“What do you mean that we are traveling north?” Barth asked his temporary deggan with a harsh voice.
The deg had traveled a few miles from Arregan to the branching path that would either take them to Cael Morgen or further north along the path laid out by Julianna Marche. Valentin halted the deg who was already beginning to follow the path that took them towards the enticing festival to the west.
While Valentin felt exceedingly refreshed and clear from his rest, the rest of the deg did not match his energy. Hungover eyes stared at Valentin with contempt. There was little expectation from the deg that Valentin would deviate from the path that Barth set out for him. It made Valentin feel exceedingly alone from the top of the horse.
“I considered the new information given to me and decided that it was too early to depart towards Cael Morgen without at least reaching Galleat first. It will only add an extra three days to the search and we can still choose to travel to Cael Morgen from there.”
Barth shook his head. “Valentin, Valentin, Valentin. These three days are crucial if we wish to search Cael Morgen with the proper vigor. If we wait three days, there may be no more paint left by the time we get there.”
“We must at least do our due diligence in this area before leaving west,” Valentin asserted.
Groans and complaints prevented Valentin from continuing his explanation. Valentin was a crab that was dangling above boiling water. He felt that he was rapidly losing the already short tolerance of the warriors and he would soon be dropped to his demise.
“You said that you received no information about Sothin Marche from Arregan. What is it that you expect from these other villages? He hasn’t been seen and we won’t be seen,” Barth explained. Deep wrinkles of frustration rose across his face and his skin became flushed.
“I received a potential lead from Edana,” Valentin replied, trying quickly to soothe the situation. “She said they had to send the money that was going to Catria Eanna up to Galleat. It’s possible that all the nearby villages were told the same. If we can locate the coins and who is there to pick it up, maybe we can-”
“Maybe we can ambush them disguised as highwaymen and take all the tribute money for ourselves!” Barth shouted in excitement. “We can finally make some money off of this forsaken mission.”
That was not what Valentin was implying at all. Before he spoke up to correct the misconception, he felt the atmosphere in the deg dramatically shift towards supporting Valentin's decision. Wide grins and laughter came from the warriors that surrounded them. Money, above all else, motivated warriors of the coin. They finally had the first intoxicating metallic scent that they had this cycle and their rapacious eyes showed Valentin that he had given them the ultimate motivator.
“Our lead is in Galleat,” Valentin reiterated.
He did not want to give the impression that he condoned this aggressive act, but he did not want to lose the popular opinion at this critical juncture. He convinced himself that he would simply backtrack later when the fervor had died down a bit. When the hangovers ended and they were further away from the junction, he would be able to talk to them more reasonably.
“Then we head for Galleat,” Barth agreed with a greedy smile.
Over the rest of the day, a high pace was set by the warriors of the deg. Few breaks were taken and the only reason they stopped was to briefly speak with the village elders. Each of the two villages that they stopped in confirmed that they had sent their money northwards to Galleat, only furthering the drive of the warriors to reach this destination.
They could not dally. The money may be taken towards the heavily defended camps any day and be lost forever. Barth took over setting the tempo from Valentin and began to beat out a rapid march. Even the darkness of night did not deter the warrior’s march northward. Only Valentin’s order to make camp caused the deg to begrudgingly set up their cots and sleep for the night.
For the first time in a long time, the noises of camp did not draw into the night. The warriors planned to depart as soon as Ortus rose in the morning and were not going to be distracted.
Valentin had difficulty sleeping that night. He felt the unconscious pressure that was emanating from the psyches of the other warriors. Their goal was set and the fires of their avaricious zeal had not faded over the course of the day. The boy feared that things were rapidly getting away from him and he would not be able to stop it when it mattered.
The second day only exacerbated Valentin’s concerns. More villages confirmed that they had sent money towards Galleat. The fervor was compounded further and further as the warriors began to fantasize about how much money was sitting in Galleat, ready to be taken for their own purposes. They looked like dogs that were salivating over a plate of meat set atop a table. As soon as the opportunity arose, they would ravenously set themselves upon the feast.
Barth was the largest dog of the pack. His excitement only put the rest into a greater lather that, in turn, made him all the more excited.
“What do you think, Deggan Valentin?” Barth asked after they departed the fourth village. The tinge of condescension that previously accompanied Valentin’s title was not present anymore. “Five thousand eagles? Ten thousand? Twenty? We haven’t seen money like that since we’ve come back from the Hetecis-Xanbo fronts.”
“I’m not sure, the elders were hesitant to state the amount that they sent,” Valentin responded, trying to temper the attitude of the warrior, to little avail.
“If we are too late to arrive before they come and pick it up, we’ll have to track it down before it reaches their camps.”
“Well, it is our only lead to find Sothin,” Valentin replied, hoping that Barth would recall their reason for being out here.
“Right,” he replied, not interested in Valentin’s words at all. Trace amounts of annoying mixed in his voice, discouraging Valentin from speaking again.
It was on the third day that they reached the small town of Galleat. A sizable castle could be seen from the road standing proudly a couple of miles outside the town, offering protection to the villages of the area. They made camp in a secluded area outside of the town. Warriors changed from their armor into their everyday fabrics with the attention of entering the town with more discretion. There was only one goal for their information gathering mission, locate the money. Each warrior departed independently to avoid seeming suspicious.
Only a handful of warriors remained to guard the camp. One of those was Dacin who had been by Maeve’s side for the past three days. It was only after the end of the second day did Valentin remember that he had given that order. The druid was disinterested in going into the town to collect information and took stock of the surrounding plants and fungi instead. Despite the disappointment on Dacin’s face, he seemed to be in good enough spirits.
Donning his nice green doublet, riding pants, and fur cloak, Valentin set off to ride into town alone. However, he was stopped before he made it very far away from the camp.
“Deggan Valentin,” the warrior addressed him in a low voice, forcing the boy to lean forwards on his horse to listen.
“Yes?”
“You are too handsomely dressed to be entering town alone,” the warrior continued. “That in itself will be suspicious. Allow me to appear to be your bodyguard and accompany you on your trip to town.”
Valentin shrugged without much care either way. “If you insist, gather one of the reserve horses and ride with me.”
Now the lone pair, Valentin and the warrior rode down towards town at a casual pace befitting his appearance. Fellow travelers gave way to his presence, giving him memories of how Roland was regarded by others.
“I don’t know if we’ve been properly introduced,” Valentin remarked.
“Apologies, Deggan Valentin,” the warrior gave an awkward sitting bow in apology. “My name is Henriette. I am one of the warriors appointed by Mistress Julianna to join this expedition group.”
“I see,” Valentin replied with shame in his voice. “I’m sure that you are disappointed with the attitude of the deg. I haven’t done a good job as a deggan to keep them under proper control. We are hardly looking for your liege’s brother anymore.”
“It was something that Mistress Julianna told us to expect,” Henriette admitted. She chose her words carefully at risk of disparaging any prominent members of the warband. “You haven’t given up on looking for Master Sothin, have you?”
Valentin shook his head as cobbled streets greeted the horse hooves upon their entrance to Galleat. The population was likely double or triple that of Arregan and the affluence of the town was much higher. Buildings were of a nicer construction adorned with colorful paint and cloth banners. Even the clothing of even regular shop owners and farmers was a step above the villages that they had passed through.
True to Barth’s word, the Festival of the Mother was in full swing within Galleat. An entire procession of people stripped to their skin with murals painted on them met Valentin’s eyes. Bright colors of red and orange and green and blue coated their torsos while they danced and sang songs that venerated the Mother. Valentin wondered how many of the dispatched warriors found themselves sidetracked at the celebration.
After taking brief notice of the festivities and listening until the current song ended, Valentin sought out a suitable location on one of the less crowded side streets to begin his search. He hitched his horse before the larger inn in town. A town guard that stood near the door offered Valentin a cordial nod. One which the boy returned in kind.
Despite being larger than the Arregan Inn, this inn had less available floor space. Everything felt much more congested from the bar to the tables to the people. Fortunately, there was enough space for Valentin to find a seat and push his chair back a bit.
His nice attire demanded that he be acknowledged immediately. No self-respecting innkeeper would allow someone dressed in the clothes of the gentry to wait long. A plump woman quickly approached his table to serve him.
“Good day to you, Young Master,” the woman greeted with a friendly smile. “Is there something that you desire?”
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“I would like whatever your specialty dish is and a weak beer,” Valentin replied, matching the woman’s warmth with his answer. “What would you like, Henriette?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-”
“Two of the specials and beers,” Valentin corrected, eliciting a larger smile from the barmaid and a look of surprise from the warrior.
“Will that be everything for you?”
“One final thing,” Valentin replied.
Valentin reached into his cloak and pulled out a heavy purse. The money had been an allowance from Aunt Yvonne that he never had need to spend. In this moment, he was happy that he had not as he could play this role more convincingly. His mind did not see how ridiculous his thoughts were. Despite being one for well over a cycle and sharing blood with a prominent clan, he still did not see himself as a nobleman.
He set it upon the table and dug out a pair of silver eagles. The coins were casually rolled back and forth enticingly in front of the woman. Her eyes intently followed the coins back and forth across the table. While these coins meant little to him now, he did not forget how valuable just one eagle was for many people. In fact, he could feel the piercing eyes from the other patrons drift towards him. He tried not to let their greedy stares affect his performance. After all, he and Henriette were the ones with swords.
“I am looking for discrete information. Do you or the proprietor know anyone that happens to be well informed?”
“I-I will be sure to ask,” the woman stammered before scurrying away to fulfill the order.
“You did not have to buy me anything,” Henriette whispered, seemingly embarrassed about how the situation played out.
“If I am your patron, then wouldn’t it be natural to provide for you as well?” Valentin countered. “The display was necessary if I am to get a reliable information broker. They won’t be interested unless they know that I can pay handsomely. Besides, isn’t a hot meal better than whatever we’ve been eating on the march?”
“I suppose so,” she relented. Her eyes drifted towards his purse with great interest. “How much do you have in there anyways?”
“I fear that if I say the number aloud, we would have to fight our way out of town,” he answered coolly.
In truth, he had a little over forty silver eagles in his purse. Yvonne had refused to give him any less than that amount as a member of the Guerros clan. While he had no great attachment to the amount, he was not keen on being robbed for it.
After some time, the barmaid returned with two steaming bowls of braised pork in a savory smelling brown sauce with vegetables and loaves of bread. Another, older and nicer dressed woman who appeared to be the proprietress, held two mugs and set them on the table next to the bowl. Valentin’s mouth immediately salivated at the sight and had to restrain himself from digging into the dish.
“Young Master,” the presumed proprietress greeted. “Please enjoy your meals at your leisure. It will take some time to prepare your final request so I must ask you to wait for some time longer.”
“That is perfectly fine. It allows me enough time to properly enjoy my meal,” Valentin quipped.
“We appreciate your graciousness,” the woman replied with a bow, leaving the pair to their meals.
Valentin wasted no time in attacking his meal. Rich flavors sent him to a decadent bliss that made him feel light. He had no choice but to give audible cues towards how pleased he was. Only the thought of being compared to the Steward of Briste brought him out of his delight and back to the present.
Henriette had only a few bites before she set her plate to the side. Valentin considered asking if he could finish her portion but found the idea too gluttonous and shameful.
The pair nursed their drinks, purchased refills, and finished those before any word of the informant reached them. The time stretched past zenith into the latter half of the day. Anyone that had been interested in Valentin’s previous display of wealth had long since had to return to work or, more ominously, tipped off their friends of his presence.
The proprietress returned to their table and bowed towards Valentin. “Apologies for the wait, Young Master, the informant is waiting in the rooms. Please follow me.”
Valentin and Henriette followed the woman up the stairs to a hallway lined with doors. She approached the fourth one on the left and stood before it.
“The informant is waiting for you inside,” she announced.
Valentin dropped three silver eagles in the woman’s hands. Perhaps he had overpaid, but he wished to reward the woman for her delectable meal.
“For your meal and your discretion,” he whispered.
She smiled happily at the coins and opened the door to allow the pair inside. The room had the shades drawn, not allowing any light in from the outside and forcing Valentin to squint from the drastic change in visibility. The only illumination came from the dancing flames burning from several candles placed on the table.
On the opposite side of the table sat a figure draped in a brown cloak. The hood was pulled over the informant's head in an effort to preserve their identity.
“Please sit,” the feminine voice bade to the entrants.
As there was only one seat, Valentin was the one that sat down while Henriette stood over his shoulder with a rigid posture. Valentin placed his coin purse on the table and laid out a few silver eagles to allow the informant to inspect. The woman lifted each coin and drew it towards her hood before placing them all back down.
“Thank you for meeting with us,” Valentin said respectfully.
“There are things that you wish to know?”
“Yes,” Valentin answered. “Before we begin, I wish to know what you charge per question.”
“It depends on what information you wish to know and what information I possess,” the informant replied with an even voice. “As you know, not everything in this world is worth the same price.”
“I am looking for a nobleman from Etrineux. Their name is Sothin Marche and it is highly likely that they passed through these lands within the last cycle,” Valentin said. “There is a possibility they had a meeting with Catria Eanna. Do you know anything about them?”
The informant was quiet for a moment. “A nobleman from Etrineux that held an audience with the cousin of the Tiarna of Sarcinel? There have been many nobles that have entertained the company of Eanna in the past season. Unfortunately for you, this is not Sarcinel, this is Galleat. The nobles that you likely seek lie east of here.”
She reached for the silver in the center of the table but Valentin covered the stack with his hand. He employed his learned negotiation tactics to this interrogation. He would not surrender money for no gain. However, he would still show that the money was available to be taken.
“That was not new information to me. Even if it’s the tiniest bit of new rumors,” Valentin replied. “I need to know if there is anyone with a connection with Etrineux that has been in the city.”
The informant tutted, however, Valentin and Henriette were between her and the door. She shook her head and tapped her fingers against the wooden surface of the table, making a fervent thudding pattern.
“There were several people that were from Etrineux that would come into town to purchase supplies and visit the taverns. They said that their homeland had been conquered by a rival and they had to flee as they were sympathetic with the old regime. Normally, that wouldn’t be that noteworthy, however, they appeared to be prominent enough to afford decent swords and the ability to drink every five-day.”
Valentin added two more coins to the stack. “Where were they staying?”
“They usually come from the road to the east but they have not been seen for some time. Perhaps they are friends with this Sothin Marche, perhaps not.”
Valentin slid the coins across the table and the informant quickly snagged the coins before Valentin could deny them again. He heard the clinking of metal on metal as the payment was stowed away in their purse.
“Is there any further business that you have with me?” The informant inquired.
“I have heard that all the surrounding villages of the region have sent shipments of silver to Galleat to be sent to Catria Eanna,” Valentin spoke hesitantly. “Have those shipments been collected yet?”
Silence hung heavily between client and informant. Valentin could only imagine that the woman was calculating what that information was truly worth. While Valentin cared little for the money, he believed that if he knew where the money was traveling to, he could potentially find Sothin Marche.
“Twenty silver,” she demanded.
Valentin counted each silver coin one by one until he reached twenty and set it in the middle of the table.”
“The silver is being stored in Galleat Castle. The final shipments have been arriving the past few days. It is supposed to be collected the next day or two by a warband named the Boars of Ruin before heading east to Catria Eanna’s camp. I heard that the Boars of Ruin camp somewhere nearby, so it is likely it will be taken there and they will travel in full force the rest of the way.”
Valentin pushed the coins closer to the woman. This time, she did not rush in her retrieval of the coins. Each was counted with purpose and placed within her purse. She would need to be careful on her travels home to avoid losing such a heavy payment.
“Are they staying at Gladaghol Castle?” Valentin asked.
“A damaged and abandoned fortress would be an ideal place to take up long term residence, wouldn’t you agree?”
This time, she did not request any coins. The informant rose from her seat and departed from the meeting room without giving so much as a farewell to her client. Valentin rose shortly after the door closed.
“What do you think?” Valentin asked Henriette. “Do you think Sothin Marche is holed up in Gladaghol Castle?”
“I still cannot say for certain but it’s the best lead that we’ve had all season,” Henriette admitted. “Though I do worry that word of the shipment will sidetrack your deg from their assigned objective.”
“If they have not discovered what I have, I will not tell them of it,” Valentin assured. “Should we send word back to camp informing them of our lead?”
“I will send Ernest back to camp with haste letting Mistress Julianna know that there is a strong lead,” Henriette answered. “I will leave it up to her to determine if the lead is worth acting upon.”
Valentin nodded his agreement to the plan set before them. They needed to act decisively before his grip on the deg slipped further. He saw few options to deter the deg from pursuing the silver.
Henrietta opened the door for Valentin and the pair made their way out of the increasingly full inn. The pair had to press against numerous bodies of merrymakers before they could find the door to the street. Valentin blinked his eyes rapidly to adjust to the brighter light of the early evening. The sounds of revelry in the streets as people stopped their celebration for the day and returned home for the meals or packed the taverns to continue the libations at a new venue.
Valentin returned to camp without much issue. He thought he saw some eyes watching him from the side streets but no one ever emerged. It was either paranoia or Henriette’s presence served as enough of a deterrent to keep cut purses and back street thugs from accosting the pair for the rest of his silver.
He was one of the first warriors that left for town to return. The rest sat hunched over their meals, cursing that they were so unlucky to miss the festival. During this lightly guarded period, a single horse rode back towards camp carrying word of Valentin’s information to the awaiting Julianna.
It was not before the rest of the warriors made their way back to camp in the effort to beat nightfall. Unlike their extremely careful orders of departure, the buzzed warriors came back in groups of threes and fours. They loudly spoke of the joys that they saw at the Festival and whatever drunken adventures that led them to.
After another hour, Barth reached the campsite with Keefe and the remaining warriors. As the vice deggan, the man slept directly next to Valentin and he made his presence felt quickly by plopping down onto his cot with an exhausted grunt. He quickly dislodged his boots and sighed with satisfaction once his feet were freed.
“Did you see the Festival of the Mother?”
“I did,” Valentin responded groggily. The darkened skies had begun to coax him to sleep and the entrance of Barth had undone much of its progress.
“Ah,” Barth sighed in memory of whatever he had experienced during the day. “You may be too young, but it’s important to appreciate such beautiful things. You’ll learn to miss it when we return to Verbosc where the tradition isn’t observed.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Valentin mindlessly answered, trying not to lose the thread that would take him to sleep.
“Did you learn anything while you were down there?”
“I heard that Sothin Marche is possibly camped out at Gladaghol Castle with the Boars of Ruin. Several warriors of Etrineux have been spotted numerous times in town,” he answered, foolishly hoping that the information would be enough to distract Barth from his own desires.
“The Boars of Ruin?” Barth asked, ignoring the primary matter entirely.
“The warband that has been operating in the area,” Valentin explained further.
“Is that so? Then this was a nice break before we get to work tomorrow,” Barth said with a grin on his face. “Your tip was correct, there is silver that has yet to be picked up somewhere in town. Now I know that they will be taking it to Gladaghol Castle.”
Whatever sleep Valentin tried to keep a hold off was ripped away from him in that one statement. It sounded like Barth’s informant offered rumors of a much lower quality than Valentin’s. However, that was irrelevant. The key information had still managed to make it to Barth’s ears and the warriors of the deg will wish to move to ambush the shipment. All Valentin had served to do was allow Barth to pinpoint where he needed to enact his plan.
Should he just give up on preventing Barth and the deg from acting against Ferron’s orders? They weren’t meant to attack the warbands any longer. However, what could he realistically do to stop them from attacking? Would it really be his fault?
He shook his head and dispelled those thoughts. If he did nothing to prevent it, then he was allowing unneeded deaths to occur.
He groaned in frustration. Perhaps it would have been better to have just abandoned the mission and gone to Cael Morgen instead.