EPISODE 52:
ALE AND ANIMOSITY
Vash slouched while they walked away from the grove. The pathway out had been remarkably straightforward and quick.
Vash thought, feeling a dark aura of moodiness descend on him like a moldy blanket.
Once beyond the trees, Vash could see that the shadows had lengthened, and the sun sat on the very tips of the mountaintops. Night was coming, and there was a slight chill in the spring air.
“He didn’t say no,” Corwin said, ever the optimist.
“He didn’t say yes either.” Vash said. “That puts our tally going into tomorrow at two no, one yes, and two very indecisive maybes.”
“I’ve seen worse odds.” Corwin shrugged.
“And how did you fare against them?”
Corwin made a face and kept his eyes on the path ahead.
“We’ve come too far to give up now.” Corwin said, quietly.
“Gods, Corwin, when will it be enough?” Vash said, letting out a bitter laugh. “Let’s say we succeed tomorrow. Master Astinak and Master Heggin decide to vote in our favor. What happens then?”
“Then we carry on, just like we have been.” Corwin said.
“How?” Vash asked pointedly. “They’ve pointed out several times that you and I are apprentice Wayfarers. Without Jabez, can we even still be in the Guild? If Jabez doesn’t wake up, do they assign us a new master, or do we have to find one? What if we can’t find one?”
From the way Corwin wouldn’t look at him, Vash was sure that Corwin had not considered these possibilities.
“Jabez will wake up soon..”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll climb that mountain when we get to it!” Corwin said with considerably more force than Vash had ever heard from him. “He’s wounded, he’s in bad shape, but he’s not dead. I’m not about to act like he is because you’re in a bad mood.”
Some of Vash’s anger left him.
“Sorry,” Vash said, in a quiet voice. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Corwin was silent for a few moments, then he chuckled, which grew into a kind of manic giggle. “It’s been a hell of a week!”
Vash blinked.
Doing the math in his head, Vash realized that less than two weeks had passed since the initial robbery of the Kellover Collegium in Sathsholm, which had started this whole thing.
He started to laugh.
“Think how it’s been for me!” Vash said between bursts of laughter. “Barely a fortnight ago I was chasing off Redcaps from Ragpicker’s Hollow, and feeling pretty damn good about it.”
“A bit of a change, I’ll bet.” Corwin laughed.
Vash thought for a moment. “Not as much as you’d think.”
They walked in silence for a time. Not really going anywhere in particular, just heading in the vague direction of the village square. Each man was lost in his own thoughts.
Finally, Corwin nodded like he’d just decided something. “Enough moping for one night. We’re going to the .”
“What’s that?”
“Last decent tavern before Greenstone Crossing.” Corwin said and sped up his pace, heading for a building just off the main square.
It was a good-sized longhouse style building with a large signpost in front of it. Nearly a dozen placards with arrows pointing in different directions were nailed to the post. Vash saw signs for Vuln, Sathsholm, Greenstone Crossing, Orus Solas, Kundaraak, Vardibad, as well as others, both great and small.
From inside, Vash could hear conversation and laughter. The windows had a warm, inviting glow.
“We don’t have the money for a tavern, do we?” Vash asked, prepared to be disappointed.
Corwin clapped him on the shoulder. “For tonight, at least, our Guild markers are still good.”
Vash couldn’t help but grin and followed his old friend into the tavern.
Inside, the was a comfortable, but smallish, tavern. A long oak bar, lovingly treated with oils and polished to a dark sheen, ran along one side of the building. Heavy, carved furniture dotted the room, with the best tables near the great fieldstone fireplace. The place smelled of wine, leather, spices, and roasted mutton. It reminded Vash of the outside of Durron’s Ford. He had worked there in the evenings, mostly to get out from under Sam and stay away from the other village children. Vash loved talking to the travelers, hearing stories of the places they’d been, things they’d seen. Kara, the innkeeper, was a stern taskmistress, but Vash felt he owed her a debt of gratitude for those nights that gave him a brief escape.
“In or out!” A voice called from the bar. “Spring is comin’ but we still got the chill up here.”
Vash hurriedly closed the door behind him and drifted to stand next to Corwin.
“Go find someplace to sit,” Corwin said. “I’ll see if I can’t get us a round.”
Vash nodded and wandered over towards the fire. Corwin was talking with the bartender, who didn’t seem all that pleased to serve apprentices with only a Guild marker for payment.
Vash thought, warming his chilly fingers. He looked around at the tavern. It was still early evening, so few tables were filled. Most of the patrons were humans, elani or baedan, by their coloring, which wasn’t surprising in Galadon. A few elves in the rougher homespun fabrics and leathers of Kaeleshi sat at the bar conversing in low tones. The tables nearest the fireplace, however, were vacant. Vash didn’t hesitate to claim a seat that let him bask in the fire’s warmth while watching the whole tavern.
He stretched his legs out, feeling the muscles unwind, and let his head fall back against the back of the chair. It was a moment of warmth and comfort.
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It wouldn’t last.
The door slammed open along with a gust of cool evening air, that ripped right through Vash’s warm reverie. He opened his eyes to see Kurt, Valys, and Ollie stride into the tavern like they owned the place. Behind them, like a menacing shadow, stalked Logan Lackhand. The infamous Wayfarer spotted Vash right away and gave him a brief, mocking smile.
“You should have seen them scatter after I ran the big one through.” Kurt continued, looking over his shoulder at Logan, like a puppy seeking approval.
“Goblin bands need a leader to hold them together.” Valys commented. Her voice had a breathy, almost bored quality. “Kill the biggest one and usually that’s enough to break up the band for weeks or longer.”
“Then we had to track the stragglers through the woods for two days to finish them.” Ollie said, sourly. “Since the contract was contingent on disposing of all eight of them, not merely breaking up the band.”
“It gave Valys a chance to flex her tracking skills.” Kurt said with faux magnanimity. “Get us some drinks and I’ll grab a—”
Kurt stopped short as his eyes met Vash’s. A slow smile crept over the bigger man’s face. “If it isn’t the road-trash. Come for a drink before they send you back to the cell where you belong?”
A quiet murmur rippled through the Wayfarers in the tavern. News had traveled fast. They now all turned to look at the Vagabond and assassin who was trying to stay in their Guild.
Vash was too tired to take the bait. “Just resting after a long day.”
“We saw you out making the rounds.” Kurt said. “I heard that it’s not looking so good for you.”
Vash closed his eyes and let his head fall back. “I’ve still got twelve hours before the Council meeting. What’s the rush?”
This elicited a few chuckles. Then the room went quiet. Vash heard the heavy tread of boots on floorboards. Opening his eyes, he saw Kurt standing over him, a menacing smile on his face.
“Those tables are for Journeyman and above, road-trash.” Kurt said, gesturing to the empty tables next to the fire.
Vash looked around. “They were empty when I got here and no one said anything.”
Kurt continued to smile down at him. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. “Someone should teach you the way things work around here, part-blood.”
“How do things work, Kurt?” Corwin said, approaching with a pair of wooden mugs in hand. His voice was calm and pleasant, but the way he walked and the set of his shoulders told Vash that he was ready for a fight. “Please, enlighten us, we’d all like to know how an arrogant little shit like you thinks things should work.”
Kurt rounded on Corwin, stepping up to challenge the other warrior. Vash could see Kurt frown when he had to look up slightly to meet Corwin’s eyes.
Vash thought.
“It’s the other road-trash.” Kurt said, hiding his frown with a quick smirk. “It’s been a while, Walker. We barely had time to chat earlier.”
Corwin put one mug down in front of Vash, then took a deep drink from the other. He lowered the mug and sighed. “I don’t really see what we have to talk about, Kurt. Other than you can go sit down, have your drinks, and leave us be.”
“Or what, Walker?” Kurt said, his smile tight. “I earned my Journeyman’s knots since the last time we stood like this. Might want to keep that in mind.”
“Congratulations.” Corwin said, taking another long drink. He let out a loud belch and grinned. “Who’d you pay off to get those?”
The sudden thrum of mana was the only warning. Kurt’s fist was a blur, swinging a tight hook toward’s Corwin’s jaw.
Corwin took a half-step back and leaned slightly away. The attack went through empty air. Corwin splashed the remains of his ale up into Kurt’s face, dropped the mug and fell back into a fighter’s crouch. Kurt spluttered, his hands going to his face to wipe it clear. He stumbled backwards, running into Ollie, who looked perplexed at the whole situation. Ollie’s walking stick got tangled with Kurt’s legs and the two of them fell back. Ollie crashed to the ground and lost his grip on his staff. Although he stayed upright, the fall spun Kurt around and knocked him off balance.
Vash got to his feet, putting some space between himself and the furniture. That was fortunate, since Valys lunged at him once Kurt attacked Corwin. She threw a punch at Vash’s nose, which he barely side-stepped. Before he could counter, Valys threw another punch, followed by a kick to the mid-section. Vash bobbed to the side to avoid Valys’ second strike, but caught the kick along his ribs.
The rib he’d dislocated back in Sathsholm spasmed, threatening to pop out of place again, and Vash crumpled to one side. Valys spun, bringing her leg around for another kick, but Vash’s Core warned him, reflexively pulling him away from the attack. He released some mana and dulled the pain from the first kick.
Vash thought.
Vash stepped inside the next kick, moving quickly so that he was further up her leg when the strike hit. Rather than another devastating strike to his ribs, Vash got a dull slap along his hip. Before she could drop her leg, Vash looped one arm around her knee and pulled upwards. Valys stumbled, hopping on one foot. Vash punched her once with his free hand and her face whipped to one side. Valys moved with the blow, rotating her body and bringing the leg she stood on up in a windmill kick, connecting with Vash’s head.
His vision swam, and Vash released Valys’ leg, stumbling to one side. His Core thrummed a warning and Vash leaped back awkwardly, Valys’ boot barely missing his face and coming crashing down on the floor in front of him.
A savage roar from the front of the room drew Vash’s attention. Corwin held Kurt by the wrists and the big Noldren was struggling to break his grip. The two men’s arms bulged. Vash could feel the mana use from radiating off of them like heat from a fire.
Ollie was pulling himself to his feet a safe distance from where Kurt and Corwin struggled. He looked dazed and searched the floor for where his staff had fallen. Beyond Ollie, Vash saw Logan Lackhand watching from the bar, waving off the barkeep’s concerns, gazing at the sight of Wayfarers brawling with a faint, paternalistic smile.
A tug on his Core alerted Vash that he was still in a fight. Valys attempted a convoluted move to get Vash’s dominant arm into a lock. Luckily, Vash had seen a similar attack when sparring Iona. The roll that he put his shoulder through was uncomfortable, but it reversed the hold. Vash grasped Valys’ wrist and tugged, pulling her into his knee. She was too close to knee her in the face, so he went for the solar plexus.
Valys expelled a lungful of air with a sudden Vash’s knee collided with the spot just below her ribcage, causing her to double over and struggle to regain her breath.
Vash disengaged and fell back, darting over to where Kurt and Corwin still struggled against one another. Putting some mana into , Vash struck Kurt with a jab to the kidney. The mana-enhanced punch was enough to make Kurt cry out and lose his concentration. Corwin yanked Kurt off his feet and pinned him to the ground.
Valys recovered and glared at Vash, the deep glowing blue of her eyes shining with a deeper intensity. She straightened. Vash could feel her manipulating mana into something complex and probably painful. On the other side of Corwin and Kurt, Ollie retrieved his staff. Mana crackled around Ollie as he prepared to do something.
Looking back and forth, Vash couldn’t decide which to counter first, knowing that whichever one he didn’t stop would likely drop him like a sack of potatoes. Vash steeled himself and slowly turned to face Valys.
Vash thought, knowing that Ollie would likely hit him from behind with a spell. If he was lucky, he could fight off any random effects that Ollie was attempting. If he was unlucky, then Ollie was just summoning a straight damage spell, which was far more difficult to shrug off.
“WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS IS HAPPENING HERE!” a voice bellowed from the front door.
Everything stopped, and all eyes turned to the figure in the doorway.
The man was average height, maybe fifty years old, with a strong, wiry build. He had a mop of graying brown hair and dark, piercing eyes, like a hawk. A tired hawk, but still sharp and dangerous. He wore dusty travel leathers, and unlike most of the Wayfarers in the village, he was armed with a pair of short-swords at his hip and a bow and quiver strung across his back.
Vash noticed that even Logan Lackhand stood straighter and dropped the smile.
“Nothing serious, Master Rowan,” Logan said, giving the other man an innocent yet sheepish smile. “Just a few of our younger members letting off steam.”
Reluctantly, Corwin released the front of Kurt’s tunic and let him drop to the floor. He straightened and backed away. The auras of mana that surrounded Valys and Ollie faded, and they both assumed a less combative stance. Now only Vash stood in a fighter’s crouch. Feeling embarrassed, but not sure why, Vash straightened like the others had.
Rowan shook his head in annoyance. “I don’t care, and I don’t have time for this foolishness. We have reports from the base of the falls. The wards are failing and there are Scalebacks in the village. All Wayfarers are called to the common defense.”
Chairs scraped as Wayfarers jumped to their feet. A low murmur of conversation erupted. Logan made a quick gesture to his apprentices. The three of them glanced at Corwin and Vash before leaping to their master's command. The look of pure hatred in Kurt's eyes promised that this wasn't over.
Corwin joined Vash. "We should go get our gear. It's back at the infirmary."
Vash nodded and began to follow Corwin to the door. At that moment, he felt a throbbing pain in his skull. It felt similar to when he had drawn the attention of the Shadow Temple.
Vash thought.
He suspected that the reason involved him.
