Several hours passed before the afternoon crowd began filtering in. At first there were only a few lone individuals looking for a quick meal, but then others arrived, filled the seats, and the common room grew bustling. By the time the boys had drained a sliver’s worth of ale and had their evening meal, the sun was low on the horizon and Master Tuppin had yet to put in an appearance.
“What if he doesn’t show, Rene?”
As the hours passed, so too did Jaikus’ mood deteriorate.
Reneeke merely shrugged. “We’ll give him until we finish off this round. If he hasn’t made an appearance by then, we will return to his wagons.”
“Good.”
Downing the last of his, Jaikus burped, wiped his mouth and then said, “We can go now.”
Reneeke just gave his friend a grin as he sipped from a mug still over half full. “Never rush the pleasures of life, Jaik. They are far too few to be wasted.”
“Sipping ale is a pleasure?”
“It’s all how you look at it. By the time we reach Kith, the ability to relax while sipping ale will most definitely be a pleasure; don’t you think?”
Jaikus merely grimaced.
Reneeke didn’t protract his friend’s irritation any more than he had to. The rest he downed in three quick gulps. Rising, he grabbed his pack and said, “Let’s go.”
“About time.”
Right then, two men walked through the door and made for the common room. One was Ponytail, the guard they had met earlier at Master Tuppin’s wagons. The second was a dark haired, nondescript man of average height. The only thing about him that drew one’s attention was the manner in which he was dressed.
A garish red coat with silver buttons and a matching pair of pants contrasted with the somber browns and earth tones worn by the other patrons. A brown hat rested atop his head with a long peacock feather extended backward from the left side. With Ponytail for company, this had to be Master Tuppin.
“About time,” Jaikus mumbled.
Reneeke nodded and made his way toward the table where the pair had sat.
Ponytail noticed them coming. Leaning close to Master Tuppin, he whispered in the trader’s ear.
Master Tuppin glanced up just as the two lads drew near.
“These are the boys?”
“Yes,” Ponytail replied. “They claim they’re from the Guild.”
Jaikus stepped forward. “That is correct. I am Jaikus, and this here is my partner, Reneeke. We understand that you are in need of a couple extra guards on your trip north.”
The trader eyed them up and down, his face failed to give any indication as to how he found them.
“Hmmmmm. I could always use another pair of blades. It’s dangerous country up north. I haven’t yet made it through unmolested. Are you sure you boys are up to it?”
“Up to it?” Jaikus asked as if such a question need not be spoken. “Why, we are veteran adventurers. Just last week my friend and I entered the Swamp, fought trolls, and retrieved items from an enraged mossback.”
“Anyone could make that boast,” Ponytail argued.
Master Tuppin nodded. “True. But we leave in the morning and it will be unlikely that anyone else will offer to accompany us.”
“We would be most grateful,” Reneeke added. “We have business in Kith and were hoping to accompany you until then?”
“We’re not going to Kith, son,” Master Tuppin said. When Reneeke’s face pursed in a frown, he quickly added, “However, the road to Kith is along our way and north of the mountains. It is through the mountains where we need guards the most.” He glanced to Ponytail who nodded. “We can take you that far.”
“But I thought Raynwar said…,” Jaikus began.
“Thank you,” Reneeke replied quickly, cutting Jaikus off. “We won’t let you down.”
“Hmmmmm,” murmured the caravan master. He eyed the pair as one would a cow offered for sale. His gaze settled upon their swords.
“You know how to use those?”
“Yes, sir!”
Drawing his with a flourish, Jaikus nearly skewered the barmaid as she made to pass, which caused her to dart backwards and dump her load of mugs upon a rather large man boasting a wide variety of scars and a sour-disposition.
Coming out of his seat with a roar, the man used the back of his hand to wipe away an errant track of ale froth that now coated his face. “Idiot!”
Unaware that his action precipitated the outburst, Jaikus glanced over his shoulder, wondering who the idiot was.
Reneeke on the other hand, realized a situation was in the offing and moved to interpose himself between the ale-soaked man and his friend.
“Our apologies,” he said. “We did not mean…”
The rest of his statement was cut short when a right cross connected with his jaw. Stumbling backward, he crashed into and through Master Tuppin’s table.
Jaikus immediately sheathed his sword and took a swing at the man’s middle. Expecting to encounter soft flesh, his blow instead met a washboard stomach of iron-hardness; pain erupted from knuckles to elbow. He had but a moment to register the ineffectiveness of his attack before a fist of steel scored a solid strike into his gut. As he doubled over, a second blow landed against the side of his head, sending him reeling into a nearby table.
Those seated at the table merely took charge of their mugs, leaned back in their seats, and watched as he crashed through the wooden tabletop and hit the floor.
“Need help, Ranthor?”
The big man snickered. “Naw. This won’t take but a moment.” Other calls and laughter erupted from several points throughout the common room.
A pain shrouded fog filled Jaikus’ vision. He could barely make out the big man as he stepped toward him. His breathing came in gasps and all he could do was lay there and moan. Waiting for the next blow, he was relieved when Reneeke launched into action.
Reneeke, not small by any means, was still dwarfed by this giant of a man. Hitting him full force, Reneeke grasped Ranthor in a bear hug and the two went sailing into yet a third table.
“Rene,” Jaikus groaned.
He attempted to stand and come to his friend’s aid, but his knees gave way. Tilting to the side, he fell into the lap of a rather gorgeous, brown haired girl. On the other side of the table’s splintered remains, a man of medium size sporting a large ill-tempered disposition, leapt to his feet.
“Get off my woman!”
Grabbing Jaikus by the back of the shirt, he yanked him to his feet, spun him around and sent him flying backwards yet again with a well placed blow to the jaw.
Barely conscious, Jaikus was unable to avoid slamming into a man who had up until that moment been enjoying a bowl of stew. He hit the man’s back, who in turn was pushed into the table which upended the bowl causing the hot contents to soak his shirt front. Roaring with rage, the man turned on Jaikus who had already slumped to the floor in a semi-conscious stupor.
“I’ll kill you!”
A six inch knife materialized in the man’s hand. Raising the weapon, he plunged it downward. The blow never fell. Before it could connect with Jaikus’ chest, Reneeke bowled the man over. Twice he pummeled the man before they even hit the floor.
Other fights had broken out throughout the common room. Reneeke gave one final knee to the man’s midriff before getting to his feet.
He saw Ranthor moving toward the comatose Jaikus and surged forward.
A voice from across the room shouted, “Ranthor!”
The call alerted the big man. Turning, he met Reneeke’s assault and the two grappled, each seeking to unbalance the other. As Reneeke began tilting off-balance, he heard a man clear his throat. Both he and Ranthor looked to see Master Tuppin standing next to them.
The caravan master held up a finger to Ranthor and said, “Just one moment, please.”
“What?”
“Just one moment. “ Then turning to Reneeke, Master Tuppin said, “If you and your friend survive this, be at my wagons
in the morning.”
“We’ll be there,” Reneeke assured him.
Ranthor laughed. “There won’t be much of them left.”
Master Tuppin took in the precarious position in which Ranthor held Reneeke and then glanced to where Jaikus lay unconscious on the floor. “You may be correct. In any event, we leave at sunrise.” He then turned upon his heels and walked from the common room with Ponytail in tow.
“Now,” Ranthor said as the struggle resumed, “shall we finish this?”
Reneeke didn’t answer; his attention was focused entirely on working to reverse his current situation. Despite his best effort, Ranthor continued moving him off-balance. About to be maneuvered into a position where maintaining equilibrium would prove impossible, a third individual crashed backward into them.
The impact knocked Reneeke and Ranthor apart. Ranthor and the third man went one direction and Reneeke in another. Two steps and the steadying surface of a table brought Reneeke to a halt. A quick glance back revealed Ranthor was extricating himself from where he lay beneath the body of the third man who appeared unconscious. In that instant, Reneeke realized the third man hadn’t attacked but had either been hit or thrown into them.
Chaos ruled the common room. Fights raged from one end to the other. Women screamed as they tried extricating themselves from the fray; men yelled as fists found targets; chairs smashed; tables broke; and in the midst of it all, Jaikus began to stir.
Having only moments before Ranthor would be after them, Reneeke raced to his groggy friend. En route he ducked beneath a hurled chair, avoided a blow meant for another, and bodily thrust a man out of his way. Reaching his friend’s side, he grabbed Jaikus by the arm and hauled him to his feet.
“Come on, Jaik. We’ve got to get out of here.”
The left side of his face was red and puffy; the eye was all but closed. He looked to Reneeke then at the multiple melees swirling around them. “Did we win?” he asked, confused and uncertain.
“Yes, Jaik. Now let’s go!”
Reneeke put Jaikus’ arm over his shoulder and raced for the exit. Before they reached the door, a shout from Ranthor came from behind; the exact words were drowned out by the commotion filling the common room. A glance back revealed the big man standing with the neck of another clutched in his big hand. He gave Reneeke a grin and a nod then thrust the man backward as he waded into a neighboring battle that consisted of no less than four combatants.
Turning back to the matter at hand, namely getting out of there, Reneeke hurried a wobbly Jaikus forward. Motion and light drew his attention to a side window. Men bearing torches, cudgels and dressed in the uniform of Reakla’s town guard were racing toward the inn.
The exit was packed with people, both those trying to escape the melee and others on their way in to join it. They had to leave before the Guard arrived. For if they failed to do so, their meeting with Master Tuppin in the morning would be seriously hindered. Reneeke grasped Jaikus tight, quickened his pace and barreled forward.
A few realized what they were about to do and sought to get out of the way, but most were not so lucky. Bodies exploded outward as Reneeke with Jaikus in tow slammed into the log jam of humanity.
Jaikus stumbled once but Reneeke kept him moving. He turned toward the alleyway opposite the approaching Guardsmen and practically carried his friend the last several feet into its sheltering darkness; curses and epithets following them the entire way.
Once inside, Reneeke spared only a moment to glance over his shoulder. Not seeing the guards coming their way, he turned his attention to Jaikus.
“Can you walk?”
A nod was the only answer forthcoming.
“Then let’s put that …,” he said, jerking his thumb back toward the inn, “behind us.”
Jaikus’ step wasn’t as sure as it usually was, but he did manage to keep one foot in front of the other as the pair followed the alley to its other end and quickly made their way back to their room.
“They ain’t comin’.”
Master Tuppin glanced to Ponytail and nodded. “You may be right, Rojer.” The sun had been above the horizon for nearly half an hour now and he would wait no more. Half of those in the caravansary had already departed and the rest were getting underway. “Let’s go.”
Along with him and his two guards, Master Tuppin had three teamsters, one for each of his other wagons. All had been with him for years.
Master Tuppin flicked the reins on the lead wagon and the pair of horses drawing it pulled against its weight. As the wheels turned and made to leave the caravansary, the other three wagons fell in line behind.
Rojer rode a roan stallion and took position just behind Master Tuppin’s wagon. His partner, the burly man with the crossbow Reneeke and Jaikus met earlier, brought up the rear.
They made their way through Reakla and had nearly reached its northern outskirts when Jaikus and Reneeke emerged at a run from a side street half a block behind the caravan.
“We’re here!” Jaikus yelled.
Burly Guard glanced over his shoulder and saw the pair racing toward him. “About time,” he mumbled as they ran past on their way to the lead wagon and Master Tuppin.
Not stopping, Master Tuppin looked to Reneeke and then gestured to the wagon right behind his. “Sit with Larko.” To Jaikus he said, “You ride with Midden at the rear.”
Reneeke bobbed his head while Jaikus replied, “Yes, sir.”
Reneeke tossed his pack up on the seat next to Larko and climbed aboard.
Larko was the youngest of the three teamsters at twenty-four years of age. Brown hair cut short, he gave Reneeke a jovial grin and a friendly “Howdy.”
“Howdy yourself, Larko. Name’s Reneeke.”
Taking his pack and setting it in the bed of the wagon behind the seat, he sat next to the young teamster.
“Have you been with Master Tuppin long?”
“About six years. It’s a good job.”
“Dangerous?”
Shrugging, Larko replied, “What isn’t these days.”
Chuckling, Reneeke nodded. “You have a point.”
“Have you taken the road to Kittikin before?”
“Twice.”
“Trouble?”
“Bandits once, but they were easily dealt with. Most don’t want to tussle with armed prey.”
“Lookin’ for easy pickings I take it.”
“Those traveling alone, mostly. Heard of a caravan two years back that was attacked in the hills. Only the master and a lone teamster survived. A party of Adventurers was sent out to find them.”
“Did they?”
Larko nodded. “Seventeen men were brought back, tried, and executed for murder.”
“Good to know.”
“Yep. Makes one feel safe to know those bandits aren’t out there anymore.” Then he glanced to Reneeke. “Always new ones cropping up though.”
“That’s why we’re here.”
“Glad to have you. With any luck, you two will be bored to tears.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Midden was pushing forty, had an air of competence, and merely gave Jaikus a grunt as the lad climbed aboard.
“Didn’t think we’d make it.”
Snorting, the elder teamster glanced to the young Guildsman, “Almost didn’t.”
Jaik put his pack on the floor of the wagon and kicked it under the seat with his foot. “We couldn’t very well let Master Tuppin down. An agreement made is an agreement seen through as my old granther used to say. Besides, if things are as rough up ahead as we hear, you’ll need our swords before too long.”
The look Midden cast him said he doubted how effective two such young lads would really be.
At first annoyed, Jaikus then laughed, slapped Midden on the back and said, “Rest assured, we can handle it. After all, my friend and I just returned from an Adventure where we faced down trolls and mossbacks. Maybe you’ve heard of us? Jaikus and Reneeke…?”
Midden shook his h
ead.
“Really?” Jaik asked, surprised. “How the troll took down Reneeke and I stood over him and saved his life with naught but a length of steel and determination?” When again he received a shake of the head, Jaikus said, “It’s really all very exciting. Reneeke and I had just arrived in Reakla not that long ago…”
As the caravan rolled through the outskirts of Reakla, Jaikus launched into a complete and well-rehearsed exposition of their exploits all the while completely oblivious to Midden’s annoyed glances.
That’s it, folks. Hope you enjoyed them.
Take care.
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