190. HELP: WIREMU

“Help? How?” Tabitha asked.

“No,” I interrupted, “ the more important question is why?” I would push my Truth Sensing on this one as much as possible. This was important to get right.

“After Jern, we go two weeks' leave in Hrothgar, and I spent it at home. I wasn’t truthful about my past when we talked in Jern. My father is the Duke of Hrothgar. Due to events around awakening my affinity as a child, I am now also the Heir. My older brother and two servants were killed in the fire. I was seven years old at the time. This caused tension between my father, in particular, and me. The main support in my teenage years was actually our cook. When I returned with fresh eyes, I saw much more than I did as a spoilt child.”

Kelda paused for a breath. Truth Sensing was not only confirming her words but giving me an idea of how difficult this was for her.

“Cook wasn’t just our cook. She was our internal security and managed the kitchen staff. I didn’t realise this until I was in my mid-teens. We had two kitchen staff that I considered to be simple, mentally. One basically stirred pots all day while another swept and mopped the floors. Yet one time, Cook asked Ricky, the floor sweeper, to break into a rune-locked desk and steal something, and he did. He had Skills but no initiative.

When I went back with fresh eyes, I realised both those servants had the Slave Class that was limiting them. I made inquiries, and they were the only two surviving members of Cook’s Mercenary Team, and they had been rescued from slavery but could not remove the Class.”

“Who was their owner? Cook?” Tabitha asked.

“No, The Military has trained and supervised people who take over ownership to enable ex-slaves to live as normal a life as possible. They still need help in their everyday lives. I could see the pain in Cook as she helped them every day. She had lived, fought, and adventured beside these people for decades, and now she has to manage them as they stir pots and sweep floors. It is not right! So I figured if you find a way to fix it, then I am with you.”

“I haven’t actually found a way to fix it yet, but I am getting closer,” I said.

“What are you willing to do to fix it?” Tabitha asked.

“What do you mean?” Kelda was puzzled.

“What you see here.” Tabitha said, “Fancy house, successful Trading company, warehouse, employees. All this was built in three years, but most of the funding is from illegal activities. What will you do if we have to break into a vault in the king's palace? Or assassinate a noble, maybe even the local Duke? How far are you willing to go?”

Kelda was quiet at that. I am pretty sure she had visions of us breaking into the empire vaults, and it may come to that, be there are vaults here with information as well.

While Kelda was pondering that, I turned to Rodion, “What about you, Rodion? Why would you want to join us?”

“Because I am bored.”

I raised my eyebrows at that. I wasn’t expecting that. “Care to explain?”

“When I was a cub, I was pretty wild and stupid. I joined a gang, got a bit violent, and killed a man. The Constables caught me and gave me a choice. Ten years in the mines or ten years in the military. I re-upped for another five after my ten was done because it was good. Taught me to fight. Taught me to control my fighting. But now I am done. My enlistment ends next month, and I need something new. Kelda is good, she has passion and drive, but she is young. She doesn’t realise what it takes. She is also crap at fighting, even though she gets called the Goblin Killer. Goblins must be pathetic fighters. She needs backup and someone to do what it takes. That’s me.”

“And are you leaving the army as well, Kelda?” I asked.

“My compulsory five years ends in about six months. They think I am going to reenlist, and I may have hinted at that, but it will depend. Another five years in the army doesn’t really appeal.”

“What does Blythe think you are getting us to agree to?” Tabitha asked.

“To become a Special Forces Unit under MI with me in charge. It will make my career and pave the way to becoming a Captain.”

“Well, that’s never going to happen,” Tabitha stated.

“What about Modrica and her enlistment?” I asked.

“We can keep that going, and she can be my first recruit. If I don’t reenlist, she must be gone by then. I am unsure how that can work with a Dire Bear, though. It is hard to miss.”

I looked at Tabitha, and she nodded. I looked back to Kelda, “It is not that difficult making a Dire Bear disappear.”

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“We have some time,” Tabitha said. “I am committed to three months of performances with the Comedic Rhythm starting this weekend. That can be your excuse for us holding off signing up for now. You need to decide how far you are willing to go. We are in conflict with the Duke of Kirghiz’s son, and he may need to die.”

“Which son?”

“George,” Kelda made a distasteful face. Tabitha continued, “Personally, I would rather promote him to Heir, but I doubt that will happen.”

“I might be able to help there. I do know the Duke’s family socially.” Kelda said.

“Would you kill him?”

“George? Possibly, but if you give me the details of the issue, there is probably a more embarrassing way to get him off your back.”

“The girl has potential,” Tabitha said. “As for Rodion, is your joining conditional on Kelda joining or not?”

“Who am I joining?” Rodion asked.

“Yes, that is a good question,” Kelda added, “I don’t even know your real names.”

“We three are the key to this outfit,” I replied. “There is no higher authority. We don’t have a group name, but we operate under the Elemental Traders at the present time. If I tell you more, it will be a risk for us. Will it go any further? And that holds whether or not you join us.”

“And just to be clear,” Tabitha said, “If it does go any further, we would consider it a fatal offence.”

“I won’t breathe a word,” Kelda said.

“Nor will I,” Rodion said.

Truth Sensing told me they were sincere, and it finally levelled into journeyman, giving me more confidence.

I continued, “Very well, Tabitha is, in fact, Tabitha Carter from Yelets in the Empire. Modrica is Modrica the Merciless from the fighting pits in Jern. Modrica and Tabitha are Krvne Sestre, which was earned gang fighting during the month of the Black Butcher in Jern.”

“You fought the Black Butcher?” said Kelda impressed.

This was going to make or break it. “No, Kelda,” I said, “She is the Black Butcher.”

To make the point, Tabitha pulled out the Blacksteel knife and stabbed it into the table between us. Kelda was stunned, speechless. I was warier about the excited grin on Rodion’s face.

“The question about how far you would go was not meant lightly,” Tabitha said into the silence. “Rodion said he was young and stupid in the gangs once. Well, so was I. It just got out of control.”

“Out of control…” Kelda was having trouble processing that information.

“Yes, out of control, and without Modrica, I would not have survived, and without Wiremu, I would not be sane,” Tabitha said.

“Wiremu?” Rodion asked.

“That is my real name,” I said, “I am Wiremu Hunter, and I grew up in a small village on the edge of the Free Republic.”

“You’re not brother and sister?” Kelda asked.

“We are Brother and Sister in every way except blood. In Orcish terms, we are Clan. We have another clan member, and we hope he will join us before we leave Kirghiz. I was taken by Empire slavers and spent three years in a quarry while they tried to make me accept the slave class. That is where I got my Granite Affinity and my bond, Tāoke. I eventually escaped and joined Tabitha and her brother Warren in escaping the empire. Warren didn’t make it.”

“Your affinity has changed,” said Kelda.

“Yes, and that is another story for later. This is what you need to know about who you are joining.”

I saw Kelda’s eyes flick to the Blacksteel knife in the table. “I haven’t seen Tāoke. He didn’t die against Otto, did he?”

“No, he didn’t. In fact, he is here. You have the Observer Class. You tell me where he is.”

Her eyes roamed around the room. She looked at me, “You're hotter than you should be.”

“Thank you, I think.”

“You know what I meant.” Then she pointed to a patch of floor. “That floor is hotter than the rest. Is he under it?”

“Close. He is in it.” Tāoke used his Granite Manipulation and slid out of the floor and up my leg. We will have to learn to control our temperature better, or we will give ourselves away. Something for us to work on.

“Awesome,” said Rodion. “Affinities are so cool, and for the record, I am in regardless of Kelda.”

“Bloody traitor,” said Kelda half-jokingly.

“You can’t tell me that we won’t take a serious bite out of the Empire's arse by joining with these people. This is exciting.”

Tabitha looked at the Wolfkin thoughtfully and said, “I think you will make a good companion for Wild Bill.”

“I like the name. Who is he?”

“I will introduce you later,” I said, “Do you have any last questions?”

“Just one,” said Rodion, “Who is the other Clan Member?”

“Ruku,” I said, “He has a Water Affinity, and until a few years ago, he was a Major in the Marine Commandos out of Obalno.”

Rodion’s eyes widened, “You have the Mad Major on your team? Seriously Kelda, you have to join. This is so badass. I remember the story of the Mad Major and this Octopod... “

“Not now, Rodion,” Kelda interrupted him. “Ruku knows all this?” her hand indicated the Blacksteel Knife showing which part of “this” she was really meaning.

Tabitha chuckled, “The very night I told Ruku, he accompanied me dressed as the Black Butcher to intimidate a local gang in Obalno.”

“I think you are all mad.” She paused, “Yes, I am in.”

“At least you are joining with the right expectations,” I said.

“What the hell have I done.”