Journeyman Assassin

by Brian Keller

  As the boys settled in to go to sleep, Kolrem asked, “Do you think the City Guards will check to ships? Looking for the killers, I mean?” Cooper had thought about this, and about the forged letter to the local Guild. He replied, “I don’t think the guards will be a problem. Sure, if they should stumble upon us and we confess they’d surely arrest us. I’m more concerned with how the local Guild may react, once they learn someone’s been poaching in their territory.” Kolrem was quiet for a minute, then added, “Well, if we’re stuck in here, hiding out, you either need to wash your socks, or put ‘em in your pack.” Kolrem coughed and gagged for effect. Cooper smiled in the darkness, “Well, you’re the one that insisted on getting the lower bunk. I can’t smell them from up here.”

  The boys were awakened by sounds of men moving around in the morning. Cooper opened his eyes and looked around. The completely foreign sensation left him momentarily disoriented. The rocking motion of the water had helped him fall asleep last night, but it felt very strange to wake up to it. Add to that, the fact that he was surrounded on all sides by creaking planks of wood made Cooper feel like he’d been tucked inside a barrel.

  It only took a moment of listening to learn what all the commotion was about. All of the men had already enjoyed a couple days in town. Some of them were being told to stay back and were protesting. Cooper heard the captains voice silence the din as he said, “Those remaining on board today will be relieved tonight by you, you, and you. Those of you ashore, don’t venture too far. Once the cargo arrives, we’re loading up and leaving. Tide or no tide.” Cooper could hear a few complaints. One of the men said, “What about them two below decks. Let them keep watch!” Cooper heard a smack, followed almost immediately by a thump. He had to strain to hear what the captain said next, “There’s nobody below decks, get me? And I hear about anyone say’n different while he’s in town, that man can find himself another boat to crew on.” Everything was quiet. Cooper imagined the scene, with the Captain glaring at each of the crew members in turn. The captain spoke again, “Now, you have your orders. Any further complaint or debate and you’ll all stay aboard! Then I won’t have to send anyone out to gather up your sorry asses when the cargo gets dropped off!” Instantly there was the sound of bustling and clattering as men either disembarked or went about their duties. Cooper looked over the side of the bunk and in the dim light he could see Kolrem was propped up listening to the proceedings as well. Cooper swung his feet off the side, then turned and slid down avoiding Kolrem as he made his way to the floor. Cooper opened the door to their tiny room and saw that the hatches in the ceiling of the main compartment, the galley, had been propped open. Whether this was to let in light, or to let air flow through, both were a welcome addition.

  The Captain’s voice filled the small space, “This crew might know their way around a ship better than most, but they surely ain’t cooks.” Cooper turned to see the captain leaning over the hatch, watching him from above. Cooper shrugged, “I’m afraid Kolrem and I can’t offer much of a solution for that. We can take a look at your stores and maybe make a decent stew though.” The captain laughed at that, “I wasn’t suggesting that you boys needed to become cooks, but if you’re willing to give it a go you certainly couldn’t do any worse than these oafs. No, what I was saying was by way of apologizing for the weak porridge that’s in the pot over yonder, for breakfast.” Cooper went to the kettle and looked inside. The captain had told the truth. A shallow whiff of it didn’t improve the impression. If anything, it reinforced the lack of appeal. Kolrem had made it out of bed and he was looking at Cooper with an expression of apprehension and a touch of hope. Cooper had lifted the ladle and let the gruel pour back into the kettle. He turned his frowning face to Kolrem and slowly turned his head from side to side in an exaggerated “no”. The memories of hunger were still fresh enough in Cooper’s mind that he knew he could eat enough of the slop to fill his belly, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. Kolrem walked to the hatch and called out, “Captain Rigel, sir?” The boys could hear the sound of boots on the deck above and soon the captain’s shadow was cast down through the hatch, “What is it, boy?” He didn’t sound angry, just impatient. Kolrem spoke quickly, “Sir, if we put together a grocery list, would you be willing to send someone to the market to fill it? We, well, I’d be willing to serve as cook for this trip to Paleros, but I’ll need some supplies to work with.” The captain didn’t reply immediately, but when he did there was some suspicion, “And I suppose you’d be wanting to be paid for this service?” Kolrem started to speak, then stopped before he finally replied, “Well, I hadn’t really thought about that, sir. I thought of it as more of a willing exchange. You pay for the ingredients, and I’ll cook them.” At this reply the captain let loose with a roar of laughter, “That sounds like a bargain weighed in my favor!! Put together your shopping list and I’ll see it done!” As the sound of the captain’s boots faded Kolrem collected what he needed to make his list and Cooper helped. Cooper chuckled, “And that is how you’ll earn the gratitude of the crew.” As it turned out, the cargo arrived two hours after the shopping list went out. The captain immediately sent a couple of crew members to fetch the remainder of the crew and “get ‘em back here. There’s work to be done and they need to earn their pay.” Kolrem got most of his supplies. The man sent shopping was looking for the last of the seasonings when he received word that all crew members had been called back to the ship.

  There were only about two dozen crates in all, and two men could carry each of them easily. The boys stuck their heads up from the hatch enough to watch a few of the crates get hauled on board, then ducked back below. Kolrem asked, “You are going to help with the cooking, right?” Cooper laughed. That made the tenth time Kolrem had asked that question since they’d started putting ingredients away. Cooper still hadn’t given him an answer. Once they’d sorted and stowed everything Cooper finally replied, “I dunno… seems like that’s a lot to expect from a ‘clumsy boy’.” He chuckled as he walked with an exaggerated hobble back towards the stairs leading up to the hatch. Cooper sat near the top of the stairs and listened to the crew yelling back and forth at each other. Cooper absorbed the feel of it and committed their words and phrases to memory. He had a persona to develop after all.

  As soon as the crew had all the crates stacked and counted, the first mate counted all the crew men and announced to the captain that all men were present. The captain walked to the rail and called out, “Cast off!” Two men hustled off down the gang plank and untied the lines holding them to the dock, letting them fall into the water. They then ran back up the ramp and pulled it in behind them. Each man saluted the Captain smartly before one man ran to the stern and the other to the fore, and they hauled in the lines they’d untied and coiled them on the deck. As the soon as the captain had returned the men’s salutes, he’d turned to face the center of the ship and commanded, “Make Ready!” The First Mate began bellowing orders, “Weigh anchor! Loose the sails! Hands to rigging! Hands to braces!” The crew had been poised since the Captain had shouted to cast off. Upon the First Mates series of commands the entire ship was suddenly alive with movement all across the decks and above. The Captain strode briskly to the helm, inspecting the crew’s movements as he went. The boys had both stuck their heads out of the hatch and marveled at the coordinated movements. The sails snapped taut as they filled with air. The boys could hear the beams of the ship creak a little as the sails harnessed the power of the wind. The captain had taken hold of the wheel, and as the ship lurched forward he began with minor adjustments that became increasingly pronounced as they drew away from the docks. Soon the ship was facing open water and gaining speed. Cooper took a few steps higher, not stopping until he was almost fully on the deck. He wanted to feel the wind on his face. He was smiling when he turned to face Kolrem, still standing down below, “I’ll take this over straddling a horse any day.” Kolrem replied, “I’m not so sure I agree. This doesn’t feel natural at all.” Kolrem had widened his
stance and looked a little uncertain. He turned to walk back into the galley. His step was a little unsteady.

  Within a few minutes, Kolrem sprinted up on to the deck and was leaning over the rail. Cooper followed close enough behind to witness Kolrem depositing the contents of his stomach into the waters below. Cooper felt some sympathy for his friend but he suddenly wished he hadn’t been so quick to follow him. The captain found great amusement in watching the larger of the two boys draped over the rail. He shouted out over the breeze, “Nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to many; most, in fact. It’ll pass. Unfortunately, by the time it’ll take for him to get used to it, we’ll already be in Paleros!” The captain boisterously laughed again. The captain relinquished the wheel to another crew member and approached the boys. Cooper was just helping Kolrem stand up straight as the Captain asked, “I don’t suppose that offer of cooking our meals still stands?” The thought of food put Kolrem back over the rail, but now he was retching only air. Cooper gave the captain a disapproving look, “No worries in that regard. I can make good on Kolrem’s promise.” The man had a scolding look as he wagged a finger at Cooper, “No need to loose your ire on me. I’ve seen this enough that it’s easy to make light of it. I know he’s miserable.” He paused for a breath and his expression softened a little before he continued, “Grab a bucket and take him below to your berth and let him rest there. The ship’s movements are felt less below decks in the stern.” He gave the boys a dismissive wave and he turned to resume control at the helm.

  Once the boys returned to their room, Kolrem didn’t want to lie down. His voice sounded odd when he spoke, “I think I’d rather sit up. Just hand me the bucket.” Cooper couldn’t help thinking that he might not end up enjoying their trip home as much as he’d hoped he would. He stepped into the galley and started assembling ingredients for lunch.

  During lunch, the crew seemed pleased, until the captain began assigning galley clean up duties. A couple of the men wanted to know why the new cook wasn’t doing the cleaning. Before the captain could even reply, Cooper’s voice speaking Salder Varen’s words rang through the galley, “Because I’m not your cook! I’m not even part of the crew! And if I am called upon to scrub one bowl or even pick up a single dirty fork, you’ll get whatever you normally get for the rest of the trip. Kolrem and I will eat just fine. The rest of you can just fend for yourselves. Is that sufficient explanation for you?” The next sound to follow was Kolrem retching from inside their room. The captain chuckled, “Well spoken, lad. But it doesn’t sound as if Kolrem is too interested in dining at the moment.” Several crew members laughed at that, but then grew silent as the captain shouted his orders, “Now you deck hands get this galley cleaned up right, or expect gruel for dinner!”

  Chapter 30

  While the men cleaned up the galley, Cooper asked the First Mate about the game he’d mentioned earlier, Nine Stones. First Mate replied, “I doubt I have time for a game, but I may have time to explain how it’s played.” Cooper fetched the table and the old man emptied the contents of a pouch onto it, a bunch of black and white stones. He picked up one of each and slipped one in each hand without letting Cooper see which was which. He then held out his clenched fists and said, “Pick one.” Cooper pointed to the right. The man opened both hands, Cooper had selected black. The First mate said, “That means I place a piece first. We take turns placing pieces. The object of the game is to remove all your opponent’s pieces or position your pieces so that he doesn’t have a move but you still do. The way you remove his pieces is by getting three of your stones in a row at any time during the game. Each time you line up three, you take one of his pieces. And you get to pick which one you take. That’s important.” The old man placed a piece in the center of a side on the center rectangle. Now it’s your turn to set a piece. Remember, if I can line up three stones in a row, I get to take one of yours. But don’t let yourself get trapped either. As they took turns placing stones, the First Mate pointed out a few times he was getting set up to force Cooper’s next move, so that Cooper would see what was being done. It hadn’t dawned on Cooper that he could be forced to move a certain way, but once it had been pointed out to him, he learned to recognize it. Once all his stones were placed, the First Mate explained that now they would take turns moving stones. “During your turn, you slide one of your stones, and only one stone, along a carved line to a neighboring empty space. No picking up stones and moving them, no jumping over pieces. If you have no empty neighboring spaces to move to, then you’re trapped and you lose. Any time you can line up three stones in a row, you get to select one of your opponent’s pieces to be removed from the board. Once you’ve moved one stone, one position, your turn ends. Same goes for your opponent.” Cooper nodded, “It seems simple enough.” The First Mate laughed, “You say so now. There’s planning, and strategy involved here. I don’t have time to show you more right now, but you’ll see. Captain’s a dangerous player. Before you even see it coming, he’ll have a doublet formed and then, well, he’ll take a piece with every move he makes. Once your opponent forms a doublet, the games pretty much over. I’ve never found a way to recover from that.” Cooper was examining the board, trying to figure out what the man was talking about. The First Mate let out a single laugh as he stood, “I’ll leave you with those stones for the afternoon. You move them around a little and see if that doesn’t help you understand it a little better. We might have a chance for a game tonight.” Cooper took the table back into the room with Kolrem and during the moments when Kolrem wasn’t hugging the bucket, Cooper explained the rules for the game as they’d been explained to him. Cooper spent a couple of hours moving stones around the board, looking at it from different angles to see if there were patterns emerging. He just didn’t see it yet. The principles seemed too simple to be able to hide the complexities the First Mate was claiming. Cooper put all the stones back in the pouch and stepped back into the galley to prepare dinner.

  After dinner, there was no discussion and no protest. Crew members each scrubbed their own bowls and utensils and piled them up to dry. While most went topside to resume their duties, a couple of the crew remained below for a few minutes to wipe down the tables and sweep the floors. The entire clean up took less than ten minutes and everyone was back to work. Cooper handed the pouch of stones back to the First Mate. The old man told him, “Probably won’t play tonight. I need to double check the rigging on the cargo and I’ll need to get some shut eye. I have a turn at the helm some time before morning. Cooper nodded, checked on Kolrem and then went topside as well, to get some air. He saw that the captain was at the helm and Cooper walked closer to watch him steer the ship. He had so many questions he simply didn’t know where to begin. He decided to lead off with a simple one, “Sir, what kind of code was on that paper I was carrying? And how do you know to read it?” Captain Rigel replied, “You’ve been waiting until I’m standing alone to ask me questions, haven’t you?” Cooper hadn’t really thought about it that way, “Actually, sir. Alone or not hadn’t really entered into my considerations. There just hadn’t been much opportunity.” The captain pursed his lips and nodded once, “It’s an old Guild code. I suppose it doesn’t get used much anymore, and it’s probably only known to those that have been around a long time. Master Worthan, I suspect?” Cooper failed to conceal his surprise at hearing the captain speak of Master Worthan. He should’ve been more alert to his body language. The captain chuckled as he watched Cooper’s thoughts pass across his boyish features, “You’ll need to get better at that. No worries with me, though. I was Guild once. Yeah, before all this.” He waved his hand around his face and head. He told Cooper, “I’m about to call for someone to relieve me here. I’ve been at this most of the day and I’m ready to put my head down for a couple hours. I can see you’ve got more questions. Save them for tomorrow.” Cooper nodded and as he turned away, the captain called out, “Next man on Helm!” As Cooper was stepping below decks, he heard the captain telling the next man his instruction
s, “Hold about ten degrees off Cassiopeia, right there. See it?” The crew man replied, “Aye, sir.” If the conversation continued, Cooper couldn’t hear it as he walked to his room, climbed onto the upper bunk and fell asleep while thinking of polished stones and old codes.

  The following morning Kolrem seemed to be in better humor and a small amount of color had returned to his cheeks, though he was still unwilling to part with the bucket. Meal preparation was becoming more routine but Cooper learned he needed to pay closer attention to the quantities he was using. Breakfast came out a little light. Everyone got fed and no one complained, but a few men had to wait as Cooper hurriedly diced up some additional potatoes, sliced up a few peppers and fried them all together with a few dozen eggs and some sausage links. Kolrem actually poked his head out of the room at the scent of food but when Cooper offered to put some on a plate for him, Kolrem went pale and closed the door again.

  After breakfast, the First Mate set up the board to explain some of the tactics and to display a doublet. Cooper hadn’t expected so much depth in a game with such simple rules. Seeing the moves and arrangements shown to him in this way broadened his understanding tremendously. It was like sparring! Move, counter-move; strike, block, counter strike. Instead of using blades, he was using game pieces to maneuver his opponent. He was ready to try a game, and said so. The First Mate frowned, “I hate to seem like I’m putting you off, lad. We’ll have to make a few course adjustments this mornin’ so I’ll be needin’ to direct the crew while the captain navigates. Maybe after lunch, eh?”