Liberator

by Jones, Loren K.

  Java looked around curiously as Sergeant Whitehall led her through the building. It seemed to be a combination of inn and armory. The walls all held various weapons, ranging from knives and swords to long pikes and halberds. In what would be a private dining room of an ordinary inn, Emily presented Java to the local officials of the Mercenary’s League.

  The senior league official was an old man, easily sixty, and wore a black leather patch over his left eye. His right eye was such a dark brown that Java would have called it black. He nodded at seeing the brooches and pin.

  “Well, so it is true. Lady Mountainstand, welcome to the Greenbriar Mercenaries League Hostel. I am Garen Orlan, Senior of the Council. To my left is Warren Harrison. To my right is Erin Arlan. We are the Judicial Council for this sector, as well as the keepers of the hostel.” Garen and the others bowed slightly from the waist, and Java nodded.

  “I am pleased to meet you all,” she said evenly with a deep nod, though she wasn’t sure she was really all that pleased. The councilors all wore almost identical expressions of disapproval. I feel like I’m in trouble again.

  Erin Arlan was a wrinkled old woman with the broad shoulders and gnarled hands of a swordswoman. “You’re not much to look at, Lady Java, but I see that you’ve earned your pin. Tell me the tale.” She raised her chin, staring down her nose at Java.

  Java glanced at Sergeant Whitehall, then shrugged and straightened to attention to deliver her report. “I was on scout in our sector of the border. We had received word of a group of traitors dressed as Greencastle Guardsmen who were headed our way. I stumbled onto them, more by luck than anything else, and reported them to Captain Freeholm. I then led a force back to where I had last seen them. The traitors were bedded down, and the lieutenants positioned our force to surround them. When we attacked, one man made a break for the forest, straight for me. I was forced to use a throwing knife to kill him, and flipped him when he ran into me.” She paused, remembering that terrible morning. She whispered, “I wasn’t prepared to look at him, to see what I had done.”

  Erin nodded. “It is not an easy thing to do, to kill a man. Have you killed others?” Erin’s accent and chopped pronunciation distracted Java so she answered immediately without thinking.

  “Far too many, Elder. Far, far too many,” Java replied softly, not knowing what Erin was driving at.

  “Good enough for me.” Erin suddenly smiled. “Marta’s done a good job with you.”

  Garen nodded and came forward, smiling broadly. “Forgive us, Lady Java, but we were curious about just what kind of merc you were. It is unusual for a noble to become a merc, but it’s almost unheard of for a merc to become a noble.”

  Erin walked up and hugged Java lightly. “Marta was a friend of mine in the Dreadlocks, far too long ago. She’s done a remarkable job with you.”

  “She’s had help, Sir.” Java smiled and glanced at Sergeant Whitehall. “A lot of help.”

  “Java has been doing a good job herself with the triplets and Sam. She has been training them to be Scouts, and they were helpful with the trouble we ran into in Drover’s Point,” Sergeant Whitehall began, but was interrupted.

  “Who? Who are the triplets and Sam?” Warren Harrison asked, looking at Sergeant Whitehall for answers, but Java spoke.

  “They are war orphans, for all intents and purposes. We know that Sam’s parents are dead, but the triplets don’t know if their parents are alive or not. All four of them were put into my care by Captain Freeholm. The triplets because I brought them into camp against orders, and the captain thought taking care of them would be a fitting punishment.” She paused to laugh, then continued with a wide grin.

  “Sam we brought in as a prisoner, and then found out that she was a girl, and a friend of Lieutenant Marston. Since the triplets were already in my custody, Sam was thrown in with them. It’s never been easy, but it has been rewarding.”

  “Yes, bringing a recruit from neophyte to full-fledged merc can be a tedious, demanding, nerve wracking effort, but it’s worth every minute.” Erin smiled and patted Java on the shoulder.

  “We’ve heard some tales about you and why you were made a noble, Lady Java. Tell me, what is the duchess like?” Garen asked, steering Java to a table full of food and drinks that was set against the wall.

  “She’s stubborn, hard-headed, impetuous, indiscreet, and occasionally foul tempered. She can also be sweet, loving, loyal, and helpful when she wishes to. All in all, she’s just a typical teenage girl.” Java smiled and shrugged.

  “I would like to meet her one day. Duchess Neldan was a good woman, and it was a shock to hear that she was dead, and her children with her. When word came that the young duchess had been rescued, we all rejoiced. Perhaps, when this is over, I will visit you and you can introduce us.” Garen smiled, trying to be charming.

  Java looked at Sergeant Whitehall with her eyebrows drawn together. Emily shrugged, then nodded. “Tell them,” she mouthed silently.

  “Sir, Duchess Samantha is here. She’s going to Whitehall with me to see Duke Arten.” Java smiled as the senior mercs realized that the “Sam” they had been talking about was Duchess Samantha of Lender’s Dale.

  “The duchess is here?” Garen asked in a harsh whisper. “Gods Above and Below, why didn’t you tell us? This place is a mess! Where is she?” Garen was looking a bit panic-stricken, so Java grabbed his arm.

  “Whoa! Don’t get too excited, sir. Samantha is in my room, and she’s just fine. We all are. The triplets are with her, and they were discussing dresses when I left. We’re keeping her identity a secret to avoid problems.” Java was laughing and smiling, trying to calm down the councilors. “If you want, I can bring her here.”

  Garen looked at Sergeant Whitehall for confirmation, and she nodded. “I told you, Java is doing a very good job with her girls. You should be warned, though. Each of the triplets is a powerful Mage in her own right, and combined they represent a major force to be reckoned with. They are Duchess Samantha’s personal guards, and take that duty quite seriously.”

  “Don’t forget Robin,” Java said, drawing blank looks from the councilors. “My, um, friend.” Her shy smile said enough to set the councilors smiling.

  “Very well,” Garen said softly. Turning to his counterparts, Garen nodded. “I think we should go greet the duchess in person. To my knowledge, no royalty has ever before set foot in this building.” Turning back to Java, he bowed slightly and motioned for her to lead the way.

  Java led the party back to the room they had been assigned. The noise warned her before she got there, but she was still wasn’t prepared to find her room a war zone.

  “Scouts! Attention!” she shouted as soon as she opened the door.

  Samantha and the triplets stopped in mid-fight. Mayrie was sitting on Samantha’s chest and Maylee was holding her legs. Maygren had been tickling Sam’s feet, and still held one bare foot in her hands. The four girls said “Oops!” almost in unison.

  Java almost snarled as she stood aside to allow the councilors to enter. Garen looked at the girls, scowling mightily. Robin had managed to stay relatively unscathed and serene, sitting cross-legged on Java’s bed, and Garen, not knowing who to address, made a reasonable mistake.

  Turning to Robin, Garen and the other councilors knelt. “Duchess Samantha, we welcome you to the Greenbriar Mercenary’s Hostel.”

  Robin smiled sweetly, then pointed to Samantha’s red hair. “Pinky over there is the duchess, sir.”

  Samantha patted Mayrie’s butt and stood as soon as she was free. “I am pleased to meet you all,” she said, nodding her head regally. Her demeanor contrasted dramatically with the fact that she was still disheveled and flushed, and was standing in the middle of the room with a stocking on one foot while the other was bare.

  Garen gazed at Samantha, bewilderment plain on his face. A soft thumping sound drew his attention, and everyone looked at the door, where Java was gently beating her head against it.

  “What did I do t
o deserve this?” she asked plaintively.

  Erin had had enough and burst out laughing. Her mirth got the other councilors laughing as well, then she led them out of the room, leaving Java to deal with her charges.

  “I don’t believe this! Not an hour indoors, and you’re already at it.” She fixed her girls with a stern glare. “I was trying to impress those people.”

  Samantha looked contrite, and the triplets hid behind her. “Sorry, Java. It’s just so nice to be indoors early enough to relax instead of going straight to bed. It won’t happen again.”

  Java shook her head slowly and sighed. “It doesn’t matter. But you can bet those councilors are going to have a different idea about royalty from now on.” She smiled, and the girls swarmed over her.

  “Java, how long are we going to be here?” Robin asked from her perch.

  “Just the night. Emily wants to make an early start,” Java replied, looking at Robin curiously. “Why?”

  “I want to pick up a few things before we go. Is it too late to get out of here for a while?” Robin looked eager, and the four younger women with her.

  “I don’t know. We can ask one of the mercs who lives here, I guess.” Java looked at her charges. “Clean up, yourselves and the room. We’ll be right back. If you do a good job, you can come.” All four girls immediately began cleaning and straightening the room. Java nodded, then led Robin to find a guide.

  Archer Gladys Perrin, a middle-aged woman with one leg, agreed to lead them through the market. “…But go armed,” she warned, raising a finger to catch their attention. “In this city, young girls like you two are prime bait for the whoremongers.”

  Gladys led them into the market district, limping along on her crutch. “This used to be a better town, but too many of the Guards are gone. Those who are left don’t have the muscle to keep everyone in check. What is it you’re looking for?”

  “I need some ribbon and cloth. Preferably silk.” Robin answered, drawing looks from her friends.

  “What are you doing, Robin?” Java asked softly, but only received a smile as answer. That warned Java that it was probably something for her.

  The cloth merchants in Greenbriar were not an overly prosperous lot. Greenbriar was not really a very large city by the standards of the duchies, though Java and the triplets were impressed, and few major houses were in residence. Only a few merchants carried silk, and the first one Gladys led them to focused a suspicious eye on the women who had entered his shop.

  “Who did you say you are?” he asked, studying Robin closely.

  “I am Journeyman Mage Robin Cartwright. We are traveling through, and I’m in need of some gold ribbon and blue silk. Do you have any or not?” Robin had assumed a supercilious air, counterfeiting an aristocrat quite well.

  “Oh, I do. I do. It just isn’t often that a Mage comes in with a detail of mercs as guards. Come with me and let me show you the selection I have.” Merchant Porter led Robin into the back of his shop, while Java and the girls stayed near the door.

  “That old fart,” Gladys whispered softly to Java. “Your friend better watch herself. Ol’ Porter, he has fast hands.” Gladys smiled. Apparently, she and Porter were old acquaintances.

  “He’d better watch himself,” Java answered absently. “Robin is classed as a Journeyman, but she’s very close to achieving Master Mage status. He may find his fingers tied into knots if he tries anything.” She was looking about the store, amazed by the variety of cloth and colors available. She had never seen anything like it before.

  “He doesn’t have much of a selection, does he?” Samantha commented dryly, drawing stares from her friends. Java didn’t say anything, just widened her eyes meaningfully and glanced at Gladys.

  Sam whispered, “Oops,” softly, seeing Java’s meaning.

  “It’s all right, dear. I already heard who young Samantha is.” Gladys looked the young woman in scout gear over carefully and offered a minimal bow. “To tell the truth, I didn’t believe it until she said that.” She was interrupted by a shout from the back of the store.

  “Watch your hands or I’ll turn you purple, you old goat!” Robin’s voice was clear to all.

  “Now, now, don’t go get’n angry,” Porter replied, backing into view with his hands held up to ward off Robin’s anger.

  “Java, let’s get out of here,” Robin said as she reappeared from the back. “There’s got to be someone else who carries silk in this city. Someone who can keep his hands to himself.” She was flushed with anger, and her hands were balled into fists.

  Java silently wondered what, exactly, did Porter touch?

  Gladys looked at Porter and shook her head. “Bad move, Porter. These girls actually have the silver to spend.” She left the building, refusing to hear Porter’s suddenly apologetic explanation.

  “Why did you take us there, Gladys?” Java asked in a suspicious tone as they continued up the street.

  “Well, he does have the best selection in town, and I owe him a favor or two. I thought a good sale would pay him back, but he had to try his usual tricks. See, some girls will do just about anything to get some good cloth they can’t afford, and Porter, he isn’t averse to a trade now and again. Especially not with a girl who looks like young Robin.” Gladys kept her face forward, not looking to see the reaction of the girls that she was guiding.

  “Is there anyone else?” Robin asked. “Someone who wants to sell his cloth, not barter for perverse sex?”

  That made Java look closely at her. Wow! Robin’s idea of perverse is really perverse.

  “Oh, yes,” Gladys murmured. “She doesn’t have the selection, but she does have some silk. This way.” Gladys led them down a darker street, past gutters that hadn’t been cleaned in far too long. “Here we are.”

  Java looked at the building suspiciously. It may have been nice at one time, but that was a long time ago. Easing the door open, she walked warily inside.

  A voice croaked, “Come in, and shut the door. There’s too much of outside that I don’t want to see.”

  “Bella, come out here,” Gladys said softly. “You have a customer.”

  “Gladys? What brings you here?” the voice asked, suddenly sounding very hostile.

  Gladys sighed. “I have a young lady with me who is looking for some silk and ribbon. Don’t hold a grudge, Bella.”

  “Oh, I don’t just hold it, Gladys. I cuddle and nurture it like my own child.” A woman limped out of the back room, hobbling on one leg. “Who are you?” she asked, looking at Robin. The mercenary uniforms were dismissed automatically. Mercs seldom had any use, or the coin, for silk.

  “I’m Journeyman Mage Robin. I am looking for some blue silk and gold ribbon.” Robin kept her voice soft and level, as though she was unsure of the woman.

  “Hmm? Blue and gold. Going to Hiddendell are you? Well, I have the right shades, but not much of it. Come along.” Bella led Robin to a rack of cloth and pulled out a bundle wrapped in plain white wool. “Here we are.”

  Robin was delighted with the silk. The cloth was darker than Hiddendell’s blue, but it was close enough. “And ribbon?”

  “Patience, dear child. Patience. I don’t move so good anymore.” She glanced at Gladys, who looked at the floor. “Here you are. If you don’t mind my asking, why do you need Hiddendell’s royal colors?”

  “Lady Java of Link County is going to visit Duke Arten in Whitehall. I’m making something for her.” Robin smiled softly as she spoke.

  “Harrumph. Well, well. Indeed. Now, the question: Do you have the silver, or were you going to offer a barter? I don’t have much use for spellsters.”

  “I have the silver, if the price is reasonable,” Robin replied, getting ready to bargain.

  “Good enough. For the silk and ribbon, a silver and eighty.” Bella looked closely at Robin, but she didn’t flinch.

  “A silver and ten.” Robin grinned.

  “And fifty.”

  “And fifteen.” Robin stopped grinning.

>   “And thirty.”

  “Twenty-five.” Robin crossed her arms, looking at the old woman.

  “Done! One silver and twenty-five copper. This Lady Java must be something special to you. There’s not that much silk there.” Bella bundled the silk and ribbon in the plain wool that had held the silk.

  “She is. She is indeed.” Robin glanced at Java, and grinned. Robin laid out the coins and gathered her bundle. She turned to go, but as an afterthought, she turned back and whispered. Suddenly a cloud of insects burst from the building, fleeing the anti-pest spell. Rats and mice joined them, running through the cracks in the walls. Bella was staring wide-eyed at her, but Robin just smiled and left without further comment.

  Gladys led them back to the hostel, but not before the triplets spotted a sweets vendor. “Java?” they asked eagerly, wide-eyed.

  Java looked at Gladys. “Is there any reason not to?”

  Gladys shrugged, and Java nodded. All four of her girls immediately descended on the vendor, launching rapid-fire questions at him. Java laughed as he looked back and forth between them in bewilderment.

  “How do you manage them, Lady Java?” Gladys asked softly.

  “With a stick. And call me scout. I’m a lady by accident, but I’m a scout by choice,” Java answered.

  Gladys glanced between Java and Robin, then at the triplets and Sam. “No one’s going to believe this,” she muttered under her breath.

  The troop finally returned to the hostel. Samantha and the triplets had managed to acquire a good supply of sweets, far more than they should have. Java sternly told them to save some for the morning, and they reluctantly complied.

  Java spent an inordinate amount of time trying to wheedle the secret out of Robin, but Robin remained firm, refusing to give Java even a hint as to what she was making. Samantha and the triplets tried as well, but Robin simply smiled and held her peace. As the sky darkened, they were summoned to supper. Java walked into the dining room, expecting an average meal. She received a very definite and unpleasant surprise.

  The room was brightly lit, and full of more people than it should have held. Garen was standing in the center of the room in his dress uniform, speaking to a man dressed in very rich clothes. When Garen noticed Java, he led his guest over to her.