The Sword and the Flame: The Forging

Chapter 8

Mern noticed Janessa tugging on his long gray sleeve and pointing at the old man behind the bar. "That's Winston; he's really nice, so he'll probably give you a room."

Mern forced his attention back to the Halfling after hearing her say he'd probably be given a room. He swore he'd been told they already acquired a room for him the day before. He dismissed it as unimportant, even one as intelligent as he wasn't immune to tricks of the mind.

"Winston, this is a friend of ours and we were wondering if you could give him a room?" Janessa's question caused Mern's heart to become lodged in his throat; he hadn't expected to be introduced in such a rude manner. To his surprise, the old man Janessa called Winston smiled and extended his hand.

"Aye, any friend of Janessa is a friend of mine." Mern could make out the scars from countless brawls on his face and hands. Despite the cheerfulness of the innkeeper's face, Mern was aware the man had seen much during his life. "We have one room left, its one silver piece a week or two copper per day. That don't include meals."

Mern returned the man's jovial smile, the man's past was of little importance at the moment as Mern took the offered hand in his own. "I must say, sir, that the reputation of your inn is well deserved, indeed."

The compliment caused the innkeeper's face to flush with gratitude. "Aye, we do our best," his smile remained warm and friendly as he finished, "but it'll still cost ye another silver piece for regular meals, anything extra will cost ye."

For the first time in years, Mern broke into genuine laughter, but it wasn't one of mirth. At least, Mern didn't think so. He felt foolish to have sounded like so many others who wanted something free. "That's quite alright and very fair." Mern reached into his pocket and handed over four silver pieces. "There, I think two weeks should be enough to get us started, don't you think?"

Winston took the silver without twitching a muscle in his face, then turned to the stable boy carrying his new guests' chest. "Take it to the last room on the left, Stang, third floor." Without hesitation, the young man nodded and began hefting the chest up the staircase. With the task underway, the innkeeper turned back to Mern. "If there's anything else ye need, just ask."

Mern nodded, thanking the man before turning to follow Stang to his room. He noted, with interest, that the Halfling seemed to forget about him when she chased after the boy. Mern remembered what it was like to be young, and he wouldn't go through that again for anything in the world.

The climb to the third floor didn't take more than a minute, or so it seemed to Janessa. She never seemed to be able to spend more than that around Stang. Either he was always in a rush or she moved too slow to catch him. Whatever the reason, he never seemed to notice her, pushing Janessa closer to the point of strutting around naked in front of him. Janessa had tried to strike up a conversation with Stang during the climb to Mern's room, but without any luck. She sat on Mern's bed, trying to figure out her next step. "I don't understand what's wrong with men. I mean, he's younger than me, but there's not another woman in Hope that can compare."

Mern smiled. Though a voice deep within him screamed for him to do away with the prattling Halfling, he refused to do so. The fact she was the young mage's best friend was a valuable commodity he refused to waste. But he knew the real reason. Despite her incessant talking about things he cared little or nothing about, she was almost like a granddaughter. He didn't quite think of it in those terms, though. He liked her naïve innocence. Both she and Viola shared that trait, though, for the life of him, he couldn't understand how both the Halfling and mage shared that and wisdom beyond their years. Oh well, it mattered little, soon part of his plan would be complete, and then he'd deal will the little thief. Unless, of course, he could convince her to leave, but that seemed unlikely as they were forming a bond. Mern enjoyed the challenge.