Missteps V.2

Chapter 24 – A Beautiful Day

Elaine walked into The Screaming Highwayman in Lorbridge with great hesitation. Not only was the establishment several blocks off the main drag, but the inside was dingy and dim with a thin layer of what smelled like tobacco smoke near the ceiling. The few tables in the hole-in-the-wall tavern were already full, even though it was barely noon. The only space available was at the bar that took up an entire wall.

She heard her name called and looked up to see Carric perched at the end of the bar. She quickly made her way over, nearly colliding with a harried male with a full tray of drinks on his shoulder.

"Why in the world did we have to meet here?" She scowled as she sat in the stool the ranger pulled out for her. She laid her pack and crossbow on the bar, to act as a barrier between her and the other less savory patrons at the bar. The scruffy bartender eyed for the crossbow, but didn't say anything as he continued to pour drinks.

Carric grinned. "I told you not to let me pick the place." He offered her some nuts from the bowl in front of him. She refused. "Where'd you get that?" He nodded at the weapon.

"Picked it up on my way here." Elaine took off her heavy cloak and laid it across her lap. "Father Tigsomir ordered it for me after an acolyte broke my old one."

"Well that's nice of him." He took a swig from the mug in front of him before he offered the drink to her as well.

Elaine shook her head. "Since I represent the church with the Circle, the Father was adamant that they take on 'the burden of outfitting their cleric'." She rolled her eyes. "When you'd get to town?"

"Since yesterday. I would have come and seen you then, but I got in late and made plans." He smiled at a passing server, the same one Elaine had almost run into it. The waiter winked back at him. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted a small high-pitched trilling sound that came out of his pack. The ranger reached down, pulled the bag onto the bar, and opened it. "Well, look who finally woke up."

The small black head of a weasel poked out, and sniffed the air. As it caught sight of Elaine, the weasel quickly scurried out and began rubbing up against the cleric.

Elaine's eyes were wide as she petted the grey spotted fur. "Is this really Shomma? Last time I saw her she was tiny." The small dachshund-sized creature cried out in happiness as she wormed her way into Elaine's arms. Carric had acquired the creature from an animal trader the trio had met on their way out of Rocklyn.

Carric smiled as he watched the scene. "Yeah, looks like I got duped. I was told she was already fully grown, but turns out she's still a baby."

Elaine's eyes widened. "How big is she going to get?"

He shrugged. "Koe estimates probably about five or six feet in length alone." He reached out and tried to take the weasel from Elaine, but she moved and wrapped herself around the cleric's neck. He chuckled. "Koe says that these kinds of weasels are found more in the northern areas. We found a story about an old gnome raiding party that would ride the weasels into battle like horses."

Elaine looked down at the adorable happy-filled face of Shomma, and tried to imagine someone riding her into battle. What she got instead was a mental picture of Ander mounted on her back. For some reason, the image gave her a spurt of giggles. Carric sent her a raised eyebrow, and Elaine filled him in.

The ranger laughed. "That's not a half bad idea actually. We'll have to bring it up when we meet back up. Speaking of it, I was thinking that we should start heading out towards Esterwill within the next couple of days. The three months is up next week, and if the rumors coming out of that town are true then we'll probably want to try to catch everyone before they head inside."

Elaine nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, except for one thing."

"What?" Carric asked as he ate some more nuts.

"I've been invited to a party this weekend." She sighed as she reached over and got a handful of nuts as well. "Technically the church was invited, but I've been given the task of attending."

Carric's face twisted in confusion. "Why can't someone else go instead?"

Elaine shook her head. "It's Father Tigsomir's first Rite of the Rest since taking over as deacon, so he's calling for all hands on deck."

"And why aren't you being called to help?" He popped a nut into his mouth. "What is the Rite of the Rest anyhow?"

"It's a ceremony for when a person's body is lost, and they're presumed dead. It's a way to help the wandering soul find peace and help it transition through Vowil's light. Usually any Priest could perform the ceremony, but this one is being requested by a powerful family from Silverbank. They're paying the church a lot of money for it to be of the highest priority." Elaine scowled. She disliked the thought of the Rite being performed for money, but she more than understood the church's need for funds. "Since I'm not stationed at this church, Father Tigsomir asked that I attend the party on the church's behalf."

Carric nodded. "Ok, I guess that makes sense. What kind of party is it?"

"It's a welcome party for a Lirathan delegation." Elaine explained as she fed nuts to Shomma. She laughed as the little weasel ate them greedily.

Recognition dawned on his face. "That's what all the hubbub was about in Silverbank. I guess Kerri and I will just wait for you here."

Elaine shook her head. "Wish you could, but Kerri says that the guild's already been tapped to entertain. They've been preparing performances for the past month."

"Is Kerri involved with them?" The ranger asked, and Elaine nodded. Carric raised an eyebrow. "Does the guild know of Kerri's history with the Lirathan royal family?"

Elaine nodded again. "Kerri says that her mentor at the guild, Master Xayoe Recklenton, is originally from Liratha, and keeps an ear on the news. She's got Kerri primarily working behind-the-scenes. According to Kerri, the guild's heading out to Silverbank early tomorrow morning, and we're welcome to catch a ride with them." Elaine indicated that the 'we' were her and Carric.

He hung his head. "Who said I wanted to go to Silverbank? I just came from there. You could have sent all of this in a message and told me to wait." He grabbed his tankard.

"I wanted to speak to you in person first." Elaine leaned in closer. "Maron is part of the delegation."

Carric paused, his tankard halfway to his mouth. "Maron, as in Prince Maron? The guy Kerri was in love with?" Elaine nodded. "Well, what the hell?"

She shrugged. "All I heard is that he's accompanying his older brother: Crown Prince Mervyn. Seeing as Kerri's whole exile deal is based on her and Maron, I'm afraid of anything happening."

"Do you think you might be overreacting?" Carric drained the last of his tankard and stood up. "There's a chance that he doesn't even know Kerri's here. Or are you afraid of Kerri reaching out to him?" He dropped a handful of coins on the bar and walked out.

"A little of both." Elaine followed Carric out of the tavern, Shomma still wrapped around her neck. Outside the cold air hit them hard, and Elaine pulled her cloak tightly around her unarmored form. Carric took Shomma from her and deposited the small creature back into his bag and wrapped the small blanket around her.

"By the way, when did you get that?" Elaine gestured towards the long green and golden-filigreed quiver that was strapped across Carric's back.

"My payment for helping Koe." Carric explained. Koe was the ranger in charge of the forest around the capital city of Silverbank. On their way from Rocklyn, Carric had told her and Kerri about the older ranger. Koe was one of the people Carric wanted to touch base with before they joined up with Ander and the others. In the nearly three months since, he'd done a lot of odd jobs for the older ranger, and in return he'd gotten to pick their brain on some of the more unique or beastly creatures the new group might encounter in the less civilized parts of the kingdom. "Since we're leaving tomorrow, I think we'd best get the supplies today. Last time I was in Silverbank, the shops were bare."

Elaine followed him as he headed down the street. "Why?"

Carric shook his head. "Probably something to do with the delegation. A lot of groups were leaving town too."

Elaine tapped her chin. "Maybe it's some sort of protest? I have noticed that the Vowilian Church is highly favored in Marblebrook. Vastly different from Liratha." She sighed as she though the differences in the two kingdoms.

In Marblebrook, the clerics and priests provided and protected their parishioners not with swords but with havens. The worshippers of Marblebrooke focused their energies and faith on providing places of refuge and healing. Vowil rose to prominence during the Civil War when civilians converged on the temples seeking shelter and safety.

The more proactive, in-your-face worship of Liratha appealed much more to Elaine.

In Liratha, the Church of Vowil based their faith and beliefs in their fight with the undead. Early on, armies of the undead would shamble down from the mountains that bordered the infant nation. The Paladins of Vowil led the armies that drove them out of the land. Then, when the giants were first spotted crossing into the mountains from some unknown land, Vowilian missionaries had been the first to investigate and try to negotiate with the clans. For much of Lirathan history, Vowil had been a deity that'd been trusted by the ruling classes.

As the years passed, the giants continued to invade the land. The citizenry were forced flee, and the clergy followed their parishioners as they ran east. Many times, the clergy had been forced to leave behind their temples and Holy Sites, still full of artifacts and scripture they weren't able to bring with them. With the diminishment of their temples, and the people of Liratha losing faith in Vowil's protections, many priests and clerics left to start anew in places like Marblebrooke or Pryria.

The greatest blow came about ninety years ago, when the head of the Lirathan church, the Cardinal, was imprisoned by the Royal family. Though he was only imprisoned for a few weeks, the effects were severe. All of the remaining temples and places of worship were seized by the government. Clergy members were branded enemies of the states and thrown in prison. Texts, scriptures, artifacts, anything that bore the name of Vowil was confiscated and destroyed. The Royal Family declared war on Vowil.

This didn't stop the clergy. Priests and acolytes started hiding within caravans as they spread Vowil's words in secrets. With the giant threat still looming over their heads, and a poor economic situation within the kingdom, support for Vowil grew. The Church of Vowil stood in direct opposition to the Royal Family, and those who wished to see the family fall rushed to the clergy's aid.

The second time the Cardinal was arrested, it was for two years. A vessel had been caught smuggling Vowilian artifacts across the strait to Osthom, and the Cardinal had pleaded for the items to be returned. The Royal Family denied him, and accused him of being the smuggler. After he was imprisoned, the thieves' guild reached out to the clergy and smuggled their artifacts across the strait.

The Cardinal had barely been free a year before he was imprisoned once again. This time the royal family didn't give a reason, and so far the elderly Cardinal had been locked up for twenty years. By the time Elaine had arrived in Liratha, public support had reached a fever pitch in support of the Vowilian clergy.

Eventually the royal family had no choice but to bow to public pressure. It was Crown Prince Mervyn that had finally extended an olive branch after the death of his father. He invited Antodin and her acolytes as his guests to the annual New Dawn party that celebrated the coming new year. It was at this party that Elaine and Kerri had first met. Shortly after, he gifted Antodin a small temple on the outskirts of the capital city, Crystaliron. The Cardinal was still imprisoned, but the actions of the prince had quieted the worst of the dissent from the public.

"Father Tigsomir mentioned that I should present a gift to the Lirathan delegation." Elaine commented as her and Carric walked down the crowded market street. A lot of people had come into town for the winter months, or to sell the last of their fall harvests. "Any ideas?"

"How about a rabbit's tail?" Carric suggested as he pointed out a passing vendor. They stopped briefly in at a shop of a friend of Carric's to pick up a map he'd ordered.

The next stop was a weapons armory, and that was where Elaine saw the true value of Koe's gift. She'd raised a skeptical eye as Carric had shelled out the money for forty arrows, twenty crossbow bolts, three javelins, and a spear. She wondered how he intended on carrying it all, when he began depositing the items one at a time into the compartments. It was as if the quiver ate the items. Even items that were longer than itself, like the spear and javelins, merely disappeared within its depths. Taking hold of the quiver itself, Elaine was surprised by how light it was considering what she'd just seen it eat.

Carric laugh as he took the item from her. "It's only a minor enchantment, nothing too big."

Elaine smiled and shook her head in amazement. "You must have done some good work if Koe found that to be fair pay."

He shrugged as the two of them left the shop and headed down the street. "Pretty sure that owlbear pelt I gave them helped too."

Suddenly a pitched scream pierced the air. Just up the street, a woman was on her knees, screaming at the crowd around her.

Elaine and Carric raced towards the woman. Many people were already leaving the area hurriedly, some of them yelling for guards. By the time they reached the woman there was already another figure by her side.

"What happened?" Carric asked. The newcomer looked up, his green eyes holding a determined glare as they shone out from under a hood.

"Her child was grabbed by a yfirkon." The man stood up and Carric noticed the two swords that were strapped to his waist, and the chain shirt that peeked out from under the cloak. "They dragged the boy into the alleyway. I've already sent someone to get the guards, but these creatures aren't known for their hospitality." The man pointed towards the narrow alleyway in front of them. The large buildings on either side blocked out the sun, leaving it in shadow.

Elaine pulled out her new crossbow and nocked it with a bolt. "What are we waiting for?"

"What exactly is a yfirkon?" Carric handed over his quiver to Elaine. He pulled his shortswords out and motioned to the newcomer to go first.

"Imagine if a spider and a human had a baby, and you're in the ballpark." The man pulled out a longsword and edged closer to the alley entrance. Large stacks of crates on either side of the opening meant that the only way in was a ten-foot gap. "They're usually only found underground, no idea what they're doing here."

"Are you sure it was a yfirkon?" Elaine took up a position next to a crate, ready to provide cover for the two swordsmen.

"Pretty sure." The man whispered as he entered the gloomy darkness. He walked cautiously, his eyes scanning the area. Carric followed along behind him. As they passed the first row of crates, they both looked up.

"Duck!" The green-eyed man yelled out. He pulled Carric down with him as a string of webbing shot over their heads. Above them on the wall, was a large hulking figure hiding in the shadows. It made a chittering noise like a spider, but did not approach.

Elaine aimed for the shadow patch where the webbing had originated, and was rewarded with a loud hiss. Crossing over, she jumped and tapped the highest crate she could. The wooden box lit up and illuminated the area.

Everyone could now clearly see the hulking gray skinned creature. Its eyes and fangs were those of a spider, but it was at least five feet tall with a humanoid body. Its hands had five fingers, with one large claw on each hand. The abdomen was distended, and a thin trail of silk webbing swayed in the breeze. Its skin was covered in lash marks.

The hooded swordsman took a running leap and deftly scrambled up to the top of the crates. As he did, his hood fell down, exposing his short-cropped black hair and face.

"Maron?" Elaine exclaimed in disbelief as she paused in reloading her crossbow. She watched him reach out with his sword, but the yfirkon deftly dodged.

"I'm gonna leave this to you." Carric called out as he started off further down the alleyway. The end of the alley was blocked by a contingent of empty carts. Clumps of debris were scattered along the edges. He rounded the corner of another crate pile, and found a second scarred yfirkon. This one was hunched over a small cocoon of webbing. The second yfirkon growled at Carric and launched itself at him. He tried to dodge, but one of the creature's claws ripped into his arm, before it bent down and nibbled on Carric's neck. He felt a burning sensation flare from the bite, but after a second it disappeared.

The first yfirkon turned to Maron, and sent another web out from its abdomen. This time Maron was too close and wasn't able to dodge out of the way. The thick, sticky webbing stuck his arms to his torso.

"What are you doing here?" Elaine called out to Maron as she let fly another bolt that scraped along the creatures leg.

"Looking for you actually." Maron grunted as he strained to break the bonds.

The yfirkon skittered to just above him. With a pleased look in its eyes, the creature reached out. Its claws left a wicked gash on his arm as it pulled Maron closer to it and bit him on his neck. Maron cried out at the sharp burning sensation, but it quickly subsided.

Elaine cursed under her breath and moved further into the alleyway looking for a clear line of sight on the creature. Last thing she needed was grief about shooting her friend's ex. The bolt pierced a line down the creature's skull. Maron used the distraction to break out of his bonds and move away from the creature, exchanging his longsword for a rapier as he did.

"Listen Elaine, I was rather hoping you and I could sit with a drink and talk." He called down to the cleric.

"Is this really the time to be asking her out?" Carric narrowly dodged another attack, and retaliated with two sword strikes.

Elaine turned to say something, but instead found herself pinned to a broken cart behind her with a sticky web. Looking up, she saw a third yfirkon descending down the wall from over the lip of the roof. "We've got another one!" She yelled out as she thrashed against the webbing.

"What do you mean?" Maron dodged the ginormous claw of his foe, but not its bite as leaned down and nipped at the back of his hand. Maron groaned as he felt the heat again, but once again it subsided.

Carric was too busy to even acknowledge Elaine's words as the yfirkon's claw cut a huge gash in his left arm. He dropped his sword. Distracted by the sudden pain, Carric barely noticed the creature reach out and bite his shoulder. The heat flared up from the bite, and this time it radiated down the full length of his arm. Carric dropped into unconscious.

"Carric!" Elaine's eyes went wide in sudden fear. She strained even more against her bonds. The way her arms were stuck, she couldn't reach the trigger on her crossbow. She looked back over to her fallen friend, and sent a prayer up to Vowil, asking for her to protect her friend. The goddess symbol shone for a moment on the ranger's forehead as the meager protection took hold.

Maron swung out against the yfirkon and managed to pierce its abdomen. As he withdrew his blade, he quickly backed out of its range, leapt down, and ran towards Elaine.

The yfirkon he just escaped from, and the one on the wall above him, both shot out webs after him. He dodged them both and made it to Elaine.

"Stop these things." Elaine told him softly. The holy symbol around her wrist flared with a soft light. That light shot out towards Carric, Maron, and herself, and for an instant the three of were outlined in it, before it died down.

Maron felt a surge of confidence rush into his limbs. He looked over Elaine's shoulder and saw the Yfirkon that had begun to cocoon Carric's legs. The other man's eyes were open, and he sent Maron a look that said 'get him off me'. Maron charged down the street with a yell. He buried his rapier down the middle of a gash already inflicted by Carric and the yfirkon gave a strangled cry. Carric sat up, and buried his sword into the creature's chest. It collapsed into a heap, sword still in its chest.

The other two yfirkons both gave a chittering cry at their fallen companion. They skittered back up their respective walls and over the tops.

Maron pulled out a knife and moved over to saw at the small cocoon, while Carric worked to free his legs. As soon as Elaine finally broke the strands that had trapped her, she ran over to Maron as he opened up the upper half of the cocoon. Inside was a small blond-haired boy. His skin was pale, and the large bit on the side of his neck was bright red. Even before she'd pressed her fingers to his throat, she knew they were too late. The child had never stood a chance against these creatures.

With a soft shake of her head to Maron's questioning gaze, Elaine turned to Carric and began examining his wounds. A couple of healing spells later and the worst of his injuries were gone. The burning sensation from the bite had disappeared as well.

Maron quietly removed the last of the webbing, and gently wrapped the small body in his cloak. The sweat that had accumulated on all three of them chilled quickly in the cold temperature, but they paid it no heed.

A commotion at the opening of the alleyway signaled the arrival of the town guard. Six armored and helmed guards entered the alley, weapons drawn. They were all dressed in the same maroon and navy uniform. Most of the guilds and official offices in Lorbridge were color-coded.

"What happened?" Bristled one of the guards as they took in the scene. The guard was a captain, as indicated by the gold interlocked stars on their chest.

"Yfirkons kidnapped and killed this child." Maron's voice was cold as he stood and faced them, the wrapped child in his arms. "His mother should still be wailing in the street."

The Captain made a motion with their hand and two other guards came forward and collected the child. They left and headed out of the alleyway. A few moments later a strangled female cry filled the air.

Carric pointed at the dead yfirkon. "Where did these things come from?"

The Captain took off her helmet and quickly issued commands to the other guards around her. "Last night we busted up a smuggling operation. The smugglers let loose some of their inventory as a distraction, and we've been chasing them down all morning."

"There were at least two more of them, and one of them is injured." Maron said, and the three of them gave a quick run-down of events. The body of the yfirkon was carted away.

"I thank you for your help, however we do frown at people walking around so formidably armed." The Captain cast a stern eye over the three of them. "Do you have papers?"

Elaine quickly dug into a pocket sewn into the inside of her cloak. She brought out a leather bound envelope tied with a leather string. On the cover was embossed a brightly burning sun. "I'm a cleric of Vowil." One look at the embossed symbol and all of the scrutiny had disappeared from the Captain's face. Elaine pointed to the crossbow hanging from her shoulder on a strap. "If you'd like I have a receipt from the man who sold me the crossbow this morning."

The Captain waved off Elaine's suggestion. "That won't be necessary." She turned to Carric. "What about you, do you also work for the clergy?"

He shook his head. "No, but her and I are part of the same adventuring group. We're waiting on official papers from the Sylph Heart Circle."

"I'd get them sooner, rather than later." The Captain turned to Maron. "Are you part of this group as well?"

"No, but I do have diplomatic immunity." Maron reached under his chain shirt and pulled out an envelope. He passed it over to the Captain who quickly opened it and scanned the contents. Her eyes widened a bit, and she passed the envelope back over.

"Well, you have my thanks for your help." The Captain stood up straight and replaced her helmet. "Good day." She turned and left the alleyway.

Carric's eyes widened and he looked at Maron. "What the hell is in that letter?" The three of them were now alone in the alley.

Maron replaced the letter. "Just my credentials."

"Let me make some introductions." Elaine pointed first at Carric. "This is Carric." Next she pointed to Maron. "Carric, meet Maron: Prince of Liratha and the reason why Kerri was exiled."

Maron shook his head. "She was never officially exiled. I have no idea why everyone is calling it that."

Elaine scoffed. "Oh please. Your mother exiled her so that you two wouldn't run off and get married. She didn't approve of Kerri." She crossed her arms in indignation.

The prince's face screwed up. "True my mother didn't approve, by my brother did. As Crown Prince my brother outranks my mother, and he gave us permission to marry."

"Wait….what?" Elaine's arms loosened in surprise. Carric raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"My brother gave us permission." Maron repeated. "Before I could tell Kerri the good news, she disappeared for two days. The next time I saw her, she was being escorted out of the castle, and everyone buzzed around saying she'd been 'exiled'."

"And that's when you sent me the note." Elaine continued.

Now it was Maron's turn to look confused. "What note?"

"I got a note telling me Kerri was in trouble and what boat she was going out on. It was signed by you." Elaine said.

Maron shook his head. "My mother put me on lockdown until Kerri was out of the country. I never sent you a note."

"Then who did?" Her tilted as she processed this new information.

The prince shrugged. "No idea. I followed my brother with the delegation, with the express purpose of finding Kerri and asking her some questions. I figured she might be with the entertainer's guild here, going back to what she knows. I saw you on the street while I was on my way and figured I'd see if you knew anything first. Didn't expect to get into a fight."

"None of us did, to be fair." Carric crouched down and took Shomma out of the bag.

"Has Kerri said anything to you?" Maron asked.

Elaine shook her head. She knew that Kerri hadn't told her the full story, but she wasn't sure if she fully believed the Prince's either. For the past few months she'd been harboring a serious grudge against him on Kerri's behalf. She did it on her behalf because Kerri didn't seem to harbor any ill will at towards Maron. What happened on those supposed two days she was missing?

"We need to talk to Kerri." Elaine finally said, and Maron nodded in agreement.