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Elias of Eradal Chapter 3
If Elias had planned for a simple and quiet trip, guided into the swamps then the mountains, then Avi and Kole were certainly the foil to those plans. The farther along their road they continued, the more the two of them nettled at each other like an old married couple; similar to Elias's first encounter with the both of them.
Avi continually shocked Elias with his colorful vocabulary for a boy of his age. As the trail wore on him, the young thief pestered his long-time companion incessantly with questions about the road they were on, the people they passed, and sharp commentary on Kole's brief answers. The broad-shouldered swordsman, however, gave as good as he got, with biting quips that often sailed far over poor Avi's head.
"Kole, why'd e ave two swords and you only got one?" Avi asked after they passed a particularly well-armed and armored individual that scarcely acknowledged them on the road.
Kole responded without a moments' thought "One for each head of the Worath, no doubt."
The Worath, Elias knew was a mythical multi-headed creature whose ceaseless whispering drove men mad once they had looked upon it. Avi of course missed the parallel and simply frowned in response. Elias wasn't sure whether he should feel bad for young Avi's ignorance or be impressed with Kole's surprisingly broad knowledge. Or perhaps neither, as he later deemed the more prudent option. His traveling companions were a means to an end. The less that he became involved with or invested in them, the better.
"There's a pool nearby." Kole informed them both one morning as they were making ready to set out once more. It was less than a day's travel more to Brilling and all three of them were ready to see civilization again, though none were willing to admit it. "We should take the chance to clean off the dust of the road before we reach the city."
Yet again, Kole surprised Elias. When he had first encountered the course brooding man at the tavern in Erania, cleanliness had seemed like the last thing he would be concerned with.
"How do you know?" Elias asked with a frown.
Kole glanced sidelong at him, a flicker of annoyance in his amber eyes. "It's not the first time I've traveled this way."
Predictably, Avi was the only one to take issue with this plan. "I don't need a wash." He insisted, shouldering his small pack and striding confidently toward the road.
"I wasn't planning to give names." Kole remarked dryly, overtaking Avi with a single long stride and casually hooking the small boy in with one arm as easily as he might corral a young lamb. "But you in particular are why I recommend the stop."
Avi glowered up at Kole but apparently knew better than to respond. Not for the first time, Elias wondered where the dynamic between the two of them had come from.
The pool that Kole mentioned was only a short jaunt from where they had camped, and it proved to be quite a pleasant spot. A cool creek flowed through a natural culvert, ending in a miniature waterfall into a shallow basin. The entire area was well shrouded by evergreens and shrubs, making it the perfect place for a private dip.
Of course, the only problem was that Elias's two travelling companions apparently held different ideas about privacy. Elias discovered this quickly when Avi, after a shout of excitement, immediately began shedding articles of clothing. Kole followed suit at a more measured pace, unlacing his simple leather armor and then pulling his shirt over his head.
Elias turned away in embarrassment just as Avi began to let his trousers fall, obviously heedless of the noble modesty that Elias was accustomed to.
"Now hold on a moment." Elias called out somewhat indignantly, with his back to the small pool.
Kole barked a short laugh as Elias heard him fiddling with his belt. Avi though had no idea the reason for the interruption.
"El is embarrassed." Kole explained to the small boy. "Doesn't want to see your tiny pecker."
"Fack off." Avi retorted in annoyance. Elias heard a splash that suggested Avi had jumped into the little pool already.
"Either get in or don't." Kole said simply. "No one's judging... much." This was followed by more sloshing of water. Obviously Kole had now waded into the pool as well.
Elias heard Avi laughing and splashing and decided to risk a look behind him. Kole was in the water up to his waist and Avi was crouching down keeping just his head above water, giggling and making gentle splashes at Kole.
"C'mon El!" Avi encouraged. "Shake a leg."
Scowling, Elias dropped his pack and satchel and removed his coat. Carefully he took the belt off that held much of his spellcasting ingredients. Taking a deep breath, he knelt and put a hand to the dew-moistened ground.
Murmuring a few words, he rose to his feet once more and began to unbutton his shirt. A light fog seemed to slowly rise up from the ground as Elias continued undressing. It thickened and grew more opaque but did not rise above about waist height. By the time Elias had removed his boots and slipped out of his trousers, the fog was dense and impossible to see through. It hovered around Elias, his own personal cloud.
Kole gave a scoffing laugh when he saw what was happening, but Elias ignored him. Even though he knew they could not see through his cover, it felt very strange being naked in front of two people that, realistically speaking, he barely knew.
"Wow..." Avi stared with an impressed giggle. No matter how many times he witnessed magic it always seemed to catch the young thief off guard.
Elias waded into the pool, trying to mask his timidity with his usual air of confidence. The water was cool but not too cold to stand. Once Elias got far enough out, he sank gently into the water and the fog dissipated gradually.
"You're almost as scrawny as Avi." Kole commented, shaking his head. "And you look a lot younger without all that fancy getup of yours."
It was true and Elias knew it. His wardrobe was to some degree designed to give him an aura of importance and maturity. For too long Elias had been looked down on and underestimated because of his age. For Kole to pick up on this though was less than comforting. Elias fixed his face in what was meant to be a sour look and did not respond.
Kole shrugged and began splashing water into his hair and face. Elias did the same, eager to be washed and dressed as quickly as possible. Strangely enough however, he found his eyes drawn to Kole on more than one occasion. To say the young man's physique was impressive would have been an understatement. His muscles were clearly defined from his arms to his shoulders to his abs. Kole was thinner at the waist than at his shoulders which gave his entire body a slight taper.
Splashing water into his face and shaking his head, Elias pushed the thoughts out of his head. There was no reason for him to be examining Kole in that way.
Despite his protesting from earlier, Avi was clearly enjoying the little pool more than either of the other two. He dunked his head under the water and splashed about happily.
When Elias decided he was clean again he raised the same fog out of the water and used it as cover to remove himself from the pool. Even though the day was warm, he was immensely glad to have his clothing back on him again. He certainly didn't like feeling that vulnerable in front of Kole and Avi.
The other two exited the water as well and once again Elias made a point of standing with his back to them. They might not care about their privacy, but Elias did. However, some part of his brain badgered him to take a peek over his shoulder. Scowling angrily, he silenced the little voice and began walking back toward the road.
The three of them took up the walk toward Brilling once more. With the sun bearing down on them, Avi opted to keep his loose shirt draped around his neck instead of putting it back on all the way. He was thin to be sure, but not quite as bony as Elias would have expected from a street urchin. Obviously, the boy was not starving and had been able to find enough food back in Erania to sustain him. Elias wondered if maybe Kole had something to do with that.
They made excellent time that day and passed the small farming communities outside the city in the mid-afternoon. Before nightfall they were at the gates of Brilling.
"We should replenish our supplies and then find a place to rest." Elias stated firmly as they moved into the crowded city streets.
Kole waved off his suggestion. "That can wait till tomorrow. We'll find a pub with drinks and beds. Kill two birds with one stone."
"Which two birds would those be exactly?" Elias asked with a raised eyebrow.
Kole responded with a smirk. "Finding a place to sleep and getting drunk."
Elias scoffed. "Avi is missing." He pointed out casually.
Looking around, Kole's face darkened into a frown. He shook his head. "Up to old habits no doubt."
Elias was going to ask what Kole meant when he spotted Avi on the other side of the street. From his angle, Elias was easily able to watch Avi dip his hand into a pocket of a vendor while he pretended to ogle his wares and emerge with a small coin purse. Quick as a flash Avi slipped away into the crowd, disappearing from view for a moment.
"Beg pardon m'lord." Elias heard the familiar voice from much closer than he would have thought possible. Avi was only a few feet away now and had `accidentally' bumped into a well-dressed man who seemed to be in a hurry. Keeping his eyes downcast to look contrite, Avi continued on his way. As soon as the man was past him, his sorrowful countenance fell away, and a gleam came to his eye. He grinned to himself as he tossed a much fatter coin purse into the air and caught it with his other hand.
Kole caught onto the young thief's arm and hauled him in. "Maybe keep your hands to yourself until we're ready to leave the city." He spoke coldly.
Avi tucked the purse away and pouted. Elias was appalled. "You need to give that back!" He insisted, pointing in the direction the man had gone. "You can't just take things from people when they're not looking."
"'e was lookin'" Avi insisted. "'e just didn't see."
Elias looked after the man, but he was already gone. "Can't you remember what happened when you tried to steal from me?" He demanded angrily.
"But... `e weren't a wizard..." Avi pointed out in genuine confusion.
"I should report you to the guard..." Elias declared, incensed by Avi's nonchalance with his crime.
"Come off it, El." Kole cut in, exasperated. "That gent had more than enough to go around. Avi was just evening the score a little. But..." His voice turned serious as he swiveled his glare to Avi. "If you get us run out of town before we've had time to resupply, or more importantly, before I've had time for a pint, I'll wring your neck."
Avi smiled placatingly and offered the smaller of the two purses he had lifted to Elias.
Glowering in disapproval at the both of them, Elias turned up his nose and strode past them. Kole swept the purse out of the boy's open palm before Avi could react.
Kole led them to an out-of-the-way tavern that was far from luxurious but at least significantly nicer than the place where Elias had first encountered the man.
"A little more expensive." Kole told the other two. "But the other places I had in mind might offend milord's sensibilities." He smiled cheekily at Elias.
It was a jovial and boisterous atmosphere inside. Not as clean as Elias would have liked, but at least the cliental did not seem likely to try to rob them at knifepoint. The old barkeep meandered up to them as they took places on some of the high stools.
"Ale for me. Strong as you like." Kole began. "What's your drink, El?"
Elias sighed. He had not been planning to have anything, but they were already here. Eventually he shrugged. "Do you have any Trovian reds?"
Both the barman and Kole looked at him as if he had grown a second head, then Kole broke out laughing. The bartender smiled uncertainly. "The same as mine for him." Kole told the man, who nodded gratefully.
"Trovian reds..." Kole shook his head still laughing to himself. "You really are a class-a twat, aren't you?"
Elias should have been more offended by this but the amiable and familiar way that Kole dropped the insult left him more confused than angry. "What? Is it so crazy to expect a proper wine?"
"Um..." Kole laughed again and made a circular motion with his finger, encompassing the room. "Yes, that's crazy. I swear El, you're as clueless as Avi sometimes."
"Hey!" Their pint-sized companion objected, more out of principle than actual offense. Elias noticed that Avi had come up with a half-full mug of dark liquid from somewhere and was holding it in both hands, sipping gingerly and making a face each time.
"Avi, where did you get that?" Kole demanded, reaching for the tankard.
Avi leaned away from his grasp and shrugged. He set the heavy mug down on the bar top next to him, just before a man sauntered up to the bar and reclaimed it.
"You weren't gonna get me one..." Avi answered Kole's glare.
"You don't need one." Kole replied darkly as their drinks arrived. "The last thing I need is you getting sick and making a scene."
Avi scowled and crossed his arms petulantly.
Elias was not accustomed to the taste of ale. His palate was more suited for the rich and subtle flavors of imported wines. The harsh bitter bite of the dark brown liquid made him wince.
"You'll get used to it." Kole chuckled, taking a heavy swig.
"You lads in town for the tourney then?" The barman asked as he wiped out a mug with an already too-dirty cloth.
Kole made a disinterested grunt as he set his mug down. "Is that going on now? I'd forgotten."
"Every year." The barman grinned. "I just assumed. Apologies."
"What tourney is this?" Elias asked, braving a few more sips of the drink in front of him.
"The city of Brilling is home to the Grand Tournament of Eradal." Kole explained. "You've heard of it of course?"
Elias nodded. Everyone had heard of the Grand Tournament, he just had not realized that this otherwise simple looking city was where it was hosted. Knights and nobility from all over the Five Kingdoms, and sometimes beyond, gathered for the tourney to test themselves.
"The first joust starts tomorrow." A man seated at Elias's elbow spoke up. "Half the city will be there, though it's hardly the show it used to be."
The bartender chuckled. "Still sore about that, Ebner?"
"It's true." The patron insisted. "Sir Tybalt brought in the crowds and the money. You know he did."
"'oo's Sir T... Tibbert...?" Avi asked curiously, stealing a sip from Kole's drink while he wasn't looking.
The grizzled old regular smiled as though he was waiting for them to ask. "Sir Tybalt is a Calonian Knight who could unhorse anyone in the joust and outdo anyone in the melee. He's the best the Five Kingdoms has to offer."
Kole snorted a laugh and the man looked offended. "Don't you mean `was'? Certainly dead and gone by now."
The man shook his head adamantly. "No, no. He's alive. Just... gone..."
"Gone where?" Elias raised an eyebrow.
Kole breathed another quieter laugh. "He disappeared four or five years ago. Disgraced the whole family. Probably just got drunk and fell off his horse into the river or something. Typical noble house gossip from people without enough to worry about." He gave the man at the bar a pointed look.
"Bah." He scoffed, waving off Kole's words. "He'll be back. You'll see."
Rolling his eyes, Kole shook his head and returned to his drink. Elias did the same though his pace was much slower. Kole drained his full pint before Elias had finished more than half his first.
Elias had to admit that, after so long on the road it was nice to be able to relax a little bit, even if it was in a seedy place like this. At the back of his mind though, he couldn't help but picture the mysterious sleeping beast that his vision had warned him about. How much time did they have until it woke? Every hour could mean the difference. He tried not to think about that by finishing off his drink and ordering a second.
An hour or two passed and Elias neared the end of his second pint while Kole was on his fourth. Avi, who had been stealing occasional sips from Kole's drinks when he could, had laid his head down on the bar and gone to sleep.
With a pleasant tingling in his head and his inhibitions lowered, Elias finally decided to ask the question that he had been pondering for some time.
"So, how did you and Avi come to know one another?"
Kole's brow furrowed and he blinked several times; possibly due to his mild intoxication or perhaps because this was the first personal question that Elias had ever asked of him. It took him a moment to respond. "Much the same way you and he met. He tried to rob me." Kole chuckled at the memory. "That was almost three years ago now. He wasn't nearly as good at it then." He looked at the sleeping boy next to him.
Elias nodded. He probably should have guessed as much. Collecting his thoughts was difficult in his current mental state but he did his best to put it into words. "But... Why? Why did you not just turn him in and be done with it?" This was a question Elias had asked himself on more than one occasion and was glad to hear that he was not alone in his decision.
With a heavy shrug Kole finished his pint and held up a hand for the barman. "Another here." He turned his increasingly unfocused eyes back to Elias. "Why would I? Avi has nothing. Has always had nothing as far as I can tell. We don't talk about it." He paused and frowned in thought. "No, that's not true."
Elias's mouth twisted in confusion. "What isn't?"
"I didn't help him because of what he lacks, but because of what he has. Something that's long dead in most of us, especially anyone's lived a life half as hard as his." Kole continued. "Optimism. Innocence."
Elias was nodding without realizing it. Kole's words made sense and seemed to explain that strange feeling of guilt he had felt when trying to convince himself to hand Avi over to the watchmen in Erania.
"Call it simplicity if you like." Kole added. "But he thinks differently than most. Stealing a man's coin to him is the same as finding it on the ground. Taking what he needs is just a part of life. As you've seen yourself, nothing could teach him otherwise, not even getting caught. It's something like a game."
A contemplative silence fell between them as Elias considered what Kole had said. His strict set of morals told him that Avi should be subject to the same laws as all other citizens of Eradal, and yet... He remembered the boy's look of sincere confusion when he had confronted him in the market early about his stealing. Even in the short time he had known Avi, he knew that the small youth usually wore his emotions on his face clear as day. Avi genuinely didn't understand.
"And so..." Kole broke the silence with a bit of a slur to his voice. "After a while of trying... you give up. I do my best to keep him from the dungeons. But when he sees an easy mark..." He looked pointedly at Elias. "I just have to hope they can't work magic."
Elias snorted a laugh at this and Kole cracked an inebriated grin. "Looking after him like that..." Elias spoke haltingly. "I suppose it's... somewhat noble of you... in its own way."
Setting his mug down heavily on the bar, Kole leaned away from Elias and raised both eyebrows while cocking his head in shock. "Elias Val-something son of... whoever. Was that a compliment?"
Immediately, Elias's nose curled in distaste. Wordlessly he finished the last of his drink and clunked it down on the bar top. "A room for the night." He spoke to the barman passing over several coins. "He can settle the drinks." He jerked his head in Kole's direction.
Kole laughed but didn't respond as Elias took the key to his room and ascended the stairs at the back of the bar.