A North-South Divide

Chapter 3

"I was wondering where your bag had got to," Nadine said, as Duncan set it down on a nearby table of the taproom.

The messenger opened the drawstring and began sorting through the contents. Despite having spent most of the night underwater, the items within were bone dry, just as he had expected. He lifted out the itinerary the guild had given him, and began checking off each item to confirm they were all present (several letters, and a number of parcels, both large and small), before returning them to the bag.

A number of people had arrived at the inn during his absence, and they were now enjoying the breakfast that Nadine was serving, before going about the rest of their day. None paid Duncan any attention. Had they done so, they may have noticed that the total volume of items that Duncan had removed from the bag was greater than it could contain. What's more, Duncan had lifted the bag with far more ease than the laden sack should have allowed. Nadine only smiled, having seen it many times before. Even so, the spectacle never failed to amuse.

"You are a most useful bag," Duncan told it, as he pulled the drawstrings tight once more.

"All set?" Nadine asked. She looked over her customers to see if any of them required anything. All seemed content for now.

"All set," Duncan said, then remembered something and reopened the bag. He felt around inside until he found his coin purse, from which he removed several pieces of gold and pressed them into Nadine's palm.

"Oh, that's too much," Nadine said, looking over the coins. "Far too much." She attempted to hand some back, but Duncan was having none of it.

"For everything you did for me last night," he said, "and everything you continue to do, I would think it's perhaps too little."

The landlady looked down at the coins in her hand again, before pocketing them and looking in the direction of the two staff that were assisting in the running of the inn. "A little extra in the purses for my two little helpers this week, then," she said.

Duncan looked over at the two girls. They were young, maybe having only seen sixteen or seventeen summers each by his estimate. Not much older than Nadine had been herself when she had unexpectedly taken over the running of the Half Moon from her father. That itself had been some thirty summers ago.

"You'll be heading off now, then?" Nadine asked.

"To complete my deliveries here, then down to Bluestone, to the guildhouse, and then the usual circuit around Akidos."

"Will you be paying Gerry a visit?"

"As always."

"Give him my love. And please be careful out there." She was quiet for a moment as she pondered something. "I wonder if that's how those men knew to find you here? They might have been expecting you to come to Treatwell at some point, and so decided to wait. Otherwise, they might have taken you on the road."

Duncan didn't know and only shrugged. He was certain he would find out the answers soon, though. He hoisted the bag, slinging the shoulder strap across him from right to left. "I'm sorry it's been brief," he said. "But I promise to stop by for longer on my way back south."

"Maybe we could attend the summer equinox festival together?" Nadine suggested, drawing close to the messenger. "Do you think you'll still be around then? It wouldn't be too late, would it?"

"I could make a special exception for you. I can't remember the last time I was at the festival. It would be nice to go again. With all the constant searching, I sometimes forget to live." He chuckled and patted the amulet at his chest.

Nadine smiled. "It would be good to have a handsome young man by my side." She placed a hand on his chest, raising her eyes to his. "Will keep some of the suitors away for a while if they figure this old girl is finally ready to settle down, and found the one to do it with. And unlike some other men, I can trust you not to expect anything more at the end of the night."

"Even if I could, I wouldn't."

"A strange thing for the curse to take from you," she said under her breath. She patted his chest gently, feeling the solid form of the amulet beneath his clothes. Her eyes tracked up to his neck, to the chain that held the charm, and Duncan allowed her to lift it out from his shirt.

"Such a pretty thing when you actually look at it," Nadine said, holding it in one hand, her thumb brushing over the surface, feeling the pattern of the three complete corners. "An ancient depiction of the sun. I don't think I've ever seen it so much as blemish."

Duncan looked over the woman as she continued to study the amulet, her fingers straying to the missing bottom-right corner. More grey was streaking the landlady's hair these days, the veins of her hands increasing in prominence, the wrinkles on her face etching deeper. Her youth was slipping away, as he retained his own. His own hair remained the unruly mass of black that had run down to his shoulders for many summers, never growing out any further, or even remaining short if cut. It brought Duncan sadness to watch Nadine grow old. How he longed to put an end to this blasted curse and return to a normal life.

Nadine held the amulet in silence for a moment, concentrating on it.

"Anything?" Duncan asked, after a time.

"No."

"I've not felt it shift a hair's breadth in a long while."

Nadine nodded and released the amulet, allowing Duncan to return it to its place beneath his shirt. "It will do soon," she said. "I know it will."

Duncan appreciated her positivity. "Thank you."

"You had best get going, mister. We both have jobs that need doing. I have an inn to run, and you have messages and packages to deliver. And don't forget our deal," she called after him, as he opened the front door of the Half Moon. "You're on a promise to me to bidding goodbye to the summer. For me, at any rate."

"You have my word."

"And don't go getting yourself trapped anywhere in the meanwhile. I might not be around to track you down and dig you out."

Duncan's eyes strayed to the shovel by the fireplace and chuckled. "Believe me, I never want that to happen again."

*

End of sample

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