Peril & Profit

by M. H. Johnson

  The king’s eyebrow arched at this, causing the young woman to grin in amusement. "Really. A trader so young, and in what was, no doubt, a risky voyage indeed. I do hope the voyage was not too great a hardship for you? You had encountered some trouble, from what I understand. Not surprising, really, when you consider the number of ships blocking my waters." The king chuckled softly.

  "Though a bit shaken, I have survived in one piece, and that's all I can ask for, Your Majesty. We were fortunate to have been led by such a fine captain," Sorn acknowledged, giving a nod to a bemused Halence, enjoying being able to give him credit.

  "Of Halence's navigational abilities, I have never been in doubt," The king said. "Rather, I am surprised that he would form an alliance with one so young, on a voyage this risky."

  "He knew the risks," Halence said.

  "Indeed I did," Sorn soothed, thinking it a bad idea for Halence to be so rude to a king. "In fact, good Captain Halence tried repeatedly to dissuade me, and only the fact that I myself owned the grain which contractually obliged him to allow me berth to oversee the shipment of my cargo prevented the captain from leaving me safely behind at York."

  Sorn grinned. "In short, Your Majesty, I forced his hand."

  "Ah," the king said, more amused than offended. "The wily Halence outmaneuvered by a boy. It has a certain… poetic justice to it. Does it not, Halence?"

  "I suppose it does, Your Majesty, I suppose it does," Halence said, shaking his own head in bemusement. "Sorn here is a sharp lad, no two ways about it. Knows how to get what he wants, and how to take care of himself as well."

  The king nodded at that. "I believe it. And let me extend to both of you my sincerest apologies for the trials suffered by your crew in attempting to run the blockade. That you have done so successfully earns you nothing less than our sincerest gratitude."

  "Your Majesty," Halence said with a polite little bow. "The risks we faced were fierce and terrible both, but we felt it worth it, having heard of both the dire need of your kingdom, as well as the great generosity it bestows upon its benefactors."

  "Ah." The king chuckled good-naturedly. "Of course you can expect to be rewarded. So tell me, Halence, in all honesty, how much were you hoping to sell the grain here for, and why were you so certain that it and your ship wouldn't both simply be seized?"

  "Simple," Halence said. "One, I know that Caverenoc is too honorable a kingdom to sink to stealing that which men have risked life and limb to bring to her in her time of peril, hoping only to be rewarded due compensation for the risks undertaken on your kingdom's behalf. Of course, should we succeed in leaving as well, you would want word to get out that the venture, though risky with the blockade, will be well-rewarded by a grateful king, which might encourage others to take the same risk to supply your kingdom with badly needed goods. Were we to disappear, other traders would assume that the journey I have made was completely mad, which it was, I might add, and that either our ship had been lost, or worse, the very king we risked our lives to serve robbed us, and so no merchant would ever dare such a voyage again. Though from a practical standpoint this alone would compel honesty, it is, of course, your honor into which I place my trust. As to the profit I had hoped to make… A cargo hold stuffed with as much grain as I dared to carry, ten full wagonloads… I would say I was hoping for at least one hundred and fifty gold from this venture."

  Sorn could hear the slight gasp from the girl, though the king kept his composure entirely, nodding politely, in fact. Considering that Lord Canterbier had said that the grain was already selling at a major premium, and that its normal value would be closer to seven royals as opposed to the fifteen that it had been valued at when Sorn and his cousins brought it from Lord Canterbier, that meant that Halence hoped to sell the grain for over twenty times what it was normally valued at. It seemed absurd on the one hand, but considering the risks they had faced in getting it here, and the fact that Caverenoc was under siege, it was perhaps not that unreasonable. Then again, Sorn thought, this could just be an opening bid on Halence's part that left him room to bargain down from, and still achieve a very handsome profit.

  "No less gold than you rightfully deserve for such a daring venture, Captain Halence." With that, the king gave a solemn nod to the retainer who had opened the door before and whom now presented Halence with a small oaken casket. Halence gave a quizzical smile as he opened it to find two silken sacks.

  "I am not one for dickering endlessly over price," the king declared, "and I am one who also, as you put it, rewards my city's benefactors. You will find one hundred gold crowns in each bag. Both bags are yours. Take them with my blessings. Note also that you have earned the friendship of Caverenoc, and you are, of course, more than welcome to stay, should you not wish to risk the blockade a second time."

  Halence looked upon the silk bags with wide-eyed awe before regaining his composure. Two hundred crowns! Sorn thought in amazement. That was more wealth than he had dreamed of earning here. His and his cousin's share of one-third of the profits, plus their original fifteen crown investment would come out to over seventy-six gold crowns! That was, according to Lord Canterbier's estimates, sufficient to buy five large tracts of land with farms and livestock as well. He and his cousins could feast to their heart's content, and still be able to sell surplus grain and livestock for a considerable profit. At least, for a time. Sorn felt a warm tingling glow at the possibilities, delighting in them, thinking of how happy the triplets would be.

  "This boon pleases you, I trust?" queried the smiling king.

  "Indeed it does, Your Majesty. Indeed it does." Halence's voice was almost reverent, eyes feasting on the gold. "If I may ask, Your Majesty, how fare things with your city?"

  With those words the mood in the room noticeably dimmed, the king's countenance becoming grim and bitter both. "Nothing to trouble yourself over, good captain. Nothing to trouble yourself over, at least not on this night. Come. Allow our butler to escort you to guest quarters. I do hope you will join us for our dinner upon this night."

  "Your Majesty, we would be honored."

  Sorn grinned. It seemed that despite Halence's earlier comments about letting the king see him as he was, fresh off the sea from battle and hardship, he didn't mind a hot bath or a fresh change of clothes for dinner when all was said and done.

  "As for your men, we would like to send your crew several barrels of ale from our personal stock, with our compliments."

  "My men would be most appreciative," Halence said with a smile. "I felt it best for the crew to stay on ship, at least for this night, yet my men would certainly appreciate any refreshments you would offer."

  "You are most wise, Captain." The king also seemed to think it best that the crew stay on board the ship, though Sorn couldn't see why it was so important. He hoped his cousins were not too bored or sick with worry for Bates. Nonetheless, Sorn was all too happy to be led to his assigned quarters where a copper bath was awaiting his use, a bucket of cool water also conveniently available to temper the water, should he need it. He only noticed this as an afterthought as he stepped into the piping hot bath. Inured to heat or temperature extremes of any significant degree, hot and cold were sensations that never troubled him normally, though at present, too much cold would, of course, irritate his skin. Still, the nice hot bath was good for soothing his muscles, and he found himself drifting into a pleasant doze until jerking abruptly awake when a sharp knock rapped on his door a second time. "Dinner shall be served momentarily, young sir," said the polite voice of a servitor.

  "Thank you," Sorn said, noting that here, like at Lord Canterbier's demesne, several sets of clothing had been laid out for his perusal, apparently to allow for him to change into the set that most appropriately matched his size. It was a pleasantly refreshed Sorn who smiled as he looked himself over in the mirror shortly thereafter, liking the way the rich forest green of his embroidered doublet and hose complemented his silky black hair and sapphire-blue eyes.

  Soon enough,
Sorn found himself being led by a polite older servant to a large hall filled with the low murmur of numerous conversations, and around then all floated an undercurrent of fear. From the too loud brittle laughter occasionally heard, to the harsh intensity of various whispered conversations, it was obvious that the siege was a topic weighing on everyone's mind, even had the sharp stink of anxiety not been so apparent to Sorn.

  The meal was elegant, but modest in its proportions. No one saw fit to complain, and Sorn noted that none asked for second helpings. It appeared that the siege was indeed being felt and that people, even in the king's own palace, were already tightening their belts, preparing for times of hardship ahead.

  Halence and Sorn were given positions of honor for this meal, Halence being seated to the king's right, and Sorn to the left of the girl who had so taken his breath away earlier, and who it turned out was none other than the king's daughter, Elissa.

  Engaging and polite, Elissa seemed to be very interested in their voyage, most particularly with how they had managed to break through the barrier. "The men at the keep say they saw flashes of light, and two ships apparently burst into flame, and less than a half hour later, your ship made it to the gate. Everyone would love to know how your ship managed to get through."

  Sorn could hear the whispered conversations near him die off as it seemed more than a few curious ears were interested in knowing the answer to that question as well. Only logical too, Sorn thought, considering that lives could depend on knowing how to break the blockade.

  Sorn looked mutely to Halence for guidance, not sure how the captain wanted to tell their story, trusting that he would know the appropriate tact to take.

  Halence gave Sorn a wink, and took up the gauntlet, though not using the tact Sorn expected. "Your Majesty," Halence said, perhaps unnecessarily as the king was no doubt fully aware of Elissa's conversation, perhaps having even instructed Elissa to make the query to Sorn over dinner. "Your daughter has inquired as to how we managed to make our way past the near impenetrable blockade that was before us. Indeed, it was a thorough enough affair that for all my wiles, including attempting to sail right through in the dead of night with nothing but the stars to guide me… Even that was not enough.

  "I found all my careful plans and ten wagonloads of grain almost sunk to the sea, when we were set upon by not just one, but two cutters. And cutters unlike any I have ever seen before. For they had not only dozens of archers and crossbowmen unleashing a withering hail of fire none could stand against, but a large mounted affair on the prow of each ship which hurled balls of flaming pitch at a farther range than any crossbow could hope to return fire, allowing said ship to sink even full-masted troop carriers with near impunity. And it was two of these beasts of the sea we had to overcome simultaneously."

  Halence flashed the grimmest of smiles. "I don't mind confiding to you all at this time, with that harrowing ordeal behind us, that when they came upon our ship all unawares, and one moment the sea is quiet, the next balls of flaming pitch and crossbow bolts are slamming into my deck, that I thought my own death was upon me." The room was utterly silent. Not even the rattle of silverware could be heard, all eyes locked upon the captain who had risked his very life to bring them grain, facing down foes that Sorn sensed terrified these people. The nobles assembled were hanging onto Halence's every word.

  "We were near goners. So close to triumph and success, only to be destroyed within sight of our victory. It was for one reason and one reason alone that we survived this evening. For we were fortunate, fortunate indeed, not only to be equipped with the fastest trade ship on the Casroth Sea, but the only ship with a full mage to boot! You should have seen him, gents. His eyes sparkling like twin embers from the hottest forge, he looked larger than life and twice as fierce, and your hair literally stood at end, crackling with the arcane energy dripping from him like foam from a freshly broached keg.

  "He strode the deck as bold as you please, nary flinching an eye as deadly bolt after deadly bolt sought his heart, bouncing harmlessly back into the sea, unable to penetrate the mighty arcane wards that protected his person. And with words of terrible power so potent that you had to clamp your hands tight over your ears, lest they be seared to cinders by even hearing the utterances, our mage unleashed pulsating balls of green flame that burst into the enemy cutters. Roaring maelstroms of fire that seared so hot, the enemy crews turned to ash before they could even scream their death knells, the ships slowly sinking into the inky black waters as their own funeral pyres.

  “And that, ladies and gents, is how we survived this voyage. Not by dint of masterful sailing alone, but by the judicious use of the most powerful mage ever to sail the Casroth Sea!"

  The lords and ladies of the court looked suitably impressed by the tale, Sorn noted. The king, however, appeared a tad bit troubled, though Sorn was uncertain as to why. Sorn himself felt like he must be blushing so hard that his ears were turning red, though if so, Elissa was polite enough to say not a word about it. At least Halence hadn't told the court his name.

  Elissa grinned in appreciation of the captain’s dramatic retelling of how they broke through the blockade, ruby red lips forming a graceful smile that lit her face with such beauty it near took Sorn’s breath away. She leaned close to Sorn, as if to confide in him, and whispered gently into his ear. "Assuming the good captain isn't pulling our ears, and he does have such a powerful mage at his disposal, we could certainly use such a man here."

  Ignoring the wonderful tingles the princess’s voice sent running up and down his spine, Sorn turned to address her comment properly. "But doesn't your kingdom have its own mages?" Sorn queried.

  "Of course! But a mage who can cast multiple balls of fire, who not only has the wards but the temperament as well to not be fazed by crossbow bolts flying at him, such a man would always be useful in the defense of our kingdom. I'm surprised Halence did not bring him personally to meet the king, being as he would a guest of honor without question. He did, after all, save your ship."

  "Perhaps he was afraid the king would draft him, or some such," Sorn said, speaking as soon as the thought occurred to him, looking for some plausible answer besides saying, 'hey, it's me! Who cares if I look little more than a child to you? I can still cast fireballs the envy of any high mage!' That would no doubt sound ludicrous to Elissa, but might earn him a chuckle or two.

  Elissa grinned. "Well, the king could do no such thing, but our college might well try to impress him as a duty bound member of the guild to help fellow guild members in times of dire peril. Not that it matters if he is here or not, no doubt a suitably important guild member is making his way to the ship even now. Being as well informed as they are, they probably deduced that the burning ships were the result of powerful magics, and seek to impress the call of duty upon any ship's wizard you might have on board, even as we speak. Wizards are very tied to their guild, from what I understand."

  Elissa's smile became forlorn, her warm gaze becoming one of sympathy. "If having a wizard was the secret behind your successful voyage, perhaps you will be staying after all. No doubt you shall end up partaking of the very grain you have profited so handsomely delivering to us. Fear not, however. For if such is the case, I shall make sure my father provides you and your crew with suitable quarters, at our expense of course, for the duration of the siege. I don't suppose you know how to handle a sword, by any chance?" Her query was lighthearted, but the effect was spoiled by the intensity of her stare, as if underscoring the dark and terrible danger they all might soon face.

  Sorn paused a moment in devouring fare both sweet and spicy, flashing Elissa a reassuring smile. "Actually, yes. My grandfather found weaponcraft to be a fascinating discipline to master, and he taught me what he could before I... arrived here. But I have a question for you. You were saying that a member of the Mage's College here could conceivably go down to our ship, and just by asking the ship's wizard to assist them, he would be compelled to do so?"

  "Well, sort of l
ike that." Elissa paused thoughtfully for a second. "I don't think that they could actually compel a fellow wizard, but rather that he himself would be compelled out of a sense of honor to protect a members of their brotherhood during times of dire peril. It also has something to do with a treaty of mutual assistance. Wizards, as I understand it, are taught much the same way both here in Caverenoc as well as in your Famil Duchy and in other territories bordering the Casroth Sea. One part of their indoctrination is that they are all taught to identify themselves as one large brotherhood, coming to each other's aid during times of trouble."

  Elissa took a sip of her drink before continuing. "I think it was originally orchestrated as a means of mutual protection. At one time they feared witch-burning, supposedly, though now we live in a far more enlightened era. Indeed, I doubt any ruler would dare to persecute a wizard these days, and since wizards themselves are forbidden formal titles save in their own hierarchy, nobility does not need to fear them directly, so it all works out in the end. Wizards have tremendous power but do not exercise it for conquest or dominion. Mundane rulers, in turn, respect their power, and leave wizards to their own devices on their own lands."

  Sorn was a bit concerned at some of what Elissa seemed to be saying. "Just to be clear, fair Elissa, are you saying that wizards cannot own land of their own, or only that they cannot rule with a formal title?"

  Elissa paused contemplatively for a moment as if trying to recall particulars. "That's sort of complex, actually. Wizards and their colleges are allowed to own properties in the city like houses, or shops, and such like, and can make a profit, even a handsome one, and generally have rights accorded to minor nobles, at least in terms of personal freedoms. But in terms of owning tracts of land, generally a wizard's college is awarded land by the ruler in return for rights to ask them for aid in defense of the kingdom during times of war, such as now, albeit they can only be used for defensive purposes, never for offensive campaigns. That way they are never forced into a position of having to fight their own kind. It also helps to discourage aggressive neighbors and keep the peace, knowing that it is the invader who will be left at a tactical disadvantage. At least, such was the case until now." Elissa sighed.