The Stone of Shadows

5. And the River Ran With Blood

The trip to Steelhammer was only a few days down the river. The mountains along the riverside arched over Alexandra, Kurt, and Aster, as they sailed calmly with the stream. It was miles of mountains, faced with the steep stone cliffs walling them in. But soon they were freed. They were sailing into the plain. It was flat and wide, backdropped by gray, white-capped mountains. The short green turf spread across the valley. Flowers bathing in the sun decorated the steppe. The city came in full view. It was walled. The hill inside the city ascended above the bastions. Little homes stood against the hill, overlooking the great valley. The river ran through a passage in the wall. The gate was lifted for them, as if the guards knew who Aster was. When pulling into the city, eyes met with the travelers. The Orcs stared suspiciously at the group, as they docked the barge and set foot onto the streets. Alexandra was perplexed by the foreign architecture. Gables bent like bells, the walls decorated with swirls and dancing elk. It was evening, and the chimneys puffed smoke into the pink sky. Much of the smoke came from a smithy located along the hill. The Orcs did not question the arrival of the travelers, for night was falling. The desire to return home overcame the curiosity of the citizens. As for the city guards, they were forced to be curious. One approached Aster as he started to tie the boat. "Coming back with more fish. cold-blood?"

"Yes sir."

"Who are they?" asked the guard, pointing at Alexandra specifically.

"Alexandra Gorova," said Alexandra jumping off the barge.

"Fancy name. How did you get up here, big ears?" asked the guard.

"Experimenting... With teleportation crystals," said Alexandra, jumbling a sentence that popped into her mind.

The guard looked a moment. A grin formed on his fanged mouth, and he started to laugh. "Alright big ears. I like your jokes. Where did you pick her up, scales?"

"On the side of the river," said Aster. "We happened to be going the same way."

"I'm keeping an eye on the both of you," said the guard. "No funny business."

The guard walked away, without a written letter or inspection to say that Aster's barge was good to land. It seemed the guard's only purpose was to belittle them, rather than do his job.

"Why didn't he ask me anything?" asked Kurt, jumping off the barge.

"Apparently, you're not very odd," said Aster, who had finished tying the boat. "Come. My home is just this way."

They walked up the hill, climbing steep inclines and staircases that made their legs ache. Aster's home was a red-stone block, a wooden door leading into a single room. The spacious room was centered with a hearth, pelts and hay aside the cold embers. Alexandra was quite disappointed that a man like Aster was so poor. She turned to him. "I suppose fishing hasn't done you so well?"

"I can't show off how much I've made in this town," said Aster. "I would only be asking for an angry mob."

Alexandra set her things near the pelts, slowly sitting down. Kurt plunged himself onto the other pelt, ready to fall asleep. "You two get comfortable," said Aster. "I need to get this fish to the fishmonger before he starts cutting my pay." Aster left then, closing the door behind him. Kurt lifted himself, the cold preventing his sleep. He looked for kindling to start up the dead fire. Alexandra looked at her feet. "Isn't he strange?" she asked.

"He's just a hustler," said Kurt. "I'm surprised he didn't try to sell us some of his stuff."

"But something's not right," said Alexandra. "That fish had been in the barrel for as long as we were on that barge, yet it never smelled. It's just strange."