Medice Ceres

Chapter 46

Ceres shook her head as Waithe lifted a mug to his lips. "Ale with breakfast? That is so wrong."

He wiped the froth from his chin. "Long may the time be until I have another. I promise, though, that I shall have but only one pint this fine morning."

The innkeeper's wife, a rotund woman with grey tinged dark hair, placed a generous platter of breads, cheese, fruit, and soft-boiled eggs before them. Waithe licked his lips as he took a portion of it onto his plate.

He glanced about the room. About half the wooden tables were occupied in the dining room. The stools before a long plank table at one end of the room stood empty. Two ale barrels and a shelf of pottery mugs took up much of the space behind the bar. Apparently, this room became a tavern later in the day. Waithe had chosen a table in a far corner of the room and sat with his back to the wall. He requested that Ceres pull up her hood to preserve as much anonymity as possible. The others in the room seemed only to be engrossed in their food or quiet conversations.

The weathered wooden door creaked as two men entered, one young and the other older, perhaps a father and teenage son. Their rugged clothing and calloused hands indicated they were laborers of some kind, maybe miners. After a moment, the younger one fixed his eyes on Ceres. His eyes widened as he tugged on the older man's sleeve and pointed at her. Waithe's heart rate quickened as the two wound their way through the tables.

Waithe whispered to Ceres. "Those two men who come our way, do you know them?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Nay."

Ceres stiffened as she watched Waithe pull a knife from his boot and slide it into his belt. The two men walked up to the table and stood with mouths open, each seemingly speechless. Waithe narrowed his eyes at them as Ceres slid down in her chair.

The older man pulled off his cap. "Forgive me, my Lady, but be you the one?"

Ceres tilted her head. "Sir?"

"The Lady of the Order that rid the curse from Eule?"

Ceres glanced at Waithe, who gave her a reluctant nod. All eyes in the room were now on her. She replied, "Aye, sir. It was the Darkness that afflicted that place."

Both men smiled and the younger one nudged the other. The older man bowed. "'T'was a great thing, my Lady. We be two of those you saved. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Ceres smiled as she pulled down her hood, revealing the mark of the Order on her neck. "Happy I am to have done so. That is my true purpose."

Waithe motioned to the two empty chairs at their table. "Please join us and tell of your tale."

The two men glanced at each other and sat down, the younger one plopping down in a chair backward, hugging the chair back.

The older man shook his head. "The Darkness you call it? Terrible it was. A dread..." He paused as words seemed to fail him. "No way be that to live. If I may ask, my Lady, from where did this Darkness come?"

Waithe answered for her. "Lord Scias' chief Shaman, Raste, he dabbles in the Dark Magic."

The younger man turned toward the older. "I knew it! Scias, Raste, and their men came to Eule three seasons ago. The curse started then. Lord Scias told us the other Lands threaten us and they had need of more ore from the mines to help defend Kust."

By this time many of the other patrons in the room had gathered around the table to listen.

Ceres replied. "I tell you truly, the other Lords have no hostile intent toward your land. I have spoken with Lord Eudus and Lord Gerald, themselves. We hear that Scias builds a large army, is this true?"