able to sneak up on people, but I didn’t even get close before he hurled that thing at me. I guess I’m not as courageous as I like to pretend.”
“Not courageous!” Arik exclaimed. “Nobody I know would intentionally sneak up on a group of bandits. What were you trying to
… ”, Arik stopped. It suddenly dawned on him why Tedi was sneaking up on bandits. Tedi’s whole life had fallen apart the day their mothers were taken from them by bandits. He wondered how long Tedi had been sneaking into the forest at night in an attempt to find his mother again. Arik talked admiringly as he gave the small weapon back to Tedi. “You have more courage than any ten men in this town, Tedi. Only a fool would have attempted that camp twice. You’re pretty quiet when you want to be, but that bandit must have pretty good hearing. You’re used to sneaking around people, not animals. I’ve learned a few tricks about being quiet in the woods from old man Grein, the trapper. I could show them to you if you want.”
“I would like that,” beamed Tedi. “And I’ll let you practice throwing this nasty little thing at trees. I don’t know how we are going to alert the townspeople, though. My father has warned me to stay out of the woods at night and you know what he’ll do if he finds out.”
“Esta knows that I hunt in the woods,” offered Arik. “I can tell him that I saw the bandits and you won’t get in trouble. Tell me exactly where you saw them on the way back to the inn.”
Arik went back to the front stoop to retrieve his bow and quiver while Tedi ran next door to get his own. The boys walked along the shore to the quay, lost in conversation of bandits and battle and the town finally standing up to the thieves. The problem, of course, was that most of the able-bodied men were out to sea trying to haul in meager catches of fish. At the quay, the boys turned up the broad street heading for the coastal highway that ran through the town of Lorgo. Many of the shops were abandoned and boarded up. Arik, once again, began to think of what the town must have been like before the Collapse. He pictured all of the businesses open and people bustling about with gaily wrapped packages under their arms. He imagined grand carriages bearing nobility up and down the street with their footmen keeping pace and their mounted guards fore and aft. He fantasized columns of Sordoan soldiers marching along the coastal highway on their way to a frontier fort, their uniforms all with matching bright colors and gilded with gold. It took him a moment to realize that Tedi was no longer beside him. He looked up and down the street and the only person moving was a sturdy woman in a long green dress and wearing a felt hat with an embroidered strip of flowers around it. She was walking down the center of the wide avenue and staring at him. Without knowing why, Arik turned and dashed between the two closest buildings and turned down the alley towards the sea. Arik was halfway down the alley when Tedi called to him. Arik stopped short and peered around. Tedi was hiding beside some old crates behind one of the buildings.
“Why did you leave me?” panted Arik.
“I had my reasons,” laughed Tedi, “but I’m not running like I just saw a revenant. What are you running from?”
Arik winced as he thought of overheard stories of revenants, beings brought back from the dead that could not be killed. Suddenly he broke out laughing. “I don’t know,” he offered. I guess I was daydreaming on the way to the inn and looked up to see this woman walking towards me. At least I thought she was heading towards me. It felt like her eyes were burning into me. I don’t know why, but I just started running. Pretty stupid, I guess.”
“If she was wearing green,” Tedi laughed, “it wasn’t so stupid. That was the woman who screamed this morning at the inn and she saw us walking together before I took off running. I don’t know if she saw me through her window earlier, but I’m not about to take any chances. Best off if we just avoid her.”
“I wonder what she is doing in Lorgo,” Arik mused. “Her dress is one of the finest I’ve ever seen and Esta remarked about her traveling without a bodyguard. I can’t see her getting past all of the bandits along the highway and if she had family here, she wouldn’t be staying at the inn. It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Tedi stared down the alley and tugged at his woolen breeches. “You know,” he began, “in all the time I’ve been checking out the Fisherman’s Inn, there has never been a lone woman staying there. In fact, I don’t remember any woman ever staying there. Most of the women who come through town stay at one of the inns along the highway. That’s a pretty fine dress to be heading for the quay. Well, at least we know she won’t see us when we talk to Esta. Come on, we’ll go up the alley to the inn.”
The boys were laughing at being so skittish as they proceeded up the alley, but, still, they each turned and looked towards the street as they passed any opening that afforded a view. As the boys neared the Fisherman’s Inn, the distinctive sound of a traveling merchant trilled the air. The two boys looked at each other with their mouths hanging open and raced between two buildings to the street. Where the street met the coastal highway, a lone merchant's wagon was just pulling into a small courtyard. The boys forgot all of their thoughts regarding bandits and finely dressed women and raced towards the courtyard.
Chapter 2 Witch
Arik and Tedi screeched to a halt just as the old merchant was climbing down from the driver’s seat of the wagon. The old man was dressed in drab gray woolen breeches and matching tunic. His garments were clean, but had obviously been mended many times over the years. A gray woolen cap was stretched over his head and he moved as if he had been sitting too long on the wagon. A young boy, similarly attired but in brown, was already bringing oat buckets from the rear of the wagon for the two old horses that stood quietly at the front of the wagon. The old merchant moved to the rear of the wagon and lowered a small gate that kept parcels from falling off.
“Say, old timer,” hailed Tedi, “what news do you bring from the North?”
The young boy had returned for a couple of buckets to get water from the well for the horses. Hearing Tedi’s remark, the young boy shot a disapproving glare at the two town boys, but left to accomplish his tasks. Tedi knew that they only had moments for any news before the townspeople started gathering and then there would be no talk of old times.
The old man turned towards Tedi and looked him up and down before answering.
“The news from up North, child, is that their children are better mannered. The name I use is Boris Khatama. That means that you will address me as Master Khatama and if it’s news you want, then you will wait for the townspeople to assemble and hear it with the rest.”
“Forgive my friend’s lack of manners, Master Khatama,” offered Arik. “We are eager to hear of news that the townspeople never speak of. Lorgo is a small town and most people refuse to discuss things that Tedi and I read about in books. I hope you will forgive our poor manners.”
Master Khatama focused his attentions on Arik as he pulled down small crates of goods from the wagon. “And why should I talk of things that your own parents would rather not have you hear?”
“Oh, it’s not that they don’t want us to hear,” Arik responded quickly, “but I fear that they still think of us as children and too young to hear such stories. Why just this morning at the inn… a friend was telling me about the old times, but he had to return to work. Our fathers are fishermen and they are gone most of the day and tired at night. Besides, what they know is very limited as they have not traveled far and wide as I’m sure you have.”
Master Khatama peered at the boys again as if measuring them. The clatter of approaching footsteps announced the coming townspeople. “We’ll see,” Boris whispered. “You go help Tanya brush the horses, while your friend here helps me unload the wagon and you two can join us for dinner. I will consider then what I will speak of.”
“Yes, Sir,” replied Arik.
“Tanya?” questioned Tedi looking at the young boy watering the horses. “I mean, yes, Sir. Right away, Sir.”
As Tedi moved to help the merchant unload the wagon, Arik walked to the front to help with the horses with Tedi’s comment ringing in his ears. As he approached the merchant’s helper, he looked more closely. While her face still sported the glare given to Tedi for his comment, Arik could now see that she was indeed a girl, a rather beautiful girl if she had not been dressed in those rags. “Pardon me, Tanya,” Arik greeted the girl, “but Master Khatama requested that I offer you assistance with brushing the horses.”
“As if I required assistance,” snapped Tanya. “You can only brush the horses if you know what you’re doing, fisherboy. And if you have any more sly comments about my uncle, you’ll lose your teeth.”
Arik stepped back and raised his hand to ward off the expected attack. “Tanya, please,” he said soothingly.
