forces should move to enter Cardri.
As her squad breaks up, Aleya, still having the cloth wrapped around her face, quickly moves away from the others and makes for a corner of the nearest building bordering on the inner wall.
“Wonder what all that…” one of the archers next in line begins to say something to her but stops when she walks away from him. Feeling somewhat affronted that she would just walk away while he was talking, he says a few choice words at her back before turning and beginning his conversation again with another who’ll stick around to listen.
Upon nearing the wall, she glances around and when she’s sure no one is looking, removes the cloth from her face. Placing it within the pouch at her waist, she then removes her cloak and wraps it around her bow and quiver.
The gate is not very far from where she stands, soldiers fill the fortress’s courtyard but so far none seem to have noticed her there among them. With her tunic off and her bow hidden, she looks just like another one of the servants moving around the courtyard performing various duties.
Holding her head up and trying to calm the shaking that seeks about ready to consume her, she steps away from the corner. The soldiers and civilians within the courtyard pay her no heed as she makes her way toward the gate.
As she crosses the courtyard, she hears fragments of conversations going on around her. None pique her interest until she hears two footmen talking about how during the worst of the storm, horses ran amuck in their lines. She slows down to try to hear what they’re saying.
“The riders were never found?” one asks the other.
“No,” the other replies. “In fact, one of the horses managed to impale itself upon Loen’s pike. I hear they’ve got search parties hunting for them all over the countryside.”
“Think we’ll ever know what really went on out there?” the first one asks.
Shaking his head, the second one says, “Doubt it. You know they never tell us grunts anything and by the time the rumor mill has ground it out, it’ll be so far from the truth as not to be believed.”
“True,” the first one replies. They start moving away from her and the rest of their conversation is lost in the buzz of the courtyard.
Resuming her way toward the gate, she begins thinking over what she just overheard. At least James and Jiron haven’t been caught yet. As she reaches the entrance to the inner portcullis for the gate, she quickens her pace slightly. Moving through the confining passage through the walls, she almost breathes an audible sigh of relief when she at last reaches the far side.
She begins moving back out into the daylight when a hand grips her shoulder from behind. Startled, she cries out as she jumps three inches in the air. Her cloak wrapped bow and quiver slips from her hands and falls to the ground. Turning around quickly, she looks into the face of one of the foot soldiers.
“Sorry, miss,” he says as he bends over to pick up her package. One end of her bow slips out from beneath the cloak as he hands it to her.
She takes it from him and says, “Thank you sir. I was just taking this to have it repaired.”
He nods his head. “I was wondering if you would like to have a cup of ale with me over at the Shining Flagon later on. Say in a couple hours when things calm down around here?”
That’s why he scared me out of ten years growth? To ask me out? “I’m sorry,” she tells him, trying her best to hide the irritation in her voice, “but I already have someone.”
“Oh,” he says. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
Turning, she hurries away. After taking a few steps, she glances back and finds the soldier having already returned to within the fortress. Breathing a sigh of relief, she makes her way away from the gates to the fortress.
To the north of the fortress is the city of Kern, a large collection of buildings whose main purpose is to house and support the troops stationed there. At least that was its original purpose, now many trading houses have sprung up, those who trade primarily with merchants within the Empire.
It’s a mile away and by the time she crosses the distance, her nerves have managed to calm down. So as not to attract undue notice, she keeps her bow and quiver tightly wrapped and concealed within her cloak.
Many people are in the streets, there’s a buzz going around about the activities out by the keep. The general mood is one of curiosity rather than fear of an attack. Aleya finds it easy to make her way through the milling populace without attracting attention.
One of the last buildings on the north side of town, before the road leaves the outskirts, is a run down inn. The aroma coming from it makes her stomach ache with hunger. It’s been quite a while since she’s had anything to eat other than food foraged off the land. Warring needs collide within her, the need to get out of here and the need for real food. The need for real food wins out and she makes for the inn’s entrance.
As she walks through the door she finds a quiet inn, only three other people sit at the tables while having their morning meal. One couple, an older man and lady sit off to one side. The other is a solitary man who sits in a corner and whose eyes watch her as she enters. Their eyes lock for a moment before the proprietor comes forward.
“Good morning miss,” the fat man says. Beaming a smile which genuinely makes her feel like he’s happy to see her, he readily puts her at ease.
“Good morning to you, as well,” she replies.
“What can we do for you here at the Weary Traveler?” he asks.
“Just something to eat,” she replies.
Nodding, the innkeeper says, “Just take any seat, and Millie will be out shortly to see to your needs.”
“Thank you,” she replies and moves to a table far from the gentleman in the corner.
The innkeeper passes through a door into the kitchen and shortly after, a young lady comes out and makes her way over to Aleya. Taking her order and her coins, she goes back to the kitchen and returns with a platter of eggs and ham. Setting the platter before her, she says a quick “Enjoy,” before returning once again to the kitchen.
As Aleya eats, she can’t help but notice how the man in the corner continues staring at her. Maybe he’s just bored and has nothing better to do, but the attention makes her decidedly uncomfortable. She knows the danger a woman traveling alone faces. That’s why she had remained up in the mountains after the Empire had taken Mountainside.
Her mind wanders to Jiron and James and how they’re doing. She’s sure they made it safely away from Kern by now or she would’ve heard about it. She intends to meet them down the road as James had mentioned before that ill fated run through the lines which left her stranded and alone.
The people here are not the enemy, and she has to continue to remind herself about that. They would only become so if they knew how she and the others had ran through their lines. Maybe not enemies, but would have definitely posed questions she couldn’t have answered.
After she meets with Jiron and James, she’s not sure what she’ll be doing. It’s a long way back to the mountains above her home, perhaps she’ll try to work her way back through from this side.
A movement from the corner of her eye draws her attention to where the man in the corner is getting up and making his way across the room. At first she thought he was heading for her but then he angles more for the door and soon leaves the inn. She’s quite relieved that he’s no longer in the same room with her, he gave her the creeps.
Once she’s done eating, she picks up her tightly wrapped bow and quiver and leaves the inn. Outside, the sun has already risen quite a distance and the temperature is beginning to rise. The people on the street no longer seem anxious or curious about what transpired near the keep, most have resumed going about their normal routines. A few knots of people congregate together as they hash and rehash what happened. She’s sure that by tomorrow, the gossips will have the facts of what actually happened mired in a most improbable tale just as that one soldier had said.
If she plans on making it to the inn down the road to the north before nightfall, she figures she better hustle. Moving quickly, she puts the inn behind her as she hurries down the road. Not exactly running, but alternating between a fast walk and jog, she soon leaves the outskirts of town and enters the hills beyond.
The road before her is fairly straight as it winds in a generally northern direction through the hills. Shortly after the town has disappeared behind the hills a horse is heard approaching from the direction of Kern. Always
