Peril & Profit

by M. H. Johnson

  "Sorn," Elissa said breathlessly moments later. "You're squeezing me too tightly!" A somewhat dazed Sorn, heart still hammering mightily, gently relaxed his hold. Elissa gave a breathless little laugh of her own. "You are a strong one, Sorn, I can see why you braved the blockade. I bet you can take care of yourself. Come on!" Elissa's eyes were once again twinkling merrily. "Let's get you back on our tour of the castle. Father and your captain no doubt will be finished soon, if they are not already."

  The time that followed as Elissa led along a bemused Sorn back down the wall, through the lawns and hedge maze, and into the palace proper hardly registered, so dazed did Sorn feel by the kiss they had shared, and the unexpected wellspring of intensity it had awoken somewhere deep in his heart. He didn't know what to make of it, it had been so unexpected; wonderful, but was somewhat scary as well. He felt like his heart had grown a bit and had placed a bit of Elissa inside it, and now he found himself feeling a sort of heady joy just being near her.

  "Thank you for the walk," Sorn managed at last, which earned him a warm smile as Elissa led them unerringly to Halence and the king both, who had just finished their meeting. Halence, Sorn noted, had a look of grim satisfaction, while the king looked less than pleased.

  "Your Majesty," Sorn managed at last, when his mind started working again. This earned him a tolerant little smile and a nod from his royal personage.

  "I hope you enjoyed the tour, young Sorn. And may your voyage back be a pleasant and safe one." His voice was sincere but sad as well, Sorn noted, though he was not certain as to why.

  "It was a pleasure to meet both your royal personages," Sorn found himself saying, and wanted to say more before Halence interrupted.

  "Come, Sorn, we have several appointments we can't keep waiting. Your Majesty." With a final bow to the king and his daughter, Halence bade their leave. Gently dragging Sorn along with an arm on his shoulder, Halence led a still dazed Sorn out of the palace proper.

  "So, lad, did you enjoy your walk?" Halence asked with a knowing smile.

  "Walk? Oh yes. It was nice."

  "I bet," Halence said wryly.

  "What does that mean?" Sorn asked, perhaps just a tad defensively.

  "Oh, nothing, lad. I am sure you had a pleasant tour. Just be glad I got you out of there as soon as I had. If I can smell Elissa's perfume on you, it is a sure bet her father could as well."

  "Oh," said an embarrassed Sorn, which elicited a chuckle from a smiling Halence.

  "Ah, Sorn. Whiling your handsome way into the heart of a royal highness, no less." Halence shook his head in bemusement. "I have to give you credit, Sorn, you certainly don't move in common circles. It's a damn shame, really."

  "What's wrong?" A concerned Sorn asked, ignoring the captain's kindness, knowing that he looked awkward and gawky compared to the utterly flawless and blemish free youthful perfection mirrored in each of his cousin's faces. It was embarrassing to even think about, really, so most times he put it out of mind. It was curious, though, the way Elissa and he had fallen into that kiss. She was probably just seeking comfort, Sorn realized, and did hope that she didn't feel like he had taken advantage of her.

  Sorn gave a sad sigh at that, feeling confused as to how he could feel so strongly for her when they had just met, and how two intelligent thinking people could just fall into that kiss… but the aching protectiveness he now felt for her was something he could not deny, nor would he choose to. Already he found himself wanting to hold her close and tight once again, to comfort her soft presence with his strength and care, to protect her from whatever storms fate or chance may throw her way.

  The thought of an opposing army destroying her kingdom and turning her sweet, hope-filled smile and warm laughter into the agonized despair experienced by refugees who had seen their lives torn asunder, sold like chattel for a soldier's casual pleasure, these thoughts filled Sorn with a near overpowering rage. He found himself wanting to roar his defiance into the sky and tear that besieging army apart in a maelstrom of fire.

  "Sorn, are you all right?" Halence said with some concern. Though it took a moment, Sorn finally managed to get his breathing under control. His gaze was hooded but he nodded. Halence seemed to accept this, though he was somewhat taken aback by the intensity of Sorn's piercing gaze.

  "I'm fine," Sorn managed at last, though his voice was still thick with an aching rage. "I'm fine," he said again, calmer. "Now tell me, Halence, what exactly is a 'damn shame'?"

  "Ah," Halence began, taking Sorn's measure for a moment before continuing. "As you can no doubt surmise, I spoke with the king about matters concerning the siege. It is as we had feared. A massive campaign of conquest is indeed sweeping across this continent, and the men and resources their war machine has at its disposal is chilling, Sorn, let me tell you. I need to make the return voyage just to pass the word on to those who need to know."

  Halence's gaze hardened. "The defense of our own lands may depend upon it. In any case, it may please you to know that given the inevitability that Caverenoc, one of the few remaining bastions of independence on this continent will soon fall, I offered the king the opportunity to let us escort his daughter safely past the blockade to a place of refuge in the north. The king is on good terms with any number of our rulers, and I know that many, such as Duke Nevontain himself, would count it a personal honor to host Princess Elissa indefinitely as a personal guest, even should Caverenoc fall to the Empire's legions. Which, do not doubt my young friend, it will."

  Halence sighed. "I tried, Sorn. I even offered to let him see firsthand just what our sorcerer on board was capable of. In such circumstances, I did not think you would protest revealing yourself too strongly. Nonetheless, even offering proof that we could make it, the king adamantly refused."

  Halence gave a bitter shake of his head. "In truth, it seems the act of a fool, and I almost burst in frustration. I could barely keep from telling him how foolish it was, how deeply he would regret his need to keep her near, how betrayed he would feel by his own fatherly instincts to keep her close when he saw, in the end, that it only allowed the commander of the invading army to take her before his very eyes, when they eventually broke through."

  "That will not happen!" Sorn's guttural words cut through the air, setting Halence back a bit. His measuring stare made it all too clear that he, at least, had not forgotten the fierce savagery of the battle fought only a few short hours ago, nor the role that Sorn had played in it. Halence was quick to break off his gaze, however, so that when next he spoke, his eyes were firmly on the carriages ahead.

  "Be that as it may, Sorn, be that as it may. The king had his say, and there is nothing you, nor I, nor anyone else can do about it. Fool or not, he is the king of this city, for as long as he holds it, and his word is law." Halence gave a placating sigh. "Relax, Sorn. For all we know, they will indeed hold. Perhaps that army will rethink hammering its men and its morale against the massive walls of this city. Perhaps there will be another time for Elissa to visit the north. But alas, my young friend, we had both best accept the fact that the time is not now."

  3

  Halence and Sorn had both boarded one of the carriages awaiting guests outside of the palace, Halence giving the driver an address before he next spoke, his voice now heavy with import. "I was able to wring one major concession, my young friend. I have been given royal consent to allow for various citizens to book passage on our ship."

  Halence was silent for a moment, as if waiting for the import of this message to sink in. Sorn, however, was too preoccupied with worry for Elissa and this kingdom, having had the true magnitude of what they faced made plain to him half a mile from their walls. So too, the enormity of the beauty and innocence that would be savaged and destroyed, should the enemy manage to break through, had been made clear to him with a single cherished kiss.

  "Do you know what this means, Sorn?" Halence asked, a bit perturbed, perhaps, that Sorn hadn't picked up immediately the import of what he was saying. "The city is i
n a near panic, as well they should be! They have heard tales of what happens to conquered cities. The nobles lose all their wealth, their daughters are auctioned for marriage like chattel, and their sons, like as not, relegated for slavery in various iron or copper mines. All lands and titles are stripped from them, and if they protest too loudly they will be like as not hung in cages to starve, pleading for crusts of bread from the very men and women they once lorded over, men and women too terrified to do anything but flee lest the wrath of the starving nobleman's keepers be unleashed upon them.

  "We have a unique opportunity, Sorn. We can act as heroes, providing succor to a number of families who would otherwise be without hope, forced to endure the terror of their children all but sold and their lives destroyed, penniless servants of this 'Empire.' We can offer them the one ray of hope they have against this oncoming wave of darkness, the opportunity to travel with us back to York. For you see, Sorn, the Famil Duchy is well known as a refuge for nobility of all sorts during times of turmoil. Powerful enough now that none would declare war on her lightly, she profits mightily from the infusions of wealth such nobles bring. Famil charges a twenty percent cut of whatever cash or wealth refugees bring, but then said individuals are guaranteed citizenship. Further, should they have had title before and sufficient gold, they can even obtain honorary titles of their own, in return for contributions given to the duchy. From there, they can purchase land and establish themselves as nobles in truth, as like as not purchasing one of the many tracts of still abandoned northern hinterland."

  Halence gave a satisfied if grim smile. "It works out for all. There is motivation for lands abandoned during the wars to be cleared in our north, to raise sheep if nothing else, though I hear apple trees thrive up there as well, which all serves to bring in greater wealth and revenues for Famil, as well as for those who work the land. Even should the lands never be cleared, the gold that the duchy raises selling heretofore abandoned tracts of land with writs of nobility enriches our duke in its own right. Make no mistake, Sorn, it is the perfect opportunity for these nobles to start over as anything but paupers or slaves to the cruelest of masters. We alone can give them safe passage to a better life, and we can profit mightily in doing so!"

  Halence's voice had fallen to an intent near whisper at this point, so enthused he was, so bitten by the 'hunger' as he had at one time put it, that he barely registered Sorn's vacant preoccupied stare. Indeed, it seemed that Sorn was only listening with half an ear to tales of wealth that he had himself had hungered for, such a short time ago.

  "Think, my young friend. Just hours ago we secured two hundred gold royals this voyage. A princely sum! We could buy the land and livestock to set up a dozen large farmsteads up north with that amount. And here, Sorn, here is the opportunity to make that several times over with half a dozen or more noble families! Each desperate to leave this doomed city, each willing to part with hundreds of gold, or perhaps even a percentage of all the wealth they can carry! Sorn, we could make thousands of gold on this trip, you and I. Do you hear me, lad? Thousands!"

  A reflective Sorn was silent for some moments, and the quiet in the carriage had become quite strained before he replied. "Halence, I want to help Caverenoc. I want to stay."

  Halence, not surprisingly, was none too pleased with this confidence.

  "Are you insane, Sorn?" Halence asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea of what these people are facing? There are tens of thousands of troops out there! They have catapults, siege crossbows, even trebuchets! Were the walls not twenty feet thick, I would think them doomed with those monstrous siege engines alone. With that massive force, how could one wizard hope to survive, let alone help to any significance? Look, Sorn, I will grant you that your artifacts allow you to cast spells the equal of any full mage. Without your powers, we would all be dead, our whole crew. I give you that. You took out two ships, for Gods' sakes! As impressive as that feat was, it was only against some sixty or so fighting men. And we lost men of our own. Nearly lost our ship."

  Halence grimaced, squeezing his brow. "Sorn, think. There is an inconceivable difference between sixty men and sixty thousand! Your fireball may be able to obliterate dozens, but do you think that is even a drop in the bucket in a force that vast? Even if you could cast a dozen such balls of fire in a single battle, a feat heretofore unheard of, the damage you could inflict would still pale to insignificance against an enemy force that vast. Meanwhile, you need not worry simply about deflecting a couple of crossbow bolts, but rather hundreds. Is any mage's protective magics really up to that? If so, wouldn't mages, not men, be ruling our world today? Besides, what if siege weapons were pointed your way. I doubt any mage could survive that!"

  Sorn nodded reflectively at that. Siege weapons. He would have to take those out first. Particularly the huge mounted siege crossbows he had heard mention of. With their straight line of fire and high maneuverability, they would likely pose the greatest risk. Very like the ones on the cutters, he suspected, only bigger.

  What was most important, of course, was keeping his cousins safe. He would make sure they acted only behind the cover of Cavernoc's massive walls. Pinpoint strikes against any cluster of invaders that broke through, with a safe route of retreat by the sea, should the unthinkable occur. He always by their side in any skirmish. Of course, first and foremost, the siege crossbows would have to go.

  "Do you understand what I am saying, Sorn? The good you would do would be an infinitesimal drop in the bucket, and in all likelihood, you would be killed as soon as anyone else."

  Sorn continued to stare forward, sapphire blue eyes lost to a vision only he could see. "Nevertheless, Captain, I would like to stay."

  "And if you did so, what would happen to my crew? Your cousins? All the lives we could save?" Halence challenged, a new intensity and frustration to his voice. "Think about it, Sorn. Your damn arrogance would not only cost you your life, but the lives of your cousins and my crew as well! Furthermore, for all that you ache for the sake of one girl, a dozen or more young heiresses to noble houses would end up dying for lack of our help! Think beyond your passions, Sorn. A dozen families we could save, instead of dying needlessly for one."

  Sorn's glare at Halence spoke volumes, but the man went on implacably.

  "Sorn," he said calmly, coldly, bringing home his key point. "You had told me, back at Jessere's in York, that the word of your people was their bond, and they never, for any reason whatsoever, broke a contract. Their honor, indeed, their very identity as a people, precluded such a base act."

  "Your point?" Sorn near hissed, seething with bitterness, knowing full well where this was going.

  "You signed a contract, Sorn. In my cabin. You agreed to act as ship's wizard for one-third of the profits from our voyage, to protect the crew and cargo as was necessary. Not only to Caverenoc, but on the return voyage as well, in return for a share of one-third of the profits made both ways. You signed our mutually agreed upon amendment, my stubborn young friend, specifically so as to guarantee your services on our return back."

  Halence sighed. "In truth, at the time it did not occur to me that you would do anything but return with me, and if anything, I had amended it as a favor to you. But seeing how you now feel, and stating as I must that your arrogance could cost the lives of both my crew, your cousins, and the lives of a dozen or so noble families we could otherwise save, I am now holding you to that contract, by all the laws and honor that your people hold so dear."

  Sorn gasped, hating the dreadful, searing truth of Halence's words. He had signed that contract, indeed happily so, committing one of the most dangerous acts of his people, to sign something impulsively, however enticed he was with its promise. And now he would pay a bitter price for his rash decision. He was locked to it, and could not, not even to help Elissa and her father's kingdom, break it.

  "Damn you for a bastard, Halence. Damn you for a bastard!"

  The caustic words so shook Halence that he looked at Sorn in near shock, his
hand whipping up almost of its own accord to strike Sorn's cheek. Sorn's cold gaze, chiseled like granite, was moved not a fraction for all the force behind the blow. His pale olive skin did not even color, for all that Halence grimaced with pain and frustration both.

  "Damn your arrogance, whelp! I'm saving your hide! You wish to play the fool? So be it! But you will not do so at the cost of my life, or the lives of my men! Your own cousins would pay the price for your foolish adolescent little crush, boy, and you would die bitterly and pointlessly in an unmarked grave as that war engine washed over you and every wizard in this bloody city! Hate me all you want, you bloody fool, but you keep to your bloody contract! As you swore!"

  For endless moments their silent gazes locked upon one another, a terrible tension filling the air. "It's more than simply our ship, crew, and passengers, Sorn," Halence said at last, voice now near as cold as Sorn's. "It's more than the profit I hope to make. And yes, I plan to make a killing, damn your self-righteous holier-than-thou suicidal gesture! Your act would only get you killed uselessly and damn my men to slavery or death. My act would allow us all to live, and profit us handsomely in the bargain! But far more importantly than that, if you refuse to sail back to York with me, Famil will have no idea how serious the threat massing to the south truly is! Duke Nevontain must be warned and alliances forged between our neighbors. This may well be the only way we can possibly hope to stand against this threat!"

  Halence grimaced and shook his head. "Did it ever occur to you that there would be merit to us leaving, if for no other reason than to get the word out about what is happening here? Did it not trouble you at all that we in the north had, save for Jesere's diligence, not an inkling of what was truly occurring here in the south? Nothing definite at all? It could doom us, Sorn! Doom us! And you would let that occur, let our free nations of the north become enslaved vassals to this southern monstrosity, all so you could die vaingloriously in front of a girl you only met this night. You silly little cocky fool!"