Rescue part 1
This is the first part of the Dana Illwind and Sorcerer Lord Jayden story Rescue.
* * * * *
“I thought there would be fighting in a war,” Dana said. Jayden glanced at her, and she added, “The kingdom is at war with three nations at once, except you’d never guess it by looking around. Everything is so…normal.”
“It’s not surprising,” he told her. “Moving thousands of men hundreds of miles takes weeks, especially when they have to carry most of what they need with them. Even when they reach the enemy, there’s only going to be a few major battles and a number of skirmishes and ambushes. When autumn arrives, the fighting will stop until the following spring.”
“Assuming neither side wins,” Dana said.
It was a warm spring day as Dana Illwind and Sorcerer Lord Jayden marched down a lonely road. There were few farms or ranches, mostly pastures with fresh green grass. In time herds of cattle would be driven here to feed, but for now there was nothing but wild animals and the occasional traveler.
Dana had been following Jayden ever since he’d saved her village from a monster. She’d joined him in large part to try to redirect his fury away from the king and queen and onto legitimate threats. She’d thought that a sorcerer could do great good for the common man, making up for the lack of support from the throne. Too late she’d learned how much suffering the king and queen were responsible for. For years Dana had been afraid for her homeland. After twelve months traveling the kingdom, she’d come to be afraid of her homeland.
“What’s upsetting you?” he asked.
“It’s that obvious?” Dana frowned. “It’s just, I used to think the kingdom had problems, but nothing we couldn’t deal with. It was a bunch of little things people could overcome if they worked together. Since we’ve been traveling together, I’ve seen most of our problems are from our own leaders and the men they’ve surrounded themselves with. What can you do when tens of thousands of soldiers and their leaders are behind what’s going wrong?”
“We face no small challenge, Dana. Ending the war is a massive undertaking, made worse by the overwhelming number of men who serve willingly and embrace the chance to visit war upon neighboring lands and their people. Dealing with this threat is going to take years, and we will take enormous risks throughout that time. Make no mistake, we are trying to stop if not entirely remake a nation gone mad.”
In the last year he and Dana had done what they could to prevent the king and queen from going to war with Brandish, Kaleoth and Zentrix, three small neighboring kingdoms. They’d stolen armor, killed monsters, rescued child slaves, even defeated skeletal armies made by a now dead necromancer. They’d enjoyed far more success than Dana had dared dream possible, yet had failed in their mission. The king and queen had declared war on Kaleoth the preceding winter, and on Brandish and Zentrix early in spring.
Jayden had fought tooth and nail for decades to prevent such wars. He’d waged a one-man campaign against the royal couple, hurting them at every opportunity across the entire kingdom. His friends were few, his enemies were legion, and hope as rare as gold. Dana was just a farmgirl until meeting him, and was staggered at the risks he ran, even more so because he was the king’s son, long thought dead. Who could do this without breaking?
So far Jayden was holding up, but the strain was showing. The world’s only sorcerer lord had a fierce temper, and it was getting worse. His black and silver clothes were fraying at the edges. His backpack was getting thin as he spent more and more of his limited money. Jayden’s perpetually messy blond hair was even worse than normal, and he’d refused her offers to cut it. He needed her help to stay focused, but just as importantly he needed some shred of hope, a sign that they weren’t on a fool’s errand.
If Jayden was looking worse, Dana was improving. She was in good health and had managed to replace her worn out clothes weeks ago with new summer wear, simple but comfortable cotton clothes. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail. She was even armed, a rarity among peasants, and with a magic sword called Chain Cutter.
Chain Cutter had been crafted using dwarf rune magic, Jayden’s shadow magic, a chimera horn and a sliver of magic metal called uram. The short sword was black edged with silver, serrated ridges on one side and mystic runes near the base with a black hardwood handle. Chain Cutter had proven devastating in combat, cutting through nearly anything. Jayden was still giving her sword fighting lessons, and she was learning fast.
“The war is heavily delayed, in part because of us,” Jayden explained. “We destroyed the only major bridge to Kaleoth, leaving them safe for the time being. Suzy Lockheart closed one of the mountain passes leading to Brandish. This will limit how much fighting can take place until the routes are clear.”
“What about Zentrix?” Dana asked. “We weren’t able to help them.”
“There are relatively few routes into Zentrix. Each one can be bottled up by small armies. Zentrix also has competent armies and generals. Barring disasters, they’ll hold.
“That is what gives us a chance, Dana. Maintaining three offensives requires huge numbers of men, leaving much of the country’s interior lightly defended. If we can find and destroy critical weak points such as supply depots, armories and bridges, we can slow or even paralyze the war effort. But we need to work fast. The late and unlamented necromancer Cimmox claimed the king and queen are flooding the kingdom with new followers, each one equal to him in depravity. Once they arrive in force, the war will be almost impossible to stop.”
“What are we going for first?”
Jayden paused. “I don’t know. Before defeating Cimmox, the heavy snowfall trapped us in a small village for two months. Much could have happened during that time I don’t know about. Even before that, we were focused for months on dealing with local threats. I don’t know what has been happening elsewhere in the kingdom. I need information before we can act.”
Dana reached into her backpack and pulled out a wanted poster with Jayden’s face on it. These posters were plastered across every village with more than a hundred residents, and the reward grew by the month. “Finding people you can talk to might be hard with this price on your head. It might be hard for me, too. These posters started mentioning me months ago, even if the descriptions are vague. Who can we talk to when we’re both wanted criminals?”
Jayden smiled, a rare and welcome sign. “Why Dana, I thought the answer to that would be obvious. Other wanted criminals.”
Dana stopped walking. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“If it’s any comfort, I won’t either. Years ago, I visited a small outlaw community called Weirdwood in the wilderness near the border with Zentrix. It is an indescribably foul place filled with the worst examples of humanity you could have the poor luck to meet. Such communities are sadly common in isolated places, sprouting like mushrooms after a rainstorm, only to be destroyed by the authorities or infighting until new ones arise. This one has stood for fifteen years and is considered almost stable.”
“If it’s full of criminals, they won’t have information you can use. They’d be chased out of nice parts of the kingdom.”
He looked at her curiously before saying, “I keep forgetting your peaceful upbringing. Dana, it’s a sad fact of life that the criminal element is welcome in society if it stays in the shadows. Smugglers, gamblers, thieves and poachers can find unscrupulous men eager for their wares. Communities like Weirdwood are frowned upon, but ignored so long as they are useful rather than damaging. The men I need to talk to will have traveled far and wide, tolerated if not welcomed.”
“You trust wanted criminals to be honest?” she asked skeptically.
“Honor among thieves is a rarity, but I have certain advantages in securing their cooperation. I have funds enough to buy their services, and such men appreciate hard currency. I also have enough power to inflict horrific retribution should they betray me, a point I made very clear on my last visit to Weirdwood.”
Dana put a hand over here face. “How much damage did you do?”
“It was severe but localized.”
As day transitioned into night, they passed scattered farmhouses on their way to Weirdwood, all of them built to resist attacks with brick walls, tile roofs and arrow slits. Men traveled armed and in groups, and they gave Dana and Jayden wary looks as they passed. Jayden nodded to a few of them and continued without incident.
“They don’t look happy to see us,” Dana said.
“Most of Weirdwood’s residents have the good sense to limit their crimes to distant lands, but there are always a few drunken idiots eager to cause trouble. Honest men living near Weirdwood are always ready for trouble.”
“Why don’t they tell the king and queen where to find this dump and let the army burn it down?”
“The king and queen don’t care about small farms like these any more than they did your friends and relatives back home when you first called upon my aid. If a few dozen or hundred people live in fear, or don’t live at all, it’s nothing to the crown compared to cities with hundreds of thousands of people.”
“You said this place has been around for fifteen years,” she pressed. “That’s a long time to ignore a problem.”
“They’ve ignored problems far greater for far longer.” He hesitated before saying, “It makes me wonder if a member of the royal court is protecting this pigsty. A rich man could make himself even richer here, if he was careful and heavily armed.”
Jayden pointed at lights in the distance. “That’s our destination. There are no friends where we’re going, Dana. We must take precautions before going further.”
Dana saw him take cloth wrappings from his bags. “Wait a minute.”
“This won’t take long.” Jayden covered her face with a cloth mask with narrow eyeholes. He handed her gloves that reached up to her elbows and leggings to cover what little skin her skirt and boots didn’t hide. “I am known and feared in Weirdwood. You, being an attractive young woman, will be seen as prey. You run a lower risk of being bothered if you look mysterious. You also don’t risk someone describing your features to the authorities.”
“Lots of soldiers have seen me with you,” Dana said as she pulled on the gloves.
“If you check your no doubt excellent memory, you’ll recall those meetings were almost exclusively at night where visibility was poor. The only exception that comes to mind was our attack on baron Scalamonger’s estate with Lootmore. In that instance, enemy forces had been drinking heavily before they saw you. I doubt they could describe your features after the hangovers they must have suffered. For your own safety and that of your family, please put these garments on.”
Dana finished putting on the clothes and checked her reflection in a nearby pool. She did look more intimidating. “I’m just glad you’re not trying to leave me behind. Sometimes you get too protective.”
“No place this close to Weirdwood is safe, and we won’t be safe inside the town. No matter what, eat nothing, drink nothing and stay close to me. If anyone looks dangerous, they are. Avoid speaking if you can help it.”
“Are we torching this place on the way out?”
“Don’t tempt me. I was weaker the last time I visited this cesspit, with fewer spells mastered. My progress has been considerable, but not enough to destroy a town.”
They approached Weirdwood slowly, keeping an eye out for danger. When they finally saw the town, it met Dana’s low expectations. The community was a collection of ramshackle buildings made of cheap lumber and scrap wood. None of the shops had signs advertising their services, nor were there street signs. Light from open doors illuminated much of the street to reveal a cast of miserable characters. Most were humans, although Dana saw an elf and some dwarfs. Like many places they’d visited, Weirdwood stunk of wood smoke, dung, livestock and body odor.
Then there was the noise. Dana heard shouting and laughing, more than she would have expected for a town this size. Animals brayed, neighed or in some cases growled. Music came from what she thought was an inn, but she didn’t recognize the tune or even the instruments.
A woman in a store called out, “What’s your pleasure? Stay awake, put you to sleep, open your eyes to other realms. I’ve got brews for whatever your fancy is.”
“Pass,” Jayden replied. The woman cursed at him before offering her vile concoctions to another man.
A man pointed at Dana and asked Jayden, “You selling or renting?”
Jayden cast a spell, and moments later a giant black hand with claws scooped up the man and hurled him onto a nearby rooftop. The hand dissolved back into the shadows, and after that no one on the street bothered them.
Jayden led her through the streets without hesitation. Their passing drew considerable attention, but no one tried to bar their way. They reached a dingy bar and went inside to find a collection of the dirtiest, loudest and most heavily armed people Dana had ever met gathered around a bar and cooking fire.
One of the men banged a ladle against an iron pot over a fire. “Boys, it’s our old friend, Jayden! It’s been years. What’s brought you back to Weirdwood? Still fencing stolen horses?”
Jayden strode fearlessly into the room. “Not this time, Clevner. I’m buying rather than selling.”
Clevner was a tall man, rail thin and filthy. His leather clothes looked like they should have been burned rather than washed, and his collection of knives and daggers were tarnished and rusty. He gave Jayden a lopsided grin and gestured for the other men in the room to make space.
“Now that depends on what you’re buying. We’re light on stock at the moment, which is why I was happy to see you.”
“I seek words rather than goods,” Jayden said. “I’ve been busy for the last few months and need up to date information on my favorite targets. You travel more than most and may have seen the opportunities I seek.”
A young man stepped away from the bar and pointed at Dana. “Hey, the sorcerer brought a pet. Ooh, all covered up like that, the pretty thing must be shy.”
“She’s none of your business,” Jayden said firmly.
The youth swaggered closer. “I’ll decide what’s my business or not.”
Jayden stepped up until he was within inches of the youth’s face. “You must be new to Weirdwood, or unbelievably stupid. Adults are talking, boy. Find someone else to amuse yourself with before I remove pieces of your anatomy.”
Clevner cleared his throat. “You’re right, he’s new to my little family. Go back to your drink, boy. I’d rather not clean your blood off the floor.”
The idiot looked at Clevner without fear, proof either of drunkenness or overconfidence. “He’s a tough one?”
“Last time Jayden paid Weirdwood a visit, a few blokes thought they could take horses he’d brought without paying for them. I buried them and bought the horses, for a fair price, I might add.”
Jayden turned his attention back to Clevner. “Armies are moving, threats and opportunities in equal measure to the man bold enough to act. I need to know where they are, how powerful they are, and if they’re leaving assets exposed. Words for gold, Clevner. You won’t get a better deal.”
“That might not the case.” Clevner casually took a sheet of paper from behind the bar and held it up. “See, we had a visitor just after the snow melted, and by we, I mean everyone in town. Tall fellow, fancy clothes, very nice diction. He made an offer on behalf of the king and queen. Anyone who swears loyalty and obeys orders gets a blanket amnesty for all past crimes. As of four weeks ago we became fine, upstanding citizens.”
“You must be joking,” Jayden said.
Clevner offered him the paper. “See for yourself.”
Jayden snatched it and read quickly. “What did you have to do to earn this amnesty?”
“Exactly what we were doing all along. Poachers hunt animals and rare monsters to sell the carcasses, smugglers bring in stolen goods, and slavers deal in human flesh. The only difference is, these days the king and queen pay us for our labors.”
Jayden’s face betrayed his disgust. “There weren’t slavers here on my last visit.”
“Weirdwood has been diversifying as of late, with new opportunities for the openminded. It’s not to my tastes, but I’m not in a position to throw stones. Back to our original topic. It’s too early to see if this will last, but for the time being we’re working for the throne, and the king and queen may not take kindly to us telling their secrets to an enemy, if that’s what you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.
“This part is a tad delicate, so curb your aggressive tendencies,” Clevner cautioned. “That same visitor who gave us this second chance thought you might drop by, your reputation being what it is, and he told us to pass along a message if we saw you.”
Jayden’s muscles tensed, and Dana grabbed the hilt of her sword. Clevner waved his hands downward and said, “Aggressive tendencies, Jayden. It’s an opportunity, not a threat. The king and queen are offering the same olive branch to you.”
“Do you take me for a fool?” he yelled. “I’ve harried the king and queen for my entire adult life! In the last year I’ve destroyed two noblemen’s estates, stolen a fortune in armor and killed their iron golem, Wall Wolf.”
Jayden’s outburst didn’t bother Clevner in the slightest. “Which is why they want you. You’re right, Jayden, it’s war, and wizards are a prized commodity in any army. The thinking goes anyone who kills an iron golem is a man you want on your side. If they hire you, that’s one less threat and one more asset. We both know changing sides isn’t rare for a man with skills in demand.”
Clevner took a cup off the bar and sipped it. “I and my merry band are temporarily useful to the king and queen, but if they win their war, they won’t need us any longer. Maybe their offer goes away when they can get respectable men to do the work. If they lose, nobody’s going to honor the deal. But you, well, sorcerer lords are a tad rare at the moment, so whoever wins is going to want you.
“There’s more. Your wanted posters were undated. The cash offer is off the table. Instead the king and queen are offering a dukedom to anyone who brings you in, dead or alive. Seems a certain Duke Wiskver managed to upset the royal couple so badly they ordered his execution. He ran off a few minutes ahead of the sheriffs. I’m told his land is a bit of a mess and his followers fled. Still, it’s not every day a fellow can jump to nobility. Plenty of strong lads will take the chance.”
Jayden handed back the paper. “I’ve no interest in changing sides, now or ever. My goal remains the same, and I think you are bold enough to play both sides, especially when you admit your amnesty might not be honored. Allow me to make you richer in case the day comes when you need to leave with whatever you can carry.”
Clevner paused before nodding. “I’ve heard and seen a few things that might interest you, and there are men in Weirdwood who might know more. First thing’s first, we need to agree to a price before I say word one.”
Just then one of Clevner’s followers walked past Dana and ran his hand up her leg. She shrieked, and the men burst out laughing. Jayden raised his hands to cast a spell, no doubt flashy and massively destructive that would ruin any chance for a deal.
Moving fast, Dana kicked the man in the butt, knocking him over. The laugher doubled, and the man scowled as he tried to get up. Before he could rise, she drew her sword and swung it at the pot hanging over the fire. Chain Cutter spit out a cloud of sparks as it hacked through the iron pot top to bottom, spilling its contents on the fire and extinguishing it as both pieces of the pot landed with a bang.
The laughter stopped.
“Keep your hands to yourself, or she’ll take them off,” Jayden said.
“Outside, now,” Clevner ordered the man on the floor. When he tried to protest, Clevner said, “You’re ten seconds from getting killed, by the girl if you’re lucky and by the sorcerer if you’re not. I don’t much care if you die, but once Jayden starts killing men, he might not be in a mood to stop. Go.”
The man left, his face red and his fists clenched. Clevner turned his attention back to Jayden. “I need time to get the secrets you want. Come back tomorrow night with a hundred gold coins, no less. Don’t argue over the money. You’ll make it back ten times over with what I have to say.”
“Fair enough,” Jayden said. “My associate won’t be joining me, as you seem to have trouble controlling your followers.”
The insult didn’t seem to bother Clevner. “I think that’s for the best.”
Jayden and Dana left the bar without another word. A drunken man saw them and laughed, saying, “Thrown out that fast? Guess he didn’t offer enough for the girl.”
Jayden didn’t break stride as he punched the drunk in the gut and doubled him over. He grabbed the fool by the collar and swung him head first into the bar’s front wall, and followed up by stomping on the man after he hit the ground. Bystanders watched with casual interest before moving on. Jayden continued as if nothing had happened, stopping only once they were far outside Weirdwood.
“That was really disturbing,” Dana said as she took off her disguise.
“It was, and I apologize. Weirdwood has degenerated even faster than the rest of the kingdom, and it was no pleasure to begin with. If this sort of depravity is acceptable even in a small corner of the kingdom, how soon until it spreads?”
“It might not. If Clevner is right, he and his friends might get thrown out with the trash when they’re not needed anymore.”
“They can do incredible amounts of harm before being cast aside.” Jayden scowled and looked back at the disgusting town. “In years past I was never happy dealing with such revolting people. I rationalized it as a necessary evil. Today I see that choice for the mistake it is, for if it was acceptable for me to deal with such men, it is no less so for the king and queen.”
“Can we get this information anywhere else?” Dana asked.
“Not in time. The peace and quiet we now enjoy won’t last. Armies will march soon, and if we are to do anything to stop that we have to know what to hit and where. We also need allies for the coming battles, and while the men of Weirdwood don’t qualify, they might be able to point out others who do. I don’t trust them, but I need them.”
They spent the night camped far away from Weirdwood in case its unsavory residents were tempted to collect the price on Jayden’s head. They spent the following day practicing with wooden swords. Dana wasn’t Jayden’s equal, but she was getting to the point where she could hold her own.
As the day wore on Jayden noticed more men coming into and out of Weirdwood. He frowned and said, “I need to find a safe place for you while I’m gone. Given how far the town’s residents travel, it would be better for you to be farther away. There is a village deeper in the mountains and the road leading there is difficult, so Weirdwood’s loathsome residents should avoid it.”
Jayden led her to a small walled village perched next to a river. The river flowed slowly through the mountainous terrain and frequently branched off along narrow channels. People had set nets across the water to snare fish and watched them warily, but thankfully didn’t panic at the appearance of strangers.
“It’s rustic, but safe,” Jayden said. “Weirdwood’s noxious residents avoid this place ever since some of their men came here and never returned. Whatever is responsible ignores less revolting people, and I feel certain no one will bother you.”
Before he left, she said, “Promise me you’re not doing this to keep me safe while you run off and fight those jerks alone.”
Jayden smiled. “I respect your abilities and judgement too much to go without your help. I will return as soon as I have finished dealing with Clevner. From there our journey will be more dangerous. Rest, and enjoy what little these people have to offer.”
Dana felt nervous as she watched Jayden leave. Not because she feared for herself. She was worried for him. Weirdwood was easily the foulest town she’d ever set foot in. Jayden was worthy of respect from friends and fear from enemies, but those villains might think surprise and superior numbers could win the day. She was tempted to follow him.
In the end she didn’t. There would be too big a risk that she’d draw attention from evil men, ruining Jayden’s chances to finish this deal, and possibly forcing him to rescue her. She was honest enough to admit she wasn’t ready to fight her way into or out of a town like that, especially since she didn’t know what dangers lurked there. They could have tamed monsters, golems, witches, wizards or any number of other threats.
A woman walked by, and Dana said, “Hello there.”
The woman mumbled a response and kept her head down. Dana tried talking to another woman and got the same reaction. Villagers went about their business as if she wasn’t there, shying away when she approached. She couldn’t figure out why they were so scared of her, but maybe they were used to strangers being dangerous. After all, they weren’t far from Weirdwood.
Dana had been just like these people only a year ago. The small town she’d grown up in was quiet and did its best to avoid attention from royalty and monsters (both being dangerous). She would’ve been wary at the approach of a stranger, not hostile, but cautious in case the person was dangerous.
Their apprehension would make finding a place to stay difficult. These people wouldn’t want to open their home up to a stranger, even a paying one. There didn’t seem to be an inn, either, but that wasn’t surprising for such a small community. Few travelers would come this way, and many would be the kind of men they wouldn’t want around. It looked like she’d be roughing it tonight.
Dana searched the area for good camping sites. Options were limited. Much of the land was too rocky, and every inch of flat ground was planted with grains or vegetables. She ended up going far down the nearest trail before finding a patch of tall pine trees she could make camp under. Fallen needles offered bedding of a sort, while the trees would provide cover.
She’d just begun to lay out a blanket to sleep on when she saw a woman of about twenty creep down the trail. The woman was pretty but simply dressed. Curious, Dana watched the woman go to a small branch of the river and set a straw mat onto the water. With this strange task done, the woman went back toward the village, never seeing Dana hiding among the pine trees.
This was odd enough to worry Dana. Once she was sure the woman was gone, she went to the river and found the mat slowly flowing downstream. The mat was thick enough it could float even with a loaf of bread, two apples and a smoked fish sitting on top of it.
“Who’s that for?” Dana asked out loud.
The current carried the mat away, and Dana followed it. The branch of the river was wide but not very deep, and it flowed between large boulders before going into a cave. The mat leisurely floated into the cave and out of view.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said. “That’s not the kind of food you would give to an animal or a monster. That means there’s a person in there the lady is providing for. Why doesn’t he stay in the village?”
Dana peered into the cave. Was someone trapped down there? That didn’t make sense, either. If someone was stuck inside, the woman would get her friends and family to rescue them. Maybe the stranger was hiding in the cave and the woman had merely agreed to provide meals. That didn’t make even less sense. If someone was so scared they’d hide in a cave, it would be smarter to run to a safer place, and there had to be safer places to hide than a village near Weirdwood.
“Laura?” a man’s voice called out from the cave.
“Um, no, sorry, I’m not Laura,” Dana said.
“That is a relief and a pity,” the man answered. Dana heard him eating the crunchy apples.
“Why are you in there?”
“That’s not a story I am eager to repeat. Young lady, I am told there is a village not far from here. Tell the people Brasten sent you, and they will open their doors that you may spend the night in safety.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Dana said. “Wait a minute, you were told there’s a village nearby? It’s so close I can see the light from their cooking fires. How could you not know where it is?”
“I came here before there was a village, and have never left.”
The statement was mysterious, but it was also unbearably sad. “Can you leave?”
“No.”
“The girl who floated the food to you, she’s Laura? She’s trying to be nice, but she can’t save you.”
“She has a beautiful soul and seeks to ease my confinement. I could survive without the meals she sends me, and without her company when she can spare the time, but it makes my stay more bearable. To hear tales of the world beyond is a pleasure and makes me feel like I am still a part of it, if only in a small way.”
Dana went through her baggage and brought out a torch. She lit it and held it in front of her as she stepped into the water. “I’m coming in.”
“I can’t guarantee your safety,” the man cautioned. “There is danger within this cave.”
“Then you need help,” she said as she waded through the cold water. It came up to her knees, but flowed so slowly she was in no danger of being washed away.
“Laura would like you.”
Dana only had to wade a short distance before coming onto a ledge. She found the straw mat in the water. Standing on the ledge was the man.
This man…oh my. He was the sort of that drew women’s attention, tall and lean with sculpted muscles. She guessed his age at twenty-five at the most, with dark hair and brooding eyes. His clothes were simple cotton, a tunic with short sleeves, pants that stopped just below his knees, and a sword strapped to his leather belt.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said formally. “I am Brasten the Unbeaten. Please forgive the lack of accommodations. I’m afraid the few creature comforts I could offer rotted away long ago.”
“Hi.” Dana was having trouble forming words at the moment. She held out her hand, and Brasten shook it with a firm grip. “I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t see what’s keeping you here.”
“It’s a long story and a sad one, but you have gone to some effort to meet me, so I feel I should reciprocate in some way. I fear my tale offers little hope. Come, and I will show you why I stay.”
* * * * *
“I thought there would be fighting in a war,” Dana said. Jayden glanced at her, and she added, “The kingdom is at war with three nations at once, except you’d never guess it by looking around. Everything is so…normal.”
“It’s not surprising,” he told her. “Moving thousands of men hundreds of miles takes weeks, especially when they have to carry most of what they need with them. Even when they reach the enemy, there’s only going to be a few major battles and a number of skirmishes and ambushes. When autumn arrives, the fighting will stop until the following spring.”
“Assuming neither side wins,” Dana said.
It was a warm spring day as Dana Illwind and Sorcerer Lord Jayden marched down a lonely road. There were few farms or ranches, mostly pastures with fresh green grass. In time herds of cattle would be driven here to feed, but for now there was nothing but wild animals and the occasional traveler.
Dana had been following Jayden ever since he’d saved her village from a monster. She’d joined him in large part to try to redirect his fury away from the king and queen and onto legitimate threats. She’d thought that a sorcerer could do great good for the common man, making up for the lack of support from the throne. Too late she’d learned how much suffering the king and queen were responsible for. For years Dana had been afraid for her homeland. After twelve months traveling the kingdom, she’d come to be afraid of her homeland.
“What’s upsetting you?” he asked.
“It’s that obvious?” Dana frowned. “It’s just, I used to think the kingdom had problems, but nothing we couldn’t deal with. It was a bunch of little things people could overcome if they worked together. Since we’ve been traveling together, I’ve seen most of our problems are from our own leaders and the men they’ve surrounded themselves with. What can you do when tens of thousands of soldiers and their leaders are behind what’s going wrong?”
“We face no small challenge, Dana. Ending the war is a massive undertaking, made worse by the overwhelming number of men who serve willingly and embrace the chance to visit war upon neighboring lands and their people. Dealing with this threat is going to take years, and we will take enormous risks throughout that time. Make no mistake, we are trying to stop if not entirely remake a nation gone mad.”
In the last year he and Dana had done what they could to prevent the king and queen from going to war with Brandish, Kaleoth and Zentrix, three small neighboring kingdoms. They’d stolen armor, killed monsters, rescued child slaves, even defeated skeletal armies made by a now dead necromancer. They’d enjoyed far more success than Dana had dared dream possible, yet had failed in their mission. The king and queen had declared war on Kaleoth the preceding winter, and on Brandish and Zentrix early in spring.
Jayden had fought tooth and nail for decades to prevent such wars. He’d waged a one-man campaign against the royal couple, hurting them at every opportunity across the entire kingdom. His friends were few, his enemies were legion, and hope as rare as gold. Dana was just a farmgirl until meeting him, and was staggered at the risks he ran, even more so because he was the king’s son, long thought dead. Who could do this without breaking?
So far Jayden was holding up, but the strain was showing. The world’s only sorcerer lord had a fierce temper, and it was getting worse. His black and silver clothes were fraying at the edges. His backpack was getting thin as he spent more and more of his limited money. Jayden’s perpetually messy blond hair was even worse than normal, and he’d refused her offers to cut it. He needed her help to stay focused, but just as importantly he needed some shred of hope, a sign that they weren’t on a fool’s errand.
If Jayden was looking worse, Dana was improving. She was in good health and had managed to replace her worn out clothes weeks ago with new summer wear, simple but comfortable cotton clothes. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail. She was even armed, a rarity among peasants, and with a magic sword called Chain Cutter.
Chain Cutter had been crafted using dwarf rune magic, Jayden’s shadow magic, a chimera horn and a sliver of magic metal called uram. The short sword was black edged with silver, serrated ridges on one side and mystic runes near the base with a black hardwood handle. Chain Cutter had proven devastating in combat, cutting through nearly anything. Jayden was still giving her sword fighting lessons, and she was learning fast.
“The war is heavily delayed, in part because of us,” Jayden explained. “We destroyed the only major bridge to Kaleoth, leaving them safe for the time being. Suzy Lockheart closed one of the mountain passes leading to Brandish. This will limit how much fighting can take place until the routes are clear.”
“What about Zentrix?” Dana asked. “We weren’t able to help them.”
“There are relatively few routes into Zentrix. Each one can be bottled up by small armies. Zentrix also has competent armies and generals. Barring disasters, they’ll hold.
“That is what gives us a chance, Dana. Maintaining three offensives requires huge numbers of men, leaving much of the country’s interior lightly defended. If we can find and destroy critical weak points such as supply depots, armories and bridges, we can slow or even paralyze the war effort. But we need to work fast. The late and unlamented necromancer Cimmox claimed the king and queen are flooding the kingdom with new followers, each one equal to him in depravity. Once they arrive in force, the war will be almost impossible to stop.”
“What are we going for first?”
Jayden paused. “I don’t know. Before defeating Cimmox, the heavy snowfall trapped us in a small village for two months. Much could have happened during that time I don’t know about. Even before that, we were focused for months on dealing with local threats. I don’t know what has been happening elsewhere in the kingdom. I need information before we can act.”
Dana reached into her backpack and pulled out a wanted poster with Jayden’s face on it. These posters were plastered across every village with more than a hundred residents, and the reward grew by the month. “Finding people you can talk to might be hard with this price on your head. It might be hard for me, too. These posters started mentioning me months ago, even if the descriptions are vague. Who can we talk to when we’re both wanted criminals?”
Jayden smiled, a rare and welcome sign. “Why Dana, I thought the answer to that would be obvious. Other wanted criminals.”
Dana stopped walking. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“If it’s any comfort, I won’t either. Years ago, I visited a small outlaw community called Weirdwood in the wilderness near the border with Zentrix. It is an indescribably foul place filled with the worst examples of humanity you could have the poor luck to meet. Such communities are sadly common in isolated places, sprouting like mushrooms after a rainstorm, only to be destroyed by the authorities or infighting until new ones arise. This one has stood for fifteen years and is considered almost stable.”
“If it’s full of criminals, they won’t have information you can use. They’d be chased out of nice parts of the kingdom.”
He looked at her curiously before saying, “I keep forgetting your peaceful upbringing. Dana, it’s a sad fact of life that the criminal element is welcome in society if it stays in the shadows. Smugglers, gamblers, thieves and poachers can find unscrupulous men eager for their wares. Communities like Weirdwood are frowned upon, but ignored so long as they are useful rather than damaging. The men I need to talk to will have traveled far and wide, tolerated if not welcomed.”
“You trust wanted criminals to be honest?” she asked skeptically.
“Honor among thieves is a rarity, but I have certain advantages in securing their cooperation. I have funds enough to buy their services, and such men appreciate hard currency. I also have enough power to inflict horrific retribution should they betray me, a point I made very clear on my last visit to Weirdwood.”
Dana put a hand over here face. “How much damage did you do?”
“It was severe but localized.”
As day transitioned into night, they passed scattered farmhouses on their way to Weirdwood, all of them built to resist attacks with brick walls, tile roofs and arrow slits. Men traveled armed and in groups, and they gave Dana and Jayden wary looks as they passed. Jayden nodded to a few of them and continued without incident.
“They don’t look happy to see us,” Dana said.
“Most of Weirdwood’s residents have the good sense to limit their crimes to distant lands, but there are always a few drunken idiots eager to cause trouble. Honest men living near Weirdwood are always ready for trouble.”
“Why don’t they tell the king and queen where to find this dump and let the army burn it down?”
“The king and queen don’t care about small farms like these any more than they did your friends and relatives back home when you first called upon my aid. If a few dozen or hundred people live in fear, or don’t live at all, it’s nothing to the crown compared to cities with hundreds of thousands of people.”
“You said this place has been around for fifteen years,” she pressed. “That’s a long time to ignore a problem.”
“They’ve ignored problems far greater for far longer.” He hesitated before saying, “It makes me wonder if a member of the royal court is protecting this pigsty. A rich man could make himself even richer here, if he was careful and heavily armed.”
Jayden pointed at lights in the distance. “That’s our destination. There are no friends where we’re going, Dana. We must take precautions before going further.”
Dana saw him take cloth wrappings from his bags. “Wait a minute.”
“This won’t take long.” Jayden covered her face with a cloth mask with narrow eyeholes. He handed her gloves that reached up to her elbows and leggings to cover what little skin her skirt and boots didn’t hide. “I am known and feared in Weirdwood. You, being an attractive young woman, will be seen as prey. You run a lower risk of being bothered if you look mysterious. You also don’t risk someone describing your features to the authorities.”
“Lots of soldiers have seen me with you,” Dana said as she pulled on the gloves.
“If you check your no doubt excellent memory, you’ll recall those meetings were almost exclusively at night where visibility was poor. The only exception that comes to mind was our attack on baron Scalamonger’s estate with Lootmore. In that instance, enemy forces had been drinking heavily before they saw you. I doubt they could describe your features after the hangovers they must have suffered. For your own safety and that of your family, please put these garments on.”
Dana finished putting on the clothes and checked her reflection in a nearby pool. She did look more intimidating. “I’m just glad you’re not trying to leave me behind. Sometimes you get too protective.”
“No place this close to Weirdwood is safe, and we won’t be safe inside the town. No matter what, eat nothing, drink nothing and stay close to me. If anyone looks dangerous, they are. Avoid speaking if you can help it.”
“Are we torching this place on the way out?”
“Don’t tempt me. I was weaker the last time I visited this cesspit, with fewer spells mastered. My progress has been considerable, but not enough to destroy a town.”
They approached Weirdwood slowly, keeping an eye out for danger. When they finally saw the town, it met Dana’s low expectations. The community was a collection of ramshackle buildings made of cheap lumber and scrap wood. None of the shops had signs advertising their services, nor were there street signs. Light from open doors illuminated much of the street to reveal a cast of miserable characters. Most were humans, although Dana saw an elf and some dwarfs. Like many places they’d visited, Weirdwood stunk of wood smoke, dung, livestock and body odor.
Then there was the noise. Dana heard shouting and laughing, more than she would have expected for a town this size. Animals brayed, neighed or in some cases growled. Music came from what she thought was an inn, but she didn’t recognize the tune or even the instruments.
A woman in a store called out, “What’s your pleasure? Stay awake, put you to sleep, open your eyes to other realms. I’ve got brews for whatever your fancy is.”
“Pass,” Jayden replied. The woman cursed at him before offering her vile concoctions to another man.
A man pointed at Dana and asked Jayden, “You selling or renting?”
Jayden cast a spell, and moments later a giant black hand with claws scooped up the man and hurled him onto a nearby rooftop. The hand dissolved back into the shadows, and after that no one on the street bothered them.
Jayden led her through the streets without hesitation. Their passing drew considerable attention, but no one tried to bar their way. They reached a dingy bar and went inside to find a collection of the dirtiest, loudest and most heavily armed people Dana had ever met gathered around a bar and cooking fire.
One of the men banged a ladle against an iron pot over a fire. “Boys, it’s our old friend, Jayden! It’s been years. What’s brought you back to Weirdwood? Still fencing stolen horses?”
Jayden strode fearlessly into the room. “Not this time, Clevner. I’m buying rather than selling.”
Clevner was a tall man, rail thin and filthy. His leather clothes looked like they should have been burned rather than washed, and his collection of knives and daggers were tarnished and rusty. He gave Jayden a lopsided grin and gestured for the other men in the room to make space.
“Now that depends on what you’re buying. We’re light on stock at the moment, which is why I was happy to see you.”
“I seek words rather than goods,” Jayden said. “I’ve been busy for the last few months and need up to date information on my favorite targets. You travel more than most and may have seen the opportunities I seek.”
A young man stepped away from the bar and pointed at Dana. “Hey, the sorcerer brought a pet. Ooh, all covered up like that, the pretty thing must be shy.”
“She’s none of your business,” Jayden said firmly.
The youth swaggered closer. “I’ll decide what’s my business or not.”
Jayden stepped up until he was within inches of the youth’s face. “You must be new to Weirdwood, or unbelievably stupid. Adults are talking, boy. Find someone else to amuse yourself with before I remove pieces of your anatomy.”
Clevner cleared his throat. “You’re right, he’s new to my little family. Go back to your drink, boy. I’d rather not clean your blood off the floor.”
The idiot looked at Clevner without fear, proof either of drunkenness or overconfidence. “He’s a tough one?”
“Last time Jayden paid Weirdwood a visit, a few blokes thought they could take horses he’d brought without paying for them. I buried them and bought the horses, for a fair price, I might add.”
Jayden turned his attention back to Clevner. “Armies are moving, threats and opportunities in equal measure to the man bold enough to act. I need to know where they are, how powerful they are, and if they’re leaving assets exposed. Words for gold, Clevner. You won’t get a better deal.”
“That might not the case.” Clevner casually took a sheet of paper from behind the bar and held it up. “See, we had a visitor just after the snow melted, and by we, I mean everyone in town. Tall fellow, fancy clothes, very nice diction. He made an offer on behalf of the king and queen. Anyone who swears loyalty and obeys orders gets a blanket amnesty for all past crimes. As of four weeks ago we became fine, upstanding citizens.”
“You must be joking,” Jayden said.
Clevner offered him the paper. “See for yourself.”
Jayden snatched it and read quickly. “What did you have to do to earn this amnesty?”
“Exactly what we were doing all along. Poachers hunt animals and rare monsters to sell the carcasses, smugglers bring in stolen goods, and slavers deal in human flesh. The only difference is, these days the king and queen pay us for our labors.”
Jayden’s face betrayed his disgust. “There weren’t slavers here on my last visit.”
“Weirdwood has been diversifying as of late, with new opportunities for the openminded. It’s not to my tastes, but I’m not in a position to throw stones. Back to our original topic. It’s too early to see if this will last, but for the time being we’re working for the throne, and the king and queen may not take kindly to us telling their secrets to an enemy, if that’s what you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.
“This part is a tad delicate, so curb your aggressive tendencies,” Clevner cautioned. “That same visitor who gave us this second chance thought you might drop by, your reputation being what it is, and he told us to pass along a message if we saw you.”
Jayden’s muscles tensed, and Dana grabbed the hilt of her sword. Clevner waved his hands downward and said, “Aggressive tendencies, Jayden. It’s an opportunity, not a threat. The king and queen are offering the same olive branch to you.”
“Do you take me for a fool?” he yelled. “I’ve harried the king and queen for my entire adult life! In the last year I’ve destroyed two noblemen’s estates, stolen a fortune in armor and killed their iron golem, Wall Wolf.”
Jayden’s outburst didn’t bother Clevner in the slightest. “Which is why they want you. You’re right, Jayden, it’s war, and wizards are a prized commodity in any army. The thinking goes anyone who kills an iron golem is a man you want on your side. If they hire you, that’s one less threat and one more asset. We both know changing sides isn’t rare for a man with skills in demand.”
Clevner took a cup off the bar and sipped it. “I and my merry band are temporarily useful to the king and queen, but if they win their war, they won’t need us any longer. Maybe their offer goes away when they can get respectable men to do the work. If they lose, nobody’s going to honor the deal. But you, well, sorcerer lords are a tad rare at the moment, so whoever wins is going to want you.
“There’s more. Your wanted posters were undated. The cash offer is off the table. Instead the king and queen are offering a dukedom to anyone who brings you in, dead or alive. Seems a certain Duke Wiskver managed to upset the royal couple so badly they ordered his execution. He ran off a few minutes ahead of the sheriffs. I’m told his land is a bit of a mess and his followers fled. Still, it’s not every day a fellow can jump to nobility. Plenty of strong lads will take the chance.”
Jayden handed back the paper. “I’ve no interest in changing sides, now or ever. My goal remains the same, and I think you are bold enough to play both sides, especially when you admit your amnesty might not be honored. Allow me to make you richer in case the day comes when you need to leave with whatever you can carry.”
Clevner paused before nodding. “I’ve heard and seen a few things that might interest you, and there are men in Weirdwood who might know more. First thing’s first, we need to agree to a price before I say word one.”
Just then one of Clevner’s followers walked past Dana and ran his hand up her leg. She shrieked, and the men burst out laughing. Jayden raised his hands to cast a spell, no doubt flashy and massively destructive that would ruin any chance for a deal.
Moving fast, Dana kicked the man in the butt, knocking him over. The laugher doubled, and the man scowled as he tried to get up. Before he could rise, she drew her sword and swung it at the pot hanging over the fire. Chain Cutter spit out a cloud of sparks as it hacked through the iron pot top to bottom, spilling its contents on the fire and extinguishing it as both pieces of the pot landed with a bang.
The laughter stopped.
“Keep your hands to yourself, or she’ll take them off,” Jayden said.
“Outside, now,” Clevner ordered the man on the floor. When he tried to protest, Clevner said, “You’re ten seconds from getting killed, by the girl if you’re lucky and by the sorcerer if you’re not. I don’t much care if you die, but once Jayden starts killing men, he might not be in a mood to stop. Go.”
The man left, his face red and his fists clenched. Clevner turned his attention back to Jayden. “I need time to get the secrets you want. Come back tomorrow night with a hundred gold coins, no less. Don’t argue over the money. You’ll make it back ten times over with what I have to say.”
“Fair enough,” Jayden said. “My associate won’t be joining me, as you seem to have trouble controlling your followers.”
The insult didn’t seem to bother Clevner. “I think that’s for the best.”
Jayden and Dana left the bar without another word. A drunken man saw them and laughed, saying, “Thrown out that fast? Guess he didn’t offer enough for the girl.”
Jayden didn’t break stride as he punched the drunk in the gut and doubled him over. He grabbed the fool by the collar and swung him head first into the bar’s front wall, and followed up by stomping on the man after he hit the ground. Bystanders watched with casual interest before moving on. Jayden continued as if nothing had happened, stopping only once they were far outside Weirdwood.
“That was really disturbing,” Dana said as she took off her disguise.
“It was, and I apologize. Weirdwood has degenerated even faster than the rest of the kingdom, and it was no pleasure to begin with. If this sort of depravity is acceptable even in a small corner of the kingdom, how soon until it spreads?”
“It might not. If Clevner is right, he and his friends might get thrown out with the trash when they’re not needed anymore.”
“They can do incredible amounts of harm before being cast aside.” Jayden scowled and looked back at the disgusting town. “In years past I was never happy dealing with such revolting people. I rationalized it as a necessary evil. Today I see that choice for the mistake it is, for if it was acceptable for me to deal with such men, it is no less so for the king and queen.”
“Can we get this information anywhere else?” Dana asked.
“Not in time. The peace and quiet we now enjoy won’t last. Armies will march soon, and if we are to do anything to stop that we have to know what to hit and where. We also need allies for the coming battles, and while the men of Weirdwood don’t qualify, they might be able to point out others who do. I don’t trust them, but I need them.”
They spent the night camped far away from Weirdwood in case its unsavory residents were tempted to collect the price on Jayden’s head. They spent the following day practicing with wooden swords. Dana wasn’t Jayden’s equal, but she was getting to the point where she could hold her own.
As the day wore on Jayden noticed more men coming into and out of Weirdwood. He frowned and said, “I need to find a safe place for you while I’m gone. Given how far the town’s residents travel, it would be better for you to be farther away. There is a village deeper in the mountains and the road leading there is difficult, so Weirdwood’s loathsome residents should avoid it.”
Jayden led her to a small walled village perched next to a river. The river flowed slowly through the mountainous terrain and frequently branched off along narrow channels. People had set nets across the water to snare fish and watched them warily, but thankfully didn’t panic at the appearance of strangers.
“It’s rustic, but safe,” Jayden said. “Weirdwood’s noxious residents avoid this place ever since some of their men came here and never returned. Whatever is responsible ignores less revolting people, and I feel certain no one will bother you.”
Before he left, she said, “Promise me you’re not doing this to keep me safe while you run off and fight those jerks alone.”
Jayden smiled. “I respect your abilities and judgement too much to go without your help. I will return as soon as I have finished dealing with Clevner. From there our journey will be more dangerous. Rest, and enjoy what little these people have to offer.”
Dana felt nervous as she watched Jayden leave. Not because she feared for herself. She was worried for him. Weirdwood was easily the foulest town she’d ever set foot in. Jayden was worthy of respect from friends and fear from enemies, but those villains might think surprise and superior numbers could win the day. She was tempted to follow him.
In the end she didn’t. There would be too big a risk that she’d draw attention from evil men, ruining Jayden’s chances to finish this deal, and possibly forcing him to rescue her. She was honest enough to admit she wasn’t ready to fight her way into or out of a town like that, especially since she didn’t know what dangers lurked there. They could have tamed monsters, golems, witches, wizards or any number of other threats.
A woman walked by, and Dana said, “Hello there.”
The woman mumbled a response and kept her head down. Dana tried talking to another woman and got the same reaction. Villagers went about their business as if she wasn’t there, shying away when she approached. She couldn’t figure out why they were so scared of her, but maybe they were used to strangers being dangerous. After all, they weren’t far from Weirdwood.
Dana had been just like these people only a year ago. The small town she’d grown up in was quiet and did its best to avoid attention from royalty and monsters (both being dangerous). She would’ve been wary at the approach of a stranger, not hostile, but cautious in case the person was dangerous.
Their apprehension would make finding a place to stay difficult. These people wouldn’t want to open their home up to a stranger, even a paying one. There didn’t seem to be an inn, either, but that wasn’t surprising for such a small community. Few travelers would come this way, and many would be the kind of men they wouldn’t want around. It looked like she’d be roughing it tonight.
Dana searched the area for good camping sites. Options were limited. Much of the land was too rocky, and every inch of flat ground was planted with grains or vegetables. She ended up going far down the nearest trail before finding a patch of tall pine trees she could make camp under. Fallen needles offered bedding of a sort, while the trees would provide cover.
She’d just begun to lay out a blanket to sleep on when she saw a woman of about twenty creep down the trail. The woman was pretty but simply dressed. Curious, Dana watched the woman go to a small branch of the river and set a straw mat onto the water. With this strange task done, the woman went back toward the village, never seeing Dana hiding among the pine trees.
This was odd enough to worry Dana. Once she was sure the woman was gone, she went to the river and found the mat slowly flowing downstream. The mat was thick enough it could float even with a loaf of bread, two apples and a smoked fish sitting on top of it.
“Who’s that for?” Dana asked out loud.
The current carried the mat away, and Dana followed it. The branch of the river was wide but not very deep, and it flowed between large boulders before going into a cave. The mat leisurely floated into the cave and out of view.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said. “That’s not the kind of food you would give to an animal or a monster. That means there’s a person in there the lady is providing for. Why doesn’t he stay in the village?”
Dana peered into the cave. Was someone trapped down there? That didn’t make sense, either. If someone was stuck inside, the woman would get her friends and family to rescue them. Maybe the stranger was hiding in the cave and the woman had merely agreed to provide meals. That didn’t make even less sense. If someone was so scared they’d hide in a cave, it would be smarter to run to a safer place, and there had to be safer places to hide than a village near Weirdwood.
“Laura?” a man’s voice called out from the cave.
“Um, no, sorry, I’m not Laura,” Dana said.
“That is a relief and a pity,” the man answered. Dana heard him eating the crunchy apples.
“Why are you in there?”
“That’s not a story I am eager to repeat. Young lady, I am told there is a village not far from here. Tell the people Brasten sent you, and they will open their doors that you may spend the night in safety.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Dana said. “Wait a minute, you were told there’s a village nearby? It’s so close I can see the light from their cooking fires. How could you not know where it is?”
“I came here before there was a village, and have never left.”
The statement was mysterious, but it was also unbearably sad. “Can you leave?”
“No.”
“The girl who floated the food to you, she’s Laura? She’s trying to be nice, but she can’t save you.”
“She has a beautiful soul and seeks to ease my confinement. I could survive without the meals she sends me, and without her company when she can spare the time, but it makes my stay more bearable. To hear tales of the world beyond is a pleasure and makes me feel like I am still a part of it, if only in a small way.”
Dana went through her baggage and brought out a torch. She lit it and held it in front of her as she stepped into the water. “I’m coming in.”
“I can’t guarantee your safety,” the man cautioned. “There is danger within this cave.”
“Then you need help,” she said as she waded through the cold water. It came up to her knees, but flowed so slowly she was in no danger of being washed away.
“Laura would like you.”
Dana only had to wade a short distance before coming onto a ledge. She found the straw mat in the water. Standing on the ledge was the man.
This man…oh my. He was the sort of that drew women’s attention, tall and lean with sculpted muscles. She guessed his age at twenty-five at the most, with dark hair and brooding eyes. His clothes were simple cotton, a tunic with short sleeves, pants that stopped just below his knees, and a sword strapped to his leather belt.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said formally. “I am Brasten the Unbeaten. Please forgive the lack of accommodations. I’m afraid the few creature comforts I could offer rotted away long ago.”
“Hi.” Dana was having trouble forming words at the moment. She held out her hand, and Brasten shook it with a firm grip. “I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t see what’s keeping you here.”
“It’s a long story and a sad one, but you have gone to some effort to meet me, so I feel I should reciprocate in some way. I fear my tale offers little hope. Come, and I will show you why I stay.”
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