Furnost, despite its looks, was one of the richer cities in the crumbling Alagaesia. Because it was generally considered a small town without any sort of important value, it was often ignored by the forces struggling for dominance. Because of this, it gradually began to thrive, and eventually flourish. Stores of all kinds could be found along the narrow streets, and one could find any object or service they were looking for with utmost easiness. However, the most famous and numerous things in Furnost were its taverns.
Daevr chuckled as he saw the boy sitting across him tear through his food like a famished wolf. It was if he had been starved a week. He was pleased that this particular tavern made food of such quality.
"How long haven't you eaten, Slen?" he asked casually, taking a sip from his ale.
The boy blinked and turned his gaze towards Daevr. "Umm… I'm not sure, really. Four or five days at the most. There hasn't been much people to steal from lately. Rather…" Slen smiled wryly. "They don't have much money to steal at all. If they did, I would never gotten into this mess."
Daevr raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Your observations on the people of this city seems accurate, yet your faulty thieving performance with the merchants leaves me to doubt that second remark. Are you really as good as you claim you are? Or are you merely boasting, to improve my image of you?"
Slen looked slightly offended. "What do you mean? I'm one of the best. I just messed up with those three simply because of my empty stomach."
"If you are planning to lay out your lies like this all through our conversation, I suggest that you stop. You won't gain any gold like this." The man prodded the sack of money on the table, as if to emphasize his point. "I am fairly sure that you are competent enough to rifle through the pockets of some poor commoner, but dealing with people experienced with thieves like you? You'd find even getting away hard. Are my assumptions correct?"
The boy remained defiant. "I'm telling you that I—" A calm look from Daevr silenced him.
Slen sighed, and reluctantly gave in. "Aye, aye, my skills are mediocre at best. Are
you satisfied now?"
"Only if you answer truthfully the questions I ask you further on." The soft smile returned to the man's face. "As I am running short on time, would you mind me asking those questions now?"
"Of course not." Replied Slen quickly.
"Good, good… so, the first one is this: What do you know about the Esendan massacre?" The man rubbed his chin, and looked directly into the boy's eyes.
"Eh… the Esendan house…" Slen scratched his head, deep in thought. Then his eyes widened. "Ah, I know now! The thing that happened five days ago! What about it?"
"Such a thing would surely spark a man's interest. All the maids and servants killed, guards all slain, not one member of the house spared… and the fact that out of three hardened men that I sent there, two had heaved their insides out the second they stepped into the manor." The corners of his mouth lifted in grim amusement. "And the strangest thing is that it seemed to be done by one person, and a small one."
"One… person?" spluttered Slen. He'd heard insane stories all through his life, but this was the most absurd of them all.
"Indeed. My men had examined the tracks at the entrance of the manor, and it revealed only one person going in, and coming out moments later. Very unusual. So, back to the original question. What ties did the Esendan house have with Furnost?"
"I… eh, the Esendan's were practically the governors of the city. They held the most control over the merchants, and the guards that protect the city. The house was an honorable bunch, but they often misjudged their strength and sometimes tried to complete impossible feats. However, they still did much for the town, in their own strange way."
"Hm." Daevr leaned back in his chair, a slight frown marring his features. "To go at such extremes… I wonder who planned the downfall of them." He chuckled. "A thing like this has not been seen since the start of The Dragon War. It is rather fitting that it should happen after the end of it."
"The Dragon War?"
"Aye. Starting with the rise of Galbatorix, and ending with the death of him by the Shadow Rider's hands. It had been named so because it was the last war in which dragons were seen in Alagaesia; after the war was over, not even a simple egg was found ever again."
"What happened to the dragons in the war? Did they die? I recall storytellers and bards talking about the four dragons in the final battle. What happened to them?" asked Slen.
"No one really knows. But after a few years of traveling, and a few hints from the friends of my former mentor, I came to a conclusion. Now listen carefully to this, for this is information generally unknown to most people. I am only telling you this because of your splendid performance earlier, and the fact that I like you."
The boy nodded eagerly.
"You do know about the final war fought between the Varden and the Empire, right? It is common knowledge, after all. The two sides, corrupt as they were, immediately fell into chaos as soon as the main leaders of each side were struck down. King Galbatorix died in that fateful duel with the Shadow Rider, and his dragon was murdered as well. Nasuada was pierced by a guided arrow, and passed away after many futile attempts to save her. Islanzadi of the elves was surrounded by twenty Black Hand magicians, who killed her after losing more than half of their men. King Orrin managed to survive and returned to Surda, vowing never to meddle in the affairs of Alagaesia again."
"Yes, I've heard most of it from story tellers." Said Slen.
"Alagaesia splintered. Now there are more than fifty nobles and warlords thathave armies of their own, and five dominant forces that command them all. The Argenon Empire in the north-west, the Kingdom of Sarobenia east beside it, and Estrodar, Cerfellion and Relensica taking up places in the south. These five… countries, for the lack of a better term… have warred amongst each other ever since fifteen years ago, when the Dragon War ended. There hasn't been much peace between them at all, frankly."
The boy listened with growing interest. The wandering bards had never mentioned this in their stories before.
Clearing his throat, Daevr continued. "The riders, long weary with the war and expressing a deep disgust of humanity, decided to forsake Alagaesia completely. To prevent people from using their race as weapons ever again, the dragons of the red and the green rider made their decision to head north, further than Ellesmera. Though unwilling, the riders eventually relented and let them be. Arya, the green rider, has returned to the forest and now is Queen of the Elves. She has made a vow similar to Orrin's, as fighting Galbatorix gave them nothing but the loss of the lives of thousands of the fair folk. Murtagh has long since disappeared. Legends say he has been training both his mind and body deep inside the Beor mountains, and now possesses unparalleled power. But they are only tales. Mere tales."
Slen nodded slowly, trying to take in what he had just learned. "So that is why there are no dragons now in Alagaesia. But I noticed one thing that you didn't mention."
"And that is?"
"What about Saphira, the blue dragon?" the boy asked.
Daevr noticeably stiffened and ran his hand through his hair. Finally, he said, "Like Murtagh. Whereabouts are unknown to everyone."
"And the Shadow Rider! What happened to the Shadow Rider?" asked Slen hurriedly.
"I… I don't know." Daevr's gaze drifted slowly to the ceiling. "But enough of this now. I want to continue with the second part of my proposal."
"The second part, eh?" Slen tore off another large chunk of his food. "What it is?"
"A few days past, my contact in Furnost disappeared without a trace. I have no idea how it happened, but either way, it means that I have to have someone new in the city soon. One that can easily find out the things that I want to know. Someone that can act accordingly to each situation. And you, my young friend, is exactly the kind of person I want. Especially after something like the Esendan massacre occurred." Leaning back, the man smiled. "And if you do it well, you will receive ten crowns a month without delay. Enough to let you live without worries."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, the job sounds fine to me. People disappearing without a trace, you say? I doubt that this job is as good as you say it is."
"I thought you would be brave enough to take on something like this." Daevr, for the first time he had been with the boy, looked confused. "And every time I came to other men with this proposal, they always took it without another word. Is there something wrong with it?"
"Nay, there's nothing wrong with it. It just seems that ten crowns is a pittance if you put into account that you would get killed so easily." Slen shrugged and continued with his food.
Daevr blinked in surprise. Then he started to laugh.
"It is the first day we meet, and yet already you are trying to reap more gold off me. Very well then! Fifteen crowns a month, and no more. Any more than I'll have to find someone else."
Slen nodded reluctantly. "A passable amount. Acceptable. So, we have a deal then?"
The man across him smiled strangely. "You are certainly a strange young man, Slen. At one moment, you are like a child, a thief; the moment next, you are like a noble of a grand household, conducting business with merchants. Ah, but don't mind my mumblings. Yes indeed, we have a deal."
The boy grinned. "But you still have to give that sack of gold to me, right?" He pointed at the bag of coins on the table.
Daevr chuckled and threw it, and Slen caught it easily. As the boy caressed the wonderful weight of the money in his hands, for the first time in his life he felt his life was going in the right direction.
Suddenly, the door of the tavern opened with a creaky moan, and a man dressed in black stepped in, dripping with water from the rain outside. Paying no heed to the dozens of eyes fixed on him, he stepped up to Daevr and whispered a few words into his ear before exiting the room, going as fast as he had come.
Daevr sat back slowly, contemplating what he had heard. Slen observed the scene quietly with his dark eyes.
Sighing, Daevr rubbed his hands together. "I am sorry, but it seems that our deal won't go as it was planned. My original contact in this city has been found. It seems that he decided to act on his own and do some risky things by himself, resulting in him having to lie low for more than a month. I guess that my men and I were overreacting."
Slen's mouth dropped. "What! But that means—"
"Correct. You will not be working in Furnost, as we already have a man here." Daevr turned and looked outside at the falling rain.
"But you can't just abandon me after—"
The man turned around in surprise. "Who said anything about leaving you like this? I am not a man that does things like that. What I just said that you wouldn't be working in Furnost. That's not to say you can't work in other cities. You are too valuable." Seeing the look on the boy's face, he added, "Of course, only if you want to. If not, well, I'll find something else."
The boy grinned broadly. "I couldn't be happier if you could get me out of this stinkhole."
Daevr widened his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said, I would happily get out of this hell if you let me. I hate it here. The people here are filth, both in body and mind. I would have to resort to curse words in order to describe them fully." Slen stabbed at his meal angrily. "I just… hate it."
"Hmm. Well, I guess that I know a city that we are lacking in men, and coincidently, I am going there right after this little trip. But it is far up north, and far away from Furnost. Are you still certain that you want to come?"
"I've never been this certain in my entire damned life." Replied Slen firmly.
"Then, I guess that settles it." Standing up, the man refastened his cloak and put on his hood. "Use your gold to find a place to stay for the night. I will come to find you tomorrow. As for me… I shall see the infamous Esendan house itself."
"Aye." Mumbled Slen. The man waved a hand in farewell before disappearing into the rain-soaked streets like a shadow.
Slen scratched his dark hair, frustrated. It seemed so incredibly impossible. That man, Daevr… he seemed to have some sort of aura around him that made people want to trust him with their lives. His gentle smiles, his earnest attitude… even the dumbest of asses would say that he was without doubt, a good man.
His leaving made the effect fade away like a mist in the sun. But nevertheless, the feeling remained. Slen felt strange, as if he had been graced by the presence of a king, or a god. The soft look in the man's eyes left the boy shaking like a leaf, unable to lie like he could, unable to boast like he could, unable to actually be himself. Hell, he couldn't even bring himself to ask whatthingsDaevr and his men actuallydid.
No, it wasn't his calm demeanor that left Slen breathless. It was the power that the boy was sure was underneath it.
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A little update on how Alagaesia is faring lately. Not too good, hmm?
Anyhow, the characters who were still alive at the end of Shadow Rider will be gradually making appearances all throughout the story. Eragon will remain in the background.
Reviews, please! They are what keep me alive!
