Summer had come early this year and there was no way Rand was going to let the warm evenings pass him by. Half heartedly he listened to his tutor speak and as the dinner bell finally rang Rand practically flew out the door. He ate the delicately prepared meal of the palace chefs too fast to appreciate it then went to his room.
Throwing a dark cloak around his shoulders and strapping a longsword to his side, Rand made for the window. With a well practiced maneuver, Rand leapt from his second story window and landed with a roll. Dusting himself off Rand casually strolled in the direction of the gate.
Finally, he slipped behind a tree and removed a small whistle from his pocket. Three short, silent whistles had the dogs running around in a crazed frenzy. As soon as the guard moved to capture the dogs Rand slipped out the palace gate and into the city.
Using his self taught skill, Rand disappeared into the shadows cast by the moon and quietly headed toward the harbor district. At night only a few parts of the city were still awake. Among them, the harbor was his favorite. The smell of the salty water mixed with the smell of sweat and blood gave it a ... distinct ... flavor.
Rand ran his hand through his dark hair and looked around. Ships lined the docks as far as the eye could see and the laughter could be heard throughout the night.
A quick decision lead Rand to a tavern called "The Little Lady" which was not little and definitely had nothing to do with a lady. He pushed back the door as the light, laughter, and mayhem hit him.
Sailors and soldiers and local men all had blown their pay on liquor tonight and Rand could smell it. All the same he enjoyed this tavern and the jolly man that kept it.
Pulling out a little silver Rand ordered himself a glass of ale and relaxed. "If everything is like this, I will enjoy myself very much," Rand thought.
But alas, it was not meant to be. Two men in the corner, both with too much alcohol in then had begun to argue. Rand sat back to watch the, soon to be amusing, escapade. Terone, the bouncer would soon arrive and throw them both out but Rand saw the owner with a worried look on his face.
Suddenly it hit him, Terone had been killed in a knife fight a few days ago. The small escapade was no longer amusing.
One of the men pulled a knife and threw it at the other. To the man's disappointment the knife went astray and hit the wall next to a serving maid.
"Well crap," Rand said as he lifted himself out of the chair and headed toward the man who had thrown the knife.
As soon as he reached the man, Rand made a fist and hit the man just hard enough in the back of the head to knock him out.
Rand watched him fall to the floor with relatively little injury. Standing up he surprisingly found himself face to face with the second man. Apparently, the second man had decided to fight with Rand instead of the other man.
Rand stepped to one side just as the second man threw a punch. Rand grabbed the man's wrist and pulled his arm back behind his back. As the man yelled in pain he looked at Rand's sword and the insignia on it.
The second man finally regaining a little composure looked at Rand and said, "Hey, I know you. I have met your father before. Your the Prin...," but Rand hit him square in the face before he could finished and watched the second man fall on top of the first.
"My dear barkeep," Rand said to the fat owner, "if you will excuse me I will dispose of this trash for you."
The barkeep quickly expressed his thanks as Rand made for the door. Rand reached down, picked up both bodies, one in each arm, and headed for the dock. As Rand reached the next block he stopped in an alley and sat the bodies down. Pulling out a small water skin he opened it up and then wetted the second man's face. Rand slapped him a little bit until he finally awoke.
"What .... what ... where am I? YOU! What are you doing here, I....," again Rand cut him off but this time it was not with a punch. Rand laid his hand on the man's forehead and imposed his will against the man.
Surprisingly enough the man had a strong mind but was disoriented do to the alcohol. It took Rand several minutes but he pushed harder. Rand fought the man's defenses, weak as they were, and finally, in a single burst he pushed into the man's head and dominated his brain.
"You really are making this difficult aren't you," Rand told the possessed man.
Rand quickly but thoroughly began to rummage through the man's most recent thought and erased all of them having to do with the fight and with Rand himself. It would not do anyone good if this man started a rumor that the Prince wonders through the city at night. Finally, Rand implanted the thought of sleep and withdrew contact just as the man dozed off.
Emptying his waterskin onto the other man, Rand began the procedure again. He didn't know if the second man knew him or not, but he didn't take chances. Rand gained entrance a little quicker with this man and cleared his memories like the other man. Finally he gave the man the command to sleep and withdrew contact.
"Time to go boys," he told the sleeping men as he picked them up. "You both are big pains and I plan to make you regret ever even seeing liquor..."
The next morning the gossip all around town was how Gorlon Magthy, the wealthiest merchant in town, and his brother, Forlon Magthy, a wealthy trader, had been found hanging by their ankles to the mast of a ship. It had taken almost an hour to cut them down and wake them up.
Apparently they had enormous headaches and couldn't remember a thing.
| Tuesday, September 30, 1997 |
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