Shepherd's Quest: The Broken Key #1

  Later that night when the town grew quiet, three shadows moved in the dark. They wended their way through the buildings until the Town Hall rose out of the darkness before them. Stopping for only a brief moment in the shadows of a bordering building, Bart made sure no one was around. Then he led Riyan and Chad towards the main door.

  “Are you sure this is such a good idea?” asked Riyan.

  “No one’s around this late at night,” replied Bart. “Besides, we’ll only be a moment.”

  “Exactly,” Chad interjected. “It’s not like we’re planning on taking anything.”

  “Just keep an eye out until I get the door opened,” Bart told the other two. Taking out his lockpicks, he pulled out two of the instruments and began working on the lock. This lock was a rather simple one, nothing better had ever been needed in the quiet town of Quillim. It took him but a moment before he felt the lock turn.

  “Okay,” he whispered and opened the door. Bart moved inside and was quickly followed by Chad and Riyan. He relocked the door once it was shut.

  They followed him to the stairs where they made their way up to the third floor in the dark. Moving in the all but absolute darkness of the Town Hall’s interior forced them to step carefully. Riyan had thought they should bring a lantern, but Bart had argued against it.

  “You aren’t really going to need it if you just move slowly enough,” he explained. “Also, it might be seen by someone passing by outside.” He did however bring along an item for light, something he called a ‘tube lantern’. It was little more than a hollowed out piece of wood, six inches long with a diameter of three inches, with the stub of a candle set inside. When the candle was lit, it aimed a beam of light at a specified location rather than illuminating the entire room. He told them this was a little item his father claimed to have thought up.

  Riyan recognized it from earlier this afternoon. He had taken the flock out to graze as he promised his mother, Chad and Bart had accompanied him. They also dropped off Old Glia’s package for which she was very thankful. While they were out, Bart had found the piece of wood and begun carving out its insides. When they asked what he was doing, he just grinned but wouldn’t answer. As it turned out, he had been making the tube lantern.

  They followed the stairs up until they reached the third floor landing. Then they headed down the hallway to the end and the Magistrate’s Office. None were surprised to find that the door was locked. But it was just as simple as the one below and Bart had it opened in no time. “They don’t worry too much about break-ins around here do they?” he asked once the lock was opened.

  Chad chuckled, “What would anyone steal?”

  “True,” Bart replied then opened the door. Several windows spaced along two of the walls allowed light from the moon and stars to filter in. It cast the room in a multitude of shadows.

  “Over here,” Riyan said as he moved to their right. In the faint light coming in through the windows they saw the outline of a map framed upon the wall.

  “Just give me a second,” Bart said as he settled to the floor. He set the tube lantern on the floor before him and worked to get the stub of a candle lit. Once the wick caught fire, light came out of the end and created a line of light across the floor.

  “That’s pretty cool,” Chad said.

  “I know,” Bart replied with a grin. Standing up, he took the tube lantern in hand and showed them how it only illuminated a circular area directly in front of where he pointing it. “My father has all sorts of things like this.”

  “Never heard of anything like this before,” Riyan said as he watched the circle of light move across the wall.

  “No, I wouldn’t think so,” said Bart. “He’s pretty protective of his things. Not too many people even know about most of them.” As he moved the light to reveal the map, Riyan took the piece of the golden key from out of his pocket.

  “Now,” murmured Bart, “let’s see if we can find out where this place is.” He shined the light on the map and saw where Quillim was prominently displayed in the center. The rest of the map radiated out every direction.

  The map extended as far north to just above Yarix, and southward a little past Wardean. The mountains to the west filled in the left side of the map while the lands of Duke Yoric filled the right.

  “I don’t see it,” Riyan said.

  “No,” agreed Bart. “This map doesn’t show enough of the land.”

  “Then how are we to know where this place is?” questioned Chad.

  “That’s the question,” replied Riyan. “How are we going to figure it out without anyone else discovering what we’re looking for?” In the back of his mind he remembered Thyrr saying that there would come a time when the coins he bought from them would become known. The last thing Riyan wanted was for them to leave a trail for others to follow.

  “Is there another place that would have a map?” asked Chad. “One that might show a wider area?”

  “In Wardean there’s a cartographer by the name of Bennin that has a variety of maps depicting the known world,” explained Bart. “Or so he claims.”

  “But if we seek his help, then others could find out where we went,” Riyan objected. “Once the news of our finding the silver coins gets out, and it will according to Thyrr, then the hunt will be on. We can’t afford to leave any trail.”

  “Maybe Crag Keep?” suggested Bart.

  “Crag Keep?” asked Riyan. Crag Keep was one of the keeps under the Border Lord Duke Yoric. It was west of Wardean and sat on the southern end of one of the passes between the lands of Duke Yoric and those of the goblins on the far side.

  “Exactly,” he replied. “I’ve heard that in the great hall there is a massive map showing the lands on both sides of the mountain range.”

  “That might be what we need to look at,” agreed Riyan.

  “How are we going to gain access to the great hall?” asked Chad. “Do you think they are going to just allow anyone to stroll through there?”

  “We’ll worry about that when we get there,” shrugged Bart. “But I don’t think we have many other options open to us if we wish to keep this to ourselves.”

  “I agree,” Riyan said. “We can leave in the morning.”

  Bart put the end of the tube lantern to his lips and blew the candle out. “Then let’s get out of here.” He led them out of the Magistrate’s Office and made sure the door was once again locked. After that they went down the stairs and to the front door. There, Bart peered out to be sure the area was clear, then they quickly exited the building. Bart took a moment to relock the door before the three friends headed back to Riyan’s place.

  They spent an hour sitting up in the front room planning what they were going to do the following morning. Most of it was fairly simple, getting supplies together, clothes, that sort of thing. But what gave Riyan concern was what he was going to tell his mother. After all, it was just him and her. There was no one else in whom she could rely upon other than her son. He wasn’t sure how she would take the news.

  In the morning when he told her they were planning on leaving for an indeterminate amount of time, she just stared at him. “We won’t be gone forever,” he explained. “Maybe a couple weeks.”

  Chad jumped in to help by saying, “A month, tops.”

  “Where are you going?” she asked. She had a tight rein on her emotions and Riyan couldn’t tell what her reaction was.

  “Bart has some business down south and we are going along,” he told her.

  Apparently that was the wrong thing to say for her expression darkened and her brows knitted together. She turned her eyes on Bart and asked, “Haven’t you brought enough trouble into this house?”

  “I assure you,” Bart replied, “it is nothing like that.”

  Turning back to her son, she looked at him. Really looked at him for the first time and a tear came to her eye.

  “I’ll be okay mother, I promise,” he said.

  She smiled. It was such a sad smile that it almost
broke his heart. “I guess this time comes in every mother’s life,” she said.

  “What?” he asked.

  “When her son grows up and becomes a man.”

  Riyan didn’t know how to reply to that other than going over and giving her a hug. “I’ll be back before Freya’s and Rupert’s marriage,” he said. “Who knows what may happen between now and then?”

  She suddenly gripped his shoulders and pushed him back to arm’s length. “You’re not going to kill him are you?” she asked as she stared into his eyes. Then she glanced to Bart and Chad.

  “No!” all three exclaimed at the same time.

  Riyan reached into his pocket and pulled out three of the remaining five gold coins they received from Thyrr. Last night the other two agreed for his mother to have them to tide her over until his return. He held them out to her.

  She gasped when she saw them. “Where did you get these?”

  “Is that important?” he asked.

  Her expression hardened one more time. “Yes, it is. Now, where did you get them?”

  Riyan glanced at the other two for help but they weren’t able to give him any. “We found some treasure up in the mountains,” he explained. “When Bart was poisoned. Chad and I went to Wardean and sold what we found to someone that Bart knew. He gave us enough gold to help Chad’s parents with replacing the grinding wheels, and now to help you while I’m gone.”

  “It might be a good idea to keep all this between us,” suggested Chad.

  “And if anyone comes around looking for me,” Bart added, “you haven’t seen me and you don’t know where I went.”

  “I don’t like this one bit,” she said. Then she gazed into the eyes of her son and took the three golds. “But it would seem your mind is already made up.”

  “It’ll work out for the best,” he assured her. He indicated the gold in her hand and said, “With that you can pay someone to come and help with the flock.”

  She nodded. “Be careful,” she said.

  And with those words Riyan knew that she had resigned herself to his going. He’s not sure why, but it didn’t make him feel a whole lot better.

  “We should get going before someone comes around,” Bart said.

  “Give me a minute okay?” he asked his two friends.

  “Sure,” replied Chad then he and Bart went out to the barn to ready the three horses they’ll be taking.

  Once they were out, Riyan hugged his mother tightly as a tear welled from his eye. “I love you mother,” he said. “I’ll be back.”

  “I love you too,” she replied with a catch in her voice.

  They held each other for quite awhile, neither one wanting to break away. Finally, he disengaged from her embrace. Giving her a peck on the cheek, he left her sitting in the chair in the front room as he exited through the back door.

  “You okay?” Chad asked as he appeared in the barn.

  Nodding, Riyan said, “Yeah.”

  Bart was already in the saddle and came forward with the horse Riyan was to ride. He handed him the reins and waited until he was in the saddle. Once Riyan was mounted, they headed out.

  Riyan glanced to the doorway at the back of the house and saw his mother standing there. She waved goodbye silently as he rode away. Before he rode out of sight, he turned and waved a final time, then she was gone.

  None of them were very good on horseback, though they all had some experience. They made fairly decent time as they worked their way through the hills around town to the road leading south.

  Riyan had the sword belt around his waist that he took from the thieves, Chad wore the other. Bart thought they were both dumb to wear them. “You guys don’t even know how to use them.”

  “So?” Riyan asked. “It feels good to have it on.”

  Chad grinned to him and said, “It does, doesn’t it.”

  Bart just rolled his eyes heavenward. He refused to take the sword of the man who came to kill him. They left it wrapped up in some old clothes in the back of Riyan’s closet.

  Once they came to the road running north and south, they were quite a ways south of Quillim. “We should be there in just under two days,” he told them.

  “Ever been to Crag Keep?” asked Chad.

  Shaking his head, Bart replied, “No, though I have talked with people who have.”

  They rode throughout the day and in the latter part of the afternoon the town of Wardean appeared before them. “On the south side is a road heading almost due west,” he explained. “If we take that road, we should reach Crag Keep by noon tomorrow.”

  After what happened the last time Bart set foot within Wardean, they thought it best to skirt around the walls and head cross country to the westward road. In fact, they found a trail of sorts that branched off a mile north of Wardean that ended up bringing them to the road to Crag Keep.

  They didn’t travel much further than past where the walls of Wardean disappeared behind them before stopping for the night. The day of riding was beginning to take its toll on their posteriors. They found a decent spot in the hills a short way from the road that was an ideal spot to make camp.

  The sadness of leaving home had gradually diminished until it was now nothing more than a thought that flittered across his mind from time to time. The adventure of the road had taken over and all regrets at leaving were gone. Here he was with good friends, a clear sky above, and the prospect of adventure. How in the world could he remain sad?

  Later that evening after they finished their dinner and were sitting around the fire talking, Chad asked Bart, “What are you going to do with your share?”

  “Of the King’s Horde?” he asked.

  “That’s right,” replied Chad.

  “Probably pay to have the death mark removed,” he said.

  “You can do that?” Riyan asked.

  “Oh sure,” he replied. “Though you need to have enough gold to overcome their sense of vengeance.”

  “How much do you think you’re going to need?” Riyan asked.

  “I wouldn’t dare to make the attempt with less than ten thousand golds,” he explained.

  “Ten thousand?” exclaimed Chad. “What did you do?”

  Bart smiled a sad smile. “I was on the wrong side of a power struggle.” He grew silent and didn’t say anything further about it.

  “As for me,” Chad said, “maybe I’ll learn to use this sword and go on adventures.”

  “Now you’re talking!” Riyan agreed with great enthusiasm. “We could fight the forces of evil and maybe save a damsel in distress or two.”

  “You guys are crazy,” Bart said with a grin. “I’ve talked with people who have had adventures such as you two are in love with, and they say they are nothing like the sagas. They’re long rides, stretches of boredom that are interrupted with moments of life threatening ordeals, and half the time the rewards are not worth it.”

  “I don’t care what you say,” Riyan asserted, “I’m having the time of my life.”

  “We’ll see,” he replied. No one’s trying to kill you yet, he thought to himself.

  It wasn’t long after that before they turned in for the night. All through the night, Riyan dreamt of treasures untold.

  The following morning they had a quick bite to eat then were back in the saddle. The road they were taking will lead them directly to Crag Keep. It has been devoid of traffic ever since they stopped to camp the night before. Even during the night, not one traveler was heard passing by.

  “This place seems pretty deserted,” commented Chad.

  “You need to realize that Crag Keep is little more than a fortress sitting on this side of the Reilkyn Pass,” he explained. “Other than merchants heading to the Marketplace, or soldiers going to the Keep, there’s not much else out here.”

  “What’s the Marketplace?” Riyan asked.

  “You two don’t know anything about nothing do you?” Bart exclaimed. “The Marketplace is where goblins and humans meet in the spring and summer months to tra
de goods.”

  “Oh,” replied Riyan.

  “What do the goblins have to trade?” Chad asked.

  Bart turned back and glanced at where Chad was riding behind him. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Just curious is all,” he explained.

  “I’m not really sure,” he admitted. “Probably hides. I would think they would be more along the lines of being the buyers than sellers.”

  “You may be right,” agreed Riyan.

  They rode another two hours, all the while the mountains grew ever closer. The hills they have been traveling through continuously became steeper until finally merging into the sides of the mountains. A river now flowed beside them on their left as it made its way down from the mountains. It also brought colder air along with it.

  The road followed the banks of the river until it came to a wooden bridge that spanned the river. Here the river turned, passed under the bridge, and commenced flowing on their right.

  Once past the bridge they rode for another hour before the walls of Crag Keep appeared before them. It was built right into the face of one of the mountains with a high wall enclosing it. A single gate loomed in the middle of the wall with a drawbridge that was currently extended. As they rode closer, they could see where a small tributary broke off from the river and made its way beneath the drawbridge forming a moat of sorts.

  A soldier stood just outside the portcullis area and watched them as they approached. When their horses began crossing the drawbridge, the soldier raised his arm. “I’m sorry boys,” he said. “No one’s allowed inside unless they have business.”

  When the other two came to a halt, Bart rode forward another foot before he too halted. “That’s what we’re here on,” Bart said without skipping a beat. “Our father will be on his way in the morning with a load of goods to trade at the Marketplace from Wardean. He sent us ahead to see about getting everything arranged for making the trip over the pass.”

  The guard stared at Bart for a second as if he was trying to determine the validity of what he was saying. Then he turned his gaze to Chad and Riyan who worked hard at maintaining a relaxed demeanor. After coming to a decision, the guard nodded and said, “Very well. You can enter.”

  “Thank you,” said Bart as he got his horse moving again. Then with Riyan and Chad behind him, he entered Crag Keep.

  Now that they were inside the walls, they could better see the layout of the keep. Between the walls and the cliffside was a large courtyard. A group of five wagons were huddled together off to one side with a party of merchants moving in and around them.

  The keep itself was almost entirely within the mountain. At the other end of the courtyard stood the main entrance, a double door of sturdy construction. Other than the door, there was no other opening in the lower portion of the cliffside. Not until twenty feet above the ground did the first opening appear which had to be a window though it was rather narrow. Other windows gaped from the cliff face for another hundred feet above the first one.

  “Pretty impressive,” stated Chad.

  “Now what are we to do?” asked Riyan. Lowering his voice, he turned to Bart and asked, “Tomorrow morning that guard is going to expect to see a caravan show up with our ‘father’.”

  “Keep your voice down,” he said. Then he nodded to a small building on the opposite side of the courtyard from the five wagons. “If what I heard is accurate, that’s an inn. We can stay there tonight.”

  “But how are we to get into the great hall and view the map?” Chad asked in a very quiet voice.

  Bart shrugged, “I don’t know. Let’s get settled in. I’ll figure something out after that.”

  “I hope so,” said Riyan as Bart led the way over to the building.

  It turned out that his source had been correct for it was indeed an inn, a rather pricey inn in fact. They used most of one of the gold coins they had left for a room for themselves and stall space for their horses.

  After settling in their horses, and on the way back to the inn, Riyan stopped to stare at the opening to the keep. Two guards stood watch and he knew they wouldn’t allow them to simply walk in and look around. He hoped Bart knew what he was doing, the place looked pretty daunting. Then he followed the other two into the inn for dinner.

  Chapter Fifteen

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