The crowd of knights shifted again and there was a good deal of disgruntled murmurs from their ranks. “Silence while he is speaking,” Bridgette bellowed, though by her expression Emily guessed she had a few choice words she would like to say to Neph herself.
Nodding slightly in her direction Neph continued in the same loud voice. “Due to that difference in opinion I am going to assign temporary officers to your ranks until Valor returns to sort this shit out himself.” Neph paused and scanned over the crowd and then pointed toward Bridgette. “Bridgette will be the Officer in Charge until Valor decides otherwise. She is the only one of you bastards that is authorized to speak to me unless I initiate the conversation. Is that understood? Just nod. Don’t bother speaking. I don’t have time for it.”
Grudging nods issued through the crowd as Emily dropped down on the bench beside Sovann. “Whose idea was it to put Neph in charge again?” she asked quietly.
“Jail’s, I believe, or Neph’s. One of them anyway,” Sovann replied with a shake of his head. “He certainly has a way with people doesn’t he?”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” Emily replied with a soft chuckle.
“There will be three officers below Bridgette,” Neph continued, once the grumbling had died down again. “Noble, Savy, and Foster. That is your chain of command for now. If you have questions or problems take it to one of your officers. If you have a problem with one of the officers take it to Bridgette. If you have a problem with Bridgette, fucking wait until Valor gets back. I’m sure he will care, I don’t. Are we clear? Just nod.” Neph paused again his eyes scanning the crowd of knights once more. His gaze lingered for a bit on the two closest to his wagon that Bridgette had pointed out as being dangerous. “That said, let me tell you what will happen if I have a problem with you.” Neph began once more, his gaze still lingering on the two knights who were glaring at him in turn. “If it is a minor problem, I will speak with Bridgette. If it is a major problem, I will bury your ass and point out the gravestone to Valor on his return. In Arovan you answer to a military tribunal; here you answer to me. If I have proof of your guilt, I will not hesitate to act and I may not warn you in advance. The safest course you have is, if you think it is wrong and you may get in trouble for it, don’t fucking do it.”
“They are praying for Valor’s swift return. You know they are,” Emily whispered in amusement.
“May I ask exactly where Lord Valor is?” One of the knights near the wagon called with anger thick in his voice.
Neph glared down at the man and looked over the crowd once more. Pointing a figure toward the man he cleared his throat. “Here is a perfect example of not listening. I clearly stated that if you have a question take it to one of your officers. I am not one of your officers. If you are speaking to me, chances are you are screwed and I’m about to put you in a hole. Bridgette is appraised as to Valor’s current location. If she feels like telling you all, you will know.” Neph paused and lowered his hand as he shook his head in disgust. Letting out another deep breath he motioned toward the town. “As you can all see we are in a process of building right now. My priority is building shelter for the commons. If you all want a cozy place for your pretty ponies outside of the snow you will be building it yourselves. We have materials available but we do not have the manpower to spare. I know most of you are noble brats and don’t know which way to hold a hammer, but I highly suggest you try to learn. There are no barracks, either, though if you build a stable that may not bother you. From what I hear the knights of Arovan sleep with their horses. Suit yourselves on that matter.” Neph shrugged and dropped down from the grain sacks then paused and looked to Bridgette. “If you would like materials for building you can find me near the center of town. I will see that you get all that you require.”
“Think they are going to lynch him?” Emily asked softly as she watched Neph drop down from the wagon and turn back toward town.
“Or trample him.” Sovann suggested. “I came with him, however, so I’m following now before they get the mistaken belief that I echo his sentiments toward them. I can see Jail and Madren at the edge of the crowd. I’m going to follow Neph just long enough to reach them and pretend I don’t know Neph if the knights go for their swords,” he added softly as he dropped down from the wagon and moved quickly to follow in Neph’s wake.
Emily watched him go but remained sitting perfectly still where she was. There was no doubt in her mind that interesting conversations would follow that speech.
“Bloody bastard,” a woman sighed loudly, followed by a sniff of disgust. “Surely they have enough commons to build barracks.”
“Lord Neph, a moment please,” another woman called loudly over the buzzing of the crowd. Emily turned quickly in that direction in time to see the woman Bridgette had named as Savy dismounting from her horse and approaching Neph with a smile on her beautiful face. Her long red hair was pulled back neatly and her armor shone brightly in the fading sunlight. To any other man, her appearance alone would have brought a smile. Neph however simply glowered at her.
“I was wondering perhaps if there might be some sort of arrangement we could come to in regards of Officer’s quarters,” Savy purred, giving Neph a smile that would have melted most men in their boots.
Neph let out a long sigh and glanced back toward the town. Pointing at the small crowd of onlookers Neph looked back toward Savy. “Do you see that goat the boy over there is holding?” Neph asked in a voice filled with mock patience.
“Yes,” Savy answered, sounding a bit confused as she glanced between Neph and the goat the pretty smile faltering on her lips.
Emily clamped her mouth shut tighter to keep from laughing aloud. She knew Neph well enough to know what was coming next. The Delvay mage was crude and reliably an asshole even to perfect strangers such as the poor unsuspecting woman before him. Sovann apparently knew what was coming as well as he was edging quickly back to stand beside Jail who didn’t look all that pleased himself.
“Well Savy, if given the choice between bedding you and bedding that goat, I would choose the goat, for the simple reason that I know where that goat has been. You, on the other hand, I can only guess where you have been, and it is a very long list that does not flatter you at all. So, as to any special arrangements you might like to make, just remember in my mind the goat ranks higher,” Neph said with exaggerated kindness and patted her gently on the cheek before turning to walk away once more.
“I have a house! I’ll make arrangements!” Madren yelled loudly as he stepped forward toward Savy waving a hand to get her attention.
Neph planted a firm hand on Madren’s chest and shoved him back toward Jail as he walked past. “By the gods, Jail, I thought you fixed that,” he grumbled.
“I helped him overcome his lack of confidence and his fears Neph. Not even the greatest Mind mage can overcome the fact that he is nearly forty and still a virgin,” Jail sighed as he took Madren by the arm and pulled him back toward town.
“Wait, Jail, wait! I don’t mind sharing my house with their officers. Wait! Let go!” Madren protested, his feet dragging in the dirt as Jail continued to pull him along. “I have a house!” Madren called over his shoulder loudly, nodding with enthusiasm toward Savy.
“That’s seven minutes and fifty-four seconds,” Noble called loudly to the assembled knights. “I bet under ten minutes before she was offering her charms. So pay up you bastards. The next closest bet was fifteen minutes and that is nowhere near mine.”
“For the love of the Aspects, Noble at least let the Delvay get out of earshot before calling out the bets,” Foster sighed and pushed his horse forward toward Bridgette who was rubbing her face with her hand.
“Not at all what I expected.” Bridgette sighed as she lowered her hand and inhaled deeply. She watched with a weary expression as Noble made his way through the crowds gathering coins from his various companions. “He really bet on that then?” she asked Foster with a frown.
“An
d on whether or not they would take her up on the offer,” Foster explained with a smile.
“What else did he bet on?” Bridgette asked sounding a bit worried.
“If Valor would be a drunk. If Lady Merrodin is as generous with her charms as the rumors in Sanctuary imply and if Nob survives the first week in Merro,” Foster answered as he leaned back in his saddle.
“Why would Nob not survive the week?” Bridgette asked with an upraised eyebrow glancing toward the large man that was still happily eating grain.
“He had a few mishaps on the trip here that he is likely to suffer for,” Foster began then shrugged. “Minor things really. Pissed on Connely during the ship ride. I really think he meant to aim it over the rail though. Ate most of Noble’s card markers on the ride south from Brannaford. They do look a bit like candy squares though. You know like the hard candy they sell in the Amdany sweet shop. Honestly, I’m surprised Nob didn’t die from that. They were glass markers. Ahh. And then there was the incident with using Tessa’s undergarments as a pillow because they smelled nice.”
“When were you going to inform me of this?” Bridgette asked in a voice that held no anger, simply resignation.
“Shortly after we found his cold bloated corpse,” Foster replied with another smile.
“Five hundred and sixteen silver for guessing the time. How sweet is that?” Noble chimed happily as he moved to join them and leaned against Foster’s horse.
“How much is your cut?” Bridgette asked Foster quietly.
“What makes you think I have a cut of that?” Foster exclaimed softly sounding rather indignant.
“I saw you prod Savy and whisper now’s your chance,” Bridgette explained dryly, looking between the two of them with a glare of parental impatience.
“Oh well, in that case, thirty percent,” Foster answered with a shrug, his former indignation forgotten.
“Well considering your good fortune today I don’t suppose the two of you would mind sorting through our people and finding any that know how to build. It would seem that I will need to requisition supplies from Lord Nephondelvayon and I am not at all sure what I need,” Bridgette said in a tone that brooked no argument.
“Wood and nails and a lot of them would be my guess.” Noble offered as he tossed the coin purse from hand to hand.
Foster snickered lightly and bowed his head to Bridgette. “We will see what we can find out,” he assured her with a smile.
Emily watched the two of them ride off and slowly backed away from the assembled knights. She would return later to watch them. For now she wanted to know what her companions thought of the new arrivals. A smile grew on her lips as she moved quickly back to town. Merro had been getting rather dull recently. It was good that new entertainment had arrived.
Chapter 6
Sanctuary
Shade watched with mixed feelings as the spell hawk put down in the center of the Sanctuary Sky port. Symphony was on board that ship and so far he hadn’t managed to convince Charm that spying on her was wrong. Leaning back on his ship, he lit a cigarette and contemplated what her reaction would be if he simply told her what they expected him to do. Most people would be indignant or angry over such a confession, but he wasn’t sure about Symphony. He had only spoken with her on a few occasions and she had seemed very serene. Not at all the sort to lose her temper easily.
“You look as though you are in deep contemplation,” Vaze said from just behind him.
“For the love of Fortune, you too? It’s bad enough having Charm always sneaking up on me. I must be the most oblivious person in the world,” Shade sighed as he stood straight once more and looked over his shoulder toward the warrior.
Vaze grinned and shrugged slightly. “If it makes you feel better, I stepped through the shadows so there was no way you could have heard me approach,” Vaze offered as he moved forward into the sunlight, his eyes fixed on the ship as the side door was opened.
“That actually does make me feel better. Charm just randomly pops up everywhere and I know he isn’t using magic to do it,” Shade agreed, relaxing back against his ship once more. “I don’t want to spy on her, Vaze. I know what it feels like to be watched constantly. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I spent close to twenty years of my life with every action I took being watched and judged.”
“Symphony has lived like that for longer. She is used to it and it really is in her best interest if you approach it in that fashion,” Vaze replied his gaze returning to Shade.
“What do you mean if I approach it in that fashion?” Shade asked.
“If you are there to watch out for her, rather than to watch her it is in her best interest. If you keep your ears open for approaching threats rather than for what she is saying in private, it is guarding, not spying,” Vaze explained.
“Is that what you do? I’m guessing you are typically the one spying on her with all of your shadow tricks,” Shade said, his words coming out harsher than he had intended. The entire assignment had his nerves on edge and it was showing more clearly than he would have liked. In all honesty, he would have been more comfortable had Lutheron sent him straight into the heart of the Glis conflict alone and unarmed. At least, he wouldn’t have a guilty conscience over it.
Vaze shook his head slowly. “I have guarded her once or twice but I’m not usually in the Fionahold. I travel often. My shadow tricks, as you call them, are more useful bent to other tasks.” If Vaze was offended, he didn’t show any sign of it. His words came out open and friendly with no trace of aggression to them.
They both fell silent as Symphony emerged from the Spell hawk and looked around the city. Even from this distance Shade could recognize the expression of distress on her beautiful face as her eyes found the damage to the city. Despite the Fionaveir’s best efforts of cleaning up the city, it was difficult to cover all trace of such destruction in a matter of a week’s time.
“Someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do,” Vaze murmured with a slight shake of his head. He ran a hand through his dark grey hair and smiled faintly at Shade. “Glad it isn’t going to be me,” he added.
“Lutheron, then?” Shade asked, as he watched Lutheron and Faramir approach to greet Symphony. A small crowd of people had formed around the Spell hawk now, and from the looks of things the future Empress would be busy for a while.
“Or you, or Charm. Won’t be me, though, I’ll be gone,” Vaze replied with a shrug.
“I thought you had to kill the Blights first?” Shade objected, turning his attention to Vaze who was already stretching as if he was about to leave.
“Already did. There were only seven of them that I found in the city and they were a rather pathetic bunch compared to the ones in Glis,” Vaze answered, sounding a bit bored.
“What?” Shade demanded incredulously. “When? How?” he added quickly, determined that if Vaze was going to answer his first question he would answer the others as well.
“Who, where?” Vaze said with a faint chuckle. “Last night and with magic. It’s done.”
“Why aren’t you in Glis mopping them up then? If it’s so easy for you to kill Blights why not rid the world of them?” Shade asked, the anger in his voice surprising even him. It didn’t seem right however that two countries were at the brink of utter destruction from the Blights and this man killed them easily.
“These were underground where the shadows are thickest, and I did say they were a pathetic bunch compared to the ones in Glis. Which implies that I have, in fact, been in Glis and Arovan fighting them. You have quite the temper on you, Morcaillo,” Vaze explained, with a shake of his head.
“I go by Shade now, not Morcaillo,” Shade reminded him.
“As you wish. Are you still going to distract Lutheron for me as we discussed before?” Vaze asked.
“I don’t really think you need me to, considering how busy it looks over there, but yes I will keep Symphony with me and try to get her interested in the hawks,” Shade agreed, letting his temper
cool once more. He couldn’t really understand why he had grown so angry so quickly. It wasn’t as though Vaze alone could save Glis and Arovan, anyway. That was a job that required more than one person.
“I need to go soon. Jala is rapidly approaching something that she will need my help for. If I don’t get there soon one of them will likely die if not both of them,” Vaze pressed.
“There isn’t much I can do about it now, Vaze, she is swarmed with people,” Shade protested and looked back toward Vaze once more. “How is it exactly that you know the Darklands well enough to find Jala anyway?” he asked, though he didn’t really expect an answer.
“Eight years ago a small cult of mages rose in Nerathane. They were practicing Death magic and necromancy and a few of them decided to seek the ultimate power for their kind. Lutheron sent me into the Darklands after them to make sure they didn’t find what they were seeking,” Vaze answered.
“Damn! Not a task I would have wanted. I take it you got them all,” Shade said with a nod of respect. He had never actually met a Death mage himself, but there had been enough material about them in the Academy’s library that he hoped he never did.
“All but one. I think the demons got that one though. I searched through the shadows for weeks for the bastard but came up with nothing,” Vaze said and nodded toward Symphony once more. “Once she clears that crowd, buddy up to her.”
“Why isn’t the current distraction enough? Why do I have to be there?” Shade asked in confusion.
“Because I placed a few charms on you before I let you know I was here, and I need you close to her so my charms will affect Symphony as well as Lutheron. Faramir, too, hopefully, I don’t want her having any clue as to what I’m doing,” Vaze explained.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 10