by Katie Roman
Kay fixed Donald with a steely glare. Even though her malice wasn’t directed at Grace, she stepped back anyway. Kay didn’t respond to Donald, but moved on calling orders to change course. The town of Dunkirst was about ten miles north of Glenbard, set on a rocky beach with a small dock for fishing boats to use. Something as large as the Dawn would never get close enough to dock. Grace wanted to point out that Donald was right, but Kay’s withering stare stopped her.
“Keep your fat mouth shut, Donald,” Kay hissed and stomped off without another word.
Marcus signaled for his personal cohorts to gather around. Grace, Donald, and Charlotte circled around him.
“We’ll be too far north,” Donald said, keeping his voice down.
“Are you in some sort of hurry?” Marcus asked and raised an eyebrow. “We will arrive in Glenbard when we arrive.”
Grace longed to point out that if the city had a blockade in the harbor, things were very bad indeed and all haste was needed. But she kept her mouth closed. There wasn’t anything they could do until they got onto land.
“If the harbor is blocked, the city gates may be closed as well,” Charlotte observed. “How will you get in if that happens?”
“There are weak points in the city walls,” Grace offered. Marcus looked up at her and smiled. Her nights running out of the city as the Death Dealer still managed to come in handy. “I know where some are, and if we can’t wiggle through, we can dig them out again. Getting into the city should be the least of our troubles. Guards and soldiers will be everywhere. How are we going to navigate that mess?”
“We just have to hope friends like Thom, Ridley, and Jack are all still alive and able to help,” Marcus said.
Grace’s heart suddenly felt like it was in a vise. For so long her life had been consumed with nothing but day-to-day survival. She hadn’t really given much thought to everyone left behind. These were people she loved. Not just people like Thom and Ridley, but Jim Little and Mayhew and everyone she knew from the Angel. And Jack. That one hurt her the most. She proclaimed her love for him, yet hadn’t spared a thought for his safety in so long. She wanted desperately to be with them; to see Ridley laugh, to see Thom smile down at her, to hold Jack close. They were her family as much as those in Arganis. She never should have left them. Her stomach lurched, and for once it wasn’t entirely because of her motion sickness.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Marcus said as though he could read her thoughts. They locked eyes for a moment and he offered her a weak smile. “We will seek them out and go from there. Will you head straight from Dunkirst to Egona, Miss Charlotte?”
“If I can purchase a horse there, I think I had better. If not, I will have to go into Glenbard and find a mount. It is a long journey on foot to Egona from Glenbard, and will be that much longer from Dunkirst.”
“Then we should all head out together,” Donald said. “I doubt they will have horses for sale in Dunkirst, and you will be safer traveling with us to Glenbard. We can get you an escort from there to Egona.”
Charlotte smiled at Donald and clasped his hand. “Thank you,” she said. “I feared I would be making this journey alone when Katherine first put me on this path.”
“Is your conference quite over?” Kay elbowed her way into their circle. “Making plans to steal back your throne without me?”
Marcus smiled and let out a throaty laugh. “But of course! I can’t let my little kingdom fall into disarray while I still draw breath. Will you join me for a pint at my court when I reclaim my own, Kay?” He slung an arm around her shoulders.
Grace smiled despite her feelings of uncertainty. Things would be better when they arrived. It was why Diggery wanted her in Glenbard. Grace had brought Marcus back, he would set things to right, and she would help him.
~*~*~
Someone shook Grace awake. The world outside Kay’s cabin was dark and only the splashing of waves could be heard. Grace blinked the sleep from her eyes and saw Kay hunched over her with a candle.
“We need to disembark. The crew has dropped anchor some ways off shore,” Kay said.
“How are we to get to Dunkirst?”
Across the cabin, Charlotte was already up and packing a few things, probably under Kay’s orders.
“We have a rowboat,” Kay answered. “We’ll row ourselves to the dock.”
“Will it fit everyone?” Charlotte asked.
“We will get everyone on shore, don’t worry. For now, I’ll get some waterskins and rations from the cook while Charlotte packs extra clothing. It will be cold once we’re on the water. And you,” she turned back to Grace. “Pick some weapons for Marcus, yourself, and Donald.” With tasks delegated, Kay left the cabin.
Grace followed a few minutes later. She found Quinn and asked him to take her to their weapons. She selected a short sword for herself and one for Marcus, and a two handed claymore for Donald. In addition, she found a stiletto dagger for herself and two rondel daggers for Donald and Marcus. They weren’t as sharp as Grace kept her old sword, but they weren’t so dull as to be ineffective. Ideally, anyone they came up against would be intimidated by the blades and wouldn’t engage.
“Won’t your men need these?” Grace asked. She placed the weapons on a wool blanket and folded it over so she could carry them without hurting herself.
“These are from our plunder. Those that aren’t worth selling, we keep just in case.” Quinn shrugged. “Kay said you could take any you needed or wanted.” Grace noted his frustrated tone, but didn’t make a comment.
“We received some coin from His Highness to outfit us once we arrive in Glenbard. We won’t take all your weapons.”
“As you like, Grace.” Quinn held the door to the arms room open as Grace waddled through. The weapons rested over both her arms and the wool blanket made her arms itch.
She made her way to the deck where everyone heading for Glenbard was already waiting. The sea breeze was frigid. After so long on the islands, she’d forgotten what true winter felt like. As she breathed in the icy air, her breath hung as a little gray cloud in front of her face. Charlotte handed her a coat while Donald relieved her of her weapons burden. Shrugging into the coat, she found it was several sizes too large and cut for a man. She buttoned it up and shoved her hands into the pockets for warmth.
The dark of predawn was giving way to a grayish pink. It was easier to see now. Before them, Dunkirst sat with its few buildings and a handful of fishing ships that were already out and about.
Kay pointed everyone toward the rowboat her crew had lowered into the water. “Marcus, Donald, Charlotte, Grace, and I will go now. David will help row us to shore, and then will return for any who wish to come.” She looked at the Dawn’s crew, but none would meet her eyes.
Grace had only ever dealt with the crew at their rowdiest before this voyage. During their weeks at sea they were stern faced men who still laughed easily, but she didn’t like how quiet they were now. Kay’s mouth was set in a hard line as she watched them.
“Everyone wishes to stay on this crew,” Quinn said.
Kay shot him a sidelong glance, but said nothing. “The morning’s getting on, then.”
Kay was the first over the side of the Dawn. Then came Grace, Charlotte, Marcus, Donald, and finally David to row the boat back. Kay took up the paddles and began rowing them away from the ship when Quinn hung over the side, yelling down at them.
“You will always have a place, Kay.”
“Take care, Captain,” she yelled back and continued rowing.
Grace blinked rapidly and shook her head, sure she had misheard. Surely Kay didn’t just call Quinn “Captain”. Grace must have misunderstood over the noise of the waves.
“Captain?” Marcus recovered first.
Kay said nothing; she just kept rowing them steadily toward the shore.
“But Quinn isn’t a captain,” Marcus continued.
“They voted to remove Kay,” David said. His voice was softer than Grace expected. He watch
ed Kay carefully as he spoke, almost like he expected her to tell him to shut up or to hit him with a paddle. “We weren’t takin’ any smugglin’ jobs or waylayin’ any merchants. Not for a while, not since she let us get tangled up with the prince. They thought Quinn would help bring us back to the days of riches and glory; days when the Dawn was feared.” David fell silent again.
No one said anything. Grace had never known Kay to be anything but a pirate, and she was surprised Kay just sat there calmly rowing. It was unsettling to see her so resigned.
“I don’t need anyone’s pity,” Kay said at long last. All eyes that were on her quickly looked away. “I wasn’t doing my duty to my crew. I wasn’t taking jobs that we needed because I intended to see Marcus home. It is how it has always been. When a captain becomes ineffective, they are removed. At least Quinn didn’t slit my throat while I slept.”
“Kay, I never wanted-” Marcus began, but Kay shook her head.
“It is over,” she said, her voice husky like she was struggling to hold back tears.
“The Dawn was your home, Kay,” Marcus tried again.
“I said it’s over.”
And that was that. No one said anything else in regards to it. Grace wanted to continue asking questions, if only for selfish reasons. She found that if she occupied her mind, it kept her seasickness at bay. Without anyone speaking, she could only focus on the rolling waves that tossed the little boat around. Cold, salty water sprayed her face and they swayed back and forth, her stomach protesting.
She began singing; an old song the lumberjacks in Arganis sang about a princess who was turned into a bear. It was a silly tune, meant to lift spirits with its utter absurdity. She clutched her stomach and continued to sing even when it felt like she would vomit.
Donald picked up the song too. He sang slowly, attempting to teach their other companions the words. Charlotte fumbled along while David joined in wholeheartedly, even though he made up most of the words. Kay and Marcus looked at them as though they had all lost their minds. By the time they reached the little dock, a Dunkirst man was standing by, eyeing them suspiciously.
“Captain Lansa,” he said, addressing Kay and ignoring the rest. “I’d have thought you would be wintering on the islands.”
“Plans change, Matthew.” Kay put the paddles down and tossed Matthew a length of rope.
He tied it to the dock and reached his hand out to help them out of the boat. Grace was allowed off first because no one wanted to clean up her mess if she finally did get sick. Charlotte came next, then Donald and Marcus. Kay climbed out last after hugging David. The sailor handed over the weapons Grace had gathered from the Dawn’s armory.
Once everyone was on shore David untied the rowboat, lifted the paddles, and made his journey back to the Dawn for the rest.
~*~*~
They spent the morning at Matthew’s home, where he allowed them to warm themselves in his little one room cottage. They were packed in and there was only one chair, which Marcus immediately claimed. Grace stood against the door, holding it closed. Donald and Charlotte sat on the floor and Kay leaned against the wall opposite Grace. Marcus worked out a plan for what to do when they arrived in the city.
“Grace and Charlotte will need to keep their heads covered, I think,” he said, inspecting their shaved heads. Though their hair was growing back, it was still obvious they had been shaved. “We could say Charlotte had lice, but Grace is known around the city and people probably know she was doing hard labor. And if Charlotte is with us, Grace will give her away too.”
“You just plan to saunter through the gate?” Charlotte asked.
“Hardly.” Marcus rubbed his chin. “We should send Donald in first. He can locate our allies and find out what has been going on. I imagine the Thieves’ Guild has a new leader, and hopefully we will find Thom or Ridley at the head. Donald can buy a horse for you and move about unnoticed. The rest of us don’t stand a chance.”
“What if someone recognizes me as Grace’s friend? Or says I was with the prince on Nareroc? Word has probably reached Glenbard that there was an uprising at the prison.”
Grace frowned. She agreed that Donald was the least likely to draw attention. Marcus and Kay were widely known in Glenbard, and Charlotte and Grace’s appearances would give them away. Donald looked like any other sailor and young man who inhabited Glenbard. At the same time, he was right. Drake hadn’t locked down Nareroc completely, and the warden was locked in his rooms for hours before their forces broke through. He had cages for messenger birds, but no birds were left in them. It was obvious that he had gotten word out before the prison fell to Drake and his allies. It would only take one person to recognize Donald and sink their cause.
“It is a risk we will need to take,” Marcus said.
Grace gritted her teeth and tried to hide her scowl. Marcus wounded and killed people and risked their lives if it meant moving his own agenda forward. Usually this was done in the name of the Guild’s best interest, but Grace had never liked it. She didn’t like it when he sought to slit a murderer’s throat, and she especially didn’t like it when it was her friend being sent in as a sacrificial lamb. It was why Grace and Marcus had parted on horrible terms. She looked away when she saw Marcus staring at her.
This is for Glenbard, she reminded herself. We must all do our part. This wasn’t just a petty Guild squabble.
“First, find Thom or Ridley. If you can’t, they are in hiding or worse.” Marcus stopped speaking. Grace dared to look quickly and saw him looking down at his hands. He looked miserable, but he continued. “If you can’t find them, find Captain Moore.”
“The guard?” Kay asked the very thing Grace thought. “Didn’t he try to bleed the Guild dry through bribery?”
“He is also the one who hid Ridley when I was arrested. He didn’t like seeing one of his fellows forging warrants and arresting people on false charges.”
Kay crossed her arms over her chest but said nothing in response.
“Once we make contact inside the city, we can better formulate a plan of what to do. Grace, Jim Little likes you far more than he likes me. When we do get inside Glenbard, see if he will let us make the Angel our base again.” Grace nodded. “We should leave at first light tomorrow.”
Everyone agreed upon this plan. Grace slid out of the cottage and headed for the docks. From this spot, she could see people climbing down the side of the Dawn. She wondered why they waited so long to start their journey.
Behind her, she heard the soft crunch of boots on packed dirt. She looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Donald, but instead Marcus walked up. She looked back over the water.
“We are officially traitors now,” he said. “Donald has already risked his life. We all have.”
“I just hate to see you act so cavalier about it. People die; sometimes for a just cause and sometimes for someone else’s vanity and power. I put Donald in danger when I chose this life; I was hoping to spare him more trouble when we escaped. I was hoping I would get away without drawing anyone’s blood.” She now understood it was too late for that. Since she took up the sword on Nareroc, there was no going back.
“You can head north, avoid this whole mess. I won’t hold it against you, not again.” He spoke of her unwillingness in the past to hurt men who crossed him. Once, she had broken their alliance because she disagreed with his actions, with his morals, and he threatened to see her dead. Now he released her freely.
She wouldn’t run. Not while people starved and suffered all in the name of a meaningless war. Her path was laid out by Diggery herself, and even if the goddess had not chosen her, she knew in her heart she couldn’t walk away. Glenbard was her home now. Glenbard needed her and she needed it.
“I will go with you. Ask me to spy, ask me to spread rumors, ask me to steal from Duke Robert’s soldiers even, but do not ask me to risk or take another life.”
Marcus put an arm around her shoulders. “I will have need of the Death Dealer, but I will not ask
her to hurt anyone for me,” he said, and gently kissed the top of her head.
Fifteen
Kay used some of her reward coin from the prince to pay Matthew for lodging the group overnight, and at first light they set off for Glenbard. They moved on through late morning into the late afternoon along the king’s road. The constant movement kept Grace warm, even though a slight breeze blew through the air. They kept a steady pace, stopping once to relieve themselves and again to eat some of the rations Matthew supplied them, which Marcus paid handsomely for.
Marcus led their group with Donald and Charlotte flanking him, discussing everything except the arduous task ahead of them, while Kay and Grace took up the rear. Kay was silent and Grace itched to ask her about what happened on the Fearless Dawn.
“You gave it all up,” Grace finally said. “You used to bicker with Marcus and did nothing but cause mayhem in Glenbard. Why give up the Dawn for a city you barely seem to like?”
Kay turned to Grace and raised an eyebrow. “I bicker with everyone.”
“Yes, but you have never seemed the type to stick your neck out for anyone, either.”
“Oh? And what type do I seem, Lady Hilren?”
The angry, selfish type, Grace thought. “I am not so sure anymore.” Grace had seen much of Kay’s personality over the last few weeks, and she now knew the captain wasn’t the short tempered brute she always envisioned. Certainly she had a temper, but she also knew when to act and when to stay her hand.
“I don’t abide by nobles showing off their power by knocking around folks who weren’t lucky enough to be born into the higher classes. Glenbard was my home for a long time before I took to the sea, and I hate to see her fall into ruin. Besides, I do have friends in the city. Ridley, Thom, I even call Marcus my friend when we agree, plus the folks down on Seafarer’s Way who have sheltered me over the years. They deserve better than whatever insanity Frederick and Robert are putting them through.”
“But the Dawn-” Grace began, but Kay held up a hand to stop her.
