[Episode 7] Spire and the Dragonwood Affair

[Novelette] Tales of Stonehaven [2,100 words]

Spire and the Dragonwood Affair is the first of five novelettes in The 5th Compass series. Captain Silverblade, the most feared and hated pirate in all of Stonehaven, has put her life in the hands of four of her most trusted pirates. Their mission is to each take possession of an enchanted compass and hide them where no one can ever find them. This is the story of Spire and how he got on with hiding the compass given to him.

“How long have we been walking? My feet are killing me.”

“My stomach is killing me. Why didn’t we bring something with us when we left the ship?”

Wendynn looked back at the men who were trailing slowly behind him and scowled. Their complaints were something he had to endure the moment they walked into town and he just about had enough.

“Are you men, or young boys, lost. Because I thought Captain Silverblade sent men to complete this mission.” Both pirates looked at each other, ashamed. “I’m glad she didn’t come with us. She would be disappointed in your behavior. Don’t you think I’m hungry? I am. The faster we do this, the faster we can return to the ship and some food.”

“Yes, but what is it we are looking for? We’re still not clear on that.” The other pirate nodded in agreement.

“I’m not sure either. But we’ll know it when we see it. Trust me. I’m sure we won’t need to travel much further,” Wendynn turned back around and saw two men at the other end of the road, talking to each other animatedly and walking in their direction. They were strangers to him but the clothes they wore were not. Finely woven material, bright yellow and burnt red colors. The glint from the swords that hung around their waists were a sure sign that they were guards. And probably belonged to the king, whoever he was. This was not something Wendynn had time for. They needed to get out of the way without bringing too much attention to themselves and quickly.

Not two steps from where they stood came the aroma of a stew that had been cooking for days. It was not pleasant, but it would have to do. “I’ll tell you what, let’s go in here and get something to eat. Perhaps with a little food in my stomach I’ll think more clearly.”

The men did not need much convincing as they both made for the door, shoving each other to be the first to walk through it. Wendynn acted calmly and didn’t turn back to see if someone noticed them as he entered behind them.

The smell of overcooked meat was stronger and Wendynn swallowed back the bile that crept up his throat. The tavern was completely empty. Scanning the room, he counted at least a dozen round tables with four chairs to each but there wasn’t a soul seated at any of them. Something wasn’t right about this and he figured it would be better to take their chances with the guards outside, but it was too late. He heard one of his companions shouting for the barman to show themselves.

From a doorway at the other end of the bar came a rather large woman wiping her hands with a cloth dirtier than her hands. She flung it over a shoulder and placed her hands on her hips, eyeing all three of them with disdain.

“Who do ye think ye are? Ye don’t summon me like I’m some animal you piss on every night before you go to sleep.”

“Excuse us. We were just leaving,” Wendynn said, starting for the door. Both pirates at the bar turned and looked at him in shock. They had no intention of leaving so quickly.

“Oh, you were just leavin’ was ye? Ain’t my food good enough for ye? Don’t like my hospitality?” she asked, her smile beaming. Her front teeth were missing and the ones she had left were turning a yellowish green, but there was no mistake about it; she was definitely smiling.

“No, we were just looking for a place we could rest and eat,” Wendynn replied, stepping back from the bar, angling to walk out the door.

“Well, sit down the lot o’ ye. I’m not yer personal servant ye know? I got work o’ me own ter do in the back.” They found the nearest table and took a seat. The two starving pirates licked their lips in anticipation of food they hadn’t ordered yet.

“A round of—”

“No,” the woman said, stopping one pirate short before he could complete his sentence. “You’ll have what I bring ye. Do yer got any money?”

She towered over them, with her nose practically to the sky. She looked down at them, her arms folded. The two pirates swallowed hard, knowing they were not the one who came with the change purse, but they didn’t want to look over at Wendynn either and give away he was the one holding the money.

“Of course, we have money,” Wendynn answered, insulted she would suggest they would try to eat food and leave without paying.

With her rough and cracked fingers, she stretched out her arm and held Wendynn’s jaw firmly. She turned it one way then the other before letting it go. “Yer not all that good lookin’ suga. Either pay up or leave.” She held out her hand, waiting for coins.

Wendynn looked over at his two traveling companions, expecting them to be just as angry at he was but they just looked hungry and eager to eat. What else could he do but pull out a small pouch he kept hanging around his neck and pull out a few coins? He let them drop into her hand, afraid he might dirt on his hands. She looked down at them, counting with her eyes. She closed her fist tightly, grunted at them, then bounded off through the door behind the bar.

“She didn’t take our order,” one pirate said.

“I think in a place like this it’s best to pretend you like whatever is put in front of you. If she brings us anything at all.”

They sat at the table in silence for what seemed like a very long time. Wendynn was getting concerned that he had lost track of time. What if she had convinced others to come and rob them while they had been sitting there unawares? Or perhaps she located those two guards, the very reason they entered this establishment to begin with, and was right now reporting them hoping to get some reward? How could he be so stupid!

Wendynn stood up from his chair so quickly it toppled over and made his two companions jump with fright. Just then, the woman walked through the door, balancing three plates in her hands. She dropped them in the center of the table and stomped back behind the bar. His two companions each grabbed a plate and started to scarf down the food with their bare hands. Wendynn couldn’t believe his eyes and averted them to look at the third plate meant to be his. With his thumb and forefinger, he pulled it closer to him then instantly pushed it as far away as possible. There was a piece of bread in the center of the plate or what he thought was bread though it resembled a rock in its coloring. The other mounds surrounding it had a grayer color and carried with it an odor unlike anything he had ever smelled alive or dead.

“Are you going to eat yours?” one of his companions managed to spittle out through a full mouth. Wendynn shook his head, giving them permission to devour his plate.

The woman returned to their table, this time carrying three mugs of what Wendynn hoped was consumable ale. She banged them down on the table and scowled at the two pirates who were too busy eating to even spare a moment to thank her for the meal. Ale, or something that looked like ale, splashed on the table.

His tongue felt like sandpaper as he peered inside the mug and brought it close to his lips. It wasn’t a strong ale, but he was reasonably sure it would go down easy. Before he could take the first sip, the door of the tavern banged open and four men, larger than the woman behind the bar, stormed inside.

“MA, where are you?!” The first to enter squinted and looked around the room. His eyes were clearly swollen and red from crying.

“I am here, son. What happened?” He ran over to his mother and threw his arms about her, crying into her shoulder. Her head was barely visible over his back, but she looked at the next son to walk through the door. “[TBD], ye tell me what happened? Ye know how sensitive yer brother is.”

“We ran into two of those guards outside.”

“Say no more,” she said, and lifted her son’s face up from her shoulder. He was several feet taller than she and her massive hands barely covered his cheek when she held his face firmly to look into his eyes. “Did you let them see ye shed tears?”

He pulled his head away from her hands, wiped his tears, and returned to his brother’s using them as a shield to hide behind. “No.”

She folded her arms and looked at all four of her sons. “He didn’t, ma. He ran away instead. We ran after him.”

“What did they say this time?”

“The same as always. Why won’t they let us join them, ma? We’re bigger and stronger than all of them!”

“Yeah,” the brother who was hiding shouted from behind them.

The woman shifted her eyes towards Wendynn, and his companions seated at a table close enough to hear everything that was happening. Wendynn quickly looked away, focusing his eyes into the mug of ale he still held in his hands. The other two were finishing his plate and washing it down with their mugs of ale. They hadn’t yet taken notice of the four large brothers who right now stood between them and a speedy exit.

“Where be Isobel, mother?” the third brother asked, and quickly lowered his head as if ashamed to have uttered a word. Of the four he was by far the largest and probably could kill a man with his bare hands. Wendynn did not want to stick around and find out, but he could see no way of moving without bringing attention to himself.

“She’s gone to fetch me some rabbit tongues and goat's feet from Lord Baylish.”

At the mention of rabbit tongues and goat's feet the two pirates who had been too busy eating to show any sign of concern, slammed their mugs down on the table so hard the empty plates rattled.

“What did she just say?” One of them asked Wendynn, who shushed him and shifted his body, so he no longer faced the door. He knew there was no means of escape so they would have to wait till these four large brothers left first.

“Lord Baylish? You sent her there alone?” The oldest and clearly the leader of the four appeared agitated at their mother’s decision to send their sister alone, but she brushed his concerns off.

“She became of age long ago. Should we be lucky enough that she caught the eye of someone like Lord Baylish I may never have to work again and you four might finally be presentable enough for the king.”

Two of the four brothers’ eyes lit up at this and suddenly found nothing wrong with sending their sister on her own to a man’s home.

“She isn’t ready for that, mother, and you know why.”

“I thought I told you never to bring that up in mixed company,” she said, motioning with her head towards the table where Wendynn and his two companions were sitting. They remained perfectly still, almost like statues, waiting for when it would be safe to get up and leave.

“Who’s that?” the youngest brother who ran from the king’s guard when they teased him pushed past his brothers to get a closer look.

“Never mind them. They’re just pirates. Now, if you’re so troubled about your sister go find her and see her home safely. Shoo!”

The woman coaxed her four sons out the door, making an escape for Wendynn that much easier but he still felt unsure if they were completely out of harm’s way. He heard her speak the word ‘pirates.’

There was no time to sit around and ponder if she would turn them in or not. They had a mission to complete, and he aimed to complete it no matter what.

“Come,” he whispered, and the three of them quickly stood and made for the exit.

“Do, come again,” the woman said as she wiped her hands with the dirty rag again and cackled, the sound breaking in the thick afternoon sun.