Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two (72 page)

“Did it come to blows?”

“Nearly.”

James laughed then dunked his head
under the water to scrub his hair. Coming up, he wiped the water
from his eyes and then leaned back until only his head was above
the surface. His eyes closed and he laid there allowing the heated
water to absorb his aches and pains.

All too soon the water cooled and he
was forced to get out. After donning the robe, he walked to the
window and gazed out. All he saw was the road where it entered the
area illuminated by the light coming through the inn’s windows.
Hopefully tomorrow the others will arrive and they can continue on
to Meliana and Kenny.

He was almost asleep when they came to
drain the tubs then hauled them away. Their serving girl took their
clothes, vowing to take care of them and to have them returned
clean in the morning.

James didn’t even get off the bed. And
once they were gone, he blew out the candle and went to
sleep.

In the morning, true to her word,
their clothes arrived with their breakfast; clean, dry, and neatly
folded. They had moved the small table to beneath the window so
they could keep an eye on the road as they ate. A few riders and a
long caravan entered the road from the caravansary just outside of
town. One farmer with a heavily laden, covered wagon came from the
wilds. Of their friends, there was no sign.

“Be surprised to see them today in any
event,” Miko said.

“One can hope. Jiron will not allow
them to tarry overlong. He is anxious to see Aleya again and let
her know that he and Jira are alive and well.”

Finishing the last of the eggs,
onions, and tuber medley, James sat back in sated satisfaction.
“How would you propose we find that priest of Asran Brother Willim
mentioned?”

“Apparently he frequents taverns at
night,” James replied. “According to Brother Willim, we’ll find
Brother Martin in one after dark.”

“If he is in Zixtyn.”

“True enough.”

They dressed and James reveled in the
feel of freshly laundered clothes. Slinging their packs over their
shoulders, they headed downstairs and informed the staff they would
stay another night. Once outside, they made the rounds of the local
taverns and inns to both discover if Jiron and the others had
arrived, and if any were the haunt of the priest of
Asran.

As noon rolled around, they figured
Jiron’s group had yet to arrive. No one had heard of them. As for
Brother Martin, every barkeep knew of Asran’s priest. Seemed he was
a regular at several.

“Yeah, I know Brother
Martin,” the barkeep of the
Cracked
Flagon
said. “He comes in here a couple
times a week and drinks three ales, no more-no less, then
leaves.”

“Think he will be here tonight?” Miko
asked.

The barkeep shrugged. “He hasn’t been
for several nights, so maybe.”

“Any idea where he might be
now?”

Eyeing him meaningfully, the barkeep
said, “Might.”

James knew when someone was fishing
for a bribe; he pulled out four coppers and laid them on the
counter.

The barkeep looked less than
pleased.

He added a silver.

“Try
The Blooming Hedge
,” the barkeep said
as he scooped up the coins. “It’s one of those flowery places women
and gardeners go. He’s mentioned it a time or two.”

“Where can we find it?”

Jerking a thumb toward the back of the
tavern, he said, “Three streets that way. Can’t miss it. Look for
all the flowers.”

“My thanks,” Miko replied.

“If you want to thank me, come back in
tonight. Business has been bad.”

They left without replying.

“A flowery place, huh?” James mused.
“Seems the kind of place a priest of Asran would hang out
in.”

“Most definitely.”

Heading in the direction the barkeep
indicated, they came to the third street and didn’t immediately spy
the shop. Then a lady leading two porters burdened by potted plants
approached from the right.

“Must be that way,” James said and
turned in that direction.

Two blocks later and a flowering, vine
covered doorway appeared across the street.

“See anything familiar?” James
asked.

Miko nodded. “The vines
from the
Waste
.”
Tendrils of
leafy vines bearing a white
flower with three yellow stalks growing from the center hung
thickly along the doorframe and trailed along the walls adjoining
it.

Starting for the door, James suddenly
paused.

“What is it?” Miko asked.

“How are they growing?” He turned to
Miko. “If they feed on radiation, and die in its absence, how can
they prosper here in a place without radiation?”

“There may be more to them than
Brother Willim let on.”

“Or knew,” James added. “Either way, I
really don’t care. Let’s find this priest, tell him what we know,
and get back to the inn.”

They entered
The Blooming Hedge
.
Several ladies stood in a semi-circle around a man holding a potted
plant with beautiful red blossoms.

“…
sure to keep the soil
moist, but not damp,” the man was saying. “Also, keep in mind that
as it grows you will need to trim it regularly or it will stop
blossoming on its lower branches. Once that happens, it is very
hard to get them back.”

“Are you sure this will grow in a
partly shaded area?”

“It does best in an area that gets sun
either in the afternoon or morning but not both. All day sun will
cause it to wilt during the hotter days.”

The man glanced up as they entered. He
set the plant down on a nearby counter. “If you will excuse me
ladies, I have others in need of my help.”

“Thank you for all your advice,
Brother Martin.”

Taking the lady’s hand, he saluted it
as a gentleman should, then said, “It was my pleasure.”

“Will you be back tomorrow?” another
asked.

“Quite possibly. Until then, I bid you
a fond farewell.”

Leaving the ladies to chat among
themselves, he approached James and Miko.

“So, you’re a
Gardener,
aren’t you?” he
asked, gazing directly at James.

“I’ve been told that,” James replied,
then asked, “You know who I am?”

The priest nodded. “A mutual friend
sent word you might drop by.”

“How?”

“We have our ways. Now, let’s go
somewhere we can talk comfortably, preferably over a noon
meal.”

“Okay.”

“Excellent. I know a place not far
from here where they serve the most delectable duck.”

James gestured for him to lead the
way. “Sounds good.”

Brother Martin grinned. “Tastes good,
too.”

He took them nearly halfway
across town before coming to
The Saucy
Saucer
. A cut above the other eateries in
town, it catered to a much more distinguished clientele.

“This place must be expensive,” James
mused as he took in how the servers were dressed in fine clothes
and art adorned the walls. Cloth covered the tables, and those at
the tables, were not the average riff-raff one finds in a public
tavern. Instead, they were tradesmen, nobility, and others of
means.

“Ah, Brother Martin,” a sharp dressed
man greeted as he approached. “I see we have friends
today.”

“That I do,” he replied. “I do beg
your pardon for such short notice, but is my table
available?”

“As it happens, it is. If you will
follow me?”

The table in question sat near the
back of the room in a corner next to a large window, perfect for
viewing the hustle and bustle of city life. As they sat, the man
asked, “Can I interest any of you in a glass of wine?”

“Do you still have more of the Wynhym
pressings?” Brother Martin asked.

“Several bottles yet.”

“We’ll take one.”

“Very good. And for your
meal?”

“My usual, and make it for
three.”

“Roast Duck it is.” He took in James
and Miko. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No,” James replied. “The wine and
food will be fine.”

“I shall be back in a moment, please
excuse me.”

James watched him leave. “Nice
fellow.”

“Yes he is. I come here
often.”

“I can see why,” Miko said, picking up
the linen napkin sitting before him.

Brother Martin nodded then
turned to James. “So, tell me about the
Waste
. Did you really make it to the
heart?”

“Yes, to the very ruins of Ith-Zirul
itself.”

“Fascinating. Wish I could have been
there.”

James related their experience with
the stalkers, the transportation tubes, and finally the creature in
the pit itself. Brother Martin asked many questions and they
answered as best they could. He was most interested in the
radiation suits and the fact that lead blocks radiation.

“I did not know that. Such information
will assuredly be helpful.”

He also mentioned the shimmering field
and asked Brother Martin if he had seen it.

“Once. It scared me something
awful.”

“How so?” Miko asked.

“It traveled across the sky, like you
said, and encountered a flock of birds.”

At that time the wine arrived with
three glasses. Their server opened the bottle, offered Brother
Martin the cork for his approval. When the priest nodded, the
server poured a little in each of the glasses.

“The duck will be ready in not too
long.”

“Very good,” the priest
said.

When the server left, James said, “You
mentioned birds?”

“That’s right. That shimmering field
as you call it moved speedily across the sky. A flock of birds flew
straight into it.”

“And?”

“And as soon as the birds entered it,
they seemed to grow confused. Instead of moving as one, they flew
in all directions; some colliding. Then almost as one, they
plummeted to the ground.”

He paused to sip his wine and gauge
how his tale was being taken by those listening. When it looked
like he was being believed, he continued.

“I hurried over to where the birds
fell. The field was long gone by the time I arrived. Birds by the
hundred flapped upon the ground.”

“What happened to them?”

Brother Martin turned to James. “I
don’t know. I tried to help them, truly I did but something was
wrong with them, something I had never encountered before.” He took
another sip. “Despite my efforts, the birds grew still and they
soon died. All of them.

“I’ve never heard of anything like
that before. Nor has there been an affliction in beast or bird that
I could not overcome…until now.”

“That is terrible,” Miko said
sadly.

“Yes,” Brother Martin agreed. “It is.”
His gaze settled on the wine glass in his hand as his mind went
back to that day.

“We’ve been hounded by the shimmering
field for a while now,” James said. Then when the priest raised his
gaze from the glass to him, he added, “It would seem it is
attracted to magic.”

“But it did nothing when I tried to
save the birds.”

“It is not attracted to priestly
magic,” Miko explained. “Only that of a mage.”

“Curious.”

“Indeed.”

“Priestly magic comes from the gods,”
Brother Martin said. “A mage gets his from the world around
him.”

“Exactly,” James agreed. “Yet we
haven’t figured out why it makes that distinction.”

“I shall pass on this information and
perhaps an answer can be found. But until then,” he pulled off a
leg and took a bite, “let us enjoy this duck.”

After the meal they said goodbye to
Brother Martin and headed back to their inn via a bakery where they
bought a dozen fresh-from-the-oven tarts. Once there, they settled
in and waited for the others to arrive.

It wasn’t until late afternoon of the
next day that the others finally arrived.

James was perched by the window
overlooking the road when he saw them approach the
outskirts.

“Finally,” he said.

Miko popped up from the bed where he
had been lying and hurried to the window. “Looks like they are all
there.”

“I was worried about that,” James
said.

They went downstairs and stood on the
front porch of the inn. Though Tinok and Shorty were in the lead,
it was Jira who first saw them.