by Rick Brown
“Excellent!” Barad said with a smile. “I thought you were going to say something bad.”
“It’s Brianna,” I added.
Barad turned to me. “Bri’s here?” he asked quietly. I could only nod. Brianna Wellborn was in the guild with us. She was just a couple of months our senior. From the first, it was evident that Barad liked her. She, however, was more concerned with her status in the guild. Also, having started before us gave her rank. I wouldn't say she abused it, but she did constantly assign us the worst tasks. I believed it was to dissuade a love-sworn puppy, but the puppy wouldn’t be discouraged. Not until he was seventeen and they were sent on a mission together. I’ve never seen him so high, convinced that the job would bring them together. He came back broken, even volunteered to go into the military with me. I never asked about their mission.
The three of us stood there for some time. Quietly letting Barad come to terms with the change in his circumstances. You could see emotions flash across his face from horror to anger and a few I didn’t recognize. He finally settled on a stoic expression with a slight grimace of pain around the eyes. “I see,” he finally said.
“Two gold a week,” I reminded him. That perked him up a bit.
He took a deep breath. “Right, for two gold.” Even so, I had to pull him off the bed and push him ahead of me down the hall.
Lenux led us to Yagen’s office. It was on the first floor and twice the size of our cells. A Large wooden desk sat on an over-sized red rug. Along the wall was a shelf of books. Yagen himself was in a leather chair behind the desk. A cloud of smoke drifted over the room from his pipe.
"Hello, Lee... Barad," came Brianna’s voice from the corner. She was dressed all in black wearing pants and a leather vest. She sat slumped in a chair, picking her nails with a knife. I could see daggers strapped around her waist, and I was sure she had others that I couldn't see. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she stared at Barad with her blue eyes. As usual, she looked ready for business.
Barad looked at her wide-eyed like he just spotted a snake in the room. Yagen's eyes glanced between the two as he knew something was going on, but not sure what. "Good...I see you know each other." His tone implied he was not sure that it was good at all. "Allow me to fill you boys in on what we do here." He paused and gathered himself. "The priests of Alynon have never given up on our Kingdom. Alsselya was a beautiful place. Peaceful... Maybe too peaceful. Dommeran's invasion destroyed that peace. We did have brave knights and a small army but were not prepared for a violent war-hungry people to descend on our homes. Even our god Alynon turned warrior. Himself battling Gorath, the Dommerian’s god. Unfortunately, a god’s strength comes from his people, and by that time our people had been weakened. The royal family of Alsselya was erased from existence. Alynon fought valiantly, but in the end, his power wasn't enough to defeat him. Gorath is ruthless on his people and demands absolute obedience. He can feed off his people’s fear better than our god could our love. The last of our army was lost on the Fields on Alynon. It once was the border between Vaelin and Alsselya. Now it is the border between Vaelin and Dommeran. Ayisha’s generosity is all that saved the few that survived.
“The refugees have now blended into Vaelin’s populace. Most now couldn’t tell an Alsselyian from a Vaelin, but we are still here. I doubt most even know their heritage anymore. You for instance,” he said pointing at me. "I bet you think of yourself as a true-blooded Vaelin. If one were describing an Alsselyian, it would be tall, strong, and dark haired. I couldn't find someone more Alsselyian if I tried."
I looked at my friends as they all stared at me now. It felt silly. There are many matching that description throughout Vaelin. Of course, I thought to myself, isn’t that what he just told us? That the people of Alsselya were scattered throughout Vaelin?
“Yes, I can see from your expression that this is the first you’ve heard of it. Not surprised. Still, I’d bet money that you are Alsselyian, and it looks to run very true through your veins.
“Anyway, you can see why we have no love for Dommeran. Even now they continue to destroy our kingdom. Proud castles were torn down for peasant huts. Alynon’s temples desecrated with human sacrifice. Yet, as priests of Alynon, we still battle on.
“The task for which we turned to you four is to disrupt Dommeran’s interests within Coneer. They have merchants buying weapons in secret. Storing rations for their soldiers, and of course, stockpiling funds. Everything they need to carry their battle forward to Vaelin. It’s all done covertly, of course. Not in the name of Dommeran, but as general business, even charity. Your two friends here, I believe you call them ‘sneaks,' have been identifying them for us. We now wish to expand the operation into the next phase. Disruption."
I grinned. “Then you’ve found the right men, being disruptive is our specialty.” I looked at Barad who gave me an uncomfortable smile while keeping his eye on Bri.
Yagen smiled with me. “Excellent. Lenux, tell them what you’ve found.”
Lenux stepped forward. “There’s a shipment of hardtack for their troop's meals arriving from downriver tonight. It will meet with wagons that plan to carry it east to Dommeran. Bri and I estimate four wagons with likely as many guards. The guards will be Dommerians, so it’ll be just like being back on the Fields of Alynon for you two,” he said with a smile.
“Good,” Barad said. “I’m starting to feel homesick.” Brianna glanced at him and rolled her eyes. Barad smiled feeling that he made a point.
Lenux cleared his throat uncomfortably. “They are doing this after dark to attract less attention on the dock. We’ll wait till after they leave the city and attempt our raid then. We prefer to save the hardtack and bring it back here to the temple. It will then be distributed to feed the poor.”
He turned to the priest. “Father Yagen, we will need horses for this job.”
He nodded. "Yes, we've already taken care of that. You'll find four horses in front of the temple. Careful with them, they've only been rented."
As soon as we left Yagen's study, Brianna turned to Barad. "We can work together, right?" Her eyebrow arched, daring him to say anything other than ‘yes’.
He leaned back slightly on his heels as he stared down his nose at her. "Sure, I'm a professional. So long as you can fight your love for me, we'll be fine."
First, she showed nothing but shock, then she huffed, rolled her eyes and walked out of the building, Lenux following behind her. I pulled Barad's arm, "What the hells was that?!"
He gave me a big smile. “The game’s back on!” He had a bright glimmer in his eye. I could only shake my head.
Lenux returned to us from outside, giving a long sigh as he walked across the floor to us. “Still can’t help but poke the bear, eh Barad?” Barad only continued grinning. “Well, Bri has gone to the docks to wait for the wagons to be loaded. She’ll meet us outside the gates when they are moving the stock. I’ll change into my night gear and meet you out front.”
Barad and I went out front and looked over the four horses. They were all sturdy. We selected two and mounted to wait on Lenux. After a few minutes, he came out dressed in a similar fashion as Brianna. The difference being he had a short sword strapped to his back. He carried two bows and quivers. One he attached to his saddle and the other to Brianna's horse. Mounting his horse, he took the lead for Brianna’s horse then led us towards the gate. “The gates close at ten, so Bri will find some other way out and meet us on the road.”
“If the gates close at ten, how are they getting their wagons out?” I asked.
Lenux shrugged, "It's a trade town. The graft is just another commodity. The Dommerian’s will look like any other merchant avoiding taxes by sneaking out at night.”
We passed through the gate and traveled down the road, far enough away that we wouldn’t draw interest from the guards, but close enough that Brianna wouldn't have trouble finding us. We dismounted and secured the horses to a vineyard fence. I sat down by a tree and relaxed. It w
as just sunset now, and it would be a few hours before Bri arrived. It was nice resting there, looking across the road at the field of grapes. They grew in straight, organized rows. It reminded me of military drills. I relaxed as I watched the sun go down. After it set, I pulled off my jacket and made a pillow. It was always in a soldier's best interest to nap when you could. I planned to take advantage of the time we had.
Chapter 4
(Brianna)
Brianna fumed as she walked away from the temple. I can’t believe he is trying this again. She had made it perfectly clear to him before that she wasn’t interested in romance. Last time they were on a mission together she had to threaten to castrate him before he stopped harassing her. And now he’s back again, She thought with a sigh. It wasn’t that he was a bad match, far from it, but until she was established in the guild romance was out.
Weaving her way through the crowd she approached the docks. The scent of fresh fish permeated the air around her. Fishermen with their carts were attempting to sell that day’s stock. Calling out their catch, they tried to attract anyone that wandered too near. She ignored them all as she made her way to the docks searching for the barge carrying the hardtack, and finally spotting it at the last pier. It was the one boat where there was no activity. That would change later. She made her way to the inn where she and Lenux had rented a room. Nodding to the proprietor as she passed, she went up the stairs to her room. It wasn't much. Just a bed and a chair, but it overlooked the docks and was a perfect location for watching the barge. The fact it had another window that overlooked the alley was a significant benefit. She sat in her familiar chair and picked up the sandwich she had started earlier. Relaxing, she listened to the barge bells ring as they navigated their way to the empty slots on the pier. The tax collectors rushing out to review their catch and apply appropriate levies. Further down the river, you could see the bargemen polling their way against the flow to reach the docks.
She smiled to herself. Finally, we are going to do something! For months they had been observing. It was time for action! Maybe it won’t be so bad this time having Barad around. He was a good fighter. Besides, Lee will be a great asset to the team. He was considered the best the guild had raised in years. The news they heard from the Border only bolstered his status. She couldn’t think of a better duo for joining their operation. Even if it did mean having to avoid Barad's advances. Besides, that could be fun too, she thought with a smile.
As the evening was falling, the fish market crowd dwindled till no one was left. It was then that the barge started to wake. Now was her chance to verify that their information was correct. She grabbed her black cloak off the bed and put it on, covering her face with the hood. She glanced out the alley window. It was empty as usual. Going out alone at this time of night would be unusual for a woman. No reason to make the innkeeper suspicious, she thought. Instead, she climbed through the window and dropped to the alley below. Landing on one knee, she paused to listen, but there were no sound from anyone that may have seen her. She adjusted her hood and stepped out into the night. The pier was poorly lit at night. There were just a few lanterns on the barges for light. Using the shadows to her advantage, she trailed close to the building's wall, away from the light. She blended in well with her black clothes. The Dommeran barge was now a hive of activity, but the barge next to it was quiet. Only a single watchman lounged on ropes towards the stern of the boat.
Using some crates to hide, she crept onto the dormant barge and crawled on her hands and knees using the gunwale as cover from the other boat. She found a place near the activity that allowed her to eavesdrop. She popped up to take a quick look to identify the people nearby. Part of a sneaks training was to take in a scene with a glance and recite their observations to the master. She knew there were eight men on the ship. She mentally reviewed what she had seen. Doing so, she was able to identify two men that didn't fit in with the sailors. The first was a tall man with red hair. He was dressed in a fine suit that didn’t fit in at the docks. The second was an ugly, short man with dark, wild hair. They must be the buyers.
“When do I get my pay?” She overheard from the barge. That must be the captain.
“I have it here,” replied the one with red hair. She could hear the rustle of coins as a bag was passed over.
“I was promised extra for dealing with you lot. Something they said would assuage my guilt.”
There was a pause before the response, “I don’t like your tone, but we keep our promises. The extra money is in the bag.”
“And I don’t give a damn what you like. Business is business. Nothing more. When my men are done unloading, I expect you off my barge.”
With that, she heard the captain march off. “I believe the captain has outlived his usefulness. Make arrangements to deal with him.”
“With pleasure,” said a new voice. It must be the small dark haired one.
Brianna decided she has heard enough. The deal was done. The life of the captain wasn’t her problem. He was a traitor. She left the same way she came and back onto the pier. She hurried along the wooden planks and went out passed the market and into the streets.
Everything matched what she and Lenux had been able to put together. Before meeting the boys, she stopped by the temple and grabbed her short sword. Sneaks preferred it since it didn't inhibit their mobility. Leaving the temple, she made her way back towards the docks until she spotted the Dommerian's wagons coming down the road towards her. Everything is just as we planned.
Turning around she took a shortcut through an alley. After a short walk, she arrived at the guild. “Hello Brianna,” the watchman bid as she walked past. She didn’t bother replying. There were too many students in the guild to bother learning their names. She made her way into the guildhall and to the sneaks training area. The room was filled with specialized training equipment. Ropes suspended between poles to practicing balance. Swinging dummies used for throwing daggers. She wove past all this and into the back of the room. She slid open a window to make sure no guards were on the nearby wall. The Guild was near the Eastern road entrance to the city and happened to be near the outer wall.
Seeing no guards, she went to a nearby rope and untied it. Putting her weight on some boards on the wall, they swung down and created a bridge to the wall. She had to keep her weight on it, or the counterbalance would swing it back up. She easily walked across the temporary bridge and out onto the wall. Once she cleared the bridge the weights lifted the it back up, and for all appearances, it was never there. She eased herself off the edge of the outer wall and dropped to the ground. Now, to find the boys.
Chapter 5
(Lee)
It was night when I woke. Lenux came and sat next to me. “So, Lee. You're the captain. What is our plan?" Overhearing the conversation, Barad joined us.
“Well, the biggest issue is keeping the wagons together. If they separate out after we attack, they have a chance of at least some of them escaping.” I considered for a moment. “Lenux, you, Bri, and I will hide in the woods up ahead. Assuming there’s one driver and one guard per wagon hopefully the three of us can take the back two wagons by stealth. Barad will ride ahead and find some brush to block the road. When they see that, they will know it’s an ambush, but if we use the two rear wagons to block the road, we will have them pinned in. Then it will be four on four, and with this group, I like those odds.”
Barad jumped as Brianna suddenly appeared from behind him. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” She said with a sly smile.
“Don’t do that!” Barad complained.
“They’re on the move,” Brianna said, enjoying Barad’s discomfort. “They’ll be coming through the gate soon.”
“Alright then. Let’s mount up and make for the woods," I ordered. After leading a squad of men, old habits died hard. Instead of anyone complaining though, they did as instructed and saddled up. We rode for an hour before reaching the tree line. After another twenty minutes of riding, Lenux, Bri, and I turne
d our horses into the trees and Barad went on to set the trap. We took the horses deep enough into the woods that they wouldn’t likely give us away by making a noise.
As we moved back near the road, I ordered Lenux to follow the way back and let us know when the wagons were getting close. Meanwhile, Bri and I found a spot to sit and rest. "So," I started the conversation. "What's it like working for a forgotten church."
She shrugged. “Better than most employers. You may have noticed they are no ordinary monks. After the fall of their kingdom, they modified their order to become warrior monks. If you ever see Yagen fight, you’ll understand their dedication.”
“Oh, I've seen it. He cheats!” I said feigning indignation.
Brianna laughed. “Did he use his wind gust? He likes to break that one out when you aren’t paying attention.”
“I can barely blow out a candle,” I moaned.
“At least you can do that. And you can do elf magic too. Oh, the things I could do with that. Especially the sound enhancing spell,” She said enviously. I could only nod. Elven magic was more passive. Instead of firing fireballs that human mages could do, they could increase sight and hearing. The strongest elves could communicate with thought. The best they could do with fire though was creating a spark big enough to start a campfire.
Bri played with her knife as she thought. “It’s also nice working for people I believe are in the right. Being a sneak, we seem to attract patrons involved with more nefarious activities. It feels good working for a church. What about you? How do you feel about belonging to a kingdom that no longer exists and that worships a god that no longer holds power?”
I felt a twitch to my intuition that made me glance around, but the feeling went away quickly, and I relaxed. “Well,” I considered. “I’ve always thought of myself as a Vaelin. Still, seeing the dedication the monks feel towards Alsselya makes me feel good. Like I regained something I didn’t know I was missing...” Bri felt that I had turned introspective and let me quietly think about how I felt. Did I still feel like a Vaelin?
