Winterfinding (14 page)

“
The closest thing to the
truth that you can manage, boy.” Jena brought her boot down on
Heston’s calf and he crumpled to the ground.

“
Hang on, damn it.” Heston
grimaced as he turned to face her. Jena didn’t hesitate. She drew
her other dagger, crouched, and pressed the kris’s edge to Heston’s
throat.

“
I’m obviously a bit
better than you at this.” She gazed into his eyes and saw his anger
turn to a surprised fear. He’d obviously never considered his own
death. Jena’s own expression was emotionless. She could sense the
panic building in Heston. Even a gifter cornered could be a danger.
She eased back slightly and nodded to him, “Let’s hear it
then.”

“
Okay,” Heston didn’t
stutter but you could hear a wobble in his voice, “There’s a bounty
for a woman ranger.”

“
Who’s bounty?”

“
It was issued by the
justiciars.”

She didn’t betray any recognition. “Bandra?
Why are they after a free ranger?”

“
A woman free ranger.”
Heston corrected. “Apparently, she killed some of their number in
her breaking out her partner from one of their jails.”

“
And you
thought…”

“
It was you.”

“
Flattering.” Jena stepped
back and gestured with the kris for him to stand. “If I could beat
you like this, what made you think you could take a ranger that’s
beaten justiciars?”

“
A woman ranger.” Heston
said again.

“
Yeah, a woman,” She
pointed at herself casually with the kris, “and if what you say is
true, she’d likely have a partner.”

“
The coin is well worth
it.” Heston was sulking.

“
How much?” Jena kept her
daggers out but tried to look as at ease as possible to coax more
information.

“
A brick.” He said
reluctantly.

“
Light be damned, a
thousand aurei?”

“
So you see, it was worth
the attempt.”

“
Nothing is worth your
life.”

“
Maybe not, but I had to
try.”

“
Well, you should try
harder. I just came in from the west and am alone so not so much
your mark.”

Heston nodded, “I hadn’t thought of
that.”

“
Consider it a free
lesson.” Jena sheathed her weapons. “Are you the big bad around
here? That constable was grilling me about you.” Heston seemed to
brighten a bit at the suggestion.

“
That constable has had it
in for me for a while now but I’ve managed to keep him off my
trail. He can’t prove anything against me. He just
fishing.”

“
Well, then maybe you’re
who I should talk to.” “Yeah?”

“
Maybe the way I see it
you owe me for this misunderstanding.”

“
You’re looking for work?
Why not just go after the bounty?”

“
Who said I wasn’t going
to? Might be easier for me. Flush out you boys, get rid of the
competition, then lure her to me. We girls have to stick
together.”

“
Yeah, well, I could
help…”

Jena shook her head, “Naw, I need something
now. Something that’ll put enough coin in my pocket to keep me
going. Guess I’m going north instead of east if those justiciars
are looking for blood. I don’t want any hassle.”

“
We can’t talk out here in
the street.” Heston looked nervously around.

“
Worried about the
constable?”

“
I’ve not kept my hide out
of custody this long by discussing business in the
open.”

“
Let’s not get too carried
away, I did just almost end you here.” She said.

Heston winced. “You come to my place. It’s a
few streets west of Moria’s, a burnt out tenement. You’ll know it
right away.”

“
And once I’m there you
won’t try to kill me for making you look like an
amateur?”

“
I’ve had a plan for a
while now, haven’t been able to make it happen. But if you can do
what you did to me, then we could both get rich quick.”

“
What is it?”

“
I’m not gonna say out
there. But just consider the fact that even Spires soldier out here
need to be paid.”

Jena nodded, “Alright. When?”

“
Tomorrow night. Around
this time.”

“
I don’t want to see you
near me at the boarding house. Don’t want that constable thinking I
have anything to do with you.”

“
You think I
do?”

“
I don’t know what to
think yet. I know I don’t trust you, you wanted to frame me and
sell me off to the Bandrans.”

“
Yeah, well, you tried to
kill me.”

“
That was self-defense. I
would’ve won that trial.”

“
Alright, alright.” Heston
had had enough. “Tomorrow night. And if you don’t show…”

“
Don’t you worry about
me.” Jena snapped. “Now where can folks like us get a proper drink
in this hamlet?”

Heston smiled, “The Hung Buck.” Jena rolled
her eyes and gestured for him to continue. “Four streets down and
underground. At the crossroads with the doused lamppost.”

“
Do I need a word?” Heston
shook his head. “If I see you again, I don’t know you. You don’t
exist to me.” He nodded. Jena left him in the lamppost’s halo
rubbing the back of his neck.

Goshen and Declan needed to know this news,
that the Bandrans had put a price on their heads. If bounty hunters
were out looking for a woman ranger and her partner, then they
might confuse Kira and Goshen as their prey. Or Declan and Fery or
Fery and Goshen or, whatever, she thought. She was angry with
herself for not killing Heston when she had the chance. Her cover
would work; the boy wasn’t nearly as smart as he thought he was.
But she needed to know more and not just about the bounty.

“
Fuck I need a drink.” She
muttered as she realized she was at the crossroad that Heston had
described. There was a low awning and a sad set of stairs to a door
that was far more secure looking than anything in this town needed
to be. Entering the tavern she was struck by the scent of brown
leaf, the heat of sweat mixed with the flames from the hearth, and
the windowless space was brightly lit with flickering oil lamps. It
was hot, full, and no one took any notice of her. She felt at ease
immediately.

Approaching the barkeep, she dropped a
couple of silvers. The barkeep approached and without looking at
her asked “So a bottle then?”

“
Barleywine?” She asked,
and he nodded. Just then, Jena felt a tug at her elbow. She looked
down and saw Adamix smiling up at her.

“
Two cups.” Adamix called
up to the barkeep.

“
What are you doing
here?”

“
I should ask you the
same.” The barkeep set a couple of pint cups down and a rather fat
bottle of barleywine.

“
So I take it I’m sharing
my beer with you.”

Adamix smiled, “I think it would be mutually
beneficial. Come, I have a nice nook already spoken for.” He led
Jena across the tavern passed tables of gruff men drinking in sad
silence, gamblers eying each other with a keen myopia, a barmaid
who was rather obviously giving two men manual satisfaction.
Passing this last table, Adamix slow a bit and muttered, “Lovely”
in a mocking tone.

Jena rolled her eyes and poked him in the
back of the head, “Don’t get any ideas, and I don’t want to have to
sit and see that all night.”

Adamix kept on, “No worries. We’re around
the corner here, well obscured from these dirty deeds.” There was a
squat table protruding from a two-seat nook that looked carved out
of the rock that made up the wall. Adamix shimmied his way into the
nook waving Jena to sit down and pour the beer.

“
So why are you here?”
Jena asked as she filled the cups for him and herself.

“
Actually, I’m here on
rather official business.” He said self-satisfied.

“
Oh? I would have thought
that your credit had run out at Meg’s place and you’d be looking to
slum it with the likes of the clever barmaid there.” Jena drank the
barleywine and felt it coat her tongue with a lovely tartness that
she wasn’t expecting. She didn’t often drink, but when she did, it
was a dangerous affair. This particular brew posed a significant
challenge to keep from over-indulging in.

“
Why are you so cross with
me? Things not go well with your reunion?”

“
No, it didn’t go well.
But I think you know that.”

“
I know no such
thing.”

“
There’s a price on my
head.”

Adamix nodded, “So you’re the ranger.” He
wagged his finger at her, “I wanted to think it was someone else
but, well, only you would stab Bandra in the eye.”

“
It wasn’t like that.” She
muttered into her cup. “The job Roth gave me, it went bad. He
couldn’t have known.”

“
Why aren’t you hunting
him down?”

“
Cause things went worse
for him.” Adamix’s face became suddenly somber.

“
Is he
alright?”

“
As far as I know.” Jena
waved off his concerns. “He’s gone north. Finally. But, I don’t
know…”

“
You going to follow after
him?”

“
Why would I?”

“
Because whether or not
you two want to admit it to each other or even to others who know
full well,” Adamix let out a long, bothered sigh, “you both want to
be together.” Jena didn’t say anything but took a long drink.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that he’s alright. Though now might not be
the best time to be in the north.”

“
No, he’s going far
north.” Adamix looked surprised but Jena continued, “But why do you
say that? What’s going on?”

“
There’s a Spires army
amassed near Midhalm. In fact, it’s my official duty to inform
independent merchants along the north coast.”

“
The Merchant Fleet hired
you? How did they hear about this?”

Adamix nodded, “News came out of Ardavass
almost immediately and few in the region other than myself know all
the nooks and crannies so well and can be trusted to move
discretely.”

“
Suppose this just adds to
your rumor mill.”

“
Informants.” He
corrected. “How do you think a little shit like me makes a proper
living? These Sovi would’ve done away with me years ago. It’s not
like you biggies are a tolerant breed.”

Jena shrugged. She’d never born any malice
to the Adrenines or even the athingani, but she realized she was
among a small number. Even her own kind were split down the middle
about how to treat her—a woman acting like a man according to The
Cathedral and The Spires or a person acting like a person to the
Essians, athingani, and Adrenines. She didn’t like Adamix because
he was a bastard, always thinking with his dick. Yet he had been
one of Roth’s only friends, so there must have been something
redeemable about him. She’d yet to see it, but she kept
looking.

“
I’m sure Roth can handle
himself.”

“
Getting around or through
an army is no small task. But I don’t disagree with you.” Adamix
raised his cup and shook it for more beer. “Now you know why I’m
here. What are you doing here? Especially given that you seem to
have just discovered someone like you is being hunted.”

“
I’m not going to get into
it.” She shook her head. “Just know the job went bad. Had to fight
my way to meet up with Roth again at our haunt.”

“
Up in the
highlands?”

“
Yeah, and even there, we
ended up just barely making it out with our lives.”

“
So then why are you back
this way? Seems a bit close to Bandra than you should like to
be.”

“
I didn’t know the
Bandrans were after me.”

“
You couldn’t have
guessed?”

“
They didn’t know who I
was.”

“
How many woman free
rangers do you think there are in the east?”

“
Guess that’s why I have
to head north.” Jena stared into her cup.

“
Into the mouth of the
beast.” Adamix shook his head. “That won’t be easy.”

“
What else is
there?”

He shrugged, “South.” The two sat in
silence. Then Adamix reached into an inside pocket. He dug around a
bit, and then his hand emerged holding a purse. He tossed it on the
table, “And that is yours.” Jena reached out a finger and dragged
it toward her. She widen the drawstring opening and slide out a few
of the aurei inside.

“
That’s the half that Roth
left with me. For you. If things went bad.” Adamix said.

“
Thanks.” Jena replied
with no emotion.

“
Don’t gush so.” He chided
her provoking a weak but genuine smile.

“
I want to get
drunk.”

“
Who doesn’t?”

“
Be a man, Adamix,” she
pushed the coins to him, “and go get use two more bottles. I’ve got
things I don’t want to think about.”

Adamix slide out of the nook and seemed to
hop to his feet. “As my lady wishes…” He scooped up the coins and
disappeared around the corner. Jena slouched holding her head in
her hands. She lifted the barleywine bottle and held it upside-down
letting the last trickle dribble into her cup. Nothing was going
well. A constable was about to discover graves she had made. A
petty thug was expecting her to help him in some nonsense. There
was a bounty on her head that, at best, would make travel more
difficult. Her friends were on course to stumble into the midst of
an army. There was nothing she could do. Nothing, that is, but get
drunk and stumble out into the street of tomorrow’s dawn.