Accidental Champion Boxed Set

by Jamie Davis

  Harley glanced at Cari, a confused look on his face. “You already know Merrick?”

  Cari nodded. “Our paths crossed several days ago.”

  “When I heard the description being passed around by the Duke’s guard, I wondered if it referred to you. I hoped you would find your way to escape the city. I don’t care for His Grace all that much.”

  “Perhaps I have found a way out of the city. That likely depends on you, I suspect. My friend Harley here seems to think you can help me get out of here.”

  Merrick smiled. “I might at that. Come, let’s get inside before someone else seeking easy gold spots you and decides to violate our rules of safe passage.”

  He gestured to the side of the bridge where they’d climbed over the rail moments ago. Cari walked to the edge and looked over. A large, wide barge was docked below, tied up so it rested under the bridge’s eastern edge. A ladder rested on the stone railing lining the side of the bridge. That was where the four had climbed up from the barge below.

  “Well, Harley, I guess we take the chance Merrick isn’t going to double-cross us.”

  “He won’t. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t trust him. He might send you on your way, but he takes the right of safe passage in his enclave seriously. Come on. I’ll help you climb down.”

  Cari swung a leg over the railing and shrugged off Harley’s offered hand to assist her.

  “I don’t need any help. You watch out for yourself.”

  She sidestepped along the outside of the railing until she reached the ladder and climbed down to the barge. Merrick and his men awaited her there.

  Cari hoped trusting the loan shark was the right thing to do. She remained ready for trouble, watching for signs she was being double-crossed.

  Harley climbed down beside her, and Merrick gestured to the barge’s cabin door.

  “I have food and drink below. We can talk about what you need of me there.”

  “Lead on then. I’m right behind you,” Cari said.

  Merrick smiled and bent down to open the door and step through the low-ceilinged entry to the barge’s interior. Cari followed, Harley right behind her. She spotted one of Merrick’s men, as she entered the surprisingly spacious cabin. He was the one called Quint. He glared at Cari.

  Merrick followed her gaze and leveled a stare at his subordinate.

  Quint didn’t need a verbal order. He muttered something under his breath and turned to exit through a door leading deeper into the barge’s interior.

  Merrick watched his man leave then turned back to Cari.

  “Sit, please. I’ll have the men brew some tea. It is a much more civilized beverage for negotiations than ale or even wine, don’t you think?”

  Cari found herself returning his smile. It was the kind of thing her mother might have said, which made her think of home. Were her parents frantically searching for her right now, thinking she’d run away or something, or had her father figured out where she’d gone? Would he find a way to come after her?

  She was still lost in her thoughts when a sailor appeared with a pot of hot water and poured three cups of tea for Merrick, Cari, and Harley.

  “To our mutual friend,” Merrick said, raising his tea cup to Cari. “May he live to pay his debts.”

  Cari raised her cup and then took a sip. The warm tea felt good going down, banishing the last of the night’s chill from her core. She hadn’t realized how cold she’d become walking through the dank streets at night.

  “So, this is all about the money he owes you?”

  “Is there anything else? I’m hoping if I help you reach him, you’ll continue to watch over him and ensure he pays his debt to me.”

  Merrick reached into his pocket and pulled out Cari’s projector cube. “I still have this strange artifact you gave as collateral. Don’t you want it back?”

  “It would be nice,” Cari admitted. “I don’t suppose you’d let me have it now?”

  Merrick laughed and returned the cube to his pocket. “What kind of businessman would I be if I gave up my collateral for sentimental reasons? Don’t worry. I’ll keep it safe for you until you return with either the Prince or the money he owes me.”

  Cari supposed that was fair, but she would like to get it back. It held photos and holovids of her family in addition to her school work, and she didn’t want to lose them if she was truly stuck in this world.

  “Let’s turn to what you said about getting me out of here. You can get me out of the city and on my way to catch up to Timron and my other friend?”

  “As a matter of fact, I can get you out of the city before the sun rises this morning. This barge is set to leave with cargo bound for the coast. The city’s river watch is expecting it to pass through the River Gate in a few hours.”

  “What’s the price of my passage? I assume you don’t offer your services smuggling people and goods in and out of the city without some sort of fee.”

  “In your case, I’ll add it to the cost of collecting the Prince’s debt. Let him pay for it since he’s already late on his payments. We’ll call it an additional collection fee.”

  “That’s very generous of him.” Cari chuckled. “Are you sure he won’t mind?”

  “Seeing as how he’s not here to complain, we’ll have to assume he’s in agreement.”

  “Then I accept your offer to take me down the river and leave the city.”

  “Excellent, we’ll be casting off soon, probably within the hour. I’ll show you where you can wait and hide until we’re past the River Gate.”

  Cari turned to Harley. “I can’t thank you enough, Harley. You’ve helped me when you had no need or duty to do so.”

  “Not true, Cari. It’s a duty owed by my family for the person who freed my gramps from slavery many years ago. I am honored to pay back that debt and help free another.”

  Harley extended a hand, and Cari reached out and clasped wrists with the city watchman.

  “I’ll be here when you return. Don’t hesitate to seek me for more help if you need it."

  “What makes you think I’ll be back?” Cari asked.

  “The Empress is here and she still needs your help,” Harley said. “You’ll be back. I’m certain of it.”

  Cari smiled. Perhaps he was right. She turned and followed Merrick down the barge’s passageway to her hiding place. For now, though, it was time to leave the city.

  Chapter 17

  After Harley took his leave, Merrick led Cari down into the bowels of the barge amidst the cargo bound for towns down the river. Beyond the cargo hold were two more rooms. The larger of the two housed a double row of bunks for the small group of river sailors who crewed the barge up and down the river. The other contained ropes, pulleys, and a host of tools used to manage the cargo and repair the vessel when needed. All were hung on pegs and hooks mounted in the walls of the small room.

  Stopping outside the tool room, Merrick stepped inside and pulled a hidden lever. The back wall of the room popped open a few inches. He stepped back and gestured to Cari.

  “Behind that panel is a small space where you may wait while we pole the boat through the city canals and locks to the River Gate. Once we’re away from the city, I’ll send someone to fetch you. An inspector from the city will surely board us when we arrive at the gate. Just remain quiet while we handle the business of the inspection. It should only take a few minutes and then we’ll be on our way.”

  “This will be fine,” Cari said after stepping into the tool room and pulling the panel open. The space behind the panel was tiny, but there was room to sit down and rest. She could use some rest.

  Cari turned to Merrick. “Thank you again for helping me on my journey.”

  He shrugged. “It’s good business. You just make sure I get paid.”

  “I’ll do my best. You understand I can make no promises.”

  “I know, but I believe you are a person of your word. If you say you’ll do your best to make him pay me, you’ll do just that
.”

  Cari nodded and pulled the panel closed until it clicked. She could see the latching mechanism on the inner side of the panel. It looked easy enough to operate from this side, so she wouldn’t be trapped. The light in the tiny space dimmed as Merrick shut the outer door. It was dark in the smuggler’s hiding spot, but some light filtered into the room through the cracks in the wooden wall between her and the hold.

  She sat on a crate on the floor, leaning against the outer hull, settling in for a long wait. The motion of the barge in the water changed a little after a few minutes, and Cari realized they had cast off and were moving down the canal towards the River Gate. She was on her way.

  Cari leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She’d been up for almost a full day and was still slightly wounded from her escape from the Duke’s palace. The barge’s gentle rocking completed the equation, and soon she was asleep.

  Voices just outside the hidden room caused Cari to jerk upright, and for a few seconds, she experienced complete disorientation. She had dreamt she was home in her own bed, so waking up here in the hidden compartment of a medieval barge was jarring. Cari gathered her wits quickly and strained to listen to the two muffled, unidentified male voices outside in the hold.

  “I don’t care what the usual inspector accepts as a bribe, I’m not the usual inspector and I intend to search every inch of this barge.”

  “If you’d just tell me what you’re looking for, I could perhaps help you find it.”

  “We got word from a source in your factor’s enclave that a fugitive is on board this vessel.”

  “This is a cargo barge. We don’t take passengers. We don’t even have cabins except what passes for a crew bunk room right there.”

  “Yes, and you’ve shown me that rathole. But don’t tell me you don’t smuggle things on this barge. You’re all smugglers at heart. I know you’ve got some hidden hole or compartment where you keep things from people like me. It will go a lot better for you if you show me where it is so I don’t have to find it for myself. Otherwise, you’re not going anywhere and I’ll bring a whole squad of the Duke’s guard down here and tear this place apart.”

  Cari drew her dagger and held it ready in front of her. There was no room for the sword in this cramped compartment, so her dagger would have to do. The outer door to the tool room opened, and additional light from a lantern poured in. Cari could see through a crack in the planks of the false wall as one of the barge’s crew pointed into the tool room. A man in the uniform of the Duke’s guard stood next to him, peering in.

  She readied her blade to surprise the guard. It was only a matter of time before he found the hidden lever.

  “Stop!” Merrick said from somewhere out of sight. “I demand you stop harassing my crew and let this vessel pass downriver.”

  The guard took a last look into the room and turned away to face back into the hold.

  “And who are you to make such a demand? You aren’t my superior officer.”

  “I’m the owner of this barge, and I have this letter of passage signed by the Duke himself. When I am traveling aboard, I’m not to be detained from my duties. I have to be downriver for an important meeting by tonight, and you and your mysterious inspection are going to make me late. I’ll have you fired, or worse, if you don’t let me pass immediately.”

  “Let me see this letter of yours.”

  The sound of rustling paper was soon followed by a curse from the guard, suggesting Merrick’s letter from the Duke was real. What a handy thing to have, Cari thought. It wasn’t by chance, she was sure. Merrick didn’t seem to be a man who took unnecessary risks.

  “As you can see,” Merrick said, “the letter and seal are genuine. Now, it appears you’ve inspected the vessel. Have you found anything to lead you to believe there is anyone here but myself and the crew?”

  “No, but…”

  “There are no ‘buts’ about it. You haven’t discovered anything at all. I don’t know who you got your information from, but there are probably fifty barges out there waiting for inspection. Your fugitive is likely on one of the others because I can assure you there is no one on this barge that I don’t know about.”

  “Yes, sir. Of course, you’re right, sir.”

  The guard stepped away from the doorway, and the crewman closed the tool room door.

  Footsteps moved away from Cari’s hiding place, and another door shut, leaving her in relative silence once again. Realizing she’d been holding her breath, Cari let out a long sigh and sheathed her dagger.

  She’d been sure she was going to have to defend herself and make a run for it right past a squad of the Duke’s guards.

  The barge began rocking again, and soon they were on the way down the river. She heard shouts of orders from up above and the sound of running footsteps pounding overhead as the crew went about the work of operating the barge once it was underway.

  Fifteen minutes later, the outer door opened, and Merrick called in to her.

  “You can come out now, Cari. We’re out of the city.”

  Cari popped open the panel and shot Merrick a smile.“That was a close one with the inspection, right?”

  Merrick shook his head. “Closer than I expected. I need to have some words with my people back at the enclave. Someone tipped off that guard captain.”

  Cari walked with Merrick back towards the stairs up to the main deck. A thought occurred to her.

  “You think it was Quint? Isn’t he here with us?”

  “Him, or more likely one of his relatives in the enclave. I’ll get to the bottom of it. This isn’t personal, no matter who you killed. You’re under my protection. It’s business and there’s no place for feelings in it as far as I’m concerned. ”

  Cari pondered how callous it was to think business outweighed someone’s death, even if it worked to her benefit. Either Merrick was a cold-hearted individual, or he was up to something else. Her arrival on deck distracted her from her suspicious thoughts as she got her first good look at the countryside outside the Crystal City.

  The view from the river was spectacular. A broad plain stretched off in both directions, dotted here and there with small farm communities and tilled fields. Beyond the river plain, Cari could make out rolling hills stretching into the distance.

  The city filled the horizon behind them with the great reflective walls of magically polished stone rising up from the ground, giving the capital its name. She took a deep breath and smiled. She wasn’t smelling human waste and other odors common to the city anymore. The fresh air made her grin. She’d become used to the dirt and grime of the medieval city over the last week or so and hadn’t even noticed the smells anymore until they were gone.

  Merrick noted the look on her face. “It’s good to get away from the city and see the way the ordinary folk live, isn’t it?”

  “I didn’t know what it looked like outside the city. It’s beautiful. Is the whole journey to the coast like this?”

  “How is it you’ve never seen outside the city’s walls? Were you kept prisoner inside all your life or something?”

  “I came to the city by, uh, unconventional means, shall we say,” Cari said. “Where I come from, there are few places of open land like this anymore.”

  “What a shame for you and your people, then. It is a joy to drink in this view as we travel down the river. If you think this is good, wait until we pass among the trees of the great southern forest. It all depends on how long you intend to stay with us. I’m not sure how far you’re going. All we discussed was getting you outside the walls.”

  Cari decided she had to share some of what she knew with Merrick. He had gotten her this far, after all.

  “I need to get to a place called Morton Creek. I haven’t even seen a map, but I get a sense it is four to five days by fast horse from the capital.”

  “It is, though we’ll cut off some of that time for you. If we put you ashore when we get to the other side of the southern forest, you’ll be about one
-and-a-half day’s travel on foot from Morton Creek.”

  “When do we reach the forest?”

  “With the current behind us, it will be two days from now. That should cut a day or two off your trip.”

  A crewman came over and whispered something in Merrick’s ear.

  “Um, if you’ll excuse me, I have something else to attend to. Feel free to explore the ship but try to stay out of the crew’s way. The cook will prepare a midday meal which we eat up here on deck when the weather permits. Until then, I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”

  “Thank you, Merrick. See you at lunch.”

  Cari walked to the rail and spent the morning watching the countryside pass by and listening to the crewmen at work. They told some interesting tales of their exploits in love and other adventures. She suspected less than half of what they claimed was true, but the stories did make her smile.

  After lunch, Cari decided to try to stretch out her sore shoulder injured during her escape. According to her stats, her health points weren’t healing on their own, though she probably needed more than a few hours’ rest for that to work.

  Stretching seemed to help, though, and after going through a routine from her taekwondo training, a new message popped up.

  Healing action: Health +2

  A quick glance at her health stats revealed she’d regained some of her health points.

  Health: 54/60

  Her sensei had always touted the benefits of the meditative routine she’d used. Cari had always thought he was just spouting off some sort of eastern mysticism. Given how effective it was, she’d try the stretching and training routine again tomorrow after a good night’s sleep and see if she could regain more points. It would be nice to be fully healed before she headed out across country alone.

  For now, Cari sat back against the deck rail and watched the countryside drift by, enjoying the view, free from the concerns of the past few days. She was happy to let her mind wander as they floated down the river. It would be time to revisit everything all over again soon enough once she was on the road to Morton Creek.