Laren’s Gambit
“M omma?” Melry cried. “Really? A duel? ”
“That is what Captain Humble and I are discussing.”
“No!” Melry looked imploringly at Stevic. “Tell her she can’t.”
“I—” he began.
“I can and I will,” Laren said.
Mother and daughter started arguing.
“Her daughter?” Mead asked Stevic with a nod toward Melry. “The troublemaker?”
“Yes, and we do not need to do this.”
“I will not go back to Varos alive,” Laren said, “and not just for my sake, or Melry’s.”
“What is she babbling about?” Mead asked him.
“I’m not sure.”
Excitement spread through the crews on the beach. They stopped what they were doing to find out what was happening.
“Mornhavon the Black is returning,” Laren said, “and I need to return home for my Riders and my king.”
Mead laughed and many others joined in.
“It’s not exactly funny,” Stevic said. “The threat is real.”
“I am sure her Riders and her king will get on without her,” Mead said. “It changes nothing.”
He took his seat and leaned toward her. “You think because you are out on the seas you won’t be affected?
Certainly not at first, but if Mornhavon succeeds and wins a war with Sacoridia and then pushes through Rhovanny and across the entire continent, what ships will be left to filch?
Where will you anchor as the creatures of dark magic he harbors are released into the world? ”
“You know so much about Mornhavon and Blackveil?” Mead was scornful, but now she sounded less certain. “Most anything about Blackveil is nursery tales.”
“Untrue.”
“How do you know? No one goes into Blackveil. That old wall holds the forest back.” She paused, looked aside. “Now that’s something I haven’t thought about in years.”
“You have been away at sea for far too long,” he told her, “and I know about Blackveil, not just from Laren and King Zachary, but from my daughter. She entered Blackveil and barely survived. An evil Eletian breached the wall.”
“An Eletian?” This time Mead could not contain herself. “You tell a good tale, Stevic darling.”
He slapped the plank table with the flat of his hand.
Drinking vessels, utensils, and food jumped.
“I am telling you it is so. Eletians have emerged from their realm and have aligned with Sacoridia as they did during the Long War. And to say otherwise, that there is nothing to any of it, is a grave insult to my daughter who has risked her life time and again to protect Sacoridia and all the free lands beyond, and thus a grave insult to me.”
“I do so enjoy it when he gets passionate,” Mead told Laren.
“It appears to be a G’ladheon trait,” Laren replied with the hint of a smile.
Stevic sputtered indignantly.
“Hey, Cap’n Humble,” one of the pirates called, “maybe it’s him you should duel.”
“Oh, we have dueled in the past,” Mead said, “in bed. He is a more than an adequate opponent.”
This was followed by hearty guffaws and laughs from their watchers. The back of Stevic’s neck burned, even more so when Laren smiled.
“Laren,” he said, “this is not like you.”
Her smile vanished and she gazed at him dead in the eye. “We have known each other for a few years, and have gotten close only recently. There is much you don’t yet know about me. It is not for you to judge.”
“Thing is,” he told Laren, “I would like to get to know what I don’t know about you. But if you do this...” He gestured helplessly.
Her expression softened for but a moment, then she turned to Mead. “It is my understanding that dueling is not an uncommon practice in some pirate quarters as a way of resolving disagreements.”
“It is,” Mead agreed.
It was against the law in Sacoridia, Stevic thought. What would King Zachary think when he found out his friend and close adviser had engaged in dueling?
“Duel at dawn?” Laren said.
“Why wait?” Mead countered.
Laren nodded. “Why, indeed. If I win, I take Messenger and Stargazer , all their crews and passengers, to Sacoridia. You win, you can take my corpse to Varos and drop it at King Farrad Vir’s feet.”
“Mother,” a horrified Melry cried out. “You can’t do this. You can’t leave me like this.”
“Your daughter does not seem to hold much confidence in your abilities,” Mead said, “but I do disagree on one count of your proposal. You are no good to me dead. King Farrad Vir wants his truth-teller alive. It will be a first wounding, and if that doesn’t stop you, I will incapacitate you with something worse.
King Farrad Vir’s truth-teller only needs her tongue.
If she’s missing a foot or hand? It is not my problem.
You can kill yourself if you want after I collect my reward.
As for what I get if I win? You, Stevic, and the women back to Varos, and the ships and anything of value. ”
“On your honor?” Laren asked.
“Aye.”
“Then agreed,” Laren replied.
“You are both mad,” Stevic said.
They tossed a silver coin to see who got to choose the weapon. Mead won.
“My trusty cutlass will do,” she said.
“I do not happen to own one,” Laren replied.
“You may use mine, Colonel,” Sevano said.
Stevic pulled Laren aside. “Have you ever used a cutlass?”
“Of course,” she replied, but her eyes said, “no.”
An area on the beach was cleared and swept with palm fronds for the duel.
Laren stood off to the side testing the balance of Sevano’s cutlass.
Melry talked half-hysterically at her, while Sevano gave her advice on using the weapon.
Amina stood solemnly by to offer support.
He believed Laren fully intended to kill or be killed, no matter Mead’s words about first wounding.
If Mead would not kill her, she would still find a way to take her own life.
He paced frantically thinking about how to stop them. Mead would not play fair.
He grabbed Sevano’s arm. “Make sure the colonel has a longknife. Mead will use hers in addition to her cutlass as a matter of course.”
“This I know,” Sevano replied. “She’s got mine.”
Before he had a chance to talk to Laren again, the women stood face-to-face in a circle etched into the sand. They touched blades to begin. He could not believe they were actually going through with it.
No, no, no. He could not allow this to happen.
He made to step into the circle to stop them, but a pair of burly pirates grabbed him.
When he struggled, a solid fist to his gut made him double over.
He’d have fallen to his knees had the two brutes not held onto him. He missed the first exchange of blows.
He shook his head to clear it. Laren and Mead were circling one another. Clamorous shouts arose all around him, egging on the combatants and making bets. Mead wore a vicious smile while Laren’s expression was one of concentration.
Clang-clang-clang!
The blades moved blindingly fast. They were testing one another.
“It is surprising,” Laren said.
“What is?” asked Mead.
“That you haven’t asked King Zachary.”
She thrusted, and Mead parried.
“Asked him what?” said Mead.
“If he would pay more than King Farrad Vir for the return of his trusted adviser and friend.”
“Good try,” Mead said. “Zachary would as much hang me.”
Wait, Stevic thought. Was this Laren’s plan unfolding?
The women exchanged another series of blows.
it was clear that Laren had more formal sword training to Mead’s practical experience with the cutlass.
Laren acquitted herself admirably and Stevic indeed thought he had underestimated her, but he was not sure how long she could sustain that level of swordplay against Mead’s battering.
Then Mead’s cutlass sliced a little too close to Laren’s neck for comfort.
Mead might want to stop at first wounding, but accidents happened.
“He would not hang you if we stood up for you,” Laren said.
“You have so much power, messenger?” Mead demanded. “Forgive me if I have my doubts.”
“Oh, but I do.” Laren jabbed at her, but she jumped out of the way. “You forget that I am a truth-teller and I am telling the truth.”
This was it, he thought. Laren, you are brilliant. He should have known better than to doubt her. The duel was not the end all of her plan. He had allowed his fear for her safety to overcome his better sense.
“A truth-teller can lie like anyone else,” Mead said.
“True,” Laren said, “unless the truth-teller has an ekedian centipede in her ear. If I were lying, I’d be entirely incapacitated right now.”
Yes, yes! Stevic practically jumped up and down. This! This was Laren’s gambit.
Mead abruptly stopped fighting and stabbed her cutlass into the sand and stepped back. She showed her empty palms to indicate a cessation in the contest. Laren did likewise. The audience groaned in disappointment.
“I’ve heard that King Farrad Vir uses ekedian centipedes on his slaves, though I haven’t seen it,” Mead said.
Amina stepped forward. “Not all slaves, only the gifted. I do not have one, nor do these women.” She indicated the former slaves. “Laren does.”
“Huh.” Mead rubbed her chin, considering. “And King Zachary would hear me out on your word?”
Stevic tore free of the pirates holding him. “He most certainly would. Why else would he give me, of all people, a former pirate, command of his newest warships to go all the way to Varos to rescue this particular woman?”
Laren gave him a look as if it was about time he spoke up.
“Then why the duel?” Mead demanded.
“I wanted to ensure you knew I was committed,” Laren replied. “I was truthful, and deadly serious, when I said I would not return to Varos. Not alive, at any rate. And I was quite serious about defeating you. I still am.”
“Let us discuss this possible opportunity,” Mead said, “and if I am satisfied with what you say, we go on to Sacoridia. If not, to Varos.”
“If not,” Laren said, “we finish the duel with the same stakes.”
“Agreed.”
The onlookers wandered off in disappointment that there’d be no blood—at least for the moment—and returned to their games and merriment. Laren and Mead left their swords standing in the sand and Stevic followed them back to the table.