Chapter 6 - The Dragon's Jaw ----------------------------
The sun was sitting high atop the sky, the clouds dissolved as the day warmed up slightly from the frigid morning cold. The change in weather brought out more of the bustling city occupants as many men and women began walking about the Street of Staves. Several vendors pulled out carts and customers were buying items in the makeshift market area north of the Citadel. The group passed several places open for business, shops and stores opened their shutters and the city appeared more like a city than it did a few hours ago.
As they passed down the street, Velarus seemed keenly interested in one of the signs, 'The Dragon's Jaw'. "This holds the appearance of a tavern of sorts, and I am famished already. What say we stop for some lunch, lady Aliana."
Aliana pauses to consider the suggestion. "Umm...I suppose that would be all right. I could probably do with something warm to eat and discuss what Sir Egern revealed in more hospitable surroundings."
Velarus moved ahead and opened the door, motioning his head to signal the lady to pass through. "Great, I would prefer a nice meal around a campfire, but that would get us a fine in Suzail." Velarus chuckled at the thought of it, and followed after Aliana enters.
Upon entering the Inn, the duo noticed that a rather large group of people are at the establishment. There were at least fifty people are eating and drinking in the main room. The smell of hot food filled the air and the loud chattering of multiple conversations and laughter overwhelmed the travelers. Despite the large crowd there were several tables available. A board hung to the right of the entrance foyer with several notes attached. A particularly colorful note stated in bold letters. "Gnome Tossing tonight! Try thy hand against the reigning champion, Baelus Grue, strongest man south of the Great Glacier! 500 Gold Lions could be yours for a small entrance fee of 8 silver falcons! Anyone to toss over ten feet gets thy money back! YE CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS IT!" Velarus and Aliana both silently read the note.
Moments later, a shapely waitress approached, carrying a tray with half a dozen massive mugs of ale in one and a whole cooked turkey in the other. "Have a seat, and excuse the lack o' service. The weather shut everything down, and we've been quite busy." A few patrons called to the waitress, somewhat rudely, and the young woman moved over to their table. "I'm comin' hold yer horses!"
Aliana shrunk back a bit as the two headed toward a table, clearly not used to this many people being about and somewhat unnerved by the din. "Gnome tossing? Why would anyone want to toss a gnome? Why would the gnome want to be tossed? It all sounds rather undignified."
Velarus noticed the apprehension on the woman's face, and also viewed the crowd with unease. He sighed heavily, "I'm not much for crowds either, but I'm afraid this maybe a common theme in the taverns throughout the city. Besides perhaps we will get some useful information." Velarus lowered his gruff voice to a whisper and leaned closer, "I would recommend not mentioning the half-orc's deeds here. If he has friends and they find out why we are looking for him, it would be easy for him to get word and disappear. I think we should say that we are looking for a priest for a prosperous adventure, some sort of ancient ruins filled with gold and jewels. We just may be able to get him to come to us, or at least get a true indication of his whereabouts. What say thee?"
Aliana looked somewhat uneasy with Velarus' suggestion. "Dost thou mean we should...lie?", she whispered, somewhat uncertainly. "Well, I guess, if thou think it best, we can try it," she concluded.
"I prefer to think of it as discretion. It is especially prudent if it can help uncover the truth about this murderer. Surely ye noticed the skeptical reaction by one of the cities top ranking military officials. If we meet someone here and make the same claims, they may be even less helpful, and maybe even dangerous. If this Farc finds out why ye seek him, thou might very well be in grave danger. Discretion is the better part of valor, m'lady."
"Oh. I see thy point. Dost thou think we'v...I've...already erred by being too open and honest with Sir Egern? Dost thou think he might be telling Farc about us and our visit even now? So we'll never be able to find him? Or...he could be waiting in ambush for us around the next corner!" Aliana eyes widened and she looked somewhat panicked by this possibility.
"No, I think thou were right to present the problem to Sir Egern. The Purple Dragons are a strange breed, but they follow a creed of honor. I don't think he would purposely warn Farc. If he mentioned in passing and word gets around.. we cannot be sure. We must be cautious and careful from now on, always on the alert. Living in the wilderness, I'm used to being ever watchful." Velarus tendered a half-hearted smile, unsuccessfully trying to relieve the obvious nervousness of his female companion.
He motioned to the waitress, whom they met at the door, and she promptly came to the table, carrying a few empty platters under her arm. "What can I get for ye?" The waitress gives a faint smile and nodded to Velarus as she tried to recall the specials of the day. "We got about anything ye want. We have onion roast, beef, turkey, ham, but the onion roast is the house special. It'll cost ye one lion for a whole roast or three falcons for a platter. On tap we have the usual ales and beers, we also have a number of imports."
Velarus smiled to the young blonde waitress, "I'll have just a platter of the onion roast and a mug of ale." Velarus pulled out four falcons, and placed it in the girl's hands. "Keep the change, m'lady."
Aliana waited for the ranger to finish, then asked in a hesitant voice, "Dost thou have anything lighter than thy meat dishes? Some fruit or a salad perhaps? And some hot bread?" She added hurriedly, "If not, that's fine also. I don't mean to be a bother. If that's the case, I'll have the onion roast as well. And I have my own beverage with me, if that's alright?"
"Well fruit being out of season and all will run ye a pretty coin, I think we are selling apples and pears for a falcon, and that's if we have any. We got some oranges in the conservatory, they are fresh, grown in the court green house, they may run ye about a thumb a piece. I could have the chef fix ye a nice salad if ye want for about five thumbs."
"Alright. That sounds fine," she said gratefully.
"A salad then, and I will bring both of ye a nice hot loaf of bread." She began to walk off and turned back around to Aliana. "Are ye sure ye don't want somethin' to drink lass? We have some nice hot tea brew'n or some light wine fresh from the Dales. They calm even the lightest appetite... well think about it, I will be back with yer food in a bit."
Velarus looked around, scanning the occupants for potential information. Velarus noticed some ladies chatting incessantly at the table next to them, and gazed back to Aliana. "Maybe ye should chat with those ladies, and I'll talk to the bard." He motioned toward the colorfully dressed individual sitting in the corner.
"Umm... All right." Aliana glanced at the women nervously following Velarus' suggestion.
Velarus stood up straightening out his bow and backpack, and strolled over toward the bard. "Hail! I am Velarus. Ye look like a man of knowledge." Velarus displayed a hearty smile. "We are looking for some people for a prosperous adventure. What we could really use is a solid priest who could handle the rigors of adventure. I heard Farc was a solid... man for the job. Surely, thou hast heard of him, a prominent fellow such as thyself."
The man with long, wavy chocolate-colored hair and creamy milk complexion peeked up at Velarus from his ale. "Farc? No, Doesn't ring a bell. There haven't been too many adventuring sorts around here since High Harvestide. If ye are looking for a priest ye might check some of the shrines or the temples. I hear Tymora's clergy like some action here or there." The bard went back to picking at his meal.
"Well, thank thee for thy time. Good afternoon to ye!" and Velarus took the last swig of his ale and pronounced, "Great ale, time for a refill." He gracefully walked up to the barmaids. He gave them a wink and pulled out a gold galleon. "I need some more ale, and some information. I'm trying to find a half-orc named Farc, who was recommended to me by a friend to help on an adventure. If ye could tell me where I can contact him or a human name Gedor, it would most appreciated." Velarus stated while he flipped the coin over with his fingers, staring into the barmaid's aquamarine eyes.
The barmaid ran a finger through her light brown hair and snatched the gold coin from Velarus' hand. "Ain't heard of any Farc, but its hard to say... I'm not so good with names." She held her hand out as to request more money.
Velarus pulled another gold galleon from his pouch and placed it inconspicuously in her hand, while looking around for any unscrupulous eyes on his transaction. "Please help me out, and tell me something more than he hangs out at the 'Leaning Post'. I've already got that much information already. I want to know all about him, to make sure I can trust him in battle."
She examined the two gold coins in her hand. "Yer lucky I likes ye cutter, two lions won't buy much of anything anymore. But it'll get ye a kiss." She leaned in close to Velarus and gave the surprised ranger a big smooch on his cheek, and whispered into his ear. "Farc is an adventuring sort, got a big group too, 'bout a dozen. Heard he was a decent sort, as for Gedor, he's a namer, I may know somethin' but it will cost ye more than two lions." She moved her face away from Velarus' cheek and sized him up. "I go on break in an hour, if ye want to meet me out back."
Velarus blushes slightly and bowed graciously, then returned to the table.
Aliana took several long drinks of hot tea from her flask to try to steady her nerves, then rose to her feet and took the couple of steps necessary to get over to the nearby table. "Umm...excuse me...", she began in an unsteady voice. "...but I'm new in town and ye looked like...umm...people in the know. My companions and I were looking for...a man with orcish blood known as Farc. We...umm...heard that he was a reliable ...umm... priestly sort and we were ...umm... looking for someone like that for our next quest. Have ye heard of him?" Aliana looked like she'd rather be doing just about anything other than talking to this many people she doesn't know.
The women seemed incredibly involved in their current conversation and Aliana's squeaky request amounted to a whisper competing with the roaring crowd. One of the women at the other side of the table noticed Aliana trying to hail them. She raised her hand and silenced the other women, who almost instinctively turned toward the young lady.
The woman at the far end of the table gave her lady mage a cold look. Like most the women, she was up there in age and was dressed similar to the upper middle class, with a fancy pink dress with a flowery yellow surcoat. "Well girl speak up, a dull whisper won't penetrate many ears in such a crowd."
A second woman spoke to the first, "Be easy on the girl, she looks upset."
"Really Mauna, its not like she interrupted anything important."
Seeing that her existing approach was not working well, Aliana swallowed and tried to inject her voice with an air of confidence she really didn't feel. Speaking with more volume she began again: "I am...sorry to interrupt thy conversation, but ye seem like people who might hear and know things about the city. My traveling companions and I have heard stories of a priest of orcish descent that resides in Suzail sometimes, by the name of Farc. We're looking for someone like that to accompany us on our next adventure and we were looking to try to locate him, or find out any information we could about him, so we might decide whether to ask him to accompany us. Please, have any of thee heard anything?" She ended with a plaintive note in her voice.
The women glanced at each other and chattered for a minute, then the first woman responded to Aliana, "Thou art sure you want an orc? Ye look like a nice young girl, not the type to be traveling around with beast like that."
Another woman interrupted "nor to be adventuring either, a nice girl like thee. Look at what thy adventuring has done to thee, thy nice white robe all dirty, I bet ye clean up really nice too. A pretty girl like thee has no business adventuring."
Yet another woman added, "Really Givaa, let the girl decide her own business! Who are we to say she shouldn't be adventuring? For all we know she has a perfectly good reason to throw her life away as such."
"Well 'tis a perfect waste is all. There are plenty of ladies not half as pretty as her at court, debutantes and what not. Ye should see this Della my Derion is courting, She has a nose like a harpy and the voice to match."
The conversation turned back to gossip about people totally irrelevant to the query. It seemed that they know more about their circle of society than adventurers or priests. The young mage turned around and sat down next to Velarus, a slight bit of frustration evident on her supple features. The blonde waitress returned to the table, carrying a meager looking salad, two mugs of ale and two plates of steaming meat.
"Here are yer orders, the salad may look a tad wilted, but High Harvestide was months ago. If ye need anything else hail me." She slipped Aliana a piece of paper discreetly and motioned, discretely, toward the two rambling men at the adjacent table as if to say 'beware'. "Enjoy your meals then" She walked off toward the kitchen once more.
Velarus waited patiently until the waitress walked away to summarize his finding or lack there of. "The bard chap knew not much of anything... in fact he was strangely quiet, for a bard. Didn't even give his name, which is very odd, most bard's I met pronounce their full names like trumpeteers at a royal wedding. But, the barmaid was a little more helpful." Velarus smiled. "She said that he has a group of about a dozen. We must be extremely careful, they outnumber us and it seems the local guards will side with them if it comes to our word against theirs." Velarus sighed deeply, and then continued, "Well anyway, she may have more information about Gedor, the human companion of Farc's, Sir Egern told us about. She asked to meet me outside, hopefully to get more information."
Aliana took a moment to take out the paper the waitress gave her and examined it. 'Murder tonight, Gedor in danger. P.S. Heard ye were dead, welcome to Suzail.' Aliana gasped, startled, and her eyes go wide. At her companion's quizzical stares, she passed the note to the woodsman. She stood up and surveyed the room, trying to see if she could see the waitress that gave her the note.
Velarus read the note, a puzzled expression formed on his rough-shaven face. "Who knows thou art here?" A tinge of frustration crept into the ranger's usually stoic posture. "Lady Aliana, I am meeting one of the bar maidens outside, and maybe I can get some information. But, mayhaps, it is a trap. Get the local watch, if I am attacked."
Aliana paused a moment from searching for the waitress to answer the ranger's question. "The only person I can think of is Vardoc, who was my father's assistant. I never found his...body, so though I'd assumed he was slain as well, he might have escaped the tower. I want to talk to the woman who gave me this note, and see how she got it, but if ye think thy life may be in peril, it can wait a bit." Aliana looked at Velarus with concern.
"After one or two minutes take a peek out, and check that nothing is amiss. Hopefully I have not misjudged the lass, but I have fought several battles and if danger comes, I will not be easy prey." Velarus took his food knife and cut part way through the peace ribbon under the table away from watching eyes so that it may tear free with only a modicum of force.
"Umm...if ye like, before ye leave, I could try to cast a spell to let us talk with each other at distance, even through walls. That way, I could know right away if ye need me." Aliana scanned around as if just remembering her surroundings. "Umm...Dost thou think they'd frown on spellcasting in public in Suzail?"
Velarus eyed the mage mistress with intrigue, "By Mielikki's grace, I've never heard of that, but it sounds interesting. That would be very beneficial, how long will this effect last? Is this a mental link or would I have to speak aloud? I do believe with the ruckus in here, few would notice thee performing magic."
Aliana smiled, pleased to be discussing spellcraft, one of her favorite topics. "It's a fairly simple spell. It lasts about a half-hour and thou would have to stay fairly close to the tavern or thou would be outside its range. It's not a direct mental link, but anything ye whisper, I'd be able to hear. So...umm...dost thou think it is a good idea?" she asked deferentially.
"Yes, Lady Aliana it is a very good idea. Well done! I will be at ease... unless the barmaid gets a little too friendly. Then it shall be a little embarrassing." Velarus chuckled softly.
Aliana looked slightly perplexed. "Well...if she's friendly, then she'd be more likely to answer questions, so I don't see why that would be a problem, really." The young mage seemed completely oblivious to the subtleties of the ranger's statement. "I'll wait until thou art ready to go so we don't run the risk of running out of time before ye finish."
Aliana finished up her salad and looked around for the hot bread that was promised. Not finding it, she took another drink of hot tea from her flask. "Well...lacking a telekinesis spell, I don't think I'll be doing any gnome tossing. It seems rather unkind to the gnomes anyway."
Velarus rolled his eyes as the discussion turns to the strange Inn event. "I would never participate in such a dishonorable sport as that. Jousting, swordplay, and archery contests are true tests of skill. Gnome tossing is just plain sadistic, even if the gnome doesn't mind. Just because a slave doesn't mind, doesn't make slavery just."
The midday sun moved west and nearly an hour passed as they sat and conversed. The inn emptied and the servants began to ready the main room for the competition. The fifty patrons dwindled to about a dozen. Remaining among the reduced crowd were two armed men at the bar, and the 'bard'. The waitress who bore the note was conspicuously absent since dropping off the food. The two apparently drunken men left the inn, which the waitress warned them about, left only a few minutes ago. Every five minutes or so, Velarus looked over his shoulder to the bar, anxiously awaiting his meeting in the alley with the woman.
The two men with swords moved to a seat at a nearby table and closer to the area of the competition. They were seemingly trying to get a better view of the event, but something was different about them. Velarus wondered if these two men are possibly involved in this mysterious murder that the note mentioned, but he shrugged it off as a paranoid notion. Velarus glanced over his shoulder once more and saw that the barmaid was no longer at the bar. Velarus leaned toward Aliana and whispered quietly, "perhaps now would be the proper time to cast thy spell, my lady friend has disappeared."
Aliana nodded to Velarus, retrieved her spellbook and laid it on the table. She flipped through the pages until she found a certain page, then spoke some words of magic in a low voice. As she did, her eyes turn to liquid pools of silver. She gestured at Velarus and herself in turn. As she finished casting, her eyes returned to their normal medium blue hue.
Velarus walked toward the exit, out of earshot of the two swordsmen, then whispered in a low voice. "If ye can hear me... touch thy ear."
Aliana spotted the ranger and brushed her earlobe with her index finger.
Velarus exhaled in slight relief, and then continued. "Be wary, the two swordsmen were watching thee while casting thy spell. Keep a close eye on them."
Aliana peeked at the swordsmen with a concerned look on her face. She whispered seemingly to no one. "Just be sure not to go too far away, or ye will be out of range of the spell." She took a sip of tea to steady her nerves.
Velarus walked up to the barmaid and spoke quietly, "Hello... uh. I'm sorry but ye didn't give me thy name... I am Velarus" I am a Ranger, protector of the lands and an adventurer of sorts."
Aliana listened intently to the half of the conversation she's getting.
"A bounty? I didn't hear anything about a bounty. Is he a wanted man... Gedor?" …
"I am a woodsman, not a noble. Here are five gold galleons. Please this information is important to me?" …
"What I know about Gedor is very little. I mainly was looking for Farc, the half-orc. But I heard he was a good man, and Gedor was a friend of his."
"He gets too friendly with certain guards, what dost thou mean?"
"Look, to tell ye the truth, thou seem to be a decent person. The truth is we believe Farc is the person who killed the young girl's father I'm with. We are looking to question him, and bring him to justice. Gedor was a friend of his. We want to find him to find Farc." …
Aliana looked rather concerned as she noticed the two swordsmen didn't have the required peace ribbons on their weapons.
"I don't know anything about him. We are trying to find out. We need to find an answer. " Velarus' voice continued to echo in the lady mage's mind.
"Gedor is a guild member? Of what guild?"
"Can ye give me another name that can give me information about Farc? Gedor is not important to me."
"I will find Gedor and question him then. I'm sorry thou cannot help. Good deeds are often tough, I know."
"There are many guilds... I'm assuming ye are talking the thieves' guild or worse? "
"I am a simple woodsmen, I'm not well versed in the city life. I didn't mean to offend thee."
"I am sorry to have bothered thee."
Velarus opened the door, and went back into the Inn, frustration apparent on his rough face. He whispered quietly out of earshot of the barmaiden. "I'm back in the tavern."
Aliana whispered to Velarus "I lost track of one of the swordsmen after they got up and left the table. Be careful."
Velarus walked up to the blonde waitress, keeping a careful eye out around him, and talked in a low voice. "Is everything alright?" Once again Aliana had to listen to only half of the conversation out of earshot.
"Does he deserve it? It seems like Gedor is not a respectable man..."
"It depends on who's asking... "
"I do not want him dead. I would like to ask him something. Who wants him dead?"
A handsome fellow well dressed in a silky black tunic entered the bar. He seemed to stand out in the crowd of commoners.
Velarus continued to speak through the spell. "Who wants to kill Gedor? That's him coming through the door... ah..."
The swordsman standing beside the door drew his sword and charged at the noble wearing the black silk tunic, bringing his blade down at a sharp angle. The sword seemed as if it will strike him in the chest, but the noble deftly moved away, taking a minor slash to the thigh.
Aliana began to chant, and weave her hands in an intricate pattern. Moments later three pure white, seemingly angelic dogs appeared around the assailant, barking at him viciously, as the noble moved away through the crowd.
Velarus made his away swiftly toward the entrance door, looking around for the second swordsman. He spotted a suspicious face looking out from the kitchen and noticed a sword down by his side. Velarus yelled toward the direction of the lady mage, forgetting she could still hear him speak, "The other swordsman is in the kitchen." Within seconds the ranger was at the kitchen doorway, his own rune-inscripted longsword in his scarred hands. "Drop thy steel and no harm shall come," he warned.
The swordsman gazed at Velarus and stepped forward ignoring his warning. He lunged toward the ranger's leather protected stomach with his blade. The ranger deflected the blow with his sword, pushing it upward. Velarus thrust his own blade forward into the man's unprotected mid-section impaling the thug. His eyes bulged as he collapsed to the hardwood flooring.
One of the dogs yelped from a wound it received. The mage's blue eyes flash with anger. A moment later, they turned once more to reflective silver pools as she launched a pair of silvery missiles from her fingertips at the swordsman, which struck him in the chest causing him to drop his weapon.
Velarus removed his blade and faced the other would-be assassin. The ranger waved his fine blade toward the man, as blood trickles off the tip of the sword. "Yield now... or die like thy partner!"
The remaining attacker saw the bloody sword, and quickly peered into the kitchen and discovered the corpse of his ally. "I surrender! Just kill me now." The dogs continued to nip at the man, until Aliana arrived and waved them away.
"We don't want to kill anyone... We want some answers!" the ranger demanded hastily.
"Nobody messes with us and gets away with it." The man looked defiant, but feared for his life.
"Except me." The noble looking gentleman, Gedor, walked back over to the attacker, the blonde waitress followed at his side.
"Ye are as good as dead." The brown-eyed attacker spit as he spoke to the suave, well-dressed man.
Gedor scoffed, "Really. Just for that I'm not going to kill ye. I'll leave ye to the rest of thy ilk."
The swordsman let's out an exasperated sound and repeated himself. "Ye are a dead man."
Velarus looks to the noble trying to ascertain the gist of the words. "Gedor. Why are these people trying to kill thee! Farc is going to be upset," he added hoping to spark a useful answer about their prey.
Gedor searched around the bar with his eyes, "No time to chat, there may be more on the way." The noble and the waitress stepped outside without another word. Aliana and Velarus looked at each other and followed after him. Velarus sheathed his sword and caught up to the unlikely pair.
"There are more thugs on the way down the street, let's get to Horn Gate," the black clad man stated.
Aliana cast a questioning glance to the ranger, who merely shrugged in response, and the pair followed Gedor and the waitress through the snowy city streets.