luck?” Silas asked as Kaden took the seat to his right.
Kaden shook his head and let out a sigh. “Nothing. I’ve never felt so lost. This root of dwelling could be anything and nobody seems to know what I’m talking about.”
“Same here,” said Lorcan. “Only they stare at me longer because they act like they haven’t ever seen an Erellen.”
“So what do we do now?” Inga asked.
No one said anything for a long moment. “We get some food and drinks and think about it,” Silas finally said. Kaden patted him on the back with satisfaction, and Silas got up from his seat and walked to the crowded bar. He stood between two gruff men. The one to his right looked nearly as drunk as a person could be without passing out, and the other seemed stiff, almost nervous. Silas caught him glancing at him and he turned to his drink quickly, as though he hoped Silas hadn’t seen him. Silas wasn’t sure why the man would be acting in such a way. He had taken the hood down, so he didn’t look so formidable. And he thought Kaden had been a little overcautious with the hood anyway. He didn’t believe anyone in Hanzad was going to recognize him. Most in Jekyll Rock barely recognized him. So why would they notice him in a city that kept itself secluded from the rest of Marenon?
“What would you like?” the bartender asked.
“I recommend the fish and stewed potatoes,” the man to Silas’ left said without looking up from his drink.
Silas looked at him for a long moment, then to the bartender. “Four of those please.” He looked back to the man beside him at the bar. “Have we met?”
“No sir,” the man said. “I know you though.” He looked up from his mug revealing a rough beard and cheek-length hair. Silas could tell from his build that the man was short, but very strong and no stranger to hard work. He also couldn’t help but notice the man’s wrist, displaying a small tattoo of what looked to be a dragon. “You’re the Meshulan, aren’t you?” he whispered as he pulled his sleeve down closer to his hand.
Silas jerked his head back suddenly, shocked to hear this from a complete stranger. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Should he deny it and pretend to be someone else? That’s probably what Kaden would have him do, but Kaden didn’t know everything. This was just another man that was happy to see the one who was famous for killing Maroke.
“Don’t worry,” the man said. “Your secret is safe with me. I understand the need to keep a low profile. But you are him, aren’t you?”
Silas looked from side to side, then stuck out a hand. “The name’s Silas Ainsley,” he said.
The man accepted his hand and shook it excitedly. “Very nice to meet you sir! Very nice indeed! My name is Saul, game hunter extraordinaire.”
“Extraordinaire?”
“Well, I like to think so,” he shrugged. “I’ve come across many things while hunting, but you can’t get better hunting grounds than around Hanzad.”
“Been here a while?” Silas asked.
“All my second life,” the man laughed heartily. “It’s been a lot of years now. Longer than most around here.”
Silas considered this a moment. It had never occurred to him that many of the people in Hanzad might be new arrivals to Marenon. If the landmark that Jessup had whispered to him about was an older one then most people might not even know about it.
“Maybe you could help me, Saul.”
“Anything sir,” he nearly shouted.
Silas held up a hand. “You gotta keep it quiet.”
Saul placed a hand over his mouth sheepishly. “Sorry,” he whispered.
“I’m looking for something called the root of dwelling. I honestly have no idea what or where it is, but someone like yourself that’s been around a while might know something about it.”
Saul sat for a moment, seemingly racking his brain for the information Silas requested. Silas had all but given up on the man’s resourcefulness when his eyes turned bright and he looked up at Silas almost shouting out his next few words. “I know what you are looking for!”
“Shhhh!” Silas said, looking around to see if anyone was paying attention. Most were too drunk or didn’t care.
“I know of such a place,” he whispered. “No wonder you haven’t had any luck. It’s really old. There’s an ancient tree about a mile or so south of the city. Most people have never heard of it, but I’ve seen