One of the guards took a few steps forward as they came across the bridge, holding up a hand.
“What is your purpose in Lofgrund?”
Erik stiffened immediately, hearing the official tone. “Uh, eating. Eating, sleeping, and then continuing on.”
“How long will you be in the city?”
“A few nights at most? Maybe only one.”
The guard nodded. “Submit your pack for searching.” He turned around and walked back as the other two moved to the center of the open gate. Erik walked to them and removed the pack, Tove keeping her distance behind him. The area was lit by torches at the top of and beside the gate arch. It didn’t seem to slow the guards who rifled through the bag as though they could see things well enough. The third guard watched over Erik and Tove as the other two did their work. Erik turned to him.
“Are there cheap rooms in the city?”
The guard leaned his head toward the northern part of the city. “Might be some up that way. Can’t say as they’re nice, but they’re rooms and they’re cheap. Not too pleasant when it gets late enough, but so long as you’re in after dinner, I never heard no one complain.”
They finished with the pack, making a catalogue of the things inside of it and sent them on their way. Erik thanked the guard and they went into the city. They hadn’t gone fifty feet past the gate into a large, ornate square lit by torches on a stone statue of Odin.
She was open-mouthed and breathless. “It’s amazing. The buildings they… they’re six storeys. And so much stone. I’ve never seen so much!” She turned to Erik. “Let’s not leave.” A horse drawn carriage rode through the far end of the square and Tove ran toward it, pointing. “What was that?! It wasn’t a cart.”
“It was a carriage. Rich people ride in them. I think.”
“I’ve decided that I’d like to become rich, Erik.”
He laughed. “I doubt you’re alone in that.” He started toward the north, waving for her to follow. “You’ll have plenty of time to be amazed after we’ve eaten and bought a room. Days, even.”
She followed him, eyes still locked on the buildings around them. Signs and lit shops, painted colors they simply didn’t have anywhere he’d seen in Kvernes. As they approached the north side of the square a young boy came running up with what looked like a table leg with a tar covered piece of sheet over it.
“Need of a linkboy, sir?”
“Linkboy?” He looked at Tove who shook her head and shrugged.
“Ah! New to the idea. No need to feel bashful, sir. For a farthing, I’ll show you to where you need to go. Dangerous to be out at night, sir, when you don’t know the city. Especially if you’re headed north.”
“Sounds fair enough. We need an inn, a room. Somewhere near food. You know a place?”
The boy nodded enthusiastically. “That I do, sir.”
Erik produced a farthing and handed it to the boy who bit it and then put it into his pocket.
“This way, sir.”
He swung by one of the lit torches in the square and lit his own, holding it out in front of him.
Tove was busy sniffing at the air, and making plaintive moans. “What are these smells, Erik? When can we eat? Maybe we should just eat now. No sense walking all the way across the city.”
The linkboy spoke up. “Don’t recommend it, miss. Food’s not so different, I’ve heard. Fancier plates to look at it sitting on.”
“Smaller portions too, I’d bet,” Erik complained. “Porcelain and nice chairs sound about right?”
The boy laughed. “Sir understands. Are you from the southern kingdom to know such a thing?”
“No. But I’ve seen the same game played before.”
There was a jewelry store with glass windows, something that most of the other shops around the square didn’t have. Tove grabbed Erik by his arm, dragging him over.
“What are these?!”
The linkboy followed them, holding the torch out toward the window as there was no light inside. “She has an eye for fine things, sir.”
“It’s jewelry and I doubt either of us has enough money for any of it.”
“But it’s so beautiful. We’ll come back for it, after a raid, maybe.”
Erik pulled her arm, waving the linkboy to continue on. In spite of Tove’s complaints, she eventually contented herself with a promise that they’d go and see things in the morning. Erik couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed by it. She had never seen anything like it before. Really, he hadn’t either, but he at least knew that sort of thing existed. She made him feel almost guilty for not enjoying the majesty of it all. It was a world he never could have known, enjoying it might not be so bad.
The linkboy came to a stop in front of a sign that was painted white and red, with only the word “Inn” carved into it. He nodded to them and snuffed out the torch in a metal extinguisher on the wall of the inn before running off back to the south. Across from them was a bustling restaurant, labeled “Inga’s.”
When the linkboy was gone, Tove started toward the restaurant.
“I’m not convinced we needed to pay him a farthing for that work.”
Erik shrugged. “Hard for me to argue with you, but we’d have been all night trying to find this place. It was a one time expense.”
They entered the restaurant and a large woman welcomed them with a booming voice.
“Find a seat and drop your pack! Inga will serve you!” She laughed heartily and went into what Erik assumed was the kitchen.
There were individual tables, with chairs instead of benches, except for a long set in the back, where larger groups sat drinking and laughing.
A table with two chairs was next to the door, so Erik went to it and sat, Tove nervously taking the seat across from him.
“What if this table belongs to someone?”
Erik
