Benjamin Ashwood (20 page)

That
morning, Ben and Rhys tried to show Renfro how to set a rabbit trap and look
for game trails.  Ben had spent countless hours in the woods around Farview
with Serrot catching rabbits and other animals.  Rhys was surprisingly adept as
well.  Renfro was proving to be helpless though.  He’d spent his entire life in
the docks and back alleys of Fabrizo and didn’t know the first thing about woodcraft. 

After
setting some rabbit traps around promising looking locations, they spent the
rest of the morning trying their luck with the fish.  They hadn’t brought poles
or fishing line, but they were able to wade out into the large pool in the
river, stick their hands into the chill water and wait for fish to swim close. 
The fish were slippery and it wasn’t easy, but after a bell they’d caught
enough for dinner with plenty left over to smoke and keep for the next few
days.

By
mid-day, they had restocked their firewood, gathered a few root vegetables and
other edibles in the woods and re-checked the rabbit traps with no luck.  It
was an active but relaxing morning and Ben felt the stress of the previous two
days fading away.

That
afternoon, Rhys continued their instruction on the second Ohm.  The first Ohm
had been difficult because it was on a moving ship, but once they’d gotten the
hang of it they could rotate through the positions quickly.  The second Ohm was
similar to the first but the poses required a bit more balance and had smoother
transitions between the steps.  It felt more natural to Ben than the first.  Rhys
explained it was because the first was simply to get your body used to the
movements.  Each additional Ohm would build upon the others until eventually it
was all one fluid movement through a long series of positions.  In the end, it
was about shifting balance with impeccable control instead of maintaining
balance in one static spot.

“By
the time you’ve learned the Thirtieth Ohm, you could do these movements on the
mast of a ship, blindfolded and during a storm.  The balance, flexibility and
strength from these poses can help you in a fight, or more likely in your case,
plowing a field when you get back to that country town of your’s,” explained
Rhys with a straight face.  A glimmer of mirth danced behind his eyes.

Ben
rolled his eyes but didn’t take the bait.

Renfro
rose to the occasion though, “that sounds great Rhys, I’d really like to see
you do that.  Maybe next time we’re on a ship you’ll show us how you can
balance on the mast?”

“Happy
to show you.  In fact, maybe the next time your ship Captain friend is sailing
out of port with a load of carpets we could catch a ride?”  Rhys glanced over
Renfro’s shoulder and his eyes grew wide.

Renfro
quickly turned to see what Rhys was looking at, forgetting that his legs were
crossed in one of the poses.  He pitched backwards with arms flailing and fell
onto his back.  Ben burst out laughing as Renfro scrambled across the ground
searching in vain for what had alarmed Rhys.

“It’s
not my balance you need to worry about,” grinned Rhys.

They
figured the girls wouldn’t leave Whitehall for at least another week.  So the
next few days were spent roaming the surrounding forest, ranging further and further
from the road.  The area was sparsely populated and most of the activity was
near the road.  They did spy some hunter’s retreats and wood cutters shacks but
steered clear of those.  Most of them would be only occasionally occupied and
the rest were likely people who lived there because they didn’t want visitors.

Both
Ben and Rhys gave up trying to teach Renfro woodcraft after the second day,
though he tagged along and complained good naturedly as they explored.

The
week was good for Ben.  The woods around their campsite felt similar to what he
was used to in Farview and even though Rhys was a very different friend than
Serrot, it still was nice spending time with him.  Rhys was obviously
comfortable in the wilderness and was able to show Ben some of the tricks he
knew.  Ben’s previous excursions with Serrot had lasted a few days at most.  Rhys
started teaching Ben how to survive on his own for weeks or months.  Their
stock of provisions grew as they found different sorts of edibles.

They
also spent time working on the Ohms.  By the end of the week they had started the
third one, which as Rhys said, grew in complexity and difficulty compared to
the first two.

Ben
felt himself settling emotionally.  The first night after Whitehall he had been
in turmoil and the more time they spent away from there the more he felt
comfortable with how he had acted and more importantly, how he would act in the
future.

By
the end of the week, they started sticking close to camp because they knew the
girls could be on the road soon.  Traffic was still light on the road but had
picked up from the first few days.  They heard from travelers they spoke with
that the Conclave was coming to an end.  With the travelers, bad weather also
rolled up from the Bay.  The temperature dropped and there were storm clouds on
the horizon.  They could hear the distant thunder and see flashes of lightning
as the front moved up from the coast.

Fortunately,
they were prepared.  Rhys and Ben found a vertical rock wall and set up treated
tarps which would slick away any rain from them.  They dug a new fire pit at
the back of the tarp structure where the smoke could chimney up against the
rock wall.  Sleeping out in rough weather was never pleasant, but they had time
and made the camp as comfortable as they could.

The
sun went down and the wind picked up.  They had thick root vegetables stuck
into the coals of their fire and had just skewered a brace of fat rabbits when
the rain started to pour.  Rhys pulled out a wine skin, which he had
miraculously not drained yet, and they started passing it around.

Rhys
nodded out into the dark, “could be worse than this.”

“Not
bad at all actually,” added Renfro.  He was leaning back against his travel
pack and cradling the wine skin like it was a small child.  He leaned towards
the fire and inhaled the scent of the cooking rabbits.  “If I’m honest, this is
a damn sight better than what I had in Fabrizo.  Most of the time I slept in
the back of a fish monger’s shop.  He was one of the successful ones who
actually had a shop.  Most of them set up down at the Market.  The high class
didn’t like to go down there for their fish though.  Ole Creegar did pretty
well on Bon Street.  Of course, he had exceptional margins since I stole most
of his product for him.  It’s how I paid my rent.  The place was dry, but it
smelled like fish.”

Ben
reached for the wineskin and asked, “how’d you, uh, how’d you end up in the
Thieves Guild?  We’ve never really talked about it.”

“It
was that or starve.  At least, that’s what I thought at the time,” answered
Renfro.  “Earliest I can remember I was an urchin on the streets.  Not sure
what happened to my parents.  Maybe they’re dead or maybe they just left me. 
Stole food and stuff then to stay alive.  When you get a little bigger on the
streets in Fabrizo it’s keep stealing or go to sea.  I was always too small to
be anything other than a cabin boy at sea and there’s no future in that.  When
you get older and you want to keep stealing you join the Guild.  In Fabrizo,
independents don’t worry about the Guards, if you know what I mean.  But once
you’re in the Guild they don’t much care where you’ve been, just care where you
can go.  You do well with the Guild and you never worry about having anything
to eat.  Never have to worry about finding a dry spot to sleep.  You saw that
palace they had us in.”

“That’s
terrible,” responded Ben.  “I lost my parents when I was young too.  I got
lucky I guess and the Town Council put me with someone.  There wasn’t anyone
who could take you in?”

Rhys
broke in, “not everywhere is Farview, Ben.  Small town councils look after
their own.  Their job is the welfare of their people.  From the richest family
to the orphans.  The Merchant’s Guild in Fabrizo is there for the money.  They
don’t see people, they see profit.  People in a big city, they’re on their
own.”

“Aye,
that’s the way of it,” added Renfro with a shrug.  “I’m not saying what I’ve
done is right, just saying I didn’t see many other options at the time.” 
Renfro reached out for the skin again, tipped it up then said with a smile,
“I’m not there anymore though.”

Later
that evening they were scattered around the fire watching the light show from
the storm out from under the tarp.  They had the kind of lethargy that comes
from a rainy evening, a warm fire, a full belly and a skin of wine.

The
conversation trailed off after they ate.  Ben was glad he knew more about where
Renfro had come from and he thought he understood his friend better now.  But
on the other hand, maybe the Thieves were right.  It doesn’t matter where you
came from, it just matters where you can go.

Ben
was shaken out of his daze when Rhys sat up and exclaimed, “now who in the
hell…”

“Look!” 
Renfro pointed where during the intermittent flashes of lightning they saw a
figure hurrying up the road.  They all watched as the person scurried closer in
the blowing rain.  Still on the road, they saw the shape pause when it must
have seen them before making a decision and heading towards the campsite.

A
sodden man staggered up outside of their tarps and shouted in, “ho camp! 
That’s the most comfortable place I’ve seen on this road so far.  Mind if I
join you tonight?”

Rhys
shifted around the fire and Ben saw he had exposed the wire wrapped hilts of
his heavy long knives.  “Sure stranger, come on in.”

Their
concerns were quickly abated though as they saw the dripping wet man was
dressed from head to toe in King Argren’s livery.  No bandit would be so bold
as to wear those colors this close to Whitehall and not expect hard and fast
justice.

“Fellow,
I have to ask, what are you doing out this late in this weather?” inquired
Rhys.

The
man sneezed, “Damn, think I’m getting sick in this mess.”  He looked over to
Rhys and answered, “surely you know about the Conclave going on in Whitehall.” 
It wasn’t really a question and the man continued on without waiting for a
reply.  “Well, they’ve finished up and Argren wants the news out quick.  My
wife is the one who wanted me to take this horrible job.  Good pay she said. 
Get to know what’s happening she said.  Now I’m on the road and she’s back in
town spending all that good coin and making eyes at the blacksmith’s kid down
the alley.”  The man plopped down next to the fire and started stripping off
his wet boots and clothing.

“So,”
asked Ben patiently.  “What is the news?”

“Oh,
right.  The Alliance is official.  Naturally everyone in Sineook was already in. 
Northport, Venmoor, East Bay, Hollytown and even Issen signed.  They’re all
in.  The Sanctuary sent a representative though she didn’t sign the accord.  The
Mages must be neutral of course, but she was there.  I think that says all
anyone needs to know.  Time to start recruiting and raising arms.  Will be war
with the Coalition by next summer.  Even those greedy bastards in Fabrizo
agreed to help with supplies.  The fishmongers aren’t worth anything in a fight
so I guess that’s all Argren thought he could get from them.”

“War,
they announced war with the Coalition?”

“Didn’t
announce it, no.  But what do you think is going to happen, man?  The way
they’re talking in Whitehall now, it’s us or them.”

The
next morning was wet and cold.  Argren’s herald was up early, hacking and
sneezing.  He’d dried his clothes off the night before by the fire and must
have had a chilly evening sleeping out in the open.  Ben saw the man’s tiny
travel pack and felt bad for him.  Ben gave him some of their smoked fish. 
After a week with nothing to do but hunt and fish they had more than enough to
share.  The man was back on the road shortly after sunrise.

By
early afternoon, the sun was out and it had warmed considerably.  Rhys, Ben and
Renfro were working hard on some of the more complicated steps of the third Ohm
when they saw the girls and Saala coming up the road.

They
had prepared to pack up and travel that afternoon but when Lady Towaal saw the
campsite she suggested they stay the night there.  “That will make for three
hard days travel to Snowmar Station, but if I remember correctly, there won’t
be any better places to spend the night.”

“You’re
right,” replied Rhys.  “After here it gets more and more rocky until you get up
to the Pass.  There are a few spots flat enough to lay a bedroll but that’s the
best you can say about them.”

“Ok,
let’s stay here tonight and we’ll push the next three days.”

Ben
and Renfro spent a minute showing the girls around the camp and made small talk
about Whitehall.  What they really wanted to know was about the Conclave. 
Argren’s herald had spoken of war which was something that had not happened in
any of their lives.  Sure, Ben had heard of border conflicts and the constant
troubles up north, but nothing like a full scale war with the entire continent
of Alcott involved.

As
they moved back to the rest of the party by the fire, Ben related what the
herald had told them.

“Oh,
we hope it doesn’t mean war but that is a possibility,” explained Amelie.  “The
Coalition has been getting aggressive.  The Alliance is only meant to
counterbalance them.  My father hopes that with Issen supporting the Alliance,
there will be a big enough presence to deter the Coalition.  If we do not show
them a strong hand, who knows what they will do?  Coalition representatives
have been coming more frequently and all they talk about is expansion.  Lord
Jason practically lived in Issen through the winter.”

“Lord
Jason was there?” inquired a tart Lady Towaal.

Amelie
looked abashed.  “Yes, he was there.”

“I
didn’t hear that when I was in Issen.  I am surprised no one mentioned it.” 
Towaal’s tone had acquired a frosty chill.

“I,
well, my father did not want to confuse matters.  Until we decided if we would
join the Alliance, we didn’t want people reading into his visit.”

“Who
is Lord Jason?” Ben whispered to Rhys.

“He’s
an agent of the Coalition,” he answered.  “I’ve never met the chap, but he has
a fearsome reputation for being the one who does their dirty work.  I’m told
he’s a Blademaster of exceptional ability.  The Coalition High Council leads
from behind closed doors in their capitol Irrefort.  Jason is their blade in
the night who comes out into the world to make things happen – one way or the
other.  Though, there is rumor recently that he was elevated to the High
Council himself.  He’s not the man they would send to cool his heels in Issen without
expecting some commitment in return.  Lord Gregor and Amelie are playing a
dangerous game.”

The
politics of the Alliance and Coalition were far away though and the young
people quickly moved past it to catch up on everything else that had happened
in the week they were apart.  Amelie and Meghan told Ben that Master Brinn had
asked about him and wanted Ben to know there was always an opening for him in
the Citadel guard.  Ben appreciated the sentiment, but after a week away, he
knew that barracks life was not for him.

Ben
and Renfro showed the girls the second and third Ohm which they all practiced
together.  The second and third Ohms were much more strenuous than the first. 
It wasn’t long before they were all sweating out in the warm spring sun. 
Renfro was a little better at some of the poses than Ben, but he was also
painfully shy around the girls, so Ben found himself demonstrating over and
over the more difficult positions.  Before long, he’d stripped off his shirt
and was slick with sweat.  They’d been going over the forms for two bells now
and all of them were a bit red faced and breathing heavy.

“Still
practicing the sword I see?” asked Amelie innocently before heading over to the
pool they had been fishing in to splash water on her face and cool off. 
Meredith giggled and Meghan rolled her eyes.

“Practicing
the sword…?”

“You
told her in Whitehall you’d been practicing the sword and put on a little muscle,”
smirked Meghan.

Ben
blushed and snatched his shirt off of the ground.

“Oh
don’t be a prude,” chimed in Meredith.  “She’s just teasing you a little.  I
think she’d be disappointed if you started covering up all of the time.  I know
I would be,” she added with a wink and a smile.

Ben
wasn’t sure how to take that kind of teasing.  He’d had a little bit of
interest from the girls in Farview but as the adopted son, everyone knew
Alistair Pinewood wasn’t going to leave him any money.  There was only so far a
brewer could go in a small town.  The girls in Farview flirted like girls
anywhere but they were practical too and everyone knew it was just flirting. 
After the party and the things he’d seen at the Citadel, he wasn’t sure how it
went with the high born.

“Stop
standing there like a stumped ox” chided Meghan.  “In all of your exploring did
you find anywhere a girl could go for a swim?  It’s hot and after travelling
all morning and doing these Ohms all afternoon, I could use a cool down.”  She
glanced at the pool near the campsite and the road nearby.  “Somewhere private
would be nice.”

Ben
led them back into the forest where they had found a bend in a wide creek that
poured into the White River south of their campsite.  They’d tried fishing it
earlier with no luck but it was perfect for swimming.  In the elbow of the bend
it was shallow and deepened towards the center of the stream.  It was also clear
of trees so the slow moving water would be warm in the shallows but cool in the
deeper sections.

Ben
deposited the girls on the bank of the creek and said, “I’m going to head up
towards that hill and see if I can find some mushrooms for dinner.  I saw some
out there but we didn’t know we’d be camping here tonight.  We made a rabbit
stew that they would go great in.  Call out if you need me or when you’re ready
to go back.”

The
hill was only a few hundred yards from the creek and they’d seen no one in this
area so Ben wasn’t worried about leaving the girls alone in the woods.  Also,
the rabbit stew really had been a little gamey.  Ben hoped the mushrooms would
mellow it out.  He wasn’t much of a chef, but he didn’t want to eat badly if he
didn’t have to.

He
circled around the hill pushing through the thick undergrowth looking for the
mushrooms.  The hill blocked the breeze he’d felt earlier and it was sticky and
humid but he thought it’d be worth it.  They were Goblin’s Ear mushrooms he
thought he’d seen.  They were a little tough but if you boiled them long enough
in a stew they melted away into a rich savory broth.

He
brought his sword along which felt a little silly since they were just
traipsing through woods he had thoroughly explored over the last week.  But it
was proving handy as he used it to push aside low hanging ferns looking for the
mushrooms.  He picked one plentiful patch that had about two handfuls and was
looking for a second when he heard a shriek from back near the creek.

Ben
spun and ran towards the sound.  As he pushed through the thick branches he
heard another high pitched howl and splashing that sounded like a struggle.  He
started using his sword to hack through some of the foliage when he heard a
long cry of “heeelp!”  His blood ran cold.  It was Amelie’s voice that was
screaming.

He
burst through the wall of green that edged the creek and slipped on the muddy
bank to land heavily on his rear.  Directly in front of him, knee deep in the
water and naked as the day they were born, were Amelie and Meghan.  Meredith
was bobbing deeper in the center and splashing handfuls of water towards the
other two girls who giggled and screamed every time a wave hit them.

They
all turned towards him as he slid into the mud.

“Damnit
Ben!” shouted Meghan.

Amelie
turned to look at him then shrieked again.  She raised her hands to cover
herself but then realized it was fruitless and dove cleanly into deeper water
with Meredith.

Meghan
kept shouting and started towards him with a dangerous look.  Seeing his naked
adopted sister charging towards him with murder in her eyes jerked him out of
his shocked state and he scrambled on all fours across the slick mud and back
into the bushes.

“What
on earth are you doing?” a very angry Meghan yelled at him from the clearing.

“I
heard a cry for help!”

“Help! 
What are you going to do?  Help us swim or help us get out of our clothes?!”

“Meghan,
come on!  I heard screaming.”

“Maybe
we were being a bit loud Meghan,” said a faint sounding Amelie.

“Well,
I think we’ve had enough of Benjamin Ashwood’s help for today,” Meghan replied
crossly then called loudly, “Ben, you run on back to the camp with your
mushrooms.  I think we can handle getting dressed without your assistance.”

On
the way back to the camp, Ben hoped that Meghan would understand how it had
been a mistake.  He really had heard the screaming and was concerned the girls
were under attack.  He kept trying to think of ways he could apologize to her
but couldn’t concentrate.  Imagines of Amelie’s lithe body diving into the
water kept pushing their way into his head. 

She
was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  And not just in Farview.  Compared
to the other Ladies at Argren’s party even, she was the sparkling jewel.  Physically
she was perfection but she also had a natural joy to her that drew him in. 
When they started their journey, it was like looking at the moon.  Gorgeous and
worthy of admiration surely but not something you ever thought you’d get close
to.

After
she invited him to the party his thoughts started to change.  She held his arm
and wasn’t far away then.  It was like looking at the moon every night and then
one day finding yourself walking across it.  He knew the way she looked
standing knee deep in that creek then turning to gracefully dive into the water
would be burned into his memory forever.

When
he got back to the camp, Saala looked up at him and asked, “aren’t you missing
something?”

“I,
um, I got the mushrooms and the girls can find their own way back.  They’re
fine,” he hurriedly added.  He could feel the heat rising in his face and hoped
Saala didn’t ask him any more about it.

“No,
I meant your sword.  I’m sure the girls can walk through the woods without you
watching them.  Didn’t you have your sword when you left?”

That
evening Ben was uncomfortably huddled by the fire trying to ignore baleful
glares from Meghan.  It seemed she wasn’t going to quickly forget.  He kept
glancing at Amelie to see what her reaction was but she ignored him and seemed
unaffected.  She was deep in conversation with Lady Towaal and Saala and he
didn’t catch her looking his way.  Meghan’s expression kept growing darker
though.

“What
did you do to her?” whispered Renfro.

“I
didn’t do anything.  What are you talking about?” Ben hissed back.

“Meghan. 
She’s mad at you Ben.  Can’t you see the way she’s looking at you?”

“Oh,
it’s nothing.  Just brother sister stuff.  No big deal.”

“Are
you sure?  Every time she sees you look at Amelie she just gets madder.  She
may be your sister, but she’s Amelie’s friend.  You don’t want to come between
girlfriends, believe me.  Whatever you did to Amelie, you better make right or
Meghan’s going to make you pay for it.”

“I…”
he didn’t know what to say.  “I need to take a walk.”

Ben
was pacing up and down the road in the low moonlight when he felt a presence
approaching from the camp.  As it got closer, he saw it was Meredith carefully
picking her way through the grass.

“Hi
Meredith.  I was just trying to get some fresh air away from the fire.”

“Oh,
me too.  The fire is nice, but it’s good to get some mountain air after being
in the city.  Don’t you agree?”

“Yeah,
um, it is nice.”

She
placed her hand on his arm, “I want to thank you Ben.  I know Meghan is mad,
but I thought it was very brave that you came running when you thought we were
in trouble.”

“Oh,
it was nothing.  I mean, I didn’t know what was happening and I was worried.”

“I
know, that’s why I appreciate it.  Being Amelie’s handmaiden, I am part of the
background sometimes.  I haven’t had a lot of people try to come save me.”