A Golden Solstice

The following day promised to be busy with two lessons in the Circle of Fire and Martel's plans with Maximilian and Eleanor in the evening; in spite of this, he decided to add more. He had not been to see Sparrow in a while; his last visit had been prevented by the inquisitors swarming the copper lanes. That had been around the full moon, where nothing had happened, at least not to Martel's knowledge. Regardless, there was no reason for the zealots to be on the prowl for the maleficar now, and Martel did not wish to postpone further; besides teaching Sparrow, he also needed to check on Julia after their last conversation that left her spooked. Finally, he needed to find the time to go in search of the Friar and ask his help in locating a skáld for Eleanor's sister.

Thus, as soon as his classes ended, Martel went into the city. He went a longer route, through the merchant quarter, knowing that the market and harbour district would be packed on the first day of solstice. He walked at a quick pace, as he needed to finish his instructions with Sparrow before doubling back to meet his friends at The Golden Goose.

Yet as he reached the copper lanes, to his surprise, he soon ran into a pair of inquisitors. Seeing them walking down the street, he immediately turned around and walked back the way he came. As he reached the nearest alley, he slipped in and hurried away, just in case they had seen him and chosen to pursue. While he had done nothing wrong, he had no desire to answer questions or otherwise have to deal with the mage hunters.

Yet their presence baffled him. This many days after the full moon, the maleficar could not be expected to be active. And if he had struck again somewhere in the copper lanes, surely Martel would have heard rumours of this. There could be another reason, of course; thinking back, Martel remembered the story of a false alchemist preying on the poor of the copper lanes until the inquisitors brought him down. Perhaps it was something like that. Regardless, it meant that for the second time, Martel could not risk meeting with Sparrow.

***

His initial journey cut short, Martel had plenty of time to reach The Golden Goose. He pushed his way through the crowds filling each square of the market district, amidst the entertainers and peddlers that had come from all over the Empire and beyond. Other than buying something to satiate his most immediate hunger – while the invitation to the tavern had promised food, Martel would not stake his life on it – the young mage ignored the vendors hawking their goods and baying for his attention. A brusque dismissal from a wizard usually sent them scurrying away, and he reached his destination well before the bell rang.

Waiting for his friends, Martel made himself as comfortable as he could on the street outside. People still moved about in great numbers, but he found an overturned barrel for collecting rainwater to serve as a seat. It also gave him a vantage point of the entrance to The Golden Goose, which likewise saw patrons arrive and leave in a steady flow.

"There is our boy! All done with your secret business?" Maximilian's voice cut through the clamour.

Martel jumped up to stand, smiling at the approaching pair of mageknights. "Nothing on my mind but an evening of entertainment with my closest compatriots." Whatever form said entertainment might take.

"Let us not wait around," Eleanor suggested. "I'm already famished."

The trio crossed the street to enter the tavern. Immediately, Martel noticed the change since his last visit, one or two months ago. To the side, a small stage had been built a while back, allowing a podium for a musician. Now, it had been greatly expanded, providing a scenery for theatre play. Even before he heard the voice, he knew who had invited them.

"There you are! Ian said he saw you sitting outside. We wondered when you might find the courage to enter." The familiar scent of herbs smoked in a pipe reached them along with his voice as Regnar the hedge mage appeared with a broad grin.

"Regnar!" Martel reciprocated the expression and gave the old rascal a hug.

"This fellow!" Maximilian exclaimed.

"Good to see your merry band again," Eleanor declared.

"Aye, we're back, and our troubles last time at the Four Flagon Tavern have not dissuaded us from another attempt. After some negotiations with the owner, he's agreed to let us make a permanent theatre in his establishment," Regnar explained. "Once more, we are to pack away our carts and make this our home for good."

"Those are excellent news," Martel responded, though his demeanour immediately became concerned. "But are you certain about this? Last time, you got mixed up in trouble and used as a pawn. Before that, you got arrested for your play, and the time before that, there was the whole business with the berserker."

"Alright, alright, no need to paint a picture. Yes, we have had a string of bad luck and, I will admit, have made some unfortunate decisions. But we have been most careful this time," the hedge mage claimed. "We haven't angered anybody in a long time, we made sure that we are not getting in the middle of anybody's feuds, and we're being careful with everything we say or do. More or less."

"See that you do," Martel admonished him. "In half a year, I'll graduate school, and I won't be around to help you out of trouble."

"Alright, alright," Regnar reiterated. "Sol's eye, I'm being chastised by someone young enough to be my grandchild. Go take your seats. The others are busy preparing the performance, else they'd come out and greet you as well. But you can meet them after the play and let them know what you thought."

The three wizards did so, parting ways with the hedge mage, who returned behind the stage to prepare for his own part. Soon after, a play began that entertained the crowd, helped along with ample servings of food and drink, and Martel spent a wonderful night in the company of his dearest friends.