Heroes of Veritas: Bardic Inspiration (Book 2)

Chapter Four: Red Robin's Shot

A few days later, the Dire Beavers leadership was rudely called to early far earlier than they were accustomed to. Although Astredian was the one who woke Ichigo and Moltar, he looked no happier about having done so than they were to have been woken. It was one of those ‘if I must be awake, then you must be awake’ situations, to which coffee was the only answer.

Moltar, being less terrible at operating the coffee machine than the other two, decided to have mercy on their souls and make mugs for Ichigo and Astredian as well as himself, setting them down plain on the table in front of each man.

“So, why are we here?” Moltar asked as he sank into his chair with a harumph.

Astredian took a drink of his black coffee, grimaced, and added two sugars before finally speaking, “I received a communication from Grand Duke Ferrad this morning. It hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but...it looks like the Empire has declared war. He’s expecting that the Empire will be testing our borders any day now.”

Though the guild commander spoke with his usual air of mild calm, both Moltar and Ichigo could sense his underlying concern.

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in the silence that spread between them, and adjusted his glasses as he broke the silence, “Well...that’s not good. I assume that should an invasion happen we will be requested to send troops to the front lines?”

“Yes, that request has already been asked and answered. But, we were also given a special assignment. Well, us and a handful of the other major guilds.” Astredian said, folding his hands around his coffee cup. 

Though spring was approaching, it was still a bit chilly in the mornings. Even so, Astredian never did take to wearing warm pajamas, and was even then wearing only a pair of shorts and a loose fitting linen shirt.

“What now? Haven’t we done enough special tasks?” Moltar grumbled as he set his drained mug onto the table. “Sometimes I feel like the nobs just want us to keep us in check by making sure we’re always broke. We can’t keep a hold of money if we’re always working on special tasks for them.

The oathbreaker had drunk his own coffee down all in one go, and didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the fact that he must have burnt the roof of his mouth. Astredian worried that Moltar would burn away his few remaining taste buds by doing things like that. The grimdark vice-commander always liked his coffee black, and his toast and bacon charred - much to his former partner’s disgruntlement. But, people were willing to put up with a lot for love. That was something the paladin understood quite well, much to his own disgruntlement.

“Well, better broke than broken, I think.” Ichigo said, looking over at the commander. “What is the special task?”

“Grand Duke Ferrad was impressed with our communication systems and the defenses that we designed and implemented. Now they want to see if we can come up with some...well, some war machines.” Astredian replied.

Ichigo sat back in his chair, looking deeply uncomfortable. “War machines?”

“I know. It’s not something I expect you to help with, Ichi. I was thinking we should bring in Larkin as an officer, and have him head up our research and development team. Maybe have him recruit a few more wizards, or crafters who specialize in enchantments. But, well...Larkin’s not really the organizational type…”

From the way that the guild commander let his voice trail off, the other two knew what he must be thinking. It was what they were all thinking, really. There was only one person in their guild with the skill set needed to get their s**t back in order for something as large scale as a war, and she had yet to return to the guild hall.

“I know we were going to let her come to us, and I hate to ask this of you Ichigo…” Astredian said, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

Ichigo blinked rapidly, averting his eyes from the paladin. “I...I guess I can try, but...are you sure I’m the right person…?”

“Well, you are her party leader.” Moltar said, snorting.

“And he’s her...well...her partner!” Ichigo sputtered.

“Fine. If you’re both going to be babies about it, then I’ll do it then.” Moltar said, suddenly getting to his feet.

Both Ichigo and Astredian shouted, in unison, “NO!”

Moltar smiled at this reaction, as if he’d been expecting it, because of course he had.  “Then I guess you’d better get a move on, Ichigo. Maybe take Merc and Echo with you. Strength in numbers and all.”

Despite the ‘encouragement’ of his vice-commander, Ichigo struggled to get a move on. Not from lack of trying, but more so because his party members were difficult to round up. In the weeks immediately following the second desolation, the Dire Beavers had contributed a great deal to the recovery efforts, and had been given the week after the memorial service off. While Ichigo himself had stuck close to home - ensconcing himself in his quarters where he spent most of the past few days reading and writing - Mercenades and Echo had ventured a bit further afield. By the time he tracked them down, it was already late afternoon.

The party left the Misty Mermaid just as rangerless as they had been when they arrived. It was the last place she knew that the ranger had been hiding out, so it seemed like the best place to start. The proprietress, Aunty Amy, turned them away, explaining that Elise had checked out two days earlier. Though she was hesitant to give them more information at first, she admitted that Elise may have gone to stay at the Drunk Monk II in Appleton when pressed - or at least, when Mercenades pressed a silver coin into her hand.

So, the group headed back out of the city the way that they came in. Instead of making their way back to the village of Pounce they turned toward Appleton, the location of the newly rebuilt pub that was a favorite of low born adventurers. As they pulled up to the quaint structure of stone and exposed wood cross beams, the party struggled to find an available post to hitch their mounts to. They actually had to hitch their mounts in front of the town hall at the far end of the village, which wouldn’t have been terribly unusual if it wasn’t for the fact that most of the mounts were not the standard issue horse or horse-bird. On display in the town of Appleton this night was a veritable zoo of rare mounts - from the more mundane mountain lions to giant blue lizards; there was even a chimera with a flaming mane and tail.

Stranger still was how packed the Drunk Monk II was when they finally ventured inside. The pub was packed to the gills with scruffy looking people in leather armor, many of them wearing uniforms, and almost all of them carrying a bow of some sort along with a sword. It was a very surreal experience for the party; they had never been surrounded by a group of rowdy, drunken rangers before.

The wall of sound that greeted Ichigo as he stepped into the Drunk Monk II made him take a step back; had Mercenades not caught him at the elbow, he might even have tripped over the step and fallen onto his rump. Seeming to have picked up on the cleric’s nervousness, Mecenades smiled and gave him a reassuring nod. Ichigo continued forward, Mercenades and following along behind.

The sound that had put the cleric off was coming from the back of the room; it was a guitar, but one that had been modified somehow. This guitar had a harsh twang and staticy thrum to it that made the catton’s tail strike out before swaying irritably back and forth. He couldn’t see the musician playing through the throng of people, but the voice that accompanied the sound had a familiar huskiness to it - though the song she sang was rather bawdy in comparison to the tender lament that Elise had played at the memorial.

“Red Robin shot first for the money, next for the show, third for the troubles and fourth-”

“To blow!” the crowd roared, when the singer paused.

“So when you hear about the battle at the Horny Toad, know it was the ranger that blew the load!”

The song ended after a brief guitar flourish, and the crowd cheered and jeered, clapping and stomping their feet as the singer got to her feet to take a bow - standing tall above the mostly seated crowd and making herself visible to the party. She was definitely not Elise.

She was somewhere in her middle years and tall, with strong, wide shoulders and sturdy looking legs, her wavy salt and pepper hair cut short and shaved on one side. She was wearing black and green leather, but bore no weapons - neither sword nor bow - though she certainly looked like the type who knew how to use both. She smiled gregariously at the gathered crowd who clapped her shoulder and back as she moved through them in the direction of the bar. As the stranger came closer, Ichigo saw that set in her long face with its proud, high cheekbones, were eerily familiar jewel bright almond shaped green eyes - though hers had a slit of gold through the left eye that looked a bit like a cat scratch.

“Well, well,” came a voice from the bar in front of which the party had gravitated. “If it isn’t Miss Ellie’s little friends. Darien, these are the lot I was telling you about!”

Ichigo turned, and saw the old monk, Jorgen, motioning to the black clad songstress, then to Ichigo and company.

“Is that so?” Darien said, smiling at Ichigo, Mercenades, and Echo in turn. “Well, you’re a bit late to the party if you’re here for Ellie.”

“We didn’t know there was a party or we’d have come sooner,” Mercenades said, though she didn’t sound any more confident in her words than Ichigo felt. “Uhm...what are we celebrating?”

“The retirement of everyone’s favorite ranger, the best shot in the land, finest swordswoman of her generation,Sergeant First Class Darien. May she never grow feeble in her old age like her friend Jorgen.”

“Feeble? Please. I saw you lay a drunk out flat with your stick last night, Jorgen. Besides, we all know who everyone’s favorite ranger is.” Darien said, reaching an arm around a shoulder of the man who had been sitting quietly at the bar, nursing a flagon of ale. “The man, the myth, the subject of many a jaunty bar room banger - Red Robin.”

Rob groaned as he swiveled to face the party. Darien grinned as she gave the world weary, ruddy-faced ranger trainer a squeeze.

“I’d like to contest on all points - this hack is neither the favorite, nor is she the best shot in the land. And, she’s only so-so with a sword. I seem to recall besting her numerous times.” Rob retorted testily, though the twinkle in his eye belied the irritable tone of his deep, bassy voice.

“Only when I was three sheets to the wind.” Darien snorted, letting Rob go before he could shake her off. “And who are you calling a hack, you old has-been?”

“Congratulations on your retirement, Ma’m.” Echo said, speaking with a politeness that was quiet foreign to the curt, acidic way that the rogue normally spoke.

“Ah, thank you son. Can I call you son? If you’re my daughter’s friends, then I feel like you’re family already.” Darien said, leaning back against the bar on one elbow. “Ellie’s really not here, though. Pretty much every other ranger in the city is, but not my baby girl. So, which one of you is the boyfriend? Is it you?”

Darien said, tilting her head at Echo. “You seem like the type.”

“I told you, Sarge, Miss Ellie’s beau is a paladin. A knight in shining armor.” Jorgen grumbled, refilling Rob’s flagon from a pitcher. “Not a rogue. Though, of course, I have nothing against young Echo here.”

The monk smiled kindly at the rogue, who returned Jorgen’s smile with a brief quirking of the lips.

“I thought you were joking. Is he being serious?” Darien said, looking at Rob for confirmation, then at the party. “He’s serious?”

“Uhm, that is true. Commander Astredian is a paladin, and does polish his armor quite regularly.” Ichigo said, unable to keep the smile from playing on his lips. It was something that Elise routinely teased the paladin about. “He also rides a white horse named Snowball.”

Darien pulled a face, sticking her tongue out a little. “Blerk, excuse me. Wow. Well, seems that genetics don’t account for taste. Anyway, she left a few hours ago for the village of Pounce - something about how her files are probably a mess and needing to make sure y’all aren’t starving with no one to feed your sorry asses.”

Echo burst out laughing, then slapped a hand over his mouth - embarrassed by his slip. The drow’s shoulders shook for a few moments, eyes tearing up at the corners before he finally got a hold of himself and said, “Of course she did. I told you all… we did not need to chase after her. She would come back to us if we just waited. Now we’ve been running all about like headless chickens, and she’s probably wondering where we are.”

Mercenades shook her head, and Ichigo put a hand over his face, sighing deeply. It was just like Elise to run back home just when they needed her - even though there was no way for her to know just how much they needed her.

“Well, as you all say…” Ichigo said, smiling wryly as he adjusted his glasses. “Rangers lead the way.”