The Halfblood King: Book 1 of the Chronicles of Aertu by Julian Benoit
Authors: Julian Benoit
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low stone houses, divided by narrow streets and occasionally punctuated by tall mansions of polished granite and marble or the imposing spires of the occasional temple. Far in the distance, he could see the towering minarets of the Royal Palace. “Where will we be going first, Grandfather?” he asked, trying to take in all the sights.
“First thing my boy is to get to the inn, stow our gear and care for the horses. Then some food and a hot bath are in order,” Hadaras answered.
“Will we get to look around the city?” Aleron inquired, looking a bit crestfallen.
“Don’t worry Aleron, after a short rest, we’ll be able to wander the markets. The one by the docks is even bigger than this one, with much more interesting merchandise, but we won’t get to that one until at least tomorrow.”
“All right,” the boy conceded.
Hadaras knew exactly where he was going and they rode straight through the crowded marketplace, in an easterly direction. Exiting the market square, they travelled two city blocks before coming upon an inn, on the opposite corner of the street intersection. The sign above the door read, ‘The Golden Dragon’, over a realistic portrayal of just such a beast. A smaller sign on the corner of the building read ‘Stables in Rear’, with an arrow pointing left. They waited on a large, important looking carriage coming from the other direction before crossing to the entrance. Hadaras dismounted after passing the reins to Aleron, saying, “I’ll go in and see if there are any rooms available. You wait here.” Aleron waited until his grandfather came out again.
“As luck would have it, they’ve a double room available for the next five nights. I’ve stayed here in the past and it’s a reputable establishment. Let’s get the horses taken care of so we can rest.”
After three and a half weeks on the road, Aleron would have gladly settled for less than reputable, as long as there was a bed involved. “Great,” he replied as he dismounted, “I can’t wait to get settled into something with four walls and a bed.” They led the horses to the stable and got them settled in, taking turns bringing saddles and baggage to the rooms. When all their belongings were stowed, they unbuckled their swords and, keeping their daggers, went back to the stables to brush down, feed and water the horses. By the time they finished and returned to the room, they were several bells past midday and had not eaten since dawn. “Are we going to get some food soon Grandfather?” Aleron inquired. “I’m famished.”
“Let’s head to the common room then,” his grandfather answered. “This establishment always has something cooking.” They proceeded to the common room and Hadaras requested of the proprietor for a couple of hot baths for the room. The innkeeper obliged, informing him that it would cost two silver extra for the service. They saw that braised venison haunch was on the menu, so he ordered two platters with sides of bread and boiled cabbage.
As it turned out, the inn, like many residences in Arundell, had running water inside the building. The city was supplied by springs, high above in the hills and transported via underground aqueducts. Metal pipes tapped into the pressurized aqueducts to carry water into the buildings without the need for pumping. The inn had the added feature of routing the water through black copper tanks on the rooftop, preheating the bath and cooking water to save fuel. Often, in the summer months, the bathwater would be so hot as to require tempering with cold water before use. After their meal and a hot bath, to wash away the weeks of road grime, the pair donned fresh clothes and buckled on the small swords and daggers they had packed for wear about town. Hadaras locked the door behind them with the large padlock provided and they headed out to the market.
***
The market square was still bustling with
“First thing my boy is to get to the inn, stow our gear and care for the horses. Then some food and a hot bath are in order,” Hadaras answered.
“Will we get to look around the city?” Aleron inquired, looking a bit crestfallen.
“Don’t worry Aleron, after a short rest, we’ll be able to wander the markets. The one by the docks is even bigger than this one, with much more interesting merchandise, but we won’t get to that one until at least tomorrow.”
“All right,” the boy conceded.
Hadaras knew exactly where he was going and they rode straight through the crowded marketplace, in an easterly direction. Exiting the market square, they travelled two city blocks before coming upon an inn, on the opposite corner of the street intersection. The sign above the door read, ‘The Golden Dragon’, over a realistic portrayal of just such a beast. A smaller sign on the corner of the building read ‘Stables in Rear’, with an arrow pointing left. They waited on a large, important looking carriage coming from the other direction before crossing to the entrance. Hadaras dismounted after passing the reins to Aleron, saying, “I’ll go in and see if there are any rooms available. You wait here.” Aleron waited until his grandfather came out again.
“As luck would have it, they’ve a double room available for the next five nights. I’ve stayed here in the past and it’s a reputable establishment. Let’s get the horses taken care of so we can rest.”
After three and a half weeks on the road, Aleron would have gladly settled for less than reputable, as long as there was a bed involved. “Great,” he replied as he dismounted, “I can’t wait to get settled into something with four walls and a bed.” They led the horses to the stable and got them settled in, taking turns bringing saddles and baggage to the rooms. When all their belongings were stowed, they unbuckled their swords and, keeping their daggers, went back to the stables to brush down, feed and water the horses. By the time they finished and returned to the room, they were several bells past midday and had not eaten since dawn. “Are we going to get some food soon Grandfather?” Aleron inquired. “I’m famished.”
“Let’s head to the common room then,” his grandfather answered. “This establishment always has something cooking.” They proceeded to the common room and Hadaras requested of the proprietor for a couple of hot baths for the room. The innkeeper obliged, informing him that it would cost two silver extra for the service. They saw that braised venison haunch was on the menu, so he ordered two platters with sides of bread and boiled cabbage.
As it turned out, the inn, like many residences in Arundell, had running water inside the building. The city was supplied by springs, high above in the hills and transported via underground aqueducts. Metal pipes tapped into the pressurized aqueducts to carry water into the buildings without the need for pumping. The inn had the added feature of routing the water through black copper tanks on the rooftop, preheating the bath and cooking water to save fuel. Often, in the summer months, the bathwater would be so hot as to require tempering with cold water before use. After their meal and a hot bath, to wash away the weeks of road grime, the pair donned fresh clothes and buckled on the small swords and daggers they had packed for wear about town. Hadaras locked the door behind them with the large padlock provided and they headed out to the market.
***
The market square was still bustling with
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