The Callindra Chronicles Book One - First Quest (12 page)

She could feel something terrible building
outside the house. The entire room seemed to blossom all at once
into flame. As the rafters collapsed and the whole house caved in,
she screamed in frustration, “Cowards!”

Chapter 11

When she came to, Callindra saw the ceiling
of an unfamiliar room with her right hand cramped on Brightfang’s
hilt. She sat up; she was in a narrow room, lying on a bed with a
rough straw tic. Sounds of others waking and moving about in nearby
rooms reached her ears shortly before a familiar voice tickled her
ears.

“
Apprentice, I regret I was
unable to see your triumphant return. Those Inquisitors were
waiting for me and found you instead. Fear not, they will now
believe you dead. Be careful, this town I have brought you to is
unknown to you. The room in which you stay is mine and therefore
yours as long as you want it. I will find you when it is safe, do
not look for me.” With that Glarian’s voice faded and made her
wonder where he was now.

Callindra stood, sheathing her sword and
stretching as best she could in close quarters. Her stomach rumbled
and she hitched her baldric off a spot that had rubbed while she
slept awkwardly and made walked downstairs.

The common room was bustling with activity,
serving wenches bringing tankards of beer, water and wine to
patrons as well as platters of bread and sausages. She sat at the
end of a table and a rounded young woman sauntered up almost
immediately.

“
Wha’ cn I get yeh then?”
She asked.

“
Beer, bread and sausage.
And water if you please.” Callindra replied, conscious of her
ragged appearance. “Is there a bath house near? I’m long
overdue.”

“
I’ll say.” The girl gave
her a languid wink, wrinkling her nose, “Got un onsite. Yeh got in
late las nigh? Stayin n Master Sol’Estin’s room?”

Callindra nodded, “Yes. Do you know when he’s
expected?”

“
We don’ know when he’ll
come, but we allus know when he do. I’ll get yeh food n then summat
cn show yeh to th baths.” She set a tankard of sharp ale on the
table and made her way through the throng, handing out more beer as
she went.

“
Mind if I join you?” A man
with a mass of blonde curls and an inviting smile asked, standing
across the bench from her.

“
Sure. I’m Callindra.” She
took a drink of her ale, idly tightening the buckle of her
baldric.

“
Karath.” He replied,
extending a hand, “You here for the trials then?”

“
Yeah.” She had no idea what
he was talking about, “You too?” She said, grabbing his forearm
with a swordsman’s clasp.

“
Oh, I’m smarter than that.
Last year I came here with delusions of grandeur about the Duke’s
Guard but soon discovered it was way too much sitting around and
not enough actually doing anything.” He snagged a foaming tankard
from a barmaid that passed by. “That’s why I’m a caravan guard. The
work is relatively easy, the pay is good enough and you get to see
the world.”

Oh, now she knew where she was, Duke
Gladthorne’s Holding also known as Thornehold. He held a hiring
faire every year, and due to the wide variety of swords for hire
that showed up it had come to be called Blademeet. The Duke did
generally skim the cream off the top of the pool of warriors, but
there were plenty of others who showed up as well. Mercenary
companies, wagoner’s, small town militias and even some of the
local Lords began coming to fill their needs.

Gods and Demons, she was nearly three hundred
leagues from home! How had she gotten here? Glarian apparently had
some sway here, the room in which she stayed was his and the inn
staff didn’t seem to be upset about someone staying in it.

“
I did not mean to throw you
off girl, try for the Griffins if you must.” Karath said, taking
her silence for rebuke, “Seems to me like a place someone like you
just wouldn’t fit in.”

“
I’d sooner be in the
Wolves.” She said, thinking of the elite raiding party the Duke
kept for his most dangerous or discrete work.

“
You? In the Wolves?” Karath
threw his head back and laughed merrily, “Nay youngling, you’re far
too green for them. Besides, the Duke’s men are too
serious.”

Callindra bristled and only barely managed to
keep her temper in check. Even so a gust of wind swirled her short,
tangled hair and tugged at Karath’s cloak.

“
I mean to make something of
myself, not waste my life sitting on a wagon hoping for a bandit
attack to break the monotony.”

“
I’ve heard the same before,
no harm in trying. If you change your mind, I’m with Raven Company.
East side of the Market, you can’t miss the banner.” He tossed a
few coins on the table for his ale and wove through the crowd to
the door.

Callindra couldn’t help but notice the
smoothness of his steps and as her eyes traveled over his slim form
was almost shocked to see a heavy axe on his belt. He carried it so
naturally she hadn’t even noticed it was there.

A serving girl set a thick clay plate down
with a resounding thunk, it had a pair of thick sausages straining
against their gut casings and three thick slabs of still warm bread
slathered with butter. Realizing how famished she was, Callindra
set to with a will. When she had finished, the girl who collected
her empty dishes scooped the coin off the table as well.

“
What do I owe you?”
Callindra asked, realizing she didn’t have any coin.

“
This’ll do. Karath done fer
yeh.” She replied, “Bathhouse’s through th back, second left an all
th way t th end.” She indicated a door with a jerk of her head and
swept back through the crowded room.

It took Callindra a moment to understand that
the girl meant Karath had paid for her meal. She shrugged
uncomfortably, now she was going to have to find Raven Company just
to pay him back once she found a way to earn some coin herself. She
stood and bit her lip in consternation. The clothes she was wearing
were rough and worn, obviously made by someone without proper tools
or supplies. Her hair was matted and …

She took a deep breath, reminding herself
that she was a warrior. Nobody would dare mock her appearance once
they saw her skill with a blade. Squaring her shoulders, Callindra
made her way to the bath house for a good soak and scrub.

-

When she arrived at the door to the bath
house, Callindra folded her garments and placed them on a shelf.
When it came to her sword, she hesitated and glanced at the old
woman who guarded the door.

“
Is this going to be safe?
If anything happened to it…” she let her voice trail
off.

“
No problem dearie, I will
hold it behind the counter for you.” The woman said, “I’ll remember
you and return it when you leave. Now go and get clean, you don’t
want to look like that going outside you know.”

Callindra blushed and handed Brightfang over,
“Thank you.”

Picking up a towel she walked into the baths.
The steam momentarily obscured her vision, but she made her way to
a washing bench. Dipping a bucket of water, she dumped it over her
head and rubbed herself down with the heavy bar of rough soap,
pouring another bucket on herself to rinse most of the grime off of
her body before making her way to the main bath.

There were a few women here; most of them had
the soft curves of city born folk who led easy lives. Almost by
instinct, Callindra made her way towards the tougher looking women
laughing raucously in the deepest, hottest part of the bath.

“
An then he says somethin
about me havin ta make do with the pommel of my sword an I says
it’s more like ta give me pleasure than tha flaccid flesh flap
tween his legs!” Said a woman with red hair and deep scars on her
arms.

“
Aint it th truth though?”
Responded a chortling blonde whose beauty was marred by a puckered
line that ran across her right eye, “Men jus don understand why we
don swoon at their feet when they flaunt that little sword of
theirs.”

Callindra was out of her element, but felt
more comfortable here than with the shocked, tittering maids on the
other side of the room. She tried to hover on the outside of the
group, but was soon spotted.

“
Hey now, no need to be shy!
Here for the trials eh?” Said the blonde.

The redhead smiled, “Looks like ya got strong
shoulders. Whas yer fighting style then?”

Callindra responded without thinking, using
words Glarian had drilled into her psyche. “I fight one or two
handed, single blade.” She took a breath, leaving out the name of
her school and master, “My name is Callindra, I am just over a year
old.”

“
Ahh, I knew ya had a formal
Master. No question about the base laid there.” The redhead reached
out and grabbed Callindra’s upper arm, “Whoever yer master is, yeh
got somethin ya can work with here.”

“
Wha yeh lookin for? Merc?
Army?” Said the blonde.

“
Sorry, who are you?”
Callindra asked, forcing herself to stand her ground.

“
Bad form, ‘pologies.” The
blonde stuck out her hand, “Kris.”

“
Fen.” Said the other, “If
yer lookin fer merc lemme know. I got leads in a couple companies
myself.”

Callindra shook their hands, “I just want to
look for a place I can continue to get stronger. I have some ground
to make up.”

“
Good answer.” Said Kris,
“Yer a bit young fer most though. They don like ta let us women
fight, let alone girls.”

“
Torn tween wantin ta
protect us an pay unwelcome court.” Fen said, rolling her
eyes.

Callindra’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t intend to
allow anyone to take advantage of me, especially a man.” She ducked
under the water and came back up, wiping her ragged hair out of her
face. “If they underestimate me they will pay a most costly
price.”

“
I bet they would a tha.”
Kris’s eyes twinkled with amusement, “Yeh noble born? Yeh talk like
a noble born.”

“
I don’t remember my
parents. My brothers tried to stuff me into a convent when they
went their separate ways and I ran off to work for a Lord’s holding
first chance I got.”

“
Atta girl!” Fen clapped her
hard on the back, “Yeh gotta get a couple more years though. Build
some more muscle.”

“
What I lack in strength I
make up for in speed.” She said, “Besides, I’m not likely to gain a
whole lot more muscle than this, at eighteen I’m probably done
growing.”

The other women stared at her in shock for a
moment before bursting into laughter, “Eighteen? If yeh wan ta fool
folk a least pic a age close ta whas real girl!” Said Kris.

“
I’d mark yeh bout fourteen
outside.” Said Fen, looking at Callindra’s slim form critically.
“Yeh migh pass fer sixteen once yeh fill out a tuch up
top.”

Callindra stiffened and folded her arms, “I
don’t care what you want to believe. I AM eighteen and I have been
training under a true Master for three years. Do YOU think a Master
would train an eleven year old girl?” The wind swirled the thick
mist away, leaving an open space around her before she could get
herself under control.

“
Easy Callindra, easy. Yeh
say yer eighteen then yer eighteen.” Fen reached behind herself and
grabbed a tankard with condensation beading on its pewter surface.
Taking a long drink she leaned back against the edge of the pool
and sighed in satisfaction. “I been on tha road long nuf all I
wanna do is soak an drink. I aint lookin ta scrap wi a
youngster.”

“
Where have you been?”
Callindra asked, curiosity overcoming her anger. “I’ve been almost
completely secluded from the outside world for the last few
years.”

Fen took another drink and Callindra looked
respectfully at the size of her biceps. It wasn’t fair that some
women were built like that.

“
I been a caravan guard fer
six moons, but it’s painful boring. Now I’m lookin fer a place in a
company headin North ta check out some trouble r nother. Suppose ta
be some action there.”

“
I’m jus gettin otta
bedrest.” Said Kris, “I took a spear ta th guts an been healin up
fer nigh on five moons. Now I’m out lookin fer some mercs what
needs experienced infantry.” She stood and showed Callindra a nasty
scar that dug through the lower left of her abdomen.

“
What about your Company?
Didn’t they take care of you when you were injured?” Callindra
asked, confused.

“
Eh, life aint like it is in
th books hon. Commander didn’t like me ta begin wi and moved on
afore I was healed up.” Her mouth thinned, “Ended bad fer ‘em too,
wen north an ran inta somethin. Somethin took ‘em out ta a
man.”

“
Ya aint gonna talk me otta
goin ya know?” Said Fen, “Thas jus tha kinda fight I wanna get
inta. Somethin a girl can sink her spear inta.”

“
How bout you Callindra? You
lookin fer some action or jus a quiet spell wit a caravan?” Asked
Kris.

“
I dunno.” She said, picking
up some of their speech unconsciously. “I just want to get out
there and keep learning. Honestly I wouldn’t mind being in a
regular company or force at a keep so I could train with
experienced campaigners.”

“
Well I could get yeh inta
all kinds a trouble but I don think thas what yeh need.” Fen said,
raising an eyebrow, “Where’s tha Master yeh trained wi?”