“I’ll load the wagon,” he told her.
There weren’t a lot of belongings to load up, mostly clothes and a few personal items. Vera had a large mirror, two sitting chairs, and the table that Stone remembered from his visit to her room the night before. She had given most of her fanciful belongings, such as the silk-lined pillows and the satin bedsheets, to the other wenches who worked in the Boggy Peat. She knew they would soon be fighting over her room because it was by far the largest in the tavern, even bigger than Quaid’s own quarters. But she didn’t care who took the room she had lived in for over a decade, nor did she care what happened to the other furnishings in the room. There was a thick rug, and heavy drapes that she had purchased herself and hung from the large four-poster bed. She no longer needed or wanted these other furnishings so she left them behind. She had saved as much money as she could over the years, and most of it was already hidden in Lorik’s home and barn. She had entrusted him with it and he had hidden it away for her. In fact, she didn’t know how much she had all told, but she had enough with her to make a new life, so the rest would just be security.
She climbed up into the wagon, ignoring the stares from the locals who sat watching and drinking. Being a wench was not scandalous in Hassell Point, but her association with Stone apparently was. He had made a big impression when he fought the pirates, Vera assumed, and now he was taking Vera away from them. She feared it might hurt his chances for making a decent life for himself in Hassell Point, but then again, she secretly hoped he would leave the Marshlands with her.
As the wagon rumbled along the cobblestone street, Stone looked over at Vera. He was thrilled that she was leaving the tavern, but he didn’t want to read too much into it.
“So, you’re moving in with Lorik,” he said, hoping to prompt her into conversation.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s a good friend and he’s been offering for years. I hope that doesn’t inconvenience you too much. He told me he offered you the spare room, too.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said. “I already made plans at the inn, anyway. I’m happy for you.”
“Happy for me? Why?” she asked.
“I’m just glad you don’t have to work in that tavern anymore.”
“Maybe I’m going to open my own bordello, what do you think of that?”
Stone was taken back by Vera’s proposal. The fact was he didn’t really have a bad opinion of the profession, but he didn’t want anyone else to be with Vera. He had come to Hassell Point to start a new life. He hadn’t expected to find someone that excited him the way Vera did, but now that he had, he wasn’t sure how to deal with the way he felt about her.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” he said. “I was just hoping that you might be giving up that life. Lorik said something about you leaving Hassell Point.”
“Lorik doesn’t know everything,” she said. “Are you the jealous type, Liam?”
He was surprised at how hearing Vera say his given name shocked him. He liked it. The sound of his name on her lips gave him goosebumps.
“Never have been,” he said. “But I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“I find that hard to believe, unless you were stranded on a deserted island all your life.”
“No, I’ve been around.”
“And known quite a few women like me I would guess. With your looks you probably didn’t have to try too hard to get them into your bed, either. So what makes me so different?”
“That’s hard to say,” he said honestly. “I’m just hoping I get to spend the rest of my life figuring it out.”
Vera blushed and was glad when they reached Lorik’s house. She had always loved the old house. It had been a haven for her through the years. She had stayed there when she was young and had been beaten by a mean-spirited man who had sought out her services after his wife had passed away. That had been when Lorik’s parents were still alive, though, and her own parents weren’t long dead. She had felt at home there, and even though Lorik and his father had been away, she felt safe with his mother, who nursed her back to health and tried to get her to stay on with them after she’d healed. But Vera had a need to do things herself. She didn’t like relying on other people and was always afraid they were going to let her down, the way her own parents did when they died so suddenly. She didn’t want to depend on Liam, either, even though she enjoyed being close to him. It was the first time any man had made her feel so giddy, and the truth was that she was terrified. She knew she couldn’t keep servicing men in the Boggy Peat, not when she had such strong feelings for Liam. But she didn’t want to rush into anything with the young stranger either.
“I’ll unload your things,” he told her.
“Just the big items,” she said. “I know Lorik is waiting on you.”
“Okay,” he said, smiling up at where she sat on the bench of the wagon.
It took her a few minutes to really believe that she was here. It wasn’t permanent, she knew, but she felt like she was finally coming home.
It seemed to take Liam only a few minutes to move her belongings into the house. She wouldn’t let him move everything and insisted that she could unhitch the wagon and see to the horse.
“I like doing it,” she told him. “Horses are good listeners. And I’ve seen Lorik do this hundreds of times. I’ll be fine, you go on.”
“You’re sure?” he said. “I can help.”
“No, it’ll be getting dark before long and you don’t want to get lost in the marshes. Just get your horse ready and then ride out on the main path. Lorik said he was getting a load at the Hollist farm. It’s only an hour or so away. If you hurry you can catch up to him there.”
“All right,” he said reluctantly.
She watched him walk to the barn, then she got busy unloading the rest of her things. It didn’t take her long, and when she finished she found Stone waiting for her outside. He had his horse saddled and ready. There were two large canteens tied to the saddle horn, a bedroll, and a large sack of rations for the journey.
“I need to know something before I leave,” he said. “Will you be waiting when I get back? I mean... waiting for me?”
She touched his arm and looked into his eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
“I don’t want to interfere if you love someone else,” he said, his mouth dry and his stomach feeling like a stone.
“I don’t love anyone... else,” she said.
“Does that mean you love me?” he asked.
“How can I love you? I hardly know you.”
“You know more about me than anyone else in the world.”
“That’s impossible,” she said.
“No, it’s absolutely true. There have been only three other people who have known me any better, and they’re all dead now.”
“Oh, Liam, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “Things are looking up for me.”
“Is that right?” she said with a smile.
“Yes, it is.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. Then he quickly swung up into his saddle and rode away. He turned back as the horse made its way toward town and saw Vera, leaning against the wagon, watching him.
He was deep in thought about Vera and what the future might hold as he rode out of town. The main trail that led into the marsh was easy to follow. The ground was covered with wispy, yellow grass that grew in thick tufts on either side of the trail, but the path itself was hard-packed dirt, wide enough that Lorik’s wagon could easily traverse it. He let his horse pick its own way along the trail and didn’t notice the group of men coming quietly up behind him. One had a longbow, and they were obviously pirates. Shooting didn’t come naturally to any of them, and the bow looked out of place among the group, but the arrow was just as deadly.
Stone heard the missile an instant before it slashed across his arm. He reacted on instinct, first crying out and dropping the reins as the shock of pain hit him, then twisting in midair as he moved away from the source of pain and his horse shimmied in the other direction. He couldn’t stop himself from falling, but he did manage to keep himself from being hurt too badly by the fall. He landed on his back, with the wind knocked out of his lungs. He was trying to get back on his feet when the group of pirates tackled him. He struggled, but he didn’t have the strength as he gasped for breath to break their hold on him.
“Take his knives,” one of the pirates said.
He felt his weapons being yanked free. There were five men attacking him. One stood back, giving orders. Three were busy holding him, and the fourth had taken his weapons. The pirate on his legs was having the most trouble, as Stone kept kicking and writhing in an attempt to break free.
“You aren’t so tough now, boy,” said the vile-looking pirate who was giving orders.
The man had a scraggly beard, and his teeth were blackened, his gums swollen. He had very little hair on his head, and what he did have was slicked back with some type of grease. His clothes were tattered, and there were permanent sweat stains under the arms and around the neck of his shirt.
“Let me go,” Stone hissed.
“Oh, not so fast. We owe you, boy,” the pirate said. “You killed some very good friends of ours, and we mean to make you pay. You and them that helped you.”
Stone managed to get one leg free and kicked the pirate trying to hold his legs down. The blow was with the heel of his boot and it landed on the bottom of the pirate’s jaw, slamming his teeth together and knocking the man backwards. The two men holding his arms shifted their weight in an effort to control him, and Stone bucked, slipping one hand free.
“Give me one of those knives,” he heard the lead pirate say.
Stone knew he didn’t have much time. If he fought too hard they would kill him quickly, but he if he didn’t they would kill him much more slowly. It wasn’t a difficult choice. His only chance for survival was to get away. On his feet, he could probably beat them. The pirates showed no real skill for fighting. They were willing enough, but they had no training and he did.
He stabbed a finger into the eye of the pirate who was trying to regain control of his arm. He felt the wet splash of blood and fluid as the eyeball ruptured. The man screamed and toppled backwards. Stone then slammed the palm of his hand into the chin of the man holding his other arm. The man took the blow just as the pirate with Stone’s knife came hurrying forward. Stone knew his time was running out. He twisted so that his back was off the ground and hit the pirate holding him with the flat of his hand again, this time in the side of the head, making solid contact with the man’s ear.
The blow stunned the pirate long enough for Stone to get his arm free and roll away. He was on his knees when the lead pirate leaped at him, swinging the knife in a deadly arc. Stone had no time to evade the blow, so he threw up his hand to catch the pirate’s arm. The momentum of the pirate sent Stone falling back again, but he kept the blade, which he knew was razor sharp, from cutting him. The pirate was heavy, and he landed hard on Stone, making it difficult for the young warrior to breathe. Still, he was able to twist the pirate’s wrist and shove the knife back toward his attacker’s body. The blade stabbed into the pirate’s opposite shoulder, inflicting a wound that wasn’t grievous but was enough to send the man rolling back away from Stone, who rolled with the pirate. He knew he couldn’t afford to give the pirates time to gang up on him again. He needed to create space and do as much damage as he could in as little time as possible.
Stone slammed his elbow into the pirate’s nose as hard as he could. The impact was so hard that it jarred his arm and caused the pirate to drop Stone’s knife. The young warrior grabbed the knife and sprang away, turning just in time to see the man with the longbow taking aim at him. He dove to the side, falling headlong into the mud, and he heard the whistle as the arrow passed him. Then he was up again, moving back toward his attackers.
The big man he’d hit in the ear was lumbering toward him now. Stone recognized his type. The man wasn’t all that big or strong, but he was used to taking punishment and would be hard to stop. Stone raised the knife and just as he had hoped the man’s eyes followed the deadly blade and never saw the boot that kicked him between the legs so hard it lifted the pirate off the ground.
The pirated grunted and fell to one knee, but Stone knew he wasn’t finished. He used his whole body to power a massive punch that landed square on the man’s jaw. His knife was in his punching hand and the impact of the brass knuckle guard was unmistakable. The sound of the pirate’s jaw shattering was like the pop of a dried stick smashed over a person’s knee.
The lead pirate was on his feet again, screaming for the pirate with the longbow to shoot. Stone spun in front of the lead pirate, and the arrow missed Stone by mere inches and buried itself in the other pirate’s stomach. The man growled and fell to his knees, clutching the arrow. Stone ran forward, and the pirate with the longbow staggered back. He lifted the bow in hopes of warding off the blow he knew was coming, but Stone’s arm was curved so that the blade of his knife was standing out, and it slashed through the pirate’s throat before the bow stopped the arm’s progress.
Blood fountained, and the pirate dropped his weapon and clutched at his throat. The man Stone had kicked was only just now starting to move. The pirate leader had slumped over onto his side, his jaw clenched and his eyes bulging in pain. The pirate with the ruined eye was still writhing and screaming in pain. The man with the shattered jaw was unconscious in the mud. Stone looked up and saw his horse a hundred paces down the path. It had stopped and was looking at him now.