by Brian Keller
The Journeymen had been waiting impatiently. In the time that Cooper had been down in the underground passage, the sun had dropped below the horizon and they were visibly relieved that Cooper and Rukle had rejoined them. Cooper pointed out a structure that had nearly four walls and something like a roof overhead, “We’ll camp in there tonight.” They walked inside the structure and set their packs against one of the walls. Cooper stepped to the center and gathered everyone around him. He sat on the floor with the lantern next to him and placed the two bags he’d retrieved on the ground in front of him, then opened one of them. He poured out the coins, revealing a cascade of gold in the lantern light. There was a collective gasp from all around him. Cooper addressed the group, “Before we unroll our sleeping mats, there’s one more matter to clear up. I didn’t think I’d be in a position to make this offer, but here it is… If anyone wants to leave… if rebuilding the Guild isn’t what you want out of life, I’m willing to pay any of you fifty gold coins and send you on your way. The deal is this. You leave Paleros completely. You never mention where the coin came from. And you never return. There are only a few of us here. It’ll be easy to remember any or all of you. The ones that remain from this point forward are truly dedicated to the rebuild. The next several months will be horrible. We will certainly not go hungry, but all available coin will be dedicated to the effort, not to fill our pockets… but if we’re successful, then within a couple of years those fifty gold coins will seem like a pittance.” All were silent. No one appeared interested in the gold. In fact, no one even looked at the coins lying in the dust. Loryn leaned forward, “I think I speak for all of us when I ask… what do you need us to do?” The others nodded their assent. Cooper smiled, “We need to refine the plans and make preparations. The rest of you already know, but I'll explain again for Rukle's benefit. Our plan has several overlapping stages, which all culminate with a jailbreak of epic proportions.” Rukle seemed to choke for a moment but recovered his composure. He managed to gasp, “Well, you have my attention.”
Cooper knelt down and gathered some of the coins. “First thing tomorrow morning, we have some basic errands to run.” He held out a stack of five coins to Gaff, “Take one of the others with you. We’ll need provisions. Nothing fancy. Bread, meat, cheese, water, maybe some wine. Some herbs and spices and preserved vegetables to make stew.” Gaff gestured towards Spen, who acknowledged, “Yep.” Cooper turned to Rukle, “You already know what you need to do.” Rukle replied with a single nod. Cooper turned to Loryn, “You know Dailen, right?” Loryn nodded and Cooper continued, “Rukle will tell you where he is. Go find him and bring him back here. Tell him that I’ve requested his presence, and I’ll come retrieve him myself if need be.” He turned to face the remaining two journeymen, “Naro and Balat, guard the camp tomorrow. If anyone comes here that you don’t recognize, put an arrow into them.” Loryn asked, “What about you?” Cooper smiled, “Second only to Rukle’s task, I’ve kept the hardest part for myself. I’ve got to go and inform Birt that he’s being promoted.”
Chapter 5
Cooper had rolled up in his furs and blanket and fallen asleep quickly. Although the ground was an unforgiving bed, his sleeping mat absorbed the worst of it. He was awakened well before dawn. Loryn shook him awake, “Cooper. Wake up. It’s your turn.” He poked his head out from under his fur hood, “My turn? My turn for what?” Loryn stood above him, “Rukle said ‘with a fire this big, someone may come investigate’ so we’re taking two hour shifts on watch. We left yours til last.” Cooper wasn’t pleased with being awakened for a shift on watch but he was grateful for two things: getting the last shift, and the warmth of the fire. He doubted anyone would see any glow of the fire that might escape beyond the walls; and for any that might, it would be unlikely that their curiosity would exceed their fear of the Ruins.
He occupied himself by visualizing his upcoming conversation with Birt. He felt confident that Birt would be happy to hear of plans to rebuild, but wouldn’t likely be willing to accept the job that Cooper needed him to do. By the time that the eastern sky had started to turn grey, Cooper thought he had his script figured out. It was time to wake the rest of them. He would insist that everyone stretch and practice for at least an hour before eating. He needed them to become conditioned to fighting at any hour. Fighting when first awakened seemed like a good place to start. Responses to this ideas were mixed, but at least Loryn took to it with enthusiasm.
While eating some of their diminishing bread and meat Cooper spoke to Loryn, “When you talk to Dailen, just get him to follow you back here. Don’t give him directions.” Loryn was chewing a mouthful of food but her raised eyebrow told him that she wanted more clarification. Cooper explained, “If you come right out and say that we’re camped out in the Ruins, it might affect his eagerness to join us. And we need him.” Loryn swallowed and replied, “We all know how to work metal.” Cooper shrugged, “Yes, and when you figure in the nails and fittings we’ll need for the construction ahead, we’ll all certainly catch our fair share of sparks, but everyone else here will have other work to do. Besides, we need someone dedicated to constructing the forge and doing the weapon crafting. With any luck, he’ll also step up and oversee much of the construction efforts… but let’s not hit him with all of that right up front, eh?” Loryn scoffed, “You don’t think I know that?”
Cooper spent the next couple hours inspecting several of the nearby structures. The walls that were still standing were built to last. He didn’t know enough about construction and masonry to guess what it would take to restore the buildings to functional form. Furthermore, he wasn’t even sure who he should approach about it. Stone masons and carpenters often worked hand in hand, but as he understood it, they seldom worked as partners. He would need to ask around, but he’d need to identify projects outside the Ruins as a way to assess who to hire for the real rebuild work. Finding work for carpenters would be easy. A few repairs and improvements on several of the Houses would always be welcomed. Identifying stone work projects would be a different matter.
He looked skyward to try and estimate the height of the sun. The overcast sky made it difficult to be accurate but he knew it was mid-morning and that was close enough. Most everyone with jobs were well into their day. The only patrons in the bars and inns at this hour were the ones truly dedicated to maintaining their inebriated state. Now might be the best time to drop in on Birt.
Cooper went back to the camp site. Rukle, Loryn, Gaff and Spen had already left to work on the tasks he’d assigned. He pulled his wolf skin coat out of his pack for added protection against the wind, clipped his sword and scabbard to his belt, and gave Naro and Balat a brief wave as he left.
As he walked south, he considered how, as a young child, he certainly noticed the cold but accepted it. Now that he was older, and better off, he was much less willing to accept it. He bundled the furs tighter around him as he walked across the South Bridge and entered the Trade Quarter. The guard on the bridge didn’t even seem to notice him.
Once in the Trade Quarter, he moved through the crowd with a practiced smoothness. Today he wasn’t looking to lift any coin purses, he simply sought to blend in. He stepped to the side when he was close enough to read the sign hanging outside the inn where Birt was working. He supposed he could walk straight in, but it was a prudent habit to observe a place before entering. In the twenty minutes he watched, no one entered or left. Nor did anyone seem to express any interest in the place. This would likely change in an hour or so, as lunch time approached. He crossed the street and tugged his hood further over his head as he entered. He found a seat along the wall, several steps in from the door and he quickly scanned the room. There were a few patrons leaning over their drinks, seated at tables near the bar. Birt was behind the bar, wiping down a row of mugs. Cooper called out, “Innkeep! Can I get a small beer in a clean mug?” To Birt’s credit he didn’t drop the mug in his hands, but he froze for a second before he managed to reply, “Right away, young
sir! Anything to eat to go with it?” Cooper called back, “Perhaps a room for the day. If you’ve got one.” Birt had poured the beer and replied loudly as he stepped out from behind the bar, “We have two rooms presently, sir. I can show them to you, if you like? I’ll just need to let the owner know. I can’t leave the bar untended with these louts hovering so near the taps.” This brought a series of good-natured grumbles from the patrons. Birt set the mug on the table in front of Cooper, “That’ll be a copper, unless you want to add it to the cost of the room.” Then in a quiet voice he added, “You’re alive?!? What are you doing here?” Cooper laid a coin on the table and replied in a quiet voice, “Well, hello to you, too…” Then, in a normal voice, “How long will it take you to show me the rooms?” Birt slid the coin into his palm and spoke to the room, “I’ll ask the owner to watch the bar, young sir. Then I’ll be back to show you the rooms.”
Birt walked back behind the bar and leaned through a door and called out, “Might be renting a room. Need you to watch the bar.” A minute later a porcine man with red-rimmed eyes and a chin that nearly merged with his neck stepped through the door and Birt quickly stepped towards the stairs, calling out, “If you’ll follow me, young sir.” Cooper left his untouched beer on the table. He caught up with Birt at the top of the stairs. Birt’s expression was one of exasperation and surprise. His waving arms did nothing to detract from his expression. Cooper kept his voice low, “Who else might hear us?” Birt shook his head, “No one else up here, right now. What the hell are you doing here?” Cooper grinned, “Show me a room and I’ll tell you.” Birt pushed a door open and ushered him through it. He was almost red-faced by the time he closed the door. Cooper started speaking before Birt had a chance to insist again, “I need you to be the temporary Guild Master.” There wasn’t a chair within reach, so Birt just slid down the wall and sat down on the floor, “You need me to what?!”
Cooper chuckled, “Judging from your response, I’m confident you don’t actually need me to repeat myself.” He paused, but Birt appeared to still be coming to grips with the concept. Cooper elaborated, “We’re getting re-established. Rukle, Loryn, a few other Journeymen and I are getting things started. We should have Dailen with us before evening.” Birt was shaking his head, his voice took a sarcastic tone, “And with that formidable force you’re planning on rebuilding? Right under the very noses of the Watch and the Army? Please excuse my doubt, but have you lost your mind?” Cooper shook his head, “We’re not rebuilding in the same place, we’ve-” Birt interrupted, “Well, that much is a relief!” Cooper crossed his arms in front of his chest, “Do you want to hear this? Or are you satisfied with serving beers and swabbing the floors each night after closing?”
Birt’s eyes flashed, “Hey, that’s hardly fair. I mostly run this place.” He held up his hand, thumb and forefinger almost touching, “And I’m this close to becoming a partner.” Cooper replied in a mocking ‘impressed’ tone, “Well, excuse me, mister innkeeper. I’ll be sure to send Rukle over next week to collect your dues.” Cooper stopped and took a breath. The conversation was getting too far off script, “This is happening, with you or without you. I’d very much prefer to have you helping to manage us, instead of an inn.”
It appeared that Birt now had himself under control, “But Guild Master? I know I’m not ready for that.” Cooper smiled inwardly. They were back on script, “A successful endeavor depends on two factors. First, assemble the right people for the job. Second, those people have to believe in what they’re doing. If the right people work cooperatively toward a common goal even Fate must bend a knee.” Birt snorted, “Who are you quoting? Who spouted that drivel?” Cooper smiled, “Guildmaster Worthan.” Birt’s eyes grew wide, “GUILDmaster Worthan?!” Cooper nodded while Birt attempted to work his way through this information. He finally asked, “So what makes you think that I’m Guildmaster material? What makes me the ‘right person’ for the job?” Cooper shrugged, “You always seem to know who’s doing what and what’s going on. Right now, that’s what we need most from you. I’m not asking you to manage people. I’m asking you to manage information.” Birt considered his words for a moment, “Alright. I’m in. Just so long as I never have to mop up vomit again… ever.” Cooper chuckled, “I won’t make any promises, but I think that’s a pretty safe assumption.”
Birt stood and pulled his apron off, “I’ll need to grab my stuff, and I’ll likely need your help carrying some of it.” As they walked out of the room Cooper asked, “Incidentally, what would it have cost you to become part owner of this place?” Birt shrugged, “About three or four hundred gold. I don’t have that much set aside yet, but the owners ledgers were in such bad shape when I arrived he didn’t even know whether he was profiting or not. He just knew he had coin coming in and coin going out. As long as he had enough money to replenish his stock, he figured he was doing well enough. As it turns out, he had good profit potential but it was costing him almost as much to rent out rooms as he was making from them. If I’m not here to keep up with the ledgers, I wouldn’t want to be a partner. In a month, this place’ll be right back where it was.” Cooper’s mind was working. Those facts might not seem useful now, but four or five rooms, co-located and cheaply leased on a semi-permanent basis… yes, that information might prove useful in the near future.
When they reached the main floor, Birt stepped around behind the bar and announced to the owner, “I’ll be leaving now. It should only take me a few minutes to clear out my corner.” The owner’s facial expressions went through several emotions in the few seconds that followed. Cooper couldn’t decide whether the last one was outrage or outright anger. As Birt disappeared into the back room, the owner slammed his hand on the bar and turned to follow. Cooper called out, “Whatever you’re thinking. Don’t.” The owner whirled to glare at him, “Don’t? Don’t what?” Cooper smiled, “Don’t leave the bar untended.” He turned and scanned the room, “These fellows look thirsty. There’s no telling how much they might drain from your barrels in your absence.” He pushed his furs back, revealing his Guild leathers. The owner’s expression changed abruptly; he looked like he’d been jabbed with a pin, “Ah, he’s with you, is he?” Cooper shrugged, “Perhaps, or not. But I’m the reason he’s leaving. Is that enough of an answer for you?” The owner looked down and decided the bar top needed a vigorous polishing. He was still hard at work as the young men left his inn. Once outside Birt asked, “So, where are we going?” Cooper paused before answering, “You likely won’t believe it. How about we just keep walking and I’ll tell you when we’re there.” Birt stopped walking, “Tell me.” Cooper sighed, “We’re in the Ruins.” Birt dropped his bags in the dirt, “You’re right. I don’t believe you. You’d better be joking!” Cooper shook his head, “It’s true. Believe it or not, the Ruins are safe now. And almost the entire neighborhood is ours.” Birt looked uncertain, but he picked up his bags and resumed walking.
