Chapter Eleven
Midhallow’s stony bones soon greeted us in the distance, and the sight of our neighboring town brought me way more relief than I’d like to admit.
I sent Ethel into a faster trot, which the soldiers quickly matched, and it wasn’t long before we reached the guarded stone gates of Midhallow.
Four men immediately stepped forward with their swords raised and pointed at us, but the moment they saw the golden soldiers on either side of me, they re-sheathed their weapons and bowed their heads low.
“We were unaware we’d be receiving an audience from the King’s Hands,” a tall elven man with a mane of bright red hair said as he kept his head bowed low.
“We are merely here as an escort today,” Giian said in a loud, commanding tone. “You may rise.”
The guards slowly raised their heads one by one, but their faces had turned pallid and shiny with sweat, despite the cold.
“An escort for you, Noah?” the red-haired guard asked.
I blinked. I still wasn’t quite used to people knowing my name, but I’d become a pretty well-known face, not only in Gladewood but the surrounding areas.
I’d saved Midhallow from Mayor Malacor, and I’d spent enough time in this place for people to know who I was. But I didn’t recognize any of the faces staring up at me expectantly.
“It’s… hard to explain,” I said. “I’m just here to shop. This little entourage won’t cause you any trouble.”
“Then enter, please.” The red-haired elf stepped away from the arched entryway and gestured with his hand for us to move forward. “Mayor Thror will probably want to see you, Noah. And be made aware of your… new company.”
“I’m sure I’ll find him somewhere,” I said. “Good day, gentlemen.”
I cracked Ethel’s reins, and the Shire horse trotted into the bustling town.
Midhallow was a valley of stone. Unlike Gladewood’s humble wooden backbone, Gothic structures rose out of the cobblestone streets and lurched into the air.
It was huge in comparison, and it felt like we were walking through a Dark Souls video game. Everything was so big and tall, with slate roofs or narrow spires that crept into the cloudy sky.
The town hall stood like a pillar of black obsidian in the distance, but it no longer felt as intimidating as it did when Mayor Malacor resided in it.
Frost made the cobblestones shimmer like a translucent blanket of diamonds had been thrown over it. Ethel’s hooves struck against the shining stones, and the sound echoed down the streets already teeming with townspeople going about their business.
Every single person stopped to stare, not at me, but the legion of golden soldiers surrounding me.
A bell tolled somewhere ahead as we rode toward the main plaza. The large stone fountain marked the center of town and the axis for the various side streets. Each one narrowed as they ran further into town, with a multitude of different kinds of shops that Gladewood didn’t have.
But before we set out to find a mattress for the crib and other nursery decorations, I needed to find Thror.
I pulled Ethel to a halt in front of the Blue Bow Inn. The local haunt was in the center of town, and that would mean we wouldn’t need to walk very far to get back to Ethel when we got what we needed.
“What’s the plan here, Giian?” I asked in a dry tone as I jumped down from the box and loosely tied Ethel’s reins around one of the stone hitching posts.
I offered Ellyn a hand down, and Karrida made her own way out the back of the wagon.
“Go about your business,” Lieutenant Giian said dismissively as he squinted and glanced around at the tall stone buildings. “We will… keep an eye out.”
Or in other words, look for the shard.
“Suit yourself,” I said as I grabbed Ellyn and Karrida’s hands and pulled them away from the wagon. “I take it you’ll have to escort us back?”
“One of us will be around the town center waiting for you,” Giian said. “Don’t think about leaving without us.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I grumbled under my breath without even looking over my shoulder.
I left the king’s men in the dust and beelined straight for the Blue Bow Inn.
The inn had been a reprieve back when Raeth and I had spent some time in Midhallow while we dealt with Mayor Malacor. Kristoff, the elf who ran the establishment, had become a dear friend, just like Thror, and if there was anywhere the new Mayor would be, it would be in there.
As soon as I opened the door, warmth from a roaring hearth in the corner of the room hit me like a wave of summer heat. The rich scent of roasted meat and freshly-baked bread hung heavy in the air, and the entire room was filled with various patrons nursing mugs of ale and steaming bowls of stew.
As soon as my girls and I walked through the door, all eyes fell on us, and a chorus of excited cheers followed. Mugs raised in front of bright grins and kind eyes, and I let myself release a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
The soldiers were outside and away from us. And that’s where they would stay for now.
I spotted Kristoff’s spiky white hair a mile off. The elven innkeeper was crouched down below the bar shifting around some bottles, but as soon as he realized his customers had all just cheered for something, he glanced up.
Soft blue eyes met mine, and then the innkeeper grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear.
“Noah!” he called out as he stood to his full height. “So good to see you again!”
“And you, Kristoff,” I said as I pulled Ellyn and Karrida further into the cozy inn. “It’s been a while.”
“Too long,” the white-haired elf chuckled as he pulled out three flagons and placed them on the counter. “Ale all around?”
“Ummm, just water for me, please, Kristoff,” Ellyn said with a shy smile.
“A water, hm?” The corner of Kristoff’s mouth quirked up as he filled up two of the flagons from the keg and a separate one from a jug on the counter. “Is it too early in the morning for some booze, or is there another reason?”
“That’s yet to be seen,” I said as I perched on one of the bar stools. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Ellyn joined me on one side, and I placed a hand on her thigh. The blonde had pink-tinted cheeks and avoided Kristoff’s gaze as she reached for her water and took a long swig.
It was cute how bashful she got about these things, and we didn’t even know if she was pregnant yet.
“Well, when the time comes, congratulations.” Kristoff winked. “And you best bring the little one here to see us all.”
“When the day comes, you bet your ass we will,” I said before I took a long swig of my ale.
The sweet flavor was familiar, and I almost instantly recognized it as Tirii’s ale. She’d struck a trade deal with Kristoff some time ago and had a steady stream of business coming from outside of Gladewood.
But I had no idea how shipments had been affected since the bandit attacks, and the last thing I wanted was for Tirii to miss out on some income from her and her brother’s business because of Lieutenant Shaar.
“How’s business?” I asked casually. “And how’s the stock?”
“Are you talking about the ale?” Kristoff asked with a knowing smile. “The shipments have been few and far between because of the situation you’re dealing with, but Tirii and I are making it work.”
“How so?” I asked as I leaned my elbows on the counter.
“Thror gives me a few armed men to escort me to Gladewood to fetch the crates of ale,” the white-haired elf explained. “But we haven’t been there since you put that wall up.”
“You know about that?” I blinked.
“Thror can see it from the top of the spire,” Kristoff said. “He’s been keeping an eye on all of you ever since he got the carrier pigeon.”
“So, you know about our new residents?” I asked dryly.
“Yes, I do.” Kristoff sighed, leaned closer to me, and lowered his voice. “I wish there was something we could do to help you with the king’s men, but we’re just as powerless as you are in that regard.”
“I’ve sort of realized I just need to grin and bear it,” I said. “So long as they don’t find out about the shard.”
“I take it you’ve hidden it somewhere they’ll never find it?” Kristoff asked as he pulled back and grabbed a rag from under the bar to clean some of the dirty mugs left on the counter.
“It’s in an… inconspicuous place for now,” I said hesitantly. “But I don’t really know where else I can hide it. Sending it into the Mist Woods is too risky.”
“Well, we can simply hope they don’t come onto your farm,” Kristoff said with a casual shrug as he slid his hand into the steel mug. “Problem solved.”
“Something tells me it won’t be as easy as that,” I mumbled into my own flagon.
“Kristoff, do you know where we can find a mattress in this town?” Ellyn interjected, and I could tell she was trying to change the subject to something more cheerful. “As well as somewhere to get toys?”
“Let me guess… this is for Farmer Junior?” The white-haired elf smirked. “You can head to Witchall’s Woodworks for the mattress. The dwarf hand carves everything he sells, but if you already have a crib, he’ll have a mattress for you.”
“Perfect,” I said. “How do we get there?”
“It’s just a few doors down from here on the main strip,” he replied. “You won’t miss it.”
“And for toys?” Ellyn asked with an eager sparkle in her sapphire eyes.
“We have a toy shop closer to the entrance of town,” Kristoff informed us. “You should find everything you want there.”
“Thanks, Kristoff,” I said. “If you see Thror, will you let him know we stopped by?”
“No need,” a familiar voice said from behind me. “Your luck hasn’t run out just yet, Dawson.”
When I turned in my chair, Thror’s wide frame was looming in the inn’s doorway.
The pale gray-skinned orc was dressed in an all-black fit, with big fur boots and a sheepskin cape draped over his shoulders.
His long silver hair was pulled back from his face and tied in a loose ponytail, which emphasized the shaved sides.
“Speak his name, and he shall appear,” I teased as I rose out of my chair. “It’s good to see you, Mayor.”