afraid this sleepy little town doesn’t get much more than rumors. What say, while my cook fixes you both a meal, you tell me a bit about what’s been happening?”
“Certainly, sir!” Maelgyn stammered. Somehow, Ruznak seemed to have been a step ahead of him from the moment he walked in the door... a trait the man seemed to share with Euleilla, although in a decidedly different way. Ruznak was startlingly up-front, while the girl was astoundingly evasive. Which made something Ruznak said pop into his mind. “Is Euleilla your daughter... or, rather, granddaughter, sir?”
“My daughter?” Ruznak repeated, sounding just mildly surprised. “Why, no. That is to say, I’ve sired no children of my own. However, there are quite a few orphans who I’ve helped on their way, and she’s one of them. When my late wife proved to be barren, raising some of the less fortunate children made her feel better. I haven’t been too distressed at the idea of continuing that tradition now that she’s passed. Most of the other orphans – or their children, since we’ve been doing this for almost thirty years, now – work here as waitresses, maids, cooks, etc. Euleilla, though, was always a special one. She went out on her own a few months ago, like many children do when leaving their parents, to sell some of her trinkets for the journey ahead. I’m not quite sure what that makes me, though... what am I to you, anyway, girl?”
“Gramps,” she chirped cheekily.
“Gramps, eh?” he laughed. “Well, I suppose that fits. I’m old enough, that’s for sure. Okay, Euly, why don’t you head on back to your room and freshen up while I deal with your ‘guide,’ here.”
“‘Kay,” she said, ‘smiling,’ and quickly swooped into one of the back rooms.
“Now, Sword Maelgyn, how about that talk?” Ruznak said, narrowing his eyes at the young man.
There was something dangerous in that stare, and Maelgyn began to understand just why he’d been so successful as a naval captain. “Yes, I suppose we’ll just have it.”
“Now, why are you taking this land route to Sopan, unescorted even, and not traveling by ship?” Ruznak asked, leading them to a table. Moments later a young maid, probably one of Ruznak’s other adopted children, showed up with two cups of some steaming beverage, which she promptly set down in front of the two men before leaving.
“The journey by sea is too dangerous. I’m leaving behind the escorts to make my journey more low-key.” Maelgyn took a sip of his drink, and widened his eyes in surprise. “That’s pretty good. What is this?”
“A sweet tea sold by the Dwarves. If you stop at any of the Dwarven settlements on your trip through Mar’Tok, you’ll probably want to order that over anything else they’ll have. It’s called Mo’kah tea. It’s the only non-alcoholic drink I think they’ve got, and their liquors are too strong for most humans.”
The young prince tried to remember if there was any note of that in his papers, but couldn’t think of any. “I’ll keep that in mind, even if this tastes like no tea I’ve ever had, but on to business. What do you know about the war so far?”
“A few rumors and little else. I know the king was assassinated, and that it appears we’re at war with our former ‘allies,’” Ruznak spat. “I never liked the Sho’Curlas. I always suspected they were the ones who convinced Sword Prince Elaneth to take the Borden Isles into rebellion, and were the ones who provided the rebels with the funds and arms to fight us.”
“Well, your guess is probably correct, and so is what you know,” Maelgyn said. “Prince Hussack and his son, Prince Mussack, killed Gilbereth right before my eyes, demanding the surrender of my province in order to prevent an invasion. Gilbereth had refused, and so... well, none of us knew Hussack was a mage, and a powerful one at that. Even guardian-sized Lodestones didn’t seem to matter, and he actually took the
“Certainly, sir!” Maelgyn stammered. Somehow, Ruznak seemed to have been a step ahead of him from the moment he walked in the door... a trait the man seemed to share with Euleilla, although in a decidedly different way. Ruznak was startlingly up-front, while the girl was astoundingly evasive. Which made something Ruznak said pop into his mind. “Is Euleilla your daughter... or, rather, granddaughter, sir?”
“My daughter?” Ruznak repeated, sounding just mildly surprised. “Why, no. That is to say, I’ve sired no children of my own. However, there are quite a few orphans who I’ve helped on their way, and she’s one of them. When my late wife proved to be barren, raising some of the less fortunate children made her feel better. I haven’t been too distressed at the idea of continuing that tradition now that she’s passed. Most of the other orphans – or their children, since we’ve been doing this for almost thirty years, now – work here as waitresses, maids, cooks, etc. Euleilla, though, was always a special one. She went out on her own a few months ago, like many children do when leaving their parents, to sell some of her trinkets for the journey ahead. I’m not quite sure what that makes me, though... what am I to you, anyway, girl?”
“Gramps,” she chirped cheekily.
“Gramps, eh?” he laughed. “Well, I suppose that fits. I’m old enough, that’s for sure. Okay, Euly, why don’t you head on back to your room and freshen up while I deal with your ‘guide,’ here.”
“‘Kay,” she said, ‘smiling,’ and quickly swooped into one of the back rooms.
“Now, Sword Maelgyn, how about that talk?” Ruznak said, narrowing his eyes at the young man.
There was something dangerous in that stare, and Maelgyn began to understand just why he’d been so successful as a naval captain. “Yes, I suppose we’ll just have it.”
“Now, why are you taking this land route to Sopan, unescorted even, and not traveling by ship?” Ruznak asked, leading them to a table. Moments later a young maid, probably one of Ruznak’s other adopted children, showed up with two cups of some steaming beverage, which she promptly set down in front of the two men before leaving.
“The journey by sea is too dangerous. I’m leaving behind the escorts to make my journey more low-key.” Maelgyn took a sip of his drink, and widened his eyes in surprise. “That’s pretty good. What is this?”
“A sweet tea sold by the Dwarves. If you stop at any of the Dwarven settlements on your trip through Mar’Tok, you’ll probably want to order that over anything else they’ll have. It’s called Mo’kah tea. It’s the only non-alcoholic drink I think they’ve got, and their liquors are too strong for most humans.”
The young prince tried to remember if there was any note of that in his papers, but couldn’t think of any. “I’ll keep that in mind, even if this tastes like no tea I’ve ever had, but on to business. What do you know about the war so far?”
“A few rumors and little else. I know the king was assassinated, and that it appears we’re at war with our former ‘allies,’” Ruznak spat. “I never liked the Sho’Curlas. I always suspected they were the ones who convinced Sword Prince Elaneth to take the Borden Isles into rebellion, and were the ones who provided the rebels with the funds and arms to fight us.”
“Well, your guess is probably correct, and so is what you know,” Maelgyn said. “Prince Hussack and his son, Prince Mussack, killed Gilbereth right before my eyes, demanding the surrender of my province in order to prevent an invasion. Gilbereth had refused, and so... well, none of us knew Hussack was a mage, and a powerful one at that. Even guardian-sized Lodestones didn’t seem to matter, and he actually took the
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