The Time Before

Trengin : News and Options

Chapter 5: News and Options

There was more to learn in this town. I needed to stop him.

Arms raised, I gestured a spell I hadn't needed for many years. I aimed as carefully as I could and watched as its rolling form erupted from my fingertips and sped towards its target like mist. My hands gestured again, forming a strange coil like shape, and a straight bolt of energy shot after the first spell.

Both collided with the pickpocket at the same time. The first rendered him immobile; the second twisted around him and then pulled him back toward me as if on a piece of elastic. Within seconds his paralysed form landed face up at my feet.

His eyes showed he was awake only through the adrenaline pumping through his young veins as panic threatened to consume him. I reached quickly for his hands and pried them open, claiming the amulet back just in time. I quickly searched his pockets but found no trace of the talisman that must have been used to cloud my mind. Where was it? Had there been someone else involved?

"You there, what are you doing?"

The shout shook me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw a guard making his way towards me. As he climbed over the rubbish lining the alleyway I released the thief from his magical restraints with a quick concealed gesture. As he approached I held up my hands.

"This vagabond accosted me as I walked. I was just teaching him a quick lesson in unarmed combat," I explained.

The guard looked down at the scruffy urchin and seemed to forget himself as a smile came to his face.

"Maybe I could give a lesson or two myself."

Realising his lapse he looked up at me and composed himself.

"Ahem, well I'm glad you haven't been hurt, but I can take it from here. Best just called a guard if it happens again in case you are arrested yourself."

"My thanks Sir, I will do that. Could I trouble you for directions to an Inn where I might avoid such inconveniences?"

"The Golden Pheasant is a good one. The owner, Tunor, doesn't tolerate riff-raff."

"Sounds perfect."

"Head out the alley here, and take a left. Follow the street until you pass a candle maker. Take a right and you can't miss it."

"My thanks again."

I hastened out of the alleyway before the guard could notice my appearance and followed his directions. They were good and in short order I had found the inn. It looked clean and bright, and a large shadow by the door backed up the no riff-raff rule with muscle. The huge man stared at me as I went through the door but made no move to stop me. Emboldened I continued through.

Clearly the rule on clientele didn't effect business as I was greeted by an almost full room, every space available filled with a table or stool. Graceful waitresses deftly negotiated the maze of people, carrying impressive arrays of drinks without spillage.

A patron, clearly having consumed a considerable amount of those drinks himself, took advantage of the full arms of a passing waitress to pat her behind suggestively. She ignored him, but within seconds more dark shadows had peeled themselves from the walls revealing men of an equal size to the doorman. They seized and promptly picked up the drunkard and made their way through the parting crowd to the door I’d just entered. I moved aside to let them pass and watched as they unceremoniously threw him out the door. Riff-raff not tolerated indeed.

I took advantage of the parted crowd to quickly make my way to the bar. The gap closed behind me like water filling a dry waterbed and soon there was no indication anything had happened.

The landlord was tall but not as big as his guards. Dark hair showed no traces of grey and his eyes moved constantly across the room surveying all in his domain. Here was a man that knew his business.

“Excuse me, Tunor is it? I was hoping for a room tonight.”

He didn’t hear me over the noise of his patrons, but I repeated it louder and his eyes snapped to me. A quick judgement was made and a smile came to his face.

“I am addressed by someone that knows my name. Might I also have yours before any business is conducted?”

His manner of speech seemed excessively formal, but I fixed a similar smile on my face and replied.

“My name is Trengin, a local guard gave me your name and recommended this fine establishment.”

“Excellent, excellent. Yes I have many regulars from the guards come in here. Well welcome to the Golden Pheasant. I have a room available for three silver pieces, make it four and they’ll be a supper and something to break your fast in the morning.”

The price was expensive but I felt reassured by the protection he employed. “Four silver it is,” I agreed and handed them over from my limited funds.

He whisked them up from the counter with barely a noticeable movement and ushered me towards a door in the corner. I passed through and relaxed as the noise faded.

“Third door on your left. Would you like supper in your room or will you dine in the front?”

I winced at the idea of eating in the chaos but knew I would learn nothing sat in my room.

“I will freshen up from my travels and then head back out a little later.”

“As you wish Sir.”

He disappeared quickly into the haze of smoke and noise and I gratefully entered my room. It was clean and bright with a large window. I dumped my pack on the bed and opened the window. A fresh breeze wafted in and I breathed in deeply. It smelt faintly of spice mingled nicely with the general scent of the town. The sun was still a good distance above the horizon yet a desire for sleep washed over me. I lay on my bed and was asleep in minutes.

~

I awoke a few hours later with the last vestiges of the sun just disappearing behind a slated roof. I felt better after the sleep; alert and rested. After rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes I rinsed my face in the bowl of water on the side. I cast my hands down my robes and grinned as the road dust and creases faded. A nifty trick.

I headed back down to the main room and found it, if possible, even busier than earlier. I recognised a few faces from before, along with a new crowd of people just finished work for the day. With amazement I noticed the drunkard from earlier laughing with a small crowd and pointing to the waitress across the room. Maybe security was more relaxed at night?

I forced myself around the room and eventually saw someone standing up to leave. With only seconds to spare I sat down in their vacated spot with some looks of annoyance from other standing patrons. They soon lost interest and focused back on their drinks. One of the efficient waitresses spotted me and I ordered a meal and a drink. She smiled and disappeared into the crowd.

Over the next two hours I learnt a fair amount just sitting there. Gossip was free and somewhere this crowded it was easy to go unnoticed as an eavesdropper. The destruction of Frenquath was on most people's lips. It was very recent news and unusual because there were no survivors. Stories were just coming in and the lack of witnesses meant details were sketchy and wildly exaggerated. I heard one man describe giants walking through the town smashing the buildings with their clubs. A woman said her niece had seen huge bats picking people up and devouring them on the wing. I knew I wouldn't be able to get accurate details without going there myself.

Other gossip was varied; merchants had brought news of other towns being destroyed. The details were a little more believable but distance had warped them. Roah was right; this was more than a few disgruntled mages. Sempa don't organise themselves like this!

I heard a few mutterings about mages in general. I didn't hear one person mention a mage fighting against the Sempa, and quickly learnt they had so far been no successful attack or defence against them. No wonder mages were beginning to be feared. The only ones these people heard about anymore were Sempa. I looked down at my robes. Years living in the woods had required some alterations to them making them more practical. If the guards reaction was anything to go by though they were still recognisable as a mage's to an educated eye.

And then something caught my ear.

"Hit et wit' lightnin' and fireballs but it don't go through."

"Wow, what happened next?"

"Well, that's when Hunt told the archers to fire. They let loose thousan's of the things, filled the sky. And them mages just scarper into the woods and haven't bin' back since."

I didn't wait for the listener's response. I stood up and forced my way through to them.

"Where did this happen," I ask him urgently.

He looked at me shocked. He was a short man, a little off five feet but stocky and wearing quality clothing. A smile came to his face and he swayed slightly. A waft of ale from his breath confirmed him heavily in his cups.

"Hey another eager listen'r to my story. Well I'll tell you. Grenton Bridge it is an' Captain Hunt is the man. Best soldier we've seen, finally show'd them mages we won't go down easy. Boy I'd like to have seen the look on their faces as they went runnin' away. Hahaha."

I left him to his drink and headed out the back towards my room. Was this why there wasn't more panic about an attack here? Who is this Hunt? How did he defeat Sempa? This was another mystery. I had heard of Grenton bridge, an old place a few days travel away. Indecision tore me. It was in the opposite direction to the remains of Frenquath.

I packed my things anyway. I felt rested, and wanted to be away from here before my robes were recognised. A night departure should make it simple enough to acquire some less obvious clothes and get away more easily. In just a few minutes my scant belongings were packed. I left the money for the room on the table by the bowl and went out the back of the inn into the street.

There was still a fair number of people around and some street traders taking advantage of the late trade. I spotted one selling clothing and decided to risk it. The store owner eyed me knowingly but made no comment as he wrapped the items I'd chosen. I paid him and briskly walked off.

I still didn't know what to do next. Lost in my thoughts I carried on walking, trying to decide which was the most likely to be helpful. The ruins would show me a great insight into how the Sempa attacked and what they were capable of, and if I got to them soon I might stand a chance of reading any residual magic before it dissipated. The bridge had been the only defeat for the Sempa. Logic said that they would attack it again soon, and with strength. Anything I might learn from Captain Hunt could be lost if I get there to find the bridge destroyed.

A nagging feeling stopped me where I was and brought me out of my thoughts. Rubbish lined the walls of the alley I was in. A second later I realised it was the same alley I'd been in just this morning. How? The feeling rose up again and I perceived the clouding of my mind. The culprit was close again!

Clamping a shield over my mind, I gestured quickly and a hazy shield appeared around me. I turned around on the spot desperately looking for the attacker.

"Easy Trengin, no harm is meant. We just want a word with you."

I spun round to face the voice as its owner emerged from the shadows. His hand opened and a small light appeared illuminating his face.

"Srune? Srune, is that you?"

"Yes my old friend. It has been some time. Please follow me and I shall explain the deception."

I let the shield drop and I smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," he laughed, "but I'd guess your answer is the same as mine."

"The Sempa?"

"Yes, but lets not talk of them here."

He took on a look of secrecy and ushered me down a side alley that I hadn't noticed before. A few minutes later he had knocked three times on a wall and then pulled open a door that materialised. Impressed I followed him in.

"Trengin, he found you!"

I was stunned.

"Roah! Why are you here?" I turned to Srune. "He hasn't convinced you to join his Circle has he?"

Srune smiled. "Joined, hah, I co-created it."

I couldn't help but laugh as well. I took a seat by a merry fire and listened to Srune as he explained.

"I've been scouting around here trying to find things out whilst Roah's been out recruiting. After leaving your house he went to Goston and tried to recruit some Emflikar, and failed as expected."

"I was mad and wanted to cool off. I meant to go back to yours after I'd calmed down," Roah added. "Of course I got back to find you'd locked up and left. I didn't know where you'd gone and was in a bad mood. The damn emflikar was leaking magic and I almost got caught by it. Frustrated I hurried here to see how Srune had been doing."

"I've been monitoring magic use in the town," Shrune continued. "Looking out for any Sempa spies that might suggest an attack here. When I felt that pocket protector you keep I sent Bradley to go relieve you of it. I didn't know it was you, but after what you did to him I knew we had a mage in the walls."

I winced. "Is he hurt?"

Srune laughed, "No, just his ego. I told him what would have happened if you didn't take it back and that helped him forgive you."

I laughed in reply.

"I've had him scouring the town for sign of you, but it was luck that brought you past me as I was out scouting. I felt your talisman again and followed you. Thankfully you were so lost in your thoughts the mindcloud worked again and I got you here."

"Don't count on it working a third time," I retorted in mock protest. "Well I'm here now, and whilst I'm convinced what Roah told me is true I'm still not joining the circle."

"Calm down old friend. Wait until you've heard all before jumping to conclusions. Roah came across some interesting news whilst on the way here from your house..."

"That I did. There's a caravan guarded by soldiers making its way here laden with books, scrolls and artifacts from a recent excavation in the south. The knowledge contained in this collection could be priceless to us. You may have heard of a recent victory against the Sempa at Grenton Bridge?"

I nodded in agreement, fascinated by what he was saying.

"Well that was brought about by knowledge gleaned from just one book found at this site. The leader of the force sent to claim the excavation site, someone called Hunt, apparently read some of the findings and discovered the bridge had a shield that could be reactivated and protect from any magical attack. He immediately took a squad of men and managed to seize control of the bridge right under the Sempa's noses and activated the shield before they could retaliate. He's holed up there now."

"I heard about this. Is the shield really impervious to all magic!"

Srune cut in.

"We don't know its full capabilities, but that isn't the issue. The rest of this knowledge is making its way here. If it were to fall under Sempa control then any secrets it might have will be lost to us. It must be protected by magical means."

Realisation hit me.

"You two mean to defend it alone against who knows how many Sempa!"

Srune looked doubtful for a second.

"They don't know it's anything but an ordinary caravan. We only expect six Sempa."

"Six is more than enough to sort out the two of you."

"They've never had a mage attack them before. Reports have said that they don't even use shields in some cases - using all their energy to kill instead. Plus there is a large squad of soldiers protecting it, we could blend in and they wouldn't know where we were attacking from. It could work, especially if you join us."