Redeemed

Ch. 17

As our horses and pack mule crested the hill, the late afternoon sun shone orange on the thatched roofs as the village of Odair came into view. We had been traveling for two days, camping and catching our food. This was the first town on the list Marduk had assigned. Our task was to make sure the town still sided with us and that the Prince's side had not infiltrated. If the town needed repairs or supplies, we were to make a note of it and report it back to camp. We planned on inspecting the town this evening, spending the night, and then moving on to the next place in the morning. It would be nice to sleep in a bed again.

As we had ridden, I questioned Nourse about the various alliances and political leanings of the war, deciding that it was past time for me to understand the entire picture. Growing up in the Prince's territory, I knew that he was technically the ruler of the entire land, but for many places that was in name only. Unlike my town of Tosach who supported the Prince with enthusiasm, there were other towns that did not view all of the Prince's viewpoints favorably, such as Tunack. Those towns had two options: be independent and susceptible to raids and other dangers or join with Marduk. Most of the northern cities and towns had left the Prince's kingdom and sided with the Dragon while the southern part of the country remained loyal to the Prince. However, fierce fighting in the west continued, and some cities were turning. At the same time, the Prince's influence had somehow appeared in the northwest portion. That, combined with accounts of raids and lack of food, had some places aligned with Marduk grumbling. Our job was to collect our dues and convince them that staying loyal to the Dragon was the only smart choice.

Set against the mountains with houses and shops huddled together, Odair looked like a flock of chicks pressed against its mother for protection. Stone walls just high enough to keep wolves and other predators out enclosed the village. Overall, not a very impressive place. Even Tosach was bigger with more people, shops, and houses.

A pang went through me as images of my old home flashed across my vision. The blacksmith's shop with its ever-burning fire, the cobbler who was always smiling and happy to fix an old sole, Rita with her continuous grumblings about my "leaf juice" and the price of bread... I shook the thoughts away and nudged my mount into a faster walk. The town may be gone, but the people remained. Once we accomplished this mission, I would be heading out to bring my town to a better place.

As we approached the gate, Nourse took the lead. The guard, seeing our approach, straightened, clutching his spear tightly. Both him and the spear looked like they had seen better days.

"What is yer business 'ere?" the guard asked, his northern accent reminding me of Ern.

"We've come to inspect the village," replied Nourse, flashing a paper with Marduk's crest on it. The man paled.

"O' course, sire," the guard said, hastening to move out of the way.

"We will also be needing lodging for the night. One room, two beds. Can you make that happen?"

The guard nodded, motioning a messenger boy over. At his words, the boy's eyes widened, and he gave us a look before dashing away. An uneasy feeling went through me. Something was very wrong here. These people seemed afraid, a stark contrast to the cheering and parading through the streets we had received in other towns. Hopefully we were not too late and the Prince had not convinced them to change sides.

"I thought all the men would be off fighting in the war," I said, pulling even with Nourse as we made our way through the streets.

"Not everyone is as zealous as the people from your town," Nourse replied, keeping his gaze ahead. "Besides, that guard has a lame foot." I glanced behind me to see the guard hobbling back to his position by the gate. What kind of village was this that assigned injured men as guards? They must really be struggling to stoop to that level.