“So, it wasn’t our friend that told you to watch for us?” Anaya asked, confusion knotting her brows.
The stranger shook his head, taking another bit of bread and stuffing it in his mouth.
“‘Fraid not.”
“Did Miriam send you, then?” Brugo asked.
“Don’t know no Miriam neither,” the man admitted.
Brugo and Anaya exchanged an exasperated look. First, the man had said he was waiting for them and he had a message to pass along. But now, he wouldn’t tell them who had sent him or what the message was. Instead, he had helped himself to their food and drink, and continued to talk in riddles until both of them were ready to get up and walk away. Perhaps the man was a clever beggar, and only happened to catch them at a time when they were desperate for a sign of what to do next.
The man coughed several times, reaching for Brugo’s tankard of ale and draining it before clearing his throat and grinning at them both. He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest and looking rather smug as he sized them both up.
“If I’m bein’ completely honest, nobody in particular sent me. And the message I’m relayin’ is more of a general warning.”
Anaya groaned at the same time Brugo made a frustrated sound, planting his hands on his knees and preparing to rise.
“But!” the man cut in, making them both pause. “I think it’s a warnin’ you two be needin’ to hear. You see, there’s been lots of rumors swirlin’ about these last few days. Rumors about a sword and some other valuable items that have gone missing. And then there was mention of a small travelin’ party, lookin’ right outta place in some of these small towns ‘round here. When I saw you two walk through them gates, I knew you were the ones everyone’s been goin’ on about.”
Now Anaya was starting to feel less irritated and more afraid. Brugo let himself fall back into his chair, suddenly more open to what the man had to say.
“Get on with it then,” Brugo grumbled in a low voice.
The man gave him a slimy smile but said, “I’m just sayin’, folks around here are mighty suspicious at the moment, and you two came waltzing in as oblivious as a pair of newborn fawn. It’s a wonder the king’s guard didn’t snap you up in an instant. Don’t think people didn’t notice you nosin’ around the mage’s tower. If you’re here to steal somethin’ from them old wizards, you’re gonna have a hard time of it.”
“We’re not thieves!” Anaya interrupted. “We’re actually here to ask for their help with something, if you must know.”
Brugo shot her a sharp look and she pressed her lips together. It was too late, though, because the stranger’s eyes lit up with a twinkle and he sat forward in his seat.
“So ye do know where the sword is, then?”
Anaya’s mouth dropped open and she started to deny knowing anything of the sort, but she found herself unable to come up with a suitable lie.
“No,” she stated flatly, averting her eyes.
“What she means to say,” Brugo cut in, “is that a friend of ours is a member of the mage’s order and he seems to have gone missing. We were hoping they might be able to point us in the right direction so we can continue our travels.”
“Mmhmm,” the stranger agreed, obviously not believing Brugo’s story. “Well, as you can see, now is a very bad time to be askin’ for much of anything from the mages. They have their hands plenty full with this little ordeal, and I’m afraid it’s not goin’ to be much good for their reputation around here if they don’t get it sorted quickly.”
“Then maybe you can help us,” Anaya said, thinking quickly. “Our friend was traveling just ahead of us. Maybe you’ve seen someone else come into town recently? He would’ve been all alone.”
Anaya hoped that the stranger could be more amiable if she made him feel important. She knew just how to butter up men like him.
The stranger thought for a minute, then shook his head. “Nope. Haven’t seen anyone come through here all by their lonesome.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Well, then maybe you can help us a different way. It seems like you know a lot of what goes on around here. We were actually on our way to meet up with another group of travelers. They were waiting for us here in town. They sent a letter just a few days back and let us know they had rooms here in town.”
“I see. Miriam, was it?” the stranger asked, and Brugo straightened at the mention of his friend’s name.
Anaya had to admit, the man’s ability to recall minor details was a bit unnerving. But she was hopeful that the man might know something that would help them out. If they could meet up with Brugo’s friends, they would have a safe place to stay and they wouldn’t have to risk going back to the weapons’ cache. She had a distinct feeling that they wouldn’t be able to walk anywhere without this man knowing.
“Yes. Miriam is her name. She’s with a few other people, but she was in charge of arranging rooms. Perhaps there’s an inn nearby where we might ask around?”
“Ah, yes! There are two inns in Yaal, but only one of ‘em is fittin’ for a lady like yourself.” He gave her a broad smile and a wink, and she had to control her urge to gag in response. “You’ll find The Sleeping Lamb a few streets over. Past the mage tower and down on the right. That’s where I’d start if I were you.”
“Well then, we’ll be thanking you for all your help, and I think it’s about time we be on our way.”
Anaya stood abruptly, banging her knee into the underside of the table in her rush to get up. Brugo caught the tankard before it tipped over and steadied the table, rising to follow her.
“If you can’t find who you’re looking for, there’s another place you might look,” the stranger called after them. “North side of the city. The place is called The Rabbit Haven. I’ll be there if you need any more help.”
Anaya gave him an appreciative nod, but she practically bolted out the door of the tavern and into the afternoon sunlight. She looked both directions down the narrow road, looking for a quiet place where they might enjoy some privacy. Without waiting for Brugo, she made her way down the street and into a dark alley, pushing her way back until they were out of sight of passersby.
“What do we do now?” she asked when Brugo finally caught up to her.
He leaned against the wall, shaking his head. “I don’t know, but I don’t think hiding here is a good answer. I need to get word to Miriam. That guy is going to be snooping around, and I don’t want any trouble. She doesn’t have anything to do with this mess.”
“I know,” Anaya said, feeling a little guilty. She hadn’t meant to give the creepy man a new target, but she also couldn’t tell him what they were really doing here. Or, more accurately, what she was doing here. She supposed Brugo had every right to go join his friends and leave her to her troubles. It’s not like he wanted to go reclaim the sword anyways.
“Maybe we should go to the inn and ask around. You can send a note and have her meet us somewhere safe.”
“I’m beginning to think nowhere is safe.”
“Yeah. But we can’t hide here forever. If we make contact with your friends, we can leave town before dark. The last thing we need is that guy alerting the kings’ guard and having every eye in Yaal looking for us.”
Together they left the alley, winding their way in and out of city streets toward the direction of the Sleeping Lamb. Although the man had given them straightforward directions from the tavern, neither of them felt it was a good idea to walk back through the crowd surrounding the mage tower.
As it got later in the day, more and more people were filling the street, and even from a few blocks away, they could hear the steady chant of the people demanding answers. Anaya wished they could get closer, or they could hear what everyone was shouting about, but she knew it wouldn’t make any difference. If the mages were refusing to come out and that unsettling cloud kept growing overhead, there would continue to be unrest.
They slipped inside the Sleeping Lamb and were relieved to find that it was a much quieter establishment. Despite its proximity to the crowds, the inn seemed to be safe from trouble.
A friendly young woman stood behind the counter, smiling graciously as they walked in.
“Well, hello friends! Welcome to The Sleeping Lamb. We hope you’ll be staying with us.”
Brugo went to the counter and offered the woman his most winning smile. To Anaya’s surprise, he looked almost handsome without the surly expression on his face, and the woman behind the counter didn’t even seem to mind the tusks.
“I believe we’re supposed to be meeting some friends here,” Brugo said, his voice oddly amiable. “Is there a woman named Miriam here?”
The young woman’s expression softened a bit with disappointment, but she remained cheerful all the same as she looked over her ledger. “I don’t think we have any guests by that name at the moment. I’m sorry. Would you like to book a room while you wait?”
Brugo reached into his pouch and pulled out some coin. “A room would be good. Thank you.”
When the woman hurried away to ready a room for them, Anaya turned to him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m throwing that man off our trail. I’d be willing to bet that guy will be checking up on us, and if she tells him we have a room here, he might just hang around instead of following us all over the place. We’ll just go in, wait til everything’s quiet and then we can sneak out.”
Anaya frowned. “I don’t like it.”
“Well, until you have a better plan, this will do. If we want to get back to Osric, we can’t take any chances.”
“All ready!” the woman called down the hall, and Anaya followed Brugo into the room. “Just let me know if you need anything at all.”
Brugo gave her another beaming smile and closed the door, double checking the lock.
“We need a real plan.”