Benjamin Ashwood Series: Books 1-3 (Benjamin Box)

by AC Cobble

  “I’m glad I’m alive. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate you taking a risk to save me and I owe you. But I don’t know if I could have made the same choice, even to save my own life.”

  Rhys slipped off his boots and laid down by the fire with his head on his bedroll. “Well, Ben, the thing about me doing what I did is that you didn’t have to make the choice. You couldn’t have made that choice. Fredrick’s death is on me, Ben, not on you. And I think you’re right. If you had the choice you wouldn’t have taken it. I don’t think you would simply trade another man’s life for you own.” Rhys propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Ben. “I like that about you, Ben. That’s why I did what I did—because I didn’t think you would have done it. And this world needs people like you.”

  The next morning, Ben felt better. The world was still a more complicated and dangerous place than he had dreamed back in Farview, but Rhys was right. Ben had not made a decision that cost a man’s life. Lord Fredrick put himself in a situation with the Thieves’ Guild and Rhys had bartered for Ben’s life. When Ben had been faced with a life or death choice, he had chosen to try and help Renfro. Even though it worked out badly for them both, Ben fell asleep comfortable with where his moral compass steered him.

  Renfro and Rhys were both in good moods, too. It was a beautiful day and being back out in nature in a simple camp with a couple of friends was a nice way to spend it.

  That morning, Ben and Rhys tried to show Renfro how to set a rabbit trap and look for game trails. Ben had spent countless bells in the woods around Farview with Serrot catching rabbits and other animals. Rhys was surprisingly adept as well. Renfro was proving to be helpless, though. He’d spent his entire life in the docks and back alleys of Fabrizo and didn’t know the first thing about woodcraft.

  After setting some rabbit traps around promising locations, they spent the rest of the morning trying their luck with the fish. They hadn’t brought poles or fishing line, but they were able to wade out into the large pool in the river, stick their hands into the chill water, and wait for fish to swim close. The fish were slippery and it wasn’t easy, but after a bell, they’d caught enough for dinner with plenty left over to smoke and keep for the next few days.

  By midday, they had restocked their firewood, gathered a few root vegetables and other edibles in the woods, and rechecked the rabbit traps with no luck. It was an active but relaxing morning, and Ben felt the stress of the previous two days fading away.

  That afternoon, Rhys continued their instruction on the second Ohm. The first Ohm had been difficult because it was on a moving ship, but once they’d gotten the hang of it, they could rotate through the positions quickly. The second Ohm was similar to the first but the poses required a bit more balance and had smoother transitions between the steps. It felt more natural to Ben than the first. Rhys explained it was because the first was simply to get your body used to the movements. Each additional Ohm would build upon the others until eventually it was all one fluid movement through a long series of positions. In the end, it was about shifting balance with impeccable control instead of maintaining balance in one static spot.

  “By the time you’ve learned the Thirtieth Ohm, you could do these movements on the mast of a ship, blindfolded, and during a storm. The balance, flexibility, and strength from these poses can help you in a fight or, more likely in your case, plowing a field when you get back to that country town of yours,” explained Rhys with a straight face. A glimmer of mirth danced behind his eyes.

  Ben rolled his eyes but didn’t take the bait.

  Renfro rose to the occasion, though. “That sounds great, Rhys. I’d really like to see you do that. Maybe next time we’re on a ship you’ll show us how you can balance on the mast?”

  “Happy to show you. In fact, maybe the next time your ship captain friend is sailing out of port with a load of carpets we could catch a ride?” Rhys glanced over Renfro’s shoulder and his eyes grew wide.

  Renfro quickly turned to see what Rhys was looking at, forgetting that his legs were crossed in one of the poses. He pitched backward with arms flailing and fell onto his back. Ben burst out laughing as Renfro scrambled across the ground, searching in vain for what had alarmed Rhys.

  “It’s not my balance you need to worry about.” Rhys grinned.

  They figured the girls wouldn’t leave Whitehall for at least another week, so the next few days were spent roaming the surrounding forest, ranging further and further from the road. The area was sparsely populated and most of the activity was near the road. They did spy some hunters’ retreats and woodcutters’ shacks but steered clear of those. Most of them would be only occasionally occupied and the rest were likely people who lived there because they didn’t want visitors.

  Both Ben and Rhys gave up trying to teach Renfro woodcraft after the second day, though he tagged along and complained good naturedly as they explored.

  The week was good for Ben. The woods around their campsite felt similar to what he was used to in Farview, and even though Rhys was a very different friend than Serrot, it still was nice spending time with him. Rhys was obviously comfortable in the wilderness and was able to show Ben some of the tricks he knew. Ben’s previous excursions with Serrot had lasted a few days at most. Rhys started teaching Ben how to survive on his own for weeks or months. Their stock of provisions grew as they found different sorts of edibles.

  They also spent time working on the Ohms. By the end of the week they had started the third one, which as Rhys said, grew in complexity and difficulty compared to the first two.

  Ben felt himself settling emotionally. The first night after Whitehall he had been in turmoil. The more time they spent away from there, the more he felt comfortable with how he had acted and, more importantly, how he would act in the future.

  By the end of the week, they started sticking close to camp because they knew the girls could be on the road soon. Traffic was still light on the road but had picked up from the first few days. They heard from travelers they spoke with that the Conclave was coming to an end. With the travelers, bad weather also rolled up from the Bay. The temperature dropped and there were storm clouds on the horizon. They could hear the distant thunder and see flashes of lightning as the front moved up from the coast.

  Fortunately, they were prepared. Rhys and Ben found a vertical rock wall and set up treated tarps which would slick away any rain from them. They dug a new fire pit at the back of the tarp structure where the smoke could chimney up against the rock wall. Sleeping out in rough weather was never pleasant, but they had time and made the camp as comfortable as they could.

  The sun went down and the wind picked up. They had thick root vegetables stuck into the coals of their fire and had just skewered a brace of fat rabbits when the rain started to pour. Rhys pulled out a wine skin, which he had miraculously not drained yet, and they started passing it around.

  Rhys nodded out into the dark. “Could be worse than this.”

  “Not bad at all actually,” added Renfro. He was leaning back against his travel pack and cradling the wine skin like it was a small child. He leaned toward the fire and inhaled the scent of the cooking rabbits. “If I’m honest, this is a damn sight better than what I had in Fabrizo. Most of the time, I slept in the back of a fishmonger’s shop. He was one of the successful ones who actually had a shop. Most of them set up down at the Market. The high class didn’t like to go down there for their fish, though. Ole Creegar did pretty well on Bon Street. Of course, he had exceptional margins since I stole most of his product for him. It’s how I paid my rent. The place was dry, but it smelled like fish.”

  Ben reached for the wineskin and asked, “How’d you, uh, how’d you end up in the Thieves’ Guild? We’ve never really talked about it.”

  “It was that or starve. At least, that’s what I thought at the time,” answered Renfro. “Earliest I can remember, I was an urchin on the streets. Not sure what happened to my parents. Maybe they’re dead or maybe they just left me. Stole
food and stuff then to stay alive. When you get a little bigger on the streets in Fabrizo, it’s keep stealing or go to sea. I was always too small to be anything other than a cabin boy at sea, and there’s no future in that. When you get older and you want to keep stealing, you join the guild. In Fabrizo, independents don’t worry about the guards, if you know what I mean. But once you’re in the guild, they don’t much care where you’ve been, just care where you can go. You do well with the guild and you never worry about having anything to eat. Never have to worry about finding a dry spot to sleep. You saw that palace they had us in.”

  “That’s terrible,” responded Ben. “I lost my parents when I was young, too. I got lucky, I guess, and the Town Council put me with someone. There wasn’t anyone who could take you in?”

  Rhys broke in, “Not everywhere is Farview, Ben. Small town councils look after their own. Their job is the welfare of their people, from the richest family to the orphans. The Merchants’ Guild in Fabrizo is there for the money. They don’t see people, they see profit. People in a big city, they’re on their own.”

  “Aye, that’s the way of it,” added Renfro with a shrug. “I’m not saying what I’ve done is right, just saying I didn’t see many other options at the time.” Renfro reached out for the skin again, tipped it up then said with a smile, “I’m not there anymore, though.”

  Later that evening, they were scattered around the fire, watching the storm’s light show out from under the tarp. They had the kind of lethargy that comes from a rainy evening, a warm fire, a full belly, and a skin of wine.

  The conversation trailed off after they ate. Ben was glad he knew more about where Renfro had come from and he thought he understood his friend better now. On the other hand, maybe the thieves were right. It doesn’t matter where you came from, it just matters where you can go.

  Ben was shaken out of his daze when Rhys sat up and exclaimed, “Now who in the hell…”

  “Look!” Renfro pointed where, during the intermittent flashes of lightning, they saw a figure hurrying up the road. They all watched as the person scurried closer in the blowing rain. Still on the road, they saw the shape pause when it must have seen them before making a decision and heading toward the campsite.

  A sodden man staggered up outside of their tarps and shouted in, “Ho the camp! That’s the most comfortable place I’ve seen on this road so far. Mind if I join you tonight?”

  Rhys shifted around the fire and Ben saw he had exposed the wire-wrapped hilts of his heavy long knives. “Sure, stranger. Come on in.”

  Their concerns were quickly abated though. They saw the dripping wet man was dressed from head to toe in King Argren’s livery. No bandit would be so bold as to wear those colors this close to Whitehall and not expect hard and fast justice.

  “Fellow, I have to ask, what are you doing out this late in this weather?” inquired Rhys.

  The man sneezed. “Damn, think I’m getting sick in this mess.” He looked over to Rhys and answered, “Surely you know about the Conclave going on in Whitehall.” It wasn’t really a question and the man continued on without waiting for a reply, “Well, they’ve finished up and Argren wants the news out quick. My wife is the one who wanted me to take this horrible job. Good pay she said. Get to know what’s happening she said. Now I’m on the road and she’s back in town spending all that good coin and making eyes at the blacksmith’s kid down the alley.” The man plopped down next to the fire and started stripping off his wet boots and clothing.

  “So,” asked Ben patiently, “what is the news?”

  “Oh, right. The Alliance is official. Naturally everyone in Sineook was already in. Northport, Venmoor, East Bay, Hollytown, and even Issen signed. They’re all in. The Sanctuary sent a representative, though she didn’t sign the accord. The mages must be neutral, of course, but she was there. I think that says all anyone needs to know. Time to start recruiting and raising arms. It will be war with the Coalition by next summer. Even those greedy bastards in Fabrizo agreed to help with supplies. The fishmongers aren’t worth anything in a fight, so I guess that’s all Argren thought he could get from them.”

  “War. They announced war with the Coalition?” asked Ben.

  “Didn’t announce it, no, but what do you think is going to happen, man? The way they’re talking in Whitehall now, it’s us or them.”

  10

  Snowmar Pass

  The next morning was wet and cold. Argren’s herald was up early, hacking and sneezing. He’d dried his clothes off the night before by the fire and must have had a chilly evening sleeping out in the open. Ben saw the man’s tiny travel pack and felt bad for him. Ben gave him some of their smoked fish. After a week with nothing to do but hunt and fish they had more than enough to share. The man was back on the road shortly after sunrise.

  By early afternoon, the sun was out and it had warmed considerably. Rhys, Ben, and Renfro were working hard on some of the more complicated steps of the third Ohm when they saw the girls and Saala coming up the road.

  They had prepared to pack up and travel that afternoon, but when Lady Towaal saw the campsite, she suggested they stay the night there. “That will make for three hard days travel to Snowmar Station, but if I remember correctly, there won’t be any better places to spend the night.”

  “You’re right,” replied Rhys. “After here it gets more and more rocky until you get up to the pass. There are a few spots flat enough to lay a bedroll, but that’s the best you can say about them.”

  “Okay, let’s stay here tonight and we’ll push the next three days.”

  Ben and Renfro spent a moment showing the girls around the camp and made small talk about Whitehall. What they really wanted to know was about the Conclave. Argren’s herald had spoken of war, which was something that had not happened in any of their lives. Sure, Ben had heard of border conflicts and the constant troubles up north, but nothing like a full-scale war with the entire continent of Alcott involved.

  As they moved back to the rest of the party by the fire, Ben related what the herald had told them.

  “Oh, we hope it doesn’t mean war, but that is a possibility,” explained Amelie. “The Coalition has been getting aggressive. The Alliance is only meant to counterbalance them. My father hopes that with Issen supporting the Alliance, there will be a big enough presence to deter the Coalition. If we do not show them a strong hand, who knows what they will do? Coalition representatives have been coming more frequently and all they talk about is expansion. Lord Jason practically lived in Issen through the winter.”

  “Lord Jason was there?” inquired Lady Towaal tartly.

  Amelie looked abashed. “Yes, he was there.”

  “I didn’t hear that when I was in Issen. I am surprised no one mentioned it.” Towaal’s tone had acquired a frosty chill.

  “I, well, my father did not want to confuse matters. Until we decided if we would join the Alliance, we didn’t want people reading into Jason’s visit.”

  “Who is Lord Jason?” Ben whispered to Rhys.

  “He’s an agent of the Coalition,” he answered. “I’ve never met the chap, but he has a fearsome reputation for being the one who does their dirty work. I’m told he’s a blademaster of exceptional ability. The Coalition High Council leads from behind closed doors in their capitol Irrefort. Jason is their blade in the night who comes out into the world to make things happen—one way or the other. Though, there is rumor recently that he was elevated to the High Council himself. He’s not the man they would send to cool his heels in Issen without expecting some commitment in return. Lord Gregor and Amelie are playing a dangerous game.”

  The politics of the Alliance and Coalition were far away, though, and the young people quickly moved past it to catch up on everything else that had happened in the week they were apart. Amelie and Meghan told Ben that Master Brinn had asked about him and wanted Ben to know there was always an opening for him in the Citadel guard. Ben appreciated the sentiment, but after a week away, he knew that ba
rracks life was not for him.

  Ben and Renfro showed the girls the second and third Ohms, which they all practiced together. The second and third Ohms were much more strenuous than the first. It wasn’t long before they were all sweating in the warm spring sun. Renfro was a little better at some of the poses than Ben, but he was also painfully shy around the girls, so Ben found himself demonstrating over and over the more difficult positions. Before long, he’d stripped off his shirt and was slick with sweat. They’d been going over the forms for two bells and all of them were a bit red faced and breathing heavy.

  “Still practicing the sword I see?” asked Amelie innocently before heading over to the pool they had been fishing in to splash water on her face and cool off.

  Meredith giggled and Meghan rolled her eyes.

  “Practicing the sword?”

  “You told her in Whitehall you’d been practicing the sword and put on a little muscle.” Meghan smirked.

  Ben blushed and snatched his shirt off of the ground.

  “Oh don’t be a prude,” chimed in Meredith. “She’s just teasing you a little. I think she’d be disappointed if you started covering up all of the time. I know I would be,” she added with a wink and a smile.

  Ben wasn’t sure how to take that kind of teasing. He’d had a little bit of interest from the girls in Farview, but as the adopted son, everyone knew Alistair Pinewood wasn’t going to leave him any money. There was only so far a brewer could go in a small town. The girls in Farview flirted like girls anywhere, but they were practical and everyone knew it was just flirting. After the party and the things he’d seen at the Citadel, he wasn’t sure how it went with the highborn.

  “Stop standing there like a stumped ox,” chided Meghan. “In all of your exploring, did you find anywhere a girl could go for a swim? It’s hot. After travelling all morning and doing these Ohms all afternoon, I could use a cool down.” She glanced at the pool near the campsite and the road nearby. “Somewhere private would be nice.”