The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

plan. We were in a tavern called the Spiced Fiddle, and Dryleaf had his boots off with his stockinged feet up near the fire. Any chance to rest near a hearth, safe from the freezing rain, now felt like a luxury.

The old man had sung earlier, and then he had given me a turn. I had performed my song about Jordel. Dryleaf and I had worked on it ever since I first shared it with him in Tokana, and I had been performing it in taverns for some weeks. Mag, bless her, did not poke fun at me over it, for she could sense how dear to my heart it was. Indeed, the first few times I had sung it in a tavern’s common room, I had been unable to finish, and I soon fell weeping back into my chair. But enough repetition had allowed me to keep my tears from falling, though my heart was still heavy as I sat with my friends and discussed our options.

“Mayhap we have been taking the wrong approach,” said Dryleaf. “We have avoided large cities thus far, for there are too many prying eyes. Yet at the same time, there are a great many listening ears, and also discerning minds to sift the truth from lies. Mayhap we would find better information in Danfon, or one of the cities on the coast. We might even take a small detour to the High King’s Seat. I know some folk there who are able to gather news from all across the nine kingdoms.”

Slowly Mag shook her head. “I am not sure that is wise,” she said. “If Kaita, or the Shades, are indeed here in northeastern Dorsea, we would waste a great deal of time going all the way to the Seat. Do we not know anyone else who could help us? Someone closer?”

“I do not,” said Dryleaf. “The only place I can think of would be Danfon, and that is farther away than the Seat.”

“That would be no help, then,” I said. “Mayhap we should not go seeking out cities after all. Three of the Shade encampments we found were quite removed from civilization. Mayhap we need to turn away from towns and hamlets and seek them in the wild.”

“Oh?” said Mag, arching an eyebrow. “And where in the wild would you have us look? I am no ranger like you, of course, but I have heard the wilderness is rather large.”

I glowered at her. “I am no ranger. What would you have us do, then? Dryleaf suggests the cities, and you say they are too far. I suggest unclaimed lands, and you say they are too large. Let us hear your proposal, then.”

“Why not simply carry on?” said Mag. “We do not know but that our current course will bring us to our enemies.”

“Yet we have no reason to think it will,” I snapped. “It is only a vague hope that great fortune will befall us.”

Mag frowned at me. “Just as it did in Lan Shui.”

I threw my hands in the air. “Oh, certainly. One out of four times.”

“Now, now,” said Dryleaf. “She may have a point, boy. The wide world is too large for us to search completely. And cities—or smaller towns,” he said hastily, nodding in Mag’s direction, “have one great advantage: they are peopled. If the Shades cause trouble in the wilderness, and we come to the place a week later, the trees and beasts will offer us precious little information. But if the Shades’ actions affect a settlement of any size, the news will linger long enough for us to find it. It will even spread.”

I gritted my teeth. That was a good point, though I was not quite ready to admit it. But I was saved from having to answer by a blast of horns outside the tavern.

I shot to my feet. Dryleaf sat up straight, clutching his walking stick. All around us, the tavern’s patrons froze and looked anxiously towards the door. Then they began to move, some towards the outside, and some upstairs to their rooms. My mind gave a sickening wrench as I remembered the day Northwood fell.

“An attack?” I said, my voice gruff to hide my fear.

“It could be the Shades,” said Dryleaf. “You two should go. I will be safe here.”

“Get yourself to our room, at least,” I said. He hastened to obey.

My bow rested against the wall, and I strung it quickly. As I did, Mag’s battle-trance came over her. When I finished, she hefted her spear and shield.

“Outside,” she intoned.

I followed her, slinging my belt quiver on and pulling an arrow from it. We burst through the door into the street, where we found Oku trotting nervously around. He gave a happy bark when he saw us and padded over to stand between us.

“Good boy,” I said, patting his head. “Now, what in the sky is going on?”

A scene of chaos greeted us. Armed soldiers were killing each other in the streets. Thankfully, most of the fighting was a good distance away from the inn itself. I half-drew my arrow, but I stopped. There were no cloaks of blue in sight, nor any grey-clad fighters.

“I see no Shades,” I said.

“Nor do I,” said Mag in the toneless voice of her battle-trance. “It could be Dulmun.”

“No, wait,” I said. “Look at them, Mag. Every fighter wears the livery of Dorsea. The town’s guards are fighting each other.”

It was true. To a one, the soldiers before us wore the red and yellow of Dorsea. How did any of them know who to attack?

“Mayhap they are Shades in disguise?” said Mag in confusion. With no target for her spear, she had let the trance slip away.

“Mayhap,” I said. A sick feeling was growing in my stomach. Something was wrong here, worse than it had been in Lan Shui or Tokana. “No way for us to tell. We should retrieve Dryleaf and flee.”

Mag spun to me. “Flee?”

I pointed at the fighting. “How can we join