by AC Cobble
“I, uh, thanks anyway,” Renfro stammered.
“No offense kid, you’re welcome to leave town with us and we can keep you out of immediate danger. Maybe if you leave with us it will tweak them a little bit and make them second guess themselves. Arrogant pricks. Assuming you keep your hands to yourself that is. If not, you’ll find there are worse places to be than locked up in some Thief’s Palace. I don’t know what you did to get in trouble with the Guild, but I can guess.”
Renfro had the look of someone who jumped off a burning ship and realized too late they couldn’t swim.
Ben interjected before Renfro blurted out a confession and changed Rhys’ mind. “Who do we have to thank? I mean, who paid our ransom?”
“Ransom?” Rhys responded quizzically, “you two were in for crimes against the Guild. Ransom wasn’t a real option. At least not one I could afford.”
“Wait, if it wasn’t a ransom, then how did we get out?”
Rhys gave the same knowing cat-like smile Ben was used to seeing over a half full pint of ale. “I had a little talk with them. You can thank me next time we get into a tavern. How many rounds is your life worth?”
With that, Rhys started up a wobbly plank onto one of the creaking ships tied to the docks. Ben looked at Renfro, shrugged, and started the next leg of his journey.
Saltwater
From the dock in Fabrizo, the Bay Runner seemed massive. Three broad blue and white stripped sails billowed from masts the size of full grown pine trees. The deck covered the length of Farview’s village green and the ship rose out of the water higher than Farview’s tallest building.
Once they left sight of land though, it seemed to be much smaller. The common quarters below deck were the size of Ben’s old apartment and it was used for everything except work, sleep and the necessaries – which was done hanging off the back of the vessel.
The common quarters below deck was expansive though compared to the tiny cabin he was sharing with Rhys, Renfro and Saala. They had a four level bunk bed and enough walking room to squeeze in and out of it sideways. Livestock was given more space than they were.
The size of the cabin though was not much of a problem because he spent almost the entire journey topside, as the sailors said. The deck of the ship was the only place to get some fresh air and it was also where almost all of the excitement was. The sailors were constantly adjusting sails, tightening ropes, taking readings of the wind and water and a thousand other tasks Ben did not understand but found fascinating.
The work of sailing the ship required constant attention from the crew. After the first few days, Ben found if he stayed out of their way the sailors paid him no mind and weren’t bothered by him watching them. The officers on the ship spent some time speaking with Lady Towaal but the rest of the crew largely ignored them. Renfro confided in Ben that he thought they were watching him and he was certain he would be turned in as soon as they made port in Whitehall.
Rhys, ever practical and able to spot what other missed, pointed out that the sailors constantly had a wad of herbs stuffed into the side of their jaw. “Leaves from the Xanta plant. Makes them a little sluggish but the days pass in a haze. Usually the ship’s officers try to tamp down on that kind of thing but it does make the crew easy to deal with. If you don’t give them something, men get a little antsy after a few weeks of sleeping stacked up like cords of wood and eating hard biscuits and beans every meal. The lure of the sea quickly loses it’s appeal for me.”
Ben spent hours watching the sailors work and feeling the wind and salt spray blow on his face. He understood Rhys’ point, a lifetime of this would be tedious and boring, but for Ben the adventure was still fresh and he enjoyed every minute of it. While he was topside at least.
When he wasn’t watching the sailors, he spent a lot of time in close, one on one discussions with Amelie, Meghan and Renfro.
Meghan he had known his entire life and he fell in with Renfro like they had been friends for ever. Spending a day in the death cell together made for good bonding. Talking with either of them was easy and comfortable. He felt like he could tell them anything and like they shared their innermost thoughts with him.
Amelie was different. He was open with her. He felt like he could trust her and tell her anything but she kept her own secrets closely guarded. She did tell a little though. He learned her father wasn’t just a Lord of Issen, he was The Lord of Issen. She said he wasn’t called a King, but it sounded just like one from what Ben understood. She had no siblings and didn’t speak much about her mother other than to mention she was living and describe her as ‘the consummate Lady’. Whatever that meant.
Over the weeks on the water, his relationship with Meghan grew stronger than it had ever been and with a slight twinge of guilt, he realized Renfro had filled the void he felt for Serrot. With little doubt, he thought all of them would remain fast friends for the rest of their lives.
But as much as he appreciated the friendships with Meghan and Renfro, he felt himself drawn more and more to Amelie. In many ways she was a closed book to him and he rarely could separate her from Meredith, but when he did, he felt a spark of connection. He kept that to himself. She was a high born Lady and he was a brewer from a small mountain town. It sounded like a silly story even to him and it was the kind of thing better not to think about. Sometimes the fantastical events in the stories were just that, fantasy.
The big vessel rocked gently in the light chop of the bay and Saala judged sword practice impractical. Between the slight movement, the number of people moving around on deck and Ben’s lack of skill, he was sure it would end in an accident.
Lady Towaal took notice and despite an icy demeanor towards Ben, she instructed Rhys to teach him something, maybe “fighting with his hands” she muttered.
Rhys nodded and grinned. “I think I have something useful I can teach him.”
“I guess she doesn’t want me to go more than a few days without getting pummeled,” smirked Ben while he and Rhys cleared deck space to begin.
“You did piss her off. Can’t say I blame her though. She is very focused on getting Amelie safely behind the Sanctuary’s walls as soon as possible. Getting into a scrap with the Fabrizo Thieves Guild isn’t the way to do that.”
“When you put it like that…” Ben trailed off.
“Cheer up. She didn’t exactly encourage me to go get you but she didn’t stop me either. She could have left you locked up or just sent you back home. She sees something in you and for whatever reason, she wants you to stay with us.”
Ben brightened until Rhys added, “on second thought. Maybe you shouldn’t cheer up. Believe me, being ‘useful’ to a Mage isn’t always fun and games.”
In some ways, Rhys instruction was similar to Saala’s but in others it was very different. He started by explaining that he wouldn’t actually teach Ben any punches or kicks yet, first he had to learn balance and flexibility. Ben assumed that like with the sword when he spent a few days learning grips and stances, he would quickly move on. But Rhys spent the entire trip teaching balance.
Rhys would start every lesson doing stretches. They would bend, twist, squat and pull muscles that Ben didn’t realize he had. During the first few days, he felt like he was getting a workout just doing the stretches.
Once they were done stretching, Rhys began teaching him different balance positions when the swells of the sea were relatively calm. At first it was fairly simple like standing one foot or kneeling on one leg with his arms raised straight up. Simple being relative of course due to the gentle rocking of the ship. Standing on one foot becomes exponentially more difficult on a moving platform.
As the days progressed, so did the variety of positions Rhys taught. And before long, several other members of the group joined them. Saala was first, saying the exercise was better than being cooped up downstairs. Then Amelie, Meredith and Meghan joined as well. With the rest of the young people participating, it was easy to pressure Renfro into it too. After the first
week, everyone in their group except Lady Towaal was spending several hours a day balancing in progressively more bizarre and convoluted poses.
After two weeks they began tying some of the poses together into a fluid sort of dance. They would begin on their stomachs, then push up with their arms while keeping their body straight, swing their hips back so they formed a triangle with their arms and feet on the hard wood of the deck, then onto one knee with the other leg up and their chests down. They kept learning new positions and adding them to the mix until they had about twenty of them they would perform in sequence.
Saala was the only one, aside from Rhys, who could make it through the entire routine without spilling onto the deck in tangle of arms and legs. Saala learned the poses with the same smooth confidence he did everything. Ben frequently found himself watching Saala when on a particularly tricky move to see how it should be done. Rhys was occasionally helpful with one on one coaching, but Ben couldn’t help noticing that most of his time was spent directing the girls. Particularly Meredith and Meghan.
Anytime one of them wavered, Rhys would appear to place a steadying hand on a hip or whisper soft words of encouragement. At first, Ben felt a flash of jealousy and thought about warning Meghan until he realized that she was no stranger to dealing with attention. As the attractive and only daughter of the wealthiest man in Farview, she had learned to deal with unwanted suitors. Besides, while Ben was learning he did have a few redeeming qualities, Meghan would never be interested in a scoundrel like Rhys.
The voyage across the Blood Bay to Whitehall typically took three weeks, depending on the wind and water. Their journey was uneventful and in the proscribed time, they were getting close. On the last full day at sea, Rhys threw another loop into their lessons. He made them run the twenty poses in reverse.
This time, even Saala ended up collapsing during one difficult transition. Ben found he had unconsciously learned to make moving between the poses a habit that he had to unlearn the habit when he did them in reverse.
They spent almost the entire day working the moves and by the end of it, Ben was lying exhausted propped up against a damp coil of rope. His arms and legs felt as limp as the rope.
Rhys squatted down next to him and said, “good job these last few weeks. You and Amelie are my star pupils.” Then he corrected himself, “after Saala of course.”
Ben rolled his head towards Rhys, “I’m glad I’m finally good at something. I still don’t know why though, what’s the point of all of this? I seriously doubt we’re going to get into a scrape where I end up needing to squat down, roll on my belly then stand on one leg all while holding one arm straight out to my side.”
Rhys rolled his eyes. “You may not see it yet, but it will help you. All fighting, whether with the hand or the sword requires four things: strength, skill, speed and balance. These exercises focus on balance of course. Saala has been teaching you skill. Strength and speed come through repetition and practice. You add it all up, and next time you get into a fight maybe you manage to not get yourself knocked out.”
Ben smirked, “I might be able to balance a little better. We’ll have to see once we get off this ship. I certainly don’t feel any stronger though. I’ll barely be able to lift my spoon tonight.”
“That’s how you know it’s working.” Rhys clapped his hands down on his knees and stood to address the rest of the exhausted group. “You are not experts at it yet, but you have learned the first of the Thirty Ohms. If you can learn them all, you will be stronger, faster and better balanced than almost any opponent. Fighting is about more than just being able to chop at a man with a sword.”
Rhys left to freshen up and Ben scooted over next to Renfro and a speculative looking Saala.
“What’s this about the Ohms?” asked Renfro. “And what the hell did he say about Thirty of them? I didn’t think I’d make it through today, not sure I could do thirty more of those.”
“Twenty nine,” replied Saala stoically.
“What?” asked Renfro.
“We have done one, so there are only twenty nine left.”
Renfro rolled his eyes. “I guess I missed that day in the Thieves Guild mathematics tutoring. You know what I mean. Twenty nine or thirty of them or whatever, what are they?”
Saala sighed, “I’ve spent years studying various fighting styles around the world and never found anyone to teach me the Thirty Ohms. They’re said to be used by a vaguely religious warrior sect in Qooten. The sect is real, I’ve crossed their path and with reason they are known as some of the deadliest fighters in the South Continent. Whether the Thirty Ohms was real or not I wasn’t sure. Now I find out that drunk knows them? The world is a very strange place. I’m going to get some rest.”
Saala stood and retreated below deck to the cabin, shaking his head as he left.
The world was indeed a strange place thought Ben. Making small talk with a Blademaster and a Thief. Travelling with a Mage and a Lady.
Renfro was thinking the same thing. “Strange company you keep. You’ve all been pretty closed mouthed about what you’re up to, but I think I’ve picked up on a lot of it. Not sure it’s safe travelling with you lot. Course, not sure Whitehall will be safe for me either. Mallan does a lot of business there. You think I could come along with you past Whitehall?”
Ben scratched behind his neck, “it’d be fine with me. It’s really up to Lady Towaal though.” Renfro seemed to deflate and Ben realized what he wanted. “I can ask her if you like.”
Renfro perked right back up and Ben was struck by how honest and open the kid was, despite his past profession. The reason he was able to make such quick friends, Ben thought, was that the world was such a simple place for Renfro. He wasn’t weighed down by concerns on what was right or wrong. He just reacted to what was around him.
When Renfro stole from someone, he didn’t consider the consequences to the victim, he only considered his own risk and reward. For the same reasons he had no problems with theft, he had no problems spilling his life story and all his hopes and desires to Ben. He had no mechanism to hold back. He had apparently decided he could trust Ben to help get him out of his troubles so he jumped into the friendship with both feet. Renfro was all or nothing.
Lying there on the deck of the ship, staring at the billowing sails snapping in the wind overhead and trying to ignore the stench of the wet rope behind his back, Ben wondered if Renfro’s way was better. A life unmuddled by concerns about others. It seemed simpler and Ben had certainly seen his share of trouble trying to help others recently. The fights at Murdoch’s and in Fabrizo wouldn’t have happened if he’d kept to himself.
Ben was still contemplating the simple life of Renfro when he went to talk to Lady Towaal about keeping him in the group past Whitehall. He found her leaning against the rail staring into the depths of the Blood Bay.
As he approached, she waved him closer and pointed down towards the water. Ben was startled when he noticed several large dark shapes coursing through the water and keeping speed with the ship.
Lady Towaal explained, “black sharks. They follow ships all the time this close to Whitehall. No one is really sure why but the popular story among sailors is that they smell human blood. They say that when the Blood Bay earned it’s name, these sharks fed for years on the corpses of the losers.”
“Blood Bay. Why is it called that?” Ben asked, “I’ve heard the stories of course, but I don’t know how much truth there is to them.”
“You might be surprised,” Towaal replied, “there is sometimes more truth in stories than there is in the histories. Both the stories and the histories of the Blood Bay are one in the same though. Long ago, almost 300 years past, the leaders of Whitehall and Issen became upset with each other. They were powerful cities with powerful leaders, much like they are now. It was over some simple offense, a raised tariff or spurned marriage proposal from a cousin. The details of how it started have been forgotten and aren’t really that important.”
“Wh
at happened after is important though it’s lesson has also been forgotten. The two rulers started collecting allies and making strategic military moves they said to thwart the aggressor. Even at the time it was difficult to tell which one of them was supposed to be the aggressor and which was the defender.”
“They were both powerful enough that eventually nearly every nation and city state within 200 leagues of the Bay had been drawn in on one side or the other. One summer, a small skirmish set it off and they called all of their armies together and planned to march to what would have been assured mutual destruction. The forces were so large that whichever side won, the loss of life would have been catastrophic. The land would have been stripped of farmers, wheelwrights, carpenters, fishermen and all of the other common men and specialists that make our civilization work. Those outside of Whitehall and Issen were extremely concerned of course, but what could they do? Who had the power to stop something like that when both sides had already accumulated so much might?”
“Fortunately, a huge storm came out of nowhere and it rained for weeks. The roads became impassable and the men were washed out of their camps. Critical bridges were destroyed by flooding, mountain passes blocked due to landslides. All resources and manpower had been devoted to the military build so nothing could be quickly repaired.”
“The pitched battle had been averted, but both sides were still unwilling to back down so the war took place across this bay. It grinded on for years because neither force could gain a decisive advantage. In the end, it wasn’t much better than the catastrophe that the storms had delayed. Finally, the people of Issen grew sick of the war and called their troops home.”
“The ruler of Whitehall named himself Emperor and King and claimed dominion over most of central Alcott. Sadly for him and his heirs, they found that they didn’t have the men to work or protect that land. Fields went fallow, nets were left untended, cities abandoned and so on. The dark forces; goblins, demons and worse found a toehold in our world and it took a century to battle them back. In some remote places in the world, they still exist in serious enough numbers to pose a threat. The one we killed in Farview is child’s play compared to the demon swarms they faced after the Blood Bay. The lesson was obvious at the time. The victor of the great battles ended up losing more than they gained. The fighting and bloodshed had been pointless. There are too few left who remember the lessons of the past. It’s just pages in a book now.”