by P. D. Kalnay
“I’m an imperial officer, bound to this city, this province, and to the Crown.”
He said it as though it answered my question.
“The Empire fell thousands of years ago,” I said.
“Duty doesn’t lessen with the passage of time.” He turned his back on us, returned to the middle, and curled up on the ground where he’d started. “I would not expect one of your kind to understand.”
I examined the cage’s lock. It was a padlock the size of a dinner plate and required three separate keys to trip the mechanism. I thought that with time, and my ability to see into the metal, I might be able to pick it.
“We should get going,” Falan reminded me. “Especially, if there is a bounty on your head.”
Falan glanced around, looking for trouble. No immediate threat loomed, but he wasn’t wrong, and we didn’t need more problems.
Chapter 20 – A Warm Reception
We were ready to go, but Benkar had wandered off and was speaking with a gang of other youths.
“Boy,” Falan called our guide back over, “we need a cooper and a sailmaker next.”
“I know a good cooper,” Benkar said.
We followed as he led us uphill and out of the market.
“Why is that maigur kept in the cage?” I asked.
Scary or not, he was proud and pitiable.
“Where else would you keep him?” Benkar asked.
“How long has he been there?”
“Long as I’ve been alive,” Benkar said. “I’m thirteen tomorrow. Them hounds used to cause trouble for the town, attackin the wall and then runnin off to the jungle agin. My pa says it was a regular thing too. Ever since they caught that one, there ain’t been no attacks. Course nobody’s dumb enough to go into the jungle. My cousin Jagle is always yapping about goin to look for treasure in the ruins, but he ain’t never crossed the wall. It’s just big talk.”
Benkar led us further up into the city. There was no way of knowing if he was taking us to the best cooper, the closest cooper, or to the cooper who would pay him a kickback for bringing customers. As long as there were barrels, I didn’t care. The cooper’s shop was open to the street. There were plenty of barrels stacked around his workspace, and the elderly goblin looked up from scraping a barrel when we arrived.
“What can I do ya fer?” the cooper asked.
“They’re lookin fer barrels,” Benkar said.
The cooper gave him a frown, “Most as come here, are.”
“We need three mid-sized casks for drinking water,” Falan said. He held his hand mid-thigh from the ground. “We need them right away.”
“Huh, I’ve got some in the back,” the cooper said.
“New and clean,” Falan added.
“Aye.”
The cooper left the shop and returned with a smallish barrel. He set it in front of Falan, who inspected it. He went so far as opening it and smelling inside.
“This is fine,” Falan said. “Have you two more?”
“Aye, boy, give me a hand.”
“Yes, Uncle,” Benkar said.
I glanced at Falan who shrugged as if to say that being steered toward relations’ shops was the way of the world. Both goblins returned with the rest of our order. After a little dickering, we were the proud owners of three new casks. The empty casks were awkward but not heavy.
“Now we just need a sail,” I said.
Our shopping run had been easy and successful. Benkar said the sailmaker’s shop was further up the finger, and the cooper told us we could pick up the casks on the way back. We wended our way along tighter and often covered streets. The inside curve of the peninsula sloped up to the sheer cliffs that the waves broke upon; the sailmaker was near the middle of the slope and a fair walk towards the point where the city ended.
Other than the odd lingering stare, we received no undue attention along the way.
The sailmaker was a Valaneese woman, so while Benkar may still have been getting a kick-back for leading us there, they were at least unrelated. The shop itself was clean and well-kept, and nothing suggested ‘unsavoury’. Falan described the sail we’d lost with precision and gave exact measurements, laying out the size and shape required.
“We need it at once,” he said.
“I have other orders…” The woman considered us, giving Falan and me a thorough second look. “If I push them back, it will cost gold. I must put all my girls on the job.”
Five minutes of back and forth left me poorer and the woman agreeing to have our sail ready by closing that evening. Not spending the night in the town was our hope, and it looked possible. She shouted into the back room and a younger, and obviously related woman, answered her call. After much animated discussion the other woman left again.
We could hear loud chatter from the back room.
“Five hours,” the sailmaker said.
“I hope this fuss won’t delay my order,” a voice behind me said.
A shiver ran down my spine. I was sure I’d heard the voice before.
“Of course not, Captain Dralth, we’ve finished your spinnaker—as promised,” the sailmaker said.
I stepped aside to let a dreylun man and two satyrs pass. There was no doubt about it; the huge dreylun was the same guy I’d scuffled with more than a year before in Havensport. I was a lot different from the last time we met, so I didn’t think there was a danger of being recognised. Immediate departure was the prudent choice, regardless. Captain Dralth only gave me a brief glance before walking past, and my hopes soared. He stopped halfway across the shop and sniffed the air. Slowly, he turned towards me and his hand eased onto the head of the axe in his belt. He took a good, long look, pausing at my right hand, which had unconsciously found sword hilt.
I was carrying the stolen sword at my side. Not taking the Arath through town, to avoid drawing attention had seemed prudent, but travelling unarmed had seemed insane.
“You made your escape,” he said. His eyes darted to my left wrist were the vine tattoo once resided. Then he chuckled at my steel hand and nodded to himself. “Sometimes, it’s best to cut all ties.”
So much for not being recognised.
“Do you know what became of our navigator, Riddles?” he asked.
“No, I’ve never met anyone named Riddles.”
“It wasn’t his real name. He was left behind when we… departed Havensport ahead of schedule. He hadn’t crewed with us long, but…”
“Was Riddles a sphinx?” I asked.
There was one guy stranded with us on Knight’s Haven. He’d ingested wyspire accidentally and died a short time later. We hadn’t learned his name.
“Was?” Captain Dralth asked.
“He got sick and died later on. We didn’t even know he was on the island until… close to the end.”
“That’s a shame. He was a good navigator.”
An awkward silence grew in the shop.
“I’m still not looking for trouble,” I said.
“I told you before, it finds you whether you want it or not.”
A lot had happened since we’d first met, and though I wasn’t looking for trouble, I was less afraid of it.
“True,” I said, “but you can make it regret that it showed up.”
That got surprised pause, followed by uproarious laughter.
“As luck would have it, I’m not either.” Captain Dralth took his hand from his axe and turned to the sailmaker, “I’ll take the sail now.”
Falan tugged me from the shop while the dreylun completed his transaction.
“Do you know him?”
“I met him on my first day on Knight’s Haven,” I said.
I recounted the meeting as we made our way back to the cooper. We paused only long enough to collect the empty water casks. Benkar walked ahead of us whistling as he went. I saw someone move in the shadows up the street behind us.
“I think we’re being followed,” I told Falan.
“Various people have followed us since we left the docks,”
he said. “You have to expect it in a place like this. That’s why I showed no extra coin, but you’re armed and big and–”
He cut off mid-sentence.
“And?” I asked.
“A little… scary,” Falan added. “If I didn’t know you, I’d say more than a little.”
“Really?”
I’d never thought of myself that way, and, being alone for so long with Falan and Ivy, had forgotten the looks that were so common on the streets of Havensport.
“That’s probably for the best,” I said.
Falan glanced around, “In a place like this—definitely.”
***
We walked back to the harbour, pretending not to notice our shadows. A small crowd had gathered by the stone pier, and I hurried my pace when I saw them. Ivy stood at the end of the pier with bow in hand. A half dozen people lay on the long narrow stretch of stacked stone between the crowd and Ivy.
I was pretty sure they weren’t sleeping.
The supplies we’d bought sat piled behind her on the pier next to the boat. As I pushed through the crowd with the cask, animated discussion surrounded me.
“You go then.”
“She can’t get all of us.”
“No, but she can get a quiver’s worth. You go first; I’ll be right behind you.”
“What’s going on?” I heard Falan ask someone.
“A few o’the Black Street Boys went down to meet that little fae girl. She didn’t take to em I guess.”
“Worthless scum. Good riddance.”
“Where’s the guard?”
“I don’t know. Did you send word to the chief?”
“No, didn’t you?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
I pushed toward the front of the crowd.
“Dalluc’s getting us bows from the Slive.”
“If you can get close enough to take a shot, she can too—and then you’re dead.”
I’d heard enough. If none of the guys around me were brave enough to fight one cute girl, they weren’t a genuine threat. I kept pushing forward. The last few thugs crowding the base of the pier looked tougher than the rest and had weapons in their hands. None looked back as I approached.
“Excuse me,” I said as I smashed the nearest ones over their heads with the cask.
The cooper had done a solid job. Those guys dropped like bowling pins, and one flew into the shallow water near the shore, but the cask was fine. My sneak attack provided ample time for Falan and Benkar to follow me down onto the pier. I found it surprising that Benkar also followed, and I stayed to one side to give Ivy a clear shot if anyone else did. Each body we passed was decorated with one of her arrows.
Ivy didn’t lower her bow as we went by and set down our loads. She wore her shimersilk cloak and didn’t look away from the crowd.
“Bit of trouble?” I asked.
“You took your time.”
“It looks like the supplies were delivered.”
“You should load them so we can leave,” Ivy said.
Falan was already starting on that.
“We still haven’t gotten our new sail,” I said. “It won’t be ready for a few more hours.”
I passed supplies down to Falan.
“After the porters left, others arrived, intent on doing me harm,” Ivy said. “I sensed their intentions, but my warning shots didn’t dissuade them.” She shrugged. “It is strange; none wanted to steal from us.”
“What do they want?”
“They want me. It goes beyond a simple hatred of our kind.”
“There are huge bounties out on both our heads, and bounty hunters here in the city. I also met up with the captain of one of the ships from Knight’s Haven.”
“Ah, that would explain it. We should leave.”
I passed another box to Falan, “I’m working on it.”
“We must forgo the luxury of a sail,” Ivy said.
She was probably right, but it sucked. I’d already paid half, up-front.
Chapter 21 – A Dirty Getaway
Falan and I moved quickly to get the new supplies stowed in the boat. My focus was on the job, so I didn’t see the members of Felclaw’s guard arrive, but I noticed a change in the shouts from the gathered crowd before Ivy spoke.
“Jack, others are coming.”
I’d just handed the last sack of vegetables to Falan. Six ogres parted the crowd with heavy clubs and stony elbows. The grey giants stood lumpy heads and shoulders above the rest. A goblin with a spear pushed through the middle before leading the ogres down the pier. There wasn’t time to gather my hammer or shield, so I stepped up beside Ivy and waited. The ogres stopped a little way off, but the well-dressed goblin came forward using his spear as a walking stick.
“Felclaw’s an orderly, civilised city,” he said. “The chief doesn’t like it when folks makes a fuss.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Lieutenant Briknal, o’ the guard,” he said. “Start talkin or the lads’ll start smashin.”
“Those men came to kill me,” Ivy said. “I merely defended myself.”
“Hard to say now, what with them as all bein dead.”
“It’s true, Uncle,” Benkar said.
“What are you doin here, boy?”
“I’ve been workin as a guide. They ain’t broke no rules.”
“Ya gonna tell yer da that?”
Benkar nodded emphatically, and the lieutenant’s face scrunched up thoughtfully.
“I suppose it’s just the taxes then,” he said.
“Taxes?” Ivy asked.
“Oh aye, the disturbin the peace tax, the body cleanup tax, and…” his craggy face scrunched up even tighter as he considered, “the crowd dispersin tax.”
Those taxes sounded made-up.
“Very well,” Ivy said, “and how much will that amount to?”
“Ten gold imperials,” he answered without the slightest hesitation.
I thought it sounded cheap to avoid a fight. Felclaw was a town where everything had a price.
“Two,” countered Ivy.
In my mind taxes weren’t a thing one negotiated, and I was about to suggest we pay.
“Nine,” the lieutenant said.
“Four,” Ivy said.
“Seven.”
“Done. Jack, pay him.”
I dug the coins from my robes and dropped them into the lieutenant’s waiting hand.
“This don’t cover taxes on future offences,” he warned.
The guards earned the cleanup tax on their way back up the pier. Cleanup amounted to kicking the bodies into the water as they passed. Most of the crowd dispersed with shouting from the lieutenant. His men encouraged the few stragglers to move on with the butts of clubs and substantial stony fists. Felclaw’s guard might have been rough around the edges, but their crowd control tactics were as effective as they were brutal. By the time they left, nobody loitered at the end of the pier. Plenty of the crowd had moved off down the road to take up watch, alone or in small groups. We’d watched the show in silence.
“Is everyone in this town your uncle?” I asked Benkar.
Benkar shrugged, “I have a few.”
“We should leave now,” Ivy said.
Falan’s expression said he agreed, but I was still determined to collect our sail. Who knew when we’d find the opportunity to get another, and the lack of a sail would draw attention at every port of call. Also, I’d made an agreement and felt an overwhelming need to keep it.
“I’m going back for the sail,” I said. “It will be ready in another two hours.”
“Those men are only waiting for darkness,” Ivy said. “And you said there are bounty hunters.”
“True. Benkar are you willing to guild me back to the sailmaker’s shop and then across to the other side of the city?”
“It’ll cost extra.”
“One gold imperial, and you can run if there’s danger, deal?”
“Done!”
&nbs
p; “Jack!”
“I have a plan. You wait an hour after I’m gone and then circle the city. I’ll collect the sail and meet you on the far side. Falan, can you manage the swell under that ruined lighthouse?”
“Normally, I’d say no, but in this boat, aye.”
“It is too dangerous, Jack. You’ll be challenged before you’ve left the harbour.”
“I don’t think so. If I am… I’ll just come back.”
I stepped into the boat and unbelted the sword, handing it to Falan. Then I extracted my hammer from the bottom of the boat and set it on the wharf. Last, I collected my shield and returned to land. It felt good having my shield strapped on and the Arath in hand.
Benkar led me back up into the city and past the dregs of the former crowd. Everywhere we went my shield and hammer received speculative stares. Most of the inspections earlier in the day were of a subtler nature. The looks I received now were hungry, fearful, or both.
Regardless, no one challenged me or hindered our progress, though I suspected that some followed. By the time we reached the sailmaker’s shop there was no doubt about it. Those shadowing our movements displayed varying degrees of stealth, and I guessed there were as many more lurking unseen. Other shopkeepers were closing up or already closed for the day, but a light still burned in the sailmaker’s window.
The sailmaker’s eyes widened at the sight of my weapons.
“You made it,” she said. “I was only going to wait a short while longer.”
A sizable rope-bound bundle sat on the counter. I handed her the coin, and she pushed the bundle towards me.
“It is a rush job, but you’ll find the quality excellent,” she said.
“Thank you.” Hours had passed since I’d left Ivy and Falan. They would be making their way around the city by sea. I tucked the sail under my shield arm, “Good evening.”
The shop stood on a narrow street. Back outside I discovered both ends of that street were blocked by dark figures, and I didn’t need Ivy’s senses to know they were hostile.
“It looks like everyone has come out to play,” I said to Benkar.
“Aye, the bounty fer yer head is a big one,” he said. “I’m not sure how they plan to split ya up afterwards, to collect it.”
“You knew there was a bounty on me? How much is it?”
