I walked out of Daggerford as the sun was rising, stopping occasionally to make sure that I wasn’t being followed. Getting away from the house had been simple enough. I climbed out onto the roof and carefully made my down ever decreasing levels until I was barely higher than street level and then dropped onto the frost kissed cobblestones. I decided to head east first, and then backtrack in a wide arc to make sure that if I spotted anyone taking the same circuitous route, they were probably taking their directions from me. I saw no-one and started to breathe more easily as I picked up my pace.
Once out of the town I walked over the brow of the hill, now dusted with ice, looking for all of the world like one of the Healers Wife’s sweetcakes, fresh out of the over, sprinkled with fine sugar.
Soon enough I came to a fork in the road, exactly as described by the Master and turned into the thick forest, leaving the path behind me I headed straight for the Tor, just visible through the trees as instructed. After about a mile the forest thinned out and I stumbled into a clearing, calm in the morning sun, cold from the season, the only noise was bird song and a bubbling brook tumbling over rocks. There was a horse, loosely tied to a tree near the clear water, a bed roll, but no sign of anyone.
“Ho!” Came a deep voice from behind me. “And well met, Halfling!”
I jumped so much; I swear I was in danger of leaving my skin behind.
“I thought you folks didn’t feel fear!” The voice broke into a hearty laugh.
“Well, I mean, we don’t.” I snapped as I turned around to face him. “You must be Berad! Here, I have brought what you asked for, and I want payment.” I am normally a very happy person, but he had startled me. And, in truth, I wanted the scroll as far from me as possible.
The huge man laughed uproariously and stepped into the thin Autumn light.
“That is rich little man!” He cried heartily. “We are here to help each other, I think. I mean you no harm, and you should not me.” He walked over to the small camp that he had made. “Come little one.” He sat down heavily. “It is still early, and I have not yet breakfasted.”
“Well, it’s nearly lunch time.” I sniffed, “I could join you for a bite, I suppose.” And I sat on the opposite side of the small fire. The huge man looked at me with a smile in his eyes.
“Here,” I said, as I reached into my tunic and withdrew the scroll. “This is for you.”
I handed him the scroll and watched as his eyes went wide for a second and then relaxed back into a smile. He looked across at me and then leaned forward to take the rolled parchment. Without a word, and without looking at it further he stowed it into one of the big leather bags to his side. He took some rabbit from the spit across the fire and ate heartily. Never taking his eyes from me. I started to grow impatient. Having finished the bread and cheese that he offered me, I started to get up.
“Where are you going little rabbit?” He asked.
“Do you have the information that I was promised?” I replied. “I am looking for my Pappa, who is a halfling Lord and my brother. The Guild Master said that you had some idea of their whereabouts.”
“Ah.” His smile dropped slightly as he threw the chewed bone into the fire. “No, I do not know where they are.” He looked across at my crestfallen face. “But take heart little one, I do know where we can find out such things. And I am at a loose end, so it will be my pleasure to accompany you on this hunt.” He smiled again. “By all that is of the Night, you look like you could do with some protection, crashing through the forest like that.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I shot back. “I can be as quiet as a goblin that has drawn it’s last breath, as my brother used to say, when needs be.”
He laughed uproariously, slapping his huge chain covered flanks. “Yes rabbit, I’m sure you can.” He rocked back tears streaming from his eyes.
He suddenly stopped and sat bolt upright. Sensing something also, I dropped down and looked around the glade. I could see nothing, but there was something amiss. Trees were moving altogether in the wrong way and…
“To me little rabbit!” Cried the huge man, “Get behind me.” And with his enormous hand he swept me to his side and drew a huge black mace from beneath his cloak. At that moment four figures emerged from the brush. Three were clad in fine burnished plate mail with long flowing cloaks of gold and armed with broadswords. Their shields were emblazoned with the same crest and arms that were on the scrolls seal. The fourth man was dressed in scruffy leather armour, which, given the state it was in, I didn’t think would stop anything more than a few harsh words. The lead knight stepped forward and drove the tip of his sword into the soft earth.
“Hold!” He cried out. “What is your business here?”
Before the mercenary could answer, the smaller man tugged at the knight’s cloak and pointed at me. “That’s him sire. That’s the thief I’ve been tracking.”
“Thief!” I spluttered. I didn’t recognise the leather clad ruffian; I certainly hadn’t seen him around the town. But he called me a thief. Well, I wasn’t going to let that stand.
Before I could say anything, I heard: “You were followed it seems little rabbit.” The mercenary was looking down at me. “A shame for these knights I think.” He turned his attention to the one that had addressed him. “Our business here is our own affair. What say you Sir Knight? Should we seek permission of the Kings Guard to stop and gnaw on some rabbit bones now?”
“You have that which belongs to my Lord.” Replied the knight. “And I would have it returned!”
“I have no such thing.” Berad laughed. “Unless you mean my little friend here.” He motioned to me. “And you can’t have him.”
With that, the Kings Guard Captain hefted his sword from the ground and took a step towards us. Berad stepped forward and slowly moved the mace in a graceful arc, connecting with the knight’s outstretched blade. And then something really strange happened. It was if night had suddenly fallen over the clearing. The darkness was as unnatural as it was sudden. I felt someone grip me and lift me onto a saddle and then climb up behind me. There was no sound, I couldn’t hear the four newcomers, I wondered if they were dead, or asleep. But the horse I was on took off and we were quickly away through the darkness.
The darkness cleared almost as soon as we left the glade. I looked over my shoulder to see Berad, grim faced, guiding his mount through the forest.
“Are they dead?” I asked.
“Would that bother you?” He replied.
“Well, they were only doing their job.” I said. “I would be a bit sad if they were dead.”
“Well, fret not little rabbit, they are only asleep.” He winked at me.
“Are you a wizard?” I looked at him a little awestruck, he laughed again, his face creasing into a huge smile.
“No.” He chuckled. “It is a pretty little trick that I was taught years ago. It comes in useful now and then.” And with that we cantered on through the forest.
Soon we had found the road and as the light of the morning stretched into afternoon, we moved further away from Daggerford and my home.
We rode for some time, mostly staying off the main roads when we could and camping in wooded areas to make sure that our position was unlikely to be reported back to the Kings Guard. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too sure why Berad was hiding. I knew that I was probably a wanted man in Daggerford. Whoever that snitch thief had been, he hadn’t kept it to himself as to who I was, and what I had taken. That thought made it all the way down from my brain and settled in the pit of my stomach like a big grey rock. But Berad seemed cheerful enough for the both of us.
We did have a scare on the second night. Just as we were talking about stopping to make camp, we looked up to see that our way was blocked by three Guardsmen on horseback riding towards us.
‘They can’t be looking for us.’ I thought, ‘there’s no way a rider has passed us’. We had driven a relatively straight route to where we were. So, I looked down and away, not wanting to meet their gaze.
“Ho!” One of them called out. “Dismount for the Kings Guard.” Berad snarled something that I didn’t understand, but he sounded really angry as he pulled hard at his horse’s reins, wheeling the whinnying animal until we plunged into the woods to our left.
One of the knights must have been prepared for this; there was the unmistakable twang of a crossbow string being released shortly followed by the most incredible pressure in my side. I had an overwhelming urge to lie down and sleep, so I think that’s what I must have done.
When I awoke, who knows how much later, it was very dark, and I was lying on the ground on Berad’s cloak. As I came to, I could hear him talking very softly and holding a medallion in his left hand whilst his right was held over his heart. He stopped as soon as my eyes were open, tucked the effigy inside his tunic and turned to smile at me.
“Hello little rabbit,” he said gently, “you gave me quite the scare.”
I touched my side where the crossbow bolt must have speared me. I was healed! “You’re a cleric.” I whispered.
“I am,” he winked, “but let’s keep that to ourselves, shall we?”
“Is that why you wanted the scroll? But why would you want me to steal it? And why are the Kings Guard after you?”
“A halfling full of questions? And one that’s only just from death’s door at that!” He sat next to me and stoked the small fire to our side. “Save your strength. Sleep now. We will eat in the morning and I will answer your questions, for we are nearly where we need to be.”
“A cleric!” I said to myself, “One of those is more useful than a goblin in a blocked sewer, as my brother used to say.” And then closed my eyes and slept.
I woke to see Berad stoking the fire and roasting a large pigeon.
“I thought you might be sick of eating rabbit, little rabbit.” He grinned at his own joke. “Here.” He handed me a leather wine skin. “You’ve had a scare, a nasty one.” We ate and I looked around the small clearing where we were camped. In the corner I saw something that looked like a pile of bleached sticks, so whilst the Cleric was breaking camp I wondered over. It soon became apparent that the pile of wood was in fact the remains and bones of at least three people who had died, from what, I couldn’t tell, but there were a few things scattered around them that suggested a skirmish of sorts. Just to the side of one of them was a short bow and a quiver of arrows. ‘That might be a useful thing to learn’ I thought to myself, so I collected them up and gave the bow a couple of practice tugs.
“Little rabbit wants teeth!” Shouted Berad looking at me. And laughed as put the last of his things away and hauled the saddle back onto the horse. I blushed but kept the bow. “Careful with that little rabbit.” He said as we mounted. “Don’t want you sticking me now, do we?” And then he laughed again.
“Tell me where we’re going?” I asked as we set off. “You said that you would tell me how I can find my brother and my Pappa who is a Lord of somewhere, I think. And this will be the third days ride.”
“There is a mountain,” he said, “one we’re not far from now. And within, a huge temple of knowledge. Thousands of books, many of which tell of families all over the land, one in particular I think may interest you. It has the name and whereabouts of every halfling in these lands. I do not know for sure, but I think you will find your answers there. I know I will.”
“Why haven’t I heard of this temple of books, and why didn’t you just tell me about it when I have you the scroll?”
“Well, there is one snag. Deep within the stone mountain lies a mountain of gold and gems and sitting on top of all of that is the biggest dragon you ever did see.”
“Why do you think you’re Pappa is a Lord, little one?” Berad said gently. I think he mistook my slackened jaw for fear and was trying to distract me from thinking about the Dragon.
“I was born into the home of a healer that was known to my mother. In truth, I have never met my Father, but I think I know about him, just not who he is. One of my brothers works in the Smithy and never talks about him. I don’t think we have the same father. And the other, well, who knows where he is, I never knew him, he was gone before I could walk. My Mother died bringing me into this world. I think maybe he might still be sore about that.
“I was raised by the healer and his wife who took me into their home, out of pity more likely. But whenever the subject of my father came up, they started talking really fast about anything else. When I came of age, the Healer gave me a small piece of fabric for my birthday, on it was a coat of arms I had never seen before, and he said that my mother left it for me. You see? I think she left it so I could find my Pappa, he must be a lord, to have a coat of arms.” I stopped, now that I had said the words out aloud, they felt funny. But Berad started speaking as if to himself.
“I heard a story about a halfling lord in a town not a week’s ride from here. The story goes that he was very sad and lonely and looking for his family.” He shook his head. “No.” He said suddenly, “I’m not going to fill your head and heart with false ideas. Let’s go to this temple of knowledge and see what we can see.” He smiled benignly at me.
“But there’s a dragon?” I said excitedly. “And books?”
“And gold.” He smiled.
“Well yes, gold is nice and all. But books. And a dragon.”
