Three Quest Deal (Tales of Former Dragons Book 1) (6 page)

Drakor woke at sunrise. He stood, stretched, and roused the others, and they ate a quick meal of the remaining bread.

Drakor asked Tess, “What lies between here and Melhorn?”

“After you get to the edge of the forest, there are two farms, more forest, another farm, and then we’ll be on the road to Melhorn.” Tess said. “We’ll have to stay off the road to avoid Lord Byron’s patrols. They’ll get suspicious that you’re not on horseback if they see your cloaks. Nobleman don’t walk in these parts. It’s too dangerous.”

The group made good time, and reached the edge of the forest by noon. They crossed both farms, taking nuts from the almond trees along the way and refilling their water skins from a barrel of fresh water by a shed. By mid-afternoon they had made it into the next forest.

“I don’t know about all of you, but I’m tired,” Tess said. She was sitting against the base of a small tree, leaning against its trunk.

“We can rest here,” Drakor said. “Toshen, can you hunt down a meal for us.”

Toshen nodded and motioned for Aesus to come with him. They disappeared into the forest.

“All of you sure move fast,” Tess said. “I can barely keep up.”

Xan looked at Tess. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one, I think.”

“You’re not sure?”

“I’ve lost track. It’s not important to me. What does it matter?”

“I’m surprised you don’t have more stamina for someone your age.”

Tess gave Xan an angry look. “Living on the road takes its toll. Unlike you nobles, I don’t get to sleep in a bed every night. Some days I go without food. If you were me, you wouldn’t have much stamina either.”

“But why choose this life? Why not do something else?”

“My parents died in a fire when I was six, and I was raised by my grandfather. I was sixteen when he came down with the madness. Lord Byron kicked us out of the castle and we didn’t have a place to live. A shopkeeper who knew my grandfather took pity on us and let me work in her shop. We lived in a small cottage in the back. I met Marcus when I was nineteen and he promised me a better life. He said things that made me feel special, so I ran away with him. I didn’t know he was a bandit until later.”

“But you continued to stay with him?”

“I—I didn’t want to go back to the life I had. I love my grandfather, but I can’t deal with him anymore. I still check on him, to make sure he’s all right, but I can’t be responsible for him. I just can’t.” She wiped a tear from her eye and looked away.

Xan opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. She walked over to Drakor.

Drakor smiled at Xan’s tense expression. “Is everything all right?”

“I think I said something wrong.”

Drakor turned his head to look at Tess. “Their ways are similar to ours, yet so different. They hunt. They mate. They protect their young, old, and weak. I used to think of them as pests. Now I’m one of them. It’ll take some time to learn what not to say.”

Toshen and Aesus returned with a young doe. Under Tess’s supervision, they cleaned the doe and cooked the meat over the fire. They didn’t talk much during their meal, and shortly thereafter they went to sleep.

By noon the next day they had reached the road to Melhorn. The dirt road weaved through grassy plains and hills.

“It’s best to keep our distance from the road,” Tess said. “Most people will just ignore us if they see us walking in the grass. Problem is, we’ll have to get on the road when we get to Cedar’s station. It’s the only way into the valley.”

“What’s at Cedar’s station?” Drakor asked.

“The patrols use the station to rest, and as a checkpoint to keep undesirables out of the valley.”

“Undesirables?”

“Bandits, squatters, vagabonds.”

“Can we go around the station?”

“Lord Byron built a high wall to prevent people from getting around it. There are guards on the wall to make sure people don’t try to climb over. If a guard sees you and sounds the alarm, there’ll be a group of men waiting for you on the other side.”

“How many guards are at the checkpoint?” Drakor asked.

Tess counted with her fingers. “Two at the pole. Two archers above, one on each side. Maybe four or five in the barracks at any one time. You’re not thinking of fighting your way through the checkpoint, are you?”

“No, that would be a bad idea. I’ll have to give it some thought.”

It was late afternoon when the group found a thicket large enough to hide in for the night. Toshen hadn’t seen any game the entire day, so there would be no hot meal. They had just enough dried fruit and dried meat for each person to have a palmful of food.

“We’ll need to find food and water tomorrow,” Xan told Drakor.

“Agreed,” he said. “How much longer before we get to Cedar’s station?”

“We should be there about mid-morning,” Tess said.

“Is there any place we can get food and water between here and there?”

“No,” Tess said. “There’s a fishmonger with a supply cart on the other side of the station. Do you have a plan for getting through the checkpoint?”

“You’ve been saying how odd it is we don’t have horses. So I think we say bandits attacked us and stole our horses.”

“That’ll probably work.”

The group rose at sunrise and walked from the thicket through the tall grass until they reached the road to Melhorn. They got a few curious looks from travelers and merchants they passed on their way to the checkpoint, but no one said anything to them.

Aesus walked next to Tess. “Do we really look out of place on the road without horses?”

Tess grinned. “I can see it in everyone’s faces. Not only are they asking themselves why you don’t have horses, but they’re also trying to figure out why you’re walking from whatever point you lost them to Melhorn. Noblemen would ask one of Lord Byron’s patrols to send a carriage.”

“And why wouldn’t we do that?”

“What?”

“Ask for a carriage?”

Tess frowned. “I guess we could have. I’m not used to thinking like a nobleman.”

Tess approached Drakor and repeated what she had told Aesus. “We need to come up with a more elaborate tale for a patrol or the checkpoint guards, and make sure everyone knows it.”

“What do you mean?” Drakor asked.

“How many bandits were there?”

“Uh… three?”

“So we were robbed of our horses by three bandits? And what weapons did they threaten us with?”

“Swords?”

Tess sighed. “That will never do.”

Tess gathered the group together, and they sat at the side of the road to come up with a better tale.

“They’re never going to believe we were held up by three bandits carrying swords,” Tess told Drakor. “What would scare you enough that you wouldn’t fight back?”

“Twenty archers?” Drakor asked.

Tess scowled. “You’re not very good at this, are you?”

Drakor shrugged.

“Anyone else?”

“Why don’t you come up with the tale?” Xan said.

“Me?” Tess pouted and thought for a minute. “How about this: We were riding along when we saw an injured man at the side of the road. A woman with him pleaded for us to help him. Lady Xan got off her horse to see how she could help. When she got close to the man, he jumped up, held a knife to her throat, and threatened to kill her if we didn’t hand over the horses.”

Toshen raised both of his eyebrows, nodded, and looked around at the others. “That sounds like a believable tale to me.”

“And then what happened?” Aesus asked.

“We handed over the horses. They took Lady Xan hostage, and then let her go farther down the road.”

Drakor nodded. “Very good, Tess. We’ll go with that tale.”

They reached the checkpoint mid-morning. A few carts were lined up in front of them, so they had time to take in their surroundings. Only four guards were visible at the gate: two on the ground at the pole, and two on the wall with bows. The guards on top of the wall were ten yards away on either side. The pole guards wore chainmail and tan tunics with the black silhouette of a flying hawk, and had short swords at their waists.

“Good day, my lords, my lady,” said the guard at the checkpoint. “Where are your horses?”

Drakor told the tale Tess had crafted for them.

The guard scowled. “Curse those bandits. We’ll catch them one of these days, and when we do, they’ll hang for their crimes.”

“I hope so too.”

“Why are you here? Is Lord Byron expecting you?”

“He isn’t expecting us. We’re on our way to Melhorn.”

“Melhorn is still two days’ walk on foot. Do you want me to send for a carriage?”

“That would be most kind of you. In the meantime, is there a place we can rest and get something to eat?”

“It’s not the cleanest, but you can rest in the barracks until the carriage arrives. If you’re hungry and you don’t mind eating fish, Joseph the fishmonger is a short way down the road. You can send your girl to fetch some fish.”

“We’ll do that,” Drakor said with a nod. “Thank you.”

The guard nodded. “Glad to be of service, my lord. I’ll send for the carriage right away.”

The barracks contained two long tables on one side and six beds on the other side. It was nothing fancy, but it was cleaner than the guard had described.

“That was too easy,” Aesus said. “They didn’t even ask any questions about the bandits. I wonder if they suspect something.”

“They’re just checkpoint guards,” Tess said. “They’re not very clever. Drakor sounded honest enough.”

“I find it fascinating,” Xan said, “that Drakor spoke so—so—what’s the word?”

“Properly,” Tess injected. “Like a nobleman, even though he says he’s not.”

“I don’t know why I speak the way I do, or any of us for that matter,” Drakor said. “It must have something to do with the transformation.”

“Transformation? What’s that?”

“You needn’t worry yourself about that. Toshen, Aesus, go with Tess and get the fish.”

Toshen nodded, and Aesus and Tess followed him out of the door.

Toshen, Aesus, and Tess returned a short time later with three cooked fish.

“Is this all the fish we could buy with Marcus’s gold?” Drakor asked.

“You need to keep some gold for inns and other expenses,” Tess said. “You can’t just spend it all on food.”

After Xan finished eating, she confided in Tess: “Now I know what it’s like to go without food. I’m still so hungry.”

Tess gave Xan a blank look, looked down at her fish, and took the last bite. “Just wait until you haven’t eaten for a week,” she said.

The carriage arrived at the checkpoint mid-afternoon, and they rode into Melhorn just before sunset. Shopkeepers were closing their shops and people were making their way home for the evening.

“We’d better get a room at the inn before nightfall,” Tess said. “We don’t want to be on the streets at night. We can look for my grandfather in the morning.”

The sun breaking through the bedroom window at the inn let the group know it was time to start their day. They consumed a breakfast of fresh bread and fruit, and headed out onto the busy streets of Melhorn.

Like most towns, Melhorn’s two-story homes and shops were of half-timber construction. Steep roofs anticipated heavy snow in winter. Black-painted timbers and white walls had been mandated to raise the town’s image by Lord Byron, whose modest-sized castle stood atop an outcropping of rocks nearby.

“Where to?” Drakor asked Tess as they stepped into the street.

“The first place we should check is the cottage behind the shop where I used to work,” Tess said. She pulled the hood of her cowl over her head. “Follow me.”

The others followed as she wove her way through the pedestrian traffic. Eventually, she stopped outside the door of a two-story building. “We’re here.”

Aesus noticed a wooden sign above the door with the engraved image of a spool of thread and a needle. “What do they sell here?”

Tess looked at the sign and gave Aesus a puzzled look. “It’s a tailoring shop. They sew and mend clothes here.”

“Oh,” Aesus said.             

Tess led them down an alley along the right side of the building. It opened to a courtyard before a small cottage. The cottage door was open, and a black cat with white paws was cleaning itself in the doorway. It darted away when Tess approached.

“I haven’t seen him in a week,” a female voice shouted from an open window in the back of the shop. The backdoor opened and an attractive middle-aged woman in an elaborately embroidered dress entered the courtyard.

“Greetings, Leanna,” Tess said.

Leanna eyed the former dragons, admiring their leather armor and cloaks, noting the fine gold needlepoint along its edges.

“Greetings, Tess. It’s been a few months.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Who are your friends?”

“Travelers from Shen,” Tess replied. “They’re just passing through.”

“It would be rude not to introduce us.”

Tess hesitated and looked at Aesus. Aesus glanced at Drakor, who made eye contact with Tess. Drakor nodded.

“This is Drakor, Xan, Toshen, and Aesus.”

“Where’s Shen?”

“East of Darvish,” Drakor replied. “Not many people have heard of it.”

Leanna raised an eyebrow. “East of Darvish you say? What brings you to Melhorn?”

“We’re merchants looking for goods to take back to sell.”

Leanna glanced at Drakor’s sword and Toshen’s bow. “Well-armed merchants from what I can see.”

“One can never be too careful in a foreign land,” Drakor said. “There are many dangers for newcomers.”

Leanna turned her attention to Tess. “Your grandfather became ill a few weeks ago. He has a tooth abscess, but refuses treatment from the alchemist. The abscess is the size of an apple and he’s feverish.”

“Do you know where he might be?” Tess asked with a worried look on her face.

“The last time I saw him, he was by the large fountain in the center of town. He was dipping a rag into the water and holding it up to his wound. You might want to check there.”

“Thank you, Leanna.”

“After you’ve taken care of your grandfather, please come by with your friends. I would like to learn more about Shen.”

Leanna glanced at Drakor and winked at him. Then she spun around and walked back into the shop.

Tess led the way through town to a large circular fountain. She didn’t see her grandfather, but she spotted a fruit seller she knew.

“Greetings, Cameron. Have you seen my grandfather?” Tess asked.

“Greetings, Tess,” Cameron said. “I’ve seen him, and he doesn’t look so good. He has a really bad abscess on the side of his face. Really bad.”

“Have you seen him recently?”

Cameron thought for a moment. “He was at the fountain day before last, cooling his face with the water. The town guards chased him away, saying he was tainting the fountain water.”

Tears welled in Tess’s eyes. She wiped them away with her hand and sniffled.

“But they weren’t mean to him,” Cameron added. “When your grandfather was well, he treated everyone with kindness. Everyone loved his tales of dragons and mages. No one would hurt him, you know that.”

Cameron looked all around to see if he could spot Tess’s grandfather. In the distance, he saw someone sitting in an alley, leaning against a building. He pointed to the man. “Is that him?”

Tess strained to look in between the people walking in front of her. “That could be him.”

She ran through the crowd, the others working to keep up with her.

“Grandfather!” Tess shouted as she got closer. She knelt by his side, her attention drawn to his swollen red cheek. “Grandfather, are you all right?”

The old man was unresponsive. His gray robe was torn, his face was covered in sweat, and he was filthy from head to toe. He had once been known as Master Sage Garon. Now he was known to the residents of Melhorn as Garon the madman.

The former dragons gathered around.

“Is he alive?” Aesus asked.

Tess reached out with her hand to touch Garon, but hesitated. A tear streaked down her cheek as she thought of him in better times, before the madness took over his life. She gently put her hand on his shoulder and lightly shook him. “Grandfather.”

Garon moved his head and groaned. He raised his hand to reach for his cheek, but his hand fell back to his side.

Toshen saw a man standing outside the alley watching them. He walked up to him, blocking his view. “There’s nothing for you to see here,” he said shooing the man. “Be on your way.” Toshen remained at the entrance of the alley to prevent others from observing the activity happening behind him.

Tess looked at the others and wiped the tears from her face. “We have to get him to the alchemist.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Xan said. She raised her hand and whispered the words of a healing spell.

Garon’s abscess slowly shrank, the redness faded, and within a minute it was completely gone. His eyes blinked rapidly for a few seconds, and then he fully opened them. When he saw his granddaughter’s face, he smiled. “Tessandra?”

Tess’s eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth. She stared at Xan for a moment, and then looked back at her grandfather. “Do you know who I am?”

“What a ridiculous question,” Garon said. “Why would I not recognize my own granddaughter?” He looked down at himself and his blackened hands. “Good heavens, I’m filthy. What’s happened to me?”

Garon looked at Tess and noticed something odd. “You’re my Tessandra, aren’t you? But you’re much older than I remember you. How is that possible?”

“Yes, I’m your granddaughter,” Tess said, crying again, but this time they were tears of joy. “You became ill with the talking madness when I was sixteen. I’m twenty-one now.”

“Five years,” Garon whispered with a blank stare on his face.

Drakor leaned close to Tess and whispered, “Ask him.”

Tess scowled at Drakor, but turned to Garon and said in a calm and soothing voice, “Grandfather, I need to ask you a question.”

“Yes, my child,” Garon said. “What do you need to know?”

“Do you know where mage Verick’s tower is?”

Garon looked at the ground and scratched his head. “Mage Verick. Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.” He squinted. “Mage Verick’s tower is in… Oh, I don’t remember.”

“Take your time, Grandfather. I’m sure you must know where it is. Remember when—”

“Greffenvale. It’s in Greffenvale. I’m sure of it.”

Tess looked up a Drakor, just as he motioned with his head for her to leave.

“I just can’t leave him here,” Tess blurted out.

Not having previously noticed the others around him, Garon looked up now and took note of Tess’s companions.

Aesus reached down and pulled Tess up by her upper arm. “We’re leaving.”

Tess glared at Aesus, stomped her foot, and shoved him. But then she turned and said with tears in her eyes, “Goodbye, Grandfather.”

“Wait,” Garon said, trying to get up.

Drakor pushed down on Garon’s shoulder. “Just stay there. You can get up after we leave. Seek out Cameron the fruit seller. He’ll help you.”

Xan walked next to Tess as the group headed back toward the inn. “Your grandfather will be all right,” she said. “His abscess is healed, and he no longer has the talking madness. When your time with us is over, you can reunite with him.”

“You’re a spellcaster too, aren’t you?” said Tess. “Thank you for healing my grandfather.”