The Eighth Warden Ch. 011-012

After they'd tied the animals to the hitching post, Corec spoke to Katrin. "Do you want to offer to play tonight, to get a deal on our rooms?"

"No," she said flatly.

He stared at her for a moment, but didn't argue. It was the first time Katrin had spoken to him in two days, so Shavala hoped it was a good sign. The tension between them hadn't been helping her discomfort over leaving the forest.

"I'm going in to see if there are rooms available," Corec said. "Katrin, Bobo, could you wait here and watch over our things?"

Bobo agreed. Katrin didn't reply one way or another, but she remained outside, too. Shavala stayed with them. Some of the villagers who walked past glanced at her ears, but they didn't seem surprised to see an elf this close to the forest.

Corec returned a few minutes later. "I got us two rooms. Bobo and I'll take one, Katrin and Shavala, you can have the other. They'll be serving supper in an hour, and afterward, I paid for use of the bathing room. Ladies, you can go first."

They unloaded their packs and passed the animals off to the inn's stable boy. Shavala helped them carry everything in and up to their rooms, but she found the stairs to the second floor to be unnerving. She was used to stairs, but only built in spirals around the trunk of a tershaya, leading from one dwelling to another up and down the tree. The inn's short, straight staircase was different than any she'd seen before, and she found herself wanting to curve to the left as she climbed.

Once she and Katrin reached their room, the other woman closed the door and locked it, then sat on the bed without speaking.

"Why don't you play your music anymore?" Shavala asked. "I listened to you a few times when I was still following you, and it was very pretty."

Katrin scowled at her. "I don't want to play in front of him."

"If you hate him so much, why don't you leave?" Shavala asked.

Katrin sighed. "I don't hate him," she said in a weary tone. "I thought I did, but you're right. He's telling the truth when he says he doesn't know how it happened, or whether he did it or not. I'm just mad that..." She paused, her eyes widening as she stared at Shavala.

"What?"

"Your mark—I mean, sigil! I can see it, almost!"

Shavala touched her forehead, but it didn't feel any different, except that the itch was fading. Katrin led her to a mirror in the corner of the room. There was a faint blue light under Shavala's skin. It looked like it was moving around, even though she couldn't feel anything.

They stood together and watched as the sigil took shape, gradually coming to the surface. It had three parallel, diagonal lines, crossed by a fourth line that was almost perpendicular. It was the same brilliant blue as Katrin's, and the itching had stopped.

"I'd hoped mine would be green," Shavala said, disappointed.

"What?"

"It's pretty, but it doesn't really look right on me. Maybe if I wore some blue feathers in my hair? I have a blue tunic, but I didn't bring it with me."

"That's what you're worried about right now?"

"What else should I be worried about? Your sigil hasn't done anything bad, has it?"

"No, I suppose not, but we still don't know what they are."

"We can ask the wizard about that once we find one," Shavala said.

"Why is it a different shape than mine?" Katrin asked. "Do you think it means anything?"

"I don't know. I've never seen the symbols before."

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Katrin opened it to let Corec in. She closed the door behind him.

"Hi," he said to Shavala, as he saw her standing in front of the mirror. "I guess you know." He rolled his left sleeve up to show the matching mark on the outside of his left arm, just below the shoulder.

She nodded, then stepped over to him and ran her fingers over his sigil. Like hers, it just felt like normal skin. She stopped when she realized she was caressing the muscles in his arm. She wouldn't mind being more forward with him, but it was difficult when the others were always around.

"We were wondering whether the different shapes mean anything," Katrin said. She no longer sounded angry when she spoke to Corec, just tired.

"I don't know," he said. "I was surprised it was different."

"I like it," Shavala said. "But I do need to find something blue to wear with it."

He looked puzzled, glancing at Katrin who just shook her head.

"Both of you, I'm sorry if I had anything to do with these things," he said. "Katrin, I was thinking...how much do you need to get your brother out of prison?"

"Forty gold."

"Forty?" he said, in a strangled voice.

"It was his fourth offense, so they multiplied it by four. They found the things he'd stolen, or it would have been more."

"I was going to offer to pay it off, but I'm not sure I have that much saved. And there's your penalty, too—that should come first."

"Oh. I...don't know what to say."

"The offer still stands," he said. "However much it's worth. Most of my money's in Four Roads, though, so we'd have to go get it after we're done in Tyrsall. We can pay the wizard's fee, and your penalty, and then, whatever's left, you can take to Circle Bay for your brother."

"Thank you." Katrin turned away from them, wiping her eyes.

Shavala breathed a sigh of relief as the mood between her companions lightened. The two of them had been starting to depress her.

###

Chapter 12

The next morning, Corec left the inn early to find mounts for his companions. There weren't any mules for sale, but he got lucky and found a farmer who'd ended up with some horses he didn't need. It only cost sixty silver to buy a five-year old gelding for Shavala and an older mare for Bobo, plus saddles, tack, blankets, and saddlebags.

He returned to the inn and left the animals in the stable yard, then went inside to find his friends getting everything packed up.

"I just need to get my armor on," he said. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Do you really need it?" Katrin asked. She sounded friendly this morning, as if she no longer considered him responsible for their situation.

"Probably not around here, but it's a habit, and Dot and the pack mule don't like it if I load it onto their backs."

"You should call him Boy," she reminded him, with a hint of a smile. "He likes it better."

Corec laughed. "I've never noticed that he cares one way or another, but you're welcome to call him that. Anyway, I was able to find some horses, so we can stop at the store if anyone needs anything. I sold the crossbow and bought food last night, but Shavala, Bobo, if you want a lean-to or some extra blankets, you can get them. The weather's been hot and dry so far, but you never know."

"Does the store have candy?" Shavala asked.

"Candy?"

"I had a copper coin once, but the traders wouldn't give me anything for it except for a bag of something they called candy. It tasted like maple syrup."

Katrin giggled, the first time Corec had ever heard her do that.

"Maple candy," he said. "You might have better luck up north or in Larso. It's usually only made around here in the spring, after the traders bring the syrup."

"Oh." Shavala looked disappointed.

"How do you know so much about it?" Katrin asked him.

"Remember the tutors I told you about?" Corec said. "I had to learn all the crops harvested in the Black Crow Mountains. The maple harvest was how my...how the family I lived with made some of their money. Maple trees grow around here, but not the right kind, and the winter usually doesn't get cold enough."

While his companions were taking the packs and saddlebags downstairs, Corec put his armor on. He joined them in the stable yard, where they were saddling Dot, Flower, and the pack mule.

"Bobo," he said, pointing to the dun mare, "this is Rose. She's getting on in years, but she should be able to keep up on the trip to Tyrsall."

"Thank you," Bobo replied, and walked over to greet his horse.

"Shavala," Corec said, "this is Socks. He's smaller than our other horses, so I thought he'd be easier for you."

"Oh, he's pretty," Shavala said. She walked around looking at the gelding, a roan with white markings going up most of the length of its forelegs. She was about to step behind him when Corec grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait! Don't walk behind a horse!"

"Why?"

"It might kick you if it doesn't know what's behind it. If you're going to walk behind him, be sure to touch him and speak to him the whole time so he knows you're there. You haven't been around horses before? Do you know how to ride?"

"Don't you just get on that thing there," she said, pointing to the saddle, "and then the horse takes you where you want to go?"

"It's more complicated than that. We'll teach you how to ride as we go. We'll need to take breaks anyway if this is your first time, or it'll be too hard on your legs."

"It's been awhile for me, too," Bobo said.

"We'll take it easy for the first couple of days."

"Wait, why am I the only one riding a mule?" Katrin asked. Corec couldn't tell if she was angry or not.

"I just bought what I could find," he said. "The last village had a mule, this one had two horses. I thought you liked Flower?"

"I do!" she said, wrapping her arms around the mule's neck. "I just don't see why there's always a horse available when somebody else wants one."

He laughed. Katrin might be in a better mood, but apparently she wasn't done giving him a hard time yet. "I'm not sure one time counts as always, but I'll tell you what. When you're ready to buy your own, we'll wait until we can find a horse."

She glared at him, but she was smiling underneath it.

#

Two days later, they'd gotten up and on the road early. To save money, they'd spent the night camping rather than stopping at an inn. With the long days and the pleasant weather, they'd been making good time despite frequent breaks. Now that everyone had gotten used to being in the saddle, they'd be able to speed up their pace.

They'd been riding for an hour when Corec realized that the faint whispering noises he'd been hearing were Shavala talking to her horse. Glancing back, he was shocked to see Socks wasn't wearing his bridle.

"Whoa!" Corec said, bringing the procession to a halt. "Shavala, what are you doing?"

She had taken to riding easily. He'd watched her with her saddle and tack the previous day and she'd seemed to have it under control, so this morning he'd let her handle it on her own.

"Stop," she said to Socks, who stopped. "What do you mean?" she asked Corec.

"Where's the bridle and reins? You can't ride like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because you can't control the horse that way!"

She looked puzzled. "He does everything I want him to."

"Even if you're controlling him with your legs and your seat, you can't do everything that way, and you'll want the reins to reinforce the commands."

"I'm not using my legs. I just tell him what I want him to do, and he does it. He doesn't like the bridle or bit."

"He's trained to voice commands?" While most horses would follow a few voice commands, Corec had always been taught that a rider shouldn't rely on them.

Shavala shrugged. "Socks, walk in a circle."

The horse walked around in a tight circle, which certainly wasn't a standard voice command.

"How did you do that?"

"Animals can understand what a druid says to them, if they're smart enough. Remember the wolf I mentioned the other night? I asked him to leave us alone, and he did."

"So, it's magic?"

"It's not a spell, but the elder magic is about more than just spells."

"How are you going to stop him if he gets spooked and runs away?"

"I'll ask him not to."

"Do you really think that's going to work?"

"If he can hear me, yes."

Corec sighed. "All right, but you still need to learn to use your legs and seat. It's as much for you as it is for him. If you have to go fast or turn quickly, you're going to need to grip him with your legs, and you don't want to grip him the wrong way or it'll conflict with...whatever you're telling him, and then he won't know which command to obey. Besides, there may be times when it's too loud for him to hear you, but if he can feel you on his back, you can still direct him."

"Oh. I see. Can you show me again?"

#

As they drew closer to Tyrsall, the road got busier, with people walking, riding, or driving wagons or carriages. Midday on the sixth day after leaving the village, they crested a rise and saw the city in distance.

Corec brought the group to a halt.

"Oh," Shavala said, bringing her horse to a halt. When he glanced at her, she was looking at the city in fear.

They were too far away to see individual buildings, but it was obvious that Tyrsall was massive. He still remembered his first view of it. He'd visited Telfort while he'd been training as a knight, but Tyrsall was even larger. The outskirts consisted of smaller hamlets that had gradually been absorbed into the city, and then farther in were larger industrial buildings and warehouses. It wasn't possible to see the city center or the harbor from this distance, but they added to the indistinct grayish-brown mass that spread before them.

He turned to Katrin. "We're an hour's ride away. We can go back to that last village, which will add another hour, or we can set up camp if you still want to stay outside the city. If we stay, this is as close as we can get—the constabulary sends out patrols to make sure people don't camp on the outskirts. And we'll need to keep watch all night, to make sure nobody steals the horses."

"I...don't know," Katrin said, running her fingers over the rune on her forehead. "Maybe just for the first day, while you try to find a wizard?"

Corec had given up on trying to conceal his runes after a few days without any success, but Katrin had kept practicing. She could do it with her eyes open now, but she still had to concentrate or the mark became visible again. Shavala hadn't shown any interest in hiding hers, though she'd replaced the hawk feather in her hair with three bluejay feathers tied to a leather cord, hanging down in front of her left ear.

"You could set up camp in that batch of trees we saw a mile back," Bobo suggested. "That way, you won't be right out in the open."

"That's a good idea," Corec said. "I'll come back tonight and let you know what I find out."

Shavala hadn't taken her eyes off the city. "How big is it?" she asked hesitantly. "It looks as big as the forest."

Corec laughed. "No, it would take almost two weeks to go through the full width of the forest. Tyrsall is about twenty-two miles north to south, so you could walk its longest distance in a day, even if the streets are busy."

If anything, hearing the actual size made her look more nervous. She stared at Tyrsall, biting her lip. "I'll stay here with Katrin. Just for today."

"What about you, Bobo?" Corec asked.

"By the time we get there, it'll be too late to get started in the library, but I should at least stop by and make sure they'll let me in. I can work on that while you're looking for a wizard."

"All right, let's get going then."

#

Three and a half hours later, Corec and Bobo reached the city center and split up, planning to meet after running their errands, so they could head back to the camp together.

It took Corec another thirty minutes to reach the constabulary building, and he went inside to the bounty office.

"I remember you," the man at the desk said. "Any luck with those thieves?"

"Not yet, but I think I saw the old man. The bounty's not worth chasing him down, but in case I can get him to come in willingly, what are their penalty fees?"

"Willingly? Good luck with that, but I'll check for you." The man pulled open one of the drawers and searched around, finally finding the paper he was looking for. "Here we go. Based on what they stole, the penalty's assessed at seven gold for each of them to avoid prison. But it still goes on their record, so if we catch them at it again, it'll be worse."

"Well, if I run into him, I'll let him know."

"If you bring him in yourself, you still get the bounty, even if he pays his penalty."

Corec nodded, then glanced at the other poster he was interested in. "I don't think the Herman brothers will be a problem anymore. It looked like them, anyway."

"Oh? You got any proof?"

"No, I was just letting you know. It looked like they tried to waylay someone who didn't want to be waylaid."

"I'll make a note of it, but I can't take down the poster without proof. It'll be good if someone's finally done them in."

Corec's next stop was the Senshall Trading Company's main office, since he hadn't found anyone at the western loading yard on the way into the city. Inside, he found the duty agent, a man named Cal, speaking with someone dressed in expensive clothing. Corec was waiting for them to finish, but Cal saw him.

"Corec! Jak wasn't too happy when you didn't show up. We weren't able to find a substitute in time, since he expected you to be there."

"I'm sorry—I had do something away from the city. I thought I'd be back in time, so I didn't take my name off the list, but then I got delayed. I just got into town today, but I don't think I'll be around for the next run, either."

"You miss two in a row, you're going to lose your reserved spot," Cal said.

"I know, but I can't help it. I've got to head out to Four Roads ahead of the next trip. I'll probably run into Jak on his way back, so he can yell at me then."

"Four Roads?" the other man asked, looking over Corec's armor and sword. "Heading through Dalewood? I've got a message going that way, and I'm looking for a runner. How long will it take you to get there?"

Corec thought about that. "Dalewood by the West Road is four hundred twenty miles. Figure ten or eleven days' ride, but I've got some things to take care of in Tyrsall first, so it would be a few days before I could leave."

"That's still faster than waiting for Jak or the next Larso run," the man said, "and you've got a good reputation, this little incident aside. I'm Varsin Senshall." He held out his hand, so Corec shook it.

The more successful family-run trading companies had given themselves family names, as if they were noble houses. Some of the families were wealthier than the lesser nobles, and held more influence, and the Senshall family was one of the wealthiest. Varsin was young, perhaps thirty, so he wasn't likely to hold much sway, but Corec would still need to stay on the man's good side if he wanted to keep working for the company.

He figured he should be polite. "It's nice to meet you."

"That family crest on your armor," Varsin said. "I don't recognize it."

"I'm from Larso. Corec Tarwen, third son of Lord Ansel, Baron of Tarwen, by way of his concubine." Corec rarely introduced himself formally, but he figured the man would take him more seriously that way. It seemed to work, and he could see Varsin's demeanor change.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Larso peerage," Varsin said.

Corec shrugged. "It's one of the smallest baronies in the kingdom. Not many people have heard of it out this way."

"Third son? I take it that's why you're working here?"

"Yes," Corec said, without elaborating. It felt strange enough talking about his family. He didn't want to go into detail about his past, too.

"You said you're heading to Four Roads, right? Going to Larso to answer the king's call?" Four Roads was in the free lands, but it lay on the most direct route to Larso.

"King's call?"

"King Marten has put out a call for mercenaries. You hadn't heard?"

Corec shook his head. "No. Why would he need mercenaries? Larso's not at war, and they've got a standing army, plus the Knights of Pallisur."

"I don't know," Varsin said, "but I wouldn't want to be one of the hillfolk right now. We're adjusting our caravan routes to try to keep away from any trouble."