Birdsong - Chapter 3

Velcan leaned back into the shadows. Below him the guards was searching every alley. Their shouts became quieter as they moved towards the lower town. The people of East Road Castle soon continued their afternoon chores and as everything went back to normal he sat himself down on the roof, leaning his back against the roof of another house. From his bag he took out a loaf of bread and some apples. His first meal of the day.

Carefully he tore the bread apart and put one half back into his bag. As he ate he studied the town. The houses of the common folk stretched out from the castle walls in all directions. The Great Est Road went right through, splitting the town in to. It would be easy to see who was passing, as long as they followed the road, and that was what Velcan was hoping for.

This land was strange enough as it was. He didn't understand the people or the customs.Why hadn't the Elder sent someone who had completed their education? Or at least someone who was in the top of the class. Searching for one human in this land was like looking for one needle in a haystack. Thankfully they had given him a picture of the person and the name of this place. Any day now this person would travel trough this town. If Velcan didn't find him he would have no choice but to start searching along the road, a task he didn't wish to take on. Easiest was to find him immediately.

No time to loose then. He stood up, stretched and then started moving over the rooftops towards the center of the city.

~

Yet another day had almost passed and still no sign of the human. Velcan had seen thousands of faces and he'd started to feel nervous. Two days more he could stay in East Road Castle, after that he had to hit the road.

He sighed, wishing he was back home, where he didn't had to hide or go hungry. The houses high up in the trees and the freezing mountain rivers, the music and the golden sunlight. What wouldn't he do to be back there and not have to look at these pitiful creatures who lived in dirt and misery.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked down on the crowd. Merchants, traders, travelers, guards and thieves were mingled with the normal people doing the last shopping for today. He recognized some but most faces were unknown to him. As the sun crept lower the streets started to empty. Just below him an old man begun to stow away the apples and pumpkins he hadn't sold during the day. Velcan watched him. The minutes crept by as he waited. When the old man was done he turned his back to his trolley to speak with someone and Velcan saw his chance. Quietly he swung himself down from the roof, landed beside the trolley and stretched out his hand.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The old man's friend, a giant man, looked straight at him.

"Guards! We have a thief!"

The shouting ("Thief! Guards!") were picked up by more and more people. Trying not to panic Velcan took three of the apples and one pumpkin before running. As he run he stowed them into his bag, cursing his inability to steal. I have to find a way back onto the roofs! He turned around a corner and felt a sudden pain to the side of his head. Then his shoulder hit a wall and he fell to the ground. Disorientated and confused he tried to rise but he had a foot on his back.

"What do we have here? Don't struggle, it's no use. You're defenseless."

Velcan turned his head to the side and felt the strangers hand pulling his hair from his face.

"Goddess of mercy!"

The foot disappeared from his back and he heard a sword being drawn. Velcan sat up and focused his eyes on the stranger. He gasped. I've found him! There in front of him stood the human the Elder had wanted him to find. It was no question about it. Velcan almost laughed but the eyes of the man before him made him swallow instead.

"Tell you why you are here", the man demanded. "You and you're kind are not welcome in these lands."

~

"Tell you why you are here. You and you're kind are not welcome in these lands."

Matt looked down on the creature in front of him. It might look like a man, and he'd thought him a man at first, but as soon as he saw those eyes... This can't be happening. I left them alone. I've held my promise not to touch their artifacts. He didn't like the look on its face. If he had to he would kill it, no one would ever find out, the streets had emptied and soon darkness would fall. A scream in the night wasn't the best when he'd hoped to pass unnoticed.

"Answer me or I'll kill you right now." He raised his sword, preparing for the killing blow.

"We need your help."

Matt stood frozen. What? Is this a trick? Slowly lowering his sword he tried to read its face. It was impossible. The characterizing blue fire burned in its eyes.

"Help? With what?"

Carefully it stood up.

"The Eastern Shore is about to do something that should be never be done and you're a piece in their plan. I can't tell you more until you gotten and accepted your task, but know this, I'll be there to guide you along the way, that's why I'm here. The Elder fear what will happen if this isn't treated with care."

"Why would I need your guidance?"

"Because this task will bring you to my homeland."

Matt stood quiet. This wasn't what he wanted. To have one of theses creatures as a guide could only mean trouble. But he couldn't get rid of him now. If it was true as he said and he had to travel beyond the western forests, then he needed a guide and protector.

"You seem to know a lot of what's going to happen. Very well, come with me, I might need you."

"You will need me."

Feeling safe Matt put away his sword and as they left the alley he asked one last question. "What if I don't accept the assignment?"

"You will lose your head. Lord Matthew doesn't take no for an answer."