Traders and Traitors (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 2)

by Loren K. Jones

  Trade was brisk, and the caravan remained crowded well into evening. That was another side-effect of Stavin's popularity, and one that the traders took full advantage of.

  Farval brought the rest of the warriors back to the caravan as the sun was setting, and they all seemed to be in high spirits. Farval walked up to Barvil and presented him with two bolts of silk cloth. "You got a very good deal, Barvil. Especially when the merchant found out that we're with Stavin's caravan." He laughed and handed a purse to Barvil. "I think he actually took less than the cloth was worth."

  "Really?"

  "Really," Sharvit answered. "We all got good deals. Stave, here's the book you asked for. The bookseller had to search through half of his shop to find it. It still cost you a full gold crown, but his first price was five. Then I mentioned that it was for you and he hardly tried to keep the price up while we haggled. You're famous."

  Stavin smiled and ducked his head in embarrassment. "Did you get the other things I asked for?" he asked, and Sharvit nodded toward Tavan.

  "We put Tavan to work," he said, taking part of the load from the youngest member of their command. "What's this for, anyway?"

  "Kar. He told me what he was looking for on our way up here. Since he's unconscious, I thought I'd go ahead and get it for him."

  Barvil looked at Stavin for a moment, then shook his head. "I wanted to ask him, but--" He raised his hands and shrugged. "Thank you."

  Stavin smiled and gave Barvil a little bow. "He'd have done the same for me."

  The caravan was on the road again before Arandar had cleared the horizon. The Kavadian border was just three days away.

  The caravan traveled unmolested all the way to the border, and Stavin rode forward at Rahlina's urging to speak to the border guards. He'd taken off his vest and donned his guardsman's cape, and the border guards snapped to attention when they saw him. The same lieutenant who had passed them earlier in the year came out and bowed when Stavin stopped his horse.

  "Friend Stavin, it's a pleasure to see you again," he said, smiling broadly. "Is there something we can do for you?"

  "Yes, Lieutenant. Have any large parties of armed men passed by here? Specifically, members of the Kel'Portan Guards?"

  The lieutenant looked at his men, then shook his head. "No, Friend Stavin. There haven't been any armed parties leaving Evandia, and we wouldn't have allowed any to enter."

  Stavin bowed in the saddle. "Please keep your eyes open for a band of mercenaries following us. We were attacked by two hands of Kel'Portan Guards south of Kolovad. I would appreciate it if you'd discourage any others from following us."

  The lieutenant smiled crookedly. "We can do that, Friend Stavin."

  Stavin again bowed in his saddle and kneed his horse forward to match pace with Rahlina's wagon. He waited until they were clear of the border crossing before removing his cape and putting his master trader's vest back on. "They seemed to like the idea of delaying anyone who is chasing us."

  "I imagine they did," she answered with a laugh.

  They were nearing the ill-omened ruins of the abandoned town three days later when their luck changed. A group of ten men burst out of the ruins and attacked. This time Stavin was in the saddle and spurred his horse toward them while Rahlina whistled for help.

  Stavin's horse was cut out from under him, sending him tumbling into the legs of three men. His Dragon's Tongue was knocked from his hands by his fall, and he suddenly found himself in a fight he didn't think he could win.

  One of the men straddled Stavin and bent down, grabbing him by the armor and lifting him from the ground with no apparent effort. That changed when Stavin's thin knife stabbed upward at the only exposed part of the man's body he could reach. The knife broke through the thin mail coving the man's crotch easily, and the force of the blow drove the knife in all the way to the hilt. The man screamed and dropped Stavin, and once again Stavin was flat on his back. It was a fortunate turn of events, because one of the other men had been swinging a battle ax at the back of his head. The ax brushed Stavin's helmet as it passed, then joined Stavin's knife in the injured man's crotch, cutting both of his hands off in the process.

  While the axman was gaping at what he'd done to his comrade, Stavin rolled away from the third man. He had just reached his knees when the man's knee slammed into his chest. Stavin instinctively clasped the leg, as he'd done as a child fighting bigger boys, but he'd already drawn his big water steel knife. The knife sank into the back of the man's knee, where armor couldn't protect him, and Stavin heard the man scream in rage and pain as his leg gave out. Stavin rolled away as the man fell, but the axman caught him before he could reach his feet again.

  The big ax angled across Stavin's face, and if his helmet had been of any lesser material, it would have sunk all the way into his skull. As it was, the blade bit deeply into Stavin's cheek, angling upward across his eye and cutting into the brow bone. Stavin fell back, a scream ripping from his throat as pain, shock, and the certainty of his own death overwhelmed him. Then the axman froze with a startled expression on his face. He looked down and Stavin followed his gaze to where a hand-span of bloody golden blade protruded from his chest. The blade withdrew as he started to kneel, and Stavin watched Rahlina stab the hamstrung man through the heart. She shouted, "Are you all right, Stavin?" as she turned toward him.

  Stavin struggled to his feet, fighting to keep from crying. The cut across his face burned like a red hot iron had been drawn across his flesh. He was blind in his left eye from the blood, but his right eye burned with rage.

  "I'll live, thanks to you," he managed to say without crying. He held out his hand toward his Dragon's Tongue and Rahlina quickly gave it back to him. A quick downward stab ended the suffering of the emasculated warrior, then Stavin retrieved his knives and looked toward the caravan. The sound of fighting was still coming from the other side and Stavin headed that direction. "Get back on your wagon. I have to help the others," he shouted as he ran.

  The fight was all but done on the far side of the caravan by the time he got there. The seven remaining attackers had come face-to-face with six of the finest warriors on the continent. Stavin slowed to a walk as Tavan drove his Dragon's Tongue into the chest of the last attacker while the others stood back and watched.

  Tavan saw Stavin coming and smiled. "They let me have two, Stave," he began, but his smiled faded when he saw the blood running down Stavin's breast plate. Then he shouted, "Barvil!" and ran forward to grab Stavin by the shoulders.

  The rest of the warriors joined him a moment later and Stavin was laid out on the ground. His helmet was carefully removed, and Barvil used water from his flask to wash the blood away.

  "Farval," Barvil snapped, "get that pot of Heal-All. Hurry." He turned his attention back to Stavin and examined the wound. "It looks like his eye is intact. There's no sign of a cut on his eyelid. Sharvit, go tell Rahlina that we need to stop here. Have her circle the wagons and watch for any more attackers."

  Sharvit ran to do Barvil's bidding, and soon the wagons had circled in the clearing that had once been a festival ground for the old town. Stavin was helped to his feet as soon as the Heal-All was applied and led to where the traders were setting up the cook fire.

  Rahlina looked up as Stavin was brought to her side. "Are you all right, Stavin?"

  "I will be," he muttered. "I feel stupid, though." He turned so he was facing her squarely and bowed deeply. "Rahlina Kel'Vandar, I thank you for my life."

  "What?" Barvil and Sharvit asked at the same time.

  "I was down from the ax cut to my face and the axman was moving in for the kill when Rahlina drove my Dragon's Tongue through his back. She killed another one as well." Stavin shook his head slowly. "I'd be dead if she hadn't joined in when she did."

  Barvil looked at Rahlina and bowed his head deeply. "Sahren would be very proud of you."

  Rahlina looked a Barvil and the rest of the warriors. "I owe Stavin, and all of you, my life and the lives of everyone her
e. I wasn't about to let him die if I could help it."

  Barvil bowed again, then turned to his men. "Search your kills, then get the bodies off the road. Rahlina, which two did you get?"

  "They were out front. Stavin got the one with the ruined crotch. I got the other two, but Stavin disabled one of them first." Rahlina's complexion was a bit on the pale side as she answered, but no one said anything about it.

  Barvil joined his men, searching his kill, then Stavin and Rahlina's kills. He walked back smiling and laid a sword and the battle ax at Rahlina's feet, then dropped a heavy purse beside them. "I'd guess that the axman was their leader. That purse has twenty gold crowns in it."

  "They were after Stavin again, weren't they?" one of the other traders asked.

  "I would guess so, but these men weren't Kel'Portan Guards," Barvil said as he looked at the man. "If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say they were private guards from some noble house. Probably one of the ones involved in the plot against King Kalin."

  One of the older men laughed. "If a man can be measured by the quality of his enemies, Stavin is one hell of a man." There was some subdued laughter from all around, then everyone busied themselves preparing the caravan for the night.

  The evening meal had been served and devoured, and everyone was settling in for the night when Barvil stood and drew everyone's attention. "My friends, today was a good day, in spite of the attack. I claimed one kill. Farval also claimed one, giving him a total of eleven, and earning his second red stripe. Congratulations, Senior Sergeant Kel'Dorval. Sharvit also claims one, for a total of twelve. Orkahn claims one for a total of ten. Rolas claims one for a total of nine. Stavin claims one for his forty-ninth kill. And Tavan Kel'Vorash claimed two, for his fifth and sixth kills. You may now paint your fifth white chevron, and paint your top chevron red. Congratulations, Sergeant Kel'Vorash." Barvil paused as everyone congratulated Tavan. "Hold on, now. We have two more kills to award." Barvil looked at Rahlina and smiled.

  "Rahlina Kel'Vandar, on this day you made your first and second kills. Though you are not of Kel'Kavin, we honor you as a warrior." He looked over at Farval and nodded. Farval, Sharvit, Orkahn, Rolas, and Tavan walked forward and bowed deeply as Rahlina stared up at them. All five young men snapped to attention, then Farval stepped forward with an armguard much like Stavin's. On it were two white chevrons. He wrapped it around Rahlina's upper arm, then stepped back.

  "Rahlina Kel'Vandar," Farval began, speaking loudly so everyone could hear him, "it is seldom that we choose to honor someone from outside the valley, but you have earned a special distinction among our people. You ran into the fight, un-armed and un-armored, and saved Stavin's life. We therefore award you the title of Warrior, and welcome you into our ranks."

  Rahlina was struggling not to cry as she let her fingers trace the chevrons on her shoulder. "Thank you all so very much," she all but whispered.

  The night passed quietly except for the sound of scavengers attracted by the bodies of the bandits and Stavin's horse. She had died even before Rahlina made her kills. The sword stroke that had sent Stavin sprawling had opened her throat. Stavin had gone out to strip his saddle and gear off her, and shed a tear. I have to stop loving my horses. This hurts!

  A careful search of the ruins had provided them with ten horses, and Stavin was allowed to claim one of the better horses for himself, since there was no way of knowing which horse had belonged to which bandit.

  The caravan reached Aravad with no more trouble, and Rahlina led them into the Zel'Vandar compound. Shouts of welcome turned into wails of grief as the traders told the story of the loss to their missing kin.

  Stavin and Barvil accompanied Rahlina to see Lord Davan. She stopped a few steps away from him and bowed her head. "Grand Uncle Davan, we return with grave news. In the Evandian city of Barren’s Bridge we were attacked. Nanny Sahren, Uncle Kethlan, and eight others were killed." She paused as Lord Davan seemed to collapse in on himself.

  "Oh, poor little Sahry," he murmured.

  "We continued our route south and were accosted by the Traders’ Guild in Valovad because we had no other Master Traders with us." She paused and reached back to drag Stavin forward. "Stavin went to Twin Bridges while we were trapped in Valovad and acquired Master Trader credentials, and served as our Master for the rest of the season."

  Lord Davan looked at Stavin, then bowed his head deeply. "We are in your debt, Friend Stavin."

  Stavin stepped forward and laid a hand on Lord Davan's forearm. "No, Lord Davin. I believe in doing well by those who do well by me. You taught me that, Sir."

  The old lord nodded and turned away, and Rahlina followed him into the big manor house that served as Zel'Vandar's base of operations.

  Barvil led Stavin back to where the others were clustered around Karvik. He was capable of walking, but he was still very weak. "I expect to stay here for at least two days again," Barvil said as he looked at his son. "We're early this year. By my count, we only had one hundred and ten days on the road. That puts us short, but not perilously so. I'll give them a day or two before I approach Rahlina about our pay. Until then," he pause and looked around, "I plan on stocking up. Who wants to split the cost of a wagon?"

  There was some general laughter, then Stavin stepped forward. "I'm in."

  One by one the rest of the warriors joined in, and soon Barvil and Stavin were on their way to see one of the wainwrights that supplied the major merchant houses.

  The wainwright saw them as they walked into his yard and came forward immediately. "Yes, good warriors, how may I be of service?"

  Barvil took the lead and said, "We are in search of a cargo wagon. Something that can handle a good load, but only needs two mules to pull."

  The wainwright was looking at Stavin, and tore his attention away from Stavin's armor and Master Trader's vest with a visible effort. "You're engaging in trade?" he asked, giving Barvil a curious look.

  "No," Barvil answered with a smile, "we're going home and want to carry a large shipment with us."

  The wainwright nodded absently and led them around to the side of his shop. "I have this hay wagon," he said, indicating a long wagon with poles sticking out from its sides, "or this beer wagon. It was a commission job, but the brewer never returned."

  Barvil nodded his head. "The beer wagon. It's smaller than the one we had last season, but it should suffice. How much?"

  The wainwright started to answer, then thought better of it and instead asked, "Who are you?"

  "I am Warmaster Barvil Kel'Carin of the Kel'Kavin Valley." Barvil paused and indicated Stavin. "This is Warleader Fifth Stavin Kel'Aniston, Friend of Evandia, owner and Master Trader of the Evandian Trading House of Kel'Aniston."

  The wainwright was staring at Stavin. "Master Trader Stavin, what trade does your house engage in?" he asked.

  "Right now, none. I founded my house so I could take over the Zel'Vandar caravan and bring them home. In the future, I don't know. We shall have to see what the Gods Above decree."

  The wainwright nodded. "Very well. If it should happen that you need wagons for your house, please keep me in mind. I'll make you a good deal."

  "What about this wagon now?" Barvil asked.

  The wainwright looked at the wagon, then back at Stavin and Barvil. "I ask six gold crowns," he finally said with a bow.

  "Three," Barvil countered.

  "Oh, come now, warrior. This is no beat-up old wagon. It's newly made. It's never carried a load before. I'll consider five."

  "Three," Barvil said again.

  "Warrior, be reasonable. I'm not a rich man. Such a generous price would make me lose money. Four and a half."

  Stavin looked up at Barvil, then said, "Three and a half."

  "Master Stavin, you'd see me lose money on the first wagon you buy? What if you don't buy any more? I must have some profit. Four. I'll not take a spark less."

  Stavin looked up at Barvil. Barvil looked back and nodded. Before Barvil could reach his pouch, Stavin had lai
d four Evandian gold crowns on the edge of the wagon. "Four, as agreed."

  "What are you doing?" Barvil asked.

  "He has a point, Sir. If there is going to be a Kel'Aniston Trading House, I'm going to need wagons. We'll call this one my first, and I'll bring it back with me next season. Even if I just leave it here during the season, it'll be a good investment."

  Barvil looked at him carefully, then shook his head. "Now I understand Kar."

  "What about Kar?"

  "Now I understand why he's always calling you a sneaky little bastard."

  Stavin snorted in amusement. "You're the one who said I was spending too much time with Kethlan."

  "You certainly did. Very well. What about mules and tack?" he turned to look at the wainwright, and the man bowed.

  "I know someone who'll only cheat you a little. This way." He led off while Barvil and Stavin laughed behind him.

  Two mules, their harnesses, reins, and a set of feed bags cost Stavin ten gold crowns. It wasn't the best deal he'd ever made, but the only time he'd ever bought a mule before Sahren had done the haggling. He and Barvil shared a sad look as they remembered their friend, then led the animals back to collect their wagon.

  They drove the wagon back to the Zel'Vandar compound and found the rest of the warriors waiting for them. Farval stepped forward and spoke first. "Barvil, Rahlina came looking for you and Stavin. She delivered our pay." He held up a heavy purse, then grinned. "They added fifteen gold for Stavin's work as the Master Trader."

  Barvil looked at Stavin, but he just shook his head. "Let the town have it. I didn't match last year, but still--" He paused and grinned.

  "How much was the wagon and team?" Orkahn asked, reaching for his own pouch.

  Barvil answered, "Four gold for the wagon, and ten more for the team and tack. But keep your purses closed." He grinned at Stavin. "The Kel'Aniston Trading House bought it as their first wagon." There was some general laughter from the warriors, though none of them were really surprised.

  They spent the night in a Zel'Vandar bunkhouse, and then went to the grain merchants in the morning. A full load for the wagon ended up costing a total of four gold crowns, split between the eight surviving warriors. Barvil tried to get Karvik to stay in the bunk house, but ended up allowing him to drive the wagon instead. He still wasn't allowed to lift anything heavier than his purse, but at least he felt like he was doing something.