I’m sure they will find your observations fascinating.”
Melizar fell back in the formation as he heard Duncan mumbling sputtering noises under his breath. The mage had not found the breaking point yet, but he had gotten close with this exchange.
Goldain, seemed unconcerned about their expedition, but gave every indication of thoroughly enjoying the journey.
“Mel, have you ever seen such gorgeous green? It goes on forever.”
“Actually, it does not, but since one can only see the horizon several miles away, it gives that appearance.”
“You are a real killjoy, aren’t you mage?”
“What joy is there in grass?”
“Having grown up in the Clan Lands, frozen tundra much of the year, I see lush green only for a month or two out of the year. Now here are hills, valleys, mountains, swamps, and grasslands covered in that mystifyingly beautiful color.”
“Very little green where I am from as well, but I still fail to grasp the attraction.”
“You from up north as well?”
“Not exactly.”
“Well Wolf Clan lands sport some brownish green struggling through in the springtime, most of which is quickly gobbled up by the grazing herds. To the far west, near the Bear Clan borders, lay the evergreens of Ketarynne Forest. But even that is nothing like this bright and vibrant shade, bursting with the spirit of life. It seems to endlessly roam the wilds of Rajik. This beauty is worth any journey just to experience such color.”
“I’ll leave you to your grass-gazing then, and shall endeavor to dwell more deeply on ways to share the appreciation.”
Melizar spent the rest of the journey quietly contemplating his new companions and his future. The opportunity for work had emerged soon after his arrival in Aton-Ri. This was the first time he had experienced any prolonged interaction with surface dwellers other than his amah-em .
The reaction of the group to Thatcher’s challenge concerning the money had shocked Melizar as much as it had obviously surprised Thatcher. These light-walkers were nothing like he expected of those who served the Malakim. The D’zarik mage was a long way from trusting them just yet, but their drastic divergence from the stereotypes he had been indoctrinated to believe typical of the surface-dwelling races warranted closer investigation. Were these surface dwellers exceptions to the rule, or were the teachings of his childhood more propaganda than truth? Time would tell.
The rest of the journey took several days and passed without encountering any further evidence of recent goblinoid raiding parties. The companions talked little and spent most of the time in their own thoughts. Gideon had divided the gold and silver they had found, portioning out a fifth minus a tenth to Thatcher. There had been a grand total of eight-hundred silver and two-hundred gold pieces, leaving Thatcher with a net of one hundred forty-four silver and three dozen gold pieces. This, for him, was more money than he would see in half a year of picking pockets and scraping the streets of Aton-Ri. Hardly a retirement sum but Gideon hoped it would be an adequate start to the lad’s adventuring career. There was hope for this boy, if Gideon could only find a way to reach him and show him the light before the darkness of Aton-Ri’s underworld dragged Thatcher back into its depths.
As they crossed the grasslands to the north of Darkmoor heading east toward the Sea of Zimri, the high walls and towers surrounding Aton-Ri far off on the horizon greeted them. Gideon wondered if any of the other patrols had encountered raiders and more vitally if any had found shields from his homeland among the treasures of the bandits. He hoped the reports from the other group leaders might lend light to the mystery before him. Bound to the mayor of Aton-Ri for the duration of his one-year contract, Gideon determined that if his work in the service of the city did not permit him to journey home and inquire further into these shields,
Melizar fell back in the formation as he heard Duncan mumbling sputtering noises under his breath. The mage had not found the breaking point yet, but he had gotten close with this exchange.
Goldain, seemed unconcerned about their expedition, but gave every indication of thoroughly enjoying the journey.
“Mel, have you ever seen such gorgeous green? It goes on forever.”
“Actually, it does not, but since one can only see the horizon several miles away, it gives that appearance.”
“You are a real killjoy, aren’t you mage?”
“What joy is there in grass?”
“Having grown up in the Clan Lands, frozen tundra much of the year, I see lush green only for a month or two out of the year. Now here are hills, valleys, mountains, swamps, and grasslands covered in that mystifyingly beautiful color.”
“Very little green where I am from as well, but I still fail to grasp the attraction.”
“You from up north as well?”
“Not exactly.”
“Well Wolf Clan lands sport some brownish green struggling through in the springtime, most of which is quickly gobbled up by the grazing herds. To the far west, near the Bear Clan borders, lay the evergreens of Ketarynne Forest. But even that is nothing like this bright and vibrant shade, bursting with the spirit of life. It seems to endlessly roam the wilds of Rajik. This beauty is worth any journey just to experience such color.”
“I’ll leave you to your grass-gazing then, and shall endeavor to dwell more deeply on ways to share the appreciation.”
Melizar spent the rest of the journey quietly contemplating his new companions and his future. The opportunity for work had emerged soon after his arrival in Aton-Ri. This was the first time he had experienced any prolonged interaction with surface dwellers other than his amah-em .
The reaction of the group to Thatcher’s challenge concerning the money had shocked Melizar as much as it had obviously surprised Thatcher. These light-walkers were nothing like he expected of those who served the Malakim. The D’zarik mage was a long way from trusting them just yet, but their drastic divergence from the stereotypes he had been indoctrinated to believe typical of the surface-dwelling races warranted closer investigation. Were these surface dwellers exceptions to the rule, or were the teachings of his childhood more propaganda than truth? Time would tell.
The rest of the journey took several days and passed without encountering any further evidence of recent goblinoid raiding parties. The companions talked little and spent most of the time in their own thoughts. Gideon had divided the gold and silver they had found, portioning out a fifth minus a tenth to Thatcher. There had been a grand total of eight-hundred silver and two-hundred gold pieces, leaving Thatcher with a net of one hundred forty-four silver and three dozen gold pieces. This, for him, was more money than he would see in half a year of picking pockets and scraping the streets of Aton-Ri. Hardly a retirement sum but Gideon hoped it would be an adequate start to the lad’s adventuring career. There was hope for this boy, if Gideon could only find a way to reach him and show him the light before the darkness of Aton-Ri’s underworld dragged Thatcher back into its depths.
As they crossed the grasslands to the north of Darkmoor heading east toward the Sea of Zimri, the high walls and towers surrounding Aton-Ri far off on the horizon greeted them. Gideon wondered if any of the other patrols had encountered raiders and more vitally if any had found shields from his homeland among the treasures of the bandits. He hoped the reports from the other group leaders might lend light to the mystery before him. Bound to the mayor of Aton-Ri for the duration of his one-year contract, Gideon determined that if his work in the service of the city did not permit him to journey home and inquire further into these shields,
Similar Books
