Turning toward his men, Talis mused, “The King of Minari, hmm? If we can’t confirm your story, we can always feed you to the leviathan.”
“Not after we killed it.”
Talis stopped and turned back in visible surprise, eyes intently locked on Eric’s. The rogue stared calmly into the captain’s eyes and saw his matter-of-fact gaze register. The next question did not surprise him. “Who are you?”
Eric gestured up the trail. “Ogren?”
Talis sighed and turned toward Valegis, Eric and Jolian following as the warriors stood back to let them pass, then encircling them. As they continued up the path, the captain barked at one of his men, indicating the fish with a jerk of his head, “Pick that up!”
Eric eyed the forty-foot gray towers as they neared, archers clearly visible but relaxed. He saw little damage to show attacks had ever taken place. A wall extended out and partially up into the mountains. Torches and lanterns were already burning as dusk came early in the mountains, making Eric feel the need to send Jolian back as soon as possible. He didn’t like the idea of the others waiting in the dark. They had cleared the area before this gate of brush, and from this vantage point he confirmed an impression he’d had—another path approached from a different direction so that one could continue that way by the gate instead of going in. But now they passed between two wide doors made of vertical wood beams, the gates closing behind them.
To either side as they continued were small barracks and more guards, who eyed them with either indifference or curiosity. A few were dwarves, who paid them no attention. Talis led them forward with only four of the guards accompanying them now, the rest remaining behind. Ahead were trees and a widening path of natural stone that had been chiseled and carved to be smooth. Two mountains loomed beside them, a host of archery towers there. Anything that made it through that gate would get slaughtered. The new road led between various small buildings that seemed disposable, as if necessary, but expected to be destroyed in an assault. As they ventured farther across this pass between mountains, the people increased in number. An archway of stone awaited, two more doors opened wide until they passed through.
And now Eric saw the valley where they had built Valegis. A thirty-foot tall, black stone wall enclosed it in a rough oval, uneven in various places, as if going around obstacles no one had been able to remove. It was wide enough, like the Great Wall of China in places, for wagons to be pulled along the top, as he saw several there now. Towers periodically rose from it for another twenty feet, each with an open top for archers. The wall stood back from the mountains and all trees had been cleared from around it up the slopes. He expected a castle or other fortification but didn’t see one. From here, Eric could only see part of what looked like a wide moat that he assumed surrounded it, and from the snow still atop the peaks, he suspected it served as a defense against flooding during spring as much as against an attack.
Inside the wall, the land appeared to have been left alone, buildings alternating with trees and a few boulders so big that he could see them from here. Several very wide towers were inside and didn’t seem defensive. Each had several long, horizontal beams sticking out at least thirty feet from the sides from large holes. Beyond it all was another mountain pass that seemed similar from here, except that the sun was shining through it and into their eyes. And for that reason, Eric did not immediately see the giant falcon flying toward Valegis. It bore a rider and circled one tower before landing on what he now realized was a perch. He couldn’t see what happened to the rider after that, partly because he and the others began descending a narrow stone staircase. It reached the moat and a wooden drawbridge they walked over to enter the town.
Eric tried to take in the sights. It occurred to him that this was the first time he’d been in such a place without the others, but he was the most street smart and felt comfortable. Jolian had been right. The place didn’t have an unsavory feel. He could hear children playing nearby, the smell of fresh breads and meats hung in the air, and the humans and few dwarves he saw watched them curiously but without malice. He guessed the town held about five-thousand people.
They marched straight to the center, past a strolling flautist he’d been hearing for several minutes, a fountain, and men who were skinning something that looked like boar, more of the animals roasting over a fire. A wide lawn that he guessed was used for gatherings stood near the mayor’s manor as they neared, and with any luck, Jolian would leave from there as a dragon in under thirty minutes, with the mayor’s blessing. He felt urgency. And the town seemed safe, not like some den of thieves.
When they reached a mansion in the town’s center, Talis made them wait outside as he ascended the gray stone steps and disappeared inside for several minutes before returning and gesturing for them to follow, the guards still with them. They soon entered a dining room with a long mahogany table and eight high-backed chairs with green velvet cushions. At the table’s head and looking unimpressed stood a tall, red-bearded man who calmly appraised his visitors. Eric felt there would be little fooling this man, but he didn’t intend to anyway. They placed two mugs of ale on the table as the man gestured to sit. He joined them, Talis and the guards remaining in the
