Halence paused a moment as if collecting himself, and Sorn did indeed feel both embarrassed and furious with himself. He hated the feeling of being trapped, and frustrated as well because Halence did make painful sense. Sorn needed to accompany them. Not only because he had signed a contract which precluded all other options in any case, but also to warn the very people he had hoped to save from one conquest about the growing threat of another hostile force. And who was he to bridle under the weight of a contract he had freely signed? Like an eggling at best. Pathetic and unworthy. And to insult the rightful obligatee. It was an appalling breach of etiquette.
Were Sorn not so filled with bitter frustration, he would apologize immediately. But to be trapped by this man's whim, when he knew he could make a difference! At the very least, he could try. And Halence was wrong to think he would endanger his family, even should Empire forces give the order to attack. Sorn would direct his cousins to strike at breaks in Caverenoc's defenses alone, blasting desperate invaders trying to crest the wall, avoiding line-of-sight engagement with the swarm outside. His cousins would only face small clusters of disoriented soldiers trying to protect themselves from furious defenders on multiple fronts.
His kin should be safe, even in their present forms, unless Caverenoc's massive walls were actually shattered by Empire forces, catapults and ballistae suddenly able to draw a bead on his cousins. Should their foes truly have such power at their disposal, Sorn would accept his failure, he and his cousins retreating across the Casroth Sea long before siege weapons were dragged across shattered city walls, however galling such a disgrace would be. Sorn would endure it, for his cousin's sake.
There were risks, of course, but Sorn was not quite the fool Halence feared. Yet he would not even get the chance to help defend Caverenoc. Not yet, at least. His only real consolation was the fact that it was indeed imperative that the northern kingdoms be warned, the sooner the better, and thus Halence appeared to be acting from more than simple self-interest.
Sorn settled for seething quietly in accompaniment to Halence's cold silence.
The carriage rode on for some time in strained silence before Halence abruptly stamped on the carriage floor. "The house on the left, driver," he shouted, the carriage slowly pulling up before the front gate of what looked to be an elegant mansion, from what Sorn could see past the guards at the front gate. Halence, his tall lithe form elegantly dressed in the dining outfit provided by the king's men for their royal dinner, raven dark hair tied back with a band of polished silver, did not look at all out of place in these upper-class surroundings.
Hand on the carriage door, Halence turned to face his still brooding companion once more. "The king was good enough to give me a signed statement verifying all that we have heard this night about the invading forces, together with signed statements from any number of refugees. Rest assured, Sorn, I did not spend the entire time haggling over profit, as you shall soon see."
With an aristocratic tilt of his head, Halence acknowledged the guard's polite attention as they made their way from the carriage. "Greetings. I am Captain Halence, recently arrived from the ship Redoubt, here to see your lord."
The guards gave Halence a polite once-over before telling him to kindly wait while one of them informed the lord of the residence of Halence's arrival. Though the guards walk had been casual as he approached the elegant looking home, he was all but running as he returned, a bit pale-faced in fact. "Lord Salevin will see you at your convenience," The guard said somewhat breathlessly, to his fellows' mild surprise.
Halence only flashed a private smile and made a polite gesture for his companion to accompany him. Sorn, also elegantly attired and clearly with this man of importance, was given no trouble by the guards as the two made their way to the home within.
"Now is our first potential passenger, Sorn." Halence spoke softly, his voice controlled, but giving hint to the barely concealed excitement and hunger just underneath. His earlier frustration and anger at Sorn's behavior had cooled, though he evidently didn't want to take any chances of further dissension within the ranks.
"He will be anxious to seek accommodations but will not want us to see it. He knows we may well spell the only hope for him and his family but will seek to maintain an image of strength before us. Be forewarned, Sorn, I shall be mentioning what we spoke of earlier, so keep a cool head on your shoulders. And Sorn?" Halence paused a second as if giving his young companion a moment to brace himself. "Like it or not, I may need you to display what you are capable of." Sorn glared and Halence immediately spoke on.
"Now I am not asking you to perform parlor tricks like a stage magician at every house we come to," Halence soothed. "But when all is said and done, and our customers await boarding at the pier, I suspect that at least one demonstration of your ability to keep us all safe in the voyage ahead will be required. Look at it this way, it will be good for morale for our crew as well, and you may do so wearing a hooded cloak to keep your own anonymity, should you so choose. But, Sorn, let me be clear. I do consider this part of fulfilling your obligation to protect our mutual profits during this voyage, and out of courtesy to you, I am minimizing my request when I would be well within my rights to ask you to perform feats of arcane lore at every home we come to ‘till you can perform no more, if it helps secure a passenger and thus our profit!"
Sorn was left near breathless, stunned by how utterly ignorant he had been in regards to what he had signed, to find that protecting profits could be interpreted in such a loose way so as to not only require his diligence at sea, but also to display himself, openly, to attract prospects on land. Yet it was as if Halence could sense the surprised outrage that was once again racing through Sorn, for he gently gripped the young man’s shoulder, capturing Sorn’s gaze with his own. His words were spoken with an intense urgency, calculated to have the necessary impact to break through his partner’s frustrated pride.
"The bottom line, Sorn, is that when all is said and done, all arguments and declarations to the side, we are saving lives here. Every bit as much as you managed to save my ship and crew from certain death, only a handful of hours ago.
“Every family we impress while we are here is a family that makes the voyage with us and so is given a second chance at survival, prosperity, even happiness in a land where they are still free to pursue those goals, and where their self-respect and integrity can remain intact. Every family that lacks the confidence to join us is one more family that will more than likely find its sons declared prisoners of war, sent off to slowly die in the copper mines, ravaged by brutal conditions, forced labor, malnutrition, and the slow poison that spells the doom of all the workers in those hellish pits over time. If the noble houses are not killed outright in this war, they will undoubtedly be stripped of lands, titles, and possessions, at best becoming little more than indentured servants themselves in service to this Empire."
Halence wisely forbore to comment on what was likely to befall the daughters of these noble houses, remembering all too clearly, perhaps, how close to the surface already were Sorn's own barely understood passions and outrage on their behalf.
"I am letting you know now, Sorn, that once inside, I will pull no punches. So if you wish, you may wait in the foyer, or I could even have the carriage send you home, though in truth I hope you will choose to accompany me."
Halence sighed. "Originally, Sorn, I had hoped you would be supportive of this mutual venture, and if anything, be willing to add weight to my words. Obviously, I did not factor in how earlier events would affect you on this night." Halence gave a somewhat bitter smile. "You see? I myself am hardly the perfect trader. I make mistakes as well. Still, at the very least you may find it educational. Nonetheless, I leave the choice up to you."
Sorn stood there a moment, reflecting upon all Halence had spoken of, before giving an acquiescent nod of his head. His bitter frustration finally turned to rueful acceptance as he acknowledged both the weight of Halence’s words and the need to accept re
sponsibility for his own actions. He was still angry with himself for having allowed himself to be tied up so neatly contractually, but was man enough to accept it, honor his commitments, and learn from it. So too, the more he allowed objective reasoning to take precedence over his aching passions, the more he found himself able to sympathize not only with Halence’s position, but with his present plan of action as well.
Truly, Halence did need him, or the captain and his ship did not stand a chance in hell of breaking through the blockade a second time. Furthermore, if all of their fears in regards to a southern Empire were correct, and Sorn had seen the thousands of campfires out there, little more than half a mile or so from the great walls of Caverenoc, the north did indeed need to be warned if they were to have a hope of organizing a united front against this potential threat.
Halence's need to leave was a given, and yet he need not leave alone. He could take perhaps a dozen families with him. People whose very lives of privilege and comfort now would make them prime targets for the enemy to come. From what Sorn had studied of history, as different as those cultures were from this, the well-to-do who were not secretly cooperating with the enemy and unable to flee were often forced to suffer far worse degradation than the average citizen who was lost in the crowd. Indeed, from what little Sorn had learned so far this night, this Empire was more brutal than most, and the male heirs of any house were almost certainly doomed to death, and a slow and degrading one at that. To say nothing of a family's beloved daughters, the depredations that they would be forced to endure Halence having kindly forbore mentioning in this quick conference as they made their way to the house before them.
So the bottom line was that Halence had to warn the north, Sorn needed to go with him to both protect him and to honor his commitment, and in doing so they could at least assure that the hopes, dreams, and lives of a dozen noble families would survive the terrors ahead. And nothing, Sorn thought with a savage sense of satisfaction, need prevent him from returning afterwards, on his own terms. The walls of Caverenoc were thick and strong. Goodness willing, they would hold.
Having made peace with himself, a rueful Sorn turned to face Halence's not unconcerned gaze. "As I seem to have hung my own self out to dry, Captain, I really can't complain too bitterly as to how wrinkly my life has become. When all is said and done, I have no one to blame but myself for what my pen gave signature to. So rest assured, I will do my utmost to honor our contract as best I can. And my frustrations aside, I truly do see the worth of your actions. The north does need to be warned, and you do have an opportunity to save the lives of who knows how many families before you go."
Sorn gave a slight rueful chuckle at that point. "One question, Captain. Did you, when we had mutually renegotiated the contract, have any idea what Caverenoc would be up against?"
Halence paused a second, giving the question a moment's honest reflection. "Did I think war was being waged on the southern continent and that Caverenoc was undergoing a siege? Yes. Did I have any idea a new southern empire was being forged, and that its forces were so vast? Not at all. In truth, I had thought that the 'endless walls' of Caverenoc would prove the match for any foe who would simply shatter themselves against its surface like waves breaking against a cliff face, and to no greater effect. I had hopes, I will admit, of enticing perhaps a few nobles to join us, assuming the blockade was not too fierce, just so they could enjoy life free of the siege."
Gaze hard and sad, Halence shook his head. "I had no idea things were quite this bleak. Believe me, Sorn, had I known the true extent of the situation, I would have had you stay on the ship. I was your age once, my young friend. I know what it is to identify with a hopeless cause and desire to struggle against all odds, especially if it had come to pass that my heart was also involved."
Halence sighed. "One thing you learn as you get older, Sorn, is that some causes are, indeed, hopeless. Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is to accept the unchangeable, deal with the bitter blows life sends your way, and continue to live as best you can. Seeking oblivion in a cause that will only spell your own destruction is little better than an acceptable pretext for suicide."
His gaze turned reflective. "You have lived long enough to see glory on my voyage alone, Sorn, so more power to you. Rest assured, should you survive the passions of youth, you will have lived long enough to see overwhelming odds and defeat, and to realize that though fate may have seen fit to grant you a moment or two of glory, at the same time, it has no mercy for any man, and a glorious destiny is promised to no one. Indeed, overwhelming odds and despair are more often than not the lot of the common man, and there is absolutely nothing he can do about it."
Halence brooded a moment before continuing.
"In a sense, Sorn, we are giving these families a chance to avoid the grimmest of fates. To save their children from the nightmare of slavery, and the horrors they would be forced to endure." Halence dipped his head, as if conceding a point. "These noble families have wealth, yes, and this wealth will be what allows them to invest in York, or elsewhere in Famil, whether it be land, a business, a ship for trade, or what have you. Sailing with us is their chance to start fresh, to gift their children with lives of safety and prosperity, leaving this nightmare behind."
Halence gazed intently at Sorn. "It is my hope that you are able to appreciate the situation as I have explained it, and would be willing to give me your active support in the meetings ahead. But if you still find yourself reluctant, I do understand and would fully respect your returning to the ship. After all, my friend, I was your age once myself, and understand well the passions that drive any man."
Sorn felt himself torn. He was still frustrated at feeling trapped into the voyage back, as much as he now found solace in understanding its keen importance. For not only was Sorn’s protection needed to secure the lives of their own crew on the return voyage home, but also to warn the north of a major threat from the south and so give them much needed time to prepare themselves. Sorn, in all fairness, could not deny how grave the situation was.
The issue of the contract completely aside, Sorn allowed himself to ponder a moment the ramifications, should he and his cousins stay in Caverenoc. Without a doubt, the ship whose crew Sorn had grown so close to would be lost, and his friends would perish in an unmarked grave at sea. And the fault would be his, he who had abandoned his friends who had counted on him, when they needed him for their very lives. Even now Sorn's mind ruthlessly replayed the look of terror of that one poor sailor who had burned alive, and the thought of that happening to Bates, to Halence, to the entire crew, was too terrible to even contemplate. More abstract but perhaps of even greater consequence was the fact that the north would be unwarned and vulnerable.
His heart heavy, Sorn could only shake his head. For all that it struck a bitter chord, he had to acknowledge that this seeming retreat from a city and, perhaps, a girl that needed him, was for unquestionably sound reasons. But nothing, he reminded himself savagely, need prevent him from returning from a newly warned north to do what he could for this city and a certain special girl within.
"No, Captain. Your position has merit. If nothing else, the north needs to be warned, and I need to make sure my cousins are safe, and arrangements are made for them. And as long as we are to return, we might as well bring as many as we safely can, for their lives may well depend upon it, and doing so, there is merit to securing ourselves as great a profit as we can. If nothing else, I can bequeath my share to my cousins through our factor. So yes, Captain, I will support you in this. As to whether I will demonstrate parlor tricks, that we shall see."
Halence said nothing for a moment, but gave Sorn's shoulder a quiet squeeze as they approached the front doors. "I am glad to hear it, my young friend. I am indeed glad to hear it." Halence gave Sorn a warm smile as he continued. "It sounds like your planning on coming back, Sorn," He said bemusedly.
"Oh that I am, Captain. That I am." Countenance grim, Sorn's words carried a soft and de
adly promise all their own.
Halence's eyebrows rose as he gently set them to a stop once more. "Sorn,” he said with some concern, "you do realize that I will not be running the blockade back to Caverenoc a second time, don't you? This one time was a terrible risk in and of itself, and with the profits we will accrue, there is no longer a valid excuse to risk the lives of my entire crew, myself included, again. Many of my men have families of their own, and with the bonuses I plan on paying them, they will have a security that will allow them to go without work for one or more years, should they choose, so long as they are frugal. This gives them a security they never had before.
"Heretofore, a sailor as often as not had to take whatever voyage was open to them, no matter how hair-brained or risky, subject to hardship and degradation with their lives in continuous danger, as they strive to support themselves and their families both. Though less so with my ship than most, all too often these sailors perish in their gamble with the sea. The sailor's family then suffers a double tragedy, the loss of their loved one and the income he provides to support them both. The family is often left destitute and the mother, alone and penniless, is forced to endure whatever degrading or menial job enables her and her children to survive. In point of fact, Sorn, I'll have you know I pay a stipend to the wives of two sailors I lost, more than most other captains would think to do, and giving them hope where otherwise there would be, for them, none." Halence paused for a moment, and Sorn had to give him credit, at least, for caring for the well-being of his men.
"What I am trying to say is that now my men will have even less need than ever before to take a risk that will be all the greater the next time around. Think, Sorn, if we leave tomorrow night, or the following night at the latest, the enemy will have only had two days to recover from what we did to them and to try to develop countermeasures. Likely there will be nothing they can do. But once we leave, if we were to choose to return, it would be near two weeks before we could do so. And who knows, my young friend, they might have genuine war galleys out here by that time, launching multiple mounted crossbows with pitch at us, or volleys of flaming arrows from mounted catapults, or worse, perhaps they will have dispatched a full mage of their own. True, it may be unlikely, but as this force has managed to silently conquer near the entirety of this continent, systematically, with sufficient organization to field tens of thousands of troops, you have to consider that they may well be sophisticated enough to develop countermeasures even against opposing mages. I am no mage of course, so I can't be certain. I can only say that whereas I feel we still have them off guard if we leave within the next few days, in a few weeks time it may be they who have a surprise in store for us. A surprise I am not eager to have unveiled."
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