Between the Veil and Crown

Arvek 7

Attempting to put himself in the shoes of a captor, Arvek figured the path Lia would have taken back to the Veil was the quickest way. An obvious path, for anyone, seemingly; however, the quickest path went through the more boorish towns of Harlofelp, and for that, hardly saw the likes of members of high status.

A very apparent fact when Arvek and Cor stepped into the first town, Harpshire.

Even the buildings in the best condition had shoddy repairs to their sides. Beauty in architecture was abandoned for functional, though there were roofs with plain as day holes. The people in the streets did not seem to fare any better than the buildings. Thin, with raggedy clothing, they watched the two princes with their well fed horses walk carefully around the houses and businesses. Arvek pressed his lips together to prevent himself from betraying any appearance of disgust. While it was not up to his standards of living, he had to remind himself that these people were crucial in finding Selim, and showing contempt for their place of living would not win him any favors.

Cor encouraged his horse to come up closer to Arvek so he could whisper as discreetly as possible to Arvek, "I had heard that it was bad out this way, but I would not have imagined this."Arvek said nothing. He kept his eyes ahead of him, searching for a tavern, or another place of gathering. When they had reached the middle of town, they found a promising sign in the form of the Telltale Tavern.

The two dismounted, a stablehand coming up to assist them with their horses. Upon entering the tavern, they found it livelier than the outside. Despite being in the middle of the day, there was a fair sized group of people, all talking loudly, some out of merriment. Arvek took a moment to observe the place around him before approaching the barkeep.

"What d'ya want?" the barkeep said in a gruff voice, focused on a glass he was cleaning. He glanced at them, then did a double take when he realized they weren't his usual customers. His eyes darted from Cor to Arvek, then back again, sputtering for words. In a more polite tone, he asked, "I-is there anything I can get you?"

"I am looking for someone," Arvek said, holding up a hand to Cor as he sensed him about to say something. "Perhaps you could direct me to someone who could be of help to me."

"I . . . I guess that would depend on who you're looking for," the barkeep said.

"An old woman who goes by the name of Lia," Arvek answered. "She probably would have with her a young man. He would have had dark hair, about my height, possibly even dressed similarly. If she mentioned where she was headed, her destination would have been the Veil."

The barkeep shook his head. "I have not seen any such pair in this place." Seeing the expression on Arvek's face, he hurriedly added, "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. There are a good portion of people who through this town to reach the Veil villages. Some just go right through without stopping. As for knowing someone who could help you, well, I don't have an answer for that."

"I can't imagine why," Cor muttered under his breath.

Pushing him back slightly, Arvek told the barkeep, "I thank you for your time anyways."

He stepped away from the bar and made his way to the door. He and Cor did not make it a few steps before they were stopped by a woman. A hood covered her head where long red hair spilled out, and the lower part of her face was covered by a mask, highlighting green eyes. Unbefitting for a woman, she wore trousers, and a coat Arvek recognized to be part of a monk order. Her hands were covered with gloves.

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help overhearing," she said. She had a slight accent, one that sounded as though she came from the eastern part of the kingdom. "You are looking to go to the Veil, yes?"

Arvek regarded her cautiously. "Yes," he said finally, making it clear with his tone that he did not trust her.

"Most excellent. See, while I am not going to the Veil myself, I am on my way to Chester, which is the last city you'll have to go through before reaching the Veil villages. Just by observation" -she glanced over the two's attire- "I am safe in saying that you have not much experience with this path?"

Arvek pressed his lips together. He didn't know how much was safe to give this woman. Yes, she was part of a monk order, but that didn't mean anything. Not all monks were known for honesty. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Cor glancing at him, expecting him to say something.

"I will take that as a yes," she said casually. "You'll want a guide to help you through these following towns. Especially if you go through looking like you've got a lot on you."

"I think we can manage that," Arvek said stiffly. "I am more interested in finding Lia and the man she had with her."

She held up her hands and shrugged. "I know nothing of the two," she said. "But I probably could find someone who does. I have quite a few connections, see. I think you'll find me quite useful in your journey."

"And what are you hoping to get out of it?"

She looked offended. "Can't I just offer my assistance to two men who obviously need the help? Is it really suspicious to be nice?"

"I may not have experience with these towns," Arvek admitted, "but I have heard and seen enough to know that kindness like yours doesn't come without a price. So what are you looking for?"

She paused, surveying him carefully. "Very well. I have connections, yes, but I also have enemies. If you're proficient with those weapons you carry, perhaps you could ward off any of those enemies. That is what I want."

He didn't doubt that she had enemies. There was something about her that made that part believable. But there was something in her answer that he didn't quite like. She was hiding something, and he wasn't keen on that.

But on the other hand, she did offer the possibility of helping him track down Selim. In this part of the kingdom, it would be surprising if he could find someone who wasn't at least partially suspicious. He could either trust no one, and have a harder time finding Lia before she did anything to Selim, or he could allow some help and possibly get closer.

The latter was more appealing.

"Very well," he said. "We will take your assistance." He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "But understand that if you make one wrong move, you'll paying for it for the rest of your life."

Despite the threat, he had a feeling that she was smiling underneath the mask. "Understood. Is there a way you would like me to address you?"

Admitting to being sons of the king didn't seem helpful now. While they were so obviously out of place, there was a chance they could get away with not being known. It would be better to wait and use their actual identities among nobility or the soldiers.

"Rillan and Duvar," Arvek answered, naming off two servants from the castle. He hoped Cor wasn't giving an expression that would give them away.

"Kendra." She held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you."