by James Evans
Krant kept watching the docks until the first turn of the river hid them from sight, then he sat down next to Gavelis.
“That was very close, Gavelis, very close indeed. Will they follow further, do you think?”
“I hadn’t expected them to get this far, to be honest. Maybe we’ll stay ahead of them or maybe they’ll give up, but I think we must be prepared to disembark before we reach Vensille and ambush them somewhere. Risky, but not as risky as having them turn up in Vensille.”
Krant looked shocked and his face was white.
“Ambush?” he hissed.
“Good thing we didn’t use our real names. They probably know who we are and where we are going. If we catch them in the open we can finish them quickly.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Krant said, looking around to check that they weren’t overheard, “they’ll race ahead to Vensille, trying to beat the river, then search for Smark and Dundaserre when the boat docks. All we need to do is get off a day or two before Vensille, announce to everyone here that we’re going to ride back to Catshed to spend time with my family, then circle around into Vensille from another direction. The Rayvale watchmen will find out eventually and spend days travelling to and from Catshed and searching the area before they realise something’s gone wrong, by which time we will have finished our mission anyway and we’ll be on our way home.”
Gavelis sat back on the deck, pack forgotten, surprised that Krant had come up with such a simple, elegant plan. He nodded, eyebrows raised.
“That might work, sir, that might work very well indeed.”
He stopped nodding.
“I will talk to the captain tomorrow, sir, about your changed travel plans, and make the arrangements.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ADRAVA SAT IN her cabin until she felt the barge move away from the dock then she waited another hour or so until she was sure that they had passed downstream far enough to be out of sight of Riverbridge and anyone who might still be looking for her. Eventually, with her meagre possessions arranged around the cabin to her satisfaction and her charms in place she decided it was time to venture up onto the deck.
As she climbed the short ladder she quickly forgot the hot stuffy atmosphere in the cramped quarters below decks. The early afternoon sun played across the river and a light breeze was filling the single sail, pushing the barge downstream.
Adrava found a spot at the rail away from the other passengers and out of the way of the small crew and stood there, looking out back east across the river to the banks and the fields and hills beyond. The countryside was a rich patchwork of orchards, vegetable patches, cereal fields and grazing meadows. The small towns and villages past which they floated appeared both numerous and prosperous; some were surrounded by walls of wood or stone but most were undefended except for a single watch tower or a fortified manor house.
It looked like a peaceful, comfortable land and to Adrava the only surprise was that the Empire had not yet brought this region within its borders. It would happen, she felt sure, but for now the Emperor’s attention was focussed on his southern and eastern borders where there were even richer prizes waiting to be plucked. This little backwater, peaceful and prosperous though it was, could wait.
Her musings were interrupted by Blucher, the merchant, who wandered over to stand beside her, offering a slight bow as she glanced over at him.
“You are travelling alone, miss…?”
“Naseep. Yes, sir, to Vensille.”
“Miss Naseep. An imperial name, yes? And, forgive me if I pry, but are you travelling with a purpose or merely to see some of our beautiful country?”
She turned to look at him, twisting her head round so that she could look up at him without taking her elbows from the rail.
“I haven’t decided yet. It depends what I find in Vensille, I think.”
He frowned, confused by her answer.
“But surely you must have an idea of why you travel! What would be the point otherwise?”
She smiled, looking back towards the fields and hills.
“Travel is sometimes its own reward, don’t you find? And you are right that the countryside is beautiful. I think my destination will depend, ultimately, on how things turn out in Vensille.”
“Ah, Vensille.” he sighed, dreamily, “A great city and my home port. You have been before?”
“No, this will be my first visit, but I am very much looking forward to it. I hear it is the greatest of the city states and full of wonders.”
“It is indeed a great city, miss, equal to any of the local Imperial cities and second only, I think, to your capital.” Adrava doubted that Vensille was as large or as wealthy as Esterengel, even, but she nodded along.
He fell silent for a few minutes while together they watched a fisherman on the bank fighting to land his catch, straining on his rod. The barge turned a bend in the river taking them away from the fisherman before they could see the outcome of his struggle.
“I myself,” he said eventually, “travel upstream regularly in search of trade and opportunities. The river is an excellent corridor for all sorts of goods and far safer and more comfortable than the roads.”
“I heard, from travellers in the inn, that there are bands of outlaws roaming along the eastern road towards the empire,” said Adrava, “do your Lords take no action against them?”
Blucher laughed.
“Action? No, not unless they threaten trade, although the town watch will sometimes catch and hang a few of the more miserable criminals. You saw the caravans? Most have mercenaries or experienced fighting men accompanying them, although you wouldn’t always know it to look at them. I myself always travel with bodyguards,” he nodded toward the stern where his two men - large, well-armed and tough-looking - lounged on the deck, dicing.
“And Vensille. Is it a safe city? Is it welcoming to travellers?”
Blucher sighed.
“It is a city of great wealth and fabulous buildings but also of terrible poverty and crime. For a lady travelling alone, no, it is not really safe, but if you have money and friends and influence then yes, it is both safe and welcoming. I myself would walk the streets of Vensille only with my bodyguards around me, and even then I would be cautious. A beautiful young woman such as yourself, Miss Naseep, travelling alone and with nobody to meet her at her destination, well; it would not be a good idea.”
“Really, Mr Blucher?” she said, eyes wide at the thought of entering such a dangerous city, “Would you say then that I would be at risk of some injury if I lodged in an inn in Vensille? I must admit that my plans are a little vague in that respect and any advice you might offer would be much appreciated.”
Blucher puffed himself up with the air of a man lecturing a young student.
“It’s the gangs, Miss Naseep. They run many of the inns of Vensille and have ‘arrangements’ with many others. I couldn’t with conscience say that you would be safe in one of our inns, although you may be lucky and find an honest innkeeper.”
Adrava looked troubled at this, although in reality she didn’t expect any trouble at all, given her range of talents. She sucked in her lower lip and with a look of worry on her face said, in a quiet and slightly desperate voice, “But that sounds just terrible, Mr Blucher! Surely I will be able to find somewhere safe to stay? I plan to be in the city only for a few days but if the inns are as bad as you say then I really don’t know what I shall do.”
“Oh my dear lady I’m so sorry to have worried you,” he said, quickly, “Please, do not fret; it would be an honour to offer you lodgings in my humble house for the duration of your stay.”
She looked at him, still troubled, and stood up straight. She was taller than Blucher and he had to lean back a little to keep her in view.
“Truly? You would do that for me?” she said, lower lip still trembling slightly and a look of sudden hope on her face. Blucher nodded eagerly.
“Then, thank you, Mr Blucher, that would certainly be a weight
off my mind; I would be delighted to accept your offer.”
“Excellent,” he beamed, “and maybe you will allow me to show you some of the sights of the city?”
She smiled, all worry now gone from her face.
“Of course, that sounds delightful. To be shown around a great city by a man of learning would be a delightful.”
“Then that is settled,” he said, taking her hand in his, “my coach will be waiting for me at the docks; you shall accompany me to my home and lodge there as my honoured guest for as long as you stay in the city.” He smiled again, clearly pleased with the outcome of the conversation.
“Thank you,” she said, gently withdrawing her hand, “and now I think I will retire for a rest. The mid-afternoon sun has quite worn me out.”
“Of course, my dear lady,” Blucher gave his little bow again, “it has been a delight talking to you and maybe, when you are rested, we can talk some more.” He smiled again in a way that left Adrava feeling that he believed he had achieved something truly special.
Back in her cabin she lay down on her bed. Blucher might prove useful, especially if he hosted her in Vensille while she searched for Marrinek, but she had never enjoyed socialising with merchants, a class she found to be unutterably boring. She sighed. Marrinek had been better at cultivating these connections and exploiting them; she had always had to bite her tongue, especially at the assumption that she was a defenceless maid who couldn’t survive without the protection of a strong man. At least Marrinek, for all his faults, had never thought of her like that.
Still, lodgings in Vensille would be useful even if Blucher was a bit of a bore. He may yet turn out to have contacts that she could exploit, especially if he traded items that might be of interest to a talented practitioner like Marrinek.
So far, her best plan for finding Marrinek was simply to talk to as many charm-sellers as she could find in the hope that one might have seen him. It was very likely that Marrinek would begin to hunt for charms or components as soon as he was able and if he had been in the city for more than a few days he would most definitely have contacted at least one charm seller. His skills in charm-making were vastly ahead of her own and he had always made most of their charms, preferring to know exactly what components had been used and how they would perform.
Adrava was too impatient to acquire the necessary skills but Marrinek had enjoyed the challenge. He had been happy to spend hours teasing his materials into just the right shape to achieve the effect he desired. She twisted the ring on her finger, comforted by its presence. They had spent hours together as she investigated its powers and learned to master them. Now, wearing it again, she felt that she had a little more control over her destiny.
Up on deck Krant and Gavelis sat with their backs to the horse boxes, keeping out of the sun.
“Did you notice, G-, I mean Dundaserre, that our fellow passenger is the woman from the inn, the one who got into such trouble with the other patron before you arrived?”
“Yes, sir. I had not realised she was a fellow traveller rather than a local.”
“And did you see how quickly she wound Blucher around her finger? A smart woman, to have secured an offer of lodgings so quickly.”
“Hmm, maybe, sir, although I suspect that Mr Blucher might be playing his own game.”
Krant looked at him and lowered his voice still further.
“You fear some sort of ulterior motive for his offer, then?”
Gavelis paused, considering his reply.
“Not fear, as such, sir, no, but the offer of lodgings came, as you saw, very fast. A middle-aged man and a beautiful young woman travelling alone? It is not difficult to imagine an alternative explanation for Mr Blucher’s hospitality.”
Krant nodded slowly, digesting this.
“You have a suspicious mind, Dundaserre. I do hope you are not correct, for her sake. I wonder if we should express our concerns?”
“I don’t think so, sir, no. It would not be our place to intervene, I think, and doing so might cause questions about our own motives for travelling.”
“Hmm. Maybe you’re right, Gav-Dundaserre but I can’t help feeling a degree of responsibility for another Imperial citizen, especially one so far from home.” And such a damned attractive one, although he didn’t dare say that out loud.
“We keep to ourselves then, eh Dundaserre?”
Gavelis, feeling that he might have steered Krant around another difficult situation, sighed inwardly with relief and said, “Yes sir, I think that would be best.”
The barge stopped for the night at a small wharf at the edge of the village of Greyshore. The village ale house, the Wharfside Inn, catered to the many river vessels that stopped overnight and the small crew of the Golden Rose, released from their duties once the barge was secured, sauntered eagerly into the village.
Adrava's attention was caught by the first mate, who coughed politely then said, “Pardon, miss, but Mistress Banks wondered if you might join her and her other guests for dinner.” He gestured toward the far end of the barge where a trestle table had been set with four chairs.
“Thank you, I would be delighted.”
She followed the mate to the table and nodded her greetings.
“Mistress Banks.”
“Miss Naseep. Please, have a seat.” Banks, standing at the head of the table, indicated the chair to her right.
“Thank you.” They both sat and Banks said, “I thought it might be amusing to spend some time with the young men,” she leant forward and lowered her voice, “so I have invited Mr Smark and Mr Blucher to join us.” She grinned conspiratorially, inviting Adrava to share in the joke at the expense of the men, and there was something strangely peaceful about the way the lines on her face moved.
Adrava nodded and smiled back.
“It will be interesting to hear the tales they chose to impress us.”
“Oh, count me out,” said Banks, leaning back in her chair, “I’m far too old for them to be interested in me, but I think you might interest them. And here they are now.”
“Welcome, gentlemen,” said Banks, standing Please take a seat.”
“It is a pleasure, as always, to dine with you, Mistress Banks,” said Blucher, taking the seat beside Adrava, “good evening, Miss Naseep. I trust you are fully rested?”
“And a good evening to you, Mr Blucher. Yes, quite rested, thank you.”
“Ah, er, good evening,” said Krant, haltingly. Dining with strangers on the deck of a barge was not a situation with which Krant was familiar and he was struggling to maintain his social poise.
“Er, my name is Smark.” He took the seat opposite Adrava and was welcomed to the table by Banks.
“Excellent. I don’t often dine like this, as Mr Blucher knows, but the evening is fine and my friends at the tavern in the village have agreed to supply the food.”
Adrava twisted around to look across the wharf to the tavern, which was brightly lit and busy. The noise of people enjoying themselves floated to the river, strangely loud against the quiet background of the early evening.
“And here it comes,” said Banks, as a team of people emerged from the tavern carrying trays laden with pots and plates of food, “Mr Smark, would you be so kind as to pass around the plates? We won’t stand on ceremony this evening. Miss Naseep, some wine? This is a southern wine from along the coast,” she said, pouring, “a little light and thin for my preferences, I’m afraid, but it travels well.”
They all sipped their wine as the food wound its way out of the inn, across the wharf and up the gangplank. The tavern keeper, a chubby man of medium height with long grey hair and whiskers, placed his tray of food on the table and bowed to the assembled company.
“Thank you, Mr Keep, and what do you have for us today?”
Keep stepped forward and removed the lid from the large pot with a flourish. The diners craned forward to see what the pot contained as Keep said, “Greetings one and all, welcome to our humble village. Tonight we are pr
oud to serve a local speciality; boar roasted with honey. To accompany the meat we have,” he paused to wave forward his staff and remove the lids from their pots as each was set upon the table, “roasted potatoes and carrots with herbs, rabbit and fowl stew in a spiced wine sauce with oranges, fresh bread baked with garlic and olives, and finally a rice pudding sweetened with honey and flavoured with cloves and ginger.”
He bowed low as he set the last of the lids on the deck beside the table.
“Trentor will come back later to clear your plates and bring everything back to the inn when you have finished. If there is anything else you need please just ask and we will do our very best.”
Banks smiled broadly as she looked over the food.
“Very good, Mr Keep, very good indeed. Worthy of your father’s offerings at their very best, I’m sure.”
Keep beamed and bowed again.
“Always happy to serve, Mistress Banks. Will there be anything else?”
“Two dozen loaves in the morning, I think, but that will be all for now. Thank you, Mr Keep.”
Keep bowed one more time then ushered his staff from the deck and hurried back to the inn leaving only Trentor behind.
“Please,” said Banks, “help yourselves and don’t hold back. This is the best food on the river and we won’t get anything half as good until we reach Catshed.”
Blucher and Smark began piling food onto their plates and Adrava was only slightly behind them, taking portion of boar, some roast vegetables and a little of the stew.
“This is excellent, Mistress Banks,” said Smark after a few mouthfuls, “my compliments on your choice of inn. Have you known the proprietor long?”
“Oh yes, ever since he was a lad. We stop here every month or so and they feed me and my passengers and entertain the crew. It’s a good arrangement.”
“It’s the highlight of the voyage,” said Blucher, “none of the other masters stop here, they all push on from Riverbridge, but Mistress Banks here likes her comforts, right?”
