he'd left the building, but he knew nothing else
about him. Was he married? Did he have a son? A lodger?
He was old enough to have an adult son, but generally
speaking, the merchants here lived much like the trappers and woodsmen who
lifestyle they mirrored. Theirs was a solitary existence, and a search of
the trade hut seemed to confirm that to be true of Tansley.
The few
items of clothing, kitchenware and furniture suggested the man lived
alone. There was hardly anything to speak of, and his personal
possessions were vastly outnumber by the goods he sold.
A search of every room showed the hut was empty. A half
eaten sandwich and the burning stove confirming what they'd already
suspected, Tansley had been alone and had left in a hurry. Their
attention now turned to the goods in the store.
Under normal circumstances, Gregario would have thought
a pair of distinctive gauntlets, in an equally distinctive leather
bag, would be easy to spot. And in most houses it would be. Here
though, it was floor to ceiling leather, bronze and steel. Just about
every item a well stock armory would have. Only, an armory that had
be sealed up for twenty years. Everything here was bewailing wars
vintage, more valuable as antiques than practicable tools for
military use or personal defense.
"See if you can see the bag, do you remember what
it looks like?" he said to Aegis, as they stopped looking for
occupants and began scouring the shelves and boxes.
"Yes, I remember, but how do we know they are in
the bag?"
Gregario hesitated, "Good question, bag or
gauntlets, keep an eye out for both."
"It's just that when the alarm was raised, I was told the gauntlets had been stolen from the vault, maybe you
know more," Aegis offered, rummaging through a box of leather
gloves, which looked a good place to start.
"No, you're right, that's what I was told, too. I
just assumed, that's all. They are kept in the bag the whole time and
would be easier to carry that way—" he trailed off.
"You're right," Aegis said, "that's good
thinking."
After several minutes of searching revealed no sign of
them, Gregario moved through a curtained doorway and into the front
of the store.
This side he could see contained much more mundane
fare. Items useful to those traveling, but that did include clothing,
boots, coats, hats and gloves, along with blankets and the like.
Along another wall, he could see walking sticks and staffs, and bags
of various sizes and styles. Could the tradesman have placed The
Eagle Standard here? It was worth a look.
So he began with the
shelves of worn leather bags. He might have expected the embroidered
eagle with silver talons would stand out from the rest of the wares,
assuming it was here, but the closed wooden blinds meant the light he
was searching by was dim. He was feeling his way around, moving and
carefully replacing things as he went. Duffel bags, satchels,
backpacks, holdalls, everything except what he was looking for.
Gregario reasoned, that if they didn't find it soon, he
would either have to open the blinds or light a lamp. He would rather
not, but he might have no choice. Just then, Aegis called from the
next room.
"Look what I've found." Aegis said, walking
through the curtain.
"You have them?" Gregario asked expectantly,
but saw that Aegis didn't have them, and was holding dagger instead,
"What's that?"
"Don't you recognize it?"
"Should I?"
"It belonged to Hayden, its his dagger."
"Are you sure?" Gregario went over and
examined it in the better light.
It seemed ordinary, neither valuable or distinctive. The
pommel engraved with a sickle, its only notable feature. Still,
he knew Aegis had spent some time with Hayden, so it was possible the
boy was right, and he felt no reason to question Aegis' judgment.
"So we know he came this way and stopped by this
trading post," he said. "So let's keep looking."
Aegis nodded in agreement, "Maybe we're on the
right track after all."
25
Ochre Hill was a multi-tiered terrace.
about him. Was he married? Did he have a son? A lodger?
He was old enough to have an adult son, but generally
speaking, the merchants here lived much like the trappers and woodsmen who
lifestyle they mirrored. Theirs was a solitary existence, and a search of
the trade hut seemed to confirm that to be true of Tansley.
The few
items of clothing, kitchenware and furniture suggested the man lived
alone. There was hardly anything to speak of, and his personal
possessions were vastly outnumber by the goods he sold.
A search of every room showed the hut was empty. A half
eaten sandwich and the burning stove confirming what they'd already
suspected, Tansley had been alone and had left in a hurry. Their
attention now turned to the goods in the store.
Under normal circumstances, Gregario would have thought
a pair of distinctive gauntlets, in an equally distinctive leather
bag, would be easy to spot. And in most houses it would be. Here
though, it was floor to ceiling leather, bronze and steel. Just about
every item a well stock armory would have. Only, an armory that had
be sealed up for twenty years. Everything here was bewailing wars
vintage, more valuable as antiques than practicable tools for
military use or personal defense.
"See if you can see the bag, do you remember what
it looks like?" he said to Aegis, as they stopped looking for
occupants and began scouring the shelves and boxes.
"Yes, I remember, but how do we know they are in
the bag?"
Gregario hesitated, "Good question, bag or
gauntlets, keep an eye out for both."
"It's just that when the alarm was raised, I was told the gauntlets had been stolen from the vault, maybe you
know more," Aegis offered, rummaging through a box of leather
gloves, which looked a good place to start.
"No, you're right, that's what I was told, too. I
just assumed, that's all. They are kept in the bag the whole time and
would be easier to carry that way—" he trailed off.
"You're right," Aegis said, "that's good
thinking."
After several minutes of searching revealed no sign of
them, Gregario moved through a curtained doorway and into the front
of the store.
This side he could see contained much more mundane
fare. Items useful to those traveling, but that did include clothing,
boots, coats, hats and gloves, along with blankets and the like.
Along another wall, he could see walking sticks and staffs, and bags
of various sizes and styles. Could the tradesman have placed The
Eagle Standard here? It was worth a look.
So he began with the
shelves of worn leather bags. He might have expected the embroidered
eagle with silver talons would stand out from the rest of the wares,
assuming it was here, but the closed wooden blinds meant the light he
was searching by was dim. He was feeling his way around, moving and
carefully replacing things as he went. Duffel bags, satchels,
backpacks, holdalls, everything except what he was looking for.
Gregario reasoned, that if they didn't find it soon, he
would either have to open the blinds or light a lamp. He would rather
not, but he might have no choice. Just then, Aegis called from the
next room.
"Look what I've found." Aegis said, walking
through the curtain.
"You have them?" Gregario asked expectantly,
but saw that Aegis didn't have them, and was holding dagger instead,
"What's that?"
"Don't you recognize it?"
"Should I?"
"It belonged to Hayden, its his dagger."
"Are you sure?" Gregario went over and
examined it in the better light.
It seemed ordinary, neither valuable or distinctive. The
pommel engraved with a sickle, its only notable feature. Still,
he knew Aegis had spent some time with Hayden, so it was possible the
boy was right, and he felt no reason to question Aegis' judgment.
"So we know he came this way and stopped by this
trading post," he said. "So let's keep looking."
Aegis nodded in agreement, "Maybe we're on the
right track after all."
25
Ochre Hill was a multi-tiered terrace.
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