Chapter
Two
The Day After
Timeline:
This story takes place the day after
The Hubris of Men
The old man stared out the window of his office and at the choking haze; the clear evidence of the terrible fire that had burned down eight homes and shops, killed nearly twenty of his townsmen and wounded three times as many. He coughed as the sulfurous smoke seeped inside and clawed at his throat.
He watched in quiet contemplation as a pair of children, a boy and a girl no older than ten, struggling with heavy buckets of water, push past under his window followed by men and women with shovels and rakes making their way in the same direction. He felt sick when he saw two guardsmen carrying a half-covered charred corpse on a makeshift gurney towards the temple in hopes of identifying who he or she was to put a name on their gravestone.
His old, pale blue eyes blurred and a sob escaped him.
Mayor Arthandos Yuleman had not taken this job for this..
In fact, he had never wanted the job and neither had he applied for it. He had been a man with little dreams and no aspirations. Not since his wife had died, leaving him to father three daughters. In time, he had lost what little was left of his already depleted motivation and even his base drive to live. To simply put, Arthandos had simply let go..
..and become the town’s drunkard.
Or ‘that gutter rat!’
And then something unexpected, and quite unprecedented had happened. The former mayor of the town had died in some silly construction accident and the seat of what power his office had held was suddenly left vacant, yet no one had wanted the job.
Evidently, people had better things to do than to deal with the foolishness and the stupidity of a whole town, as peaceful as it was. The only person who did want the job was the rich merchant, Master Haradin Franderson, who, in all likeliness, would have turned the town into his personal agenda.
The townsmen didn’t want the job, but they did not want Franderson to have it either. The only problem with that was, no one really had the monetary power or influence to stand up to him, and neither could they produce an alternative candidate, as in, someone foolish enough to apply for the job..
..until some overtly smart guy, whom Yuleman dearly wished to find someday and have a very ‘fistful’ chat, had placed his name as a candidate, possibly as a prank to throw at Haradin’s face.
Well..
If it had been a prank, it had certainly worked; Franderson had been, quite, but not quietly incensed when he had seen the final count of the vote!
And likely made him the laughing stock of the town, particularly when ‘that gutter rat’ had come out as the winner of a job he hadn’t even known he had applied by a ninety-eight percent majority!
It was at that point his daughters, ages varying from eight to sixteen at the time, had decided to step in, quite strenuously, that it was time their father, and the newly appointed mayor of Serenity Home, should come home and sober up!
Arthandos Yuleman snorted bitterly.
He had, in fact, sobered up, and given his all to the job, and, as it turned out, he had made a surprisingly efficient mayor and prospered the town, its surrounding lands, and brought her dwarven, gnomic, and elvish neighbors even closer in terms of relations in the past twenty years or so.
Yet, all his accomplishments had died, along with many of his townsmen, in the strange and creepy fire last night.
“Perhaps I should just resign and go back to being an old drunkard again. Apparently, I am not up to the task..”, he mumbled as he stared out the window, just to see another burnt corpse being carried off on another gurney.
“Perhaps you should stop with the self-pity, Arty..”, came a low, rumbling voice from behind and Sheriff Standorin Shieldheart stepped into the room.
Arthandos Yuleman turned around and stared at the big man.
For someone who was past his prime, the sheriff was quite a large man with broad shoulders, powerful arms, a massive torso, and still standing upright. His hair was tousled and he was covered in dust and soot He also had a bloody bandage on his right leg and he was limping.
“What happened to your leg?”, Arthandos asked with his somewhat wheezy, smoke-choked voice.
“Got curious.. and paid the price..”, Standorin said with a grimace. “Wanted to see if there was anything I could find that might tell us something in the burning workshop of Master Nimbletyne.”
“Did you?”, the mayor asked.
“Yes. Stupidity is painful.”, the sheriff replied.
Yuleman grunted.
“You should have that checked.”, he said.
“The Temple Guardians have their hands full as it is.”, Standorin replied, running one of his calloused hands through his hair. “They don’t need to deal with a cracked femur.”
“A cracked femur? Good Heavens man! You are walking around with a busted leg?”, the mayor exclaimed.
“The workshop exploded when I was peering inside and a large bit of debris sort of slammed on the leg and sliced it open. I applied some bandages. Should be fine as long as I don’t run around on it for a few days.”, the sheriff shrugged.
“You just don’t want to end up being treated by Demos Lightshand. Or worse, Lady Magella.”, Yuleman snorted.
“No, I don’t. I also don’t want a long, agonizing preach coming my way for missing out on their sermons. One stupid for one day is my quota.”, the sheriff said irritably. “Are you really thinking of resigning? Because if you are, you do know who will want to replace you, don’t you?”
Yuleman did not reply.
“And when he becomes the new mayor, it is likely I shall also resign.”, the sheriff continued with a grimace as he shifted his busted leg. “I have no desire to help Haradin dismantle this town and turn it into his personal warehouse.”
“You will leave the town to his mercy?”, Arthandos said a bit appalled.
“I can’t stand stupid, Arty. What’s your excuse?”, Standorin replied, looking at the old man with deliberate belligerence.
Arthandos sighed.
“I let this happen, Stan..”, he said, pointing at the forlorn scene outside his window. “I should at least take responsibility for it.”
“Don’t be daft, Arty. You didn’t let this happen and you know it. But I agree that you should take the responsibility for it. Just not the way you plan to.”, Standorin said harshly.
Arthandos Yuleman stared at him.
“What do you have in mind, Stan?”, he asked after a long moment.
The look Standorin gave him was quite grim. He took a deep breath and rumbled..
“Order us to put a team together and find the real perpetrators.”
Order, please.”, wheezed the mayor of Serenity Home town, Arthandos Yuleman, a man well past his prime with white, thinning hair and brows, pale blue eyes, and many worry-wrinkles. He reached for the canteen on his table, uncorked it, took a long pull, gargled his mouth, then spat into the bucket sitting next to his table. “Damn, this smoke! I apologize for that, gentlemen, my nostrils are clogged and my throat is still burning. Now, shall we get started?”
There was a pause of assent, as the mayor stared at the people gathered in the room. Sheriff Standorin was there and there was a determined expression etched on his face and although he was standing, he was favoring one of his legs. The one with the bloody bandages. The town’s council members were there too, each a standing member of the society; Thokan Silversong, a handsome man in his early fifties and was the town’s bard, Gurk Larson, a burly man with bulky shoulders and black, spiky beard and mustache, the blacksmith, Yarvel Stratler, a somewhat slender, wispy sort of man, also past his prime, the baker, Viranes Heidi, a tall, blocky, no-nonsense sort of woman in her late forties, the butcher, and Haradin Franderson, a man in his fifties and in custom-tailored shirt, jacket, and trousers, a very successful merchant.
They all had similarly grim faces, though Council Member Haradin’s expression was a bit on the haughty side as if it was his usual stance.
“We are missing Master Tinkerdome.”, Viranes said with a surprisingly soft voice.
“Yes. He was still at the Temple the last time I checked.”, Sheriff Standorin rumbled. “He was quite severely wounded last night, though he did say he would try and make it.”
“Very well.”, Yuleman said. “I would rather he be here and give us his side of the story.”
“What is there to give? Him and his silly experiments.”, very nearly sneered Haradin Franderson. “Who is to say this wasn’t all his fault?”
“Yes.”, agreed, Standorin. “Who is to say?”
Yuleman gave the sheriff a barely discernible glance just to see him staring at Haradin.
“We do not accuse people without proof, Master Haradin. If we did that, I am afraid this town would be quite empty, wouldn’t you agree?”, the mayor said mildly.
Haradin grunted.
“Now, sheriff, do give us an update of everything you have learned thus far if you will please.”, Yuleman said.
“There isn’t much to give, Mayor. It is simply too early to make any assumptions at the moment, or any decisions, for that matter.”, the sheriff rumbled.
“It’s been hours and you haven’t gathered any information yet?”, Haradin asked incredulously. “Perhaps you are not up to the task, after all, sheriff.”
Standorin leveled his gaze on the council member. He didn’t scowl nor frown at him. He merely stared at him.
Very steadily.
“Priority dictates town guards secure the area while we find and rescue the injured to avoid further deaths, Councilman. Not run around blindly seeking unknown culprits in the woods, which is what the rangers are for.”, he said quietly.
Haradin grunted again and mumbled something about the inadequacy of the town’s guards and the people leading them.
Yuleman carefully shook his head at the sheriff, but the sheriff chose to ignore it. He fumed from his nose as he spoke in his low, ‘warning’ voice.
“I saw many townsmen out helping last night, Councilman. In fact, I could vouch for the presence of almost everyone trying to put out the fires, digging through the rubble, and carrying the dead and the wounded. Even the town orphans were out carrying water. They all are still out there, still digging through the rubble, still carrying the dead and the wounded, and no one has really slept. I did not, however, see you nor your son, Lucious. Not last night helping or even lending a hand, not today, come sun up. Talk to me about inadequacy one more time, and I shall gladly call you upon your word.”
A choked sort of silence settled in the mayor’s office as Councilman Haradin glared at the sheriff.
Thokan Silversong, however, was grinning, though he did a good job hiding it behind one hand. The burly Gurk Larson was also grinning, though he didn’t bother hiding it. Yarvel Stratler was staring at the ceiling as if counting the candles up, on the chandelier, and Viranes Heidi was frowning at Haradin with a look that seemed to say;
“Sir, just how stupid are you?”
“Ehem.”, Arthandos Yuleman cleared his throat once more. “Perhaps we can talk about what we do know?”
“Yes, Sir.”, Standorin said, not taking his eyes from Haradin. “As of late last night, an unexpected explosion of unknown origin occurred in Master Nimbletyne’s workshop. We do not know what actually caused it. What we do know, however, is that it happened when he was asleep and so was his niece, young Gnine Tinkerdome. We do not know the nature of the fire other than it was unquenchable.”
“Unquenchable?”, asked Gurk Larson.
“Yes. Quite unquenchable. The amount of water we dumped onto what remained of Master Nimbletyne’s workshop was unprecedented, yet, whatever the fire was, it was bright green, and it just kept on burning. And spreading. In the end, we didn’t put it out, it snuffed itself out. From what young Master Gnine told me while his uncle was unconscious, it must have run out of whatever fuel it was running on, though he did admit he knew not of any chemical or alchemical compound that would be so indifferent to water. He also mentioned someone had hit him over the head while he was sleeping.”, Standorin reported.
“Did anyone else see anything? Or anyone?”, Thokan Silversong asked.
“Other than what Master Gnine’s claims, no.”, the sheriff admitted.
“Then it is possible this was, after all, Nimbletyne’s fault and obviously his niece is covering for his uncle.”, Haradin said and this time, he did sneer.
“I doubt.”, said a harsh voice, and the door to the mayor’s door opened and a man with broad shoulders, patched green leather armor, high leather boots, and a greatsword across his back entered.
He wasn’t a tall man, perhaps an inch under average with coarse black hair and he had a very sinister-looking face.
“This is a closed session!”, Haradin spat.
“Don’t care.”, the sinister-looking man said with an unperturbed and indifferent shrug.
Yuleman sighed.
“Ranger Master Moorat. What brings you here?”, he asked tiredly.
“My feet! But that’s beside the point.”, Ranger Master Moorat snarked harshly, then looked back and almost snarled, “Don’t just stand there, you dolt! Come in. And you two as well.”
Another man entered, a rather good-looking half-elf in immaculate green and brown leathers with a longsword at his side, a longbow in one hand, and a quiver full of dark-feathered arrows strapped across his back. His steps were light and careful and he smiled politely at the mayor, nodded at the sheriff, and hailed the councilmen with a somewhat vague expression.
Two more pairs of steps followed him inside.
One of them was a beautiful, brown-haired girl, also a half-elf, with bold, declarative features. Her armor was also immaculate and seemed like she was emulating the half-elf man in her step. She also held a longbow in her hand, a quiver full of arrows strapped across her back, and a pair of long blades hanging from her belt. She entered the room and though she was quite young, she stared at the council members with a cool, distant expression on her face.
The other was also a girl, younger than even the half-elf and she had a mane of coarse black hair ‘pouring’ down either side of her striking face. She stepped into the room with a slightly diffident posture evident in her deceptively slender body that gave the impression that it needed a few more years to fully fill out. She had deep green eyes and her lips were pressed tightly together. Although she was also dressed in greens and browns, her bow was hung over her shoulders and she had opted to carry her great blade, scabbard and all, in her hand. Her careful steps took her near Ranger Master Moorat, then she stared at the people in the room with a slightly guilty expression on her face like she’d been on the receiving end of a thrashing from every single one of them.
“Gentlemen.”, the half-elf ranger master said brightly. “I apologize for Moorat’s behavior. But we were sort of in a hurry.”
“Ranger Master Davien. Always a pleasure to see you.”, Yuleman replied with a smile. “What brings you here, other than your feet?”
Ranger Master Davien stared at the mayor with a blank expression.
Yuleman sighed again.
“Never mind.”, he mumbled. “What is so important that would require the presence of both the ranger masters?”
“Ahh!”, Davien said as comprehension dawned on his face.
Moorat gave him a disgusted look.
“We are here because we believe we have witnesses.”, he said brightly.
“Witnesses?”, asked Yuleman.
“Yes, Sir.”, Davien nodded earnestly, then pointed at the half-elf girl standing next to him. “This is Laila Wolvesbane, my ranger novice.”
Then he pointed at the other standing next to Ranger Master Moorat. “And this is Ranger Novice Bremorel Songsteel.”
“The ranger novices hardly need any introductions, Master Davien. We all know who they are and their accomplishments, particularly during the Bane-Song Operation.”, Yuleman said, giving the girls an encouraging smile.
That made the young ranger girls flush and squirm a bit.
“Indeed..”, Davien continued even more earnestly. “..and as it turns out, our young and esteemed ranger novices, here, were out over on the other side of Arashkan River and in the forest during the time of the fire and they witnessed a group of men in dark leathers, hoods, and cloaks running off into the night!”
The mayor’s office fell silent once again as everyone stared at the two, young, ranger novices.
“Where exactly did you see these men?”, the sheriff asked, looking intently at the girls.
There was a moment of silence as if the ranger novices couldn’t decide which one of them should speak. Then the younger of the two, Bremorel, nudged the other to take the lead. Laila grimaced then took a step forward and spoke, her voice a bit husky.
“A day’s march southwest from First Watch, Sir.”, she said, then amended that by giving him another point of reference. “Or two hours walking distance northwest from the town’s stone bridge.”
“How many were there? Can you describe them?”, the sheriff asked even more intently.
“I counted thirteen of them, Sir. With the exception of one, they all wore dark leathers, trousers, hoods, and cloaks. We, that is, Ranger Novice Bremorel and I checked for tracks this morning to be sure. Whoever they were, they were quite light on their feet, and they gave us the impression these people were city dwellers rather than men of wilderness.”, Laila reported succinctly.
“How do you know?”, Haradin asked, squinting at her.
Laila shrugged.
“The soles of their boots.”, she said simply.
“What of them?”, he asked.
“They were made of soft caoutchouc. Suitable for cities where there are flat cobblestones. Caoutchouc is expensive. Among many of its other uses, they make soft and spry soles for shoes, and hence, they are particularly good for sneaking. Not so much for wilderness since they will wear and erode in a week or two, or purchase holes in a hurry if they step on roots or dry branches, which is quite unavoidable while running in a forest. And the tracks indicated as such.”, she explained.
“And what were you two doing that late at night out in the forest?”, Haradin countered.
Laila, however, did not reply. She opted to silently stare at him.
“What?”, Haradin squinted at her. “You can’t answer a simple question?”
Laila continued to stare at him and the others noted the ranger masters had also gone still and were staring at him as well.
“She is being polite..”
..came a soft voice and everyone except the rangers turned to the young ranger novice, Bremorel.
“Being polite?”, demanded Haradin harshly.
“Yes. You may be a councilman of this town, but you do not have any authority over any ranger of any rank. You are not even military personnel, but a civilian. You don’t get to ask impertinent questions, make demands, or interrogate rangers. Only king’s magistrates may legally question a ranger. The silent stare is our polite way of reminding you of that fact.”, she said with a deceptively calm tone.
Moorat snorted from the side, not even bothering to hide a very toothy grin, which made his already sinister features even more savage, while Davien stared at Haradin with a slightly confused expression.
Laila, however, didn’t show any visible reaction. She was used to her cousin’s abrasive quirks. She also knew of the rangers’ legal stance versus civilians. What surprised her was that her cousin knew it as well.
“You insolent little—”, Haradin began, his face flushed darkly.
“Also..”, Bremorel cut in, suppressing her fury. “..if you publicly insult a ranger, one of two things will happen, sir. Either you will be fined heavily and face jail time no more than thirty-one days, or I will take offense, in which case I shall call you to task and run you through, then face the king’s law on criminal charges pertaining a ranger and an offending civilian. Either is fine with me. Optionally, you could insult me privately and we can skip all the legalities..”
“Please.”, said Mayor Yuleman sternly. “If you will, Ranger Novice Bremorel, this is, strictly speaking, not an interrogation. We are merely trying to understand what happened last night. I have absolute respect for you and Ranger Novice Laila. After all, the peace and prosperity this town have entertained these past centuries was due to the diligence of her rangers along with all the other men and women serving her.”
Bremorel’s face flushed a bit.
“We were out camping, Sir.”, Laila said, looking at the mayor. “We had just returned from our patrol last evening and decided we’d grab some food from home and have some fun on our own as two, off-duty rangers. We do that every now and then. It was past midnight when we saw the sky light up, hence we started running towards the town. When we reached the edge of the forest, we saw a bright green fire shooting up into the sky somewhere from the center of the town. We also heard footsteps coming our way. We didn’t know who they were, but we thought it would be wiser to bring back any information we could than to pick a fight with an unknown number of men. I counted the heads, Bremorel counted the steps, and came to the conclusion that there were thirteen of them. Then we ran to the town to see what was going on and if there was anything we could do to help. And this morning, we went back to where we’d seen the men and we found their tracks heading north and slightly east, carefully avoiding the outer reaches of Elder Hills on their west and First Watch on their east.”
Everyone mulled over that.
“You said, with the exception of one, they were all wearing black leathers, hoods, and cloaks.”, Sheriff Standorin said.
“Yes, Sir.”, Laila nodded. “The ‘exception’ was wearing tight-fitting pants, high boots that had soft soles, but were not made of caoutchouc. He was also wearing a short leather jacket, and a white, frilly shirt!”
“A what?”, the sheriff asked incredulously.
“White, frilly shirt, Sir. You’d think someone who’d be sulking in the woods would wear something green and brown, or at the very least, something dark, but this one seemed like he’d joined the wrong party. He wasn’t wearing a hood nor did he have a cloak. It was too dark to make out his face though. Should ranger masters Davien and Moorat agree, Ranger Novice Bremorel and I can track them down and hunt them. We will, however, need backup.”, Laila said.
Haradin sneered and mumbled something about sending little girls to do a man’s job.
Bremorel’s eyes blazed at that and she was just about to lose all her suppressed fury when Laila pinched her to silence. She stared at Haradin and with her cool, husky voice, she spoke..
“By all means, Master Haradin, be the man and hunt them down. We are all eager to see the legendary brevity of the Franderson’s who never shy from endangering themselves for the sake of others!”
Thokan Silversong chuckled at that while Gurk Larson snorted. Yarvel Stratler had a poorly hidden grin on his face, and Viranes Heidi was frowning at Haradin, again, and she seemed to say;
“Sir, you really are stupid, aren’t you?”
A gurgling sort of snort came from the door and Gnine Tinkerdome appeared there. There was a vicious grin on his face and a merry glint in his eyes as he winked at Bremorel and Laila. Behind him, a surly-looking she-dwarf, Temple Guardian Lady Magella, stomped her way in, helping another gnome, this one limping, Gnine’s uncle, Nimbletyne Tinkerdome.
And behind them came a venerable old man in plain brown robes, Senior Temple Guardian Demos Lightshand, followed closely by two more people. One was a serious-looking, clean-shaven young man wearing a plain jacket and trousers, Thomas Dimwood. The other was a tall, burly man, also young, Udoorin Shieldheart, Sheriff Standorin’s son, carrying something round, cylindrical, and blackened in his massive arms. Whatever it was, it must have been very heavy for the young man was sweating profusely.
I would have wished us all a good afternoon, gentlemen, but that would be quite churlish and insensitive of me to do at the moment..”, the venerable Senior Temple Guardian Demos Lightshand said with a serious expression.
Demos was more than venerable. His once light-blonde, shoulder-length hair and untrimmed beard were white and sparse and his face had many worry-wrinkles. His back was hunched and he walked with the aid of a slender, otherwise unadorned staff, but the years had not dulled his deep blue eyes which took everyone in the room with intelligent assessment.
“This is a closed session!”, Haradin said angrily.
“Ow, bite me, merchant!”, snarled Moorat. “But just so you know, I will bite back!”
“Gentlemen, please. The current crisis demands all hands on deck.”, Arthandos said wearily
“Senior Temple Guardian, please, take a seat.”, he added, rising from his own seat behind his desk and offered it to him.
“Thank you, Mayor. But that seat is yours. As are the responsibilities that come with it.”, Demos said kindly. “I apologize for the intrusion, but since Master Nimbletyne, here, insisted on coming, I thought it be wiser to make sure he can.”
Viranes Heidi did get up and with help from the surly-looking she-dwarf, they sat the limping gnome into her chair. Master Nimbletyne seemed quite battered and bruised, and he whined as he settled down.
“Thank you my dears.”, he said, trying to sound cheery, though he was sweating profusely and he had bandages on his head, his arms, his hands, and one of his legs was splintered.
Temple Guardian Lady Magella scowled at him and her scowl seemed to be a trademark of her sturdy features. She was not a pretty dwarf, but she did have a certain steady something about her. Her clothes were clean and tidy, and a cast-iron, diamond-shaped mace hung at her side.
The big, blocky Viranes Heidi, however, gave the gnome a big, generous smile.
Demos Lightshand turned to the large, burly young man and wheezed..
“Why don’t you put that thing down, young Master Udoorin.”, he said, nodding at the charred, cylindrical object. “I am sure it is heavier than it looks. Then find a few chairs for those standing. Perhaps young ranger novices Morel and Laila could give you a hand?”
“Yes, Guardian Demos..”, Udoorin mumbled, then with a great heave, he put the cylinder on the floor where everyone could see.
He might as well slammed it down.
The floorboards creaked and groaned, and several of them cracked and caved in!
“Good Heavens, boy!”, Mayor Arthandos exclaimed. You ruined my floor!”
“I am sorry, Mayor, Sir. It’s just heavy.”, Udoorin said, his flushed face turning even brighter.
Curious, the blacksmith, Gurk Larson, got up and came near the cylinder. He tried to nudge it, but failed. Then he hugged the object and tried to lift it, but he could barely tilt it. He heaved and pulled at it until his face flushed to no avail. He finally gave up and turned to stare at the young man with astonishment.
“I did say, it was heavy.”, Udoorin said, a bit embarrassed. Then he motioned at the two ranger cousins and they went out to find some chairs.
The other young man, Thomas Dimwood, was still standing next to the door, and he was entertaining a furious blush of his own. He didn’t look anywhere, certainly not at the ranger girls.
The ranger girls must have noticed this because Laila had her lips slightly pursed like someone trying to suppress her mirth while Bremorel had opted to totally ignore the young man but she had ruined it with a scowl and her cheeks had pinked a little.
Young Thomas shrank visibly and cringed as they went past him.
“What’s with him?”, Udoorin asked.
“How should I know?”, Bremorel said, snarling at him.
“What’s with you?”, he asked this time.
The ranger novice glared at him.
“Just how heavy is that thing?”, Laila asked.
“Don’t know. Must have been around twenty-five stones, I think.”, he replied as he poked his head into adjacent rooms, looking for chairs.
“What? That’s like three hundred and fifty bloody pounds!”, she exclaimed. “You could carry that?”
“Uhhmm.. Obviously?”, the young man answered a bit uncomfortably. “Look, let’s not make a big deal out of it, alright? Ow, here are some chairs.”
This isn’t iron, nor is it steel.”, the blacksmith, Gurk Larson, was saying. “I do not know what it is, but it definitely is neither. Or at least it must have something else in it besides iron.”
“I agree.”, Master Nimbletyne agreed as he coughed. “Sorry. Can’t seem to get rid of all the smoke I inhaled when I was out. And for those who are wondering, this thing, whatever it is, is not my crafting. I artifice items of certain delicacy that usually require magnifying goggles and tweezers, so to speak. Alchemy just isn’t really my area of expertise. This thing belched fire like there was no tomorrow! It must have contained a concoction of a certain complexity. Had I some of the original fuel, I might have been able to figure out what it was, given enough time but you’d have more luck by hiring an actual alchemist from Tinker Hills. As for why they brought it to my workshop, I do not know. And because the whole shop is destroyed, I can’t even say if they took something or not.”
There was a long silence as everyone mulled over that.
“Perhaps it was a former, unsatisfied customer, Master Nimbletyne.”, Haradin said, squinting distastefully at the gnome.
Everyone who was a senior in the room was seated now, with the exception of the blocky Viranes Heidi. She had opted to stand behind Nimbletyne as if wanting to make sure he was alright. She had grabbed the canteen on the mayor’s desk and kept on pushing it into the little gnome’s hand, forcing him to take a sip every now and then.
The gnome’s niece, Gnine Tinkerdome, was also standing behind him, though he was somewhat lost behind the very large Viranes.
Lady Magella and Thomas were standing behind Demos Lightshand, while Laila and Bremorel had taken their places behind their respective ranger masters, Davien and Moorat, and Udoorin was standing behind his father, Sheriff Standorin Shieldheart.
Nimbletyne did not bother glaring at him. He simply shrugged.
“I do not have unsatisfied customers, Haradin.”, he said like he was merely stating a very obvious fact.
“Whatever the reasons were, it was sloppy.”, the sheriff rumbled.
“Sloppy?”, Haradin scoffed. “Does what you see outside look sloppy to you?”
“I was out there all night, Councilman. Thought I mentioned that already. The fact that it caused so much damage and so many random casualties is not the mark of professionalism. If you want someone dead and gone, there are many other ways to do it. Easier and certainly with discretion. This..”, he said, pointing at the window, “..was a mess.”
“What are you saying, sheriff?”, Yuleman asked.
“I am saying, these people, whoever they are, wanted to make a statement. A very arrogant one. I suggest we use their arrogance against them. I have contacts all the way from here to Arashkan. I am sure the temple has contacts of their own.”, the sheriff said. “But while we are looking for answeres here, I offer we pick a few of our own people and send them after these miscreants. Sort of to harras them, if nothing else.”
“We will need rangers for that. But we will also need both the ranger masters here to make sure there are no more incursions coming our way.”, the mayor objected.
“True. I was thinking more along the lines of what Ranger Novice Laila offered. Both she and young Bremorel have proven their battle prowess and their skills in the past.”, Standorin said with a slight grin.
“Sure, you don’t have to ask.”, Davien said sincerely. “Laila is an excellent tracker and an excelling archer.”
Laila held her breath. So did Bremorel.
Moorat, however, gave Davien a disgusted look.
“Well, bugger. Now that the dolt has agreed, I can’t even say no, can I?”, he muttered angrily. “Ranger Novice Bremorel still has some training to go but I believe she can hold her end of anything that might come her way.”
Both Laila and Bremorel were grinning now.
“Father.. uhhmm.. Sheriff?”, Udoorin rumbled tentatively.
“You sure?”, his father asked, looking at him over his shoulder.
“Doesn’t matter if I am, father. This needs to be done and I’ll be more useful out there than I will be here.”, the young man said carefully.
“If Senior Temple Guardian Demos could be persuaded to part with Temple Guardian Lady Magella, that would make four. And four is better than three..”, the sheriff said and let it sort of hang there.
“Temple Guardian Lady is a strong-willed acolyte.”, Demos wheezed. “I am sure she would rather stay here and look after this old man but she needs to be out there, not wasting her life making sure I have eaten or have enough blankets.”
Udoorin almost whooped.
Lady Magella, however, did not show such enthusiasm. She just scowled some more.
“Perhaps young Lucious would like to join as well. I hear he is good with a longblade.”, the sheriff offered, smiling at Councilman Haradin.
“How altruistic of you to offer other people’s sons and daughters so callously.”, Haradin sneered at him.
Udoorin coughed.
“I offered myself.”, he said simply.
Haradin glared at both of them.
“Lucious is busy and has things to do.”, he spat.
“He must be. Seeing as, father and son, neither of you could be bothered to lend a hand in putting out the fires, nor with the aftermath. Tell me again, what do you do for this town, Councilman?”, the sheriff asked.
“Sheriff, please. This is a pointless debate.”, Arthandos said then looked at the four youngsters thoughtfully. “Four. Will that be enough?”
“I have two more candidates, Mayor, though one might require some persuading. Or perhaps not.”
“Very well.”, Yuleman said. “Five is better than four, and six is better than five. Gentlemen, I believe we have some work to do and it’s out there, not in this room.”
It was about then when everyone had risen to leave, and a tiny but decisive voice was heard.
“I am going too.”
Everyone paused and looked around to see its owner, and the little gnome, Gnine Tinkerdome stepped out from behind the big, blocky Viranes Heidi.
“What are you doing, boy?”, Nimbletyne hissed.
“My part.”, Gnine said boldly.
“Boy, this is serious. Everyone who is going has had some training. You don’t. You are the only one I got left.”, Nimbletyne said almost pleadingly.
“And you are the only one I got left too, uncle. And someone tried to kill you last night. And this lot’s all brawn but no brains. Surely they will need someone with intelligence.”, Gnine said stubbornly.
“Feh!”, Haradin scoffed. “Two little girls, a boy, a caretaker, and now a charlatan, just like his uncle!”
Haradin never quite saw what hit him and to be fair, he really didn’t see what hit him!
He stumbled forward as if he’d lost his step on a run and just dropped, face down..
..and stayed there.
“Viranes..”, Yuleman said in total defeat. “Why? Why would you do this?”
“I have just about had enough of his snark.”, flared the big, blocky woman.
“Do you know what he will do to you?”
“Don’t care.”, shrugged Viranes.
“He will write a petition all the way to Arashkan and summon a magistrate here and he’s got the power to do it.”
“Don’t care.”, Viranes repeated. “This is Serenity Home. Not Arashkan.”
“My dear Viranes, Serenity Home is bound to Arashkan.”, Yuleman said in a deflated tone. “He will make sure he gets everything you own when he sues you.”
“He can have whatever he wants from me. But he’ll have to dig them from under all the rubble, seeing as my home and my shop is also burned.”, Viranes said bitterly.
“He will need witnesses to sue her, you know?”, rumbled Standorin. “I honestly don’t know what happened. I was talking with my son and had my back turned. Whatever happened, must have happened too fast.”
“Stan..”, Yuleman said with a very disapproving tone.
“I was conferring with masters Gurk and Yarvel, here, and only saw him trip and fall, and I am sticking to that story!”, Thokan Silversong said from the side.
“Hell, yeah!”, barked Gurk Larson.
“Yes. What he said..”, nodded Yarvel Stratler with pursed lips.
“And Davien was talking with me. Isn’t that right, Davien?”, Moorat said.
“I was? I mean, you were?”, Davien asked a bit vaguely.
Moorat gave him a very evil glare.
“Well, I suppose I was.”, Davien said hastily.
“This sounds decidedly like a worldly matter that the Temple should not be involved.”, wheezed Demos.
“Nice. You all seem to have gotten yourselves covered.”, Yuleman glared at them all. “What about me? It happened right in front of me!”
“Don’t look at me, I am hurt. Isn’t that right, my dear Viranes?”, Nimbletyne asked.
“Damn, right, you are hurt.”, she said angrily.
“Uhhmm.. you could be busy trashing me, Mayor, Sir.”, Gnine offered in a small voice. “I don’t mind being trashed. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Arthandos Yuleman sighed.
“This is doomed to come back and bite us. I am sure of it.”, he said in total defeat.
Lady Moira.”, Sheriff Standorin called over the crowd of people as he limped through the debris with his son behind him.
Lady Moira was a tall, athletic young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, with a mane of reddish-brown hair. She had broad shoulders, powerful arms, and long, shapely legs, all encased in heavy plate armor, and she was busy raking through the rubble, helping the townsmen move the larger stones. Apparently, she hadn’t bothered taking her armor off while doing manual labor. A sheathed longsword and a tall, heavy shield were leaning on a wall nearby. She was covered in soot and dust, her hair seemed disheveled, and her handsome face was all smudge smeared. She looked up when she heard her name and gave a sunny smile at the sheriff.
Udoorin just ogled at her.
“My Lord Sheriff Standorin. Good to see you again. Mayhap you should be resting. Methinks that wound is quite serious.”, she said solemnly.
“All in good time, Lady Moira.”, the sheriff said with a similar, solemn tone. “When you first arrived, you said you were looking for a job. Are you still interested?”
“But of course, My Lord Sheriff. I came here in hopes of righting wrongs and bringing shy miscreants to justice. And it would thus seem I could be of some use to your once merry town.”, she said, then grimaced, lowered her voice, and whispered. “Mind I drop the archaic? I am sure it hurts you almost as much it hurts me.”
Udoorin was openly staring at her now.
“However you wish it, Lady Moira.”, the sheriff said with a smile. “As it happens, our rangers have found tracks that belong to possible miscreants running from our town, and deep into the forest. We have put together a team of able young men and women to bring said miscreants to justice. Perhaps you could be persuaded to join them in this endeavor?”
“You need not ask, Sheriff. You have the legal authority to order any knight or paladin of a certain rank. They would be obligated to comply.”, Lady Moira said seriously. “I am equally comfortable helping these townsmen dig through the rubble as I am helping you find these bashful miscreants. Good is wherever we can help.”
“Thank you, Lady Moira. I would like to introduce you to my son, Udoorin. You will be in the same company with him, along with two rangers, a Temple Guardian, and an able young gnome. Someone will meet you just north of the town. Best you gather your belongings as soon as possible.”, Sheriff Standorin said.
“Then I am ready, Sir. Sans my sword and my shield, which do rest but a few yards over, all my worldly belongings are on me.”, she grinned, tapping her plate armor.
Yesh!”, whooped Bremorel Songsteel with an elated grin. “Finally!”
They had started soon after the council had adjourned. Young Udoorin and Thomas had carried Councilman Haradin Franderson’s unconscious body to his quite expensive townhouse, and told his son, Lucious, that his father had tripped and fallen, and possibly knocked himself out during the council meeting, then hastily left. Ranger novices, Laila and Bremorel had been promoted to full ranger status just before they had left and they both were quite happy about it. After a few farewells from the sheriff, the ranger masters Davien and Moorat, Master Nimbletyne, and Senior Temple Guardian Demos Lightshand, the group had departed for the long trek that would take them through vast reaches of Ritual Forest, and as far as their query would run.
“What are you so happy about, Ranger Bremorel Songsteel?”, her cousin Laila asked with a grin of her own.
“This is our first big and unattended assignment. That’s why I am excited, Ranger Laila Wolvesbane.”, Bremorel replied excitedly.
“How come you know so much about the law? You trampled right over Haradin, back there.”, Laila said, her grinning tone changed to something that sounded like she was rather impressed.
“I told you I read when we returned from our patrols. What did you think I have been reading all this time? Silly girly books?”
“Something like that.”, Laila admitted.
“Really? Just where do you think was I going to find those kinds of books? In the Temple library? All they have there are religious scripts and books on law.”, Bremorel said drearily. “Law seemed more exciting.”
Laila chuckled.
“I can’t believe the kind of things you do just to get a glimpse of that poor kid and then totally ignore him when he was standing right there, in the same room where we were. Could have said, goodbye, at least.”, Laila said.
“The conditions of my expectations haven’t changed. If he wants me so badly, he’s just going to have to man up and come speak to me..”, Bremorel said stubbornly..
Laila sighed.
“Your D.D. Dexter wasn’t there to say goodbye, to you either.”, Bremorel said a bit waspishly.
“D.D. isn’t in town. His master, Thokan Silversong, sent him on some journey a few days ago.”, she replied with another sigh. “That’s why he wasn’t there to greet me when we returned from our patrol the other day.”
“What? Why?”, Bremorel asked.
“Master Thokan said it’s a bard thing. All bards must travel every once in a while to gain certain worldly experience and perspective. Apparently, a bard can’t be stuck in one place for too long. They must set out and travel for a few weeks, or months, or years.”, she explained.
“Well, that’s a bummer.”, her cousin said. Then she added brightly, “But at least you two will get to miss each other.”
“I am not temperamentally equipped with the whole, ‘missing’ thing.”, Laila said quietly.
Bremorel fell silent.
She wasn’t temperamentally equipped with the whole, ‘missing’ thing, either.
Then she glanced back at Udoorin, who was wearing heavy chainmail and holding a big battleaxe in one hand. He had two more battleaxes strapped across his back along with a shield, his father’s longsword on his belt, any number of knives and daggers on several other belts, and even a few tucked in his boots. He was talking with the tall, reddish-brown-haired girl in her newly polished and shining armor, Lady Moira, who only had her heavy shield strapped to one arm, and her beautiful longsword hanging from her belt. The young man’s face was a bit flushed and was using his words sparingly. The girl, on the other hand, was quite generous with her words and her comely smile. Behind them came the little gnome, Gnine Tinkerdome, ogling openly at the paladin girl as Temple Guardian Lady Magella silently brought the rear, still scowling.
“This is going to be a merry band.”, Bremorel said with a touch of sarcasm. “Do you know her? I heard she is a real paladin.”
“First time I am seeing her. I did hear she came all the way from Durkahan about a week ago, but I don’t know why.”, Laila mused, also looking back.
They walked at a steady pace for the next two hours until they reached the edge of Ritual Forest when Bremorel spoke again.
“Well, at least we won’t be dealing with that arse, any time soon!”, her cousin sneered with spite.
“Which arse is that?”, Laila asked amusedly.
“That Aager-guy.”, Bremorel hissed.
“Good to know where we stand, Ranger Morel.”, growled a voice and Aager Fogstep appeared from behind the trees..
