Cold Magics (29 page)

“Spring,” said Henry. “My father’s plan is to let the enemy starve themselves over the winter, then attack in force in the spring.”

“It’s not just enemy who will starve over the winter, Lord Henry.”

Henry looked at the crowd around them. “Are your people not fed, then?”

“No one is fed,” said Baron Gallen. “They earn their keep as best they can, when there is work. Otherwise…” The baron shrugged. “And now I must see to my people. We have waited a long time to speak with you, and need to seek shelter.”

“Where will you seek it?” asked Thomas. “Where do you go?”

“Where we can,” said Gallen. He bowed slightly to Henry, then left. The crowd of men and women filtered slowly out of the square, leaving Thomas, Henry, Eileen, Lawrence and George standing together in an empty, darkened street. Henry watched until the last of them vanished from sight. His mouth was set in a hard, angry line.

“Come on,” he said. “It’s time we were home.”

15

The page banged on Thomas’s door again the next morning. Thomas, feeling much the worse for wear, managed to stumble into his clothes, find his weapons and make it down to the practice room. George and Eileen were already there, both looking much like Thomas felt.

“If you are sure you don’t mind,” said a new voice.

Thomas turned to watch Baron Goshawk and Henry enter, with Sir Lawrence, Sir Patrick and Sir Rowland behind them. “Not at all,” said Henry. “The more we have, the better. Good morning,” he said to Thomas and his friends. Henry himself was looking annoyingly well, despite slightly bloodshot eyes.

“Good morning,” said Thomas. “Baron, you are joining us?”

“If there’s no objection.”

Thomas looked to Henry, whose expression was clearly saying there are no objections. “None from me.”

“Fine with me,” said George.

“And me.” Eileen grinned. “If the baron thinks he can keep up.”

“I think I’ll manage,” said the baron, smiling back at her.

“Should we warm up properly this time?” Thomas asked, pointing to the ladders and bars set into one of the walls and telling himself it had nothing to do with the way Goshawk was looking at Eileen.

Henry looked at once dour and amused. “You would think of that, wouldn’t you?”

“Aye,” said Thomas. “But that’s why I’m the best swordsman in Hawksmouth.”

“You think,” said Henry. “Lead us.”

Thomas did, running them around the room, taking them up the ladders and the ropes, making them do pull-ups on the bar. Henry stayed on Thomas’s heels the entire time, with his knights only slightly behind. Baron Goshawk did his best to keep the pace, and Eileen trailed him only slightly. Thomas enjoyed the surprise on the baron’s face when Eileen pulled herself up on the bars and ropes. George trailed behind them and was clearly not happy with the running. He went up and down the ropes and ladders with ease, though, and on a dare from Patrick did pull-ups one-handed with each arm.

Thomas ran them for a quarter of an hour, until he could feel himself covered with a sheen of sweat. He called a stop, and Henry called for blades. The knights took George aside to work with the heavier weapons and Henry led the other three in blade drills: rapier first, then rapier and dagger, singly and then with rotating partners. The baron did the drills with the ease of much practice, and when paired with Thomas, showed a strong wrist and a fair amount of speed.

After half an hour, Henry called them all in to pair off and take turns on the fencing floor. Lawrence was less tentative against Thomas, and Thomas had to work to defeat him. He watched Rowland pair off against Baron Goshawk. The man knew what he was doing well enough, and gave Sir Rowland some stiff competition before the knight scored a killing blow. George and Lawrence went next, and Lawrence handily proved that skill could overcome brute force.

Rowland and Patrick followed, feinting and grinning like two old sparring partners.

“Eileen and Baron Goshawk,” said Henry. “If you would.”

The baron’s eyebrows went up. “Me? Fight her?”

“Aye,” said Henry. “If you would.”

“It isn’t proper,” protested Goshawk. “A man should not fight a girl.”

“Oh, really?” Eileen’s eyebrows also went up and head tilted to one side. “Not scared, are you?”

The baron’s back stiffened. “Not for myself.”

Eileen smiled sweetly and stepped onto the fencing floor. “Then come on.”

Goshawk stepped onto the floor, the two saluted, and Eileen charged.

The baron dodged backwards and parried hard and fast as Eileen’s blade flashed out a half-dozen times in the first moments of the fight. Goshawk quickly regained the initiative and began driving at Eileen, using his size and strength to force her backwards.

“Oh, that’s not going to work,” said George one moment before his prediction came true.

Thomas was not a large man at all, and had been paired against many larger opponents in his time. The move that Eileen used was one of his favourites, slipping to the side as the baron stabbed and driving her own blade under his to score a clean kill to his chest.

“Kill!” shouted Henry. When the baron looked up, his expression was chagrined to say the least. “I underestimated you,” he said to Eileen, holding out a hand. “Pray, accept my apologies.”

Eileen extended hers and the baron bowed over it. Eileen grinned. “That will teach you.”

“So,” said the baron. “Who is next?”

“Me and the second best swordsman in Hawksmouth,” said Henry. “Dagger as well, this time?”

Thomas, grinning, put a button onto his dagger and stepped onto the fencing floor. The fight was longer and harder. Each scored three wounds on the other, and once more the match became a game of attrition. Henry, growing frustrated, closed the distance between them with a quick move and rendered their swords useless. He nearly scored a killing blow with his dagger, but Thomas fell to the ground, avoiding the thrust and cutting Henry twice with his dagger on the way down before thrusting a kill hit with his rapier. He scrambled to his feet even as Henry cursed and stepped back, acknowledging his defeat.

“He nearly had you that time,” said George.

“He did have me,” said Thomas. “I lost my balance as he was coming in. He missed my heart by luck.”

“Still,” said Patrick, “Any fight you win…”

“True.”

“Enough for today,” said Henry. “I have a meeting with my father and the city council. George?”

“Forge.”

“Eileen?”

“No idea. Thomas?”

“That, I’d like to discuss with Lord Henry,” said Thomas.

“Of course,” said Henry. “Sir Patrick, would you escort Eileen back to her rooms?”

“I can,” said Baron Goshawk. “And to breakfast, if you like.” He looked to George. “If there are no objections?”

“Not from me,” said George, putting on a pleasant smile and looking at Thomas.

“Eileen?” asked the baron.

Eileen spared a swift glance at Thomas, then said, “Thank you, Baron.”

The group split up. Thomas waited until he and Henry were alone before asking, “Did you invite the baron or did he invite himself?”

“He invited himself,” said Henry. “Three guesses why?”

“He has a thing for blacksmiths’ daughters?”

“No, though after that fight he might just be smitten,” said Henry, grinning at Thomas’s sour expression. “Goshawk’s petitioning my father to let him return to his town. It hadn’t yet fallen when Father ordered the gates sealed, and he’s hoping it still hasn’t. He wants to mount an expedition to get back and reinforce the town, and he wants my support.”

“And here I thought he was interested in Eileen.”

“That, too, I’m sure,” said Henry. “But that’s not his main reason. Everything is political, here, Thomas. Even the flirting.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“Do,” said Henry. “Now what are your plans today?”

“More booksellers,” said Thomas. “Maybe I’ll find something in one.”

“I suppose it’s a start,” said Henry. “But I doubt any books of magic are left. Everything was purged when the last of the Daughter’s priests were driven out.”

“I’m not looking for spell books,” said Thomas. “Most of what I had back in Hawksmouth were notes scribbled in ships’ logs or commonplace books, or memoirs.”

“Lots of time in booksellers, then,” said Henry. “And eating in pubs while you’re looking, no doubt.”

“Aye.”

“So you need money.”

“If you want me to find anything,” said Thomas.

“Figures,” said Henry. “Fine. I’ll have a purse sent to you at breakfast.”

“Thank you. And speaking of that, I should get changed.”

“You should,” said Henry, smiling himself. “After all, you wouldn’t want Baron Goshawk sitting beside your girl, would you?”

Thomas made a sour face, bowed, and made his way back to the tower to change clothes. When he got to the great hall, George was nowhere to be seen, and Eileen and Baron Goshawk were sitting across from each other at one of the long tables.

“Where’s George?” Thomas asked.

“Been and gone,” said Eileen. “Said he wanted to get a jump on work at the forge today, in case Amelia comes around.”

“Can’t blame him,” said Thomas, pulling up a chair and accepting a bowl of porridge from one of the servants.

“You were very good on the floor today,” said the baron to Thomas. “I’ve never seen anyone beat Henry.”

“Thank you, Baron,” said Thomas, “but if I hadn’t slipped, he’d have had me.”

“I know the feeling.” Goshawk smiled at Eileen, who smiled a smug smile back at him, “though I can’t claim my mistake was a slip.”

“That will teach you to underestimate me,” said Eileen.

“Indeed it will,” agreed the baron. “I will have to think of a way to make it up to you.”

“Fight me again.”

“I will,” promised the baron. He turned to Thomas. “Was it on the fencing floor that you met Lord Henry?”

“It was in an astronomy class,” said Thomas. “Three years ago. He was the only one smart enough to bring a warm flask to a very cold night of star-watching.” Thomas smiled. “I became attached to him at once.”

Baron Goshawk chuckled. “No doubt.”

The three dug into their food, and silence reigned at the table for a short while. The baron ate quickly, and had his finished before the other two were halfway. He looked down at the empty bowl with a slightly wistful expression, then rose. “I should go.” He looked at Eileen. “Will you be at practice tomorrow?”

“Aye,” said Eileen. “Will you?”

“I will. We can have a rematch.”

Eileen grinned. “I look forward to it.”

The baron bowed slightly, then walked away from the table. Eileen watched him until he went through the door into the corridor beyond. “What a flirt!”

Thomas’s eyebrows went up. “Really?”

“The first thing he said on our way back from the hall is that he much preferred me in a skirt. And that he’d have to arrange a time to see me in one again.”

Thomas remembered what Henry had said that morning. “Be careful with him.”

Eileen rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid.”

“I know, I just meant…” Thomas realized there was nothing he could say that would sound right, and changed the subject. “Did something happen in the hallway yesterday, before dinner? I thought I heard you arguing with someone.”

Eileen didn’t say anything. When Thomas looked at her, her eyes were on the ground in front of her, and her face was red. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” said Eileen, “except the baron escorted me to the hall. You’re not jealous of him, are you?”

“No,” said Thomas. “I just…” Eileen’s expression told Thomas that talking further was not going to get him any more information. “Nothing.”

“Then let’s get out of here, shall we?”

Thomas shook his head. “Can’t. Henry’s sending me money. Did you want to go get changed while I wait?”

“No,” said Eileen, rather quickly. “I mean, who knows how long it will take?”

“True.” They ate the last of their porridge and sat in silence. Thomas reached over and took Eileen’s hand. She flinched at first, and Thomas nearly let her go, but Eileen clutched his hand tight in hers. Thomas waited for her to say something to explain, but she kept quiet. The silence became rapidly uncomfortable for Thomas, who knew there was something wrong but had no idea what it was. He was about to ask when a servant approached.

“From Lord Henry,” said the man, holding out a purse.

“Thank you,” said Thomas, taking the purse. “And pass my thanks on to him, if you would.” The servant bowed and left. Thomas and Eileen walked together back to the stairs to his tower. “Did you want to meet in the great hall?”

Eileen hesitated a moment before answering. “Let’s meet at my room,” she said. “You’re always ready before me anyway.”

“Fine, I’ll meet you there.”

Thomas headed up the stairs at a fast clip, got himself inside the tower and opened the purse. Twenty-five silver—enough to pay for a large number of pub lunches and a fair number of books, if Thomas husbanded it carefully.

Thomas pulled on his winter clothes and rapier, then went to meet Eileen. She answered his knock by opening the door a crack and peering out before swinging the door wide. She was in her boys’ clothes, with the heavy winter coat and cloak over top. She was doing up her sword-belt.

“You’re going out as a boy?” Thomas asked.

“Aye,” said Eileen. She hesitated, then added, “after last night’s encounter, I thought it might be a good idea.”

“Sensible,” said Thomas.

“Did Henry give you enough money?”

“Enough to set up shop-keeping,” said Thomas.

“Then let’s go spend some,” said Eileen.

The day was just as cold as the one before. The clean white snow that had fallen the previous night was already dirty grey, save a few patches of brilliant white that threatened to blind them. The streets were as crowded as ever, and Thomas was glad he’d secreted the purse deep inside his clothes, where even the best pickpocket would have a hard time reaching it. Squinting in the bright, cold sunlight, Thomas led them into the city, starting with the bookstore they’d visited day before. There wasn’t anything new, but the owner assured Thomas that more would come in. “In fact,” he said, “given the lack of work, people will probably be trading books for food by the end of the winter.”