Pools of Darkness - James M Brown [52]
"Talenthia, we have more important things to do," Andoralson scolded.
She pouted at her cousin, but grabbed Ren's arm. They all walked toward the river. On the way, Talenthia explained that she had talked with dozens of forest creatures about the disappearance of Phlan, but had learned nothing.
Cooking fires burned outside the ramshackle tents. The companions took their time walking to the corral, but as they approached the raft landing, an argument attracted their attention.
"But I'm not staying! Can't you get that through your thick skull?" A petite sorceress dressed in a green tunic and deerskin leggings was losing patience with Lord Wainwright and his squad of guards. A tall barbarian warrior at her side was saying more with his posture than with words.
"I'll bet she's a powerful spellcaster, Talenthia. Do you notice the rhythm of her voice and the way she pronounces her words?"
"I do. And do you notice something unusual about the barbarian? I can't put my finger on it, but there's more to him than meets the eye. He's ready to spring to defend her any second."
All this was lost on Ren. From his vantage, all he had noticed were the sorceress's long braid of red hair and her dazzling green eyes. He laughed a little as he watched the scene unfold. "This must be a bad week for that poor knight," Ren chuckled to Talenthia. "First I gave him grief, and now that sorceress, who looks like she could blast them all to cinders if she wanted, is doing the same thing. I wonder if I should give the knight a hand, just to make up for my rough treatment yesterday?"
The argument grew louder as everyone watched. A crowd began to gather, but onlookers made room for the trio in front of the pack. Many of the people recognized Ren from the previous day. Whispers went through the crowd pointing out Ren's presence, and the onlookers' attention was split between Ren and the ongoing argument on the raft. The ranger would never have acknowledged the attention he was getting, but in Phlan, he was truly a figure of awe.
The sorceress was now speaking to the knight in simple sentences, perhaps thinking that his thick brain needed some help. "These are pack animals. They need to carry my supplies. How can I load them up if they're in a corral a mile away from the supplies I'm buying?"
The sorceress had a point, but the Wainwrights weren't known for their grasp of logic.
"Mistress, you must do what everyone else does. Corral your mounts and bring the supplies to them. Your man here looks strong enough to carry any number of supplies. Now be a nice little wizard and do as I say." With that, the knight put his hands on her shoulders to forcibly guide her off the raft.
The woman twisted against his grip, and in less than the blink of an eye, an emerald spark the size of a grapefruit arced from her body to the metallic gauntlet of the knight. It blew him backward ten feet, right into his men. He lay stunned, looking at his smoking glove. The other guards promptly drew their weapons.
The barbarian at the sorceress's side clutched a massive sword, ready to defend the woman. She simply waited, though the look on her face said, "There's more where that came from."
Ren knew the ten men were probably ready to die in order to obey their leader. This won't do, he decided. No, this won't do at all.
"Gentlemen. Lady. Please put up your weapons!"
Followed by the druids, Ren pushed his way into the mass of guards. All heads turned at the sound of his voice.
As the ranger helped the knight to his feet, he said, "We have to stop meeting like this, my friend." A scorch mark the length of the knight's chain mail gauntlet caught his attention. Lifting the knight's visor, Ren saw the dazed warrior looking around confusedly.
Talenthia was suddenly at Ren's side, casting a healing spell on the knight. His wound was instantly healed, his mind quickly cleared.
Andoralson stood behind his cousin, casting a strange illusionary spell that created great sparks and blasts of fire flashing in the sky above the crowd. The people moved away