The Chronicles of Amberdrake

by Loren K. Jones

  Master Trader Zenos bowed to us, and we left to see Silat Domberson. The quarter where the Gold Merchants Guild is located is a fair walk from the Silver Unicorn, and Chanbern and I spent the time catching up. I told him a fantasy story about taking off with a merchant’s daughter and going out of the empire, and he didn’t believe one word of it. He didn’t call me a liar, but I could read it in his face. He respected my privacy though, probably assuming I had wound up in prison, or somewhere else unpleasant, and did not want to admit it.

  Silat Domberson, Master Gold Merchant and banker, stood as Chanbern and I entered his office. His smile at seeing Chanbern turned to shock when he recognized me. “It can’t be. Can it? Standral Emverson? I never thought to see you again.”

  Silat and I had been casual acquaintances when I had been here before, and I was gratified that he recognized me. “I did some traveling and had some interesting times, Master Silat. I was surprised to find that Chanbern had been banking my share of the Unicorn’s profits with you. Not many men would do that.”

  “Chanbern is an uncommon man. Let me get the ledger.” He turned away for a moment and returned with a fat book. “Now, let’s see. I show one hundred and twenty-two entries, totaling two hundred and thirty-nine gold crowns, fifteen silver crowns, and twenty-five sparks. Added to that is an interest payment of fifteen gold crowns, thirty silver crowns, and fifty-six sparks for allowing me to use the money. That gives you a total of two hundred and fifty-four gold crowns, forty-five silver crowns, and eighty-one sparks.” He turned the book to me so that I could check his figures. I nodded and he turned the book back. “I hope you are not going to want all of this at once. It will take some time to round up that much coin.”

  I was surprised by the amount of money he was talking about. “No, Master Silat, no, we don’t need all that much. No more than thirty gold crowns.” I was still blinking and stammering, so Chanbern took over.

  “We have a large order for ale from Master Trader Hypherian, and the money is to purchase the supplies. If it is possible, we would prefer the bulk of it in silver. You know how Grain Merchants get when they see gold.” Chanbern laughed at his own joke. The rivalry between the Gold Merchants and Grain Merchants had been going on for hundreds of years.

  Silat laughed as well. “Oh, yes. They see it so seldom that they often confuse it with silver.” He was referring to a time when a Master of the Grain Merchants’ Guild had tried, unsuccessfully, to use a silver scale for gold coins. He had been caught and hung as a cheat. “Very well. Three hundred silver should not be hard to come by. A moment, if you please.” He gestured to a comfortable sitting room and departed.

  “Standral, are you all right?” Chanbern was staring at me with concern.

  “I don’t know. When you said that you had been banking away my share, I never thought it was that much. Fifty, maybe sixty gold at most. But this? Two hundred and fifty-four gold? I’m having a hard time adjusting.” I poured myself a drink and one for Chanbern as well.

  “You must be. Three hundred silver? Even with the barrels and all the grains, we only need about one hundred. What are you planning to do with the rest?”

  Chanbern had a point. “I don’t know. I didn’t think, I just said the first thing that popped into my head. I’m sure I can find something to do with it.” I broke off as Master Silat returned with two burly young men. Each was laden with a brace of money sacks. They were armed as well.

  “Here you are, my friends. And I’m sending Math and Jom along with you. Walking about at any time of day with this much silver is bound to attract some attention.”

  Chanbern and I both bowed to Master Silat and received the sacks from his men. Math preceded us out the door, with Jom following close behind. Ordinarily I would’ve found this to be an annoyance, but ordinarily I didn’t walk about the city with a year’s wages on my shoulder.

  Our shopping led us about the city, first to the Grain Merchants, then to the Coopers, and last to a porter who carried fresh spring water to the estates of the high and mighty. There was far too much of the city in city-water to allow for making truly good ale or beer.

  “You want how much water? Chanbern, what are you up to?” The porter, Mandar Dramerson, was another old friend, though he didn’t recognize me. “This is enough to make hundreds of casks of beer.”

  “That is exactly what we are making. You don’t recognize him, do you Mandar?” Chanbern was making it a game everywhere we went to make old acquaintances guess who I was. Few had done it.

  “No, I can’t say I do. Should I?”

  “Considering that Standral has been my partner for fifteen years, I should think so.” Chanbern burst out laughing as my name registered with Mandar.

  “Standral? No! I thought you were dead. Where have you been for the past few years?” Mandar was covering well, but his shock was plain to see.

  “Oh, here and about. I’ve never managed to plant my feet anywhere for very long.” I did not, as a rule, stay anywhere long enough to become well known. It helped me disappear when I needed to.

  We were soon on our way back to the Silver Unicorn, Math and Jom still in tow. In time we arrived, unmolested, and Chanbern paid the men with a few mugs of ale. Master Silat was paying them in coin, but it never hurts to have men who are handy with their weapons feeling friendly toward you.

  Late that night I made my first move against Danlin and Colem. Colem was still locked up in a basement room, and it was the work of a moment to cause the roof cistern to break, flooding his room to waist height. Several guards, as well as Prince Tambert and Danlin, rushed down to find out what had happened. As soon as Danlin’s feet hit the stairs I tripped her, causing her to kick Prince Tambert and the guards down into the water.

  “Watch your feet, you cow! Look at me!” Prince Tambert shouted. He was standing in water up to his waist while his guards were pulling themselves up from their knees.

  “Oh, Prince Tambert, I am so sorry. I don’t know what happened.” Danlin was clinging tightly to the railing to avoid another slip.

  Colem saw an opening and took it, grabbing a guard’s sword and threatening the prince with it. “You bastard! Why have you kept me locked up like this?” He didn’t get a chance to ask a second question. Another guard saw the sword in his hand and reacted. Laird Colem Willowby died with a knife through his heart, sinking below the surface of the water that had flooded his room.

  Prince Tambert turned on the guard and growled, “I wanted him alive.”

  The guard stammered an apology and backed away from the prince, but Tambert was already leaving. As I pulled back, I could hear Danlin begging the prince’s forgiveness for her clumsiness. Colem was already forgotten.

  It took five days to get the massive amount of ale that we needed brewing, and by the end of that time I was ready to head back to Chanders. “Leave?” Chanbern was stunned by my announcement. “But you just got back. Where are you going?”

  “I told you. I have a nice little bit of a merchant’s daughter waiting for me. A very nice little butt, I mean bit.” I smiled at my intentional slip, and Chanbern started laughing.

  “Oh, off with you. Never in my life have I seen a grown man act so much like a teenager. And shall I continue to have your share deposited with Silat?”

  “Yes, but I am having him add you to the account so that you can use those funds if necessary.”

  I purchased a horse with some of the extra silver and headed back to Chanders and Brandis. Saddlebags, new clothes, and a hundred and twenty silver crowns made quite a load for the animal. “Well, Chan, I will be back down next summer. Stay well.” I am not much for long farewells.

  Chanbern waved as I rode away, and I kept going until I was well out of town. The road I was following would lead me to Chanders in twelve days, and I used the time to make plans. Colem is dead, but Danlin is still a problem.

  * * *

  The inns along the road housed me well enough, and I rode into Chanders late the twelfth day. Candr
y met me in the stables and excitedly helped me unload.

  “Master Drake, it’s good to have you back. When we didn’t hear from you for so long, we feared the worst.”

  Someone has been working with her to improve her speech patterns. “I had to lay low for a while, Candry, but my business is finished for the time being. Where is Brandis?”

  “She be in your office, Master Drake.” Her excitement caused her to slip, but I hardly noticed.

  Brandis was in the main room, not the office, and we treated the staff and guests to a fine display when she saw me. Her arms were so tight around my neck that I was almost choking, and it was all that I could do to snatch a quick breath between kisses.

  “Easy, Brandy, easy. Wait till we get to bed.” I laughed and held onto her as well.

  “I thought you were dead! We didn’t hear from you, and when we found out that Lady Danlin had gone to Greater Westport as well, we feared the worst.”

  “They tried the worst, but they never caught me. I am known by a number of different names there, and I simply became someone else.” I guided her to a table where Letten had placed a beer for me. “Laird Colem is dead, and not by my hand. It seems that he and Prince Tambert had a falling out. The last I heard of Laird Colem was that his body had been dumped into the harbor. Lady Danlin, if you choose to call her that, is the prince’s newest plaything.”

  “He’s welcome to her. I told my father what you said concerning her interest in the wool trade. He and his friends have bought her out. She doesn’t have any holdings here anymore.” Her eyes flashed a little when she spoke of Danlin, and I had the distinct impression that she was enjoying herself.

  “Good enough. And what about you? You seem glad to see me.” I smiled and received another long kiss. “Were there any problems while I was gone?”

  “None to speak of. A few of Lervin’s friends showed up and caused a scene, but Jory and Ansenel took care of them. Father knows about us, and I think he approves. I think he went away and thought about it, and decided that I was right to stay.” Her voice was wistful for a moment, then her eyes cleared. “I have other news. Did you notice that someone is missing?”

  I looked around and counted heads, but came up short one. “What happened to Portence?”

  “It turned out that her husband’s debt was to one of the men that Danlin was associated with. When father bought out their assets he chased him out of town, and his debt went with him.”

  “But, what about what her debt to the Falcon?” I was concerned, but not overly so. Portence had only owed about fifty sparks.

  “It was not to the Falcon. She was in debt to Laird Jacoby. Lervin was just collecting it for him.” She seemed pleased by that, and I decided to let it go. After all, what is half a silver crown?

  “I have news as well.” I looked about and spotted my saddlebags. “Amber, hand me those, please.” When they were on the table, I opened them, and poured out the rest of the silver crowns from Greater Westport.

  Brandis was silent for a moment, then reached out a tentative finger and moved them about a little. “Drake, where did all of this come from?”

  “I have friends and other business interests in Westport, both Greater and Lesser. This is just part of what I had waiting there. That was another reason for my going after Colem. If he had found out about it, he might have been able to convince the prince that he deserved some of it.”

  “Father is going to howl when he finds out about Colem and Danlin. Now, about these other business interests. Who is taking care of you down there?” I was fairly sure that she was not talking about business, so I teased her.

  “His name is Chanbern.” She looked startled and confused for a moment, then pulled her lips into a thin line. “He is co-owner of the Silver Unicorn in Greater Westport. There are also several Merchant Houses that I have money invested in.”

  “Co-owner? Are you the other co-owner?” When I smiled, she sat back and looked me straight in the eye. “We are going to talk.”

  “All right. Tomorrow, we talk. Tonight, I have a better idea.” She giggled as I stood, lifting her into my arms.

  In our room I laid her gently on the bed. “I need a bath first. Care to join me?” Her smile deepened, and she nodded.

  We played and made love in the tub until the charcoal for the water heater ran out, then we continued through the night in our room. I was sure the other servants didn’t get very much sleep, but I really didn’t care. I had been human for almost a moon without the company of a woman, and the need in me was overpowering. By the time we were both too exhausted to continue, the sun was greening the eastern sky.

  Brandis murmured softly, “Well, that answers that question,” then drifted softly off to sleep. I joined her, sure that the others would not disturb us unnecessarily.

  I was surprised to be awakened by the sound of a crowd in the main room at midday. I crawled out of bed and peeked through my window to find the main room packed full of men and women. Brandis had awakened when I got up, and she explained.

  “I was approached a few days after you left by the masters of the Weavers and Carpenters Guilds about serving the midday meal, as well as the evening meal. Since we are no longer selling the girls, they feel that it is safe for them to bring their clients and journeymen here to eat. And it has been a moneymaker, both for us and the girls. Even Jory and Ansenel have picked up some loose coin helping drunken Masters back to their halls. The girls are picking up extra because the masters want to look better off that they really are in front of perspective clients, so they tip higher than they normally would.”

  “Smart girl. I knew there was more to you than big tits and a cute butt.” I laughed at her expression, then ducked when she threw a pillow at me.

  “Just for that I’m going to make you wait for your next surprise.” She got up and got dressed without another word, ignoring my attempts to wheedle it out of her.

  I took my time getting dressed, then went down to the office. Brandis had understated the effect that serving the midday meal had had on the Falcon. Our normal intake was about three and a half silver crowns per day, which wasn’t bad. But with the addition of the midday meal, our intake was up to five silver crowns per day while we are only laying out an additional forty sparks a day. That made for a net increase of one full silver crown per day. Impressive.

  * * *

  The normal routine of the Stooping Falcon kept me busy, but not excessively so. I found myself at loose ends about a moon after I returned from Greater Westport, and decided to use the free time to do something that I had intended to do for a long time. I visited the Head Magistrate, an old acquaintance from years before, and named Brandis my legal heir.

  “Are you sure you wish to do this, Master Drake? Once done, it will take three Magistrates to undo it, and that is only if she does not contest. If she does, it will take the High Laird to do it. And he is, after all, her father.” The Magistrate watched me closely, possibly looking for some sign of deceit.

  “I am sure, Head Magistrate. Brandis is my vowed mistress. Besides, I have no one else to leave it to if something happens to me. I travel around a great deal, and with the state the world is in, you never know what might happen. Even if we split up, she is still the best person that I know of to leave the inn to.” I sat back and gazed serenely at him, and he sighed.

  “Very well. I tried to talk you out of it. Sign here, and here.” He signed as officiating Magistrate, then read back what I had signed.

  “I, Drake Standralson, of my free will and without reservation, name Brandis Signardsdotter as my sole heir, to receive from me all properties and goods associated with the Stooping Falcon Inn, located on West Track in the city of Chanders, in the event of my confirmed death, or disappearance for greater than five years.” He looked up and shook his head. “You were gone for ten years the last time, Master Drake.” He folded over the paper and continued. “I leave no other heirs of my blood that are known to me, and have no relatives living wit
hin the Empire or without. Signed this day in the presence of Head Magistrate Grandar Frendersport.”

  I nodded my approval, then asked for copies to be made. When he asked why, I simply shrugged and said, “One can disappear or be altered. Five, in different hands, cannot.”

  I left the Head Magistrate and took one copy of the will to a Gold Merchant named Franc Tobiason. The second I took to a Cloth Merchant I had business dealings with, the third went to Bandar Wensterson. The fourth I delivered to High Laird Shanbelson.

  A servant let me in through a side door, and the High Laird met me on his way to the stables. “Make it fast, Drake. What do you want?”

  I bowed deeply before I spoke. “High Laird, I would appreciate it if you would hold this for me, and for Brandis.” I presented him with the copy and waited while he read it. “As you can see, I have named Brandy as my sole heir. That is the fourth of five copies. The others are safe with people who owe me favors. The fifth is for her to hold.” I smiled as he tried to digest the full import of the document. “The Falcon is not my only business holding. I do, and will, travel about a great deal. This ensures that Brandy is taken care of if something happens to me. I believe I can count on you to ensure she gets everything she deserves if I disappear.”

  “Yes, of course. But are you sure about this? Are you sure you have no children running about that this will leave out in the cold?” He knew me by reputation, and the company that I kept the last time that I was here, but he really knew very little about me personally.

  “I am sure, High Laird. An unfortunate accident left me unable to sire children many years ago. I can still function, but nothing ever comes of it.”

  The High Laird was still blinking in surprise when I bowed and took my leave of him. I returned to the Falcon and gave Brandis her copy.

  “Drake? What does this mean? Why?” She was confused and upset by what I had done, though she didn’t turn me down.

  “Brandis, I told you that I have enemies. If a knife finds me late some night, I want you and the Falcon to be taken care of. And, as you have seen, I do travel about a great deal. If I end up dead in some alley in Westport, or of some other town, the Falcon is yours after five years. I made similar arrangements for Chanbern as to the Unicorn.” I waited for her to say something, but she just sat and stared at me.