Chapter 1
He gathered his heavy coat around him as he reflected that it did little to keep the cold from seeping through to his bones. He looked upwards into the clouds and still wasn’t able to see Blàthan. A rueful laugh escaped his lips as he reflected that this was still mid summer and the weather was actually quite cold already. Inanna forbid trying to make this journey in the winter, or even the late fall. The only way one would be able to get here with any degree of assurance of not meeting a certain death would be by Roc, and only one with royal blood or high connections could do that. Not that he didn’t have them of course. It just wouldn’t do for him to be flying into the city today, not with the mission he was tasked with. No, he thought to himself as he looked around counting the sherpa’s he was in the midst of. Hearty stock everyone of them. Put a blade in their hand and they could walk through any small town in the area. It was funny too because they looked like such peaceful sort of people. He knew better though.
Still, their was more than a little disdain that he held within, closely guarded of course, for these people. He thought them a mindless sort, quick to anger and easily directed. This made his job all the easier of course. Well, OK he realized his role in this was not at the center but he soon would be. All that would take would be one well placed assassination and suddenly his would be the name everyone was calling.
He saw they were now walking into the clouds and that meant that they were close to the city gates. The very thing that kept this kingdom in power for the countless centuries was that attacking it’s cities, which were all placed on the mountain tops was far too costly. They had been content to dwell in relative obscurity until the Guild came in and took notice of them. It was with no small smugness that he reflected the Guild had been responsible for changing the course of history by infiltrating the Highland Kingdom and bending it to it’s will. This had lasted for almost a century unabated. Then the zealots emerged.
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the great gates of Blàthan emerge out of the clouds. Tall and imposing, easily three times the height of a man and they turned easily enough on their hinges that a child could open and close them. That was the first thing you noticed about the Highlanders. They knew how to impress you and their knowledge of engineering was without comparison in any of the six kingdoms.
They walked closer and the guards nodded to the Kaldone around him and let them pass. He was of course singled out and had to present all the proper papers. He took on the persona of the trader that his papers said he was. After “offering” a bottle of wine to the guards things went much more smoothly. He entered the city and after telling the sherpas to deposit his belongings at the Olieant Pub, and paying them off he made his way to his first meeting point. He judged he was early still and would therefore have time for some fine Highland ale.
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