thirsty, and I find it a little difficult to speak with a dry throat."
Veren rolled his eyes, then motioned to the serving girl. "Bring us another round of ale, and bring one for the old man as well."
"Why , thank you, my young friends!" He tottered over and took a seat next to Veren. "The name's Alfrid. I'm the resident busybody."
"Pleased to meet you, Alfrid." Damion replied politely. "I'm Damion, and my friend next to you is named Veren."
The old man stared up at Damion with surprisingly young eyes. "You're a big one, aren't ya?" He looked at Damion a little closer. "You know, just two evenings before, a rider stopped in for a tankard or two and he was going on and on with some outlandish story of a giant of a man who destroyed the Royal Sorcerer, Sorsos with a bolt of lightening! He said it was the Dragon Lord! I had thought him disturbed, but now..." He stared at Damion with a speculative look.
Veren snorted in amusement, but remained silent.
The serving girl arrived with their drinks, and the old man smiled happily. He took his tankard in both trembling hands and took a long drink. He sighed lustily, then wiped his mouth with one sleeve. "That's the nectar of the gods!"
Damion smiled. "You may wa nt to bring us another round." He told the serving girl, nodding to the wrinkled old man.
"Thank you again, young master !"
"So what news have you for us from up north?" Veren asked, leaning back in his chair with his tankard.
Alfrid smiled, causing his already deep wrinkles to deepen. "Well sir, it just so happens I overheard some traveling merchants discussing the troubles they encountered on the road the Deiria. It seems their forests are being burned, and their hunting camps are being attacked. There're only a handful of survivors from these attacks, and the accounts are sketchy." His face took on a sad expression. "It seems these attacks are much like the attacks happening around our fair land! Their people are afraid, just as ours are! Large groups of soldiers are patrolling the roads stopping all that travel through their lands! We are living in dangerous times, I fear!"
"This may complicate things." Veren murmured worriedly. "I was hoping we'd be able to avoid any complications in Deiria, but this seems to dash those hopes!"
Damion shrugged. "We'll worry about that when the time comes."
"And where is your destination, if I may be so bold to ask?" The old man asked curiously.
"Arleia. "
The old man nearly choked on his drink. "Are y ou mad, son? No one goes to Arleia, unless they're involved in the slave trade!"
"H ave you heard anything else that may be of interest?" Veren asked.
Alfrid scratched his head thoughtfully. "Only that those dragonspawn creatures seem to be everywhere nowadays. I mean , they've always been a problem in Deiria, all the forests and such are the perfect hiding place for those nasty beasts, but I guess they have become much more aggressive as of late. They will attack anything that they encounter!"
Damion exchanged worried looks with Veren, then handed the returning serving girl several coins. "Keep our friend here drinking until he falls under the table."
"Why , thank you, young master! That's mighty generous of you!"
"Thank you for the informati on." Damion replied.
The old man leaned forward. "So tell me," His voice had dropped to a whisper. "Did you really destroy Sorsos?"
Damion shook his head. "Sorsos still lives."
Veren laughed. "But the form now fits the man!"
Alfrid gave them both a baffled look, then rose from his seat and shuffled off to return to his own table.
*********
"Pick up that shovel and get back to work!" Sly bellowed at the overweight merchant who was busy resting against the newly constructed stone wall. "There is still a lot to do before you can think about rest!"
The fat merchant gave the little man a look of pure hatred, then slowly rose to his feet and rejoined the work crew still laboring nearby.
"You definitely haven't made
Veren rolled his eyes, then motioned to the serving girl. "Bring us another round of ale, and bring one for the old man as well."
"Why , thank you, my young friends!" He tottered over and took a seat next to Veren. "The name's Alfrid. I'm the resident busybody."
"Pleased to meet you, Alfrid." Damion replied politely. "I'm Damion, and my friend next to you is named Veren."
The old man stared up at Damion with surprisingly young eyes. "You're a big one, aren't ya?" He looked at Damion a little closer. "You know, just two evenings before, a rider stopped in for a tankard or two and he was going on and on with some outlandish story of a giant of a man who destroyed the Royal Sorcerer, Sorsos with a bolt of lightening! He said it was the Dragon Lord! I had thought him disturbed, but now..." He stared at Damion with a speculative look.
Veren snorted in amusement, but remained silent.
The serving girl arrived with their drinks, and the old man smiled happily. He took his tankard in both trembling hands and took a long drink. He sighed lustily, then wiped his mouth with one sleeve. "That's the nectar of the gods!"
Damion smiled. "You may wa nt to bring us another round." He told the serving girl, nodding to the wrinkled old man.
"Thank you again, young master !"
"So what news have you for us from up north?" Veren asked, leaning back in his chair with his tankard.
Alfrid smiled, causing his already deep wrinkles to deepen. "Well sir, it just so happens I overheard some traveling merchants discussing the troubles they encountered on the road the Deiria. It seems their forests are being burned, and their hunting camps are being attacked. There're only a handful of survivors from these attacks, and the accounts are sketchy." His face took on a sad expression. "It seems these attacks are much like the attacks happening around our fair land! Their people are afraid, just as ours are! Large groups of soldiers are patrolling the roads stopping all that travel through their lands! We are living in dangerous times, I fear!"
"This may complicate things." Veren murmured worriedly. "I was hoping we'd be able to avoid any complications in Deiria, but this seems to dash those hopes!"
Damion shrugged. "We'll worry about that when the time comes."
"And where is your destination, if I may be so bold to ask?" The old man asked curiously.
"Arleia. "
The old man nearly choked on his drink. "Are y ou mad, son? No one goes to Arleia, unless they're involved in the slave trade!"
"H ave you heard anything else that may be of interest?" Veren asked.
Alfrid scratched his head thoughtfully. "Only that those dragonspawn creatures seem to be everywhere nowadays. I mean , they've always been a problem in Deiria, all the forests and such are the perfect hiding place for those nasty beasts, but I guess they have become much more aggressive as of late. They will attack anything that they encounter!"
Damion exchanged worried looks with Veren, then handed the returning serving girl several coins. "Keep our friend here drinking until he falls under the table."
"Why , thank you, young master! That's mighty generous of you!"
"Thank you for the informati on." Damion replied.
The old man leaned forward. "So tell me," His voice had dropped to a whisper. "Did you really destroy Sorsos?"
Damion shook his head. "Sorsos still lives."
Veren laughed. "But the form now fits the man!"
Alfrid gave them both a baffled look, then rose from his seat and shuffled off to return to his own table.
*********
"Pick up that shovel and get back to work!" Sly bellowed at the overweight merchant who was busy resting against the newly constructed stone wall. "There is still a lot to do before you can think about rest!"
The fat merchant gave the little man a look of pure hatred, then slowly rose to his feet and rejoined the work crew still laboring nearby.
"You definitely haven't made
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