[Dargon-writers-list] Story (C Ryan) New Beginning Summit Challange Story Nre Draft

[C.E. Ryan]

New Draft

A New Future
by Claudia Ryan
Spedtchr1 at yahoo.com
Seber 30 1018     

 Barlid laid on his mat looking at the pottery in the little room he and MeeKee had found. The pottery glowed in a 

beam of sunlight.  He should have sold it after Cefn gave it to him but he liked it so he kept it. 

     He wondered what he was going to do. He couldn't stay with the shadow boys much longer.  He was getting too old. 

As a shadow boy he could only get temporary work and mostly labor type jobs.  He also spent too much time looking 

for work and too little time earning a wage.  He had no time to learn.  His reading and mathematics skills needed to grow 

if they were to help him get anywhere in this life. He would have to find some other way to make his way in the world.  

This was going to take some deep thinking.
     As he continued to stare at the pottery, he began to smile.  He could not expect Cefn to help him, but perhaps he 

would take some time and counsel him as to what to do to begin to change his life.  It was worth a try.  Cefn often went 

to the Inn of the Panther.  Barlid thought that if he waited along the route to the inn, he might be able to talk with Cefn.   

As he went to the door, he thought if not today than sometime soon.  He was patient.  
 
     As Cefn turned on Nochar Street going toward Main Street and the Inn of the Panther, he noticed the shadow boy 

lounging at the corner.  He recognized him as the one who had shown him the way to the Temple a senight ago. He 

recognized a difference in this one and most shadow boys.  Though his clothes were tattered and stained, the young man 

was clean. When he had talked with him, he had been well spoken if a bit arrogent. He turned toward the young man. 

"Well met."

   Barlid stepped forward. "Well met. Lord.  I need to talk with you."  He did not flinch as Cefn turned his hooded face 

toward him.

     Cefn's interest was piqued by this fearless young man.  "Walk with me.  You may join me at the inn.  We can talk over 

a glass of ale."  Barlid fell in with Cefn.  

     "Here, you, no shadow boys are allowed in here."  The bar keep addressed Barlid.
 Cefn turned in his direction.  "The young man is with me.  Bring us two ales"

     Sitting opposite the mage, Barlid looked at where Cefn's face should be. That blank spot was uncanny but it did not 

make him afraid. He had no fear.  

     Cefn nodded.  "You said you needed to talk." He held up his hand. "Wait until the waitress leaves.  I don't like my 

business overheard."  He gave an order for food to the waitress when she came to the table.

     They applied themselves to their food and drink.  Once the waitress took their plates and topped off their ales, they 

leaned back.  "Now, I believe you said you needed to talk with me."

     "Yes, I do.  You know that the kiss of courage removed all my fears.  I think that I am the last remaining shadow boy 

who had that done still alive.  That is probably due to my age.

Even though I do not fear anything, I have always thought before I acted. From what I saw, the others acted on impulse 

and it led to their deaths."

     Cefn, nodded.  "I see you are able to think things through.  You are correct in your assumptions.  The less mature 

individual does tend to be impulsive, although maturity does not necessarily come with age.  These thoughts lead to your 

predicament?"

     "Yes.  I am getting a bit long in the tooth for a shadow boy.  I need to find a new way to make my living; hopefully, a 

better way that would allow me a more comfortable way of life.  Over the time I have lived in Dargon, I have observed 

that some people are better problem solvers.  You, sir are the best that I have observed.  I was hoping that you would 

help me figure out what to do."  

      "I think I could.  Let us walk.  I find my mind works better for a bit of exercise. Standing, Cefn turned toward the 

door.  

     Barlid, followed.  He paused and handed the waitress a coin saying, "Thank you for your service.  I wish it could be 

more."

     She smiled at him and walked over to the bar.  

     The bar tender asked, "What was that all about?  Do you want me to rap him up the side of the head?"

     "No!  He just paid me a complement and tipped me to boot.  That is not a shadow boy."

     No one could see Cefn's smile.  

 Once they were walking, Cefn started talking.  "Out of sight, out of mind, you need to get out of your present room and 

change they way you dress and look.  Within a sennight, people will get used to you being absent and stop looking for 

you, even stop thinking about you."  Then if they see you, they will not recognize you.

     "I can see that, with the disappearance of the little ones, people aren't even talking about them anymore."

     "If you have anything in your rooms that you need, go get it and meet me where we met today. I need to run an errand 

so wait if I am not backwhen you arrive.  I know of a place you can stay for the time being and I have some clothes that 

should fit you that someone left with me.  A different haircut will help also."

         Cefn walked toward the marketplace.  Once he was near the booth Corambis worked in he found a shadow boy 

to carry a message to Corambis.  Soon the sage came out of the booth and walked toward Cefn.  " Come walk with me.  

I will buy you something to drink."

     "Laughing, Corambis spoke as he came up to Cefn, I have customers lined up outside my booth, and you want to 

take a walk."   

     "This will not take long and you can tell those in the line that you had to consult with a colleague which will be the truth. 

 I have need of your knowledge. Do you want lemonade or wine to drink?"

     " I would get a lemonade forThuna and drink one myself.  If I started drinking wine I might not want to go back to my 

customers."
     
     Cefn stopped and turned toward Corambis.  "What do you know about a shadow boy named Barlid?"

     "Barlid?  I have found him to be reliable, smart, respectful and able."

     "My assessment also  though based on a limited view of the subject.  Can you tell me anything else of him?"
     
     "Hmm.  I am getting curious about your need for this information.  You will inform me of your interest at some time in 

the future, won't you?" At a noise suspiciously like a chuckle from Cefn, Corambis continued.  "A few days a sennight 

Barlid would sit in my storeroom and read or practice mathematics.  He a very good reader and is building his 

mathematics skills."  

     "Now, that is interesting.  Thank you, my friend."  Cefn turned and walked back the way he had come leaving 

Corambis holding three cups of lemonade.  Shaking his head, Corambis walked back to his booth.


   When Cefn got close to the meeting place he saw Sergeant Cepero of the town guard talking to Barlid.  Barlid did not 

look afraid of course but the sergeant appeared confused.  Walking up, he asked, "May I be of assistance Sergeant?"

     "Thank you for your offer.  This young man said he was waiting for you.  He also says that these lovely pieces of 

Corathin Pottery are his.  Since the first claim was correct could you tell me if the second is also correct?"

     Smiling a smile that no one could see, Cefn replied, "Yes sergeant the pottery does belong to him.  He earned it by 

completing a task for a client."

     'Well with all the strange things going on since the causeway fell, I don't see whay this should be any different.  I will 

bid you both a good day.  I need to keep moving.  The incidents needing the guards' attention are manefestedly 

increasing."  He walked off toward the marketplace.

     'Let us go."  He started off eastward walking down the Street of Travelers.  Passing through Venick Market he 

stopped at theMarket street and turned toward a house on a hill right at the corner of the crossing.  The two passed 

behind the house to a smaller building.    

     Entering the building Cefn left the door open for light.  Barlid saw pots and cooking utensils by a fireplace.  A table 

and chairs sat close to a window.  A bed was built into a back corner of the room.  "Wait here.  You can put your 

package on the table.  I will be right back."  Retuning, he handed Barlid some clothes.  "I think these should fit you.  

There are two sets. One to wear while the other is washed.  I don't have any boots but yours look good enough.  There 

is a wash tub at the back of the house.  Before you run an errand for us, bring it down here."

  Barlid nodded and left the room.  When he got back he placed the washtub ourside of the door.  Cefn told him  to start 

hauling water to fill the tub and to heat so that the water would not be so cold when he had to get into in to bathe.  As he 

went to get the first bucket of water, Cefn said that he might prefer to bathe in the room rather than outside where the 

neighbors would get a show. Cefn followed him toward the well which was between the smaller building and the house.  

Cefn went on toward the house.  Before Barlid finished filling the bucket Cefn came from the house carrying two large 

pots.  "If we only fill the three pots half full, they will heat more quickly.  Once we have the water heating you can run an 

errand."   

     The errand was to the market to get some meat pies and juice.  They ended up eating under the trees outside because 

of the heat in the room.  "Well are you ready to begin your transformation?  I will cut your hair out here to keep from 

having to sweep the hair out of the house."

     Cefn left after cutting his hair.  Barlid took his bath and donned his new clothes. He felt like a new person.  He would 

be allowed to stay in the building for some work around the grounds of the larger house.  The building had been used as a 

house before.  He put his pottery on the mantle above the fireplace.  All in all, he was better off than before.  

     The work on the grounds would take very little of his time, so he still could get part time work as a message carrier or 

as a laborer in one of the warehouses.  The coins he got for those jobs would meet his needs.  If he was careful, he could 

build up a savings which may be helpful.

     Cefn had given him a start now, all Barlid had to do was find some type of work that would give him a future worth 

working for.   He did not fear the future.  He was confident he would find a position that would develop into a vocation.  

Cefn had given him a start, it was up to him to keep going to his new future.     


      
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