Dennis McKiernan: The Dragonstone

Shortly the tavernkeep came back to the table, and Alos avidly reached out both of his liver-spotted hands to eagerly take the mug. Again he quickly drained it and once more fingered up the remaining froth of foam. He ardently looked at the Dylvana in anticipation and smiled his yellow-brown snag-toothed smile, but his face fell as she shook her head and waved Tryg away and said, "We will talk first and then perhaps have some more ale."

"But, mum, I could talk better if-"

Aiko's hand struck viper-swift across the table and snatched the old man by his still damp wrist. "Kojiki, you will address her as 'Lady' or as 'Dara,' " she hissed. As if to underscore her words, a thunderbolt cracked the night sky, light flaring through the window, Aiko's face standing out in bold relief.

The old man whined and tried to pull back, to no avail.

"Aiko," came the Dylvana's soft words. "Let be."

Roughly, Aiko pushed Alos's arm away, and the old man pulled back his sleeve and rubbed his age-marked skin and looked for damage, finding none.

"This unclean yodakari cannot be the one," said Aiko, turning her dark gaze to the Elf.

The Dylvana shook her head. "Aiko, we know it not."

After a moment Aiko looked away, her black eyes impassive again.

The Dylvana reached across to pat Alos's hand, but the old man flinched back. She withdrew the gesture and instead took up her wine cup and stared into its depths as if seeking something within. At last she lowered the cup to the table and said, "I am called Arin, and my companion's name is Aiko. We have journeyed far to reach Morkfjord… perhaps to see thee."

Alos nodded, but his one good eye was on her nearly full wine cup as she absently turned it about and about.

"Tell me, Alos, art thou the only one-eyed person in the steading?"

Momentarily taken aback, he looked up at her, his white eye seeming to glare. Then he grinned gap-toothed and said, "As far as I know, mu-er, Lady Arin."

At this answer, Arin glanced at Aiko, but the warrior woman just shook her head and said nothing. Arin gazed back at Alos. The old man's good eye was once again locked on her wine cup. Arin put her palm down over the top, and a look of resigned disappointment fell upon Alos's face as he blew out through his lips and looked up at her.

Arin leaned back in her chair, away from the oldster. He smells like a wet goat and his rank breath could knock a camel off its feet. He is filthy and dirt smeared and probably hasn't seen soap and water in a year or more. Even so, he could be the one, for there seems to be no other choice, at least not in this village.

"Dost thou know of any other one-eyed person living nearby? Mayhap in another steading?"

He shook his head and muttered, "None I know, Lady Arin."

"Thy blind eye, Alos, there is scar tissue all about, as if burned long past. Pray tell, if it bothers thee not to speak of it, how came thee to be blind?"

Flinching, Alos looked down and covered his white eye with his right hand, "I take it you are looking for someone one-eyed, mu-er, Lady Arin, true?" He lowered his hand to the table and stared at her with his white eye. "If it's to give a reward, then I'm your man; if it's to reap one, I'm not him."

Arin smiled. "Thine accent, Alos, it does not sound Fjordlander to mine ear."

"I'm Tholian by birth, from th' Long Coast." Alos glanced at his empty mug and at Tryg, then asked in a plaintive voice, with a hint of whine in overtone, "Lady, could we have another nip?"

His eyes widened as Arin pushed her cup across to him, for seldom did wine come his way. He held the nearly full cup to his nose and savored the aroma; perhaps it was some of Tryg's best, her being a Lady and all, and an Elf at that. In two gulps it was gone, its warmth filling his belly and spreading outward. Smacking his lips he ran his licking-finger around and down into the bottom of the cup, searching for a leftover drop or two.

Her black eyes glittering in the lamplight, Aiko stared impassively at the dirt-streaked old man as he slurped at his digit, grime embedded under the split nail.

"Ah. From the Long Coast of Thol," said Arin. "Yes, I recognize thine accent now. But how came thee to be here in Morkfjord?"

Alos blew out a long breath and leaned slightly up on one hip and noisily passed gas, then peered about as if to find the miscreant. A look of disgust fell across Aiko's face and she wrinkled her nose and glanced at Arin and raised an eyebrow, but Arin merely shook her head slightly.

"My ship, uh… foundered," replied Alos. "Yes… foundered."

Arin waited for him to continue, to elaborate, but he said no more.

Lightning flared as Alos looked into the wine cup, searching, and thunder rolled as he shoved the empty cup aside and shifted his gaze to his leftover ale mug. His good eye widened and he tilted the mug up to catch one more drop of brew on his tongue, while rain drummed on the roof of the tavern. He smacked his lips and emitted a belch-a bubble of frothy spittle appeared at the corner of his mouth, which he quickly sucked back in.

Aiko looked away in disgust, but Arin took a deep breath and leaned forward. "Alos, 'tis no accident we are here with thee."

"Here? In the Cove? With me?" Alos's good eye widened then narrowed. "How did you know I would be here?"

Arin shrugged. "We asked about. They said thou wouldst likely be making the rounds of the taverns and there are only three. This one is closest to thy… sleeping place."

Alos finger-combed at the long wet strings of white hair fringing his bald top and he smoothed his scraggly beard. He tugged at the lapels of his damp cloak, straightening it. Then he looked at Arin. "Well now, you came to talk with me personally?"

Arin nodded. "Perhaps." She glanced at Aiko, then back at Alos and said, "We come on a mission, and it seems as if thou art part and parcel of it."

Aiko sighed.

The oldster's watery brown eye widened, and he glanced Tryg's way. Then he smiled his yellow-brown grin and turned toward Arin. "A mission, you say? And with me in it? Well anow, let's have some more wine-or even brandy, eh?-while you tell me about this mission, aye? It needn't be the best brandy, or even the best wine. In fact, it could be mere ale, what with-"

There came above the storm the cry of voices, and the dock shuddered as if struck a blow. Tryg stepped 'round the end of the bar and toward the door, but both Olar and Yngli were there before him.

" 'Tis a ship," called Yngli, peering out into the rain. "Tyin' up now."

"Who be it, eh?" asked Tryg.

"Ship's lanterns or no, I can't tell," replied Yngli. "Too dark in this blasted rain."

"Some o' them be comin' this way," said Olar, "carryin' somethin' or some'n on a litter."

"Here now, step back," commanded Tryg. "They be comin' to th' Cove."

Aiko was on her feet, her swords in hand. Arin, too, was standing, though her hands were empty. Behind them Alos scrabbled back and away and crawled under a table in a far dark corner.

Through the door came a large, burly man, helmed and cloaked, fleece vest and leather pants and buskins beneath. He carried a lantern and behind him came two more men, these bearing an unconscious fourth.

"Orri!" cried Yngli. "Y'r back."

"Some'n fetch th' healer," called the burly man as he set aside the lantern and swept the mugs from the bar. "Lay him here, lads," he ordered the two bearers. As they hefted the litter to the plank, the large man's gaze fell upon Yngli. "You, Yngli. Run get Thar. Damned Jutes; Egil took a sword cut from th' duke's brother-killed him dead for it, though-but th' wound ha' fevered him."

"Right, Orri!" Yngli gulped down the last of his ale, then snatched up his cloak and Orri's lantern and dashed away on his errand.