“Gerdie,” the girl said, out of breath. “My name’s Gerdie.” She wore a plain, light brown smock that hung loosely from her shoulders. She looked beat up and her dress was torn and raggedy.
“You okay?” Ezren asked. He looked her over. She looked young, pale-faced and short with long auburn hair.
The girl’s brown eyes went wide. “Do I look okay?” she said, exasperated.
Van stepped in. “You look like you’ve been through something,” he said, before Ezren could say something insensitive, like ‘no’.
The dirty, shoeless, bruised girl started to cry.
“Come on,” Van said. He put an arm out to touch her shoulder. “Let’s get inside and get you some water or something.”
The girl snuffled and nodded. “Who’s that?” She pointed at Danfy.
“Gerdie, this is Mage Danfy. We’re from Hilfords. Were gonna take you there, now,” Van explained, using his best calm voice.
“Are you all mages?”
Danfy laughed his childish, pre-pubescent laugh.
“No,” Ezren said, shortly. “Just Danfy.”
Van chuckled. “That’s a good thing. One is enough.”
They walked, Van and Gerdie in front, Ezren and Danfy behind, down the road to the gap in the wall of Mirinol. The stone wall was only as tall as a man. All the buildings beyond were visible over the top. The city sat spread across one of Central Mirna’s many hills, rising up a good distance, with the royal house on top. It was probably impressive to someone who’d never seen it before.
Gerdie looked around at the village that had spilled out into the northeast fields. Then she looked forward into the big city. “It’s huge,” she said.
Van nodded. “It is. But we’re not going into town. Just here, on the right.”
They passed through the wall and entered the city. To the left, a row of townhouses and a tavern called The Dapper Fox lined the street. On the right, the wall of Hilfords with the ever-opened gate into the formal gardens.
“In there?” Gerdie asked, looking up at the gnarled elm trees.
“That’s it,” Van said. He let her walk in front of him onto the flagstone path.
Hedges and flowerbeds ran parallel to the walkway, leading into a maze of low boxwoods, yews and evergreens. Gerdie turned her head left and right, taking in the wide expanse of Hilfords’ campus. Maybe she was mesmerized by the gardens, or maybe she was just really tough. Whatever it was, she didn’t act like a girl who’d had a harrowing experience.
Ezren wondered if she was simple-minded or maybe a mule had kicked her in the head. It wasn’t fair to judge her on a few moments of acquaintance, but the girl did seem odd. He was willing to concede that the sight of Hilfords could be distracting.
“Never been to Mirinol before?” he asked, walking leisurely behind.
“Nuh-uh,” said Gerdie, her gaze fixed on the distant Telroc Hall.
Van walked ahead a little. The hedge wasn’t high enough to cause anyone to get lost in the maze, but the square space of turning paths could be daunting. “This way,” he said, going right.
Behind Ezren, Danfy shook his head. “We have to find out what happened. This could be a problem we have to notify the Guard about.”
“We’ll get there, Danfy,” Ezren whispered. “Let her sit down and have some water. Looks like she’s been attacked or something.”
Gerdie gasped as she looked to her left. “It’s a castle!”
“No,” Van said. “Not a castle. Hilfords was a monastery a long, long time ago. Used to be a chapel, in the middle. Now it’s mostly…well, it’s complicated. I guess you could say it’s a university.”
Gerdie arched an eyebrow. “Oh.”
Van led the way through the paths to the short, wide open lawn in front of Greyelm.
“We’re taking her into Greyelm?” Danfy asked. He sounded disappointed.
Stepping up to the front door, Van turned back to glare at the mage. He pushed the latch down and shoved the door inward. “Come on, Gerdie. Let’s figure this out.”
The girl slowly dragged herself up the steps to the front door and moved cautiously inside. “What’s this place?” she asked.
“It’s where crazy people live,” Van said.
Gerdie looked shocked and turned to leave.
“No, no, I’m just kidding.”
Ezren came up behind them. “It’s where the mages and scholars live who are studying magic. It’s empty now, except for Danfy. Everyone’s leaving for summer.”
Gerdie looked at each face around her.
They all nodded.
“It’s true,” Danfy added. “No joke. Come inside.” The mage pushed passed everyone to enter the corridor.
Danfy led the way through the long hallway, passing doors on either side. There were sitting rooms, stairs, an open center hall, and another corridor. The short, young mage turned left after that, disappearing through a wide entry.
Van led Gerdie the same way. Ezren brought up the rear. They were heading to Danfy’s library. Really it was just a library, but Danfy had made some modifications in his last lifetime. The place was almost like a lounge, with cushioned leather chairs and low tables and a big liquor cabinet built into the far wall, next to the windows. Books lined the shelves on every wall, from floor to ceiling. The far end still looked more like a library aside from the red divan under the windows.
“Have a seat,” Danfy said, walking to the liquor cabinet. He pulled four fat glass tumblers from a drawer and removed a thick-bottomed decanter of brandy. The mage set about pouring small amounts of golden liquid into each glass.
Gerdie sat in a thick leather chair with a low, round table by her feet. Four chairs were arranged around the table, facing inward. Ezren and Van dropped down on either side of the girl.
Ezren took a glass from Danfy as the mage came toward them. “Where are you from, Gerdie?”
“Overhill,” she said. Gerdie took the glass from Danfy and eyed it suspiciously.
“That’s far. Day’s ride east,” Van pointed out. “How’d you get all the way over here?”
Gerdie downed the brandy and slid the glass onto the table. She leaned back in her chair. “I was taking a basket of fruit to the market on Main. I was talking, in the shop, like I always do. When I went outside, the sun was setting. I started off across the road to head home when a black carriage came up and stopped. The man on the bench in front said he needed to know how to get to Mirinol. I was telling him to go straight and he’d be there in less than a day when someone grabbed me from behind. I got tossed into the carriage and they tied my hands. Took at least four of them,” she added, smiling with pride. “Gave them a real hard time. Punched one right in the eye.”
She told them about pulling off into the woods and the thing that sounded like a bear attacking the men. Gerdie explained how the fox helped her get free and she ran into the woods. She ran after the fox and realized the furry little guy was taking her west. But who was she to argue with a fox that saved her life? So she ran on until she didn’t see the fox anymore. Then the trees were less dense and she could see the sky and the grass beyond. She popped out of the forest and there she was, in the north fields outside Mirinol.
“What did they want with you?” Ezren asked, sipping his drink.
Gerdie shrugged. She looked at him with her big, brown eyes. “They didn’t say. Spoke some other language, like from way east. People from far away come through Overhill on their way to the city all the time. I hardly ever seen anyone like those guys.”
“So, not from Velgria?” Ezren asked.
“Don’t think so,” Gerdie said. She leaned forward and picked up her empty glass and inspected it.
Danfy got up and got the brandy from the cabinet.
Van leaned forward in his chair. “We’ll have to get a message out to her family in Overhill.”
“Of course,” said Danfy, refilling glasses around the table. The mage sat down, again.
“Probably have to tell Torvik about this,” Ezren said. “Birchill and Aldros, too.”
“I’ll do it,” Van said, sitting back with his drink. “Consider it sent.”
Two Cases in One