Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7388519" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 143Bredan’s room in the Brown Barrel lacked a fireplace or brazier, and he shivered as he got up out of the bed and padded over to the chamber pot.  The building was better-constructed than many in Wildrush, yet drafts seemed ubiquitous.  After finishing he went over to the washbasin and picked up the cake of soap he’d brought in town.  It hadn’t been that expensive; it seemed that most of the residents of the mining town didn’t bother with such niceties.  But Bredan’s uncle had battered certain habits into him past his stubbornness, including the value and importance of cleanliness.“What time is it?” moaned a voice from the bed.Bredan tried to look through the tiny window, but the glass was of such poor quality that he couldn’t see much outside.  Ice crystals had formed on the pane, suggesting that no matter how cold it was inside, it was much colder out there.  “Early,” he said.Rodan pulled back the coverlet just enough to reveal his mussed hair—and the curling ridges of his horns.  “Come back to bed,” he groaned.“I thought rangers were up with the dawn,” Bredan teased.“When we’re out in the field, yeah.  When we’re in town, we sleep in.  Especially with how late we stayed out last night.  Gods above, are you bathing?”“Cleanliness is important, especially in places like this,” Bredan said.  “Filth breeds disease.”“Diseases don’t get up this early either,” Rodan said.  He started to pull the coverlet back up, but paused.  “You know, I used to think that all those scars were a sign of how experienced a fighter you are.  But I’m starting to suspect that maybe you just aren’t very good.”Bredan grinned and started toward the bed but was interrupted by a rapid series of knocks on the door.  He went over and opened it to see Xeeta standing in the hallway.  The tiefling had the illusion of her human face in place.  Even though her true nature had been revealed to Wildrush just as Rodan’s had, she habitually wore the ranger’s amulet of disguise.  It might have had something to do with the fact that she was not as well known in town, or just an abundance of caution borne of habit.“Gah, does nobody in this town sleep to a reasonable hour?” Rodan cursed.“It’s midmorning,” Xeeta said.  “Another late night, boys?”Rodan growled something unintelligible.  Xeeta leaned forward and looked into the room, her eyes shifting between Bredan’s bare torso and the rumpled bed.  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said.“Nothing at all,” Rodan said as he swung up out of the bed and reached for his trousers.  His tail swirled around his ankles as he pulled on the pants.“What’s up?” Bredan asked.“There’s been a messenger from the south,” Xeeta said.  “He only just arrived, and he’s at the Governor’s place right now.”“What’s the news?” Bredan asked.“The soldier that brought the word didn’t deign to share it with me, if he even knew.  I suspect he didn’t.  For some reason, the Governor’s keeping things close to his vest.”“That could be a sign that the news is bad,” Rodan said as he pulled on his shirt.  He left his bow where it sat propped against the wall at the foot of the bed, but he buckled on the belt that supported his rapier.“This messenger, he came over the mountains alone?” Bredan asked.“Apparently, he came with a supply caravan, but he rode on ahead,” Xeeta said.  “The rest broke camp as he left and should be here in a few hours.”“So everyone will know that there’s news, in a few hours,” Bredan said.“I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in town knows that there’s been a rider by now,” Rodan said.  “Word travels fast in a place like Wildrush.”“We’d better get going, then,” Bredan said.  “The Governor, he wanted to see us?”“Apparently, he asked for you personally,” Xeeta said.“What, me?  Just me?” Bredan asked.  “Why?”“Well, if you get moving, then you can ask him,” Xeeta said.They ran into Glori and Quellan as they were leaving the inn.  Glori had been spending a lot of time with the cleric at the local temple of late, and apparently another of the Governor’s men had found them there.  They didn’t have any additional information, however.“It does sound rather ominous,” Glori said as they made their way through town.“Did anyone find Kosk?” Xeeta asked.“He’s been spending a lot of time on his own lately,” Quellan said.  “If the Governor’s people can’t locate him, we can track him down after and fill him in.”Bredan hung back a bit while the others talked, mostly musing on what the mysterious messenger’s news might be.  They hadn’t heard anything from the south since they’d arrived in the Silverpeak Valley, and thus had no idea how the war against Kavel Murgoth was going.  Bredan had often wondered how their recent encounters fit into the bigger picture.  It was too much of a coincidence that they would have encountered a hobgoblin spellcaster and a pack of goblin worg-riders looking for the same magical shrine, for it to have nothing to do with the invasion of the north.  Was Kavel Murgoth somehow connected to the same power that had changed Bredan and affected his companions?  What was the role of this “Blooded” caster that they’d fought?  Xeeta hadn’t been able to tell them anything more about his origins, except that the power he’d commanded had felt identical to the innate gifts of her outsider heritage.  The hobgoblin hadn’t had horns or the other obvious signs of that bloodline that the tieflings possessed, so what did that mean?The town was bustling, forcing them to negotiate a busy traffic as they made their way to the west side of town near the main gate.  Bredan overheard parts of a dozen conversations that confirmed what Rodan had said earlier.  Everyone seemed to be making the same conjectures about the messenger from Adelar.  Bredan heard several theories ranging from an imminent invasion of the valley to Prince Dalgran slaying Kavel Murgoth in single combat.  More than one person in the crowd turned to watch the adventurers as they made their way with purpose toward the Governor’s house, but no one tried to hinder them with questions or interruptions.  Thanks in part to Glori’s illusion-enhanced renditions of their adventures, the companions had taken on a sort of legendary status in Wildrush.It didn’t take them long to reach the two-story building that served as the home and office of Governor Brownwell.  There was a small crowd of a few dozen people out front, waiting and watching for any news, but they parted as the companions approached.  The guards on the front porch opened the door for them, letting them in without challenge.“I will admit, there’s a certain convenience in being famous,” Xeeta said to Glori as the door closed behind them.  A clerk working at a desk in the front room adjoining the foyer rose as they came in.  “The Governor’s in his office upstairs, he’s expecting you,” the young man said.“We know the way,” Rodan said as he started up the stairs.The Governor’s office was in a large room in the front corner of the building.  The companions had been there several times in the last month, starting with when they’d accepted the mission of hunting the chimera that had attacked Wildrush.  Since then they’d been more or less accepted as adjuncts to the official authority in town.They could hear voices from behind the door as they approached.  There were no guards here, and Rodan only briefly paused to give a quick rap on the door before he opened it and went in.“Ah, good, you’re all here,” Brownwell said as they filed in after the ranger.There were already several people present.  In addition to Governor Brownwell himself, there was Captain Lydon, the leader of the small garrison of soldiers, standing over by the fire.  Darven Caleron, the mine leader, was sitting in front of Brownwell’s desk, next to a halfling leather crafter named Gavel Leafhollow.  The latter was the replacement on the town council for the missing Coop, who had disappeared without a trace when his association with the goblinoids that threatened the valley had been revealed.There was one other figure in the back of the room, sitting in a chair half-hidden behind the fireplace.  The stranger—who by process of elimination had to be the messenger—was a middle-aged human in dust-stained travel clothes who was reading a book spread open on his lap.  He alone didn’t look up as they came in.“I understand there’s some news, Governor,” Glori said as Quellan closed the door behind them.“Yes,” Brownwell said.  He glanced over at the messenger, who still seemed to be engrossed in his book.  Clearing his throat, the Governor said, “The war is over.  Murgoth has been defeated.”A stir went through the gathered adventurers.  “That’s… that’s wonderful news!” Glori said.  “How, when…  I have so many questions!”After another sideways glance, Brownwell said, “From what I understand, the actual battle took place nearly a month ago, it’s just taken time for the news to reach us all the way up here.”Bredan had been watching the messenger, but he started at that, and glanced over to meet Xeeta’s gaze.  Obviously, she was having the same thought he was, A month ago is when we went into that shrine.  But that just had to be a coincidence; how could the two things possibly be related?“The Prince’s army crushed the main goblinoid force a few days east of Kenner’s Crossing,” Brownwell was saying.  “The survivors fled back into the mountains.  There were a few more raiding parties scattered around the area, but most of those should have been driven off or destroyed by now.”“That is good news, Governor,” Quellan said.  “If you don’t mind me asking, why keep it quiet?  The people of Wildrush will be glad to hear this information.”“I asked him to wait,” the messenger said, finally looking up from his book.  He inserted a strip of cloth to mark his place and then closed it.“And who are you?” Bredan asked.  The way he said it had several of his companions looking at him curiously.The stranger did not wilt behind the young warrior’s scrutiny.  When he didn’t respond immediately, Brownwell cleared his throat again and said, “This is Gregoros Konstantin, he is a wizard of the Apernium in Severon.”Quellan reacted with a jolt; he had a look on his face that suggested he’d just had a revelation.  Glori, standing next to him, noticed and whispered, “What is it?”“Later,” he muttered back.With his focus on Konstantin, Bredan did not notice the exchange.  “I heard that you were looking for me,” he said.“Indeed,” Konstantin said.  “I have come a long way to find you, Bredan Karras.”Bredan blinked.  “Do I know you?”“No,” the wizard said.  “But I have been searching for you for quite some time.  I will need you to come with me.  You and your friends.”“Where?” Quellan asked.“To Severon, and the headquarters of my order.”Another stir passed through all of them, even the Governor and his people.  “The capital of the kingdom?” Glori asked.  “But that’s… it will take weeks to get there, if not months, with winter fast coming…”“I can have us there tonight,” Konstantin said.“Teleportation magic?” Quellan asked.  At the other’s nod the cleric said, “That is powerful magic indeed.”“You said that you’ve been following us for some time,” Glori said.  “If you’re so powerful, how come you didn’t just scry us and find us right away?  For that matter, it’s not like we’ve come here in secret.  We openly signed on with the King’s army, we’re here at his remit.”“Yes, I know,” Konstantin said.  “As for the rest, I give you my word that all will be made clear once we are in Severon.”“No offense, sir, but we are going to need a bit more assurance than that, before we agree to go with you,” Glori said.  “How did you find us?  And why is Bredan so important?”“I have been tracking you since Crosspath,” the wizard said.  “It is a very common misconception that wizards can instantly locate something or someone using scrying magic, but the reality is in many instances far more complex.  I arrived in your town of origin not long after you had left.  I followed you to Adelar, learning of some of your more… notable achievements along the way.  It took me longer than expected to locate your trail from there; due to the confusion wrought by the war and a few unfortunate clerical errors I did not immediately learn of your mission to the north and wasted some valuable time following the Prince’s army.  But finally, I was able to learn what had happened and made my way here.”“You didn’t answer my final question,” Glori said.Bredan stepped forward.  “Why?” he asked.  The way he said it, the word was more than just a simple question, but it encapsulated all that had happened to him since he’d left Crosspath.Konstantin rose from his chair and met Bredan’s gaze squarely.  Finally, he said, “Your father was one of us, during a time long past.  He helped us through a time of great turmoil and threat.  All signs indicate that we are approaching another such time, Bredan Karras.  And our hope is that like your father, you will lend your aid to help us through what is to come.”* * * End of Book 6</blockquote>

Verification