Chapter 28: Gainfully Employed

With the message sent via a trusted courier and the conversation paused for now, we ate together as Laura and Gleeson endured my unending list of questions about, well, everything. I had always liked to make decisions with the best possible information, something that was critically short in supply at the moment. I was playing catch-up, and I didn’t like it.

I discovered the Blades of Mondarin were a multinational mercenary company, which made it the third one I’d heard of since I arrived in Dromin. That was unusual. Medieval organisations on Earth operated within the span of hundreds of miles, not thousands. Of course there was the Catholic Church and the Knights Templar, but they were both religious orders. The Iron Shield was a police force, the Wizards’ Collective was a guild. And the Blades of Mondarin? I suddenly realised I had no idea who I was trying to be hired by.

“Who or what is Mondarin?”

The three girls looked surprised, but Gleeson chuckled as if he’d been waiting for the question. “He’s one of the dead Gods. The God of Adventurers, Hard Work and Heroes. The Blades were never actually a religious order, but they modelled themselves after those ideals. Hence the name. Actually, Mondarin himself probably never cared about that; he was a God who valued actions, not worship. You won’t find the Blades of Mondarin supporting a tyrant. They won’t do it.”

I frowned. “But Theran told me they accept jobs from Arnias.”

The dwarf clicked his tongue irritably. “They are in a difficult position in Westfall. They pre-date Lord Arnias and, where they used to work well with the City Watch and integrate smoothly into operations, they have been trying to scale back their involvement with some of the stricter policies he’s adopting. Lord Arnias introduced his changes slowly and didn’t reveal his hand. Taxes increased gradually and, until you mentioned it, no-one had ever given thought to why we didn’t see mages around these parts. They were rare enough before, so we didn’t realise just how much rarer they were than in other parts of the world.”

Taking this in carefully, I thought about what it might mean. “So Arnias is working with a system which used to fully integrate the Blades into their law enforcement. You’re saying he wants them out, but doesn’t have anything to replace them with?”

The dwarves agreed. “The hiring standards fer the watch ‘ave dropped so he can get more. Th’only standard fer the watch now is thar they are loyal t’Arnias. And his personal knights are worse. He has abou’ fifty of the spoilt brats who ar’ well taken care of; so they are loyal to him. But he keeps ’em close t’protect ‘imself,” Theran replied.

“And the Iron Shield?” I asked.

“Slowly becoming more active in Westfall,” replied Gleeson, “and getting more authority in the streets. They have full authority outside the city, but inside the walls there is a pissing match going on between the Watch Captain, the Blades and the Iron Shield.”

I whistled through my teeth and sat back in my chair. “That seems like a system ripe for abuse, corruption… jurisdictional disputes… how does it even function?”

The dwarves glanced at each other as if I’d missed something.

“Who said anything about it functioning?” snorted Gleeson. “The only reason crime doesn’t run out of control in the city is because the watch don’t want any competition. Theft and murder might not be rampant in the city, but the criminals only need to step outside the gates and it’s pretty clear that Arnias doesn’t give a rat’s arse about the people there. And the Iron Shield only cares about wild mages, not brigands.” He turned to Theran. “Do you remember? Under Lord Secondus, Arnias’ father, it used to be that the Watch and the Blades shared a responsibility around the city for about a two-day ride. But Arnias ended it within a year of coming into power.”

The older dwarf nodded sagely. “I remember. I don’t know what chip Arnias ‘as on ‘is shoulder, but it’s clear tha apple has fallen quite a way from tha tree.”

I noticed the twins were listening as intently as I was, even Laura was paying attention. This was obviously not common knowledge outside the city. Of course, the girls had never been to Westfall, as Copperwise Village was a week away and only linked to Westfall by dint of it being the closest city. And Laura had lived her life who-knows-how-many hundreds of miles away, and knew only what she had researched for her mission here. We were all about as clueless as each other when it came to the politics of the region.

So we listened to how, for the last ten years he’d been in power, Arnias had been slowly reducing the freedoms the people had and increasing the wealth he extracted from them, all whilst stepping back from the responsibilities he had to keep them safe. And due to the limited mobility of the population, word of his efforts towards tyranny had not spread.

It seemed like a classic kleptocratic leader to me, but done slowly to avoid raising concern.

About an hour after the message was sent, there was a knock at the door and the dwarf Rokle asked if he could show the Blade Commander in. I stood, expecting the military man who entered, but could not have been prepared for the goliath of a man who ducked through the door to step into the room.

The twins both stared; I doubt either of them had seen a human so immense. Laura flicked her eyes to mine in alarm and I could see the same thought going through her head as mine. How on Earth, or Dromin, would we fight this guy if he turned on us?

The man seemed jovial enough. Despite his imposing almost seven-foot-tall frame and muscular build, he gave a sense of ease and peace as he moved into the room and looked around at us all. But, in addition to his happy attitude, I could tell this was a man who thought like Laura did; in terms of threat analysis and strategic forethought. His eyes scanned the room quickly, stopping on the sword on Laura’s belt and then travelling over her body. Not lustfully, analytically, and with the faintest hint of recognition and a frown. What had he seen? Next, he noted the twins and looked over them with interest, a curiosity I could see filed away for later thought. I was passed over with a cursory glance, my youthful appearance and lack of weapons being worth little more than a footnote in his strategic assessment. Finally, his eyes settled upon his prize.

“Gleeson!” he almost roared with delight. “My old friend! It has been too long.”

Gleeson smiled in a way I had not seen in any of the dwarves I had met. It was genuine and heartfelt, like he’d met a long-lost brother. The two embraced in an almost comical display of brotherly affection, their vast height difference solved by the Commander taking a knee to clap a hand around the 5 foot tall dwarf’s shoulders.

“Six long years, Sir. Good to see you again.”

The giant man took a step back, almost in horror. “Sir? I’m no more your superior than that boy there,” he exclaimed, pointing to me.

DICK! I thought to myself, eventually deciding not to take offence. It was a fair assumption. But I caught the Commander looking at me to see how I had reacted to his verbal sleight.

Fuck, that was smooth. Thirty seconds in and the man is already testing and analysing personalities.

Gleeson shot me an amused look, then turned back to the Commander. “May I introduce Commander Penaton Thorpe of the Blades of Mondarin. I served with him for 20 years, and would trust him with my life and yours.” He turned back to the giant. “And you became ‘Sir’ the minute you held the rank of Commander, regardless of what rank I used to be.”

The man rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He pulled a chair from the table and brought his huge frame down into it, somehow appearing to shrink to our size once seated. We all took seats, except for Laura, who leant up against the wall behind me, and the man looked around again to all of us, obviously wondering why he had been called.

I took a breath.

“Commander Thorpe, my name is Mathew. I have been told you are a good man to work for. I’ve come into a bit of a situation where I feel my responsibilities to those around me require both a steady income, and knowledge of the blade.”

The Commander eyed me with renewed interest. He’d initially treated me as inconsequential, but I felt like I was being scanned or x-rayed as he analysed my body language, my physique, hell, it felt like he was looking directly into my bones.

“Learn to make bread. Everyone needs to eat, you’ll make a killing.”

It wasn’t a suggestion, it was a callout; I was being coy and he was letting me know that he knew it.

“It wouldn’t teach me the sword.”

The man shrugged and tweaked his head in Laura’s direction.

“Then get the Iron Shield bint to teach you.”

Laura moved her hand to the pommel of her sword, but the Commander shot her a look so fierce that I heard her hand drop back to her side. The whole mood of the room had changed. Gone was the warmth and friendly atmosphere. In its place, the air had become suddenly thick with tension. As Thorpe looked around the room I could see him analysing the reactions of everyone present.

“So you did know she’s a mage killer. Gleeson, why am I here?”

“She’s not First Shield, and exactly what I said. I need employment,” I repeated.

The Commander shook his head. “You could have just made an application like anyone else…” he trailed off, the gears in his head were turning.

He’s figured us out already.

“She’s not a local, is she?” he queried, nodding to Laura, who shook her head and the man swore under his breath.

“You’re who the Iron Shield are turning the city upside down for? Gleeson, it’s a good thing you’re like a brother to me. What are you getting me into?”

“The Iron Shield here are corrupt!” snapped Laura, ending her silence. “They tried to murder these two girls, even AFTER they agreed to come to the Wizards’ Collective. I was part of the team sent to collect them. They did nothing wrong and my Captain still tried to execute them!”

There was a pregnant silence as the Commander pinched the bridge of his nose and thought before continuing.

“James’ Brook. There were two identical elves, a woman with a sword and a young man who performed miracles,” he said, shaking his head in frustration. “And, just so I can be abreast of what you’re truly asking me, would you perhaps know anything about the slaughter of Revenant Company a week and a half ago?”

The room froze. None of us had thought news of Deriostos’ death would find us so quickly and before I could think of an appropriate answer, our silence had condemned us.

The Commander breathed out a long sigh.

“Well.”

He eyed me with curiosity and caution and I stared him back directly, trying to get his measure. I was aware that Laura had slipped her hand back to her sword pommel, but Thorpe had paid her no mind, his focus was on me. The two of us locked eyes for a solid minute and, as I thought through how we could possibly escape from a man who took up most of the available space between us and the door, I could see him running similar scenarios in his head.

And then, abruptly, he had made a decision. He leant back into his chair and issued a hearty bellowing laugh, turning to Gleeson and shaking his head in disbelief.

“Brother, you chose a fine time to throw a fox into the henhouse!” The grin split across his face from ear to ear and the tension in the room softened as he finished chuckling at some joke that I was sure made a lot of sense to him.

“Do you realise,” he smirked, “that I’ve just been asked to help turn Westfall inside out looking for you? Officially, it’s just to check papers. But after General Mascione’s nephew barged into the court last week, well, rumours have been flowing.”

“What rumours?” asked Laura, with her eyes narrowed. “Who is General Mascione’s nephew? And how does he know anything about us?”

“Sir Gregory de Mascione. And now the City Watch liaison.” He paused and looked directly at me.

“You didn’t kill them all.”

“Fuck. Gregory. There goes our window of opportunity,” I muttered angrily. I turned back to Laura to find her deep in frantic thought, her eyes flicking back and forth as she processed what this meant for us tactically. Asha was frowning, anger and fear in her eyes, but as I looked to Erica, I saw a different emotion. Not fear or anger, but something else I couldn’t place.

“Tha changes things,” Theran spoke slowly and deliberately. “We need t’get ye out of the city tomorrow. A distraction… maybe ye slip out, maybe ye break out, but ye canna stay ‘ere.”

The Commander stood and Laura snapped out of her planning and into readiness, eyeing him suspiciously, but the large man simply waved her down.

“Stay in the city. Your instincts were good; as a Blade of Mondarin, you’ll blend in and no-one will know you’re here.” He looked to Laura. “I assume you won’t have a problem serving with my men for the duration?” to which the knight shook her head.

“Good. The girls can serve as cooks or in the laundry and no-one will be the…”

“NO!”

All eyes turned to Erica, who had exploded in fear, screeching out and confusing the interrupted Commander. As everyone stared at the elf, who seemed to be having a small panic attack, she began to calm, looked embarrassed for a moment and then with a small pause she looked at all of us apologetically.

“Sorry… Sorry everyone… uh…” Erica took a breath and quickly looked to Laura, Asha and I. “I’ll tell you everything later… but, Commander Thorpe, my sister and I are good hunters, and we never waste arrows on air. Could you teach us to adapt our skills to combat?”

I was shocked, and not the only one. Laura’s eyebrows were raised so high they were in danger of disappearing entirely and Asha turned on her sister with surprise. She began to protest until a moment later a look of recognition came across her face and she calmed immediately. Turning to the Commander, she echoed Erica’s request and Laura and I were left trying to understand what had just happened.

“Girls, you were adamant about not harming people a week ago. What’s changed?”

Asha looked warmly at her sister before nodding and I realised that ‘twin telepathy’ thing was happening again where, somehow, they knew what the other was thinking.

“We’ve already killed a man. You took an arrow in the shoulder because we hesitated. And we are no longer safe here. Not if that knight survived. We can’t afford to be ‘damsels in distress’ anymore.”

No-one spoke, but the Commander looked to Gleeson for a moment, who just shrugged noncommittally, prompting the giant of a man to think a moment.

“Well,” he said eventually, “I’ll always support a girl who wants to learn to defend herself. Even better if you both want to learn; you can keep each other honest. But all of you need to be aware, I don’t play favourites. You’ll bunk with the other Blades, train with them, eat with them, fight for them. You want to be part of us, you’ll be part of us.”

The girls nodded, and I followed suit. Laura just shrugged and I imagined that this was nothing new to her.

“One last thing,” Commander Thorpe added. “I’m taking a hell of a risk for you lot. I want something in return.” He turned to Gleeson. “You knew what using your rank in that note implied. I want you back as my second.”

The dwarf simply nodded. I imagine he’d seen this coming by the smirk he had.

“Done.”

Well, after that, logistics were organised rather quickly. We didn’t have any belongings other than our horses and our armour, and the Commander didn’t want us to bring either to the Mondarin Arena with us. Laura initially argued against leaving her sword behind but Thorpe reasoned that anyone with knowledge of the Iron Shield would recognise the weapon and identify her just like he did. He was persuaded about her medical kit, but we left with little else. In the dark, the Commander escorted us back to the Arena and quickly showed us to the dorms. A young lieutenant was given orders to find us bunks and I looked very carefully at the sleeping arrangements, my protective nature surging to the fore.

Men and women both slept in cots in the large room, with no privacy, simply stacked in rows of double-decker bunks, sleeping calmly. The walls were built from thick, stone brick, and the windows were fitted with glass, the first I’d seen in any sleeping quarters since I’d arrived in Dromin. The air was still, but not musky and everything was set perfectly in place. Crucially, it didn’t scream danger like the common room in James’ Brook and, as I watched for Laura’s reaction, I found her nodding in approval. More surprisingly, Erica strode into the room first, her meagre possessions over her shoulder. She shot the lieutenant a look that all but demanded direction, her chin high, shoulders too stiff to match the pose. The bravado, I saw, was in spite of her anxiousness, not in absence of it; she was terrified. But that same fierce resolve I’d seen in Copperwise, when she’d demanded the rite of servitude, had returned; she was taking control again.

The four of us were shown to empty bunks in the back and whispered voices informed us that we were to report to the Commander first thing in the morning. At seventh bell, they would ring it twice. If we weren’t up on our feet by the second toll, there would be consequences. I smirked ruefully; I hadn’t slept more than an hour since arriving in Westfall; I didn’t expect tonight to be any different and I doubted it would be a problem for Laura or the girls. With that, the lieutenant shuffled back to his bunk, obviously slightly miffed at having been woken, and we turned in to attempt sleep in our new surroundings.