CHAPTER 5
CROSSROADS
Alan, Tobias and Stormy had little trouble finding the Wild Drummer. It's garishly painted façade and large wooden sign instantly distinguished it from the surrounding buildings. The inn also had a large stable set across from it. There, Alan and Tobias paused to get Red Lightning some water and then went inside. In the common room, the sound of conversation, laughter and storytelling at the tables nearly drowned out the three man band onstage. A pair of human serving wenches wound their way through the crowd, smiling and joking with the customers. A rather rotund innkeeper came up to the boys, shouting to be heard over the din. "You can't bring your animals into my establishment. I run a clean inn!" Alan was confused. "We left our horse outside. We'd like to see about renting a stall and a room for the night." He shouted back. "Your centaur lad! They don't belong in this place, unless they can pay." Alan turned white. He had never heard of anyone treating Stormy in this manner. He felt Tobias's hand on his arm, and Stormy whispering in his ear, "It's all right. I'll just bed down in the stall next to Red tonight. I'll be fine." "We can find another inn." Alan said angrily. He wasn't going to stand for Stormy being treated second class! "Not likely" the innkeeper snorted. "The other inns are all booked up with folks traveling through for the Halloween festival. It's either my inn, or the street." Alan ground his teeth, before taking a deep breath. Counting to ten helped calm him down some, and he exhaled slowly. "We'll take that room, if you don't mind." He heard Tobias say. It was probably best for Tobias to handle the innkeeper, he thought. Alan wasn't sure what he would do, he had never been really angry before. Sure he had been mad at Colby, but that would have passed in time. Stormy turned around and headed back out into the yard. Alan watched her go; feeling very conflicted at the shame his friend had to endure. "Come on," Tobias said, tugging at his arm. "A pint will do you good. She'll be fine, like she said, and we'll be leaving in the morning."
Tobias led his friend over to a table set near the corner. One other table was near it, but it was still being cleaned by a blonde serving wench that would have had Thomas asking her to dance in a heartbeat if he had been there. She glanced up at them and gave them a slightly worn smile. Tobias smiled back at her and gestured that he would like two ales. The wench nodded and quickly finished her work at the table before vanishing into the crowd to get their drinks. To get his mind off his troubles, and anger, Alan began to casually study the other patrons. In one cluster of tables sat a loud group of what appeared to be wagon drivers. They were rough-looking men with thick beards and large hands. They continually tried to pinch the serving wenches as they brought a steady stream of drinks to them. The other customers were a mixed bunch of townsmen, merchants and local mill workers. Their costumes varied as widely as the people, from the rough dress of the teamsters, to the garishly garbed merchants, and the slightly somber mill workers.
As Alan continued his brooding perusal of the crowd, the serving girl returned with their mugs and a gentleman in tow. After depositing their mugs, she showed the stranger to the empty table next to them. Alan's gaze was immediately riveted to the stranger. The long traveler's cloak, richly embroidered was enough to set him apart from the crowd. There was an emblem adorning his breast pocket. Two wagons set back to back with a trader's scales rising above them. It was enough to identify him as a Master Trader. Tobias had been quick to notice it too. They met each-other's gaze. Tobias turned back to the stranger. "Hail, trader. From what parts have you come?" The elderly trader looked up in surprise. "Not that it's any of your business, but I've done a run from Hell's Gate, near the Great Wall." He spoke strongly, with a trace of a strange accent.
Alan felt excitement course through his veins. At last, here was someone who could tell them what to expect, and where to go. He immediately stuck out his hand. "My name is Alan Eagleheart, and this here is my friend, Tobias Leavetree. We're looking for information on the Gleed." The word had an interesting effect on the trader. He immediately beckoned them closer in and dropped his voice to near a whisper. "Why do you be looking for information on the Gleed?" He asked. Alan noticed his hand drifting towards the edge of his cloak and was willing to wager that the Trader had a knife there. He quickly spoke up, "My sister is very sick. We're hoping that a Gleed healer might make her well again, sir." "Hmmm." Was all the trader would say, but Alan noted with some relief that his hand had stopped moving towards the cloak. "Well, I might as well tell you what I know, youngin'. I think I'll need my pipe, however. And mayhap some lubrication as this tale is a long one." Tobias quickly gestured to the serving maid for another ale, which was quickly forthcoming. The trader took a long draught and lit his pipe. Leaning forward so as not to be overheard, he began.
No one really knows where the Gleed came from. They have been around for more than an Age, some say before even the Dark Age, although I don't know about that. I do know, however, that they built their great wall sometime around that point. They then retreated inside their great dome cities, and allowed no other race to enter except as slave or other. "What about that other you mentioned. Do they really eat us?" Tobias broke in excitedly. The trader gave a loud harrumph and Tobias embarrassedly subsided. When the trader was sure that he would not be interrupted, he continued. No, I don't know whether those rumors are true or not. I have heard tales of the Gleeds eating conquered foemen whole and alive, but as far as I know, those are just tales. Many of their slaves, the centaurs, the Sklurg, and others, escaped captivity, and established their own towns, trading centers, etc. The humans eagerly accepted trade with these races, hoping to bring in wealth for our own people. "Including slaves." Alan muttered sorely. He owned Stormy, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The trader's eyebrow rose at the bitter tone, but continued on. Yes, including slaves. The trading routes had just been established when a Gleed arrived in the middle of the Great Marketplace, in the human city of Dertshire, which is no more. There he commanded that trade routes must past through Gleed outposts, or no caravan would be safe. The traders, though fearful, decided to ignore the warning. After all, the Gleed had retreated to their cities. Why should they worry? Within a week, the Gleed attacked. They used strange flying coaches and weapons of lighting to destroy caravans and wagon trains until the Traders agreed that they would move trade routes through Gleed outposts on the Wall. The Gleed then returned to their cities, except for a bare handful that venture out now and then to the outposts attached to the Wall. Those scaly frogs have since done their best to drain honest traders' coffers. Dealing with them can be a tricky affair. They generally demand a tax on all goods, and then insist on discounts for the goods that they do purchase, and if they're not satisfied, they will make you buy it back off them or face the consequences. They are devils when making bargains, and generally they will only deal with you if they can make a clear profit. They tend to be aggressive, and are very strong. Fortune would have to smile on you greatly if you want to beat a Gleed.
Alan and Tobias were quiet as the trader finished. He took a drink from his mug, the foam coating his mouth while Alan and Tobias digested his words. Alan's thoughts were full of dismay. He didn't think that his rocks and baubles would be near enough to pay for a Gleed to look at his sister. Tobias looked questioningly at Alan. Do you know if Gleeds will go after jewels" He asked carefully. The trader threw his head back and laughed, causing patrons to pause and look at their table before going back to their conversations. "Keep it down!" Tobias hissed nervously. The trader stopped laughing and looked at the boys curiously. "Where would a pair of scrawny farmboys like you get jewels worth anything?" he demanded. Alan leaned in. "From Great Swamp. There are old abandoned mines there, and we went exploring there. Most of them were played out, but there were still some stones to be had. We've been saving them for a day like this, and now we want to use them to buy a Gleed healer for my sister" The trader pursed his lips slightly. "Can I see them?" he asked. His eyes alighted with interest as Alan took the stones from his pack and placed them on the table. His hands reached out towards the stones then paused. "May I?" he asked. When Alan gave his consent, the man picked them up and weighed them in his palm. Taking a jeweler's lens, he took a closer look at the stones, and then took a special toolkit and began going over the stones in minute detail. Tobias fidgeted impatiently, continuously glancing over the crowd as if to catch anyone looking at them. His attitude was starting to get on Alan's nerves, but he kept his peace. Finally, the trader was finished with his inspection and handed them over to Alan. "Those are very pretty stones, and are worth a great deal of money. You should keep them close to you at all time." With that they quieted down and made small talk until they could excuse themselves from the table. The trader bid them farewell and watched them as they walked away.
When they got to their room, they made sure to secure the door. Alan took the room's sole chair and propped it up against the doorframe to slow down anyone breaking in. Placing their weapons and packs on the floor, Alan and Tobias sat on their beds facing one another. "Well," Alan said finally. "What do you think?" asked Tobias. "Is the information good?" "I think it is," Alan said after a moment's reflection. "He has had no reason to lie to us." "Well, I still don't think it was a good idea to trust him with the jewels." Tobias insisted. Alan shrugged, indifferent. "I didn't see as to where we had much of a choice." Alan said calmly. He would never have believed us about them unless we had shown them to him." "But he thinks we're thieves!" Tobias said incredulously. "He as much as said it out loud tonight!" Alan gave a full laugh. "Oh no, not thieves I don't think. Runaway farmboys who don't know what we have, perhaps. But I don't think he would call us thieves just yet." Tobias shook his head irritably at his friend's stubbornness, causing Alan to chuckle some more. Kicking off his boots, Alan laid back onto the soft goose-down bed. The room they had been provided was very nice, with two small four poster beds, a mirror hanging above a washstand, and even a small fireplace with a small pile of wood next to it for a fire. The walls appeared to be paneled in cedar, although the wood was fairly old, it was well cared for and Alan fancied that he could still catch a wiff of cedar. Closing his eyes, he let his thoughts wander and wondered how Mary was doing. He sent up a silent prayer, asking that she be safe. Troubled, he drifted off to a restless sleep.
He awoke to the sound of breaking glass and loud shouts. Rolling towards the door, he listened to the sound of yelling voices for a moment before rolling the other way and sitting up. Grabbing his boots, he hurriedly put them on. Standing up, he quickly shook Tobias. "Huh…What?" Tobias said sleepily until he heard the voices and fell silent. The sound of smashing furniture reached the boys, and they quickly began tying up their packs. Grabbing their spears, they debated whether to climb down the window, but disregarded that option when they saw the small size of the window. Tobias might just make it, but there was no way that Alan could. The only way out was through the front door. Alan stood next to the door with Tobias. The boys looked at each other, took a deep breath and opened the door to a scene of utter devastation. Smashed tables and furniture was strewn across the common room while in the center a dozen well-dressed young men grappled with the brawny wagon drivers and rough-hewn mill workers. Shouts, curses and occasional grunts could be heard from the melee, while the innkeeper and his maids cowered behind a tipped table. A heavy bouncer that Alan hadn't noticed before was busy trying to break up the fight, and instead seemed to be more in the middle of the brawl than anything else. "How are we going to get out of here?" Tobias asked as he stared at the combatants. Alan looked around carefully. He noticed that the brawl was gravitating to the back of the room. He nudged his friend and pointed towards the terrified owner and servants. "Behind him. There's no one near him. If we're lucky, we can sneak out the door without anyone noticing." Tobias looked incredously at his friend. "Your insane. There's no way we are going to get away with that." Alan grinned encouragingly, "Of course we will. Easy as sneaking pie off of mamma's sill." Tobias gave a quiet groan. "Alan, we got caught, remember?" That wiped the grin off of Alan's face, but he stubbornly insisted that it was the only way out. Tobias shook his head in mute terror, but Alan had already started down the stairs. Hurrying, Tobias caught up and together they eased down, trying not to attract notice. What they didn't know was that someone was already watching them.
"All right," A voice whispered at the bottom of the stairs, "Hand over yer gold and jewels and ye get to live another day." Alan stopped and stared in confusion at the tall, rudely dressed wagoner that had issued the threat. Behind him, Tobias gave a little horrified gasp. The man had them covered with a small crossbow. Alan mentally cursed himself. Tobias was right, someone had overseen the Trader and him, or perhaps the trader had sold them out for a share of the profit. Alan debated whether or not to fight him anyway, but the man raised his crossbow making the metal tip gleam threateningly in the light. "I wouldn't try it if I was you," the man offered. Alan tried to get him to see reason. "Please, they're for my sister. She's sick. I need to use them to pay for a Gleed healer." The man whistled silently. "A Gleed, eh? Well, I will admit you kids have guts. Still don't make a diff. I'm taking that bag of jewels you was showing that cursed Trader." Alan's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he reached into his pack to get the jewels. The man smiled with horrible, golden teeth as he reached out to take the bag from Alan's outstretched hand. A shadow from the wall suddenly detached itself and stood up behind the robber. There was a thunk and a cry of pain, and the man was down on the ground while the trader calmly pulled back his cloak. Alan noticed the glint of a knife handle as the trader made it vanish. He looked at the boys and said calmly, "We had best leaving. That was too close for comfort." So saying, he turned away and strode confidently out the door, dodging a flying mug only once from the brawl. The boys looked at each other and ran past the sobbing innkeeper as he watched his common room be destroyed.
Outside, they found the traveler hurriedly tipping the stableboy who quickly bobbed his greasy head and darted into the stable. By the time Alan had caught up to the trader, the boy had already fetched back a pair of Clydesdales, and placed them in front of a large wagon. The boy hurried to get the horses into their harnesses and attached to the cart. Alan slipped into the stable with Tobias on his heels. Moving past stall after stall, he found one with heavy iron bars surrounding it, like a cage. A heavy door with latch stood in the front. Peeking through the bars, he was shocked to find Stormy resting on a bale of hay, her hands under her head as her sole pillow. Glancing at the heavy latch and lock that kept his friend imprisoned, he gave it a mighty pull, bending it out of shape. Looking around slightly, he spotted a heavy rock that someone had leaned near the back wall. Grabbing it, he attacked the lock ferociously. The noise awakened Stormy who gave a sleepy stretch. Her ear suddenly cocked towards the inn, and he knew she heard the brawl. "What have you done now?!!" she cried. "It's not my fault." Alan protested as he finished smashing the lock open. She quickly exited the stall and stood in the center of the stable, stamping her hoof in agitation. Alan quickly gathered all her gear and saddled her, grabbing her saddle-pack and securing it on her back. Checking the straps, he heard Tobias exiting with Red Lightning. Quickly swinging aboard, he and Stormy rushed out of the stable. Seeing the boy on his way back in, Alan tapped Stormy on her shoulder to get her to slow. As they came up to the lad, Alan fished a few coppers from his pocket and gave them to the boy. "For the lock." He explained. Heeling Stormy, they set off after Tobias and the trader, who was moving down the street at a quick pace.
Alan felt, rather than saw, the houses that rushed past them. They were headed directly for the main gate, heading towards the Great Wall. Alan and Tobias followed the trader until he began to slow. The trader beckoned them forward, and they moved up until they were on either side of the wagon. "We'll have to bribe the guards to let us out this late." He whispered. "Fortunately, I happen to know most of the guards, and they know enough to keep their mouths shut. You are going to be my guards. Make sure you have your weapons out and make sure that centaur of yers doesn't speak at all." Alan felt indignation for his friend, but kept his mouth shut and made sure to have his spear out. On the other side, he could catch glimpses of Tobias doing the same.
As they came up to the closed gates, Alan began to sweat. He wasn't sure that the trader could get the guards to let them out. If he couldn't, they would have to explain to the captain of the guard what they were doing out so late, and with the precious gems. Alan gripped his spear nervously and tried his best to keep a calm face forward. The wagon came to a halt on the edge of the torchlight thrown out by the guardhouse. A portly man in leather armor and a red sash on his arm came out of the house. Behind him came another pair of guards, also dressed in leather armor, a skullcap, and holding short pikes and swords strapped to their belts. "Here now, what's this?" said the guard imperiously. "Don't ya know what time it is?! Go back to the inn and…oh, its you." He said respectfully. "Now see here, Mr. Redfalm, I don't need no trouble, sir." "And trouble is not what you will get my friend." Said the Trader smoothly. "I merely remembered that my goods are time sensitive and that if I delay even more than an hour I would risk losing all my goods. I must leave tonight." "Then why didn't you leave before the gates closed?" asked the guard. It was a good question, asked Alan, who was wondering the same thing. He sent a silent prayer that the guard would get tired and simply let them out without more fuss. Meanwhile the trader was still talking. "I had the most rotten luck inside your fair city today. My cart had need of some repairs, and the wagon master didn't finish till near sunset. At that point, I had to go searching for my guards, and found that they were stinking drunk. Fortunately, this pair of able youths had just come to the city for work and I was able to hire them on the spot. We finished our business and got back to my wagon, but by the time we got all straightened out, it was this ungodly hour of the night that led us to finally come upon you." The guard listened with interest to the story, but shook his head. "I'm sorry about your goods, but we can't open the door until morning. Orders, you know." The trader leaned in close to the guard. "Of course, we must all obey orders, but I am sure that simply letting out someone who is already in wouldn't violate that order." There was the klink of coin in the dark. "The orders are to keep people out, not in, after all. The guard nodded happily, making the small pile of coins vanish with great speed. Alan blinked at the speed that the doors opened and let them out. The strange group then vanished into the dark.