The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (18 page)

He gave her a long look. “You have to understand my position. I don’t normally allow people to root around in other people’s homes, especially outsiders.” He paused and waited to see if either of them was going to protest before he continued. “Before it’s too late, huh? Does this have anything to do with the rumors coming from up north?”

Liniana looked surprised by the news. She shifted a quick look to Tirene. “It very well might. What news have you heard from the north?”

His eyes grew large. “You mean you haven’t heard what happened in Korloth?” Both of them shook their heads. “Minotaurs and wizards attacked the city. The town fell, and all of the people in power have since been killed. I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t heard of it.” He eyed them each in turn.

Tirene took this time to speak up. “We’ve been traveling for almost a month now, and our last stop was over a week ago.” He stared into the hard eyes of the magistrate. “This is very disturbing to hear, and makes it even more imperative we locate Norlun. Any assistance you can offer us would be much appreciated.”

Rawlin scratched his wispy mustache as he pondered their request. “While I understand your position and the urgency of reaching Norlun, I can’t allow you to enter his home.”

Tirene stepped forward to plead his case. “Rawlin, I see where you’re coming from as well, and normally I wouldn’t request something as absurd as this, but time is something we don’t have.” He looked back at Liniana who nodded her head in agreement. “What if I told you the lady I travel with is Liniana, the daughter-heir of Havenbrook, would you reconsider?”

Rawlin stood as he studied Liniana. He bowed his head before he spoke. “I knew you looked familiar, my lady. I can see your father in you.” He sat down before continuing. “However, I still can’t allow you to enter his home. I’m sorry.” He offered a grim nod.

Tirene and Liniana both cast their faces downward, not even attempting to hide their disappointment.

Rawlin saw the disheartened looks and offered more. “He has a home on the other side of the Ruvenka Mountains, and if he wasn't headed to Havenbrook, that’s where I would expect to find him. The home is northeast of Ferrindale. I’ve never been there myself, but this is what I’ve noticed after his many years of residence here. I hope it helps ya.”

Liniana stepped forward. “I thank you for the additional information, and respect your wishes to protect your citizens. Thank you for your time.” She bowed her head.

He bowed his head back. “I wish I could help more.”

Tirene hooked his arm through Liniana's. “Thank you, Rawlin.” They walked out of the office, and back to the inn.

They surveyed the dining hall to see if Jaeden and Matt were enjoying ale. When they couldn’t find them, they went upstairs and knocked on their door. Jaeden opened it and they both walked inside. Tirene wasted no time explaining their new plans and waited to see what the others thought.

Jaeden didn’t like the idea. “I don’t understand why this old man is so important. You have great abilities, and the more you use them, the more new ones make themselves known.” He looked intently at each of them. “If the rumors can be believed, wouldn't we be better served riding up north to protect people from the invading force that has taken Korloth?”

Tirene opened his mouth to answer, but Matt interjected. “I think their plan is a sound one. When Norlun sent us out after the artifact, he talked about consulting with the Elves to see about keeping it safe. We didn’t think anything of it because he rambles on about one thing or another, but now it makes sense.” He turned to face Jaeden. “Besides, it would take us months to reach Korloth. By the time we arrived, this menace will have moved on.” He turned back to face Tirene and Liniana. “I think you’re following the appropriate plan. We need to find Norlun to see if he can help you, and even if he can’t, he’s a seer and can maybe instruct us as to where the invasion force might be headed next.”

Tirene considered and nodded his approval. “I agree. We don’t need to chase after phantoms.” He leveled his gaze on Jaeden. “I don’t think the four of us could do much to assist the fight anyway. If we could determine where they’re headed, we can hopefully beat them there. On the way, we could try to organize an army and send word via pigeon to tell the town to do the same. Rushing out to face an unknown force is never a wise decision.”

Jaeden frowned. “This is a waste of time, and our skills could help.” He paused, sighing. “I told you I would follow you and learn from you, though.”  He looked frustrated as he turned to focus on Tirene. “Just know I don’t agree with the decision.”

Tirene stood. “Get your rest. We’ll set out at daybreak.” He told Liniana to give Jaeden some coins. “See to it our provisions are restocked.” He walked out of the room to see to his own to rest and preparation.

Tirene woke early and headed to the stables in his traveling clothes to ensure the horses were prepared. With the events of the past few days, he now wore his breastplate, prepared for any trouble they may find. He felt the cool morning air. The sun had just started to peek over the horizon. Finding one of the stable boys sleeping in the livery, he woke him up and ordered him to prepare the horses.

With the grooms hard at work, he walked back to the inn to rouse the others. The common room sat empty, but he spotted Liniana sitting at a table enjoying some hot tea and biscuits. He walked over and sat opposite her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

She gave him a smile and replied, “Feel free. The biscuits are very tasty.” She swallowed hard and took a sip of her tea. “And the tea has a hint of honey that is just delightful.” He stared at her beauty, even in the morning hours of the day she captivated his attention.

He returned her smile as he looked for a wench, but there appeared to be only one working at this time of the morning. She carried clean glasses on a tray, when she spotted Tirene, she made her way over to them, taking his small order.

Once she headed back to the kitchen, Tirene turned to Liniana and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

She smiled again. “I don’t know if I would say that I slept well.” She chuckled. “Something about this whole situation doesn’t feel right. You know what I mean?”

“I do.” He paused. “I mean, Norlun sent the thieves after the orb, ordering them to retrieve it at all costs, but when we arrived he had been gone for well over a week.” He stared at her. “Why send those fools on this errand, trusting them with something so powerful, if you’re just going to run away and not be available to ensure it’s secured? Something just doesn’t add up.”

She nodded her agreement. “And now we’re forced to chase him even farther. I can only hope the magistrate is correct about where he’s headed.”

“We’ll find out before too long.” He waited while this registered and watched in amusement as a look of surprise crossed her face. “I think if he sought passage through the Ruvenka Mountains, he would use his friendship with the Ironhammer Dwarves to his advantage. I intend to approach them and see if we can seek a council.” She opened her mouth to offer her opinions, but he pressed on. “I know they’re not friendly with Humans, but I think it’s our best chance. And if we let them know who you are, it will only help our cause. We can ask them if Norlun passed through and we’ll know, right off, if we’re headed in the correct direction.” His expression showed her how proud he was of his idea. The biscuits and tea had arrived and he thanked the serving girl. “If he didn’t pass through, well then we’ll know we only wasted a couple of weeks and we can come up with another plan.” He took a long draw from his hot tea. “Either way, I think it’s what we have to do.”

She finished her last biscuit, picked at the crumbs on her plate, and stared at him. Dark bags had blossomed beneath both of his eyes. “I guess you didn’t sleep very well last night either.” She took a drink of her own tea before she continued. “It’s unfortunate. I wanted to return to Havenbrook to find out more of the events up north. I don’t like it all.”

She stood and departed to check on the horses. He stood as she dismissed herself, and watched her leave when Matt and Jaeden walked into the room. They spotted him, as the only one seated in the dining hall, and walked in his direction.

Matt and Jaeden grabbed some breakfast, then they left the inn and headed for the stables to meet Liniana. They rounded the corner and saw her already mounted on her horse. The grooms finished loading of the rest of their effects. She turned to them plain faced and said, “It’s about time. Get mounted so we can be on our way. The sun has crested the horizon.”

Back on the trail, they settled into their familiar routine. Matt rode up next to Jaeden. He could tell the boy had eaten too much breakfast and he looked miserable. “You know, if you keep eating that way, you won’t stand a chance against me in combat.” He said while snickering.

Jaeden grinned. “I just have to do my part to even out the odds.” They both laughed. They continued to banter back and forth with one another.

The north road took them through lush thick forests that encroached on the road all around them. He noticed the deep ruts and wear from the many wagons using this path for years. They looked as if they would turn into small rivers if a large enough rainstorm came through. A small river to their east followed the path and they could see where the rolling hills, natural for the area, grew larger. Soon they would be at the base of the Ruvenka Mountains. He hoped they would reach the mountain range before the sun moved too far to the east. It would be nice when they reached the mountains, to have the shade they provided.

Tirene noticed a family of beavers hard at work fortifying a dam. This brought him to thoughts of how easy it would be to live the life of a simple creature like a beaver. None of the nonsense surrounding him would even exist. To only worry about procreating, eating, sleeping, and building a home;
how simple a life it would be indeed
. These thoughts continued as they passed the clearing and once again thick pine trees surrounded them. He could no longer see the dam, and looked to the sky. Birds filled the air all around them and they bickered with one another. He spotted an eagle off in the distance, circling and stalking its prey before it went in for the kill. He heard a steady rumble ahead of him which redirected his attention to the road. A wagon approached from the other direction. Two men drove the wagon, led by four horses. One of the men looked older than the other, presumably a father and son. Hay had been stacked high on the wagon and the occupants seemed very friendly, waving as they passed by.

The heat grew unbearable, evident by the amount of sweat beading on each of their faces, and the sun hadn’t even reached its pinnacle yet. Liniana led them to the side of the road and dismounted her horse. “This is a good place to stop and take a break, wouldn’t you agree?”

Tirene nodded his head and likewise dismounted his horse. They all led their horses to the river, let them drink water, and graze at the thick, green grass creeping up to the edge of the river. With the horses settled, they found a small clearing between the pine trees and settled down for their lunch. Liniana took a share of food and walked off into the distance where she sat on a rock. Tirene grabbed his share of the food and tried to follow her, but she thwarted his attempts.

He accepted she didn’t want to speak, and walked back over to join Matt and Jaeden, who sat deep in conversation. Jaeden stuffed meat and bread into his mouth while he listened to Matt. Tirene sat down with his back to a tree near the others and listened in on the end of their conversation.

Tirene realized they caught him eaves dropping. “What were you guys talking about?”

Matt spoke up because Jaeden had his mouth full. “He asked about my fighting techniques because I use daggers. I can fight with a sword, don’t get me wrong, but daggers are so much easier to conceal. I can launch an attack before my foe realizes I’m an enemy. I showed him the pouches I’ve sewn into my jacket where I conceal my knives. I wanted to show him how I use them after we finished lunch.” He looked at Tirene. “That is of course, if it’s all right with you.”

Jaeden looked at Tirene. “I suppose the boy should be well versed in all forms of combat if he’s going to be of any use to us. Feel free to instruct him.” Tirene looked forward to a few nights off from the constant training he had been putting the boy through, and smiled at the thought. “I would like to look on, if it’s okay with you.”

Matt nodded his head. “Of course. Maybe then you could see where I might be useful.” A grin stretched across his face.

They finished their lunch and Matt instructed Jaeden to pull out his sword. He told him to try to attack him. Jaeden looked at Tirene who gave him a nod to go ahead. The boy ran the different poses Tirene had taught him through his head. He decided on a technique and started toward Matt. He swung his sword, but Matt’s movements were too quick and agile, he dodged the strike and countered with both of his daggers. He swung each one hilt first into Jaeden's chest. If they had been fighting, Jaeden would already be dead. He ordered Jaeden to reset and try again. The boy clutched the spots where Matt had hit him—no doubt, bruises were already developing. While Matt didn’t use the blade's edge to attack the boy, he also didn’t hold any strength back from his blows.

This continued for a little less than half an hour. Jaeden struggled to catch his breath and already had bruises forming up and down his arms. After another defeat, Tirene noticed Liniana approaching them, and said, “That’s enough. Well done, Matt. I have to say I’m impressed.” Matt smiled back at him. “And Jaeden, I noticed improvement on your end as well. Even if you didn’t land a decent blow, you were anticipating more of his nimble attacks. Well done to you too.” The boy nodded, rubbing some of the darker bruises beginning to appear on his arms. “Although I know it doesn’t do much to ease your pains.” Tirene and Matt both laughed at this.

Liniana strode up to them. “Is battle all you can think of?” She shot an accusatory glare to each of them. “I can understand being prepared, but there is more to life, you know.” They all kept quiet, afraid to anger her more and unsure where the outburst came from. She glanced at the horses. “I think it’s time we were back on the road.” She walked off and moved toward her horse.

Matt and Jaeden both chuckled to each other, while Tirene shrugged. They caught up to her and mounted their own horses, making their way back to the road and headed north.

The trees in this area grew far taller than they were used to, and the rolling hills of the morning gave way to sharper, rockier hills. Less tall grass grew on the hills because of the rocky terrain. Thick moss that crept across the land replaced the lush grass of the hills. The taller trees were a welcome relief, providing shade that kept the travelers out of the direct sun. Tirene had darker skin, as did Matt, but Jaeden and Liniana's skin had blistered from the sunburn they each had accumulated in the last couple of weeks. The shade did nothing, however, for the thick, humid heat, but felt nice nonetheless.

They continued for much of the afternoon, and Liniana’s mood still hadn’t changed. Matt and Jaeden talked so much, it seemed hard to tune out at times. Jaeden wanted to know more from Matt, curious about the different ways he had so easily countered all of Jaeden's attacks. The way they squabbled with one another seemed rather similar to the way two brothers acted.

As they approached the evening hours, they spotted an old dilapidated wagon on the side of the road. Not wanting to leave anyone in need of aid, they pulled over to see if they could lend assistance. They had just dismounted their horses at the rear of the wagon, when a short, fat Goblin rounded the front. He yelled out to them.

“Who be thar? I be havin' nothin' worthwhile for any of ya to be takin'.”

Tirene shuddered at the sight of the creature. He pulled the others close. “He’s a Goblin. Be wary, they are known for their treachery.” Matt rolled his eyes, but Jaeden and Liniana nodded in acceptance.

“No need to worry my Goblin friend, we won’t try to rob you.” He looked the creature up and down. “We’re just here to offer our assistance, since you seem to be in need. What seems to be your trouble?”

He walked over to them, studying each in turn. “It be the axle I think. I heard a loud crack and the wagon be not wantin' to move now.”

Tirene walked around and inspected it. Only one horse was hitched, which seemed a little strange for a wagon of this size. He looked at the Goblin and asked, “Which axle do you think it is? The front or the rear?”

The Goblin eyed Tirene and said, “It be the front axle I be thinkin'.”

Liniana felt uneasy at their current situation and asked, “Are you alone, or is someone else with you?” She knew Goblins rarely traveled alone, making her more apprehensive.

The Goblin looked around. “No, it be just me. Ma brother be ridin' with me, but he got sick and died a couple weeks ago.” He looked down at his feet. “I be alone ever since, to make my way to Carlith. The other horse died right after ma brother, which be makin' ma travels slow.” He looked the group over, staring long at Tirene. “Say, that be a nice sword ye be havin'. You some kind of soldier?”

Tirene crawled on the ground to look at the under carriage. After inspecting the axle he stood and turned to the Goblin. “Thank you. And yes, I’m a soldier. The axle is broken. I don’t think we can be of much help to you. When we get to Carlith we can send a smithy to fix your wagon.” He walked toward his companions when an arrow came out of nowhere, sinking into his left arm, and spinning him around from the impact.

He drew his sword, ready to strike at the Goblin, who now brandished his own bastard sword. Before Jaeden and Liniana had their weapons drawn, Matt had a dagger in each hand, running into the forest toward where the arrow had flown from.             

Tirene lunged toward the Goblin, positioning himself between it and the mysterious attacker. He grimaced at the pain in his arm when he outstretched his weapon. Another arrow shot out from the forest and struck through the Goblin's neck. His eyes bulged before he fell over in pain, blood billowing out of the fresh wound.

The creature fell to the ground and struggled toward death while Jaeden and Liniana focused their attention on the woods, trying to spot the other. Tirene's arm throbbed and he dropped his sword. His chest tightened as he lifted his arm to get a better view of the wound. He snapped the shaft below the arrowhead and pulled the remaining arrow free, spilling blood around him. The area around the wound looked pale white and he could see his veins pulsing. The veins should’ve been blue, but he could see they were green. He watched as the green spread throughout his arm wherever the blood flowed. It spread throughout his body and his chest tightened.