Scriber by Ben S. Dobson

Author:Ben S. Dobson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi

Chapter Twenty-two

Founded by Prince Rynd the Explorer, Ryndport is the Kingsland’s main port of trade with the Southern Isles and the Raen Empire. The shipping merchants who live there are the wealthiest citizens in the Kingsland. In Rynd’s honor, it is customary for the King’s eldest son to oversee Ryndport in place of a Baron, from the time he comes of age until he ascends to the throne.

It is also the Kingsland’s most diverse city—the realm is peopled by citizens of many cultures, from Salt Mountainers to the dark-skinned men and women of Raen and the Isles, but Ryndport is the main point of access for most foreigners, and the city where most remain after arriving. Like the rest of the Kingsland, the main population of the city is descended from the barbarians who followed King Erryn, but in Ryndport, one in three people hail from other lands, or have ancestors who did.

— From Dennon Lark’s Cities of the Kingsland

We entered Ryndport ragged, tired, and bloody, a sorry sight amid the rich markets of the coastal city. Bryndine wasted no time ordering the guardsmen to escort us to her cousin, and we were led through crowded streets towards the Prince’s estate.

Unlike Three Rivers, there was no chaos to Ryndport’s design—it was not the largest city in the Kingsland, but it was by far the wealthiest, and the merchants who lived there put a great deal of coin into its beautification. Each home was larger and more ornate than the one before it, and the broad, straight roads were paved with polished white stone and lined with exotic plants brought by ship from the Southern Isles. There was a poorer element, I knew, the sailors and workers necessary to keep such a town running, but they were as well hidden as the money of their wealthy employers allowed.

The Prince’s manor sat atop a hill on the southern side of the city, looking down over the markets. Despite its elevated position, it was not nearly the grandest home in Ryndport—Erryn’s Promise meant that the shipping merchants who did most of the trading also kept most of the coin. But it was grand all the same, a three-floored building of sand-colored stone on well-kept grassy grounds, shaded by the strange broad-leafed trees of the Southern Isles.

Prince Alyn came rushing out to meet us as we rode through the gates. A huge, broad-shouldered man of more than seven feet, he was the largest of the Errynsons I had yet seen—save for Bryndine, who still stood a half-foot taller. Shaggy blond hair framed his face, and beneath his bright blue eyes he wore a wide smile.

“Bryn!” he bellowed, practically pulling his cousin from her horse and crushing her in an enthusiastic embrace.

“Hello, Alyn,” Bryndine said with weary amusement.

“I swear by the Divide, woman, you’re taller every time I see you.” Releasing her, the Prince stepped back and looked her over with concern. “But you look awful. What happened? We expected you days ago.”

“The rebels forced us to take a… different route.

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