“Is that him?“ They murmured with hushed whispers, thinking me unable to hear them. But I could.
“I had imagined him being more...intimidating.“ A burly man said, watching me through his snow-crested eyebrows.
“That is a godling? Looks like a noble to me.“ Another voice spoke up in the noise of the others.
There was some heat creeping up the side of my neck. Embarrassment, of course, but also hurt pride. Simue was not big on gossip, or even conversation - with her tongue cut and all - so someone else had to have spread the rumors about me. Made sense, as they had spent a couple of weeks on the sea in a very cramped space, there would be few secrets left after such a journey.
They had told the new arrivals, rebels to the traitorous noblemen of the south which had bend the knee to the tide of darkness, about me being a Twice-Born, it seemed. Or told the tales of what I had done and they had drawn their own conclusions.
They huddled in the officer‘s mess of the Raven‘s Nest, as had become my unofficial meeting and audience room because it was big enough for a group of people. Nimue was at my side, but with everything going on we had not been able to talk too much. Conversations with her took time, as she had to write everything out.
New was the position and the confidence of the man to her right, Farley, a [Hunter] that had accompanied her into the shadows of the Fallen Empire and usually spoke for her if she did not want to use her notebook. They had developed a rudimentary sign language and he was just generally very good at interpreting her usually very expressive looks. He was also second in command of the two longboats that were tasked with raiding and infiltrating the Fallen Empire.
“You have been given a great amount of trust.“ I said leaning on my desk and looking over the ragged group. “I trust Simue with my life and I take her word that you are allies and friends, worthy of learning about our home. Never make me regret inviting you in, for I will do anything to keep this place safe.“
I tried a hard look, but who was I kidding? These were truly hard and hardened people, fighting against the enemy for months with nothing to fall back on but their own cunning and swift and often hard decisions.
“I will take your oaths, as a Twice-Born, that you will keep Ravenport and its people secret and safe, or you will be brought back to where you came from. No exceptions.“
They murmured and rustled around but they had no choice in the end. It had not been a surprise for them either. They had known what they were in for the moment Simue had invited them onto our boats.
The oath was...a ruse of some kind. I had no way of enforcing any oath with a mortal, that was the system‘s job. It allowed me to see them as subjects however and allowed me to use [Discern Subject] on them, which I was using while they spoke. I wanted any kind of information about the people coming to Ravenport as I could.
A few of them were [Soldiers] of some kind, every one of them with the addition of deserter added - like [Deserted Swordsman] - as they had left their sworn lord the moment he had turned traitor to the Empire. Honorable in my opinion, but the system had a different point of view, it seemed. There were a couple of [Hunters] and [Scouts], but the bulk of the group simply consisted of [Carpenters], [Farmers], and [Fishermen]. All but one. There was a woman sitting in the back, stuffing a pipe and watching me with keen eyes, shadowed by a wide-brimmed hat. She was a level 17 [Hedge Witch] and level 12 [Rebel Leader].
She had not introduced herself.
I threw a look at Simue but if she knew what I was thinking she did not show any sign of recognition. So I shrugged and turned towards the group that just was finishing verbalizing their oaths.
“Excellent.“ I said. “I welcome you in the Wreckage and into Ravenport proper, may you warm yourself at our fires and fill your bellies with the game of our [Hunters]. No harm will befall you under the protection of the Raven as long as you stay inside at night and keep away from the darkness.“
“What is in the darkness?“ A [Deserted Spearwoman] asked with furrowed brows.
“The Wyld is a dangerous place, even when the sun is up, but at Night the Nightmares of the Wyld roam freely. Once the snowstorm has calmed, you will be able to see them, as our [Knights] and fighters train against them.“ That had them murmuring among themselves for a moment.
“How have you chosen this group to come here?“ I turned to Simue, without taking my eye off the curious woman in the back of the room.
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Simue made a gesture, and Farley leaned forward. They had prepared this, it seemed.
“We made contact with a group of rebels to the House of Tymere of Westhaven, who has fallen to the darkness. And I mean that. Priests of dark...I don’t know, actually. They are making sacrifices and rites to the darkness in the name of the former First Sealord. Not a Wyldling to be found, all out of their own volition. We accompanied the rebels a couple of weeks and as we had gathered enough to return, we took the wounded and those ill-fitted for war with us. They are good men and women, desperate for a couple of nights in peace.“
I nodded. Then my eyes locked onto the woman in the back. “And you? What are you doing here?“
The woman with the wide-brimmed hat smiled with crooked teeth. “I knew ye would spot little old me. I just had to see you for meself. Im not about to send me boys and girls to the wolves, now am I? Name‘s Brandy.“
I nodded again. Then I looked up towards the others in the room. “As far as I am concerned, we are done. The wounded can return to the lazaret and the others to the kitchens and fires. Ravenport will take care of you. You,“ and I nodded towards Brandy, “I would like to talk to.“ She just grinned and kept where she was, while the others shuffled out of the room. They seemed relieved. They must‘ve known I would shelter them, but it being real changed things for them. Gave them hope. There were smiles, warm and happy smiles all around, that made my heart warm up. That was what I wanted to bring to my people.
Simue and Farley stayed at my side while the room emptied out, and Simue was writing something down while we waited.
The note said: Caves near the coast. Smuggleroute. Brandy good leader. We must fight them wherever we can.
Simue even went so far as to stab her finger at the last line, barely hidden fury in her eyes as she searched for mine.
“It‘s bad, mylord.“ Farley said. “Really bad. Hard to describe as well. We saw so many dead...crucified at the side of the road. They crucified them along the way towards an altar on top of the cliffs. And below that, in the sea, there were....things feasting on the blood.“
Simue nodded. Wrote one more word. Danger.
“So, you are the Twice-Born your men won‘t shut up about, eh?“ Brandy said jovially as she sat down, scraping her chair across the floor until she sat across from me. “Thought a second or two you had sent the shadows to strangle me, the way your friend there made her introduction.“
I raised a questioning eyebrow at Simue, but she just shrugged and looked away. Farley seemed to be somewhere else, staring at the wall.
“What do you mean?“ I asked.
“Who sends an [Assassin] to do a [Diplomats] day of work? You, apparently, so I had to see ye for meself. I was not about to change one Overlord for another, so to speak.“
There was more there than I understood, but I gave Simue the benefit of the doubt. “She was a rebel before we met.“ I explained.
“Oh, that much was clear. We found some of her old friends.“
Simue smiled at that, a tad sad, but signed three fingers up. “Three of your old friends?“ She nodded.
“Where are they?“
Still fighting.
“So, Brandy, now that you have seen me in person, what do you think?“ I turned back to the leader of the rebels.
“I think I want some rum. And I think we should talk about a few things.“
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We talked long into the night, later joined by Captain Higgins and Veneir. There was some kind of second wind going through the group that sat around my table, discussing plans and logistics. Because...Because we could strike back. We had the chance to pay some of the debt the followers of darkness and the Snake Clan had accrued and that made us hungry for the opportunity.
The force of rebels on the mainland was not large, a dozen or so groups and scattered cells of men and women fighting, robbing, and sabotaging as much as they could without taking too large a risk for their own safety. Which was precarious at the best of times. It was reasonable that they only have had success so far because the powers that be were distracted with cementing their own position and taking more for themselves.
But we had a chance to organize the effort, to consolidate our forces...to work together. We had no army, far from it, but we had battle-ready groups of veterans who damn-well knew what they were doing.
There were caves near the shores, still inside the influence of the Wyld but close to the shores of the Fallen Empire. Brandy and Simue had plans to turn them into a forward base, an outpost we could use for easier transport of goods and people, and for the rebels to use as a safe haven. All they needed to make it work was enough Dragonamber for their troops.
They would return what goods and non-combatants they could ‘free‘ from the yoke of the traitorous First Sealord of Westhaven to those caves, where we could easily pick them up without leaving the safety of the influence of the Wyld. As the [Doctor] on board of the Albatross was the only trained professional far and wide, they would bring their wounded to us as well. They could use the caves and Ravenport to recuperate and resupply, while they would give us what we needed. Intelligence about our enemies, rebel contacts, a way in, and goods we so sorely needed to build something lasting here.
It was perfect to me, even as the more level-headed members of the group discussed the details, the necessary supplies, and what had to be done to outfit the caves for a proper outpost as well as how many longboats and dinghies could be spared for permanent service at the coast. I for my part had decided already to do what was in my power to strike back at the heart of the enemy. To take from him what was ours by right. To weaken him and make him pay. To take what revenge we could. There was not a voice in the room disputing this desire of mine. Quite the contrary.
The rebels had not officially joined the forces of Ravenport but we had made strong allies and opened up a wide spectrum of possibilities for ourselves to gather strength.
In the morning, as the first rays of sunshine grazed the sea, we left with one of the longboats - Higgins, Simue, Brandy, and I with an escort of a couple of [Knights of the Wyld] - to secure the caves for us. They were bound to be inhabited by dangerous creatures and we were just too eager to make the idea into a reality.