Origins: A Deepwoods Book - a Collection of Deepwoods Short Stories (Deepwoods Series 0) (8 page)

He kept his mouth shut as they went through the motions of
settling into the inn for the night. Thanks to Siobhan’s foresight, they were
booked into a nicer inn on the north side of town with enough rooms that no one
had to share unless they wanted to. In fact, the group took the whole second
floor for themselves.

Siobhan stopped just long enough to make sure that everyone
was settled, then she marched right back out. Worried about her going around
alone at this late point of the day, Erik automatically followed her. She
seemed to take no real notice of him as she weaved through the streets, heading
back toward the main gates they had left only an hour before. When she arrived,
she cracked her knuckles, like she was preparing for a good fistfight. She
rolled her head back and forth on her neck, too. Erik eyed this body language
with the beginnings of trepidation. She wasn’t going to go in there and start a
brawl, was she?

To his relief, she did not actually go to the gates, but
instead headed directly into a building nearby. He glanced at the sign hanging
over the open doorway. City Administration Office? Siobhan did not pause in the
doorway but strode straight in.

The place was short, short enough he could swear his hair
brushed the ceiling. It was a single room with two counters forming an L-shape.
Shelves upon shelves lined the walls. Rolled papers and ledgers were shoved
inside in every possible direction, and Erik was convinced there was little in
the way of organization in this place. No one could find something the way this
place was managed.

“I’m Siobhan Maley, Guildmaster of Deepwoods from
Goldschmidt,” Siobhan announced to the room in general. The two bored clerks at
the counter paused in their conversation and looked up at this greeting. “I
need to register a free man.”

Erik’s head snapped around and he stared down at her in
astonishment. She was registering him as a free man?! Hadn’t she just said that
she was going to deal with this on her way back? Why the sudden urgency?

One of the clerks raised a hand and waved her over.
“Guildmaster,” his voice sounded like a bullfrog’s, “please give me the
specifics. You have a man that was a slave and now needs to be registered as
free?” The way he asked this suggested that she was insane for doing so.

“That’s correct.” Siobhan set her feet shoulder-length apart
and met him squarely in the eyes. “You have a procedure for doing that, don’t
you?”

“Ah, well, yes.” The clerk looked at his coworker, who
seemed just as baffled by this. Erik knew why—slaves were a pricey and
important commodity here in Quigg. The idea of setting one free was nigh
unheard of. Erik was astonished there was a way to register a free man in this
city to begin with. Clearing his throat, he went back to a more professional
tone. “You have a bill of sale for this individual?”

Siobhan pulled it out of her wallet and handed it over.

His eyebrows arched as his eyes skimmed over it. “You bought
this man in Robarge?”

“I did.”

“Then why register him here?”

“Because I want him to have the freedom to travel if he so
wishes to.”

It was in that moment that Erik experienced an epiphany of
sorts. Back in Converse, when he ate with her for the first time, Siobhan had
told him that eating with him made them friends. He hadn’t believed her. Or
maybe he had, but what she said hadn’t sunk in. But at this moment, he realized
she had meant every word. To Siobhan, the two of them were friends. He was as
dear to her as Beirly or Grae and she would do whatever it took to defend him.

Even in the future, the actions she took now would help
defend him.

Tears pricked his eyes. Half the time he’d known this woman,
he’d thought her crazy. Or whimsical. Or reckless. But none of that was true.
Siobhan just had a different standard than the rest of the world. To her, the
people around her were the first priority. Always. Everything else was second
to that.

The clerk, with open misgivings, pulled out a clean sheet
from underneath the counter. “We can register him here for you. Your full name
and rank, please?”

Siobhan rattled off answers as the clerk asked them. In the
space of fifteen minutes, the form was filled out, stamped and filed. Siobhan
had a clean copy made for her, which she then in turn presented to Erik with a
bright smile. “Here. Now you can travel without worry.”

Unable to help himself, he leaned down and grabbed her up in
a bear hug.

Siobhan flailed for a moment, but laughed and hugged him
back. “You’re welcome.”

“I still think you’re crazy,” he whispered against her hair.
“But I wish there were a hundred more like you. The world would be a better
place for it.”

“Wolf, I daresay that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever
said to me.” From the watery sound in her voice, the words had touched her
deeply. “Now, let me down. Let’s go get dinner.”

He reluctantly let go and set her back on her feet. In a
manner reminiscent of their time in Converse, she took his hand, and they
walked that way back to the inn.

The drivers and caravan boss were lively at dinner, throwing
jokes back and forth and eating heartily. Of course, they had every reason to
be in good spirits, as they were making good time on their journey and hadn’t
encountered any trouble. For them, this was a smooth trip.

Erik hardly felt the same way about it. He sat in a corner
and brooded, eyes staring sightlessly forward. What would happen to him after
he left Deepwoods? The thought of staying in his small village until he died of
old age was incomprehensible to him. He had seen so much of the world, true,
but there was still so much of it he
hadn’t
seen. Could he be content to
stay in Reske and work day-to-day without yearning for more?

He didn’t know.

Aside from that, he knew that there was another thing that
urged him to stay with the guild. What Siobhan had just done for him…it was
above and beyond what most people would do. Only his family and very close
friends had ever done something of equal importance. The way she acted towards
him made it clear that she viewed him as family. Siobhan, Beirly, and Grae felt
like family to him, too. His heart gave a lurch at just the idea that he might
never see them again after reaching Reske.

What was wrong with him? He had the chance to go home.
Siobhan was taking him there herself. At first, he had doubted that, but so far
she had made good on every promise she’d made him. Now, he knew she’d keep her
word. So why did the thought of leaving her make his heart tremble?

He longed for home but at the same time, feared it. He had
changed so much, so radically, that he wasn’t sure if any of his family would
even be able to recognize him now. They loved him, had no doubt missed him, but
he did not think home would feel the same anymore.

But that left the question, where did he belong? At this
woman’s side?

Troubled, he went back and forth, arguing the matter internally.
He was so lost inside his own head that Siobhan dropped into the chair next to
him, making the floorboard squeak, before he realized she was anywhere nearby.
Startled, his head jerked up.

“What’s troubling you so badly?” she asked him bluntly, crossing
her hands comfortably over her stomach. “That guard from before?”

“Only a little,” he responded with a long sigh. Worries
weighed on him so heavily that he felt ten years older. “In truth, I have no
good memories of Quigg.”

Her head cocked in interest. “You mentioned before you’d
been through the place.”

The way she phrased her words, he could either grunt and
leave the subject alone, or elaborate. Erik looked at her for a long moment,
mentally debating. From the very beginning, he’d felt he owed this woman a
significant debt. Not just for the money she spent on him, but for her kindness
and patience. In all the time they’d known each other, she’d never once
demanded a recounting of his past or answers to her questions. It made him
respect her. So the part of him that longed to accept her overtures of
friendship had him opening his mouth and saying something he’d never imagined
he’d say to her.

“It was in this city I lost my hand.”

Siobhan’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “HERE?!”

“I was a dark guildsman,” he pointed out in dark humor. “The
only way I could have crossed into Robarge was through a slave train, Siobhan.”

Her mouth opened, closed, and opened again. She looked like
a beached fish. “I guess…I never thought to question how you got through Island
Pass. So that was how.”

“Aye.” His eyes went blind as the memory came back to him,
vivid and strong enough to make his stump ache. “It was outside of the city
walls that I lost the hand.” In reflex, his other hand came up to rub at it,
only to be thwarted with the metal covering the area. Grimacing, he let his
hand drop again to the table’s surface. “I told you once before, that I lost it
in a battle, right?”

“Right,” she agreed, seemingly holding her breath. It was
the first time he had ever come close to telling her what happened.

“In truth, it was right after a battle.” He found it
impossible to meet her eyes and instead stared steadfastly at the ceiling.
“We’d been fighting a rival guild, why, I don’t remember, and it hadn’t been
easy. Normally, fights like that are over quick, no more than an hour’s work.
But that day, they were tenacious and constantly running from one point to
another with ambushes and traps set up along the way. I was running most of the
time, only fighting when I could get close enough to engage. From dawn to
sunset, I was running and fighting, having no time to rest. By the time that
the evening bells tolled, and we’d won, I was exhausted. Beyond exhausted.”

He dared a glance at her face and found her riveted to him.
Her fixed attention made it easier, somehow, to keep going. “I went back to the
main hall, intending to just find an empty cot somewhere and sleep. I was too
tired to think about food. But I never made it there. I was within sight of the
doors when my own guildsmen jumped me.” Erik lifted his iron hand and looked at
it, but not truly seeing it. “With them combined like that, in my state, I was
no match for them. They cut off my hand.”

Siobhan let out a sound like an enraged cat. “Your own
guildsmen.”

“There is no honor in a dark guild.” He looked at her from
the corner of his eyes. “Imagine my surprise when I went into a good guild
next, and saw how well you take care of each other. You three are more like
family than a guild.”

“That’s what a good guild is supposed to be like,” Siobhan
said patiently. Rubbing both palms over her face, she blew out an angry hiss.
“Still, the fact that they would hurt you like that…it’s mind blowing. I can’t
wrap my head around it.”

“Don’t try to,” he advised. “The moment you understand it,
you become like them.”

“Sage advice.” Her head jerked up as an alarmed expression
came over her face. “Wolf. That old guild of yours. They won’t possibly try to
come back after you, will they?”

He waved this concern away. “It’s ironic, but because they
did that to me, they were beaten by a rival guild about a month later. If I’d
been at full strength, they likely would still be around. It was the rival
guild that sold me as a slave.”

“So it’s entirely because you lost the hand that I was able
to get you?” Her eyes went to his iron hand. “I now have mixed feelings about
what happened.”

“As do I.” 

From the other side of the room, there was a call of,
“Siobhan!”

Groaning, she pushed the chair back. “A guildmaster’s work
is never done, I swear.” She put a hand on his shoulder, her touch gentle and
sweet. “Thank you, Wolf, for the story.”

“You’re welcome,” he whispered. Watching her go, he was
overcome by the unfairness all over again. In a different world, where he hadn’t
been taken from his home and forced onto such a dark path, he would have been
able to stay. Stay, and be friends and an ally with that incredible woman. It
was the loss of that future, more than the hand, that enraged him.

People drifted upstairs in twos and threes, and finally, the
last of them retired for the night. Having no need to keep sitting there,
keeping watch over people, he trudged up the stairs as well.

The bed was a fine one, the mattress just soft enough to
give a man’s back some comfort, and long enough that his feet weren’t hanging
off the edge. So there was no reason for him to be tossing and turning like he
was. Erik finally dropped off to sleep after some effort, only to wake up a
short time later in a cold sweat, his hand automatically reaching for the sword
leaning against the headboard. Breathing hard, he leaned over the side of the
bed, nauseated from the nightmare.

Bad memories made the worst nightmares.

Breathing slowly and deeply, he got his stomach back under
control. Judging from the light coming in through the window, he couldn’t have
slept for more than an hour or two. It wasn’t enough rest for him after
traveling all day, but the thought of rolling over and trying again didn’t set
well with him.

He moved on instinct, gravitating toward the one thing that
always squelched the nightmares. Taking the quilt and sword with him, he moved
on silent feet, easing out of his room and down two doors. Putting his ear to
the wood, he listened for the soft, steady breathing of his guildmaster. His
tremors eased, the nightmare fading, as he listened to her breath. She was
deeply asleep, not a concern in her world.

Comforted by that, he sank down to the floor, putting his
back against the wood. There he stayed, wrapped up in the quilt, and just
listened.

An interminable time passed before the door directly across
from him opened. Grae, looking mussed and half asleep, stepped out. He took in
the sight of Erik sitting there, leaning against Siobhan’s door, but oddly
enough didn’t look surprised. Erik felt self-conscious in this position and
somewhat trapped on the floor, but Grae didn’t even ask a question, just
crossed to him and turned so that he sat next to him, shoulders brushing.

 Erik did not understand this situation one bit. Why would
the man not be surprised to see him like this? In the middle of the night, no
less.

In a hushed tone, barely audible, Grae spoke. “Ever since I
was a child, when something went wrong, I went to Siobhan. Because she can face
anything without flinching. Even if she can’t fix the problem, I found that
being next to her is comforting.” Finally, he turned, facing Erik directly, a
lopsided smile on his face. In the dim lighting of the hallway, it was barely
visible, but Erik could still see it. “You and I are alike that way.”

He also felt that way? That everything in the world could be
overcome as long as Siobhan was with him? In that moment, Erik felt a stronger
connection to Grae than he ever had before. “I didn’t think we were anything
alike.”

Grae found this funny, as he chuckled, the sound breathy and
low. “Me neither, at first.”

A comfortable silence fell between them. For once, Erik
didn’t feel any tension coming from Grae. He decided to just enjoy the moment,
and went back to staring blankly at the opposite wall.

“You don’t do this every night,” Grae ventured, tone
cautious. His tone invited a response, if Erik felt comfortable giving him one,
or not.

“No,” Erik agreed, still not looking at the other man. He
struggled with what to say for a moment, finally settling on, “I have no good
memories of this city.”

“Ah. Siobhan mentioned to me that it was here you lost the
hand.” Grae, bless the man, left it at that.

“Aye.” After contemplating that for a moment, he asked, “Is
that truly all she said?”

“That and it was your own guildsmen that did it. If they
were still around, she’d go hunt them down and do the same. She’s that mad
about it.” Grae shook his head, snorting. “As fierce as a lioness, our Siobhan.
But the thing I don’t understand is why?”

“Jealousy. Fear. When I was younger, I was new to fighting.
Oh, I’d been trained in using the sword, we all are in my hometown. I was far
from defenseless. But actual battle experience, that’s what I lacked. Over
time, I got better. Stronger. Faster. I think it scared them.” He let his head
thunk
against the wood. “They weren’t sure if there was anyone in the guild strong
enough to stop me, if I wanted to leave.”

“So they crippled you instead?” Grae shook his head, mouth
tight. “That makes no sense to me.”

“Little does in a dark guild. Fear rules there. Fear and
jealousy.” Almost without his permission, his mouth added, “It’s a miracle to
belong to a guild as good as yours. You’re a blessed man, Grae.”

“Oh, I know it, trust me. The whole guild was created for my
sake.”

“Have you thoughts of growing larger?”

“Certainly, now that we’re making enough money to support
more people.” Grae ticked things off on his fingers. “We want more enforcers, a
trader, and an apothecary or surgeon of some sort.”

So they did realize that they were short on the specialties
an escorting guild needed, they just hadn’t been able to do anything about it
until recently? That made sense to him. After all, Deepwoods was very new. The
assurance that they would be looking for an enforcer after this trip reassured
him.

After another stretch of silence, Grae said in realization,
“I don’t know anything about Reske, or your family. Will you tell me about
them?”

Slowly, haltingly, Erik tried to describe his home and
parents and siblings. Whenever he paused, unsure of what to say, Grae would ask
another question, gently leading him along. Eventually, it became more natural,
and Erik started to ask questions in turn, learning more about Grae and
Siobhan’s families. (They had apparently grown up next door to each other.)

The night passed easily, without their notice, until
eventually they grew tired of speaking and their rears went numb from sitting
on a hard wood floor. Calling it quits, both men gave each other a genuine wish
for sweet dreams, and went back to their beds. But this time, as Wolf crawled
back onto the mattress, he knew he’d sleep well.

ӜӜӜ

After spending half the night talking in the hallway, Erik
did not wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He growled at Siobhan as she
knocked on his door with a wakeup call, then growled at Beirly when the man
tried to get between him and the breakfast table. People more or less deemed it
wise to give him space until he had at least eaten, and scattered to different
tables.

With two plates of very good omelets in his stomach, he felt
less inclined to murder anyone. Siobhan sank into the chair next to him,
putting a mug on the table as she did. Using just one finger, she pushed it in his
direction, like a woman distracting a hungry wolf with a chunk of prime meat.
“Good morning?”