Finances

Income

Mission #9

-

Wade enterprises

1s 1p

Profits from The Rose

3s

Expenses

Wages

13s 4p

The Golden Blades Protection

4s

Loss

13s 3p

Total

£11 17s 7p

‘They’ve taken Eisenberg,’ Lothar explained to Wade. ‘I need to go there myself and sort things out. Can you run The Rose for a while?’

‘Sure.’

The thief could hardly object after Lothar had given him and his son a room at the inn. He still looked a bit sour though.

‘Oh. How were things on the last mission? Was Stricken alright?’

‘If by ‘alright’ you mean he didn’t stab me, then I suppose so.’

‘Well, that’s something, isn’t it? Look, I know things are stretched at the moment. Give me a bit of time over in Eisenberg and I’ll make things right. I need it to go well there, you understand? For all our sakes.’

‘I get it, Stiff. I can handle The Rose for you, dinnae worry about that.’

‘I know.’

Steben, mayor of Eisenberg, was Lothar’s companion on the journey to the town. Their relationship had become complex. Lothar had liberated his town and its people from Redblade’s control. But he had demanded ownership of the mine in return. Going forward, neither could be sure how things would work out.

They found a calm situation when they arrived. The town’s inn had some fire damage, but none of the other buildings, or the townsfolk, had been harmed in the fighting. All eight of his mercs had survived, too. They had established good relations with the locals, who had put them up in their own houses. The Rotten Apples provided them with security, and they were grateful to have them.

The icing on the cake was that his crew had also managed to capture Brickhouse, and one other brigand. They were being held in the smithy, and so that was where Lothar and Steben headed.

‘Stiff, this is Henrik, our blacksmith,’ Steben introduced. ‘Henrik, this is Mr Sauer of The Rotten Apples.’

Henrik was a powerfully built man with a square jaw and a full black beard that reached his chest.

They shook hands. ‘I hear you’re in charge of our prisoners?’

Henrik gave him a wolfish grin. ‘Oh yes. I’ve enjoyed that.’

Lothar recalled Steben telling him that Brickhouse had the smith whipped while he was imposing himself on the town. Henrik had obviously been given ample opportunity for revenge. ‘He’s capable of speaking with me?’

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‘Oh, sure. I haven’t sunk to his level. You want to see him now?’

‘Yes please.’

Brickhouse was a mean looking bastard, even bigger than Henrik. He sat on the floor of the workshop, hands and ankles fastened with manacles. Henrik had made sure there was no chance of escape.

‘Brickhouse. My name is Lothar Sauer. You can call me Stiff. I run the crew who took you out.’

‘So what?’

‘So I’m the one who decides whether you live or die; and how you die.’

‘Huh. There’s a chance I’ll live?’

‘The way I see things there is. But I need information. About Redblade. You’re ready to give him up?’

‘If I do, you'll kill me anyway.’

‘Not true. I can see from your perspective, you have no guarantees. But I suggest you trust me. I’m your only hope of living. And it’s Redblade I want, not you.’

‘Why? Why get involved in this?’

‘There’s the mine. Then there’s the loot you found in the hillfort. The sword he wields, and the pike he gave to you. Some other items of interest too, I have no doubt.’

Brickhouse looked at him with surprise. ‘How do you know that?’

‘We found another of the barrows. The green one. I presume there was a map in one of the chests?’

Brickhouse looked deflated now. ‘Aye. There was a map. Redblade’s been trying to find the other barrows. It’s been difficult, having to fight off the goblins as well. That’s why he needed Eisenberg.’

‘Well I’m taking over his projects. I have the mine. Soon I’ll have his sword, and his fort. And you’re going to tell me how I get it.’

Brickhouse shook his head. ‘You can’t. Earthworks mean it’s virtually impossible to climb. There’s a wooden palisade at the top, and those inside can see you coming from every direction. The only way up is a rope ladder, which is reeled in at night-time, and whenever there’s danger. We had a horde of goblins besiege us and get nowhere. Trust me, you’ve got no chance.’

Lothar spent the next day organising his new asset. The miners of Eisenberg would be paid generously, from his purse. The metal they took would be his. Henrik could turn it into weapons, armour, and anything else The Rotten Apples needed. If there was a surplus, Lothar could sell it for a profit.

A secure supply of iron was essential for the survival of his crew. But while Redblade was around, it would be permanently threatened. He had to find a way to deal with the brigand leader.

That evening, he took his meal amongst his crew at The Pig and Iron.

He nodded over at Ashlyn’s new weapon, Greenblade. ‘Learn anything about that sword?’

She shook her head. ‘The crystal didn’t light up, and it didn’t give me a single bonus.’

‘Huh. I’m not completely surprised. I suspect each sword, assuming there is one at each location, provides a bonus to a specific enemy. You just need to find the right kind of enemy for Greenblade.’

‘I see. Makes sense. And what’s next, Stiff? Do we take on this Redblade?’

‘We need him out of the picture as soon as possible.’

‘Why?’

‘The Golden Blades. I have a chance to build up our strength quickly here, so we can challenge Sal. There’s the mine; there’s Redblade’s stronghold and any items we can take from him. After that, maybe these goblins I keep hearing about.

‘But I can’t afford a long drawn out conflict with him. If we can’t get into his fort—and he doesn’t have the strength to get Eisenberg back—it becomes a series of skirmishes and ambushes between us, sapping our strength. It could go on for months. In the meantime, Sal learns what we have here, and comes to take it. Just like he took The Rose.

‘No, next time I meet with Sal or his siblings, it needs to be as an equal. And that means taking out Redblade quickly.’

‘So what are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know. This is the part where you give me an idea.’

‘Oh.’ Ashlyn, willing to help, looked about the rest of the crew, as if an answer lay there. Lothar both admired and envied her optimism.

‘The Baron?’ she said at last. ‘Could he sneak into the fort? He climbed into the church tower when we got to Eisenberg.’

‘Apparently not. Redblade has complete control over who goes in and out. Even if he could somehow get in, he’s a thief, not an assassin. It’d be a suicide mission.’

Lothar stared at The Baron. The secretive thief had certainly been the most flexible of his mercs. He’s agile. He disguised himself as an Alinko benefactor at the temple; even as a damsel in distress on the streets of Avolo.

Hang on.

Lothar clicked his fingers. ‘I think I’ve got it.’

‘I’ve got a proposition,’ Lothar said to Brickhouse. ‘It sees you live. Gets you out of here with all your digits and limbs still attached. And gets you your freedom.’

‘I’m listening,’ the big man said. Lothar reckoned he was ready to hope.

‘You help me kill Redblade. In return, you get the hill fort. You rule in his stead. You owe allegiance to me. I supply you with all the weaponry you need, free of charge.’

Brickhouse thought about it. ‘Breaker?’

‘Of course you get your weapon back.’

Brickhouse pursed his lips. ‘What about Redblade? I mean the sword Tomas wields, and the other artefacts?’

‘Tomas?’

‘That’s his name.’

‘Kinda ordinary.’

‘Well?’

‘We split the items fairly between us. What does Redblade do, exactly? You sound keen to claim it.’

Brickhouse appeared to wrestle over whether to reveal the weapon’s secrets. He sighed. ‘It gives its wielder an advantage over greenskins. The goblins fear it. It would be hard to hold them back without it.’

No one else in Lothar’s team was in desperate need of a new sword. ‘Very well. You get Redblade and Breaker. You become the new lord of the hillfort. How about it?’

‘Very well. But how exactly do you propose we get to him?’