Chapter 2

It had been a few days since she had last been in town, unexpectedly caught up in an outlying farm. The farmer’s wife had been having an exceptionally difficult birth and it had been touch and go for a day as to whether the mother and child would make it. Beth was exhausted, as was the mother. The father was ecstatic. It was their second child, so by rights, the birth should have been easier. The first born, a girl three summers if that, stood and watched Beth, thumb in her mouth, as the father stared down at the son in his arms.

“Make sure you support his head at all times. His bones are still soft and his neck is not yet strong enough to properly support his head.” The father nodded. “And make sure he is always kept covered. Especially outdoors. New-borns are very susceptible to cold, especially drafts. And keep him out of direct sunlight.” The new-born gurgled and clutched at his father’s finger.

“He’s beautiful. He has my eyes...” Beth left them to it and checked in on the mother, who was dead to the world in slumber. She pulled the thin blanket back and checked. No bleeding, which was good. The surrounding skin puffy and sore looking, but that was to be expected. The child had one heck of a large head. Happy and greatly relieved, she pulled the blanket back up and climbed onto the bed. If she just rested her eyes for a few minutes...

The father waved from the door as she left, the daughter hiding behind her father’s legs. They had no money to spare, but they had enough food to tide her over the next couple of days. The mother hadn’t yet been strong enough to leave the matrimonial bed, but had been strong enough to sit up as her bairn suckled at her breast. Beth could see in the mother’s eyes that she had nothing to gift in return other than food. Genuine thanks, even when left unsaid, was payment of a sorts. Beth had made a difference to the world. Both of them knew, but left unsaid, that if it hadn’t been for Beth’s fortunate happenstance of being in the area, she and her son would not have survived the birth.

Not for the first time, Beth wondered why there wasn’t better health care in the world. So many people, mostly women, died so needlessly, and mainly in childbirth. A guilty pang surfaced in relation to her own village of birth, but she ruthlessly crushed it. They were dead to her now.

The square in front of the Mercenary Guild was still packed with men boasting and touting their services. A few smiled and nodded in her direction. She knew some of them by sight not by name. Or at least, not by their given names. There was Foot, ignoring her advice to rest that foot, Crabs with a lady of loose morals and even looser standards clinging to his am, Bowels, still eating. Seriously, why did she even bother...

Inside the Guild, it was as busy as it had been the last time she had visited. She looked for the clerk she had treated last time and spotted him, smiling and laughing, demeanour completely different to the grumpy and surly individual she had first met. He spotted her and gave her a wide welcoming smile as she joined the queue in front of him. He was wearing a tunic open wide at the neck. Beth peered round the men stood in front of her and studied the glimpses she managed. There was a little redness, but other than that, the skin looked healthy.

“Hello Beth.” He said with a smile. Beth didn’t recall giving him her name and he obviously clocked her uneasiness. “I asked around about you.”

“Ahh.” Not creepy. Not at all.

The clerk opened a drawer and pulled out two seemingly identical forms. “I took the liberty of preparing them in advance, Could you supply me with your date of birth, maiden name and village of birth, please?” Beth did so and the clerk wrote the information down on the forms. “Congratulations and welcome to the Mercenary Guild.” He said with a wide welcoming smile as he stamped both forms and handed the second one over to her.

“Uh- thanks.” Beth said, a little taken aback. She had expected there to be a little push back from him, not total acquiescence. She dipped into her bag and handed over the pot as agreed. “Your neck is looking a lot better.”

“Yes, yes it is and I have you to thank for that. I’d forgotten what it was like to have a good night’s sleep. The cream lasted longer than you said.”

“Well, it’s not an exact science. People react differently to the same medication for the same problems. I would keep applying the salve three to four days after all visible signs of infection have gone. Just to be sure.”

“Okay. I will do, and thanks again. I apologise for my manner when we first met. It was unseemly.”

Beth was a little caught off guard. “Uh, err it’s okay. Sometimes our ailments can affect us and our lives in more ways than just our physical selves, and can make us do and say things out of character.”

“Brains as well as beauty...” Okayyy ... This is starting to get a little uncomfortable... “Oh! I almost forgot...” The clerk pulled out a scrap of paper with some names written down. “There are three men looking for a healer to accompany them on a job.”

“What sort of job? Do you know?”

“An escort job. A man of means and power, but ill of health. That’s all I know.”

“Okay.”

“That’s the names of the band and the inn they can normally be found at. I can read them out to you if you can remember them?”

“It’s okay, I can read.”

“You can?” The clerk didn’t look like he believed her.

“Yes, amazing that, who would have thought a girl could be capable of such a feat. I’ll check it out.”

“Safe adventuring Beth.”

“Uh-yeah, and the same to you...” Beth winced inwardly at how stupid her last must sound to someone desk bound. She took her mark of Guild acceptance and stored it safely in her bag, uncomfortably aware of all the looks she was getting from both those being served and those waiting to be served.

Beth didn’t know where the inn was and asked around outside in the square. She was one of them now.

“Looking for a band missy? Join ours and we’ll ensure that your bed roll will never be cold at night...”

“Er, thanks, but not at the moment.” Or ever.

“Come join us! We can show you some, and teach you some, sword techniques! Indulge in a little ... fencing perhaps?”

“I’m sure you can, with your rapier wit, but I’m not interested in adding bastards to my sword abilities, or in providing a sheath...” He looked a little confused. She had obviously been a bit too subtle for him. She was also starting to belatedly realise that for those in the square, what was between her legs was always going to be of more interest than what was in her head. It was both frustrating and depressing in equal measure.

Why couldn’t men see women as anything other than baby makers and pleasure toys. She asked around for directions to the inn, many offering to lead her there themselves for nothing more than a moment of her company. Yeah, right. Beth politely declined.

The inn was pretty much like all the others she had seen. Even the occupants looked the same, or at least, were cut from the same cloth. Beth clocked a couple of glares from the whores whose patch this was, but ignored them. They would understand soon enough that she was no threat to their trade or lively hood. This early in the evening, it was still fairly quiet as she made her way to the bar.

“What can I get you lass?”

“I’m looking for some gents...”

“No gents here lass.” The barkeep said laughing. “Plenty of lads though.”

“I’m looking for some ... lads. They go by the names of...” Beth pulled out her bit of paper. “Rastillian Griplen, Awnlee Jorking and Arkage Tiespot?”

The barkeep gave her and her bit of paper an appraising eye. “One of them your papa is he?”

“Oh gods above, no ... I hope ... Purely business, not family drama.”

“Uh-huh...” Beth stared at him, but he didn’t appear to be in a hurry to be more forthcoming. Eventually, he nodded his head to the side. “Over there, in the corner, by the far window.”

“Thanks.”

“No screaming or hysterics or I’ll drag you out by your hair.”

“Definitely no screaming or hysterics.” Beth agreed. “How about a little blood splatter?” The barkeep snorted, the corner of his mouth rising for a moment. Beth made her way over to the indicated table with its two occupants, both of whom were hunched over their beer tankards in that companionable silence Beth had noted before in couples that had been together a long time and who had a habit of finishing each other’s sentences. Or in foresters who had been together many years. It was as if a full blown conversation was being had, but without any word spoken.

Beth stopped and stood silently next to their table until they both looked up at the interloper to their thoughts. They were both older than the Mercs Beth had seen hanging around outside the Guild building. Grizzled, hard worn, an air of contempt for the world hung around them like a miasma. She could see why the barkeep thought that she might be the bastard of one of them, as they were of the right age. These were two men on the downward slope of their prime, and all the more dangerous for it as they still had their peak strength along with the addition of years of experience. Beth had always found the latter to be more dangerous.

“I’m looking for Rastillian, Awnlee, or Arkage?” The two men stared at her for a moment, then turned back to each other.

“Well, that’s a bit of a conundrum.” Said the one on the left.

“Sorry? What’s a conundrum?” Beth asked.

The other male took a sip from his tankard as the first continued, ignoring Beth. “She’s not yours, definitely not mine, and nothing that pretty would have come from the loins of Arkage.”

“Definitely not Arkage.” The second agreed.

“Hello! I’m standing right here!”

“She’s standing right there.” said the first.

“Gosh! So she is!” Agreed the second.

“Do you think she wants something?”

“Probably. They generally do. Even if it is just to hear the sound of their own voice.”

This wasn’t going the way she had expected it to have gone. Not that she was sure how it was supposed to have gone, being a bit new to the whole ‘looking for employment’ thing. The two men went back to sipping their beers, basically ignoring her. Which in itself was both noteworthy and unusual. Beth felt a painful stab of frustration. “You were looking for a healer?”

“Ahh...,” Said the man on the left, “And all becomes clear. I was getting really worried there for a minute.”

The man to Beth’s right leaned back, cradling his tankard to his chest. “Please,” he waved his hand in front of him. “Sit down.” Beth looked around. Both men were sat at the end of the benches either side of the table. The high backs of the benches pretty much ruling out squeezing round the back. Not that she wanted to as that would trap her between the two men and the wall “Don’t be impolite Awnlee. Budge up, there’s a good chap.” Awnlee shuffled up the bench, leaving an empty spot opposite the second man, who by dint of elimination had to be Rastillian Griplen. Beth looked down at the newly vacated spot in indecision before finally sitting down. The wooden bench was warm and Beth tried not to think too much about that.

“You’re responsible for Hank Whale, aren’t you?” Rastillian asked.

“Who?” Beth asked, aware that she was rapidly losing command of the narrative. “Is Hank Whale, Rastillion.”

“Well, she’s not daft, she’s got you sussed Rast.” Awnlee said as he leaned back into the corner between the bench and the wall, so that he could look at both Beth and Rastillian without turning his head. He pulled a clay pipe out and started to pack it from a leather pouch without taking his eyes from the other two.

Rastillian met her gaze and Beth refused to look away. She was not going to be cowed by these two “Hank, is one of the clerks in the Mercenary Guild. Remarkably grumpy fellow. Until recently.” Rastillian’s voice was calm, quiet and yet still carried well over the noise of the taproom, which Beth was still struggling with, being a country girl.

“Rash on the neck?” Rastillian nodded. “Ah, him. Yes, I suppose I am.”

“This is a one off task that involves a fair bit of travel, sleeping out in the wild and being rained on.”

“A lot.” Added Awnlee.

“That’s not an issue. I’ve been rained on before.” Beth stated. There was a crackle and a puff of smoke from the corner, which lazily drifted through the air. “What exactly do you require of me?”

There was another pause a Rastillian studied her, never breaking eye contact. “The client is of advanced age and needs to be elsewhere for business. It is his request that he travels with a healer in case of...” Rastillian trailed off.

“In case of?” Beth prompted.

“Eventualities.”

“Where is the destination?” She probed.

“He wishes that to remain quiet for the moment as he does not wish his competitors to know where he is going. I can tell you that it’s next to the ocean.”

Beth had heard of the ocean from her mother and really wished to see it. Another slowly moving pipe cloud wafted past in front of them. “I’ll need to assess the ... client ... first. To ensure that they are indeed fit to travel, and to see what other ailments he has, so I can prepare accordingly for the journey.”

Rastillian slowly nodded. “That is understandable.”

“When does this journey start?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Fuck’s sake! I’ll need to see the client before then. Now, if possible.”

Another slow nod. “Awnlee, hold the fort.” Awnlee replied with a lazy salute of his hand and another puff of pipe smoke. Rastillian picked up a sheathed sword that had been out of Beth’s view, hidden by the table, on the bench next to him and buckled the scabbards belt into place as he stood. Without a word or glance towards Beth, he headed for the door.

Beth looked towards Awnlee, who just nodded and smiled around his pipe stem.

Rastillian’s stride was long, measured and a little awkward for Beth to keep pace with, and she was tall for a girl. “Do you have a horse Beth?”

“No.” And that was the sum of their conversation till Rastillian stopped in front of an imposing wrought iron gate, which in turn stood in front of an equally imposing mansion.

A watchman stepped out of a little hut behind the gate and peered at them through the ornate iron work. “Rastillian?”

“Forest.” Rastillian replied. “I’m here to see the master of the house.”

“Is he expecting you?” Forest enquired.

“Nope.”

“Who’s the girl?”

“His business.” Forest nodded as he unlocked the gate. “How’s the household?” Rastillian enquired.

“Chaotic. As you would expect.” Forest admitted.

“To be expected.” Rastillian agreed.

“Are you staying the night?”

Rastillian shrugged, holding both hands up, palm outwards. “Your guess is as good as mine...” The gate clanged shut behind Beth.

The wide gravel path to the front door looked freshly raked, with flowers manicured to an inch of their lives along either side. Rastillian stopped at the large double wooden oak doors and pulled a rope hanging down to the side of them, setting a bell ringing inside.

The door opened and a young boy peered out, then up. “Oh. It’s you Rastillian. Are you expected?”

“Nope.”

“Are you here to see him?”

“Yup.”

“You’d better come in then.” Inside of the doors was a large atrium and a frenzy of activity and half packed travelling chests. All the rushing about reminded Beth of a disturbed ants nest. “I’d wait here, if I was you.” Said the young boy before running off to god knows where.

Rastillian stood to the side, up against the wall, seemingly unconcerned by all the frantic activity. Beth stared, eyes and mouth open at all the opulence on display. The stone of the floors and walls was so shiny! It looked like there was a sheen of water on top. To ensure that there wasn’t, she poked the surface with the toe of her boot.

“It’s marble” Rastillian said to the side of her. Not that it helped as Beth didn’t know what ‘marble’ was. And there was so much of it! There was even alcoves in the walls where stone people were stood.

“Master Griplen. If you would be as kind as to follow me sir.” An immaculate and impeccably tailored man had appeared in front of them as if by magic, “It’s not serious, I hope?”

“No, no, no. The healer for the journey requires that she sees his Lordship before the start of the journey.”

“I see...” The man said in a tone of voice that matched his gaze as he looked down upon Beth. Which she found annoyingly impressive as they were of the same height. “If you would both care to follow me...” The immaculate man turned and stately walked across the floor and up the stairs, the throng of people parting for him as though their lives depended on it. They probably did as far as Beth could tell. “As you would expect,” The man said over his shoulder, without actually turning his head. “His Lordship is very busy.”

Rastillian just nodded.

They were led along a long corridor, rich tapestries adorning the walls. There was angry shouting in the distance, shouting that they were heading towards. The man knocked firmly on the door and opened it without waiting for a reply “Mister Griplen to see you sir.”

An old man who had been busily, and loudly, haranguing another impeccably dressed man in the same outfit as the one that had led them here, turned at the intrusion. “Ah! Rast my man, tell me again why this is such a good idea!”

“It’s a terrible idea sir. One would have to ask if you have taken leave of your senses.”

“Hah!” The man nodded with pursed lips, right hand trembling on the cane that was keeping him upright. “Have you finally got yourself a serving girl man?”

“No sir, she is the healer for the journey sir.”

“That little scrap of a thing?”

Beth was absolutely fed-up of being talked about as if she wasn’t there and brushed past Rastillian, deliberately barging into him. Her plan had been to stagger him a little, but her plan failed as it felt as though she had collided with one of those stone people in the walls. Even more annoyingly, he failed to be moved in the slightest. “If I am to ensure your health on the journey. I have to determine what your current state of health is before we depart. In order to do that, I need to do a full examination.” She hesitated. “Sir.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” His Lordship stated, with a hint of a sneer upon his lips.

“With all due respect Sir, that is for me to decide. Not you.”

“How dare you talk to me like that in my own house!”

“The sooner we do this, the sooner I will be gone.”

“You can go now!” He snapped.

“Not till I have done the job I have been contracted to do.”

“I am your employer!”

“So you are telling yourself to disrobe, as that’s what I am telling you to do as your employee...”

“I’ll not have such impertinence and disrespect in my house!!”

Beth turned to Rastillian “If you would please leave and give my patient some privacy. And you as well,” She said to the man who had led them here. “You!” She snapped at the other one “Can stay and help him undress...”

“HE will do no such thing!”

“Either he does it, or I will do it, and I don’t have time to be gentle.” Beth turned back to Rastillian “Out! Now!”

Rastillian shrugged and left the room. Beth was surprised that the butler actually followed him, shutting the door gently behind them.

They stood there in the corridor, either side of the door in silence as the muffled shouts and protestations made their way through the oak doors. “It will be an interesting journey for you Mister Griplen.”

“That it will Mister Blake. That it will...” They stood in silence for a few more minutes “Will you be coming with us Mister Blake?”

“Alas, no. His Lordship will be the responsibility of Mr Simon inside. I have to stay here and look after the house and staff in his Lordships absence.”

“Ah. That is unfortunate”

“It is indeed, Mister Griplen, It is indeed.” He said, sounding anything but unfortunate. The pair of them met gazes, a slight smile on the lips of both.

The shouting from inside hadn’t abated, if anything, it had become louder. A couple of maids scurried past, heads down. “Don’t tarry Miss Emma...” Mr Blake commanded and the two maids all but ran down the remaining length of corridor.

Rastillian idly played with a loose thread on his scabbard as the shouting within didn’t seem to show any signs of abating any time soon. “I thought his Lordship was only staying for a day or two? Till the paperwork was signed?”

“You are exceptionally well informed Mister Griplen, since the purpose of this trip is supposedly known only to a few.” Rastillian shrugged as the door was wrenched open and Beth stormed out, still buckling her ever present healers bag shut.

There was a steady clack of a cane and a partly dressed Lordship stopped at the doorway as the manservant tried to dress him. They all watched Beth head down the stairs. “I like her. She has fire in her blood.” His Lordship turned and hobbled back inside, hitting his manservant with his cane “And a bigger set of balls than you!”

Rastillan looked to Mr Blake and raised both eyebrows before turning and striding after Beth who was now out of sight.

Beth was confused. They were jointly walking back to the inn, but she wasn’t sure if she was still the medical cover for the old man, or still looking for work. She didn’t even know how to broach the subject with Rastillian.

“Is he fit to travel?”

“The cantankerous old bastard will probably outlive us all.” Beth raged, still angry. She stopped walking, Rastillian stopped with her. She took several deep calming breaths “I’m sorry, that was not befitting of my position. He is old, his health is failing, but if he takes the journey slowly and does not exert himself, there is no reason why he can’t go and come back and be none the worse for it. A bit of sun and some fresh air might even do him some good.”

Rastillian nodded and started walking again, his posture and presence drawing Beth after him.

“How did you even end up under his employ in the first place?” She asked him.

“We aren’t really under his employ. He asks us if we are available, and if we are and the job suits our abilities, then we may do it if the fiscal remuneration is appropriate. He had an ... issue ... Many years ago, that needed a solution that couldn’t be traced back to him. The outcome was satisfactory to all concerned, so it wasn’t really a surprise when we were contacted to provide closure to another problem a few months later. And then again for another task. He is a very precise man.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

Rastillian shrugged “Over the years we have developed an ... understanding. And a certain amount of mutual respect for the abilities we each have. It’s a fine line Beth. He is a proud man, a powerful man. Very powerful. That isn’t always a good combination.” Rastillian stopped and looked down at her “He can be a fair man, but don’t trap him, always give him an out, an avenue of escape...”

Beth looked up at him, aware that something of import was being relayed to her, but not exactly sure what, and how come she hadn’t noticed how tell Rastillian was until now? He turned and the journey continued. Beth still didn’t know if she was in or not, yet she couldn’t find the words to ask. Did she even want the job?

Rastillian stopped and turned to her again. They were stood outside the inn. “It’s late, You can come in, or you can use the remaining time to sort out any personal issues that need squared away. We leave here at first light.”

“I have a few things to square away.” He nodded and without another word, turned and headed inside leaving Beth stood out in the street like an idiot. His last few words rang in her head as she tried to work out if they were a statement or a command. Her mind was a mess, her brain, as usual, busy cataloguing what supplies she had, working out what would be needed, what injuries she would likely encounter over long travel. Blisters, riding sores, sprains, sunburn, exposure. In amongst all that, she was trying to process the events of the evening, the rapid pace of it all. The returning question of did she even want the job? She wasn’t sure if the client even liked her, or if he even wanted her on the journey.

Amongst all this turmoil, her brain was flagging deficiencies in her inventory. Beth looked up and found that she had walked out of the city, her subconscious making the decision for her. She sighed and pulled out her small sickle and headed into the woods.

Light was creeping over the rooftops as she entered the inn. Rastillian was sitting at the table she had seen him at the previous night, along with two other men. One was Awnlee Jorking, so that must mean the other was Arkage Tiespot.

“Beth!” Rastillian waved her over. “Have you eaten yet?” She shook her head, she hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. Rastillian looked towards the new man and jerked his head towards the bar. The man stood and wandered off. Rastillian waved to the freshly vacated spot and Beth sat. She hoped she didn’t look as tired as she felt as she laid her bag on the floor. She had been awake all night, collecting herbs, her mind all over the place. She smiled at Awnlee, who simply nodded and pulled out his clay pipe and small leather pouch of tobacco.

Beth decided that honesty was the best path forward. “I’ve not been on a ... journey like this. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

Rastillian nodded. “Do what we tell you, when we tell you, and there will be no problems. And that swings both ways.”

“Both ways?”

“Where matters of his Lordships health are concerned, you say, we do.”

“That’s umm...” Beth wasn’t sure how to say ‘surprisingly sensible for a male’ as a plate of food and a tankard of ale was placed in front of her

“Have you met Arkage yet?” Beth shook her head. “Beth, Arkage. Arkage, Beth.”

Arkage sat on the bench behind Rastillian, looking at her curiously over Rastillian’s shoulder. Beth tucked into the meal in front of her as she was absolutely bloody starving. Arkage was of similar build and age to the other two. No longer at the peak of strength, but no less dangerous for it. They all wore the same grizzled, bashed and beaten look about them, yet she didn’t feel threatened in their presence. It came to her as she was finishing her food, wiping the surface clean with a small chunk of bread, washing it down with a slurp of ale.

They all looked at her when they spoke to her. They looked her in the face, met her eye. They talked to her face. Not to her breasts, not to the juncture of her legs, or the curve of her hips. They talked to her as a person, not as someone they wanted to fuck or to rape. They weren’t continually undressing her with their gaze. It was ... unprecedented.

“Is everything packed and ready?” Rastillian asked of Arkage, who nodded. “Is that all you have Beth?” He asked, nodding down at her bag. Beth nodded. “You will ride with Arkage.” Beth nodded again, a little scared as she had never ridden a horse and to be honest, horses scared her a little “Right, let’s get this show on the road.” Rastillian slapped his thighs and stood “I’ll square away the inn keep. Follow Awnlee, Beth.”

Beth followed Awnlee out the back door of the inn into the inns courtyard, where a cart and mule awaited along with two horses. Arkage leaned down and offered her his large hand and Beth took it without thinking and found herself sailing up into the air without any apparent effort on Arkage’s behalf. It was a sobering revelation as to the power contained within the three men and the uncomfortable knowledge that she was putting her body and safety in their hands.

Arkage lowered her gently onto the bench seat next to him. “Um thanks.” Beth said as she massaged her pulled shoulder as surreptitiously as she could. Awnlee mounted one of the horses as Beth swung her bag into the back of the cart to join a pile of other bags. Awnlee was making cooing noises into his horse’s ear as he tickled it under the chin.

“Right. Everyone here and Ready?” Rastillian asked as he exited the back door of the inn. He took a quick look and mounted his horse with the grace of a seasoned rider and set off, the others following. The roads were fairly busy with market traders arriving with their goods for the day. The two horses were not a problem as they went against the flow of traffic, but the cart was another situation entirely. Not helped in the slightest by the mule displaying it’s belligerent temperament by biting or attempting to bite everything that came close.

The estate was a hive of activity, the centre piece of the rushing bodies in front of the main door a... “What the heck is that!!!” Beth exclaimed.

Arkarge laughed and turned to her. “I take it from that, you have never seen a carriage before?”

“A what?”

“Carriage. A cart for rich people.”