Benjamin Ashwood Series: Books 1-3 (Benjamin Box) Read online

  Outwardly, Casper maintained his calm demeanor when Rhys moved to the weapons, but Ben noticed a slight hesitancy in his speech and his right hand drifted toward his rapier.

  Ben scanned the room, looking for any object he could use as a weapon if the situation erupted in violence until he caught Rhys grinning at him then giving a sly wink. The rogue’s complete lack of concern made Ben feel slightly silly. The Thieves already had him captured, so bringing him out of the cell and enacting some sort of betrayal made no sense.

  Casper, with his eyes still on Rhys, said to Ben and Renfro, “You’re both lucky. Do yourselves a favor, and don’t come back to Fabrizo. You’ve been given safe passage to leave the city, but you’re on your own if you ever return.”

  Rhys stepped up to Ben and gripped his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got places to be.”

  Casper led them down the opulent hallways of the Guild Headquarters and they passed without seeing another soul. They exited out two wide, highly polished mahogany doors that stood twice Ben’s height. Broad marble steps led through a sturdy iron gate with ornate, finely wrought spikes whose artistry barely hid their deadly nature.

  Once on the streets, Rhys led them out of the affluent district they were in and toward the open water and the docks. The streets became shabby and grew more so as they continued. The merchants got louder and the persistent fish smell Ben remembered from the day before grew stronger. Along the way, Rhys explained to Ben that they had arranged passage on a ship and would leave immediately with the morning tide.

  “The girls were all worried about you, of course. They wanted me to let you know. Not sure what good being worried does for you, but whatever. Heard you tagged one of them pretty good. I’m sure you’ll make Saala proud.”

  “Yeah, I injured one, but I lost the fight and ended up in a cell with a death sentence.”

  Rhys laughed. “Good point. All that sword training and look what good it did you. If you’d been just a little better you probably would have ended up dead instead of in captivity.”

  Ben grimaced. He’d surmised the same, but it hurt coming from someone he now thought of as a friend. Two weeks of training with a blademaster, and he was only good enough to get himself in real trouble.

  He broke off the conversation as they approached the docks. He had to focus on dodging heavy carts and quick moving porters who treated him like he was invisible. There was an intricate dance of goods coming in and out of the city and Ben was nearly run over several times before he started being able to anticipate which way to duck.

  Still, despite the danger of a collision, the buzz of activity by the ships was a welcome change from the silence and overwhelming dread he had faced in the cell.

  Renfro was nervously tagging along behind them. He was at ease with the frantic pace of the workmen, but he constantly checked over his shoulder as if unbelieving there was no pursuit. Finally, he spoke up in the same quaking voice he’d used when they were locked in the cell. “So, do you think we’re safe now? I mean, I’ve never heard of anyone being brought in like that then being let go. Thanks, by the way.”

  Rhys glanced back at him. “You are safe right now, but honestly, I’m not even sure who you are. When I approached the thieves, I was told they captured two boys together. I negotiated to get you both out because I figured it would throw up confusion about what I was after. The less they know, the better. Whoever you are, they didn’t believe I knew you. I’d already started haggling at that point, and I felt silly letting them keep you.”

  “I, uh, thanks anyway,” Renfro stammered.

  “No offense, kid. You’re welcome to leave town with us and we can keep you out of immediate danger. Maybe if you leave with us it will tweak them a little bit and make them second-guess themselves. Arrogant pricks. Assuming you keep your hands to yourself, that is. If not, you’ll find there are worse places to be than locked up in some thief’s palace. I don’t know what you did to get in trouble with the guild, but I can guess.”

  Renfro had the look of someone who jumped off a burning ship and realized too late they couldn’t swim.

  Ben interjected before Renfro blurted out a confession and changed Rhys’ mind. “Who do we have to thank? I mean, who paid our ransom?”

  “Ransom?” Rhys responded quizzically. “You two were in for crimes against the guild. Ransom wasn’t a real option. At least not one I could afford.”

  “Wait. If it wasn’t a ransom, then how did we get out?” inquired Ben.

  Rhys gave the same knowing cat-like smile Ben was used to seeing over a half-full pint of ale. “I had a little talk with them. You can thank me next time we get into a tavern. How many rounds is your life worth?”

  With that, Rhys started up a wobbly plank onto one of the creaking ships tied to the docks. Ben looked at Renfro, shrugged, and started the next leg of his journey.

  6

  Saltwater

  From the dock in Fabrizo, the Bay Runner seemed massive. Three broad blue and white stripped sails billowed from masts the size of full-grown pine trees. The deck covered the length of Farview’s village green and the ship rose out of the water higher than Farview’s tallest building.

  Once they left sight of land though, it seemed to be much smaller. The common area below deck was the size of Ben’s old apartment. It was used for everything except work, sleep, and the necessaries—which was done hanging off the back of the vessel.

  The common area was expansive though compared to the tiny cabin Ben was sharing with Rhys, Renfro, and Saala. They had a four-level bunk bed and enough walking room to squeeze in and out of it sideways. Livestock was given more space than they were.

  The size of the cabin was not much of a problem though because he spent almost the entire journey topside. The deck of the ship was the only place to get some fresh air, and it was also where almost all of the excitement was. The sailors were constantly adjusting sails, tightening ropes, taking readings of the wind and water, and a thousand other tasks Ben did not understand but found fascinating.

  The work of sailing the ship required constant attention from the crew. After the first few days, Ben found if he stayed out of their way, the sailors paid him no mind and weren’t bothered by him watching them. The officers on the ship spent some time speaking with Lady Towaal, but the rest of the crew largely ignored them. Renfro confided in Ben that he thought they were watching him and he was certain he would be turned in as soon as they made port in Whitehall.

  Rhys, ever practical, was able to spot what everyone else missed. He pointed out that the sailors constantly had a wad of herbs stuffed into the side of their jaw. “Leaves from the Xanta plant. Makes them a little sluggish but the days pass in a haze. Usually the ship’s officers try to tamp down on that kind of thing, but it does make the crew easy to deal with. If you don’t give them something, men get a little antsy after a few weeks of sleeping stacked up like cords of wood and eating hard biscuits and beans every meal. The lure of the sea quickly loses its appeal for me.”

  Ben spent bells watching the sailors work and feeling the wind and salt spray blow on his face. He understood Rhys’ point—a lifetime of this would be tedious and boring, but for Ben, the adventure was still fresh. He enjoyed every moment of it, while he was topside at least.

  When he wasn’t watching the sailors, he spent a lot of time in close one-on-one discussions with Amelie, Meghan, and Renfro.

  Meghan, he had known his entire life. He fell in with Renfro like they had been friends forever. Spending a day in the death cell together made for good bonding. Talking with either one of them was easy and comfortable. He felt like he could tell them anything and they shared their innermost thoughts with him.

  Amelie was different. He felt like he could trust her and tell her anything, but she kept her own secrets closely guarded. She did tell a little, though. He learned her father wasn’t just a lord of Issen, he was The Lord of Issen. She said he wasn’t called a king, but it sounded just like one from
what Ben understood. She had no siblings and didn’t speak much about her mother other than to mention she was living and describe her as ‘the consummate lady’, whatever that meant.

  Over the weeks on the water, his relationship with Meghan grew stronger than it had ever been, and with a slight twinge of guilt, he realized Renfro had filled the void he felt for Serrot. With little doubt, he thought all of them would remain fast friends for the rest of their lives.

  But as much as he appreciated the friendships with Meghan and Renfro, he felt himself drawn more and more to Amelie. In many ways, she was a closed book to him. He rarely could separate her from Meredith, but when he did, he felt a spark of connection. He kept that to himself. She was a highborn lady, and he was a brewer from a small mountain town. It sounded like a silly story even to him. It was the kind of thing better not to think about. Sometimes the fantastical events in the stories were just that—fantasy.

  The big vessel rocked gently in the light chop of the bay and Saala judged sword practice impractical. Between the slight movement, the number of people moving around on deck, and Ben’s lack of skill, he was sure it would end in an accident.

  Lady Towaal took notice, and despite an icy demeanor toward Ben, she instructed Rhys to teach him something.

  “Maybe fighting with his hands,” she muttered.

  Rhys nodded and grinned. “I think I have something useful I can teach him.”

  “I guess she doesn’t want me to go more than a few days without getting pummeled.” Ben smirked while he and Rhys cleared deck space to begin.

  “You did anger her,” remarked Rhys, “and I can’t say I blame her. She is very focused on getting Amelie safely behind the Sanctuary’s walls as soon as possible. Getting into a scrap with the Fabrizo Thieves’ Guild isn’t the way to do that.”

  “When you put it like that…” Ben trailed off.

  “Cheer up,” replied Rhys. “She didn’t exactly encourage me to go get you, but she didn’t stop me either. She could have left you locked up or just sent you back home. She sees something in you, and for whatever reason, she wants you to stay with us.”

  Ben brightened until Rhys added, “On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t cheer up. Believe me, being ‘useful’ to a mage isn’t always fun and games.”

  In some ways, Rhys’ instruction was similar to Saala’s. In others, it was very different. Rhys started by explaining that he wouldn’t actually teach Ben any punches or kicks yet. First, he had to learn balance and flexibility. Ben assumed that, like with the sword when he spent a few days learning grips and stances, he would quickly move on, but Rhys spent the entire trip teaching balance.

  Rhys would start every lesson doing stretches. They would bend, twist, squat, and pull muscles that Ben didn’t realize he had. During the first few days, he felt like he was getting a workout just doing the stretches.

  Once they were done stretching, Rhys began teaching him different balance positions when the swells of the sea were relatively calm. At first, it was fairly simple, like standing on one foot or kneeling on one leg with his arms raised straight up. Simple being relative, of course, due to the gentle rocking of the ship. Standing on one foot becomes exponentially more difficult on a moving platform.

  As the days progressed, so did the variety of positions Rhys taught. Before long, several other members of the group joined them. Saala was first, saying the exercise was better than being cooped up downstairs. Then Amelie, Meredith, and Meghan joined as well. With the rest of the young people participating, it was easy to pressure Renfro into it, too. After the first week, everyone in their group except Lady Towaal was spending several bells a day balancing in progressively more bizarre and convoluted poses.

  After two weeks, they began tying some of the poses together into a fluid sort of dance. They would begin on their stomachs, push up with their arms while keeping their bodies straight, swing their hips back so they formed a triangle with their arms and feet on the hard wood of the deck, then onto one knee with the other leg up and their chests down. They kept learning new positions and adding them to the mix until they had about twenty of them they would perform in sequence.

  Saala was the only one, aside from Rhys, who could make it through the entire routine without spilling onto the deck in tangle of arms and legs. Saala learned the poses with the same smooth confidence he did everything. Ben frequently found himself watching Saala on a particularly tricky move to see how it should be done. Rhys was occasionally helpful with one-on-one coaching, but Ben couldn’t help noticing, most of his time was spent directing the girls, particularly Meredith and Meghan.

  Anytime one of them wavered, Rhys would appear to place a steadying hand on a hip or whisper soft words of encouragement. At first, Ben felt a flash of jealousy. He thought about warning Meghan, but she was no stranger to dealing with attention. As the attractive and only daughter of the wealthiest man in Farview, she had learned to deal with unwanted suitors. Besides, while Ben was learning the scoundrel did have a few redeeming qualities, Meghan would never be interested in a rogue like Rhys.

  The voyage across the Blood Bay to Whitehall typically took three weeks, depending on the wind and water. Their journey was uneventful and in the proscribed time, they were getting close. On the last full day at sea, Rhys threw another loop into their lessons. He made them run the twenty poses in reverse.

  This time, even Saala ended up collapsing during one difficult transition. Ben found he had unconsciously learned to make moving between the poses a habit that he had to unlearn when he did them in reverse.

  They spent almost the entire day working the moves and by the end of it, Ben was lying exhausted, propped up against a damp coil of rope. His arms and legs felt as limp as the rope.

  Rhys squatted down next to him and said, “Good job these last few weeks. You and Amelie are my star pupils.” Then he corrected himself, “After Saala, of course.”

  Ben rolled his head toward Rhys. “I’m glad I’m finally good at something. I still don’t know why, though. What’s the point of all of this? I seriously doubt we’re going to get into a scrape where I end up needing to squat down, roll on my belly, then stand on one leg, all while holding one arm straight out to my side.”

  Rhys rolled his eyes. “You may not see it yet, but it will help you. All fighting, whether with the hand or the sword requires four things: strength, skill, speed, and balance. These exercises focus on balance, of course. Saala has been teaching you skill. Strength and speed come through repetition and practice. You add it all up, and next time you get into a fight, maybe you manage to not get yourself knocked out.”

  Ben smirked. “I might be able to balance a little better. We’ll have to see once we get off this ship. I certainly don’t feel any stronger though. I’ll barely be able to lift my spoon tonight.”

  “That’s how you know it’s working.” Rhys clapped his hands down on his knees and stood to address the rest of the exhausted group. “You are not experts at it yet, but you have learned the first of the Thirty Ohms. If you can learn them all, you will be stronger, faster, and better balanced than almost any opponent. Fighting is about more than just chopping at a man with a sword.”

  Rhys left to freshen up and Ben scooted over next to Renfro and a speculative-looking Saala.

  “What’s this about the Ohms?” asked Renfro. “And what the hell did he say about thirty of them? I didn’t think I’d make it through today. Not sure I could do thirty more of those.”

  “Twenty nine,” replied Saala stoically.

  “What?” asked Renfro.

  “We have done one,” explained Saala. “So there are only twenty nine left.”

  Renfro rolled his eyes. “I guess I missed that day in the Thieves’ Guild mathematics tutoring. You know what I mean. Twenty nine or thirty of them or whatever, what are they?”

  Saala sighed. “I’ve spent years studying various fighting styles around the world and never found anyone to teach me the Thirty Ohms. They’re said to
be used by a warrior sect in Qooten. The sect is real, I’ve crossed their path. With reason, they are known as some of the deadliest fighters in the South Continent. Whether the Thirty Ohms were real or not, I wasn’t sure. Now I find out that drunk knows them? The world is a very strange place. I’m going to get some rest.” Saala stood and retreated below deck to the cabin, shaking his head as he left.

  The world was indeed a strange place, thought Ben. Making small talk with a blademaster and a thief. Travelling with a mage and a lady.

  Renfro was thinking the same thing. “Strange company you keep. You’ve all been pretty closed mouthed about what you’re up to, but I think I’ve picked up on a lot of it. Not sure it’s safe travelling with you lot. Course, not sure Whitehall will be safe for me either. Mallan does a lot of business there. You think I could come along with you past Whitehall?”

  Ben scratched behind his neck. “It’d be fine with me. It’s really up to Lady Towaal though.”

  Renfro seemed to deflate and Ben realized what he wanted. “I can ask her if you like.”

  Renfro perked right back up and Ben was struck by how honest and open the boy was, despite his past profession. The reason he was able to make such quick friends, Ben thought, was that the world was such a simple place for Renfro. He wasn’t weighed down by concerns on what was right or wrong. He just reacted to what was around him.

  When Renfro stole from someone, he didn’t consider the consequences to the victim, he only considered his own risk and reward. For the same reasons he had no problems with theft, he had no problems spilling his life story and all his hopes and desires to Ben. He had no mechanism to hold back. He had apparently decided he could trust Ben to help get him out of his troubles, so he jumped into the friendship with both feet. Renfro was all or nothing.