Free Meuric Page A

which was also the only public passageway into the Chieftain’s home.
    On one side of the Great Hall, a short distance away, sat the home of Ay’den’s War Band Commander. A less grand affair than the Chieftain’s, the homestead possessed two levels, but he was still obviously much better off than the townspeople. Only one guard blocked the doorway here.
    On the opposite side of the War Band Commander’s home sat a roundhouse that was typical of any in Ay’den. The fact that a single sentry guarded its doorway marked that as the residence of the Oak Seer whenever he or she came to stay.
    Meuric kept on moving, finding himself skirting close to the fringes of the town. The protective wall that surrounded Ay’den was also circular in shape and he began to follow the path of it, his eyes scanning the terrain. By now, he knew that it was no longer of any use. The power that he had sensed earlier was now completely gone, leaving him feeling strangely isolated. He alone in Ay’den felt the might of a being that could not possibly have been of this world.
    Onwards he moved like a cat on the prowl. Maybe the being had some way of shielding himself from others, he considered. He could see some of the Guardsmen on duty, their red cloaks removed as it was such a mild night. Even those not close to their fired braziers had left their cloaks open. Thinking about it, he realised that not even the Travelers’ Inn had lit its central furnace, the closeness of the patrons making its central hall verge on the oppressive.
    Some of the Guardsmen paced the ramparts as they sought to scan the terrain on the outside, ready to defend the town against any attacking force. Others stood perfectly still, staring out into the evening sky, boredom forcing them to seek solace in their thoughts. There was little chance of Roz’eli forces finding themselves this far from the border, even on a raiding mission, but it was not unheard of for rival tribes to launch a sneak attack. Meuric knew that strategically Ay’den was well placed to control movement across the northern tip of the lake named Tarn Nee’sha and all its interlinking tributaries.
    Meuric shook his head, finally admitting to himself that it was foolish to waste any more time searching for the mysterious being. Deciding to return to the Travelers’ Inn to have a drink he suddenly felt another presence of magick. It was nowhere near as powerful as he had encountered earlier but it was something nonetheless. Focusing on the homestead from which the magick originated, he circled the wall searching for the front door only to almost walk straight into a young woman as she stamped impatiently before the doorway, waiting for a response from within.
    â€œI apologise, young Miss,” said Meuric. He tried to smile politely on finding her so startled. She was pretty enough, he decided, though fragile looking with blonde hair and blue eyes flecked with green. She had only one red tattoo and that was on her neck. “I am sorry if I scared you.”
    The girl looked at him noting his finely made clothes and weapons. He could see her look curiously at his face and wonder why there was no beard, why his hair was cut short and how someone so young could have eyes that looked so old. “It was my mistake, my Lord. I was so intent on what I was doing I had not the mind to be careful.”
    â€œGenovefa,” called a woman from the inside of the house. “Is that you?”
    â€œGenovefa?” repeated Meuric in a quiet voice. He had no intention of letting the person from inside the house know that he was there. “That is not a name from these parts.”
    â€œNo, my Lord,” was the girl’s reply. She was slightly suspicious and seemed reluctant to answer. “My family comes from eastern Kel’akh. We fled here when Roz’eli started to invade our lands.”
    Meuric nodded solemnly. “That was a wise decision by