Escana (5 page)

Her
breath left her body, he had no idea what effect his words had on her
until her response. 'You're... right. I can't read you, I look at you
and I see someone that could be either the most vile creature in
existence or the most hallowed of saints. I simply don't know.'

He
froze as her fingers brushed the small of his back. He couldn't
remember her moving forward or shutting the door, having been so
concentrated on her words.

'I
would like to find out,' she said, easing him gently onto the bed.

It
was as if in a dream that he acquiesced to her touch, barely
concealing the betrayal of his body as she drew closer to him. He lay
on the cramped bed now as she lowered herself beside him and pushed
her head into his chest.

He
lay there in the dark with her for an untold amount of time, waiting
for something more to happen, until his dozing was interrupted by a
faint shaking, followed by the slightest of noises. Her shaking
increased over time and the wetness dripping onto his chest told him
she was quietly sobbing into him.

He
shifted his head forward, then caught the faint sound playing across
her lips, repeatedly breaking up her sobs as if in a mantra. He
couldn't tell what the words were. It was barely more than a whisper,
the merest hint of sound, yet in this darkness he heard everything.
He felt a sharp pricking sensation in his chest as she dug her nails
into his shirt.

He
had no perception of time in this place, it could have gone on for
minutes or hours but eventually she stilled as sleep took her. He lay
there, not daring to move lest he wake her, thinking long into the
depths of the night.

A
pounding on the door and a yelling voice woke them both. He felt Ella
go rigid on his body and frantically rise from the bed.

After
searching for her clothes and realising she was still wearing them,
she pointed desperately at the window and put on a convincing
impression of being put out at having been woken.

Not
desiring a confrontation with the stranger, Jakob leaned out the
window and was thankful to spot a sloping roof he could roll onto. He
lowered himself down with as much care as he could muster when
rushed, just in time to see the door open. He couldn't help but hear
the rest of the exchange from under the windowsill.

'Why
was this door locked?' the deep voice demanded, clearly sounding
tense.

'Why
wouldn't it be locked, do you think I want anyone wandering in on
me?' Ella replied.

'I
waited for you at the farm and find you sleeping in another man's
room.'

She
laughed, which didn't sound advisable considering how angry the other
person sounded. 'You're not seriously paranoid about Jimmy, are you?
He's practically my little brother.'

She
said it in such a derisive tone that the voice lowered its volume, as
if to calm her somewhat.

'I
didn't think it was Jimmy, I thought that...'

'You
thought that I was up here getting fucked by some other drunkard from
downstairs, right?' Ella finished for him. 'Well look around, do you
see any drunkards here, Solomon?'

Jakob
had no idea where this confidence had come from, it was a very
dangerous game she was playing. He heard footsteps approach the
window and tried to press himself even further under the sill,
wishing he could disappear. The man blew a sigh out into the air,
Jakob could smell the liquor on his breath.

'No,
I suppose you're right, there are no drunkards here. Jimmy told me he
didn't see anyone else all night, said it was slow business
apparently.' Solomon didn't sound entirely convinced but the brief
flash of anger had receded for now.

'I'll
be down shortly to start work, they had me working late so I didn't
see the point of leaving. I'm sorry for standing you up.'

She
seemed to add the last bit as an afterthought, though the tone was
much softer, they sounded involved. Jakob was even more relieved for
having not been discovered.

'I'm
sorry for raising my voice,' Solomon said gruffly, as if with great
difficulty. 'I'll let you get on with your day.' Jakob heard the
sound of a kiss and tried to stifle his jealousy. 'I look forward to
seeing you tonight.'

Jakob
lay there as the footsteps receded, and Ella sighed audibly.

'You
can come out now, he's gone.'

He
clambered out from his cramped hiding spot and stepped back into the
room, stretching his sore arms. 'Thanks for the warning, I don't
think he would have appreciated finding me here with you. Have you
been together long?'

Ella
nodded briefly. 'Four years, it's unimportant.' She stepped close to
him once again, as if to intimate something. 'I'd just like to thank
you for last night.'

This
caught Jakob off guard. 'Thank me? For what?'

'For
not being like the other guys.'

Jakob
furrowed his brows in confusion, he wasn't aware of doing anything.
Ella saw the look on his face.

'I
woke up with my clothes on, that's never happened before.'

He
smiled. 'Perhaps you should try going to sleep in your clothes more
often then.'

He
knew it was the wrong thing to say from the stricken look she gave
him. 'Stay here. Jimmy will come up for you after Solomon has left.'
That brief moment of tenderness that she shared was gone and in its
place she had become brisk and business-like in tone. Before he had
chance to say another word she had turned her back and walked out.

He
was sat glumly by the bedside when the door opened again. Jimmy
wandered in looking tired and worried, nothing like the boisterous
young lad of yesterday.

'Solomon
seemed in good spirits when he came downstairs, he can't have seen
you, so why is Ella not saying a word to me?'

Jakob
shrugged. 'I cracked a joke, it was in poor taste. It has nothing to
do with you.'

Jimmy
didn't look convinced. 'If you did anything to her...'

'I
was the perfect gentleman, you can ask her yourself when she starts
talking to you again. Thanks for covering for her, you could have
easily turned me in.'

'I
look out for her,' he sighed. 'Nobody else does.'

Jakob
patted the bed. 'You look like you could use some sleep, want me to
leave you be?'

This
brought a faint smile from Jimmy. 'Do I really look that tired? I was
thinking of staying up until the party tonight.'

'Party?'

Jimmy
sat up. 'You mean you haven't heard? There's a gathering at
Harvester's farmstead this evening, it's the biggest event of the
year. Celebrating a new season and all that.'

Jakob
shrugged. 'I hadn't been invited.'

'Well
you have been now, though I'm beginning to doubt I'll make it through
the rest of the day without my bed.'

Jakob
shook his head. 'You look like you could last a few more minutes at
best, get some rest.'

He
sank into his bed gratefully, briefly opening his eyes as Jakob
walked out the door. 'You want to do something later before the
party?'

Jakob
gave him the thumbs up, which only seemed to confuse Jimmy. 'I'll be
around this afternoon to wake you if you're too lazy to rouse
yourself.'

Jimmy
closed his eyes and grinned to himself. 'You sound just like my
father. Thanks for offering me my own bed, you're most generous.'

Harold
Gooseman
. Like a flash of remembrance it hit him, that was
why he was here in the first place.

He
started to make his way down the stairs with some trepidation,
knowing that Ella may well be there, the last thing he wanted was a
confrontation in a public place. The creaking noise of the wood
sounded treacherously loud in his own ears, as if half the inn could
hear him descending.

He
caught himself peering down the final flight of stairs, why was he
being so stupid about this? It was only a joke, she'd forgive him in
time. Or it could cost him a job he hadn't even started if she had
the ear of the owner.

She
was furiously wiping a table that most certainly didn't need it, it
left little doubt that he was the reason her back was to the stairs.

Reaching
the final step, Jakob took in the rest of the room and spotted a bald
head behind the bar. It would appear that Harold Gooseman had
returned and he wasn't alone.

There
were three other men at the bar, a scrawny-looking wretch at the far
end who seemed to be scowling at everything and two large and rugged
looking men opposite him, one that Jakob recognised as the local
smith.

The
smith locked eyes with him and a huge grin spread under his beard, he
pushed himself off his stool and without warning Jakob found himself
engulfed in an enormous bear hug.

'Jakob,
my boy!' the stranger roared, crushing him in his embrace. 'It's been
years since I last saw you, you're all grown up!'

When
the man finally let go he seemed somewhat confused, perhaps he was
waiting for some outward sign from Jakob. He decided that honesty was
the best course with someone so large and intimidating. 'I'm sorry, I
don't believe we've met.'

A
laugh came from the bar. 'That's two gold bits you owe me Garth, I
told you he hadn't mentioned you to the boy.'

Garth
muttered something and tossed two coins with undue force in
Gooseman's direction. 'One of these days Harold, we're going to come
across something that you don't already know.'

Gooseman
smirked. 'And when that day arrives I will happily concede my
ignorance. When it comes to Thom, I have always known best.'

Thom
.
Nobody that valued their health called his father that. Both of these
men were either fearless to the point of stupidity or very close
friends. Jakob couldn't tell from the initial exchange.

Garth
was eyeing him now, with what Jakob hoped was a kindly expression on
his face. 'We've known your Dad since way back before you were born.
He never told you about me then?'

Jakob
shook his head, not knowing what to say. Garth beckoned him over to
the bar and pulled up a stool for him, he didn't feel all that
comforted by the action. There were too many judging eyes on him now,
it made him wary of slipping up.

'The
ill-looking fellow at the end there is Aldred, he owns the Golden Rat
upstairs.' Jakob didn't recall seeing another pub, then again Ella
had been very distracting.

Aldred
gave him a look somewhere between a grimace and a shrug, not remotely
encouraging.

'Don't
mind him,' Garth continued, walking over and slapping Aldred on the
back, nearly sending him face-first into his beer. 'He's always been
a sour-puss.'

Aldred
grunted but didn't deign to comment on what must have been a very old
jab at him.

'The
next man to your left is Simon Harvester. He owns the biggest
plantation in all of Escana, none of us would eat without him.'

The
wild-looking red-headed man was squat and muscular, he sported a
tangled beard like Garth's and looked even less friendly than Aldred.
He stuck out a calloused hand and nearly shook Jakob's arm off in
greeting.

'Last
and especially least we have Harold Gooseman, proprietor of The
Chipped Flagon.'

Jakob
had thought his father was being unreasonably malicious in his
description of the man, now he realised how accurate he'd really
been. Harold Gooseman was the ugliest man he had ever laid eyes upon.
Gaunt features, a pasty parlour and a hooked nose set between
cavernous eyes, the man looked like a walking corpse.

He
didn't know why but upon looking at this man an intense feeling of
hatred bubbled up inside him. The sensation was almost murderous yet
he couldn't think of any root cause of it. Were his emotions trying
to tell him something about the man? Was he one of The Six? He
certainly didn't look like any of the Daelovian statues.

Realising
they were waiting for a response from him and that he'd been staring,
Jakob quickly stuttered greetings.

Gooseman
nodded in return. 'A little bird with a big sword told me that you
were seeking employment here, is that correct?'

'Yes
sir, it is.'

The
innkeeper smiled at the title, as if manners were a rare thing in his
line of work. 'I'm afraid I can't let you work here.'

Garth
furrowed his brows. 'Now wait a minute Harold, the boy...'

Gooseman
raised a hand and the smith was surprisingly silenced, he didn't
break eye contact with Jakob. 'I have received a complaint about your
behaviour from one of my members of staff. I cannot employ anyone
that would sew the seeds of disharmony amongst us.'

Jakob
looked over at the table Ella had been cleaning, she had made her
exit and left the cloth behind. Had he really been sewing seeds of
disharmony? It was one joke, albeit in poor taste.

'Yes,'
Gooseman continued, noticing where his gaze fell. 'You know very well
what you did and it's cost you this job.'