Death Or Fortune (44 page)

    
The day the silver dragon landed at the temple of Solarth, is a day I will
never forget.  It has nothing to do with the dragon but my life did change
that day.  I had returned from Turks office, trying to keep Pare out of
jail.  I settled down to a bit of paperwork.  Going over the reports
that Charles gives to me each day.  Most of it has to do with the lumber
camps, production of material and needed supplies.  While I have never
claimed to be a smart man, none of this was new to me.  These were all
things my father talked to me about, thinking I would end up running his shops
in Eystlund.  The only difference is that I have to pay for the things I
need, my father at times just had someone acquire them.  Every now and
then I will get notes from other Lords, complaints about the cost of lumber,
things like that.  I am always sure to remind them that I am not the one
who set the cost.  That being said, I am not going to lower the cost they
pay.  Unlike some other folks, I try to reinvest my profit, if I cut that
out, there is nothing gained.  I was going over a new request when I heard
the heavy boots coming down the hall outside of my office.

     Michaels
came into the office first.  Charles was waiting by the door looking at
me.  I waved him off and stood up to greet my friend.  He had an odd
look on his face.
'Bishop Hans asked me to come get you. We had a rather
interesting day.
' As I sat back down again I asked him to describe
interesting.  He started to talk but the pounding of running feet stopped
him cold.  Pare was running down the hall on the floor above us, I could
hear his muted cries inside my office.
'A dragon came to the temple, a
silver dragon.  She carried the body of an Arcadian Royal Guard. The guard
was part of an expedition to seek out an old temple of Solarth.  I really
don't have time to go into the whole story?  Hans was having a hard time
today.  I really should get back to him.'
As soon as the last word
rolled out of his mouth, Pare came bounding in the door, telling me that
Windfall was here.  When Michaels looked at me he seemed lost, I had not
seen him like this since the war.  
'Please come, we need your help.'
As Windfall came in I told Michaels that I would be there as soon as I could.
 He turned on his heel and left right away.  I got to my feet and
went to greet my mentor.  I thanked him for his part in protecting Jasmin,
which he waved off without thought.

      We
chatted for a bit and I started to think about what Hans could need.  I
had a feeling he was going to ask me to go find his lost little crew so I
thought it might be good to have Zackary along for the trip.  I asked Pare
to go to the Red Dragon Inn to find him.  I never thought he would get
into trouble along the way.  I asked Windfall if he would mind walking
with me to the temple of Solarth.  When he agreed I then asked him to wait
for me to get changed.  I went upstairs where I found Jasmin, still in bed
sleeping.  It seemed odd for her but I didn't wake her.  She had
mentioned the night before that she wasn't feeling well.  I thought it
might have had something to do with the new armor I had just brought home.
 When I told her how much it cost she went a little white in the face.
 It was worth everything I spent.  It fits me like a second skin and
does not affect my movement at all.  The wizard that worked on it told me
it was very much like the rune armor the knights in Toryth Vol would use in
days gone by, before they were all turned into the living dead.  He told
me it should be able to resist wizard spells and perhaps even dragon breath.
Not that I am eager to test his theory.  While it was not a perfect match,
it was very close he said.  Somewhere along the line, the art of making
rune armor died along with the rest of Toryth Vol.

     I put my
chain shirt on, before I put on a fresh tunic.  I also took my sword with
me for some reason.  I've stood in the middle of a forest naked as the day
I was born yet being in the city makes me paranoid.  I tried talking to
Windfall about it during our walk to the temple.  He laughed at me and
said
'when you are out there in the wild, you know what is trying to kill
you, most of the time you can see it coming. Here, death by the blade can come
from any hand and you won't see it coming.'
I've talked to other friends
about it, I think we are all paranoid but as most of us are still alive it
can't be a bad thing.  In my short life I have had more than one brush
with death.  While I am in no hurry to die, I do not fear it.  I am
in a position now where I don't have to seek out fame and fortune.  That
and the last time I charged off to face danger King Roderick nearly had a heart
attack.  He told me if I didn't stop running off to face danger he was
going to put me in jail until someone else was made king.  While I am sure
he was joking, I really don't want to test the man.

     As we
approached the temple of Solarth, I could see Captain Myers along with a half
dozen of his men outside the gates, he was talking with Hans.
'I assure you
Captain, I had no idea there was a dragon coming here and I promise you I did
not call it down.'
Myers looked at me when we walked up, he gave me a quick
salute and bent at the waist.  When I asked what was going on Myers told
me
'Lord Kromwell, I am here on order of the king, I have been instructed to
bring the Bishop to the king to report. He doesn't want to leave the temple.'
I told Myers that I would take care of the Bishop and make sure the king had
his report before the sun went down.  Myers started to argue with me but I
could tell his heart wasn't in it.  In the end he was relieved to give the
whole matter over to me.  It had been a long time since I had seen Hans in
his armor.  He looked like he was ready to go to war; once Myers turned
his men around a slight bit of relief came over his face.
'Thank you for
coming so quick Darmot. Come, we will speak inside.'
Windfall and I
followed Hans into the temple and then to his office.  As he started to
speak, I could see where this was going.

    
'Not
long after you left for Toryth Vol, I found something here in the temple. A
storage room filled from floor to ceiling with books and scrolls. Each one
detailing the history of the Order of Solarth. From the foundation right up
until the fall of the order at the hands of the followers of Asmodai.  I
requested help from other temples, help in the form of a translator.  A
lot of the material down there is falling apart so I didn't want the
information lost. One of the things we found was rather unexpected. A history
of an island called Va'Nox. It detailed what very well may have been the first
temple of Solarth in the entire world. Kandella, the scribe that was sent to
us, believed that they may have been the only people to continue worship of the
good god after the fall.  The entire island was devoted to Solarth.
 For all the troubles on the island, that one thing never changed.
 There were two tribes of people that together built a massive temple.
Kandella insisted that we had to reach out to them. See what we could learn.
She convinced me that this was too much to ignore. So I took some money and
went to Captain Turk.'

     'I
asked Turk to provide to us a few men to help protect Kandella, just in case.
While he could not send anyone on official duty, he was able to give me six
men. Three of them were scouts for the Arcadian army. One of the scouts is the
one the dragon returned to us. It was a mistake to send them. The entire island
was overrun with Orcs. They have taken most of the people who lived on the
island as slaves, the rest are in rough prisons. Massive holding areas where
they keep them fenced in like cattle. Kandella and her protectors were able to
find the temple but that is when they were captured. That scout was able to
escape and make it back here. He told me that the Orcs still have the other
guardsmen in the slave camps. This is my fault Darmot, I sent those people
there, my only hope is that they are still alive.
' I could see the pain in
his heart as it was showing on his face.
'The scout also told us they are
building war ships, they are going to attack the main land, they don't' know where
but an attack is coming. Darmot, I want you to go get them. Go rescue my cleric
and her protectors if you can. I don't know who else to turn to, please will
you help me.'

     I sat
there in stunned silence.  I knew this was coming but I didn't know how
bad it was going to be.  Yet how could I tell him no?  The simple
truth was that I couldn't.  I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I
told him no.  I asked him if he knew anything else, anything at all I
should know before we went to the king.
'So you will help me then?'
he
asked.  I told him that I would but I needed to know everything.
'The
scout told us that the beasts on the island are all under the command of a
human wizard by the name of Argon.
' A loud crack of breaking wood filled
the air.  I turned to my right to see Windfall had ripped the arm off his
chair.  When Hans spoke the name, it reminded me of something Hetaron told
me long ago, when we were in Eystlund.  I just couldn't put my finger on
it at the moment.
'What name did you say priest?
' Windfall asked him,
his voice was little more than a whisper.
'His name is Argon, do you know of
this person?
' Windfall said nothing; he just got up and moved towards a
window.  I half expected him to jump out.  When he did speak, it was
the last thing I would have expected.
'Darmot, I will be going with you. Do
not ask me why just know that I will be going with you.'

     I told him
that I was more than happy to have him along.  Even if the reason was a
mystery to me at the time.  I stood up and started towards my mentor and
friend.  Yet I stood my ground, there seemed to be a very hostile air
around the bounty hunter that I did not want to approach. When I said we should
go see Roderick Hans asked me if he should change.  I looked at him and
asked why.
'The armor, should I take my armor off?'
I told him to leave
it all on and to bring his weapon as well.  It would be like old times.
 I thought the image of Hans in his armor would help sell the message,
that this was a matter of national importance.  That we could have all
been in real danger.  While I had fought more than my fair share of Orcs.
 I shuddered at the thought of an army of them.
'Then let’s go now'
he told me.  We found Michaels waiting for us outside the door.
'Lord
Kromwell, I offer you my sword arm on this coming mission!
' Michaels drew
his sword and laid it down at my feet.  I shook my head and reminded him
that I wasn't the king.  I then placed my hand on his shoulder and told
him I would be happy to have him along.

     As the
four of us exited the temple I looked down the long street in front of us.
 I could see Pare, running down the street as fast as he could.
  As I watched I could see another person running this way, no more than
a hundred yards away.  It wasn't a guard but another halfling.  As he
skidded to a stop in front of us he had mile wide smile on his face. I asked
him what was going on.
'Oh I am pretty sure she is going to kill me, you
have to help me. I can't fight a girl.'
The still running halfling was
getting closer by the moment, she looked like she was near death her face was
so red.  I wondered how long she had been after Pare.  When the
halfling stopped she was so out of breath I couldn't understand a word she said.
 I stood there with my hand on the hilt of my sword.  I could hear
Hans off to the side of me.  As I took a quick look I could see he was
asking his god for a favor.  When the new halfling started pulling
something out of her belt, I did the first thing that came to my mind.  I
drew my weapon.  I think that was what woke up Windfall; he was off in his
own world.  When I drew my blade he pulled out his right away.

     It was
then that she backed away dropping something on the ground.
'I am gonna
demand double for this.
' she said as she pulled out her own weapon.
 Pare ran toward the girl yelling for us to stop.  That is when Hans
took over and put her under.
'I will not have you fools killing each other
on these temple grounds.
' Pare was bent over her as she laid on the ground.
 I asked him who she was.
'Her name is Miri, I think she is the bounty
hunter Turk hired, guess he forgot to tell her I was ok.'
 I shook my
head and put my sword away.  I picked her up and put her over my shoulder.
 I then told them we would take her to Turks office on the way to see the
king.  Later that night as I lay in bed with Jasmin I told her about this
small part of my day.  She could not stop laughing, I don’t understand why
but she found it funny.  So much so that she had tears rolling down her
face.  Laughing so hard she began to gasp, I then watched as her body
started to heave and shake.  The laughter had stopped as she was crying
tears of pain.  I held her as she sobbed on my now damp shoulder.  I could
do nothing but ask her what was wrong.  She took two deep breaths and told
me something that rocked me to my core.
'I am with child!
' Once the
shock wore off I took her into my arms and kissed her, just once; just one
time.  It was then that I told her that I have never been so happy in my
entire life.

     The day
the dragon came was a strange one. Most people in Arcadia didn't understand it,
most never would.  Some would say they saw it land on the temple grounds
that day when they were nowhere near it.  They did not understand what was
going on yet they saw it as a good sign.  The one person who wanted to see
it the most would ask others if they were there, some would lie, some would
tell the truth.  More than anything Pare wanted to see it, see it up close.
 He wanted to know if he could see his face in the scales of the silver
beast.  Yet looking back, Pare would always see it as a special day, even
if he didn't get to see the dragon.  As the small procession passed
through the streets of Arcadia people over looked the halfling, well the one
that was walking that is.  First the priest, then a paladin, the warrior
and a half elf.  Pare was between the last two, watching who it was his
friend Darmot carried over his shoulder.
     "You are lucky she didn't catch you Pare, she is
heavy for a halfling. She might have hurt you pretty good. What did you say her
name was?" Darmot shifted the still limp body from one shoulder to the
other.
     "Miri, Miri Rivermyst." Pare told him as he
shifted from one side of his friend to the other as if he was the one being
carried.  All the while, he looked at her sleeping face.  "Hans,
she is going to wake up right? She won't stay like this will she?" The
bishop rubbed a hand over his face and told the halfling not to worry.  Still,
Pare had never seen anyone sleep so long when Hans used his powers on a person.
 It wasn't a short walk from the temple of Solarth to the office of the
royal guard.
     "Darmot is right little thief, had she caught
you, she would have shown you a few new ways to feel pain." Pare looked
back at the bounty hunter with a questioning look on his face. "Yes, I
know who she is. She is very good at bending body parts in surprising ways.
 Don't let her size fool you, that girl is as strong as an ox and has the
temper of a rabid dog.  You might want to be far away when she wakes
up."
     "It is just a misunderstanding is all.  I am
sure she will understand." Pare went back to watching the small face slung
over his friends back, looking for some kind of sign that she was awake.
 He started to wonder if she was just faking it until the time was right.
     "Trust me little thief, you better hope she
understands." Pare ignored the half elf as much as he could.  He had
an odd look on his face and his tone was off.  Pare might not have been
the smartest halfling in the world but he knew there was something very, very
wrong with the bounty hunter.  The question was on the tip of his tongue
when he looked around and saw where they were.  As they approached the
office of Captain Turk the guard stepped aside and tossed the door open for the
group.  Pare was in shock, he had not expected that.  In fact, this
was the first time he could ever remember that happening.  Pare watched as
Darmot set the halfling down in a chair, her head flopping around like she had
no bones in her neck.
     "Turk, I will be back to see you tomorrow but
right now we need to see the king.  I was hoping you could help us with
this one." Darmot said as he pointed to the still sleeping halfling. Pare
looked to the captain expecting some kind of argument.  Pare then looked
back at his friend.  He stood upright, almost commanding, this wasn't his
friend.  This was Lord Kromwell and he had a look on his face that would
not be denied.  When Pare looked back to the captain he had only waved his
hand and nodded his head.  "Pare, stay here until this is
straightened out.  I will see you at home." Pare said nothing, he
only stood there watching. Three of the men filed out of the room, the fourth,
Hans bent over the halfling as he laid a single hand on her head.  After
which, he joined the rest of them outside.  Pare watched as she started to
return to life.  Pare watched as her green eyes scanned the room, first
looking at the human then to Pare.
     "Captain Turk?" she said with an uneven
voice.
     "Miss Rivermyst, I am sorry. I thought you had
received word that our
Demon
problem had been resolved.  If you
will, please see my assistant outside, I will make sure you are compensated for
your time.  If you have nothing else." The female halfling was still
confused; she said nothing and just looked on.
     "Geesh Turk, you have an assistant? I never knew
that." Pare looked at the older man with one eyebrow arched high above his
eye.  He said nothing in return, only looking at the halfling. "Where
is he at? I'd like to meet him, the only person outside is the guard, who I
happen to approve of, he knew who we were.  He didn't give us any problems
at all.  Most of the others ones, we have to fight and claw just to get in
the door.  Really, this one is a huge improvement. You should give him a
raise or maybe promote him.  To head door man, I am sure he would love
it."
     "Pare" Turk said at long last. "Pay the
woman whatever she needs and then give her twice what she asks for.  This
is not a request." Pare was in shock.
     "But...Turk!"

     "Say
one more word and I will make you regret it.  This is your mess, it is
time you clean it up."
     "But..." he said in a small sad voice.
     "GO!" he roared at the halfling. Pare jumped
a bit off the floor just before he turned and headed out the door. "IF I
so much as hear your name in this office again for a month I will have you
arrested." Turk then turned to the second halfling in the room and smiled.
 "He has access to more money than you think.  Have a good day,
I will send word if I need you again." Miri knew that she was being
dismissed and was smart enough not to try to argue with the man. While she had
never broken the law herself, she had to keep good relations with the local
powers.  They sometimes frowned on the things she had to do in order to
find a target.  As she stood outside the closed door she took one look at
the guard and then one look at the smiling face of Pare.
     "Boy, that Turk is something else..." Pare
wasn't able to finish his thought let alone the sentence.  A small but
hard fist hammered into his face, stars filled his eyes as he looked up at the
coming winter sky.  Before his vision cleared Miri was helping him to his
feet.
     "That is for making me run so far, those men at
the temple, who were they?"
     "Owww!" Pare moaned as he rubbed a small
hand over his cheek. "You didn't have to do that, that really hurt!"
Miri looked on as his child like eyes started to well up, she suddenly felt as
if she had done something very, very wrong.
     "Look I am sorry, I tend to over react at times.
Can we get moving though, I want to find an inn before it is completely
dark." Miri thought about putting a hand out to comfort the smaller
halfling, wondering just how old the trouble maker was.  His small brown
eyes were so smooth, he looked very young as Halflings go. "Really, I am
sorry. Please!"
     "Sure!" Pare piped up as the mask of pain
and suffering slipped away, the smile returning to his face. "Come on, we
just have to head home first then I can get you a room." Miri started to
wonder if he was playing with her, if he had just been faking the whole thing.
     "The humans, who were they?" She asked again
thinking of the one with the flowing hair and the long red cloak.

    
"Well, they are my friends.  There was Bishop Hans, he runs the
temple.  Michaels, he was with us in the civil war.  Now he’s a
paladin, kinda crazy I think but he is good guy to have around.  At least
he doesn't drink all the time now.  Windfall the half elf, he said he knew
you by the way." Pare noticed she had stopped walking when he said the
bounty hunters name.
     "You know that son of a bitch?"
     "Well I wouldn't call him that. He is kinda nice
to me, what did he do to you?" Pare asked.
     "He took down one of my targets two years ago,
snatched him right out from under my nose.  I was watching this scum ball
for a week.  He was holed up in this old shack with a bunch of men.
 Then I see a shadow of a figure bust down the front door of the shack.
 He just strolled in, busted the place up and walked out with my bounty.
 Ten men, how did he fight ten men then just roll out with the one I
wanted?  I was waiting for the right time..." Miri started walking
again, thinking about how she would like to give the half elf a shot like she
did Pare.
     "Well, he is kind of crazy.  Don't tell him
I said that though.  I guess his dad did all kinds of crazy magic on him
when he was a baby.  He is really strong, like I saw him pick up a horse
strong.  Then there is the whole curse.  I'd rather not talk about
it; he still gives me the willies." Pare's body shivered a bit as he
rubbed his arms.  Miri wasn't sure if this was him acting or if it was the
night chill coming on fast.
     "What about the one with the long hair?" she
asked.
     "Oh that is Darmot.  He is my very best
friend in the entire world.  I thought he might change when they made him
a lord and all that but he is still just plain old Darmot Kromwell.  We do
everything together, well he wouldn't take me to Toryth Vol but I really don't
mind.  I don't want to be a zombie, could you imagine being a zombie and
remembering your life.  You would be like, this sucks I used to be awesome
but now I am just a zombie.  I can't even pick a lock any more.  Then
there is the whole dead thing."
     "Darmot Kromwell...you mean the Lord
Kromwell?" Miri asked. Pare never noticed her voice had softened when
asking about him.
     "Yep! He doesn't make me call him that though.
 We live in the same house with Jasmin and Chuck.  Chuck is kinda
funny, just don't call him that.  He doesn't like it very much.  You
will like Jasmin, she is super nice.  Even if her parents are all dead and
stuff, you would think she would be depressed about it but she is really happy
and stuff."
     "Who is Jasmin?" she asked.
     "That's Darmot's wife." Pare told her. As
they walked the streets Pare continued to tell her everything about the
Kromwell's and never noticed how she fell silent.  Yet she continued to
listen, hang on every word it seemed.  Not that she needed to talk, Pare
seemed to never stop. While he was happy to have someone new to talk to.
 He had so many stories to tell yet no one ever listened to him like she
did that day.  Every now and then Pare would look at her out of the corner
of his eye.  She was a little taller than him but he didn't care about
that.  He had never seen a halfling woman who was so serious.  She
was a complete and total mystery to him.  From her well-muscled arms to
her short cut hair, she was different than any other halfling woman he knew.
 She was worlds different than his mother and Pare was pretty sure his
mother was a paragon of all that was good and kind in the world.  Still,
she seemed to enjoy his stories about Darmot and his other friends.
     As the two of them approached the Kromwell home Miri
looked up to the window she followed Pare to a week ago.  She remembered
seeing him in action.  How fast he moved, how quickly he took down the
thug he cornered.  Now she listed to him and could not help but think that
there was two every different sides to him.  One that was kind and caring.
 The other was something dark and dangerous.  She wasn't even sure at
first it was the same person, when he was out in public he didn't carry on at
all like she expected.  Yet it became clear to her that it was him after a
week of watching.  Besides, he was the only halfling that lived in the
lord’s district. Miri followed him into the house and up the stairs.  She
took a quick look around, wondering if she would see the Lord of the house or
his wife.  Miri also wondered why she had not seen the Lord before today.
 As Pare opened what seemed to be his room it dawned on her.  He
didn't have a hat on, he was the human that was always coming out of the house
with that hat with the stupid white plume sticking out of the top.  That
is why she never got a good look at his face.
     "Well how much do you want?" Pare asked, he
almost sounded like he was in pain.
     "Well Captain Turk was going to give me two
thousand to bring you in. You give me that and we will call it even. None of
that double stuff."
     "Ok, wait right there.  Really, don't move I
don't want you getting hurt." he told her. She stood and watched as he
dropped down to the floor and slid under his bed on the hard wood floor.
 Not understanding why he said what he did, she started looking around the
room.  Some of them jumped out at her right away, others not so much.
 By the time the halfling came back out from under the bed she saw a half
dozen traps. "Ok, you can move now, just don't touch anything." Miri
was silent as she watched him open up a purse and started counting out platinum
coins.  He stopped after a while and looked at her. "I've got gems if
you would rather have that?"
     "Gems are nice but getting someone to pay what
they are worth is a pain." she told him.
     Pare just shrugged. "Hetaron used to give me all
his coins for gems. I wonder if he used any of them to make evil things.
 I don't think you would have liked him very much." Three bags later
there was a rather large pile of coins laying on the Halflings bed.
 "Well there ya go, I hope there are no hard feelings.  Wasted
trip and all, Turk said you were from North Hembers."  Pare watched
with a long face as she scooped up the coins and put them in one of her own
pouches.
     "It wasn't a complete waste. I ran across another
one that is on my list.  A guy by the name of Sticky Pete.  I will
crash for the night and start looking for him in the morning.  I saw him
once but I was after you."
     "Hey I know him, he works out of the merchant
district.  Did he do something really bad? If so I can show you right
where he is." Miri looked at the halfling, wondering if he was telling the
truth.  Then it came to her, the open inviting look on his face.  He
was not only telling the truth, he wanted to help.  After seeing him in
action, part of her wanted his help.  He knew how to handle himself she
thought that this could be a good thing.  It was so hard doing this job
alone, finding someone she could count on, someone she could trust to watch her
back.  Long forgotten were the long flowing locks of the very married
Darmot.  It wouldn't have worked out anyway she thought at last.
 Later that night, as the great eye shed its light over the city it was
the only thing to see two small figures slip out a window and down a rope.
 Heavy winter cloaks hid much of what was there to be seen.  Shortly
after the two hit the ground, they could not be seen at all.  They were
not seen under a light until just before the morning when they were turning a
very scared Sticky Pete McTavish over to the city watch.