Honor: 25th Entry

I crumpled the parchment in my hand, holding it tightly as I turned to the road again. I leaped onto Terek’s back, took a quick look at the parchment in my hand, and set off down the road again. The road I was looking for had a name I recognized; I must have seen it at some point as I searched for Pabed Street. Now I just had to remember where.
As I tried to retrace my path back through town, I began to wonder just who it was that was sending me traipsing through town like this. I had the feeling this was not a trap; Borgan’s methods were well-thought out, but not so complicated. The opposite was more likely to be true, that whoever was sending me around was working against Borgan, and the convoluted method used to direct me was merely to throw off any pursuers. From all I had seen and heard, Borgan’s influence was widespread, so any attempt to combat him would have to be done with the utmost caution.
The attitude of the guard who admitted me into the city seemed to support this theory. Had he been an agent of Borgan it would have been much more practical to have eliminated me before I got loose in town. Instead I was left free to roam, and he even risked the chance that I would not listen to him and allow word to reach Borgan where I was. I was certain he was not one of Borgan’s men.
As I searched for the road, I realized there was not feeling any magical presence at all. Whoever had been pursuing me certainly had not been able to keep up, and now he had likely given up on pursuing me. That did mean that Borgan would know soon that I was in town and free, but he would not know where I was, and that was all that mattered.
I found Dal street quickly enough. Once again I found myself in a residential zone, making me wonder if I would only find another address for me here. This street, however, was an improvement over Pabed. Here, while the homes lining the road may not have been extravagant, they were nice-looking and well-kept. It appeared that here, unlike before, the place was not abandoned and occupied by the more competent of society
I moved quickly down the road to house number seven. Again I dismounted and ran to the door, using the brass knocker to pound on the door just once. If there had been another slip of parchment I would’ve dislodged it with that, but nothing came out. I reached to the door to knock again when it suddenly swung open.

Delay due to technical difficulties…

So, my laptop has been pretty much out of commission since last week. The battery had been having issues for a while and finally the charger gave out as well, essentially making it useless. I have managed to borrow chargers from people but only every now and then. I did finally get a couple entries written though so I will be posting the 25th to make up for last week and see what I can do about writing them throughout next week as well. Here’s hopin’.

Honor: 24th Entry

I looked to the nearest corner where there stood a pole with the street name written vertically on it. The name was not Pabed. I found the sign indicating the name of the street leading from the gate, but that was not it either. Not far behind me, I felt the magical presence I had fled from slowly approaching. It didn’t matter where I had to go, I had to start moving quickly.
I started off down the road to the left, again setting off at full speed. I went down for a distance before coming to a smaller intersection and stopping to check the sign. Also not the street I wanted. Regardless, I chose to turn off onto it, heading south again and closer to the gate.
At first I had thought it ridiculous that the guard would send me to find a street I could not know, but now I realized the advantage to it. I would have to wander the streets of the city aimlessly for some time, and that would throw off any pursuers. Also it would prevent them from predicting where I was headed, that would reduce the chance of finding an ambush ready by the time I arrived.
I turned at every intersection I found, crossing again the road leading up from the south gate as I entered new parts of the city. I traveled between commercial areas, residential, and less savory sections of town. On occasion I would feel the lurking magical presence before bursting past him once again, but for the most part there was nothing. And all the while I stopped to check the street signs, looking out for the one labeled Pabed.
Finally I came across it, after at least fifteen minutes of monotonous wandering at high speeds with all too frequent stops to check signs. It was far from the south gate, in the north-east section of town, a residential zone. I wandered down the street, plodding slowly on the cobbled road, searching for house thirteen.
The buildings here were of poor quality, and most even appeared abandoned. If ever someone were to choose a hideout for a band of ruffians, this would certainly be it. For that reason I feared Borgan and his men could be lurking about, but I saw no signs, and felt no magic, to indicate anyone was around. Of course, I still wouldn’t let my guard down.
I finally found house thirteen and dismounted quickly to run up to the door. There was a rusty, brass knocker that I used to give three swift knocks on the door. When I finished, I realized a small slip of parchment that had been stuck between the knocker and the door slip out such that only a tip was visible. I snatched it up and unfolded it to read the words: Dal Street, seven.

Honor: 23rd Entry

I was taken aback by his statement. I thought he was an agent of Borgan, leading me into a trap, and here he was trying to warn me against him. It still could be a trap, but the manner in which he spoke and the fear he exhibited seemed to give credence to his words. Also, Borgan could not have planned for me to make it here like this; he would have expected me to die on the way. If he had anyone here to watch for me it was to confirm I did not come back and, if need be, finish me off, but that they could have done easily as I stood outside. The warning appeared to be genuine, but I still had to be careful.
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” I responded, much to the guard’s consternation.
“What does it matter?” he answered with anger tinging his words while still trying to keep his voice down, “From what I’ve heard nobody can kill you anyway. Just go!”
I nodded. He made a good point, and considering I’ve already escaped two of Borgan’s traps, I was likely able to escape a third. Without another word I turned Terek to take us through the gate and started through the wide, arched entryway of Tivir. As I left him I heard the guard’s voice calling back to me.
“I wish you well on your journey, friend!” he shouted. Now Borgan’s agents would suspect that nothing more than a friendly conversation had taken place between us outside. It was possible they still would suspect us, specifically the guard, and I hoped that he could deal with that. From the urgency with which he encouraged me I doubted he would have wanted me to stay and help.
Just as I emerged from underneath the wide archway I felt a magical presence. It was not very strong, but it was noticeable, and it was very close. I made no reaction to it, at least not at first. Whoever was there, they were just watching and made no attempt to move against me. How many there were I could not tell, it was probably just one mage, a scout for Borgan, and not a very strong one at that. Regardless, I did not want him to know where I was going, so I urged Terek into full gallop.
I shot down the road, leaving the magical presence far behind me and rushing past the rows of buildings. I normally did not travel such in a city, but at night when there was no risk of running someone over I could handle it, especially when the situation called for it. I slowed down as I reached the major intersection marking town square to read the signs and realized I had no idea where I needed to go.

Honor: 22nd Entry

“Who’s there?” a voice came suddenly from the ramparts above the gate. I looked up but could not see anything besides the flickering torchlight above. The owner of the gruff voice was keeping himself hidden from view.
“Darik,” I shouted back, raising my voice more than I was accustomed to. I preferred speaking in quieter tones, not shouting like a barbarian.
“The mercenary of the Enchanted Blade?” came the voice again. Now a guard stepped forward, coming out from behind the torch. I could not make his face out very well from where I stood on the ground, but he seemed nervous.
I sighed, forced to remember how famous my name has become, before answering, “Yes.”
The guard paused before speaking again. He was wearing the basic chain mail and emblem of all the guards of the city, but he could easily have been an agent of Borgan. I had to keep my guard up.
“Why do you wish to enter at this hour?” he asked, a worried note to his voice. What he could be worried about when I was down here and he was up there I could not figure out, unless rumors of my abilities have been greatly exaggerated.
“It is urgent that I do,” I responded.
“All right,” the guard nodded, seeming to relax a bit, “All that I’ve heard about you tells me you are trustworthy; if you say it is urgent, I believe you. Wait there and I will open the gate.”
The guard disappeared from view. Knowing this could well be a trap, I moved back to the opposite edge of the road, positioning myself with my shield facing the gate, and waited. After a couple minutes a strange grinding sound came from the right door and lasted for about a minute. After that was silence for a couple more minutes, then the same kind of grinding sound came from the left gate. After that, too, had ended, a second, louder grinding sound started, accompanied by the clanking of metal gears. Slowly the left door started to open, wider and wider, till suddenly it stopped when there was a crack barely wide enough for a horsemen. A moment later the guard appeared outside the gate and beckoned to me.
I approached him slowly, keeping the grip on my shield tight. He seemed undisturbed by my attitude, but something was still making him nervous. He continued gesturing at me to approach until I was close enough for him to whisper, “Borgan’s men are watching, get to Pabed Street, building thirteen, quick!”

Honor: 21st Entry

I pulled Terek back on to the road and set off at full speed, the pounding of hooves drowning out all other sounds. Someone was pursuing me now, and I had to get back to Tivir before they could. The best option would be for me to go straight to the authorities, make sure they hear my side of the story before Borgan gets the chance to plant any ideas of his own.
Luckily I was not far now from town, and at the pace I was traveling I arrived there quickly enough. As soon as the city walls came into view, lit up by torches along the palisade ramparts, I started to slow Terek down to a reasonable speed. Finally I came to a stop before the thick, iron-bound, oaken doors that provided entry into the city from the south; they were shut tight.
I was not surprised; this late at night no one would leave their gates open. However, there had to be some guards on duty patrolling the ramparts and at least one near the gate. I needed to get his attention and convince him of the necessity for me to enter the city. I approached the gate and pulled the shield off my back as I did so. Imbuing it was magic I pounded my shield against the gate three times, each time sending a resounding boom in all directions. The vibrations it caused to my shield accompanied by the sound made the experience very unpleasant, but at least I had been expecting it; this was not the first time I had to do this.
Unfortunately, when my ears had stopped ringing and after listening to the silence for a few minutes, I realized nobody was answering. Now I was in a bad situation; my pursuers would be catching up to me and I had to get in. Of course, I could demolish the gate, but that was not a preferable situation.
Not that I couldn’t, nor would it even be that difficult, but there were other problems involved. Since obtaining Theidraghor’s Blessing I’ve gained a lot of power; before then even the thought of breaking down such a fortification would never have occurred to me, now it was easy. But there was something else I gained with the power, and that was the realization that people need someone to look up to, and they always always seek out someone who is stronger than they are to follow their example.
Right now, I was about the strongest out there, at least I had not yet met anyone who even came close. It was in my hands to set a good example for the people who looked up to me, or to display a corrupt and selfish character. I chose the former approach; I chose to act with honor.

So about the lateness

I had a case of writer’s block. Basically I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted those last two entries to go, and I only figured it out last night. So, here they are, just a little bit late.

Honor: 20th Entry

I took a step back, surprised by the sudden attack. Though the archer crouched before me did nothing at first, apparently just as stunned as I was, he turned his head sharply and saw me behind him. Rising quickly to his feet he dropped the arrow in his hand and grabbed a dagger hanging at his belt, getting into a defensive stance.
I moved back a couple steps, trying to get out of line of sight of whoever was shooting at me. It was possible the archer I had spotted further up the road realized something was wrong and happened to be looking towards his fellow at just the right moment, but that he would risk firing an arrow at me? Even the most expert archer would have risked a shot like that. Then again, he probably expected me to kill this archer, so he figured it didn’t really matter.
Regardless, the archer before me was slowly inching backward, closer to the road, and I couldn’t risk following him there in case I gave his friend a clear shot again. I had to take this one out quickly and get out of here; it was too risky trying to take out the last archer. Before I did so, however, I stuck my finger in my mouth and let out a shrill whistle.
I turned back to the archer, now nervous as to my strange gesture, and watched him closely, waiting for the right moment to strike. As he inched backwards, the archer flicked his eyes to the ground for a moment to see where he was going. I jumped forward, gathering magic in my right hand as quickly as possible at the same time. I swung my fist through the air before me, releasing the magic encircling it and striking the archer before me.
The archer took the blow in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards and rolling off the hill to the road below. The slope was mostly smooth so it wouldn’t hurt him much, but it would get him out of the way long enough. Just as I pulled myself back again, another arrow shot by me, this one shining brightly as it went. I was shocked to feel the magic within it as it flew by. The last archer had magic.
Now my escape was even more urgent. Then I heard the pounding hoof beats I had been waiting for and turned to see Terek charging towards me, trampling the flora as he went. The thunderous pounding of his approach was approached by shouting that was not quite drowned out and a couple arrows flying through the trees. Terek aimed himself to speed right by me, and as he went I jumped and got my arm over his back. Giving a good heave with one hand to get me off the ground and the second one to get me over, I mounted Terek as he continued on at full pelt. Fully aware of the urgency of the situation. As we tore through the brush, I could hear hoof beats growing louder behind me.

Honor: 19th Entry

I slowly crept back to the the top of the hill where the archer had been watching the road. From there I scanned the opposite side of the road, squinting against the darkness to see some sign of another archer. I didn’t see anyone on my first scan, but it was difficult to distinguish between the brush and a person in the darkness. But I knew there had to be someone there; if Borgan really wanted me dead he would’ve had to surround me so I couldn’t turn to attack the ambushers safely.
Finally I spotted him, little further down the road from where I was and well hidden behind some bushes. I could just barely make out the silhouette of his head as he shifted. He could not be the only one, however, there had to be another one on this side as well. Since there were three guards sleeping, there had to be three guards watching at the same time. When it was time for the shift to change, someone from this side of the road would have to go and wake them, since this side is where they were sleeping. But that would leave no one on this to watch the road unless there were a second one. Based on the fact that the archer on the opposite side was further down the road, probably the last one was even further on this side.
I made my way back down the hill and kept on through the brush further down the road. I tried to estimate the distance between the first archer and the second to know when I was about even with the second, then walked that distance again to search for the third archer.
I made my way back towards the road in a couple places, cautiously searching for the last archer, but I did not find him so I kept going further and further. Eventually I realized I must have passed him and returned to the road to see how far I had gone. I had gone around a small bend in the road and from here I was able to this side of the road further back. From this vantage point I was able to locate the last archer at last, poised right on the curve so he’d be facing the road directly.
I made my way towards him quickly, realizing as I went that I had already tarried here too long and someone could be on my trail by now. I reached the point where the archer was hidden and climbed up behind him. He had his back to me as I climbed up, crouched in the same ready position as the last one. I approached slowly, doing my best not to make any sound. Just before I managed to attack, and arrow went whizzing past the archer’s shoulder and missed me by barely an inch.

Honor: 18th Entry

I had to slow to a mere trot to keep my approach as silent as possible. This whole area of the road was covered in low hills and excessive brush, the perfect place to set up an ambush. If I were caught out in the open I would not have been able to react fast enough to defend myself, not at the speed I was going. Though my speed would have made any attack difficult, I would be an easy target after I passed to any archers that might be waiting. My back provided a very vulnerable target.
After traveling at this pace for some time, I stumbled upon a hidden campsite among the bushes. There were three men wrapped in thick blankets and surrounded by shrubbery, each with a quiver filled with bow and arrows by his side. There was no sign of a fire having been kindled, so they probably had not tarried long before going to sleep. I dismounted slowly and silently and picked up the quiver nearest me. I had to strain my eyes to see in the sparse moonlight coming through the nearby trees, but the emblem of Borgan was clear enough.
I replaced the quiver slowly before turning to leave. These men would not wake up in time to do me any harm, and stealing would do nothing for me, so I would leave him his possessions. I left Terek by the encampment as I walked back towards the road. It would be more difficult for me to ambush my would-be ambushers with him in tow or on his back. Also I knew he would subdue any resistance should the sleeping archers wake up.
I followed a notable path between bushes that lead up a short hill overlooking the road. I approached closely, looking for some sign of an archer poised to attack. Finally I found him, crouching just where the top of the hill mostly obstructed him from view to the east, where he was intently watching the road. In his left hand he held firmly onto a longbow with his right hand gripping an arrow. He was ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
I still would not draw my sword and my spear had been left behind in Tivir, so I had only my hands and the element of surprise. I took another two steps closer, approaching him from his rear-left flank where he did not see me, and pounced.
I pulled him back by the shoulder with my right hand and swung my left around to cover his mouth. I held onto him tightly, doing my best to control his struggling as I dragged him down from the hill. He was strong, but not strong enough to resist me. Once behind the cover of bushes, I empowered my right fist with magic and hit him to the ground. I hit hard enough to knock him out, and to leave him with a huge headache when he awoke. Now I had to make sure he was the only one, which I highly doubted.