by AC Cobble
“We don’t have coin to pay for passage,” argued a still sleepy Amelie when Ben told her the plan.
“That’s the thing, we don’t offer to pay. We offer to work,” explained Ben.
“To work?” she asked, confused.
“These men don’t own the barges. They are just paid to move them,” he responded. “To them, an offer to help just makes their lives easier.”
“Won’t they be suspicious?” rejoined Amelie.
“Not if we spin it right. We have two problems, direction and food, right? We can be honest and tell them it’s about solving our problems. For food, we’ll work the barge and take it to Northport.”
“Who would really do something like that?” wondered Amelie.
“People who look like us,” Ben smiled. He gestured to their road-worn clothing. They hadn’t had a proper bath since Free State and they looked like they were living on the ragged edge. “We say we have friends in Northport who can help us, but we’ve run out of food and money to get there. They get help piloting their barge, and we get food and transportation. It should be safer, too. People are less likely to look for us actually working our way north. It is win-win.”
“It’s worth a try,” conceded Amelie.
They hurried along the river road, looking for a suitable barge while the sun was still low in the sky.
The barges generally tied up on the bank at night because it was too difficult to pilot them in the darkness. At first light, they would push off from the bank and start pulling up stream with the horses. This time of year, every few hundred paces, a barge was tied up. The men were stirring around the campfires making breakfast or pouring steaming black liquid out of tin kettles. Ben recalled Rhys’ favorite hangover beverage, kaf, was popular in the north.
“Why don’t they just keep the produce in wagons and carry it all the way,” asked Amelie as she skeptically eyed one barge which the crew was struggling to push off the bank. It was embedded deep in thick river mud.
“These barges are twenty times the size of a wagon,” answered Ben, “and they use the same number of horses. It’s cost efficient.”
“That seems like something a lady should know.” Amelie sighed. “That kind of thing used to be important to me. I’m not sure it matters now. If Issen falls, then what is left for me? Am I even a lady if I have no city?”
“You’re still a lady to me, no matter what happens,” consoled Ben. “Rhys once told me it’s the perception that is reality. If our actions show the world we are noble, isn’t that more important than a birthright?”
Amelie laughed. “For someone who is a completely unapologetic rogue, Rhys certainly gets philosophical from time to time.”
“I think it’s the old age,” joked Ben. “Old folks have a lot of time to sit around and think about things.”
Her mood brightened, Amelie tapped Ben’s arm and pointed to a barge ahead of them. “Want to try that one?” she asked.
Ben shrugged. “Why not?”
It did look promising. They were searching for a small crew that needed help. There were only three men clustered around the morning campfire and their barge was piled high with cabbages, beans, potatoes, and carrots. Friendly faces didn’t hurt either.
“Ho the barge,” called Ben.
The men looked up and one of them stood and put his hands on his hips. “What can I help you folks with?”
Ben told him honestly, “We want to work our way up river.”
“We can’t pay you,” blurted the man.
“Understood,” replied Ben. “All we ask is to be fed during the trip.”
The man glanced back at his companions. One of them laughed and remarked, “Food is something we have more than enough of.”
The first man turned back to Ben. “Our master wouldn’t like us taking on strangers, but if you work hard, we can feed you.” Before Ben could answer, he continued, “And it will be hard work. Half my crew quit a few days back when they saw how high this barge is loaded. Damn Hoff tries to squeeze every copper out of these trips.”
Ben stuck out his hand for the man to shake and replied, “I’m not afraid of hard work. I’ve never been on a barge before, but if you tell us what to do, you won’t be sorry.”
The man took Ben’s hand firmly. “Welcome aboard. The name is Harry.”
Ben hoped Harry wouldn’t regret it. They solved their direction and food problems, but the Sanctuary and Coalition were still out there. These men didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.
There wasn’t another way, though. If they couldn’t reach Northport, then Amelie’s family wouldn’t get help, the members of the Alliance would never hear about the betrayal by the Sanctuary, and countless lives could be lost before Argren, Rhymer, and the other lords were able to react.
Harry was a quiet and efficient man. Because they were unfamiliar with the large work horses the crew used, he directed Ben and Amelie to barge duty. They climbed aboard and took turns with another crew member to hold the tiller in place and constantly steer away from the bank. Periodically, when they approached a shallow part of the river or debris caught on the bank, they would grab long poles and push themselves out into deeper water.
They were part of a steady stream of barges using the same tactics. All were bringing goods north to Northport and other towns.
Jonas, the other crew member who was stationed on the barge with them, was also quiet and introspective. He took time to instruct them on proper barge handling, but it was not a difficult activity, and the discussion was quick. After the brief tutorial, he let them take the first shifts and climbed over the mountain of produce to settle down at the front of the barge. Ben and Amelie were left at the rear, manning the tiller. Jonas said he would be watching to make sure they didn’t get too close to the river bank, but Ben suspected the man would be napping before long.
Harry and the third man, Lawrence, were on the bank, guiding the slow-moving draft horses. Simple and efficient, thought Ben. They were pulled effortlessly upriver.
The first night, they found a pair of ancient tree stumps and tied wrist thick ropes to them. The river bank was regularly cleared of trees now for the barge lines, but years before, they must have grown tall. The stumps were almost a man height across.
From the barge, Jonas picked out a handful of potatoes, carrots, and onions then tossed them to his companions on shore.
“How was your first day as a barge man?” asked Harry when Ben and Amelie hopped off onto solid ground.
“Not too bad,” replied Ben happily. “Once you get the hang of it, there’s really nothing to manning that tiller.”
Harry cracked his knuckles absentmindedly and began tending to the horses while Lawrence started a fire.
“It gets a bit more difficult,” admitted Harry while brushing down the big animals.
“Slow part of the river,” grunted Jonas, who dropped down next to Ben and Amelie on the bank.
“There are some rapids further up,” explained Harry. “It’s calm enough down here that you could fall asleep and we probably wouldn’t notice for a bell or two. You’ll earn your keep when we get to the rapids.”
“We’ll do what we need to do,” answered Ben. Rapids or no rapids, it was better than walking.
The next few days, they traveled along the glass smooth river with no issues. Occasionally, they would see armed men along the banks but they were able to duck down in the back of the barge and avoid anyone spotting them. After the first time it happened, Ben volunteered that he and Amelie would take all of the tiller shifts and Jonas could relax. Ben said they wanted to get practice for the rapids. The barge man had no complaints. He scampered up front and was quickly dozing.
One time, a squad of twenty soldiers marched past, heading down river. Ben and Amelie were lying low and out of sight. They tried to be subtle so the barge crew didn’t notice they were hiding. It wasn’t difficult. Jonas was content to watch the world from the front and Harry and Lawrence were busy k
eeping the horses calm while the armored men clanked by.
“Do you think they’re looking for us?” asked Amelie.
“I don’t think so,” replied Ben. “That many armed men around here must be Alliance forces. Otherwise, they would draw too much attention.”
“Then why are we hiding?” groused Amelie.
“Better safe than sorry,” Ben smirked. “Really, I’m more worried about watchers we don’t notice, individuals or small groups. The Coalition uses soldiers, but the Sanctuary will send hunters or even mages. Those will be tougher to spot. They are more dangerous than soldiers too.”
“If we can’t hide…” she started.
“Then we just have to hope they aren’t paying close attention to the barges,” responded Ben. “There are hundreds of them on this river. Hopefully, we float by unnoticed.”
Harry and his crew worked long days, but they indulged at night with hearty meals. They had an entire barge loaded with vegetables. For meat, they packed some salted cuts that would keep for weeks. They also traded with people who set up stands by the road.
At one stand, Ben saw the proprietor had a large keg rolled up next to his rack of meats. Ben looked at Amelie imploringly. She rolled her eyes and dug out a handful of coppers.
Ben jumped into the shallow water by the riverbank and strode up to the stand. Harry looked back and nodded appreciatively when he saw what Ben was doing. The barge crew kept moving, but Ben would easily catch them with a few minutes of brisk walking.
“Good day, sir. Is the ale any good?” inquired Ben.
“Best you’ll find within a day of here.” The man grinned. “You pull the tap and I start counting. One copper for every number I reach.”
“Do you have a skin or a jug I can use?” asked Ben. He cursed himself for not thinking to bring one before he jumped off the barge.
“Ten coppers for a skin,” offered the man.
Ben grimaced at the price.
“It’s a big one.”
“Let me see it.” Ben sighed.
Later, Amelie looked on in only slight disapproval while Ben and the barge crew enjoyed the purchase. It wasn’t the same quality of ale Ben brewed, but the man was probably right, it was better than anything else they were going to find on the roadside. They were lying sprawled around the campfire and the barge crew was particularly mellow.
“We get to the first rapid tomorrow,” mentioned Harry.
“Is it dangerous?” asked Amelie.
“Not really, just a lot of work,” answered the barge captain before taking another swig of the ale skin and passing it to the next man. “It’s a bit worse this time of year because you have so many other crews out here, but nothing terrible. The only dangerous part is a barge ahead of us getting loose. If that happens, they’ll float downstream. They could get some speed because the current is faster. You’ve got to be quick with the poles to push them off if they’re headed for you.”
“Does that happen often?” asked Ben.
“Nah,” answered Harry. “An experienced crew won’t lose their craft. But like I said, it’s worse this time of year because there’s more traffic and inexperienced hands working the barges.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” remarked Ben.
“See how you feel after the first long run.” Jonas yawned. The man slept nearly all day. Ben couldn’t fathom how he slept at night.
“First long run?” queried Amelie.
“Aye, you can’t tie up in the rapids. The current is too fast,” explained Jonas. “We call it a long run. There’s a few of them that will take us almost two days to pull through. Gotta watch out for other barges, boulders, and keep a strong hand on the tiller. It’s a long shift. With a crew this small, we won’t get much sleep. Not sure we could have made it without you two.”
Amelie looked nervous.
Ben reassured her. “Remember, they do this because it’s easier than hauling in wagons. It can’t be that bad.”
At the bottom of the first rapid, a line of barges was waiting to start up the turbulent waters.
They weren’t as violent as the rapids Ben remembered from around Farview, but he’d never tried to pull twenty wagon loads of goods up those.
“Now what is this?” Ben heard faintly from the front of the barge. He rose up on his tiptoes and saw Jonas clambering back toward him.
“What’s going on?” asked Ben.
“Not sure,” muttered the barge man. He ducked down below the tiller and came up with a short-bow and quiver. He then climbed onto the potato pile, which was the best vantage point on the barge.
Ben looked worriedly at Amelie. They both collected their weapons as well.
Jonas called from his perch, “Harry, what is it?”
The barge captain looked back and raised his hands uncertainly.
Ben saw it now. Beside the river road, there was a military-style encampment, one large tent like a commander might use with a scattering of pup tents around it. A few armored men were visible milling around the area.
Lawrence, the third barge crew member, darted ahead of Harry and the horse team to see what the commotion was.
While they waited, the barge crept closer. Amelie whispered to Ben, “Do you think we could slip over the side and swim across the river?”
“Remember what happened when we tried to swim away from the Sanctuary?” he replied ruefully. “Also, Harry and his crew would probably tell them where we went. They have no reason to protect us.”
She gripped the hilts of her weapons grimly. If the arms men wanted to search the barge, there was no where they could hide. Flight seemed futile. Not that fighting would be any better, thought Ben.
Shortly, Lawrence returned and briefed Harry on what he learned. The captain shrugged and they kept moving forward. Jonas, seeing the exchange, relaxed as well and slid off the potatoes.
Ben shouted to the shore and asked what it was.
“Nothing involving us,” yelled back Harry. “They’re looking for some highborn lady.”
Ben met Amelie’s eyes.
Slowly, they approached the line and certain discovery. Ben’s mind worked frantically. If they tried to escape, Harry and the crew were certain to give them away, but on the other hand, if they didn’t run, what chance did they have? Fighting a company of soldiers was suicide.
“Come on,” he urged Amelie. “We have to go.”
Resolutely, she followed him to the side of the barge. They both stood tall, preparing to jump down into the water, wade to shore, and then run. If they got enough of a head start, maybe they could keep ahead of the men in heavy armor.
Standing on the gunwale, Ben tensed for the leap. He paused when one of the arms men appeared from around their horse team. The man paused momentarily then shouted, “Lady Amelie!”
Ben’s hand dropped to his longsword, but Amelie placed her hand on his arm. “Those are Issen’s colors.”
Ben noticed the pale blue tunic the man was wearing.
“Lady, I can’t believe we found you!” exclaimed the arms man.
“That’s an Issen accent,” breathed Amelie. “I think we’re safe.”
Ignoring Jonas’ stunned look, Amelie tossed her travel pack and weapons to shore then plunged into the waist-deep water. Ben followed right behind and thrashed after her to the bank where the arms man was offering Amelie a helping hand.
The man led them directly to the large military tent. The nearby soldiers bowed in respect when they saw the dripping wet and shivering Amelie. Ben was nervous, but at least so far, they weren’t being clapped in irons or dodging razor sharp blades.
Inside the tent, Ben instantly felt relief and irritation. Seneschal Tomas was reclining on a comfortable-looking camp chair and reading a thick book. A half-empty decanter of wine sat on a table next to him, and an empty crystal wineglass dangled from one hand.
A sly smile split his face when he looked up and saw them.
“Tomas!” cried Amelie.
“You,”
answered the seneschal, eyeing her up and down, “have looked better, my lady.”
She blushed furiously. “We’ve been having a bit of a rough time. What are you doing here?”
“I can imagine,” the small ferret-like man responded dryly, not answering her question. He stood up. “First things first, let’s get you bathed and into some dry clothes. After that…” He raised his glass. “Some wine and a good meal.”
“That sounds wonderful,” murmured Amelie. “We’ve been stuck on a barge the last week, and before that, well, I can tell you the rest after we get cleaned up. I must know though, what news do you have of Issen? We heard there was a siege.”
“A barge, you say?” He glanced at the original soldier, who nodded. “Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t oversell the meal then. We will still have one, but not as fine. We can discuss the situation at Issen then. I’m afraid it will be a long discussion, and there’s no sense getting started until we can finish.” The man set his hands on his hips. “Frankly, I do not have good news, but there is nothing to be done about it this evening.”
Amelie pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.
“As for supper,” continued Tomas, “Raphael normally does my cooking, but he may need to sort out this barge crew. You.” He pointed at the soldier. “Take Raphael to see the barge and anyone else who saw Lady Amelie. Then tell your friends outside to get some hot water for bathing started.”
Raphael detached himself from a back corner of the tent. Ben jumped. He hadn’t seen the hulking man standing there.
“How many?” asked the swordsman.
Ben and Amelie stared back at him.
“How many men were on the barge?” he asked again, patiently.
“Oh. There were three of them,” answered Amelie. “I really worry they may have trouble without us. I’m not sure that is enough men to make the rapids.”
Flat-faced, Raphael replied, “I will make sure it isn’t a problem.”
Silent as a cat, the big man brushed out of the tent, the soldier that brought them in trailing behind.