• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Standing up as well, Ellinwyrd reaches into his rumpled tunic and pulls out a scroll bearing his wax seal. Handing it across the table to him, he says, “If you should see James, give him this.”

Taking the scroll, Illan asks, “What is it?”

“A number of questions had arisen during our last visit and I think this may answer one,” he explains.

Putting it inside his shirt, Illan says, “I’ll be sure to.”

“Very good,” Ellinwyrd replies. Moving over to the decorative pull rope, he summons the page Michael back and has him escort Illan back to the gates.

“I thank you for taking the time to see me,” Illan says as he’s about to walk out the door.

“Anytime,” he says. “And if all this should somehow become resolved, tell James to stop by again.”

“I will.” Turning to follow Michael he closes the door to Ellinwyrd’s sanctum. Back through the castle area and out the gate, he says goodbye to Michael as he heads back to the Silver Bells.

Once back at the inn, he hurries up the stairs to the room where he left Miko and Dave. Opening the door, he finds the room empty. They’re both gone. Damn! Nothing to do for the moment but wait, he sits down by the window and pulls out the scroll Ellinwyrd had given him wondering just what was on it.

“I’m tired of staying in this room,” Dave complains when Miko tells him that’s what Illan wants him to do. “All I’ve done is sit in here doing nothing and I’m sick of it. James is in trouble and I want to help!”

“But there’s nothing you can do so the best thing you can do is sit tight,” explains Miko. He ordered a meal brought in for them and Dave’s done nothing but complain ever since he awoke. Frankly, Miko is sick of it.

Dave glares at him from across the table as he continues eating his breakfast of eggs and ham steak. “Now, I’ve got a couple things I need to see to,” Miko tells him after he’s done eating. “Just stay here and don’t get into any trouble.”

He can feel the glare of Dave’s eyes follow him as he gets up from the table and moves to the door. Without even looking back, he opens the door and quickly shuts it. I don’t know what James sees in this guy.

At first, Dave seemed to be okay. But ever since coming to Cardri though, he’s been a pain. He doesn’t do anything, it’s just his attitude. Miko can’t stand whiny people. Maybe if their lives were reversed, he could understand better where he comes from, but that’s neither here nor there. He only puts up with him for James’ sake.

Once out on the street, he heads down to where he and the kids were going to meet if they didn’t contact him during the night. As he approaches the open market, he sees them near the place where they ate yesterday afternoon.

They see him coming and the little girl gives him a smile as they come to meet him. “Hungry?” he asks. Several nods and an ‘of course’ meet his question. “Then let’s get something to eat.” At the nearby open eatery, he gets then all a modest helping of taters and egg. Moving to a table, they bring their food over and begin eating.

The older boy asks, “Did you hear what happened out in the poor section last night?”

“Something about a killing wasn’t it?” replies Miko.

“One of the important members of the Empire’s trade delegation got himself decapitated,” one of the younger boys adds.

“Really?” prompts Miko, very interested in what they may know about it. “Did you see it?”

“I did,” the older boy states. “I was in the area with a couple of the older kids and heard a fight was going down out there. So we decided to go and watch the show. It was a regular fight, one guy with two knives against another with two swords.”

He pauses a moment as he takes a large bite and then continues through a mouth full of eggs. “It was going pretty good but then it got weird. Both fighters suddenly stopped fighting and began talking to one another. It seems the bigger guy was some sort of fighter for the Empire’s men and they got mad when the fight stopped.”

“What happened next I’m not really sure about, but suddenly one guy’s head went flying and the other men from the