Teajan: Return

Chapter Seven

Halost

Blackrift

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   The young lad sat asleep in a pile of hay and mud, his head rested against the outer stone wall of the inn. It was barely mid morning and already shouts and cheers came from inside, most likely those of the farthest farmers. Visitors and travellers who came through the town try to not cause trouble as do those who live within the walls, but the farmers who live away from the shelter of the walls always cause trouble and make noise.

   I stood over him and looked down at the bodyguard. His head was level with my knees, he reeked of Saasaa, the drink of widowed rift women. The reflection of the sun was dulled by the mud covering his armor.

"Wake up you bastard, you sleep around more than the Emperor's daughter!", I said, then I kicked him in the chest with my right foot, the armors pang woke the guard with no delay.

"The same could be said for your brother and the Breness." The guard retorted, obviously he hadn't been too far asleep. He grabbed the windowsill of the inn and pulled himself up, before grabbing a bucket from inside the open window and dumping it's clear contents over his head, and placing the bucket back inside along with 5 golden Adaii coins.

"You'd be wise to hold your tongue on such matters Gavin, you know how these Rifters get with gossip." I said in hushed but sarcastic tone. The guard smiled in a manner that whitened the scars under his lip. There were six vertical scars, shorter than the half of ones thumb, memories of when the man was younger and more naive. His smile cleared as he dried his face with the bottom portion of his shirt revealing his coin purse tucked at his side. A group of drunk Rifters eyed the exposed purse.

"You didn't come down here to talk about fucking Rifters did you?" Gavin asked letting go of his shirt.

   I leaned in close and darted my eyes around making sure there were none paying attention to us. "Follow me." I whispered. We turned and walked swiftly through the alleyway between the tavern and the barracks. The smell of Rifters' shit mixed with the scent of soldier sweat and the Saasaa that Gavin reeked of to create a smell that inspired suicide. About 20 strides from the end of the alley Lynon threw open the door to the bodyguard quarters of the barracks. We entered and Aarost pulled the door shut behind us and bolted it shut. Lynon bolted the main barracks entrance and the four of us took a seat at the table in the center of the room.

   Gavin had a look of confusion on his face "What the fuck is going on?" He muttered his hands rubbing his closed eyes as his black hair fell around his face.

   Lynon looked at the man he once trained and mentored and retrieved a writ from his coin purse, a writ we had all seen except Gavin, a writ from Terrus containing four names and a temple: Teajan.

  Gavin's eyes widened as he happened upon the name of the temple. "The return..." He gasped.

"What?" Aarost asked, he was a muscular man built like a wall with pale skin and short hair. He and I joined the guard at the same time about 10 years ago.

"Teajan means 'the return." Gavin muttered still staring at the writ.

  Lynon stared at his former student out of blue eyes surrounded by wrinkled and scarred skin with grey hair tied in a pony tail he had been in the guard for 15 years and had served in the imperial army for 10 years before that. "How did you know that?"

"I've been there, once, three years ago. I escorted the Brenin there." Gavin said looking around at us all.

   Me and Lynon met eyes and he tossed five Adaii silvers at me. "Well. Now we know who the guide is." I said tucking the coins into my purse.

"Good. Now tell us why we are going." Aarost demanded, smirking as as Lynon gave him his coins.