Blood Of The Righteous

by J. E. Sandoval

  “Oh, Liam, that isn’t true. But I won’t press the matter. I want to give you my most sincere thanks for attending my Test of Combat. It means more to me than you know. I only wish…” Gabriel left the thought unsaid.

  “She is afraid she is going to lose you soon. Don’t take it to heart, my friend. What El does, she does to protect herself, not to hurt you.” Liam patted him on the shoulder. “You are the only family she has left, with Rameus being assigned to Crystal Falls.”

  “She also has you.”

  Liam uncharacteristically laughed outright. “You are too kind, Gabriel. But I am not family. Our fathers were best friends. I love El like a sister, but love and friendship do not a family make.”

  “We shall have to agree to disagree on that point,” said Gabriel. “It is good to see you, Liam. I wish you had come around more in the past few years. Now, if I may take my leave, I must spend the rest of the day in prayer.”

  “May God be with you in your Test of the Angelic Blade. The next time I see you, may I behold a Knight,” he said, showing an emotionless smile.

  Gabriel watched him turn and leave, his heart aching for the stranger that Liam had become.

  * * * * * *

  Eleenia poured the tea into Janelle’s cup.

  “I think you’ll enjoy this blend. The merchant said it was brought all the way from Cathay.”

  Janelle placed a honey dipper into her tea and stirred it around. She took a slurping sip of the hot liquid. “Hm! Quite good,” she said. “How much did he charge you for it?”

  “A full bag for four coppers,” Eleenia said, replacing the teapot on the serving tray.

  “Only four coppers? Did he pinch the bag or mix in some oak leaves?”

  “No, I watched him measure it out. And does it taste of oak leaves?” El asked.

  Janelle took another slurping sip of the brew. “No, I can’t say that it does. But how did you get him to sell it so low?”

  El sipped from her own cup and relished the earthy taste. “My father had us trained in negotiations by Master Cohen himself. You just have to know what to look for. First off, it is summer, and not many people buy tea in the summer. It was also late afternoon, and the tea merchant was hawking very loudly, which indicated he had had a slow day. He was selling outside of a tavern, and the smell of the food had…” El noticed that Janelle’s eyes had begun to glaze over. “It’s not important, I suppose.”

  Inhaling the aroma of the tea deeply, El sat back in her chair.

  Janelle had maintained her family’s house well since her brother and father left on their most recent campaign two years earlier after a month-long leave. With the extra money Janelle had earned training Eleenia while she could still afford the lessons, plus the ample coinage her brother Felix had left her, she had transformed the sparsely furnished dwelling into a respectable home.

  The two friends sat in silence for several moments, drinking their cooling tea.

  Janelle decided to break the silence. “Gabriel most likely would have completed his Test of Combat by now.”

  El sat her teacup down on the saucer with a clank. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You shouldn’t let yourself get so ruffled, El. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “When I was over at the betting parlor the other day, Gabriel was showing less than even money on becoming a knight. A poor bet indeed. The best odds in the whole house were on his failing one of his tests. No one was foolish enough to throw their coin away on that wager,” Janelle said with a wry smirk.

  “People are betting on the Holy Defender initiates?” El asked incredulously.

  Janelle shrugged. “Of course. With no movement on either side of the war in years, plus the last three seasons of plentiful crops, the people have a lot of time on their hands. Not much else is happening, and the goings on in the church are always a source of drama.”

  “You didn’t wager on him, did you?”

  “Of course not. Not worth betting on him making it, and knowing the buffoon I wouldn’t dream of wagering against him.” Janelle raised her teacup to her lips. “Although if the Archbishop kicks by the end of Summerlight I’ll make a few golds,” she said under her breath.

  “Oh, Janelle, you didn’t!” exclaimed Eleenia.

  “It’s not as if I’m causing him to die, El,” she said defensively. “He hasn’t left his bed since the end of Frostwane!”

  El shook her head in mild repugnance. “Gambling on a clergyman’s death. Indeed.”

  Janelle rolled her eyes. “Please. You are beginning to sound like your brother. It’s bad enough that I’ll have to listen to him pontificate for the next several decades. I don’t need two moralistic busybodies in my life.”

  El stopped and glanced towards her friend. “What do you mean? You believe he is going to stay in Avonshire?”

  “Of course,” Janelle said. “Everyone is also talking about his three charges and how after only two years their swordsmanship has become astounding. The consensus opinion is that ‘Brother Gabriel’ will be given the task of training high initiates or even full knights! The Templar Majoris was overheard stating those exact plans. The church would be foolish to send him off somewhere.

  “And you know how much it pains me to say this about that popinjay, so you can rest assured that it is the truth.”

  El smiled. “Thank you. I truly needed to hear that.”

  Janelle sat back on her comfy chair, pulling her legs up under her. A clap of thunder echoed in the distance as rain began to lightly tap upon the roof.

  “It is good to see you out of the library, El,” Janelle said, staring into her teacup while circling her finger around its edge. “Here it is the beginning of Summerlight, and you are so pale I can almost see your guts if you turn against the light.”

  Eleenia let out an exasperated sigh. “Seems I’m not the only one who sounds like Gabriel.”

  “Please. Don’t insult me.”

  * * * * * *

  The Waverunner had put into Northpoint an hour before sunrise, giving them the opportunity to see the great lighthouse beckon them from the ocean. The cool predawn sea breeze and the early morning silence had given the city a surreal feeling that had reminded David of the times he would watch the sleeping city of Lystra from Castle Ki Kalendeen’s parapets before the first light of the new day brought his home town to life. It had given him butterflies in his stomach so badly that even the intense bartering session with one of the local dockside merchants failed to calm him.

  David had sold him three hundred and forty-three bolts of the silk at almost three times what he had paid for them. He would have sold them all, but the merchant had no more money to spend. Large profits caused by overvaluing goods and decreased competition was the one thing the guild had done for the crew of the Waverunner. It almost made up for all of the aggravation and the occasional need to dump cargo when being pursued by a guild enforcer ship. Seeing the crimson flag with a black anchor upon it struck fear into the heart of independent sailors as sure as a red sky in the morning or a blood moon at night. One such ship, The Clearwater, had found its way into the Northpoint port this morning, but it was still being directed in by the time David had completed his transactions.

  After the fight that had given him his scar, David hadn’t ventured out alone from the Waverunner until his seventeenth birthday. Edge had pushed him farther than he thought he could achieve in swordsmanship, and now, there were very few he feared. Having become more streetwise being around Fyke and Captain Karinga, he now knew which areas of the port cities to avoid.

  As per his newly adopted custom when celebrating a particularly profitable transaction, David had made his way to the finest inn that the city could boast after the crew began unloading the bolts of
silk. In Northpoint, his customary venue was The Four Dragons’ Inn. Master Bailey was a kindly older man, and he and his three sons kept the place as clean as possible. Master Bailey was reputed to have once been the assistant cook for the lord of Narbonne in Gaul, and the quality of his food lent credence to his story.

  Midmorning, David had partaken of a particularly delectable dish of sautéed haddock in creamy cheese sauce over red potatoes. It was so good he had ordered seconds.

  His time in port was often limited by the need to sell and procure goods, and he usually spent the day looking for commodities that were of high quality but being sold at bargain prices for one reason or another. He had meant to buy some timber today and take it up to Gylinia. However, with their next stop being Port Cauldwell to unload the rest of the silk, it wasn’t necessary to purchase replacement cargo, as anything he could purchase here would also be available at their destination. The remaining three hundred fifty-seven bolts of cloth would be sold to Lady Malcoeur, and he would worry about restocking the Waverunner then.

  David rested in the cushioned chair at his usual table, his back to the wall. It was still an hour before noon, and he was the only customer in the inn’s dining room. He had several hours before the silk was unloaded, and the tide wasn’t due in until early evening, so he decided to pass the rest of the morning sipping at creamed whiskey and admiring the Narbonnian paraphernalia that lined the dark wooden walls of the inn.

  “Anything else for you, Master Tanner?” said the serving boy, the youngest of Bailey’s sons.

  David tilted his head back, draining the cup of creamed whiskey to the last drop. Smacking his lips, he handed the cup back to the boy. “Another one, please, William. Please make sure it’s cold if possible.” He had considered ordering some lamb to take back with him on board the ship, but it would be cold by the time he was hungry again. The thought of cold meat was even less appetizing than Doc’s many faces of hardtack.

  The boy returned with a full cup of the thick, light brown liquid that David had grown to treasure. David flipped him a silver, which the boy pocketed discreetly. David doubted it would find its way to the till.

  Sunlight filled the inn as a man opened the door and stepped inside. David could not make out who the dark outline was until he closed the door behind him. The man stood for a few seconds, allowing his eyes to adjust to the candle-lit room.

  The eye patch, bald head, and “X” shaped scar on his right cheek told David this was Captain Laudabacker, one of Gaeceric’s guild enforcers. While not as vicious as Captains Ferndock, Frigmar, and Donegal, Laudabacker was still not someone to be trifled with.

  David nonchalantly turned to the side lowering his gaze to his drink, hoping to not be noticed. He had his cutlass and knuckled-dagger with him, but he preferred not to get into a fight, as Gaeceric’s enforcer captains rarely traveled alone. He let out a sigh of relief when Laudabacker sat down at the bar.

  “What can I get you, Mi’lord?” asked William.

  “A flagon of Ulsterian stout, boy,” he said, placing four coppers on the bar.

  William moved to one of the tapped barrels along the wall behind the bar.

  “Not that one, lad, I want the Gillhurst stout.”

  “The Gillhurst stout is a silver per flagon, sir,” he said sheepishly.

  Laudabacker slammed his gloved fist down with a loud bang. “I said Gillhurst, damn it! And four coppers are what I’m going to pay.

  William began to visibly shake. “Yes, Captain,” he said, voice squeaking.

  The bald man rubbed his nose and folded his arms in front of him as he waited for his drink. “I noticed the Waverunner in port. Been told Tanner would be here. Have you seen him?”

  David cursed under his breath as young William pointed a finger, shaking with fear, his way. Instinctively, his left hand slipped into the knuckled grip of his dagger.

  Laudabacker appeared confused for an instant, then followed William’s hand to the dining area. His face lit up with a wide, toothy grin. “As I live and breathe! It IS David Tanner! And he’s all by his self.” He took his stout from the boy and walked towards David’s table.

  David put his right hand on the hilt of his cutlass and planted his feet under him, ready to spring into action.

  The guildsman dismissed his action with a wave of his hand. “No need to be getting all testy, lad. I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to offer you a business proposition.”

  “Any business the guild has with the Waverunner needs to be addressed to Captain Karinga.”

  Laudabacker sat down at David’s table and took a deep drink from his flagon. Setting it down, he wiped the heavy foam from his lips. “I’m not talking about the Waverunner, lad. I’ve a business proposition for you.”

  “Not interested,” David said coldly. He relaxed, but remained alert.

  “Don’t be so hasty. Hear me out.” Laudabacker settled himself in his chair. “Now, you’ve been making a lot of gold for Karinga and Fyke over the last four years. I don’t hold that against you, boy. I know you’re only trying to make a living.” He took another drink from his cup, trying unsuccessfully to string out the conversation for dramatic effect.

  David sighed.

  “However,” Laudabacker continued, “the chickens are coming home to roost, so to speak. Karinga is no longer a minor annoyance to Lord Gaeceric. With the destruction of the Cornwallace and subsequent capture of Black Jack Mulligan, and Black Company’s fleet, Jaxom Karinga is now the most profitable non-guild paying independent that sails the Decian Sea. Gaeceric has offered us a hefty bounty on his head, and we are going to be actively looking for him at sea.”

  “So why tell me this?”

  “Because I want you to leave the Waverunner and come work with me. I’ll pay you double what Karinga pays you, and you can start today. I’m sailing to Port Cirill with the tide tonight on guild business, but I’d like to make some extra gold on the trip.

  “Besides,” Laudabacker said, dropping his tone, “it would be a shame for such a keen mind to go to waste.”

  David leaned in and spoke low, so only the guildsman could hear. “First off, Laudabacker, why don’t you pay William the other six coppers you owe him for your drink. Second, the guild only has itself to thank for Karinga’s success. If that bastard Kirby and his men hadn’t attacked me on the streets of New Portsmouth, the Waverunner would still be running merchant errands and no threat to your sea trade monopoly, if it were in business at all.

  “Now, as to your offer, I appreciate that you think so highly of me, but I am going to have to decline. After what your guildmates did to me that day, I would never work on board a bedeviled guild-cursed ship, nor one that even pays guild dues. However, if you ever decide to leave that pirate organization, keep an eye out for me.”

  Laudabacker rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Huh. Wouldn’t that be something. Leave the guild, take you on my crew, and sail the Decian Sea making more gold than the pontiff himself.” The one-eyed captain shook his head. “No, what am I talking about. The guild owns the Clearwater, and they would forget about Karinga all together until they strung us up.” He cast his gaze downward in disappointment. “You make me sad, Master Tanner. So be it. I still suggest you leave Karinga’s crew this very day.” He stood up and drained the rest of this stout. “I like you, Tanner. I really do. And I am truly sorry for what will happen.”

  David’s eyes followed Laudabacker as he walked out of the inn. He exhaled heavily as the door closed behind the captain, relaxing at having avoided the confrontation. David took drink of his creamed whiskey. It was probably a good idea to get back to the ship.

  The door to the inn burst open, and two dirty, stinking men with clubs drawn walked into The Four Dragons’ Inn. They peered into the relative darkness, and one pointed towards David.

  There was no avoiding a fight now. David slowly drew his knuckled dagger, passing it to his rig
ht hand instead of wielding it in his usual left. This fight would be in close quarters, and Edge had always told him to use the longer blade in the off hand in such situations.

  The men stormed over to David’s table. David, however, leaned back in his chair, waiting for them to make the first move.

  “Ey, Tanner,” said the shorter of the two, “Ya want ta do this here or out back in th’ alley?”

  “Oh, looky here, little Davie likes creamed whiskey! ‘Tis a woman’s drink, ya fop!” said the taller of the two.

  “Gentlemen, this is a nice establishment,” David said, trying not to gag over the intense body odor they gave off. He picked up his cup and looked into it. “You’re stinking up the place something awful. Why don’t you leave before you make my cream curdle?”

  “We gots ta break one a yer arms first, popinjay,” the shorter one said.

  David quickly splashed his drink into the shorter one’s face. As he stood up, he flipped the table over with his off hand in the direction of the taller man.

  As the shorter one was wiping the stinging liquid out of his eyes, David punched him full force in the jaw with his knuckled dagger. Several of the man’s rotting teeth broke under the force of the blow to his jaw and he fell to the ground unconscious.

  His remaining attacker swung his club in a wide arc. David stepped back, drawing his cutlass with his off hand. The filthy pirate followed up with a back swing, but David again stepped back out of his reach. As soon as the heavy club passed his head, David stepped in and made a quick flicking slash with his sword, its curved blade drawing blood from a superficial cut on the man’s right thigh.

  Startled at being cut, the man dropped his guard for an instant, which gave David enough time to punch him with his knuckled dagger on the bridge of his nose.

  The man’s head lolled back and forth as he dropped his club and staggered. David cocked back, readying another blow, but the man took two steps back and fell, hitting his arm off of a table on his way to the ground.

  David sheathed his cutlass, but left his dagger in his hand as he made his way to the door.

  William peeked his head out from behind the bar.