Free The High King: A Tale of Alus by Donald Wigboldy

go back to the old farm. We'll spend one whole day waiting for each other and bring flowers to spread over the ground, if the other doesn't show. Promise me that you won't forget this."
Simon nodded soberly and made his answer known audibly as well, "I swear, Gerid, but let's hope that I can find a way to prevent this separation."
They spoke often over the next days. Simon felt the need to settle accounts as he could with his brother for the last time. He wanted to be as close to Gerid as he could as a brother in a way that time working to better the farm had kept from them. They let Janus join them on occasion in their talks, since the young man was also a friend so close as to be a brother. Gerid had him promise an oath much like theirs and did so as a blood brother from their childhood. Their talks continued even as Simon and Janus fell ill again with sea sickness.
Then one day, their trip ended. The boat still rolled with the waves, but now Simon noticed their slowing and finally they docked. The movement had been a constant for too long not to notice its absence from their lives. They could also hear bells in the distance from whatever harbor the Black Wind had found for itself.
Eventually after a long time of waiting had passed, the two wooden doors above the hold were thrown open to either side and let in the bright light of morning. A ladder was sent in and several pirates began shouting for the prisoners to come up out of the hold. Simon, Gerid, and Janus went out together and were chained in a line at the neck along with two others formerly crewing the Patar. Their hands were also shackled before a pirate took hold of a tow line and led the five after him.
Upon finding the shore end of a busy dock, they turned up a crowded street into the city above the harbor. As they proceeded through the crowds, Simon tried to get the attention of the pirate guiding them. "Hey, what city is this?" he asked first. The man refused to even turn to look back at him. Simon repeated himself five times before the pirate gave in with a sigh of annoyance.
"Camerton," was the response.
"Camerton? The Camerton on Taltan Continent?"
The man growled angrily before answering, "Yeah, yeah. Camerton of the country of Rhearden on Taltan, are you happy now?"
"No, are you?" he replied quickly and decided to try his best chance of escaping. "I'll tell you what, if you let myself and these others go, I'll make it worth your while."
"Yeah, right," the pirate scoffed, "you who are about to become someone's slave will reward me. With what?"
"I can give you five hundred gold coins of Marshallan currency."
The man turned in midstride to eye him greedily, if warily, "Seriously? How would you do that?"
"If you free us, I'll show you. You can take the gold to any bank for their weight in gold alone to have a small fortune."
The man's face turned wicked with desire. "You stash it on ya then, did you? Yeah, ya must have. Where are ya hidin' the coins?"
Worried that the man might find the purse that lay tied beneath his arm, Simon latched onto a near truth to hold him off. "I was a business man in Marshalla. My name and goods are known even in Taltan. I am one of the Aramatheas from the wool industry. I can go to any bank and get you the money."
The pirate grabbed hold of Simon unconvinced. Feeling around Simon's clothing, he eventually found the coin purse. Grinning like a wolf, he opened the purse to look inside. The man whistled, "Nice. I appreciate your generosity. Now come on."
"What? You won't free me? You have my gold; now honor your end of the bargain, man!"
A barking laugh was his reply before he answered, "You are a crazy ol' bird, aren't ya? If I let ya go, my life won't be worth a single copper. Captain Seymon would have me hunted down and killed before I could spend any of this."
"You could get away before he found out I am sure. With that much gold, you can go anywhere."
"Give it up, man. Your lot is cast. Besides if I stay true to the cap'n, I'll