Lorik (The Lorik Trilogy) (10 page)

“Enough goods?”

“Goods or money usually.”

“Have you ever lost a load?”

“Only once,” Lorik said. “I ran into a bunch of outlaws. That isn’t altogether uncommon, but most are desperate men with no real idea of what they’re doing. They’re rarely mounted, and the first rule of hauling cargo is not to stop unless it’s absolutely necessary. A fully loaded wagon moving at speed is a force to be reckoned with, but if you stop you’re vulnerable. I was on a return trip with a load of freshly milled lumber. A group of outlaws tried to stop me, but I just kept moving. They shot crossbows at the horses. One missed, one didn’t. I was able to get away from the outlaws, but the horse went lame. I had to put her down and convert the harness to a single horse. We hit some sucking mud and the horse couldn’t pull the load out.

“So I left the wagon and rode the horse back home and then took another team out to get the lumber, but when I got there everything was gone but the wagon. It was not my finest day, but there are a lot of folks living in the Marshlands who will take everything you have and leave you bleeding in the mud if you aren’t careful.”

“There are people you don’t know?” Stone asked.

“Sure, there are a lot of them. They know the swamps and marshes better than anyone. They live off the land and have very little contact with the outside world. Which also means they have very little regard for outsiders or the King’s law.”

“That’s not a settling thought.”

“Ah, they’re mostly nice people, just different. And a load of quality milled lumber left untended in the marshes could be seen as abandoned. But that’s the only load I’ve ever lost.”

“So you don’t have much trouble with outlaws?”

“Oh, sure, there’s been some trouble. Just nothing I couldn’t handle,” Lorik said. “I’ve found most outlaws to be cowards. What about you?”

“I’ve known a few cowards and a few killers.”

“Speaking of killers, how did Marsdyn take the news that you wouldn’t be joining his crew?”

“What makes you think he wanted me to?”

“I’ve known Marsdyn a while, and I’ve known his type my whole life. He’s a cruel man, but he has ambitions, and he knows he needs talented fighters to get what he wants. If he didn’t want you after your little performance in the Boggy Peat, he certainly wanted you after you fought the pirates.”

“Well, he’s taking the Riders out raiding. I wouldn’t have done that even if I wanted to join his gang.”

“That’s interesting. What prompted that, I wonder?”

“The King’s marching to war,” Stone said. “Apparently, Marsdyn thinks that means he can do what he wants without any kind of consequences.”

“And what about you?” Lorik asked, looking Stone in the eye. “The first time I saw you there was blood dripping from your knuckles.”

“But not my knife,” said Stone. “I was attacked by two pirates in the street. I had to defend myself.”

“Well, at some point I’m going to have know what really brought you to Hassell Point, but we’ll have plenty of time to discuss that on the trail. For now, you need a second pair of boots and provisions for a week, if you’re going to join me on my next cargo run.”

“When are you leaving?” Stone asked.

“This afternoon,” Lorik said. “I just need to see someone before I go.”

“All right, I’ll get what I need. Do I need provisions for you, too?”

“No, I’ll get my own food. I want you ride escort at first. Your horse up for that?”

“She sure is,” Stone said. “But why escort?”

“Two reasons: first, there may be more trouble on the road with the rumors of war going around. I want you to be able to run interference if that happens. Plus, I won’t have to worry about you adding extra weight to the load. We’re hauling rice, and it should be a big load.”

“All right, where can I get boots fast?”

“Try Alride’s shop, across from the market. You can’t miss it.”

“Good, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Chapter 7

Lorik watched Stone ride away from the barn. He had been a little nervous that the younger man’s interest was just a ruse, but if Marsdyn was after Lorik he could have captured or killed him easily by now. Of course, if the outlaw wasn’t angry over losing his assassin to Lorik, he would certainly be over losing Stone. As a teamster, Stone seemed motivated and bright, but as a killer he was unparalleled. Lorik had seen his share of fights, both those he’d been involved in and as a bystander. He’d never seen anything like what Stone had done to the pirates. He moved like a vengeful spirit with absolutely no fear, and he possessed a combination of skill, strength, and speed the likes of which Lorik had never imagined.

He knew he should have been nervous around Stone, but for some reason he wasn’t. Perhaps it was the respect the young warrior showed him, or maybe his enthusiasm for the job. Either way, he felt that their prospective partnership had a lot of potential.

He went into the small house and gathered enough coin from his various hiding places to get the supplies he needed in town. Lorik rarely carried more than a few copper coins and one silver mark, but he needed to get a few more weapons before leaving the Point, as well as provisions for the journey.

He walked to town, making his first stop at the Boggy Peat. He went inside and made his way back to Vera’s room. It was still early in the morning, but, since he was leaving, Lorik didn’t expect Vera to mind if he woke her up. He knocked gently on the door. It took a few moments, but eventually he heard Vera stirring inside. She opened the door just a crack, then stepped back and let Lorik in.

“Did you get a chance to dig into Stone a little?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. She wasn’t sure what else to say. Over the years she had experienced her share of suitors, but she simply couldn’t get Liam out of her mind. She had replayed their conversation over and over in her head. With the gold crown he had paid her she had more than enough money to move on from Hassell Point, but now she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. She had gone to work when her parents died out of necessity, but she had remained a wench for a reason she wasn’t sure of. She knew she had been searching for something, as if there was something missing from her life. It was why she had turned men away over the years, why she had refused to accept Lorik’s proposals. She had never thought that what she was waiting for was a man; in fact, she had very little respect for most men. Even her regular clients, who were almost entirely locals, seemed more like boys than men. Lorik was different, but he was the exception to the rule. Now, she couldn’t stop thinking about Liam. She could still feel his lips on hers, soft and warm, passionate but not possessive. He wanted her, she knew that, but he also respected her. It was a new feeling, and she wanted more than anything to see him again.

“And...” Lorik said.

“He’s okay,” she said at last. “I asked him about Marsdyn but he seemed to have no interest in the Riders. As hard as it is to believe, I think he wants to work with you.”

Lorik nodded and sat down. He had the same feeling himself.

“Did you spend much time with him?”

“Yes,” she said.

“He’s different, isn’t he? Maybe it’s because he isn’t from the Point or maybe it’s just that he’s still optimistic, but I like him.”

“I do, too,” she admitted. She was afraid to say what she was really thinking but more afraid not to. “I want to move into your house,” she told Lorik.

He looked at her in surprise. “You’ve changed your mind about marriage, then?” he asked, and she heard a note of worry in his voice.

“No,” she said, smiling at his fear. She knew he had offered to take her as his wife, but that wasn’t what he wanted. If she had ever doubted it she knew the truth now. “But I don’t want to stay here. I think it’s time for a change.”

Lorik looked at her for a moment. She seemed different somehow, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. She had said she needed a bit more money before she left the Point and he wondered how she planned to earn it if she stopped working. Still, he would never turn her away, and he was glad that she wasn’t ready to leave town. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye, and with the rumors of the King marching to war, he wasn’t sure it would be safe to take her north yet.

“Well, Stone and I are leaving today. I certainly don’t mind you moving in. But I already offered the spare room to him.”

“That’s okay,” she said, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Of course she was thrilled at the thought of living in the same house with Liam, even though she knew she was acting like a foolish young girl. She hardly knew him, but what better way to get to know him than living in the same house with him, she thought.

“What’s going on?” Lorik asked. “Yesterday you were irate that I was even going to speak with him about partnering with me. Now you’re okay with it?”

“I spent some time with him,” she said. “Like you said, there’s just something about him.”

Her face was red, and she was looking at the floor. Lorik finally put things together. She was infatuated with Stone. It wasn’t that hard to believe. He was young and handsome, intelligent and even charming, but it wasn’t like Vera to fall for those things. There must have been something else, something that he and no one else in Hassell Point had been able to give her.

“He was interested in you yesterday,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”

“It was nothing,” she said, afraid he would be jealous.

The truth was Lorik was jealous, but not of Vera’s love. He had been the one man she had depended on and trusted over the years. Now, she was keeping secrets. He wasn’t in love with her, but he loved her in a fashion, and he felt as if he were being replaced.

“Please,” he said gently.

“He wanted to be with me and paid for the privilege in gold. I was skeptical at first and kept my distance, but he promised he would tell me whatever I wanted to know. So I asked him about you, what his real name is, and about his plans. He was completely sincere.”

“His name isn’t Stone?”

“Of course it isn’t,” she scolded. “What mother would name her sweet baby Stone?”

“So what is his real name?”

“It’s Liam, but don’t go spreading it around. If he wants to be known as something else that’s his business.”

Lorik was uncertain how to feel. He knew that Vera was a wench; she had been for a long time. He had always hated the idea of her being with other men, but he himself had been a loyal customer, and the hypocrisy of his actions had always kept him from saying anything to her. He hated it when the Riders visited her, but he had kept quiet. Now Stone had come to her, and he felt strange. Two men with affection, even merely strong friendship, for the same woman, could spell disaster.

“He told me he didn’t mean to fall in with Marsdyn, but you can see that he didn’t have much choice. He told me he didn’t want trouble, and sometimes going along with their sort is the best way to deal with men like that. The whole town knows it’s true, that’s why they pay Marsdyn protection money.”

“I understand,” Lorik said. He stood up. “I have things to do before we leave. Do you need help moving your things to my house?”

“That would be nice,” she said. “You aren’t angry, are you?”

“Why would I be angry?”

“I won’t be wenching anymore.”

“I’ve been trying to get you to stop for a long time.”

“I think I may have feelings for Liam,” she said, her face turning even more red.

“I know that,” he said.

“How?”

“It’s obvious,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve known you a long time, and I’ve never seen you this way.”

“I can’t help it,” she said. “I feel like a teenager.”

“You deserve to be happy,” he said. “I’ll admit I don’t like change. And you not being here will take some getting used to. But I would never stand in the way of what you want.”

“Oh, Lorik,” she said, her eyes shining with tears. “You are too good to me.”

“No, I’m not. Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”

“Of course I would. Nothing would make me happier than seeing you with a woman who made you happy.”

“That’s how I feel.”

“Even though we can’t be together? Once I leave this room I’m through. I need to know that I can trust you.”

“Of course you can, and don’t pretend like you don’t know that. We’ve been friends a long time, and I care about you, of course, but I can step aside. If Stone—I mean Liam—is who you want to be with, then I support you completely.”

“That means the world to me,” she said.

He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m happy for you. Do you think he feels the same way?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Men keep their feelings so guarded. He paid me in gold but didn’t sleep with me. He just kissed me and asked me not to work the rest of the night.”

“How very chivalrous of him,” Lorik said.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” she said. “If anything it’s probably a bad sign.”

“But you don’t think so—I can see that.”

“He kissed me and I...” she hesitated, feeling foolish. “I just think that maybe there was something in that kiss. Maybe I imagined it, but it felt like more than just a kiss.”