Birthright: Lord of Arda (6 page)

He watched his friend relax a little. Troy had got within touching distance of the cub and reached out a hand to stroke him, the cub jumped up startling the boy who fell back onto the floor. The cub was equally as startled but then padded over to Troy and rubbed his head against the boy’s hand.

“What you going to call him?”

Troy was now stroking and scratching the cub behind the ears.

“I haven’t thought about it.”

“How could you gain a pet lion cub and not think to name it.” Alex said.

Braden turned back to his friend to see a sarcastic smile spread across his face.

“How about Magnus.” Troy suggested.

Chapter X

Braden

Braden could smell the sea long before he could see it, Troy had been the first one to notice the change of smell in the air and ever since they had picked up the pace. The trees were getting further and further apart as they neared the edge of the forest and the sunlight was now freely shining through. They were all in good spirits, it had taken them five further days since they found Magnus to reach the other edge of the forest. Braden thought they had spent half of it walking in circles. He looked down at the lion cub who walked along proudly with a dead squirrel between its jaws, it was the fourth he had caught in the last two days. Reaching down Braden rubbed Magnus’ ears and was greeted with an affectionate purr, he swore that the cub had grown at least an inch since they had first met. As they got closer to the forest’s edge he began to hear a repetitive thud, as if someone was banging on a door, slowly it turned from a thud into a hacking noise. As they got even closer Braden could tell it was men chopping into wood. They were finally reaching civilisation. He again picked up the pace. He must have been only thirty paces from the men when he heard an almighty crash, it echoed into the forest. Birds high in the trees screeched before taking flight, Magnus’ eyes darting in each direction as they flew overhead. Braden continued on breaking into the clearing where he saw three men chopping at the fallen tree. The man closest to them, stopped at the sight of them exiting the forest, Braden moved in front of Magnus shielding him from the men.

“Well what do we have here?”

The axe wielder asked as he laid his axe against the tree before crossing his arms. The two other men stopped what they were doing placing their axe’s over opposite shoulders.

“Get lost did we?” Said the second man.

“No, we came from the Shires.” Braden replied.

“The Shires, why didn’t you follow the road?” replied the first man. Braden could tell the men were suspicious of them. He didn’t want any fuss and wanted to be out of here as quickly as possible and onto a ship before nightfall.

“I wanted to show my brother the forest.”

Braden placed his hand on Troy’s head rubbing his hair. By the look in the man’s eye Braden could tell he wasn’t convinced and he didn’t have time to waste.

“Now we shall be on our way.”

He pushed Troy forward and gestured for Alex to follow, as they walked past the three men he kept his eyes trained on the first man had spoken. Magnus was smart enough to keep to the other side of him and Alex and out of the men’s sight. Finally, when they were about a hundred feet away, Braden let go of the hilt of his sword. His knuckles were white and he stretched his hand a few times. They walked down the hill towards the port town of Maidenpool, even from this distance Braden could tell it was the busiest place he had ever been to. Ships of all sizes pulled in and out of port, as hundreds of men ran around like ants keeping the docks flowing smoothly. The slope was gradual as the group moved across the open plain between the forest and the town. It was split up into small farm estates bordered by low lying fences which marked each plot from the next. Walking between two of the fences, they made their way along the mud path, finally reaching the main road turning left and passing into the small stream of traffic heading up from Maidenpool back, onto the Silver Road. Magnus was already getting a lot of attention, though the cub thought nothing of it and carried on walking, the squirrel still dangling limp in his mouth. Alex stepped up beside Braden and spoke quietly into his ear.

“Magnus is drawing some attention and we haven’t even reached the town proper.”

“I know, but what can we do?”

“We need to get to the docks quickly and find out when the earliest ship departs.”

Braden spotted a small wheelbarrow off to one side. He smiled to himself before walking over to the side of the road. Making sure no one was looking he picked up the wheelbarrow and began walking down the road with it. Alex quickly jogged up beside him.

“What are you doing? Stealing?”

“Borrowing, look we need to get Magnus in without being seen. Now follow me.”

They were beginning to reach the outskirts of the town and the small shanty houses which occur on the edge of any large towns and cities in the country, were beginning to appear along the road. Braden wheeled the barrow around the back of one, before taking off his chainmail and sword. He threw the chainmail in first before gesturing Magnus to jump in, the lion cub didn’t give it second thought and happily leaped into the barrow. Braden removed his outer shirt leaving him standing in just his thin white undershirt. It was soaked in sweat patches and with the mattered hair and stubble he really wasn’t a sight to behold. He tossed his shirt over the cub, before placing the sheathed sword under both the shirt and the chainmail.

“Alex you do the same, Troy, you can keep yours on.”

Braden knelt down next to the barrow coming eye level with Magnus.

“Now you stay still, lay down, have a sleep.”

The lion cub dropped the squirrel at his feet before turning around and curling up into a ball, Braden then placed Alex’s shirt on top. Between the two they covered the cub completely and only someone looking closely could see the rise and fall of Magnus’ breathing. Satisfied it was the best they were going to do Braden lifted the handles of the wheelbarrow and walked back onto the main road making his way into Maidenpool and straight to the docks.

“What do you mean seven silver marks for the three of us? That's extortionate. What kind of game are you playing?”

Braden was fuming. Alex had to place a hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.

“I’m sorry my young friend, but it’s three each for you two, and one for the kid.” Replied the ship's captain.

“Well, is that your final offer?”

“I’m not offering, that is the price. Trust me, I am the cheapest ship in the docks today.”

“Thank you, we will consider your offer.”

With that Braden turned sharply and walked off back down the peer towards the town. Troy was standing at the end of the peer leaning against the wheelbarrow. Braden didn’t know how he was going to get the cub on, without someone noticing. At best, they would be charged extra to keep him on board. The worse, they could be thrown off the ship for having a dangerous animal.

“He is right, he is the cheapest. The bald headed man wanted to charge us five silvers a head and the fat man wanted twenty.”

“I know, I know. It’s just we only have four silver pieces between us I really thought that would get us all the way there. Not only to Talbot, but we still have a four day walk the other side. Not forgetting we need to feed us, I don’t think another Naga is going to come past for us to kill.”

“What about the chainmail?” Asked Alex.

“What about it?
”
             

“Look I know it was a gift, but it’s fine quality. My dad’s work is well sort after, and we might get six or seven silvers for it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Plus we have nothing else to sell apart from Bronn’s sword and I won’t let you sell that.”

Braden patted his friend on the shoulder thanking him.

“We need to find a blacksmith then.”

“I saw one on the way in.” Said Troy.

Braden and Alex looked at Troy as he stood smiling back at them.

Chapter XI

Alexander

Alex examined the blacksmith’s various wares, he took note of how each item was crafted. Much of the man’s work was domestic, very few military pieces were on display and from the look of those it wasn’t something the blacksmith did very often. He rubbed his thumb down the length of a short sword feeling the rough finish to the blade and shook his head. His father would be going crazy at the man and his lack of pride in his work, Alex felt like slapping the man himself. The heavy built smith moved slowly from the back of his workshop over to where Alex and Braden stood at the front. His face lacked any genuine sense of interest in anything they were likely to say.

“Can I help you? Horse shoes for your master?”

Alex and Braden looked at each other, did they really look like stable hands? He looked down at himself, he knew from that he probably wasn’t in a truly presentable state, he had not trimmed his beard in a little over a week now and not had the chance to wash or change his clothes since the night before the attack. They probably didn’t look like much more than a servant or beggar, which Alex realised, was never a good thing.

“No, thank you. We are looking to sell?”

Alex had made a point to Braden of doing the talking to the smith.

“I don’t buy kid. Unless it’s either scrap or cheap.”

Alex reached back to the wheelbarrow, pulling out the half-finished chainmail shirt. He placed a hand on Magnus’s head to keep him still as he wiggled it out from underneath him. He laid the shirt across the smith’s counter.

“Well, where did you steal this from?”

“We did not steal it.” Braden snapped.

Alex placed a hand on Braden’s shoulder to calm him. The smith raised his hands shocked at Braden’s raised voice.

“I meant no offence. But this is good quality and if you have the money to buy one, I doubt you would need to sell it so quickly. Added to that, it is unfinished.”

“It was a gift from my father to my friend here. We are heading to Alton, my friend here is looking to join the city guard and I am heading there on business for my dad.”

“Alton?”

“Yes.”

“So who is your father?”

“Uther Ferna from the village Farnshire.”

“The blacksmith? So you’re his son. You do look rather similar I’ll give you that. I met him a few times up at the Roost, big man, tallest I’ve ever seen. Blue eyes.”

“Green.” Alex replied quickly.

The smith smiled at him.

"So what does he want in Alton?"

"He is looking to set up a business partnership with a smith or a shop owner up there. Business is good, but there are only a few independent Lords and Knights in the Roost's lands, and my father excels in weapons and armour so it makes sense to head to the capital."

Braden and Alex had worked up a rather elaborate story of why they were traveling just in case they were asked. At first, it was to see family, then to sight-see, and then for Braden to join the city guard meaning they could explain the chainmail and sword, then Alex threw in his part about his dad to add depth to the story. It was something his dad had spoken to him about before and he had entertained actually moving to the capital for more work, but his mother had thrown the biggest tantrum he had ever seen and the idea was quickly put to bed.

"Fair enough, so the best I can do is five silver marks.”

“Nine.”

“Nine, are you drunk kid? It’s not even finished.”

“Well if you know my father, you know his work. It’s worth nine.”

“Six silvers and four bronze Kobles.”

“Eight and five.”

“Six and seven.”

“Eight silver.” Interrupted Braden.

“Look kid, I have not only to finish this thing, but then to make a profit as well, the best I can do is seven.”

“Seven and that shoddy short sword you have there.”

Alex watched the smith shake his head and he knew he had him.

“Ok, deal.”

He reached out a hand to grasp the smith’s.

“Good doing business with you.”

“Couldn’t say the same, if you don’t want to be a blacksmith, maybe you should become a taxman, you can ring money out of anyone.”

Braden broke out into laughter, Alex turned to give his friend a dirty look before joining in. The smith walked into the back of his shop returning with a small pouch of coins. He counted out seven marks placing each one in Alex’s hand, he handed them over to Braden, who placed them in his pocket with the other four. They now had enough to get to Talbot by boat, feed and put a roof over the three of them until they reached the capital. Alex picked up the short sword before giving a quick wave to the smith and followed Troy and Braden back to the docks. They were about halfway back to the boat when Braden stepped up next to him.

“How the hell did you get seven marks and a sword?”

“As soon as I knew he had seen my dad’s work, I could tell he would pay over the asking price for it. He will probably finish it off and claim the full work as his own, if he sells it to a little baron who comments on its quality he will be swimming in work from the baron’s friends and relatives. It was an easy sell.”

“Well, well done.”

The two carried on walking down the street back towards the docks, Troy bounced along in front pushing the wheelbarrow. The kid had not complained since Braden had asked him to hold it whilst they had spoken to the ship captains.

"Why the sword?" Braden asked.

"Although I know you’re a good swordsman, I want to be able to defend myself as well and a hammer just doesn't do it. Plus, it gives us something else to sell, if we are ever short of money in the future."

Soon the street opened up onto the dock, Alexander took the lead, heading left up the wharf to the ship. The captain spotted him from afar and had made his way down to the boarding plank to meet them.

“So, gentleman have you decided to accept my offer?”

“Yes, seven silvers for the three of us. A private cabin and food and water for the journey.”

“I don’t know if you would call it a proper cabin, but yes, that’s the deal I offered. Now welcome aboard the Summer Wind.”

Alexander stepped up the ramp and placed the seven silver coins into his hand.

“We sail at the tide.”