The Longest Road

Chapter Two

IridescentEmerald

--

With a sigh he slid himself out of the arms of the red headed bar wench, Calasyn or Canasyl he believed her name was, and sat up in the bed. Her bed. She stretched languidly beside him and opened her eyes, reaching out to him once again. Tioden shook his head, allowing his raven colored locks to fall into his eyes as he rose from the bed and pulled on his trousers. A frown marred her freckled face as she sat up, the sheets pulled about her in some show of false modesty. She opened her mouth to speak but Tioden was quick to cut her off.

“You performed admirably, my dear,” he smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling forth a coin and flipping it onto the rumpled sheets. “Keep up the good work.”

She stared at the coin, realization dawning in her wide, brown eyes. “Ye said ye’d take me with ye…”

He pulled on his tunic, admiring the deep green color of the garment in a nearby mirror. “Honestly, where would I take you? What would I do with you?” He spoke matter of factly, not sparing a glance toward the distraught woman. “Besides, I never said I’d take you with me, I said I’d help you get away.” He waved a hand towards the coin on her bed, “Consider yourself helped.”

“Ye used me!” Her voice rose in a high wail, no doubt waking everyone in the inn. With an almost disgusted sigh, Tioden gathered up the remainder of his belongings (he almost had to wonder why the wench hadn’t questioned his decision to keep all of his things together in an orderly fashion) and reached for the fanged choker that hung about his neck.

The youth had learned long before that it was best to be prepared in all situations and had a veritable treasure trove of magical items though none as precious as his choker. Well worth every gold coin he had spent on it, the chocker was made of fine elvin silver from which hung a large, curved fang. Engraved into the silver band were numerous runes, each one imbued with an enchantment that allowed Tioden a number of spells at his disposal.

He tucked his bundle under one arm and tossed another coin to the sobbing wench with a cheeky grin. Just as the door to her room was thrown open but the pig like barkeep, Tioden stroked the smooth fang and, with a flourishing bow to the enraged keep, disappeared in a flash of silver light. The laughing young man was deposited outside the front door of the inn where he clearly heard the curses of the barkeep. Tioden shoved one hand in his pocket and balanced his bundle of clothing and items on his shoulder with the other before strolling off into the night. He smirked as he thought of all the trouble his chocker had gotten him out of and all of the tight spaces it had yet to save him from.