Moss Gate by Alex Linwood

Author:Alex Linwood [Linwood, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781951098018
Publisher: Greenlees Publishing
Published: 2019-09-11T22:00:00+00:00

They entered the city at the outer wall. Lady Harper’s name was enough to gain entry, although Portia tagging along behind her raised a few eyebrows. It was so crowded they had to lead the deer through the packed entryway. Thousands of elves milled around the courtyard just inside the entrance. More passed back and forth through the gate. Portia spotted a few humans in the crowd. It was easy to do, since they towered over the rest. She tried to make eye contact with a few of them, but most looked at the ground and hurried on their way. No one seemed interested in talking to her.

When they got further into the city and away from the gate, they remounted their deer and rode to the inner gate. Portia didn’t know where to look, scanning the city from side to side, trying to take it all in. There were shops, just like there were in any city, and many citizens walking on the streets. The city was densely packed with narrow streets. Even the carts of goods were narrow.

Closer to the inner gate, the roads began to widen. There was a wide apron before the inner gate walls all along its border. It reminded Portia of the no-man’s-land space in the Eternal Wall. She wondered why everything the elves did seemed in preparation for, or in usefulness for, war. Perhaps they were just cautious. Either way, it made her uneasy.

When they reached the inner city, Lady Harper boldly crossed the apron towards the gate on the red wall. But before she could get there, several large elves ran towards her from the guardhouse. Another ran up to Portia and grabbed the reins of her deer.

“Halt!” one of the elves called out. He spoke with authority.

Lady Harper sputtered, her face tense with rage and surprise. “What is the meaning of this? I am Lady Harper of the Meadows, envoy to the royal house. You have no authority to stop me.”

“That is true. However, no humans are allowed in the inner city, no matter who they are with,” the leader said, his face stern. “There are no exceptions.”

Lady Harper was not impressed. “There will be an exception. I have brought this human for an audience with King Magnus—and the audience will happen.”

The leader simply stared back, his face impassive. He was not going to budge.

Lady Harper blinked, astonished. Finally, she sighed. “Just so I know, when did this happen?”

“About a week ago,” the leader said.

Lady Harper looked at the leader, the gate, and around the city, considering her options. She turned back to the guard, her expression black but her tone civil. “Please tell me where the nearest inn can be found.”

The inn he told them about wasn’t far. It had the bonus of a stable for the deer. Exhaustion pulled at Portia. It was hard to keep her eyes open. It was just too much change and stimulus for one day. She handed over the reins to the waiting hostler and trudged after Lady Harper into the main reception area.

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