, there again was the sensation of an uncontrolled tumble, rapid movement and a sudden stop. When the world stopped spinning, he stood under a leafy canopy, still holding on to Elara and Idunn. The morning sun painted the floor with golden pools of light, birds chirped. It seemed incredibly peaceful. There were voices nearby, the noises of restless animals.

"Are we in the right place?" Rhys asked, releasing both women.

"Absolutely. I thought it would be best if we didn't appear right by the watchtower," Idunn said, smiling. Hilgrun waited at the treeline and the dwarf walked to catch up with her. Elara placed her arm around Rhys' waist and together they joined the others.

Before them was the toll station, a small collection of buildings nestled in the crook of the two roads eventually going north and south. The watchtower was an old, square structure, built from weather-worn grey stone blocks, about fifty feet tall. The banner of Lordehome, a crown over a parapet on blue and gold, flew proudly from a flagpole. Or it would have flown proudly if the banner hadn't been moth-eaten and yellowed with age. Cluttered around the base of the watchtower, newer buildings had been erected. The largest, with a timber-framed facade and thatched roof, proudly proclaimed itself the "Trusty Truncheon Inn." Stables and storage buildings had been built next to it. Rhys could hear the clear, metallic ringing of a smithy. Several small huts, mainly built from logs, had been built along the roadsides.

A small guard house with a toll barrier overlooked the road leading to Lordehome. Even Rhys could clearly see that the road was in dire need of repairs. Once it had been stone-setted but there were stretches of gravel or even naked earth where the road surface had been torn from the ground. He didn't envy the teams of oxen and horses who had to pull wagons along that kind of trail. Not that anyone seemed to be in a hurry here. A guardsman was chatting with a driver while a second listlessly poked the hay piled high on his wagon. Eventually, the barrier was raised and the wagon rumbled onward. Next up came a carriage. The driver tossed a small coin bag at one of the guards and urged his team onward.

"No use in standing around," Hilgrun said. She waited until the carriage had rumbled past then she strode onto the road. The others followed. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Leaping headlong into the fray, as usual," Idunn said. She sounded much milder than usual, relaxed even. "First, we pay the officer in charge a little courtesy call then we can figure out our accommodations. After that, we wait. Thurguz' source only said we should keep an eye out for an especially large troupe of pilgrims." Idunn, smiling for once, steered Hilgrun towards the watchtower. The man guarding the door suddenly looked rather surprised at the armed group. He pulled himself into something approximating an alert stance, his spear angled halfway towards Hilgrun.

"And what exactly do you want?" He coughed. Rhys looked him up and down. The man was around Padec's age and the chain mail he wore had probably been fitted to him when he was fifteen years younger and thirty pounds leaner. Wispy grey hair spilled from his helmet.

Idunn produced a small leather case and flipped it open. "This is an Adventurer's Guild permit, issued by the Council of Lords. It allows the bearer to demand an audience with any guard captain, sergeant or other ranked officer in case of an emergency. I demand such an audience."

The guard wedged his spear into the crook of his arm and took the permit, holding it up to the light. "Looks legit," he said. Then, surprised: "When was this bloody made?"

Idunn smiled sweetly. "King Orran IV signed it. But no one said it has expired. You may send an inquiry to the council and demand they expire it but until they do..."

"All right, all right. What is this all about?"

"You'll know when I've talked to your superior. May we enter already?"

"Sure. Just mind your manners." The guard returned the writ and opened the door.

The ground floor of the tower was parts office, parts storage room. A narrow staircase went around the inside wall while armor and weapon racks had been pushed against the walls to allow the installation of a simple wooden desk. The banner behind it was in only slightly better shape than the one outside. An old, regal woman with silver hair sat behind the desk, wearing a white tabard over simple clothes. The golden scales symbol of Justice adorned one shoulder. She looked up as Idunn and company entered the room.

"Yes?"

"Greetings to you. My name is Idunn Ironcog. My associates." She indicated Rhys, Hilgrun and Elara.

"Welcome to this rest stop in the midst of nowhere," the woman said. "I am Justicar Tegan." She touched the symbol on her shoulder with the index and middle fingers of her left hand. "Is there a problem?"

Idunn placed the leather-bound writ on the desk. "Not right now but you will be neck-deep in Carver's men any time soon."

Tegan picked up the writ and raised an eyebrow. "That's the second time today I've seen something like this. Either there is a forger around with a very queer sense of humor..."

"Believe me, we are not joking. And what do you mean 'second time?'" Idunn asked.

The Justicar returned the writ. "An elven gentleman came by earlier, carrying the same writ and bearing the same message. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Thank you for the warning but what do you propose we do?"

Hilgrun stepped forwards. "How about fortifying this place, getting the civilians into a cellar and making sure there are enough buckets around should Carver's men decide to turn this cow pat into a nice little pyre?"

"When my lookout sounds the alarm, we will do everything in our power to protect the civilians. But until then I can't just board up everything on the word of a few passersby." Tegan locked gazes with Hilgrun. To Rhys' surprise, the tall barbarian woman stepped back. "What proof do you have?"

Idunn reached into a pocket and withdrew a folded note. "Will this do?" She passed the paper to Tegan who read it.

The Justicar sighed. "Ventrus, eh? Nothing good ever happens when that weasel is involved. I wish someone would burn down his 'mercenary guild' already. Fine then. I have been called many things in my career," Tegan added, "but 'fool' wasn't on the list. I'll gladly take any aid you might offer."

"I wouldn't ask for more," Idunn said. "Once the attack comes, my associates and I will do our best to keep this place out of Carver's hands."

"Has he come this far already?" Tegan asked. "Last I heard, his men were busy occupying the farming villages to the south."

"Taking over such an important crossroads, turning it into yet another choke point sure is a bold move. Until Lordehome eventually sends an expeditionary force to dislodge him, he will cause a lot of problems," Idunn said. "He knows full well how tenuous the food situation for the Four Cities is and impeding trade is just sensible."

"And the council does fuck all," Tegan grumbled. "As long as the nobles are safe and fed, as long as no army sieges the city, they couldn't care less. And now it's almost too late."

Idunn nodded. "Right you are. How come such a bright lady like you is commanding this glorified toll booth?"

"They have no use for people who think for themselves. Justice knows I've tried during my younger days to change things. But the higher-ups didn't see Carver as a problem. My constant asking for armed patrols and relief for the villages outside got denied. 'There's enough of them out there anyway.' And suddenly I'm sitting here and counting grain shipments." She exhaled sharply, then called: "Hendrick!"

The door opened and the guard poked his head in. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Be a dear and get me my armor. Also, I want you and the boys in here in ten minutes. No exceptions. If you have to pull Adam, Simon and Murray out of bed by their balls, do so."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good man."

The door closed behind Hendrick.

"At least you run a tight ship." Idunn said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to put a second pair of eyes on the watchtower, to assist your lookout."

"No complaints there. Do as you see fit."

"Good. You can find us at the inn if you need anything." Idunn turned to leave.

* * * *

Back outside, Rhys looked around. Hendrick was talking to the guards working the toll booth. They were not in much better shape than Hendrick was. Their armor was well-maintained but ill-fitting and they seemed awfully nervous, their eyes darting Rhys' group's way. They will be no match for Carver's men. He vividly remembered the fighters prowling around the Tithing, two lifetimes ago. Even if Thurguz had little praise for them, they had appeared a lot more threatening and motivated. Or maybe he was seeing the toll station's personnel in another light after his training with Hagazz and Hilgrun.

"Now what?" he asked Idunn.

"I am curious about the elven gentleman Tegan mentioned," she said. "We'll book a few rooms at the inn and get our bearings. Rhys, I want you to be our lookout until around midday. Then it's four-hour watches until nightfall. I'm afraid Hilgrun and Elara will have to pull night duty so Rhys and I can fully rest."

"Understood," Rhys said. "See you later then."

He returned to the watchtower and knocked.

"Come!" Tegan called.

Rhys entered the room. "I'll be joining the lookout for a time."

"Sure, go right ahead. Up the stairs and through the hatch. Oh, and please extend my thanks to Lady Ironcog when you see her next."

"Will do." Rhys climbed the stairs. About halfway up, he reached another floor, this one filled with even more supply boxes. One had been opened. It contained arrows by the dozens. At the back of the room, he found wooden rungs attached to the wall leading to a hatch overhead. He climbed up through the hatch. A lone guard leaned on the parapet. Rhys couldn't tell if he was awake or not. He dropped the hatch closed behind himself.

The guard turned his way, squinting. "Simon, that you?"

"Uh, no. Hello. I'm Rhys." He joined the guard at the railing. The man wore a hooded cloak over a leather armor, had a quiver over his shoulder and a bow by his side. He was even older than Hendrick and his eyes were cloudy. They reminded Rhys of his Gran. He's almost blind!

A long tube rested on a swivel mount, pointing east, towards Lordehome.

"What brings a young lad like you up here? Are you a friend of Tegan's?"

Rhys cleared his throat. "Listen, I don't want to be rude, but... you're the lookout?"

"Oh yes. Name's Ewan. Best damn archer this side of Lordehome." Ewan chuckled. "Or at least I was, afore my eyes started to give out. But I can still work." He fondly tapped the tube. "This thingie here helps."

"Well, Justicar Tegan has allowed me to help. We're... she's expecting an attack by Carver."

"Oh, you go right ahead then. At least it's not so lonely up here with another fella around."

"May I?" Rhys asked, reaching for the tube.

"'Course." Ewan stepped aside. "Where's your bow?"

"I don't have one," Rhys said, inspecting the tube. It had lenses set into the front and back, the bigger one pointing at Lordehome. "I'm a sorcerer."

"Magic, huh?" Ewan said, making a face. He cocked his head, squinting again at Rhys fumbling around the tube. "You look into the small lens. Funny that, not knowing how a spyglass works."

"It's my first one," Rhys said. He looked through the spyglass. The countryside on the other end suddenly was very close, as if he needed only to put out a hand and touch the trees or the road, even though the image was distorted, like watching the world though the bottom of a bottle.

"Carver, eh?" Ewan asked. "What's he up to now?"

"He wants this crossroads to impede trade between the Four Cities. Odd. You all seem to know about him. Why are the Four Cities doing nothing?"

"Well, there's a lot of folks comin' through here, many with grim tales about his riders tearing up villages, abductin' good folks and the like. But it's always another little farming village no one gives a damn about."