Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 18
Box and Goola, having wandered in vain to catch a glimpse of Princess Liofia, decided it was now time to start making their way back to The Ruined Boat. They were at the ascent of Castle Tori, and had just made their second lap around the castle's outer wall. The princess-hunt had been enjoyable, but it had been rather duller than they'd hoped. Now, a little tired, they began to meander back down towards the harbour front.
Meanwhile, the other two were leaving the latest tavern they'd found themselves drinking at. A rather dingy place called The Crooked Head. True to their word they had been rather sensible. They hadn't drank too much, nor had they wasted any money gambling with vagabonds; and now, they were, in good time, making their way back to The Ruined Boat themselves. A place they now had a bit more fondness for, having witnessed the other options first-hand.
Leaving the side door of the tavern they came into a long, cobbled alley, that led all the way down to the seafront. Past the dankness of the dreary stone walls they could see, at the very end, the bright pleasant blues of the sea meeting the sky. At a leisurely pace, they began heading back towards the beauty. "We've plenty of time. We'll probably get there well before they do," observed Eldskeep.
Meanwhile, closer to sea, Box and Goola, in a very different frame of mind, had arrived at The Ruined Boat. Even though they were quite early themselves they were still a tad annoyed that Julen and Eldskeep weren't already there. Outwardly they gave the pair the benefit of the doubt, but there was an inner worry that they'd screwed things up yet again. As they found the same table, a little wearied, they parked themselves down.
"We're going to Maiden's Tower," demanded Box.
Meanwhile, the other two were leaving the latest tavern they'd found themselves drinking at. A rather dingy place called The Crooked Head. True to their word they had been rather sensible. They hadn't drank too much, nor had they wasted any money gambling with vagabonds; and now, they were, in good time, making their way back to The Ruined Boat themselves. A place they now had a bit more fondness for, having witnessed the other options first-hand.
Leaving the side door of the tavern they came into a long, cobbled alley, that led all the way down to the seafront. Past the dankness of the dreary stone walls they could see, at the very end, the bright pleasant blues of the sea meeting the sky. At a leisurely pace, they began heading back towards the beauty. "We've plenty of time. We'll probably get there well before they do," observed Eldskeep.
'''Thwack !!''"
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Julen felt a heavy fist to the back of his head. Instantly followed by an aggressive shove to the back that sent him flying forward and scraping across the ground. Before he knew it his assailant was coming at him to inflict more harm. Eldskeep quickly turned around, only to find two more thuggish-looking attackers coming his way. "Hand over your money. All of it."
Eldskeep took a step back and grasped the ornate handle of his sword, pulling it free from its sheath. As he done this Julen received a swift, hard kick to his midriff. He crumpled over in pain.
With a speed and agility that surprised his attackers Eldskeep quickly kicked out at one of the men. Raising his leg and weightily pushing the man's thigh with the sole of his boot, forcing him backwards to the floor. As he did this he raised his sword to the other stranger, who, before he could reach for his own, felt Eldskeep's blade cut down through his right shoulder. As Eldskeep brought the sword back up on the back stroke he once again caught his assailant. This time slashing the man just under his chin. He then thrust this one to the ground with his boot too, and began to take aim at the first man who was now scrambling backwards, trying to push himself up from the floor.
As this unfolded Julen's attacker looked back, surprised to see his fellow cohorts so roundly put on the back foot. The small window of apprehension allowing Julen to pick himself up. Sensing the opportunity he aggressively ran headlong at the thief, crashing him against the alley wall. Julen too then pulled his sword from his belt. As his opponent turned to face him Julen lent in with rage, thrusting the thin, rapier-like blade into the man's chest. Piercing his heart. With a short murmur of breath the man then went limp, and slumped to the floor.
Shocked at what he had done Julen looked up to see a strange woman looking down at him from one of the rooftops in the distance. She was wearing a hooded cloak that stretched down to the ground, and had a veil or shawl covering her mouth. Just her eyes, which even at a distance were expressive, visible to Julen looking on. Fearing a similar fate would befall them, the two men Eldskeep was contending with began to make haste. Eldskeep didn't attempt to follow. Julen then looked over towards him, and for the briefest of moments the two acknowledged with their eyes the seriousness of the situation. Julen then quickly looked back towards the hooded woman, who in the split second he had looked away, had disappeared.
"We need to get out of here," shrieked Julen, a blind panic overtaking him. He then tried to drag Eldskeep by the arm, attempting to run down the alley with him.
With a speed and agility that surprised his attackers Eldskeep quickly kicked out at one of the men. Raising his leg and weightily pushing the man's thigh with the sole of his boot, forcing him backwards to the floor. As he did this he raised his sword to the other stranger, who, before he could reach for his own, felt Eldskeep's blade cut down through his right shoulder. As Eldskeep brought the sword back up on the back stroke he once again caught his assailant. This time slashing the man just under his chin. He then thrust this one to the ground with his boot too, and began to take aim at the first man who was now scrambling backwards, trying to push himself up from the floor.
As this unfolded Julen's attacker looked back, surprised to see his fellow cohorts so roundly put on the back foot. The small window of apprehension allowing Julen to pick himself up. Sensing the opportunity he aggressively ran headlong at the thief, crashing him against the alley wall. Julen too then pulled his sword from his belt. As his opponent turned to face him Julen lent in with rage, thrusting the thin, rapier-like blade into the man's chest. Piercing his heart. With a short murmur of breath the man then went limp, and slumped to the floor.
Shocked at what he had done Julen looked up to see a strange woman looking down at him from one of the rooftops in the distance. She was wearing a hooded cloak that stretched down to the ground, and had a veil or shawl covering her mouth. Just her eyes, which even at a distance were expressive, visible to Julen looking on. Fearing a similar fate would befall them, the two men Eldskeep was contending with began to make haste. Eldskeep didn't attempt to follow. Julen then looked over towards him, and for the briefest of moments the two acknowledged with their eyes the seriousness of the situation. Julen then quickly looked back towards the hooded woman, who in the split second he had looked away, had disappeared.
"We need to get out of here," shrieked Julen, a blind panic overtaking him. He then tried to drag Eldskeep by the arm, attempting to run down the alley with him.
"Don't run! Just walk," insisted Eldskeep, with a firmness. He then, in turn, gripped Julen by the back of his shirt and helped walk him down towards the sea front.
"What are we gonna do?"
"Keep your voice down. We just need to stay calm and head out of here as quickly as possible, before any suspicions are raised. Remember, it's not our fault, they attacked us."
A plan then quickly formed in his mind, with a quickness similar to his actions just moments earlier.
"Which end was that old sea captain's boat again?"
Without waiting for a reply from Julen he then began heading in its direction.
Meanwhile, closer to sea, Box and Goola, in a very different frame of mind, had arrived at The Ruined Boat. Even though they were quite early themselves they were still a tad annoyed that Julen and Eldskeep weren't already there. Outwardly they gave the pair the benefit of the doubt, but there was an inner worry that they'd screwed things up yet again. As they found the same table, a little wearied, they parked themselves down.
"Did you see the princess?" asked the same barmaid.
"Not his time. We had a good old look around though."
"At least that's something."
They then ordered some more food to take their mind off the wait. As it finally arrived Eldskeep came sauntering through the door ..alone.
"Where's Julen??"
"He's fine, don't worry. There's been a slight change of plan though, so we have to get going.."
"Not staying for a drink?" cheered the barmaid.
"I'm very tempted ..very tempted," came the reply from Eldskeep, even more breezily than usual, "But I think I've probably had enough for the one day."
Eldskeep's extra-buoyant manner only made Box and Goola more uneasy. "Where's Julen???" they both asked, for a second time, as they anxiously followed him out through the tavern door. "He's fine, he's below deck ..we've decided we're going to make the sea journey with the old sea captain. Remember him from earlier? It just makes much more sense."
"What's going on?" asked Box, agitatedly.
"Not staying for a drink?" cheered the barmaid.
"I'm very tempted ..very tempted," came the reply from Eldskeep, even more breezily than usual, "But I think I've probably had enough for the one day."
Eldskeep's extra-buoyant manner only made Box and Goola more uneasy. "Where's Julen???" they both asked, for a second time, as they anxiously followed him out through the tavern door. "He's fine, he's below deck ..we've decided we're going to make the sea journey with the old sea captain. Remember him from earlier? It just makes much more sense."
"What's going on?" asked Box, agitatedly.
"Nothing. Well, err, actually, we got into a little scuffle outside one of the taverns. Nothing major, but we'd rather not bump into the same guys again, you see."
"A scuffle??! ..is Julen okay??"
"Just a scuffle, and he's fine."
"Just a scuffle, and he's fine."
Eldskeep tried to appear as calm and as nonchalant as possible, but it wasn't convincing either of the two sisters as they raced down towards the quay.
"If he's fine why's he below deck??"
"Well, hmm, ..he's minding the boat. We don't want the captain to sail off with a bunch of other people onboard. He's holding fort."
The anxiety, the rapid speed of the conversation, and the hurry of the walk meant it felt like only seconds had passed by the time they did in fact reach the tiny boat.
"Ah, we're here, are we?" moaned the captain, half-bored, "I suppose we can get going now."
"As soon as possible," clipped Eldskeep, with a sense of relief.
"As soon as possible," clipped Eldskeep, with a sense of relief.
"Well, I'll just need the twenty-five silvas apiece, and then we can be off"
"Twenty-five?" shot Box, "I thought it was twenty?"
"No, my little lady, twenty-five it is."
"But you said 'twenty silvas to Maiden's Tower' just this morning."
"Yes," noted the Captain, grinning, "But you're not going to Maiden's Tower, you're going to Fools' Harbour - and that's an extra five."
"We're going to Maiden's Tower," demanded Box.
Eldskeep then looked at her, as she in turn looked to Goola, both now even more angry and confused.
"What's happened?!"
"There's been a change of plan," came the sombre response, "It's not a big change. Just a minor one. Julen will explain everything when you head down to see him. ..Oh, and by the way - I hate to ask, especially right now, but I'm a little light. Is there any chance you could lend me the twenty-five silvas to pay my fare? I'll pay you back as soon as we're in the Maiden Lands. It's just at the moment I have a minor funding issue."
Too tired to argue, and now desperate to get below deck to see Julen, both Box and Goola got their little purses out and counted out the money for both the captain and for Eldskeep. It was a very steep amount, but it gave them little concern in comparison to their wider worry. They then fretfully sped below deck. The captain, mildly amused by the goings-on, started to unmoor the boat, in readiness for a journey slightly longer than any of them had anticipated.
"There's been a change of plan," came the sombre response, "It's not a big change. Just a minor one. Julen will explain everything when you head down to see him. ..Oh, and by the way - I hate to ask, especially right now, but I'm a little light. Is there any chance you could lend me the twenty-five silvas to pay my fare? I'll pay you back as soon as we're in the Maiden Lands. It's just at the moment I have a minor funding issue."
Too tired to argue, and now desperate to get below deck to see Julen, both Box and Goola got their little purses out and counted out the money for both the captain and for Eldskeep. It was a very steep amount, but it gave them little concern in comparison to their wider worry. They then fretfully sped below deck. The captain, mildly amused by the goings-on, started to unmoor the boat, in readiness for a journey slightly longer than any of them had anticipated.
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