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Chapter Eight

Whitebridge

Ktanos closed the copy of The Travels of Jain Farstrider he had been reading out loud. Talon Bopel had been true to his word by teaching him how to read. He started by slowly reading The Travels of Jain Farstrider and the book had seemed impossible at first but the more he worked at it the better he got.

Talon made him do it by first teaching him the alphabet and which letters made which sounds. He was then told to read each word as best he could and to sound them out until he could recite them more fluently.

Ktanos had heard his old master mumble passages before and the vivid storytelling by Jain Farstrider made him want to learn so he could at last know what the book was. He soon fell in love with the great adventures within it and it became a joy for him to read it. At times he never seemed to put the book down and he was on his second read through when they had finally reached Whitebridge.

Whitebridge grew up around the large stone-paved square at the bridge's eastern foot. The bridge is believed to date from the Age of Legends, and looks to be made of impossibly fragile white glass, yet is so strong even a chisel and hammer will not mar it and despite its glasslike surface, it never becomes slick, even in the hardest rain. The Whitebridge is the only span crossing the Arinelle south of Maradon in Saldaea. As a result, the town flourishes on trade.

Ktanos stared at it as they approached and he remembered what he had read but the descriptions in his book did no justice to how it actually looked. Talon had to reach out and grab him as he leaned over from the cart to try and touch it, nearly falling off the wagon.

“That’ll be enough of that, lad.” Talon said, his voice taking on a more fatherly tone.

“Sorry,” Ktanos muttered but his gaze quickly turned back towards the bridge and he continued staring until at last they had finally crossed over it. Talon has set his wagon near to a local inn and Ktanos felt a chill as he realized that he would be leaving Talon now that he had fulfilled his promise. Talon watched him closely as some stableboys led his horses away to be stored.

“Well,” Talon said as he rubbed his hands together. “We seem to have arrived. I suppose you’ll be wanting to leave now. Still I would be remissed if I did not say I’ve enjoyed our time together. I’d hate to see you go. You are welcome to stay on with me for as long as you want.” Talon offered. Ktanos thought it over and was torn over what he should do. He did enjoy the time he spent learning from the peddler and he never thought he’d learn to read as well as he had.

He still had a lot more to learn about reading because he was sure there was more out there he had not learned yet and all he knew so far was from The Travels of Jain Farstrider. Talon saw the hesitation on his face and spoke up.

“I’ll be here for a few days. Should you change your mind, the offer still stands, just find me here.” Talon made Ktanos read the name of the inn outloud so that Ktanos would remember where he was staying.

“Thank you,” Ktanos said softly as he reached out to give the book back to him. Talon stared at him then used one hand to push the book back against his chest.

“A gift. To encourage you to keep reading. I can easily replace it but you seem to have liked it more than I ever did.” Talon replied. He saw the look of delight on Ktanos’ face and it made himself grin.

Ktanos had told him the tales of how his family had been killed by trollics and how he was made a slave. Talon guessed this was the first time he was ever really given a gift before or that someone had paid him any real mind.

Ktanos looked at the inn’s name again. The Wayfarers' Rest is an inn that meets the east bank of the Arinelle. It is a reasonably large establishment with the common room divided in half by a low wall, designed so that feuding ship crews can be separated into areas where they are unlikely to run into one another. The inn is owned and run by Master Bartim.

“Remember what I told you about pickpockets and thieves. eep your wits about you and your belongings close, or you just might lose them.” Talon cautioned as Ktanos hugged the book walking away. He doubted that a thief would be interested in a common book but the knife Master Gil had given him was another matter. He kept it close to his belly and constantly felt its handle rub against him. Should it be taken he was sure he would know.

“We’ve been trying to find him but no luck so far.” He heard an armsman saying to another.

“Poor beast being ridden to death like that.” The second commented and Ktanos leaned next to a building as he listened.

“What are you two doing scaring my customers?” A woman shouted at the two armsmen. They stiffened as she approached wagging her finger at them.

She was middle aged on the plump side wearing an apron as if she were an innkeeper. Ktanos had seen her step out from a booth set up to sell trinkets and jewelry.

Each of her fingers had multiple rings and each wrist had two or three bracelets as if to help advertise her wares.

“Beg your pardon, ma'am.” the one named Kenyor Mantagin said as he nodded to her. She put her fists on her hips.

“You address me as LADY Lanyei.” She said and Kenyor tried to suppress a smile.

“Beg your pardon, Lady Lanyei” He said sarcastically though she seemed to ignore it.“We're looking for a crazy man said to have entered the city by riding his horse to death. A couple of boys took the poor animal into a stable only to have it die some time later while they attended to it.”

“By the light, who would do such a thing?!” Lady Lanyei gasped.

“That's what we're trying to find out. We have little to go on other than he was looking for some boys as he mumbled like a madman.

He seemed fine one minute then became stark raving mad the next as he frantically looked around, or so the reports say.” Kenyor said.

“So he did come here,” Ktanos thought to himself.

“I hears he left towards Caemlyn” Zolion Grynyrag, the other armsman added.

“The Queen's Guard won't be too pleased about that.” Kenyor replied.

“Won't looks too good if they catch him before we do.” Zolion stated. Ktanos stood upright and began walking again feeling he had learned enough from them.

The Hound was here and from the sound of it, the boys he was after must be close by. The trouble was how would he recognize them since he was never told what they looked like.

He walked around aimlessly thinking over the conversation he had just heard. The Hound was headed to Caemlyn though he knew nothing about the place. The mention of The Queen's Guard made him think the Queen must have her palace there.

Why were any of them going to the queen? Probably for support due to the trollics that had been chasing them. Little did they know Ktanos was after them.

The question he had was how could someone like him meet with a queen or any member of nobility? He wondered if he could create a distraction and sneak inside. That way he could find the queen and warn her about the Hound. IF she did not send him to the hangman first for being an intruder.

Some movement caught his eye and he turned to see a young man that had red hair and a heron marked blade at his waist. He was looking around exploring and ignoring the looks from the folks of White Bridge as they eyed the sword.

He heard someone muttering, how could someone like that have a sword that blademasters wore? He wondered because he had no idea what blademasters were. He had heard the name but being a slave left him with no real training though he vaguely remembered his master, Dav’Altor, was said to have been one.

Students are taught named choreographies known as forms, such as Parting the Silk. These forms are thought to be an adaptation of the game, "swords" which was played in the Age of Legends. Practitioners typically used bundled lathes of wood (resembling the real-world shinai) while drilling against sparring partners.

Blademasters are formally recognized as such in the Westlands when one of two things occurs: either they defeat a known blademaster in a single combat with appropriate witnesses, or they are judged by five blademasters, via unanimous vote, to have demonstrated sufficient skill.

A blademaster may decorate their sword with a heron mark although it is not demanded of them. Only men who have complete mastery of the sword are given the privilege of carrying a heron-mark sword. Heron-mark swords may contain the heron on the blade, on the hilt, or on both.

The red hair the lad had reminded him of home. His own master had red hair as did most people in Saldar. Most people thought that Saldeans were Aiel because they were known for their red hair.

The Aiel are a race of people who live between the "wetlanders" in the Westlands and the Sharans in the east, in a desert which the Aiel call the Three-fold Land and which everyone else calls the Aiel Waste. They have earned a reputation as exceptionally skilled warriors; little else is known about them in the wider world. Physically, Aiel can be recognized through their unusually tall height, characteristic pale eyes and red-colored hair, as well as their distinctive clothing.

Not much is known about the Aiel by the outside world. Any wetlanders (as they call those who live to the west) are killed on sight; only peddlers, gleemen and Aes Sedai are given free passage. Tuatha'an can also move freely in the Waste if they so choose, as no Aiel will go near them. Aiel have a reputation for being vicious fighters, and "black-veiled Aiel" is a common epithet for belligerence.

Ktanos followed after him wondering what he was up to. He followed him as he seemed to search the marketplace for someone although he tried to appear as if he was shopping. Eventually he returned to The Wayfarers' Rest and heard shouts as a man wearing a multicolored cloak sewn of different colored patches. It almost looked as if he wore a quilt as a cloak on his back.

He was an older gentleman with white hair and he played a beautiful golden harp as he entertained the crowd in the inn’s common room. Men cheered and raised their mugs of ale as he performed.

There was a young man sitting at a table near the older man. He wore a scowl on his face and his handheld something he kept hidden under his shirt. His eyes had a dark shadow making him look ill or that he had not slept in days.

The young man with red hair eventually entered the inn and sat at the table with the boy that scowled. Eventually as his entertainment ended the old man bought a mug of ale and joined them at the table. They talked in hushed tones and remained secretive until the innkeeper joined them to make conversation.

“Best Gleeman I’ve seen,” Ktanos heard a guy say at the table next to him.

“What’s a gleeman?” Ktanos asked him and the guy nearly spit out his drink.

“What kind of backwater farm do you come from?” The man asked and Ktanos blushed. Gleemen are entertainers, often traveling between towns, villages, inns, and taverns. They are expected to be masterful story tellers as well as acrobats. They typically wear a cloak made of many colorful patches. Most skilled gleemen can play at least one sort of instrument. Some play the flute; more skillful gleemen play the harp.

Gleemen are allowed to go almost anywhere they wish, as nearly all commoners delight in or at least tolerate their presence. The Aiel allows only gleemen, tinkers, and peddlers to cross the Spine of the World.

Before he knew it the Gleeman and the two boys rose and went to a room they rented. Ktanos looked around and feared going after them with so many still filling the common room. He would be watched and if he tried doing anything like listening in at the door to the gleeman’s room he was sure to be watched. It would attract the kind of attention he did not want.

He went to the innkeeper and asked for the room of Master Talon. The innkeeper quickly pointed it out and Ktanos went and knocked at the door. Talon opened the door and smiled as he saw Ktanos standing there.

“So have you come to accept my offer?” Talon asked hopefully.

“How soon before you travel to Caemlyn?” Ktanos asked and Talon gave him a stern look.

“Not for a while yet, I still need to hire guards before I set out again. Why do you suddenly want to go there?”

“I’ve been walking around the city and there was talk of a crazy guy that killed his own horse. He was spotted going to Caemlyn and I heard the queen lives there. I fear he may try and attack her. I wanted to warn them.” Ktanos lied. He had been working on a story in case anyone were to ask him about why he wanted to travel to Caemlyn. He decided to try it out to see how well it works.

To his surprise, Talon burst out laughing and he felt his face redden. He guessed it was not as clever as he thought.

“The queen’s guard is more than a match for some cheap bridgend.” Talon replied. “No need to worry about that.” Ktanos nodded silently as he thought about Talon’s response. It was clear that he would not be able to convince his friend to leave so he could chase after The Hound.

“Thanks anyway Master Talon.” Ktanos said downcast and the kindly merchant put his hand on Ktanos’ shoulder.

“No need for formalities lad, after what we’ve been through just calling me Talon is enough. I wish you’d reconsider my offer. It’s been nice having a young face to travel with. Makes me feel like a father instead of an old peddler. You still have your book?”

“Yes, I’d never part with it.” Ktanos said as he pulled the book out and showed Talon. Talon let out a quiet sigh of relief for some reason.

A gleeman walked by with two young men trailing him. One was the young man with red hair and the sword and the other was a young man about the same age as the one with red hair except his hair was a darker color. They looked as if they had their bundles for traveling.

Ktanos followed as Talon watched him out of curiosity. Thay sat next to one of the walls of the inn, next to a window, and chatted among themselves. Ktanos tried to blend in as he went to a nearby table but he was sure the gleeman had observed him briefly. He was an older man with white in his hair and a mustache groomed to sharp tips on the end.

The gleeman slouched and leaned against the wall as if listening to something. Ktanos leaned back in his seat and tried to look as if he were falling asleep as he pressed his ear against the wall.

“Trollics,” He heard a man’s voice say. “They attacked my ship chasing after two boys and a gleeman,” The man named Gelb was saying. Whomever he was talking to was laughing despite his insistence. Ktanos saw an uneasy shift from the gleeman and the two young men.

“I think it’s time to be going,” The gleeman said as he spoke in hushed whispers that Ktanos could bearly hear. He saw them rise and exit the inn out a side door and Ktanos attempted to follow. He kept his distance and luckily he was not noticed as they tried to blend in themselves as the sneaked in the alley by the inn.

Out in the street there was a crowd of people and it made it easier to blend in but Ktanos froze as the crowd began to divide as a figure in a black robe and cowl approached the gleeman and the young men. The gleeman thrust his bundles into the arms of the red headed young man.

“Run!” The gleeman shouted and the cowl fell back from the figure revealing that he was a myrddraal. It’s white eyeless face froze Ktanos in place and the young men seemed glued to the spot as well.

“Run!!” The gleeman shouted again as daggers slipped from his sleeves as if they were part of his performance. Ktanos got jostled as the crowd panicked and tried to run from the fade.

“Run you light blinded fools!” The gleeman shouted then he ran at the myrddraal, he actually ran at it! They both fell to the ground but as Ktanos rose and tried looking through the crowd as they ran every which way, he lost sight of the lads.

He saw the gleeman roll over and wince in painoff the myrddraal. He was lying on his back breathing heavily when a couple of soldiers ran over and used their swords to cut off the head of the fade. They had been fortunate to have come up from behind so the eyeless gaze had not affected them.

“The light preserves us; he's lucky to still be breathing.” Kenyor said as he wiped sweat from his face.

“His leg looks twisted and out of place. Should we get him to a healer?” Zolion asked.

“Of course you fool, what do you want to do? Leave him in the street to die?” Kenyor replied.

“Come,” Ktanos heard Talon say as he was lifted to his feet. “Time to leave, it’s not safe here anymore.” He said and he was led to the wagon and told to get in. Talon muttered something about being glad he had not unpacked yet so they could make a speedy retreat.

“What happened?!” Ktanos asked as the shock was wearing off. Everything seemed a jumble to him.

“I should have listened to your advice, the Light illuminate me. There’s no denying that that was a half man and in White Bridge of all places. We leave immediately and I won’t take no for an answer.” Talon said definitively. He had the horses hitched up and they speedily rode out of town.

“I didn’t want to go to Caemlyn after I heard that the false dragon, Logain, was there after the Aes Sedai had captured him. They was stopping to show him off as a trophy to Queen ####.” Talon explained.

“Aes Sedai? In Caemlyn!!” Ktanos replied in fear.

“Yeah the feller that calls himself Logain had declared himself to be The Dragon Reborn. Rumor has it that he could channel which is something the other false dragons couldn’t.

The Aes Sedai went to him and there’s talk of a major battle. Both sides suffered heavy losses but in the end the Aes Sedai won and captured him. They say he sits in a cage as they drag him back to The White Tower in Tar Valon. That’s where they will gentle him so he can no longer cause anyone any harm.” Talon explained and Ktanos shivered at the thought that they may one day do that to him.

“I know how you feel lad, I want nothing to do with the Aes Sedai either but if there are fades this far south then being with them is the safest place. I apologize because at first I thought the reason you wanted to go was that you wanted to see the false dragon like everyone else. That the story of the stranger trying to attack the queen was just a story to convince me to take you. Seems I was wrong.” Talon said.

“I think it’s time I told you the truth,” Ktanos said though he was trying to think of a way to spin the story so that the merchant would not know the whole thing but enough that he could continue to get help from him.

“Go on.” Talon replied cautiously as Ktanos paused.

“I’m…I’m a runaway slave and a… friend that I was traveling with after I escaped was killed by trollics. Before he died he told me he heard that the trollics were chasing after a group that tried to escape from them.

I’m not sure how or why but there is a man that is tracking two young men for the trollics. I had been chasing him when you found me. You see he stole a horse and I lost him until we reached White Bridge and there was talk that a crazy man was going to Caemlyn. I don’t know if it’s him but I wanted to follow to try and save them from him and the trollics.” Ktanos lied.

“I see,” Talon replied somberly. They rode in silence as the merchant seemed to ponder over what he should say. Ktanos feared that he may know he was lying but he couldn’t be sure.

“And what will finding these young men, you spoke of, accomplish?” Talon finally asked.

“I dunno… At least it feels like I can honor my friend's memory by keeping them from the trollics.” Ktanos said though he was thinking more about capturing them to bring to Bao The Wyld.

“Or you could just let it go. Start a new life, like I told you, now that you’re no longer a slave. I know there are some places that still practice that but you’ve been lucky enough to get your freedom. Why waste it?” Talon asked. Ktanos knew the real reason but could not bring himself to confide that he was a dark friend. That he needed the young men to trade so he could learn to better channel.

“But my friend,” Ktanos replied weakly.

“The Wheel Weaves as The Wheel Wills. You can take comfort that he will be reborn as The Wheel Weaves. It might not seem pretty but one day his thread will return to the pattern. It happens to all of us. Right now the best you can do is live the best life you can.

Chasing after trollic trying to get revenge is no way to live. You’re throwing your life away after you’ve been given a precious gift. The Wheel turns don’t let your chance be wasted when you could find happiness.” Talon said. Ktanos thought about what he said and it made sense but he still had a longing that he could not deny.

“Come,” Talon said. “Why don’t we work on your reading because we still have a ways to go.” He said and Ktanos took out his book and began to read as Talon listened. He had to be corrected a few times but he was showing definite signs of improvement.

He just wondered how much Talon really knew as a fear that he would be exposed haunted him. For the first time he wondered if the merchant was truly an ally or a foe in disguise. It seems being a dark friend was not as easy as he originally thought. He wondered if he’d ever be able to trust someone again.

To Be Continued…