Vannerbehn's Luck Pt. 04

Our paths crossed halfway through the night. "Having fun yet?" she asked.

- "Is it like this all the time?"

- "Thankfully, no. Once they realize that you are not going to give them a loan, or an outright gift, the traffic will slow down. That is when you will have to start being extra careful. The real gold diggers and bloodsuckers are much more patient."

- "Wonderful."

She laughed. "If you run into any trouble, just refer them to me."

- "Thanks, partner."

That earned me a kiss that melted part of my brain.

- "You beautiful man." she whispered. Apparently, the word 'partner' triggered several excellent responses in my Janni friend. She looked absolutely magnificent, eminently desirable, as she circulated through the room, checking the action at the tables, fending off subtle and not-so-subtle advances, and keeping a vigilant eye on our staff.

What a partnership. She did everything, while I stood around like an idiot. Probably an accurate reflection of our respective talents, but still ...

Later that evening, Marius called me to the entrance.

- "These gentlemen wish to speak to the owner." he said.

'Gentlemen' was entirely the wrong word. Three pirate cutthroats stood there. A talker, and two slabs of beef - the muscle. I knew the type - I'd seen them a thousand times, down on the docks, or in the Bottoms. Knee-breakers, evicters of old widows, molesters and pimps.

- "What can I do for you gentlemen?" I said, pleasantly. "Marius - a drink for these good fellows, please. And perhaps you'd ask my partner to come over, if you don't mind." I raised my eyebrows at Marius, hoping he'd get the message.

- "My name's Garalt, Master Vannerbehn." said the front man. "We're here to discuss the matter of your ... protection."

- "Protection?"

- "Aye. We had an ... arrangement with your predecessor - Molun. We would be happy to renew that arrangement with you, Sir, on reasonable terms."

Mother Vannerbehn's little boy hadn't been born yesterday. I recognized their racket before they'd said a word. What threw me was how pathetic it was.

There was no way that the Narimac needed protection. Two gargoyles outside, and Ludianne inside, with everyone else's magic suppressed? Please.

The only protection the Narimac might need was political. But if Garalt and his two thugs represented Ledomir, they'd be wearing blue cloaks. If they were Inavar's men, they'd be ... well, scarier.

- "How much would this protection cost me?" I asked, all innocence.

- "The same as your predecessor." said Garalt, with a brown-toothed grin.

- "He never told me how much that was."

Garalt blinked. He was reasonably clever, though, and had balls the size of Potolia, because he didn't hesitate.

- "A thousand a month." he said.

- "A thousand!" said Ludianne, as she appeared at my shoulder. "What would the Council of Pirate Lords say - since we pay them a thousand a week?"

She stepped in front of me.

- "Run away, little men." she said. "RUN AWAY!"

I didn't get to see her face, when she said that - but it had the desired effect. Garalt and his friends were out the door before I could draw another breath.

- "I could have handled that." I said.

- "I know you could." she said. "But my way was more fun."

After that, I was just putting in time. It was new, it was different, and I wish I could say that I enjoyed it. Strangers shaking your hand gets old after the first six or seven hundred. I couldn't even pass the time by imagining how much money was pouring in. I had no idea.

I just wanted to see Ludianne naked again.

But I also had business to take care of. Non-Narimac business.

***

Ludianne understood. She fucked me twice, in the pre-dawn hours, before finally letting me sleep a little. You might think that a Janni, an immortal creature, might be unimpressed. Been there, seen that a thousand times ...

Not so. Ludianne had been imprisoned for more than seven centuries, but she could smell the possibility of freedom. She was excited, and grateful, and thrilled, and randy as a goat. But she understood the pace of a human life, and knew that I had concerns which couldn't wait.

- "Be careful." she warned me. "Molun is not what he was, without the Narimac, but he is petty, and cruel, and vindictive. He will do you a bad turn, if he can. And I cannot help you, outside."

She looked a little sad, when she said that.

- "I'll be back in a few hours." I promised.

I went straight to the Bell and Candle. Malena had the day shift. But she shook her head when she saw me.

Well, that was fair enough. She had asked for space, the last time we were together. I wasn't sure how helpful it might be to tell her: 'I have tons of money now. We can get married.' That is, assuming that I was actually capable of marriage.

Still, it would make a difference. She definitely needed to know what had happened to me. I tried to catch her eye, but Malena shook her head again. Emphatically.

I left the tavern. Then I checked a few of my regular spots. Sinker wasn't on his usual corner. Then I remembered that I had given him my old room, so I headed in that direction.

After a lifetime spent on the streets, some things become second nature. One of them is checking your back, to make sure you aren't being followed. Another is varying your approach. If you follow the same path every day, you become predictable, and much easier to ambush. Creatures of habit, in Kumyr, are known by another name: the dearly departed.

That was why I saw the watchers before they even knew that I was close. The only difficulty, for me, was that there were two separate groups watching my old room. They didn't seem to be working together. They weren't experts, either; it wasn't that difficult to spot them.

I snuck around, by back ways. There was another crew, in the alley behind the room. That helped me decide to change my plans.

Sinker was in danger. It was probably all my fault, but there wasn't much I could have done about it. Molun, out for revenge, was the most likely reason. But there were quite a few people I could think of, who might have learned of my recent good fortune. People who knew who my friends and associates were.

My friends were vulnerable. I should have seen it sooner. I would have, if I hadn't been utterly besotted by an unearthly, irresistible Janni.

I made three quick stops, to see some of my street folk: watchers, and informers, beggars and urchins. I asked them to spread the word that I was looking for Sinker - and that friends of mine might be in danger.

I retraced my steps, to the Bell and Candle. Malena wasn't there.

- "She left early." said her uncle. "Asked for time off, to go see you."

- "What? Where did she go? When?"

- "There's no need to be angry. She left in that carriage you sent for her." The bartender looked at me quizzically. "Speaking of which - why are you here, if you sent a carriage?"

I didn't swear, in front of him. This was bad. Bad bad bad. Fucking bad.

There was nothing I could do for Malena at the moment. I had no idea where she was. Nor Sinker. But I could protect another friend - maybe. I hustled over to the Dolphin. To my enormous relief, Aliona was just finishing her shift.

I was surprised, at first, by how hot Aliona looked. I had been worried that my dalliance with Ludianne might have spoiled me forever - or, at least, for human women. No, I am not comparing Aliona to Ludianne. If they'd both been there, I would have chosen my partner every single time.

But since the Janni wasn't here ... Aliona looked damned good. Surprised to see me, too.

- "What - what are you doing here?" she asked.

- "I'm here to warn you." I said. "You might be in danger. It's my fault." I gave Aliona the shortest, most edited version that I could.

As I did, I noticed that her eyes were fixed on a point over my left shoulder.

That hurt. Aliona wasn't very bright. She was delectable, and I had liked her quite a bit. But she had sold me out, and the buyer was still in the common room of the Dolphin.

- "You have to be careful." I said. "Men may come, looking for me."

She wasn't a very good actress. Ah, Aliona.

I asked for permission to use the rear exit - which I didn't really need to do. But I wanted her - and her new friends - to know where I was going.

- "Be careful." she said, and then she kissed me - on the cheek. Genuine concern? Or was it a kiss of betrayal, identifying me to my enemies?

It didn't matter. I left the Dolphin by the back way, and immediately sprinted ten paces, before veering into a narrow dead-end alley. By the time I heard the back door squeak again, I had my back to a wall, a pistol in my left hand, and my rapier in my right.

The moment they reached the alley, I leapt forward. I skewered the lead man through the chest, driving a good foot and a half of steel into his chest.

I didn't even try to draw it out again. His associate was right behind him, mouth open in shock. I stepped towards him, pressed my pistol to his ribcage, and pulled the trigger.

Damned satisfactory result.

There were two more of them. I should have expected that. They came forward, in a rush. I let go of the rapier, and drew my second pistol. I just had enough time to fire it, before the third man (actually, I think he was a half-orc) could bring his own weapon to bear.

I shot him in the stomach.

As he fell, screaming, the fourth man turned and fled. Thank goodness for that. I extricated my rapier, finished off the third man, and then got the hell out of there. A few blocks away, I reloaded my pistols.

Then I made tracks for the Gale.

Mehdawi was fine. Unhurt, and pleased to see me.

- "I need Pamna." I told him. "Do you know how to contact her? It's urgent."

He saw immediately how serious I was. "I can get in touch with her." he said.

- "Tell her that I need her friends, too. I need all of them."

***

Pamna came to the Gale that very night. When I explained the situation, she was more than willing to help.

- "I can't speak for the others, though." she said. "But I'll try."

By then, I had sent a message to the Narimac, to let Ludianne know that I was fine. She didn't need me to run the place; I wasn't much more than an ornament.

Several of my informants had come in, with information that might be useful. Molun had a house. He was not popular with his neighbours, it seemed. He'd been stinking rich, and hadn't bothered to cover his tracks. It's hard to go unnoticed, when you're nearly seven feet tall and look like a snake.

Pamna delivered. We met two nights later, at the Gale. Aressine, the big blonde fighter, had come. Kima, the leader, was there, with Taliesine, the raven-haired wizard. Fhaernala had also come.

- "Syrava's not coming." she said. "I don't believe she likes you much."

- "We won't need her."

- "Need her for what, exactly?" said Kima. "Pamna was a little sketchy on the details."

I kept the background brief. Narimac, rabbit's foot, Ludianne, Molun ...

- "Damn that Syrava!" said Taliesine. "I knew that rabbit's foot was worth something!"

- "Good for you, Kelsen." said Pamna. "You deserve it."

I told them about Malena's and Sinker's disappearances. Then I shared everything that I knew, which wasn't all that much, beyond Molun's location.

- "That could be dangerous." said the elf. "Very dangerous."

- "You tackled a dragon." I reminded her.

- "Which your party had weakened." said Taliesine.

- "Thank you." I said. "You finally admit it."

- "You really have no idea what we could be facing?" said Kima.

- "No. But I have a few ideas." I said. Then I shared my plan, such as it was.

- "It sounds very reasonable." said Taliesine. "But you haven't mentioned why we would be interested in helping you."

- "Two thousand gold apiece. Or a full share of what Molun's got - which could be much more."

- "I'm in." said Aressine.

- "Me too." said Kima. She turned to the wizard. "Tal?"

- "Yes, if you think we should."

- "I'd help you for free, Kelsen." said Pamna.

- "We know." said Fhaernala. "We all heard you under the wagon."

"I have one condition, though." she added.

The elf told me her condition, in private. I was ready to meet it.

***

I suspected that Molun was having me followed, or that he had watchers around the Gale. But he didn't know the Bottoms - that was for damned sure.

It was a simple matter to send out a few boys, to ask the locals where the strangers were. See, you can't just walk into the poorest neighbourhood in the city, and think that you're going to blend in. Especially if you're going to spend two or more full days watching a friggin' hospital.

People in the Bottoms may not be very powerful, and they may not always stick together - to my chagrin. But they sure know it when a stranger walks in. In a very short space of time, I had the exact locations of four very suspicious individuals.

- "Dead? Or alive?" asked Kima.

- "One alive should be enough." I said.

Fhaernala went out with me. I led her close. Then she spoke to her arrow - I swear, that's what she did. Then she fired around the corner.

I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it myself. She fired an arrow, facing south. The damned thing flew true for thirty paces, then veered east.

When I ran around the corner, there was a scruffy brigand, lying in the dirt - with an arrow in his ear. I'm not making this up.

- "That's amazing." I said, to her.

- "Comes in handy, sometimes." she admitted.

We - or rather, she - took out the first two that way. The third was holed up in a tight little spot. Plus, Fhaernala couldn't cast that particular spell more than twice a day. So I went in to get him.

Of course, I used my silence spell. He never saw me coming. I don't assassinate people very often, but anyone who worked for Molun had it coming, if you ask me.

- "You used magic." said the elf.

- "Maybe." I said.

- "There's no maybe. I didn't hear a thing." She actually smiled at me. "Very impressive."

Taliesine captured the fourth watcher, with a simple sleep spell, just like she'd used on me, the very first time I'd seen her. The man she caught was a seedy, thoroughly disreputable little fuck, with rotten teeth and powerful body odour.

Kima did the interrogating, once Taliesine had revived him. It wasn't pretty. But she did learn a few useful things.

- "Molun has two half-ogres." she said. "And at least a dozen muskets."

- "I didn't say it was going to be easy." I said. "And you did fight a dragon."

- "We can do this." said Pamna.

***

You can't walk through the streets of Kumyr in full armour, bristling with weapons. It tends to attract attention. But none of the women were too keen to have Aressine and Kima - who would be leading the way - go in unarmored. Especially not if the people we were barging in on had firearms.

No, regular armour can't stop a musket ball. A pistol, maybe. But Kima's armour had enchantments woven into it, and Taliesine could cast a spell on Aressine's armour to make it extra resistant.

And I found a way around the problem of traveling through the city in armour. I hired a wagon with a driver, and had him take two passengers, with their gear, to a stable only two blocks from Molun's house.

The rest of us went on foot, cloaked and hooded: Taliesine with Fhaernala, and Pamna with me. The witch knew how worried I was, but she was also sensitive enough to recognize that I didn't want to talk about it. I'm not overly superstitious, but I didn't want to jinx our chances of finding Malena and Sinker alive - and unhurt.

We gathered at the stable, where the fighters were donning their armour.

- "Do we have a plan?" asked the elf.

- "Kick the door down and rush straight in." said Kima.

- "Subtle."

- "We should have the advantage of surprise. With his watchers at the Gale eliminated, Molun and his henchmen won't know Kelsen is coming - or that he has company."

- "Or so we hope." said Taliesine.

- "If anyone has a better plan, I'm prepared to listen." said the redhead.

- "I'll go first." I suggested. "Maybe I can get some idea of what we're up against."

It wasn't a residential neighbourhood. Most of the buildings on this street were businesses: a stable, a forge, and a bakery, across from a print shop, an armorer ... and next to that, our target.

The building might have been a stable at one time, or even a cut-rate inn. It looked like a hollow square, with a front gate large enough to admit a carriage. Barred, in all probability. There was a heavy door beside that. And on the roof, above the street, a watchman. I didn't go too close, but the weapon he held looked more like a musket than a spear.

I reported what I'd seen to the women.

- "The guard on the roof has to go." said Kima.

- "Mine." said Fhaernala. "Just before we go in."

- "I can deal with the door." said the raven-haired wizard.

Pamna cast a spell over all of us. "Just a little added protection." she said.

A hundred yards from the target, everyone halted while the elf and I went forward a little further.

- "The building across from the bakery?" she said.

- "Yes. He's on the far corner."

- "I see him." Fhaernala produced her bow, and nocked an arrow. Then she spoke to it - I wasn't sure if she was addressing the bow, or the arrow. The words were elvish, but I didn't recognize them.

And damned if she didn't let fly, from a little under 100 yards away. It was an impossible shot, a ridiculous shot ... and I had no doubt that she'd made it. Fhaernala was already moving forward while I stood and gawked.

We jogged down the street - speed was more important than stealth, now.

Kima held everyone back from the heavy, reinforced door. Taliesine stepped forward, her hands clasped before her. "Krumala Behthod!" she said. Then she jerked her arms apart.

There was a crack, and twin cracking sounds. That solid door just ... fell. The hinges had been severed, and the bar snapped.

Kima was through the opening and into the courtyard a step ahead of me. Then things began to happen very quickly.

There were three doors on the ground level, one straight ahead and one to either side. But there was also a balcony that ran around all three sides of the yard. A small carriage stood off to the left. And there were two men there, armed with muskets.

Fhaernala dropped one of them with an arrow before he could even raise his weapon. I discharged my pistol in the general direction of the second man, more to encourage him to keep his head down than in any real expectation of hitting. Pistols are great weapons at close range. At medium and long range, not so much.

I heard Taliesine say something, but I didn't know if it was a spell, or a curse.

Kima was through the double doors straight ahead. I followed. Aressine stayed back, to protect our spellcasters in case anyone came out of the side doors.

Inside, things became even more chaotic. Even in the middle of the day, it was dark in there. A pistol went off. Kima slashed at a man ahead of her. Then someone came out of a doorway, and slammed into me. He was carrying a musket, but seemed just as surprised as I was.

With a rapier and an unloaded pistol in my hands, I wasn't very well prepared. So I head butted the fellow, and then cast my second spell. "Daze, damn you!"

It worked. With my enemy stunned for a moment, I was able to step back, and then run him through with my sword.

I holstered the spent pistol, and drew my second. Then I went after Kima, with Pamna and the elf coming up behind me. I couldn't see the redhead. We just followed the incredible din she was making.