“Wouldn’t all that sun burnall the crops?” asked Arik.
“Glory, no,” chuckled theinnkeeper. “The plants need the sun. The dark sky is why the cropsget smaller and fewer every year. The animals also suffer withoutenough food to survive on. No, lad, sunshine is a wonderful thing.What I’d give to see another sunny day.”
Arik sensed the innkeeper’s despair andknew his questioning would soon be over. “What caused the changeand when will it change back?” he asked.
Esta frowned and chewed on his lowerlip as he answered. “Some say that a great demon escaped hisimprisonment and collapsed the universes. A god came along andimprisoned the demon again, but not before the demon found theworld’s greatest magician and made him the Dark One and commandedhim to rule over the world for a thousand years. It is said thatthe Dark One abhors the sun and ordered it to remain hidden andnever show its face again.”
“You mean that I’ll never getto see the sun?” exclaimed Arik.
Approaching footsteps warned theinnkeeper of the pending interruption and he rounded on the younghunter. “You won’t get to see tomorrow if you don’t get about yourbusiness and leave me to mine.”
Arik walked out the back door of theinn, jiggling the coins in his purse, pondering a world withoutbandits and an inky black sky. As he turned the corner of the inn,a hand reached out and grabbed him.
“Tedi!” Arikexclaimed.
“Shhh,” whispered Tedi. “Idon’t want old man Esta to hear you.”
“So it was you,” chuckledArik. “What did you do to make the woman scream?”
Tedi pulled his friend down the dustyalley and away from the inn. “I was just making rounds of the emptyrooms to see if anybody left something behind. How was I supposedto know that some woman would be getting dressed?”
Arik shook his head. “I don’t knowwhat’s going to kill you first, falling off a roof or getting beatto death by your father when you get caught.”
Tedi frowned at the mention of hisfather. “If he beats me again, it will be the last time that hedoes. He nearly broke three of my ribs last time. I’m not goingthrough that again. I’d rather take my chances in the woods withthe bandits.”
Arik remembered the last time that Tediwas beaten. Arik was concerned that Alan Markel might kill his sonone day. He knew it wouldn’t be on purpose, but Tedi’s father wasdrunk most of the time and Arik suspected the fisherman didn’trealize how strong he was or how hard he could hit. Alan neverrecovered from the loss of his wife and had spent the last threeyears going from bottle to bottle. Arik’s father, Konic Clava, andAlan used to be best friends and used to take their boats outtogether. Tedi and Arik used to go along and help. Three years ago,bandits raided the town and both of the boys’ mothers had beentaken. When the two fishermen and their sons returned from the seathat day, Alan started drinking. He hasn’t been sober a daysince.
“Why do you do it?” Arikasked. “Why don’t you take your father’s boat out and fish or comehunting with me? There are lots of ways to make money withoutstealing it. I just sold six rabbits to Esta and he’ll take a lotmore if I can get them.”
Tedi kicked a stone down the dustyalley. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I never was much good atfishing and there aren’t that many fish left, anyway. I guess Ilike the adventure, the chance of getting caught and the thrill ofgetting away with something. I was never as good a shot with a bowas you, anyway.”
“We could go huntingtogether,” offered Arik. “We’ll split everything we get no matterwho bags it.”
“Your father needs the moneyas much as mine does,” submitted Tedi. “He’s always having to buythings to fix his boat and nets. He’s hardly making enough to liveon as it is.”
“That doesn’t matter,”declared Arik. “My father and your father have been friends a longtime. I’m sure that he would give whatever he could to help yourdad.”
“Your dad is the only friendmy father has,” admitted Tedi, “and my father doesn’t even realizeit. Besides, anything my father gets is going towards the nextbottle. No, I’ll try hunting with you, but I’ll only keep what Iactually get myself.”
“You’re a good enough shot tobring in plenty of game,” cheered Arik. “Let’s go by my place andI’ll show you the animal trap I made. I’m hoping that I can catchsomething really big with it.”
The smell of fish and salt airincreased as the boys sauntered down the alley towards the dockarea where both of the boys lived. Arik laid his bow and quiver onthe stoop of his house and led Tedi around to the back yard.Proudly, Arik picked up his homemade trap and presented it toTedi.
“It looks like a metal jaw,”commented Tedi. “How does it work?”
“Well, it doesn’t really workyet,” conceded Arik. “I used oarlocks for the jaws and filed theminto teeth. They’ll hold tight whatever gets between them, but Ineed to find a couple of stiff springs to put some pressure onthem. I’ve looked everywhere that I can think of, but I can’t findany. See, the springs will go in right here.”
Tedi was impressed. “I’ll check aroundand see what I can find,” he offered.
“Well, if you find anything,let me know,” smiled Arik. “And don’t steal them. I’ve got enoughmoney to pay for them.”
“I don’t steal,” replied Tediangrily. “Taking stuff that people leave behind before theinnkeeper gets it and keeps it for himself is notstealing.”
“Alright,” conceded Arik, “Ijust don’t want you getting beat again.” Arik wanted to believe inTedi’s honesty, but still he wondered how Tedi could find all ofthe things he had claimed to find. It was mostly the things thatTedi found that kept some food on his father’s table and drink inhis father’s cup. What amazed Arik the most, was the gold necklacethat Tedi wore all of the time. It certainly was a very expensivepiece of jewelry with six strands of delicate gold woven in anintertwining fashion that culminated in a small golden heart.Certainly, no goldsmith in Lorgo had the skill to create such apiece and the thought of some traveler leaving it in a room at theinn was preposterous. The necklace was probably valuable enough tobuy a new home, but Tedi never gave any inclination to part with iteven when he and his father had no food to eat. In any event, Tedistormed off angrily whenever Arik mentioned thenecklace.
“Why don’t we go out to thewoods and try getting some game,” offered Arik.
“Later in the day would bebetter,” Tedi replied quickly. “There are bandits just outside oftown and the way they were carrying on last night, they won’t begetting up early.”
“How do you know about thebandits?” asked Arik.
“I overheard Esta talking to atraveler yesterday,” responded Tedi. “They were talking about amerchant coming down from the North. I was hoping to find theircampsite and hear tales of the outside before the townspeople allcrowded around. You know how nobody will talk about the old timesand I figured if I shared a campfire with him, he would feel betterabout talking. The only thing I found were a group of bandits,though. I don’t suppose a lone merchant will survive to even gethere now.”
“You’re crazy going out in thewoods at night,” exclaimed Arik. He wanted to add in a statementabout what they would do to get their hands on Tedi’s necklace anddecided not to let Tedi end the discussion and storm off. “What ifthe bandits saw you? Nobody would even know what happened to you?You would just end up dead and rotting in the forest.”
Tedi looked down sheepishly andshuffled his feet like a small boy being scolded by his mother.Slowly, though, his shame turned to anger and he thrust his chin upand his lips tightened with determination. “I am not a little boyanymore, Arik,” he shouted. “I know how to take care of myself. Infact, they did see me and they did try to kill me and they didn’tsucceed.”
“What happened?” Arik askedcalmly. “How did you get away?”
Tedi stood silently for a moment andcalmed himself. He reached into his pouch and brought out a smallmetal disk painted black with sharp points on it like an artist’sdrawing of a sunburst. “One of them threw this at me. I never evensaw it coming, but it missed and struck a tree. I grabbed it andtook off.”
Arik reached over and took the smalldisk, feeling the sharp points. Murmuring to himself Arik said, “Iwonder if they are planning to attack the town again. Maybe weshould alert somebody. How many bandits were there?”
His anger dissipated, Tedi repliedsoftly. “I didn’t get a chance to find out. I wanted to sneak backafter they chased me, but I couldn’t chance it. I don’t know howthat one bandit knew I was there. I pride myself on being able tosneak up on people, but I didn’t even get close before he hurledthat thing at me. I guess I’m not as courageous as I like topretend.”
“Not courageous!” Arikexclaimed. “Nobody I know would intentionally sneak up on a groupof bandits. What were you trying to . . . ”, Arik stopped. Itsuddenly dawned on him why Tedi was sneaking up on bandits. Tedi’swhole life had fallen apart the day their mothers were taken fromthem by bandits. He wondered how long Tedi had been sneaking intothe forest at night in an attempt to find his mother again. Ariktalked admiringly as he gave the small weapon back to Tedi. “Youhave more courage than any ten men in this town, Tedi. Only a foolwould have attempted that camp twice. You’re pretty quiet when youwant to be, but that bandit must have pretty good hearing. You’reused to sneaking around people, not animals. I’ve learned a fewtricks about being quiet in the woods from old man Grein, thetrapper. I could show them to you if you want.”
“I would like that,” beamedTedi. “And I’ll let you practice throwing this nasty little thingat trees. I don’t know how we are going to alert the townspeople,though. My father has warned me to stay out of the woods at nightand you know what he’ll do if he finds out.”
“Esta knows that I hunt in thewoods,” offered Arik. “I can tell him that I saw the bandits andyou won’t get in trouble. Tell me exactly where you saw them on theway back to the inn.”
Arik went back to the front stoop toretrieve his bow and quiver while Tedi ran next door to get hisown. The boys walked along the shore to the quay, lost inconversation of bandits and battle and the town finally standing upto the thieves. The problem, of course, was that most of theable-bodied men were out to sea trying to haul in meager catches offish. At the quay, the boys turned up the broad street heading forthe coastal highway that ran through the town of Lorgo. Many of theshops were abandoned and boarded up. Arik, once again, began tothink of what the town must have been like before the Collapse. Hepictured all of the businesses open and people bustling about withgaily wrapped packages under their arms. He imagined grandcarriages bearing nobility up and down the street with theirfootmen keeping pace and their mounted guards fore and aft. Hefantasized columns of Sordoan soldiers marching along the coastalhighway on their way to a frontier fort, their uniforms all withmatching bright colors and gilded with gold. It took him a momentto realize that Tedi was no longer beside him. He looked up anddown the street and the only person moving was a sturdy woman in along green dress and wearing a felt hat with an embroidered stripof flowers around it. She was walking down the center of the wideavenue and staring at him. Without knowing why, Arik turned anddashed between the two closest buildings and turned down the alleytowards the sea. Arik was halfway down the alley when Tedi calledto him. Arik stopped short and peered around. Tedi was hidingbeside some old crates behind one of the buildings.
“Why did you leave me?” pantedArik.
“I had my reasons,” laughedTedi, “but I’m not running like I just saw a revenant. What are yourunning from?”
Arik winced as he thought of overheardstories of revenants, beings brought back from the dead that couldnot be killed. Suddenly he broke out laughing. “I don’t know,” heoffered. I guess I was daydreaming on the way to the inn and lookedup to see this woman walking towards me. At least I thought she washeading towards me. It felt like her eyes were burning into me. Idon’t know why, but I just started running. Pretty stupid, Iguess.”
“If she was wearing green,”Tedi laughed, “it wasn’t so stupid. That was the woman who screamedthis morning at the inn and she saw us walking together before Itook off running. I don’t know if she saw me through her windowearlier, but I’m not about to take any chances. Best off if we justavoid her.”
“I wonder what she is doing inLorgo,” Arik mused. “Her dress is one of the finest I’ve ever seenand Esta remarked about her traveling without a bodyguard. I can’tsee her getting past all of the bandits along the highway and ifshe had family here, she wouldn’t be staying at the inn. It justdoesn’t make any sense.”
Tedi stared down the alley and tuggedat his woolen breeches. “You know,” he began, “in all the time I’vebeen checking out the Fisherman’s Inn, there has never been a lonewoman staying there. In fact, I don’t remember any woman everstaying there. Most of the women who come through town stay at oneof the inns along the highway. That’s a pretty fine dress to beheading for the quay. Well, at least we know she won’t see us whenwe talk to Esta. Come on, we’ll go up the alley to theinn.”
The boys were laughing at being soskittish as they proceeded up the alley, but, still, they eachturned and looked towards the street as they passed any openingthat afforded a view. As the boys neared the Fisherman’s Inn, thedistinctive sound of a traveling merchant trilled the air. The twoboys looked at each other with their mouths hanging open and racedbetween two buildings to the street. Where the street met thecoastal highway, a lone merchant's wagon was just pulling into asmall courtyard. The boys forgot all of their thoughts regardingbandits and finely dressed women and raced towards thecourtyard.