First lessons

by Lina J. Potter

  Leif didn’t consider himself a hero, but he knew what he had felt when Torsveg shot at Ingrid. And that could easily happen again. Enemies could shoot fire missiles at them—easy.

  “You’re unhappy.” A warm shawl settled on his shoulders. Ingrid hadn’t asked a question; she had made a statement.

  Leif turned to her. He put his arm around her, pulling her onto his lap and covering her with half of the shawl. “No, sweet one. I’m just thinking.”

  “Where do we go now?”

  Leif held her tightly. “You understand everything. I would feel safer if I could leave you on shore somewhere, but there is no place that your kin won’t find us…or where strangers won’t pursue us.”

  “That woman stood up for us today.” Ingrid again seemed to read her husband’s mind. Maybe she can. Fleina could give that gift and many others, but sometimes the price for her gifts was paid in blood.

  “That was a random accident.” Leif almost shuddered. For an instant, the cold seemed to penetrate under the warm shawl, sending an icy finger up his back. Things could have gone badly for them—very badly. It was just him and Dagry. Ingrid didn’t count. He loved her, but she was no warrior and would be of no use in a fight.

  Here in Ativerna, we are refugees without rights—people on the run. The Torsvegs were a tight clan. If he hadn’t left, his family would have had to get involved. If anyone has a problem with me, they can take it up with me personally.

  Those three rich boys were at home in their own town. They knew their rights, and they knew the city guards would protect them. Leif had seen the guards; there were six of them. That would have made nine men against him and Dagry. Even if the Ativernese swords were for show only, the Virmans would have been hard pressed. Leif had been in fights where the odds were worse. He would have fought his way out of the inn and retreated back to his ship, leaving wounded men in his wake. But Ingrid…

  He was not afraid on his own account; he was afraid for her. She was his dear, his beloved, his only one. Leif knew how easy it was for innocent bystanders to be killed in a brawl. One accidental blow was all it took.

  The fat woman in the dirty dress had saved them. Leif never forgot what he owed people.

  “What if we try to talk to her?” Ingrid’s voice was almost a whisper as if she was afraid of her own words.

  Leif put his lips to her head. “The Countess of Earton?”

  “Maybe she needs people?”

  “Virmans? My dear, we aren’t the best servants in the world. We are true to our word, but who would ever believe it?”

  “What do we have to lose? We don’t have anywhere to go.”

  Leif sighed. Ingrid was right. But who would ever hire me? His resume was written on his face in scars left by swords and knives.

  “Don’t forget that these people worship Aldonai.”

  “I thought she looked intelligent,” Ingrid persisted. “Will we still be here tomorrow?”

  Leif sighed again. “Yes. My dear, do you understand that we would have to trust her completely? And she is just the Countess. What about her husband? She was wearing a wedding bracelet.”

  “If her husband is intelligent, you will be able to reach an understanding with him.”

  “And if he’s a fool?”

  “Do you think a woman like that would marry a fool?” He could hear laughter in Ingrid’s voice.

  Leif smiled. “So, are you also an intelligent woman?”

  “I love you.”

  “Do you have doubts about your husband’s brains?” This was all new for Leif. He had never laughed and joked with a woman before. It was incredibly pleasant.

  “How could I? You are my husband, my lord and master!” She pretended to be horrified.

  “Madam, you may do as you like with me. I even allow you to touch my battle ax.”

  Ingrid laughed. Leif knew that he would go looking for Lilian Earton tomorrow. He couldn’t waste the chance. To protect the woman he loved, he would do anything in his power—and even more. His pride wouldn’t suffer. He would reach an agreement with it.

  ***

  Six men from Leif’s Virman crew had been carousing in one of the port taverns. Olat, Gel, Elg, Torney, Illat, and Selt were all warriors who had seen more than one battle. That’s why they were still alive.

  Suddenly, the silhouettes of men with bows and spears appeared before them on the wharf.

  “Put down your weapons!” a voice commanded.

  “What’s going on?” Olat asked. He was the soberest of the group.

  “We have orders to take you to the magistrate.”

  “What for?”

  The guard’s voice was tired. “Boys, I’m not a free man. I just carry out orders. If you go for your axes, we’ll lay you out. We have ten bowmen here, so the arrows will find you. You’ll get a couple of my men, and they’ll hang you for it later. Since you haven’t done anything wrong yet, let’s just go quietly. They’ll probably let you go in the morning.”

  Olat thought for a moment. He knew they could take the guards, but he and his men were drunk. They had each drained at least two or three pitchers, so they were upright and able to talk, but the local wine would trip a man up when he least needed it. That evened out the odds. And it was always better to go up against archers in the daylight.

  Also, he knew he would lose a couple of men in the process. He didn’t know who it would be, but he knew most had wives and children. Gel, and Torney were still bachelors, but Olat had three children, Illat’s wife just gave birth, Selt had two, and Elg was expecting a new baby any day now. Which of those young children would lose a father tonight?

  Olat was not afraid to die, but he hated to leave his family facing the unknown. The gods would welcome him into their halls, but there would be no joy for him in the afterlife. He looked at his men. Gel and Torney were ready to attack, but the others were obviously thinking about their loved ones.

  They hadn’t done anything wrong. They could take the guards. But… He knew Leif would take care of his family, but he didn’t want to waste his life on a stupid misunderstanding. And he really hadn’t done anything wrong.

  If they killed the guards, they would have to raise anchor tonight. Leif wouldn’t be pleased.

  He decided maybe they should just go along with the guards. They would spend the night in jail and get word to Leif in the morning. A Virman would never leave his friends in the lurch.

  Olat raised his hands. “I don’t have anything against you. Let’s do it like this: I’ll send someone to the boat to tell them where we are, and the rest of us will go with you without a fight.”

  The head of the guards wavered, and the youngest of Olat’s men, Gel, decided to risk it. He made a giant leap for the water. He knocked into a guard, who shouted. Two bows twanged. There was a splashing sound.

  The head of the guards was furious. “Put your weapons down, or I’ll give the order to shoot!”

  Olat cursed. He didn’t think they had hit Gel. The young man would sober up on his swim back to the boat and tell Leif what had happened. Their captain would come to their aid.

  “We won’t give up our weapons. We will go with you and wait until the morning. But if those arrows hurt our friend, then…”

  “Then it’s his own fault. If he hadn’t run for it, they wouldn’t have shot at him,” the head of the guards grumbled.

  “If anything happens to Gel, I will find you,” Olat promised.

  “You won’t have to look hard. Everyone knows where to find the city guards. Let’s go.”

  Olat frowned. Was there any point in continuing to resist? It would be easier to wait until the morning. Once Leif knows where they are, he will clear things up.

  But still, something didn’t smell right.

  The head of the guards didn’t like the situation either, but an order was an order. Maldonaya take all these Virmans!

  ***

  Lily spent the night at the inn. She paid dearly for a room, but she ended up spending t
he better part of the night battling with bedbugs. In the end, she took the sheets and mattress off the bed and lay down on the wooden board. She figured her extra weight would cushion her. It didn’t. By morning, her back and sides ached like nobody’s business. Every inch of her hurt.

  At least she could call for a hot bath, which she did at dawn. If she wasn’t going to get any sleep, she could at least be clean. Then she headed out to the market with her trusty peasants. She wanted to look around first; it was too early to be buying.

  Cattle were for sale outside the walls of the fort. Lily looked up and down. There had to be at least a million cows. The organizers of this medieval fair were apparently unaware that selling could be organized for the buyer’s convenience, with all of the goats in one place and all of the cows in another place. Instead, all of the animals were herded into one long pen. Lily didn’t like the looks of it.

  There were goats milling around next to clay pitchers for sale, followed by chickens and a table of dried fish. Lily thought she was in hell. Everyone was yelling, bargaining, showing off their goods, and striking deals. The animals were bellowing, snorting, bleating, and stinking as if working against their owners to make it harder to sell them.

  After ten minutes, Lily wanted one thing: to blow up the whole market and enjoy some peace and quiet in the shell crater. Thank the gods, she had sewed her gold into her nightshirt, petticoat, and drawers. She was already used to the extra weight, and it was a relief knowing that nobody would find anything in her pockets to pick. Accessing her cash would take time and require seam ripping.

  Her peasants dragged her first in one direction and then another to show her the best goats, cows, and chickens. They wanted to buy the animals right away without bargaining. One of them ran Lily’s hand over a sheep’s white fleece to show her it was worth pure gold. They estimated the weight of the chickens. They asked how much milk the cows gave. They examined horns and udders…

  Lily couldn’t tell one breed from the next. As far as she was concerned, there were only two types of chicken: running around or on your plate. She felt pretty much the same about the other animals. She suspected she was a clinically diagnosed idiot. Did I really think I could buy livestock at a medieval marketplace?

  By noon, she was ready to howl. People were shoving, animals were bleating, and someone always wanted something from her. Lord give me patience! Or a half-gallon of nitroglycerine!

  To hell with all this!

  ***

  Leif was trying to decide whether to look for Lilian Earton during the day or later in the evening. She probably wouldn’t be at the inn during the day, and he wanted to avoid any chance meetings with the gang from yesterday. He decided evening would be better.

  As always, reality intruded on well-laid plans. Something slapped up against his ship. He heard cursing, and about three minutes later, his men pulled Gel, wet but very much alive, onto the deck. Leif knew he was one of the crew who had gone to the fair. He thought they were still out drinking.

  “The men are all at the magistrate’s!”

  “What?” Leif was furious.

  “We were coming back to the ship when the guards stopped us on the wharf.”

  Leif spat out a string of curses. “What kind of guards?”

  “They had longbows and crossbows. They were waiting for us on the wharf, behind the warehouses.”

  “Waiting for Virmans?”

  “Yes!”

  “I see you made it back.”

  “I was closest to the water. Olat distracted them with questions, and I just jumped in.”

  Leif sneered. According to the old saying, it was easier to catch a fish than a Virman. All Virmans were excellent swimmers. “And?”

  “Our men didn’t lay down their weapons, but when I turned back to look, the guards were leading them away. They said they were taking them to the magistrate.”

  “Why didn’t they resist?”

  “They would have if the guards had attacked. But it seemed like the guards didn’t even know what was going on.”

  As a captain, Leif understood Olat’s thinking. Earlier that day, he had tried to avoid conflict for Ingrid’s sake. He wanted to curse but stopped himself because he was the commander. The ship’s decking groaned under the weight of his hand. Things were not looking good.

  He knew his men could end up in prison. And if he went to try and save them, he’d share their fate. He was only strong while he had Virma on his side. Now, he was alone outside the clan, with enemies working against him at home.

  How can I find Lilian Earton without getting caught? Leif stared gloomily at the water. He didn’t want to be dripping wet when he talked to the Countess, but he had no choice. I hope they aren’t waiting for me on the wharf…

  “No one leaves the ship,” he ordered.

  “But what if…”

  “Say that your captain isn’t here and that you are prepared to fight to the death.” He headed to the rope ladder. It was beneath his dignity to jump.

  ***

  By noon, Lily was ready to blow a gasket. She gave up trying to make sense of the market and returned to the inn, where she ordered a pitcher of ale. She wanted to enjoy her drink and let her brain relax.

  How stupid could you be? You can’t just jump in and be an instant expert on livestock!

  The cheese went well with her ale, but her mood remained dark. The peasants could sense her bad temper and kept their distance. Lily dismally concluded that she would never be a farmer.

  “Countess.”

  The voice was familiar. She lifted her head. The Virman from yesterday was standing at her table. She searched her memory for his name. Leif. Leif Torvaldson of Erkvig. He was wet from head to foot.

  “Sit down.” Lily nodded at the pitcher of ale. She wouldn’t push. She would let him tell his story.

  Leif jumped into his tale. “My men have been arrested and taken to the magistrate.”

  Lily looked up. “You want me to help them.”

  Leif nodded. She was as smart as he thought. But her green eyes were cold and hard.

  “Are they guilty of anything?”

  “No. I think this is the work of the young men from yesterday.”

  “How do I know you won’t be back with the same problem tomorrow?”

  “I’ll get them back on the boat, and we’ll leave.”

  “What do I get for my assistance?” Lily was feeling him out. His blue eyes were clever and cautious. Should I risk it or not? Hell if I know.

  “What do you want? Money?”

  “I have money.”

  “We can work off our debt.”

  “I was told that if a Virman gives his word, he never goes back on it. Is that so?”

  “We can be trusted.” Leif said the words simply, but his tone added meaning.

  Lily knew it was now or never. She couldn’t tell about the other Virmans, but she felt she could indeed trust this one. She made up her mind. She would let this man feel like he had the power. She could have struck a hard bargain, but she needed people on her side. Warriors, not servants!

  “Will you enter my service? I won’t do you wrong.”

  Leif let his breath out. “In Earton?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t you have your own guards?”

  It was Lily’s turn to sigh. She would have to show him some of her cards, all in the name of mutual advantage. “My estate Comptroller was stealing. My husband doesn’t care if the whole place burns down, so the Comptroller let all the guards go. Earton is almost entirely unprotected. Not entirely, but almost.” She gave him a long look. “I know that Virmans keep their word. So do I. I want you to stay in Earton for three years. That’s enough time for you to protect my lands from pirates and brigands while you train young men from our villages to take your place. I will give you a place to live and will pay you for your service. If you want, you can live on the estate, or we will build houses for you. Your pay will be generous.”

  Leif exha
led.

  Lily had left herself open. She trusted him, and she hoped he wouldn’t use what she’d told him against her.

  “We will serve you for three years. Honorably. There will be a contract. I will choose the men, and I will make sure that they perform their duties admirably. But I have my own conditions.”

  “Which are?”

  “Don’t ask us to follow your religion.”

  Lily blinked. “I won’t. You can build your own church and worship your own gods. Just don’t make a lot of noise about it or the priest will get in my face. Although, he’ll probably be up in my face anyway. But keep quiet just in case.”

  “I can promise that. We will be discreet. We can even come to your services sometimes. Is there anywhere to moor a ship in Earton?”

  “There’s no harbor. I don’t know if your ship can get through.”

  “We’ll see. I have a good river pilot. He can smell the reefs.”

  “Excellent. But let me warn you: I will not put up with bad behavior.”

  “And I will not put up with bad omens.” Leif’s eyes glinted. “I will answer for my men!” He seemed surprised when the woman nodded.

  “If something doesn’t sit right, you tell me. We’ll talk it over and fix it. Don’t argue with me in front of people.”

  Leif nodded. He understood. “We will discuss everything in private.”

  “That includes payment. How much do you want?”

  Leif faltered, but not for long. “We are here with our families. We will need to live at Earton.”

  “You can stay in the castle until we get you set up. How many of you are there?”

  “Around sixty people, including women and children.”

  “If your wives want to work, I can pay them, too,” said Lily. “But we can talk about that later.”

  “Our women are not servants.”

  “That’s not what I’m offering, I promise. The work I need would not be shameful for them.”

  Leif nodded again, letting her know he believed her. “Two gold coins a month for each warrior.”

  “Isn’t that a little high?”

  “We are worth it.”

  “And I pay your keep?”

  “Yes.”