Baladin: Chapter 8

 

Chapter 8  Trouble in Olivepress

I slept under the cart until the second hour past daybreak.  I rose myself and saw there was another idiosyncrasy to this village.  There was as far as I could see about hundred houses in and around, if I am any judge of towns and villages, but there were three inns surrounding the Commons and they were made of stone too, only the Iron Cross in Bridgetown was built of stone.  This is something I would solve another time, maybe after some better rest.  Having never been here I just walked to the nearest one and looked for the Innmistress.  She was there with four children and the common room looked like it had not been used in months, if not longer.  I addressed her and said that if she were able to provide a good breakfast and a meal this evening, I would perform as a minstrel and she can make more from the sale of drinks than she has, looking at the common room, in months.  She looked at me skeptically but assented when I proved I could at least play.  The bed looked like it was one of the family’s rooms, which was common with small inns, but this sprawling inn it was strange.  It was another mystery that would have to wait until after I was rested.

I woke late in the day, it was raining, but only lightly, around the village it looked like the rain had a lot harder and sustained.  It often rained hard in the summer months, and I recalled that the weather in High Summer nights had strong thunderstorms in the afternoons and evenings, but they usually cleared before people got out in the night.  Another sign the High Summer was coming.  I did my best to drum up business for the inn, it is all part of the deal between minstrel and inn, one hosts feeds and pays and the other makes sure that all that was worth their time.  The common room was cleaned and there was a stage that I could play on and perform, the hall was wide and there were seats for a hundred.  Most of the chairs looked ancient, at least two hundred years old.  I asked how many they expected and the Innmistress was not sure, none may show up but then more might come too.  she said curfew is at three hours past sunset.  That was strange.  Why a curfew I had asked, and she said on account of the disappearances Bonnie Malter disappeared two weeks ago and she was in town.  Three others had disappeared in the months before, but they were from away.  That’s a lot, more than usual.  I asked again what is usual? And she said one usually heads off to seek a better place, in the city or big town.  usually, they make a production of it but sometimes they just leave.  I understand the pull of the city life or of any new life, but I have never heard of people leaving without saying so and I said as much.  She retorted that sometimes the youth are ruder than people were once.  She shooed me out on the off chance I were able to draw people out, she needed to make sure there was something for them to eat and drink.

Outside the two older children were opening the larger windows to outside, the shutters were being opened too.  they were grumbling because they said they had to be closed again before curfew, so they would be working all night.  The clouds were clearing, and I could see that I would need to start soon.  The early curfew meant people would have to start earlier.  The storm clouds were still in the east but the close to setting suns were in the west and just to the left I saw a sliver of the very new Xeric.  Xeric is the overgod of balance of the natural world and knowing that his moon is new meant, according to tales, the balance in the natural world was weak.  I would use this in the performance, but perhaps not, these folk have had a lot on their minds lately, best to clear it all up.  I walked up the street to the Cathedral, I was right the rise was called a hill, and back again while playing my instrument and using some bardic magic to amplify the sounds so they would carry over rick and dell.  I spent a little time entertaining the children with minor illusions of birds and animal dancing to the music.  They said that the magic in the troupe was better.  I just asked when they left and where they were going, tomorrow I could follow them.

I went to check the horse and the cart and found them in the stable, which was an immense affair, it looks like it could have stalled one hundred horses, but right now there were only cattle and swine there, also several chickens roosting here.

I also learned about the Troupe.  It had come to town and received a lot of fanfare, there was the typical nights festivities even though this village was small for there liking.  I suspect that if they had come to this village in the early morning, they would have pushed right through it.  But they did not and by the time they were all packed up, a representative of the local Baron arrived and sent them to his home village.  The Baron had evidently persuaded Alphonso to play at all the little villages in this dilapidated Barony and as such when I left in the morning, I will have gained some time on them.  I was jubilant.

I went to the room to get ready, I had to wear the customary clothes of a minstrel, I had these; there were forms that had to be seen to follow so the customers would know that they were being entertained by a professional.  When I got back down to the floor, I saw that there was indeed going to be a show, the word of me performing had stirred people to come out, curfew or no curfew.  I played a few ballads that everyone knew moving into stirring songs and ballads that were less well known.  Lively jigs and such so that there was some dancing, everyone likes to dance if given a chance.  I played solidly until just before sunset and took a small break for some drink and a little to eat.  It was customary for a mid performance break in the least, but I knew the rules, don’t rest for so long that people notice the time and that one goes ten times when there is a curfew.  Most people will break a curfew if there is good reason to and I was a great reason. 

I ate quickly and drank with gusto so that I could move through the crowd a little.  This was mostly to hear their gossip and what they worried about so that I could change what I played to suit their moods.  In big towns with the Troupe, it was a time to look at the local talent, the cute boys and girls the ones that would make good nighttime diversions.  It was also a time to cut purses while working the crowd.  I had too much to think about to do any of that and besides they reminded me too much of the people of home.  I learned that the disappearances  were on their minds, people had gone an walked away from their families over the years.  Many said  it was the draw of the towns and cities, but I read that most of them thought it might be something else.  That told me that I had better get back to the stage and play, or I was going to lose more than a few to the curfew.  There is another rule that says when one decides to leave, others will follow, so best to grab their attention and keep.  I was heading to the stage when I heard a small group talking about the goings on at the graveyard.  Through the background noise of the bar, I only heard a few words, as they were talking with hushed words.  I caught the gist of it, there were disturbed graves and figures moving about in the dark.  This kind of talk was going to make me apprehensive, and I knew it.  It sounded too much like the situation of the home I grew up in.  I leapt up on the stage and pulled illusionary colours out of my sleeves and turned and bowed and started up a comical song that was sure to set people’s moods far from the dark realities I had heard. 

My playing was better than it had been in many months, and I was successful in distracting my audience from their troubles.  I played another two hours before they realised that it was full dark, and the curfew had passed.  The Innmistress was signalling me that I needed to send the crowd home quickly, which is the first time I have ever seen anyone do this, but the fear that was in the local people seemed to justify this.  I thanked the crowd and told them I would play them home with a stirring tune, “don’t dawdle here with me but go home with the knowledge that they would get home safe and sound.”  I played a good song that they would need to hear to feel safe.  I followed them out and played until they were far out and close to home. 

The Innmistress thanked me and told me that I had more than paid for my room and board.  She wished me good night.  She and her family shut all the windows and closed the window shutters before barring the door.  I was up in the bedroom hoping that I would be able to sleep.  Often, I find it difficult to sleep after a good performance, but after this performance I felt more than a little worried.  The talk of disturbed graves and people moving there at night was making me think about things that plagued my youth and were incidentally keeping me up.  the door was barred downstairs, but the window of my room was open as it was on the second level.

I let myself out and dropped to the ground like the troupe tumblers had done.  I took with me my shield and rapier but left my bow as I reasoned it would be too dark to shoot anything and if I did, I might hit someone I shouldn’t.  I tossed them both a little way to the left and then dropped down, there is nothing worse than falling badly and carrying something pointy and something heavy.  I gathered up my things and looked around to see if there was anyone around.  I had heard there might be a member of the Baron’s guard on watch in case of something terrible.  The something that they might have been watching for was inexact and varied according to the teller, but maybe the rumour was what the village folk needed to hear, that the Baron cared and was doing something.  Even if it was not what they thought what he was doing.