She had come to his rescue once again, stopping another person from wanting to punish him for what he was. In her eyes, his ears didn’t mean he was less than human. He was a person with thoughts and feelings, dreams and regrets like anyone else. Even if he didn’t share those particularities with her. Recon on the Blackbird was important, but Sharlea didn’t need to put Theren in this position so soon after he was just freed. This had to be a test of his loyalty. It better be enough for her, she thought.
“I apologize for Otto. He’s been a pain in my backside since your lord came aboard,” Captain Tully said, offering an apologetic smile. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No,” Serra said simply, wanting nothing more than to get away from him. From everything.
Finn placed his hand on her back. “Belle knows how to take care of herself, as you can see. Can never be too careful. I think it’s important for every woman to be able to defend herself.”
Captain Tully gave a curious glance at Finn. “You make a good point, Lord Holin. Though, I find it strange you provide this… knowledge to a servant. The slave as well?”
Slave. That cursed word again. It sickened Serra so much she wanted to spit.
Before Finn could speak, she said, “Of course, sir. Selwyn is a part of our home. Therefore, a part of our little family. He may be a slave, but Lord Holin would trust him with his life. Far more than some hired bodyguard who would betray him the moment he receives enough coin.”
Captain Tully didn’t reply, but gave her a strange, yet confused look. Was he starting to suspect them? Had she said too much? She should’ve thought before she spoke. This may have cost them the mission. Stupid. Stupid girl. She mentally kicked herself.
But instead of sending them to his brig, Captain Tully thought for a moment then seemed intrigued by her words. His smirk told her it was enough to pique his interest in her more. He was almost… pleased with her answer. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Wanting nothing more than to leave, Serra curtsied and excused herself to the kitchens to make a fitting dinner for the crew. She didn’t look back at the captain or her friends.
A silver mine. That’s what Serra had discovered as she overheard the crew talk amongst themselves during dinner. It was one of the mines used to build Silverhall back in Adhelm many years ago. There were rumors she’d heard that the supply for silver was depleting. Was this one of the few remaining mines that had silver ore left in it? What does the city need with so much of it? Was the duke involved? The captain? Were they selling it off under the king’s nose? There were too many questions and not enough answers.
This could be the information Sharlea was looking for. The connection between Tully and the slave trade her intel suggested. It seemed too convenient though. The evidence was more likely in Tully’s cabin, hidden from view and locked away from prying eyes.
Serra nibbled on her nail nervously. There had to be more to all of this than she was seeing. Finn was convinced that this detour meant nothing important and the information they needed was still in the captain’s cabin, not in some mining town. It only made sense that it was the case.
Theren had kept his distance from her. He barely even looked in her direction whenever they were near one another. It was probably because he didn’t want to attract any more attention to them as they were under constant watch from the others. Or… it was because of the other night when he almost…
Almost kissed her.
No, she didn’t have time to think about that now. The situation was growing too dangerous as it was. The slightest hint of something between herself and Theren could be used against them. If all of this went downhill, they would need to get out of there fast and the less information the crew had on them, the better.
Not to mention the prejudice against his kind. That pig-man would be the first to abuse him in front of her. Just out of spitefulness and revenge for embarrassing him.
She slid open one of the lids to their cargo then dug through the hay and vases to find her equipment. Relieved, she found them still there. The temptation to dress in her normal clothes edged on her mind. She’d felt naked without her weapons on her. The small knife she carried was strictly for up close and personal use. It would do nothing against the entire crew. But if she had her sword and her light body armor, she would make sure each one of them felt her fury.
Sharlea sent them here on suspicion that Captain Tully was involved in the recent slave trade. Her confidence was undeniable. She just needed the final piece of evidence to prove it before she acted.
“Land-ho!” she heard from above.
They were approaching the mine. It was time to see what was so important for Captain Tully to change course. Quickly putting her equipment back, Serra tried to hold the same confidence as Sharlea. To carry herself effortlessly so she too may hide her emotions and play the role she must. She was a simple servant under the care of Lord Holin. Nothing more.
Clouds blanketed the sky, threatening rain, as Serra watched on the edge of the deck for the mine. There were few buildings lining the hill where she could see hints of a rock structure, and three entrances. The rock was colored in light yellow, tan, and spots of orange. Carts filled with worthless rock were scattered across the area in massive piles. Hot yellow sand intertwined with the rocks against the sea.
Her eyes followed a pair of men unloading rocks into one of the piles. Once the ship docked, she could see clearly who was working in these mines.
Elves.
But to her surprise, there were several humans as well. While the elven population was obviously the majority, the smaller number of humans were older. Some of the men were shirtless, exposing the starvation that overtook them. Women were dressed in nothing but rags covering most of their bodies in a loose fashion. Their long hair, unmanaged, was loaded with dirt and dust that complemented the mess on their faces. They must not have bathed in a long time or had much water for that matter.
Captain Tully left his first mate behind. His dark skin almost molded him with the ship as he commanded the rest of the crew. He was a shadow moving along the ship’s deck.
They weren’t supposed to be here for long, only to “pick up a package,” as the captain told Finn. Serra’s confidence wilted when he offered to bring his guests. Wanting to know more about this mine, Finn had accepted with no hesitation, which left Theren and Serra by themselves until the captain offered her his arm. Reluctantly, she took it to play her role despite the musky and salty scent that filled her nose.
Finn had insisted Theren—Selwyn—to join them as well because of yesterday’s incident. Captain Tully scoffed but made no argument. The last thing Theren needed was to be forced to be alone with Otto again.
The steps leading up to the largest building were broken and uneven. They looked as though they were put there in a hurry. Over time, they had barely held together and Serra almost slipped on several of them. Captain Tully grasped her hand, saying it would help him catch her if she fell. She forced herself to act flustered and shy for his amusement.
Most of the miners paid no heed to their presence, but she could share glimpses of some toward her. Their eyes were lifeless as though their own souls were ripped out of them. Starving and forced to work the mines until they dropped dead in their place, they were more like husks of their former selves.
A scream echoed from the cave about a few hundred feet away from them. One of the older male humans was on his back, gripping onto his leg which had been ripped open. A guard, armored in chainmail, kicked him. The guard scowled and demanded he get up, but when the man didn’t, he pulled out his knife and slit his throat. The man’s body jerked, touching his throat, then died within seconds.
If the miners didn’t die in place, if they proved to be no longer useful, they were killed on the spot. Serra forced herself to look away, her lip trembling. She had no weapons, no plan to help them. If she attacked them, it would mean certain death for her and her friends.
; We are here to recon, nothing else. She chanted the words in her mind over and over again. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t replace the scream of that dead man. Guilt wrapped around her throat like a rope, hanging her but never killing her. She had to do something.
“Oh, Captain, would it be all right if I left your side for a moment while you take care of your business? I’d love to see if I can find some…,” she tried to think of something, “peaches for tonight’s dinner. I noticed a small store back there,” she lied, needing any excuse to leave.
Finn chuckled. “Oh, Belle. Do you plan to impose your delicious peach pie on the captain?” He understood what she was trying to do and played along.
Captain Tully stopped, facing her several feet away from the building he led them to. “I suppose. I haven’t had a peach pie in many years.” He grazed his rough fingers against her cheek. “I can only imagine how sweet you can make it.”
He left them and walked into the building. Once Serra was sure he wouldn’t turn back, she turned around with Theren and Finn in tow. “This has to be enough for Sharlea. We need to report this back to her as soon as possible.”
“I want to help them as much as you do, but we’re outnumbered. Thirty, by my last count. We will never win with those odds. Not to mention Tully’s crew back on the ship,” Finn insisted.
“I’m inclined to agree with the dwarf. We’re too outnumbered,” said Theren. Serra stopped in her tracks and faced him.
“These are your people, Theren,” she said in a sharp whisper.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. There’s nothing we can do for them. We’ll be killed by those archers before we even got to the mines.” He pointed to several men standing in the tower.
“Make that thirty-three,” said Finn.
Serra shook her head, stomping her feet faster and muttering curses under her breath. Theren raced after her and pulled on her shoulder to face him. “There are too many, Serra. We will take this information back to Sharlea, but I have no idea where we even are.”
Finn caught up to them. “He’s right. We must get into Tully’s cabin. We must see his map to find this place. He’ll have it marked. I’m sure of it.”
“What makes you say that?”
His face turned grim. “Because I doubt anyone walks freely in here with weapons without being a friend of the guy in charge.”
Replaying Sharlea’s orders in her mind, Serra wondered if this was a suicide mission. Getting into Tully’s cabin to get the information about the silver mine seemed impossible. He would never let her roam freely and examine his map. If he didn’t eat anything on his own ship without it being tasted first, then he would never trust her alone in his cabin.
Serra rubbed her temple. There was only one way for sure she could get in there. She would need to accept his invitation. Chills shot through her body at the thought of him touching her feet. His dirty, grimy hands caressing her toes, making their way up her shin to her… No. She forced the thought away. Weighing her options, it was clear she needed to somehow keep him distracted or out of consciousness so she could freely copy his map.
Recalling what Theren did to his master, she went to Finn’s cabin to find him. Serra found him resting alone, lying on his back with his eyes closed. Finn must’ve been getting dinner or trying to work his magic on the crewmembers to find out more information. “I need your help.”
Theren opened his eyes, facing her. “What do you need?” Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. “Did something happen?”
“No, no, I’m all right. I need the… stuff you used to put your master asleep.” She didn’t know exactly how he made it or how he got his hands on it. It wasn’t something she felt she needed to know. He was no longer with his master and didn’t need that reminder.
Theren threw his legs over the bed and stood. “Why do you want that? We can’t exactly put the entire crew to sleep.”
Although that would make things easier, she thought. “No. I just need to put the captain asleep.”
Theren explained all the ingredients needed for the poison. In low enough doses, it would simply put him out, but in high enough doses, it would slow his heart to the point of a dreamless, permanent sleep. Killing Tully was out of the question, even if he wasn’t the best person. There wasn’t enough evidence to show he was involved in the slave trade yet, if there was any evidence. From what they had found out so far, he was simply a businessman who was making a lot of money in a questionable manner.
Even if he was part of it, they couldn’t outwardly kill him because of it. Killing the captain would involve killing the rest of his crew as a result. Their mission was to find the proof and then return to Sharlea.
Most of the ingredients weren’t on the ship. Theren had bits of the toxic plant remaining, but he didn’t have the rest to make it. He described the process was to boil the plant in hot water then add the rest of the ingredients in the water to add a sweeter taste. They would need to do a little shopping at Valbush before returning to the ship after they met with their contact.
For the rest of the night, Serra focused on cleaning up the bowls from dinner, giving the cook time to catch up on sleep. He was hesitant at first but grateful that someone bothered to offer. The dirty ones soaked in water as she pulled another one out to be scrubbed.
Thoughts tumbled in her mind of what would happen if they found the information Sharlea was after. What was the next step in her plan? How would she take over the city to free the remaining slaves? How did finding this connection with Tully help with said plan?
It was frustrating not knowing her plans. This entire mission, however, was her way of testing them on whether they could get the job done. Serra wondered what her plans were for Theren. He was an elf. Serra felt Sharlea shouldn’t feel like she needed to question his loyalty. It was more his war then theirs, but then, Serra pictured Milena’s face. The way she stared at Theren. Her smile. That lustful look in her eyes.
She scrubbed the next bowl harder.
The thought of him potentially being with someone like her roiled in Serra’s gut. It didn’t feel right that she should carry herself with such confidence. Like she could and should have him. Theren had just become a free man only a little over a week ago. She had no idea what he was going through or how he was handling all of this.
Though… Theren was a free man, which meant he could do as he pleased. If he wanted her as well, there was no stopping him.
Serra thought they were getting close. He even kissed her once, despite being so heavily medicated. It felt real. It would’ve made more sense if she did ask him about it. But what if he had no memory of it? What if it was the madness he spoke of that night?
Although, he held her so close, saying her name as they stood in the hall. He was angry at the very thought of Tully touching her. Did it mean he felt as strongly as she did?
It didn’t make any sense to her. She hadn’t really known him for long, but the connection she felt toward him was undeniable. He understood her pain and comforted her when she mourned her family’s death. He must have felt something for her as well, but how could she tell him? Would it even be… appropriate?
She was human. Theren was an elf. She had never imagined such a pair until she joined the rebellion. As far as she had been able to tell, there was no positive feelings toward her kind from the elves. They hated humans for what they did to their people. Yet, Sharlea let her, Caden, and a dwarf join. Obviously, she didn’t hold the same hatred, or she felt they would be too much use for her to reject them.
An elf and a human being romantically involved… It could mean a death sentence for both. With so much hatred against humans, they would lose their minds if they thought one of their own joined with a human.
When they had prepared for the mission, she noticed Leo often glaring at her and her friends. He would refuse to hand them anything. He’d instead toss their equipment at a table or point at it for them to pick it up themselves. Serra had done her best to ignore it, b
ut it was more than just mild annoyance.
Theren had shown concern for her when they first met Sharlea. The way he caressed her reddened, bruised wrists. It wasn’t unbelievable to assume that Leo noticed it as well. Perhaps that was why Milena grew an interest in him. She wanted to know and understand said interest.
Serra finished the last of the dishes, piling them on top of one another in an organized manner. Pleased with her job well done, she picked up the bucket filled with dirty water and went to the deck. She tossed the water over the railing into the sea.
Taking in the night air, she tried to ignore the guilt that plagued her thoughts. How many more slaves would die before she found a way to get them out of the mine? They were starving—dying—as she stood here waiting for the opportunity to get the evidence Sharlea wanted.
If all of this turned to hell, she would need to commandeer the ship to take it back there, but she would need a lot of men. The three of them would never be enough to take out all the guards. She would practically need a small army. Then the question would be as to where she could send them afterwards. She hoped they weren’t in the same situation as Theren, and that they had a place to live. A place to return to. A home. Family.
Serra prayed that she would return to them in time to give them that chance.
Valbush’s beach was coated in hot sand that seemed to almost burn through Serra’s broken shoe, uncomfortably filling its contents between her toes. The wind was mild, only giving some relief to the unrelenting heat from the sun that glazed its rays on her. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she helped the crew move their cargo from below decks onto the cart on the docks. With each motion, she could feel the captain’s eyes watching her.
Finn had made it loud and clear to the crew that he would send Theren to fetch some supplies while they were here. It gave Theren the proper excuse to collect the ingredients for the potion he needed to make while Finn and Serra went to meet with the contact. The docks were surrounded by small stands and buildings for the travelers. Each was filled with food and clothes, and far too many carried ale.
Rise of the Champion (The Champion Book 1) Page 13