Chapter One - Meals and Deals

Age of Stewards – Year 584 of the Second Age

The fat plumes of smoke that billowed from the chimneys of Adelhard’s Smithy were no unusual sight to the guests of the streets of Eladin. Adelhard’s, or just, “The smithy,” as it was commonly named, was the single busiest forge in the kingdom of Alldel. Huge orders for pikes, shields, and swords often flooded the backlog of projects that kept the smithy’s master smith, Misk busy for days. Indeed, Misk had never been short of anything but help. Today, Misk’s only aid was his own apprentice Adric, son of Cassian of Eladin. Another fat cloud of smoke roared from the quenching barrel as Misk plunged another steel blade expertly into the quenching oil. He pulled it out and ran a well-trained eye down the length of the steel checking it for imperfections. Adric watched as he applied the finishing touches to an order for a handsome two-handed sword that would be delivered to Alldel’s capital city of Aelwynn in just two short days.

“You about finished with that one, Adric?” Misk called from across the room.

“Yeah, just doing a last quality check on it.”

“You’ve been shining that blade all afternoon. That’s not like you. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing, I’m sorry, I’ll try to move faster,” Adric said, throwing his rag to the side and sliding the sword into its custom scabbard.

“Well, you’re not bothering me, you just seem a bit preoccupied, that’s all,” Misk observed. Adric didn’t say anything. “I’ll tell you what, we got a lot done today, and you finished up that order a day early. Why don’t you go wash up and head out early today? I’ll close up for you tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“They don’t call me the master smith because I needed a name,” Misk said, starting to slam his hammer against the anvil yet again.

“Well,” Adric said, pausing, “Thank you, Misk. I’ll do that.”

“Looks like you need it. Get some rest, you’re beat.”

“I will, thanks,” Adric said. He placed the sword and scabbard into a mahogany box that was decorated specifically for this item. He latched it and set it with the other deliverables that were ready for distribution in the corner by the front door. He smiled as he realized he would get four hundred shale just for that one sword. That would be enough to supply his kitchen for the winter. At this thought, he picked the box back up and laid it carefully on a table instead, brushing dust from the top of the box.

Adric walked to the back of the shop where a basin of clean water was waiting for him at the end of every workday. He washed his face and hands as best he could and then removed his outer coverings that kept him from getting covered in soot. Adric pulled on a clean set of clothes, grabbed the hip knife he had made himself and attached it to his belt, and then left the smithy.

He turned left down a narrow alley headed for his cottage which was not far from the center of town. But as he approached the grass path, he stopped, thinking of his extra time and a friend he suspected would be at their favorite pub just now. Adric smiled to himself, turned, and walked toward Cuthbert’s Pub.

Really, Misk had been right. Misk was always right it seemed. Adric had been preoccupied, but it wasn’t anything he felt like discussing with Misk. Though he considered Misk to be one of his most trusted friends, he didn’t feel right discussing the matter with him, as it did involve him.

Adric had a decision to make. He would soon make master smith like Misk himself, and therefore would inherit the smithy from Misk, who was ready for retirement. But there was another obstacle standing directly in Adric’s path to master smith-hood. Though Misk knew this, he was one of only a very select few who did. Adric was, before all else, heir to the throne of Alldel. This he knew, as did his father before him, and their fathers before them. But would he assume the throne? If he was honest with himself, it didn’t seem likely. He had very little reason to, and actually quite a lot of reason not to. His father and his grandfathers had not. In fact, the last of his ancestors to have vacated the throne of Alldel was King Wystan. Wystan had died in battle several hundred years ago, and for one reason or another, none of his successors claimed the throne at their legal age of inheritance, that being the age of twenty-four.

It started with Wystan’s own son, who had barely been born before Wystan’s death. Wystan’s son had not had the privilege to grow up under his father’s guidance, and thus, had never received the proper instruction in royal etiquette and leadership. At his coming of age, the kingdom had been so well cared for by the steward of the day, he felt it wise to leave rulership in control of the steward. Since then, every firstborn male of Wystan’s line had done the same. Alldel had indeed been fortunate with the stewards who cared for the throne. Each steward left little to be desired in their method of leadership, acting as boldly as a monarch when the time was right, and then relinquishing hard rule when it was possible.

The current steward, Lord Thale of Alldel, had called on Adric just days ago. As all stewards have done since the first, they called on the next firstborn of each generation of Wystan’s progeny. It was the practice of the steward to relinquish command to the rightful heir at his coming of age. If Adric chose to continue the line of stewards, he need only to abdicate the throne and pass rule back to Lord Thale. If, however, he wished to break the line of stewards, he simply would accept Lord Thale’s abdication, and the coronation would be officiated by an allied nation. That nation was most likely to be Soceria.

But, which would he choose, and why was this so difficult? If a line as long as his had abdicated the throne to the stewards, what was the need for the change in power? Adric knew nothing of royal ways and national rule. Adric had barely even visited his own capital city of Aelwynn. Why then was he struggling with the decision? Oddly, he felt like he might be letting his people down, but would he? Generally, the people of Alldel were happy with the current leadership, and most people didn’t even know that he was the heir. Of course, they knew one was to be selected, but it wasn’t widely known that he was the one. Adric sighed heavily. He had reached Cuthbert’s Pub. Deciding he could think about these matters some other time, he reached for the door and walked inside.

The tinkling of a bell greeted Adric when he stepped into the old pub. The rugged wooden roof threatened to give way from the strain of time and continued neglect. Rays of sunlight could be seen beaming through the cracks and the dust in the room below. Adric pushed his way through the bustling crowd, the old floor creaking beneath his every footstep.

Cuthbert’s Pub was one of the most popular gathering places in the city of Eladin. There wasn’t a soul alive who didn’t know Cuthbert, the pub owner. Over in the far corner of the dining room was a white mat set off by wooden beams and raised slightly above the floor. Two men stood inside the ring fighting with every ounce of strength each possessed. Adric paused to watch when he saw Gaden, wondering briefly if his best friend would need help with his sturdy opponent. Not that Gaden ordinarily needed any help at all, and nor would Adric be the one to offer it. Gaden was as tall as a lodgepole pine but as stout as an oak. Soaked in sweat, with muscles and sinews straining, he still managed to make eye contact with Adric, and he smiled a tight-lipped smile. Adric raised two fingers in salute before turning away. Gaden would be fine, but Adric almost pitied his poor opponent, who would be lying prone on the dusty floor within the next several seconds and would doubtless feel the ache of many muscles on the morrow. This Adric was prepared to bet. He had, in fact, done that very thing many times in the past.

Adric smiled to himself. Gaden rarely came to the pub for refreshment. He almost always came for the fights. He was such a capable fighter that every young man within the Alldelan Kingdom came to prove his own manly prowess against Gaden. There were only a couple of people who could say they had beaten him, yet many kept trying. The crowd around the arena cheered for Gaden as though he was the city mascot. But once the fight had ended, and Gaden had finally bested his opponent, he helped him to his feet and clapped him on the back. Good sportsmanship was as consistent with Gaden as his fighting record. They ducked under the wood beams and left the ring together.

“No way, no chance. Give me two minutes, and I’ll have him down!” Kuskin shouted. He was a pub regular; an intimidating man sitting near the ring. Commonly known for his pushy, better-than-you mindset around town, he pointed at Gaden, who shrugged his large shoulders and said without hesitation,

“Be my guest.” Kuskin fumbled for a response as the dining room boomed with disapproval. No doubt the locals wanted to see Kuskin set straight. Gaden waved his hand at Kuskin and gave Adric a wink, who was sitting quietly, but was still smiling.

Gaden grabbed a chair at Adric’s table and joined him, shaking his head, still looking over his shoulder at Kuskin. It wouldn’t have been the first time a fight hadn’t waited for the participants to enter the ring. After a brief moment of silence between them, Cuthbert walked toward Gaden. Long hair threatened to take over his face as he bent. Cuthbert was an older man with a hunched back and a limp. “Good fighting, as always. You’re my best form of advertisement,” he smiled.

“Advertisement?” Gaden asked, sweat pouring from every inch of him. He pulled a chair out for Cuthbert, but Adric felt his leg fall to the ground as Cuthbert selected the opposite chair and sat down.

“Yeah, that’s right. Look’ere,” Cuthbert produced from his back pocket a small roll of parchment and handed it to Gaden. Gaden’s name was written boldly at the top followed by a list of scheduled fights doubtless to be both suspenseful and entertaining; all of which appeared to be in Gaden’s future. These were apparently news to him because he handed it back to Cuthbert, and chided,

“You’re something else. You know, usually the performer is consulted before scheduling the event.”

“Still, you’re just about the best around,” Cuthbert said, ignoring Gaden and stowing it back in his pants pocket. “I said to a young man just the other day – I said, if you want a good fight, just wait for Gaden, he’ll show you how it’s done. But he wasn’t up to it, probably just running his mouth like the rest of these big crazies.”

“You didn’t know him?” Gaden asked.

“Nope. Never seen him around here before. I s’pose he was traveling. He hasn’t been back here anyway. He was a younger lad, maybe twenty, I don’t know. He had long blonde hair, and he wore a big ruby ring.”

“He must be in the Alldelan Council. They wear ruby rings. I bet he could teach you something,” Adric said. Gaden ignored him.

“I’ve never known of anyone around here that you didn’t know, Cuthbert,” Gaden said.

“It’s a curse, I tell you. When you know everybody and everything about everybody, before long, they come flocking to you for a new story. I tell you, it’s okay for the customers, but you wouldn’t believe the nosy natures of some.”

“Do you think I’m nosy, Cuthbert?” Gaden asked with a smile.

“You? As much as the next one. Oh, that reminds me, did you want a drink? Adric, you need something to eat. What can I bring you? It’s on the house.”

“Nothing, thanks.”

“Suit yourselves then. You know where to find me when you change your mind. And don’t act like you won’t, neither.” Cuthbert hobbled back up to the bar. “Passing up a free one,” they heard him mumble. Gaden laughed and turned back to Adric.

“What brings you here?” Gaden asked.

“Nothing,” he said plainly.

“Ah, don’t act like you weren’t hoping to bump into someone else,” Gaden grinned and bumped Adric in the side with his elbow. Adric rolled his eyes.

“I just came to check out your fight,” Adric said, coolly.

“Yeah, sure you did,” Gaden said, unconvinced.

“What is it to you what I do with my free time?” Again, Gaden ignored him.

“I’ll be hunting again tomorrow; do you want to come? You haven’t come along in ages.” Gaden asked. Adric wasn’t much up to hunting trips, but he was glad to be off the subject of his incentive for visiting Cuthbert’s.

“I don’t think so. Not this time. I thought you just got back from a long trip.”

“I did, but I didn’t get enough. The stores are all over me to increase supply. I guess that’s a good thing. It keeps me busy and it keeps my pockets filled,” They heard the bell ring again, and a soft breeze made Adric turn his head. He sat up a little straighter as a small-figured, blonde-haired lady walked through the door of the pub. The breeze caught her hair behind her, blowing it around her face. She walked smoothly and her blue eyes seemed to twinkle in the dim light of the pub. Adric’s eyes followed her as she pushed her way through the crowd. Drunk cheering followed her as she walked. Adric did not like it and was pleased that she ignored them.

“Hey, Gaden, sorry I missed your fight,” the woman said. She was a good friend of Gaden’s. Adric knew her only by acquaintance. She helped herself to Cuthbert’s chair and sat down. Karina, whose father had died in service to the Kingdom of Alldel, was a beautiful, and remarkably busy woman. Most of her time was spent feeding the homeless and hungry. She often did this from her own house, inviting nearly anyone who needed assistance to come to her. She spent most of her days cooking and preparing food for countless needy guests. When she wasn’t busy with this, she was most likely to be seen in the pastures south of Westerlyn helping her uncle and his wife tend the horses for the Alldelan military. Adric admired her dedication to others. He doubted whether she had ever done a single thing for herself. A thought that saddened him in a way.

“Hi, Karina,” Gaden said, shortly. what is it I have that you couldn’t get from somewhere else?”

“What are you up to when you’re done here?” She asked Gaden.

“I’m going home to my wife and kid,” Gaden said defiantly, and he called for Cuthbert to bring him a drink.

“Told you you wouldn’t ignore a free one,” They heard him mumble as he turned his back.

“I need your help,” she told him. Gaden raised his eyebrows.

“Go on,” Gaden said, cautiously.

“I was at the meat market earlier today, I got into a haggle with the butcher, and he sent me on my way. I’ve never been treated like that before. He was…” She stopped to think, “He was rude,” she said, apparently deciding to take the high ground and be polite. Gaden raised his eyebrows. “I just thought you might like to loosen his purse since you knocked him cold the other night.”

“He was rude?” Gaden asked, as though this was a waste of time. Karina’s eyes widened in frustration. “Alright, alright… How much were you trying to scrape out with?” Gaden asked.

“Six pounds for twelve shale,” Karina said.

“I suppose this is for another one of your dinners for the hungry?” Gaden asked, the slightest edge of sarcasm in his voice, as though this was something silly and unworthy of time and effort. Karina did nothing but continue glaring in his direction.

“Alright,” Gaden said, realizing he had been insensitive. “I don’t know if I can get him down to twelve shale, but I’ll pay the difference for you if I’m invited. You certainly spend enough of your own money on these things,” Gaden said, slamming down his mug, and wiping the foam from his mouth. Karina looked at him, one eyebrow raised in disgust.

“I thought you were going home.”

“Haela will understand,” Gaden said of his wife.

“Alright, fine. You come to dinner then and bring Adric.” Adric felt his eyes widen involuntarily and he blinked quickly to cover it up. “I could use a couple pairs of hands tonight.”

“You have a deal.” Gaden slammed his fist on the tabletop and he stood up. They made their way to the door, moving the occasional chair out of their way. Adric followed warily, wondering what Gaden had gotten him into. But then, if he got to spend an evening with Karina, it couldn’t be all bad.

The evening sun was slowly descending through the clouds on the horizon, but there was still some day left. Adric followed the others down a cobbled road listening to them carry on about things that made him feel very left out. People passed them from every direction carrying wrapped parcels and babbling on about the day in the market and the going price of grain and fabric.

Vendors lined the sidewalks of Eladin. Small shops of all kinds filled the corridors, grocers, bakeries, granaries and pubs, lumber shops, tool shops and armories for hunting, blacksmiths and locksmiths, cobblers and tailors, the shops went on and on. They were positioned on street corners that crisscrossed block after block. Eladin was a vast city in the far northeastern corner of the kingdom of Alldel. It was much larger than the average village, so there were multiple grocers and butchers and such from which to choose.

On a distant corner stood an ancient library blocked off by enormous wood beams. The library was nothing more than a dilapidated eyesore, yielding as nature slowly reclaimed it. Stories around town told of a haunting and terrible happenings from long ago. Nobody knew when it was last entered, and as far as anyone knew, it had been there forever. The library was a restricted zone by order of Alldel. It was in such a state of disrepair there was never any trouble with trespassers. No one dared go near it. Except, of course, for Adric. Adric loved a good exploration but had never made any attempt to visit the old library.

It was a typical day for the streets to be crowded in the market, and today was no exception. But before too long, they reached the butcher from which Karina had tried to buy her meat. A man of beastly proportions behind the counter was wrapping a section of meat for the customer in front of them. The customer exchanged six silver coins for the meat, then turned and left.

Gaden stepped up to the counter. The attendant acted as though he had not seen Gaden and turned to walk away. Gaden pounded his beefy knuckles against the bar. The butcher turned back around, no longer able to avoid Gaden.

“Oh, it’s you!” He said in false surprise.

“Would you like a rematch?” Gaden asked.

“Oh, well we’ll just have to see. The shop has been keeping me busy, you know?” The man looked skeptical.

“Business is good, then?” Gaden asked.

“Fair, I’d say, hate to lose any customers really,” The butcher said, and then Adric noticed his eyes flick to Karina.

“I hear you turned one down earlier this afternoon,” Gaden said.

“What?” The butcher looked confused. Gaden nodded his head in Karina’s direction. “Oh!” The butcher lowered his voice. “Yeah, well you know how it is. These women like to think they can do what they want,” he set the meat cleaver down on the counter. “No respect!” The butcher went on, not bothering to keep his voice down. “Say, what’s she doing with you, anyway?” He asked.

“See, here’s the thing; your opinion of her womanhood aside, she’s a paying customer, and you know what she does with that meat. It’s a good cause. I sold you that meat, so I know how much it cost you. Now, are you going to wrap it up for me, or shall I take my business up the road next time?” At once, the smile vanished from the butcher’s face. There was an uncomfortable pause.

“I can’t just give away all my meat, Gaden!” The butcher yelled.

“Well, I suppose you’re right,” Gaden said. “Alright, well, I suppose I’ll just have to take my supply elsewhere,” he said again with a sigh of false exasperation.

“Alright, alright!” The butcher said. “I’ll do fourteen shale, but that’s all! And I don’t want her coming over here haggling me anymore!” He pointed to Karina with the cleaver. Gaden smiled and nodded to the butcher. The butcher massaged his wrist and disappeared through a long, red curtain behind the counter. Gaden picked up the cleaver and began examining it. The butcher was gone only a minute before he came back with a stack of meat for Karina wrapped in brown paper and tied up with twine.

“Fourteen shale, then,” he said, defeated. “And I’ll have this back, thanks,” he snatched the cleaver from Gaden’s hand. Gaden handed over a few small coins, a couple of which came from his own pocket. The butcher picked it up and walked away mumbling under his breath. Gaden picked up the package of meat and handed it to Karina.

“Now I’ll never be able to go back there.”

“It doesn’t sound like you have much luck buying from this guy anyway.”

“I buy from him plenty, it just happens I wanted to try for a good deal today.”

“That seems to have worked out well for you,” Gaden said, smiling in her direction. Karina glared at him. Adric suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to carry the parcel for Karina. He reached over and took it from her. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Gaden suppress a grin. Adric chose to pretend he hadn’t seen it.

They went back in the opposite direction. The evening was growing old. The sun was no longer visible, shops were beginning to close, and the crowd was still buzzing, but thinning. They passed the smithy where Adric worked. He noticed lazy puffs of black smoke still issuing from the chimneys. The furnaces must have still been smoldering out. Soon they came to a bend. The cobbled street continued to the left, but they did not follow it. Instead, Adric followed Karina off the road and straight onto a beaten path where patches of green grass threatened to creep onto the packed brown dirt. This path took them from the bustle of the market and out onto a greener field where the pace wasn’t just less crowded, it felt calm and more relaxed.

They crossed a dark oak bridge where, beneath, trickled a quiet stream and small minnows could be seen darting among one another. They soon started seeing houses where chimneys were breathing heavily through the cool of the evening and fences kept stray animals out of the carefully tended gardens in the front.

Soon, night had fallen and Adric was being led down a smaller path which led to a little wooden cottage. There was a stone well to the right of the cottage and yet another garden set off by a white fence in the front. This was where Karina lived. Karina opened the door and showed them inside. Adric walked through and into a small round room where a fire danced playfully inside a stone fireplace on the far side.

Adric sat in a nearby chair and admired the room for a while. It was decorated nicely. Several soft chairs lined the room facing the fire, but he was particularly intrigued by several old paintings and artifacts that were hung carefully on the walls, and others that lined the shelves on the other side of the room.

But he wasn’t allowed to get too comfortable for very long. Karina soon had him and Gaden working at top speed getting a series of pots and ladles set out ready to receive the stew she was preparing. When they finished that, she had Gaden moving some furniture around to accommodate the event, while Adric was delegated to slice bread, cheese, and fruit. He did his best to cut everything efficiently, carefully not wasting the food that would be so precious to those who did not have any of their own.

He began laying several loaves of bread onto a tray at the end of the table, overlapping each slice on top of the next one in a grab-and-go fashion. Next to the bread he laid a bowl of berries Karina had prepared along with a platter of cheese. It all made him very hungry, but he knew he would have to wait. The guests would be eating first. This was, after all, for them. At the end of the row of food, Karina brought over several pitchers of water and freshly squeezed fruit juices. She placed several stacks of worn mugs behind them, ready to fill, and after what seemed an age of preparation, the meal was ready to serve. Adric couldn’t help but notice how tirelessly Karina worked to prepare this event. She was passionate about every aspect of it. She inspected everything both he and Gaden did, correcting where she felt there was room for improvement, and when Adric reminded himself that she did all of this for others who could not provide for themselves, he found his feelings for her begin to swell.

People began to arrive not long after they had completed the preparations. Adric didn’t know a single person. Karina had him working ladles, serving stew to each guest in line. She had prepared three different stews and instructed him to give each guest two scoops of any one stew they preferred. He wasn’t sure what to expect when Gaden had volunteered him for this job tonight, but was pleasantly surprised to find it gave him a sense of satisfaction providing for this small crowd of the underprivileged in their society. While he was serving stew, Gaden was at the far end serving drinks, and Karina was going around helping their guests to find seats and taking up dishes that were no longer in use.

Not too late into the night, the crowd began to dwindle and Karina began focusing her attention on cleaning dishes. Gaden and Adric had taken seats again in the sitting room by the fire and they rested from the night’s work together feeling tired but pleased with what they had done. But just as they began to get comfortable, two more people came in. Neither of them knew the men, but they both stood when the men walked through the door.

One of the two men was slim but very well-toned. He had a smooth face, and he seemed calm and disciplined. He had blonde hair that fell halfway down his back, and he wore a single gold ring with a ruby on his right hand.

“Adric, that has to be the man Cuthbert was talking about,” Gaden whispered in Adric’s ear.

“No doubt,” Adric said. Gaden’s eyes widened, and he looked at Adric. They looked back at the two men, but they had gone.

“Over here.” Gaden grabbed Adric by the sleeve and pulled him to the back of the room and through a small door. Through the door was a very narrow hallway. There were two more rooms on either side of the hall. He followed Gaden to the second door on the left. Gaden paused and peered around the corner. After checking that the way was clear, he beckoned Adric to follow him.

They were back in the kitchen. On the right between the table and the cabinets was a door that led outside onto a porch where a wood burning furnace stood with a healthy fire crackling in the night air. Karina then rounded a corner and nearly ran into Gaden, catching them both by surprise.

“Oh, there you are. I'd like you to meet my uncle, Elric and his son Avan.” Karina introduced the two men Adric and Gaden had been stalking. Elric was a very large man compared to Adric. He noticed the ring yet again, except, he noticed, they were both wearing one. Adric gripped Avan's hand a little longer and tried to examine it inconspicuously. He wasn't able to see much for fear of being noticed. Adric noticed that both Elric and Avan seemed to be paying him more attention than anyone else in the room. It made him feel very uncomfortable, as though he were being examined. He felt like he was on display for the two of them. Did they know who he was? They nodded to Adric and then walked away.

“Hey Karina, he was at Cuthbert’s the other day,” Gaden said.

“What’s your point?” She asked.

“Cuthbert said he was looking for a fight,” Gaden said.

“Yeah, but you don't want to fight him. Even if you did, you're not doing it here.”

“Well, why shouldn't I fight him?” Gaden followed her persistently outside to the fire. Adric followed them, a smile creeping across his face. There was nothing like the promise of a good fight to get Gaden going.

“Gaden, Avan is a trained soldier, you're not,” she said in a way to indicate finality.

“I’m trained!” He said, not thinking, and then realizing what he had just said, added, “Well, I might as well be.” Gaden looked at Adric to back him up. “Karina,” Gaden started again, “when you say trained soldier,”

“He’s a ranking officer in the Alldelan army,” Karina finished. Gaden opened his mouth as if to say something back but didn’t. He closed his mouth and followed her back into the house. Alldel was well known for its emphasis on hand-to-hand combat training.

“Well, obviously, he sees me as a threat,” Gaden said and then nodded again as though this were an undeniable fact. Adric laughed.

“How did you work that out?” He asked.

“Cuthbert told us,” Gaden said as if this were to settle the matter.

“Eh…” Adric mumbled his skepticism at Gaden’s deduction.

“Really, Gaden, it was Cuthbert,” Karina said. Gaden started to press on, but Karina cut him off, “Gaden, Cuthbert would make up a story just as an excuse to open his mouth,” Karina said.

“Yes, yes,” Gaden nodded. “But if you must know, my record is as spotless as...”

“As spotless as defeating a bunch of men too drunk to know which way is up?” Karina asked.

“They weren’t drunk! Well, not all of them.”

“Fine, I'll see what I can do.” She walked away before he could say anything else.

They found two chairs on the edge of the stone porch and sat down. The night air was cold against their faces. An unseasonably cold wind passed by. It made Adric feel uneasy. For some reason, it didn't seem right. It was too dark. He should see stars. It had been a cloudless day. The air was cold and unusually quiet.

“Feels good,” Gaden said. He was leaning back, and his eyes were shut. He didn't open them again until he heard the clicking of a door latch. He sat up abruptly when he saw Avan had come outside, followed by a few others.

“You were looking for me?” Avan asked.

“I hear you were looking for me, actually,” Gaden said with a grin.

“Word gets around,” Avan said. He seemed pleased.

“Why a fight? Why would you want to come all the way to Eladin just to fight me?” Gaden asked.

“I lead a training program in Aelwynn. I hear you're a challenge so I wanted to see how you stack up.”

“Am I nothing more than a training exercise to you?”

“I don't know yet.” Avan was smiling. “Meet me in Aelwynn tomorrow and we’ll find out.” Avan started to go back inside, but Gaden called him again, acting without thinking.

“There’s no time like the present.” Avan paused without turning around. At first, Adric wondered if Gaden had been too forward. Gaden must have wondered so, too. He stood stock-still, opening and closing his fists nervously. But then Avan had spun around with precipitate haste and tried to land a kick at Gaden's shoulder. Adric nearly flipped his chair back trying to get out of the way. There was an audible gasp from the crowd as they jumped back.

Gaden ducked, turned, and caught Avan's leg in mid-jump. The power behind Avan's kick shot all the way up to his shoulder, but he pressed on. Gaden flipped his hand over, grabbed Avan's ankle, and turned his wrist flipping Avan onto his back. But just as he did so, he felt Avan's other foot grab him at his neck, and all of Avan's substantial body weight began pulling him down.

Avan landed on his back but seemed unbothered. Gaden rolled over, attempting to jump back onto his feet, but before he managed it, Avan had already recovered and was charging back at Gaden. Gaden could feel the pressure of Avan's attack. Karina had been right, Avan was very well trained, indeed. But Gaden wasn't giving up just yet. He still felt confidence coursing through him. Avan jumped straight up into the air and threw a kick at Gaden. Gaden pushed Avan’s foot away with the palm of his hand and turned to aim another swirling kick back at Avan. But before he could get his leg in the air, a deafening crackle of thunder boomed around them. Startled, and surprised, they halted. The wind was picking up, and rain pellets began pinging off their faces in the wind.

“Inside!” Karina yelled. The crowd scrambled to get inside the house.

“This isn't over!” Gaden yelled over the sound of the storm. Avan smiled, and they ran for the house. Adric pushed his way through the chaos. Something just did not feel right. This was no ordinary storm. Finally, he saw Gaden coming through the door just behind Avan.

“Adric! There you are! Listen…” Gaden grabbed Adric’s shoulder,

“Gaden, I have to go.”

“What? But it’s just a quick storm. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I…” Adric stuttered, “I’m not feeling well,” he lied.

“Well, do you need me to go with you? Are you alright? You seemed fine a minute ago.”

“Yeah. No. Well I mean, I’ll be okay, I just need to get some sleep, that’s all. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

“But the storm – you should wait until it passes, at least,” Gaden said. Adric removed Gaden’s hand from his shoulder and started to turn away.

“I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, then,” Gaden shouted as Adric turned for the door. He walked back down the hall and into the room where the fire was still burning. He turned and gave the house one last look, then left.

Adric walked back through the woods, back over the bridge and into town. The wind was howling. He shielded his face as he made his way into town. Dust and rain were prickling the side of his face. Adric broke into a run. He passed by Cuthbert’s Pub, now deserted, and unnaturally quiet. Debris rolled across the usually clean cobbled street. Garbage cut in front of his path. Dirt and sand began to cover much of the road. The city was dark and abandoned. Everyone who might have still been out had taken shelter in the nearby buildings and inns.

The unseasonal cold was bitter. The wind was not relenting, and it may have even been getting stronger. There was no more putting it off. Adric had to uncover his eyes long enough to see where he was. He opened the smallest of slits between his fingers, and peered carefully through, searching quickly for a recognizable landmark. Rain and wind stung his eyes while he was seeking. He was astounded at first sight and wasn’t sure where he was. Debris was swirling around violently. Parcel wrappings and tree branches were sailing across the path.

Through the rain, and the dark he saw the smithy where he worked. Adric covered his face again and ran that way. He walked just beside it, and into a dark alley. Passing through the alley he found himself in a wide-open field. Even here debris and dust were soaring through the sky. He ran flat out, finding his way to a familiar stone walkway.

He ran carefully down the walkway. Uneven stones and violent wind tripped him every few steps. He made his way to a round wooden cottage and grabbed the brass lever on the door. He pulled the door open and made his way inside. The wind blew the door open, slamming it against the wall. He turned quickly, grabbed the door with both hands, and pulled with all his might until it finally shut. He sighed heavily and allowed himself to fall to the ground.

Adric sat, catching his breath for a moment, and then tried to brush all the debris and water from his hair and eyes. He took a deep breath and stood up. Adric walked over to a closet nearby and pulled out a very rugged old book. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about this book since the storm began. Relieved it was now in his hands again, he turned through its pages until his eyes fell on the page he had long since buried away. Indeed, he hadn’t looked at this page for quite some time. At the top of the page was a title written in black ink. The Staff of Rhodhinia.