Chapter 14: Meeting a Brother

I finished the last section of fence and straightened to watch the few cows in the pasture before walking across to the men working to clear the old keep. I had made a deal with them, besides paying them a wage they got to take and sell the stone blocks so they worked harder. The ruins were almost clear now and they were just loading and taking the blocks of stone.

I smiled at Maria as she shooed the chickens away so she could collect their eggs. I turned and carried the shovel to the river opening of the tunnel. When I came back I caught my new wife and gave her a kiss, “the fence is fixed and I need to go earn some money.”

She grinned, “you mean have fun.”

I caressed her face and kissed her again before heading for the gate. I had not wanted to tell Maria that I was going for two men that had been robbing and killing merchants down on the docks. I smiled at the people in the street as I walked and many nodded or waved. Sometimes it pays to help people and not make them pay.

This time it was for Mother Kerine and one of her daughters. I had a tip that the two were watching a goods shop just off the dock. I stopped down the street to watch as a noble and a servant walked into the shop and the two men lounging across the street straightened. I shook my head, the noble almost screamed that he was carrying money.

It was a moment before the two men started across and entered the shop. I was already walking and stopped beside the door to hear what was happening. I heard the thud of blows and shook my head before pulling my night sticks and turning to push the door open and walk in. The noble was backed into a corner with his servant and shopkeeper behind him.

He had a dagger in his hand and the two thieves were shifting back and forth as they tried to move closer with their weapons out. One turned and I lashed out to slam the stick into his head before jabbing as the other turned. He folded over as my stick took him in the stomach and I brought the other down on his head.

I glanced at the noble as I knelt and began tying their wrists. I froze as his face registered and then shook my head and watched what I was doing, “you are a long way from home brother.”

The noble stirred and stepped forward, “Sinclare?”

I gathered the daggers and yanked the two men to their feet, “did father send you or are you adventuring?”

He snorted, “I stopped that nonsense when father married me off like a stray daughter.”

I smiled as I turned and pushed the men to the door. I glanced at the shopkeeper, “tell Mother Kerine I took the men that killed her son in law.”

He nodded and I pushed the men out with my brother and his servant following, “wait.”

I looked at him, “you have legs.”

He shook his head, “still do not know your station.”

I smiled, “my station? I am a thief taker.”

I shoved the men and he started following, “Father was required to give oath to the prince.”

I glanced back, “he is here?”

James nodded and I smiled again, “I wonder how many bastards he leaves behind.”

When I pushed the two killers into the guard building my brother was still following. I pushed them towards a guard and nodded to the commander as he looked up, “the two that have been robbing and killing along the docks.”

He gestured for them to be taken away as I sat and pushed the daggers across the table. He looked at James, “do you need help?”

My brother frowned, “just my brother’s attention.”

I pulled a blank parchment to me, “I will be at the practice yard of the Keep in a hour or two.”

I started writing as he hesitated and then left. I ignored the commander as he looked at me and finally shrugged, “he is my older brother and my father’s heir.”

I finished the report and sanded it before sliding it across the table and standing. I thought as I walked out and headed back to the ruins. Maria was waiting and smiled when she slipped her arm into mine, “you made it on time.”

I squeezed her arm, “I was lucky enough to catch them right away.”

When we walked into the large keep grounds she squeezed my arm before heading for the group of women around the queen. I waited before heading around to the practice yard where dozens of minor nobles were showing off to more female noble lasses. I smiled at countess MacTav beside the prince and his arms instructor, “good day.”

She smiled as the prince grinned and let her hand go, “I practiced Sinclare.”

I bowed and gestured to the practice ring as I pulled my sticks, “show me.”

He pulled the two sticks I had cut down and walked into the ring. I waited for him to move into his stance before stabbing at him with a stick. He slapped it away and swung towards my hand but my other stick caught it and his other stick jabbed. I shifted and turned as our dance continued while he stalked after me.

Finally I stepped back, “enough.”

Nobles around the ring laughed as he almost dropped his sticks while panting. I ignored them as I knelt, “remember what I said about strength and endurance. If you practice each day it gets easier and once you are strong enough you can exchange the sticks for knives or swords.”

He grinned and nodded, “what are you going to teach me today?”

I smiled as I looked at his instructor, “what is something common everywhere? People do not think of it as a weapon but it can be.”

He frowned as he thought and I put my sticks away, “what about a staff? You see brooms in the palace don’t you?”

He nodded and I smiled, “outside you have rakes and shovels and lots of tools with a long handle.”

I stood and caught the thrown staff his instructor tossed. I slowly went through the standard moves and then repeated it several times before looking at the prince, “I will watch you next week.”

He nodded eagerly as the nobles laughed again. I tossed the staff back to his instructor, “okay now show me your dagger work.”

He pulled the fancy dagger I had given him and shifted before moving and shifted smoothly. The nobles were not laughing now as the boy went through the drills he had been taught. I smiled when he stopped and bowed, “much better. Next week I want to see you working the sticks longer and doing a few of the moves with the staff.”

He nodded and I gestured to countess MacTav before looking at my brother, “now that I have a minute...”

He smiled, “and here I thought I would have to vouch for you.”

The queen walked through the nobles with Maria and grinned, “Sinclare, your wife said you are almost ready to build your house.”

My brother looked startled as I bowed, “we should start the foundation tomorrow before starting the framing.”

She grinned, “we wish to come watch.”

I bowed again, “it will be our pleasure.”

She smiled and turned to lead a few of the ladies away as Maria slipped under my arm, “I was thinking of asking Thomas to bring his cart out to sell his food and maybe have his wife and daughter set up an area for tea.”

I smiled as I turned her, “that sounds good, you should give them advanced notice and maybe help select the tea.”

I gestured to my brother, “Maria this is my brother James.”

He looked at me before shaking his head, “you married?”

He looked at Maria and bowed, “my lady.”

She grinned, “that does not work on me. Sinclare tried it the first time.”

He looked at me and grinned, “in that case. I am pleased to meet you.”

I gestured and started walking, “what were you doing in that shop this morning?”

James glanced at Maria before shrugging, “my wife wanted something special and my servant told me it could be found in that shop.”

I looked at him as we walked, “if it is the herbs to keep her from having a child, try the Blue Flower off the main marketplace. It has better quality herbs and is safer.”

He reddened, “we have two and she wanted a break.”

Maria grinned, “or you want to make sure a maid does not conceive.”

He looked at her quickly and then at me before shrugging, “my wife knows and picked her out.”

I shook my head, “I have a home to build.”

James nodded, “perhaps after we have given our oath we can speak more.”

Maria held my arm as we walked back through the city and kept looking at me, “you do not like him.”

I looked at her and sighed, “It is not that I do not like him. He is a lot like father in many ways.”

She squeezed my arm, “and you do not like your father.”

I smiled and then frowned as I saw two men shoving Thomas back and forth between them. I let Maria’s arm go as I strode across the square and pulled my sticks. I poked one in the gut when he turned and back handed the other in the face. I cracked the one bent over on the head and jabbed into the second as he yanked out a dagger.

The first dropped and the second went down trying to breath. I looked at Thomas and he smiled faintly, “strong arms trying to make me pay a noble tax for those here to give oaths to the prince.”

I moved around as I put the sticks away and tied both men before slapping the one awake. I pulled them up and shoved them across and into the guard building. Maria followed and stood just inside the door as I shoved the two men towards a guard, “strong arm robbery.”

I started for the table where the day commander was sipping tea when one of the men tried to struggle, “we are sworn men to baron Clair!”

I stopped and turned to look at him as the guard slapped him in the head. I looked at the commander before sitting and reaching for the parchment he pushed across, “the baron Clair is giving his oath to the prince if you want to inform him.”

He looked at my set face as I wrote out the report and pushed it across the table, “do me a favor? Find out how many men the baron brought and wait a day or two before taking them before the magister?”

He grinned and stood, “we can do that. I think the shift sergeants were looking for someone to clean the jake holes and scrub the isolation cells.”

I smiled as I stood, “thanks.”

I slipped my hand into Maria’s as we left and went back across to speak to Thomas about tomorrow. We walked through and out of the city as we returned to the ruins. The men were almost done with only a couple of small piles of stones left at the basement hole down to the tunnel.

I spoke with the crew boss as Maria went to speak to her sister who was staying with us and watching the animals. I was thinking about the man’s words as I moved hay and helped lock the chickens into the pen down in the tunnel. We walked home and Maria and her sister Sarah went to make dinner.

While they sat in the parlor after dinner I slipped out. The dark smoky tavern I walked into went quiet as I crossed to a table with two men, “I need a favor Gregor.”

One of the men sat back, “oh?”

I ignored the other man and tossed a gold coin, “baron Clair has men shaking people down. I want them.”

He grinned, “well I was just thinking of explaining the rules to them but this is a little better.”

He looked across the room, “Dodger!”

A tall slim man stood, “sir?”

Gregor grinned, “take the thief taker around to the street vendors and merchants the outsiders have been bothering.”

He nodded and grinned, “my pleasure.”

I walked out with him and he glanced at my grim face but kept quiet. He stopped at a corner after peeking around, “there are two of them now.”