by Daniel Casey
“I told them to shot at anyone they didn’t recognize.” Roth said in a playfully guilty tone.
“You’re an idiot.” The two met and clasped each other’s forearm. Both were smiling, “I’m glad you’re not dead.”
Roth nodded pulling Jena closer, who didn’t resist the embrace, saying, “I’m a damn fool. Hope you won’t hold it against me.”
Just then, Kira gave a cry of glee and came running out of the woods. Goshen saw her and began a sort of jog to meet her. The two hugged and Kira quickly grabbed Goshen’s hand leading him over to the others.
Fery sheathed her swords, “I guess we’re all friends.”
Declan came up to her, “Are we now?” He was smiling, twirling the arrow that Kira had shot, “I’m Declan.”
“Fery.”
Declan smirked, “That’s an odd name.”
“Can’t say yours is too common either.”
“Where I’m from it is.”
“Well, then you have your explanation already.” Fery smiled and Declan laughed. “She hurt you?” Fery pointed to the arrow.
Declan looked at the arrow and then over at Kira who was bombarding Goshen with questions and talking faster than he had ever heard anyone go on, “She nearly took my ear off.”
“You’re quick,” Wynne said coming up on them.
“Only as quick as she was anxious.” Declan added.
“This is Declan,” Fery held out her hand toward him as she turned to look at Wynne, “and this is my father Wynne.”
Wynne held out his hand and Declan clasped it in good-faith asking “Wynne Landis?”
“Yes? Should I know you?” Wynne replied.
“We have a mutual friend.” Declan nodded pushing out his lip in a bit of a sneer.
“Oh?” Wynne raised an eyebrow.
“A lord in a tall tower.” He said.
Wynne was taken back a bit but didn’t show any outward signs of it, “Well, then, we’ll need to have a long conversation tonight.”
Declan made a sour face, “Please tell me you have something proper to drink.”
“Of course I do,” Roth was came over to them with Jena at his side, Kira and Goshen behind them.
“You must be Jena.” Wynne said.
“And you are?” Jena asked, rough but not rude.
“Wynne,” Fery said, “And I’m Fery.”
“Family, they is.” Declan threw in.
“What a grand outing this must be for you two.” Jena said deadpan.
Roth smiled and turned back to Goshen and Kira, “Let’s ahead get up to the pool.” He waved them up, “The sooner we eat, the sooner we talk, the sooner we figure out what by rights is going on.”
The group all assented and began to move back towards the Cruor. As they walked, Jena nudged Roth and pointed to the Landis’, “Picked up a few stragglers.”
“It was necessary, and it seems you got one of your own.” Roth gestured to Declan who was continuing to chat up Fery with Wynne eying him like a hawk.
“It was necessary.”
“Something tells me we’ve both had our patience tested these past few weeks.”
For the first time in a long time Jena sincerely laughed, “You have no idea.”
The Kopis, Bandra, 32nd of Mabon
“I’m still unclear about exactly what happened, captain.” The Bandrian wharf master, Gris Kalip, prodded Riv.
“I don’t quite see what you don’t understand.” Riv was calm as he stood before the lanky man who seemed intent on making this transaction take as long as it possible could. “We were contracted to return a Silvincian troop from The Blockade to Anhra. The soldiers took sick in route. It became all too clear that they were too ill to be left in Anhra, which has no proper medical facilities. That left our only option here, Bandra, where the brave soldiers could be seen to.”
“Yes, yes I understand that part.” Kalip said.
“What else is there?”
“Why are there ten men missing?”
“Those poor souls died at sea.” Riv tried to sound saddened.
“But where are their bodies?”
“I don’t know when the last time you were a-sail, wharf master Kalip, but keeping corpses on a ship isn’t a favored practice. Especially when the bodies may be riddle with pox.”
“But bringing them here is proper?” A frail looking clerk piped in passing by with the Kopis’s logbooks.
Riv shot the boy a chilling glance, but scoffed as he addressed Kalip, “You’d have a plague ship come drifting into the harbor?”
“Aye, Spire specters.” Ryan laughed; Wynne glanced sidelong at him disapproving. Ryan shirked backed.
“No, captain, I would not want that. But the bodies of those soldiers…”
“Set to rest at sea.” Riv said authoritatively hoping to put the issue to bed.
“Well, that seems…fine, I don’t want to bother with it any longer.” Kalip wasn’t as busy as some wharf masters were but he certainly gave an air of being put upon.
“Excellent,” Riv nodded and snatched his landing papers from the wharf master, “So I am cleared to send these men to the proper infirmaries and conduct my business?”
“You are certain that none of your crew is suffering from this infection?”
“Not a one,” Riv shook his head, “We caught the illness immediately and quarantined all those necessary. And disposed of any that were stricken.”
The wharf master turned and made a note in his ledger. “Well, certainly, so…let’s see…Kopis,” he lingered looking for the ship’s entry, “Ah, so here we are. Yes, you are all set captain Salda.”
Riv shook his head, “No, Asa Salda was the captain of the Kopis; he is no longer.”
“Oh?” the wharf master looked up, “Well, then I need…”
“…letter of transfer, death certificate, and will to heirs.” Ryan handed Riv several leaves of paper and Riv held them out to the wharf master.
“Well this certainly…” Kalip was hesitant but took the papers and began to look them over.
“…an unfortunate loss for the crew and myself.” Riv cut in, “Asa was my nephew. We served together a good long while.” He thought about trying to look forlorn but decided against it. This particular functionary didn’t require a hard sell.
“He died?”
“We quarantined immediately but it did claim some of our crew; Asa and five others.”
“So now you’ll be taking ownership of the Kopis and assuming all its debts and obligations? Captain…Salda?” There was a moment of hurried scrounging as the bureaucrat dug through his desk for the appropriate stamps and forms.
“Yes, I have. And it’s Bloodtangle. Riv Bloodtangle. Asa was my nephew by my sister.” He gestured to Ryan to wait outside. “Are we finished here, master?” Riv let slip a small pouch from his sleeve. It fell upon a mound of loose onionskin papers with a bright clink. Kalip paused ever so slightly and glanced at the pouch, “Yes, I suppose so.”
“Excellent.” Riv spoke loudly and smiled, “The Kopis will be leaving port as soon as we unload our passengers and cargo.”
“That sets you for night departure, eh? Small hours.”
Riv nodded as he began to walk out, he didn’t look back, “We are already far too late as it is.”
Ryan was waiting for him alongside Ales and Sharin. Other crew were already carrying gurneys with the sickened Silvincian soldiers off the ship.
“You’re sure that this will linger?” Riv asked Ryan.
“Aye,” Ryan looked back at the assembly line unloading the men and their gear from the ship, “They have at least another day, day and half of this.”
“Crying from both ends.” Ales quipped.
“But they won’t be any real damage to them.” Ryan added.
“Good, by then we should be well on our way.” Riv didn’t look at his men or even the soldiers but instead glared over the entire docks at some unseen point. “Sharin, you and Ales will sell off all our extra fr
om the Rikonenese. I don’t want you to haggle, get unload it for as much coin as possible. Go now, I want you back before dusk.” Sharin nodded and Ales seemed about to say something but then thought better of it.
“We’re leaving right away?” Ryan asked, “The men were hoping to get a bit of play ashore, spend some of the coin we’ve collected.”
Riv looked at Ryan, “The crew can do whatever they want ashore. I’m leaving once Sharin and Ales return. If that means I have to pull hirelings, I will.”
“A fat purse is useless a sea.”
Riv made his way toward the Kopis, Ryan followed on his heels. “We should’ve been off nearly two weeks ago. We have a contract waiting for us.”
Ryan was rushing a bit to keep up with Riv, “Waiting where?”
“Wick.” Ryan stopped and Riv continued for a few steps more before he realized. Turning he looked hard at Ryan, “Tell the crew that when Sharin and Ales return they will get their shares, tell them that when we reach Wick they will be given leave for as long as they like.”
“Not much in Wick.”
Riv turned away, “What would you know, you’ve never been?”
Ryan followed behind, “What I’m saying is that might not be enough to keep the crew satisfied. And there’s the fact that it’s not quite clear to them that we’ve just mutinied and defrauded the Spires.”
Riv stopped again and pointed his gloved finger in Ryan’s face, “Neither of those things is true.”
“These Bandrians are known for sussing out conspiracy. Do you think they won’t be able to see through a shallow lie, paperwork, and a few aurei?”
Riv leaned in closer to Ryan’s face and growled, “What exactly are you worried about?”
“I’m not a pirate, some thief on the sea.” Ryan held his ground but his voice cracked slightly.
“And neither are the crew.” Riv agreed. The two men stared at each other in silence for a moment before Riv spun around abruptly and dashed up the gangplank. “Ryan, you’re the mate now, let the crew know our itinerary. Parse out the shares. If they don’t wish to continue on, you are to replace them with new hands. We leave tonight.”
The Cruor, 33rd of Mabon
The afternoon was quickly disappearing but the day was still clear. At the base of the hillside before the sculpture pool, Jena was plunging her head into the waters repeatedly. Roth sat on the small stone lip that surrounded the pool. Wynne had built a fire around which the rest sat in semi-circle exchanging stories. Although they hadn’t eaten anything new or better than their usual fair, the meal had been one of the better ones. There was a light-heartedness between Goshen and Kira, a gladness that rubbed off on Wynne, Fery, and Declan.
Roth and Jena had been good-natured but hadn’t spoken much, to each other or the new faces before them. They had withdrawn to the pool and it didn’t seem that the others took much notice. Jena pulled her head up, threw her hair back, and lingered over the waters eyes closed and breathing a bit heavy.
“Your ablutions going well?” Roth asked.
Jena opened her eyes and stared at his reflection in the waters, she didn’t speak. Roth turned slightly and saw her face on the surface. There was a strained silence as neither broke eye contact through the natural mirror.
Finally, Roth cracked, “I’m sorry.”
Jena shook her head, raised herself up, turned around and sat next to him. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I should have suspected something; I should have told you as much.”
“You didn’t know.” Jena pointed at Declan, “And there’s no way you could’ve known about that one. You’ve always been a shitty ranger.” She forced a smile.
“Following the missionaries, eh?” Roth’s eyes narrowed.
“Apparently from the moment they left the Cathedral.”
“But he’s alright?”
“I think he knows me from something. At least, knows of me.”
“You’re a famed brigand.” Roth joked.
Jena punched him in the thigh and smiled, “Naw, that’s not it. Think he might be from up north. Maybe a Novosar originally.”
“Seems to be a lot of them down here.” Roth whispered. “He helped you get away on the Bandrian pier, helped you get that one out of the hole.” He shook his head, “I’ve never heard of anyone rescuing a Hopeless.”
“So write a song about it.” Jena said playfully but then became quite serious, “I don’t know. He seems intent on making sure that meat sack survives.” Jena flicked her hand in Goshen’s direction. Roth thought he saw Goshen look up and smirk, but he might have been mistaken.
“The crusader rubs you the wrong way? Seems like he’d be your type.”
“Fuck off.” Jena tossed her gloves to the ground and began to unlatch her cuirass’s shoulder straps, “Nothing but questions out of him, like he couldn’t figure a single damn thing out himself.”
Roth grabbed a corner of her cuirass and held it as she slid out of it, “That seems to be the dominate trait of most folk coming out of the Cathedral.” Jena tossed the cuirass atop her gloves, then Jena arched her back and rolled her neck several small circles; her doublet was stained and well worn.
“We need to get you some better clothes.” Roth muttered.
“Got some up in your little fort, do ya?” Jena tossed her thumb back towards the cliff dwelling.
“Yeah, I’ve got plenty up there.” Roth said irritated, “Enough proper armor, weapons, food, and coin for the lummox there, your highwayman, and my little cohorts. Enough for us all to go our separate ways now that we’re all officially not dead.”
“Think it’s going to be that easy?”
“Why wouldn’t it? At least, for us.” Roth shrugged.
“I think you’re full of shit.”
“Why’s that?”
“You dragged those two into Anhra; you made sure I took charge of them, when that went awry you went after her.”
“I’d given my word.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why we’re here, worse for wear and with four new friends.”
Roth shook his head, “I don’t know where the missionaries will go or what the Rikonenese will do…and I suspect you have no idea what the deal is with that merc there.”
“You’re just going to walk away?”
“Aren’t you? My purse is waiting for you in Anhra.”
“Please,” Jena scoffed, “Adamix has probably already drunk or fucked it away. He probably has some excuse or bit of barter ready to unload on me to replace it.”
Roth laughed a bit, “Yeah that could be. It has been longer than what I’d supposed.”
“I just don’t think you’re done with her yet.” Jena nodded toward Kira.
“She’s got her guardian now.”
“Yeah, that’ll keep turning out well for the two of them.” She scoffed, “Besides, where are they going to go? He’s been shamed out of the Cathedral and they think she’s dead.”
Roth blinked a bit surprised, “How you managed that, I’ll never guess.”
She pointed at him, “Again, fuck off,” and winked. “There’s something going on, something bigger than us with these people.”
“Aye,” Roth nodded, “It’s a bit of a mess really.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’ve not really got a plan yet, we—,” he gestured towards Wynne, Fery, and Kira, “have an idea but no real plan.”
“Well, before a plan can be made there needs to be a will. And then some means.”
“I’ve got the mean up top.”
“That’s actually good to hear, ‘cause we’re all going to need it.” Jena looked at Roth, her expression serious.
“What’s that then?”
“Coming up, there were men behind us.”
“Following you?”
Jena shook her head, “They weren’t after us, but they shouldn’t have been up here. They found the road easily enough and were following it.”
“Here?”
“Yeah, fucking here.”
“You should’ve lead with that.” Roth grimaced.
“We don’t know for sure that they’re coming here.”
“When my kind think that way we tend to get slaughtered.” Roth stood up and walked over to the fire. “Hey all, we need to get up into the dwelling.” Everyone stopped talking and looked at him, not worried but hesitant.
“Is there something…” Fery was cut off by a gesture from Roth. He had caught in the distance a large plum of birds rising from the forest, then another. Eying the commotion, Roth was still for a moment as Wynne quickly turned to follow Roth’s gaze. He saw the birds and realized the tripwires had been sprung.
“Up, now.” Roth commanded as Wynne stood stomping out the fire and kicking dirt over it.
“Your sparrows?” Jena was standing next to Roth now, her leathers held under her arm.
“Pigeons.” Roth raised his hand to shade his eyes, “There are some sand grouse rigs in the glens as well.”
“How far out?” Wynne asked as he picked up the remaining things around the fire pit.
Roth turned to him, “Get them up into the dwelling, damnit.”
Wynne gestured for the rest to following him. Jena didn’t move, “And.”
“They’re along the road. It’ll open up right there.” Roth pointed to the right down the slope, “They’ll come right around that bit of woods”
“How long?”
“Two hours. Less.”
Jena tugged at his shoulder and sighed, “Come on then, show me your means.”
Goshen sat on a bench in the armor or, at least, what Roth said was the armory. A small, dark room with no windows and a single thin door. It reminded him of the penitentiary in Bandra, and he could feel his heart beating faster than it had in a long time. He hadn’t experienced this feeling since the first time he saw battle as a boy of twelve. Unlike more than a few of his brethren, he hadn’t pissed himself when that band of bandits leapt from the trees down upon them. They had been novices sent out to handle some petty criminals raiding near Havan. It was their first mission. The unit had been so green that at first all was chaos, screaming, arrows flying, and men swinging wildly. But Goshen had regained his composure almost instantly. He killed six men that day. He vomited for a good twenty minutes after it was over.