Benjamin Ashwood (11 page)

He
glanced back at Renfro to see if the thief would have any suggestions but he
was still sitting in the corner with his head in his hands and solely focused
on his feet.  And after hearing his tale, Ben didn’t have a lot of confidence
in Renfro’s thieving skills anyway.

Eventually,
Ben settled down in his own corner of the room and waited.

He
woke up startled to the door banging open.  Casper was again standing in the
doorway with a grim expression on his face but this time he was not holding a
food tray.  He gestured out the door and growled, “come along.”

Ben’s
heart sank.  He had accepted he was powerless in this situation, but he held
out hope that somehow he would be rescued.  He had spent little time with them,
but he already thought of Saala, Rhys and Amelie as his friends.  At the very
least he knew he could count on Meghan to search for him.  He thought that
somehow they might be able to find him and pay a ransom.  This Balbo was a
thief after all.  Ben hoped he’d take the easy coin in lieu of revenge.

“Both
of you.”

Ben
looked at Renfro and saw he was surprised too that both of them were being called
out.  The odds that both of their executioners were waiting right at this
moment seemed an unusual coincidence.

The
hallway outside was similar to the storage room, a series of oak doors down a
long stone corridor.  Ben noted that there had been no guards stationed outside
– a sign that the thieves had also believed escape was futile.

Casper
was waiting in the hallway alone, another odd detail.  Either he was supremely
confident in his abilities or maybe this wasn’t a death walk.  Maybe Casper’s
grim face wasn’t because he was leading two men to their death.

“So,
I take it we’ll live to see another day?” asked Ben.

Casper
turned towards him and smirked, “you are a bright one aren’t you.  Yes, despite
my protests, the Guild has decided you will be released.  Nothing personal,
rule of law and all.”

Released. 
So his friends had come through and paid the ransom.  Ben couldn’t help a smile
coming to his face and the hallway suddenly seemed a little brighter.

They
followed Casper up a set of rough stone stairs and into the back of a huge
kitchen.  It was finer but had the same feel as the kitchen at the Buckhorn
Tavern back in Farview.  There were a handful of kitchen workers who all
ignored the trio coming out of their storerooms.  From the looks of things, Ben
could tell they had just finished preparing breakfast for a large group.

As
they exited the kitchen, he saw early morning sunlight streaming in the tall
clear windows and heard the now familiar noises of Fabrizo.  He was shocked
because they were housed in what appeared to be a very large, very well
decorated palace.  As they made their way along broad hallways he noticed rich
carpets, paintings on the wall, silver candlesticks and other trappings of
wealth.  He realized before long that this was, by far, the richest building he
had ever been in.

Eyeing
the artwork that hung along the sun lit corridors, his perception of these
thieves continued to change.  Ben knew nothing of artwork, it was a luxury no
one in Farview could afford, but someone with a great deal of skill had spent a
lot of time painting the pictures and sewing the tapestries.  There were gold
bowls and silver sconces scattered around as well, but tastefully so.  Their wealth
was displayed casually, not carelessly.

Renfro,
scuttling along behind Casper and Ben asked, “so this is the Guild
Headquarters?  First time I’ve been here.”

Casper
looked over his shoulder at him, “first and last.  Not even all of the Guild
members know where this place is.  And none of the apprentices of course.”  He
gave Renfro a hard look then waved towards Ben.  “Your new friend has his own
friend.  A bit of a famous friend in certain circles.  First I can remember
that we’ve allowed someone not sworn to the Guild to walk out of here alive.”

He
continued, “I’m responsible for the security of this place, along with dealing
with a variety of other unpleasant issues.  I didn’t want anyone to walk out of
here this time either.”  He shrugged, “but I was overruled.  Like I said, he is
known to us.  He made assurances to the Elders which I’m sure he will explain. 
Between you and me though, if you ever speak a word of this place to anyone
then we’ll be seeing each other again.”

“Nothing
personal, right?” quipped Ben.

Casper
didn’t respond. 

At
the end of the hall he pushed open two double doors and they entered a plush
room to find Rhys relaxing on a comfortable looking overstuffed velvet couch
and sipping a glass of wine.  The walls of the room were covered in bookshelves
and Ben’s eyes popped open at the display.  At most he’d seen the one shelf
full of maybe 20 books that Alistair Pinewood kept.  There were tens of
thousands of them here.  He couldn’t even begin to calculate the gold it would
take to stock this kind of library.

When
they entered, Rhys tipped up his wine glass and gulped the rest of the drink
before standing.  “I spend any more time in this city and I may be sold on the
stuff.  Great vintage I suspect?”

Casper
nodded his head towards Rhys, “only the best for our guests.”

Ben
looked around the room surprised to see Rhys here.  He thought they’d send
Saala with the ransom.  The Blademaster had an air of quiet intimidation about
him and he’d be Ben’s pick to send into a hostile situation.  His skill was
also likely to be known and respected by men such as these.

Rhys,
on the other hand, had weapons but Ben had never seen him practice with them. 
He also had a habit of quickly finding his way to the nearest tavern.  Ben knew
he was hired by Lady Towaal so he must have some talent, but his haphazard and
half-drunk manner didn’t seem the right fit for this situation.  Case in point,
when they walked he had a drink in hand and his knives and longsword were laid
out on a couch across the room.  After they entered, he strolled over and buckled
his belts while maintaining his affable chit chat.

Outwardly,
Casper maintained his calm demeanor when Rhys moved to the weapons, but Ben
noticed a slight hesitancy in his speech and his right had drifted down towards
his rapier.

Ben
scanned the room looking for any object he could use as a weapon if the
situation erupted in violence until he caught Rhys grinning at him then giving a
sly wink.  Rhys’ complete lack of concern made Ben feel slightly silly.  The
Thieves already had him captured, so bringing him out of the cell and enacting
some sort of betrayal made no sense.

Casper,
with his eyes still on Rhys said to Ben and Renfro, “you’re both lucky.  Do
yourselves a favor and don’t come back to Fabrizo.  You’ve been given safe
passage to leave the city, but you’re on your own if you ever return.”

Rhys
stepped up to Ben and gripped his shoulder, “let’s get out of here.  We’ve got
places to be.”

Casper
led them down the opulent hallways of the Guild Headquarters and they passed
without seeing another soul.  They exited out two wide, highly polished
mahogany doors that stood twice Ben’s height.   Broad marble steps led through
a sturdy iron gate with ornate finely wrought spikes whose artistry barely hid
their deadly nature.

Once
on the streets, Rhys led them out of the affluent district they were in and
towards the open water and the docks.  The streets became shabby and grew more
so as they continued.  The merchants got louder and the persistent fish smell Ben
remembered from the day before grew stronger.  Along the way, Rhys explained to
Ben that they had arranged passage on a ship and would leave immediately with
the morning tide.

“The
girls were all worried about you of course.  They wanted me to let you know. 
Not sure what good being worried does for you, but whatever.  Heard you tagged
one of them pretty good.  I’m sure you’ll make Saala proud.”

“Yeah,
I injured one.  But I lost the fight and ended up in a cell with a death
sentence.”

Rhys
laughed a deep belly laugh, “good point.  All that sword training and look what
good it did you.  If you’d been just a little better you probably would have
ended up dead instead of in captivity.”

Ben
grimaced.  He’d surmised the same, but it hurt coming from someone he now
thought of as a friend.  Two weeks of training with a Blademaster and he was
only good enough to get himself in real trouble.

He
broke off the conversation as they approached the docks and he had to focus on
dodging heavy carts and quick moving porters who treated him like he was
invisible.  There was an intricate dance of goods coming in and out of the city
and Ben was nearly run over several times before he started being able to anticipate
which way to duck.

Still,
despite the danger of a collision, the buzz of activity by the ships was a
welcome change from the silence and overwhelming dread he had faced in the
cell.

Renfro
was nervously tagging along behind them.  He was at ease with the frantic pace
of the workmen but he constantly checked over his shoulder as if unbelieving
there was no pursuit.  Finally, he spoke up in the same quaking voice he’d used
when they were locked in the cell, “so, do you think we’re safe now?  I mean, I’ve
never heard of anyone being brought in like that then being let go.  Thanks by
the way.”

Rhys
glanced back at him.  “You are safe right now I think, but honestly, I’m not
even sure who you are.  When I approached the Thieves I was told there had been
two boys captured together.  I negotiated to get you both out because I figured
it’d throw up confusion about what I was after and the less they know, the
better.  Whoever you are, they didn’t believe I knew you.  I’d already started
haggling at that point though and felt silly letting them keep you.”

“I,
uh, thanks anyway,” Renfro stammered.

“No
offense kid, you’re welcome to leave town with us and we can keep you out of
immediate danger.  Maybe if you leave with us it will tweak them a little bit
and make them second guess themselves.  Arrogant pricks.  Assuming you keep
your hands to yourself that is.  If not, you’ll find there are worse places to
be than locked up in some Thief’s Palace.  I don’t know what you did to get in
trouble with the Guild, but I can guess.”

Renfro
had the look of someone who jumped off a burning ship and realized too late
they couldn’t swim.

Ben
interjected before Renfro blurted out a confession and changed Rhys’ mind. 
“Who do we have to thank?  I mean, who paid our ransom?”

“Ransom?”
Rhys responded quizzically, “you two were in for crimes against the Guild. 
Ransom wasn’t a real option.  At least not one I could afford.”

“Wait,
if it wasn’t a ransom, then how did we get out?”

Rhys
gave the same knowing cat-like smile Ben was used to seeing over a half full
pint of ale.  “I had a little talk with them.  You can thank me next time we
get into a tavern.  How many rounds is your life worth?”

With
that, Rhys started up a wobbly plank onto one of the creaking ships tied to the
docks.  Ben looked at Renfro, shrugged, and started the next leg of his
journey.

From
the dock in Fabrizo, the Bay Runner seemed massive.  Three broad blue and white
stripped sails billowed from masts the size of full grown pine trees.  The deck
covered the length of Farview’s village green and the ship rose out of the
water higher than Farview’s tallest building.

Once
they left sight of land though, it seemed to be much smaller.  The common
quarters below deck were the size of Ben’s old apartment and it was used for
everything except work, sleep and the necessaries – which was done hanging off
the back of the vessel.

The
common quarters below deck was expansive though compared to the tiny cabin he
was sharing with Rhys, Renfro and Saala.  They had a four level bunk bed and
enough walking room to squeeze in and out of it sideways.  Livestock was given
more space than they were.

The
size of the cabin though was not much of a problem because he spent almost the
entire journey topside, as the sailors said.  The deck of the ship was the only
place to get some fresh air and it was also where almost all of the excitement
was.  The sailors were constantly adjusting sails, tightening ropes, taking
readings of the wind and water and a thousand other tasks Ben did not
understand but found fascinating.

The
work of sailing the ship required constant attention from the crew.  After the
first few days, Ben found if he stayed out of their way the sailors paid him no
mind and weren’t bothered by him watching them.  The officers on the ship spent
some time speaking with Lady Towaal but the rest of the crew largely ignored
them.  Renfro confided in Ben that he thought they were watching him and he was
certain he would be turned in as soon as they made port in Whitehall.

Rhys,
ever practical and able to spot what other missed, pointed out that the sailors
constantly had a wad of herbs stuffed into the side of their jaw.  “Leaves from
the Xanta plant.  Makes them a little sluggish but the days pass in a haze. 
Usually the ship’s officers try to tamp down on that kind of thing but it does
make the crew easy to deal with.  If you don’t give them something, men get a
little antsy after a few weeks of sleeping stacked up like cords of wood and
eating hard biscuits and beans every meal.  The lure of the sea quickly loses
it’s appeal for me.”

Ben
spent hours watching the sailors work and feeling the wind and salt spray blow
on his face.  He understood Rhys’ point, a lifetime of this would be tedious
and boring, but for Ben the adventure was still fresh and he enjoyed every
minute of it.  While he was topside at least.

When
he wasn’t watching the sailors, he spent a lot of time in close, one on one
discussions with Amelie, Meghan and Renfro. 

Meghan
he had known his entire life and he fell in with Renfro like they had been
friends for ever.  Spending a day in the death cell together made for good
bonding.  Talking with either of them was easy and comfortable.  He felt like
he could tell them anything and like they shared their innermost thoughts with
him. 

Amelie
was different.  He was open with her.  He felt like he could trust her and tell
her anything but she kept her own secrets closely guarded.  She did tell a
little though.  He learned her father wasn’t just a Lord of Issen, he was The
Lord of Issen.  She said he wasn’t called a King, but it sounded just like one
from what Ben understood.  She had no siblings and didn’t speak much about her
mother other than to mention she was living and describe her as ‘the consummate
Lady’.  Whatever that meant.

Over
the weeks on the water, his relationship with Meghan grew stronger than it had
ever been and with a slight twinge of guilt, he realized Renfro had filled the
void he felt for Serrot.  With little doubt, he thought all of them would
remain fast friends for the rest of their lives.

But
as much as he appreciated the friendships with Meghan and Renfro, he felt
himself drawn more and more to Amelie.  In many ways she was a closed book to
him and he rarely could separate her from Meredith, but when he did, he felt a
spark of connection.  He kept that to himself.  She was a high born Lady and he
was a brewer from a small mountain town.  It sounded like a silly story even to
him and it was the kind of thing better not to think about.  Sometimes the
fantastical events in the stories were just that, fantasy.

The
big vessel rocked gently in the light chop of the bay and Saala judged sword
practice impractical.  Between the slight movement, the number of people moving
around on deck and Ben’s lack of skill, he was sure it would end in an
accident.

Lady
Towaal took notice and despite an icy demeanor towards Ben, she instructed Rhys
to teach him something, maybe “fighting with his hands” she muttered.

Rhys
nodded and grinned.  “I think I have something useful I can teach him.”

“I
guess she doesn’t want me to go more than a few days without getting pummeled,”
smirked Ben while he and Rhys cleared deck space to begin.

“You
did piss her off.  Can’t say I blame her though.  She is very focused on
getting Amelie safely behind the Sanctuary’s walls as soon as possible. 
Getting into a scrap with the Fabrizo Thieves Guild isn’t the way to do that.”

“When
you put it like that…” Ben trailed off.

“Cheer
up.  She didn’t exactly encourage me to go get you but she didn’t stop me
either.  She could have left you locked up or just sent you back home.  She
sees something in you and for whatever reason, she wants you to stay with us.”

Ben
brightened until Rhys added, “on second thought.  Maybe you shouldn’t cheer
up.  Believe me, being ‘useful’ to a Mage isn’t always fun and games.”

In
some ways, Rhys instruction was similar to Saala’s but in others it was very
different.  He started by explaining that he wouldn’t actually teach Ben any
punches or kicks yet, first he had to learn balance and flexibility.  Ben
assumed that like with the sword when he spent a few days learning grips and
stances, he would quickly move on.  But Rhys spent the entire trip teaching
balance.

Rhys
would start every lesson doing stretches.  They would bend, twist, squat and
pull muscles that Ben didn’t realize he had.  During the first few days, he
felt like he was getting a workout just doing the stretches.

Once
they were done stretching, Rhys began teaching him different balance positions
when the swells of the sea were relatively calm.  At first it was fairly simple
like standing one foot or kneeling on one leg with his arms raised straight
up.  Simple being relative of course due to the gentle rocking of the ship. 
Standing on one foot becomes exponentially more difficult on a moving platform.

As
the days progressed, so did the variety of positions Rhys taught.  And before
long, several other members of the group joined them.  Saala was first, saying
the exercise was better than being cooped up downstairs.  Then Amelie, Meredith
and Meghan joined as well.  With the rest of the young people participating, it
was easy to pressure Renfro into it too.  After the first week, everyone in
their group except Lady Towaal was spending several hours a day balancing in
progressively more bizarre and convoluted poses.

After
two weeks they began tying some of the poses together into a fluid sort of
dance.  They would begin on their stomachs, then push up with their arms while
keeping their body straight, swing their hips back so they formed a triangle
with their arms and feet on the hard wood of the deck, then onto one knee with
the other leg up and their chests down.  They kept learning new positions and
adding them to the mix until they had about twenty of them they would perform
in sequence.

Saala
was the only one, aside from Rhys, who could make it through the entire routine
without spilling onto the deck in tangle of arms and legs.  Saala learned the
poses with the same smooth confidence he did everything.  Ben frequently found
himself watching Saala when on a particularly tricky move to see how it should
be done.  Rhys was occasionally helpful with one on one coaching, but Ben
couldn’t help noticing that most of his time was spent directing the girls. 
Particularly Meredith and Meghan.

Anytime
one of them wavered, Rhys would appear to place a steadying hand on a hip or
whisper soft words of encouragement.  At first, Ben felt a flash of jealousy
and thought about warning Meghan until he realized that she was no stranger to
dealing with attention.  As the attractive and only daughter of the wealthiest
man in Farview, she had learned to deal with unwanted suitors.  Besides, while Ben
was learning he did have a few redeeming qualities, Meghan would never be
interested in a scoundrel like Rhys.

The
voyage across the Blood Bay to Whitehall typically took three weeks, depending
on the wind and water.  Their journey was uneventful and in the proscribed
time, they were getting close.  On the last full day at sea, Rhys threw another
loop into their lessons.  He made them run the twenty poses in reverse.

This
time, even Saala ended up collapsing during one difficult transition.  Ben
found he had unconsciously learned to make moving between the poses a habit
that he had to unlearn the habit when he did them in reverse.

They
spent almost the entire day working the moves and by the end of it, Ben was
lying exhausted propped up against a damp coil of rope.  His arms and legs felt
as limp as the rope.

Rhys
squatted down next to him and said, “good job these last few weeks.  You and
Amelie are my star pupils.”  Then he corrected himself, “after Saala of
course.”

Ben
rolled his head towards Rhys, “I’m glad I’m finally good at something.  I still
don’t know why though, what’s the point of all of this?  I seriously doubt
we’re going to get into a scrape where I end up needing to squat down, roll on
my belly then stand on one leg all while holding one arm straight out to my
side.”

Rhys
rolled his eyes.  “You may not see it yet, but it will help you.  All fighting,
whether with the hand or the sword requires four things: strength, skill, speed
and balance.  These exercises focus on balance of course.  Saala has been
teaching you skill.  Strength and speed come through repetition and practice. 
You add it all up, and next time you get into a fight maybe you manage to not
get yourself knocked out.”

Ben
smirked, “I might be able to balance a little better.  We’ll have to see once
we get off this ship.  I certainly don’t feel any stronger though.  I’ll barely
be able to lift my spoon tonight.”

“That’s
how you know it’s working.”  Rhys clapped his hands down on his knees and stood
to address the rest of the exhausted group.  “You are not experts at it yet,
but you have learned the first of the Thirty Ohms.  If you can learn them all,
you will be stronger, faster and better balanced than almost any opponent. 
Fighting is about more than just being able to chop at a man with a sword.”

Rhys
left to freshen up and Ben scooted over next to Renfro and a speculative
looking Saala.

“What’s
this about the Ohms?” asked Renfro.  “And what the hell did he say about Thirty
of them?  I didn’t think I’d make it through today, not sure I could do thirty
more of those.”

“Twenty
nine,” replied Saala stoically. 

“What?”
asked Renfro.

“We
have done one, so there are only twenty nine left.”

Renfro
rolled his eyes.  “I guess I missed that day in the Thieves Guild mathematics
tutoring.  You know what I mean.  Twenty nine or thirty of them or whatever,
what are they?”

Saala
sighed, “I’ve spent years studying various fighting styles around the world and
never found anyone to teach me the Thirty Ohms.  They’re said to be used by a
vaguely religious warrior sect in Qooten.  The sect is real, I’ve crossed their
path and with reason they are known as some of the deadliest fighters in the
South Continent.  Whether the Thirty Ohms was real or not I wasn’t sure.  Now I
find out that drunk knows them?  The world is a very strange place.  I’m going
to get some rest.”

Saala
stood and retreated below deck to the cabin, shaking his head as he left.

The
world was indeed a strange place thought Ben.  Making small talk with a
Blademaster and a Thief.  Travelling with a Mage and a Lady.

Renfro
was thinking the same thing.  “Strange company you keep.  You’ve all been
pretty closed mouthed about what you’re up to, but I think I’ve picked up on a
lot of it.  Not sure it’s safe travelling with you lot.  Course, not sure
Whitehall will be safe for me either.  Mallan does a lot of business there. 
You think I could come along with you past Whitehall?”

Ben
scratched behind his neck, “it’d be fine with me.  It’s really up to Lady
Towaal though.”  Renfro seemed to deflate and Ben realized what he wanted.  “I
can ask her if you like.”

Renfro
perked right back up and Ben was struck by how honest and open the kid was,
despite his past profession.  The reason he was able to make such quick
friends, Ben thought, was that the world was such a simple place for Renfro. 
He wasn’t weighed down by concerns on what was right or wrong.  He just reacted
to what was around him.