The Unsuspecting Mage - Brian S. Pratt [55]
Taking the gold, he says “Thank you.”
Placing the gold in with his other coins, he then goes and checks on his horse, finding that he has been well taken care of. James then saddles him and walks him over to the hitching post near the front of the inn. Tying him there, he returns to the inn to gather his belongings left by the table when he went to investigate the happenings at the stable. He brings them out and secures them to the saddle before mounting. As he turns to leave the inn, he spies Renlon and his son and waves goodbye. They wave back and soon James has put the inn far behind as he continues his way south.
On the road again..., he begins singing one of his favorite songs. Spirits once again high, he brings his horse to a trot and exhilarates in his freedom. No demands, no tests, no grandparents pushing him to get a job. What could be better? The rest of the day goes by pretty uneventfully. Long before Bearn appears on the horizon, the untamed countryside turns into farmland with hardworking farmers out in their fields. By the time Bearn finally appears in the distance ahead, the sun is only a couple hours away from dipping below the horizon. Two days, just as Corbin said.
He finds Bearn to be much bigger than Trendle. The city seems to stretch for over a mile to the east of the river and probably half as much on the west side. There’s a large bridge spanning the river near the center of the city as well as a smaller one further to the south.
An encircling wall gives the city some security and protection. The road passes through a gate in the north wall allowing entry into the city. Approaching the gate, he notices several guards maintaining order, occasionally pulling aside various travelers and asking questions. As James approaches the gate, one of the guards comes over and states, “Welcome to Bearn. Please state your name and reason for visiting.”
The guard looks bored, as if he has already asked this question a thousand times today.
“My name is James,” he explains. “I am just passing through, though I plan on staying the night at the Flying Swan. Maybe a day or two at the most.”
The guard nods his head, makes a quick notation on a piece of paper, and then waves James on through.
Once through, he finds merchant stalls lining the street, each with a loud proprietor trying to entice people entering the city to buy their goods. Some people occasionally stop to inspect the goods offered while others pointedly ignore them as they attempt to get by without being hassled.
Several street boys come up to James, each pitching some business or other where they could take him.
“Come with me sir, I can take you to the prettiest girls in town,” one lad offers.
“His girls are the ugliest,” yells another. “Come to Banif’s and you’ll see the best.”
Holding up his hand for quiet, James asks “Can one of you take me to the Flying Swan?”
Several hands fly into the air and he points to one of about thirteen. The boy heads off with James following close behind.
The boy takes him down several streets and then heads west, crossing over the big bridge that he saw earlier. The boy occasionally glances back to make sure that he hasn’t lost him. They finally arrive at a building bearing a colorful sign depicting a white swan in flight over a lake. The boy stops in front of the Flying Swan and says, “Here you are, sir.”
James reaches into his pouch and takes out two coppers and tosses them to the boy. Catching the coins out of the air, the boy seems satisfied. “Do you need more help sir?” asks the boy.
“Not right now and thank you for your help,” he replies.
“If you ever have need of a guide while you’re here, come to the gate where we met,” says the boy. “My name is Miko.”
James considers the offer and says, “Maybe tomorrow morning you could come here. I have a few things I need and maybe you could help me find what I require?”
Smiling, the boy replies, “Ok! I’ll be here, bright and early.”
“I’ll see you then, Miko,” says James.
The boy turns and scampers back into the crowd. In a flash he