Blackstone (Book 2) (3 page)

“Good. I figured Siobhan hasn’t thought of this—yet—but when
it does occur to her, she’ll want someone to broaden his education.”

True enough. Wolf reached for his hand, intending to put it
back on, when an odd expression on Conli’s face made him pause. “What?”

“Wolf,” the physician’s tone was slightly uneasy, “Do you
think that Rune has a, well, crush on Denney?”

He blinked. Then blinked again. “What?”

“It’s just, I’ve noticed that whenever Rune isn’t studying,
or working, that he spends most of his time with Denney. Or watching Denney.
And I see that smirk on your face, and I don’t find this funny.”

Really? Wolf found this fatherly concern outright hilarious.
What, Conli didn’t want his precious niece together with an assassin? Well,
mayhap the worry was somewhat justified. Rune had made great strides with them,
granted, but he still found killing people a perfectly acceptable way to solve
problems. He slapped Conli on the shoulder in a supportive gesture. “Relax,
man. I don’t think it’s what you’re fearing.”

“Then what is it?” Conli demanded.

“Denney’s had a bit of hero worship for our boy ever since
he protected her in Iron Dragain. He’s never had someone look at him like that
before. He’s drawn to her because of it, is all.” Although if those two did
decide to be together, Wolf thought it’d be for the good. Denney was a
beautiful woman that had a severe prejudice hanging over her head. She needed a
strong fighter as her life partner.

Frustrated, Conli growled, “Denney’s a little sweet on the
boy, too.”

Oh-
ho
. That was the real problem, right there. Wolf
had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing outright.

“Don’t you dare laugh,” Conli warned him, pointing an
outraged finger at him.

Wolf spread a hand in a peacemaking manner. “Conli, it could
be worse.”

“Oh, do tell,” he snapped in irritation.

“Think about it. She could fall for some weak accountant
that can’t protect her. At least when she’s with Rune, you know no fool will be
able to lay a hand on her. Our boy might not know the proper way to court a
woman, but he’s got the fine details of protecting them down pat.”

Not wanting to admit this, Conli gave a wordless growl.

“And ’sides, I doubt romance has crossed Rune’s mind.” There
were simply too many other basics that the boy was still learning. Friendship,
brotherhood, family, affection, loyalty, love, kindness…Rune had learned many
things since joining up with them but he didn’t understand all of it. Feeling
such emotions were still raw and new to him, and there were days he struggled
with it. He wasn’t ready to dance with a woman just yet.

Blowing out a breath, Conli leaned against the edge of the
desk, shoulders slumped. “I suppose I’ll worry about it when or if it happens.
Just because the interest is there, doesn’t mean that anything will develop.
Markl and Sylvie are a clear example of that.”

“Truly.” Wolf really wanted to know what the holdup was. If
this kept going on, he’d lose that bet with Beirly. Maybe he should find some
way to nudge them along….

“Wind and stars, Wolf, will you leave that hand off
tonight?” Conli demanded in exasperation. “You don’t need it on. Give yourself
a few hours at the very least to heal up some.”

Wolf clutched his iron hand and protested, “But—!”

“If Tran tries anything, I promise to clobber him for you.
Just wait until tomorrow morning to put the hand back on.”

Well, likely he wouldn’t be in trouble without the hand as
long as he stayed in the Hall. It was almost evening anyway; he could afford to
wait until the morning to put it on. “Fine,” he sighed.

ӜӜӜ

They did, of course, have an already pre-built path made to
take them directly to Stott. Not much of a distance was between Goldschmidt and
Stott anyway, as there was nothing but a few villages between the two cities,
and it was a short jump by path. Rune, smug about his new license, was the one
that took them.

If it was a matter of going west, toward either Wingate,
Coravine, or Blenkhorn, then they had paths to take them there as well. But of
course, none of the guild except Fei had gone to Saoleord before, so they had
no path that would take them there. Once they crossed into Orin, they’d need to
camp outside of Channel Pass’s walls and build a path going north.

Once they were off the path, they took an outer highway in
order to bypass Stott, and made a beeline for the bridge. Wolf eyed the town as
they passed it. From here, it didn’t seem much had changed in the eight months
since he’d been here. The road was bustling with traffic, coming and going,
with everything from couriers to tradesman passing them. Wolf walked at the
back of the group to keep a general eye on his people, making sure he didn’t
lose anyone in this crowd.

They arrived at the bridge without trouble and started the
crossing immediately, as there was no need to time it perfectly with it being
such a short distance. Rune, perched on top of the cart with the girls, turned
to Siobhan and asked, “Why ain’t we staying in Channel Pass as we build the
path? I didn’t get that straight last night.”

“Tran and Wolf are both blacklisted from that town,” she
explained without rancor.

Rune shot him an amused smirk. “Why ain’t I surprised.
Alright, wolf-dog, what did ya do?”

“It’s not my fault this time,” Wolf denied with an
unconcerned shrug.

“It really isn’t,” Siobhan agreed, backing him up. “You see,
about five years ago we came through Channel Pass on the way back from an
escort. We just happened to arrive at the same inn as the slavers that had sold
Wolf to me years before. They recognized him—he’s probably the only
Wynngaardian with a missing hand they’d ever seen before—and put up a ruckus,
saying he couldn’t be a guild member because he was a slave. I, of course,
jumped into thick of it and started arguing with them. It got heated, then one
of their men tried to force Wolf to take his hand off, and it went from bad to
ugly. Tran came downstairs to see what all the yelling was about, saw someone
attacking us, and leaped into the middle of things before I could try to calm
anyone down. The next thing I know, the whole main room is in shambles, the
slavers are missing more than a few teeth in their heads, and the guards
arrived on scene demanding an explanation. Once I showed them that I had proof
of Wolf’s purchase, and he didn’t belong to the slavers, they were willing to
let us go. But they’re not willing to let us back into the city.”

Rune’s eyes crossed. “Ya have to prove he’s yours?”

“Not often,” she admitted. “At least in Robarge, I have it
clear he’s a free man. Wynngaard, too. It’s Teherani and Orin that give me
trouble. Teheranians don’t recognize official paperwork of any sort and Orin is
so bad communicating in between cities that nothing I try sticks. That’s why
when we travel to Orin, I make sure I have papers on me proving Wolf’s mine.”

“Slavers are a greedy lot,” Wolf growled. “If they think
they can get by with it, they’ll steal old merchandise back and resell it
again.”

“And he’s a good person to steal, now,” Siobhan grimaced.
“Because he’s healthier and far stronger now than he was when I first bought
him. But it’s rare we have to deal with that. Most slavers take one look at him
and decide to try their luck elsewhere.”

Rune mulled this over, an odd look on his face. Finally, he
couldn’t help himself and had to ask, “Siobhan. Is there one person in this
guild that ya don’t have ta defend from every man and beast?”

She blinked, surprised at his question, then laughed
outright. “It does seem I have to do that, doesn’t it? But Beirly, Conli, Tran,
and Fei aren’t in danger at all. Oh, and Markl of course. It’s just you, Grae,
Denney, Sylvie, and Wolf I have to keep an eye on.”

“Just that, eh?” His mouth lifted in a wry smile.

Wolf had to admit, anyone would be reluctant to take on
members that they would have to defend on a semi-regular basis. Siobhan
basically had to keep track of half of her guild, which any other guildmaster
would be reluctant to do. But his Siobhan did just that without blinking and
didn’t find it a burden at all. He shook his head, lips curved slightly. And
people wondered why he defended her so vehemently.

“Fei, perhaps you can tell us about your people now?” Markl
prompted.

Fei twisted on the front bench, turning so that he could
face the people behind him. “Yes,” he agreed calmly, “I do think it’s time. Can
everyone hear me? Good. Then please listen with both ears.”

 “My people are a very old culture, steeped in tradition and
history,” Fei began with the tone of a narrator delivering some epic tale.
“Back in the time when this world was still ruled by a single government, my
ancestors were the advisors. They were generals, ministers, cabinet members,
and record keepers for the kings and queens. They did this for many generations
until the government started to crumble. They tried everything then to pull it
together again, to reform the government and put it back to rights, but the
decay was too set in. And then, one day, it collapsed completely with revolts
happening from seemingly every corner of the world.

“Many in that time chose one side or another, or used the
confusion to their own ends. My ancestors saw the situation for what it was, a
depressing end to order and peace, and would have no part of it. They packed up
what they could, taking records and books and knowledge of all sorts, and left
for a remote area of the world that no man would easily venture into.”

“Saoleord,” Markl breathed, spellbound by this telling.

Fei gave him a slight nod and smile. “Indeed. When they
arrived in the mountains, only a few huntsmen lived there. But my ancestors
were determined and resourceful. They built a city in and around the trees,
their structures so natural as to blend into the very forests themselves. We’ve
had people actually walk on one of our main streets and mistake it for a very
wide hunting trail, never realizing where they were. The place has slowly
spread over one mountain, then crossed over onto the other two, and it’s now a
civilization in its own right.”

So. That’s where Fei’s people originated from. It was quite
the tale. Siobhan chewed on her bottom lip as she mulled that over. “And why
are your people so reluctant to interact with the outside world?”

“At first, I believe that they did not want to be drawn into
the multitude of conflicts. Now?” Fei shrugged, splaying his hands. “I believe
it to be pure habit. We are not ostracized if we wish to go out and see the
world with our own eyes. But for most, staying where they are is comfortable
and familiar and they do not have the courage to leave on their own
initiative.”

Well, alright, that she could understand. When Beirly first
talked to her about leaving home all those years ago, she’d hesitated strongly
because she wasn’t sure about just waltzing into some unfamiliar city and
trying to make a guild. If she’d had to go alone, she’d probably never have
left Wingate.

“But after you came to us, I never once heard you mention
wanting to go back…?”

“It’s a long journey by myself,” Fei responded simply. “And
if I returned on my own, I am…afraid…that they would try to make me remain. I
am not willing to stay at home the rest of my life. It’s too placid.”

After tasting the life of a guildsman and experiencing the
excitement of the world, she could well imagine that staying in a city that had
no outside contact with the world would quickly bore Fei to tears. He was very
much a man that yearned to learn and experience things for himself.

“I see.”

“The history that the world has forgotten, we have not. It
is why I wish to go there and ask for experts, as I believe we will need them
soon.” With a teasing glint in his eye, Fei cautioned Markl, “And no, we won’t
leave you there. No matter how much you might beg.”

Markl, proving he indeed had a sense of dry humor,
responded, “Fine. But the cart will be full of books on the way back.”

Fei chuckled. “I wish you luck on that, my friend. We do not
easily part with our books.”

“Oh, I have my ways.” Markl didn’t seem the least bit
concerned about acquiring more knowledge. “But in the immediate sense, what do
we need to know about your culture?”

“Everyone here has heard me use honorifics many times.
Always use one of them when speaking to one of my kinsmen. To directly call a
name is the height of rudeness.”

Siobhan made a mental note on that and prayed she wouldn’t
slip up.

“We do not have chairs, not ones with legs at least, and
mostly sit on cushions on the floor,” Fei continued, eyes staring sightlessly
at the sky as he thought. “When meeting someone the first time, sit on your
knees and face them directly. But if it’s not a formal meeting, feel free to
sit as you like, as long as you do not lie down. As for greetings, we always
bow, but do not shake hands.”

So, basically, mimic the way that she’d seen Fei act for the
past several years?

“The only other thing is, do not speak loudly. Talk in
moderate tones when you can. To be loud is to be an imposition to the others
around you. We do not think well of such.”

In other words, don’t be an imposition to other people at
all. Siobhan had no problem reading the secondary meaning to that instruction,
and she wasn’t the only one who caught on. “Is that all?”

“I will instruct you further on the finer nuances as we go,
but that is the basics. They do not expect you to know everything of our
culture and will make allowances.”

Siobhan blessed that fact and was banking on it. Certain guild
members—mostly Rune and Wolf—were famous for stepping on people’s metaphorical
toes without meaning to. But then, Wynngaardians were a blunt and
straightforward people.

Siobhan looked around at the bridge they traveled on. Unlike
the other three bridges, this connecting bridge didn’t have the same width to
it. Granted, not a lot of traffic came this direction either, so it didn’t need
to be eight wagons abreast. But it also didn’t have the same height as the
others, standing only tall enough to clear the water and no more. It had never
once risked flooding during the daylight hours, so wasn’t a risk factor in
crossing. Siobhan wasn’t sure if it was on the list to be fixed and renovated
or not. It was just as old as the other bridges but nowhere near as rundown either.
The guilds might choose to put this off until the very last, or not do anything
with it at all. It was something she hadn’t thought to ask before.

At least the weather wasn’t scorching hot. They were in the
middle of spring now, so the sun could bake a woman if she wasn’t careful in
this season, but the wind had enough force to keep the heat and the flies away.
Siobhan was grateful for it.

They went across the bridge without issue, reached Orin’s
soil, then carefully skirted around Channel Pass to the far eastern side of the
city. They were close enough to send someone in for food, but far enough away
to avoid being entangled with the guards. The estuary was nothing more than a
stone’s throw from where they chose to make camp. It being close to the Exidor
Sea, it was too salty to be a source of water, but it would give her Pathmakers
the water they would need later on.

Grae, being a good master, sat down next to Rune and
patiently let his student do all of the math. Fei told them the exact distance
to Saoleord, Grae told him how much weight to factor in, and Rune started
scribbling down numbers at efficient speed. While Rune figured and Grae checked
the math, the rest of them set up camp with simple canvas tents in a
half-circle. Conli ducked down to the shoreline long enough to get several
larger stones for a fire ring, and a bucket of sea water to put the fire out
with later.

Rune and Grae finally came back to them, Grae hanging
somewhat behind as to let Rune do the talking. Markl, Sylvie, Conli, and she
all looked up expectantly as Rune stopped in front of them.

“We’ll have to use a rose pattern,” Rune started off.

There was a general sigh of relief. They may not know much about
pathmaking, but after years of being Grae’s stone gatherers, they knew that the
rose pattern only required twenty-three stones per stepping stone, which was
much better than the snowflake pattern, which required thirty-five stones. That
twelve stone difference added up very quickly.

“How many stepping stones?” Conli asked.

“We can’t actually go
directly
toward Saoleord,” Rune
explained. “The forest, from Fei’s description, is just too thick. We’ll wind
up in the tops of trees if we try any shortcuts. So, I can take us just ta the
edge of the forest. We’ve got good, rich soil here and the power of the ocean
to borrow from, so…I think we can get by with two hundred and seventy stepping
stones.”

“Meaning,” Markl translated dryly, “That you want us to
gather up 6,210 stones.”

Siobhan, unable to do the math that quickly in her head,
groaned when Markl said that number. They’d built larger paths than this
before, but not by much. It would take them a solid week to gather that many
stones and build a path! Still, it beat being on the road for three or four
weeks.

“Count your blessings,” Grae advised them laconically.
“Because of the weight, we nearly had to do a snowflake pattern instead.”

“There are things to be thankful for, I suppose,” Sylvie
grumbled under her breath. “Wait. Did you factor in the amount of weight we’ll
have on the way back? We’ll hopefully be bringing people with us.”

The two Pathmakers looked at each other in surprise,
expressions asking,
Did you think about that? Me? No, I sure didn’t.

“Ahhh…” Grae said with a sheepish smile. “I guess we’ll have
to use the snowflake pattern after all.”

A chorus of groans answered him.

Sylvie heaved a resigned breath. “Well, we might as well get
started.”

As they still had a good two hours of daylight left, that
was wise. “Actually, Sylvie, you and Beirly go into town and get us something
for dinner. I don’t want either of you in that place in failing light.”

Relieved for the reprieve, Sylvie just nodded and went off
to fetch Beirly.

As an afterthought, Siobhan called to her, “Take the dogs
with you!”

“Right!” Sylvie called to Pete and Pyper as she moved.

Waving a hand in a circular gesture, Siobhan motioned for
everyone else to get up and get moving. They did so with long-suffering
expressions. Siobhan trudged along toward the shoreline, where the loosest
stones could be found. At least this time they weren’t digging for stones in
cold ground, unlike the last two paths they’d had to build.

“Sooo….” Tran drawled as he looked dead north. “Where are we
going, exactly?”

Fei clapped a hand on his shoulder, a small smile teasing at
the corner of his eyes. “It’s alright, Tran-ren. I know you don’t like it when
you don’t know where you are, so I made up a song for you.”

Tran looked outright relieved to hear this. “Alright, let me
hear it.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Markl held up both hands, striding
toward them. “Song?”

Both men looked at him, confused at his confusion. Fei
figured it out first. “Right, of course. I’d forgotten you don’t really
understand Teherani culture. You know that their people don’t have a written
language?”

“I do,” Markl confirmed, his hand already reaching for the
leather book in his pouch. “It’s why they have incredible memories, as they
memorize anything they need to know in life.”

And why Siobhan used Tran as a walking memory bank. He could
remember anything and everything that he wished to. She, on the other hand, had
a mind like an open sieve.

“They don’t have road signs or anything along those lines
either,” Fei continued the explanation. “What they do instead is have a song
that describes which direction to travel and what landmarks a traveler will see
along the way. The song describes how to get from one destination to another.”

“Great wind and stars!” Grae suddenly blurted, looking
chagrined. He spun about abruptly on his heel. “Rune!”

Rune, startled, looked at his master askance. “Yes?”

“I haven’t taught you the songs!”

“…Come again?”

“Everyone uses the songs to travel about in Teherani,” Fei
explained in the flustered Grae’s place. “Even Pathmakers. You have to know
where the paths are, right? The only way to know their location or describe
them to someone else is to know the song for each path.”

“Fortunately Grae’s got a nice voice,” Tran added this in
with an amused shrug. “So it won’t be a trial to learn the songs from him.
Although I can teach them to you as well. I’ve heard him sing them often
enough.”

Rune accepted this with a slow nod, but he also looked a
little unsure of himself. “I, ah, I’ve never sung before.”

The whole guild stopped dead and turned to give him an
incredulous look. Rune shifted uneasily under their eyes. Siobhan couldn’t
imagine not having any experience in singing. Oh sure, some people
couldn’t
sing,
but that was a simple matter of being tone deaf. But to never have tried?

Only Wolf didn’t seem that surprised by this. What, did dark
guilds not really sing?

“Grae,” Siobhan requested mildly, “I think you better teach
him how to sing first.”

“Right.” Grae motioned his apprentice off to the side. “As
they’re digging for rocks, we’ll work on singing.”