The Clearing

by Lina J. Potter

  The men nodded. They were used to the Virmans they already knew. And the countess’ appearance had cooled them off.

  Then she turned to Leis. “Help me get up there.” She was dizzy, but this was no time for weakness. She had to keep going. There were no other options.

  From the top of the wall she saw an idyllic scene: first there was Leif (he was a giant, and she recognized him right away), then she saw Ingrid. Behind her were the other Virmans with their wives. But there was a stranger next to Leif. Lily squinted. She promised herself that she would invent a megaphone as soon as she had time. Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Leif, how are you, friend?”

  Leif bowed. Ingrid waved.

  “My lady!”

  “I see you. But who is that with you?” Lily squinted again at the muscular figure next to Leif. The man looked beat. His face and one arm were bandaged, and he had what looked to be a dozen more wounds that could have used bandaging.

  “This is my friend Eric Torvson.”

  “What is he doing here?”

  Lily no longer suffered from an excess of trust. Now she saw what Leis had seen, and she didn’t want to let strangers into the castle.

  “We found Eric at sea.” Leif didn’t need a megaphone. Lily soon learned that Leif’s ship had been hit by a storm and he had been forced to take refuge in a small bay. When they sailed back out to sea two days later, they encountered a ship that Leif knew belonged to an old friend. Eric. He had been in a serious fight, which he won, and then got caught in the same storm that Leif had outrun. During the storm, he lost his mast and a third of his warriors, who were washed overboard. Some of his barrels of fresh water had sprung leaks. His remaining crew was ready to join their gods in the next life when Leif showed up. Immediately all thoughts of the gods were forgotten. Leif agreed to tow his friend, but he warned him that he couldn’t take him back to Virma. In the end, they decided to go on to Earton together. Now Leif wanted the countess to give permission for his friend.

  She inquired what Eric and his crew wanted. Leif replied that they needed food and water and a place to stay.

  “What else?”

  “My ship needs to be repaired. I don’t have enough men left to do it,” Eric spoke up in a deep voice. “The men I do have are wounded. I am asking for your mercy, but I will work it off. That I can promise.”

  Lily thought for a moment and turned to Leis. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged. “Virmans never go back on their word. They believe that if they are ever guilty of betrayal, the sea will refuse them passage. Their fortune will turn bad.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “If their ship is really as bad as it sounds, the repairs will take a long time. The storm season is already starting, and winter is around the corner. My lady, I suggest you tell them they can spend the winter here at Earton. They will be useful. If we make them official members of the guard, I’ll have an easier time making the peasants work. The Virmans you hired have families (everyone at Earton knew about Leif and his story), but these new ones are sea wolves. Tell them they can stay, but set your own conditions. I don’t think you’ll be sorry you hired them.”

  But what if they rob us blind and load the loot onto their boat?

  Lily studied Eric and his men. They were a fearsome bunch. If she had run into them in a dark alley, their looks alone would have knocked her out. On the other hand, all the Virmans she had ever seen looked fearsome: they were tall, muscular and covered with scars, and they sported smiles that reminded her of a hungry cannibal. She had just grown used to Ivar, Olaf, Leif, Gel, and the rest of “her” Virmans. These new ones made her uneasy.

  “How many men do you have?” she called down to Eric.

  “Twenty. Ten of them are here with me.”

  “I’m coming down. We will talk,” she yelled. Her voice was giving out.

  Ten minutes later, her men lowered her down from the wall in a funny chair. It was a terrifying descent. Lily held onto the ropes with all her strength and repeated Latin medical terms as the chair went down, just to keep herself from screaming. She was used to her new body for the most part, but every now and then she would make an unsettling discovery. For example, that her new body was afraid of heights.

  I wish I had a scale. Oof!

  Her back scraped against the wall.

  From what I can tell, I’ve got a little under a hundred pounds left to lose. I definitely have a waist now, and my stomach is a lot smaller. Ouch!

  Finally, she made it to the ground, where Leis was waiting for her. She staggered and leaned on his arm, but immediately straightened herself up. The Virmans kept their distance as a sign of peaceful intentions.

  Good for them. The last thing I need right now is for some idiot up there on the wall to shoot an arrow at these pirates. None of my men are good shots, anyway…

  “My lady,” Leif bowed when Lily walked up to him.

  Lily held out a hand. “Leif, this is Leis Antrel. He is the captain of my guards. I want you two to work together to keep my estate safe. I suppose Leis can guard the castle and you can patrol the whole area, but that is up to you. I won’t put up with conflict, so you’ll have to work everything out between yourselves.”

  Then she turned to Eric. “What were you doing off the coast of Earton?”

  “We were heading home to Virma from Ivernea,” he boomed. “But we didn’t move fast enough. A storm caught us.”

  Lily had to tilt her head up to look at him. Standing next to Eric made her feel small. He was twice her size and all muscle. She suspected he could have tied Peter the Great into a sailor’s knot.

  “If I hire you, will you stay until spring?”

  “Of course. Will you pay me what you are paying Leif?”

  Lily sighed and shook off the miser sitting on her shoulder.

  “I will. But with one condition: I am in charge here. No one questions my orders, and all of you obey Leis, who is my captain. If you can’t do that, I’ll not let you stay here.”

  “We will. We can swear an oath in blood over a fire if you like.”

  Lily did not know what that meant, but she nodded. “Fine. Swear an oath.”

  “Some of my men are wounded.”

  “So are you.”

  “This is nothing.”

  Lily eyed the bandage on his arm. It might be nothing, or it might not.

  “We will care for the wounded. I have a good herbalist, and there is an old woman in the village who has knowledge of healing. Twenty more warriors won’t hurt, but I don’t have barracks ready. You’ll have to help build your own quarters. You can all stay in the castle for now, but only until you recover.”

  “When will you take our oath?”

  “This evening.” Lily sighed. She was feeling poorly. “Leis! Leif”

  Both men turned to her.

  “I am hiring Eric. Leis Antrel is in charge of the castle. You will obey him as you obey me.” She almost added her father’s favorite line: “Orders are not up for discussion!”

  The rushing sound in her ears got louder.

  “What do you need for the oath?”

  “Nothing. Once it’s dark we’ll build fires. Can I bring my wounded to the castle?”

  “Yes. Leis, tell Emma to get things…” she didn’t finish her thought.

  Strange. Why is the ground rushing up to meet my face?

  Eric reached out and kept the countess from landing nose-first on the ground. He had never had to revive a noblewoman before, especially one who fainted for real. He could tell Lily wasn’t putting on. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and her face was white as a sheet.

  He began to think quickly. When he agreed to follow Leif to Earton, his only desire was to fix his ship and leave. Now he had a job. Eric wasn’t surprised that the countess hadn’t trusted him at first. Virmans had earned their reputation as pirates. He knew that. They never betrayed the person who hired them, but that didn’t stop them from plundering a wa
shtub full of Avesterran merchants if they happened across it… That was how life worked at sea. Of course, this time the men in the washtub had put up a pretty good fight. And then the storm caught him. Now he had a team of three solid men and seventeen wounded.

  It was pure luck that Leif had happened by. Otherwise, Eric would have gone to meet his gods, no doubt about it: his mast was gone and his boat was drifting. He had oars, but only ten of his men were well enough to even try to use them. They were running out of fresh water for themselves, much less for the ten prisoners they had hoped to sell in Darkom or the Khanganate. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

  Leif’s appearance was a lifesaver. Eric hadn’t been home to Virma in a long while, so he was eager to hear the latest news. He grew sad when he learned of his friend’s troubles. In the end, he asked Leif to tow him to Altver, where he could spend the winter fixing his boat.

  Leif had offered his old friend a different plan: Earton. The countess was a good woman, the estate was quiet and the pay was good. Eric was doubtful, but he had no choice. It took the two boats more than ten days to make their way to Earton. Leif’s ship was heavy with passengers and cargo, and the second ship slowed him even further. Once they reached the mouth of the Earta River, they had to row. In several places, they had to unload everything and portage their ships over the shallows. Finally, after much hard labor, they disembarked not far from the castle.

  Eric had expected the worst, and at first he seemed to be right. The guards refused them entry, and the man who called himself the captain of the guards spoke to them harshly. But then she appeared on the wall. A heavyset woman with a long, thick braid of golden hair. Lilian Earton. The situation started to improve. The guards put their weapons down and stopped threatening the Virmans. Then the countess came down from the wall and approached the Virmans without any signs of fear. She had complete faith in her people.

  The sun glinted in her golden hair, turning it into a crown on her head. Her pink lips smiled, but her eyes were utterly serious. There was something about her… Was it inner strength? Eric couldn’t take his eyes off her. As he watched her walk towards him, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to speak. Then she started asking questions. Her voice was as lovely as the rest of her: deep, warm, from the heart. It reminded him of mulled wine. Eric told himself that his men were counting on him and started to answer her questions.

  In the end, it worked out to his satisfaction. Eric promised to serve honestly in return for fair payment. Then, all of a sudden, the blood drained away from the woman’s face and she started to lose her balance. Eric reached out and grabbed her, not sure what to do next. She smelled of fresh herbs. There was something magical about her.

  Countess Lilian Earton. She’s so beautiful!

  Leis Antrel stepped up to help, taking hold of the countess from the other side. “She has a serious wound that hasn’t healed yet. I have to get her back into the castle. Do you know what to do?”

  “Yes. Her ladyship has hired us. I will swear an oath to her in blood over a fire.”

  Leis’ face relaxed. “When?”

  “This evening.”

  Leis knew that Virmans did everything they could to avoid breaking an oath, since oath breakers were scorned by the gods. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t have trouble with them in the future, but for now he felt safe enough.

  “Fine. Help me carry the countess back to the castle.”

  He waved to his men and the gates began to creak open.

  Ingrid came running up. “What has happened to the countess?” She looked at Lily with worry in her face.

  “There was an attempt on her life. She was badly wounded,” Leis explained. “She shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.”

  “I have medicine with me.”

  “We have our own healer. Jaimie!”

  The young man was already running towards them carrying a heavy bag. “Wait right there!” he cried.

  He took out a small bottle of smelling salts and held it under the countess’ nose. She sighed, sneezed, and opened her eyes.

  “What happened? Did I faint?”

  At first, Lily couldn’t understand what was going on. Why was the giant Eric carrying her? Where were they going? Then her memory returned and she began issuing orders.

  “Eric, put me down. Leis, go see to the new hires. Leif, you have to take orders from him. And make sure you get the wounded men back to the castle today. Jaimie, I suppose you’ve already guessed that you’ll be busy?”

  Everyone nodded. Lily put her feet under her and took a deep breath. “Ingrid, take me to my room so the men can get to work. And tell Leif to come see me when he has a moment. I want to talk to him.”

  Ingrid nodded. She took Lily’s arm and made the countess lean on her. Jaimie took her other arm. Together, they slowly made their way to the gates. Inside the courtyard, Emma was waiting for them.

  “My lady!”

  “Emma, meet Leif and Ingrid,” Lily pointed.

  I don’t have time for proper etiquette.

  “Do you remember I told you that Virmans would be arriving? There are more of them outside. Can you find room for them all?”

  “Yes, my lady. I could find room for double their number.”

  “Good. There are twenty more of them, all wounded, who need a place to sleep. Come see me later and tell me how things are going.”

  Emma turned and ran toward the castle, issuing orders to the servants as she went.

  Lily hobbled back to her room with Ingrid and Jaimie’s help.

  What kind of life is this? I have to be in charge of everything all the time!

  Back in her room, Lily sat down in a chair and took a deep breath.

  “How are you, my lady?” Ingrid’s voice was kind and empathetic.

  Lily waved a hand. “I’ll live. How are you?”

  “We are well, my lady. We could not bring everything with us, but Baron Avermal promised to send a second ship.”

  Lily sighed. “Good. You surprised me with that Eric person.”

  “My lady…”

  “I don’t mind. Now listen, Ingrid. I’m having my men build a smokehouse and a salt pit down by the shore. I want you to be in charge of them.”

  “A salt pit?”

  “We’ll use it to evaporate seawater and make salt. It’s too expensive to buy large quantities of salt, so we’ll make it ourselves. Fish will be heading upstream to spawn soon, won’t they?”

  “Yes, very soon.”

  “Good. You know all about fish and birds, so I’m putting you in charge. Take your women and organize it how you see fit. If you need help from the villagers, don’t hesitate to ask. Just make sure that every goose and every carp is accounted for.” Lily smiled to show that she was joking.

  Ingrid’s face was serious. “My lady, I understand that you weren’t expecting this many people.”

  “True. I was only counting on you and Leif and your crew. Eric has another twenty men.”

  “He has more than that.”

  “More?”

  Before Ingrid could answer, someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in!”

  It was Eric and Leis. Lily looked up at the ceiling. “What do you want?”

  Eric’s face was smooth and calm. “My lady, we took a few prisoners from the last ship we captured.”

  “A few?”

  “We attacked what turned out to be a slave trading ship.”

  Lily’s heart began to race. She wondered if those were the slave traders Etor had been waiting for.

  “Were they heading this way?”

  “No. I believe they were charting a course to Avesterra, Darkom or the Khanganate, where slavery is legal.”

  “I see. And here it is illegal.”

  Eric shrugged. “You can call them your peasants or call them your slaves. But officially, there is no slavery here.”

  “I suppose everyone on Virma is free?” Lily shot back.

  “For the most part, but there are some bond
smen.”

  Lily swore silently. She should know these things without asking. “Fine. What do you intend to do with your prisoners?”

  “I will give them to you, my lady. There are about twenty of them.”

  All Lily could do was swear silently. Eric watched the woman as she sat still in her high-backed chair. She was smart. Leif had not been mistaken. This was a woman you could do business with. True, she was a little strange. She seemed not to know some things that Eric had assumed everyone knew.

  Maybe she was raised that way.

  Eric thought he could imagine how aristocrats raised their daughters. Like rare flowers, they lived behind high walls, way out in the country where they could remain innocent and tremulous. Knowledge was not something such parents gave their daughters. He had seen enough of this while serving as a mercenary in Avesterra. Girls from wealthy families had little information and even less common sense in their heads. All they knew how to do was embroider and bat their eyelashes (and they weren’t even supposed to do too much of that).

  Eric felt that Lily’s position explained her deficit of knowledge on certain topics. Her intelligence and the shockingly fair way she treated people were harder to explain, but he liked both. He was tired of living away from Virma. People were always giving him dirty looks. And if they spoke to him at all, they made it clear that he ought to be grateful, even though he could have knocked most of them down if he spat at them hard enough.

  Leif had suggested the idea of giving the slaves to Lily. Eric could have sold them if he had made it home to Virma, where extra workers were always welcome. But slavery was outlawed in Ativerna, and he hated the thought of feeding them for nothing, especially after dragging them all that way. Instead, he decided to try to make it someone else’s problem.

  After he made his offer, he watched the countess’ face change, from surprise to impatience to anger. And then a cold mask of indifference dropped over her face. He was curious to see what she would say.

  Lily had a lot to say, but none of it would have sounded right coming from a countess. So she kept her voice as calm as she could and asked, “Who are they?”