Chapter 20

On horseback, Masonae, Brother Hricks and Prince Orin made good time through the forest. Masonae shared a horse with Hricks and Pylon loped along contentedly behind them.
Orin was beginning to get on Masonae’s nerves, and they’d only been traveling together for two days. Overall, he was kind and considerate, but when it came to practicalities, the prince was clueless.
They’d already made their way through Masonae’s small stash of food, with no regard to conservation. True, Pylon had done his part by providing meat, but they never skipped a meal and always ate until they were full. A bit shy to chastise the prince, Masonae had let him take charge and direct them in all things.
They’d stopped one night too late to get a good start to the fire, and had to scavenge for wood in the dark. The Prince and Brother Hricks seemed fond of quoting poetry back and forth without a care for the noise they made. The two seemed to have totally forgotten about the dragon incident.
Masonae didn’t trust the account of the dragon massacre either. Though the prince had not directly contradicted Hricks’ story, he seemed sheepish at the retelling. Brother Hricks had retold the story three times.
“How about some lunch?” The prince said as the horses trotted through the diminishing forest.
“We ate everything we had for breakfast,” Masonae said.
“Well. I suppose we’ll just have to make something,” Orin said.
“What do you suggest?”
“I make and excellent quiche. I’d need some eggs, salt, butter, and some spinach or mushrooms.”
“Mushrooms I might be able to find.”
“It’s actually quite easy. You just whip it all up and put it in the oven to bake.”
“The oven’s going to be harder to manage.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.”
Masonae watched as Orin ran through a mental list, tapping off the potential recipes on his fingers. He shook his head and disgarded ten things before Masonae spoke up.
“I have a small pot made for one, a packet of salt, and about an inch of cheese left. Otherwise, we’ll have to hunt something, or buy it somewhere. Perhaps both.”
“Do we have time for hunting?” Brother Hricks’ added.
They did if they didn’t want to starve.
“Suppose Pylon could fetch us something.” The brother looked at the cat who had sprinted ahead after a butterfly.
“We’d have to stop and light a fire to cook it.”
“Oh, right. Can’t exactly eat it raw, now can we?”
Prince Orin forgot about the food when he saw a tree up ahead. It’s scarred trunk was still steaming in a large patch of burnt wood and sap.
“A dragon mark,” Masonae repeated, the words of his father echoing in his head.
“Maybe we should speed up the pace for a bit.” Orin didn’t wait for an answer. He kneed Mary into a gallop. She didn’t seem to mind. The scorched tree had spooked her as well. Masonae followed, knowing that the horse he was riding was beginning to tire. They’d been riding for the better part of two days, but the horse gave him the speed to stay with Orin.
They rode for about fifteen minutes before a loud booming voice called out to them.
“Stand and deliver!”
Orin pulled his horse up short. “Deliver what?”
“It just means stop so I can talk to you,” a bushy man stepped out from behind a tree. He was armed to the teeth. Masonae spotted a dagger in each boot, one strapped to each thigh, and a bow strung across his back.
“Oh. Good day stranger. We require sustenance and shelter.”
“What?”
“Food and a place to stay the night,” Masonae said.
“Oh, why didn’t you say that to begin with? I’m from the town of Hapinsten. It’s that way about a mile and half.”
“Thank you, kind sir, and may I enquire as to your vocation?” Prince Orin asked.
“Not on a vacation. I’m on dragon duty, so you’ll have to take yourselves there yourself. Seen any?”
“We’ve seen signs. Fifteen minute ride due west of here.”
“Good.” The man smiled a tooth grin, and stomped deeper into the forest.
“That was an interesting fellow,” Prince Orin said. A moment later he turned Mary the direction of Hapinsten.
The trees began to thin out even further as they progressed. Signs of habitation began to appear. They passed a small empty cabin with wet wash hanging on the line. A dog came yipping up to terrorize the horses until Pylon gave it a playful swat. It went running off in the other direction.
Masonae paused as they reached a road that led into town. He could see it there, less than a hundred yards away, but he was wary of the magic that had held him tightly in Gooled for so long. A hundred yards might be enough to send him home.
If he went home, Prince Orin would be left alone to save the Great Mages. There was no way Masonae would trust him with his parents’ lives. His hesitation earned a strange look from Prince Orin, and his motion to walk in the grass alongside the road doubled its intensity. Still, the prince said nothing and they entered the town.

Perhaps the prince was used to a fanfare when he entered a town, because he looked a little disappointed when no one came out to greet them. No one even paused their current chores to stare at the unlikely trio as they rode in. Prince Orin stopped in the middle of the town square where Mary was quick to stick her nose in the fountain that trickled there.
Hapisten was a decent sized town with cobblestone streets and at least three inns on the main road. The buildings leaned into one another, but those on the main strip were freshly painted and most owners took care to plant flowers in their window boxes.
Orin looked around and waited there in the square. No one came to adore him, or even take his horse. No innkeeper came to beckon them into his establishment.
“Perhaps we should choose an inn,” Masonae prompted.
“Yes of course. How about that one?”
The Rusty Dragon was marked with a prominent red sign and a billboard proclaiming two for one ales on Thursday afternoons. They dismounted and tied their horses to the hitch out front.
It felt good to finally be off a horse, Masonae thought as they entered the inn. It was small, but well kept, furnished in dark stained wood with checkered red seat cushions.
“What’ll you be wanting?” The barkeep said as raised the hatch in the bar and came forward. He didn’t look too impressed by the dusty trio.
“A room and a meal,” Masonae said, before Orin could pontificate.
“We got good rooms and bad. How much you got?”
“We haven’t got any money,” Orin blurted out.
“Then we haven’t any rooms. Or any food for that matter.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t care if you’re the king of Galadin. No money no food.”
“Prince actually.”
The barkeep continued to look unimpressed.
“Perhaps we have something that you—”
“No bartering neither. Out with you.”
“But kind sir—”
“Out!” He poked Orin with his broom. Masonae reached for a dagger in case Orin reached for his sword. Instead, the startled prince scuttled back and out the door. Somewhat relieved, Masonae followed.
“You be wanting free? The brothers at the monastery are always picking up the strays.” The innkeeper slammed his door shut.
“Well, that’s fine hospitality for you,” Prince Orin said as he wiped the imprint of the broom off his trousers.
“I’m sure we’ll get a better reception from the Brothers. I mean think of what I can tell them!”
Rather than remount the horses, the three walked along side them and continued to the other side of the town, where the walled monastery sat in a stately calm.
Brother Hricks knocked solidly on the door. It opened quickly.
“Please tell the head brother that the great and mighty Orin, Prince of Galadin, wielder of The Sword of Swords currently embarking on a quest given to him by the Great Mage Master Lasser has arrived at the gates of his humble monastery along with his faithful squire Masonae of the North and his loyal and humble scribe Brother Hricks. That’s me.”
“I’m supposed to remember all that?” The brother clad in yellow stared at them from under the bushiest set of eyebrows Masonae had ever seen.
“Oh, just let us in and I’ll tell him myself.”
The brother squinted, his eyes nearly disappearing, before opening the gate wide enough for the horses.
“Don’t suppose anyone could make that up.”
He rang a bell and shuffled off down the open hall of the cloister. Another brother came to claim the horses, giving the three a sour look when he saw how tired the horses appeared.
A brother in blue appeared and ushered them down the hall to a large office. Behind a large wooden desk, a second, older brother in blue sat. His sleeves were pushed up and it looked as if they had caught him in the middle of composing a letter.
“Now what’s all this nonsense about a prince?”