Border Crossing part 1
This is part one of the Border Crossing Story:
“Explain why I’m not allowed to use my own sword,” Dana Illwind said. She raised her right arm, wrapped in a thick layer of cotton, and added, “And this is extra ridiculous.”
“Both measures are for good reasons,” Jayden promised as he wrapped cotton around her other arm and tied it in place. He stepped back to study his work. “There now, nice and snug, and unlikely to injure yourself.”
“I’ve done some impressive stuff in the last few months, and you’ve got me wrapped up like a mummy.”
“Mummy wrappings are thinner, dirtier, smellier and frequently contain noxious parasites,” Jayden replied.
“Missing the point entirely!”
The morning had started well before degenerating into Jayden playing a demented game of dress up with Dana. Dana’s brand new sword was finished, a horn from the goat head of a chimera, forged into a weapon by a renegade dwarf, infused with a magic metal called uram, enchanted with magic by both the dwarf and the world’s only living sorcerer lord, it was a sight to behold. Dana had little experience with weapons, few peasants did, but the short sword was a thing of beauty. In the few minutes she’d been allowed to see it, she marveled at the black blade edged with silver, serrated ridges going down one side, runes cast into the base of the blade and hardwood hilt stained black.
The weapon was impressive, and Jayden wasn’t letting her touch it. She’d jumped at his offer to train her, only for Jayden to wrap her arms and legs in cotton. Then he handed her a wooden sword, more like a branch with aspirations.
“This is for your protection,” Jayden told her. The sorcerer lord was a handsome man even if a bit disheveled with his long blond hair a perpetual mess. He wore black and silver clothes and carried no weapons. Traveling unarmed was normally an invitation to being robbed, but few were stupid enough to challenge a spell caster, especially one with a list of accomplishments like Jayden’s.
“How?” Dana demanded. Dana was fifteen, sixteen next month, with brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build. Her clothes were simple peasant wear including a skirt, blouse, leggings and fur hat, all of it durable and cheap, and a knife tucked into a sheath.
Jayden took both her hands and placed them on the wood sword. “Training with weapons is no different than learning any skill. It takes countless hours of practice and you will make mistakes. The difference is how much those mistakes cost you. Accidentally hitting your leg with a wood sword will leave a bruise. Do the same thing with a real sword and you suffer a crippling injury. Do it with a magic sword and you no longer have a leg.”
Dana hesitated. “Oh.”
“Training with a wood sword gets the mistakes out of the way early on without injury or death, and we’re doing it with padding on your arms and legs to make those mistakes less painful.”
“How long is this going to take?” she asked.
“Months. There are two kinds of fighters, the competent and the dead, and I wish to keep you out of the latter category. Nor is time an impediment. The king and queen are planning a war, but we’re too late in the year for it to start. You can practice during the winter months and be ready for the conflict in spring.”
“It’s coming that soon?”
“Depressing, I know, but the signs are there. The king and queen have amassed a sizeable army, gathered supplies, and men in their service have tame monsters like the chimera that donated a body part for your sword and the gargoyles we recently defeated. Others doubtlessly have followed this example, and monsters are extraordinarily dangerous.”
Dana looked at her wood sword a bit less disparagingly (just a bit). Jayden was right that war was on the horizon. She’d seen it growing up, when taxes in her hometown to the north were raised again and again with no cause in sight. Then her father the mayor was ordered to send her eldest brother to the capital, a prisoner in all but name to ensure her father’s support. After that the town’s militia was called up for military service. Other towns had suffered likewise, and she’d seen as bad or worse since following Jayden.
She’d joined him in appreciation for saving her town, but also to keep him out of trouble. Jayden’s hatred of the king and queen were legendary, and he struck at them any chance he got. Dana didn’t understand the root of this hate, for even after months traveling together there were still things he didn’t talk about. But she’d come to understand his feelings were well earned. She’d seen too much suffering and too many wrongs originating from the royal couple.
That was what brought them to their current location. They’d made camp in a grassy clearing in the woods. Fall was coming, trees were decked out in reds and oranges, and the morning air had a touch of chill. Pretty as it was, their camp was close to the border city of Edgeland, a likely invasion point for the Kingdom of Kaleoth.
“We’ll start with basic sword fighting techniques,” Jayden told her. “You’ll need to practice them daily before we move on to more advanced fighting styles.”
Trying to sound casual, Dana asked, “Who taught you to fight?”
“A man with considerable talent and valor, if a touch too fond of women and wine.”
“Gee, that’s vague.”
Jayden smiled. “It was meant to be. We’ll do this every morning before breakfast. You’ll find it intolerably dull, but the reward is worth the effort.”
They heard laughing in the distance, and a man call out, “There has got to be a story behind this.”
Dana and Jayden looked over to find a group of men exiting the woods. Dana counted ten of them armed with spears, axes and swords. They had no armor or shields, and their clothes were dirty and ragged.
Jayden stepped away from Dana and moved closer to their baggage and a campfire they’d made last night. Dana tried to follow him since her sword was in those bags, but Jayden held up a hand for her to stop.
“I’m not a storyteller by profession, but I think I can entertain you,” Jayden said. “Once upon a time there was a sorcerer lord known for being short tempered, ill mannered and impatient. Not surprisingly he had few friends, but he had fewer enemies than you’d think. They didn’t survive long. One day the sorcerer lord met armed men in the woods, and they, well, why spoil the ending?”
The men spread out to surround them. One said, “Oh no, do go on.”
“The ending depends solely on you. Over the years I’ve introduced a good many men to the graveyard. Whether you’re added to that number is on your head, not mine.”
One of the men snickered. “You’re a sorcerer lord? There’s but one man foolish enough to walk that road, and word is he’s in Fish Bait City.”
Another man pointed a spear at Jayden. “I think this fellow is borrowing another man’s reputation. Dress up in a silly costume—”
Jayden raised an eyebrow. “Silly?”
“And he figures men will let him pass,” the man finished. He leered at Dana. “And you have things worth taking.”
“Dana, is this your first experience with bandits?” Jayden asked.
“I’ve helped bury a few after sheriffs and soldiers caught them.”
A spearman said, “I prefer to be called a highwayman. It’s got more dignity to it.”
“I call you a thug, a fool, a coward, and rather shortly no one will call you anything,” Jayden replied.
The bandits laughed. The spearman said, “He’s sure keeping this show up longer than it’s worth.”
“Dana, would you mind putting out our campfire?” Jayden asked.
Dana rolled her eyes at Jayden’s attempt to protect her. Admittedly he wouldn’t need help. “Try not to kill them.”
As the bandits formed a wide circle around Jayden, a spearman said, “Whoever kills him gets the girl.”
That stopped Dana in her tracks. She looked at Jayden, who was now snarling mad, and told him, “You know what? Go nuts.”
Jayden cast a short spell, drawing shadows from across the clearing and nearby woods. The shadows whirled together to form an ebony clawed hand as big as a man in front of Jayden. He reached out with his right hand and the shadowy hand mimicked his movements. The bandits’ chuckles died away.
“Oh sh—” one began before the giant hand slapped him, sending him flying through the air. The hand swung back the other way and bowled two bandits off their feet. It grabbed another and hurled him into a pine tree.
“Flank him!” a bandit yelled moments before the giant hand formed a fist and hit him like a battering ram.
There was a time when Dana would have watched the spectacle, but she’d had months to get used to Jayden’s magic and bad temper. Instead she pulled off the cotton on her arms and legs while bandits screamed. She’d gotten the last of it off when a broken spear flew by her head, followed by its owner.
“Sir, ah, clearly there’s been a mistake!” a bandit called out. “We should have taken your introduction more seriously, a failure to show respect, I’ll grant you, but the matter’s now clear to see. Surely we can call off this dispute before—Jenkins, duck!”
Wham! A bandit landed at Dana’s feet, clutching his stomach. Dana tapped his head with her wood sword and said, “Do us both a favor and stay down.”
One of the bandits still standing pointed his sword at Dana. “Take the girl hostage!”
A bandit with an ax charged Dana. He threw his ax aside as he neared her and reached out with both hands in an attempt to grab her by the arms. Dana stood her ground as he came, and at the last second ducked under his grasp and drove her knee between his legs. The man cried out in agony as he fell to the ground. Dana swung her wood sword at him again and again, striking him across the face, arms and shoulders.
“I don’t think he’s a threat anymore,” Jayden called out from across the clearing.
“You’re not the one they were going to give away like a prize!”
“Point made,” he replied. Dana hit the bandit three more times, stopping only when her wood sword snapped in half.
The last two bandits fled for their lives. Jayden reached out with his monstrous hand and grabbed one by the heels. He swung his screaming victim at the last bandit, clubbing him repeatedly until both men were beaten senseless.
“I broke your sword,” Dana said.
“And by the look of it both that man’s collarbones,” Jayden said as he allowed the giant hand to dissipate. “Our foes are still breathing, as requested. I believe we have enough rope to tie them up. My map of the area shows a sheriff’s outpost not far from here where we can leave these fools.”
Dana kicked dirt on their campfire to put it out. “The punishment for banditry is—”
“Exceedingly painful, I know.” Jayden collected the bandit’s weapons and added them to his baggage. “I detest turning them over to the same authorities I seek to overthrow, but the alternatives are letting them go to menace others or killing them myself. Faced with three bad choices, I intend to let the crown do its job for a change.”
It took an hour to bind the bandits and in some cases bandaging their wounds, but they were on their way soon enough. They came across a major road and not long after that a low stone building with a heavy door and attached tollbooth. An old man manning the booth paled at the sight of Jayden. “I only have ten copper pieces and never hurt anyone you like.”
“Looks like he’s heard of you,” Dana said.
“And he possesses the common sense our friends lack,” Jayden added. “Good sir, as your pockets are so woefully empty allow me the chance to fill them. These men made the poor career move of attacking me.”
The old man stared at the captured bandits. “No one is that stupid.”
“We thought he was bluffing!” a bandit protested.
Jayden pulled the bandits along and handed the end of the rope to the old man. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s typically a bounty placed on bandits.”
The old man grabbed a sheet of paper tacked to the wall and tore it off. “They’re wanted men, all right, with a reward of fifty silver pieces, but you’d have to present them in person to get the money. Some folks might take offense at that.”
“No doubt true given my history, which is why you’re taking the credit.” Jayden handed them off and smiled. “There you go, fifty silver pieces worth of vermin, a good addition to your salary.”
“They’ll put us to death!” a bandit cried out.
“They’ll put you to work,” the old man corrected him. “Baron Vrask doesn’t kill men he can use in his granite quarry.” More softly, the old man said to Jayden, “Do yourself a favor and keep a low profile. The city is in a terrible state these days, and there are folks who’d come after the price on your head.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” Jayden replied. He left with Dana as the old man placed his wounded prisoners in a cell.
The road led through hilly country heavy with farms and ranches, but Dana saw signs of distress. Many houses were in poor repair. A few were clearly abandoned, with missing windows and doors, and some had caved in roofs. People they met on the road were simply dressed and paid no attention to them. That surprised Dana, as Jayden’s garish clothes normally drew looks wherever he went.
“We’re coming up on the city of Edgeland, which has numerous dubious distinctions,” Jayden began. “It’s on the border with the Kingdom of Kaleoth and was once a center of trade before high taxes strangled merchant traffic. The city is on Race Horse River, which should add to its value as a trade hub. Sadly the river flows so fast no boat can travel it without being destroyed.”
“Wonderful,” Dana said.
“There is the city of River Twin on the other side of the river, a pleasant part of Kaleoth that used to benefit from trade. I’m told today it’s nearly as poor as Edgeland and boasts an army contingent to keep the king and queen on their side of the border.”
“The King of Kaleoth knows a war is coming?” she asked.
“King Brent of Kaloeth is a man of great years and keen wit who can see what’s happening as plainly as we can. If the king and queen mean to surprise him, they’ve seriously underestimated the man.”
“How old is he?”
“Old enough he might shatter if he tripped. Nevertheless, he is a formidable foe and has the allegiance of a large ogre clan.” Jayden walked on in silence for a moment before adding, “He is also a man to be pitied, as he outlived his family. He has one grandson still alive, but the youth is untested. I think King Brent is staying alive out of sheer force of will to give the boy time to learn his job.”
They crested a steep hill to find Edgeland before them. It was a large city that could house fifty thousand people. Buildings were made of granite to survive merciless winter storms, and the streets were paved with cobblestone. East of the city was a wide chasm with a single bridge across it, and beyond that was a smaller city. Edgeland had a wall around it, but there were clusters of buildings outside.
“Edgeland got too big for its britches?” Dana asked playfully.
“Most cities do. Wise leaders build walls around their cities, but few leave room for expansion. When cities grow citizens build their homes outside the wall’s protection.”
Worried, she asked, “What happens to them if the city is attacked?”
“They flee inside the walls if they can and are locked outside if they move too slow.” Jayden saw her horrified look. “Grim as that possibility is, those homes are our best choice to find help. Prosperous and respected citizens live inside the city. Poor residents live beyond the city wall and are more likely to help us.”
“Hopefully they can get you new clothes.”
Looking annoyed, he said, “I wasn’t pleased when bandit questioned my taste in fashion.”
Dana waved at the distant city. “You heard the old guy who took those bandits, people here are desperate. Do you want them coming after you the moment we go in?”
Jayden frowned. “Discretion may be warranted.”
A brief tour of the homes and businesses outside Edgeland turned up furriers, cobblers, fishermen, hunters, and a pawnshop where Jayden sold the weapons he’d taken from the bandits. At long last they found a tailor who gave them a skeptical look when they approached his small shop and said, “No credit for strangers. Pay in cash or leave.”
“A charming start to the conversation,” Jayden replied. He took two silver pieces from his pockets and held them up. “I need clothes, simple, warm and functional.”
The tailor took both coins. “I might have something in your size. Let me take your measurements.”
The tailor went through his limited stock until he came up with a gray overcoat, gray shirt and black pants. An hour of stitching shortened the legs and sleeves to fit. Jayden tried on the new clothes and nodded in approval.
“A good fit, and I like the style.”
“For tax reasons I never saw you in my life,” the tailor replied as he slid both coins into hidden pockets in his pants. “Now get out of here before someone sees you.”
“You don’t get much repeat business, do you?” Dana asked.
“As far as the king and queen are concerned I don’t get any business.”
Jayden packed his old clothes into his bags, and he led Dana toward the city gate. “Now then, I believe we’re ready to go on.”
“Hold on,” Dana told him. She put her hands on his shoulders and sat him on a nearby barrel. “Wanted posters show your face. If I change your hair it might help you go unnoticed.”
“Will this take long?”
Dana took a comb from her bags and went to work. Truth be told, she’d wanted to do something about Jayden’s messy hair since the day they’d met. In minutes she had it combed and tied into a ponytail she tucked into the collar of the overcoat.
Jayden stood up and asked, “How do I look?”
“Like the kind of man my mother warned me about. Let’s go.”
With Jayden disguised they headed for the city’s main gate. They found the gates open and heavily guarded by men wearing the blue and gray of royal soldiers. The soldiers collected a minor toll without inspecting carts and bags brought into the city.
Once they were inside Edgeland, Jayden led her through the streets. “Our first priority is to study the bridge.”
Dana took a deep breath and exhaled. “You know, this is the first city you’ve brought me to that didn’t smell like a dung heap.”
“You can thank Race Horse River. Residents of Edgeland throw their garbage into the river and let it carry their filth away.”
Dana grimaced. “That’s disgusting, and could poison the water and kill off the fish.”
“That’s not a concern.” Jayden brought her to a stone railing running along the river and pointed down. Dana leaned over the railing and gasped.
Race Horse River lived up to its name. The river flowed so fast a galloping horse would have trouble keeping up with it. It was wide, too, at least eighty feet across and who knows how deep. Countless years of fast moving water had cut deep into the bedrock until the water’s surface was fifteen feet below street level.
“Race Horse River moves too fast to host fish,” Jayden explained. “Dana, look at the bridge and tell me what you see.”
Dana looked to her left and saw an engineering marvel. “It’s about a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. I see eight columns holding it up. I think it’s made of granite.”
“Go on.”
“Guards are stationed on both sides of the bridge. Men on this side wear blue and gray, so they’re soldiers and not militia. Men on the other side wear green and gray. Who are they?”
“Kaleoth frontier soldiers,” Jayden replied. “They’re very good.”
“Two of them have staffs, so I’d pretty sure they’re wizards.” Dana kept staring at the bridge. “Jayden, no one’s crossing the bridge.”
“No, and that’s curious. I’d heard cross border trade was down, but there are no wagons, pack mules or pedestrians crossing. The guards don’t make sense, either. This is part of Baron Vrask’s territory. His men should be guarding the bridge, and they wear white and black.”
Dana looked at him and asked, “If this is Baron Vrask’s territory, why are royal soldiers guarding the city gate?”
“Another good question. This is going to be hard. I’d heard dwarfs built the bridge back when they did quality work, and it doesn’t disappoint. So many soldiers won’t help. I need time to plan my attack. That means we need a place to stay. I’ve never visited the city before, but I’m told there’s a credibly good hotel by the river.”
They walked along the river, passing a few pedestrians and one man on horseback. They found the hotel in minutes, except the building was boarded up and its sign lay on the ground.
Dana walked up to the nearest man and asked, “What happened here?”
The man spit on the street. “A law came out that hotels have to report their guests’ comings and goings to the throne. No one stayed here for months until the owner closed shop and left.”
“That leaves us in a bit of a situation,” Jayden said.
“You’re fine.” The man pointed at a nearby signpost covered in hanging wood placards. “Those are advertisements for people renting rooms. Technically they’re ‘inviting’ guests to stay out of the kindness of their hearts, no charge, so the law doesn’t apply. Of course honest God fearing folks like you might feel inclined to lend a hand with the bills, or ‘accidentally’ leave a few coins. Get the picture?”
“You paint it with such vivid colors,” Jayden said.
The man laughed and walked away. Jayden and Dana went to the signpost and studied the placards. They were small, homemade and covered in spelling errors. Each one offered one or more rooms, with cheerful descriptions of where to find them and the amenities they offered.
“Many to choose from,” Jayden said as he picked over the placards.
Dana handed him a placard. “Let’s take this one. It’s got two rooms, warm beds, a bathroom and they allow pets. Plus it’s a lady’s house.”
Jayden took the placard from her. “How can you tell?”
“The handwriting is nice, and guys don’t mention ‘super keen’ views. She even printed directions to her house.”
“It’s as good a choice as any,” he said as they walked through Edgeland. Dana was surprised how sparsely populated the city was. In ten minutes they saw only twenty people. Maybe residents were out gathering the harvest or working in mines and quarries.
Dana turned a corner near their destination and ran straight into two spearmen dressed in white and black uniforms. She cried out in surprise and backed up, quickly bowing and saying, “Sorry, sir.”
“Sir, eh?” the spearman asked. “You hear that, Nate? She called me sir.”
“Bill, don’t,” the other spearman said.
Jayden’s muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed. Dana put a hand on his arm before he could take action.
“No, I’m going to say it!” the first spearman shouted. “I’ve served ten years, fought bandits, monsters, animated skeletons, and after all that the king’s soldiers call me boy. I’m good in a fight, I know these streets like the back of my hand, I’ve upheld the law, and I get treated like a punk.”
The second spearman looked away in embarrassment. “Bill.”
“A girl, a stranger I’ve never met before, calls me sir, showing me a little bit of ulmixin respect that I can’t get from our own army! This is why people quit, Nate! This is why good men walk off the job!”
The first spearman stomped off. The second one looked down and said, “I’m sorry about that. He’s a good man, it’s just he’s been pushed too far.”
Once the second spearman ran after his friend, Dana said, “Wow.”
“Not surprising,” Jayden told her. “We’ve seen loyal men treated poorly before. Let’s get off the street before we draw any more attention.”
“What does ulmixin mean?”
Jayden reached the house described on the placard and knocked on the door. “It’s a gnomish word I’d prefer not to translate. Theirs is a language rich in obscenities.”
“Coming!” a muffled voice called from inside the house. The door opened and a young woman in a plain dress came to greet them. She looked like she was in her early twenties, with brown eyes and short brown hair, pretty in a simple sort of way. She smiled, took one look at Jayden, and froze. For a second Dana worried the woman recognized Jayden from his many wanted posters and was terrified of him. Then Dana saw the woman blush and look down. This wasn’t terror.
Dana stepped in and shook the woman’s hand. “Hi! I understand you’re renting rooms. My uncle and I need a place to stay tonight.”
“Perhaps longer,” Jayden added.
“Uh,” the woman managed. Jayden had this effect on women. Even Dana had been at a loss for words the first time she’d met him. Still, most women shook it off faster than this. “Rooms. Ah, yes, I, uh, have two rooms, ah, not technically for rent.”
“A passerby was kind enough to explain the loophole in the law,” Jayden told her. He took a gold coin from his baggage and pressed it into her left hand. “He was vague on how large a donation to make. Is this sufficient?”
“Money?” the woman asked. It looked like she was still dazed. “You’re not offering barter? I mean I’ll take money. I need money! It’s just other borders paid in flour, or eggs, or turnips. I hate turnips.”
Jayden smiled at her, making her blush again. “We’re out of turnips at the moment, so hard currency will have to do.”
“Yes, currency, money, good. That’s enough to cover a month’s stay,” she said as she led them inside. The house included plain furniture and white pillows. In stark contrast to this simplicity were the paintings hanging on the walls. Most were landscapes, including gorgeous pictures of Race Horse River, but there were also portraits of children and their pets. The house had three bedrooms with the doors open to show clean if simple furnishings.
Dana followed the woman to the rented rooms. “So, what’s your name?”
“Ah, my name’s Maya. Um, what’s yours?”
“I’m Dana Illwind.”
Maya looked puzzled. “And your uncle, who’s not following me?”
Jayden hadn’t gotten far past the door. Instead he’d put down his bags and was studying the paintings. “Uncle craves his privacy. I trust that won’t be a problem.”
“No. No, no, no, not for paying customers it’s not,” Maya said.
“I see an easel in the corner and canvas not stretched over a frame yet, so this must be your work,” Jayden said. “You have considerable skill as a painter. Clearly the lady has an eye for beauty in addition to beautiful eyes.”
Maya looked so shocked she could’ve been knocked over with a feather. Dana just rolled her eyes. She wondered if Jayden was doing this on purpose or if he didn’t even notice the effect he was having on the poor woman.
“I, um,” Maya stammered before words flooded out of her. “Dinner is at sunset, I lock the door an hour later, please don’t make too much noise after dark so the neighbors don’t complain because I need them to like me.”
“How many sentences was that?” Jayden asked playfully.
Dana got between Jayden and Maya. “We’ll be the best behaved guests you’ve had. Isn’t that right, uncle?”
Jayden picked up his bags and headed for his room. “You may count on our discretion. Come along, niece, let’s store our belongings and let the young lady go on to more important tasks.”
Dana followed Jayden to two bedrooms in the back of the house and went into the same room as Jayden. She closed the door behind them and said, “Don’t tease the landlady.”
“I complimented her, nothing more.” Jayden set down his bags and looked out a window facing the river. “Nor did I lie. As long as we’re admonishing one another, stop mentioning your name. We’re not in a small town, nor are we among friends like in Pearl Harbor. Our hostess could say things about us to the authorities. Should the king and queen learn your identity, they could go after your family.”
Dana froze. “I didn’t think of that.”
Jayden checked the window. “We can go out at night through the window without Maya noticing if we must. My hope is we can study the bridge at leisure over the next few days and look for weaknesses. I didn’t see any earlier, which worries me. Bringing it down is going to be difficult.”
“You seem really sure there’s going to be an invasion across that bridge.”
Jayden took a map out of his bags and unrolled it on the bed. “This shows the border with Kaleoth. The ground is hilly to mountainous, with only a few crossings easily blocked by Kaleoth frontier soldiers. Edgeland’s bridge over the Race Horse River is the only way to bring in large numbers of troops.”
“What’s in Kaleoth worth taking?”
“It has good pastures and a few mines, although no precious metals.” Jayden pointed at the map and said, “It’s not a large prize, but could be easily taken by a clever enemy. The capital city is only three day’s march from the border. Seizing that could be enough to end the war if they take the king and his sole heir prisoner.”
Dana pointed at a kingdom to the south. “Your sort of friend Reginald Lootmore thinks the king and queen are going to invade his home of Zentrix. You think he’s wrong?”
Jayden frowned. “Worse than that, I think he’s right. Kaleoth is a small prize. The king and queen couldn’t divide so little land among their nobles. So many ambitious men would demand a greater reward for their loyalty than Kaloeth could provide. The only way to satisfy them would be to conquer more land, and Zentrix is the next logical target. If that’s not enough, the Kingdom of Brandish will be the third and last to be invaded.”
“You think they’re going to take over three kingdoms?” Dana didn’t try to hide her surprise.
“All three have small populations, few soldiers, no strong allies and not enough money to support long campaigns.” Jayden rolled up his map and put it away. “It wouldn’t be easy to beat them, but it’s possible. Destroying that bridge may be enough to save Kaleoth from destruction.”
“That would force the king and queen to move to their backup targets,” Dana replied. “You’re saving one kingdom and dooming the other two.”
“I know.” Jayden stared out the window for a moment. “Dana, I’ve been grasping at straws since I vowed to defeat the king and queen. My blows against them have been annoyances at best. Defeating the wizard Green Peril, killing the chimera, stealing some armor and saving those girls from slavery, they were pinpricks.”
He turned to her and said, “This is my biggest strike against them, and even that leaves lives in peril. I can’t save everyone. My only hope is if I hit them hard and often I can weaken them until the armies of Zentrix and Brandish can fight the king and queen to a stalemate. That’s a brutal, bloody outcome that can’t possibly be called a victory, but it’s the only chance we have.”
There was a soft knock at the door. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
“We’ll continue this conversation another time,” Jayden said.
Maya greeted them at a small table, where she’d placed hardboiled eggs, a loaf of bread, fresh apples and a pitcher of milk. “I’m sure you’re used to better than this, but it’s what I could find at market.”
“Don’t apologize,” Dana told her. “It’s good food and more than we were expecting. You’ve got a very nice house.”
“Oh I don’t own it,” Maya said as she served Jayden. “I rent it from Baron Vrask. Lots of people rent from him.”
“How did he come to own so many properties?” Jayden asked.
Maya served Dana while she answered him. “I guess you wouldn’t know if you’re not from here. Not that I’m accusing my neighbors, but, ah, you know how taxes have gone up recently? Some families couldn’t pay. Baron Vrask takes labor or barter when people can’t pay their taxes. Royal tax collectors don’t.”
Worried, Dana asked, “What happened to them?”
“Some went to Kaleoth for a few days to buy wool or visit relatives. Lots of people here have family over the border, you know. But, um, a few days turned into a few weeks and a few months and now a few years, so I think they’re not coming back.”
“Which left empty houses that could fall into disrepair if not occupied, so your baron took ownership and rents them out,” Jayden said.
“It’s a very reasonable rent and I can pay it, sort of.” Maya looked worried when she served herself last. “I sell paintings, not as many with the bridge closed, I babysit, and I give painting lessons to a few boys, but, ah, I have to take in borders to make ends meet. Not that I’m against it! They’ve all been really nice people.”
“Surely your family can offer assistance,” Jayden said. Maya’s expression went from worried to sad. Jayden put down his food. “My apologies, I’ve upset you.”
Dana asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I, um, I’m a foundling. Baron Vrask’s men found me on the street when I was a baby. The baron takes in orphans and foundlings, and he supports them until they’re adults. I had a very good upbringing! He’s a nice man, and I learned a lot about cooking and cleaning, and his artisan taught me how to paint. I’m friends with the girls and boys I grew up with at the baron’s castle. The girls are nice, and the boys are loud and messy.”
“Sounds like my brothers,” Dana said. “Boys are like that the world over.”
Jayden was silent for a moment. “When Dana introduced herself, you gave only a first name.”
“I can’t have a family name if I don’t have a family.” Maya looked miserable. “I’m sorry, I’m not being a very good host. I shouldn’t babble like this.”
“You’re not babbling,” Jayden told her. “You’re being honest, and far friendlier than I expect or deserve. You’ve also earned my respect for Baron Vrask for treating you with such kindness in your youth.”
Maya smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“Explain why I’m not allowed to use my own sword,” Dana Illwind said. She raised her right arm, wrapped in a thick layer of cotton, and added, “And this is extra ridiculous.”
“Both measures are for good reasons,” Jayden promised as he wrapped cotton around her other arm and tied it in place. He stepped back to study his work. “There now, nice and snug, and unlikely to injure yourself.”
“I’ve done some impressive stuff in the last few months, and you’ve got me wrapped up like a mummy.”
“Mummy wrappings are thinner, dirtier, smellier and frequently contain noxious parasites,” Jayden replied.
“Missing the point entirely!”
The morning had started well before degenerating into Jayden playing a demented game of dress up with Dana. Dana’s brand new sword was finished, a horn from the goat head of a chimera, forged into a weapon by a renegade dwarf, infused with a magic metal called uram, enchanted with magic by both the dwarf and the world’s only living sorcerer lord, it was a sight to behold. Dana had little experience with weapons, few peasants did, but the short sword was a thing of beauty. In the few minutes she’d been allowed to see it, she marveled at the black blade edged with silver, serrated ridges going down one side, runes cast into the base of the blade and hardwood hilt stained black.
The weapon was impressive, and Jayden wasn’t letting her touch it. She’d jumped at his offer to train her, only for Jayden to wrap her arms and legs in cotton. Then he handed her a wooden sword, more like a branch with aspirations.
“This is for your protection,” Jayden told her. The sorcerer lord was a handsome man even if a bit disheveled with his long blond hair a perpetual mess. He wore black and silver clothes and carried no weapons. Traveling unarmed was normally an invitation to being robbed, but few were stupid enough to challenge a spell caster, especially one with a list of accomplishments like Jayden’s.
“How?” Dana demanded. Dana was fifteen, sixteen next month, with brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build. Her clothes were simple peasant wear including a skirt, blouse, leggings and fur hat, all of it durable and cheap, and a knife tucked into a sheath.
Jayden took both her hands and placed them on the wood sword. “Training with weapons is no different than learning any skill. It takes countless hours of practice and you will make mistakes. The difference is how much those mistakes cost you. Accidentally hitting your leg with a wood sword will leave a bruise. Do the same thing with a real sword and you suffer a crippling injury. Do it with a magic sword and you no longer have a leg.”
Dana hesitated. “Oh.”
“Training with a wood sword gets the mistakes out of the way early on without injury or death, and we’re doing it with padding on your arms and legs to make those mistakes less painful.”
“How long is this going to take?” she asked.
“Months. There are two kinds of fighters, the competent and the dead, and I wish to keep you out of the latter category. Nor is time an impediment. The king and queen are planning a war, but we’re too late in the year for it to start. You can practice during the winter months and be ready for the conflict in spring.”
“It’s coming that soon?”
“Depressing, I know, but the signs are there. The king and queen have amassed a sizeable army, gathered supplies, and men in their service have tame monsters like the chimera that donated a body part for your sword and the gargoyles we recently defeated. Others doubtlessly have followed this example, and monsters are extraordinarily dangerous.”
Dana looked at her wood sword a bit less disparagingly (just a bit). Jayden was right that war was on the horizon. She’d seen it growing up, when taxes in her hometown to the north were raised again and again with no cause in sight. Then her father the mayor was ordered to send her eldest brother to the capital, a prisoner in all but name to ensure her father’s support. After that the town’s militia was called up for military service. Other towns had suffered likewise, and she’d seen as bad or worse since following Jayden.
She’d joined him in appreciation for saving her town, but also to keep him out of trouble. Jayden’s hatred of the king and queen were legendary, and he struck at them any chance he got. Dana didn’t understand the root of this hate, for even after months traveling together there were still things he didn’t talk about. But she’d come to understand his feelings were well earned. She’d seen too much suffering and too many wrongs originating from the royal couple.
That was what brought them to their current location. They’d made camp in a grassy clearing in the woods. Fall was coming, trees were decked out in reds and oranges, and the morning air had a touch of chill. Pretty as it was, their camp was close to the border city of Edgeland, a likely invasion point for the Kingdom of Kaleoth.
“We’ll start with basic sword fighting techniques,” Jayden told her. “You’ll need to practice them daily before we move on to more advanced fighting styles.”
Trying to sound casual, Dana asked, “Who taught you to fight?”
“A man with considerable talent and valor, if a touch too fond of women and wine.”
“Gee, that’s vague.”
Jayden smiled. “It was meant to be. We’ll do this every morning before breakfast. You’ll find it intolerably dull, but the reward is worth the effort.”
They heard laughing in the distance, and a man call out, “There has got to be a story behind this.”
Dana and Jayden looked over to find a group of men exiting the woods. Dana counted ten of them armed with spears, axes and swords. They had no armor or shields, and their clothes were dirty and ragged.
Jayden stepped away from Dana and moved closer to their baggage and a campfire they’d made last night. Dana tried to follow him since her sword was in those bags, but Jayden held up a hand for her to stop.
“I’m not a storyteller by profession, but I think I can entertain you,” Jayden said. “Once upon a time there was a sorcerer lord known for being short tempered, ill mannered and impatient. Not surprisingly he had few friends, but he had fewer enemies than you’d think. They didn’t survive long. One day the sorcerer lord met armed men in the woods, and they, well, why spoil the ending?”
The men spread out to surround them. One said, “Oh no, do go on.”
“The ending depends solely on you. Over the years I’ve introduced a good many men to the graveyard. Whether you’re added to that number is on your head, not mine.”
One of the men snickered. “You’re a sorcerer lord? There’s but one man foolish enough to walk that road, and word is he’s in Fish Bait City.”
Another man pointed a spear at Jayden. “I think this fellow is borrowing another man’s reputation. Dress up in a silly costume—”
Jayden raised an eyebrow. “Silly?”
“And he figures men will let him pass,” the man finished. He leered at Dana. “And you have things worth taking.”
“Dana, is this your first experience with bandits?” Jayden asked.
“I’ve helped bury a few after sheriffs and soldiers caught them.”
A spearman said, “I prefer to be called a highwayman. It’s got more dignity to it.”
“I call you a thug, a fool, a coward, and rather shortly no one will call you anything,” Jayden replied.
The bandits laughed. The spearman said, “He’s sure keeping this show up longer than it’s worth.”
“Dana, would you mind putting out our campfire?” Jayden asked.
Dana rolled her eyes at Jayden’s attempt to protect her. Admittedly he wouldn’t need help. “Try not to kill them.”
As the bandits formed a wide circle around Jayden, a spearman said, “Whoever kills him gets the girl.”
That stopped Dana in her tracks. She looked at Jayden, who was now snarling mad, and told him, “You know what? Go nuts.”
Jayden cast a short spell, drawing shadows from across the clearing and nearby woods. The shadows whirled together to form an ebony clawed hand as big as a man in front of Jayden. He reached out with his right hand and the shadowy hand mimicked his movements. The bandits’ chuckles died away.
“Oh sh—” one began before the giant hand slapped him, sending him flying through the air. The hand swung back the other way and bowled two bandits off their feet. It grabbed another and hurled him into a pine tree.
“Flank him!” a bandit yelled moments before the giant hand formed a fist and hit him like a battering ram.
There was a time when Dana would have watched the spectacle, but she’d had months to get used to Jayden’s magic and bad temper. Instead she pulled off the cotton on her arms and legs while bandits screamed. She’d gotten the last of it off when a broken spear flew by her head, followed by its owner.
“Sir, ah, clearly there’s been a mistake!” a bandit called out. “We should have taken your introduction more seriously, a failure to show respect, I’ll grant you, but the matter’s now clear to see. Surely we can call off this dispute before—Jenkins, duck!”
Wham! A bandit landed at Dana’s feet, clutching his stomach. Dana tapped his head with her wood sword and said, “Do us both a favor and stay down.”
One of the bandits still standing pointed his sword at Dana. “Take the girl hostage!”
A bandit with an ax charged Dana. He threw his ax aside as he neared her and reached out with both hands in an attempt to grab her by the arms. Dana stood her ground as he came, and at the last second ducked under his grasp and drove her knee between his legs. The man cried out in agony as he fell to the ground. Dana swung her wood sword at him again and again, striking him across the face, arms and shoulders.
“I don’t think he’s a threat anymore,” Jayden called out from across the clearing.
“You’re not the one they were going to give away like a prize!”
“Point made,” he replied. Dana hit the bandit three more times, stopping only when her wood sword snapped in half.
The last two bandits fled for their lives. Jayden reached out with his monstrous hand and grabbed one by the heels. He swung his screaming victim at the last bandit, clubbing him repeatedly until both men were beaten senseless.
“I broke your sword,” Dana said.
“And by the look of it both that man’s collarbones,” Jayden said as he allowed the giant hand to dissipate. “Our foes are still breathing, as requested. I believe we have enough rope to tie them up. My map of the area shows a sheriff’s outpost not far from here where we can leave these fools.”
Dana kicked dirt on their campfire to put it out. “The punishment for banditry is—”
“Exceedingly painful, I know.” Jayden collected the bandit’s weapons and added them to his baggage. “I detest turning them over to the same authorities I seek to overthrow, but the alternatives are letting them go to menace others or killing them myself. Faced with three bad choices, I intend to let the crown do its job for a change.”
It took an hour to bind the bandits and in some cases bandaging their wounds, but they were on their way soon enough. They came across a major road and not long after that a low stone building with a heavy door and attached tollbooth. An old man manning the booth paled at the sight of Jayden. “I only have ten copper pieces and never hurt anyone you like.”
“Looks like he’s heard of you,” Dana said.
“And he possesses the common sense our friends lack,” Jayden added. “Good sir, as your pockets are so woefully empty allow me the chance to fill them. These men made the poor career move of attacking me.”
The old man stared at the captured bandits. “No one is that stupid.”
“We thought he was bluffing!” a bandit protested.
Jayden pulled the bandits along and handed the end of the rope to the old man. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s typically a bounty placed on bandits.”
The old man grabbed a sheet of paper tacked to the wall and tore it off. “They’re wanted men, all right, with a reward of fifty silver pieces, but you’d have to present them in person to get the money. Some folks might take offense at that.”
“No doubt true given my history, which is why you’re taking the credit.” Jayden handed them off and smiled. “There you go, fifty silver pieces worth of vermin, a good addition to your salary.”
“They’ll put us to death!” a bandit cried out.
“They’ll put you to work,” the old man corrected him. “Baron Vrask doesn’t kill men he can use in his granite quarry.” More softly, the old man said to Jayden, “Do yourself a favor and keep a low profile. The city is in a terrible state these days, and there are folks who’d come after the price on your head.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” Jayden replied. He left with Dana as the old man placed his wounded prisoners in a cell.
The road led through hilly country heavy with farms and ranches, but Dana saw signs of distress. Many houses were in poor repair. A few were clearly abandoned, with missing windows and doors, and some had caved in roofs. People they met on the road were simply dressed and paid no attention to them. That surprised Dana, as Jayden’s garish clothes normally drew looks wherever he went.
“We’re coming up on the city of Edgeland, which has numerous dubious distinctions,” Jayden began. “It’s on the border with the Kingdom of Kaleoth and was once a center of trade before high taxes strangled merchant traffic. The city is on Race Horse River, which should add to its value as a trade hub. Sadly the river flows so fast no boat can travel it without being destroyed.”
“Wonderful,” Dana said.
“There is the city of River Twin on the other side of the river, a pleasant part of Kaleoth that used to benefit from trade. I’m told today it’s nearly as poor as Edgeland and boasts an army contingent to keep the king and queen on their side of the border.”
“The King of Kaleoth knows a war is coming?” she asked.
“King Brent of Kaloeth is a man of great years and keen wit who can see what’s happening as plainly as we can. If the king and queen mean to surprise him, they’ve seriously underestimated the man.”
“How old is he?”
“Old enough he might shatter if he tripped. Nevertheless, he is a formidable foe and has the allegiance of a large ogre clan.” Jayden walked on in silence for a moment before adding, “He is also a man to be pitied, as he outlived his family. He has one grandson still alive, but the youth is untested. I think King Brent is staying alive out of sheer force of will to give the boy time to learn his job.”
They crested a steep hill to find Edgeland before them. It was a large city that could house fifty thousand people. Buildings were made of granite to survive merciless winter storms, and the streets were paved with cobblestone. East of the city was a wide chasm with a single bridge across it, and beyond that was a smaller city. Edgeland had a wall around it, but there were clusters of buildings outside.
“Edgeland got too big for its britches?” Dana asked playfully.
“Most cities do. Wise leaders build walls around their cities, but few leave room for expansion. When cities grow citizens build their homes outside the wall’s protection.”
Worried, she asked, “What happens to them if the city is attacked?”
“They flee inside the walls if they can and are locked outside if they move too slow.” Jayden saw her horrified look. “Grim as that possibility is, those homes are our best choice to find help. Prosperous and respected citizens live inside the city. Poor residents live beyond the city wall and are more likely to help us.”
“Hopefully they can get you new clothes.”
Looking annoyed, he said, “I wasn’t pleased when bandit questioned my taste in fashion.”
Dana waved at the distant city. “You heard the old guy who took those bandits, people here are desperate. Do you want them coming after you the moment we go in?”
Jayden frowned. “Discretion may be warranted.”
A brief tour of the homes and businesses outside Edgeland turned up furriers, cobblers, fishermen, hunters, and a pawnshop where Jayden sold the weapons he’d taken from the bandits. At long last they found a tailor who gave them a skeptical look when they approached his small shop and said, “No credit for strangers. Pay in cash or leave.”
“A charming start to the conversation,” Jayden replied. He took two silver pieces from his pockets and held them up. “I need clothes, simple, warm and functional.”
The tailor took both coins. “I might have something in your size. Let me take your measurements.”
The tailor went through his limited stock until he came up with a gray overcoat, gray shirt and black pants. An hour of stitching shortened the legs and sleeves to fit. Jayden tried on the new clothes and nodded in approval.
“A good fit, and I like the style.”
“For tax reasons I never saw you in my life,” the tailor replied as he slid both coins into hidden pockets in his pants. “Now get out of here before someone sees you.”
“You don’t get much repeat business, do you?” Dana asked.
“As far as the king and queen are concerned I don’t get any business.”
Jayden packed his old clothes into his bags, and he led Dana toward the city gate. “Now then, I believe we’re ready to go on.”
“Hold on,” Dana told him. She put her hands on his shoulders and sat him on a nearby barrel. “Wanted posters show your face. If I change your hair it might help you go unnoticed.”
“Will this take long?”
Dana took a comb from her bags and went to work. Truth be told, she’d wanted to do something about Jayden’s messy hair since the day they’d met. In minutes she had it combed and tied into a ponytail she tucked into the collar of the overcoat.
Jayden stood up and asked, “How do I look?”
“Like the kind of man my mother warned me about. Let’s go.”
With Jayden disguised they headed for the city’s main gate. They found the gates open and heavily guarded by men wearing the blue and gray of royal soldiers. The soldiers collected a minor toll without inspecting carts and bags brought into the city.
Once they were inside Edgeland, Jayden led her through the streets. “Our first priority is to study the bridge.”
Dana took a deep breath and exhaled. “You know, this is the first city you’ve brought me to that didn’t smell like a dung heap.”
“You can thank Race Horse River. Residents of Edgeland throw their garbage into the river and let it carry their filth away.”
Dana grimaced. “That’s disgusting, and could poison the water and kill off the fish.”
“That’s not a concern.” Jayden brought her to a stone railing running along the river and pointed down. Dana leaned over the railing and gasped.
Race Horse River lived up to its name. The river flowed so fast a galloping horse would have trouble keeping up with it. It was wide, too, at least eighty feet across and who knows how deep. Countless years of fast moving water had cut deep into the bedrock until the water’s surface was fifteen feet below street level.
“Race Horse River moves too fast to host fish,” Jayden explained. “Dana, look at the bridge and tell me what you see.”
Dana looked to her left and saw an engineering marvel. “It’s about a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. I see eight columns holding it up. I think it’s made of granite.”
“Go on.”
“Guards are stationed on both sides of the bridge. Men on this side wear blue and gray, so they’re soldiers and not militia. Men on the other side wear green and gray. Who are they?”
“Kaleoth frontier soldiers,” Jayden replied. “They’re very good.”
“Two of them have staffs, so I’d pretty sure they’re wizards.” Dana kept staring at the bridge. “Jayden, no one’s crossing the bridge.”
“No, and that’s curious. I’d heard cross border trade was down, but there are no wagons, pack mules or pedestrians crossing. The guards don’t make sense, either. This is part of Baron Vrask’s territory. His men should be guarding the bridge, and they wear white and black.”
Dana looked at him and asked, “If this is Baron Vrask’s territory, why are royal soldiers guarding the city gate?”
“Another good question. This is going to be hard. I’d heard dwarfs built the bridge back when they did quality work, and it doesn’t disappoint. So many soldiers won’t help. I need time to plan my attack. That means we need a place to stay. I’ve never visited the city before, but I’m told there’s a credibly good hotel by the river.”
They walked along the river, passing a few pedestrians and one man on horseback. They found the hotel in minutes, except the building was boarded up and its sign lay on the ground.
Dana walked up to the nearest man and asked, “What happened here?”
The man spit on the street. “A law came out that hotels have to report their guests’ comings and goings to the throne. No one stayed here for months until the owner closed shop and left.”
“That leaves us in a bit of a situation,” Jayden said.
“You’re fine.” The man pointed at a nearby signpost covered in hanging wood placards. “Those are advertisements for people renting rooms. Technically they’re ‘inviting’ guests to stay out of the kindness of their hearts, no charge, so the law doesn’t apply. Of course honest God fearing folks like you might feel inclined to lend a hand with the bills, or ‘accidentally’ leave a few coins. Get the picture?”
“You paint it with such vivid colors,” Jayden said.
The man laughed and walked away. Jayden and Dana went to the signpost and studied the placards. They were small, homemade and covered in spelling errors. Each one offered one or more rooms, with cheerful descriptions of where to find them and the amenities they offered.
“Many to choose from,” Jayden said as he picked over the placards.
Dana handed him a placard. “Let’s take this one. It’s got two rooms, warm beds, a bathroom and they allow pets. Plus it’s a lady’s house.”
Jayden took the placard from her. “How can you tell?”
“The handwriting is nice, and guys don’t mention ‘super keen’ views. She even printed directions to her house.”
“It’s as good a choice as any,” he said as they walked through Edgeland. Dana was surprised how sparsely populated the city was. In ten minutes they saw only twenty people. Maybe residents were out gathering the harvest or working in mines and quarries.
Dana turned a corner near their destination and ran straight into two spearmen dressed in white and black uniforms. She cried out in surprise and backed up, quickly bowing and saying, “Sorry, sir.”
“Sir, eh?” the spearman asked. “You hear that, Nate? She called me sir.”
“Bill, don’t,” the other spearman said.
Jayden’s muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed. Dana put a hand on his arm before he could take action.
“No, I’m going to say it!” the first spearman shouted. “I’ve served ten years, fought bandits, monsters, animated skeletons, and after all that the king’s soldiers call me boy. I’m good in a fight, I know these streets like the back of my hand, I’ve upheld the law, and I get treated like a punk.”
The second spearman looked away in embarrassment. “Bill.”
“A girl, a stranger I’ve never met before, calls me sir, showing me a little bit of ulmixin respect that I can’t get from our own army! This is why people quit, Nate! This is why good men walk off the job!”
The first spearman stomped off. The second one looked down and said, “I’m sorry about that. He’s a good man, it’s just he’s been pushed too far.”
Once the second spearman ran after his friend, Dana said, “Wow.”
“Not surprising,” Jayden told her. “We’ve seen loyal men treated poorly before. Let’s get off the street before we draw any more attention.”
“What does ulmixin mean?”
Jayden reached the house described on the placard and knocked on the door. “It’s a gnomish word I’d prefer not to translate. Theirs is a language rich in obscenities.”
“Coming!” a muffled voice called from inside the house. The door opened and a young woman in a plain dress came to greet them. She looked like she was in her early twenties, with brown eyes and short brown hair, pretty in a simple sort of way. She smiled, took one look at Jayden, and froze. For a second Dana worried the woman recognized Jayden from his many wanted posters and was terrified of him. Then Dana saw the woman blush and look down. This wasn’t terror.
Dana stepped in and shook the woman’s hand. “Hi! I understand you’re renting rooms. My uncle and I need a place to stay tonight.”
“Perhaps longer,” Jayden added.
“Uh,” the woman managed. Jayden had this effect on women. Even Dana had been at a loss for words the first time she’d met him. Still, most women shook it off faster than this. “Rooms. Ah, yes, I, uh, have two rooms, ah, not technically for rent.”
“A passerby was kind enough to explain the loophole in the law,” Jayden told her. He took a gold coin from his baggage and pressed it into her left hand. “He was vague on how large a donation to make. Is this sufficient?”
“Money?” the woman asked. It looked like she was still dazed. “You’re not offering barter? I mean I’ll take money. I need money! It’s just other borders paid in flour, or eggs, or turnips. I hate turnips.”
Jayden smiled at her, making her blush again. “We’re out of turnips at the moment, so hard currency will have to do.”
“Yes, currency, money, good. That’s enough to cover a month’s stay,” she said as she led them inside. The house included plain furniture and white pillows. In stark contrast to this simplicity were the paintings hanging on the walls. Most were landscapes, including gorgeous pictures of Race Horse River, but there were also portraits of children and their pets. The house had three bedrooms with the doors open to show clean if simple furnishings.
Dana followed the woman to the rented rooms. “So, what’s your name?”
“Ah, my name’s Maya. Um, what’s yours?”
“I’m Dana Illwind.”
Maya looked puzzled. “And your uncle, who’s not following me?”
Jayden hadn’t gotten far past the door. Instead he’d put down his bags and was studying the paintings. “Uncle craves his privacy. I trust that won’t be a problem.”
“No. No, no, no, not for paying customers it’s not,” Maya said.
“I see an easel in the corner and canvas not stretched over a frame yet, so this must be your work,” Jayden said. “You have considerable skill as a painter. Clearly the lady has an eye for beauty in addition to beautiful eyes.”
Maya looked so shocked she could’ve been knocked over with a feather. Dana just rolled her eyes. She wondered if Jayden was doing this on purpose or if he didn’t even notice the effect he was having on the poor woman.
“I, um,” Maya stammered before words flooded out of her. “Dinner is at sunset, I lock the door an hour later, please don’t make too much noise after dark so the neighbors don’t complain because I need them to like me.”
“How many sentences was that?” Jayden asked playfully.
Dana got between Jayden and Maya. “We’ll be the best behaved guests you’ve had. Isn’t that right, uncle?”
Jayden picked up his bags and headed for his room. “You may count on our discretion. Come along, niece, let’s store our belongings and let the young lady go on to more important tasks.”
Dana followed Jayden to two bedrooms in the back of the house and went into the same room as Jayden. She closed the door behind them and said, “Don’t tease the landlady.”
“I complimented her, nothing more.” Jayden set down his bags and looked out a window facing the river. “Nor did I lie. As long as we’re admonishing one another, stop mentioning your name. We’re not in a small town, nor are we among friends like in Pearl Harbor. Our hostess could say things about us to the authorities. Should the king and queen learn your identity, they could go after your family.”
Dana froze. “I didn’t think of that.”
Jayden checked the window. “We can go out at night through the window without Maya noticing if we must. My hope is we can study the bridge at leisure over the next few days and look for weaknesses. I didn’t see any earlier, which worries me. Bringing it down is going to be difficult.”
“You seem really sure there’s going to be an invasion across that bridge.”
Jayden took a map out of his bags and unrolled it on the bed. “This shows the border with Kaleoth. The ground is hilly to mountainous, with only a few crossings easily blocked by Kaleoth frontier soldiers. Edgeland’s bridge over the Race Horse River is the only way to bring in large numbers of troops.”
“What’s in Kaleoth worth taking?”
“It has good pastures and a few mines, although no precious metals.” Jayden pointed at the map and said, “It’s not a large prize, but could be easily taken by a clever enemy. The capital city is only three day’s march from the border. Seizing that could be enough to end the war if they take the king and his sole heir prisoner.”
Dana pointed at a kingdom to the south. “Your sort of friend Reginald Lootmore thinks the king and queen are going to invade his home of Zentrix. You think he’s wrong?”
Jayden frowned. “Worse than that, I think he’s right. Kaleoth is a small prize. The king and queen couldn’t divide so little land among their nobles. So many ambitious men would demand a greater reward for their loyalty than Kaloeth could provide. The only way to satisfy them would be to conquer more land, and Zentrix is the next logical target. If that’s not enough, the Kingdom of Brandish will be the third and last to be invaded.”
“You think they’re going to take over three kingdoms?” Dana didn’t try to hide her surprise.
“All three have small populations, few soldiers, no strong allies and not enough money to support long campaigns.” Jayden rolled up his map and put it away. “It wouldn’t be easy to beat them, but it’s possible. Destroying that bridge may be enough to save Kaleoth from destruction.”
“That would force the king and queen to move to their backup targets,” Dana replied. “You’re saving one kingdom and dooming the other two.”
“I know.” Jayden stared out the window for a moment. “Dana, I’ve been grasping at straws since I vowed to defeat the king and queen. My blows against them have been annoyances at best. Defeating the wizard Green Peril, killing the chimera, stealing some armor and saving those girls from slavery, they were pinpricks.”
He turned to her and said, “This is my biggest strike against them, and even that leaves lives in peril. I can’t save everyone. My only hope is if I hit them hard and often I can weaken them until the armies of Zentrix and Brandish can fight the king and queen to a stalemate. That’s a brutal, bloody outcome that can’t possibly be called a victory, but it’s the only chance we have.”
There was a soft knock at the door. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
“We’ll continue this conversation another time,” Jayden said.
Maya greeted them at a small table, where she’d placed hardboiled eggs, a loaf of bread, fresh apples and a pitcher of milk. “I’m sure you’re used to better than this, but it’s what I could find at market.”
“Don’t apologize,” Dana told her. “It’s good food and more than we were expecting. You’ve got a very nice house.”
“Oh I don’t own it,” Maya said as she served Jayden. “I rent it from Baron Vrask. Lots of people rent from him.”
“How did he come to own so many properties?” Jayden asked.
Maya served Dana while she answered him. “I guess you wouldn’t know if you’re not from here. Not that I’m accusing my neighbors, but, ah, you know how taxes have gone up recently? Some families couldn’t pay. Baron Vrask takes labor or barter when people can’t pay their taxes. Royal tax collectors don’t.”
Worried, Dana asked, “What happened to them?”
“Some went to Kaleoth for a few days to buy wool or visit relatives. Lots of people here have family over the border, you know. But, um, a few days turned into a few weeks and a few months and now a few years, so I think they’re not coming back.”
“Which left empty houses that could fall into disrepair if not occupied, so your baron took ownership and rents them out,” Jayden said.
“It’s a very reasonable rent and I can pay it, sort of.” Maya looked worried when she served herself last. “I sell paintings, not as many with the bridge closed, I babysit, and I give painting lessons to a few boys, but, ah, I have to take in borders to make ends meet. Not that I’m against it! They’ve all been really nice people.”
“Surely your family can offer assistance,” Jayden said. Maya’s expression went from worried to sad. Jayden put down his food. “My apologies, I’ve upset you.”
Dana asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I, um, I’m a foundling. Baron Vrask’s men found me on the street when I was a baby. The baron takes in orphans and foundlings, and he supports them until they’re adults. I had a very good upbringing! He’s a nice man, and I learned a lot about cooking and cleaning, and his artisan taught me how to paint. I’m friends with the girls and boys I grew up with at the baron’s castle. The girls are nice, and the boys are loud and messy.”
“Sounds like my brothers,” Dana said. “Boys are like that the world over.”
Jayden was silent for a moment. “When Dana introduced herself, you gave only a first name.”
“I can’t have a family name if I don’t have a family.” Maya looked miserable. “I’m sorry, I’m not being a very good host. I shouldn’t babble like this.”
“You’re not babbling,” Jayden told her. “You’re being honest, and far friendlier than I expect or deserve. You’ve also earned my respect for Baron Vrask for treating you with such kindness in your youth.”
Maya smiled at him. “Thank you.”
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