As Ranloo searched for hiding places in the unfamiliar city, the gap in his consciousness disturbed him. He forced himself to think of what he did recall. Perhaps it could trigger the lost parts to return? He remembered the journey, and the traitorous feelings of joy he'd harboured.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ranloo greeted his ranger friends as he approached them down the dirt road passing through his neighbourhood.
‘So you managed to get away at last,’ Lindhinin laughed. He was the youngest of the three elves and had been the first to accept the mission to Jaris. Blond and blue-eyed with an honest-looking face, he was a good tracker and archer.
‘Yes, eventually.’ Ranloo smiled. ‘But only because it’s not so long a journey after all.’
Lindhinin urged his horse into a walk and closed up beside Ranloo. ‘And we’re all happy about that. Wouldn’t be the same without you!’
Dylnan, the eldest, agreed with a nod. He had been a ranger for longer than Lindhinin and Ranloo had known him. A veteran of many battles and border skirmishes, he had a stern manner, reflected in his short cut dark-blond hair, and serious grey eyes.
The elves set out at an easy pace, enjoying their journey. The sunlight patterned the road in sharp contrasts as it shone through the trees. The fair weather accompanied them at first, but clouds rolled in with cooler air and small showers of rain towards the end of the first week. The land levelled and the forest thinned until they entered a vast grassland dotted with groves of trees. A small stone bridge curved over the Ragoon river ahead. In the far north-east, hazy mountains reared, their feet covered in dark pine forests melding with the flats. Their tops vanished into grey clouds.
The elves gazed over the plain for a while, unused to being out in the open. A light rain pattered over the dreary grasslands and dampened their clothes.
‘Well,’ Ranloo said, ‘it’s not much farther now. We should be able to see the city soon.’ He couldn’t quite hide his excitement at the thought of finally seeing the capital and grinned.
Lindhinin stood in his stirrups. ‘Too bad the weather didn’t hold. I’ve heard you can see Jaris from the edge of the forest on a clear day.’ He squinted through the rain.
‘That’s not quite true,’ Dylnan answered from behind. ‘You’ll have to get farther out, and to higher ground. Takes a few days.’ He rode past the younger elves and started out over the bridge.
Ranloo and Lindhinin looked at each other, then quickly followed.
‘Have you been to Jaris before?’ Ranloo asked.
‘Yes, once.’
‘And…?’ Lindhinin urged.
‘And what?’ Dylnan glanced back over his shoulder at their expectant faces. ‘There’s not much to say. It’s big, smelly, and noisy.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘And I’ll be happier the sooner we get back home again.’ Turning his back on them, he wouldn’t be persuaded into talking any more about it. Disappointed, Ranloo and Lindhinin rode in silence for a while. Then they discussed what they had heard about the great city and what they expected to see and do once they got there.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the fourth day after leaving the forest, morning dawned with a clear blue sky. Each blade of grass glittered with water drops. Ready to travel and glad the rain had stopped, the elves paused to admire the sunlit view.
Fields of crops and farmland surrounded them. The terrain lowered gently towards the sea ahead and Jaris spread out across the land, hugging the coast and river delta. Emerging from the Silver Heights in the far north-east, the shining Edla river winded across the flat country only to disappear from view upon entering the city. To the south-west, the vast sea stretched into a blue haze. To the south, the great coastal road meandered towards other large cities, several merchants’ caravans trundling along. The largest trading route in the land, it passed through Jaris on its way to the northern cities of Kadhal.
Ranloo and Lindhinin stared in amazement. The city was much larger than they had imagined, and surrounded by a high wall. Marketplaces and collections of rough dwellings grew around the crossroads outside, creating small villages. Ships, like tiny toys, entered and left the harbour. From this distance, the city shone golden, a large glittering gem rising from a sea of morning mist.
‘It’s huge!’ Lindhinin breathed. ‘And beautiful in a strange way.’
‘Yes, very,’ Ranloo agreed without taking his eyes off the visage. It was a sight he’d never forget. He couldn’t wait to tell Minira and the children about it.
‘It won’t look quite so lovely once you’re close to it,’ Dylnan commented with a wry smile. ‘And when the smell hits you, all charm it might have held will be blown away in an instant.’ He walked over to his horse and mounted. ‘Come on, if we leave now we might get there before nightfall.’
Ranloo and Lindhinin jumped up and followed. Then, in a rush of excitement and joy led by Ranloo, they raced their horses past Dylnan and left him far behind.
‘That was very immature of you,’ Dylnan commented drily when he caught up with them half an hour later.
Ranloo grinned. ‘Well, you could have joined us, you know. It was your choice.’
Lindhinin laughed at the annoyed look upon Dylnan’s face.
‘I have no intention of tiring my horse needlessly for your amusement.’ He beckoned for them. ‘Now get back up so we can get this journey over with already.’
Smiling broadly, Ranloo and Lindhinin did as told.
The day passed quietly, and before long they reached Jaris' outskirts. But with at least another hour before reaching the city proper, they decided to stay at a decent inn for the night. To avoid drawing too much attention, they kept to themselves on their room. The next day would bring them to the country's largest city and the ranger school outside the second ring wall.
Early next morning, the elves departed the inn. The rising sun's golden rays shone between the houses, cutting through the dark shadows and thin morning mist. Ranloo and Lindhinin mounted the horses in the small courtyard.
´Come on!` Ranloo urged Dylnan who calmly led his horse into the yard. ´I want to see the city as soon as possible.` He wore a big grin on his face.
Dylnan shook his head at Ranloo's enthusiasm. ´It's really not as amazing as you seem to think it is,` he answered drily. But a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
´It could be,` Lindhinin said. ´People say you can find anything you want here.` Both the young elves watched expectantly as Dylnan got up on the horse, graceful and calm as usual.
´Alright,` Dylnan said in a serious tone, suddenly glaring at them. ´Listen carefully. This is a human city. It's big, smelly, loud, and dangerous.` They fidgeted in the saddles, smiles fading. ´Neither of you are used to dealing with humans or prepared for the vileness of some people, especially in large cities like this.`
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´But humans –` Ranloo began.
´Don't interrupt!` Dylnan cut him off.
Lindhinin started at the sharp tone but kept quiet. Ranloo fidgeted some more, biting back his words.
´You go where I go, and you will stay close at all times.` Dylnan looked at each of them in turn, making sure they listened. ´If I stop, you stop. If I tell you to do something, anything at all, no matter what it is, you will obey without question or hesitation. Is that clear?` He looked like a stern general, awaiting their affirmation.
Ranloo and Lindhinin nodded solemnly.
´Good.` Dylnan relaxed a fraction. ´This is a very dangerous city, and I don't want anything bad to happen before we leave. You cannot trust people here.` He shook his head and started forward, along the cobbled road towards Jaris' high ring-wall.
Ranloo and Lindhinin looked at each other soberly for a moment, then smiled widely and followed suit.
It didn't take the elves long to reach the city walls despite the people already crowding the streets, pulling wagons to and fro. The closer they got, the more buildings lined the street, the dust thickened, and the noise increased. Voices calling, people laughing, oxen lowing, dogs barking, someone crying. Hoofs thudding and the banging of metal on metal.
A myriad of smells invaded their senses. The stench of sweat, manure, and rot blended with the pleasant aroma of fresh bread and food. Used to the natural scents of the forest, the pungent stink of the city was more than they could ignore. Ranloo made a face at Lindhinin who nodded and held his nose. They burst out laughing, and Dylnan gave them a stern glare from over his shoulder.
The intimidating wall, built from dark granite blocks, towered above them as they neared. In places, rocks had fallen out of the worn mortar. Houses crowded close to the wall and guards patrolled the tall ramparts. Several guards stood around the big south gate, inspecting everyone who passed beneath the high arch. Sometimes they stopped people to look through their wares.
Ranloo studied the guards. They looked impressive in the city livery, hauberks with cloth surcoats in brown and black, the Jaris coat of arms emblazoned on the front – A ship inside two concentric circles on a shield, topped by a fort, held up by two hippocampuses. They wore simple steel helmets, black gloves and boots. Equipped with halberds or crossbows, and long knives, the humans stared suspiciously at everyone passing through.
Next to the big gate, on each side, protruded small rounded gatehouses to protect the guards from bad weather. A scribe sat in one of them, surrounded by books and quills. Probably keeping track of the merchants' tolls, Ranloo thought.
Near the city gate, the pace slowed notably. The guards asked everyone their business and received payment. The sun crawled high into the sky, beating down heat, increasing the discomfort on top of the smells and dust. Ranloo wanted to get through and see what Jaris looked like. He sighed with impatience, bored with the unchanging view. When two guards finally addressed them, he smiled in relief.
´What's your business in Jaris, elf?` a middle-aged, bearded guard asked Dylnan, fingering his halberd.
´We come to visit the Ranger School Lesondale to aid them in their teachings,` Dylnan replied in accented Teralonian, the humans' language. He produced a letter from his saddlebag, signed by the elven Prince himself. The silvery emblem on the parchment made it clear it was authentic.
The guard snorted and snatched the parchment from Dylnan. He studied it carefully as the other guard walked around them, inspecting them and poking their saddlebags. Their threatening manners annoyed Ranloo, but he held his tongue.
´Well,` the first guard muttered. ´All seems in good order here. Are you selling anything?` He looked at their fine horses.
´No,` Dylnan answered. ´We're only here to assist the ranger school.`
The guard nodded. ´It'll cost you six griffins to enter, two each,` he pronounced and presented a hand.
´But we're not selling anything!` Ranloo spoke up, receiving a glare from Dylnan. ´The pair you let in before us only had to pay one wyvern each.`
The guard stalked up to him and grabbed the reins to his horse who started at the sudden movement.
´Hey! What are you doing?` Ranloo regretted not keeping his mouth shut, but anger burned hot in his chest. ´Don't touch my horse!`
The guard yanked on the reins, making his horse sidestep and toss its head, giving Ranloo a hard time keeping her in place with only his legs.
´You are elves,` the guard said, slowly, like a low rumble. ´You're not selling anything and you're foreigners so you pay more. That's how it is.` He stared at Ranloo with open hostility. ´Do you want to enter or not?`
Ranloo wanted to kick his face in, but the other guard had moved up behind him with his halberd. Threatened and furious, Ranloo gripped the reins hard to keep himself in check. Lindhinin and Dylnan's faces were pale and tense.
´Yes, sir, I do,` Ranloo forced the words out, his hands clammy and heart hammering. ´I'm –` he started to apologize when Dylnan intervened.
´Please, excuse him. He's young and has never been to the city before. He doesn't know proper protocol.` Dylnan gave Ranloo an icy glare before turning back to the guards. ´Please accept our payment, eight griffins for toll and trouble.`
The guard let go of Ranloo's reins and inspected the silver coins. The other guard slowly backed off to his previous position again.
´Alright,` the man growled. ´But you better keep that one in check,` he pointed at Ranloo, ´so he doesn't get into any more trouble. Not everyone is as forgiving.` With that, he turned and went into the gatehouse. The other guard waved them forward.
´You may pass,` he announced in a bored voice.
Still angry, Ranloo followed Dylnan and Lindhinin into the shadow of the tall wooden gates, and under the thick wall and portcullis that hung overhead. He knew he'd get a good scolding later. But as they came out on the other side, thoughts of the guards and being reprimanded vanished.
A wide sunlit plaza opened up before them, jampacked with people, merchants calling out merchandise at colourful stalls, and animals being herded to the market, jostling and calling. Jettied houses in wood and stone lined the sides, both two and three stories tall, crammed together and leaning out over narrow streets, so different from the elven city, Sel-Faeyth.
A big fountain rising out of the crowd ahead, sparkling with flowing water, caught Ranloo's attention. Shaped like a three-headed hydra, each head poured water from gaping maws, small waterfalls showering into a basin below. There were new sounds and smells everywhere. He and Lindhinin looked around, wide-eyed and amazed, taking in all the new sights.
* * * * *
After hours of walking, piecing together his memories, Ranloo found himself in a district with run-down houses jammed close together. The narrow alleyways lay dark under overhanging roofs and leaning buildings, reeking of refuse. No lanterns lit the way and the cobbles were worn or missing altogether. The shop windows he passed were mostly boarded or broken. This hadn't been what he'd expected when he'd arrived, so full of hope and excitement. He wondered again where his friends had gone as he studied the slums. Were they also lost somewhere? Or had they also been turned to vampires? The thought chilled him to the core.
He walked on, needing to find a hiding place. Sometimes he peeked in through doors hanging ajar, or through the boards blocking windows. Once, a man shouted at him to leave or die. Another place had a pile of drunks sleeping in a corner. Dirty children, poorly dressed but armed with knives and cudgels, occupied yet another hovel. These were the people who lived in the shadow of Jaris. The poor, the outcasts, the lawless. Maybe he could join them? But no.
As he watched, his hunger pulled him closer. They smelled so lovely.
He would kill them.
Alarmed, he backed away and moved on. He had to stay alone. But he needed to find an abandoned place fast. The moons had risen and descended as the night passed and it would brighten soon.
After another hour of searching, growing more desperate by the minute, Ranloo finally found a fitting house. The door was closed and the windows barred from the inside, the top floor had caved in. He tried the handle. It didn't budge. Locked or stuck, he wondered. He glanced down the street, making sure nobody watched. Pressing his shoulder against the door, he pushed. It creaked and bent but didn't open. Glancing at the pale silvery sky of early morning, the stars all but gone, he really had no choice left. He had to get in. And if anyone lived there, they had to be thrown out, and fast. He prayed it was empty. Stepping some distance away from the door, Ranloo braced for impact and charged.
With a loud bang, the door burst open. Ranloo sprawled on a dusty hallway floor that hadn't seen anything but rodents for quite some time. He stood, dusted himself off, and looked around, listening for reactions to the noise. After a few tense moments, he was fairly sure the house was empty.
Relieved, he sighed and closed the door. It wouldn't stay shut, squealing open as soon as he let go of the handle.
´Typical,` he muttered, noting the busted lock on the floor. He searched for something to bar the door with. The house had been abandoned long enough for the rooms to fill with dust and cobwebs. Here and there old furniture were left standing. An old cabinet, a broken chair. In the kitchen, he found a table and some pots and pans. And a box. A heavy, wooden box. He opened it. It was filled with old dry potatoes, and a dirty cloth. It would do.
He started pulling the box towards the door when he heard voices. Whispers and footsteps in the hall. He cursed quietly in elven.