Ch: 23 An Apology Apple

Midday found the bathers on a low hill, overlooking the marsh Esperanza described. The road traveled on a causeway and a few sturdy stone bridges, elevated three feet over the swamp. 

A wide channel of slow moving water, nearly covered by floating detritus and water plants flowed onto the river, making it much larger without increasing its rate of flow much. A reedy bog filled the lowlands, it stretched at least a couple miles to a low ridge of hills to the south.

 

The River Road climbed back onto dry land a half mile away on a low hill. At the near end, a small mound began the causeway after a short stone bridge. 

Near the midpoint was an… Island would be too generous a name, it was surrounded by water, barely. A scant four yards of bridge, over murky and muddy water separated the ‘island’ and the road proper, raised on a gravel and stone berm.

“Set up house here gang, unknown creatures are the risky side of the business. We don’t want it to find us, until we are ready to find it.” Liam called, looking down on the wetland a few hundred yards away. “Put your thornbush up Gary, I feel uneasy here.” 

 

The exhausted pair were more than happy to comply, singing soft and low while dancing together, separated only by their instruments.

 

Give me, a kiss to build a dream on,

And my imagination…

Sometimes Tawny wanted to murder those two. They built a fine house though. For the first time in a while, Garys hedge of thorny, acid berried, toxic brambles appeared. The huge white blooms, almost luminous in the overcast day, made it seem less threatening. 

“Gary, Shai, are those Duskmoons? Again?!” She smiled and stamped her foot at the couple. “We talked about this!”

 

“We did, they are illegal to distribute or sell, not to own or cultivate. I checked it out with Tony, and they are only banned in Wheatford, I checked, we are not in Wheatford.”

 

“Gary has a point.” Ivy said, carefully harvesting pods from the vines.

 

“The pollen lets me sleep, really sleep. I can hide them from you, but I’m not giving them up. Do you have any idea what it's like having a pre teen god living inside you? The angst is horrible.”

 

Tawny sighed desperately. “I will write you a chit for it… on the condition that you supply the temple of Healer in any town we stop in, with your excess.” 

 

“Agreed, now I kinda feel like a drug dealer…” Gary said, heading inside. They began plotting over lunch.

#

 

“I have some rituals that might help locate concentrations of magic, but Gary and the house are going to throw them off. Let’s try and bait it out first.” Ivy said.

 

“Agreed, anyone have a skill, spell or ability that might help? Shai’s house is a strong position, we would be foolish to give it up.” Liam said, looking at Gary, all the rest did the same, looking at him calmly and waiting. 

Assuming they were waiting for a response to  Liam’s ‘Shai’s house’ wisecrack, he stared back just as calmly.

 

After a moment they turned to Shai, who sighed deeply and scooted her chair around to face her boy. “Gary, ye did never say what gift ye did get from Secret, hae ye knowledge of what it be?”

 

“Oh! I pretty much stopped trying to think about that… Cause ya know, stupid. Let’s see.” He said, closing his eyes.

Notes began to appear in the hands of the literate Bathers.

 

Might:Normal, Homebody

Resilience:Plus,Secret, divine contract, Fractured Soul

Agility:Plus, spear Wanderer's Legacy, Pockets!

Will:Normal, Artisan

Mind:Normal, Interface

Animus:Normal, Familiar Stranger

“What be ‘Fractured Soul’?” Shai asked, setting an impatient gaze on him.

 

“I don’t know, that’s all I get. Probably not much help with whatever aquatic nasty we have here.” He said, mildly disappointed. “That was a long wait for not much info. I’ll chew Secret out tonight.”

 

“I thought he was Knowledge…” Tallum rumbled, confusion written across his face.

 

“He’s Knowledge to Becky, but my Contract is with Secret. Before you ask, I have no idea what that means or what this does.”

 

“So the hard way it is… who gets to be bait?” Tallum asked.

 

Gary raised his hand. “I can draw it’s attention and influence it with my flute if its dumb, I really hope its dumb.”

#

 

After lunch, they armed up and marched as a group down to the water’s edge. “Ready?” Liam asked the assembled friends. As they nodded grimly, Gary slung his shield on his elbow, planted his shortspear point first in the muddy ground for easy access and began to play his recorder.

Once the music started, he dialed Familiar Stranger up to ‘heylookatmeoverhere!’. At the same time, he stretched Entrainment as far as he could reach, feeling for any response... Nothing. 

 

“I’m gonna keep it up and start crossing, watch out for me.” Gary said, preparing to step on the bridge.

 

Barking and protests brought him up short. The whole group, including Otho, were staring at him in furious disbelief. “Step on that bridge alone and ye will be sleeping in yer stables fer the rest o this journey.” Shai said, her face as hard as a granite mountain.

 

Shai reched into his Pockets! and brought out a coil of trapdoor silk rope. She secured it to a pair of bronze rings built into his breastplate and kirtle. 

Tallum and Otho took the trailing end and began playing the rope out, after looping it once around a bridge support and then around Tallum’s massive waist.

“Ok, now I feel like bait. Ready guys?” It was a slow process, He kept his gifts running hot and slowly strolled across the bridges and causeways. The group followed a few yards behind, watching the water uneasily.

#

 

One nerve wracking hour later, just as the overcast sky began to darken slightly, he felt a nibble. Something was responding to his music, sluggishly at first, but it was big and moving faster. “Got something, about a hundred yards out and moving this way.” He announced, before jamming his flute back where it belonged.

They were on a section of causeway, pierced every dozen yards or so by large clay culverts, allowing the water to pass under the road. “Let’s head for the island, maybe it will move into the shallows or come up on shore.” Liam said, putting the group in motion.

 

They hit dry land in a minute of quick marching, while their as yet unseen quarry followed a short way back. It seemed unwilling to move into the light or reveal itself.

The creature lurked just off shore, hidden in the mud and murky water, stubbornly refusing to make an appearance. The most they spotted was a slight disturbance on the surface as it moved in the depths. 

“Its big all right.” Gary confirmed. “Fast too… but only in short sprints, I wonder… Let’s go up the hill and plan a little, I don’t wanna be too close to the water.” He said, eyeing the muddy shore.

 

He and Shai summoned the house over, after allowing it to dissolve from across the wetland. The whole crew sat on the stoop and looked out over the darkening marsh. “Anybody got any ideas?” Becky asked, looking hopefully at Shai and Liam.

They both shook their heads. Gary however looked thoughtful. “I’ve only seen a few monsters, and my field guide lists several of the more common creatures.” He mused. “They all seem to be insects, arachnids and lower animals like mice and rats, even wallowbears are more rat than anything else.”

 

Tawny nodded and spoke up. “Insects are the most common, intelligent or self willed animals are far less likely to be infested with an outsider.” She lectured. “Smart creatures, with a well developed Animus are more likely to consume any invader, becoming stronger in the process.”

 

“Here’s my thought, there are no waterfowl here, no signs of animals watering or feeding nearby.” He scanned the shoreline near them. “All the vegetation seems undisturbed, except the reeds and rushes at the water line. Do you guys have crayfish here?”

 

Liam and Shai groaned in unison. “Crawdaddies be big, dumb and hungry, an one goes monster, tis a matter o time ere it goes hunting on the river proper.” 

 

Gary grinned hungrily. “That sounds delicious.”

The whole group looked at him in horror. “What? You guys don’t eat mudbugs?” 

Gary went inside, whistling happily. He rooted around in the kitchen and came out with a huge frozen wad of something unidentifiable. “Groundworm tracts, I’ve been saving them for crafting, but bait is good too.” He sat down on the stoop with a hammer and an iron spike he conjured from nowhere.

“Where I come from, they are small, like the size of a mouse.” He said, driving his spike through the ball of noisome frozen guts repeatedly. “If you dangle anything gross and biological in their area they clamp on and won’t let go.”

 

He threaded spider silk rope into the mass, leaving loose loops of cordage all around. He looped the end of the line around a sturdy porch post and cast the disgusting ball of rope and filth into the water. “Now we wait.”

They did not have to wait long, with a subtle ripple, the rope twitched and Gary began to pull the cord in. Tallum came up to help, gripping the rope and hauling. “Slow and gentle.” Gary whispered to the big man. “Don’t loop the rope around you, if it runs it might drag you in.” 

 

Slowly a huge humped form began to emerge, the silvery cord trailing into the murk. It had a high, domed carapace of mottled brown and green with eyes on stalks peering and darting about wildly. 

One huge pincer waved threateningly at the humans and dog, snapping at anyone who came close. The left still clenched the wad of bait and silken cords in a deathgrip, holding it to its hideous mouth parts.

 

“That’s big all right! Ready to get busy?” They nodded and moved to surround the beast. “If it tries for the water, let it.” Gary shouted, before looping a few more coils around the post and hauling it tight with a snap.

The creature went wild when the loops of silk snubbed down on its claw and mouth parts.  With one claw pinned, the Bathers moved to the attack. Tawny and Ivy took over the rope, keeping it taut by hauling on the free end. Gary took position with short spear and shield, guarding the mages.

 

Liam and Tallum engaged the loose claw, drawing the monster’s ire by harassing the armored beast with their spears. Liam’s quick and precise strikes gouged at the thing’s shell, but could not bite through. 

Worse, the mud was rapidly churning into a stinking morass, which the beast skittered through as freely as you please.

 

Tallum’s spear found a moment’s purchase, slamming the creature savagely. As it stumbled briefly, Dannyl slipped beneath the flailing  limb to press the attack, only to slide in the filth and mud. 

With a short whoop of challenge that swiftly became a bubbling splat, he found himself imprisoned in the multitude of skittering stomping legs. The things’s underbelly was covered in horrid flukes, each one flailing and battering at the young man with insensate fury.

 

Shai and Becky redoubled their efforts, their weapons striking against its legs with little effect, while Dannyl scrabbled in the muck for his lost whip. 

The women's spears sounded like children clattering sticks against a picket fence. Its chitin-covered legs were impervious, though they succeeded in making it stumble from side to side at the end of its tether. 

 

Otho the dog had a long, whiplike antenna in his jaws, held fast. The mutt was shaking and tugging at the sensitive appendage, making the creature tremble and squeal  when he got in a lucky tug.

 

Shai, jabbed her spear between two of the thing’s legs and lurched backwards, prying with the shaft against the creature’s own bulk, with furious surges of her entire body. 

With a hideous shattering crack and a squeal of fury from the beast, two legs shattered into pulpy masses of meat and chitin. 

 

A filthy, but thankful Dannyl slipped from beneath the lurching beast, coming away with a thorough battering. “Becky’s getting swarmed!” He barked, once he  spat out a good mouthful of swamp and half of a fat, squirming leech.

 

Shai took a spinning whirl to build momentum, before vaulting the creature in a shimmering jingle of singing bells and a wordless song on her lips. Driving the point of her spear into an exposed gap in its plated armor she felt it shudder beneath her. 

She abandoned her spear, pulling a massive smith’s hammer from somewhere no one quite saw, as she leapt down to aid Becky with her side. 

 

The small girl had dropped her spear and was fending off a horde of pinching nightmares with her rapier. While still working to pressure the monster, she skewered the smaller nasties with careful jabs in whatever gaps she could reach. 

Shai took over with the beast, freeing Becky to clean up the pinching vermin swarming her knees.

 

The smith’s hammer took a terrible toll on the thing’s legs, crunching and splatting with mechanical strikes, Shai turned the creature into a cripple one hammer blow at a time.

 

Dannyl had his whip in play, lashing it around a leg as big around as an oak sapling, he twisted and tugged, while the chisel points in his chain did their work. Biting and chewing through the tough armor, neatly removing the creature’s leg with a ‘snick’. 

He grinned savagely and called out “I got this side!” before moving on to another leg. “It’s not going anywhere!”

 

Liam was left grappling the massive claw, or more correctly, Liam was now a weapon for the beast to batter his comrades with. 

He clung desperately to its limb trying to contain that weapon with his own mass. It was not a fun ride, but the thing was unable to get its claw on him or use its most dangerous attacks.

 

Seeing an opening, Tallum lunged, driving the point of his spear into a vulnerable gap in its carapace, piercing where the right shoulder would be on a sensible creature.  A foot of leaf bladed steel sheared into tender flesh and lodged there. The entire claw popped off in Liam’s struggling arms, sending the surprised man into the reeds holding his trophy. He rose from the murk, only to be set upon by a horde of small abominations like the one shrilling its rage into the sky 

Their pinching and wretched bodies swarmed around the action, Liam lost valuable time smashing, stomping and kicking his way free of the nasty things while his comrades fought on.

 

The abomination let out a bubbling hiss, spitting wads of green foam at its attackers. The reeking swill blackened anything it touched, whether trees, grass or stone. When a clot of bubbling filth hit the rope, it parted with a sharp crack.

The entangled claw lashed around, driving at Tallum as he released his trapped spear and reached for his club. He saw it coming and knew. That pointed shard of boney chitin was aimed at his groin. 

 

Gary had been watching, waiting but the monster had little interest in the mages in his care, Tallum however, seemed to have its full attention.

With a shout he dove in and brought his shield up just in time. He bore down, putting his sturdy oak and bronze construct against this stinking nightmare’s might. 

 

A claw the size and weight of an anvil smashed the smaller man against Tallum’s armored bulk, pinning him against the giant. There he clung, with his shield wedged into the pincer, struggling to hold back the claw. 

 

With a crunch and soft splatting sound, the thing’s claw dug into Gary, snipping and tearing at him with its one pincer in fury.  With its weapon buried in Gary’s abdomen it began to struggle its way back into the mire, dragging its prize.

 

Tallum’s enormous club flashed down, striking the monster’s exposed shell a scant foot from Gary’s head. Cracks erupted and wept green ichor as Tallum continued to pound the creature into the mud. Gary slipped to the churned filth, unconscious.

 

Dark blood welled thickly from a terrible rent in his shield and breastplate, blooming across the murk in a crimson flood. Drawing a horde of smaller scuttling horrors to feast.

#

 

Khan was working alone in the stables of the Adventure guild. There was a lot to do, preparing the long empty stalls and filling the loft and stores with the little comforts Annie enjoyed. It was a relief when an orphan teen came trotting in, hailing him informally. 

“Master Imran, a trade boat is at the dock, Otho said you needed some oats, I heard they have a good supply.” 

 

Wild oats grew in abundance in the local area, but pickings were slim this time of year. He had a standing offer of an iron bit for each pound the younglings gathered in their free time, but Annie was not happy with the quantities available.

Annie enjoyed the walk, since they took the uplands gate and cantered a half circuit of the town before heading to the dock.

 

“Welcome to Trade boat Esperanza!” A moment later, recognition hit her face. “Sir Khan! This one remembers you did say Wheatford was your destination… But my darling, Annie, what has this brute done to you?” Her greeting for the man was warm and pleasant, but his horse was the object of her full attention.

Falco the dolphin was busy entertaining the market ward’s children, tossing a ball back and forth from the river to the shoreline. “Esperanza, please don’t spoil Annie any more, your Falco is a bad influence already.” 

 

When he turned back from watching the antics at the shore, Annie was pulling a big tuft of carrot tops past her lips and looking guilty. Esperanza had no such qualms, brandishing another bunch of carrots at the enormous horse.

With a sigh that reached the heavens, Khan rolled his eyes and  spoke firmly. “I need one hundred pounds of good oats, two bushels of carrots and… where did you get those slippers?”

 

All of the crew were wearing fanciful slippers of leather and fur, sewn in the shape of adorable animals and dyed in charming colors. 

“Do you like them? We met the strangest group on the road… Adventurers if you believe it! One of them made them as gifts, such an odd boy, his woman though, she is a treat.” Her smile was a touch of affection and a hint of lechery. “This one doubts there is a chance with that fragrant delight, Shai will remain an unblossomed bud in the garden of my memories.”

 

Khan laughed and related a highly edited tale of his stay. “It was the bath that did it, ever since that, I feel like it's springtime already.”

The trader and her crew shared a look and nodded. “Falco says that group is very magical, they should have no problem with whatever is in the marsh.”

 

“What is in the marsh? I rode the causeway and saw nothing.” He asked, his laconic posture falling away.

 

“Something big and fast, it stays at the bottom, this one warned them of it, they should have no troubles.” She said, trying to get back to the business of trade. “Oats and carrots, what else can Esperanza provide?”

 

They concluded their trade quickly and the former knight led his horse off with his purchases slung across his horse, looking grim.

#

 

Before the next bell rang, a new minted Adventurer was pounding down the River Road, dressed in well worn armor in the colors of War. Three javelins trailed behind from his saddle, while a lance stood at his stirrup, pennant waving as man and horse galloped downstream.

#

 

Hours and miles later, he looked down on the marsh and causeway in the failing sunlight. There was a familiar inn on the shitty little island and frantic activity in the yard. He put the metaphorical spurs to sweet Annie and she set off, sweat and steam trailing behind her in the evening light.

Annie’s hooves hit the causeway like a thunderstorm, gravel and stone chips flying as her iron shod hooves ate up the quarter mile to the island. Khan raised a horn to his lips and blew a long blast as they approached, lance couched and ready.

 

Three sets of eyes turned to him as he approached, his gallant charge petering out as they formed up and fingered weapons. Rather than hostile, Tallum looked alert and on edge, Liam and Becky relaxed noticeably when they recognized Annie.

They were standing beside the corpse of a massive crustacean, easily bigger than a draft horse. Damage to the beast and the churned up soil indicated a short and brutal fight. 

 

Large splashes and streaks of clotted red suggested it had not been an easy one. “Who did you lose?” He asked softly.

 

“Gary should make a full recovery, it may be a while before we can move however.” Liam frowned slightly. “We may be late returning home.”

 

“With that much blood on the ground, I would suspect you lost two.” Khan said, realizing he was making an ass of himself a moment too late.

 

“Lady Trelawny is highly skilled in her arts and Gary is more resilient than you might think.” He looked at the dusty man and sweat soaked and exhausted horse. 

“I will ask Shai to take you in tonight, I ask that you not intrude on our family matters.” Liam disappeared inside, leaving him with Becky and Tallum, who were busy.

“I still say we take the claws and he will be happy with that.” Tallum grumbled.

 

“Nuuhh! He is gonna want ‘the whole cargo’ like he says.” She mimicked his odd slightly musical accent perfectly.

 

“Oh, that was a good Gary, can you do Tawny?”

 

“Stay on task little brother, we still gotta figure out how to peel this thing.” Becky said, watching the monster warily.

Tallum stomped off, grumbling about his demotion to ‘little brother’. He was still grumbling when he returned from the workshop with a project Shai had been working on for the butcher. A massive cleaver on a two handed grip of bare steel that made even the giant smith seem a normal scale. 

 

He chopped through the connective tissue at the base of each armor plate and ripped them off one by one. Slowly he uncovered a pinkish, pearlescent log of meat, big around as an ale cask and twice as long. 

“Save the plates too, he’ll want those.” Becky chided.

 

Khan watched, as he walked Annie around the island a few times, letting her cool off after their fruitless charge. “I bet it looked awesome, you are magnificent.” He whispered in her ear. “Yes, I like them too, but we started off poorly.”

Annie stamped the earth in ladylike displeasure. “Yes, I will apologize… No… Yes, I will apologize and give them an apple.” 

 

While they were chatting, Tallum calmly carved the massive meat log into slices, which Becky fetched inside. 

Liam returned with a faint smile. “Tawny says Gary will be fine.” He announced, garnering relieved sighs. “Annie is always welcome. Shai says you can stay, as her guest, but don’t make trouble.” He said to Khan.

 

“Am I Shai’s guest or Annie’s?” He asked with a chuckle.

 

Liam looked unamused. “Definitely Annie’s, that pair have some unique perspectives on matters of the law and indenture. I will guarantee your safety if you wish.” He said that last almost mockingly, his challenging tone put the older man at ease.

 

“Today I am just another orphan Adventurer, though I do have things to discuss with your group as a whole. Annie thanks you for your hospitality.” He said before leading her through the open gate to the stable.

A small pail of oats and a good rubdown sent Annie off to dreamland with a wicker and snuffle. She had done enough for the day. Inside the inn he found a sober and contemplative group, rather than the cheerful chaos of his last evening with them.

 

Gary was of course, not in evidence, neither was Shai, his horse’s hostess… ‘Horstess?’ That thought brought him a smile. 

 

Lady Trelawny was on a sofa by the fire, sipping tea and looking worn out. Dannyl was in the kitchen whistling something just a little off key, while he worked on a meal. The other three were outside working on the rapidly disappearing corpse.

Becky and Liam made the job flow with almost mechanical teamwork. Becky stayed inside, shoeless, while Liam carried things to her from outside. Becky would vanish into a room, opening off the kitchen and return with empty hands.

With no visible signal, the pattern changed, with Becky carrying things into the bathing room and tossing them into the pool. 

 

Huge chunks of shattered carapace, the thing’s enormous fluke and any number of smaller waste products were hurled unceremoniously onto the bath, to vanish, consumed entirely.

Becky saw his curious look and waved him over. “Hey, freeloader, help out, why dontcha?” She jerked her thumb at the diminishing corpse. “Gotta get rid of that thing, we are gonna be here for a few days. Even in winter that is going to be gross.”

 

“Why the bath? I was looking forward to that…” He grumbled while taking a disgusting chunk of the thing’s shattered head and tossing it in.

 

“This is going to all disappear, don't you worry.” She said, condescending and smug. “The Bathtime Yacht Club is a secret society, gotta apply for membership to learn more.”

 

Before long they were sluicing down the courtyard, rinsing the remaining filth into the marsh. No doubt feeding the next generation of scum picking swamp crawlers. 

His keen eye spotted a few already scavenging at the water’s edge. Even the normal variety were vile, as big as a rabbit on average, they swarmed just off shore making the water churn subtly. Anyone swimming in that waterway would be in for some nasty surprises. 

 

The work finished, he and Becky went inside, where the rest were already cleaning up and headed for the bath before dinner.

That was where he found Gary and Shai, together in a separate basin in the corner. That had not been there last time, but who could or would say what was possible with this group.

 

Shai was sitting up, fretting over her floating mate, who looked more dead than alive. The lad’s belly looked to have been hastily disassembled with garden tools and sewn back together inside out.

It was a tribute to her ladyship's skill that he was still in one piece. Even so, the boy’s entire lower half was a mottled mass of  stitches and purple-green bruises.

 

He stepped up to the small pool and bowed deeply. “Thank you for your hospitality, I will not disturb you further.” 

 

As he turned to leave, he heard a soft whisper. “Thank Annie, Gary and Otho really like her.”

 

In the main pool, the rest of the group was taking their ease quietly, while discussing plans for the next few days. “We should patrol the causeway and circuit the marsh in groups of three, midday through evening.” Liam decided. “We don’t want anything creeping up while we are immobile.”

 

“There can’t be anything else around, that critter should have scared off…” Becky looked disappointed in herself for a moment. “Right, we killed it.”

 

“If you would like, Annie and I could stay until you are on the move again, we have no pressing plans until the season changes.” Khan said, from across the pool.

 

“Why would you do that?” Becky asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

 

“I had a chat with master Mikkel, he suggested I take over as your supervising Adventurer…” He eyed the small pool’s occupants warily. “Though I have doubts whether those two would accept that, even at Mikkel’s urging.”

 

“You might be surprised, Mikkel is one of us, his word carries weight.” Liam said cryptically.

 

“I wondered about that, you called your group Ginger Doughnut or something, but Becky just called it Bedtime Boat Club. Am I missing something?” 

 

Tallum opened his mouth to answer, but Becky forestalled him with a raised hand. “You should really ask Gary that when he wakes up.” The others murmured firm agreement.

 

They all had smiles of anticipation on their faces, like children who smell cakes in the oven. “So you won’t answer?” Their smiles widened slightly and they shook their heads slowly in unison. It was a little creepy how connected these kids seemed sometimes. 

#

 

Halfway through a meal of rich wallowbear stew and crusty bread, Ivy and Tallum rose with their bowls and went to the small pool, While Shai put on a robe and came into the common room.

 

She sat down across from him and began to eat with gusto. “Me foolish boy did speak for you after ye were gone, he did say ye could be trusted.” She said, between bites. “Else ye would be sleeping on the causeway.”

 

“Fair enough, master Mikkel explained your perspective on the matter… I am unsure how to proceed. Frankly, I am shaken by these thoughts.” His voice fell to a whisper at the end, as though someone might overhear his words.

 

“It feels as though your little group has big plans in mind, I would like to assist in some way.” Khan said, placing an apple on the table. “I am come to apologize for my conduct on my last visit to your home. Annie insisted I give you an apple, she is strict on the formalities.”

 

Shai took the apple in her big, scarred hands and slipped it into her robe. “She be wise, her leadership will carry ye far Imran.” She said with a smile. “Now I would go join my boy, goodnight brother.”

She rose and went upstairs, rather than going to the pool where her mate floated. Instead, her friends continued to lazily monitor him, as he bobbed about, derelict.

 

Becky noticed his confusion and spoke up. “We have secrets aplenty, but all Wheatford knows our pool is magical. It has some healing properties. We will let him soak in it for a day or two.” She grinned at him devilishly. “I’m off to join Gary and Shai too, goodnight.” Then she too disappeared upstairs.

 

“Truly this place is mad.” He said with a smile of his own, before heading to the room with the pink fluffy butthole on the door.

 

Shai ‘woke’ beside Gary, who was unconscious even here, but he looked healthy in this place. She snuggled close for a few timeless minutes, considering how nearly she had come to losing her fool. She felt Becky arrive while she was headed down stairs.

 

Marduk looked positively shaken, while Thirp was calmly playing a lullaby in the corner. “Ahh, here they are, no doubt they can ease your mind lord Marduk.”

 

“Aye, Gary were struck a heavy blow, he shall recover anon. His life nae be in danger.” She sighed heavily. “They do give him a drug, that he may nae wake in this place. Tis safer thus, for thee and he.”

 

Becky and Shai made a full evening of rooting around in Gary’s unattended treasures. 

“I dinnae ken how he do find anything in this mess, whae be punk rock? I did look inside, tis naught but undanceable music wi violent beats.” Shai complained.

 

“I just found all his culture’s fairy tales… that could be revealing. There is a lot though, it’ll take weeks to go through it even here.” Becky called, bringing Thirp almost flying to her side.

 

“That is something I have been searching for! Where was it stored?” Thirp sang excitedly.

 

“With all the religious material, I should have predicted that.” Becky sighed. “Ooo! Pirate movies! Shai, you were looking for those!”

 

Shai bustled over and bent nearly in half, digging through the box of tiny gems. Time had little meaning here, simply running her fingers through the contents allowed her glimpses of what was inside. “Nae, tis not here, the search continues. I despair of finding the secret of ‘as ye wish’ in this mess.”

#

 

It was strange, waking up in bed without Gary, those two had been inseparable since he arrived. Becky could almost taste how unsettled Shai was without him. The two women hugged and rose, relieving Dannyl, who was on the final ‘don’t let Gary drown’ shift of the night. 

Shai got in the pool while Becky started breakfast for the gang. While she worked, Annie’s enormous brown head snaked through the window to snuffle in Becky’s hair. It took an entire grenadier pear from the garden to bribe the nosey familiar into letting her work.

 

When the rest came out, Annie was stirring a pot of oat and raisin porridge with a long wooden spoon held in her teeth. Becky had a tray of muffins cooling and coffee brewed. 

 

“Bless you child!” Tawny sighed, sinking into a seat while gripping her mug. “It took hours to get that mess cleaned out and sewn up, I don’t think I could travel today in any case.” 

 

She looked to Tallum. “How are you doing? Any injuries? Ivy said there was some bruising.”

 

The big man shrugged. “Shai said she would help me hammer the Gary shaped dent out of my armor, otherwise I’m fine.”

 

The close knit family settled in for a quiet day of waiting and rest. Predictably, that fell apart quickly. Shortly before midday, while Dannyl, Liam, Ivy and Otho were preparing to patrol, a party of riders crested the hill downstream. 

They cantered onto the causeway, clearly unsettled by the structure on the formerly uninhabited islet. 

 

“Hail innkeeper, we have reports of an unknown creature in the marsh, there is also no inn on this island.” The leader called from the short bridge section. 

His cavalry troop formed up behind him, five troopers in the armor of War and mounted on rangy ponies.They were healthy and fine animals, but not a patch on Annie.

 

The leader wore the armor of a mid level warrior priest of Order, with the balanced scale on his breastplate embossed in gold. A long lance stood from his stirrup, with a sword and shield ready to hand on his saddle. His horse was large, long and lean. A muscular racer, with a deep chest and legs that looked sculpted by a master’s hands

 

The small patrol of Bathers in the courtyard looked to Liam, who coughed awkwardly. He cut a proud figure in his brown feline armor and magnificent spear, even with his cat mask hanging down at his chest. 

 

“We killed the creature… and this is not exactly an inn, more a private residence. We have injured inside, so please forgive our meager hospitality.” Liam bowed low, with grace and humility. “We can host you for a meal in the garden before you go, though you will need to tend your own horses.”

 

“Counter proposal, our baggage train will arrive in one hour, you will evacuate and seal that house.” His voice rang out from his helm like Tony’s did, though less pleasantly.  “We will cart all of you and your injured to Port Fallon, so that we can settle this in comfort.”

 

At that point the atmosphere became prickly indeed. “Unacceptable.” Tawny almost barked from the door, her face hidden behind a lace veil. “Until I say otherwise, this house remains inviolate.” The remaining Bathers followed her out, save Becky who was managing the musician.

 

Her golden gaze swept over the assembled troop. “Any who interfere with my work will be denied Healer’s blessed sacraments until their penance is complete.” That chilled an already cold day. The troopers began to shift awkwardly in their saddles, too disciplined to do more. 

 

With a snuffling snort and a delicate stamp of hooves Annie nudged the gate open and ambled out, cozying up to the leader’s stallion in a familiar way. “Sweet gods and spirits above, Annie.” The knight grumbled while his mount frisked in excitement. 

“Winslow! No! I swear Khan! If your whorse gets me bucked off again…” When the knight said ‘Whorse’ Annie took offense. 

 

Her tail flashed out, flicking her equine paramour in a tender locale, sending the knight tumbling off the short bridge. With a sickening splat and gurgle he was gone.

 

Tallum moved to wade in, but was stopped by Khan. “He will be fine, he should know better than to insult a lady.” Annie stamped prettily and nuzzled her boy toy. 

 

A slow, splashing, squelch announced something emerging from the stinking mire.

Caked with sticky black mud and dunn colored clay in stripes, he slowly hauled himself to shore. Clots of mud and small animals dropped off as he struggled. A large, plump leech was chewing at his armored thigh, hoping to get lucky. It got swatted with a steel plated glove instead.

 

The knight pulled off his helm, dumping a fair quantity of the marsh onto his already doomed boots. “Khan…” He spat, digging in his ear for something wriggly with an armored pinkie. “Sell me your horse… as a favor to a friend.” His voice sounded distinctly unfriendly.

 

“Sell me your horse, he likes me better than you.” Khan retorted. 

 

“Regardless,” He said, while struggling to scrape off the layers of slime and muck. “Are you responsible for these waifs?” 

 

A red eyed and exhausted Shai swept forward in her innkeeper persona. With a deep bow to the grimy knight she whispered, too low for any other to hear. 

 

“An ye behave, I and mine shall help thee clean up and host yer men fer the afternoon. An ye cause trouble ye shall find nae crafters who will take yer coin fer a hundred leagues. We be two journeyman smiths in this band. We be in good stead wi Crafts. Weigh that ere ye answer.”

 

He stood quiet for a moment, before nodding. “Troop dismount, we take our ease in the garden, do not disturb the house.” He bowed to Shai. “Sir Brennan Fallon, justiciar knight of Order, at your service madam, lead on please.”

 

Tallum helped her crack the man out of his clay caked armor, and dutifully began the long task of making it wearable again. Shai handed hostess duty off to Ivy and the two smiths went below to work.

 

In the bath, knight Fallon kept peeking over at the small pool where Gary’s wreckage floated. Ivy noticed and huffed. “Please respect my family’s privacy, milord, these are orphan’s matters.”

 

“My baggage train can have him in Port Fallon, at the temple of Healer in a day, he will have a better chance there.” He offered, kindly and quietly. “Wound like that, in these parts, must be a big crawdaddie, did it grab a horse and run off? Where is it hiding?”

 

“As my brother told you, we killed it, now hush, if you disturb him, Shai will throw you out.” Ivy said archly.

 

Knight Fallon rejoined his men in a conjured green robe and slippers, tucking into the hearty, spicy red stew and toasted bread as only troopers on patrol can.

He took a huge bowl of the thick red soup, there were large chunks of white meat, stippled with bright red, floating throughout. It was loaded with garlic, onions, olives and chunks of rich groundworm. All swimming in a tomato based broth with a kick of chili at the end.

 

Slow and contented sighs drifted up from all over the garden as bowls emptied and were refilled from a massive iron kettle.

His second, warrior priest Pedro Nazar had to ask. “What is this dish? It warms my soul.”

 

Becky sang out from the kettle. “It’s called cioppino, it's a foreign dish that our injured friend was dreaming of. We thought you might like it too.”

 

“Is this some kind of fish?” Another trooper asked.

 

“Yeah, it’s local, really local. You could say freshness is the key.” Becky said, smiling widely. 

Justiciar knight Fallon did not enjoy losing a little face in front of his men, but it was tolerable. Moreover, he did not look forward to reporting in. 

Telling his uncle, the baron, that the orphan he had been sent to examine was injured was going to be bad. Learning that the boy he had heard rumors of was likely to die before becoming available, was not going to be fun at all. 

 

Running into Khan was just bad luck, he could have riled his troop into a little roughhousing if that horse brained fool had not been skulking about. Not that they would do anything permanent. If those girls came away with a few bruises and brat or two, so be it.

That Priestess of Healer looked familiar, but she avoided him like a bad smell. No matter, Healer’s clergy were weaklings.

Curse that little orphan waif as well. She stubbornly refused to tell his cook how to make that choppy soup that he so enjoyed. He considered buying her indenture when she came up, just for the soup and some petty revenge.

If the little bitch were from any town but Wheatford, he could have her assigned to his household before the week was out.

 

That brazen whore of an innkeeper too, that one he would buy, unless she really was a journeyman smith. That would exhaust his allowance for the remainder of the year.

“Fucking Wheatford” He grumbled, as he led his troop home.