*****
“Pay up, I was right,” Dorl elbowed Nothol in the ribs.
Nothol groaned and dug into his purse. He reluctantly handed over two gold coins. “I should have known better than to think the king would abandon us so soon.”
“I told you,” was the matter-of-fact answer. “Badron may be a bastard, but he knows the value of good publicity.”
They watched the official party in silence as it made the winding way down through the harbor and to the pier. Neither man was impressed, despite the quality of the guard livery.
“They don’t look much for fighting, do they?” Dorl asked.
Nothol smirked. “I bet they haven’t seen a battlefield in a good number of years. I still wouldn’t want to fight them.”
“Why not?”
“It’s twenty to two,” he explained.
Dorl threw a feral grin. “We could take them.”
“Are you two finished?”
They looked back at Boen’s aggressive face. He was clearly not amused by their banter.
“Haven’t even started,” Dorl shot back. He refused to be cowed, not even by a Gaimosian.
Boen grimaced. “You remind me of these two lads I had with me down in Averon a few years back. Always back and forth. Damned boys wouldn’t shut up.”
Nothol rolled his eyes as Dorl took the bait.
“What happened to them?”
“We ran into a nest of Trolls. Both were killed and eaten.”
Boen walked back to the port side and watched the dawn break across the harbor. He hadn’t wanted to scare them, but their attitude was much too carefree. They needed to know that this was for real and the worst might happen. Thinking about it, he had come off like a surly old man. Boen sighed and wondered where his youth had fled to.
Bahr watched the exchange from the wheel. His focus shifted back towards the approaching king. His face bore no emotion. The docks were lined with spectators. He understood why. This was the biggest event in recent history and they all wanted to have the memory. Bahr repressed a snarl. There were too many strangers for his liking. Naturally suspicious, Badron would feel the same. Thankfully Anienam Keiss was safely tucked away below decks so as not to arouse suspicion.
The Sea Wolf wanted to keep the wizard a secret for as long as possible. He’d already been surprised when the old man was awaiting him in the captain’s cabin. Nothing from their conversation led Bahr to believe the wizard meant to travel with him. He kept a sneaking suspicion but wasn’t confident enough to mention it to the others.
Harnin and his guards led the procession to the edge of the pier. A mass of mercenaries and adventurers followed. Bahr watched with casual disinterest. He’d seen their kind too much over the decades and was none impressed. He patiently waited for the One Eye to dismount and ease forward.
“That’s far enough, One Eye. I can hear you from there,” Bahr warned as the man’s boot touched the gangplank.
Harnin’s face flushed. “Captain Bahr, the king wishes your answer. Will you accept the charge of finding his daughter?”
The Sea Wolf barely shook his head. “I see no king here. If his daughter is so important then where is he?”
“King Badron has other affairs of state to attend to. He has every confidence in your abilities to see this matter through. Your success or failure will decide the future of the kingdom. War is coming.”
War is coming regardless, Bahr whispered under his breath. “War against whom?”
Harnin gave a toothy grin. “Against whoever has the princess. Is your crew ready?”
“Aye, ready enough.”
“I cannot stress how important speed is. Find the princess and bring her back before the Pell Darga reach the mountains,” Harnin urged. “It is the only way to prevent war.”
Bahr didn’t believe a word said. He’d known Badron and Harnin long enough to understand their devotion to treachery. Unfortunately most of the common citizens believed the lies. None of them would see the war until it was too late. The Wolfsreik had been roused and it wouldn’t sleep again until sword and spear ran red with blood. That didn’t matter to Bahr. Rescuing Princess Maleela and bringing everyone back alive were his only concerns.
“If the men you’ve gathered are as good as mine, we’ll be back in under a week.”
“Luck be with you, son of Delranan,” Harnin saluted. He wrapped his cloak around himself and walked away. Further conversation was pointless and the absurdity of their exchange lessened them both.
Bahr was about to do the same, leaving the boarding to his first mate, when a single rider stormed through the crowds. Guards drew their swords as one of their own was knocked into the frigid autumn waters. The rider never slowed. Bahr began to notice the rider’s features. The curve of the hip. The slender shoulders. A woman, he mused. Now what could this be?
She had long silver hair that billowed in the morning breeze. Her cloak was mottled shades of grey. Her clothes were black as midnight. Her skin was a golden brown, soft yet conditioned. Whoever she was, she had drawn the attention of everyone in the harbor. Harnin fumed with outrage. Bahr almost laughed from his perch. Any excuse for the One Eye to be embarrassed suited him. Still, he couldn’t begin to think of why such a slender woman would be riding hard just to reach the Bane.
Clearly a foreigner and smallish in stature, she held an exotic beauty unmatched by any this far north. Bahr guessed she was probably from down south of the Jebel Desert. He looked a little closer, hoping to find some clue to solve this mystery. She wore a pair of slightly curved swords, one belted to each hip. Her eyes were the softest brown and calm despite the dangers she caused. Bahr felt compelled to meet her.
Two guards blocked her way and shouted, “Halt!”
She ignored them and dismounted. Guards formed ranks behind their captain. Harnin had drawn his own sword. Only Bahr remained unaffected by the display. He waited as the woman stopped a handful of feet from the guards. She stared them down without so much as blinking.
“How dare you assault an emissary of the king?” Harnin roared at her.
“Stand aside and let me conduct my business with Captain Bahr,” she replied tersely.
Now this is interesting, Bahr thought. He subconsciously inched closer towards the rail. She had a slight accent, definitely marking her as a deep southerner.
Harnin refused to back down. “Bahr is in the employ of the king and has no time to meet with foreign scum.”
She grinned, savage and beautiful. “He will if your king expects to see his daughter alive again.”
“Mind your tongue, woman!” Harnin snapped.
Bahr had heard enough. “Quit your posturing and let the lass by, Harnin. I doubt she came all this way just to do us harm.”
The One Eye shrugged. Hidden archers waited for the signal should he give it. “It’s your life.”
The Sea Wolf smiled at this small victory. Unhindered, the woman brushed through the ring of guards and boarded the Dragon’s Bane. She didn’t offer them a second glance. Her eyes blazed with intent. She’d come more than two thousand leagues just to meet the man who haunted her dreams.
Dorl Theed whistled low. “She’s a vision, that’s for sure.”
“A vision of pain,” Nothol countered. “Look at the way she carries herself. She’s a warrior.”
“Who just backed down twenty of Badron’s finest. I told you we could have taken them.”
NINE
Bahr crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the newcomer. He suddenly felt overmatched. She couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, less than half of him but there was an undeniable lethality to her. Every inch of her warned of violence. She finally halted before him and bowed.
“Captain, my name is Rekka Jel and I have travelled far to join this quest.”
Her light brown skin glowed in the breaking dawn. Bahr caught himself before he succumbed to her beauty. That didn’t stop him from noticing how soft and amber her eyes were.
&nb
sp; Bahr returned the bow, albeit awkwardly. “What would a lady from the south want with an old sea captain from the far north?”
He didn’t ask the real question. How did you learn of our quest in the first place? Harnin and his men were still on the pier listening to every word. It wouldn’t do to give anything away provided she truly had something important to say.
“I had a dream you were in grave danger.”
He forced a smile despite the threat. “Lass, you’re probably too young to understand, but I seem to always be in danger. It goes with the times.”
“But I…” Rekka protested.
Bahr held up a finger and leaned forward so only she could hear him. “Say no more. There are unfriendly eyes watching us. Tell me what you will below deck.”
Rekka nodded.
“Harnin, this woman has been sent to find me to offer aid. I will see what she has to say and be about the quest. You are no longer needed here,” he called down.
Harnin bore a foul look. He wanted nothing more than to take every man at his disposal, storm the ship and throw everyone in irons. Doing so was not going to solve matters. And Badron would be furious.
“Very well, Captain. But keep in mind that haste is required. The king will not tolerate delay. He expects you to leave soon.”
Bahr translated that to mean “leave now or else.” His fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. If only, he longed. He turned his back on Harnin and led Rekka below. He politely ushered her into his cabin and offered a seat. Rekka smiled and waited for the questioning to begin.
“Now then, what’s all this nonsense about a dream?” he asked. Getting to the point was the best way to deal with the problem.
“Forgive me. The dream masters of my people have long beheld visions of a terrible war begun in the north. The dreams centered on a king whose heart is laced with malice and an old seafarer past his prime. I do not mean to offend you but it is our belief that the old seafarer…”
“Is me,” he finished.
She nodded, slightly embarrassed. “Yes. Each time the dream occurred there was a vessel with a black dragon on the sail. We have searched far and wide. This is the only such vessel.”
Bahr remained skeptical. “I find that hard to believe. The ocean is a massive place. You could have easily missed another such as mine. Dragons are a common theme among the north people.”
“It is not the sail so much as the man.”
“I don’t follow.”
Rekka exhaled slowly and explained. “The dragon is a symbol of power and greatness. They are revered for their wisdom and strength.”
“Clearly you have never read the tales of men who have fought one,” he said lightheartedly.
“Perhaps the dragons in your legends acted aggressively because your men came to slay them,” she offered back.
He had no answer.
“Your people are known as the people of the dragon in my homeland. Our texts speak of great deeds centered upon these creatures. Their age leads to a heightened awareness, revealing all of their surroundings for the greater good. Kings of old once sought council in their mighty mountain lairs.”
Bahr was starting to get frustrated. “You’ve made your point about the damned dragons. I still fail to see what this has to do with me. I put a dragon on my sail when I was a lad because I thought the image would inspire terror and make me sound hard. There are no great secrets or hidden meanings. I was young and brash. The name had already stuck by the time I grew old enough to know better.”
“Captain, you must understand the convictions of my quest. Your actions may affect the fate of thousands. War is coming quickly and there is little time to prepare.”
He stopped her. She was hiding something, but he knew better than to press too much too soon. “What do you mean my actions? I’m only one man. Hells, I’m not even a particularly great warrior. This world has gotten on well enough without me. Wars come and go. It is the way of things. What can I possibly do that will have such impact?”
“The dream masters say that only the brother of the evil king has the power to prevent disaster,” she said after a deep breath.
Bahr’s eyes widened. His face flushed, his heart thumped faster. “What did you say?”
He refused to believe what she just said. No one living knew his darkest secrets, not even his best friends. How could this stranger from the south come to learn the depths of his soul without ever meeting him? He slowly began to believe parts of her story. Perhaps these dream masters did have some ethereal power. His initial impulse was to throw her off his boat, but too many questions were unanswered. This diminutive woman was much too valuable to simply discard.
“Captain Bahr, the dream tells us of two brothers driven apart by hatred. One is a king, the other a… mild pirate. One shall go through darkness and pain while the other builds on madness and seeks to bring the world to the edge of destruction. Only the brother who is forced to suffer will be able to save his people and restore order to Malweir.”
He frowned, though being called a pirate was amusing. He almost liked the appellation. Still, the dilemma remained. Bahr sat down. He had too. The weight behind her words held much portent he simply wasn’t willing to accept. He’d known from childhood that a day of reckoning was coming between Badron and himself. His brother was unstable, leading to rash judgments and a nasty bitter streak. Questions and scenarios overtook his thoughts. Too much. It was all too much. Bahr wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to fight his own brother.
He smirked. Brother. They hadn’t thought of each other as brothers in almost thirty years. Those bonds were long decayed and irreparable.
Bahr finally looked into Rekka’s soft brown eyes. “How did you know he was my brother? That is a truth we have kept hidden for many years. Our mother knew we would eventually come to mortal blows and made efforts to keep us apart. She died shortly thereafter.”
The cabin door creaked open.
“I thought I gave orders to be left alone?”
A light chuckle followed. “You didn’t really believe this young lady found her way all the way north without a little intervention did you?”
“Anienam Keiss, I should have known better,” Bahr exclaimed.
The old wizard ambled into the cabin and found a chair, a crooked smile engraved on his face. Rekka Jel dropped reverently to her knees and bowed deeply.
“Come, come child. There is no call for that. As our good captain is so fond of saying, I am just a man,” Anienam said. “You have done well to make it here so quickly.”
Rekka slowly raised her head. “I left Teng not long after you.”
“A very long journey. You deserve to rest. Where are your bags?”
“No doubt being rummaged through by Harnin’s men,” Bahr added. He wasn’t sure, but he got the impression that Anienam was trying to divert the conversation.
“Would you be so kind as to get one of your men to retrieve them for her?” Anienam asked politely.
Bahr rose. “Sure, but I need a few answers first.”
“Answers to what exactly?”
“How long have you two been working together?”
Anienam smiled. “I don’t believe we have ever met.”
“Then how….”
The wizard held up a staying hand. “I am a friend of many in many lands. The tribes of Brodein are well known to me. They have worked with my kind and,” a pause, “others for many years. I did, however, have a hand in helping the Teng dream masters interpret the dreams.”
“And the secret of my brother and I?”
“I am a wizard,” he said matter-of-factly. “I have walked across Malweir for millennia. You can’t expect certain things to be beyond me. Especially now. The world is changing, Bahr. I know we spoke of some of this the other night, but there is so much more I will never be able to explain. A confluence is coming. A time when the powers of light and dark will seek to win domination over all life. I will not get into the ages old debate of
whether the gods exist or not. None of that matters. What matters are your decisions during the coming days and weeks.”
Bahr rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It is a hard choice to make. I have no love for my brother, though I do not wish him ill. We are not of the same mold. Still, I would have my niece back alive even if he cares not.”
He fell silent. The admission had not been an easy one. These were the childhood secrets and painful memories of a wasted family. To have a pair of complete strangers confront him so casually rattled Bahr. What else might they say? He suddenly felt uncomfortable. Bahr knew both would need a careful eye on them.
“Heed my words. I undertake the quest to find my niece freely, but I will not kill my own brother. We may hate each other, but we are still blood. If such needs, doing it will be by another’s hands.”
Anienam replied, “No one is asking you to go to such lengths. The dreams lead us to believe you are the one to end this tyranny, but they do not say how. For that we must bear witness to history as it unfolds. There are dark times ahead, of that I am certain. We must struggle through the storm as a group before the sun will shine again.”
“I have never been good with riddles. I prefer a man who talks to me straight,” Bahr paused long enough to stare the old man deep in the eyes. “You two can come for the trip only on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You do what I say and how. You, Rekka Jel, I expect to earn your keep while we’re at sea. Don’t worry lass, the voyage will be quick. No more than two or three days depending on the weather.”
Rekka bowed. “It shall be as you say.”
“And for me?” Anienam asked patiently.
Bahr felt irritated by the condescending look being given him. The old wizard must have done this a thousand times over, he thought.
“You stay hidden. I’m fairly certain that at least one of the men Harnin found is a spy. It makes sense. I noticed his favorite killer sneaking in with that group. Badron is no fool and Harnin’s a snake. You’re my ace in the hole for when things go sour.”
Hammers in the Wind Page 7
