The Royal Garkrid

Danakan pulled her cloak tight in an attempt to hold back the inevitable soaking as the clouds opened over Teral. She passed quickly through the open city streets, sensibly avoiding the eaves of buildings and the mini rivers pouring over their sides. Though she had never been to her destination she knew exactly where it was, everyone in the city did. The Royal Garkrid was the largest tavern that served traders and other folk not of the Teralin Clan; it sat right across from the city’s grand market square. She breathed a sigh of relief as the building’s algae stained walls came into view, gratefully darting inside just as the heavens sought to drown the last fubarnii caught out in the spring rains. As the warmth of the tavern hit her, a chill scurried up her spine and she did her best to wipe the rain from her face. She sighed heavily and penetrated the smoky atmosphere searching out her guide. Muri, Danakan’s new aide, had described the wizened trader as a bellicose individual, given to outlandish claims. Used to the formality of government, she was not looking forward to this encounter, let alone travelling for many months with this ″character″. Danakan stood in the middle of the tavern, unable to catch the eye of any trader, unwilling to start asking around, when she noticed a steady gaze amongst the smoke. A large old fubarnii sat, deeply inhaling from a small smoke bowl and as Danakan slowly crept forwards, his face split into a beaming smile. The trader stood, yanking Danakan’s satchel from her nervous grip and discarding it on the cluttered table. Firmly grasping her wrist the trader hauled her forwards into a crushing hug, heavily patting her on the back. “The name’s Tonri,” he chuckled, inviting the stunned Danakan to a seat. “W-why thank you, I humbly…” “This is not the place for posh speeches, it’s a place for drinking and the meeting of friends. And, I can tell we will be such friends Dankan,” erupted Tonri in a warm manner. “It - it’s Danakan,” she squeaked. “Of course it is! And I am to be your guide to this continent of ours. I must admit that I am surprised that one of your clan is up for the challenge, but it is not my place to question your motives or choices.” Tonri gave her a knowing wink, “I always think a true fubarnii should say it as they see it,” he exclaimed as he slid a tankard across the table. “Err yes. I am, eager to see my task done.” Tonri smiled once again. “I understand your caravan is to pass beyond the mountains and head out across the wastes to the east.” The trader rolled his eyes as if about to explain something to a child. “You do not lightly cross the wastes, there is death waiting for the unwary.” At this Danakan looked surprised. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a scroll. Unfurling it to show an ornately decorated map of the surrounding lands. Danakan smoothed out the parchment and tapped a spot close to the centre of the wastes. “But I though we would pass through the centre following the road to Genera and…” A sharp intake of breath cut her short, all sign of joviality dropped from the traders face. He glanced over his shoulder before leaning in. “We do not say that name.” Danakan could see that Tonri was choosing his words deliberately. “That is a… cursed place. We do not say its name.” An uneasy silence wrapped the seated figures in its grip and both sat hushed and withdrawn. Danakan shook her head and wisely decided to change the subject. “So we shall travel to the… south of the wastes?” Tonri’s face once again split into a grin, nodding as he drew a deep draft through his pipe. “That must take a good few months of travelling,” she sighed inwardly, “but I’m sure it’s the best route.” “That it is… and the safest. Not that you need concern yourself with such matters when travelling in the company of Tonri, Master Trader of the Kanill family.” The trader’s chest expanded almost to the point of bursting. “I am from old trader stock and we long ago learnt that only a fool is unable to defend themselves when on the road.” Unsurprisingly this caught Danakan’s attention for she had been wondering how to broach the subject without causing offence. Tonri smiled as he saw the courtier relax, slapping his fellow drinker across the shoulder, causing her to spill her drink. “Why on the way here my caravan was attacked by devanu!” This did it, Danakan had just taken a sip of her beverage and swallowed, choking over his words. Tonri, clearly enjoyed playing with this funny little fubarnii. “Yes, we had just passed through the worst of the mountains when the skerrats started clicking excitedly. The slingers proved their worth drawing around the herd, bearing arms in the blink of an eye.” Danakan slowly stopped wiping her drink from her face, drawn in to the trader’s tale. “All of a sudden, to the rear of the caravan the undergrowth seemed to come alive as a pack of lean young devanu leapt forth, charging towards the herd accompanied by their hunting beasts. The slingers stood firm, wielding their staff slings while they valiantly charged a pair of jenta, quickly bringing their numbers to bear and forcing the devanu back. “Unfortunately we had not considered the cunning of our attackers and another jenta announced its presence at the front of the column by running one of my belan handlers through with a spear. The damn beast had hurled it, would you believe!” The table shook as Tonri banged his fist against the surface repeatedly as if to emphasise his point. “Well I wasn’t going to suffer any more so I drove my enuk forwards, staff raised as a club. I hoped to dash that beast’s brains in before it could hurl another spear. But, it was too darn swift and I glimpsed another sail past my head, hearing the distant honk of a wounded belan. As I drew near the raptor it saw me coming and jinked out the way. My staff connected on thin air but the surprised devanu lost its footing and tumbled, sending myself and my mount crashing to the rocky soil.” Tonri lightly tapped a welt across the right side of his brow. “Whatever happened next?” quizzed the stunned Danakan. Tonri grinned once again, making the most of her rapt attention. “Well, I lashed out as much as I could, barely holding the beast back, my valiant steed kicking out at my attacker. Scrabbling to its clawed feet the jenta darted from my reach and slowly plucked another spear from its rough scabbard. Drawing back it went to hurl my doom when the spearheads of my herders plunged through its chest, for they had dealt with their own attackers ruthlessly and rushed to my aid.” Tonri sat back, clacking the end of his pipe in his beak, pleased with his tale. Danakan looked at the trader in a new light. “Well I hope that I shall never have to see such seeming bravery on my own ventures!”

Source: The Twilight Traveller Issue 1