The soldiers that Jexon had brought with him were the only organized part of the army beyond. Each division was lined up in perfect ranks with their preparations for marching already done. But the Merro militia and the knights of Arovan were still struggling with the supplies. Not that they had much in the way of supplies. Most of what they were packing was spare weapons and feed for the horses.
The essential supplies of food and medicinal stores were being sent from Seravae. Merro quite simply could not provide those things. Her people had been on rations throughout the winter and even then it had been mostly grains. According to Jexon, ships would arrive in Brannaford with provisions and the army would march from there. That was, of course, if everything went as planned. Which, in her life, Jala had come to realize nothing ever did.
A flash of purple caught her eye and Jala watched in silence as Valor rode through the ranks, calling orders. It was the first time she had seen him since they had returned. Neph had visited her when he could spare the time and Ash was a constant presence when Jexon wasn’t home, but Valor had never even approached the house.
He has been working for weeks on that barding so that it was in your colors, Emily said quietly from the floor beside Jala. It had been quite a shock to return home and find another Bendazzi waiting for her. Though it was a bigger shock to Marrow she was sure. Both of them had gotten used to the new arrangement, though, and Jala had to admit it was rather nice to have a Bendazzi on either side of her when faced with an angry spouse. Jexon never raised a hand toward her when the Bendazzi were with her.
“He looks quite the commander. Leave it to Valor to be the best dressed in the army,” Jala said with a faint smile. The armor he wore and the matching barding on his horse did look quite striking. He stood out from the army like a songbird among sparrows. Even the Arovan knights in their fine silver armor seemed shabby next to him in the purple plate with the sigil of the Bendazzi blazoned across it.
They are all going, you know, even Wisp. As far as I understand, it’s only going to be a skeleton crew guarding the city, Emily said with a heavy sigh.
“And he will try to leave me here,” Jala mused as she let her head fall gently against the window frame, her eyes still searching the ranks of the army for familiar faces.
He can’t leave you here, Emily said.
“Why?” Jala asked, her gaze dropping to meet Emily’s golden eyes. Emily had chosen to keep the dark fur rather than alter it to match Marrow’s shining white coat which Jala was rather grateful for. Both Bendazzi were equal in size and had they matched in color it would have been difficult to tell them apart at a simple glance.
Because you aren’t with child yet and if you die while he is off pretending to be a warrior the land goes to Sovann. He can’t afford to risk that, Jala, Emily explained with a feline grin.
Jala’s eyes widened and she nodded slowly. That was actually logic that Jexon would listen to, she was sure of it. The only problem was how to relay it to him without it actually coming from her. He never bothered to listen to anything she said and this was too important to risk his inattention. “Jail,” Jala whispered with a smile. The Mind mage could slip the thought into Jexon’s mind so subtly that Jexon would believe it was his own choice.
Jexon won’t let Jail anywhere near him. The moment Jail enters a room Jexon leaves it, Marrow reminded her.
Emily rose from the floor and stretched, the feline grin still showing on her face. Get packed, Jala I’ll see to the rest. Jexon may avoid Jail when he notices him, but in all that chaos out there. I doubt he will see him and Jail doesn’t need to be close. Just within sight, Emily said with a flip of her tail as she turned to leave the house.
And Legacy? Marrow asked cautiously.
“Goes with me. Seth warned me once about leaving those I love behind. I do not need to be warned twice on that account,” Jala said firmly. It was risky, of course, taking her son along, but then her mother would likely be going with Nathan, and he was still young. The supply wagons and the camp followers wouldn’t be anywhere near the actual fighting. She could simply leave Legacy in her mother’s care during the actual conflicts. The rest of the time he would be with her and far safer than he would be if she left him behind in the city.
Her gaze moved to the window once more, only this time with a smile on her face. Things were finally falling into place and she was about to receive the reward for her obedience over the past three months. Avanti was about to fall and every bruise and insult would be worth it.
Her horse shifted under her and Jala leaned to the side to pat the gelding lightly on the neck. She couldn’t really blame the horse for being restless. She was sick of waiting, too. Badger let out a long sigh beside her and relaxed more in his saddle, one hand loosely holding his reins. Her father had been her constant company during the trip north, and only left her side in the evenings to seek out his wife and leave her with Jexon.
Glancing over at her, he smiled reassuringly and let out another sigh. “I really hate that veil you know,” Badger muttered sourly. “I’ve been back among the living for three months and I’ve only seen my daughter a handful of times before this march and I’ve yet to see her face. I can’t even tell what you are thinking with that thing on.”
“I’m wondering why we are still standing here. They should be calling people forward to unload the ships by now,” Jala returned lightly, her gaze moving to the wooden gates of Brannaford. Jexon and several of his officers had ridden into the city hours ago and they were yet to receive word back from them.
“My guess would be that the ships haven’t arrived yet. Though I would have thought someone would have sent word to strike camp by now,” Badger said with a shrug.
“I think I may ride through and try to determine the problem,” Jala said hesitantly. She knew she should stay with the main army but Jexon hadn’t officially told her to wait. Though there was, of course, the chance that he would simply ignore her when she asked what the delay was, and he would no doubt be furious with her for coming to find him.
“You missed your friend riding through those gates half an hour past didn’t you?” Badger asked with a grin.
“Which one?” Jala asked, quickly turning back to look at her father. She hadn’t noticed anyone approach the gates though she had been keeping most of her attention on the city.
“The big one with the tattoos around his head. Jail, I believe his name is, though why anyone would name their child that is beyond me,” Badger replied with a smirk.
“He probably used a mind fog to keep anyone from noticing him,” Jala mused quietly and looked at her father with surprise. “You shouldn’t have been able to see him,” she pointed out in a slightly louder voice.
“Aren’t you glad I did, though? Saved you from approaching that horse’s ass that you married. Now we can just wait and see what your friend has to say when he gets back.” Her father grinned at her as he spoke and she felt herself returning the smile. He was exactly as she remembered him from childhood. Calm, logical, and able to make everything better with a few simple words.
“You shouldn’t call him that, daddy,” Jala scolded quietly without much enthusiasm toward her husband’s defense. Her gaze lingered on Badger for a long moment before looking away. It seemed strange to call him daddy or to even think of him as father when she truly looked at him. When Jala was a child, Badger had seemed old. Now she realized he wasn’t much older than Finn had been when she married him. His hair was still dark and only the small lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes showed the hints of his age. Had he been full Elder Blood she doubted he would have looked any older that she did.
“Quite right. It insults horses,” Badger agreed with a grin and nodded his head toward the gates. “See your friend is already on his way back. Not so long to wait, eh.”
Jala turned her attention toward the city and stared hard at its gates before turning back to look at her father with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t see a thing,” she muttered dry
ly.
“Well, he is walking right toward you. Are you blind girl?” her father teased, raising his eyebrows at her twice with a grin on his face.
“Jala,” Jail’s voice came from directly beside her horse and Jala jumped in the saddle at the sound, despite the fact that she should have been expecting it. Looking down she met the Mind mage’s eyes and scowled at the faint smile on his face. “Sorry I should have given you warning,” Jail whispered in a voice that wasn’t the least bit apologetic.
“No worries, Jail. What is it?” Jala said calmly and resisted the desire to glare at her father for the chuckling behind her. It wouldn’t do much good to glare at him anyway. With the veil he would have no way of seeing the expression.
“Issues with the ships. They aren’t here and from the gossip I’m hearing in town we shouldn’t be expecting them. I overheard Jexon saying something about returning to Merro,” Jail explained and all amusement vanished from his face.
“We can’t. The Avanti are already in the Greenwild,” Jala protested.
“I know, Jala, but we can’t very well march without supplies either,” Jail returned with an exasperated sigh as he crossed his arms on her saddle and leaned against her horse looking up at her. “So what do you want to do? I don’t think we have much time before he gives the orders to turn back.”
“Do you know where the biggest merchant in town is?” Jala asked, her gaze returning to the city once more. She wasn’t even sure if Brannaford had enough supplies for an army the size of theirs but she had to try. The real problem was money. She had gold in the bank in Sanctuary, but everything she had brought with her from the city had gone to Kithvaryn to pay for his contract. If the merchants would accept a promissory note with her seal there was no problem, but she wasn’t sure if a town as small as Sanctuary had any merchants that would be willing to do that.
“Not offhand but I can find out easily enough,” Jail said with a shrug.
“Do so,” Jala ordered and sat forward in her saddle once more. Taking her reins up once more she turned her horse and rode back to Wisp who sat with Legacy and Sovann in the grass near the road. “I’m going into the city. Keep Legacy with you, please. There is a bit of a problem with supplies and I’m going to see what I can do to fix it,” Jala told them, waiting just long enough for Wisp to nod before turning her horse once more toward the city.
The sound of hoof beats behind her caused her to glance back and she nearly fell off her horse in shock as she recognized Valor among the small escort that followed her. She had expected her father to come as well as Ash, but Valor was a complete shock. She slowed her horse and allowed the other three to catch up and turned toward Valor with a questioning look. Which he, of course, couldn’t see, she realized with a heavy sigh.
“I really hate that damned veil,” Valor muttered in a perfect echo of her father’s earlier words.
“Pretty pointless isn’t it,” Badger agreed with a firm nod. “Only the damned spooks would be stupid enough to marry a beautiful woman and cover her up from head to toe,” he added and then seemed to realize Ash rode on the other side of him. Coughing lightly Badger grinned sheepishly and shrugged toward Ash. “Present company excluded from that remark of course.”
“No insult taken. I find the veil ridiculous as well. The only reason Jexon forces her to wear it is to lower her self-esteem and irritate her friends,” Ash said calmly.
Tipton’s Warehouse on Saltshore Avenue. That is the answer I’m getting from just about everyone I scan on the biggest merchant. If I’m not mistaken, though, I think that is the one Neph threatened, Jail informed her through a link, and she immediately turned her horse toward the dock district. If she was lucky she might manage to reach the warehouse before Jexon realized she was in the city.
Fortune, it seemed, still showed her a bit of favor and there was no sign of her husband or any of his officers on their way to the merchant. Pulling her horse to a stop, Jala dismounted in front of the shabby warehouse and looked up at it with doubt. The paint was peeling from the walls and most of the boards looked to be rotting. With a sigh, she tossed her reins to her father and headed up the rickety stairs to the door. She paused before opening the door to read the badly faded black lettering that proclaimed the place as
ip on’s Merca ile
Had Jail not insisted that this was the place, she wouldn’t have believed it was still in business, by the looks of it. With a shrug back to her friends she opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit interior of the shop.
A square built man of middle years sat behind the counter with ledger books spread out before him. He looked up sharply at the sound of the door and his face transformed from grim concentration to a smile in a breath. “Ahh, Lady. Welcome,” he said in an overly chipper voice, though it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t sure what to think of her garb.
“Good afternoon,” Jala began as she slowly walked toward the counter, her eyes roving over the stacks of rope and various other supplies that lined the walls. By the manner of goods he carried it was clear that Tipton was more accustomed to provisioning ships than armies, but there was a possibility that he might be able to handle her order.
“Local girl, eh? I wasn’t sure with all of that covering you, but that’s definitely a Greenwild accent,” Tipton said with a grin, his eyes locked on the fine weave of her veil. Silk was rare in the Greenwild and any who could afford it were wealthier than most in Brannaford.
“Actually Merro, though I was raised near here,” Jala said quietly and she watched the man’s expression change at once.
“You tell that bastard Neph that I will have no trade with Merro. I don’t give a rats ass who they got playing High Lady down there I’m not buying it and I won’t be selling nothing to anyone from there. Figures he would try to send a local girl in here hoping he could get a better deal. After the way that bastard acted the last time he was here I woulda thought he would have had more sense than to come back.” The volume of his voice rose with each word in his tirade and Jala was nearly covering her ears by the time he finished.
Slowly, Jala reached up and pulled her veil free, revealing her face and hair. With her other free hand she unclasped the pin that was holding her curls in place and shook her head letting them fall free before locking her gaze once more on the merchant. “Actually, I am High Lady Merrodin,” Jala said softly, allowing the man to stare blankly at her face and eyes. There was no mistaking her for anything other than Elder Blood and she knew it. Her days in Sanctuary had taught her that much. “I apologize for any offense that Neph may have given in my absence. He is Delvay and they are different from us in their manners.”
The man was still staring at her, his expression caught somewhere between shock and anger. Slowly he nodded, though what he meant by the nod she couldn’t guess. It was possible that he was simply agreeing that Neph was rude.
“I have an army outside of Brannaford’s walls. I’m sure you have heard rumor of it,” Jala said as the silence stretched between them. The man nodded once more his expression still one of utter bewilderment. “Our supply ship has been delayed and I’m in need of food and medicinal provisions for my soldiers. I’ve been told that you are the one to speak to about such orders.”
“I usually supply ships, but I might be able to handle enough to last you for a while if the price is right,” Tipton said cautiously his interest returning again.
Jala nodded and exhaled slowly. “My finances are in Sanctuary’s bank, actually. I can offer a promissory note with my signet upon it, but I cannot offer hard coin,” she explained in a quieter voice. This was the difficult part. In most other cities they would have had a bank or a money changer to handle such things, but Brannaford wasn’t large enough for such things.
“You expect me to hand over supplies enough for an army for nothing more than a piece of paper with your mark on it?” Tipton demanded, the volume of his voice rising once more.
“I had hoped you would be will
ing to accept a note of credit for the supplies. The gold is there, Sir. You simply have to cash it in. I’m sure that the short trip to Sanctuary would be more than worth the gold you will charge me for supplies,” Jala returned in what she hoped was a charming voice.
“Sanctuary is held by rebels right now, or had you forgotten that. I’ll not do business for paper, lady. Either bring me coin or find some other fool to deal with,” Tipton declared loudly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
The sound of the door rattling open drew both of their attention. Valor stepped through the door silently and closed it behind him before crossing the room to the counter. With a faint nod to Jala he dropped his bridle down heavily on the counter and looked up to meet Tipton’s eyes. “Those are real sapphires and that is truly a golden bit. Give the lady what she wants and be grateful she offered to buy it rather than simply taking it with her army,” Valor said quietly.
“Yes sir,” Tipton agreed hastily with greed lighting his eyes. Quickly he snatched the bridle from the counter before Valor could change his mind and looked to Jala. “Food you say and Medicines. Of course. Give me but a few moments to check my inventory and I’ll bring you a list of what is available.” He nodded to them both again and swiftly disappeared through another door into the warehouse itself.
Jala watched him go and turned her eyes back to Valor. “You didn’t have to do that, Val, but thank you,” she said softly.
Valor nodded and smiled faintly at her as he leaned back against the rickety counter. “I was getting sick of the golden bit jokes anyway. You owe me another bridle though,” he replied his eyes tracing across her face.
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 42