The Chronicle of the Worthy Son

Guile Reeve

While Lark led the horse into the settlement, Able attempted to walk up the hill without limping. Larbantry's red and white banner hung stirlessly above the fort's rough-hewn face that looked like it would probably survive anything short of a wildfire or boulder hurled by a siege weapon. Able hoped he looked at least half as sturdy as he approached the guards.

"Excuse me, might I speak to the deputy? Or whoever is in charge here."

"Do I know you?" asked one of the guards, his expression making it clear that he found this to be irregular.

"No, you don't. I'm Able Houser, affiliated with the University at Fourwind Heights."

"Where's that?" The guard looked to his compatriot, who only shrugged.

"It's a subset of Rainbow Hills." Able frowned when neither guard showed recognition. They were both quite swarthy, so probably from the heartland, but they should at least know the names of the coastal cities.

"Come with me, sir." The guard reached for Able's arm.

Able fought his impulse to shake him off to instead reply calmly, "If you mean to arrest me, I have the right to know why."

The guard blinked and quickly let go. "No, nothing like that. Er, you asked to see someone in charge, so...please follow me, sir."

The gatehouse opened up into a yard and stables and what looked like it could be a dining hall or storehouse. A tint of excitement and unease touched the more normally tall horses being made ready and the men polishing their arms. Easily over three dozen of them. Well, this could be some inopportune timing on Able's part.

As he followed the guard inside the main building, he fished his document of safe passage from his satchel. He'd been given this five years ago when Professor Mothmount had chosen him for an expedition to Karrig. He shouldn't need its like in a Larbant territory, but he might about to be glad he'd listened to the gut feeling that it couldn't hurt to have it.

The guard stopped beside a uniformed woman with dark hair in a taut knot who was listening to a tall uniformed man reading off a list in his hand. He stopped cold at her raised hand.

She turned her stern countenance on Able and the guard. "What is all this?" Able had seen women enforcers before, with black skirts instead of pants beneath their red quiltcoats, but this one was dressed no differently than her male...apparently underlings.

"Ma'am." The guard tapped his heels together in salute. "This man asked to see the 'deputy.' Says he's from Rainbow Hills."

"Rainbow Hills?" She raised a sharp eyebrow at Able.

"I didn't say that," he corrected as calmly as he could. "I said I was associated with the University in Fourwind Heights and that my name is Able Houser." He held out the document. "If you wish to know where I am from, the answer is Blueport."

The woman, perhaps deputy, eyed the document a moment before taking it for a closer inspection. She might not even know what it was meant for, but it had the Viscount of Southern Shore's personal signature and seal on it. That seemed impressive enough as she looked up and gave him a brisk nod. "Very well, Scholar Houser. What brings you here?"

"My aim is to chronicle the effects and aftermath of the war." He really liked how this sounded.

"Very well." She seemed uninterested and impatient. "What are you asking me to do?"

"Well, not you, specifically, necessarily, uh...ma'am...?"

"Inspector Capstone."

"Pleased to meet you," oh, that didn't go over well, "but I was hoping to look through your records to get an idea of deployments and arrests and—"