Of Blood And Royal Bones

Chapter 11: A Lovely Little Dagger

The town of Nordenbred was knit closely together, a large frozen over fountain at its center where civilization stemmed around it. The cobblestone streets remained curiously empty aside from a handful of villagers who slipped into a brisk pace at the sight of anyone else. Dated snow clung to every rooftop from a weathering of precipitation that refused to melt in such frigid air and every chimney sang with thick puffs of dark smoke. The structures themselves were built of dark pine which seemed in need of restoration, though Kassia wondered where they could possibly find suitable material as the town seemed to be carved into thick woods roughly seven to ten kilometers away from the base of the mountains. Only the thin balded trees encased the town adding an ominous perception, possibly the reason no ruler had come to claim the lands.

    The three travelers settled into the tavern and inn in the middle of the town which offered a foreboding yet docile environment with the warm glow of a fire that radiated the room in hues of honey and merigold. When they had unloaded their things, Ziam and Kassia began an overview of their scheme. They decided it was best to eat their evening meal down in the tavern so as to not draw too much unwanted suspicion. In this way, they hoped to find luck in goading the villagers into spilling gossip of the crimes in Nordenbred.

Jurgen was to stay in the room up the stairs as Ziam so sharply commanded him while the two headed down to investigate, though he reached an arm to halt Kassia from retreating back to the tavern below with Ziam.

"It will soon be your birthday and I wanted to gift you with this." He said as his green eyes met her blue ones. She looked down at his outstretched hand, his fingers curled gently around a gleaming sheath of polished silver with golden diamonds and sparkling rubies embedded in the handle.

She accepted the small yet heavy metal and pulled it free from its glittering sheath to reveal a long slender blade. "Thank you, Jurgen, it is absolutely magnificent!" She beamed at him as she resheathed the dagger and slipped it into the belt of her iron scaled skirt. "I cannot believe you remembered such an occasion. Even I had not realized the day was so near."

"It is not every day that you delight in turning eighteen." He offered with a sparkling smile.

"I am certainly lucky to not be turning twenty one." She teased. "That would make me ancient."

He laughed and made his retort. "In just a few short years you will have caught up to me."

She retreated a step toward the stairs. "I should join Ziam now."

"Go on, then." He encouraged and she bounded off down the stairs.

    She spotted Ziam across the tavern at a table by himself, shadow clouding him in the darkened corner he had chosen. She traipsed over to the table and took a seat across from him.

    "What delayed you so long?" He questioned, his eyes scanning the room around them where villagers mingled coyly amongst one another.

    "Jurgen was just giving me a birthday gift. I turn eighteen in two days." She informed him brightly.

    "Is that so?" His eyes traced over her in interest. "I was not aware of such a significant occasion."

    She shrugged and looked down at his plate of roasted potatoes and carrots with pink slices of tender meat neighboring it. "I was not aware that such occasion was so close. Is that lamb?"

    He watched as she slid the plate to her, pinched a slice of the meat and brought it to her lips, her eyes wide with excitement at its juiciness. Flavor exploded on her tongue as salty mixed with smokey and her teeth tore the lamb down easily into smaller morsels, the juices soaking into her taste buds.