A Sellsword's Compassion_Book One of the Seven Virtues

by Jacob Peppers

  She studied him for several tense moments with a thoughtful frown. Finally, she nodded, though reluctantly. “I trust you Aaron, but I still don’t like it.” She held up a hand to silence him, “Fine, fine, I won’t look into it, you have my word. Now, tell me what I can do.”

  He nodded, satisfied. It was another oddity about May that she was one of the few people in the Downs who, when they gave their word, kept it. “I need to get to an inn called the Blindman’s Mermaid. Have you heard of it?”

  May laughed, “The Mermaid? Of course. A dump of a place—nothing like the Rest. Old ale and older women. A man could catch his death there.”

  He thought of the man Aster, who’d put a price on his head, the man who, if Lucius had told the truth—and he was certain he had, for this at least—was staying at the Mermaid. “That’s the idea,” he said, struggling to keep his anger in check. “Anyway, I need to get there.”

  The club owner watched him for a moment, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, she laughed, “Aaron, I’m happy to do you a favor, and I realize that this dress makes me look intimidating, but despite the rumors, I’m no goddess, and I’m certainly not strong enough to carry you all the way to Dockside.”

  He grinned despite himself, “Well, it was worth a shot. What I mean to say is, do you know of a way to get there without being seen—I’m a little more popular than I’d like right now.”

  May scoffed, “Of course I do.” She paused for a minute, eyeing him, “but are you sure? Why don’t you just stay here, Aaron, you and your friends,” she indicated the others with a ring-bedecked hand, a princess granting a favor to one of her people, “I can hide you in the Rest. Belgarin’s troops would never find you.”

  He shook his head, “They would, May, you know they would, and if Belgarin learned that you were hiding me he wouldn’t just be after me anymore. I have to go. It’s better this way.”

  She frowned, “If you say.”

  “I do.”

  “Very well then,” she said, and then her face twisted into a smile that made him uncomfortable, “You need to get there without being seen, you said? I think I know the perfect way. Come. I will have one of my men show you.”

  CHAPTER

  NINE

  Aaron sighed as he stepped off the ladder. Overhead, he could hear the laughter of the man May had tasked with leading them as he slid the cover back in place.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Adina said beside him.

  He shook his head in wonderment. Despite the thick darkness that surrounded them—a darkness so complete that he couldn’t see the chamberlain or the princess even though they stood right beside him—there could be no doubt as to where they were. The smell that assaulted his nostrils, rank and cloying, made sure of that. “A sewer,” he grunted. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “This is the safest way?” Gryle asked, incredulous, his voice disgusted.

  Aaron shrugged in the darkness, “Possibly. Of course, there was probably another route that would have worked equally well and not had the … atmosphere, of this one. I suspect this is May’s way of getting back at me for the scene I caused in the Rest.”

  “Yeah, what was that back there?” Adina asked angrily, “those men could have beaten you half to death and for what? A name and a place? I’m no soldier, and I may not have a lot of experience in this sort of thing, but it seems rather stupid to head straight to the man who put a hit on you. Do you think he’ll pay you before he kills us? We’d do better to get out of Avarest as quickly as possible. We must make it to Baresh before Belgarin does or all is lost.”

  “If you ask me, the princess is right, sir. Better to—“

  “I didn’t ask you,” Aaron growled, “either of you. Besides, it wasn’t much of a choice. In the Downs, if you start letting people get away with crossing you, it won’t be long until you wake up dead.”

  Gryle coughed politely, “That doesn’t really—“

  “Not another word out of you.” Aaron reached in the pocket of his trousers and withdrew the flint and tinder May had given him. “Hold that torch close.” He struck a spark, then another, and the oil-soaked torch sprang to life with a fitful, sputtering fire.

  Examining his surroundings in the orange glow of the torch, he was surprised by how large the tunnel was. The three foot walkway they were on extended in both directions as far as he could see, disappearing into the darkness. An identical walkway ran the length of the opposite side of the tunnel. Between the two, a river of waste and filth flowed past. He set his jaw and turned away from it, examining the stone at his feet instead. It, as well as the wall beside them, was coated with a green, slimy substance, the origins of which he dared not consider too closely.

  Clenching his jaws, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the foul odor that was so thick he could taste it, he turned to the others. Their faces were pale and sick-looking in the torchlight, “Come on,” he said, “there’s no hope for it. The sooner started the sooner done.” He started off at a slow walk, careful not to lose his balance on the slippery substance that covered the walkway. It had been a shitty day so far. The last thing he needed was to take a swim in the River Brown. He almost gagged at the thought as Adina fell into step beside him. In the torchlight, he saw that her lips were pressed into a thin white line.

  She’s angry with you, Co said.

  Oh? He thought back, I never would have guessed.

  The orb either didn’t notice his sarcasm, or chose to ignore it, She is. She is a princess, not used to being talked to in such a way. If you can’t show her respect, you would at least do well to not go out of your way to antagonize her.

  Aaron grunted, She’s been pissed since May’s, and the gods alone know why. Besides, what makes you think I want advice from a glowing bug?

  I am not a bug! Co hissed in his mind.

  He laughed, and Adina turned and glared at him before turning away. Great, now she thinks I’m laughing at her. He thought with a sigh, women. “As for your question from earlier,” he said in hopes of making amends, “we’re going to meet this Aster Kalen because I believe it’s the safest thing to do.”

  Adina scoffed, “Safe? Delivering ourselves to the man who’s offering a purse of gold for our heads? You’ve got a funny idea of safe. No, not funny. Stupid. What’s more,” she continued, her voice troubled, “I’ve never heard of this man, Aster Kalen, and I’ve made it my business to know all of my brother’s top men.”

  “So the man has chosen to go by a different identity,” Aaron said, shrugging, “that’s not surprising. After all, Belgarin wouldn’t want to be linked to Eladen’s death.”

  The princess frowned, “Perhaps, but I’m not so sure. This doesn’t feel like Belgarin’s work to me. With Ophasia and Geoffrey, Belgarin was discreet. It was not until later that we discovered he’d been behind it. It doesn’t seem like him to be so open about hiring a hit on someone.”

  Aaron shrugged as he continued forward. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough to worry about, what with the most powerful man in all of Telrear putting a hit on him. If this Aster Kalen really didn’t work for Belgarin but was after him on his own … no, that didn’t make any sense. It had to be one of Belgarin’s schemes. What other reason would the man have to want him dead? “Perhaps your brother has decided that discretion is no longer so important,” he said, “but whatever the reason is, it doesn’t matter. Your brother’s man or not, Aster will soon know that the hit failed. He’ll be expecting us to run to the nearest gate or ship as fast as our feet will carry us.”

  “Which, of course, would be absurd,” she said, her voice thick with sarcasm.

  He gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his temper “It will do us no good to stumble into the pit of vipers ahead in an effort to avoid the garden snake behind.” He paused to sidestep a crumbled section of walkway, wincing as he brushed against the stinking film on the wall, “Besides, I like knowing what I’m up against.”

  Good reasons both, Co said in his
head.

  Glad to have your approval, firefly.

  Good reasons, the Virtue repeated, but not your reason. Not all of it, anyway.

  Stop poking around in there, he thought back sharply. Still, she was right. It was true that he did think it smarter to surprise the man. After all, what men Aster commanded would no doubt be out searching for Aaron and the others in force, leaving few to protect the man himself. Better to surprise him, to act instead of react. His father had told him once that predictability was a commander’s worst nightmare, and he believed it.

  It was the right thing to do—the smart thing, and a sellsword didn’t survive long in the Downs without doing the smart thing. It was a good reason, but the orb was right, it wasn’t all of it. Mostly, he was just pissed off. He’d been chased halfway across the Downs, taken an arrow in the leg, and was currently slinking through a gods blasted sewer all because some pompous bastard had walked into the Downs—the closest thing he had to a home—and started waving money around.

  “Watch out!” Adina shouted, grabbing the back of his shirt and jerking him back.

  Glancing down, he saw that the walkway had split off and, wrapped up as he’d been in his own thoughts, his own anger, he’d very nearly stepped off into the river of human waste that rushed past beneath them. He swallowed hard. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me,” the princess said, frowning in the torchlight, “I’m just your employer, here to make sure you do the job instead of bathing in muck, no matter how much I’d enjoy watching.”

  He frowned. Her jaw was set, and her eyes met his in silent challenge. If looks could kill, he thought uncomfortably, Belgarin would have one less sellsword to worry about. “Don’t worry,” he said, trying on what he hoped was a placating smile, “I’ll finish the job. I always do. Ask May or Celes, they’ll tell you.”

  “I’m sure,” she almost snarled, glancing at the map May had given them, “the directions say this way.” She set off down the left branch purposefully, following the direction of the river. He stared at her back for several confused moments as the chamberlain waddled past him. He’d only meant to reassure her, but if anything she was even angrier than she had been.

  He took a deep breath, grimacing at the foul smell that rushed through his nostrils, and started out after the others.

  After what felt like an eternity traveling down the slime-encrusted walkway, the orange glow of the torch revealing shadows of unrecognizable debris carried along by the river of sewage, the princess finally came to a stop. “This is supposed to be it.”

  Aaron nodded and tossed the low-burning torch into the river. “Stay here. I’ll call for you.” He started up the ladder without bothering to wait for a response from either of them. If May’s sources were right—and they always were—then the ladder should lead to an empty warehouse on Dockside. Still, with each rung of the ladder, his anxiety grew. Five thousand gold was a lot of money. He’d known May for a long time, and she was one of the few people who he might actually consider a friend, but anyone who’d ever met the club owner knew that she had expensive tastes. Five thousand gold would buy a lot of dresses.

  He reached the top and hesitated, his hand on the latch. Do you trust no one? Co asked incredulous, reading his thoughts. If she’d wanted to betray you, why would she not do it at the Rest, while you were surrounded by her men?

  You’re right, he thought, it doesn’t make sense. Still, people don’t always do what makes sense, do they?

  The sound of a long-suffering sigh filled his mind, you have to trust someone sometime.

  “Is everything alright?” Adina asked from below.

  “Fine,” He shouted down. He pulled on the hatch, grunting as the rusted clasp resisted. Finally, the metal cover slid aside, and he crawled up and into the room. Once in, he blinked in the light of a lantern. The place was supposed to have been empty. He drew his blades and scanned his surroundings.

  Around him, shadows cast by the flame of the lantern’s candle danced and shifted ominously. In the low light, he could just make out piles of debris where the roof had fallen in and no one had bothered to remove it. He could see the stars shining overhead through the holes where the tiles had been, and a thin layer of dust coated everything. Everything that was, except for the footprints that led to the small table where the lantern had been placed and then disappeared into the gloom. An abandoned warehouse then, like May had said. So why the light? He backed up to where the lantern sat on an old wooden table. Judging by how far the candle had burned down, it couldn’t have been lit for much more than half an hour. So someone had been here recently. Someone that, for all he knew, could even now be lurking in the shadows, waiting for the best moment to strike.

  The space between his shoulder blades itching in anticipation, he glanced at the lantern again and noticed a scrap of paper beneath it. Warily, scanning the shadows around him, he sheathed one of his blades, moved the light aside, and snatched up the note.

  Silent, I hope you enjoyed your journey through the sewers. I imagine it was … interesting. Consider us even for the trouble you caused me. I don’t know what you’re up against, but be careful—I’d hate to lose you. Celes is a good woman, but she plays a terrible hand of cards. I suspect you won’t want to hang around in Avarest for long. Under the table is a box I’ve prepared for you. Inside are orders bearing my seal. Bring them to the docks, to a captain named Leomin. He is a strange sort but has proven reliable in the past. He will see you away from the city. The box also contains your payment for the next job I’ll ask of you when you return. Be safe, and may Iladen’s dice always roll in your favor.

  P.S. The princess is as beautiful in person as I’d heard. Keep her safe. I think she fancies you.

  --M

  Aaron smiled and shook his head, suddenly ashamed for his distrust of the club owner. “Thank you, May,” he muttered. It didn’t surprise him that May had discovered the princess’s identity. If anything, he’d have been surprised if she hadn’t. What did surprise him, however, was how wrong she was about Adina. “Fancies me?” He barked a laugh, “maybe she’d fancy sticking a knife in me. I’d say that’s about it.”

  The two are not mutually exclusive, Co said.

  Pointedly ignoring the Virtue, Aaron reached under the table and withdrew the paper and a sack heavy with far more coins than any job he’d ever done for May before. Secreting both under his tunic, he was starting back to the hatch when Adina’s head poked over the top. He frowned as he watched her climb into the room, followed by a panting, red-faced Gryle. “I thought I told you to wait until I made sure it was safe.”

  The princess shrugged, “Either it was or it wasn’t. If it wasn’t, and men were waiting on us, what would stop them from coming down the ladder after us?” She met his eyes challengingly, “I will not die in a sewer.”

  He turned to the chamberlain, “And you?”

  The man straightened and raised his chin, his attempts at a confident, capable appearance undermined by the disheveled state of his clothes and his red, sweaty face. “I will not let the princess venture into danger alone.”

  Aaron repressed the smile that was threatening to come. The man had shown courage coming after her—more courage than most servants would—and laughing at him now would wound him to no purpose. He noticed the princess frowning toward the chamberlain and realized that she must not like the idea that she needed looking after. Aaron nodded to the panting chamberlain, “Well done.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Gryle said, beaming with obvious pleasure.

  He smiled then caught himself. What in the name of Salen’s Fields? Why do I care if the fat man feels good? His smile soured into a frown. Co!

  Yes? The Virtue asked innocently.

  Stop screwing around in there.

  The orb’s voice was all offended dignity, I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  A question, firefly.

  Yes?

  When that arrow got me in the leg, did you feel it
?

  Of course, the orb answered immediately, we are bonded. I am compassion, after all. Why do you—Oww!

  Aaron grinned past the pain as he looked down at the red welt growing on his arm where he’d pinched himself. Don’t test me lightning bug, he thought, satisfied.

  “Are you okay?”

  He turned to see Adina staring at him strangely. “Err … right. Let’s go.”

  They walked through rows of dusty, empty shelves that reached nearly to the ceiling, stepping over or ducking under pieces of crumbled roof or fallen shelves where they could and having to backtrack and take another path more than once when the debris proved too large. Aaron was half convinced they were going to spend the rest of their lives navigating the deteriorating maze when finally they arrived at the door. Stepping outside, he grunted. The smell here was—in its own way—no better than that of the sewer. The unmistakable tang of rotten fish permeated the air, made somehow worse by the salty ocean breeze. Night had come while they traversed the underground passages, but Dockside was filled with sailors staggering drunkenly down the streets, laughing, talking and, more often than not, groping awkwardly at the hired women on their arms, enjoying their shore leave before they sat out on the sea once more.

  The masses of people surrounding them should have made Aaron feel more secure, but they did not. Instead, he felt woefully, terribly vulnerable out in the open, and it seemed to him as if everyone glanced at him and the other two for longer than normal, possible assassins out to make some coin or just his imagination running away with him? He tried to reassure himself that the people around him were nothing but the usual Downs fair, thieves and opportunists, whores and beggars, sailors and slumming nobles all out for a good time. Many of them were criminals sure, and if not honest, at least predictable. Besides, none of them seemed to have the look of hired killers. The problem was that few hired killers did.

  He had to fight the temptation to draw his sword as they wound their way through the press of bodies. Though the passersby appeared innocent enough—well, maybe not innocent, this was the Downs after all—any one of them might get it in their mind to make a quick five thousand coins. “Come on.”