Final Voyage of the Remora

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "I can do that," brightened Tedi. "How long do you think we are going to be on display up here?"

  "Until Harker is satisfied that we can be trusted," answered Garth. "That might not happen before Waxhaw, so get used to people watching everything you do. Speaking of being watched, get your sword on. Edmond is taking to Harker, and I bet he will come to check up on us next."

  Tedi nodded silently as he ripped more of the stitching out of the strap. He had just finished the task and put the sheath over his head when Edmond rode up alongside Garth.

  "And how are my new men doing?" Edmond asked.

  "It's pretty quiet so far," smiled Garth.

  "Don't be lulled into a false sense of security," warned Edmond.

  "Never," promised Garth. "By the way, do soldiers ever come out this way?"

  "Karamin soldiers?" frowned Edmond. "I don't think we will be seeing any of them this trip. Why do you ask?"

  "I thought I saw someone beyond the outriders," Garth said casually. "I thought maybe you had an agreement with the government to keep watch for you."

  "I don't recall mentioning outriders to you," Edmond said suspiciously.

  "I don't recall such a conversation, either," smiled Garth, "but you have them just the same. It doesn't take much of a mind to count the horses leaving the inn and the number of riders visible with the wagons."

  "You're hired to fight bandits on the trip to Waxhaw," Edmond declared, "nothing more. You just follow orders and leave the scouting to my regular men."

  "As you wish," shrugged Garth.

  Edmond turned and headed back towards the caravan.

  "Not very trusting is he?" quipped Tedi.

  "He doesn't like the fact that his father brought strangers in at the last minute," replied Garth. "I can't say as I blame him."

  "But he is jeopardizing the caravan by his stubbornness," Tedi pointed out.

  "I don't think so," smiled Garth as he turned and saw a rider split off from the caravan and head into the trees. "He's just not letting us know what he is doing. Would your gypsies be so quick to let new riders in on their secrets?"

  "Not a chance," laughed Tedi. "If this was a gypsy caravan, you and I would be on the seats of wagons waiting to be shot at."

  * * *

  "Would you care for some wine?" Sidney asked with a smile.

  Kalina nodded affirmatively as she gazed at the plush furnishings of Sidney's private wagon. The interior of the wagon resembled a sitting parlor in a mansion more than the inside of a wagon, and the merchant had a servant inside to wait on him. The servant brought two glasses to the table and poured wine into them. The glasses were much larger than any wine glasses she had ever seen, but it soon became apparent why they were so large. The movement of the wagon as it bumped along the road caused the wine to slosh around quite a bit, but Sidney did not seem to notice.

  "It's a Vinafor wine," boasted the merchant. "Have you ever had it before?"

  "I don't think so," smiled Kalina. "You have a beautiful home here."

  "Ah," smiled Sidney. "This is not my home. I merely cannot seem to pry myself away from all the comforts of home when I am traveling. Where are you from?"

  "I grew up in the forest," answered Kalina. "Where is your home?"

  "When I am not on the road," answered Sidney, "I live in Ur in the country of Tyronia. Have you ever been there?"

  "I am afraid not," Kalina shook her head. "Calusa is the first city I have ever been to. I can't say as though I have missed much. It didn't appeal to me."

  "Only Calusa?" questioned Sidney. "That is a shame. What forest did you come from, and how did you meet Garth?"

  Kalina had been trying to avoid such questions since the trip began, but the merchant was persistent. She knew that she could not put him off much longer without raising his suspicions.

  "In Karamin," Kalina answered. "My uncle had a tiny cabin near a small stream. I am afraid that I do not know much about geography. It was never of interest to me before."

  "Your uncle?" questioned the merchant. "What of your parents?"

  "I never knew my parents," Kalina replied softly as she stared down at the table before her. "Uncle Hasra is the only family I have ever known. I am not even sure that he really was my uncle, but he was like a father to me. I miss him very much."

  Kalina forced a tear to drop from her eye, and Sidney turned away and waved for the servant. The servant brought two plates of bread, cheese, and smoked meat and set them on the table and then withdrew to the corner.

  "Did you run away from home?" Sidney asked cautiously.

  "No," Kalina shook her head. "Uncle Hasra died suddenly. One day he appeared fine, and the next…"

  "I am very sorry," consoled Sidney. "I did not mean to make you relive such a tragedy, but I am curious about how you and Garth met up. It's not often that young men from Giza come over this way and wed without the parents arranging it."

  "Garth saved my life," declared Kalina. "I did not know what to do when Uncle Hasra died, so I just stayed in the cabin. One day I discovered that strange men were watching the cabin. We had had bandits in the past, but Uncle Hasra always ran them off. This time I was on my own. I got scared and ran away. When they ran after me, I hid in a cave until they got tired of looking for me and left, but by then I was lost. I wandered for days and was unable to find the cabin again. Then one day, the bandits returned and captured me."

  Kalina forced another tear, and Sidney grew uncomfortable. He called the servant over to pour more wine as an excuse to give Kalina time to compose herself.

  "Go on," Sidney urged softly.

  "They were not nice men," Kalina said with bitterness in her voice. "One minute they were all grabbing at me and the next they were dead. That is how I met Garth. He saved my life."

  "Impressive," Sidney said with surprise. "How many men?"

  "I do not know," Kalina sobbed. "Three of four. I have tried so hard to forget that I just don't remember any more."

  "I knew Garth was a capable warrior when I met him," Sidney smiled compassionately. "Still, dispatching three or four bandits by himself is very impressive. I guess he made quite an impression on you, too. Is that why you married him?"

  "I love him," Kalina smiled. "It is not just because he saved me. Garth offered to escort me to wherever I wanted to go. He sought no reward for saving me. I love him because he is a kind and caring person, and he cares about me."

  "But do you actually know him?" asked the merchant. "You have never been to his home or met his parents. What if he is not what he appears to be?"

  "It doesn't matter," responded Kalina. "His home and his parents are of no concern to me. We are traveling to Giza because he wishes to. That is all that matters to me."

  "I see," frowned Sidney. "I hope everything works out as you think it will. A journey to Giza at this time will not be very safe. I would hate to see anything happen to you."

  "Why wouldn't it be safe?" asked Kalina.

  "These are desperate times," shrugged the merchant. "As you have already discovered, bandits are everywhere. Even if you are able to get horses in Waxhaw, you will have to travel through the West Woods, and that is a dangerous place. There have also been numerous ambushes in Ramaldi Pass, and I hear stories that the Federation is inducting all young men into the army. Perhaps you would be wiser to stay in Waxhaw. Has Garth ever mentioned serving in the army?"

  Kalina blinked and then stared at the merchant as her mind whirled. "He never mentioned it to me," she eventually said, "but I have never asked him about it. Why do you ask?"

  "There is a certain bearing men get from years of discipline in the army," replied the merchant. "Garth appears to have such a bearing."

  "What is the Federation?" asked Kalina. "And why would they want Garth to serve in their army?"

  "You do not know about the Federation?" Sidney asked as one eyebrow rose in surprise.

  "No," Kalina replied, shaking her head.

  "You certainly must have been isol
ated in that cabin," remarked the merchant. "The Federation is a coalition of countries. The Empire of Barouk started it when they made a treaty with the Kingdom of Spino. Over the years it has grown to include Ertak, Aerta, and Candanar. Only the horse countries of the north, along with Karamin and Vinafor are outside the Federation."

  "The horse countries of the north?" echoed Kalina. "Is that where you are from?"

  "I am from Tyronia," nodded the merchant. "It is one of the horse countries. The others are Korocca and Zarocca."

  "I really need to learn more about the world," smiled Kalina. "I am sure that I will embarrass Garth when we meet his family."

  "We have quite a few days before we reach Waxhaw," offered Sidney. "Perhaps you and I can spend that time learning together."

  "But you already know about the world," frowned Kalina. "I am sure that I could teach you nothing."

  "Then I will have to be content with just your pleasant company," smiled Sidney.

  Chapter 17

  Ambush

  Just as the sun began to touch the horizon, the caravan pulled into a large clearing. The drivers were practiced in forming the defensive circle with Sidney Mercado's wagon inside of it, and it was accomplished quickly. Cooking fires were set up, and the horses were led away while the warriors gathered in the very center of the encampment.

  Garth watched Kalina and Sidney exit his personal wagon. The merchant said something to Kalina, and she moved away as if sent on an errand. Sidney waved to his son, and Edmond ran over to him. They exchanged a few words and then Edmond also left. Garth was curious about how Kalina had fared with the merchant. He was sure that Sidney had tried to pry information out of her, but he knew that Kalina was adept at playing the same game. He was anxious to hear what everyone had learned during their first day, but his eyes remained on Edmond for some reason. The head warrior spoke to a small group of men, and Garth felt a shiver race up his spine when several of the men glanced in his direction.

  "Separate yourself from me," Garth whispered to Tedi. "And try to remain tranquil no matter what happens."

  Tedi opened his mouth to ask a question, but Garth moved casually away. Edmond marched into the center of the gathered warriors and began handing out assignments. Some of the warriors were assigned to guard duty and others were allowed to rest. Garth and Tedi were among those assigned to rest. So were the three men that Edmond had spoken to. Garth scanned the crowd without appearing to do so. He saw two of the men moving through the crowd towards him, but he could not find the third.

  Suddenly, someone bumped into Garth and nearly sent him sprawling. Warriors danced out of the way, and Garth turned to look into the face of the third warrior. He was a large man, nearly as tall as Harker, but not as broad, and his face was drawn taut in anger.

  "Why don't you watch where you are going?" the large warrior snapped.

  "I am sorry," Garth smiled. "I haven't figured my way around the camp yet. It won't happen again."

  It was not the reaction the bully had expected, and the large man hesitated for a moment. Garth turned to walk away, but the man's hand shot out and grabbed Garth's shoulder.

  "You trying to make me look like a fool?" snarled the bully.

  The warriors had spread out and formed a circle, and Garth knew that conflict was unavoidable. Still, he had to give it another try.

  "Not at all," Garth replied evenly. "I said that I was sorry. Why don't you accept my apology and be done with it? I meant no harm to you."

  "I don't think your apology is good enough," spat the bully. "I think you should kiss my boots."

  "I don't think so, friend," smiled Garth. "I said that I was sorry. That's the best you are getting, and I suggest you stop while you are ahead."

  Garth turned to walk away again, but he knew that the time for fighting had arrived. The bully's hand grabbed Garth's shoulder again. Garth whirled around, his fist slamming into the bully's face. The large man staggered back, his hand going to his split lips, and his face turned red with rage. The crowd of warriors laughed loudly, and that inflamed the bully's rage. What was supposed to have been a fistfight escalated in the blinking of an eye. The bully pulled his sword and spat blood towards Garth.

  "You are going to die for that," swore the bully.

  Garth stepped back and pulled his own sword. While he was willing to take a beating to be tested by the merchant, he was not going to die for the man's amusement.

  "Sheathe your sword before someone gets hurt," warned Garth as his eyes sought the other two men in the crowd.

  The bully didn't respond verbally. Instead he approached quickly with a powerful figure eight slashing of his sword. Garth leaped backwards and then brought his sword up to knock the bully's sword to one side. He stepped forward and hooked a foot behind the bully's leg and pushed forward with his body. The bully tumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Garth stepped forward again and stood on the man's sword. He placed the tip of his sword on the man's chest and waited for his submission. That was when he heard the drawing of two more swords.

  "Behind you, Garth!" shouted Tedi.

  Garth whirled to his left, bringing his sword around in a powerful arc. The bully's friends leaped back just in time to avoid spilling their own blood all over the ground. Garth surged forward, refusing to give the men time to regain their balance. While he had no desire to draw blood, Garth knew that he could not afford to be passive against two opponents. Garth brought his sword back with a powerful swing to the right as he advanced, and his two opponents kept stumbling backwards, keeping just outside the range of Garth's two-handed sword. Keeping the men off balance, Garth raced forward with his sword extended before him and aimed between their bodies. The two men tried to move backwards and sideways at the same time, each moving in a different direction. The man on the right stumbled and fell, his sword spinning away. Garth pivoted to the left and swung his sword low. He turned the blade at the last moment and the flat of his blade smashed into the man's leg. The last opponent fell to the ground, and Garth moved in to incapacitate the warrior.

  "Stop!" shouted Edmond. "Stop it now!"

  The third man released the sword from his hand and held his palms up to Garth. Garth turned slowly and saw that the bully was back on his feet and holding his sword. As he watched the bully, the man scowled, but he sheathed his sword. Garth sheathed his own sword as Edmond was walking into the human circle.

  "Everyone clear out and go about your business," Edmond shouted.

  The head warrior obviously meant everyone who was not involved in the fight, and the spectators dispersed. The bully's friends rose to their feet and sheathed their swords.

  "I will have no swordplay in my camp," scowled Edmond. "All four of you will forfeit your pay for today, and if any of you tries this again, you will be fired. Am I understood?"

  The three attackers nodded silently, but Garth stared defiantly at Edmond.

  "I won't be forfeiting my pay for your amusement," Garth declared. "And neither should they."

  "Excuse me?" snapped Edmond. "Are you looking to leave this job right now?

  "No," Garth replied, "but this fight was your idea, not ours. You sent these three men over with instructions to work me over, and I am not forfeiting my pay for that."

  Edmond stared at Garth with disbelief. "You knew that I sent them after you?" he asked.

  "Aye," nodded Garth. "Why do you think they are still alive? I don't kill men for sport."

  The faces of the bullies paled, and the rage drained from Tynker's face.

  "It was supposed to be a fistfight," Edmond declared. "I would never ask a man to raise his sword against another of my own."

  "Well it didn't turn out that way," shrugged Garth. "It's hardly fair of you to take our pay when you instigated the fight, now is it?"

  Edmond stared at Garth and shook his head as if he didn't believe what he was hearing. Finally, he sighed in frustration.

  "Fine," he said sternly, "but there will be no more fighting for any
of you, and I mean it."

  Edmond strode away, and the bully stared into Garth's eyes.

  "Why?" he asked. "I tried to kill you, and you stick up for me. It doesn't make any sense."

  "You wouldn't have been trying to start a fight with me if Edmond hadn't put you up to it," explained Garth. "By pitting us against each other, he was assuring that one of us would be humiliated in front of the other men. I really didn't want to do that to you, but you left me no choice. Still, the only thing you did wrong was losing your temper when I hit you. That was not your smartest move," he added with a grin.

  "No, it wasn't," the bully chuckled, "but you got me good. No one has ever suckered me that way. The name's Tynker, and my friends are Cobb and Tharis."

  "And I am Garth," smiled the Knight of Alcea. "Well met the three of you. I hope your leg will be alright, Tharis?"

  "I'm mighty glad you used the flat of your blade," nodded Tharis. "Even still I have two bloody welts. I think you would have severed the leg if you hadn't turned it."

  "Do you think you could share some of your moves with us?" asked Cobb. "I have never seen fighting quite like yours."

  "I'd be happy to," nodded Garth, "but not tonight. I want to spend some time with my wife and see how her first day went."

  "Well get to it then," Tynker said with a slap on the back.

  Garth smiled at his new friends and went in search of Kalina. Tedi waved to Garth and guided him to the spot where they were camping. Sidney had ordered a place reserved for the group, as they were the only women in the camp. It was far enough away from the rest of the warriors so that they weren’t overheard, which suited Garth well.

  "I thought they were playing for keeps," Tedi commented as Garth arrived.

  "They were," Garth replied. "Edmond had set it up as a test for me, but the men got carried away. I hope that is the last test he has in mind for us."

  "You seemed to leave them friendly enough," Natia said.