Chapter Twelve

After saying goodbye to Elysia, Tengeshi watched her walk away before shaking his head and moving in the direction Eldridge had pointed him to. Though he was nervous, he knew he had to let her lead her own path. He knew she was not destined to stay at home and wait for him. She was, after all, a warrior elf.

He spent the next few minutes watching Elysia through his eyes which was disorienting. So much so that he almost missed a sign with the look of a sleeping lion inside a small cave. He shook himself from his trance and walked through the plain oak door.

Noises assaulted him the moment the door opened. There was loud music and dancing. The smell of sweat, ale and baked bread was almost too much for him to bear. Then came the aroma of meat cooking from the kitchen. In his mind, this made up for almost everything. Letting the door close behind him, he made his way to the bar, where he saw the only man he could assume was working. He was a middle aged man with black hair, with just a few white strands showing. He had an air of elegance that was not present in any other part of the inn.

"Sorry kid," The man put down a freshly polished mug as he allowed a polite smile to show. "We don't serve anyone who hasn't grown at least one hair on his chin."

"I was actually looking for a man named Godfrey?" Tengeshi took out the note. "I was told to deliver this to him."

"Well now, I guess you found him." The man took the note from Tengeshi's hand and opened it. His eyes followed the contents of the letter until finally he looked back at him. "This is a line of credit that is good for one large room with all accommodations, breakfast and dinner included." He folded the note and handed it back to Tengeshi. "Make sure you keep this somewhere on hand, just in case I forget."

Tengeshi nodded as he placed the note back in the pocket of his robe. "There will be another one staying with me, she is my wife." he added quickly before the man protested.

"A little young to be married, aren't you?" Godfrey raised an eyebrow.

"I started my vocation early." Tengeshi smiled. "My father set me out in the world, and I didn't want to leave her."

"Setting out with a girl at your age," Godfrey shook his head and tsked. "I don't know what your father was thinking, let alone her parents, but that isn't really any of my business." He sighed as he went behind the counter and grabbed a piece of parchment. He then wrote out his own note, before melting a red candle and stamping it with a seal. "Make sure she holds this note in the future, so I know who I am allowing into the inn."

"Thank you, Mister Godfrey." Smiling a genuine smile this time, Tengeshi took the note and waved it a few times, allowing the wax to cool before putting it in his pocket with the other.

"You can thank me by getting some real clothes." Godfrey looked at the boy in disgust. "I can see that you just finished a long journey. I know Eldridge well enough to know he didn't leave you empty handed. Go and get some outfits to wear, and I'll have one of the staff draw you a warm bath before dinner."

Tengeshi bowed his head to the man before turning and leaving through the door he entered.

As he left, he walked to another road he hadn't been to yet, and continued exploring the large city. As he did, he understood why Eldridge had been so insistent to bring him under his wing. The city was like a weapon maker's paradise. He saw signs for armor, and signs for swords and shields. He also saw some with a sign for arrows and bows. He marveled at the sight.

Among the numerous shops, he spotted a sign with a needle and thread. He walked through the door. After thirty minutes and a shop owner who did not know the meaning of boundaries, he left the store wearing a simple black pair of pants, a white shirt with a black vest. A pair of travel boots to replace the simple cloth footwear he had on before.

Though he still wore the dust of travel from within the tunnels, he almost felt more like a person than he had in six years. His unkempt hair still covered his face, giving him the visage of a beggar who acted at being normal. On his back, he wore a simple travel sack filled with enough clothes for the full week.

Checking his purse, he noticed a significant portion of his funds had evaporated into nothing. "Who knew that simple black clothing would cost two silver a piece." He sighed as he mourned the loss of fourteen silver coins.

Knowing that he had enough weapons stockpiled in the tunnels below, he decided not to think of the loss as financially crippling, instead as a learning experience.

Tengeshi turned back towards the way he had come from and began the walk back to the inn. As he left the tailor, he heard the door shut once more after just a few steps. He shrugged his shoulders and continued his way to the inn.

As he walked, he weaved to and from other stalls, angling himself so he could watch for anyone who might be following. As he sampled a simple meat kabob at his third stall, he noticed one man that had been at least two stalls down at any time. When he blatantly looked at the man, he averted his gaze, but when he looked away, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man look back. I can't go back to the inn as long as this man is following me.

Instead of taking a direct approach, Tengeshi took to the alley in between a few buildings, making it look like he was taking a shortcut.

The man turned into the alley, grabbing a knife. His greedy eyes scanned the alley way, yet there wasn't anyone there. There were many sacks of trash outside, waiting for the daily pickup. He began to pick up one bag at a time, all the way down the narrow space. At the end, there was no way out. "I know you're here somewhere, lad." He said in nearly a whisper. His desperate eyes scanned every inch of the alley. "All I want is the silver, if you give it to me, you'll never see me again."

As he checked and rechecked each place, Tengeshi watched from above. His eyes were hard as he watched the spectacle. "I guess I really was ripped off." He sighed as he kept his weightless and strength glyph activated, jumping from roof to roof, leaving the man to look in others trash.

A few streets further, Tengeshi dropped off a rooftop into an alley and walked back into the main street, just before the inn. When he entered, Godfrey ushered him through the lively establishment to a set of stairs. He then led him to the last room of the hall. "This room should be of adequate size to accommodate you and your wife." He opened the door and waved him in.

Tengeshi entered the room and saw a quaint living space including two beds, a book shelf, a separate room for a bath and a small table with two chairs. In the center of the table was a basket of fruit.

"The fruit is a welcome present from the house, please don't let it go to waste." Godfrey smiled as he turned back to the door. "Dinner will be in two hours, I hope to meet your wife. Kindly use the bath the staff prepared, I'm sure your girl would appreciate it."

"Thank you, I think I will." Tengeshi bowed to Godfrey, who then shut the door behind himself.