Escana (4 page)

Hesitantly
he approached the wide-open front door and couldn't help but notice
the complete absence of music or cheer. As soon as he passed through
into that quiet room, all eyes would be on him.

He
was looking for the proprietor, a man his father had described as
'the ugliest balding fucker this side of the eastern sea'. That
wasn't much to go on given the state of most of the gnarled elders.
As always he'd have to carry on without his father's help.

The
main room was huge but had a relatively low roof, twin staircases
snaking up into it from either side. There were various benches and
tables stretching out across the full width of the room with a large
unlit hearth on one side and a sprawling bar on the other.

There
were a few people dotted about the room, probably traders of some
sort, most of them eating and drinking in silence. They didn't look
up as he had walked through the door, apparently he was beneath their
attentions.

He
walked across to the bar, searching for the elusive Harold Gooseman,
owner of this vast establishment. It appeared to be devoid of life,
though he did hear some noises coming from the back room. He started
searching for a bell to ring or some other way to get attention but
there seemed nothing else to do but shout.

A
hand tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jump.

'Can
I help you?' an amused voice said.

A
floppy haired youngster had seemingly crept up behind him with the
express purpose of startling him, Jakob didn't take kindly to being
startled by anyone. Swallowing his distaste he tried to make the best
of a bad situation.

'Have
you seen Harold Gooseman around these parts? The Warden sent me to
look for him.'

The
boy smiled. 'I know who you are, you don't have to throw his title
around to get answers you know.'

Jakob
didn't share in the boy's smile, his patience was wearing thin. 'Are
you going to tell me where Gooseman is or not?'

The
boy nodded, clearly seeing that there was no further amusement to be
had. 'He's out at the moment.'

'Out?'

'Yeah.'
the boy replied infuriatingly.

'Where?'

'Elsewhere.'

'When
will he be back?'

'Sometime.'

The
next thing Jakob knew he had two hands full of the boys shirt and had
pinned him up against the bar. 'Where is Harold Gooseman?'

If
the boy was intimidated he didn't show it, continuing to sport that
idiotic grin.

'You're
talking to Jimmy Gooseman, son of said Gooseman and current
proprietor of the Chipped Flagon in his absence.'

Jakob
dropped him in shock.

'You?
But you're just a boy...'

Jimmy
let out an infectious laugh then, as if Jakob had cracked an
incredibly witty joke. 'I'm almost the same age as you, Jakob. I've
heard all about you.'

He
straightened out his shirt and continued speaking before Jakob had
the chance to ask how. 'I know, I know,' he said, waving away the
question on his lips. 'The new Warden and his unruly son have proven
to be a very popular topic of conversation over the last two weeks,
there are many crazy rumours flying around about you both. While the
Warden himself has proven to be a perfectly affable if somewhat
intimidating man, his son has failed to pay us a visit until now.'

Jakob
frowned. 'I wasn't aware visiting your establishment was mandatory.'

Jimmy
vaulted over the bar and took an order from a customer who had just
appeared, all the time still talking to Jakob. 'You don't have to
come here, but I like to think that everyone eventually makes an
appearance. I'm not surprised it's taken you this long, your father
has painted you as somewhat of a recluse.'

His
blood boiled at the thought of his father's fake persona laughing it
up at his expense and telling exaggerated lies about his past. 'I
like to know where I am before I start mingling with others. This
place is very different from the city.'

Jimmy
clapped his hands together. 'Ah yes, Daelovia, the big city. The
furthest I've been out from here is Urial, I've never been east. Is
it true what they say?'

Jakob
frowned. 'More crazy rumours?'

Jimmy
laughed again. 'No, about the statues. The Six statues standing
outside the gates.'

It
clicked into place then, The Six statues outside the Daelovian city
gates. Six legendary figures from the world's past. The rational part
of Jakob's mind insisted that not only was it coincidental but it was
also impossible that any of these men were still alive after a
thousand years. Yet the feeling that had stolen itself upon him at
their mention suggested otherwise.

'Hello?
Are you there?'

Jakob
looked up, as if waking from a dream. 'Sorry, I was distracted. What
was it you asked?'

The
innkeeper's soon was looking at him with a worried expression on his
face. Jakob found the lack of a smile on the boy an improvement. 'You
were sat staring into space for a good minute and a half. Was it
something I said about the statues?'

Jakob
waved away the boy's fears. 'It's nothing, and yes there are six
large statues just outside the gates of Daelovia. They're meant to
represent heroes of a time gone by.'

Jimmy
nodded. 'My father taught me about them when I was small, but I've
never had chance to see them.'

Jakob
looked up, as if seeing the boy for the first time, his interest
kindled. 'I was never taught such a thing, we were always told that
the statues' history had been lost.'

'I
can tell you if you want.' Jimmy opened up the bar and dragged a
stool up next to him, pushing hair out of his eyes. 'The Six are said
to be the former champions of the land, none now living know of their
names. They are The Orc, The Lady, The Enchanter, The Fae, The King
and The Unknown.'

Jakob
shuffled his feet nervously, was it that easy? Were The Six simply
these unnamed heroes? He knew nobody could last a thousand years, yet
that nagging feeling within him insisted that this was an important
part of why he had been brought here. Was the innkeeper's boy to be a
friend he encountered along the way? Were their threads entwined
without his realisation as the man had said? He sincerely hoped not.
He couldn't think what use an innkeepers son would be in tracking
down elusive figures intent on bringing down the Empire. Regardless,
Jimmy had triggered something within him and it warranted further
investigation.

Jimmy
slapped him on the back, jolting him into the here and now. 'You
really do think far too much, you know that? I was all ready to
continue my story but you'd gone and spaced out on me again.'

'Sorry,'
Jakob said, somewhat embarrassed. 'I have a lot on my mind at the
minute.'

'That
makes a change from most people around here,' a voice said, coming
out from the store room.

Jakob
gaped.

There
were no words he could summon up to describe her. Sufficed to say
that he was smitten and rendered speechless by her presence. She was
more or less perfect in his eyes, aside from a tiredness around her
own eyes, he even found her expression of distaste amusing.

She
scowled at Jimmy. 'Don't you have work to do instead of nattering on
at the customers?'

Jimmy's
smile was perfect innocence. 'I was merely greeting our newest
customer, Ella. This fine young man is called Jakob, the Warden's
son.'

Ella
seemed somewhat mollified. 'A pleasure to meet you, Jakob.'

Jakob
let out a strangled cough.

Noticing
the awkward pause, Jimmy continued talking over it. 'Don't mind her
Jakob, she's got her bossy boots on. They've been coming out more and
more ever since she got promoted ahead of me.'

Jakob
arched an eyebrow, glad for the distraction. 'She got promoted ahead
of the owner's son?'

Jimmy
gave a wistful smile and gazed deep into Ella's eyes. 'Beauty gets
you everywhere Jakob, all she needed to do was flash my father her
prettiest smile and the promotion was as good as hers. At least, I
think it was her smile.'

He
got a dishcloth thrown in his face for that comment, for which Jakob
was glad. A feeling of intense jealousy had crept up on him.

'So
what's your poison?' Ella asked him.

Jakob
finally met her eyes, but couldn't think of anything sensible to say.

He
heard a sigh coming from his right. 'This is our fine host's way of
asking you what you would like to drink.'

'I
don't drink.'

Jimmy
smiled and nudged him in the ribs. 'So what do you do when you get
thirsty then, eh?'

Ella
reached over the bar and clipped him around the ear, causing him to
yelp. 'Don't mind him. Is there anything else I can get you?'

Jakob's
eyes had wandered. What was wrong with him? He was acting like a
pubescent schoolboy.
School

There
was something about that world that had come unbidden into his
thoughts, he couldn't place the meaning or bring it into any degree
of clarity. Why had he thought of a word without knowing the meaning
of it? How could he have used it in context? The answer eluded him.

Mercifully
he found he was now looking at her face. 'I'm not really interested
in food or drink. I'm looking for Harold Gooseman, his son isn't
being very helpful.'

Jimmy
made a noise of protest that they both ignored.

'That
doesn't surprise me, Harold Gooseman's son is a pain at the best of
times,' she spoke loudly, cutting off Jimmy's protests. 'He's gone
down to visit Garth, the local smith. He'll be back after dawn.' She
eyed him strangely then, as if seeing something he hadn't. 'You look
exhausted, are you sure there's nothing I can do?' Jimmy snickered in
the background, causing her to stumble. 'I mean... is there nothing I
can get you to drink or eat? Maybe a bed for the night?' Jimmy made
to laugh again but Ella silenced him by shoving him off his stool.
Nobody looked round as Jimmy came crashing down, apparently this was
a regular occurrence.

'A
bed does sound nice,' Jakob said, trying to stay focused, 'but I
don't have any coin.'

Ella
shrugged. 'Use Jimmy's bed, it's free for the night.'

'Hey!'
Jimmy protested from the floor.

Ella
looked down at him. 'You're on nights this week, you won't be needing
that bed until morning. Will you?'

There
was a dangerous tone in her voice, hinting at further retribution.

'No,
I guess not,' Jimmy replied, picking his bar stool up sulkily.

Ella
flashed a dazzling smile at him. 'Thank you Jimmy, now kindly
continue doing your job.'

She opened up the bar and stood
next to him with her hand on it, waiting for him to scuttle behind.

'Where will you be going?' Jimmy
asked.

Ella beckoned Jakob to follow
her, Jimmy said no more.

J
akob
followed her in a daze. It was only now that he realised just how
tired he was. Darkness had taken the inn quickly as Ella led him
higher and higher up its various floors. It would appear that Jimmy's
room was near the top.

She
finally stopped by a small door on what looked to be the final floor
and opened it up. Apparently the proprietor didn't lavish his son
with excessive comfort. An empty wash bucket lay next to a small bed,
Jakob didn't see much else. The way he had dragged himself up the
steps it felt like a stone floor would have sufficed.

Ella
sheepishly gestured toward the door. 'It's not much, but it's the
best we've got for free. I hope you have a good night's sleep.'

Jakob
nodded to her and felt her breath trace the back of his neck as he
passed her into the room. A shiver went up his spine and his head
screamed at him. He really didn't need to feel like this right now.

He
walked toward the bed, trying to calm himself down, waiting for the
door to shut and everything to go dark. He could see the flickering
shadows, she was standing in the doorway, waiting for something.

'You're
not like the others.'

He
froze, what was she implying? His head promptly started hurting
again. 'What do you mean?' he managed to utter through clenched
teeth, the sudden sharp pain was beginning to recede.

'I
can tell what a man is like, I can read them like a scholar would a
book. I don't even need to look in their eyes, it's in their
demeanour. It's in their stance. The way they conduct themselves
finally betrays that to others but I'm the one to see it before it
comes to light.'

He
sighed, she had seen the same thing many others had. His lack of
expression, his body riveted in position like a pillar, giving away
nothing. What he saw as a serious problem simply intrigued her. With
a confidence he didn't feel, he responded. 'You can't read me, can
you? You've seen many men and you've been able to tell what they
were, to put them into darker or lighter shades. You look at me and
you see nothing, you see both danger and intrigue in finding out.'