by Nathan Long
‘To freedom!’ The others cried as one, then downed their mugs in a single long draught.
‘Barkeep!’ roared Hals over their heads. ‘Y’better bring the keg! We’ve been working up this thirst for a year!’
A FEW HOURS later, when Pavel and Hals and Augustus had reached the stage where they were singing marching songs and challenging everyone in the tavern to arm-wrestle, Reiner whispered in Franka’s ear. ‘We have unfinished business. Will you join me upstairs?’
Franka gave him a shy look, then nodded.
They slipped away during the seventh chorus of ‘The Pikeman’s Shaft.’
‘WELL,’ SAID REINER as he closed the door of the small, plain room and faced Franka awkwardly. ‘You asked me to ask you if you forgave me once we had returned to Altdorf and drank to Talabheim’s memory. And, well, I’m certain we did that a few times just now, so…’ He coughed. ‘Do you forgive me for not trusting you?’
Franka looked at her boots. ‘Do you forgive me for not trusting you?’
Reiner frowned. ‘It added a nice bit of drama when you tried to stop Dieter killing Augustus, but it did hurt to think you didn’t know me well enough to see it was a trick.’
‘Well, good,’ said Franka, sticking her chin out. ‘Now you know how it felt.’
‘Aye, aye, tit for tat,’ he said. ‘But did you truly believe I had turned murderer? Could you really think that of me?’
Franka looked at him, eyes glinting. ‘In my heart I knew you were not, but…’
Reiner laughed. ‘But only in your heart!’ She had turned his own words against him. ‘You, lass, are much too clever for your own good. It is one of the reasons that I…’ He faltered as he realised what he was going to say. He had said the words many times when he didn’t mean them, why were they so hard to say now? ‘That I… I….’
Franka put a finger to his lips. ‘Shhh. You don’t have to say it.’ She smirked up at him. ‘I trust you.’
Reiner’s throat closed up. His eyes glistened. ‘Damn you, girl!’
He crushed her to him. They kissed. And this time there was no breaking away.
REINER AND FRANKA stumbled down to the Griffin’s common room very late the next morning, for though they had awoken hungry, they had also been so delighted with their newfound freedom that they’d had to partake of it all over again. The others were already there, clutching their heads and trying to eat their eggs and trout as quietly as possible.
‘Morning,’ said Reiner cheerily.
Hals glared up at him. ‘You two look very pleased with yerselves.’
‘We’re certainly very pleased with each other,’ said Reiner.
Franka elbowed him in the ribs, blushing furiously, as the landlord brought more plates. They tucked in, and Reiner looked at Franka as if for the first time. He smiled. I will be having breakfast with this beauty for the rest of my life, he thought. But then he began to wonder what that life would be like. What would they do? How were they to support themselves? Reiner was a gambler by trade. Would Franka stand for that? For the late hours? The life of cheating rubes? He supposed he could take her back home to his father and become a gentleman farmer. But he had run from that life as fast as he could. Altdorf was his home. The question was, could he make it hers as well?
It seemed the others were having similar thoughts.
‘Wonder if me dad’s farm’s still there.’ Hals said. ‘And Breka, who lived toward Ferlangen. Fine girl, Breka.’
‘Weren’t much there when we went through last year,’ said Pavel glumly. ‘Our people all dead most likely. Could go up and start again, I suppose.’
Hals frowned. ‘Lot of work, that.’
‘The Talabheim I knew is gone,’ said Augustus. ‘And they’d lock me up again if I went back to my company.’
‘And ye, swordsman?’ asked Hals looking up at Jergen. ‘Y’have a girl somewhere? A farm?’
Jergen stared at his plate. ‘I… cannot go home.’
There was an awkward silence, then Dieter stood.
‘I can,’ he said. ‘And I will.’ He wiped his mouth. ‘My old digs ain’t a stone’s throw from here, and the watch thinks I’m dead. Time I pay them what sold me out a visit.’ He picked up his pack and made a smirking bow. ‘A pleasure making yer acquaintances, I’m sure, but I’m for home.’ And with that he walked out.
The Blackhearts watched him go, then returned to their food.
‘Wish I was certain as that fellow,’ said Pavel.
‘Aye,’ said Augustus. ‘Nice to know what ye want.’
Franka and Reiner looked at each other uneasily. Reiner could see that some of the things he had been worrying about were occurring to her too.
He grunted annoyed. ‘There’s a whole world out there,’ he said. ‘Surely we can all find something to do.’
But at the moment he couldn’t think of anything, and apparently neither could the others, for they just carried on eating in silence.
At last Hals snorted. ‘Maybe Manfred is hiring.’
The others laughed. Reiner nearly spat trout across the table. Then the laughter died away and they all fell silent again.
