Take the body and give me the rest

by Julius Schenk

  ‘That’s what these people are like: when they need killing done, they love you. When the war’s over, they can’t live with all the wicked things they made you do.’

  ‘Those are some true words. I know one thing though, Goldie,’ Seth said.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Rosen will be getting some guards on his way back home,’ he said.

  ‘I’ll gladly take his money. At least he’s one who pays the butcher’s bill.’

  A few mugs of ale and two plates of food later, the guard from the gate, whose nick name turned out to be Griffin, led Seth and his men back to the Keep. The majority of the guards gave them a bit of a clap as they left the room. If Renton had thought they’d make enemies in here, he was very wrong.

  They were led up the stone steps of the main entrance, through the large double doors with a herald trumpeting and into the main dining hall. They could see a small gathering of what Seth assumed was the best among the people of Black Rock Keep. Sitting in a few tables in front were well-dressed men and women who were probably family, and different traders and merchants filled the other tables. On the main dais was The Duchesses table, with Lord Renton at her side. Seth and his men strode into the room, their leather boots clicking loudly on the stone floor. Elizebetha was helped from her seat and went to stand at the front of the table.

  She started to speak in a quiet but strong voice that carried in the silent room. ‘I’ve returned from a long trip away, and I want to thank my sweet brother again for his caretaking and helping Black Rock thrive.’ The clapping inside was much louder. Seth saw that lined against the wall were at least forty or so guardsmen in different uniforms. Clearly, Renton’s personal guard and not all of them.

  ‘You all know I was travelling far and away to continue the Black Rock tradition of gathering knowledge and bringing it back for the good of all. But now I’m glad I’m back to stay for good.’ Some clapping from the traders and family members. ‘The world outside of these walls is a very dangerous place, and I wouldn’t have come back at all if it wasn’t for the help of a brave friend I made on the journey. May I present Master Seth.’ Seth felt himself flush as all the eyes drew to him. Maybe she wasn’t stitching him up; maybe she did want him stay and do something here.

  He was led by Griffin in front of where she stood on the dais. She smiled at him with warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. ‘This young man and his brave friends—she waved to indicate the smiling boys—‘saved my life many times. He is both a man of learning and a fearless warrior and swordsmen with no peer.’ Behind her, a chamberlain stepped up. He was holding a lush scarlet velvet pillow. On it was a large and very old broadsword.

  ‘With the sword of my great-great-grandfather, I name you Sir Seth, Order of the Black Rock Gatherers. May you seek the knowledge of the world and use it for the good of all.’ Struggling to lift the blade, she touched it on either side of his shoulders and then above his head. It was a ceremony he knew only from others. In the North, there were no knights, only named men, blooded men.

  The chamberlain passed her a plain steel circlet, which she placed neatly into top of Seth’s head. ‘May I present Sir Seth. May he burn like a flame in the darkness, casting light for all.’

  The people in the room clapped politely and Renton’s guards not at all, but the four Northmen howled, whistled and shouted louder than them all.

  That night they all slept in a large guestroom with four beds, had a bath brought in by servants and drank wine from the supplied flagons. The room was like a huge version of The Opulent’s.

  ‘What does this mean, Boss?’ asked Flint.

  ‘I don’t know, really. It may mean she wants us to stay, be a part of what she’s doing here,’ he said.

  ‘What about work with Rosen?’ Goldie asked.

  ‘We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Tonight, I’m happy we finally got a little bit of respect for the North,’ Seth said.

  ‘We’ll have to start calling you Sir Seth!’ said Grimm with a laugh.

  ‘Captain, Boss or Seth are all fine. We’ve been through too much for titles.’

  After one of the best sleeps of his life with no dreams, Seth and the men were woken in the morning by a chamberlain in black and gold who had them fed a quick breakfast and then led to the armoury.

  ‘As part of the tradition of one joining the Gatherers, you and your men are to be outfitted properly,’ the chamberlain said. Seth looked around the room. It was a soldier’s most violent dreams come true. Walls and walls of freshly wrought swords, daggers, double head axes, shields and bows. Northmen didn’t go in much for armour, but they were soon all outfitted with strong mail shirts and black vambraces. Flint and Stone took matching sets of axes. Seth was happy enough with his stolen broadsword, rapier and dagger from Yend’s. He did change his bow for a new one and took two quivers of barbed arrows; they were hard to make.

  As they finished putting on various items, swinging weapons, whooping and carrying on like over grown children, Elizebetha walked into the room with Lord Renton and their retinue. They approached Seth and his men, who stopped playing and now really did look like a serious fighting force. Matching armour and more weapons than a blacksmith’s market wagon.

  She smiled at Seth. ‘Are you well pleased with you reward, Sir Seth?’

  He smiled back. He was. ‘We’re all very grateful. But if I can, what is the Order of the Gatherers? What are my tasks at the Keep?’

  Lord Renton laughed loudly and long. As he spoke, he pinned a very ugly silver wolf’s head onto Seth’s long thin black cloak. ‘My boy, it’s a ceremonial order started by my great-grandfather—fine man. Outriders, knowledge seekers, knight with a lust for travel.’ He leaned forward and whispered in Seth’s ear, ‘People we don’t want sticking around the Keep.’

  ‘So were not to stay and serve you, my lady? You want us to go?’ Seth asked. He was so stung with hurt. He hadn’t known what to expect, but he’d thought once she’d given him such a gift like this, surely she’d want him to stay.

  ‘You’ll see, Seth. It truly is an honour and this is what I and, of course, my brother Lord Renton think is for the best. Isn’t that right, brother?’

  He smiled smoothly and coldly at Seth with his spoilt young face. ‘Oh yes, men like you are needed outside the walls. Come, we’ll escort you now. We’ve had your few belongs packed and horses saddled.’

  As he turned to leave, The Duchess handed Seth a small wooden-bound chest with two hands, she struggled to lift it herself. ‘And here are some coins for your troubles,’ she said.

  Her brother stopped them all. ‘Now surely, sister, you are being over generous.’

  With a hand, she undid the clasp on the chest and opened it wide for all to see.

  ‘It’s all copper, if that’s okay, Sir Seth. Small coins for trading with the small folk.’ There were around three hundred inside, less than Rosen had given them for their troubles. Goldie hissed through his teeth. Elizebetha closed the chest and handed it to Seth as Lord Renton laughed.

  ‘Very cruel sister, very cruel indeed. Now, guards, let’s see these fine men out of the gates with an honour guard.’

  Seth and the boys stormed out of the armoury room and followed the guards through the Keep, down the stone stairs and onto their waiting horses. He was tempted to tell them to keep the stupid chest of coppers, but something was better than nothing. They mounted up and Seth looked back over his shoulder. He could see Lord Renton talking quietly to The Duchess, who would not even look at them depart.

  Seth shouted loudly, ‘Let’s go!’ and followed the ill-named honour guard through the streets. As they trotted along and out the gates, Seth looked at the faces of the guards and knew none of them from the barracks. They were all Renton’s personal guard. They had glared where the Northmen had been cheered only a day earlier. As soon as they were past the gates, the bridge was raised and Seth half expected to get some arrows in the back.

  Once they were a mile or two down th
e road, Seth stopped his horse and said ‘Dismount’ to the men. They all got off and stood on the roadway with bridle straps in hands. Goldie was fuming with anger, Grimm looked suspicious and Flint and Stone looked confused and angry.

  ‘So, lads, what the hell was that?’ Seth asked thoughts of his own forming.

  Goldie spoke first. ‘The bloody stitch. You can be a knight, sure, but then they escort us out, basically at sword point, and what is that chest of coppers all about? That’s a bloody insult!’

  ‘What do you reckon, Grimm?’ asked Seth.

  ‘I didn’t like the look of those guards much. One day love us and the next day hate us.’

  ‘They were different men,’ said Flint. ‘They’ve got a different eagle on their shirts.’

  Seth laughed at himself for not noticing. He reached up to his horse and got the small chest from it. He set it down on the hard-packed sand road, opened it and, taking a few of the coins, placed one in each of their hands. Goldie took the coin and bit it in a reflex action.

  ‘Fuck me,’ he said, without even looking at it. As he drew the coin from his mouth, gold shone through the copper layer where he’d bitten. ‘It’s gold just painted copper or something. Why would she give us three hundred gold coins? We didn’t do that much.’

  Seth spoke up. ‘Maybe it’s for what we’ve got to do now.’

  ‘He’s taken the place back, hasn’t he?’ said Grimm.

  ‘I’m sure of it. He marched us out as easy as pie, gave us enough to get us going and leave her behind. Now he’s got loyal men on the wall and key spots.’

  Seth reached his hand through the chest of copper coins and, finding a small folded piece of paper unfolded it. Seeing words in Elizebetha’s hand, he read it aloud. ‘My brother has joined with the Dark Guild. It was everything I could do to get you out alive. He’s not in full control yet, as half the men are still with me, but he has sent to someone for reinforcements, I don’t know who, but I can only assume it’s the Duke of Twin Plains. I would rather you have this than he. Go back to the North with the boys and try forget about all of this horror.’ They stood in silence as the words sank in.

  ‘So, what’s the plan?’ asked Stone.

  ‘We’re going to see how many much of an army three hundred gold coins can buy,’ Seth said, shutting the lid on the chest.

  Chapter 25

  Pellota was the smallest of the three major cities in the country known as Pelloss. Yet still, it was the home to a vast number of people. The Northmen rode into the city and were surprised at the level of activity and trade occurring. Rosen’s caravan had only arrived five days ago and a ship had also come in yesterday. People were quickly buying and selling all the new trade goods and bringing new slaves to the markets.

  Seth was surprised that, as they rode, people stepped respectfully out of their way. The faces of the people whom they passed looked at them with a slight mix of fear and awe. Seth caught many looking at the steel circlet he wore with pride on his head. Lord Renton may have considered it a joke, but Seth didn’t. He knew Elizebetha had given him everything she could in her power to help him. Making him a knight made all of this possible; otherwise, he was just another slave in rebellion. Not a faithful retainer fighting to reclaim a seat of power.

  Their horses trotted easily through the city. Seth stopped at some city guard standing duty near a market with pikes in the ready position. The men were young and looked at Seth with almost bewilderment. He spoke to them in perfect Pellosi.

  ‘Hallo, my good men. Where would one find the Happy Merchant Tavern?’ he asked.

  ‘It’s actually on this very road,’ one of the guards said. ‘Just keep going on and you’ll see it. It’s painted an awful bright yellow, so it’s hard to miss.’

  As they spurred their horse to continue on, Seth thought he heard the words ‘Brave North’ whispered from one guard to the other.

  Grimm started to laugh. ‘Looks like Rosen has been spreading news of our little battle. I wonder how many brigands it is by now. Twenty to thirty perhaps.’ They laughed, knowing it was likely to be true. He wanted everyone to know his caravan was the safest and thus increase his business.

  The cobblestone road of the city soon brought them alongside a brightly painted and well-made wooden tavern with a painted sign hanging over the open door way featuring a painting of a fat and smiling merchant.

  ‘Does Rosen own this place?’ asked Goldie.

  ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he owned half the city,’ said Seth, lifting one leg over his horse and stepping down to the road. Two boys appeared from inside the tavern and took their reins, leading the horses around the back. ‘Flint and Stone, can you boys stay with the gear? We won’t be too long,’ Seth said. They weren’t letting that chest out of their sight.

  Seth straightened his clothes, adjusted the wolf pin on his thin black cloak and checked the circlet on his head. The pin was so strange to him; it looked more like a Wolvern than a wolf, so who indeed were the Gatherers? Were they the other side of the coin to counter the dark guild?

  Holding himself a bit taller, he strode into the tavern with Goldie and Grimm behind him. The cool air of the room and the familiar smell of a tavern hit them as they walked in. Hard leather boots stepping loudly on the hardwood floor.

  The Happy Merchant was filled with patrons even at midday. It was clear this was a trading hub of some kind. Different men sat around tables, drinking and talking. Some had leather ledgers and even small bags of coins on their tables. One man had a device that had a few lines of coloured stones he used for counting. Loud voices reached them from a large table to the side of the room. Seth could see Master Rosen himself, dressed as ever in brightly coloured silks and his chubby face glowing red with too much alcohol. It was only midday. Seth thought of the yellow painted building and thought it did ring of Rosen’s lack of taste.

  As they approached, everyone at the table looked up at them and conversation stopped. There were six men sitting with Rosen. Some Seth thought he recognised from the caravan, one of the guards maybe. The others looked like thinner versions of Rosen. They all sipped on glass of clear alcohol that Seth could smell from where he stood, while the guard held an ale in his hand.

  Rosen stood quickly to his feet, with a slight stagger. ‘My good fellows, it is the Brave North! The very same fellows I have just been telling you about.’ He toasted them and a few of the men clapped and cheered or sipped on their clear glasses of spirits.

  Seth laughed. ‘Well met, Master Rosen, and thanks for the fine tales I’m sure you’ve been spinning for us.’

  Rosen and his friends made room at the table. Seth and the two others sat down and were thankfully handed a glass of ale from the serving lady.

  ‘You’re two weeks early, but I’ll be glad to have you. Does this mean you’re coming with me for the return trip?’ asked Rosen.

  ‘Indeed we’ll be more than happy to come along with you,’ said Seth.

  Rosen looked at him a little hastily, taking in the new clothes, armour, and circlet on his head. ‘Good grief, you’ve become knighted in just four days.’ He looked at the wolf pin and started laughing. ‘And into the Order of Black Rock Gatherers. How did that happen?’ he asked.

  ‘We’re friends of the family.’ Seth said.

  ‘Are you sure? The Gatherers is a passing joke in these parts. It’s given to the people they want gone from the Keep. The Order of Crazy Old Men is the real name,’ Rosen said, laughing loudly. The other less drunk men at the table looked a bit nervous about his outburst.

  Seth hid his anger and spoke quietly. ‘I intend to change that reputation; never fear on that count.’

  Rosen suddenly seemed to remember whom he was talking to and stopped mid-laugh. ‘Of course, if anyone can, it’s you and your good men. Now, to business. Anything you need? We’ve got more than a few weeks to equip properly.’

  ‘I’m glad you asked, as I want your help sourcing a few more men for the ride home if we can,’ said Set
h.

  ‘There is an excellent if small slave market in the city and a few more men would certainly be a good idea to bulk up the troop. Any numbers in mind?’ Rosen asked prying a little.

  ‘Only a good handful and I want mercenaries not slaves.

  ‘Mercenaries you say? We’ll at least they pay for their own food and bring their own horses, maybe tomorrow after lunch time’ Rosen said.

  ‘Maybe now.’ said Seth. ‘Finder’s fee?’

  Rosen looked at him for a long moment, eyes almost drooping shut ‘of course now, why not. I know all the right people.’

  Chapter 26

  Drinks were finished, horses saddled, and Rosen called to have a carriage brought around. It was a small black two seater drawn by just two horses. Intended for two people, Rosen sat happily in it by himself and led the way through the throng of people to the slave markets.

  Like all slave markets, it was in the worst location in the city: far off to the right, away from the city proper. The smell of human shit, smoke and unwashed people came to Seth’s nose, as did the view of row upon row of makeshift wooden cages with people inside. It seemed he’d picked the right time to visit the market. Seth was unsure of how to proceed but, taking advice from Yend’s years of deception, acted with complete confidence anyway.

  Seth stepped off his horse into the muddy ruts made by wagons and horses’ hooves and went with Goldie, Grimm, Rosen and his guard to walk through the market. The young guard lent his shoulder for Master Rosen to use to help support him as they walked along past the cages and people all roped together. Of all the people in this city, it seemed that every freeman owned a slave. It was a wretched situation and clearly why men like Rosen could be so generous.

  A thin man who was sitting next to one of the few permanent stone and metal structures smiled at them as they approached. He was dressed like Rosen in what Seth was now taking to be the fashion for traders in this country. Bright silks, lots of fabric and no swords.