“Permission to board!” called a dark-haired, thin man from the deck of the smaller ship as he shaded his eyes and looked up. There were about ten other men that looked like armed guards who looked attentive but not overly worried as they stood behind the man. Lieutenant Kel came to the side, looking toward his father who nodded before calling back down to the man.
“Welcome aboard! Two guards only, please,” he said, then waited as two sailors threw down a climbing net for the man to make his way aboard. A guard preceded him up, but the man wasn’t very far behind, making his way without hesitation. Despite being well dressed, he looked to be used to physical activity and wasn’t even breathing hard by the time he settled himself onto the Gerevat.
The first thing Aiden noticed was how short and slight the guards were compared to their own people of Terek, much less Stelios' guards. Each was smartly dressed in a remarkably stylish uniform in burgundy and cream with a pair of short swords at their waist. Though small, they looked competent enough and Aiden didn’t want to find out how effective those swords might be.
The man they were escorting was equally as slim, holding himself with a rigid politeness as he faced the lieutenant, accepting his greetings as the representative of the ship and then turning toward the Duke before bowing with a decorative flourish.
“Duke Valeran Terek, it is not with a small bit of surprise and pleasure that we greet you,” the small man said, looking up with an almost mirthful twinkle. “Truthfully, Her Grace was despairing she would not have the opportunity to host you in her house these next few weeks. I am almost certain I saw her frown at the thought. Just once, mind you, but for her, it is tantamount to breaking the fine dishes and beheading the servants.”
Duke Valeran chuckled and returned the bow before engulfing the small man’s hand in his own. “I can imagine, Romald! Did you all clear the palace and hide out when she did? Must have been terrifying. How is the old snow queen these days, anyway? Ahnarad sends her regrets she was not able to attend, but one of us has to stay and tend to things. You know she doesn’t trust me with the books.”
“Ah! Ah? Sends her regards? Does that mean you were able to return to Terek before coming?” Romald said as his nose started twitching, looking at the Duke out of the side of his eyes. “I…was of the understanding it would not be possible? Then again, you are here in an impossibly fast time frame, as well. Perhaps a story to tell?”
Valeran laughed but shook his head. “A mystery indeed, but I’m not foolish enough to tell you that before Emraldi. She’d never forgive me and I don’t really want to be the target of her wit through the next ten years. I think I just timed out of her last list as it is.”
“Well, one must try, Your Grace. Still, a greater mystery is at hand as you no doubt have suspected. Her Grace wishes for you to dock at the Bastion of the Golden Hand.” Romald turned, gesturing toward one of the great towers just to the right of where they were headed. Each tower was decorated in a different fashion, and the one Romald gestured toward had huge arms running up along its sides with open palms facing outwards as they rose above the topmost turrets. “It will be…easier to tend to your needs there. Especially since you seem to be rather light on soldiers? Can you have your Captain change course?” he finished, raising his eyebrow to Lieutenant Kel who nodded and ran off toward the wheel house.
The small man smiled after the retreating Lieutenant. “He has your eyes but my sister’s height,” he finally said.
Valeran grinned and nodded. “And a fine officer, so far. Kept his head during this trip, and Captain Grell only has good things to say about him. Never in his hearing, of course.”
“And doing the duties of the first officer?” Romald raised his eyebrows again in question toward the Duke, obviously digging for information.
Duke Valeran eyed him for a moment before relenting. “Yes. The original first and second officers were not fortunate enough to survive. The trip to Riften has not been without its adventures.”
“And you sailed the entire way? Not flying?”
“Not flying.” Valeran shook his head. “But near enough. We’ve come by some unexpected luck, Romald, and I hope it stays with us. I suspect we’ll be needing it in this wonderful city of yours.”
The small man smiled and then turned toward Aiden, tilting his head as his keen brown eyes studied him intently. “Luck, indeed. Usually a lady, but perhaps in this moment it does not matter?”
Valeran blew out a breath in exasperation. “Damn your spy network, Romald. You already know all about Aiden, don’t you? Tell me, did it hurt waiting for the right moment to reveal yourself?”
Laughing, the man’s eyes twinkled though they didn’t leave Aiden’s face. “Art hurts, Valeran. It always has, but I wouldn’t dream of saying I know everything. Truthfully, there is always something else to find.” Romald paused, then gave a sort of half-bow to Aiden before straightening.
The intensity of the man’s gaze was almost shocking as it was turned fully onto him. Aiden blinked, watching as Glowby buzzed warily around Romald before Aiden remembered to bow clumsily. For a long moment, the man just watched him with a palpable expectation. One which Aiden felt heavily before stuttering out. “I…I don’t know there’s that much to know, sir.”
“A blessing and a curse is being humble, young Lord Wilthorn. There is far more about you than one sentence says, and worse, you already know it.” Romald winked before touching the side of his nose. “That just makes me more curious. And curiosity is my curse.”
Aiden could feel a strange sensation creep up his spine. This man looked mild and friendly, but when the man spoke to him he almost felt like he did when Oya Dihya was stalking him on the sands of the arena. He wasn’t threatening in the least, but he was frightening and he couldn’t tell exactly why.
“Very well, Romald. Enough terrifying Aiden,” the Duke said, coming up alongside Aiden and clapping him on the shoulder, breaking the strange moment. “We’ll follow you into the dock and we will be more than happy to accept your wife's offer of sanctuary. Very welcome, actually. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I don’t have near the forces to handle this den of thieves and cutthroats.”
Romald held Aiden's eyes for a moment more before bowing, breaking his gaze and turning back to the Duke. Aiden was thankful. It felt as if the man was peeling back his life moment by moment.
“Of course, your Grace. I will be able to tell you more once we are in a more…secure location. Too many watchful eyes out here and only half of them are mine.” The small man turned, climbing nimbly down the rope ladder with his two guards and returned to his small ship. Aiden watched him go with some relief and suddenly realized he himself had been sweating.
“Don’t worry about Romald, Aiden. He’s probably one of the most dangerous people in this city, but at least he’s on our side. However, he does like his games and at least I know why he came out here himself.”
Aiden glanced up at the Duke, wiping his forehead and rubbing his hand on his tunic. “What do you mean, sir?”
Valeran looked at Aiden slyly, waiting to make sure the small ship was well and away before answering. “I mean,“ the Duke spoke softly, “he was out here to see you, boy. Probably also to see the state of our ship. I’m sure they are all baffled at how we got here so quickly with so few crew, but you were the real reason he came out here.”
“Why me, sir?” Aiden said, then winced at something Headmaster Bing had said to him once about saying why me and then having interesting times. He was beginning to understand what the man meant. “I mean, how would they even know about me?”
“Oh, they know about you. In fact, you are one of the reasons they are nominally having this little get together early.” The big man paused, then turned more fully to Aiden and frowned. “It’s important you learn this, Aiden. What you’ve been up to. What you’ve accomplished even before this,“ he gestured down to the ship, “has made many of the rich and powerful worry. They don’t like to worry. Worry is bad for the
business of money and control, and there are many who will want to either make sure they understand you or remove you. It is far from just the Mourning Lords you need to worry about.”
“Was that what Lord Romald was doing? Trying to figure me out?” Aiden asked quietly, his mind whirling.
“Valeran shook his head. “No. No, what Romald was doing was a favor. Reminding us of where we are, and there will be people out there we need to watch for.” The Duke cleared his throat and sniffed. “And I’m sure he’ll collect on that, too, somehow. The people of Riften never just do things with only one purpose. Charming, really. It keeps you on your toes.”
Gavin nodded as all three of them watched the small boat race ahead. The Gerevat could have easily matched her, but they’d agreed they didn’t want to show anyone what the Gerevat could really do so were coming in under sail. “Listen to Father, Aiden. We need to keep our eyes open while we’re here.” Gavin turned, looking sadly at Aiden. “I’m sorry I ever made that bet with Ashrak. You’d never have to be dealing with all of this if I hadn’t been so impulsive.”
“Yes, you’re right, but the orphan masters at the school used to tell us that no matter what happened before, deal with what is right in front of you. Not that they ever meant this,” Aiden said, gesturing toward the expansive, crowded bay and the massive city behind it, “but they didn’t not mean this either.” Aiden patted Gavin on the arm and lapsed into silence. It was true what Gavin had said but he could have always said no. He hadn’t, and so there they were. His eyes drifted over the many ships they were slowly passing.
Who knew how many of those eyes staring back were watching for other reasons. Clearly, there had to be some. Romald had told them there were. Just his presence on the ship said they had been watched from quite a ways out. Crying about it wouldn’t help at all. In fact, it might just get them all killed.
Chapter 20
The interior of the Bastion of the Gold Hand was hollow, like a round Castle combined with a guild hall and warehouse. Though most of the goods were stored outside, the interior had some capacity for particularly expensive or small objects, and every conceivable piece of business related to shipments coming into and out of the city could be handled within.
Aiden found himself looking upwards to the far distant hole of the sky above him as they walked into the main courtyard. The interior felt like a miniature of the bay with people moving to and fro, but despite the chaos surrounding them, Romald and his group of guards seemed to have no trouble leading them toward a smaller alcove where several enclosed sedan chairs were waiting. It didn’t hurt that Stelios and his men were accompanying them, glaring at anyone who showed too keen of an interest in their passing. It was odd at first since it would probably be faster if they had some Zerigeld carriages, or even the slower Udine's but perhaps they had a reason he didn’t see.
Of all of them, Markam was the most overjoyed to be on land again. He had been stuck in his bed for most of the trip, but once on land, he’d renewed his duties with his usual fervor. The sedan chairs were ornate and each sporting a different color and gilding. Some with red gold, others with copper, all in all, they looked quite lavish and far too opulent for Aiden’s taste. They were large enough for three or four people, and Aiden was sectioned off with Gavin and Markam before being led into a red and gold transport by one of the ten guards who had come with Romald.
When they closed the door, the guard turned to them and held her finger up to her lips, signaling them to be quiet, then bent down and knocked on the floor. After a minute, there was an answering knock prompted the woman to grab some of the thick pile of the carpet and pull up, revealing a false bottom. Aiden, Markam, and Gavin shared glances as an answering trap door was pushed open from below, revealing a dark opening beneath.
A ladder appeared a moment later and then the guard began climbing down, again signaling for their silence before disappearing into the darkness below. Markam gave them both an uncertain look before shrugging and starting his own climb down. Aiden decided to follow once Glowby buzzed down into the darkness, revealing a floor beneath. He didn’t like leaving Stelios and the Terek guards behind, but after peeking down and seeing several other shafts of dim light revealing other climbers descending to the floor beneath, he decided he didn’t have a choice.
After his feet touched the ground, three people dressed in Riften colors quickly scaled each of the now empty ladders before moving into the transports and quickly closing the doors, plunging most of them into a brief, but terrifying moment of darkness. Aiden was quite pleased Glowby was there since his light lit the room enough for him to see. There did not seem to be any waiting assassins, so Aiden just relaxed and inspected the room as best he could.
They were in a large, barren room with strange, bright tiles gracing the walls. The tiles depicted a mosaic of a simple, yet powerful scene with a man in robes, the sun around his head and holding his arms wide. Golds, reds, and oranges flowed through his robes, and his arms stretched around the room seeming to encompass a welcome aimed at the wide, dark tunnel opposite. Once the last trap door had been secured, he watched as hurricane lamps were quickly unshuttered and the rest of them could see what Aiden had been seeing.
The most unnerving thing was how quiet everyone was. Despite the occasional tink of metal or rustle of a foot on the stone floor, no one spoke.
“What is…“ Ashrak started to say, his eyes roaming suspiciously around the room but one of the small, slight guards near him grabbed his forearm and stared intently at him, holding his finger to his lips. The boy didn’t look thrilled, but nodded and kept quiet especially when Chari elbowed him and shook her own head.
Romald and Duke Valeran were standing near the tunnel and with a quick arm signal, they were led into the dark mouth and toward wherever their destination was. Aiden fervently hoped it wasn’t to some dank dungeon or cell. He’d had enough of those to last a lifetime.
“Master Aiden?”
Aiden turned, startled at the sudden noise in their midst. They’d been walking in near silence for almost half-an-hour, and the voice seemed like a sacrilege to the dimness around them. It was Romald, their guide, walking at his elbow. He hadn’t even seen the man move from the front.
“Yes, sir?” Aiden said quietly, still feeling like they needed to whisper though if this man was speaking in a normal voice, he doubted it was necessary.
“I had a question for you if I may?” Romald said, his smooth voice reassuring. “What did you think of the mural back in the landing room? The one on the wall. I couldn’t help but notice you admiring the workmanship. Some barely even notice it, but you took a special interest in it?”
Aiden blinked, confused. “The mural? I…I thought it was beautiful.”
Romald nodded, bowing slightly as he walked. “It is. The tower was made by my family. Each great house of our city was given the honor, many generations ago, to create one of the twelve towers. For a defense of our city, of course, but even more so they are meant to be guardians and stewards. Though they are similar in size, all of them hold their secrets.”
“So there is some sort of hidden meaning to that mural and the tunnel, isn’t there?” Aiden said slowly, thinking about what that might mean and what had been mentioned to him before. The people of Riften did not do anything without layers.
“Astute,” Romald said quickly, smiling at him. “That is a handy skill to have in my city, Aiden. It is very important, as is the recognition of my warning I gave you on the ship. Friends will not be the only ones to smile at you. Tell me, when you descended the ladders, which did you see first? The figure or the tunnel?”
Aiden thought for a moment, then shrugged. He had seen the figure first. The tunnel was there, but it wasn’t what had first drawn his eye. “I suppose I saw the figure first? It had more color and was quite a bit more interesting than the tunnel.” He paused and quirked his eyebrow. “Does it matter? Wouldn’t most people see the figure?”
“Ah. That is a good q
uestion and the answer would be no.” Romald smiled mysteriously, the twinkle in Romald’s eye making Aiden slightly nervous. “Most would have only seen darkness. Yet when the lamps were revealed, you were looking at the figure. Quite interesting, really.” Romald winked at him, then began walking ahead toward the front of the small column, speaking over his shoulder. “I did mention my weakness was curiosity, didn’t I?”
Aiden just stared after the diminutive man, an icy shiver running down his spine. This man was dangerous and he was most dangerous toward secrets. Aiden noticed Glowby floating toward the ground, dimming somewhat but he forced himself not to look. He’d obviously given too much away already, just in the first few hours of knowing this man. Not good.
“What was that about, Aiden?” Chari said suspiciously as she left Ashrak’s side and came over to him. “What did he mean, you saw the figure before we did?”
Aiden shrugged, starting to sweat a bit. “Uh, I don’t honestly know? I just happened to be looking in that direction when the lights came on, I guess?”
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 54
