Now the keep is just another relic of a bygone era.’ With an amused expression, he adds, ‘There’s a lot of that going around in this town.’
‘I’m beginning to get that impression.’ I peer into the distance, waiting for the next flash of lightning. ‘Anyone still live there?’
‘Not for a century. We open up the great hall for festivals every now and then, but day to day, hardly anyone sets foot inside besides the town guard.’
I smile before I can stop myself. ‘Town guard?’
‘Yes, they like to run drills in the courtyard, things like that.’
‘No, I mean “town guard”? That’s what they call themselves?’
‘That’s what everyone calls them.’ He frowns for a moment, but his expression clears once he catches a glimpse of my face. ‘It is a little antiquated, …show more content…
‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’
‘What do you mean?’ His wide-eyed expression is somewhat spoiled by a nervous smile.
‘It just seems like you’re having a lot of trouble with this job. And Alastor said I had my work cut out for me.’
‘Bah, don’t let my son’s scare tactics worry you,’ he says, waving away my concern. ‘We simply haven’t had a proper grave keeper in so long that the graveyard has fallen into a state of, well, disrepair.’
‘Right.’
‘Sorry, James. It really isn’t so bad. But you’ll see it for yourself, in the morning.’
I peer at the buildings lining the street we’re driving along, their facades rendered grim and uninviting by the gloom. I’d been trying to remember the path we took from the gate, but the downpour makes everything look the same, and I’ve long since lost all sense of direction. ‘So, where are we headed? The ad mentioned the grave keeper had his own place, but something tells me that’s not anywhere near here.’
Still gripping the steering wheel, Martin raises a finger. ‘Ah, now. There is a house, and it does belong to the grave keeper. To you, that is. Having said that, I’m not sure it would be wise to sleep there tonight, particularly with this rain. It’s over at the graveyard, you see, and suffice to say, it has seen better …show more content…
‘Sorry about the mix up, lad.’ He applies the brakes, guiding the car to a stop where one waterlogged street meets another. ‘But for now, you’ll be staying here.’
The building standing on the corner is tall and crooked, as though each of its four floors has been built according to different blueprints. A painted wooden sign above the front door depicts a young girl sitting upon a toadstool. Above the girl’s head, faded golden letters reflect the light of the nearest street lamp, marking the building as The Dreyarch’s Daughter. Some kind of old-fashioned inn, then.
There’s no stopping my sigh this time. ‘Alright. This looks nice enough.’ ‘That’s the spirit.’ Despite the words, Martin looks a little embarrassed. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ he says, drawing a pen and a scrap of paper from a pocket. ‘Give this to Pam, the innkeeper, and tell her I sent you. She’s a lovely woman, Pam. She’ll set you up with a cosy little room, and you can stay there until we’ve got the house sorted out.’ While talking, he scribbles something on the piece of paper, folds it in half and then hands it to
‘I’m beginning to get that impression.’ I peer into the distance, waiting for the next flash of lightning. ‘Anyone still live there?’
‘Not for a century. We open up the great hall for festivals every now and then, but day to day, hardly anyone sets foot inside besides the town guard.’
I smile before I can stop myself. ‘Town guard?’
‘Yes, they like to run drills in the courtyard, things like that.’
‘No, I mean “town guard”? That’s what they call themselves?’
‘That’s what everyone calls them.’ He frowns for a moment, but his expression clears once he catches a glimpse of my face. ‘It is a little antiquated, …show more content…
‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’
‘What do you mean?’ His wide-eyed expression is somewhat spoiled by a nervous smile.
‘It just seems like you’re having a lot of trouble with this job. And Alastor said I had my work cut out for me.’
‘Bah, don’t let my son’s scare tactics worry you,’ he says, waving away my concern. ‘We simply haven’t had a proper grave keeper in so long that the graveyard has fallen into a state of, well, disrepair.’
‘Right.’
‘Sorry, James. It really isn’t so bad. But you’ll see it for yourself, in the morning.’
I peer at the buildings lining the street we’re driving along, their facades rendered grim and uninviting by the gloom. I’d been trying to remember the path we took from the gate, but the downpour makes everything look the same, and I’ve long since lost all sense of direction. ‘So, where are we headed? The ad mentioned the grave keeper had his own place, but something tells me that’s not anywhere near here.’
Still gripping the steering wheel, Martin raises a finger. ‘Ah, now. There is a house, and it does belong to the grave keeper. To you, that is. Having said that, I’m not sure it would be wise to sleep there tonight, particularly with this rain. It’s over at the graveyard, you see, and suffice to say, it has seen better …show more content…
‘Sorry about the mix up, lad.’ He applies the brakes, guiding the car to a stop where one waterlogged street meets another. ‘But for now, you’ll be staying here.’
The building standing on the corner is tall and crooked, as though each of its four floors has been built according to different blueprints. A painted wooden sign above the front door depicts a young girl sitting upon a toadstool. Above the girl’s head, faded golden letters reflect the light of the nearest street lamp, marking the building as The Dreyarch’s Daughter. Some kind of old-fashioned inn, then.
There’s no stopping my sigh this time. ‘Alright. This looks nice enough.’ ‘That’s the spirit.’ Despite the words, Martin looks a little embarrassed. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ he says, drawing a pen and a scrap of paper from a pocket. ‘Give this to Pam, the innkeeper, and tell her I sent you. She’s a lovely woman, Pam. She’ll set you up with a cosy little room, and you can stay there until we’ve got the house sorted out.’ While talking, he scribbles something on the piece of paper, folds it in half and then hands it to