A Quest For Love- Chapter 3

“No? No one lost a veil in here?” the man continues, staring around the silent room.

“Sir,” Eric calls out, his voice cracking a bit. “Where did you find it? The veil?”

The man turns his steady gaze towards the voice, spying Eric and Adam both staring at him, one with a ghostly pale face, the other curious. He walks over to them, training his gaze on the one who looks like he is about to collapse. “I think you might need to sit down there, my good sir.”

Adam grabs onto Eric’s arm, helping him walk back to an empty table, sitting him down in the chair. Eric glances at Adam, not having been aware of how close he had been to collapsing after having seen Sarah’s veil. The other man stands in front of him, still clutching the veil and staring down at him, interested in hearing why the Elf wants to know more about the veil.

Eric tries to find his voice, but the shock of seeing the veil has caused him to lose it. He points at it, but again his words are lost as he opens his mouth with only a small grunt escaping. The man shakes his head as he watches the Elf struggle with words.

“Eric here said that his bride was taken from him today. Before he became mute, he told me that that veil is his bride’s veil,” Adam pipes in, taking cues from Eric that he could not find his tongue to talk.

“Oh?” the man holds out the veil to Eric. “Then this is yours.”

Eric takes the silk into his hands and lowers his head, trying to stop the tears that threaten to fall from his closed eyes. Adam and the stranger help Eric stand, both leading him out of the pub so that Eric can get some fresh air. The night sky is high, and the stars are twinkling in the darkening sky. The streets have finally quieted as most people are in the Inn, at home, or in the pub drinking. Only a few people are scurrying away from them to get to the Inn or are staggering drunk here and there.

“Do you have a room at the Inn, Eric?” Adam asks him as they look around, trying to find an area to go where they won’t be interrupted.

“No, I was going to just get information about Trent and then carry on, riding through the night,” Eric says, finally able to find his voice.

“Trent? The Warlock?” the stranger pipes in, nearly dropping Eric.

Eric catches himself and stands without Adam’s or the man’s help, turning to face him, “Trent is the one who stole my bride.”

“And my people’s jewels,” Adam pipes in.

The man scratches his head, raking his fingers through his light brunette hair, “It seems that you two may be in the need of a thief.”

“A thief?” Eric looks at him strangely. “How will a thief be helpful to us?”

The man cracks a grin before he holds up a finger and vanishes in the dark behind them. A few seconds later, he returns and hands Adam back his pouch of coins. “Because I am a thief among thieves who steals from thieves. And since Trent has stolen items from you,” he looks pointedly at Adam before looking at Eric, “And you have lost someone special I wish to help. So, allow me to travel with you to claim them back.”

“Why? What is it in for you?” Adam asks him suspiciously.

The man shrugs, “Can’t a thief do something nice for someone once in a while besides stealing back stolen items for pay?”

Eric and Adam look at one another before they look back at the tall man, not sure how to answer or what to say to the man and his offer to help them get Sarah and the jewels back.

He holds his hand out towards Eric and Adam, “Do we have a deal?”

Eric chews on his lower lip as he thinks about what to do in the situation that has presented itself, “You will show us where you found this veil?”

“I can take you right to the spot,” the man says before he looks up at the night sky. “In the morning… it is way too dark to go now.”

Eric looks back at Adam, who only shrugs before the elf takes a firm grasp of the thief’s hand. “All right, deal.”

“Great! Then let us get out of this town and find a good place to camp for the night,” he says, letting Eric’s hand go. “I am Kyle, by the way.”

Eric unhitches his horse, “Eric.”

“Adam,” the Dwarf tells the thief as he too shakes the man’s hand.

“Well then, Eric, Adam, it’s nice to meet you two.” Kyle walks away from them into the darkness only to return once again leading a pale cream-colored horse. “I know of a nice little cave to the South if you…”

“No!” Eric tells him quickly. “The dragon flew East and I will not be swayed from the path leading me East.”

“Dragon?” Kyle scratches his chin. “Then there is only one place they will be headed as Diablo Mountains and Hillsphere is not very accommodating for dragons. And I found the veil towards the North if I remember correctly.”

Hope gleams in Eric’s eyes as he stores the veil into his bag, “Then we will travel more North East to the City of Dragons.”

“In the morning,” Kyle reminds him. “Well, since we know where they are headed, then I say we stay at the Inn tonight. Might as well be comfortable for at least one night.”

Adam and Eric agree, walking their tired horses towards the stables beside the Inn so that they may rest for the long journey ahead. The three enter the Inn, taking the last three rooms available for the night. They said their goodnights and retreat into their rooms for the night.

Eric lies on his bed, staring up at the ceiling debating if he should grab his things and go since he knows where Trent is and where the woman took Sarah. He didn’t want to endanger the two he has met, but he also would feel horrible if he left them at the same time. He tosses and turns in his bed until he hears a low knocking on his door hours later. He goes and answers it, seeing both Adam and Kyle dressed, packed, and ready to leave even though they had only been maybe an hour in their rooms.

“Can’t sleep. How about you?” Kyle asks with a half grin on his face.

Eric shakes his head and grins, “Let me grab my stuff.” He heads back into his room, grabbing his items, and returns to the door. “Ready!”

The three hurry down the hallway to get to the stairs and the front door, hurrying as fast as they can so they can continue their journey. They enter the stable to find their horses all awake and pacing as if they too could not sleep and were eager to get going. With horses saddled and packed, the new friends ride out of the town with their horses aimed for the City of Dragons.