In the Absence of Light

Chapter 11: Caravan

 I walked back toward where the others were finishing buying food. Lyana turned toward me suddenly as I approached, throwing her black hair over her shoulder with the quickness of her movement, "Did you find a job?"

Her question was directed at Ollarin, not at me, but I decided to answer her and all of them anyway, "We are working for clothe merchant named Exentel. We will be staying at Seven Son's Inn, and we will be leaving in the morning."

It would use a fair amount of money to board all of us, but If we put all the men in one room and the women in another we would waste less money. Of course, I might get some resistance from Ollarin and Lyana, but hopefully they would see reason.

"Do you know where this in is?" I was surprised to hear Darin talking seeing as he hadn't said much recently, but he had a point.

"No, I was planning to ask a local how we might find our way to the inn our merchant friend recommended. Oh, and by the way, all women in one room and all men in another. No complaining." I turned away and walked off even though I could hear Lyana releasing a string of strong words in my direction. I walked over to a girl playing in the sand near the center of the market, "child, would you know how to get to the Seven Son's Inn?"

"Yup, how much you pay?" Of course the child wanted money. All children wanted money and this one looked like she could use it. Her skin was dirt encrusted and her hair was a dust covered brown. It was her bright blue eyes that still showed interest in life.

"One levian," I would be over paying her, but hopefully it would help keep her alive.

The girl nodded, "Follow me this a'way." She grabbed my armored hand and dragged me away from the market pulling me through an alley and onto a road in the city. She dragged me along the road before turning right onto another narrow road. She suddenly stopped and turned to look at me, "Here's your inn." The place looked busy and I just hoped we could get a room and stabling for our animals. I turned back toward the girl and placed an entire levian in her hand. She grabbed it and melted back into the shadows.

I went back to the others, "I found our inn," I called out as I approached them.

It was Tyva who answered me first, "let's go then. I am ready for some hot food." Murmurs of agreement were all I needed. I started leading the way toward the inn. Behind me I could hear the wagon creak as the horses started moving, and behind them the others horses were being lead.

We quickly made our way back to the three story inn. I went in while the others waited with the horses. Inside it was a mad house. A man in a long green cloak and green leggings with brown hair was standing near the door, "Are you looking for something m'Lady?"

"I am looking for the owner of this establishment. My friends and I would like to stay here for the night." The man looked like a hunter, but maybe he was from around the area and new the owner.

"I am the owner. I only have one room left, and any horses would have to go in the common paddock, I don't have any stalls left." He was watching me, probably trying to read me and see what type of person I was.

"That will do," I kept my face blank, stern one might say. It wasn't preferable, but what in life was? Death was the only thing that was preferable, and that wasn't an option. We would all stay in the room, on the floor if needed. It was a camp a place to stay. "I expect we will be charged for the room, not the number of people staying in it?"

"As long as you don't trash it and some of you don't mind sleeping on the floor," he seemed tired, as if he just wanted to get things over with. Was his place this crazy every night? Maybe he really didn't want to overcharge us.