Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
AUDREY
Target has avoided interactions with me for almost a moon. Suspect suspicions aroused. Do not contact me until I have given approval. Safety level: vodaken —coded missive from Filigree to Nightingale
La’Angi Keep
The ship was in the harbor when I woke. I refused to hurry through my morning routine though, sitting with Isolde, breathing in the cold air, feeling the way it flooded my system.
Power was required to maintain the stillness, to sit for long enough that peace could settle over us like the morning dew.
Chay’s steps were loud in the quiet. He settled beside us without speaking, and his breath soon came and went with the same pattern. I sat between them, my eyes closed.
The possibilities of what could go wrong—or right—were endless. I could manage it all. Later.
Isolde started moving first. I followed her cues, opening my eyes, stretching out muscles stiff from the high amounts of activity I’d been subjecting them to. My legs protested as I gently limbered up. Even when uncomfortable, I could be safe. I could be in control.
I caught her watching me with sharp eyes and was embarrassed by my weakness. “I’m fine,” I said, the words jarring after so long sitting in silence.
“You’ll be fine if we don’t roll this morning, too,” she said, addressing Chay instead of me. “She needs a rest day.”
“I do not need a rest day.” The thought made panic flutter in my chest. My father was returning in less than a year. I needed to be ready. “I don’t have time for rest days.”
“We’ll make sure you have time for rest days,” Chay said, offering me a hand.
I let him lever me to my feet only to see Isolde standing there still, her head cocked a little to the side. “Rest day,” she said to both of us, and I felt my cheeks heating at that pointed look. “Yes?”
“Want me to promise to do all the work?” Chay asked her, lazily, giving my fingers a light squeeze. “I will.”
“Work,” she said, drawing the word out like it was a curse.
Chay met my eyes. “Sorry,” he said, sounding genuinely contrite.
Whatever Isolde was about to say died when she looked at me. “It’s a jest, Audrey,” she said, frowning a little. “Mostly.”
I had no idea what my face held that upset them so much. I crushed the urge to explain that.
“I wonder if your city is now run by pirates,” Chay said with a yawn. “That’d be different. First plague, then scurvy.”
“We’ve got too much knappchs to get scurvy,” I disagreed.
“Can’t afford to drink it though,” Chay said, falling in behind as we went downstairs.
I continued to engage with the back and forth as we prepared for the day, breaking our fast in the mess hall together.
Though my mind kept circling back around to the ship in the harbor, I forced myself to continue working through the long list of tasks that I needed to oversee, starting with going through collated concerns Allison had put together.
The hours sitting didn’t do my aching legs any favors, and the regular interruptions by staff checking details or confirming my wishes were more irritating than usual. When a red-faced runner appeared at the door, their eyes wide and hat in their hands, I felt a rush of relief I hadn’t expected.
“M’lady,” he said, in a hurry. “Brian and Kaelson need you. In the bailey. The main one.” He stepped back, grabbing the door, gulping air.
Chay was already loosening his sword in his scabbard. Not for the first time I resented I couldn’t do that. Not only could I not carry a sword, I also had to hold my hands at my sides, hoping they weren’t swinging awkwardly, as I hastened without appearing graceless.
Thomas appeared from somewhere, his eyes bloodshot but his jaw cleanshaven. “Apologies, my lady,” he said, falling into step.
“Of course.” I saw the slight twitch of Isolde’s brow and knew if I paid even a moment’s notice to the very late hour or Thomas’ appearance that she’d be on it like a fox on a chicken.
There was a storm brewing around me and I just had to sit in the center, appearing calm.
Brian was in the bailey when we arrived, standing beside a saddled horse, his face turned toward the stables until the door swung closed noisily behind us.
“Good morrow,” he said, cheerfully. “I hope you don’t mind, my lady, but we’ve taken the liberty of organizing your horse, and those for your staff.”
Storm, my mare, wasn’t visible, but Isolde’s was. Chay excused himself, his stride long as he headed toward the stable to make sure his gelding didn’t take anyone’s fingers off.
“Where are we off to?” I asked, settling my cloak more firmly over my shoulders against the chill I hadn’t dressed for.
“The sailors of the Siren’s Ally have requested your attendance,” he told me, pushing his spectacles up his nose a little further. “They have little of note to trade—some salted meat, some mead—but they’re offering to go and find whatever we need. And you, my lady, need wheat.”
I knew I needed wheat. “How will they acquire it?”
He smiled at me. “I knew you’d worry about that. I’ve a list of items we can trade with farmers—namely winter greens and some eggs, but also some bolts of fabric and furs—I’ll have you look over it, of course.”
There was little to keep the pirates honest if we used them as go-betweens. Movement from the direction of the stable caught my eye, but Thomas had already left to go and retrieve Storm’s reins from the hand of the stableboy, so I turned back to Brian. “What’s to stop them taking everything?”
“They want papers,” he said, eyes sparkling.
“I thought they might. With one port to legally trade at, they’ll earn significantly more for doing a lot less.
They’ll have plenty of room in their hold for your wheat and their own cargo.
Our markets are dead now, my lady, but soon enough they won’t be.
With some spare coin and some credibility, they’ll be able to buy their way into a few more ports.
” His hand swept toward the city as if he could see it already.
“If they’re smart—and I do suspect they may be—and if you’re willing, this might be the foundation of another trading company. One that’s loyal to you.”
My mind whirred. The benefits of having a merchant fleet whose home port was La’Angi would be huge. But if it was that simple… “What haven’t you told me?”
Brian patted his horse’s muzzle. “I forget you’re an only child, my lady,” he said, sounding apologetic. “Those of us who grew up with siblings mayhap understand the delicate balance of managing the different trading companies’ egos, wishes, and capabilities.”
I’d be playing favorites and put established traders off-side.
I couldn’t afford that.
More to the point, I didn’t know if anything I did would stand up in the King’s court if anyone chose to inspect it. My signature was merely ink on parchment, same as anyone else’s. They were just letting it mean more for now.
Storm snuffled at my hair. I leant into her familiar warmth, greeting my old friend as the worries simmered.
Without the wheat, I was standing to lose a significant amount by producing cider over knappchs.
I already didn’t have the staff to uphold our trading contracts.
I was taking the riches of the dead in my city, leaving living relatives mere trinkets.
If their relatives returned after I’d absorbed the deceased’s resources?
It would be too late. The most impacted were, of course, the wealthy.
Those traders, they were going to be off-side already.
Brian climbed up into his saddle with a grunt of effort. He’d already figured it out. He knew this was what I needed to do. That was why we were here, and I was being dragged out to meet them.
“Don’t look so glum, my lady,” he said, peering down at me. “Family gatherings are much more enjoyable when there’s someone new at the table.” He grinned, the expression not entirely friendly. “There really is enough gravy for everyone, if only they’ll pass the bowl.”
Thomas returned, reins in his hand. Isolde was already in her saddle, and Chay wouldn’t be far off. I lifted myself up, my mind on the seemingly endless list of contracts we had with the different companies.
Brian was right, of course. There was enough gravy for us all. But we were probably going to need to break the fingers of the people holding the tureen.
How many people’s fingers could I break before they turned on me?
“Look at that,” Brian said, surprised. “Is that an albatross?”
“There’s four of them,” Isolde said, crisply. “Brown-breasted.”
I followed Brian’s gaze and saw the dots above us as they wove in and out of the clouds. “That’s a good sign, my lady. Those birds rarely come ashore.”
“The last good omens carried on dark wings were seen before the plague,” I told Brian, knowing Isolde would hear. “I’m sure they’re majestic birds. I won’t base any important decisions on their presence.”
“And so you shouldn’t,” Brian agreed, sounding amused. “I’ll note, my lady, that we could’ve done much worse from that hideous plague.” I didn’t glance back, keeping my eyes on the city unfolding before me. Beneath me, Storm’s pace was brisk and steady.
Once again, Brian was right. I didn’t want to dismiss anyone’s grief, or minimize the dire position we were in, but it could’ve been much worse.
Above us, the birds soared.
“They’re going to want reassurances,” Brian told me.
For a moment I thought he was still talking about the birds.
Then I remembered the pirate with the arrogant tilt to their chin, a smirk on their lips and their sure hands on the helm.
“I’ve given them an inventory of what we’ll move and got carts being loaded already. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
I didn’t. He had a better feel for what we could spare than I did, and for that I was grateful. “That’s why they want me? For reassurances?”
“They want your signature,” he said. “And your family’s seal.”