Raymond Feist - Rise of a Merchant Prince

The man took it and glanced it over. ‘Got the seal of Krondor at the bottom,’ he grudgingly admitted, while still sitting on the floor. Then his eyes lowered as he said, ‘Can’t read.’

The swordsman stood and with a relaxed air moved to Erik’s side. ‘If I may help, Corporal,’ he said, extending his hand.

The corporal handed back the document and the man read aloud: ‘Know you by my hand and seal that Erik von Darkmoor is sworn to my service and …’ His eyes glanced to the bottom of the document. ‘It’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo, Corporal. The short of it is you just tried to arrest one of Prince Nicholas’s personal guards. A corporal, like yourself, it says.’

‘A fact?’ asked the corporal, his eyes widened.

‘Yes, not only is the document signed by the Duke of Krondor’s own Knight-Marshal, the Prince himself signed it.’

‘True?’ was the corporal’s next remark as he slowly rose to his feet.

‘True,’ answered the stranger. ‘And from the way he took your sword from you, I think there’s a reason he’s in the Prince’s personal service.’

The corporal rubbed his wrist. ‘Well, perhaps.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘But we heard nothing about this, and last time Erik’s name was mentioned it was when we heard he was to be hung for killing the young Baron.’

Erik sighed. ‘The Prince pardoned us.’

‘So you say,’ said the corporal. ‘But I think me and the boys will hurry back to Darkmoor and see what Lord Manfred has to say about this.’

He picked up his sword and signaled to his men to depart. One of them shook his head in disgust at forgoing a hot meal and the other threw Erik and Roo a black look as he helped the one Roo had stunned back to his feet.

That man, still trying to focus his eyes, said, ‘We’re leaving? Did we eat? Is it morning?’

The other said, ‘Shut up, Bluey. A bit of that cutting rain will sort you out, quick like.’

The soldiers left the inn and Erik turned to the stranger. ‘Thanks.’

The man shrugged. ‘If I hadn’t read it, the innkeeper or someone else would.’

Erik said, ‘I’m Erik von Darkmoor.’

The man took his hand. ‘Duncan Avery.’

Roo’s eyes widened. Cousin Duncan?’

The eyes of the man who had named himself Avery narrowed as he studied Roo. After a long moment he said, ‘Rupert?’

Suddenly they were laughing, and the man Rupert called cousin gave him a quick hug. ‘I haven’t seen you since you were a tadpole, youngster.’ He stepped back and a wry smile graced his features.

Erik glanced back and forth and couldn’t see even the most remote resemblance. While Roo was short, wiry, and signally unattractive, Duncan Avery was tall, slender, with broad shoulders, and handsome. Moreover, he dressed like a dandy, save for his sword, which was well used and well cared for. He sported a slender mustache, but otherwise was clean-shaven, and his hair hung to his shoulders, where it was cut evenly and curled under.

Pulling out a chair, Duncan signaled the serving girl to bring his plate and mug over, and sat.

Erik said, ‘I didn’t know you had a cousin, Roo.’

Roo’s eyes narrowed. ‘Of course you did.’

Erik waved away his previous comment. ‘I mean, I know you have a number of them in Salador and elsewhere in the east, but you’ve never mentioned this gentleman before.’

Duncan thanked the girl and winked at her, causing her to retire with a giggle as he said, ‘I’m crushed, Rupert. What does your friend mean, you’ve never spoken of me?’

Roo sat back, shaking his head. ‘It’s not like we were close, Duncan. I saw you, what? Three times in my life?’

Duncan laughed. ‘Something like that. Tried my hand at the teamsters trade when I was a boy,’ he said to Erik. ‘Got as far as riding with Roo’s pa from Ravensburg to Malac’s Cross, where I quit. Roo was no more than five then.’ His face turned somber. ‘Only time I got to meet his ma.’

‘When was the last time we saw each other?’ asked Roo.

Duncan rubbed his chin. ‘Can’t say I remember, save there was that lovely girl at the fountain: slender waist, ample hips and bosom, accommodating attitude … who was she?’

‘Gwen,’ supplied Roo. ‘And that must have been four or five years ago.’ Roo pointed a fork at Duncan. ‘You were her first.’ Then he grinned. ‘Many of the local lads owe you some thanks; you imparted a … certain enthusiasm in Gwen that we came to appreciate.’

Erik laughed. ‘I’m not one of them,’ he said.

Roo said, ‘Maybe the only boy in Ravensburg who didn’t.’

‘How are you related?’ Erik asked Duncan.

Duncan said, ‘My father is cousin to Roo’s father, Erik, and neither of those worthy gentlemen has much use for me.’ To Roo he said, ‘How is your pa?’

Roo shrugged. ‘Been a couple of years, really. We’re on our way to Ravensburg now. Where are you headed?’

‘I’m for the east, seeking my fortune as usual. I tried my hand doing mercenary duty down in the Vale of Dreams, but the work’s too dangerous, the women too dangerous’ – both Erik and Roo laughed at that – ‘and the money scarce. So I’m for the eastern courts, where a man’s wits stand him as well as his sword.’

Roo said, ‘I might have some use for that wit.’

‘What’s the plan?’ asked Duncan, suddenly interested.

‘Nothing dodgy. Some honest business, but I think I can use someone who knows his way around polite company.’

Duncan shrugged. ‘Well, I’ll ride with you to Ravensburg and we can talk along the way. Besides, you’ve got my curiosity piqued.’

‘Why?’ asked Erik.

‘The way you two moved … it was a sight. When I last saw Rupert he was a scrawny kid barely able to keep himself upright while he pissed, but now he looked downright lethal when he knocked out that soldier. Where did you learn to handle yourselves that way?’

Roo and Erik exchanged glances. Neither needed to be reminded of the network of spies already established in the Kingdom by the agents of the Emerald Queen. Distant cousin or not, Roo had no illusions about the man’s honesty. ‘Here and there,’ said Roo.

‘That’s some Isalani open-handed fighting, or I’m a cow’s new-born,’ said Duncan.

‘Where’d you see it before?’ asked Erik.

‘As I said, I just returned from down in the Vale. You see a few Isalani there as well as some other Keshian-born who know the tricks.’ He leaned forward, and his voice lowered. ‘I hear you can crack a man’s skull with your hand if you know how to do it.’

Erik said, ‘That’s easy. Just make sure you’ve got a smith’s hammer in the hand when you hit him.’

Duncan stared at Erik a moment, then burst into laughter. ‘Good one, lad,’ he said as he dug into his meal. ‘I think I’m going to like you.’

They continued to chat as they ate, and after, Erik went to check on the horses. When he returned, the three men retired for the night to the common sleeping area upstairs, so they might get an early start in the morning.

The village seemed at once unchanged and smaller. Roo said, ‘Nothing’s different.’ They rode at a walk, having taken the bend at the road that put them within sight of Ravensburg. They had been passing familiar farms for the last hour, both vineyards and fields of oat, wheat, and corn. But in the distance they now at last were in sight of the small buildings at the edge of the town.

Erik remained silent, but Duncan said, ‘Doesn’t look any different to me and it’s been years.’

Riding past familiar landmarks, Roo thought that he was wrong. Everything had changed, or at least he had changed and therefore how he saw things had changed. Reaching the Inn of the Pintail, Erik said, ‘Few things in Ravensburg ever change, but we have,’ echoing Roo’s thoughts of a few moments before.