“Welcome to the city of Etron. Declare your purpose and any goods you intend to bring with you,” a bored-looking city guardsman recited from memory as he stepped next to my carriage. The only armor worn by the guard was a steel helmet. He wore light clothing in the summer heat, and he carried a short spear that came up to his ear when he rested it on the ground. Haydith looked away from the guard to hide her features from view.
The guard craned his neck to get a better view of Haydith as his eyes narrowed with suspicion. I cleared my throat loudly and said, “As a lord of Etronia, I would like to assert my immunity to answering such questions.”
“A noble? You don’t look like a noble,” the guard said suspiciously as he looked me carefully up and down. Considering that I had not showered in a few weeks, and I was still wearing my traveling clothes, that was a fair assessment.
A good-natured, paternalistic bark of laughter escaped my lips as I jumped down from my carriage. “You have a fair point, friend. I’ve been on the road for quite a while. I’m happy to see that the guards of this fair city do not accept such claims to nobility at face value. Every Etronian is safer due to your service.”
I projected every word I spoke loudly enough for everyone near the gate to hear. My voice carried a tone that had been sculpted over many years to draw attention. I spoke with the voice of a carnival barker who promised bountiful entertainment if you would just lend him your ear.
“Thank you,” the guard said automatically before he was able to shake off the unexpected compliment. “Wait, no. You still haven’t proven that you’re a lord.”
More than a dozen civilians and guards had turned their heads to look at my conversation with the guard. Most of them were excited to see a charlatan be arrested for impersonating a noble. Even the other members of my group were watching with confusion. I had not previously told them what I was going to do.
“Quite right. I suppose I must make my introduction to you and the people of this great city. My name is Thale Feldrast, Lord of Gwynedd and son of Count Armond Feldrast. I carry on my person a signet ring of House Feldrast and the icon of Gwynedd.” I removed from my pocket a ring carrying the salamander crest of House Feldrast and a small metal disk carrying the thistle crest of Gwynedd. I held those two items high enough for anyone watching to see.
“Oh, I’m sorry, my lord. I didn’t know.” Fear passed over the guard’s face as he saw the proof of my nobility.
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“No need to be sorry. Your suspicion is commendable.” I clapped the guard on his shoulder while smiling widely. “I would be happy to declare my reason for visiting the city.”
“Yes, that would be good. Siegfried! Get over here! I need you to write this down!” The guard shouted toward the direction of the gatehouse, and a teenager even younger than me came running toward me and the guard.
Once Siegfried, a young boy with white hair, blue eyes, and writing tools in his hands, arrived, the guard said, “My lord, please declare your reason for visiting the city of Etron.”
The crowd watching me had grown three sizes by that time. A group of about fifty civilians were standing a dozen meters inside of the city, watching this strange, theatrical, fifteen-year-old noble speak to a confused guard.
Loud enough for everyone to hear, I said, “I am here to speak to the King. He wished to meet me thirteen years ago, but certain unforeseen factors got in the way. It’s been a while, but I have arrived for that meeting. I came with three gifts.”
I snapped my fingers, sending the signal for Eadric to reveal the object in his wagon. He pulled back the large tarp covering the remains of the great talpa, revealing its massive, ridged head that weighed about as much as a person.
“On my way here, I slew a great beast that threatened the trade road to the south. It was not a problem for me, but I figured the King might want to display its head somewhere.” The people in the audience gasped audibly as they saw the head clearly. Even from where they stood two dozen meters away, they could make out the great beast's features. Siegfried recoiled in fear as he saw the head of the giant dead creature appear so close to him.
“This frightful creature cannot harm anyone anymore,” I said, going slightly off script as I saw the child’s fear.
I detached the deer mask from my belt and placed it over my own head. I was not confident that I could deliver the next line without my expression giving away my true thoughts. “On my way here, I spotted three brigands attacking a girl on the road. I drove them off, killed one, and took his mask as a trophy. I offer the brigand’s mask as my second gift.”
My tone stayed where I wanted it to as I spoke those words. The only emotion in my voice was pride as I talked about the death of another human being. In the world of Ferrum, killing was virtuous. To kill an enemy of the state such as a brigand or an orc was an act of patriotism.
A smattering of applause emanated from the audience as I slowly removed the mask from my face. I smiled and waved at them in a show of false modesty as the twisting feeling in my stomach made me want to double over in pain.
“Killed?” The guard spoke automatically, his instincts as an officer of the peace taking over as he heard that I had killed a person.
“That’s right. I killed a brigand on the road. If you wish to arrest me, I won’t resist,” I said, holding my connected wrists out to the guard.
There was a murmur of anger from the audience. The very idea that a heroic nobleman who had visited righteous violence upon their enemies could be arrested for his actions filled them with anger.
“No!” shouted a voice from the audience, causing many of the guards to look at the crowd with concern.