CITY OF THE GODS: FORGOTTEN (52 page)

Pelagios looked off towards shore as he spoke. “Not much to it really. There’s a tavern, an inn and the docks. Up on the hill is the Praetor’s residence. Never been there, but I hear it’s very nice, considering how small Dioscrias is.”

“Are those for him?” D’Molay asked as he casually pointed at the urns on deck with his thumb.

“Nah. They’re headed somewhere inland, but they’re all goin’ off the ship at Dioscrias, just like you two, eh?
 
Oh, and once the Hektor docks, I’d get off as soon as you can, if I were you.
 
Just some advice.” Pelagios gave him a knowing grin while holding out his hand to discourage further inquiry.

“All right - We’ll take that advice then.” D’Molay agreed, engaging the man in some more idle talk about the weather and the surrounding area, after which he headed back to Aavi. Crouching down, he nudged her with his free hand. “Hey, sleepy head, time to get up.”

“Mmm?”
 
Aavi slowly rolled over and started to sit up. Even though her eyes were partly closed and she had slept in the clothes D’Molay had given her, she was a thing of beauty, still flawless to gaze upon.

“Here, drink this if you’re thirsty. It may not taste too great.” He handed her the bowl and she took it, looking sleepily at him. She dipped her finger in the bowl and sampled the gruel. Tasting was still a fairly new experience for her, and this time, she wasn’t sure if this tasted good or not. It was warm and thick with lumps of things in it she didn’t recognize. Ultimately, she was hungry enough to slurp it down, copying the way D’Molay ate from his wooden bowl. By the time she had finished, the Hektor had come into port and docked at the little town.
 
Finally they were on the other side of the great lake, and ready to travel over land to meet the strange creature D’Molay had helped capture. Aavi felt uneasy as she thought about meeting something that dangerous, but it remained the only clue to follow that might help her regain her memories.

“We’re here,” D’Molay said. He guided Aavi toward the plank that Pelagios had just finished lashing to the dock. “Thanks for the gruel, and good travels to you, Pelagios,” D’Molay told him as they disembarked.

“Aye, may the gods smile upon you and your woman,” Pelagios replied as he moved to help pull down on one of the many ropes attached to the main sail. He was soon lost in the bustle of the Hektor’s crew as they began unloading the ship’s cargo. Aavi remained silent, with her hood back up, as she followed D’Molay. She tried not to look at the urns as they brushed by them. Instead, she kept her view low and watched their travel bag sway back and forth as D’Molay carried it ahead of her.
 

Aavi felt slightly dizzy as they stood on the shore. She had gotten used to the constant sway of the ship and it made her feel a bit weak in the knees to be on solid ground again. In looking round the port, even she could tell that compared to the busy West docks they had left the previous day, this was a much smaller place. There was only one wooden dock extending out into the lake, and only three boats and a few smaller rowboats tied up to it. The town itself seemed less populated as well, but she found its calm, relaxed atmosphere appealing after traveling most of yesterday through the bustling City of the Gods.

As they walked along, different objects caught D’Molay’s attention.
 
Just at the water’s edge, about a hundred yards from the dock, were a pair of large stoneworks.
 
The two uncompleted structures seemed to be the same size, perhaps a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide.
 
Their height varied between five and fifteen feet high.
 
Apparently abandoned, the stone showed signs of having been at the water’s edge for some time. “I’ll have to ask about those, if I get the chance,” he thought.

Realizing that no one was within listening range, Aavi spoke up. “So where do we go now?”

“Good question. Let’s see what our transportation options are.”

As they walked along a dirt road toward some buildings, D’Molay hoped the choices he had made so far to disguise their travel plans had been the right ones. No one seemed to be following them, but he didn’t dare let down his guard. Aavi turned back and took one last look at the Hektor. She felt the rays of the morning sun warm her face and could just barely see the slight ebbing glow from the urns on the deck.
 

There were no buildings on the shore side of the road. The great lake rose a bit during the year and anything on its banks ran the risk of being flooded. Prudently, the Dioscrians had built on higher ground. D’Molay headed uphill toward a small group of shops.

“Aavi, do you think you could ride a horse?” As soon as he asked the question, he realized it was a bad idea. Did he really want her on a horse? If it spooked and ran off, she wouldn’t know how stop it. She might just fall off.

“I don’t know. If I ever knew how to ride one, I don’t remember,” she admitted.

“All right, never mind then. We’ll either get a cart or ride together. I think we’ll have to buy a horse. I doubt we’ll be returning here any time soon, so renting is not really an option like it is in the City.”

Making their way along the main road, they stopped at a canvas covered market stall to buy fruits and vegetables for their travel across the Olympian Realm.
    

“Two silvers, thank you,” said an olive-skinned woman in her mid-thirties who was in charge of the stall. Her sari and bindi told D’Molay she was from the Hindu realm. D’Molay recalled the bindi mark on her forehead meant she was married.

He rummaged through the coin bag tied on his belt and pulled out a coin. “I only have a five silver piece. Can you make change?”

“Of course sir.” As she turned to get it, D’Molay decided that now would be a good time to ask a question or two.

“Is there a transport business here, like a horse trader or cart seller?”

The woman turned back and handed him the change. “The blacksmith may have horses to sell, but if not, my brother comes through here every day on his route to Helena. He delivers goods to market stalls in the area, but he does take passengers as well if there is room.”

D’Molay put the coins back in his pouch as he listened. “When he will be by here again?”

“Usually he comes by around noon, so perhaps a couple of hours.” Her voice faded off, making D’Molay think she wasn’t too certain about when he might actually arrive.

“All right. We may come back later,” he said, putting the newly bought items into their knapsack.

As all this went on, Aavi couldn’t help but stare at the woman in the market stall. She could see her inner glow. It was the warm yellow that often showed around a person with goodness in them. What really caught her attention was how much the woman reminded her of her slave friend Es-huh. She missed her and wondered if she was all right. Then she began to think about others she had come to know: Namtar, Mazu, even Kafele, whom she had counted as a friend until his betrayal. Just then, D’Molay tapped her on the shoulder.

“We’re done here. Let’s go to the blacksmith’s next.”

Aavi came out of her own thoughts and turned to follow him. “Sorry. I was just thinking about Mazu and Es-Huh.”
 
After a few steps, she told him something else. “That woman’s inner glow seemed honest. I don’t think she had any evil intent. I thought you’d want to know.”
 

They continued along the street until they reached the end of the village, where they veered to the left, turning at a sign with a horseshoe and an arrow painted on it. Standing back from the road was a large wooden stable with a small house attached to one end. They walked up the path to it, passing by a horse in a fenced corral, its leg in a splint. D’Molay put his hand on Aavi’s shoulder and gave her a friendly squeeze as they heard the sound of steady hammering on metal. “It sounds like the smith’s here.
 
Let’s hope he has a horse for sale.”
 

Entering the slant-roofed stable, they were engulfed in the smell of hay and horse dung, mixed with a metallic oily scent that D’Molay recognized as being from the tools of ironworking.
 
Aavi winced a little. “It smells funny in here.”

D’Molay smiled, “You’ll get used to it.”

The hammering abruptly stopped and a strong yet somewhat feminine voice boomed out. “Sorry the smell of the horses doesn’t suit you - what do you want?”
 
From behind the large brick hearth, a tall, dark-haired woman holding a hammer emerged. D’Molay was a bit surprised to see a female blacksmith, but in his many years traveling the realms he had met many strong, powerful women, including goddesses, valkyries, witches and Amazons.
 
This woman wore a brown leather apron with pockets in the front over a white linen short-sleeved tunic, which went down to mid thigh and ended above buckskin leggings with matching leather boots. Despite the fact that she was probably over six feet tall, she had a stocky build, all muscle. “I’m Sophia, the smith, along with a few other things. Do you need your mount shod or your weapons fixed?” She looked past D’Molay and Aavi expecting to see a horse or a pile of armor.

“Actually, we’re looking to buy a horse. Do you have any for sale?” D’Molay asked, glancing at some other animals in a nearby pen. Sophia put the hammer down on the table in front of the forge and approached them.
 
As she drew nearer, D’Molay noticed that she was missing her right breast, which confirmed she was an Amazon, or at least she had been when she was younger.
 
Her warrior caste would often remove a breast to better improve their archery skills.
 
They felt they could shoot faster and with more accuracy without their breast getting in the way.
 
Her answer interrupted further thoughts on the subject.

“Hah - you and everyone else. I had five horses yesterday, but I sold them all to some Mayans.”

Aavi and D’Molay couldn’t help but exchange shocked looks with each other.
 
He quickly recovered his demeanor. “Mayans, eh?
 
Don’t see many of them in the Olympian Realm,” he said casually, hoping the Amazon might share more information.

She shrugged. “I’ve only ever seen Mayans in the City, never out this way. I suppose they have the same right to travel the realms as anyone.” She picked up a cloth from the table and wiped her brow and hands. “Look, every day or so, someone comes here to sell me a horse, so if you want to wait, one might turn up. So unless you want some armor or arrows, I should get back to my work.”
 
She tossed the cloth back down on the table and folded her arms.

“Do you sell bows as well?”

“Sure, come into my workshop.” Sophia turned around and walked towards a wooden door that connected to the smaller building.

Aavi had said nothing while the woman talked.
 
As soon as the Mayans had been mentioned, though, she tried to see this woman’s inner glow. But she was having no luck this time.
 
Sometimes, it seemed the more she tried to use her power, the less it worked. Aavi gave up her effort, following D’Molay and Sophia to the door. They entered a small room with fletching equipment and other tools spread out on a large wooden table. On one wall a dozen bows of different sizes and types hung. Hundreds of arrows in leather quivers were lined up against the same wall. In a corner was an open wooden crate filled with feathers of various types and sizes.
 
To the left was another door.

“I’m a fletcher when things are slow. In a town this size, it helps to have more than one skill to offer. How good are you with a bow? What about your companion there? Does she need one too?”

Aavi cringed a little at being pointed out. “I - I’ve never even seen one of these before,” she replied. She decided not to ask what bows were for to avoid looking even more foolish.

“Never seen a bow?
 
How can that be?”
 

“She’s lived a very sheltered life until just recently.” D’Molay didn’t really want to reveal any more than necessary. He had not even told Sophia their names, and fortunately, she hadn’t bothered to ask. “As for me, I’m adequate with a bow though I’m sure you could best me.”

Much to his relief, Sophia stopped looking at Aavi and took an appraising look at D’Molay himself. She turned and took three medium sized bows from the wall and held each one up to him as if she were holding up a shirt to see if it were too long or too short. After trying all three against D’Molay, she handed him the middle-sized one. “Let’s try this one. It looks about right for you.”