Faoir grunted understanding. “I must say, I’d prefer he stay in your guild than going back out on his own. At least we trust you to keep an eye on him.”
“There’s that,” Siobhan agreed readily. “I’ve been hesitating to ask him to go back with us because I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. But if you’re sure you don’t mind…? I see. Good, then. And your wife?”
“I haven’t spoken to her about this yet, but I think she knows already.”
“Well, she’s a sharp woman. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did know. Or at least sense it.”
Judging from some of the looks and comments he’d been getting from his mother over the past two days, Erik was sure she did know.
“Then I’ll ask,” Siobhan concluded. “But don’t look so glum, Araan. We come out to Wynngaard regularly, on one job or another. I’ll make sure that you see him at least once a year.”
Araan let out a breath of sharp relief. “You can promise me this? Then, thank you. I do feel much better hearing that.”
“It will be easy to arrange,” she assured him. “And of course we’ll likely come during the spring or summer months, as that’s when caravans like to travel the most. So expect us during those seasons. If, that is, Wolf agrees to go with us.”
Erik decided that was his cue. “I will return with you.”
The occupants in the other room went silent and he heard two chairs squeak as they were abruptly jerked sideways. Turning the corner, he came into view and found that his father and Siobhan had turned sharply, searching him out in the dim lighting. Smiling, he looked between them as he said quietly, “You’re right. I no longer belong in Reske. I realized that the first day I was here. Faoir, I love you all, but I can’t stay.”
His father nodded understanding, still looking drawn and unhappy about it. “I know.”
“And I can’t leave her side,” Erik continued, turning gentle eyes on Siobhan. “She has given me too much. I must stay and somehow repay her.”
“If it means keeping you, I won’t argue about who owes who.” Siobhan put a hand to her heart and blew out an exaggerated breath. “Phew! I was afraid I’d have to somehow charm you into it.”
She’d done that the moment she’d shown him respect while he still stood in slave chains.
His father stroked is beard pensively. “We’ll have to break the news to the rest of the family, somehow.”
Yes, and Erik wasn’t looking forward to that one bit. “Aye.”
Turning to Siobhan, Faoir pleaded, “You will stay a little longer, won’t you?”
“We won’t leave this week,” she promised him gently. “Or next, likely. Beirly has found some good places to mine up here and wants to take some of it back with him. Grae, too, wants to build a path from here to Quigg so that we can easily come and go. That will take a good week all by itself.”
A thought that hadn’t occurred to Erik, although it should have. With prebuilt paths, they could easily come and go without spending much time on the road.
Pointing a finger at him, Siobhan ordered mock-sternly, “You are hereby forbidden to help build that path. You are to spend every moment possible with friends and family.”
Chuckling, he swept her an exaggerated bow. “Yes ma’am.”
“Good.” Satisfied, she pushed herself to her feet. “I’m going to bed. See you both in the morning.”
Erik knew that she was gracefully leaving and giving father and son private time to talk. Taking it, he sat in the chair she had just vacated.
“Well, son,” Faoir said, easing back into his chair. “If I had a way to change the past, I would wish we’d been able to find you that day you were kidnapped. But if this is how life must be, at least I know you’re in good company and under a good guildmaster. This way, at least, we’ll see you regularly.”
If Erik had his choice, he might very well go back to that dreadful day he had been kidnapped. But when all was said and done… “I couldn’t agree more.”
Epilogue
“And so ends the story of Erik Wolfinsky.”
Wynngaardian that he was, Rune responded promptly. “That was a fine telling, and I thank ya for it.”
Wolf inclined his head. “I enjoyed the telling.”
After that traditional exchange was done, Rune was speechless for a long time. Finally, he managed with a hoarse voice, “And I thought I was difficult.”
Wolf threw back his head and laughed. “No, I was worse. I admit I set a bad example with her. Because she had such good success with me, she didn’t think twice about taking you on.”
They walked a few paces in silence, Rune mulling this over. “So even though ya made it home, ya decided ta stay with Deepwoods.”
“Oh, I had all sorts of justifications and reasons for it at the time, mostly that I owed Siobhan too much to just stay in Reske. But the truth was, I’d formed deep ties with her. I was very fond of Beirly and Grae by that point too. I wanted to stay with them.” Wolf shrugged, as the decision now seemed completely clear-cut to him and obvious to make.
“I know.” Rune’s tone was certain, and Wolf was sure that he really did know. “I had ta make the same choice.”
“Yes, you did.” Wolf shook his head in memory, amused by it still. “Siobhan is terrible about forcing people to do things. She’ll entice you, bribe you, and charm you into it, but she’ll never force you. I was worried we’d lose you because of how she is. But in the end, you’re like me. You fell in love with the guild and couldn’t bear to part with it.”
Rune wasn’t yet open enough to admit to that. Out loud. But actions spoke louder than words and the fact that he stayed even when things were uncomfortable for him spoke volumes. Besides, Wolf had been where the boy stood. He knew exactly what was going through that head.
As an afterthought, he added, “And it’s not like I had to choose one or the other. I still see my family at least once a year. Siobhan makes sure of it. Partially for me to see them, partially for us to pick up things to trade.”
“If I had family in Sateren, she’d likely take us there once a year, too.”
“Undoubtedly,” Wolf agreed.
Rune ducked his head to glance at Wolf’s iron hand. It caught flickers of light now and again, letting off a dim glow. “Ya said that because ya lost the hand, ya were able to meet Siobhan. Do ya not regret it? Even a little?”
“No, not at all.” Wolf’s gaze gravitated toward the sleeping camp and he felt a hum of contentment settle into his chest. It was a feeling he always had when he saw them and knew they were safe and well. “The hand was the price I had to pay to bring me to Deepwoods. They are well worth the price.”
The Story of Man Fei Lei
Prologue
Fei and Rune were on dish detail for the morning, so after breakfast, they quietly went around gathering everything up into a basket before carting it over to the channel’s edge. They laid out a blanket and two towels before setting the whole basket into the water, using it as a makeshift sink to hold the dishes while they cleaned.
Elbow-deep in water, Rune asked, “How did ya join the guild?”
Fei paused in scrubbing and regarded him thoughtfully. “You know this.”
“I know that ya met them while guarding a caravan and that Siobhan was worried about ya—being so young and away from home—so she invited ya into the guild,” Rune denied. “That’s all I know. I want the full story.”
Over the past several days, Fei had seen Rune ask questions like this. At first it had resembled nothing more than innocent curiosity. Now it looked more like an attempt to know each member of the guild better. Rune was somewhat clumsy in how he went about it, but his desire to know was sincere.
Besides, as a Wynngaardian, it probably felt very strange to be in a guild where he knew only the basics of their backgrounds. Fei had learned this quirk the hard way, as Wolf had not been fully at ease with him for years because Wolf only knew the basics of where Fei had come from. It wasn’t like he had anyth
ing to hide. It was just that talking of home was painful. He didn’t regret the decision to leave home and come to Robarge. If anything, he regretted the distance between his two homes.
“The full story, is it?” Fei sank back onto his haunches, the past swirling in his mind. “Well, but it’s not like Wolf-ren’s or Tran-ren’s stories. Theirs are more interesting.”
Rune got that mulish expression on his face that said he would not be put off.
Chuckling softly, he shrugged. “Alright, if you’re so curious, I do not mind sharing the story. How do you Wynngaardians phrase it? Ah, yes. This is the story of Man Fei Lei.”
Chapter One
The world outside of Saoleord was very strange. Even after being in it for three years, he still felt that way. Fei took in this new city, feeling a little overwhelmed by how foreign everything was. Nothing, absolutely nothing, looked the same as home. The architecture was completely different with straight roofs, the streets were rounded stone instead of flat, even the colors that people chose to wear were different. His homeland preferred vivid colors but everyone here seemed to gravitate toward earth tones with only a few brighter colors mixed in.
Was there nothing about the outside world that he could connect to?
Thanks to his education, he did speak the trader’s tongue fluently, and some Robargean, but as he walked alongside the caravan, his ear picked up many other languages and dialects that were not at all familiar. That, too, was a little overwhelming but mostly frustrating. He wanted to understand everything he heard.
When he had left home three years ago, he had known that he would be branching out into a world that was nothing like his hometown. The caravan that came to the mountains twice a year was enough to tell him that. Everyone in the caravans was very different from his own people, and they told him many stories of what they had experienced. Fei’d had an idea of what to expect before he left, or thought he had, up until he crossed the Grey Bridge and into the city of Stott.
Now he realized he should have spent more time preparing before he’d left.
The caravan boss waved to him, indicating he needed to come to the gates, so Fei lengthened his stride into a jog to close the distance. Standing next to Jacobs was a mountain of a man with fair skin and hair, and a pretty woman with dark red hair. Both of them looked a few years older than he himself, and for a moment Fei was puzzled by who they might be. Unless these were guildmembers of the escorting guild Jacobs had mentioned to him earlier? He had said that he was using paths to get the rest of the way to Wade, Teherani.
Jacobs looked positively jovial, as well he should, as meeting up with his escorts was not only safer but faster from this point on. A smile on his wide face, he did the introductions with much hand waving. “Guildmaster, Master Wolfinsky, this is Man Fei Lei. He’s from Saoleord, my only enforcer on this trip, and he’s on contract to go the whole distance to Wade.”
“Saoleord?” the woman repeated in surprise. “Well now, that’s something I don’t get to do everyday, meet someone from there. I’m sorry, say your name for me one more time.”
The names here sounded just as foreign to him, so Fei understood the request and enunciated clearly, “Man Fei Lei.”
“Man Fei Lei,” she repeated, nearly perfectly, and extended a hand with a professional smile. “I’m Siobhan Maley, Guildmaster of Deepwoods.”
Fei took it, surprised by the strength behind the grip, and half-bowed over her hand. “The pleasure is mine, Maley-zhi.”
Her smile became more genuine. “Likewise. This is Erik Wolfinsky, my enforcer.”
The name, as well as the coloring, told Fei that this man had to be Wynngaardian. What a Wynngaardian was doing in a Robargean guild was a story he would dearly like to have. But that was for later in the trip perhaps, if he played his cards right. He extended a hand, only to pause as Wolfinsky raised his right arm with an apologetic shrug.
“Sorry, this makes it a bit hard to greet people.”
The hand was metal, fashioned like an actual hand would be, and it spoke of a time when fate had not been kind to this man. But the expression on his face did not speak of regret or embarrassment, and Fei thought well of him because of that. So he switched hands instead, offering his left, and knew he had done the right thing when Wolfinsky actually grinned at him and took the hand in a firm clasp. “It is a pleasure, Wolfinsky-jia.”
“Likewise, Man Fei Lei.” Wolfinsky’s eyes studied him narrowly for a moment. “You are not as delicate as you look. That’s a lot of strength in your grip. If we’re the only enforcers on this trip, I think we’d better get the full measure of how the other fights before we leave.”
“That is wise,” Fei agreed promptly. He was dying to know just how strong this man was. His fighting instincts were almost singing with anticipation for a good bout.
“In other words,” Siobhan drawled, “you two are spoiling for a good round with each other.”
Wolfinsky gave her an innocent look, as much as a wolf could. “I won’t break him, promise.”
“Later,” his guildmaster ordered firmly. “We have a caravan to settle into the city first. Jacobs, I only got here a few minutes ago myself so I’m not sure if your usual area is clear or not. Shall I go ahead of you and make room?”
“If you would,” Jacobs requested.
“I did get us all rooms at the Log’s Rest. So send people there after we’re done.” With a wave, she turned and entered the city.
Fei had no idea where anything in this city was, this being his first time to it, so he basically kept his eyes and ears open and did what he was told. The caravan checked in with the gate guards, then went to a space allotted for caravans and secured everything down tightly for the night. The area was under tight guard, and after looking those guards over, Fei felt sorry for any thieves desperate enough to try and break in.
Jacobs waited until the last person left, which was Fei himself, and acted as guide to the inn.
Needing more information, Fei asked him, “You have known Maley-zhi and Wolfinsky-jia long?”
“Not a very long time,” Jacobs denied. “But then Deepwoods has only been in business about two years. I was one of their first customers, due to being introduced by Blackstone—that’s their main guild in Goldschmidt—and I found them to be a very good escorting guild. Their Pathmaker, Grae Masson, is one of the best I’ve seen. He’s a careful man, and he won’t let you do anything risky, which I appreciate. I can take a wagon full of glass through one of his paths without a worry, as not one will be broken.”
Having never been on a path before, Fei only partially followed this, but gave a nod of acknowledgement of the man’s skill.
“Now, Siobhan Maley is a good woman and a good guildmaster. She’s got a firm business sense and isn’t the type to let things slide. We get along grand on a trail, too, as she’s quite the character. It’s why I hire her guild whenever possible. But I expect it’s Wolfinsky you’re most curious about?” At Fei’s noise of encouragement, he continued, “I expected as much. Wolfinsky, believe it or not, used to be a slave.”
Fei blinked. Then blinked again. Surely he hadn’t heard that right.
“No, son, you heard me right. He was captured as a young teen, sold to a dark guild, and was eventually put on the black market due to the loss of his hand. I don’t know the full story, he won’t tell it to anyone, but I do know that Siobhan bought him in Converse. Man’s been loyal to her ever since and I pity the fool that looks at anyone in Deepwoods cross-eyed. Wolfinsky has no sense of humor where his guild is concerned. He’s one of the best enforcers I’ve ever seen, which is the other reason why I always hire Deepwoods if I can.”
Running their initial meeting back through his mind, Fei thought about how the two interacted with each other. “Wolfinsky-jia did not act subservient to her.”
“Oh, she set him free, don’t mistake me. He’s not a slave still. But I think the debt he feels to her is too great, or perhaps his love of the guild too strong, to
let him leave and go back home. He chooses to stay. If you spend more than an hour around the guild you’ll see they’re all right fond of each other.”
That was all quite interesting. Fei didn’t know what to do with half of that information but he was glad to have a better sense of who he would be working with in the next two weeks.
Log’s Rest looked like every other inn in this town, clean and well-kept, although the trim could use another coat of paint. As Fei stepped onto the wide porch, he noted that there were other enforcers already settled onto the benches, mugs in their hands, and what appeared to be traders and drivers, calling out orders to passing serving girls for food. Other caravans were already here, ne? Considering the late hour, that wasn’t surprising.
The interior was warm and lively with sound, people relaxing over their dinner after a day’s hard work. Fei was just wondering where he was supposed to go when Siobhan stood and waved to them.
Jacobs led the way to her, greeting as he approached, “You get enough rooms?”
“I certainly hope so. I got whatever he had left. Six rooms, most with double beds.”
“That’ll leave us one bed short.” Jacobs pulled a face. “Now, who gets the short straw?”
“Me,” Wolfinsky volunteered, raising his left hand. “I don’t fit on the beds anyway. Give me a pallet on Siobhan’s floor and I’ll fare just fine.”
A man? Sleeping in the same room with an unmarried woman? A wave of culture shock hit Fei strongly.
“In other words,” Siobhan drawled with a long Look at her enforcer, “you don’t like the look of this crowd and you want to hover over me all night long.”
“Now, Siobhan, did I say that?” Wolf returned mildly.
“Uh-huh.” She clearly did not believe him. “Well, Jacobs, you heard him. I’ll make arrangements so you feel free to get the rest of your people sorted out as you see fit. Here are the keys.” After she handed them over, she invited, “You can stay and have dinner at this table if you wish to. I have food coming.”
Origins: A Deepwoods Book - a Collection of Deepwoods Short Stories (Deepwoods Series 0) Page 10