Free Hammers in the Wind by Christian Warren Freed Page A

keep from smiling.

EIGHT
    “We will be moving out for the docks shortly, sire.” Harnin watched for any sign of hesitation or weakness.
    The one-eyed captain was dressed in his old war garb. The dents had been beaten out, the tarnish replaced with a mild shine. His boots were new as were his trousers and tunic. Only the sword strapped to his hip was ornamental. Everything else had already been tested in combat.
    Badron set down the book he’d been reading. The royal library was a far cry from the fabled archives of Ipn Shal, but it sufficed for Delranan. The only books Badron was interested in were ones concerning the Pell Darga and his hated nemesis in Rogscroft. A touch of moonlight twinkled off the candelabra. The glow made him look intense, much more so than he was. Both understood the Pell were just a front, an excuse to wage a bigger war.
    “How many men did you manage to put together?” Badron asked.
    “Twenty.”
    “How many are loyal to Harnin One Eye and the crown?”
    Harnin nervously cleared his throat. “They are loyal enough to king and kingdom.”
    The king knew better. “For a price, no doubt,” he snorted.
    “Such is the way of mercenaries these days. The honor of the past is a lost art.”
    “Mercenaries loyal to a king? Why does that worry men, Harnin?”
    “My lord, these are all men we have been keeping an eye on. They are the dangerous ones that we won’t miss once they are dealt with.”
    Badron thought his most trusted advisor too pensive for such a simple report. Thoughts of betrayal entertained him. Badron had asked himself the same question time and again since the night of the attack. Was Harnin plotting against him? If so, the man was playing it close to the chest, until the proper time.
    “All is going according to plan then,” he finally said. “Is Bahr still agreeing to help his kingdom?”
    The natural mistrust between king and captain was a bitter feud and only they knew why. No one in Delranan could have guessed the intimate secret they shared.
    “He is, though I doubt his reasons mirror yours.”
    “Bahr is a complicated man, certainly capable of betrayal. We must keep a close watch on him.”
    Badron asked, “What has he done to reinforce this thought?”
    “Recruited several men on his own. I don’t think he trusts us.”
    An eyebrow peaked. “And?”
    “They are not known to me, for the most part. One is rumored to be Gaimosian. My spies have followed Bahr since I met him on the pier but he has vanished more than once. It is entirely possible he is taking precautions.”
    A Gaimosian. That was news indeed. Badron was under the impression their bloodlines were extinct. Having one inside his borders sat ill with him. They had the nasty tendency to make things more dangerous than they should be. Bloodthirsty savages, Badron frowned.
    “This Gaimosian is confirmed to be leaving with Bahr?” he asked. He tried to keep the worry from his voice. Where one Vengeance Knight went so went others.
    “Yes. He was seen boarding the Dragon’s Bane.”
    The king nodded if ever so slightly. “Is there anything else I need to be concerned about? I want to get this over with.”
    “Not so much. There was a strange old man seen heading to Bahr’s estate two nights ago. We’ve seen no sign of him since. Strange, but of no concern to this quest.”
    “Where is he?” Badron leaned forward, the answer unacceptable.
    “Disappeared. We couldn’t track him. He might have been a distant relative we don’t know of or a friend come calling.” Harnin’s voice was shaky. He didn’t enjoy sounding like a fool, especially in front of his king.
    “I want that ship out of my port before noon. Too much is at stake to risk delay,” Badron ground out. Displeasure was evident on his hardened face.
    Harnin bowed his head, waiting to see if there was more. His one eye watched Badron with interest.
    “Have you learned anything else from the attack?” Badron went on to ask.
    “Nothing