by Rob J. Hayes
Explains the name change anyways. That is a big fucking tooth. Jez thought and then found herself trying to imagine the beast it had belonged to.
She picked the table farthest from the rest of the occupants and sat down. There she waited for the owner to appear whilst wearing a dark brooding expression she hoped would keep people away.
A plump serving maid with a huge cleavage and a soft face sauntered over with a smile. Her face curdled and her nose wrinkled when she got closer though.
Enjoying the smell?
“What can I get ya?” the woman asked, looking down at Jez over her huge tits. “Coin up front.”
Jezzet fixed the girl with a mean stare. “You can get me the owner.”
If the huge tits were cowed by Jez's stare they didn't show it. “He don't take payment in kind.”
Bitch!
“No I don't suppose he needs to with you around,” Jezzet said in a voice like ice. “Bet you give him all the kind he needs. Bends you over a table every night and pays you right up your arse.” That shut the serving girl up, she went a bright red and her eyes dropped to the floor.
Close to home, Jez. She thought and allowed herself a victory smile.
“Now go fetch your master and tell him Jezzet Vel'urn is here.” The serving girl span and hurried across the room and up the stairs. Only then did she realise that if Harod didn't still own the place her name would mean less than mud to whoever was putting it up the serving girl's ample arse.
Luck was with her this time, it seemed, and a few minutes later Harod swaggered down the stairs and took a moment to look around. His bright blue eyes underneath his heavy brow rested on Jezzet and he walked towards her. Harod had always been a big man but in the past year since Jez had seen him last he'd become a fat man. He'd grown a double chin and he had the swinging walk of a man who doesn't realise his own weight. His pale blonde hair, once long, had been cropped short but it was without a doubt him. He stopped by the table and squinted at Jez.
“By Volmar's balls it is you,” he boomed. “Jezzet Vel'urn. As I live and breathe never thought to see you again. You reduced my girl to tears ya know.”
“I bet you've reduced her to tears a couple of times yourself, you old bastard,” Jezzet replied in a much quieter voice.
“Aye well, ya know how it is. She serves a couple of purposes.” Harod grinned and Jezzet smiled back. Usually when she smiled people said she looked beautiful, she was sure that currently she looked a little crazed instead.
“Don't mean to be rude, Harod, but I'm parched.”
“Aye well I don't mean to be rude, girl, but you smell like shit.”
“An unfortunate consequence of crawling through a sewer.”
Harod opened his mouth to reply and then laughed. “Reckon you've got a tale to tell me.”
“Reckon it'll tell easier with a drink in hand,” Jez prompted again.
Harod shook his head at her. “Taking advantage of my kind nature as always, Jez. I'll get us a beer and you can tell me what the hell happened to ya. How's your sword?”
“A little dull and ready to be swung at something.”
“Give it here, I'll get James to sharpen it while we talk an' then I'll set about finding something for you to do.”
“Good man,” Jez said with a grin and laid her sword across the table.
Harod scooped up the blade and waddled off into the back, returning a few minutes later carrying two mugs of beer. He lowered himself into the chair opposite Jez and waited while she near drained her mug.
By the Gods I could do with a few more of these. Feels like years since I was last roaring drunk.
So Jezzet started telling Harod her story. Not just about Eirik and Constance but about the rest of the past year. It felt good to talk to someone about it and Harod had always been a good listener, offering agreeing comments here and there. His serving girl reappeared at some point and by the time Jez had finished she had drained three mugs of the dark brown beer and was feeling well on her way to being merry if not drunk.
Harod stood, showing none of the signs of being even a little tipsy, and nodded. “Well, Jez, I'll put you up for the night, get you cleaned up and tomorrow set about finding you some work so you can pay me for the room and the beer.”
Nothing ever comes for free.
“You're a true friend, Harod,” Jez said and went back to her beer as he swaggered away.
A warm bed and enough beer for a good night. Things are looking up.
“Jezzet Vel'urn.”
Someone knew her name and that was never a good thing. Jez craned her head around to look behind her. The four guards who been sat around were now all standing behind her. The biggest of the four, the one who had been bragging to the others, had a hand on the little wooden club that hung by his belt.
“Reckon you got the wrong girl,” Jez said with a smile. “Good luck to you though.”
The big guard looked confused. Then his gaze shifted to stare at something across the room. “You sure this is her?”
Jez followed the big man's stare and it led straight to Harod. The fat inn keep was standing about as far away from Jez as he could with his arms crossed over his huge belly and a wary look on his face. He nodded once towards the guard but said nothing.
A hundred insults flooded through Jezzet's head and she settled with. “Bastard.”
“No need for a fight,” the big guard said. “Come quietly.”
Four on one. Bad odds, Jez. Don't reckon I can fuck my way out of this one. Her hand reached for her sword and then she realised it wasn't there. She had trusted Harod, had given the fat fuck her sword.
The big guard saw Jezzet's hand go for an absent weapon and he started forwards. Jez kicked a chair towards him and he raised his hands to block the flying kindling. Jez rushed him and planted a kick to his knee. The big man went down with a cry but another guard, this one smaller and with a giant hook of a nose, was already on her with his little wooden club drawn.
If only I can get one of their swords.
The guard swung his club and Jez ducked the attack and stepped towards the guard bringing a knee up into his groin. She should have felt flesh, should have sent the guard down with a groan. Instead her knee hit something hard and painful and she was the one who cried out in pain. She reached for the man's sword but his hand was already there.
Someone grabbed hold of Jez from behind and then she was off her feet, flying through the air, the inn spinning around her. She hit something back first and it collapsed underneath her. A wooden table. Broke her fall for the most part. Jez lurched to her feet and the world span a little.
Shouldn't have drunk so much. Shouldn't have trusted that bastard, Harod.
The big guard was coming at her again fast. He swung his club and Jezzet dodged to the side aiming a fist at his face as she did. It connected and Jez felt the satisfying crunch of a nose breaking followed by a spray of blood. She grinned.
Took three men in unarmed combat did you...
A sharp pain in the back of the head and the world went bright white. Jez had no idea where she was. Something hit her in the face, in the chest, in her entire body, the floor maybe. Then everything went black.
Part 2 – Secrets and Lies
The Arbiter
Chade; the largest and richest city in the untamed wilds. A free city abiding by its own rules and its own laws subject only to the rule of its council and unaffiliated with any of the great kingdoms. The Inquisition had no authority in any of the free cities and Chade was no exception. Thanquil was here by the ruling council's leave to interrogate a prisoner but he was under no illusions, he would not be welcomed.
Even from a long way off Thanquil could see it was a large city, maybe even as large as Sarth, and busy. Ships and boats and vessels of a hundred different makes and origins crowded around the harbour like flees on a dog. More masts than Thanquil cared to count rose reaching into the sky, some great, some small but all bobbing up and down on the gentle waters
of Rainbow Bay. Cas stopped by the railing to inform Thanquil that during the busy times, such as when the great herd was nearby, Chade could get so busy that ships had to wait for a dock to free up and sometimes the wait could extend to days. Thanquil decided he was more than thankful that the great herd was no-where near Chade at this time of year, the sooner he was back on dry land the better.
“Almost there now. Safe an' sound as promised. No pirates or sea serpents,” the Captain said as he stopped by Thanquil's spot on the railing. He'd spent a lot of time leaning on that particular spot of railing during the voyage and the crew had started calling it the Arbiter's rest. There wasn't a single hand on the Sea's Scorn who hadn't come to talk to the Arbiter at one time or another; the sailors appeared to have made a daring game of it; who could talk to the witch hunter for the longest. Last thing Thanquil had wanted was company but he got it anyway.
“Wouldn't have minded seeing a sea serpent,” Thanquil replied to the Captain, “just to prove you wrong.”
The Captain laughed and pounded Thanquil once on the back. They had spent a fair amount of time chatting to each other over the three weeks and Thanquil had to admit he quite liked the old seaman. He was too friendly at times and had a habit of slapping people on the arms or back but he was gruff and honest and spoke his mind and he enjoyed rolled up casher weed.
“You tell Vance my debt is paid next time ya see him, aye?” the Captain said.
“Inquisitor Vance.”
“That's the one, the older one. Though the younger one's near as bad.”
“Truth is I'd rather not see either of them ever again,” Thanquil said with a grin. “I'll make sure to tell him I arrived quickly and without harm.”
“Aye, good,” the Captain said and then strode away to shout at some poor member of the crew leaving Thanquil to wonder what manner of debt the Captain might owe to a man like Inquisitor Vance. He tried to imagine the Grand Inquisitor standing on this very ship, maybe leaning where Thanquil was now, tried to imagine the sailors coming and speaking to him. It was no good. If rumours were true even the other Inquisitors were afraid of Artur Vance.
As the ship floated into the dock Thanquil could see just how busy the port was. Sailors were everywhere, some working, some waiting, some collecting wages and some wandering off in groups no doubt headed for the nearest brothel. Nothing like spending weeks cooped up on a ship with only other men for company to make you long for a bed with a young woman warming the sheets. Though Thanquil had heard it said that some whore houses in the untamed wilds didn't even bother with beds, the women just serviced the men in the common room, rutting like animals.
There were barrels and crates, bags and passengers, slaves and freight all being unloaded in a steady stream. Thanquil could already see some crates were full of food stuffs, some silks and other cloth, some weapons of any and all description. Some captains were paid to bring in goods to specific merchants, others just loaded their holds with whatever they could, whatever was cheapest, and would sell it there and then on the docks. Merchants gathered around to inspect the cargo and offer a price and demand a quantity. The captains would haggle as the crew unloaded the goods and a deal would be struck. The merchants' men would then surge forwards to take the crates into the city. All the while the proceedings were watched over by the city guard and both observed and taxed by the greedy little dock masters. The funny thing about the free cities was that nothing was ever free.
It didn't take long for Thanquil to depart once the ship had docked. The Captain was the first down the plank and was haggling with the dock master before even setting foot on the pier. After the Captain the deckhands started unloading the cargo. Thanquil chose a time when the way was clear and hopped down from the ship. He heard Cas whistle a goodbye but ignored the boy and strode away into the free city of Chade.
Within moments of stepping off the pier Thanquil found himself surrounded by people. Some offered him services, some offered him goods, and a few offered him themselves. They pressed in close around him and there seemed to be a constant stream of them, whenever Thanquil pushed through the crowd and left one behind another person would appear in front. To make matters worse he could feel his hand shaking in his pocket. It had been three weeks since he'd last stolen anything and now, in a new and foreign place, the need to take something that wasn't his was overpowering.
In the press and the noise of the crowd Thanquil felt a hand brush against the inside of his coat, a light touch and brief. Another man might have ignored it but Thanquil knew the touch of a thief better than another man. His hand shot out and grabbed the wrist that had hold of his purse and twisted. There was a high squeak as the girl on the other end of the wrist collapsed on the floor, her arm twisted at a dangerous angle. One slight jerk and he could snap the wrist like a twig. The press of the crowd backed away from him, a couple of the members slinking off, disappearing into the masses.
“What's the problem here?” A loud and commanding voice called from nearby, a guard by the looks of things with a hefty crew around him.
Thanquil plucked the purse from the girl's hand and pocketed it again as the rest of the crowd dispersed and was replaced by guardsmen in red doublets with metal breastplates and wooden cudgels. He let go of the girl's wrist and she shot him a terrified look. She was young, maybe twelve at most, and wearing rich clothing though more in the style of a boy. In the Five Kingdoms or Acanthia Thanquil might have taken her for a noble brat but here in Chade he knew there was no real nobility, just well-dressed thieves.
“Caught her stealing did ya?” the guard asked, a wicked grin on his face.
“I wonder what would happen to a thief here in Chade,” Thanquil mused aloud and waited for one of the guards to answer.
“Same as anywhere. Punishment.”
“Thieves is turned into slaves,” the young girl blurted out, her eyes lowered.
“Quiet!” the guard warned the girl. “The nice man weren't talking ta the likes of you.”
Thanquil almost groaned. He'd only just set foot off the boat and already he was condemning a girl to a lifetime of slavery. No doubt the story would spread and before long it would tell of an Arbiter sentencing a young innocent girl just a few feet from the boat he arrived on.
“A girl like you no doubt knows the way to the Inquisition safe house,” Thanquil said. “Somewhere near the craftsman terrace, near the guildhall.”
“Aye,” she answered in high voice, her words rushing out almost on top of each other. “I know the place. I can get ya there.”
“Well then,” Thanquil said with false cheer. “I'm sorry but there's been a mistake here. She wasn't thieving, but offering her services as a guide to your wonderful city. As new as I am here I'm tempted to take her up on the offer. Thank you for your time.”
The guard looked at the girl, then at Thanquil. His right hand plucked the cudgel from his belt. “Listen, friend. That's not how things work here. We seen her thieving.”
Thanquil was uncomfortably aware that a large group of people had stopped to watch the scene in the middle of the docks. The girl also looked uncomfortable, though that might have been because her life was hanging in the balance. The prospect of a lifetime of slavery would make Thanquil more than a little uncomfortable.
“Arbiter,” Thanquil corrected the guardsman. “My correct title is Arbiter. The coat is a dead give-away. See the buttons.”
“Don't mean a thing. You can be the damned Emperor as far as I care. Got no power here,” the guard said, taking a small step backwards.
Thanquil stepped forward towards the guard, the girl stayed close by. “Oh I have power wherever I am, believe me. As for authority, I have that too. The ruling council in Chade has granted an emissary of the Inquisition temporary authority within the free city and I just happen to be that emissary.”
“He's right,” said one of the other guardsmen. “Council did send fer an Arbiter. Fer her in gaol.”
“We'll be going now,” Thanquil told th
e guards, dismissing them. “Lead the way, girl.”
“Aye,” she squeaked and started walking, the guards moved aside to let them pass and Thanquil followed hoping he wasn't about to feel a sharp wooden smack to the back of his head. Seems he was in luck. With a loud grumble the guards moved back to their posts and the usual activity of the docks resumed. Noise and merchants rushing in to fill the empty space like a thunderclap.
Thanquil breathed out a sigh of relief. The girl kept glancing at him, probably wondering if she could get away with bolting. He had already decided he wasn't going to waste time chasing her.
“You really an Arbter?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Don't look like much.”
Thanquil shrugged. “Neither do you. Guards were keen on taking you in though.”
The girl spat into the street. “Guards get paid for every slave they take. Keeps 'em willin' ta do their jobs. They get extra fer young girls. I had a friend once who got took, she...”
“You best be leading me the right way, girl,” Thanquil interrupted. He'd heard more than enough 'old friend' stories on the boat though most of those had ended in drowning, stabbing or being eaten by krakens and one had ended with an entire ship with all hands being dragged down to the depths by a leviathan.
“Course I am. I ain't no...”
“I'll give you a bronze coin if you can tell me anything about that woman they have in gaol.”
“You got more 'an bronze bits in that purse, I felt it.”
Thanquil didn't respond. He wasn't about to haggle with a girl who had just tried to rob him. Not after he'd just saved her from a fate worse than death.
“Word is she's dangerous. Guards caught her a while back. She killed four 'em, one with her bare hands. Ben said he saw her, said she had fire in her eyes an' burnt a guard alive jus' by lookin' at him. Crazed is what they call her, fights with swords, claws an' teeth an' the only reason they got her is 'cos she was drunk. Now they got her chained an' gagged down in gaol waitin' fer someone who knows about that sort of stuff. Which'ed be you right?”