Lorcan: Dragonquest

Chapter 13

Author's note: I hope you're enjoying the story so far. 

As we travel through Antica, which is as foreign to Beso and his men as it is to Lorcan and Cokelli, we learn a little of the history and culture. I'll be doing this throughout the novel to make the journey more authentic. Since Beso is becoming ever more beholden to Lorcan, he spends more time with him and invites him to dine with him. The first of the fireside stories is told here, and there are more to come. Check out "Lorcan's Fireside Story Time" to read the ones I had to cut out because the book was getting too long.

WARNING: violence and gore.

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A few days later, the caravan set off for Gitesco, having exchanged much of its goods with Lista's merchants. The knights who had escorted them were gone. New guards had appeared, most of whom were from Gitesco. An assortment of travellers joined them in the hope of safety in numbers.

As they left the town the country spread out before them, open and trending downward. Henorm had told them that the going would be good for the next few days, though the weather would be hot, and he was right.

Lorcan noticed that in niches along the roadside, small statues of a garishly painted robed woman stood surrounded by the stubs of candles left to burn in her honour. Small gifts of necklaces, craft work, and portions of food were scattered nearby where animals had taken advantage of the offerings. He asked Henorm about it, but he didn't know. One night, after camp had been set up, Lorcan asked Beso.

"Boni, Patron of travellers, eh?" said Beso, speaking in broken Antican. "You no hear of her? She guides the way and helps the lost. We wear oak leaf pendants in her honour." He pulled a small bronze pendant from under his tunic, which was indeed in the shape of an oak leaf. "Each offering you see, it's from a traveller she helped to find their way."

"Don't they ever worry that someone might steal the offerings?" asked Lorcan. A closer look had revealed some eminently liftable objects, including some rather fancy glassware.

"Nobody would be so stupid," Beso replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Don't you know the story?"

"No. Tell me."

Beso settled back on his makeshift seat, a box with some furs on, and began the tale.

"Boni, she was a young girl from Pirisi, a large town in the far south. It is famous for its three stone bridges. Her father Ircalo was a merchant like me. Before she was old enough to cover her head she was travelling with him on his journeys. On a journey to Lista to meet with the traders from Galwalas, a dense fog came down on them during the night and stayed there all the next day. No one could see their hand in front of their face. The rains were heavy and there was flooding so the roads were just rivers of mud. In some places, just rivers. Well at times like that there is a great terror that stalks the land; a Borda. She live where water is; pond, river, marsh.

"The Borda, she is a witch with no eyes. She has a cloth around her head, eh? Can't see a thing, but still she finds her prey. I think she smells when you're afraid. She has a rope, and if she catches you she pulls you into the river, or bog, or wherever she can drown you, and you do not be found until you are bloated and rise to the top, stinking and covered in flies.

"Well Ircalo, he wanted to go on to the next village, and move slowly in the fog. They did not know how long the fog would last and hoped it would lift as the day moved on, but it didn't. He sent some scouts out but they no come back. After a while he take some men along and walk on, hoping to see what become of the men he send earlier. Now Boni, she stay behind in her father's cart.