Lucavan
#2 of Radich
ch2
Part 1
Radich had never seen a big city before, and, compared to most cities, Lucavan wasn't that big. It was more of a fortress than a real city. It was built by the genius of a long dead wizard who, according to popular belief, created a spring of hot water using his magic spells. The mage guild was the general spreader of this rumor, but every faction of the city was coining a different story, so Rad didn't know who to trust. The Ride south was a relatively straight one and there was little to impede Rad's progress. He and his sleigh arrived in the town a little past sundown, but Rad had good directions on how to find the warrior's guild that let the blacksmiths piggy back on their organization for reduced fees on commissions and repairs. The Guildhall was an ancient structure that had been created by the original inhabitants of Lucavan for some unknown purpose. A few men were available to take the sleigh in and the horse to the stables. Rad and Tarn managed to unload the sleigh with little difficulty, due to their despairingly small amount of personal belongings. Tarn carried Finid, Miria carried a case of clothes, and Rad carried his stepfather's old smithing tools. They were all led to an old residence that had been used for storage before being converted back to its original design, a small cottage sized series of rooms that included four tiny bedrooms, an area in the back for Rad's Smithing, a small bathing chamber, and a tiny kitchen to cook and eat in. Rad was told that there were many sets of rooms like his own and that the three keys he was given all unlocked the door to his set alone. After making the beds Rad and Tarn began to set up their smithing tools in the back room. Miria, who had just awoken from the long trip, was preparing what she could for an evening meal when a knock came at the door. Ambra started up a fierce growl and positioned herself between Miria and the heavy wooden door. "Who locked up this storage room" A voice said from the other side. "I know I'ze still got some loot hidden in ere if the door'd just open up.
Rad seemed to appear like a shadow, faster than Miria could follow he opened the door and pulled the man inside, closing the door behind him. "Who are you? What do you want with my den!?" Rad said with a bit of a low growl in his voice.
"I din'i know dis was a house now fella, let a poor guard offa the hook eh buddy?" the man said as he cowered under Rad's raised fist.
"Perhaps you can be useful, what is your name boy!?" Rad said shaking the man.
Miria noticed for the first time how loose the man's clothing was. Why! She figured this "man" was no older than Tarn. "Rad, perhaps he'd like to stay for dinner?" Miria asked. She felt a bit badly for the poor young man who had incurred Rad's wrath rather accidently.
Rad smiled at the man as the gravity of Miria's offer registered in his head. "If you'll have him Miria I would permit it"
"I'll be an angel, honest m'lady!" the boy pleaded.
"You'll wash your hands?"
"Till their as clean as you like m'lady! I swear it on m'grave! Just please tell this beast to put me down!" he squeaked.
"Rad please put our guest down. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you and Tarn, if you'll let him, while I finish up supper"
Rad let the boy's feet touch the ground just so much that he wasn't being strangled by Rad's grip on his chain tunic. "Come with me" Rad said and dragged the boy into the smithing room. "What's your name boy?" Rad said as he positioned the anvil and started setting up the billows and pumps that would hook into the smooth shaft that ran up through the stone to the walls to where the smoke and soot would billow out the mouth of a dragon statue carved into the outside walls of the Guild building. Rad put the boy to work stacking the Iron bars and other materials the guild had left stored in the room for him.
"M'name? It's Royalyn, but you sir can call me Roy if'n it suits ya ter" Roy replied between his puffing and panting. "Oh! These things are heavier than m'spear!, how'd a body ever get'm down ere?"
"One at a time if they were as weak as you boy"
"Hey now Sir... err... Sir Rad, I'm no push o'er! I can use a spear right well if'n I dini say so m'self"
"Dinner Time, Please wash your hands boys!" Miria said from the other room.
"Now that's what I like to ere! Grub! I'm on m'way m'lady" He said and rushed off to wash his hands.
Rad, Tarn, and Roy all gathered around the small table as Miria brought over an odd smelling dish of some strange substance that even Rad's sensitive nose couldn't recognize. "Dig in!" Rad said and heaped a generous helping onto Roy's wooden plate.
"Oh! Do tell me what you think about it Roy! Rad and Tarn are always so quiet at dinner and they never comment on my cooking.
...
Roy couldn't tell if the strange green and yellow paste was too salty, too sweat, or not enough of either, Roy had eaten some odd things before, but this topped the list in bizarre tastes. "Err, I'z a great many things to m'taste maker. I guess you could say its... good" he said and swallowed the bite he'd been eating. "Say! What's in this anyway?"
"I'm so glad you asked! Let's see..." Miria said as Roy watched in shock as Rad and Tarn ate their food with only minor difficulties. "I take a bit of Dragon weed and..."
"Dragon weeds, But that stuff turns men into raving brutes. I'z poison!"
"Oh poo, I only use a pinch! Any way! Then after the dragon weed I add a bit of beast basil and troll vine too...
"Beast basil! Troll vine! What's next? Orc wart! Sinecone fruit!"
"How did you know I used Orc wart! It was only a drop or two. But don't worry; I always leave the Sinecone fruit for dessert!"
"I'm gunna turn inter a monster eating all'er this stuff!"
"Nonsense" Miria said. "It will help you put a few pounds of good solid matter on that meager frame! Luna knows you need it!" she said and spooned another helping onto everybody's plate. "Besides, I also use good old ground and dried Kaylak meat with Migrilin milk mixed in to make it softer!"
"Migrilin have milk? I thought those were monsters! And Kaylak's are used for pulling carts about! I didn't even know ye could eat one of dose' big horned thingies..."
"No wonder you're so skinny! You will come by for dinner from now on! I can't allow you to waste away" Miria said as she plopped some more paste down on Roy's plate. "Here's some milk to wash it down with boys, and if you'll excuse me I need to go help Finid with his supper. Oh, and you men be sure to finish what's left off, I hate throwing away good food!"
Roy ate until he felt like he'd pop, yet every time he'd finish a helping of the stuff Rad and Tarn had pulled some more out for themselves and served Roy some as well. He'd never eaten so well in his entire life, but he wondered if eating so much strange stuff could really help him not be so puny. Rad and Tarn were certainly bulky, but they were also brothers by Roy's judgment and blacksmiths by trade as well. How could Miria expect him to ever look like those two brutes? Roy suddenly realized that he had actually decided that he would come back to eat here with this man who'd been about to beat him up not an hour earlier! He didn't know why, but he kind of liked these people. He might even enjoy eating with them. Especially if it meant he'd not have to scavenge for himself. By the time Miria reappeared from the tiny bed room Roy, Rad and Tarn had eaten all the food and started in on the candied fruit. At first Roy could barely stand the bitter taste of the Sinecone fruit, but as he ate the fruit it started to become sweeter and sweeter, almost to a point that he couldn't stand to eat another bite. But as he slowed his chewing he found that he could keep it nicely sweet, yet a bit bitter as well. After the meal Roy sat a while and chatted with Tarn and Miria. Rad was mostly quiet, but watched Roy very closely. He reminded Roy of a hawk he'd once seen that had been watching a mouse in a field and had suddenly swept down upon it and gobbled it up in one bite. It made Roy a bit nervous, but after a few pointed questions Rad gave up his staring and eventually returned to his work in the back room. "Goodbye!" Miria had said innocently as Tarn had bid Roy a good night and a safe trip back to the barracks.
But Roy didn't make a beeline for the barracks after he left the cozy home of Miria and her brothers. Roy started to walk along the corridors of the guildhall until he reached a dragon statue along the outside wall. There he sat down and closed his eyes. He could smell the smells of Miria's cooking coming from the mouth of the dragon, so he surmised this and the next dragon down were the places where the smoke shouts came out. He felt the wet trickle of his tears as they fell down his dirty face. He'd never had friends or a family, so he figured Rad and Tarn had never guessed the only reason he'd come to that door was to see if he could beg for a scrap of food as a hungry guard far from the barracks. But Roy was no guard; he was a lowly street urchin. And he was sure Rad had known from the start. The armor he was wearing was fake, and had been stolen off a cart of costuming some noble had turned over one day. Roy had been lucky to grab the faux armor and a few other decent things from the costuming that had been flung out into the dirty streets. Among them was the fake symbol of a moon maiden that he often would tell people was a keepsake from his departed mother. Roy had never known his mother, so he figured it wasn't a complete lie. Another was a good fake of an imperial spear. This was his one treasure, for he had found the spear to have a tiny enchantment that allowed it to fit the hands of the person using it, so it always looked like it had been made for him by a real commission from a real unit in the town guard. "Rad" Miria's voice called faintly from within the dragon statue. I made up your bed to sleep in! Go to bed all ready"
No response was forthcoming from Rad as the sounds of clanking dishes arose from Miria's efforts to finish her washing. The sound of footfalls brought Roy's attention back to where he was sitting. In the shadow of the dragon he seemed to be perfectly hidden from the approaching pair of guards on night watch. "You here about old benison the guard captain" one guard asked his fellow as they walked along the empty streets.
"Yep, herd he got eaten by whatever ate those settlers he was a tryin' ter save at the town gates. Sounded like a huge pack of wolves. I was wondrin' when the frost burn would finally drive the wildlife insane" his fellow responded.
"I saw a big broody feller come in with a wolf in his wagon, but I figured it was his pet or something" the first guard said.
"Fishy people I here are coming in from the north. Heathens all of them, They have beast blood in them northern villages they do. I say we should start the forest aflame and do away with the wolves, northerners, and those nasty Sinecone trees"
The rest of the conversation was lost to Roy's ears as the guards turned a corner and their voices faded. Roy was no genius, but he could see opportunity when it fell in his lap. He'd go apply in the town guard as a soldier. Surely they needed somebody to fill in the ranks. "Yea, That's what I'll do to impress that Rad. I'll join the guard so he'll have to say I'm tellin' the truth! Ha!" Roy said and jumped up to go sleep near the Barracks. He'd need to be the first to sign up for the new position if he really wanted it.