Just after devouring his supper, Anh realized, to the dismay of his subservient, that they were very far away from Sheridawn. Thusly even more way from Tanais itself. What followed was that there were a plethora of unknown, at least to him and the wider Tanaian kind, plants, and animals that might be lurking around. That and the bed they were supposed to rest in looked more like a torture device. Thus the tanai excused himself and spent his night poking his head into the fields, bushes, and trees no further than two stone tosses around the inn. Initially. As this quickly grew to four, then eight tosses, each time Anh gave himself an excuse to venture a little further into the ‘unknown’.
The morning came with a slight, cold drizzle and low fog covering the ground.
-” I wonder how deep is this mud ” - mused Anh as he hovered over the patch of the substance and floated in the direction of the inn - “Let’s measure!”
He found a long stick propped on the rudimentary fence on the perimeter of the building’s estate. Then flew from place to place around the muddy span before the inn and poked the stick into the layer of the runny, black goo below. He even went out of his way to do so under both of the parked carts. Once done, he returned to the inn doors and gazed upon the bog before him.
-” On average, seventeen and a half-ish cemers!” - he said with pride to nobody in particular, then turned around, propped the stick on the inn’s walls, and pushed the doors to enter.
Brandt was sitting, alone, at one of the tables. Apart from him, only an old, chubby, balding barkeep with a grey beard was sitting behind the counter. The man was chopping a chunk of wood with a knife, possibly sculpting it, but the piece didn’t resemble anything yet.
Anh’s companion was already done with a bowl of oatmeal and was reading one of tanai’s books.
-”’Im Vhirsvm Maargardio Cartha’?” - mused Anh when he approached Brandt close enough to read the book’s title - “ Fair choice, albeit a little vague. I will be writing an addendum once we return to Sheridawn.”
-” Mhm” - came in response
-” How do you like it?”
-” I found seventeen consecutive pages of tables on measurements of parts of a local kind of oak tree to be excessive, but…” - Brandt shut the book with a thump - “...I appreciate the effort the author has put into it. We have a job to do, once you are done with your breakfast”.
Anh assumed his favorite cross-legged pose, and floated beside the table.
-” Let me guess. We go to the Oth Graev castle, pull some tongues, get some supplies, and off we go to the second site?”
Brandt nodded.
They left “Our Fatherland” shortly after Anh finished his staple boal oats with fruit and took the route towards Caer Oth’Graev. Initially, they followed the same muddy road that brought them to the inn, but after a candle or so they merged with a wider and better-maintained tract, as its surface was well hardened with beaten gravel. It began to ascend a mountain, meandering to keep a consistent grade. Since then passing sidings were built every so often, and in some critical sections granite paving was laid on top. Even more so, drainage was built into it every tenth of a kimer or so.
The road seemed to be the only one to the Oth’Graev estate and the traffic was quite substantial. Because of Brand’s insistence on as brisk of a pace as possible, they had to overtake entire caravans of carts heading towards the Graev basin. They also had to give way to loaded carts on their return trip.
It took them almost half a day to reach the highest point on their journey and two more candles to crest the ridge of the basin. The road clung to the basin’s walls and steadily lowered towards the settlement in the middle.
The view to the bottom was splendid. The basin appeared about two, to maybe three, kimers in diameter and was roughly circular. The depth was about half a kimer, maybe less. The estate from which its name was derived was built on the shore of a small lake almost dead center of the basin. Around it were several dozens of wood houses of varying sizes, large to small, spewing thick smoke that added to the mist at the bottom. Around the ridges of the basin, openings of the ore mines were just about visible through the mist. There was sparse vegetation at the bottom and whatever there was, it limited itself to spruce trees deep on the side of the basin or grass which managed to survive on the patches of rocky soil.
It was early afternoon when they arrived in the town in the center. After exploring it and finding out that most of the local economy was based on smelting ore into iron and shaping and smithing it into steel, they found themselves near the gate of the Oth’Graev estate.
-” I’m not the most versed in Maargardian nomenclature” - said Anh, staring at the structure - “But I’m certain this does not qualify as a ‘Kaar’, now does it?”
If compared to the castles of the great families of Maargard or Cammot, this was barely more than a summer’s palace. Two stories tall and, in difference to the rest of the settlement around it, made of brick and mortar. It resembled more of a cozy Cammotian architecture instead of the rough and rugged Maargardian design and made it seem out of place.
-” It is, presumably, a sitting of the head of the Oth’Graev family. This is very much a ‘Kaar’.” - flatly commented Brandt.
-” Politics is dull. But thank you for clarifying”- merrily replied Anh -“Shall we go to visit these people?”
-” Who?”
-” This family. You seem like someone who can pull people’s strings, or nerves, to get what you want. So, we go in, you speak, we get the necessary supplies and go on our merry way”.
Brandt buried his face in his right palm, exasperated.
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-” Mr Trawins, I don’t know whether you are making fun of me, or are being serious.”- he said with an undertone of annoyance -” I know as much as you about those people. They are some irrelevant noblets who, I’m sure, will never produce anyone of importance. Ever. No. We ought to find a local inn or similar establishment. Rest a little and then poach the town for supplies the old-fashioned way. With gold.”
-” Lead the way, I don’t think I’m the person to do the ‘interacting with others’ part of your plan.”
-” Actually. I want you to do exactly that.”
Anh wasn’t happy hearing this.
-” Excuse me?” - he said somewhat anxiously.
-” Might I remind you we are still fugitives? Ordo’s going to be looking for a hoomin with his tanai employee. So, for the sake of argument, you are a tanai researcher and I am your lowly bodyguard.”
Anh blinked several times and bit his lips while looking at the ground somewhere away.
-” This is a bad idea, and you are going to regret it.” - he finally commented - “I will do my best.”
At the edge of the town, they found a local establishment for the mine workers and visitors. Positioned next to a heap of logs of a wood merchant it was built from that material. Two stories tall, with small windows and a stone porch to the street before it. Aptly and proudly named “Kaar Erd Foundry Ale und Bier”, as read a sign above the entrance. It was hanging on two chains off a frame and had a fire ornament with two tankards painted above the characteristic angular writing common in Maargard.
-” At least we know how this Vhirs forsaken place is called.” - murmured Anh to himself when they were nearing the inn, then asked Brandt - “What precisely do you think I should inquire about?”
-” What would make sense for us, by that I mean, you, being here? Realistically?”
-” Nothing. I’d stay home and read books.” - uttered Anh, but quickly noticed a frown of disapproval from Brandt - ”Soilology? Botany?” - he corrected himself - “Cartography?”
-” Cartography. We are at the edge of the known world. Makes sense. You are a cartographer on a contract. You are tasked to survey the north from the… what is this place called again?” - Brandt took a peek at the sign of the inn - “Kaar Erd. Ready?”
-” No.” - grimly said Anh - “Let’s go”
The tanai flew towards the two-wing doors of the inn.
As the evening was already encroaching, the place was packed with men and noisy beyond belief. Tankards either full or empty were being bumped into each other. Dice were thrown. Patrons were shouting at each other, drinking, singing, arm wrestling, and even boxing. Anh’s entry was barely noticed, only a select few people gave him a quick glance before returning to their tankards and dice.
The tanai floated towards the counter, by which there were at least ten other people. Mostly miners and workers smelling of booze and old sweat, thus adding their share to the overall aroma of the interior. Behind a counter were two middle-aged, corpulent hoomin women, equally sweaty as the patrons and serving food or drink whenever someone ordered some.
-” EXCUSE ME!” - shouted the tanai at one of them when he finally, after several triskols, managed to elbow, or more specifically, kinehex, his way toward the counter - EXCUSE ME! - he repeated himself a few moments later, cursing his petite physicality being lost among hoomin who seemed twice his size. He finally got the attention of one of the barkeeps.
-” YEZ?! GOOD ZIR?” - the woman shouted back in a heavy maargardian accent
-” FOOD! DRINK! SUPPLIES! ROOM?” - screamed Anh, while wiggling his eyebrows violently.
The woman was in her mid-forties, had a bulbous nose, a large pimple on her left cheek, and thinning, auburn hair with grey streams peeking from the traditional linen wife’s cap.
“FOOD, DRINK HIER! ROOM” - she pointed to the door - “KATRINS GUESTHAUS!”
-” WHERE?”
The woman leaned towards the counter and gesticulated at Anh to do the same, which he had done. While this didn’t make the room less noisy, it allowed the woman to speak instead of screaming.
-” Other zide of ze ztreet” - she said, thankfully, without needing to raise her voice too much - “ to ze left. My zister’s husband iz the owner. Good food and warm bedz!”
-” Thank you! Thank you!”
The woman nodded and immediately diverted her attention to another patron demanding it. A slender man, probably in his forties, with a well-trimmed, dyed black and shined goatee and mustache. The stranger wore a grey, somewhat torn hat, a linen shirt, and, most visibly, a very tired, dusty, and muddy coat, which he, at the moment, wore like a cape. He and Anh exchanged glances briefly. The stranger nodded and diverted his attention to the barkeep.
For a brief moment, the tanai was searching for Brandt. During the brief exchange with the barkeep, the man positioned himself somewhat off the main hall, by the wall. When their gazes met, Brandt nodded at the door and casually walked out. The tanai followed him, with a puzzled look on his face.
-” We need to head out. Right now.” - calmly said Brandt when Anh emerged from the inn. The tanai floated slowly towards the hoomin.
-” Why? May I inquire?”
-” The man you exchanged glances with just a moment ago. He is after us.”
-” How can you…” - the tanai paused for an uncomfortably long time - “... the coat. Must have been in a hurry.”
Brandt nodded.
-” That. Also, his sword was of Zittische design, thirteen ninety-eight Ordo Pvrgatore issue, as was its harness. The hat and coat were of an older design but from the same source. Thirteen seventy-eight, or thereabouts. Thousands were made and whatever remains is still stashed somewhere in Graat Coch.”
-” That is oddly specific…”
-” I oversaw the production in the eighties and nineties” - mused Brandt - “and had them shipped out of Isdelburg.”
Anh didn’t quite know what to respond with.
-” Lead the way.” - he finally said, exasperated.
Brandt took toward the stables, where they parked their horses. The building was somewhat to the side of the wood merchant and required a short walk to get to it. It took about five triskols to get to the box with their horses. As he approached, he noticed three horses in the box beside theirs, which were not there when they arrived. One was laden for travel, other two were free. He took a quick glance at them and then called upon Anh.
-” Mr Trawins! Come here!”
The tanai reluctantly flew to him. When he approached close enough, hoomin pointed at the horse. Anh took a quick peek at it,
-” A maargardian warhorses. I reckon. We ‘obtained’” - Anh gestured quotes with his hands - “two of these just recently.”- tanai hung his voice when the realization struck him - “These are our former horses!” - for a brief moment he froze in place and slowly let his hands fall limp - “We need to go! Right now! Get the horses. I think I saw a trail going north. Either way, we need to be somewhere else.”
Not a candle later they were already on a mountainous and rarely traveled road leading out of the basin. Kaar Erd was already below them in the distance, hidden by the smog and the darkness of encroaching night.