"Aldora´s Quest: Chapters 12-14" by April L. Martinez

Chapter Twelve

Summer had come to the College of Sages.  The forest surrounding the College of Sages was deep and foreboding to intruders.  In many places the trees grew so close to one another that they almost appeared to be a phalanx of guardians, practically impassable.  Rysc, though, found it peaceful.  On this particular morning, Rysc and Braem were meandering through the trees while the kindly Water Sage pointed out plants and their uses in healing.

“See that vine on the tree over there?” Braem pointed from his horse.  “It is called Cat’s Claw.  There, the little hooks, you see?  Just like the claws of a cat.  It helps the vine to grow up the tree.  The leaves and the bark are used.”  Braem dismounted and motioned for Rysc to do the same.  “Here, you harvest the leaves, carefully, and not too many either.  Always remember where you find your herbs, Rysc, so you may return later when you need more.  Now, we will take these back to the college and dry them.”

“What is it used for Braem?” Rysc asked.

“Oh, yes.  Uses.  Let’s see, the leaves are boiled to make a tea that can be used to treat any number of discomforts.  Women may drink a tea three times a day to ease the pains of their cycle, and after child birth as well.  It can also be used to calm runny bowels, to ease the pain of old joints, to aid the healing of deep cuts or slices, like battle wounds .  A weak tea can be given to a child to control fever.   It can even be used to make a woman sterile.”

“Like us, Braem?  Why would anyone give up the chance to have children?”  Rysc was perplexed.

“Ahh, well, you see, Rysc, not everyone wants children.  Some would just be unable to care for them, others, like the, uh, well, like prostitutes, well, they wouldn’t get much business if they were heavy with child.  But that requires the harvest of an entire plant.  See here,” the sage held up a leaf, “you must boil an entire pot of this, slowly for days, until there is nothing left but pitch.  The woman should then take it three times, every day of their cycle for three months.  It makes the womb barren.”

“What is a prostitute?”  Rysc had no idea why a woman would no longer be able to do business just because she was pregnant.  Braem’s face reddened at the question.

“Well, a, uh, hmm,” he cleared his throat. “A prostitute is a woman that takes money for favors.”

“Favors?”

“Ahh, yes, well, you will understand when you are a little older Rysc.  Come, we still have much ground to cover today.”

Rysc frowned as he remounted his horse.  The mare nickered and he patted her shoulder.  Braem led the way, pointing out various plants and their uses.

“There you see, the pine, you collect the tar.  Pine tar is used to pull infection out of a wound.  Simply coat it over the infected area, and after a day or two, wash it off and cover it again.  Very effective.  It smells awful though!”  He smiled at Rysc and the boy grinned back.  “There, that brown flower,  that is Nightshade.  You can harvest the berries if you like.  But be very careful.  This is a poisonous plant.  It can be used to ease the pain of death, for those that are without hope of living, as it causes paralysis.  If made very, very weak, it can be used as a sedative…”  And so the lesson continued.

When Rysc finally returned to his rooms that evening, he was exhausted.  He wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep.  But before he reached the bed, he noticed something on his desk in the corner.  Curiously it was a letter addressed to him.  Rysc broke the seal, and was surprised to find it was from his brother, Achir.

Rysc,

We received your letter today.  Mother is still in tears that you are gone, and Father never mentions you.  We are faring well, and hope that you are comfortable at the College.  I will be seventeen in a couple of months.  Father says that is the age of a man, and I must decide if I will marry, or join His Majesty’s armada.  I have made my decision, but I doubt that Father and Mother will agree with it.  I hope to travel and visit you soon.  Be peaceful, my brother.

Achir

Rysc was not entirely sure what to make of the letter.  The words did not have his brothers distinctive touch.  He ran his fingers through his silver hair.  It was late.  He would ponder the mysterious note later.

Chapter Thirteen

Qunali started out as a small settlement of a group of sailors whose ship had been blown off course during a horrendous storm.  Over the course of a few years, the sailors rebuilt their ship and sailed home once more, only to return to Qunali in a matter of months.  From meager beginnings, the settlement grew into a small village.  Boasting a general store, an inn, and a tavern.  It was discovered that fish caught in the waters near the village were larger and more succulent than those found elsewhere in Tyvyr’s oceans.  Once a year cargo ships come to Qunali to carry the season’s catch throughout the planet  The fishermen of Qunali made a fair living in their trade and the town flourished.

Aldora felt time passing as though she were a moth trying to fly through sand. At first  she had tried to busy herself in her rented room memorizing spells, but soon grew tired of the confinement.  One morning,  three weeks after she had first arrived in Qunali, she approached the barkeeper.

“Milady Velira, can I get ya’s anything?” he asked cheerily when she seated herself at a table.

“Why, yes, Uster,” she said.  “What has your lovely wife prepared for breakfast this morn?  I am near to being famished!”

“Well then, let’s see…  We have toasted flatbread with sweet honey, poached fish eggs,  dried apple rings and fried tubers, plus some fresh goat’s milk and a bit o’ aged cider, if’n ya’s a little chilly.”  He winked at her.

“That sounds just wonderful.”

“I’ll go an get ya a plate then, milady.”

“Uster, please, I have asked you, call me Velira.” The barkeep just grinned at her as he walked to the kitchen.

“Yes’m, sure thing.”  He returned shortly with a platter laden with more food than Aldora knew she would be able to eat.  Pulling her out her coin purse, she sighed to herself.  Only three weeks and already it was beginning to feel light.  She laid a silver on the table.

“Meal’s only three copper, Milady Velira.”

“I know Uster.  But I haven’t any smaller coinage. And besides, I have need of some information.”  The man pocketed the silver quickly smiling heartily, and seated himself across from her.

“Well, information’s always free, milady, I’ll just get ya change for this in a moment.  Now what is it that yer wantin’ to know?”

“If you have noticed, I haven’t spent much time outside of my room here and I am unfamiliar with the town.  I have need of a smithy and a tailor.  Can you tell me if Qunali has any?”

“A smithy and a tailor, ay?  Is that all?  Well that’s right simple.  You go out the tavern and bear right.  Down the street a ways you’ll see Secg’s shop.  He’s the smithy.  Anything you want, and he can bang it out for ya.  Do ya right fair too, don’t overcharge fer nothin’.  An’ Maersa ‘s a seamstress, she holds shop down the left from here.  She does good work too.  Though the missus,” he nodded toward the kitchen and winked, “likes to do her own sewin’.”

“Thank you, Uster.  What about an herbalist or a healer?”

“Well, we haven’t got a healer.  Seems no sages wanna stay here in Qunali, bein’ so far from everything and all, but we do have an herb woman.  You’ll have ta go down near the docks to find her.”  He looked anxious for a moment. “Ya aren’t feelin’ ill are ya, milady?”  Aldora smiled at him, touched by his concern.

“No, no.”  She assured him.  “I only need to add a few things to my provisions.  I like to be prepared.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.  Wouldn’t do ta have ya getting sick on us now.”  He winked again.  “I should be getting back to my duties, milady.  Noontime’s coming around soon, and the locals like their cider warmed.”  He rose from the table and headed back to the kitchen.

Aldora finished her breakfast and pushed the plate away.  She had eaten everything and knew she would probably regret it later, but the food had been good and the cider had made her cheeks rosy.  She gathered the coppers Uster had set on the table and headed out into the cold, grasping her cloak tight at her neck.

Outside the sun was doing it’s very best to warm the cold streets and Aldora could see that both the moons were still out.  Elwyn was hanging his crescent smile over the northwest horizon and Etheldra was showing her full face in the east.  The Oona smiled to herself and headed in the direction Uster had said the smithy was.

Secg’s shop wasn’t hard to find.  At least a hundred paces before she reached it, Aldora could see the sign with a sword and shield blazoned on its face and could hear the clang of a hammer on hot steel.   She entered through an archway and welcomed the heat of the forge.  As her eyes were adjusting to the dimness, she  nearly fell over when a young boy came rushing by her with an armload of wood.

“Beg pardon.”  He mumbled as he continued to the back of the shop.  A moment later, a tall man ducked through the door that the boy had entered.  He looked down at Aldora. 

“Can I help you, milady?” He rumbled in a soft baritone.

“I am looking for Secg?  Uster said that he was the blacksmith that I should see.”

The man looked her over for a moment. Then stuck out his hand in greeting.

“At your service, milady.  I am Secg.  What can I get for you?”  Aldora grasped the proffered hand.

“Velira, kind sir.” She glanced around the shop once more, noticing the swords and armor hanging on the walls.  “Uster told me that you could ‘bang out’ anything that I might need.  Could you craft a weapon such as this?”  She pulled some parchment papers from within her cloak, and handed them to the blacksmith.  He looked them over carefully.  He whistled appreciatively at the meticulous drawings and measurements.  Then looked once more at the woman before him.

“I should be honest with you, milady.  I’ve not done such work before.  See here,” he pointed to one of the papers, “the width is much too small for the length of the mace.  It would bend on first contact.  And here, the hilt is of insufficient size.”

“Would you be able to make the necessary adjustments?”

“I’m afraid that if I did, it would not be the same weapon, the plans here, are purely genius, if a bit flawed.  It would take a master weapon smith to create such a thing.  And, alas, I am only a blacksmith.  I do general work, as you can see,” he gestured at the walls, “everything from swords and mail, to armor for both man and beast.”

“I am sure that Uster would not have misdirected me.  With the necessary changes, how long do you think it would take you to craft this?”

“Perhaps a week.  Dependin’ on the metal used.  I have a bit of black iron, and red iron…”  Aldora raised her hand to interrupt him.

“Blue iron.” She said in a matter of fact tone.  The blacksmith’s eyes widened.

“Surely, milady, you must know how rare blue iron is!  I haven’t enough stock in to make a wrist guard, much less a flanged mace such as this!”

“Can you procure a sufficient amount?”  Secg shook his head.

“Not until the ships come.”

Aldora sighed and lowered her eyes.  It was becoming apparent that her stay in Qunali would be much longer than expected.  Unless she waited until she reached Gytha to requisition the weapon.  Would that she could drop her disguise, spread her wings and fly over the oceans.  She looked up at Secg. 

“I can wait.  I am unable to leave until they arrive anyhow.  I trust you will wish a deposit against the work?”

Secg scrutinized her for a moment, as if truly sizing the slight woman up for the first time since she had entered his smithy.

“Ay, milady.  Blue iron is expensive, though I’m sure you knew that.  Once the ships arrive, it will take a full month to complete this, not counting the time it will take to redesign parts of it.”

“What is your price then?”

“Five hundred gold deposit, another five on completion.”

“Accepted.” Said Aldora, offering her hand to seal the bargain.  Secg clasped her small hand in his, bowing his head, then released his grip.  The Oona reached once more for her coin purse, and counted out five coins into the blacksmith’s hand.  Each was slightly smaller than her palm, bearing the likeness of a Drygedene on the face, and a lightning bolt on the opposite side.  Secg’s eyes widened once more in surprise.  White gold was the coinage used only by Tyvyr’s royalty.

“I, m-m-ilady, you… I…” he stuttered.

“I trust that I have not misplaced my confidences, Secg?”

Immediately the smith composed himself.  “No, of course not, milady.  I shall send word to Uster’s once the work is finished.”

Aldora nodded.  “Good day to you, then.”  She quickly left the smithy.  Now it was time to see the seamstress.  It would not do to go to court in Gytha without the proper attire.

Chapter Fourteen

“Good morn, young master.”

“Cadence,” Rysc bowed his head.  “Good morn.”

“Are you ready to begin your history lessons?”

Rysc made a face and Cadence laughed. 

“Don’t despair Rysc, I will do my best to make it interesting for you!”

It was Rysc's turn to laugh.  “I don’t see how that’s possible, but I suppose I’ll have to give it a run.”

“No worries.  We’ll start with something you know.”

Rysc sat down across from the Sagess at a stone table.  She had several books stacked before her.   They had agreed the day before to conduct the lesson in one of the upper level garden terraces.  Surrounded with the fragrance of new spring blossoms, the quiet melodies of redbirds and  the sun shining through potted trees, dappling the table and cobbles with soft shadows, Rysc felt at home, finally, in the College.  Though he missed his family, he knew his place was here.  Among others like him.  He smiled at Cadence.

“Don’t tell me, we’re going to start with Nye-an history?”

“Of course.  Best place to begin, don’t you think?  With your homeland?”

“But I don’t know anything about the history.  My father felt it necessary for me to only know what would keep the farm running after he was gone.  Though my brother probably would have taken over.  I think.”  His eyes lit up.  “Can we start with His Majesty’s armada?”

“Certainly.  What would you like to know?”

“Everything.”

“Well, that is a broad base to start on.  Why don’t we begin with The Great War, and the Nye armada’s role in it?”

Rysc nodded.   Cadence selected a book from her pile.  She handed it to Rysc.   The leather it was bound in was dark, worn and cracked.  When he opened it, the pages looked as though they would crumble if he touched them they were so yellowed.