Chapter One
The air is nice and cool tonight. I can smell the sweet scent of incoming rain as I silently walk through the forested mountain pass. The stars are barely visible in the upcoming storm. I have my hood on, shielding me from the chill the growing fog creates. I can hear crickets and rustling in the woods surrounding me, which brings me some comfort. If there was a predator, there would be near silence.
My feet step in the soft earth as I keep my ears open, listening for any change of pattern in the noise around me. The only plan I have for today is to get to an inn and rest until the upcoming storm passes. If all continues to plan, in two days, I’ll reach the capitol and will be able to finally buy new supplies. My boots are wearing in the sole, and my bow string is starting to fray. Some more arrows wouldn’t hurt either. I also need a wet stone. Food would be nice if I have any money left. It looks like it’s time to look at a Bounty Board again.
A few hours later the rain has started, and I have reached a sleeping town. It’s small and is mostly a farming village. There is a blacksmith, market, an inn, the town doctor, and a small diner. This one is small enough that there isn’t even a school.
When I walk into the inn, it is dark with only a lantern lit by the desk, barely highlighting the stairs next to it. The desk remains empty, but a bell is placed for me to ring for assistance, according to the note anyway.
I pick up the tin bell and ring it as quietly as I can, seeing that there are three other names on the guestbook. Nathaniel Grey, Alorin Rand, Gabrielle Divin. Hopefully the bell won’t wake them, since I personally know Nathaniel. He’s mean when he gets no sleep. I wonder why he’s this far north. He’s usually in the southern regions, where it’s hot. The only thing I can think of, is that he’s heading to the capitol to pay his taxes.
A grumbling innkeeper coming from the room behind the desk pulls me from my train of thought. He’s slightly hunched over and extremely tired looking. Without a word, I put the requested amount of 6 Quoaran on the desk. He blinks at the colorful paper then hands me a key before grunting and pointing upstairs. I sign my favorite fake name, Alania Une, in the guestbook then head upstairs to my room.
The room is dark, but that’s how I like it. I drop my stuff on the floor, feel around for a chair, jam it under the doorknob after I find it, then proceed to stumble into the bed. My body is exhausted enough that I fall asleep in my wet cloak.
When I wake, I find the room is just barely lit by the rising sun. The chair I had jammed in front of the door is white, and so is a small dresser with a bowl of water placed on it. There is a small fireplace I could have taken advantage of, but too late now. I slowly stand up and grab my bag. I pull out some polishing supplies before dumping them back in there. There is no point in cleaning my boots if I’m going to buy a new pair soon.
I decide to just leave at that point. No point in bathing either, especially if I’m going to be walking for another two days. Maybe I should invest in another horse. It’s been six months since Amber was shot by raiders. I’ve since avenged her death, but I still haven’t moved on.
After using the washing basin to clean my personal areas, I grab my bag, throw on my hood, and trudge out the door. As I approach the stairs I hear yelling. I hesitate at the head of the stairs and listen to the noise.
“Where are your visitors log from last night?” A man demands. “How many did you have old man, and where are they?”
“I don’t know.” The inn keeper grumbles. “There were two male visitors, and two females. The last one joined only a few hours ago and may still be sleeping. Did ya check their rooms?” I bite my lip to keep in my laugh. Someone woke up in a bad mood this morning.
“Who were they?” The demanding one snaps.
“Look, I don’t know. They stole my registry this morning then left.”
“You better tell me who. Three of those four are wanted by the king for questioning, so you better tell me.” I groan internally. What did Nate do now?
“Well if y’all had told me that, that might have changed my answer.” The innkeeper snaps. “Oh wait, no it wouldn’t. The varmints stole the registry.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
I roll my eyes; this is going to go on for a while. I decide to walk down the stairs, pretending to not notice the rather loud scene below me. When I reach the bottom of the stairs, they still haven’t noticed me. I must be light on my feet for them not to notice. I lock eyes with the innkeeper and he widens his eyes at me, telling me to silently leave. I give him a curious look, shrug, then head towards the door, making him physically relax.
When I reach the walking path I decide it best to stay in the woods. If the guards are looking at the inns for Nate and his other two sidekicks, then I’m going to stay far far away from it. Nate has a history of getting the king’s attention. It’s one of the reasons he stays in the south. So if he’s involved, it’s nothing good.
After walking ten hours, I hear people arguing, forcing me to pause. Am I about to set foot into a raider camp, or are they angry travelers? It’s the next sentence that I get my answer.
“Look, if we keep heading towards the capitol, we’re going to get more attention. We need to go around.” A man with a deep voice snarls.
“But the capitol is where we’re to meet our contact.” Another male snaps.
“Would you two just stop?” A woman snaps.
“Enough out of you!” The two men shoot back together.
The man with a deeper voice continues. “You’re the reason we’re in this mess. You just had to get involved, didn’t you? You just had to take something that wasn’t yours.”
“Hey, leave her alone. If she hadn’t, we could be in a lot more danger than we are in now. Now you meat twat, we need to-” I hear the sound of someone being punched.
I roll my eyes. Men.
