There was a loud knock on the door. SJ stirred in her bed. The curtains were open, and it was still dark outside. SJ’s eyes opened as she heard the knocking again, loud and persistent. She slowly slipped from under the sheets and pulled her dress on before walking through to open the door.
“Who is it?” SJ called.
“Gary,” the voice replied.
“Gary. You mean the Gary who knows Setu?” SJ asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” SJ checked her display. It was 03:24.
“I know, and I am sorry, but Setu asked me to come and see you.”
“Setu? Why?”
“He has been arrested.”
SJ unlocked the door and opened it. “What?”
“He got caught returning home by the guard.”
“Damn. But why are you here?”
“He asked for me, and when I spoke to him, he told me you had been with him. He asked if you managed to find anything out. He is currently locked up due to breaking curfew.”
“I am confused. How can he break a curfew when one had not been implemented in the town?”
“No. The mayor quarantined the docks due to the fear of GoblinPox, and after he went out and was seen coming back, the mayor decreed that he broke the curfew he was under.”
“What can I do?”
“Did you find anything out? Setu said you were checking on the alchemist,” Gary looked panic-stricken.
“I did. Do I need to go and see the mayor?”
“Setu wants you to go and see him at the jail.”
“At this time of night?”
“It never closes.”
“I am not sure what I can do, though.”
“He said you could help him. The mayor is talking about expelling him and his family from the town. He has seven sproglings, and his livelihood is fishing, and Margu sells their catch share in the market.”
“Okay. Let me get ready properly.” SJ was standing with bare feet currently. “Can you show me to the jail? I have never been.” SJ walked back through the bedroom and pulled her boots on.
“Yes, of course.”
SJ left the room, locking it, and followed Gary. They left the inn and headed towards an area of town that SJ had not visited. This area was quite run down compared to the areas of town she had seen before. The buildings were smaller, and the streets were untidy. Empty barrels and crates are left outside the buildings. It was strange, and SJ wondered if the main town area was more for show than anything else. It had all appeared quite well off, though.
“This place looks like a poorer area,” she whispered to Dave.
“It does,” Dave replied.
“I wonder why?”
“Sorry. Did you say something?” Gary asked.
“Just talking to myself, sorry.”
They walked down a wide street. Both sides were single-storey buildings only, and a large three-storey building was at the end of the street. It looked like it had two functions: the left side of the building was signed as the jail, and the right side was the barracks. It made sense for them to be together.
Gary walked straight towards the jail entrance, throwing the door open, and stormed inside.
“We are here to see Setu,” he said to the bleary-eyed gnoll behind the desk.
“Who?” the gnoll replied.
“The goblin I was talking to just an hour ago,” Gary growled. SJ could sense his anger.
“Oh. The one in isolation?”
“Yes. The one who has been thrown in jail for breaking a curfew that the mayor has decided on.”
“He is not allowed to see any more guests. Mayor’s orders.”
“What? All prisoners are entitled to visitation. That has always been the case.”
“Not now.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT NOW?” Gary bellowed, growling at the gnoll.
The gnoll sat looking at Gary from behind the counter as the outer door to the jail opened. SJ turned to see the huge man she had seen in the bar talking to Kerys.
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” his voice boomed, and Gary spun around, seeing his towering form. As an orc, Gary stood well over six feet tall, but the man was easily six inches taller. SJ watched as Gary appeared to shrink in stature, and his head dropped.
The gnoll spoke before Gary could. “Sorry, Mayor Maxwell. This half-orc wanted to see the goblin, and I told him you banned visitation rights. He was not happy.”
“Not happy with my orders, are you, Gary?” the mayor asked with authority.
Still looking down, Gary replied in a much quieter and meek voice. “Sorry, mayor. Setu is my best friend. He has worked for the town for years as a fisher.”
The bear of a man placed his hand on Gary’s shoulder. Gary looked up at him. “I know he is Gary. You have been one of the leading town guards for almost thirty years, but we can’t risk an outbreak, and I couldn’t leave him at home if he is going to chance to leave again,” he replied in a much calmer voice.
SJ had been quietly watching the interaction. “Mayor Maxwell, is it?” she asked.
The mayor had not noticed the sleight-framed fae stood to the side. Turning to look at SJ, his eyes opened ever so slightly, shocked at seeing her. “Can I ask your name?”
“I am SJ.”
“And what is one of your kind doing here?”
SJ was unsure what he meant by one of your kind and ignored the comment. “I am here to see Setu.”
“Why would you be wanting to see a goblin? You are a fae and a Legionnaire.”
“I am yes on both counts,” SJ had been thinking carefully about what Dave had said earlier before she said her next line, “I also broke the curfew you put in place. Are you going to arrest me as well?”
“Good shout,” Dave said. “He knows he shouldn’t, and he knows you know he shouldn’t, which will worry him even more.”
The mayor’s face flashed with confusion for a moment. He coughed slightly and replied, “You broke what curfew?”
“I went and visited Setu at his home. The only reason why he left was because of me. I tricked him into coming with me. It is not his fault he left the house.”
“His wife has GoblinPox, and you visited him as a fae? I don’t believe you.”
“His wife doesn’t have GoblinPox,” SJ said flatly.
“And how can you be so sure? Setu told everyone that it was.”
“His wife is suffering with Torpu.”
“Torpu?”
“Yes. It is not GoblinPox. I was going to come and speak to you in the morning about it, but due to what has happened, I have now been dragged out in the middle of the night instead.”
“How do you know it is not GoblinPox?”
“I am guessing that you are not goblinkin related?”
“No,” the mayor scoffed.
“I am also assuming that when the last outbreak occurred twenty-five years ago, you were informed of the details of the sickness and what it looked like.”
“Of course. I have been mayor of the town for over fifty years.”
The statement took SJ by surprise. Although she had heard the comment before, he only looked in his early forties, with thick hair and a beard and bright, intelligent, although tired-looking eyes.
“I suggest you visit poor Margu then and see for yourself. I am surprised that no one even thought to go and check.”
“You are doing very well tonight,” Dave said. “I have been thoroughly impressed so far, and I can take pride in doing such a good job as your administrator.”
SJ could not react to Dave but wished she could.
The mayor stood silently for a moment, and SJ could see him thinking things over.
“Also, while you think about it. Margu is asleep and probably will be for another two days, maybe three before she wakes up from the Torpu, and you have taken the sprogling’s Dad away and locked him up. Who do you think was looking after them? Never mind that Setu has not shown any signs of the illness, which I am sure you know has an infection period of no more than twenty-four hours.”
The mayor’s face changed as she spoke to him. A look of confusion turned into anger and then back to confusion again.
“Finally. Unless you are also going to arrest me?” SJ tilted her head at him. “I am going to go and speak to Setu. While you decide what the best course of action is.” At that point, SJ began to walk towards the door leading into the back of the jail. Gary and the gnoll were both standing in amazement, and neither of them nor the mayor attempted to stop her as she opened the door and walked through. She was faced with a long, straight corridor, and on either side, there were bars. Then, further down, she could see separate doors with small, barred windows. She headed straight towards them, passing several forms lying in the open barred cells before arriving at them and peering through.
The first had the large snoring form of a troll, and the next was a sleeping kobold. There were two empty cells, and then she looked in to see the small form of Setu sitting with his knees tucked up and holding a blanket around himself with his head dropped.
“Setu,” she called.
He looked up and over at the bars, saw SJ and smiled weakly. “Hi, SJ.”
“I have great news.”
“What?”
“I have your deed back. I managed to win it from the alchemist in a game of cards.”
“How? He was away?”
“He came back tonight, and I managed to locate him after speaking to Niweq at the Wandering Ogre.”
“You went to the Wandering Ogre?” Setu’s cheeks coloured slightly, SJ guessing he had visited himself at some point.
“I did and won your deed from him when I found him.”
“That is amazing news. At least Margu still has her stall.”
“I am not sure about the silver yet, but we will find out about that.” SJ could not tell him that she had stolen the silver from the shop and had not even opened the lockbox yet, so she had no idea what was in it. She could have kicked herself but had not been expecting to be dragged out in the middle of the night before having the chance to look in it.
“At least that is one less worry,” Setu said, dropping his head again.
“I have just spoken to the mayor and hope things may get resolved soon.”
“How?” Setu asked, looking over with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“It’s a long story. Just hold on here for a while longer, okay?”
Setu looked at her, his smile a little stronger this time. “Thank you, SJ. You didn’t have to help me out.”
SJ smiled back before turning and walking back down the corridor to the front. As she walked past one of the locked cells, a voice called, “Clarice, is that you? I can smell your perfume?”
SJ had an immediate flashback and shuddered, ignoring the voice. She went to the front. The mayor now stood with two others: a very stocky, strong-looking dwarf and a very athletic-looking, long-haired woman with bright orange hair. Gary turned to her as she walked out.
The gnoll glanced at SJ and then stood and locked the door she had just walked through, making it obvious that it shouldn’t have been left unlocked in the first place.
“Let’s go,” SJ said to Gary.
Gary looked at her as she walked past him. “Thank you, Mayor Maxwell, for your time,” she said as she walked to the exit. Mayor Maxwell stopped his conversation with the others and didn’t answer. He just watched as SJ left the jail, Gary quickly following behind.
“Well, that was interesting,” Dave said, “I was not sure which way he was going at first. I thought he may jail you at one point.”
“License,” SJ said.
“Sorry?” Gary asked.
“Oh, I need to get Setu’s license for his stall,” SJ replied.
“Ah. Yeah. How did you get it back? He said he gave it to the alchemist.”
SJ repeated the same story she had told Setu.
“He was willing to bet for a stall deed. What did you offer him to be willing to do that?”
“Me,” SJ replied.
Gary’s eyes shot open in surprise, but he did not reply.
“Did you hear what the mayor plans to do?”
“Yes. He was going to send Lorna to check on Margu.”
“Lorna?”
“The tigress.”
“Tigress?”
“She is a weretiger.”
“Oh. I had no idea.”
“She is the lieutenant of the town guard. The dwarf you saw is Captain Broadaxe.”
“Hopefully, once she reports back her findings, this will all start to get resolved.”
“I hope so.”
“I didn’t know you were a member of the town guard?”
“Yeah. I have been since being an orcling. Started in the stables and worked my way up to Sergeant.”
“Can I ask you a favour?”
“Of course you can, after helping Setu.”
“Do you train ‘my’ type at the Barracks?”
Gary frowned at her reference to my type. “If you mean Legionnaires. In the past, we have. We have not had anyone new in town for a while now who has inquired. Concerning fae, no, we have never trained a fae. We don’t get many fae in town, and those who have ever come here have always been magical-focused. I thought you were looking at your dress?”
“No, I am monk class.”
“I see. We do have a few monks. The best you just met.”
“Who?”
“Lorna. She is amazing at martial arts. She spends the day throwing all of us around in the sparring ring.”
“Do you think she would train me?”
“I can ask her. Although I may be in a little trouble after tonight.”
“Why? You did nothing wrong; you were trying to help a friend.”
“I still screamed at one of the jailers.”
“Emotions can cause us all problems at times. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“I will probably get extra duties,” Gary replied, sighing.
“Can I ask one last question?” They had neared the market square where the inn was situated, talking as they had been.
Gary looked at her, waiting.
“I would not have expected a town the size of this to have a barracks, or am I missing something?”
“Oh. There are two main reasons. One is it is the main training area for the melee classes, and secondly, it is the town defence force.”
“What does the town need a defence force for?”
“The hobs.”
“Hobs? What are they?”
“There is a hobgoblin clan down in the valley. They sometimes attempt to perform raids on the town.”
“I think I saw that village. On the far side of the lake?”
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“Why don’t you just go and force them out?”
“Their Chief.”
“Who is that?”
“He is a monster of an ogre called Bordon.”
“He can’t be that bad against the town guard, can he?”
“I have only ever seen him once, and he is huge, even larger than Mayor Maxwell in bear form.”
“Bear form. I didn’t realise he was a lycanthrope as well?”
“Yes. He is a beast to behold, but even he is worried about fighting Bordon.”
They had reached the inn entrance. “I will let you go back to sleep. Thank you so much for helping tonight, and I am sorry I had to disturb you.”
“Don’t be sorry. I was glad I could help.” SJ turned and entered the inn. Making her way back to her room, SJ didn’t even bother getting undressed and just collapsed on her bed.
“Night again,” Dave said.
“Night, Dave,” SJ replied.
Congratulations! Your reputation with Gary was raised to friendly.
SJ smiled as she drifted off to sleep.
