to back up. Behind her, she heard Raeln growl softly.
“Doesn’t matter why, girl, the place is closed to you for now,” the man told her, though he kept his attention on Raeln. “You need to leave.”
Ilarra turned partway and stared off toward the city gates and the vast poorer city outside. From what she could see now that she was looking for it, a great many people were being herded toward the gates, including nearly everyone from the wagon she had come in on. The only person left that was not being hustled to the outer walls was the robed man that had bothered Ilarra the day before, standing patiently near where the wagons had been, his hands clasped behind his back as he politely waited for Ilarra to finish speaking with the guards.
“Where am I supposed to go, if I can’t get in?” she finally asked the guard. “I came all this way to learn…”
“Don’t care,” snapped the man, waving her away. “You need to leave the inner city immediately. Go find an inn or go back to wherever you came from. Doesn’t change the rules either way. These gates are staying closed for the next few days.”
Sighing, Ilarra turned to walk away, Raeln hurriedly grabbing the rest of their things before moving to walk at her side.
As they lumbered away carrying everything Ilarra had in the world, she slowed briefly as she heard the guards behind her say, “Welcome to Lantonne, ambassador. Go right in.”
Turning toward the keep, Ilarra saw the robed man walk through the open doors just before they were closed. With the doors sealed once again, Ilarra felt her last hope of seeing the bright future she was promised suddenly die.
“Come on, Raeln,” Ilarra said sadly, trudging toward the gates. “We need to find somewhere before nightfall. We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
Ilarra knew there was no point in trying to discuss the situation with Raeln or wait for his answer. He would never answer, that much she knew. The last time he had spoken was to give his vow not to speak.
Ilarra soon reached the gate that separated the central city with its towering keep and the outer village that encircled Lantonne. Without having to talk to anyone, she knew immediately that they were in a lot of trouble even that far from the keep.
Not only were the streets packed with people, even as late as it was getting, but the occasional inns that she could see every few blocks appeared to be the milling point of the vast majority of people. Twice, she steered herself and Raeln toward an inn, only to spot the owner or employees standing out front, shouting, “We’re full! Sod off!”
“This is pretty serious if this many people are getting kicked out of the city,” she mused in Raeln’s general direction, to which he nodded while still watching the crowds for threats.
Turning toward the western end of the village, Ilarra started to head for the next inn when she heard Raeln grunt angrily. She looked back just in time to see three young dwarven men running past Raeln and she saw the flash of blades. In that brief moment, Raeln’s belt pouches with their remaining coins vanished as did several of the books he carried under one arm. When Raeln tried to grab at the thieves, another dwarf darted past from another direction, snatching the bags from Raeln’s left arm.
Standing still and staring in the direction of the fleeing dwarves in utter shock, Raeln blinked and began slowly checking what all had been taken.
“Forget about them, Raeln,” Ilarra called back to him, grabbing his arm to hurry him along before he decided to run after them. Knowing his dislike of people who refused to abide by laws, she honestly expected him to chase the dwarven children down. “We need to get somewhere safe, or we won’t have anything left.”
Almost on cue, someone jostled Ilarra and she felt the weight of the books she carried suddenly lighten. She looked down and saw that out of the five books she had been holding, only two
“Doesn’t matter why, girl, the place is closed to you for now,” the man told her, though he kept his attention on Raeln. “You need to leave.”
Ilarra turned partway and stared off toward the city gates and the vast poorer city outside. From what she could see now that she was looking for it, a great many people were being herded toward the gates, including nearly everyone from the wagon she had come in on. The only person left that was not being hustled to the outer walls was the robed man that had bothered Ilarra the day before, standing patiently near where the wagons had been, his hands clasped behind his back as he politely waited for Ilarra to finish speaking with the guards.
“Where am I supposed to go, if I can’t get in?” she finally asked the guard. “I came all this way to learn…”
“Don’t care,” snapped the man, waving her away. “You need to leave the inner city immediately. Go find an inn or go back to wherever you came from. Doesn’t change the rules either way. These gates are staying closed for the next few days.”
Sighing, Ilarra turned to walk away, Raeln hurriedly grabbing the rest of their things before moving to walk at her side.
As they lumbered away carrying everything Ilarra had in the world, she slowed briefly as she heard the guards behind her say, “Welcome to Lantonne, ambassador. Go right in.”
Turning toward the keep, Ilarra saw the robed man walk through the open doors just before they were closed. With the doors sealed once again, Ilarra felt her last hope of seeing the bright future she was promised suddenly die.
“Come on, Raeln,” Ilarra said sadly, trudging toward the gates. “We need to find somewhere before nightfall. We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
Ilarra knew there was no point in trying to discuss the situation with Raeln or wait for his answer. He would never answer, that much she knew. The last time he had spoken was to give his vow not to speak.
Ilarra soon reached the gate that separated the central city with its towering keep and the outer village that encircled Lantonne. Without having to talk to anyone, she knew immediately that they were in a lot of trouble even that far from the keep.
Not only were the streets packed with people, even as late as it was getting, but the occasional inns that she could see every few blocks appeared to be the milling point of the vast majority of people. Twice, she steered herself and Raeln toward an inn, only to spot the owner or employees standing out front, shouting, “We’re full! Sod off!”
“This is pretty serious if this many people are getting kicked out of the city,” she mused in Raeln’s general direction, to which he nodded while still watching the crowds for threats.
Turning toward the western end of the village, Ilarra started to head for the next inn when she heard Raeln grunt angrily. She looked back just in time to see three young dwarven men running past Raeln and she saw the flash of blades. In that brief moment, Raeln’s belt pouches with their remaining coins vanished as did several of the books he carried under one arm. When Raeln tried to grab at the thieves, another dwarf darted past from another direction, snatching the bags from Raeln’s left arm.
Standing still and staring in the direction of the fleeing dwarves in utter shock, Raeln blinked and began slowly checking what all had been taken.
“Forget about them, Raeln,” Ilarra called back to him, grabbing his arm to hurry him along before he decided to run after them. Knowing his dislike of people who refused to abide by laws, she honestly expected him to chase the dwarven children down. “We need to get somewhere safe, or we won’t have anything left.”
Almost on cue, someone jostled Ilarra and she felt the weight of the books she carried suddenly lighten. She looked down and saw that out of the five books she had been holding, only two
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