[Episode 8] Spire and the Dragonwood Affair
[Novelette] Tales of Stonehaven [1,959 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.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” the stranger shouted to Spire who had already continued on his journey towards the home of Lord Baylish. He had been there several times in his youth to meet Isobel as there was a small brook nearby where they liked to be alone and knew no one could find them. The other times was with his best friend doing odd jobs for Lord Baylish who often paid handsomely. But now that his best friend was gone at the hands of Lord Baylish and his lies, there was nothing Spire wanted to do more than to slit his throat.
The road became more recognizable to him the further he walked, and he found his pace quickening with anticipation of finding Lord Baylish. Several years had passed and part of him hoped time had not been kind. Though if a duel should happen between them, it would make his revenge all the sweeter.
His stride slowed to a near stop when he saw the rooftop of the house from nearly a hundred yards away. He turned to the right and knew if he walked not fifty paces he would stumble upon the peaceful brook. One foot pointed in that direction, urging him to take the path of safety and happiness. But he shook his head in defiance. His heart would not win him over this time. Not while he was finally close enough to do what he had dreamed of ever since her four brothers ran him out of Dragonwood.
His feet continued to walk towards the house, careful this time as he heard voices up ahead. He ducked down when he saw the back of someone’s head in the distance. Long blonde curls were all he saw, but it was all he needed to see to know who it was. Her angelic voice confirmed it.
“You are a vision, my dear. I always find it hard to believe you come from the same line that produced those brothers of yours.” Lord Baylish’s voice carried on the wind, harsh and unforgiving. It always made Spire’s skin crawl, especially now as he crouched down listening.
“My brothers are handsome, Lord Baylish. I wish you wouldn’t say such things about them to my face.”
“My dear, I apologize. But you look so lovely. The way the sun touches your hair. I seem to have forgotten my manners.” Spire could see Lord Baylish place a hand on Isobel’s shoulder and he put his hand to his side, reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. He cursed silently, forgetting he left it back on his ship.
“I really must go, my lord. Mother will wonder what has taken me so long.”
Lord Baylish laughed so loudly even Isobel had a hard time maintaining her fake smile as she winced slightly. “I doubt that, my dear. Why do you think she’s sent you here to me every day these past five days? I had hoped she explained this to you by now, but I see by the way you are looking at me now that she hasn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you really think I would have anything to do with animal parts and selling them?”
Isobel took several steps backwards, turned and opened the rucksack she held in her hands. Inside were a handful of turnips. “I don’t understand,” she said, looking up and glimpsing a figure hiding in the bushes.
Lord Baylish came up behind her, close enough to breathe in the scent of her hair and she flinched in fright at his close proximity. “Don’t fear me, child. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Spire couldn’t stand it any longer. The second Lord Baylish’s hand gripped Isobel’s arm he stood up, exposing his hiding place. “Unhand her,” he said, and winked at Isobel who smiled in disbelief at who stood before her.
“Spire? As I live and breathe, is that really you?” Lord Baylish let go of Isobel’s arm and stepped around her as if to give Spire a hug.
“Stay where you are. I’m not here to rekindle old friendships.” Spire looked at Isobel, not expecting her to be there. How was he to kill someone in front of her and unarmed?
“Well, I see no love lost between you two,” Lord Baylish said, taking notice of the way Isobel and Spire were staring at each other as if he weren’t there.
“What are you doing here alone with him?”
“Mother sent me. What are you doing here? It isn’t safe. If my brothers should find you,” Isobel said, rushing into his arms and laying her head on his shoulder. He kissed her golden blonde hair and gave a glaring look to Lord Baylish who looked on in disbelief.
“Is that why you left so hastily, Spire? And here I thought you were afraid I would do to you what I had to do to your friend. What was his name?”
“Don’t you ever speak his name. Ever.” Spire moved Isobel aside and stepped towards Baylish, wishing he had something to defend himself besides his fists, balled at his sides.
Lord Baylish was armed. He drew a dagger from his back, brandishing it at Spire. “Oh, no you don’t. What did you think would happen? You’d come back here and find me some old feeble man, easy enough to kill? HA! I hate to sour your mood, but you’ve come here at quite an inconvenient time. For, you see, Isobel and I are to be married—”
At the word, marriage, Isobel gasped and had to catch herself before she fainted. How could her mother have given her hand in marriage to such an evil man?
“Marriage?” A booming voice from behind Spire walked out from the bushes, his footsteps practically shaking the ground. “Brother, did you hear the man speak of marriage to our dear sister?”
“That I did. That I did,” came another voice just a few feet away.
“Strange…” came another voice, this time to Lord Baylish’s left, and he turned his dagger in that direction. This time he was scared at what might happen next.
“What was that you said there, brother?” the first asked.
“Strange that there should be a wedding and we weren’t told anything about it.”
The four brothers nodded in unison, all of them standing on all sides of Lord Baylish, their sister Isobel, and Spire. No one was going anywhere.
“Gentlemen, I think this is a discussion you should have with your mother. I’m doing her, and all of you, a favor. Now, if you will excuse me.” Before any of the four brothers could react, Lord Baylish dropped his dagger on the ground and ran for his house, slamming the door shut and putting on the latch behind him.
Spire eyed the dagger, left behind on the ground and lunged forwards to grab it but the brother closest to it took one giant step and covered it with his foot. From the sound it made Spire swore that dagger was now bent and unusable.
“Not so fast, Spire.”
“What luck, sis, that we should find you two together again.”
“Only this time we won’t let him get away.” The brother standing behind Spire grabbed him by the shoulders and squeezed so tightly it made him fall to his knees.
“Please, don’t hurt him,” Isobel begged her brothers, falling to her knees as well in front of Spire. “I love him.”
“Love? You don’t know what that is. Get up before you dirty your dress and mother blames us. Don’t worry, we won’t hurt him, will we, boys?”
The other three brothers all shook their heads in agreement. Not a hair would be harmed on Spire’s head as far as they were concerned, and Isobel trusted her brothers enough to know they were not lying to her.
“Then, what are you going to do with him?”
“The way we figure it, taking this here pirate to the king, one of Silverblade’s pirates, will get us in good.”
“Yeah, then maybe he’ll let us join his guards and mother will be proud of us.”
Spire started to giggle despite his current predicament. The very idea that they could use him as a bargaining chip with the king to get these four oafs a title of the king’s guard was too silly not to laugh.
“What’s so funny. Brother, ask him what’s so funny?”
“Well, speak up,” the older brother asked, lifting Spire to his feet by his shoulders.
“If you really think the king will let you join his guard just by turning me over to him, then you’re even bigger fools than everyone in town thinks you are.”
The youngest brother lunged for Spire’s throat, but the other two held him back as best they could.
“Stop it. I told you we can’t harm him. What good is a dead pirate to the king? He’ll want the opportunity to torture him for information.”
“Information?” Spire asked, his mind racing with an idea that just might get him out of this problem. “If it’s information you want, then I know someone even more important and closer to Silverblade than me who you can take to the king. And this pirate will guarantee you not only get to join the king’s guard, but he might even make your mother a Lady in his court.”
The four brothers looked at each other with joy in their eyes. The opportunity to make their mother a Lady in the king’s court would make her even more proud of them than they could even imagine. How could they turn down listening to what he had to say?
The brother who held Spire by the shoulders let him go. “Explain?”
Spire rolled his shoulders and rocked his head from side to side to crack his neck and loosen his limbs before he gave another wink to Isobel who stood by silently listening.
“I did not come to this island alone. I came here with another pirate. But not just any pirate. This pirate is Silverblade’s second in command.” Spire emphasized his last sentence and spread his arms wide to let the brothers know just how major what he was telling them was, but they showed no sign of excitement along with him.
“So what? Is that important?”
“Is that important?” Isobel said, finally catching on to Spire’s plan and wanting to help him if it meant that she could save his life. “Second in command means there is no one closer to Silverblade than this pirate. It means he would know exactly where she is. He might even know how many pirates and ships she has in her command. Yes, the king would be most pleased if you brought him this pirate.”
“Take us to him. Now.” The youngest brother escaped the others long enough to grab Spire by his shirt collar and raise him up, so the toes of his boots were barely grazing the ground.
“Yes. Just…put…me… down. Can’t… breathe…”
“Let him go, brother.” In a huff he loosened his grip on Spire and let him fall to the ground, gasping for air.
“We must move quickly. It’s almost nightfall and Wendynn won’t want to stay here that long,” Spire said.
The younger brother reached out his hand to Spire and helped him to his feet. He turned back briefly to brush dirt from his backside and noticed movement from an open window of Lord Baylish’s house. But before he had time to wonder if they were being listened to the helpful brother shoved him forward, nearly returning him to his backside as he led the way to find Wendynn who he hoped had not yet completed the mission.