"I vote we tie her up for the night. Maybe the day too." Naiela said as they gathered around a fire two nights later. "That way she won't accidentally befriend a cave bear or something equally deadly."

  "Oh, fuck off." Triss replied from the ground. After two days and one night in the saddle, she couldn't stand to sit and had collapsed on her back as soon as the horses were seen to.

  The problem with Puffren, as it turned out, was not that they were violent or dangerous. The problem was they would eat anything that they could get their fuzzy little paws on. And if they knew you had food, they would pursue you forever. Well, at least for a day and a night. The Puffren had caught up to them early on, and several had climbed up Buttercup's legs, terrifying the horse and sending her into a gallop. Most had been shaken away when the horse took off, but a couple had managed to stay on. Triss had to pick them up and toss them down when she found them rooting around in her saddlebags.

  "I think she's learned her lesson." Reginald said. His face was drawn and haggard from running for so long. He'd tried a few shield spells as they ran, but he couldn't make them large enough to slow the horde.

  "I'd still feel better if she was tied up." Naiela complained.

  "Don't threaten me with a good time." Triss replied, trying to get under the other wizard's skin.

  Naiela's brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, then her eyes shot wide. "You're disgusting!"

  "I work for a dark something something." Triss replied tiredly from the ground.

  "Dark wizard?" Reginald asked.

  "That's the one."

  Naiela glowered at Triss and Reginald in turn. "I believe I will just have dried rations in my tent. The company this evening seems especially...bad." Her gaze hardened, daring either to mention her utter lack of eloquence. When they didn't, she stood in a huff and stormed off to her tent. Her arm seemed to be improving slightly, but she still had to lay in the entrance of her tent and worm her way inside.

  "At least we'll have a quiet evening without her." Triss remarked.

  "I heard that!" Naiela called from inside her tent.

  Triss studiously ignored the comment. She sat up, her muscles groaning in protest. "Any chance we can take a day off tomorrow?" She asked Reginald hopefully. "I don't know if my back can take much more of this."

  "No, but we should at least be able to sleep at an inn tomorrow. I think we'll reach Hortin in the late afternoon." Reginald ladled some thin soup from the pot and handed her a bowl. "We'll need to resupply there anyways."

  Triss nearly missed grabbing the bowl, too busy looking at Naiela's tent to make sure the council wizard was fully inside. Hot soup slopped over her hand, and she nearly dropped the bowl with a yelp. "Careful." Reginald said.

  "Thanks, Nostradamus."

  "Who?"

  "A guy on my world who was known for making prophecies."

  Reginald frowned. "If that's a joke, I don't get it."

  "It wasn't a good one anyways." Triss moved closer to Reginald. "We need to have a talk." She whispered, nodding her head towards Naiela's tent.

  "We'll go for a walk after supper." He whispered back.

  They finished eating and walked away from the fire, closer to the road. Triss explained the book she'd found and the message that was inside. "What was that book?" She asked when she'd finished.

  "It's a message book. She writes on the first page and the message is sent to whoever has the other copy - likely her master. The master sends his message back on the other page. The materials for a book like that are quite rare and expensive, so her mission must be quite important."

  "But there was no writing on the first page." Triss said.

  "Because it was sent to the other book. The other book would have no writing on the second page because it's here." He stroked his scaly chin. "It sounds like they've cancelled her mission. I guess he was telling the truth."

  "Who was?"

  "The giant from the castle. He told her to drop the investigation, and obviously the council agreed with him."

  "So the council is supporting a dark wizard?"

  "I don't think they would consider him a dark wizard." He held up a hand to stall Triss's protests. "I am not saying he's not a bad wizard. Just that the council wouldn't consider him a dark wizard."

  "You know who he is." Triss said.

  "I suspect I do. It doesn't matter if I'm right or not though. We'll deal with him once we reach Percival."

  "What are we going to do about Naiela? She's planning to turn us over to this other wizard...I can't remember his name."

  "She's been ordered to turn us over." Reginald corrected. "We don't know what her reply is. Either way, I will deal with it."

  "How?"

  He smiled. "I have some ideas. Don't worry about it. It's best if you don't know either. That way you can't give the plan away."

  Triss raised an eyebrow. "You think I might give the plan away?" She said in annoyance.

  "You may accidentally. Just try to follow along."

  "I'm not a child, Reginald." Triss snapped.

  "I didn't say you were. Now, let's get back. It's past your bedtime." He replied with a hint of a smile.

  "I'm going to catch a Puffren and stick it in your bed tonight." Triss said with a glare.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Don't even joke about that." Reginald said wearily. "If I never seen a Puffren again it'll be too soon."

  They set out early the next morning, just as the sun was beginning to cast long pink lines through the grey sky. The road was deserted at first, like it had been their entire trip. Once they passed another fork in the road however, that swiftly changed. The road widened and they began to encounter other riders and wagons hauling goods regularly. Triss waved at the first few, but when all she got were sour looks she stopped. "Everyone around here seems grumpy." She said.

  "City life." Reginald said, as though that explained it.

  "What about city life?" Triss asked.

  "Too many people stuck too close together." He said. "It's not good for the spirit."

  Triss tried asking for more details, but Reginald didn't have any more to provide. They continued on their way for several more hours, eating some dried rations without stopping as they had every other day of the trip. Triss noticed that the food stores in her saddlebags were getting pretty close to being empty, and she wondered how much of that had been caused by greedy Puffren. "How fast do the damn things eat?" She wondered quietly to herself.

  Sometime in early afternoon the city finally came into view. It sat on a hill in the middle of a large valley, with fields stretching over every inch around it. It's high grey stone walls dwarfed her castle back home, stretching high into the air. Colorful banners flapped all along the crenellations in shades of blue, green and yellow, and she could just make out figures walking along the top as they drew closer. Smoke rose from a haphazard collection of buildings clustered around the bottom of the walls, no two alike save for the obvious poor quality of their construction. "What's up with the houses there?" She asked, pointing.

  "People who are too poor to live in the city itself." Reginald replied. "They build up against the walls so they can get inside quickly if there's an attack."

  "Does that happen often? The city getting attacked I mean." Triss asked.

  "Not often. Occasionally a group of forest trolls will attack, or a pack of direwolves will run low on prey and come looking for meat. But it's rare."

  "The other kingdoms don't attack each other?"

  "No, the high council forbids it. It's happened before, of course. But it's exceedingly rare."

  "Huh. I guess that's one good thing about having the council." Triss said thoughtfully. "In my world war is less common than it used to be, but it still happens pretty regularly."

  Reginald shrugged. "Maybe. I don't think it outweighs the harm they cause." He held up a hand. "Let's not discuss this now. We're approaching the gates, and it would be detrimental to be overheard."

  "They don't cause harm. They protect." Naiela muttered. Reginald shot her a look. "Fine. But I'm right."

  Several guards in leather armour stood around the gate, half heartedly checking the people coming into the city. They straightened up when they saw Reginald approaching, a pair in the back whispering quietly to each other. “Hold.” The one closest said, holding up a hand to stop them. “What’s your business in Hortin?”

  “We’re just passing through.” Reginald said. “Staying one night and continuing on. Is there an inn you’d recommend?”

  “And what…species are you?” The guard asked, looking Reginald up and down in a manner Triss found quite rude.

  “Draconic.” He replied simply.

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Do they not have schools here?” Triss said.

  “Aye, they do. I’ve heard of all manner of intelligent and semi-intelligent creatures. Never a draconic.” The guard said, ignoring Triss’s implied insult.

  Naiela pushed Nightfang forward until she was next to Reginald. “What you do and do not know is not our concern. What is our concern is you getting out of our way.” She said imperiously.

  The guard looked up at her, seeming to notice her for the first time. “Wait your turn, miss.”

  “Miss?” Naiela said, voice rising a half octave. “Excuse me? Do you know who I am?”

  “Yes. You’re the next one in line after I’m done with him.” He said, pointing at Reginald.

  Naiela cursed and began rooting around in her saddlebags, coming up with a piece of paper a few seconds later. She handed it to the guard, who took it and read it. “These lot with you?” He asked, not looking up from the paper.

  “They are.”

  “And whereabouts you staying while you’re in the city?”

  “The Golden Bear.” She replied.

  The guard nodded and handed the paper back. “You’ll make sure he don’t cause trouble?”

  “If he causes any trouble, I will deal with him myself.” She replied, putting the paper away.

  “Good enough. Mistress Wizard.” He said, bowing slightly and stepping aside.

  “What was that about?” Triss asked once they passed though the gates.

  “Little people being petty.” Naiela replied. “The inn is this way. I stayed there when I passed through last time.” She directed them down a street that, except for a few people walking and a couple storefronts, was bland and empty. The buildings were all made of a dull, tan stone, built without a space between. Each section had a single set of stone steps that led to a wooden door, with a window beside and two on the floor above.

  “Where are all the people?” Triss asked. “I would have thought the city would have been more lively.”

  “No one lives near the gates.” Naiela scoffed. “If there’s an attack then your house is one of the first to go.”

  “But people live outside the city where there are no walls. Wouldn’t it be better to live inside in a real house?”

  “They can’t afford them.” Reginald said, a sour look on his face. “The king owns all the houses inside the city, and he sets the rental price. If you can’t afford it, you live outside. If you can, you live somewhere nicer.”

  “Exactly.” Naiela replied with a smile. “That also means that there are always houses available. It gives those outside something to strive for.”

  “Is she really that dense?” Triss asked Reginald.

  “Excuse me?” Naiela said, turning in the saddle to look at Triss.

  “Yes. It’s not her fault. The council taught her.” Reginald said.

  “I had the finest education!” Naiela nearly screamed. “In magic, economics, civics, language, and any other topic you can think of!”

  “If you drink the finest of poisons, it’ll still kill you.” Reginald said.

  Naiela was still ranting when they reached the inn a few minutes later. The city was slightly busier here, with a a few people running to and fro running errands of one sort or another. Still, it was quieter than Triss would have thought.

  The inn was a wide two story building, built against the wall in a tan brick similar to all the houses with a wide wooden door set in the center. On the far left side was a wooden gate with a tall bear of a man in dark pants and a yellowing white shirt. Reginald headed straight for the man. "We'd like to stable our horses." He said.

  "Staying at the inn?" He asked. "It's four coppers a room. Includes supper."

  "Yes. We'll take three rooms if possible."

  The big man shrugged his massive shoulders. "I know they have rooms, not sure if there's three available." He knocked on the gate behind him, and a few seconds later or opened. A young man dressed in similar clothing came out. He was tall and broad, and his clothing looked like he's grown recently - pants not quite reaching to the bottoms of his boots. "Two horses to stable." He told the young man, who jerked his head in a swift nod and hurried over. Triss and Naiela dismounted and handed the young man the reins, Naiela pressing a coin into the young man's hand as she did. "Take good care of him. I'll be by soon to get my saddlebags."

  They headed towards the main door, where a large sign in the shape of a bear hung on chains. The sign must have been painted gold once upon a time, but now only the barest flecks remained on the carved figure. Naiela pushed open the door and strode confidently inside.

  "Mistress Naiela!" A short man wearing a white apron that struggled to contain his jiggling stomach said brightly as he walked quickly towards the door. "Wonderful to see you again so soon. Are these your companions?"

  "Good afternoon Master Jorsh. Yes, they are with me. We'd like three rooms please."

  "Afraid I've only got two available. There was some... difficulties with a guest and two rooms need a deep clean and repair. Is that ok?"

  "That will be fine. Please have the bath prepared for me. I'll be availing myself once I get settled in."

  "Excellent, excellent. I'll have the maids start that right away." He hurried back through the large common room to the bar, where he took out a pair of brass keys and then hurried back. "You'll be in room 4 and 5, if that suits you." He said, handing over the keys.

  "That will be fine." She turned to Triss and Reginald. "You don't mind sharing a room, do you?"

  Reginald stepped forward and took a key. "That will be fine, I suppose."

  When Triss and Reginald reached their room, she was happy to find it had two small beds. She ran across the room and threw herself into one, sinking deeply into the soft mattress. "A real bed." She groaned. "I've missed this so much."

  "Me too." Reginald said. "Shame we won't be sleeping in one tonight."