Snippet #1964469

CHAPTER ONE
The Beginnings of What We Know Now


The Midsummer Fair. How vain the days, how loud the nights!
It was well past the morning bell on the second day of the fair when finally Ikin's caravan pulled through the gates of Bardusk. The road south was not kind to them this year.

The town was practically bursting at the seams, and the merchant’s quarter - madness run amok.

"Serves the North right, showing up a day late..." The dwarf grunted before bellowing, "Alright, get these wagons over to the west court and setup'em right proper!"

The lead rider gave a curt nod and proceeded onward as Ikin jumped off there, near the town's rather lavish Playhouse.
Of course he was immediately lost in the crowd.

The smell of roasted pork and honey was in the air as Ikin huffed and puffed his way up the steps of the theater.
There upon the upper landing and before the doors stood a man grinning.
Vincent Valkylin was his name, and the Bard's Abode was his.

Crossing his arms over his padded leather tunic, the proprietor leaned against a nearby pillar and gave a low whistle, "What beauty fletches the North as to send the likes of you flying to us!"

"Take that fancy double talk and stick it Vincent." Ikin retorted taking a bow.

"That's lord Valkylin to you, lord Ikin." Vincent returned the bow, "Now come here and let me rub some warmth into that cold beard of yours!"

Ikin slapped the probing hands away, "The North take you, blasted child lordling!"
And the young man laughed.

"Why do I ever bother with coming down here." The dwarf grumbled scraping dung off the bottom of his shoe, "A rotten pen is was Bardusk is."

"Oh come now," The thin lordly bard mused, grinning absurdly, "In a time as yet to come my dear dwarf, we will look back and remark 'Of what we know now, these were truly the days of our beginnings.'"

With that Lord Valkylin flourished toward the chaos of the town before them, and they stood taking in the sight.