Chapter Twenty-Two

“W-wait!” Jandra heard Roddy beg behind her. “Y’all don’t have to do this!”

She craned her neck around and saw the brash country boy waving his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender.

“Why shouldn’t we?” Said the husky voiced leader of the masked people, leaning in. “You don’t think you deserve to die? You left your friends in there to burn?”

“H-hey, I woke them up.”

“If that’s true, then why were you the first one out?”

As Roddy struggled for an answer, the leader laughed. “This town doesn’t need your kind - people who run the first moment. How were we supposed to put our lives in your hands? Trust you with our goods - our children. You can’t even save yourselves. Ridiculous.”

“Look!” Marlowe cried out. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll leave… I mean, we’ll leave…You don’t have to see us again.”

Several of the others threw up cries of agreement.

“Is that what you’re going to say to bandits?” The leader took on a falsetto voice. “‘Oh. Please don’t hurt us. We’ll do what you say!’ You took good money to protect this town’s goods, and you want to just walk away?!?”

That shut the group up. Even Jandra, who hadn’t spoken up to agree with Marlow, fell quiet knowing the feelings she too had felt in her heart a moment ago. Where had the bravado they’d shown Thabita at dinner nights before gone?

Then the leader shook his head and pulled off his mask.

Hein looked down at his comrades, his eyes filled with disdain.

When Ryland had realized that the group needed to be forged together and trained properly, he knew that what they needed was a real leader. However, he and Koamalu were still too young to be accepted by the rest of the escorts, most of whom were older than them and had little reason to respect the younger men.

However, there was someone that even Boarsmouth and Pat showed deference to, the senior escort of the group - Hein. Hein had both the presence and experience to lead the group, but had shown disinterest in the position and in fact seemed to be actively trying to avoid any chance he might end up as leader by default.

Despite that, Ryland decided that Hein was their best chance at bringing the group together, so he and Koamalu had set off to find the man and try to convince him.

Following a string of pointed fingers, they quickly located Hein throwing knucklebones with a bunch of men in an alley behind an inn. When they spotted him, Koamalu wanted to go talk to him, but Ryland asked his friend to pop inside the inn for a moment and ask who was staying there currently. As his larger friend did that, Ryland watched Hein and the others laughing and talking over the game.

“They’re from a caravan that’s passing through on their way to Siltcarden, coming down from the mountains.” Koamalu told him a short time later.

Ryland nodded, and then noticing Koamalu’s smile was a little bigger than usual, he raised an eyebrow.

“The maid in there was very pretty.”

“Of course.” Without missing a beat, Ryland added. “When are you meeting her?”

“Tonight after dinner. She’s showing me the gardens.”

“Be careful about plucking local flowers, we’re going to be living here a while. We don’t need you getting in trouble.”

“Hey, uso. You know me.” Koamalu gave him a thumbs up.

Ryland rolled his eyes. “Yeah. That’s what I’m worried about.”

Then they entered the alley, but as soon as Hein saw them, he shook his head and raised a finger, so they wanted back around the corner and waited there for a time.

When Hein came out of the alley, he motioned for them to follow him and the three began walking together.

“How may I help you, boys?”

“You learn anything interesting from them about the inner valleys?” Ryland asked, going straight to the subject.

This got him a surprised look from Hein, who then smiled and shook his head. “Cade, didn’t your father tell you to mind your own business?”

“Yes, but not if it’s going to get me killed.”

“Getting involved in other’s business can also be a dangerous thing.”

It sounded like a threat, and Koamalu tensed slightly, but Ryland could tell from Hein’s tone it was more of a warning, and he shrugged it off. “Better to know how you died than die without knowing. Especially if your life depends on others. That’s why you were fishing for information back there, wasn’t it?”

Hein sighed. “I was seeking to learn if they knew of any problems we might have in the inner valleys.”

“Did they?”

Hein nodded slowly. “They told me of bandits, and...goblins.”

“Did they tell you about the wyrm?”

That made Hein suddenly stop walking and stare at Ryland. “No. What wyrm?”

“Are you sure to want to know about other’s business?”

Hein stared at Ryland, and then began to laugh. “You are interesting boy. Let us go somewhere more private to talk.”

The three of them found a spot atop the walkway that ran along the town’s front wall, one that gave them an amazing view of the green valley below. There they leaned against the parapets and sipped peach juice while they talked.

“The town hired us because they lost the spring convoy to bandits,” Ryland explained. “Thabita conveniently left that out when she told us about their needs. Jaxon convinced the merchants that he could put together a defensive force to make sure the summer convoy got through, and that’s why we were hired.”

Hein nodded. “I believed it was like this.”

“Then why’d you sign on?” Koamalu asked the older man.

Hein grinned. “Money of course. Like you, am I here to make what I can.” Then he paused and looked at Ryland, the grin fading to seriousness. “But you, I have known many men who do this work, and none were like you. Why are you here?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Still…”

“I’m trying to build an escort company. We came because we saw opportunity here.”

Hein studied Ryland for a moment. “I do believe you. It is task worthy of the last son of Haukes.” Then when he saw Ryland jump up in surprise, Hein grinned again. “So I was right. I’d heard rumours in Northport. You are Ryland Hauke.”

Ryland cursed himself inwardly. He had to get better at dealing with these situations if he was going to keep his cover. However, since the cow had left the barn, there was little he could do but shrug and smile.

“Now we’re even,” Ryland said.

Hein nodded. “Indeed. But, it is good to know who we are each dealing with. Tell me, did you know there’s a bounty on your head?”

Ryland’s eyes narrowed. “I know. Do you plan to collect it?”

Hein glanced at Koamalu, who was watching him closely. “Too much trouble. I doubt I’d be able to collect. Besides, as I said, you are interesting boy.”

“Thank you,” Ryland relaxed, sensing that Hein was just trying to be helpful. “Do any of the others know?”

“About you or the bounty, no.” Hein shook his head. “They are too self involved to think about such things. They have no contact with the community.”

“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about,” Ryland said. “About the others. I’m worried that when we run into trouble they’re not going to last.”

Hein laughed. “Last? They will be dead. They barely know how to hold a sword. They’re not good for anything except drawing arrows.”

It was Ryland’s turn to shake his head. “That’s no good. We need them if we’re going to get the convoy through. If they go down, we’ll be next.”

“So tell that to our leader.”

“He’s an idiot,” Ryland answered. “Or a fool. Either way, he’s useless. They need someone with experience to lead them.”

“Not interested.”

“Why not?” Koamalu asked. “You afraid?”

“It is nothing about fear,” Hein replied. “They are...how do I say it...too much trouble. If I lead them, then I must stand in front. I prefer to be at the back where it is safe.”

“You’re not paid enough to deal with them, is that what you’re saying?”

Hein nodded. “You speak my language.”

Ryland considered. “Fine. Then what about if I give you my Falsefort escort salary for the next year?”

Hein frowned. “What?”

“My salary, plus bonuses,” Ryland said directly. “All you have to do is take command. I’ll even be your second and help you.”

“I…” Hein’s eyes were filled with uncertainty. “That is…Your offer is good, but…”

“Mine too!” Koamalu jumped in. “You can have mine as well. And my bonuses.”

Heins eyes went wide, and he licked his lips. “You are certain?”

Ryland looked at Koamalu with gratitude, and then they looked at Hein.

“We are. Do we have a deal?”

Ryland watched the faces of their fallen comrades when they saw Hein was the man leading the ones who were assaulting them. He saw anger and resentment in the face of the other escorts, but mostly he saw shame.

This plan was Hein’s - he had said it would bring the escorts together. Ryland hadn’t been sure about it, but had decided to support Hein and see how it played out. Of the five masked attackers, Ryland and Koamalu were two, and two of Mrs. Morley’s grandsons had been recruited to be the other two. The old woman herself had been fully in support of this whole situation, and even offered the two boys up.

So much for being a nice old lady.

"If you are going to leave, then do it now. I would not stop you. If this is the best you can offer this town, then you should most definitely leave." Hein paused, waiting to see how they reacted, then seeing only confusion and uncertainty, he continued. "However, for those of you who wish to stay, understand this - while the man who organized us seems to have no interest in giving us the training we need to function and survive, I have no interest in dying with you. You acted the way you did tonight because you were not prepared to work together. You did not know what to do. If you choose to stay, I will train you and give you that knowledge. I have done this for many years, and if you follow me you might also."

Then Hein thrust the sword at his side into the ground. "Those who wish to survive, be standing here tomorrow morning after your breakfast. Training will begin then."

With that, Hein turned and began walking back to the inn, Ryland and the other masked men following him. They left the rest of the escorts sitting in a confused mess on the ground, soaked in water with just enough oil in it to smell and be convincing.

Ryland couldn't help but look back, and when he did Koamalu whispered from next to him.

"Do you think it will work, uso?"

"I don't know, but I hope it does. We need all of them."

Ryland couldn’t get back to sleep.

He tossed and turned for a time, his head filled with concerns about the future, and then went out into the cliffside garden to get some fresh air. The last hints of spring were dying away, and the night air was warm enough that he didn’t need his shirt as he surveyed the town below from his high perch.

Most of the buildings were dark, save a handful where candlelights flickered near windows here and there like ghostly wisps. Animals made various sounds, from crickets to predators yowling at their rivals for food and territory. Smells too drifted up, and he breathed the still and humid night air in deeply as he enjoyed the moment.

Then his brow furrowed.

Was that buxberry he smelled?

That shouldn’t be possible. Not this far from the capital region where the plant grew. But then he smelled it again and was certain - someone was making buxberry pie. The rooming house he’d lodged in at the academy had a cook who made it all the time and while it was considered a commoner’s food by most of his classmates, he couldn’t get enough of it.

He dashed inside and headed straight for the door before suddenly realizing he was only wearing his underclothes. The last thing he needed was to be mistaken for some nighttime lecher, so he yanked on some pants and a tunic, then slipped on some shoes before scrambling out the doorway and down the stairs.

He quickly determined that it wasn’t Mrs. Morley making the pie when he checked the kitchen, and so he quietly unlocked the front door and stepped outside. A few more moments to find the smell again and he was off.