“Aye. He be no’ what a man can describe as ‘honorable’—the man’s a pirate after all—but he sticks to a bargain he makes.” Which was not something that could be said of the rest of this lot. “He be a bit hard to pin down, as to which way he will jump.”
“A fine compliment coming from you, Ravenscroft.”
Broden had half-sensed the presence just outside the door and was not surprised at this abrupt appearance. Ashlynn jumped a little, although she recovered her composure in the next blink of the eye. Turning his head, he regarded the pirate captain blocking the door, the sun streaming weakly behind him. The man had aged a little in the past year, more grey in his temples and beard, slowly overtaking the dark brown. His skin was still dark and swarthy after so much time in the sun, eyes as penetrating and calculating. He had, however, changed into a more winterish concoction of clothing that was mostly fur-lined, making him seem bulky. Broden knew for a fact the man was more whipcord thin and sinewy. Were the clothes to help make him intimidating or because he had no natural insulation against the cold? Having never seen him in winter, Broden could not say one way or another.
Standing, he offered a hand. “Captain JJ.”
“Broden Ravenscroft.” JJ clasped arms with him, the grip strong enough to bend steel. “Never thought I’d see you come back in here. Not after you decimated all my business partners.”
“Ye mean yer rivals and general thorns in the side,” Broden riposted, deadpanned.
JJ held firm for a full second before a slow smile spread over his face. “Eh, they were that too. Well, man, what do you want this time?”
“To give ye information.”
“Give me? For free?” JJ did not believe this for a full second. He dropped into a chair and regarded Ashlynn with frank scrutiny. “You be a mite young for his lover.”
“Partner,” Ashlynn corrected, eyebrow quirked in what could have been either amusement or challenge. “Ashlynn Fallbright, Wizard.”
That got the attention of every person in the room. They all stilled for a long second, regarding her with nervous attention, not at all sure why they had a wizard in their midst. JJ hid this better than the rest but the way his eyes were a trifle too wide in his face gave the game away. “Wizard. Partner. Well, now, things seemed to have changed while I was out at sea. Ravenscroft, seems there’s a story here.”
“Aye, there be quite the tale. I will tell ye the shorter version if we have the time, but for now, I have a bargain to strike with ye.”
JJ waved him on. “Let’s hear it, then.”
“Word has it that Maddox will soon send an army against Estole.” Broden had to gauge this carefully, how much to tell and when to tell it. Too much information all at once, and he would not be able to tell JJ’s stance on all of this, and how to negotiate.
JJ grunted understanding. “Maddox is a true half-wit to send an army now, with winter fast approaching, but can’t say I’m surprised. We all expected it. And?”
“We also received word that Iysh be sending many ships northward.”
The captain stilled, his entire focus on Broden now, eyes narrowing. “How many ships?”
Broden was not about to tell him that. For one thing, all they had was a guess. “What we want be for ye to intercept them, attack them, then report to us what be on them. Ye can keep it all as booty, whatever ye can take.”
“And if I agree to the terms, you will tell me everything you know?”
“Aye.”
This was a deal too good to be true. JJ knew it. His face said as much. “And what’s in it for you two?”
“We’re Estolian,” Ashlynn stated simply.
JJ let out a short laugh and slapped his hand against the table. “Fallbright! That’s where I know the name! You’re the same wizard that held off the first two armies of Iysh, aren’t you?”
“One of them, yes. The other is my brother.”
“Ha!” JJ had an excited gleam in his eyes as he leaned forward. “So you want me to do your work for you? Is that it?”
“Ye get all the booty,” Broden reminded him. “A clear target where ye know their course and destination.”
JJ drummed his fingertips against the top of the table and regarded both of them. “But I’ll be doing the fighting for you.”
“Ye fight all the time against targets ye have little ken of,” Broden drawled, realizing that this protest was just JJ’s way of negotiating. “Man up.”
The pirate captain was not deterred. “I want more than the information about the ships.”
And here they went. Always the same with JJ. Broden resisted the urge to sigh. “Of course ye do. Out with it, man.”
“I want the full story.” JJ stabbed a finger between the two of them. “I want your full tale. How did Broden Ravenscroft, archer, become the partner to a famous wizard? How did a wizard from a peaceful duchy start a rebellion against Iysh and found a country? I want the full story.”
Ashlynn blinked, not at all expecting this, but Broden was not surprised. JJ liked to have a good yarn to spin on a cold night, and he gathered up rumors and stories like a miser would gold. To him, sometimes, a good story was a better coin to offer than actual currency. But Broden could not just agree and give in, that would tilt their balance, and it would hurt the deal.
“Ye want a full story, knowing well it will take hours to tell, and ye not even offering to feed us? After we rode all this way? For shame, JJ.”
Sensing he was about to get his way, JJ slammed a fist against the table. “A fine dinner for you both! Plus a little food to carry with you on the way back. Wizard, you help me repair the docks, as they are in bad shape, I’ll get the tale, you tell me all you know about these mystery ships, and we’ll call it a bargain.”
Now that sounded like a fair enough trade to Broden. He regarded Ashlynn, silently asking if she was willing to stick around for that long. She gave the place another slow, thorough look, nose not quite wrinkling in disgust. Then she shrugged and held her hand out to JJ. “A bargain.”
JJ immediately clasped it. “A bargain!” he boomed out, his normal volume when he was excited about something. It set any innocent bystanders’ ears to ringing. “Bring me food and ale!” he demanded of the serving women. “Now, first off, let’s hear this story—”
“First off,” Ashlynn cut in, with some exasperation, “you should show me the docks, shouldn’t you? Before the light fails us?”
Considering this, JJ spread out a palm. “Docks, then. Ravenscroft, you can tell me the story as we go.”
Not going to wait that long, eh? Broden bit back a grin. “Aye, that I will do.”
Chapter Eight
Broden watched his partner sitting at a table full of men and women, swapping stories and laughing, and wondered just what had happened. Ashlynn had been dead set against this place when they first arrived, and now, not six hours later, she was as comfortable here as if she had been born and raised in the place. Having never really traveled with her—apart from Cloud’s Rest, and that had been a disastrous trip in some ways—Broden had not ever really seen her outside of her comfort zone. It turned out she was amazingly adaptable. If he had not known better, he would almost mistake her for a pirate, she was so included in the group.
The light had failed before Ashlynn had finished repairing the docks, and so they were forced to stay the night. JJ was taking advantage of this and getting every possible story out of them, which Ashlynn was happy to oblige. They had even been given rooms in a decent enough place, and while it looked a little worn, it also seemed to be bug-free. Broden had slept in worse. Ashlynn seemed glad to not be camping out in the woods for a fourth night in a row.
Well, they were likely safe for the night, leastways. Normally Broden would not ever dream of staying overnight in this place, but he could see healthy fear in every person’s eyes. They in no way wanted to get on a wizard’s bad side, and on top of that, they were not about to meddle with JJ when he had a bargain in place. This might b
e the only time that Broden could walk around freely in the village.
Lass seemed to be having a good time. Broden sat slightly sideways in his chair, watching her with a bemused smile on his face. Now, what would her brothers think of this? Her sitting amongst pirates and eating dinner as if there be no issue.
She was in full swing, telling the stories of some of the crazier law-breaking events they had had in the very beginning. “I swear those idiots were purposefully getting on my last nerve. Like that—” she cut herself off abruptly and lifted the caller toward her mouth. “What? I can’t hear you, speak louder.”
This time the voice was audible enough for Broden to hear it, although barely. “I said, Maddox’s army is already on the move!”
Broden barely registered Edvard’s voice before the realization sank in what the man had just said. He shoved his way past two people, leaning over Ashlynn’s shoulder to be able to speak. “He WHAT?!”
“Troi’s not sure how he managed this, but he got his army on the move days ago. We just got a pigeon informing us.”
By pigeon? Broden was aware that Troi employed carrier pigeons as they were the fastest way to receive news and also one of the more reliable methods. That meant the news was at least four hours old, as it took that long for one of the birds to fly that distance.
“What’s his estimated time of arrival?” Ashlynn demanded, half-standing in her chair, nearly vibrating with the urgency and desire to leave.
“Here’s the aggravating part. The army is at the crossroads already.”
Broden started swearing creatively. The major crossroad division lay thirty miles out from Kremser.
“He apparently has no intention of going towards Senn. Instead he’s heading straight for us. At best, we have thirteen days before they arrive at the border.”
Thirteen days might not be enough time to get the bulk of their plans in place. Broden felt like swearing some more but did not dare interrupt Edvard.
“We’ve already done what we set out to do,” Ashlynn assured her brother, a light of determination in her eyes. “We’ll get home as quickly as possible.”
“Go, go. The ships didn’t leave all at once, they’re staggered out, and reports of winter storms likely means they won’t be traveling as fast as usual.”
A glance at JJ’s face confirmed all of this. The captain was nodding along as if this was information he either already knew or had guessed at. “I need to know more than that,” Broden protested. “How many ships?”
“About six, we think. There’s still no declared destination on the ships’ manifests except a stop at Windcross. Hopefully the pirates can figure out where they are now. If we hear anything else, I’ll update you as I can. I need to go, good luck, keep me updated!” The connection broke abruptly.
The whole tap room remained silent. Most people did not even seem to breathe for a moment. Then they all started talking, their words overlapping each other. Broden sat there, rubbing at his forehead, logistics and timetables running amok in his head.
JJ came and thumped a boot into a chair, leaning on it so that he was eye-level with Broden and Ashlynn, more or less. “Ravenscroft. Wizard. How about a second bargain?”
Broden slowly looked up at the man. He trusted JJ about as far as he could throw him, but the man seemed to hold bargains sacred, so odds were this might not be a bad deal. “Let’s hear it.”
“Aside from the docks, there is one more thing we’d like fixed. Only one good well in town, and it’s far out. We’ve been searching for another site to dig a well in, but haven’t had any luck. Wizard, if you would find us another site? In return, I’ll take you by ship to Gethin and drop you off right and proper.”
Ashlynn stared right back at him, her face expressionless, but Broden knew she was thinking hard. “How long does it take to get to Gethin by ship?”
“Six hours, more or less.” JJ had a smirk on his face like he knew he’d get his way shortly.
Six hours? From Gethin to Ganforth was an hour at most on horseback. They’d be back in Estole by tomorrow afternoon. Even with the delay of finding a new well site, it would beat riding hard through mountains for three days.
Standing, Ashlynn offered a hand. “A bargain.”
JJ accepted the handshake with a broad grin that revealed a missing tooth. “A bargain! How long will this take?”
“Depends on how many fresh water sources you have near here. I might stumble across one in an hour, it might take me until lunch. Who knows? But I can find you one, that I’m sure of.” Ashlynn looked out the door thoughtfully as if she were tempted to look right now.
Broden heaved a sigh. Looks like he would be stomping around in the cold for a few hours. In poor lighting. “If ye stay in the village proper, ye can look tonight.”
Ashlynn gave him a slow smile. “You can read my mind, now?”
“No, lass, ye just be predictable.” Shaking his head, he glanced about. “JJ, a few volunteers with lanterns will no’ be amiss.”
JJ grinned and then threw his head back before booming out, “Ahoy, you seadogs! Some lanterns, a shovel, and let’s go hunting for buried water!”
A few people laughed and stood, heading different directions. JJ seemed to think they were his volunteers, as he gave Ashlynn a courtly bow and extended his hand gallantly. “Lead me away, Wizard.”
Laughing, Ashlynn took the proffered arm and strolled out of the taproom. Broden trailed along behind and was suddenly grateful that Edvard, Tierone, and Ash were not able to witness this. They would go up like a smoke stack.
Ashlynn likely would not sleep well tonight, too worried about home, but at least with their efforts here they would be able to get home that much sooner.
Broden had been on a ship exactly four times in his life, but this was the first time he had ever been on a pirate ship. As it was the only safe to be, he stood near the prow of the ship and stayed out of everyone’s way. Most of the river leading to Gethin was deep and wide but there were spots, like the one they were in now, that narrowed and made it a little tricky for a full-sized ship to navigate through. Fortunately, JJ had been doing exactly that for nigh on thirty years and could likely do it in his sleep.
Ashlynn perched on a barrel next to him, staring straight ahead. The lass had been unusually quiet most of the morning. Broden did not even try to start a conversation with her, knowing full well what she was doing. She was planning out what needed to be done, who should do it, and what to do when things went wrong. For all that she teased her brother about being overly cautious and planning things to death, she was equally worse. Just did it in a different way, that was all.
It was just as well that Ashlynn had gone looking for the well last night as it had taken five hours for her to find fresh water in a place that could actually be tapped into. Three places had been so inconveniently placed that there was no way to build a well there. It meant only getting a handful of hours to sleep, as they both demanded an early start this morning, but no one complained. Perhaps even the pirates realized that Iysh winning this war would not profit them in any way.
The irreverent part of his brain wondered: Even if it was only for six hours, did that make him a defacto pirate?
They remained in silence up until they reached Gethin. It was not a proper town by any means, barely more than a set of docks and a dozen houses clustered together. Broden normally did not see Gethin as the road they had made to Cloud’s Rest did not actually pass within view of it. He had been here a handful of times as a caravan guard, but had not come this direction in years. The place had not changed a whit. It still looked half-abandoned, as if the life was gone even though people remained.
They dismounted from the ship, bringing their horses down the gangplank. Judging from the huffing and blowing they did, both steeds were very glad to have their hooves back on solid ground again. Ashlynn turned to JJ with an offered hand. “A bargain well met, Captain.”
JJ gave her a toothy grin. “Indeed, Wizard, indeed.
Next time you get in trouble, invite me, eh?”
For a moment, she shelved her worries long enough to grin at him impishly. “You bet I will. For now, you have ships to sink and loot.”
“I do indeed.” JJ rubbed his hands together, nigh chortling. “Ravenscroft, you bring this woman to us more often. We’ll spin some stories and drink good ale.”
If he ever did such a thing, Edvard would scalp him. “I shall do that.” Never. He would do that never.
JJ heard the never, as did Ashlynn, and they both grinned at him like co-conspirators.
It was a terrible idea on his part to introduce Ashlynn to the pirates. He now regretted it sorely but there was no un-doing things. Hopefully she would not go visit them without him.
“Good luck to all!” JJ boomed out, waved a hand, and then ascended the gangplank to his ship. “Ya scurvy miscreants, what are you fooling about for? Get her under way! We have money to make!”
There was a general cheer of enthusiasm even as they went about pulling the ship away from the docks.
Broden and Ashlynn equally wasted no time tightening the girth straps and swinging into their saddles, heading for home. They went at a fast trot, the only speed a horse could easily maintain on these roads, and the noise of it kept them from talking. They reached Ganforth in amazingly good time, abandoned the horses at the inn, and took the first boat across the channel. As they gained the docks, several guardsmen let out wordless sounds of relief and called out greetings. Ashlynn waved, acknowledging them, but no one came to report issues, so she headed directly through town.
A little confused that she was not heading for Edvard’s study, Broden stretched out his legs to keep up with her. “Lass, where be we heading?”
“The barrier.” She did not even glance at him as she moved, moving at a slow lope, the fastest she could go in this dense street traffic. “Before anything else, we have to get that barrier up and running, otherwise all of our other plans will collapse like a house of cards.”
Arrows of Revolution (Kingmakers Book 3) Page 7