by AJ Adams
“Yes, it will be interesting.”
“I’m letting you out of our contract. Kennard can run the rangers. Go with the next convoy.”
He’s a good man, Eward. But there was no way I’d go back on my word. “My friend, I took on the job, and I’ll do it. I can handle a little unpleasantness.”
Truth be told I was worried, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it because at that moment the Guild delivered fifty carts, all filled to the brim with goods.
“We’re sending velvet and linen, perfume, wine, brandy and a wagon filled with our finest swords,” Eward informed me. “It’s our biggest trade deal this year. The rest are the duke’s. Payment for construction workers. Tanweld’s finest for twelve months. It cost us a fortune.”
The value of it staggered me. “The steward is an incompetent arse. If he hasn’t already spread gossip that will attract every bandit and rogue knight in Prydain, he’s going to get us ambushed or stuck under a rockslide. I really think you should send one of your own people. Perhaps someone from the duke’s personal administration.”
“There are none,” Eward was blunt. “The duke’s away for another six weeks, and he’s taken all his staff.”
“A few more soldiers would be useful. We’re undermanned.”
“Again, the duke took all his personal troops, and I can’t leave the city without its guards.”
“I don’t see why not, seeing I won’t be around.”
“You’re as bad as that thrall of yours,” but Eward was laughing. “I depend on you to keep Duggard under control. I have every confidence in you.”
The steward arrived along with the cart of swords from armourer, and he was fuming instantly. “It’s outrageous to have a Guild member working as a ranger!”
“If I don’t mind, I don’t see why you should.”
So he turned to Eward. “We can’t trust the Llanfaes fletcher.”
“The duke and I do.”
That stymied the steward, but it didn’t stop him pestering me with requests for maps, character references for the rangers, strategies for foiling robbers, methods for reporting rock slides, and a load of red tape.
“I should slug him again,” I told Eward. “He’s getting his revenge in paper cuts.”
“He’s worse than a merchant,” Eward growled. “Now, Kennard is getting his men in order, so let’s you and I go over the plans one last time. Oh, and by the way, you’ve an extra fifteen families travelling with you. Migrants from Brighthelme, moving to Tanweld to work the duke’s farms.”
“More people? We’re already moving at a snail’s pace. We’re already taking five weeks for a month’s journey.”
“It will add two or three days overall. And I’ll give you extra supplies, just in case.”
By the time we finished, I counted fifty Guild carts, twenty supply carts and a hundred and ten civilians in the convoy, not counting bundles of babies and baskets with squirming toddlers. The civilians didn’t have supply carts but they were carrying packs, and some had clubbed together to buy pack mules. All in all, our convoy would be over a mile long.
“I’ve given Kennard thirty good men, so you’ll be all right,” Eward said.
“Fifty would be better.”
“If I had them, I wouldn’t need you.”
He’s a blunt man but not without a certain amount of finesse. “So I’m worth twenty men? I’m awfully flattered.”
I got a slap on the back, and then he left me to it.
“The steward has sent orders.” Jarvis was back, trying to look alert. However, I noted the dirty boots and grubby leathers. He was certainly short of personal pride. “He thinks it a waste of time to assemble here. Instead, we’re to meet at the bottom of the hill tomorrow morning, an hour after dawn. We won’t wait for latecomers.”
The damn fool! Convoys never leave on time, which is why the starting point must be secure. Starting in a public open space was a disaster. Not only did it mean that the carts would be open to every petty thief in the city but all my supplies were waiting at the castle. It would take me the rest of the day to reorganize.
I didn’t kill him. “The rangers will be there.”
I found my girl at the cottage, packing apples into a box. “There’s tea,” she said. “Bread, too, if you want it.”
“You walked off earlier. Don’t do that again without asking first.”
“It was leave or knee that pig in the balls.”
No, I’d made no progress. “I expect you to behave yourself.”
“I know. That’s why I left. Do you want tea?”
Infuriating! She should have apologized, not cheekily dismissed me. I was about to blast her when Peony, Eward’s girl, came running in.
“Lind, I have your salve.” The second she saw me, she dipped into a curtsy, blushing hotly as she exclaimed, “Your pardon, Master Ware.”
She’s a nice girl, Peony. Well-mannered, too. I pushed away my anger and smiled. “No need to apologise, Peony. You’ve come to see Lind?”
Peony just stood there, aware of my masked rage and dipping nervously in response. “Yes, sir. No, sir. Sorry, sir.” Then she fled.
“It’s comfrey salve,” Lind said, packing the bottle into an open bag. “I thought it might come in handy, in case of blisters or cuts.”
Her foresight took me aback. “Oh. Well done, Lind.”
She gave me a sideways glance. “I’ve got cloves, basilica powder and camomile, too.”
“Excellent.” It then finally occurred to me that the place was looking empty.
“I packed most of the gear,” Lind was pouring tea. “I’ve also groomed Wolf and cleaned his tack.”
I admit, I just stared at her. “You did?” It takes me a whole day to pack. I couldn’t imagine Lind doing it by herself, never mind her other chores.
“Peony helped, and she brought some friends.” Lind pushed a mug into my hands. “I thought you’d be busy, seeing Thomas and Bart won’t be coming.”
“How did you know that?”
Lind shrugged. “Thralls like nothing better than gossip.”
“Don’t be like that.” I checked the cart standing outside and found it perfect. Everything was properly bundled and secured. Lind had hidden talents. Wolf’s tack was gleaming, too, and she’d packed oats, hay and apples for him. I couldn’t have done it better myself.
I went straight back inside. “Beautiful job, Lind. Thank you.”
“The steward is fucking things up, right?”
“Stop swearing, Lind. Yes, I have to make some changes. I’ll be working late.”
“Supper will be ready when you are, and Wolf and I will be ready to start at dawn.” The grey eyes were sizing me up. “Have someone bring up the ponies before sundown. They’ll need a good supper and rest before we start.”
“Master Fletcher,” Sergeant Kennard appeared in the doorway. “We’re moving supplies down to the bottom of the hill. I need to know what you’re doing with your rangers. What are your plans?”
From his tone, I could see he’d be difficult. He’d do nothing helpful, and he’d rejoice in every little thing that went wrong.
“See you later.” Lind spoke nicely enough, but her eyes were mocking. “Don’t forget to send the ponies.”
“Manners, girl!” Kennard snapped.
“I wasn’t talking to you, was I?”
Kennard swelled up with fury. “Insolent slut!”
I didn’t have time for a fight, so I pushed him outside. “Come on, let me fill you in on my arrangements. I sent three men off a few days ago to scout the route. They’ll be back by dawn with a report for you.”
“They’d better,” Kennard growled. “We’re a magnet for every thief in Prydain.”
To my annoyance, I found Jarvis organising a team to shore up a wagon with a broken wheel so that it could be replaced without unloading the cargo.
“Almost done, sir.” Jarvis saluted me and then added, “Sergeant Kennard. Be with you in a moment, sir.”
“Got to go where the job takes me!”
“A Cairn man always does his duty.”
“Proud to serve our duke, and you, sir.”
While the pig sucked up to his cousin, the sergeant, I straightened the wheel and helped fix the pins properly. By the time the job was done, I was facing a united front.
“Sorry about earlier, sir.” Jarvis was speaking loudly so everyone around us could listen in. “I was upset by the, erm, frank manners of your thrall.”
Kennard jumped in straight away. “That girl needs a whipping!”
Privately I agreed with them, but I wasn’t going to say so. “She’s just a thrall.”
I got eye rolls.
“Well, never mind,” Kennard sighed dramatically. “Thomas had assigned Bart as quartermaster. I’ll be too busy with security to do it.”
Jarvis straightened. “If I can be of service, sir.”
“Excellent, yes.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Cousins or not, Kennard spoke entirely from spite. It’s unheard of to put a foot soldier in charge of handing out and monitoring supplies. Quartermasters are vital for mission success: men will gorge if left to themselves and risk running out of food before reaching their destination.
Also, I had no doubt that Jarvis would sell supplies to the migrants, causing friction that might easily turn deadly. With armed men on one side and desperate ones on the other, it would be carnage.
When faced with a united front, don’t engage. Wait, watch and plan for when they make a mistake. With sloppy Jarvis, that would be in a matter of days.
“You have supplies for the rangers, isn’t that so, Master Fletcher?” Kennard would have Jarvis check my work, too. Lovely. I’d be getting it from all three cousins.
So I nodded as if I had no problem with putting a sloppy, greedy, low-born fool in charge. “All right. Jarvis, come along and let’s see what we have.”
Jarvis could count, but he needed to sound out the longer words on the list before ticking them off. It made checking our supplies a tiresome task.
As the hours dragged on, I didn’t utter one word of protest. Kennard had made a huge mistake, but nobody knew about it yet. I’d let it go on a few days, watch Jarvis fuck up, and when the blame was properly fixed, I’d expose Kennard and Jarvis.
I had already asked the rangers to purchase extra supplies for us at Torre’s Halt, the village past the Little Creek crossing, because I enjoy my comforts and intended to be fully stocked. Also, with Duggard in charge, I was expecting any attack to include supply losses. Rogue knights value food carts as much as they do gold.
Now I decided I’d better order extra. Eward had calculated our supplies based on the needs of men marching to battle, but I was certain our unwieldy convoy would be plagued with endless delays. With enough of those, we’d run out of food. A little cash would ensure that I could make up for Jarvis’s greed as well as any other disaster.
I didn’t mind the money because my plan would cut their influence over me and mine to zero, leaving me free to do my job. That was the proper thing to do, but between you and me, I was relishing the chance to put one over the steward and his cousins. That apology I’d been forced to make was still smarting.
So I was chipper. It would take a few days and involve some trouble as I’d have to keep my temper for a while, but it would be worth it. I foresaw a nice victory over the three of them. Of course, I still didn’t know what it would cost me. I really was a fool.
In the meantime, working with Jarvis was slow, dull work. The only enlivening point was a surprise visit from Eward. “Ware, what the fuck’s going on?”
“Ask Sergeant Kennard. He appointed Jarvis as quartermaster.”
“What? That damn slob? Is he crazy? I’ll put a stop to that straight away.” Eward collected himself. “Actually, I wasn’t talking about that. I meant your goddamn thrall!”
My heart sank. “What’s she doing now?”
“Giving archery lessons. To my Peony! And the duke’s scullery maids!”
“What?!”
“I just got the news from the seneschal. He saw her with his own eyes.” Eward flourished his whip. “I’m warning you, Ware. I’m going to whip that wench. And Peony, too!”
I thought Eward might have been exaggerating, but Lind had taken advantage of my absence to gather every damn thrall in the castle and give them all a shot at using the little bow.
As I stormed up to the cottage, Eward hot on my heels, a dozen girls scattered. As they squealed and ran, skirts flying, Lind was her usual evil self.
“Constable,” she dipped a little, and her tone was meek, but she was gathering arrows from the ground, not even attempting to hide her activities. “How nice to see you.” As if he weren’t raging and carrying his hunting crop.
“What the bloody hell are you doing?” The temper that had been controlled while I was dealing with Jarvis spilled over.
Lind gave me a cold look and performed another curtsy. A snarky one. “Tidying, sir. Would you like tea?”
“No, I would not.” I refrained from strangling her, but I dressed her down, ranting at her. “What do you think you’re playing at, distracting those girls from their duties and bringing them here? You know they’re forbidden to touch a bow.”
“They helped with packing.”
“So give them tea. But don’t turn the place upside down by making a spectacle of yourself.”
As she stood there, head bowed in a submissive pose that I knew was totally assumed, I became increasingly infuriated. “And what’s more,” I finished, “if you’ve no care for yourself, you might consider the trouble you bring to others.”
It was water off a duck’s back, I saw it in her eyes, but Lind just curtsied. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t think, sir. I wouldn’t want the others punished for my sins, sir. They wanted to see your work, sir. They admire you, the constable and the duke so much, sir. I guess we got carried away, sir.”
I was speechless at her brazen lies, punctuated by the insolent sirs, but Eward didn’t know her. He fell for the performance, hook, line and sinker. The whip stopped tapping and the frown disappeared. “So you wanted to be like the duke, did you?”
“And you, sir. Sorry, sir.”
Shameless flattery, each word a lie, yet Eward melted. “Well, it’s still wrong, girl. Thralls can’t go about with bows. It’s forbidden.”
Lind pushed on, marshalling her reserves and cementing her victory. “Please, sir. We didn’t think. It’s all my fault. Please don’t be angry with Peony, sir. She’d be devastated if you were angry with her.”
“Would she?” Eward looked gratified. “Would she, indeed?”
“She only wants to please you, sir.” Lind was laying it on thick. “She cries if you frown, sir.”
All thoughts of whipping faded and vanished. Peony would get a mild scold, if that. Eward was so charmed by the idea of his Peony living for his smiles, that he actually patted Lind on the shoulder. “No need to worry,” he said. “There’s no harm done.”
“Thank you, sir.” My wicked thrall was sweetness and honey—if you didn’t know her. She dipped her head and then darted a glance at me, brimming with gleeful satisfaction. I didn’t know if I wanted to strangle her or laugh.
It was perverse of me, but the way she’d manipulated the constable was superb. She knew it too, the minx, because she winked at me. Yes, I know. She actually winked at me! For a moment amusement fled, and I was tempted to rip into her.
Then I remembered Peony’s eyes.
She’d fled earlier, frightened merely by my raised voice. Unlike my girl, Eward’s thrall was sweet, gentle and retiring. Lind had saved her from a beating, and I discovered I was glad of it.
“Do you forgive me, sir?” Lind was addressing me, pushing her luck.
“Will you cry if I frown?” It just slipped out. She was affecting me. Me, for Apollo’s sake! “Never mind,” I said hastily. “I shall speak to you later.”
Then I had to deal with Eward and talk him out of raking down Kennard.
“But Ware, he’ll have the convoy short of food within a week. You and your men will be affected, too. You can’t fight on an empty belly. It will be your head, if you’re not careful.”
“Kennard is the best you have, and I can manage him. Leave it to me.”
I never would’ve spoken in that familiar way to him a month before, but over the weeks we’d grown close. Also, I was worried he’d mess things up.
I needed Kennard for my revenge. Lind would get me into Ranulf’s tower, but I’d need the soldier and his men to get me through the forest. I might have hired men in Tanweld and risked one of them being a Ranulf agent, but it would be safer to use Caern soldiers.
So I appeased the constable. “Your duke will want results, and so do I. Let me do the job.”
Eward didn’t like it, but he didn’t have much choice. “If only we had more men, or if the duke would wait until I have time to go with you.”
“If wishes were carts—well, we seem to have plenty of those.”
“Right. For Wotan’s sake, Ware, be careful.”
“Of course.”
“You’re a cunning, slippery son of a bitch.” Eward made it a compliment. “You have what you need. Just don’t turn your back on the buggers.”
“Of course.”
Eward made himself scarce. “You don’t want me messing with your plans,” and then I was back at work, moving my men’s supplies. Jarvis was quiet, but I could hear whispers about Lind’s antics all around me. I did my best to ignore them, but it was galling to know she’d made me the talk of the city—again.
It was midnight by the time we finished, and I was beat. I got to the cottage, expecting darkness and to find Lind asleep. Instead, I came back to a roaring fire, a hipbath filled with hot water, and supper.
“There’s roast chicken and a salad with fresh tomatoes from the duke’s own garden.” Lind was stripping off my cloak and boots. “Bath, supper and bed, Ware.”
I was like a child, putty in her hands. “I thought you’d be asleep.”
