Passing Through Kinslayer's Dagger

[Tony]

The only sound was the soft crunch of hooves on dirt. To the west somewhere, a bird called from atop a tree. Wind rustled the branches of a few leatherleafs that were just starting to bud. It was . . . peaceful.

Breathing in the warming spring air, he tried to clear his mind. It seemed to help somewhat, but recent events still roiled in his head. Even a month after their escape, the bounty Tar Valon had put on their heads still stood. Letting their facial hair grow did help give them a different appearance. Dagon had grown a mustache that curved down slightly. Jakob had adopted a full beard. As for himself, he had grown a goatee and shaved his head in the Shienaran style that he had abandoned a long time ago.

The countryside contained few villages, most of them they avoided in case someone knew about the bounty. After much debate they had chosen to head to Cairhien. From then, maybe to Caemlyn and onto Tear. But for now, all they worried about is where they were going to sleep at night. And if someone was looking for them. He had heard about Aes Sedai agents. That they could be anyone and could be anywhere. But it would be best not to dwell on it too much. He might make himself crazy thinking that everyone was an agent for the Aes Sedai.

As if speaking of being crazy was a que, Jakob spoke up from behind him, "Are we going to be staying in an inn tonight? I don't think my back could take another night on the ground under a bush." He turned around and regarded the man with his green eyes. Jakob was Andoran. But it wasn't that quality that set him apart. It was the fact that he could channel saidin, the male half of the One Power. Many feared men who channeled. They feared that they would go mad from the taint and Break the world again. Himself, he decided a long time ago to deal with it as it came. Right now, friendship came before the fear of a man channeling. In all honesty, the fact that he could channel didn't faze him at all. He took it in stride, just like how Dagon use to have a limp to his leg before it was Healed by Aes Sedai. He was actually a very open minded person about things.

With a small smile he said, "It depends if we get to a village by nightfall." With a creak of the saddle he turned back to the front and continued his scan of the countryside. There wasn't much you could do from a distance with two swords, but if you kept an eye out you could prevent a worse outcome than if you were unprepared.

[Tony]

In the late evening the party topped a small hill that overlooked a village. The village was not that big if you compared it to the villages outside of Tar Valon, but it was big. From their small lookout he could spot two or three inns, a blacksmith's forge, a seamstresses shop, and a lot of houses. There was also a small barracks towards the eastern edge of the village. It might have been for the King's men or some nobles. Whoever they were, he didn't plan on making trouble for them. The biggest impression they want to leave on the town was just a group of people passing through.

Nudging his horses ribs, he set a slow pace down the hill and into the village. The countryside around the village was mostly grass with a few trees here and there. There was a small boy tending a flock of sheep. He thought his eyes might have gone wide from the sight of three men riding into the village, but he was unsure. Maybe his impression that he wanted to make wouldn't be so small. If few travelers visited the village, their coming would cause talk for days if not weeks. He sighed aloud.

Getting onto a small dirt road they rode towards the village. The road took on the Cairhienin way of rigidity and form. Even though it was dirt and small, it cut through hills and went as straight as an arrow into the heart of the village and then passed on. He didn't understand why the Cairhienin did this. Sometimes it was just too much effort to car a road into a hill because you wanted it straight. But that was their way and he couldn't change a thing.

Coming into the village he took it all in with a blink of an eye. The villagers wore a mixture of dark and bright colors. The richer villagers had the darker colors, most likely trying to copy the nobles back in Cairhein. For the rest, they wore a variety of colors. Compared to the darker clothing, they looked like Tinkers in a festival. The houses were of wood and dark blue tile with one to two stories. One of the inns, The Great Tree, was of stone and three stories high with a dozen chimneys. The other, The Peddler's Wagon. was of four stories with at least two dozen chimneys. Both sounded as though they received good business, but from rooms or drink, he was not sure.

Turning his head slightly he asked, "Which inn would you like to stay at? The Great Tree or The Peddler's Wagon?"

[Victor]

Nobody voiced any particular opinion on which in to choose. "Let's go to The... Great Tree," said Dagon, randomly choosing one of the two inns. Nobody rose any objections, and the trio made their way to the inn Dagon had chosen.

Stepping inside the building, Dagon found it to be a warm and inviting place. There were a few people scattered around the inn, as well as four men sitting in a table in the corner playing dice, but the common room did not seem too crowded. Dagon unslung his pack from across his shoulders and chose a seat to sit down in, glad of a chance to rest well after walking for many and spending previous nights sleeping wherever they could find.

Dagon rose his eyes to meet Jaric's. "You want to go secure us some rooms?" he asked. Dagon would do it himself, but Jaric and Jakob were the ones with the money.

[Tony]

He looked around the common room for an innkeeper and found him leaning against the wall with an apron tired around him. Weaving through the tables and chairs, he approached the man with an air of friendliness. Before he could even open his mouth, the innkeeper said, "We're full."

He blinked a few times, confused at what the innkeeper said. "Sir, there are not enough people in the common room for your inn - "

He was cut off by a gesture from the innkeeper. "Yesterday a man came in reserving all the rooms in my inn. He even went over The Peddler's Wagon and reserved all their rooms. Apparently there is a big group of people stopping by in the next day or so. He paid me, and the other innkeeper I hear, enough gold for a week. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to rent a room if they came while you were here. I apologize."

He thought for a moment on who could be coming through this small village and book all the rooms in both inns. He hoped it was not a party of Aes Sedai. They would be in a real predicament if it turned out true. "What about the stables? We've been sleeping outside for the past week and are very tired. I would pay you the amount a room's rent for a hayloft."

The innkeeper stared off into the common room thinking. The man who had paid him never reserved the hayloft, and if he could get some more gold, why not rent it out? After a few moments, the innkeeper nodded his head. "But I will only charge you half for the hayloft. It wouldn't be right to charge you for a room's price."

"I thank you a lot, innkeeper. Do you mind if we got something to eat?" he asked. The innkeeper nodded and headed into the kitchen to tell the cook. Jaric turned back and headed towards the table Dagon and Jakob were sitting at. Sitting himself down on a chair, he let out a soft groan. Muscles that had been tense in his back slowly relaxed.

"Well?" Dagon asked with a look of hope on his face.

Grimacing slightly, he said, "We got a hayloft for the night. Apparently someone had came through the village a few days ago and reserved all the rooms." He saw Jakob about to ask about the other inn and quickly said, "Yes, the other inn too. We're lucky we did get the hayloft. I think he may have refused. I asked him for something to eat. We should get whatever they made in a few minutes."

[Victor]

Dagon sighed, but at the same time recognized that the group was lucky in getting a hayloft. "I suppose that'll do," he mused, scratching at his mustache idly. "A lot better than lying in the flaming fields."

A few minutes passed as the group made idle conversation. Shortly, the cook came out of the kitchen bearing three plates. When he brought them to the table, Dagon saw that there was a scattering of meat, vegetables, and bread, as well as a sauce that seemed to be green tinted.

"I trust you'll enjoy the meal," said the cook, his high pitched voice drawing an amused smile from Dagon. "Mutton, newly baked bread, spiced potatoes, and fire sauce from an Ebou Dari trader I met some time ago."

The group nodded their assent, and began to dig into their meal. For the next several minutes, nobody spoke a word, each of them savoring the first fresh food they had tasted in several weeks.

After a while, when they had finished their food, the group sat idly in their seats. "I wonder who reserved the rooms in the inns?" Dagon asked, sipping idly at the unfinished wine he had been provided. "Do you think that they are... you know?"

As if in answer to his question, a stableboy entered the inn from outside. "They're here!" he called. "The travellers you're expecting are here, Mister Trant!"

At that, the innkeeper hurried forward. In the resulting chaos, Dagon, Jaric, and Jakob were largely forgotten.

[Tony]

As serving girls rushed to the door to help carry in saddlebags and chests, ten men stepped into the common room of the inn. Each one was different from the other, yet they were all the same. All wore coats and breeches, but each coat had a different style, cut, and color that ranged from the high collars of Andor to the small cape-like coats of Ebou Dar. They were Hunters of the Horn and were as arrogant as any Child of the Light.

One man, in a red Andoran coat with green scroll work on hi arms, walked up to the innkeeper. "Master Terwin, so nice of you to reserve the rooms of your inn for us. As you know, we are Hunters of the Horn and are on a journey to find the Horn of Valere." The man swept his hand over his companions and he spoke with a smile. "We are tired from our journey from Cairhien. If you would be so kind as to bring us some food and good wine to a private dining room, we would be most thankful." Master Terwin nodded his head and headed to the kitchen to tell the cook. As soon as the innkeeper's back was turned, the red-coated man's grin turned into a sour grimance.

He walked over his companions and began talking with them in a low voice. From the movement of his lips, Jaric could see the man was not pleased with something. Was it the inn? Someone as big headed as him may not think the inn as great as others that could be found in Cairhien. He was glad himself that he could at least sleep in the hayloft instead of outside. But then, he wasn't a noble that grew up being pampered. He grew up learning to fight Trollocs and Myddraal.

After some pointing, the man stalked away upstairs, most likely to rest a bit before they ate. The other nine men stood there for a little bit, watching him as he went up the stairs. They snapped out of their trance-like state and dispersed. Some when to their rooms, some to get a drink, others to check on their horses.

"Did you notice how Red Coat wasn't too happy for some reason? What do you think is his problem?" Jaric asked to Dagon and Jakob as they turned back to their meals.

[Victor]

"Hunters of the Horn," exclaimed Dagon quietly but forcefully. A sheepish grin crossed his face. "I was expecting some... Aes Sedai." Dagon's voice dipped lower as he said "Aes Sedai."

Then, Dagon addressed Jaric's question. "Perhaps he doesn't like the inn?" Dagon mused. "Of course, it could be something else entirely -- who knows how long they've been travelling? I'm sure many things could have happened to inconvenience them."

Dagon turned his attention to some of the other people who ere in the common room. The four men who had been playing dice in the corner were conversing quietly with each other, no doubt about the inn's new guests. Other than that... there wasn't much of anything happening within the common room.

"How many Hunters of the Horn do you think there are?" asked Dagon. "With the other inn being occupied as well."

[Tony]

"I want to say maybe two dozen or so. I don't know how many rooms the other inn has. Could be fewer or more," Jaric replied. He stared down at his plate which was as bare as the table. He wished he had some more that mutton. That was some mighty fine mutton. Much better than that beef he had that one time in Caemlyn.

"Hmm. Where do you think they are looking? For the Horn that is?" Jakob asked. It had been awhile since the man spoke. Ever since they escaped Tar Valon he had been silent, hardly uttering a few words a day. Jaric pondered if they did something to him that he didn't tell them. He would wait until Jakob was ready to speak.

"Since they are coming from Cairhein, going in a northeast direction, I think they may be heading to the Borderlands or the Aiel Waste. I doubt the Horn would be found in either place. My bet is that it is buried in the ground somewhere in the soft southern lands. If the Horn were anywhere in the Borderlands, the Light knows we would have used in on countless occasions. The only thing we have up there is the mythical Green Man."