Veila, the general’s newest page brought Aeolwyn the summons. He was to report to Alaric at the stables immediately. He rushed off while Veila went away to do other tasks. He set off from the training yard at a brisk walk, leaving Tyrik and Diryn to their sparring.
It had been a week since they’d returned from their patrol with the evidence of an incursion into their territory by Fennish soldiers. Alaric hadn’t said much during Aeolwyn’s report. He just thanked him and dismissed him. If he had any opinions on what they saw, he kept them to himself.
He waved at Reiva as he reached the stables. She was near the general mucking out one of the stalls. She looked tired and dirty and in need of a haircut, but she seemed happy to be out of her cell and out in the sunshine. He was glad for her.
The general was brushing down one of his two horses. He was very fond of them and was regularly seen doing the work a stable hand should be responsible for. Aeolwyn didn’t need to ask why; he did the same thing to Sefalus, and frequently at the same time. Nothing was usually said between the two, except for a request to borrow a brush or the like.
“Corporal Aeolwyn reporting as ordered,” he said as he approached the general.
The general didn’t turn or otherwise acknowledged him. He just continued to brush his horse, patting the beast and whispering to it on occasion. He loved the animal. Aeolwyn knew that long before now.
“Well done on your patrol, corporal,” Alaric said without turning. “Your analysis is spot on with my own conclusions.”
Aeolwyn smiled. It felt good to hear the compliment. General Alaric was sparing with kind words, but when he said them, he really meant it. He wished his father was as generous with his words.
“I sent a fast courier to Lord-General Harmin with your report. The response came just this morning. They agree on the assessment and have asked me to send you to infiltrate Tinar Outpost on the Fennish side of the river and find out what they’re up to.”
Aeolwyn smiled. A new adventure! Much better than the boring patrols they’d been going on for the past two years. Infiltrating an outpost on the Fennish side of the river? That was bound to be exciting!
“Me and my team are at your service, general.”
The general turned and set the brush down. He looked hard at Aeolwyn, his gaze seemed to pierce the prince’s skin and see deep into his soul.
“I don’t like it, son. You’re not ready for a mission like this. I don’t know what’s going on with your family in the capital, but this is unusual. Someone with Harmin’s ear seems to want to put you into mortal danger.”
That was ridiculous. They were his family. It was impossible for any of them to want any harm to come to him. They all loved him. Even Alfyn, though he had a hard way of showing it.
“It doesn’t matter, general. I agree with them. We need to know what they’re planning. Even if they didn’t want me to go, I would volunteer for this mission.”
Alaric rolled his eyes and shook his head. “That’s because you’re 14, boy. You still think you’re indestructible. I’ll admit that you’ve proven you can handle both your sword and a command, but can you handle a stealthy mission? This isn’t something you can cut your way out of.”
Aeolwyn smiled, reached out, and pet the general’s horse. The horse didn’t shy away from his touch. “I got into the Star Children’s temple.”
“Exactly what I mean, son. You got in, and then got caught.” The general shook his head again. He grabbed a softer brush from the stall and began running it over the horse. “It’s useless to argue about it. I have my orders, and I’ve given them to you.”
The general was right, of course. He would have to be much more careful this time. He would be. He had learned a lot since he had snuck into the temple, and now had a whole group of people who he knew he could count on.
“When do we leave? I’ll have to prepare the men.”
The general turned back to him. “No squad,” he said. “This is much too delicate a job. The orders were to send you alone, but nail that part of the order to the wall. You can bring three of your companions.”
“Egnever and Galafar for certain,” he said. They were his most trustworthy associates, and his friends. Egne had been invaluable during the Infiltration of the temple, and he had come to rely on Galafar’s advice, perception, and skill with a sword.
“I thought as much,” the general said. “Think on the third though. The fort is a tough place to get into. It’s nothing like the Star Children’s temple; there will be observation outposts, sentries, and tall walks with barred doors. All of them will attack first and ask questions of your corpse.”
He was right. This would be nothing like the Star Temple. Every step across the river would be into enemy territory. They would have to guard their tracks and stay out of sight the entire way to the fort.
“How do we get inside?” he asked.
The general shrugged. “I’m not in command of this mission,” he said.
Reiva set her muckrake down and stepped over to the two. “I can get you inside,” she said.
Aeolwyn and the general both turned to her. The general scowled knowing that she had been listening in on their conversation. Aeolwyn was inclined to agree. This was too sensitive a topic to have been speaking about openly.
“How?” they asked in near unison.
She smiled, with a glimmer in her eyes. “I got to your tent in the middle of a guarded camp, didn’t I?”
“Infiltrating a camp at night is a lot different than sneaking into a guarded fort,” Aeolwyn said. The general nodded in agreement.
“It is, especially with three other noisemakers tagging along,” she said. “But if you want to get into Tinar, get the intel you need, and get back out, I’m your only chance.”
Alaric stepped forward. “What makes you so sure, assassin?”
“I’ve done it before. I know the layout of the outpost and the surrounding lands. I know the patrol schedules and when they change the guards. I even know the combination to the commander’s safe.”
Alaric stepped even closer, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. The threat was evident. “Who do you work for, woman?”
She stepped back and picked up the muckrake again. “Myself,” she answered. “But I’ve had a lot of clients. Many with opposing loyalties. I’ve worked for the king of the Fenns, and against him. Same as now.”
“Then where are your loyalties?” the general asked.
“My loyalties have always been with the paycheck,” she answered. “I was a thief and an assassin. I didn’t ask about the politics and didn’t care. I was hired to do a job, and I did it.”
“Was?” Aeolwyn asked.
Reiva said nothing. She just took the rake and started cleaning the stall again. If Aeolwyn didn’t think it was possible of her, he would think she was embarrassed. Talking as though killing people for money was now in her past was a strange slip of the tongue. He wondered if there was a deeper meaning to it.
“General?” Aeolwyn asked. He didn’t have to say what he wanted. The general knew he thought Reiva could be trusted and that he was willing to risk his life on that account.
“I’m not in command of this mission, corporal,” he said. “If you want to take this woman with you, that’s your decision. And if she gets you killed, well, that’s also your choice.”
He nodded at Alaric and saluted. “General,” he said. He turned and headed away from the stables. “Walk with me Reiva,” he said. If the general was offended by Aeolwyn deciding their conversation was through, he said nothing. He just turned and went back to his horse. Reiva set the rake down and followed Aeolwyn.
“I need complete honesty from you,” he said. “Can I trust you?”
“Yes,” she said.
He wanted to believe her, but he also wanted to return from this mission alive. If she were lying, he had no way of proving it, besides her actions. So far, besides the single attempt on his life, she had appeared trustworthy. But that could just be an attempt to make him trust her enough to bare his throat to her knife.
But something still didn’t make sense. “When we were in Wickshire, you had plenty of opportunities to get out of your manacles and kill me. That was the job you were paid to do. Why didn’t you do it?”
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She hesitated before she answered. She looked around at the soldiers who stared at her and scowled as she walked by. She ignored them and continued walking.
“Have you ever gone hunting?” she asked.
“Of course,” he answered. He was a prince; of course he had gone hunting. That was one of his father’s favorite pastimes. Aeolwyn could still remember the pride he felt when he’d killed his first deer, and how excited his father had been. It was one of the rare occasions where his father seemed to truly be proud of him. They held a feast that night and Aeolwyn was the guest of honor.
“You know then, when hunting big game that you don’t just immediately go after them. You follow them first. Watch their behavior. Get to know who they are. Then, when the time is right, you loose your arrow and come home a hero.”
“So you were studying your prey?” he said. “Seems a long time to study us.”
“At first,” she said. “I needed to know where you were weakest. I couldn’t just kill you and then flee I needed to know soundly you slept. I needed to make sure that none of you would wake while I was doing it.”
“You would do it while we were sleeping? How cowardly.”
“Of course I would. I’m not stupid.”
She fixed him with a gaze that told him whatever thoughts he held onto regarding chivalry were foolish. He didn’t entirely disagree, but without honor, what would they have?
“So why didn’t you?”
She suddenly started breathing heavily. She sat down hard on the grass besides the blacksmith and held her head between her hands. She didn’t look up at him, or at any of the soldiers who were suddenly staring at her.
He put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you ok? What happened?”
She looked up at him. Her eyes were red, though no tears flowed from them. She looked angry and scared at the same time. Then lonely, then remorseful. No wonder she had to sit down. That was a lot of emotions to feel at once.
“Xabat happened,” she said finally. “What he said shook me to the core. I had to completely rethink my life and my priorities. Suddenly, my contract with Aylonzo didn’t seem so important.”
Aeolwyn sat down in front of her and took her hands. “You can tell me,” he said. “I will keep your confidence.”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “Not yet.” She got to her feet and helped him back up as well. “Just believe me when I say you can trust me with your life.”
He wanted to; he really did. He still had some doubts, but he couldn’t forget the effect Xabat had on his friends. Galafar broke down in tears. Egnever shocked and angry that he was where he was meant to be.
That was why Aeolwyn hadn’t wanted the soothsayer to continue. He didn’t want to know what shocking revelation he would have had for him. He didn’t want to know what horrible things awaited him in his future.
But it was enough. Even if he didn’t fully trust her, he believed that he trusted her enough not to deliver him into the enemy’s hands. He believed that she could get into the outpost and get them back out again. Especially if there was money on the line.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purse of coins. It wasn’t much, just a month’s pay that he didn’t need. His father had sent him along with enough gold to last him for years. He kept the chest hidden, of course. No sense in showing it off to the rest of the soldiers. Even if they weren’t murderers and cutthroats, knowing that much money was around could change even the most loyal man.
He handed the purse over to her. “I promised to hire you as my bodyguard,” he said. “Consider this a down payment.”
She took the purse and felt its weight. “Not as much as I’m used to working for, but…” she held up her arms, showing the mud, muck, and manure that covered them. “I’ll take it,” she said.
“I promise not to send someone to kill you if you fail to protect me.”
She smiled and gave him a wink. “No one kills you but me.”
He laughed. He could hear the truth in her words, but it wasn’t a threat this time. She meant it as an offer of protection. She would allow no harm to come to him so long as she was around.
It was getting dark, and officially, Aeolwyn was off duty. He still needed to inform his companions of the mission. He could always have them summoned, but that felt a little impersonal and inappropriate considering the sensitive nature of their task.
Besides, he knew exactly where they would be: The Snickleway.
The Snickleway was a tavern in Westgate that was frequented by most of the officers of Fort Camulan; at least the soldiers with money to spend. It was, all things considered, expensive. Especially considering the cheaper pubs of Foregate.
The regular soldiers usually spent their time at the pubs in the lower quarter. Egnever and Galafar, though technically qualifying as some of the lower paid soldiers, came from money and had plenty to spend at inns of higher reputation. Which wasn’t to say that the Snickleway was a snobby tavern like one might see in the upper quarters of Teorton, but, compared to the other offerings in city that was sprouting up outside of Fort Camulan, it was as classy as it came.
The Snickleway was well positioned just outside Westgate. It was a large stone building with two floors; the second floor hosted several rooms that could be rented, but were frequently empty, unless someone very important was visiting the fort and there was no room in the barracks for them.
The main room consisted of several common rooms of varying sizes. The main common room, where the bar sat was reasonably small, with only room for a handful of tables. One of the other rooms was excruciatingly small, able to only host three tables. The other, larger rooms were in the back, down a small hallway.
The interior was made of wood, reinforced in a variety of materials, including stone, plaster, and mud. Many of the timbers were soot stained, and some were nearly completely burnt through. The story the innkeeper told was that the tavern had once been made of wood and had burned, nearly to the ground during one of the Fennish assaults on Fort Camulan. When it was rebuilt, wood was scarce, having been used to build siege engines, so they were forced to reuse many of the original timbers.
He found Egne and Galafar in the back, in one of the hidden alcoves that only had room for a single table; not large or separated enough to call it its own room. It was a little cubby that faced an area beside the bar where troubadours and other entertainers performed.
“Well look who they let out of her cage,” Egne said when they saddled up with their drinks. They both were already several drinks in and were beginning to slur their words.
“You gonna eat that?” Reiva asked, pointing at the half-finished plate of chicken that had been shoved aside to make room for more beer glasses. She didn’t wait for an answer before pulling the plate over and digging in like she had never eaten before.
“Easy now,” Galafar said. “You can order your own, you know.”
Aeolwyn didn’t blame her. The meals she had been eating were small and of poor quality. While better than the scraps they fed to the hogs, the difference between the two was slight. She had lost a significant amount of weight since her captivity, and she hadn’t started with a whole lot of extra to begin with.
“What brings you to our humble little hovel, corporal?” Egne asked.
“Can’t a soldier drink with his friends?” Aeolwyn asked. The beer was sour and bitter. He still didn’t like it. He preferred the table wine that his father would bring out on special occasions. But he was a soldier now, and enjoying beer was expected of him.
“No,” Galafar said. “It’s improper for a commanding officer to fraternize with those under his command.”
“You sound like Sir Jom,” Aeolwyn said, and he meant it. Sir Jom drilled all sorts of different rules and regulations into Aeolwyn during their study time. He claimed it would undermine the commander’s authority and could make those under his command lose respect for his decisions. Aeolwyn followed this rule with most of those under his command, but this was Galafar and Egne! They weren’t like the others.
“Can I get another one of these?” Reiva grabbed a serving girl as she walked by and thrust the empty plate into her face. The woman scowled but quickly regained her composure. She smiled, nodded, and kept walking away.
“Sir Jom had the right of it,” Galafar said.
Aeolwyn grabbed the serving girl again before she could get too far away. “And another round of drinks for the whole table.” He handed her a gold crown. Her face lit up at seeing the money. He was sure that they saw their share of gold crowns here, but not often. Most people would be paying in silvers and coppers.
“We have a mission,” Aeolwyn said. “And not one we can take the whole squad on.”
“Sounds dangerous,” Egne said. He showed no signs of being afraid though. He smiled and leaned in, ready to hear all about it.
“I have been ordered to cross the river and infiltrate an outpost, gather intelligence, and bring it back to the general,” Aeolwyn said. “I’m allowed to bring only 3 others.”
Egne looked around and deliberately using his finger, he counted the four of them at the table. He then went back and counted two more times. His finger stopped at Reiva.
“She’s coming?” he asked. He looked like he had just bitten into something rotten, and didn’t hide his expression.
“Yes,” Aeolwyn replied. “She is now in my service.”
“Your very own assassin,” Galafar put in.
“How do we know she won’t kill you?” Egne asked.
Reiva put down the chicken scraps she was eating and leaned forward. “My loyalty to my previous employer stopped when he sent someone to kill me.”
Egne started to say something, then stopped and closed his mouth. He just nodded and buried his face in his beer. Reiva didn’t add anything to her comment. She just drank her beer and went back to her meal.
A few moments later a troubadour came out with a flourish. He waived his red cloak around, did a few somersaults and landed on the small step that served as his stage. The place erupted in cheers as soon as he made his appearance.
He bowed with a flourish and immediately brought up his lute and started into a song:
“I once knew a maiden so fair,
I toyed with her heart, tickled her hair,
She smiled and took me up the stair,
And there toyed with me without nary a care!”
Laugher immediately erupted at the end of the verse. Soldiers particularly liked the sort of bawdy songs with suggestive lyrics. Particularly when they were already deep into the drinks
“I found myself smitten with this comely lass,
She had it all, looks, wit, and class!
Sharing barbs with me she replied with uncommon sass,
Then she turned around and showed me her…”
He paused for a moment, looking around at the audience. They jeered and cheered waiting for him to finish the rhyme. Some even shouted out what they thought the next word should be.
He waved them off and continued:
“Ankles!” He shouted. Laugher, boos, and cheers erupted from assembled group of drunken soldiers.
“Alas, poor, wretched me. I found myself smitten,
I sang songs about her, ballads I have written,
Yet, she cared not for me, just the money I had in my mitten,
For the night she spent with me warm inside her kitten!”
The audience screamed and yelled and cheered when he finished the last line. Money was thrown, drinks were spilled. A harmless fight or two might have broken out in a few corners of the bar.
It went on into the night. For as long as the troubadour sang, Egne insisted they stay and drink. When Aeolwyn thought he couldn’t hold anymore, Reiva insisted that he keep going. He was their commander, and he couldn’t embarrass them by not being able to keep up with the drinking.
It was a rowdy night of comedic and vulgar songs, and the most fun Aeolwyn had had in quite a long time. Considering the danger of the mission before them, it was good to let loose and enjoy themselves on a night that could be their last.
It was extremely late by the time they stumbled out of the bar. The main gate was closed, and they had to enter through the wicket gate. None of the guards were particularly pleased to see them arrive so late, though it was not unexpected for off-duty soldiers to roll in from the bars at all hours of the night. Officially they were to be reported to the general, but a few silver coins ensured that their names would be left off the list.
Aeolwyn had to be carried across the courtyard. For some reason, his legs didn’t work anymore, and he found that the ground would come up and hit him in the face if he tried to walk. Reva didn’t let him down, though. She made sure he found his way back to his quarters and landed safely on his bed.