The Merchant and the Menace (47 page)

The man turned and walked purposefully down the
hallway toward Kael. The boy felt frozen with fear and uncertainty. With a good
deal of effort Kael took a half step away from the door. Through the slit in
the doorway, Kael’s eyes remained fixed on the character approaching him. The
figure’s head was cocked slightly forward with his hat obscuring his face. As
he stepped within a few feet of the doorway, his hands shot into his pockets
and he abruptly halted. In a flash he produced two small objects.

Fluidly, tinder was struck and put to the bowl of a
large pipe. The heady aroma of strong tobacco filled the hallway and the bowl
glowed red. A gruff, heavily accented voice whispered toward Kael’s hiding
spot.

“Let me be about me business lad. Yee have had a
long day. Get ya ta bed.”

The figure took a deep draw on the pipe, flaring
the bowl and sending a warm orange glow about his face as he looked up at the
slit in the doorway. The weary, dirty countenance of Teeg stared at the boy.
The old Elf somehow grew a week of stubble in an hour. A small silver ring hung
from an earlobe surrounded by dirty, oily hair. Smudges of tar and oil covered
his hands and face and he appeared to be missing a tooth.

The Elf paused then winked before he proceeded down
the hallway and out into the night of the city. Kael felt oddly reassured that
someone like Teeg, the Master of Spies, was on his side. At least he thought
Teeg was on his side. The boy threw over the latch on the door, then returned
to bed and fell fast asleep.

“OPEN IN THE NAME OF THE KING!” shouted the voice
in Kael’s head.

“OPEN IN THE NAME OF THE KING, I SAY!” echoed the
voice.

“Kael, wake up,” whispered a much more familiar
voice. “Get up. What should we do?”

Kael’s eyes let the morning light slowly bleed in.
He was not used to the ale, and it made it difficult for him to gain his
bearings. The fuzziness cleared and Kael saw Flair standing over him pulling on
his trousers.

“They say they’re soldiers,” said a bewildered
Flair. “Should I open the door?”

Kael nodded, stood and put on his own clothes.
Flair threw the latch and let the door swing open. A large man stood in the
doorway. He wore a tight fitting leather garment fitted with a silver
breastplate. A design embossed on the breastplate showed two huge fish swimming
around an island castle. He sported a helm whose crest resembled the spine of a
great fish. Across his shoulder was hung a heavy steel net and in his hand he
carried a large spiked trident.

“Your presence is required at the castle. Retrieve
your goods and personal belongings and we will escort you there,” stated the
soldier.

 Kael saw a door on the opposite side of the
hallway swing open. The soldier in front of that door took a step back as
Manfir scowled and stepped into the hallway. The prince was fully dressed, and
his broadsword was slung across his back. A heavy beard had grown during their
time on the road, and he obviously found no time to bathe yet. The soldier in
front of Kael spun and approached Manfir.

“You will surrender your weapons to my men. They
are not allowed in the presence of his majesty,“ said the captain forcefully.

“What does this concern?” asked Manfir.

“A troop of heavily armed mercenaries entered our
kingdom in the dead of night and hid itself in one of our,” the captain paused,
“shall we say, more
questionable
establishments.”

Kael heard a loud cough as someone near the stairwell
cleared his throat. The boy stepped further into the hallway and looked past
more soldiers. He saw the landlord’s head peering over the top step. Vetic gave
another loud grunt of disapproval and disappeared from sight. The soldiers
tensed as Manfir edged further into the hallway.

“His majesty wishes to know your business,” stated
the captain.

 Ader opened a door further down the passage and
stepped into the hall smiling.

“Obviously, his majesty is interested in hosting
our Elven emissaries in a more appropriate venue,” stated the old man cheerily.

As if on cue, Teeg and Eidyn stepped from their
doorway in full court attire. An impeccably groomed Elven courtier replaced the
oily dockworker from the previous evening. Eidyn was also resplendent. The
Elven prince’s ring was back on his finger.

“Now that we have escorted our Elven guests to
their destination, we will turn them over to your care and his majesty may discern
their business as he wishes,“ said Ader.

“You and your troop performed admirably, my good
man,” said Teeg producing a small pouch. “Your protective services are no
longer required. I mistakenly assumed Corad Kingfisher was aware of our
impending arrival.”

The Elf tossed the pouch to Ader and stepped
forward to fall in amongst the soldiers. Ader slid the pouch into his pocket
and bowed deeply. The captain took on a bewildered look and hesitated as Ader
turned to retire to his room.

“Sir!” called a soldier from the end of the hall.

Kael’s eyes surveyed the end of the passageway. The
hall ended with a small window that looked over the backyard of the inn.
Alleyways ran off in different directions through the maze of the city. A
soldier stepped from Granu’s room and addressed his commander.

“This room has been used, but stands empty at this
early hour.”

The captain turned from the soldier and addressed
Ader.

“The report stated seven travelers were to be
brought before his majesty, and I will do my duty. Whether you are a protective
escort or not is immaterial to me. There will be no debate. Turn over your
weapons and gather your things quickly. We leave immediately!”

The captain turned and issued orders to his men.
Ader’s face tightened and he nodded to Manfir. The Zodrian prince drew his
blade and handed it hilt first to the nearest soldier. Kael drew his dagger and
turned it over as well. Several Rindorans took station by the window and others
remained in the hallway ensuring the group gathered their things. When all was
ready, they marched down the stairs and assembled in front of the inn. Teeg mildly
protested the need to drag his good serving men with him, but the captain
remained deaf to the complaints. As they formed up in the street, Kael spied
several soldiers scouring the narrow alleyways about the dirty inn. He wondered
where Granu hid himself.

The group marched across the slick, wet
cobblestones of the river city. The streets were laid in no particular fashion.
At times, the men turned a corner to almost walk directly into the doorway of a
building, only to quickly turn again. Some streets traveled for a few blocks in
one direction, then turned and headed back the opposite direction for an equal
distance. A few early risers were about the city and with each step, the gray
dawn brightened into daylight. Kael lost his sense of direction in the maze of
streets.

The group stepped into a large plaza. They made
their way past booths and stands being set up by scores of people. Most of the
Rindorans stopped to view the odd procession as it swept through the market
place. Their interest was only momentarily captured however, as their chores
called them back to work. Kael’s face broke into a smile as he noticed an old
man unfurling a canopy with the words “Geleg’s Fishery” scrawled across it.
Kael noticed Manfir run his hands through his hair, briefly obscuring his face
from the old man as they passed. It was not necessary. Geleg the fishmonger
glanced at the group then immediately turned to his booth.

Kael was about to turn his attention back to their
route, when something caught his eye. Two small figures darted from behind
Geleg’s booth across an open walkway to the space behind the nearest booth.
They jumped from booth to booth keeping pace with the troop. Storage areas kept
them hidden most of their journey across the marketplace. Also, their speed and
stature made them a blur as they sprinted between open spaces. Soon, they
advanced ahead of the group and Kael lost sight of them altogether.

The marketplace ended in a row of towering shops
and inns. A small opening in a corner of the square funneled travelers onto a
twisting street between the buildings. The group continued their march toward
the opening and Kael saw two boys run from behind the nearest booth. The boys
laughed and rolled a wooden ring back and forth between them. The group passed
and the boys stopped and stared. The captain smiled and nodded to them and they
bowed in return. As the captain returned his attention to the street, one of
the boys fidgeted with the wooden ring in his hands. Kael noticed Ader studying
the boys intently.

The group passed between the buildings and moved
down the city street. Recognition struck Kael. Had he seen that boy before?
Where was it? On the road? In Kelky? He spun to look at the boys, and the spot
in the square where they had stood was empty. Kael searched the square beyond
but within moments it was lost from view.

The street wound for several hundred yards. The
group halted in front of a giant granite structure. Stonewalls lay buttressed
to one another reaching up into the sky. The only ornament for gray rock was
more gray rock. Parapets opened onto balconies that Kael could not see.

 This experience was quite different than Luxlor.
The Elven palace stood in an open clearing and Kael was able to view it from a
short distance and get a feel for its beauty. Here, he turned a curve in the
road and was on the place, a few feet from its massive foundation. The palace
of Rindor was a huge gray rock like the island it sat upon.

A short flight of ten stone steps led the group
into an alcove in the granite wall. Two soldiers in similar attire to their
escort stood at attention in front of large wooden doors bound in iron. As the
captain of the escort approached they saluted and opened the doors for entry.
The group swept up the stairs and past the doors. A wide alabaster hallway
stretched out in front of them. Beautifully embroidered tapestries lined the
walls of the hallway. Small ornately carved side tables were placed
strategically up and down its length. Each table held a stunning sculpture of
porcelain or blown glass.

“Not much from the outside, but like most people,
her true beauty lies within,” whispered Manfir as he walked next to Kael.

Kael smiled back at the prince. It was then that
the boy was struck by his friend’s appearance. Shaggy, unkempt hair hung to
Manfir’s shoulders. His dark beard nearly obscured his features. His traveling
cloak and clothing were dusty and stained with sweat. The Elves were the only
presentable members of the bunch.

The group walked into a round room no bigger than
the common room at “The Singing Mermaid”. A number of plush chairs were
arranged in a circle about the room. On the opposite side from the doorway sat
a man and a woman. The man wore a uniform similar to the guards, except that
the breastplate and helm were of a golden hue. Additionally, the helm upon his
head displayed a much more pronounced crest.

The woman was of uncommon beauty for her age. She
wore an alabaster colored gown of gauze and lace. Fresh water pearls draped the
nape of her neck and formed a delicate tiara on her honey colored hair. The
group entered the room and the man and woman stood.

One of two guards placed by the entry to the room
stepped forward to inquire their business. Teeg quickly slid to the front with
Eidyn in tow.

“Teeg Fin Ciar, the Grand Duke of Luxlor and Eidyn
the prince heir of Luxlor, with their protective entourage, here upon their
Majesty’s request,” stated Teeg.

The man in the golden breastplate hushed the guard
as the servant tried to announce the group. He waved the wayfarers and their
escort into the meeting room.

“Step forward so we may speak,” announced the king.

Teeg strode forward purposefully, attracting all
eyes. Kael noticed how Ader and Manfir tried to stay inconspicuous and let Teeg
and Eidyn lead.

“Greetings, Corad Kingfisher. The bounties of the
great river remain kind to you these many years,” stated Teeg bowing.

“Greetings, Lord Teeg,” returned Corad. “I might
compliment you likewise, but the ravages of age never travel amongst your
people and the compliment would be lost. You also have changed little in lo
these many years.”

“We all change your Majesty, on the outside or the
in,” said Teeg turning to Lucyn. “Yet your bride is blessed by Avra and mirrors
the image I remember from my last visit, upon your wedding.”

The Elf Lord swept forward and bowed to one knee
before the queen. He lightly took her hand and pressed his lips to it. She
returned the gesture with a nod of her head.

“You jest, Lord Teeg, you have not changed on the
inside much either,” smiled Lucyn. “As I recall upon your last visit, you were
the essence of decorum and the height of flattery, and you remain so.”

“Or shall we say your last ‘official visit’,”
corrected Corad with a cough. “For if my information is accurate, you have
visited our island quite a few times since the day I was blessed with the hand
of Lucyn.”