Richard Tuttle - Sapphire of the Fairies

The womans scream echoed through the Fishermans Inn in Lorgo. Lorgo was once part of Sordoa before the Collapse of the Universes a generation ago. Now, Lorgo is in one of the many unclaimed areas of the continent, which hasnt received the attention of any of the marauding armies yet. Esta Tern, the innkeeper, told the young boy selling rabbits to wait and hurried his bulky frame up the stairs and along the corridor to the room at the end of the hall. Esta knew which room the scream must have come from because he had only one female customer this morning and he didnt stand for unregistered guests in his rooms. Esta banged loudly on the door. Innkeeper! Whats the problem in there? Open the door.

The door opened and the female traveler, dressed in a fine white robe, pointed towards the window.

Somebody was trying to come in through the window, she shrieked. What kind of an inn are you running when decent people dont even have privacy in their room?

Esta trudged over and leaned out the window, looking in both directions. Only a skinny strip of wood ran along this side of the building and a bandit would have to be crazy to attempt moving along it, the fall could kill him. Down below in the street nobody was moving. The only movement visible was down in the harbor area where the last of the fishermen were putting out to sea. Esta watched the small, drab boats heading seaward under the dim light of morning before closing the shutters and turning to the woman.

I dont see anything out there, he stated. Dont think anyone could walk on the little strip of wood out there and there arent any ladders in sight.

Are you calling me a liar? she demanded. I tell you, someone was out there and I shouldnt have to pay for a room thats not private.

Esta made a motion to smooth hair on the top of his head, hair that had disappeared years ago. He had long demanded that rooms be paid for in advance and occasionally ran into customers who would find fault with rooms just to get their money back. Placing his fists on his hips, he scowled at the woman.

Look, he stated, this is a private room, just what you paid for. Your door locks and the windows have shutters. You want to go parading yourself around in front of an open window, thats your business, but if your screaming wakes any of my late sleepers, Ill have to kick you out.

Esta stormed off, leaving the woman complaining as he left. Everyone looked towards Esta as he reached the ground floor and the innkeeper just waved them off to indicate that there was nothing to worry about. Back in the kitchen, he returned his attention to the young boy who was selling rabbits to the inn.

Sorry, Arik, he sighed. Thats one crazy woman. First she travels around without a decent bodyguard, or as part of a caravan, and now she tries to sleep for free. She wouldnt even get to keep her coins if I did refund her room price. The bandits would get her for sure. How many rabbits do you have this morning, Arik?

Six good-sized ones this morning, sir, Arik replied. What was the screaming about?

Esta looked up at Arik and rubbed his chin. Nothing, I suppose. Where is your friend, Tedi, this morning? Have you seen him?

No, sir, the boy answered. I suppose hes sleeping late today. I should hurry along, though, if Im going to fish with my father today.

Sorry, Arik, the innkeeper apologized. I saw him leaving while I was upstairs. I shouldnt have kept you so long.

Its okay, Master Tern, Arik said. He doesnt really need my help anymore. The fish keep getting smaller and less plentiful each season. Pretty soon, some of the fishermen are going to have to find other work.

Well, its a good thing youve decided to branch out then, chuckled Esta. This is a fine mornings work, Arik, the best batch of rabbits youve brought in this month.

Thank you, sir, beamed Arik as Esta counted out the coins for the young hunter. Do you think the bandits will attack Lorgo again?

Esta leaned his bulky frame against the long wooden table that was the centerpiece of the kitchen. I suppose they will, he answered. Ever since the Collapse, the world has been a very unsafe place. The bandits will keep attacking and raiding until one of the great armies wipes them out.

Do you think we could send a message to one of these great armies and get them to come help us? quizzed Arik.

Esta laughed and scowled at the same time. Lad, the only difference between the bandits and the great armies is that the armies are bigger. Theyll loot and plunder us as sure as the bandits. The only reason that they will kill the bandits is to get rid of the competition. The innkeepers brow knotted with concern. Sooner or later some of them are going to come, though.

Arik gazed at the innkeeper trying to gauge his mood. For once Master Tern seemed to be talkative, but none of the townspeople seemed to want to talk about the days before the Collapse. Hesitantly, Arik broached the unspeakable topic. What was it like before the Collapse? Could you really see the sun? Were there bandits then also?

Esta jolted upright and hurriedly glanced around the room before turning a frosty glare at Arik. His fists were clenched and he appeared to be struggling with himself to avoid striking the boy. Arik stood toe-to-toe with the innkeeper and didnt flinch. Although he was considered a boy in the town, Arik was already a year past Forgeno, the age when young men started their apprenticeships. Forgeno didnt hold much meaning in Lorgo anymore, as trade with other cities was limited to an occasional merchant or caravan because of the bandits. Most merchants refused to travel except with the rare caravans. As a result, most trades in Lorgo were of a similar nature to a small village instead of the bustling seaport town it used to be and most young men became fishermen.

Estas composure softened and the large man relaxed his tense stand. You should know better than to talk of times before the Collapse, he admonished. It is said that to wish for the old times out loud is to bring down the wrath of the Dark One on you and your kin.

But you dont believe that, do you? pressured Arik.

Of course not, blustered the innkeeper. Still, if anyone heard me talking, the town would boycott my inn. There arent enough travelers to survive on. I depend on the townspeople coming in and eating and drinking. I cant afford to alienate anyone.

I wont tell a soul, promised Arik.

Well, truth be told, you are of the age to be making up your own mind now and soon youll be taking a wife, whispered Esta. I suppose you have the right to know the truth for what its worth.

I reckon I do, smiled Arik, but Im not making promises to any girls.

A smart lad, laughed Esta while glancing around to make sure that they were still alone. Its true enough, it is. When I was a younger man, Lorgo was a fine town, almost a city. It was a town in the great nation of Sordoa, which was so large that it would take a month on a fast horse to go from border to border and everywhere that rider went, the sun would shine all day long. At night you could look up and see the heavens, a thousand twinkling lights dancing around the black sky. When the moon was full, you could read a book by its light and it used to cast a long swath of golden light over the sea, calling lovers down to the beaches to marvel at its reflection.

Ive read about the moon, but its hard to imagine the sight you describe, sighed Arik. Were there bandits back then, too?

No, reflected Esta, bandits didnt last very long back then. The army would hang them and the army was a friend of the people in Sordoa, not like the armies of today. People call them great armies, but theyre just a large band of ruffians. The Sordoan Army was a real army with uniforms and discipline. It was the most feared army in the world, but the citizens of Sordoa didnt have to fear them. The merchants used to kill bandits, too. Some young boy from Targa, probably not much older than you, made a name for himself and a fortune by becoming the first merchant with his own army of bandit-killers. It got so a bandit would only attack a lone stranger in the woods.