2. Journey
When Alarna woke the following morning, Ivrani was still at her side. The red-haired woman was curled into a tight ball, her bare arse resting against Alarna's hip
Alarna was naked. Ivrani, however, still wore the sleeveless high-necked blouse she'd refused to remove the previous evening. The blouse was rich red silk, and obviously expensive. In the sobering dawnlight, that item of clothing made Alarna uneasy.
The rogue was hiding something, though not—as Alarna had first suspected—the lack of a silver nipple crown. The previous night Alarna had touched it, licked it, and fondled the small firm breast to which it was attached. There was no doubt that Ivrani wore the same intimate item of jewellery as the other women in this odd company of strangers. When she and Ivrani had crept into bed together, late the previous evening, Alarna had been pleased with herself. She'd found a very enjoyable way to carry out her investigation. Now, however, the expensive red blouse troubled her.
The elf, Olliena, had been amused by the Alarna and Ivrani's open flirtation. Ivrani was a willing partner, and the rogue's comments about the guildmaster's mistress had made it obvious that the redhead didn't restrict herself to the opposite sex. The naive young ranger, Esvelle, had been shocked by that.
Wondering if the two other women in the room were awake, Alarna lifted her head. To her surprise, the elf's bed was empty. To her astonishment, Olliena lay alongside Esvelle. The elf's quiet and considerate attention to the young ranger had, she realised, been part of a different game. One it seemed the elf had won.
As Alarna stared, Olliena opened half-closed eyes, winked, and slid out from beneath the sheets. Naked, the elven cleric stood and sensuously stretched her slender limbs. Olliena's pale flesh was smooth and unmarked. Alarna watched as the elf padded, barefoot, graceful and silent, to the window. Once there, Olliena pulled open the curtain. Surrounded by a halo of pale dawnlight shafting through the window, the elf appeared almost otherworldly.
Ivrani grunted in the sudden light and rolled away from Alarna.
The dark-skinned mage took the opportunity to stand. Walking over to the window, she joined the elf. Olliena held out a hand. Alarna took it, squeezed it in greeting, and released it.
'The blessed light of another new day dawns fine and clear, sister Alarna,' Olliena observed. 'May Sune bless us all.'
Alarna nodded in what she hoped was a reverend way.
'Time is it?' Ivrani muttered from beneath her blankets.
'Well past dawn, redhair, time to get moving,' Esvelle muttered.
Although the young ranger answered Ivrani's question, she wasn't looking at her. Instead, she stared at Alarna and Olliena, fascinated by the two naked women in front of the window. She'd sat up in bed while speaking, but Esvelle had covered her chest with the bedsheet.
Looking into Esvelle's face, Alarna saw the decision being made. It was obvious in the girl's deep brown eyes. Dropping the sheet, the ranger slipped out of her bed and, rather self-consciously naked, walked over to the window to join her companions. Moments later they were joined by Ivrani, the only one of the quartet wearing anything.
'Good morning, sisters.' Olliena took the hands of both new arrivals in greeting. 'Do you have something to hide from us, Ivrani?'
The red-haired woman pulled up her blouse, exposing both nipples. 'I'm crowned, like you, if that's what worries you, Olliena,' she said.
Alarna turned away, and looked out at the city, at the dawn of another day.
'By all that's holy, Alarna,' Ivrani exclaimed. 'What happened to you?'
As Ivarna's fingers slid gently down her back, over the scars, Alarna shivered. She tumbled into a deep pit of old memories.
"Useless (crack), lazy (crack), orphan (crack)!" "No (crack) food (crack) for (crack) you (crack) today (crack)!" "Today? No food for a week."
'Whip,' Alarna told her bedfellow honestly. Opening the window, she took a lungful of cool morning air before continuing. Leaning out over the tiles, she stared over the city and ensured that none of the others could see her face. 'Many years ago, long forgotten,' she lied.
The uneasy silence that followed Alarna's lie was broken by Esvelle. 'Three days journey to Phandalin by cart, perhaps four. We'd best get dressed, get ready to leave.'
Fifteen minutes later they were ready to face the world. Stepping out into the corridor, Alarna strode along to the adjacent door and knocked. 'Urthidda, you up?' she yelled.
'Harbek is!' Urthidda panted.
'See you downstairs,' Alarna called.
'Yes, yes!' Urthidda yelled.
Alarna and her companions were still smiling when they descended the stairs into the public bar. The stairs to their attic room were at the opposite end of the bar to the private room where they'd met. They had walked through the place the previous evening. At midnight, the bar had been raucous, crowded with dwarves, and untidy. Much of the floor had been sticky with spilt ale. Now, the tables had been straightened and the floor cleaned and polished.
There was something almost unreal about a bar at breakfast time, Alarna thought. The smells of the previous night's ale lingered like ghosts in the air and memories of rowdy conversations seemed to susurrate in the unnatural silence. Landlord Dragomir stood behind his bar, waiting for them.
Within ten minutes of their descent he had four fried breakfasts: bacon, eggs, fine pork sausages, blood pudding, and oat cakes, on the table he'd guided them to. There was a hot spiced tea, too.
When the breakfast plate was placed in front of her, Alarna firmly reminded herself that no one was going to take it from her. It didn't work. She was scraping the last of the egg yolk onto her oat cake when Urthidda and Harbek arrived, but her companions weren't even halfway through their own breakfasts.
Urthidda was looking pleased with herself. Harbek looked like he hadn't slept, and it was obvious that he'd rather face a troll than the four women who knew exactly what he and Urthidda had been doing.
'Did you sleep well?' Alarna asked.
'When we weren't fucking, yes.' Urthidda made her blunt reply just as Dragomir arrived with two more breakfasts. If it were possible to make oneself invisible using only willpower, not magic, Alarna was certain that—at that moment—Harbek would have succeeded.
'Anything you want to tell us, Harbek?' Alarna asked.
'Tell you about what?' The dwarf squeaked, blushing.
'About the journey, about our cargo, our route, and our destination,' Alarna said.
'Leave the city, travel about fifty miles down the High Road, take the Triboar Trail for about fifteen miles. That's where the trail to Phandalin branches off to the south. From there, it's about ten more miles,' Harbek told her.
'As I said, three days journey, perhaps four,' Esvelle announced.
'Travelled it often, Harbek?' Olliena asked.
'Oh no.' Harbek shook his head.
'Nor I,' Esvelle admitted
'Off into the unknown, to a town I've never heard of!' Ivrani smiled.
They entered the inn's yard through the kitchen door. Barrels were stacked to left and right, a laden cart stood in the centre of the cobbled rectangle. The ox harnessed to the cart was a large beast, and it did not look as placid as Alarna would have liked. The yard was surrounded by high walls broken by the kitchen door and a double gate. From the sounds on the other side, the wooden double gate led out into the street. They were, however, closed and barred.
Olliena pulled the waxed cotton tarpaulin aside and examined the cargo. The sacks, casks, kegs and mining equipment were well distributed.
'We'll have to move them,' Ivrani observed.
'Madam!' Harbek protested. 'The load is balanced!'
'Ivrani!' the leather-clad rogue corrected him forcefully. 'I need a gap in the centre. Somewhere large enough for me to hide. Getting out of the city may prove—problematic—for me, Harbek Gundren's-cousin. And I suspect that the guild won't be too considerate toward anyone with me.'
'You're wanted?' Harbek asked uneasily.
'I expect so,' Ivrani said. 'I know how the guild work. Someone will have given the watch my name, and description. And they'll likely have their own folk at the gates.'
The slender woman looked carefully into the faces of her companions. 'I'm innocent of all charges, although I would say that, wouldn't I?' She gazed into Alarna's eyes, gave her a pensive smile, and addressed her next statement at the mage. 'Now is the time for you to decide whether last night's drunken promises of friendship and sisterhood will be upheld, sweet Alarna,' she announced.
Alarna was still considering her reply when Urthidda laughed, jumped up onto the wagon, and began to move the cargo. Olliena followed.
The decision made, Alarna summoned her Mage Hand from the Æther and used it to pull the tarpaulin onto the floor. 'How much space will you require, Ivrani?' she asked.
'What are you wanted for?' Esvelle, who had remained still and silent, finally asked the question that had been on her lips since Ivrani's admission.
'The guild will have found something. Possibly something I did, possibly something I didn't do.' Ivrani shrugged. Vaulting into the laden cart, she carefully assessed the cargo. 'If we can lift that crate, and support it on those others, I can crawl underneath.'
It didn't take long to create a space in which Ivrani could hide. Once she'd curled up in the small space they'd created, Urthidda effortlessly placed one of the lighter crates on top of the gap. As Olliena and a still reluctant Esvelle pulled the tarpaulin back over the cargo, Alarna tied it down.
'We say nothing, no matter what,' Alarna announced as she rechecked her knots.
'Nothing,' Olliena agreed.
'Damn right,' Urthidda added.
'We don't know what she's done!' Esvelle's protest was half-hearted.
'We know she slept with the Guildmaster's mistress,' Olliena pointed out.
'And tweaking that bugger's nose is enough to make me want to help her,' added Urthidda.
Under the silent gaze of the others, Esvelle surrendered. 'We say nothing,' she agreed.
Urthidda clambered into the driver's seat and picked up the reigns. Alarna, who had no idea how to drive an ox-cart, didn't object. Esvelle lifted the bar on the double gates and, with Olliena's assistance, pulled them open. With one flick of the reins from Urthidda, the cart lurched into motion. As it passed through the gates, Olliena clambered aboard. She sat on the cargo, behind Urthidda and Alarna. Esvelle and Harbek both walked alongside as they inched out into the busy street.
'Are you coming with us?' Alarna asked the dwarf.
'To the gate, madam,' he told her. 'I have the tax documents, and I'm to pay the gate toll for you. I must also give you this.' He pulled a sealed letter from the satchel he wore. An introduction to Elmar Barthen, with instructions to pay you each ten gold upon delivery of the wagon and its cargo.'
The streets were crowded with carts, and they were barely moving. Harbek shook his head. 'We should have set off earlier,' he said.
'We were all ready before you and Urthidda, Harbek,' Olliena observed.
'Harbek was busy,' Urthidda said smugly.
'Take the next left,' Alarna said.
'Madam,' Harbek protested.
'Next left, then second alley on the right,' Alarna said. 'If you want to get to the gates quickly, that's the way to go. It's not the shortest, but it will be quiet. I know my way around the city. Trust me.'
Urthidda tugged the reins, and followed Alarna's instructions. Although their journey wound through side streets and narrow alleys, it was remarkable rapid. They soon arrived in the square in front of the gates. There was a queue of wagons waiting to leave but, as the cart was blocking the narrow alley, they were waved forward by one of the guardsmen. In addition to the gate guards, several leather-clad thugs stood near the gate. The ruffians were watching every wagon.
As they approached the gates, a well-dressed man in merchant's robes approached. Two of the thugs accompanied him.
'Good morning, ladies.' The man bowed. 'Can I ask where you're bound.'
'You can ask,' Urthidda told him. 'Indeed, you just have. As to whether we'll tell you, well...'
She looked at her companions.
'We're heading south, obviously, master merchant,' Olliena said. 'Carrying mining gear for her kinfolk.' She looked at Urthidda shook her head, and addressed the blonde she-dwarf. 'Don't worry, Mistress, this merchant won't be wanting to steal your precious picks and lamp oil. Though I've no idea what he does want.'
'I'm hunting the woman who murdered my wife and children,' the man said. The sadness in his voice didn't reach his eyes. 'This is the killer, have you seen her?' Lifting a roll of parchment, he unfurled it. Alarna knew whose image she would see. Sure enough, the sketch was of Ivrani.
'Do we look like we keep the company of child-killers?' Olliena asked coldly.
Alarna was watching Esvelle, but there was no need for concern. She was nodding in earnest agreement with Olliena.
'Well-spoken,' Urthidda added. 'What's your trade, merchant? Need coal?'
'Coal, no, madam,' The merchant said.
'Mistress Breakrock asked you your trade,' Olliena reminded the merchant.
'Safe journey, ladies,' the merchant again ignored the question, instead turning his attention to the wagon behind them. His thugs followed.
'Mistress Breakrock?' Urthidda hissed.
'Sounds like a dwarf name to me,' Olliena whispered back.
'Never, ever call me a break-rock again!' Urthidda spoke softly, but her annoyance was obvious.
As the wagon moved closer to the gate, a sergeant-at-arms stepped forward. Harbek presented his papers, and the cart was given a cursory inspection.
'One cart and five persons, leaving the city?' the sergeant asked.
'That's correct.' Harbek nodded.
'Four, people,' Alarna said.
'You told us you weren't travelling with us,' Olliena added pointedly.
'Don't listen to them, my sweet. I'd like you to come with me, Harbek. You can keep me warm at night!' Urthidda added. As Harbek blushed, Urthidda winked at the sergeant at arms.
'Four, yes, four. Apologies,' said Harbek hurriedly. 'I must remain in the city, Urthidda, orders from my kinfolk. Safe journey.' Handing over the toll to the sergeant at arms, he turned on his heels and hurried away.
Ignoring the departing dwarf, the sergeant at arms coolly assessed the four women on the cart.
'Urthidda claims she shagged him senseless last night.' Alarna smiled at the sergeant as she spoke. 'It seems she spoke truly.'
'What are you carrying?' The sergeant asked.
'Mining equipment for Harbek's kinfolk. We're to deliver it to the town of Phandalin,' Olliena said. 'Do you want to examine our goods, sergeant?' Leaning across the cart, the elf fumbled for the ropes fastening the tarpaulin. The sergeant simply stared at the cleavage her move had presented to him.
'I've seen enough,' the sergeant said. Stepping backwards, he waved them through the city gate.
For the first mile, they drove through the fields without speaking. As the city receded into the distance, and the road became quieter Urthidda finally broke the silence. 'Now?' she asked.
'It's very quiet here,' Alarna said.
Esvelle shook her head. 'No one followed us from the city, but there are folk in the fields, and that cart approaching from the south will be here before we can get Ivrani out. She pointed.
'Sharp eyes and sound thinking,' Olliena observed. 'Let us know when you think it's safe, Esvelle.'
They travelled for three more miles before Esvelle, who walked alongside the cart rather than ride atop it, held up a hand. 'Now,' she said. 'I'll keep watch.'
The moment Urthidda pulled the cart to a halt, Alarna and Olliena began to unfasten the tarpaulin. The moment it was free, Urthidda lifted the crate, freeing Ivrani from her hiding place.
The redhead stood stretched her limbs, and took a deep breath.
'Fresh air! It reminds me of... of my childhood.' She moved back, so that she could see all four of her companions.
'My thanks to you all, sisters,' Ivrani said. 'The guild want folk to believe I'm a child killer! That's deeply unpleasant.' She turned to Esvelle. 'I worried that you might believe them.'
'I didn't like him.' Esvelle told her. 'His robes said merchant, his boots did not. Nor did his eyes. I don't like people who lie to me. You haven't told us everything, Ivrani, but I don't believe you have lied to me, to us, about this. We all have our secrets. Secrets are one thing, lies another.' She looked down the road. 'We have a journey to make, and a caravan is approaching from the south. We should get moving.'
'Little sister, little sister,' Olliena smiled at the earnest young ranger. 'You're full of surprises.'
'Isn't she,' Urthidda agreed. 'You're right enough, Esvelle. We must move. We don't even need to stop to eat, I have rations in my pack.'
'I'm sure we all have,' said Olliena as she re-tied the tarpaulin. Ivrani and Esvelle nodded.
Startled by the realisation that she alone had left the city without rations, Alarna clasped her suddenly shaking hands behind her back. 'There will be inns along the way...' she tried to sound relaxed, but the croak in her voice betrayed her.
'No rations?' Olliena asked.
'I...' Alarna began, looking for an excuse for her foolishness.
'We!' said Olliena firmly.
The elf climbed onto the topmost crate on the cart and addressed the others. 'We met only yesterday and we have, as Urthidda pointed out, one thing in common. One man! He's offered us a job, and we've accepted. This trip may be dangerous, and we may need to rely on each other's talents. On this journey, there can be no I, there can only be we. We helped Ivrani escape the city. We may need each other's skills at any moment on this journey. We cannot allow one to suffer. We are one, or we are broken.'
'Nice speech, Olliena, but remember this. You can stand where you like, but you're not above the rest of us,' said Urthidda. She set the cart in motion, and Olliena was forced to sit.
'Point taken.' Olliena nodded.
'But, for now, you are my squad. My axe and crossbow will defend us all,' Urthidda promised.
'My magic will heal and protect us,' Olliena added.
'And mine,' added Alarna. 'Though not so much healing.'
Ivrani drew her rapier and touched it to her forehead. 'My blade is at your service, sisters,' she announced.
'And mine,' Esvelle added.
'In this spirit I will share my rations with you, Alarna,' Olliena promised.
'As will I,' Ivrani said.
'And I,' Urthidda added.
'What? Yes, I suppose.' Esvelle didn't seem to be concentrating. She had trotted in front of the cart and picked what appeared to be a turd from the edge of the road. After squashing it between her fingers, she sniffed what remained.
'What in the name of the Gods are you doing?' Alarna asked, failing to hide her disgust.
'No good, two days old.' Esvelle announced calmly as she cleaned her fingers in the grass at the roadside. 'No rations! White linen robes! Have you ever set foot outside the city, Alarna?'
Alarna shook her head. 'Gundren... he... I...' She took a deep breath, and started again. 'I was born in Calimport and ... lived in that city until I travelled to Neverwinter with Gundren. I've only ever known city life. Though even in summer, Neverwinter is colder than my home.'
'You took us through Neverwinter's side streets and alleys nicely, southron,' Uthridda said.
Olliena nodded. 'Without your directions we'd still be in the city, sister, and Ivrani would still be under that crate.'
'Undoubtedly,' Ivrani added. 'And if I'd spent another hour in that position, and you'd have been forced to lift me out and unfold me.'
'My rations are in my pack,' said Esvelle. 'We should keep them all in the cart. I'll take point.' With that, she unlimbered her bow and trotted ahead of the cart.
As everyone pulled rations from their packs, Olliena collected them together. 'Twenty-seven days-worth,' she announced. 'Five days each.'
'Ten mine, and ten Esvelle's. You'd all starve without us. Wouldn't they Esvelle?' She yelled the question at the ranger, who had stopped. She was again examining something at the road's edge.
'Perhaps,' Esvelle nodded.
Standing, the ranger waited for the cart to reach her. 'Biltong, cheese and hardtack are fine,' she announced, but I for one prefer fresh meat. 'Go on, I'll catch up.'
'What?' Alarna asked.
'Deer!' Esvelle announced. 'No more than an hour since.'
Alarna looked around. There were no animals anywhere in sight. 'Where?' she asked.
Esvelle pointed at the ground. Alarna saw nothing. She looked at the others. They all shrugged. Esvelle sighed, and pointed at a twig, then into the grass. 'See?' she asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
'Blind, all of you!' she announced. Pulling up her hood to cover her blonde hair, she set off at a trot toward the distant trees the trees. 'See you later!'
Within minutes, she was lost in the green.
'Should we go after her?' Urthidda asked.
'We'd never find her,' Olliena said.
'She said she'd be back,' Alarna added uncertainly.
'She will,' Ivrani assured her. 'My family... we... I... When I was young, I got lost in the forest, a ranger found me, took me home. Esvelle will be back.'
As the sun began to set, the quartet on the wagon were worried. They'd seen nothing of their new companion since she'd left them.
'We can't just keep going,' Alarna was worried.
'At least she left us her rations,' Urthidda said.
'Urthidda!' Alarna and Olliena protested, Ivrani gave a short bark of a laugh.
'It was a joke!' the dwarf assured them. 'Ivrani knows it. Esvelle knows what she's doing, she'll be fine.'
'She could be lost, injured,' Alarna protested. 'We should go back, look for her.'
'A nice sentiment,' Olliena said. 'But where would we start? How could we find her?'
'Not by going back, that's for certain!' Esvelle stepped out from the undergrowth. 'I was beginning to think I'd have to go looking for you, but you're a noisy lot! Follow me, sisters.' She indicated a rough track leading off from the main road. 'I've found a good campsite. It's not far, there's fresh water, and a doe roasting on the fire.'
Alarna smiled at the young ranger. Esvelle had begun her little speech well, but as she spoke, she became an over-eager puppy, desperate for praise.
Once again, Olliena took control. 'Our thanks, sister. You've done well, I'm sure, but you didn't need to prove yourself to us. We've been talking, as we've travelled this road. The further we go, the more dangerous the road. Tomorrow we should keep together.'
Esvelle's face fell.
'But tonight, we feast on fresh meat!' Urthidda announced. 'My thanks Esvelle.'
'And mine,' Alarna added.
'Yes,' Ivrani agreed.
'Dawn watch, southron,' Urthidda whispered. 'I'll be expecting a fine breakfast.'
Instantly alert, Alarna smiled, and tapped the blonde dwarf on the end of her nose. 'Venison's all gone, Urthi, as well you know. Hard bread and cheese for all, this morning.'
Crawling out from under the cart and ignoring Olliena—who sat cross-legged in the strange trance she called meditation—Alarna stood. Clambering atop the cart, she began her watch—the final one of the night. It was the second night of their journey, the second night she'd slept under the cart, her body kept warm by the presence of her sisters, because she needed warmer clothes.
They were growing closer, beginning to trust each other. At least, they were beginning to appreciate the fact that Gundren believed in each of them enough to entrust this mission to them.
They had spent their second, thankfully uneventful, day talking. Alarna was now certain that every one of her new companions harboured a secret, even Olliena. It didn't matter. Ivrani was as secretive about her early years as Alarna herself. They all had their own hurts and shames, but were unwilling to share them. It was unimportant. All that mattered was that they were beginning to relax in each other's company.
No longer were they Alarna, Esvelle, Ivrani, Olliena, and Urthidda; they were the Sisterhood of the Silver Crown. Olliena had come up with the name, and no-one had objected. Her companions—no, her sisters—were becoming as familiar as their names. Names everyone used, everyone used, everyone but Urthidda. To the dwarf, they remained southron, ranger, elf and rogue. In return, they'd all started calling their little warrior Urthi. The frequently foul-mouthed she-dwarf was, as Ivrani had cleverly pointed out, Urthi by name, and earthy by nature.
Remembering where she was, Alarna scanned the horizon, alert for movement or noise. The idea of keeping watch was new to her, but so was the idea of sleeping outdoors in this cold country. Her new friends, her sisters, had shared their food with her. They trusted her to protect them as they slept. She should trust them, too.
The moment the sun cleared the horizon, Alarna began to prepare a breakfast. She wasn't quiet about it, and the others soon joined her. An hour later they were once again on their way, all in what had become their usual positions.
Esvelle, bow in hand, walked ahead. The young ranger remained some thirty feet in front of the wagon, bow in hand, arrow at the ready. Urthidda drove the ox-cart, axe and crossbow ready at her side. Ivrani sat alongside the dwarf, bow in hand.
Olliena, too, had a crossbow. Alarna, the only one without arms or armour sat alongside Olliena on the cargo. They were directly above the axle, and felt every jolt. Now they'd left the Coast road for the Triboar Trail, there were a lot more jolts.
They had been travelling for a couple of hours when Esvelle stopped. In the distance ahead, Alarna saw two dead horses. Esvelle, however, wasn't looking at the animal corpses. Drawing her bow, the ranger yelled 'Ambush! Goblins!'