I honestly thought your username was, er, that before I read your bio 😅

No idea what y'all are talking about, and frankly I don't want to know. Anyhow, here's Chapter 4!

Chapter 4
The Split

“How’re you all?” Fort asked above the breakfast noise of the inn.

“Better,” Armica replied. She eyed the eggs and bread they’d been served. “I tell you it’s beautiful to have hot food again.” The talking seemed to have triggered something because she coughed violently for a few seconds.

Niger toyed with his cup of coffee. “I was thinking last night that it would be better if we split up. Hear me out, Armica is not well, Fort, I know you too are exhausted-”

“And you’re not, sir?” Fort interrupted.

“I’m used to this. And speed is imperative. I need to reach the Northern Kingdom as soon as possible.”

Fort sat back, hurt plain in his eyes. “I know what you’re thinking, sir, we’re slowing you down.”

“It’s not your fault, but it’s true.” Niger leaned forward earnestly. “We will also be safer if we split up. We can move faster, and will be less conspicuous to those trying to hunt us down.”

“I still don’t like it,” Fort said.

Niger glanced at Armica, who sat silent, staring at her food.

“Sir, what if King Berwyn isn’t what you expect? You’ll -”

“He will be,” Niger said firmly. “My father looked up to him and trusted him. Said he was a perfect example of a king.”

“Gents, there’s a way this can both be solved,” Armica said. “Fort, you go with Niger and I’ll stay here.”

As Fort began to protest Armica continued, “let’s face it. I’m the one slowing you down. You two survived for years on your own. You go ahead, and I’ll follow later.”

Niger’s brain flew through this idea. “She’s right,” he said.

Fort looked incredulous, but he stayed silent.

“Well,” Niger said, looking around, “if that’s the plan, then Fort and I can leave first thing tomorrow morning. Armica,” Niger unrolled a map of the land, “the capital city of the Northern Kingdom is this one,” pointing, “Fort and I can make it riding in about a week.”

“It wouldn’t be wise to meet there, sir,” Fort said.

“I know, I was thinking more this town to the south. Brimnston. If we time in right, Armica should arrive when we’re on our way back.”

“If we don’t get delayed in the capital,” Fort said.

“So say we meet in Brimnston in two weeks from tomorrow,” said Armica. “And if we don’t arrive together, we will wait three days for the other party.”

“I don’t like this,” Fort said, standing. “Too many things can go wrong.”

“Neither do I,” Niger replied. “But it’s our only choice.”

Breakfast ended in silence. The rest of the day was quiet. Armica stayed in her room while Fort and Niger poured over maps, bought supplies and horses and gleaned valuable knowledge of the terrain and weather. As night drew on they reconvened in Armica’s room, sharing notes and leaving her with the map.

Next morning, as the sun was barely peeking over the hill, Niger and Fort waved farewell to Armica and rode away from the village. Niger kept his eyes straight ahead but Fort glanced back. The sun glowed in Armica’s hair which lit up like a flame. She kept one hand raised in farewell.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re never going to see her again,” Fort said softly.

Armica watched Niger and Fort ride away with no small feelings of misgiving. She saw Fort turn back to wave, and she raised her hand. Niger never looked back. She knew his mind would already be far ahead.

Armica coughed, the breath buzzing in her lungs. Niger and Fort had already vanished over the nearest hill. She turned back into the village. Maybe she should ask the inn keeper’s wife for some tea.

The inn was warm, no, stuffy. Very stuffy. Armica retreated to her room and threw open the window. She watched farmers, women and children bustle around in their early-morning tasks. A few minutes later the inn keeper’s wife creaked up the stairs with the breakfast Armica had ordered.

“My days, child, it’s like the northern wastes up here!” the woman said.

Armica took the tray and set it on the bed. “Thank you, ma’am. I agree, it is quite cold, but I couldn’t stand the stuffiness downstairs.” She coughed slightly.

“My dear, you’re ill!” the inn keeper’s wife cried, wrapping an arm around Armica. “You shouldn’t be withering away up here! Come, I’ll give you a nice, warm, ground-floor room and we’ll fix you right up.”

“Oh, but I can’t pay . . .” Armica said.

“Nonsense.” The inn keeper’s wife began guiding her to the door. “It’s against my conscience to have you languishing away up here. No extra charge.”

Armica was about to protest that she was neither languishing nor withering, but decided against it. Niger would need her in Brimnston, she was sure. She wanted to be fit and well when she arrived.

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much!”

The inn keeper’s wife gently but firmly established Armica in a sunny downstairs room close to the central boiler room. The heat from next door radiated through the walls, making the room snug and cosy. It was a small room, with windows to the east and south admitting as much sunshine as possible. The bed was set against the far wall, beside a dresser and washstand. Armica was willing to bet it was one of the finest rooms in the establishment.

The inn keeper’s wife bought her a new tray of breakfast, with a steaming cup of lemon and ginger tea on the side. The food was bacon and eggs, with crispy onion piled high and hash-browned potatoes, not to mention grilled tomatoes and mushrooms.

Armica thanked her, then attacked the food. After the tray had been taken away, Armica crawled between the woollen covers on the bed. Tomorrow she would start making plans. Tomorrow she would prepare, but today she would rest.

The next morning Armica felt so much better she decided to brave the stuffy taproom for breakfast. The inn keeper’s wife greeted her and served her with all joyfulness and civility.

Armica enjoyed her breakfast thoroughly and was considering a walk around the village when the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by cries, screams and shouts. She and every other patron in the room dashed outside. Halting for a moment outside, Armica saw a choking, ominous cloud of black smoke spiralling to the west.

The source was easy to find. It was an old barn, clearly abandoned. The flames licked around the walls and peeked out of the windows. Smoke smothered the roof, spilling high into the sky.

“Is there anyone in there?” Armica asked anyone who was near.

She got some blank looks but one man said, “not likely. Place was old, no one used it.”

Armica sighed in relief.

“Nothing we can do for it,” the man said, running a hand through his blond hair. “No point, anyhow.”

“Dafydd!!!” someone screamed from close by.

Armica glanced around and saw a girl racing for the barn. She grabbed her, trying to calm her down.

“Dafydd!” the girl screamed again, “that’s my brother in there!”

End of Chapter 4

1. your better off without knowing

2. good stuff

@BandB, Thanks!

Well, at least I'm second 😂.
Great chapter, I honestly really enjoyed reading it, especially the beginning. You wrote out all the maps looking and geographical stuff really well.

@D_R, wow, thats epic, (so far with all the stories I've tried to write and all of them that I've read from my irl friends we all have a section of story that takes place in an inn, but this is the best written one yet!)

Epic, D_R!
dang it, I'm last

my new favorite word is daffyd now

Awesome! This reminds a lot of The Dragonkeeper Chronicles (although, no one I know has read those books except for me).

@Greeny, Thanks! I didn't really notice all that to be honest.

@Fireblade, Thanks! I used to write a lot of inn scenes for other stories.

@Gman, Oh well, you'll get 'em next time! 😂

@BandB, 😂 It's a jolly fun name to say, I must say.

@Astro, I've heard of them but I haven't read them.

Okey dokey, here's Chapter 5!!!

Chapter V

Dafydd and Marie

The flames no longer licked around the barn, they devoured it with a whoosh and roar. The little girl screamed and broke away from Armica’s grasp.

“No!” Armica yelled as the girl sprinted into the barn.

No one moved a muscle.

“Can’t anyone do anything?” Armica turned from one person to another.

They all stood, faces blank with horror. Armica looked in disbelief, before sprinting into the barn after the girl.

A wall of heat slammed into her with almost physical force. Armica stumbled, whipping her arm in front of her face. For a second all she was conscious of was the searing heat and choking smoke. Then it all came back and she ran forward.

“Where are you? Please, answer me! Girl! Dafydd! Where are you?”

Pausing to listen, Armica thought she caught a faint “help!” from the back and sprinted towards the sound.

Everywhere was heat and fire. The fire climbed the support beams and covered the ceiling.* The roof will go any second. It’s so hot, I can’t breathe. Find them. Find them, Armica.*

Armica continued to run. Her foot caught a fallen beam and she tripped, smacking her head into the adobe floor. Fire and smoke whirled around her but she forced herself up, moving more carefully. Finally, through the haze, she saw a figure stumbling towards her.

“Quickly!”

The girl was at the end of her strength and collapsed into Armica’s arms. She had a small boy on her back. Panic began to close in on Armica as she realised she couldn’t carry them both out in time.

“Help!” Armica screamed. A cough wracked her.

“I’m coming!”

Armica looked up in shock to see the man from outside racing toward her. Without a word he grabbed the girl and hoisted her on his back. Armica carried Dafydd and together they ran out into the blessed morning air.

The world spun as someone took Dafydd from Armica’s arms. She fell to her hands and knees, sucking in the beautiful clean air.

“Here,” the man knelt with a mug of water.

“Thanks,” Armica said, taking the water and gulping it in two swallows.

“That was incredibly brave, miss,” the man said. “I’m Rhion.”

“Thank you for coming after me,” Armica replied, smiling. “I thought we were completely stuffed in there.” She rose. “How are the girl and Dafydd?”

“Slow down, miss,” Rhion said. “They’re coming around. You need to rest and get those burns taken care of.”

“I’m not hurt.” Armica pushed past him. She limped to where the two children were being cared for by villagers who were now all-to-eager to help.

They were both away and gulping down water. Both looked okay, save for minor burns. The girl looked up at Armica and smiled, showing unkempt, dirty teeth.

“Thanks, miss,” she said in a raspy voice.

“You’re welcome,” Armica replied kneeling beside her. “My name is Armica of Tref-Afon, what’s yours?”

“Marie, miss.”

“Where do you come from, Marie?”

“Me and Dafydd,” she pointed to her brother, “we don’t come from anyplace. That’s why we was hiding in the barn.”

A burning pain began to make itself known in Armica’s leg but she stood and moved to talk with Rhion.

“Who are these children,” she asked.

Rhion shrugged. “Nobodies. They exist on the edge of town, begging for food, sometimes stealing. The girl has spent time in the village jail but never for very long. They don’t have anyone. I didn’t know they lived in Cadell’s old barn.”

“What’s going to happen to them?” Armica glanced back to the children. “They can’t grow up like that, it’s terrible! Not after we rescued them! It’s like saving a puppy from drowning then abandoning it on the riverbank!”

Before he could answer a searing blast of heat slammed into them, accompanied by a crash and roar. The barn weakened beyond what it could bear collapsed in on itself.

Armica shuddered.

“Are you alright?” Rhion asked.

“Yeah.” Armica locked eyes with him. “I’ll look after them. Marie! Dafydd!” she called, “How would you two like to come with me?”

“Where miss?” asked Marie.

“Just to the inn, for a meal and a rest in a proper bed. I think you could use it.” She smiled in her most friendly way. Dafydd beamed back.

“Thank you, miss!” the little boy said.

“Come here, little lad!” Rhion said, “I’ll give you a piggyback!”

Rhion hoisted Dafydd on his back and followed Armica away from the dwindling crowd. The inn keeper’s wife almost had a meltdown when she saw Armica’s soot and blood-stained face. She sent Armica straight to her room with a jar of homemade salve.

“But what about -” Armica said as she was bundled into her room.

“Don’t worry, Armica!” Rhion called, “I’ll get them settled!”

“Thank you!” she replied, closing the door.

Heart still pounding from the adrenaline, Armica sat on the bed. Her hand shook ever so slightly. It was then that she noticed a pounding in her head to accompany the thudding of her heart.

“Ow . . .” she muttered, feeling her forehead. “Why do I do this to myself?”

Thinking of that turned her mind to Marie and Dafydd. The poor little chaps! She hoped Rhion was taking care of them . . . he’s a nice chap. Nice smile, too. Armica yawned. He saved her life . . . very brave . . . taking care of . . . the children . . .

Armica fell forward onto the pillow, fast asleep.

Rhion smiled at the inn keeper’s wife. “Here,” he handed her a jangling pouch of coins, “give the kids a good room.”

“Thank you . . .” The inn keeper’s wife felt the pouch. “Where’d ya get all this?”

“New job,” Rhion said, grin broadening.

The inn keeper’s wife shrugged. “This is plenty, I’ll be well sure to look after them.”

“Thanks,” Rhion replied, tipping his hat. “Come on, children.”

“I want to stay with Miss Armica,” Marie said defiantly.

“Miss Armica is resting,” Rhion said. “You would be too if you’d done what she did."

“I heard ‘bout that,” the inn keeper’s wife said. “Impressive for a young girl like that, isn’t it?”

Rhion nodded sadly. “Aye. Not many like that around.”

End of Chapter 5

Hopefully Ch. 6 won't be that long in coming . . .

Really cool chapter! I have to honestly say that I don’t trust Rhion…

Thanks!
😂 What gives you that impression?

Epic chapter!

Thanks!

DR: You’re welcome! Yeah, I just don’t trust anyone who’s too nice

New job, lots of money, really nice, yeah, he's fishy.

Really good stuff

@D_R, Very nice... This Rhion reminds me of the good symaritian somewhat. Anyway, something is either really wrong, or really good about this guy... Either way great chapter!

@LFA, wow, you really wouldn't trust me irl then 😂