Everyone turns out to see them off, even those whose duty is to patrol through the outlying trees. James mounts his horse and turns to face Roland. “Seems I’m off again,” he says with a grin.
“That’s why Ezra and I are here,” he replies. “To look after things.”
“Everyone’s ready,” Illan announces.
James glances back at those mounted behind him. Miko and Jiron ride next to him and Dave is just behind. He looks sullen at having to be in that position, but makes no fuss. “Let’s go,” he says as he gets his horse moving.
“You be careful,” Tersa hollers to her brother from her position by the front of the house.
Jiron turns and waves to her as he gives her a reassuring smile. Next to her stands Aleya. Things have cooled off between them since his return from Trademeet, he’s not sure why.
Errin has the watch at the end of the lane today and she comes to attention as they ride by. James gives her a nod in passing and then turns onto the road heading south. Four long days lie ahead of them before they reach the walls of Cardri.
He can’t help but be a little overwhelmed at being summoned by the king. From what he’s heard of the man, the king is a just and kind ruler whom the entire populace of Cardri adores.
The grey sky above prevents the sun from warming the morning chill from the air. Fall is in full swing, the colors of the trees bright and cheery as the leaves begin turning orange, red and yellow. A gust of breeze now and then sends a flurry of leaves scattering across the road.
The evening of the second day, they find themselves an hour south of Bearn. Passing through made James a little leery as it’s the home of Lord Colerain and the man has had it in for him almost since his coming to this world. For some reason, he has the idea that James stole something from him. Of course James has not, but he’s had two attempts made on him.
It wasn’t very long ago when he made the last attempt. He actually had the temerity to send men out to The Ranch to abduct him. It would’ve worked except Miko recognized one of the captors which led them to Bearn. And Bearn led them to Lord Colerain. After Illan and the others rescued him, he told Lord Colerain that if he again moved against him that he would come back to Bearn and raze his house to the ground and destroy everything of his that he could find. So far, it seemed the man had heeded the warning. James is usually a patient man and has the philosophy of live and let live but Lord Colerain has pushed him beyond that.
As the sun begins to set, a cluster of buildings begins to appear ahead of them, just another of the small areas set up to cater to travelers. Most of the ones they’ve passed the last two days only had an inn, a chandler’s shop, and little else. This one is no different.
No sign on the inn, but the fact that it is an inn is unmistakable. “Shall we stop here for the night?” James asks Illan.
Nodding, he replies, “I doubt if we’ll find another before dark.”
“Alright.” Dismounting, he and Illan go inside to see about rooms while the others stay with the horses.
Inside they find a man bearing a tray of drinks over to a table. He pauses when he sees them enter and says, “Just a moment and I’ll be with you.”
“No problem,” responds James.
After setting the mugs of ale on the table before two customers, he makes his way back to where they’re waiting. “My name is Jared, welcome to the Restful Traveler. Can I help you sirs?” he asks.
“Need three rooms and stalls for six horses,” replies James.
Nodding, the man says, “It’ll be three coppers a room, meals are extra. And another copper for each of the stalls.”
“Very well,” replies James and he removes the required number of coins from his pouch and hands them to the man. Walking with Jared over to the counter, he accepts three keys from him for the rooms.
“The stalls for the horses are around back,” he tells them.
“Thank you,” says James and then he and Illan return outside to the others.
Leading their horses around to the back, they get them situated in their stalls before returning to the inn. They then go upstairs and put their things in their rooms before heading down to the common room for dinner.
During the course of eating dinner, a commotion near the entrance of the inn draws their attention.
“I said not to come around here again!” Jared the innkeeper says sternly.
James looks over and sees a young woman, obviously very poor and looking destitute turn around and leave. When their serving girl comes near, he asks her what that was about.
“Oh, she comes by here from time to time, looking for a handout,” she explains. “My father used to give her food but then she started coming every night and annoying the customers. That’s when he put a stop to it. Poor girl, I feel sorry for her but what can you do?”
“Thank you,” he says.
“You’re welcome,” the girl replies as she moves along to help another customer.
“Kind of feel sorry for people like that don’t you?” asks James to no one in particular.
“Some,” agrees Fifer.
Before the end of the meal, an itinerant musician sets up in one corner of the common room and places a bowl on the floor before him for any donations the patrons would care to give. Most musicians of this world have no paying patrons and just go from tavern to tavern looking for a place to play. If the proprietor has no one to provide music already, he’ll let the musician set up and play for tips, often supplying his dinner if he plays well.
They sit back after the meal and listen as he plays. Not nearly Perrilin’s standard, but who is? Still, he does play well and the songs he sings are on key. During one intermission, James goes over and puts a silver in his bowl.
Sitting back down, he notices Dave is gone. “Where did Dave go?”
“Who cares?” says Jiron. His feelings for Dave have hardly become better over the last couple days. While Dave has done nothing further to antagonize anyone, if anything he’s been trying hard to get along, he still has yet to allay Jiron’s feeling of distrust.
“Jiron, stop that,” Illan says disapprovingly. To James he adds, “He said he was tired and was going up to sleep.”
A big yawn escaping him, James says, “I may go on up too.” Then the musician begins playing a song James has heard before, one he especially likes. Sitting back down, he looks to Illan and says with a smile, “Maybe after one more song.”
Illan laughs and James sits back as the musician makes his way through the piece. It’s a whimsical song about a layabout who winds up mistakenly courting his benefactor’s daughter. Rather a long song, but from the reaction of the other patrons there, more than just James like it.
When the song ends, he gets up and stretches. “Definitely off to bed now,” he says amidst another big yawn. “See you all tomorrow.”
“Good night James,” Illan says. The others bid him good night as well.
Heading up to his room, he finds Dave asleep in bed just as Illan had said. Getting undressed quietly so as not to awaken his friend, he slips into his own bed and relaxes as he begins drifting off to sleep.
The following morning when they’re in the common room having a quick bite to eat before heading out, everyone seems to be mellowing toward Dave. Jiron still has an edge, but it’s beginning to soften somewhat as he gets to know him a little bit better. It’s unlikely he’ll ever have total trust in him, but as time goes on, James hopes he will.
They finish their morning meal quickly and are soon on the road. As they pass by the last of the buildings James sees someone standing against the wall of the last building, staring at their party. It’s the woman who the night before the innkeeper told to leave his place. When she notices him looking at her, she turns and runs away. Not looking back, she goes around the corner behind the building and is soon out of sight.