Even the street in front of theFluttering Jib was busy with street-side jugglers and musicians.Arik turned and looked across the street to the Bosun’s Chair asthey turned down the alley alongside the inn to the stables. Thestables were large and well cared for and Arik inquired about ablacksmith and was told that the inn had a working relationshipwith one. Arik could make his arrangements with the blacksmith andleave the horses in the stable. The blacksmith would collect thehorses as needed and have everything ready in themorning.
Satisfied, the group entered theFluttering Jib through the back door to the common room. The placewas busy, but the innkeeper saw them and came right over. Arik wasstaring at the size of the common room, so Fredrik spoke to theinnkeeper. He requested two rooms and the Rangers turned to look athim as he gave his name as Lord Wason of Cidal. The innkeeper,however, showed the proper respect due a Lord and escorted thegroup upstairs and showed them their rooms. The rooms were largeenough to be comfortable, but small enough to prohibit spending anymore time in them than necessary.
Once the boys entered their room,Fredrik stripped off his traveling clothes and donned the redvelvet suit, which he was wearing when he left Cidal. Arik and Tedibegan teasing him about it, until they noticed his serious look ashe started fastening knives to his legs and arms. Another sheathwas strapped to his back at his waist and one between his shoulderblades. Two more went into his waistband in the front, one to eachside and Fredrik arranged his jacket so they were notvisible.
“Are you planning for abattle?” Arik asked.
“I want to try them out andsee if anyone detects them,” Fredrik explained. “People in citiesare used to hidden weapons and one game they play is to try to spota newcomer’s hidden cache. I plan to fatten my private coffers witha little gambling. Would either of you care to join me?”
“I promised Tanya that I wouldjoin her in a trip to the weapons merchants,” declinedArik.
“No, Thanks,” Tedi said. “Ithink I will just walk around and see what a city islike.”
Arik left soon after Fredrik, and Tediwent down to the common room to get a bite to eat. The inn wasstill serving the midday meal and the common room was fairlycrowded. Tedi found a seat at an empty table and waited for someoneto offer him food. A guard in the orange and black livery of Melbinand a man in a light green woolen tunic occupied the table next toTedi and he listened to their conversation as he waited. Theconversation was fairly boring as it centered on women, gambling,and crude jokes and Tedi was glad when a young girl finally came tooffer him some food and drink. Tedi was elated that fresh fish wasone of the food choices and ordered a plate of flounder andpotatoes with a green salad. The price was a bit high, but all ofthe Rangers had a fair bit of coin taken from the bodies of theDark Riders and Tedi desired a good fish dinner.
Tedi let his eyes rove over the crowdin the common room while still listening to the conversation at thenext table. The men started talking about other people and Tedi hadno idea who they were talking about, but every once and a while hepicked interesting comments about other places. He heard themmention a mercenary company from Cidal in a favorable light. Therewas talk of two rival factions fighting for control of Trekum andsome game that was played in Tagaret called, The Game of Power,that was killing people. There were mentions of places that Tedihad never heard of and creatures that sounded impossible toimagine.
Tedi’s food arrived and he savored thesmell and flavor of the seafood. He had never thought that he wouldmiss eating fish, but the mere flavor of the flounder brought asmile to his lips. He thought about Fredrik’s comments beforeleaving the room and looked at the people in the common room anew.There were all sorts of people about. Most of them were travelers,of course, but the room seemed to be favored by locals, as well.Tedi saw several tables where the people kept coming and going, butthose who were already at the table always knew the newcomers. Thisobviously marked them as locals having the midday meal.
Others looked around cautiously asthough they were unfamiliar with their surroundings and fearful ofeverything and everybody that came into the room. These wereobviously new travelers and Tedi laughed to himself that heprobably looked just like them. Still others had the look of beingseparate but familiar. This group was used to traveling and stayingin strange places, perhaps they had even stayed here before, butthey were still wary. They didn’t shun the companionship of theothers, nor were they eager to invite it. They gave the impressionthat this was a normal occurrence in their profession and,therefore, familiar, but had had enough experience to know thatdanger always existed, even in familiar territory. They wereprobably messengers, merchants, and couriers.
Tedi had seen much of the same behaviorin the Fisherman’s Inn in Lorgo when he spent several weeks therefollowing his mother’s disappearance, but the Fluttering Jibpresented it on a much larger scale. From the number of inns theyhad passed on the way to this one, he knew that Melbin must be acity of considerable importance for quite a distancearound.
Tedi finished his meal and sat drinkinghis weak ale. He watched as a guard in the orange and black liveryentered and began searching the room. The man was obviously lookingfor someone and when he looked in Tedi’s direction, his eyeswidened and he started forward. Tedi felt a moment of fear as theguard marched towards him and he relaxed only when he realized theguard was interested in the table next to him.
Tedi berated himself for being sofoolish, as the newcomer joined the guard and man at the nexttable. Tedi drained his ale and prepared to leave when theconversation at the next table caught his ear.
“So, there you are, Hanjel,”the newcomer said. “The Captain will have your throat if he findsyou in here. You are still listed as on duty.”
“Easy, Lomar,” the seatedguard replied. “He thinks I am delivering a message and when I getback my shift will be over. Join us for a bit.”
“Did I just hear you offer tobuy me a drink?” chuckled Lomar.
“Now, why would I do that?”Hanjel coughed.
“Because I know something thatwill interest you,” smirked Lomar.
Hanjel signaled the serving girl andsaid, “Sit and convince me that you know something interesting,Lomar, before the serving girl collects my money.”
“I just saw Mikal Obanik walkinto the Bosun’s Chair,” Lomar grinned.
Hanjel choked and spit ale across thetable. “The devil, you did!” he cursed.
Chapter 16
King Alfred
When the serving girl arrived andHanjel had ordered Lomar an ale, Tedi ordered another one forhimself and continued to listen.
“Sure, he did, Hanjel,” Lomarsaid as he drank his ale greedily. “I saw himself not five minutesago. I’ve been looking for you ever since.”
“Who is this Mikal Obanik?”the third man asked.
“An old friend of Hanjel’s,Chekst,” Lomar chuckled.
“Friend, my foot!” Hanjel spatangrily and Chekst looked confused.
“He is an ex-Targa Ranger,”Lomar supplied. “Supposedly was a personal friend of ColonelAlexander Tork. I never met Tork, but this Obanik is the meanest,toughest son of a mother that ever walked the face of the earth.Hanjel and two of his friends had the displeasure of meeting himabout five years ago and you can tell that Hanjel still remembershim, fondly, of course.”
Hanjel smashed his mug down on thetable, drawing attention from all over the common room. “I’llfondly you, Lomar, if you don’t wipe that grin off your face,”Hanjel growled. “The man’s a bandit and a liar and deserves to die.Friend of Tork, indeed. Tork is just a myth, and a dead myth atthat, but seeing as they was friends, maybe Obanik ought to go seeTork, whatever hell he is in.”