crooked white walls and red brick fireplaces. There must have been fifty people sitting at the tables or propping up the bar. After a week in the wilderness, the hum of dozens of people all talking at once seemed strange to Taem. He became anxious that any of these could be Maliven. He was suspicious of the old men sat round the fireplace, the townspeople sat talking at the tables, and some merchant’s guards in the middle of the room. Even the way a townswoman glanced at him made him wonder.
But then Taem realised that Logan was sat at a small table in the corner, with his back to the wall, watching the rest of the common room. Taem’s tense shoulders relaxed as he recognised the familiar face.
Logan gestured for Taem to come over with a dip of his head. Hirandar went to the bar to talk to the innkeeper.
‘You have it then?’ Logan had a startling intensity in his eyes.
Taem patted his side where, underneath his cloak, the Starblade lay against his hip.
‘You must show me later,’ Logan glanced around the common room. ‘But not here, too many watching eyes.’
Hirandar came over and sat with them around the table, ‘We’ll eat now, and go to our room. We can’t talk properly here.’
Taem was surprised they had to be so secretive – that they could not even say hello to each other – but he knew Logan and Hirandar would not be like that without reason.
The innkeeper served the three of them a dinner of roast beef and vegetables. And still they did not speak to each other. Taem was enjoying the succulent beef and crispy potatoes, when he realised the people sat at the next table were having an interesting conversation.
‘They say there’s trouble in the North,’ said an old man with grey hair.
‘Last night,’ a local woman said, ‘I spoke to a Sarcaedian merchant who was staying at the inn where I work. She said there’s unrest on the Border, the Shadowlands are stirring.’
‘Trouble on the Shadowborder?’ A man with a big nose laughed sarcastically. ‘Nargs invading? You’re now going to tell us that Malveous himself was waiting for you last night, trying to get you – whilst hiding under your bed I suppose?’
A couple of other townspeople burst out with laughter at this suggestion. Taem found nothing funny about it though. He saw the black look on Hirandar’s face, and the fury with which Logan was cutting into his beef.
‘Do you think the Grim Wanderer is going to come and save you?’ Big Nose chortled.
‘I don’t believe in childish tales of demons!’ The lady inn worker glowered at Big Nose. ‘And I know those legends of the Grim Wanderer are just stories! But I do believe that Beastmen live in the Shadowlands.’
‘I’ve heard men from the army talk about the ferocious Nargs,’ Grey Hair said, ‘but all the Beastmen are trapped in the Shadowlands. Sarcaedia holds the Northern Border, so they cannot overrun our lands. I think we’re safe from Narg raiders here.’
‘ Honestly , you people!’ Big Nose scoffed. ‘The travellers must have great fun at our expense, telling us backwater folk tall tales about things out of the storybooks. Someone’s now going to tell us how a Baku followed them home last night–’
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ The townswoman snapped. ‘You’re a fool to speak that name aloud!’
‘Believe what you like,’ Big Nose smirked. ‘I’ll wait till I see one with my own eyes – and not go by the word of some traveller looking for a cheap laugh!’
Hirandar rose out of her chair, scraping it across the tiled floor. There was a thunderous scowl across her face, as she stormed out of the common room. Big Nose, Grey Hair and the townswoman turned round in surprise, but soon continued on with their misinformed conversation.
Logan and Taem finished their dinners, and followed after Hirandar without a word. They found Hirandar lying back on one of the three beds in room number eight. The Wizard did not speak until Taem and Logan had entered
But then Taem realised that Logan was sat at a small table in the corner, with his back to the wall, watching the rest of the common room. Taem’s tense shoulders relaxed as he recognised the familiar face.
Logan gestured for Taem to come over with a dip of his head. Hirandar went to the bar to talk to the innkeeper.
‘You have it then?’ Logan had a startling intensity in his eyes.
Taem patted his side where, underneath his cloak, the Starblade lay against his hip.
‘You must show me later,’ Logan glanced around the common room. ‘But not here, too many watching eyes.’
Hirandar came over and sat with them around the table, ‘We’ll eat now, and go to our room. We can’t talk properly here.’
Taem was surprised they had to be so secretive – that they could not even say hello to each other – but he knew Logan and Hirandar would not be like that without reason.
The innkeeper served the three of them a dinner of roast beef and vegetables. And still they did not speak to each other. Taem was enjoying the succulent beef and crispy potatoes, when he realised the people sat at the next table were having an interesting conversation.
‘They say there’s trouble in the North,’ said an old man with grey hair.
‘Last night,’ a local woman said, ‘I spoke to a Sarcaedian merchant who was staying at the inn where I work. She said there’s unrest on the Border, the Shadowlands are stirring.’
‘Trouble on the Shadowborder?’ A man with a big nose laughed sarcastically. ‘Nargs invading? You’re now going to tell us that Malveous himself was waiting for you last night, trying to get you – whilst hiding under your bed I suppose?’
A couple of other townspeople burst out with laughter at this suggestion. Taem found nothing funny about it though. He saw the black look on Hirandar’s face, and the fury with which Logan was cutting into his beef.
‘Do you think the Grim Wanderer is going to come and save you?’ Big Nose chortled.
‘I don’t believe in childish tales of demons!’ The lady inn worker glowered at Big Nose. ‘And I know those legends of the Grim Wanderer are just stories! But I do believe that Beastmen live in the Shadowlands.’
‘I’ve heard men from the army talk about the ferocious Nargs,’ Grey Hair said, ‘but all the Beastmen are trapped in the Shadowlands. Sarcaedia holds the Northern Border, so they cannot overrun our lands. I think we’re safe from Narg raiders here.’
‘ Honestly , you people!’ Big Nose scoffed. ‘The travellers must have great fun at our expense, telling us backwater folk tall tales about things out of the storybooks. Someone’s now going to tell us how a Baku followed them home last night–’
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ The townswoman snapped. ‘You’re a fool to speak that name aloud!’
‘Believe what you like,’ Big Nose smirked. ‘I’ll wait till I see one with my own eyes – and not go by the word of some traveller looking for a cheap laugh!’
Hirandar rose out of her chair, scraping it across the tiled floor. There was a thunderous scowl across her face, as she stormed out of the common room. Big Nose, Grey Hair and the townswoman turned round in surprise, but soon continued on with their misinformed conversation.
Logan and Taem finished their dinners, and followed after Hirandar without a word. They found Hirandar lying back on one of the three beds in room number eight. The Wizard did not speak until Taem and Logan had entered
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