The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (7 page)

“I’ve thought about it. Believe me I have, but I can make more money fighting and playing cards in one day then I ever could slaving away in the fields. And as for the legions, I would love the adventure, but I’ve never fought someone in real combat. Besides, I want adventure, but I want my own; not that which is forced upon me by the realm.”

“I don’t agree with what your methods, but it appears to be working for you. You say you seek adventure, but you’re willing to keep playing your little games. One day it will go too far, and then what will your options be?” He raised his eyebrow to the boy. “I suggest you think about what you want with your life and adjust it to fit what your heart seeks.” He turned and strode away.

Jaeden ran up to him. “Will you teach me...I mean, to better my skills with my sword?”

He stopped and turned to face the boy. “I have other things to attend to.” The boy looked defeated. “I need to check on my lady. Good day.” He turned and walked away.

Jaeden stopped and watched him disappear. After Tirene rounded the corner, Jaeden turned and kicked a rock before sulking back to his home.

Tirene returned to the inn and crept up to the second floor. He knocked on Liniana’s door. She opened it a small crack. She had finished her bath and had adorned a gray, wool dress, with her hair pulled back. “Where did you run off to?” she asked.

It amazed him how beautiful she looked, even in a common dress. He realized his eyes had drifted to her and bordered on staring. “I was umm... checking out the town.”

“Did you see anything you like?” she asked

He grinned at her. “As a matter of fact, I found the boy from lunch fighting other boys with swords.” She stepped back and let him into her room. “He’s very skilled in combat, and I suggested he join your father’s legions.” He walked over to the chair and gave her a look.

“By all means, have a seat.” She motioned toward the chair.

“Thank you. The boy rejected the idea. He only dreams of money.” He shook his head. “It’s too bad too. With a little training, he would rise up through the ranks.”

“You can’t force your beliefs on anyone else.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. She adjusted the hem of her dress to ensure her legs remained hidden. “This may be what his life has in store for him. You cannot fix everyone.”

He glared at her. “It’s just a waste of has natural born skills. He could do so much with his life. Instead he’ll wander around, chased from town to town, his greed overcoming him, while he yearns for more money.”

She gave him a look of consolement. “Sadly, it isn’t for you to decide, nor for you to get involved. We’ve other matters to worry about.”

“You’re right.” He stood up. “We leave at first light. I must attend to some things. I will see you at dinner.” He walked out of the room.

She closed the door behind him as he strode down the hallway.

Later that afternoon, thunder and lightning erupted outside, followed by torrential rain. He glanced out his window as the storm raged. The water pooled on the road and turned the hard packed dirt into mud. Since it began, most people had retreated indoors. A glow still emanated from the blacksmith’s shop, and you could hear his hammer working metal.

He drifted out of his daze, drawn by the smells wafting up from the kitchen. It smelled like beef. His mouth watered as the scents burst through his nose and his brain discerned the aromas.

After knocking on Liniana’s door to no answer, he figured she headed down to the hall, and he walked in that direction as well.

The raucous noise and laughter from the patrons filled the hall. Most of them ate their meals while musicians on the stage played music to entertain them. Others challenged one another to see who could drink more. Eight people crowded around a table in the back corner. Tirene saw that Jaeden had joined them, and he assumed some form of gambling had ensued. He spotted Liniana at a table near the large fireplace on the eastern wall. She sat deep in conversation with Nevin, the innkeeper. She noticed him looking for her, and waved him over.

He made his way through the crowd of people and reached her table. He took the empty seat next to the innkeeper, so as not to seem presumptuous.

Nevin welcomed him. “I enjoyed chatting with you my lady, but now I must attend to my other duties. Enjoy your meal, I think you will like it.” He smiled at them both and walked back through the kitchen door.

Tirene looked at her and said, “Did you have a good chat?”

She gave him a mischievous look. “I did. We were just talking about the area. I think he wanted to get me interested in his son.” She laughed.

A serving lad walked over and put a plate in front of each of them. It looked to be a meat pie. It smelled delicious. Tirene thanked the boy and said, “I thought I smelled spiced fruit. Is there some kind of dessert?”

“Aye,” she said. “We have warm peach cobbler if you stick around after your meal.” He walked back to the kitchen.

They were well into their meal when an argument broke out at the table in the corner. Two older gentlemen, obviously upset, yelled at Jaeden and threatened to knock over the table. Tirene rolled his eyes, but jumped out of his seat and approached the scuffle with Liniana close at his heels. When he arrived, plenty of pushing and shoving seemed directed toward the boy. One of the pushers knocked him to the floor.

Jaeden continued to lay on the floor where he fell. “You’re cheating, I tell you!” Another man nodded in agreement and said, “No one gets the dagger and the king that many times in a row! It isn’t luck, this is beyond that.”

Tirene grabbed the bigger of the two gentlemen and glared at Jaeden. “Anything I can help with here?” he asked, aware of what they must be arguing about.

Jaeden shot back, “They think I’m cheating. Tirene, tell them I don’t cheat. I just got on a lucky streak that’s all. I didn’t cheat,” he pleaded.

The accuser interjected, spittle flying out of his mouth. “LIES! He isn’t telling the truth. No one is
that
lucky!”

Liniana had joined in the discussion. “Jaeden, I believe you wouldn’t cheat. Empty your pockets and prove you have nothing to hide so we can be done with this and go back to our meals.”

He pulled himself off the floor, hesitant to dig into his pockets. “I’m not cheating. These people are just upset I’m a better player than they are. I just got lucky...” Liniana walked forward and started digging in Jaeden's pockets. “Fine! Fine, get your hands out of my pockets,” he said, with anger filling his face. He threw Liniana’s hands out of his way and emptied the contents onto the table. He had a plain looking dagger and a bunch of gold and silver. Nothing else lay in his pockets. “See! No cards! No dice! No cheating involved.”

Tirene grinned. “Enough then! He wasn’t cheating. It’s over.” The other card players scoffed, not satisfied nor the least bit amused. “I suggest you go home, Jaeden.” He noticed the number of coins the boy shoved into his pockets, and an idea popped into his head. “Before you go though, I think you should buy these fine gentlemen a round of drinks.”

A look of astonishment and pure rage crossed Jaeden's face. “Buy them a round of drinks? After they accuse me of cheating? I don’t think so.” He glared at Tirene. “Fine!” He turned to Nevin and told him to bring another round. This seemed to calm the gamblers down and they returned to their game. When the drinks arrived, the boy tossed Nevin several coins and glared once again at Tirene and Liniana. He then walked out of the tavern and headed home for the evening.

Tirene and Liniana returned to their table and finished their dinner. They ordered wine from the serving boy and asked for a couple pieces of the fresh peach pie.

She looked at him and smiled. “Nice touch.” She took a sip of her wine. “I liked the idea of having him buy a round of drinks for those men. It calmed them down.”

Tirene laughed. “Maybe he will think twice before gambling again. At least until we’ve departed. That isn’t a life for someone his age.” The piping hot pie arrived and they both dug in. A stout woman got up on stage and began to sing an old song. She sang well into the night. Many songs seemed very familiar to Tirene, but he couldn’t quite name them. When she took her first break, he mentioned to Liniana how tired he felt and reminded her they were leaving at first light. She told him she wanted to stay down a little longer, so he excused himself and went back upstairs to retire for the evening.

The rain pounded hard on the ground and the moons were well into the sky. Brant pushed his horse hard, considering the state of the mud-filled roads. He ran with all haste to tell Liniana and Tirene what he’d discovered. He had spent the entire afternoon scouting the lands surrounding Shepherd's Crossing. When the sun crept over the eastern horizon, he stumbled across a camp of Minotaurs. An Elf accompanied them too. He made a count of the forces when his horse whinnied, giving away his concealed location.

The Minotaurs noticed his presence so he made a quick retreat back to town, but he knew he had a long distance to travel. The rains forced him to slow his pace. The Minotaurs gained on him, and he knew they would kill him if they caught up.

He neared the city when the rains turned torrential. Even with the muck of the mud, he pressed his horse harder. He glanced back over his shoulder and spotted the horns on the Minotaurs pursuing him.

Still glancing over his shoulder, his horse crumpled to the ground as if its legs disappeared, and he flew over his horse’s head, splashing down in a large puddle of mud, where he skidded across the road. His horse lay on the ground and tried to make it back to his feet, but couldn’t as its front leg was broken. It screamed in pain, and Brant noticed the advance of the Minotaurs and tried to find a way to fortify himself. He reacted too late. An axe flew toward him and implanted itself in his skull. Blood trickled out of the wound as he folded forward, his face falling into a puddle. He drew water into his lungs as he tried to breathe, unable to move his head. With the axe implanted in his skull, he drowned.

Tirene woke well before dawn with feelings urging him to find Norlun—he couldn’t escape them no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t know if the decision was the correct one, but now everything seemed to point him in Norlun’s direction. He got out of bed and dressed himself; putting on his travel breeches and tunic. With rumors swirling around about the Minotaurs, he donned his breastplate to feel more secure. Even after the large meal from the night before, his stomach grumbled. He grabbed his travel bags and tidied up the room.

He walked out into the hall and thought about knocking on Liniana's door, but remembered she’d stayed down in the hall later than he had, and didn’t want to wake her. He continued down to the dining room and found the barkeep.

“It be a might bit early for me to serve you much. The cooks have just started preparing for breakfast. I do have some spiced bread I can offer you, though.”

He knew anything was better than nothing. “I will take some spiced bread and some hot tea to go with it.” The barkeep nodded and retreated into the kitchen.

He returned after a few moments with the loaf on a carving board and a teapot with steam billowing out of the neck. He set the bread down in front of Tirene and grabbed a stone mug. He filled it with hot water and dropped in dried leaves. He pushed both toward Tirene. “There you go, sorry I couldn’t offer you more.”

“It’s no problem. I think this will suffice.” He cut off a slice, slathered it with butter and said, “Could you see that the grooms get my horses ready? We mean to depart at first light.” The barkeep nodded and disappeared through a different set of doors.

Tirene swallowed the first slice of bread, and took a drink of the tea. The barkeep walked back in and told him the groom was prepping the horses. Tirene acknowledged him and nodded his thanks. He finished as Nevin walked into the bar.

Nevin looked at Tirene. “You’re up early. You mean to be leaving soon?”

“Yes, we’re leaving at first light.” He stood up when a mischievous grin crossed his face. “That is, of course, if the lady is awake by then. I thank you for your services. It has been a very restful day. Your hospitality had been above spectacular.” He bowed his head toward Nevin.

“I thank you for your compliments, Tirene. When I chatted with the lady last night, she mentioned there is a chance someone is following you. You have no need to worry. No one in this town will acknowledge that you have passed through. I will see to that.”

He was astonished Liniana had been so bold. “I thank you.” He glanced toward the door. “I need to check on the grooms and our horses.” Nevin agreed and Tirene left.

He searched for Brant while continuing to the rear of the building to find the stables. As he walked, he noticed a brown plow horse tethered to a hitching post. He already had an idea of who it belonged to, and chuckled.

The smell of hay and dung overwhelmed him. He noticed a young groom bridling the horses. He saw another young man standing next to him, talking his ear off. The young groom noticed Tirene.

“I’m getting the horses prepared for you, sir. They will be ready to leave before first light.” Noticing Tirene's traveling bags, the groom walked over and picked them up. “I will see that these are taken care of for you.” He walked over to the first horse, which had a white belly with brown splotches. “This horse is yours, if I’m not mistaken.”

Tirene nodded at him as the other young man turned around to face him with a large grin on his face. He recognized the boy. It was Jaeden. “And what are you doing down in the stables, Jaeden?” He already knew the answer, but wished to hear it from the boy's mouth.

“Well, because you have ruined my gambling opportunities in this town, I need to move on. So I figured I would travel with you.” His grin grew, “That is because you’re the reason I can no longer operate in this town.”

“What makes you think we’ll allow you to accompany us? Why would I even consider it?” Another voice cut him off.

“It would be nice to have another person with us to spread out the watches.” The voice belonged to Liniana. Jaeden's smile grew with her agreement that he should come along.

Tirene turned and faced the boy. He agreed an extra pair of hands would be nice, and from what he witnessed yesterday, he did have the makings of a fine soldier. He decided he would allow it, but didn’t want to seem eager about it. “I agree with the lady, and seeing how you leave me very little choice, I will allow it.” Jaeden looked very excited and Tirene continued. “What does your father think of this new development? I don’t wish to have him chasing after us.”

The excitement drained from Jaeden's face and he shifted his gaze to his feet. “My mother died giving birth to me. My father died a short time later. He drank from grief over the death of my mother.” He brought his eyes back up to meet the Tirene‘s gaze. “He never held me. He blamed me for my mother’s death and almost disowned me at birth. My aunt brought me in and raised me from a child, but also turned to drinking when I reached my teens. I’ve been left to bring in money to take care of both of us.” A sorrowful look crept onto Liniana's face, but Tirene's expression remained stoic. “When I returned home last night, I found her drunk. She said she didn’t need me, and I could do as I wished. I left her all of the gold I had accumulated, and a note she can read in the morning while nursing her hangover.” A smile appeared at the edge of his lips. “The gold I left her should take care of her for a year. I doubt she will last that long. She no longer even eats. She just drinks. I don’t think death can come quickly enough for her.”

Silence held for a few moments while Tirene and Liniana digested the information. Tirene spoke first. “It would be best if you prepared yourself for our departure. You have much to learn. Don’t think it will be easy, though. I plan to put you through a very rigorous training program.” He paused, realizing he had never offered his condolences. “I’m sorry for your loss and I understand your actions better now. It’s admirable how you have taken care of your aunt for all these years.” He walked over and rested his arm on the boy’s shoulder. “One more thing, I think you should refrain from gambling while we travel through towns. We don’t wish to draw any attention to ourselves. You’ll have an equal share in the nightly watches too.”

Liniana nodded her agreement.

“I swear I won’t let you down. I will prove my honor to the both of you.” He smiled, glad they had accepted him. “One question though, why all of the need for watches? You seem concerned.” He shifted his glance between the two of them, seeing if either displayed a reaction. “Do the Minotaur sightings have anything to do with you two?” he asked, excitement filling his voice.

Liniana looked at him stone-faced. “Don’t be so eager to face a Minotaur. They are strong beasts that could kill you.” She glanced at Tirene. “The rest you will find out when we deem it appropriate.”

Their horses appeared to be ready. The trio walked outside as a faint orange glow filled the western horizon. Tirene told the groom to have the horses led outside. Liniana walked back to the inn to bid Nevin farewell.

The boy mounted his horse. Tirene stifled a laugh from inside. “Good. I hope you can keep up with us on your field horse there.”

A grin grew across the boy’s face. “Bull?” He patted the neck of the horse who responded with a snort. “I bet Bull here is stronger than both of your horses, and has the endurance to match.” He continued to stroke Bull's neck. “Don’t worry about us, we'll be just fine.”

The groom led Liniana's horse outside and retreated into the stables to fetch Tirene's.

Tirene faced Jaeden with a stern look. “For your sake, I hope so. I won’t have you holding us up.” Liniana came out of the inn and walked over to them. She grabbed the horn of her saddle and mounted.

Tirene grabbed the saddle and climbed onto his horse’s back. Liniana dug in her coin purse and pulled out a few which she tossed to the boy. He caught the coins, put them in his pocket, tipped his cap, and bid them a safe journey. She smiled at him. “Remember, we weren’t here. If anyone asks, you haven't seen us.” She turned her horse, and both Tirene and Jaeden followed her back to the main road in front of the inn. Brant still hadn’t returned, and they both checked the position of the sun to determine the time.

Tirene turned to Liniana. “How long do we wait for Brant? He said he would meet back here before first light, but I don’t see him. Should we be nervous?”

She gave him a look that wasn’t quite anger, but he didn’t find it pleasant either. “We’ll wait until the sun is climbing into the sky. If he hasn't returned by then, we’ll set out. He knows where we’re headed and can catch up to us.” This seemed to satisfy Tirene.

They waited for an hour, watching the sun climb higher over the horizon before deciding to set out without Brant. They left Shepherd’s Crossing with feelings of uneasiness. They turned east and followed the road leading out of town. With the village well to their backs, Tirene slowed his pace and brought his horse to a halt. He gazed back at the town, now far off in the distance. The landscape surrounding the town turned to rolling hills. Very few trees provided any place for anyone to hide. In the growing morning light, he didn’t see any shapes that might be watching their departure. He turned his horse and dug in his heels. It responded and sped up to reach the others.

A small creek crept closer to the road providing a rhythmic and soothing sound. It seemed to run parallel to the trail for at least a thousand paces. They passed a few cottages and farm houses with gray smoke billowing from the chimneys, but they didn’t see a single person out working in the fields. This seemed a little odd to Tirene, but he kept it to himself.

The road was in bad shape, filled with a number of potholes, made worse by yesterday's torrential downpour. When they started out in the morning, the potholes were filled with water, but now they were just dry holes. The afternoon wore on as Tirene found himself unnerved because they had yet to see anyone else on the road. It led to Havenbrook and should’ve been filled with any number of travelers, but it had been thus far deserted. It seemed the news Nevin had given them in town had been true, and people were sticking close to their homes. They approached a farm to the south of the road and Tirene finally spotted a few farmers working in the fields, which eased his fears.

After an hour, the rolling hills of the pastures and fields gave way to forests thick with trees and foliage. His thoughts drifted away from the deserted road, and returned once again to Norlun, and the constant pull to find him pushed away all other thoughts. Deep in thought, he noticed a disturbing sight further along the road. He only hoped the old man would be able to help him. He squinted his eyes and saw a man dangling from a tree, pulling him out of his daze. They approached the corpse and Tirene guided his horse closer. Liniana gasped and Jaeden's face turned a shade of green.

Tirene dismounted his horse and walked around the corpse to examine it. “I guess we know what happened to Brant.” He looked at Brant's lifeless body and walked forward, scattering the carrion birds feasting upon the body. It looked as though an axe to his head had ended his life. The wound stood out on his skull, and looked raw from where the birds dined on it. Dried blood littered his face and clothing. Tirene reached up and used his dagger to cut the noose looping around Brant's neck, letting the body collapse to the ground with a thud. It landed awkwardly, no surprise there as stiff as the body appeared.

Jaeden got off his horse and ran to a nearby tree to relieve his body of his breakfast. Liniana looked as though she would be sick herself. Covering her mouth with her hand, she walked over and joined Tirene's side. “Who...who could’ve done this?”

Tirene turned to face her. “Judging by the size of the wound, which would mean a large axe, my guess is it would have to be the Minotaurs we keep hearing about in the area.” He reached up and scratched his head. “He saw something he shouldn’t have.” The birds returned and pecked at of one of the potholes containing dried blood and gray fragments from Brant's brain. Tirene turned toward Jaeden. “When you compose yourself, we need to bury this soldier and I will need your help.” Jaeden nodded his head in agreement; his face still a pale green.

They gathered stones. They didn’t have shovels to dig a hole, so rather than burn the body, they decided it would be better to bury the soldier in rock. They built the mound away from the road and carried the body a short distance. Tirene didn’t think Jaeden could handle it, but the boy surprised him when he managed the task without getting sick. They marked the grave with Brant’s sword, and Liniana offered a few kind words, accompanied by a prayer.

They made their way back to the road with somber looks on their faces. Tirene turned to the others. “It’s a little early for lunch, but I think we should eat before we get back on the road.”

Tirene sat down on one of the rocks, and the others joined him. They ate their lunch in relative silence, offering respect and paying homage to the man they buried.