Silver Mage (Book 2) (22 page)

CHAPTER XXII

The port of Delia was much larger than Bren remembered it. Then again he was only a small boy the last time he had spent any amount of time within the city and at that time his movements had been restricted by his mother.

The first stop was the harbor master to find a ship that was going to the Northern continent. Bren was not worried about there being a lack of ships as it was one of the most traveled routes. While Bren, Jin and Cass headed for the port, the others went to find an Inn.

The harbor master was an elder man who looked as if he had led a hard life, but still held more than a little bite in his actions and voice. The man told them that their best chance to find passage was a ship called the Sea Serpent ran by a Captain Fornus.

The Sea Serpent was in the third pier. It was only a three mast ship but was still large enough to transport a large amount of cargo. Bren couldn’t say he liked the sight of the ship though. The railing had cuts and mars all over it and looked more like a pirate ship than a conventional merchant ship.

“Ahoy, we are looking for the captain,” Bren yelled to the first sailor that he spotted on the ship.

The sailor looked from Bren to the others then rolled his eyes and disappeared. A few moments later a thin man with thick eyebrows and a shaved head started walking down the long gangplank. “Ya looking for me?” the man asked in a gruff voice.

“We are if you are the captain,” Bren answered calmly. “We need passage for our goods and people to the Northern continent. Doesn’t really
matter what port as long as there is a road leading inland.”

“I think I can help ya,” the captain replied. “Depends on how much you expect to load my ship down with.”

“Thirteen people, two wagons and four horses,” Bren answered hoping he had counted right.

“We have a few cabins open though not enough for everyone to have a room to their own. In most cases it will be three to a room. If you don’t mind that it will be two gold a person, four gold a horse, and ten gold for an empty wagon, twenty if you got it loaded to the gills.”

Bren counted out the gold making sure that he paid for one loaded wagon and one empty one. Even if they couldn’t get rid of all their goods, the amount he paid should cover what they were currently carrying. “We leave in two days. I would suggest that you get all your people on board by tomorrow night. Once it’s time to leave port we won’t be waiting for anyone who is sleeping off the previous night.”

“Understood captain,” Bren replied before walking back toward the town proper.

With their passage taken care of Bren and Jin visited local merchants to try to sell of as much of their goods as they could. It turned out to be much easier than Bren had thought. The magical items went quick though it took some footwork to get rid of the others. In the end they had less than a quarter of a wagonload left and enough gold to fill two of their chests. Just as they had done before they put a decent amount of gold into Bren’s magical truck to send back to Torin and the largest portion was taken to a moneylender to be sent back to Rane.

Though they had sent a large amount of gold away they were by no means lacking for coin. The small chest that Bren had brought with him was still nearly completely full. It might not seem like much but Bren knew that if he were to empty it there would easily be over five hundred gold within the chest. That was more than enough to restock their wagons, not to mention he could always have Flynn send more magical items to trade from Torin.

They found Lillian and the rest at a large inn awaiting them. Unlike most of the inn’s they had visited this one had large tables that could accommodate all of them without having to be moved. If felt slightly different to have everyone sitting around one table, though not in a bad way.

Bren looked over to Faye who met his eyes and smiled. It looked as if she had finally quit being mad at him at least enough not to scowl whenever she saw him.

“Looks like this will be the last night that we spend together,” Lisa said in a sad voice. “It has been a pleasure traveling alongside you youngsters. If I was forty years younger I might just join your little troupe,” Lisa added with a wry grin.

Everyone said their goodbyes to Lisa and Faye even gave the older woman a firm hug. “I will miss you grandma,” Faye said with teary eyes.

“I will miss you too sweetheart,” Lisa replied returning the hug and the tears.

Bren had not spent a lot of time with the old lady but he still felt sad at her parting. He had no words for her so instead he took out a few gold from his pouch and placed them into her hand when he gave her a hug goodbye. Lisa tried to protest but Bren turned around and acted like he didn’t know what she was talking about.

After Lisa had finished eating she left for her own ship where she would be lodging until they left port. With Lisa gone a feeling of sadness and loss hung over the group until Cass ordered a large round of ale for everyone. No matter how sad you are, it was hard to stay that way after a couple of pints went into you.

That night Bren had only a few drinks but many of the others had taken mug after mug until they had to be helped to their rooms. When Bren was about to head for his own bed to sleep, Faye grabbed his tunic forcing his to stop and turn around to look at her. “Why won’t you talk to me?” She asked in a slurred voice.

“Because you were mad at me,” Bren replied as he tried to pry her hand from his tunic.

“Carry me to my room,” Faye demanded as she threw her arms around his neck.

“I think it would be better if Phena or Lillian helped you to your bed,” Bren replied blushing as Faye pulled herself close to his face her breath reeking of alcohol.

“Why you don’t like being close to me?” Faye asked her eyes tearing up.

“Fine,” Bren relented. “Hold on,” Bren said as he lifted Faye from her feet.

Faye didn’t say much as he carried her up the stairs she simply rested her head against his chest. Bren could smell the alcohol on her breath but he could also smell the light scent of flowers that came from her hair. Bren was amazed at how women always found a way to make themselves smell nice even after they had spent days on the road.

Unlike the last inn they had stayed in, this one had ample room to give each of the ladies their own room which they had nearly demanded. It was another oddity of women. They loved to sleep alone while men could care less if there were two or three others with them in the same bed.

Bren found it a challenge to open the door to the room without dropping Faye to the ground. After his fifth try of quickly turning the handle then regaining his hold on Faye, the door finally swung open.

Before Bren laid Faye on the bed he couldn’t help but look at her peaceful sleeping face that lightly rested against his chest. Her eyes were shut but had a lax look to them almost as if she were simply taking a long blink. Not wanting to wake her Bren softly placed her on the bed and wriggled the covers over her. Before leaving Bren let his hand brush her soft cheek.

When he closed the door to Faye’s room he made certain that it made as little noise as possible. Once he heard the soft metallic click Bren let out a sigh of relief. He had never thought that simply carrying someone to their room could be so stressing. His nerves on end Bren headed down to his own room that was situated at the end of the hall.

Bren knew that Cass always wanted him to have the furthest room from the entrance so that there would be more warning in case of an attack but it made him feel slightly separated from the others.

“Something on your mind?” Cass asked in a subdued voice. Turning around Bren found his friend standing behind him holding a small bottle of spiced cider. Unlike ale it had a stronger flavor with only a small hint of alcohol in it. “Care for a nightcap?”

“I thought you would have had enough to drink back in the hall,” Bren said shaking his head. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, might even settled some of my nerves.”

Cass followed Bren into his room and pulled one of the chairs away from the small desk that sat in the corner of the room and took a seat. “Mind telling me what has you looking so worn lately?” Cass asked as he handed him a small glass of the spiced cider.

“Life,” Bren replied before taking a small sip. “When I left Farlan I was looking for a sense of freedom, but in the end all I ended up doing was trading one prison for another one. When we left Torin I had hoped that I might regain some of that freedom but it seems as I am still just a puppet to circumstance.”

“How so?” Cass asked as he leaned back in his chair with an attentive look on his face.

“It’s hard to explain,” Bren replied wearily. “I am always just reacting to things that happen around me. It just seems like I don’t have any real control over my life.”

“I see,” Cass said leaning forward until his face was only inches away from Bren’s. “Then you are an idiot. Here is the simple truth to life whether you are a farmer or a king. You cannot always control what happens around you but you can always control how you respond. Everyone has to react to things that happen. Under your description no one is free, including me.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Bren said defensively.

“It is what you meant,” Cass said shaking his head. “Your giving things too much thought. If you keep fussing over every little detail, then you are going to miss out on everything. Life in general is outside our control. There are countless people around us every day and any one of them could do something that changes our course in life. If you
spend all your time trying to find those little bumps in the road then you will never get by the time to look around you won’t even know where you are at. My advice is to stop worrying and just enjoy what life you have. You never know a stray arrow could end it for you tomorrow.”

“So your advice is to go along with it, not to care if someone is leading me along like a puppet?” Bren asked with a frustrated humph.

“Exactly,” Cass replied draining the rest of his cup. “I won’t force you to quit worrying over everything but I can promise you that the more you do it the more you will find yourself alone. No one likes to be around someone so morose all the time.”

After pouring Bren another glass, Cass left, leaving Bren alone in the room. His friend had been right, he had been thinking things over too much,
and his best actions had come when he had been forced to respond quickly. They might not have always been the choice he would have picked if given more time but they had gotten the job done. Even this trip had been decided quickly, and while he was not sure if it was a good idea, he was glad that he had chosen to undertake it. If nothing else it gave him the feeling that he was moving forward instead of standing still.

His mind still heavy, Bren closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Surprisingly it didn’t take long for him to drift off.

As he slept Bren found himself being encircled by darkness once again. At first he thought it was his mother calling to him through his dreams, but after a few moments he noticed that it had a slightly different feel to it. Curious Bren allowed the darkness to pull him toward whoever was calling him.

When the darkness cleared Bren found himself standing in a large open field that he had often played in as a child. “Mother is furious with you,” A light voice said from behind him.

Turning around Bren saw his sister sitting on the ground weaving small flowers together to make a crown. “I remember when you taught me how to do this. You used to carry me around everywhere. I wonder when that changed.”

“It changed when you stopped letting me carry you around,” Bren answered as he sat beside his sister.

“Is that so,” She replied with a sad tone in her voice. “Sometimes I wish that we had just been a regular family. Then you and mother wouldn’t fight so much, and I would still let you carry me around.”

“That would be nice wouldn’t it,” Bren said smiling. “How about next time you visit we pretend like we are just a regular brother and sister,” Bren suggested.

“Ok,” she replied smiling. “I just came to warn you that mother is livid. She received a letter from Shariel this morning and has been raging since.

“I guess I should expect her to try to contact me then soon,” Bren said slightly addled by the news.

“I think you have a few days until she will try to sneak into your dreams,” Sandrea said with a thin smile. “It is hard enough getting into a person’s dreams and nearly impossible if you don’t have control of your emotions at the time.”

“Speaking of dream walking, how long have you been able to?” Bren asked

“Not long,” Sandrea admitted. “Most the time I only catch glimpse of what people are dreaming about. This is only the third time that I have done it on purpose. It is a lot harder than mother makes it look.”

“Well do us both a favor and don’t try to sneak into my dreams without me knowing,” Bren said trying not to laugh. “There are some things that a brother just has to keep private.”

“Like what you think about those women who follow you around wagging their tails?” Sandrea asked with a veiled grin.

“Like I said some things are meant to stay private,” Bren replied.

CHAPTER XXIII

Northern and Southern Kurt were not far apart and there were even some parts that could be crossed during the winter by walking across the large expanses of ice if you were willing to take the risk. Even as close as they were it took two days to reach the port mostly because of the stops to the small islands that lay between the two continents.

When Bren had been notified that they would arrive at port in a few hours he decided that it was time to tell everyone the full truth of what he was planning. He was sure that most of them had already figured out more than he had explained at first, due to his talks with Monique. There was also the issue of his silver skin. He knew that it would be best to get it out in the open but he was still hesitant about it.

While he waited for everyone to arrive, Bren couldn’t help but tugging on the edges of the glove that hid his secret. Within minutes everyone was gathered and Bren felt the pressure of their stares pressing down on him. “I am sorry but I have lied to most of you,” Bren said suddenly. “We are not going to discuss treaties with the rulers of Southern Kurt. The Brotherhood has something that I need so I plan to go get it from them.”

“What,” Brenda said half rising from her seated position.

“You didn’t know,” Shariel responded with a slight snicker. “He nearly said as much when we were at the table with Monique.”

“Really?” Brenda asked blushing slightly. “He is always talking about something so I tend not to listen.”

“Let us hope that you never become queen,” Shariel said laughing.

“Me queen,” Brenda said in a startled voice. “Who would ever think that would be a good idea. Even my mother says that she would kill me herself before she let me wear a crown,” Brenda said joining in her friends laughter.

“If that is all, I think most of us have already knew that it was something along those lines. Except those who don’t have anything between their ears but thoughts of trouble,” Shariel said raising her eyebrows and looking at Brenda who just smiled and gave Bren a sly wink.

“There is one other matter,” Bren said hesitantly. “I have been working on my magic but there has been some change that has come along with it.” As he spoke he noticed that Phena head turned slightly and her eyes were fixated on him making him want to squirm but he fought against the urge. “Slowly my skin has started changing color,” Bren said pulling off his glove and exposing his silver tinted hand.

“For the gods,” Lillian exclaimed jumping up.

“What is it?” Bren asked startled.

“Anyone who has met with the gods would know what that is,” Lillian said her voice shaking slightly. “The gods skin while not that deep of a shade has a slightly silver tint to them. Our history say that when their mother graced them with her power, that it was the mark given to them to show her favor.”

“What does that mean?” Faye asked in a worried tone.

“I can’t say for sure but I would guess that Bren has been given a similar gift,” Lillian responded.

Everyone erupted in conversation and debate but Bren couldn’t hear them. Marked as a god…What did that mean? Sae-Thae had surely met his god, he had even went back home just for that purpose but he had made no mention of it to him. Was Lillian mistaken or had Sae-Thae kept it from him. Without being able to talk to his mentor it was hard to say. Sae-Thae had often kept things from him that he thought would only cause problems and Bren could see how this news would do just that.

“Anyway,” Bren said in a loud voice causing everyone to quit their respective conversations and turn back to him. “I thought you should know so you wouldn’t think it odd if you happen to see it by chance. So we will be arriving at port shortly and as soon as we make land we will need to be ready to move. We have lost enough time and I don’t want to be stuck in town so long that we have to get an inn.”

Bren could hear a few mumbled comments from Brenda but other than that everyone started filing out of the room to prepare to disembark from the ship.

Once he was alone Bren held his hand up and looked at it. The silver color was striking and almost had a metallic gleam to it. Was it really the mark of a god? Bren had a hard enough time being a king, he didn’t even want to think about being a god. What was it that Cass had told him only a few nights before? “You can’t control everything that happens in life, you can only control how you react to it.” If that was the case he would simply react by doing his best to stay who he was.

After gathering his belonging which thanks to his pack didn’t take long, Bren headed to the deck of the ship. At first he could only see a faint outline of the approaching port but before long it came into clear view and he found himself looking on with awe.

Northern Kurt though close to Southern Kurt looked like a completely different land. Bren was used to square houses and building. Even the most elaborate houses held the same basic form relying on statues and decorations to show off their individuality. Yet what he seeing was something completely different. The houses looked to be made mostly of wood along the pier. They were tightly packed together and had a simple design almost as if he was looking at walls inside of a house. What really amazed Bren though was the roads that ran in between the houses. They were incredibly narrow with only enough room for a single wagon and maybe one person to walk at the same time.

“How are we supposed to move through a town so crowded?” Cass asked scratching the top of his head thoughtfully.

“A few of the roads look wider than others,” Bren replied. “I am guessing that those are the ones meant for merchants or people with carts and wagons.”

“Even so they are way to narrow,” Cass said disgustedly. “If you were attacked, there wouldn’t be any place for you to go.”

“That is the idea son,” An old sailor said startling both Bren and Cass.

“This country is full of warriors. Every generation there is a few rulers who want to expand their influence so they attack their neighbors, but the odd thing is what happens when they win. They
don’t just add the land to their own like civilized people they put a person in their family over the land. After a few generations the blood and vies change and then it starts over. Most people call this the land of endless war, and I think they got it about right.” 

“My master said the same thing,” Cass said as he stared out across the water. “He said that Northern Kurt was always a good place for a soldier to earn his place among the Katanaga.”

“So we are likely to find a lot of Katanaga forces?” Bren asked somewhat relieved.

“There are plenty to find but that does not mean they will be friendly,” Cass warned. “I am a member of the Katanaga so I would be safe, but the forces that are hired here must sign on for a minimum of five years and during that time they must follow all orders given to them by their lord. This is one of the few places where brothers of the red might be forced to face each other in battle.”

“That is distressing,” Bren said looking back at the ever approaching port.

When the ship finally pulled into the narrow port, Bren got his first glimpse of the local people. At first Bren thought that the port was filled with women but as he looked closer he noticed that the men wore long robe like clothing that looked more akin to wool dresses that were common among farmer’s wives in the south. In contrast the women wore similar outfits but with much more color and variation.

As they stepped off the ship, a few people looked their way, but for the most part they were completely ignored. “Why don’t you contact your friend about some more magical items while we wait for the wagons to be unloaded? No weapons or armor, the warriors around here won’t use anything but their traditional weapons. They see our swords as being unwieldy and barbaric. That is unless you have access to elven or Vathari bows, they are highly prized. See if he can find some silk to, mother said that a bolt of fine silk is worth three times as much here.” Jin’s words were spoken softly forcing Bren to look around to see if anyone was watching them.

“Flynn, you awake?” Bren asked jokingly.

“Why would I be asleep it’s only slightly after midday?” Flynn replied.

“We need you to pick up some more of the magical items,” Bren said trying to speak quietly so he wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention. “No weapons unless you can find a few bows, and some silk if you can find it. Try our tailor she normally has excellent supplies.”

“How fast am I supposed to get these to you?” Flynn asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

“If possible by nightfall. I will continue sending gold, use that to purchase more and to keep us stocked.”

“Understood,” Flynn said in a tone that let Bren know that the young warrior was not pleased with being interrupted in whatever he had been doing.

“That was pleasant,” Bren said turning toward Jin. “I think he will keep us in everything we need but there is no telling with that guy.”

“Who is he?” Jin asked looking mildly confused.

“My steward,” Bren replied laughing. “And honestly I think some days he would much prefer
to put a dagger into to my skull then look at me.”

“And this is the person you chose as your steward?” Jin asked looking at Bren as if he had lost his mind.

“He was the best choice I could find,” Bren replied honestly. “He might hate me but he hates those that wish to see me taken down even more. It’s a crazy life at court.”

“You sound like my mother when she talks about the guild,” Jin said shaking his head.

As the wagons and horses were brought down by the other guards, Avalanche came bouncing down behind them. While they had not grabbed much of the local’s attention the hound made of rock did. Nearly every person within sight turned toward Avalanche and openly stared at the creature as she bounded up next to Bren and nudged his leg asking to be noticed.

Bren tried not to give the people much attention but it was hard as they slowly began to gather around them. At first there had been only a few but before they could get everything ready to leave, Bren could hardly see through the ever growing line of people. Every now and then Bren could hear the same thing repeated over and over, “jinnai komainu.”

Once the horses were harness and everything was in place, Bren and the others began to move out but they were pulled to a halt as the crowd gathering in front of them parted like water for a small contingent of armored men on horseback.

It was not Bren’s first time seeing men in armor but it was his first time to see such colorful armor. He was used to seeing plane metal or leather, but it looked as if the men headed in his direction wore a mixture of different forms each one painted in rich and dark colors.

It wasn’t until the men dismounted their steeds that Bren noticed that the other people had hit their knees at the armored men’s approach. “Knees,” Bren said under his breath to everyone with him as he himself bowed deeply, though he didn’t go so far as to let his knees touch the ground.

The man in the middle whose helmet had a small golden wreath on its front waved to the man to his right. The man stepped forward and gave a short bow barely lowering his head. “My lord Akinori wishes to speak with you.”

Bren didn’t want to be delayed but he knew that disrespecting a local lord as soon as they arrived in the country would bring nothing but bad tidings.

“It would be our pleasure to meet with your lord,” Bren replied giving another low bow.

“Then we shall escort you to my lords palace where we may talk in a more dignified manner,” the man said before turning around and saying a few words to the obvious leader of the group. The armored men remounted their horses and led the way for Bren and his people to follow.

As they passed through the town Bren noticed that everyone hit their knees as soon as they came into view and sometimes before Bren even noticed them. Even though they were prostrated on the group more than a few looked up to openly stare at Avalanche. Bren didn’t know why the rock hound intrigued the local people so much, and it was starting to bother him. Avalanche was indeed an oddity and no matter where they went, she drew some attention but this was well beyond what was normal.

Once they were outside of the city the odd reaction of the people didn’t stop but there were far less of them to stare so Bren felt a little more at ease. It took more than a half hour of forced marching until they caught the first glimpse of what they had called a palace.

Bren had seen many palaces in his life but never anything like what he now saw. The building was built at the top of a large hill and was surrounded by more than twenty foot of water. The only real means of entering the palace was one long stone walkway that was only wide enough for one wagon or three horses riding abreast. Once inside the walls the main house was large and looked almost like a tree with different levels, each one having its own clay roof overhang. In all honestly it reminded Bren more of something one might see in a painting. As they neared the main doors to the palace, which were made of a light wood that almost shone white in the waning sunlight, the armored men dismounted and a group of servants appeared to take the reins of their horses.

“You can have your servants and retainers take your horses to the stables. Our people will make sure they are well taken care of,” The man who had first talked to them said as they continued to follow.