All that Glitters (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 1) (15 page)

Turning to Trader Sahren, he bowed. "Trader Sahren, what is your need?"

"Just a moment, I was here first and we are still negotiating—" Trader Harvar began, but shut his mouth abruptly when Barvil rounded on him and put a hand on his sword.

"You ended those negotiations by insulting us. There is nothing more to be said." Barvil turned his back on the shocked trader and bowed to Trader Sahren.

Trader Sahren's eyes glittered with amusement as she answered, "I am making a long circuit through Evandia, then Coravia, and ending in Kavadia. Our home is in Markavia Cross, which is only about eight days' easy ride from your valley. I offer the standard five silver crowns per day, plus half of any tax and tolls that Friend Stavin saves us. You will eat with my family."

"I agree to this," Barvil said and smiled at the sound of cursing from behind him. "What cargo do you carry, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A bit of everything, Goodman Barvil. We are a true trade caravan, not just a single-consignment cargo carrier. That's why we travel a circuit instead of to a single destination."

Barvil smiled and dipped his head. "When do we leave? This city has become uncomfortable."

"With the dawn," Trader Sahren answered. "Finish the night here and come to the Common's Gate. That should be where you entered the city."

Barvil bowed formally this time. "We will be there with the sun." Turning, he began to say, "Gentlemen, we are—" but his voice faded. "They left?"

Davel snorted. "They left mad. Between you saying yes to Trader Sahren and Madam Elain's glare, they didn't have anything else to say."

E
LAIN STEPPED UP TO
S
AHREN'S SIDE
now that an agreement had been reached. "I know Harvar Fel'Loval, Goodman Barvil. Warn your people away from him. He's a cheat. He never would have offered anything for the aid Friend Stavin's status would have provided him and probably would have tried to short you in Lux. Sahren," she said, turning to face the other woman, "we still have some things to discuss."

Sahren smiled and gave Barvil a half bow. "I will see you in the morning, Goodman Barvil." She and Elain walked away to the back of the inn and Barvil turned to his men.

"You heard her. Eat heartily and go to bed early. Two beers tonight if you want them—except Stavin and Lavin. Sorry, men, but beer doesn't mix well with a concussion. I'll be setting guards tonight, but I want you all to sleep in your mail and keep your weapons close at hand. I'll take the last tour alone and make sure everyone is up with plenty of time to get ready. Davel, take Kar and Ivalin and check the horses. Keep your eye on the gate and be ready for trouble. Consult with Avid about closing the gate for the night."

"Sir!" Davel answered, coming to attention. "Ivalin, Kar, you heard him. Let's go." He walked to the back door of the inn and went out without another word.

The evening meal was hearty mutton stew with crusty bread. They had plenty of company. It seemed that more people than the inn was meant to hold crowded into the common room. There was an island of space around Stavin and Lavin, and its shores were the armored shoulders of their fellow warriors.

Only a few patrons dared to try and say anything to Stavin. None of them was foolish enough to try and reach him. If the armored figures that surrounded him weren't enough to discourage them, the occasional glance from Elain was.

As ordered, the warriors ate and then went to their rooms with the exception of the guards Barvil had posted. Stavin was already in bed when Karvik came up. "How are you feeling, Stave?"

"My head is pounding. I'm not dizzy anymore, though, and your dad says that's a good sign."

"We both know he's right. Besides, that isn't the first time you've had your head bashed like that. Remember how you landed on it when you—"

"Don't! Don't make me laugh, Kar. It hurts more. I remember. Better go to sleep.
You
have guard duty in a few spans."

Karvik sighed and climbed into bed, watching the lamplight glitter on Stavin's mail like sunlight on a trickling brook.

* * *

Barvil took the last watch, and wasn't surprised to find that he wasn't alone. Madam Elain came out of the back of the inn not long after Davel and Ivalin went up stairs. He bowed deeply when she walked over to his side.

"Goodman Barvil, I'm sorry your stay here has been so eventful. Rest assured that your next visit will be quieter."

Barvil bowed again. "Thank you, Madam Elain."

Madam Elain smiled and bowed her head deeply. "I've been receiving an earful from my sources within the city. The men who attacked you were not associated with any of my—associates. There is a general sense of trepidation right now because something like this could cause the king to take a more active stance as far as the shadier dealings in Twin Bridges are concerned. If young Friend Stavin complained to the king it could cause a major shakeup among the thieves. Such shakeups are bad for business. All business. I must ask you to leave the matter in our hands. We can deal with it much more thoroughly, and quietly."

Barvil eyed her carefully for a moment, then bowed. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "We want to cause as little trouble as we can, Madam Elain. Trouble is bad for us as well. If you say you can deal with it, then I will let it rest in your hands."

Elain smiled and bowed. "I assure you, Goodman Barvil, the trouble
has
been dealt with." With that she turned away and disappeared into the back of the inn.

Not much later, Barvil led his men to the Common's Gate in the early morning darkness and found Trader Sahren waiting for them. "As punctual as I could ask. We're over there." She pointed to the east of the gate and started walking with him. "Elain's sources have given her an earful of information about yesterday's incident and our mutual encounter with Harvar and Eldan. We're already harnessed and ready to roll."

Barvil kept his head up and his eyes moving as he answered. "Yes, she told me about the thieves in the street."

Sahren chuckled. "I suspect she told me more about the thieves in the Guild Hall. Those two pompous fools have lodged a formal complaint concerning my poaching of their contract rights."

Now Barvil shook his head slowly, but never stopped watching for trouble. "After that fool insulted me, I would never have signed with him. The second man seemed to be cut from the same cloth. I can't say for certain that I would have killed him for trying to cheat me, but it's likely that I would have."

Sahren threw her head back and laughed loudly, sounding remarkably like a braying mule. "Oh, if only the Guild Masters could have heard that!" she managed to say between brays. "Here we are." A group of elaborately decorated wagons had begun to move as soon as Sahren had come into sight. "Position your men, Goodman Barvil. The road beckons," she shouted as she ran to catch the lead wagon.

Barvil mounted his horse and the rest of the warriors followed his example. "Spread out along both sides of the wagons, same formation as we had coming down here, except I want Kahndar behind me until his arm is completely healed."

Ten voices shouted, "Yes, Sir!" and the men split up, taking their places. This caravan had only twelve wagons and Stavin found himself next to the number two wagon. He was surprised to see a woman driving, and more surprised to see that she was heavily pregnant. She noticed his reaction and said something over her shoulder. A man's head appeared almost immediately.

"Good morning, young warrior. You must be the one we were told about."

Stavin bowed in the saddle, then found his voice. "We weren't told that there were women with this caravan other than Trader Sahren."

The woman smiled broadly. "The Zel'Vandar Trading House is a family-owned house. We're all related to some extent. Of the twenty-three of us with this caravan, eleven are women."

The man smiled and patted her belly. "It's certainly better than being left behind and doing without for eight moons."

She slapped his hand, but was smiling when she scolded him. "Mind your manners, or you'll be doing without sooner than you think." She smiled at Stavin. "Ignore him, young warrior. He's just upset that I left him home last season."

"I understand his reasons," Stavin said with a grin. "My wife and I had just—"

The sound of a loud horn from the direction of the city interrupted him and he turned to look back while the man stood on the wagon seat to get a better view. They could see a group of guardsmen riding after them and Stavin heard Davel whistle for Barvil.

Barvil rode by just half a breath later and shouted, "Stavin, with me," as he passed. Stavin reined his horse around and crossed the caravan, then spurred to catch Barvil. They reached Davel at about the same time the guardsmen did.

"This caravan is to turn around and return to the city by order of Magistrate Valdar Zel'Korval," the leader said as he reached them.

"Trader Sahren is up there, but there is probably no reason to bother her with this. Is this summons because of her recent dealings with the Traders' Guild regarding our employment?" he asked.

"It is," the guard confirmed.

"Then you are looking for me, not her," Barvil said lightly. "Friend Stavin and I will accompany you back to the city and explain it to the magistrate. I'm sure he'll be most interested in hearing how the traders tried to cheat Friend Stavin." He wheeled his horse about and the guardsmen followed them at a gallop back to the city.

The guardsmen caught up at the city gates and escorted them to the magistrate's office. City Magistrate Zel'Korval looked up in shock as his guards led Barvil and Stavin into his chambers.

"What's the meaning of this? Who are these men? Where is that so-called trader Sahren Kel'Vandar?" he demanded rapidly, but it was Barvil who answered.

"Magistrate Zel'Korval," he began with a deep bow, "I am here as Friend Stavin's advisor. Last night, two traders tried to cheat Friend Stavin by seeking to employ our company for a pittance and take advantage of his status to avoid tolls and taxes on their wares in Evandia. Though we were aware of Friend Stavin's value to a trader, Trader Sahren pointed this out to us and offered a fair wage and compensation for Friend Stavin's help. Because of the insults Traders Harvar and Eldan had given Friend Stavin and the rest of my men, we would never have considered their offers. I agreed to accompany Trader Sahren, hers being the first honest and honorable offer we received. We had thought to let the matter rest and not complain until your guards intercepted us as we were leaving."

The magistrate was staring at Stavin's golden armor and bowed his head formally to him before speaking. "Is this accurate, Friend Stavin?"

Stavin bowed in return and answered calmly, "Yes, Sir, it is, Magistrate Zel'Korval."

The magistrate looked at the leader of his guards and said, "Bring those two in here."

The guard bowed and left through a side door. He returned a moment later leading two pleased-looking traders. Their pleasure seemed to evaporate when they saw Barvil and Stavin.

"Harvar Fel'Loval, Eldan Fel'Dardan," Magistrate Zel'Korval said in a very controlled tone, "you stand accused of insulting and trying to cheat Friend of Evandia Stavin Kel'Aniston. How do you plead?"

Both men had frozen as soon as the magistrate spoke their names. Now they began speaking rapidly, each blaming the other, until the magistrate struck his bell three times, signifying that he'd reached a decision.

"You two came to me claiming that Trader Sahren Kel'Vandar had cheated you by hiring the Kel'Kavin Valley warriors when you were engaged in good-faith negotiations with them. Friend Stavin was not mentioned. Now I hear that it was you who tried to cheat Friend Stavin, and that it was his status that you were after all along. I find Friend Stavin's complaint superior to yours and declare you guilty. For bearing false witness against a Friend of Evandia, I fine you twenty-five silver crowns each, to be paid to Friend Stavin. For wasting my time with your greedy machinations, another twenty-five silver crowns each to be paid to this court. That's five gold crowns each, payable before you leave this chamber."

The two traders looked sick, and Eldan seemed to be on the verge of tears. Harvar stepped forward as if to protest, but instead pulled out his pouch and placed four gold and ten silver crowns on the magistrate's desk. Eldan stepped up and placed three gold and twenty silver crowns next to Harvar's.

"Very well," the magistrate said severely. "I am endlessly comforted by the knowledge that you two scoundrels will soon be gone from my fair city. Rest assured that I will be having words with your Guild Masters about this incident. Now be gone." He tapped his bell once and the two traders fled.

When the door closed behind the traders, the magistrate chuckled. He leaned forward and separated five of the gold coins, then leaned back. "The rest of that is yours, Friend Stavin, along with our apologies."

Stavin stepped forward after Barvil gently elbowed him in the armor and collected the coins. "Thank you, Sir."

"Thank you, Friend Stavin," the magistrate said. "Had you taken this complaint to His Majesty, as is your right, I would be beheading those men this morning. Beheading men is not something that I enjoy doing, though it is part of the responsibility of this position. Long life to you, Friend Stavin." With that he stood and went through the door behind his chair.

One of the guards cleared his throat to get their attention. "Your pardon, Friend Stavin, but you should go. That caravan didn't stop and you've got quite a way to go by now."

Stavin and Barvil quickly retrieved their horses and headed back to the gate. Stavin was quiet until he heard Barvil chuckling. Then he looked over and asked, "Did you know that was going to happen, Sir?"

Barvil laughed out loud now that he'd been caught. "About the traders' complaint? Yes, of course. Elain warned me about it at breakfast. Sahren knew as well. That's why the early start. As far as the magistrate fining them for making the complaint, no, I was as surprised as you."