The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [23]
Entering the Fish with Sudacar was very different from entering it alone. Sudacar knew everyone, and everyone in turn seemed to know and like Sudacar. The crowd parted for him. He had the best table in the house. He sat Giogi down at his right-hand side and introduced him around as Cole Wyvern-spur's son. Many of the older merchants and their even older adventurer bodyguards nodded in approval. Giogi saw some of the younger adventurers whisper a question to their elders, and when the veterans whispered back the answer, the younger adventurers turned friendly smiles on the nobleman.
As the tavernkeeper set fresh mugs of ale down in front of Giogi and Sudacar, the local lord asked, "Lem, Mistress Ruskettle come in yet?"
"Not yet," Lem replied. "Odd thing. You know. usually you could set the town clock by her stomach."
"I'm looking for that woman she goes around with, Jade More."
"So's Ruskettle. Been asking all week if anyone's seen her."
Sudacar knitted his brow. "Jade leave town?"
Lem shook his head uncertainly, "Her packs are still up in her room, not stuffed with rags, either. I checked. Full of nice clothes, and plenty of money. I'm holding it for her return."
"Business must he good, whatever it is she's in."
"Aye," Leni agreed with a smirk.
When Lem had left their side, Sudacar gave a toast, "To Cole Wyvernspur, a brave adventurer."
Giogi drank to his father, but his curiosity was suddenly running in another direction. "This Mistress Ruskettle," he said. "Is she Olive Ruskettle, the bard?"
"Yes. She's been wintering here. You know about her?" Sudacar asked.
"She sang at Freffie's-um-Lord Frefford's wedding to Gaylyn. In a way, she's responsible for my being sent on my mission for the king."
"Oh?" Sudacar said encouragingly.
"She had this bodyguard with her, named Alias, you see. Very pretty but quite mad. Alias, that is."
"Yes, Ruskettle's told us all about her. Wait a minute'" Sudacar said, his eves sparkling with amusement. "Are you the noble whom Alias attacked after doing an impression of Azoun?"
Giogi nodded. "Guilty as charged," he admitted, relieved to see that Sudacar did not seem to be offended that he'd done an impression of His Highness. "Anyway," Giogi continued, "on my way home after the wedding, I was waylaid by this dragon who ate my horse-a monstrous, ancient red beast-the dragon, that is, not my horse. A good horse, too. Then this dragon sent me to His Majesty with the offer that she would leave the country if he could tell her where Alias was."
Sudacar's brow furrowed. He didn't like the idea of making deals with evil red dragons. "What did His Majesty do?"
"His Majesty didn't want to have anything to do with it, but Vangy told him that Alias could be an assassin and convinced him to settle with the dragon."
"Sounds like Vangerdahast," Sudacar muttered.
"Yes," Giogi agreed, taking a sip from his mug. The young Wyvernspur had no love for the court wizard, who was an old chum of Aunt Dorath's. In his few interviews with the wizard, Giogi felt more than a little intimidated by the man's magic powers and overweening certainty that he was always right.
"Still," Sudacar sighed, "the old mage keeps our king safe, and for that we should be grateful. The king's health," he added, raising his mug.
"Long live the king," Giogi agreed, raising his drink.
They both took a pull on their ale and sat quietly as it ran down their throats.
"So why did you travel to Westgate?" Sudacar asked.
"Well, Vangy never really did know exactly where this Alias was. Seems she couldn't be magically detected, but she was supposed to come from Westgate. So His Majesty sent me down there to inquire of what the authorities knew about her, and to see if she showed up there. She did. I spotted her outside the city. I spent the rest of the season in Westgate trying to find her again,