Peril & Profit

by M. H. Johnson

  So it was that four very wet youths found themselves on the pier a short time later. Having changed forms moments before behind cover of their familiar ship, the sudden appearance of three dripping wet youths, well dressed in their fine silks and sparkling mithril mail and climbing up on the pier was indeed an odd sight, but drew no comment save for an occasional curious stare from the sparse crowd that populated the quiet pier.

  "I hate being sopping wet," said a peeved looking Fitz.

  Hanz gave his brother a considering glance. "That's not really true, you know. You're the best swimmer out of all of us."

  "Not when I'm a fully clothed person! My hair gets all tangly, and my silks are all itchy." Fitz glowered.

  "All right, guys," commented a voice from thin air. "We're losing focus, here. First thing to do is get to the ship, change into something a bit less damp, and head to the inn. We all know our cover story?"

  "Of course," Lieberman responded enthusiastically. "You jumped off the ship delirious with pain, and we, expert swimmers that we are, dived off after you to make sure you safely got to shore and a healer. There some wise woman took you in and you responded so quickly to her treatments due to your own magical nature, being the ship's wizard and all, that you are now fit to be up and around once more, whereas poor Bates is still in the care of the healer Salrie."

  "Excellent," complimented the voice.

  "Uh, Sorn?"

  "Yes, Hanz?"

  "You know you are still invisible, right?"

  "Huh? Oh yes… err, right." Sorn quickly became visible once more, wearing a puzzled frown. It appeared that his spells were actually starting to carry over from one form to another. This was an occurrence he found more than a little bit startling considering that his grandfather, master of forms that he was, had never mentioned the possibility of such occurring. It would be a troubling thought to wonder if injuries could also now cross over between forms, were it not for the fact that he had so recently switched shapes with no such transfer. His true form had been in perfect health despite the injuries he had sustained.

  As interesting as the phenomenon was, more immediate concerns took precedence at that moment, not the least of which was his acutely growling belly, a sentiment that he was certain his cousins were in complete accord with.

  "All right, guys, let's board," Sorn said, completely ignoring the shocked gasps and stares from those few on the pier who had witnessed his abrupt appearance. Individuals who then made it a point to vanish from the peer themselves, not quite so fast as Sorn had appeared, but as fast as their legs could take them, nonetheless. Shortly thereafter, the four youths found themselves at the ship's ramp, uncomfortably aware of the fact that all the crewmen in sight now had their gazes resting squarely upon the four dripping wet youths, the low murmur of whispered comments soon accompanying their stares. Sorn found it a tad bit unnerving to be on the receiving end of so many intent gazes, particularly when he noted the expressions containing both awe, and, in some cases, outright fear.

  "Sorn," whispered one sandy-haired sailor of a rugged build and military bearing. This man's look of surprise, however, soon broke into a grin. "By all the gods, you’re alive!" His gaze was a warm one, and his smile served to melt some of Sorn's growing unease.

  "Well of course I am, Thorn. It was only a flesh wound!" Sorn was quick to say, hoping to abate some of the stares directed his way, should their owners be under the impression that he had somehow survived a mortal injury.

  "Yes," chipped in Hanz, "And he was delirious with pain so we had to jump in after him, as we are expert swimmers, to make sure he got to the healer. And he healed up amazingly quickly, on account of him being so magical."

  Sorn looked sideways at Hanz. "I'm not sure if that last bit helped too much."

  Thorn, for his part, gave Sorn an incredulous look. "But, Sorn, you were hit at point blank range by a heavy crossbow!"

  "Magic wards, my good man. Magic wards." Sorn breezily waved Thorn's concerns away. "It absorbed most of the force of the blow. In point of fact, I never expected the bolt to touch me at all! I am sure you can imagine my surprise when I was actually hit. I just wasn't expecting it, you see. To tell you the truth, Thorn," Sorn confided in a whisper loud enough for the entire crew to hear, "It was surprise as much as anything else that left me so out of sorts. The wound was hardly worth my hysterics, I'm afraid."

  "But we went to the healer with our own injured men. We would have been overjoyed to find you safe and on the mend, but we saw no trace of you."

  "Different healer," Sorn said airily.

  "Very well, Sorn," Thorn allowed, giving Sorn and his cousins a curious look. "In any event, it is good to see you all looking relatively hale and healthy. Are you sure you are all right, Sorn?"

  "Oh I'm fine, really, just a bit of a flesh wound." Sorn flexed his left arm with a slight grimace. He was glad both that the irritating injury was on his offhanded side, and that it was not so irritating as to interfere with his focus in terms of casting his magics.

  "You'll have to forgive us, Thorn, for though we're happy to put your minds at ease, quite frankly, we're famished. We just stopped by to let you all know that we were fine as well as to get into some clean clothes before heading out to the nearest inn."

  Thorn nodded, accepting this. The look he gave Sorn was a troubled one, however. "No doubt the captain would be overjoyed to see that you were for the most part hale and healthy, Sorn, but the fact is that he isn't here."

  Sorn raised his eyebrow in polite inquiry, and Thorn continued.

  "He had been preoccupied with worry for you four and our injured crewmen both, and was reluctant to head out and book additional passengers until we had found you, but such a break in our routine would have shown weakness to whoever might now be watching us. Later this morning a man came to the pier with a message for him, and Halence went off, saying only that he would be back shortly, and to let him know immediately if his men's condition worsened or if you were found by the time he returned. He said he did not plan on being longer than an hour at the most, but more than four hours have passed since he left in the company of that man." Thorn's sigh was a troubled one.

  "Impulsive he may be, but I credit the captain as being no man's fool. Still, I am a bit worried after happened last night, for all that the captain brought three crewmen with him."

  The lighthearted atmosphere emanating from the four youths evaporated like mist in the rays of the rising sun, revealing expressions chilling in their grim intensity. Thorn paled and swallowed, taking a self-conscious step back.

  "I too am troubled by your revelations," Sorn said. "I find the idea that it is a mere coincidence all too unlikely at this point.” Sorn blinked, struck by a sudden revelation. “I suspect that foul play from a certain lord is all too likely the cause of our sudden grief."

  Thorn's suddenly intent gaze stared fixedly into Sorn’s own. "You know who might be responsible, Sorn?"

  Sorn nodded. "Indeed I do. Halence and I had spoken briefly with a lord by the name of Vorstice last night. He had indicated the possibility that he might send a servant calling for us should he decide that he did, in fact, wish to book passage on our ship. We found it quite strange, at the time, how calm he was when we spoke of the disasters that had befallen Caverenoc's neighboring city-states and their peoples when they had been overrun by the Empire. He did not seem troubled by the fear and anxiety that had so overwhelmed everyone else we had visited. I suppose his… condescension, was it? was a bit more understandable if he had been planning to rob us all along."

  Sorn frowned, eyes catching bloody streaks upon the decks that various crewmen were diligently scrubbing at that very moment. "I suspect that he is guilty of kidnapping the captain at the very least, and probably for orchestrating the midnight raid as well. It only makes sense, when one considers the reality of both of these occurrences happening in a mere span of hours. It is just too unlikely to be mere coincidence. If the ship raid failed, he could attempt to lu
re Halence into his layer and extort him outright, as a backup plan."

  "But that makes no sense," Thorn was quick to point out. "Why would he set out to rob or destroy his one ticket out of this doomed city? The Empire wouldn't let him keep any wealth he acquired anyway, honest or ill-gotten, so by sabotaging our ship, he cuts his own throat."

  Sorn nodded his agreement. "You're right, it makes no sense. Not only would he lose all his wealth, he would be made a slave to this Empire as well in all but name, his own children auctioned off." Sorn gave a small shudder of disgust at the thought. "Truly, I cannot fathom how he could have been so unmoved by what Halence told him the other day."

  Sorn's grin at that point was a nasty one. "Though I can't fathom what his twisted reasoning might be, I am anxious to hear his justification all the same. Come, cousins, let us get changed and go pay Lord Vorstice a little visit."

  His cousins nodded in unison, their dark smiles mirroring Sorn's own.

  Sorn once more addressed Thorn. "If you would be so good as to have rations prepared for us, you would have our gratitude. Obviously, my cousins and I now have little time for an inn, and we are all still quite… hungry after the ordeals we have experienced."

  Thorn's look was a measured one. "Sorn, if you think this man has kidnapped the captain, then best we go there in force or contact the king himself, who may well aid us with his support as repayment for the service we have done for him and his people. I know that you and your cousins are certainly more than a match for a handful of men, having seen what I did last night, but in truth, we have no idea what forces lie in wait at this Lord Vorstice's demesne."

  Sorn shook his head politely, smiling as he did so out of courtesy for the man's concern. "I am sorry, Thorn, but I don't think that's such a good idea at this point. First off, if Lord Vorstice can send brigands to attack us unawares during the night, no doubt he has the resources at hand to make Halence disappear without a trace, should he catch wind of official interest, or see us come in force. Our best bet is for him to underestimate his opposition, or even better, for him not to think he faces any serious opposition at all. Just a curious question from a concerned crewman wondering if the lord would happen to have any leads as to his captain's whereabouts. After all, the last thing we want to do is risk causing the very death we hope to rescue Halence from."

  Thorn's eyes widened, as if only just realizing how his suggestion could have come back to haunt him.

  Sorn's smile was a sympathetic one. "Don't trouble yourself overly with it, Thorn. It's not your fault this Lord Vorstice plays dirty. Fortunately, so do we."

  Sorn eyed his ravenous kin. "Come, cousins," Sorn said, offhandedly grabbing some of the rations that had appeared for their consumption with surprising swiftness moments before. "Let's get ready."

  "So, Sorn, what's the plan?" An excited Fitz queried once they had finished changing, Sorn at that moment putting his blade once again into its sheath. Well oiled and freshly sharpened, the broadsword had been handed to him near reverently by one of the crewmen, though Sorn couldn't understand why. Though a quality blade, especially with the basket hilt Lord Canterbier's smith had affixed to it for his style of swordplay, it was no filigreed masterwork. Sturdy and functional was a more apt description, though its weight and particular balance did serve him quite well. He tested the edge and gave a pleased smile. It appeared the men had done their best to care for his blade during his absence.

  "Discretion, cousins. We are going to draw Lord Vorstice out of his layer if we can. I doubt he would feel too threatened if it were just me popping by, politely inquiring as to whether or not he had any idea as to where good Captain Halence might be. Of course, it would make sense that I would deduce that the messenger had been from him, seeing as how I was the one accompanying Halence yesterday on his rounds. He won't know how suspicious his lack of anxiety the night before had made me, how at odds it put him in comparison to everyone else Halence and I had spoken to.

  "Furthermore, my coming alone under the pretext of not wanting to alarm either the customers or the crew should serve to further allay any suspicions he might have, putting him at ease. I will give the impression of being utterly naïve regarding the possibility of treachery, confident that he needs us if he wishes to flee Caverenoc. Thus I doubt Lord Vorstice would feel anything but contemptuous superiority at my presence. Certainly he won't suspect that I thought that he was playing cards from a hidden deck. Thus, he should feel both at ease and in control of the situation."

  "But what if he does try to capture you?" Fitz queried.

  Sorn smiled. "All to the good. For then I am quite likely to learn where he might be holding Halence, no? In any case, once he takes me in, whether to casually converse, gloat, or capture me outright, that, Hanz and Lieberman, is where you come in." His cousins raised their heads from their feverish occupation.

  Sorn sighed. "I know its lure, cousins, but you can count the pretty gold coins another time. Right now, we have to concentrate on saving captain and crewmen both."

  "We know that, Sorn," Lieberman said plaintively, "it’s just that there is so much gold! Look how rich and lustrous and shiny our coins are. I just wanted to make sure they were all still there before we left."

  "Yes, Sorn!" Hanz chimed in. "We were just checking!"

  "As if anyone could actually pick the metal loop of iron we are using as a lock!" Sorn said in exasperation. "Now don't you start," Sorn said, giving Fitz a look upon seeing that his gaze too was now locked solid upon the glittering pile of gold Lieberman had poured onto the cabin floor before them.

  Lieberman looked up from the pile of gold he was taking such joy in seeing dribble from his fingers like a shiny sparkling waterfall and gave his cousin a sympathetic look. "Don't worry, Sorn. Halence is our friend too." He then sighed, looking back down at the rich lustrous gold pooled about his knees. "I just wanted to say goodbye is all."

  Sorn just shook his head. “The sooner we rescue our friends, the sooner you can all get back to the gold we have, and the sooner I can work on accruing yet more of it. So how about you guys get your minds off the coins and let’s focus on what matters. Protecting our own and destroying those who would cause them harm!"

  Sorn's voice had become chill and his cousin's attention snapped back to focus upon Sorn, eyes alight with the twin passions of loyalty and vengeance. The sweet glittering pile by their feet was in that moment near forgotten, focused as they were on some of the few things their people cared for as much or more than even gold.

  "As I said cousins, that's where you guys come into play. For while I make my humble way into the estate, you three will be invisible, making your way right behind me and any escort they bring to bear. Only when Vorstice reveals his hand, as I fully intend for him to do, giving Halence's location away among other things, only then do we need inform him that perhaps he has underestimated his opposition in this crooked game he is playing just a tad." Sorn shared the bleakest of smiles with his cousins.

  "Right on, Sorn!" Lieberman cried enthusiastically. "It won't matter what deck of cards he is playing with, once we cut his bloody head off!"

  "Err… right. That's one way of looking at it," Sorn allowed. "But let's first see his hand before we eliminate the player, fair enough?"

  "Oh yeah, right. Interrogation first, decapitation later!"

  "Well, certainly we'll be able to do the interrogation part," Sorn allowed. "But we might have to forgo the decapitation on the off chance that the king would be less than pleased if we started chopping the heads off his lords without running the idea past him first, no matter how tempting the thought might be. Besides, it is perhaps possible that the king will reward us, should we bring news of Lord Vorstice's treachery to his attention. Not very many kings would be pleased with such acts during a siege, I should think, especially to people who have earned the king's friendship." Sorn grinned. "Ah, I thought you guys might find the idea of a reward tempting!"

  "But, Sorn," a concerned Fitz queried,
"what happens if he just throws you in a cage and doesn't tell us anything?"

  "Not to worry, cousin. Vorstice strikes me as one who likes to play the gentleman, and that definitely includes sharing a cup of brandy or the like with his guest or captive, whatever else he plans to do. Nothing like gloating under a civilized pretense, I suppose. And whether he plans to capture me and boast, or simply be politely obtuse and send me on my way, at that point we will have him."

  "How so, cousin? You don't mean torture, do you?" Hanz asked with a casualness that would have chilled any passing onlooker to the quick. That alone spoke volumes as to the true savage nature of their people, however innocent Fitz and his brothers might be relative to many of their race.

  "No cousin, no torture. Fear and anxiety are basic emotions common to all races. Their sharp odor is easy to spot and extremely difficult to hide. Fortunately, even in the short time that we have spent here so far, I already feel that I have gained skill at spotting those scents in humans, and I assume the same is true for you three as well. This gives us a powerful edge in scenting out the truth. It is far easier to spot a lie, after all, when fear or anxiety can be used as guides.

  "But under extreme conditions, the person will already be so highly stressed that a lie will have little extra impact, such as when the target is under torture. So you see, cousins, torture could ironically serve to disguise the very truth we so desperately seek! Thus there is little chance we could see through deception, should Lord Vorstice lie to us while under torture."

  Sorn smiled at their looks of frustration at the thought of Lord Vorstice being invulnerable to their attempts to get much-needed information out of him.

  "Relax, cousins. I have another idea that just might work, perhaps far better for our purposes than torture ever could. Besides, this way we are less likely to irritate the king, should he have reservations about that sort of thing being done to his nobles."

  With that, Sorn quietly filled his cousins in on his plan as they made their way past the crew, too preoccupied to note the crews’ odd deferential silence as they left the ship.