Hammers in the Wind (9 page)

Mahn occasionally glanced behind them. He still had the sinking feeling that comes from being watched. Every time he turned he saw nothing. Mahn eventually decided the paranoia was from the lack of sleep and focused on the path ahead. So it was that he failed to see the small figure trailing them from a safe distance.

The Dragon’s Bane plowed through the open waters. Gulls soared along the prow. Sea spray coated those close to the rails. She made good time though Bahr felt they could do better. He paced the decks with a constant scowl. The northern ice flow had yet to encroach upon the mainland and there were simply too many variable factors to make him comfortable. A dozen different scenarios played over in his mind, none of them with appreciable endings. Weather and family. He almost felt lost.

He let his gaze settle on the wizard and the enigmatic southern girl. He didn’t trust either of them for good reason. They both knew far too much about him and the king than Bahr deemed right. Things that he had long forgotten. Making matters worse, he only knew a handful of the twenty men Harnin had hired. The entire situation chafed him.

Bahr turned back to the ocean. This was where he felt safe, where he felt at home. Still, not even the troubled waters frothing against his hull managed to keep his thoughts straight. The prophetic interpretations of Rekka Jel’s dream masters disturbed him. He’d never been the superstitious sort and didn’t give in to the typical sailor yarn about good fortune. Bahr believed life was what you made of it, nothing more. He exhaled a long breath and rubbed his face with the palms of both hands. There was a brief moment where he felt that he was too old for this nonsense, too old to be gallivanting around Malweir’s northern oceans. Then again, he hadn’t a clue what else there was to do. Destiny was intent on keeping him a traveling adventurer.

“What’s on your mind?” Boen asked in his rumbling voice.

The big man eased alongside and offered a half-empty canteen. Bahr accepted the water and drank deeply.

“There are days when I feel like the world is stacked against me,” he answered.

“You get used to it after a while,” Boen answered gruffly. “This is a hard life in a hard world. We wouldn’t have made it this far if we weren’t good at what we do.”

“Are you sure this is the right life? I almost wish there was a clear path ahead. I’m getting old, Boen.”

“We all are. That doesn’t mean we need to slow down or stop now. Where would the fun be if we just gave up?”

They both laughed, but without much force. Bahr knew the Gaimosian had lived a far tougher life than he could ever dream: a lifetime of warfare and change, nothing constant. Bahr doubted he’d have been able to do the same. The sad thing was Boen was more the rule than the exception. The Gaimosian people were scattered across the face of Malweir and forbidden to rebuild their kingdom. A massive army of nations combined to crush Gaimos and destroy their way of life thousands of years ago. The culture died. All that remained was a few small tribes of families and roaming mercenaries highly sought after by kings and queens. Boen simply had no place to call home, unlike the self-imposed exile Bahr chose.

“Can I absolutely trust you?” he finally asked.

If Boen took offense he didn’t show it. “Of course you can. What kind of question is that? We’ve known each other for almost thirty years, you damned fool.”

Bahr almost smiled. I’ve known my brother for longer and that hasn’t turned out so well for me, he thought. “I’m not so sure about this quest anymore. It is growing more perilous by the moment.”

Boen passed a quizzical look. “Getting cold feet already?”

“Nothing of the sort.”

He looked around to see if anyone else was near. “You already know about the woman, Rekka Jel, but she’s not our only guest.”

“What do you mean? I’ve had suspicions that one of us is Harnin’s spy but it’s too early to prove who if that is what you mean.”

Boen was a naturally untrusting man. It was a lesson learned early in life. One of his first partners betrayed him and tried to kill him in his sleep. Boen snapped the man’s neck and never put his full faith in another soul again.

Bahr shook his head. “No. That’s not what I meant. Well, I agree with you but this is bigger. Have you ever heard the name Anienam Keiss?”

The Gaimosian’s eyes widened in shock. “Damnation.”

“He’s in my cabin.”

“The wizard!” he exclaimed in hushed tones. “What could possibly bring that old man among us?”

Bahr related the full story as best he could. Boen stood quietly, listening to every word said. A tactical picture began to form in his mind. Even though neither of them had a clue as to Anienam’s intentions, they knew enough to find the grand scheme alarmingly disturbing.  Too many forces were at work. Boen suddenly felt very small. There were too many secrets. Secrets kill people.

“This has a foul feel to it,” Boen remarked once the Sea Wolf fell silent.

His eyes were darker, reflecting his foul turn of mood.

“We still have a fool’s arrogance working for us, that and pride,” Bahr said.

“Pride has its uses, though I doubt it can do much against a wizard should he turn on us.”

Bahr shrugged. “A little late to worry about all of that now. Still, I don’t find the situation hopeless yet.”

Boen shook his head ruefully. “Optimism doesn’t suit you.”

“One of us needs to try and think positively. Otherwise we might as well punch a hole in our ship and take our chances with the deep.”

“That’s more like it,” Boen smiled. “When do I get to meet these two?”

“Tonight. Once the watch has been set and most of the crew is bedded down I will call a few of us to my cabin.”

“You’re worrying too much. Right now there is no way a spy can get word back to Badron. We’re already a day’s sail out of Chadra.”

Boen cocked his head. He tried playing the scenario out in his head again and again. All boiled down to one solidifying factor. He had an unidentified threat aboard and no idea as to who it was.

Boen read his mind. “Do you think it is this Rekka Jel? Badron could have hired her to assassinate you, us.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not getting any kind of ill feelings from her.”

“What about the wizard?”

Again Bahr paused. He didn’t really know what to think about the Anienam Keiss. There was a clear sense of danger emanating from the man, but wasn’t sure who it was directed against. “He doesn’t seem to have any malice towards us either. I think he’s really come to help.”

Boen remained skeptical. “Help us or him?”

“Malweir.”

“That’s a vague answer.”

Bahr replied, “Yes, but what can we do? We’ve known the dangers ever since signing on to this. It can only get harder from here.”

“There’s hard and then there is stupid. Keiss might be playing us for the fool, using us to achieve his own means.”

Bahr scowled at the thought. The Gaimosian was going to have him seeing ghosts before much longer. “I think this conversation has run its course. Keep your ears open among the men. Let me know if there is any talk.”

Boen stalked off to find a place to sit and think.

Night dropped faster than they were ready for. The Dragon’s Bane plowed through the Northern Ocean almost ten hours that day. Each gust of wind took them that much further from Delranan and closer to the northern reaches of the Murdes Mountains and the danger beyond. A night watch was emplaced and the rest went below decks for a hot meal and a few hours of sleep. Such simple luxuries would be rare in the coming days and no sailor worth his salt passed on an opportunity.

Bahr sat at the head of the small table in his quarters and looked at each man. Dorl and Nothol were there acting bored and confused. Boen and a man selected from Harnin’s chosen exchanged wary glances. Rekka Jel stood off in a corner, diminutive and deadly. Anienam Keiss was the last. He sat beside the captain as humble as possible. The Sea Wolf was almost impressed he managed to pull it off.

“Friends, let us consider this our first war council. Each day we shall meet to decide our next course of action,” he began.

Harnin’s emissary, Ionascu, leaned forward on his bony elbows. “Why us? Some of the boys think you’re showing favorites. It don’t sit well with them.”

Bahr’s features hardened reflexively. “Of course I am, Ionascu. I was hired to take a group of men to rescue the king’s daughter. Harnin forced your group on me. Why should I give these men trust when they haven’t earned it? My contract is to take you east and drop you off, nothing more. Anything else, I do of my own accord. These men you accuse of being my favorites have saved my life more times than I can recall and vice versa. They have earned my trust and confidence. So you will forgive me my indulgences until your men prove they have earned my trust.”

Ionascu clearly didn’t like or appreciate the answer but was experienced enough to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

Bahr gave a perfunctory look around to placate the others. “If there are no other objections, let us get down to business. Ionascu, believe me when I say that I fully intend to speak with every man before we make land. You are my responsibility so long as you remain on my ship.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Ionascu roughly said. “I will tell them once we finish here.”

Bahr sighed. The issue of new men was one of his biggest problems. Now that they were going to know he was coming he’d be able to tell who the spy was much easier. Or so he hoped. Of course the opposite might also be true. This might make the spy go deeper.

“Our first move needs to be a quick resupply when we reach the port of Dredl. We’ll spend the night depending on when we arrive.”

Boen grunted. “Why not push forward?”

“Into the Murdes Mountains at night? We’d be slaughtered,” Dorl exclaimed.

“We’d also take the enemy off guard.”

Bahr shook his head. “Dorl is right. The mountains are far too dangerous to enter at night. The Pell would eat us alive.”

He failed to mention Anienam and his particular skill set. So far as Ionascu and the others were concerned Anienam was just another old man hired to oversee the daily operation of the ship. Exactly the way Bahr wanted it kept. He also failed to mention that he silently hoped Maleela was well beyond the Mountains of Death when they caught up to her.

“What better way to surprise the enemy? They’ll never expect us to act so brashly,” Boen insisted. “Strike fast and the advantage remains ours.”

Bahr personally thought the big man was crazy, even for a Gaimosian. His suggestion was pure suicide.

“Have you ever been in those mountains?” Dorl asked. “We’ll be slaughtered before dawn.”

Boen laughed hard. “Give me a handful more of my blood and your barbarians wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Unfortunately killing the Pell Darga is not our objective. We must rescue Badron’s daughter before the enemy gets her back into their camp,” Bahr answered with finality. He was growing weary with all of Boen’s posturing.

Nothol Coll decided to change the conversation. “Are the Pell really our enemy?”

“Harnin said it was Pell Darga spears and short swords found in the bodies of the house guard,” Bahr replied. “I don’t see why he’d lie about that. It would only lead us away from the kidnappers.”

“You said it yourself that Badron has no love for this girl. It might all be a deception.”

Ionascu scoffed. “Kidnap his own daughter? What point does that make? Why waste time and money on a bunch of mercenaries if he knows where she is?”

“No one is suggesting the king had anything to do with this,” Bahr said.

“Then what?” Ionascu asked indignantly.

Dorl’s eyes widened with sudden realization. “The spears were a plant!”

Nothol grinned. “Who in their right mind would want to cross the Pell?”

“That would mean the Pell are working with another kingdom. Who has Badron angered lately?” Boen asked.

None of them had the answer, except perhaps Anienam Keiss, and he was loathe to admit the truth of things. The wizard was content with his secrets.

Bahr briefly closed his eyes. “This is a dark train of thought. If what you suggest is true, we have no idea who to go after.”

“Not true,” Dorl said.

He waited until they all stared at him. “Doesn’t Maleela have a love interest? Some prince from an eastern kingdom if I remember right.”

“She does!” Bahr agreed. “Then it only makes sense he came and stole her. The prince is from Rogscroft.”

“Why kidnap the woman you love?” Boen asked.

“Easy,” Ionascu answered, “ransom.”

Nothol agreed. “This also gives us a direction to move in. Not only us, but the whole damned Wolfsreik.”

“It also means our lives are about to get more dangerous,” Boen added. “The future darkens.”

“Could it be a coup attempt?” Bahr asked.

The idea unsettled him. He’d enlisted to rescue his niece, not aid his deranged brother in starting an unjustified war.

Dorl Theed threw up his hands in protest. “I didn’t sign on for that. We’re here for rescue, nothing more.”

“I agree. This is not an assassin’s quest,” Nothol said.

“Gentlemen, I think we are getting carried away. Shadows chasing us in the night and all. The danger is not inherent to our quest. Northern Malweir is about to go to war. We stay the course and complete our mission. Agreed?” Bahr asked.