Ties of Blood Read online

  Shortly after they sat a young woman near to her own age promptly appeared at her table. She was a nice looking girl with a lithe body and shoulder length blond hair and bright blue eyes that remained fixed on Darryl as she approached the table. “What can I get you sirs?” She said her voice light and mousey.

  “Three plates of lamb, a couple of ales and a small glass of wine for the young lady.” Ballard replied not even looking up at the woman.

  “Anything else?” the young woman asked leaning down so that her chest brushed Darryl’s shoulder.

  “That’s all we need for now.” Darryl said trying his best to stare as the waitress pouted her lips and turned, her hips swaying seductively as she walked back toward the kitchen.

  “Looks like you have an admirer, lover boy.” Eloen said smirking.

  “I know with these devilishly good looks of mine it a wonder I haven’t been tied down to the altar yet.” Darryl said flashing a smile.”

  “That’s not a mystery the second you open that mouth of yours they all run as fast as their legs can carry them.” Ballard said slapping his friend hard on the back.

  When their food was brought out waitress continued her hunt of Darryl, taking every opportunity to let her skin brush up against his. Eloen was amazed that her friend didn’t take any of the young girl’s advances. She had not spent a great deal of time with Darryl outside of the army. He was proving to be much shyer than she would have imagined given his bawdry demeanor with the rest of the unit.

  “When are you going to start fishing for information?” Eloen asked giving Ballard a questioning look as he finished off his mug of ale.

  “It’s too early yet. Have to wait until everyone is deep into their cups.” Ballard replied turning his mug upside down on the table.

  The lamb like the other Ablaian food was spicier than she was used to, making her stomach protest after each bite. When only half her food was eaten she ran her hands over her burning belly. “While you two enjoy yourselves I’m going to go enjoy my bath and hope this food doesn’t come back to haunt me.” Eloen said in a slightly pained voice.

  “Fun, the fun won’t start until later.” Ballard said showing her away with his hand. “Now go enjoy your bath. Just try not to stay in there so long you look like a dried piece of fruit.”

  Eloen sniffed the air then crinkled her nose. “You could use a bath yourself. I’ve smelt outhouses that had a better aroma then you two are putting off.”

  Darryl lifted his arm and took a large whiff then began coughing. “I didn’t pass out, so we still got a few days.”

  “Men!” Eloen said as she turned and walked away. She had gotten used to their bathing habits or the lack of, but sometimes she swore they had an ongoing bet about who could be the first to cause death by stink alone.

  She found her room with the bath already drawn and still steaming. Sticking her finger in the water and found that it was almost hot enough to boil someone alive in. Not wanting to wait for it to cool she shimmied out of her clothes and slipped slowly into the bath. Looking around she noticed a small bar of soap. Looking around she didn’t see anything to use as a rag and that was one of the few things she hadn’t thought about bringing with her on the trip. Sighing in disappointment she began washing, trying to get as clean as she could with what she had available.

  Once the dirt was scrubbed from her body, Eloen lay back and relaxed, letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles. It wasn’t just Thad that had been bothering her as of late. The current state of Abla’s people was in sad shape. Unlike in Farlan where even the poor could afford good clothing, but even the well to do people in Abla seemed to wear clothing that would hardly pass for the peasantry. She seldom wore nice dresses unless she was at home but she had grown accustomed to seeing the elegant dress of the women of Farlan.

  Slipping below the water she tried to wash away the questions that were lying heavily on her shoulders. Was it due to Farlan’s heavy taxes that the majority of Ablaians were forced to live in abject poverty? She didn’t know enough to answer the question. Their government could be to siphoning off funds to the top tier and leaving the lower rungs the scraps. She had always been content with thinking that the Ablaians were simply a warmonger race of degenerates on the other side of the mountain. She had never even met one of them until recently. Now she could no longer tell herself that. They were no different than her expect they were unfortunate enough to be born on the wrong side of an imaginary line.

  Getting out of the bath Eloen looked over her small assortment of clothes. After giving it a lot of though she decided on a plain peach colored dress that reached down to her ankles. It hugged her a little too tightly around the waist but it showed her features off better than the others. Normally she would try and downplay her looks but if Ballard had been right a pretty face might loosen lips as easily as the drink that they shoved down their gullet.

  After strapping on her daggers and making sure they didn’t stick out Eloen put on the ring Thad had given her. It wasn’t anything fancy just a simple silver band with a cat’s eye gem set in the middle. Eloen though it looked gaudy so she had never worn it before, but without a real weapon it helped make her feel more secure. The ring wasn’t offensive in nature but would put up a shield around her for a short time. Twisting the ring that now rested on her finger she wished she had gotten Thad to make her more items. She knew he would have done if it she had only asked but he had been working so hard to outfit all the troops she couldn’t find it in her to ask him to stress himself any more than he already was.

  She now regretted that she hadn’t spent as much time with him once they had arrived at Southpass Fort. She had spent her time training with the other officers for the coming attack while Thad had spent his time shoring up the defenses with magic. The only time they had been able to spend time alone was when they went to the hot springs located on the side of the mountain. It had been a cherished moment for her. Unlike most of the women of Farlan she had always dreamed of finding a man who could stand at her back during battle. Eloen let out a thin smile, how her mother would act if she knew she was entertaining marriage. With women having control over Farlan with men having few rights marriage had faded into memory except in the most provincial places. Now women took lovers and allowed those men to use their name and when they grew tired of them would find a new one to replace them.

  It didn’t take long to find her companions in the common room. They sat at one of the larger tables where the men were playing a game of dice. Ballard noticed her as she walked over and waved to her in a subdued manner. The man next to Ballard also noticed her arrival and gave her a large smile, showing that more than half of his teeth were missing.

  Eloen smiled back radiantly. She had played the flirting game often, but there was a difference. In Farlan she held all the power no man would dare touch her without her consent. She wasn’t sure what they were allowed to do here so she cautioned herself to keep it innocent. Looking over at her two companions, she knew that they wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her, but they weren’t always around, like back at the river when the men had tried to accost her.

  Looking around the room she saw that other women were seated throughout the room. See that she wasn’t alone made the muscles in her stomach relax. “Having any luck?” Eloen asked Darryl as he picked up a pair of dice that looked as though they were carved from whale bone.

  “Not a bit sister, but maybe now that you’re here my luck will change for the better.” Darryl said as he rattled the dice in his hand.

  Eloen watched as the dice rolled across the table. They came to a rest three and five. She wasn’t sure how the game was played but from the look on Darryl’s face he had won. A couple of the men standing around the table tossed copper coins in front of him. Picking up the coins Darryl placed them on a small pile off to his side.

  Music suddenly filled the air. Turning around Eloen saw that the small stage was now occupied by a small group of musicians. They didn�
��t look like the same kind of musicians that they had back in Farlan. There were no flashy costumes, not elegant instruments but when their fingers touched the stings delightful music filled the air.

  “The young waitress that had been eyeing Darryl earlier approached the young warrior as the music began to pick up tempo. “Care for a dance?” She asked bowing and giving Darryl a sultry grin.

  Darryl looked over at Eloen, shrugged his shoulders along with a wink. “Don’t see a reason why I can’t give you a turn around the dance floor.”

  Eloen watched as Darryl took the young lady by the hand and led her to the open space in the middle of the inn. The small band picked up speed playing a light and jaunty tune. Eloen felt envious of her friend. She had danced before but it had always been at formal occasions and there was never a partner. It was one of the downsides to Farlan. She had heard stories of lovers dancing in the moonlight and always wanted to do the same, but her mother had frowned on any relationship she had with men. It was one of the reasons Eloen had forced her aunt to let her join the army.

  “Would you like to take a turn as well?” A voice said behind her, startling her from her contemplations.

  Turning around she found a rather large man in his later years with salt and pepper hair. She could see Ballard’s worried look over the man’s shoulder, but with everything going on lately she decided it was worth the risk to have a bit of fun. “That sounds like a great idea.” Eloen said giving the older gentleman a warm smile.

  Eloen was taken out on the dance floor as the band started up their next song. It was a fast paced lively tune. She followed her partner’s moves trying her best to keep up. At first she was just concentrating on the movements but within a few beats she was simply moving with the music, thoroughly enjoying herself.

  After a few dances Eloen begged off and slumped down in a chair next to Ballard. Looking over his shoulder at her, his face broke into a large grin. “Enjoying yourself?”

  Ballard already had more than a few empty mugs of ale sitting in front of him, and his face had already taken on the rosy glow. “Now as much as you it seems. Have you at least learned anything?”

  Ballard picked up one of the empty mugs and tried to take a drink, then looked at the wooden mug as if it had betrayed him when nothing filled his mouth. After checking each of the mugs in front of him for a drop of ale he let out a heavy sigh. “I learned a little. It seems a group of soldiers passed by a few days ago with a man trussed up in a cage. It wasn’t really hard to learn about the bar has been abuzz about it since the ale started flowing. They are speculating as to why the young man was being guarded like captured royalty.”

  Eloen could barely hold her excitement in. they were still a few days behind but they had learned they were headed in the right direction. Balling her hands up in her dress she took a few deep breaths. “Did you learn where they were taking him?”

  Giving a toothy grin Ballard leaned forward swaying slightly. “Everyone seems to believe their taking him to Treforge.” Then his face sobered and took on a serious tone, which looked oddly funny in his inebriated state. “Some of the men were talking about what would happen to him there. I believe we want to get to our little mage before that or there might not be much left of him.”

  Eloen tried not to blanch at the news. She felt ill Ballard was never one for mincing words and if he thought that it might be bad then it was most likely going to be a lot worse. Her stomach turning she excused herself and went back up to her room. The lively music followed her up the stairs but did nothing for her sober mood.

  She found her bed and fell into it. She knew that there was little she could do by worrying but that didn’t make the fears that bubbled inside her go away. What she would give for things to be back the way they were a short time before. All she had to worry about was a few bandits, and monsters roaming the night. There was never any worry about death for her or the others. It was simply doing their jobs and spending what time they could just enjoying the company of their friends. Now everything seemed more real, fragile as if her life was nothing more than a glass ball hanging over a cliff held in place from falling by a thin string.

  Grabbing a handful of covers Eloen let out a feral yell that reverberated throughout the small room. As the last of the sound died down the tension building in her started to drift away. Once again she told herself there was nothing she could do by worrying and promised herself that she would continue to act as she had before and try to enjoy herself as much as she could. They were in enemy territory and while nothing had gone wrong yet there was always the chance they could find themselves in trouble at any time. If her time in the army had taught her one thing it was that you had to enjoy what you could even when faced with danger and death.

  CHAPTER VII

  In the morning Eloen had found Ballard and Darryl paying the late night dalliances. She had wanted to get an early start on the day but it didn’t look as if her wish would be granted. Not letting it bother her she made her way to the common room to get something to break her fast, hoping she could find something that wasn’t so heavily spiced that it could wake the dead from their slumber.

  The common room was empty as the sun had yet to crest the horizon. Low burning candles hung in the air adding a smoky undertone to the smell of ale and musk that hung thick in the air. Soon after she was seated, a young girl barely out of childhood scampered over to her table. “You need anything miss?” she said, her voice light and mousey.

  Eloen smiled down at the young girl who fidgeted while curling her hair around her finger. “Yes, I would like something to eat. If possible something light my stomach is rather delicate and the local spices tend to send it into fits.”

  The young girl let out a slightly muffled laugh. “I know what you mean mam. I’ll talk to the cook and see if he has anything in the kitchen.” As soon as the words popped out of her moth the young girl turned and ran back to the kitchen.

  She returned shortly with a plate of bread, thin slices ham, and a small bowl of what she assumed was pottage. It was a meager meal but well received as the first bites showed no signs of the spice that had ravaged her appetite over the past few days. It didn’t take long to finish the meal and with no signs of her companions stirring, Eloen decided to take a walk around the town.

  The early morning air hung heavy over the town, the faint smell of metal and smoke lingering in the air. Tendrils of smoke rose from the many blacksmith shops dissipating into the dark sky above. The streets were bare but a few people who hurriedly made their way to wherever they were going. Keeping her eyes on the sky Eloen didn’t pay attention to where her feet where carrying her and soon she found herself in the poorer district. The clay tile roofs were replaced by spotty thatch that looked as if let more rain in than it kept out.

  As the sun began to peek and the sky turned from black into a light blue framed in a light orange children began to file out of the houses filling the streets. The kids were lively as any other she had ever seen but they were poorly dressed. Most of the kids didn’t have shoes and their clothes had more holes than fabric.

  It didn’t take long for the kids to notice her watching them as they scampered about playing. At first they stared at her the way a wild animal might look at someone who wondered into their sight before darting for the woods. The kids were not as flighty as they ran toward her instead of away.

  “Are you a princess?” One of the younger girls asked blushing and looking away as soon as Eloen’s eyes found her.

  Eloen wasn’t sure what to do. She had never spent a lot of time with children. Ballard on the other hand would be great in this situation. Back at home he would spent the majority of his time with the orphans. She had always found it odd that the big mostly silent man would be so open and full of laughter as soon as there were children about.

  “No, I am not a princess but thank you for thinking so.” Eloen said as she squatted down giving the little girl a soft pat on the head.

  “Would you
like to play with us?” The little girl asked her face lit up with a beaming smile.

  “Oh, what are you playing?”

  “We’re playing Queens and Kings. You can be the queen of Farlan. The boys try to take our flag away from us, so you have to be fast.” The little girl said so seriously it was cute.

  “I can’t play right now, I have to go find my friends, but thank you for the offer.”

  The girls face fell for the fraction of a second until one of the other children called out to her. Eloen watched as the girl ran off, the air soon filled with laughter as they began their game. Eloen sat and watched the children for a few moments a smile clearly showing on her own face. When the sun was in full view she decided it was time to head back to the inn and drag her two friends from their beds.

  It didn’t take long to make her way back to the inn, though she had wandered far farther than she had intended. Paying much more attention to her surroundings she noticed that only the smithies and main business had clay tile roofs the rest had thatch. In Farlan only the most meager of houses had a thatch roof. The longer she lingered in Abla the more she noticed the differences between her own country and theirs. The two countries were different as night and day even without the difference in status between men and women. No child should be left to live in such conditions and she knew a large part of the problem was her own countries’ fault.

  Walking through the inn’s door Eloen shook the thoughts from her mind and tried to focus on her current mission. Worrying about things that she couldn’t change at the moment wouldn’t get her anything but more heartache.

  Inside the common room she found her two friends have a light meal both looking like they had been drug through the town behind a team of horses. It wasn’t often Darryl let himself get so deep into the cup that he was affected the next day but it seemed last night was one of those rare occasions. Eloen wasn’t sure of the reason Darryl always held back compared to the others in the group. He was a lively fellow always quick with a quip and a jest but never really spent time with anyone outside of their missions. He was by far the smallest member in the group even compared to her. While not as strong as the others his skill in wielding dual blades was amazing. Eloen was sure that if Darryl hadn’t joined the army he would have made an excellent performer in one of the traveling groups of entertainers that traveled around the countries.