by AC Cobble
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 and 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 towards 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 fish monger’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 Merchant’s 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 light show from the storm 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. But 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 towards the campsite.
A sodden man staggered up outside of their tarps and shouted in, “ho 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 as 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. 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?”
“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.”
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 a
fter 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.”
“Ok, let’s stay here tonight and we’ll push the next three days.”
Ben and Renfro spent a minute 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 a tart Lady Towaal.
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 his 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 barracks life was not for him.
Ben and Renfro showed the girls the second and third Ohm 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 out 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 now 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,” smirked Meghan.
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 too 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 high born.
“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 and 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.”
Ben led them back into the forest where they had found a bend in a wide creek that poured into the White River south of their campsite. They’d tried fishing it earlier with no luck but it was perfect for swimming. In the elbow of the bend it was shallow and deepened towards the center of the stream. It was also clear of trees so the slow moving water would be warm in the shallows but cool in the deeper sections.
Ben deposited the girls on the bank of the creek and said, “I’m going to head up towards that hill and see if I can find some mushrooms for dinner. I saw some out there but we didn’t know we’d be camping here tonight. We made a rabbit stew that they would go great in. Call out if you need me or when you’re ready to go back.”
The hill was only a few hundred yards from the creek and they’d seen no one in this area so Ben wasn’t worried about leaving the girls alone in the woods. Also, the rabbit stew really had been a little gamey. Ben hoped the mushrooms would mellow it out. He wasn’t much of a chef, but he didn’t want to eat badly if he didn’t have to.
He circled around the hill pushing through the thick undergrowth looking for the mushrooms. The hill blocked the breeze he’d felt earlier and it was sticky and humid but he thought it’d be worth it. They were Goblin’s Ear mushrooms he thought he’d seen. They were a little tough but if you boiled them long enough in a stew they melted away into a rich savory broth.
He brought his sword along which felt a little silly since they were just traipsing through woods he had thoroughly explored over the last week. But it was proving handy as he used it to push aside low hanging ferns looking for the mushrooms. He picked one plentiful patch that had about two handfuls and was looking for a second when he heard a shriek from back near the creek.
Ben spun and ran towards the sound. As he pushed through the thick branches he heard another high pitched howl and splashing that sounded like a struggle. He started using his sword to hack through some of the foliage when he heard a long cry of “heeelp!” His blood ran cold. It was Amelie’s voice that was screaming.
He burst through the wall of green that edged the creek and slipped on the muddy bank to land heavily on his rear. Directly in front of him, knee deep in the water and naked as the day they were born, were Amelie and Meghan. Meredith was bobbing deeper in the center and splashing handfuls of water towards the other two girls who giggled and screamed every time a wave hit them.
They all turned towards him as he slid into the mud.
“Damnit Ben!” shouted Meghan.
Amelie turned to look at him then shrieked again. She raised her hands to cover herself but then realized it was fruitless and dove cleanly into deeper water with Meredith.
Meghan kept shouting and started towards him with a dangerous look. Seeing his naked adopted sister charging towards him with murder in
her eyes jerked him out of his shocked state and he scrambled on all fours across the slick mud and back into the bushes.
“What on earth are you doing?” a very angry Meghan yelled at him from the clearing.
“I heard a cry for help!”
“Help! What are you going to do? Help us swim or help us get out of our clothes?!”
“Meghan, come on! I heard screaming.”
“Maybe we were being a bit loud Meghan,” said a faint sounding Amelie.
“Well, I think we’ve had enough of Benjamin Ashwood’s help for today,” Meghan replied crossly then called loudly, “Ben, you run on back to the camp with your mushrooms. I think we can handle getting dressed without your assistance.”
On the way back to the camp, Ben hoped that Meghan would understand how it had been a mistake. He really had heard the screaming and was concerned the girls were under attack. He kept trying to think of ways he could apologize to her but couldn’t concentrate. Imagines of Amelie’s lithe body diving into the water kept pushing their way into his head.
She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. And not just in Farview. Compared to the other Ladies at Argren’s party even, she was the sparkling jewel. Physically she was perfection but she also had a natural joy to her that drew him in. When they started their journey, it was like looking at the moon. Gorgeous and worthy of admiration surely but not something you ever thought you’d get close to.
After she invited him to the party his thoughts started to change. She held his arm and wasn’t far away then. It was like looking at the moon every night and then one day finding yourself walking across it. He knew the way she looked standing knee deep in that creek then turning to gracefully dive into the water would be burned into his memory forever.
When he got back to the camp, Saala looked up at him and asked, “aren’t you missing something?”