Chapter 16: Truth? or more Mystery?

Back to: "Chapter 15: Gao, the Bard" 

Truth? or more Mystery?

"We're looking for answers," Lin said, helping the bard to his feet. She saw a fleeting shadow cross his face and wondered.

"You've come to the right place, then," Gao answered lightly. "Or," he amended, looking around, "what would've been." His eyes took in the groups of villagers fighting flames now instead of bandits and he shook his head sadly. I guess I'll be moving on, he thought bitterly.

"We didn't come to this town for our answers," Lin said. "We are on our way to Javhol."

"The Haggard Hills?" Gao asked. "Why?"

"There's something amiss there . . . ."

"Well of course there is!" Gao snorted. "Armies marching here and there all over the place, where wouldn't there be trouble?"

Neira's hand tightened on her spear and she ground her teeth together. "What do you babble?" she demanded.

"There's a war going on," Gao explained, trying to ignore the sudden spasming of his stomach. "The orcish hordes are terrorizing everyone on their borders, and everyone's trying to counterattack, but no one's having much luck. And all because of a supposed kidnapping, with everyone trying to blame each other."

Neira and Lin exchanged startled glances. "What kidnapping?" Lin asked.

"Now I don't know this for certain, but I've been told that the reason the orcs've been attacking everyone and everything they see these past few weeks is because one of their princesses was kidnapped, and her protecting tribe wiped out. Now this I hear on one hand. On the other, the orcs started the whole thing by attacking caravans and the king sent out word for bounty hunters and the like to hunt the orcs, which of course gave him leave to hunt them down when they protested, and so on."

"You believe the orcs?"

Gao met Lin's gaze squarely. "Yes," he answered, lowering his voice, "because I know the truth."

"What truth is that?" Lin pressed.

"There is an elven tribe that has conquered the High Elves to the south. They search for something. Something dreadful, I know not what, but they don't know what it is, but believe the High Elves to be hiding it somewhere. It was they who attacked the caravans, wanting the orcs and the human lands around here to be distracted, in case the High Elves are in fact telling the truth."

"Then what of the kidnapping?"

"Oh, that much is true enough. The elves want her as ransom or some such and the orcs believe her to be some kind of luck charm, gifted to them by the gods. They're spitting mad, at everyone, and I don't blame them. Trouble is, people've been wanting to drive the orcs away for millennia and now it looks like they'll succeed."

Lin pursed her lips. "Not if Torin's right," she said quietly.

Gao's eyebrows lifted. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Torin," Lin explained, "claims that Javhol is a vast desert -- "

"What?"

"That's what I said," grunted Neira.

Lin scowled at her barbarian companion. "What is the truth," she said, "is what we're trying to find out." She caught Gao's eyes. "You know me for a druid."

Gao nodded.

"Then let me also tell you that I mean to find the source of all this disruption. My quest has led me to first Neira, then Torin. Do you know of anything or anyone we could ask for more information?"

The bard thought for a moment, his eyes looking off to the horizon. "It is dangerous," he said slowly, then his eyes turned to Neira. "Well," he corrected himself, "perhaps not so much." Now he included both, "I do know someone who might be able to help you. But I cannot say whether or not she'll come."

"Then let's go."