Chapter 16

From Toreas

Coming out of the valley, past a very large rock obstructing the view, they laid eyes on the high plain and the city of Northwood in front of them.

"It's grown since I've been here last."

Shimon eyed it critically.

"I've heard it grew but this is more than I expected. Now all those wagons passing us make a lot more sense."

"So you have been here before I take it?"

Eric was having a good look at the settlement in front of him. The city of Northwood was cradled on one side by steep climbing rocks, on the other by some meadow and a river that was flowing around the city and then past them down to the large plains. The only road from the valley lead into the city. So anyone transporting more than themselves would have to go through Northwood. There were two sets of walls, an inner and an outer ring, set apart by a medium distance, filled with houses of many shapes and sizes. The entire construction was large, although not as huge as Lionor, it still would take a lot of time to travel through it. The inner circle looked like it housed the richer population, just by the way the roofs looked from afar, more stone and clay than straw and wood.

"Yes, I have. But then I did not know about the book or the page the baron possesses. We have to go to the north end of the inner city. I have a friend there who will help us with what we came here to do. He's a merchant and will know more details. Once we have spoken to him, we can go to the castle and talk to the baron directly and hopefully get this page quickly."

"So you already know where it is?"

"I have heard that he has it on display in the barons audience hall, together with other things he deems being of worth. But I doubt he has any idea what it is and merely put it there to appear more sophisticated. But it might no longer be there."

"Fine. That merchant, you trust him?"

"Yes, I do. We are friends for a very long time now and he has always been very loyal."

"People change."

Shimon nodded.

"That they do. But those I entrust important tasks with, they usually do not change in a way that would be a hindrance to the success of what I'm trying to accomplish."

"Merchants think with their money pouch. I don't trust them."

"This one thinks with more than that. What I want from him is information. When we go get the page he wont accompany us."

"Good."

"If I just go straight to the baron we might upset him and not get the page. I have never talked to him before, although I met him a long time ago. He was rather petty and I don't think going to him unprepared would be wise."

"Then let's find your friend first."

Eric was finally getting used to his new boots. Running might be a bit awkward still, but they stopped chafing and finally molded themselves to his feet. He slowly gotten used to the rest of his gear and their positions on his body as well. Now he carried a long dagger at his belt and two hidden knives, one strapped to his right forearm under his clothes and one on a small pouch inside his left boot. The armor piece on his left forearm was still in place and Galro had replaced the dented bits. He wore dark gray pants, just a bit darker than Shimon's robe and a dark brown large shirt with a hood. In the dark he was almost invisible. And the hood kept the rain off sufficiently as it already had to prove a few times. He also replaced his pack with a new one made of oiled cloth that would keep the rain away. A new blanket was now stowed away inside the pack.

Shimon had commented on his lack of a sword. For Eric a sword had been a steady companion for a long time, but now it seemed impractical with them having to travel long distances and probably not attract too much attention.

He missed his old clothes but figured by now they would have found their way into a fire along with his one boot. There wasn't that much to save there anyways. He had new clothes and even some coin left over, things were looking good.

So far his entire duty had been to walk with Shimon. Nobody tried robbing them. When they staid at an inn there were never troubles and the old man had not given him any other tasks to do. People looked at them sometimes a bit odd but nobody dared doing anything towards them. They probably thought Shimon to be some sort of priest. Fear of gods working in their favor, Eric had not thought of that before. A few had eyed them suspiciously and even with hatred, but nobody was brave enough to try anything.

They passed a bare tree, the drying leaves crunching under Eric's boots. Soon winter would come and claim the lands with it's white cloak, hiding the leaves. He hoped to no longer be up here once the snow came.

The sun stood already high in the sky when they entered the city. It was how Eric had expected. A lot of mud, a stench only a large number of humans pushed into a small space were able to produce and the very same humans pushing through the narrow streets. He had no particular fondness of larger cities like this one.

Shimon decided to use side streets and alleys to make faster headway. They threaded through the back alleys and backtracked after hitting a couple of dead ends. They stepped over and into refuse that was no longer identifiable. The people of the city appeared to be masters at that particular activity that Eric almost stared at a normal dung heap from an inn's stable as they passed by.

A wall loomed ahead of them and they had to follow it for a bit to find a gate into the inner city. Here the picture changed drastically. Most of the inner city was paved with stone, refuse was washed away and he even spotted a patrol of soldiers. The houses were clearly older, most of them also belonging to richer people, built more solidly and with more stone.

Their path again took them to the side streets, to get faster to their destination. In one back alley, they had to stop walking side by side, so Eric took the lead as they walked in between two high walls.

Growing up in the forest he had always a feeling of open space, even if there were a lot of trees close together, there never was this harsh bottled in feeling that he got in the cities. Only the stone and mortar world was able to give him that closed in feeling he was experiencing now. He could not understand how people actually enjoyed living in cities.

A flicker on the right hand wall ahead of them made him slow down. There it was again. He stopped. The flicker came again and this time he caught more exactly what it looked like.

"There is someone around this corner and they have a blade," he whispered to Shimon who had come to a halt close to him.

Again there was the lights flicking across the wall.

"You think this might be an ambush?"

"A bad one if that. There is no space here to fight, especially with a sword if I see this right. And there are no sounds. If there was a fight around the corner we would hear something. I don't know what this might be."

"I'll look."

With that Shimon pressed past Eric and was with a few steps at the corner. He peered around it and just for a moment Eric thought seeing a smile rush across the old mans face. Then he went around the corner and was gone.

Catching up, he looked around the corner as well before following Shimon. There was an even narrower passage between two houses behind the corner. It widened into a small courtyard of a larger house behind that, with a hard packed dirt floor.

In that yard stood a person in armor, wielding a long sword. It looked like the person was fighting, but against imaginary enemies. The armor, as he could see now, was clearly formed for a female body. It also looked like it was intended to intimidate, which it did in a formidable way. The woman moved fast and fluidly, spinning the blade so fast that it looked like she was wielding lighting, not metal. To Eric was clear, she was training, but she had not noticed them.

Shimon was way ahead of him already, so he went around the corner and followed the old man. He thought that Shimon would stop once he was at the entrance for the courtyard but he was mistaken. Without the slightest pause the man stepped into the yard, approaching the blade wielding woman fast.

Eric's world went cold. Shimon kept on rushing towards her in his usual fashion as if she was standing still and staring at him. The terrible image of the woman cutting him in half without even noticing he was there popped into his head. He probably was curious or wanted to ask for directions, Eric thought. Two steps later, the old man was next to the woman, unharmed and time slowed down to a crawl for Eric.

He could see clearly how Shimon fell into the movement of the woman, mimicking her perfectly, as she swept down with her sword, he moved gracefully with her and out of harms way. His hand was on the grip of the sword the next moment and as she tried to bring the blade around, he wrenched it from grasp her with her own momentum. In that moment she seemed to realize what was going on, kicked at Shimon who was already braced for it. Her own attack repelled her, tumbling to the side until she caught herself against the wall of the house. Her head darted to the old man who casually held the sword with the tip resting on the ground and then to Eric. It looked like a wild animal was staring at him, being cornered and rather unhappy about their presence. Her head came to rest on the old man.

But instead of attacking from her half crouch, with one hand braced against the wall, she did something completely unexpected, she relaxed. Calmly she stood up and then removed her helmet. The sight took Eric's breath away.

Long dark brown hair flowed from the helmet and draped over her shoulders, spilling to her back and covering some of her chest. Her face was the most beautiful he had ever seen in his entire life. His heart, already hammering wildly in his chest skipped a beat or two. She was beautiful but the look on her face was so extremely sad that her otherwise stunning appearance was marred as if it was disfigured by scars.

"Are you here to kill me?"

Her voice was enticing but he could detect the same sadness in it that was all over her face. It sounded so melodic and well articulated that he thought she must be some sort of royal. That spiked a small pain in the back of his mind, reminding him of Zara. It also reminded him that this woman probably meant a lot of trouble. Only after all those thoughts ran their course, he actually recognized that his travel companion had just disarmed a warrior who could have cut ten of him down before he would have had the chance to draw one weapon and he wondered what that was about.

"No. Nice sword. Where is your old blade?"

The woman quickly glanced at Eric, giving him a look over and dispatching him as not being threatening at the moment. Obviously Shimon seemed to know her. She also looked around to see if there was anyone else with a few quick glances. He noticed she also checked for threats on the roof. This was one extremely careful and very dangerous woman.

"It broke in a battle, on a skull almost as thick as yours."

He wondered how they knew each other. Was this the merchant? No Shimon had said it would be a few more streets to the north before they reached the house, just before they went into the alley. Besides this would be the first merchant he had heard of that could fight like this and wore full body armor to do so. So who was this strange woman?

Shimon weighed the sword in his hands, didn't seem to like it very much, then presented it hilt first back to her.

"Too bad your real blade is lost. You should not have to fight with these heavy lumps they call swords."

She carefully lifted the blade from his fingers and then sheathed it in one quick motion without looking. Yes, very dangerous indeed Eric thought. Her movements spoke of a lot of experience. He hoped the old man would not instigate a fight here, he didn't like the possible outcomes playing in his mind. The space was large enough to wield a blade but with three of them occupying it, she wouldn't have to be very skilled to do a lot of damage before either of them could defend themselves.

"What is it you want?"

"No smile? You haven't even greeted me with my name. You know that now you could."

"True, I could, but why would I after what you did to me. If I didn't have orders, I might have killed you just now."

"Good for me then that you have your orders."

"I thought that one day you would come and kill me. There would be some reason for you to end my life, I was always certain. But since you are not here to end my life, who's lifespan is forfeit?"

"Hopefully, nobodies. That at least is my intention."

"You are here to talk to the baron?"

"Yes."

"Don't, if you want your intention to hold true."

"He does not take kindly to me I take it?"

She shook her head.

"If you show yourself to him as who you are, this will end in bloodshed."

Shimon seemed to think it over.

"Then I have to think of something else."

"Do that."

"I heard about Theodore, I'm sorry for your loss."

Under all that sadness, Eric could see a fire erupt and break to the surface. Her anger flared up like a red hot flame that appeared to fill the small space and made him take a half step back. Shimon stood there without so much as a twitch.

"You have no right to be sorry. None at all."

She had not raised her voice, she had not spit in his face, but her intensity, the hate flowing from her words seemed as if she had done both and worse. Eric could feel how it was a deep hate that had simmered for a long time.

"All of this is your fault."

He looked closely at her. He was searching her face deeply then he lowered his eyes.

"I see. I'm sorry that he does not see the same as his brother, but only the warrior, the tool of force for his use."

"You've seen more in me as well", she added, almost spitting out the words as if they gave her a bad taste in her mouth.

A slight smile played around the man's lips.

"And I still do."

She shook her head and concentrated on Eric.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Eric and who are you?"

She ignored his question and looked back at Shimon but was unmistakeably talking to Eric.

"You have a strange travel companion here, Eric. He is the most dangerous man I have ever met and I've met a lot. He has the power to convince you to cut out your own heart and at the same time telling you that it is the best thing you could possibly experience. And once you are done, he will step on it, to reach his goal. Never trust him. He will disappoint you."

Her red lips were set hard. Each word she spit out as if they would leave a bad taste if she took too long to say them.

"There is only room for himself in his head and his heart. Even if his actions might benefit others, that is never his true goal."

Shimon locked his eyes with hers and had again that faint smile on his face.

"I can't fault you for thinking that. If there was a way to change what happened I would. But now you are bound to someone who despises me even more than you do."

"One of my duties is to protect his life. I would be a fool to let someone as dangerous as you close to him. You would probably have to kill him if he reacts like I expect him to react, whatever it is that you want from him."

"Taji'ra I.."

She cut him off and this time Eric had a feeling she was a hairs width from actually attacking Shimon.

"No! You have lost any right to use my name a very long time ago. I'm no longer your property. Of all the people in Toreas, you should know better than to insult me as blatantly as this."

Suddenly she backed off. The hatred and anger seeped away and the sadness was taking over again like a huge wave crushing everything else beneath it. Eric wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or hold Shimon. Or kill him. Maybe a bit of each.

"You did the worst thing imaginable to me. Then you expected me to just ignore it, knowing well I couldn't. I begged you, I cried, I screamed, but you did it anyways, thinking all will be well. Your arrogance destroyed me back then. The only mercy you have showed me is not trying to stop me. I'd have killed you if you had really tried."

"I remember you almost slicing my chest open."

"Almost. It took every bit of my strength not to plunge the knife into your heart."

She turned away and her otherwise strong voice wavered as she kept on talking.

"Please, if anything you ever said to me, anything at all, was the truth, then go away and never come back. If you cared for me, just for a moment, don't do anything that would make my master order me to hunt you. If I had to die at your hands, it would destroy what little is left of my soul. Please. Of all the things, don't force me to fight you."

"Not a day passes where I don't remember that morning. I'm unable to put my regret into words. When I die, I will take those regrets to my grave."

"Please, just go and stop tormenting me."

"I'm sorry," Shimon said and turned, walking away without looking back.

Eric watched the man walk past him and did not know if he should follow. He noticed how she looked after Shimon, then looked at him with an even deeper sadness in her eyes than he had seen her before. It produced a large lump in Eric's throat.

"Good bye", was all he could muster and hurried after the old man.

In the alley, he noticed the man going the wrong way and followed him back where they had come from. At the same time all the things they had said swirled around in Eric's head and nothing made any sense. Most importantly there was one question on his mind.

"Who was that?"

Shimon did not react but kept on walking in his fast pace. Eric almost wanted to ask again when the old man answered.

"For what we are here to do, nobody of consequence. We knew each other a long time ago."

"Yes I gathered that. And that there was a lot going on between the two of you as well. She is tied to the baron somehow. So what is this all about? I gather she wont help us?"

There was a bitter short laugh coming from Shimon's throat.

"Nothing short of killing the baron would make her help us. And that would cause a larger problem than solving the one we are here for."

"But you still haven't told me who she is. If you want me to risk my neck, you better tell me what is going on."

The old man nodded.

"We were close once. When we are done here, I will tell you everything. For now, she is an obstacle we have to avoid at all costs. For now let's get to an inn, I need to think."

"Close? She could be your grand daughter."

"Never judge a wine by the barrel, Eric."

"Fine, but once we are out of here, I want to know all of what this is about. I don't like secrets."

Eric looked back to where they had left the armored woman and wondered who exactly she was. They were close, he had said. The way she looked maybe a daughter? Or lovers? Lovers, that was a concept that for some reason just did not seem to fit with the old man, then again he was just human after all. He also wondered how someone so beautiful could be so deeply sad. Was it whatever Shimon did? Something else?

Remembering her face again put that large lump back into his throat.