Agnar

The old man was conversing with the bar keep when I arrived to the taproom. He ended the conversation when he saw me and motioned for me to join him at his table. The bar keep eyed my new satchel greedily but only said

"I'll be right back with your breakfasts"

Before walking away. I sat down at the table not quite sure what he needed so badly as to offer free food to a complete stranger.

"Th'names Agnar, if ye'will. I didn't introduce myself before. What can I call you lad?"

"Cayde, is there any way I could repay you for this kindness sir?"

I err on the side of being polite and offering my help first, before he asks.

"Well by chance their is. Yer'see I was a tutor at the academy, but what with there being no more academy its time for me to head back to my backwoods village. The only problem is that the roads aren't as safe as they used to be. And I was thinkin mayhaps you're on your way out of town as well, given how many people are. And there's safety in numbers out on the road."

A body guard? Is he asking me to protect him from bandits or something?

"I've not much fighting experience, and I'm no good as a guide. Because while I am planning to leave town I've not left Veoson since my childhood"

"I know the way lad, but an old man such as me'self alone on the road is a much nicer target then two men, what'd ya say?"

I mull it's over for a minute. He seems honest enough. Aside from my newly acquired wealth I'd be a poor mark if it were a trap to lure me out and rob me. Any thief could tell that from my ragged clothes.

"I accept, but I have a couple of conditions"

He smiles brightly

"Thank the gods, but business after we've filled our belly's"

He nods to the bar keep who had arrived with two plates of food. I smile as well and we both dig in

Once we finish eating he sighs, pats his belly, and pushes his plate toward the middle of the table.

"Before you tell me your conditions let me tell you your expectations for the journey. It's about a weeks ride south on my horses. I'll supply the rations, and bed stuffs, but I'll need you gather wood and build the fire. I've a couple old daggers if we run into trouble, but I plan to run in the opposite direction if we get in a tight spot"

"Understandable, once we get where we're going I'll need lodgings and work"

"Between the fishing and the farmland theirs always need for extra hands, I'll make sure you have a place to sleep as well, though I can't promise it'll be as grand as this place"

"When do we leave?"

"Now if your able, I'd like to get out of town before I hear about another killing"

We left almost immediately, stopping only at a store to pick up supplies and the stables at the South Gate for the horses. By the time the noon sun was beating down we could no longer see the walls of Veoson as we rode down the southern rode through a light wood.

"Hey old man, you mentioned you were a tutor at the mage school right? Any chance you could teach me a little magic?"

The old man chuckled atop his horse beside me never stopping his constant scanning of the trees around us.

"I hope you aren't counting on that. I taught history at the academy, I could never get control of even the most simple elements, gods know I tried"

"Oh.. but what about the other kinds of magic, besides just summoning and controlling an element?"

"No luck there either, you see elemental magic is easier to learn then something more complex like mind magic for example."

Without a tutor or a spell book there was no way to learn magic. That's when I remembered he book I hadn't opened from the mages bag currently resting on my thigh. It must be a spell book of some kind, though I'd never heard of a locked spell book. Tonight when the old man goes to sleep I'll study it some more.

Once the sun had sunk beneath the tree line Agnar drew his horse to a stop

"We'd best make camp for the night, is not like to travel blind and I'm tired"

We lead the horses to a cleared area of tree and bush and tied them to a log where the old man sat down.

"It's not going to rain tonight so we'll just need a fire to keep any wolves away while we sleep. Here's a dagger, you know how to make a fire yes?"

"Ha ha, yes I know how to make a fire"

An hour passed and my fire burned softly. The old man snored just a little in his bed roll while I still sat with my back against the log. I looked at the old man to make sure he was asleep before opening my bag and taking out my book.

It still won't open so I trace the handprint with my finger, it almost looks like it dried blood, but what could that mean. Was this some black magic spell book? I flatten my hand to fill the mark on the cover but of coarse nothing changes.

Slipping the book back into my bag I crawl over to my bed roll and close my eyes.