"What!" Griffin cried out in confusion. "What do you mean we're already there?"
"This is Alderin," the dazed merchant replied.
"But isn't it called Highdale?"
"The humans changed the name to Highdale."
"Why didn't you change the name back?" Cold questioned now. "Are you hiding something?"
The merchant grinned, his smile looking more demonic than warm when paired with his cloudy, emotionless eyes. "Yes! We are hiding half of Alderin."
Griffin frowned. "Half of Alderin?"
The merchant nodded. "We are currently in Altchim-Alderin. The entrance to the other half, Kachim-Alderin, is hidden."
"And why's that?" Cold prodded.
Murkendör shrugged. "I don't know. Our Lord forbade us to speak of it with outsiders."
"Where is Kachim-Alderin located?" Griffin asked.
Murkendör shrugged. "I don't know."
He doesn't know?
Griffin wanted to shout at the merchant, demand he answer the question truthfully, but the spriggan could clearly see that Murkendör's eyes still held that same clouded daze, showing that Cold's magic was still in effect. The merchant was telling the truth.
"So, what now?" Griffin asked Cold, frustration adding a bit of a growl to his voice.
"Given up already?" the naiad mocked. "Just because your question wasn't answered, doesn't mean you still can't glean more information." Cold turned back to Murkendör. "Who knows where Kachim-Alderin is located?"
"The oldest phoenix in the city would know—Crazy Kïanë."
"Where can we find her?" Cold pressed.
"The Upper Markets." Murkendör suddenly frowned and clutched his head. Griffin noticed that the cloudiness in his eyes had thinned. "Ask any merchant. They'll know where..." The phoenix trailed off, frown deepening.
"Time to go." Cold whipped out a dagger and slashed it at the merchant's throat.
"Wait, no!"
Griffin blasted the dagger aside with a clumsy sphere of magic a split second before it could complete its lethal task. The merchant stumbled back, head in hands as he fought the fogginess.
"What are you doing?" Cold snapped, fury raising her voice. "We'll be caught within seconds once my magic fully wears off!"
"That doesn't mean you have to kill him!" Griffin argued. He gestured at the crowded tent. "And aren't there too many witnesses anyway?"
"Most customers are paying more attention to the wares than the merchant. And I was keeping track of who was watching."
Griffin threw up his hands. "What were you gonna do—kill them as well?!?"
"What were you expecting when you invited a killer into your band?" Cold shot back.
"You're a prisoner, not a member," Griffin retorted.
"I see no chains."
Griffin glared at the naiad. "No killing."
"Fine," the naiad relented, rolling her eyes. "Do it your way then. Ol' Murkendör's lucid now, by the way."
YOU ARE READING
The Land of Green and Gold Part II: Silence
Fantasy*On hiatus until the rewrite for book 1 "Flight" is finished. Also note that chapters 1-19 are being rewritten and will actually form the final part of book 1* Long ago there were humans and a magical people called Elder. The humans despised the El...
