by Brandon Mull
The main road leading away from the gate was broad and busy. Up ahead a pair of mounted soldiers was squabbling with a man, insisting he move his wagon. The teamster kept maintaining that he needed to unload supplies.
Deciding he would rather steer clear of confrontations with soldiers involved, Jason turned down a side street. On one side of the lane a line had formed near a dilapidated cart, where a bony woman ladled chowder from a deep vat. The beige concoction looked thick and chunky. It smelled delicious.
Jason had copper in his pocket, and he was hungry, but his orders were to proceed directly to the inn. He continued down the street, noticing other carts on the sides selling goods or food, although none were as busy as the chowder cart.
Not one building in the port area stood taller than three stories, unless you counted the pair of bell towers near the water. The structures tended to be low, square, and solid—some residences, some businesses.
After winding around for some time, and asking directions twice, Jason found Galley Street. It was narrow, grimy, and crowded, and it featured lots of inns. The air smelled of salt water and burned food.
Not long after reaching Galley Street, Jason found a battered board hanging over a nondescript entrance. Weathered and cracked, the light-blue board held the words “Salt Sea Inn,” hand painted in black by an amateur. The establishment looked narrower than many of the inns on the street, and among the least prosperous. The Salt Sea Inn had small, grimy windows, and the unremarkable door was six steps down from street level.
Jason descended the steps and entered. The common room reeked of fried fish, sweat, and wood smoke. Craggy men slumped at tables or at the bar, many of them alone. Jason saw no women, and no groups larger than three. He caught a few sidelong glances, surly looks that hinted he didn’t belong.
Without a plan, Jason would have backed out onto the street and found another inn. But he was supposed to find the curly-haired barkeeper and ask for a room with a view of the coast. That was how Bat had explained Jason would connect with Nia and the other drinlings.
Behind the bar a man with curly brown hair was wiping a mug with a dirty rag. A tiny hoop pierced one ear, and tattoos crawled across his wiry forearms. Jason crossed to him and leaned against the bar, hoping he looked less out of place than he felt.
“What’ll it be?” the barman asked.
“I need a room with a view of the coast,” Jason said.
The barman smirked. “Nothing like that here, mate. Ashley can show you what we have. Ashley!”
“One moment,” a female voice answered from the kitchen.
A man seated at the bar swiveled to face Jason. He had a droopy face with rough skin and three parallel scars on his jaw. Silver teeth glinted as he spoke. “What are you playing at, bumpkin?”
“Excuse me?” Jason said.
“Look at the manners on this one!” the man chuckled, brushing shaggy hair back from his brow. “You smell like dung. Run back to your farm, boy. This place is for men of the sea.”
Jason noticed that the comments had drawn the attention of some of the other customers. They appeared to share the sentiment. At best they looked amused by the prospect of trouble. Several expressions seemed hostile. Should he try to ignore the insult? Should he stand up for himself? He didn’t want to draw too much attention.
“I could use bodies in my rooms,” the barman intervened.
The man at the bar waved away the comment. “I can leave his body wherever you like. Go on, hayseed, scurry out of here. Last chance.”
“Morley, I can’t have you running off paying—”
“I’ll cover the cost of the room,” Morley barked. “Unless you’d side with a stranger over a regular?”
Everyone in the room was watching intently. The curly-haired barman shrugged. “It’s your money, Morley.” The barkeeper locked eyes with Jason. “You had better go.”
Jason was at a loss. He needed to connect with Nia. But if he started a fight, it could lead to lots of unwanted attention. Soldiers might get involved. Also, alone and unarmed he would probably end up dead.
“Is there a problem here?” asked a voice from behind.
Jason glanced back to find Jasher crossing the room. The seedman had already discarded his pots and pans. Jason felt relief at the sight of him, and also a bit embarrassed that he had messed up a simple task by seeming too out of place.
“What’s it to you?” asked Morley.
“I sent my servant ahead to book a room,” Jasher replied.
Jason took the cue and gave a shamefaced half bow toward Jasher.
Morley looked over at Jason and coughed out a harsh laugh. “Fine servant you found! What are you, brothers? Cousins? You two had better shove off. Take your comedy elsewhere. You picked the wrong inn.” Morley turned and hunched over the bar as if the discussion were finished. He picked up a bone off the platter before him and nibbled at the scant remaining meat.
Jasher approached the man calmly, his expression serious but not overtly threatening. Most other men in the room watched with interest, some hiding their attention better than others. Jasher stopped directly behind Morley. “Would you care to explain yourself?”
“To a farmhand?” The man spun and stabbed a dagger at Jasher. The seedman twisted, avoiding the thrust, and grabbed Morley’s extended arm at the wrist. With his free hand Jasher seized Morley by his shaggy hair and flung him to the floor.
Still clutching his dagger, Morley glared up at Jasher.
“Stay down,” Jasher warned. “Isn’t there enough trouble in your life without seeking more?”
“Who do you think—” Morley began as he started to rise. He didn’t get more out, because Jasher kicked him hard in the ankle, a quick sweeping motion that dumped Morley back onto the ground.
Jason managed not to flinch away from the sudden flurry of motion. He tried to watch the crowd in case somebody attacked Jasher from behind. He noticed a bottle on the bar that might serve as a better weapon than nothing if things escalated.
“Don’t try to get up again, or you’ll lose the option,” Jasher threatened. “Crawl out of here. Don’t provoke strangers. You never know who you’re speaking with.”
“You somebody important?” Morley mocked. “Growing some nice carrots this year?”
Jasher’s expression remained stern but controlled. “You assume too much, friend. I know what you are. I know what this place is. In your line of work, have you never played a part? Have you never dressed or acted out of character?” Jasher looked around the room in disgust. “How raw are the amateurs in this town if the patrons of an establishment such as this assume everyone is as they appear? Are we your first visitors from beyond the region?”
The crowd seemed mildly embarrassed. The reaction made Jason relax a bit. They might manage to bluff their way out of this after all. Morley was temporarily at a loss for words. When he spoke, there was uncertainty in his tone. “We get word when talent comes in from abroad.”
“Depends on the talent,” Jasher scoffed. “My business was not with anyone in this room. This may astonish you, but in my line of work, depending on the stakes, I don’t always want my business known. And now I have a roomful of attention. I had heard better things of Durna than this. I want your full name, Morley.”
Morley put away his knife. Fear twinkled behind his eyes. “Don’t be that way. I was just having a laugh. Maybe the disguise worked too well.”
Jasher met eyes with many of the men in the room. “Is this space secure?”
He got a few nods and grunted affirmations.
Jasher turned back to Morley. “It better be. So help me, friend, if this sparks trouble, you’ll answer to fiercer men than I.”
Morley got to his feet. “These are good lads. You’re in safe company.”
Jasher gave a curt nod. “Then let’s pretend we never spoke and that none of us have heard of the Order of the Noose.”
At this last phrase Jason noticed many eyes widen. A majority of the
men turned away. Morley set some drooma on the counter and hastily limped toward the door. Jasher posed like he was considering what to do next. Jason tried not to draw attention.
The bartender cleared his throat. “My apologies for your trouble, sir. You’re welcome to a room here, on the house.”
Jasher surveyed the area. Nobody met his gaze. “I’d prefer to pay,” he finally said in a lowered voice. “I’m more at ease when others are indebted to me.”
The barkeeper bobbed his head. “As you will. Ashley?”
A woman scurried around the counter, eager to please. She had reddish hair and a broad build, and wore a conciliatory smile. “Right this way, if you please.”
Jason followed Jasher, keeping silent as he tried to play the role of humble servant. Ashley led them into a comfortable room, closing the door behind them. She mentioned a couple of amenities as she handed Jasher the key. He thanked her.
“Did you have to mention the Order?” she asked.
Jasher shrugged. “The circumstances required intimidation. I had to sound like somebody to be reckoned with. You’ll notice I didn’t directly claim membership.”
“Well, you certainly got their attention,” Ashley said.
“She knows what we’re doing here?” Jason verified.
“Ashley and her husband are part of the resistance here in Durna,” Jasher said. “They’re harboring a third of our drinlings.”
“Sorry about the cold reception,” Ashley said. “The local smugglers have claimed the Salt Sea Inn as their own. The arrangement has advantages. Since most of the aristocrats smuggle goods to some degree, the smugglers keep the authorities from snooping around much. But the clientele can be unruly, and lately they’ve been more territorial than ever.”
“So the Order of the Noose is a smuggling ring?” Jason checked.
“A secret order,” Jasher said. “Most laymen have never heard the name. It is never mentioned casually. Even the boldest smugglers only refer to the Order with reverence.”
Ashley folded her arms. “Now every smuggler in town will be wondering what business the Order has here.”
“Better than them speculating about seedmen and drinlings,” Jasher said. “The Order seldom, if ever, crosses the emperor. If word trickles up to the local soldiers, it shouldn’t create much of a stir. Your patrons will be curious, but they won’t look too hard. The Order has too deadly a reputation.”
“Unless some of them decide you were bluffing,” Ashley warned.
“We’ll keep out of sight,” Jasher said simply. “There will be nothing to investigate.”
“Let’s hope not,” Ashley said. “Stay put for now. We’ll move you to your actual quarters after the inn gets quiet.” She exited the room. Jasher bolted the door.
“You were great back there,” Jason said. “Thanks for bailing me out. I was making a mess of things.”
“No harm done,” Jasher said. “It’s to your credit that you seem out of place among those men.”
“Now we wait?”
Jasher gave a nod. “We hope for a long, uneventful day.”
* * *
Jasher got his wish. It was the small hours of the night before a cloaked figure holding a candle jostled Jason awake. Wiping his eyes, Jason accepted a hand as the figure helped him to his feet.
The figure was more than half a head shorter than him. The hood flipped back, and Jason recognized Nia. Jasher stood behind her.
“I heard you were winning friends today,” she told Jason with a smile. Nia looked older, well into her thirties. She was as fit as ever, but her features had noticeably leaned out and matured. Nia had looked to be in her early twenties when he’d last seen her. He supposed that with a life expectancy not much more than two years, such changes were inevitable.
“I have a way with smugglers,” Jason replied.
“Me too,” she said. “It’s called hiding. Let’s get you to safer quarters.”
They moved out into the hall. The few undersized windows were tightly shuttered. Nia led them to some stairs, then down another hall. They stopped at a grimy window that overlooked a cramped, filthy courtyard with a single door. It looked like part of an alley that had been walled in by buildings.
Nia opened the window, climbed out, dangled, and dropped. Jason did likewise, followed by Jasher. Nia jerked her chin at the door. “Looks like a back door to one of the surrounding businesses. It’s actually the front door to a collection of rooms with no opening out to the street. Just this entrance and a hatch up to the roof. A perfect spot to lie low.”
Nia used a key to open the door. A pair of broad, heavily muscled drinlings stood guard just inside, swords ready. Taking a small oil lamp from a shelf, Nia led Jason and Jasher past the stolid guards, then up two flights of stairs and through a doorway to a windowless room.
While Nia closed the door, Jason and Jasher sat down on a cot. She flung her cloak over the back of a chair and sat as well.
“How are the others?” Jasher asked.
“Aram and Drake arrived safely,” she confirmed. “They didn’t pick any fights with locals.”
“He started it,” Jason complained.
“We know,” Nia assured him. “The owners are rightfully chagrined. Their regular customers keep creating problems for those involved with their secret enterprises. A few of the smugglers suspect something is going on around here and are curious. They prod and pry when they can.”
“Sounds like this won’t be a safe haven much longer,” Jasher said.
Nia shrugged. “They should probably stop housing rebels here for a season. Any real suspicion from the authorities could prove disastrous. Farfalee and Corinne will meet us on the water?”
“Along with Bat and Ux,” Jasher said. “I saw no warship in port.”
“The Valiant is scheduled to arrive in three days.”
“We’ll take it the first night?” Jasher verified.
“That’s the plan.”
“We want a specific ship?” Jason asked.
Nia nodded. “An interceptor. Maldor constructed a fleet of eighty to win the western coast and conquer Meridon. He only built three to cover the Inland Sea. And three were all he has needed. Big warships have never sailed these waters. The smaller vessels are no match for an interceptor.”
“Where are the other two interceptors?” Jasher inquired.
“They reliably sail between Angial, Russock, and Durna. They mostly patrol the coasts, stopping unpredictably at the smaller towns. Occasionally they check the islands. Except for Windbreak, of course. No sane person would set foot there.”
“Do you know how to sail a ship?” Jason asked.
Nia waved a casual hand. “I try not to fret about the minor details.”
“You’re kidding,” Jason checked.
“A few of us have some nautical experience,” Nia said. “Mostly we’ll rely on Aram’s instruction.”
“We have the required manpower?” Jasher asked.
“Yes,” Nia replied. “We can spare eight fighters to help us get out of the harbor and still retain enough drinlings to crew the ship, along with eighteen fighters down below to pull the six emergency sweeps.”
“Resources?” Jasher pursued.
“We’re all armed, with supplies to spare. Three clans contributed warriors and funds. This will be the biggest drinling offensive in many lifetimes.”
“Have things been quiet here in town?” Jason wondered.
“No revolt in years. After the city fell to Maldor, the serious dissenters were weeded out. The smugglers and traders support a healthy black market, much of which is unofficially permitted. The guardsmen have grown overconfident, the leadership complacent.”
Jasher clapped his hands together. “Good tidings at last. The next few days should be uncomplicated.”
“We’ll need to stay out of sight,” Nia said. “Surprise is crucial. If our foes catch wind of our plot, it won’t work. They have ready means to block the harbor mouth, and troops to
spare.”
Jason frowned. “I hope no smugglers draw attention to us.”
“We’ll keep our ears open,” Nia said.
“I’ll help,” Jason assured her. “Your hearing may have started to go.” He had started teasing Nia about her age after she had begun to flaunt looking older than him back at Mianamon.
Nia leaped from her chair and slugged Jason on the shoulder, a response she had learned from Rachel. Except Nia hit a lot harder. If they worked at it, drinlings could pack on pounds of muscle overnight. Apparently, she had kept up with her exercising. “You using a razor yet?”
Jason grinned. This felt more familiar. The Nia he remembered had been brash and playful. “I’m glad you can still tease. I was worried you’d gotten all serious in your old age.”
“Nope. Just smarter, stronger, and more mature. You wouldn’t understand.”
Jason looked around the windowless room. “I’m glad we’ll get to rest for a few days. I’m sick of sleeping on the ground.”
“We’ll have time to strategize,” Jasher said with relief.
“We’ll watch and listen,” Nia added.
“And sleep?” Jason asked hopefully, stretching his arms.
Nia gave a nod. “Those of us who need it.”
CHAPTER 6
DURNA
The walled city of Durna was positioned more than two miles upslope from the coast of the Inland Sea. The many buildings near the fortified waterfront were connected to the city by a protected highway. The walls around the port rose thirty feet, the walls along the highway were perhaps half as high, and the city walls soared to more than sixty feet.
Jason was beginning to catch on that the major cities of Lyrian had all been constructed to withstand invasions. Maldor was clearly not the first threat these kingdoms had faced.
The battle-worn fortifications of Durna were gouged and scarred. Mismatched stonework showed where broken sections had been replaced. Construction was underway down by the port, restoring shattered battlements. Although the ancient walls loomed tall and thick, anchored to imposing towers, they hadn’t done their job. The king of Durna had surrendered to Maldor. He and his family were currently prisoners of the emperor.