Between the Veil and Crown

Arvek 36

When he and his party arrived in Ault, there was no time spent lounging around in the tavern. Arvek went straight to bed, hoping to get a really early start. The thought of crossing into the Veil consumed his mind. He was so close now. True, he had to travel over to the pass to the Veil, but it was in reach.

And an early start he intended, but not as early as the one the innkeeper gave him.

He had to have only a few hours of sleep when the innkeeper slipped into the room and began urgently waking them all. Surprised to see the innkeeper in his face, he looked over to the guard on duty, about to ask what was going on.

The innkeeper placed a hand over Arvek's mouth. The expression on his face was hidden by shadows, but what could been seen showed a look of apology. The innkeeper gestured for them to follow him, keeping a finger to his lips to tell them to be quiet.

Since the guard on duty seemed to be in agreement with the innkeeper, Arvek put up no fuss. He did keep giving the guard questioning glances, especially when he realized that he was being flanked especially close. They stepped out into the dimly lit hall, which showed the tense expression of the guards. Arvek paused to listen, but there was only the quiet of the inn. Perhaps very loud snoring from one of the other rooms, but nothing to indicate he was in danger like the guards and the innkeeper were implying.

The innkeeper, finger still to his lips, gestured for them to follow more urgently. Even Rasinod, who Arvek fully expected to put up some kind of fit, recognized the gravity of the situation, and crept along as quietly as he could.

The innkeeper led them to a back stairway, used by the staff of the inn. When they reached the bottom, he peered every which way before taking out to the kitchen area. Stopping next to a shelf, he waved one of the guards over, and the two of them shifted the shelf to the side as quietly as they could. Underneath, there was a trapdoor. The innkeeper pulled up the door, grabbed a nearby candle, and headed down. A guard went down after him. The two guards that had been flanking Arvek closely motioned for him to go next.

The stairs that led into the cellar were rickety, and Arvek was partially surprised that they held under his weight. He reached the bottom and glanced around, expecting to see casks of wine or something similar. Instead, the candlelight revealed a small musty room with cobwebs as the only occupant. The room opened into a tunnel that went into the darkness.

The innkeeper waited until all had crowded into the small room, and the guard in the back gently closed the trapdoor.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, for waking you at this hour," the innkeeper said. "But it is not safe for you to stay until morning. We got word that there is a group here in the city who heard of your arrival, and intend to show you their distaste for the recent treaty between Harlofelp and Phrompt."

"They intend to riot?" Arvek asked, frowning.

"Ault has benefitted from the medicines that come up from the Veil," the innkeeper explained. "Whether it is rumored or it is truly a part of the agreement, they have heard that the king intends to send the majority of what is brought up from the Veil to Phrompt. A move that will hurt many of the merchant companies here. You cannot stay here, Your Highness, while emotions are still raw and violence is the only solution they can come up with." He motioned towards the darkness. "This tunnel runs into the city's prison, where they will never think to find you. Their plan is to pin you inside the inn. Someone will meet you to take you through the prison and the barracks and help get you out of the city. Your horses are already being taken care of."