Free Hammers in the Wind by Christian Warren Freed Page B

as of yet. I am afraid the trail has gone cold. We are working as hard as possible, but I believe we have lost the initiative.”
    Badron waved him off. He wanted to be alone now. There were too many possibilities floating for him to get a good grasp of the situation. Badron suddenly felt the urge to kill someone. As king it was his duty and responsibility to see Delranan’s would-be heroes off, but the very thought of seeing Bahr and his motley entourage sickened him. The man was a pox on the land. The sooner that damned boat sank, and with all hands, the better.
    Badron threw the book he’d been reading into the corner and bellowed his frustrations to an empty room. There were too many loose ends dangling with wicked temptation. Too much could still go wrong at this delicate stage. Despite his great power and influence as king, Badron felt reduced to a mere spectator, helpless to exert his weight. He paced the length of the library, mind racing with possible conclusions.
    *****
    “Pay up, I was right,” Dorl elbowed Nothol in the ribs.
    Nothol groaned and dug into his purse. He reluctantly handed over two gold coins. “I should have known better than to think the king would abandon us so soon.”
    “I told you,” was the matter-of-fact answer. “Badron may be a bastard, but he knows the value of good publicity.”
    They watched the official party in silence as it made the winding way down through the harbor and to the pier. Neither man was impressed, despite the quality of the guard livery.
    “They don’t look much for fighting, do they?” Dorl asked.
    Nothol smirked. “I bet they haven’t seen a battlefield in a good number of years. I still wouldn’t want to fight them.”
    “Why not?”
    “It’s twenty to two,” he explained.
    Dorl threw a feral grin. “We could take them.”
    “Are you two finished?”
    They looked back at Boen’s aggressive face. He was clearly not amused by their banter.
    “Haven’t even started,” Dorl shot back. He refused to be cowed, not even by a Gaimosian.
    Boen grimaced. “You remind me of these two lads I had with me down in Averon a few years back. Always back and forth. Damned boys wouldn’t shut up.”
    Nothol rolled his eyes as Dorl took the bait.
    “What happened to them?”
    “We ran into a nest of Trolls. Both were killed and eaten.”
    Boen walked back to the port side and watched the dawn break across the harbor. He hadn’t wanted to scare them, but their attitude was much too carefree. They needed to know that this was for real and the worst might happen. Thinking about it, he had come off like a surly old man. Boen sighed and wondered where his youth had fled to.
    Bahr watched the exchange from the wheel. His focus shifted back towards the approaching king. His face bore no emotion. The docks were lined with spectators. He understood why. This was the biggest event in recent history and they all wanted to have the memory. Bahr repressed a snarl. There were too many strangers for his liking. Naturally suspicious, Badron would feel the same. Thankfully Anienam Keiss was safely tucked away below decks so as not to arouse suspicion.
    The Sea Wolf wanted to keep the wizard a secret for as long as possible. He’d already been surprised when the old man was awaiting him in the captain’s cabin. Nothing from their conversation led Bahr to believe the wizard meant to travel with him. He kept a sneaking suspicion but wasn’t confident enough to mention it to the others.
    Harnin and his guards led the procession to the edge of the pier. A mass of mercenaries and adventurers followed. Bahr watched with casual disinterest. He’d seen their kind too much over the decades and was none impressed. He patiently waited for the One Eye to dismount and ease forward.
    “That’s far enough, One Eye. I can hear you from there,” Bahr warned as the man’s boot touched the gangplank.
    Harnin’s face flushed. “Captain Bahr, the king wishes your answer. Will you accept